Work Text:
Eternity
by Pirate Turner
She looked at the brilliance of her new world through the tears that poured from her hazel eyes. Sobs caught in her throat, but she did not even hear the sound of her own voice as she finally let the tears overtake her. They poured down her face, flooding like an ocean from her hazel eyes. She wondered how long he'd remember the color of her eyes. Had he already forgotten? She'd never forget his enchanting orbs or the way he'd looked at her when he'd known she'd be going.
"Princess!" The gentle brogue came as if from a far. It was like a haunting whisper on the wind, and she barely heard it even as his arms embraced her. She lifted hers slowly, and he stood strong as she suddenly collapsed into his arms, her tears wetting his jacket. Surprise flitted through her, but it was as passing as a caress of the wind. She would have expected robes or wings, but he looked just as he had the last time she'd seen him face to face, when they had shared their one and only kiss and he had given her, who, for some bizarre reason she could not fathom, he trusted more than any other the visions that had ended up scarring and, in the end, costing both their lives.
She could not stop crying. There was no physical pain, but never had she felt as intense pain as now enveloped her. A hand touched her shoulder. She flinched away, turning deeper and closer into him for protection and wishing he was another. She'd know the touch of a Summers anywhere, and she had no more interest in dealing with Joyce than she did with her daughter.
Buffy. She'd have him now. She could make his life even more of a living Hell than Wolfram and Hart had made it. She wondered if he would ever wake up, if he would ever see the Slayer for the true Slayer she was. She didn't just slay Vampires. She slayed men. She took wonderful, compassionate, brilliant, strong, and passionate men and turned them into her weak, obedient slaves. Much like she herself had done with the majority of the Sunnydale High body when she had roamed those fateful halls as the infamous Queen C.
Another hand touched her long hair, but she didn't shrink away from this one. Instead, she welcomed his touch and wondered how he had come to be here. Curiosity slowly achieved the better of her, and she turned her head and looked at the most loyal friend she'd ever had. Her voice came out as a weak croak. "How?" The word seemed to resonate around her, and she felt Doyle squeeze her gently and knew instinctively that he wished he could keep all the bad away.
But it wasn't bad that he was here. It was good. It gave her something to hold on to, just as he had in life. If not for him, she never would have made it through all the heartache and despair her true love had so often filled her life with. She looked into his eyes, and his reassuring smile brought just the tiniest bit of the beginnings of a smile to the corners of her lips. "Our souls are tied together, Cordy. You're the sister I never had. When you passed, there were no strings left binding me to the earth so I was free to come after you."
She turned so that she could look at both men who had been so dear to her. They were such wonderful friends, and she trusted and loved them both though there was one she would always love more. She wondered how he was faring and wished she could see him one last time but was thankful for every moment she had ever shared with him. She longed to see him one last time, to hold him, to kiss him and wondered when, and if, the day would ever come when she could do so.
Their arms were around her now, and Cordelia welcomed Doyle's and Dennis' embrace. She tried to take her thoughts from Angel, but she was no more as successful with that as she had ever been in life. She hugged the men tightly and, though her head hung and her tears continued to flood, she couldn't help thinking that there were much worse ways to spend eternity.
The End