by jixer » Sun Aug 26, 2007 12:59 am
Chapter Twenty Nine
Tara stirred in between sleep and full wakefulness. She didn’t know where she was. Her body brushed against Willow’s and Tara awoke as happily as she could, not being a morning person. She lay next to Willow thinking about her lover’s words in the wee hours of the morning.
I love them in their own separate ways, Tara thought uneasily. Well, the jury’s still out on Faith, but she’s a bird with a wing down so I might as well give in and care too much. Am I trying to make them happy? Am I using what they’re giving me to push people together without realizing it? She looked at the ceiling and thought about her family. Anya and Xander are doing what I’d want them to but is it real? Will it last? Her hand touched Willow’s warm body next to her and felt the familiar wonder that the red haired girl loved her. Faith was watching Buffy last night and they have a bond of some sort that’s growing stronger and I could swear Faith was at least a bit aroused right after last night’s fight but is that just the other happiest gay gal on the West Coast wanting what’s best for me for someone else?
Tara snuggled right up to Willow. Then there’s Giles...
Tara tried to remember the last time she’d seen Giles happy. After a few moments she was blinking away tears when she realized it had been before Joyce Summers had died. Did he ever tell her in so many words how he felt? Before Joyce’s death Giles had hidden his care and concern for all of them badly with his love shown in a dozen small ways. As she thought about it Giles had been hurting, more so than she had known at the time. Then memories of Glory and Buffy dying and Giles just staring at the broken body of his Slayer threatened to overwhelm Tara. Somewhere in the storm of memories a gunshot rang out and Willow fell...
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Willow was struggling against a storm of ice on a pitching bridge. Below there were monsters in an crevasse that sunlight could not reach. Tara was ahead, clinging in fright to flimsy rail. With a leap she could never have done in real life without extensive wirework and a Hong Kong director Willow was there and encircled the frightened women with her arms...
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Tara’s breath was coming in tiny gasps when Willow rolled in her sleep. With the motion the redhead swung an arm over Tara and clutched her.
“Hold onto me,” Willow mumbled. “I can time the harmonics...”
Tara clutched the arm across her middle and took a ragged breath. That was then, this is now. I’m safe. She’s safe. We’re on our way back.
Back. Giles was back and trying to make up for the time he’d been away from Joyce’s daughters, but had he really returned? He could smile now and again but the warmth that he had shared before was drained, like a fire too long banked against the cold. Tara frowned. She had no easy answer, no answer at all in fact. For a moment she railed in her mind against the fates that tore away loves and mothers too early. Willow’s hand clutched her without waking.
Hands, Tara thought savoring Willow’s touch. It comes down to hands. We have to hold them out for help or to help.
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Xander sipped his coffee as he wondered about the inhumanity of seven in the morning. He looked around and saw Mr. Thorncroft leaning against a clean but well-used Ford pick up truck. Xander walked over to the older man. Thorncroft raised his own coffee cup in greeting.
“Morning, sir,” Xander said politely.
“All over the damn place,” Thorncroft grumbled. “You worked on this place, right?”
“I was a jumped up journeyman playing supervisor,” Xander answered.
“Who did you apprentice under?” the old builder asked.
“Guys my uncle knows,” Xander said without hesitating. “But there was a bunch of stuff I wanted to know I had to find out about on my own.” Thorncroft nodded. He took a sip of his coffee and looked Xander in the eye.
“What’s your favorite wood?” the man asked levelly.
“Cherry for my projects,” Xander said without hesitating. “Oak for a good frame.”
“How do you find the crown on a board?” Thorncroft asked casually.
“It’s the high point of the slight bend you get on most boards?”
“Yeah,” the older man nodded. “What does it mean? How do you use it?”
“That’s what I need to learn,” Xander said evenly.
“Kid, you have no idea what you’re asking,” Thorncroft said looking at Xander. “I’ve got a temper shorter than a gnat’s eyelash in the morning and my correction method isn’t polite.”
“Sounds like I’ll learn quick for my own sake,” Xander replied with an easy grin.
“You got a level?”
“Six, four, and two feet, ” Xander replied. “They’re with my squares.”
“Let’s get through this and we’ll see,” Thorncroft replied looking over Xander’s shoulder. “The experts are finally here.”
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Willow woke up with a start. She looked around the room but there were in fact no frogs to be seen. “Of all the stupid phobias,” she muttered as she crawled out of bed. Tara came in toweling her hair. Willow noticed the lighter hair now stood out against the black.
“What?” Tara asked. “Is it that ugly?”
“It’s kind of sexy,” Willow said with a smile.
“You’re crazy and I love you,” Tara answered as she looked at herself in the mirror.
“What’s your schedule this morning?” Willow asked.
“Um, I thought I’d check in on Giles,” Tara said hesitantly. “And I need to talk to him and Buffy. I’d like to get Faith out for a bit and let her-”
“Stop,” Willow said firmly. “You’re going to school, checking your mail and going to Ancient Asian Art.”
“Honey,” Tara began.
“No!” Willow almost shouted. “Today is Tara time. Time for Tara to take care of Tara.”
“But-”
“Baby, listen to me!” Willow pleaded taking Tara’s hands into hers. “I haven’t used telepathy for months, but last night I-I felt them in my head again, all the Scoobies. I remember how scared I was last summer when
Buffy was gone that you’d get hurt and I’d feel it and - and lose it completely when we needed me to be the big gun the most. Now you’re feeling everybody because of the grounding and you won’t make my mistakes, but you’ll make your own like giving and giving away your time until there’s none for you.”
Tara just looked into Willow’s worried eyes and tried to think rationally. Willow could feel Tara’s warring concerns and felt her own worry build. “C’mon, baby,” Willow said softly. “You knew you had to get away from me and that was the hardest thing you’ve ever done. Now please do the second hardest and take some time for you.”
“Just for me?” Tara asked softly.
“Just for you,” Willow said gently. “After you take care of what you need to at school, I want you to go to Pizza Pete’s and go wild. I want you to indulge yourself in your darkest, most illicit passion.”
“But...cheese is good enough.”
“I know all about your secret desire,” Willow said looking into Tara’s eyes.
“You mean...?”
“Get the pepperoni and a Coke,” Willow said seductively. “No, wait, get two slices of pepperoni and a giant Coke!”
“Trying to fatten me up?” Tara asked with a raised eyebrow and the hint of a grin.
“Yeah,” Willow said suddenly more serious. “You’ve been using lots of magic and - and worrying about us all and its starting to show. You’ve lost weight, more than is good for you.”
“I’m getting too bony to bed?” Tara asked with tilt of her head.
“Well, if you lose too much more then I’ll have to treat you delicately,” Willow replied.
“I’ll eat the pizza!” Tara said quickly.
“And go to school and take some time for you?” Willow asked in a way that Tara knew would not be evaded.
“Yes,” Tara agreed. “But its going to be hard to ignore...everybody.”
“Can you weave a reinforced shield?” Willow asked.
“With your help,” Tara answered without hesitating.
Willow could feel the blonde witch’s shields drop. Willow used the barest of her power to help Tara rebuild them, looking from the outside in to guide and overlay the weaker spots. While she was in contact with Tara in such a vulnerable state Willow’s concentration drove out any thoughts but those needed for the task at hand. Only as Tara finished weaving her power from the inside did Willow’s mind respond to a nagging, ugly memory of a time barely months ago she’d been powerful and so sure of herself. This time she thought of it from Tara’s perspective.
“Honey?” Tara asked. “What’s wrong?”
“Just thinking about- Faith!” Willow suddenly looked toward the door. “If she’s up she’s with Mom!”
“I haven’t felt anything from the binding last night,” Tara said thoughtfully. “Emotional upset would have come through, I think.”
“Could you check on her please?” Willow asked in a rush. “I’ve got to call Buffy about something too.”
“The Mayor?” Tara asked. Then she saw Willow’s look of consternation. “No, I didn’t feel it. I’ve heard your stories and you mentioned it last night. Probably something you picked up in the binding with Faith.”
“Smart, observant women are sexy,” Willow said in relieved voice.
“I think so,” Tara grinned. “I’ll go wrangle Faith.”
“I’ll call Buffy, then take down the quiet spell.”
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“I used to be able to eat like that,” Sheila sighed as Faith polished off her seventh toaster waffle with butter and jam.
“I have to work out all the time anyway,” Faith said savoring the taste. “Besides, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
“More coffee?” Sheila offered.
“Oh yeah!” Faith answered happily. “Ma’am-uh, Sheila, I just want to, you know, say thanks for putting me up and feeding me and all.”
“You’re welcome,” Sheila replied as she poured her own coffee. “Faith, I’ll be honest. I haven’t been as close to my daughter as I should have. How did you meet her?”
“Ah, just how much do you, uh, know about this town?” Faith asked uncomfortably.
“More than I want to,” Sheila sighed. “I guess I always knew things but I really, really didn’t want to know. I wanted the world to be the way I thought it should be.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Faith nodded. “Well, I came here because Buffy Summers was here, and I was being chased by an old, deadly vampire.”
Sheila wanted to deny the girl’s words but the way Faith stopped and stared at something only she could see, something that frightened her, made her hold her words. Sheila felt troubled in the sun-filled breakfast nook. The door opened and Tara stepped through. Faith leapt like a startled cat across the room and came up with the large chef’s knife from the expensive set of German cutlery in her white-knuckled hand before Sheila could blink. Tara froze at the doorway. Faith sagged and turned to put away the knife. When she turned back Sheila had a brittle smile.
“Coffee, Tara?” Mrs. Rosenberg asked with forced brightness.
“In a moment,” Tara said gently. Then she turned to Faith. The dark haired girl tried to smile.
“I’m fine Tar,” Faith said quickly. Tara nodded and kept her disbelief to herself.
“I’m sorry, Faith,” Sheila said sincerely as she put down the coffee pot. “I should have had some idea the things I didn’t want to face were horrible. I’m sorry I brought back evil memories for you. I just don’t want to believe there are vampires, but they’re real, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” Faith said more confidently. “Tar, I know you’re probably tired of this, but could you show Sheila what they look like?”
“Just a moment,” Tara said stepping over to the sink. “This will make it easier.”
The witch ran water into the sink until the bottom was just covered. Sheila and Faith both watched over Tara’s shoulders as Tara held out her hands. Suddenly the water became flat as glass as it showed a night in an alley. A girl ran down a sidewalk, looking over her shoulder. She stopped when she could see nothing as she turned back around a handsome man smiled at her. Then his face slid into the hunting visage of the vampire. He pulled her head around.
“Go ahead and scream, honey,” he said with a smirk. “You taste better that way.”
As the girl screamed and cried the vampire’s face dropped to his victim’s neck. A second later the creature crumbled into dust. The girl fell and put a tentative hand to her throat. Buffy reached down and helped her up. The girl screamed and without looking Buffy dove to her side. The bench missed her head by a fraction of an inch. Then the female vampire was on her and launched a flurry of blows. Buffy was driven back and Sheila realized she was holding her breath. Buffy seemed to fall. The demon laughed until the Slayer drove a broken slat from the bench into the vampires chest.
Buffy rolled and froze. On the ground the girl lay still in the wreckage of the bench...
Tara sagged a bit and the image vanished. Sheila shivered and looked at Tara. “What happened to the girl?” she asked in an unsteady voice.
“Concussion,” Tara said flatly. “And a couple of broken ribs.”
“One of the lucky ones,” Faith said softly.
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Willow called in the power of the spell that had been woven the night before. She stopped at the end. There was a feeling, almost an aftertaste to the magic around her. Carefully she looked at her power but found no taint. She edged gently outward and found a disquieting glimmer from the study. Willow hurriedly finished her dressing and headed downstairs. She came to the study door and used the barest tendril of her power to search the room. Her father was in there, and on him rested the source of her unease. She stepped back and called forth a view of the inside of the room. She froze as she saw the small, humanoid creature with warty skin clinging to her father’s jacket.
Willow fought down the urge to leap into the room and destroy whatever it was on her father. Instead she forced herself to assay the creature with her weakest magics. Greed came back to her, and a joy in pain. It took Willow a long moment to calm down enough to politely send a message to the salamanders. A few seconds later Betty shimmered to a stop in front of her.
“You shouted?” Betty asked politely.
“Sorry, I tried to keep my emotions out of it,” Willow said with genuine embarrassment.
“I’m afraid when we danced you back not only did I make you a witch but one with more fire than before,” Betty explained.
“Maybe it was the red hair,” Willow said gently. Then she scowled. “Someone’s put a magic creature on my Dad.”
“Can you describe it?” Betty asked suddenly serious.
“Really small, human shaped but with warty skin,” Willow shuddered. “He reminds me of a frog.”
“Sounds like a kallikantzaros,” Betty said. “A Greek goblin. Shall we get Tara?”
“I’m trying to get her to take a day for herself,” Willow said softly. “But if I keep this from her...”
“Let me try something,” Betty said glancing at the study door. “Please touch my sphere, Willow. I need a reference.” Willow touched the floating ball of power and felt Betty’s magic connect with her. For a second Willow felt a wave of heat wash over her, but instead of flinching she felt refreshed. “Willow, may I touch your power?” Betty asked gravely.
Without answering Willow visualized her fingers where she touched the sphere as high speed data ports. Betty’s power became the plugs and they shared power and information at incredible speed. Willow followed Betty’s concerns and looked more closely at the thing on her father. The figure made the same move twice, and a flash of a wind-up toy came to both females. They looked wider and deeper then felt the delicate spell underneath. Not enough to trap, but enough to detect and perhaps to leave a mark. They looked farther and sensed several other spells of a similar nature near Ira.
“A trap,” Willow said in the shared space.
“Or a reconnaissance,” Betty said with a smile.
“Either way I don’t want Tara near this,” Willow said firmly.
“No,” Betty agreed. “But we can’t miss this golden opportunity. I have a plan. Willow, could you please send to Tara very gently for me?”
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*Tara, please just listen* Willow sent very softly. Tara clutched her coffee cup and concentrated on Faith’s descriptions of hunting vampires.
*Okay* Tara agreed.
*There’s a problem, and a solution...*
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Assistant Director of Special Projects for Wolfram and Hart’s New York office was just another stepping stone for Nathan Dawson. Right now that stone felt as stable as a granite step as he looked over the scrying pan. Video cameras and crystal balls surrounded the flat black iron pan. The salamander had shown up minutes ago and the base line for the signal quality had deteriorated, but they knew Willow Rosenberg, Tara Maclay’s current lover had seen the bait. Suddenly one crystal ball pulsed with blue light. A camcorder sent the image to a computer and a voice came out of the interpretive software.
“You may use the salamander, but if you fail to ask first again there will be consequences,” the flat computer generated voice said.
“Thank you, milady Tara,” the same voice said with a slightly different cadence.
The pan began to steam as it showed the salamander bursting into the room. The witch behind her threw a bolt of magic and tore the simulacrum off her father. Then the salamander precisely applied a white hot flame to what was actually a small lapel pin. The ‘creature’ vanished with a simulated cry. The salamander hovered in the room as Ira Rosenberg shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. The redheaded toy of Maclay’s looked at the salamander.
“In Tara Maclay’s name again think yourself free,” the witch intoned.
In the scrying a flare of light rippled across the salamander’s sphere. One of the smaller crystal balls cracked with a loud snap.
“How dare you endanger Tara!” Willow could be heard snapping at her gasping father. “Don’t you know how easily she could find someone new to replace me?”
Near the pan another clear ball popped and became cloudy with minute fractures.
“Let’s not do a London,” Dawson said to his mages. “Close it down. We have what we need.”
The team of mages nodded in agreement and began to pull away the power carefully while technicians started pulling the raw imagery captured by both magic and technology. Finally the lowest ranking mages got to move the heavy pan and empty the water.
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In the space above the scrying team a pair of bright red eyes blinked and then vanished. A moment later Bruce appeared in the Rosenberg study. Ira was looking at Willow and Betty with a shocked expression.
“And that’s a wrap!” he announced.
“Willow...what...what’s happening?” Ira asked in a bewildered tone. “Replace you? A wrap? That-that thing was on the pin the Senator’s aide gave me!”
“They tried to get to us through you,” Willow said as a terrifying vulnerability swept over her. “The Senator’s aide gave you a trapped pin.”
“But-but...they’re Democrats!”
“So was the judge who gave me back to my mother,” Faith said from the doorway. Willow looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Tara was worried,” Faith said flatly. “So was your Mom.”
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Buffy poured hot water into Giles’ cup. As the Watcher went through his small ritual of the perfect cup of char Buffy found more than a little satisfaction that she had laid out the exact amount of sugar and the creamer had more than enough for the elusive ‘jot’ the Englishman had in the morning. After a long pull at his tea Giles looked over at Buffy where she stood in the doorway.
“Your abilities as a hostess are markedly improved,” he remarked.
“Cold pizza only goes so far in the morning,” Buffy answered lightly.
“As true as that may be,” Giles said more seriously. “You’re...”
“Not the self absorbed the-world-revolves-around-me-and-my-terrible- burden-of-destiny whiny girl?” Buffy asked in the same light vein.
“You did have a destiny,” Giles pointed out gently.
“Everybody does,” Buffy said easily. “Mine sucked but it came with family and friends. I’m healthy, I know my mother loved me, I know my father, and I have a fairly good sense of fashion. My destiny included a best friend I should have been there for more than I was and a mentor who I should have listened to more often. I got them both back, which almost never happens in those other destinies. Now, finish your tea before it gets cold.”
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“Maybe I should work with you on the protection spells,” Tara suggested as the somber group in the Rosenbergs’ kitchen sipped coffee quietly. Sheila looked up.
“What about your senior project?” she asked.
“It can wait,” Tara began.
“No,” Willow said firmly. “And before you use your wiles on me I’m going to explain why, okay?”
“But-”
“No buts on this one, love,” Willow said quickly. “Betty thinks this was a probe, and they’ve got some bad information, at least I’m hoping it throws them off. I can’t rule out they’re looking for some more information with a really soft cast spell so if you help you’re going to give them real data to work on and that’s what I want to prevent. Not to mention you’re putting your degree and your scholarship in danger the longer you put things off.”
“Is a degree that important?” Tara asked earnestly.
“Of course!” Sheila and Ira said together.
“Absolutely!” Willow exclaimed.
“You’re gonna set a bad example,” Faith said primly.
“Education is vital to a well rounded being,” Betty advised.
“A bit of book learning might turn out useful,” Bruce shrugged. Betty glared at him. “Oh, right, education - can’t get enough of it.”
“I’ll go to school,” Tara said with a small smile.
“Good,” Willow said quickly. “And don’t forget lunch.”
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Faith watched Willow kiss Tara goodbye in the dappled light filtering through the trees at the edge of the UC Sunnydale campus. It wasn’t until Tara turned away that Faith realized she’d been holding her breath, afraid to make a noise lest she disturb the scene in front of her. Willow turned to the Slayer and looked at her quizzically.
“Never mind,” Faith said hurriedly.
“Okay,” Willow replied.
“Don’t you have class?” Faith asked changing the subject.
“Later,” Willow explained. “Tara needs some time to be Tara, if that makes any sense.”
“And I needed an escort,” Faith said with a wry grin. “Because this bustling metropolis changed so much in the last few years I’d never find the Espresso Pump.”
“Yeah,” Willow agreed. “We’re up to two McDonald’s and the mall put in a whole new escalator.”
Faith smiled as they walked along, ready to match the redhead jibe for jibe but Willow was quiet. They walked along in silence and Faith lost her smile as she grew uneasy. The witch seemed to be withdrawing into herself and from what Faith could observe it wasn’t a great trip. Faith wanted to distance herself, afraid she might make things worse. Finally she screwed up her courage and turned to Willow. “You okay Red?”
“Huh?” Willow said looking at Faith. “Oh, sorry. I’m kind of thinking about some things I really don’t want to think about and I’m kind of blowing the whole going to coffee experience.”
“Why don’t you talk to Buffy?” Faith suggested. “I think that’s her over at the table in the shade.”
“This really is a small town,” Willow muttered as she realized they had arrived at the coffeehouse.
“Tell me what you want, besides a certain coed, I’ll get it,” Faith said.
“Okay,” Willow said taking out a small wallet. “Get me a half skinny mocha with a extra shot.”
“Hey, I got money,” Faith protested as Willow took out a ten.
“On you?” Willow asked pointedly.
“Details,” Faith grumbled as she took the money. “What’s the one with chocolate again?”
“Mocha,” Willow answered. “Put a bit of extra sugar in it.”
“Right,” Faith said looking toward the menu board.
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Something about the way Willow walked over to her made Buffy tense up. Buffy noticed that Willow was looking down, which was never a good sign. The Slayer braced her emotions and tried to look relaxed. Willow sat down at the table and hunched forward.
“Hey,” Willow said softly.
“Hey,” Buffy replied as she leaned forward. “Okay Will, what’s wrong?”
“The bad guys put a magic spy on my Dad,” Willow started.
“Is he okay?” Buffy asked in a rush of worry. “Is your Mom okay?”
“Yeah,” Willow nodded. “It was like when I found my fish after Angelus was in my room and I knew I wasn’t safe and my family was in danger and then it hit me, I mean it really finally got through to me...”
“What did?” Buffy asked quietly.
“Tara came back to me and she shouldn’t have,” Willow almost whispered. “Not after what I did.”
“Why is that?” Buffy asked knowing she didn’t want to hear the answer.
“She was terrified of Glory,” Willow sighed. “She was so afraid of anything that could attack her mind.”
“She wouldn’t talk even though she was confronted with her biggest fear,” Buffy said mostly to herself as Willow searched for words. Without realizing it Buffy flexed her hand remembering Tara’s cast.
“Yeah,” Willow said proudly. Then she winced. “I thought she was talking too much and upset so I-I-I...pushed into her memory, her mind-there’s a word for what I did-”
“Don’t!” Buffy snapped. Willow looked at her friend but kept her silence. “Willow, I really don’t ever want to think about that word along with you and Tara. Do you understand me?” Willow just nodded. “Is this ever going to happen again?”
“God NO!” Willow erupted. “What do you think - I mean - no, it’s never gonna happen again.”
“I’m sorry!” Buffy said suddenly. “I had to know!” then Buffy run her hands through her hair and seemed to pull in on herself. “I’m sorry I did that to you, Will,” she said tiredly.
“You?” Willow sputtered.
“I kept leaning on you to be the big gun and then I’ve been all wrapped up in my own pity party and never tried to help you...or asked you to help me.”
“Hey, you were under some pressure what with saving the world and all and your sister being captured and...stuff,” Willow finished with an unhappy shrug.
“We really do need a girls’ night,” Buffy said with a weak smile.
“Yeah,” Willow agreed. “Buffy, what do I do? I mean I know Tara loves me but how can she forgive me? What can I do to earn her forgiveness?”
“You can’t,” Faith said calmly from behind them. Both women looked up at the dark-haired Slayer and saw her discomfort. “You can’t earn forgiveness. You can ask for it and if you get it you can try to be worthy of it, and if you get it you have to accept it and that can really be a fu- frigging heavy head trip, believe me.”
“I do,” Willow said after a few seconds. “Thanks.”
“Here’s the expensive caffeine fix,” Faith said handing Willow a cup.
“What did you get?” Buffy asked looking at the container in Faith’s hand and the bag that was bulging slightly.
“A mocha thing and chocolate chip muffins,” Faith grinned happily. “I put in some milk ‘cause the stuff was too hot. One guy looked at me funny.”
“Ignore the purists,” Willow sniffed. “It’s your coffee. You paid for it, you get to customize it to your specifications.”
“We’re the Reform Espresso sect,” Buffy said easily.
“Oh my gosh!” Willow gasped looking at the clock over the counter. “I’ve got to hurry!”
“Take a muffin!” Faith said pulling out an expression of caloric temptation and chocolatey goodness.
“Okay,” Willow said taking the offered pastry. “Gotta go!”
The Slayers watched as Willow hurried out into the sunlight sipping her drink and nibbling at the muffin. Buffy waited until the redhead was out of earshot before she turned to Faith. “What happened at Willow’s?” she asked.
“Magic sneak attack,” Faith reported. “At least that’s what the witches and the salamanders think. Evidently it’s Wolfram and Hart, everybody’s favorite lawyers.”
“Damn it,” Buffy shook her head. “Should have seen that one coming.”
“B, you can’t know all the shit heading your way,” Faith said looking at Buffy.
“You’re right,” Buffy agreed reluctantly after a few seconds. “Damage?”
“We’re hoping they saw just what they wanted to see,” Faith smiled.
“Good,” Buffy said not trying to hide her relief. “You gonna share those muffins?”
“Here,” Faith said. After Buffy took a bite the brunette smiled. “Hey thighs, say ‘hi’ to Mr. Muffin.”
“You are evil, you know that right?” Buffy grinned. “What do I owe you for the fat pills?”
“How about some advice?” Faith said more seriously.
“About what?” Buffy asked.
“Money,” Faith replied. “Buff, I know what I want to do, but I don’t have a clue how to do it.”
“I’m not much in the finances department myself,” Buffy said thoughtfully. “But I know someone who is.”
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Tara looked into the small mailbox, then back to the stack of mail she had in her hands and wondered what Willow would have said about the physics of an overstuffed post box. She looked at the note on the top of the pile and then went around to the door of the mailroom. Her knock was somewhat hesitant. The top half of the dutch door opened.
“Yeah?” a world weary older woman asked.
“Um, I-I-I h-have a note,” Tara explained handing over the paper.
“Oh, so you’re twenty twelve,” the woman said with a bit more spark. “Just a minute.” The woman hurried into a warren of sorting desks. There was a brief banging followed by a grunt of effort and she came back lugging a large box. “Here,” she wheezed. “You can keep the box.”
Tara struggled with the box as she left the Administration Building. Halfway to her dorm she froze and looked for an escape route. Seeing none she steeled herself and strode forward as fast as her mail would let her. It was no use. She had been spotted.
“Tar-ra,” Kelli tried to purr seductively.
Tara sighed inwardly even as she smiled at the girl. “Hello Kelli,” she said politely. “I’ve got to get this stuff back to my place to go through it.”
“I could help you carry it,” the girl said brightly. “My room is closer, you could take a rest there.”
“On your bed?” Tara asked sweetly.
“If you want!” Kelli answered a bit too eagerly.
“Kelli, you’re the hottest thing on campus,” Tara said gently. “But I’m not going back to your room, let alone your bed.”
“Damn it, Tara!” Kelli fumed. “That redhead of yours already broke your heart once! Why not give somebody new a try?”
“Kelli, do you really think I could compete with the dozens of beautiful girls on this campus?” Tara said. “Besides, Willow knows about my...special needs.”
“I can do special!” Kelli gushed.
I forgot she’s try-sexual, Tara groaned. And falls in and out of love at least once a week, each time sure this is the one.
“Really?” Tara asked stalling for time.
“Sure,” Kelli answered eagerly. “Melissa, she was into some interesting things. Oh, Patricia isn’t an ice princess at all. Jane was all Tantric and mystical too. Now Samantha...”
“Oh, if you know about Tantric you should know about Tarash,” said suddenly smiling.
“Are there oils?” Kelli asked hopefully.
“No, not during the celibate period,” Tara explained as she made up a new ‘Eastern’ discipline. “Tarash is about building up the earth energies over a period of one to three months and releasing them in a cleansing fast of two days followed by a quarter hour of sex using only the gentlest of touches. Now it might take six or seven months before you’re skilled enough to experience climax but its very in tune with the earth. That’s where my name comes from. We’re very traditional in my family. I never do it any other way.”
“You know,” Kelli said still smiling but stepping back just a bit. “I really shouldn’t get between you and Willow until you’re sure about your relationship.”
“Are you sure?” Tara asked. “Between the celibacy and the fasting you can really find your inner voice.”
“Maybe later,” Kelli said looking at her wrist. “Oh! I’m late for a class! Gotta go!”
Tara watched her go for a moment, then turned away before she smiled. It might have been more convincing if Kelli had been wearing a watch.
===========================================================
Buffy and Faith wear heading for the Magic Box. The clear sky above and the soft breeze from the Pacific made Buffy wonder how fast Sunnydale was going to change once the leading cause of death was no longer the vague term ‘neck rupture’. The Hellmouth was gone and the last of Wilkin’s cronies were retired. The brief thought of the former Mayor and (albeit briefly) giant demonic snake reminded her of Willow’s call. Her discomfort at the thought made Faith turn towards her.
“If I ask what is it this time, am I gonna get punched?”
“No,” Buffy admitted. “It’s about something we need to talk about especially if you’re going to be part of our witch support system.”
“This isn’t going to be about me getting a kitten or a cottage by the sea, is it?”
“Nope,” Buffy sighed. “Faith, it’s about Mayor Wilkins.”
“What about him?” Faith snapped and Buffy could feel her anger without their new bond.
“He was good to you, wasn’t he?” Buffy asked calmly.
“Yeah,” Faith said guardedly. “He never hit on me or anything. He bought me this dress, and it was kind of, you know, normal and nice. He just wanted me to be...happy.”
“He gave a damn,” Buffy said. “Unlike the self-absorbed white hats.”
“You know,” Faith said looking at Buffy with a frown. “You can really land some good shots when you’re beating yourself up.”
“Sorry,” Buffy said quickly.
“I do kind of remember having a bit of chip on my shoulder then,” Faith reminded the blonde. “One about the size of a dance floor.”
“Look, the point is as much as he cared about you, you couldn’t save him.”
“How the Hell do you know?” Faith spat.
“He was an addict-”
“He never touched anything!” Faith snarled. “He never swore and - and he baked cookies. He showed up once at my place with a plate of cookies and a carton of milk and...” Faith fought for control. Finally she clenched her fists and met Buffy’s eyes not caring if the blonde saw the tears welling up. “He talked to me.”
“Power,” Buffy said gently. “That was his addiction. You were the best thing in his life, but he couldn’t give up the quest for power. Not even for you.”
“If I’d just-” Faith started.
“Don’t!” Buffy said forcefully as she grabbed Faith by the arms. “Don’t do that to yourself! You can’t change them, no matter how hard you try and when its over and you’re trying to find a reason why things went so wrong you can’t blame yourself for somebody else’s decisions. Please believe me, Faith. You can’t make it your fault.” Buffy let go and waited.
“You been here before?” Faith said brushing away a tear.
“I think I live here sometimes,” Buffy sighed.
“Okay, I gotta know something,” Faith said tensely. “But first, I’m sorry about your Mom. She was good people.”
“Thanks,” Buffy said.
“B, did I screw up you and your soldier boy?” Faith asked in a rush.
“No,” Buffy said flatly. “You didn’t help but I managed to lose him all by myself.”
“How?” Faith asked almost angrily. “He was Captain America. He loved you.”
“I couldn’t make myself love him,” Buffy shrugged. “I don’t know why. Give me a guy who’s nice and who’d do anything for me and I can’t give him what he needs. Let me meet some angsty bad boy who’ll never be able to give me anything close to real love and I’m there.”
“Damn, Buff,” Faith shook her head. “I guess we suck at the love stuff.”
“I’m not so good at finances either,” Buffy said more evenly. “That’s why we’re here.”
“The Magic Box?” Faith asked as they entered. “We’re gonna talk to Giles?”
“No,” Buffy replied as she came up to the counter where Anya was going over orders. “Anya, we need help.”
“Giles is waiting for you in the training room,” Anya answered.
“Call him and let him take over the retail end of this operation,” Buffy told her. “We’re looking for help with money and what to do with it. We need to do some financial planning.”
“Right!” Anya said brightly. “I’ll get Giles to cover the counter. What do you need to know?”
“Uh, everything?” Faith hazarded.
“I’ll be right back!” Anya almost sang.
===========================================================
Willow watched through the dark lenses of the goggles as the boron compound began to soften. She looked at the readout on the temperature gauges and wrote down the numbers. Finally the sample took on a taffy-like consistency and Willow clicked the toggle switch in front of her twice. The flame died down quickly and Betty became visible again. Willow took off her goggles and opened the lab’s small furnace. Betty stretched and floated out.
“That was refreshing,” the salamander sighed happily.
“Melting point was 2600 and it took two minutes fifty one seconds to get all one hundred grams into the melting state,” Willow observed with a smile. “You’re the best lab heat source I’ve ever had.”
“Not to mention adding to the magical interference when I burn warm,” Betty added.
“Warm?” Willow asked quickly.
“If I wanted to,” Betty said with some pride. “I could go through a block of tantalum hafnium carbide. Of course, that would have to be in a more advanced lab setting for safety’s sake.”
“That’s a refractory compound that has a higher melting point than tungsten!” Willow said in an impressed voice. “Can you melt carbon?”
“Sublimate only at this pressure,” Betty said with a frown. “I can never get it to stay liquid without a cheat.”
“Maybe if we used magic, but as a pressure vessel for the carbon sample,” Willow said thoughtfully.
“We could experiment with several patterns and shapes,” Betty added.
“I’ll check the schedule,” Willow said with a smile. “But I’m pretty sure I can sneak us into the Material Sciences lab during lunch rush.”
===========================================================
Tara pulled the insert out of another catalog and wadded it up. Then she tossed it on the floor. A black and white streak pounced on the hapless paper and batted it across the room. By the time Miss Kitty had eviscerated it to her liking Tara had another one ready.
“Miss Kitty, who would have thought a poor college student would be on so many mailing lists?” she asked her cat. The next piece of mail was ripped up without being opened. “And what are these credit card people smoking? I’m pre-approved for so many cards we could build a home by the sea made of nothing but Visa.”
The smallest pile was actual mail from her teachers. The work she’d done in the darkest time of separation from Willow had made them ecstatic. Her project, titled for the time being ‘Rejection and Loss’, was about two thirds done. She’d lost her focus after Willow had edged back into her life and now it sat on her hard drive, waiting for the last flurry of work that hadn’t yet materialized. Tara briefly thought about changing everything then standing before her professors.
Oh well, she thought unhappily. College is supposed to prepare you for life. I suppose I’d better finish what the market wants today.
She went to the computer Willow had set up for her and e-mailed her professor telling him she was flattered by his praise and that she would pursue his suggestion and present the project next week.
“Damn,” Tara giggled as she hit send. “I can be a brown-noser if I try. Maybe I can get a corporate job.”
The next piece of mail was a thick envelope from her scholarship committee. She put it back and promised herself she’d take it to Anya. The thought of the forms inside the bulky container made Tara blanch. Miss Kitty took that moment to paw her knee looking for more paper prey. Tara reached for another catalog when a letter fell out of its pages. Tara wadded up the insert and tossed it to buy a moment of peace, then she looked at the letter. She felt herself shiver as she read the too familiar return address.
“Daddy?” she said softly.
===========================================================
Dawn felt a tiny tremor of panic and knew it was Tara. Before she could react the panic faded. She didn’t feel the emotions less easily defined that replaced the panic on the edge of her consciousness.
===========================================================
Willow looked up from the readouts and blinked a couple of times. She started for the door but stopped.
“Tara?” Betty asked worriedly.
“Yeah,” Willow answered tightly.
“Trouble?”
“She was upset, but its passed,” Willow said putting her hand to her forehead. “She’s okay but...no. I’ll let her tell me about it if she needs to later. Now, I’ve got results from the pressures we’re using...”
===========================================================
Dear Tara-
I don’t know what to write. What ever is happening in your life is impacting us here. You have become frightening to us. You chose to follow others, now please do what you must to remove us from your life as it is now.
Know that no matter what you may think I do love you.
Praying for you,
Daddy
===========================================================
Tara looked at the letter again, then folded it up and put it in between two blank pages of her ‘ordinary’ book. She glanced at the alarm clock. Miss Kitty meowed loudly. The cat leapt onto the bed and began nosing through the small pile of real mail. Tara picked up the tempting papers and filed them. Miss Kitty meowed again. Tara checked on her food and litterbox before she stopped and petted the cat again.
“We need to get you out of here,” Tara said softly as the cat purred. As she bent over the witch felt the beginnings of a headache. She sat up and realized she was hungry. “I’ve got to go, I promised Willow,” she explained to the cat. Miss Kitty was not impressed.
===========================================================
The being known as Mr. Hill stepped into the white, too large room. The little girl there bowed and stepped away. He strode to the chair she sat on and replaced her. A moment later he was in a place that, if he had been entirely human, would have been a terrifying fantasy.
Two figures more than two meters tall and shrouded in robes that left no trace of their features appeared before him.
“Your report,” they said brusquely.
In reply Hill held up a large black crystal in hands now resembling talons. The two figures held their arms hidden in the robes over it. The crystal gave off a bass groan as if it were in pain. Tiny sparks of purple light leapt gracefully to the shrouded arms. Finally the crystal broke in two.
“Leave us,” the figures ordered. “Your work has been...satisfacory.”
“Thank you,” Hill said in a relieved tone.
“Could be better,” the voices added.
“Yes,” Hill agreed as he left with the broken crystal.
When Hill was gone more figures arrived. Even under the shrouds they seemed agitated. When the rustle of the girl’s skirt could be heard all of the figures shrank. Snouts with leathery noses appeared from under the robes.
“She has changed her lover from mage to witch,” one whined. “She is ruthless.”
“She uses salamanders like pawns,” another hissed. “She is cunning.”
“She repurposed the Vengeance Demons,” a robed figure in the front shuddered. “After destroying their leadership. Is she plotting the same for us?”
“She consorts with a dragon through intermediaries she controls,” the first one whined again. “She is crafty.”
“She has bound both Slayers,” one muttered. “They will make formidable weapons in her hands.”
“Her attack weakened us,” the oldest one wheezed. “She has taken control of the only survivor of our destroyed outpost. She seeks knowledge of us.”.”
“The most powerful seer ever seen for generations has disappeared,” one worried. “She and her minions destroyed the last possible vestige that could lead back to the seer. She must have used up the prophet and disposed of them.”
“With what she no doubt drained from the seer she may even find out that we were once only little more powerful than the vampire,” the figure in front said with a tremor.
“What does all of this tell us?” the first one asked.
“She seeks power,” the oldest hissed. “Of course she seeks power for she is a witch. She seeks our power.”
“That will require a great work,” said one who had been silent.
“Then we must be ready,” the oldest said. “Our thralls in suits and ties shall watch Maclay and gather the threads so that we may have our revenge for her plotting. Then we shall drain her entirely.”
===========================================================
Tara sat in the small booth holding one of her few guilty pleasures that didn’t involve Willow, a very long weekend, their secret bag currently hidden in her closet, and a spell that would absolutely guarantee privacy. Tara looked at the triangle of cheese with thin discs of spicy meat and tried to tell herself she really didn’t want it. Her taste buds disagreed and Tara took a bite. After that she knew she was a goner. The letter, the nebulous prophecy, and even the impending Senior Project faded away as she listened to old standards and guzzled her Coke between bites. She heard someone drop change into the jukebox. A few seconds later Ella Fitzgerald sang out
Somewhere there’s music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there’s heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
‘Til it comes true
That you love me as I love you
Tara smiled as she started the promised second slice.
===========================================================
Giles watched the three young women at the table and wondered how long it had been since he’d had Buffy’s attention the way Anya did now.
Probably since I had something useful to teach her, Giles thought. What can I teach her now?
Giles left the counter and was on his way to straighten out a line of books when he heard Anya ask “Just what are you going to do with the majority of the money?”
“It’s for the victims,” Faith almost whispered. “I tried to pay Wes for...damages but he said we were even.”
“How many victims?” Anya asked pointedly. “What kind of settlement?”
“I don’t know!” Faith almost wailed. Her hands became fists as she put her head down behind them. “It’s a blur,” she went on in a whisper. “I kept pushing and pushing, trying to find somebody...”
“Who’d make the hurting stop forever?” Giles asked softly. Faith just nodded.
“That’s why you went to Angel,” Buffy said looking at Faith with an unreadable face.
“He wouldn’t kill me,” Faith said and Buffy winced at the disappointment in Faith’s voice even now.
“I really don’t think we should even consider paying these people,” Anya said primly. “That would leave us open to lawsuits-”
“So what?” Faith snapped. “It’s not like I earned the fucking money!”
“No,” Anya replied calmly. “But if you do this you may well have nothing left to buy the Summers house.”
“Shit,” Faith said as she slumped onto the table. “Maybe I shoulda stayed in stir.”
“And leave me to get my shoes scuffed?” Buffy asked with mock horror.
Faith grinned weakly at the blonde and sat up. She ran her fingers through her dark hair and looked at Anya. “I know there’s at least three victims,” she said with a steadiness that was taking more than she would ever admit. “One was the Deputy Mayor, one was a courier...I don’t even know his name, and the other was the geologist, Worth.”
“What do you know about them?” Anya asked.
“I killed them,” Faith said flatly.
Like I said, what do you know about them?” Anya demanded. When Faith just shrugged helplessly Anya frowned. “Then how are you supposed to make a rational decision about compensation?”
“I don’t know,” Faith said plaintively. “You’re the expert, An.”
“I need more information,” Anya began.
“If I may,” Giles said calmly. “Angel’s people are investigators.”
“And they probably need the money,” Anya added smiling at Giles. “We could get their services at a lower than usual rate.”
“We pay them what they usually get,” Faith insisted.
“You’re lucky I like a challenge,” Anya said levelly. “Now, to pay them you’re going to do what?”
“Go down and open an account at the bank,” Faith said in a very subdued tone.
“I’ll come along,” Buffy said.
“Oh good,” Anya sighed. “The monetarily lame leading the financially blind. I’m going just to make sure you two don’t give away the check for a handful of magic beans.”
“How about a couple of enchanted geese and promissory note for a case of fairy dust?” Buffy asked innocently.
“Giles, please be especially hard on your Slayer in her training,” Anya said to the Watcher as the women got up from the table.
“Of course,” Giles replied. “I’ll just price some particularly large boulders.”
“Good!” Anya nodded. She picked up her case and followed the Slayers out of the shop. Giles stood there as the tones from the bell over the door faded into silence in the Magic Box.
===========================================================
In Seattle a pretty blonde woman stopped in the dark passage no tourists ever visited in the Underground tour. Her senses were keen and she was moving faster than any human following the muffled cries. She saw four figures ahead in the gloom. Their scents spoke of male lust and power, almost obliterating the girl’s fear.
Heartbeats filled the air with the warm scent of a feast just waiting to be taken...
“Just think of this as on the job training,” one man sneered as the other two forced her to the pile of rags on the floor. “Now don’t move too much honey,” he warned her as he knelt between her legs. “This knife’s sharp and that blouse is too tight.”
No one would miss these useless bits of food....
“No it’s not,” Harmony said brightly. Then she kicked the kneeling man in the crotch hard enough to break his pelvis and propel him over the girl where he landed in enough pain to make even screaming impossible. Without a word the thug to her right swept her leg and the blonde vampire slammed into the ground. Her face became a frightening mask as she bounce to her feet and repeated his move with a vampire’s strength. The agile thug’s knee became an organic bag of jelly and bone chips that would never hold his weight again, but the pain of the femur breaking in two places was what was on his mind the most by his scream.
The pressure cut filled the space with the wonderful tang of fresh blood. She needed blood to be strong, to keep up the good fight...
Harmony turned to the girl and growled “Get out of here!” The girl backed away in fright.
FEED! Take the evil ones at least!
“No,” Harmony snapped to herself.
Distracted for a second she didn’t see the rosary the third man whipped around her throat as a garrote. The silver beads along with the religious medal and cross burned into her skin and Harmony screamed in agony as she became dust.
“I’m glad I didn’t pawn this,” the last man standing grinned. Then he screamed. He looked down and saw his leader’s knife sticking out of his belly as the girl first backed away, then ran into the gathering darkness.
===========================================================
“This one will need your help,” Spike’s guide said politely.
“The witches didn’t do another spell, did they?” the former vampire asked.
“No,” the winged messenger said. “This is about choices.”
Spike looked past the real angel and froze. “Harm?” he asked incredulously.
“Oh great,” Harmony fumed. “This is Hell, isn’t it? I thought I might be able to give this a miss.”
“You did,” Spike told her. “How did you get here?”
“I don’t know,” the demon that wore Harmony Kendall’s body replied honestly. “But it hurt. A lot.”
“I mean how did you avoid the pit, you silly bint,” Spike demanded.
“Oh wow,” Harmony said looking around. “You’re right! There’s no flames or lava or whatever the hot stuff really is. What are you doing here?”
“Its a long story,” Spike said with a dismissive flip of his hand.
“Fine!” the blonde fumed. “What happened is I’m a failure at everything about being a vampire and...I was lonely. So I tried to be like Angel, only without the whole brooding thing because I mean really, vampire with a soul, wah wah wah, my horrible burden yada, yada, yada - it gets old fast, you know?”
“Oh yeah,” Spike agreed.
“Well I tried to do the basic black and be like a super hero and help people and maybe I could find some friends and, well the first guy I rescued was Steven.”
“Spare me,” Spike groaned with a roll of his eyes.
“What’s the matter, Spiky?” Harmony hissed. “Don’t want to hear about a real man who listens and gives a girl what she needs whether it’s a hug or a pint of warmed up blood with just a bit of epinephrine at sunset?”
“Where’d Mr. Perfect get blood?”
“He’s a nurse,” Harm said defensively. “He was in LA for a conference and got into trouble. I swept in and he wasn’t all threatened by a strong woman and he has the cutest butt and a wonderful smile and he helps people and he understood what I was trying to do.” Then her face crumbled and she began to cry. “I’m not gonna be able to say goodbye, am I?”
“Sorry,” Spike said sincerely.
“What happens now?” she asked with more than a little fear in her voice.
“You’ve got a ways to go, love,” Spike said as the gray space around them became a mall with an impossibly tall escalator. Each step carried a person on it in a slow crawl upward. Spike felt Harmony recoil beside him. “There’s dozens of them!” she squealed. “What do they want?”
“Look up,” Spike said firmly.
“Oh, there’s a whole floor of light!” she said craning back her head. “But-but I have to go through them to get there, don’t I?”
“Yeah,” Spike said gently. “You’re the only one who can do this for you.”
The blonde took several hesitant steps to the escalator, then reached out and just barely touched the girl there on the step. The former vampire let out a long moan and fell to her knees. Finally the girl vanished leaving harmony curled on the bottom of the escalator in a ball of misery crying like she would never stop. Finally she unwound enough to look up at Spike. “I can’t do this!” she wailed.
“You have to, Harm,” Spike said levelly. “There’s no one else who can.”
Harmony turned over and began to shake.
“Come on!” Spike snapped. “You wanted to be a super hero! Well go do something heroic and go up that bloody escalator! Only you can’t do it alone, can you?”
Harmony glared at him through tear filled eyes. She stood up and brushed her hair out of her eyes. Then she straightened her jacket and looked up at the next person on the escalator. She took a step up, trembling and hesitant but moving forward. Spike felt the mall pull away from him until he was back in familiar gray surroundings. He turned to his escort.
“Dozens?” Spike asked angrily. “How does she get by with dozens?”
“She was an incompetent monster, breaking the necks of her victims to feed.”
“Which means they couldn’t become vampires,” Spike said shaking her head. “This isn’t fair.”
“No it’s not.”
The mother pleaded and screamed as Spike held her arms behind her with a strength of iron. In front of her Dru dangled the screeching infant already scored by her long nails.
The whole world had been warm and safe and now there was nothing but pain and it didn’t stop...
Dru slashed the squalling thing’s throat and held the bleeding soon to be corpse over her open mouth. The mother screamed and lurched forward so hard her bones broke under his grip.
Darkness and utter despair made a heart scarred by childhood illness stop as hope itself vanished.
Dru kissed him warmly and Spike tasted the wonderful blood on her tongue. “Let’s find another,” he said happily.
It was not easy being a refugee here. He came home from the second job he had to support his small family to find the odors of blood and shit, the hard slap of urine and the hint of decay instead of the scent of warm bread. Two gray twisted things that wore the faces of those he loved more than anything lay where his wife and daughter should have been. The towns people found him sitting in the doorway, unable to weep, to rage, to even understand anything beyond a pain that he could not bear. The jabbering crowd gathered, their fear becoming a safe hate for the outsider but the noise they made was far distant behind the wall of pain. They seized him, but he did not know it. The rope around his neck was barely a hint in the prison of sorrow that had taken his will. His body jerked in the air, but it was not voluntary. Eventually the pain stopped.
===========================================================
Screaming filled Spike’s world. He tried to gouge out his eyes but he still saw everything, felt everything. Forever drifted on before Spike finally looked up at the entity waiting for him.
“No,” the angel said calmly. “It’s not fair. And for that, you should be thankful.”
===========================================================
Tara sat in her last class of the day. The professor was going on about applying themselves in the future and not letting their gifts become fallow. When the bell rang Tara looked down at her sketch pad expecting to see nothing more than Willow’s name with embellishments ranging from hearts to kittens. Instead she saw a rendering of someone who looked like Spike with their head thrown back and their body curled in a rictus of agony. Tara went to yank it out when one of her classmates gasped.
“Wow, Tara,” the young man said. “That is so cool!”
“Cool?” Tara asked incredulously.
“Well yeah,” he said. “I hope I can do that well. I’ve got this idea about post-modern man and his world. I just couldn’t find the right image in my art but you’ve captured it perfectly.”
“Here,” she said quickly ripping it out and handing it to him.
“How can you give this away?” he asked taking the sketch carefully.
“It’s easy,” Tara said flatly. “I’ve got to go.”
===========================================================
Willow ambled into the Magic Box deep in conversation with Betty about the effects of heat on the workings of spells. By reflex she looked at the counter. The sight of Giles engrossed in a book made her stop and look for Anya. When she didn’t see the former demon Willow looked back at Giles and realized he was reading on of his Watcher’s journals.
“Is there a problem?” Willow asked.
“Hmm?” Giles said looking up with a start. “Oh, good afternoon ladies. No, no problem.”
“Betty, would you mind checking up on the project?” Willow asked politely.
“Good idea,” Betty agreed and popped out of the store.
“Where’s Anya?” Willow asked.
“Out guiding Faith and Buffy through the worlds of finance,” Giles replied. “So I am here trying to engage in useful commerce.”
“Have you called the LA guys?” Willow asked.
“No, Faith’s getting things in motion,” Giles replied.
“Huh?” Willow asked her train of thought jumping the tracks. “Why does she need to get things in motion to warn them about Wolfram and Hart?”
“Oh damn!” Giles said snapping his book closed. “I didn’t even think of that. Bloody useless old man.”
“That’s not true!” Willow said adamantly. “You’re not useless.”
“I’ll debate that after the phone call,” Giles said picking up the handheld telephone. He wandered back to his office for the number. Willow edged the journal he’d been reading around and saw the date. She glanced over to the office and saw no sign of Giles. Willow opened the book and began to read quickly. She quickly forgot to keep a look out.
“Oh dear,” Giles said.
“Sorry!” Willow said straightening up with a start.
“I should have realized the temptation was too much for you,” Giles said in a kind voice. “It is in a language you can read.”
“I was just wondering how, you know, how you saw things back then,” Willow explained quickly. “You made a note about my first use of magic!”
“Yes, and nothing about warning you or trying to teach you basic skills and ethics,” Giles said tiredly. “I don’t remember ever trying to help you.”
“Oh,” Willow said thinking quickly. “I know how important that was in training to be a watcher. I know they really stressed the whole ‘take care of the group your Slayer will gather around her’ thing since it happened all the time.”
“I had travelled that same path, Willow,” Giles said. “I should have known.”
“Maybe,” Willow said carefully.
“I should have known later,” Giles said taking off his glasses.
“Yeah, because you were thinking so clearly what with your Slayer being killed in front of you and then trying to keep us all alive on the Hellmouth that summer. Then some idiot brought her back.”
“Someone who loved her very much,” Giles said meeting Willow’s eyes. “Someone who stayed with her.”
“Somebody who pulled her out of Heaven and nearly got her sister killed,” Willow said shivering.
“Is that better than thinking a coven of racists was a good idea?” Giles asked.
“Giles, you’re human,” Willow said earnestly. “Really human, with all the good and bad parts and we need you more than we know how to say. Tara worries about you, and so do I and, and...” Willow ran out of words that matched her feelings. She reached out toward him and Giles hugged her briefly
“Thank you, Willow,” Giles said gently after a moment.
“You’re welcome,” Willow replied. Then she sighed. “I really hate to lose this moment but there’s a bunch of bad lawyers after my girl and my families. What did Wes say?”
“He and the others were expecting it,” Giles replied. “He’s concerned that they had a contract with Faith at one point. They may know more about her than we’d like.”
“Anything else?” Willow asked unhappily.
“They may use other people to get information from us,” Giles said. “People who had no connection to their firm, but who knew us and wouldn’t be suspected.”
“I can think of a couple of people that would fit that right off,” Willow said thoughtfully. “The girls from the Wicca bake sale team, that...girl Kelli who’s been after Tara all year, and Amy Madison.”
“Reasonable,” Giles agreed. “Now, what about the project? We only have one more night.”
===========================================================
Tara smiled at the familiar ring of the bell in the Magic Box. She saw Giles wrapping yet another overly large ceramic monstrosity for a customer at the counter. She waited and held the door for the man who thanked her politely.
“Good afternoon, Tara,” Giles said brightly.
“Riding the high of a good mark up sale?” Tara asked with a grin.
“See?” Anya said from the table. “Even Tara understands the basics of economic reality even if she’s naive about tribute.”
“An, I kind of owe the LA hipsters,” Faith insisted as Tara walked over to the table.
“It’s above the going rate!” Anya said petulantly “Not to mention the fees your lawyer will no doubt demand.”
“She is kind of how I got the money,” Faith shrugged.
“’Diversify and Grow Rich?’” Tara wondered as she read the book in Buffy’s hands.
“It might as well be magic to me,” Buffy said with a wry grin.
“Me too,” Tara answered with her own smile.
“Hey!” Willow said coming out of the back. “This is supposed to be your day.”
Last edited by
jixer on Sun Aug 26, 2007 1:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
Angel's team, Lilah, Faith, all the Scooby gang! (I'm currently searching if anyone in my book is missing...Could you have Harmony doing a tiny appearance in your story please? lol)
(poor Kelli!)
