DISCLAIMER AND AUTHOR'S NOTE: All Buffy The Vampire Slayer stuff belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fiction. All other characters that appear belong to me. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies may be made for private use only and must include this copyright notice and disclaimer.

Forgiven
By Kristjan Brezovnik

Buffy was hunting again. Things have been pretty calm lately, especially after Spike, Drusilla and a couple of other vampires suddenly disappeared. Buffy didn't know whether to be glad or worried, especially since several mutilated bodies showed up, all with bite wounds. The bite wounds didn't worry Buffy as much as the fact that the bodies were mutilated. She wondered if whoever was doing the killing was also responsible for the disappearance of Spike and Drusilla. She had asked a few of the vampires before she had slain them, but they were all scared and none of them knew who the killer was. Or so they said.

It was already early in the morning and the sun was about to rise when Buffy decided to go home. She passed by the graveyard just in case and suddenly noticed that someone was kneeling in front of the cross. She was surprised and she decided to investigate.

As she got closer, she suddenly recognized the figure. It was Drusilla. She immediately took her stake and carefully approached, hoping it was not a trap. She got closer and noticed that Drusilla seemed to be praying. She was confused. A vampire, praying? She'll have to talk to Giles about it. She got closer, her stake ready, but Drusilla ignored her. Buffy considered whether she should just kill her and get it over with or wait. She decided to wait, after all, you don't see a vampire praying every day.

Drusilla finally turned her head. Buffy was ready, but Drusilla just stared at her dreamily. Buffy was confused. She knew that Drusilla was healthy again and Drusilla's look surprised her. It was as though she was sick again.

"Do you believe in God?" Drusilla suddenly asked.

Buffy was surprised.

"No, not really."

"I don't. At least not in the kind of god the religions preach about. If there is one, he doesn't care about us."

She stopped as her face became that of a vampire. Buffy jerked, but Drusilla's face became normal again.

"Why are you here?" she asked. "Where's Spike?"

"Dead."

Buffy was surprised.

"What?"

"I killed him."

Buffy was astonished.

"You killed him? I thought you two were supposed to be a hot couple."

Drusilla smiled sadly.

"So did I." She paused. "You'd think that by now I should have learned my lesson, never fall in love with a vampire."

Buffy was speechless.

"Why did you kill him?" she finally asked.

Drusilla sighed.

"He didn't love me, he just pretended because he needed me and my gift."

Buffy thought.

"Are the vampires afraid of you? Are you killing and mutilating people?"

"Yes," Drusilla said and looked back at the cross.

"Why?" Buffy asked, confused.

Drusilla didn't immediately respond and her face briefly became that of a vampire again. Buffy jerked, but calmed when Drusilla didn't attack. She was confused.

Drusilla looked at her.

"You know, it's not true what they say about vampires not having souls." She paused briefly. "We do have them, they are the food for the demons within us." She paused again and looked to the east where the sun was about to come up and Buffy also looked. "Buffy." Buffy looked back. "If you see Angelus, tell him that I have forgiven him."

Buffy was surprised. She had met Drusilla a couple of times and even though she was weak, she was evil. And now here she was, apparently crushed. Buffy noticed that Drusilla was apparently fighting an inner battle as her face changed a couple of times.

"I wonder who will forgive me," Drusilla whispered.

Buffy was surprised. Suddenly she realized that Drusilla's soul was fighting the demon.

"There's nothing to forgive," she said and frowned, surprised to hear herself say that.

Drusilla looked at her, surprised, and they stared at each other for a while quietly.

"You really mean that?" Drusilla finally asked.

Buffy hesitated and then smiled uncertainly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

Drusilla stared at her for a few moments.

"Thank you," she whispered and looked back at the cross.

Buffy stared at the vampire for a while.

"You came here to die?" she finally asked.

Drusilla looked at her and smiled sadly.

"I'm already dead. The demon killed me when it took over my body. I came here to kill the demon."

Drusilla moaned as the demon within her wanted to regain control again. Her face changed between that of a vampire and her own. The sun finally came up and she screamed as her body started to turn into ash. Buffy stared at her for a few moments and then kneeled beside Drusilla and took her hand. Drusilla looked at her, surprised and also grateful. Buffy smiled briefly and she even saw tears in Drusilla's eyes. Drusilla screamed again. And Buffy felt her grip tighten.

Drusilla's scream slowly died as her body turned into ash. Finally the sun was up and all that was left of Drusilla was a statue made of ash. Buffy remained kneeling for a while and then let go of Drusilla's hand. When she did that, the statue of Drusilla started to collapse until only a pile remained, marking off the site where a soul defeated a demon.

Buffy stared at the pile for a while.

"Rest in peace, Drusilla," she finally said and got up.

"Buffy, we need to talk," Giles said when Buffy got to school the day after.

Buffy ignored him and walked on. Giles thought for a moment that she was just being her ordinary teenage self, but then he realized that she was thinking about something. He went after her.

"Buffy," he said and stopped her.

Buffy looked at him.

"Oh, hi, Giles."

"We need to talk."

"Not now. I…"

"Now. Come."

Giles led Buffy to the library.

"Okay, where were you yesterday?" he asked.

"At home."

"Why? Is something wrong?"

Buffy sighed.

"No, nothing's wrong."

"You don't look like you're okay."

"I know."

"Then tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing's bothering me, I'm just thinking, okay?"

"Buffy," Giles said, not believing her.

Buffy didn't respond immediately.

"I met Drusilla," she finally said.

That got Giles' attention.

"What? Where?"

"At the graveyard."

"And?"

Buffy took a deep breath.

"You know, it's not true what they say about vampires not having souls. They do have them, they are the food for the demons within them."

Giles stared at her, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Drusilla came to the graveyard to kill the demon within her. Apparently the fact that Spike didn't love her hurt her so much that her soul resurfaced again."

"What are you talking about?" Giles asked, baffled.

"Drusilla found out that Spike didn't love her and that he only used her and she killed him. She was responsible for those mutilations." She paused. "When I found her, she was kneeling in front of the cross and I think she was praying or something."

"A vampire, praying?" Giles asked with disbelief.

"She stayed there until the sun got up."

"The sun kill vampires," Giles pointed out.

"I know and so did she, that's why she stayed there."

"Oh."

"You know," Buffy said after a pause, "this makes everything look different."

"What do you mean?"

"My job, it's not about slaying the vampires, but saving their souls."

"Oh." Giles thought. "Yes, I guess you're right."

Buffy started to leave.

"Wait! Where were you yesterday?" Giles asked again.

"At home."

"Why?"

"I was thinking."

"Oh."

Buffy left.

The End