Slvr Fyre
Disclaimers: I do not own BtVS, Joss Whedon and the WB do. Nor do I own Highlander which is owned by Rysher, Kindred the Embraced, and Forever Knight.
Author's Notes: Means thoughts >, // Means telepathic speech //, \ Means telepathic speech between Methos and Kaisean\, and *means emphasis*.
Part 1
"I hope you like this room it's going to be yours." Kaisean said as Willow looked around the room that she had waken up in. Kaisean watched in pleasure as Willow's face lighted up with delight.
"Really it's beautiful! And huge!" Willow exclaimed as she looked around the room for the first time. They were in a large bedroom easily 4 times the size of her bedroom at her parents house. The bed that Willow was sitting on was king size and was covered in soft black silk sheets. The walls were white and the carpet was a rich blue. Heavy black drapes framed large windows. Outside was a hint of light of the approaching dawn. A large entertainment center stood opposite the bed, on both sides was a door. They probably lead into the closet and the bathroom. > Willow thought.
"Come on Fox. Everyone is waiting to meet you. Some of them are Immortal so you'll be able to sense them. I have to warn you though the feeling that overcomes newly made Immortals when they first sense another Immortal can be overwhelming." Kaisean said as she walked to the door leading into the bedroom. Willow followed her friend out of the room and down a hallway.
When they halfway down the hallway, Willow doubled over in pain as a sudden buzz resonated through her head. "That's the presence of another Immortal?!" Willow gasped as she put her hands on her knees in an effort to steady herself.
"Yeah it is." Kaisean sympathetically said. "Come on the sensation should stop when you come within eye contact with another Immortal." Willow slowly straightened as she got more used to the sensation.
Willow grabbed Kai's hand in reassurance, as they entered a very large room. Kaisean gave Willow a reassuring smile. Several people were lounging against large cushions scattered all over the raised seating area.
Kaisean gently urged Willow to follow her and the nervous Immortal obeyed. Willow became lost as she openly gawked at everyone seated. They all seemed to be extremely attractive and young. Most of them were wearing long coats. She could feel that something was different about them. *They must be Immortal.* Willow thought. She felt Kai tug on her hand and looked up, then down as she realized she had been off in space for some time. Kaisean eyes twinkled as she smiled. Willow abruptly sat down next to her friend.
"Ok guys. I want you meet Willow Rosenberg, my online friend." Kaisean announced to the group that surrounded herself and Willow. She turned to the newly made Immortal, "Willow this is Tenshi Menard." Kaisean touched the knee of the casually dressed young man with sparkling green eyes and short curly black hair. Tenshi's lips lifted as he gazed warmly at Willow and held out his hand. Willow put her hand in his and shook it. "Tenshi is my brother."
"Really." Willow returned his smile and said "Tenshi is an interesting name. What language is it in?" Tenshi looked at his sister who nodded.
"Tenshi is Japanese, it means Angel." Kai answered, Willow froze at that.
"Angel…." She murmured her voice full of longing, she shook herself. "It's nice to meet you Tenshi."
Kai watched Willow carefully and concluded that the topic of Angel and most likely anything that concerned Sunnydale should not be broached at the moment. The man beside Tenshi slipped an around his waist as Tenshi sat back. "My name is Jimmy Damond, but I go by Demon."
"Demon!?" Willow exclaimed as she leaned forward. He had brown blonde tipped spiked hair and dark eyes, piercings ran up both ears. He was wore a leather jacket and torn and ripped jeans.
"We really don't want to go into how he got that name." Tenshi grinned at Demon who smiled back as he hugged Tenshi close making him practically sit in his lap. Willow watched all of this with a look of confusion on her face as she wondered how close they were. Then she realized how Demon might have gotten his name and blushed *Oh goddess. They're gay!* She thought. Willow blushed even more as Kai snickered beside her.
"It's not funny Kai!" Willow shouted as she looked at her friend accusingly. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Hey it's worth seeing the look on you face girl." Kai said through her laughter.
"It's not that I'm not against homosexuals or anything. I just didn't see that coming. I mean I know guys back in Sunnydale that are gay. My vamp self was bisexual. In fact all vampires I've come across seem to be bisexual. So who am I to judge. Willow babbled as she kept on blushing, finally she stopped and smacked Kai's arm. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!" A look of mock anger crossed her face.
Kaisean watched in amusement as Willow started to babble, then yelped as the other redhead smacked Kai. "Hey!" She exclaimed. The others watched grinning.
"Ok, Willow it's time for the rest of introductions." Kai said as she poked at the man dressed in a dark sweater and jeans sprawled out beside her. He had black softly spiked hair, and golden hazel eyes. His large nose seemed dominate his face until Willow looked closer into his eyes. In them she saw the pain and joy of one who had seen many things in their lifetime. He had the look that she sometimes saw in Angel except that is was more intense. *Whoever this was he has to be Immortal, and old, very old.* Willow thought as she shivered. In a flash the look vanished, leaving a seemingly naïve looking graduate student in it's pace.
"This is Adam Pierson." Kaisean said. //Do you want me tell her the rest, my love?// Kai sent to Methos. Wordless affirmative was sent back. "He's the oldest Immortal."
"Really?" Willow asked, she was almost afraid at how old her friend would say Adam was. *The oldest Immortal. * She asked anyway somehow needing to know. "How old exactly?"
Methos licked his lips and said in a British accent, "I'm actually not sure how old I am exactly. The time before my first Quickening is blurry. In fact I'm around 5,000 years old."
Willow looked at Methos and straightened almost jumping to her feet.
"Your kidding me! Five Thousand!"
She looked incredulously at Methos then at Kai. She closed her eyes
as she tried to absorb that the man sitting by her friend was probably
one of the oldest living being in the world. Willow took a deep breath
and opened her eyes then she thought of what he said. "So *Adam* is a play
of words right. "
"Exactly. I don't go by my real name, which is Methos, of course. I would be suicidal if I did and living as long as I have instills some very strong survival instincts." Methos ran a hand though his hear as he took a sip of a bottle of beer.
Willow looked confused at his remark and asked "Why would it be suicidal?"
"Look at it in the way of an Immortal Willow. Age in the Game means power, and as the oldest Immortal Methos has an incredibly powerful Quickening." Kai said, a look of understanding dawned on Willow's face. "No one wants to even consider an Immortal taking his Quickening. The thought of it is just too scary." Willow nodded in agreement.
"Now there's only one other people to introduce so bear with me." Kaisean pointed at the young man with curly reddish brown hair and dark eyes. He smiled and said "I'm Richie Ryan. I'm Immortal and relatively young compared to other Immortals." He looked at Methos as he said this.
"And how old are you?" Willow raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"I've only been an Immortal for five years. I died when I was 19." Richie answered amused.
"So that's it Willow. There are other people to introduce, but they don't live in the Keep." Kai grinned.
"You mentioned the Keep before Kai. What exactly is it?" Willow asked puzzled as she looked at her friend.
"Oh. I didn't tell you what the Keep is?" Willow shook her head at Kai's surprised question. "The Keep is this entire place." Kaisean gestured around them. "We, meaning Methos, Tenshi and I, converted this place from a warehouse into our home. It's very large. One thing about Immortality is that it's easy to acquire money. I mean you simply buy thing that in your time cost cheap, wait a couple of decades or centuries and sell it as antiques."
"Really sounds cool. You will show me around right." Willow asked as she looked her surrounding again. She started blushing as her stomach rumbled.
"Maybe we should show her the kitchen first sis." Tenshi laughed. Kai reached forward with her mind and pushed her brother off his lover's lap. She smirked as she got up and led Willow out of the room. Willow was blushing and laughing an interesting combination as she whispered into Kai's ear. Demon helped Tenshi up, they could hear Kaisean's familiar laughter.
"I wonder what they're plotting." Richie rose up with the others.
"I don't want to know." Methos said as he looked at Kai. He wondered how she would cope with another female in the Keep.
Part 2
"This is an example of one of Methos many alternate identities." Kai pointed toward the computer screen. She was sitting beside behind Willow. Both were in front of a computer in a large library on the first floor of the Keep. Books lined the shelves, large armchairs were placed all over and another seating area platform was in the corner. A group of tables were near the entrance and near one of the large windows.
"Ok. I'm taking a guess here that you want me to create an identity for myself, right?" Willow asked as she looked over personal information of William Stanton. * William.* Willow absently snorted as she read the name.
Kaisean heard Willow and kept silent as she smiled. "Yes. All Immortals usually learn how to create an identity for themselves, either that of they hire someone to do it for them. I'll be helping you out with it."
"Ok." Willow took a deep breath restlessly picked at her sweats. "Why are you helping me out with it though? I mean your not Immortal."
Kai looked down at her lap before looking back at her friend. "Because of my expertise with expertise with computers." She replied simply. "I mean Methos could help out also, but I thought it would be best if you had someone more familiar, well relatively, to help you."
"So what should I start with?"
"A name." Kai simply answered.
Willow thought for several moments before her eyes brightened. "The name I wish to take is Aspen. I can't think of a last name though."
"A name based on a tree." Kaisean stated looking at her friend who Willow nodded. "I think I understand why. Do you want me to help you out with the surname?"
Willow looked relieved, "Would you?" Kai nodded and turned away from her friend to think.
"How about Davenport?" Kaisean asked, looking back at Willow. Willow gazed thoughtfully at the computer. Davenport. Aspen Davenport. >
"I like it." Willow smiled. They spent the rest of the hour creating an background. Kaisean helped set Willow up with money, something to help the new Immortal start out.
Several hours later, Willow had fallen asleep at the keyboard. Kai smiled slightly at the sight and teleported the exhausted Immortal to her bed. She read over the history that Willow had just made up, checking the birth certificate and other important documents to make sure that everything was in order. When she was done Kai turned of the computer and went to the kitchen to get some breakfast.
*******
Soft satin sheets moved beneath Willow as she languorously woke up. She opened her eyes to see sunlight streaming through the windows, long drapes gathered to the side. The light played across on Willow's body warming her. She looked up into the clock next to the bed and saw that it was a little past noon.
Willow pulled her knees to her chin. The past day had been very sudden and confusing. Becoming Immortal, finding out that her love for Angel was reciprocated. Now Willow had a new identity. She wondered how being Immortal would change her. Oh Goddess. I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back to Sunnydale. > Willow's thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
"Willow, lunch ready." Kaisean said softly, her voice somehow echoing through the room. Willow bit her lip as her stomach tightened. Ugh, I just ate! > She thought. "Kai, where can I get some clothes?"
"Top drawer of the armoire. I put in some of my clothes there, they should fit you." Kai replied, she waited a second then asked, "Can I come in?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. Sorry." Willow replied pulling a shirt over her head. The door opened and Kai entered the room. That's weird. She looks like a cat when she walks. > Willow thought. "What are we doing after lunch?"
"Shopping. We need to get you clothes. I can't go on lending you clothes forever. Then we get you personal stuff." Kai touched the clothes in the open drawer and turned to look at Willow. "This room has nothing personal to it. You know what I mean, it's like a guest room."
Willow nodded in agreement as she brushed out her hair. They walked out of the room, again Willow felt the presence of other Immortal and dealt with it much better than the last time. It felt muted however. "How come it feel less…. Powerful?" Willow asked.
"Adam's not in." Kai noticed Willow's questioning look at the name. "Aspen you better get used to calling people by more than one name and answering to Aspen. You don't want to slip up. It can be disastrous. Which is why everyone else will be calling you Aspen at any time."
"Ok. I think I can deal with that. Where's Adam then?"
"Adam's went to pick up some stuff from Oakland. He'll be back tonight."
The smell of Chinese food greeted Willow's starving senses. She moved a little more quickly opening the door. Kaisean stepped though behind Willow. Demon was sitting on the counter while Tenshi leaned against him. They looked up when the two redheads entered the kitchen. Richie was busy piling food into dishes and flashed a grin at them. Willow stepped forward to help.
*****
"I think that was the best Chinese food I've ever had. Wherever did you order it?" Willow leaned back into her chair with a sigh of satisfaction.
"Actually they made it." Demon pointed to Tenshi and Kaisean who laughed at the shocked look on Willow's face.
"Silver! Where the hell did you learn to make such delicious Chinese food?" Willow asked.
"From our mother." Kaisean replied her face becoming momentarily shadowed. Beside her, Tenshi reached forward to hold her hand, Kai smiled at her brother gratefully.
"Our mother died five years ago." Tenshi said softly.
Willow drew her breath in sharply ."I'm sorry Kai."
The other girl sighed and said. "It's alright Willow. Tenshi and I dealt with their deaths sometime ago. It doesn't hurt anymore, but we still remember."
Richie stood up saying "Ok guys. Time to clean up. I'm supposed to be driving remember?"
"Yes, Richie, I remember." Kai shook her head as she and Willow shared a smile. They cleaned up quickly.
"See you later Tenshi-otouto, Demon. I figure that we'll be home by six. Slane ayd!" Kai waved her hand as she got into the black Jaguar.
"What does, slane ayd mean?" Willow asked as she settled into the back.
"It means good-bye in Irish Gaelic." Kai absently replied as she opened the garage door. Half an hour later they arrived in front of a large mall. Kaisean and Willow got out of the car.
"Call me when your ready to leave." Richie told the girls.
"Where too first?" Willow asked glancing around. Since it was the middle of the week and in the afternoon the mall wasn't that crowded.
"Clothes, computer, books, then everything else in that order." They grinned at each other a little madly and raced for the first store.
Slane ayd- means good-bye in Gaelic.
otouto- means younger brother in Japanese.
Send feedback minna (everyone)! I love hearing what ya'll think!