FOREGIVENESS
Chapter Two: The Introduction
Author name: Marie
Rating: PG
Summary: A woman from Spike and Angel's past moves to Sunnydale to begin again. Occurs at the end of this season's Buffy and Angel.
Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, except Emma
Feedback: Love it.
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Present day Sunnydale
"Marcus!" I scream at the top of my lungs from upstairs. "Do you read Russian?"
"What?" He yell back at me.
"Do you read Russian?"
"No."
"Damn" I scream and walk downstairs. Marcus has finished hanging up the curtains so it is safe.
"Why do you want to know if I speak Russian?" He is busy polishing our newest piece of 18th century Americana.
"These new books that we received are all in another language and I believe that it is Russian."
"What is it?" Marcus looks up at me as I sat on the couch.
"It is a book about a Demon cult, which I would love to read if only I could understand the language."
"Let me take a look at it." Marcus picks up the book and starts flipping through the pages. "It does look like Russian, but maybe with a little Arabic. Where did the book come from?"
"That is what I am trying to find out. The dealer bought it in Wales. The chain was that Wales got it from Peru, who got it from Kenya, then Japan, and then Germany. The origin that anyone knows is somewhere around Latvia. But it doesn't look Slavic to me, does it to you?"
"No. Well that is a question. I even wonder if this language even exists anymore. Communism did away with a lot of indigenous languages. This looks like it came somewhere from the southern tip, perhaps in the 'Stans or somewhere in the Himalayas. I don't know what to tell you. Go to a library."
"Thanks. I wonder if I could actually find someone here who could translate it and tell me if it is any good."
"I don't think so. Sorry." Marcus returns to polishing. And a few moments later he stops, "You know what though, I did hear that there is a great magic shop in town, you never know they might know somebody."
"Really a magic shop?"
"Well, this is Sunnydale."
"Sounds fun, do you want to come."
"No thanks I still have some unpacking to do. I think that it is on Madison Street somewhere."
"So I'll go after sunset. Do you want me to pick anything up for you?"
"Not really, just don't spend too much. You know how you have a tendency to overspend when you go to stores like this. Just don't get roped into anything."
"I do not have overspend." What is he talking about, I do not overspend when I go to Magic Stores.
"You do too, remember that place in Salem. You bought over $500 worth of herbs, which we still have because you didn't want to use it yet. But you won't throw it away because we may need it sometime. And don't forget that shop in Charleston. You go to these stores and get wrapped up in it all and overspend."
"Those herbs will come in useful one day, I promise." Pouting like a spoiled child. "Besides there are only a few good magic stores in this country, why shouldn't I support them."
"Keep talking all you want but you know that you are obsessed."
"I am not." I pouted all the way upstairs, I am not obsessed and I was going to prove him wrong. When the sunset I set out to find this new magic store, with my book in my bag. As I walked in a young girl greeted me.
"Welcome to the Magic Shop." The girl chirps as soon as I walk in the door. The girl doesn't seem to fit in the store; she seems like someone who is more comfortable hanging around the mall than working in a magic shop. But I guess you never know about people. Even though, there is something familiar about her, something sad and needy. When you have been watching people for so many years you begin to pick up on little things in their eyes that give away their whole story. And this girl's story is simply that she needed something, I don't know what, but there is definitely something missing from her life.
"Thanks. I was wondering if you are familiar with languages."
"Why?" The girl looked at me a bit questionably.
"I have this book that I need translated and I was hoping you might know of someone who could help."
"Why don't you go to a library or the university?"
"You were my first stop, see the subject of the book is a bit unusual. I thought that it might be a bit more your territory" I pull out the book and handed to the girl.
"It's old." Is all she said for a moment as she turned through the pages? "What is it about?"
"Well, I was told it was the history of a Demon cult in Romania. However, I can't read it at all to tell if it was worth the money that I spent on it."
"Why did you think we could help you?"
"Well you are a magic shop, right? I haven't come across one magic shop that wasn't at least interested in demons, vampires and all things cultish."
"Point taken. I can't help you, but the owner might know some people."
"Oh, and when will he or she be here?"
"Later on tonight to close up."
"Can I wait for her?"
"Sure. Is there anything else that I can't help you with while you wait?" She smiles.
"Do you have any books about vampires?"
"Actually, we do have those. May ask you a question?"
"Absolutely.'
"What is up with you and these books? I mean the topics are a bit...."
"Out of the ordinary." She nods. " What can I say, I read one Anne Rice book and I was hooked. All of this stuff fascinates me; the mythology is so intense. I swear after reading some of these books you would almost begin to believe that some of these things were real." The girl coughed out a nervous laugh. "I mean really vampires."
"Yeah."
"Oh, I'm sorry, do you believe in that stuff." Trying not to offend the young girl, I mean she did work in a magic shop maybe she did know some stuff after all.
"No, it's just that... I mean you do believe in magic, right?"
"Oh, of course. Though I have never really been able to do any of it. I do believe in the possibility of magic. I love the notion that we are all connected by some force to nature and that we could harness it and other stuff like that."
"Cool. So here are some books that we have."
"Great! I'm Emma, by the way." I held out my hand to shake the young girl looked a bit confused and then finally took my hand.
"Dawn. Nice to meet you. Are you new around here?"
"Yeah, just moved here. Which is why I am here. Skipped out of work tonight, knew that people wouldn't need to come in late on our first day open."
"Where do you work?"
"I own an antique store on St. Vincent's."
"Near the old cemetery." I nod. "Aren't there a bunch of creepy old houses out there?"
"Yeah, including mine. It used to be an old nunnery, so it has tons of creepiness character to it." I start looking through one of the books she hands me. "May I ask you a question?"
"Sure." She keeps handing me more books. I have a feeling Marcus is right I am obsessed with this stuff.
"Why are you working here? You don't seem like the type to work in a magic shop. I mean you are so normal. Usually, magic shop owners are freaks." With that another woman walks in the store.
"Dawn, have you seen that invoice for the stuff that came in this morning?" She enters not even paying attention to the fact that the girl is talking to me.
"No." The girl hands me a couple more books. "If you need any help, just holler. You can sit down to look at these if you wish."
"Anya, this woman has a book that she hopes that you might know of anyone who might be able to translate it." Dawn shows the woman the book.
"I don't know, why doesn't she just take it to the university?" The woman asks Dawn, not really caring that I am in the room at all.
"I will if you can't help but it is just about an unusual topic that's all and I am not in the mood for answering some professor's questions." I reply from the table.
"What is it about?"
"A demon cult."
"Oh. Where is it from?"
"That's the other sixty four thousand dollar question. The trail is a bit weird, but my dealer and my partner thinks that it is from one of the 'Stan countries."
"Interesting. I may know of someone, but I will need to borrow the book. Would that be okay?"
"Yeah as long as I get it back."
"Absolutely. Just write you name and number down here and I will get you an answer as soon as possible." When she says that three more people come in. They all seem to know each other. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"Yeah, I would like to get those books over there on the table."
The woman looks at the books and then back at me. "All of them."
"I'm a little obsessed. Yeah all of them. Dawn is an amazing salesperson." I wink at the girl, who smiles shyly at me. The woman and I started gathering the books and bringing them over to the counter. The guy who had just walked in is staring at me and the woman notices giving a slight huff in her voice. I turn around, deciding this isn't an issue I don't need to be included in. So I start playing with the necklaces as I wait. "Add these too." I pick out three necklaces and a pair of earrings. The price wasn't obscene, but I knew that there are a couple of things that I would definitely be back to get. "Thanks for everything. You'll give me a call when you have any news."
"Absolutely. And thanks for shopping at the Magic Shop" Something is definitely off about the store owner.
"Thanks Dawn for everything." I smile at the girl.
"Your welcome, Emma and welcome to Sunnydale." She's a nice girl. Now the question is how am I going to get all of these books home.