Willow felt like she'd been used as a punching bag. Every muscle and bone ached, and her skin felt almost raw. Her eyes stung, and her head throbbed, certain signs that she'd over exerted herself. She'd tapped something, some powerful magics... powerful, dangerous magics. Part of her wondered where that had come from, had it been the Hellmouth? The power of nature? Another part was simply trying to decide if she was glad to have survived the experience. As much as everything hurt, it was not an easy decision.
A shower didn't exactly make her feel better, but she took one anyhow, feeling as if the dust was grating on her skin like sandpaper. The water drops stung against her skin, and she felt as if the water was pounding mercilessly on her. Clean clothing helped a little, and she mae her very slow way downstairs, hoping that nobody had been killed even as she wondered how she'd got here.
Downstairs, she found Charlie and Suzie eating stacks of pancakes, Suzie's topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Spike had a container of blood out, sipping at it carefully, his expression tautly blank. Willow knew that he was trying to hide the pain, and she could still see the bruises on his chest. Everyone seemed to be getting along well... or at least not fighting at the moment.
"So, how did they take the news?" She directed her question towards Spike even as she took the chair away from the rest of them. The mingled scents of pancakes, strawberries and blood made her stomach twist and heave in an unpleasant fashion.
"They were pretty surprised. Think Weasley over there was debating making a run for it, but he didn't. Guess I am in the books... Makes me feel all threatening again." He had a small smile, one that said he was going to savor the feeling while it lasted.
Charlie looked over at her, his eyes filled with confusion and hinting that he felt rather worse for wear as well. "Willow... why were you out walking with a vampire? He's dangerous."
Spike grinned, pointing a thumb at Charlie. "Listen to him, Red. I'm dangerous. I'm the big bad."
Looking over at Spike, she shook her head. "You're gloating that he's scared of you. Yes, I know that Spike's a vampire, and that he's dangerous. We've got sort of an agreement, so he's not going to be hurting me. Even if he did, he umm... well maybe I shouldn't go there. But, has anything been done about the dragon?" Maybe it wouldn't help her case that she wasn't afraid of Spike if she mentioned that he wouldn't kill her, he'd turn her. She didn't think Charlie would think that was very reassuring.
Suzie answered, her soft voice reminding Willow just a bit of Dru. "Nothing's been done about the dragon. She's very big, and very heavy. They were hoping that you would have an idea."
Willow sighed, feeling like she should have known. "Well... how badly does the preserve want their dragon back?"
Charlie gave a smile. "Badly. I've been given a few papers that say any reasonable request I make has to be cooperated with."
Willow gave a small, weak smile, her head still throbbing. "Okay... we put her into a big crate and have her shipped by boat back to Europe, and have someone in the Magical administration that can be trusted pick her up and arrange for her to be transported to the preserve. Then someone should be able to break the spell, or let a guy dragon help her out of it... and the problem is solved."
Suzie gave a giggle, eyes dancing with amusement. "Are you matchmaking for Maleficent?"
Charlie grinned at the idea as well. "How do we get her onto a boat? The Magical Bureau doesn't handle ocean-shipping."
She waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Not a problem. I just use the computer and change the records of a boat going the right way to include one large box in their manifest, and away she goes. The hard part will be boxing her up and getting her over to the docks while all of us are magically wrung dry."
Spike just laughed, his expression full of amusement. "Not going to be a problem, Red. I'll just go take shameless advantage of the fact that the demon population wants that dragon gone and they'll box her up and have a bloody huge crate on the docks. All you have to do is get the matter of computer records fixed, and it'll be set. That dragon had them scared."
Charlie blinked. "That's... not the type of help I'd even considered. You really think it'll work?"
"That they'll box up the dragon if it'll get her gone for good? Hell yes it'll work." Spike gave a small, dry chuckle as he sipped at his blood. He didn't look very happy. Then, he glanced over at Suzie, and quickly glanced away again, his foot swinging against the chair.
Willow smiled, suddenly understanding. Spike wanted Suzie, wanted to stay with her, to court her... and most likely to shag her, as he would put it. If the dragon had been dealt with, Suzie wouldn't have any reason to stay here. Neither would Charlie... "Well, if you're supposed to make sure that Maleficent gets back, maybe... maybe we should go on the boat with her? Make sure nothing happens or anything. And Suzie needs a new wand, and it's been over a century since Spi... William had one. Maybe I could get a little real advice on my own, since you both seem to be in such good control of yours."
Charlie looked at her, a warm smile on his face. "I think that's a good idea. I'd be happy to help you learn... and if you can spare the time to go... Well, Suzie and I couldn't contain Maleficent on our own."
Spike grinned, his eyes almost glowing with happiness. "I like that plan, besides, Sunnyhell isn't good for the health."
Willow managed not to laugh. "So, we all go to Romania to see Maleficent home? And then... what happens then?"
Charlie walked over, sitting beside her. "Then, I help make sure you have everything you need, and we let Suzie and William try a little romance... and let Maleficent go back to her unquestioned rule o a small corner of the forest. Maybe something like... We all lived happily ever after?"
"Isn't that how fairy tales end?" Spike was clearly amused.
It was all wonderful, and funny, except for the fact that her body still ached. "Well, this has all the trappings of a fairy tale. Magic spells, a dangerous dragon, brave adventures from a far away land, and the chance for true love. Why not try to live happily ever after?"
Since everyone rather liked the idea of happily after, they agreed to try. And Spike had been accurate in his prediction of the reaction of the demons to Maleficent, and she had been boxed and on the docks in no time, Sunnydale Denial preventing the general population from knowing anything over than a series of fires, the police investigating in 'an effort to find the arsonist'. Travel to Romania sounded like the perfect way for her to get over 'her Oz-missage' as Buffy put it, the blonde entirely missing the fact that Charlie seemed to be pulling her out of that all on his own.
So they sailed away, into the future. Escorting a dragon back to her proper home, and hoping for a chance at happiness.
end Let Sleeping Dragons Lie.
A shower didn't exactly make her feel better, but she took one anyhow, feeling as if the dust was grating on her skin like sandpaper. The water drops stung against her skin, and she felt as if the water was pounding mercilessly on her. Clean clothing helped a little, and she mae her very slow way downstairs, hoping that nobody had been killed even as she wondered how she'd got here.
Downstairs, she found Charlie and Suzie eating stacks of pancakes, Suzie's topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Spike had a container of blood out, sipping at it carefully, his expression tautly blank. Willow knew that he was trying to hide the pain, and she could still see the bruises on his chest. Everyone seemed to be getting along well... or at least not fighting at the moment.
"So, how did they take the news?" She directed her question towards Spike even as she took the chair away from the rest of them. The mingled scents of pancakes, strawberries and blood made her stomach twist and heave in an unpleasant fashion.
"They were pretty surprised. Think Weasley over there was debating making a run for it, but he didn't. Guess I am in the books... Makes me feel all threatening again." He had a small smile, one that said he was going to savor the feeling while it lasted.
Charlie looked over at her, his eyes filled with confusion and hinting that he felt rather worse for wear as well. "Willow... why were you out walking with a vampire? He's dangerous."
Spike grinned, pointing a thumb at Charlie. "Listen to him, Red. I'm dangerous. I'm the big bad."
Looking over at Spike, she shook her head. "You're gloating that he's scared of you. Yes, I know that Spike's a vampire, and that he's dangerous. We've got sort of an agreement, so he's not going to be hurting me. Even if he did, he umm... well maybe I shouldn't go there. But, has anything been done about the dragon?" Maybe it wouldn't help her case that she wasn't afraid of Spike if she mentioned that he wouldn't kill her, he'd turn her. She didn't think Charlie would think that was very reassuring.
Suzie answered, her soft voice reminding Willow just a bit of Dru. "Nothing's been done about the dragon. She's very big, and very heavy. They were hoping that you would have an idea."
Willow sighed, feeling like she should have known. "Well... how badly does the preserve want their dragon back?"
Charlie gave a smile. "Badly. I've been given a few papers that say any reasonable request I make has to be cooperated with."
Willow gave a small, weak smile, her head still throbbing. "Okay... we put her into a big crate and have her shipped by boat back to Europe, and have someone in the Magical administration that can be trusted pick her up and arrange for her to be transported to the preserve. Then someone should be able to break the spell, or let a guy dragon help her out of it... and the problem is solved."
Suzie gave a giggle, eyes dancing with amusement. "Are you matchmaking for Maleficent?"
Charlie grinned at the idea as well. "How do we get her onto a boat? The Magical Bureau doesn't handle ocean-shipping."
She waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Not a problem. I just use the computer and change the records of a boat going the right way to include one large box in their manifest, and away she goes. The hard part will be boxing her up and getting her over to the docks while all of us are magically wrung dry."
Spike just laughed, his expression full of amusement. "Not going to be a problem, Red. I'll just go take shameless advantage of the fact that the demon population wants that dragon gone and they'll box her up and have a bloody huge crate on the docks. All you have to do is get the matter of computer records fixed, and it'll be set. That dragon had them scared."
Charlie blinked. "That's... not the type of help I'd even considered. You really think it'll work?"
"That they'll box up the dragon if it'll get her gone for good? Hell yes it'll work." Spike gave a small, dry chuckle as he sipped at his blood. He didn't look very happy. Then, he glanced over at Suzie, and quickly glanced away again, his foot swinging against the chair.
Willow smiled, suddenly understanding. Spike wanted Suzie, wanted to stay with her, to court her... and most likely to shag her, as he would put it. If the dragon had been dealt with, Suzie wouldn't have any reason to stay here. Neither would Charlie... "Well, if you're supposed to make sure that Maleficent gets back, maybe... maybe we should go on the boat with her? Make sure nothing happens or anything. And Suzie needs a new wand, and it's been over a century since Spi... William had one. Maybe I could get a little real advice on my own, since you both seem to be in such good control of yours."
Charlie looked at her, a warm smile on his face. "I think that's a good idea. I'd be happy to help you learn... and if you can spare the time to go... Well, Suzie and I couldn't contain Maleficent on our own."
Spike grinned, his eyes almost glowing with happiness. "I like that plan, besides, Sunnyhell isn't good for the health."
Willow managed not to laugh. "So, we all go to Romania to see Maleficent home? And then... what happens then?"
Charlie walked over, sitting beside her. "Then, I help make sure you have everything you need, and we let Suzie and William try a little romance... and let Maleficent go back to her unquestioned rule o a small corner of the forest. Maybe something like... We all lived happily ever after?"
"Isn't that how fairy tales end?" Spike was clearly amused.
It was all wonderful, and funny, except for the fact that her body still ached. "Well, this has all the trappings of a fairy tale. Magic spells, a dangerous dragon, brave adventures from a far away land, and the chance for true love. Why not try to live happily ever after?"
Since everyone rather liked the idea of happily after, they agreed to try. And Spike had been accurate in his prediction of the reaction of the demons to Maleficent, and she had been boxed and on the docks in no time, Sunnydale Denial preventing the general population from knowing anything over than a series of fires, the police investigating in 'an effort to find the arsonist'. Travel to Romania sounded like the perfect way for her to get over 'her Oz-missage' as Buffy put it, the blonde entirely missing the fact that Charlie seemed to be pulling her out of that all on his own.
So they sailed away, into the future. Escorting a dragon back to her proper home, and hoping for a chance at happiness.
end Let Sleeping Dragons Lie.
