"Over The Optical and Meteorological Phenomenon Caused by Reflection and Refraction of Light in Water Droplets Resulting in a Spectrum in the Form of a Multicoloured Arc in the Atmosphere.."
A Report to the Royal Council of Library Scientists and Antiquarians…
Archived at the Buffy Rebecca verse, /Cicelyverse You might want to take a gander at the Cicelyverse page to get a handle on the Cicely Addams material... .
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters remain the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and all other owner/creators of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series...
Summary: In an alternate corner of the Cicelyverse, and an alternate end of the final seasons of Buffy and Angel...Our favorite couple gets uplifted.
Because I can…And because it's been a while since I did a Buf story…
Part I…
Long groan…
"William? Are you ok? Oh, Will…" words penetrating the thick pea souper of a brain fog in the head of the addressed William Soames Walthrop, aka William the Bloody, aka Spike…
He opened his eyes…
Oh, God…
No…
"Will…Thank God…" eager voice… "I thought I'd lost you, again."
He regarded the face next to him…The lovely, if weary and damn it girl, Slayer or no, eat a decent meal once in a while you're bones…Framed by blonde wisps escaping her bunned hair…Face of Buffy Anne Summers, vampire Slayer par excellence.
Great…Even in the afterlife, which presumably this could well be…I'm to be…
He sat bolt upright at the sight of some blood on her chin… "Buffy!?"
"What?! Are you ok?!" anxiously…
"You're hurt?!" he indicated the blood.
Hmmn?...Oh…She felt the blood.
"It's just a scratch…" she eyed him.
Hmmn…
"Did you want some?" she offered, on forefinger, rather eagerly…
Slayer…As your friend as well as ex-lover and perhaps…Perhaps…Though I still insist on more proof…Something more…
What the hell has happened to you?! Happily offering your blood to a nemesis-level vampire?! If I were still good ole soulless Spike…Heck I think even I would be concerned for you…Though I would kill you…
Oh, Jesus…Bloody Christ and his junior, my late partner…Look at that winsome, eager face…
My God, my God…Why do you put me through this crap?
Wasn't over an hundred years of my soul suffering at the acts of my demon enough?
Sigh…
"Actually, no…I guess I had plenty of the bagged stuff earlier…Thanks." He looked round the room which he now vaguely remembered. A bedroom in some old little house they'd run for shelter…He was lying on the bed.
Bed?
Jesus…She hadn't…While he was unconscious…?
Phew…No…
Thank God, the girl's off that kind of abuse at last…
"We came down pretty hard…" Buffy noted.
Hmmn…What am I doin'? She eyed him, stretched out, regarding her with concern…
"I think…Maybe…I did…Take a wallop…William?" she swayed.
"Lie down…" He rose.
Thought you'd never ask…She thought, beaming inwardly.
Image of Giles appearing in her mind, stern frown…Buffy Anne…
Yeah, yeah, we should check things out, see if we're still in Kansas and all that and if those 8th century demons allied to al-Qaeda are still out there, despite that twister…Or if any other danger threatens…As a good and skilled vampire Slayer and Secretary General of the Watchers' Council should. But, damn…I've been trying to get him to acknowledge my presence for a week since we finally wound up here together, checking this one out. After all these years of him refusing to make any effort to even come and see me…Find out why I didn't come to see him again after LA and the overthrow of the Partners and that service for poor Angel.
I can't let a chance like this pass…She lay down quickly, as if fainting…
Fainting…Ye ole Victorian gimmick…
What better proof that I was once a fully corseted member of the British upper crust?
But…Ok…It took me nearly six years to accept who and what I was…Including a little "rest cure" when a mix of remorse and fury drove me nearly bonkers and I non-demonically set out to destroy my own Council in revenge.
Making even Willow look a model of self-restraint…
And yet more time to fully integrate my past and present…And help Dawn deal…
Speaking of which…
But plenty of time to work that into the conversation…Oh, Will?…You know how you always seemed to have seen Dawn as almost a daughter, even when Spike ran the show?
"I don't think anything's broken…" he noted, feeling…
Oh…She gasped…
"What?"
"Just a little…Pain…Go on, please…" she urged.
Joy that kills…Yeah…
"Ok…" he sighed. "I'd say you might have a concussion but I'm no expert…Otherwise a few bumps and bruises…"
No more feelies?...Will? She looked up. It's been years, show me you're happy to see me.
And it might be nice if you used my name…?
One of them, anyway…
"Are you ok?" she looked up at him.
"If I'm not a pile of dust blowing away, I'm generally peachy…" he eyed her. "Ok, so we're still in that little house in Kansas…Which seems to have taken us for a ride in that cyclone but remained rather remarkably undamaged."
"Maybe we just lifted off the foundation and came down…?"
"I seem to remember we were quite airborne…"
Yeah…And I rather did take advantage of that too…She beamed inwardly…Picturing herself embracing a somewhat hesitant but yielding William…"If we're gonna die, tell me you believe me, Will…I am Cicely…" her last, woulda been words…
"I believe…" his treasured reply…
She eyeing his cool stare now…
"So you did believe me…" she smiled slyly. "In spite of what you said when I told you…"
"That you're the reincarnation of the woman who tormented me in 1880? Why wouldn't I?" cold stare.
"Will…I explained…" she sat up now… "I thought I…Cicely thought…We were saving you…"
"Sending me off to die at Drusilla's hands…Brilliant strategy, Slayer…"
"How could I know my Watcher set Dru on to you?" she frowned, rising, angry. "I was ripping my heart out for you, you idiot!"
Hmmn…God, we do sound like a married couple…Willow has such a neat sixth sense…
"All right…" he put up a hand. "Lets put our squabblin' on the back burner. We need to see if our friends are still around. We've still a job to do, Slayer."
"Just as I did in 1880, William." High-minded tone, turning sheepish. "I just didn't handle part of it very well…"
"Please…Buffy…" Hand up… "Despite my usual James Deanly cool exterior front, inside all this is melting my 150 plus year old brain, so could we refrain from discussing it further till…"
Oh, Christ…He eyed the tears…
"Stop that!" he insisted.
"I'm sorr..ryy…" she mumbled, dabbing… "I wanted this to be wonderful, happy, joyful…Ecstatic. Will, we did it…" she beamed at him, through tears. "We beat them all, we're together again…Demon gods, power-mad Watchers, crazy vampiresses…Clueless teenaged Slayers…We won out over all of them. Can't you be just a little joyful…?"
"Buffy…" he sighed.
"I failed you and you hate me…Both of me…" she eyed him. "All of it was my fault…But I loved you so, Will…Believe me, it was all for love of you…"
"Fine, just stop the waterworks, please?"
"Yes, dear…" she grinned. "See, my Victorian wifey genes are kicking in…"
"Ok, lovely…But could we at least see to making sure we survive to fully bask in the joy?"
"Right…" she nodded, happily. "Thanks at least for calling me 'Buffy' again…Instead of 'hey, you' and 'Slayer'. I can wait on the Cicely…"
He shook head faintly…Hmmn…
"So lets see if the place is surrounded by murderous creepies…And just where we did land…" he suggested.
"Nothing to see out the window but either dirt or a wall right up to it…" Buffy noted, looking over.
"Lucky we didn't tear apart on impact, then…We must have just missed whatever we're leaning against." He looked over as well.
"Lets go check things out and see if we can make a call…My cell's either busted or out." Buffy urged. "I wanna call Dawn and tell her…We're ok."
Your daddy is ok, baby…She beamed. I finally did bring you both together…
Well, nearly so…Just gotta deal with whatever's up here…
"Ok, but lets be careful…The place is likely wrecked outside the room here." Will urged.
"I should go…" Buffy, anxious. "If there are breaks in the roof and walls, there's probably daylight getting in."
"It's not that easy to 'poof' me, Buffy…I've got my coat, don't worry."
"Ok, but take the blanket here, too…I don't any surprises, Will…" she noted to his frown.
"Fine…" he pulled the worn blanket off the bed and wrapped it round himself.
It's true…He thought…
She is Cicely…Just as Spike sensed, vaguely, slightly…Just a quantum level sensation that got him stuck to her like glue…
She is Cicely Addams…Walthrop…And my wife…
And she has kept her promise to me…As best she could, of course, given the circumstances…
But…He followed her out the bedroom door, balancing carefully on the rather slanted floor...Staring at the twisted walls…Tossed and broken bits of old furniture…
No breaks, Buffy looked round with relief…Though it seems hard to believe this old place could've taken such a weather-beating without breaking up. She carefully climbed the inclined living room floor to the parlor and the door to the outside just beyond.
"Stay back, Will!" she insisted, taking the doorknob, turning.
He frowned but bowed to the obvious common sense…Keeping back and covering himself as she opened the door with a flourish…
Whoa…She looked out…
I'd thought something was strange in here…She looked round again…
Yep, everything in sepia tone…Thought it might just be the aftereffects of our fall and the dark lighting in here.
"Is that…?" William was cautiously looking over.
"Color, yeah, and then some…" she nodded. "It looks like a Hollywood color movie set…"
"And here…" he looked around. "I didn't notice it before but aren't we…?"
"Sorta black and white in sepia tone, yeah." She nodded. "Ok…" she waved a hand to urge him back. "I'm going out to have a look."
"Not a good idea…Buffy!" he called as she climbed up and went out the door.
"It's light outside now. Stay here!" she called back. "I'll be back in a mo…"
Grr…He gritted his teeth.
"William?" she'd paused just outside the door. "Please…?" she looked at him through the door, gently pleading.
"Yeah, yeah…Just make it quick."
"Yes, dear."
"Knock it off…" frown.
By golly, she did it…He stared at the doorframe, now unobstructed. Buffy hurrying away from the door, outside…
My Victorian housefrau…
Either she's not lying or she's gone totally bonkers. And while I lean toward the "bonkers" explanation…I have to seriously consider the other.
That Buffy Anne Summers, champion Vampire Slayer, greatest of them all…Is my wife…Come back from the dead to…God help us… "Save" me.
…..
Hmmn…Buffy looked round at the vividly bright, almost garishly colored landscape. Bizarre looking plants of unusually large size next to ridiculously small ones…Paved streets with rather low streetlights…And the streets rather narrow, like medieval towns or something. And are those…Houses?
They look like those mini-huts some ecofriendly groups are building for the poorest of the homeless back home.
Could swear this place looks like it came out of some movie set designer's imagination…
She whirled at the sound behind her…
"Hey!" she cried, pulling stake. "I heard you, come out…"
Sudden burst of giggling to her left…Followed by the unmistakable sound of whispering again, to her right.
"All right, buckos…I'm not in a patient mood right now and I want some answers. I'm the Slayer and if that means anything to…"
"Hee-hee-hee-hee…"
"I'm running out of the no patience I already had, people or whatever you are…" she warned. "Get out here or let me know who you are if you can't come out."
Ohhhhhh…Gasps of awe from all about her…
Damn straight…She nodded. "I hope that's meant to be a respectful…" she looked to see a huge round object in the sky…Floating her way…
A giant bubble, like those of soap kids play with only vastly larger…It came on. She tensed as new gasps arose…
"Buffy?!" William called from inside the house, which Buffy looked to see was rather slanted in its burrow in the ground yet seemed relatively undamaged.
"I'm ok...Uh…"
Hell, may as well begin the new chapter now as later… "Honey…"
The house shook a bit suddenly, as if something…She looked in alarm…
"Will! There's something under the house! Get out, now!" she raced for the door…
"The blanket, honey!" she cried to him from the door… "Come on, Will!" as the house rocked a bit.
The now unheeded bubble settling on the ground as she extended her hand inside…Grabbing his…Lifting…
Whoa…The two fell back from the upending doorfront, she falling into a vast bush which seemed almost to embrace her to cushion her fall. She hopping immediately to see him on the ground, blanket off several areas…
"Will!" she raced over…And began pulling at the blanket to cover him…
"Help! Please! My husband can't take sunlight! Help me get him to shelter…!"
"It's quite alright, my dear…" a gentle voice calling to her…She turned to see a tall woman in rather lovely white gown with transparent crown and wand in hand facing her…Just about exactly in the spot where the bubble had settled.
"I'm ok…" William put up a hand. "This isn't burning me…" he reached out a hand.
"What?!" Buffy stared. Eyeing him as he cautiously pulled the blanket back to expose face…
"Will, are you using something? You might have told me…" she frowned. Blinking…Smile…
"Was this a reward…Did they give you daylight protection or something for all the stuff you did?" she asked eagerly.
"Did Giles…?" hopefully…
"No…No…And definitely no…" he noted, dryly. "But what whatever this light is, it's not burning me…Not normal UV sunlight, I'd say."
"Quite correct, little fellow." The figure who'd addressed Buffy noted. "Well, not normal to you, I see…For us, here…Perfectly normal.
"Excuse me?" Buffy frowned…
"Your pet vampire is quite right, dear." The woman in white smiled.
Right, renewed humiliation…Will thought. Why should I have expected else?
"Pet?! Will is my husband!" Buffy fumed.
"Debatable, Slayer…" he noted.
"Lets not argue in front of strangers…" she hissed. Turning back to the woman…Glare. "Who the heck are you? Do I know you?"
"I am Tara, the good witch of the South…Hello and welcome." The woman smiled kindly. "And if I may ask, the height-challenged inhabitants of this land, Hunchkinland wish to know, for the sake of defense and military expenditure, are you a good witch or a really bad bitch?
"What?" Buffy blinked…
William, grinning a bit… "I could answer that if you…" ducking from Buffy's swipe.
Hmmn…Question answered…Tara thought…
Still…
"I'm not a witch or a bitch at all…" Buffy insisted, annoyed. Glare at William's innocent look…
Did I say anything?
Though, were I allowed to express an opinion…
"…witches are old and ugly when they don't use a glam…Ummn…Oh…" she paused.
"I never use glams…" Tara frowned. "Bit of an anti-wiccan are we? Are you by any chance from Kansas, Earth?"
"Well, we did come from there, but I'm from Great Britain…And Buffy here…"
"Will…" Buffy hissed. "No need to give out information before we know what's what…"
"Great Britain's a reasonable big place, girl…Not exactly giving the home address…" he returned in hiss.
"A most civilized land…" Tara nodded. "Though, your mistress here seems very un-so…"
"Hey…?" Buffy frowned. "I was British at least once…Besides, I'm 100% Californian-American now. We're very civilized."
"We've done our best to educate them…" Will noted, solemnly.
Hmmn…
"Mistress?" he asked.
"Look, where are we?…And why isn't my husband roasting to death?" Buffy cut him off.
Hmmn…She eyed the tall figure.
Tara?
That name sounds strangely…
Like I should know it…But…
God…Tara inwardly grimacing…I shoulda known I'd be the easiest to forget…Well, still…Job to do…
Limited amnesia…Yeah…Bet she still remembers every vamp she ever staked…
"And why do you seem to think I work for her?" Will frowned.
"Maybe it's polite to assume you're lovers here…" Buffy hissed.
"Could you two hold up a mo…?" Tara frowned. "I'm not some ask it website, you know."
"They have that here?" Will asked.
"Yes, of course…We're 100% net connected." Tara shrugged. "Anyway, as I said, you're in Hunchkinland, subcounty of Oz…"
"Oz?" Buffy blinked… "The land of Oz? As in the storybooks?"
"County of…State of Ohio."
"Ohio?" Both looked at her.
"United Colonies of North America, Alternate Earth…" Tara smiled… "To cut to the chase…"
"Or as we say…Earth…Your place being our alternate…"
…..
"Ok…" William sighed. As Buffy paced…Tara looking a bit weary but calm.
Newcomers…Always a full day when they show…
"So this is an alternate Earth…And we are in Hunchkinland City, subcounty, etc, etc, Ohio. Right?"
"Right, little vampire…" Tara beamed. "Your pet is so cute…" she noted to Buffy.
Well, that explains the "Mistress"…Will thought, frowning.
More giggles from various spots about them…
Now that is getting a bit annoying…Will eyed Buffy…She giving a cautious look.
"Fooling about a Hellmouth, were we?" Tara asked, pleasantly.
"Actually we were trying to stop a new one from being opened…Is that how we got here? I thought there was a tornado…" Buffy looked at her.
"A tornado? Sweetheart, if this had been just a tornado you and your sweet little fellow here…Hi, fella…" Tara beamed at William. "Would be in pieces…And in Kansas, that rather odd land…"
"I knew I should never have agreed to take on a contracted assignment from the Watchers'…" William sighed. "Especially with Andrew insisting it would be 'easy money' for your new Angel, Walthrop, Wyndham-Price, and Gunn Associates. Just provide a little support while we close the Cleveland Hellmouth for good, he said. Buffy won't even be there, he said."
"That wasn't his fault, I told him to lie." Buffy, hastily.
"Next thing I know…I'm teleported to Kansas…With the girl I haven't heard a peep from since Angel's demise…Who couldn't even be bothered to come to his funeral."
"I told you why…" Buffy insisted. "I was locked up in a Watcher facility…After trying to kill every Watcher I could get my hands on…All because of you…"
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer…Gone insane with rage at her own council? For the love of a vampire…?" he stared at her.
"Buffy Anne Summers nee Cicely Addams Walthrop…Insane over the loss of her husband, forever…She thought." Buffy glared. "And I love you, too."
He stared, a tear running…
"And I'm sorry about Kansas…How could I know they were trying to rechannel two Hellmouths to there?" she sighed.
"This 'Kansas' of your Earth does seem to be a focal point for your Demonity…" Tara noted.
"All right…" William sighed, putting up a hand. "I just want you to tell me one thing…" he eyed Buffy.
"Oh…" Tara tried. "I should tell you, little fella…" He waved her off…
"Yeah?" Buffy stared.
"Who won our last game of darts at the Ole Benbow, the night before I died?"
"You did…" she shrugged. "But only cause I let you win." Sobbing suddenly as he embraced her…
"You stupid, stupid sot…" he kissed her as she wept, lifting her chin. "Welcome home, Cicely."
Wan smile…
"I knew you would come."