The Morgue
Written by Belle_Joy
Rating: M15+
Pairings: Buffy and Spike
Disclaimer: I own no one and nothing, especially the characters in this story. I'm merely borrowing them for the pure pleasure of messing with their lives.
Giles kept a close eye on Buffy for the entire ride to the coroner’s office. He was worried about her. She didn’t seem to be showing any emotion at all. He thought to himself that it was his fault she was emotionless. He had taught her that Slayer’s don’t need emotion to do their jobs. However, right now, and not for the first time, he silently damned the Watcher’s Council and their teachings. He was glad both he and Buffy were no longer under their control, he just realised now it should have been sooner.
Giles: Penny for your thoughts?
Buffy: Huh?
Giles: What are you thinking?
Buffy: Oh, nothing really. Just wondering what a morgue looks like.
Giles: Well, much like a hospital room. Haven’t you been to one before?
Buffy: Well sure, I have fought many a monster in there. I just never really payed much attention.
Giles (gently): Well, don’t worry the actual look of the place is not really that important. It’s not exactly what we are here for.
Buffy (distracted and quiet): Yeah I know.
The red BMW pulled up outside of what looked like a small hospital, although more business like. Buffy stared at it. It wasn’t a very obvious place; in fact she had probably gone past it a thousand times and never even noticed. However, now it was instilling a blood curdling fear through her body. She really didn’t want to go in there. Giles seemed to sense her uneasiness. He leaned over in the car and took her hand.
Giles: You don’t have to in if you don’t want.
Buffy: No, I have to, I’m related.
Giles: I am sure the coroner and I could work something out.
Buffy: I really should go in there.
Giles: Buffy, you don’t have to.
Buffy: I have to see her; I have to know that it is really her.
Giles: Well, I will be right here for you. Do you want me to wait in the car?
Buffy: I will come and get you when I am done.
Giles gently squeezed Buffy’s hand before she turned and got out of the car.
He watched as she walked with purpose toward the front door. She held her head high, but he could see that her shoulders sagged. He decided then that she wasn’t strong enough to do it on her own so he silently followed her.
Buffy felt a strange sense of calm wash over her when she opened the door. She knew she had to do this. She had to say her final goodbyes. It was inevitable. Interesting though, she had feared for her mother’s life so many times. She never expected her to die like this. It was almost poetic. She approached the front desk.
Buffy: Buffy Summers, I have to identify my mother’s body.
Clerk: You are going to do that on your own?
Buffy: Is that a problem?
Clerk: Well it isn’t the usual way.
Buffy: Well you see I don’t really like the usual way. It doesn’t fit me very well.
Clerk: All right Missy, if you want to…
Buffy: I want to, and the name is Buffy, I just told you that like 2 minutes ago.
Clerk: I am sorry I know this must be a difficult time for you.
Buffy: You know huh? You sure? My mother just died. I am now the guardian of my 15 year old sister. I have to quit school. I have to get a job. And now, to make things better I have to look at her dead body just to make SURE that you idiots didn’t make a mistake.
Buffy was almost screaming when she reached the last words. She had cried and she had joked and she had ignored, but now she was angry. She figured that was a good sign, maybe it meant she was dealing with this tragedy. Mostly though she felt like this was anger.
Clerk: See, now this is why we recommend company.
Buffy: Well, I have no one ok? I’m alone. I am it….
Giles (interrupting): It’s ok, I will go with her.
Buffy: Giles… I…
Giles: Buffy, you will always have me. You will always have all of us. Willow, Tara, Xander, Dawn, Anya… and even Spike… to different levels we all love you, care for you, and because of that you will never be only you, you will never be alone.
Buffy had never heard it put so beautifully before. She reached up and gave Giles a warm hug.
Buffy (to the clerk): I have someone. I have him
With that the clerk showed them through the double doors and into the holding room. It was lined with small refrigerators. It smelled sterile like a hospital but it seemed to be eerier, there was no hustle, no nurses, and no sick people noises. Just silence. Buffy turned to Giles with a frightened look on her face. He put his arm around her shoulder to reassure her. The clerk motioned for them to follow him. He led them into an even smaller room that contained a single body on a stretcher, covered with a sheet. Buffy stared at it. Was that her mother under there, she mused.
Clerk: Take your time.
He turned and walked out of the room.
Buffy: Well, what do I do know?
Giles: WE check and make sure that it is indeed your mother.
Buffy: What will she be like?
Giles: I doubt it will be pretty.
Buffy: Maybe, she will be all normal looking, like she is in bed. If she is, how do I know she is really dead?
Giles: I can’t stress enough that you do not have to do this.
Buffy: No. I really do.
Slowly she walked over to the edge of the stretcher. She stopped staring at the sheet covered body. She took a lot of deep breaths. Gently she peeled back the top half of the sheet revealing her mother’s face. She held her breath.
Her mother was beautiful. It was just as she described, there wasn’t a single mark on her face. Her hair was like a cascade of golden curls around her face. Buffy reached out a hand to touch her. She gently trailed a finger down her face and rested it on her chin. She could feel the tears begin to hit her. They came with out warning and flowed like the ocean. She could see them as they dripped onto her mothers face and hair; she kept trying to wipe them away but they flowed too fast. Buffy dropped her head onto her mother’s shoulder, she silently prayed. She prayed for her mother to return even though she knew it was fruitless. She prayed for her and Dawn’s safety. She prayed she could remain strong. She turned when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a voice speak her name softly. Buffy threw herself into Giles’ waiting arms as she wept, cried out all her fears and demons and prayed once more that Giles would be around forever so she would always have a parent and guidance.
Giles rocked the crying slayer in his arms. This poor child had seen so much pain and torment in her 20 years. It was cruel and unjust punishment for the child to lose her mother as well. He sighed. The only solution was for him to be the child’s parent, both of them. He made a decision then and there that he would make sure he got custody of Dawn. Mostly, to take some of the pressure off Buffy and but also to try and give Dawn a steady figure in her life. It would be hard for her, no mother a sister that is a Slayer, Dawn needed a normal parent for some stability. And Giles was the closest thing to that.
Giles: We should go now.
Buffy: Just one more second
Buffy turned to look at the features on her mother’s still face. Even in death the love Buffy felt for her mother overwhelmed her. It flooded her sense. Sadly she had to say goodbye. Buffy leaned over and softly kissed her mother’s colourless cheek.
Buffy: I love you.
She whispered her final words to her mother and then gently replaced the sheet over her face. Drying her eyes with her sleeve, she turned on her heel and with chin held high motioned for Giles to follow her out of the room.
She walked up to the clerks desk and looked him in the eye.
Buffy: We are done. Yes, that is my mother. What else do I have to do?
Clerk: Well all that is left now is the funeral.
Buffy: When is that?
Clerk: Well that is what you have to decide.
Buffy: Oh.
She cast a worried look in Giles’ direction.
Giles: Its ok, we will get it sorted. Thank you for your help.
Giles manoeuvred Buffy back to his waiting car.
Buffy: A funeral. How am I going to afford a funeral?
Giles: Well, I know your mother held life insurance so that will cover it. But don’t worry about money Buffy. I will help you. We all will.
Buffy: It’s so good to have you here Giles. I really don’t know what I would do without you.
Giles: Nor me without you.
Silently they drove back to Buffy’s home. She had said her goodbyes and now was the time to heal. He just hoped that the hell mouth would hold off for a while and let that happen.
End of part 8.
