1Episode 8.9 Break on Through, part 2

Disclaimer: all characters other than the Mary Sues belong to ME; I own nothing else and only play.

Many thanks to Merrin for editing help, comments and review.

Notice: What I'm playing at is a slightly alternate universe Season 8 for BtVS -- basically you need to know that in my little world, bits of BtVS season 5 and almost all of seasons 6 and 7 never happened. Also, kiss all of AtS season 5 goodbye.

Following the destruction of Sunnydale, our heroes find themselves searching out newly empowered Slayers, stumbling into assorted mystical adventures and, quite unintentionally, on a road trip across the U.S.A.

Most of the new characters in the fic are based on (or at least using the names of) members of the All About Spike Club, and I'm pairing them up with their favorite characters from BtVS and AtS. Hence the Mary-Sueness of this fan fic. Episode 9 features Rebecca, who is paired with Wesley. I will also periodically be using the names of various AASCers backwards as demon names. Don't say I learned nothing from ME.

At Rebecca's request, Willow served the soup in individual bowls while Wesley sliced the squashed bread.

"So," Dawn asked, "what's the deal here?"

"Rebecca's training me to become a Guardian!" Willow bubbled. "That is, as soon as I get the discipline thing down."

"I'm inflicting a bit of boot camp on her by way of teaching self-control. Early hours, KP, combat training and re-emphasis of mystical ethics as opposed to whipping out creative little magical short-cuts."

"Er, combat training?" Giles asked.

Rebecca nodded. "The First Evil's antics convinced me of the need for our Order to be more involved in the world. That means being able to protect ourselves and others, if need be. And that, of course, is when Wesley walked into my life."

"When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." Wesley quoted as he passed the sliced bread around. "I was wandering the country, looking for someone powerful to help me with Angel, and found myself here. Rebecca convinced me that the Angel situation would be sorted out by others, and that I was needed for other things. An offer of marriage sealed the deal. I've become the Guardians' combat instructor, though my only students so far are Rebecca and Willow."

"We're Wesley's test cases. As soon as the training kinks are worked out, we'll have a regular, if very small, training camp here." Rebecca said.

"Whoa, back up the exposition truck a few feet," Buffy said. "You two got married? Just like that?"

Wesley smiled at Rebecca and took her hand. "When it's true love, you don't need to wait. But of course you know that better than anyone Buffy!"

As Giles and Jen turned to smile at each other as well, Buffy muttered something incomprehensible and shoved a spoonful of soup into her mouth.

"So, combat training, huh?" Dawn said brightly to Willow, as Willow simultaneously asked, "So, how's Tara doing?" After a brief "you first" pantomime, Dawn answered Willow's question.

"She's OK," Dawn told her, "Living with her aunt and doing the witchy thing. Oh, Jen here is Tara's aunt and she's a Slayer."

"Yeah, Rebecca told me all about it." Willow turned to Jen. "Um, I'm not as bad as I used to be, not that I'm saying Tara would have exaggerated anything, but I didn't really leave a good last impression with her and I don't know how good a first impression I'm making here and I, uh . . ."

Jen smiled at Willow's nervous rambling. "Relax, Tara speaks very well of you."

"Well, good," Willow said, surprised, "That's, you know, real good. Um, by the way, not that I'm not glad to see you guys and don't take this wrong but how did you find me? This place is cloaked in, like, three or four different ways."

"I lifted the cloaks I had on this cottage, myself and Wesley, as far as our guests' sight was concerned. I thought it was high time you had a visit from some friends, training or no training," Rebecca told her.

"I guess then Tara broke though my cloak, didn't she? I always told her she was a lot stronger than she believed." Willow mused.

The conversation trailed off as everyone finished their meal. After Willow cleared away the table she rejoined the group chatting amiably beside the fireplace, bringing along an aged wine and dessert of cheese and fruit. When Willow was settled in, Giles explained their mission.

"One of our number, Xander, an odd but eventually appealing young man, has fallen into great difficulty. He was split into, well, ept and inept halves by one Clair Wilkins. She's rather hard to explain . . ."

"No need," Rebecca told him, "I've been keeping an uneasy eye on the Wilkins clan for several centuries. Their spiritual leader is an old nemesis of mine."

"Ah, good." Giles said, relieved to have a short cut to his story. "At any rate, she left us with the inept Xander, who was subsequently transformed into a vampire by a student sorceress who calls herself Benni -- a young woman of unfortunately considerable and ingenious talent. Both Xanders and their owners have since vanished from this plane of existence. We want to get Xander back, in his original, singular, form. Can you help us?" Giles asked Rebecca.

"Yes!" Willow burst out immediately, then turned a flushed face to Rebecca. "I mean, I know you won't object even though my training hasn't reached mystical Guardian stuff yet but he's my oldest friend and I know I can do something even if I don't know what yet and you couldn't possibly say no because I really, really have to do this and . . ."

"Willow, breathe," Rebecca urged her protégée. "Yes, we can help you," she told Giles, "But not directly. Reversing the spell of another magick-worker, even a weak one, is not easy and the women you've described are far from weak. Neither I nor Willow has enough power to do what you need, but we can find out who does have that much power. The spell will be a perfect test of Willow's discipline."

Willow squeaked happily and threw her arms around Rebecca's neck. Before the younger woman could start babbling again, Rebecca sent her off. "The spell you need is Arual's Winnowing, in volume 6 of the purple spell books. The cavern should be the proper setting, this time of day."

As Willow scampered off, Dawn wondered if she would need help. "Probably," Rebecca told her, "But a Guardian must learn to work alone, without sharing the energy of others."

Wesley refilled everyone's wine glass, mentioning that the wine was a gift from Cordelia.

"You know where Cordy is?" Buffy perked up.

"In France, where she's having quite a success in the fashion world. Started as a model and now has her own clothing line. She's quite possibly the only American the French can tolerate; at least until you people get a new Administration." Wesley said.

"She must fit right in," Buffy mused, reflecting on some of Cordelia's more acidic assessments of the Slayer's fashion sense. "Did you use your detective contacts to find her?"

"Actually, Rebecca found her."

"Spells? Enchantments? Throwing bones?" Buffy asked the Guardian.

"W magazine," Rebecca told her. "There was an article on Cordelia in the Spring issue."

"Buffy's right, Cordelia is assuredly in her element," Giles said. "What I'm interested in is how on Earth you came to be here, Rebecca. You're obviously quite settled in, and for some time." Giles looked around at the ancient, well-kept cottage.

"Um, before anyone gets started on histories, do you mind if I check my emails? I'm on a strict "keep in touch" schedule," Dawn said.

"Go right ahead," Rebecca told her. "I came to this country with the Vikings," she continued, "a rough group, but they were very respectful of mystics; well, of those who could calm storms. When they departed, I decided to stay and explore. Most of the natives where hospitable and I've made some excellent friends of various shamans over the years, and found and guided a few native Slayers. When I decided to settle down and conceal myself (the less hospitable European settlers were starting to make inroads then) I chose the Great Smoky Mountains, a place unrivaled for beauty, in my opinion."

"But, well, what about the tourists coming around now?" Buffy asked, "Jen couldn't be the only one to hike here. Didn't you ever want to move to a more secluded place, like Alaska, or at least a more remote spot in Tennessee?"

Rebecca shrugged. "I see no reason to move; after all, I was the first white-eyes here and as far as I'm concerned this is my little corner of the world. Besides, all life is a series of adjustments, and if I'd kept going further into seclusion it would have taken longer for Wes and Willow to find me. And I'm very much enjoying my sudden little family."

Rebecca reached out to caress the side of Wes' scruffy face. "You know, I gave up dating over a thousand years ago, it just didn't seem compatible with Guardianship. But when the time is right, all things come to pass. Thankfully, my life was long enough for this to come to me!"

As the rest of the group murmured appreciatively, Dawn gave a little gasp. "Giles, you need to read this now," she said, passing the laptop to him.

"What appalling timing," Giles whispered after reading the message. "We've just had news from our friends Merrin and Gunn," he told the rest. "They've located Angelus. He's been in Chicago for some months and raising an increasing level of Hell there."

"Chicago just noticed this?" Buffy asked, surprised.

"Well, it was hard to distinguish at first from the usual level of Hell in Chicago. However, now that Angelus is in full rampage we can't lose any time putting a stop to him. And we can't afford to hit him with anything less than full force."

"Giles, we're so close to rescuing Xander, we can't abandon him now! Who knows what's happened to him with those two she-devils, or what may happen to him the longer both of him are stuck with them in some Crazyworld?" Buffy argued.

"Hence my reference to the appalling timing," Giles remarked. "We have a conflicting duty to our friend and to our calling and can abandon neither."

"If I may point out," Rebecca said, "You have two Slayers and while it would be best to have both at your side when facing down the likes of Angelus, either is entirely capable of taking him on alone."

"Rebecca's right, Giles," Buffy told him. "You know I'd be at your side if it were anyone but Xander . . ." Dawn cleared her throat loudly. ". . . almost anyone but Xander; but I have to help him now that we're so close. I'll join you again as soon as I can!"

"And kicking some Angelus butt is a dream come true for me, love." Jen told Giles. "Since he's been ensouled most of my Slayerhood, I thought I'd never have that pleasure!"

Giles sighed. "Agreed, with great reluctance. Dawn, I don't suppose I have to urge to you stay with Buffy. At least we'll have a Slayer and Watcher working on either problem."

"And Buffy needs a driver or she isn't going anywhere," Dawn grinned. "Don't worry, Giles; it'll all work out. Our adventures always do!"

A pale, sweaty Willow re-entered the cottage many hours later. "That was a lot harder than I thought it would be," she admitted. "But I know who the big muscle is for the job and . . . hey, where's Giles?"

"Speeding to Chicago, along with Jen. C'mon Will, spill; where do we go next!" Buffy urged.

"OhhhKay. It's some guy named Phillipis and I think he's real close but I haven't pinpointed that yet. I'll start again tomorrow when I've got my strength back."

Rebecca smiled at the Guardian trainee. "It's remarkable you've gotten so much this quickly, Willow; Phil isn't easily tracked by anyone. I'm very pleased with your progress."

Willow stared at Rebecca. "You already knew?"

"Of course, Phil's an old friend and I'm well aware of his abilities. I needed to test yours and you've done splendidly. I know exactly where to send your friends to get help for this Xander. That is, if Phil agrees to help. Mages are notoriously difficult," Rebecca told Buffy.

"We'll persuade him. I'll do anything," Buffy said stoutly. "Where do we find Magic Man?"

"North Carolina. He used to be an adjutant professor of economics at NCU until he got tired of students whose high school educations barely exceeded kindergarten and decided to spend a few years relaxing as a hermit in the woods. Stay the night here and we'll set you up for the journey tomorrow morning."

Rebecca turned again to Willow. "And you, my dear, have a holiday coming. Take the Range Rover and go see your friend Tara. I'm sure you two have much catching up to do and, if she wishes, feel free to bring her back here for a visit."

"I don't know if she wants to see me again . . .," Willow began nervously.

"She does," Rebecca assured her, "Just don't be pushy. And check in with the garage on your way out of town, they're taking way too long fixing my Saab."

TBC