Hi Gang!
sorry about missing a post.
The board was acting funny for a few days, then i got busy, then i discovered that the board acting up had screwed up my browser. Then more busy.
Here it is:
A Door through Space and Time.“Ok. I have researched the stuffing out of this spell, plus I have already cast it twice,
plus I have Tara helping me, so I guarantee, no exploding stuff, or arriving without your clothes.”
“That’d be a hell of a way to make an impact with the locals there, Red.”
Willow held her head up and looked down her nose, all snooty-like. “That would send entirely the wrong message, Faith.”
She grinned to let Faith know she was only teasing.
All the Scoobies were present, Anya had even prised Xander out of bed to say goodbye. He stared blearily around with his good eye, looking like a rather hung-over pirate, his hands wrapped around a huge mug of coffee.
He glared at Giles, who was impeccably dressed and entirely too chipper for this time of morning.
Giles for his part simply smiled back and sipped his hot tea.
The travellers were in full battledress, black armour and axes on display. Willow had her own commando suit, but kept fidgeting with it as she walked the circle. She sprinkled herbs and salt, marking out the mystical area that was to be part of the spell.
Dawn gave her pistols a final check and sat down carefully so as not to skewer herself on anything.
Tara was sitting in the middle of the circle meditating, She had her Joan of Arc outfit on, gleaming dully in the pre-dawn light.
In front of her was a conical chunk of pink crystal. The dolls-eye crystal that she and Willow had used to cast so many spells together. It had been in her family for many generations and was a powerful conduit, something she thought could be very important today.
Willow finished up marking the circle and scurried over to sit across from Tara, the crystal between them.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea to go wearing armour? It’s going to be sorta awkward to explain if we show up in the middle of everything all amazon like,” she asked.
“Pffft,” Faith scoffed. “Better a bit of awkwardness and some explaining to do, than wondering why someone got chopped up, with their frikkin armour still in their pack.”
She eyed Willow. “Quit pickin’ at it Red, it fits fine.”
“It feels weird,” she grumbled.
“That’s ‘cos it’s armour. Not a pullover.”
Before Willow could complain any more, Tara smiled and opened her eyes.
”Are you ready to help me with the scrying sweetie?”
Willow smiled goofily. “Oh yup. Yup, yup, yuppers. Um, yes?”
She scooted a little closer.
This was more than their first time casting together.
They had worked on spells together a lot in Sunnydale, researching, casting, experimenting together. Often they used the Dolls-eye as a focus.
But this was the first time they had ever tried to cast a really major spell together using the crystal.
The scrying was not a big spell, just a way to have a look around really. A way to make sure that they didn’t give a passing shepherd a heart attack.
But teleporting five people around the world? That was big mojo.
Actually being able to
see the target would make the teleportation spell so much easier.
This time they had a few ingredients. Dawn would have been easy enough to find, but they weren’t trying to find Dawn, they were trying to find the place Dawn was from. Sort of.
Using her connection to the place.
And Tara wanted all the help they could get, so they broke out the stinky herbs, a small tuft of Dawn’s hair, the dolls-eye crystal, and a casting circle with all the trimmings.
Probably it was a bit overkill, but to be honest, Willow felt like she was on show. And she had had
enough of embarrassed explanations about how a spell had gone wrong in some unexpected way.
No exploding would be tolerated today. Or unexpected nakedness.
As before, Tara would be taking the lead with the scrying, with Willow providing a little extra ‘oomph’.
Then the teleport.
Buffy wanted Hogwarts-y? Well this would be proper Hogwarts-y.
She took Tara’s hand, marvelling at the tingles that flowed through her as their power blended together.
Individually, each was one of the strongest witches in the world, but together? She smiled.
There wasn’t anything they couldn’t do.
Careful not to interrupt Tara’s murmured casting, she sent a soft flood of love and affection down the link that they shared.
Tara smiled warmly, but did not stop her casting, and as both their hands touched the chunk of pink crystal she felt their combined power surge.
An image formed in the air above the crystal. As before the viewpoint zoomed up into the stratosphere, showing the world beneath them. Knowing what to expect made the experience noticeably less alarming, and she couldn’t help but smirk just a little when Buffy let out a strangled ‘Gnrk” sound.
Dawn breathed a soft “Whoa!”
With meteoric speed the scene shot down towards Europe.
Moments later, the Scoobies found themselves looking into a rather odd looking valley. The valley seemed to be a cold, windswept place, with plenty of rocks sticking up from the areas of scrubby vegetation.
What made it odd, were the patches of lush, nearly rampant greenery scattered about. The further north Tara moved her scrying viewpoint, the more spectacular greenery was revealed.
She frowned. “It’s getting difficult to move my spell closer to the cliff over there.”
The scrying was starting to look a little fuzzy, but a large stone building was just visible perched at the top of a steep cliff.
Willow’s tongue poked out just a little as she focussed her formidable will, the picture cleaned up noticeably, and Tara was able to move the viewpoint closer.
The building definitely had the look of old European stone construction, entirely appropriate for a monastery.
“Oh wow, ouch,” Willow complained.
The picture became distinctly fuzzy and the viewpoint was shoved miles further back.
Tara winced. “Ouch. I’m pretty sure that’s the monastery. There’s a lot of power there, and something or someone doesn’t want us looking at it.”
“Look around for a good place for us to arrive baby, somewhere with no surprised looking shepherds.”
Tara smirked a little at the ‘shepherds’ comment and let her viewpoint do a wide circle of the valley.
“I don’t see any shepherds and it’s nearly night time, so a bit of sneakiness should be possible.”
“Uh, Red, how much light does this spell of yours put out?” Faith asked as she watched the 3D picture of the valley fly past.
“A bit. Um, a bit more than a campfire maybe? It’ll be quite visible at night, but it only lasts for a couple of seconds.”
Buffy bounced a little and waved her hands. “Wait, what about that stone thingy, Tara? A bit to the left?”
Tara nodded. “I see it Buffy. That looks like a good place to arrive.”
The image above the crystal moved smoothly toward the ancient stone circle.
“Ooo, it looks like Stonehenge!” Buffy said.
“It most certainly does not,” Giles retorted. “It’s a circle of standing stones, that I’ll grant you. But it’s not remotely like Stonehenge.”
“Stonehenge is circle-y and made of stone. So is this,” she said pointing to the standing stones Willow was studying intently.
“Ergo, it’s Stonehenge-y.”
Giles look slightly miffed. “I suppose I should be glad that you managed to use the word ‘ergo’ correctly, and quit while I’m ahead.”
Buffy smiled. “Well, some of that britishyness was bound to rub off on me sooner or later.”
“I’ll have you know it’s not britishyness, it’s called a vocabulary.”
Buffy shook her head cheerfully. “Nope we did this already, it’s ‘wordiness.’”
“Red, Blondie? Please tell me we’re nearly done. Before the chuckle twins kill each other,” she gestured with her thumb over her shoulder.
Both witches smiled, though they couldn’t see the gesture.
“Yeah, I think I’ve got it. Yup, thunderbirds are go.”
She looked around at her friends. “Now this spell is big mojo, lots of power. Big medicine. So zip it!” she mimed zipping her lips.
“It’s gonna take a lot of concentration, so no interruptions please, at least for the next ten minutes, after that you can talk your heads off, though half of us are going to be somewhere else.”
She smiled at Xander. “Bye Xander, see you in a few days.”
He grinned back, his sleepiness mostly banished by the fresh air and hot coffee.
“Wish I was going with you Wills. Send me a post card. Oh and one of those dolls!”
She smiled at him. “Doofus, that’s Russia. I’ll make sure and get you a souvenir though.”
“Thanks Willow.”
“Next Scooby adventure we go on, I’m definitely bringing you, ok?”
“Deal.”
“Even if I have to leave Buffy behind.”
“Hey, you can’t go without me! Who’s going to provide the cute and lovable factor?”
“Willow,” Tara said, completely straight faced, before she broke out into a smile.
Buffy poked her tongue at Tara, which produced a happy laugh.
“Bye Giles!” Buffy said with a small wave.
“Keep safe Buffy,” he said, returning her wave. “And do try to enjoy your overseas adventure.”
Dawn waved at her friends. “See you in a few.”
Jules grinned. “I want a souvenir too.”
“Done. And you?” she said, turning to Heather.
Heather shook her head, her long braid waggling. “Just come home safe, ok?”
Dawn got a bit of a lump in her throat. “’kay. I will, I promise.
She smiled a watery smile. “There I promised. So I will, ok?”
“You better, or I’ll kick your butt.”
“Ok, so, I’m gonna cast the spell now, I’m totally going to do this thing. Yup. So this is going to be a little rough, because I’ve never tried to move a whole bunch of people all at once. So nobody talk, or you’ll end up in Timbuktu, or wearing someone else’s pants. Or something.”
Everyone was appropriately (and slightly anxiously) silent.
“Right then.”
Willow closed her eyes and started chanting in Latin, her preferred language for mystical doings. Spells could be done perfectly fine in English, but somehow, Latin seemed so much more appropriate.
She lit the smudge stick and passed it ritually around her head 3 times before handing it to Tara.
Tara duplicated the action as Willow chanted, building the complex diagram in her mind, balancing the energies of the spell, getting it ready to confuse time and space and drop them neatly in her pictured destination.
She reached out for Tara’s hand, and felt the power flow from her, it felt like warm honey. It felt like love.
Together they reached for the crystal and pushed the swelling power into it.
The crystal readily accepted the power, drawing it in, steadying it, damping down all the little eddies and spikes.
Willow opened her eyes and met the eyes of her beloved.
They were surrounded by a warm pink glow, illuminating their skin lovingly.
Willow thought Tara had never looked so beautiful. Calm, but alive with power, connected on a fundamental level.
Willow’s eyes widened in surprise.
Standing behind Tara was a woman, seen as a reflection illuminated in the light of the crystal. She smiled at Willow warmly and Willow knew that smile, she’d recognize it anywhere.
It was then that Willow realized there were more figures, other women of similar stature, similar face shape, though each with their own unique take on those features. Some taller, some heavier, some fuller lipped.
Hundreds.
Generations of witches.
But all family.
Tara’s smile was beatific.
The figure reached down and laid her hand on Tara’s head, a simple gesture, but one filled with infinite love.
‘Hello Mama,’ Tara said lovingly across the link they shared,
‘This is Willow.’Rhiannon Maclay smiled,
‘Hello Willow.’And suddenly they were somewhere else.
+++
Cold, fresh, mountain air washed over Willow, jerking her to life. “Whuh… what… happened?” she sputtered.
She looked around.
There were no strange glows or radiant figures to be seen.
Tara’s smile was radiant. “That was mama, Willow.”
She met Willow’s amazed gaze. “I think she likes you.”
There was a groan from next to them and they remembered they were not alone.
“Jesus Red, you weren’t kidding about the rough stuff,” Faith said through gritted teeth.
She scrambled to her feet and bolted to the far side of the circle. The sounds of a very thorough retching could be heard. Buffy scrambled to her feet to help Faith, though really, all she could do to help, was hold Faith’s hair back.
“That was your mom?”
Tara nodded, still smiling radiantly.
“Wow. I don’t know what to say. Um, other than uh, hi Mrs. Maclay, and I love your daughter very much, and now I feel kinda like a dummy, because she’s not here to say it to.”
Tara smiled at Willow’s nervous stream of words.
“It’s ok Willow. I think she knows.”
Willow smiled worriedly. “Baby? What was that? I mean, yay! I got to meet your mom! But a little warning would have been nice, but I thought she’d gone! Was she in the crystal the whole time?”
Dawn stared at Willow, then looked to Tara for answers.
Tara was still smiling slightly as she shook her head. “I’m sorry Willow, I don’t know what happened, though I do know a few things.”
Willow looked at her eager for answers.
“Well, one: Faith does not react well to teleports,”
“Damn straight,” Faith groaned from some distance away.
Buffy looked at Tara, upset and helpless. Not a combination she was good with.
“Um, two: I think we’re here.”
“Yay!” Said Dawn, bouncing to her feet and looking around. She was careful to avoid the spot where her sister was comforting a distinctly unhappy Faith.
“And three, I think it’s safe to say you have the Maclay, um actually, Ó Liatháin, seal of approval,” she said with a wry smile.
“Um, I got the impression there were lots of women there, not just your mom and Grams, but like, hundreds.”
Tara nodded. “I think the Craft has been in our blood, longer than anyone realized. I mean I knew my ancestors were witches, but I had no idea it went back that far.”
Before Willow could ask any more questions Faith staggered over, wiping her mouth on a moist napkin that Buffy had provided.
“Ok, so. I learned something. Chilli cheese fries? Not good before teleporting.”
Buffy wrinkled her nose in disgust.
“Eww. Really.”
“Are you ok Faith?” Tara asked softly.
“I just puked my guts out, and have barf breath. Ya wanna try that one again?”
“I meant, are you feeling better?”
While Tara was speaking, Dawn handed Faith a toothbrush and toothpaste. Faith nodded her gratitude and got to scrubbing vigorously.
Tara raised an eyebrow in question, Faith just shrugged and kept brushing, taking care to spit outside the circle.
Taking a swig of water Faith rinsed her mouth out and glowered at the rest of the gang.
“How come none of you are losin’ ya lunch?”
Willow held up her hand. “Witch,” she said.
“Also witch,” Tara added, her hand raised.
“Mystical green blob,” Dawn said.
Buffy just shrugged awkwardly. “Sorry. Just lucky I guess.”
Faith huffed. “I’da felt better if at least one other person puked.”
“If it helps, I feel a little dizzy,” Dawn said.
Willow blinked in surprise. “I don’t.”
Faith gave her an unhappy look. “Rub it in why don’tcha.”
Willow waved her arms around excitedly. “Nonono, you don’t understand. My head should be all swimmy, so should Tara’s. But I feel fine.”
Tara frowned as she thought. “I don’t feel dizzy either, which is a little odd now that you come to mention it.”
“Maybe it was your mom helping?” Willow suggested.
Brow still furrowed in thought she shook her head. “I don’t think so sweetie. I think those were just echoes, past users of the crystal, the last being mama. I think if all the Ó Liatháin women vanished into the crystal, the Powers That Be would have noticed before now.”
“Um, plus, crowded,” Willow said.
She bounced a little in her seat. “Ooh! So, except for Faith being all barfy girl, our first big spell together worked really well.”
“And no surprised looking shepherds looking for new pants,” Dawn said, having been exploring a little while the others talked and recovered.
“Always a plus,” Buffy said.
Tara looked around the darkening sky. “We don’t have a lot of light left. We should think about setting up camp.”
“Oh, I love take-charge-Tara,” Willow said. “Especially when I get to-” she looked around at the ring of faces, each carrying a grin or curious expression.
“-Stop talking,” she finished, looking a little embarrassed.
“On behalf of the impressionable teens in the group, I thank you,” Buffy said.
“Pfft!” Dawn scoffed. “I’m already, uh, impressed. The damage is done. Remember the kitchen table?”
“Dawn! I’ve been trying to forget that!”
Willow and Tara both looked away from Buffy, unable to meet her annoyed gaze.
“Also the back yard, lounge, kitchen, bathroom and once, the hallway,” Dawn explained.
Faith managed a slightly green grin.
Buffy just looked shocked. “What is it with you two?”
Willow was an utterly mortified shade of red.
Tara simply said. “We are in love Buffy. You know how it is.”
“The lounge, the peach, the food place, the shower, and in a field,” Faith said.
She grinned. “And we ain’t even been at it that long.”
It was Buffy’s turn to blush furiously.
“Given that Giles normally pulls us back to reality at this point, I’m going to do that part and say, ‘Shouldn’t we be looking for places to make camp?’” Dawn said in her best Giles voice.
“I dunno squat about camping, but I’ve slept rough a time or two,” Faith said looking around. “Pretty sure a hilltop in the mountains is not too awesome for that kinda thing.”
Tara nodded her agreement. “We need a cave, stand of trees or a deep valley, in roughly that order.”
“Orrrr, that village over there,” Dawn said pointing to some faint smoke and dim lights in the distance.
“Hmm, let’s think about this. Sleeping in the cold stony wilderness, up a mountain in the scary darkness, or sleeping in a hotel or tavern,” Willow said, her hand on her chin as if thinking hard.
Buffy stuck her hand up. “I vote for the hotel thing.”
“Actual beds sound pretty good.”
“I vote bed.”
“I think a bed sounds nice. If they’re clean.”
Buffy made a show of counting. “So that’s five for actual beds and zero for cold and stones. Let’s go find some civilization.”
Tara judged the distance with an experienced eye. “I think we’ll arrive a bit after dark.”
“Ya sure ya don’t wanna go explore now?” Faith asked. “I mean sure it’s getting dark, but it’s our morning, and we’ve got torches and witches. An’ me and B can see in the dark anyways.”
“I think we are more likely to find things, and not break a leg if there’s actual daylight around,” Tara said.
“Sweet. Let’s go play tourist then. I could use some foreign food.”
“You just ate!” Buffy protested.
Faith shrugged. “Yeah, but by the time we arrive I’ll be hungry. That and you really need to eat more B, you’re kinda skinny.”
“That goes for you too Willow,” Tara said.
“Well I’m sorry,” Willow said. “But up until just recently I was all depressed girl, and that sort of thing messes up your appetite.”
“Uh, what Willow said,” Buffy added.
“Right, let’s go turn B into a cute little butterball Slayer,” Faith said hauling a huge pack onto her shoulders.
Buffy just rolled her eyes, her general skinniness being something of a sore point. “Great, not even married yet and already she’s trying to change me.”
Willow got the giggles when Buffy shouldered her enormous pack. It looked for all the world like the pack was bigger than she was.
The two slayers, being inhumanly strong, had huge packs.
Everyone had a fairly large pack to carry, after all, they were not sure what they would find and had packed to live rough for a week if need be.
Buffy glowered at Willow and took off after Faith.
As they walked the sky grew darker, until maybe an hour and a half after they had arrived, the sun set, and they were just outside a small village.
“We should get changed into less, um, warlike gear I think,” Tara said.
“I am really tired,” Willow said.
She looked every bit as tired as her words suggested.
“I could use a sit down too,” Dawn added.
“I could live with not carrying this stupid pack for a bit,” Buffy said in agreement.
“It is freakishly huge,” Faith said. “Not that much fun either.”
Dawn started peeling off her armour, stripping down to the black body suit beneath, and getting dressed in her tourist outfit of jeans and a warm jacket.
The others followed suit, and soon they resembled well to do American adventure tourists. With enormous packs and a big sack each filled with clanking, rattling armour.
Tara looked snug and warm in her new leather jacket, which prompted a smile from Faith.
Faith gestured at her back. Tara turned to show the new leather panel added to the back, an overlapping flap which allowed her wings to slide out, without leaving her at the mercy of cold winds.
“Nice.”
“Nope, this doesn’t look the tiniest bit suspicious,” Buffy said, her pony tail waving as she shook her head.
Faith grimaced. “How’d you handle this sorta stuff in the other place, Snowy?”
Tara smiled at Faith’s affectionate nickname. “Normally not so much of an issue. In a pinch, we’d have a base camp out of town and send a couple of the not-so warlike ones in to do some talking. Usually me and Catherine.”
Faith hefted her sack. “Ah screw it. Let’s go get stared at by the locals.”
“Before we do that, I want to cast a spell on everyone,” Tara said.
“A protection spell?” Dawn asked excitedly.
Tara smiled at Dawn’s excitement. She too remembered when every spell was exciting, just because of its newness.
She shook her head. “Nope. I don’t think it’s quite that dangerous here. But does anyone here speak Czech or German?”
Surprisingly, Faith stuck her hand up. “Uh, yeah, I speak Dutch German fairly good. I could maybe puzzle out the local lingo in a pinch.”
Tara smiled, she’d always suspected there was more to the ‘Dark Slayer’ than met the eye.
“Good to know Faith. I think it would be good if everyone could speak to the locals, though.”
“Cool, do it,” she grinned. “I like your spells, they feel real buzzy.”
Tara grinned crookedly. “Everyone hold hands.”
Everyone put their hands together in the centre of a rough circle.
“One for all?” Dawn said with a smirk.
Faith grinned and squeezed Dawn’s hand. “Sure, I’m down with that.”
“Weirdo,” Buffy muttered.
“Shush,” Tara said and began chanting softly.
“Butch,” Faith muttered, mirroring Buffy.
Tiny white sparks mixed with occasional flecks of blue swirled from Tara to circle their heads. They faded rapidly, the whole process taking only a few seconds.
Willow giggled. “Pretty.”
“Buzzy,” Faith added.
“Uh, I know this is going to sound like dumb-age, but how come your spells look different to Willows?” Buffy asked.
“Everyone has their own take on spells Buffy. Mine were always sort of sparkly, but after my um, resurrection, they got a distinct colour theme. Willow’s are usually kinda lightning-ish, and Dawn’s are green.”
“Because that came as a complete surprise,” Dawn said sarcastically.
“How it looks depends on the spell, but generally it’s influenced by each person’s magical signature.”
“How would mine look do you think?” Buffy asked. “If I could actually cast spells.”
“Gold,” Faith said without a seconds hesitation.
“Really? That’s how you see me?”
Tara gestured Buffy to come closer, and placed her hand above her heart. She concentrated for a moment.
“Buffy, you’re not a witch. But you’re filled with power.
Goddess but you are filled, It’s like fire. But that’s your Slayer-ness I think.”
“You can do ritual magic, same as anyone can. But I think the ‘point and shoot’ spells you see us doing occasionally are beyond you.”
“Poop,” Buffy grumbled.
“Yay me!” Dawn said. “I finally have something that my sister can’t do.”
“We need to test the spell. Faith, you said you speak German, can you give us a taste?”
Faith shrugged. “Sure. Just so’s ya know, it’s Dutch, so it’ll sound pretty shitty to the locals prob’ly.”
“That’s ok, just give it a try,” Dawn said.
Faith blinked at Dawn in surprise, completely missing Tara’s smile.
“Lil’ D, I
am speaking German.”
“With a Boston accent. Which is very impressive,” Willow said.
She turned to Tara and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “You just get more amazing baby.
Tara smiled and gave Willow a hug in response.
Buffy looked deep in thought.
“Faith? Ages ago you said something in the coffee shop. Something in Spanish.”
She met Faith’s deep gaze. “What was it?”
“God B, I love you. I swear the sun rises in your eyes,” Faith said softly. If she spoke in Spanish, Buffy certainly heard it in English.
Buffy looked absolutely smitten. Her eyes shone. “Can anyone doubt why I love you so much?”
She slid into Faith’s arms for a passionate kiss that raised the temperature of the area by quite a few degrees.
By the time they finished, Dawn was flushing pinkly and fanning herself.
“It’s suddenly not cold out here anymore,” she said awkwardly, looking everywhere her sister wasn’t.
“Sorry Dawn,” Buffy said.
Dawn shrugged, Faith style. “Eh, seen plenty of that before. You forget, we lived with these two for ages,” she said pointing at the two witches. They were holding hands and trying their absolute best to look innocent.
Faith smirked, looking distinctly less green. “Lotsa love in the Summers house eh?”
“Oh yeah,” Dawn said gathering her gear. “Pretty much daily. And the smooching never stopped.”
She snuck a grin at a mortified Willow. “That part was pretty cool actually. I just kinda wished Buffy could find someone like that, always with the touching and the cuddles and smiles.”
“What am I? Chopped liver?,” Faith said, looking annoyed.
“And now she has,” Dawn responded with a cheeky wink.
“Thank god for ear plugs. And best friends dorm rooms to sleep in, otherwise I’d never get any sleep.”
“C’mon ladies and… other ladies. We don’t have forever,” Willow said.
++
The sounds of mild bickering could be heard as the party approached the village.
“…I’m just saying, it’s as if I had walked further than you, that’s all.”
Faith made a motion for everyone to stop. “Hold up girls.”
Everyone gratefully dropped their packs and had a stretch.
Faith gently steered Tara to stand in front of Buffy, which got a puzzled look from Tara.
Faith eyed her carefully, noting that Tara was just a little shorter than herself.
“Look straight ahead honeybunch,” Faith said to Buffy.
Buffy for her part, looked puzzled, but complied.
“Hey Snow-White. How tall are ya?” Faith asked with a smirk.
“Um, five-four. Why?”
The smirk grew. “Red? How tall are you?”
Willow grinned as she caught on. “Five four also. Actually I’m just a teeny bit taller than Tara, but she usually wears platforms or heels.”
“Uh huh,” Faith said, noting that Buffy’s eyes were lined up with Tara’s neck.
“Ok, pumpkin, how tall are you?” she said with sugary sweetness to Buffy.
Buffy glowered at Faith’s shit eating grin. “I’m five four, as you well know.”
At Faith’s raised eyebrow and relentless grinning, she protested. “Hey these are not my proper shoes! They make me all short and stuff!”
Faith looked significantly down at their feet. Buffy and Tara were wearing the same brand of hiking boots.
“Now B, you can tell us you’re five-four, in which case you’ve walked the same distance as the rest of us.”
“Except me,” Dawn put in.
Faith nodded politely in Dawn’s direction.
“Or you can quit being weird about it, tell us how tall you really are,” Faith slung an arm comfortably around Buffy’s small shoulders. “And because you have been such a trooper and walked so much further than the resta the gang, I’ll give ya a nice foot massage when we crash for the night.”
Buffy fumed for a bit at the smiles all around, before she huffed mightily. “Fine. I’m five-nothing. Ok?”
Faith kissed her sweetly on her cheek and shouldered her pack.
Dawn laughed. “Wow, you caved pretty easily sis.”
Willow laughed gently. “I don’t blame her. Slayer fingers are like magic.”
Dawn’s eyebrows vanished into her hairline.
Willow winced. “And that sounded a lot less dirty in my head, I swear.”
Tara chuckled. “Come on sweetie, we’re nearly there.”
She smiled cheekily at Willow. “I might have to ask Buffy for a demonstration of those magic Slayer fingers.”
Up ahead Buffy was blushing furiously. Sometimes Slayer super-senses were a pain.
Faith was grinning. “Practiced on Red huh?” she said quietly.
Buffy was still blushing, but she nodded and said. “All part of the Buffy best-friends package.”
“And X-man?”
Buffy wrinkled her nose. “Eww! I’ve given him a few shoulder massages, but boy-feet are stinky,” she shook her head, ponytail bouncing. “No foot massages for Xander.”
Further back Tara trudged up next to Dawn. “Hey sweetie, how’re you getting on?”
Dawn smiled radiantly. “This is awesome!”
“Really?”
“Yup, totally. I like physical stuff, at least when my sister and besties aren’t making me feel like a cripple. Plus, I’m on an adventure with,” she smiled shyly. “With all my moms. What’s not to like?”
Tara smiled. “You really have more moms than anyone. I think I’m just a bit jealous.”
Dawn smiled back.
“So roughing it is ok?”
Dawn shrugged, Tara wondered if she got that from Faith, or if she’d just picked it up somewhere along the line.
“I guess we’re only going to be out here for a few days, so I packed, like, eight pairs of panties and a spare bra, and stuffed them in Buffy’s pack.”
Tara chuckled.
“She’ll never know. There were already lots of underthings in there. Plus I snagged some of her under things and put them in there, just in case.”
“I’m pretty sure Faith did the same,” Willow said.
Faith dropped back to chime in. “Yup. B gets the shakes if she goes more than a few k’s from a mall, so I figure she’s likely to forget, bein’ all urban mall-rat an’ everything. Packed her a few things as well.”
“So let me get this straight,” Willow said. “Everyone figured Buffy would be all spazzy and forget to pack fresh undies, so they packed some for her?”
“And some spares for us,” Dawn added.
“And put them in Buffy’s pack? Because there were already some in there?”
“I didn’t,” Tara said.
All eyes turned to look at the little blonde, trudging down the path ahead of them.
Sensing all eyes on her, Buffy frowned and looked around.
“What? Why is everyone looking at me like I’ve got a giant spider sitting on my pack?”
She craned her neck, trying to look at her pack. “Do I have a giant spider on my pack? Do I need to slay it?”
“Uh, no worries B. Don’t think we’ll be runnin’ out of undies any time soon though.”
“I say Huh?”
Faith just grinned. “Don’t worry Bumblebee, I’ll explain when we hole up for the night.”
“Uh, okay then. Plus I get a foot massage remember?” she bounced cheerfully.
‘Ok, now I feel slightly bad about all this.’Tara smiled cheekily,
‘So Buffy is carrying a huge pack, almost entirely filled with underwear? I recommend telling her after we get settled. I’m not sure just outside a village in outer bohemia is the best place for an explosion of underthings.’
‘True. Ok, I’ll fess up after we get settled. This secret bat-phone thing is really handy sometimes. There is no way we could keep a secret from those two otherwise.’
‘Buffy’s hearing is that good?’Willow nodded,
‘That’s why I gave up trying to be quiet at home. Buffy told me that she could hear us, even if she was sitting on the side-walk.’‘Eeep! I’m not sure if that’s the most comforting thought. I feel a little exposed now.’
‘If it’s any consolation, she did tell me she was happy someone was getting some love.’
‘Oddly, it’s not that reassuring.’Several more minutes of brisk walking saw the five women on the outskirts of the village.
By American standards it was probably too small to rate even ‘village’ status, but they were willing to allow that European standards were different.
“Ok Glinda, this is your show. What’s the plan, ma’am?”
One or two passers-by eyed the group with interest, but made no move to talk to them.
Or chase them with pitchforks, thankfully.
“Well, my experiences were on a different word, but people are still people. We go in, get rooms at the inn or tavern and ask around a bit.”
“Somethin’ weird about this place,” Faith said.
“You mean besides the fact that it looks like it’s from an era before combustion engines? Or the world war 2 era clothing?” Willow said.
“That, an’ the locals look twitchy.”
“I thought that was normal?” Buffy said.
“Buff, this is a first world country,” Willow said. “It’s not Bosnia, it’s not a warzone. I don’t think there’s been any major badness since world war two.”
“So how come this place looks like the places we see on the news?” Faith added.
“Well, we have Appalachia, maybe this place is the same. All hill-billy-ish and back-of-the-woodsy?” Buffy said.
“Well we are in the mountains,” Dawn said. “I think folks who live in the mountains like mountain-y, not-suburban things. Otherwise they’d just move to the, um, not-mountains?”
“And if I was from Appalachia, I’d be offended, but I’m not, so… meh,” Willow said shrugging.
“All comments about hillbillies aside, I don’t think we’re going to be in for too much trouble. So please don’t stake or shoot anyone unnecessarily,” Tara said with a small grin.
Dawn grinned. “Define ‘unnecessarily.’”
Tara laughed. “Heeheehee, flashback.”
“I thought you’d remember.”
The smile stayed on her face. “Let’s just go in and be strange American tourists. No danger, just silly foreigners.”
Buffy hefted her sack full of armour and weapons. “Great, let’s go!”
“She’s certainly full of beans,” Tara said.
Willow smiled. “Well it is her first real foreign adventure. Plus she has a shiny new fiancé to show off. That would make anyone more than a little chipper.”
“I know how that feels,” came Tara’s happy response.
Willow leaned over for a hug. “Me too. Come on, let’s catch up to Buffy before she buys a famous local land mark.”
The girls were not walking long before they spotted an inn. They attracted no small amount of interest, foreign visitors obviously not being something that the local people frequently encountered.
Buffy, clearly used to leading, arrived at the door to the inn before anyone else did. Cheery light and the sounds of music and laughter could be heard through the closed door and curtained windows.
While Buffy was wondering anxiously how to go about dealing with the locals, Tara strode confidently past her and into the tavern. She politely held the door open for her friends, who filed through the narrow door.
And just like in the movies, the conversation in the inn petered out, as folks realized there was something new to look at.
Tara smiled pleasantly around the room and made her way to the bar. “Good evening. We need rooms for a few nights, do you have any to spare?”
The huge, bearlike bar-keep smiled with genuine warmth. “American? Yes, yes! We have rooms!”
The others drifted slowly toward the bar, the conversations slowly resuming, along with the music.
+++
Giles stared at the phone with an expression of what could be called worry, were he a lesser man.
Voices. Echoes. Memories of times past. They all made themselves felt as he pondered what he was going to do.
‘There will be no going back from this, old boy’He sighed and ran his hand nervously through his hair, glad that no one was around to see him acting like a lad, nervous and twitchy before the school ball.
‘This is going to re-open some old wounds, but there is no choice.’Not all the things he had left behind in his troubled past were bad, quite the contrary.
‘And that’s the problem isn’t it? What’s it going to be like, seeing them again after all these years?’He pondered for another few moments.
“Blast,” he said quietly.
With quick, decisive movements, he picked up the phone, and from memory dialled an impressively long phone number.
When the phone picked up at the other end, he spoke with all the gravitas he could muster. “It is time. I need you.”
He listed for a time to the voice on the other end of the line.
“Ah… most terribly sorry… perhaps I have the wrong number? No, I’m trying to reach Brie… no, I’m sure this is the right number… what do you mean ‘Which one?’”
Giles was clearly getting impatient. “Look, you stupid girl, I am looking for Brie, the one formerly known as Emily Giles, so why don’t you have a bit of a rummage around until you find her? There’s a good girl.”
Time passed.
“Emily? It’s so good to hear your voice again. I-I have missed you terribly. No? Really? Well, congratulations are in order. No, that’s not why I called. I…”
Giles sighed, seeming to shrink. He looked almost defeated. “I need you. Truly.”
He listened for a moment. “Because I didn’t think you could help before. Now we appear to be out of our depth and I need the help of those in unique positions with higher powers, such as yourself.”
He listened again, possibly for a shorter time.
“Because it seems as if, after all we have done to save this sorry world, we have been betrayed. And I need an outsider’s perspective. Someone I can trust. And someone with ancient knowledge.”
He listened again. “Yes. I rather thought it did.”
He sighed heavily and pinched his nose. “I know. I am calling him next.”
“It isn’t the least bit like getting the band back together,” he protested.
“I really wish I didn’t have to, but if this goes where I suspect it might, I’m going to need someone with a rather mercenary attitude to higher powers.”
“I promise you, I will be careful.”
“Emily? Please get here as soon as you can. It… it may be that the heavens have declared war on my family.”
“I will. I love you too.”
He put down the phone with every evidence of reluctance.
He sat down and rested his head on one hand. It was pretty clear that he was rather dreading this next call.
And just as he was reaching for it, the phone rang.
“Bloody show off,” he muttered.
He picked up the phone.
+++
“How are you enjoying your first wilderness adventure Will?” Buffy asked.
Willow looked puzzled. “I’m not sure this counts as wilderness, given that we are sitting on couches, in a tavern, and sipping huge foreign cups of coffee.”
She eyed Buffy’s drink. “And root beer.”
Buffy smiled and sipped her drink. “Still kind of wild out there though. Not a Starbucks or DoubleMeat to be seen for miles.”
She glanced over to where Dawn was talking animatedly to some grey bearded men. She hid her concern with only moderate success.
Willow grinned cheerfully. “This kind of wilderness I like.”
Buffy smiled at her. “Not one for the wilderness either?”
Willow shook her head. “Hey, when I was younger I though cows were supposed to go moo. When I went to visit a farm, I met a cow and was convinced it was defective because it didn’t moo. They made this weird groaning sound. The cows were defective.”
Buffy was somewhat relieved when Faith looked across at Dawn speculatively, analysing the folks she was talking to for threats.
She glanced across at Buffy and gave her a nod of her head.
Buffy smiled back and mouthed the words. “Thank you.” And blew her a kiss. Neither of them spotted Tara, who was cheerfully talking with some local women. She too had positioned herself so that Dawn was always in her field of view.
Buffy turned back to Willow and grinned. “Sounds like me. The only thing I know about cows is that they are small, red, and come in shrink-wrapped packs.”
“And they taste pretty good with garlic and mushrooms.”
“True. Faith does a good steak. The best. In fact so far I’ve asked Mary stay away from steaks, ‘cos I don’t want her to cook a better one than Faith.”
“Faith turns out to be surprisingly good at a lot of non-Slayage type things,” Willow said.
“I. Know.” Buffy said, saying each word with special emphasis. “It’s like there’s this whole world out there I just… never knew about, and now Faith is showing me.”
She smiled shyly at Willow, something she recognized as Buffy’s flirty smile, which was rapidly becoming known as her ‘Faith’ smile.
“There’s just so much to Faith, I had no idea!”
“Ok, Buffy, spill the beans, best friend privileges and all,” Willow said.
She paused for a moment. “But only if you’re not giving away Faith’s deep dark secrets. I don’t want her getting really mad at you. Or-or me.”
“Ok, in no particular order: cooking, ballroom dancing. Moonlit walks, hand-holding, snuggling and sweaty girl-sex. Oh, and foreign languages. And she likes poetry.”
Willow smiled goofily. “I’ve missed this, sitting around talking with my best girl-friend, talking about boys. Or hmm, girls, as the case may be.”
The smile faded to a sad, wistful expression. “I’ve missed you Buff. I’ve missed us.”
Buffy smiled, also a little wistfully. “Well, I’m back now.”
She nudged Willow with her shoulder.
“I’ll tell you a secret Will.”
Willow pricked up her ears and if possible, paid more attention.
“It would have been too painful and sad to talk about before. But I feel ok telling you, now things are better.”
Willow looked owl eyed.
“There are no words in heaven. There’s just a sense of connection. But it’s deep, it’s rich. So much so, that things like words seem like hollow meaningless things.”
She took Willow’s hand in hers. “It’s why I was so disconnected. Even when things were better, I was missing something. I did come back wrong Will. Not because of the spell, but because after I died, I became so much more. And then when I came back I lost it, lost that connection.”
She looked up from the middle distance she was staring hopelessly at, and smiled. A warm, true, Buffy smile that warmed the cockles of Willow’s heart, whatever cockles might be. It was like the sun coming up after a night filled with terror and despair.
“And Tara gave it back to me. Will, I-I have never felt love like that in all my born days. It’s like…”
“The sun,” Willow said with a soft and understanding smile.
Buffy smiled dreamily. “And it warmed me right through.”
She looked a little embarrassed. “I’m just glad Tara showed me Faith. I connected with her. I’m not alone any more Will. She’s like my little slice of heaven.”
Willow was almost radiant with joy. “I am glad for you Buffy, I really am.”
“Ah, um, and it’s a good thing too, because after feeling Tara… dear god Willow, how do you survive that? I mean if it wasn’t for
Faith, I’d be following Tara around like a love sick puppy.”
Willow smiled. “She is amazing, isn’t she?”
She patted Buffy on the hand. “I understand the lovesick puppy thing. There are days I just can’t believe how much she loves me. I mean, she loves everyone, she’s filled with love. But when she looks at me, Goddess, I just can’t believe it.”
“And you just melt inside when she turns those beautiful brown eyes on you,” Buffy said dreamily.
“Yup, only, y’know, blue. Because: Tara.”
“Oh. Yep. Went a bit Faithy-spacey there.”
Willow giggled. “That’s ok Buffy. I’m used to your spacey ‘thinking about boys’ face. Though now it’s a ‘thinking about Faith’ face.”
Buffy laughed. “True. So what about you Will? Any big plans?”
“You mean besides the large-big-hugeness, that is our upcoming double wedding?” Willow said nervously. “Yeah. I was sort of repressing that.”
“Second thoughts?” Buffy asked softly.
“No… yes… maybe?” Willow said. “I-I mean I don’t regret being with Tara, no-way no-how missy!”
“But the wedding?” Buffy prompted.
“Yeah. That.”
“I’m thinking that, as much as I do want to spend the rest of my life with her, making wedding plans might have been a tiny wee bit incredibly hasty.”
Buffy nodded. “I claim extenuating circumstances. Those circumstances being the narrow-minded, dough-butted, bitchy-pants at the jewellery shop.”
“Yuppers.”
“And oh wow, was Giles angry when he found out!”
“Uh-oh,” Willow said worriedly. “Um, how angry? Like on a scale of one to ten?”
“One being, ‘drat, I’ve run out of my favourite tea’, and ten being hearing that they’ve outlawed tweed?”
Willow smiled. “Come on Buff, Giles hardly ever wears tweed any more. Though he does wear a lot of suits when he’s on ‘Council Business,’ which come to think of it is pretty much all the time. So, angry? How, um, angry?”
Buffy looked thoughtful for a moment. “On a scale of one to ten?”
Willow nodded.
“Think, Hitler in a bottle, with a swarm of angry bees.”
Willow blinked in surprise. “That’s-that’s pretty angry there Buffy.”
“Yep.”
“You don’t think he’s going to do something, ah, crazy do you?”
Buffy sipped her root-beer-like drink, and shook her head cheerfully. “Nope. I think he’s going to do something that she is really going to hate, and it will be really well thought out.”
Willow sighed. “That does sound like Giles’ overprotective streak.”
Dawn wandered over and sat down. “Hey.”
“Hey back,” Willow said.
“So, I’ve been doing a bit of snooping,” Dawn said.
“Oh?”
Dawn gave them a wide-eyed glassy smile of clueless incomprehension.
“You do that freakishly well,” Buffy said.
“Thank you,” Dawn said with a less glassy-eyed smile. “I had a good teacher.”
“Hey!”
Dawn giggled. “Anyway, it’s interesting what people say when you’re a foreigner, and you give them your best cheerleader smile.”
“So, what did you find out?” Willow asked.
Dawn stuck a straw in Buffy’s drink and slurped up some of the coke-like fizzy stuff. “Not bad. I might have to get some.”
The smile fell off of her face. “Faith was getting a weird vibe. Something about it being like Bosnia. And Tara said the locals are acting scared. So both of them are trying to find out what’s going on.”
“Uh and oh,” Willow said.
Buffy sighed. “As long as it’s not a zombie attack. It’s not a zombie attack is it?”
“I don’t think so. They’re being pretty quiet about things, even with the dumb act. I guess they figure if two of us speak the language, the rest of us might too. They did seem worried about
‘them’ though. And whoever
They are, they’re due to show up soon.”
“Vampires?” Willow asked.
Buffy shrugged. “Hopefully. At least Vampires are stupid and don’t have any particularly surprising powers and stuff. I mean they are evil and really annoying, but at least you don’t end up dying of mind reading badness. From having them bleed on you, and stuff like that.”
“True.”
The three sat in silence for a little while, listening to the sounds of the village life happening around them.
“I’m betting: Vampires,” Buffy said decisively.
“Demons,” Dawn put in.
“I bet… evil wizard!” Willow chipped in, looking just a little buzzy from the big mug of European coffee.
“Wizard?” Buffy asked.
“Hey, I’m a witch!” Willow said. “I’m trying not to besmirch the name with evilness. Nope, no besmirching here.”
Buffy smiled and looked across the room, to see Faith in a conversation with an old gypsy-looking lady. Bangles and layered skirts were present in abundance, as was a large platter of some meat dish Faith had balanced in one hand.”
Faith for her part was looking down at her ring with a shy smile on her face.
+++
“I believe congratulations are in order.”
Faith raised an eyebrow in question.
The old woman gestured down to where Faith had her thumb hooked on her belt, her engagement ring showing.
She smiled, a flood of gooshy emotions swirling gently inside her.
She fingered the ring, savouring what it meant to her.
“Your first?” the cheery old woman asked.
Faith’s dimples showed. “Yeah.”
The old woman smiled and nodded. “I remember what it was like. Ah, you can imagine it was a long time ago for me.”
Faith grinned. “If you say so.”
She fidgeted with the ring on her finger, her thumb still hooked in her belt. “It’s kinda awesome and terrifying at the same time,” she said with a soft smile. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world though.”
The old woman laughed softly. “Very true, the first is always the most exciting. And the most terrifying.”
“Hey, no offence lady, but this is a one-time thing. For life. No-one else, alright?”
The old woman laughed lightly, a knowing expression on her face. “That’s what they all say.”
Faith glared at her. “Not exactly putting me at ease here lady.”
The old woman raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Your speech is good, but perhaps I misunderstood. I meant no offence.”
Faith shrugged. “It’s cool. I do alright with languages, but it happens.”
She felt a wave of mortification that could only be Buffy’s.
She glanced across to a shocked looking Buffy, locked in a clearly terrifying conversation with Dawn, if the expression on her face was anything to go by.
“If it’s all the same to you, I am going to go and spend time with my girl, and stoke up the furnace. See you around old lady.”
“Of course. My best wishes to your sister.”
Faith snorted as she left, shaking her head.
+++
“So, what about you Dawnie? Anyone you’re sweet on?” Buffy asked.
“Pu-leese, as if I have time for any of that stuff. Plus, if I did bring anyone home, you’d scare them off, or Faith would break their brain.”
“Hey, Faith promised no breakage,” Buffy protested.
Dawn rolled her eyes. “Without even trying. ‘Turn a gay man straight’ is what Xander said. Which now raises interesting questions about Xander.”
She glanced at her sister and grinned. “or ‘turn a straight woman gay’ might be a better fit.”
“Er... um... yes,” Buffy said awkwardly.
Dawn patted her on the shoulder.
“She a hottie, it’s true.”
Dawn thought for a moment. “Between you two, and Willow and Tara... well, you’ve set the bar pretty high. I’ve decided I’m not going to settle for anything less than full-blown, four-alarm, true love. And in the meantime, I’ll be busy kicking ass and taking names.”
“So... no to the hottie question?”
Dawn shrugged. “Nope, I’m happy enough with the purple monster for now.”
Buffy looked confused for a moment. “Purple...”
Her eyebrows vanished into her hairline as she twigged.
“Ack! Argh, argh!” Buffy said, thumping her head against the table.
“I can’t know this stuff! I cannot live in the world where I know these things about my little sister!”
“Pfffft! You’re the little one now, I’m the big sister. Plus I’m like a thousand years older than you, so… deal.”
Dawn raised an eyebrow. “I thought you’d be relieved, I know how uptight you are about the issue of sex, and me.”
“Ack! Purple! Argh! Monster!” Buffy said, punctuating each word by thumping her head against the table.
She looked up blearily from her head banging. “I understand Giles’ pain now. Thank you Dawn.”
“Drama queen much?” Dawn said with a sardonic expression
Her expression brightened. “Faith got it for me, it’s awesome! It does the wiggly round and round thing, and it’s even got the little extra bit at the back,” she said grinning at Buffy’s horrified look.
Buffy’s expression made it obvious she was trying to convince the part of her brain that held this new knowledge to die. Unsuccessfully.
“Faith?”
Dawn nodded cheerfully. “Ah-huh! We were shopping and got to talking about girl stuff, so she took me to the sex shop and we looked at stuff and she bought me the purple monster.”
“Please never say the word purple ever again. Thanks.” Buffy rubbed her forehead. “I am gonna kill Faith!”
“For what? Treating me like an adult, instead of a little girl?” she huffed. “If you could get Giles to not die of extreme Britishness, he’d tell you that this is a very responsible thing.”
“Well... yeah, but... eeew!”
Dawn put on her best ‘Giles’ tone. “Oh do grow up Buffy.”
Throaty laughter greeted her impersonation.
“Nice work lil’ D. You have him nailed.”
“Faith! You! This-” Buffy waved her arms around frantically, trying to indicate something. “is all your fault!”
Faith looked around, puzzled. “Huh? What? I ain’t seeing a problem.”
She flopped down on the comfy chair, a huge stein clutched in one hand, and a platter of meat in the other. “Wassup Summers?”
“Buffy is having a brain thing, because she is yet again,” Dawn poked her sister in the head with a finger. “Having a spaz over me growing up.”
“Hey! Quit it!” Buffy protested.
“What is it this time?” Faith asked. “Guns? Girls? Voting?”
Buffy was inarticulate, annoyed looking and somewhat blotchy.
Dawn grinned evilly. “We were talking about the purple monster and Buffy slightly fell apart.”
“Don’t know that one. We talking about some bad guy?” Faith asked.
“Nope my vibrator, you know, the one you bought for me? The one that goes like this?” she said, miming a wiggly motion.
Faith nodded. “Yep, I like that, I got one that does that too.”
“Faith! Not helping!” Buffy said huffily.
Faith stroked Buffy’s hair. “You really gotta relax about this stuff hon, you’ll blow a fuse or somethin’.”
Buffy gave her a sulky look, Faith continued. “Little Dawnie is growing up. And growing into a smokin’ hottie. Be glad she’s way more damn sensible about this stuff than you or I were.”
Buffy still looked unhappy.
“B, I get that you care an’ all, an’ I’ve even grown to love your overprotective streak. But, let it go babe.”
Buffy muttered under her breath, arms folded.
“I’m not kidding, let it frikkin’ go already.”
Buffy still didn’t look convinced, Faith muttered under her breath. “Stubborn Summers...”
“Buffy? Repeat after me: My sister is older that I was when I first got it on.”
Buffy grumbled. Faith gave her a ‘look’ and didn’t let up until Buffy threw her hands in the air and complied.
“Fine! My little sister is older than I was when I first got it on,” she said, exaggerating Faith’s phrasing.
Faith continued. “And is therefore entitled to get sweaty with whoever the hell she pleases.”
Buffy balked at this, only relenting when Faith poked her in the ribs a few times. “Quit it! Fine! And is therefore allowed to get sweaty *ick* with whoever the hell she wants. Can I stop now?”
“Nu-uh. My little sister is now a strong young woman who kicks ass and takes names. And I am totally ok with it.”
Buffy sighed dramatically, but went along with Faith’s prompting. “My little sister is now a strong young woman who kicks ass and takes names. And I am totally ok with it,” Buffy finished.
“And dresses sensibly to do so, don’t forget that,” Dawn interjected.
Buffy protested. “Hey! If I had a work uniform, I’d never be out of it!”
“Hence the reason I prefer sensible black. Or jeans, because when they get ripped, it’s stylish.”
“B? We kinda do have a work uniform now. And it is black. In fact it’s in a big bag over there,” Faith said, pointing.
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Buffy said, looking suspiciously at the ‘root beer’ that Faith had provided.
“I do not have good experiences with uniforms. Need I remind you of the horror that was the Double Meat? Red and white stripes? Polyester?!” Buffy shuddered.
She took a sip of her drink. “This root beer is weird.”
“Yeah, had a little trouble getting’ across ‘root beer’ to the barkeep.”
She grinned. “Bet you looked cute as a button in your little pyjama pants though.”
Buffy shook her head. “Definitely not. Those pants were not of the good. Definitely evil. When I eventually quit working there, I took my uniform out back and ritually slayed it.”
She sipped her drink again. “I have no idea what this is, but it’s kinda nice.” She looked up at Faith. “I thought we could all speak the language now? What’s with the root beer weirdness?”
Faith shrugged. “Yep, we can. But B? You have any idea what root beer is? ‘cos I sure as hell don’t.”
“Um, looks like coke? Tastes kinda liquorice-y?”
“Yup, and if you take that description to Big Pete over there, what you get is
that.”
Buffy followed the line of her finger back down to her drink.
“If I read him right, it’s made out of
gay cats and weeds.”
“Uh, what?” said Buffy, alternating between looking worriedly at her drink, and Faith.
Faith chuckled. “Glinda wasn’t kidding when she said this universal translator thing has a few bugs.”
“I heard my name. Or I should say I heard one of my special ‘Faith’ names,” Tara said.
She sat down on the small couch next to a smiling Willow and snuggled up close.
“Hey c’mon, I’ve narrowed to down to Glinda, or Snow White for special occasions. Mainly ‘cos you kicked up a fuss at ‘T-bone’.”
Tara made a yucky expression. “That makes me sound like a rap star, or worse.”
Faith put down the beer and tucked in to her meal, now revealed to be some kind of spicy lamb and potato dish. “Fair point. So, did ya find anythin’ useful?”
“I’m not sure. There has been talk of people going missing from some of the other nearby villages. They’re isolated, but not as much as this place. And these villagers are worried about something, but so far no-one has said what.”
The five absorbed this in silence, thinking hard.
Buffy looked on in amazement as Faith inhaled her meal. “How do you do that?”
“B, I’m empty here. Hell, I’m emptier than I’ve ever been, gimme a break,” Faith said with a half-full mouth.
More sounds of dedicated eating followed.
“You eat that fast, don’t be surprised if you get sick again later,” Buffy said.
“Yes mom,” came the mumbled reply.
“Where are we anyway?” Buffy finally said, switching to a ‘nicer’ topic.
“You’ll pee yourself when you find out what this place is called,” Dawn added with an impish grin.
“Oh?” Willow said.
“Yup. This place is called ‘Little Rock’.”
Buffy giggled. “Really?”
“That would be the translator spell,” Tara said. “If a word translates to anything that the person knows, that’s what you get.”
“Because Diamond-Falls and Sunny-Dale are sooo inventive,” Dawn said, dripping with sarcasm.
“I meant because of the Flintstones,” Buffy replied tartly.
Dawn responded by childishly poking her tongue out, Buffy responded by maturely poking hers out.
Tara grinned a little and stole a sip of Willow’s coffee. “Ooh, that’s nice.”
“You can share,” Willow said happily. “I don’t want to be up all night.”
“Speaking of which, what are we gonna do about sleeping arrangements?” Faith said.
All eyes turned to Buffy.
“Don’t look at me. Adventure girl is over there,” she said, pointing at Tara.
All eyes turned to Tara.
Tara smiled. “Well, I suggest that we turn in early so as to, um, line up with the local time. Then tomorrow we can hire a local guide.”
“Good plan. Shame we got out of bed like, four hours ago,” Faith said.
“I can fix that,” Tara responded. “The healing-sleep spell I used to help Dawn can be used on all of us.”
“Are you sure?” Buffy put in. “I’d hate to go all Cinderella and wake up next century.”
Tara smiled and nodded cheerfully. “I promise both comfort and safety. I’ve used it quite a lot.”
Dawn chipped in. “It’s a good spell, I’m telling you.”
“And the actual arrangements? Like, where are we going to sleep?” Buffy asked.
Tara looked sheepish. “Ah, um, there’s good news and bad news on that score. The good news is there’s a bed for all of us, and it’s safe. The bad news is that it’s a family room, so we’ll all be sleeping in the same room.”
Willow looked upset. “But-but that means no morning snuggles!”
Tara cuddled up closer. “There can be snuggles sweetie. Just no morning sex.”
“But, morning snuggles usually lead to morning sex,” Willow protested.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Faith muttered around a mouthful of spicy lamb.
Buffy flushed a little.
“Poor Faith, constantly hounded for sex by my horn-dog sister, at all hours of the day and night.”
“Da-awn!” Buffy protested, a hint of whiney sister in the tone.
“Buffy, you’re dating Faith. You’re
engaged to Faith. Of course you’re having sex. Lots and lots of sex, if the noises I hear are anything to go by.”
“Dawn!” This time there was more outraged shock in the tone.
Dawn ignored it. “Thanks for letting me tell everyone by the way. Uh, the engagement, not the sex. Vi and Rona are still halfway convinced we’ve all been taken over by pod-people.”
“Will? help?” Buffy plead.
“Sorry Buff. Dawn invoked big-sister privileges.”
Dawn grinned. “So now that we’ve established that there will be no sex while the impressionable teens are in the room, what now?”
“Eat, relax, sleep. I figure we kick back with the locals, see if we can get anything out of them, then crash when they all fall over for the night,” Faith said.
“And no sex,” Willow said grumpily.
“Just think how much you’ll enjoy getting home, Willow,” Tara said teasingly.
“Screw it, I’m heading out to the monastery place now,” Faith said, faking a move to rise.
“Oh my god! Can’t you guys go without for a couple of days?” Dawn said.
She looked amazed, revolted and just a touch curious.
Willow squirmed, as did Buffy. “Well, um, it’s sort of all the excitement of new relationship, plus all the comfort of an old one, so we’re having the best of both worlds.”
“That, and unlike driving stick, girls are always good for a second go,” Faith put in. “Or third, fourth, whatever.”
“Faith!” Buffy protested.
“What? It’s totally true! Fingers and tongues always do what you tell them. You never have to tell a girl ‘honey, it happens to everyone, we can try again in a little while.’”
She writhed her fingers suggestively.
Willow coughed as a bit of her shared coffee went down the wrong way.
“Don’t tell me I brought back a memory there Red?”
Tara rubbed Willow’s back soothingly as she coughed.
“Um, no. Um, no, that never happened with me and Oz... But there was this thing with Spike-“
“Damn Red! Didn’t figure you for doing the nasty with dead guys.”
“Eeew!” Willow said.
“Sorry Buffy,” she said, looking slightly apologetic. “But… eew! No, it was when he first got his chip and he discovered he couldn’t bite me.”
She looked all embarrassed at the incredulous looks. “Hey! He was all broken up and stuff. Because he couldn’t… perform.”
“Ohmigod! I don’t know whether to laugh or be squicked out. So I’m gonna go with Hahahah! Eeeew!” Dawn said.
“If it helps, I did bash him over the head with a lamp and run away,” Willow said hesitantly.
“That’s better,” Faith said.
Buffy scowled a little.
“What? You’re my girl, that means I get be all crazy and possessive, and stake all your exes.”
“Stake?!”
“Uh, hate. Yeah,
hate all your exes.”
“Spike’s gone, you won’t stake Angel, and Riley is a good friend, so I forbid you from staking Riley. No stakage, ok?”
“And Parker?” Willow asked.
“Stake away.”
Over by the fire, a pair of locals were tuning up their instruments, a violin and some form of pipe.
After a few experimental twangs and blows, they struck up a jaunty tune, something reminiscent of a sea shanty.
The rest of the bunch by the fire started to stamp their feet and gesture to others to come join them.
“Um, are they trying to get us to join in?” Willow said.
“Uh, yup, I think they are,” Buffy said, a little worriedly.
The cheery and only slightly beery folk were beckoning enthusiastically and pointing to the open space by the fire. Two local lads got up and started to dance in counter point to the music, their quick stomping steps being somewhat reminiscent of Riverdancing.
“Cool,” Dawn said, looking a little awed.
“Now that looks like fun,” Faith said, taking a swig of her huge beer.
Dawn squeaked in surprise when Tara doffed her jacket and made a beeline for the impromptu dance floor.
“Oh hell no!” Faith said. She took another swig of beer and dumped her own jacket, hurrying to join Tara.
The two young men finished their enthusiastic stomping watched carefully by Tara and Faith.
When they finished their set Faith and Tara both jumped in, enthusiastically stomping away in a rapid rhythm.
Willow was absolutely hypnotised, watching the muscles work under the smooth skin of Tara’s back. Her back was revealed by the halter top she wore, tied throat and waist, and for the life of her Willow could not look away.
If the dancing of the local boys was anything to go by, the actual steps were not particularly important, as long as you had a good rhythm going. And the staccato rhythm did
amazing things to her favourite part of Tara’s anatomy. And Willow thought her butt looked specatcular in jeans.
Willow wouldn’t have looked away if you set her on fire.
Faith for her part had managed to combine practical and sexy. She was wearing a long sleeved shirt made of some soft, deep red fabric that clung to every curve and left Buffy hypnotised. Between the skin-tight top and Faith’s tight jeans, she was as transfixed as any butterfly on a board.
“Wow,” she breathed softly.
“Uh-huh,” Willow sighed.
Willow collapsed against Buffy with a happy sigh. “Oh my god. How can anyone get so lucky?”
“I. Know.”
“I really wasn’t expecting Tara to get up and start stomping, but I’m sooo glad she did.”
Buffy grinned evilly, and clambered to her feet, dragging Willow with her.
“C’mon Wills, let’s dance!”
“What? Nononono!” she protested.
Her feeble struggles were no match for a determined Buffy, and she was dragged, protests and all, up to the dance spot by the fire.
Laughing and cheering, the locals shoved the tables and chairs back a little further to give a bit more room, and shouted their encouragement.
“C’mon Red! Stomp those feet!”
“Yes! Dance pretty girl!” the fiddle player called cheerfully.
Never the most rhythmic person, or coordinated, Willow froze.
Until Tara rescued her. Taking her hands with a loving smile.
Dawn smiled as Tara coaxed a reluctant Willow into jumping up and down, in a passable imitation of Heather-and-Dawn enthusiasm.
She frowned. She really missed Heather being here. Jules too. But not having Heather around was eerily like having a piece of herself missing.
She sighed. This was undeniable fun, but without her bestest bud to share it with, it just wasn’t the same.
Well, if she couldn’t jump around with her girlfriends, at least she had the next best thing: a horribly expensive camera.
She managed to get a good half a dozen snapshots of Willow slowly loosening up and getting into the stomp-y dance-y thing. It seemed that foreign visitors got a couple of extra goes, as no-one seemed to mind them pseudo-riverdancing their way through a couple of extra sets.
Although Buffy seemed to be the only one with any kind of dance step going on, it didn’t seem to matter. Willow gathered as much appreciation as anyone, with her rendition of Xander’s famed snoopy dance.
And after three sets, the visitors were replaced by other locals, allowing a sweaty quartet of girls to stagger back to the comfy chairs, and their drinks.
“Well, we have some new friends I think,” Tara said, breathing hard.
“They sure got their money’s worth, staring at our asses,” Faith said.
“I’m so glad you didn’t tell me that before I dragged Will up there. She would have frozen solid,”
“Wow. All new, and slightly alarming fun,” Willow said, mopping her brow.
Tara nodded. “I think I can see why the locals only do a set each before they swap out. It’s
really warm by that fire.”
“Yes, it is an old tradition,” the barkeep said. He leaned against the part of the bar closest to the guests. “We are very isolated. TV does not reach up here, and we only get one radio station. In the old days they would sometimes run out of fuel for the fires, so we would dance to keep warm.”
“For real?” Faith asked.
The man she had christened ‘Big Pete’ shrugged. “So they tell me. We still lose power often in winter, so it’s a handy tradition to have.”
“That seems little unusual for central Europe,” Tara said.
Big Pete shrugged again. “We are in the mountains. Things are different here. Often we are starved for entertainment.”
“Ya mean new butts to look at,” Faith said with a grin.
Big Pete grinned back. “In jeans even. Tonight has been a good night.”
Faith laughed as the others looked embarrassed. “Knock yourself out my man. Just don’t overdo it, otherwise my girl here will likely knock
you out.”
His grin was irrepressible. “I’ll have all winter to recover. Worth it, I think.”
Several men at a table caught his eye. “Excuse my exit ladies, customers are calling.”
Buffy glared at an unrepentant Faith, before turning back to Tara. “So the dancing was fun, but I’m kinda surprised you started it. I figured you more for the slow, snuggly dance-y stuff, and not so much with the stompage.”
Tara grinned a little. “Well, we are on the other side of the world and in the mountains. It’s safe to make a fool of yourself here. No-one’s ever going to find out.”
“Which is why I made with the dancing,” Willow said. “And totally not because my freakishly strong best friend dragged me up there.”
Buffy chuckled. Tara saw a light go on in her eyes, rapidly followed by fidgeting and squirming.
She’d had enough practice reading Buffy over the years, and reading the almost identical mannerisms in Dawn. She could tell that Buffy wanted something, but was embarrassed to ask.
“What is it Buffy?” she said softly, releasing Buffy from her torment.
“Well… um, I was wondering if-if you could… take me flying?” she said hesitantly, before blurting. “Because we’re up in the mountains away from everywhere and across the other side of the world.”
Tara smiled. “If you like. I’d be more than happy to take you flying.”
“I could probably take someone up too,” Willow added. “That way we’re not wasting time, we’re doing um, aerial recon. And enjoying it!”
Faith agreed. “Take lil’ D here. I can bop along on the ground and shift some gear. You guys can meet me when you’ve had enough.”
“Would now be a good time to talk about my terrible fear of heights?” Dawn said. “And cheap construction?”
“Really?” Faith asked.
Dawn nodded. “Towers, mad gods. It was a thing.”
Tara rested a gentle hand onto Dawn’s. “It’s ok sweetie. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
“I want to. I really,
really want to. I’m just scared.”
She frowned. “I want to get over it, and I really can’t think of a better way than to go flying with my family.”
“There’s a phrase you don’t often hear,” Faith said, stuffing the last of her meal in her mouth.
Willow bounced in her seat excitedly “And plus, up the mountains is about as safe as you can get. At least, y’know, for witnesses.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” Tara said. “Even in the city of light, where pretty much everything could fly, I still had to fly at night.”
“Uh, why?” Buffy said. “I would have thought people would have been all cool and stuff with the wings and the fly-age?”
Tara looked a little embarrassed. “Well at first I was repressing, then I was shy. After that it was just a good idea. With so many people after us, well it’s a good idea to keep that sort of thing a surprise if you’re cornered.”
She looked a little wistful. “I could really only safely fly during the day, when we were away from civilization.”
“Well you’re in luck Snow-White. This is about as far from civilization as you can manage.”
“And yet we somehow find ourselves in a pub, despite the absence of civilization,” Willow said cheerily.
“Pub?” Buffy asked.
Willow bobbed her head. “Yup. Pub. I brought that one back from merry old England, land of tea and tweed. I thought I’d show off, y’know, my British-ness. Because we’re in Europe.”
Dawn gave her an amused smile.
“Well, if you lived in my head, it would make more sense. And I’m just going to drink this coffee now.”
“I thought it made perfect sense,” Tara said, her eyes sparkling.
She pressed a soft kiss against Willow’s cheek. “I’ll be back in a little while. I want to see if I can find out a little more about the monastery, and maybe whatever is bothering the locals.”
“I’ll help!” Dawn chirped. “Plucky girl detective, that’s me!”
“The locals won’t know what hit ‘em,” Faith said. “Go on, do the girl detective thing. We’ll be right here, drinking weird fizzy stuff.”
She made shooing motions, and Dawn grinned enthusiastically and took off for some quality bonding time with Tara.
‘Only in our family,’ Buffy mused,
‘would Dawn be bonding with Tara, over questioning the locals about the creepy old monastery.’Faith laughed out loud, attracting a puzzled look from Willow. “And they woulda gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids!”
Buffy grinned. “There’s a reason Xander named us Scoobies, you know.”
Willow held up a hand, looking suspiciously like she were in class. “Is that what it looks like? Y’know, when Tara and I do the head thing? Were you doing the head thing?”
Buffy flushed a little with embarrassment. “Uh, yep. I guess I forgot.”
Willow grinned. “Dawn’s right, it does look kinda weird. Then out pop the random comments.”
“Well, at least we’re all weird together. Except Dawn, and she’s her own special kind of weird.”
“Careful Buff, they made her out of you. So be nice, otherwise you’re insulting yourself.”
“I blame Faith for her weirdness.”
“Uh, what?” Willow said, confused.
“Yeah,” Faith added. “Plus, you’re the weird one in this relationship. I’m the badass one.”
“Hey no fair! Will, tell her I’m the sensible one.”
Willow looked up from the remains of her spicy coffee. “Oh no way. I’m not getting involved in this. There’s nothing I can say that won’t get me in trouble.”
Buffy mock-glared at Willow. “Traitor. You’re supposed to take my side.”
“Well, I’m Faith’s friend too. And a real friend, they wouldn’t make her friends choose between her friends and her, um, other friends. So there.”
Willow put on a sad kitten expression.
“Ah, no! The cute and lovable defence! Not that!”
Faith looked at the two friends messing around with each other and rolled her eyes. “And somehow she gets her weirdness from me. Despite my near total absence from her life up until the last few months.”
She pointed an accusing finger at Buffy. “This from the woman who believes she has the supernatural power to detect shoe sales?”
“Hey! My Buffy senses were tingling!”
“That like spidey senses?”
“Yep,” Buffy said cheerfully. “But it goes off for Vampires, demons and shoe sales. Ask Willow, she’ll tell you.”
“It’s true,” Willow put in. “She gets all spazzy when they have… had, the big after-Christmas sales in Sunnydale.”
“Target rich environment huh?”
“Yep.”
“I think your Buffy-radar has gone wonky though, I’m not sure there’s going to be a shoe sale in a tiny village, up a mountain.”
“I’m telling you there’s something shoe-y going on here.”
Faith grinned indulgently. “Fine, you have your super ability to find shoes, and I’ll have my ability to actually FIND vamps.”
She poked Buffy in the arm.
“Hey! I can find them,” Buffy protested.
“Pfft! Most times you wander along looking all tiny and blonde and ‘please eat me,’ then the bad guys come find you.”
“Help, Willow! Faith is being all mean and sarcastic.”
Her smile made it obvious that she wasn’t particularly serious.
“Well, I can protect you from the mean old Slayer. C’mon, we’ll head up to our room and get the place organized. And figure out what where we’re going to put Dawn.”
“You’re going to put Dawn in her own bed,” Dawn said.
Willow jumped in surprise, as Dawn spoke up from by her elbow.
“Eeep! Sneaky girl,” Willow protested. “Well, you best come up and help us with the sleeping arrangements then.”
“I love you guys. Really. But I’m not sleeping in a bed with either of the pair of you. Getting groped by any of you guys in the morning is waaay out of my comfort zone.”
Faith chuckled softly, having “I’ll be up in a bit. Wanna finish my beer and wait for Snow-White,” Faith said.
Buffy nodded, silently agreeing to the idea. Something just was not right about this place, and it had made her a little edgy all night. Faith it seemed, was getting the same vibe.
“Come on up when you’re done. It shouldn’t take us too long to make everything sensible.”
The three women filed up the stairs, carrying a variety of awkward packs, bags and sacks making suspicious clanking sounds.
It wasn’t long before Tara made her way back to the table.
“Hey Faith.”
“Heya blondie. They’ve gone up to sort the room. Figured I’d stay and watch your back. Also beer,” she said, holding up her huge stein.
Tara smiled, something she seemed to do quite a lot these days. “Thanks Faith. Glad somebody thought ahead.”
Faith grunted in acknowledgement and swallowed her beer. “You find anything yet?”
Tara nodded. “I have hired a local guide by the name of Alphonse. I think he can show us the best way to get there, and we can talk to him while we’re travelling. We might be able to find out what the problem is that way.”
Faith nodded and took another swig of her beer.
“Are you alright Faith? Are the sleeping arrangements an issue? They only have the one room, but we might be able to sort something out.”
“Nah, I’m ok. Used to sleeping with other folks in the room. Sorta. Still feeling a little off from the whole teleport thing earlier though.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment before sharing her thoughts.
“You know one of the best things about bein’ with B?
Sleeping with her.”
Tara raised an eyebrow.
“Not sex. Though, dear fucking
god, she’s good in bed. Nah, what I mean, is that I never
slept with anyone before. Like cuddling is cool an’ all. And you better believe B is a snuggler.”
Tara smiled a little at this un-revelation. Faith returned her smile.
“But the big thing? I
sleep with her. I mean safe and secure, babe-in-her-mothers-arms sleep.”
Tara smiled warmly. “I’m happy for you faith. I’m guessing that you weren’t getting a good night’s sleep all the time?”
Faith picked at the table-top. “Yeah. Pretty much had nightmares since forever. When I was a kid I had nightmares on steroids. G-man thinks it was a Slayer thing. After that my life
was the nightmare, and don’t it just suck, but I had to relive it all when I was asleep too.”
Tara squeezed her hand, her face filled with compassion.
“Thanks Bl… Tara. I figure you can relate huh?”
Tara nodded. “A little.”
“After that, I had the whole Kakistos thing, then the whole ‘going crazy’ thing, then the massive guilt and redemption thing.”
“None of which made for a good night’s sleep.”
She caught Faith’s eye. “And Buffy.”
“Point. Also a factor.”
She poked her finger into the ring of moisture that her drink had left on the coaster.
“The thing that really pisses me off, when I stop to think about alla that bad stuff, is how dumb I was. I mean really, here I was all distant and closed off, balls-to-the-wall bravado an’ crap, all to keep myself from being vulnerable, from getting hurt, right?”
Tara nodded silently.
“So I got hurt anyway. Closed off, got excluded, got hurt. Did it harder, got hurt some more. Went crazy with it and got a whole hell of a lot hurt. I mean I ain’t talkin’ rocket science here, but how hard is it to figure out? If it hurts, stop fucking doing it!”
Tara thought for a moment. “I don’t think emotional things are too clear to anyone. Maybe you thought you just hadn’t pushed people away far enough, so you had to try harder?”
Faith grunted, obviously unconvinced.
Tara pressed a little. “Faith, it was horrible, I agree. But it was all you knew. What else were you going to do?”
Faith shrugged. “Dunno. Not that shit, I hoped.”
“I was there Faith, and though we didn’t have a lot of contact, I really got the impression you were in pain.”
Faith grunted again. She took a sip of her beer, and just as she opened her mouth to say some more, she was randomly hugged from behind by a petite blonde form.
Her expression melted as Buffy snuggled into her, nuzzling her hair. “No more bad thoughts snuggle-bunny.”
“’kay,” Faith said dreamily. “You keep doing stuff like this an’ I’m gonna wanna have more bad thoughts.”
“Nope. Because you can still get snuggles, even when you don’t have bad thoughts.”
Tara chuckled softly at Faith’s blissed-out goofy expression.
“Mmm, definitely liking the whole fiancé thing here B. I was just telling Glinda the good witch here, how you scared my nightmares into submission.”
“Yup. You’re my girl Faith. Anyone, anything wants to get to you, it’s gotta go through me.”
Buffy grinned. “And I can kill anything. Even bad dreams.”
“It’s true.”
She smiled warmly and turned to Tara. “I shit you not, I sleep like a baby now.”
Tara laughed lightly. “Is that another one of your Slayer powers Buffy?”
Buffy smiled coyly. “Nope. It’s my super girlfriend power. It’s right up there with calling dibs on the passenger seat and glaring at people who hit on Faith.”
“Which is frikkin’ hilarious by the way,” Faith added.
“Hey! You're not supposed to laugh!”
“What? It is!”
Buffy glared.
“They get all freaked and run off. What’s not to like?”
“You’re still not supposed to laugh.”
“Aww baby, don’t be like that. I just love it when you get all butch and possessive is all.”
“Har. Har,” Buffy said with infinite sarcasm. “Just so you know, you’re the butch one in this relationship.”
“Are you sure? ‘cos you wear leather pants more than me. And you’re all bossy.”
“I am not bossy! You take that back this instant!”
Faith just grinned. “I’m ok with being the butch one. Even if you are a bossy-pants.”
“Grrr!”
The antics of the foreigners on the couch had attracted some attention from the locals. Most glances were amused, a few were worried. And one or two were disgusted.
One man in particular had been shooting glances Buffy’s way since they arrived. His expression had originally been cheerfully interested, but had changed after Buffy had cuddled up to Faith with every evidence of enjoyment. Now, despite his attempts to disguise it, his face showed flashes of fascination and disgust, as though he had found something unique and grotesque beneath a log.
His glances had not gone un-noticed by Faith. She obviously put her arm around Buffy, and without so much as a glance in his direction held out her hand, wiggling the ring in the light. She also gave him the finger.
Angrily, he threw back the last of his drink and stormed out of the inn.
Faith frowned and glanced across at Tara. Tara returned her look with a tiny nod, she had seen the exchange as well.
They shared a moment of understanding, one survivor to another.
“C’mon, let’s get upstairs. Wanna find out about this magic thing. Looking forward to not feelin’ so weird in the morning.”
The three climbed the stairs together, heading for an early-early night.
“Are you still feeling bad Faith?” Buffy asked.
“I’m ok. Lots better, honey-bee. I think the epic puking session helped.”
“Well I’m glad. I hope you get over it, because I was going to get Will to send us to Hawaii. For sun and sand and surf. And other things beginning with ‘S’”
Faith grinned suggestively. “I’m up for it. Not a fan of teleporting though.”
Faith rubbed a breast gingerly. “Plus I think I banged my tit when I threw up. And I think I threw up stuff I ate in Sunnydale.”
Tara stopped in the narrow stairwell. “Gentle massage should help.”
Her expression was as innocent and pure as fresh fallen snow.
Faith raised an eyebrow. “You offering to help, Snow White?”
Tara responded by raising her own eyebrow. “I
am a recognized medical professional, Faith.”
Buffy looked torn between awkwardness and embarrassment, and flushed pinkly.
Tara quirked a twisted grin. “Though that’s in a whole other dimension.”
She opened the door behind herself, just as Buffy said. “If there are boob massages to be delivered, I will be doing them.”
Tara backed into the room followed by a blushing Buffy and a grinning Faith.
“So that whole ‘lesbian’ thing seems to be working out for you Buff,” Willow said, with a smirk.
Dawn nodded sagely, clearly bent on getting maximum squirm factor out of Buffy’s verbal faux pas. “That certainly explains why you took off out of here so fast.”
Willow joined in. “I know how it is when there’s a boob emergency.”
“Har. Har.” Faith said.
She rubbed her right breast gingerly. “I was just telling Blondie here that I think I hit my tit-” Buffy frowned. “Sorry,
boob while I was puking up everything I ever ate.”
She frowned at Willow. “Remind me to thank you for that experience some day.”
“Sorry,” Willow said. “Nausea is one of the common side effects of transformation and translocation spells. Things like that affect people differently, kinda like not everyone gets sea sick. I didn’t think it would affect anyone
that badly.”
“Which really sucks, ‘cos I don’t get seasick,” Faith grumbled.
“Sorry,” Willow said. “It should get better as I get better at the spell. And you’ll get used to it too.”
“Yippee,” Faith said flatly.
“Sorry,” Willow said again.
Faith stretched. “Not your fault Red. I’m not pissed at you, just not looking forward to ‘getting used’ to puking up.”
Worriedly, Willow rummaged around in her pack, until with a happy sound, she held up her green fluffy pyjamas and a packet of seasickness pills.
Faith peeled her top and sports bra off in one go. She got tangled with the elastic around her head, long enough for Willow to turn around and be confronted with Faith’s topless-ness.
Willow was transfixed. “Uh… okay. Hi, Faith’s boobs. I wasn’t really expecting… that, but… I’m not entirely, um.”
“Faith!” Buffy said, swatting her shoulder.
“Huh? Oh right. I should put the goodies away huh?”
Willow was still staring, amazed, at Faith’s chest.
“Willow!”
Willow jerked her eyes away, blushing furiously.
“Sorry, they sorta took me by surprize. Snuck up on me.”
“Cool, check it out B, I got stealth boobs.”
Tara and Dawn, in the meantime had simply turned their backs and gotten changed. Both were now wearing fluffy pyjamas and watching the antics with an air of amusement.
“What! How? Did you magic into your pyjamas?” Willow protested.
“Nope, just got changed while you three were having a spaz,” Dawn replied.
Faith put on her fluffy-duck pyjamas, by the simple expedient of having Buffy jam the top down over her shoulders.
A lengthy wriggling later and Faith was decently attired.
“I thought you slept naked?” Dawn said.
“It has been explained to me that I should wear pants and stuff, while in bed,” Faith responded, looking oddly like she had been coached. “At least while you guys are around.”
She grinned evilly at a blushing Willow. “Not that I mind giving people a free show, it’s just that
some people get all jealous and crap.”
She looked down with a frown at the pyjama top she had had thrust upon her. “Lil’ duckies? Really?”
Buffy swatted her. “Hey!”
Faith mock cowered. “Oh no, domestic abuse! Won’t some one save me from the mean blonde?”
“You. Bed.” Buffy commanded.
“Ooo, I love it when you’re all bossy.”
“Just wait till I get you alone,” Buffy threatened.
Faith waggled her eyebrows. “Promises promises,” she murmured.
Dawn rolled her eyes. “Children, I’m surrounded by children.”
Immediately she was thwacked by a pillow, mussing her hair.
“Not the hair!”
“And you insist there’s no resemblance,” Faith teased, poking Buffy with a finger.
Dawn looked around, parting the curtain of her loose hair, wavy from the braid it had spent the day in.
And was surprised when a grinning Tara thwacked her again with a pillow.
“Hey! Watch the hair!”
Faith and Buffy stealthily picked up the pillows from their bed.
“Don’t you dare…” Dawn said warningly.
*thwot!*
And this time it was Willow with the offending pillow, taking advantage of Dawn’s preoccupation with the Slayers.
Dawn spun around to glare at Willow, and Faith casually bashed her with a pillow, raising a squawk of protest.
And then proceeded to batter Tara around the head and shoulders with skilful strikes.
“Eeek! Slayer, help!”
“I’ll defend you my lady!” Willow said, and leapt into the fray, hitting Faith with clumsy but powerful strokes.
“Ack! B? Little help here?”
Faith was being bashed from all sides, Willow and Dawn getting some well-earned revenge. When she looked up she saw Buffy standing triumphantly on the bed with a camera, gleefully snapping shots.
Faith pointed. “Get her!”
“Eeek!”
Buffy’s next few photos were a blur of pillows.
+++
All five women were sprawled across one bed, some breathing hard, all with a happy glow.
“Poor Xander,” Willow said. “He really wanted to come, and he missed out on an all-girl pillow fight.”
Faith snorted. “He’d have been trippin’ over his own dick if he saw that.”
Buffy grimaced. “Eeew! Thanks for the mental image Faith. Now I can’t show the photos to him without wondering if he’ll be all… uh.”
“Erect?”
“Ahh! Stop it!”
Faith’s next comment was lost in a flare of light.
“Hello Les-urk!” Anya appeared, and disappeared almost immediately.
Everyone sat bolt upright.
+++
Faith blinked in surprise. “Well that was different, but what the hell?!”
“Will?” Buffy asked cautiously.
Willow looked a little shaken, and had definitely lost her post pillow-fight buzz.
She looked across at Tara, who looked no less surprized. She gave Willow a small shake of her head.
“I’m not sure Buff. Maybe it’s like the scrying spell, and she couldn’t get too close to the monastery?”
“She didn’t seem too happy,” Tara added.
“She looked like she got bounced out of here on her ass, is what you mean,” Faith said.
“That too.”
“Well, that should put a stop to surprise visits,” Willow said. “And if she can’t orb in, and we are this far from the monastery, that suggests that we’re not likely to be mystically observed.”
“Remember, I could scry within a couple of mile of the big monastery building,” Tara said.
“True, but that was with us working together. And don’t forget, we’re awesome.”
“True,” Buffy said. “Willow the witch is a whizz.”
Tara quirked a smile. “If ever a whizz there was.”
Willow shook her head. “Nope. We’re the witches who’re the whizz’s.”
“Next person who says a ‘w’ word is sleeping outside,” Buffy grumbled.
“Why?” Dawn said with a cheeky smile.
“Grrr.”
Faith just chuckled, getting a sharp look form Buffy. She just laughed.
Tara broke in to the sister’s squabbling. “Sleepy time soon.”
At that, the Summers sisters stopped and looked at her.
“Last spell anyone cast on me was all kinds of fun. In that special, not-fun kinda way. Hoping this one’s a little less exciting,” Faith said.
“I think you’ll be ok. But before we do that, I want to check on Anya. I don’t think she’ll be seriously hurt by bouncing out of here, but I’d like to know for certain.”
“How’re you going to do that?” Dawn asked. “They barely have radio here. I don’t think they have cel coverage.”
“Magic,” Willow said simply. “We scried our way here, we can scry Anya and make sure she’s ok.”
“And gouge our eyes out if she’s doing something gross with Xander,” Buffy said.
“What could she possibly be doing that is
that bad?” Faith asked.
All eyes looked at her in disbelief.
“What? Don’t tell me Xander is all kindsa kinky, and I never knew? C’mon he ain’t that bad.”
“Um, Anya is 1100 years old and obsessed with sex,” Tara said. “And she spent all of that time with demons. And when she was a vengeance demon, she was prized for her creativity, inventiveness and thoroughness.”
Faith let out a low whistle. “And how long have they been together?”
“Four years or so,” Tara replied.
The group was silent as they absorbed some truly mindbending concepts.
“Damn, this I have to see,” Faith said.
“I feel I may lose whatever shred of innocence that I have somehow managed to retain if I do,” Dawn said. “But I’m morbidly curious as to what they get up to.”
“I’m not,” said Buffy. “I’m really, really not.”
Tara looked trapped by indecision until Willow came to the rescue. “Baby, just look. It might be embarrassing, but it’s better than having it worry you for the next few days.”
Tara nodded, silently agreeing. She sat down cross-legged on the bed she shared with Willow and closed her eyes.
While she was meditating, Dawn organized her pull-out bed for sleep.
Tara whispered. “Let me see.”
In the space in front of her an image quickly formed. An image of Anya, lying on a couch in the Scooby lounge, her head pillowed on Xander’s lap, with her eyes closed. Although she seemed to be nursing a headache, she did not seem to be seriously injured.
Xander gently stroked her hair, producing a small smile.
Tara smiled softly at the tender scene. She let the spell fade and her smile broadened as she opened her eyes.
“More power to Xander,” Faith said. “But after all that buildup, I feel just a bit disappointed.”
She grinned at Tara. “I still don’t know about the thing with the pudding.”
“And I’m not telling. If you want to know, ask her. Just make sure there are no minors in the area.”
She smiled devilishly. “And make sure you have plenty of room. The hand gestures alone are enough to give people nightmares.”
“And on that note, time for bed,” Willow said.
“Ahem,” Buffy said, attracting everyone’s attention.
She pointed at her feet and gave Faith a significant look. “I believe me and my tiny feet are owed something? Given that we did walk so very far today.”
Faith smiled softly, and surprisingly didn’t make a single sarcastic comment. She just perched on the edge of the bed and lifted Buffy’s foot into her lap.
Willow clambered on to the bed and sat down behind Tara. She wrapped her arms around her tummy, and cuddled close. Her green eyes peeked over her shoulder at the antics of her friends.
Faith gently started working her thumbs into the instep of Buffy’s delicate foot, eliciting a long drawn out “ooooohh!” of delight from Buffy.
She collapsed back onto the bed with a happy sigh and let Faith work away with her fingers.
Occasional happy squeaks were heard from the depths of the squooshy comforter she was lying in.
“You know, she never makes those sounds when I do that,” Willow said.
Tara turned and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
“And that’s a good thing,” Willow said quickly. “Because, well, how awkward would that be?”
Tara quirked a smile. “Well I’m no Slayer,” she said, wiggling her fingers. “But I’m told I have healer’s hands.”
Tiny sparks of blue and white swirled around her fingers, attracting owl-eyed looks from both Dawn and Willow.
“You-you can do that?” Willow said.
Tara smiled. “Of course. Massage is a time honoured healing technique. And I am a healer, sweetie.”
She kissed Willow’s cheek and stood. “Lie back baby. And let me take care of your tired feet.”
Willow quickly stuck out her feet, complete with thick fuzzy socks.
Tara pulled them of with brisk efficiency and got to work.
Willow’s feet twitched and jumped at her touch, until Tara grabbed hold of one firmly and began to work. Willow squeaked in surprize, the toes on her free foot scrunching up into a little fist.
Buffy laughed languidly, well aware of how ticklish Willow’s feet were. She groaned and chuckled as Faith dug into a sore spot at roughly the same time as Willow said “Grnfzzl!” from the other side of the room.
“Merciful goddess… that feels good,” Willow managed to sigh.
“I hope you realize I’m taking notes here,” Dawn said. “So if you don’t want truly massive therapy bills, keep it clean, ok?”
“Relax squirt, just a foot massage. Nothing freaky happening, I promise.”
10 minutes of foot massage later, Willow and Buffy were both happy puddles of smiley pink goo. Willow hummed a happy tune as she waited for Tara to finish getting ready for bed.
Dawn grinned as she recognized a version of the Muppets theme tune.
Tara dabbed her with lavender oil in preparation for the spell.
“Ooh! I like this stuff, it smells nice,” Dawn said.
“Tara’s spells always smell nice, Willow said dreamily.
Tara smiled as she dabbed Faith and Buffy on the forehead. They were already snuggly under the covers, Faith spooning a happily smiling Buffy.
“How come your spells never smell this nice Will?” Buffy said.
“I do research,” Willow said dreamily. “Magical science. Science is stinky.”
Dawn chuckled.
“Get comfy girls, sleepy time is coming.”
Tara began to sing her spell, a lullaby her mother had sung to her when she was a child, a song that always spoke to the deepest places in her. The song was one of family, the spell one of comfort and ease, and most importantly, love.
Rest tired eyes a while
Sweet is thy baby’s smile
Angels are guarding and they watch o’er thee
Sleep, sleep, grah mo chree *
Here on you mamma’s knee
Angels are guarding
And they watch o’er thee
The birdeens sing a fluting song
They sing to thee the whole day long
Wee fairies dance o’er hill and dale
For very love of thee
Dream, Dream, grah mo chree
Here on your Mamma’s knee
Angels are guarding and they watch o’er thee
As you sleep may Angels watch over
And may they guard o’er thee.
The primrose in the sheltered nook
The crystal stream the babbling brook
All these things God’s hands have made
For very love of thee
Twilight and shadows fall
Peace to His children all
Angels are guarding and they watch o’er thee
As you sleep
May Angels watch over and May they guard o’er thee
* Love of my heart.
And all was quiet.