Hi Kitties!
I'm going to take the plunge and trot out this piece in the hope that I can get it all out of my system before I have to concentrate on work stuff. I'll post it in bits as I finish them but I'm warning you now, I'm no super-fast writer.
Little Miss Nobody
by Forrister
Email address: forrister@hotmail.com
Feedback: Please – I really appreciate some constructive feedback. (Not necessarily positive feedback, but definitely constructive.)
Distribution: Please don’t distribute or archive my story without asking me.
Rating: PG –13 (some violence, some bad language.)
Disclaimer: I know Joss owns them all. I know I don’t. (A little knowledge can be so damn frustrating.)
Summary: Life goes on, but the business of living is never an easy one. Particularly in Sunnydale!
Note: Post “The Gift”. Sequel to “The Day after the End of the World.” but you don't really need to read that to get this. (Set about five weeks after ‘The Gift’)
Chapter 1
It had been a wonderful night for stargazing. The lights of Sunnydale blazed below like a million candles. The moon was nowhere to be seen and the ‘Big Pineapple’ shone benevolently down upon them as they held hands.
“I wonder if she’s looking down on us from up there somewhere?” mused Willow sadly.
“Buffy’s in the Summerland and I’m sure she watches over us.”
“I just wish she was still here.” mourned Willow, in a small voice.
Tara held her close and they stood there for a while remembering. Eventually Tara slipped her had into her lover’s hand and they started back home.
They had been living at the Summers’ house for a month now. Buffy had left legal papers designating Giles and Willow as executors of her estate and Dawn’s legal guardians. Willow was somewhat startled to learn that when Joyce and Hank Summers had gotten divorced, he hadn’t contested custody and had gladly signed away all parental rights to both girls. Buffy had never mentioned this but then again she might not have known herself until after Joyce’s death.
Giles continued his role as father figure but remained in his own home. At first Giles wanted Dawn to move in with him, away from the memories, but she had flatly refused any suggestions of moving out of the only home she knew, so Willow and Tara had moved in to provide live in care and support. Spike had moved himself into the basement, and Xander had fixed him up with his own private exit. It looked very much as if the arrangement would become permanent.
“I wish there were something more we could do for Dawnie” sighed Willow wistfully. “She hardly speaks, she rarely smiles, she just spends time in her room reading or cleaning around the house.”
“Giles thinks she’s trying to cope with the loss of her identity, her mother, her sister, and her innocence, all in a few short months.”
“It’s not fair,” growled Willow. “She is less than a year old in real time with the memories of a fourteen year old and experiences an old woman shouldn’t have to deal with.”
“We can love her and be there for her.” stated Tara firmly. “She won’t be alone, she’ll be with family.”
Dawn herself was very quiet these days. Luckily it was summer so she didn’t have to face going back to school just yet. Giles was worried that she may not be emotionally up to it even then. He’d checked out the requirements for home schooling and was pleased to discover that, if necessary, he had more than sufficient qualifications to teach her himself. Her obsessive neatness was beginning to wane and he was confident that eventually she would go back to being something like a normal teenager.
Tara and Willow crossed Revello Drive and walked into the house. Spike was sprawled on the couch with a cup of blood, gawking at some international beauty pageant on TV.
“Cor. Look at the knockers on that one!” he exclaimed, to no one in particular.
“Ah. Hmm.” Willow cleared her throat. “We’re home!”
“I noticed.” said Spike, taking another sip from his cup. “I can hear you breathing. That’s a nasty throat you’ve got there. You should take something for that.”
He turned his attention back to the TV.
“Hey! Check out that lanky blonde in the split skirt, ladies! She’s got legs that go all the way up to her arse and then get cheeky.”
“Spike, how can you sit there and be so disgusting?” The wry grin on Tara’s face gave her away.
Spike returned the grin. “It’s easy m’ little lovelies, it just takes practice… Lots of practice.”
Willow began to grin too. It was strange, sharing a home with Spike. She was a bit wary of the idea at first but Tara convinced her to give it a try. The first few days were disastrous. Spike had no idea about the little things that made communal living bearable. There were bits of rubbish and food left in odd places, the stink of cigarettes, and cups dirty with old blood. It got so bad that Tara was ready to hose him down and Willow was going to scrub him with a wire brush if he didn’t shower at least once a night. Faced with this threat of imminent witchy retribution Spike sulked for a bit and threatened to go back to his crypt. From that time on he managed to confine his most of his messes to the basement and his smoking to the back porch. The beer in the refrigerator was still under negotiation.
Funnily enough it was Miss Kitty who finally settled the matter by taking an unaccountable liking to him. She sat on his lap, slept (and shed) on his clothes, sneaked licks of pig’s blood from his cup whenever he left it unattended, and groomed the gel out of his hair as he slept. She even took to bringing him little offerings of dead mice and insects which were invariably left on his chest or on his pillow as he slept. Spike protested loud and long to anyone who would listen about ‘that bloody cat!’ but when he thought no one was looking he would cuddle her and feed her tidbits. Willow was worried at first by what she dubbed ‘The corruption of Miss Kitty,’ but Tara simply smiled and made mystical comments about the wise judgements of feline kind.
“Spike, have you seen Miss Kitty recently? It’s dark and she should be inside.”
Spike shook his head. “Last time I saw the mini-menace she was upstairs with Dawn. She isn’t bothering me and I don’t plan on bothering her.”
Willow frowned. Dawn was still spending too much time alone in her room. She decided to go check on her.
A minute later Willow came racing downstairs with Miss Kitty in her arms.
“Dawn’s gone!”
**********
Dawn moved carefully through the cemetery. She’d read about how dangerous the place could be but she had been ‘patrolling’ for nearly an hour now and nothing was stirring. She somehow found herself in that corner where her mother and Buffy lay beneath the earth. This was the first time she had visited their graves alone. All the other times Willow or Tara, and once even Spike, had been with her. This time she stood there alone. She didn’t cry. She felt that she had no more tears to shed. The tears were in her heart where they tore at her in the night.
She touched her mother’s headstone. “I still miss you – so much. Why did you have to go and leave me?”
She turned to Buffy’s grave and looked down. “Why didn’t you let me go? It was my fault that you died. It was my death that you took. I was ready.”
Dawn slumped to her knees, pillowing her head on the memorial stone. “That’s what I was made for. I wasn’t born - I was the key. It was my purpose to close the portal.”
She began to sob.
“I know you wanted me to live. But I don’t know how! None of my life was real before, and I don’t know how to make it real now!”
Dawn felt like her heart could shatter into a million pieces and still ache with a pain that was almost unbearable. She closed her eyes and let the tears come.
“So. What’s this we got here, boys?”
Dawn looked up to see three vampires who were obviously sizing her up for their next meal. She grabbed a stake from her pack and stood as she had seen her sister stand many times before.
The lead vamp just grinned. “This one fancies herself. This is going to be fun!” He began to move toward her.
As his feet touched the ground surrounding the grave there was a flash of brilliant white light and he disintegrated into dust.
“Whoa. This must be that place they told us about.” The two remaining vampires began to back away in fear. “The place none of us can touch.”
Dawn’s eyes were still partially blinded by the flash but she could see the silhouette of a third figure behind the other two. It quickly staked the vampires and then moved forward. She felt a gentle touch on her cheek and smelled a soft fragrance. As she blinked and strained to adjust her eyes once more to the darkness, the figure walked away and was gone.
**********
It was Spike who finally found her. He used the mobile phone Tara had given him to call Willow and let her know he was bringing Dawn home. Then they walked the streets back to the Summers house in silence. They stopped across the street as Spike took her gently by the hand and turned her towards him.
“Why, darlin’?”
Dawn hung her head as tears ran down her cheeks. “I – I had to … had to go. My life .. it doesn’t m-mean anything. It should have been me.” She half collapsed into Spike’s arms.
He wrapped her in all the love his undead heart had to give, a bit surprised at how much he felt for this girl. When her sobbing slowed he picked her up in his arms and carried her inside.
It was about fifteen minutes later when Willow and Tara burst in the door.
“Where is she? Is she alright? What happened? Where did she go? Why didn’t she tell us?”
“Slow down Red. Breathe a bit.” Spike stood at the foot of the stairs. “She’s fine. I just put her to bed.”
Willow didn’t wait for anything more. She tossed her coat to Tara and took the stairs two at a time as she ran to check on Dawn. Tara slowly hung their coats in the closet and went to join Spike who was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.
“Where did you find her?” she asked.
Spike ran his fingers through his hair. “She was at the grave. She had that with her.” He indicated the small backpack she had been carrying.
Tara unloaded the pack on the table. There were a couple of stakes, a cross, and a bottle of what she presumed was holy water. She shook her head and sat down, staring at the items on the coffee table.
“Did she tell you anything?” Tara finally asked.
Spike shook his head. “Not much. Something about how her life didn’t mean anything and how it should have been her.”
Tara closed her eyes and a single tear trickled down her cheek. She knew that feeling. She’d felt it when her mother died, leaving her alone and friendless to deal with the rest of her family. At that time the only thing that made life worth living was the promise she’d made to somehow get away from her father and brother to where she could make a new start for herself.
Giles burst in the door with Xander and Anya in tow.
“Is she alright?”
“Will is upstairs with her now.” replied Tara. “She hasn’t been harmed.”
Xander spotted the collection on the table. “Is somebody planning on a bit of slayage?” He picked up a stake and attempted to twirl it in his hand. It flew into Spike’s lap. Spike stood up and grabbed Xander by the collar. Giles rushed to separate the two but Spike simply gave Xander a look that conveyed his utter contempt for all lower life forms, shoved him aside and disappeared into his basement.
“What did I say?” bleated Xander.
“Nothing at all.” asserted Anya, wrapping her arms around him.
“I think we’re all a bit upset.” added Giles as he picked up the stake from the floor and put it back on the table. “I take it Dawn was carrying these?”
Tara nodded.
Giles began to pace. “I was afraid that something like this might happen. She’s been too quiet, too introspective.”
Xander looked puzzled. “Did I come in late or am I missing something here.”
Tara spoke softly. “I think what Giles means is that Dawn is trying to make up somehow for Buffy’s dying.”
“By taking Buffy’s place and getting herself killed?” Xander shook his head. “Patrolling alone is plain crazy. We all know that.”
“That’s the point.” interrupted Giles from across the room. “We know it. We’ve all done it before, but we’ve mostly kept Dawn out of it. We’d come back and tell a few stories about how bad the nasties were and how we destroyed them and then finish it off with a few jokes.”
“You never told Dawn how bad it really was or how often you were an inch away from dying.” added Tara.
“I’ve always noticed that people never dwell on how close death is to them all the time.” mused Anya. She turned to Xander. “Don’t you ever go dying on me. I couldn’t bear it.”
Xander put on his ‘hero’ face. “I plan to live forever or die trying!” he announced solemnly.
Anya threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, then frowned as she caught the implications of what he had just said.
“In the midst of life, there is Death and from Death comes new life.” quoted Giles.
They all were silent as they contemplated the mysteries of life and death.
Willow walked slowly down the stairs and sat on the lowest step. Her face was pale and drawn. Dawn had refused to speak to her, turning her face away and pulling up the covers. This had hurt Willow more than the argument she was expecting ever could. Yelling she could have dealt with, but the silence was almost unbearable. The others were still talking in the living room and she didn’t feel up to joining them.
“Tara. I’m kinda beat. I think I’ll call it a night.” she called out.
Tara came in as she was slowly climbing the stairs. “Sweetie, is everything OK?”
Willow shook her head. “I need to get some sleep, love.”
“And Dawn?”
“She’s not talking, not sleeping either.” Willow paused on the top step. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
“I’ll be straight up.”
“No, you stay and see the others off. Say sorry for me. Please.” Willow turned and went to bed.
Tara waited until she was out of sight before returning to the living room. “Willow is tired so she’s gone to bed. She said to say ‘sorry’.”
“I understand.” said Giles. “We all should be heading home. It’s getting rather late and we’ve had a busy night. Come around to the shop in the morning and we’ll talk about this.”
“I’m not sure Dawn will be up to talking in the morning.” observed Tara. “But Willow and I will come by tomorrow sometime.”
“Yes, well. Something will have to be done. We can’t have any more of this type of behaviour.”
Giles sounded stern but inside he was deeply worried. Dawn’s state of mind was getting worse, not better. A professional therapist couldn’t possibly understand and couldn’t ever be told the truth. He decided to spend a few hours researching possible options when he got home.
Anya took Xander’s hand and dragged him to the door.
“We should go. You know, laundry to do, and stuff.” Xander tried to explain as he was pulled bodily out the door.
“Ah… Stuff. “ echoed Giles as he gave a brief wave. “That boy must have the stamina of Priapus.”
Tara blushed.
“Sorry.” mumbled Giles.
Anya and Xander could still be heard as they got into their car.
“I thought we were going back to have more sex?”
“I thought I told you not to say that so loud!?”
“I forgot. You do still love me, don’t you?”
“Forever!”
The car doors slammed and they sped off.
“I’d better be off as well.” Giles put a hand on Tara’s shoulder. “Will you be alright?”
“I’ll be fine. See you tomorrow.” Tara kissed his cheek and watched until he disappeared around the corner. She went back inside, locked the doors and switched off the lights.
**********
Tara was on her way to Willow when she heard the low sobs coming from Dawn’s room. She quietly opened the door. Dawn was under the covers crying softly into her pillow. Tara went over to her, lay on the covers beside her and held her close until the crying was eventually replaced by the deep, rhythmic breathing of sleep.
**********
Willow’s tears sank into her pillow without a sound. Tonight she felt old, old and indescribably weary. As she descended into sleep she wondered if Joyce or Buffy had ever felt this way.
- She was standing on glowing sea. The waves rose and fell, yet she seemed to be on perfectly steady. She could hear Dawn’s voice calling. She watched the green dolphin jump in and out of the waves. As she followed it she could hear the voice more clearly now, but it wasn’t her name the girl was crying out. It was Buffy’s. She turned and there was Dawn, standing in a doorway, crying and screaming “Buffy!”. She ran towards the girl, wanting to help her so badly. When she got to the door, Dawn looked at her, said “You don’t know how!” and slammed it shut in her face. She sank to the ground as the doorway disappeared.
A large white owl swept down from the sky on snowy wings and landed on her shoulder. “If you open the door and wait, she’ll come to you.”
She touched the owl’s feathers. It was so soft, like Tara’s hair. She wrapped her arms around the owl and cried into its feathery chest. -
**********
Willow woke to the bright mid-morning sun shining in the window. She rolled over and realised that she was alone in the bed. Sitting up she saw Tara sitting on the floor in one of her meditation rituals. Willow sat in silence watching the living centre of her existence. She reminded her of one of those alabaster statues, pale and classically beautiful. Only the slow rise and fall of her breast gave Willow an indication that this was a flesh and blood woman and not some Greek goddess.
Tara became aware of her lover’s scrutiny and finished her meditation with a silent prayer to the great Goddess. She slowly stretched and stood and went to give Willow a good morning cuddle.
“You weren’t here when I went to sleep and you weren’t here when I woke up. “ Willow gave a mock-pout. “I missed you.”
“I was never far away.” smiled Tara, laying a soft finger on Willow’s lips to wipe the pout away. “And you’ve slept half the morning away, my sleepy-headed sweetie.”
“Last night really took it out of me. Is Dawn up yet?”
“No, I checked on her about half an hour ago. She was still sleeping.”
Willow snuggled closer. “I really don’t know what to do. Last night I was so angry and scared and hurt… She wouldn’t even look at me. It’s like she doesn’t love me any more and I can’t get through to her.”
Tara kissed her hair. “It’s not you, love. It just that she’s so lost and she doesn’t have the words to explain.”
“I guess it’s my job to punish her now. I suppose grounding is traditional or cutting her pocket money or something?”
“She barely goes out of the house as it is and she rarely spends the money she gets now.”
Willow’s brow furrowed in anguish.
“What sort of guardian am I? I don’t know what to do – I just don’t understand what’s happening.”
“You’re the best sort of guardian. You love her. It’s not easy, suddenly becoming the substitute parent of a fourteen year old. Besides, I think you understand her better than you know.”
“How so?”
“Well, you know how you feel about Buffy, and about Joyce. You feel that hole in your life where they used to be. She feels it too, but she feels it far more.”
Willow frowned as she took this in.
“We’ve talked before about how guilty you felt because you couldn’t save Buffy.” Tara continued.
Willow began to hang her head as Tara gave her a stern look and took Willow’s hand.
“We’ve gone over it again and again and short of knowing in advance precisely what was going to happen you couldn’t have changed a thing. None of us could.”
Willow nodded.
“Dawn feels that too Will, can’t you see? She feels guilty because she didn’t close the portal – Buffy did. I’m sure that Dawn was ready to do it. Buffy just never would have let her.”
“I knew she was feeling pretty guilty before that.” Willow added, feeling not a little guilty herself. “With her being the key it was like she felt Glory was her fault somehow.”
“Yeah. Dawn’s been a mess for a long while now, but we were so busy dealing with Glory and everything else that we didn’t stop to do anything about it.”
“And this is supposed make me feel better?”
“No. This is the ‘think about the problem before doing anything silly’ part.” Tara lay on her back with her head in Willow’s lap.
“Well, Dawn has lost her family and now she has us. It’s not the same and not as good but it’s the best we can do.” Willow’s brow furrowed in concentration. “We need to give her a role in the family. I mean one that involves more than us taking care of her and her being taken care of – if you get my drift.”
“We should get her involved in some scooby activities.” Tara suggested. “I don’t just mean the video nights or the round-table pizza sessions, I mean the real stuff.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Being a scooby is a dangerous business.”
“Sure, and being the key wasn’t?” Tara looked up into Willow’s face. “I haven’t had a proper chance to tell you yet but we found slaying gear, you know – stakes and such, in her backpack last night.”
Willow would have jumped to her feet if it wasn’t for Tara’s head in her lap.
“WHAT!!!!”
“Shhh. You’ll wake Dawn.”
“Do you mean to tell me that she was out there alone looking for vamps to slay?”
“Yep. She pulled a ‘Buffy’” Tara began to be concerned at the look of horror on Willows’s face. She sat up and hugged the red-head tight. “Calm down. Breathe!”
“A little less tight please!” Willow managed to say.
“Oh. Sorry. OK now?”
Willow took a deep breath, then another. “OK.”
“Well, that’s why I thought we could teach her stuff. It’d be good for her know she’s doing something useful and it’d help us keep an eye on her while she does it.”
Willow took a few more deep breaths and thought about it. “It may not be so bad. She could help with the research stuff – I did that when I was not much older than her.”
Tara decided that she may as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb and blurted out the other part of her idea. “I think we should start teaching her spells. You know – give her a grounding in the basics.”
“Wha…” Willow’s exclamation was cut off by Tara putting a hand over her lips.
“Shh. Dawn, asleep, don’t want to wake her. Remember?”
“Sorry.” whispered Willow. “Its just that Buffy never seemed too keen on us getting Dawn involved in magick.”
“Dawn’s very interested in our spells and she has the gift for magick. I know she’s been reading about it and I think she may have tried a few things. I’d rather she learned with our help than experimented on her own.”
Willow was reminded of a few of her spells and the numerous, messy ways they had gone ‘kablooey!’. This wasn’t such a bad idea after all. But there was still one problem. “Giles isn’t going to like this one little bit!”
“Well then,” smiled Tara. “We’ll just have to change his mind. Won’t we?”
- To be continued.
Well, there it is. Hope it isn't too bad. (Please confine all throwing to blunt objects only)
I'll put up part 2 as soon as it is done.
Forrister
As I promised, here is Chapter 2. It’s a bit long but I got a bit carried away!
Little Miss Nobody
by Forrister
Email address: forrister@hotmail.com
Feedback: Please – I really appreciate some constructive feedback. (Not necessarily positive feedback, but definitely constructive.)
Distribution: Please don’t distribute or archive my story without asking me.
Rating: PG –13 (some violence, some bad language.)
Disclaimer: I know Joss owns them all. I know I don’t. (A little knowledge can be so damn frustrating.)
Summary: Life goes on, but the business of living is never an easy one. Particularly in Sunnydale!
Note: Post “The Gift”. Sequel to “The Day after the End of the World.” (Set about five weeks after ‘The Gift’)
Thanks to all the kitties for their help, encouragement and support. In particular to Katharyn who has been making me think!
Chapter 2
Spike had spent most of the night in his old crypt. The place was a bit of a mess and he had to dust a sleezy little vamp who wanted to share. He needed time to think.
The look in Dawn’s eyes had shaken him badly. He’d seen it in her sister on occasion but never so obviously. It was the look of one who goes searching for death. He’d decided, after quite a bit of reflection, that the nibblet wasn’t actually suicidal but that she’d keep taking risks until the inevitable happened. Just like her sister. The difference was that Buffy had enough clout to handle things and the obligation as a slayer to do so. Dawn had neither.
It bothered him that Dawn could sneak out of the house without his noticing. He knew she couldn’t have gotten out the doors. He would have heard that for sure. She must’ve climbed out of her bedroom window and gone down the trellis. Still, he should have heard that too. Pretty sneaky for a kid.
Short of nailing shut the windows and barring all the doors there was nothing he could do to keep Dawn inside. He thought on the idea for a while and decided that the two witches would be more than a bit pissed with him if he chained the kid to her bed.
He toyed with idea of a full blown surveillance system, like the Initiative had, and decided it would cost too much. But the idea did have some merit.
He scratched his head.
Then it came to him in a flash of brilliance. They could chip the nibblet! They did it with pets and such, surely they could do it with people. Vets didn’t charge that much, although Red would probably want a people-doctor to do it. That brought him down to earth with a thud. It wouldn’t be right, treating Dawnie like some pet dog or that bloody cat. Although in the case of the cat the idea might be a starter.
His mind wandered off into the question of how a black and white cat could selectively shed black fur on his white shirts and white fur on his black jacket. It seemed like a perverse brand of Kitty magic.
That was the answer. Magick! Spike slapped his head, causing him to see stars for a moment. How stupid could he be? He was living with two mega-witches. Surely they could come up with some sort of spell-thingy that would do the job!
Spike popped a bag of blood and downed it with glee. This was the perfect solution. One that was sensitive, cheap, and best of all - his workload would be nothing! Spike closed his eyes and settled down wait until the sun went down.
**********
- He was climbing the tower, spiralling around, going further up. No matter how much he climbed he never seemed to reach Dawn who he could see chained at the top. He fought his way through a small army of vicious squirrels until he came to a landing where little white bird sat in a tree.
As he approached the tree the little bird landed on his shoulder. “You need help to get the key.” it trilled in a tiny voice. Spike climbed the tree and sat in it’s branches. The tree grew and he rose into the sky with the little bird singing happily in his ear.
When he reached the top he saw that Dawn was chained in front of a door. He broke the chains and freed her but he couldn’t open the door. The little white bird hopped onto his shoulder and said in a tiny voice. “You can’t open the door, but only you can enter.” The tower disappeared and he found himself falling. -
**********
Tara went and got Dawn down for lunch. The girl was awake and writing in her journal for the first time in ages when Tara knocked. Dawn was still embarrassed about the night before and was worried that Willow was still angry with her, but with Tara’s gentle coaxing she was able to get up enough courage to go downstairs.
Willow was in the kitchen making sandwiches. They glanced at each other but neither made proper eye contact. Dawn was about to flee back upstairs when Willow spoke.
“I’m sorry Dawn. I shouldn’t have got so angry last night. I was mad, and scared, and worried, and all worked up, and I shouldn’t have got so upset at you.”
Willow paused for a very necessary breath.
Before she could go on, Dawn replied. “It was all my fault… I just didn’t think. I guess you’re all pretty mad at me now?” She turned and hung her head.
Willow came up behind her and gave her a big cuddle. “Well, not really. We’re all just glad you’re safe, sweetie. You gave us quite a scare. Why did you do it?”
Dawn slumped and hung her head. “Uh… I dunno.” She mumbled.
Willow was not about to let the matter slide until Tara caught her eye and silently reminded her of their plan.
Willow turned Dawn around and looked her in the eye. “Well. That’s enough for now, but don’t go making a habit of it. If we’re not careful we’ll have Spike nailing shut every door and window in the place and then none of us would get any peace.”
That’s right! added Tara. “It would up end with Willow staking Spike, then Miss Kitty would never speak to us again!”
Dawn gave half a smile. “I don’t suppose that this is a good time to talk about getting a puppy?”
“No!” said both Tara and Willow simultaneously. Dawn smiled.
**********
They spent most of the afternoon in window shopping and girl talk. By the time the shops closed they were at the Magic Box. The front door was locked and there was no answer to their knocking so they went around the back where Giles was unloading boxes from his car.
“Need a hand?”
Giles turned around suddenly, nearly dropping the box he carried.
“Oh! Willow! You startled me.” Giles pushed up his glasses. “Good evening Tara, Dawn. You arrived just in time to help me unload. I picked these up at a deceased estate sale.”
Willow took a peek in one of the boxes. “Anything interesting in here?”
“No peeking until they’re unloaded and catalogued.” said Giles emphatically.
Willow pouted, but picked up the box and walked inside. They stacked the boxes in the corner and settled themselves down to wait for the others. Giles made them all tea and served some fresh bun-loaf that Anya had bought from the coffee-house down the road.
Willow noticed that Dawn was looking bored.
“More bun, Dawn?” she offered
Dawn shook her head. “No thanks. Can I go read?”
“Of course.” said Giles. “If you look in the cabinet under the counter you should find a couple of novels I put aside just for you.”
Dawn frowned. “Not ‘Harry Potter’ again!”
“No! Go look, I think you’ll be surprised.” replied Giles.
Dawn went onto the shop and didn’t return.
“So, what did you get her?” asked Tara, intrigued.
“Well, after the ‘Harry Potter’ fiasco I made a point of finding out her favourite authors. There’s the latest by Elizabeth Moon, a Mercedes Lackey novel and one of the Darkover classics.”
“No Anne Rice?”
“No.” Giles looked vaguely disgusted. “ I may not prevent her from reading over-romanticised novels about gothic-style vampires but I’m not going to aid and abet it either.”
Giles lowered his voice to a near whisper.
“What happened this morning? Did you talk?”
“I think we blew off a little steam and took off the pressure a bit.” Willow explained slowly.
“ But we didn’t really talk about why she did what she did.”
“Whatever was said, it seems to have brightened her up.”
Tara smiled. “We’ve spent the afternoon window shopping and doing girl stuff. You know, that sort of thing.”
“Actually I have no idea whatsoever. But it seems to have done her some good.”
“It’s done us all some good.” stated Willow.
Giles looked serious as he began to clean his glasses. “I was worried that we may have been heading for something serious. I even thought a bit about professional counselling.”
Willow looked at him as if he had grown an extra head.
“Yeah, I can just see it now. Dawnie would eventually tell the truth and she’d be in an institution before you could say delusional psychosis.”
“And we’d be in straight jackets right behind her.” added Tara.
“That is precisely why we need other options.” observed Giles.
Willow glanced at Tara for support and leaped right in.
“Well, Tara and I had this idea. Actually it was mainly Tara’s idea.”
“But you helped, lots!” Tara insisted.
“Thanks sweetie, but you did all the work.” smiled Willow.
Giles waited for the mutual admiration session to finish but the two women were too busy with each other to notice. He ran out of patience. “Ah-hem. The idea?”
“Oh , right.” Willow broke the target lock she had on Tara’s eyes. “We thought that we could get Dawn involved in Scooby stuff.”
Giles considered this. “You mean like the social activities we have from time to time.”
“More like the demon-hunting, vampire slaying activities.” Willow made a careful examination of the wood grain of the table.
Predictably, Giles was a tiny bit upset. “What! Are you out of your mind! That’s dangerous!”
“We noticed.” Willow looked him in the eye. “We also noticed that Dawn’s faced danger again and again over the last few months.”
“The idea was to include her in things.” added Tara
“Like research.” offered Willow.
“Yes, research. And to teach her to look after herself and take her along on some patrols.” Tara insisted.
“The easy ones. “ suggested Willow.
“And we’d be able to look after her and protect her.” promised Tara
Giles’ resolve wilted visibly under the united tag team resolve of the two women.
“But patrolling is never safe.” he protested feebly.
“Life is never safe.” stated Willow. “We can’t go around wrapping her in cotton wool. She’s far safer in the circle with us than looking on from the outside and getting up to who knows what.”
“Dawn desperately needs to belong to something where she can feel she is making a contribution.” pleaded Tara.
“But she’s just a child.” insisted Giles.
You keep saying that! ” Willow was in full flight now and she was determined to settle this. “For a smart man it sure can take you a long time to realise what’s in front of your nose. Dawn is not a child any more. The past year has seen to that. She’s not an adult yet either, which is why we’re having this discussion.”
Tara nodded. “She’s only a year or so younger than Buffy was when she was chosen.”
“But Dawn won’t be chosen.” Giles sounded more wishful than certain.
“In a way we’re all chosen. We’re chosen by circumstance, by being in the right place at the right time, and sometimes, if we’re lucky, we even get to make a choice or two of our own.”
Willow nodded. “You don’t think we do this for the great pay, easy hours and the all you can eat cold pizza, do you?”
Giles gave in.
“Well. I suppose we can try it for a while, but I want it understood from the start that Dawn’s safety is the first priority.”
“Absolutely!” promised Willow.
The two women looked at each other and smiled.
**********
Spike was the last to arrive, as usual. Anya was giving Xander a back rub after his hard day at work and Tara had decided to do the same for Willow. When Spike saw this he sat down and immediately demanded his share of the attention.
“So, which of you bright young things is going to relieve me of all my hard-earned tension?”
“I have my hands full with my darling boy.” Anya positively purred.
“You must have small hands then.” retorted Spike.
Xander gave him a filthy look.
“Now, now.” chortled Spike, “Remember to relax, ‘darling boy’.”
Xander would have jumped out of his seat if Anya hadn’t been pushing down on his shoulders with all her weight.
“You notice she’s doing my back, not yours, bleach boy!”
Spike ignored him and focussed on Tara.
“So, blondie, you up for it?” he leered.
Willow gave him a look of disgust. “Not even in your dreams!”
“Who’s the jealous witch then?” replied Spike.
“There’s a lot to be jealous for.” smiled Willow as she patted Tara’s hand. Tara leaned over and gave her a brief kiss on the cheek.
“So poor Spikie is left out on his own again.” sulked Spike.
“It rather appears that way.” said Giles , walking into the room. “Good. You’re all here. I’ll just go see if Dawn wants to join us.” He walked through towards the shop.
Xander frowned. “Dawn? Have I missed something?”
Tara sat down next to Willow. “We were talking with Giles before and it was decided that Dawn should be more involved in scooby stuff.”
Spike said nothing but the expression on his face made it clear that he wasn’t happy with the idea.
It was Anya that broke the silence. “Good! I could use some help.”
They all stared at her.
“Well, who is it who gets to do all the fetching and carrying and stuff?”
Xander looked at his fiance. “We’re not overworking you, are we love?”
Anya smiled. “No, precious. But it’s always good to have company while you’re off battling evil.”
“If this gets any more sugary I’ll throw up!” said Spike in disgust.
Xander reached for a witty retort and failing that came up with, “Sit on it! Spike”.
“That was pretty pathetic, even for you monkey boy.” Spike helped himself to a mug of cocoa. “What happened? Ex-vengeance demon got your tongue?”
Anya just grinned and gave Xander a long, lingering kiss.
**********
Giles went into the shop where Dawn was curled up in a chair with her nose in her book.
“Ahemm!” He cleared his throat to get her attention.
She looked up at him.
“The meeting is about to start.” he began. “I was wondering if you’d like to come and join in.”
She looked puzzled.
“Only if you want to, that is.” he quickly added.
“You always said I was too young before.” she said slowly.
“True, true. But you’re older now. In any case it’s up to you. But remember, you would be welcome.” Giles took off his glasses and gave them a bit of a polish.
“Can I think about it?” she asked after a brief silence.
“Certainly! I’d better get back before Spike and Xander kill each other.” Giles put his glasses back on his nose and went back to the meeting.
**********
When Giles came back into the room, everyone was looking at him expectantly.
“Did you ask her?” asked Tara.
“Yes, she’s thinking about it.”
“Are you sure this is such a good idea?” Spike asked.
“I can’t say. We will have to wait and find out.”
Tara caught his eye and nodded her head towards the door. Dawn slowly walked into the room where she took the low stool near the wall.
Giles started in on the business at hand. “Right. Well, does any one have anything to report?”
Spike raised his hand.
“Yes Spike.” Giles sighed.
“I dusted a vamp last night.”
That’s the first sign of vampire activity we’ve has in weeks. Where was he?
“She was squatting in my old digs. She thought I might like to play. I didn’t.”
“Hmm, interesting.” Giles made a brief note in his book. “Anyone else?” There was silence.
“No? Well perhaps it is an isolated instance…” His voice faded to nothing when he noticed that Dawn had her hand raised. “Yes, Dawn?”
Dawn swallowed hard. “I ran into three last night.”
There was deadly silence in the room.
“Bloody hell!” Spike stood and thumped the table so hard that Giles’ notes went flying. Giles waved Spike back to his seat and began to gently question the girl.
“Where exactly was this?”
“I was visiting Mom and Buffy.” Dawn answered very quietly.
“And what happened?
“One stepped near Buffy’s g-g…” Dawn’s voice sounded near to breaking.
Tara got up and went to stand beside her. “It’s alright, take your time. “ she reassured her. Dawn looked into her eyes and took courage from the acceptance she found there. She took a deep breath and continued. “There was a bright flash and I think it turned into dust.”
Giles nodded. “Yes, that’s the way the wards are supposed to work. Remember, if you’re in the cemetery, that is the one place no evil creature can attack you.”
“What about the other two?” demanded Spike, sharply.
Dawn jumped. “I, I’m not sure.” Tara laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, which seemed to steady her. “I think somebody got them, but my eyes were blinded by the flash and I couldn’t quite see.”
“Somebody got them?” queried Xander.
“You can’t tell us any more about the person that slew the vampires?” asked Willow.
“Well, she smelled nice.”
Giles leaped upon the small fact. “Ah, a she, are you sure?”
“The person didn’t smell like a boy, more like a garden with flowers.” recalled Dawn
“And you didn’t get a good look at her?” pressed Giles
“No, by the time I could see properly she was gone. Then Spike came.”
Spike shook his head and shrugged. “I didn’t see anyone.”
“Did he arrive straight away?” Tara asked.
Dawn tried to recall, but for her, time had seemed all mixed up last night. “It wasn’t straight away, but I don’t really know how long.”
Giles took off his glasses . “This is an interesting development.”
“Could another slayer have been called?” asked Willow. “I mean the Council may not have told you. They’re still not particularly fond of you, you know.”
“Thank you. I had noticed.” replied Giles coolly. “But I don’t think so. Buffy was followed by Kendra who was followed by Faith. I don’t think a second line could descend from Buffy.”
The same idea occurred to all of them but Willow was the one who had to ask. “What about Faith?”
Giles shook his head. “As far as I am aware she is still in prison, although she her case will be eligible for review around her eighteenth birthday.”
“Which is when?” prompted Xander.
“Soon. I’m not exactly sure. I’ll make a point of finding out though.” Giles promised.
“I can’t really picture a floral scented Faith.” joked Xander. There was a sharp pain in his shin where Anya had kicked him under the table. “Not that I’d have any idea of how she might smell because…, because…” He flailed for words.
“Because if you did I’d have to do something particularly messy to you.” stated Anya with a vicious gleam in her eye.
“That’s a vengeance demon speaking, boy.” smiked Spike.
“That’s ex-vengeance demon to you, dustball.” retorted Anya.
“That’s my girl!” said Xander proudly.
“Shush!” cried Willow impatiently. She paused for a minute and then thumped Spike.
“Hey! What was that for?” he whined.
“That’s for making me say ‘shush’!”
“You’ve been a bad boy, Spike.” commented Tara.
“I have, haven’t I!” preened Spike.
“Might we drift briefly back to the topic at hand for a moment?” inserted Giles, who wasn’t at all in the mood for trivial banter.
Everyone looked at him expectantly.
“Yes, well. We now know that there is an increased vampiric presence, which was bound to happen eventually after Glory..." he broke off what he was about to say and polished his glasses. “We should start patrolling. Tomorrow, 9pm suit everyone?” Everyone nodded except for Dawn who wasn’t sure that she was up to it after last night.
Giles noticed Dawn’s reluctance. “Dawn, you should stay here and act as backup with Anya.”
“That just means we get to make cocoa and snacks, sharpen stakes, and have the first aid kit ready in case.” Anya added.
Dawn nodded.
“And on that note we shall recess.” declared Giles.
“Yay!” cheered Xander. “Who’s ordering the pizza?” Willow, Xander and Anya began to argue about toppings, Tara was talking quietly to Dawn, and Giles had gone off into the shop carrying a box of books.
Spike watched him leave. It seemed to him that the former watcher had aged years in the last few weeks. His shoulders were a bit more stooped and the hair at his temples had the beginnings of a peppery grey streak. Spike had always had an admiration for ‘Ripper’ and recently he was starting to respect Giles as well. It was a pity that Giles couldn’t be a bit more like ‘Ripper’, particularly in the loosening up department. The ghost of an idea began to canter across Spike’s brain and by the time the grin hit his face it was in full gallop. He had salvaged a quite a few of Doc’s reference books to sell. Giles needed to unwind and good old Spike was just the bloke to set it up.
**********
- Tara was standing in front of a huge black door. There was no knob and no bell but she knew that somehow she had to open that door so that someone could go inside. It seemed the most important thing in the world to her. She hammered at the door. She pushed on the door with all of her strength. She pleaded with it to open. Finally she stopped. A little ginger kitty came and sat beside her.
“I know the way to open the door.” it said. “Tell me!” she pleaded.
“To open the door you must first slay the doe.” it said firmly.
“NO!” she replied, “I can’t, I won’t!” She beat her fists on the door until her hands began to bleed.
“Then the door must remain shut.” it said as it began to clean itself.
A magnificent dappled brown doe with piercing blue eyes came over and nuzzled her cheek. “You must slay me. It is your task, which no one else can do. You are the chosen one and now is the hour!”
Tara found herself standing with her athame in her hand. The kitty seemed to have grown into a huge lion with a flaming red mane. It stood beside her and breathed its courage into her. She pointed her athame at the doe and a beam of golden light shot into its breast. As it crumpled lifeless to the ground the door began to open.
She felt a gentle touch on her hand and looked down to see the doe, shining with a golden aura. “Well done, faithful one!” -
**********
Willow was having a restless night. She had slept only in fits and starts. Tara was sleeping like a log, although she seemed to be tossing and turning more than usual. Willow rolled over for the umpteenth time and closed her eyes.
“Willow.” … “Willow.” … “Willow.” …
Willow opened her eyes and stared into the darkness.
“Willow.” … “Willow.” … “Willow.” …
It sounded like someone saying, no … , singing her name.
“Willow.” … “Willow.” … “Willow.” …
More than one someone. Male someones. Willow turned to look at Tara who was fast asleep beside her. “No point in waking her.” thought Willow, “I can handle this.”
She slipped carefully out of bed, wrapping herself with a dressing gown as she crept out of her room into the darkened hall. It couldn’t be a vampire or a demon, she and Tara had warded the house very carefully against such things.
“Willow.” … “Willow.” … “Willow.” …
The sound was coming from downstairs. She carefully tip-toed down and began to look around. It could be a burglar.
“Willow.” … “Willow.” … “Willow.” …
It was clearer now, but still muffled. Two burglars ,she decided. Willow picked up a candlestick to use as weapon and followed the sound. Singing burglars? Burglars who knew her name? She found herself standing at the door to Spike’s basement.
“Willow.” … “Willow.” … “Willow.” …
That was it. Whatever it was it was coming from down there. She clutched the candlestick tighter, steeled herself to face whatever evil might lie ahead, and opened the door. She crept very quietly down the stairs, but nearly dropped her makeshift club when she saw was ahead of her.
Spike was sprawled on the couch and was keeping time for a dishevelled Giles who was sitting on the floor with a bottle of Glenfiddich in his hand singing.
“Now I know that I’m sure just as sure as my name isn’t.”
Spike joined in. “Willow, titwillow, titwillow.”
Giles continued, “’twas blighted affection that made him ex… exclaim.” He took a swig from the bottle. “Willow, titwillow, titwillow.”
“And if you remain callous and ob… obd…”
“Stubborn.” inserted Spike.
“Thank you.” said Giles. “Ob-dur-ate, I shall perish as he did and you will know why.” He continued to sing. “With a shake of his poor little head he replied.”
Spike sighed and joined in again. “Willow, titwillow, titwillow.”
Willow picked her lower jaw up off the floor, clamped her hand firmly over her mouth and looked on in abject fascination at the watcher and the vampire. She settled herself on the step to get a better view. Miss Kitty curled around her ankles before settling down on her lap.
Giles turned his head to look at Spike but discovered that his head didn’t turn that far in that direction, so he turned the other way.
“Y’ know Spike. I would never’ve pegged you as the Gilbert and Sullivan type”
Spike polished his nails on his jacket. “I’ll have you know that I was at the opening night of ‘The Mikado’.”
Giles thought about this for a minute and decided that he was not going to be outdone by a vamp with a bad haircut. “Well, I was at the first night of Mick Jagger at Wembley Stadium.”
Spike grinned. “Hey, I was there too. Picked up a really hot redhead.”
Giles lay his head back and smiled. “Mine was blonde.”
Spike stretched out and put his hand behind his head. “I took her home, shagged her silly and ate her.”
Giles frowned. “You sir, are no gentleman.”
Spike looked indignant. “So, I like to play with my food sometimes.”
Giles was puzzled by this. “Food?”
It took a while for the idea to sink in. “Oh … you ate her. That’s disgusting!”
Spike snorted. “People keep telling me that.”
Giles took another swig of whiskey. “I wonder why?” he mused.
Spike took a good look at Giles who by now was more lying on the floor than sitting. “You, old son, are totally shitfaced!”
Giles frowned. “What’s wrong with my face? I think its quite a dish… distig… handsome face.”
“Yeah, you’re pissed. You know, stonkered? Rat arsed? … Drunk, you dozy pillock!”
“I am?” Giles looked down at his chest and then examined the very small quantity of whiskey that was left in the bottle. “I am at that! I guess I’m disgushting too. Oh well, I’d better be heading home.” He attempted to get up but failed utterly. “Where is home?”
Spike sighed. ”It’s right here.”
He stood up, dusted the left-over potato chips from the couch and grabbed a cushion to use as a pillow. Then he went over to where Giles was still attempting to co-ordinate his legs for long enough to stand. Grabbing him by the jacket he easily lifted him onto the couch where he covered the plastered watcher with a blanket.
“Good night Rupie!“
Giles didn’t move.
Spike picked up the bottle from where it lay on the floor and drained it, tossing the empty into a cardboard box in the corner. He was about to jump into bed when he remembered something.
Looking right at where Willow was still hiding in the shadows he called out. “Hey Red! Close the door behind you when you leave. Oh, and take that bloody cat with you!”
There was a little gasp followed by a wicked giggle, the sounds of footsteps going up the stairs and the sound of the door quietly closing. Spike grinned a really evil grin, rolled over and closed his eyes.
- To be continued
That’s Chapter 2. I hope you liked it. I confess to having more fun than usual writing it! Chapter 3 is likely to be posted in the next couple of days depending on how much mundane work gets loaded on my plate.
“Cur te me vexas?” “Quod possum!”
(“Why do you annoy me?” “Because I can!”)
This is Chapter 3. Sorry it took so long. The mundane world has descended upon me in force.
Little Miss Nobody
by Forrister
Email address: forrister@hotmail.com
Feedback: Please – I really appreciate some constructive feedback. (Not necessarily positive feedback, but definitely constructive.)
Distribution: Please don’t distribute or archive my story without asking me.
Rating: PG –13 (some violence, some bad language.)
Disclaimer: I know Joss owns them all. I know I don’t. (A little knowledge can be so damn frustrating.)
Summary: There’s always a mystery brewing in somewhere in Sunnydale can the Scoobies solve this one before its too late?
Note: Post “The Gift”. Sequel to “The Day after the End of the World.” (Set about five weeks after ‘The Gift’)
I’d like to thank Annie for getting me to do this in the first place and all the kitties who have given me nothing but support.
Chapter 3
- Giles ran through the devastated streets. The sky was blood red with flashes of lightning streaking from the heavens to the earth below. He found himself in the cemetery, dodging headstones that were being flung like leaves by the wind. Several volumes of his precious occult books flew past and he strained to catch them. The wind lifted him clean off his feet and he thought he would blow away when he felt a hand grasp his leg and pull him back to earth. “You gotta hang on mate!” said Spike.
The wind died and he saw that he was in that part of the cemetery where Buffy slept beneath the earth. A small blue bird sat in the tree and sang a doleful song to its lover while a little white rabbit looked on.
Giles saw the door that towered over Buffy’s grave. He ran to open it but there seemed to be no way in. Lightning flashed in the sullen sky and the ground began to shake and crack.
The white rabbit came to him and snuffled at his cheek. “I can open the door.” she said in a tiny little voice. “But you can’t go in.” added the bird who flew down to sit on the rabbit’s shoulder.
He heard Spike’s voice coming from the ever widening rift in the earth. “ I can go, I’ve been there before.” -
**********
Giles woke with the great-grandmother of all hangovers. At first he couldn’t place where he was but as his head slowly stopped spinning he realised that he was in Spike’s basement. His eyes couldn’t focus and the inside of his mouth felt like it was growing a winter coat. He knew that feeling of old, but he hadn’t experienced it since Jenny died.
He swung his leg off the couch and went to sit up. His head exploded in light and pain. An involuntary moan escaped his lips. He cradled his aching head in his hands.
“SO WHO”S UP THEN? HOW ARE WE TODAY!!”
Spike’s voice rang through Giles’ head like Big Ben striking at noon. He moaned again.
“Sorry! I’ll whisper.” chortled Spike quietly. “You tied one on last night, me old son. I’m not surprised you’re feeling a bit shagged out today.”
“Go away and let me die in peace!” whimpered Giles
“Sorry, no can do.” chuckled Spike. “ It’s the middle of the afternoon up there and I have no intention of ending up as a pile of ash on Dawnie’s carpet.” He went to a small bar fridge, took out a few things and began mixing. “Here, take these.” He handed Giles a couple of aspirin. “Now drink this all down.” He handed a glass of unidentifiable liquid to the watcher and watched as he drained it in one gulp.
Giles’ face puckered when his furry tongue finally registered just how bad that drink had tasted. “What was in that?” he grimaced.
Spike grinned. “Oh a bit of this, a bit of that… Some tomato juice, an egg, some pepper, a dash of tobasco, oh… and the hair of the dog.”
“You’re trying to kill me.” moaned Giles
“Would I do a thing like that?” said Spike innocently, while offering him an ice pack for his head.
“I think you just did.” Giles put the ice to his forehead.
**********
The Scoobies dutifully assembled at the Magic Box at the appointed hour for patrolling. Anya was in quite a state because Giles hadn’t been in all day and she’d been lumbered with all the work. As soon as she realised that Giles was missing she’s called Willow. Willow seemed almost happy to tell her that Giles was feeling a ‘bit under the weather’ and wouldn’t be in until much later, if at all. Then she’d laughed! Anya was still miffed over that. How dare she giggle when there was all this work to be done!
“So what have you been doing all day!” sniped Anya at Willow, when they’d made themselves comfortable.
“Not a lot.” replied the unsuspecting Willow. “Cleaning house, mowing the yard, practising a few spells, you know – that sort of thing.”
“How dare you have a nice easy day when I’ve had to do the work of two people!” wailed Anya.
Tara and Willow were stunned. They couldn’t recall doing anything to upset Anya like this.
“Some of the mowing was quite tiring.” admitted Tara, as a peace offering.
“And dusting all of those books and ornaments got kind of intense too” added Willow.
“I had to clean my room and do the bathroom!” complained Dawn.
“Good!” snapped Anya.
“Now, darling! Precious! You’ve had a bad day but it’s not nice to take it out on these poor innocent scoobies.” Xander went over and began to massage Anya’s shoulders.
“They are not poor and they’re not innocent!” Anya stamped her foot in pique.
“W-what did we do?” asked Tara fearfully.
“Not you, her!” snapped Anya, pointing at Willow.
Willow had a look on her face that was reminiscent of a deer caught in headlights. “What did I do?” she finally said.
“You laughed!” pouted Anya
“No I didn’t!” stated Willow indignantly, not having any idea at all what Anya was talking about.
“When you told me that Giles wasn’t coming in, you laughed!”
Willow and Tara looked at each other and began to grin. Of course that just made things worse.
“See! You’re doing it again!”
Tara managed, with great effort, to get herself under control long enough to answer. “Sorry Anya, we were laughing at … at a private joke when you called. It had nothing to do with you. Really!”
“Ah!” Anya’s face lit up with understanding. “You were talking sex talk. I understand.”
Willow looked at Tara who was blushing. Then they both burst into fits of laughter. That morning Tara hadn’t believed a word of what Willow had told her. Willow had to tell it twice more before Tara would even begin to consider it was real. It was Anya’s phone call that finally convinced her that it wasn’t one of Willow’s peculiarly vivid dreams.
“So! Where is Giles anyway?” asked Xander. “If he was coming at all he’d have been here by now.
“He is.” said Giles softly as he walked into the room followed by Spike.
Anya turned on him as soon as he walked in. Somebody was going to get an earful for her bad day, and now the cause was here in front of her.
“So where have you been all day – do you know I’ve had to do all the work myself, and I didn’t get a break for lunch, and I had to sigh for that special package from Angel and I had to shut up by myself, oh and the money’s in the safe.” Anya only stopped talking because she had to take at least one big breath.
“Please! Don’t!” pleaded Giles in a strangely subdued voice. “I have a headache.”
“We thought you might!” smirked Willow.
Giles looked at her strangely. Spike turned away before his little grin could be noticed and commented on.
“I made some herbal tea.” offered Tara.
“And I brought the aspirin just in case.” added Willow.
“Thanks” said Giles as he sat carefully at the table. “Anya, thank you for all the work you’ve done today. I’ll make sure there’s a bonus in your pay packet this week.”
“Gee!” whispered Xander to Tara, next to him. “He must really be feeling sick!”
Tara just nodded as Willow fetched Giles his tea and gave him the bottle of aspirin.
“So, I take it you’re not up to patrolling with us tonight?” Asked Xander.
“Only if the vampires are very, very quiet.” whispered Spike.
“Thank you so much for your concern.” moaned Giles, being uncharacteristically sarcastic. “I’ll be staying here with Dawn. Anya do you want to go for a change?”
“What! More work!” Anya’s voice rose in both pitch and volume. Giles put his hands over his ears and closed his eyes and hoped that the world would go away.
“It won’t be like work love. We’ll be together,” soothed Xander.
“That’s them for the night.” sighed Spike.
Giles sat with his head in his hands. There was something that had slipped by him, something important that he’d missed. He strained to remember through the post-alcoholic fog, but it seemed like nothing connected.
“We’ll be off then, old son!” Spike cheerily gave Giles an affectionate slap on the back and was rewarded by a renewed series of groans from his delicate victim. The Scoobies collected the necessary equipment and set out. Tara paused on the way through to pour Giles another cup of her special blend herbal tea and then followed the others.
“Um, Mr Giles.” Giles looked up at Dawn who had finished clearing the empty cups off the table. “What do we do now?” Her face was lit up with the promise of exciting things to come.
“Well, um, we generally wait.” Dawn’s look of enthusiastic anticipation burst like a popped balloon. “Oh! And um, we do research, but there isn’t any of that just at the moment. It’s a bit early to put on cocoa. I suppose you haven’t finished those books yet?”
Dawn sighed, pulled a book from her backpack and settled down for a read.
**********
The Scoobies patrolled systematically through the cemetery. Nobody was surprised when Anya and Xander disappeared after the first half hour. Since the engagement they’d been carrying on like lovesick mooncalfs whenever they were together. Spike observed that while love was blind, in their case it was also deaf, dumb, and stupid. Willow argued that it was a natural reaction to the psychological trauma of the past few months. Tara just smiled and thought privately that it was kind of sweet.
Nothing stirred in the cemetery. Even the local wildlife seemed to be keeping a low profile. They criss-crossed the area ending up, as they had recently gotten the habit of doing, in the corner which held Buffy.
Spike laid down a single, slightly crushed, white rose that he produced from an inside pocket. He always had a flower of some sort when he came by, and even Xander realised that he too serious for casual wisecracks. Spike visited with Buffy a while and then keep watch from the nearby tree.
Willow and Tara had their own little ritual where they told Buffy how Dawn was, and how they all were and then anointed the headstone with a little fragrant oil of jasmine. Willow still felt a little guilty for failing to save her best friend, but here she found nothing but forgiveness. Tara had talked with her love about the feelings she had in this place. For her it was a place where she could feel Buffy’s presence, like a tangible force. But tonight there was something different, something subtle. Tara puzzled over it for a while and then understanding came to her. There was a sense of waiting, of anticipation. Each creature, mortal or undead was silent and waiting for something… or someone.
**********
Giles began to potter around the shop, doing a bit of shelving here and a bit of dusting there somehow made him feel better. The silence was only broken by the quiet ticking of the clock. He made sure that the safe was secure and then checked the shelf under the counter for the cups and plates that Anya invariably squirreled away there during the day. Strangely enough the shelves were bare except for a Federal Express package which Giles found was addressed to him. The handwriting was Angel’s and suddenly Giles remembered what Anya had said earlier.
Giles took a letter opener and opened the parcel. It contained only a small leather bound book and a letter. He laid aside the book for the moment and concentrated on the letter which was written in Angel’s copperplate script.
Dear Giles,
I am sending this book to you by overnight express. I’m not sure what it is but a man named ‘Whistler’ gave it to me to pass on to you with all haste. I can’t explain but I’ve learned to listen to what he says. He told me to make very sure I repeat this exactly so here it is.
