Nocturnal Bravura Book Two: The Healing

Walking To The Truth

Walking To The Truth

“Lizzie look out!” Xander yelled.

Lizzie ducked as a vampire flew through the air. She rolled, catching the vamp by the scruff of his neck. Willow threw a stake at her and she caught it, slamming it into the vampire’s chest.

She turned and saw Oz struggling with two vampires. Quickly she ran over, intent on helping him.

Oz took out one of the vamps as Lizzie dispose of the other. Blowing vamp dust out of her face, she turned as Oz motioned to where William battling three vamps on his own.

With vampiric swiftness, Lizzie arrived at William’s side first. Oz and Xander right behind her. The two boys tackled one vampire and held it while Anya drove a stake into its back. More dust.

Lizzie fought the second vamp. He was no match for her and when she swiped his leg, he fell on the ground in front of Willow. She leaned over and plunged a stake into him.

William fought the leader. He was tough, but William blocked his punches with ease.

The vamp caught a glimpse of Lizzie and turned to attack her. “You tricked us, Princess!” He sneered as he closed in on her.

William roared, leaping on top of him and staking him with a vengeance. He hated it when they called Lizzie that. The brief flash of pain in her eyes made him furious. He hated that part of his father’s plan, but Lizzie always agreed to do it.
With Spike gone, the Hellmouth had become something of a demon Thunderdome.

Many of Spike’s minions had tried to take over his position as Master of the Hellmouth. Since most were mere fledglings they were easily disposed of. It was the out of town vamps that were the real problem. They came from everywhere trying to make a name for themselves. Trying to step into Spike’s shoes.
The weaker minions were always the easy.

All Lizzie had to do was walk into a demon bar and they would immediately fall to their knees. The wanna-be Master’s would always be intrigued as they listened to the resident demons tell stories about how the previous Master’s power was centered around his Dark Princess.

They always readily accepted Lizzie. Even in the demon culture there was politics. To be The New Master it would be to your benefit to stay in the good graces of the Old Master’s mate.

At Willow’s suggestion, she and Rupert had done a spell on Lizzie to mask their scents from the senses of any demon she encountered.

Lizzie would draw them in acting like Buffy had before she returned. It took a lot of coaching from William, which was painful beyond belief for him. She always did it though; she would find out their secrets then report back to The Scoobies.

Eventually it would always end with a confrontation in the mansion using Lizzie as their key into the lair. The Scoobies would come in and decimate the growing nest, leaving Lizzie to report back to the demon community that the newest up and comer had met his end at the hands of The Slayer without them ever never knowing her role in the whole thing.

Willow had her suspicions about what had transpired between Lizzie and William but she never pried. One time however, when Lizzie and William were yelling at each other over something, she caught a glimpse into their thoughts. The scene she saw in her mind was enough to send her into hiding from them for two days.

There were just certain things you should not see your friends do.

Dawn had been forced to spend three weeks with Hank Summers as per the terms of her adoption. She hated to leave. Lizzie was concerned but secretly was relieved. She had still not been able to gather the courage to see her sister.

“Score another one for the white hats.” Anya said proudly, fluffing up her hair.

Slaying was messy business.

Lizzie chuckled at her comment.

William walked over to her concerned. “You all right, luv?” He asked.

“I’m fine, Will. Don’t fuss.” she answered, walking over to Willow and offering her a hand up.

Willow staggered for a moment. Oz caught her with a look of concern.

“Guess I used too much power in that concealment spell.” She quipped.

“I don’t know why Giles insists on you casting the thing. We always bum rush so fast none of them are the wiser.” Oz said.

“The hallway is long. Remember the first time we tried this? We got attack two steps in.” Xander reminded Oz.

“True.” Oz said.

“Should watch the mojo, Red.” Lizzie said, her voice tinged with the faintest hint of a British accent.

Willow looked at her, a bit confused. She immediately cast her eyes down. “I gotta go.” She mumbled, walking past all of them and running out of the mansion.

“What was that all about?” Xander asked.

Oz shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe she’s been hanging out with Will and Giles a bit too much.” he suggested.

Anya rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious to me. Look where we are.” she said, motioning around the room. “She feels her Sire here. His blood runs through her. She’s bound to pick of some of his traits. Besides, Lizzie has always been a bit snarky when she gets flustered. Being here does that to her.”

William took a deep breath as Anya’s brutal honesty cut through him. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Lizzie had been a bit different since her return. She was always slow to anger but when she did lose her temper or get flustered there was a side of her that emerged that none of them had never seen from her before. Until now, William had always assumed it was her demon. It took Anya to point out what should have been glaringly obvious.

It was Spike.

The part of him that still held his claim on her from the beyond. The part of her that was him.

Lizzie and William had not discussed what happened between them that night.

They had patrolled, talking about everything under the night sky but that. Neither one of them knew where the other stood. Both were too afraid to upset the other.
William sensed Lizzie was holding something back from him, but he never pushed.

How could he when she never questioned him before when she was alive.

His acceptance always made Lizzie feel more guilty.

Now, William ran after Lizzie. “Lizzie wait!” He yelled.

Lizzie stopped in her tracks.

“I’ve had enough for one night.” she announced. “Please, Will. Just let it go for now.”

“Look I wasn’t going to try to get you to talk about what happened back there.”

Lizzie cocked her eyebrow up.

“All right, I can’t lie to you. Maybe I was.” William confessed.

Lizzie chuckled.

“Let me walk you back?” William asked. After a brief hesitation, she nodded.

Turning to resume her steps, Lizzie felt William fall in beside her. They walked in silence for a while, watching the night sky. William had a million questions running through his mind but he knew better than to ask. He could tell Lizzie was thinking about what had happened back at the mansion.

“Lizzie, the Bit will be back in a few days.”

She gnawed at her bottom lip. “I think I’m ready to see her.” Lizzie said softly.

William’s face lit up as he smiled brightly. “That’s great! Dawnie will be so happy.” he said.

They walked again in silence. Suddenly he felt Lizzie’s hand touching his. Without a moment’s hesitation he grasped it.

Lizzie looked up at him and smiled.

“Thanks for not pushing.” she whispered.

“No problem.”

The two friends walked around the cemetery for a long time. Holding hands, talking, laughing about their adventures since Lizzie had returned, but still not talking about that night.

“You know I’ll be there for you when you see the Bit, right?” William said.

Lizzie smiled. “You’re always there for me, Will.” she said, gripping his hand tightly.

William smiled, then suddenly froze. Lizzie felt his hand stiffen in hers. He was looking straight ahead. She followed his stare, suddenly realizing where they were.

There sitting in front of them was the grave of Jenny Giles.

Lizzie slowly walked over to it.

William broke free from his own state to watch Lizzie.

She touched the headstone. “Spike used to bring me here.” Lizzie whispered.

William nodded. “Every year on the night she died.”

Tears flooded her eyes. “I’m so sorry.” Lizzie whispered, staring at Jenny’s headstone.

William bent down putting his hands on Lizzie’s shoulders.

Lizzie began to sob loudly.

“It’s all right, pet.” He said, trying to soothe her.

“No it’s not. I let her down! She counted on me and I let her down!” Lizzie screamed, leaping to her feet.

“Lizzie I don’t understand.” William said.

She began to shake and turned away, covering her face with her hands as she cried.

William grabbed her by her shoulders. “NO! NO running away. It’s time, Lizzie. Time for you to trust me.” William pleaded.

“I can’t Will. If I start I’m afraid of what will happen. I’m afraid I’ll snap again.” Lizzie cried.

William held onto her tightly. “I’ll be here. It’s your turn to be strong Lizzie. You can do this. Tell me.”

Lizzie hung her head in defeat, turning back to face Jenny’s grave.

“Remember when I told you I knew you were the Slayer?”

William nodded.

Lizzie took and deep breath.

“You assumed it was from before. When I was Buffy, but it wasn’t. Will, I knew. I knew because your mother told me. She told me the night she died.”