Chapter Nine

Willow had been slightly startled when she had first gotten into Miss Calendar's car and was met with the sight of a small arsenal. Stakes, bows, daggers and books lay littered across the back seat. It was scary that every last one of them was a necessity now. But the ride itself was mercifully uneventful.

"We've got to take you shopping at the weekend. A girl's got to have her own clothes." Jenny announced as she passed Willow something to sleep in.

"Oh, thanks. Um, just out of curiosity – what day is it?" Willow juggled the bundle of borrowed clothes in her arms.

"Thursday. Well, Friday now technically."

Friday. It had been an early Wednesday morning when she had cast the spell. Was it even the same month? Jenny looked over her shoulder and saw the worried look on the girl's face.

"Don't worry. I would think there would be some time discrepancy when you cross dimensions, but I doubt it would be more than a few weeks." She offered a reassuring smile before moving on to show Willow where the bathroom and kitchen were, telling her to help herself to anything in the fridge.

"Can-can I ask you something?"

Miss Calendar turned round to face her as Willow frowned and tried to find the right words. "Why do you believe me? It's just that, well the others were all pretty convinced I was evil Willow in some way. But you – were nice."

The older woman looked hard at Willow for a moment, thinking over her answer. She tucked a curl behind her ear absently as she spoke. "When me, Rupert and Annie rushed outside, you were holding your own pretty well against four vampires. The magic you used was powerful and difficult and only available to one who had researched hard for it– there was no way you were anything like your double here. I suppose I wasn't that surprised when you told us what happened, because I sensed something like that from you."

Willow couldn't find any appropriate words to respond. She kept forgetting Miss Calendar had extensive knowledge of the mystical, and was of course more in tune with all things magical. Jenny smirked and turned back to show her to the spare room.

The room was small but tidy and friendly; with cream coloured walls and a neat single bed in the corner with lilac covers.

"Do you want me to wake you in the morning?"

"Yes, thanks. And thanks so much for this Miss Calendar."

"It's quite alright. Both Rupert and I wanted to make sure you were safe. You're welcome to stay until we can find a way to get you home." The teacher observed as the girl's face faintly clouded over at her words. Interesting.

"See you in the morning."

"Yeah. Um, Miss Calendar?"

"Hmm?"

Willow glanced down awkwardly. "About, you and Giles…" Her questioning face couldn't quite hide the curiosity as she looked back up at her host.

Jenny smiled as she closed the door behind her. "Goodnight, Willow."

o0o

Willow did not sleep well that night.

Her crowded dreams were fractured and disturbing. She woke up time and time again, frantic, not knowing where she was or who was alive or dead. Every time she shut her eyes, images of blood, fangs and dust; strangling darkness and bodiless cries of tears, taunted her restless mind. It was a relief when light finally streamed into the room.

Pulling herself up, she huddled against the headboard; the warm covers swaddled around her slight form, and watched the sun creep across the floor. It was in this quietly borrowed time, when Willow thought of her friends.

She thought of Xander and Buffy. What they were doing; what they thought of her disappearance; how angry they must be with her, how hurt. She thought of Xander's goofy smile; how Buffy would slay with a clever pun and then give herself a pedicure – still managing to be a teenage girl despite the weight of the world on her shoulders. She thought of them defeating the Pyerli without her. She thought of movie nights at Buffy's; of popcorn and Indian singing as they plaited her hair. She thought of Xander's hugs and Buffy's laugh. Her best friends… Willow sighed shakily and blinked back tears. She thought of Giles. How worried he must be; would he be blaming himself? The knot of guilt tightened in her chest. Their guardian and friend, who loved Buffy like a daughter and watched over all of them. She thought of his dusty books, his beloved Watcher diaries, and his exasperation and confusion at all things teenage. Willow smiled sadly. She thought of Angel and hoped he could be there for Buffy. In the glow of an early morning, worlds apart, she made a wish for them both; for some way they could be happy together. They deserved that.

Willow thought of Oz. That moment he had entered the library, played over and over in her head, stirring up the constant swirl of butterflies that nestled in her stomach. She was sure she would wake to find it had been a delirious dream. His face, his voice, his eyes looking directly at her... She hardly dared to let herself believe that she had found him again; that they could have a second chance. They were both here now and both fighting. Oz was still battling to stop the demons; even without Buffy, he had still wanted to fight the ever increasing hopelessness. And Willow was determined to help. She was a Slayerette to the end, no matter what dimension, or how Slayer-less she was.

When Jenny finally knocked on the door, Willow had been up and dressed for an hour. As they drove back to the school, the town was yet again worse for wear for the nocturnal activities of the previous night. The victims that had been on the streets had all been dragged inside, out of sight, but signs of death lingered even as the shops opened again for trickles of business. Willow clenched her fists on her knees, and made a silent promise to the lurking darkness hiding behind the sunlight.

Watch out vampires – we're going to take back this town.

o0o

They got to the school early, before the students had even arrived, and slipped into the library to find a tired looking Giles, huddled over a stack of volumes spread across the table and studiously scrawling notes.

"Rupert, tell me you didn't stay here all night!"

Giles jerked up as Miss Calendar and Willow walked in. His glasses were askew on his nose, his clothes rumpled. "Jenny, Willow! I, ah -" He hastily stood up and began shuffling the papers back together. He avoided the eye of the woman who stood watching him, hand on hip, with a concerned frown.

"No, no I went home but came back at first light. I had a thought about checking the-- "

"Rupert."

He cringed slightly at the stern tone and caught her eye with a small apologetic smile, before gathering his notes into his arms and heading back into the office still mumbling excuses.

Willow hung back at the counter. She had almost forgotten what they were like together. Sure, circumstances here had changed everyone, but they still had an undeniable spark. She fought back a smile as she watched the strangely domestic scene. She wondered where things stood for them here.

Giles re-emerged and glanced at the table, where Jenny was stacking the books he had dragged off the shelves.

"Ah, Willow!" She looked up and smiled in greeting as he approached her. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes thanks. Better than you - by the looks of it!" She gestured to his rumpled clothes with a teasing grin. She didn't see the need to bother him by telling the truth about her troubled dreams.

"Yes, well, with the Master still out there, everything must be done. I've been reading up on anything I can. I'm afraid I haven't had time to look into dimensional travel yet." He apologised.

"Oh, that's okay," Willow assured quickly. "Stopping the Master is the most important thing. Top priority, y'know? What can I do to help?"

"Yes, well that's what I was going to say. I think it's best if you stay in my office today. You really shouldn't be at the school at all; everyone here thinks – well, thinks you're dead. You being seen – could raise some, awkward questions."

Willow nodded in understanding. Giles adjusted his glasses as he spoke.

"But the library is usually pretty quiet and I don't know how you are with research but if you could perhaps look through-- "

"Oh, no, research is great! I mean, that was pretty much what we spent most of our time doing. Y'know, Buffy did her slaying thing, and we did the research thing. I'm good with the books and such. I can do a bit of Latin too, and I'm getting better at Gaelic; and I started trying to learn the Runes of Honorius, but I hadn't got very far... But yeah, just call me research girl! Ooh and I can search on the net if you want! I know you don't dig the computers so much."

Giles listened, slightly stunned by the eager girl who had just erupted in enthusiastic babbling. Her eyes shined animatedly as she talked on about knowledge and his mind reeled momentarily at the sheer intelligence she must have displayed. He felt extremely proud for a moment, though he didn't quite know why.

"W-Well, yes. That would be-be wonderful," he stuttered, slightly flustered in the wake of her excitement. Willow beamed happily.

"If you can decipher my hand-writing, the notes should tell you what to look for in the volumes. And if you could, utilise the computer as well, that would be very helpful. I've never had much luck with the damn machines."

Willow laughed and muttered softly, "I know."

Giles looked at her for a moment with a considering tilt of his head. He had to remember to keep in mind that she knew them from her own reality. It was an extraordinary thought.

"Well, I'll be around if you need me. This place is pretty much my domain." With a self-depreciating smile, he wandered back to Miss Calendar at the table and Willow was left to smirk to herself as she headed into the office.

Some things never change, then.

o0o