Disclaimer: Any characters you may recognise in any stories below do not
belong to either of us, as much as we wish they did. We just like to play
with them.
A Break from the Cause – Prologue
~*~
Willow gave a sigh as she looked out the window of the moving bus. The moon was casting a sea of blue over the sleeping desert and she found herself smiling up at it serenely. The moon was so pale and shy, it always reminded her of Tara...then it would remind her of Oz.
With a disgruntled huff she turned from the window to look around the sleeping group. Slayer's rested upon one another, Xander a common pillow for them. Giles snuffled and kicked his leg in his sleep making her grin and Dawn slept soundlessly curled up in a corner.
They had been travelling for a few months now, seeking out new slayers and telling them of their destiny. It was a good righteous thing but a part of her still ached from the turmoil's of the last two years...she needed a break, away from the Scooby's.
Walking up to the front of the bus she found Faith driving steadily.
"Faith," She whispered, "Where's Buffy?"
"B's kicking it down back...why, something up red?" The street wise girl turned to the slightly frowning girl.
"I'm going to go for a while...away from America I mean. I need to revitalise myself and the only place that helped me with that was England."
"But...What about our mission? The cause?" The girl questioned.
"I'll be back to do that, it's like the whole destiny thing which is all important and needy, but I need a break."
"Tell Buffy I'll see her in a while."
With that she concentrated hard until finally she felt herself spinning... she was moving.
*
The witch knew she had her limits; boundaries, so to speak. And she knew that travelling overseas using the method of transport she was using would put serious strain on her magic. So she decided that when she eventually arrived in England, she would quickly find somewhere to stay for at least a couple of nights to restore her magic back to its normal capacity.
All in all, it took Willow around five minutes to get from the bus she was travelling on with her friends, to the west coast of Ireland, and when she arrived she collapsed at the magical burn out factor she seemed to have underestimated. She fell to her knees, resting her hands on damp grass beneath her as she breathed the fresh, soothing Irish air into her oxygen starved lungs.
After travelling across the vast stretch of ocean she just did and only occasionally reappearing in mid-air to take a deep breath then disappearing again to continue her travelling... one could see her need.
"Excuse me Miss." A voice spoke from behind her, effectively startling her out of her reverie. Shaking her heard to clear the cobwebs and help her gain a little focus, she rose from her kneeling position, grasping onto a near by wall as she did so.
"M'sorry." Muttered the redhead as she gathered herself together before turning around to face the owner of the voice.
"S'quite alright Miss." A girl, aged around 13 or 14 with long black hair that had been tied back in a braid stood watching the strange woman curiously. The bag on her shoulder slipped slightly but the girl pulled it back up again.
"Where am I exactly?" Willow said after checking out her surroundings.
"You're in Ireland, Miss. Are you lost?"
"Yes, no...I'm not sure. I guess so." The girl said and the red head suddenly found herself wilting again.
"Do you need help?" The teenager asked as Willow shook her hand negatively.
"No no, just tired is all?" She surveyed her surroundings once again, She frowned slightly at the morning light... surely it was night here like in America?
"Excuse me, but what time is it?" She asked, addressing the young girl again.
"Oh, um," The girl looked down at her wrist, "About eightish."
*Six hours behind, forgot that.* She was about to grin when she felt her legs give out again. The girl rushed over.
"Do you need help?" She asked frantically.
"No, I'm fine I just... I'm a little worn out." The witch admitted, smiling her thanks as the girl helped her to her feet. "Do you know where there's any place I could stay for a couple of days? A bed & breakfast possibly?" The girl looked thoughtful for a moment before brightening.
"Yeah, my friend's mum run's a B&B." She explained. "It's just down the road, come on. I'll show you where." She grasped one of Willow's hand and wrapped it around her shoulder. She then wrapped her arm around the lower part of the redheads back to help her walk without falling again.
"Thank you. I'm Willow." She smiled at the kind teenager, holding out her hand in the customary handshake gesture.
"My name is Keara. Pleasure to meet you Willow." Keara shook the offered hand.
When the pair reached the bed & breakfast the girl had spoke of, they entered via the front door and stepped into the entrance hall area.
"Mrs Darwin!" Keara called out.
Willow looked around at the cosy little room with various nit-bits hanging on the wall. A table with a chequered tablecloth had the normal salt, pepper and sugar but there was something so...English about the way it was laid out that she smirked.
Keara helped her to a chair as she went out back to look for the woman in question. Willow waited a few moments shyly, toying with the sugar sachets and cloth.
"Willow," the teen came back into the hall followed closely by a tall woman with short, copper-brown hair and dark blue eyes. "This is Mrs Darwin. She owns the place." She helped the redhead up and over to the check-in desk.
"Ah, so you're the woman who appeared out of thin air." Mrs Darwin chuckled at the astonished look on Willow's face. "Oh, my dear don't worry! We are a wizarding family; your magic is safe here." The American witch sighed in relief. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her magic, it was just that sometimes people for frightened, panicked and to be perfectly honest, she didn't have the energy to deal with that at the moment.
"I'm sorry to be a burden; I've just travelled from America and I kind of, miscalculated the burn-out factor." The woman's eyebrows shot up to her hair line in shock.
"You apparated from America to here?" She whispered in awe. Willow looked at her, confusion on her face.
"Apparated? I don't know what that is. I used my own method of transportation. It's not teleporting but... well. I guess it doesn't really have a name yet." She said, growing a thoughtful expression.
"I thought it was cool!" Keara piped up happily and the two women laughed.
"Yes well, I'm sure you're tired Willow." Mrs Darwin said after a moment. "Let me just sign you in here."
Willow went through all the required forms to fill for the bed & breakfast then climbed up to the room she'd been given for the night. Collapsing onto the bed she lay there a while staring out the window by her bed as the light of the sun moved across the room.
"Welcome to bonnie old England Rosenberg." She muttered to herself as she shuffled up to rest her head on the pillow, falling sound asleep within a few moments.
~~~
We hope you enjoyed the chapter enough that you'll be kind and leave a review. :] Thank you!
Cal & Chrissi x
A Break from the Cause – Prologue
~*~
Willow gave a sigh as she looked out the window of the moving bus. The moon was casting a sea of blue over the sleeping desert and she found herself smiling up at it serenely. The moon was so pale and shy, it always reminded her of Tara...then it would remind her of Oz.
With a disgruntled huff she turned from the window to look around the sleeping group. Slayer's rested upon one another, Xander a common pillow for them. Giles snuffled and kicked his leg in his sleep making her grin and Dawn slept soundlessly curled up in a corner.
They had been travelling for a few months now, seeking out new slayers and telling them of their destiny. It was a good righteous thing but a part of her still ached from the turmoil's of the last two years...she needed a break, away from the Scooby's.
Walking up to the front of the bus she found Faith driving steadily.
"Faith," She whispered, "Where's Buffy?"
"B's kicking it down back...why, something up red?" The street wise girl turned to the slightly frowning girl.
"I'm going to go for a while...away from America I mean. I need to revitalise myself and the only place that helped me with that was England."
"But...What about our mission? The cause?" The girl questioned.
"I'll be back to do that, it's like the whole destiny thing which is all important and needy, but I need a break."
"Tell Buffy I'll see her in a while."
With that she concentrated hard until finally she felt herself spinning... she was moving.
*
The witch knew she had her limits; boundaries, so to speak. And she knew that travelling overseas using the method of transport she was using would put serious strain on her magic. So she decided that when she eventually arrived in England, she would quickly find somewhere to stay for at least a couple of nights to restore her magic back to its normal capacity.
All in all, it took Willow around five minutes to get from the bus she was travelling on with her friends, to the west coast of Ireland, and when she arrived she collapsed at the magical burn out factor she seemed to have underestimated. She fell to her knees, resting her hands on damp grass beneath her as she breathed the fresh, soothing Irish air into her oxygen starved lungs.
After travelling across the vast stretch of ocean she just did and only occasionally reappearing in mid-air to take a deep breath then disappearing again to continue her travelling... one could see her need.
"Excuse me Miss." A voice spoke from behind her, effectively startling her out of her reverie. Shaking her heard to clear the cobwebs and help her gain a little focus, she rose from her kneeling position, grasping onto a near by wall as she did so.
"M'sorry." Muttered the redhead as she gathered herself together before turning around to face the owner of the voice.
"S'quite alright Miss." A girl, aged around 13 or 14 with long black hair that had been tied back in a braid stood watching the strange woman curiously. The bag on her shoulder slipped slightly but the girl pulled it back up again.
"Where am I exactly?" Willow said after checking out her surroundings.
"You're in Ireland, Miss. Are you lost?"
"Yes, no...I'm not sure. I guess so." The girl said and the red head suddenly found herself wilting again.
"Do you need help?" The teenager asked as Willow shook her hand negatively.
"No no, just tired is all?" She surveyed her surroundings once again, She frowned slightly at the morning light... surely it was night here like in America?
"Excuse me, but what time is it?" She asked, addressing the young girl again.
"Oh, um," The girl looked down at her wrist, "About eightish."
*Six hours behind, forgot that.* She was about to grin when she felt her legs give out again. The girl rushed over.
"Do you need help?" She asked frantically.
"No, I'm fine I just... I'm a little worn out." The witch admitted, smiling her thanks as the girl helped her to her feet. "Do you know where there's any place I could stay for a couple of days? A bed & breakfast possibly?" The girl looked thoughtful for a moment before brightening.
"Yeah, my friend's mum run's a B&B." She explained. "It's just down the road, come on. I'll show you where." She grasped one of Willow's hand and wrapped it around her shoulder. She then wrapped her arm around the lower part of the redheads back to help her walk without falling again.
"Thank you. I'm Willow." She smiled at the kind teenager, holding out her hand in the customary handshake gesture.
"My name is Keara. Pleasure to meet you Willow." Keara shook the offered hand.
When the pair reached the bed & breakfast the girl had spoke of, they entered via the front door and stepped into the entrance hall area.
"Mrs Darwin!" Keara called out.
Willow looked around at the cosy little room with various nit-bits hanging on the wall. A table with a chequered tablecloth had the normal salt, pepper and sugar but there was something so...English about the way it was laid out that she smirked.
Keara helped her to a chair as she went out back to look for the woman in question. Willow waited a few moments shyly, toying with the sugar sachets and cloth.
"Willow," the teen came back into the hall followed closely by a tall woman with short, copper-brown hair and dark blue eyes. "This is Mrs Darwin. She owns the place." She helped the redhead up and over to the check-in desk.
"Ah, so you're the woman who appeared out of thin air." Mrs Darwin chuckled at the astonished look on Willow's face. "Oh, my dear don't worry! We are a wizarding family; your magic is safe here." The American witch sighed in relief. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her magic, it was just that sometimes people for frightened, panicked and to be perfectly honest, she didn't have the energy to deal with that at the moment.
"I'm sorry to be a burden; I've just travelled from America and I kind of, miscalculated the burn-out factor." The woman's eyebrows shot up to her hair line in shock.
"You apparated from America to here?" She whispered in awe. Willow looked at her, confusion on her face.
"Apparated? I don't know what that is. I used my own method of transportation. It's not teleporting but... well. I guess it doesn't really have a name yet." She said, growing a thoughtful expression.
"I thought it was cool!" Keara piped up happily and the two women laughed.
"Yes well, I'm sure you're tired Willow." Mrs Darwin said after a moment. "Let me just sign you in here."
Willow went through all the required forms to fill for the bed & breakfast then climbed up to the room she'd been given for the night. Collapsing onto the bed she lay there a while staring out the window by her bed as the light of the sun moved across the room.
"Welcome to bonnie old England Rosenberg." She muttered to herself as she shuffled up to rest her head on the pillow, falling sound asleep within a few moments.
~~~
We hope you enjoyed the chapter enough that you'll be kind and leave a review. :] Thank you!
Cal & Chrissi x