Call Waiting: Buffy

by: Pete Meilinger

Rating: PG

~*~

Xander watched in anguish as the bolts of energy tore through Buffy's body and soul. They were the only combatants left standing in this, the latest battle to stop the Hellmouth. Xander knew the others were alive, though badly wounded, but for the moment all his attention was on the Slayer.

Buffy screamed in a mixture of agony and acceptance as the last of the golden beams of hellfire slammed into her. She opened her eyes and gave Xander a weary smile.

"It's okay," she whispered. "This is the only way. I love you all."

Before Xander could respond, Buffy began to glow from within, shining so bright she lit up the midnight sky like noon. The light lasted for what seemed like forever.

Suddenly, she was gone. Xander gaped in astonishment as his friend dissolved into a million particles of light, which were sucked into the Hellmouth as if into a whirlpool. As they disappeared from sight, they took the Hellmouth with them somehow, until Xander was left staring at empty air.

The Hellmouth had been sealed. But at what price?

Xander fell to his knees and wept.

*****

Buffy awoke on a vast plain of sand. The sky overhead was inky black, unlit by any stars.

She rose to her feet and stretched, surveying her surroundings. She turned to look all around her.

Featureless sand all the way to the horizon in every direction.

"GREETINGS," a voice called from behind her.

Buffy spun to face the speaker. He hadn't been there a moment ago.

She saw a tall figure in black robes. He was carrying a scythe in one hand and a large hourglass in the other. He sat astride a huge white horse.

"Binky!" Buffy screeched in delight, running up to throw her arms around the horse's neck. He nuzzled her hair happily.

"Hold on," the Slayer said, pulling back and rummaging in her pockets. "I brought something for you. There they are!" She brought a handful of baby carrots up to Binky's mouth and petted his snowy mane as he daintily ate them one by one.

"EXCUSE ME," the dark rider said.

"Oh!" Buffy exclaimed. "Sorry. My mind's all messed up, I guess. Dying'll do that, y'know?" She smiled up at him. "How've you been?"

"WELL..."

He was interrupted by a flash of light. A shining doorway came into being mere feet from where Buffy stood.

"Whoops!" she said. "Guess that's my ride. Great to see you guys!" She dove through the doorway and was gone.

Death looked after her for a moment. Then he looked down at the hourglass he carried. All the sand had run out into the bottom half. With a sigh, he turned it upside down and watched for a moment as it began to fall again.

"YOU KNOW," he said to no one in particular, "ONE OF THESE TIMES I'M JUST NOT GOING TO BOTHER TO SHOW UP."

END

NOTE: It's a Discworld crossover, for those not familiar with the books. Great reads, they are. Start on the third or fourth in the series, though, since the first couple just aren't that good.

In other news, I realize now that Buffy's death seems more than a bit like Spike's from the series finale. I wrote this long before the finale but then lost it. I just found it again the other day. I'm too lazy to change the similarities, so we're just going to have to live with it.

Disclaimer: All Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, David Greenwalt, Greenwolf Productions, Sand Dollar, and the Kuzuis. This fan-written fiction intends no infringement on any copyrights.