Comments then the update. It’s longer, lighter, and I hope funnier. shuyaku – I’d say I’m sorry that it made you cry but that would be a big fat lie. I’m glad it touched you in a deep way. And yes and yes about your thoughts about the time limit on grieving. Happier times coming up. The next post will be happier or at least funnier I think.
Mary – I didn’t know if I wrote that line well enough to really communicate so I’m glad it made sense. Yeah: Zombie Tara very gross (though look at Justin’s thoughts above: very funny). Thanks for your professional appreciation (both as a writer and therapist).
Feline Thoughts – Coming in a few minutes.
Insanity – Believe me when I say that your English is much better than my anything else.
Puff – Yes the wishes always had her dying anyway. Says something about fate and predestination doesn’t it? Maybe that was her day? I don’t know. And yes AU Tara (actually I think of her as AU-squared since the first one is AU from cannon).
Title – Paths Diverged/Divulged Part 3–
Changes Author– JustSkipit - Debra
Spoilers–Season 6
Rating– Part 3 - PG
Disclaimer – Guess what, I don’t own W&T, Buffy or the rest of the BtVS crew. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental and fortunate.
Also the circle casting is the one my partner uses. She says she originally got it from a book but can’t remember which one. Might be from Starhawk? Either way, it’s copied from somewhere. (no offense intended oh great author).
Thoughts in italics!Flashbacks and dreams indented As she heard the front door slam shut Dawn realized that she had not heard Buffy come home. Xander called from the bottom of the stairs: “Dawn? Buffy?” Wiping the sleep from her eyes she took in the sight of the young man at the door to her room. “All these to go?” he asked quietly. Xander had realized after calling out to the Summers sisters that he didn’t want to wake Willow. At Dawn’s nod he began carrying the boxes to his car.
Dawn meanwhile got up and went into the bathroom to get ready for her morning. She had to be at school early and turn in a history paper. Leaning against the mirror was an envelope with “Dawn” written across the front.
Oh Buffy must have not wanted to wake me she concluded as she carried the envelope back into her room and sat on the bed to open it.
Dawn,
I’m only writing one note but I hope you will share with the others what I say here. I can’t thank you enough for all the love and support you have given me these last three months. Ok, more than the last three months: ever and always. Our family has always been so strong, so stable. All the family I’ve ever needed.
I can’t even describe the pain I’ve felt since Tara died. I can’t even believe I just wrote those words. Do you know that’s the first time I’ve written or said those words? I miss her so much. I wish that level of pain on no one. Not Glory or Warren or the most evil evil vampire ever. No one should ever have to live like this: feeling this pain and absence. I pray for you that you find your soul mate and know the absolute completion that comes with your joining but I also pray for you that you never lose that mate.
I’ve now done both. Found and lost my soul mate. Finding was the most wonderful thing ever. It made the existence of the world worth it. For it meant that I had Tara and Tara’s love and she had mine.
And here’s the hard thing to say: that’s why I have to go and find her. Don’t worry: it sounds crazy and like I’m going to kill myself but that’s not it. I am going to find her and bring her back. Tell the others that I’ve gone but not forever. I will come back and bring her with me and everything will be as it was.
I love you all and could never have expected or deserved or wanted such great friendship and family.
Love Willow Rosenberg
PS: Tara always knew how much you loved riding Chestnut. Please either take care of her as Tara would have or contact Donnie about returning her to the farm. Tears streamed down Dawn’s face as she read and reread the letter. Walking into the room Xander was immediately drawn to the young girl. “What’s wrong Dawnie?” he asked.
Dawnie gulped as she attempted to speak, “W-w-w-w-…” she trailed off. Patiently the carpenter waited for her answer and after a few deep breaths she began again, “Will….” Frustrated she held out the letter for Xander to read himself. As he finished she summarized, “she’s going to kill herself to be with Tara.”
Xander took a deep breath as he read the letter again, “she says she’s not.”
Dawn looked at the young man with complete exasperation. “Are you really that stupid Xander? What do you think she’s going to do?”
Xander shook his head as he thought about it. “I don’t know but I’m not convinced that my best friend is going to off herself. We have to find her. Come on,” he urged the teenager.
Within the hour the Scooby gang was gathered in the living room of the Summers house. Each member of the group had read the note repeatedly. Although they were scared for their friend, each agreed that she didn’t intend to kill herself. Even Dawn had been convinced that the note didn’t hold a suicide message. Nonetheless they agreed that her use of magic in such a state could be just as dangerous. “Anya can you find her?” Buffy finally asked.
Anya closed her eyes as she concentrated on Willow’s image and energy. After a few seconds she opened them to inform the group, “she’s cloaked. I can’t find her.”
Buffy started toward the door giving instructions, “ok. Then we split up and find her. Giles you go to the Magic Box and university. Xander and Anya check with the demons and see if anyone has seen her. Dawn and I are going to the high school to look for her. Everyone meet back here by dinner time.”
“Uh Buffy?” Anya interjected just as everyone was leaving. “Ok, I know no one appreciates what I have to say any more now that I’m a vengeance demon again than before but … well… if she’s cloaking, you may not be able to see her even if you find her.”
“Come again?” Xander prompted his ex-girlfriend.
“Not with you chicken,” she shot back. “I said you may not be able to see her even if you find her.”
“So she may be like invisible?” Buffy asked.
Anya thought for a moment before answering, “not necessarily invisible. It’s kind of like parallel to you. If she’s cloaking you may walk right up to her or through her and never know she was there. Or never know the building is there or whatever.” Anya turned to Giles for help with the explanation.
Giles sighed exasperatedly as he echoed the demon, “I don’t know how to explain it better than Anya has.” Thinking of the only advice he could he added, “try to listen closely and not just with your ears.” With that the confused and desperate group all set out to look for their friend.
---
Willow reached the crypt before sunrise. She had the added advantage of never sleeping well. After sleeping only an hour or less she had lain in bed formulating her plan. Then she had waited for Buffy to return home and for the sound of the slayer’s Vagnerian snores echoing throughout the house before quickly packing a bag and slipping quietly out the front door. A quick stop for supplies at the Magic Box and running a few more errands and she still reached Spike’s crypt as the sun was coming up. Knowing how Anya loved her money, she left some in the jar by the cash register with a list of what she had taken. Since no one had seen the bleached vampire in months she figured that his crypt would be as good a place as any for her ritual--unless one of her friends found her there.
She didn’t expect the actual ritual to take long but always liked to check and recheck her preparation. If there was one thing she had learned from Tara… no that was not something she could ever narrow down. But she had learned from the blonde witch to take her magics seriously and prepare for any ritual with an appreciation to nature and all the elements. As soon as she arrived she drew the necessary markings on the floor of the crypt and cloaked herself. Unless she had done something wrong with the magic, her friends would not be able to find her until her concentration and determination broke or she wanted to be found, not even Anya.
Taking a breath as she realized that she now had more time to prepare for the more complicated ritual, she carefully laid out the spell ingredients and implements. From her bag she pulled two Xeroxed pages from two books. She would have liked to take both books with her but needed to travel light on her journey. Carefully following the instructions on the two combined spells and her notes written along the margins of the pages, she placed the chicken feet and colored sand around the crypt. She created a circle just large enough to sit in. Although she needed to fit into the circle, she wanted to have to control as small an area as possible.
After checking, double checking, and triple checking her work she determined that it was as good and thorough as she could make it. If this didn’t work, it never would. She folded the pages and replaced them in her backpack and pulled from it the envelope she had found the day before. Stepping into the circle she created in her mind’s eye a clear image of the Tara she had met only once. The mental image was very easy to create since both Taras looked identical. Carefully she pulled the hair band from the envelope and replaced the envelope in her bag. Holding it in her two hands she stroked the strands of blonde hair stuck in the leather and glistening in the beam of sunlight now splitting the circle as it slashed through the windows of the crypt.
“By the Earth that is her Body.
By the Air that is her Breath.
By the Fire that is her Spirit.
By the Waters of her Womb.
The Circle is cast.”
As she completed the words of her casting she felt the air within the circle change. The symbols began to glow as did the border of the circle as it created an incandescent curtain rising from the painted circle to the ceiling of the crypt. As she felt the power rise in and around her, the red haired witch began the incantation for her spell. She stroked the band and the hair and concentrated on her destination as she chanted:
The sea to the river.
The mother to the child.
Nu-Eyrishon. Doh-tehenlo. Diprecht.
Meh-uhn. K’shala. Eyrishon.
With each word the sparkling and glow from the symbols and the air within the column of her circle intensified until she had to close her eyes against the brilliance. When the light was as bright as she felt she could possibly stand it… she waited another five seconds. Just as it felt that the light was about to burn a whole through her eyelids she poured the sand onto both her hands.
As she closed her eyes she was once again presented with a jumble of images: Tara and Michelle walking slowly across the Brenhams campus; Tara riding; Tara and Eliza singing together; Tara sitting in class; the blonde working on an injured animal. Suddenly the light exploded throughout the crypt. And as quickly, it was gone as the crypt was cast into semi-darkness with only the light coming through the dormer windows illuminating the space. Exhausted and very confused from the spell, Willow nonetheless had the wherewithal to uncast the circle before succumbing to her exhaustion.
The redhead woke hours later disoriented. Looking around she was able to locate herself in Spike’s crypt. It appeared to be late afternoon by the angle of the sun coming through the high windows. Glancing around she noted only the backpack she had carried into the circle with her. She took as a good sign that none of the Scoobies had found her while she slept. If she had woken in her bed at the Summers house she would have known that the spell didn’t work. As it was, she didn’t know just what had happened.
Silently she moved directly under the light from the window. She judged that she had approximately 2-3 hours of daylight left in which to look up her friends and find a safe place to spend the night. She took the time to open her backpack and assess the contents. She had packed light bringing only what she felt was absolutely necessary. The small interior zipper pocket contained her identification, various other documents, and a large amount of money in traveler’s checks as well as cash. Before coming to the crypt she had stopped at the bank to withdraw all of her money so she would have a stake in her journey. She certainly expected to need it.
The larger pocket contained her computer, a change of clothes, a toothbrush, a few pictures of her friends and Tara, and a few other items she wanted to keep with her. Ensuring that everything in the bag had made the trip successfully
if you have made a trip at all her brain reminded her, she replaced the backpack on her back, opened the door and looking to see that no one was watching her, exited the crypt.
Walking through Sunnydale she attempted to assess the town. Did it look different? Was that bus stop always there? Do expressos usually cost $3.15? Was the clock tower working or not working yesterday? It was amazing to her to realize just how little she knew about her town when it became necessary to notice every detail. For the most part, she could not tell if she was home or somewhere else.
It took about 15 minutes walking to reach Revelo drive. As she walked slowly up the sidewalk, she looked at the Summers house. Taking a deep breath she ascended the few stairs to the porch and knocked on the door. After a few minutes she heard a voice with an English accent yelling and the door was roughly pulled open. She fully expected to see Spike hiding under a blanket but instead was greeted by a young man she had never seen before. “You the pizza?” he asked.
Willow opened and closed her mouth as few times as she thought about the question. “Hey there birdie,” he addressed her, “are you the pizza delivery?”
Finally Willow found her voice and answered, “no. Not the pizza.” She looked over the young man and surreptitiously into the foyer of the house. “Uh, is Buffy here?”
“Buffy?” the young man parroted. Even as he spoke the name sounded ridiculous coming from his mouth.
“Or Dawn?” Willow amended.
“Is this a joke or what?” he asked.
“No,” Willow explained. “No joke. My friends Buffy and Dawn used to live here.”
Seeing the pizza truck finally pulling up in the driveway he began pulling bills from his pocket. “We’ve been living here four years now. Never heard of a Buffy or Dawn.” As he saw the look on her face, a look of surprise, he added, “are you ok sweetie? Do you want to come in and have a bite of pizza?” He held up the box as he made the offer.
Silently Willow shook her head as she turned and went down the stairs. Turning once at the bottom of the steps she looked at the door and the windows.
Ok, the spell took me somewhere. Now the question is where and what’s different here? And can I get to Tara from here? Walking the necessary few blocks she came to her own house next. The sign on the mailbox read “Rosenberg” so at least she knew it was her parents’ home. However, the windows were dark and there were no cars in the driveway. She knew her parents could be at dinner or they could be gone for three months to Brazil or Germany. She found the shortcut to Xander’s house worn bare and slipped under the loose board that she had used thousands of time throughout her childhood. She knocked on the back door but heard only drunken screams from inside the house.
Yep, definitely the Harrises she observed. She attempted to look through the windows of the basement to see if Xander might still be there but found them coated with grime and dust.
Noting the decreasing light she walked quickly to the Espresso Pump for a cup of coffee and a sandwich to go. After tucking them in her backpack she moved quickly to the final stop she could make. If this stop was unsuccessful, she would get a motel for the night and ensure that she told the owner she wanted to own it for the night so her room would be a barrier against vampires. She figured she had an hour to find a place to spend the night. Given the toll her casting had taken on her, she didn’t want to have to battle the undead and creatures of the night for a little rest.
Eating as she walked she came down the steps to the courtyard of Giles’ apartment. As she saw the figure sitting at the table in the center of the courtyard she recognized her immediately. “Dawn,” she breathed out excitedly as the teenager turned toward her. Willow stopped for a moment to take in the girl’s appearance. Her hair was longer than usual with a few pink and blue strands decorating it near the front. She wore a tight black T-shirt with the name of a rock band lettered across her chest and a black leather band around one wrist. Her jeans had that “professionally torn” look and she wore a heavy black belt. Her makeup was the most shocking part of her appearance and Willow knew that neither Buffy nor Tara would have ever let the teenager out with that appearance. “Yeah,” the teenager answered popping her gum.
Willow came down the steps to enter the courtyard and pull out a chair. As she did she let out a deep breath. “Boy am I glad to see you. I mean boy am I glad to see someone. I was really starting to wonder. But now here you are and here I am. And don’t be too worried or anything because there’s a good explanation and I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here,” the redhead babbled as she took off her backpack and laid it on the table.
Dawn leaned back in her chair looking Willow up and down before speaking, “actually I’m wondering who the fuck you are and how you know my name.”
Willow smiled as she heard Dawn’s language. “Dawnie,” she admonished, “Buffy would wash your mouth out for using language like that.”
“Yeah right Buffy,” the teenager snorted. “That name’s really inspiring me with fear of mouth washing or whatever.”
“Uh Dawnie,” Willow started. “Did something happen between you and Buffy?”
Dawn didn’t answer the witch’s question but asked her own: “Can I ask you something?” As Willow nodded she continued: “Did you hit your head or something? Or as Giles would say, ‘did you hit your bloody head or something?’” She giggled as she did the Giles impression, completing it by pretending to remove her glasses and clean them with a handkerchief.
Before Willow could answer she heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see a pair of black leather pants descending, followed by a midriff black tank top, with a black denim jacket. Her initial reaction was lusty as the hot body came down the stairs. However, her next emotion was terror as Faith’s head was clearly and permanently attached to the hot body continuing down the stairs. Quickly Willow stood from her chair to move between the teenager and the dark-haired slayer who was still moving casually down the stairs. The witch addressed the slayer attempting to sound confident while still blocking Dawn from Faith’s view: “Faith!”
“Yeah?” Faith questioned as she moved toward the pair now standing near the table.
Willow began frantically babbling as she noted the slayer advancing. She knew that the slayer was dangerous; after all she had killed both people and demons in her work for the mayor and had almost killed both Giles and Buffy years earlier. “Faith,” she stalled, “what are you doing out? I mean what are you doing here? I mean what’s up and what do you need? I’m sure Giles is here somewhere so I wouldn’t try anything.” She felt pretty useless that her magic was so tapped out that she couldn’t protect Dawn from Faith.
The dark-haired slayer didn’t stop moving toward Willow although she raised her eyebrow curiously. Willow didn’t see Faith wink at Dawn as she began answering, “kind of a babble-fest when you’re around isn’t it?”
Willow answered nervously, “well yeah, I babble. I do babble. I mean sometimes I babble when I’m nervous or scared or whatever. Not that I’m scared or anything now but ok kind of nervous because I have all these questions like what are you doing here? And what do you want with Dawn?”
Smirking Faith pulled up a chair across the patio and swung her legs up onto the table as she began to speak: “how about I ask you two questions instead of answering yours?” Willow could tell that wasn’t the question she was supposed to answer so she just waited. As she waited she glanced to Dawn to ensure that the teenager wasn’t scared. When Faith had come after Joyce and Dawn after waking from her coma it had really scared the teenager and Willow wanted her to know that she was safe. Apparently she really trusted the red haired witch as she had a very amused smile across her face. After glancing from Willow to Dawn and back Faith asked her questions: “Ok my two questions: who the fuck are you and what are you doing standing by my sister?”
Giggling Dawn answered Faith, “that’s what I said too.”
Faith moved closer as she smiled at the younger girl asking, “what did she say?”
As Willow sat heavily into the chair Dawn explained, “something about my mouth and soap.”
At that Faith and Dawn both burst out laughing and sat at the table with the stunned redhead. Through her laughter Faith reminisced, “do you remember that time mom tried to wash my mouth out?”
Holding her side Dawn obviously remembered that event: “yeah. I don’t think she knew you could kick that hard or run that fast until then.”
“And she was so shocked when she wanted to chase me but you stole her keys and tossed them on the roof,” Faith agreed.
“You know what I remember about it the most?” Dawn laughed. Seeing that Faith was laughing too hard to answer she continued, “we learned those two new words from her that day.”
With her laughter just starting to fade the slayer agreed, “yeah the ones that started with C. At least we can’t say she never taught us anything.”
Finally Willow spoke, “you’re sisters?” Her disbelief was obvious in her tone, starting the other two girls on another laughfest.
“All my life,” Dawn finally answered as she blew a playful kiss at her older sibling. Looking at the two older girls she decided to try to get somewhere, “back to the point: who the fuck are you?”
“Wait, let me guess,” Faith said, “Dawn called and ordered a delivery from ‘cute redheads are us.’” Turning to her sister she teased the younger girl, “I didn’t think she’d be your type D.”
The younger girl sneered back at her sister, “she’s not my type you know that.” Appraising the confused witch she decided to join in with Faith’s fun: “definitely looks like your type though F.”
“They’re all my type D,” Faith shot back.
“I’ve noticed,” Dawn answered.
“Hey,” Willow finally interjected, “I’m right here.”
“Why is that?” Faith asked her rudely.
Willow blew out a deep breath as she glanced around the courtyard noticing the growing darkness. “Does Giles live here? I came to see him but I never made it that far.”
Dawn laughed as she answered, “of course he lives here. I was sitting here studying all afternoon.”
“You were reading Tiger Beat,” Willow contradicted.
“Probably Cosmo,” Faith teased her sister.
Standing up and moving toward the door Dawn waved her notebook which clearly had a magazine tucked inside. “Coulda been Penthouse,” she teased as she opened the door. “Hi honey, I’m home. What’s for dinner?” she shouted through the apartment.
Willow heard Giles’ voice coming from the apartment as he obviously walked toward the door: “Dawn, I’ve told you not to scream in the house. Is your bloody sister here?” Reaching the doorway he spotted the slayer just before the seeing Willow: “Oh good Faith…” “Vampire!” he shouted as he pointed at Willow.
Faith and Willow looked at each other perplexed before looking back at Giles. “Uh Giles? Sunlight—heard of it?” Faith teased as she indicated that both girls were standing in a beam of sunlight.
Realizing that the watcher obviously didn’t think that his slayer was a vampire Willow leaned over and pressed her arm to the cross hanging around Faith’s neck. “And cross, no burning,” she added.
“How? What? How? I don’t understand,” the Englishman stammered.
Picking up her backpack and following Faith into the apartment Willow responded, “three very good questions.”
After sitting down and accepting a cup of tea from the watcher Willow sat quietly for a few minutes. As she did she realized that she had a huge head start on the man and that she should explain first. He had no inkling that she was coming and no reason to know her, while she knew how she had gotten there; she just didn’t know exactly where there was. Looking across the room she spotted Faith and Dawn thumb-wrestling. “Does Faith need to go patrol?” she asked.
“What? Uh patrol? Patrol for what?” Giles responded completed lost as to how Willow knew that Faith needed to patrol.
As if on cue Faith stood and grabbed her jacket. “So I’m heading out for that walk now. Ok if the kid stays here till I get back? I’ll take her home after ok?” Giles nodded and Faith headed out the door.
In the meanwhile Dawn stood up and waved her notebook at the pair. “I’m going to watch your TV upstairs so you two can discuss research or whatever,” she called out from the stairs. Stopping for a minute she addressed Willow, “you look like the big-research type.”
Willow sputtered for a minute as Dawn continued up the stairs humming the tune to some idiotic song from a boy band. She was jolted from her thought by Giles’ question, “you are Willow: am I right?”
The redhead looked back toward Giles as she nodded, “yes I’m Willow Rosenberg. But I’m not the same one you know.” She continued, “or knew?”
Giles took another sip of the tea as he confirmed her question: “knew. Or knew of. I only had one direct interaction with her and a few very fleeting ones.” His features clouded as he remembered. “I’m still not sure why you are here or how,” he indicated. Although he clearly remembered the other Willow it was obvious to the redhead that she would have to explain herself.
Taking a deep breath the witch spoke, “I’m sorry to not explain better. I’m from somewhere… somewhere else. In my reality you and I are friends. We work together with Buffy Summers who is the slayer and you are her watcher."
Although his face showed little surprise that Willow knew about slayers and watchers he still interrupted the girl to contradict her, “Buffy Summers isn’t my slayer. She never was.” He stopped short of pointing out that Faith was his slayer.
“Maybe that’s what’s different,” Willow muttered under her breath.
“What?” Giles asked.
“I said maybe that’s what’s different here,” Willow explained. “I’m trying to figure out what changed this world from the one I’m from and maybe that’s it.”
Giles nodded as he thought about it. “Perhaps we can figure it out if we discuss the details,” he explained. “In the meantime, I assume you want to go back?”
“What? What?” Willow started as the watcher suggested it. Taking a deep breath she explained, “I don’t want to go back. Not right now anyway.” As Giles fixed her with a questioning look she explained: “I lost something, someone very important to me there.” Her tears starting to fall she continued, “I need to see if she’s here. I know it’s probably stupid. She might not be here or I might not be able to find her or maybe she’s bad like I was or something but I have to look. I have to try.”
Giles reached out and touched the witch’s hand as she spoke gently, “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Looking back up Willow smiled, “thanks.”
“But why did you come here?” He motioned toward his apartment.
“I…I…I,” Willow started but couldn’t complete the thought. As she searched for the answer she explained, “I went looking for Buffy but she wasn’t there and I checked my house but no parents and no Xander at his house so I came here. It’s the only other place I have.”
Giles nodded his head in understanding as he started to realize just how lost this girl truly was. She had apparently come here intentionally with no understanding of just how this world was different from her own. “Perhaps you can tell me a bit about your friends from your world?” he prompted.
Willow thought about it and agreed: “that’s a good idea I guess. Buffy Summers moved here her sophomore year. You were the high school librarian and her watcher. Xander and I were friends from infancy and started hanging out with her and helping her with slaying. We called it the Scooby gang,” she remembered fondly. “Sometimes other friends or dates joined in. For a while I dated a boy named Oz and Xander dated a girl named Cordelia who both helped throughout high school. With some changes in the cast of characters we’ve been fighting one demon or apocalypse after another since then.” She realized that her summary was quite short but really didn’t know which points to stress. She couldn’t tell if anyone here was aware of Dawn’s unusual origin and didn’t want to bring it up in case.
Giles listened in fascination. The differences between the world that this girl was describing and his were amazing. Seeing that she waited for an answer her contrasted his story: “that’s quite different. I was still am the librarian at Sunnydale High. But Buffy Summers was never my slayer. Oz helped me fight vampires for years before Faith arrived along with a boy named Larry and a girl named Nancy. All are gone now.”
As he swallowed Willow couldn’t tell if the kids were dead or just moved away. She reached out and touched his hand lightly offering the same consolation: “I’m sorry.”
Swallowing heavily he decided to continue: “About four years ago Cordelia was attacked outside the bronze. She said something about Buffy, that Buffy should be here.” He was silent for a few minutes and Willow waited. At first she thought that he was remembering her fondly but she realized that he didn’t want to say something.
“Please go on Giles,” the witch urged.
“She was killed by two vampires. They were brutal and vicious killing machines and lovers,” he explained. Willow wondered why this part of the story detail was important but listened patiently. “They had been vampires only two years at the time but had already garnered quite a reputation both individually and as a team.” Seeing that she was engrossed in the story he continued, “there names were Xander Harris and Willow Rosenberg.”
“Oh Goddess,” Willow exclaimed. She looked around fearing that she would be sick but swallowed it down. “I killed Cordelia here?”
Giles nodded seeing how upset the news had made the young woman. “There’s more?” He spoke not sure if she was up to hearing it. The girl did not look good and he doubted that she had had much sleep lately. Willow nodded and waved her hand and Giles continued: "I’ll summarize: I called Buffy’s watcher and we got a visit from her. She and I and a vampire named Angel attacked the plant. It sounds strange but Angel was a good vampire or at least he fought on our side but he had been the Master’s captive for many years. The Master was the head vampire around here.”
Willow nodded as she explained, “Angel was Buffy’s boyfriend in our world. She killed the Master our sophomore year.”
Again seeing the comparison between realities Giles was thoughtful. “Interesting,” he commented. “We stormed the plant. To make a long story short: Xander killed Angel, Buffy killed Xander, the Master killed Buffy, Oz killed you, and I killed the Master.”
This time Willow didn’t just think she was going to be sick. She was sick. Grabbing the trash can at the edge of the couch she felt everything she had eaten come back up and continued dry retching for a few minutes. As she did Giles handed her a cold wash cloth which he placed on the back of her neck. “Gross,” she heard Dawn call out from upstairs.
Still recovering from the shock of Giles’ news Willow started when she heard a key turn in the lock. Giles patted her knee as he explained, “don’t worry. That’s just my wife getting home from class.” “Hello Jenn…,” was as far as Giles got before Willow lost consciousness.
---"The simplest and most popular cosmological model today predicts that you have a twin in a galaxy about 10 to the 1028 meters from here. This distance is so large that it is beyond astronomical, but that does not make your doppelgänger any less real." - Scientific American
Edited by: JustSkipIt at: 9/1/03 3:55 pm
by bluewillowwitch » Sun Jun 08, 2003 1:37 am 
JustSkipIt,
and 
to be together, happy, and live! 
But my Willow is definitely more persistent than the ME one. LOL about your zombie Tara dialog. 
That poor little girl, lost in a different timeline. I hope Giles and the others will help her!
more really soon. 
interesting that Dawn is Faith sister in the Wishverse, and that Giles is married to Jenny Calender
.
. So patience, definitely still have some.
. 
Every time I read, I laugh with it. 
at: 6/15/03 9:19 pm