Research.
It seemed all she ever did anymore and for once, Willow had had enough. But at least this time, she wasn't doing research for anyone but herself. She had to find out if she was the Daughter of Fire that they had been searching for or if she was just losing her mind once again. Her money was on the latter. She didn't feel like an all powerful daughter of anything. Let alone someone who was destined to save the world from yet another ancient evil. That was Buffy's job, not hers. She was the brainy sidekick, much like Xander...the wacky one.
But he was no longer that was he? she asked herself. Now the group dynamic had changed. Buffy was still Buffy, but Xander was more than a wacky sidekick now. He was one of "them". Well technically anyway. He was the one who made them all. Somehow it did seem like the sort of thing he would do. Xander always had a way of screwing things up and how much screwier could he get than being the First Vampire? And Faith, always on the outskirts of the group, but just as she was gaining acceptance, she was gone. Dead. Killed by Xander.
Willow was still having trouble getting her head around that bit of information. They thought she didn't know about it, but she had heard them talking when they thought she was sleeping. She wanted to feel pity or sadness for Faith, but she couldn't. She had never trusted or liked the dark Slayer. Instead she felt guilt. Guilt because she still clung to that mistrust and dislike. Even in death she couldn't let those feelings go.
"Here you go hunny," her mother said as she came back into her bedroom carrying several heavy looking books. "Your father's research into our family history."
"Uh thanks mom," Willow replied as she jumped up off her bed and made room for them on her desk. "Have you read them?"
Her mother smiled. "I keep meaning too, but I can never find the time to sit down and appreciate them."
"I'll appreciate them for you then," Willow said.
Smiling still, her mother kissed Willow on the top of her head before she walked out the room and left her daughter to read.
Uh-oh, Willow thought to herself. Something was up. Her parents barely noticed she was alive most of the time, let alone showed her any random signs of affection. The kiss puzzled her, but she filed that feeling away for now. She had more important things on her mind. Taking a deep breath, she opened the top book...
~*~
"But I don't want to go back," she shouted. "Its not fair. They don't need me. Why won't you let me rest in peace?"
"Your have not finished your work," the voice replied. "There is still much to do and only you can complete what needs to be done. Without you, it will never end."
"I don't care!" she screamed. "Don't you understand me? I don't give a damn about them or anyone. I'm happy here and no way am I returning there...or anywhere."
"This was never the end for you," the voice continued, ignoring her ranting. "This is never the end for any of us. Its just a resting place before we return to finish what needs to be done. Sometimes its a little thing, but you have so much to do and its time for you to return."
"You can't make me," she was getting petulant now.
"There's nothing you can do to stop me," the voice said. "It is time Belyndra. Time for you to return to finish what you started."
The sudden flash of light illuminated her surroundings. Faith had only seconds to take in the beauty of the roses she had been living amongst before she was ripped from them leaving behind a sandal and a long scream which tore through the darkness behind her.
~*~
Buffy slammed her book closed. The noise reverberated throughout the silent library and made the others jump in their chairs.
"Its no use," she said. "We could read every book ever written and still we'd not find what we are looking for."
Giles gently closed his book. "Now Buffy..." he started to say.
"You know I'm right Giles," she said, looking at her Watcher. "The prophecy says she will come to find the Father...Xander...and thats when they will stop the one they have to...stop."
He did know she was right, but they had to do something. This sitting around doing nothing but waiting was driving everyone insane and that was never good. Or even worse, he thought looking at Buffy, it would give her more time to get even more attached to the Elf. He was beginning to suspect it was too late to stop that now. He wasn't blind to the looks they gave each other. It reminded him of how she used to look at Angel. He almost laughed when he thought about her taste in 'men'. But at least this one was alive and wasn't inclined to torture or kill the helpless and innocent.
Like Jenny.
He hadn't thought of her in months. It seemed odd to find his mind wandering to her at this time. He missed her. In the few quiet moments he used to sit and remember her, he found his mind wandering down a dark road he didn't like to travel.
What if she had been his last chance to have someone to love? What if in not protecting her from Angelus, he had lost love forever? What if he never found anyone to take her place? What if this meant he was going to end up alone?
Even now those thoughts haunted him. Maybe thats why he kept busy with research. If he kept his mind otherwise occupied, he didn't have time to think like that.
"Giles?"
Buffy's voice drew him out of his painful thoughts and he was grateful for that...for once.
"Ah yes, you have a point," he finally said.
"One point to the Slayer," crowed Buffy. "Do I get a gold star too?"
"Don't push your luck," Giles retorted. "Sarcasm isn't attractive."
Buffy poked out her tongue at her Watcher before turning to Legolas who had been watching the exchange with interest.
"You think I'm attractive don't you?" she said in a low, seductive voice.
Legolas blushed which gave her her answer.
"See," she said poking her tongue out at Giles again.
"This is beginning to go to one of those scary places my mind doesn't like," Xander piped up.
"Kinda ironic that your mind doesn't like scary places," Buffy replied arching an eyebrow at her friend.
Xander sighed. "You know what I mean Buff."
Yes she did know what he meant, but as always, she chose not to acknowledge the attraction Xander felt for her and the obvious discomfort and pain he went through whenever she was interested in someone else. Instead she said nothing.
"Maybe we should follow Willow's example and call it a night," Giles said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Good idea. Maybe tomorrow...err...later today we'll find something," Buffy yawned. She stood and took Legolas' hand. "We'll catch up with you later."
Giles and Xander watched as she wrapped up in Legolas' arms and together, they left the library.
"Think she'll ever fall for anyone human?" Giles asked.
The hurt look in Xander's eyes gave him his answer.
~*~
The book made a dull thud as Willow closed it. Everything now made sense. She thought back over everything they had learnt or been told about what they were now facing.
1. The descendant of an ancient one was going to try to reforge the Ring.
2. He would be helped by "the mother". The Vampire Xander had made and loved.
3. Only Xander and the descendant of another ancient one, the Daughter of Fire, could stop them.
4. The excretement was about to hit the electric wind blowing machine.
Slowly she stood up and walked over to her dresser and looked into the mirror. Softly she began chanting as her hands moved towards her reflection. A red glow appeared above her head and as her chanting continued, so the glowing continued to move around her until it covered her completely.
In that moment, she finally knew the truth. In that moment, she knew everything. In that moment, she knew all the answers.
But would anyone believe her?
It seemed all she ever did anymore and for once, Willow had had enough. But at least this time, she wasn't doing research for anyone but herself. She had to find out if she was the Daughter of Fire that they had been searching for or if she was just losing her mind once again. Her money was on the latter. She didn't feel like an all powerful daughter of anything. Let alone someone who was destined to save the world from yet another ancient evil. That was Buffy's job, not hers. She was the brainy sidekick, much like Xander...the wacky one.
But he was no longer that was he? she asked herself. Now the group dynamic had changed. Buffy was still Buffy, but Xander was more than a wacky sidekick now. He was one of "them". Well technically anyway. He was the one who made them all. Somehow it did seem like the sort of thing he would do. Xander always had a way of screwing things up and how much screwier could he get than being the First Vampire? And Faith, always on the outskirts of the group, but just as she was gaining acceptance, she was gone. Dead. Killed by Xander.
Willow was still having trouble getting her head around that bit of information. They thought she didn't know about it, but she had heard them talking when they thought she was sleeping. She wanted to feel pity or sadness for Faith, but she couldn't. She had never trusted or liked the dark Slayer. Instead she felt guilt. Guilt because she still clung to that mistrust and dislike. Even in death she couldn't let those feelings go.
"Here you go hunny," her mother said as she came back into her bedroom carrying several heavy looking books. "Your father's research into our family history."
"Uh thanks mom," Willow replied as she jumped up off her bed and made room for them on her desk. "Have you read them?"
Her mother smiled. "I keep meaning too, but I can never find the time to sit down and appreciate them."
"I'll appreciate them for you then," Willow said.
Smiling still, her mother kissed Willow on the top of her head before she walked out the room and left her daughter to read.
Uh-oh, Willow thought to herself. Something was up. Her parents barely noticed she was alive most of the time, let alone showed her any random signs of affection. The kiss puzzled her, but she filed that feeling away for now. She had more important things on her mind. Taking a deep breath, she opened the top book...
~*~
"But I don't want to go back," she shouted. "Its not fair. They don't need me. Why won't you let me rest in peace?"
"Your have not finished your work," the voice replied. "There is still much to do and only you can complete what needs to be done. Without you, it will never end."
"I don't care!" she screamed. "Don't you understand me? I don't give a damn about them or anyone. I'm happy here and no way am I returning there...or anywhere."
"This was never the end for you," the voice continued, ignoring her ranting. "This is never the end for any of us. Its just a resting place before we return to finish what needs to be done. Sometimes its a little thing, but you have so much to do and its time for you to return."
"You can't make me," she was getting petulant now.
"There's nothing you can do to stop me," the voice said. "It is time Belyndra. Time for you to return to finish what you started."
The sudden flash of light illuminated her surroundings. Faith had only seconds to take in the beauty of the roses she had been living amongst before she was ripped from them leaving behind a sandal and a long scream which tore through the darkness behind her.
~*~
Buffy slammed her book closed. The noise reverberated throughout the silent library and made the others jump in their chairs.
"Its no use," she said. "We could read every book ever written and still we'd not find what we are looking for."
Giles gently closed his book. "Now Buffy..." he started to say.
"You know I'm right Giles," she said, looking at her Watcher. "The prophecy says she will come to find the Father...Xander...and thats when they will stop the one they have to...stop."
He did know she was right, but they had to do something. This sitting around doing nothing but waiting was driving everyone insane and that was never good. Or even worse, he thought looking at Buffy, it would give her more time to get even more attached to the Elf. He was beginning to suspect it was too late to stop that now. He wasn't blind to the looks they gave each other. It reminded him of how she used to look at Angel. He almost laughed when he thought about her taste in 'men'. But at least this one was alive and wasn't inclined to torture or kill the helpless and innocent.
Like Jenny.
He hadn't thought of her in months. It seemed odd to find his mind wandering to her at this time. He missed her. In the few quiet moments he used to sit and remember her, he found his mind wandering down a dark road he didn't like to travel.
What if she had been his last chance to have someone to love? What if in not protecting her from Angelus, he had lost love forever? What if he never found anyone to take her place? What if this meant he was going to end up alone?
Even now those thoughts haunted him. Maybe thats why he kept busy with research. If he kept his mind otherwise occupied, he didn't have time to think like that.
"Giles?"
Buffy's voice drew him out of his painful thoughts and he was grateful for that...for once.
"Ah yes, you have a point," he finally said.
"One point to the Slayer," crowed Buffy. "Do I get a gold star too?"
"Don't push your luck," Giles retorted. "Sarcasm isn't attractive."
Buffy poked out her tongue at her Watcher before turning to Legolas who had been watching the exchange with interest.
"You think I'm attractive don't you?" she said in a low, seductive voice.
Legolas blushed which gave her her answer.
"See," she said poking her tongue out at Giles again.
"This is beginning to go to one of those scary places my mind doesn't like," Xander piped up.
"Kinda ironic that your mind doesn't like scary places," Buffy replied arching an eyebrow at her friend.
Xander sighed. "You know what I mean Buff."
Yes she did know what he meant, but as always, she chose not to acknowledge the attraction Xander felt for her and the obvious discomfort and pain he went through whenever she was interested in someone else. Instead she said nothing.
"Maybe we should follow Willow's example and call it a night," Giles said, breaking the uncomfortable silence.
"Good idea. Maybe tomorrow...err...later today we'll find something," Buffy yawned. She stood and took Legolas' hand. "We'll catch up with you later."
Giles and Xander watched as she wrapped up in Legolas' arms and together, they left the library.
"Think she'll ever fall for anyone human?" Giles asked.
The hurt look in Xander's eyes gave him his answer.
~*~
The book made a dull thud as Willow closed it. Everything now made sense. She thought back over everything they had learnt or been told about what they were now facing.
1. The descendant of an ancient one was going to try to reforge the Ring.
2. He would be helped by "the mother". The Vampire Xander had made and loved.
3. Only Xander and the descendant of another ancient one, the Daughter of Fire, could stop them.
4. The excretement was about to hit the electric wind blowing machine.
Slowly she stood up and walked over to her dresser and looked into the mirror. Softly she began chanting as her hands moved towards her reflection. A red glow appeared above her head and as her chanting continued, so the glowing continued to move around her until it covered her completely.
In that moment, she finally knew the truth. In that moment, she knew everything. In that moment, she knew all the answers.
But would anyone believe her?