Disclaimer: With the exception of Aurora Halley, all characters in this story belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
This takes place sometime between Season 3's "Tomorrow" and Season 4's "Deep Down."
Feedback sent to slayerbelle@go.com would be much appreciated.
CHAPTER 5
The Mission
Bartending was a skill she picked up in Sunnydale, when she took on the mission of protecting Buffy. Without her family behind her she had no source of income, and no way to maintain a standard of living even in that literal hellhole. On the other hand, motels were cheap, and job vacancies were abundant (high mortality rate and all).
"When I moved back to LA," she continued to Wesley, as the city emerged from beyond the ocean vistas, "I took a parttime job at a bar outside of the city. Mostly weekends. I had been there once or twice before, caused a little commotion while practicing magic. Anyway, people remembered me. When I began working there, I had a little bit of a reputation."
"You've been studying magic on your own?" he asked, a bit guilty now that he never knew this about her.
"Here and there. Apparently when the natural skill's been taken from you, it takes a while to get used to it again," she said. "But I was learning, little by little. I wanted to get it all back. Sometimes I think I'm on the verge of feeling again."
"Feeling" meant back in the day, Aurora could feel despair in people. And she would fix it. The talent used to confine itself to the despair of one man (Angel) but sometimes she could channel it toward other people. Upon losing this gift Aurora felt the phantom limb sometimes, and so acutely that she thought she was either getting it back or going insane.
"I would pick up on people sometimes. It's silly, but I would get the strangest things right. Woman's crying, I'd tell her that her son's expecting her call. She'd feel better. I started to get a reputation, people would go there, ask me what they have to do. What they need to do. I didn't get it all right, but they kind of knew I was still learning, so they stayed for the drinks. Sometimes I could freeze water right before their eyes. It was that underground kind of bar anyway, and they took that kind of stuff in stride.
"Anyway, a few days ago this woman walks into the bar. She asks if I know how to find people in other dimensions."
Wesley straightened up in the passenger seat, curious at the familiarity of the request. "Well do you?"
Aurora laughed. "No, I didn't even think that was possible. I apologized to her, sorry I couldn't help, have a drink on the house. And then, I felt it. Are you familiar with my family's concept of the danuk, Wesley?"
"Economy of life force. Yes, somewhat."
"When you take something from someone, be it a prized possession, or his dignity, or his life, you carry with you a part of his danuk. It imposes itself on your own. On some people it's a trophy, on others it's a curse."
At this, Aurora pulled over, in front of a row ofwarehouses just off the carnival by the pier. The jovial music and the lights were bleeding into this desolated place. He could see now just how tired, and apparently confused, she still was.
"I felt Angel's danuk. I felt it emanating from her. I had never seen this woman, I don't know who she is, and I didn't know if I had just been around Angel that long or I was imagining it. But when Rebecca told me about her vision, that Angel was missing, I suddenly knew that she had something to do with it."
"And that's why we're here?" Wesley pointed to the closest warehouse. "I assume this is where we can find her."
"This is where we can find her."
But Aurora still did not leave the car.
"Wesley," she said. "I felt your danuk in her too."
It sounded like a confession. "Justine," he whispered.
"It was even stronger than Angel's. She took more from you, this woman."
He felt the inevitability of his choice bearing down on him, again. "Why didn't you tell me this to begin with, Aurora?"
"I wanted it to be your choice. God knows the situation would appeal to your sense of revenge."
"Justice."
"Semantics."
He took a deep breath. It was steadier now. With purpose. "I've already said yes, Aurora."
"OK then." She reached over next to him and unlatched the glove compartment. Inside were two wooden stakes. "She's being held in there by three, maybe five vamps. They were none too happy when she trashed their nest a few months back. You ready for this?"
To save the life of the woman who nearly killed him? To coerce her into saving the life of the man who nearly killed him?
"When this is over," he said, taking one of the stakes into his hand, "I'm finding a new mission."
Aurora kissed him on the cheek and picked up her own stake. "When this is over, you won't have to."
THE END.
This takes place sometime between Season 3's "Tomorrow" and Season 4's "Deep Down."
Feedback sent to slayerbelle@go.com would be much appreciated.
CHAPTER 5
The Mission
Bartending was a skill she picked up in Sunnydale, when she took on the mission of protecting Buffy. Without her family behind her she had no source of income, and no way to maintain a standard of living even in that literal hellhole. On the other hand, motels were cheap, and job vacancies were abundant (high mortality rate and all).
"When I moved back to LA," she continued to Wesley, as the city emerged from beyond the ocean vistas, "I took a parttime job at a bar outside of the city. Mostly weekends. I had been there once or twice before, caused a little commotion while practicing magic. Anyway, people remembered me. When I began working there, I had a little bit of a reputation."
"You've been studying magic on your own?" he asked, a bit guilty now that he never knew this about her.
"Here and there. Apparently when the natural skill's been taken from you, it takes a while to get used to it again," she said. "But I was learning, little by little. I wanted to get it all back. Sometimes I think I'm on the verge of feeling again."
"Feeling" meant back in the day, Aurora could feel despair in people. And she would fix it. The talent used to confine itself to the despair of one man (Angel) but sometimes she could channel it toward other people. Upon losing this gift Aurora felt the phantom limb sometimes, and so acutely that she thought she was either getting it back or going insane.
"I would pick up on people sometimes. It's silly, but I would get the strangest things right. Woman's crying, I'd tell her that her son's expecting her call. She'd feel better. I started to get a reputation, people would go there, ask me what they have to do. What they need to do. I didn't get it all right, but they kind of knew I was still learning, so they stayed for the drinks. Sometimes I could freeze water right before their eyes. It was that underground kind of bar anyway, and they took that kind of stuff in stride.
"Anyway, a few days ago this woman walks into the bar. She asks if I know how to find people in other dimensions."
Wesley straightened up in the passenger seat, curious at the familiarity of the request. "Well do you?"
Aurora laughed. "No, I didn't even think that was possible. I apologized to her, sorry I couldn't help, have a drink on the house. And then, I felt it. Are you familiar with my family's concept of the danuk, Wesley?"
"Economy of life force. Yes, somewhat."
"When you take something from someone, be it a prized possession, or his dignity, or his life, you carry with you a part of his danuk. It imposes itself on your own. On some people it's a trophy, on others it's a curse."
At this, Aurora pulled over, in front of a row ofwarehouses just off the carnival by the pier. The jovial music and the lights were bleeding into this desolated place. He could see now just how tired, and apparently confused, she still was.
"I felt Angel's danuk. I felt it emanating from her. I had never seen this woman, I don't know who she is, and I didn't know if I had just been around Angel that long or I was imagining it. But when Rebecca told me about her vision, that Angel was missing, I suddenly knew that she had something to do with it."
"And that's why we're here?" Wesley pointed to the closest warehouse. "I assume this is where we can find her."
"This is where we can find her."
But Aurora still did not leave the car.
"Wesley," she said. "I felt your danuk in her too."
It sounded like a confession. "Justine," he whispered.
"It was even stronger than Angel's. She took more from you, this woman."
He felt the inevitability of his choice bearing down on him, again. "Why didn't you tell me this to begin with, Aurora?"
"I wanted it to be your choice. God knows the situation would appeal to your sense of revenge."
"Justice."
"Semantics."
He took a deep breath. It was steadier now. With purpose. "I've already said yes, Aurora."
"OK then." She reached over next to him and unlatched the glove compartment. Inside were two wooden stakes. "She's being held in there by three, maybe five vamps. They were none too happy when she trashed their nest a few months back. You ready for this?"
To save the life of the woman who nearly killed him? To coerce her into saving the life of the man who nearly killed him?
"When this is over," he said, taking one of the stakes into his hand, "I'm finding a new mission."
Aurora kissed him on the cheek and picked up her own stake. "When this is over, you won't have to."
THE END.
