Disclaimer- I own nothing but Chris, Amanda, and Natalie. Though even some days I doubt even that.
A/N- This story has been pestering me for a while, actually. I know pretty much where it's going, but I'm open to helpful suggestions. And also, for some odd reason, the song Volcano by Damien Rice is pretty much this whole thing's theme song. If it needed one, that is.
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Willow sighed bitterly as she shelved the books that Giles deemed 'too dark 'for her. Giving a mental shrug, she shelved the last one and then moved her attention to the pile of books he had left for her to study. Settling in at a desk, she pulled one heavy, musty leather bound book towards her and opened it carefully. Beginning to peruse the vellum pages, a specific spell caught her eye. What was this? Hmm, this might be useful. Beginning to mentally translate the passage, she smiled inwardly. Old Latin, of course. Something about destinies, finding your inner being and everything. Willow stood and gathered what she needed, rosemary and honeysuckle incense for cleansing and strength. White candles to form the circle, a ribbon to bind 'round her wrist.
Moving to the center of the library, she set out the candles, lighting each with a simple thought. She stepped into the circle and stood while she placed the incense, allowing herself to breathe in the scents while she centered herself. She began the spell, chanting slowly at first until her eyes began to roll inwards, and her voice began to sound as if there were two Willow's chanting. A girl appeared in the circle with Willow, and it was her voice that blended with Willow's. The girl was still see through, non corporeal, as if she were a ghost. And oddly enough, Natalie looked exactly like Willow, except for Natalie being a few pounds heavier. The girls' voice began to fade out, and she circled around Willow, studying her.
"You've summoned me." The girl stated.
"I did?"Willow asked.
The girl shrugged for a moment. "I suppose it is because I am you and you are me. Just… different." She paused for a moment. "Okay, like that made so much sense. I am like you, a magic user." She answered, looking pleased with herself that she had gotten at least that much out.
"A magic user? Good or bad?" Willow questioned once more.
"Time will reveal itself." The girl answered, smiling softly. "And don't jump my case on that, I don't know exactly what it means. Take my place." The girl directed. The girl began to solidify a bit, fading into being slowly.
"What's your name?" Willow asked.
"They call me Natalie." She answered, reaching out a hand as if a handshake were required at that moment. "You'll be taking over my life in my realm, while I will see to yours here." Natalie winked a bit as she took Willows hand, placing her own against Willows.
"Why should I trust you?" Willow narrowed her eyes, trying to be tough. Natalie nearly laughed.
"You think you're the only one raised on a hell mouth Willow? Now hush and take my damned place." Natalie ordered.
At that, Willow finally clasped Natalie's hand, and Willow began to fade as if she were a ghost. Natalie winked into solidarity, as Willow, just as Willow appeared in Natalie's 'realm'.
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Willow stumbled into the grass, as if someone had pushed her off the last step of a staircase. Landing flat on her back, she panted softly as she found the wind that had been knocked from her sails. Opening her eyes, she found two pairs of concerned brown eyes peering down at her. A boy that looked like a young Xander offered her a hand, and she took it, allowing him to pull her up.
"Rough ride eh Nat?" the boy asked as he brushed a hand down the back of her clothes. A girl walked around the circle, extinguishing the candles of the circle as best she could. It wasn't the proper way to close a circle, but it was all she could do at the moment.
"She could've warned me." Willow grumbled.
The girl looked around, and then pressed a finger to her lips in the universal gesture to be quiet. Gathering up the candles, she kicked dirt over the fire near the wood line, and grabbed both their hands. Leading them quickly across a vacant lot, then through a few streets and to a house. Pushing open the front door, then ushering them in before shutting the door behind them.
"Mom, Dad, we're back." The brown haired girl called down the hallway before leading them down a hallway and into a bedroom. She closed the door behind them.
"I assume that you and Nat didn't have a lot of time to talk in the exchange, did you?" She asked quietly.
"No, we didn't. My name is Willow, let's start there." Willow offered her hand. The girl bowed from the waist, ignoring the hand. The boy, leaning against the closet at this point, straightened up and bowed formally as well.
"My name is Amanda. This is Chris." She introduced. She gestured for Willow to sit, then stretched as she took off her coat, then hung it up on a coat rack behind the door.
"So, was Natalie working a spell tonight as well, or was she…" Willow let her voice trail off.
"I must tell you what we're dealing with." Chris cut in. He pushed up and rummaged under the bed before pulling out a few cans of soda.
"You're in the same dimension. Just Florida instead of California." Chris passed her one can before tossing a can at the back of Amanda's head. Amanda just lifted a hand and caught it without turning.
"Is Amanda a slayer too?" Willow asked. She looked down, noticing she was quite a few years younger. Popping the top on the soda, she sipped at it gently. Willow would ask about their ages soon enough.
"No. Let's just say it's… interesting." Chris opened his own soda before taking a deep guzzle.
"You have a vampire named Angel in your California, don't you?" Amanda turned, and then sat on the bed as she frowned at her soda.
"Yeeees.." Willow answered, not knowing why they would ask about Angel.
"Liam McEwan, born 1727 in the port city of Galway, located in Ireland?" Amanda pressed her.
"Peachy with a side of keen so far." Willow chirped, recalling the entry on Angelus that was in Giles' watcher diaries.
"Natalie is his sister." Chris simply cut in. He drained his soda and tossed the can into the waste bin in the corner.
"She's not a vampire though. No other vampire besides Angel has a soul and she wasn't all growly." Willow protested.
"Natalie is not a vampire. She's… eh, something else. Perhaps we should talk about why you are here, no?" Amanda waved a hand slightly, as if to call the attention back to her.
"We've got a hell mouth to close here." Chris said simply.
"Why do you need me? Natalie was working with spells just a few moments ago." Willow protested again.
"Willow, Natalie is but a child in the era. She cannot access her full abilities. None of us can here. We're supposed to 'grow up' or something." There was some heavy emphasis put on the growing part from Amanda to Chris.
"I suppose we should get you caught up on what you need to know here." Chris scratches the back of his head.
"That would be nice, to be honest. Since you both know so much about me." Willow crosses her arms over her chest.
"I'm a slayer." Chris says simply, and waits for a argument.
"Slayers are girls. Nice try bub." Willow frowns.
"Some people present were playing with some magic they shouldn't have been able to access yet, and called me up. Hell, I'm just supposed to be some little backup support thing. Research boy, supporting hug man. Food finder." Chris snipes out at Amanda.
"That's lovely, heh heh. Hush now Chris dear, why wont we? Anyways, I'm a day walking vampire. Old, never lost our soul. Not those blighters like Angelus now. It's what happens when you take a leprechaun and mix 'er up with a vampire. It's also what Natalie is, the leprechaun part, and if you'd thought to consult the amended Watchers Diaries, you'd have realized an orb of thessula wasn't even necessary to help Angel. Natalie's going to fix Liam there for you, so that's what she's doing there, if you'd wanted to ask." Amanda began to ramble, finally getting to the point.
"Leprechauns? Jesus, and I'd thought I'd heard it all." Willow sighed, letting her face drop into her hands. "Why do you need me if you know so much?" Willow asked.
"We're young." Chris said, as if it were obvious.
"Yeah, and? So am I." Willow grunted.
"But you've had years to work on your ability. The only reason we even know so much right now is because we've been awakened. But we've only been awakened three days ago. Natalie woke us up when she realized that the hell mouth was opening." Chris tried to explain.
"How was Natalie awakened?" Willow asked, honestly having no clue. Then again, she didn't know much about the things the children were speaking of.
"Leprechauns retain their memories, passing them down from person to person through the familial lines. A Leprechaun only dies when the next in their line is born, usually a grandmother to a granddaughter, or grandfather to a grandson. Unfortunately, Natalie didn't find Liam until just recently, and she was looking for him when she felt you reaching out in your own spells. She connected with you, trading places with you in hopes that you could help us while helping her brother as well." Chris blurted out, getting excited, and more muddled, as he went around.
"How old ARE you guys anyways?" Willow looked at each of them in turn.
"Thirteen." Amanda pointed to herself.
"Twelve" Chris nodded a little.
"That's far too young. You aren't even out of middle school" Willow blustered.
"Natalie's turning twelve in two weeks." Chris said helpfully. Amanda elbowed him roughly, and then chucked a thumb towards the pallet on the floor. "Okay, so she's really about eighteen, but… she had to make herself younger to watch us or something like that.
"Chris, hit the hay. School is soon." Amanda merely said, then pointed towards two twin beds. "Willow, take the one on the right."
Willow merely nodded dumbly and moved to the bed to think. Pulling down the covers, she crawled in and nested into the thick comforter. These two were just kids. Kids kids, even younger than Buffy and herself and Xander, and… well, everyone when they had started. Sure, they needed help. And she would help them, but weren't there adults out there ready to protect them? Willow turned over on her side, pushing the thought from her minds. There would be more time in the morning.
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Meanwhile, Natalie was closing the circle in the library. After finishing, Natalie smoothed her hands down her forest green dress, and eyed the sneakers and tights. 'I may be older, but I still dress like an eleven year old.'
"Willow, were you casting a spell again?" Giles demanded of her as he came in through the library doors.
Natalie ducked her head shyly, as if she had been caught." Sorry Giles, I just couldn't help a little one." She actually blushed when she said it, scuffing the toe of one sneaker into the desk before jumping off it.
"Alright Willow, but no more. Tonight, at the very least." Giles admonished, and then looked warmly upon her. "Shouldn't you be getting home? Its getting late and you should rest before school tomorrow."
Natalie nodded, scooping up the bag near the desk, patting the cross around her neck. "Sure Giles. See ya bright and early in the am, right?" At his nod she skipped away, out into the hall, leaving a bewildered Giles behind her.
"Girl gets stranger and stranger by the day, that she does." Giles mumbled before taking his glasses off and beginning to polish them.
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Meanwhile, Natalie was finding her way to her brother's mansion, actually very near now. She tugged on her cross as she stepped from the street to the curve, staring at the gates surrounding the mansion. It was nearing dawn, and although she hadn't taken then entire time to get there, she had taken the time to strip off those god awful tights, and to carefully stow both the tights and the sneakers in the book bag before calling cotton fibers to her, forming a pair of nylons that clad her legs, and a pair of really cool looking calf length brown boots. All in all, the ensemble made her look at least eighteen. But more so, it was exactly what she would have worn. Nodding to herself, she pushed open the gate and slipped up the walk to the doors of the mansion before knocking there at the door.
It was a few moments before Liam answered and even then he blinked at her for a few moments. His hair was tousled, his shirt hanging open and unbuttoned, as if he had just come from sleep.
"What's up Willow?" He asked, looking around as if something was wrong.
"Hello, brother mine. Missed me?" Natalie spoke in Gaelic, but most importantly, she added their family motto onto the end. Their secret code between brother and sister, the one that no one else would ever know to use. 'With a strong hand' had become their own private joke for their strict father.
Angel blinked deeply before grabbing her and pulling her into the mansion.
"Willow, this isn't funny. How'd you find her?" Angel demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Liam, it's me. I just look a lot like Willow right now." Natalie insisted. "I've been sent here." She said softly.
Angel roared, pushing her up against the wall, his forearm at her throat. "Angelie's been dead for two hundred years!" he growled out between gritted teeth.
With that, the one called Natalie, once known as Angelie, pressed her hands against her elder brother's cheeks. She held them within her cupped hands and whispered one soft Latin word."Remember".