Part 5

The reality of her situation was beginning to set in for Willow as she listened to Faith, Tara and Giles train. It seemed that the Slayers of this reality are matched with a watcher with magickal ability. They train in both the physical and the magickal.

The Wizarding Council had split into two factions before the turn of the century. Those that embraced the dark magick and those that embraced the white magick. Willow wondered what caused the split in the first place.

Giles kept glancing over at Willow who was reading the History of the Wizarding Council. Extremely dull reading but it would answer the many questions that he was sure she would have. He motioned for Faith and Tara to continue while he made his way over to Willow.

"You doing all right?"

Willow nodded, "It's just beginning to sink in that I'm a fish out of water here."

Giles gently reached over and closed the book. "What do you want to know? Not necessarily about this reality but about the people, or the wizards or how magick works here or even what movies are playing."

Willow smiled at the last one. She didn't think her Giles would know what the latest releases were if they weren't foreign or independent movies.

"Do all Slayers fight for the white magick?"

Giles eyes turned sad, "No, we get a few rogue Slayers that prefer the power and the rush of the dark magick. The Slayer before Faith, Kendra was like that. She enjoyed the power that came with being a Slayer. She even killed her Watcher on Ethan's orders."

God, even Faith hadn't gone that far though not for lack of trying. It was hard to imagine Kendra being Faith like. "How did she die?"

"Druscilla. She was one of the many casualties in their grief. I hadn't realized it was grief over this Willow's death that caused it though."

Well some things were the same here. It seemed Kendra was destined to die at the hands of Druscilla.

Willow looked down at her hands and then up at Giles, "I really don't want to impose but pride kind of goes out the window when you're all alone. Would it be all right if I stayed here at the Magic Box? I could help out and sleep in the basement."

"Oh god, Willow I'm sorry. With all that's happened it completely slipped my mind. Of course you can stay here. If you won't feel uncomfortable I have a nice two bedroom apartment above the shop here that you are welcome to share."

"Thanks I really appreciate that. I was beginning to realize I had no place to go and no one to call." She looked at Giles through her lashes, "Do you think it's possible for me to return to my reality?"

"I'll have to contact the coven in England that entrusted the mirror to me. I really don't know how the portal works. I do know it was rumored to be a portal to Avalon that Merlin used. It's one of the reasons Ethan wants it. But whether it can return you to your reality, I don't know."

Well Willow wasn't going to just hop around reality to reality until she found hers. She might end up in a hell dimension or something. This reality wasn't too bad. She even liked the people here. She just had to get the images of their counterparts in her reality out of her mind. Willow was determined to meet the rest of the group like she was meeting them for the first time. She knew if she saw Jesse and Xander all bets were off. She wouldn't be able to see them without seeing her versions of them.

"We're going patrolling, Giles." Tara softly said from the doorway.

"Be careful. Ethan and Gwendolyn no doubt have felt Willow's presence. They'll be out looking for her or anyone that might have information on the very powerful witch."

She hadn't even thought of that. Maybe she should just leave. If they don't know where she is they can't be asked.

Giles seemed to read her mind. "Ethan would be after us even if we didn't know of your existence. He's been after me since I refused to join him when we were younger."

He thought that this Willow would most likely become a target as well. Ethan would be able to feel the dark magick in her and want to exploit it for himself. He may even think to get rid of Gwendolyn and have Willow as his second in command. He doubted Ethan trusted Gwendolyn to not start a coup. Rupert didn't trust Gwendolyn to not start a coup.

The sound of the door in the back slamming against the wall had both Giles and Willow jumping up and spinning waiting for the attack.

Giles relaxed when he saw it was William and Druscilla.

Willow remained tense. She knew they were souled, she knew they fought for the 'white hats' but looking at Druscilla she just saw the mad vampire of her world.

"Rupert."

"William and Dru, I'm sure Wesley has explained about Willow."

William narrowed his eyes. "That's not Willow."

"She might not be YOUR Willow but she is Willow."

Dru didn't take her eyes off Willow as she slowly approached.

Willow was determined to stand her ground. She was a badass, mojo wielding, almost world destroying witch. She would not back down from a vampire. Maybe if she kept repeating that her heart would stop trying to escape her chest. She hoped that Giles would give her a nice burial when she died of either fright or a heart attack whichever came first.

William smiled an evil smile as he heard this fake Willow's heartbeat accelerate. He grudgingly admitted that she had courage to stand and wait to see what Dru did.

Dru stopped when she reached Willow. She raised her hands until they were on either side of Willow's head. "May I?"

Willow looked at Giles who seemed to be okay with Dru. Well she hoped it would be a quick and painless death.

"O-okay."

Dru very gently placed her hands on Willow and closed her eyes.

Flashes of Willow's life played like a movie in Dru's mind. She saw her as a young girl with Xander, meeting Giles, with Buffy and meeting Angel. Dru's brow wrinkled when she came to Willow's version of her William and herself. She cocked her head to the side and a small smile curved her lips when Faith appeared. The scenes flew by not really meaning anything to Dru until she saw Tara. Dru flinched when Willow's Tara was shot and the resulting aftermath.

With a gasp she released Willow and looked into her eyes.

Well that had been intense, Dru thought. She looked over at her William and gave a small nod. He narrowed his eyes and clinched his jaw. Dru may have given the okay but this one would have to prove herself before he did.

Dru turned to Rupert, "This one is our Willow but not. She wields much magick and power that our Willow wouldn't have developed but her heart is the same as our Willow's."

"Thank you, Druscilla."

"You saw all that in my head?" Willow couldn't get over that the Dru of this world was sane. She saw what she might have become if Angelus hadn't destroyed her mind first.

"Oh yes. I become the person as I get into their minds. I saw your true self, the one that even you can't hide from."

Dru didn't look away from Willow. She wanted her to know that she saw the good and the bad and the tightrope she still walked.

"Well, that's fine and all but she still has to prove herself." William folded his arms over his chest.

Willow glanced over at him and fought the urge to giggle. He looked like a petulant two year old that wasn't getting his way.

"I understand that trust is something earned not given right away. I'm sure you, Dru, Darla and Angel had to earn the trust of the Wizarding Council after you were given your souls. I expect no more than that."

Touché, Dru thought.