Title: Hunters In The Dark
Author: Jixer
E-mail: jixer@attbi.com
Feedback: Please. My wife says I live for it.
Distribution: Any free fanfiction site
Spoilers: Up through the end of Season 6
Rating: Hard PG-13 to R, mostly for violence.
Pairing: W/T
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of them, so therefore Season Six and Seven aren’t my fault. Thank goodness.
Summary: This is a story that takes the possibilities of Season Six and then goes it’s own way.
Note: This will very likely be my last post Seeing Red fiction.
WARNINGS: GIGANTIC ANGST WARNING This will include SR/post SR scenes and character death. It isn’t going to be like any MKF based story I’ve done before. The only reassurance I will offer at this point is this is Pens and I am not Joss Whedon. Boy is that a relief.
Hunters In The Dark
Sunnydale, Summer 2001
"You want me to help you with some magic?" Dawn asked in her most grown up voice.
"We can't do it without you," Willow replied.
"It's not a big part," Tara explained carefully. "But without you we won't be able to get her to stay still."
"Are you up to this?" Dawn asked hesitantly. "I mean your hand's still stiff and I've seen you rubbing it."
The hand the bitch god broke, Dawn added to herself. The one she shattered when you wouldn't give up the Key. The same Key who's heard you crying in the night because you're blaming yourself for telling Glory about me when you were hurt and crazy because of me. Buffy isn't dead because of you, Tara.
It's me that drove her off that tower.
"Its an old spell," Tara answered. "Its easy. We're just trying to protect Miss Kitty in this new house. I want her to be an inside cat. It's safer that way."
"But the spell is really for a familiar so we need to have her stay still because she's really just a pet," Willow said as she took out a bag of herbs. "Otherwise the effect is lost. You know how cooperative she is when it comes to being still when we want her that way."
"So you're just after me for my secret cat taming petting skills?" Dawn asked happily. "Cool. Are there going to be magic lights?"
"No way," Tara laughed. "She'd chase them."
"Okay," Dawn said with a nod. "Should I go get her?"
"Go track down your prey, mighty hunter," Willow said with a grin. "We'll be ready in just a few minutes."
"Hmmm," Dawn mused. "It’s kind of warm, middle of the afternoon, and she's already eaten. She's upstairs in my room sprawled out on the bed."
With that Dawn hurried up stairs, slowing at the top and walking to her room casually. As she disappeared Tara sighed.
"I don't like doing this behind her back," the shy witch said with a frown.
"She won't let us make a fuss over her," Willow pointed out sadly. "She's as stubborn and protective as her sister is...was."
"She's got a good heart," Tara said distantly as she smiled wanly.
"Here she comes," Willow said quickly as she pulled out a chair. "Happy face, just a bit of harmless magic."
Dawn came downstairs carefully with Miss Kitty doing her imitation of a boneless cat. As the teenager entered the room the witches could hear the purr from the cat as Dawn petted her is short strokes. Tara found herself smiling for real as Dawn sat on the chair between Tara and Willow as they knelt. The two women touched the cat as if they were going to pet her as well. The purring got louder and Miss Kitty closed her eyes. The spell was short and when Dawn heard the word familiaris she narrowed her eyes hoping to see a at least a little magic.
Dawn thought she saw a faint ripple of very tiny sparks like static electricity as she petted Miss Kitty. For that heartbeat the purring seemed incredibly loud to the girl. The witches sat back and Dawn scowled as Tara seemed to slump.
"Just an easy spell, huh?" Dawn chided her gently. "I felt part of that."
"She's worth it," Tara said with a crooked smile. Dawn found herself smiling back.
"She sure is," Willow added.
With that Miss Kitty stretched and yawned. She looked at Dawn and blinked slowly, then looked away. Dawn smiled since she'd read that was the equivalent of a kiss in cat language. Then the black and white animal flowed off her lap with a predator's grace and headed for the kitchen. Dawn reached out to help Tara to her feet.
"Why are all the spells in Latin?" Dawn asked curiously. "Is it just because they're old?"
"Usually," Willow explained quickly. Dawn looked at her with a puzzled look.
That's it, look at me, not at my can't lie to save her life lover, Willow thought as Tara composed herself as best she could behind Dawn.
"Aren't you supposed to meet Janice?" Tara asked, then added sternly. "For just a couple of hours."
Please don’t let her notice Willow’s nervousness, Tara pleaded as she diverted Dawn.
"Be home before dark," Dawn said with a sigh only teen-aged girls who were oppressed could master."I know, I know. Um, Willow, could I borrow your jacket?"
"The leather one you've been drooling over?" Willow asked with a raised eyebrow. When Dawn nodded eagerly she shook her head. "Go ahead."
"Great!" Dawn squealed. She reached over and hugged the redhead. "Take care of her," the girl whispered into Willow's ear.
"I will," Willow whispered back.
Dawn tore upstairs as Willow steadied Tara. She looked at the taller girl with concern. Tara just smiled.
"She felt it," Tara said with relief. "It took and it feels better than I hoped."
"Good idea crafting it in Latin," Willow said proudly. "She heard familiaris and thought familiar instead of family."
"She's a bit too bright," Tara sighed. "Just like another family member."
"Want to see what this family member’s been studying now?" Willow asked huskily.
"After Dawn leaves, love," Tara said with a smile only Willow ever saw.
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Miss Kitty loped up the stairs as Dawn came out of Willow and Tara's room with the leather jacket that she thought made her look so much more worldly. The girl stopped and petted the cat in passing.
Nice kitten, feels good, Miss Kitty thought. I like her.
I?
The cat stopped at the head of the stairs. Below her Dawn headed out the door with a shouted 'bye'. The door slammed shut and Miss Kitty blinked.
Yes,I! Me.
Then she headed for Dawn's bed for more of her nap.
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September 2001
Something rippled across Miss Kitty’s fur. She came awake and hissed into the darkness. Something that should not have had been touched had been. A flash of her mothers running in the dark from big predators on roaring things made her anxious. She smoothed down her fur with a few licks. Then she hurried down to check on the kitten. She found her with the dead smelling two legs. She rubbed Dawn with her cheek and looked at Spike with narrowed eyes.
Mine. This is our territory. she told him plainly, but he didn’t seem to understand. Even for a tom he was stupid.
Then she hurried to sniff around the house. Bad things were coming and she might need to hide the kitten. Then she heard the noise outside. She hurried to the window that was open in the kitten’s lair. She saw the bad things on smelly, noisy two wheeled monsters. Miss Kitty growled warningly but the intruders did not run. She hurried to find Dawn.
She was gone. The cat raced frantically around the house looking for Dawn. Finally she tracked the scent out the door. Miss Kitty knew she could not go out the door. Something kept her from going out and hunting there. She tore up the stairs to the window and tried to leap out. Something shoved her back gently into the house. She wailed her frustration.
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Across town Tara pulled herself into a meditative state and sought out Willow.
“With Yoga?” Anya asked in a tone full of worry and confusion.
“Shhh!” Tara hissed. “Aradia, hear my words.”
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Miss Kitty felt a longing, an emptiness that was like being in heat and hungry and cold and alone all at once. She knew it was Tara reaching for her mate.
Yes! Find her! Find the kitten. I’m scared. None of you have claws and your teeth are so tiny. Hurry!
She concentrated on scenting Willow. There was a burst of smells of wood and earth and tiny prey. Then she had Willow’s scent and the scent of the two legged tom with the hands that smelled of wood. There was blood, Willow’s and others. Her prey must have been very hard. Miss Kitty added her purr when she caught the highlight of fear in Willow’s scent.
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Willow smiled at her friend as Xander tried to avoid the ‘firefly’. Without even trying she could feel the love and concern from the dancing blue light.
“Xander, it’s not a bug,” she said with a relieved ease. “Its Tara.”
Willow pushed away from the tree she had leaned against with exhaustion and fear just moments ago. Xander just stared at her smile as she pushed past him and followed the light. He hesitated.
“Come on,” she admonished gently.
“And how long have you known your girlfriend’s Tinkerbell?” Xander asked.
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Miss Kitty could barely feel the anger and fear now. There was the unmistakable feeling of fighting. She sharpened her claws and prowled through the house. Finally there were noises on the porch. Miss Kitty hurried to the door. The kitten led another female into the lair. The cat’s nose twitched. Death clung to this new female, and there was blood on her paws. Underneath that the scent was familiar. It had been all over their territory when Miss Kitty had been brought here. It was still strong in the lair the kitten shared with the machine sometimes at night.
As Dawn tended to Buffy Miss Kitty hovered near. This was trouble. The new female smelled wrong, and even as the kitten bathed her the scent of fear and loss came through so strongly even the weak nosed tall kitten must have smelled it. The intruder was trying to come back and claim their territory. Miss Kitty watched from the door, ready to strike. She followed them downs stairs. The dead thing was hovering about now and a scent of rutting seemed to come from him. Typical male.
As she watched she heard a familiar tread on the porch and relaxed. Her mothers would see off this intruder. She hoped they would be gentle with the kitten for not fighting for the territory. Then her older females were there, but they just yowled at the intruder and acted strangely. Miss Kitty tried to warn them but none of them caught what she had scented, even after the kitten’s bathing. There wasn’t just death and hurt coming off her.
Underneath it all was the faintest wisp of anger. She would take back her territory and no one seemed to care.
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Time passed and the female intruder and Miss Kitty avoided each other and the routine of the house almost settled down. Then, one day….
Miss Kitty sniffed the kitten. She had rolled in something that reeked. What ever it had been was in the last stages of being in heat when it died.
"Can you smell it, Miss Kitty?" Dawn asked lightly. "Its Summer Musk. Buffy would kill me if she knew I was using this stuff. She wore it when she and Riley were all over each other. Think I'll be able to get Kevin to notice me now?"
The cat tried to clean the youngster. Dawn giggled at the sandpapery touch.
"You must like it," she laughed. Then she sneezed.
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"She goes," Buffy said flatly. "You've been sneezing ever since...I got back."
"Maybe I'm allergic to you!" Dawn snapped and clutched the cat. Then she sneezed.
"That's enough!" Buffy snarled. "Somebody's got to be a grown up around here! She. Goes. Now."
“No!” shouted Dawn.
"Dawn," Tara started sadly.
"She'll do great at my parents' place," Willow said with a reassurance she didn't feel.
Miss Kitty growled at the angry female interloper. She was upsetting her kitten and the mothers, but the child wouldn't let her down to claw the bad female. The taller mother took the cat and stuck her in the awful crate. She yowled mournfully but they took her out to the evil car anyway. The last she saw of her kitten she was yowling too.
No! Mine!
She clawed at the crate all the way to Ira and Sheila's place.
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It was a bad place. The tall ones were absent minded and let her bowls get low on her favorite food. Her mothers stopped by but kept leaving. She had found a way out but something still kept her back when she tried to squeeze out the bathroom window the female always left open. The only good thing was they stared at the paper things her mothers always stared at. If she lay across the paper things they petted her and put her in their laps like they were supposed to…
Today was a good day for Miss Kitty. Tara was here and her lap was still the place that felt safest in the world.
"She's doing fine," Ira Rosenberg said with a smile. “Sheila spoils her though.”
“So she’s the only one buying cat toys?” Tara asked with a shy smile.
“Well, not exactly,” Willow’s father said as he toed the peacock feather out of the way. Was there a connection between the avian finery of the peacock and a feline genetic expression from their history as hunters in roughly the same region he wondered? Then Ira took a deep breath as his attention turned back to the girl that had his daughter’s heart.
“Tara, is there something wrong with Willow?” he asked tentatively.
“She’s having…issues,” Tara said hesitantly.
On her lap the cat stirred. Something was wrong. The heat between her mothers was cooling and it had something to do with the happy yowling she and the humans she was in exile with had done just days before. Miss Kitty dug her claws into Tara’s lap to hold onto her.
You need me! Take me with you!
Miss Kitty didn’t stop meowing until her voice was gone after Tara left that afternoon.
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After that the days were filled with unease. The cat took it out on toys, the rug, and the stinky couch. She didn’t even play with the single very unlucky mouse she found in the basement as she looked for some way out. The visits from her family became rare. Then one night Miss Kitty awoke, feeling a distant heat and catching, in between being awake and asleep as something roused her, the faintest hint of her mothers’ mating scent. She purred the rest of the night.
In the morning the old female made happy noises as Miss Kitty ate more than she had in weeks. Everything was better this morning. She even deigned to recline on the large paper thing that came each day and chase the corners as the older female stared at it.
“She’s in such a good mood today, Ira,” Sheila said happily.
“The mighty hunter is vanquishing the newspaper?” he asked from his desk. He sipped his coffee and changed the day on his desk calendar to May 7, 2002.
Wow! Great beginning and brilliant to see the story told from the perspective of Miss Kitty. Looking forward to reading more. 
feedback.
. After six years as a sideman I can easily see him throwing himself in the line of fire…
about it...). I loved the "you came with an axe" dialogue - made me smile. 
