Willow's eyes flew open, and she stared in shock at Xander. "You," She whispered. "You were there."
Giles asked, "You saw Xander?"
Xander asked, wondering what the hell was going on. "How, Will? This is the present. That's back in the twenties."
She shook her head, "Thirties, and I saw you."
Xander glanced at Giles, "Help me out here."
"Maybe you simply had Xander on your mind, and you inserted him there?"
She pressed on insistently, "But he was there, Giles. I know it."
"I'm not Gregory." He replied, and added, "And wouldn't I be super old and wrinkly now if I were?" Willow still looked pretty shaken, and Xander asked, "You want me to give you a lift? I'm sure Anya won't mind. The store's not closing for a couple of hours anyway."
She glanced at him, and then slowly nodded. "I'm just wigged, that's all." She took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, "I'm going to go online, and see what I can find about them."
Xander then suggested, "Got an idea. How about we grab some coffee on the way to your place, and I'll help you look?"
Willow glanced at him, "Um, isn't that how it started with Gregory and Catherine?"
"I'm not Gregory." Xander repeated, and added, "Anyway, you know me. We get coffee all the time. How's this gonna be different?"
Willow sighed, "Ok." For a second, she wished she was still a witch. If he did try something, she could stop him. *Whoa, this is _Xander._ He's as harmless as a puppy dog. This whole past life thing just has you freaked. *
They grabbed a couple cups of coffee from the Espresso Pump, and went to her apartment. Buffy had kicked her out of the house after the fiasco with that magic dealer, and Dawn getting hurt. With Giles and Xander's help, she was able to afford a small place since it was too late in the semester to get a dorm room or an apartment with the University. She even had a part-time job at the University's bookstore now to help pay the bills.
She booted up her laptop, and went online. She then started researching records. It was hard going, but luckily organizations had started transferring archived material online for safer keeping.
"I found something," she replied, and brought a page with a newspaper article. It was dated April 20th, 1933, and the headline read, Herschel Murder Trial Begins Today. There was a picture of Gregory, and Catherine in it. Gregory looked like Xander, only a couple of years older, with a mustache, and a haircut of the time. Catherine, however, resembled an older version of Willow, and her hair was cut into a softly curled bob. Xander came over, and skimmed over it with her.
'The trial of Dr. Gregory Herschel vs. the State of New York commences today. Herschel is suspected for the murder of his wife, Catherine, who was savagely stabbed and slashed repeatedly with a curved dirk knife on October 16th, 1932. The body was found with sections of the torso missing, and brutal cuts over a large part of the body. Dr. Gregory was located in the same room as the body, and his condition was described as being in shock. His fingerprints were the only ones upon the weapon, and it was rumored that Catherine might have been having an affair at the time of the murder.'
"Oh god," Xander said, swallowing sickly. Willow's face, already somewhat light in complexion, had paled further. She quietly said,
"Um, Xander? Could you back away a little?"
Xander turned his head toward her, "Why? What's wrong?"
"Maybe you should go now. I can look on my own." She softly replied.
Xander stared at her, "You're afraid of me?"
"No, that's not it."
He nodded, "Yeah, you are." He then stepped back, and harshly said, "Alright, fine. I better leave you before I get all psychotic, and start hacking and slashing."
"That's not what I meant." She argued.
He yelled back, "Then what, Willow? Don't you know me at all?" He then muttered disgustedly, "That's great, you're more afraid of your best friend than of vampires and demons?"
"No," she whispered.
"I get it. It happened before, so I better go, before I kill you." He then got in her face, and yelled more. "Or maybe I should give you my gun so in case I try to sneak in, you can blow my head off, ok?"
Close to tears, she cried, "Stop it!"
Xander then collapsed, seeing the frightened look on her face. He realized he was sounding a bit like his father just then. He then went over, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said, soothingly. "I would never hurt you, Catherine."
Willow pushed him away, and he shouted at the same time, "Oh my God!" He likewise backed away from her, the pair staring at each other in disbelief.
Giles asked, "You saw Xander?"
Xander asked, wondering what the hell was going on. "How, Will? This is the present. That's back in the twenties."
She shook her head, "Thirties, and I saw you."
Xander glanced at Giles, "Help me out here."
"Maybe you simply had Xander on your mind, and you inserted him there?"
She pressed on insistently, "But he was there, Giles. I know it."
"I'm not Gregory." He replied, and added, "And wouldn't I be super old and wrinkly now if I were?" Willow still looked pretty shaken, and Xander asked, "You want me to give you a lift? I'm sure Anya won't mind. The store's not closing for a couple of hours anyway."
She glanced at him, and then slowly nodded. "I'm just wigged, that's all." She took in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, "I'm going to go online, and see what I can find about them."
Xander then suggested, "Got an idea. How about we grab some coffee on the way to your place, and I'll help you look?"
Willow glanced at him, "Um, isn't that how it started with Gregory and Catherine?"
"I'm not Gregory." Xander repeated, and added, "Anyway, you know me. We get coffee all the time. How's this gonna be different?"
Willow sighed, "Ok." For a second, she wished she was still a witch. If he did try something, she could stop him. *Whoa, this is _Xander._ He's as harmless as a puppy dog. This whole past life thing just has you freaked. *
They grabbed a couple cups of coffee from the Espresso Pump, and went to her apartment. Buffy had kicked her out of the house after the fiasco with that magic dealer, and Dawn getting hurt. With Giles and Xander's help, she was able to afford a small place since it was too late in the semester to get a dorm room or an apartment with the University. She even had a part-time job at the University's bookstore now to help pay the bills.
She booted up her laptop, and went online. She then started researching records. It was hard going, but luckily organizations had started transferring archived material online for safer keeping.
"I found something," she replied, and brought a page with a newspaper article. It was dated April 20th, 1933, and the headline read, Herschel Murder Trial Begins Today. There was a picture of Gregory, and Catherine in it. Gregory looked like Xander, only a couple of years older, with a mustache, and a haircut of the time. Catherine, however, resembled an older version of Willow, and her hair was cut into a softly curled bob. Xander came over, and skimmed over it with her.
'The trial of Dr. Gregory Herschel vs. the State of New York commences today. Herschel is suspected for the murder of his wife, Catherine, who was savagely stabbed and slashed repeatedly with a curved dirk knife on October 16th, 1932. The body was found with sections of the torso missing, and brutal cuts over a large part of the body. Dr. Gregory was located in the same room as the body, and his condition was described as being in shock. His fingerprints were the only ones upon the weapon, and it was rumored that Catherine might have been having an affair at the time of the murder.'
"Oh god," Xander said, swallowing sickly. Willow's face, already somewhat light in complexion, had paled further. She quietly said,
"Um, Xander? Could you back away a little?"
Xander turned his head toward her, "Why? What's wrong?"
"Maybe you should go now. I can look on my own." She softly replied.
Xander stared at her, "You're afraid of me?"
"No, that's not it."
He nodded, "Yeah, you are." He then stepped back, and harshly said, "Alright, fine. I better leave you before I get all psychotic, and start hacking and slashing."
"That's not what I meant." She argued.
He yelled back, "Then what, Willow? Don't you know me at all?" He then muttered disgustedly, "That's great, you're more afraid of your best friend than of vampires and demons?"
"No," she whispered.
"I get it. It happened before, so I better go, before I kill you." He then got in her face, and yelled more. "Or maybe I should give you my gun so in case I try to sneak in, you can blow my head off, ok?"
Close to tears, she cried, "Stop it!"
Xander then collapsed, seeing the frightened look on her face. He realized he was sounding a bit like his father just then. He then went over, and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said, soothingly. "I would never hurt you, Catherine."
Willow pushed him away, and he shouted at the same time, "Oh my God!" He likewise backed away from her, the pair staring at each other in disbelief.