The warm night air was filled with heavy pants as the crew huffed and puffed in exhaustion. They had been at it for about an hour. Their hands were sore, their backs hurt, but most of all they were just tired and wanted to go to bed.

It was about three in the morning and Joan should have been home hours ago, being as she got off at midnight. She had been dodging her mom's calls all night, only sending a simple, I'm fine don't wait up text.

"Joan, we're tired, can't we just come back tomorrow?" Darci complained as she leaned heavily onto the shovel.

"I second that idea." Aron wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"No, we can't. When the sun comes up someone is going to see what we've done. We need to be out of here before then. Now dig faster." Joan continued to dig.

"Can we at least get some water or something, take a break?" Jaden suggested.

Joan ignored him and kept on digging. They were a good four feet or so in, with giant mounds of dirt surrounding the hole. Joan was covered head to toe in dirt. She had taken off her work polo and only had on her black work slacks and an undershirt. Her hair was pulled back in its usual braid, and her work shoes were caked in dirt.

"I can drive down to the convenience store and grab something for everyone." Mike offered.

"I'll come with you." Everyone quickly volunteered except Joan.

Joan sighed and paused in her digging.

"If you guys want to leave then just go. I can do this on my own."

"You guys go to the store, bring me back some water," Darci gave the boys a look.

"Right, want anything, Joan?" Mike asked.

Joan ignored him and went back to digging.

"Just get her some water," Darci said.

He nodded and then he and Aron walked off to Darci's car, Jaden grabbed the keys from Darci and rolled after them.

"Joan," Darci started.

"Please don't, I am not in the mood."

Darci climbed into the hole with her and grabbed Joan's hands, forcing her to stop digging.

"Hey, I'm here for you no matter what. I get it, She was my friend too. You know sometimes when my mom was being a bitch, Bex would just come over, just show up and hang out with me. One time she brought over a giant bag of cookies, then sat down and ate them right in front of my mom. The whole bag, all by herself. My mom was so disgusted, but Bex just did it for me. My mom was making fun of me for eating so much pizza by myself. Called me a cow. No one has ever supported me like Bex did. Like you do. You guys helped me learn to love myself. Bex was just such an amazing friend. You know afterward, she totally puked up her guts."

Darci and Joan both laughed.

Then Joan's laugh dissolved into a painfilled cry. Darci quickly pulled Joan into a hug. Joan cried hard into Darci's shoulder and held onto her tightly.

"Shh, it's okay. It's going to be okay. I know how you feel. We aren't going to give up on her, because she never gave up on me, or on you. We'll get her back Joan. I promise." Darci closed her eyes tight, holding in her own tears.

"I just don't know what to feel. I feel so mixed up inside. I don't know if I should be happy, or sad, or angry, or whatever else. I don't know what to do. I can't stop shaking, ever since I saw her face my hands haven't stopped shaking." Joan sobbed.

Darci pulled back and grabbed Joan's hands in her own.

"We are going to take this one step at a time. You feel whatever you want to feel, I won't judge you. We are going to figure this out. Promise."

"Thanks, Darci. I'm sorry I've been distant lately. It's just been so hard."

"No one is holding it against you, Joan. No one blames you. I know you loved her, and I know her death impacted you most of all. You don't have to apologize to me. I know these past few months have been really hard for you."

Joan sobbed some more, Darci smiled at her and wiped Joan's tears with her hand.

"Come on, we are almost done, just a little bit more." Darci grabbed a shovel again.

Joan smiled at her and grabbed her shovel again before getting back to work.

When Mike came back he handed out water bottles and they all sat at the mouth of the hole, taking a break.

That's when Rooney pulled up in her car, waiting in the parking lot. Joan could see Rooney was alone, but could also see Rooney was armed with slayer gear. They stared at each other.

"I can go talk to her?" Darci volunteered.

"No. She has to do this, just like I have to do this. When she comes, I'll be ready for her." Joan said.

"You guys are so violent. Every time I hang out with you guys there is always violence involved." Aron shook his head.

"Can't be helped." Mike shrugged.

"Come on, we only have a couple of hours left before Bex has to come back. We need this coffin out of the ground and into my truck by then."

"Where are you going to take it?" Darci asked.

"Yeah, you can't exactly hide a coffin in your room." Jaden pointed out.

"Lyssa old house. No one is staying there right now. It should be safe to hide her there." Joan said.

"Well, then we better get back to work." Aron sighed before getting up and grabbing his shovel again.

Joan got up and dusted her hands off before also grabbing her shovel.

"Um... Sorry about being a jerk. I appreciate you all helping me." Joan said.

"What are friends for?" Mike said.

"I think you guys need to look up the definition of friends because I don't remember digging up graves and slaying vampires being in the description," Aron said.

They all chuckled and continued to dig.

Rooney sat in her car and eyed them, watching as dirt flew out of the hole. Watching Jaden roll around in his wheelchair, moving the dirt piles to the side. She took a deep breath and turned to the seat next to her.

On her passenger seat was a gun loaded with silver bullets. She stared at it for some time before sighing and resting her head on the steering wheel. On one hand, she knew she had a slayer's obligation to put Rebecca out of her misery and keep the town safe. On the other, she knew if she did this Joan would never forgive her.

Was that something she could live with?

Just thinking of it made her sick to her stomach.

"Damn it, why did it have to be her? Of all the fucking people to fall for it had to be the girl in love with her vampire best friend." Rooney talked to herself.

She turned the car off and eyed the gun one last time before shoving it back into the glove box and getting out of the car. She walked over and sat on a stone bench a few feet away from the grave digging, not close enough to disturb the friends, but she was ready to jump into action if she had to.

Only a half-hour later and they hit the coffin.

Joan got on her knees and moved the dirt away to see the glossy wooden surface.

"Okay, everyone out of the hole, this is my cue," Aron said.

They all climbed out of the hole with great effort then Aron closed his eyes and outstretched his hands. Blue swirls of magical energy whirled around him and when he opened his eyes they also glowed blue.

"Lift," Aron commanded.

And the entire coffin levitated out of the grave and onto the ground next to them where Jaden had made a path.

Joan quickly went to the coffin and opened it up.

As expected, it was empty.

Joan smiled.

"Look," Mike pointed out.

Joan looked to see a tiny speckle of blood staining the satin white liner, right by the edge. That must have been what woke her up, Joan concluded. Rooney walked up behind her and peaked over Joan's shoulder into the coffin.

"Now what?" Rooney asked, causing Joan to flinch.

"Now nothing, you leave. I'm handling this." Joan stood up the picture of her and Bex in her hand.

"Joan... look I wasn't trying to—"

"No, you made it clear I can't trust you with this, so leave. I won't let you hurt her." Joan folded the picture and shoved it into her pocket.

"She's not," Rooney paused and took a calming breath, trying not to blow up again, "I was just trying to protect you. Forgive me for giving a damn about your life."

"Maybe she's a monster to you, but she's my friend. And I won't let you hurt her. Even if she doesn't remember me. She's still my friend."

"Okay, I get it. I just want to be there for you. Let me help."

"How can I trust you?"

Rooney shrugged and looked at the ground.

"Just go."

"Joan I just want to help."

"You've done enough."

Rooney clenched her fist and held back her tear before turning to leave.

Darci hit Joan in the shoulder and gave her the look, one that said, don't let her go! Joan sighed and looked at Rooney who was slowly taking the walk of shame.

"Wait," Joan called.

Rooney paused in her step.

"Just promise me you won't try and hurt her," Joan said.

Rooney turned to face Joan and though it pained her to say it, she said, "I promise."

Joan forced a soft smile for her before saying, "Good, now help me out. This thing still weighs a ton."

Rooney, Mike, Aron, Darci, and Joan. All lifted up the coffin and carried it to Joan's truck, which used to be her brother's truck but after what happened, he gave it to Joan. Mostly because Joan had just sat in that truck all day and night for a whole week straight after Bex's funeral. Just sitting there and staring off into nothingness. So he gave it to her and got a new/used car with the insurance money they got from the van wreck.

They pushed it onto the bed of the truck and eyed it.

"This looks very suspicious." Mike pointed out.

The casket hung over just enough to prevent them from closing the back of the truck. Plus, anyone with eyes could see that the dirty looking coffin was not supposed to be sitting in the back of the truck.

Joan jumped up to the back of the truck and tied it down before grabbing a blue tarp and covering it.

"Better?" She asked.

"Uh... a little bit." Jaden said.

"Whatever it will have to do. We just need to get it out of here before sunrise."

"Where are you taking it?" Rooney asked.

Joan eyed her.

Rooney sighed.

"Lyssa's old house. No one's there." Joan finally said.

"Sounds good, don't forget to grab some dirt." Rooney pointed out.

Joan nodded.

To Be Continued...

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