Willow sighed contentedly as she considered the turns that her life had taken over the past few weeks. She had accidentally flung herself back in time, met William who wasn't calling himself Spike yet, and incinerated the building where Dru was cheating on William with Jack the Ripper. They'd walked by there last night, and the place had burned down to the ground, even the stones had cracked and shattered from the heat, and everything was blackened with soot. The air was still heavy with the scent of ashes; it had even burned away the scents of blood and fear and pain that had been so horribly thick in the old warehouse. The fire had been a clensing agent, even if it had been a terrible and destructive cleansing.
Now, she and William were lovers. He was also teaching her about the history of the Order of Aurellius, and about the laws and traditions of vampires in general. All that education was in preparation, he intended to turn her and make her his Childe, and his consort. Together, he thought that they could rule London, become a power that would set other vampires trembling. Some of the history and traditions were dark and bloody, but it was still fascinating. The idea that he wanted her to be at his side, ruling territory for the rest of time still made her heart speed up and her breath grow short. She had never felt so wanted, so desired and appreciated.
Part of her, the part that had fought so long to keep Sunnydale safe, wondered if she should be here, with a vampire that wanted to rule, a vampire that would be willing to casually kill. A soulless killer who sometimes reveled in the pain of others. The fact that he was also devastatingly attractive and intelligent and thought that she was attractive and desirable and interesting didn't make him a good guy. Nor did his occasional moments of almost human emotion, like his pain and shocked anguish at Dru's betrayal, or his concern over her injuries make him one of the good guys. A not so small part of her knew that this was what it meant to be seduced over to the dark side, and it was working.
But he wanted her to learn, to grow and understand things, to master new skills. He was teaching her history and tradition, and he'd even promised to help her improve her Greek. He had found a few books on magic so that she could try to practice and improve her skills, and didn't try to tell her that she shouldn't find a magical solution to her problems. He was encouraging her to grow, to become more than she had been, and that was something that she had wanted for a long time. She welcomed his interest like parched earth welcomes the rain, and tried her best to stay too busy to worry about the fact that he was trying... succeeding in luring her to the dark side.
She shook her head, trying to shake away the lingering feelings of guilt. She had given years to keeping people safe, to stopping horrible demons and would be End-of-the-World's. All it had gained her was injury and social ostracism, and the loss of the one guy who had ever shown an interest in her before, Oz. It wasn't as if she would be trying to destroy the world, or as if she... they would allow chaotic and vicious demons free reign to slaughter and terrorize in their domain. Why shouldn't she try to find a little happiness in her existence?
She had a flicker of memory, bright blue eyes and frost pale hair, scent of leather and cigarettes... Spike. Spike had shown some compassion for her pain, had listened as she gave voice to her pain.
Spike wouldn't be waiting for her to come back. He hated being in Giles house, hated depending on anyone else for help, for blood. Granted, he was a lot less hostile to her, listened to her talk, told her about his own pain... but that didn't mean that he would miss her. He hadn't been nearly as vicious towards her as he had to Xander or Buffy, and she had actually become quite... No. She was trying to deceive herself. Somewhere between sobbing her heart out about Oz and listening to his misery over Dru and his frustration over the chip, she had developed feelings for Spike. Now, part of her wanted to go back because he was there, even as the rest of her knew that there was no point, no hope. He had loved Dru, and wouldn't have seen her that way, right?
Growling a bit with frustration, she gestured some candles alight, and scowled at her hands. Why had she developed feelings for Spike? Why was she only figuring it out now, when she had been with William? There were differences between the two, more than just the matter of hair and clothing. Why did she feel as if she were somehow cheating on William by caring about Spike, who was his future, or alternate future self? Why did she feel as if she was cheating on Spike by being with William? She'd never had Spike, would never have him, and he'd never... there was no reason to feel that way. But emotions didn't respond to reason, she'd figured that out a long time ago.
She was here, in the late eighteen hundreds with William. He wanted her, appreciated her, and had been showing her passionate things that she had only imagined before, sometimes not even that. She wouldn't find herself magically returned to her own time, to the life she had known before. All she could do was make the best of this new life.
Things would be alright, they really would. She could learn the traditions and laws of vampires. With practice, her magic would get better, and she would be able to do even more controlled and difficult things. William was loyal, he wouldn't cheat on her, wouldn't betray her with the first skanky singer that came alone. She could make a future here, could learn to be very happy here, with William.
What Willow had no way of dreaming was that in Sunnydale, in the time that she had been gone, Spike and Giles had been searching for a way to return her. Things had also began to subtly shift, a sure sign that wherever Willow had sent herself, it had been the past, and by her presence, she had somehow changed history. They had both begun keeping small notebooks to record any changes in history and memory while still frantically searching for a way to bring Willow back.
William the Bloody was still trying to figure out why neither the Slayer or Harris remembered Dru. He'd brought her here, the Slayer had fought them both... and hadn't she tried something with the boy? The memories were fading for him, and he was finding it harder to remember things with Dru, except for her numerous betrayals, things burned so deeply and painfully into his mind and heart that he couldn't forget. For some reason, the Watcher wasn't remembering Dru very well either. He wondered exactly what that meant in regards to the changing of time that Willow seemed to have caused.
But his dreams hadn't changed. He still dreamed of HER, his vibrant, passionate goddess, as unattainable now as she had ever been. But in his dreams... oh, in his dreams she was very attainable. His sleep was filled with images of HER, images that seemed so real, so detailed that he would almost suspect that they were memories. But he had never had HER with him in London. London had been Angelus and Darla and Dru, and then himself and Dru when the older pair had separated for a while…
Giles was hopeful though. Seems being the last male Giles still alive had given him a nice inherited library, including some very nice spell books. He'd dug them out of storage, and it was possible that he might have something that could help them bring Willow back. Perhaps it was a good thing that something hadn't killed him yet, as his ancestors had been hunted down and killed.
The Slayer had come back, and she was blathering on about her new boy toy, some assistant teacher of something at her college. She also couldn't seem to remember or understand why Willow had vanished. Yes, she said that it was horrible that Oz was gone, but, Willow wouldn't run away over that, Willow didn't run. She seemed entirely oblivious to the fact that Willow had magic. Or maybe she had forgotten.
He realized that he was growling slightly as he contemplated the Slayer and the boy. Neither of them were concerned enough about Willow, they didn't seem to realize just how serious her disappearance actually was. And with this bloody chip, he couldn't even hurt them enough to make them care. Suddenly, it occurred to him. Hadn't Willow said that she'd taken up with magic after Angel's soul had gone? There was something nagging at him about the whole soul thing with his sire, it didn't sound right. Why would his sire have had a soul? When had his sire ever been a significant influence of Willow anyhow? He'd barely had any contact with anyone while he'd been in Sunnydale, essentially just wanting to ensure that Darla and the Master had been destroyed. Their deaths had left Angelus the undisputed leader of their branch of the Order. What did Angelus have to do with Willow?
"Rupert? Had a thought occur while I was growling at your daft Slayer. Do you remember Willow ever using magic? It's important, especially the way the past keeps changing on us." Internally, Spike was hoping for an answer, but he wasn't certain if he wanted Giles to say that he did remember, or that he didn't.
Giles sat down, polishing his glasses as he did. "Willow using magic... Sort of. It almost like trying to remember a dream. There was some sort of restoration ritual, but I can't remember what she was restoring. I seem to remember her casting a few relatively complex bindings, but... the only thing that I can remember clearly is the potion that revealed Miss Madison to be a witch. Maybe Jenny remembers something else."
With those words, and the renewed questions about how accurately they were remembering the past, Giles went to the kitchen to see if his wife could remember any more about Willow and magic.
end part 19.
In Sunnydale, Rupert Giles and William were trying to find a way to bring Willow back. Giles wanted her back because she was the daughter he'd always wanted, and the stabalizing influence on Buffy. He wasn't quite certain why William wanted her back, and he wasn't certain if it was a motivation from the old timeline or from the new one that they seemed to be blending over into. Giles could only hope that William didn't plan something that would hurt Willow. Just because he was chipped didn't make him harmless, and there was this nagging matter of some sort of promise that he had claimed to have made to Willow.
Giles was hoping to bring her back before the timeline shattered, or twisted so far that things would be unrecognizable. Some of the major things had remained the same so far, Jesse dying, Buffy killing both the Master and Darla, and the statue of Acathala being found in a construction site. But there seemed to be things changing. He'd had nightmares about being tied down and questioned by an unseen person for weeks after they'd destroyed Acathala. Buffy had dreams featuring a mysterious man with dark hair, somone that had helped her on patrols and stolen kisses. Nobody seemed to have any idea who he was.
It was just such a good thing that the Initiative had captured William when he'd come seeking the Gem of Amara during the teens' senior year. He'd escaped, learned that the Mayor had planned on an Ascension, and bargained his assistance in translating some books in exchange for blood and the Slayer not pursuing him while he was under the influence of whatever the soldiers had done to him. They had been reluctant to trust him at first, but he'd gradually convinced everyone that he had been truthful when he said he couldn't hurt humans. And he was quite good with languages.
Heaven only knows how they would have managed to foil the Ascension without his help. But William's motives were far from altruistic, considering that he'd said he liked the world the way it was, with Manchester United, and all the people like Happy Meals on legs. He was currently their ally, but he wasn't their friend. Except for possibly Willow. The chipped vampire had been getting to know more and more about Willow, sitting beside her at research, partnering with her on patrols, helping her train with weapons. He could still spar, as long as he wasn't actually trying to hurt his partner. Practically speaking, that left Willow, Jenny, and Xander's new girlfriend Anya.
Having consulted the Watcher's Journals, Giles had made the chilling discovery that it was all because of William the Bloody, part of the Scourge of Europe, that he was the last living Giles male. The vampire had been hunting and killing members of the Giles family for a bit over a century, and nobody knew why. He'd been afraid to ask, and intensely glad of the chip. He rather liked being alive.
Instead, he worried about how to bring Willow back to them from wherever she had ended up in the past. They would need a powerful spell, and a good helping of luck. More so because she had not been sent to a specific point. But she was needed, they were all feeling her absence. He didn't want to think what might happen to her if she wasn't brought back to her proper time, or whatever resembled it now that time and history had been altered.
He also worried about what sort of promise William could have made to Willow. He could remember the vampire mentioning this promise when he'd first come to them, shortly before the graduation. As he remembered, he'd asked Willow about it, but she hadn't known any more than he had. That troubled him more and more.
London, 1888
Willow glared at the pages before her. She was trying to decipher a bit of writing on vampire laws, but she wasn't getting very far. Either the phrasing wasn't making any sense, or she had mistranslated some of the words. "This wasn't what I'd expected when he said he'd help me improve my Greek."
Standing in the doorway, William watched her. There was a small, amused smile as he watched Willow glaring and muttering at the book, sitting in an oddly twisted posture that didn't look like it could possibly be comfortable for her, but it must have been. Why else would she have chosen to use it? He was taking delight in hearing her grumble about 'ancient vampires with terrible handwriting' and 'dratted spots on the page, what is that anyhow?'
He wondered how much of her personality would change when he turned her. Sometimes, things stayed almost the same when a person was turned, other times, only parts remained, a few things here and there. He didn't want to do without her, she was cunning, intelligent, and beautiful, with the fact that she was a powerful witch being a delightful bonus. She would make a perfect childe, and they would rule London. He just hoped that she would be as delightful to spend time with as a vampire as she was while mortal.
The time would be soon. He didn't want to risk that crazed man with the crossbow striking again, especially since his Red could die simply from loosing too much blood. Maybe he could find the man and bring him back to be his fiery Princess' first meal? Yes, that sounded very good indeed. After all, she would need someone solid for her first meal, and fear always made the blood taste a bit more intense. It was a plan then, he would turn her as soon as he caught the crossbow man.
Maybe it was time to start trying to find the man.
But for the moment, he had more immediate plans for his Willow. She was like a fiery, passionate goddess at times. So incredibly intense, and so very attainable. The idea made him smile with anticipation. The idea that he would make her his for the rest of time almost made his head spin with glee and passion. She would become part of his family, his Childe. He'd promised, after all.
end part 20.
The careful stalking of the man occupied a portion of his time, in the later parts of the night. He'd decided that it would be best to find the man and remove the threat of him swiftly, before he could cause any more problems. But the man had proved rather elusive so far, which had rapidly become a source of frustration.
William spent his evenings with his sweet Willow, teaching her the laws and traditions of vampires, helping her study Greek, and listening as she spoke of the things that she'd read about in the few books on magic and sorcery that he'd found for her. She was growing in confidence and to his eyes that only made her more desirable. She was more confident in her power, and seemed to have finally accepted the fact that there would be no returning to Sunnydale. She still occasionally seemed troubled by something, most likely the cheating bastard of a boyfriend that had broken her heart before her arrival here, in this time. What sort of person called himself Spike anyhow?
She would be his most wondrous creation. She was intelligent and cunning, able to create devious plans already. She'd mentioned some methods for removing a few threats to his territory, threats from other demons. But her plans had been marvelous examples of gaining the maximum results from a minimum of effort and risk. Her plans depended on being well prepared and playing on the weaknesses of the enemy, rather than depending solely upon her strength, or even his. If she could form such plans now, as a mortal only willing to plan the downfall of demons, rival vampires and other 'evil, nasty things', how much more delightful would her plans become when he turned her?
He found himself wondering if her delight in learning and creativity would remain, and how it would express itself after her change. Would she study torture and interrogation? Would Willow become the mistress of dark and terrible spells? She would remain powerful, that much he was certain of. He just hoped that his Childe Willow would retain the loyalty that he'd seen in her mortal behavior. If she were to prove a treacherous childe, he had no doubts that he would eventually fall. But maybe the time before that would be worth it?
But no mortal can vanish forever, and eventually, he found the man's home. It turned out that his name was Arthur Giles, and he was a Watcher, one of those insufferable meddlers that trained Slayers. He hadn't liked Watchers before, on the general principal of the whole matter, but this one... now things were much more personal. This man had shot him with some sort of specially treated bolt that had burned, and had shot and nearly killed Willow as well. It was even worse that the closest that she had to family in her own time was a man named Giles. It was an unusual coincidence, and the irony of it made his teeth itch. Best not kill the man's boy then, best let the boy grow up to father the next generation, so his Red could have her mentor in the century ahead. But this one, he'd fathered a brat or two, and he'd shot William and Willow both, neither of which had done anything to draw his attention.
It would be a pleasure to see him die. To watch him scream in fear and rage at his helplessness as lovely death claimed him. Yes, it would be the perfect first meal for his Red. All he had to do now was get him.
The proper creation of a plan forced him to spend more time away from Willow over the next few days, time in which he watched the Giles house to determine the perfect bait to lure the Watcher from his house. Simply getting an invitation inside wouldn't work, the wife was too wary, and the children too shy of strangers. Finally, the perfect idea occurred to him, and an evil looking smile spread over his face as it all became clear.
Arthur Giles fancied himself to be a defender of people, what better way to get him than by putting someone in danger? If they set fire to the neighbor's house, Arthur Giles would come out to help try to contain the fire. When he came out, he would grab him. It was not the most elegant plan, but... William was tired of spending so much time away from his Red Princess. The sooner he had Art, the sooner he could turn his Red and have her with him for the rest of forever.
The fire was set, a very smoky blaze that would cause a great deal of fear and panic, especially considering the uneasiness that had been left by Willow's wailing green fire of the warehouse, and the work of an arsonist on the East Side. Yes, fire would certainly get people's attention. It was also one of the last things that a vampire would be expected to use. It worked perfectly, sending up huge clouds of acrid smoke that burned the back of the throat and stung the eyes. It's discovery caused panicked shouts, and the nearby houses came bustling to alertness, people lighting lamps and coming out in their pajamas to try to fight the smoke and flames. Among them was Arthur Giles.
With a wicked smirk, William crept up behind the man, and slipped his arm around his throat, dragging him into the darkness with no more than a few choked noises from his prisoner.
"You didn't really think I'd given up on you? Considering the way that bloody bolt you shot me with burned... I ought to torture you until the sun comes up. Fortunately for you, I have another plan. Don't bother calling for help, I'll just kill anyone who interferes." His voice was full of sinister amusement, almost begging for the man to bring more victims, more people to fall before him.
The scent of the man's fear and his futile but enthusiastic struggles delighted William. He could feel his teeth itching with the desire to sink into the man's throat, to taste his fear... But the Watcher was for Willow. William was no fledgling unable to control his urges for even a short while. Besides, Willow would be far sweeter than this man could ever hope to be. He was still smiling, an expression of dark amusement as he dragged the man away with him.
"You didn't realize it, but if it wasn't for you, I'd probably never have my Red. She's going to be my perfect bloody Princess, the new Queen of London's vampires. All because you had to go shooting people in the dark. You're going to be her first meal." His grin was quite fearsome as he caught the scents of despair and a hint of salty tears add into the mix.
It wasn't very long before he'd reached the lair. Carefully, he tied the Watcher to a chair, secure enough that he couldn't escape, but not so tight as to eliminate the circulation. The fear was still rolling off the man, and William couldn't help but smirk at the mortal's expression. "I'll see you later. Right now, Red and I have some unfinished business."
He went upstairs, knowing exactly where he would find Willow. She had taken to reading on the small walkway, claiming that the breeze kept her from feeling too stuffy, and reminded her of home. Tonight, he would bring her into the family. He was looking forward to it, but before he went to fetch her, he took a few minutes to prepare the bedroom. Rose petals all over the bed, and soft candle light making the room glow. Her description had been so vivid and interesting that he couldn't resist. Everything would be perfect.
Silently, he made his way to the walkway, scooping her up in his arms. When he spoke, he couldn't quite keep the desire and something almost like pleading from his voice. "Found you, Red. I got a promise to keep tonight... come inside?"
She wrapped her arms around him, their warmth seeping into his flesh. Her smile danced in her eyes. "I shouldn't... but you are my temptation."
Tonight, he would make her his very own, his Childe. He'd promised, and this was one promise that he'd be willing to go to the ends of the earth to fulfill.
end part 21.
Sunnydale, 2001
Giles and Jenny had put together a spell that should be enough to bring Willow back from when ever she had been sent to. Giles had been working himself into exhaustion trying to get everything ready, driven by a nagging sense of urgency. Jenny had been helping him, and they'd even had Buffy help with finding some of the ingredients. The Slayer was missing her friend, and had finally paid attention enough to find out that Willow was gone, and they would need a spell to bring her back.
But as they had come closer and closer to being ready to bring them back, William had felt less urgent about the whole thing. Part of him was still furious that he was here forced to work with a Giles, unable to kill him or anyone else because of this wretched chip in his head. Another part of him knew that the Gem of Amara had been no more than an excuse for why he had stayed in this town. He had a promise to fulfill, and that promise hovered on the edges of his mind. He could almost remember what it was, but he knew down to his bones and demon that it was important. It wasn't a small measure, it was serious. And it was part of the reason that he'd been killing Giles's for over a century.
He found himself wondering where Willow had ended up. Part of him insisted that he knew, that he knew EXACTLY what had happened, but it was a part that he couldn't quite reach, the part of him that remembered The Promise. He had a memory of green eyes filled with tears, and a soft voice 'there's nobody waiting for me back there.' It was odd how much that voice sounded like Willow. Maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible thing to let her stay when she was. "Watcher? Maybe she's happier there, where she's at now. Maybe she's found some people that will be there for her immediately, instead of waiting about a month before they worry like Harris and Fluffy did when that stupid wolf of hers got himself killed. Maybe she's made a new life, got a nice guy to take care of her, who knows how long she's even been there? What if you bring her back and she's someone's granny?"
Anya supported him in his concerns, but then again, Anya had spent over a thousand years as a Vengeance demon before a wish that Cordelia had made against her cheating boyfriend Percy had summoned her to Sunnydale. There was still a bit of confusion on exactly how she had lost her powers, and William wasn't certain that he believed her, but she had (allegedly) lost her powers and been made human. Now, she was dating Xander Harris, apparently for the sex. She had also raised concerns about the wisdom of retrieving Willow, questions about possible disruptions of time and history, which Buffy had countered by saying the 'had' to bring Willow back, to 'minimize the time she could cause changes in'. Because neither he or Anya could come up with anything more than 'what if she's happy' or 'it could change history' it had been decided to go ahead with the spell.
Giles and his wife Jenny formed one pair, and Buffy and Xander took the other two sides, sitting to chant some words and burn herbs to try to get Willow back. William had just growled in dismay, growing ever more certain that Willow had been happy where she was. He couldn't quite say why yet, but he could picture her, dressed in long skirts and sitting at a plump couch, glaring at a book written in Greek. He could remember her scent, mingled with linen and wool, a hint of frustration and the intense desire to learn. He had this flash of memory, Willow, her hair cut oddly short, just barely touching her shoulders instead of the nearly waist length cascade, dressed in pants and a peasant blouse, a crossbow bolt buried in her leg, blood staining her clothing and her face pale and filled with pain. But in the year that he'd been in Sunnydale, Willow had never been shot.
William had gone outside, smoking a cigarette as he tried to figure out everything. He was getting these flickers of memory of Willow, but with short hair and so much pain in her eyes. Images of her in the clothing of a century ago, when he'd been in London. The clothing was from right about the time when Dru had gone off cheating with Jack the Ripper, and he'd asked the witch he'd met to burn the place down around the faithless tramp's ears. But when had he met a witch? How had he met her? He had a slightly fuzzy memory of a strangely dressed woman falling from the sky and landing on him, a woman whose skin had crackled with power. She'd had short red hair and pain filled green eyes... He'd kept her with him, planned to make her his childe. But he hadn't. Something had prevented it... and it had been because of a Giles. The memories were piecing together, forming whole pictures, and he found himself growling, suddenly furious about… something that he could almost remember.
He could hear them chanting inside, smell the oils and herbs sending sharp scented smoke into the air. They were gathering power, and he could feel it, making the air heavy in a way not unlike humidity. A small shiver passed over him, and he could feel his hair prickling as the power gathered, so thick that he could almost taste it. His stomach flipped as he suddenly KNEW that they would bring her back to this time, to this place.
London, 1888
He'd carried Willow into the bedroom, and her reaction had been everything he'd hoped. She had been delighted with the candle light and rose petals, and her eyes had sparkled with tears of joy and happiness. She'd looked around with wide amazed eyes, as if... but surely someone would have been willing to pamper her as much as she'd deserved? Setting up such a pretty love nest wasn't that hard...
"Nobody's ever done something like this for me..." Her soft whisper had been thick with amazement and something else that he couldn't quite place. The shine in her eyes had been tears of joy, and she'd turned to him, her lips seeking his.
They had made love on the rose petals, passionately touching and caressing. He had wanted to feel her warmth around him one last time, to hear her breathing go ragged and uneven with pleasure. To watch her skin flush with her emotions.
"Willow?" He'd murmured the words to her as they were laying there, limbs entwined on the bed.
She opened her eyes slightly, slivers of emerald peering at him. One pale hand started tracing patterns over his chest, things which could have been runes or letters or perhaps nothing more than a curving caress. "hmmm?"
"It's time. Tonight, you will become eternal." His voice betrayed some of his anticipation.
Her eyes opened, wide with surprise and anticipation. There was no scent of fear, but a small hint of nervousness. "Forever... will it hurt?"
His voice caressed her as easily as his fingers did. "Maybe a little sting, but this won't be an unpleasant experience for you."
Her eyes were sparkling at she looked at him, right into his golden eyes. With a small smile, she reached up and brushed her hair away from the side of her neck.
That simple gesture struck something inside of him, more forcefully than even the bolt he'd been shot with, and actually felt in his heart this time. He wasn't certain what to cal the odd feeling that her gesture gave him, but it felt all warm and liquid and reassuring. She had all but told him that she welcomed the idea of becoming his childe. His eyes prickled, and for a moment, everything was blurry. He blinked several times to make everything look proper again as he leaned over just a bit, running his tongue over her pulse, still faster than normal. He bit down over her pulse, hearing her soft gasp as his teeth went deeper into her throat, feeling her sweet blood flow into his mouth, hot and full of power.
Power began to stir in the room, making the hair on the back of his neck prickle. It wasn't Willow's power, he had come to know the feel of her working, and this wasn't it. He tried to pull her closer, a sudden sense of dread filling him. This magic could not be anything good for him.
In his arms, Willow murmured something... "Giles? No… not now…"
William felt a moment's panicked denial. Hadn't she said the Watcher in her time knew something about magic? Magic was even now filling the room, making the air thick. Willow suddenly stiffened, her body tense with something, and he could taste a denial in her blood.
"But I don't want to go back to loneliness..." Her whisper was filled with despair.
She seemed to grow lighter in his arms, and as he tried frantically to hold her, she grew lighter, and the colors faded, and like a ghost, she vanished from his arms, leaving only a spot of blood on the sheets to mark her loss. The look of pain and loss in her eyes as she had felt the magic pulling her away, the way she had tried to cling to him with fingers that had nearly passed through him left something behind. A deep, horrible sense of loss, and a terrible rage. His Willow had been taken from him. Stolen away by a Giles from another century, dragged away from him to a time and place where nobody appreciated her, nobody brought forth her passion.
"NO!!!" His bellow of rage echoed through the house. For a few anguished moments, he simply sat there, staring at the place where she had been, wondering what he could do now. And then it came back to him – he had the perfect scapegoat waiting downstairs.
end part 22.
The energies of the spell became even stronger, almost tangible, filling the room with a feeling of tension and something almost like pressure. There was something almost like a scream, more felt than heard, and then the air split. For a moment, there was a feeling of dizziness and disorientation, as if blinding lights and colors had filled the air, and their bodies had been spun forcefully around, which hadn't happened. By the time the four casters had regained enough of their bearings to see, there was a figure in the center of their careful diagram. Half concealed by a voluminous length of red fabric that looked like silk, a figure was sprawled. Short red hair spilled over pale skin, and pale slender arms held the fabric in place. A scattering of rose petals fell through with her, landing over the floor.
The Slayer whooped with triumph, delighted that they had brought back Willow. It had to be Willow, even if her hair was almost gone, cut to her shoulders instead of the waist length ripples that they remembered.
Xander was putting out the candles, gathering the incense and bowls of herbs and oil, carefully not looking as Jenny wrapped a large robe around Willow. Giles was busily releasing the containing wards, trying not to look at Willow.
William stood in the doorway, breath caught in his throat. He'd felt the power, thick and almost choking in the room, something that he had felt once before, and then he had smelled it. The scent of her blood in the air, and a hint of passionate loving. He could do no more than stare at the shape on the floor, her pale arms and face contrasting to the red sheet. He remembered keeping the other half of the set with him until it had worn away, trying desperately to keep her scent with him, to keep something as a reminder of her. She was here, his wonderful Red, the woman that he'd promised to make part of his family, to make his Childe, his mate, to have her rule the night at his side.
Her green eyes were wide, unfocused and almost glassy. She didn't look around her, barely seemed to notice when Jenny slid a long robe over her, over soft skin and supple curves that had haunted his dreams for over a century. She simply stood there, swaying a bit as the Slayer hugged her, babbling about how hard things had been without her and how much they had all missed her. He felt a growl in his chest at Harris hugged her, holding her close to him, breathing in her scent. Why did they have to keep touching her like that? She wasn't their precious willow-shaped friend, she was his Red, his glorious princess.
He could only look at her, drinking in the sight of her, here once more after a century of waiting, of tormented longing and desires. She was just standing there, and there was a tiny trickle of blood flowing down the side of her neck touching the collar of the robe. He was vaguely aware that he was moving closer, drawn to her presence as a moth to flame.
"Oh my God, she's bleeding!" Xander's voice rang through the room, startling the Watcher and the Slayer, making them look at the side of her neck. Ever the observant ones, weren't they?
Giles spoke, his words full of concern. "She's been bitten, it looks quite deep..."
As Giles attempted to clean and bandage the bite on her throat, her pulse remained steady. William released the breath that had been caught in relief. She wasn't dying, he wouldn't loose her again. Then, a new scent came from her, the subtle salty scent of tears rolling down soft cheeks. She was utterly silent, the only sounds from her the soft intakes of breath and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, her tears falling soundlessly to the fabric of the robe.
Buffy growled, her fingers clenching as if trying to close around an imaginary stake. "Some vampire took a bite out of my best friend? Who was it? Where is that vamp? When I get my hands on him, he is so dusted..."
His mark on her throat... he remembered the taste of her blood, it still filled his dreams as he slept. Had he taken enough that she would die? But he had not given her any of his own blood, she would be truly gone if she died now! Could he finish turning her as he had intended? He felt a buzzing from the chip, a warning that he would not be able to grab the stunned woman and sink his teeth into her, would not be able to drink the last of her life and give her his own strength... The chip flared into white hot pain inside his head, throbbing agony that made him stagger.
Reaching out, he brushed his fingertips over the back of her hand, his voice a ragged whisper. "Red..."
Her body gave a small tremor, and when she lifted her head, her eyes focused on him, almost burning as if she were looking into the very depths of his being. Her soft lips moved, shaping a word so softly that even with his vampire hearing he barely caught it. "Spike..."
Something flared inside of him, something painfully close to hope. She had called him Spike. Spike had been the name of someone in her own time, someone that she had spoken very little of, most likely the cheating ex lover that had found himself a werewolf. He had spent hours with the acid of jealousy burning him as he had imagined her with some other, some man who wouldn't appreciate her, wishing that he could find and slowly kill her faithless lover. He had come to Sunnydale, seeking the Gem of Amara, knowing that she had been here, hoping that he could find her, hoping that her ramblings of home would lead him to her. But she had been so much younger, not so much in years but in terms of pain and suffering. His Red had been a woman, aged by pain, and this town had held a lovely girl, reaching towards love with some musical werewolf. It had made his teeth itch, and he had wanted to howl in rage. How had things changed so much that his wondrous Red was not here, but instead there was a woman-child with her face? Someone who had never drank the bitter cup of pure despair? Was this really and truly HIS red in mind as well as body? He could smell the scent of their passion, smell her blood, and see the recognition in her eyes.
She had been willing to become his for all time, a century ago, last night. Was it possible that she might still be willing to accept him, now that he was a crippled shell of his former might? Could she look past the chip and still accept what he would see? He had been aware that she had cared for him, that she'd had powerful and complex feelings, something that had gone beyond simple lust. Dare he hope that they were still there? That the changing years that had prevented the Willow the Slayer had lost from becoming his Red had not destroyed whatever it had been inside of him that she had found worthy of care? That she might not find the person that she had loved and choose him instead?
William cradled her in his arms, feeling her body shake with deep sobs as her tears soaked into his shirt. She still had not said a single word that the others could hear, and they were shifting nervously behind him. He wasn't entirely certain what had her so horribly shaken, but he simply held her close, savoring her warmth and the scent of her. If she needed to cry, he would hold her.
"It must have been something horrible that happened in that other place." Buffy's words disturbed the quiet of the room. "Look how much she's shaking. And some vampire tried to kill her, that bite will leave a scar. Poor Willow, the whole thing must have been a nightmare for her."
"I think Willow is quite overwhelmed. We shouldn't try to pester her for answers right now. Let her rest... maybe she should just stay here, in the spare bedroom."
Giles' voice had never sounded as good to William. His words were reasonable, and he clearly only wanted to help his Red. Maybe this one wouldn't have to die as soon as the blasted chip was removed. Maybe he would finally have a reason to stop his hunting of the Giles line. Maybe there was finally one worth allowing to live. He would have to see.
He carried her to the spare room, tucking her tenderly into the bed, staying beside her until she had wept herself into a deep slumber. He traced the silvery tracks of her tears, feeling a deep sense of worry and something else, something painful inside. He hated to see her in such pain.
"You don't look quite so puzzled as everyone else. Is there anything that you would care to mention to me?" Giles' voice came from the doorway, where the Watcher stood. His eyes were on William, noting the way his fingers had brushed over the lines of salt on her cheeks.
Damn the man for being so observant. "Not in here. She needs her sleep. It's been a long day for her."
"How much of this is from worrying that she'd changed the time-line and how much is from firsthand information?" Giles had waited until they had sat in his study, the other teens gone away for the night, and Jenny fussing with her magical supplies. But his question cut right to the heart of the matter.
William was silent for a few moments, trying to organize his thoughts. "Let me see if I can explain this and have it make sense. It was eighteen hundred and eighty eight, in London. During the time of the Ripper. This... witch came out of nowhere, dressed oddly, and she seemed to know who I was, even though I'd never seen her before. Short red hair and green eyes. I had her help me look for Dru."
"The psychic childe of Angelus?" Giles was curious, and it was obvious that he was trying to figure out how this connected to Willow.
"The witch said her name was Willow Rosenberg. That she came from a hellmouth a century or so in the future, and a spell had flung her back in time. She knew a few things about me and my clan that told me that she had some good information, enough to make me thing she was telling the truth. We went looking for Dru. Back then, I thought that Dru was my everything, that I couldn't live without her. There were a few... complications. But we found Dru. She was... a bit distracted at the time with her new lover, Jack. Red and I left the building, and she burned it down around their ears." His words ground to a stop, the memories thick and choking.
"Arthur Giles was one of those complications, wasn't he? So, the witch was Willow? But she doesn't have that sort of power, certainly not the control to burn down a building. Jenny has only taught her a few rather basic things." Giles sounded as if some things were becoming clear, and other things were even more confusing.
William nodded. "He tried to kill her. But, we talked a bit about her past, the time that she was convince that she would have no way to return to. It sounded... it was a lot different. My Sire had been cursed with a soul by some gypsy clan, but it had broken and he'd rampaged over the hellmouth until Red gave it back to him. He'd tried to open Acathala. The Slayer that she knew had drowned briefly, and now there were two Slayers running around. She'd had some worthless boyfriend cheat on her and break her heart. Favorite teacher'd been killed, same with her fish. Lots of suffering and heartache. And her friends weren't helping her deal with her pain, so she'd tried a spell, and ended up landing in an alley."
Giles stared at him, eyes wide. "Buffy... died? Two Slayers? A vampire with a soul? Dear God... it sounds horrifying."
William shuddered, but couldn't disagree with him. "I know. One slayer at a time is enough trouble, but two? The Red that I met was on the edge of despair. She didn't care if she got herself killed when she got there, and she was utterly convinced that she didn't have anything waiting to go back to. Nobody who would miss her, nobody waiting to welcome her back."
Sitting up with a look of indignation on his face, the words spilled from Giles. "Nobody that would miss her?!? But... didn't she have friends? How could someone as sweet as Willow not be missed?"
With a small shrug and a wicked grin, William continued. "Near as I can tell, her friends then were the same friends she has now, you lot. But her boyfriend had cheated on her and left, the Slayer was to busy either moping about an ex or spending time with her new toy, and Xander was off with his girl having sex. Seems that nobody was there when she had her heart broken, so she figured if they didn't care when she ws there, why would they care when she was gone?"
"That's... that's terrible. Rather accurate for Anya and Xander, but still... I can't imagine someone not trying to offer some support for her." Giles shook his head, reaching for a cup of tea to keep his hands occupied.
"Once she ended up in London, she had me. Granted, it didn't start of nice and sweet, but... ended up that she was there for me, and I was there for her. I can still remember it, watching the building where Dru and Jack were. Turned it into this towering inferno of green flames... they didn't roar, or crackle, they screamed. Howled like something in pain. We... I guess you could say we bonded over whiskey and tears after that one." William's voice was low as he focused on his memories.
Giles gasped. "Green fire that howled and screamed? That was Willow? That made the Watcher's chronicles, scared half the London Watchers almost to death if I recall the records correctly. The amount of power... and it was perfectly contained. Some of the Watcher mages spent weeks trying to find the person or demon responsible. She had that much power and control? Our Willow?"
"That was my Red. I kept her with me, helped her learn. We spent time trying to help improve her Greek... something about a bad translation of something. I was going to turn her..." He remembered his plans, They would have become the undisputed rulers of London, unstoppable. She would have been with him, beside him, supporting him, his lover, his Childe, his Queen.
"What happened?" Giles was almost uncertain that he wanted to know the answer, but he had to ask.
William looked at him, his eyes flickering feral and harsh as he growled his answer. "You. You cast that damn spell to drag her away from me, and she was gone. You have no idea how furious I was... She was certain that there was nothing for her to go back to, so she was going to stay, we would be happy. She would be part of my family, my mate. Then she was gone."
Understanding suddenly filled Giles mind. "Your promise... it was to turn her? So the bite on her neck... that was from you. You were that close to turning her, to making her into a vampire."
"Yes. She would have been mine, and we would have ruled London. But you took her away. And because of this damn chip, I can't even keep my promise now. But I can still be there for her, if she'll let me." William's voice was almost a growl, and his words weren't for Giles.
"You care for her. This isn't about some words you said over a century ago, you... you really care about her." Giles was staring at the vampire with an expression of awe and shock.
"Of course I care. Who wouldn't care about her once they got to know her? I just hope... She had to have seen something in me to have been so willing to let me turn her. I hope that it's still there." He shook his head, as if to push back the emotions, hide them from the Watcher.
Giles shook his head, wondering if William was truly so different from other vampires, or if the Watchers had been wrong all the years that they had insisted that vampires didn't feel. "I just want her to be happy. Of course, I would also prefer if her happiness didn't involve the rest of us dying."
William just sat there, pondering his Willow, hoping that there could still be something. Hoping that she would still want his company, hoping that the person in her own time that she had loved wouldn't steal her away. Hoping that she cared for him even half as much as he cared for her.
end part 23
Willow felt herself awaken. She was on a bed, but it felt unfamiliar to her. She had a large robe sort of on her, and there was a bandage over her throat where William had bitten her. Remembering the feeling of magic tearing her away from him, she gave a small frown. It had felt like Giles... which should mean that this was Sunnydale. But, why would anyone have bothered to bring her back? Who would have missed her that badly? She wished for a long moment that she had stayed in the eighteen hundreds with William before resigning herself to the fact that that hadn't happened. She wasn't then anymore, so all she could do would be find out where she was, and how much she had changed the course of history.
Cracking her eye open, she noticed sunlight streaming in through the window, showing a nicely furnished bedroom and an electric lamp and digital clock. For a moment, she looked at the glowing red numbers, her mind refusing to process them. Clearly, she was back in or near the time that she had left, although she had never seen the room before in her life. She didn't feel any danger, so she shifted her weight, rolling so that she could see the rest of the room. Pale green and cream striped wallpaper, green comforter, oak furniture... It was a nice room. She could only picture it belonging to Giles, but how much had changed?
Sitting up a bit, she noticed a duffel bag just inside the door, and a pair of almost familiar shoes sitting on top of it. They reminded her of a pair that she'd had, before they had been melted by some caustic slimy demon. But, if history had been altered, maybe they were her shoes, never melted in this new timeline. Carefully, she slipped out of the bed, her head spinning. The bag proved to have clothing in her size, underwear, some loose fitting jeans, a tee shirt and a large fluffy sweater in golds and oranges. Willow winced, she didn't remember dressing like that for well over a year. Considering that the alternative was to remain naked, she got dressed, drawing the line at the fluffy sweater. Her head was still spinning, so she softly chanted the healing spell, not wanting to face a new time with her head already spinning. Wishing once more that William was still with her, she opened the door to go forth and find out exactly what was going on.
Cautiously, she looked outside the room, noting that she was in a hallway, and there was a staircase to the left. Walking down the stairs, it dawned on her that this was the house that Giles had lived in before Jenny had died. Apparently, someone that she knew still lived here. Glancing around the large hall at the bottom of the stairs, she saw a rack of weapons, carefully polished and gleaming, and shelves of books on demons and prophecies. This had to be the house of a watcher. Too much sunshine for a vampire.
"Good morning Willow, I'm glad to see that you're awake. Blueberry pancakes?" A voice came from the kitchen, a woman's voice, cheerful and hauntingly familiar.
Turning, Willow wondered how she could have heard the voice that she thought she had heard. Her eyes got wide and she could feel herself growing pale as she looked into the kitchen. Jenny Calendar stood there, a smudge of flour on one cheek, her dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail, and her bare toes peeked out of a pair of worn blue jeans.
"Miss Calendar? Is this your house?" Willow's voice was very faint.
"Willow, dear, are you feeling alright? I haven't been Miss Calendar for almost two years, you were one of my bridesmaids at the wedding. Rupert and I live here, remember? How about some of those pancakes?"
It took her a few moments to make sense of the words, and it was compounded by the fact that they almost seemed to be echoing from somewhere far away. Blinking a few moments as she considered everything, she nodded slowly. "Pancakes sound good."
She was sitting there, contentedly eating some of the most delicious pancakes that she could remember when Buffy and Xander arrived. They looked so young, and Buffy's eyes held a sparkle that Willow couldn't remember seeing since... not since before Angelus. She wondered how their lives went.
"Willow!" Buffy's delighted cry was the only warning that she had before she was seized in a Slayer-strength hug.
"Oh man, Wills, I've missed you so much. I know you've been upset since Oz died, but... how did you end up sucked out of this century?" Xander's voice was slightly muffled as he joined into the hug.
Willow just stood there, wondering exactly what sort of bizarre world she had woken up in. Jenny was alive, and married to Giles? Oz was dead? What else had changed? She could think of only one way to find out.
"umm... guys, I've... it's been a long time since I've seen you. But... some things seem a bit... off from how I remember. Can you catch me up with... umm, everything? From the beginning?"
Xander looked at her, his grin faltering a bit. "Everything? Starting from where? When did you cut your hair?"
Buffy looked at her, her eyes misty with tears. "I am so glad to have you back. Life without you has been just horrible. We can go sit down and catch you up on everything from the beginning, just in case there were any of those pesky changed in the course of history that William and Anya were so worried about. But that has to be silly, right? I mean, what's different besides your hair?"
Willow had that lightheaded spinning feeling again as she let Buffy and Xander lead her into Giles' living room where they proceeded to start telling her all about Sunnydale and everything that had happened since Buffy had moved there. As their story continued, Willow's eyes got wider and wider. Buffy had never been involved with Angel, so she'd never cost him his soul. Since he'd never become Angelus, he'd never killed Jenny, tormented Buffy, and she herself, or this timeline's Willow anyhow, hadn't started any serious study of magic until very recently, studying with Jenny. Their Willow only knew a few basic things, but she didn't have control problems. Oz had never cheated on her, nobody had any idea who Veruca was, and Oz had been killed by a drunk driver that had run a red light and rammed his van. William the Bloody had come into town their senior year, which Buffy had been part of, since she had never run away after Acathala. Nobody had tried to open the portal, and the demon-statue had simply been smashed. Jesse was still dead, Xander was still dating Anya, and Buffy had recently become involved with Riley. William had been chipped, and tried to attack her on the way from the Bronze, but due to the chip from the initiative, he'd failed to actually bite her. He'd helped avert the Ascension, which had been accomplished without blowing up the school. He helped them, in exchange for Buffy not attacking him and the Scoobies helped him get blood.
So many things were very different. But at the same time, a lot of things were the same, some of them the most incredibly odd things. Anya had still been a Vengeance demon called by Cordelia to punish an unfaithful boyfriend, but that boyfriend had been Percy. Oz had still broken Willow's heart, but this time it was by dying, not by having an affair and leaving town. Buffy was still involved with Riley. Her parents were still in the running for Sunnydale's most emotionally neglectful. It was actually a bit freaky.
Frowning, she wondered how much of William's recent history had changed, and how much had managed to stay the same. Parent Teacher night? The Order of Taraka? Buffy'd mentioned the Gem of Amara and the Initiative chip, but what about the Anointed One? She would have to ask him later. Still turning over her thoughts about how much was the same and how much had changed, she looked at her friends, marveling that they looked so much younger and more innocent that she remembered them. "This... it's a lot to think about. There are some... discrepancies. I remember Principal Snyder getting... umm, a demon killed him. And... someone tried to open Acathala."
"Goodness, some of those sound quite significant, Willow." Giles was in the doorway, looking at her with a worried expression, and a bit of something else around his eyes, a hint of pain and worry that reminded Willow of her own Giles.
She blushed a bit and shrugged, not quite ready to get into explaining the details of the changes. "It's a lot to think about. Some of the changes are pretty big... Oz wasn't dead before my trip through time. Others things stayed weirdly close, like Xander and Anya."
end part 24.
Now, she and William were lovers. He was also teaching her about the history of the Order of Aurellius, and about the laws and traditions of vampires in general. All that education was in preparation, he intended to turn her and make her his Childe, and his consort. Together, he thought that they could rule London, become a power that would set other vampires trembling. Some of the history and traditions were dark and bloody, but it was still fascinating. The idea that he wanted her to be at his side, ruling territory for the rest of time still made her heart speed up and her breath grow short. She had never felt so wanted, so desired and appreciated.
Part of her, the part that had fought so long to keep Sunnydale safe, wondered if she should be here, with a vampire that wanted to rule, a vampire that would be willing to casually kill. A soulless killer who sometimes reveled in the pain of others. The fact that he was also devastatingly attractive and intelligent and thought that she was attractive and desirable and interesting didn't make him a good guy. Nor did his occasional moments of almost human emotion, like his pain and shocked anguish at Dru's betrayal, or his concern over her injuries make him one of the good guys. A not so small part of her knew that this was what it meant to be seduced over to the dark side, and it was working.
But he wanted her to learn, to grow and understand things, to master new skills. He was teaching her history and tradition, and he'd even promised to help her improve her Greek. He had found a few books on magic so that she could try to practice and improve her skills, and didn't try to tell her that she shouldn't find a magical solution to her problems. He was encouraging her to grow, to become more than she had been, and that was something that she had wanted for a long time. She welcomed his interest like parched earth welcomes the rain, and tried her best to stay too busy to worry about the fact that he was trying... succeeding in luring her to the dark side.
She shook her head, trying to shake away the lingering feelings of guilt. She had given years to keeping people safe, to stopping horrible demons and would be End-of-the-World's. All it had gained her was injury and social ostracism, and the loss of the one guy who had ever shown an interest in her before, Oz. It wasn't as if she would be trying to destroy the world, or as if she... they would allow chaotic and vicious demons free reign to slaughter and terrorize in their domain. Why shouldn't she try to find a little happiness in her existence?
She had a flicker of memory, bright blue eyes and frost pale hair, scent of leather and cigarettes... Spike. Spike had shown some compassion for her pain, had listened as she gave voice to her pain.
Spike wouldn't be waiting for her to come back. He hated being in Giles house, hated depending on anyone else for help, for blood. Granted, he was a lot less hostile to her, listened to her talk, told her about his own pain... but that didn't mean that he would miss her. He hadn't been nearly as vicious towards her as he had to Xander or Buffy, and she had actually become quite... No. She was trying to deceive herself. Somewhere between sobbing her heart out about Oz and listening to his misery over Dru and his frustration over the chip, she had developed feelings for Spike. Now, part of her wanted to go back because he was there, even as the rest of her knew that there was no point, no hope. He had loved Dru, and wouldn't have seen her that way, right?
Growling a bit with frustration, she gestured some candles alight, and scowled at her hands. Why had she developed feelings for Spike? Why was she only figuring it out now, when she had been with William? There were differences between the two, more than just the matter of hair and clothing. Why did she feel as if she were somehow cheating on William by caring about Spike, who was his future, or alternate future self? Why did she feel as if she was cheating on Spike by being with William? She'd never had Spike, would never have him, and he'd never... there was no reason to feel that way. But emotions didn't respond to reason, she'd figured that out a long time ago.
She was here, in the late eighteen hundreds with William. He wanted her, appreciated her, and had been showing her passionate things that she had only imagined before, sometimes not even that. She wouldn't find herself magically returned to her own time, to the life she had known before. All she could do was make the best of this new life.
Things would be alright, they really would. She could learn the traditions and laws of vampires. With practice, her magic would get better, and she would be able to do even more controlled and difficult things. William was loyal, he wouldn't cheat on her, wouldn't betray her with the first skanky singer that came alone. She could make a future here, could learn to be very happy here, with William.
What Willow had no way of dreaming was that in Sunnydale, in the time that she had been gone, Spike and Giles had been searching for a way to return her. Things had also began to subtly shift, a sure sign that wherever Willow had sent herself, it had been the past, and by her presence, she had somehow changed history. They had both begun keeping small notebooks to record any changes in history and memory while still frantically searching for a way to bring Willow back.
William the Bloody was still trying to figure out why neither the Slayer or Harris remembered Dru. He'd brought her here, the Slayer had fought them both... and hadn't she tried something with the boy? The memories were fading for him, and he was finding it harder to remember things with Dru, except for her numerous betrayals, things burned so deeply and painfully into his mind and heart that he couldn't forget. For some reason, the Watcher wasn't remembering Dru very well either. He wondered exactly what that meant in regards to the changing of time that Willow seemed to have caused.
But his dreams hadn't changed. He still dreamed of HER, his vibrant, passionate goddess, as unattainable now as she had ever been. But in his dreams... oh, in his dreams she was very attainable. His sleep was filled with images of HER, images that seemed so real, so detailed that he would almost suspect that they were memories. But he had never had HER with him in London. London had been Angelus and Darla and Dru, and then himself and Dru when the older pair had separated for a while…
Giles was hopeful though. Seems being the last male Giles still alive had given him a nice inherited library, including some very nice spell books. He'd dug them out of storage, and it was possible that he might have something that could help them bring Willow back. Perhaps it was a good thing that something hadn't killed him yet, as his ancestors had been hunted down and killed.
The Slayer had come back, and she was blathering on about her new boy toy, some assistant teacher of something at her college. She also couldn't seem to remember or understand why Willow had vanished. Yes, she said that it was horrible that Oz was gone, but, Willow wouldn't run away over that, Willow didn't run. She seemed entirely oblivious to the fact that Willow had magic. Or maybe she had forgotten.
He realized that he was growling slightly as he contemplated the Slayer and the boy. Neither of them were concerned enough about Willow, they didn't seem to realize just how serious her disappearance actually was. And with this bloody chip, he couldn't even hurt them enough to make them care. Suddenly, it occurred to him. Hadn't Willow said that she'd taken up with magic after Angel's soul had gone? There was something nagging at him about the whole soul thing with his sire, it didn't sound right. Why would his sire have had a soul? When had his sire ever been a significant influence of Willow anyhow? He'd barely had any contact with anyone while he'd been in Sunnydale, essentially just wanting to ensure that Darla and the Master had been destroyed. Their deaths had left Angelus the undisputed leader of their branch of the Order. What did Angelus have to do with Willow?
"Rupert? Had a thought occur while I was growling at your daft Slayer. Do you remember Willow ever using magic? It's important, especially the way the past keeps changing on us." Internally, Spike was hoping for an answer, but he wasn't certain if he wanted Giles to say that he did remember, or that he didn't.
Giles sat down, polishing his glasses as he did. "Willow using magic... Sort of. It almost like trying to remember a dream. There was some sort of restoration ritual, but I can't remember what she was restoring. I seem to remember her casting a few relatively complex bindings, but... the only thing that I can remember clearly is the potion that revealed Miss Madison to be a witch. Maybe Jenny remembers something else."
With those words, and the renewed questions about how accurately they were remembering the past, Giles went to the kitchen to see if his wife could remember any more about Willow and magic.
end part 19.
In Sunnydale, Rupert Giles and William were trying to find a way to bring Willow back. Giles wanted her back because she was the daughter he'd always wanted, and the stabalizing influence on Buffy. He wasn't quite certain why William wanted her back, and he wasn't certain if it was a motivation from the old timeline or from the new one that they seemed to be blending over into. Giles could only hope that William didn't plan something that would hurt Willow. Just because he was chipped didn't make him harmless, and there was this nagging matter of some sort of promise that he had claimed to have made to Willow.
Giles was hoping to bring her back before the timeline shattered, or twisted so far that things would be unrecognizable. Some of the major things had remained the same so far, Jesse dying, Buffy killing both the Master and Darla, and the statue of Acathala being found in a construction site. But there seemed to be things changing. He'd had nightmares about being tied down and questioned by an unseen person for weeks after they'd destroyed Acathala. Buffy had dreams featuring a mysterious man with dark hair, somone that had helped her on patrols and stolen kisses. Nobody seemed to have any idea who he was.
It was just such a good thing that the Initiative had captured William when he'd come seeking the Gem of Amara during the teens' senior year. He'd escaped, learned that the Mayor had planned on an Ascension, and bargained his assistance in translating some books in exchange for blood and the Slayer not pursuing him while he was under the influence of whatever the soldiers had done to him. They had been reluctant to trust him at first, but he'd gradually convinced everyone that he had been truthful when he said he couldn't hurt humans. And he was quite good with languages.
Heaven only knows how they would have managed to foil the Ascension without his help. But William's motives were far from altruistic, considering that he'd said he liked the world the way it was, with Manchester United, and all the people like Happy Meals on legs. He was currently their ally, but he wasn't their friend. Except for possibly Willow. The chipped vampire had been getting to know more and more about Willow, sitting beside her at research, partnering with her on patrols, helping her train with weapons. He could still spar, as long as he wasn't actually trying to hurt his partner. Practically speaking, that left Willow, Jenny, and Xander's new girlfriend Anya.
Having consulted the Watcher's Journals, Giles had made the chilling discovery that it was all because of William the Bloody, part of the Scourge of Europe, that he was the last living Giles male. The vampire had been hunting and killing members of the Giles family for a bit over a century, and nobody knew why. He'd been afraid to ask, and intensely glad of the chip. He rather liked being alive.
Instead, he worried about how to bring Willow back to them from wherever she had ended up in the past. They would need a powerful spell, and a good helping of luck. More so because she had not been sent to a specific point. But she was needed, they were all feeling her absence. He didn't want to think what might happen to her if she wasn't brought back to her proper time, or whatever resembled it now that time and history had been altered.
He also worried about what sort of promise William could have made to Willow. He could remember the vampire mentioning this promise when he'd first come to them, shortly before the graduation. As he remembered, he'd asked Willow about it, but she hadn't known any more than he had. That troubled him more and more.
London, 1888
Willow glared at the pages before her. She was trying to decipher a bit of writing on vampire laws, but she wasn't getting very far. Either the phrasing wasn't making any sense, or she had mistranslated some of the words. "This wasn't what I'd expected when he said he'd help me improve my Greek."
Standing in the doorway, William watched her. There was a small, amused smile as he watched Willow glaring and muttering at the book, sitting in an oddly twisted posture that didn't look like it could possibly be comfortable for her, but it must have been. Why else would she have chosen to use it? He was taking delight in hearing her grumble about 'ancient vampires with terrible handwriting' and 'dratted spots on the page, what is that anyhow?'
He wondered how much of her personality would change when he turned her. Sometimes, things stayed almost the same when a person was turned, other times, only parts remained, a few things here and there. He didn't want to do without her, she was cunning, intelligent, and beautiful, with the fact that she was a powerful witch being a delightful bonus. She would make a perfect childe, and they would rule London. He just hoped that she would be as delightful to spend time with as a vampire as she was while mortal.
The time would be soon. He didn't want to risk that crazed man with the crossbow striking again, especially since his Red could die simply from loosing too much blood. Maybe he could find the man and bring him back to be his fiery Princess' first meal? Yes, that sounded very good indeed. After all, she would need someone solid for her first meal, and fear always made the blood taste a bit more intense. It was a plan then, he would turn her as soon as he caught the crossbow man.
Maybe it was time to start trying to find the man.
But for the moment, he had more immediate plans for his Willow. She was like a fiery, passionate goddess at times. So incredibly intense, and so very attainable. The idea made him smile with anticipation. The idea that he would make her his for the rest of time almost made his head spin with glee and passion. She would become part of his family, his Childe. He'd promised, after all.
end part 20.
The careful stalking of the man occupied a portion of his time, in the later parts of the night. He'd decided that it would be best to find the man and remove the threat of him swiftly, before he could cause any more problems. But the man had proved rather elusive so far, which had rapidly become a source of frustration.
William spent his evenings with his sweet Willow, teaching her the laws and traditions of vampires, helping her study Greek, and listening as she spoke of the things that she'd read about in the few books on magic and sorcery that he'd found for her. She was growing in confidence and to his eyes that only made her more desirable. She was more confident in her power, and seemed to have finally accepted the fact that there would be no returning to Sunnydale. She still occasionally seemed troubled by something, most likely the cheating bastard of a boyfriend that had broken her heart before her arrival here, in this time. What sort of person called himself Spike anyhow?
She would be his most wondrous creation. She was intelligent and cunning, able to create devious plans already. She'd mentioned some methods for removing a few threats to his territory, threats from other demons. But her plans had been marvelous examples of gaining the maximum results from a minimum of effort and risk. Her plans depended on being well prepared and playing on the weaknesses of the enemy, rather than depending solely upon her strength, or even his. If she could form such plans now, as a mortal only willing to plan the downfall of demons, rival vampires and other 'evil, nasty things', how much more delightful would her plans become when he turned her?
He found himself wondering if her delight in learning and creativity would remain, and how it would express itself after her change. Would she study torture and interrogation? Would Willow become the mistress of dark and terrible spells? She would remain powerful, that much he was certain of. He just hoped that his Childe Willow would retain the loyalty that he'd seen in her mortal behavior. If she were to prove a treacherous childe, he had no doubts that he would eventually fall. But maybe the time before that would be worth it?
But no mortal can vanish forever, and eventually, he found the man's home. It turned out that his name was Arthur Giles, and he was a Watcher, one of those insufferable meddlers that trained Slayers. He hadn't liked Watchers before, on the general principal of the whole matter, but this one... now things were much more personal. This man had shot him with some sort of specially treated bolt that had burned, and had shot and nearly killed Willow as well. It was even worse that the closest that she had to family in her own time was a man named Giles. It was an unusual coincidence, and the irony of it made his teeth itch. Best not kill the man's boy then, best let the boy grow up to father the next generation, so his Red could have her mentor in the century ahead. But this one, he'd fathered a brat or two, and he'd shot William and Willow both, neither of which had done anything to draw his attention.
It would be a pleasure to see him die. To watch him scream in fear and rage at his helplessness as lovely death claimed him. Yes, it would be the perfect first meal for his Red. All he had to do now was get him.
The proper creation of a plan forced him to spend more time away from Willow over the next few days, time in which he watched the Giles house to determine the perfect bait to lure the Watcher from his house. Simply getting an invitation inside wouldn't work, the wife was too wary, and the children too shy of strangers. Finally, the perfect idea occurred to him, and an evil looking smile spread over his face as it all became clear.
Arthur Giles fancied himself to be a defender of people, what better way to get him than by putting someone in danger? If they set fire to the neighbor's house, Arthur Giles would come out to help try to contain the fire. When he came out, he would grab him. It was not the most elegant plan, but... William was tired of spending so much time away from his Red Princess. The sooner he had Art, the sooner he could turn his Red and have her with him for the rest of forever.
The fire was set, a very smoky blaze that would cause a great deal of fear and panic, especially considering the uneasiness that had been left by Willow's wailing green fire of the warehouse, and the work of an arsonist on the East Side. Yes, fire would certainly get people's attention. It was also one of the last things that a vampire would be expected to use. It worked perfectly, sending up huge clouds of acrid smoke that burned the back of the throat and stung the eyes. It's discovery caused panicked shouts, and the nearby houses came bustling to alertness, people lighting lamps and coming out in their pajamas to try to fight the smoke and flames. Among them was Arthur Giles.
With a wicked smirk, William crept up behind the man, and slipped his arm around his throat, dragging him into the darkness with no more than a few choked noises from his prisoner.
"You didn't really think I'd given up on you? Considering the way that bloody bolt you shot me with burned... I ought to torture you until the sun comes up. Fortunately for you, I have another plan. Don't bother calling for help, I'll just kill anyone who interferes." His voice was full of sinister amusement, almost begging for the man to bring more victims, more people to fall before him.
The scent of the man's fear and his futile but enthusiastic struggles delighted William. He could feel his teeth itching with the desire to sink into the man's throat, to taste his fear... But the Watcher was for Willow. William was no fledgling unable to control his urges for even a short while. Besides, Willow would be far sweeter than this man could ever hope to be. He was still smiling, an expression of dark amusement as he dragged the man away with him.
"You didn't realize it, but if it wasn't for you, I'd probably never have my Red. She's going to be my perfect bloody Princess, the new Queen of London's vampires. All because you had to go shooting people in the dark. You're going to be her first meal." His grin was quite fearsome as he caught the scents of despair and a hint of salty tears add into the mix.
It wasn't very long before he'd reached the lair. Carefully, he tied the Watcher to a chair, secure enough that he couldn't escape, but not so tight as to eliminate the circulation. The fear was still rolling off the man, and William couldn't help but smirk at the mortal's expression. "I'll see you later. Right now, Red and I have some unfinished business."
He went upstairs, knowing exactly where he would find Willow. She had taken to reading on the small walkway, claiming that the breeze kept her from feeling too stuffy, and reminded her of home. Tonight, he would bring her into the family. He was looking forward to it, but before he went to fetch her, he took a few minutes to prepare the bedroom. Rose petals all over the bed, and soft candle light making the room glow. Her description had been so vivid and interesting that he couldn't resist. Everything would be perfect.
Silently, he made his way to the walkway, scooping her up in his arms. When he spoke, he couldn't quite keep the desire and something almost like pleading from his voice. "Found you, Red. I got a promise to keep tonight... come inside?"
She wrapped her arms around him, their warmth seeping into his flesh. Her smile danced in her eyes. "I shouldn't... but you are my temptation."
Tonight, he would make her his very own, his Childe. He'd promised, and this was one promise that he'd be willing to go to the ends of the earth to fulfill.
end part 21.
Sunnydale, 2001
Giles and Jenny had put together a spell that should be enough to bring Willow back from when ever she had been sent to. Giles had been working himself into exhaustion trying to get everything ready, driven by a nagging sense of urgency. Jenny had been helping him, and they'd even had Buffy help with finding some of the ingredients. The Slayer was missing her friend, and had finally paid attention enough to find out that Willow was gone, and they would need a spell to bring her back.
But as they had come closer and closer to being ready to bring them back, William had felt less urgent about the whole thing. Part of him was still furious that he was here forced to work with a Giles, unable to kill him or anyone else because of this wretched chip in his head. Another part of him knew that the Gem of Amara had been no more than an excuse for why he had stayed in this town. He had a promise to fulfill, and that promise hovered on the edges of his mind. He could almost remember what it was, but he knew down to his bones and demon that it was important. It wasn't a small measure, it was serious. And it was part of the reason that he'd been killing Giles's for over a century.
He found himself wondering where Willow had ended up. Part of him insisted that he knew, that he knew EXACTLY what had happened, but it was a part that he couldn't quite reach, the part of him that remembered The Promise. He had a memory of green eyes filled with tears, and a soft voice 'there's nobody waiting for me back there.' It was odd how much that voice sounded like Willow. Maybe it wouldn't be such a terrible thing to let her stay when she was. "Watcher? Maybe she's happier there, where she's at now. Maybe she's found some people that will be there for her immediately, instead of waiting about a month before they worry like Harris and Fluffy did when that stupid wolf of hers got himself killed. Maybe she's made a new life, got a nice guy to take care of her, who knows how long she's even been there? What if you bring her back and she's someone's granny?"
Anya supported him in his concerns, but then again, Anya had spent over a thousand years as a Vengeance demon before a wish that Cordelia had made against her cheating boyfriend Percy had summoned her to Sunnydale. There was still a bit of confusion on exactly how she had lost her powers, and William wasn't certain that he believed her, but she had (allegedly) lost her powers and been made human. Now, she was dating Xander Harris, apparently for the sex. She had also raised concerns about the wisdom of retrieving Willow, questions about possible disruptions of time and history, which Buffy had countered by saying the 'had' to bring Willow back, to 'minimize the time she could cause changes in'. Because neither he or Anya could come up with anything more than 'what if she's happy' or 'it could change history' it had been decided to go ahead with the spell.
Giles and his wife Jenny formed one pair, and Buffy and Xander took the other two sides, sitting to chant some words and burn herbs to try to get Willow back. William had just growled in dismay, growing ever more certain that Willow had been happy where she was. He couldn't quite say why yet, but he could picture her, dressed in long skirts and sitting at a plump couch, glaring at a book written in Greek. He could remember her scent, mingled with linen and wool, a hint of frustration and the intense desire to learn. He had this flash of memory, Willow, her hair cut oddly short, just barely touching her shoulders instead of the nearly waist length cascade, dressed in pants and a peasant blouse, a crossbow bolt buried in her leg, blood staining her clothing and her face pale and filled with pain. But in the year that he'd been in Sunnydale, Willow had never been shot.
William had gone outside, smoking a cigarette as he tried to figure out everything. He was getting these flickers of memory of Willow, but with short hair and so much pain in her eyes. Images of her in the clothing of a century ago, when he'd been in London. The clothing was from right about the time when Dru had gone off cheating with Jack the Ripper, and he'd asked the witch he'd met to burn the place down around the faithless tramp's ears. But when had he met a witch? How had he met her? He had a slightly fuzzy memory of a strangely dressed woman falling from the sky and landing on him, a woman whose skin had crackled with power. She'd had short red hair and pain filled green eyes... He'd kept her with him, planned to make her his childe. But he hadn't. Something had prevented it... and it had been because of a Giles. The memories were piecing together, forming whole pictures, and he found himself growling, suddenly furious about… something that he could almost remember.
He could hear them chanting inside, smell the oils and herbs sending sharp scented smoke into the air. They were gathering power, and he could feel it, making the air heavy in a way not unlike humidity. A small shiver passed over him, and he could feel his hair prickling as the power gathered, so thick that he could almost taste it. His stomach flipped as he suddenly KNEW that they would bring her back to this time, to this place.
London, 1888
He'd carried Willow into the bedroom, and her reaction had been everything he'd hoped. She had been delighted with the candle light and rose petals, and her eyes had sparkled with tears of joy and happiness. She'd looked around with wide amazed eyes, as if... but surely someone would have been willing to pamper her as much as she'd deserved? Setting up such a pretty love nest wasn't that hard...
"Nobody's ever done something like this for me..." Her soft whisper had been thick with amazement and something else that he couldn't quite place. The shine in her eyes had been tears of joy, and she'd turned to him, her lips seeking his.
They had made love on the rose petals, passionately touching and caressing. He had wanted to feel her warmth around him one last time, to hear her breathing go ragged and uneven with pleasure. To watch her skin flush with her emotions.
"Willow?" He'd murmured the words to her as they were laying there, limbs entwined on the bed.
She opened her eyes slightly, slivers of emerald peering at him. One pale hand started tracing patterns over his chest, things which could have been runes or letters or perhaps nothing more than a curving caress. "hmmm?"
"It's time. Tonight, you will become eternal." His voice betrayed some of his anticipation.
Her eyes opened, wide with surprise and anticipation. There was no scent of fear, but a small hint of nervousness. "Forever... will it hurt?"
His voice caressed her as easily as his fingers did. "Maybe a little sting, but this won't be an unpleasant experience for you."
Her eyes were sparkling at she looked at him, right into his golden eyes. With a small smile, she reached up and brushed her hair away from the side of her neck.
That simple gesture struck something inside of him, more forcefully than even the bolt he'd been shot with, and actually felt in his heart this time. He wasn't certain what to cal the odd feeling that her gesture gave him, but it felt all warm and liquid and reassuring. She had all but told him that she welcomed the idea of becoming his childe. His eyes prickled, and for a moment, everything was blurry. He blinked several times to make everything look proper again as he leaned over just a bit, running his tongue over her pulse, still faster than normal. He bit down over her pulse, hearing her soft gasp as his teeth went deeper into her throat, feeling her sweet blood flow into his mouth, hot and full of power.
Power began to stir in the room, making the hair on the back of his neck prickle. It wasn't Willow's power, he had come to know the feel of her working, and this wasn't it. He tried to pull her closer, a sudden sense of dread filling him. This magic could not be anything good for him.
In his arms, Willow murmured something... "Giles? No… not now…"
William felt a moment's panicked denial. Hadn't she said the Watcher in her time knew something about magic? Magic was even now filling the room, making the air thick. Willow suddenly stiffened, her body tense with something, and he could taste a denial in her blood.
"But I don't want to go back to loneliness..." Her whisper was filled with despair.
She seemed to grow lighter in his arms, and as he tried frantically to hold her, she grew lighter, and the colors faded, and like a ghost, she vanished from his arms, leaving only a spot of blood on the sheets to mark her loss. The look of pain and loss in her eyes as she had felt the magic pulling her away, the way she had tried to cling to him with fingers that had nearly passed through him left something behind. A deep, horrible sense of loss, and a terrible rage. His Willow had been taken from him. Stolen away by a Giles from another century, dragged away from him to a time and place where nobody appreciated her, nobody brought forth her passion.
"NO!!!" His bellow of rage echoed through the house. For a few anguished moments, he simply sat there, staring at the place where she had been, wondering what he could do now. And then it came back to him – he had the perfect scapegoat waiting downstairs.
end part 22.
The energies of the spell became even stronger, almost tangible, filling the room with a feeling of tension and something almost like pressure. There was something almost like a scream, more felt than heard, and then the air split. For a moment, there was a feeling of dizziness and disorientation, as if blinding lights and colors had filled the air, and their bodies had been spun forcefully around, which hadn't happened. By the time the four casters had regained enough of their bearings to see, there was a figure in the center of their careful diagram. Half concealed by a voluminous length of red fabric that looked like silk, a figure was sprawled. Short red hair spilled over pale skin, and pale slender arms held the fabric in place. A scattering of rose petals fell through with her, landing over the floor.
The Slayer whooped with triumph, delighted that they had brought back Willow. It had to be Willow, even if her hair was almost gone, cut to her shoulders instead of the waist length ripples that they remembered.
Xander was putting out the candles, gathering the incense and bowls of herbs and oil, carefully not looking as Jenny wrapped a large robe around Willow. Giles was busily releasing the containing wards, trying not to look at Willow.
William stood in the doorway, breath caught in his throat. He'd felt the power, thick and almost choking in the room, something that he had felt once before, and then he had smelled it. The scent of her blood in the air, and a hint of passionate loving. He could do no more than stare at the shape on the floor, her pale arms and face contrasting to the red sheet. He remembered keeping the other half of the set with him until it had worn away, trying desperately to keep her scent with him, to keep something as a reminder of her. She was here, his wonderful Red, the woman that he'd promised to make part of his family, to make his Childe, his mate, to have her rule the night at his side.
Her green eyes were wide, unfocused and almost glassy. She didn't look around her, barely seemed to notice when Jenny slid a long robe over her, over soft skin and supple curves that had haunted his dreams for over a century. She simply stood there, swaying a bit as the Slayer hugged her, babbling about how hard things had been without her and how much they had all missed her. He felt a growl in his chest at Harris hugged her, holding her close to him, breathing in her scent. Why did they have to keep touching her like that? She wasn't their precious willow-shaped friend, she was his Red, his glorious princess.
He could only look at her, drinking in the sight of her, here once more after a century of waiting, of tormented longing and desires. She was just standing there, and there was a tiny trickle of blood flowing down the side of her neck touching the collar of the robe. He was vaguely aware that he was moving closer, drawn to her presence as a moth to flame.
"Oh my God, she's bleeding!" Xander's voice rang through the room, startling the Watcher and the Slayer, making them look at the side of her neck. Ever the observant ones, weren't they?
Giles spoke, his words full of concern. "She's been bitten, it looks quite deep..."
As Giles attempted to clean and bandage the bite on her throat, her pulse remained steady. William released the breath that had been caught in relief. She wasn't dying, he wouldn't loose her again. Then, a new scent came from her, the subtle salty scent of tears rolling down soft cheeks. She was utterly silent, the only sounds from her the soft intakes of breath and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat, her tears falling soundlessly to the fabric of the robe.
Buffy growled, her fingers clenching as if trying to close around an imaginary stake. "Some vampire took a bite out of my best friend? Who was it? Where is that vamp? When I get my hands on him, he is so dusted..."
His mark on her throat... he remembered the taste of her blood, it still filled his dreams as he slept. Had he taken enough that she would die? But he had not given her any of his own blood, she would be truly gone if she died now! Could he finish turning her as he had intended? He felt a buzzing from the chip, a warning that he would not be able to grab the stunned woman and sink his teeth into her, would not be able to drink the last of her life and give her his own strength... The chip flared into white hot pain inside his head, throbbing agony that made him stagger.
Reaching out, he brushed his fingertips over the back of her hand, his voice a ragged whisper. "Red..."
Her body gave a small tremor, and when she lifted her head, her eyes focused on him, almost burning as if she were looking into the very depths of his being. Her soft lips moved, shaping a word so softly that even with his vampire hearing he barely caught it. "Spike..."
Something flared inside of him, something painfully close to hope. She had called him Spike. Spike had been the name of someone in her own time, someone that she had spoken very little of, most likely the cheating ex lover that had found himself a werewolf. He had spent hours with the acid of jealousy burning him as he had imagined her with some other, some man who wouldn't appreciate her, wishing that he could find and slowly kill her faithless lover. He had come to Sunnydale, seeking the Gem of Amara, knowing that she had been here, hoping that he could find her, hoping that her ramblings of home would lead him to her. But she had been so much younger, not so much in years but in terms of pain and suffering. His Red had been a woman, aged by pain, and this town had held a lovely girl, reaching towards love with some musical werewolf. It had made his teeth itch, and he had wanted to howl in rage. How had things changed so much that his wondrous Red was not here, but instead there was a woman-child with her face? Someone who had never drank the bitter cup of pure despair? Was this really and truly HIS red in mind as well as body? He could smell the scent of their passion, smell her blood, and see the recognition in her eyes.
She had been willing to become his for all time, a century ago, last night. Was it possible that she might still be willing to accept him, now that he was a crippled shell of his former might? Could she look past the chip and still accept what he would see? He had been aware that she had cared for him, that she'd had powerful and complex feelings, something that had gone beyond simple lust. Dare he hope that they were still there? That the changing years that had prevented the Willow the Slayer had lost from becoming his Red had not destroyed whatever it had been inside of him that she had found worthy of care? That she might not find the person that she had loved and choose him instead?
William cradled her in his arms, feeling her body shake with deep sobs as her tears soaked into his shirt. She still had not said a single word that the others could hear, and they were shifting nervously behind him. He wasn't entirely certain what had her so horribly shaken, but he simply held her close, savoring her warmth and the scent of her. If she needed to cry, he would hold her.
"It must have been something horrible that happened in that other place." Buffy's words disturbed the quiet of the room. "Look how much she's shaking. And some vampire tried to kill her, that bite will leave a scar. Poor Willow, the whole thing must have been a nightmare for her."
"I think Willow is quite overwhelmed. We shouldn't try to pester her for answers right now. Let her rest... maybe she should just stay here, in the spare bedroom."
Giles' voice had never sounded as good to William. His words were reasonable, and he clearly only wanted to help his Red. Maybe this one wouldn't have to die as soon as the blasted chip was removed. Maybe he would finally have a reason to stop his hunting of the Giles line. Maybe there was finally one worth allowing to live. He would have to see.
He carried her to the spare room, tucking her tenderly into the bed, staying beside her until she had wept herself into a deep slumber. He traced the silvery tracks of her tears, feeling a deep sense of worry and something else, something painful inside. He hated to see her in such pain.
"You don't look quite so puzzled as everyone else. Is there anything that you would care to mention to me?" Giles' voice came from the doorway, where the Watcher stood. His eyes were on William, noting the way his fingers had brushed over the lines of salt on her cheeks.
Damn the man for being so observant. "Not in here. She needs her sleep. It's been a long day for her."
"How much of this is from worrying that she'd changed the time-line and how much is from firsthand information?" Giles had waited until they had sat in his study, the other teens gone away for the night, and Jenny fussing with her magical supplies. But his question cut right to the heart of the matter.
William was silent for a few moments, trying to organize his thoughts. "Let me see if I can explain this and have it make sense. It was eighteen hundred and eighty eight, in London. During the time of the Ripper. This... witch came out of nowhere, dressed oddly, and she seemed to know who I was, even though I'd never seen her before. Short red hair and green eyes. I had her help me look for Dru."
"The psychic childe of Angelus?" Giles was curious, and it was obvious that he was trying to figure out how this connected to Willow.
"The witch said her name was Willow Rosenberg. That she came from a hellmouth a century or so in the future, and a spell had flung her back in time. She knew a few things about me and my clan that told me that she had some good information, enough to make me thing she was telling the truth. We went looking for Dru. Back then, I thought that Dru was my everything, that I couldn't live without her. There were a few... complications. But we found Dru. She was... a bit distracted at the time with her new lover, Jack. Red and I left the building, and she burned it down around their ears." His words ground to a stop, the memories thick and choking.
"Arthur Giles was one of those complications, wasn't he? So, the witch was Willow? But she doesn't have that sort of power, certainly not the control to burn down a building. Jenny has only taught her a few rather basic things." Giles sounded as if some things were becoming clear, and other things were even more confusing.
William nodded. "He tried to kill her. But, we talked a bit about her past, the time that she was convince that she would have no way to return to. It sounded... it was a lot different. My Sire had been cursed with a soul by some gypsy clan, but it had broken and he'd rampaged over the hellmouth until Red gave it back to him. He'd tried to open Acathala. The Slayer that she knew had drowned briefly, and now there were two Slayers running around. She'd had some worthless boyfriend cheat on her and break her heart. Favorite teacher'd been killed, same with her fish. Lots of suffering and heartache. And her friends weren't helping her deal with her pain, so she'd tried a spell, and ended up landing in an alley."
Giles stared at him, eyes wide. "Buffy... died? Two Slayers? A vampire with a soul? Dear God... it sounds horrifying."
William shuddered, but couldn't disagree with him. "I know. One slayer at a time is enough trouble, but two? The Red that I met was on the edge of despair. She didn't care if she got herself killed when she got there, and she was utterly convinced that she didn't have anything waiting to go back to. Nobody who would miss her, nobody waiting to welcome her back."
Sitting up with a look of indignation on his face, the words spilled from Giles. "Nobody that would miss her?!? But... didn't she have friends? How could someone as sweet as Willow not be missed?"
With a small shrug and a wicked grin, William continued. "Near as I can tell, her friends then were the same friends she has now, you lot. But her boyfriend had cheated on her and left, the Slayer was to busy either moping about an ex or spending time with her new toy, and Xander was off with his girl having sex. Seems that nobody was there when she had her heart broken, so she figured if they didn't care when she ws there, why would they care when she was gone?"
"That's... that's terrible. Rather accurate for Anya and Xander, but still... I can't imagine someone not trying to offer some support for her." Giles shook his head, reaching for a cup of tea to keep his hands occupied.
"Once she ended up in London, she had me. Granted, it didn't start of nice and sweet, but... ended up that she was there for me, and I was there for her. I can still remember it, watching the building where Dru and Jack were. Turned it into this towering inferno of green flames... they didn't roar, or crackle, they screamed. Howled like something in pain. We... I guess you could say we bonded over whiskey and tears after that one." William's voice was low as he focused on his memories.
Giles gasped. "Green fire that howled and screamed? That was Willow? That made the Watcher's chronicles, scared half the London Watchers almost to death if I recall the records correctly. The amount of power... and it was perfectly contained. Some of the Watcher mages spent weeks trying to find the person or demon responsible. She had that much power and control? Our Willow?"
"That was my Red. I kept her with me, helped her learn. We spent time trying to help improve her Greek... something about a bad translation of something. I was going to turn her..." He remembered his plans, They would have become the undisputed rulers of London, unstoppable. She would have been with him, beside him, supporting him, his lover, his Childe, his Queen.
"What happened?" Giles was almost uncertain that he wanted to know the answer, but he had to ask.
William looked at him, his eyes flickering feral and harsh as he growled his answer. "You. You cast that damn spell to drag her away from me, and she was gone. You have no idea how furious I was... She was certain that there was nothing for her to go back to, so she was going to stay, we would be happy. She would be part of my family, my mate. Then she was gone."
Understanding suddenly filled Giles mind. "Your promise... it was to turn her? So the bite on her neck... that was from you. You were that close to turning her, to making her into a vampire."
"Yes. She would have been mine, and we would have ruled London. But you took her away. And because of this damn chip, I can't even keep my promise now. But I can still be there for her, if she'll let me." William's voice was almost a growl, and his words weren't for Giles.
"You care for her. This isn't about some words you said over a century ago, you... you really care about her." Giles was staring at the vampire with an expression of awe and shock.
"Of course I care. Who wouldn't care about her once they got to know her? I just hope... She had to have seen something in me to have been so willing to let me turn her. I hope that it's still there." He shook his head, as if to push back the emotions, hide them from the Watcher.
Giles shook his head, wondering if William was truly so different from other vampires, or if the Watchers had been wrong all the years that they had insisted that vampires didn't feel. "I just want her to be happy. Of course, I would also prefer if her happiness didn't involve the rest of us dying."
William just sat there, pondering his Willow, hoping that there could still be something. Hoping that she would still want his company, hoping that the person in her own time that she had loved wouldn't steal her away. Hoping that she cared for him even half as much as he cared for her.
end part 23
Willow felt herself awaken. She was on a bed, but it felt unfamiliar to her. She had a large robe sort of on her, and there was a bandage over her throat where William had bitten her. Remembering the feeling of magic tearing her away from him, she gave a small frown. It had felt like Giles... which should mean that this was Sunnydale. But, why would anyone have bothered to bring her back? Who would have missed her that badly? She wished for a long moment that she had stayed in the eighteen hundreds with William before resigning herself to the fact that that hadn't happened. She wasn't then anymore, so all she could do would be find out where she was, and how much she had changed the course of history.
Cracking her eye open, she noticed sunlight streaming in through the window, showing a nicely furnished bedroom and an electric lamp and digital clock. For a moment, she looked at the glowing red numbers, her mind refusing to process them. Clearly, she was back in or near the time that she had left, although she had never seen the room before in her life. She didn't feel any danger, so she shifted her weight, rolling so that she could see the rest of the room. Pale green and cream striped wallpaper, green comforter, oak furniture... It was a nice room. She could only picture it belonging to Giles, but how much had changed?
Sitting up a bit, she noticed a duffel bag just inside the door, and a pair of almost familiar shoes sitting on top of it. They reminded her of a pair that she'd had, before they had been melted by some caustic slimy demon. But, if history had been altered, maybe they were her shoes, never melted in this new timeline. Carefully, she slipped out of the bed, her head spinning. The bag proved to have clothing in her size, underwear, some loose fitting jeans, a tee shirt and a large fluffy sweater in golds and oranges. Willow winced, she didn't remember dressing like that for well over a year. Considering that the alternative was to remain naked, she got dressed, drawing the line at the fluffy sweater. Her head was still spinning, so she softly chanted the healing spell, not wanting to face a new time with her head already spinning. Wishing once more that William was still with her, she opened the door to go forth and find out exactly what was going on.
Cautiously, she looked outside the room, noting that she was in a hallway, and there was a staircase to the left. Walking down the stairs, it dawned on her that this was the house that Giles had lived in before Jenny had died. Apparently, someone that she knew still lived here. Glancing around the large hall at the bottom of the stairs, she saw a rack of weapons, carefully polished and gleaming, and shelves of books on demons and prophecies. This had to be the house of a watcher. Too much sunshine for a vampire.
"Good morning Willow, I'm glad to see that you're awake. Blueberry pancakes?" A voice came from the kitchen, a woman's voice, cheerful and hauntingly familiar.
Turning, Willow wondered how she could have heard the voice that she thought she had heard. Her eyes got wide and she could feel herself growing pale as she looked into the kitchen. Jenny Calendar stood there, a smudge of flour on one cheek, her dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail, and her bare toes peeked out of a pair of worn blue jeans.
"Miss Calendar? Is this your house?" Willow's voice was very faint.
"Willow, dear, are you feeling alright? I haven't been Miss Calendar for almost two years, you were one of my bridesmaids at the wedding. Rupert and I live here, remember? How about some of those pancakes?"
It took her a few moments to make sense of the words, and it was compounded by the fact that they almost seemed to be echoing from somewhere far away. Blinking a few moments as she considered everything, she nodded slowly. "Pancakes sound good."
She was sitting there, contentedly eating some of the most delicious pancakes that she could remember when Buffy and Xander arrived. They looked so young, and Buffy's eyes held a sparkle that Willow couldn't remember seeing since... not since before Angelus. She wondered how their lives went.
"Willow!" Buffy's delighted cry was the only warning that she had before she was seized in a Slayer-strength hug.
"Oh man, Wills, I've missed you so much. I know you've been upset since Oz died, but... how did you end up sucked out of this century?" Xander's voice was slightly muffled as he joined into the hug.
Willow just stood there, wondering exactly what sort of bizarre world she had woken up in. Jenny was alive, and married to Giles? Oz was dead? What else had changed? She could think of only one way to find out.
"umm... guys, I've... it's been a long time since I've seen you. But... some things seem a bit... off from how I remember. Can you catch me up with... umm, everything? From the beginning?"
Xander looked at her, his grin faltering a bit. "Everything? Starting from where? When did you cut your hair?"
Buffy looked at her, her eyes misty with tears. "I am so glad to have you back. Life without you has been just horrible. We can go sit down and catch you up on everything from the beginning, just in case there were any of those pesky changed in the course of history that William and Anya were so worried about. But that has to be silly, right? I mean, what's different besides your hair?"
Willow had that lightheaded spinning feeling again as she let Buffy and Xander lead her into Giles' living room where they proceeded to start telling her all about Sunnydale and everything that had happened since Buffy had moved there. As their story continued, Willow's eyes got wider and wider. Buffy had never been involved with Angel, so she'd never cost him his soul. Since he'd never become Angelus, he'd never killed Jenny, tormented Buffy, and she herself, or this timeline's Willow anyhow, hadn't started any serious study of magic until very recently, studying with Jenny. Their Willow only knew a few basic things, but she didn't have control problems. Oz had never cheated on her, nobody had any idea who Veruca was, and Oz had been killed by a drunk driver that had run a red light and rammed his van. William the Bloody had come into town their senior year, which Buffy had been part of, since she had never run away after Acathala. Nobody had tried to open the portal, and the demon-statue had simply been smashed. Jesse was still dead, Xander was still dating Anya, and Buffy had recently become involved with Riley. William had been chipped, and tried to attack her on the way from the Bronze, but due to the chip from the initiative, he'd failed to actually bite her. He'd helped avert the Ascension, which had been accomplished without blowing up the school. He helped them, in exchange for Buffy not attacking him and the Scoobies helped him get blood.
So many things were very different. But at the same time, a lot of things were the same, some of them the most incredibly odd things. Anya had still been a Vengeance demon called by Cordelia to punish an unfaithful boyfriend, but that boyfriend had been Percy. Oz had still broken Willow's heart, but this time it was by dying, not by having an affair and leaving town. Buffy was still involved with Riley. Her parents were still in the running for Sunnydale's most emotionally neglectful. It was actually a bit freaky.
Frowning, she wondered how much of William's recent history had changed, and how much had managed to stay the same. Parent Teacher night? The Order of Taraka? Buffy'd mentioned the Gem of Amara and the Initiative chip, but what about the Anointed One? She would have to ask him later. Still turning over her thoughts about how much was the same and how much had changed, she looked at her friends, marveling that they looked so much younger and more innocent that she remembered them. "This... it's a lot to think about. There are some... discrepancies. I remember Principal Snyder getting... umm, a demon killed him. And... someone tried to open Acathala."
"Goodness, some of those sound quite significant, Willow." Giles was in the doorway, looking at her with a worried expression, and a bit of something else around his eyes, a hint of pain and worry that reminded Willow of her own Giles.
She blushed a bit and shrugged, not quite ready to get into explaining the details of the changes. "It's a lot to think about. Some of the changes are pretty big... Oz wasn't dead before my trip through time. Others things stayed weirdly close, like Xander and Anya."
end part 24.