WillowRulez - Thanks, you are just in time for the next one. Or maybe you'll be late again in which case it won't really matter. THere will be a slight level of intensity but only briefly. I hope you are enjoying the ride.
Helloooooooooo my devoted readers! Here is the next update for all of you.
When we last left our Hero he was floating lifeless down the river, as our Slayer chased along the shore.
Will he survive?
Will she reach him in time?
Can you stand the suspense?
*dramatic music plays*
And now...
Without further delay....
Disclaimers:
Title: Leap of Faith
Rating: PG maybe pg-13 for a curse word or two.
Feedback: Go for it. This is for all of you not me.
Archive: Copy, cut, paste I don’t care it’s all for pens readers anyway.
Summary: This fic takes place about a 5 years after Pathways & Patterns. The family is doing what families do...living. It isn't angst free and it has a few twists along the way.
Author’s Note: Some of the events in this fic are serious and it is not my intention to be insensitive to anyone that has lived through similar experiences.
Copyright Disclaimer: Joss and Company owns all the original BTVS characters... blah blah blah
and now..........
*curtain opens*
Chapter 15 Abbey dragged her little brother into the warmth of the sun. She could hear the snapping of twigs as her aunt sprinted along the river’s edge. She wanted to help. She felt her little brother shiver in her arms. “Patrick, I’m gonna try to get you inside.” Abbey tucked her arms beneath his shoulders and hugged him from behind. The cast on his leg doubled his weight. She dragged the boy through the gravel, leaving a trench as a sign that they had been there. They reached the porch of the cabin and used the handrail to climb to the door. The tiny blonde used all her strength to get the boy inside. She wrapped him in a blanket and stoked the embers of the fireplace until it warmed the room. She watched the color rise in Patrick’s face.
*** *** ***
Al’s limp body rode the current, drifting lifelessly over the rise and fall of water across the rocks. The river was a rafter’s dream, with the height of raging water. It was a nightmare for the would-be rescuer.
Buffy cursed as the whip of branches slapped against her naked arms. She’d wrapped her jacket around the boy, leaving herself exposed in a tank top. The faster she ran, the further away from the water she became. She wanted to get ahead, and the best she could remember, from the ride to the cabin, was that there was a place to take up rafts and canoes not far downstream. She hoped she could get there in time.
She counted her stride, focusing mechanically on her body’s rush to get to the boat launch. Her arm took the full force of a tree, which imbedded its prickly thorns deep in her arm. She was numb to the pain. She could hear the water again; the rapids were not far and she chanted with hope. “Please be alive. Please be alive.”
Her body broke through the thicket of weeds and trees. She was back along the river’s edge and she could see the launch. There was a rafting company van and a busy group down by the water. She could feel her pulse pounding against her skin. She was petrified at what she was approaching. She knew Al was there, and knew somehow that they’d pulled him from the water.
She heard the counting and watched two men breathing and forcing life back into the man she’d come to love. They were unaware of her presence. She was unaware of her connection to the world. Al was a lifeless shade of blue, soaked through. Her body froze.
His shirt was ripped open. This shocked Buffy back to her senses; she knew he wouldn’t want to be so exposed. She knelt beside him, hyperaware of his lack of pulse.
A third man came running over to them. He carried a box and started to mechanically remove its contents.
Buffy held Al’s cold hand. He felt as far away from her as her mother had on that morning. His eyes were closed and she was grateful, only wanting to see the unclouded spark that lived inside them. He was too cold.
“You have to let go.” The man pulled their hands apart. “I’m sorry, but we can’t help him if you don’t back away.”
Al’s body jerked stiffly. She watched the machine they’d attached to his chest. It was a portable heart machine similar to the one they’d brought in to help her mother. It would bring him back to her.
A voice broke the silence. “Nothing.”
Buffy could hear the sound of the water. She closed her eyes, listening for a heartbeat from inside Al’s chest. She whispered to herself. “Please.”
His body jerked again as the electric current forced through his chest, and the group around him stilled. “Nothing.”
They continued compressing his chest. Buffy pushed in beside them. Al’s mouth was protected by a rubber covering, a safety device invented to prevent the spread of disease in emergencies. She snapped it away from his mouth. Her lips pressed desperately to his as she breathed her own life into him. She hovered over his face. “Come on, baby, please breathe.”
Strong arms forced compressions, waiting for the battery of the machine to recharge. They created a rhythm. Buffy’s lips lifted only so she could watch the rise and fall of his chest. She would not stop. He would come back to her.
“Back up.”
The machine sent a stronger pulse. Buffy’s eyes teared as his body stiffened again.
“Anything?”
Buffy felt for a pulse. She pinched his nose, continuing to share the breathing for them both. She wouldn’t stop. She whispered in his ear, “Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m sorry, lady.”
She looked up at the voice. “NO!” She continued to breathe into Al. “Do it again.” She shoved them away and pushed against Al’s chest. “Make that thing go again.”
He shook his head. “We have to let it charge. We’ve done it three times. It won’t last much longer.”
“I’m not letting him go.” She continued CPR. She remembered everything she’d learned from her mother’s death. All the things she’d done wrong, she was doing right, now. Her body pushed down until she felt her strength and stifled it to protect Al’s ribs. He wouldn’t leave her. She knew he wouldn’t leave her.
“He’s gone, lady.”
“No, he’s not!” She listened to the machine. It signaled its warning tone. She sat back as Al’s body went stiff from the shock.
They all watched the monitor and waited for a response to the final dose of current. It was faint, but his heart was beating in time with the green line on the display.
“Holy shit, he’s got a pulse.”
Buffy turned Al onto his side. The handsome Slayer wretched as his body forced the river’s water out. Again and again, he vomited. Buffy smiled each time she felt him move against her. He was living. He could puke all over her because she knew it meant that she’d be able to hold him, alive.
He rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. He could see Buffy hovering over him and tried to ask about the boy. “P…” He was too weak to form words.
“He’s okay. He’s with Abbey.”
Al closed his eyes, satisfied that his efforts hadn’t been in vain.
******
“Over and out.” The hand radio buzzed with silence. The women stared at each other in shock. “I’ll get it ready.”
Willow ran out the back door, barking orders at the crew in the stables. She ran through a list of supplies and helped connect the horse trailer to the truck.
Tara ran to Al’s cabin and scavenged clothes and blankets. She wasn’t thinking clearly as she collected them in the bag with Patrick’s things.
“Tara?”
The blonde popped her head out. “I’m coming.” A boot fell to the ground as she ran across the gravel. “Damn it.” She stopped to pick it up. She was frantic with fear and wanted to get to her children as quickly as possible.
Willow held a hand to her wife. “Let me take some.” She took the bag and helped Tara to her feet. “Buffy said they are safe.”
Tara’s hands were shaky as she reached for the car door. “I know.”
Their ride to the cabin was the longest lapse of silence Tara could remember. Willow concentrated on the narrow passes of the drive, carefully ensuring that the horse trailer would clear the old bridge trusses. It seemed like hours to the blonde as her eyes watched the continuous blur of green pass beside them.
They pulled around the front of the cabin. Buffy was waiting to meet them on the porch. “Hey.”
Tara looked through the open door. “Where are they?”
Buffy pushed her hands into her pockets. “Abbey is helping me make lunch and Al and Patty are asleep.”
“What happened?”
Abbey came out the door. “Mom.” She wrapped herself around Willow and held back her tears. It was a relief to have them back together. She felt horrible guilt over knocking her little brother into the water, and the slow motion memories of the hour that followed bubbled to the surface.
Tara dropped beside her child. “Abbey girl.”
Little arms swung around to grip her neck. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt them.”
Tara picked up her daughter and carried her inside. “Shh, baby girl.”
Willow grabbed Buffy and pulled her aside. “What is she talking about?”
Buffy closed the door. “It was an accident.” The Slayer explained in full detail the accident of the afternoon. Willow could understand how her daughter would feel responsible. She was determined to help her understand that accidents happened.
They walked into the cabin. Tara held her daughter as Abigail explained the events of the afternoon. Her version was different: less graphic, more emotional.
Al walked from the room carrying the small boy. Patrick put on a brave face for Willow and Tara.
Buffy took the boy immediately, recognizing Al’s tired appearance. “You should have let me.”
“I’m fine, Buffy.”
“You’re not fine and sit down right now.”
Abbey looked at Al. “I’m sorry you had to go in the water.”
He could sense she needed reassurance. “I’m a good swimmer, little one. Don’t you worry about it one bit.”
“Why don’t we get the truck loaded?” Willow gestured to Buffy.
Al attempted to follow. The slim Slayer pushed him into the chair. “Not you. You’re on full rest. My orders!”
“Kinda bossy?” Tara smiled at Al.
He turned to look at her. “This is nothing. She made me go right to bed.”
Buffy stepped back inside, overhearing the conversation. “If you weren’t who you are, you’d be in the hospital right now.”
Willow covered her mouth and whispered as she passed her wife. "Kinda pants-y if you ask me."
Buffy let the slam of the door drown out his retort. She followed Willow to the back of the trailer. The horse was ready and they loaded it inside.
The redhead kept quiet as she watched her friend secure the huge animal. She was surprised at how comfortable the brunette had become. Buffy closed the doors and latched the lock. “Ready to hit it.” She slipped her hand between the bars on the trailer window, patting the horse’s neck.
Willow sensed Buffy’s mechanical behavior. She was going through the motions and the redhead was worried about her breaking down in front of the children. Her hand moved to turn Buffy around. “How are you holding up?”
Buffy smirked. “Another day, another drama. You know how it goes.” She shrugged her shoulders, avoiding the conversation. The tall cowboy inside the cabin had become part of her life; confessing her fear aloud would make all the feelings real.
“It’s not the same, Buffy. It’s just you and me.” Willow forced the Slayer to look at her. “Talk to me. Tell me what happened out there.”
Buffy turned to lean against the hot steel of the trailer. Her head hung down as she kicked her foot back and forth across the ground. She turned to face Willow and her arm rubbed against a metal rail. She winced as it caught the wound on her arm.
Willow pulled up her sleeve, noticing the cuts in her skin. “What’s this? These look really bad. Buffy?” The wounds covered her shoulder and moved down her bicep.
The Slayer pulled away from the probing. “It’s nothing. They’re just scrapes.”
Willow could see it was more. Each wound, covered in dry blood, was superficial compared to the scars that marred the Slayer’s soul. “Talk to me, Buffy, please. Tell me what happened.”
“It happened so fast, Will. Abbey had a fish and then Patty fell over. Before I could take a breath, Al was in there after him. The current was so strong and I couldn’t get them both.” She hesitated. The events skipped through her mind like a slow motion replay. “Al made sure Patrick was safe. He made sure I could get Patty to shore.” Buffy swiped away tears with the back of her hand. “He let go, Willow. He let go, so that…”
The redhead’s arms reached around the Slayer. “Shh, it’s okay. He’s okay.”
Buffy looked up at her friend. “He drowned.”
“What?” Willow’s eyes widened.
“The current turned him under and washed him through the rapids. I couldn’t get to him. I pulled Patty in and by the time he was safe Al was gone. I couldn’t catch up.” She rubbed the dried blood from her arm. Her hand swiped a wound and snagged on a thorn. She winced. “Damn.”
Willow pulled up her shirtsleeve. “What the hell, Buffy. You didn’t even clean these out.” She pinched a toothpick sized thorn and pulled it from her arm.
Buffy pulled away from Willow. “I wasn’t thinking about it, I guess. The last couple of hours have been a blur.” She looked at her skin. “I think I ran through a thorn patch.”
Willow went to get the first aid kit from the back of the truck. She dropped the tailgate and led Buffy to sit down. “How did you get him out of the river?” She pulled out another thorn that was deeply impaled in the skin.
“I didn’t do it.” Buffy felt weak. “Those guys from Sun country… they… they saw his body. When I got there, he was…” She covered her eyes with her hands.
Willow stepped closer to wrap around and hold the emotional Slayer. “It’s okay, Buffy. He’s safe now.”
“I wasn’t there, Will. If those guys hadn’t been there, waiting for a rafting party, I never would have caught him.”
“You don’t know that, Buffy.” Willow pulled back to look at her friend. She saw raw fear in the woman’s face. “You love him, don’t you?”
The Slayer lifted her eyes and offered a tear-stained nod.
“If feels pretty good, doesn’t it?”
“I almost lost him. That feels horrible.”
Willow let go of her friend and returned to cleaning the arm and shoulder wounds. After so many years of bandaging battle injuries, the redhead was a pro. “It isn’t always horrible, though, is it?” The tip of her tongue poked playfully through her teeth.
Buffy nudged her friend. “Nope, it isn’t.”
They looked up as the front door of the cabin squeaked open. Tara held Abbey’s hand and Al carried the young boy in his arms. Buffy covered her arm and went over to help. “You got him okay?”
The little boy smiled from beneath the cowboy’s hat. “Al says we can go riding again.”
Tara smiled. “We’ll see. First the two of you have to visit the doctor. I want to make sure that you both are alright.”
Willow helped the children buckle into the back seat of the truck.
Al eyed the remaining space. “I think I’ll hop into the back. It’ll give Buffy and the kids more room.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Buffy reached for his hand. “Patty and Abbey probably want to tell their parents all about our day.”
The children nodded in affirmation.
He felt her squeeze his hand. “You sure you’ll be comfortable enough?”
Buffy grabbed the horse blanket from the truck’s toolbox. “I’ll be perfect.” She climbed into the bed of the truck. With a sharp snap, the blanket puffed and drifted into a soft place to sit. She snuggled in and welcomed the man into her lap.
“You mind?” He motioned for her position. “I think I’d like to hold you instead.”
Buffy acquiesced. “I think I’d like that, too.”
The family buckled in for the ride. Willow looked over her shoulder, waiting for the thumbs up from her slayer passengers. Without effort she pulled the truck and trailer through the yard and out to the road. Tara scooted into the center and wrapped an arm over the seatback, around her wife. Patrick was asleep before they hit the highway and Abigail wasn’t far behind him. It had been a dramatic morning and the weight of it had knocked them both into hard slumber. Willow and Tara welcomed the peace, aware that the conversations to come would be serious, but that they’d help them understand. It was what they did; it was what family did for one another.
Willow glanced back through the rearview mirror. “She’s in love with Al.” She watched as Al raked his fingers through Buffy’s hair. He was tender and her friend was completely relaxed in his arms. Willow couldn’t remember the last time she had seen such peace in Buffy’s smile.
Tara relaxed her head on Willow’s shoulder. “It’s a good thing. I think they are the only two people in the world that could understand how the other feels.”
“Three now.” Willow spoke seriously.
“What?” Tara sat up and looked at her wife.
Willow glanced back to check her mirrors. “He died, Tara. You know what that means.”
“Oh, crap.” The blonde turned around to look at their passengers.
TBC..................
How was that? questions? comments? Anyone... anyone
Login
FAQ
Search
The suckage will come to pass as I have readied the pen and the next chapter is ready for posting. I think you’ll be happily satisfied once you get through the first few pages. It’s a nail biter. Have no fear, Al is going to survive. I’m pretty sure… *wipes brow* I almost said too much. There will be angst and smoochies for everyone. A little bit of this and that. I’m spreading the love. Thanks for the feedback. I adore it!
? I think I do. Perhaps I better stop now. Thanks for reading and for sharing your thoughts and woes. More is coming up very soon.
