"Immortal Beloved XLII..."

A shortie...

PG-13

Spoilers for Angel to "Not Fade Away..." However everything regarding the outcome and Cicely here is my own playin' round...

Disclaimer: Everything but the 'Walthrop' is Joss' and ME's

Summary: What can I say these things are like candy or Lays...

Archived with the rest of the "Immortal Beloved" series (each a different outcome of events from "Girl in Question..." on ...) at the 'normal' Buffyverse (hey, you saw the quotes!) of the Buffy Rebecca verse, https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/index.html (scroll down to the series).

I will also probably file this with the other lost works of England's third worst poet in Book I of the Semi-Complete Works of William Soames Walthrop...

http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/csww.html

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On an LA weeknight, oh tres dreary...Pondered I, weak and weary...

Just from the battle, besmirched with gore...Dragging my limbs along the floor...

Heard I soft familiar laughing...And a gentle but steady tapping...Rapping on my new apartment door...

"Tis Illyria or Gunn...Or perhaps Angel...To summon me to fight once more...Bugger that, I'll do no more..."

Only this and nothing more...

To said door went I, unclasping...Turning deadbolt with groaning rasping...Rasping?...From my brand-new door?...

Rates a memo to building super sure...

Only this and nothing more...

Flung I the door with certain caution...As in my own blood I was sloshing...

After all, just fought demons galore...

Could be that there was one more...

"Not a thing..." said I, looking...Searchin' round my new apartment door...

Quoth the Niblett... "Bout time you opened the door..."

"Nibs?..." said I, with cheek atremblin'...Lookin' at her glaring, teenaged form...

"What the hell?..." She entered coolly...Glancing round, closing the door...

"Hey, Spike...Or should I say William?...Walthrop, wasn't it your name before?..."

Researched my past thought I, calming...

Only this and nothing more...Hey?...

"Is Buffy with you?...Is she comin'...?"

Quoth the Niblett... "Nevermore..."

"Bloody Christ?!...What the hell is this?!!...Did she send you to piss on me, Niblett?!!!..."

"Tell me, where is Buffy...Is she in LA?...Is she comin'...?..."

Quoth the Niblett... "Nevermore..."

She took a seat and eyed me coolly...As dread crept on me unruly...

"Tell me, Niblett...Tell me truly...As an old friend...Well, in those long-lost times before...When will I see her?..."

"Nevermore..."

"Now, you ruddy well listen, you little fiend from Hades!...I don't know who put you up to this, Harris maybes...But I want an answer so I'll ask once more!...Where the goddamn's your sister...?"

"You mean the one you abandoned?...For evermore...The one who loved you?...And did before?..."

"Before...?"

"When she was the Slayer in 1880, moron...My broken-hearted sis' gone beneath the floor...Cicely that was heretofore..."

"Cicely...?"

"Cicely..." she nodded...Pausing, then said no more...

"Cicely...A Slayer?...But...Nibs, how can you...?"

"The Council's records prove it...Ask Giles to be sure..."

"As to the rest...She is gone and there's no more..."

"Buffy was Cicely?...She truly loved me?...And now has gone to that distant shore...?"

Quoth the Niblett, rising... "That's for sure..."

"But how..." "Despairing of seeing you, making amends...Knowing what'd happened to you before..."

That's what did it, nothing more...

"Nibs!!..." screamed I, in horror reeling...But from current pain would've climbed the ceiling...

"Say a word of comfort...Fore you go out my door...Say I'll yet behold the Buffy I adore..."

"Have you been listenin'?!...Nevermore..."

"So she learned she was my Cicely...Of that you're sure?...Then of grief she died?...You said before...That was it and nothing more?..."

Quoth the Niblett... "That's it, sure..."

Oh...she paused...And just one thing more...

"She'd've lived if you'd've come...Of that we're sure...But you didn't trust her love, so..." Buffy burst right through my door...

"Dawn!...Enough already!...Hurt my Will no more!...Ouch!!..." she stared at my bruises...

Buffy?...stared I back..."Cicely, too...?" Yeah...she nodded... "That part's true..." Frowning... "Sorry, had to be sure...You know you took your time to say 'how-de-do'..."

Feebly I... "Well, you did too..." As she hugged me...Wincing...At my apartment door...

And from me parted...Nevermore...

***