Rising from the Wreckage
By The MegaWitchRoundRobin Group
========== BtVS ==========
|
Go To: |
||||||||
========== BtVS ==========
By: AmberBensonFan
========== BtVS ==========
For only a moment the quiet night was broken with the sound of a hiss of steam as it billowed from the crunched and mangled hood of the car. The wreckage lay pressed up against a strong, stone pillar, which effectively stopped any further retreat the witch and key tried to make. With a grunt and groan of pain Dawn slowly started to come too as her blurry eyes took in the scene around her. Exhausted, she managed to call up some reserve strength to push the door open and heard the metal click and pop as it finally gave way. She stumbled and clutched her left arm close to her chest in a vain attempt to lessen the pain, she made her away around the vehicle that now looked like an accordion and noticed Willow's unconscious form slumped forward, head resting on the steering wheel.
Before she could even react a demon lunged forward, if she had a moment to really think about it, Dawn wouldn't have been surprised to find that the demon wouldn't give them a break long enough to get their minds back in order, but, as it were, she didn't have much time to think about anything other than to survive. It managed to catch up to them while they both lay unconscious and now Dawn was left to fend for herself. The teen couldn't help the scream that forced itself from her lips; her instincts kicked in and she pushed as hard as she could and ignored the pain that shot up her injured arm. Dawn knew she stood no chance to really fight the demon and did the next best thing. She dropped to the ground and frantically clawed her way under it, a move that was severely hindered by the uselessness of her arm. Before she could get all the way underneath the demon recovered his footing, grabbed Dawn's legs, and pulled her roughly across the cement ground.
Dawn managed to quickly flip herself over onto her back and kicked with all her might; the adrenaline that raced through her system gave her extra strength. She needed another distraction, but there was nothing around to aid her in her plight until she began to clutch at the ground once more. She pulled up a handful of dirt and threw it into the demon's eyes and used the time it took to clear his vision to run. He was too fast and easily recovered and grabbed Dawn once more. The teen struggled hard and pounded exhausted limbs against his bare chest.
He lashed out, sending the back of his clawed hand to crash into her face and it sent Dawn down the alley to land with a thud. With the last ounce of reserve, Dawn once again tried to crawl away and yet the demon persisted, as it snarled at her and drew near.
"Dawn!" Buffy cried out as her trained eyes quickly took in the scene. Her instincts immediately kicked into high gear and Buffy attacked with vicious punches and kicks. She clearly had the advantage, but the demon got some hard shots in as well. Spike, who followed quickly behind Buffy, knew the demon was taken care of and brought his attention to the injured teenager who rested up against a pillar.
Almost as suddenly as it began the demon started to tremble and shake, added snarls and screeches of pain to its lament, only to just vanish before everyone's eyes. What stood behind him, however, was a sight even worse. Willow, blood dripping down her forehead from a cut along her hairline, leaned weakly against another pillar, purple sparks of electricity jumped wildly from her fingertips and eyes completely black.
"No, no!" Dawn cried out and it broke the intense moment between Witch and Slayer.
"Dawn." Buffy stated simply and rushed to her sister where Spike tried his best to assess the severity of her injuries.
"What happened? Are you okay?" Buffy asked almost frantically.
Dawn, now that the immediate threat was gone and she could allow her mind to process the events that just took place and allow her body to feel the pain it was in, cried. "Uh... he was after Willow. She made the car drive... don't!" Dawn was cut off when Buffy tried to look at the teen's arm that she continued to hug close to her body. "No, don't!"
"I need to see, okay? Let me see your arm." Buffy tried to coax her sister. She knew Dawn was hurt and in considerable pain but the stubborn streak in the teen refused to let Buffy in to handle the situation.
Willow, who finally managed to get some strength back into her body, rushed up to the scene as Buffy started to pull Dawn to her feet with Spike on the other side.
"Dawn? Oh god, there's blood." Willow called out as she drew closer.
Buffy ignored Willow's concern as she fought to control the anger she felt towards her best friend. Not just anger; disappointment, fear, and concern, all boiled just below the surface, but the strongest emotion was anger for how Willow not only allowed Dawn to get hurt but was the main facilitator in it. "Okay, we need to get her to a doctor," Buffy announced as she refused to look at Willow.
"Is she okay? Is she okay?" Willow became frantic as she tried to find out Dawn's condition. She wanted to help but Buffy quickly shooed her away.
"Back off, Will, I got her."
Willow didn't know what to do with herself. Through her panic she knew she'd crossed a line, especially when Buffy was so aloof to her, but she needed to know Dawn was okay. "No, Dawnie!" she cried out as they tried to get Dawn out of the alley.
"I mean it, stay away from her!" Buffy warned, her patience grew thin quickly as Willow kept rushing around the small group.
Willow ran in front of them and stopped their slow progress out of the area. Willow clearly lost any semblance of control she had and broke down, "Dawnie! Dawnie, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, it was an accident! I didn't see, I'm so, so sorry."
Dawn didn't have the same reservations about keeping her cool around the way-ward witch and let her anger clearly show on her face as she glared at Willow. Before anyone could react Dawn lashed out and slapped Willow hard across the face, though, in their overcharged states, Willow barely registered any pain and was in shock more than anything.
"Dawnie! Dawnie, don't!"
The three began to walk again, Buffy couldn't hold the slap against her sister because even she wanted to smack some sense into Willow at this point. Willow was beside herself with guilt and grief and collapsed to the ground in hysterical tears.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Spike looked to Buffy and gave a slight nod to let her know that he could handle Dawn on his own and the Slayer turned to the crumpled mess that was once her strong, proud, best friend.
"Get up," Buffy's voice was harsh and cold.
Spike guided Dawn out of the way to allow them their privacy.
"I screwed it up, everything! Tara..." Willow started to spiral into a fit of uncontrollable self-pity.
Buffy grabbed Willow's arm and pulled her to her feet without care if she held on too tightly. To see how her sister was hurt and to have Willow turn it into a self-loathing escape pushed Buffy over the edge. This all had to stop and it was going to stop this instant. "Yeah, you know what, you did screw up. You could have killed her! You almost did!"
"I know! I know! I'm sorry, I..." Willow tried again.
Buffy shook Willow and cut her off, "No, I don't want to hear it. This isn't about you now, Willow. This is about Dawn. About how she trusted you! Looked up to you! And now there is a young girl whose heart is crushed and probably has a broken arm and concussion on top of it. I don't want to hear 'oh woe is me' from you right now." Buffy's voice quickly edged to cruel and she caught herself. Buffy had to force herself to take a deep breath before she tried again with slightly less venom. "This is going to stop now, do you understand? It will stop now or you will have to leave the house. I love you, Will, I do, but I have to think of Dawn first."
Willow's tears slowly dried up and left streaks along her face, which were made more prominent from the dust and dirt that lay on her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the intense words that came at her from the person who was supposed to be her best friend. The one who now acted all high and mighty. The one who could barely spend a moment with anyone other than herself. The one who spent most of her time wallowing in her own self pity.
Willow's eyes narrowed at the challenge Buffy presented and she took a step back to face her friend completely. "How dare you?" Willow shot back.
Buffy expected anything really, anything but the returned indignation. She knew this would quickly move towards a fight and wasn't sure it was the best thing to do at the moment. "That's where I stand, Willow, now if you don't mind I'd like to make sure my sister is okay," Buffy spat out the words.
"Oh, sure, walk away! Walk away just like you've done all year, Buffy! Ohhhhh, the big, bad slayer has to run away whenever things get too close." Willow taunted. She didn't know why she felt the need to push her friend. In fact, she knew it was probably the most outrageous thing to do; egg on a pissed off slayer whose sister she just hurt. Not the wisest move she'd ever made considering her sudden track record, but just as Buffy felt the need to draw the line, Willow needed to get certain issues out as well.
Buffy spun on her heels to face the redhead, her eyes narrowed to near slits and she let her anger release. "Who do you think you are?" She asked, her voice low and dangerous. "You're wacked out on magicks, you take my sister to some dealer and nearly get her killed because of some stupid demon *you* conjured up and you have the audacity to question me?"
"Bwah!" Willow scoffed. "I'm not the one with the problem here, Slayer," Willow drew out Buffy's title, mocking it. "I'm not the one who's been moping around here like some puppy that's just been kicked. Well boo hoo! I'll tell you what, Buffy. I'll go. I'll go and let you all try to find a way to get through your problems without me to cry to. Without me to run to when you need something hacked into or when you need a heads up to tell you that you're about to get jumped or worse! I'm tired of you telling me one minute to do a spell for you and the next minute have everyone jump down my throat that I'm out of control. Maybe while I'm gone you might actually figure out that living life isn't as bad as you make it out to be. Yeah, I'm sorry you're hurting, but you know what, so are the rest of us."
Buffy took in the words and knew that there was some level of truth and felt a pang of hurt when she heard that Willow planned to leave. She went to step in and end this before it got completely of control but Willow was to have none of that.
"No! You always get to have your say, now it's my turn." Willow saw that Buffy was ready to jump in and wanted her moment to get this all out. "Did you even notice when Tara left? No!" Willow took a deep breath. "The one person in all the world who I love more than life itself left me and moved out and you barely even noticed. Were you just too wrapped up in yourself to care or did you not even realize how important Tara was to me in the first place?"
"Nice way to treat someone you claim to love so much!" Buffy shot back before she could censor herself.
Willow's mouth snapped shut before she could respond. Her body stiffened, almost as though Buffy's words were a physical blow. Willow slowly shook her head and ended the conversation. She walked past her friend but stopped and faced her, their noses practically touched. "Screw you!" she whispered, her voice harsh and she slapped the Slayer hard across the face.
Buffy's slayer instincts would have stopped the strike if she ever thought Willow would have done anything like that in her life. Still, it was a surprise as her face snapped sideways and when she looked back Willow already stormed away.
========== BtVS ==========
"Okay, just try to get some rest," Buffy urged as she helped Dawn into her bed after their long night at the hospital. The teen nodded and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.
Buffy went to her room, pulled out a pair of boxers and a shirt and made her way into the bathroom. She allowed the steaming water to splash and hammer into her skin, and her muscles finally relaxed, albeit only slightly. She was too tired to even enjoy the sensation and opted to hurry up and just get to bed.
By the time she stepped from the shower the room was a mass of fog. She quickly toweled off, dressed, and brushed her hair through. As she stepped into the hall her eyes drifted to the room that was once her mother's. She noted that, though it was closed, it was slightly ajar and figured she'd at least check on Willow. She didn't know if they'd get past this, but her friend had also been injured in the accident and no one took the time to see just how badly she was hurt. She quietly pushed the door open a little further, her plan was to just peak in and make sure things were okay. Problem was, things were far from okay.
Willow, true to her word, made sure she was gone, and opted to leave before they even got back from the hospital. She pushed the door open quickly and flicked on the light by the bedside. Closet and dresser drawers were left open, empty hangers clear evidence that the Witch was really gone. Vacant slots on bookshelves told the tale that Willow had taken the most immediate needs that she could get out of the house in time and left. Her eyes went to a note that rested on the bed.
"Xander will get the rest later."
That was is. All Willow would say. Not even a 'Dear Buffy' or 'Love Willow.' Sure Buffy was still angry that her friend had gone so far over the edge but she couldn't stop loving the redhead. She'd done plenty of stupid things in her own life that to simply destroy their friendship over this one issue would be insane at best. They just needed time to work through it, but apparently Willow had other ideas. Buffy decided that it was probably for the best. It would give them all time to calm down and get their thoughts in order.
With a heart-aching sigh, Buffy turned off the light, clung to the small note, and closed the door behind her before she threw her drained body onto the bed.
========== BtVS ==========
By: Kirayoshi
========== BtVS ==========
All in all, it was an interesting night at the Sunnydale Greyhound terminal. Three different women had lined up at the security desk to complain that they had been roughly goosed, and at least one out-of-town businessman blanched as his tie seemed to untie by itself and fly out from around his neck.
And that wasn't counting the number of upswept dresses, belts being unfastened and splashes of water that seemed to appear literally out of thin air.
And during each occurrence, witnesses could swear that they heard a woman's laughter.
For the first time in months, Buffy Summers smiled. Not that anyone could see her smile, considering that at the time she was invisible. She hadn't pieced together how it happened, but knew that it had to do with that geek Warren. One of his inventions malfunctioned, and Buffy got caught in the effect.
As a result of the malfunction, Buffy's body was now invisible. And she enjoyed the freedom that came with her new condition. As far as the world at large was concerned, Buffy Summers didn't exist. She was a phantom, a rumor, an unseen prankster who delighted in discomfiting others. No thoughts of losing custody of Dawn, or her increasingly distant friends, or her earlier tryst with Spike invaded her pleasure. At one point, she considered visiting Spike in his crypt, just to see if he enjoyed having someone else in control for a change. She decided against that plan, however, as the thought of allowing an undead hand to touch her body in any intimate fashion made her nauseous.
She stopped in her ruminations at the sight of a short figure in a tan deerskin jacket. The figure was sitting alone on one of the benches, waiting for a bus. Hmm, Buffy mused, there's your next target, Inviso-Slayer! She tiptoed gingerly toward her victim, leaned in behind her and tapped her left shoulder lightly.
The figure jerked her head over her shoulder, asking "Tara?"
Buffy jumped back in shock at the sight of the haggard face of someone whom she had once called her best friend. It had been just over a week since the last time Buffy saw Willow. One week since Willow slapped her in the face, accusing her of ignoring her friends since her return from the grave. One week since Willow had moved out of Buffy's house, and out of her life. Now, for the first time in a long time, Buffy took a good long look at her best friend.
She almost didn't recognize her at first; her face was gaunt, thin and paling, her red hair unkempt and matted, her eyes veined with thin red lines and framed in black rings. Willow looked around expectantly for a moment, but when she realized that her ex-girlfriend was nowhere to be seen, Willow turned her head back around and stared ahead, not seeing anything.
Buffy wondered if Willow had been hitting the magic since she had moved out last week. Xander had assured her two days ago that Willow had been clean, and had left her magic supplies with Tara for safekeeping. Obviously the withdrawal was proving to be difficult; Willow's shoulders sagged, and her eyelids drooped heavily. From her appearance, Buffy guessed that Willow hadn't had a good night's sleep since she moved out. Willow's head dropped forward toward her lap, and Buffy thought she could see the faint trace of a tear on Willow's cheek. A cursory check around the bench revealed two of Willow's old suitcases. Buffy gasped, blinking back her tears at the realization; Willow was leaving. Leaving Sunnydale. Leaving her.
This is my fault, Buffy thought as she looked at damaged girl before her. I didn't see what was going on, I was too wrapped up in my own self-pity party, my boink-fest with Spike, my quest to feel something, anything. And I missed what was happening to Willow. I think I just flunked the Best Friend Test.
A squeaking wheel caused Buffy to glance to her left, just enough warning to dodge a baggage cart that would have run her over otherwise. She was about to shout down the overweight cart handler, before she remembered that she was invisible. She found that she didn't enjoy being invisible anymore.
She glanced back at Willow, who was now curled up on the bench in a light sleep. Buffy slowly made her way around the bench, and leaned over Willow's head, her lips close to her ear. "Willow?" she whispered, "you okay?"
"Buffy," the redhead whispered, lost in a dream state, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry- you saved me so many times, I thought I was saving you…" Each word stabbed at Buffy's heart like a sharpened icicle. She was why Willow was suffering. All she went through, all the magic, all the darkness, all for Buffy.
"No, Willow," Buffy whispered into her friend's ear. "I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't see what you were going through. Please, Willow, don't leave me. I need you."
"And I need you," the sleeping girl answered in her dream. "But I need some time away, too. Forgive me, Buffy." She curled tighter, drifting further into her dream-state.
"Greyhound Coach Number 17 now boarding for Los Angeles," the voice from the public address system enunciated. Willow stirred from her restless sleep, shook her head slightly and looked around. She sighed heavily as she realized that Buffy wasn't there. "Just a dream," she muttered to herself.
Buffy wanted to shout at her, to stand in her way, to keep her from leaving her. But she hesitated. Willow had said in her dream that she needed to get away, and the more Buffy thought about it, the more she realized that Willow was right. As much as it pained her to realize the truth, Willow would probably be happier away from here. Away from the Hellmouth, the constant vampire threat, the magic and mojo that made up a typical day in Sunnydale.
"Second call for Coach Number 17 to Los Angeles," the PA voice announced. Willow bent down to collect her bags, and headed for the bus terminal. Buffy watched in silence, unseen and unheard, as Willow boarded the L.A. bus.
As the bus finally pulled away, Buffy whispered, "Be well, Willow. And please come back to me soon."
As she turned around, she noticed a pay phone near the lobby entrance. She headed for the phone, fished some loose change from her pockets to pay for the call, picked up the handset and dialed.
Two rings, then, "Angel Investigations, we help the helpless."
"Angel?"
"Buffy," the familiar voice answered. "This is a surprise. How are you?"
"Average," Buffy answered, not willing to volunteer any more information. "Hey, I'm on a pay phone, so I'll make this quick. I gotta favor to ask you."
"Name it," Angel said.
"Willow just took a Greyhound to L.A. Could you do me a favor and look after her while she's in town?"
"You got it."
"Thanks, Angel."
A pause, then, "You need anything else, Buffy?"
Buffy sighed, the weight of the last few months crushing on the small of her back. "Nothing you can give me, Angel. What I need, I have to take care of myself."
"If anyone can," Angel assured his former love, "it's you. But if you need anything from me, you call. Okay?"
"Okay," Buffy answered. "G'Bye." Buffy hung up the phone, not noticing a small child who stared intently at the sight of a telephone handset seeming levitating in front of him. The child's mother dragged him away, leaving Buffy alone with her thoughts.
So, she thought, like we were all singing last month, Where Do We Go from Here?
She knew the first place she needed to go. She had to go visit Warren, and 'persuade' him to reverse the effects of the invisibility ray. Then-
She had no idea. But she knew that she had to change herself. For now, that was enough.
As she walked out of the bus depot, the first stirrings of a new resolve growing in her heart, she passed by a non-descript elderly gentleman, wearing a grey overcoat and a tweed hat and carrying a folded umbrella.
If she had examined the old man more closely, she would have noticed something in his eyes, shaded though they were under his hat. Something sharp and knowing, something hungry. Something bestial.
The old man glanced around, seeing the bus to L.A. driving off. He knew that the Slayer's friend was on that bus. He knew that the Slayer's support structure was collapsing from under her, and this pleased him.
He walked out of the depot, noticed the dark clouds hanging on the horizon, and opened his umbrella before the first drops of rain could hit him. "Beastly weather tonight, wha?" he chuckled. And he was right.
There was a storm coming. And those who opposed it would be swept away.
========== BtVS ==========
By: Rainbow Writers
========== BtVS ==========
The rain that fell on Buffy as she walked through the relatively deserted streets seemed a proper penance for her tired soul. Right now her best friend, the one who she had fundamentally deserted was on a bus and the only destination Willow wanted was one far away from her.
Even though she was the slayer, all mighty and all-powerful right now she was just cold and lost and hungry. It was easy to realize now with the grumbling in her stomach that she hadn't taken the time to eat anything all day and it was starting to catch up with her.
Reaching out her hand she was about to go into the Espresso Pump and order at least something to warm her up when her Warren induced condition struck her again. Even if the money she had in her pocket wasn't invisible too, the waitress was unlikely to serve a mocha and a sandwich to a ghost.
'Okay, that's it this has to end.' She thought taking cover under the awning of the store so that the rain at least for the moment couldn't penetrate more through her invisible but very wet coat. 'If Warren did this to me, then he better be able to fix it. The problem is where do I find the wiener?'
Stamping her foot into a puddle angrily she was almost flattened as the door to the Pump sprung open towards her. She looked up about to bark an insult at whoever it was when her vision came to rest on a familiar form who hugged a tray of coffees as he gauged when best to make the dash across the street.
"Xander?" She questioned wondering if he would answer.
"Hey Buffy, where have you…" Xander turned expecting the Slayer to be behind him but when he saw nothing he kept turning as a dog would after its own tail. "Buffy?"
"I'm right here, don't get dizzy looking for me." Buffy watched him a little amused as he stopped puzzled facing away from her.
"Buffy, I can hear you but I can't see you." He commented to the raindrops.
"You can't see me cause I'm invisible." She stepped closer and put her hand on his shoulder. "And I'm here not there." She let him jump and turn towards her.
"Whoa, how with the no seeing and…" He looked around not able to see anything still.
"Warren." Buffy summed up grabbing the tray of drinks from him to give him a focal point. "Come on I need your help." She grabbed his hand and urged him across the street to the Magic Box.
The shop was empty, other than Anya who was hunched over a small cardboard seating diagram. She moved little colored flags from one table to another, sighing over the large pile of flags that were still left without a seat.
"Xander, did you say that your Aunt Rita and your cousin Doug got along? Or were those the two you said couldn't be put at the same table unless I stuck Satan in between them." Anya didn't turn to see the odd sight as Xander followed in a floating tray.
"We have other problems then my relatives killing each other and I told you the Lord of Darkness is not coming to the wedding, I don't care if he's not really *The* Satan and just a demon named Satan, it freaks me out." Xander moved over and pointed to where the Slayer obviously was. "Buffy's invisible."
"What?" Anya turned distracted to look at the drinks that floated back and forth for her. "Oh well then she won't care what table she sits at will she?" She found the little flag with Buffy on it and pulled it out.
"Hey I'm invisible not deaf." The Slayer's voice showed her slight agitation.
"Oh sorry, I guess you want us to stop our planning and make you visible again." Anya twirled the small flag in between two fingers.
"I was hoping for some help." Buffy nodded though the motion was lost on them. "I think one of Warren's super technogeek contraptions must have gone haywire."
"You think Warren built an invisibility ray?" Xander reached out for the coffees and brought one to Anya.
"I went and got my hair cut and while I was walking out I saw him on the street for a split second, then big flash of light and I'm invisible." Buffy tried to explain.
"You cut your hair?" Anya bounced up. "How short? Did you get it colored?"
"About to here." Buffy reached up to her shoulder and sighed. "Well if you could see me it's about at my shoulder and no I didn't get it colored."
"I've been thinking about getting my hair cut." Anya mused looking at Xander. "I mean something new for the wedding."
"An, bigger problems then the length of your hair right now. We need Buffy visible again." Xander pointed out looking to try and figure out where the Slayer was now.
"I need to find Warren and choke out of him how he did this to me so he can undo it." The Slayer formulated a vague plan as she paced by the front counter.
"But where are we going to find him?" He questioned not sure if knowing who had done this was getting them anywhere.
"Maybe Willow can do the hackety hack thing and get us a location on him." Anya offered the easy solution.
"Willow's gone." Buffy was relieved again for a moment that she was invisible so that no one could see the pain the words caused her. "She left on a bus for L.A." She filled in to the stunned faces.
They all stood in relative silence for a few moments before Anya walked back to her seating chart.
"Typical, I work to get her at the prime table one and she skips town without even a retraction of her R.S.V.P." The ex-demon pulled the Willow flag from its spot.
"Okay, lets think… If I was Warren and I was able to make myself invisible what would I do?" Xander tried not to think of the Willow issue right now, if he did he'd probably have to admit that he'd known she was going. He couldn't see Buffy right now but he was damn sure she wouldn't be happy about that fact.
"He's not at the bus terminal and he's not at social services." Buffy commented dryly.
"Why would he go to those places?" Anya questioned as a skull picked up off the counter and gave her a focal point.
"Because I did, I had brain meltdown when the Child Welfare Officer came by this morning so I went and borrowed Dawn's file. At least this way they have to start our case over and I might not come across as a total waste of space." The Slayer frowned hoping she'd done the right thing. Of course stealing government property and destroying it couldn't possibly on the side of good, but she hoped it was more of a misdemeanor on the side of bad rather than outright evil.
"No, Warren isn't going to care about any of those things Buffy." Xander shook his head. "He's invisible, he's a guy…" He snapped his fingers. "He's probably looting the comic books from the mall or hanging out in the lingerie store."
"Wherever he is you're going to help me find him." Buffy walked over and opened the door to the shop. "Come on I don't have all day."
========== BtVS ==========
With Xander there to do the necessary visible questioning, the mall security guard had confirmed some odd occurrences over the past few hours. The last one having come from the movie theater just a few minutes before.
"Buffy, they could be anywhere." Xander tucked his wallet back into his pants as he walked through the turnstile into the main hallway of the theatre.
"What's playing?" She went over to the board listing. "What would you see if you were invisible?"
"Mmmm…" Xander looked over the list. "Star Wars for the fifth time or the new one where that hot model chick gets topless." He pointed to the second film.
"Maybe you should check that one…" Buffy was about to divide up so they could cover more space when she heard a giggle behind her in the concession stand.
She turned observing as a popcorn container floated off the rack and over to be filled.
"God could these guys get any stupider." Buffy poked Xander for him to catch onto the fact that their search was over.
"Hey don't put so much butter on it." Jonathan's voice whined and the bucket spilled a little as if the person holding it was shoved.
"I like lots of butter." Andrew whined back. "Now you made me spill it."
"Come on boys, we can all have our own popcorn our own way." Warren's voice called over as a pop poured itself out.
"Oh yeah right." Jonathan acknowledged as another container floated over to be filled.
"That's them alright, but where's the gun?" Xander questioned looking around.
"There." Buffy pointed towards a dark duffel bag propped up near the corner. "I bet they're too afraid to go anywhere without it."
"I'll go distract you go for the gun." Xander nodded as he moved towards the counter. "Hey can I get some service?" He yelled towards the back as if he was ignoring the strange happenings at the butter dispenser.
"Warren!" Andrew's voice yelped as they realized it was one of the Slayer's friends at the counter.
"Chill out." Warren moved over towards his cohort. "He can't see us."
"Hey is that…" Xander looked around as he saw that Buffy was already to the bag. "Warren the sad guy who has to make his girlfriends?"
"At least he doesn't date demons." Andrew snapped back at Xander.
"Enough." Buffy's voice was easily pinpointed as she hopped up onto the counter the large silver invisibility gun in her hands. "Now unless you boys want me to break this and condemn you all to a lifetime of being as invisible to the rest of the world as you are to girls, you better tell me how to turn us all back."
"Not so fast Slayer." Xander's body bent back a bit as he was put into a headlock. "You might have the gun but we have your friend."
"What are you going to do bore him to death?" Buffy hopped back down laughing a little.
"Even trade." Warren explained. "You give us back the gun, you get your friend and I'll even turn you visible again."
"Let's see first." Buffy aimed it at a plant in the corner and within a few moments it was gone. Looking down at the complicated weapon it was obviously not something she or Xander could figure out. There was only one Scooby who would know exactly what to make of the blinking lights and knobs and that was Willow.
Suddenly the redhead's words from the night of the accident came back to haunt her.
"I'll go and let you all try to find a way to get through your problems without me to cry to. Without me to run to when you need something hacked into or when you need a heads up to tell you that you're about to get jumped or worse!"
This time it wasn't even about the magic, it was just about her needing Willow to be here and be her brains, be the one she could trust to help her make all this right again. But Willow was gone and she was going to have to find a way to deal with this herself.
"What's to keep me from just snapping your little gun in half?" She questioned him bluntly trusting Xander's fighting skills enough to know he could get away from the timid grip he was held in.
"If you snap it in half you'll die." Jonathon's slightly scared voice came from the corner over near Xander now. "We'll all die. If you stay invisible for too long your molecular structure starts to break down."
"Shut up Jonathon." Warren snapped not liking that his upper hand was gone again.
"I never signed up to kill anyone, including myself." He snapped back.
"Then maybe we should all get visible again Jonathon." Buffy nodded and held the gun out a little keeping a keen eye on Xander.
"Just flip the switch back a half turn then Slayer." Warren's voice seethed in defeat. "Andrew hold up something so she can test it on you."
"No!" Jonathon objected instantly as obediently the third member of the group held up his popcorn. "That's the wrong setting you have to turn it forward a half turn."
Buffy held the gun stupidly in her hand with her fingers around the switch. If she turned it back and it turned out Warren was lying then whoever was the first guinea pig was either back to visible or dead. If she turned it forward and it turned out Jonathon wasn't telling the truth then the same scenario.
"What do you think Xander?" Buffy asked her friend, toying the switch back and forth.
"I'm telling you half turn back." Warren let go of Xander and invisibly moved closer. "Would I really risk one of my friends? You wouldn't."
"Buffy, we didn't want to hurt anyone just have some fun. Get some money and maybe be cool so girls would like us." Jonathon disagreed with his theory again. "Warren's lying to you."
Buffy knew she was hesitating too long, being too indecisive but without Willow here to back her up on the ins and outs of this she didn't know which way to go with the switch. After all they both could be lying.
"Should have made your decision." Warren's voice warned as he grabbed the front of the gun trying to surprise her and wrench it away. The struggle between them mostly made even by the fact that Buffy didn't want to break the gun.
Twirling away she kicked into the space where Warren should be and the gun skidded away only to be picked up by what she could guess was Andrew.
"Where is she?" He questioned aiming it immediately.
"Coming at you." Warren's voice announced as Buffy felt herself shoved from behind and her body was struck hard by the beam of light that came out of the gun. She held her breath waiting to see how much being blown to bits was going to hurt but as she caught her free fall forward and righted herself she realized that she wasn't dead.
"Hey Buffy cute hair." Xander smiled at his now visible best friend.
"Warren, you… you were going to let her blow me up." Andrew looked down to the gun that he'd put on Jonathon's suggested setting foolishly believing Warren had been telling the truth and this was the way to kill the Slayer.
Buffy was on him in a flash and took the gun out of his hands. With one shot she had him visible, another shot towards the moving turnstile made Warren visible as he attempted to run away and lastly a shot at a floating cup brought Jonathon back to the real world.
"You think you've seen the last of us." Warren defiantly moved over to where his partners in crime were standing. "This is just the beginning. We're your arch nemisis… es." He correctly lamely.
"What you've banned together to be pains in my ass?" Buffy slung the gun up onto her shoulder and looked them over.
"We'll be back." Warren warned and poked Jonathon to set off the magic disappearing trick they had rigged up for just such an emergency.
"Disappear yourself, I'm going home." Jonathon glared at Warren and walked off towards the exit.
"You can't go home, you're one of the evil trio." Andrew quickly followed him and stopped the smaller man's departure.
"Evil trio?" Xander sniggered as they watched the two of them bickering for a few moments.
"Let them go, I don't think my arch nemisis-es…" Buffy screwed up her face. "Are going to be much of a problem now that they know Warren's insane." She turned back to find that, in the drama, the ringleader had ran away. "Typical." She sighed, not feeling any better about her victory.
========== BtVS ==========
By: Stefan Ackerblom
========== BtVS ==========
Xander watched the retreating back of the slayer as she walked away, her hair DID look cute, but for some reason he couldn't raise any enthusiasm about that right now. Scratching his fingers through his unruly hair, he thought about what had happened in the last couple of days, Buffy's invisibility, Willow leaving, and a few other problems to do with the impending doom of his own marriage. From out of nowhere came a hot surge of anger, 'damnit where does Will get off leaving without saying a damned thing to him? And what about everyone else, wh ...' he shook himself, 'what about poor Tara, did she know?'
Fidgeting for a few moments, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed up.
"Hello?" He held his breath for a few moments, the voice on the other end sounded a little uncertain. "H… hello??" The voice questioned shakily.
"Uh… hi… Tara, it's me." he said softly.
"Xander? What… is… uh is everything ok?" He licked his lips and tried to think of something safe to say. And instead blurted out.
"She left!" Silence greeted him for moments, so he was forced to continue. "Will… she left."
"Left what, where?" the wicca was sounding worried.
"Us… he left us Tara, she's gone." He heard an indrawn breath.
"Gone? Where Xander? Where is she, where's she gone?" Tara's voice was shaking. "Why… was it… was it 'cos of ..."
"No it's got nothing to do with you, it was ..." Xander again licked his lips. "Buffy said something, and she… they had a fight, and Will left. She's gone to LA."
" But… what… why ..." Xander cut her off.
"Look I'll come over, I'll be there in a couple of minutes, ok?" Tara sighed audibly across the lines, her breath coming in a shudder.
"O… ok. I'll just… yeah all right." And she hung up. Xander looked at the cell phone and wondered if he'd done the right thing by telling Tara, but he realized, she also deserved to know, SHE especially needed to know.
========== BtVS ==========
The door opened a crack and Tara peeked out, and closed the door again to remove the security chain. Then she pulled the door open and closed with Xander, throwing herself into his arms. She'd been crying and her face was raw and red.
"What's happened Xander, why did she go, what did they fight about?" She pressed herself into his arms and hugged tight. Xander felt a little awkward at the sudden contact, but softened and squeezed back. He whispered into her hair.
"I don't know Tar, honestly I think it was just… something happened between her and Buffy, and she got upset and left." Tara sniffed into his shoulder.
"She didn't even ..."
"No she didn't, she didn't even tell me either. And ..." he stopped himself short, he felt terribly let down. For all the years they had been friends, she hadn't even told him she was going. He'd know something was up, she was upset and the addiction, and all the issues that had surfaced recently, but she'd left town without even saying good bye to him. After all these years, he felt he deserved at least that much.
"I… uh I think I need to talk with Buffy, because… because I want to find out what they said, what happened… uh… why she had to go, because… because ..." Tara's face fell even further. "Oh god Xander, I… I didn't want… she… and I, we… we… Iuh… I miss her… so much!" Xander nodded gently and whispered into her hair.
"I know, I need to know she's all right too, I think… I think she's heading to Angel's. He'd be all with the caring for her, they were pretty good friends in the end, before he left."
"I know… a way. I can find her, I can track her ..." Xander softly shook his head.
"She left for a reason, and I think trying to track her down wouldn't be what she wanted right now. She… she's trying to get her act together, get her head straight. We've kinda taken her for granted, we ..." and then it occurred to him, and his heart sank. "... oh jeeze Tar, she was going through some major heavy stuff and… and we were all so caught up in our own problems to notice. You left her ..." Xander felt Tara tense up at his stinging words. "... Anya and I were so busy planning this wedding, Buffy was off slaying like there was no tomorrow. We… we didn't even notice half the time that there was anything wrong." Xander felt Tara nod on his arm. She sniffed and sighed.
"I still want to talk with Buffy. I need to know what they said." Xander held her away and looked into her tear filled eyes.
"If you're ready, I'll drive us over there." Tara nodded and rubbed the heel of her hand over her eyes, and then gathered up some belongings. They filed out of the room and the lock snicked behind them, leaving the lonely room in darkness.
========== BtVS ==========
Xander let himself into the Summers' house, and saw Buffy in the living room. She looked up and smiled.
"Hey Xander nice shiner there, I didn't think Warr ..." Buffy's smile faded a little as she noticed Tara sneak in quietly behind Xander, standing in his shadow. "Ah… h… hey Tara. Good to see you ..." something warned her if Tara was tagging along, this would be a time of questions and answers. "How's every… how's things?" Tara wrung her hands together and grimaced.
"Ahm… I uh… they could… they could be, ya know… better. I ..." her face fell, she took a deep breath and launched into questions "... Xander's told me… about Willow, uh… what ha… happened?" Buffy looked from Xander back to Tara, and sighed, sinking into a chair and steepling her hands in her lap.
"Will um… Will left. We… she had, she took Dawn to this guy, this magic guy and she… they had a car accident. And… and Dawn was hurt, so I… I told her off. I tried to make her see she was endangering Dawn. And… and she snapped ..." The stinging words Willow had uttered had almost cut to the bone. But deep down Buffy realized there was much truth in what the red-head had said. She'd been so preoccupied with her own problems, she had hardly even noticed when Tara had left, she'd barely paid any attention to Willow's magick problems, and finally when it all came down to it and Dawn was put in danger, the shock of that had triggered the final outcome,
But by then Buffy realized, it was all too late. Willow had had enough, she of all the Scoobies had always been the one who was stable, who held the group together through all the terrors and troubles, who provided the stability to them all, and when she was the one who really needed their support, nobody had been around to help. Willow had been alone, and not only that, the one person she loved above all others in the world had abandoned her.
Willow had walked away from all that was dear to her, she had felt lost and alone. Her friends had left her to herself to cope with the horrible withdrawal from the magicks, to deal with the loss of her lover, to realise she would once again be the loser, the loner, the misfit she had always believed herself to be, before Buffy had befriended her. And all they had done… was nothing.
The room was silent as the emotions of it all seeped into them, Xander hopped from foot to foot, trying to find a comfortable position, because everything told him in his heart, this was all wrong, they should never have let it get to this, Willow needed them and they needed Willow. It was a situation they couldn't allow to happen. But to go after her would be to pull her back from whatever it was she felt she needed to do. He began to speak but all that came out was a croak. He cleared his throat and tried again.
"Wh… did she… do you know what she wants to do, in LA I mean… she IS going to Angel… right?" Buffy looked up at him with arched brows, the concern apparent.
"I uuh… I hope so, I… kinda worded him up, to take care of her when she gets there." She hadn't said to him to tell Willow she needed her back, or that she needed her friend so much, it was way too late for that. It was time Willow was the one to be looked after, and they had to figure out some way they could bring her back, and make her realise they hadn't abandoned her, that they had just got lost along the way, and that they loved her and … that they would… make it up to her… somehow.
Buffy's heart quailed, for the first time since Willow had stepped on the Greyhound bus, it finally sank in, Willow was really gone, and for the life of her she didn't know if they… she, if she would be able to cope without her good ol' faithful geyser dog.
Tara sat down on the couch, her arms around herself, she had missed feeling Willow's arms around her so much, she longed to feel the warmth of her embrace again. And now she was gone. She knew how she could send her senses after the red-head, but with everything that had happened, chasing Willow with magicks was tantamount to hypocrisy. She had been the one who had chastised Willow for using magick for the wrong reasons, and… would using her magick to find her lover be wrong, could love be a wrong reason, wasn't love possibly the only really good reason to use magicks?
Love was such a foreign feeling to Tara, that when it had finally happened, when she'd found Willow, the emotion had almost overwhelmed her, it had been like a bolt of lightning from a cloudy sky. Willow had brought out the very best in Tara. She'd been terribly shy and insecure before meeting Willow, and now the only person who had ever really mattered was gone, had left her. Willow had abandoned her, but had she, hadn't Tara abandoned Willow first?
Tara had over time admitted to herself she had probably over-reacted to what had happened between them. Sure she had been mad at Willow for using magicks to control her, to stop the bad feelings she had begun to have about what had happened. But again, Willow had done it out of love, Tara had to acknowledge. She had just gone about it all wrong, and instead of talking about it, she'd used the magick to suppress the bad memories Tara had, and as a response she'd walked out on Willow.
Tara had over their time apart, had many opportunities to question what had happened, and what the outcome had been. She had almost come to the conclusion that she'd handled the entire episode almost as badly as Willow. And the only real solution to it was to confront the problems, and face them, fight them, not run away from them. But… Willow was gone now, and her heart cried out, chase her, find her, bring her back, make her understand how much she is missed. Tara knew that without Willow in her life, she was diminished. The red-head had made such a difference to her, that she was no longer the same shy insecure girl she had been when they first met, she had made it possible for Tara to grow into a confident powerful woman, just by being there, being her support, her guide and her lover.
And now Willow was gone… the horrible thought kept repeating itself in her mind over and over, she's gone. She looked at Buffy with tear filled eyes, her arms hugging herself tightly like Willow had done, like she wanted Willow to be doing right now, this very moment.
"Oh Buffy, we have to get her back, she has to come back to me… to… to us. Can't… can't we call Angel, can't we tell him to bring her back ..." Buffy looked sadly at Tara and shook her head.
"Willow has made a choice, it might not be one we agree with but it's something she wants to do. The only one who can bring Willow back to us is Willow, we can beg her and ask her and hope she comes to us, but when all is said and done, Willow has to want to come back ..." Tara closed her eyes and shook her head, refusing to believe.
"No, she left because of us, we didn't… we… she… she needed us, and… and ..." Buffy broke in on the blonde.
"Willow left because of us, yes. But that doesn't mean we can demand she returns to us, in fact I will almost be surprised if she does come back. At the end of the day, we treated her pretty badly. I just yelled at her, you left her, everyone else almost ignored her, I can understand if she's pissed with us all." Tara looked up and her bottom lip trembled.
"Uhn… I don't want… I don't want to live without her Buffy, I want her in my life again." Buffy nodded slowly, her own eyes filling with mist. She whispered softly.
"I know Tara, I feel almost the same way, I want her back so much. When we spoke… when we fought, she said some things to me that at the time seemed harsh and coming simply out of the rage she was feeling, the emotions taking over. But it finally dawned on me that what she said was absolutely true, we DID take her for granted, and right when she needed us, we were too busy to care, too caught up in our own little troubles and problems." she tried to see a positive side to the whole situation, but couldn't, it all seemed so hopeless right now. "We couldn't see she was falling, that she was in so much trouble she couldn't escape from without our help and understanding." Buffy sighed and held her fingers to her temples, her head filled with sadness and confusion. In spite of her own feelings of remorse, she tried to defend Willow's actions. "If she feels this is what she has to do, then we have no right to stop her. All we can do now is hope and pray that she realises how much we really do love her, and that we need her and want her and that she comes back to us." Tara looked at Buffy through tear filled blue eyes.
"Buffy you don't understand, I don't… don't want to live without her, I… I don't want to be alone. Willow is… is everything to me, she is my light, and my life. Without her ..." The blonde wicca sniffed and her breath hitched as she sighed deeply, her voice sinking to a whisper. "... without her, I'm nothing, I was… nothing before I met her. She made me into what I am. And I have come to terms with that now, I have finally realized after what happened, after I walked… after I left." She looked deeper into Buffy's eyes, desperation plain in their blue depths. Buffy saw complete resolve and abandonment. "I will get her back, I have to get her back… or I'll ..." Tara looked away. "... I… just have to."
========== BtVS ==========
By: TheBear!
========== BtVS ==========
Willow got off the bus at the LA station. She was weary; her fatigue went bone deep. "Deeper than that," she thought. "Maybe soul deep." She wondered if it were possible for someone's soul to get tired. She gripped her two suitcases and walked over to one of the benches, plopping down the moment she got to it.
Willow's body language screamed defeat. No one could look at the girl and not see the pain radiating off of her in waves. She was taking mental stock on her life, and realized that it was gone. Her life, or at least the benchmarks she used to define who and what she was, were all obliterated by her recent behavior.
The Willow Rosenberg she considered herself to be was no more. Tara's lover was gone; destroyed twice over by a betrayal of trust. Buffy's best friend was dead; killed by selfish hedonism- sacrificed on an altar of smashed and twisted metal and buried by the near-death of a teenage girl. The powerful Wiccan was lost; drowned in a sea of black magic.
She had no idea how long she sat in that spot, her mind lost in her inner darkness, when she noticed someone had sat down next to her; close, but not quite touching.
Angel had been waiting at the bus station when the coach from Sunnydale arrived. He hardly recognized the girl who got off of the bus as being Willow. If he hadn't known in advance that she was on that bus, he wouldn't have recognized her
He waited to see where she would go before letting her see him. He wanted to know if she had already made arrangements on where to go or what to do in LA. He was surprised to see her stumble to the first bench available and just sit there unmoving for over thirty minutes. She just sat there, staring into space. He became concerned- Buffy had just said that she was coming to LA, she hadn't said why. Obviously, something terrible must have happened. The Willow he remembered had always been full of life, full of passion and innocence. Even when things were at their worst, even when she was frightened, she had seemed to have faith that things would be ok- somehow they'd work it out.
This girl looked… empty. She looked like someone had sucked the life, the spirit, from her- leaving a somnambulant shell.
Angel suddenly noticed one of the predators that tended to frequent places like this- looking for the lost and alone to feed on- was moving in on Willow. It wasn't even a vampire- just a human man who probably wanted to take and sell her on the street, or even just use her and discard her himself. Angel quickly walked over and sat next to Willow, making eye contact with the little man to let him know the redhead was under his protection.
The man hesitated, and for a moment Angel thought he might actually challenge him, but he backed down, apparently deciding to look for an easier target.
Angel was starting to get really worried when Willow noticed him but made no reaction- didn't even look up to see who he was- for over ten minutes. Finally he spoke, "Willow? Come on, Willow, talk to me."
Willow turned her head to look at the person speaking to her. She saw a worried face looking at her with obvious concern. It took a moment for her to recognize that it was Angel. She hadn't seen him in many months. Not since she went to his hotel to tell him that Buffy was dead. She grunted in false humor, this time she was here to tell him that Willow was dead.
Angel resolved to find out what had happened to turn the once vivacious Willow into this hollow shell. His eyes opened wide in shock when she finally responded to him by grunting and saying, "Willow's dead."
He tentatively put his hand on her shoulder and turned her toward him. "Willow, what happened?" he asked softly. For the first time since watching her get off of the bus he saw some emotion cross her face. A single tear trailed down her dirty face, and he saw a sense of horror in her eyes before she broke down completely. He wrapped her in his arms and rocked her as she sobbed and wailed into his coat for over an hour.
========== BtVS ==========
Willow had been so exhausted that she fell asleep in Angel's embrace. When she woke up in bed, she figured that he had taken her to the hotel. When she pulled back the covers and saw that she was only wearing a t-shirt and panties, she got pissed off. How dare he? Just because a girl cries in your arms doesn't mean you get to take her clothes off! For some reason she was infuriated by this and stormed out of the room to give him a piece of her mind.
"Angel! How could you…" her rant dwindled off as she realized she wasn't in the hotel- she was in an apartment, apparently. "Hello! She called out."
No response.
She wandered a bit, finding the kitchen, where there was a note on the table. She picked it up and read;
"Hi Willow,
I had to go in to work and try to identify this icky demon thing for the guys.
I'll be back in about an hour, two max.
Make yourself at home.
Cordelia.
Oh, p.s. - There's a ghost, Dennis. He's harmless."
"Ok, so this is Cordelia's apartment," Willow mumbled to herself. "And, apparently, there's a ghost?"
The lights in the kitchen switched on and off one time, and Willow jumped in alarm. "Jeez! Don't *do* that!" she shouted.
Nothing happened for a moment, and Willow sheepishly said, "Uh, sorry about that. You, uh, startled me," she paused, not really knowing what to say. "So, uh… you're Dennis, I take it?"
The lights once again flashed on and off.
"Oh, uh…" Willow was kind of at a loss as to what to say. "Hi. I'm, uh, Willow, I guess. I mean I don't guess I'm Willow, I know I'm Willow. I mean, I guess I don't really know what to say, and I tend to babble when I…" she shut her mouth when the pad of paper Cordelia's note was written on lifted up into the air, along with a pen, and the words "It's ok. Nice to meet you Willow." were written on it.
Willow was thinking of what she should say next when she heard the door to the apartment rattle and then open.
========== BtVS ==========
Cordelia trudged into her apartment. She had picked the Visigarth demon, out of one of Wesley's books, as the creature from her vision. "And, may I say, what a lovely way to wake up in the morning!" she thought. She'd been woken up at three in the morning by her boss, who was carrying a passed-out Willow Rosenberg and asking her to put the wasted Wiccan up for the night. Cordelia had asked why he didn't just take her to the hotel. He'd explained that she was apparently having some kind of trouble and had run away from Sunnydale, and might not appreciate waking up to a bunch of guys in a big empty hotel.
Cordelia had been amazed that Angel had managed to be that thoughtful, but didn't let on. She dramatically sighed, and said she would, but that she'd obviously not be able to come in in the morning if she was going to take care of Willow. Of course, just after she had managed to get back to sleep, she woke up to another lovely Vision- leaving her nearly debilitated with pain. She'd been barely able to pick up the phone and let Wesley know what she'd seen.
4 little yellow Dilaudid pills allowed her to get back to sleep for a whole 3 hours before Wesley had called and woken her up. He had the choice of baddies narrowed down to 4, but needed her to positively identify the culprit, as the four had drastically different methods of dispatch. So it was that Cordelia had dragged herself out of bed- once again- and made herself relatively presentable before going in to the office. She left a note for Willow, just in case. She didn't think the little hacker would wake up, as out of it as she'd been when Angel brought her in, but you never knew. Willow had never been to Cordelia's apartment before, and Cordelia didn't want her freaking out and casting some spell that would damage her apartment… or Dennis.
She called out softly, "Dennis, did Willow wake up yet?"
The lights in the kitchen flickered on and off at the same time she heard the redhead's voice coming from the same room.
"Yeah Cordelia, I'm up," Willow said in an unexcited voice.
Cordelia walked into the room and took in the vision that was Willow. "Damn, Willow. You look like hell."
Willow's eyes bugged out momentarily at the brunette's bluntness before she gave a rueful chuckle. She imagined that she did look pretty awful. "Tactful as always, Cordy; it's nice to see that some things never change."
Cordelia had the grace to look at least slightly embarrassed. "Sorry, it's just… you look…"
"Like a homeless person?" Willow supplied. "Don't worry about it. It's a fair description. I *am* a homeless person," Willow said resignedly. "No home equals homeless."
Cordelia raised her eyebrows, waiting for Willow to explain. When nothing was forthcoming, she suggested, "If you're up, why don't you take a shower. I'll go out and get some breakfast. You look like you haven't eaten in about as long as you haven't showered." She turned and headed back to the front door. "You can tell me what's wrong after that."
Willow wanted to be offended by that, but for one thing it was true, and for another, there was no condescension in Cordelia's voice, just a tired resignation. If she'd thought about it, Cordelia sounded a little like she did herself.
========== BtVS ==========
Willow felt better, physically at least, once she got out of the shower. She didn't realize just how much she stank, until she caught a whiff of the clothes she'd been wearing, now that she was clean. She'd found yesterday's outfit in a garbage bag in the room she woke up in. Upon opening it she recoiled from the stench. Thinking back, she'd gone three days since she'd showered, and almost that long since she'd eaten. She'd been so depressed that she hadn't even noticed.
Well, she still felt depressed, but Willow Rosenberg wasn't one to wallow in self pity for too long. She needed to pull her head out and see if she could salvage anything of herself.
As she walked slowly into the kitchen, she didn't hold out much hope. She'd made a royal mess of her life. She didn't know if she could fix it. She needed to re-evaluate who she was and what that meant. Was she really dead like she'd told Angel, or just severely wounded with a slim chance at recovery yet?
As she was dwelling on her pain and failure, she noticed Cordelia sitting at the kitchen table, her face in her hands, head down on the table. Her body was quivering slightly, and as Willow silently approached, she could hear quiet sobs from the statuesque brunette that she'd never really considered a friend. Even so, nothing was more likely to pull Willow Rosenberg out of a self-pity party faster than seeing someone else in pain. It was as though the urge- the absolute need- to help others was coded directly into Willow's DNA.
"Hey Cordy, what's wrong?" she asked quietly as she sat down next to her.
Cordelia sniffled back her tears and scrubbed at her eyes- trying to wipe away the evidence of her crying- before uncovering them. She put on her smiling mask and said, "Oh, just tired, Willow. That and a little headache," she lied smoothly as she stood up and walked over to the counter to recover the bagels, a couple of plates and a knife to spread the cream cheese. She'd had lots of practice with this particular lie and it came out very convincingly.
Willow, however, was an old hand at covering up and denying misery. She'd spent most of her teenage life doing it and recognized it right away. "Angel and Wesley buy that act?" she asked archly.
Cordelia spun around, nearly losing all the stuff in her hands, a denial poised on the tip of her tongue. She saw the clear knowledge and understanding on Willow's face and decided not to bother. "Yeah, well… they're men. What do you expect?"
Willow waited for an explanation while Cordelia set out breakfast- a half dozen bagels and a tub of strawberry cream cheese. She didn't say anything as she began to prepare herself a bagel, only now realizing just how hungry she was.
Cordelia sat down and watched the redhead spreading the cream cheese and asked, "Why'd you run away from Sunnydale?" She began her own preparation as she waited to see if Willow would answer.
Willow froze for a moment. Did she really want to share this with Cordelia? Did she really care why Cordelia was sobbing only moments ago? Resignedly she realized the answer to the latter at least was yes. She also knew Cordy wouldn't share without a little quid pro quo- even if the former cheerleader probably didn't know what the words themselves meant.
"I screwed up. I hurt Dawnie… and Tara left me," Willow said. "Goddess, it still hurts just to say that," she whispered.
"So what, Buffy kicked you out?" Cordelia asked, surprised. She never imagined Buffy and Willow could end up like that. She couldn't believe Buffy could be that much of a bitch. Cordelia knew Willow had sacrificed pretty much her whole life to stay in Sunnydale with Buffy. Unfortunately, Buffy was too clueless to see that sometimes. "How did you hurt Dawn? Why did Tara leave?"
Willow answered with a question of her own, "Uh uh, your turn. Why were you crying?"
Cordelia just stared at Willow for several moments. There was a part of her that wanted to share this, to commiserate, just to frickin' unburden herself of this beast, even if only for a little while. As frightened as she was, and as much as she wanted the comfort of sharing her pain, she was afraid too of Angel finding out, of him trying to somehow take the visions away or something.
Finally she looked away, mumbling, "The visions. They… hurt." While not untrue, that statement didn't nearly cover the enormity of the situation. In essence she'd chickened out.
Willow could tell that there was more to it, the pain must be pretty awful if it made her cry like that- not tears of physical pain. No, those sobs were ones of hopelessness. She knew it because she'd been weeping like that herself recently; a lot. She didn't comment on it directly, but answered part of Cordelia's question instead. "I cast a spell. I made Tara forget an argument we were having."
"Oh," Cordelia said. She thought about it for a moment.
Willow was remembering the events; Tara thought she was doing too much magic, that she was using it for everything and anything, that Willow was out of control. Then Willow basically told her to shut up and let her do what she wanted. She'd been so sure of herself, that she could do whatever she wanted without any consequences. So, she'd cast a little spell, what's one more? Just a little spell and everything was ok again, Tara forgot all about their fight, and everything was right with the world.
Cordelia was still mulling it over and asked, "What were you fighting about?"
Willow laughed bitterly, "She thought I was using too much magic."
Cordelia was a little stunned by that, "And your response was to snap your fingers and make her forget?" She shook her head, "No wonder she left."
Willow was shaking her head now, deep in self-recrimination. "Oh no, it's much worse than that. Tara somehow figured out what I'd done. She called me on it when I was suggesting we cast a forget spell on Buffy. She threatened to leave me and I promised to go a week without using magic to prove to her that she was more important than the magic."
Cordelia could see where this was going. She decided to ask about the forget spell on Buffy later, she said, "I'm guessing you didn't make it a week."
Willow loathed herself for what she'd done. Not only that she'd done it, but that she'd been so convinced of her rightness- she never even considered how wrong it was. She imposed her will on others just like one of the big-bads they'd fought against for years. She was no better than the Master, or the Mayor, or any of them. At least they acknowledged that they were evil.
"Not even a day. I cast another forget spell; this time on Buffy and Tara. But, of course, something went wrong. All of us lost our memories and almost got killed until Xander smashed the crystal I used and all of us got our memories back."
"That's when Tara left?" Cordelia asked.
Willow just nodded her head. She had never really sat back and strung it all together, but now that she was, she realized how amazingly out of control she had been, even before ever going to Rack.
"Is that why Buffy kicked you out?" Cordelia asked.
Willow shook herself and focused back on Cordy. "No, Buffy didn't kick me out, I left, but that wasn't why- that was a while ago. I got even worse after that."
Cordelia was shocked. This wasn't the same Willow she had grown up with.
Willow saw Cordelia's shock, "Yeah, I guess you could say I've changed. I pretty much fall on the evil side of the fence now."
Cordelia couldn't conceive of Willow Rosenberg as evil. Her head was shaking back and forth involuntarily, "No way… *No way* Willow! You, evil? Impossible."
Willow just looked at her with empty eyes. "You don't know, Cordelia. I did far worse than that. You know I raised Buffy from the dead," she started.
Cordelia interrupted, "How could that be evil…"
"She was in heaven Cordy. I dragged my best friend out of heaven and back to hell on earth."
Cordelia tried to interject, "But…"
"Oh, I told myself I was saving her, but that's a lie." Willow kept speaking over Cordelia's protests. "It was purely selfish. I wanted her back- no matter what it cost. So, I dragged her out of the absolute peace of heaven- a reward for her hard life of fighting evil at the cost of everything she loved- an then, I left her in her coffin."
Cordelia was shaking her head "no" but Willow pressed on, "She had to dig herself out. I snatched her out of paradise and stuck her in a box under six feet of dirt. Then I had the gall to be upset that she didn't thank me for it. You'd think that would have taught me to be more careful, to think before I acted, but no. I did all that other stuff and drove away my lover, hurt my best friend some more; and then I really lost it."
Cordelia couldn't have been more shocked if Willow's head started spinning around on her neck. He mouth just gaped open and shut like a fish out of water as Willow continued her terrible confession.
"After Tara left, I got lonely, so I figures out how to turn Amy back into a person. And, it was easy. I could have done it months, maybe even a year ago if I had wanted to- if I had thought about it. But no, it wasn't until I was lonely for another witch, someone to replace Tara. So I changed her back and we went out partying at the bronze. Oh, just for fun we started changing people. We turned people into animals, stuck them in cages to dance naked… basically had our way with a club full of innocent people just for kicks."
Willow's self loathing was reaching a peak. "But, that wasn't enough, no. Amy knows this warlock- he's like a dealer in black magic. We started going to him, casting spells for pure pleasure- swimming in black magic like it was a drug- getting high on the power and pleasure. I took Dawn with me one night. And, when I was swimming in it I accidentally conjured a demon. Or, it followed me back or whatever. In any case it chased us down, and I magicked this car so that we got away. But then, I wasn't watching where we were going, I was too busy laughing at how scared Dawn was, and how cool I was for getting away from the demon, that I drove us right into a bridge abutment.
Dawnie broke her arm and cut her head in the crash, and then she got attacked by the demon while I was passed out from hitting my head. If Buffy hadn't shown up looking for us, it would have killed Dawn.
By now tears of rage, pain and emotional anguish were pouring down Willow's face. "A- and t- then… Buffy still didn't hate me, she just said she was mad, and t- that I had to pull myself t- t- together!"
Cordelia couldn't do anything but watch as Willow broke down, the words barely making it out past the sobs.
"So… instead of being g-grateful that she didn't k- kill me right there… or at least t- throw me out of her life f- forever…"
"It's like a train wreck" was the thought Cordelia had running through her mind. She was horrified by what Willow had gone through- much of it her own fault, but nonetheless… She wanted to turn away, but couldn't stop herself from asking, "Instead you... you what?"
Willow's sobs tapered off- only because she had cried so much lately that she didn't have much left in her. Clearing her throat she said, "I screamed at her, accused her of wallowing in self-pity and a bunch of other horrible things. Then I slapped her in the face and left."
"So now you're, what- wallowing in self-pity yourself instead?" Cordelia asked, hoping to get a rise from the devastated witch.
Willow didn't even raise a brow. "I just had to get away. I have no idea what I'm going to do now."
Neither woman said anything for a moment.
She didn't really feel any better having revealed everything to Cordelia. In fact she felt worse. It was the first time she had laid it all out like that. Usually she fixated on either yanking Buffy out of heaven, or driving Tara away. Both of those had felt like terrible mistakes. Now, looking at her behavior since Buffy's death, it felt a lot more like she was an evil person, than a good person who had screwed up a few times. Everything she'd done for the last year almost had been nothing but selfish. So now, she figured the least Cordelia could do was be honest with her. "So what's the real deal with your visions?" Willow asked finally. Right after she said it, she realized that was selfish too.
Cordelia couldn't bring herself to hold back, not after Willow had essentially just gutted herself- emotionally, at least- for her. "Uh, well… could you promise me you won't tell Angel?"
Willow frowned, "I'm not sure my promise is worth much these days Cordy."
Cordelia begged with her eyes.
Willow shook her head resignedly. "Ok, I promise I won't tell Angel." She leaned forward to hear Cordelia's whispered reply.
"Well, I guess human brains aren't strong enough to handle the visions," she said evasively.
Willow might be evil, but she wasn't stupid. "How long?" she asked.
"They're not sure. Maybe as much as a year." Cordelia said- fear and resolve warring in her voice. She was surprised when Willow started laughing.
"I never could compete with you, Cordelia." Willow said when she could catch a breath.
Cordelia joined Willow in her laughter.
Neither mistook the sound as a joyful one.
========== BtVS ==========
By: RedWillow
========== BtVS ==========
Buffy sat in the dark, watching the Doublemeat Palace video for trainees. She was glad to finally have found a job, but this was less than thrilling. What could she do though? She was broke and desperately needed a job, even at minimum wage. And it wasn't like she had experience or education doing anything else, she reasoned.
"Follow these rules and you'll be a happy part of the DoubleMeat family for a long time!" The voice on the video reassured her.
<Lucky me.> She thought.
On screen, the picture changed to the DoubleMeat Palace logo, some kind of creature that was a cross between a chicken and a cow. Buffy frowned, wondering not for the first time, how she was going to be able to afford to take care of Dawn with the wages she'd make flipping burgers.
"Interesting, isn't it?" Asked her new manager as he flipped the lights on.
"Oh yes! Like how the cow and the chicken come together even though they've never met." The Slayer started with a fake smile. "It's like Sleepless in Seattle if… if Meg and Tom were… like minced."
The manager, a geeky 30 year old with thick glasses and greasy hair was completely humorless as he switched off the TV and walked behind his desk.
"I'm Manny the manager. It's not a joke, it's just my name."
"Right. Y-you mentioned that a couple of times when I filled out the application." Buffy responded.
"Why do you want to work here, Buffy? You seem like a sharp young woman, and there are a lot of other jobs."
"Well, I-I kinda need money pretty quickly… like today… and… and so I didn't want to go through a lengthy interview process, and I figured this was probably the fastest... way... to..."
Buffy paused when she caught the stern look on Manny the Manager's face.
"Be... cause I… wanted to be part of the DoubleMeat experience?" She finally asked, uncertain.
Manny nodded, smiling, and said, "Come on, let's take a tour."
"Can't wait." Buffy responded before she rose to follow him.
========== BtVS ==========
"The DoubleMeat Palace?" Asked Tara before taking a sip of her mochaccino.
"Yup."
"Wow… um, well… that's great Buffy. I-I mean, that you found a job."
The two women were sitting at a small table in the Expresso Pump. Buffy had called Tara and asked her to meet her there for lunch and Tara had readily agreed, thankful to be a part of the Slayer's life. She felt that the two needed each other to deal with Willow's leaving.
Tara was tormented with guilt over skipping out on the redheaded witch when she was needed most. Now she wanted nothing more than to go to L.A. and retrieve her love. Buffy was right though, Willow needed time and space away from them. Tara and Buffy would have to depend on each other for support and friendship in the absence of the one woman that had always kept both of them upright.
"Well… honestly I'm not exactly thrilled… but… it's a paying job… right?"
"Yes." Tara nodded.
"Not like anyone pays me for saving the world."
"Y-you should talk to the Council." Suggested Tara.
"Uh… no. I don't think they'd be too happy paying me to do… my job."
"W-well… they pay Giles. Right?"
Buffy sighed. She knew a long time ago that she wouldn't live a normal life. She was resigned to the fact that she'd have responsibilities that no other human would have to worry about. She just never thought that she'd also have to worry about taking care of a teenage sister and keeping their house.
"I don't think they plan on Slayers living very long… to need income…"
"Oh." Tara stirred her drink. "W-well maybe they'd make an exception. You don't have your mom now… and…"
Tara didn't finish, realizing she had struck a sore nerve for the Slayer. Neither said anything for a few minutes, while they busied themselves looking over the small menus kept on the tables.
"It's just… so hard. You know?" Buffy softly spoke, finally looking up to study Tara once more.
"I know."
Again, the two sat in relative silence for a few minutes as each thought about the last couple of months.
"Tara… I wanted to ask you something… a-and I'd understand if you didn't want to… it's just that with me working now and Willow gone… there's Dawn to consider and…"
Tara placed a gentle hand on Buffy's hand and smiled reassuringly.
"W-what did you want to ask?"
"Would you… move back in… with us?"
Tara couldn't help the smile that came over her face. She had loved living in the house with Willow, Buffy, and Dawn. She considered them her real family and leaving had left her with an emptiness that no dorm room could ever fill.
"Are y-you sure?"
Buffy nodded. "Totally."
"Well, you could use some help."
"I don't want you to think I just want you back because of Dawn… it's just that… Dawn really misses you, and with Willow gone… a-and… I could kind of use… the company."
The blonde witch warmed to the Slayer's words.
"I think we could b-both use the company." Tara said smiling.
The Slayer let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks so much Tara."
"But on one condition."
Buffy arched her eyebrows; unsure if she wanted to know the conditions Tara would set down.
"I'm paying rent." Tara told her.
"What?" Buffy shook her head. "No way. I wouldn't hear of it."
"You need the money."
"So true." Buffy said. She paused before shaking her head in protest again. "But that's not why I asked you to move back in."
"I know that."
Tara leaned closer to Buffy and put her hand back on the blonde's arm.
"B-but I want to help. I make pretty decent money at the Magic Box now… and actually, if Anya can set it up, I-I might start making extra for readings."
"Readings?"
"Tarot Cards?"
"Oh… right."
Buffy sat back and thought about Tara's offer for a few moments. On the one hand, she really needed the money. On the other hand, however, she didn't want to take money from Tara if she expected her to keep an eye on Dawn while Buffy kept up her slaying duties and worked at the DMP at the same time. Either way, Buffy reasoned, she needed to have Tara back in the house, and not just for Dawn's sake. The Slayer needed a friend, needed someone who understood her pain and guilt over Willow. Buffy needed Tara, and she thought, Tara might just need her. So if the witch wanted to pay rent, who was Buffy Summers to complain?
"Okay… you can pay rent. But I won't like it." She joked, crossing her arms over her chest.
Tara smiled warmly.
"W-well… it could be really cheap rent."
The two women grinned and sat back, easily accepting the new turn of events.
========== BtVS ==========
"Wow! I can't believe you're moving back in!" Dawn exclaimed hugging Tara with all her might. "Wow!"
"I'm glad to be back." Tara said, hugging the girl tightly in her arms.
Tara had always felt close to the young girl since both of them were like outsiders to the tight group of Scoobies.
She felt like Dawn was her niece, and wanted to protect and take care of the girl.
The witch went about clearing the rest of Willow's belongings out of the way, packing them in the back of the closet. Having everything the other witch had left lying around made Tara want to cry. In order for her to survive, to stay strong and not run to L.A., Tara would need to clear the room of Willow's belongings and make room for her own. Tara was grateful that there wasn't much to pack up, however, as Willow was never one to collect junk.
It broke Tara's heart to think of her moving back into that room without Willow there to share it.
<What I fool I was.> She chastised herself. <I think I know so much, but what do I know? Why did I think leaving her would be the answer? She needed so much help… and we were all so blind.>
Tears welled up in the blonde witch's eyes, but she paid them no attention, letting them fall freely as she moved about the room, sorting out clothes and setting up her alter.
"You need help?"
Tara looked up from her suitcase to see Buffy standing in the doorway and smiled, quickly wiping the tears from her wet cheeks.
"You're home." Tara said, her face visibly lifting. "Uh…" She looked around the room. "No… thanks. I'm almost done here."
Buffy saw the tears, recognized the red and puffy eyes. She had been fighting a lump in her own throat since seeing Willow at the bus station.
Tara turned away slightly, trying to keep her mind on the unpacking. The Slayer came up behind her, placing a gentle hand on the witch's shoulder.
"I'm really glad you said yes." Buffy spoke softly, the sincerity in her voice catching Tara's attention.
Nodding, Tara responded. "M-me too. I think I needed this."
Buffy had an overwhelming urge to hold Tara, hold her tight and never let her go. Never let her go like she let Willow. Like they all let Willow down. She silently moved to the bed instead, sitting on the edge.
The blonde witch turned, then sat on the bed in front her and took the slayer's hands in her own.
"I'm glad you asked. I… I think we could both use another friend right now."
"Yeah…" Buffy agreed. She looked down at their hands and smiled.
Neither said anything for a few moments, both reflecting on the friendship that they had never fully explored until they both felt lost and in need.
"Oh Goddess! Buffy, I almost forgot!" Tara exclaimed, rising off the bed and gently slapping her forehead.
Buffy was visibly surprised, arching her eyebrows at the animated witch in front of her.
"What's up?" She asked.
"O-okay… don't be mad for… getting in your business… but I think I found you another job. A better job."
"A better job?" Asked the Slayer in full attention mode.
She disregarded Tara's comment about getting in her
business.
"A-as a… security guard on campus."
"Security guard?"
Buffy was a little uncertain if she would want to go into that line of work. In her head it was like being a cop… but not.
"W-well a friend of mine… from my Art History class, asked me if I knew anyone who needed a job. He's um, I think in charge of hiring or something."
Tara waved her hand to explain that she really didn't know what he did.
"A-anyway, he's in desperate need to fill a position for night guard. I think turnover's pretty high…"
"Vampires." Buffy stated.
Tara nodded in understanding.
"I hope you don't mind Buffy… But I told him… that I had a friend who w-would be perfect for it. He… he wants to meet you tomorrow. I mean… if you're… interested?"
Buffy thought about it for a minute. Night security guard on campus could be an okay job. Better than flipping burgers and smelling like old grease, she reasoned. Plus, with it being a night position, she could patrol too.
"Oh but… what about patrol? I mean… I have to scope out the cemeteries too… a-and…"
"Well… you get a dinner break." Tara offered, shrugging.
"Hmmm… I don't know."
"It pays $10 an hour."
"Oh." Buffy nodded. "So what's your friend's name?"
Tara laughed, knowing the $4. pay increase would convince the Slayer.
========== BtVS ==========
Buffy sat on her bed with her legs drawn up, resting her chin on her knees. Willow was gone. Willow was in LA. The Slayer had to keep reminding herself that her best friend was gone. She had needed all of their help, but never got it. Buffy kept torturing herself with thoughts that she could have stopped it, could have stopped Willow, but didn't. She felt lost. Her redheaded friend had always been there to keep things together, provide support and comfort. She was their brain, their source for all answers and was always willing to help, willing to put herself in the good fight, even when she knew how bad the outcome might be.
And now she was in LA, doing what, Buffy had no idea. She wanted to call Angel, to find out what was going on with Willow. Where she was staying, what she was doing. Mostly though, Buffy merely wanted to know how her friend was. She was scared and worried and missing Willow worse than when she had run off to LA herself that summer.
Buffy absently wiped the tears away from her eyes and sniffled. She couldn't believe how bad she hurt. When had she last felt this way? When Riley left? When Angel left?
<Okay, so add confusion to the pile.> Buffy mused, thinking of the torrent of emotions that had been flooding through her.
"A-are you okay?" Asked Dawn from the hallway, where the door was only half way closed.
"Oh…" Buffy started, wiping her face dry with her sleeve. "Yeah… yeah just…"
"Yeah, I know…"
Dawn entered the room and looked around as if she hadn't ever been in there. Truth was though, it hurt her to see her sister crying, hurt her to see the Slayer so weak and in so much pain.
"So um… new job huh?" Asked Dawn fingering the sleeve of Buffy's Security guard uniform.
"Yup, I start tomorrow. You'll be looking at one of UC Sunnydales finest. O-or… I'm actually not sure if anyone actually calls us that…"
Dawn smiled, finally looking at her sister.
"Better money, right?"
"That all your worried about?" Asked Buffy with a bemused smile on her face.
"Well… we kind of don't have any… so… plus, hello, fifteen year old here… I think I need a work permit, which you've already said I couldn't get so… yes. More money for Buffy means electricity and food." Dawn finished smiling broadly, proud of her deduction.
"Don't worry Dawn. Everything'll be fine. I promise."
Dawn's face turned serious again.
"Have you heard from Willow?" She asked.
"No." Buffy replied, sighing.
"Oh."
"I'm sure she's fine."
Buffy wanted to believe that, wanted to believe that Willow's trip to LA would be a short lived vacation, from which the redhead would return healthy and happy again.
"Yeah." Dawn nodded.
Neither of them believed it though. Fear had settled into their hearts when Willow had moved out, and it had been there ever since.
"She's… fine." Dawn added before turning to leave.
"Just fine." Buffy whispered, again trying to convince herself.
========== BtVS ==========
By: AmberBensonFan
========== BtVS ==========
"Ah! Stop it hurts!" Willow cried out, grabbing her sides, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"Sorry," Cordelia gasped, in a similar state, completely unrepentant.
"Oh, I can't believe you, Queen C, I can't believe you..." Willow tried again but gave up, unable to get past the pealls of laughter that kept threatening to erupt.
"Oh please," Cordy groaned in mock irritation, though the crinkling around her eyes belied the merriment hidden there. "Like you haven't done something so completely dumb before."
"Yeah, but I'm used to my 'duh-moments' happening in front of everyone. It's not like I had this stellar reputation to uphold." Willow's laughter died down to soft, occasional chuckles, her voice going down a notch as the deeper truths to that statement started to overrun her already busy mind.
Cordelia picked up on the change in the slight woman in front of her and she grew serious. "Willow, I'm not sure if it's really worth much now, but I'm sorry for the way I treated you back then. I was so confused and torn. It was practically breed into me that I had to be popular but the only time I felt like I was ever appreciated or truly accepted was when I was with you guys. Even then I was the outsider and that just made things worse. How could Cordelia Chase be an outsider?" The former teen-queen shook her head.
"We didn't exactly give you any real chance," Willow admitted. "We were teens, young and stupid, hormones raging, world-ending big bads hunting us all the time. It's understandable how everyone could get so mixed up."
"So what happened to us after we got older with less raging hormones?" Cordelia asked, knowing neither of them held the answer, but knowing that their mistakes grew more stupid as they aged.
"Well, we still have world-ending big bads to blame," Willow tried to joke, but failed miserably.
Almost as though on cue, Cordelia's body stiffened, her head thrown back, hands grasping and pawing at her head. She let out a cry of pain and her body writhed on the couch. Willow jumped up, panic-stricken. "VISIONS" Dennis floated a notepad in front of Willow and it took a few moments of her to actually realize it was there, her attention frantically focused on her high school mate. By the time it registered what was happening, it was over.
"Two girls, a guy, purple and black demon. China town." Cordelia gasped out. Willow snatched the pad from the air and the pen from the table and started to quickly write down what Cordy managed to get out. "Call Angel." Cordelia finished before her eyes shut and she drifted into blackness.
Willow rushed to the phone and quickly dialed the number. She passed the information along to Wesley who said that they'd get right on it. Her next stop was the bathroom where she opened the cabinets to get a cloth and Willow gasped. She pulled out bottle after bottle of high-powered prescription drugs, her scientific mind calculating the strength of each, recognizing some of the names. What alarmed her most was that with each prescription the strength and dosage seemed to increase. She shoved the bottles back into the cabinet and pulled out a wash cloth, soaking it with cool water before going back to Cordelia.
The Seer started to come back, groaning and holding her head in the process. Willow knelt next to the couch, draping the cool rag across Cordelia's forehead. "Dennis?" Cordelia called out weakly. There was no sound, no answer, no movement, but a few moments later one of the bottles came floating out to them along with a glass of water. "Thank you, Dennis." Cordelia went to take the pills but Willow snatched them from the air.
"Cordelia, what's going on? This is way more than you should be taking, even says so on the bottle."
"Willow, lecture later, okay?" Cordelia groaned and tried for the pills again.
"No, Cordy, now. This is nearly double the dosage." Willow fought back.
"Damn it, Willow. I'm going to die anyway, what's the difference which way I wind up going?" Cordy finally snapped out, moaning as it increased the throbbing in her head. "Now just give me my pills. I need them."
Willow studied the form along the couch. The woman who was once so strong and confident. Who always knew what to say, how to act, was now a crumpled mess of agony beginning for some tiny pills. "You're addicted," Willow stated quietly.
"I'm not addicted, I just need them to get rid of the volcano that likes to erupt in my head each time I have a vision, now give me the god damn pills." Cordelia demeanor was quickly changing and Willow knew all too well what was happening.
"Regular dosage, Cordy, or nothing." Willow conceded. She wasn't a doctor and had no idea what would happen if Cordelia didn't get something, but she knew whatever the bottle said was high enough already and she refused to budge in giving the Seer any more than necessarily until she had a chance to talk to someone about this.
Cordelia went to argue further, but finally gave in; taking only the pills Willow offered her, figuring she'd be able to get more once the redhead wasn't looking.
Unfortunately for Cordelia, however, Willow was looking - constantly. The hacker watched the Seer, studying her, more to understand what she, herself, went through - how retched she must have looked and behaved and couldn't help but think coming to Los Angeles was really the best idea she'd had in a long while. Still, it didn't help the hurt of knowing she'd not see Buffy, Xander, and especially Tara again. As the smaller woman sat in the chair, watching her newly-established friend rest fitfully on the couch, Willow's mind drifted to her friends; no, her family.
Memories of the three closest people in her life came unbidden to her mind. Tara, her sweet and loving Tara. Her melodic voice wafting through the air, washing over her in waves, soothing her instantly whenever things got too busy up in her head. Buffy, strong, yet so needing of support. The woman who saved them endlessly, the one who needed them more than not. Xander, her best friend since, well, forever. He who had a heart of gold. She cringed, realizing how much she walked away from. How, in such a short period of time, she careened out of control, destroying relationships that took years to build.
Willow fought back the tears that threatened her green-blue eyes. She wondered if things could ever be the same or were their lives so vastly changed that there was never any going back to the way they were. Could they rebuild the wreckage and move on? Or would their relationships stagnate like the crumbled and mangled heap that still lingered from the old high school?
Her mind raced and veered from one thought to the next. Memories, images, sounds colliding and meshing together into an almost nightmarish collage and in the haze of it all, Willow couldn't help but think that this run-away train of thought reminded her of that scary scene in "Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory" when they were on the boat and the psychedelic images and colors blended and melded together to cause a dizzying and frightful effect.
She wished Tara was here, holding her, whispering sweet words to her. She wished Xander was there, doing his best to be goofy and insane, trying to no end just to crack a smile on the redhead's face. And she wished Buffy was there to hold her in strong arms, to rock her gently, to say nothing, but she'd know that Buffy cared. But they weren't. They were all... Home.
========== BtVS ==========
By: Kirayoshi
========== BtVS ==========
The Cotswolds, England;
Rupert Giles closed the ancient text he was studying, rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, and cursed himself for the ten-thousandth time since he returned to his native land. Ever since he came back to England, he had buried himself in research, attempting to find any information, description, prophecy, anything that could point him toward this great threat his source had warned him about.
Above all, he hated lying to Buffy about his true reason for leaving her (abandoning her, his inner daemon corrected him). Just hours after that incident with the musical magic, he had received a phone call from an anonymous source, warning him of a great threat that would originate in Europe. When Giles pressed him for a name, the source simply answered, "Call me Mr. Dent."
He initially dismissed the source out of hand, but then his source said something unusual; that Giles would briefly forget who and what he was. A few days later, Willow's reckless dabbling in magic did indeed wipe out his memory. He then regarded Mr. Dent's information a little more seriously.
Buffy was in no shape to fight anything major, certainly after she was still trying to regain her bearings after her sudden(and as it turned out unwished) resurrection. So he opted to face the threat at its source. If it originated in Europe, it would likely strike at England before arriving in the States. So he invented an excuse, that he didn't feel that Buffy needed him anymore, and left Sunnydale to confront this new threat. If Buffy chose not to forgive him for deserting her, it was a small price to pay to insure her safety. Maybe if for once he handled the world-threatening menace, she could rest. And maybe finally heal.
After he returned to England, he requested access from the Council to some of their more esoteric volumes, and once they learned the reason for his request, they were more than happy to comply. Quentin Travers even invited him to the Council retreat in the Cotswolds, to allow him to study uninterrupted.
But so far, he had little to go on, only a name for the threat. The Beast. That was the only concrete information he had to go on, and it wasn't enough to gain any substantial information. Not that his search was totally fruitless; he did learn something interesting regarding 'The Three who are One'. Several queries through the Search function of the Council computer system (a last ditch resort for the normally techno phobic Brit) revealed a prophecy regarding a great threat attacking the "Western end of the New World". California, he surmised. And given the existence of the Hellmouth in Sunnydale, it wasn't a stretch. The prophecy then spoke of the Three;
"Three will stand against the Darkness---
One will be raised from madness,
One will be raised from death,
One will be raised from darkness.
These are The Three, Who Are One---
United in power,
United in weakness,
And united in love,
For all time"
This sent Giles' mind to work; he realized that two of the Three may already be in place. Tara had been raised from the madness that Glory wrought upon her, when Willow restored her mind after Glory's attack. And certainly Buffy had been raised from death, whether she desired it or not.
And considering the dark magic that Willow had been throwing about, that could easily make her the third. He found himself breathing a sigh of relief; at least if he was reading this prophecy correctly, it meant that Willow would recover from her darkness. How this prophecy might affect the relationships between the three young women was another matter entirely. But Giles was prepared to maintain an open mind.
He would have considered the prophecy further, but a cursory glance at his watch reminded him that he had an appointment. On the flight back to England, he had an idea regarding how he could aid Buffy further. Of course, it relied on the good graces of the senior members of the Council, and they often didn't see eye to eye with Giles. Oh well, he mused, all he could do was ask. He replaced the text he was studying, and left the library for Quentin's office.
========== BtVS ==========
"I must admit, Rupert," Quentin Travers rested his forehead against his steepled forefingers, "I always thought that you have brass ones. I find it somehow gratifying to know that I was right."
Giles knew why Quentin had requested meeting him in his office. He admired the burl-wood finishings, the deep mahogany desk behind which Quentin presided, the bay window with a broad view of the lawns outside the Watchers' Retreat, and the general aura of British stuffiness that permeated the retreat's rarified air; the effect was calculated to make Giles feel as though he were a schoolboy being called to the principal's office. Of course, Quentin didn't know Giles that well; after three years of the ultimately ineffectual Mr. Snyder, school principals held no fear for him.
"I fail to see what is so unreasonable about my proposal," Giles answered calmly. "After all, we Watchers enjoy drawing a regular stipend from the Council, why shouldn't the Slayer? After all, she's on the front lines in this war."
Quentin Travers, Senior ranking member of the Council of Watchers regarded his former protégé© with a bland distaste. "No Slayer before Miss Summers ever drew a stipend from the Council," Travers protested. "What makes her so special?"
"The fact that she has lasted longer than any Slayer before her, for a start," Giles nodded slightly as he began to present the logical argument he had prepared. He knew that getting emotional in front of Quentin would work against his purpose. So going against his desire to break Quentin's nose on general principles, he reined in the Ripper and presented his case calmly.
"First," Giles started to tick off his arguments on his fingers, "Buffy Summers has done more than any ten Slayers before her. The fact that we are here to argue this matter is due to her perseverance and her sacrifice. Second, Buffy has other responsibilities besides slaying; since the death of her mother earlier this year, she has become the legal guardian of her sister."
"I fail to see how that is the Council's concern," Quentin huffed. Giles could feel the Ripper straining to free itself, and tightened the mental chains that bound it. For Buffy's sake, he reasoned, he had to remain calm.
"Think of it as pragmatism," Giles suggested. "The Council would make it easier for Buffy to concentrate on her mission against evil by insuring that she didn't have to worry about bills and groceries. Furthermore, we no longer live in the Dark Ages. When the Council was formed to aid the Slayer, women weren't expected or even permitted to seek their own employment. Those days are long gone, my friend. To paraphrase someone I once knew and loved very much, 'I know our ways may seem strange to you, but you will join the twenty-first century'."
Quentin stared at Giles for a few seconds, ascertaining whether he was willing to compromise on this matter. Seeing that Giles wasn't going to give an inch, Quentin sighed theatrically, and opened a file cabinet under his desk. "Well, Rupert," he announced as he produced a file folder, "the matter is academic now; the issue has already been voted on by the Council."
Giles sat up, anger illuminating his features. "And you didn't even have the courtesy to inform me, so I could present my case to the Council?"
"Your input wasn't deemed necessary," Quentin answered passively. "As I said, the vote was taken yesterday afternoon, after you submitted the proposal last week."
Opening the file folder, and taking a small sheath of papers in his hand, Quentin announced, "As you know, Giles, on such major matters as this, a two-thirds majority is required to vote 'yay' for the measure to be passed." Giles began to shift slightly in his seat, fearing the worst. Oh well, we made the effort, Buffy, he thought anxiously. Sorry it didn't work out.
Quentin smiled slightly as he watched Giles in his uncomfortable posture. He decided to put him out of his misery. "The final vote of the seventy-five person Council," he droned as he read the paper in his hands, "taken at three-fifteen on the first of December, 2001,"
Yes, yes, go on with it, Giles wanted to scream.
"...shows 59 votes 'yay', 15 votes 'nay', and one abstention."
Giles found himself frantically working out the percentages in his head, only to see an oddly comforting smile creep its way onto Quentin's face. "Your proposal passed, Rupert. Buffy Summers will get her stipend."
"Oh, um, yes," Giles stammered, barely containing his joy at the surprise outcome of the vote. "Thank you, Quentin, thank you very much."
"Don't thank me, Giles;" Quentin answered firmly, "I just delivered the news. Now then," he pulled out a blank sheet of paper and a fountain pen, "the real reason that I asked you here today is to discuss the particulars of her stipend. I believe that a thousand a month, in American dollars, is more than fair."
Giles quickly regained his composure and pursed his lips in thought; even though Buffy was unaware that he had even considered the idea of her receiving a stipend, he felt that it was his duty to represent his friend and former charge. "Quentin," he quizzed, "have you ever tried to live in California for a thousand dollars a month? I don't believe it can be done, even if she didn't have a teen-age sister to look after."
"Oh?" Quentin's voice rose slightly. "Then what is your bid?"
"Eight thousand," he said with a perfectly straight face.
Quentin's pen slipped from his hand and clattered to the desktop. "Eight thousand? Are you mad? When you said she lives in California, you said nothing about Rodeo Drive!"
It was Giles' turn to smile at Quentin's discomfort. "Quentin, old man, you don't understand the basic concept of negotiation. First, I ask for the moon. Then, we haggle."
Quentin considered Giles' words for a moment, and then gave him a slight smirk. "Fifteen hundred."
"Seven thousand," Giles countered.
"Two thousand."
"Sixty five hundred."
"Twenty five hundred," Quentin said, "and I am not authorized to bid higher."
With supreme effort, Giles managed to suppress a chuckle; even if he had expected the Council to favor the stipend, he hadn't even dreamed that he would get more than fifteen hundred for Buffy. He managed to negotiate a larger share than he had even dreamed.
He knitted his brow as he looked at the man across the desk. He decided to press his luck. "Twenty five hundred," he nodded, "retroactive from the time Merrick first contacted her. You can consult Merrick's journals for the exact date."
Quentin's eyes widened as Giles made his offer. He had underestimated the lengths Giles would go to care for his foster daughter. "You still have a father's love for Miss Summers." It was a statement, not a question, and for once Quentin said it kindly.
"How could I not?" Giles asked honestly.
Quentin barked a friendly laugh. "How about retroactive from the moment you first contacted her? If I'm doing my math correctly, that will be close to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars."
Giles nodded an affirmative toward his superior. "Very generous," he agreed. "Done." The two men reached across the desk and shook hands.
"I will be meeting with a solicitor within the hour," Quentin informed Giles. "We will draw up the legal documents at that time, and within the week we will mail her the retroactive payment."
"I would like to be there," Giles said. "As a witness."
"By all means," Quentin said, getting up from the desk and opening a small liquor cabinet. Pulling out a bottle and two crystal tumblers, he asked, "Would you care for a glass of single malt scotch?"
"A dram, if you please," Giles accepted the glass thankfully.
"So, Giles, is there any other business keeping you here? Any luck tracking down this European threat?"
"Little luck so far," Giles admitted. "I have several ideas, but no evidence. I even thought that Dracula might be returning. His legend did originate in Wallachia, the country formerly known as Transylvania, in Eastern Europe."
"Dracula?" Quentin asked, surprise in his voice. "I read from Buffy's journals that she had succeeded in slaying Dracula last year."
"Indeed," Giles answered as he sipped his scotch. "But as you know from reading the journals, Dracula was no ordinary vampire. I do not doubt that he may rise again. However, as I said, I have nothing concrete linking him to this threat." Nursing his drink, he concluded, "I suppose I'll have to continue to soldier on."
"Well, good hunting, Rupert," Quentin answered. "Oh, before I forget, I received this in the mail." He produced a cream-colored envelope. "It's addressed to you." Giles opened the envelope and quietly read the contents. He pocketed the letter in his jacket, and rose from his seat. "Thank you, Quentin. Please inform me when the solicitor arrives."
"She should be here shortly," Quentin answered. Giles nodded a brief farewell, and turned to leave the office. Just short of the door, he turned around and said, "One question, Quentin. Just to scratch my curiosity. How did you vote regarding the stipend proposal?"
Quentin leaned back in his chair and answered, "One nice thing about being the Senior member of the Council, Rupert. You don't have to answer that sort of question."
========== BtVS ==========
He eyed the interior of the dimly lit tavern for the seventeenth time since he arrived. Everything was the same as it was five minutes earlier; the deep red wood paneling, the swirls of cigarette smoke being scattered by the weathered ceiling fans, the fading green felt of the snooker table, the beeps and whistles emanating from the pinball machine in the corner, and the general air of melancholy that seemed to permeate the room, from the floorboards to the rafters. Typical of a Soho bar. Except for the six-armed bartender and the Fyarl demon bouncer, as well as the assortment of demons, vampires and other supernatural beings that frequented the pub.
Rupert Giles smirked sardonically at his thought. He and his mates had certainly made their rounds along the width and breadth of London during his misspent youth. He had recently watched a program on BBC about four middle-aged men prowling the London nightlife. Take twenty-five years off of each of them, Giles thought, and you'd have my mates. If the fellows on the telly were into summoning demons, that is.
He opened the letter he had received from Quentin and read its immaculate hand-written script for the hundredth time;
Giles,
I must speak to you in person. Meet me tonight at the Bell Book and Candle in the Soho district, seven sharp. Come alone or you won't see me.
H. Dent
He glanced at his watch again; seven thirty-seven. Exactly two minutes since the last time he checked his watch. Giles wondered if the mysterious H. Dent was lost in traffic, or if maybe he had forgotten their appointment.
Giles was openly curious about the Bell Book and Candle, having heard of its reputation. A recently opened bar, it was reputed to be a neutral ground for the London nightlife, both human and inhuman. The owner of the pub, who only went by the name of Van Helsing, evidently enforced the peace within the pub, and from what he had heard from friends in the area the pub was both successful and peaceful. From his conversations with Angel, Giles knew that there was a similar bar in Los Angeles, although from what he saw so far, the Bell Book and Candle at least didn't have a karaoke stage.
It did, however, have a pinball machine. And a very loud one at that, as Giles broken concentration could attest. He turned around at one point, watching the man playing the machine. He glanced at the machine's back-board, seeing the garish images of Batman and Robin, facing down two of their most recognizable villains, the Riddler and Two-Face. Whoever was playing the game had racked up an impressive score, well into the hundreds of millions. And as Giles observed him, he looked more and more familiar.
Something clicked in Giles' mind, like a tumbler in a lock. A connection was made, and Giles found himself cursing under his breath, berating himself for not figuring it out sooner. He rose from his seat, approached the pinball player, and said loudly enough to be heard, "How's the game going, Mr. Dent?"
The player lifted his head, and regarded Giles with a lunatic grin. "Why, Ripper! How good to see you again! How about a hug?"
"Not in this lifetime, Ethan," Giles answered his former mate coldly.
Ethan Rayne chuckled throatily, and then turned his back from the machine, allowing his third pinball to drain and his game to end. "I must say, you didn't take as long to find me as I thought you would."
"I'm ashamed that it took me this long," Giles growled. "I probably would have missed it entirely if I hadn't been associating with Buffy and her friends for five years, but the pop-culture clue was obvious once I knew where to look. H. Dent. Harvey Dent from the Batman comic book. He was the former district attorney of Gotham City, and a very handsome man, until the day he prosecuted a desperate criminal. The defendant threw a vial of acid into his face, scarring the left side completely. This drove Harvey insane, leading to his becoming the criminal mastermind Two-Face, a madman obsessed with duality. From there, it wasn't too far a leap to Janus, the two-faced Greek god, whom you invoked four years ago last Halloween."
"Yes, Ripper," Ethan smirked sardonically, "guilty as charged. I shall have to be cleverer next time. But come; let us not take this Bataan Death March down Memory Lane. We have much to discuss."
Giles immediately grabbed Ethan's throat in his hand, pinning him to a support pillar near the billiard tables. "I'll give you ten seconds to convince me not to crush you larynx."
"Well," Ethan gasped, "for a start, there's the matter of the proprietor of this establishment not liking any altercations in his place." Giles turned toward the bartender, who now held three guns in his right hands. Grinning sheepishly, Giles lowered Ethan, who smiled broadly at the bartender. "It's okay, gents," he apologized gregariously to the patrons. "Just a friendly dispute over the pinball scores. Nothing to be worried about."
"Fine," the bartender grunted. "But one more outburst and I'll have you removed from here. One body part at a time."
"Fair enough," Ethan smiled, as the bartender lowered his guns and returned to serving his customers. "'Out you two pixies go, through the door or out the window'. I saw 'It's A Wonderful Life' too, you know. Although personally I would have had more fun in Pottersville than in Bedford Falls."
"Why did you contact me?" Giles asked, his voice a quiet growl. "Did you send me on a wild-goose chase to separate me from the Slayer?"
"Very good, Ripper," Ethan cheered. "But it wasn't entirely my idea. My, uh, former employer instructed me in the matter."
"Your former employer?"
"Yes," Ethan said casually. "That would be the threat I warned you about. Oh, the threat is real enough, and more powerful than you could possibly guess."
"And you're working for it?" Giles challenged, anger tingeing his voice.
"Was working for it," Ethan corrected sharply. "Once I learned its true intentions, I chose to cut my losses. I'm not interested in destroying the world, only playing with it." Gesturing toward a pool table, he added, "Fancy a game? You know how I like to play, don't you?"
Giles nodded grimly, as he selected a pool cue from the cue rack. "Yes. 'On a cloth untrue, with a twisted cue'," he recited grimly, "'and elliptical billiard balls'."
"Oh, very good," Ethan laughed. "Gilbert and Sullivan?"
"The Mikado," Giles answered. "You may break."
"Fair enough." Ethan racked up the fifteen brightly colored balls, and then lined up the cue ball on the opposite side of the table. Bending down into a proper playing stance, he knocked the cue ball into the fifteen balls, scattering them across the table.
"Now then," Giles bent down over the table, "would care to explain how you escaped the Initiative compound?"
Ethan watched as Giles lined up his shot. "Oh, it's easy enough to escape from a government facility when the government's in the process of covering their asses and closing the facility. Besides, I had a little help. A Mr. Bester, to be exact, he helped me escape a few months ago, and in return I agreed to do him a service. I created the fiction of H. Dent, and sent you the warning about a threat from Europe. Mr. Bester, well, you might say he represents someone."
"And who might that be?" Giles asked as he made his shot, watching with satisfaction as the 4 ball fell into the side pocket. "Solids," he added.
"Someone with many names," Ethan intoned. "For the sake of the argument, I'll call it The Beast."</