Back In The Saddle Again
by Head Staff Writer RainTiger
Notes: And I begin to post parts of season two. Back on my site, it's up to episode fifteen, but I thought I'd put in a special effort and put the ones written by me thus far up here. Hope you enjoy! (As usual, it's Joss'. All of it.)
---
Danae stuck the end of a long piece of grass in her mouth, chewing on it idly. Her eyes wandered over the stars, silently naming the constellations she saw, and trying to guess what planets the funny-colored dots were. "Definitely Venus," she mumbled around the stalk.
Shifting her back so it wasn't on a rock anymore, Danae looked over to the side, trying to see if there were any vampires. "Slow night," she sighed. "Slow enough that I'm talking to myself."
Sitting up, she picked her jacket up off of where she had been laying on it. Danae wiped the grass off of it slowly, in no particular hurry. She climbed to her feet, slapping her backside to get all dirt and grass off her jeans. Reaching into the pocket of her trench coat ("borrowed" from James), she pulled out her cell phone, dialing quickly and raising it to her ear.
"Operator," Gabi said from the other end of the line.
"No vampires tonight," Danae complained. "You'd think they'd be all over the place. It's a gorgeous night."
"Just come on home," her friend bade. "I somehow doubt the entire town'll blow up if you take the rest of the night off."
"Okay, I'll be there soon," the Slayer said, turning off her phone and slipping it back into the jacket.
She folded the trench coat over her arm, walking slowly through the park, back towards the road. The Boxster was parked nearby, looking like it just wanted to be driven about really fast. Danae sighed, throwing her jacket into the passenger seat and slipping into the driver's. She slammed the door, looking around for her keys.
Danae only had her learner's permit, but James had left her the Porsche and its keys, and how could she resist driving herself everywhere? It was just too sweet an opportunity to pass. In any case, there wouldn't be any police about to stop her.
Finding the key ring with a triumphant cry, she turned on the car and pressed her foot to the gas pedal, glancing at her blind spot as an afterthought as she pulled out. There would be no one on the road at this time of night, especially around Bryony. The entire town went to sleep at 9:00, and as of late, it seemed even the demons and vampires were snoozing.
Danae accelerated a little more to get a proper wind blowing around her, her auburn hair flying about her face. She relaxed into the driving, glancing up at the moon. She completely ignored the new residential areas that were being built, as well as the new post office and the small casino well on its way to being a bother. Bryony and Clairvaux both were booming, and if they kept growing the way they were, they'd merge in no time.
She rounded a road on the side of the mountain, Tahoe stretched below her, sparkling with small waves. Danae had been patrolling both Bryony and Clairvaux as of late, and she was still lucky to get the occasional vamp. It was almost like things had returned to the way they had been a year ago, before the Hellmouth had reawakened.
It was boring.
Once she reached Bryony again, Danae slowed a bit. She didn't want to turn a corner and crash into the occasional pedestrian enjoying the smooth air darkness brought, and in any case, Gabi's house was nearby.
Opening the glove compartment, but keeping one hand on the wheel, she took out the garage opener. Gabi's parents were off on some cruise, and so they'd been alone at her house for the past two weeks, and still had one more week free. Pressing the button, Danae pulled into the garage.
---
A light fog lay on the ground, blowing about in little gray swirls with the soft stirrings of wind. The stars were exceptionally bright that night, the moon hanging heavily over the mountains and casting a light blue glow over the barren land. Danae rubbed her eyes, squinting at the distant horizon.
She took a slow step forward, feet scuffing in the dirt and kicking up the mist. "Hello?" The breeze increased, wrapping around her bare skin, and Danae folded her arms to stay warmer. "Hello?" she repeated.
There was a rustling noise behind her, and she turned quickly, eyes open wide. There was nothing but the empty expanse. "Who who's there?"
"You can't control it," a feminine voice whispered, calm but firm. Danae's head whipped around, searching for the source. "No one can."
"What can't I control?" Standing in the open as she was, and completely naked, Danae felt more vulnerable than she ever had before. "What what can't--"
"It's coming, and you won't be able to fight it alone."
Danae didn't turn around that time, but looked up at the sky. The moon was slowly darkening as she watched, and the stars blacked out with a suddenness that took Danae aback. The wind died completely, leaving her frightened and alone as the entire sky turned to black.
"It's coming."
Danae didn't open her eyes, pulling her pillow over her head. The voice was suddenly loud and horrible, making her head ring. Or was that her phone ringing?
Sitting up instantly, Danae fumbled around her bedside table, searching for her cell phone. She bumped something off the table, and realizing that it was her phone, groaned. Danae reached down at the floor, over balancing and tumbling onto the floor, smacking the ground solidly. She held her head, moaning, and began searching for it again. "Blasted device," she muttered, finally locating it under the bed.
She pressed "yes" and held it up to her ear. "Hello?"
They had hung up.
Mumbling to herself angrily, Danae slapped the phone on her bed, then grabbing a fistful of sheets and pulling herself back up. She shoved clutter from in front of the clock, the red glow saying that it was only 3:14 in the morning. Danae stared at it disbelievingly.
"Who would have the nerve..?" she wondered to herself, hanging half-off the bed. Danae looked at the name of the caller. "Bloody hell!" Danae cursed, dropping the phone again. She had just missed James.
Standing, she shoved her feet into fluffy pink slippers and slipped on her robe. Poking her head out the door, Danae peered down the hall at Gabi's room. The light was on, a sliver of cheery gold light under her closed door. The girl shuffled over to Gabi's room, knocking lightly on it. "Gabi? Are you up?"
"Mm-hm," Gabi's ever-cheerful voice said. "Come on in."
Danae opened the door, looking in. Gabi was curled up in her PJs on her bed, book in her lap. She smiled as Danae came in, sliding the first flap of the book jacket into the book to mark her place. "What are you reading?" Danae asked curiously.
"Harry Potter. It's all the rage."
Danae snorted. "Spongebob Squarepants is all the rage, but it's still stupid."
"Are you anti-culture or are you just having a bad night?" Gabi asked, patting the bed next to her. Danae came over, sitting on the pillow and leaning against the headboard. She bit her lower lip, stroking Perseus as he hopped into her lap. He spent more time in Gabi's room, as he seemed to prefer the girl who gave him many kitty treats over the one who just pet him a lot.
"James called again, and yet again I missed him," Danae sighed. "I feel really guilty, but he always manages to call when I'm asleep, or on the job."
"It's a talent of his," Gabi said, sitting up more to be level with her friend. "Maybe you should call him."
"I try, but it's usually from a pay phone or I don't really feel like racking up your phone bill with long distance calls." Danae balanced one of her slippers on one toe, curling a lock of hair around her finger. It was a nervous habit she had picked up over the summer, and she did it now without even realizing it.
Gabi grabbed the cordless phone, shoving it at Danae. "Stop procrastinating. Call. Now."
Sighing, Danae bit her lower lip, trying to remember the phone number. As she was about to dial, it began to ring.
Answering it automatically, she raised it to her ear. "Hello?"
"May I please speak to Danae?"
"This is she," Danae said. "Who is this?"
"You know who I am," he said dryly. Danae frowned, then realized that it was James.
"Oh, ha, I feel really stupid. You know, I was about to call you," Danae said, relieved that she finally had caught him. "I haven't spoken to you in, what, three months?"
"Two and a half," James corrected.
Gabi leaned in close to Danae, trying to hear what James was saying. Rather than pushing her friend away (Danae had personal space issues), she let her listen in. "What's up?"
He paused. "I'm coming home tomorrow. Could I get a pickup at the airport at two o'clock?"
"Of course!" Danae said. "Anthony'll steal the van, and we can all drive over to get you."
"Is he aware he's volunteering?"
"Nah, but he won't mind." Gabi snickered, grabbing Danae's shoulder and leaning her ear closer. "I've missed you," Danae said honestly, smiling at Gabi and pushing her away playfully.
"I've missed you too," James said. "What have you been up to this summer?"
"Nothing -- erk, off, Gabi -- nothing much," Danae said, batting away her friend with one hand. "I'll catch you up tomorrow, when I see you."
Gabi rolled off of Danae, laughing. "And I will catch you up then, as well. Has the activity been bad?" James asked, and Danae immediately groaned.
"No. Not at all. Since the Book has been gone, things have gone pretty much back to what they were before the Hellmouth woke up." Danae stuck her tongue out at Gabi. "No demons whatsoever, and maybe three vampires. In three -- I mean, two and a half months. I'm bored, James."
"That's a good thing. Listen, I'll see you, and I have to get going right now." He rattled off his flight information, and Danae scribbled it on Gabi's bedside table with eyeliner. Gabi made an indignant noise, but Danae ignored her. "I'll see you soon."
"Later, James," Danae said, hanging up.
"Why did you have to write ON the table?!" Gabi cried, throwing herself at the table and looking at it, panicked.
Danae shrugged. "I would have forgotten if I hadn't written it down. Do you have paper?"
"You couldn't have asked this three minutes ago," Gabi said bitterly. "And, yes, in my desk." Much quieter, she said, "My poor, violated table."
"Now I'm a table molester?" Danae asked, laughing. She walked over to the desk, sliding open the first drawer she saw and began pawing through it for paper.
"Top drawer," Gabi said, correcting Danae's searches. The girl soon located a paper and pen, then went back to the table to write down the info. "And nice job on volunteering Anthony. You know he doesn't really like James that much."
"He doesn't? I thought they got along fine, you know, with the dance classes and all," Danae said, folding up the paper and slipping it in her pocket. Gabi sighed.
"For a superhero, you're really oblivious," Gabi said, picking up her book again. She opened it to the page she'd been at, but watched Danae instead of reading. "The studio has been officially closed for three months, and even before that James was too busy to teach classes for a while. Anthony's had to go to town to dance."
"Guess that explains why he's been missing so much lately," Danae muttered. "But I never picked up on him not liking James."
"He only endures him for you, Danae," she explained, picking up her reading glasses off the written-on table and balancing them on her nose. She peered down at the pages, speaking as though without realizing what she said. "I bet he loves you."
Danae raised one eyebrow. "Really?"
"Probably." Gabi yawned, shutting the book and sliding it off the side of her bed. "I'm pretty beat. Go back to your room and sleep, girl. Tomorrow, it's back to the dance studio for you."
"You're right. I'm just restless from the lack of enemies lately," Danae sighed, crossing to Gabi's door. "Good night."
"Good night."
---
"Reno Airport sucks," Danae muttered, slumping in the chair.
"It's called 'Reno Tahoe International,'" Sara corrected, patting Danae on the shoulder.
Gabi whispered something to Anthony, and he gave her a dirty look. Danae leaned her head on one arm, watching people pass by. "How late can a flight be?" she asked, and Sara shrugged.
"Late."
The loudspeaker announced that the flight had arrived ("Took them long enough!" Gabi whined), but Danae shot to her feet, looking at the gate, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Patience," Anthony said, putting his arm around her waist.
"Patience is for humans," Danae scoffed.
"You're human," Anthony said. "Just strong human."
She smiled up at him, and he bent down, kissing her. Gabi began coughing from behind them, but they ignored her, until she finally said, "There he is!"
Danae pulled back from Anthony immediately, looking over around at the gate. Gabi pointed, and they saw James forcing his way through the crowd. Danae shoved a few people aside, running up to him and throwing her arms around him. She grabbed a little too tight, perhaps, but for once he didn't try to pry her off. James dropped his carryon, picking her up and hugging her warmly.
"I missed you a little," she said, muffled against his chest.
"I get that," he said, laughing in her hair. Even lifted, she was short.
Danae smiled into his jumper, knowing that even though he couldn't see, he'd know she was happy to see him. "You have souvenirs, of course," she said, dropping back to the ground.
"Naturally," James agreed. "I tried getting you a new flame thrower, but just like last time, I couldn't get it through customs."
"Stupid customs," Danae said, mock-seriously. Grabbing his bag and slinging it on her back, she looped her arm through his. "So, good summer?"
"Good enough."
Danae peered up at him sideways, noting the odd tone in his voice. She decided to pursue the matter later, in less of a crowded place. "Anthony drove us here in the van. Hope you don't mind."
"Wasn't too keen on walking, so I guess it'll do," he said.
"You two done being sickening?" Anthony asked when Danae and James arrived back at the group.
"For the moment, yes," Danae said. "More vomit-inducing sweetness later, I promise."
Gabi grinned. "Let's get your stuff, James," she said.
As they headed for the baggage pick up, Sara looked over their shoulders at the window leading outside. "Hey, it's snowing!" she said.
"That's odd," Danae said. "Does it usually start snowing so early around here?"
"No," Gabi said, sounding completely unworried. "Don't worry, the snow won't stick."
---
"It's already nearly a foot," Danae reported. "Pretty impressive, considering it's August." She dropped the filmy curtains, allowing them to cover the view to the near-whiteout outside. She marched over to James' bed, flopping on it and watching the new water mattress sway.
"Very impressive," James remarked, sliding a drawer shut. He tossed his second suitcase aside, joining Danae on the bed and pulling the final case with him. She giggled as the mattress bounced her, sitting up and peering over his shoulder as he opened the case.
"What's in there?"
"Papers and books I picked up as I traveled," he said, "not to mention a present for you."
Danae clapped her hands, climbing to his side unsteadily. "Ooh, give!"
The Watcher placed a couple books to the side (she caught titles like "Hebron's Almanac" and "The Black Chronicles"), and reached for the bottom of the case. He pulled his hand back, his hand clenched in a fist like something was dangling from his hand -- but James' hand was empty. "Thanks," Danae said brightly. "I've always wanted air from England!"
He sighed, rolling his eyes. "It's an invisibility spell."
"I sort of assumed that Winona Ryder just got to your briefcase," Danae joked, poking at the space underneath his fist. Her finger met something, and she ran her finger along the odd outline. It felt like leather.
James dropped whatever it was into his other hand, making motions as though pulling open a bag and reaching in -- and as he reached, his hand disappeared into the invisible thing. Danae gasped, leaning closer to try and see where his hand was going. He pulled it back out, and a beautifully shiny weapon with many blades was revealed.
Danae gaped, reaching out to take it. It was balanced wonderfully, glimmered in the light, and Danae fell immediately in love.
"Hunga munga," James said.
"Bless you," Danae replied absently, smiling at the weapon as though it were her new baby.
"No," her Watcher said, lowering the weapon from her gaze. "That's what it's called. Hunga munga."
"Oh," she said, still gazing at her new toy. "Where did how?"
"Along with the invisibility spell, I cast some charms on it so I could sneak it through the airport," James said. "When the witch in the Coven gave it to me, I knew you'd love it."
Danae set it down, smiling up at him. "Thank you, James. Now I remember why I bother keeping you around."
"So what did you do this summer?" he asked, taking the hunga munga back from her to keep her from breaking something in his bedroom. James set it aside, turning to go through the papers, books, and occasional photos.
"Rode the mellow," Danae said with a shrug. "Not by personal choice, of course. You think I'd have arch enemies springing up all over the place like dandelions."
"So you sat about, hardly breathing, eyes closed, or perhaps in a state of complete nothingness, for two and a half months?"
"Well, there was this thing with the magic mushrooms and the vacuum cleaner," Danae began, laughing already so hard she had a difficult time saying the words. All mirth died completely at James' Look, and she shut up, looking at her hands. "Where we er made mushroom spaghetti, and, uh, Anthony spilled it, and Gabi tried to suck it up with a vacuum cleaner." James clearly didn't buy it. "Oh-kay," Danae said, voice an oddly high pitch. "How was your summer?"
"Disregarding your illicit use of hallucinogenic fungi, and incredibly bad cover story, my summer was interesting," James said. He took a rubber band off of a bunch of older photos, flipping through them idly as he spoke. "To make a horrendously long story short, Felipe and I went immediately to the North Pole and bound the Book of the Dead there. The only way that bugger is getting back into circulation is if in ten thousand years, I myself decide I want to take over the world."
"Always a possibility," Danae said wisely, leaning back against the headboard.
James nodded. "After that, I took the boy to the Coven in Devonshire. They took him in quite readily. As a thank-you, they gave me the Tome of Tethys, which isn't actually a book, but a pendant of a Titanides goddess who had 3000 nymph daughters, 3000 river sons, as well as Metis, Tyche, and Styx."
"Fertile," Danae commented. "She's not one of those goddesses with all the boobs, is she?"
He shook his head, hiding a smile behind his hand. "No. I visited the Watcher's Council after I was sure Felipe was settled in, saw some relatives, had a good time for the most part."
"Lots of relatives in the Council?" Danae asked curiously.
"My aunt, my father, and my step father is Quentin Travers," James said with a shrug. "I don't really count him, though. Even after marrying my mother, they divorced, so there's no relation there."
"Don't forget your brother," she said without thinking. She instantly wished she hadn't.
James stiffened, stopping on one picture. "Yes," he said. "My brother."
Alex, James' twin brother, was a very sore topic. Apparently, they had gotten in a large fight at some point, and then Alex had been told to retrieve and train Danae and instead of facing his destiny, ran for it. Danae still didn't know what the big argument was about, and she knew she shouldn't ask. He sounded more upset now, though. "What happened?" Danae asked quietly.
"I saw him," he said. "After four years, he just appeared. I was at my aunt's house, and came to her, seeking guidance. He came to her. We didn't want to see each other, but my aunt forced us in a room together, locked it, and spelled it shut." James touched his cheek below his left eye. "Alex throws a mean right hook."
"I'm sure you held your own," Danae said supportively, patting his arm.
"No, actually, I would have felt guilty using magic against him, and he's a much better hand-to-hand fighter than me. He beat me quite thoroughly, and we did speak for a moment, and then I finally used my magic and broke out." James looked incredibly irritated. "I hope I don't see him again for another four years."
Wanting to change the subject, Danae looked at the picture James held. It was a photo of what she assumed was towards the very end of his academy days; he stood with his arm around a woman his age, a very attractive man standing at his other side. "Hey, who's that lunchable guy?"
James looked like he was fighting back the urge to say something, and then tightly said, "Alex."
"Oh-kay," Danae said, standing. "I'm going to go finish unpacking my own things. Bye, James."
"Goodbye," he said, his head hanging down.
---
"This sucks," Danae reported into her cell phone.
"Agreeing completely," Gabi moped from the other end.
Danae examined the nail polish on her toe nails while she spoke. "I'm so bored I've been forced to resort to things 'normal' teenagers do," she complained. "I'm laying half-off my bed and painting my nails while talking on the phone. That does it -- the power has to come back on now."
"It wouldn't be so bad if we weren't snowed in," Gabi sighed. "At least it stopped earlier."
"You at least have a pool so you can swim. I wanted to go down to the beach today!"
"My situation's worse than yours," Gabi said, "because my parents are home."
"I can't patrol."
"I can't go on a date."
"You have a date and you didn't tell me?!"
"No."
Danae sighed. "You need a boyfriend, girl," she said.
"Are we done playing 'I'm in more misery'?" Gabi asked, laughing.
"I guess. I'm going to go see what mischief James is getting into on the roof." Danae hung up, dropping her phone onto her bed. She headed straight for the stairs leading to the roof, calling up before climbing, "Still there?"
"Yes," he said, voice strained.
She went up the stairs. James had a shovel loaded with snow, and a large area of the roof was clear (if damp). "Need help?" she asked, folding her arms.
"That's all right," he said, flinging the snow off the roof.
Danae sighed, walking up behind him. As soon as he turned, she took the shovel from him. "Let me."
"You have to leave me some dignity sometimes, you know," he said.
She began throwing snow off the roof at an accelerated pace, getting the shovel full and then tossing much faster than James did. She didn't even have to think about it, watching the beautiful view of the white-covered trees and spoke while working. "What do you think of this snow, anyway?"
"I don't know," he admitted, "but it felt odd."
"Odd?" Danae paused, looking at him over her shoulder.
"Odd," he confirmed. "Like it wasn't natural, almost."
"Just what I need," Danae said, but she couldn't make herself be angry. She wanted some action after so long without! "No demons for months, and now suddenly snow demon."
"Don't pretend that it doesn't make you happy."
She just smiled and kept working.
---
Although the air was cold, and there was snow on the ground, the sun was just the opposite -- it streamed down, warming the concrete ground of the roof. Danae peered over her sunglasses at James, who was working diligently on something, leaned against the barrier around them. He had Hebron's Almanac on his lap, a notebook covering one of the pages, as he scribbled quickly on the lined pages.
"Aren't you cold?" he asked again. "You know being dressed as you are."
Danae sighed, adjusting on the towel she had spread on the ground. "Just because I can't go to the beach doesn't mean I should suffer and have no tan."
"But is a bikini really the best thing to wear when there's snow all over the place?"
"I don't see why not," she said.
He shook his head, writing in the notebook. "I wouldn't be running around in my swim wear at this temperature," James muttered, low enough so most people wouldn't be able to hear. "Completely daft."
"Daft?" Danae asked, pretending to be offended. She gestured at her small bikini, eyebrows raised. "Me, daft?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact."
She was preparing one of her scathing replies when the wind began to rise, blowing about in freezing gusts. Danae sat up quickly, panicking. "Cold!"
"That's what you get for --"
It grew even colder and stronger, like needles slapping at her skin with every blast, and James seemed to realize something. "Get inside!" he hollered, fighting to his feet and trying to keep all his papers (and failing miserably). "Inside!"
A man rose on the wind up the side of the building, his arms out to his sides. He was shaved bald, but a thick brown mustache covered his upper lip, and he wore black robes that billowed out quite theatrically around him. Danae determined very quickly that he was the cause of it, and tried to get her towel and her down the stairs.
She watched helplessly as it was whipped out of her hands, and covered her head as the wind became too powerful for her to fight. James was making his way towards her, trying to get near enough to grab her -- and the wind finally reached the point where she was flung off of the roof, the torrent battering her bare skin.
Danae had never felt so out of control. She flew towards the side of the roof, tumbling feet over head, and was about to be gone --
The wind started countering itself. Every beat was blocked, every time she was pushed harder the other force kept up. When she was flown and able to see, she saw James with his hand flung out, face creased in concentration. She was going closer to him, until he could finally grab her ankle and yank her back down to the roof. He wrapped his arms around her to hold her down, watching helplessly as the man came closer.
"I'll come back for you, Edwards," he said loudly over the wind and then -- was gone.
The air immediately calmed down, her beach blanket fluttering to the ground beyond the roof. Danae pulled away from James, patting her hair, and looking at him, bewildered. "What the hell was that?"
---
James set down the phone, rubbing his temples. Danae sipped her hot apple cider, shivering quietly. She was bundled up in sheets and a thick sweater, although she hadn't bothered putting on the sweat pants James had set out for her. "Still cold," she complained, pulling the blankets more tightly around her one-handed. "You know, they s-say the best w-w-way to get w-warm is to crawl naked in a s-sleeping bag with someone else w-who's naked."
Unfortunately, he wasn't in a joking mood. James sighed heavily, sitting next to her and re-wrapping her in the slightly messy blankets. "I'm sorry," James said quietly.
"What's wrong?" Danae asked gently, tightening her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.
"He must have cast a cold charm on you," James said, examining her bookshelf for a book on counter charms. He came up with a book shortly, going directly to the index in the back. "That can be the only explanation why you're not getting warm."
"Two q-questions," she said, snuggling deeper in her turtleneck. She drank a little of her cider. "One -- who were y-you talking to? Two -- who was that guy?"
"The second is a better question," James said, flipping to a page inked in blue. "That was Gerald Mack, of the Society of the WindWalkers."
"B-boring name for that guy," she commented. "Y-you know, M-mack. Very d-d-dull."
Knowing what the next question out of her mouth would be, James said automatically, "The Society of the WindWalkers is a coven, of sorts, located somewhere in India, although they move quite a lot. A few years ago, about six to be exact, they spent quite some time in England. They're always searching for people with magic and the ability to control two of the four elements -- air and water, to be exact."
"L-let me guess and say they control the w-weather," Danae said, "and they w-wanted you to join."
"Something to that effect," James admitted. "To be more precise, I'd have to say that I wanted to join, but there were some very big reasons why I couldn't. One, I was already at the Watcher's Academy, and another I'm not very good at weather magic."
"Ouch," Danae said. "S-so they wouldn't let you i-in?"
He nodded.
"But you d-did g-good with the wind and s-saved me," Danae continued. "Why?"
James ducked his head. "It was important," he muttered. "I couldn't just let you get blown off the roof and land in the lake and drown or the like. Ah!" the Watcher exclaimed. "Found it!"
He got up and disappeared, and she could hear him whipping up another one of his potions in the kitchen. Five minutes later, he was back, a small bowl in hand. He was chanting to himself, and then sat in front of Danae. James dipped one finger in the potion, dotting her neck twice, wrists, and then very quickly on her chest, continuing to mutter to himself.
Warmth spread through Danae, flooding her system with tingling heat. She immediately threw off the blankets, gasping from the sudden heat. "When you make an anti-charm, you really make an anti-charm," she panted, standing to get away from the hot bed.
James just smiled. "Now will you put trousers on?"
"Shorts, yes, trousers, no," Danae said, going to the dresser to get shorts and a tank top, shedding the knit turtleneck. "You never finished answering my questions, by the way." She turned away from him, stripping off her bikini top and slipping on the white tank.
James politely looked out the window while she changed. "The Society did teach me a bit, since there were few at the Academy that were better at magic than me. They referred me to the Coven in Devonshire after that. I couldn't really learn their sort of magic very well, so they had little to teach me."
"Where does our friend Gerald come in?" she asked, buttoning the four buttons on the front of her shorts. Danae grabbed a clip off the top of her dresser, twisting her hair up quickly, loose locks falling around her face.
"He was a student of the Society at that time, and he didn't like them teaching me," James said simply. Danae touched his shoulder, and he turned around, hands in his pockets. "We had a row, and he brought it up to the head of the Society, a kindly older lady. She disregarded his complaint, and he grew bitter. Mack thought they preferred an outsider over one of their own students, and he lashed out at one of his teachers. In the end, they discharged him and banned him from doing magic."
"It worked so well, too," Danae said wryly, linking her hands behind her back and stretching.
"And that was the Society I spoke to on the phone a few minutes ago," he finished. "They're coming for him. There's no way either of us could combat his magic."
"Don't need magic to beat him," she said, punching the air a couple of times and kicking high above her head. "Let me close enough, and there'll be no recovery for Gerry."
---
"Um Danae why are you walking around in shorts and a tank top?" Gabi asked, blowing into her mittens. Danae bounced happily down the street behind the snow plow, wearing flip flops instead of big snow boots like Gabi, Sara, and Anthony were.
"Aren't you cold?" Anthony asked, eyeing her tank top.
"Nope," Danae said cheerfully. "James put a warmth charm on me. It'll wear off and I'll be back to normal temperatures in a couple hours, but until then, I'm completely oblivious."
"You can say that again," Sara muttered.
Anthony looked like he didn't quite believe her. "At least take my coat. You don't look comfortable."
"I'm fine, I promise," she insisted. She glanced at a huge pile of snow pushed aside by the plow, at least twice her height, maybe even three times. She walked over casually, scooping a handful of snow up and patting it into a smooth, icy ball. "If you guys are fine is something else entirely."
Danae whipped around, aiming and throwing in one moment, smacking Anthony square in the face. He fell back, startled, but quickly caught on and retaliated. Grabbing a fistful, he flung it at Danae, who ducked, and Sara got hit in the chest instead.
"You will pay for that," Sara said calmly, moving surprisingly fast for someone normally so mellow. She grabbed a large amount of snow, then caught a fleeing Gabi by the collar and stuffed it down her back. The blonde shrieked, jumping back and slapping at her back.
"Cold! Cold!"
"Hey, that's not me!" Anthony said.
"True," Danae admitted, mimicking Sara, but instead pulled Anthony's jeans forward by the waistband and forced down a particularly damp clump.
He gave a very effeminate cry, getting Danae in the chest with two snowballs he picked up as he ran. "Quick, Gabi! Snow!" he called, dancing on his feet at the freezing sensation he was experiencing in his nether regions.
She flung snow at him, missing his hands and splattering on his arm. Anthony laughed, grabbing Gabi by the sleeve and pushing her at Sara. Both girls were thrown off-balance, and fell with a squeal into the pile of snow. Danae was scrambling up the slope, reaching to top quickly, but flip flopped feet didn't have very good traction on the unsteady ground.
Danae balled her hands into fists, holding them above her head. "And I am queen of the mountain!" she crowed.
"Oh, not for long," Anthony said playfully, helping Gabi and Sara to their feet. "Us three, versus you, Danae. Aim all snowballs at the enemy!"
"Cheating!" Danae called down. "That's not fair!" Grinning wickedly, she gathered, a massive ball and threw it down with great precision, hitting Sara in the stomach and throwing her backwards.
"You call us cheaters?!" Gabi yelled, laughing, until she too was taken out with an ice ball.
Danae dodged Anthony's strike easily. Gabi climbed to her feet, holding a stitch in her side, but there wasn't the hint of a smile on her face at all. "Danae, behind you!" she screamed, pointing.
The Slayer turned just in time to see Gerald Mack flying up, and then his fist struck her face. Danae fell down the snow hill, tumbling with her feet over her head. Her flip flops flew off, and she hit the ground hard flat on her back. Moaning, she looked up and saw Mack land on the top of the snow hill. He gestured, and the wind picked Danae up, smashing her against the top floor of a florist shop, shattering the window.
The glass cut at her back, but it wasn't for long as she fell again, landing badly on the sidewalk outside.
"Don't you give up?" Danae coughed, spitting a little blood onto the concrete. She stumbled to her feet, wincing as glass shards in her back still scraped at her.
Anthony ran to her side, but Mack gestured again and blew him away. "I was hoping to find Edwards," he said loudly enough for Danae to hear, "but you'll do."
He rose his hand to gesture once more, but a snowball hit him and threw him back a little. Danae looked at the source of the snow, only to see a very angry Gabi gathering ice in her mittens to throw again. The Slayer took the distraction, leaping to the top as quickly as she could and tackling the man.
They both rolled off the hill, and he angrily raised his hands to summon something, but Danae didn't want to give him a chance. She thrust his hands into a snow pile, sitting hard on his chest to keep him from moving, then punched him a couple times for good measure.
"Ow," she told him bitterly, standing and making sure to step on his stomach. Danae winced, twisting her back the littlest bit.
Mack looked like he was about to move, but she glared at him. "Don't even THINK it," she growled.
Gabi appeared next to her, looking at the man. "Who's he?"
"Enemy. Defeated," Danae said. "Someone have a cell phone? I want James here for a pickup."
---
"Ouch," the Slayer said, pressing the blanket she was using to cover her bare front into her face.
"Sorry," James apologized, trying to pull out a glass shard gently, dabbing at the blood on Danae's back with a towel.
"Very nice of them to come and get him," Gabi said, watching Danae and James and eating popcorn.
"The snow's already melting," Sara said. "Beach tomorrow, or the day after?"
"Sure," Anthony agreed. "But I don't know if Danae'll be up to it yet."
"Minor cuts," Danae said. "Ow. I'll be healed by the day after tomorrow," she assured everyone. James pulled out the last shard, then pressed the towel against the wound to keep her blood from getting on the parquet floor.
"Bandages," James said, and Gabi tossed them to him.
"All boys, turn away," Danae said. Anthony didn't comply, so Sara grabbed a pillow and covered his face. Danae dropped the blanket covering her front side, and James quickly and efficiently put on the bandages. Gabi handed Danae a baggy shirt, and she put it on with a little grimacing. "Ow," she repeated
Danae climbed into a chair, leaning against a table. "Happy to be back to defeating evil?" James asked, standing and tugging down on his shirt to keep it straight.
She smiled serenely, eyes glazing over. "Don't you know it."
---
fin