Fic: Shared Lifetimes

[Tawilove]

I'm really enjoying this fic more and more every updates!

Your story is very original, i love subjects about reincarnation so a story based on past lifes and make me more than pleased

I'm impatient to read more from it

War is always a statement of defeat
Jacques Chirac

[AntigoneUnbound]

Glsswrks: I continue to enjoy this story greatly. You're weaving past and present together in very ingenious ways without ever leaving your reader confused. It's a tough balancing act, I think. You also write very well, which makes any good plot even better. Can't wait for more!



Mary

[glasswrks]

Title: “Shared Lifetimes.”

Chapter: 20/?

Author: A.M. Glass

Copyright: April, 2000- not completed.

Overall Rating: PG-13-R

E-Mail: glasswrks@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: The characters from “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” belong to Joss Whedon, et al. No copyright infringement is really meant or intended. All new characters are the sole intellectual property of the author… yeah, like anyone would want to borrow them anyway. This is a NON-profit excursion into fan fiction.

SPOILERS: Hmm, well, this story takes place during the fourth season, which means that both Riley and Tara are here. I do mention aspects of certain episodes, but not enough to give the entire episode away. This story does depart from the show, inasmuch as what took place in “New Moon Rising” hasn’t occurred. So, although Oz has left, he hasn’t come back.

Author’s Note: As you can tell by the date, I’ve been working on this little epic off and on for a little over two years. The reason why it’s taken so long is another story in and of itself. I actually started writing this for a friend of mine who was/is touched that I would do that for her. I’d like to hope that she would enjoy the story, but due to circumstances beyond my control I won’t know. But, just in case, ‘B’ this is for you. Oh, quick note, you may notice that some chapters are longer than others. I have a tendency to just end a chapter at a certain part, because there’s something inside of me that says, stop here. Just thought I’d let you know in advance.

Feedback: Is up to you, but I’d really like to know what you think.

Special Thanks: Go to my beta readers, and I had three of them. SO… any mistakes belong to me, as I wouldn’t know whom to blame… hehe. Just kidding. Mel, Cathy, Allaine, thank you very much for putting up with me. And even though they helped, they won’t know until they’ve read the final version whose suggestions I took. I may even surprise them.

Angst Warning: Yes there is. And perhaps even a hanky warning. I should let you know that I mention some issues that I generally don’t write about, but I felt they had to be in the story in order for it to work.

Story Note: We will be finding out a bit more about Brin and her life after the escape. And once again, I realize I'm not that good of an author, there is a part in the story I wish I could bring to life, to make you see it the way I do in my mind. Hopefully, one day I may be able to do that.

EXTRA NOTE: I've finally figured out how to change the fonts... geez. So, you'll notice three different fonts in this section. The first being the font I've used since the beginning. The second deals with the book and the third= action from the book, as Brin would have lived through it. I hope this isn't too confusing. If it is, I'll stick to what I've been doing the last 19 chapters.



Chapter 20- A New Theory



"Hello, my name is Rupert Giles and I’m trying to get in touch with Bernard Cooke. I see... do you know when he’ll be back? That long? Is there any way to reach him? No, there’s nothing you can help me with. Would… would you please tell him that I’ve called and that it’s imperative that he call me as soon as he can. Yes, he has the number. Thank you very much,” he said hanging up the receiver. “Of all the bloody times to go to the county.”



Giles knew that he would have to wait, as he didn’t have a choice really. He suddenly wished that he were anywhere but here, in his apartment. He sat down and began to assemble his notes into something intelligible.



His eyes caught the cover of the book and wondered for the hundredth time why this was happening. Could it be that the answer lay between the covers, was it right there, just waiting for him to open it and find what he had been seeking?



‘I must stop watching so much television,’ he thought surly. He brought the book closer and opened it, flipping the pages until he reached the final chapter. He knew that he would eventually read it in its entirety, but right now, he wanted to see how it ended.

* * *

As I have written previously, the woman known to me these many years, as Brianne has never let me call her Brin. The pain in her eyes is clearly evident, as the name seems to dredge up something so emotionally scarring, that even with the passing of time, the anguish she feels is just as raw today as it was when it first occurred.



She has finally allowed me, her humble servant in this endeavor, to write down what happened that fateful day on the beach. It has taken what seems a lifetime to be able to talk about her life, and the love she left behind.



I am not her judge in this matter, and I have told her so.



I believe it was the only reason she decided to tell me her incredible tale of a love so strong that she has never lost hope that she’d be reunited with her Hannah.



Her memory of that afternoon is vivid.



And I can only hope to be able to impart what she truly felt.



She recalls how her throat grew raw, calling out for Hannah to stop and come back to her. That had it not been for the child’s cry she would have run after her and eagerly joined whatever fate awaited them.

* * *

Brin had swung the make shift carrier around, and peered inside. She saw blue eyes staring back up at her. She could hear Hannah’s pleas to run echoing in her mind. Knowing that she could not let Hannah down, she ran.



She clutched the cameo in her hand as she angrily wiped at her tears, the baby secure in her arms. She never looked back she knew if she did, it would be the end of her.



She never saw what became of Hannah…



Her love.



Her life.



She ran until her legs could no longer carry her. They refused her impassioned pleas to continue, to go one more step. She dropped where she stood and fell into an exhausted sleep. She had no idea of how much time had passed, only that she awoke to the hungry cries of the child.



Looking around quickly, she finally took in her surroundings she noticed that she had collapsed in a thicket of bushes, hidden among tall trees that stretched out as far as the eye could see.



She had no idea where she was, only that Hannah wasn’t with her.



“Let her be safe, please God, I implore you!” she cried out. She looked down and took the child out of the carrier, “I know your wet and hungry,” she told the crying child. Pulling out a wine skin, she released the stopper and gently tipped it, sending goat’s milk into the baby’s mouth.

* * *

Apparently, the two young women had begun substituting Hannah’s natural nourishment with goat’s milk, in preparation for their failed flight from Lord Germaines’ clutches.



I have tried to be gentle with her during this section and I can honestly say that I’ve only seen this wonderful lady cry three times. I cannot bare the thought of causing her so much pain, that she would succumb to her melancholy once more.



Unbeknownst to her, I have begun to make inquires, discreet inquires mind you, about some of the things Brianne has shared with me during the re-accounting of her life.



I cannot offer any words of solace to her, as I have none to give. I have only a few reports, none of them sufficient enough to tell me the one thing I long to know:



“Does Hannah yet live?”



It is my fondest hope that she does, and that someday soon, these tortured souls may yet be reunited.



Brianne has told me that she had walked for two days, prior to coming across a small village. She managed to locate a farmer who would sell her milk for the child and some provisions for herself. She explained that she had to keep moving, never staying in one place for very long. She feared that Germaine had sent men to look for her and the child.



But, that changed when Callum; Hannah’s son, had turned three years old. Brianne knew she couldn’t keep dragging this poor child from village to village. She had to find someplace to live, not for her sake. If it hadn’t been for Callum’s very existence, she knew she would have perished on the beach, than to live the rest of her life without Hannah by her side.



Brianne grew tired of telling the same story over and over again, concerning Callum’s parentage. The story she had come up with was a simple one, she was a widow, her husband had died suddenly and she had been forced to leave her home by the owner. She had no family of her own and was trying to find a place where she and her son could live in peace. Everyone took it for granted that the child resembled the father. He looked so much like Hannah that at times Brin’s heart ached at seeing the reminder of her love.



He was, for all intents and purposes, her last link to Hannah. And for that reason alone, she knew she had to settle down. She often wondered; those many nights, what had become of Hannah.



But, she would not linger on those thoughts for long, for they would make her feel a melancholy she feared she would not be able to climb out of.



It was here, in the village of Donath, that Brianne decided that she and Callum should attempt to make a home for themselves. She quickly found work as a seamstress; one of the many trades she was well versed in while working for Germaine.



They stayed at the local convent, as there was no other place for her. Callum would be taught to read by the priests when he was old enough. Perhaps he might even join the priesthood, if he had the calling.



Then one day, while leaving the marketplace, she noticed a new family coming through. It seems as the local gossips were saying, they had taken over the property at the very edge of the village.



These people would change both her life and Callums’.



The family was called, MacGowan.

* * *

Giles looked up from the book, chiding himself for actually thinking that the last name would be Maclay.



‘That would be too much of a coincidence,’ he told himself as he continued to read. “Hold on,” he muttered out loud as a stray thought entered his mind.



Placing a bookmark in the section he was reading, he closed the book and looked for his most recent notes. He silently reminded himself that he would need to write down the conversation that he had been eavesdropping on earlier. He read his notes and double-checked everything he had so far, and came to a realization that both fascinated and frightened him at the same time.



According to the information he had gathered from his interviews, the events on the beach, had yet to take place. Whatever precipitated Hannah, Brin’s and Callum’s hasty departure… had not yet happened. In fact, it looked as if it were months away. He shook his head.



From what he could tell, neither Brin nor Hannah were acting as if they had a care in the world, at least where Germaine was concerned. They did not fear for their lives, or the life of Hannah’s unborn son. He wasn’t sure how far along Hannah was, simply because there was no child, no outside evidence for him to gage on how soon the child would be born… however both Hannah and Brin were reacting as if…



“Oh God,” he said standing up quickly, toppling his chair over. He ran upstairs and stepped inside. He walked over to his bed. He could see Willow firmly ensconced behind Tara, and that they both seemed to be sleeping peacefully. ‘Thank goodness for small favors,’ Giles mused.



Taking a deep breath, he moved closer towards Tara’s side of the bed.



He took hold of the blanket that covered them both, and shutting his eyes, he began to pull it down gently. He stopped periodically to make sure they hadn’t been disturbed by his actions. He was silently grateful to find that the girls were still both dressed.



He moved his gaze down Tara’s body, hoping that his latest theory was just his wild imagination getting the best of him.



“Merciful Lord in heaven,” he uttered.

[Pipers Chance]

You can't leave me hanging like that! If I think what I think and what I think is right then-OMG!





Pleaseee, pleassee update soon!!!!



This rocks!!!

[bronwyn]

ohmigod, the suspence! The cliff-hangingness! I can't wait to see how this turns out!

xo,

Bronwyn

Edited by: bronwyn at: 2/11/03 4:06:17 pm

[vmpIrslAr]

OMG... please post soon! I'm loving this story! Very creepy in a cool way....I mean... losing your identity to a past life... geez!

VmpIrslAr out.






"she's my everything."

[glasswrks]

Thanks for the encouraging words. I hope I won't let anyone down.





Title: “Shared Lifetimes.”

Chapter: 21/?

Author: A.M. Glass

Copyright: April, 2000- not completed.

Overall Rating: PG-13-R

Disclaimer: The characters from “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” belong to Joss Whedon, et al. No copyright infringement is really meant or intended. All new characters are the sole intellectual property of the author… yeah, like anyone would want to borrow them anyway. This is a NON-profit excursion into fan fiction.

SPOILERS: Hmm, well, this story takes place during the fourth season, which means that both Riley and Tara are here. I do mention aspects of certain episodes, but not enough to give the entire episode away. This story does depart from the show, inasmuch as what took place in “New Moon Rising” hasn’t occurred. So, although Oz has left, he hasn’t come back.

Author’s Note: As you can tell by the date, I’ve been working on this little epic off and on for a little over two years. The reason why it’s taken so long is another story in and of itself. I actually started writing this for a friend of mine who was/is touched that I would do that for her. I’d like to hope that she would enjoy the story, but due to circumstances beyond my control I won’t know. But, just in case, ‘B’ this is for you. Oh, quick note, you may notice that some chapters are longer than others. I have a tendency to just end a chapter at a certain part, because there’s something inside of me that says, stop here. Just thought I’d let you know in advance.

Feedback: Is up to you, but I’d really like to know what you think.

Special Thanks: Go to my beta readers, and I had three of them. SO… any mistakes belong to me, as I wouldn’t know whom to blame… hehe. Just kidding. Mel, Cathy, Allaine, thank you very much for putting up with me. And even though they helped, they won’t know until they’ve read the final version whose suggestions I took. I may even surprise them.

Angst Warning: Yes there is. And perhaps even a hanky warning. I should let you know that I mention some issues that I generally don’t write about, but I felt they had to be in the story in order for it to work.





Chapter 21- I Must Be Seeing Things



“Bloody Hell!” Giles said placing his hand over his mouth. “This can’t be happening,” he told himself as he stared at Tara’s stomach.



He could see Willow resting her arm protectively around Tara, and what amazed him was that her arm seemed to be floating in mid-air. He peered closer and looked at them from every angle he could without disturbing their sleep.



From what he could see, taking into account the positioning of Willow’s arm, he thought that Hannah was quite possibly six or seven months along in her pregnancy.



Meaning that in a few…



What?



He couldn’t rightly say months. Time had ceased to follow a linear path where Hannah and Brin were concerned. Each time they appeared, months had apparently flown by.



It could very well mean that the next time…



‘If there was a next time,’ he thought as he wondered if when they woke up, would he be speaking with Willow and Tara, or Hannah and Brin. Hannah could for all intents and purposes be moments away from giving birth, should this follow the time line.



He quickly covered them up once again and left the room. This was definitely something he had never come across before, and he sincerely doubted that the Watcher’s Council had ever come across it either. He made his way downstairs and looked at the clock.



It was nearly seven am.



‘Where had the time gone?’ he asked himself as he went into the kitchen and put the kettle on for some tea. What he really wanted to do was to pour himself a glass of whiskey. But, he knew he would need to keep his wits about him. He had to keep a level head he couldn’t afford to get bogged down.



The shrill sound of the kettle startled him, turning off the gas; he poured the hot water into his mug, letting it seep into the tealeaves before going back into the living room.



It was at moments like these, that he wished he were still with the council. Still had access to all the knowledge it had accumulated over the centuries. The council in its time boasted some of the greatest minds ever to walk the planet.



And still did.



Unfortunately for all of them, he could not borrow from this wisdom - could not dip into the fount of knowledge, to hopefully find answers that would help them.



He suppressed a shiver as he briefly thought of Ethan Rayne. Giles knew that Ethan would have perverted the situation somehow, given the chance. Not that he thought that Ethan had anything to do with what was happening.



He consoled himself with his thoughts about what he had read in the book. It wasn’t a straight narrative, which surprised him. He did admit that he too had wondered about Hannah’s fate. What had become of her?



Did she make it off the beach?



Or had Brianne…



Brin… truly lost the love of her life.



And what of her?



What had happened?



He had to if he wanted answers…



The only way to find out was to finish reading the book.



Giles walked over to the desk and sat down, placing his mug down within easy reach, taking hold of the bookmark, he flipped the pages open and began to read.

* * * * * *

The family name was MacGowan.



Brin noticed the new family right away. From what she could tell it was a fairly small one. As the wagon lumbered past her, she could see three boys, their ages varying. There was a lad who must have been eighteen summers old, followed by his two brothers, who looked to be fourteen and possibly twelve. She did not know the sex of the child suckling at its mothers’ breast.



She had made eye contact with the woman who looked no older than her own mother who at thirty-five years was getting on in age.

* * * * * *

I knew then and there that I would get to know her better. That she was the person I would befriend. I needed someone to talk to, and she would also need a friend in the new place. We would hopefully get along.



I paid the merchant for the items I had purchased and headed back to the convent.



I knew that come Sunday, I would see this family again, and that would be soon enough for me. As I reached the outskirts of the convent doors, I did my best to smile as I watched Callum chase the few brood hens the nuns kept for eggs. He stopped suddenly and turned in my direction and beamed the brightest smile and ran towards me.



It was all I could do to keep from crying right then and there.



For you see, his smile… is hers.



I put my packages down and I reached out for him as he rushed into my arms.



“Momma… momma… you back?” he asked me.



“Yes Callum, I’m back,” I replied, placing a kiss on his rosy cheek.



“Play now?”



“Later Callum,” I told him and almost laughed at the way his lip would curl when he was about to try and get his way. “Callum…”



“Yes momma.”



Once again, I knew that Hannah should be the one hearing that, not me.



“Momma… cry,” he said, his lips beginning to tremble.



“What?” I say to him, as I pick my things up and walk into and past the doors that lead to the cells the nuns called rooms. It took me a moment to think about what he had said, and then realize that I had indeed been crying. I do not like to let Callum see me in such a state. He is too young to understand why I do such things.



I put him down and wiped angrily at my tears. I take him by the hand and walk down the hall that will lead us to the room the nuns have let us sleep in.



When we reach our destination, I take off my shawl and leave the few packages I have purchased by the door. I walk over to the hard rope bed and sit down. I pick Callum up and place him on my lap. I know he’s waiting for an answer as to why I am crying.



“Callum…”



“Yes momma.”



“I love you little one,” I tell him, kissing his forehead.



“Luv you momma,” he replies, his eyes shining brightly. “Why cry?”



“Momma cries… because I’m happy to see you.”



His face scrunches up, as if trying to comprehend what I told him. Many people over the past year have told me how cute Callum looks when he does that. I repress a shudder at the sight of it. As I have said, I am fortunate that he favors Hannah… in everything.



Except for this.



Whenever he gets angry, or like now at this moment, he is confused about something, his face will change. He becomes the splitting image of his father. So much so, that I had to physically put him down and walked away to get a hold of my shattered nerves the very first time I noticed.



Callum was entering his second year, when one day, I attempted to take his rag doll from him. It was filthy and I was determined to wash it. I had him in my arms and we were walking down the path that led to the small stream where I would clean our clothes.



He pulled on it and yelled “Mine!!”



His normally soft blue eyes darken with anger and I put him down for fear that I would drop him. I walked a few feet away to a tree stump and sat down. I was unbearably cold, my teeth chattered as I sat rocking back and forth. Callum approached me carefully… I doubt he had ever seen me in such a state before. And I believe that he was more frightened than I had seen him.



“Ma… ma,” he said, holding the rag doll out in front of him.



I took a few deep breaths and held my arms out to him. He climbed, as much as he could, onto my lap and wrapped his tiny arms around my neck, and held on to me. We sat that way until he fell asleep, from that day onward, I vowed to myself never to frighten Callum as I did that day.



I watched as he finally gave up in his quest for understanding.



“Mamma silly,” he said.



“Yes,” I sighed, bringing him closer. “Mamma silly.”



“Umm…”



“Wha!!” he yelped.



“I’m … I’m sorry.”



“That’s alright,” he answered, patting the tea from the page, having spilt some of the liquid from his mug. He was completely wrapped up in the account that he hadn’t heard anyone coming downstairs.



“I was wondering. What’s going to happen next?”



He slowly looked at the person asking the question. “Tara?” he asked cautiously, not wanting to seem a fool in front of Hannah.



“I’m back,” she said smiling somewhat awkwardly.



He stopped what he was doing and walked over to the brave young woman standing at the bottom of the steps. “Are you alright?” he asked, wanting to be sure she hadn’t suffered any ill effects.



“Yes… umm… Mr. Giles… I…” she started, but found she couldn’t continue.



“Tara, it’s alright. You can tell me,” he said, seeing the unshed tears glistening in her eyes.



“I… Willow. I… I did things to her,” Tara answered hesitantly.



“She understands Tara. I swear to you she does,” he told her, knowing there would be issues they would have to work out once this was over with.



“Does she… really?” she asked, not wanting to believe what he said was the truth.



“On my honor,” he pleaded.



“What do I say to her...? To make it okay.”



“Tara… come with me please,” Giles requested.



“Couch?” she asked, smiling slightly. She had been on the couch more times over the last few days than ever before.



“Yes, couch,” he replied with a grin on his face. He waited until she sat down, before speaking with her. “Tara…” he stopped, needing to get his thoughts in order. “Tara… know this, without a shadow of a doubt, Willow loves you.”



“She… she told you?” she asked incredulously.



“Yes. I… I needed to ask her, when Hannah was here,” he told her.



“Oh… that’s why she took so long coming back upstairs,” she said to herself more than to Giles.



“Precisely.”



“Giles?”



“Yes Tara,” he smiled to himself when he noticed that she had dropped the ‘Mr.’.



“I… I don’t really believe I’m going to say this but,” she stared at him. “I felt the baby move.” Tara watched as he swallowed audibly a few times and took off his glasses only to put them right back on.



“Are you certain?” he asked her.



“The baby kicked a few times, while Will… I mean while Brin and Hannah were talking last night, right before they went to sleep.”



“You… you don’t feel anything now? Do you?” he asked hesitantly.



Tara paused before answering him and unconsciously rubbed her stomach. “No. Nothing,” she replied, feeling a sense of loss.



“Tara… I need to speak to you and Willow together…”



“About what?” Willow interrupted from the top of the stairs.

[JustSkipIt]

Ok, I've been loving this all along but this chapter.... Even better. Bravo Very awesome. I thought for sure at the end of the last chapter that Giles would be able to see Hannah/Tara's preganancy but this was way better. That Brin/Willow's arm was wrapped around air in the shape of the pregnancy is brilliant.



Also, when Giles didn't know where the time had gone and then one thought and the tea was done, I was wondering if Jules is showing up? Maybe not and maybe I'm just making that up.



Reading the parts with Brin's book is very hard because it is so sad. And Tara's feelings about how she(Hannah) was with Willow was very powerful. She feels guilt because she remembers it.



Awesome. I love it. Please keep posting. Debra

---

"War may be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary it is always evil." - President Jimmy Carter after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize

[ange04]

i just wanted to tell you that i love this story! i can't wait to see how giles makes it better. can willow tell tara she loves her, so they can get on with the smoochies without the guilt?



oh yeah, thanks for the update!



ange

[IsayAmberBensonsgorgeous]

Wow you leave me hanging every single time! Can't wait for more, keep them coming. Thanks for sharing this story with us.

"Ain't never gonna love you any better babe - And they'll never gonna love you right." (Kozmic Blues - Janis Joplin)

[glasswrks]

First of all, once again I must thank you for the lovely words you've been sending my way. I should say right off the bat, that this is the last update for a few days. Although I have three beta readers for this. I haven't sent them any chapters after 25. So, I've been typing like mad to keep up and I hope to have an update soon. Thanks again.



Title: “Shared Lifetimes.”

Chapter: 22/?

Author: A.M. Glass

Copyright: April, 2000- not completed.

Overall Rating: PG-13-R

Disclaimer: The characters from “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” belong to Joss Whedon, et al. No copyright infringement is really meant or intended. All new characters are the sole intellectual property of the author… yeah, like anyone would want to borrow them anyway. This is a NON-profit excursion into fan fiction.

SPOILERS: Hmm, well, this story takes place during the fourth season, which means that both Riley and Tara are here. I do mention aspects of certain episodes, but not enough to give the entire episode away. This story does depart from the show, inasmuch as what took place in “New Moon Rising” hasn’t occurred. So, although Oz has left, he hasn’t come back.

Author’s Note: As you can tell by the date, I’ve been working on this little epic off and on for a little over two years now. The reason why it’s taken so long is another story in and of itself. I actually started writing this for a friend of mine who was/is touched that I would do that for her. I’d like to hope that she would enjoy the story, but due to circumstances beyond my control I won’t know. But, just in case, ‘B’ this is for you. Oh, quick note, you may notice that some chapters are longer than others. I have a tendency to just end a chapter at a certain part, because there’s something inside of me that says, stop here. Just thought I’d let you know in advance.

Feedback: Is up to you, but I’d really like to know what you think.

Special Thanks: Go to my beta readers, and I had three of them. SO… any mistakes belong to me, as I wouldn’t know whom to blame… hehe. Just kidding. Mel, Cathy, Allaine, thank you very much for putting up with me. And even though they helped, they won’t know until they’ve read the final version whose suggestions I took. I may even surprise them.

Angst Warning: Yes there is. And perhaps even a hanky warning. I should let you know that I mention some issues that I generally don’t write about, but I felt they had to be in the story in order for it to work.





Chapter 22- Congratulations… It’s A Boy



“Ah, Willow,” Giles said standing up, “I’m glad you’re awake.”



“Are you all right?” Willow asked Tara, as soon as she saw her.



“I’m fine,” Tara replied softly. “And… and you?” she then asked when Willow sat down next to her. 'Please don't hate me,' she thought while waiting for Willow to answer.



Willow took Tara's hand in hers, “I'm okay,” she replied.



"Really?"



Willow smiled and gave Tara's hand a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, really."



Giles gave them a chance to re-connect with each other prior to clearing his throat, getting their attention once again. “I’m sorry to interrupt…”



“What’s going on?” Willow asked scooting closer to Tara until they were touching from their arms down.



“Willow… do you remember what you told Hannah, while you were Brin?” he asked.



“How did…”



“I… ah, I overheard your conversation,” he told them, “and I apologize. It… it seemed to be rather heated at first…”



“You wanted to make sure nothing happened,” Tara said, trying to alleviate some of the guilt she thought he might be feeling.



“Yes, exactly,” he replied, relieved that Tara understood. “Willow?”



“I do.”



“Well, its come to my attention that over these past few days… time… time is speeding up,” he told them.



“What do you mean?” Willow asked.



“Willow… could you feel the baby?” Tara asked, turning to face her.



“The baby,” Willow said softly, looking down at Tara’s stomach and noticed for the first time that the swell that she knew to be there last night was gone. She reached over with her left hand and touched Tara’s stomach gently. “The baby?” she asked Tara. She knew she should feel something, after all, she could sense how much Brin cared for the baby, but the only thing she could feel was glad. And she had no idea why she felt that way.



“Gone,” Tara replied, a lone tear spilling down her cheek.



“Giles… I felt the baby. I felt him…” Willow cringed, mentally chastising herself for the slip.



Giles looked at Willow, scowling briefly before covering the small distance between them. Sitting down on the coffee table he sighed. “Congratulations Tara… it’s a boy.”



“A boy?” she asked them both, watching as they nodded. “I’m…” she shook her head. “Hannah’s going to have a son?” she said, looking over to Willow.



“Yes,” she replied.



“Oh… a boy.”



“Is there something wrong Tara?” Giles asked, puzzled by her expression.



“No… not really. It’s just that…”



“What?” Willow prompted gently.



“I… I get this feeling,” she said looking at them both. “I think Hannah might have been hoping for a girl.”



“Really?” Giles asked, as his scholarly interest was engrossed by this tidbit of information.



“Yeah. Umm, I think she wanted the baby to be a girl… so… so Germaine wouldn’t be interested in it,” she explained. “You know, this way they wouldn’t have to worry about him taking the child… even if it’s illegitimate”



Willow quickly looked at Giles and nodded her head in agreement.



“Does… does the baby,” Tara started to say then stopped. “Never mind.” She had wanted to know what the baby’s name was, but thought better of it.



“Tara, I do realize that both Willow and I have to keep certain things from you, and if there was any other way,” he told her. “I assure you, we would happily tell you everything we knew,” he concluded.



“I… I understand. Maybe, when this is over, I could read the book?”



“Perhaps,” he said, thinking about the possibility. “I may just have the book copied, this way we could go over it together if you’d like,” Giles suggested.



“I’d would, thank you.”



“Very well then,” he answered, quite pleased that everything had turned out all right.



“Giles?”



“Yes Willow?” he said, turning in her direction.



“What about the baby?”



“Ah... yes... well I believe that we may have a small problem.”



“'Small' problem?” Willow asked.



“What is it Mr. Giles.”



“Tara… when Hannah was here last, prior to this extended visit, did you notice anything, anything at all?” he asked her, hoping she’d see the correlation.



She thought back, if she recalled correctly, the last time Hannah was here was when… “The baby!” she replied, her eyes locking on Giles.



“What about the baby?” Willow asked again.



Tara turned and faced Willow taking the redhead's hands into hers. “Willow… I…” she corrected herself. “Hannah had just told Brin about the baby.”



“And?”



“Willow, how far along would you believe Hannah was, when you last saw her?” Giles asked.



“I don’t know,” she shrugged, “six… eight… OH MY GOD!” she exclaimed.



“Exactly,” Giles replied.



“Are you telling me… us, that Tara’s going to have a baby the next time Hannah pops up?”



“How can I have a baby, I’m not pregnant?” Tara added in bewilderment.



“Hence the small problem.”



“Small? This is small? I’d like to know what your definition of big is,” Willow told him.



“Willow… I can’t say that I fully understand what you and Tara are going through at the moment…”



“You’ve got that right,” she snapped, not seeing the look of discomfort cross over Tara’s face.



“But… I will no longer put up with your snide remarks,” he told her sternly, as he got up from the coffee table and headed into the kitchen, completely ignoring her shocked look.



“Willow, he’s right,” Tara said softly. “Don’t you think this is eating him up inside? He cares about you anyone can see that. And… and this is something he can’t control. Something he can’t send Buffy to fight. We both know that he’s trying the best he can, but,” she shook her head, “I don’t think this is helping.”



Willow knew that what Tara had said was right. She was acting like an ass and she should get up off the couch, march into the kitchen and fix this before it was too late.



She knew this…



But, she couldn’t get herself to move.



Giles came from the kitchen, drying his hands with a small towel before draping it over his shoulder. “Before I forget, Buffy asked that you call her,” he told Willow. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take a shower. Tara…”



“Yes.”



“Feel free to help yourself to anything in the refrigerator, Willow can show you where everything is,” he said.



“Thank you.”



“You’re quite welcome,” he replied, leaving them both.



“I’m going to call Buffy,” Willow told her as she got up from the couch.



Tara hoped the rift that had seemed to be developing between Giles and Willow would soon rectify itself. She couldn't stand seeing them at odds with each other. It wasn’t right.



“Hi Buffy…” Willow said into the telephone receiver.



Tara watched as Willow spoke to her best friend before returning her attention back to her stomach. She had felt the baby kick last night. “Him,” she whispered softly to herself. She felt him moving around, as if he were trying to find a better position. She remembered placing Brin’s hands over the swell, and watched as she smiled. ‘I always thought it would be softer,’ Tara recalled Brin saying to Hannah.



There was a part of her that knew how much Brin loved to feel the baby move... how Hannah had prayed for a little girl. Hoping that if she had a girl she would be safe from Germaine's clutches.



Tara suddenly scowled when she thought about Germaine. When he had finally returned from his trip with his child bride in tow he found out about Hannah’s condition, he laughed in her face.



Tara also knew the dark secret that they had kept from Brin, how Hannah had made everyone swear never to say a word to her beloved.



Never tell Brin how Germaine would accost Hannah weekly. How he would force himself on her. That there were times when Hannah had to rebuff Brin’s overtures of affections only because Germaine had… had hurt her.



She wished she could remember more, but after a certain point, her memories grew fuzzy. She wanted to find out what had happened to them, she wanted to know what sort of man Hannah’s son had become. So many questions, not enough answers. She knew that Willow knew exactly what had happened, but wasn’t allowed to say a word.



“Sure, I’ll see you soon,” Willow told Buffy before hanging up the phone. She walked back over towards Tara who seemed a million miles away. “Tara…”



“Hmm?”



“I’m… I’m going back to the dorm,” she said.



“The dorm?”



“Yeah. I want to get some things…”



“Do you want me to come with you?” she asked.



“No, that’s okay. Besides, I think it’s safer for you here anyway.”



“Safer?”



“Well, Hannah…”



“Oh… I… ah… I understand.”



“Do you want me to get you some clothes?”



“Yes please.”



“Okay,” she paused. “Would you let Giles know where I’ve gone? I’ll be back, I’m going to see Buffy first,” Willow explained as she grabbed her shoes and put them on, having taken them off by the couch last night.



“Sure,” Tara replied.



“I’ll be back,” Willow told her as she left.

[funkyasian]

well, i'm kicking myself for missing this fic for so long...i just spent a better part of my evening (before my body threatened to quit) and the morning finishing this story thus far. it's an incredible turn of events, and i wonder what part of willow's outbursts at giles is linked to brin...or maybe it stems from her inability to do anything...the willow we know need to do the research, be knee deep in it all...oh well...i guess we'll find out...



great fic...i hope you update soon...



~steph

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul. ~ Oscar Wilde

[glasswrks]

Sorry, this isn't an update, however, I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.



As I've stated before, I have a beta reader (Fiona) going over the story until she's caught up. I've just sent her chapters 15-18. I plan to send her up to chapter 23 in the next go round.



Hopefully I may have a new part up sometime in the next week or two.



She's been very helpful so far and there have been changes made. I'm getting the story ready to go up on my website and for those of you reading this version, I hope you'll like the new one. I can tell you at the moment, the first 7 chapters are almost the same, most of the revisions are coming after chapter 7.



This will give me more time to write. I've already have 30 chapters typed out, and I'm working on chapters 31-32.



That's about it for this tiny non-update update.

Edited by: BytrSuite at: 2/26/03 9:45:12 pm

[VampNo12]

Glasswrks, I just found this story, and Wow comes to mind! Really between the romance... the beautifully captured love between Brin and Hannah, as well as the relationship W&T are developing in the present (not to mention what kind of impact their past lives being brought into what W&T are slowly developing in the now... how it affects them) has me thoroughly engrossed. Add to that the intrigue with the book/past... what happened to Hannah, Brin, and Callum makes it even more enjoyable to read. Speaking in this vein, at first I thought the weaving of the past (ie Brin/Hannah) mixed into W/T would be confusing, but instead your writing makes the story flow beautifully (the words truly "float" off the page). Now I'm only sad that I caught up, but I can't wait to find out what happens in both past and present!



Vicki

Edited by: VampNo12  at: 3/2/03 2:22:15 pm

[glasswrks]

Hello,



Just a quick update. My beta reader now has chapters 23-24 in her possession.



As soon as she sends it back, perhaps as soon as next week, I'll be posting it.

[glasswrks]

Title “Shared Lifetimes.”

Chapter: 23-24/?

Author: A.M. Glass

Copyright: April, 2000- not completed.

Overall Rating: PG-13-R

Disclaimer: The characters from “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” belong to Joss Whedon, et al. No copyright infringement is really meant or intended. All new characters are the sole intellectual property of the author… yeah, like anyone would want to borrow them anyway. This is a NON-profit excursion into fan fiction.

SPOILERS: Hmm, well, this story takes place during the fourth season, which means that both Riley and Tara are here. I do mention aspects of certain episodes, but not enough to give the entire episode away. This story does depart from the show, inasmuch as what took place in “New Moon Rising” hasn’t occurred. So, although Oz has left, he hasn’t come back.

Author’s Note: As you can tell by the date, I’ve been working on this little epic off and on for a little over two years now. The reason why it’s taken so long is another story in and of itself. I actually started writing this for a friend of mine who was/is touched that I would do that for her. I’d like to hope that she would enjoy the story, but due to circumstances beyond my control I won’t know. But, just in case, ‘B’ this is for you. Oh, quick note, you may notice that some chapters are longer than others. I have a tendency to just end a chapter at a certain part, because there’s something inside of me that says, stop here. Just thought I’d let you know in advance.

Feedback: Is up to you, but I’d really like to know what you think.

Special Thanks: Usually, I'd have a longer list section, but now I have to thank Fiona for taking over as my main beta reader for the story. But, I would have never have gotten as far as I did without the others.

Angst Warning: Yes there is. And perhaps even a hanky warning. I should let you know that I mention some issues that I generally don’t write about, but I felt they had to be in the story in order for it to work.

SPECIAL NOTE: As I'm going on vacation for a few days, the next update will not be posted until sometime next week.

CHAPTER 23- One Step Forward... And Two Back.

“Tara?” Giles called out from the top of the stairs, as he was drying his hair.



“Yes Giles?” she replied. Getting up from the couch, she walked over to the bottom of the steps.



“Did I hear the front door?” he asked, tucking his shirt into his pants, as he reached her.



“Umm... that was Willow.”



He looked at the door, then back to Tara. “Where did she go?” he said as he proceeded to walk to the door.



“Giles... wait. Please,” she said. “She went to get some clothes.”



“Ah... I should have anticipated that, I’m sorry.”



“That’s okay.”



“Did you get anything to eat?” he asked, as he moved away from the door and headed into to his kitchen.



“I’m not really hungry,” Tara replied.



“Would you mind?” he said as he pulled the door open.



“No, please. Don’t let me stop you,” she answered, sitting down on one of the stools. She watched as he pulled out some eggs and other items from the refrigerator. “I’m... I’m sure that whatever is going on...”



“Tara, it’s very nice of you to try and apologize for Willow’s behavior,” he told her as he placed the eggs on the counter. “But, this is something we are going to have to work out ourselves, just the two of us. I do wish I knew what was causing this... friction though,” he said more to himself than to Tara. He cracked the eggs and began to whisk them.

***

Willow opened the door to her dorm room, and seeing blonde hair sticking out from beneath the covers, she closed the door as quietly as she could. When she turned around, Buffy was staring at her.



“Hi Buffy,” she said.



“Hey Will. What’s going on?”



“Nothing much,” she answered, as she walked over and sat down on Buffy’s bed.



“Are you back... or are you going back?” she asked as she pushed herself up.



“What?”



“Are you back... as in, are you staying? Or...”



“Oh.”



Buffy waited patiently for the rest of the answer, “Umm, Will. I don’t thing that Oh, is going to cut it,” she said and again waited. She would have asked once more, had she not seen a tear slowly trailing down Willow’s cheek. “Okay, what’s happening here?” she asked as she moved closer to her best friend.



“Buffy...” Willow cried out as she began to sob into her hands.



“Hey... you’re scaring me here Will. And... and we can’t let that get around. Pretty soon every bad thing around will be crying his or her eyes out to distract me. Not good for slayage you know,” Buffy said. Not knowing what else to do, she brought Willow into her arms and held her, all the while wondering, ‘What’s going on?’

***

“This was great,” Tara said after finishing the small portion of the omelet Giles had managed to persuade her to eat.



“Thank you,” he replied smiling. He cleared the dishes and placed them in the sink.



“I... I think there’s something I should tell you,” Tara said suddenly.



“Oh really? What?”



“I’m... feeling things.”



“What sort of things?” he asked.



“Well, kinda like the baby, but not exactly,” she answered.



“I see,” he said frowning, “How long?”



“Not very long. Actually, it was the time that Hannah was here. I... I started picking up on certain emotions... some thoughts, things like that.”



Giles stepped out of the kitchen and sat down next to Tara on one of the stools. “Normally, I would grab the tape recorder, but... somehow I don’t think I should on this occasion,” he told her.



“I... ah… I don’t think we should tell Willow about this,” she said hesitantly.



“Is it that serious?”



“Very.”



“Why don’t we go for a walk? I very much doubt that Willow shall return for some time. It’ll give us a chance to get out of this place, you know, change of scenery.”



“I’d like that,” Tara replied.



“If you’d like to take a shower first, I’m sure I can find you a pair of sweat pants and a shirt to wear. I’m very sorry I didn’t think about the clothing situation earlier.”



“That’s okay. I’ll... I’ll just wait for Willow to get back with the clothes. Let me just get my shoes, then we can go.”

***

Buffy sat holding Willow for the longest time, until the sobs slowly but steadily diminished.



“Sorry,” she heard Willow say.



“It’s okay. Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.



“I... I’m in love.”



Buffy’s first reaction should have been - besides that of utter surprise for she didn’t have a clue that her best friend was even dating - happiness. Yet, every indication seemed to point in the opposite direction. “Is that a good thing Will?” she had to ask.



“Oh, yeah,” she replied sniffing.



“Good. I’m happy for you... I think?”



“It’s complicated,” Willow told her, bringing her face up to look at Buffy.



“Something tells me, that that might be the biggest understatement I’ve ever heard in my entire life,” Buffy replied.



“Do... do you remember Tara?”



Buffy searched her memories, trying to put a face with the name. “She’s from your Wicca group, right?” Buffy wondered briefly if Tara had something to do with the guy Will had fallen for.



Willow nodded.

***

“Are you sure of this Tara?”



“No. I wish I could say for certain...”



“If what you say is true, then I believe that Brin never found out what Germaine had been doing to Hannah.”



“I’m glad,” she replied, looking at Giles momentarily before turning her attention back to the path they were taking around the park. “I get the distinct impression that Brin would have gone after him. Hannah had to talk her out of killing him after she found out that Hannah was pregnant. I don’t think she would have been able to stop her if she ever became aware of what happened later on.”



“I agree with you,” he told her as they rounded a corner, “I gather that you don’t wish to tell Willow about this?”



Tara shook her head, “If it w-were only Willow, I would never keep this from her... but...”



“Brin does seem to complicate the matter somewhat,” he replied.



“I don’t w-want to trigger Brin... you know, if I say something.”



“Well, I assure you, that unless specifically asked, I won't say a word.”



“Thank you. I wish there was some other w-way,” she said shaking her head slowly. “I don’t want to keep things from her.”



“I’m sure she’d understand. And for what its worth, Hannah must have made quite an impression on Brin’s friends, if they never divulged the secret.”

***

“I’m not able to take your call at the moment, please leave a message after the beep, thank you.”



BEEP.



“Rupert... it’s Bernard. I’m sorry I missed your call earlier, but I think I’ve found something you might find very interesting. I believe I’ve located some additional information. It’s quite a stroke of luck actually. It seems that the Kilherly family is in England. The book that you described is a copy. The original...”



Bernard Cooke gazed at the telephone receiver after being cut off. ‘That should be enough for now,’ he told himself. He looked over at his desk at the three leather bound volumes resting on top. One was an exact duplicate of the original story, the other a copy with – some – slight changes to the text, and the last one... the one his friend had called him about. That was another story. That copy while following the original in most aspects drastically changed towards the end.



Although he loathed passing on false information he had no other choice, it was his duty. The Kilherly family as well as the MacGowans’ had been waiting for just this type of news for generations. Now, he had to contact Lady Pembrooke and let her know. It would be up to her to contact Sarah Kilherly.

***

“Buffy... are you okay?” Willow asked hesitantly.



“Oh... yeah, sure,” she replied, having gotten off the bed and moved a few feet away. “Are...”



“What?” Willow asked, seeing the frown on Buffy’s face.



“Are you happy Will? Really happy?”



“Oh... yes,” she answered, and then paused. “For the most part,” she added.



“The most part? What’s wrong? Doesn’t... doesn’t Tara like you that way?” Buffy asked, not sure of where this conversation was leading.



“Very much so,” Willow answered truthfully.



“So, what’s the problem?”



“I think you should sit back down,” Willow suggested.



“Is this going to be bad?”



“Umm... kinda. But, not really.”



“Okay,” Buffy said, as she sat down reaching for Willow’s hand and holding on to it. “Spill Rosenberg.”



“Yes sir,” she said with a mock salute. She took a deep breath. “Well, it started with this book I bought at an estate sale I went to with Giles...”

***

“I think we should be getting back, don’t you?” Giles asked as they returned to the starting point of the path.



“Sounds like a good idea,” Tara replied.



“Are you all right?” Giles said, as he noticed a flicker of what he thought to be pain cross Tara’s face.



“I think so. Funny, it feels like I might have pulled something,” she replied, her right hand holding on to her side.



“Why don’t we take it easy, there’s no rush.”



Tara nodded and walked carefully, noticing how the former Watcher had moved closer towards her.



‘Ouch,’ she grimaced as the pain in her side flared up once more.

CHAPTER 24- You Try Not To Push

“You’re kidding... right?” Buffy finally asked Willow after having heard the lengthy tale.



“I wish I was,” Willow replied solemnly.



“So... when were you going to tell me this stuff. Or were you?” Buffy asked pointedly.



“Soon?” Willow answered, sounding very unconvinced of her reply.



“You should have told me right away... it’s like you didn’t trust me,” Buffy explained.



“I do trust you Buffy.”



“You’ve got a funny way of showing it Will,” Buffy replied as she moved closer to the bed, having paced the room while Willow told her story.



“Do you hate me?” Willow asked quietly. She had known that as soon as she had told Buffy she had ruined any chance to observe her best friend for any telltale indications that she might have shown in regards to Elisa – Buffy’s possible past incarnation.



The Slayer sighed before sitting down next to her friend. “No. No - definitely no - to that question. I don’t hate you Will. I’m just surprised that’s all... about a lot of things.” They sat quietly, each of them thinking about how their friendship would change, or if it would. “Umm... so... how’s Tara doing?” Buffy asked suddenly.



“She’s fine. She,” Willow frowned briefly, “she seemed sad about the baby though.”



“Really?”



“Yeah... Buffy?”



“Hmm?”



“When I saw that Tara... when I noticed that she didn’t look pregnant... I was happy,” she looked at Buffy to gauge her reaction. “I... I mean... the baby was... is... I’m not sure anymore.”



“It’s okay Will, take your time,” Buffy told her.



“Okay. At first... I was happy that the baby wasn’t there, you know,” Willow saw Buffy nodding her head. “But... then... then I saw the way Tara reacted, and I feel miserable now.”



“It must have been hard for her to be pregnant one minute... then wake up and the kid’s gone,” she said snapping her fingers, “just like that.”



“Brin... she loved the baby. I could feel how much she cared for him. She loved the way the baby made Hannah glow. You know what... it’s true what they say about expectant mothers... they do glow. You should have seen her Buffy. She radiated from inside... it was almost blinding,” Willow said in awe.



“You may want to tell her that Will,” Buffy said, amazed at the outpouring of emotion she heard coming from her friend’s voice.



“I can’t...” she said softly.



“Why not?”



“I... I haven’t been very nice to Giles recently,” she admitted.



“What?” Buffy asked, astonished.



“Something’s... wrong. I know he’s trying to help us... but...”



“Wills, this is Giles we’re talking about right?”



“Yes,” she sighed. “I honestly don’t know what it is. I can’t shake this feeling... like... like he’s hiding something from me. Something important, and now whenever I see him, I get angry.”



“Whatever it is, don’t let it get in the way Will,” Buffy told her.



Willow nodded her head. “I guess I’d better get going. I told Tara I’d pick up some clothes for her.”



“Want any help?”



“Yeah, I would.”

***

Giles opened the door and stepped aside-allowing Tara to enter. “Why don’t you have a seat? I’ll get you some water,” he said closing the door behind them. As he passed his desk he noticed that he had a message on his machine. He pressed play and continued towards the kitchen.



“Rupert... it’s Bernard Cooke...”



Giles turned quickly and stared at the machine.



‘A copy?’ he thought after the message abruptly ended. He took out a bottle of water from the refrigerator and gave it to Tara. “Excuse me please,” he told her before going to the answering machine and replaying the message.



“What do you think Mr. Cooke was going to say?” Tara asked after taking a sip.



“I’m not sure. It could be anything, or nothing at all,” he answered absentmindedly, his thoughts racing at the implications the message had brought.



“Are you going to call him back?”



“Momentarily,” he answered turning his gaze from the answering machine and back to the young woman seated on his couch. “I’m rather concerned about you. Has the pain stopped?” he asked.



“Oh, yes. I’m fine,” she replied.



“Have you ever experienced this before?”



“No... not that I can remember,” Tara answered.



“If the pain returns, or increases, I want you to tell me right away, understood?”



“Yes Mr. Giles.”



“Right, now that we’ve got that settled, I think I shall give Mr. Cooke a call,” he said as he picked up the phone.

***

“Umm, are you sure about this Will?” Buffy asked, holding up a blue tie-dyed shirt. She had never been in Tara’s room before and she wondered about the girls’ taste in decorations. ‘Christmas lights?’



“Yep, that’s the one. It makes her eyes shine,” she replied having taken a quick glance at the shirt in question. She continued to go through Tara’s undergarments, allowing her hand to lightly touch them.



“You’re starting to drool,” Buffy told her, after having called the young Wicca’s name a few times without reply.



“Hmm?”



“You’re not here, are you?” Buffy asked playfully, as she resisted the temptation to wave her hand up and down a few times in front of friends face.



“She’s kinda mad at me,” Willow replied, as she took out some of the undergarments and placed them next to the shirt on the bed.



“Who... Tara?” Buffy asked, wondering at the sudden change of subject.



“Yes.”



“Why?”



“Giles.”



“Okay, you’ve lost me. Tara’s mad at you because of Giles?”



“Yeah. Maybe... maybe mad is too strong a word. Upset... she’s upset with me.”



“Again, why?”



“Because of the way I’m acting towards him,” she answered.



“Really?” Buffy was shocked and at the same time somewhat pleased that Tara had stuck up for Giles.



“Ummhmm,” Willow said, pulling out a pair of jeans that hugged Tara’s waist in the most delightful manner.



“I don’t wanna know where that smile is coming from,” Buffy uttered softly.



“Are we missing anything?” Willow asked looking around the room.



“I don’t think so.”



“Okay,” she said, having put the clothes in the backpack she had brought with her. “Buffy...” she turned around and saw her best friend holding on to a notebook.



“I think you should see this Will,” Buffy told her as she handed over the notebook.



With a puzzled statement on her face, Willow took it from Buffy and looked at it. “Oh... I... I think I’m going to cry,” she said, as she waved her hand in front of her face.



“I think I would have,” Buffy told her, placing her hand on Willow’s shoulder and glancing down at the notebook again. Written on the canvas type material in black and red felt tip marker was a date, which if they remembered correctly took place shortly after the incident with the ‘Gentlemen.’ Underneath the date were the words:



I adore...



No...



I love Willow Rosenberg.



And directly underneath this was a small sketch of Willow’s face.



“Let’s go,” Buffy urged.



“Yeah,” Willow replied, wiping at the tears that had fallen. She carefully replaced the notebook and then she and Buffy left the room.

***

“Are you absolutely sure about that?” Giles asked.



“I assure you Rupert, that is what it says,” Bernard Cooke said as he kept his finger on the passage in question.



“Dear lord,” Giles whispered, acutely aware of Tara’s gaze on him.



“Is there something wrong?”



“Well, this explains a matter that has recently occurred,” he answered. “Bernard...”



“Yes.”



“Could you find out what finally happened? It’s of vital importance... I’m sure you understand.”



“Of course... of course. I’ll call you as soon as I finish reading the final two chapters,” he said. “Rupert... has anything else happened... with the young ladies in question?”



“We’ve had more interaction with both Hannah and Brin, if that’s what you’re asking.”



“And these... appearances, have they been longer in duration?”



“In Hannah’s case, yes. Brin has been here, but not as often.”



“I see...”



“Is there something I should be made aware of?” Giles asked, turning away from Tara’s inspection.



“No. There’s nothing I can think of. I’d better get to those chapters...”



“Yes... quite right. Thank you very much... I’ll let you get to it then.”



“I... I hope to have good news for you in the morning.”



“I pray that you do,” Giles replied as he hung up the phone.



“Something tells me I’m not going to like what you’re going to say,” Tara ventured as she watched Giles biting on the earpiece of his glasses.



“I think I may have found out why Willow is acting in the manner that she has,” he replied distractedly.



“What is it?” Tara asked as she got off the couch and walked over to him.



Sighing heavily, he put his glasses back on and said, “Brin found out.”



“Not about...”



“Yes, I’m afraid so.”



“What happened?”



“According to Mr. Cooke, Brin went back years later, when Hannah’s son was a young man...”



“I wonder what he looked like,” Tara whispered.



“Tara?”



“Yes...”



“Brin... Brin didn’t go alone.”



“Really? Did Hannah’s son go with her?”



“No. He was about to get married actually,” he told her.



“Oh... then who?”



“She... well,” he tried to say as he ran his hand through his hair, “she took her daughter... Hannah with her.”



“Dau... daughter?”



“Mr. Cooke is checking on these things as we speak...”



“Brin has a child? A daughter? How... how is this possible?”



‘Oh Christ, not now,’ Giles told himself as soon as he noticed the change in Tara’s voice. “Hannah... please,” he said reaching out for her.



“No... stay away...”she said, backing up, shaking her head in disbelief.



“It’s not what you think...”



“Where is she?” she asked.



“She’s not here... I assure you,” Giles tried telling her.



“No... no... no,” she kept repeating to herself as Giles slowly advanced.



Just then the front door opened and both Buffy and Willow entered.



“I brought Tara some... clothes?” Willow said, wondering why Giles was reaching out to Tara.



“How could you!”



“Giles...”



“Not now!” Giles answered looking at Willow.



The three of them froze in their steps when they heard a cry coming from Tara.



“What’s wrong?” Willow asked as soon as she had reached Tara’s side.



“The baby,” she answered, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.



“Baby?” Buffy asked.



Willow and Giles exchanged looks.



“Hannah... is the child coming?” Giles asked.



Willow felt a vice like grip on her hand and winced. “Yeah... I’m guessing it is,” Willow answered.



“Brin... don’t leave me please,” Hannah pleaded as another wave of pain lanced through her body.



“Jules... we have to do something!” Brin said.



“Jules?” Buffy said.



“Damn it,” Giles cursed. Now he had both of them to contend with.



“Jules!!” Brin cried out, seeing the pain Hannah obviously was in and not knowing what to do.



Giles looked at Buffy and said, “Help me get her to the couch... now!”



Buffy moved quickly and slid her hands underneath Tara’s arms while Giles took hold of her legs.



“One... two... three...”



They both lifted Tara up and cautiously moved towards the couch.



“You have to let go...” Buffy told Willow. “Her hand... you have to let go of it.”



“Brin... please do as Elisa asks,” Giles said, noticing Buffy’s confused look. “I’ll explain later,” he told her as they finally placed Tara on the couch.



“It hurts...” Tara cried out.



“There must be something we can do?” Brin asked, looking at Giles for answers.



“Talk to her Brin... try to get her to think about something else,” He said, before Buffy pulled him away.



“Does this have anything to do with the book Will was telling me about?” she asked.



“She told you?” he asked surprised.



“Giles...” Buffy said her voice menacingly low.



“Yes... I’m afraid it does.”



“What happened?” Buffy asked, talking a quick look over towards the couch. Willow was holding Tara’s hand, whispering things she had no business knowing.



“Tara and I were going over some new information...”



“And?”



“And... it triggered Hannah’s sudden appearance.”



“So... Tara’s going to have a baby?”



“Of course not. Tara’s not pregnant.”



“I need to push,” Hannah grunted through clenched teeth.



“JULES!!”



Buffy looked at Giles, “You tell her she’s not pregnant.”



“Don’t push Hannah,” he instructed as he moved towards them.



“’Don’t push’, he says...” Hannah panted, “You try not to... Oh... Jesus... Mary and Joseph... ahhhh!!!”

[JustSkipIt]

Thanks so much for this update. I was really missing it. This is one of the more captivating and intelligent pieces on the board right now. I love it. Quite dire at the moment but you have me hanging on the edge of my seat. Thanks. Debra

---

"War may be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary it is always evil." - President Jimmy Carter after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize

[peggy of sunnydale]

ok this is so good i am really getting in to it its getting interesting



looking foward to more

[willntlover]

Eep!!!



I wonder how long it will take fort he girls to realize that Giles's isn't exactly helping them to deliver a baby? And Buffy was just too cute.



{sigh} Tara drew a pic of Willow, awww.



-Will

"I think finding her soulmate would have made Tara a more confident and secure person" -Amber Benson

[Stroke of Luck]

Whooo that was just an end for an update!

Buffy was cute. she was absolutly unknown, that was funny.



Please write fast i want to know what happens next



Cu

SoL/Natti



Man sieht nur mit dem Herzen gut, das Wesentliche ist für die Augen unsichtbar - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

[VampNo12]

Glasswrks... my the plot thickens! I enjoyed Willow's "coming out", especially Buffy's realization of the depth of feeling (love) Willow holds for Tara. Also awwww to Buffy finding and showing Willow the notebook dated after the "Gentleman" encounter saying, "I adore... No... I love Willow Rosenberg" (with the added touch of Tara sketching Willow's face).



Really the intrigue (tension) moved up a notch with Cooke finding the other books (with those implications), the revelation that regardless of the amount of effort Hannah put in (with the help of her friends)... Brin still learned the painful truth of what Germaine did to Hannah, the unknown circumstances surrounding Brin having a daughter named Hannah, and finally Willow/Tara again turning into Brin/Hannah respectively... with Hannah learning from Giles (Jules) about Brinn's daughter (ie Hannah thinks she was betrayed) with the added pressure of going into labor when of course there isn't any baby. I'm quite enjoying this "ride", and can't wait to see happens next!



Vicki

Edited by: VampNo12  at: 3/12/03 7:59:49 pm

[Maccoda]

I rarely de-lurk to post but this is one of the best pieces of fanfic I've read in a long time. Your plot is very well thought out and your character development is wonderful. Thank you for sharing this!



Mick

[TromDeGrey]

I've spent the last few hours reading this all in one go, and though my eyeballs are boiling I can still see well enough to say this... WOW!! It's such a compelling story you're telling here. I just couldn't get to the next update fast enough! Hope you're enjoying your vacation, but I can't wait for more!!

"The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it."

Chinese Proverb

[glasswrks]

Title: “Shared Lifetimes.”

Chapter: 25-27/?

Author: A.M. Glass

Copyright: April, 2000- not completed.

Overall Rating: PG-13-R

Disclaimer: The characters from “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer,” belong to Joss Whedon, et al. No copyright infringement is really meant or intended. All new characters are the sole intellectual property of the author… yeah, like anyone would want to borrow them anyway. This is a NON-profit excursion into fan fiction.

SPOILERS: Hmm, well, this story takes place during the fourth season, which means that both Riley and Tara are here. I do mention aspects of certain episodes, but not enough to give the entire episode away. This story does depart from the show, inasmuch as what took place in “New Moon Rising” hasn’t occurred. So, although Oz has left, he hasn’t come back.

Author’s Note: As you can tell by the date, I’ve been working on this little epic off and on for a little over two years now. The reason why it’s taken so long is another story in and of itself.

Feedback: Is up to you, but I’d really like to know what you think.

Special Thanks: Goes to Fiona for taking the time to go over the story that the others had beta’d up to chapter 25.

Angst Warning: Yes there is. And perhaps even a hanky warning. I should let you know that I mention some issues that I generally don’t write about, but I felt they had to be in the story in order for it to work.

Violence Warning: There is what I consider a violent scene towards the end of chapter 27. So I thought I should let you know. It’s not as violent as say a couple of scenes I’d written for another story of mine, but, just the same here’s your warning.





CHAPTER 25- What Other Choice Do We Have



Giles knew he was rapidly getting in over his head, and he didn’t think there was anything he could do to stop what was happening. He turned towards Buffy, “Buf... Elisa, I need you to bring me some towels... soak them with cold water.”



Buffy simply nodded and ran upstairs, knowing this was not the time ask him the questions running though her head.



“Jules...” Hannah panted.



“Yes Hannah,” he replied gazing into her bright eyes.



“If something happens...”



“Nothing is going to happen,” Brin interrupted, trying to convince herself that everything would go well. But even she knew there was no guarantee that Hannah would survive childbirth.



Giles looked at Willow and could see how desperately she wanted to believe what she had said.



“Jules...”



“I’m sorry Hannah. What would you have me do?”



“Have you lost your senses? Nothing... nothing is going to happen,” Brin said once more.



“Brin...”



“NO!!” she said abruptly as she let go of Hannah’s hand and moved away.



Buffy watched this from the top of the stairs. She couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. She was reminded briefly of her own foray into another time; when she, along with a good-sized portion of Sunnydale, were under a spell Ethan Rayne had performed during Halloween a few years ago. Willow had told her what had happened to her, as her memories of that time were fuzzy at best.



“Umm... Jules. Heads up,” she called out as she tossed him a washcloth. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she looked at Willow and said, “Brin... why don’t we have a talk.”



“I can’t leave,” the other girl replied.



“It’s okay, go on. I’ll call you in case something happens,” Giles said.



“Come on, she’ll be fine,” Buffy told Brin as she led her away from the living room and out the front door. Brin followed reluctantly.



“Thank goodness,” Giles muttered to himself as he took the washcloth and began to dab at the perspiration dotting Tara’s forehead. ‘Please come back,’ he silently prayed.

******

“I should be inside,” Brin said as soon as they left. She had already turned around and was starting to make her way back.



“No... you can’t,” Buffy told her.



“And why not?” Brin asked as she faced the other girl.



“Umm... we haven’t talked?” Buffy replied hesitantly as she groaned inwardly. ‘We haven’t talked? Oh... that’s good.’



“I think Jules should cut down on your training Elisa, I think its starting to affect you,” Brin told her before making her way back to the front door. She stopped when she felt Elisa’s hand on her shoulder.



“I can’t let you go back in... not yet,” Buffy said.



“Elisa, I’m not sure what’s gotten into you, but I am going back inside,” she replied forcefully.



Buffy blinked a few times as she caught a glimpse of Willow’s resolve face. She briefly wondered if this particular trait was passed down, or if Brin and Willow simply shared it. She didn’t think about it too long as she hurried to catch up with the other girl as she entered Giles’ apartment.

******

Giles sent a silent prayer for luck when Buffy managed to get Willow out of the apartment. He wasn’t sure how long Buffy was going to be able to keep Willow from coming back in. But he knew it probably wasn’t long enough. He turned his gazed back towards Tara. Her face was flushed with perspiration.



“Hannah, can you hear me?” he asked.



Tara’s eyes fluttered open. “Jules?”



He sighed inwardly. He had hoped that Tara might return. “How are you feeling?” he asked her as he took the washcloth and patted her forehead.



“Tired... pain...” she replied.



“I wish there was something I could do for you,” he told her honestly.



“Where’s Brin?” she managed to ask before another contraction hit her body.



"Hannah... breathe... that’s it, breathe through the pain,” Giles instructed. He only hoped his words were helping. He hadn’t been trained to deliver babies. He had never even read of a Slayer living long enough to have children, let alone having the opportunity to get pregnant in the first place.



The only thing he did know was from watching re-runs of Rescue-911. And breathing seemed to play an important in having a child, or so he thought. “Hannah, you must try to listen to me. Can you do that?” he asked.



“I’ll... I’ll try,” she managed to utter as another wave of pain wracked her body.



“Very good,” he replied, holding onto her hand. He turned his attention to the front door as both Willow and Buffy came in.



“How is she?” Brin asked as she approached them.



“As well as can be expected,” Giles answered. “Brin... there’s not much we can do right now. You do understand that don’t you?”



“But, she’s in so much pain,” Brin whispered. “Surely there’s something you can do?” she asked, staring into his face and hoping for a miracle.



Giles sighed, “If there was anything I could do... I would do it in a heartbeat.” Giles knew that something had to give and soon. He didn’t think Tara’s body could handle this much longer. “Elisa!” he said suddenly, as an idea burst in his mind.



“Yeah?” Buffy replied only after Giles had said her name a second time.



“Come with me,” he told her as he left Tara on the couch. Willow readily took his place and took hold of Tara’s hand. As soon as they had walked into the kitchen, Giles got a glass of water. “Buffy, I need you to go upstairs. In my medicine cabinet I have a bottle of sedatives...”



“Excuse me?”



“You never know when you need to sedate someone Buffy,” he told her. “Bring me two tablets,” he said as he got another glass of water.



“Giles,” Buffy hissed, “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?” she asked, figuring out what he was going to do.



“Buffy,” he sighed. “We don’t have any other choice,” he stated as he put his hand on her shoulder. “I can not allow Tara to go through this pain any longer. There’s no reason for it.”



Buffy realized that he was probably right and nodded her head in agreement. “How long will they be out?”



“At least six hours. It should give Tara’s body time to recover from the immense stress it’s going through.”



“But why Will?” she asked.



“Suffice to say, I can’t have Brin up and about while Hannah’s unconscious.



“That would not be good,” Buffy agreed.



“I have a feeling that Brin would not be at all happy about the situation,” he said resignedly.



“Right. Okay, I’ll be right back,” Buffy told him. She exited the kitchen and made her way upstairs. She caught a quick glimpse of Willow and Tara on the couch; Willow was holding onto Tara’s hand before placing a kiss on the other girl’s forehead.



‘This better work,’ Buffy and Giles silently echoed.



CHAPTER 26- Never A Doubt



On opening the medicine cabinet Buffy smirked. She wasn’t the least bit surprised by what she found.



It was just like Giles.



Everything, from the toothpaste, shaving cream, down to the razor was arranged in an orderly fashion. Buffy looked at the cap on the toothpaste and noticed it was free of any paste around it.



‘Neat much?’ she asked herself as she grabbed the bottle of tranquilizers, opened it and shook out two pills. Closing the cabinet, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. ‘She needs you,’ she said silently. She left the bathroom. At the top of the stairs, she noticed Giles speaking with Willow, and the redhead nodding. “Hey... Jules,” she called out.



“Did you find...”



“Yeah, no problem,” she answered as she went down the short flight of steps.



“Brianne, would you excuse us for the moment?”



“Of course Jules.”



Giles motioned Buffy towards the kitchen. “I take it you didn’t have any problems locating the pills?”



“In your bathroom?”



Giles patiently held out his hand. Buffy deposited the pills in his palm.



“So... how are you going to get them to take ‘em?”



Giles smiled briefly, albeit sadly, “Quite easily actually.”



Buffy crossed her arms across her chest and waited.



“Follow me,” he told her as they left the kitchen. “Brianne...”



“Yes?” she replied, quickly glancing in his direction before returning her concerned gaze to Hannah.



“It’s time,” he said simply.



Buffy watched as Willow placed herself behind Tara, supporting the other woman.



“It is time, muirn cridhe, muirn aingeal,” Buffy heard.



Tara was barely able to nod her head.



Giles placed a pill into Tara’s mouth and gave her a glass of water and watched as she drank it down. Willow immediately opened her mouth. “It won’t be long, I promise you,” he told Willow after she swallowed her pill.



Willow held onto Tara, kissing the top of head. “I love you Hannah,” she whispered.



“You are my soul Brin.”



“Umm... could I talk to you?” Buffy asked after watching silently.



“Of course.”



“Okay, what did you tell her?” she asked as soon as they walked into the kitchen.



“I simply told Brianne that I was going to give her and Hannah something that would ease not only the pain, but would allow them a chance to rest.”



“And she believed you?”



“Yes.”



“Okay... so answer me this. Why didn’t she ask you why you hadn’t given it to them earlier? Huh... I mean Giles, Tara was in a lot of pain,” she grimaced.



“She did ask me while you were upstairs.”



“And?”



“I told her it was a last minute measure, and that I wasn’t sure how it would affect either one of them.”



“And they agreed?” she couldn’t believe it.



“Yes. Brianne said she’d follow Hannah wherever she went.”



“God,” Buffy whispered in awe as she looked at the two women on the couch. “She really does love her.”



“Yes. Yes she does,” Giles answered as he cleaned his glasses. His estimation of the love the two women felt for each other soared when Brianne volunteered to take the pill as well.



Hannah had tried to talk her out of it. Brin had simply stated, ‘Do you think I could live without you?’



“What now?”



“We wait and see.”



Sighing, Buffy rubbed the back of her neck, trying to work out the knot she felt, “I had a feeling you were going to say that. How long do you think it’s going to take?” she asked, moving her gaze from the living room and back to Giles.



“I don’t suppose Tara will take very long. The poor girl’s exhausted... I should have realized something was wrong earlier.”



“Why?”



“After Willow left, we went for a walk and well, Tara started feeling a pain... in her side,” he shook his head. “I should have paid more attention...”



“Giles,” Buffy interrupted, placing her hand on his arm. “Don’t blame yourself, I have a feeling Tara wouldn’t.”



“You’re right of course. Still, I can’t help...”



“We’ve all been there at one time or another,” she said gently. “So, what about Will?”



“I’m not really sure. It depends on whether she fights it or not.”

******

Brianne knew that Jules and Elisa were talking about them, and she didn’t mind, much. They cared for her, and had grown to care for Hannah just as much. Wrapping her arms tighter against her beloved, she recalled as she watched in silent trepidation when Jules gave Hannah the potion. She never thought of backing down when he made the offer in the first place.



She smiled when she thought of how Hannah had tried to talk her out of taking it. There was never any doubt in her mind that she would follow Hannah ‘til the ends of the earth, for it was at her side that she belonged.



Where she felt at peace.



Where she felt loved beyond all comprehension.



And if these pills as Jules called them, caused them to lose their grasp on their mortal bodies... at least they will have slipped into eternity together...



As it should be.

******

“Do you wanna check on them?” Buffy asked.



Giles checked his watch, “It has been twenty minutes.”



They moved quietly from the kitchen into the living room. Buffy walked behind the couch and Giles walked towards the front. Buffy looked at them, then to Giles, she shrugged her shoulders.



‘Well,’ she mouthed.



Pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, Giles reached out and gently lifted Tara’s wrist. After a moment he cautiously did the same with Willow’s. He walked back towards Buffy.



“And?” she whispered.



“Thankfully, Tara is resting peacefully. Her pulse has gone back to normal. I’m... I’m not sure how much longer she would have been able to withstand the strain this was putting her body through.”



“And Will?”



“Willow’s fine... they both are for now.”



“So, what do we do now?”



“I’m going to call Bernard... Mr. Cooke,” he clarified seeing Buffy’s look. “He’s been assisting me in finding out more information. I’ll see if he has anything else to add.”



“Is there anything I can do?”



“I’m afraid that there’s really nothing either of us can do at the moment,” he said as he gazed into Buffy’s eyes, “However, never doubt that your presence has not been a help. It has. It’s up to them right now.”



CHAPTER 27- Family Matters



Hannah felt a soothing cloth being placed on her forehead. She opened her eyes, blinking for a few seconds, trying to figure out what had happened.



“Hannah, can you speak?”



“Is she alright?”



“I think so. I’m not sure.”



“Brin...” she whimpered, as the voices she’d heard began to fade around her.



“I’m here.”



“Good.”

******

Brin watched fretfully as Hannah drifted away again.



The birthing process had been extremely difficult for Hannah. So much so, that she had passed out, much to everyone’s concern. Brin had taken position behind Hannah trying to support the other woman in any way she could.



The wail of a crying baby could be heard in the background, yet Brin had steadfastly refused to look at the child until Hannah was strong enough to do so herself.



“Brianne...”



“Yes Jules,” she replied, without turning her gazed from her beloved for even a moment.



“Lord Germaine is asking for you...”



“To the Devil with him!” she called out.



“Brin...”



“No Gus. He’s the reason she’s gone through all this... pain,” she told him.



“Brin...”



“No!” she snapped as she turned to face her friends, her family. They were all there.



There had been a few tense moments on her part, when she worried about how they would react when she finally told them about her relationship with Hannah. She had been completely surprised when Nessa told her that she had known for quite some time, and that what had taken her so long.



Then, Nessa had gone ahead and asked questions about the more intimate aspects of their relationship. All of which Hannah took in stride... most of the times. Again, there were the instances when Brin could hardly contain her laughter when Hannah became flustered by something Nessa had asked.



Now, she stared them down, daring them to say another word.



“He’ll come looking for you,” Elisa said quietly. “And if he does...”



“You don’t want him here, not now,” Gus told her.



Brin looked away, knowing they were right.



“Argh!!! Fine. I’ll go. Nothing, but nothing will keep me from Hannah’s side when she wakes.”



“We’ll get word to you somehow,” Greer said as he held the door open.



Brin nodded once. Taking a moment she bent down and placed a kiss on Hannah’s forehead. “Promise that you’ll wait for me,” she whispered, before she hurried out of the room.



Her mind was in turmoil. She wanted to stay at Hannah’s side. She needed with every part in her body to hear the other woman’s voice once again. Heaven help Lord Germaine if something happened while she was away.



She strode purposefully down the steps, ignoring the glances from members of the staff. Some of them had come with the newly arrived Lady Germaine. Neither Brin nor Hannah had seen much of the mistress of the manor. Every one of their friends had taken a task that usually fell to Hannah.



Lord Germaine, as far as Brin knew, had not seen Hannah since that fateful afternoon nine months ago. And if Brin had any say in the matter, he never would again.



She stood defiantly in front of the door that led to the study. Taking a deep breath, and forcing down her anger, she reached out and opened the door. She stepped into the room and saw him.



‘Do not let him get to you,’ she told herself as she quashed all thoughts of revenge from her mind. She entered the room and stood silently as Germaine spoke with the games keeper.



“You know what to do if you find any more poachers.”



Brin watched as the other man nodded.



“That’s all for now.”



“M’lord.” The games keeper said as he left the room.



She waited while Germaine wrote in a book. She knew she couldn’t say a word until he acknowledged her presence.



“Are you going to stand there all day?” he said interrupting her thoughts.



“You sent for me M’lord?”



“I’ve heard... things, from the lady of the manor,” he began as he continued to write. “Normally, I don’t listen to a word that comes out of her mouth. No need. She’s only a woman. However,” he paused momentarily to look at her, while sprinkling sand on the book.



Brin thought she had seen a glimpse of disgust cross his features.



“She’s been very insistent on bothering me. So much so that I’ve had no choice but to listen.”



Brin watched as he blew the sand off the page and closed the book. He then proceeded to pour himself a drink.



“Is it a boy or a girl?” he asked suddenly.



“I beg pardon?”



“The bastard,” he replied, swallowing his drink. “Boy or girl,” he added with distain.



“I...”



“Oh don’t bother denying it. I’m quite surprised that you would actually try to hide it,” putting the glass down he stood up, placing both of his hands flat on the desk. “I’ll ask you once again, and this time, I expect an answer. If not... I’ll have to go looking for myself. And, I promise you this. I won’t be a very happy man. Now,” he took a breath, “is it a boy or girl?”



“I don’t know, and that’s the truth.”



“You must take me for a fool,” he said as he walked around the desk. “Do you expect me to believe that you don’t know? That the whore you lie with has had a child, and you don’t know?”



Brin clenched her jaw and prayed for strength not to attack Lord Germaine. How dare he call Hannah that. She had the purest soul she had ever run across in her life. And to be vilified by him, was outrageous.



“Yes, that’s right, hate me. See if I care. I could take the child from her and there would be nothing either of you could do. As there was nothing she could do to stop me...” Brin waited as he paused. “from taking her whenever I wanted. Tell me... does she move for you? Hmm, even the slightest bit? She didn’t for me. Laid there like a piece of wood... all except for the blasted tears she kept crying.”



“What???” she croaked as her mind refused to focus. She could not have heard him correctly. No, Hannah would have told her, or would she?



“Ah... she never told you? More is the pity. Well I do hope you get more out of her than I did. Now, I’m off to see the bastard.”



Brin barely registered that Germaine was heading to the door.



“You dare put your hands ...on me??”



She didn’t remember turning around and grabbing him by the arm. Unable to form words, she did as her heart demanded. She slapped him. Stunned by her own actions, Brin watched as Germaine touched his lip.



He smiled at her.



“Hurting you would be too easy. The child on the other hand...”



“NO!!!”



Brin threw herself at him, digging into his skin with her fingers. She heard him cry out as she bit his hand.



“You stupid bitch!!” he cried out as he began to fight back.



“You bastard!!!!”



Brin was a massive ball of pain. It hurt to breathe, she could taste blood in her mouth. Germaine had easily flung her off of him, and the beating began. He had kicked her while she was on the floor, after he had punched her in the face.



“I’m going to gut the kid in front of her face,” he told her as he yanked on her hair forcing her head back painfully. “And it will be all your fault you fucking whore.”



Germaine left the room and was walking down the hall, bellowing out for both Gus and Greer.



She slowly pushed herself up, wincing, her right side felt on fire. She fought back the blackness that threatened to pull her under. She had to hurry. Gasping aloud, she made her way after him.



No matter how she felt, she knew that he would do exactly what he’d stated. He would kill the child, blood or not. And that thought alone shoved the pain to the background.



Her eyes ablaze with fight...



And anger.



How stupid could she be?



How did she ever allow herself to believe that Germaine had only taken advantage of Hannah once? Her mind went to each time Hannah had told her that she wasn’t feeling well. Each time Hannah had winced, saying that she had hurt herself somehow.



How foolish was she?



How blind had her love for Hannah made her?



Now, Germaine was determined to complete the destruction of her family.



And they were a family.



Perhaps not in the eyes of the Church, but in their hearts, where it counted most of all, they were a family.



Jules surprised them on the evening of their hand-fasting ceremony. He had given them bracelets that they both wore, swearing never to take off. He had said that he could tell by looking at them that their love had been destined. And why would he stand in the way of destiny.



Why indeed.



The only thing Brin had to her advantage was that Germaine had no idea where Hannah and the child were in affect, hiding. He would most likely start his search in Hannah’s quarters.



And she would be waiting for him when he left.

Edited by: BytrSuite at: 3/25/03 9:32:13 pm

[glasswrks]

I'm not really sure why Chapter 27 has been edited. The font being used for that particular section was one I selected. I used it to show that we were in the past.

[BytrSuite]

The different font was edited out because we don't allow them. From the FAQ, #6.5:

Quote:

---

5. Do not change the fonts (color, size, face etc.) of your messages. We will edit you if you insist on making all your posts stand out by using different fonts. Different fonts are allowed but only to highlight certain things occassionally. Do not abuse the fonts!

---

Just state that it is set in the past.

________
"Oh, good, my dog found the chainsaw."

[funkyasian]

another amazing few chapters...definitely worth the wait between updates...it seems that the line between willow/tara and their counterparts are blurring more and more...what will happen when they wake?



can't wait for more...



~steph

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul. ~ Oscar Wilde

[justin]

I've only just found this fic, but I read it through in one go.



It's very good. I'm looking forward to the next update.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[Stroke of Luck]

Great update



But I can´t say how much I had this Lord Germaine



Brin, Hannah and the child would be safe???

Don´t let them hurt too much



Cu

SoL/Natti



Man sieht nur mit dem Herzen gut, das Wesentliche ist für die Augen unsichtbar - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

[Grimlock72]

Hmm... haven't figured out who Germaine is in the current world yet (which most likely means I'll have to read the story again 'cos that doesn't sound right). Surely Willow/Brin should be able to do better than just 'scratch' his face a bit, she has faced vampires you know



Much as I don't like the idea I think Germaine will take the baby away. Either that or Willow & Tara return to current-time real fast. After all, how long can you NOT look at your own child ? Why did the 'lady of the manor' insist on telling about the baby anyway, it's not like Germain really *wanted* to hear that... if he's to be believed on his word...hmm....never mind .



Ah well, at least Tara is out of (imagined) (physical) pain for now. Thats worth something too.



Grimmy

"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine