Title: Dark Of The Sky
Author: Mike Mullen
Rating: NC-17/18 because of violence, and adult themes.
Spoilers: None what so ever
Disclaimer: All the original BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and ME. Everyone else in the stories are my personal slaves.
Summary: Everything is in the balance as two possible futures present themselves to the family.
Authors notes: The penultimate story in the ‘Adrift’ arc.
Feedback: Just add your comments at the end of the story.
[center]Dark Of The Sky[/center]
[center]Prologue: Adrift III[/center]
The tether holding LJ and Sabrina together had pulled taut as Sabrina's movements accidentally pushed them apart. Now it was reeling her back in; bringing her back to her lovers sleeping form. As she bumped up against LJ the girl stirred to a half conscious state, "Did it work?" she asked blearily.
Sabrina gave the Earth one last backwards glance, "Yes sweetheart it worked, their all safe."
"Good that's okay then." LJ announced before fading out once more.
Sabrina locked her arms firmly around LJ, and tried to draw comfort from the fact that however it had turned out for the two of them it was still better than the alternative.
[center]1. "Flipside"[/center]
The visits to the hospital were beginning to seriously depress Willow. It wasn't just the unhappy associations or the reflected pain from LJ as she sat by Sabrina's bed talking to her and watching the impassive monitors for any sign of change. The main source of her depression was the prospect of the inevitable argument as they made their way back to the car.
"We can't just leave her like that, we have to do something." LJ demanded angrily.
Willow hated trotting out the same rote answer again but since it still applied she didn't have much choice, "We've tried contacting her telepathically and we can't reach her. Without some sort of contact we can't really do anything, not without the risk of making things worse."
LJ knew that intellectually; if they simply turned up the power to try and contact Sabrina it could boomerang. Tara had offered the analogy of someone hanging from a cliff. If you called out to them they might answer back so you could find and rescue them, on the other hand you might startle them into losing their grip, and then they would be gone forever, "Well we need to come up with an alternative approach, soon."
Willow nodded and patted her shoulder consolingly, hoping her own sense of guilt wasn't written to clearly on her face. If it hadn't been for her ambivalence towards Sabrina, however unconscious and well buried, Jessica Lazar wouldn't have had the weapon with which to blind her to the gathering crisis with the girl. She might have stopped the gems sooner, or just offered a few words of reassurance instead of cold indifference.
The pair continued on in silence, with Willow hoping Tara was having rather better luck than she was.
As a rule Tara Maclay avoided having sessions with people she knew, it was difficult, verging on impossible sometimes, to maintain the dividing line between friend and therapist. In Dawn's case though there hadn't really been a choice, there was no way she could go to anyone else and discuss what had happened to her.
Dawn was currently staring into a mirror hung on Tara's office wall and taking in the teenage face that looked back at her, "Some people would pay a fortune for this, to shed twenty years overnight," she turned away from the mirror, "the doctors say it's more than just skin deep, I've been physically reset to when the monks made me."
There was a hollow detachment in the way Dawn spoke, Tara knew she had to break through it, "As you say a lot of people would pay for that, and since I would guess your retinal prints haven't changed you can still access your bank accounts so you've come out of this pretty well I'd say."
Her glib comments had the desired effect, Dawn's calm veneer burned away in a blaze of anger, "Is that what you think? I ran around trashing buildings, ships, and damned nearly a city. And you know what? It wasn't about power, it was about temper tantrums and just enjoying breaking things."
"And you still remember exactly how that felt, only now it scares the hell out of you." Tara observed.
Dawn was going to sarcastically demand to know how exactly Tara could know that; until she remembered that the woman had seen this before, "Yes okay, it scares me, that I lost control so totally."
"I think Jessica Lazar had a lot to do with that, she had longer to work on you than anyone else." Tara knew that was hardly comforting but compared to the alternative of letting Dawn carry the full burden of responsibility it was the best option.
Dawn pondered that, it was tempting to just blame Lazar for everything but, "After I laid my hands on the gem I wasn't under her control."
"But still under her influence," Tara insisted, "she was very good at manipulation with or without magic."
Dawn looked skeptical, "Not that good considering how she ended up."
Tara nodded hesitantly but didn't expound her own thoughts on that subject. They couldn't know exactly what had happened in the motel room but Tara had her suspicions. Jessica Lazar had to know everything was unraveling around her and that the Cartel would figure out she had used them, and their likely reaction. Added to that was what appeared to be a psychotic need for vengeance against Sabrina and Tara was far from convinced that Jessica had failed at the end. It was just a theory but for now it was one Tara was keeping to herself; there was enough pain around without her adding to it.
Unfortunately despite Tara's best intentions LJ already had the nagging suspicion that Jessica Lazar was laughing at them from whatever corner of hell she was occupying. She had done her best to ensure there was nothing to connect Sabrina to the events at the motel. If, when, her girlfriend woke up LJ had no intention of seeing the police coming nosing around making accusations, especially when those accusations were more or less true. LJ was absolutely certain that Sabrina had been provoked beyond reason, and had a guilt inducing idea of what Jessica had used to achieve that.
LJ did her best not to dwell on that, if Sabrina had acted to protect her then she was bound by love and her personal sense of honour to rescue her; problem was LJ still couldn't come up with a plan that was remotely feasible, at least not in her parents opinion and they had threatened to restrain her bodily if she tried anything stupid. Of course it was a ridiculous threat; if LJ was willing to pummel her parents that was, and none of the ideas she had thought of seemed promising enough to do anything that drastic, so we just sit here and keep thinking until we come up with something that will work, however radical.
"Thirty percent field test sequence complete. All telemetry data compiled and ready for analysis." System was as unflappable as always.
Reese shook his head, "Later System. Initiate forty percent sequence."
The computer was forced to remind him of the basics despite the likely futility, "Reese protocol mandates a reset and full analysis of results before proceeding."
“We are two days behind and the forty percent test was scheduled for today. So lets get on track.” Reese knew System was technically correct, on the other hand System wasn't the one who had superiors riding it every waking moment.
“Initiating forty percent sequence, field strength increasing to target level. Detecting anomalous variation.” If it could have managed it System would have been sounding a little panicky.
“What kind of variation?” With no audible cue Reese wasn't worried; there had been plenty of such glitches before.
“A self generating field effect from the core element.”
It took Reese a few moments to break down the tech speak, and a couple of more after that for panic to set in. “Shut down the field! Cut power flow.”
“Shutdown already initiated. Self generated effect increasing, critical point in five seconds.” Reese had visions of standing before a firing squad. His fingers flew over the controls as he desperately tried to find a command sequence that would stop the inevitable.
The sensation that crept over LJ was like she was sat in front of a TV and someone kept changing channels every second. She was getting jumbled glimpses of places and events; not seeing anyone of them for long enough to make sense of what she was seeing. Somehow though she managed to push it back before it overwhelmed her and as she did LJ had a flash of understanding, almost of compulsion, she had to be somewhere.
Reese was staring at the console when the blue light began to cast a shadow across the room. He looked through the window into the chamber and saw a burst of brilliant blue light. The he was staring into an empty chamber and klaxons were going off everywhere. The control room door slid open and Reese span round in his chair. “LJ, the core element…”
LJ wasn't that clued up on Reese's machinery but this time she understood completely, “Is gone, I sort of noticed,” she pushed him aside and began tapping at the console.
“It's a little late for any commands.” Reese pointed out, not entirely sure what sort of commands LJ might know anyway.
“Not commands, just leaving a note.” She stood away, “I'll see you later.” With that LJ dissolved and coalesced in to a ball of light that shot in to the test chamber and vanished when it reached the place where the core component had been. Reese stared after her for a few moments, contemplating whether that firing squad might be better than confronting LJ's parents.
He turned his attention to the screen and the note LJ had composed; he read it before it occurred to him it might be personal.
[center]"Mom's got to go and I guess you know where. See you later, or earlier, or both I suppose, you know what I mean. Love LJ."[/center]
The place LJ found herself in wasn't wholly unfamiliar, a sort of riff on the ethereal realm but glowing with a bluish light that illuminated everything; including a figure standing looking lost. LJ knew who it was and she steeled herself into a confident cheery manner, “Hey there you are.”
As the figure spun round LJ saw a face she hadn’t seen in years, at least not looking like that, “You were expecting me?”
LJ did her best to be enigmatic, “Of course, I had advance warning.”
Willow looked confused and then asked the big question, “Sorry, but who are you?”
Oh mom I so I wish I could tell you, “I'm LJ, and if you give me the crystal I'll get you back where you belong.” LJ extended her hand as she spoke.
Willow took a step back, “Just like that you expect me to trust you?”
“Basically yes.” LJ nodded.
Willow looked dubious, “Without any explanation?”
“If I explain things then you would know things about the future. I know it worked out pretty well the last time you got some hints, but I don't think either of us want to gamble on that again.” LJ had to fight down the mad desire to warn Willow, about the Fire, about the Athenai, about Sabrina but she knew what she had said was true; she couldn't gamble on changing the future.
Seeing that Willow was still making her mind up LJ prompted her further, “Come on Willow I already helped you once. I mean you felt that extra energy didn't you?”
Willow was startled, “That was you? You were feeding it to me?”
“Yeah that was me, now please could I have the crystal? Its time you got back before I say something I shouldn't.” Willow looked at the crystal, looked at LJ and then handed it over.
“Thank you.” LJ's gave her a broad smile despite the pain inside; she pocketed the crystal and saw the look on Willow's face, “Don't worry I just need to get this back to where it belongs. Opening up the doorway is easy.” LJ turned and gestured with her hands. Willow could feel the power like static electricity in the air, an immense amount of magical energy being poured through a human form.
An area of fog began to glow with a pale light. “Time to go Willow.” LJ suggested softly. Willow stepped towards the glow, and before she went LJ felt compelled to speak, “There is one thing.”
“What's that?” Willow asked nervously.
“You really did change things for the better, and you should do what you think is right.” It was the hardest thing LJ had ever had to say, it was true though and Willow needed to hear it. She shoved her mother through the brightness before she could respond and break down LJ's resolve.
As soon as Willow was gone the tears began to stream down LJ's cheeks. She tried to wipe them away but stopped when she saw the ripple moving through the ether, rising up to break over her before she could react.
[center]2. "Twilight Earth"[/center]
[center]"When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today" John Maxwell Edmonds (1875 -1958), Kohima Memorial[/center]
LJ watched the two technicians carefully taking the machine apart and contained the urge to tell them to hurry up.
"I'm going to make one last sweep of the building." She announced, receiving a vague nod in response.
As she walked out of the lab and into the corridor LJ tugged at the straps on the Kevlar vest she was wearing, juggling the helmet she had removed earlier from hand to hand. Adjusting the vest was a futile gesture, there was simply no way to make it fit comfortably. LJ took some solace from the fact that at least while they were indoors she didn't have to wear the equally uncomfortable helmet.
Lieutenant Cooper had pointed out it would fit better if LJ cut her hair in a more military fashion but her reaction made sure he only suggested it once.
Of course with her power LJ could wrap herself in magical protections that rendered the Kevlar redundant but wearing the vest and helmet, as well as a baggy set of khaki fatigues, rendered her just one more partisan dressed in army surplus to any prying eyes.
LJ stopped and looked through a half open door. Beyond it lay a college lecture theatre, gloomy without electric lights and thick with dust.
Mom would have hated to see this. She concluded sadly.
Feet pounding down the corridor towards her distracted LJ from her dark thoughts. She turned to see Lieutenant Cooper jogging towards her.
"Ma'am, Miss Harrington has picked something up, looks like we're about to have company." Cooper sounded keyed up but not especially worried.
LJ still couldn't quite get used to being 'ma'am' but she had given up trying to get the marine to call her by name. As far as he was concerned she was his superior officer and he was going to address her accordingly.
Regardless of her attitude to military protocol LJ had gotten pretty good with issuing orders, "Alright Cooper pull everyone back except the techs in the lab, we'll give them as much time as possible but I want us on the road before the bad guys get here."
Cooper snapped a salute and ran back the way he had come, leaving LJ marching along behind him shaking her head.
The engines of the Humvees were already growling into life when LJ emerged from the science block. She bit her lip as she saw the way the big military four by fours had chewed up the overgrown grass in front of the building but disguising their presence was academic now.
"Get your helmet on!" Sabrina's voice rang out from the backseat of the lead Humvee.
LJ did as she was told and stuck her head through the window. Naturally Sabrina's helmet was lying on the seat beside her. LJ decided to let that pass and concentrate on the crystal Sabrina was turning over in her hands.
"What sort of company are we talking about?"
Sabrina frowned with concentration, "Coming by air but not real fast. I'd say two or three helicopters, and something demonic keeping them company."
"So somebody picked up on the Humvees and called up the local response." LJ mused.
Sabrina smiled sourly, "Some upstanding citizen reporting us terrorists to the forces of truth and justice."
"Or just too scared of what will happen if they don't tell the Peacekeepers and their neighbor does." LJ was reminding herself of that as much Sabrina.
The sight of a quartet of soldiers lugging a pair of heavy boxes interrupted them. Cooper brought up the rear of the party, "That's everything we wanted ma'am."
LJ nodded, "Let's get it loaded and go. Just make sure it's secured properly, Reese will not be happy if we break them."
Cooper acknowledged her comments, though he didn't look overly concerned about incurring the wrath of Reese Burkle.
The vehicles had hit the highway and gotten maybe a kilometer down the road when the helicopters emerged over the horizon and veered towards them.
LJ watched them carefully, she could tell they were troop carriers rather than gunships, which meant they would have to get a lot closer if they were going to do anything to stop the Humvee's. LJ checked the landmarks rushing past, just give us one more minute and we'll be set, she wished.
Whether her wish was granted or the helicopter pilots were just cautious LJ got her minute before the aircraft dropped down and their big side doors slid open. Objects began tumbling out, objects that spread big bat wings and swooped towards the ground vehicles.
Summoning magic LJ tensed and sent out a telepathic; let it rip Avenger.
The third Humvee had stayed back under cover; it wasn't much use for carrying people or troops owing to the large turret mounted on the rear. The guns spun up with a buzz saw whine and the air was filled with high velocity metal.
The demon things were a mass of fangs and claws, not built to stand a hail of bullets and the creatures practically vaporized as dozens of rounds tore into them.
The helicopter pilots immediately tried to bank away but it was suddenly as if they were flying through mud. The rotor blades snapped and tore as they tried to move through the impossibly thick air, leaving the aircraft to plunge towards the ground.
LJ watched the plummeting choppers soberly. She had tried to avoid killing any of the Peacekeepers in the beginning, they were human after all. After seeing some of the atrocities they had conducted in the name of maintaining order LJ had concluded the Peacekeepers had resigned their membership of the human race. Even so it knotted LJ's guts when she saw the fireballs as the helicopters smashed into the ground.
Sabrina knew how badly LJ took moments like this and came up with a distraction, "We're less than a click from the fold, better buckle up because we are going to skid like crazy when we hit that snow."
The witch was in fact voicing a vile slander against the army driver. When they hit the space fold and instantly transited the hundreds of kilometers to their base in Colorado the driver handled the change from clean concrete to packed snow with aplomb.
The drive up to the former ski lodge was pretty short and soon the Humvee's were being offloaded and covered with camouflage netting. LJ and Sabrina led the way into the lodge, and were almost run over by Reese.
"Did you get the coils, all four of them?" The physicist demanded eagerly.
LJ peeled off her helmet and sighed, "Yes we got them, and we used up most of the Avenger ammo doing it so don't ask for anything else anytime soon."
"It's a promise." Reese assured them, and guided the soldiers carrying the boxes to the back of the lounge that dominated the ground floor of the lodge; a space which was already half filled with machinery and computer gear.
"Did you cover your trail properly?"
LJ turned to look at her mother, trying not to wince at the harshness in Tara Maclay's voice.
"We were careful," Sabrina assured Tara, "all the Peacekeepers will see is a bunch of well armed looters who vanished into the woods."
"Good." Tara announced brusquely and apparently lost interest in the conversation.
LJ wanted to say something that would reengage Tara but what was there to talk about? The unending pain and loss they lived with every day? The regret that Willow hadn't gone with Tara to that conference? The nightmares where she saw Willow dying alone in the nuclear fire that had destroyed their home along with the rest of San Diego? Sometimes talking doesn't make things better.
Sabrina found LJ sat on the edge of the bed in their room. Most of the military put up with barracks living but rank did have its privleges.
"So Reese seems pretty happy." Sabrina offered by way of an opener.
LJ's response was more or less what Sabrina expected, "Nice to know someone is."
Sitting down next to LJ Sabrina stroked her hair, "Which is not your fault, and no one is doing more to fix things than you. We would never have gotten this far without you."
LJ looked at Sabrina and saw the sincerity and faith in her expression. She took Sabrina's left hand and toyed with the gold band on the middle finger, "There are some things that I wouldn't change, though I'll definitely get you one that fits properly next time."
"Which I'll hold you to, except I won't remember this conversation if you change everything." Sabrina pointed out with a smile.
LJ ran her tongue over her lips, "So I basically can do anything I want and you won't remember?"
"In theory, just what did you have in mind?" Sabrina asked seductively. The answer was a long lingering kiss.
LJ had finally fallen asleep and Sabrina was laying quietly beside her, just admiring the redhead's curves when there was a sudden hammering on the bedroom door, "LJ! Sabrina! We've got trouble!"
The sound of urgency in Tara's voice snapped LJ instantly awake.
In under a minute the pair was more or less dressed and when she saw everyone checking weapons LJ didn't need to ask what sort of trouble it was.
"How many of them and how soon?" LJ demanded.
Tara's haggard face looked even more careworn than usual, "Lot's of them, including their 'specials' by the way the wards are jangling. I don't think we've got more than a few minutes either."
LJ cursed fluently and looked towards where Reese was still resolutely working on his equipment. She hated to do it but there was only one order LJ could give, "Break everything down, we'll salvage what we can and set up again."
"No!" Reese shouted and almost grabbed LJ before he thought better of it.
LJ tried to reason with him, "Reese I know this is going to..."
Reese interrupted her, "You don't understand LJ I'm close, not days or hours close, I mean minutes close."
LJ was too astonished to respond but Tara remained practical, "How many minutes are we talking about?"
Reese thought it over quickly, "Fifteen, ten, if I push it."
"I would suggest you push it." Cooper snapped a clip of ammunition into his rifle.
LJ fixed a hard gaze on Reese, "You need to be absolutely certain about this Reese." We won't get a second chance if you're wrong, she added telepathically.
Reese understood, and remained adamant, "We can do it and do it now."
"Then I guess we better go man the perimeter." LJ decided.
Reese shook his head, "If this works I'm going to need you right here."
"We'll take care of things ma'am." Cooper assured LJ.
"And I'll help out Lieutenant." Tara squared her shoulders and joined the troops gathering by the door.
Sabrina followed her, "You'll need all the help you can get."
LJ stared at her mother and her partner, she wanted to say no, tell them to stay but she knew she couldn't let those soldiers go out there alone, she didn't have the right.
None of this will happen lover, remember that, Sabrina's thought was soft and comforting.
LJ returned the psychic equivalent of a hug and watched them all file out. She turned to face Reese again, "We are going to make this thing work Reese, no excuses," she insisted harshly.
The physicist worked, adjusting components and entering values on a computer display as LJ watched. There was a space in the centre of the apparatus surrounded by the superconducting coils the team had taken from the university.
As she stared into the space LJ began to see a shimmering glow take shape, a globular thing just on the limit of visibility.
At the same moment she heard the sound of muffled explosions and rifle fire, "They're getting close Reese." She muttered.
Reese rubbed sweat off his brows, "One last set of adjustments," he promised her, at which point the front door exploded.
Instinctively LJ threw a force wall across the room, keeping the shrapnel from striking the delicate equipment. She tensed as three figures emerged from the smoke of the explosion. She could see 'speed blur' around them with a faint wavering silver trail embedded in it. Wordlessly the three men advanced on the barrier and punched at it with their fists.
"It's done." Reese announced excitedly, "It just needs thirty seconds to reach full power." He looked towards the trio, "I'll try to make it fifteen."
As the three men pounded at the barrier the colour drained from their faces, all of them turning ash grey and distorting, like wax figures melting in the sun.
Normally LJ wouldn't have worried about the barrier but she knew those things would break through, they were unstoppable.
"It's done!" Reese yelled and dived for the gun he had placed beside the machine.
The barrier flared and died but before the trio could advance Reese fired several rounds into the middle figure. It staggered back but drew its own weapon cut Reese down with a burst of automatic fire.
LJ didn't have time to mourn; she was focused on the bright blue light in the centre of the machine.
Her concentration was momentarily disturbed as one of the figures spoke up, "This ends now Maclay."
"You better believe it." LJ muttered and slammed her fist into the light. As the magic engulfed her LJ focused on one simple command, REMEMBER!
[center]3. "Second Time Around"[/center]
The pulsing and flickering light was getting to LJ even with her eyes closed so she opened them to find the source and put it out of commission. When she did manage to drag the eyelids apart she saw that it was coming from all around her.
The void.
That recognition brought LJ fully awake and she tried to recall the last thing that had happened before she found herself sprawled here. Her brain offered up two conflicting versions of events. One was of a something like a wave breaking over her, the other…
LJ hastily looked around her and spotted the tuning crystal lying undamaged by her feet, “Which is good,” she muttered to herself, “but let's not get carried away here LJ. The void can play tricks with you.” After so many set backs and disappointments LJ was about to get carried away until she was sure.
The only way to be sure was to get out of this place, and face whatever was waiting for her out in the real world.
Reese looked at Willow and Tara accusingly, "You knew this would happen and you didn't tell me?"
"If we had told you that could have upset the balance of things, you understand why we couldn't do that?" Tara's words were offered apologetically in her most contrite tone.
Reese did understand, which didn't make the situation any less disturbing. It was one thing to consider time travel in the abstract, quite another to find yourself caught up in closing a great loop in time.
Willow wasn't really paying attention to Reese. She was staring the gap in the apparatus and reflecting on her memories of that first encounter with her daughter. Seeing it from the other end of time Willow realized how hard it had been on LJ to smile and keep her mouth shut about the future when she must have aching to beg Willow to change things and protect Sabrina.
There was a faint crackling noise in the air and a blue glow began to form in the centre of the machinery.
All three human occupants of the room held their breath until LJ came stumbling out of thin air, clutching the tuning crystal in her hands. She stood in front of the machine looking dazed and a little hesitant. LJ's gaze traveled from Reese to Tara, and finally to Willow; which was when LJ went nuts.
Of all the reactions that Willow might have been anticipating she wasn't expecting LJ to lock her in a bear hug.
"It worked, it really fucking worked!" LJ was too happy to pay attention to the shocked looks she was getting.
If her language surprised Willow and Tara her next gesture practically left their jaws on the floor. LJ walked over to Reese, pressed the crystal into his hands, and planted a kiss right on his lips, "You are an authentic frigging genius my friend, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Since none of the humans appeared in any state to respond coherently System decided to intervene, "LJ I suspect you've suffered some ill effects from your trip. Perhaps some medical assistance would be in order?"
That did sober LJ up, though not for the reasons System might have imagined, "Sabrina, we have to go get her." LJ announced.
"Dear perhaps you've forgotten but Sabrina is in the hospital." Tara reminded her daughter gently.
LJ was unfazed, "Mom I know that, I also know how to get her out. I know a lot of things actually but we can talk about them later; Sabrina comes first."
Willow wasn't inclined to pick a fight right here and now with her daughter, especially when she was acting so, well insane was the only word that seemed to fit. She looked to Tara for some help but her partner could only shrug, she was as baffled as Willow by LJ's behaviour.
LJ could guess what her parents were thinking but she really wasn't in the mood to explain right now. She did however need their help, “Look I'm not crazy but I do need you to come with me right now. If you play along I'll explain stuff, you'll still think I'm crazy but I will explain.”
Since it was clearly the best offer they were going to get Willow and Tara conceded, mostly, “We'll come with you but you had better be ready for a lot of questions Lydia.” Willow told her firmly.
“And I'll answer them all.” LJ promised; you're just not going to like those answers one little bit.
The trip to hospital was instantaneous, something else that alarmed Willow and Tara. They always did their best to avoid anything that might attract awkward questions but their daughter seemed oblivious to all of that right now. Tara was doing her best to read her daughter's aura but it still left her puzzled. She had half expected to see a boiling turmoil of conflicting emotions. What she saw instead was a clear and steady pattern, totally focused on; something. That would have been reassuring except that Tara had seemed similar laser like focus in some of her more delusional patients, they also believed they were on a mission for some higher power, of course in LJ's case that could be true.
Luckily it was visiting hours when the trio arrived in the hospital, which Willow concluded was just as well as she pitied the poor doctor who tried to get in LJ's way in her current mood. She decided to engage her daughter in conversation in the hopes of getting her to take things a little more slowly, “Dear I know we said we would wait on the questions but could you at least tell me what the plan is here?”
“I'm going to go into Sabrina's mind and bring her out.” LJ explained succinctly.
Willow frowned, “Well you'll forgive me for saying so dear but that sounds like the same plan we decided not to try earlier.”
LJ wasn't annoyed by the doubtful tone, “This is different, this time you both reach into my mind and anchor it. Then I do a sort of psychic bungee jump into the depths of Sabrina's mind. When the elastic pulls back then I bring Sabrina's consciousness with me.”
Willow was far from reassured by this explanation, “You just came up with this notion?”
“Actually it's not my idea.” LJ countered.
That made Willow even more uneasy, “Then who's is it?”
“Hers.” LJ smiled and pointed straight at Tara.
Her parents were still trying to make sense of than when they marched into Sabrina's room. There was a nurse checking the readings on the monitors next to the unconscious girl's bed, “Hi there, could we have a few moments alone with my girlfriend?” Even as she asked LJ had a hand on the nurses shoulder and the baffled young man was practically thrown out of the room.
LJ sat on the edge of Sabrina's bed and took her hand, “I remember sweetheart, one that fits this time, I promise.”
She let go of Sabrina's hand and turned to her still baffled looking parents, “We don't really need physical contact to make this work but it can't hurt.” She extended her hand towards Willow.
Willow was still far from certain about any of this but she took the proffered hand anyway. In turn Willow offered her free hand to Tara, who took it much more willingly.
As she felt the psychic link flow from her to Willow and on to Tara LJ steeled herself and took Sabrina's hand once more, I'm on my way lover.
Somewhere during her long conversation with Rebecca the dark corner of Sabrina's mind had become distinctly less dark. In fact it had come to resemble some sort of office, with Rebecca sat behind an ornate desk while Sabrina occupied a large easy chair set in front of it, “This place actually exists right?” Sabrina tapped the dark polished wood of the tabletop to emphasize what she meant.
Rebecca shrugged, “More or less, or at least it probably will exist.”
Sabrina just nodded, she had managed to get her head around the odd tenses involved in talking about events that had still to happen, “I really wish I could tell the others a bout this, are you sure I have to forget it all?”
“Positive.” Rebecca replied resolutely, “But It won't quite be 'all'. You'll remember me being here, and you'll remember the last thing I say to you before I go.”
Sabrina was partly mollified by that but it did raise a question, “And when exactly is that likely to be?”
Rebecca smiled, pleased at the chance the offer a dramatic flourish, “Now Sabrina.”
Sabrina was suitably surprised, “Now, you mean right now?”
“The light of the Earth is on her way to rescue you as we speak.” Rebecca saw the hesitation in Sabrina's face, “Don't worry she'll be as proud of you as you are of her.”
Sabrina smiled, “That's the last thing you say right?”
“Oh no,” Rebecca shook her head, “The lat thing I say is one word; twins.”
“Twins?” Sabrina puzzled over that, and her eyes went wide as she understood, “Twins?!”
Even as she yelled out Sabrina realized she was alone in the darkness again, except there was something there. A faint sensation that built around her, a warm sensation that she knew all to well, one that she had missed so much. As it wrapped around her Sabrina simply let herself sink into it, the course Rebecca had laid out was daunting but Sabrina couldn't wait to get started, I think I'll save the 'twins' thing for when I really want to freak Lydia out, She decided, and then felt like she had suddenly gone into free fall.
Willow was watching her daughter anxiously. LJ's eyes were shut and there was sweat on her brow. Willow was about to suggest the break off and try again later when she saw the smile form on LJ's lips and felt her daughter cast the psychic connection loose. Willow let go of LJ's hand and almost fell back into Tara's arms. LJ slumped on to the bed.
“Your sitting on my hand.” Sabrina murmured.
LJ held her breath and shifted her butt, “Is that better?”
Sabrina was still bleary, “I wasn't complaining, you have a nice butt.”
LJ leaned over and kissed her hard, which helped to bring Sabrina fully awake. When LJ broke off Sabrina asked, “How long have I been here?”
“About three weeks, I'm sorry I couldn't get you out sooner.” LJ apologized.
Sabrina smiled, “It's ok, Rebecca told me you'd be along and she kept me company while I waited.”
Willow looked at Tara with a pained expression, “Rebecca?”
Tara sighed, “Honey I think we had better clear our schedule for the next couple of days.” Because this is going to take some explaining.
Last edited by Sheridan on Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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