Tales of the Future – Part Two
While Buffy was on her walk she couldn't stop her mind from racing. Everything was going through her mind all at once. How was she going to keep Angel from leaving so that he could be in the battle? What if that wasn't even really the real reason she was sent back? These thoughts were overwhelming her. She was so confused.
As she continued her walk she saw Giles walking towards her. He looked worried but she was happy to see him. He was the only one that Buffy knew wouldn't bombard him with questions like the others had. When he reached her He smiled and said, "Hello Buffy. How are you doing? Is everything alright? I noticed you're not with the others." His smile went away at the end and it was replaced with worry.
Buffy smiled at him reassuringly. "Yea everything is fine. It was just all the questions were getting to me I guess. Did you figure anything out?"
"No I'm afraid not. Wesley is still looking but like we said before there isn't much on time travel in the books…or anywhere for that matter," he said with a look of defeat in his eyes. That wasn't really what he was worried about at the moment though. Right now he was worried about Buffy and what she had told the others. "Buffy I don't mean to upset you in any way but how much did you end up telling the others? I know I've said this already but things could go very wrong if they know things and change them."
"Don't worry Giles I don't think I told them enough to make things change very much," she reassured him.
Giles looked relieved, "Good…I must say I was a bit worried at first. I should have known though that you wouldn't do anything that rash."
As the two were talking Willow appeared and saw them, but they didn't see her. She was about to make herself noticed when she heard what Buffy was talking about and decided to stay hidden.
Buffy still looked a bit worried however, "Yeah, well I probably shouldn't have said anything at all. I told Xander some things and I told Cordy some things and I think Willow was waiting to hear some things about her but she's the one person that shouldn't hear about her future, if we don't want it to change that is."
Willow was very confused and also worried. She decided to stay hidden a little longer to hear what else Buffy had to say about her. She knew she probably shouldn't be listening to this. She should just listen to Buffy's advice and not know but the curiosity was too much.
Giles also looked confused, "Willow? What could have changed so drastically with Willow?" he asked. He didn't even think about the fact that he probably should not have asked that. It was just so strange that of all people Willow would be the one to change the most.
Buffy knew it would be ok to tell Giles what happens with Willow because he wouldn't do anything that would change it because he knew better. She began telling him about Willow, "Well for starters she isn't with Oz anymore in the future and I thought that might upset her. In fact she isn't really with any guy. Oz leaves her towards the beginning of our freshman year and then towards the end Willow kind of becomes gay. She starts dating a girl named Tara who's a pretty powerful witch like her."
Willow couldn't believe her ears. "Gay? I'm not gay," she said to herself soft enough so that no one would hear here.
Giles also looked shocked, "Umm…well yes that umm…that probably wouldn't go over very well."
Buffy continued, "Yea I mean I'm not trying to say it's a bad thing cuz it's not at all. They were very cute together and very much in love. Willow was happier then I think I'd ever seen her when she was with Tara." Buffy's expression turned grim as she thought back on her fallen friend. Tara was a great person who didn't deserve to go yet.
After taking a moment, Buffy continued. "But…last year…well last year if we were in my time that is, Tara died. I don't want to get into too much detail so as not to risk anything but she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It shouldn't have happened. She was a good friend of all of ours and Willow loved her more then anything."
"I'm so sorry Buffy," Giles responded with sad eyes.
"Unfortunately, that wasn't the worst part," Buffy continued. "By this time Willow had become a very powerful witch, and by very powerful I mean VERY powerful. When Tara got shot Willow went crazy with grief. She used her magic for vengeance against Tara's killer. She absorbed dark magic's from various sources. She became so powerful that she almost destroyed the world."
Again, Willow was shocked. So shocked in fact, she started to cry. She couldn't believe what Buffy was saying. It couldn't be true. She would never do that. She would never try and destroy the world. Never! She couldn't listen to this anymore. She ran off not really knowing where she was going or what she was going to do.
Giles was in shock. He couldn't believe it either. Shy, sweet, innocent little Willow almost destroying the world? It couldn't be true. After letting the shock set in Giles finally spoke, "I don't understand. I can't believe it's true. Willow is such a sweet girl I just can't see her doing something like that."
Buffy looked down at the ground, "I know. None of us really saw it coming but she was very in love with Tara. Her emotions just took over. If it weren't for Xander she probably would have succeeded in destroying the world."
Giles looked even more confused, "Xander? Xander saved the world?"
Buffy nodded her head, "Yea he got to her emotionally. He brought back the real Willow that was still in there. Then you helped her get better. After she got all that power she was connected to everything so you said that it could be worse for her to not use her powers at all. She's been doing really well now. I think she's going to play a big part in the battle with the First. I just haven't exactly figured out how yet. So yeah, she did some bad stuff but she's made up for it. But umm…that's pretty much why I didn't want to tell her about her future."
Giles, still shocked, nodded his head in agreement, "Yes I'm afraid your right. If Willow knew she would probably be devastated and she would change the future by making sure that Tara wouldn't get killed. Then she wouldn't have the kind of power she has now and it might tip the scale too much in favor of the First. Or, there could even be more catastrophic changes that could occur."
"I agree…which is also another reason why I didn't want to tell her," Buffy added, "I feel a little bad thinking that I shouldn't change that part of the future. Tara didn't deserve to die like she did and I wish I could have stopped it…or could stop it now."
Giles could tell that Buffy was upset. He put his arm around her, "I know Buffy but its ok. What's done is done and I don't think that is the aspect you are supposed to change anyway or you would have been sent to that time instead. I'm sure there are a lot of things you'd like to change but you know you can't"
Buffy almost started to cry. The moment Giles said that, she thought of her mom. She wanted so bad to tell her, to warn her. She thought that maybe it wouldn't even change things much if her mom didn't die, but then she though that even if she did warn her mom there probably wouldn't be much she could do anyway. Her mom had a tumor. How could she prevent that?
Giles could see how upset Buffy was but he wasn't sure why. "Buffy what is it? You can tell me," Giles said with a comforting voice.
Buffy knew she could tell Giles. They had always had a very good relationship. He was like a father to her. She could tell him anything and he would just let her cry in his arms. However, she decided it would probably be better if she didn't tell him. She had probably already told him too much as it was.
"It's nothing," Buffy responded. "I just don't know what I'm supposed to do here Giles. Coming back here, having to deal with all of this again, all of the memories. It's just too much. Why is this happening? I just don't understand."
"I don't know Buffy but I promise you I will figure it out. I promise." It was all he could think to say to comfort her.
