Author's Note: Hey gang - so you get two updates in one day! Thanks to everyone who faved, followed, reviewed, they all mean the world to me!
Enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Fifty-Three:
Sunnydale.
It'd been almost two months since Acathla, since Angelus' torture, since Buffy had been injured… since they'd last seen Rebecca.
Willow stood outside Wesley's flat, hand raised to knock but she hesitated.
He won't have found her, a cynical voice in her head said but she shook it away.
"You don't know that," she murmured to herself, although she wasn't sure if she believed it.
The door swung open after the knock, Cordelia standing in the doorway.
"You're early!" Willow said, surprised. Cordelia shrugged.
"I felt bad tanning in sunny Mexico, not knowing where Becky is. I caught an early flight home," Cordelia answered, as the pair walked up the stairs.
"Were your parents okay with that?"
"They weren't thrilled but given the circumstances, they didn't want to push," she explained and Willow nodded, smiling softly at the girl.
"Well, it's good that you're back. We've missed you around here," Willow murmured. A few months ago, that statement would've been unheard of but it was true. With no Xander and now no Becky, the Scoobies' numbers were starting to dwindle.
"How is everyone?" Cordelia asked. "I've only seen Wesley so far and," Cordelia gave a low huffing noise, "he's not in a good way."
"Wesley has taken it really hard," Willow conceded. "We all have. Buffy is still struggling with her voice - Drusilla ripped right through her vocal chords so she had to have surgery to fix them and even her Slayer healing hasn't been able to speed up the process. So she's got a vocal coach who is trying to teach her how to speak again, but it's slow going."
"Fucking hell," Cordelia whistled lowly, shaking her head. "Poor Buffy. How's her mom?"
"Freaked. After it happened and the police started asking around to find out if it was Rebecca, Joyce kinda went on the warpath, demanding to speak to Giles and Wesley. They ended up telling her everything so she's been…" Willow trailed off, trying to find a polite way to say how Joyce had been behaving.
"Neurotic?" Cordelia offered.
Willow smiled. Tactful, as always, she thought fondly. "Yeah, kinda. She blames Giles for Buffy getting hurt and has forbidden her from Slaying."
At Cordelia's shocked face, Willow carried on quickly. "Not forever- well, she tried to make it forever but Giles and Wesley managed to calm her down. But she's not allowed out Slaying until her voice is back to normal, which I guess makes sense."
"Is… Is Miss Calendar-" Cordelia swallowed, glancing away from Willow, clearing her throat.
"She's still asleep," Willow murmured. "They're not sure how likely it is that she'll wake back up again."
"God, this is almost worse than if she'd just died. The not-knowing, I wish she'd just wake up already," Cordelia moaned and Willow nodded.
"I know. Giles has taken it really badly. Most days, he doesn't leave the hospital."
"Has anyone contacted her family, well her clan, I guess?" Cordelia asked.
Willow furrowed her brows. "I think Giles tried when everything first happened but I don't know what happened after that. I guess they never came," Willow murmured and Cordelia shook her head.
"God, everything's a mess," she murmured.
"I have to agree," Willow said as the pair of them finally wandered into Wesley's flat. Willow couldn't ever remember really visiting here before this summer; even after Xander passed and Rebecca's parents moved out of Sunnydale, they never really chose to hang out here. Willow wasn't sure why; it was a really nice flat. Big open-plan kitchen and lounge area, with a breakfast bar and a cosy living area with a few sofas and a nice armchair in the corner. She could just imagine the gang curled up on the sofas, with Giles or Wesley taking up one of the armchairs. Or she could… if the place was tidy.
The breakfast bar currently had papers strewn across, possible sightings of vampires, or fighting or anything even mildly related to slaying or demons, along with a load of maps.
"Hey Wesley, how was Portland?" Willow asked cautiously.
The Watcher stood at the breakfast bar, dressed in a suit; but he had no tie, the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and the top buttons were undone. He had a five o clock shadow, and his hair was mussed up and dishevelled. He looks like a wreck, Willow thought, shaking her head.
Wesley turned to look at the girls, running a hand through his hair. "Portland? Oh it was fine. Well, no, there was no Rebecca so it wasn't fine really but I think I've found another lead. Two girls matching the descriptions of Amy and Rebecca were spotted at a demon club in L.A," he commented.
"Wesley," Willow cautioned. "Are you sure this is a good idea? You keep going out and every time you do, you get all excited and then she's not there and it's just a bit-"
"It's really depressing Wesley and you're not going to find her," Cordelia interrupted.
Willow winced at her harsh tone but couldn't disagree with her. She was just trying to be delicate. Rebecca was smart; if she didn't want to be found, they weren't going to find her. Wesley paused for a moment, and Willow could see him trying to keep calm and not lose it at the two of them.
"I appreciate the concern, Cordelia, but I can't just give up on her. Rebecca is hurting and she needs us," Wesley said tersely.
"No one is saying to give up on her, Wesley. We want Becky back just as much as you do. But… if Becky doesn't want to be found, then she won't be. She's stubborn; she'll come home when she's ready," Willow murmured.
Wesley paused, slumping into one of the stools at the breakfast bar. Cordelia and Willow glanced at each other before moving over to sit near him.
"I feel like I've failed her," Wesley murmured, placing his head in his hands. Willow sat awkwardly, before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Wesley, Becky loved you. You haven't failed her, she just- I think she just needs some time to process everything that happened," Willow explained, looking at Cordelia for help.
Cordelia opened her mouth to say something but as she did, the phone rang. The suddenness of it broke the silence and Wesley jumped out of his seat, flying across the room to grab the phone off the handle.
"Hello? Yes Giles what is- She is? Well, that's great-"
The two girls looked at each other in surprise. Miss Calendar? Willow mouthed and Cordelia shrugged.
"Yes, of course, we'll be there right away," Wesley hung up the phone, turning back to the girls with an excited glint in his eyes.
"Jenny's awake! She woke up last night but Giles didn't want to say until they had time to run tests and make sure everything is okay."
"That's amazing! Is she alright?"
"She's normal, recovered. Her memory is fine, which was the biggest concern, so we can go over and see her, if you like?" Wesley asked and the two girls nodded, eagerly.
"Will Buffy come?"
"I think she's already there, Giles picked her up this morning," Wesley explained. "I think Giles wants to take it slow with Jenny, not overwhelm her."
"Well, if he wants to take it slow, is it a good idea for all of us to go? Y'know, we can be pretty overwhelming," Willow stuttered, wringing her hands together.
Wesley smiled softly, placing a hand on the red-head's shoulder. "She asked for us."
Willow still looked unsure as Wesley moved past but Cordelia didn't give Willow time to argue, just grabbed her arm and practically marched the red-head down the stairs.
~8~8~
Jenny was alive. Giles still couldn't believe it. He'd spent weeks, sat at her bedside, hoping and praying to whatever was up there, God, the Powers That Be, anything, for her to wake up. And now, she was here, she was awake, sat on his sofa, with a cup of coffee in her hands and surrounded by the kids, and Wesley, and him.
Giles was stood behind the sofa, one hand placed on Jenny's shoulder, gently caressing the few strands of soft hair that had grown whilst she'd been asleep. It was the first thing she'd mentioned, when she saw herself in the mirror.
"You couldn't have at least had Becky cut my hair whilst I was out? I haven't had it this long since I was like, 14," she laughed; Giles tried to smile but it must've come out as a grimace, because Jenny's face fell.
"Rupert? What's wrong?"
"Jenny, I think this would be better discussed at home, when you're feeling better-"
"Rupert." There was a harsh edge in her voice. Giles winced. "What happened to the kids?"
The only thing Giles could do was hug Jenny.
Buffy and Willow were sat on the sofa either side of Jenny, with Wesley on the armchair and Cordelia was sat next to Oz, both cross-legged on the floor.
"So, how's your mom doing, Buffy?" Jenny asked.
Buffy grabbed the whiteboard off her lap and quickly started scribbling an answer down.
She's doing better - still anxious about me leaving the house without anyone, cause of my voice.
"It's not like your voice has stopped you being able to kick demon ass, though" Cordelia commented.
Buffy shrugged. It has stopped me from being able to scream for help though.
"Yeah, cause you were always doing that," Oz said.
The gang chuckled, as Buffy rolled her eyes. Hey, be lucky she's letting me leave the house at all. When Giles and Wes told her the truth, I thought her head was going to explode.
"Yes, it was… an experience," Giles smiled tightly and Wesley gave a loud exhale.
"Honestly, I think I'd rather go up against a hell-hound than have to face Joyce's wrath again," Wesley said and Buffy frowned, reaching over to playfully slap him in the arm.
Well, playfully, if it was Becky. As it was Wesley, the man cursed loudly, and the kids, (plus Jenny) howled with laughter, having never heard the watcher swear. Giles, instead, frowned disapprovingly but couldn't stop the fondness that spread through him.
The group wasn't complete though and the laughter died down as everyone seemed to pause, looking around.
Buffy held up her whiteboard, aiming it towards Wesley. Any news on Becky?
Wesley sighed, shaking his head. "I hate to say it, but I don't think I'm getting anywhere - she'll be found when she wants to be. In the meantime, I just have to hope she's safe."
"I assume she didn't take all of her things with her? She left in a rush, so is her stuff still in her room?" Jenny asked.
"Yeah, most of her things are still there."
"Well, I could do a locator spell, using something of hers - it would confirm where she is," Jenny offered - she noticeably left out the 'or if she's alive' portion.
Wesley's eyes widened but Giles put both hands on Jenny's shoulders. "Maybe it's a bit too soon to be going back to the arts, dear," Giles murmured.
"I'm not suggesting that I do it right now, honey but it would be worth giving it a go."
"Well, I could try! If Miss Calendar walked me through it, I could try casting the locator spell instead," Willow offered, a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Y'know you can call me 'Jenny' at this point, right, Willow?" The technopagan teased and Willow blushed slightly, glancing down.
"Will, it might be worth exercising caution, when it comes to magicks," Giles said gently but Willow protested.
"But I did the ensouling spell on Angel, Becky said that worked, even though that was a difficult spell and it was my first try!"
"Yeah, and your eyes went all black and you started speaking latin - it was way creepy," Cordelia shook her head, as if remembering.
"It was intense," Oz agreed.
"Will, it's not about the power that you have - that was really impressive, albeit rather dangerous," Jenny side-eyed Willow disapprovingly. "But magic is something to be very careful with - the power can be addicting, intoxicating - you have to exercise caution when practising, otherwise you end up using magic for every little thing and you can become dependable on it."
"But if it's just one spell-"
"Willow, how many spells have you tried since the ensouling spell?" Jenny's voice lost its softness, a hard edge entering her voice.
"Well, I've tried a few, but none of them seem to have worked-"
"Look, Willow, we're not your parents and we can't tell you what to do - however, you have to understand that we are responsible for you when it comes to matters of the occult - we're not saying any of this to be cruel, we're saying it because we care about you and want you to be safe," Wesley interjected, as Jenny opened her mouth to object. She paused and then nodded, sitting back into the sofa.
"You're saying it because you don't think I'm as good at magic as Becky or Amy," Willow muttered, slouching on the sofa, a disgruntled expression on her face.
"Willow, it has nothing to do with ability. It's about safety - Amy worked very closely with Giles and I to practice and ensure that she wasn't doing too much, too soon. Amy and Becky are both very powerful witches - but even then, they have to be careful and be mindful of their limits and what should and shouldn't be done," Wesley scolded gently.
"Yeah - no one wants another Catherine on the loose, doing body swaps and cursing people so they can't see," Cordelia chimed in.
We just want you to be safe and responsible, Buffy held her whiteboard up and Oz placed a hand on Willow's knee, but she shrugged it off, standing up.
"Yeah, I get it, I'm not allowed to do anything without supervision," she snapped, heading for the door.
"Willow, come on, that's not fair," Giles protested but she didn't pause, getting to the door.
"I'm glad you're awake, Miss Calendar," she said before slamming the door behind her. There was a tense pause, before Oz stood up.
"I better go check on her, make sure she doesn't do anything reckless," he murmured and Buffy scribbled quickly. Good luck and thanks, with a very poorly drawn thumbs up. Oz nodded in response and headed for the door. There was no slam this time but the mood didn't change.
"Well, that could've been worse," Cordelia offered. Buffy and the adults looked at her, incredulous. "What? She could've turned us all into frogs!"
Giles rolled his eyes but it was with a fondness, that 6 months ago, would've been unheard of.
"She's not at that level of witchcraft yet, but I do worry about her," Jenny sighed, leaning back into the sofa.
"She'll come around - Willow is very sensitive when it comes to her ability to do things. She can get quite… upset, if she believes that she's being treated as incapable," Giles explained.
"What do we do now?" Cordelia asked.
"Well, I am going to try a locator spell for Becky - not right now, Rupert - try and see if we can find her," Jenny offered, glancing at Wesley.
"I'll wait for your lead on that - I think you girls were right earlier - Becky will be found when she wants to be. Me wasting council funds travelling around the country doesn't appear to be working," Wesley conceded, running a hand through his hair.
"Plus, the places that you've been visiting are real dives - you haven't even been able to squeeze a holiday out of it," Cordelia commented. "I mean, couldn't you have just lied and said that there was a sighting of someone matching her description in Aruba?"
"It's a nice idea Cordelia, but unfortunately the Council are very thorough - I don't think I'd get away with it," Wesley explained and Cordelia shrugged.
"Please, the Council are in England - they'd never be able to tell," Cordelia huffed, waving Wesley away.
I'd love to go to Aruba for a week or two, Buffy smiled, and Cordelia lit up, clapping her hands together.
"We should do a girls trip! Me, you, Willow and Becky - when she's back - we could go after graduation!" If anyone noticed how Cordelia tripped when she said 'Becky', no one mentioned it.
Buffy looked shocked for a second before glancing at Giles - two weeks away from the Hellmouth? He'd never let her-
"I think that sounds like a great idea!"
Buffy thought her eyes were going to fall out of her head, they were that wide.
"What? You will have graduated high school, you'll be a proper adult then - it would be a great way for you to unwind before college starts," Giles explained but Buffy glanced down, a slight frown on her face.
College? She hadn't even thought about college - she was a Slayer, she wasn't supposed to have a future, not really. Most Slayers didn't make it to 18 and the ones that did, didn't last much longer than that.
What would she even do at college? She couldn't exactly study monsters and curses - what was the point? There was a little voice in her head, that sounded suspiciously like Becky: being a Slayer isn't everything - what do you wanna do?
I haven't even thought about college, Buffy scribbled. Honestly, didn't think the watchers council would agree it.
Wesley cleared his throat. "Well, every Slayer is different. There have been stories of Slayers that have had lives outside of Slaying - I think there was one Slayer in the 70s who had a child."
"Every Slayer is different and you and Becky are unique - neither of you grew up with the Watchers Council, you weren't found as Potentials," Giles explained.
Buffy frowned as Cordelia asked: "what do you mean, weren't found?"
"So there are many Potential Slayers across the world - girls that might one day become a Slayer. Often, the Watchers Council tries to find these girls and train them from a younger age so that they are prepared if they do become the Slayer. But it doesn't always work like that - neither you nor Becky were found by the Council until the power actually kicked in," Wesley explained.
"So the Watchers Council, what, kidnaps kids from their families because they might one day have superpowers? That's kinda fucked," Cordelia commented and Buffy's frown deepened.
"They don't kidnap them," Giles said exasperatedly. "Parents are informed of what's happening and the girls are trained, whilst either still living with the parents or some allow the watchers to raise them instead."
"What if the parents say no? Surely not every parent is gonna bend over backwards to allow their kid to be trained for a job that shortens their life expectancy?"
"The Watchers Council isn't the mafia, Cordelia. It would be a different story if the child was actually a Slayer but with Potentials, they aren't as forceful. If a parent declines, that's their decision," Wesley explained. Cordelia's brow was furrowed and she shook her head.
"I still think it sounds suspicious," she frowned and the two Watchers rolled their eyes but there was a fond expression on Wesley's face and a curious one on Giles'.
"Rupert, I'm feeling really tired," Jenny mumbled, leaning her head onto the back of the sofa. Giles rested a hand on her shoulder.
"Alright, love," he murmured before turning back to the group. "Thank you all so much for coming to see Jenny, we really appreciate it. The doctors said it's gonna take time for her full strength to come back and that she needs as much rest as possible so it would be best if-"
Cordelia placed a hand on Giles' shoulder. "It's okay, Giles. We get it, Miss Calendar needs her rest. We'll get out of your hair."
Giles smiled softly, placing his hand on top of Cordelia's. "Thank you, Cordy."
We'll see you soon. I'm really glad Jenny is okay, Buffy held the whiteboard up with a smile and Giles pulled the blonde into a hug, smiling softly.
"As am I, Buffy." He murmured.
"I'll drive the girls home," Wesley offered and Giles nodded.
"Thank you. Becky will be okay - she's a very capable girl. But I understand your concern - Jenny and I will discuss the locator spell and let you know when Jenny is ready," Giles explained, placing a hand on Wesley's shoulder.
Wesley smiled but Giles could see the tension in Wesley's eyes, the smile not reaching them. The three exited the flat, saying their 'goodbyes' and Giles shut the door, letting out a low exhale, leaning back against the door.
"Well, that was… something," Jenny remarked, eyes closed and a wry smile on her face.
"It's been a… trying few months for us all," Giles admitted, collapsing onto the sofa next to Jenny, placing a hand on her thigh.
"I can see that," Jenny paused, sighing. "Wesley doesn't seem to be handling Becky's disappearance very well."
Giles scoffed. "The poor man's a wreck. Not that I'd be any better, if it was Buffy," Giles admitted.
"God, I really hope Becky's okay. This must be really hard for her," Jenny mused. Giles ran his fingers through Jenny's hair, softly.
"We'll try the locator spell when you feel up to it. At least then, it'll tell us where Rebecca is."
Neither of them said the second part of the sentence but it hung heavy in the air. Or if she's still alive.
