Title: Reality Check 0: Rosenberg SquaredQuote:
Authors Note:
This thread consists of the 23 stories of the Reality check sequence and the ongoing RC 2018 series which starts on page 20 of the thread
Author: Mike Mullen
Rating: 18/NC-17 for sexual content
Spoilers: Season 6, and all points before
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and ME, yeah like that’s going to stop me.
Summary: A small time travel accident leads to a Season 2 Willow being pitched in to the time frame of Season 6, and encountering her future self and a certain very close friend…
Authors notes: Assuming anyone actually reads it this story is a spring board for a series I have planned called ‘Reality Check’. This will basically be a W/T arc covering Season 2-6. Yes I know, but it will make sense later.
Feedback: Just add your comments at the end of the story.
Rosenberg Squared
1. “Do What Makes You Happy”
“Here let me get that.”
“No just get the key out of my pocket.”
“This pocket?”
“Hmm, good pocket.”
“But no key.”
“Must be the other pocket.”
“Honestly you’re just terrible.”
The front door opened and Willow walked in giggling. Tara pulled the key out of the lock and closed the door, still engaging in a mock scolding of her other half, “You’re just obsessed, remember young lady we are here to study.”
“I know big paper, must work.” Willow agreed, though the paper was currently low on her list of priorities, and drew her hand across her brow, “it is kind of a sticky day though, and I think I really could do with a shower before we do anything else.” The look on Willows face as she spoke told Tara that cooling down was not what her girlfriend had in mind.
Tara wasn’t going to make it that easy for her, “Well I guess I could organise the books while you’re in there.”
Now Willow looked miserable and turned away from Tara. Stretching her hands behind her back she pointed, “But I have this one little spot on my back that I can’t reach, if someone doesn’t wash it for me I can’t get clean.” She turned back around, “You see the problem don’t you?”
Tara took pity, “Ok I’ll come and wash there.” Her fingers brushed lightly along Willows spine, “Then we get on with the paper.”
“Oh of course, absolutely.”
Tara had applied soap to every bit of Willow, including that hard to get at spot and was moving her hands over the soapy skin as Willow leaned back against the wall of the shower and wallowed in the sensation of those fingers stroking her skin.
“We really were supposed to work on that paper you know.” Tara commented as her hands slid down over Willows belly.
“I know but how often do we get to be alone? So we don’t have to worry who we might disturb if I do something like this?” Willow pressed her fingers between Tara’s thighs and found her clit, eliciting a shriek of surprise and pleasure.
Tara knew that Willow was right, living under the same roof with Buffy and Dawn there had to be degree of consideration and restraint. Sometimes though she just wanted to be able to scream out loud when Willow pushed her button, like right now. She pulled Willow against her and buried her tongue in Willows mouth; the only thing better than Willows hands was her mouth, which Willow proceeded to move down over Tara’s body, kissing and licking as she went, tracing the outlines of nipples, belly button, and the flesh of her sex. She grabbed the soap and worked her way back up rubbing it all over before dropping that and bringing their slick bodies back together, shoving her pelvis against Tara’s, feeling the heat of their contact. Willow buried her face into Tara’s neck and moaned, while Tara nibbled at her earlobe and moved her hips up and down, rubbing her sex against Willow’s. Willow pressed her mouth against Tara’s ear and whispered urgently,
“Please baby, now please, now.” Their motion became frantic and brought an orgasmic howl from Willow. Tara released Willow and lay back against the wall, panting and flushed, her legs slightly spread. Willow needed no further invitation and fell to her knees. She really did have a great mouth Tara decided, before pleasure made thinking impossible again.
Buffy kicked at a small stone lying on the path before she remembered that she was wearing her good heels, not her usual boots or sneakers. She was just so mad that she had to lash out at something, and it was a little early to go find a vamp to dust. She checked the shoe and found a small scuffmark. Perfect. The day just kept getting better and better. The job at the gym hadn’t exactly been a big payer but at least it had been something she could probably actually do. She had hoped she could offset her lack of experience by demonstrating her fitness and workout knowledge. Almost as soon as she had walked in the door she knew it wasn’t going to go well. It was the kind of place people came to pose not sweat. The interviewer seemed to be more interested in checking her out than asking questions. It wasn’t like it was a unique experience, and given that looking good in a leotard was part of the job; it could even be taken as a professional appraisal. What had really disturbed her was the sense that the guy was going through the motions, not really listening, not even really considering hitting on her. It was only afterwards when she was leaving her details with the secretary that she found out why. The woman saw the unhappy expression on her face and assured Buffy it wasn’t anything that she had done, the guy had a girlfriend who was an aerobics instructor, and he really was just going through the motions doing the interviews.
They should have left me where I was. The thought pushed itself forward again, it was never really gone, it just lurked in the back of her mind waiting for its moment, like now. She had been happy, safe and warm, and her friends had destroyed that for all the best reasons in the world. Buffy resented it. She tried not to, it was unfair on the people who cared about her so much, but on days like this when she was worrying about scuffed shoes and how she was going to put food in the fridge it was hard.
Buffy closed the front door behind her and dumped her handbag on the coffee table. The word coffee passing through her mind set her thinking that a steaming mug and something with a large dose of chocolate in it was definitely called for when she heard a muffled shriek from up the stairs. She was instantly in defence mode and opened the weapons chest she kept near the front door and selected her best axe. It was a nice all purpose weapon useful for dealing with most undead intruders. The living ones as well for that matter; for all she knew it was an old fashioned burglar. She stepped out of her shoes and padded cautiously up the stairs. She was almost to the hallway when she heard another cry and froze.
“Oh yeah baby!” Buffy knew that voice, though she had never heard it quite like that before. Buffy was mortified and wanted to run back downstairs before she eavesdropped on anything else. But the sound of her feet pounding on the treads would give away her presence and that was the second to last thing she wanted. Buffy turned and crept back down cringing at every moan and groan. She really didn’t need a blow by blow of anyone else’s sexual exploits, and it wouldn’t have mattered who it was in the shower with Willow; man or woman it would still be embarrassing.
Buffy slipped into kitchen and decided to make that cup of coffee. She was watching the kettle boil when she heard feet on the stairs and Willow calling out.
“The heck with a towel I’ll be back in a second.” Buffy was struck with panic. She grabbed the fridge door, pulled it open, and slammed it shut hard. The approaching feet stopped and then started again in the opposite direction. Buffy was sipping her coffee when a slightly damp Willow appeared wearing a bathrobe.
“Oh Buffy I wasn’t expecting you back till later, I was just…” She stopped as she caught the look in Buffy’s eyes, “Oh, um I guess you sort of know what I was doing.” She looked mortified and Buffy decided to let her off the hook.
“Will you thought you had the house to yourself, and the two of you live here, you have a right to your private life, nothing for anyone to be embarrassed about, ok?”
Willow smiled, “I’m going to go get dressed and then the three of us can sit down and talk about how the interview went.” She didn’t see the grimace that crossed Buffy’s face.
“I envy you, you know.” Buffy said and Willow stopped and turned back towards her. “I envy you and Tara.” She explained.
Willow smiled impishly, “I know a couple of nice girls I could introduce you to.”
“That’s not what I mean, I envy the way you connect, the way you two are together.”
Willow looked a little more serious, “Buffy, you will find someone, you will make a connection.” She padded back upstairs; Buffy didn’t want to tell her just how unlikely that was.
2. “Always Letting People Walk All Over Her”
Willow was wondering if this was really all her life was about, crouching behind tombstones waiting for dead people to show up. Virtue was supposed to be its own reward, but basically virtue sucked. She hadn’t been able to get the image of Buffy and Xander dancing at the Bronze, the way Buffy had been rubbing up against him. She knew that Buffy had been dealing with serious issues, and actually being kind of a bitch, still she couldn’t forget, what would happen if someday it were for real? It was wildly unlikely; Buffy was still besotted with Angel, but what if? It wasn’t about her feelings for Xander; it was the prospect of being a third wheel, of being in the way. In the year or so she had known Buffy Summers it had been scary a lot of the time, but she felt like she belonged. If she didn’t have that then what did she have? She decided to focus on what she was doing. They had been expecting a new vamp to rise from its grave and had come prepared to deal. Unfortunately Mrs Summers had decided this was the time to have a heart to heart talk so they had been really late. Sometimes it seemed like it would be simpler just to tell Buffy’s mom the truth, but how would you convince her? Stake a vampire in front of her?
The trio had arrived in the graveyard just as the vamp rose from under the dirt. It took one look at them and immediately bolted. Buffy and Xander had gone off in pursuit, and she had been left to stake out the grave in case he doubled back, and she was absolutely not going to think about the fact they had gone off together. She was armed with a cross and a couple of bottles of holy water, which eliminated the need for any speed or skill on her part. Willow wiggled trying to get comfortable against the fresh slab of granite without much luck. Her thoughts kept turning to the morose however hard she tried. Why was she doing this? Because she didn’t have a life that’s why. If she wasn’t here she would be at home, and her parents would never notice the difference either way.
Kresk didn’t think much of the graveyard either; although he had the compensations of getting to go home and a very satisfactory payment for his services. He checked the jars in their bag again; the organs were secure in their jelly, the jars still tightly sealed. Say what you like about the Mayor, he always paid promptly and generously. Still Kresk was glad to get out of this world again, it managed to be both too sunny and too cold at the same time, and far too green; vegetation should be a healthy purple. He scanned the graveyard with his multiple eyes until he found what he was looking for, an unkempt gravestone in the form of a small obelisk, that was where the exit form this place was to be found. There was a churned up pile of earth nearby but Kresk wasn’t interested, his species dissolved into oily goo on death that simply soaked into the ground, for all he knew or cared this was some strange human burial ritual.
Willow was terrified, she had peeked over the top of the tombstone at the sound of approaching feet and quickly ducked back down. It definitely wasn’t a vampire, more like one of those gargoyle statues they put on medieval churches, except someone had dropped it and not made a good job of putting it back together. It seemed to have far more eyes on its head than it really needed and not all of them matched, suggesting it had borrowed bits from somewhere else. Its hands had maybe eight fingers each, and again they weren’t a matching set. Trophies, Willow decided, some people hunted animals and hung their trophies on a wall, this demon hung them on its body, made them part of itself. It would be sort of interesting if it weren’t stood fewer than ten feet away from her. There was no way she could fight it if it spotted her, it was six and half foot or more tall and bulging with muscles, which had probably also belonged to someone else. It would rip her to pieces, and then take any of the pieces it liked with it.
Rick was running hard and yet he wasn’t out of breath, since he didn’t need to breathe anymore. It had been a serious shock to wake up in a pine box but that had passed quickly as a sense of power flowed through him, he was strong, he was invincible and he was hungry. He smashed his way free and emerged into the night. As he first caught sight of the group of teens nearby he was happy, a meal practically handed to him. Then weapons sprouted in their hands and they were waving crucifixes at him, he didn’t know what was going on and he didn’t stay around to find out. He had been run all over the graveyard and still he couldn’t lose them. As he passed several headstones he realised that he had gone in circles, he was heading right back to where he started.
Kresk opened the pouch that hung from the other side of its belt from the one containing its payment. It contained an egg shaped blue crystal the size of its hand that Kresk treated very gingerly. He wrapped both hands around it and raised it in the air, and began to intone a series of clicks and whistles. Rick came barrelling towards this bizarre sight; he hesitated until he heard the boys voice behind him, “Buffy he’s doubling back!” Rick ran on. Perhaps if they saw this bizarre creature they would be diverted and he could get clean away. It wasn’t a bad idea and if the crystal hadn’t erupted with a blinding blue light he might not have stumbled.
Willow bounded to her feet and yelled, “Look out.” It was a purely instinctual reaction, she could feel the energy of the crystal and she had a feeling something bad might happen if…
Rick staggered against the demon and knocked the crystal to the ground. Enraged the demon locked its hands around Rick's throat and twisted, the vampires head came off and Kresk held it for a moment before it and the rest of Rick turned to dust. Kresk moved to pick up the crystal, before he could do so the light erupted in a series of beams, one speared Kresk and he vanished. The crystal fell to the ground a gain and rolled, as it did so one of the beams struck a transfixed Willow.
3. “It’s Complicated”
Willow reached for a textbook and brushed over Tara’s hand as she went for the same text. She let her fingers stray over the back of her lover’s fingers. Tara turned to her and since Buffy was only in the kitchen mouthed a single silent word, insatiable. The front door slamming and a book bag hurtling across the room to land in a chair interrupted the cosy moment. The owner of the bag stomped in behind it. Dawn flung herself into the chair and sat glowering, waiting for someone to ask the question.
It was Tara who decided to act as the lightning rod, "Bad day?"
"Bad Kirsty day."
"Oh." Tara couldn't think of anything else to say. Kirsty was one of the in crowd in Dawns year, and she took every opportunity to make it clear to Dawn that she wasn't.
"She is such a primo..." Dawn paused as Buffy walked in from the kitchen, "...pain. Are you sure you couldn't put a hex on her? Just a little one?"
Willow smiled and shook her head, "Dawnie I made it through high school without ever cursing Cordelia, I think you can survive Kirsty.” Although it occurred to Willow that if she had the skill she had now back when she found out about Cordy and Xander sneaking around, well Amy might have had to share her wheel.
Tara had never met Cordelia Chase, and no one seemed keen to talk about her in any great detail. All she knew was that the girl had been a cheerleader, popular, plenty of money, and with a nasty streak a mile wide. She had also dated Xander and Willow had been responsible for their breaking up, again though details were vague. Tara became aware that Willow was frowning, and looking a little angry.
“Cordelia Chase, just cause she saved us she thinks that makes it ok, she has plenty of friends, what right does she have to muscle in on mine?” Willow didn’t seem to be aware of what she was saying, and as she finished she pitched forward, Tara grabbed her before she could fall to the floor.
Buffy and Dawn were both crouching next to Willow as Tara pulled her upright.
“Are you ok?” Tara asked anxiously.
“That was weird, yeah I’m ok now, it was just like for a moment I was really worried about Cordy stealing my friends, I haven’t felt like that for, well I never felt like that.” There was no way she was admitting to that embarrassing little insecurity from her past.
“Well we were talking about her, maybe you still have issues.” Dawn suggested, half joking. The looks she got persuaded her to shut up.
Rosenberg’s head was pounding, had she fallen asleep on her books again? No she had been out, patrolling, hiding and then, what? It was still dark, then she realised that she still had her eyes closed. She opened them and groaned, the sunlight hurt her eyes and the grass felt damp to her hands. Grass. She was lying on the grass in the graveyard right where she had been last night. That couldn’t be good she decided. She climbed to her feet and searched around to see if the others might be near by, maybe they had been zapped as well. Zapped, now she remembered. That demon and its blue crystal, however there was no sign of it either, or the dirt from the grave that the vamp had broken out. This was all bad, where was Buffy? Why had they left her…
“Yeah, she’ll be here in a while.” >
…here. Rosenberg leaned on the gravestone. What was that all about? Buffy hadn’t disappeared, well she sort of had, but not liker that. She hadn’t just seen and heard things she had felt a bruise on her forehead, the dull ache in her legs, and a nagging fear that something had happened to her best friend. Which actually did fit with her current situation. She had to find some answers; she should probably call home in case they had missed her. Rosenberg decided that she really must be out of it, because that was plain ridiculous. No there was only one place to go.
Tara had settled down to assist Dawn with her homework after packing Willow upstairs to lie down. Her sudden freak out disturbed Tara but it didn’t seem to have done any actual damage, may be they really had been over doing things lately, and Willow had been doing a lot of magic. It was a bizarre incident, though not that major by Sunnydale standards Tara decided, trying to make herself feel less concerned.
The front door burst open and Rosenberg emerged in the entrance to the living room. She stopped as she saw the two figures on the sofa. One had long brown hair and was about her age, the other was blonde and a little older, the younger one smiled, the older one frowned.
“Hey cool Will.”
“Willow you shouldn’t go doing glamour’s, they can be dangerous.”
“BUFFY!” Rosenberg’s scream silenced the pair. Buffy had been in the yard working off some steam and practicing her moves, the sound of her friend screaming a t the top of her lungs brought her running.
“What is it? What’s happening?” Rosenberg turned in relief at the familiar voice, which died as she caught sight of Buffy. It was clearly her friend, and yet it wasn’t. The hair was different, and clothes, and there was something in the eyes, something dark that Rosenberg had never seen in them before.
Willow was lying quietly on her bed with her eyes closed, she had suggested that Tara stay to keep her company, but Tara had pointed out she was supposed to rest, and that wouldn’t happen if she stayed. Reluctantly Willow had conceded the point reluctantly. She had no idea why Cordelia Chase would come to mind now. Cordy had been in LA for three years now and when Willow had gone there to share the bad news a few months back she had been surprised by the changes in Cordelia, she had almost been like a regular person. The ruckus from downstairs dragged Willow out of her half asleep state. She trudged down the stairs and saw the girl standing in the hallway, she wore her hair the way Willow used to, and then the girl sensed the presence on the stairs and turned to face, and then Willow saw it wasn’t just hair they had in common. Rosenberg stared at Willow in utter horror: she had clearly wandered into some sort of terrible funhouse. She shrieked and ran out slamming the door behind her.
Rosenberg ran as fast as she could, that girl had her face, how could she have her face, there was only one Willow…
“That’s me as vampire? It’s horrible. I’m so evil, and skanky, and…”>
…Rosenberg. Again, a moment of memory that just didn’t fit. It wasn’t a dream or a vision, it was something she remembered, she just had no idea when or where.
Buffy moved to follow the girl until Willow stumbled forward and slumped against the wall.
“Where have you been Buffy? We looked and looked but you never called, where were you.” Willow didn’t seem to be aware that Buffy was right in front of her, and then she passed out and began to slide down the wall.
Buffy held her, “Willow? Willow Rosenberg talk to me!” The stern tone worked, Willows eyes blinked opened and focused, “Really wish that would just stop.”
“That’s it I’m going after whatever that was.”
Tara stopped her, “Buffy it wasn’t a thing, that was Willow.”
4. “I Handled It Just Fine.”
Buffy and Tara supported Willow as they practically carried her to the sofa.
"Can I help?" Dawn sounded a little panicky.
Tara nodded, "There are a couple of glass jars on the front of the dresser in our room, could you fetch them?"
"It's already done." Dawn practically flew up the stairs.
"You're going to do a spell?" Buffy asked.
"Actually I was thinking a cup of herbal tea."
Willow made a face, "Couldn't I just have a soda?"
Buffy smiled at this sign of recovery and then turned her attention to the question that had been bugging her.
"Tara what did you mean that was Willow?"
Tara blushed, "It's just that when Willow is near I can feel her, and that girl felt like Willow."
Buffy was prepared to accept that if anyone could spot an authentic Willow Rosenberg it was Tara. It did kill off the idea it was a bot or a demon.
“You haven’t been zapped by any big demons with long sticks lately have you Will?” She was only half joking.
“Pretty sure not, and if I had been wouldn’t we look exactly alike? I mean that was kind of like trying to impersonate me from an old photograph.”
“Yeah I mean she looked like she was my age.” Dawn had reappeared holding two glass jars.
Willow agreed with her “Even down to the clothes, that sweater.”
“You recognized it?” Buffy asked.
“Yeah, my mom bought it for me on a trip. It was pretty expensive; of course it was two sizes two big so I looked like a dork. I did wear it on patrol, and then it got demon goo on it. It dissolved everything in the machine when I tried to wash it. Kind of stuck in my mind.”
“So our look-a-like was wearing a sweater you haven’t had in…?”
“About four or so years.”
Buffy was now truly puzzled. If it had been an attempt to impersonate Willow it was pretty poor; if it wasn’t, well what the heck was it?
“Ok so if we assume our other you, really thinks she you, but an older you, or a younger you, where was I?”
“I think you were trying to figure out what the other me would do.” Willow felt a headache coming on and she wasn’t sure if it was the dizzy spells or the conversation causing it.
“That’s right so where would you go to look for help?”
“Well if here was a bust that’s easy, Giles or Xander.”
“So that could mean the school, Giles old apartment or Xander’s parents place. Xander’s probably at work but I can call Giles at the hotel. Then we’ll have to try and cover all the bases.”
“I can help.” Dawn chipped in.
“No because you are staying here to look after Willow.”
“Hey.” Willow protested.
“No arguments, you can’t go anywhere until we figure out why you’re getting these dizzy spells, though I have an idea who’s responsible. I can’t leave you here alone, and we may need Tara’s magic skills if we track the other you down. So that’s how it going to work.”
Rosenberg was relieved that the streets of Sunnydale seemed to have remained unchanged; she could still turn a corner and find herself where she expected to be. The encounter at the house had shaken her, she had even considered the possibility that somehow it wasn’t Buffy’s house it was just a bizarre coincidence. That girl on the stairs couldn’t be a coincidence, she had Rosenberg’s face, though she seemed to have better taste in clothes, at least she was wearing the kind of things she might wear if her mom didn’t buy all her stuff and try and make her look like she was still twelve years old. It had to some sort of magic, when she had been zapped the previous night it had put some sort of curse or something on her, and there was only one person she knew who could tell her about that sort of stuff.
She reached Giles’ apartment complex and was relieved to see him sat in the courtyard poring over a newspaper.
“Giles! I’m so glad to see you everything has gone completely wacky.” Giles had stood and was looking at Rosenberg in a thoroughly bemused manner.
“Sorry I’m babbling, but I babble when I’m nervous, and I’m really nervous right now.”
Giles was glad the girl had misunderstood his reaction; despite Buffy’s warning he hadn’t really been sure what to expect, he recovered quickly and patted her on the shoulder,
“Try and calm down, Willow, tell me exactly what’s happened.”
Rosenberg nodded and explained everything that had happened since going on patrol.
Giles listened to the story and as he did so he watched the girl very carefully. He didn’t have Tara’s bond with Willow, he did however know her well and this girl had her voice, her mannerisms, and her expressions. If it wasn’t Willow then it was an impressive if somewhat out of date impersonation.
“So what do you think is going on?” Rosenberg asked as she finished.”
“I don’t know.” Giles answered honestly, “Would you mind if I tested you a little? Sort of a word association test.”
“What for?”
“Well whatever happened may have altered your perception, or affected your memory.”
“Well ok, if you think it will help.”
I’ll start with some names, Dawn.” Rosenberg shook her head.
“Tara.” Still nothing.
“Oz.”
“Like in the wizard of…?” She saw his expression, “I guess not.”
“Cordelia.”
“Now that’s one I’m not going to forget, however much I try.”
“You still resent her being part of the group.”
“She isn’t part of the group, just because she knows about the Hellmouth stuff that doesn’t make her one of the gang.” Rosenberg was emphatic, there was no way Cordelia Chase was going to worm her way into the Slayerettes, they belonged to her and the cheerleader could just butt out.
Giles found the answers revealing, they seemed to fit in exactly with whom the girl appeared to be, even if that didn’t make sense. There was one more name to try, and he hated to mention it.
“Jenny.”
“Miss Calendar?” Rosenberg’s eyes widened and she became excited, “Miss Calendar, she knows magic, she could help figure this out. We should call her.” She stopped when she saw the sombre look on Giles face. Even after all this time that loss still hurt, but her response convinced him, this was somehow Willow Rosenberg, and whatever had happened in the graveyard had somehow pushed her out of her time and place.
He was trying to frame his response when he saw someone enter the courtyard. Rosenberg caught his gaze and turned, it was the girl from Buffy’s; she had tracked her here.
“Giles that’s the girl, do you see her? I mean she is real isn’t she?”
“She is real Willow, please don’t get upset, Tara wouldn’t hurt you.”
Rosenberg looked as though she had been struck, “How do you know her name? Are you involved in this?” She wanted to run, but Tara was stood in her way.
“Willow hon…, Willow please don’t be upset, we want to help, we know something is going on, you need to trust us.”
“Trust you? I don’t even know…”
“…You.” The moment of distraction allowed Tara to reach her side, she put her hand on Rosenberg’s arm,
“Please let us help you.” Rosenberg looked into Tara’s face,
“You saved me. You helped me block that door when those things were outside.” Rosenberg stopped; she had no idea what had been outside that door, though she did though remember that sense of bonding. She didn’t know exactly why but she wanted to trust this girl, and besides where else did she have to turn?
5. “You Didn’t Do A Bunch Of Drugs Did Ya?”
The drive back to Buffy’s house was quiet. Giles was concentrating on driving and Tara wasn’t sure what to say. From what Giles had told her this might be a Willow from somewhere else in time. She had always wondered about what Willow had been like back then. She had heard all the stories about the early days of the Scooby’s, at least the ones they were willing to talk about She knew there things that were too painful even after all this time for them to discuss and Tara was eager to know everything about Willow. Still what if she told this Willow something she shouldn’t know? Though when they were in the courtyard Willow had been talking about something that sounded familiar.
As they walked through the front door Rosenberg’s anxiety level started to rise. She had found the presence of Tara oddly reassuring in the car, now as she confronted Buffy, her duplicate, and the other teenage girl Tara left her to sit with the duplicate and that reassurance evaporated.
“Did it happen again?” Tara asked Willow.
“Yeah but I’m ok, it seems to get better after a few minutes.”
“I made sure she stayed still and dind’t do anything while you were gone.” Dawn was eager to make it clear that whatever had happened wasn’t because she had fallen down on the job.
Tara looked a the teenager and smiled, “Thanks Dawnie.”
Dawnie? Dawn. That was one of the names Giles had mentioned when he was trying to figure if she was really who she said he was.
“Is somebody going to introduce me, and maybe explain what’s going on?”
Buffy looked towards Giles, and everyone else did suit; some things never changed.
“It would appear that Willow, Miss Rosenberg, remembers events up to somewhere in late 1998.”
“Which makes sense, cause it is 1998.” Rosenberg pointed out, and then saw the looks she was getting.
Buffy spoke up, “Willow the reason things seem so strange, so different, is that, well this is 2002.”
Rosenberg should have been more surprised, but it made it just seem to fit perfectly what she was experiencing, still there were things she had trouble with. There was picture on the wall, she had seen it dozens of times, and she would have sworn that it only used to contain Buffy and her mom, not that dark haired girl.
“Even if I accepted that it still doesn’t explain everything, who everyone is.”
Buffy hesitated, and Giles shrugged,
“At this point I don’t think telling her anything can make matters worse, we need to establish trust if we are going to find out how this happened.”
Buffy nodded, “Ok well I think we can skip introducing me and Giles, and you know Willow Rosenberg pretty well I would guess.”
“You’re Tara.” Rosenberg interrupted pointing towards Willow’s other half.
“That’s right I’m Tara McClay, I met you, Willow, at college.” She decided not to explain further, she wasn’t sure if the younger Willow was ready to hear the full details of their relationship.
“And I’m Dawn, Buffy’s sister.” Dawn had gotten fed up of standing quietly in the corner waiting for someone to include her.
Up to that point Rosenberg had been willing to go along with the story they were telling; it was well within the bounds of Sunnydale bizarreness. This was going a little too far.
“Buffy doesn’t have a sister and even if her mom did have another child she doesn’t get to be a teenager in four years.”
“Actually it’s only been a year, before that I was a big ball of energy.” Dawn managed to sound very blasé, as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You mean somebody made you?” Rosenberg was rapidly approaching information overload. She looked at Buffy, “And you just accepted this? And your mom as well?”
“The people who made Dawn, made her part of our lives, we remember her; far as I am concerned she’s always been my sister, and my mom accepted it too, before...”
“Before?”
“Mom passed away last year.” Buffy said it quietly, and Rosenberg instantly regretted her question, more than anything they had told her it was that look on Buffy’s face that made her believe them.
Buffy pulled herself together, “What we need to know is what happened to you, how you got here.” Rosenberg went over her story again, and Willow listened intently, it was when Rosenberg got to the bit about the blue light that she interrupted.
“I remember that, not real well but I definitely remember the blue glow and it hitting me, the rest is pretty fuzzy though. Lot else happening that year.”
“But it should all be recorded in my journals.” Giles pointed out, “And they should still be in the basement of the Magic Box, assuming Anya hasn’t thrown them out.”
“Anya? Is she a friend of yours?” Rosenberg asked. From Giles uncomfortable look and Willows barely suppressed snigger she guessed not.
“I should go down there and start searching there, may be more clues in the journal.”
“Good idea I’ll go with, you may need a little slayer strength to hack your way through the basement.”
Willow chipped in, “I could do some research on spells, something time travelly.”
“Absolutely not, I want all of you to stay here. If you think of anything call the Magic Box and we’ll.’’ bring the books to you.” Buffy’s tone brooked no argument.
“Ok, ok, I’ll stay put.” Willow was to drained to contest it anyway.
“And besides it would rude if we all run out on our guest.” She smiled and gestured to Rosenberg, which made her feel a little more included.
The patch of grass next to obelisk shaped monument was large and free of any obstruction, which was fortunate for Kresk, as he quite suddenly materialised and occupied it. He sat bolt upright, a quick glance around told him that he was still on earth, and the disgusting blue of the sky told him it was daytime. This was not right, that stupid vampire had clearly wrecked the entire ritual, it could take days before the alignment was right to open the way home again, and the crystal would need to recharge. He became aware that he wasn’t holding the crystal, and it wasn’t lying next to him. He got up and conducted a frantic search; it was nowhere to be found. He began to regret killing the vampire so quickly, because it denied him the opportunity to make it suffer for this. He began to think about what he remembered, and came up with a redheaded human who had appeared form behind a tombstone. It had been standing there screeching something when the vampire collided with Kresk and he had dropped the crystal. It seemed reasonable that the human might have taken it while he was indisposed; they seemed to have an affinity for using coloured stones in their jewellery. It wouldn’t be easy to locate one human amongst so many, Kresk however was an expert at finding things, especially those that don’t want to be found, it was what made him so valuable. When he did find the human he was going to get the stone back and collect a few extra trophies for his trouble.
Willow: ...I have to tell you....
Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the
person you l-love
Willow: I am
Willow babble squared is frightning
Seeing the geek Willow next to the happy Willow shows us just how far she has come with Tara's help and invovlment Ruth is right, true love
always finds it's way home.
?
4ever and ever
at: 5/31/02 11:09:46 pm
at: 7/13/02 9:25:10 pm