CHAPTER THREE: Aura

AN: Now that y'all know who Aura is, I can post the link to the book cover on my profile. I chose Bonnie Wright for Aura, since she's the most similar in appearance (and a pretty good actress too). I'm rather proud of how it came out, so I urge you all to go take a look at it.

So far I've only gotten a few reviews (but good ones – kudos to the reviewers!!), and it's kinda disheartening. Please, take ten seconds to tell me what you think? I'd really, really appreciate it.

Ok, on with the show!

……………………

For nearly a full minute, Dawn and Faith stared at Aura in absolute silence, both of them still agape. Finally, Dawn turned to Willow and Tara with wide eyes. "What…how??"

"It's simple," Aura said, startling the young Summers girl and the rogue Slayer. "When Mama and Mommy came back together, the force of their souls combining spread to all the nearby realms. The Realm of Creation happened to be one of them, and so fragments of their combined souls formed there to make me."

"We dreamed of you for so long, Aura," Willow said, tears flowing freely down her face. "We just didn't know how to bring you to us. And now you're here, and we can't be there for you." Her shoulders began to shake with suppressed sobs. Tara put her arms around her in comfort, but she too was struggling to maintain control.

"It's all right, Mommy," Aura said. "I'm safe." Willow hunched over and burst into sobs, Tara not far behind as she cradled her lover.

"Wait a minute," Faith asked, having recovered from her composure somewhat. "Their conjoining just happened to reach the Creation Realm? You just happened to form out of their merged souls and just happened to land in Sunnydale? Something's not right here!"

The small redhead shrugged, which seemed to be her favorite thing to do. "There's more, of course. I didn't have to come into being now; I could have waited in the Creation Realm. But the threat of the First Evil called me into existence."

"Why would it do that?" Dawn asked.

"Because I'm a threat to it. The playing field must be equal."

"I thought the Slayers were threats," Faith said.

"Not the only ones."

"Faith? Dawn?" Tara had managed to stop crying enough to speak. "Could you…maybe…leave us alone with out daughter for a bit?"

"Of course," Dawn said. As she broke the connection, the last thing she saw was Willow and Tara smiling at their daughter, who was smiling broadly back.

……………………

When Dawn and Faith came back to their senses, nearly collapsing where they sat, Aura was sitting next to them, eyes closed as she sat perfectly still. The Slayer and the young Summers girl looked at her as if they'd never seen her before.

"What's with you two?" Kennedy asked. Faith looked away from Aura and looked around the room until she met Buffy's eyes. Her fellow Slayer was both worried and confused, and for some reason her gaze made Faith flush a little.

"Guys," the rogue began. "We have something to tell you."

……………………

When Dawn and Faith finished their story, Aura was still in her trance. But now everyone was looking at her with a mixture of shock and confusion.

"Of course…" Anya said. "There was no way the force of Willow and Tara merging souls wouldn't produce so much power."

"Guess you've just been replaced as 'divine daughter,'" Faith quipped, glancing at Dawn. The teen just rolled her eyes.

"But what about being a threat to the First Evil?" Vi asked. "How could she be a threat to it? She's just a kid!"

"Yeah, a kid who can cause vamps to burst into sunlight just by looking at them," the ex-demon replied.

"Giles, what do you know?" Buffy asked.

"I vaguely recall some mention of another threat to the First Evil," the Watcher replied, frowning. "But all the texts I have focus mainly on the power of the Slayers. Perhaps some further research might reveal more details."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Dawn grumbled.

"Hold up," Claire said. "I'm still wondering as to how it is you can talk to dead people."

"Not dead people in general, just Willow and Tara."

"Even still."

Dawn sighed. "I might as well tell you the story," she said.

"I'll help," Said Faith. "I gotta take my mind off this."

"And talking about Willow and Tara is going to take your mind of their daughter?" Anya asked.

"Shut it," the rogue replied.

"Actually, Faith, I was hoping you could take Aura shopping for some new clothes." Faith summoned the most incredulous look she could muster and directed it at her fellow Slayer. "I can't very well send Xander or Anya," Buffy continued.

"Hey!" Anya protested, glaring at the blonde.

"No, I'll go," Faith said. "Maybe some fresh air'll do me good instead, 'cause my head is spinning just a little too fast."

"Thanks, Faith," Buffy said sincerely.

"No prob, B," the rogue Slayer winked. Buffy blushed a furious red and had to clear her throat before speaking again.

"Xander, go with Faith and Aura – they'll need your sense of humor." Faith rolled her eyes but didn't object. "Giles, you and Anya look for information on what other threats could harm the First Evil. I…I'll help Dawn tell the story, I guess," Buffy finished.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Anya said, glowering.

"Do you really think it's a story I want to tell?" the Slayer replied, weariness and sadness in her voice. The ex-demon shut up.

"Ok, will you tell us now?" Kennedy prodded. The Summers girls sighed as they sat on the living room floor, followed by the potentials. Knowing how much pain Buffy was about to endure, Faith rested her hand on her fellow Slayer's shoulder before going to see if Aura was out of her trance yet.

……………………

"Thanks again for taking me shopping, Aunt Faith," Aura said. "You too, Uncle Xander."

It was as if her time with Willow and Tara had made the small redhead a totally different person. She had gone into her trance as a strange, quiet child, and had come out of it as an average eleven or twelve-year-old – one so remarkably like her parents that it was uncanny. She had Willow's hair, laugh, and facial expressions, but her voice, eyes, and calm demeanor were pure Tara. She also had a combination of their taste in clothes, and Faith and Xander got to see what happened when Tara-pants were combined with a Willow-shirt. They finally determined that it was something only Aura could pull off.

"No problem, kiddo," Xander said. The mass shopping run not only included clothing but various other odds and ends (all paid for from Willow and Tara's back account, upon their insistence) to keep Aura occupied. The final stop had been the ice cream parlor, where Faith, Xander, and Aura were currently enjoying various-sized sundaes.

"Besides," Faith continued. "What would your parents think if we didn't treat you right?"

"That still doesn't mean you have to spoil me," Aura pointed out. Xander laughed.

"We're not – they are. Sort of."

"Willow's gonna kill us for not getting her the best laptop money can buy," Faith quipped.

"She can have hers!" Xander said. "Am I not right, Aura?"

"Whatever you say, Uncle Xander," the girl replied, obviously trying not to burst into laughter. Faith did instead.

……………………

When the trio got home, the mood in the household was somber. The Summers girls had finished their story, and Dawn instantly volunteered to help unload the car, desperately needing to take her mind off everything. Her one comfort was that Buffy had neglected to go into detail about the Hellbridge trials – both the Slayer and Anya had turned pale and looked nauseous during that part of the story.

When Aura came through the door carrying a huge bag of stuff, Vi and Claire looked at her with a sort of respect, now that they knew the story behind her parents. Kennedy did her best to ignore her.

"Hey, Aura," Buffy said. "Have a good time?"

The girl nodded and smiled. "Uncle Xander got me a discman."

"How nice of him!" the Slayer said. When Aura's attention was elsewhere, she turned and mouthed "Uncle Xander?" to her friend, trying not to laugh. He just shrugged, embarrassed.

"I think it's sweet," Anya said, getting up from her spot on the couch and kissing his cheek. Xander grinned, suddenly not so embarrassed anymore.

Faith, Dawn, and Anya managed to whip up a dinner that wasn't take-out, so the Scooby gang and extras had one of the best meals they'd had in a long while. The three chefs were overwhelmed with compliments, and they couldn't help but grin through the rest of the evening.

Later that night, while the others were playing board games and sharing more cheerful stories, Faith knocked on Dawn's door to find Aura sitting and listening to her discman. When she saw the rogue, she smiled and paused the CD, taking her headphones off as the Slayer knelt on the floor in front of her.

"Hey, small fry, I got somethin' for you," Faith said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a small, gold, oval-shaped locket on a matching chain and placed it in Aura's hand. An ornate "A" was inscribed on the front. "I saw it while we were out and figured you'd like it," Faith continued as she rubbed the back of her neck, slightly embarrassed. "And I knew you wanted a smaller picture of Willow and Tara to carry, so…" she ended with a shrug.

Aura curiously opened the locket and her eyes brightened. On one side was a picture of Willow and on the other a picture of Tara. After gazing lovingly at her parents for a moment, Aura gently closed the locket before clasping it around her neck with surprising dexterity, letting it hang so the "A" was in front.

"Thank you, Aunt Faith!" she said when she was done, throwing her arms around the Slayer and holding her tight.

"No problem," the rogue replied, awkwardly hugging her back. She looked up to see Buffy watching the scene from the doorway, the tenderness in her eyes mixed with amusement. She gestured her head toward her own room before walking away.

Faith entered a minute later to find Buffy sitting on the bed. "Who'd've thought that you of all people would have a soft side?" the blonde quipped. Faith blushed and sat down next to her.

"I just thought it would be a nice thing to do," the brunette covered. "I mean, she did want a picture of her parents to carry around with her, and I thought a locket would be a nice thing to keep it in."

"And you're still trying to buy Willow's affection and keep on her good side?"

"Ok, so maybe there's that," Faith admitted. The two Slayers chuckled. "Really though, she's a good kid," the rogue continued, her eyes getting a distant look. "Kind of…content, y'know? Like all's right, even when it isn't – even when we live on the Hellmouth."

"The kind of kid you wish you could have been?" the blonde Slayer asked, a little more softly this time.

"Yeah, maybe," Faith murmured, lowering her head.

There was a pause. "I know what you mean," Buffy said. "There are days I wish the same thing. Wish that I was never called, and never had to deal with a Hellmouth and everything that comes with it. But then I wouldn't have met Will, or Xander, or Giles, or anybody. You're like my family – you are my family. I…I wouldn't have met you," she added.

"You met me 'cause you died, then Kendra died," Faith pointed out, a bit of self-loathing in her voice. "If meeting me meant mad shit like that had to go down, then it would be better if you hadn't met me." She was about to get up to leave when Buffy caught her arm.

"I'm glad I met you," Buffy whispered. "You've made all the difference in the world."

After staring at each other for a moment, Faith cupped Buffy's cheek in her hand and kissed her, pulling her close. The blonde didn't pull away, instead wrapping her arms around Faith as their mouths moved against each other's.

It was Aura's turn to watch smiling from the doorway before turning and quietly heading back to the room she shared with Dawn.