Without Shrimp, ch. 10 A
Disclaimer: All Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series characters belong to Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy. Like so many others, I'm just playing in his sandbox.
Author's Notes: Okay, here it is, the originally planned ending to this Fic. I originally planned for this story to be a learning experience for these characters which we have all grown to love, for the Scoobies to leave behind some of the scars that were weighing them down. I'd like to dedicate this entire Fic, both versions to those fans like me who both loved, dreaded, and cried over the episodes 'the Body' and 'Seeing Red'; to the Tara fans, who like me, never knew how much we were going to miss the character Amber Benson brought to life, or Joyce, who's appearances to Buffy in season 7 (by actress Christine Southerland) made me miss our 'Mom' all over again. One thing I never set out, when I planned this Fic, was to pull a Bill and Ted, and change history for our gang. If only because doing so would be a betrayal of the memory of Tara and Joyce. That said, as much as I love Tara, I'm still a die-hard Buffy/Spike, Xander/Willow shipper. My thanks to BloodyMiri, MadRog, Kantarya, Kallysten, Nautibitz, and all the other wonderful Buffy-fic writers who inspired this, I pray I haven't offended any of you by utilizing your specific 'verses in the previous chapters.
"Well, then. It would appear that this is it, as you Americans are wont to say." Giles said, looking at the people assembled within the Magic Box. "This certainly has been an odd week, even by Sunnydale standards, as I'm sure we can all agree." This earned him laughter, from both the modern Scoobies, and the Scoobies of two years ago. Even Joyce, Spike, and his own younger counterpart laughed.
"Look," Xander said, "I'm sorry that we've turned your lives upside down, and who knows, maybe our younger selves won't even remember what happened once we step back through the portal, but if any of you do.. well, I hope that we've all gotten something from all this. Maybe Giles is right, and we've just created another branch on the timeline by doing all this. Guess we won't know until we go back. But just seeing you all again, alive and healthy.. For me, it was worth it."
"I can't say the exact same thing, but, personally, I'm hoping we can prevent some of the things we learned about that may come. I'm not convinced that you guys are from OUR future, but at least we can make sure to try and plan around certain events." His younger self added.
Willow (year 2000 version) silently agreed, deciding to research in spells to make windows bulletproof.
Tara stepped forward, to the Willow from the future, and looked her square in the eyes. "Remember what I said, Willow Rosenberg. I'm going to hold you to that."
"I remember. I don't know if I CAN, but I'll try. For you."
"No. For you, Willow." Tara replied. Willow reached out, took Tara's hand, and squeezed it. Tara smiled.
"I just hope I don't throw up all over Xander's floor after we go back." Dawn said, eliciting another laugh from all. "I know that Me and myself are STILL a bit queasy in each other's presence, so hopefully, time travel the other direction won't make it temporarily worse." She got somber for a second. "Look, I just want you to know, I love you guys, all of you."
Both Dawns got swept up into hugs, and then the Dawns each moved into the back of each group, so that any teariness or sniffles would be less noticeable.
"Well, you guys know me, not really big with the speeches.." please, don't let the Scoobies say anything right now, Buffy thought, "anyway, everything I needed to say this week, I've already said, y'know? I just.. what Dawn said, y'know?" Buffy finished, staring at her fashionable-yet- affordable-boots.
"Hey, I know most of you either really, really hate me, or at least distrust me, and I don't blame any of you one bit. I needed to serve out my time until Angel and Buffy needed me, and I earned that pardon fair and square, afterwards. I just-" Buffy arched an eyebrow at Faith's hesitance. "I just wish I hadn't made those mistakes in the first place."
Everyone winced and held their breath for a second.
"Hey, I'm just happy that Joyce let us photocopy her secret recipe for her lasagna and her chocolate chip cookie and cocoa recipes!" Xander joked, breaking the tension, amidst laughter and a high-five from his younger counterpart.
"Giles?" Tara quietly asked the older version of the ex-librarian she knew, "You've been kind of avoiding looking at me and my Willow ever since your turn at meeting your alternate selves. Is there something wrong?"
"Er, oh, NO, Tara, nothing at all!" He pulled off his glasses and began furiously cleaning them. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, your Willow let MY Willow and I come along when she talked to her other selves from across dimensions." Tara gave a tiny, knowing smile; "It seems one of the Willows from another Sunnydale told us of her world, and in it, well, lets just say, Truth or Dare games after too much bourbon may have people ending up in bed with people you don't expect them to, or so I hear. From what I understand, you were very kind and gentle, and even if I myself don't swing that way, I'd like to say thank you, anyway."
"Yes, well, um-"
Tara laughed and returned to the side of Younger Willow.
Joyce stepped forward, and looked at the prime Watcher.
"Rupert, I've become aware of certain things that.. might or might not happen in the near future. You might not be always successful with Buffy, but you do try and be a father to her. So. Thank you for that. And there's one more thing I want to say to you, since I may not ever have this chance again.."
Joyce grabbed Rupert Giles by the collar, pulling him into a lip-lock that shocked him, both Buffy's, and both Dawn's, at that!
Spike grinned viciously, and whispered 'Way to go, mum. Might loosen the ponce up, a bit.' He turned and slipped outside as the sun was setting, slipping into the alley. Once again, he pulled out the envelope that the Buffy from the future had given him the night before.
'Spike', the letter read, 'this letter is part apology, and part confession. The apology is for the way I've treated you ever since Willow's botched spell. You know the one I'm talking about. Anyway, since then, I'd tried so hard to forget what I felt during the time we were engaged, and the way you acted. Like a person. I had to remember that you were my mortal enemy, one of them, Vampires, with a capital V. Yes, you tried to kill us a few times since, but you helped more than hindered, and eventually, you end up proving yourself. Love isn't brains, you told me once, and you were right. Because if you'd had any, you'd have left Sunnydale, and never come back. But you did. And in the numerous times you did, you went from being my enemy, to being my friend, to being.. and hold on here, this is something you never expected to hear in your wildest dreams.. someone I love. Yes, you heard me. I love you. I just wish I'd said it, before you'd gone all dust and ashes on me. Remember that, Spike. Love, Buffy'
Inside, Xander and Willow had both gotten mischievous looks on their faces and mock-grabbed for their younger selves partners.. then, they mock grabbed for each other's partners.
"Okay, okay, you two, that's enough!" Dawn laughed. "Let's go."
Joyce, Dawn, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Anya, and Giles watched as the air in the doorway into the training room took on a silvery, mercury-like sheen, and the Scoobies from the future stepped through, one by one. As the ripples of the last one traced across the doorway, the silvery stuff faded.
Xander stepped back into his bedroom in Cleveland.
Damn it.
He knew better, but he'd been hoping against hope.
Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Giles stepped out behind him.
"Better go call Robin, say hi." Faith said, weakly.
"It was nice, y'know, Buff, seeing them again.. one last time." Dawn whispered to her sister.
"Yeah, yeah, it was." Buffy replied, hoarsely. Each of them turned, and went to their separate bedrooms.
Giles stepped out into the hallway. "I'm going to go e-mail the Coven and the new Council recruits, let them know of our where-abouts. Then, I'm probably going down to the pub to have a good, stiff drink. Anyone care to join me?"
"Later, maybe, Giles. We-" Willow paused, and looked over her shoulder. "Xander and I have things we need to discuss. People to mourn, this time, without any black hair dye or destroying the world."
"Good job, then. I'm proud of you. All of you. You do know that?"
"Yes, Giles." Willow said the name the way other people would have said 'Dad'. "We love you, too." And shut the door.
Rupert Giles looked down at the glasses in his hands. He started to consider getting contact lenses, then decided perhaps he should look into laser correction treatments. He looked back at Xander's door, and sighed. Not a regretful sigh, but an accepting one.
There would be tears, and perhaps words said in the heat of anger and re- opened hurts, but at least this time, he knew, there would be healing.
He too, had hoped against hope that he had been wrong, that somehow the space-time continuum would be changed upon their return to 2003. Days like this, he missed Jenny, and Joyce. Even Anya's fumbling affection towards him that she'd developed after Willow's horrific Tabula Rasa spell. There was always Olivia, who he loved dearly, as both a lover and a friend, but he just wasn't In Love with her, like he'd been with Jenny or Joyce, either one. He put on his coat, and stepped outside. A walk to the corner café might do him some good.
Buffy. Willow Xander. Dawn. They were his children, each of them, in a sense. For all of his fears about this wish Xander had made, It seems to have come out for the best. They could finally let go of their grief, that each had been secretly holding on to after Sunnydale. They could finally heal. And he could finally watch his children bloom, as they hadn't since their college days, when Buffy's tragic death stunted them all like a killing frost in the garden of their lives.
Dear god, what was Andrew doing out here this late at night? And who is that he was sitting with? No, it couldn't be-
A group of café patrons blocked his view for a second, and when they moved out of his way, whoever it had been was gone.
Giles sat down.
"Andrew, who was that lady you were talking to?"
"Oh, her? Just a friend, from out of town. She was only going to be here for tonight, business flight, you know, rush, rush, rush!" Andrew smiled brightly.
Giles sat back and ordered a mocha with extra espresso. He should have realized. After all, D'Hoffrynn had never destroyed her amulet, just told her she 'was out'. You don't kill a Vengeance Demon by chopping her from shoulder to hip with a knife. Or burying them under 500 tons of rubble. He smiled and lifted his cup to Andrew's.
"To old friends, long departed."
The End, Epilogue to follow.
Disclaimer: All Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel: the Series characters belong to Joss Wheadon and Mutant Enemy. Like so many others, I'm just playing in his sandbox.
Author's Notes: Okay, here it is, the originally planned ending to this Fic. I originally planned for this story to be a learning experience for these characters which we have all grown to love, for the Scoobies to leave behind some of the scars that were weighing them down. I'd like to dedicate this entire Fic, both versions to those fans like me who both loved, dreaded, and cried over the episodes 'the Body' and 'Seeing Red'; to the Tara fans, who like me, never knew how much we were going to miss the character Amber Benson brought to life, or Joyce, who's appearances to Buffy in season 7 (by actress Christine Southerland) made me miss our 'Mom' all over again. One thing I never set out, when I planned this Fic, was to pull a Bill and Ted, and change history for our gang. If only because doing so would be a betrayal of the memory of Tara and Joyce. That said, as much as I love Tara, I'm still a die-hard Buffy/Spike, Xander/Willow shipper. My thanks to BloodyMiri, MadRog, Kantarya, Kallysten, Nautibitz, and all the other wonderful Buffy-fic writers who inspired this, I pray I haven't offended any of you by utilizing your specific 'verses in the previous chapters.
"Well, then. It would appear that this is it, as you Americans are wont to say." Giles said, looking at the people assembled within the Magic Box. "This certainly has been an odd week, even by Sunnydale standards, as I'm sure we can all agree." This earned him laughter, from both the modern Scoobies, and the Scoobies of two years ago. Even Joyce, Spike, and his own younger counterpart laughed.
"Look," Xander said, "I'm sorry that we've turned your lives upside down, and who knows, maybe our younger selves won't even remember what happened once we step back through the portal, but if any of you do.. well, I hope that we've all gotten something from all this. Maybe Giles is right, and we've just created another branch on the timeline by doing all this. Guess we won't know until we go back. But just seeing you all again, alive and healthy.. For me, it was worth it."
"I can't say the exact same thing, but, personally, I'm hoping we can prevent some of the things we learned about that may come. I'm not convinced that you guys are from OUR future, but at least we can make sure to try and plan around certain events." His younger self added.
Willow (year 2000 version) silently agreed, deciding to research in spells to make windows bulletproof.
Tara stepped forward, to the Willow from the future, and looked her square in the eyes. "Remember what I said, Willow Rosenberg. I'm going to hold you to that."
"I remember. I don't know if I CAN, but I'll try. For you."
"No. For you, Willow." Tara replied. Willow reached out, took Tara's hand, and squeezed it. Tara smiled.
"I just hope I don't throw up all over Xander's floor after we go back." Dawn said, eliciting another laugh from all. "I know that Me and myself are STILL a bit queasy in each other's presence, so hopefully, time travel the other direction won't make it temporarily worse." She got somber for a second. "Look, I just want you to know, I love you guys, all of you."
Both Dawns got swept up into hugs, and then the Dawns each moved into the back of each group, so that any teariness or sniffles would be less noticeable.
"Well, you guys know me, not really big with the speeches.." please, don't let the Scoobies say anything right now, Buffy thought, "anyway, everything I needed to say this week, I've already said, y'know? I just.. what Dawn said, y'know?" Buffy finished, staring at her fashionable-yet- affordable-boots.
"Hey, I know most of you either really, really hate me, or at least distrust me, and I don't blame any of you one bit. I needed to serve out my time until Angel and Buffy needed me, and I earned that pardon fair and square, afterwards. I just-" Buffy arched an eyebrow at Faith's hesitance. "I just wish I hadn't made those mistakes in the first place."
Everyone winced and held their breath for a second.
"Hey, I'm just happy that Joyce let us photocopy her secret recipe for her lasagna and her chocolate chip cookie and cocoa recipes!" Xander joked, breaking the tension, amidst laughter and a high-five from his younger counterpart.
"Giles?" Tara quietly asked the older version of the ex-librarian she knew, "You've been kind of avoiding looking at me and my Willow ever since your turn at meeting your alternate selves. Is there something wrong?"
"Er, oh, NO, Tara, nothing at all!" He pulled off his glasses and began furiously cleaning them. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, your Willow let MY Willow and I come along when she talked to her other selves from across dimensions." Tara gave a tiny, knowing smile; "It seems one of the Willows from another Sunnydale told us of her world, and in it, well, lets just say, Truth or Dare games after too much bourbon may have people ending up in bed with people you don't expect them to, or so I hear. From what I understand, you were very kind and gentle, and even if I myself don't swing that way, I'd like to say thank you, anyway."
"Yes, well, um-"
Tara laughed and returned to the side of Younger Willow.
Joyce stepped forward, and looked at the prime Watcher.
"Rupert, I've become aware of certain things that.. might or might not happen in the near future. You might not be always successful with Buffy, but you do try and be a father to her. So. Thank you for that. And there's one more thing I want to say to you, since I may not ever have this chance again.."
Joyce grabbed Rupert Giles by the collar, pulling him into a lip-lock that shocked him, both Buffy's, and both Dawn's, at that!
Spike grinned viciously, and whispered 'Way to go, mum. Might loosen the ponce up, a bit.' He turned and slipped outside as the sun was setting, slipping into the alley. Once again, he pulled out the envelope that the Buffy from the future had given him the night before.
'Spike', the letter read, 'this letter is part apology, and part confession. The apology is for the way I've treated you ever since Willow's botched spell. You know the one I'm talking about. Anyway, since then, I'd tried so hard to forget what I felt during the time we were engaged, and the way you acted. Like a person. I had to remember that you were my mortal enemy, one of them, Vampires, with a capital V. Yes, you tried to kill us a few times since, but you helped more than hindered, and eventually, you end up proving yourself. Love isn't brains, you told me once, and you were right. Because if you'd had any, you'd have left Sunnydale, and never come back. But you did. And in the numerous times you did, you went from being my enemy, to being my friend, to being.. and hold on here, this is something you never expected to hear in your wildest dreams.. someone I love. Yes, you heard me. I love you. I just wish I'd said it, before you'd gone all dust and ashes on me. Remember that, Spike. Love, Buffy'
Inside, Xander and Willow had both gotten mischievous looks on their faces and mock-grabbed for their younger selves partners.. then, they mock grabbed for each other's partners.
"Okay, okay, you two, that's enough!" Dawn laughed. "Let's go."
Joyce, Dawn, Buffy, Willow, Xander, Anya, and Giles watched as the air in the doorway into the training room took on a silvery, mercury-like sheen, and the Scoobies from the future stepped through, one by one. As the ripples of the last one traced across the doorway, the silvery stuff faded.
Xander stepped back into his bedroom in Cleveland.
Damn it.
He knew better, but he'd been hoping against hope.
Buffy, Faith, Dawn, and Giles stepped out behind him.
"Better go call Robin, say hi." Faith said, weakly.
"It was nice, y'know, Buff, seeing them again.. one last time." Dawn whispered to her sister.
"Yeah, yeah, it was." Buffy replied, hoarsely. Each of them turned, and went to their separate bedrooms.
Giles stepped out into the hallway. "I'm going to go e-mail the Coven and the new Council recruits, let them know of our where-abouts. Then, I'm probably going down to the pub to have a good, stiff drink. Anyone care to join me?"
"Later, maybe, Giles. We-" Willow paused, and looked over her shoulder. "Xander and I have things we need to discuss. People to mourn, this time, without any black hair dye or destroying the world."
"Good job, then. I'm proud of you. All of you. You do know that?"
"Yes, Giles." Willow said the name the way other people would have said 'Dad'. "We love you, too." And shut the door.
Rupert Giles looked down at the glasses in his hands. He started to consider getting contact lenses, then decided perhaps he should look into laser correction treatments. He looked back at Xander's door, and sighed. Not a regretful sigh, but an accepting one.
There would be tears, and perhaps words said in the heat of anger and re- opened hurts, but at least this time, he knew, there would be healing.
He too, had hoped against hope that he had been wrong, that somehow the space-time continuum would be changed upon their return to 2003. Days like this, he missed Jenny, and Joyce. Even Anya's fumbling affection towards him that she'd developed after Willow's horrific Tabula Rasa spell. There was always Olivia, who he loved dearly, as both a lover and a friend, but he just wasn't In Love with her, like he'd been with Jenny or Joyce, either one. He put on his coat, and stepped outside. A walk to the corner café might do him some good.
Buffy. Willow Xander. Dawn. They were his children, each of them, in a sense. For all of his fears about this wish Xander had made, It seems to have come out for the best. They could finally let go of their grief, that each had been secretly holding on to after Sunnydale. They could finally heal. And he could finally watch his children bloom, as they hadn't since their college days, when Buffy's tragic death stunted them all like a killing frost in the garden of their lives.
Dear god, what was Andrew doing out here this late at night? And who is that he was sitting with? No, it couldn't be-
A group of café patrons blocked his view for a second, and when they moved out of his way, whoever it had been was gone.
Giles sat down.
"Andrew, who was that lady you were talking to?"
"Oh, her? Just a friend, from out of town. She was only going to be here for tonight, business flight, you know, rush, rush, rush!" Andrew smiled brightly.
Giles sat back and ordered a mocha with extra espresso. He should have realized. After all, D'Hoffrynn had never destroyed her amulet, just told her she 'was out'. You don't kill a Vengeance Demon by chopping her from shoulder to hip with a knife. Or burying them under 500 tons of rubble. He smiled and lifted his cup to Andrew's.
"To old friends, long departed."
The End, Epilogue to follow.