Chapter 15
Aiden and Willow walked briskly through Atlantis' corridors. Aiden had originally begun walking at a much slower pace but Willow had sped them up so he had accommodated her by also speeding up. Willow found herself without much to say. Her hands were a trifle cold and she was trying not to spill the large metal glass of chilled chamomile tea. It had taken the both of them a little longer than they had expected to gather food for McKay. Willow had insisted they provide McKay with a drink—something soothing. They had to enlist the help of the mess hall chef to brew and then to chill the tea. Aiden carried a tray in each hand—two small burgers and fixin's on one plate and two medium slices of pizza, on the other. Willow had the tea and a small bowl of Jello. She kept finding herself sneaking small glances at Aiden. It seemed like the slight blush she had seen spread across his cheeks just hadn't quite left. She really loved looking at him. His skin was darker than hers and he had a boyishly handsome face. He didn't give off vibes of being a standard military man with a buzz cut and a love of violence and grunting.
He was a good deal taller than her and quite lean. She knew he was physically powerful but there wasn't anything oppressive about his stature. No bulging muscles or protruding veins. He looked as if he were still adding muscle to his frame. She didn't really mind that he wasn't overly muscular. There was still a certain comfort in the way he carried himself. His shoulders were a broader than hers and gave him the air of competence. He was the kind of man that you could look to for security and reassurance. Willow realized the difference between him and any other man she had known was the simple fact that he was a man. Oz and Xander were great guys but their lanky (slight in Oz's case) self consciousness didn't do much to ease a girls' mind. Oz always hid his self consciousness behind his taciturn nature but Xander couldn't hide the fact that he was mostly unsure about pretty much everything. It had to be the difference between being a boy and being a man.
It was a comfort to be in the presence of a man—a gentleman. Aiden had turned to the side to allow her to enter the infirmary, first.
"Thank goodness. I am saved!" I was wasting away in here!" Aiden was greeted by McKay's droning voice. The first thing he noticed was the fact that McKay was out of bed. The second thing he noticed was the fact that McKay had his shoes off and was alternately wriggling the toes of one foot and standing on his toes like a ballerina—a slightly chubby male and geeky genius ballerina—but a ballerina just the same.
"What are you doing?" Willow had never expected to see such a scene and had honestly nothing to lose if she never saw anything similar again.
"I am trying to get the feeling to return to my calves. I am sure this will work." McKay stood again up on one leg and flexed his other foot. He felt himself begin to tip a little over to the side but righted himself by grabbing hold of the hospital bed. Giving up on the exercise he prepared himself to satisfy his hunger. He leaped up onto the bed and sat down.
"So what'cha got for me? You almost lost me to hypoglycemia! " McKay was giddy and rubbing his two hands together in anticipation. Aiden turned to smile at Willow. "I told you we needed to hurry."
Aiden handed McKay the plate of pizza and looked around for a small table. Locating a folding table against the wall he gathered and set it up. Willow placed the tea and the Jello on the table. Aiden sat the burgers in front.
"I would share—but…" McKay just shrugged. His only goal for the moment was to satisfy his hunger. The rest of the galaxy could be damned. "Mmmm chamomile tea! You know this doesn't relax me." McKay made the announcement and then went back to his pizza.
Aiden caught Willows' gaze and they both slinked off.
"So, how about that email?" Aiden had to ask.
"Oh yeah. Let me just boot up my computer." Willow walked over to the silver table and opened her laptop. She sat on the stool and waited for it to load up. Aiden placed the palm of his hand on the table and waited. He found himself staring down at her red hair, loving the subtle variations in its color. Willow was really a beautiful woman and he wanted nothing more than to rub his hands through her hair and to see if it was as soft as it looked. The second best advice he had ever gotten about women had been from his grandfather. The gist of it was, never do anything that will convince a girl to say no to you. It was surely too soon for him to be gathering her hair in his hands and kissing the rapid pulse in her neck, right beneath her ear.
"How did you get the scar?" Aiden wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been staring so hard. Willow had what looked like two small puncture holes in the side of her neck. They were slightly reddened as if they hadn't yet fully healed. Pitchfork? Ice pick? Fang marks?
"Um…" Aiden reached his hand to the small wheeled stool. He turned her body to face him. That word—um- sounded like it would precede a big fat lie.
"Um… angry puppy?" Willow didn't know what else to say. The truth came up first but she didn't say it. She decided to use the tried and true and slightly nonsensical lie first and then she told the truth. "Vampire"
"Really?" Aiden hadn't expected that answer. So vampires were real? He searched her face and knew she was telling the truth. The two words 'angry puppy' were a lie—the one word 'vampire' was the truth.
"Really."
"Maybe, this is something to add to our list of topics to talk about tonight? What do you think?" Aiden knew he was in another galaxy and fought life sucking wraith—vampires were really not outside of the realm of possibility.
"Okay." Willow looked back down at the computer as it finished booting up. She let out the breath she hadn't known she was holding. She had told the truth and it was okay—well not okay—she still had to tell the rest of the truth or rather bits and pieces of the rest of the truth but the truth was Aiden was okay with there being vampires and she still had a date… yeah she still had a date and she still hadn't a clue what she was going to wear… why did she even babble in her head?
"So email…" Aiden spoke those words overloud. He wanted to get them back on track.
"Oh yes—Email. Willow, bring that thing over here!" McKay had polished off the burgers and the pizza. He was just about to start working on the Jello when he heard the word email. He couldn't believe that he had practically forgotten about Willow and the witchy aol email service.
"McKay, no servants in the room." Willow didn't even look up from the computer. She was busily trying to reopen her email and not at all interested at leaping to any person's beck and call. McKay was being mean again.
"Come on? What is the sweet way of requesting this… hmm. Dear Sweet Firebug, might I see the computer and your Extra Galactic Email Inbox? Is that good enough?" McKay spared Willow a look. Hopeful, yet slightly annoyed at the edges.
"That'll do." Willow stood up from the stool and took her computer over to McKay. McKay impatiently snatched the laptop and clicked on the aol icon.
The tell tale sounds of the words 'You've Got Mail' echoed throughout the infirmary. McKay hid his surprise. He instead clicked on the message and waited.
"What is this? This is gibberish? Is this code?" The email message was a bizarre sequence of symbols both known and unknown to him.
"Give me that." Willow hastily took the computer out of his hands and sat on the bed beside him. She settled the computer on her lap and tried to read the message. "It says:
From:
09:23 AM
To:
Re: All is peachy-keen
Thank goodness! Thank Aradia! Thank Persephone! Thank goodness! Heck, even thank the PTB's! Okay—we have lost interest in thanking all these peeps. We are very glad to hear you are fine.
We are slightly less worried especially with your statement about getting clearance and this top secret business. We do trust your judgment and hope all goes well. Just keep Sunnydale in mind—hint—demon experiments… (is that heavy handed enough?) If you need any help—we are not sure what we can do—but please let us know. We seriously have no idea how to get you back or how to provide back up… we can email spells… That is really it.
Perhaps the military has a clue as to how to get you back to Sunnydale? Have you asked? There is a spell but you have to be uber-powerful—something called an 'old one' in order to use it.
We are 100 sure you will get back—somehow. We don't exactly know how but we definitely will—somehow.
Anyway, we hope you are having some kind of fun while you are there.
Have you met any cute guys?
Love,
The Scoobies
Willow read the message aloud. She didn't notice but each word she read instantly decrypted as she spoke.
"You had to decrypt the message." McKay turned incredulous eyes towards Willow.
"No I didn't. It was written normal—right?" There was no encryption… she glanced up at Aiden and he answered her unasked questions—"It was encrypted—as you read the English words showed up."
"Now that is interesting." McKay settled his body a bit more in a sitting position on the bed. He went back to the Jello.
"I think it was encrypted because of the spell used to send it." She swiftly jabbed McKay in the side with her laptop as he made a scoffing sound when she used the word spell.
"So--have you met any cute guys?" McKay asked Willow the question in retaliation. How dare she poke him in the side with her laptop?
He was rewarded by her intense blush. McKay felt instantly guilty. Going for the crush --not a nice thing to do.
Aiden half wanted to chastise McKay for his comment and he halfway wanted to know Willow's answer. Her blush was a pretty good indication that she found him attractive. Sometimes McKay's lack of discretion led to good things.
"What is the spell?" Aiden had to ask the question. He hoped this would get Willow's mind off her embarrassment. He was surprised when McKay gave him a sheepish smile. It almost seemed as if McKay felt a little guilty about his statement. Maybe the adult was finally growing up—or maybe not.
'You have to say something like, 'Send this through space and time—reaching hands--reaching those bonded—to me and mine'—with hyssop oil on your hand…" Willow found herself interrupted by McKay.
"Why do you persist in explaining superior technology as an erroneous belief system? There are no witches. You are not a witch."
Willow stood carrying the laptop… "I wonder what I should say…" she was ignoring McKay completely. It seemed the only sensible thing for her to do. She needed to write a long email to her friends but she first needed to speak to Dr. Weir and see what she was cleared to mention.
"Hold up. Is there anyway we can use your technology…" McKay paused and corrected himself when he saw the mutinous look on Willows' face… "magic, to send a message to our superiors on Earth?"
Willow stopped walking and thought for a moment. "Actually, I don't know. The message really only goes to those, as the spell says, bonded to the sender…, perhaps I could send the message to my friends and they could relay it to your people. Though, honestly, I am not so sure it wouldn't re-crypt or re-encrypt, whatever the word is. I guess they could translate it… rewrite it and then relay it… but you would have to trust them and give them some sort of information as to how to contact your people." Willow paused again.
"Honestly, I don't really think it will work out. I seriously doubt my friends trust the government that much to relay a message and the easiest way to relay a message would be to hack the computer systems. I know they do not have that skill—that was more my department."
"Hmm…. I say you keep thinking on it—and I will think on it… and maybe we can work something out. Deal?" McKay gave Willow what he hoped was a winning smile—he was a bit out of practice.
"Deal." Willow carried her laptop back to the table. She knew she had to get back to work. She had the idea in her head that she should say something profound to Aiden before he went to the briefing. Nothing came to mind.
"Okay, I am done." McKay stood up and slapped his hands against the sides of his hips. "Hey sweet lab assistant lady—can you drop the dishes back by the mess?" McKay tried that smile again. It didn't work. Willow rewarded him with a look that clearly said, 'I am not your servant—lazy man. Take the dishes yourself.'
"We will take them back on the way to the briefing." Aiden organized the two plates and the bowl and handed them both to McKay.
"But… if I carry these then I can't finish my tea… and I won't—RELAX!" Aiden took back the plates and handed McKay back the empty Jello bowl and spoon.
"Okay, this works." McKay shuffled towards the door without even giving Aiden a backwards glance. Of course Aiden had to be following him.
Aiden walked over to Willow and raised a finger to her nose and gently brushed the tip. "See you tonight." She didn't respond. He smiled and turned to follow McKay out the door. It was a good feeling to know that he could render her speechless.
Willow went back to work. Dr. Beckett was nowhere to be found inside the infirmary or the lab. It wasn't too surprising to her that he had escaped the presence of Dr. McKay. She busied herself with her sterilizing glassware. It was an entirely easy job and she found her mind wandering to exactly what she would say to her friends. She decided she would send one long email with individual personal attachments to each. That would probably be best. She smiled a little to herself when she realized Tara would surely have to show Buffy, Xander, and Giles how to open the attachments. She didn't know if she needed to send anything to Anya but in the end she decided to. Even though she didn't have a great or even a good relationship with the former demon, she didn't want her to feel left out.
At any rate, there was a chance that Anya would have a clue as to how to jump galaxies or dimensions or whatever it was that she had done. Anya might even have some information about the wraith. After she finished here she could return to her quarters and start on the email. She would have to get some advice from Buffy about how to proceed with Aiden… maybe not-- Buffy wasn't so good with love.
"I believe the glassware is clean". The calm and well modulated voice seemed to come out of nowhere. Willow was startled into almost dropping the small measuring cup. She put the glass back on the shelf and stood up.
"Oh Teyla! Hi! I was woolgathering…" Willow paused her speech when Teyla gave her a puzzled look.
"Woolgathering is like you know sheep—walking through a field picking up wool or cotton that has gotten stuck on briars and it means thinking… You're from around 'here', aren't you?" Willow didn't know what to say. It was rude to ask outright if Teyla were an alien—but she had practically done it.
"I am an Athosian." Teyla shared a half-smile with Willow. She did not find herself offended. Willow had asked the question in an abrupt manner but relating the truth could never make Teyla uncomfortable. Only lies or half truths—which were really lies in her mind, could do that.
"Um… okay. So Athosian and you are from Athosia?" Willow was sure she was being logical.
"Athos. I am from Athos. How is working with Dr. Beckett?" Teyla was curious about Willow and wanted to make sure everything was working out okay for her.
"Everything is just peachy-keen—uh fine." Willow felt a little awkward just standing in the corner next to the shelf. She pointed with her hand in then moved a little closer to the silver table. Teyla followed her and they both stood by the table.
"The lab is very familiar to me—because of my studies." It was true. Willow found her new job very simple because of the preparation she had gotten during the fall semester.
That is good. It is good to find comfort in familiar things. For that reason, I have come by to invite you to meet, a village elder, Charin."
"Oh—is Charin your kinswoman who is a magic practitioner?" Willow was suddenly quite excited. This day was getting better and better. So far she'd heard from her friends, she now had a pretty neat job, she'd had lunch with a gorgeous man, she was having dinner with the same gorgeous man and now she was going to meet a powerful witch!
"Yes." Teyla could tell Willow was quite happy. "We can go right now if you like?"
"Sure. Sure. Let me just leave a message for Dr. Beckett." Willow went into the adjoining infirmary and located one of the nurses. She quickly told her that she would be going to visit the Athosian woman, Charin, with Teyla.
"Okay, I am all set." Willow walked beside Teyla. She got a good feeling from Teyla. She was very patient and willing to explain things. They continued their conversation as they walked to the Athosian wing of the city.
"So where is Athos?"
"Athos is a nearby planet in this galaxy. It is not far by Stargate."
"So how did your people end up in Atlantis?"
Teyla grimaced. There was always a slight twinge in her chest when she discussed her home world. Willow did not know what she had asked.
"We resisted culling."
"Culling?" Willow got the impression that Teyla's simple sentence should have been enough to fully explain the situation. It was second nature to follow up the sentence with a question. Willow had no clue as to what culling was.
"The wraith came to our planet to harvest our people. We resisted." Teyla turned to the side to take in Willow's profile. She heard a sharp intake of breath. "They retaliated by burning our settlements and the land to the ground. We have taken refuge inside these walls."
"I am sorry for your people and your land. I know it doesn't mean much but I am." Willow didn't know what else to say
Teyla accepted the apology with a nod of her head. Willow was right; there really was not much else she could say.
They continued down the passageway reaching a wide open area. The door seemed permanently open like the infirmary. Teyla and Willow walked into the main room. There were animal skins decorating the walls and an assortment of obviously well made wooden tables and chairs. The room looked like a living room or relaxation room a millennia in the past. Burning candles filled the room with a smell reminiscent of peppermint. Teyla walked through the main room and towards a small door in the back. Willow followed. Teyla was greeted by an older woman with graying blonde hair. Both Teyla and the woman grasped each other's hands and bent their heads to touch.
Willow realized this as a greeting.
"Is this the Willow, you spoke of?" The woman asked Teyla the question. Willow wondered just how quickly news could spread in Atlantis. Even the Athosians knew she was here.
"Yes. This is she." Teyla smiled encouragingly at Willow. She did not want her to feel uncomfortable.
Charin walked towards Willow and grasped her hands. Willow felt a slight hiss of a power transfer. It felt like Charin had just given her a hint of her power.
"How did you…" Willow let her sentence trail off. She didn't know how Charin had done this—but she realized she would find out.
"The fact that you could even feel that brings warmth to my heart. Most could not. Even those who desire the ability often cannot."
"Can you teach me?" Willow asked the question—she was mostly positive that Charin would say yes. After all she and Teyla had already discussed her and Teyla had brought her here.
"Yes. It will not be easy but I will teach you." Charin smiled kindly at Willow. It felt good to have an apprentice again.
"I will leave you here—perhaps you would like to take your evening meal here?" Teyla was sure Willow felt very comfortable with Charin and would benefit from more conversation and any training she could offer.
"Yes. Sure!" She was giddy. She was going to learn about magic from a real good- good witch. She couldn't wait to tell Giles and Buffy about this! "I mean if it is okay with you…"
"Of course."
Then I will leave you here. Teyla reached behind her ear and handed Willow her radio. "In case you get lost on the way back to the infirmary or your quarters—you can reach any of the expedition members with this." Willow accepted the radio with thanks and a smile.
"So why don't we start with what you know so far?" Charin walked away from Willow and towards the table in the center of the room. She indicated that she wanted Willow to sit. They both settled themselves at the main table.
"I only know basic spells. I can throw fire balls or hide a person. I have done a few higher level things—like I once returned a person's soul to their body… I am still learning." Willow had no interest in slipping back into the memory of re-insouling Angel but there it was in the back of her mind again.
"Why don't we spend some time going over the herbs in this room and their uses. I have a feeling these are things you may have or may not have seen before." Charin gave Willow a look as if she wanted her input.
"Oh yeah. Sure. Herbs are good. I hope I know some of them—because I am in another galaxy and all that." Willow hadn't really thought that far ahead. What if the herbs in the Pegasus Galaxy were completely different from the herbs in the Milky Way Galaxy? For the first time she looked a little closer at the room. She realized that the animal skin she saw hanging on the wall actually had small pockets sewn into it. Some of the pockets had dried greenish herbs sticking out. She realized that this must be how Charin kept her herbs. Willow guessed she must roll the entire length of hide up when she traveled.
The rest of the afternoon passed pleasantly with Charin. Willow felt very lucky. Many of the herbs Charin used in her potions or spells were the similar to ones Willow knew of. A very few were the same with different names. Willow was very confident she had a good idea about the names and uses of eight or ten herbs. The rest were a bit of a jumble.
The one thing she definitely needed was to go out into the land and gather the herbs for herself. Charin mentioned that most of her herbs had been picked on Athos. Some were from her garden and some were gathered in the wild. Willow was sure there would be plenty of opportunity to gather more. Surely Dr. Weir would allow her to use the Stargate and gather more? If only Atlantis was not such a metal and concrete jungle—if it had land they would be able to set up a garden.
Willow only realized it was time for dinner when a young boy, Charin introduced as Jinto, came in and offered them both a bowl soup. Willow was glad for the offer because otherwise she would have to rush back to the infirmary to gather her things… and then rush to the cafeteria… and then rush to her quarters. She couldn't believe she had so lost track of time. She finished the soup and promised Charin that she would return the next day, after lunch, to continue her learning.
Willow couldn't believe her luck. Charin had even given her homework! They had discussed the basic spell for shielding a person and Charin had suggested that it could be modified to shield everyone else from one person. Willows' homework was to figure out possible words and herbs that could work for the spell. Tomorrow she would bring her laptop and take proper notes on everything.
Right now she really had to get back to the infirmary to pick up her bag and then head to her quarters to get dressed. She wondered what Aiden had in mind for their date.