THE END IS ONLY THE BEGINNING
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except for the ones that I created.
CHAPTER 8-UNEXPECTED DELAYS AND DO I OR DON'T I
Much to Molly and Joyce's surprise Buffy and Spike spent more than half an hour in the shower before the two slowly came down the stairs, talking softly to each other. Molly smiled inwardly at the sight of Spike coming down the stairs in almost the exact same outfit that he had worn most of the time that she had known him, all black from head to toe. Buffy on the other hand looked almost like his exact opposite, wearing basically the same look but whereas Spike looked prepared for the night Buffy looked ready for a comfortable walk in the sun. The cream and tan colors of her pants and shirt really stood out as the two sat down near Molly, who was still wearing her old dark blue shirt and jeans that she had been wearing when Spike found her. From her spot in one of the other chairs Joyce just looked on in confusion as to how much this Buffy in front of her looked like her Buffy. Although she was obviously a little older and had a few slight lines that barely showed Joyce felt a great connection to the older Buffy.
"Your turn Molly," Buffy said with a slight laugh as she was able to tear herself away from Spike and elbows Molly softly in the ribs.
"What…," Molly asked with a completely confused and nervous look on her face as she looked first at Spike and then back to Buffy.
"Go on Bit…the shower's empty at the moment," Spike replied with a tired yawn as he leaned back and pulled Buffy a bit closer to him.
"But…I…," Molly stammered out with a confused and somewhat worried look on her face as she slowly stood up and glanced up the stairs.
"There are some clothes for you in the bags in the bathroom…sorry but I had to guess about the size," Buffy said with a tired yawn that matched Spike's as she laid her head on his chest and smiled at hearing his steady heartbeat.
"O…kay…," Molly said with a stutter as she nervously walked up the stairs and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind her.
"You're really Buffy right…I mean you look like Buffy but…," Joyce asked with a confused frown on her face as she wrung her hands nervously in front of her.
"Yep, I'm the one and only…mostly," Buffy replied with a slight wave of her hand before she yawned again.
"I'm sorry but this is all just too much…to confusing…," Joyce mumbled with a very frustrated sigh before she nervously began to rub her hands together.
"Don't get to worked up about it luv…we still don't understand it ourselves…all we know is that we're somewhere where we're not supposed to be and we're trying to get back to where we're supposed to be, our friends need us," Spike said with a slightly concerned look on his face as he tried to mentally make sure that what he was saying made sense.
"So if you're not supposed to be here…how are you going to get back…to wherever it is that you're supposed to be…," Joyce asked softly as she stood up and began to look around, as if the answers to her questions were written on the walls.
"Don't have a bloody clue…but ole Rupert will hopefully know something…or at least be able to point us in the right direction…," Spike answered with an unsure frown on his face as Buffy calmly nodded her head in approval. Joyce was just about to answer another question when the doorbell rang and a few seconds later Giles entered the living room looking very flustered and nervous.
"What's wrong…Giles…," Buffy asked with a very nervous look on her face as she sat up on the couch and away from Spike, who didn't move but stared on in concern.
"I didn't think that I could help you with the portal…then one of my old books fell off of the table and when I bent down to pick it up something caught my eye…does this look familiar to either of you," Giles said with a flustered and nervous frown on his face as he set a large and dusty book down on the coffee table, opening it about halfway before spinning it around and pushing it towards Buffy.
"Yeah…that's the portal that I went through all right…," Buffy replied softly after a few seconds of looking at the color illustration on the page.
"The Bit and I to…you did good Ripper…," Spike added with a sly smile on his face, mostly because at the mention of Giles' old name the watcher when ghostly white and rigid, as he wrapped an arm around Buffy and looked over her shoulder.
"Oh dear…," Giles muttered softly under his breath as he took the book back and adjusted his glasses.
"What's wrong…that didn't sound like a very good oh dear…," Buffy asked with a growing level of concern in her voice as she leaned forward a bit and looked ready to stand up.
"This portal is not a natural occurrence…it's only caused by a very powerful magic spell, and it's only able to open up…," Giles started to stammer out with a nervous look on his face as he stood up and started to turn away.
"What is it Giles, what aren't you telling us…it's only able to open up…when…," Buffy asked with a demanding scowl on her face as she stood up and started to take a step before Giles' answer stopped her dead in her tracks.
"The portal is one that is supposed to be able to allow those that pass through to travel through time and space, but it's location changes every time that it's opened…and it's only able to open once every…three years…," Giles answered with a look on his face that seemed to indicate that he was finding all of this to overwhelming.
"What…what do you…you don't mean that we…three years…," Buffy mouthed out softly with a glazed over look in her eyes as she sat back down beside Spike.
"Unfortunately yes…it looks like the three of you are stuck here…for the next few years…anyway," Giles replied with an overwhelmed frown on his face before he sat down in the chair that Joyce had vacated and began to vigorously clean his glasses.
"But something came through the portal that Molly and I went through, and the portal that Buffy went through wasn't even close to ours…how did…," Spike asked with a look of disbelief on his face as he tried his best to comfort Buffy.
"I don't know…but if whatever it was that came through your portal was somehow…outside of time…or cast the spell itself then…it might have intentionally sent the there of you here," Giles said with an almost completely lost look on his face, looking as if he was grasping for straws and hoping that one would sound coherent.
"So we're stuck here for the next three years…what are we going to do…," Buffy asked breathlessly as she was struggling to keep from crying.
"You could…I mean if you wanted…you could stay here and…," Giles started to say with an optimistic look on his face, but with a quick glance at her watcher Buffy could see that he was just as nervous and confused as they were.
"Thanks for the offer Giles…but we can't stay here, we've messed things up enough as is…," Spike exclaimed with a slightly scared look on his face as he gave Buffy a tight and supportive squeeze.
"But where Spike…we can't let them remember any of this or else it'll change the future…," Buffy whispered softly into Spike's ear as Giles and Joyce looked on in confusion.
"I don't know…but look at it this way luv…we've got all the time in the bloody world to figure it out," Spike said out loud with a look of grim resignation on his face as he shook his head.
* * * * * *
"Please Mr. Giles…," Fred asked with a nervous look of hope on her face as Giles wracked his brain trying to figure out how to respond. When he had set about gaining information about the First Giles had come across an entry in a journal, that Quentin Travers had quickly plucked from his hands, that contained both Wesley and Faith's names, and the word that sent a chill through his body, tortured. Giles cleared his throat loudly before taking a sip of tea and hazarding a reply.
"I don't really know that much about it…after they fired him the Watcher's Council really didn't keep that close of tabs on Wesley…and Buffy didn't say very much when she came back from L.A….," Giles said with a very nervous look on his face as Rhona and the other new slayers began to slowly crowd around, as if it were story time at a nursery school.
"Wait…they fired him…why," Wood asked with a confused and slightly shocked look on his face as Giles shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
"Because he failed in his duties as a watcher," Giles answered with an uncomfortable smile on his face as he found himself beginning to perspire.
"How…Rupert…I have to know…please," Wood asked with a pleading look on his face before he winced slightly in pain and had to lower his head a bit to compose himself.
"Well he…I mean…," Giles stammered out with a very nervous frown on his face as Dawn and Lorne looked up from their seats behind the counter. Wood was about to demand a better answer when Angel burst through the Hyperion's front doors with Gunn holding the door open for Faith to help Wesley through.
"What's up Angel-cakes…wait I know that look…what's wrong," Lorne asked with a chipper smile on his face at first before his countenance fell and his tone grew serious.
"She's back…I think…," Angel mumbled with a nervous and overwhelmed frown on his face as he seemed to not know what to do.
"Who's back…," Xander asked with a confused frown on his face as he and Willow slowly walked down the stairs with a scowling Kennedy following closely behind.
"Cordelia…," Gunn answered with a very serious frown on his face as he helped Faith find Wesley a seat on the circular couch.
"She woke up…," Fred asked with a restrained look of hope on her face and a bright light in her eyes, hoping against hope.
"Not exactly…Lilah showed us some pictures that she had recently received…and Cordelia was in them…looking very well for someone who's been in a coma for the last few days," Wesley gasped out with a tired look on his face as Faith stood by his side, a hand on his shoulder and a concerned look on her face.
"A…c…coma…but…," Willow stuttered out with a look of disbelief on her face as she looked back and forth between Wesley and Angel, hoping that one of them would explain.
"Long story best left for another time…Willow, I think the affects of your last healing spell is wearing off…," Wesley said through a pained grimace before Willow eyed him for a bit before nodding her head and turning to Giles.
"Do we have enough of the ingredients…," Willow asked with a slightly tired frown on her face as Kennedy slipped her hand into Willows.
"I think so…," Giles replied quickly as he rose to his feet and headed for the stairs, eternally grateful for the interruption.
"Good, then let's get started," Wesley said with a pained wince as he stood up, letting Faith and Gunn help him towards the stairs.
"Okay back to Cordy…a coma…and now back…back where…," Xander asked with a thoroughly confused look on his face as he sat down in Giles' empty seat.
"That's what we're going to find out, Dawn where's Buffy," Angel said with a very serious frown on his face as he set the file and the digital video camera down on the counter, unaware of a pair of greedy eyes staring its way.
"I think she's asleep upstairs in one of the rooms…do you want me to go get her…," Dawn replied with a look that seemed to say that she was glad to be of some help. Angel thought carefully for a few seconds before responding.
"No…she's been through a lot we'd better let her sleep…now…," Angel started to say with a tired sigh before Andrew grabbed the digital video camera and turned it on, handing the file to Xander, who nearly dropped it upon looking at the first photograph.
"A…Anya…," Xander gasped nearly passing out in shock as everyone in the room stared at him with confused looks on their faces.
"I thought that's who she was but I wasn't sure…now when Gunn gets back I'm going back to Sunnydale to find Cordelia," Angel said with a very authoritative look on his face as he walked over to the newly rebuilt weapons cabinet and took out his favorite sword.
"I'm going with you…," Xander exclaimed with a very serious look on his face as he tried to steady himself after seeing Anya in the pictures.
"Then get a weapon and wait outside…if we're lucky the Beast won't still be there…and you can talk to Riley…he and I…don't get along…," Angel started to say with a slight nod of his head before he seemed to grow uncomfortable. Before anyone could ask another question Angel turned on his heel and walked back out of the Hyperion.
* * * * * *
After Angel and his group had left Faith had tried her best to stay out of Wesley's room, letting him get some sleep. She didn't know why but she felt that she should be there, beside him, if only to watch over him and be there if he needed anything. She let out a small snort at the thought of herself playing nursemaid to the man that she had nearly tortured to death only a few years earlier. But in those few years a lot had changed, she had changed, he had changed, and both for the better. When Robin walked slowly back into what everyone had, under their breath, called their room he looked tired and a bit weary but full of questions just waiting to be asked.
"Okay, let me have it," Faith said with a reluctant smile on her face as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and pulled herself up to a seated position, offering Robin a spot beside her.
"What…I…," Robin stammered out with a confused and a little taken aback frown on his face as he slowly sat down beside her.
"I can just tell that you've got like a thousand questions that you want to ask me…so…ask already…," Faith said with a shrug of her shoulders before she bent her knee up and put her shoe on the edge of the bed so that she could retie it.
"Alright…I tried to ask Giles but we were interrupted before he was able to tell me anything…other than the Watchers Council fired Wesley because he failed in his duties as watcher…," Robin said with a nervous frown on his face as he alternated between looking Faith in the eye and looking at an old painting of a meadow on the wall. Had he been watching her face the whole time Robin would have seen her level of nervousness steadily grow.
"Simplest explanation is I went rogue and B didn't listen to a word that he said…not much need for a watcher that neither slayer will listen to…so they cut him loose…not surprised…," Faith answered slowly trying to make it sound as if she didn't care about the events of the past.
"That makes sense…I think, but why are you so protective of him…helping him around wherever he goes…," Robin asked with a nervous slump of his shoulders as he suddenly found it impossible to look Faith in the eye and ask the question at the same time.
"I told you…I owe him…after what I did I…he didn't deserve what I did to him…ya know what…how about we talk about something else…anything else…," Faith replied at first with confidence before her mask fell and the pace of her speech picked up as she nearly jumped up off of the bed and walked towards the dresser, carefully to keep out of reflection alignment of the mirror perched on the wall.
"Why are you avoiding the question Faith…was what you did to him truly that bad…I mean I've only known him for a very short amount of time and…," Robin started to reply with an impatient furrow of his brows as he stood up before Faith's head shot up.
"You've only known him for a very short amount of time and what…diagnosed him already…think you know everything that there is to know about him…sorry but like most things in life there's much more to Wes than meets the eye…much more…," Faith exclaimed defiantly at first, with a touch of raw anger and impatience in her voice, before she regained her composure and began to idly open and close the dresser drawers.
"See that's what I mean…no matter what I or anyone else says you're always defending him…if I didn't know better I'd say that you were in love with him…," Robin muttered angrily as he stared at his reflection in the mirror, garnering only a short laugh from Faith in response.
"That's what you're worried about…not whether or not we can stop this apocalypse or a creature that almost put me out of my misery the last time we met but if I'm in love with Wesley…," Faith shot back with an accusing glare on her face as at first to her the inference of the last part was ludicrous, but as she said the words the validity of his fears seemed to grow, if only in her mind.
"No…it's just that…I don't want to lose you…," Wood said in a softer tone of voice as he cursed himself silently for overreaching in his assessment.
"Who said you were…I just owe Wesley and I'm going to try my hardest to make it up to him…that's all there is to it," Faith said softly with a slightly nervous look on her face as she turned back around to face Robin.
"Okay…let's try something different…what's say we don't talk at all…," Robin said with a soft smile on his face as he stood up and walked over to Faith.
"Sounds good…what did you have in mind…," Faith replied with a sexy smirk on her face before Robin leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.
"Something like that…," Robin said with a happy smile on his face as he let Faith lead him back towards the bed.
* * * * * *
Wesley waited until after Giles, Willow, and Kennedy had left the room before he dared to hazard a glance. He had slept during much of the healing spell and already he could feel its effects on his body. His head no longer felt like a train wreck and the pain in his chest and shoulder had eased. He was grateful that Giles hadn't come back in to check on him yet as it gave Wesley the time he needed to clean up a bit. He slowly stood up and made his way to the bathroom, turning on the cold water and splashing it on his face. The face in the mirror reminded him a lot of the face that he had seen shortly before a lot of his memories went fuzzy. Without meaning to his thoughts suddenly took a u-turn and placed themselves directly on how nice it had been being that close to Faith. He didn't know for what reasons his thoughts went down that path but their depths startled him. He knew that he shouldn't possess these feelings towards Faith, feelings that he was scared to admit had been there for some time, albeit tempered by the events of the past. For much of the time since leaving Sunnydale he had chalked the feelings up to much the same that he had for Cordelia, feelings where he had decided that nothing would come about from them. Hoping to clear his mind he made it back to the bed before he found that he couldn't keep his eyes open and he slid back down onto the bed before sleep overtook him once again.
When he awoke his mouth was dry and his more grifter like self sounded like it was shouting through a bullhorn for a drink. He tried his best to quell that voice but the more he tried the louder it got. Finally giving in and resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get any decent amount of sleep until he got himself good and plastered he pulled himself up to his feet and out of the room. He hadn't gone to far down the hallway when a door opened and a yawning Faith walked out, adjusting the fit of her shirt.
"Hey Wes…what are you doing walking around…I thought that you were supposed to be sleeping…letting Will's magic work," Faith asked with a slightly worried look on her face as she looked up at Wesley and jammed her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
"I fully intend to Faith…but first I need a drink…," Wesley replied politely with a tired smile on his face before he pushed on past Faith and headed for the stairs. Faith started to turn back towards the room, getting so far as to lay a hand on the doorknob before stopping.
"You want some company," Faith asked with a nervous frown on her face, her voice faltering noticeably for some unknown reason.
"Thanks for the offer but I like to drink alone…maybe next time," Wesley replied after thinking for a few seconds. Before Faith could ask anything else he was off down the stairs and headed towards the door. Almost completely without a second thought Faith let go of the doorknob, turned on her heel and followed after him. She tried to keep telling herself that she was only following him because it wasn't safe for any of them to be out in the city alone but another thought began to worm its way into her mind and heart. A thought that seemed to infer that maybe Robin's fears weren't so unfounded after all.
END OF CHAPTER 8