New Beginnings - Chapters 3 & 4
Oct. 1st, 2003 10:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psubratAuthor: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Willow reveals her secret to Tara while Giles prepares to leave for England…
Timeframe: Immediately following "Revelations"
The sun was higher in the sky now and the earlier breeze that had been gently blowing through the trees subsided. Two figures sat on the ground of the UC Sunnydale campus oblivious to those that passed by them. The blonde Wicca sat in front of her lover and studied her closely, trying to discern whether or not she could see anything physically different about the other girl. Nothing seemed out of place. She continued to listen intently as the red head explained the circumstances behind her wish. Most of the time she sat in stunned silence and at other times she interrupted for more details. This was one of those times.
"Willow, you absorbed the text right off the pages? How is that possible?" Tara asked in disbelief.
"I-I don’t remember how exactly," Willow whispered. "Most things are kind of a blur. Except the big parts." She glanced at Tara assuming that the girl in front of her who loved her and knew her best of all, would have hatred in her eyes. Instead, she saw compassion and concern. It was all she could do to keep herself together long enough to finish the story.
Tara looked over at Willow, who was now in tears. As the story continued to unfold, Willow seemed to shrink in front of her, and away from her. She wanted to reach out and put her hand on Willow’s to reassure her that things would be okay but Willow had to go through this alone. From the look on her lover’s face, she knew that Willow had only scratched the surface of what happened in the other reality.
"Willow," Tara said soothingly. "I know this is hard for you but you have to get it all out in order for the healing process to begin. I’m not going to judge you."
"But you haven’t heard everything yet, Tara! I’ve done awful things. Awful. You have no idea!" Willow cried. "I don’t deserve to be this happy. Ever." Months of pent up guilt started to flow through her body. She began to sob as she got to the worst part of all, Warren’s death.
Tara gasped in shock and horror as Willow recounted how she murdered Warren in cold blood. How could her lover be capable of something this horrendous? The sobbing girl in front of her didn’t look like a murderer; she looked more like a lost puppy trying to find its way home. She had promised Willow she wouldn’t judge her but it was becoming more and more difficult by the second. Especially since Willow was now explaining how she tortured Giles and tried to kill Dawn and Buffy. Not to mention the fact that she had tried to kill Jonathan and Andrew even though they had nothing to do with her death. How could she ever look at Willow the same way again?
"And then, after Xander talked me out of destroying the world, I said the one thing that changed it all. I said, ‘I wish Tara had never died.’ I didn’t know that Anya was a demon again. I swear. I didn’t say it on purpose. I was in a lot of pain and I was confused. It just…came out." She finished the tale without looking back at Tara and let the sobs rip through her body. It didn’t seem to make her feel better that she had finally bared herself to Tara. Despite the warmth from the sun, she felt chilled to the bone.
It was all Tara could do to not get up and run away, as far away as possible. She tried to wrap her mind around the things that Willow had just told her but she couldn’t. It was too much to absorb. She should have questioned Willow more closely that day Warren showed up with a gun to kill Buffy. Willow had never had visions before that but she had accepted her lover’s explanation because she loved Willow with all her heart. Despite everything, she still loved her.
Willow couldn’t take the silence between them. She needed to know that things were going to be okay, that Tara still loved her despite what happened in the other reality. She hesitantly reached out and put her hand on Tara’s shoulder.
The hand on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. She looked over at Willow. The girl’s tears had been replaced with fear.
"Please, Tara," Willow pleaded. "Please don’t hate me."
"So do you think Buffy will let me have my sixteenth birthday party at the Bronze?" Dawn asked Anya.
Anya stopped counting her newly acquired money and looked over at Dawn. Didn’t the girl know not to interrupt her while she counted money? She would have to teach the teen that certain times were quiet times. "Dawn, can’t you see that I’m counting currency right now? Never interrupt me while I’m with the money."
"Sorry," Dawn said defensively.
"And no," Anya continued as she went back to what she was doing. "I don’t think Buffy will let you have a party anywhere but at home."
Dawn was starting to become annoyed with the demon. "Why not?" She asked with irritation in her voice.
"For one, it would cost too much money…"
"What would cost too much money?" Buffy asked as she entered the room.
"Dawn thinks that you will allow her to have a party at the Bronze. But we all know that it would be too expensive for your meager budget," Anya stated matter-of-factly.
Buffy looked over at Dawn who stood with her head down. They had been through a lot this past year. Plus, it was her sister’s sweet sixteenth birthday. How could she not throw her the best party ever? She put on a smug smile and pulled the envelope out of her back pocket. Waving it in the air, she said, "I think we can arrange something."
In the office Giles could hear the voices coming from the shop. He was sure that Buffy was sharing her newfound wealth with her sister and Anya. The shrill screams were the first hint that the cat had been let out of the bag. He smiled to himself as he remembered the long drawn out argument that he had with Quentin about compensating Buffy for her Slayer duties.
"Rupert," Quentin had said staring incredulously at the younger Watcher. "This is unprecedented! The Slayer has never been given wages of any type."
"Well maybe it’s about time that changed," Giles had stated with a glare.
"Why on earth should we change the rules now, Rupert? What makes this Slayer so special? Should we give her a company card and an expense account as well? Would that make you happy?"
Quentin had been flippant with the last statement so Giles had gone into total Ripper mode. He hadn’t meant to, but it just happened. He had grabbed Quentin by the shirt collar and growled, "Because, Buffy is the only Slayer that you have right now. And if you don’t help her out financially, soon you won’t have a Slayer to save the bloody world!"
Looking back, he was sure he would have strangled the pompous man, which would not have helped Buffy’s cause at all. In the end though, he had gotten what he wanted and what his Slayer needed, a tidy sum of money that would be sent to her monthly. Not to mention the nice little expense account set up in her name to pay for damages incurred in the line of duty. Which he had forgotten to mention to her. She had been so excited about the paycheck that it had slipped his mind about the account. As soon as she was done sharing her good news, he would be sure to tell her the rest of it. This way she could pay for the house repairs with the account money and use her salary for other things. It was the least he could do for the girl he thought of as his daughter.
He took off his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to make the phone call to the airline to book his trip back to England. But he just couldn’t bring himself to pick up the phone. As much as he wanted to go back home, he wanted to stay in Sunnydale more. He needed to go back to make sure that his replacement was properly trained. The man had proved to be an apt pupil and Giles was pleasantly surprised by that. He hadn’t been totally convinced that the new Watcher could handle Buffy but the man’s background and devotion to becoming a Watcher had convinced him otherwise. However, he did have some personal reservations about him. But those reservations were due to certain factors in the man’s past. Not that the past didn’t matter, but the present was more important at this time.
He smiled again as he heard the excited buzzing turn to laughter. It was good to hear Buffy laugh again. He sighed and picked up the phone. However, after he glanced at the calendar, he dropped the phone back into its cradle. Written on the calendar in large letters was "Dawn’s 16th Birthday." Of course! That’s why her powers were getting stronger. All the more reason for him to stay, at least until the party was over and he could make sure the girl wasn’t going to harm anything or anyone, including herself. With that thought, he picked up the phone again and made reservations to go home one week from today.
"Oh my God, Buffy!" Dawn screeched. "This is so great! We don’t have to worry about food or clothes or..."
"Social Services, breathing down my neck," Buffy stated with a grin.
Dawn smiled brightly at her sister. This was so totally cool. Now Buffy didn’t have to worry about anything but doing her job. Spike would have been happy for her too, Dawn thought. The thought made her sad and the smile slowly faded from her lips.
Buffy had noticed Dawn’s expression change and was about to ask what was bothering the teenager but Anya had ripped the paycheck out of her hands and was talking to her now.
"Buffy," Anya stated with authority. "I could help you invest this. You really should invest most of your paycheck you know. For retirement purposes. When you deposit this, I’ll help you set up an Ameritrade account. I have a great understanding of stocks and bonds, as you know. I can help you make a lot of money. It’s very easy."
"Uh. Thanks, Anya. I think," Buffy said, trying to return the demon’s enthusiasm about money. She noticed that Anya was grinning from ear to ear. She had to hand it to the girl; she did know money and how to make lots of it.
As Anya went back to counting her own money, Buffy and Dawn began to discuss what they should buy first, new furniture or new clothing. "Both," they shouted in unison.
As Buffy went to ask Giles to drive them to the mall, she started having a strange sensation, like the one she’d usually get if a vampire were around. Slowly, she looked around the shop, but couldn’t see anything. After a few more moments of scanning her surroundings, she shrugged it off as nothing and continued on her way.
The two girls had walked back to the dorm in total silence. Willow’s tears had finally stopped but she had a throbbing headache. She walked over to the sink and took two aspirin to ease the pain in her head. It was after lunchtime now. Even though she had been hungry before she and Tara talked, she seriously doubted that anything she ate now would stay down. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself. She didn’t like what she saw. Standing before her was someone she didn’t know. A murderer.
Tara sat quietly on the bed staring straight ahead. She had been too lost in thought to remember the walk back to the room. Now she was trying to think things through with a clearer mind. From what she understood, the wish had taken Willow back in time, before the shooting. This meant that everything "Dark Willow" had done was erased, giving this Willow a second chance to set things right. The girl was definitely different now. This Willow refused to use magic, even when they were in danger. And even when Warren had rendered her unconscious. She knew that this had to count for something. But how was she going to get past the fact that even within her Willow was a dark side that was deadly?
Willow turned to look at her lover who sat silently on the bed. The silence was still deafening. She couldn’t take it anymore. Hanging her head, she said softly, "I can move out if you want. I’ll move back into Xander’s place."
"What would you tell them?" Tara asked quietly. She wasn’t sure that she wanted Willow to leave. Ever. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted her to stay either.
Willow contemplated Tara’s question. What would she say to her friends? ‘I’m sorry but we’re all living in an alternate reality that I created, please pass the salt?’ That didn’t sound quite right, or real.
"I could tell them that the room was just too small for the two of us..."
"Willow, I don’t think they’ll believe that."
"Yeah," Willow sighed. "You’re right. I guess I’ll think of something." She grabbed her suitcases out of the closet and began to pack. The tears that she thought had stopped were now beginning to sting the back of her eyes again.
Tara walked over to Willow and put her hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"I-I’m packing. I understand why you don’t want me around."
"Willow, I never said that I wanted you to leave. I was just wondering what you would tell everyone."
Willow stared at her lover. The tears began to flow again. Through the tears she cried, "I’m so sorry that I’ve messed things up for us. All I ever seem to do is make a mess."
Tara cupped Willow’s chin in her hand and stared into her lover’s eyes. She saw pain and remorse. This Willow, the Willow she knew here and now, was not capable of such demonic acts. Her heart knew this to be true. She put both of her hands on either side of Willow’s face and kissed the red head gently on the lips.
Willow looked at Tara in surprise. "Are you forgiving me?"
"No Willow. I’m not forgiving you."
"But I don’t understand..."
"First, before there is any forgiving, you need to come to terms with the darkness that you have within yourself. You need to confront it and deal with it in order to become whole. Our love cannot do that. But I will help you and I will stick by you because I love you, Willow. I will always love you, no matter what.
Willow threw her arms around Tara and cried. She wasn’t being forgiven but she was being given the chance to make it right. That’s all she could really ask for at this point in time.
The dark haired teenager had thought for sure that the young blonde woman had seen him peering in the front window of the Magic Box. He had never met her but he was sure that the petite, blonde girl was Buffy. It had to be her. She was beautiful. Now he understood what that monster had seen in her. Why he had loved her. The more he thought about the two of them together, the angrier he became.
"No one should willingly give love to a monster," he whispered as he slowly moved to look through the window again. The dark haired girl was now dusting books at the front of the shop. He studied her closely. This girl was somehow related to that Buffy person, perhaps sisters? The thought brought a smile to his face. Maybe he could use that to his advantage.
He hid in the afternoon shadows as Buffy, Dawn and Giles came out of the shop and got into the rental car. He had heard them say something about a mall and shopping. The mall. It was the perfect place for him to blend in and watch his prey.
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to…I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Buffy questions Giles' judgment while Dawn and Janice go shopping for more than just dresses…
Timeframe: A few days after "Secrets & Wealth"
Dawn looked down at her watch and saw that she was running behind. She should call Buffy to let her know that she would be meeting up with her later than she expected. She was at the mall, again, so training would just have to wait. This was important stuff. Janice’s mother had taken the girls to the mall so that they could shop for dresses for her party. Buffy had given her some money and told her to get something special. This dress certainly did make her happy and it made her feel special. She smiled to the reflection in the mirror.
"Dawn that dress is just so you!" Janice exclaimed with a squeal.
The silk, deep purple tank dress stopped right before her knees. It hugged her body in just the right places, showing off her curves in a way that made her look sexy but not too sexy. "I know," she sighed as she looked at the price tag again, hoping it would cost less than the last time she had looked. "But it’s so expensive."
"Didn’t your sister give you money to buy something nice?" Janice asked her friend.
Dawn pulled her hair up and looked into the mirror again. The dress certainly did look great on her. "Yeah she did, but I didn’t want to spend all of it on one dress. I’m gonna need shoes and a purse too."
Janice grinned at Dawn. "Not a problem. We’ll just, you know..."
"No way! I so don’t want to get into trouble again. Besides, Buffy respects me now and I don’t want to screw that up. I’ll figure something out."
"Dawn," Janice stated. "Just remember that your party is less than two days away."
"I know. Hey, maybe Anya will let me take out an advance on my salary. Not that I have much of a salary cause I’m working off the debt, but what’s a little more debt, right?"
She would ask Anya about the advance tomorrow morning. Maybe she would even talk to Giles about it. He always seemed more than willing to help her and Buffy. It was nice having a father figure around again. Too bad he was going back to England after her party. She would miss him. After taking one last look in the mirror, she headed to the dressing room to change back into her clothes. The thought of Giles leaving again made her sad, but not a depressed kind of sad. She didn’t like that he had to leave, but she knew he had to go. She sat down on the bench in the small room and sighed. Why was it that all the men in her life always seemed to leave? Was it a Summers’ curse? First their father had left them, then Angel, Riley and then Giles - and now even Spike had left them.
Spike had sworn he’d never leave. She tried not to blame Buffy for the vampire’s departure, but some days it was really hard. She missed him so much, and now, here she was turning sixteen in a couple of days and getting all of these powers she didn’t understand. He should be here with her now. She was sure he would understand. He always did. No one else understood what she was going through. Giles had rambled on about some lost prophecies referring to her but she had tuned him out. It was just way too boring for her to focus on. Basically, all she had heard was, "blah, blah, blah, more powers to come on your birthday, blah, blah, blah."
She wondered what kind of powers she would have next. In the last few months she had gotten Slayer strength and stamina, but not the quick healing powers. Although she did have this really cool healing thing of her own going on. She thought about the times that Buffy had come home from patrolling with cuts and scrapes and how she had traced those cuts with her fingers, making them disappear. It was still pretty freaky, but cool. It always gave Xander the wiggins. That just made her giggle and chase him around the apartment yelling at him to let her touch him. The thought made her smile to herself as she tied her shoe.
After they finished changing, Dawn and Janice went to the register and paid for their purchases. Dawn had given in and bought the dress. It was her birthday and she wanted to look great, especially since there would be so many cute boys at the Bronze that night. She was going to have the time of her life, money be damned!
While they paid for their dresses, the dark haired, teenaged boy watched them. They hadn’t noticed him following them. He had made sure of that.
"Buffy," Giles demanded. "You do understand that Dawn is going to have powers that we cannot even begin to comprehend?"
Buffy looked at her watcher and folder her arms across her chest defiantly. She wondered if she would be able to have this kind of attitude with her new watcher. Didn’t matter. Giles was still her watcher for at least another month or so, so she would do what she had always done, be snippy and get away with it.
"Why?" She asked. "Because some stupid scroll says so? Are you even sure that your buddy translated it right? Cause ya know, we’ve had one-word mix-ups before. And exactly what type of powers are we talking about here? Little ones? Big ones? Apocalyptic ones? What?"
"Yes. I’m quite certain that this translation is correct. I have talked to my protégé in England and have confirmed it with him. There’s no mistake. As for Dawn’s potential powers, we’re not quite sure what they will be exactly."
Buffy laughed at him. "You’re ‘protégé’? Is that what you call Council lackeys these days? And why do you keep referring to him as your ‘protégé’ or ‘the new watcher.’ Doesn’t this idiot have a name?"
"Buffy do be reasonable. My protégé...uhm...your new watcher... Right. What I am trying to say is that he is well versed in the language on the scrolls. I trust his translations implicitly." He was lying. He didn’t trust the man implicitly, maybe his translating abilities, but not him personally. He would just keep that little bit of information to himself, no need for Buffy to know.
Buffy eyed him suspiciously. There was something he wasn’t telling her, she could feel it. Ever since the day he told her that he would be returning to England and she would be getting a new watcher, she felt like he was holding something back. Whenever she tried to bring up the subject of the new guy, he would dance around it. All that he would tell her is that he hand picked his replacement, so she should trust him to make this monumental decision in her best interest. That whole line of reasoning didn’t sit well with her. Just because she trusted Giles didn’t mean she would trust anyone else on that damned Council. In her opinion, the whole Council was nothing but a bunch of dangerous flakes. She despised them and their practices. She jumped up on the pommel horse and sat down.
"Giles, the only one from the Council that I trust is you," she pouted as she swung her legs back and forth. "The others can jump off a cliff without a parachute for all I care."
"Buffy, please. Let’s focus on Dawn, shall we?"
"No. As much as you say you trust this guy, you haven’t given me any reasons why I should. You won’t tell me his name or anything about him. Giles, you’re not making this easy."
Giles took off his glasses to clean them. Why did she always have to be so bloody difficult? He wasn’t at liberty to divulge anything about her next watcher. He had been sworn to complete secrecy and since he was still on the Council’s payroll, he had to abide by their wishes. Personally, he wanted to just tell her everything so they could get it out of the way before the poor chap got there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his decision to make. But he would be the one to pay the price in the end. He always did.
He looked at his Slayer. She had grown up so much over the last year. He barely recognized her, except when she pouted. That look he knew well, all too well. It had melted his heart and made him love her. No matter what, she would always be his Slayer, his daughter. He could tell by her mannerisms and the way she handled herself, that she had almost returned to the person that she was before she had selflessly given her life to save the world. She was spunky and headstrong again; attributes he found most endearing, but he also detected sadness within her.
"Buffy, were you able to reach your father?"
"Nice change of subject, Giles. And no, he hasn’t returned any of my calls. You would think that the man would want to be here for his daughter’s sixteenth birthday."
"Right. I’m sorry. I do hope that Dawn won’t be too upset by his absence."
Buffy shook her head. "Nah. She knows he’s a loser. Besides, you’re here."
Giles returned her smile. He certainly was going to miss them.
"Dawn he is so checking you out!" Janice shrieked.
"No way. He’s not looking at me," Dawn said, trying not to blush.
They had noticed a group of boys standing by the railing watching them. One in particular had been watching Dawn intently. She tried not to stare at him but he was so handsome. He had dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. She saw him look at her and she looked away quickly, trying not to let him know that she was interested. She turned to Janice and started giggling as teenage girls do around teenage boys. The boys continued to stare at them as they walked over to the food court to buy milkshakes. That had been Janice’s idea. This way, they could sit at one of the tables and let the boys check them out some more. It would also give the boys an opportunity to come over to talk to them.
Dawn sat with her back to the group. She was just too nervous to face them. Her experience with boys was limited to one date, last Halloween. She was pretty sure that date didn’t even count since the boy had been a vampire. And, she’d had to stake him with her pencil to keep him from turning her. So much for her first kiss. She was really starting to believe that the women in her family were doomed in the romance department. It just didn’t seem fair. Why did they have to live on the Hellmouth? Why did her sister have to be the chosen one? Why did she have to be a big ball of mystical energy? All of these why’s and not one answer. It was frustrating. Just like her social life.
Pausing her mental rant, she looked at Janice questioningly when the girl’s eyes became huge. Her friend was trying to tell her something, but all she could manage was a cough.
"Are you okay, Janice?" She asked with concern.
Janice smiled brightly. "Hi!"
Dawn couldn’t understand what had gotten into the girl. Why would she be saying hi to her? Unless...
"Excuse me?" A boy asked from behind Dawn. "Can I sit down?"
Dawn shrank against her chair. Was there actually a boy asking to sit down with them? She turned around in her chair and looked behind her. There was the dark haired boy, standing there and staring at her. She was in shock.
Noticing her friend’s lack of ability to speak to the boy, Janice pulled out a chair. "Sure. You can sit here."
"Thanks," he said, sitting down between Janice and Dawn.
"I’m Janice," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.
"Hi Janice," he said with a small smile. Then he turned to Dawn. "And you? Who are you?"
Dawn was taken aback by the teenager’s forwardness. "Uh, uhm..."
"You have a name, right?" The boy asked her, his blue eyes intensely searching her face.
"Uh, y-yeah. Dawn. My name is Dawn." She couldn’t stop looking into his eyes. They were so deep and blue, a place you could get lost in. He looked kind of scruffy, but still handsome.
"Hello, Dawn, nice to meet you. I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me some time?"
Wow! Did he just ask her out? Had she heard him right? She looked over at Janice nervously. Her friend just gave her those huge eyes that told her she was stupid if she said anything other than yes. She tried to answer him but all she could do was smile.
As she was tripping over more "uhms" and "uhs," Janice’s mom met up with them and informed them that it was time to go.
Dawn looked at her watch and saw how late it was. Buffy was really going to kick her butt this time. "Oh my gosh! We really have to go, but it was really nice meeting you," she managed to say as she and Janice picked up their things to follow the girl’s mom. Okay. She could say all of that without a problem but she couldn’t answer him about a date? How stupid could she be?
Janice elbowed her after they got up and started walking away. "You should invite him to your party," she whispered to Dawn excitedly.
A shy smile crept across Dawn’s face. "You think I should?"
"Totally."
"I don’t know. I don’t even know him!"
"Well, what better way to do it than at your party!" Janice exclaimed.
Dawn smiled at her friend. She couldn’t believe she was about to do this. She turned and ran back to the boy. "Hey," she yelled but he didn’t turn around. And since she didn’t know his name there was really no way to get his attention other than to tap him on the back or tug on his arm. She chose the later.
"Excuse me," she said shyly. "I’m sorry but I don’t know your name."
He turned around and grinned at her. "Maybe you can learn that next time we meet."
She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. "Uhm, I’m having, I mean my sister is throwing me a sixteenth birthday party at the Bronze day after tomorrow. I was wondering...are you interested? I mean...would you come?" She could barely breathe trying to get that out. And now she was holding her breath waiting for his answer.
He studied her face for a few seconds. He could tell she was interested in him. This was a good thing. Better than he had hoped. "Sure. I’ll come," he said with a heart-melting grin. He had to make sure that he left her definitely wanting to see him again.
"Great," she said nervously. "It’s at seven. Just tell them you’re with the Summers’ party."
He nodded in understanding, but didn’t say a word. Hadn’t someone said that girls love the strong, silent type?
She smiled brightly as she backed away from him, still looking into his deep eyes. After a few steps, she decided that she should turn around before she tripped and made a fool of herself. Before she hurried back to where Janice and her mother were standing, she looked over her shoulder to get one last glimpse of the boy who had just made her heart skip a bunch of beats. But he was gone. Now she was really looking forward to her party, not that she hadn’t been looking forward to it before but now it was really going to be special. Hellmouth? What hellmouth? Today Sunnydale was the most beautiful place on earth.
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Willow reveals her secret to Tara while Giles prepares to leave for England…
Timeframe: Immediately following "Revelations"
- 3 -
Secrets & Wealth
Secrets & Wealth
The sun was higher in the sky now and the earlier breeze that had been gently blowing through the trees subsided. Two figures sat on the ground of the UC Sunnydale campus oblivious to those that passed by them. The blonde Wicca sat in front of her lover and studied her closely, trying to discern whether or not she could see anything physically different about the other girl. Nothing seemed out of place. She continued to listen intently as the red head explained the circumstances behind her wish. Most of the time she sat in stunned silence and at other times she interrupted for more details. This was one of those times.
"Willow, you absorbed the text right off the pages? How is that possible?" Tara asked in disbelief.
"I-I don’t remember how exactly," Willow whispered. "Most things are kind of a blur. Except the big parts." She glanced at Tara assuming that the girl in front of her who loved her and knew her best of all, would have hatred in her eyes. Instead, she saw compassion and concern. It was all she could do to keep herself together long enough to finish the story.
Tara looked over at Willow, who was now in tears. As the story continued to unfold, Willow seemed to shrink in front of her, and away from her. She wanted to reach out and put her hand on Willow’s to reassure her that things would be okay but Willow had to go through this alone. From the look on her lover’s face, she knew that Willow had only scratched the surface of what happened in the other reality.
"Willow," Tara said soothingly. "I know this is hard for you but you have to get it all out in order for the healing process to begin. I’m not going to judge you."
"But you haven’t heard everything yet, Tara! I’ve done awful things. Awful. You have no idea!" Willow cried. "I don’t deserve to be this happy. Ever." Months of pent up guilt started to flow through her body. She began to sob as she got to the worst part of all, Warren’s death.
Tara gasped in shock and horror as Willow recounted how she murdered Warren in cold blood. How could her lover be capable of something this horrendous? The sobbing girl in front of her didn’t look like a murderer; she looked more like a lost puppy trying to find its way home. She had promised Willow she wouldn’t judge her but it was becoming more and more difficult by the second. Especially since Willow was now explaining how she tortured Giles and tried to kill Dawn and Buffy. Not to mention the fact that she had tried to kill Jonathan and Andrew even though they had nothing to do with her death. How could she ever look at Willow the same way again?
"And then, after Xander talked me out of destroying the world, I said the one thing that changed it all. I said, ‘I wish Tara had never died.’ I didn’t know that Anya was a demon again. I swear. I didn’t say it on purpose. I was in a lot of pain and I was confused. It just…came out." She finished the tale without looking back at Tara and let the sobs rip through her body. It didn’t seem to make her feel better that she had finally bared herself to Tara. Despite the warmth from the sun, she felt chilled to the bone.
It was all Tara could do to not get up and run away, as far away as possible. She tried to wrap her mind around the things that Willow had just told her but she couldn’t. It was too much to absorb. She should have questioned Willow more closely that day Warren showed up with a gun to kill Buffy. Willow had never had visions before that but she had accepted her lover’s explanation because she loved Willow with all her heart. Despite everything, she still loved her.
Willow couldn’t take the silence between them. She needed to know that things were going to be okay, that Tara still loved her despite what happened in the other reality. She hesitantly reached out and put her hand on Tara’s shoulder.
The hand on her shoulder brought her out of her thoughts. She looked over at Willow. The girl’s tears had been replaced with fear.
"Please, Tara," Willow pleaded. "Please don’t hate me."
******
"So do you think Buffy will let me have my sixteenth birthday party at the Bronze?" Dawn asked Anya.
Anya stopped counting her newly acquired money and looked over at Dawn. Didn’t the girl know not to interrupt her while she counted money? She would have to teach the teen that certain times were quiet times. "Dawn, can’t you see that I’m counting currency right now? Never interrupt me while I’m with the money."
"Sorry," Dawn said defensively.
"And no," Anya continued as she went back to what she was doing. "I don’t think Buffy will let you have a party anywhere but at home."
Dawn was starting to become annoyed with the demon. "Why not?" She asked with irritation in her voice.
"For one, it would cost too much money…"
"What would cost too much money?" Buffy asked as she entered the room.
"Dawn thinks that you will allow her to have a party at the Bronze. But we all know that it would be too expensive for your meager budget," Anya stated matter-of-factly.
Buffy looked over at Dawn who stood with her head down. They had been through a lot this past year. Plus, it was her sister’s sweet sixteenth birthday. How could she not throw her the best party ever? She put on a smug smile and pulled the envelope out of her back pocket. Waving it in the air, she said, "I think we can arrange something."
******
In the office Giles could hear the voices coming from the shop. He was sure that Buffy was sharing her newfound wealth with her sister and Anya. The shrill screams were the first hint that the cat had been let out of the bag. He smiled to himself as he remembered the long drawn out argument that he had with Quentin about compensating Buffy for her Slayer duties.
"Rupert," Quentin had said staring incredulously at the younger Watcher. "This is unprecedented! The Slayer has never been given wages of any type."
"Well maybe it’s about time that changed," Giles had stated with a glare.
"Why on earth should we change the rules now, Rupert? What makes this Slayer so special? Should we give her a company card and an expense account as well? Would that make you happy?"
Quentin had been flippant with the last statement so Giles had gone into total Ripper mode. He hadn’t meant to, but it just happened. He had grabbed Quentin by the shirt collar and growled, "Because, Buffy is the only Slayer that you have right now. And if you don’t help her out financially, soon you won’t have a Slayer to save the bloody world!"
Looking back, he was sure he would have strangled the pompous man, which would not have helped Buffy’s cause at all. In the end though, he had gotten what he wanted and what his Slayer needed, a tidy sum of money that would be sent to her monthly. Not to mention the nice little expense account set up in her name to pay for damages incurred in the line of duty. Which he had forgotten to mention to her. She had been so excited about the paycheck that it had slipped his mind about the account. As soon as she was done sharing her good news, he would be sure to tell her the rest of it. This way she could pay for the house repairs with the account money and use her salary for other things. It was the least he could do for the girl he thought of as his daughter.
He took off his glasses, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He needed to make the phone call to the airline to book his trip back to England. But he just couldn’t bring himself to pick up the phone. As much as he wanted to go back home, he wanted to stay in Sunnydale more. He needed to go back to make sure that his replacement was properly trained. The man had proved to be an apt pupil and Giles was pleasantly surprised by that. He hadn’t been totally convinced that the new Watcher could handle Buffy but the man’s background and devotion to becoming a Watcher had convinced him otherwise. However, he did have some personal reservations about him. But those reservations were due to certain factors in the man’s past. Not that the past didn’t matter, but the present was more important at this time.
He smiled again as he heard the excited buzzing turn to laughter. It was good to hear Buffy laugh again. He sighed and picked up the phone. However, after he glanced at the calendar, he dropped the phone back into its cradle. Written on the calendar in large letters was "Dawn’s 16th Birthday." Of course! That’s why her powers were getting stronger. All the more reason for him to stay, at least until the party was over and he could make sure the girl wasn’t going to harm anything or anyone, including herself. With that thought, he picked up the phone again and made reservations to go home one week from today.
******
"Oh my God, Buffy!" Dawn screeched. "This is so great! We don’t have to worry about food or clothes or..."
"Social Services, breathing down my neck," Buffy stated with a grin.
Dawn smiled brightly at her sister. This was so totally cool. Now Buffy didn’t have to worry about anything but doing her job. Spike would have been happy for her too, Dawn thought. The thought made her sad and the smile slowly faded from her lips.
Buffy had noticed Dawn’s expression change and was about to ask what was bothering the teenager but Anya had ripped the paycheck out of her hands and was talking to her now.
"Buffy," Anya stated with authority. "I could help you invest this. You really should invest most of your paycheck you know. For retirement purposes. When you deposit this, I’ll help you set up an Ameritrade account. I have a great understanding of stocks and bonds, as you know. I can help you make a lot of money. It’s very easy."
"Uh. Thanks, Anya. I think," Buffy said, trying to return the demon’s enthusiasm about money. She noticed that Anya was grinning from ear to ear. She had to hand it to the girl; she did know money and how to make lots of it.
As Anya went back to counting her own money, Buffy and Dawn began to discuss what they should buy first, new furniture or new clothing. "Both," they shouted in unison.
As Buffy went to ask Giles to drive them to the mall, she started having a strange sensation, like the one she’d usually get if a vampire were around. Slowly, she looked around the shop, but couldn’t see anything. After a few more moments of scanning her surroundings, she shrugged it off as nothing and continued on her way.
******
The two girls had walked back to the dorm in total silence. Willow’s tears had finally stopped but she had a throbbing headache. She walked over to the sink and took two aspirin to ease the pain in her head. It was after lunchtime now. Even though she had been hungry before she and Tara talked, she seriously doubted that anything she ate now would stay down. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at herself. She didn’t like what she saw. Standing before her was someone she didn’t know. A murderer.
Tara sat quietly on the bed staring straight ahead. She had been too lost in thought to remember the walk back to the room. Now she was trying to think things through with a clearer mind. From what she understood, the wish had taken Willow back in time, before the shooting. This meant that everything "Dark Willow" had done was erased, giving this Willow a second chance to set things right. The girl was definitely different now. This Willow refused to use magic, even when they were in danger. And even when Warren had rendered her unconscious. She knew that this had to count for something. But how was she going to get past the fact that even within her Willow was a dark side that was deadly?
Willow turned to look at her lover who sat silently on the bed. The silence was still deafening. She couldn’t take it anymore. Hanging her head, she said softly, "I can move out if you want. I’ll move back into Xander’s place."
"What would you tell them?" Tara asked quietly. She wasn’t sure that she wanted Willow to leave. Ever. But she wasn’t sure if she wanted her to stay either.
Willow contemplated Tara’s question. What would she say to her friends? ‘I’m sorry but we’re all living in an alternate reality that I created, please pass the salt?’ That didn’t sound quite right, or real.
"I could tell them that the room was just too small for the two of us..."
"Willow, I don’t think they’ll believe that."
"Yeah," Willow sighed. "You’re right. I guess I’ll think of something." She grabbed her suitcases out of the closet and began to pack. The tears that she thought had stopped were now beginning to sting the back of her eyes again.
Tara walked over to Willow and put her hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing?"
"I-I’m packing. I understand why you don’t want me around."
"Willow, I never said that I wanted you to leave. I was just wondering what you would tell everyone."
Willow stared at her lover. The tears began to flow again. Through the tears she cried, "I’m so sorry that I’ve messed things up for us. All I ever seem to do is make a mess."
Tara cupped Willow’s chin in her hand and stared into her lover’s eyes. She saw pain and remorse. This Willow, the Willow she knew here and now, was not capable of such demonic acts. Her heart knew this to be true. She put both of her hands on either side of Willow’s face and kissed the red head gently on the lips.
Willow looked at Tara in surprise. "Are you forgiving me?"
"No Willow. I’m not forgiving you."
"But I don’t understand..."
"First, before there is any forgiving, you need to come to terms with the darkness that you have within yourself. You need to confront it and deal with it in order to become whole. Our love cannot do that. But I will help you and I will stick by you because I love you, Willow. I will always love you, no matter what.
Willow threw her arms around Tara and cried. She wasn’t being forgiven but she was being given the chance to make it right. That’s all she could really ask for at this point in time.
******
The dark haired teenager had thought for sure that the young blonde woman had seen him peering in the front window of the Magic Box. He had never met her but he was sure that the petite, blonde girl was Buffy. It had to be her. She was beautiful. Now he understood what that monster had seen in her. Why he had loved her. The more he thought about the two of them together, the angrier he became.
"No one should willingly give love to a monster," he whispered as he slowly moved to look through the window again. The dark haired girl was now dusting books at the front of the shop. He studied her closely. This girl was somehow related to that Buffy person, perhaps sisters? The thought brought a smile to his face. Maybe he could use that to his advantage.
He hid in the afternoon shadows as Buffy, Dawn and Giles came out of the shop and got into the rental car. He had heard them say something about a mall and shopping. The mall. It was the perfect place for him to blend in and watch his prey.
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to…I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Buffy questions Giles' judgment while Dawn and Janice go shopping for more than just dresses…
Timeframe: A few days after "Secrets & Wealth"
- 4 -
Questions & Invitations
Questions & Invitations
Dawn looked down at her watch and saw that she was running behind. She should call Buffy to let her know that she would be meeting up with her later than she expected. She was at the mall, again, so training would just have to wait. This was important stuff. Janice’s mother had taken the girls to the mall so that they could shop for dresses for her party. Buffy had given her some money and told her to get something special. This dress certainly did make her happy and it made her feel special. She smiled to the reflection in the mirror.
"Dawn that dress is just so you!" Janice exclaimed with a squeal.
The silk, deep purple tank dress stopped right before her knees. It hugged her body in just the right places, showing off her curves in a way that made her look sexy but not too sexy. "I know," she sighed as she looked at the price tag again, hoping it would cost less than the last time she had looked. "But it’s so expensive."
"Didn’t your sister give you money to buy something nice?" Janice asked her friend.
Dawn pulled her hair up and looked into the mirror again. The dress certainly did look great on her. "Yeah she did, but I didn’t want to spend all of it on one dress. I’m gonna need shoes and a purse too."
Janice grinned at Dawn. "Not a problem. We’ll just, you know..."
"No way! I so don’t want to get into trouble again. Besides, Buffy respects me now and I don’t want to screw that up. I’ll figure something out."
"Dawn," Janice stated. "Just remember that your party is less than two days away."
"I know. Hey, maybe Anya will let me take out an advance on my salary. Not that I have much of a salary cause I’m working off the debt, but what’s a little more debt, right?"
She would ask Anya about the advance tomorrow morning. Maybe she would even talk to Giles about it. He always seemed more than willing to help her and Buffy. It was nice having a father figure around again. Too bad he was going back to England after her party. She would miss him. After taking one last look in the mirror, she headed to the dressing room to change back into her clothes. The thought of Giles leaving again made her sad, but not a depressed kind of sad. She didn’t like that he had to leave, but she knew he had to go. She sat down on the bench in the small room and sighed. Why was it that all the men in her life always seemed to leave? Was it a Summers’ curse? First their father had left them, then Angel, Riley and then Giles - and now even Spike had left them.
Spike had sworn he’d never leave. She tried not to blame Buffy for the vampire’s departure, but some days it was really hard. She missed him so much, and now, here she was turning sixteen in a couple of days and getting all of these powers she didn’t understand. He should be here with her now. She was sure he would understand. He always did. No one else understood what she was going through. Giles had rambled on about some lost prophecies referring to her but she had tuned him out. It was just way too boring for her to focus on. Basically, all she had heard was, "blah, blah, blah, more powers to come on your birthday, blah, blah, blah."
She wondered what kind of powers she would have next. In the last few months she had gotten Slayer strength and stamina, but not the quick healing powers. Although she did have this really cool healing thing of her own going on. She thought about the times that Buffy had come home from patrolling with cuts and scrapes and how she had traced those cuts with her fingers, making them disappear. It was still pretty freaky, but cool. It always gave Xander the wiggins. That just made her giggle and chase him around the apartment yelling at him to let her touch him. The thought made her smile to herself as she tied her shoe.
After they finished changing, Dawn and Janice went to the register and paid for their purchases. Dawn had given in and bought the dress. It was her birthday and she wanted to look great, especially since there would be so many cute boys at the Bronze that night. She was going to have the time of her life, money be damned!
While they paid for their dresses, the dark haired, teenaged boy watched them. They hadn’t noticed him following them. He had made sure of that.
******
"Buffy," Giles demanded. "You do understand that Dawn is going to have powers that we cannot even begin to comprehend?"
Buffy looked at her watcher and folder her arms across her chest defiantly. She wondered if she would be able to have this kind of attitude with her new watcher. Didn’t matter. Giles was still her watcher for at least another month or so, so she would do what she had always done, be snippy and get away with it.
"Why?" She asked. "Because some stupid scroll says so? Are you even sure that your buddy translated it right? Cause ya know, we’ve had one-word mix-ups before. And exactly what type of powers are we talking about here? Little ones? Big ones? Apocalyptic ones? What?"
"Yes. I’m quite certain that this translation is correct. I have talked to my protégé in England and have confirmed it with him. There’s no mistake. As for Dawn’s potential powers, we’re not quite sure what they will be exactly."
Buffy laughed at him. "You’re ‘protégé’? Is that what you call Council lackeys these days? And why do you keep referring to him as your ‘protégé’ or ‘the new watcher.’ Doesn’t this idiot have a name?"
"Buffy do be reasonable. My protégé...uhm...your new watcher... Right. What I am trying to say is that he is well versed in the language on the scrolls. I trust his translations implicitly." He was lying. He didn’t trust the man implicitly, maybe his translating abilities, but not him personally. He would just keep that little bit of information to himself, no need for Buffy to know.
Buffy eyed him suspiciously. There was something he wasn’t telling her, she could feel it. Ever since the day he told her that he would be returning to England and she would be getting a new watcher, she felt like he was holding something back. Whenever she tried to bring up the subject of the new guy, he would dance around it. All that he would tell her is that he hand picked his replacement, so she should trust him to make this monumental decision in her best interest. That whole line of reasoning didn’t sit well with her. Just because she trusted Giles didn’t mean she would trust anyone else on that damned Council. In her opinion, the whole Council was nothing but a bunch of dangerous flakes. She despised them and their practices. She jumped up on the pommel horse and sat down.
"Giles, the only one from the Council that I trust is you," she pouted as she swung her legs back and forth. "The others can jump off a cliff without a parachute for all I care."
"Buffy, please. Let’s focus on Dawn, shall we?"
"No. As much as you say you trust this guy, you haven’t given me any reasons why I should. You won’t tell me his name or anything about him. Giles, you’re not making this easy."
Giles took off his glasses to clean them. Why did she always have to be so bloody difficult? He wasn’t at liberty to divulge anything about her next watcher. He had been sworn to complete secrecy and since he was still on the Council’s payroll, he had to abide by their wishes. Personally, he wanted to just tell her everything so they could get it out of the way before the poor chap got there. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his decision to make. But he would be the one to pay the price in the end. He always did.
He looked at his Slayer. She had grown up so much over the last year. He barely recognized her, except when she pouted. That look he knew well, all too well. It had melted his heart and made him love her. No matter what, she would always be his Slayer, his daughter. He could tell by her mannerisms and the way she handled herself, that she had almost returned to the person that she was before she had selflessly given her life to save the world. She was spunky and headstrong again; attributes he found most endearing, but he also detected sadness within her.
"Buffy, were you able to reach your father?"
"Nice change of subject, Giles. And no, he hasn’t returned any of my calls. You would think that the man would want to be here for his daughter’s sixteenth birthday."
"Right. I’m sorry. I do hope that Dawn won’t be too upset by his absence."
Buffy shook her head. "Nah. She knows he’s a loser. Besides, you’re here."
Giles returned her smile. He certainly was going to miss them.
******
"Dawn he is so checking you out!" Janice shrieked.
"No way. He’s not looking at me," Dawn said, trying not to blush.
They had noticed a group of boys standing by the railing watching them. One in particular had been watching Dawn intently. She tried not to stare at him but he was so handsome. He had dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. She saw him look at her and she looked away quickly, trying not to let him know that she was interested. She turned to Janice and started giggling as teenage girls do around teenage boys. The boys continued to stare at them as they walked over to the food court to buy milkshakes. That had been Janice’s idea. This way, they could sit at one of the tables and let the boys check them out some more. It would also give the boys an opportunity to come over to talk to them.
Dawn sat with her back to the group. She was just too nervous to face them. Her experience with boys was limited to one date, last Halloween. She was pretty sure that date didn’t even count since the boy had been a vampire. And, she’d had to stake him with her pencil to keep him from turning her. So much for her first kiss. She was really starting to believe that the women in her family were doomed in the romance department. It just didn’t seem fair. Why did they have to live on the Hellmouth? Why did her sister have to be the chosen one? Why did she have to be a big ball of mystical energy? All of these why’s and not one answer. It was frustrating. Just like her social life.
Pausing her mental rant, she looked at Janice questioningly when the girl’s eyes became huge. Her friend was trying to tell her something, but all she could manage was a cough.
"Are you okay, Janice?" She asked with concern.
Janice smiled brightly. "Hi!"
Dawn couldn’t understand what had gotten into the girl. Why would she be saying hi to her? Unless...
"Excuse me?" A boy asked from behind Dawn. "Can I sit down?"
Dawn shrank against her chair. Was there actually a boy asking to sit down with them? She turned around in her chair and looked behind her. There was the dark haired boy, standing there and staring at her. She was in shock.
Noticing her friend’s lack of ability to speak to the boy, Janice pulled out a chair. "Sure. You can sit here."
"Thanks," he said, sitting down between Janice and Dawn.
"I’m Janice," she said, reaching out to shake his hand.
"Hi Janice," he said with a small smile. Then he turned to Dawn. "And you? Who are you?"
Dawn was taken aback by the teenager’s forwardness. "Uh, uhm..."
"You have a name, right?" The boy asked her, his blue eyes intensely searching her face.
"Uh, y-yeah. Dawn. My name is Dawn." She couldn’t stop looking into his eyes. They were so deep and blue, a place you could get lost in. He looked kind of scruffy, but still handsome.
"Hello, Dawn, nice to meet you. I was wondering if you’d like to go out with me some time?"
Wow! Did he just ask her out? Had she heard him right? She looked over at Janice nervously. Her friend just gave her those huge eyes that told her she was stupid if she said anything other than yes. She tried to answer him but all she could do was smile.
As she was tripping over more "uhms" and "uhs," Janice’s mom met up with them and informed them that it was time to go.
Dawn looked at her watch and saw how late it was. Buffy was really going to kick her butt this time. "Oh my gosh! We really have to go, but it was really nice meeting you," she managed to say as she and Janice picked up their things to follow the girl’s mom. Okay. She could say all of that without a problem but she couldn’t answer him about a date? How stupid could she be?
Janice elbowed her after they got up and started walking away. "You should invite him to your party," she whispered to Dawn excitedly.
A shy smile crept across Dawn’s face. "You think I should?"
"Totally."
"I don’t know. I don’t even know him!"
"Well, what better way to do it than at your party!" Janice exclaimed.
Dawn smiled at her friend. She couldn’t believe she was about to do this. She turned and ran back to the boy. "Hey," she yelled but he didn’t turn around. And since she didn’t know his name there was really no way to get his attention other than to tap him on the back or tug on his arm. She chose the later.
"Excuse me," she said shyly. "I’m sorry but I don’t know your name."
He turned around and grinned at her. "Maybe you can learn that next time we meet."
She bit her bottom lip and took a deep breath. "Uhm, I’m having, I mean my sister is throwing me a sixteenth birthday party at the Bronze day after tomorrow. I was wondering...are you interested? I mean...would you come?" She could barely breathe trying to get that out. And now she was holding her breath waiting for his answer.
He studied her face for a few seconds. He could tell she was interested in him. This was a good thing. Better than he had hoped. "Sure. I’ll come," he said with a heart-melting grin. He had to make sure that he left her definitely wanting to see him again.
"Great," she said nervously. "It’s at seven. Just tell them you’re with the Summers’ party."
He nodded in understanding, but didn’t say a word. Hadn’t someone said that girls love the strong, silent type?
She smiled brightly as she backed away from him, still looking into his deep eyes. After a few steps, she decided that she should turn around before she tripped and made a fool of herself. Before she hurried back to where Janice and her mother were standing, she looked over her shoulder to get one last glimpse of the boy who had just made her heart skip a bunch of beats. But he was gone. Now she was really looking forward to her party, not that she hadn’t been looking forward to it before but now it was really going to be special. Hellmouth? What hellmouth? Today Sunnydale was the most beautiful place on earth.
