Wild
Is The Wind
Disclaimer - None of them are mine all Joss.
Part 4/??
Distribution - My site and FINNatics. Do you want this? Please ask me first
I will probably say yes.
SPOILERS: In The Woods
Rating: Read the books? Saw the series? So, you can read this. PG 13 - for
now.
Teaser: A man dealing with the pain and his future.
Dedication: This goes to Chris, Nicole and all the people who gave me feedback.
I will keep on writing as long as I am able to keep you amused. To Lisa, cause
true friendship is hard to find. I hope you like it! To Marc Blucas
for just being him.
Feedback: pls send to sgavino@gbl.com.br
Authors Note - Lisa... thanks for the beta stuff. This is a short part, but
it touched me deep.
Second Note: ** denotes internal thought.
Thrid Note: Althought I hate it.... Brasil will be spelled here with a Z...
Lisa spell-checked it for me...
Forth Note: MARCHAND is a french word used to describe people who buy and
sell old/rare stuff.
*************************************************************************
Riley took Lea by the hand and leaded her to the couch.
"Beloved,
I am listening to you. Tell me your story."
Her
brown eyes showed different shadows of pain when she finally started talking.
"My
parents met when Dad was living in Spain. He felt in love with Mom in a gypsy
wedding celebration and he used to say that she had bewitched him at that
very moment." Lea rested her head against Riley's shoulder and breathed
his scent for a minute before continuing.
"They
were a wonderful couple, and I don't remember seeing any other couple as much
in love as them. Dad's family lived in Brazil and so they moved to Rio de
Janeiro and I was born here. But they had some hard times and decided to move
to Europe again. We traveled from place to place until my mother expressed
her desire to live in Paris."
Riley
was stroking Lea's hair and she closed her eyes, drifting on the memories.
"
The year was 1991, I was eighteen years old and used to think that life could
never get any better than that. I was so happy to live in such a beautiful
city, filled with Museums and churches. I have never felt home in Europe until
my eyes met Versailles. That time I knew I had found my second home."
She
tried to find a more comfortable position on the couch and looked at his face
while continued talking:
"Dad
thought about everything. He changed our family name in order to avoid the
prejudice against our gypsy origins. I was not Lea Dare anymore, now my name
was Lea Deveraux, and I was a french citizen. All my gypsy past was left in
Brasil, Spain and Italy and there was no more need to hide myself. Dare was
not a speakable name any longer."
Her
fingers were playing with a strain of his hair.
"Dad
was a marchand, and Europe was the place to be. He taught me all about antiques.
And I loved to handle those precious pieces of art more than anything. I lived
in infinite bliss and I knew it. But, nothing ever lasts forever. And our
destruction came in my uncle's form. Iago was my dad's brother, a tall dark
haired gypsy, the one who was supposed to watch over the kumpanya when his
time come."
Riley
knew that a monologue was to come their way, so he pushed Lea against his
chest and kissed her forehead before speaking tenderly:
"Don't
hurry, honey. We have all the time in the world."
He
could tell that her pain was increasing. She was speaking in a low voice,
trying to hide the emotions that were so visible in her brown eyes. She locked
eyes with him and Riley could see a great deal of pain in them, her past should
hold many dark memories, just like his own. He caressed her lower lip and
felt her trembling.
"You
see," she continued "Iago had always been one of my favorite relatives.
He always had that intense light shining around him, and I could always see
it shining brighter and brighter. As the older son, he was the one chosen
to run the kumpanya after Nira's death and she sent him to Europe to learn
the tricks and strategies of the other gypsies clans."
A
sad smile crossed Lea's face.
"And
he was doing quite well. Until the neo-nazi found him. Iago never hid himself
or his beliefs, so he was easily tracked by a group called Silent Strides.
The SS hunted the gypsies down and killed them, and that was what they intended
to do to Iago when they captured him. But, as long as he was not a man to
hide anything, he was not a man to give up without a good fight. And, Riley,
he did fight. And almost died."
Lea
left the couch and walked to the window, her back turned to Riley, trying
to hide her tears.
"He
managed to escape and find his way to our house, arriving there bruised and
tortured. I was the one who patched him, my fingers soaked with his blood.
I was the only one he allowed to touch him."
Lea
looked to Riley over her shoulder.
"I
think he knew what I was supposed to become someday."
Riley
walked to her, compassionately held her shoulders and forced her to look directly
into his eyes.
"And
what is it?"
She
sighed.
"I
don't know yet. Somehow I have this feeling that Nira has something big planned
for me, something that scares her. And I never saw my grandma scared before.
Not even when I came back from Europe alone."
"Why,
Lea? Did your parents decide to stay in Europe and help Iago?"
She
was serious.
"No,"
she said as the anguish filled her eyes. "I killed them."
Riley
could not hide the shock that he felt. His eyes were the mirror of his soul
and Lea saw the nuances of his feelings. She knew it would have to happen
someday, she just didn't expect it to be so soon. Taking a deep breath she
found the strength she needed to explain.
"My
parents were scared about the violence that Iago suffered and they wanted
to keep me safe from it. Also, Dad wanted to get Iago to the nearest airport
and send him back home. He packed a bag for each one of us and gave me the
car keys. Neither he nor Mom knew how to drive, and Iago couldn't even bare
his own weight, so the obligation to get us out of Paris was all mine. And
I had no time to hesitate, so once they were all inside our little Peugeot,
I turned the engine on, said a prayer to Saint Sara and hit the road."
Lea
could feel the tension growing within her body. Her neck was aching and the
strongest desire she felt was to lay down, close her eyes, and let hours of
silence help her forget. But silence was not allowed at the moment. Riley
needed to know. She owed him that much.
"Dad
asked me to drive to Provence. He had a friend there that owned a jet and
could get us out of France as fast as possible. So, to Provence we headed.
After 30 minutes on the road I looked at the rearview mirror and saw 2 cars
following us. I was not prepared to that runaway scene, Captain. I tried my
best, but I was only a eighteen year old girl trying to save her family."
Lea
bent her head and her sobs cut Riley's heart.
"And
I killed them."
The strength of her sobs overwhelmed her, and she fell quiet leaving Riley
to make his own conclusions. Not allowing his mind to wander to possibilities,
Riley became her center of strength. His hands stretched along her shoulders
and held her firmly.
"Lea, it was an accident. How you killed them. It was an accident?"
She nodded and was thankful for his touch and for his strength
My foot hit the accelerator and I never saw that stupid horse crossing the
road. And I do not remember what happened next, the only thing I know is that
Iago's body was laying on the grass next to me, and the Peugeot was in flames,
a funeral pyre to Dad and Mom's bodies. Iolanda and Tibor would never have
a place to be mourned, but Iago and me survived. He was the strong one, he
had always been the strong one; and despite his wounds, he managed to get
us out of France and back to Rio. He took me to Nira's house and explained
the whole story to her. I couldn't do anything else than lay down, mourning
and crying. I could not move on. I felt I was the one to blame, and deep down
inside I still think that way. I shall be haunted by grief during throughout
all of my life."
She
was crying freely now, her face washed by her tears, and Riley caught himself
thinking that even grieving she was beautiful. He pushed her against his chest
and they cried together.
"Lea,
brutality led you to runaway, and fatality put that horse on the road. If
nothing had happened that way, who would have saved me from my own destiny?"
And
he felt exactly like this. If he had not found Lea, he would still be playing
little sick games with the vampires, trying to get closer to Buffy's heart.
This gypsy in his arms was his entire salvation army, a one person army, and
now he could finally understand why she always looked so strong. Pain leads
us to a greater knowledge of our own limits.
Lea dried her tears on Riley´s shirt, and decided to finish the story.
"Riley,
you would never have sunk in darkness forever. It is not your nature and sooner
or later you'd find your own way out of it. Just like I have just found my
way back to my destiny. When I realized what meant being a gypsy, I denied
all my beliefs, I crossed my heart and screamed out loud that I would never
again wear a traditional costume, or dance when listening to a gypsy song.
I did not want that heritage for me or my kids, and as strange as it may seems
Nira never asked me to reconsider my decision. She respected my feelings while
Iago would only curse me for being so weak."
She
cuddled into his lap and felt his fingers caressing her back.
"I
had the basic knowledge and the premonitions that would never leave me, so
Nira knew that someday I would have to go back home and ask for her help.
Premonition is not a real gift, for me it works more like a curse, cause I
don't know how to control it. Captain, I will have to stay here and get my
deal of gypsy lore. Without it, I am of no help to you or to myself."
She
pulled him away and kissed him softly in the lips.
"I
love you Riley Finn. Nothing will ever change that. You can go back to that
little town in the middle of hell, you can meet the slayer girl again, and
even if you fall, I will still love you. And I will be there to catch you
when you fall."
Her
words were strong and filled with all the love she had for him. Riley could
feel it and bent towards Lea, his mouth covering hers trying to get all from
her kiss. For Lea, his touch was like silk, smooth and fresh, thrilling her
and making her mind sway. She kissed him back wanting to lose herself in the
simple act of kissing her true love, wanting to give him her shattered heart.
Wanting, waiting, needing.
Riley
broke the kiss. An annoying silence involved them and when he finally spoke
his voice was nothing more than a whisper.
"I
won't fall. Loving you was the best thing that happened to me since
since all the craziness that turned my life head over heels. I don't wanna
lose you, honey."
She
closed her eyes and let herself be loved by him.
"So
don't, Riley. Don't lose me."
He
wrapped his arms around her body and took her into the bedroom. It was a perfect
night to say goodbye.
TBC
(Shall I???)
