Not so Helpless
Monday, November 24, 2014
Disclaimer: Please see Part One
Part 25 Fates pissed
"Giles what does this all mean?" Buffy asked she sat down next to her watcher and watched as he seemed to be off in the distance for a moment.
"I don't know, my memories seem to be changing and I now can hear Jake in the back of my mind. I know what he knows and remember living part of his life but there is a distant part of me tells knows that Jake was a cover identity used by me for the council. I also remember being a wild young man which conflicts with the memories of "Jake". However I have such a strong sense of family when I look at you. To me you are my beloved daughter and that Joyce/Maura and Jessica/Jane are my wives. I really do not know what to believe. However the feeling of family is very strong Buffy and if your mother and Xander's feel the same then we will make it work. I won't let anyone or anything separates us again."
Buffy leaned back and knew this was going to be complicated. She did not want to feel this was all a lie but she had no memories of Giles being her father to her but in her heart she knew she had begun to think of him as such. Was it really hard to believe it might be true? She tried to think to clear her mind as Giles and Merrick before him had taught her but every attempt made her more agitated. If what Giles said was the truth then someone was trying to break up their family but if not why would someone try to meld them into a family? It made no sense unless it was designed to make them doubt each other?
There was a knock at the door and Buffy went to it and opened it. Faith was there with Willow. She stepped back allowing them all to come in. Each had a really worried look on their faces.
"What is wrong?" She asked almost afraid to hear the answer.
"Ah well I don't know who or what is messing with us but we seem to have more or rather different memories. B its weird and freaking insane but …well it seems we are family?" The almost desperate plea in Faith's voice made Buffy freeze for a moment then she pulled the dark haired slayer into her arms.
"Of course we are family. The memory thing it's happening to me and Giles too. Mom, mom thinks she is Maura Isles and that Joyce was just a cover identity for Witness Protection. I don't know what Xander's mom is thinking but if she is like mom and Giles then she is now Jane Rizzoli. I am at a loss about this." It was then that Buffy noted Willow was carrying a photo album and year books.
"Well when it all began to happen I got panicked so I grabbed these. They have our pictures in it and stuff. The thing is they don't match." Willow said. "It is like they are two differing realities."
"Huh?" Buffy said she turned to Giles who was once more looking up information on the computer only this time it was clear he was doing a wider search.
Willow handed the books off the Buffy and went to help Giles.
Buffy having taken the year book and photo album opened them up and began to compare photos. Willow was right it was of two differing realities and two differing lives. Just then the door bell rang again. She sighed and went over to see who it was. She was a bit shocked to see Julian Jessie's cousin there. He looked worried and scared.
She opened the door and he wheeled in. "Sorry to just come over without calling but….something has happened." Inside him Jessie urged him on. 'Don't worry they are used to strange and unusual and Buffy is my friend even if we did not know each other all that long.'
Buffy looked heavenward and said. "What?"
Julian decided it be simpler to just show her so he closed his eyes and stood up.
"Ah Julian I though you could not walk?" Buffy said.
Willow spun around and shouted. "Jessie what how Julian there is no way that this could be happening," She cast a quick spell with the help of her partner. Jessie/Julian glowed. She stumbled back and said "Julian is Jessie like two souls one body like the rest of us. How, wait did you go as Jessie on Halloween?"
Julian blushed and said. "Yeah, I was kind of missing him and I had his old Baseball uniform so I decided to go as Jessie. I mean why not Snyder said we had to go as our hero and Jessie was always mine. I mean he was like my big brother and he never treated me bad like a cripple. I got attacked by these things and called out for help then all of a sudden Jessie was there and I could stand, fight and walk. We hit the bad guys with the bat it broke then I stabbed on and he turned to dust. I could hear Jessie telling me to hit them in the heart so I did. Since then he has been with me. He said he could go on again if I wanted but ….I miss my ….I miss him so I asked him to stay but it's going to get complicated and I know you knew Mr. Giles and he smart and I think I can trust him to help."
"So you are Julian and Jessie." Willow said she frozen for a moment then she grabbed Julian and hugged him hard. "Jessie you idiot how could you just leave with some strange girl and go off into the night, I mean this is Sunnydale you knew weird happens here even if we did not tell you about the vamps. You thought there were gangs so you should have been careful you got yourself turned and killed."
"I am/was a teenage hormonal boy. No excuse but hey she was hot." Jessie said and he ignored the swat Willow gave him.
Buffy and Faith merely rolled their eyes.
"Hey B this might be what we need." Faith said as something occurred to her.
"What do you mean Faith?"
"Well Jessie he was not here for a while so what does he remembers about us and the gang?" Faith asked she had a funny feeling Jessie might be the only one with true memory of the past.
"That is a good insight Faith." Giles said He noted she seemed to stand straighter at the praise and made a mental note to be more supportive and to recognize her efforts more. If what the memories he had were true she would need help and support to recover from her kidnapping. Even if they were not it was clear she needed love and family and Giles was going to supply it for her and the other children who were now his to care for.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The fates in Roman were Nona, Decuma, and Morta and their Greek counterparts Clotho Lachesis and Atropos who collectively were the fates who were the spinner, the allotter and the unavoidable stormed in looking like they wanted to rip the heads off the gods of chaos and bad fortune. Janus was Roman and as such often disregarded their role despite the fact that the pantheons' had all agreed to work together in wresting humanity away from those moronic Powers That Be. While the fates could appreciate a good prank this was beyond the pale. It required that Nono/Clotho rip up several tapestries of life and reweave them. That in itself was not a real issue except that the lives were from two completely different planes of reality and that the lives in each reality was fiction. In the reality where the Rizzoli and Isles show was real Buffy the Vampire slayer was a fictional movie which was later transformed into a ten year long television show. In that reality several key players were killed off early. In the current reality the opposite was true. Rizzoli and Isles was a successful show going into its fifth season with the leading ladies having just gotten married and with hints that they may be entering into a secondary marriage with Jake Foley in Zartan as a way to protect them from the harsh laws regarding same sex marriages. Then there was the fact that Jake Foley was a completely different show and differing reality. Now the various characters had all merged in this new and changed version of reality. The fact was even the fates themselves were no longer certain which reality should be considered the main timeline. They were all cursing and the scissors used to cut the thread of life was snapping not something that bode well for the male gods.
"Ah Father I think we are in trouble." Murphy said as he spotted the angry fates stalking toward them. As a general rule the two groups who ruled fate each had their own areas of responsibility hammered out and agreed on eons ago to prevent just this kind of confusion. Generally only one person a generation might get a crossed up messed up destiny. However the wish, the chaos and Murphy's heavy hand had shaken up three very differing realities and made the tasks of the fates a complicated mess and they were clearly pissed.
"I do believe you are right my son. Perhaps you should slip out and find some of their favorite snacks?"
"Yes sir." Murphy said all too eager to escape. It might be cowardly to let his father deal with the deities but he was not a fool by any means. Janus turned to face the irate fates happily knowing his son and heir was safely away. Well as safe as he might be in the circumstances.
"Ladies it is such a lovely day. What brings you to my humble abode?"
Clothe glared at the god of change and chaos and said. "Oh I don't know maybe the fact that your priest has screwed up three different versions of earth and their realities and the fates of billions of humans on those earths."
Janus brow rose at that. He had never expected the chaos to spread so far or that Murphy's luck would affect so many. He was hard pressed to hide his smirk no smile.
"Oh and how did I do that?" He decided acting innocent might allow him to avoid getting clipped in a painful way. The fates could not end his life but they could make it not worth living if they nipped and clipped certain areas of his anatomy.
"Your chaos mage trick was bad enough. However it was useful in helping several of our charges so we were content to simply weave in the changes with some limitations. Even Murphy's and your tossing in the vampire Spike could be dealt with the boy taken to the hospital by Angel allowing him the first of his heroic acts as Superman was workable. However you never considered that the chaos could be used by others you did not limit it scope significantly nor did you consider that wishes could rip the threads out of our hands and shred the patterns of life for all."
Janus had the grace to blush and look away. He had been so intent on using the spell to get one over on the PTB that he had not used care of caution perhaps the fates had a reason to be upset.
"Well it perhaps I should have shown a bit more attention to detail however surely the lives of Joyce, Jessica and Rupert will be improved."
This time it was Morta who began to rant. "You have taken the lifelines of those involved and shredded them beyond repair. By blending the various beings none of their fates is now known. We have no way of determining which death time is the correct one. Several will live on past their times because of the blendings because not doing so would alter the fates of the blended. I so wish you were under my preview right now Janus I would so clip your life line."
Janus swallowed hard and almost sighed in relief when Murphy returned carrying the peace offerings.
With a wave of his hand a table appeared with seats for all of them. It should be noted that there was a rather large distance between him, Murphy and the fates.
There was a rather humorless chuckle from Morta at that action. She glanced over at her sister fates who seemed no more amused than she was however the rare treats provided by Murphy would buy them respite for at least the time it took to eat the meal.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Faith observed the situation and had a quiet internal conversation with Lara. It was clear that something strange was happening and it was even outside the normal realm of crazy that Faith had come to expect from living on the hell mouth. If she was completely honest she was grateful for Lara presence in her mind as it helped calm her and keep her from totally freaking out. One of Lady Crofts greatest gifts was the ability to remain calm under any circumstance and it was helping right now. Faith watched as Giles tried to find out what had happened to them all. While she was glad to have Lara in her heart and mind she was not so foolish as to believe that this gift would not come without a price. Then there was the fact that she was now supposedly Giles Adopted daughter and sister to Buffy and Dawn Summers. A part of her freaked out at that idea because she never considered herself worthy of being a slayer much less the sister to Buffy who she considered perfection in the slaying department despite her often irreverent attitude toward their calling.
'Faith you are every bit as worthy as Buffy or you would not have been called.' Lara said sensing the dark slayer's doubt and worry.
'Not hardly L, I am a no body a daughter or white trash from Bean town. I guess the slayer spirit figured I would not be much of a loss if I bit it.'
Lady Lara Croft rarely lost her temper but this statement caused her to explode. 'Faith you are worthy you are a survivor and that is what is needed. You work hard and don't take advantage of the innocent.'
'Look I ain't no saint Lady Lara I pick pocketed a lot of people to get here. I stowed away on several trains and buses hardly the act of a good person.'
Lara rolled her eyes and replied 'Perhaps you broke or stretched the law somewhat but…it was to do your calling. You never stopped fighting vampires and other monsters even when you were running from one of the oldest and most dangerous out there. The individuals you took money from could well afford it and most were not all that wholesome in any case. That one guy wanted to sleep with you and you can bet he knew you were underage and did not care in the least. He was a low life and your taking his funds and laying him out may make him think twice before going out again and it may spare some other innocent child being ruined by his swarmy charm.'
'Ruined really? Ok maybe but sometimes folks have to do what they have to do to eat my lady.'
'Perhaps but that sick bastard could have just given you a twenty to buy food he did not have to try to sleep with you. He could more than afford it. His damned shoes cost at least a grand.'
'Who pays that for shoes?' Faith asked clearly shocked.
Lara blushed and looked away well aware she been just as foolish herself. 'I did sadly. In fairness Faith it is all about how you are raised. You really do not think about it much.'
Faith fell silent not wanting to get into an argument besides it made sense in a way you shopped where your family took you or in Lara's case where her retainers thought her parents would have done. Lara had no more real choice then she had at shopping at Walmart.
'So what do you think has reality been altered?' she asked getting back to the subject that really mattered.
'I don't know but somehow it is clearly different or I and the others would not be with you. That is not normal really unless you are mentally ill and hearing voices and I don't want to believe I am a figment of your imagination.'
Faith laughed ruefully at that. Buffy looked at her but she shook her head and said. "Just a stray thought Buffy that we might all be sharing insanity caused by the hell mouth."
"No argument from me Faith. However I doubt we would get so lucky." Buffy said. "I do think your idea about Jessie/Julian is a good one. So what do you recall Jessie?"
Julian sighed and knew he have to let Jessie take over for a bit as he had not been there for most of the time. Jessie began to tell his memories and Buffy began to run a comparison. It was so not a match not that she expected it to be reality was indeed twisted but what did that mean for the gang and the world? She had no clue.
TBC….