Chapter Nine - A Tangled Web
Quentin Travers stepped through the back door of the
small dwelling and walked through to the front of the
house as if he owned it. He didn't but the Council did
which was nearly the same thing.
"What is happening?" he asked the couple on the front
porch. He was careful not to step out of the shadow onto
the porch itself in case he was seen
"Ah. Mr. Travers good to see you again."
"Don't turn around you old fool. What is happening at
the Summers house?"
"It's very interesting tonight," said the wife.
"They came all came in about half an hour ago. There
was a new face amongst the usual group and a few old faces
we haven't seen in a while."
"That nice big stupid looking boy was back. I've
always liked him," said the wife mostly to herself.
"What has happened since?"
"Well, the house lights went off and the basement
light went on. There was a young man in the bushes but he
hurt himself trying to get over the fence and he went
home."
"Silly boy," tsk'd the old woman. Needs a girlfriend
that boy does."
"I will return soon. Keep watching."
"You know we will Mr. Travers."
"Popcorn Mr. Travers? It's rather good." The old man
stretched out his arm only half as far as he could and
retracted it as Quentin reached for the buttery snack. For
a moment Quentin was fully visible in the doorway.
"You're idiots!" he snapped angrily from the shadows
and was gone.
The old couple had a good cackle at his expense. He
always fell for that one.
"Well," the wife whispered to the husband, "I guess
I'll go over and give the young ones a hand."
**********************
Everyone was gathered in the basement of the Summers
basement. Buffy was holding court in the center of the
room.
In front of her on three plastic garden chairs were
Katherine Madison, Willow and Dawn. Dawn had an arm around
Willow and was comforting the freaked out young woman.
Xander was sitting just to Buffy's right. Spike had hung
round basically because this whole drama seemed to be
amusing him terribly. He was pacing back and forth with a
cigarette between his lips and a huge grin on his face.
In the corner of the room at the bottom of the stairs
Tara and Amy were standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder
staring at the seated woman. Faith was reclining at the
bottom of the steps up to the first floor eating an apple
with a huge carving knife that was more usually used for
cooked meats and not fruit.
Angel completed the group. He was at the back of the
room sitting on a bench. His back was against the wall and
one foot was up on the work surface, he was mostly in
shadow. Only the well-polished toe of one boot could be
seen.
Buffy had given him a look as they had filed into the
basement. He could not tell exactly what it had been about
nor what she wanted from him but the message that she had
something on her mind she only wanted him in on was
conveyed. He was trying to act relaxed but internally he
was wound tight and ready for the slightest sign from
Buffy.
Buffy scraped her own chair across the floor and
after turning it one hundred and eighty degrees sat down.
She rested her elbows on the back of the seat and stared
at the three women seated before her. No one said
anything; they were waiting for the Slayer to speak first.
She took her time.
"Something here stinks," she said.
"I don't know what it is yet, but we're not leaving
this room until we've sorted it out. So, bear with me
while I sort this out in my head."
"Faith, you kidnapped Dawn and Willow under the
Council's orders and brought them to Spikes crypt. There
you performed a spell that released Katherine Madison from
Willows body and released Willow from the statue she had
been trapped in for the last five years. Now, before us we
see a Willow who mentally hasn't aged one day. Since when
did you start casting spells Faith? Take a couple of Wicca
classes in the L.A. penitentiary?
"Back off B. The Council gave me the spell and I
didn't kidnap anyone. The council did it and brought them
to me."
"That's very interesting. Willow?"
The young woman started. She shifted obviously being
uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. "Yes?" She said.
"So, you're the real Willow then. The Willow I knew
for only a few weeks five years ago. That means that we
all made friends with another person. Oz and Tara fell in
love with someone completely different. Your mother in
fact, Amy."
"She managed to fool everyone when she pretended to
be me," said Amy.
"That's true, but we hardly knew you Amy. Xander, do
you think you could have been fooled all these years?
Don't you think you would have noticed any difference?"
"I don't know," he said. "It's bothering me to think
about it."
"I think what you actually mean is that you don't buy
it. You don't want to look and listen to Willow and think
that she's not who she says she is, especially when she
has been through what she says she has. You don't buy it.
I can see it in your eyes.
Xander looked at the ground.
"Yeah. I don't buy that that wasn't Willow all these
years. It could have happened."
"But you don't buy it. So, who, or what, are you
Willow?"
Willow began to cry.
"Buffy," said Dawn,. "Stop. She doesn't understand
what's happening."
"Shut up, Dawn."
"Hey, Slayer, calm down."
"Spike. I've only let you stay because you've been
silent so far. Interrupt me again and I'm going to break
your jaw."
Willow was burbling uncontrollably now.
"Tara. You've been very quiet. What do you make of
all this?"
"I..I…don't know. I..I…can't believe th…that that's
not Wu…Willow. Did? Did I fall in love with th..the wrong
p…person?"
"Stammering a bit more than usual tonight, Tara. I
think I would be happier if you went and stood behind
Katherine, Willow and Dawn."
"Buffy what's going on?" asked Dawn.
"You tell ME what's going on whatever you are."
"Slayer, go easy on the little one. I mean it."
"What've you got on your mind, B?"
"I'll tell you Faith. I can hardly believe I'm saying
this, but you and Spike are two of the few people in this
room I'm sure are not lying to me."
Tara hadn't moved from beside Amy. "Tara, please
stand where I told you."
"W…why?"
"Because, this all started when you phoned me to tell
me that Willow had been kidnapped after shouting Dawn's
name. Then the story moves to Faith who was brought Dawn
and Willow to do the spell on by the council. She only had
their word that it actually was Willow and Dawn and that
the spell actually did what they said. Something happened
before Faith got involved. Right Tara?"
Tara glared at the Slayer. Moving faster than Faith
could react she plucked the carving knife from Faith's
hand and grabbing Amy by the shoulders put the knife to
the witch's throat.
Buffy didn't move one muscle. Angel withdrew the tip
of his boot from the light and slipped completely into the
dark.
"This is just some distraction isn't it? Who, or
what, in the hell are you four?" asked Buffy, indicating
Katherine, Willow, Dawn and Tara. What the Hell are the
Council doing with the real Willow, Tara and my sister?"
No one spoke. Seconds later, the silence was broken
by the doorbell.
#
Quentin Travers stepped through the back door of the
small dwelling and walked through to the front of the
house as if he owned it. He didn't but the Council did
which was nearly the same thing.
"What is happening?" he asked the couple on the front
porch. He was careful not to step out of the shadow onto
the porch itself in case he was seen
"Ah. Mr. Travers good to see you again."
"Don't turn around you old fool. What is happening at
the Summers house?"
"It's very interesting tonight," said the wife.
"They came all came in about half an hour ago. There
was a new face amongst the usual group and a few old faces
we haven't seen in a while."
"That nice big stupid looking boy was back. I've
always liked him," said the wife mostly to herself.
"What has happened since?"
"Well, the house lights went off and the basement
light went on. There was a young man in the bushes but he
hurt himself trying to get over the fence and he went
home."
"Silly boy," tsk'd the old woman. Needs a girlfriend
that boy does."
"I will return soon. Keep watching."
"You know we will Mr. Travers."
"Popcorn Mr. Travers? It's rather good." The old man
stretched out his arm only half as far as he could and
retracted it as Quentin reached for the buttery snack. For
a moment Quentin was fully visible in the doorway.
"You're idiots!" he snapped angrily from the shadows
and was gone.
The old couple had a good cackle at his expense. He
always fell for that one.
"Well," the wife whispered to the husband, "I guess
I'll go over and give the young ones a hand."
**********************
Everyone was gathered in the basement of the Summers
basement. Buffy was holding court in the center of the
room.
In front of her on three plastic garden chairs were
Katherine Madison, Willow and Dawn. Dawn had an arm around
Willow and was comforting the freaked out young woman.
Xander was sitting just to Buffy's right. Spike had hung
round basically because this whole drama seemed to be
amusing him terribly. He was pacing back and forth with a
cigarette between his lips and a huge grin on his face.
In the corner of the room at the bottom of the stairs
Tara and Amy were standing almost shoulder-to-shoulder
staring at the seated woman. Faith was reclining at the
bottom of the steps up to the first floor eating an apple
with a huge carving knife that was more usually used for
cooked meats and not fruit.
Angel completed the group. He was at the back of the
room sitting on a bench. His back was against the wall and
one foot was up on the work surface, he was mostly in
shadow. Only the well-polished toe of one boot could be
seen.
Buffy had given him a look as they had filed into the
basement. He could not tell exactly what it had been about
nor what she wanted from him but the message that she had
something on her mind she only wanted him in on was
conveyed. He was trying to act relaxed but internally he
was wound tight and ready for the slightest sign from
Buffy.
Buffy scraped her own chair across the floor and
after turning it one hundred and eighty degrees sat down.
She rested her elbows on the back of the seat and stared
at the three women seated before her. No one said
anything; they were waiting for the Slayer to speak first.
She took her time.
"Something here stinks," she said.
"I don't know what it is yet, but we're not leaving
this room until we've sorted it out. So, bear with me
while I sort this out in my head."
"Faith, you kidnapped Dawn and Willow under the
Council's orders and brought them to Spikes crypt. There
you performed a spell that released Katherine Madison from
Willows body and released Willow from the statue she had
been trapped in for the last five years. Now, before us we
see a Willow who mentally hasn't aged one day. Since when
did you start casting spells Faith? Take a couple of Wicca
classes in the L.A. penitentiary?
"Back off B. The Council gave me the spell and I
didn't kidnap anyone. The council did it and brought them
to me."
"That's very interesting. Willow?"
The young woman started. She shifted obviously being
uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. "Yes?" She said.
"So, you're the real Willow then. The Willow I knew
for only a few weeks five years ago. That means that we
all made friends with another person. Oz and Tara fell in
love with someone completely different. Your mother in
fact, Amy."
"She managed to fool everyone when she pretended to
be me," said Amy.
"That's true, but we hardly knew you Amy. Xander, do
you think you could have been fooled all these years?
Don't you think you would have noticed any difference?"
"I don't know," he said. "It's bothering me to think
about it."
"I think what you actually mean is that you don't buy
it. You don't want to look and listen to Willow and think
that she's not who she says she is, especially when she
has been through what she says she has. You don't buy it.
I can see it in your eyes.
Xander looked at the ground.
"Yeah. I don't buy that that wasn't Willow all these
years. It could have happened."
"But you don't buy it. So, who, or what, are you
Willow?"
Willow began to cry.
"Buffy," said Dawn,. "Stop. She doesn't understand
what's happening."
"Shut up, Dawn."
"Hey, Slayer, calm down."
"Spike. I've only let you stay because you've been
silent so far. Interrupt me again and I'm going to break
your jaw."
Willow was burbling uncontrollably now.
"Tara. You've been very quiet. What do you make of
all this?"
"I..I…don't know. I..I…can't believe th…that that's
not Wu…Willow. Did? Did I fall in love with th..the wrong
p…person?"
"Stammering a bit more than usual tonight, Tara. I
think I would be happier if you went and stood behind
Katherine, Willow and Dawn."
"Buffy what's going on?" asked Dawn.
"You tell ME what's going on whatever you are."
"Slayer, go easy on the little one. I mean it."
"What've you got on your mind, B?"
"I'll tell you Faith. I can hardly believe I'm saying
this, but you and Spike are two of the few people in this
room I'm sure are not lying to me."
Tara hadn't moved from beside Amy. "Tara, please
stand where I told you."
"W…why?"
"Because, this all started when you phoned me to tell
me that Willow had been kidnapped after shouting Dawn's
name. Then the story moves to Faith who was brought Dawn
and Willow to do the spell on by the council. She only had
their word that it actually was Willow and Dawn and that
the spell actually did what they said. Something happened
before Faith got involved. Right Tara?"
Tara glared at the Slayer. Moving faster than Faith
could react she plucked the carving knife from Faith's
hand and grabbing Amy by the shoulders put the knife to
the witch's throat.
Buffy didn't move one muscle. Angel withdrew the tip
of his boot from the light and slipped completely into the
dark.
"This is just some distraction isn't it? Who, or
what, in the hell are you four?" asked Buffy, indicating
Katherine, Willow, Dawn and Tara. What the Hell are the
Council doing with the real Willow, Tara and my sister?"
No one spoke. Seconds later, the silence was broken
by the doorbell.
#