Willow and Faith's Home, 0200 hours; the next day.
The first thing that Willow and Faith did when they closed the main door behind them was to just look at each other while Willow leaned back against the front door and bit her bottom lip. She saw Faith take a step forward and then the dark haired Slayer slipped an arm behind Willow's lower back while the redhead wrapped her left arm around Faith's lower back, and then her other hand was brushing the dark-haired Slayer's hair. Faith grinned as she placed her other hand on the back of Willow's head and pulled her into a long and deep kiss while the both of them stood against the front door shrouded in darkness. The both of them knew that Dawn and Jon were still in Furling Earth and New Kobol respectively for the next three days.
So they wanted to make the best of this early in the morning.
Willow felt herself being pushed against the front door while Faith slipped her hand under the redhead's shirt who then yelped when the Slayer bit her ear lobe. At hearing that yelping sound, Faith looked at Willow and chuckled before saying that she loved that sound Willow would make whenever she bit or played with her ear lobe.
"What other sounds do you think I can make?" replied Willow with a smirk as Faith licked her lips before she kissed Willow's neck.
"A lot more," whispered Faith into Willow's ear while she felt Willow's hand slipping into the back of her jeans, "and I like hearing 'em all."
"We need to get out of here," said Willow as she urgently unbuttoned Faith's jeans while the Slayer did the same thing to Willow's jeans before the Slayer took off her shirt and underwear, and then helped the redhead take off her clothes as well. The now nude couple made it back to their room, constantly kissing each other while their hands were roaming across their bodies. Eventually, they made it to their room where just before walking through the door frame, Faith broke their kiss as a confused Willow looked on at the grinning Slayer.
"Smoochies," whined Willow with a pout, but that was before she yelped and started laughing as Faith literally swept the redhead off her feet and then carried Willow in her arms. Willow, for her part, wrapped her arms around the back of Faith's neck and gave her a kiss on the lips before looking into her wife's deep brown eyes. While they were looking at each other, Faith walked through into their room and then she used the back of her right leg to back-heel the door shut. The both of them were alone in their bedroom as Faith walked towards the bed carrying Willow in her arms and then gently lay the redhead on it, the both of them not even taking their eyes off each other's faces the whole time. Faith then got onto the bed and hovered over Willow, the couple just looking at each other and unaware of everything else. All Faith could see was Willow as she propped herself on one elbow while hovering over her wife as she brushed her fingers alongside the curves on Willow's face. They continued to look at each other while Willow too caressed Faith's face; it seemed as if the two of them were seeing each other for the first time as fingers brushed against cheeks, lips, neck, ears, and every other facial feature; some of which tickled Willow and Faith who chuckled. After some time, Faith gently lay herself down on the redhead who wrapped her arms around the Slayer's back. Willow then brought her head up towards her wife and kissed Faith before the redhead, her lips locked with Faith, had her head gently pushed back down onto her pillow.
And then they kissed again.
Willow looked at Faith before closing her eyes and, with one hand tightening its hold on the Slayer's lower back, the redhead pulled Faith's back towards her courtesy of the hand at the back of the Slayer's head.
"I love you," said Faith as she whispered into Willow's ear before kissing her again. The only sound that resembled a response was the muffled noise from Willow while she was being kissed; it was something that made Faith stop, pull back and giggle while Willow told the Slayer that what she was trying to say was that she loved Faith too.
It would be nearly an hour later that a panting Willow be slumped on top of Faith's panting body, the two of them covered in a layer of sweat that made it appear as if they were gleaming under the moonlight that was filtering into their room, and hitting their bed.
"Oh if the walls could talk," giggled Willow after getting back her breath while Faith looked around her whilst she held onto the redhead tightly, "if they could talk... if they could talk then… then they'd say they liked it.. and that would concern me. A little bit."
"Ah," grinned Faith as Willow lay her head on the Slayer's chest which was heaving up and down as she tried to catch her breath, "I.. I think some of what we did is kinda illegal; I mean I'm not complaining, but if the walls could talk then.. oh boy."
"This conversation's getting disturbing," said Willow as she chuckled while her head remained on Faith's chest.
"I missed this," said faith as she brushed her hand through Willow's shoulder length hair, "you and me.. alone. Just us… no worrying about the SGC, or the Ori, or robots, and vampires. Just you and me."
"We have a three-day break," said Willow as she looked up at Faith, "you sure Buffy still wants to go to Nairobi tomorrow?"
"Yea," said Faith, "Callie's parents are taking her body home tomorrow, and the funeral's gonna be two days after that. B's hoping that we get with Sineya, then we prove our worth… whatever that means, and then we get the location of the Scythe and then retrieve it. Why?"
"I was thinking," said Willow as she looked up at the dark-haired Slayer, "we can find the Scythe, give the Scythe to Buffy and the others.. and then drop them off at Sunnydale while we… yes, we.. as in just you and me; we take a holiday. I don't mean a piddly holiday… I mean a real holiday. You and me.. we can finish the honeymoon we never finished. Or we could…"
"I wanna go to Nappa Valley," said Faith as she looked at Willow, who looked back at the Slayer with a twinkle in her eyes, "we could have that as the rest of our honeymoon; besides, with our luck? I'm guessing it's better we stay close by."
"True," sighed Willow, "but there's a lot of places in Paris we never got to go."
"If you're up for Paris," said Faith, "I'm good with that too. Or Nappa Valley, or even New York City, or.. oh..Maui, or… oh, hey.. Fiji? How about you decide this, I get to decide for our anniversary."
"Oh?" asked Willow as she raised an eyebrow at the Slayer, "you've got something planned?"
"Not saying," said Faith as she made a zipping motion as her fingers went over her lips, "lips are sealed, and thoughts blocked."
"Uh huh," said Willow with her eyes narrowed at the dark haired Slayer. She then gave a sigh and rested her head on Faith's chest again while placing an arm on the Slayer's abdomen.
"So it was Morgan Le Fay who sent Camille here, huh?" said Faith as she looked up at the ceiling while running her hand through Willow's hair.
"Yea," replied the redhead as she nodded her head, "she's always had a soft spot for kids. She must've seen that Camille was the last one on that planet, and she dialled the Gate to Earth so that Camille could come through."
"Camille freaked out?" asked Faith.
"Nope," said Willow as she recalled knocking on the door of Tara's VIP room where the redhead heard Camille was spending her time. She smiled at the blonde witch who opened the door, the little girl standing behind Tara and looking up at the redheaded newcomer.
Tara's Quarters, SGC, 2135 hours; the previous night.
"Hey, Tara," said Willow giving the blonde witch a wave as she stood in the hallway, "can I come in?"
"Willow," Tara replied with a smile while stepping back and to the side as she motioned towards the redhead to come in, "you're back."
"Just got back," replied the redhead as she walked into the room and noticed the young girl in green and grey shirt and trousers sitting on the bed.
'Must be Camille,' thought Willow to herself as Tara closed the door to the room.
Willow smiled at Camille and gave a small wave before crouching down after taking a step towards the young girl. In the meantime, Tara walked passed Willow and sat next to Camille who looked up at Tara curiously as the witch sat down next to her; the young girl then looked at Willow while one hand was on the crystal that Coren had given her.
"Camille," said Tara as she stroked the young girl's back gently while motioning towards the redhead, "this is my friend, Willow."
"Hello," said Camille looking at Willow while, at the same time, she placed a hand on top of Tara's and squeezed tightly, not wanting to let her go.
"Hi, Camille," said Willow, "my friends and I have heard a lot of things about you."
"You have?" asked Camille softly as she lay her head on Tara's arm.
"Yes," replied the redhead with a nod of her head, "I'm sorry about your home; but I can tell you that you'll be safe here. There are many wonderful people and.. and I have a friend who's been in the same situation as you, and…"
"Ummm… Cassie was here earlier today," said Tara, "she left three hours ago. But she'll be back in two weeks after her finals."
"Oh," replied Willow nodding her head at Tara before looking at Camille once again. Willow then gently asked the little girl about her family, at which time Camille told Willow about the crystal that Tara made into what the little girl referred to as a 'memory album'. At Willow's confused look, Camille looked at Tara who nodded her head before the little girl held out the crystal that was still connected to her neck by the same chain that her brother had given her. Camille then said the activation word, and Willow watched memories of the girl's family appear in three-dimensional images over the crystal.
"It's beautiful," said Willow as Camille placed the crystal back into a closed fist, deactivating it.
"It.. it was the least I could do," said Tara as Willow smiled at her. The redhead noticed the arm that Tara draped around the young girl's shoulders while she lay her head, once again, on Tara's arm. Willow smiled at the feelings of affection that was emanating from the blonde witch towards the young girl before she stood up and then pulled up a chair and sat across from the both of them.
"Camille," said Willow as she looked at Tara and mentally spoke to her about the General wanting to find out who it was that sent Camille to Earth. She 'told' Tara that he was certain it was an Ancient judging from the description Camille gave him. But given that interference like this was something frowned upon by the Others… and that higher beings don't necessarily care about what happens to the people in the lower plains of existence; the General wanted to know who could have done this so that they may be able to find a way to contact this Ancient and get her to help them against the Ori.
At Willow's explanation, Tara nodded her head while the redhead talked to Camille. The redhead asked Camille if she could describe the woman who she had seen before she stepped through the Stargate. Camille then looked at Tara, who told the little girl that it was alright to tell Willow. Camille then looked at the redhead and described the woman as wearing a white dress, with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a sad look upon her face. As Camille was describing her, Willow 'saw' the young girl's loud thoughts of the mere seconds before she walked through the Stargate. The redhead saw a woman she recognized, a woman that Daniel and Faith had encountered before on Atlantis when they dialled the Supergate in the Milky Way from the Pegasus Galaxy.
"Ganos," whispered Willow as she leaned back on her seat.
"Willow?" asked Tara as Camille looked up at her confused.
"Ganos Lal," said Willow as she looked at Tara, "Camille's description fits her."
The redhead noticed the confused look on Tara's face before she leaned forward to clarify.
"Ganos is the same person we know as Morgan Le Fay," said Willow as Tara nodded her head while Camille looked at the both of them confused. Sensing the confusion from the little girl, both Tara and Willow reassured Camille that Ganos was a friend, "she's a… a special person, Camille."
"She is a good spirit from the island?" asked Camille softly.
Looking at the now confused faces on both Willow and Tara, Camille told them about the island in the middle of the lake; the same place where she was fishing with Coren before the Cylon attack. Camille said that her people believed that spirits inhabited that island, both good and bad spirits. She told Willow and Tara about games they would play as children were they would dare each other to spend nights alone on that island.
"Some, like what Coren had done, would run away that night and return home speaking of voices and a feeling of being watched," said Camille as her head continued to lay on Tara's arm, "while others would stay on that island for an entire night without encountering, or hearing, anything at all."
"Oh," said Tara and Willow together.
"Do you believe that this Ganos is the name of this spirit?" asked Camille, "do these spirits travel from one world to another? Is that how you know her name?"
"It's.. well, It's complicated," said Willow as she leaned forward, "all I can tell you for sure that is that she's a good person.. a good spirit."
"She saved me," replied Camille.
"Yes, she did," replied Tara as she kissed the top of Camille's head.
Willow and Faith's Home, 0310 hours; now.
"Hey," said Faith as she shifted to lay on her side, while Willow moved slightly up the bed and rested her head on her pillow, "you zoned out for a bit there."
"Was just thinking," replied the redhead.
"About Tara and Camille?" asked Faith as Willow nodded her head, and gave a small smile.
"I think she wants to adopt her," said Willow as Faith opened her eyes wide in surprise, "I mean she hasn't said anything but… but it's just a feeling I'm getting whenever Tara looks at Camille."
"I wonder what Kennedy's gonna say," replied Faith sighing as she recalled watching baby Jack when she was travelling past different realities in the search for Willow when the redhead was stuck in an alternate reality after she was punished by the Others for interfering. Willow noticed the change in expression on Faith's face to that one of longing and the redhead immediately caressed the dark-haired Slayer's cheek.
"What're you thinking?" asked Willow even though she saw the Slayer thinking out loud about the little boy she had seen while travelling through the tunnel. Faith had kept that memory close to her chest, and even Willow hadn't seen it until now; the sight of an alternate life with the both of them looking older with wisps of grey on the alternate Faith, and the alternate Willow having hair a few shades of red lighter. But it was the 'sight' of the little boy in Faith's memories that made Willow;'s heart jump, and she gave a smile.
"You know what I'm thinking, Red," said Faith softly as she thought loudly about Camille and Tara, followed by thoughts about Colonel Carter playing with Debra who was giggling as she tickled her. Willow 'saw' Faith remember carrying Debra around before telling the redhead that they should take the toddler with them. Willow remembered giggling when Vala stood up and demanded that she should be the one to take Debra, that she would let her play with naquada bars just like her father did with her.
"No!" said all the other women together back in Tara's room at the SGC. Even though it was meant to be an SG-1 girls night, Colonel Carter and the others had felt bad about leaving Tara and Camile alone while they were out enjoying themselves… especially since Camille wasn't authorized for travel outside the mountain. What they did instead was to receive permission from General Landry before he left for home that they have a quiet girls night in Tara's room at the SGC. Willow and Faith then went out to buy some pizza's, something that Faith described to Camille after they met each other for the first time when the Slayer went to Tara's room with Colonel Carter, as an Earth delicacy. In the meantime, Colonel Carter and Vala went back to the former's home to pick up Debra who was excited to see her mother. The Colonel then told General Carter, who was looking after Debra, to get some rest.. that he had done a lot for her while she was away.. and now it was her turn to spend some time with her daughter.
"The boys are having their own night of enjoyment," said Vala as she patted the General's shoulder while Colonel Carter went to change her excited, and laughing, daughter into a dress. It was later on that the General headed to General Landry's home instead to have a few drinks with the man while Colonel Carter and Vala headed back to the SGC with Debra in tow. The women spent hours with each other, with Tara using magic to keep Camille and Debra entertained. Despite the laughter from Camille at some things that Tara would tell them, Willow could sense that there was something that Tara wasn't telling them, and she knew that Tara sensed the redhead suspected something as they looked at each other.
Tara: "I know you sense something, Will. I'll tell you tomorrow? Are you gonna be free after you visit Nairobi with Buffy and Kennedy?"
Willow: "We've got a break for three days. After that, we'll be going on missions again. What's up?"
Tara: "Could we talk to General Landry after your break? I mean all of us together?"
Willow: "Yea, sure."
Tara: "I know you wanna know what it is but.. but we're having so much fun that.. that I don't wanna say anything to spoil it."
Willow: "Is it bad?"
Tara: "Do.. do you have a mission coming up to an ice planet? Or an ice moon, or something?"
Willow: "Not that I know of. I mean, maybe after the break when we get back. I mean even we're not sure of the next mission until after we get back."
Tara: "Then we'll talk after you come back from your break?"
Back in their bedroom, Willow had just finished telling Faith about the telepathic conversation she had with Tara before they left her room. The both of them headed home while Colonel Carter and Debbie went to their own home, and Vala returned to her quarters… but not before telling Tara and Camille to call on her if they needed anything.
"What do you think she wants to tell us?" asked Faith as she looked at Willow who the Slayer pulled closer until their foreheads were touching.
"No idea," said Willow softly, "but the way she was looking at me.. I felt sorrow just emanating from her. Sorrow and anguish, worry.. a lot of mixtures of emotions."
"You think she had a dream?" asked Faith.
"If she did, she didn't think loudly about it," said Willow softly, "if I were her, and facing a telepath… I'd have magical defenses around my mind even if I was talking to an ally. I mean I didn't try and read her mind without her permission.. and I wouldn't… but she probably wanted to be cautious and put whatever dream she had around a magical barrier."
"We'll wait then," said Faith as she kissed Willow again.
"Yea," replied the redhead after she broke the kiss, "now that we've taken a break, one more round?"
"Oh, yeah," grinned Faith as she straddled the giggling Willow, "one more round, or maybe two… we got time."
BPRI, Sunnydale, CA; 0900 hours.
Angel knew that Cordelia would be looking for him on their bed; even though he didn't have to sleep, Angel would lay down next to Cordelia and hold on to her as she slept. At times, he would simply close his eyes and, at least, pretend to sleep… pretend that he had a normal life.
But his mind would be running along, his thoughts keeping him awake… his memories of the people he killed as Angelus keeping him awake and unable to close his eyes for too long. Most times he'd just lay with Cordelia's head on his chest, but today Angel slipped out as soon as Cordelia was deep asleep and walked out of their room, and then to the office he shared with her. Once inside the office, and the doors closed behind him, the ensouled vampire pressed the button underneath his desk and a panel on the wall behind him sunk into a recess before being pulled up. In the meantime, a screen came flush against the wall and started to show readings from the Sunnydale Outpost in regards to the Hellmouth.
With all readings being normal so far, Angel switched the image on the screen to the internal security camera's. He pulled up the feed from the locked room in the subbasement where Kathy was locked up in a metallic chair, and he just sat down on his seat and looked at his sister who had her eyes closed.
But Angel had no idea if she was asleep, or not.
'What would a vampire be like if they had the Ancient gene?' though Angel to himself as he looked at Kathy who was sitting with her eyes closed, and the arms and legs shackled to the steel chair.
As he thought back on the previous day, he was hit by the stunning news when Wesley told him that the Watchers Council were most likely responsible for what happened to Kathy and that he was still getting his team, led by Fred, to find out more information on exactly what happened, and if there was a way to reverse it. And then there was the issue of Kathy having the Ancient gene, it was something Angel never expected. He and the others listened in when the doctor said that he'd be contacting Dr. Lam for a consult.
But Angel doubted that anyone of them ever faced a situation like this before.
Angel had been looking at the screen for the past few hours when the phone on his desk rang around seven in the morning. Sighing, Angel picked up the phone to hear Cordelia asking him gently if he was in the office. The vampire then acknowledged that he was before telling Cordelia that his mind was racing with thoughts about Kathy for him to take a break.. he told his lover that he was just looked at his sleeping sister through the security monitors while wondering if there was anything they could do for her.
"I'll be here, Cordy," said Angel, "you get some sleep. I'll check in on how far they've gotten on installing the shield around the dorms."
"Ok," said Cordelia as she yawned; the senior staff ask Dr. Lee and Major Davis to start with installing the naquada generator underneath the dorms, the generator itself locked behind a coded security door. They had been working throughout the night under, and around the dorm, with most of the potentials being housed in Willow's old house, some at Joyce's home, others were staying with Buffy, with more staying for a few nights in the homes of a few Sunnydale residents who agreed to take in some of the out of State potentials so that they wouldn't be 'home-sick'.. at least that was the cover story. Angel then got up and put his hands into his pockets before leaving the office, he wanted to check in on the person Dr. Lee left in charge while he went to sleep… a Dr. Kirk and his team to see how far they had gotten.
'Dr. Lee did say the main entrance to the dorms will be shielded by morning if the generator does blow everything up,' thought Angel to himself, 'and since we're still here.. plus, Fred saying that the generator works, I'm guessing the shield should be ready.'
As Angel left his office and closed the door behind him, he couldn't help shake this feeling that something was going to happen.. something bad.
'Kathy's been tranquilized," thought Angel to himself, 'the anti-Prior device is supposed to still be working; and the NID committee's supposed to give emergency approval for a subdural transmitter for Kathy before lunch… that's the fastest they ever worked. Anyway.. the transmitter can be used to track Kathy, and maybe we could use it to reform her… help her with the anger. At least I hope so.'
It was two hours later, after meeting with Cordelia over breakfast… the dark haired woman having eggs and bacon, while Angel having a cup of warm pigs blood before heading to their office. Cordelia wanted to check out the completed shield system for the dorm's main entrance, and the installation of the shield emitters for the two side emergency doors on the ground floor that led directly to the planned memorial garden for fallen Slayers and Potentials, and to the covered walkway that led to the primary BPRI building; as well as the rear entrance for the dorms. Cordelia knew that with ten more Potential's coming in thanks to Oz's recruitment efforts, they needed the additional defenses.
It was a few minutes after entering their office that Wesley walked in carrying four books, which the man then placed on the table between the two couches in the corner of the office before he looked at both Cordelia and Angel. Wesley rubbed the bridge of his nose while walking towards the two of them.
"Fred and the others have found something," said Wesley, "they worked through the night over cups of coffee here and in Manchester… and well, they're still searching for more details. What we found so far is only bits and pieces. Without the actual scrolls it's difficult to.. well, let's just say it's a very complicated spell using the darkest of magic."
"What've you found so far?" asked Angel.
"There's good news and bad news," said Wesley, "there is a way to break the spell.. a way to separate the demon souls from the human soul before they're permanently fused."
"Ok," said Cordelia, 'the bad news?"
"We don't know if there can be more like her," said Wesley, "we don't know if she does sire anyone, if they'll be like Angel and other ordinary vampires, or if their souls would be contaminated like Kathy's. What we did manage to get were bits and pieces of a possible cure that has to be administered within the first hour of the souls being forced together."
"So there's nothing we can do for Kathy?" asked Angel.
"Sorry," said Wesley as he sighed, "but no. She's out of our hands now."
"What's the cure?" asked Cordelia.
"Something about requiring the blood of those who have been to the place of light and then returned," said Wesley, "at least that's what we think the translation says. I can only guess that since the darkest magic was used to force the demonic souls to be bound to the human soul, you'd need light to force away the demon souls from permanently contaminating, and joining with the human soul. But what it means… I mean when it says the 'place of light'? I don't know."
"There's something else," said Angel as he looked at the troubled look on Wesley's face,
"Wes?"
"I told you that no one but the archivist is allowed into the vault," said Wesley as the two of them nodded their heads, "no one gets past the archivist, not even the Head of the Watcher's Council."
Yeah," said Cordelia, "and..?"
"I think it was the archivist herself who removed the scroll," said Wesley, "and.. and I'm suspecting that because her family has been accused of searching out the dark magics. That's why she was seen as the perfect archivist… she knew what danger these dark powers represented; and that they should be stored away. But I suppose that even she gave in when learning about what Angelus did. You've met her descendent, Angel. As have Mr. Giles, Faith, and Buffy."
"I have?" asked a confused Angel, "who?"
"The archivist's name was Carolyn Forsythe Post," said Wesley as Angel's eyes went wide open, "her descendent was Gwendolyn Post."
BPRI Subbasement, 0915 hours.
While Angel and Cordelia was talking to Wesley, back in the subbasement... behind a steel reinforced door with two NID guards in full tactical gear stationed outside, Kathy slowly opened her eyes. She looked through the hair that was covering her face at the grey colored door, and then she looked at the cream colored walls that surrounded her to her left, her right, and then she looked over her shoulder at the walls in the back. She then looked at the door in front of her again, and closed her eyes.
She could feel a buzzing at the base of her skull… it was something that was distracting her. Something that was making her confused an unable to concentrate. Surprised, Kathy looked around again, and it was then she noticed a table behind her to her left side; she could just barely notice the disc-like object with lights along its edges before she looked at the door at her front again. She glanced down at her hands which were locked onto the arm rest, and then she looked at her legs and found them in the same situation as well. Looking around the room, she noticed the camera's and then smiled… the smile vanishing once she realized that her telekinesis wasn't working. Narrowing her eyes with confusion etched on her face, Kathy attempted to close her eye and then let her consciousness travel outside the door so that she could 'see' where she was and 'hear' what people were saying, just as she did when she contacted Angel while she was standing on the roof of a building far away from the BPRI; or back in Buffy's neighbors' house before Kathy was captured.
The then looked at her restrained hands and whispered, "oh, this is a pickle."
TBC.