Chapter.3 – The Magic that might bring…
"It depends on what Willow decides." Xander knew that he'd find it difficult to walk away from the situation but if Willow didn't agree to help, they didn't stand a chance against The First. And he refused to put Lucy and the other hunters at risk. If Willow did forgive Buffy, Xander began to wonder how he'd feel about his new loved ones taking part in a fight of that magnitude. Sure, they had taken part in some dangerous situations but nothing compared to the battle that he had faced with the Scoobies, especially the day that Sunnydale collapsed; the day they thought that they had destroyed The First.
--- *** ---
Lucy couldn't believe her luck. Just as Xander really started to open up about his past, his past shows up before she could even decide how she feels about the situation. Then Xander had the nerve to ask her to leave so that he and The Slayer could talk in private. I'm his wife. What can he have to say to her that he can't say in front of me. Where's Nolan?
Her brother was the one person that she knew would be sympathetic to her concerns. Buffy was back and she had no clue what that meant. For all I know, they could have dated or even been engaged. What if she still has feelings for him? Then there's Willow... I wonder where she is and how she fits into this? Maybe it's some kind of love triangle? I'm going to go crazy if I don't find my flippin' brother.
As Lucy walked up to the second floor of Hunters Headquarters, she heard voices. One of them, she was certain belonged to her brother while the second one was one that she had never heard before. Both out of a sense of curiosity and need to ensure that her twin brother was safe, she did something that she normally wouldn't have done, she walked towards the voices. At any other time, she would have left, not wanting to be near anyone but with Buffy's return, something lead her towards Gage's office.
But the instant that she entered the room, both men stopped talking. Sitting behind Gage's desk was Nolan as an older gentleman sat in one of two chairs on the other side. Something about the way that the man dressed told her that he clearly wasn't from around Cleveland; he wore a dark brown tweed suit and a pair of glasses. Also based on the second voice that she had heard from the hallway, she would bet that he was British. Personally, she didn't know anyone English but she did remember that Xander had once mentioned that The Slayer's watcher, Giles, was British.
Immediately upon her entrance, Giles knew who the young woman was as soon as she entered the room. And from the way that Nolan was looking at her, Giles knew that he was right. "Lucy, it is nice to finally meet you. I have heard quite a lot about you."
Lucy began to wonder why Xander had not kept in contact with him; Giles seemed to be nice enough and the argument had been between Xander, Buffy and partially Willow, it hadn't even involved him. But what unnerved Lucy about Giles was the fact that he seemed to know exactly who she was and yet this was the first time that she had ever met him. Hoping that her brother knew more about what was going on than she did, she turned to him with a look of confusion.
"Luce, this is Mr. Rupert Giles. He is The Slayer's watcher. I guess that he was like a watcher for Xander too." Nolan introduced. His conversation with Giles had been one that he had not expected. Once alone with the older gentleman, Giles had explained how he knew Xander. But what confused Nolan more was the fact that Giles knew exactly who the hunters were and what they did. Hunters were supposed to stay below the radar, hidden from slayers. But wasn't the case if someone working for the slayers knew about them. And as far as he could remember, neither Gage or Xander had ever mentioning his name before. This made Nolan wonder how much his mentors had been keeping from him and the other hunters. I wonder who is really pulling the strings around here.
This is definitely messed up. Xander doesn't have a watcher or at least I didn't know that he did. But then I really don't know anything about the 'old' Xander. Lucy felt as though everything that she thought she knew about her husband didn't mean a thing compared to all the things that she clearly didn't know about him. "Nice to meet you. Are you here with Buffy?"
"Yes, I am. She didn't know where to find Xander but fortunately for us, I did. Do you happen to know how things are going between them?" Giles asked anxiously. He knew that there would likely be a lot of tension between the two friends but he hoped that under the circumstances they could find a middle ground and work together yet again to prevent another Apocalypse. He even held on to hope that the challenges that they were certainly about to face may bring the three friends to reconcile the past.
That is all they're here for. They want Xander but what about the rest of us? Lucy knew that she had to get away and there was only one place where Lucy knew that she could be totally by herself; allowing her time to think about the whole mess of a situation. "Sorry, I have to go." She quickly said, leaving the room just as tears began to pour down her cheeks. Not wanting either the watcher or her brother to see her cry, she didn't bother to turn around and close the office door, behind her.
It was obvious to Nolan that his sister was upset but he couldn't figure out the reasons why. He doubted that it had anything to do with Giles' appearance which meant that it had to either be the sudden appearance of The Slayer or Xander must have done something. "Yeah, I have to go with her. But it was definitely... interesting talking to you." Nolan said as he excused himself from the room. Leaving Giles to ponder the acts of the young twins.
--- *** ---
It wasn't very hard for Nolan to figure out where his sister had gone. And since he was pretty sure that Xander was still somewhere around Headquarters, he knew that Lucy wouldn't have gone back to their apartment without him which could only mean that she was in one place. The Garage.
The large garage that sat at the opposite end of the building, it was where Lucy made all of the weapons that the hunters required as well as any special toys that she could think of, such as Gage's vampire-killing car. Building things apparently had a calming effect on his sister and he had to admit, she was really good at it. But getting covered in grease and oil was definitely not Nolan's idea of a good time. He would rather be playing with his band at one of the local clubs, flirting with the many women who often threw themselves at him and end the night by killing of a couple of vampires or demons. It was the life that Nolan lived and enjoyed, it was also the life that he knew would likely suffer some changes should The Slayer become involved in their lives and their business.
"Hey, what's going on here? The Slayer is here, her watcher is here, Xander is talking to them and I can't get a hold of Gage." Nolan asked, at the top of his voice making sure that he was heard over the sound of the torch that Lucy was using.
"Out." She replied calmly as she turned off the machine but never looking up from her work. But it didn't take Lucy long to figure out that her brother hadn't gotten the message. "Get out or you'll be leaving with a scorched ass." She looked up, their eyes meeting.
Nolan was used to be threatened by vampires or demons, even the boyfriends of the women he met at the clubs, but not his own sister. They were the only ones left in their family, meaning that they had to take care of each other. "You're scared and I know that it has to do with The Slayer being here. If it makes you feel better, I can definitely knock her out again, just let me go get the shovel."
Her brother's attempt to make her smile worked. Leave it to Nolan to joke around about the one thing that might have brought on this whole situation. "Very funny. You can stay."
"I wasn't planning on leaving. I think now that Xander is talking to The Slayer, we as hunters have to stick together more than ever. We don't know exactly where Xander's loyalties lie. What do you know about The Slayer, The Witch and The Watcher?" Nolan asked as he took a seat on the bottom step. He hoped that his sister would have more information about these new people than he did. She was married to Xander so he figured that Xander must have mentioned something to her.
Setting her torch aside, Lucy made her way towards her brother, taking a seat next to him. "They were close, really close. I'm not sure exactly how though. But something tells me that he'll forgive her for everything that she said, five years ago."
Nolan knew that his brother-in-law was talking to the Slayer, but he had hoped that Xander was setting her straight, proving to her that she wasn't needed and that they were doing fine on their own without her help. "Why would he do that? She thinks that all normal people are incapable to defending themselves against vamps and shit. She doesn't even let her own sister fight when doing what she does, she earns that right. And if he forgives The Slayer, how does The Witch fit into all of this? Willow, right?"
--- *** ---
Giles didn't know what to think about the events that had just occurred. One minute, he was attempting to explain the history of The Slayer to Nolan and then Lucy, Xander's wife, appeared looking clearly upset. The following minute, both twins had left causing Giles to wonder if a reunion of The Scoobies was even possible. Especially since it would also likely mean a merge of the slayers, hunters and Willow's coven members. "Something tells me that that might be their biggest challenge." He said, a loud, to himself.
"What will be who's biggest challenge?" Buffy asked, announcing both her and Xander's presence in the room. She began looking around the room, it was clear that it was someone's office but she wasn't sure who's. That was until she noticed that plaque on the wall: 'The City of Cleveland who like to thank Gage Dukes for his work in reducing the city's gang violence'. So he is still around. I wonder where he is?
"Nothing. I was simply thinking out loud to myself. I take the fact that the two of you are before me as a sign that you are on board, Xander?" Giles asked, hoping that a reunion between the three friends was still possible.
Xander knew that they were hoping for a sure answer but he didn't feel right giving them one before talking to Willow. In the end, she was the one who had been hurt the most by Buffy's new attitude when they arrived in Cleveland. Willow lost the second person that she ever loved and Xander knew that that would had to have changed her. And the fact that they hadn't spoken since that night made Xander wonder if the Willow that he knew and loved was actually the same Willow that now lived in Scotland. But one thing that he knew for sure, he was going to see Willow again and this time, he wasn't letting her go without a fight. "I'm in if Will's in." He stated simply, taking a seat at the corner of Gage's desk.
"That is fair enough. This will be the perfect opportunity to use the private jet. I take it that we shall all go see Willow together?" Giles offered. Although Xander's reply hadn't been exactly what he had expected, there was still hope. Or at least Giles hoped that there was. Despite that fact that Giles hadn't seen Willow since her departure, he had clearly noticed a change in her even though their telephone conversation. She seemed to have turned herself off in relation to all things slayer related, unless it came to their protection.
Xander couldn't believe what he had just heard. "You have a private jet?" Then it occurred to him that he had no idea, where on earth, Willow was. "Where is Will? She can't be too close if we have to jet it." Xander was happy that he was sitting, all of the things were beginning to make him lightheaded.
"We have to go to Scotland to get her. Does she know that we're coming?" Buffy felt slightly better knowing that at least Xander was as much in the dark about Willow as she was. It meant that Giles hadn't only kept things from her but he had also chosen to not tell Xander anything either. Willow must really be mad at both of us, if she doesn't even talk to Xander. I mean, they've known each other for most of their lives. I hope that she is okay.
"She's in Scotland?" Xander had always had the feeling that Willow was no longer in Cleveland but he had no idea that she was all the way of the other side of the world.
Giles had expected to be bombarded with questions by both Buffy and Xander but Willow was still a hard topic for him to discuss. Buffy's question about whether or not Willow knew that they were coming was likely the most painful question that he could have been asked. "Xander, to answer your question; she is in Scotland. She has been there for two years now. And Buffy, Willow doesn't know that we are coming. I have chosen to not tell her but I have been in contact with one of her coven members who will ensure that Willow is there." He replied, turning towards the weapons wall, not wanting Buffy and Xander to see the tears in his eyes.
He considered Willow as one of his children and his last attempt to go and see her, to ensure her safety for himself, hadn't gone exactly as expected. He had traveled from Cleveland to Scotland, almost two years prior but unfortunately, she found out about his arrival and left before he could even see her. The cottage that had become home to her and her coven had been left empty. This time, Giles had decided to enlist the help of one of her coven members to making sure that Willow would be there when he arrived with Buffy and Xander. "Hope, a member of Willow's Coven, will be awaiting our arrival."
It was clear to both Buffy and Xander that there had to be something more that Giles was choosing not to tell them but it was also apparent that whatever it was, it was something that upset him.
"So, lets go. I'm sure that Dawn and April can manage things here while we're overseas." Buffy stated, deciding to change the direction of the conversation. For now. She was curious to find out what had happened when Giles had gone to Scotland but she also knew that it could wait until later. Right now, the only thing that she wanted to do was see Willow. No matter what Giles said, Buffy wanted to make sure that Willow was still in one piece, for herself.
Knowing that Buffy and Xander were likely both wanting to leave promptly, Giles had already made arrangements for the jet to be ready to leave. And had the reunion between Xander and Buffy not gone well, Giles had decided that he would have gone without them. But to his delight, it seemed to have gone alright, for now. "The jet is set to leave in an hour. Xander, I can have a car pick you up at your apartment if you'd like."
As much as Xander wanted to simply hop on a plane and go to Scotland, in search of Willow, he knew that he had to talk to both Gage and Lucy first. "I'll meet you at the airport. I have a few things to do first. But I will be there."
Before leaving with Giles, to prepare for their overseas travels, Buffy turned to Xander. "It's really nice seeing you again."
"The feeling is mutual." Xander admitted as he watched both Giles and Buffy walk out the front door. Once he was certain that they had left, he turned around in search of where his wife might have gone.
Since she wasn't in the lounge area, he knew exactly where she was, the garage. As he approached what he considered wife territory, he heard both his wife and her twin brother, Nolan, speaking. Not wanting to interrupt, he decided to simply wait until they were finished before telling them that he was leaving.
"Why would he do that? She thinks that all normal people are incapable to defending themselves against vamps and shit. And if he forgives her, how does The Witch fit into all of this. Willow, right?" Xander heard his brother-in-law ask. He knew that if Nolan was asking that there was a good chance that Lucy was asking herself the same thing.
"Her name is Willow and she's probably the most important person in the world at the moment. But you wouldn't know because you don't know what's going on. Nolan, can you give your sister and me a few minutes to talk?" Xander asked, announcing his presence. He had decided that he should at least answer a few questions before leaving but he felt more comfortable talking about everything with Lucy alone. She's going to tell him later anyways. He thought to himself.
"Sure, go right ahead." Replied Nolan, as he continued to sit next to his sister. I'm not leaving unless she tells me to. He swore to himself. Initially, he hadn't liked the idea of his sister and Xander together but they just seemed to fit. Plus he knew that his sister would never have listened to him in the first place. But this was one situation where he felt like he needed to put his foot down.
Lucy knew what her brother was doing and although she appreciated it, it was unnecessary. "Nol, go away." She smiled, hoping that her brother wouldn't notice how nervous she really was. Why I am so nervous? It isn't like I haven't ever spoken to my husband, alone.
Nolan simply rolled his eyes and stood up. Just as he was making his way out of the room, he stated. "I guess that I'll just go back to the apartment. Maybe Gage is back from his little solo adventure."
For a brief moment, both Xander and Lucy exchanged confused looks as they were unsure if Nolan was speaking to them or to himself. But their answer came quickly, when the garage door slammed shut behind him.
Once Xander was sure that they were alone, he took a seat next to his wife on the stairs. "Lucy, there's something that I have to tell you."
Oh God, what does he have to tell me? This is it; he's going to tell me that he's leaving me for Buffy. Lucy silently panicked. Although she knew that she was likely overreacting, she couldn't think of any good news that Xander would tell her when he began the conversation by admitting to her that there was something that he needed to tell her. Unsure on how she should reply, she simply took his hand into her own and looked into his eyes, silently waiting for him to continue.
Xander knew that the conversation could go one of two ways. He just wasn't sure which reaction his wife would have. "I have to go to Scotland with Buffy and Giles." He blurted out then watched as a look of total confusion appeared on his wife's face. "It will only be for a couple of days."
"Why do you have to go?" She quietly asked, unsure if she even wanted to know the answer.
"We're going to see Willow." He replied.
For Lucy, the mention of Willow's name was the last straw. Her husband was planning on traveling to the other side of the world with two people who were pretty much strangers to her and all to go see a woman who, in her opinion, didn't care about him. "They show up after five years and suddenly you decide to leave with them. I'm sorry but I can't accept that."
It was more than obvious to Xander that his wife was pissed off. She was talking a lot more than she ever had since he'd known her. He understood her reasons for being upset but she didn't know the whole story so she couldn't understand his reasons for leaving. Xander also knew that he would also likely receive the same reaction from the other hunters. None of them had faced anything remotely as evil as the things that he had faced with the Scoobies and he hoped that by doing this, they wouldn't have to. "I don't blame you for not understanding."
"I don't understand because you've never explained it to me; but that was okay. I understood that you didn't want to talk about the past but now, these people are in our present. And you're going to leave everything that you've worked for? That we've worked for? And for what? For one person who treated you like shit and two more who couldn't care enough to contact you at least once within the last five years?" Lucy knew that she was probably scaring Xander with her outburst but he was scaring her by keeping her in the dark about what was really going on.
Even though Xander knew that his wife's anger and fear were his fault, he knew what he needed to do and hoped that it was enough for the time being. "I can't explain everything, right now. I have to go to Scotland. But I promise that I'll explain everything when I get back. Just remember that I love you and that's why I have to do this."
With the promise of all of the information with his return, Lucy knew that something big must have happened. "Xander, you're really scaring me. What's going on? Why did Buffy come here? And why now?"
Quickly checking his watch, Xander realized that if he didn't leave soon, Buffy and Giles would likely think that he changed his mind and therefore leave without him. "I'm sorry, Baby. I have to go now."
"But what about hunting? What about the company? And you're not even packed." She reminded him. Lucy knew that if going to Scotland to see Willow was so important to him, she couldn't ask him to stay. But it didn't mean that she wanted him to go either. She had hoped that by reminding him of his responsibilities in Cleveland, he would choose to stay, even if it was only long enough for him to explain everything to her.
"Gage can handle both the other hunters and my construction crews. Plus I doubt that you'll let him mess up." Xander smiled as he took a moment to place a strand of Lucy's hair back behind her ear. "And I have a bag already packed, in my office. I didn't know if this day would ever happen but I wanted to be ready in case something like this did. I know that you're mad at me but I need you to understand that this is beyond my control anymore."
"I'm not mad at you. Just leave so that you can come back sooner." Lucy answered, pulling Xander into a kiss by the collar of his shirt. "Just a reminder of what's waiting for you here."
Xander enjoyed a couple more minutes of his wife's attention until he realized that if he didn't leave at that moment, he would likely miss his flight. "I'll come home." He stated as he reluctantly pulled away from Lucy and stood up. Not wanting to say goodbye, Xander simply grabbed a couple of weapons from the table next to the staircase, placing them in a bag.
Just as he was about to leave the room, he turned to his wife one last time. "Thank you. You're amazing and I love you for it."
Lucy watched as Xander then turned back around and left the garage, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Yeah, I'm absolutely amazing. She sarcastically thought to herself as her tears began to fall.
--- *** ---
The following day
"I thank you, Sir. I promise that I will speak to her again. And I also want to thank you, again, for your understanding." Willow said into the phone, before hanging up. She couldn't believe that she had done it again. Willow knew that a call from the headmaster shouldn't surprise her anymore but this call had been different. This time, the school had real suspicions as opposed to their regular "concerns".
"What did the brat do this time?" Celeste asked as she walked into the kitchen. It wouldn't have shocked her if the youngest member of their coven had exploded the school. Celeste was certain that she was the end of them. But as usual, her concerns were ignored. Which was exactly why the twenty-two years old witch happily settled for making Ellie Kerezsi's life miserable, even if she had to do it behind Willow's back.
Willow turned around to face Celeste. It wasn't that she disliked her but Willow didn't have the patience to deal with another round of Celeste's constant warnings. It in the end, Ellie was a member of the coven and what she did made it a coven matter which meant that all coven members had a right to know what was going on. "She was the only person in the room before the headmaster's desk and chair was found set up perfectly in the fountain that sits in front of her school."
"And I bet she didn't use any magic for that." Celeste replied sarcastically. "She's just like her mother, meaning that she won't learn until it's too late. And I know that you don't want to admit it but she'll probably end up bringing us down with her." Since she was sixteen, Celeste had worked to maintain what little natural magic that she had. Although it was likely only enough for her to protect herself, which was nothing compared to the other members of the coven, she was proud of what she did and what she believed. But Ellie was everything that was against what they believed as Wiccans and not even Willow's constant guidance wasn't enough for the young witch to learn that any and all black magic should be forbidden and definitely not for personal use. There had already been a few occasions where Ellie's ignorance had placed the coven in danger, Celeste wondered how many more they could survive. The Mother Coven would never have allowed her to act in this manner.
Willow knew that Celeste was right. Ellie did know better than to use magic, any magic, without her supervision. It wasn't that Ellie didn't have power; it was the fact that she was a little too powerful for someone her age. There was also the fact that no matter which spell the young teenager did, it often went wrong. A feeling that she definitely understand but knew that it could mean danger. "I know she used magic. Thank The Goddess that they don't have proof that she did."
The sound of someone entering her small two bedroom cottage caused Willow to turn her attention from Celeste to Hope, who had just returned from picking Ellie up from school. "Hope, where is Ellie?" She asked the older woman. Although Hope was in her early forties, she didn't look a day past twenty-five which only justified the fact that she was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Ever seen the first day that they met, Willow knew that she loved her. Not in the same sense that she loved Tara or Kennedy but in the way that a child should love their mother. A feeling that she had never received as a child growing up but one that she was definitely grateful for at this point in her life.
The day that Willow had returned to the steps of the Mother Coven, it had been Hope who had cared for her. It had been made clear to Willow that the other member of the Mother Coven feared her, a feeling that she couldn't hold against them especially with a past such as hers but fortunately for her, Hope hadn't allowed her past to affect the way that she treated the red-headed witch.
"She's pouting in the car. I'm sure that she'll be in shortly. Willow, take a deep breath. You look as though your emotions are getting the best of you. You have dealt with much worse than a child using her abilities." It was obvious to Hope, the moment that she walked into the room, that Willow must have already heard from the headmaster of Ellie's private school. With what was waiting for Willow, later on that evening, she knew that the leader of their coven didn't need the additional stress. And with Celeste in the room, Hope was sure that the young socialite wasn't making the day any easier for Willow. "Celeste, can you accompany me to my cabin? I need your help in preparation for a spell that I hope to do tonight."
"But… Alright, take away the only fun that I've had all day." Celeste replied as she walked out of the room. Even though she had always made it clear that she didn't approve of Willow taking Ellie under her wing, Celeste knew that Willow was their coven leader and what she said went. "And by the way, I'll be leaving tomorrow for a few days. There is a red-carpet show that I want to attend in New York."
"You are to stay with the Coven." Hope stated as she proceeded to make herself a tea. Although Celeste normally left to live out her high society life, Hope knew that the young witch needed to stay, especially with the arrival of their unexpected guests.
Willow couldn't figure out why Hope didn't want Celeste to leave. It wasn't as though they were in the midst of a battle; at least not as of yet. "Hope, she can leave if she wants to. We all need a little fun sometimes."
"I agree with Willow. I do need a little fun and a little time away from the brat." Celeste said, turning to look out the window. Even though she wasn't looking at them, she knew that both Willow and Hope were sending her scolding looks. Celeste was well aware of the fact that both Hope and Willow were much more powerful than she was and although Hope had been one of three leaders for the Mother Coven, Celeste didn't have a doubt in her mind that Willow's power far surpassed all of their abilities combined.
"You're just jealous because I have more power than you. Isn't that the real reason that you hate me?" Ellie asked as she walked into the room, throwing her knapsack onto the counter next to Willow. "And Will, I'm sorry. She just pissed me off." She added, sensing that Willow already knew about her day's escapades.
Knowing that the young witch was her responsibility, it left the discipline in her hands. It wasn't as though this was the first time that they discussed Ellie's improper use of magic but no matter what Willow said, it always seemed to go through one ear and out the other. Willow knew that if Ellie was ever going to learn that Dark Magic was dangerous and should only be used by someone with experience, as a last resort, she needed to use a little tough love. "Ellie, your headmaster called and told me about his desk and chair ending up in the fountain. He also tells me that you were the last person to be in his office. We'll discuss your reasons for being in his office later. Right now, I want to know why you thought that using magic in the middle of the day, around people who have no idea that witches exist... Actually, why were you using magic at all, without me being there with you?"
I wish that she would just yell at me. Isn't that what mothers or rental-mothers are supposed to do when teens don't listen? No, Willow has to actually make sense. But she doesn't understand, she can never understand. It wasn't that Ellie hated Willow, she loved her like a big sister, it was just that Willow didn't have any idea who simple magic came to her. She also didn't know how good it felt to use the dark arts and the sense of power that came with it.
It was moments such as this when Ellie missed her mother the most. Her mother would have understood her need to use magic, all magic. She also never would have made her attend a regular school. "I was in class and the teacher told us that religions such as Wicca are fake religions. So I told her to go back to school and learn the truth. I guess that she took offense to that because she kicked me out of her class. I tried to explain to the headmaster that I was only stating my opinion but he has a stick stuck up his ass too because he told me that I was in the wrong from arguing with the teacher. Do you see what I mean? Willow, I just want you to teach me. I know that you can do it, I was told that you did some teaching in high school."
Willow turned to both Hope and Celeste in hopes of figuring out who had divulged that little piece of her past. She knew that it certainly wasn't Celeste because they still didn't know each other well enough for that to have been mentioned. The only matters that they discussed were related totally in Wicca and magic.
And Willow was pretty sure that Hope hadn't told Ellie, especially since Hope feared, just as Willow did, that should Ellie ever figure out Willow's past, they could possibly lose her to the darkness. That meant that there could only be one other person who would have known about the time that she had taught while in high school. "He had no right to tell you that. And I've told you before, you need to be around normal non-magical people that are your age. Being around this kind of life, all the time, can really mess with a person's thinking. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about."
"Why should I believe a word that you say? I don't even know why my mother left me to you. If she was here right now, she'd be on my side. She understood what it's like to need to use magic, especially black magic. But of course, you don't understand. The closest that you ever been to the Dark Arts is when you exorcised that demon from that human's body, with your mind." Ellie argued before she turned around and stormed out of the room.
From the loud banging on the ceiling, it was clear to Willow that Ellie had run off to her bedroom. But of course before she had left, she just had to divulge one of Willow's secrets to the other members of the coven. Willow knew that both Hope and Celeste could never understand the things that she did when she left to patrol every night. Although they both claimed to no longer believe the teachings of the Mother Coven, that magic was to only be used to worship the Goddess and for protection, Willow still sensed some hesitation on their part in regards to using magic for any other purpose. It wasn't that Willow approved of using magic for simple tasks but she did believe that magic, even the dark arts, was needed in certain circumstances.
"You can exorcise demons with your mind? Now that's cool." Celeste said, clearly impressed with Willow's power. It was obvious to anyone with power that Willow was probably to most powerful Wiccan on this side of the ocean but Celeste wondered just how powerful her leader truly was.
Hope couldn't believe what she had just heard. She knew that Willow still patrolled the streets looking for demons to kill and people to save but she had never expected to hear that Willow was diving into magics that placed her very soul in danger. It was well known, within the Wiccan community, that every time a witch used her power to exorcise a demon from a human, a part of that witch's soul was lost forever. What if Mr. Giles is coming to encourage Willow to use her new ability? I refuse to let that happen. He'll quickly find out that I'm one witch that does not get pushed around.
---***---
As April walked into the Slayer House, it was clear to her that a new day had begun. Many of the younger slayers were running around in an attempt to get ready for school before the bus arrived to pick them up and bring them to the high school. While most of the older slayers simply lounged around before morning training.
Not wanting anyone to realize that she had just returned, a fact that was clearly obvious due to the fact that she was still wearing the same clothing as the previous night, she wasn't ready to tell them about Gage just yet. As she made her way to her bedroom, she knew that just because the others didn't notice that she was gone, it didn't mean that no one did. April was pretty sure that Kerry was waiting for her especially since they shared a bedroom. "I can't keep lying to her. She deserves to know the truth, especially before we announce our relationship to anyone else."
April knew that it wasn't going to be easy for her best friend to accept her relationship with the hunter, particularly since Kerry was likely the person who despised the demon hunters the most. April didn't totally blame her friend's close-mindedness on her few encounters with them but she did blame Buffy. Buffy seemed to have convinced every new slayer for the past 5 years that anyone who fought vampires and demons, and wasn't a slayer, was putting themselves and others in unnecessary danger.
But surprisingly, Buffy seemed to have been changing her own opinion. There had even been times when she allowed both Giles and Dawn to help with patrolling. April hoped that this recently change in opinion would make her announcement easier for Buffy to deal with.
The moment that April opened the door leading to the bedroom that she shared with Kerry, she knew that something was wrong. Not only was Kerry not in the room but the room had actually been cleaned. In the three years that they had shared a room, April could only remember a couple of times where they had actually been able to see the floor. Normally, the floor was covered with everything from clothing to the latest fashion, gaming and gossip magazines. But now, all of their clothes had been washed, folded and put away while the magazines were neatly piled by topic. All of the clues pointed to one thing, Kerry was really upset about something.
Where is she though? April asked herself as she changed into a fresh set of clothes. On any normal day, Kerry would be waking her up in order for the older slayer to drive her to school, saving Kerry from having to take the bus with the other high school aged slayers.
--- *** ---
"So where is Buffy and Giles?" Kerry asked as she placed the last of the dishes remaining from the other slayers, into the sink. Normally, keeping her deal with Dawn, to trade breakfast duty for the previous night's supervision of the younger slayers, wouldn't have been a problem but now it seemed as the world was crashing down around them and the fact that no one else knew, made her nervous. Kerry was well aware of the fact that Giles and Buffy wouldn't want her telling everyone about the return of The First, she had hoped that they would have announced something but instead, Kerry was awoken to the news that both Giles and Buffy had left the country.
Not only had Kerry not told anyone about the things that she overheard while at the watcher's council but she hadn't even had the opportunity to tell her best friend. April would know what to do. But she's probably too busy with that hunter to care anyways. She didn't even come home last night. Kerry thought to herself as she began to prepare her own breakfast. On a normal morning, she would have simply grabbed something for both April and herself from Starbucks as April drove her to school but Kerry was still too upset with her best friend to wait for the older slayer to return from wherever she was.
It was obvious to Dawn that something was going on between April and Kerry because she rarely, if ever, saw one without the other. But her mind was too occupied with being left in charge of all of the slayers, along with both Kerry and April, to get in the middle of something that would likely fix itself within the next couple of days. "They left in the middle of the night. They went to Scotland."
"Scotland? Why?" Kerry asked as she began pouring some milk into her bowl. She was now very curious as to why both Buffy and Giles would take off in the middle of the night, without first making some sort of announcement to the slayers about their reasons for leaving. Kerry began to wonder how a trip to Scotland had anything to do with the return of The First.
Although Dawn didn't know exactly the reasons behind their unexpected departure, she was so excited that Buffy and Xander were now back on talking terms and planning on going to see Willow, she just couldn't keep her excitement to herself any longer. "They went to Scotland, with Xander, to go and see Willow."
"Hell must have frozen over if they're all talking again." April stated, announcing her presence in the room. As she walked past Kerry, she eyed the bowl of cereal sitting on the counter while Kerry returned the milk to the refrigerator. "Thanks, Kerr." She said as she grabbed the bowl of cereal.
Seeing that April had taken the breakfast that she had just prepared for herself, which wasn't an uncommon thing for April to do, Kerry simply went to sit at the small table in the kitchen. "What do you think that it means?" She asked Dawn while still refusing to make eye contact with April. How could she not tell me? She knows my deepest of secrets and yet she still didn't trust me enough to tell me that she was dating someone.
Simply based on the fact that Kerry continued to avoid looking at her, April knew that Kerry was definitely at the top of her Kerry-is-pissed meter. But April couldn't figure out why. The last thing that she had said to her was that she was going to go get ice cream for them, and she knew that there was no way that that was the reason. "Hey, that's my chair." April declared jokingly, hoping that Kerry would catch on to the fact that she was trying to open the lines of communication between them.
"There's nine other chairs and another 30 in the dining room, just choose another one." Dawn stated, hoping to not have to resolve whatever their issues were, especially when she was so happy that the Scoobies might reunite and there was also the whole fact that she would get to see Willow again. Other than her own sister, there was no one that Dawn had been closest to. Willow was also the one person that Dawn knew still held on to the memory of Tara as much as she did.
Kerry stood up from her seat and just looked at April for a couple minutes, contemplating whether or not she wanted to confront April with what she had seen the previous night and also tell her about the news regarding The First. But in the end, Kerry decided that she would make April wait until she returned home from school before she talked to her again. She felt like April needed to learn that there are definite consequences for lying and keeping secrets, especially from your best friend. Kerry knew that it would be easy to pull April aside before they went patrolling anyways. "Your name isn't on it. But take it; I have to catch the bus anyways." She said before leaving the room.
April hated the fact that whatever had upset Kerry would have to wait until she returned home from school. But as much as it peaked April curiosity, she knew that she had other things to worry about such as the announcement of her relationship with Gage and now the possibility that the Scoobies may be reuniting. April just didn't know which terrified her the most. And it wasn't that April didn't want the Scoobies to make amends but April wondered what the reasons were for why it was happening now. "Did your sister tell you why they left?" She asked Dawn as she sat down to eat her breakfast.
"She only told me that she needs their help with something and that Xander won't help unless Willow agrees to help too." Dawn answered. Although she wouldn't have admitted that to any of the other slayers, April had been there to witness the events that had lead to silence between Buffy, Xander and Willow.
"So Buffy knows about the hunters?"
"Yeah and she didn't seem that upset about it. She even went to Hunters Headquarters to talk to Xander. Can I tell you something?" Dawn asked knowing that April would answer her question honestly.
Shit, she knows. April thought to herself, hoping that she was wrong and that Dawn was still clueless about her relationship with Gage. Crossing her fingers, April responded. "Shoot."
Before asking her question, Dawn quickly made sure that they were still alone in the kitchen. "I've occasionally been hunting with Xander, Gage and the other hunters for about three years now. Buffy doesn't know about it and I'm afraid that she'll be pissed at me if I tell her. Do you think that I should tell her?"
After breathing a large sigh of relief, April turned around to face Dawn. Her dilemma was extremely similar to Dawn's. Both needed to admit something to Buffy and yet both were terrified about her reactions to the news, especially when neither of them had intentionally done what they did to hurt her. "It's up to you. But would you rather she find out from someone else or from you?" She answered, silently laughing at herself. Maybe I should learn to take my own advice.
"I guess that maybe I should tell her, especially now that there's a good chance that Xander might slip up and say something. And actually now that Buffy knows about the hunters, why don't you see if Gage still likes you. He's single and I know that he liked you before everything happened. Why not go for it?" Dawn eagerly mentioned, hoping that her attempt at playing cupid would solidify the bridge between the slayers and the hunters.
As April finished her breakfast, she almost choked on her cereal at Dawn's mention of her and Gage dating. "How about you mention that to Gage and see what he says?" She laughed as Dawn gave her a confused look. "I'm sorry. This is just a really weird day and I think that it's just going to get weirder. So I take it that with our leader gone, we're in charge?"
Still confused by April's initial response, Dawn simply nodded in response. Does that mean that she wants me to mention it to him?
"Cool. I'm gonna go round up a few more girls and have a small competition." April announced as she placed her dishes in the kitchen sink before leaving the room, leaving Dawn to wonder what she had meant by a little competition.
Quickly, Dawn stood up and followed the older slayer. Oh, this can be bad.
--- *** ---
Gage awoke to the sound of loud bass music coming from the living room. Nolan must be awake. He thought to himself as he rolled onto his side to look at his alarm clock. 3pm. Thank God that the shop is closed on Mondays. He thought to himself, referring to the auto mechanic shop that he co-owned with Xander. Gage was also thankful that Xander hadn't called him and asked him to work for him or rather the second company that they co-owned together, a construction company.
They shared the responsibilities of both companies, the shop being Gage's baby while Xander spent his money from the Watcher's Council on building his own construction company. The simple fact that both businesses were under both of their names was only as a smoke screen in case anyone questioned their nightly activities.
Not only was Gage hiding the hunter part of who he was from the general public, he was also hiding a secret from the very people that he considered his family, everyone other than Xander. But that's all going to change.
It wasn't a shock to him that he had awoken up alone in his bed, with the bedroom window left wide open. In the three years that he had been dating April, the previous night was the first night that she had returned to his apartment with him after patrolling. She must have snuck out after I feel asleep. He thought to himself with a smile as he replayed the events of the previous night in his head. April had finally agreed to tell everyone about their relationship, allowing him to do the same with the hunters.
"Maybe I should be with her when she tells Buffy?" He wondered out loud to himself. Gage could only hope that should Buffy get upset upon hearing the news, April would stick up for the relationship as opposed to what Kennedy had done and give into the older slayer. "I can't lose another woman that I love to her. I won't let it happen this time."
"What won't you let happen?" Nolan asked as he casually walked into his mentor's bedroom.
Upon seeing Nolan, Gage quickly scanned the room to ensure that April hadn't left anything behind. Much to his luck, she had. Laying next to his bed was her bra. Gage quickly jumped out of his bed and attempted to slowly push it under his bed, with his foot, before Nolan noticed it. "You're twenty years old and you still don't know how to knock on a damn door. Maybe it's time that you look for your own place." Gage snapped, praying that his young protégé hadn't noticed the bright pink undergarment. This is exactly why she never wanted to stay. He would only need to walk in, unannounced, on us once and shit would have hit the fan.
"Okay, someone woke up with a stick up his ass. Lucy called and wants us to meet her at Headquarters. She told me to tell you that everyone's already there waiting for tonight's patrol routes." He stated, leaning on the bedroom door with a mischievous smile on his face. Although Nolan knew that Gage was a great demon hunter, he wasn't the best when it came to being sneaky. Nolan had seen the bra, on the floor, the moment that he walked in through the door. "So someone had a good night last night. Who was the girl?" Nolan asked. It was then that it occurred to him that he hadn't seen or heard anyone arrive or leave the apartment they shared. But he did notice that the window leading to the fire escape was open. "Was she that bad that you made her leave through the window?" He then asked jokingly.
"Your smart move would be to leave before I make you eat those words." Gage warned as he grabbed himself a t-shirt from the closet. It then occurred to him what Gage had initially said. "Wait. Why is Lucy calling me to give tonight's orders? Where's Xander?"
"He left the country with The Slayer." Nolan answered as he left the room.
--- *** ---
"Ellie, please just come out." Willow patiently pleaded as she continued to try and coax the young witch out of her bedroom, with no success.
"I'm not leaving this room. I'll grow old and die in here before I go back to that school." Ellie declared from the other side of the door.
"I can always smoke her out." Celeste offered from the bottom on the staircase. She was eager to use the newest spell that Willow had taught her but Willow had, unfortunately, placed a barrier at the top of the stairs preventing anyone from bothering her and Ellie.
Willow understood Celeste's frustrations with Ellie. There was even a part of her that was tempted to use magic to get the young witch out of her bedroom but Willow also knew that that would make her a hypocrite. Especially when she discouraged Ellie of the use of all magic for selfish reasons. I don't know what else to say to her to convince her that I understand what she's going through without telling her about my past. Willow thought to herself. She knew that she couldn't fully admit to Ellie, the extent of her experience with the dark arts but Willow began to wonder if it was possibly time for her to confide a little more in her charge.
"Celeste, aren't you supposed to be helping Hope with a spell?" Willow asked, hoping that their resident socialite would catch on to the fact that her presence was more of a nuisance than a help.
Celeste couldn't help but laugh because she knew that her presence was never needed for a spell, she didn't have nearly as much power as Hope and Willow. Plus, she now had the world's best excuse for not leaving Willow's cottage. "I can't go do the spell with Hope because she seems a little occupied right now." Celeste responded as she walked up to where Hope was standing. It seemed as though there must have been something outside that was catching the eldest member of the coven because Hope continued to look out the window. "Who is it?" Celeste asked as she spotted the car that Hope had been watching.
** Knock Knock **
"I'll get it." Celeste announced as someone knocked on the door. The moment she opened the door, she was confused.
Normally, anyone entering the property had to pass through the protection barrier that Hope and Willow had placed around the property. But this time, no alarm had gone off to alert them of their guests. The three people who now stood in front of her were total strangers to her. Why didn't any alarms go off? She asked herself. Unless… She thought, turning her attention to Hope, who was now standing next to her. "You let them through." Celeste accused.
"Celeste, why don't you go get Willow? If I am correct, these guests are here for her." Hope responded. Not wanting to cause Willow alarm, Hope had lowered the barrier permitting their guests to drive up to the small gathering of cottages.
Turning her attention to their guests, Hope decided to formally introduce herself. "Welcome, I'm Hope Thomas. I'm certain that everyone must be exhausted after the flight. Please come in."
"Willow! Hope let strangers into the house!" Celeste yelled up the stairs. When she turned around to meet Hope's scolding look, she responded. "Willow has a barricade up but feel free to try and pass it yourself." Celeste offered with a smile as she turned her attention to their three unexpected guests.
From the second story, Willow was able to hear all of the commotion coming from the lower level as she continued to sit in front of Ellie's door. She was curious to know who Hope had allowed pass through the protection barrier. Normally, anyone driving by the cottages wouldn't be able to find the entrance as it wasn't visible until the protection spell was lowered.
After quickly stretching her legs upon standing, Willow walked up to the top step. She couldn't believe who it was. Willow had had a feeling that this might occur, especially now, but now it was reality; a reality that she was unsure if she was ready to face, again. "How?" Was the only word that she was able form, as she now stood staring at Xander, Buffy and Giles.
End of Chapter.
Authors' Notes: I just want to thank those who took the time to post a review for the last chapter. I know that there was a long wait for this one but unfortunately I was in the hospital for the majority of January and also lost my muse. But it looks like my muse returned just as February started, so I was able to complete this chap with the help of my awesome co-author Nightwish.
I know that it is still soon and most of you aren't quite familiar with the characters but the action is about it start. How will Willow react now that Xander, Buffy and Giles are in her home? Will she agree to help? How will things go between the slayers and the hunters? These questions and others will be answered in the next chapter.
Please take the time to post a review letting us know what you think about this chapter? This fanfic? Remember, every single one is greatly appreciated and pushes us to produce a new chapter for you to read.
And if anyone is interested in reading anything else by Nightwish, I have posted the link to her profile page for you convinence. .net/u/381889/