New Beginnings: Chapters 13 & 14
Oct. 8th, 2003 10:45 am![[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: Things are not always as they seem as Dawn and Buffy reveal the teen's new power to Giles...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Denial"
"Bloody hell!" The man shouted, as he tripped over the suitcases he had in front of his door. "Who moved the bed? And why am I seeing bright white lights in my room?" Right after they had entered the room, there was a flash of light, and then nothing...
Garrick laughed heartily as he helped his friend to his feet. "No one moved the soddin’ bed mate, you just can’t hold your liquor."
"As for the light," Geoff added. "You’re probably seeing stars from tripping over your bags."
"I am not. And I can hold my liquor I’ll have you know. I can drink any demon or human under the table."
"Right," Garrick said as he helped his friend onto his bed.
"I can you know," the man slurred as his head hit the pillow.
Geoffrey and Garrick exchanged looks as their friend immediately passed out.
Garrick sighed as he turned to walk out of the room. Suddenly his eyes caught something shiny lying on the floor. Bending over to pick it up he saw that it was a necklace, a woman’s necklace. "Fancy that," he whispered as Geoffrey walked over to him.
"What did you find, Gar?"
He started laughing as he handed the necklace to his friend. "Bloke’s been getting lucky and holding out on us."
Geoffrey eyed the necklace. "Who in blazes is Dawn?"
"I’m not sure, but I don’t think our friend here is going to tell us anytime soon." They both looked over at the snoring man and smiled. Geoffrey set the necklace down on the desk and the two friends left the room.
Both Summers girls stared at each other without speaking. Did they really just see a portal in the middle of their kitchen? Buffy picked up the ice cream container that she had dropped to the floor moments before and made her way over to the sink. She stood with her back to Dawn and looked out the window. What just happened? Why did a portal appear here? Slowly she turned around to face her sister. By that time Dawn had snapped out of her trance-like state and moved to the stool at the island.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked, her eyes wide with wonder. "Do you think I did that?"
"What?" Buffy demanded with a frown.
"It was a portal. I’m a key. Maybe I did that."
"Dawn, you’re not a key anymore. There’s no way..."
"Buffy, we have no idea what I’m capable of."
Just then the phone rang. Buffy walked over to answer it as Dawn placed the book she had taken on the counter. "Hello?"
"Buffy, thank goodness I caught you there."
"Giles? Isn’t it like bedtime for you or something over there?"
"Not quite. The reason I’m calling, it’s very important."
She thought he sounded like he might hyperventilate before he could get the words out. "Take a deep breath, Giles, and just say it."
"Buffy, you need to watch Dawn."
Buffy looked at her sister who was now engrossed in the book in front of her. "And why’s that?"
"We just translated some more of the text. It states that ‘The Key, will at its bidding, open doors that have been dormant for a millennia.’"
"Can ya un-vague that for me?"
"In short, Dawn is going to be able to open portals to other places as you and I would open or close our front doors."
"Uhm, Giles?"
"Yes?"
"I think she just did that."
"What? Are you quite sure? Tell me everything!"
Buffy proceeded to explain what had just happened in the Summers’ kitchen. Answering all of Giles’ questions as best she could.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked from the stool. "Ask Giles if he’s related to a..."
"Huh?" Buffy asked questioningly.
"Never mind. Here, give me the phone," Dawn said as she took it out of her sister’s hands. "Giles, it’s Dawn. Are you related to a William Giles?"
In Los Angeles, the man known as Heinrich Joseph Nest walked out onto the balcony of the apartment they had rented for him. He looked out over the city of Angels and grinned madly. It felt good to be back from the dead. At first he had been confused, but then his memories had slowly returned. Now he knew who he had been and who he was going to be again. True, the pesky soul almost made him feel terrible for his past indiscretions, but he was stronger than that.
They had told him about how they had brought Darla back in the same manner and how her soul had driven her insane. The memory of his once favorite minion brought a smile to his face. Then he growled in anger as he thought of her giving birth to Angelus’s son, staking herself to save the child. If Angelus weren’t already dead, he would have killed him with his own two hands. How fitting that Angelus’ own son had sent him to his demise. So much like his mother.
He looked back out over the city sparkling in the sunlight. For now he was human and could walk among them. But soon, very soon, he would be his true self. He had a score to settle in Sunnydale and he was looking forward to it. He closed his eyes and thought back to his last night on earth. A simple girl had killed him. But not this time. This time, he would have the upper hand.
Half a world away, Giles sat heavily into his armchair. "Excuse me?" He asked as his blood suddenly started to run cold. "I don’t think I heard you correctly."
"I asked if you knew a William Giles," Dawn said giddily. "I went through the portal and..."
"You did what?" Giles demanded, standing up from his chair. Buffy had omitted that little tidbit of information.
"I went through the portal," she said hesitantly.
"Dawn you could have been killed. What if the portal had closed? If this happens again you must not go through! Do you understand me?"
"Yes," she said, lowering her voice.
"Good. Now. Tell me the rest."
Through the phone he could hear her take a deep breath. He had scared her for now, enough so that she wouldn’t repeat her mistake again.
"Okay," she continued. "I went through the portal into this room. It looked like a dorm room. Like at a college or something. It all felt real."
"It was real. Please continue." He needed to know how she had come up with that name.
"I was kinda checking things out and I found this book. But, oh! First, I saw this picture of Buffy on the desk."
Again Giles sat down in his armchair with a thud. "Are you quite certain it was Buffy?"
"Yeah. It was a picture that I think I took last spring before she...you know."
"Right. Tell me about this book." He took his glasses off and began to clean them.
"The book is called ‘A Watcher’s Guide to Slaying’ and on the inside it has the name William Giles. I figured maybe he was related to you or something since it was a Watcher’s book."
Giles leaned forward in his chair. He rested his elbows on his knees with one hand holding the receiver and the other pinching the bridge of his nose. This was bad. Very, very bad.
"Giles," Dawn said, her voice increasing in volume. "Giles, are you still there?"
"Yes. I’m still here Dawn. Sorry. I was just reading something."
"So do you know him?" She persisted.
The girl was just as stubborn as her sister. "He’s my nephew." The lie came to him easily. He’d had many years of practice being part of the Council. He could make anything sound convincing.
"Oh cool, Giles. I didn’t think you had any family. I mean you never talk about anyone..."
"Dawn, I need to go. Please give Buffy my best and tell her I’ll call her when we get into town. Goodbye." He hung up the phone quickly and grabbed his jacket. He was out the door before the teenager had even hung up the phone on her end.
"Geez," Dawn said, hanging up the phone. "Rude much."
"What happened?" Buffy asked, walking back into the room.
"This William Giles is his nephew."
"Huh," Buffy said perplexed. "He never mentioned having any relatives."
"Yeah," Dawn said, shrugging her shoulders. "That’s what I was saying when he said he had to go. Something about he’ll call you when he gets to town."
While the two girls proceeded to page through the book, they heard a knocking at the door. Dawn got up to go answer it.
"Hey Xander," Dawn greeted. "What’s up?"
"What’s up she asks. How about is everything okay?" He walked into the foyer and saw Buffy in the kitchen. "Hey Buff," he called to her.
"Oh. Yeah. We’re fine," Dawn said, nodding her head and smiling. "I got a wicked new power!"
Buffy joined the two standing by the front door. "Calm down key girl," she stated as she looked at a baffled Xander.
"Is this a good power or a I-need-to-be-careful-not-to-get-too-close kind of power?"
Dawn giggled. "It’s a really cool power. I can open portals!"
Xander shook his head and looked at Buffy. "And just where do these portals go?"
"Giles said they can go anywhere," the girl said excitedly. "This is so gonna save time walking to school."
"Whoa, back up," Buffy demanded. "There will be no using of this power until we understand it better. Got it? Besides. We don’t even know how you did it in the first place."
Dawn’s shoulders slumped in defeat. She knew Buffy was right, but this was her power. She should be able to use it whenever she wanted, not just when it suited her sister. "Fine."
Xander looked at the girl and tried to smooth things over. "Hey Dawnster, when you get a handle on that thing, you and I can go to Hawaii. You know how I hate to fly," he added with a grin as he winked at Buffy.
"Seriously?" Dawn questioned.
"Yep. But for now it’s back to the Magic Box for us. You coming back Buffy?"
"Nah. I’m just gonna stay here and veg for a while. I’m not feeling that great."
Her sister glared at her as she followed Xander out the door. "Remember what I said Buffy. Stop denying it."
"Whatever, Dawn," she said closing the door behind them. This was just too much to deal with for one day.
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: Dawn discovers something about Steven while Giles and Buffy's new watcher discover something about Dawn...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Portals & Keys"
The pounding on the door was getting louder and more intense as the man on the bed tried to remember where he was. He tried to open his eyes but found it too difficult. His mouth was dry and the room was spinning, not to mention that he felt like he had cobwebs for brains. Finally he squinted to look at the clock. "Whoever you are," he yelled. "It’s after bleeding midnight. A bloke needs his sleep!"
"Open this door immediately or I’ll break it down," the voice on the other side demanded.
"Rupert?" The man asked. "Is that you?"
"You know bloody well it’s me. Now open this door. I’ve been pounding on it for the last ten minutes."
"Keep your shirt on mate," he said as he stumbled around the room trying to get to the door. There was no way he could walk a straight line at this particular moment. He was still extremely pissed. After several failed attempts at unlocking the door, he finally got his fingers to work. He stepped back into the room as he opened the door to a highly agitated Rupert Giles.
"Dawn was here," Giles said as he barged into the room. He turned around and looked at the disheveled man standing before him. "Are you drunk?"
"I’m not exactly coherent at the moment. I could have sworn you just said that Dawn was here." He was swaying back and forth.
"I did. She was."
"Are you sure?" He asked incredulously.
"I’m quite certain."
"When? I mean, how?"
"Tonight. And she can indeed open portals like the prophecy predicted. Somehow she opened a portal here."
The man sat down hard on his bed. His mind was starting to clear but the room was still moving. "Let me get this straight," he said blinking hard, trying to adjust his eyes to the light Giles had just turned on. "Dawn, Buffy’s Dawn, can open portals and she was here? Tonight?"
"Precisely. I talked to Buffy this evening right after a portal had appeared in their kitchen."
The man’s eyes widened despite the brightness of the light. "And you’re certain this portal opened here? How?"
"I’m not exactly clear on the how but I’m certain it was here. She described this room and the items in it. Additionally," he said looking towards the desk, "she saw a picture of Buffy on your desk."
"Brilliant," the man said hanging his head. He knew he was going to have one massive hangover in the morning.
After Xander and Dawn had gone back to the Magic Box, Buffy had made herself a sandwich and headed towards the couch. She turned on the TV and flipped through the channels in a daze. Nothing interesting seemed to be on in the afternoons. No wonder she hung out at the Magic Box all the time. She got up and walked over to the entertainment center to browse the videos. One tape in particular caught her eye. When had Dawn started taping Passions? She shook her head and popped the tape into the VCR.
"Let’s see what all the fuss is about," she said yawning. "So this is the infamous Timmy? He doesn’t look like a doll. He looks like a real boy," she said to the room with a laugh. "Zombies? Where do they come up with this stuff?" She was starting to understand why Spike liked this show so much. It was twisted. With that thought, she closed her eyes and started to drift off into sleep.
The man continued to hang his head while he massaged his temples. He was still drunk, and not even the revelation of Dawn’s portal jumping could shake him out of this stupor.
"She took your guide book," Giles said sighing.
"Mine? But it’s right here," he stated as he slowly got up to look at his desk. He went to reach for it but it wasn’t there. He shook his head to clear his mind. It still wasn’t there. He looked on the floor and underneath the desk. "Not on my desk." He leaned over and put his hands on the desk for support. He looked over at Giles and stared at him.
"I’m not sure how," Giles growled as he glared at the younger Watcher. "But this proves she was here."
"It doesn’t prove anything, Rupert, other than the fact that I can’t think straight. Maybe I lent it to one of the blokes down the hall." As he straightened up, he noticed the necklace that Geoffrey had placed on the surface of his desk. Slowly, he picked up the necklace to study it. It was Dawn’s. No doubt. "You’re right," he said walking over to Giles.
"What changed your mind?" Giles asked perplexed.
"This," the man said as he took Giles’ hand and placed Dawn’s necklace in it.
Giles looked down at the gold chain in his hand and then looked back over at the man who handed it to him.
The sun was shining brightly over Buffy’s head as she walked through the sand. Holding her hand up to shield her eyes, she squinted to see what, if anything, might be on the horizon. She noticed that she was dressed in a long white flowing tunic with white scarves fluttering in the wind. Her hair was loose around her face. It had grown since Spike had left. He had always loved her long hair, that’s why she had chopped it off – to spite him.
She continued walking barefoot in the sand, not really knowing where she was going but knowing she needed to keep moving. She paused when she reached the opening of a cave.
"You don’t want to go in there, Slayer," a voice said from behind her.
She spun around in slow motion. There, before her, stood Spike. He walked over to her as she stared at him. His blue eyes burned through her. She tried to break away from his gaze but found she couldn’t. Her eyes fixed on his body and how tan and fit it looked. He was in his usual pair of faded jeans, no shirt or shoes.
"There’s all kinds of beasties in there, Slayer. Just waiting to get you," he said concerned.
"I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, but are you ready?" He continued to gaze deeply into her eyes. He slowly lifted his hand and caressed her cheek.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his touch on her skin. "Where have you been?" She asked in a whisper as she opened her eyes. She noticed that his hair wasn’t blonde any longer but a sandy color.
"I’ve been right here all along. I’ll always watch over you, Buffy. I love you."
Before she could tell him how she felt, Spike disappeared and she was left alone. "Spike? Spike where are you? Please come back!" She looked around at the vastness of the desert. Nothing was near her. As she turned around to face the cave, she could see a light emanating from within.
"Hello," she called out as she made her way inside. "Spike?" No one answered her. She continued walking.
"I knew you’d come," a voice said to her from the shadows. "I’ve been waiting for you."
"Show yourself," she demanded.
"You already know who I am," the voice said. "You just don’t want to admit it. Does the thought frighten you?"
"I’ve died twice. Nothing scares me anymore."
"But you will be scared," he said as he stepped out of the shadows and grabbed her by the shoulders.
She tried to struggle free from his grip but couldn’t. He leaned over her shoulder so that she could see his face. Her eyes widened in fear. "You’re dead," she managed to finally say.
He smiled at her and grazed her neck with his teeth. "You of all people should know that death can be temporary." He wrapped one strong arm around her body and with his other he pushed her head to the side, exposing her neck. "Any last words?" He asked as he sunk his teeth into her jugular and began to savor the taste of her.
"Buffy! No!" The man shouted as he woke up from the nightmare. Giles had finally left him to sleep about an hour before. His head was pounding and his body was shaking. This nightmare meant something, he was sure of it. Without a second thought he retrieved his journal from the desk and started writing furiously, making sure that he included as many details as possible. Once he was satisfied that he had properly recorded everything, he closed the journal and turned out the light. He was hoping that he would be able to fall back to sleep but he found it difficult as he replayed the nightmare over and over in his head.
When Dawn arrived at home, she found Buffy sound asleep on the couch. She walked over to her sister and gently covered her with a blanket. She noticed that it looked as if her sister had been crying in her sleep. She was concerned about her as well as convinced that Buffy was going to drive herself insane denying her feelings for Spike. Why was it that people always seem to realize what they had after it’s gone?
After showering, and dressing in something sensible, she went down to the kitchen to leave Buffy a note. Steven was supposed to pick her up soon so she figured she would wait on the porch. That way they wouldn’t disturb Buffy’s sleep. She gently closed the front door behind her as she stepped out into the night air. Steven was just rounding the corner and heading towards her house. She sat down on the steps to wait for him.
"Hey," he said with a smile when he reached the steps.
"Hi," she said, blushing. Again with the blushing.
"Wanna go get something to eat?" He asked as he took a seat next to her on the steps.
"Sure...let’s go for a walk first though. I just got home from work, and I’d like a break from people for a little while..."
"Okay. Come on," he said standing up. He reached out his hand and helped her up. He pulled a little too hard and she almost stumbled on top of him.
"Sorry," she said as he grabbed her to keep her from falling.
"My fault," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.
Their faces were so close Dawn could feel his breath on her cheek. As she was about to say something, he closed the distance and kissed her. She returned the kiss enthusiastically. Her knees started to shake and she thought she was going to sink to the ground. It seemed to last forever. Finally they broke it off so that they could both breathe.
"That was, uhm, really nice," Dawn said breathlessly.
He smiled and took her hand in his. "Let’s walk."
They walked along in a comfortable silence for a while. Dawn was still giddy about the kiss and wanted to make sure she didn’t say anything dumb before she was back in control of her brain. He had finally kissed her. Not on her forehead or cheek like he usually did before saying goodnight, but a full kiss on the lips. Her first totally real kiss. It was better than she ever imagined it would be.
Steven looked over at Dawn. She had been silent since they had left her place. He smiled to himself. Obviously, the kiss had been a good thing to do. Things were going very smoothly. Despite the fact that he had intended to use Dawn to get to know Buffy, he enjoyed being around the girl.
Unexpectedly, sounds of a struggle came to his ears. He looked around, searching for it.
"What? What’s wrong?" Dawn asked as he tightened his grip around her hand.
"I don’t know. I thought I heard something."
"I-I don’t hear anything," Dawn stammered, looking around the darkened street.
"Shhhh," he whispered to her. He closed his eyes and listened intently for the sounds. It was coming towards them at a fast pace. "Run!" He shouted to her as he grabbed tightly onto her hand and started running.
Dawn was confused but she started running with him, not that she had much choice in the matter since he was pulling her along. She hadn’t heard anything, but by the look on his face she knew he had. Then she heard it. She looked over her shoulder as they continued to run. A vampire was catching up to them. She knew that they couldn’t out run it, but she also knew that if she stopped to stake it, she would have to reveal herself to Steven. She wasn’t ready to do that yet.
Instead of having to weigh her options and consider the consequences, Steven stopped abruptly and pulled her behind him. "Dawn, stay here and don’t move," he commanded.
Dawn watched in awe as Steven started sparring with the vampire. As the vampire lunged at him, he used a roundhouse kick to knock it off its feet. The vampire grabbed Steven’s leg and knocked him off balance. He landed face first on the ground but spun around in time to miss the vampire’s kick. His foot then found the vampire’s chest, once again knocking him to the ground.
"Steven," Dawn yelled as she pulled the stake out of her jacket. "Catch!"
He caught the stake handily and plunged it into the vampire’s chest. It exploded into dust as he looked over at Dawn.
"H-How did you learn to fight like that?" Dawn asked in amazement.
"My father taught me."
"But you’re really fast, almost as fast as..." her words trailed off.
"As Buffy?" He asked with a grin.
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: Things are not always as they seem as Dawn and Buffy reveal the teen's new power to Giles...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Denial"
- 13 -
Portals & Keys
Portals & Keys
"Bloody hell!" The man shouted, as he tripped over the suitcases he had in front of his door. "Who moved the bed? And why am I seeing bright white lights in my room?" Right after they had entered the room, there was a flash of light, and then nothing...
Garrick laughed heartily as he helped his friend to his feet. "No one moved the soddin’ bed mate, you just can’t hold your liquor."
"As for the light," Geoff added. "You’re probably seeing stars from tripping over your bags."
"I am not. And I can hold my liquor I’ll have you know. I can drink any demon or human under the table."
"Right," Garrick said as he helped his friend onto his bed.
"I can you know," the man slurred as his head hit the pillow.
Geoffrey and Garrick exchanged looks as their friend immediately passed out.
Garrick sighed as he turned to walk out of the room. Suddenly his eyes caught something shiny lying on the floor. Bending over to pick it up he saw that it was a necklace, a woman’s necklace. "Fancy that," he whispered as Geoffrey walked over to him.
"What did you find, Gar?"
He started laughing as he handed the necklace to his friend. "Bloke’s been getting lucky and holding out on us."
Geoffrey eyed the necklace. "Who in blazes is Dawn?"
"I’m not sure, but I don’t think our friend here is going to tell us anytime soon." They both looked over at the snoring man and smiled. Geoffrey set the necklace down on the desk and the two friends left the room.
******
Both Summers girls stared at each other without speaking. Did they really just see a portal in the middle of their kitchen? Buffy picked up the ice cream container that she had dropped to the floor moments before and made her way over to the sink. She stood with her back to Dawn and looked out the window. What just happened? Why did a portal appear here? Slowly she turned around to face her sister. By that time Dawn had snapped out of her trance-like state and moved to the stool at the island.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked, her eyes wide with wonder. "Do you think I did that?"
"What?" Buffy demanded with a frown.
"It was a portal. I’m a key. Maybe I did that."
"Dawn, you’re not a key anymore. There’s no way..."
"Buffy, we have no idea what I’m capable of."
Just then the phone rang. Buffy walked over to answer it as Dawn placed the book she had taken on the counter. "Hello?"
"Buffy, thank goodness I caught you there."
"Giles? Isn’t it like bedtime for you or something over there?"
"Not quite. The reason I’m calling, it’s very important."
She thought he sounded like he might hyperventilate before he could get the words out. "Take a deep breath, Giles, and just say it."
"Buffy, you need to watch Dawn."
Buffy looked at her sister who was now engrossed in the book in front of her. "And why’s that?"
"We just translated some more of the text. It states that ‘The Key, will at its bidding, open doors that have been dormant for a millennia.’"
"Can ya un-vague that for me?"
"In short, Dawn is going to be able to open portals to other places as you and I would open or close our front doors."
"Uhm, Giles?"
"Yes?"
"I think she just did that."
"What? Are you quite sure? Tell me everything!"
Buffy proceeded to explain what had just happened in the Summers’ kitchen. Answering all of Giles’ questions as best she could.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked from the stool. "Ask Giles if he’s related to a..."
"Huh?" Buffy asked questioningly.
"Never mind. Here, give me the phone," Dawn said as she took it out of her sister’s hands. "Giles, it’s Dawn. Are you related to a William Giles?"
******
In Los Angeles, the man known as Heinrich Joseph Nest walked out onto the balcony of the apartment they had rented for him. He looked out over the city of Angels and grinned madly. It felt good to be back from the dead. At first he had been confused, but then his memories had slowly returned. Now he knew who he had been and who he was going to be again. True, the pesky soul almost made him feel terrible for his past indiscretions, but he was stronger than that.
They had told him about how they had brought Darla back in the same manner and how her soul had driven her insane. The memory of his once favorite minion brought a smile to his face. Then he growled in anger as he thought of her giving birth to Angelus’s son, staking herself to save the child. If Angelus weren’t already dead, he would have killed him with his own two hands. How fitting that Angelus’ own son had sent him to his demise. So much like his mother.
He looked back out over the city sparkling in the sunlight. For now he was human and could walk among them. But soon, very soon, he would be his true self. He had a score to settle in Sunnydale and he was looking forward to it. He closed his eyes and thought back to his last night on earth. A simple girl had killed him. But not this time. This time, he would have the upper hand.
******
Half a world away, Giles sat heavily into his armchair. "Excuse me?" He asked as his blood suddenly started to run cold. "I don’t think I heard you correctly."
"I asked if you knew a William Giles," Dawn said giddily. "I went through the portal and..."
"You did what?" Giles demanded, standing up from his chair. Buffy had omitted that little tidbit of information.
"I went through the portal," she said hesitantly.
"Dawn you could have been killed. What if the portal had closed? If this happens again you must not go through! Do you understand me?"
"Yes," she said, lowering her voice.
"Good. Now. Tell me the rest."
Through the phone he could hear her take a deep breath. He had scared her for now, enough so that she wouldn’t repeat her mistake again.
"Okay," she continued. "I went through the portal into this room. It looked like a dorm room. Like at a college or something. It all felt real."
"It was real. Please continue." He needed to know how she had come up with that name.
"I was kinda checking things out and I found this book. But, oh! First, I saw this picture of Buffy on the desk."
Again Giles sat down in his armchair with a thud. "Are you quite certain it was Buffy?"
"Yeah. It was a picture that I think I took last spring before she...you know."
"Right. Tell me about this book." He took his glasses off and began to clean them.
"The book is called ‘A Watcher’s Guide to Slaying’ and on the inside it has the name William Giles. I figured maybe he was related to you or something since it was a Watcher’s book."
Giles leaned forward in his chair. He rested his elbows on his knees with one hand holding the receiver and the other pinching the bridge of his nose. This was bad. Very, very bad.
"Giles," Dawn said, her voice increasing in volume. "Giles, are you still there?"
"Yes. I’m still here Dawn. Sorry. I was just reading something."
"So do you know him?" She persisted.
The girl was just as stubborn as her sister. "He’s my nephew." The lie came to him easily. He’d had many years of practice being part of the Council. He could make anything sound convincing.
"Oh cool, Giles. I didn’t think you had any family. I mean you never talk about anyone..."
"Dawn, I need to go. Please give Buffy my best and tell her I’ll call her when we get into town. Goodbye." He hung up the phone quickly and grabbed his jacket. He was out the door before the teenager had even hung up the phone on her end.
******
"Geez," Dawn said, hanging up the phone. "Rude much."
"What happened?" Buffy asked, walking back into the room.
"This William Giles is his nephew."
"Huh," Buffy said perplexed. "He never mentioned having any relatives."
"Yeah," Dawn said, shrugging her shoulders. "That’s what I was saying when he said he had to go. Something about he’ll call you when he gets to town."
While the two girls proceeded to page through the book, they heard a knocking at the door. Dawn got up to go answer it.
"Hey Xander," Dawn greeted. "What’s up?"
"What’s up she asks. How about is everything okay?" He walked into the foyer and saw Buffy in the kitchen. "Hey Buff," he called to her.
"Oh. Yeah. We’re fine," Dawn said, nodding her head and smiling. "I got a wicked new power!"
Buffy joined the two standing by the front door. "Calm down key girl," she stated as she looked at a baffled Xander.
"Is this a good power or a I-need-to-be-careful-not-to-get-too-close kind of power?"
Dawn giggled. "It’s a really cool power. I can open portals!"
Xander shook his head and looked at Buffy. "And just where do these portals go?"
"Giles said they can go anywhere," the girl said excitedly. "This is so gonna save time walking to school."
"Whoa, back up," Buffy demanded. "There will be no using of this power until we understand it better. Got it? Besides. We don’t even know how you did it in the first place."
Dawn’s shoulders slumped in defeat. She knew Buffy was right, but this was her power. She should be able to use it whenever she wanted, not just when it suited her sister. "Fine."
Xander looked at the girl and tried to smooth things over. "Hey Dawnster, when you get a handle on that thing, you and I can go to Hawaii. You know how I hate to fly," he added with a grin as he winked at Buffy.
"Seriously?" Dawn questioned.
"Yep. But for now it’s back to the Magic Box for us. You coming back Buffy?"
"Nah. I’m just gonna stay here and veg for a while. I’m not feeling that great."
Her sister glared at her as she followed Xander out the door. "Remember what I said Buffy. Stop denying it."
"Whatever, Dawn," she said closing the door behind them. This was just too much to deal with for one day.
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: Dawn discovers something about Steven while Giles and Buffy's new watcher discover something about Dawn...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Portals & Keys"
- 14 -
Discoveries
Discoveries
The pounding on the door was getting louder and more intense as the man on the bed tried to remember where he was. He tried to open his eyes but found it too difficult. His mouth was dry and the room was spinning, not to mention that he felt like he had cobwebs for brains. Finally he squinted to look at the clock. "Whoever you are," he yelled. "It’s after bleeding midnight. A bloke needs his sleep!"
"Open this door immediately or I’ll break it down," the voice on the other side demanded.
"Rupert?" The man asked. "Is that you?"
"You know bloody well it’s me. Now open this door. I’ve been pounding on it for the last ten minutes."
"Keep your shirt on mate," he said as he stumbled around the room trying to get to the door. There was no way he could walk a straight line at this particular moment. He was still extremely pissed. After several failed attempts at unlocking the door, he finally got his fingers to work. He stepped back into the room as he opened the door to a highly agitated Rupert Giles.
"Dawn was here," Giles said as he barged into the room. He turned around and looked at the disheveled man standing before him. "Are you drunk?"
"I’m not exactly coherent at the moment. I could have sworn you just said that Dawn was here." He was swaying back and forth.
"I did. She was."
"Are you sure?" He asked incredulously.
"I’m quite certain."
"When? I mean, how?"
"Tonight. And she can indeed open portals like the prophecy predicted. Somehow she opened a portal here."
The man sat down hard on his bed. His mind was starting to clear but the room was still moving. "Let me get this straight," he said blinking hard, trying to adjust his eyes to the light Giles had just turned on. "Dawn, Buffy’s Dawn, can open portals and she was here? Tonight?"
"Precisely. I talked to Buffy this evening right after a portal had appeared in their kitchen."
The man’s eyes widened despite the brightness of the light. "And you’re certain this portal opened here? How?"
"I’m not exactly clear on the how but I’m certain it was here. She described this room and the items in it. Additionally," he said looking towards the desk, "she saw a picture of Buffy on your desk."
"Brilliant," the man said hanging his head. He knew he was going to have one massive hangover in the morning.
******
After Xander and Dawn had gone back to the Magic Box, Buffy had made herself a sandwich and headed towards the couch. She turned on the TV and flipped through the channels in a daze. Nothing interesting seemed to be on in the afternoons. No wonder she hung out at the Magic Box all the time. She got up and walked over to the entertainment center to browse the videos. One tape in particular caught her eye. When had Dawn started taping Passions? She shook her head and popped the tape into the VCR.
"Let’s see what all the fuss is about," she said yawning. "So this is the infamous Timmy? He doesn’t look like a doll. He looks like a real boy," she said to the room with a laugh. "Zombies? Where do they come up with this stuff?" She was starting to understand why Spike liked this show so much. It was twisted. With that thought, she closed her eyes and started to drift off into sleep.
******
The man continued to hang his head while he massaged his temples. He was still drunk, and not even the revelation of Dawn’s portal jumping could shake him out of this stupor.
"She took your guide book," Giles said sighing.
"Mine? But it’s right here," he stated as he slowly got up to look at his desk. He went to reach for it but it wasn’t there. He shook his head to clear his mind. It still wasn’t there. He looked on the floor and underneath the desk. "Not on my desk." He leaned over and put his hands on the desk for support. He looked over at Giles and stared at him.
"I’m not sure how," Giles growled as he glared at the younger Watcher. "But this proves she was here."
"It doesn’t prove anything, Rupert, other than the fact that I can’t think straight. Maybe I lent it to one of the blokes down the hall." As he straightened up, he noticed the necklace that Geoffrey had placed on the surface of his desk. Slowly, he picked up the necklace to study it. It was Dawn’s. No doubt. "You’re right," he said walking over to Giles.
"What changed your mind?" Giles asked perplexed.
"This," the man said as he took Giles’ hand and placed Dawn’s necklace in it.
Giles looked down at the gold chain in his hand and then looked back over at the man who handed it to him.
******
The sun was shining brightly over Buffy’s head as she walked through the sand. Holding her hand up to shield her eyes, she squinted to see what, if anything, might be on the horizon. She noticed that she was dressed in a long white flowing tunic with white scarves fluttering in the wind. Her hair was loose around her face. It had grown since Spike had left. He had always loved her long hair, that’s why she had chopped it off – to spite him.
She continued walking barefoot in the sand, not really knowing where she was going but knowing she needed to keep moving. She paused when she reached the opening of a cave.
"You don’t want to go in there, Slayer," a voice said from behind her.
She spun around in slow motion. There, before her, stood Spike. He walked over to her as she stared at him. His blue eyes burned through her. She tried to break away from his gaze but found she couldn’t. Her eyes fixed on his body and how tan and fit it looked. He was in his usual pair of faded jeans, no shirt or shoes.
"There’s all kinds of beasties in there, Slayer. Just waiting to get you," he said concerned.
"I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, but are you ready?" He continued to gaze deeply into her eyes. He slowly lifted his hand and caressed her cheek.
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of his touch on her skin. "Where have you been?" She asked in a whisper as she opened her eyes. She noticed that his hair wasn’t blonde any longer but a sandy color.
"I’ve been right here all along. I’ll always watch over you, Buffy. I love you."
Before she could tell him how she felt, Spike disappeared and she was left alone. "Spike? Spike where are you? Please come back!" She looked around at the vastness of the desert. Nothing was near her. As she turned around to face the cave, she could see a light emanating from within.
"Hello," she called out as she made her way inside. "Spike?" No one answered her. She continued walking.
"I knew you’d come," a voice said to her from the shadows. "I’ve been waiting for you."
"Show yourself," she demanded.
"You already know who I am," the voice said. "You just don’t want to admit it. Does the thought frighten you?"
"I’ve died twice. Nothing scares me anymore."
"But you will be scared," he said as he stepped out of the shadows and grabbed her by the shoulders.
She tried to struggle free from his grip but couldn’t. He leaned over her shoulder so that she could see his face. Her eyes widened in fear. "You’re dead," she managed to finally say.
He smiled at her and grazed her neck with his teeth. "You of all people should know that death can be temporary." He wrapped one strong arm around her body and with his other he pushed her head to the side, exposing her neck. "Any last words?" He asked as he sunk his teeth into her jugular and began to savor the taste of her.
******
"Buffy! No!" The man shouted as he woke up from the nightmare. Giles had finally left him to sleep about an hour before. His head was pounding and his body was shaking. This nightmare meant something, he was sure of it. Without a second thought he retrieved his journal from the desk and started writing furiously, making sure that he included as many details as possible. Once he was satisfied that he had properly recorded everything, he closed the journal and turned out the light. He was hoping that he would be able to fall back to sleep but he found it difficult as he replayed the nightmare over and over in his head.
******
When Dawn arrived at home, she found Buffy sound asleep on the couch. She walked over to her sister and gently covered her with a blanket. She noticed that it looked as if her sister had been crying in her sleep. She was concerned about her as well as convinced that Buffy was going to drive herself insane denying her feelings for Spike. Why was it that people always seem to realize what they had after it’s gone?
After showering, and dressing in something sensible, she went down to the kitchen to leave Buffy a note. Steven was supposed to pick her up soon so she figured she would wait on the porch. That way they wouldn’t disturb Buffy’s sleep. She gently closed the front door behind her as she stepped out into the night air. Steven was just rounding the corner and heading towards her house. She sat down on the steps to wait for him.
"Hey," he said with a smile when he reached the steps.
"Hi," she said, blushing. Again with the blushing.
"Wanna go get something to eat?" He asked as he took a seat next to her on the steps.
"Sure...let’s go for a walk first though. I just got home from work, and I’d like a break from people for a little while..."
"Okay. Come on," he said standing up. He reached out his hand and helped her up. He pulled a little too hard and she almost stumbled on top of him.
"Sorry," she said as he grabbed her to keep her from falling.
"My fault," he whispered as he looked into her eyes.
Their faces were so close Dawn could feel his breath on her cheek. As she was about to say something, he closed the distance and kissed her. She returned the kiss enthusiastically. Her knees started to shake and she thought she was going to sink to the ground. It seemed to last forever. Finally they broke it off so that they could both breathe.
"That was, uhm, really nice," Dawn said breathlessly.
He smiled and took her hand in his. "Let’s walk."
******
They walked along in a comfortable silence for a while. Dawn was still giddy about the kiss and wanted to make sure she didn’t say anything dumb before she was back in control of her brain. He had finally kissed her. Not on her forehead or cheek like he usually did before saying goodnight, but a full kiss on the lips. Her first totally real kiss. It was better than she ever imagined it would be.
Steven looked over at Dawn. She had been silent since they had left her place. He smiled to himself. Obviously, the kiss had been a good thing to do. Things were going very smoothly. Despite the fact that he had intended to use Dawn to get to know Buffy, he enjoyed being around the girl.
Unexpectedly, sounds of a struggle came to his ears. He looked around, searching for it.
"What? What’s wrong?" Dawn asked as he tightened his grip around her hand.
"I don’t know. I thought I heard something."
"I-I don’t hear anything," Dawn stammered, looking around the darkened street.
"Shhhh," he whispered to her. He closed his eyes and listened intently for the sounds. It was coming towards them at a fast pace. "Run!" He shouted to her as he grabbed tightly onto her hand and started running.
Dawn was confused but she started running with him, not that she had much choice in the matter since he was pulling her along. She hadn’t heard anything, but by the look on his face she knew he had. Then she heard it. She looked over her shoulder as they continued to run. A vampire was catching up to them. She knew that they couldn’t out run it, but she also knew that if she stopped to stake it, she would have to reveal herself to Steven. She wasn’t ready to do that yet.
Instead of having to weigh her options and consider the consequences, Steven stopped abruptly and pulled her behind him. "Dawn, stay here and don’t move," he commanded.
Dawn watched in awe as Steven started sparring with the vampire. As the vampire lunged at him, he used a roundhouse kick to knock it off its feet. The vampire grabbed Steven’s leg and knocked him off balance. He landed face first on the ground but spun around in time to miss the vampire’s kick. His foot then found the vampire’s chest, once again knocking him to the ground.
"Steven," Dawn yelled as she pulled the stake out of her jacket. "Catch!"
He caught the stake handily and plunged it into the vampire’s chest. It exploded into dust as he looked over at Dawn.
"H-How did you learn to fight like that?" Dawn asked in amazement.
"My father taught me."
"But you’re really fast, almost as fast as..." her words trailed off.
"As Buffy?" He asked with a grin.
