A Matter of Choice
Disclaimer : I don't own the BTVS or the Supernatural characters. I'm only borrowing them to have some fun.
Here goes the last chapter of this fic. I would like to thank Gitch who has betaread this story. And a big thank you to you too. This fic was a real challenge for me because I'm French. I've read in English for a long time now, so much that sometimes, I even think in English and it's quite disturbing... I love this language! And one day, I decided: why not write? Ok, without beta, it would be impossible to publish but I found one and here I am. I've even been nominated for the COA in the category Best Unfinished Crossover (but now it's finished). In conclusion, it's a successful challenge!
I stop babbling now. Here goes the last chapter. And if you like to read Buffy crossovers, you have to visit the wonderful site Twisting The Hellmouth (.org/). For those who already know it, don't forget to vote for the CoA!!
Now, I let you at your reading.
Enjoy!
It was late but Dean didn't care and hammered on the door. He heard noises coming from inside. The door half opened. The man behind was in his early thirties and had seen better days. He was pale and had blood-shot eyes. His clothes were old and deformed and a three day growth was shadowing his jaw.
"Do you know what time is it? What do you want?"
"Are you Teddy Space?"
"Yeah. And you are?"
"Dean Winchester. I know it's late but you need to come with me."
"Of course. Listen buddy,…"
"It's about Helena."
Pain flashed through his eyes.
"She's dead."
"If only it was that simple… Listen, I could explain everything to you right now but you wouldn't believe me and we don't have time. I can say two things: I have information about Helena's death and you could save a life tonight, if you follow me."
There was something in Dean's demeanor that seemed to convince Space because the door was closed and a few seconds later, the man appeared, ready to leave and asked:
"Where are we going?"
"To the hospital. I'll brief you on the way."
¤Dawn had the impression of floating. Around her, everything was black. The darkness seemed to form a silky sheet which was trapping her. She couldn't move. Thinking was hard. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and fall asleep. Sleeping would be so great. But a nagging little voice, which was oddly like her sister's, was telling her to stay awake, to keep fighting.
She tried hard to remember how she got here. It was so hard! Everything was blurred. There was noise. Loud music and drinks. A party. Karen had dragged her to a party in this building. That was not good. Panic was threatening to overwhelm her when a voice interrupted her.
"I'm sorry."
She opened her eyes to find a young woman in front of her. She was familiar. Tall and dark-haired. She could read sadness and guilt on her face. Why did she seem so familiar?
"Emily?"
"I didn't want them to die."
There was so much distress in her voice that she didn't even think to doubt her.
"I know. I would love to not die too."
Yay me! thought Dawn. If she could joke, the situation wasn't too bad, right?
"I just want to talk to him."
"Talk to whom?"
"He's wrong. He thinks everything is his fault and it's not. He's wasting his life."
She tried to understand what she was saying. Who could think he was responsible for her death? She focused hard, searching in her memories what she had read about Emily and her suicide. It happened at a party. Her boyfriend was with her. They had had a fight, just before her death. Could he be possible that he felt responsible for Emily's death?
Something attracted Emily's attention. She looked over her shoulder, seeing something only she could see. She smiled and whispered:
"He's here."
¤Sam was pacing the room, nervous and edgy. He hated doing nothing. Dawn hadn't regained consciousness. The doctors couldn't explain it. Her results came back normal. They said that her body was exhausted but Sam knew better. So he couldn't help but sigh in relief when his brother got in the room, a stranger in tow. He frowned and asked:
"Dean, who's that?"
"If we're lucky, the end to all this nightmare."
The stranger hadn't move, staying on the doorstep. He seemed insecure and uncertain, on the verge of running away.
"That's crazy. You really think that this girl is possessed?"
Dean grimaced:
"I know, dude. That could sound weird," he flinched when he saw Teddy's incredulous look. "Ok, that sounds completely weird. But…"
"Teddy?"
They turned back in once, eyes darting at the bed. At the same time, the lights and the electronic devices flickered before going down. Dawn, her eyes still closed, turned her head towards Teddy. The man seemed ready to run away, or collapse. He took a step back but Dean grabbed him and pushed him towards the bed. It wasn't the time to chicken out.
"Teddy, is that you?"
The voice that was leaving Dawn's mouth wasn't hers. It was deeper and it had a slight accent. It was creepy.
"Emily?" Teddy tried.
Dawn smiled. It was a smile full of relief, and sadness, and kindness. It was heartbreaking. How many feelings could be expressed in one little smile?
"I've tried to talk to you for so long."
Teddy finally collapsed on the chair Sam had occupied earlier. Behind, the Winchesters exchanged an incredulous look. Dawn had been right from the beginning. The ghost wasn't holding onto a corpse but onto her message. That was unbelievable.
"I'm so sorry Teddy," Emily was going on.
Her boyfriend took her hand and didn't seem to realize that tears were running down his cheeks.
"Why Emily? Why did you do it?"
"I didn't do anything. I didn't want to die."
Her voice was a murmur now. A soft whisper, hardly heard. Sam and Dean felt like voyeurs. They were afraid to move or even to breath, fearing that it could stop whatever was happening. Emily continued on her confession:
"I was so tired. I took a bath. But I had forgotten that I took sleeping pills. I fall asleep in the bath. I didn't want to. I didn't want to die. It's not your fault Teddy."
For the past seven years, Emily had watched the man she loved losing his battle against guilt, slowly wasting his life. He was convinced that Emily killed herself because of him, of their fight. He thought that this had been too much for her. But she hadn't wanted to die. Her death was an accident, not a suicide. She had tried to say that to him. Sad, she hadn't succeeded and she had found herself living her death, again and again. She caressed Teddy's cheek, wiping away his tears.
"I love you so much. But it's time for me to leave and for you to live your life. Don't be sad. Live, for me."
Her lover leaned towards her and kissed her. Relief washed over him now that she knew that she didn't kill herself. She wasn't coming back. She was going to somewhere else, some heaven somewhere, out there. He whispered against her lips:
"I love you Emily."
He moved away. Dawn's hand fell softy on the mattress. Devices turned on at once and the three men stared at the flat line on the screen. Nurses and doctors rushed in the room, asking them to leave.
In the corridor, Teddy sat up on the floor, looking lost. He will need time to really understand and accept what had just happened. The
Winchester's eyes were fixed on the closed door, afraid of what was happening behind. Emily had left. There would be no more deaths. And Dawn couldn't be the last one to die.
Minutes seemed like hours before the door opened again and a doctor got out with a relieved smile on his face. Both hunters had never been so happy to see one.
"Her heart started again. I don't know what happened. We're going to keep her tonight and we will do more tests but I think she's going to be alright. She's conscious and asking for you. Make it quick. She's tired and needs to rest.
They thanked him. Teddy decided to leave. He was going to take a cab. He asked them to thank Dawn and they just nodded. They watched
him go before entering. Dawn was pale and had big bags under her eyes. She tried to smile but failed.
"Hi!"
Her voice was a hoarse whisper. They moved closer to her.
"How are you feeling?" Sam asked, conscious of the idiocy of his question.
"I have been better." She paused. "She left."
"You were right," Dean said.
"I'm always right."
They couldn't help but smile. She was fighting against sleep. They saw it and decided to let her rest. They left without being sure she had heard them. They left the hospital and came back to the motel. They were tired and let themselves fall on their beds.
"We have to write this case in Dad's journal," Dean said.
"Tomorrow."
They decided to sleep. This hunt had been eventful, weird and enlightening. The next day, they would go to see Dawn before hitting the road again. Neither of them confessed that they would like to stay a few days and learn a bit more about the young woman who just escaped death. They wouldn't forget her soon.
¤Dawn was signing her release papers when the Winchesters arrived. She waved at them and handed back her file to the nurse. Then, she headed for her saviors. Without hesitation, she hugged them.
"Thanks for everything guys!"
"That was a closed call, you know," Sam said.
"Yeah, I know."
They walked to the Impala, talking and joking. She sat in the back of the car. Sam handed her her cell, explaining to her why he had turned it off. She turned it on and sighed when she saw all the missed calls. Dean saw her expression on the rear view.
"That bad?"
"Even worse. It will take me hours to calm them down."
"What are you going to tell them?"
"I'll find something. But it won't be the truth."
When they arrived at her apartment, her roommates surrounded her. She explained that she was sick and tired and fell asleep in her bath, nothing more. Dean and Sam were invited to breakfast. The conversation was light and friendly. The girls left around eleven and Dawn found herself alone with the Winchesters.
"When do you leave?"
"Tonight", answered Dean. "We have to clear our room at the motel before. Demons don't wait."
"I know."
Dawn wasn't feeling really well. This little adventure proved to her that as hard as she could look the other way, supernatural continued to exist. People were killed. She was wondering if she had done the right thing. Could she continue to lie to herself and live this normal life? Could she continue to pretend that she didn't know what was going on at night? She confessed her doubts to the hunters. Sam was the one to answer:
"We chose our life. If you want, you could go on with your life as it is now. The question is: will you be able to look in the mirror after?"
She groaned. That was the problem. Will she be able to? She shrugged:
"I thought it was what I wanted. Now, I don't know anymore."
¤Sam and Dean left at the end of the afternoon. Dawn watched their car disappeared and went back to her room. She took her cell and dialed her sister's number. Buffy picked up at the first ring.
"Dawn? What happened? Why didn't you answer last night? Are you alright?"
In the background, Dawn heard Willow's voice asking who was on the phone. When Buffy said it was her, she heard the witch yelling. Soon, she heard Xander's, Faith's and Giles' voices. The Slayer told them to shut up.
"So, Dawn?"
"I was at the hospital."
"Oh my! What happened?"
The Key explained to her sister that she was sick and tired and that she fell asleep in her bath. One of her roommates had found her in time. She reassured Buffy and all the Scoobies but it took her more than an hour to do it. She didn't tell them about the deaths or the ghost or the Winchesters. And she didn't tell them that she was suddenly doubting her choices. Could she really live a normal life? Now, she had to think and find what she really wanted for her future.
¤Dean took the Impala into a national road and hit the gas. Beside him, Sam was reading their Dad's journal for the umpteenth time. Dean thought of Dawn and smiled. Something was telling him that she wouldn't stay at the university. Maybe they would see each other in the future… Who knows?
¤ ¤ The End ¤ ¤