Wild
Is The Wind - Chapter 10
Disclaimer - I do not own any of BtVS or AtS characters.
They all belong to the Joss Pack. Other non BtVS or AtS characters are all
mine.
Part 10/???
Distribution - FINNatics and my site - The Claddagh Fanfiction Archive. Other
people please ask me first I will probably say yes.
Timeline: Set some time after "In the Woods"
SPOILERS: Anything before IN THE WOODS
Rating: PG maybe... I am not that good with Ratings
AUTHOR'S NOTE 1 - No... I am not crazy. And yes... this is a Riley fiction.
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2 -It is not a Buffy/Riley shipper fanfiction. I am still a
B/A hopelessly shipper... I ship B/A, Cordy/Doyle, Willow/Oz... see... all
the broken couples : )
AUTHOR'S NOTE 3 - * * denotes internal thought.
AUTHOR'S NOTE 4 - Song: Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Teaser: Changes in Riley's life lead him to Brasil.
Dedication: To Lisa, for all the "inquiring mind" and beta stuff,
Nicole, Chris, Lori and mimi for the wonderful support and feedback.
Feedback: Please... mi casa es su casa. sgavino@gbl.com.br / claddagh@ieg.com.br
*****
Sunnydale
One
should think that three months are not enough time. Or that it is just time
enough, Well, in both cases, they can be right.
After
his first meeting with Drusilla, Riley made Graham tell him all about the
vampiress and was not too pleased when he learnt that she was Angel's childe
and had once been Spike's lover. Riley struggled to accept the fact that his
best friend was dating a vampire. A vampire that had an intimate bound with
the two men he hated most.
*
But who am I to condemn him? *
Drusilla
had proved herself to be a completely sweet lunatic. The chip that was inside
her head provided that she wouldn't bite them any longer. But on some hot
nights, Graham's moans on the next room were able to wake up Riley, and he
bet she was biting and licking his friend. Those were the nights he usually
got dressed and went out in an unofficial patrol. Those were the nights he
often spotted the Scoobies on the streets. Twice he could swear that Xander
had seen him, cause he softly pulled Willow away from where Riley was hiding.
It was the famous male loyalty. Xander liked Riley and would never let Buffy's
best friend get a chance to vent on him. Friends... that's what they are for.
So,
he kept trying not to push too hard on Graham about Drusilla. In a strange
way he knew that the girl made his buddy happy. She fed him, loved him, pampered
him. He was always smiling when she was around and at each time she sat on
his lap, Riley knew she made his friend fell whole.
Just
like Lea made him feel. Lea. Each time his mind drifted away, lost in the
memories of happier times, Drusilla managed to be around. And she always had
some weird thing to tell him. At the beginning Riley did not like her being
around talking about things he could not understand, like stars and voices
in her head. Riley never liked riddles and Drusilla was the riddle in persona.
And just to make things a little worse during his first week on Sunnydale
he couldn't reach Lea through the phone. He kept calling and getting the same
answer, "Lea is not available right now. Call again later."
After
several fruitless tries, Riley lost his temper and started to yell on the
phone, but the person on the other side spoke some words in Portuguese and
hang up. He put the phone back in the cradle and hit the wall with a dry punch.
"It
is so damned frustrating." He whispered to himself.
"I
know it, pretty boy."
He
turned around and faced Drusilla.
"What
are you doing here? Spying on me? I have nothing you'd possible use. Nothing
you could possibly take from me anymore."
His
words were harsh and Drusilla looked hurt as she started to walk in circles
around him. She whispered in his ear.
"I
know it. And I also know so many things that I want to tell you. But you never
listen." She paused and her eyes were dark. "Daddy never listened
either. You two are so different and yet so similar. A tiger and a lion. Only
my Spike knew how to listen to the voices."
Riley
grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Stop
it! I don't want to hear you talking about Angel or Spike again. NEVER!"
She
broke into a hysterical laughter and it enraged Riley even more. Shaking her
he added.
"Graham
is not here to save your ass, Drusilla. And I would love to put a stake into
that dead heart of yours."
Her
laughter stopped and she let her head bounce as she whispered again.
"Lea."
Now
she had Riley's full attention.
"She's
missing you so much. I can see it all inside my head, I can feel her longing
for your heat on all the lonely nights she's been forced to face baptized
in her own tears." Dru shivered under Riley's grip. "It's been so
hard for her, and she's hurt on the inside. The magic is hurting her so much
that she does not believe it will ever heal and get better. Poor child."
For
a brief moment, Riley forgot to who he was talking to and surrended to the
despair.
"Hurt?
Why? How? And why didn't she called me back?"
Still
bouncing her head the vampiress answered.
"Ohhhh,
because they wouldn't allow her. Gypsies are very bad people." She looked
into his eyes. "Look what they did to Daddy."
Riley
stared blankly at her and she added quickly.
"Shhhh...
no more Daddy, I swear. I want to be undead when my Graham come back home.
I don't think he would like to find me as a pile of ashes on his carpet."
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit angry
And I know I've got to get out and cry
But
Riley wasn't listening to her any longer. He let go of her and started trying
to figure out if there would be a way to get to Lea. He felt Drusilla's hand
on his elbow and yanked away from her touch.
"Get
away from me!"
"I
just want to help, tin soldier." Her eyes were full of tears and concern.
"I am a good girl now. There is a spider web in my head and the elder
told me to help you." She looked like a child as she begged. "Let
me help you, Riley. This is the only way we all can survive. Oh... the demon,
big bad and nasty, he will kill us all... "
Her
voice sounded strangely sane to his ears and he felt he had no other way than
to let her help him. Her help he could take, trust her was another issue.
"Okay.
Help me."
She
smiled and clapped her hands.
"I
am going to be your eyes, but you gotta learn to listen."
He
sighed. Riddles again, but they seemed the only way to get to Lea.
"I
will try."
And
taking hold of his hand, a much less crazy Drusilla told him about the way
the gypsies prohibited Lea to contact any non-gypsy people during her preparation.
She told him bits and pieces of Lea's last days and when he had already made
up his mind about going back to save her, Drusilla added in a deep voice.
"You
must stay here and fight. Fight your own demons as she is going to fight hers.
Be prepared to catch her when she falls cause she would do the same for you."
She
smiled at his bewildered face.
"She
is alright, golden boy. She's learning the secrets of her own existence. Dark
secrets that flow like a river into her mind and her heart. The elder is helping
her and sometimes, like now, he speaks to me."
She
closed her eyes and added.
"Next
time you call her, ask for Nariel. He is the one that can tell you everything."
With
those last words, Drusilla let go of his hand and walked to the door.
"Graham
is home."
And
as his friend opened the door to find the crazy vampiress waiting to surprise
him, Riley was still trying to deal with the bunch of information Drusilla
gave him.
Later
that night, when she passed by his bedroom door Riley called her.
"Drusilla,
thank you."
Enigmatically,
she answered.
"Dru.
My boys call me Dru."
And
she left Riley alone, getting ready to talk to Nariel, who ever he happened
to be.
***********
Rio de Janeiro
Turnaround
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
But then I see the look in eyes
Lea
opened her eyes slowly. She felt as if she had been in a Mary-go-round that
was way over the speed limit. And this meant that she could throw up at any
moment. Carefully she started to look around, trying to figure out where she
was when she heard Nariel's voice.
"Don't
move your head too fast, Lea."
She
felt his cold hand pressing the back of her head, helping her up and before
she could react he was pressing a glass of water against her lips. She didn't
knew how thirst she was until the water touched her tongue. It felt like she
had eaten all the salt in the world. Fighting the nausea, she pushed the glass
away and asked.
"What
happened?"
"What
do you remember? " Nariel asked back.
"Uh...
the three gypsies, the ritual, a dizziness taking control of my body and then...
darkness. How long have I been here? Two hours?"
Taking
the glass from her hands, he answered in a deep dark voice.
"Your
body's been here for five days."
"Five
days? How can..." she paused. "Wait, what do you mean... my body?"
"Lea,
force your mind. Close your eyes and make your mind work. You must remember."
She
stared at him in amusement.
"My
mind. Do I still have one?" She tried to sound bitter but didn't succeed.
Something inside her had changed, she was feeling different almost complete,
and no longer she felt mad about the training or about any gypsy rule. In
fact, now she understood them.
Nariel
lowered her head on the pillow again and with this fingers, made her close
her eyes.
"Tell
me, childe, what do you see?"
"Everything.
Everything outside here." She paused as if in pain. "No, wait a
minute. These are memories, your memories. I see me, Nira and Iago... and
we are younger. And there is a beautiful gypsy with wide green eyes, she is
calling your name, but it is so confusing and..."
He
retracted his hand breaking the contact and stopping the flood of the vision.
He was sure now that the ritual had worked, from now on all they need was
practice. He smiled fatherly at her.
"Try
to rest a little more Lea."
"No!
I need to know what happened during the ritual, Nariel. Why did I pass out?"
Nariel
knew he could not keep the truth from her any longer, so he sat down and decided
to tell her all about the ritual and its consequences. If he knew it would
be of any help, he would have taken a deep long breath.
"Those
three women were the most powerful witches of our clan. During all their long
lives they have been serving as vessels to some great powers that needed to
be discovered and improved in order to be on their perfect shape when the
chosen arrived. When you arrived Lea. That night on the ritual they gave you
these powers. They gave you all they knew and all they had, they gave you
all the magic that run through their blood."
She
was shocked. Although she had heard her mother telling the most weird tales
about the gypsies she always took them as a kind of fairy tales, and now they
were happening to her. But Nariel went on.
"They
were only able to do that cause you are the real powerful one. They were only
vessels that worked to the PTB and kept your magic safe until you were ready
to take control. The ritual was too intense Lea... they were returning parts
of your soul to you, parts that not even you knew were missing."
She
raised slowly and pressed her back against the cold wall.
"Are
you trying to tell me that up to know I was not a whole person? That there
were some parts of me that I have never met? Ohh, this is insane!"
"I
know, but tell me. Did you ever feel like a real gypsy? Did you feel you belong
to the Roma people? Weren't you ashamed of your origin?"
She
nodded.
"So,
can you tell me you were complete, favorita?"
It
was all so crazy that she broke out in nervous laughter. She had been incomplete
until now. All the loneliness she felt for all those years since her parents
died was explained now. The total indifference about Iago's harsh words about
her being a coward for turning her back on the clan and on her duties. The
way Nira never pushed her to come back home. How was she supposed to tell
Riley that he had fell in love with an incomplete woman? And how would she
tell him that she was different now?
As
all these thoughts run through Lea's head, Nariel was answering his cell phone.
"Yes?
Looking for me? Who is it? Okay, I am on my way."
She
raised her eyes to him.
"Are
you leaving me alone to deal with this?"
"You
need to rest, childe. I will come back tomorrow and take you for a walk. There
are some books on the living room that may interest you." Before leaving
her bedroom he added. "That man of yours has been raising hell here trying
to get to you."
She
smiled faintly. "I can't talk to him, can I?"
"No,
but I can. Any messages?"
"Tell
him I love him even more. And that now Sunnydale is my own private nightmare
also. He will understand."
Shacking
his head the vampire answered.
"I
bet he will."
Turnaround,
bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart
*************
Riley
and Nariel talked for almost one hour. Without letting Riley know his true
nature, Nariel told him that he was Lea's mentor and that he would instruct
her into gypsy lore. He knew that due the boy's past experience he would never
understand how a vampire could be a good creature. Due to the fact he lived
in the Hellmouth, Riley had only met souless vampires and the only one that
had a soul also had his ex-girlfriend's heart. But Riley surprised him.
"Tell
me one thing, Nariel. Are you the elder that Drusilla keeps mentioning? Cause
I guess that only being a vampire you would be able to, uh, talk to her mind.
Am I right?"
Speechless,
Nariel tried to find something to tell him, but Riley went on.
"Cause,
you see, I had serious problems with vampires. My ex-girlfriend loved one,
another one revealed my dark secrets to her and I lost her trust in me. And
those dark secrets of mine were related to vampires also. So, I have a pretty
bad history with your people but as you are the only one near my girl, I am
willing to give it another try. Will you keep me informed?"
Nariel
knew that this Riley over the phone was already a grown up man, in military
command and he was happy that Lea had this man to take care of her. He cleaned
his throat.
"You
can bet my 800 years that I will. And if I don't, you can always trust Drusilla.
I know she is crazy, but back then when she was alive she had a pure and lovingly
heart. And I don't think that she lost it completely."
Once
both man and vampire were satisfied, they said their good-byes and hang up
the phone.
************
Sunnydale
Xander
still didn't believe he actually stopped Willow from running into Riley. It
was a new thing for him, having secrets to his best friend. He was not used
to hide anything from Will, but that was Riley. Since Buffy arrived in Sunnydale,
Riley was the closest Xander ever get to a guy-to-guy friendship. Of course,
before Buffy there was Jeff, but he was ashes now, and it was not the kind
of buddy Xander wanted.
During
several years he had lived surronded by the girls. Ah, there was a dead boy
and a werewolf also, but they were never like his own friends. No, Xander
was a lady´s man, and up to now Riley Finn was the one who had most
related with him.
Both
could breath, both loved Buffy almost to the edge of dying for her, and both
have lost her to Angel. Both men had suffered but Riley had the guts to leave.
Alexander LaVelle Harris stayed on the Hellmouth to suffer and to keep the
show going on, but still he wished he could have left that place and tried
to live a normal life.
He
turned and watched as Anya slept peacefully by his side.
*
Is this what I really want? *
Then
he remembered what he saw a few days ago on Giles´ house and couldn't
avoid the bitter taste that came to his mouth. They had tried to fool him
with lies about missing Buffy and being worried, but Xander knew it long before
they've ever dreamt about it. He knew that Tara would never make Will happy
and that since his friend had seen Giles singing she had gone head over hells
by the old man. And that was the main reason he stopped her from meeting Riley.
He would not let her use his friend as a cover for her situation. He would
not let her vent on him just because the guy had courage enough to leave the
girl he loved and start a new life. Just because he looked for a woman that
loved him just the way he was.
Xander
looked at Anya again and something clicked inside his head.
*
A woman who loved him just the way he was. *
That
was what everybody looked for in life. And right now he had his woman laying
beside him. He would no more worry about Buffy and Dead Boy, Will and G-man.
He would do exactly what his friend Riley had done: move on. And next time
he spotted Riley on his patrols he would sure talk to him. He would sure thank
him.
And
I need you now tonight
And I need you more than ever
And If you only hold me tight
We'll be holding on forever
And we'll only be making it right
Cause we'll never be wrong
Together we can make it to the end of the line
Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time
I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark
We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks
I really need you tonight
Forever's gonna start tonight (2x)
Once
upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
There's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart
Once upon a time there was light in my life
Now there's only love in the dark
Nothing I can say
Total eclipse of the heart
And the months passed by. Fast and merciless, yet slowly and blessed.
TBC
