The Fallen Slayer {1}

Echoes

Elena had bolted the second she could.

She just needed a moment away from everyone, hence how she found herself drifting toward the Gilbert plot in the middle of the graveyard.

A place she had been avoiding since she woke up because of the new headstone resting next to their family's resting place. Given that the Gilbert plot was completely filled with the rest of her family, the two new graves had been set in between the Summers and Gilbert plots.

Hank Summers's headstone was right next to the Summers family plot.

While Jeremy Gilbert's headstone was next to the Gilbert plot.=

Just the sight of her brother's headstone and the thought of the two funerals she had missed, had Elena's hands shaky. Gritting her teeth as she tried to ignore the gnawing feeling of guilt in her stomach she ran her hands over her face only to flinch as pain instantly vibrated across her jaw at the contact.

Her entire jaw was turning a deep purple color as the bruise took form from where Buffy had punched her into the pipes.

She had forgotten how hard Buffy hit, and it was nerve-racking to think about the fact that technically, Buffy had been holding back.

If Buffy had wanted to, she could have punched her so hard that her neck snapped, killing her instantly.

A part of Elena wished that Buffy would just kill her.

End her misery.

Letting her eyes scan the headstone, she couldn't help but scoff at the first two words carved into the grey marble stone "Brother and friend?" She scoffed "What genius came up with that one."

The phrase that was carved into the stone underneath brother and friend caught her attention though, causing her chest to tighten.

'A born warrior.'

That had to be a Buffy addition, which only made sense given that when it had been Buffy's gravestone being carved, Jeremy had been the one to add the comment about how she saved the world a lot.

Ignoring the slight pang of jealousy in her chest at the thought of just how much she felt like the third wheel when it came to her siblings, Elena lowered herself onto her knees, directly in front of her brother's final resting place. The longer she stared at the stone and thought about the fact that technically speaking his body was only six feet below her, buried within the earth, Elena felt the pieces in her heart start to crack.

The cold murderous vengeful wall she had built up, shaking inside of her, desperate for the floodgates to open.

To finally let herself grieve.

She could picture his smiling face, the way he would tease her or pout when she and Buffy would team up against him when he did something stupid. The light in his eyes when he would one-up Buffy during a sarcastic banter off and the way he protected the people he loved with such ferocity.

"I give up, Jer." Elena crocked out, her voice cracking as long built-up tears brimmed her eyes.

She missed her baby brother so much.

She missed her sister who wanted nothing to do with her.

She just missed everything.

Taking a shaky breath she tried to summon her courage, this was harder than she thought it was going to be "I really wanted to kill her for you, but..." Picking up the flowers by the grave she smiled slightly, instantly knowing who would have dropped them off...Buffy.