This story has been completely redone from top to bottom. I didn't like the way that it was done, and I know that I could do better. This story has always been in the back of my head, I just didn't know how to attack it. But now that I have a plan it's going to be done right. I hope that you all bare with me right now, I'm going to try and post as much as I can during my winter break but if I don't finish the story by the time spring semester begins, my next update won't be until Spring Break then Summer vacation.
Now a few quick things to say before the story starts,
Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own any of these characters, though I wish I did own Buck or Jimmy...
Spoilers: The story begins before the very first episode from Buffy so everything from that point on is fair game, and as for The Young Riders it takes place during "Color Blind".
Chapter One: The Family Tree
Willow plopped down onto her bed releasing her armful of family photo albums in front of her. She carefully spread them out so they weren't stacked on top of each other. She studied the covers trying to figure out how old a few of the albums were, some looked brand new, and other looked as though they had not seen the light of day since they were made. She reached for the closest one and sat it on her lap; the cover was a clean white with no decoration or wording to indicate what memories it held inside. Opening the cover she looked closely at the young smiling faces of her parents wedding picture, they looked so happy smiling up at her, like they didn't have a care in the world. Turning the pages she went through pictures showing the small ceremony and then of the reception. She looked for faces she knew, and studied the faces of those she didn't. Throughout the entire album she saw her parents genuinely happy together, smiling and holding each other looking so in love with each other.
Looking at the photos, it made her wonder, what had changed to make her parents go from so close and loving to cold and distant from each other and her? Had time really been so cruel that they would abandon their only child for their careers? Looking back it seemed almost normal for Willow to be alone, self reliant, capable of making her own mistakes and fixing them. Her parents might not have been there for her, but in Willow's own opinion she supposed it was for the best. She was who she was because of them not being there for her, and even though she didn't like the fact of absent parents; she liked who she had become.
Closing the book she set it on the floor and skimmed the covers of the remaining albums. Tracing her fingers over the cover of an old and tattered looking album, 'This one has character,' she thought and she carefully placed it in front of her. She studied the cover closely, as if burning every detail of it into her minds eye. It was old, the edges worn and tattered, the spine creased from those reminiscing about days gone by. And unlike the previous album it was carefully labeled in a chipped black imprint: Teaspoon Hunter and Family.
Delicately, she opened the cover, almost scared that it would pop off, thankfully it didn't. The face that greeted Willow made her want to smile from ear to ear. It was of an old looking fellow, probably in his late forties if not already in his fifties. He was smiling a genuine smile; eyes crinkled showing every laugh line he had. Just by looking at his picture Willow was certain that he had an astounding personality considering that it just jumped up from the page. Looking towards the bottom of the picture she found his name: Hunter. Below the black and white picture was a rusted star with the words Marshall engraved, it looked as though it had seen much better days.
Flipping gently from page to page she found many articles featuring Hunter as an Alamo survivor and Texas Ranger. There were many pictures as well of what she assumed to be a younger Hunter riding shotgun for the Texas Ranger. He had lived a wild life it seemed as the pictures and articles described a man who'd lived through the Battle of the Alamo, an interpreter for the Army and Native Americans, one article even went so far as to tell of his marriage to a Native American woman. It seemed to Willow that this man had lived his life to the fullest, something she wished she could do.
It wasn't until around the middle of the album she caught site of a flyer for the Pony Express. Opposite of the flyer was a group picture of who she assumed to be the riders for the express. Below the picture was a group of names: Rachel, Jimmy, Cody, Noah, Buck, Ike, Lou, Kid and Teaspoon. Looking at the picture Willow had to admit that there were some good looking men in the photo. She was so mesmerized by the picture she didn't notice the figures in the doorway. One of the figures reached out a hand and tapped her on the shoulder making her jump and the album slide off her lap onto the floor with a thud. Clutching her racing heart she looked up at her laughing intruders with a glare.
"Alexander Harris! Jesse Level! What do you two think you're doing sneaking up on me like that? You almost gave me a heart attack!" She shrieked at them.
"We weren't sneaking, we knocked and since there was no answer we decided to come in and see what our bestest bud was up to." Jesse said with a giant grin on his face.
"Yea Wills," Xander chimed in, "we were just having fun. What are you doing anyway? We knocked but you didn't answer."
"That's what the doorbell is for boys," Willow remarked as she carefully bent down and picked up the book, hoping nothing had happened to it. "And anyways, I was just looking at some family albums."
Jesse walked over to where the book had been and picked up a folded piece of paper handing it to the red head, "Here you go Will, it must have dropped out of your book there."
Unfolding the piece of paper it looked like a family tree, she skimmed the names and noticed that it started with the names Hunter and Rachel. Xander and Jesse took their spots on either side of Willow and looked with her. Both skimmed the list quickly, not taking note of the branches and many names like Willow was, they reached the bottom quickly, "Hey Will, why ain't you down there with your parents?" Xander asked, bringing the girls attention to the bottom of the tree.
Quickly skimming down to the bottom of the tree she read Ira and Sheila but no name below theirs. With a frown on her face she responded quietly, "I guess my parents just don't like to keep up with thinks like this…you know…since they're so busy with work and everything."
Xander and Jesse immediately noticed the change in her mood and decided to do something about it. They convinced her since it was the last day before school started that they should go out and do something different and fun. So they spent the rest of the day watching movies, eating junk food, having a water fight with the neighborhood children and ended the day with ice cream.
Laughing, the three friends walked home thinking about the next day, the first day of sophomore year. After the boys dropped her off at home she locked up before heading to her room. Picking up the albums from her bed she neatly stacked them on her desk, not forgetting to place the ones from the floor on top of the rest. Walking to her dresser she picked out her night clothes before heading to the bathroom for a shower before bed.
As she showered, she couldn't help but to wonder what it might have been like living out west in the 1800's. She knew that it wasn't that easy through what she learned in history and from T.V but she still wondered how she might fare living then. 'I don't think I could ever live a life without plumbing.' Willow shuddered at the thought of having to go outside to a little shack to do ones business. Stepping out of the shower she quickly dressed herself in her green flannel pajama bottoms and a white tank. After brushing her teeth and combing her hair Willow padded softly into her room. After turning out the lights she climbed into bed tossing and turning.
With a sigh, Willow quickly turned on the light and went to her desk. Pulling out the long family tree she quickly grabbed a pen and neatly, below her parents names, wrote her own. With a smile on her face she admired her handiwork, "See Teaspoon, now I'm part of the family. Meet your great, great, great, however great, granddaughter." And with that, she folded up the paper and placed it on the desk with the albums and pen. As she walked to her bed a gush of wind swept into the room sending a shiver down her spine. Walking towards her window she shut it tight and grabbed a sweater from her closet putting it on before she turned off her light and climbed into bed snuggling deep in the covers drifting off to sleep.
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A/N : The reason it hasn't been too supernatural is because a) it's the start of the Buffy season, Willow has not started nor received any magical training, b) I'm not going to introduce Angelus, Spike, Darla and Drusilla because they could not have been in the west during the 1860's because they were in Europe moving across towards Asia. (Boxer Rebellion 1899-1901), c) it will get more Buffy-ish I promise.
Back in the late 1800's/early 1900's old age is today's middle aged. Due to a rough life style and harsh conditions those living out in the west looked a lot older than they really were. If you have a problem with my description of the characters and how they looked not matching the age given, think as to how their living conditions might play a key role in how they aged physically.
