Willow's House, 0700 hours.
All Willow heard was the pounding in her head as she slowly opened her eyes, only to see the sun light streaming through a crack in her curtains directly into one of her eyes. Groaning as she brought her arm, which felt as if it weighed a ton, to her face to block the light… the redhead then slowly got up and found herself sprawled sideways on her bed, with just her underwear bottoms on, and her costume thrown onto the floor. It was just then that she remembered the pain she was in the last night, the heat her body was in that made her take off everything she was wearing, and then just throw it onto the floor before she lost consciousness after flopping down on her bed. She groaned again and rolled onto her back and rubbed her temples, however there was still the sound of something pounding. It didn't take too long for the redhead to realize that it wasn't her head that was pounding, instead she was hearing the sound of someone pounding at her door.
Slowly getting off the bed, the redhead dropped her feet on the floor of her room; her legs trembling as pain went up her spine to her brain; then the redhead rubbed her temples even more as she reached for a robe that was hanging on the back of her door. Wrapping it around herself, Willow then limped out of her room, her mind still hurting from the exertions of last night; something that would not have happened if she didn't have to overuse her telekinesis in her fight against a robot.
A robot that she suspected was much heavier than her.
It was that overuse, she suspected as she walked down the stairs while telling whoever it was that she was on the way down in a groggy voice, that caused her headaches to be at intense as it was this morning. Maybe even more than it should have been.
'I'm still figuring out my limits,' thought Willow to herself as she reached for the doorknob.
Sighing, she made sure that the robe around her was tightly wrapped before she opened the door to find a worried looking Xander standing there with his backpack over his shoulder, his hand held up in a fist as if he was ready to pound on the door again.
"Xander?" asked Willow as she shook her head, and squinted at the sunlight hit her face, "what are you…."
"Where were you?" asked Xander worried.
"Huh?" asked Willow with her mouth hanging open while she stepped back.
"We have this thing where we call each other whenever one of us wakes up?" said Xander as he stood in the porch, "I woke up and called you… and called, and called, and oh yeah… called again. I got worried so I got here first to check and you and…"
"Oh, right," said Willow as she remembered their custom while shaking her head, her head which still had a throbbing pain that was slowly decreasing, "sorry, I studied till late, and I just got up. I guess I should get ready… wanna come in?"
"You got cocoa?" asked Xander as Willow gave a small smile before she stepped to one side. Xander walked inside before Willow closed the door behind him and then nodded at the kitchen. After telling the young man to help himself, Willow walked up the stairs while he headed for the kitchen; however, she did catch a glimpse of the young man glancing at her as she walked up the stairs… and it was then she realized that while they had been in each other's homes, this was the first time that Willow was in her robe with nothing underneath in front of him.
And the redhead blushed slightly.
'There was the whole footie pyjama's,' thought Willow to herself as she headed into her room and put away her costume before taking out a fresh set of clothes, and then she headed into the shower. She heard the television turn on as she walked into the restroom, and closed the door behind her. She opened the glass door and then turned on the shower, and stepped under the warm water. Once the water hit her head, the redhead felt the pain melt away before she placed her hands on the tiles in front of her and felt the water flow down her back. Sighing in relief, Willow finished her shower in a few more minutes before she put on her fuzzy shirt, and overalls; then grabbed her backpack, and then headed down to the living room where Xander was watching some TV.
It was then that the both of them headed out of the house, and just as Willow closed the door behind her… a black jeep stopped at the driveway and a blonde young woman jumped out of the passenger seat and ran towards the redhead.
"Buff?" asked Willow confused as Buffy approached both her and Xander looking worried, while Joyce leaned her head out of the window and waved. Willow and Xander waved just as Buffy got closer and told the redhead that she had her worried last night.
"Huh?" asked Willow while she was thinking to herself, 'she knows it was me last night? No, can't be.. I was careful and… and I know I didn't say anything but….'
"I called you, Will," said Buffy as she looked at her best friend with worry, "I called you like five times but no one picked up the phone, then I remembered that you said you were gonna see Giles. So I called him and asked him if he heard from you about the whole thing with Ted."
'Please tell me he said yes,' thought Willow to herself worriedly, 'please tell me he said yes.'
"And yeah, he did… but after that he didn't hear from you and.. and I told him that I was calling you and he told me that you were probably asleep," said Buffy, "but you always pick up the phone and I told mom, especially after what happened last night that you needed to see Ted and…"
"What about Ted?" asked Willow and Xander together.
"I thought he was... you know... dead…. Kaput?" asked Xander.
"He came back… apparently he's a robot," said Buffy as Xander and Willow looked at her in shock.
"I was gonna tell you guys this," said Xander, "Cordelia made an anonymous tip to the cops about the bodies in Ted's house."
"What bodies?" asked Buffy and Willow together. It was news which surprised the both of them.
"Buffy!" said Joyce, "we need to go."
"Right," said the Slayer as she looked at her mother, and then at Willow and Xander, "I'll tell you in the car. Listen, Ted's a robot and the mystery girl helped me beat Ted to the ground."
"She was there?" asked Xander in surprise.
"Yea," said Buffy as they headed for the jeep, "mom was asking me all these questions about her, and… and I mean I was the one who knocked Ted out but I couldn't tell mom. So if she asks, it was the mystery girl who knocked him out… I don't wanna freak her out anymore by telling her that her only daughter has supernatural powers."
"Clear on that," said Xander as Willow nodded her head. Once they were in the Jeep, Joyce was telling them the story about the girl in black, and then about Ted… she said that after Ted was revealed for who he was, it was Buffy who said that she'll take care of everything. Joyce had wanted to call the police and tell them about Ted, but Buffy said that the cops, being the inept force that they were, would find a way to blame Buffy for killing a robot. Joyce said as she was driving that Buffy suggested going to a scrap yard in the outskirts of the city, something that freaked out Joyce… however Buffy convinced her that Ted was a full robot, even showed her the literal inner workings on the side of his face and neck where the skin was torn apart, so much so that the lights and wires inside could be seen.
Joyce then said that she and Buffy took the robot out in the jeep.
"I wanted to help but…." said Joyce, "Buffy told me to stay where I was while she pulled the robot's body and… and I guess it was the whole rush of the moment, but I saw her pull the body away easily."
"I didn't feel a thing," said Buffy as Xander and Willow looked at each other, and then looked at Buffy who was rubbing her shoulders while looking over her shoulder at the two of them, and winked, "but this morning my shoulders, and arms are burning."
"See," said Joyce as she nudged Buffy's arm, "I told you not to do it yourself."
"Sorry, mom," said Buffy as Willow and Xander looked at each other and then at Buffy and silently chuckled.
It would be later that day, after talking to Giles about what happened following the surprise that he and Jenny Calendar were back together, that Buffy would be told that she wasn't being charged with Ted's murder; but it was only because there wasn't any evidence. However, they were now looking for Ted in regards to the murder of three other women in his basement room.
Sunnydale High, three weeks later.
Willow was looking into the recess of her locker while Buffy was telling her about meeting Angel that morning; and the kiss that they shared. She was telling Willow that he was the one for her, and that they may even take it to the next level. The redhead felt Buffy's voice going far away as she thought back to the dream she had that morning. A dream that woke her up with a start, a dream that brought fear to her very soul. She dreamt that she was in a dimly lit stone walled room; she had tried to move but she couldn't since she was hanging in mid-air with her arms spread and chained to the ceiling of the room, and her legs were spread as well and rendered immobile by the chains that were attached to them. Willow could feel her shoulders burning as the taut chains holding her arms spread wide while not allowing her onto the floor. The redhead could feel the tears rolling down her face as she called for help.. she could feel the heat in the air, and the stink of rotten flesh that was coming from all around her. It was then that a wooden door in front of her opened and she widened her eyes in fear when a naked demon with three eyes, antlers, hooves, and a red muscled body walked in while sneering at the redhead. Willow tried to struggle and scream, but she found that she couldn't… and it was then, thanks to the light from the outside hallway, did she noticed the slits on the demon's wrists, and then she noticed something from the corner of her eyes. She turned her head to see a table of various knives, cleavers, scissors, and various other instruments of what she could only guess was for torture.
Willow then looked at the demon in front of her and screamed. The scream didn't last long as the demon then lunged forward and wrapped its bloody, and slimy, hand against her mouth. He then looked into her eyes and smiled. Willow tried to use her telekinesis, but found out that she couldn't. She tried again and again, but she couldn't save herself.
"A soul," said the demon in a deep voice as Willow's eyes opened wide when she noticed the rows of four sharp teeth in his mouth, and then she felt the rough tongue as he licked her neck before he started to sniff her. Once he had gathered her scent, the demon looked into Willow's eyes again and grinned, "I haven't had a soul here for a very long time. Don't worry, you'll be my play thing… there are others here who have never tasted a soul before. They'll want to taste you… carve your flesh, eat your heart."
"S.. stay.. away," said Willow. She was about to say something else when the demon roared in her face and then reached into her mouth and grabbed her tongue.
"You'll never die here," said the demon as it pulled on Willow's tongue; the redhead's eyes were wide open in fear, "for the next thousands of years, you are mine… and then you'll be the vampire's plaything, and then every demon here will want you.. they'll want to eat your flesh, drink your blood. But you will never die… you will remain young and ensouled… a drug for all of us. But first, I want a taste; I am hungry."
"Willow," said Buffy's voice as the redhead shook her head and closed the locker door; the dream was still fresh in her mind as she smiled at the blonde Slayer who was looking back at here, "you ok?"
"Yeah" replied the redhead as she nodded her head. Willow remembered the times that the both of them, although Buffy still didn't know, spent time the past few nights' fight vampires together, with the redhead even preventing a few muggings on her way back home. Once Buffy was sure that Willow was indeed alright, which the redhead knew that she was not due to her dream, the blonde nodded her head to her right. The redhead looked at Oz, who was talking to someone else while glancing over at her occasionally.
"So, about Oz, Will," said Buffy as she leaned into the redhead, "any sparkage?"
"I… ah… I…" said Willow nervously.
"You can't wait for Xander, Will," said Buffy as the redhead blushed slightly, "you're single, you're hot, go talk to him."
"My, Buffy," said Willow at the blonde with an eyebrow raised, "you think I'm hot?"
"Don't go there," said Buffy as Willow chuckled as the young man talking to Oz walked off, and the dark haired young man started to walked towards Buffy and Willow.
"What if the talking thing become the silence thing… again," said Willow.
"You've talked to him," said Buffy as she looked at the redhead, "and I don't remember any silence."
"Well, you're gone and… and then I'm gone and…"
"You're the smartest one I know," said Buffy as Oz got closer, "get him to ask you out, or you ask him out… don't take no for an answer."
Buffy then nodded her head before looking back at Oz. She then said hi, and waved, and then turned around and looked at Willow before she patted the redhead's shoulder, and then walked away.
The redhead, whose heart was beating fast at the thought of the dream and how real it seemed, and at the fact that Oz was getting closer and closer, Willow wondered if what she saw was part of her clairvoyance especially since it didn't really feel like it. Then she wondered if it was due to her starting her magical training under the eye of a woman named Althanea from the Devon Coven. She met the middle aged woman only a week ago, and had already begun the basics of magic. Introduced to her by Giles, the both of them told Althanea about what happened to Willow during Halloween with the redhead having demonstrated her telekinetic abilities, including her flight.
Althanea then told Willow that she'll be tutoring her for the next four weeks in basic magic, but she also wanted to know how Niko had been training with Ariel and the Circle of Thought. But as Oz walked towards the redhead, Willow pushed those thoughts, and her dream to the back of her mind and smiled at Oz who was standing in front of her.
"Hey," said Oz.
"Hi," replied Willow as she felt butterflies again in her stomach, "haven't seen you around much… I mean not that I was looking for you just that I haven't… you know… seen you around much."
"I just got back last night," said Oz as Willow raised an eyebrow questioningly, "I went to my aunt's place; visited my cousin, played some gigs here and there."
"Oh," said Willow, "so… uum… do you guys, uh, have a gig tonight?
"Oh, no. Practice," said Oz shaking his head as he pointed towards the young man who he said was the lead of their band, "see, our band's kinda moving towards this new sound where... we suck, so... practice."
Willow then smiled and told him that she lied, that she really was at the Bronze a few days ago with Buffy and Xander, and she did hear them play. She then told Oz that she gets nervous sometimes and becomes a klutz; she kept on babbling for a few more seconds while Oz just looked at her with his eyebrows raised. Willow, recognizing the look that Oz was giving her, apologized for babbling before telling him that she thought the band sounded good.
"Thanks," said Oz as the both of them walked out of the building and into the quad.
"I bet you have a lot of groupies," said Willow as they sat together on a bench, and Willow visibly winced while mentally hitting herself as she thought, 'I bet you have a lot of groupies? What the heck is wrong with you?'
"It happens," said Oz as he looked at Willow, "now, I'm living groupie-free."
"Oh," said Willow as she perked up and smiled, "Ummmm…."
"I'm gonna ask you to go out with me tomorrow night," said Oz much to Willow's surprise, "and I'm kinda nervous about it, actually. It's interesting."
"If it helps at all," said Willow as she nodded her head in excitement, "I'm gonna say yes."
"Yeah, it helps," said Oz as Willow smiled, "It creates a comfort zone. So, here goes. Do you wanna go out with me tomorrow night?"
"Yes," said Willow excitedly when the smile on her face suddenly vanished and she cringed, all before the redhead slapped her hand to her forehead, "Oh! I can't."
"I like that you're unpredictable," said Oz as Willow blushed.
"It's just that it's Buffy's birthday, and we're throwing her a surprise party," said Willow.
"It's okay," replied Oz.
"But you could come," said Willow nodding her head with a wide smile, "if you want to."
"Well, I don't wanna crash."
"No, it's fine!" said Willow shaking her head and waving her hands about, "you… you could be m... my date."
"All right," said Oz nodding his head as he gave a small smile, "I'm in."
Willow smiled back at Oz before indicating that she needed to go. Oz nodded his head as the both of them stood up, with Willow smiling at the young man while brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear. Willow waved at Oz before turning around and walking away with a grin on her face.
"I said date," whispered Willow to herself.
The next night, their date had gone off as expected in Sunnydale. Buffy was attacked by vampires, along with Miss Calendar who was supposed to bring her over to the Bronze. Oz had witnessed his first dusting of a vampire, to which Willow then explained everything about demons, and vampires with the redhead surprised that he didn't freak out.
Instead, Willow smiled when all he said was that it explained a lot of the weird things in the city.
However, the biggest surprise came from a box that Buffy said some vampires were stealing from a truck… a box that Giles and Angel, who had also come for Buffy's birthday party, took from Miss Calendar, and then placed it on a table. It was Buffy who opened the box, and once it was opened… everyone looked on shocked as an arm; just an armoured arm… started to choke Buffy. Giles and Angel pried the hand off Buffy's throat, with a little help from Willow's telekinesis. It was then that the redhead got a good look at the arm just before it was pushed back down into the box.
Once the box was closed, everyone heard Angel whisper, 'it can't be, she wouldn't.'
Angel then told everyone about a legend he had heard a long time ago; a legend about a demon brought forth to rid the Earth of the plague of humanity, to separate the righteous from the wicked, and to burn the righteous down. The Scoobies, Oz, and Cordelia looked at each other nervously when Angel mentioned that the creature was called the Judge.
"The Judge?" asked Giles as he looked at the closed box, "this is he?"
"Yea," said Angel as Willow looked at Oz, and told him that she'll be right back. Oz nodded his head before Willow rushed to Giles and grabbed his elbow.
"I need to talk to you," whispered Willow into his ear before looking at the man, her eyes telling Giles that it was absolutely urgent that he hear what she had to say, "now…"
"What's going on?" asked Buffy.
"I'm sure we need to do some research on the Judge to find out his full capability," lied Giles as he looked at Buffy, and then at the serious look that Willow was giving him, "I'll be right back."
Willow and Giles walked to the entrance of the Bronze and stood under a light post with the redhead telling Giles that the arm that they had seen, armour and all, was in the vision she had a few weeks ago.
"The blue demon with Spike and Drusilla standing on either side of him?" asked Giles as Willow nodded her head, "are you certain?"
"This means that… that Spike's alive, that Drusilla's alive," said Willow, "and if that arm is part of a larger demon? Then…"
"He'll be reconstructed soon," said Giles as he looked at the entrance to the Bronze, fixed his glasses, and then looked at Willow again, "this thing nearly destroyed an army that was sent after it. The survivors dismembered him and scattered his pieces all around the world."
"And he's here," said Willow, "Giles, Niko's visions nearly always come true and… and I have to believe that we can change the future."
"We can," said Giles as Willow thought about her nightmare.
"We have to," said Willow, "Giles, I need to know that we can change the future because…"
"Because of what?" asked Giles as Willow looked back at him with terror in her eyes.
"I… I thought that maybe it won't happen and…" said Willow shaking her head.
"Willow," said Giles, "did you have another vision?"
Willow looked at Giles and wondered what he'd say about her dream. She was worried that he'll force her to stop doing what she liked, that he'll stop her from helping Buffy in her own way. So she lied and told him that she didn't see another vision, just that she had a feeling things were about to get worse.
"Let's go back in," said Giles, "I'm sure we can find a way to get this arm out of the city, and away from Drusilla and Spike."
"We have to, Giles," said Willow as she wrapped her arms around herself and walked back into the Bronze with Giles next to her, "we need to."
"Are you alright?" asked Giles as he examined the look on Willow's face.
"Yea," said Willow as she shook her head as she pushed her vision, or her nightmare, to the back of her head. She then then looked at Giles and smiled, "I'm all right, Giles. Let's deal with the Judge, I'll start on some research when we get back to the library."
"Very well," said Giles while thinking to himself as Willow waved at Buffy, 'something is wrong. Willow, what are you hiding?'
TBC.