"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXI...
***
Fortuna, Imperious Goddess...From Carmina Burana...
"O Fortuna, like the moon you are changeable, ever waxing and waning;
Hateful life first oppresses and then soothes as fancy takes it;
Poverty and power- it melts them like ice.
Fate - monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, you are malevolent,
well-being is vain and always fades to nothing, shadowed and veiled
you plague me too; now through the game I bring my bare back to your villainy.
Fate is against me in health and virtue, driven on and weighted down, always enslaved.
So at this hour without delay pluck the vibrating strings; since Fate strikes down the
strong man, everyone weep with me!"
***
"What...?" Xander stared at Willow...
"It's true, Xander..." she sighed... "And not all that surprising...After the fact..."
"Buried in the house...?"
"Well not that part...But Dawn and...Cicely...Yeah...In the house..."
"And Dawn is..."
"Like I said, it's not that surprising...After the fact..."
He rose and began pacing the hotel lobby...Pausing in front of her...
"You saw a tombstone...Not a body...Bodies..."
"That Mr. Knowles will help arrange to have them exhumed and whatever's there reburied...But Xander...I think they're there..."
If even he takes it like this...? she sighed...
"Where's Dawn?..." he suddenly asked... "She hasn't gone and told her this story...?"
"She's telling her right now, I think..."
"Wil, for God's sake..."
"Xander...What do you expect her to do?..."
"And will this do any good?...Saying for the moment it could be true..."
"Dawn deserves to know who her father was..."
"Spike?..."
"William...Xander, an innocent man...Who saved us all..."
"Fine...Great..." he waved a hand... "But aren't you letting Cicely rush this?...Wil, you have Buffy in costume with an accent and a tombstone..."
"Meaning?..."
"There is one other possibility even Giles doesn't seem too willing to consider…" Xander sighed…
"It could be psychological…" he eyed Willow…
"What?...You think she's crazy?..."
"Only if you consider assuming the identity of the century-plus dead Slayer widow of the Undead lover you abandoned to die alone crazy…" he noted quietly…
"Buffy?..." Willow hesitated…No…Nah…I wouldn't even…
"No…Xander, she may be out of herself but not…"
"Willow, think about it…Since she was fourteen Buf's been on a never-ending gotta-save-the-world, fight-to-the-death treadmill involving killing things that seem pretty damn human…And whatever the Council fed her about the people who became these things most were innocent victims, at least to begin with…Then she falls for a souled vamp, Angel, who was a monster but found a soul…Which her Council had never hinted was possible, though Giles sure as hell accepted it at face value without much question when the Brooding One showed…And sought redemption…Not only is she unable to help him, in the end she has to send him to Hell…Then, later finds it was possible to get him out and that he..."
He eyed her...
"...Might have appreciated a little help...He was different with her after that, you know that…I'm not saying he blamed her but..."
"Then she meets Spike, probably…And I admit this only 'cause I have to…The most human unsouled vamp we've ever met…Who later spends years not only telling her he loves her but actually proves it…And ends up winning his soul back…Another little thing the Council failed to ever mention to her, that vamps' souls could be restored without even a curse…All for love of her…"
He put a hand up as she tried to interrupt...
"Wait…Then a twist…Restored soul boy II is quite willing to accept she can't love him, goes to his death for her in fact sure she doesn't, couldn't love him…All the while her dear Council doing its damnedest to get him out of the way, soul or no soul…And why?…Because they've got his blood and Cicely's and their kid's on their hands…And they've been trembling in their shoes that one day it would come back to haunt them…Sure that it would be at the hands of a great Slayer...Maybe to the point they wanted it to happen, get it over with...Purge their souls, maybe..."
"But she knows all these things about Cicely…How could…?"
"The Watchers know…Spike knew some of the story…She could have learned some from either of them and ferreted out more on her own…Just because she didn't tell us doesn't mean she couldn't have…You oughta know by now not to underestimate Buffy's abilities Willow..."
"But the personality, the manner…Heck even the way she walks…Buffy's not that good an actress, Xander…"
"Not normally…But she sure has the motivation..."
"But Henri believes her…He was sure…"
"Maybe…And maybe he wants to believe it too…Her return proves something for him, too, you know..."
"She's not crazy, Xander...A lot more bitter and angrier than that pleasant manner might ever show...But not crazy..."
***
Underground archives of the Royal Council of Antiquarians and Library Scientists...
Andrew eyed Buffy carefully…
"Nice…" he nodded to Roger… "Either she's the best android I've ever seen…And Warren was the best roboman I knew of, give him that…Or…"
"Andrew?..." Buffy stared… "What are you talking about?..." she looked at Giles, then Roger…
"It's all right, Ms. Summers…" Roger said, soothingly… "Code B-neutral…"
She froze…And her face changed slightly…Morphing into a young woman similar in appearance to Buffy but not quite Buffy…Finally stabilizing into a rather eerie hairless form...Some definite electronic components of some sort attached to her skull and neck...
"Some kind of spell distortion for the appearance?..." Andrew asked…Roger nodding… "And…" he pulled up a sleeve of her blouse on her extended but frozen right arm…The skin stopping just above the wrist to reveal a transparent silicone surface, metal and plastic components, yet underneath… "Robotic components on an organic structure…"
"Cyborg?..." Andrew examined the arm carefully…And a bit eagerly…
Haven't had a good nerdfest in months…
"Yes, but the organics are also unique…" Roger paused… "She was a vampire when the Initiative captured her…And chipped her, like Spike…"
"What?…"
"And like Spike, the result was a partial surfacing of her trapped soul…In her case, she sought us out…Not really sure what she wanted, poor thing…But hoping we could help her…"
"But a vampire cyborg?…With Buffy's appearance…"
"She could be a number of women under this glam…Though she was a good candidate largely because she looked a deal like Buffy…And somewhere in her soul she desperately desired to be a champion of Good…Not the pathetic victim she'd been for fifty years…"
"And this is your counterattacking force?..."
"She's already got demonic strength...The cyborg components not only give her additional strength and ability…They allow us to control her demon, even largely expel it…A mix of the components and spell protection allow her to operate in daylight and conceal her former nature…Even a powerful demon would take her for a Slayer…"
"But she thinks she's Buffy…"
"A good deal of her human memories were gone or damaged when she came to us…She'd been attacked repeatedly by other vampires…Giving her new memories and a new personality grounded her and helped fight back her demon…"
"In effect, Andrew…We've given her a partial cure…" Giles noted…
"Cure?..." Andrew let go the arm…Eyeing the frozen figure before him…
"She hasn't got a free will…She's just a robot…A slave…How could you call this a 'cure'…?"
"Her original personality isn't completely destroyed, Andrew…She's allowed to revert to it…And I assure you, she's quite grateful…" Giles looked at Roger who turned to the cyborg…
"O-active…Hello, Gretchen…" he smiled to the young woman who looked at him… "Doktor Wyndham-Price?...", a slight German accent…Her features a slight bit heavier, older than Buffy…
"You know Chairman Giles…This is Mr. Wells, the companion of your alter ego, Ms. Summers…"
"Herr Wells?..." she offered a hand… "I hope the demonstration was not…" she hesitated… "Disturbing?..."
"Ummn…No…Ummn…"
"Gretchen Moltke…" she smiled… "At least, I am fairly sure that vas my name…"
***
"Dawn..."
"No..." Dawn waved a hand at Buffy... "No..."
"Dawn, I wouldn't..."
"Just...Leave me alone..." But she hesitated...
"It's nothing to be ashamed of..." Buffy moved to her, arm outreached... "Your..."
"Don't say it!!..." Dawn snapped, waving her off... "Just don't!..."
"Do you want to go back?..."
"Just let me be...I'll see you later..." calming tone...
"I don't like to leave you here alone..."
"I'm fine...It's perfectly fine here...I'm just gonna do some shopping and sight seein' on my own...I'll see you later..."
"All right..." Buffy sighed... "Dawn, I would never have told you to hurt you..."
"Fine...I'll deal....I'm fine..." she headed off...Hands clenched...
Oh...Daddy...Daddy...Forgive me...
"I'm sorry Will..." Buffy murmured as she stood watching Dawn hurry off down the street...Her own hands twisting...
"I had to...I had to..."
I can't do this alone...
***
"And it doesn't bother you to be forced to be someone else...To give up your own soul...After you've won it back?..." Andrew asked...
"I did many terrible things with my demon here...I vant...Want to do some good, Mr. Wells..." Gretchen sighed... "And I can't go back to my old life now...I've been dead fifty years...But as to my soul...The Watchers gife me a choice in the matter...I have chosen to help, you know...If it means I help protect the Slayer who saved so many...I'm grateful for the chance to do so...And I vas un...An actress...Long ago..."
"It's not fair...Not right..."
"Life isn't fair, Wells..." Wyndham-Price said quietly... "But we do plan to try and find ways for our people like Gretchen to have some sort of lives...And those who don't wish to help us...We don't force them..."
"But many do..." Giles noted... "They want to help fight those who took their lives away..."
"Like you took William's and Cicely's...?" Andrew eyed him...
"Yes..." Wyndham-Price nodded calmly...
"Andrew..." Gretchen smiled at him wanly...A bit disconcerting, given the mix of borg components and as he now noted, slightly greenish tinge of skin color... "If you knew what my existence vas before my freedom...The Council has freed us, my comrades und I...All of us who have chosen this path agree..."
"Comrades?...How many?..." he asked...
"Over two thousand now..." Roger...
"And she...Sorry, you..." he addressed Gretchen... "Are playing Buffy...Why?...Does she know?..."
"Especially right now, Ms. Summers needs a stand-in, Wells..." Roger, firmly... "She's provoked a great deal of wrath by defeating the First...Angel may even have joined their ranks...And if those enemies become fully aware of her current vulnerability..."
"You haven't told her, have you?..."
"Gretchen and two others have been in training..." Giles explained... "We'll explain when they're ready..."
"She'll never agree to that...Someone else taking the bullet for her..."
"Buffy, perhaps not...Cicely, however..." Giles noted... "She wants freedom and time to rediscover her past, after all...And there's Dawn to think of...Especially for Cicely..."
"Especially?...Why?..."
"Mrs. Walthrop would be especially anxious to avoid any harm coming to Ms. Summers' sister..." Roger, somewhat hastily...
"Yes..." Giles, imperturbably... "Andrew, it's simply a little extra protection for Buffy when she may be a bit off-stride, to say the least...And perhaps a little relief...Which you of all people must agree she's earned..."
"Not without her agreeing..." Andrew insisted... "It's great of you, Ms. Moltke, but she's gotta say yes..."
"We'd hoped you'd be the one to put it to her..." Roger eyed him...
"As your first assignment as her Watcher..." Giles added...
"Please, Mr. Wells..." Gretchen smiled again... "Let me do what little I can to help her...I assure you I'll be very careful in the role and I can defend myself..."
"Against...Angel?..." Andrew asked...
"If need be..." Roger replied... "But we still don't know exactly what Angel may be up to..."
"He could be leading the Partners on..." Andrew looked at Giles...Who gave a thoughtful look...
"We've considered that...All the more reason then to have someone he trusts implicitly and could contact without danger to the real Buffy...Andrew, if he has turned, soul as well as demon, to Evil, his first target would naturally be Buffy..."
"I'll speak to her...But she meets Gretchen and hears the whole story..."
"We've no intention of keeping anything from her..." Giles said...
"But what about Angel?...And your son?..." Andrew turned to Roger... "We're not just going to sit around and wait to see if he's turned are we?..."
"We've considered a possible plan of action..." Giles noted...
***
"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXII...
***
"Well?..." Dawn, having entered Xander's hotel room with the briefest of knocks was staring at him…
He eyed her quizzically…
"Did you know?..."
Oh…He sighed…
"Only from Willow just a little while ago…If you mean what I think you mean…"
"I mean that I'm supposed to be the daughter of William the Bloody…" she said, blinking at him…
"I wish Buffy'd waited a bit on telling you that…Dawn, there's…"
She shook her head… "I knew…I knew it was true the moment…"
"A century-plus old tombstone with a name on it doesn't prove a thing…"
"All these years…He was right there…And I felt…"
"Dawnie…This isn't something to rush into…We don't know anything for sure…"
"I know…" she sat down on his sofa, hands clenched… "He was with us…Practically chasing after us…"
"Chasing after you to kill you most of the time…"
"If Giles had told us…" her voice bitter… "We could've cursed him…Found some other way in time like he did himself…"
"Spike would've used it to his advantage…Assuming which I don't, that it is true…"
"I could have saved him…We could all be together now…Instead…Jesus, Xander…My daddy died again, alone…Saving us all and thinking…God…." she sobbed into her hands…
He watched nervously a moment...
"Dawn, he died the way every good person hopes to…A good man, on the right side again at last…"
"At last…?..." she eyed him…Weeping suddenly cut off...
Ooops...Minefield…He sighed again…
"Mo…Cicely never doubted him…She knew he'd fight Spike off…"
"Which he did, yeah…" Xander, soothingly… "But he'd agree you guys were much better off not…"
"You would've been better off not knowing Anya?...She did have a soul even then, when she was killing people, you know…"
Sorry…She caught his wince… "But we weren't better off and you know we weren't…"
"Mother…" she hesitated but got it out… "Mother is right…We should go to LA and force the truth out of Angel…If he gave us that amulet deliberately…"
"That amulet saved us…And made Spike a hero…And…" he smiled wanly…
"Buffy will choke if she hears you calling her Mother now…"
"Not Buffy…" Dawn stared at the wall… "Physically in a way I guess…But Cicely was…Is…My mother…"
He stared hard at her… "Dawn…I'm not prepared to lose Buffy Summers forever…No offense, but I'm not on Team Cicely just yet…"
"I don't mean it that way…I want Buffy back too…" her voice a bit uncertain…
Get sis back and lose Mom?...
"I was telling Willow…" Xander began, hesitant himself…Dawn looking at him…
"I'm not sure we couldn't be dealing with a psychological problem here…"
She shrugged…"I've thought of that…I'm sure Willow and Giles, too...She's not crazy but I'd suggested before, back in the States, she see a good shrink…If we could find one who deals with reincarnations…But I don't believe it now…"
"Anyone could get obsessed with Cicely's story, Dawn…And Buffy's been more than a little conflicted regards William…"
"She wouldn't flip out like that, Xander…Besides, I told you…I know it's true…"
"You know how?...Dawn, you're blaming yourself for what happened to William too…"
"I knew that summer…When he took care of me…I knew he was someone special to me…If I'd just gone with those feelings and tried to find out…I felt my daddy's presence, Xander…I knew he was there…"
"After the fact, after hearing Cicely's tales…Don't prove a thing, Dawn…"
"Then we'll get proof…" she rose suddenly… "Willow can get us proof…"
Here we go…He sighed…
"I didn't do a thing for him when he was right in front of me, Xander…Doin' all he could to show us, make us believe he still loved us…He needed us and we…The least I can do now is to give him back his past…And his family…I owe my father's memory at least that much…"
"And what about Buffy, Dawn?...Are you gonna forget her?..."
"Buffy will come back when she's ready…" she shook her head… "If I can reach her, I will but…" she frowned at him…
"Don't look at me like that…I'm not abandoning her…But she's always been the strong one and if she's letting Cicely or the memories at least run the show there's a reason…"
"I won't sit back and let Buffy become a fading memory, Dawn…"
"Well…" she eyed him… "Fair enough…You were the only one of us who ever saved one…"
***
Office (temporary facilities) of the Chairman of the Royal Council of Antiquarians and Library Scientists…London…
Giles eyed Willow from his chair as she sat in the opposite chair facing his desk…
"So you've decided to help her with William…" he said matter-of-factly…
"To try and reach him, yeah…But nothing else…"
"I see…"
"We're agreed now she is Buffy…I can't see that it could hurt…It might even help her…To know he's safe in Heaven…It might be the trigger that…"
"It might…" he cut in… "But you know as well as I she'll never be satisfied with that…"
"I couldn't help her…Or him…There, even if I were willing to…"
"And if, knowing his soul is secure, she turns to other means…Other forms of 'help'?..."
"Buffy wouldn't…"
"We are not dealing with Buffy here…Though Lord knows, she would probably do anything it took…"
"Then she'd go ahead without my help…Giles, I think Cicely knows a bit more about magics then Buffy…She was pretty up on things when we visited the Immortal in Rome…"
"Willow…Encouraging her in this will not help her…"
"I didn't come to ask permission, Giles…I came to ask if you knew about the bodies…You still haven't answered me…"
"That Cicely Addams Walthrop and her stillborn daughter were buried in secret in a family crypt by her father…Yes…" he nodded… "I won't lie to you, of course we knew…"
"And you didn't say a word, at least to me?...So I could prepare her?...You knew we were going…And you knew she'd find it…"
Oh…She stared at his impassive face… "You thought the shock might do the trick, didn't you?..."
"There wouldn't have been any way to prepare her for something like this…And there was no way to know for sure she would find a sealed crypt…"
"I think you knew the crypt had been found…" her voice cold… "I think you wanted her to go and see it…"
"How could you do this to her?..."
"How could you abandon your best friend?..." he replied, calmly… "You'd let her remain Cicely, all memory of Buffy Summers gone?...You'd strengthen her obsession with William, pushing her down that road…Which could lead her to all kinds of danger…Willow, what do you think she will do if she finds William is in Hell?...Thank you and quietly mourn his memory?..."
"His soul's not in Hell…" she shook her head… "And you've no right to talk to me like this…You kept everything from us, from her, for years…Do you care about her at all, besides her being your best killing machine?...God, Giles…We trusted you and you betrayed us…Now you're gonna sit there, Mr. Chairman and tell me I'm risking her soul or whatever?...You're lucky she didn't kill you…I know I would have…"
"You've made your decision, Willow…I hope you don't regret it…Again…" he nodded curtly…
"One more thing…" she rose… "She wants access to your archives…Everything…"
"I can't promise she'd find anything useful to her there…But I'll allow it…"
"I mean…Everything…Giles…We know you have some of her things there…If you want her to stay with the team, that's the price…"
He spread his hands… "I've said I'll allow it…When does she wish to visit the facility?..."
"It's intact, below London…" he explained… "But for security purposes I'll need at least a few hours to arrange clearance…"
"Tomorrow…She's out with Dawn…"
"Telling her, you mean?..."
"Yeah…" Hard stare…
"Is that why you were so quick to push for destroying the Key?...You thought you'd get rid of two birds with one killing?...No pesky lil' Dawnie around jogging Cicely memories?..."
"I pushed as you say for what seemed the best chance for Humanity's survival…In the end, Willow, that has to be my primary concern…I only wish it could be yours and hers…" he returned her stare…
She shook her head…
"What good is saving Humanity if people aren't allowed be human, Giles?..."
***
Door slam…
"Foul-mouthed wretched little…" Buffy growled…Removing her large hat pin, then hat…
"Hey…" Dawn rose from the hotel room sofa… "What's wrong…?" she eyed the grim, set face…
"This miserable world of yours…" Buffy frowned, entering the living room and carefully sitting on the sofa… "People without the slightest bit of consideration or decency…Do you know a man just propositioned me on the street?...And when I told him I'd call a constable, do you know what he said to me?..."
"I can guess…But you heard as bad in the States…"
"One expects boorish behavior in America…" Buffy shrugged… "But in London…Lord, you people consider this advancement?..."
"We don't burn black people for being uppity…We don't keep women in the house and out of the job market…And I don't believe for a sec England was all politeness and 'decency' everywhere, even in your day…"
Buffy frowned…
Still, girl had a point…If one were honest about it…Some of the lower-lifes she'd encountered in the byways and dark streets weren't much better than the fellow…Though in broad daylight, in front of decent people…
"He probably thought you were some kinda actress in your getup…" Dawn noted… "Thought he was being funny…"
"Charming…The lowest music hall ruffian wouldn't have treated me the way that lout did…"
"Uh-huh…Did you belt him?..."
"I would've…People about though…"
"Well, maybe he'll come back…We'll check the street later…"
"I'll live in hope…You seem better…" she eyed Dawn carefully…
"A little, Mom…" Dawn nodded…
***
"Andy?...Nice to see you again, at last…" Dawn eyed Andrew in suit... "You're looking spiffy today…"
Buffy peered at him closely…Yes… "Thank God Father's tailors were still in business…Not bad at all, Andrew…I take it your interview with Mr. Giles the other day went well?...We've been waiting to hear…"
"They offered me a spot as a candidate…" he nodded…
"No, that won't do…" Buffy frowned… "I want confirmation of you as a full Watcher…I'll settle for nothing less…Surely I deserve a proper Watcher and you've earned it..."
"Thanks..." he blinked a moment... "But there's really a lot for me to learn...I don't even know the full history of our august and ancient organization yet..."
"A bunch of frightened men forced an innocent girl to do their fighting for them...And have never stopped since..." Buffy said dryly... "There, you now know the history of that august body..."
"Yeah...But I'd still like the details..." he eyed her, smiling a little...She wryly smiling back...
"Well, training...Especially if it gets you access...Never hurts...But there's no reason you can't be made a full Watcher now and finish your training as you go...God knows, they've always considered that good enough for Slayers..."
"Mom's right..." Dawn chimed in...
Andrew blinking...
"Anyway, I'll discuss the matter with Mr. G. later...Now, if my new Watcher would care to do the honors..." Buffy extended a gloved hand which Andrew took rather formally...
"Ladies...Welcome to the archival facilities of the Royal Council of Antiquarians and Library Scientists..."
"Can we see my dad's stuff first?..." Dawn cut in...
"Dawn...Patience...Let Andrew handle this as the Council wishes..." Buffy insisted...
"Oh?...Should I look for another air dart?..." Dawn frowned...
***
"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXIII...
***
"Thank you, Magda…" Giles took the tea tray from the secretary standing in his (temporary facilities) narrow office doorway, Xander watching from where he sat…Setting the tray down on his desk he poured two cups, handing one to Xander…Who accepted the offer of sugar, rejecting lemon and milk…
"I wish…" Giles sighed, sitting down, cup in hand, shaking his head… "I wish I could persuade you to stay, Xander…"
"Gotta get on with my life, Giles…" Xander put down his cup, shifted in his chair, the same Willow had faced the Chairman in the other day…
"Buffy needs you…You know she does…Even for Cicely, you're a vital link…"
"Cousin Henry, right…But that's not necessarily the best thing, you gotta admit…"
"Perhaps not…But it seems to ground her a bit…And she needs that…"
"She's landed on her feet…And Dawn and Andy will be here even when Willow goes home…'Sides I'll only be somewhere near Nairobi, not the moon…Are they in your library?..." he sipped from his cup…
"The archive facility…Yes…It would have been pointless to refuse…Biscuit?..." he offered a plate of shortbread…
"Thanks…Yeah…Don't keep anything more back from her, Giles…I believe you mean well, but it's done her no good to find out this way…"
"I know…Thank you, Xander…I seem to have lost a great deal of credibility with the others these days…"
He nodded… "'Fraid so, Giles…Giles, was it so important that you kept this stuff under wraps?...Like I said, I don't see the good it's done…"
Giles waved a hand…Shrugging…
"The Council has its rules, Xander…As a member…And Field Watcher to the current Slayer, I was bound to follow them…I know Buffy, should she ever return, will be little better pleased with me than Cicely is…But I had my duty…"
"Buffy wouldn't have abandoned Humanity…However pissed she might have been…"
"It wasn't all duty to the Council, Xander…I did genuinely fear for her, if she learned of her true ties to Spike…If I was harsh not to give his freed soul a chance, I would only say I did what I did for her benefit and with her uppermost in mind…"
Xander sighed… "Well, at least Cicely seems willing to cooperate with you guys for now…"
"I hope to regain…Or gain, I suppose is more correct…Her trust at least in part in time…" Giles nodded…
"And Buffy…?" Xander eyed him…
"I don't know…We can hope she'll find her way back…"
"I told Willow…" he paused… "I know she passed a psych evaluation before but I think it might be wise to have a therapist, psychologist…Whatever…"
"I've thought so too…" Giles nodded… "And we have had her case continually monitored…"
"Without telling her…Or us?..."
"Only from a distance…And just an evaluation of the case…I had to be certain it was safe to leave her alone…Surely you didn't think I'd leave that stone unturned…?"
"You told us the psychologist who did her check in the States found her more or less normal…"
"More or less…For a woman who firmly believed she was someone born in the mid nineteenth century, following the gruesome death of her lover…She was deemed not requiring institutionalization nor an immediate threat to herself or others…Though he qualified that after hearing my statement as to her threats to the Council…Still, since she was considered to be operating rationally, I felt it best not to press the idea of therapy on her at that time…"
"And what's your therapist's opinion after 'monitoring her from a distance'?..."
"Her obsession with William has grown, not faded, if anything…Her delusion of being Cicely Walthrop, born 1857, died 1880, remains unchanged…Causes for some concern, even if her previously threatening manner has calmed a bit…He recommends placing her under therapy…By court order if necessary…"
"With all the evidence that she's telling the truth?..."
"Were it not for that evidence I probably would follow his advice…The man is not a member of the Council, Xander…I could hardly tell him that her claims may be supported, given the nature of the evidence…" he leaned back in his chair, regarding Xander… "It appears you're uncertain which explanation to believe…"
"I don't know which one to believe…" he nodded… "Which is why I wanted all options covered…But I see you're a step ahead of me…"
"And you see I've avoided a step I could have taken…"
"Oh?...The Council can still have people put away?..." he eyed Giles…
Cicely told us a story or two about a couple of troublesome Slayers…he noted…
"Hardly the need…I could have persuaded you, even Dawn, at least in the first days, to have her institutionalized…I kept from that option even when members of the Council recommended it…"
"You should let her know that…It might raise your stock a little with her…"
"Perhaps…Xander, I hope we're all still on the same side…Her side…"
"Me too…" Xander nodded… "Well, I am glad someone's keeping an eye out, but she should know, Giles…She's bound to find out and she'll assume you're trying to pile up a case against her…If you tell her, she might even be willing to see someone…If only to prove you…And me…" he grinned wanly… "Wrong…"
"I intend to…"
"'Course then the only problem is…If therapy's no good, we're about out of options, aren't we?..."
"I believe time will turn out to be on our side…Sooner or later Buffy's modern self will re-emerge…"
"Lets hope so…" Xander rose…Pausing, he put out a hand which Giles rose to take… "Giles, I will be in touch…And if you think she needs me, for something specific, I'm always willing to come…"
"I know…Alexander…" he clasped his hand in both of his… "I haven't been very easy on you over the years…But I think you know it was because I knew you were capable of more…You've become a fine man and I'm privileged to know you…"
"Thanks and likewise…Giles, don't let her down…Don't let the Council let her down…" a firm stare…
"She always will be uppermost in my mind…" Giles replied…
Xander nodded…Hesitant… "Giles?...Is there something dangerous, waiting for her there in your files?...Or when she goes looking to find William?..."
"I truly don't know, Xander…But I do fear…" Giles, firm return stare…
***
"My last letter to Father…" Buffy stared at the paper in her hand, taken from the large wooden box now sitting on the long metal table at which she, Dawn, and Andrew sat…
"Looks like it's a copy…" she noted…Turning it over… "Is there any way to know if…?"
"The letter was sent, Mrs. Walthrop…" a fourth member of the group, standing, addressed her…Hans Axton, former Chairman, director of the archives…
"I appreciate that…"
"That was low, opening and copying your mail…" Dawn frowned…
"Hardly compares with murdering me and my husband…" Buffy noted, a bit wanly… "And the Council always kept close watch on its Slayers…I'd been warned to expect that by Simon when I was called… 'Your life is no longer your own concern', he told me that very first day…"
"Do you like the necklace?..." she suddenly turned to Dawn, indicating the rather antique, large beaded necklace by her plate…
"I do…" Dawn nodded…Fingering it… "Thanks, Mom…"
"It was my mother's…I always hoped to pass it…" Buffy stopped…Tears welling…
"And you did…I'm proud to be your daughter, Mother…" Dawn looked at her, taking her hand… "And I'm proud to be William Walthrop's child…"
"He'd be proud of you…" Buffy smiled faintly now…And returned to the box, mostly her letters, a journal spottily kept over her ten years as a Slayer, and…
"'Dickens'!...." she pulled a worn old stake up from the box… "My favorite stake…" she explained to Dawn… "The best edge I ever honed…"
"Nice…" Dawn eyed the stake with an experienced eye… "Could use a little tuning up but nice solid look to it…"
"Feel the heft…It's teak wood…"
"First class for Cicely, eh?..."
"I used to tell Father it was a sliver from an ancient Chinese temple I bought from Simon…He was always insisting it was a bit too large for the good-luck charm I claimed it was…I…" she stopped suddenly in midst of pulling up more papers…
"Buffy?..." Dawn stared at her stricken face…Tears running…
"Oh…" Buffy reached in, grabbing at something… "Amelia…Here it is…Oh, they kept it…"
"Mom?..."
Buffy lifted the small book up for the others to see…Andrew noting the fine if old style binding and cover…
"'The Complete Works of William Soames Walthrop'…" Dawn read… "Mom?...This is Daddy's?..."
"I had it printed up just after…From the papers your aunt Amelia gave me as well as what I had…"
"Daddy's…?" Dawn touched the cover gently…
"Here…" Buffy handed it to her… "Careful, it's probably the only copy left…Mr. Axton…" she turned to Axton who regarded her impassively…As Dawn very gently set the book down and carefully opened it, waving Andy in to see…
"I'll definitely be taking this…And all the rest…"
"Of course, Mrs. Walthrop…It is your property, after all…"
"Dad…?" Dawn gasped…Looking at the old photo just inside the cover…A somewhat nervous-looking young William in brown suit, hair barely managed, spectacles… "Andrew, there's my daddy…" she pointed…
"He never quite learned how to carry off a suit…" Buffy smiled, gently touching the image… "You say he went blonde as Spike?..."
"Blonde, black, and red…Those were his colors…" Dawn noted… "Andy?..." she looked over…
"Right here…" he pulled a photo out… "I managed to get it off my videos of him the other day…I'm sorry I couldn't save any of the footage or sound…But Dawn thought you'd like to have this at least…"
"I know you weren't too anxious to see him as Spike, Mom…" Dawn began… "But when Andy thought he could get this for us…"
"Yes…" Buffy nodded… "I think I would now…" she took the photo… "My…He looks…Exhausted…"
"It was a rough time, those days…" Dawn nodded…
"And very handsome, as always…This is after he got the soul, correct?..."
"After he won it back for you…" Dawn smiled…
"And for you, I'm sure…" Buffy held the photo up…
"You don't suppose he was making fun of Buffy with the hair?..." she asked…
"He'd had it that way a while…" Andrew noted…
She turned over a few pages…Her face suddenly reddened, she turned to Axton, eyes burning and locked on him…
"Who did this?..." she asked, grimly…
"Mom?..." Dawn stared…
"The book is very old, Mrs. Walthrop…" Axton began… "We have tried to…"
She grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him…Andrew looking at Dawn…
"Buffy?!..." Dawn tried…Axton choking in her grip…
"Who desecrated my husband's work?..." Buffy continued… "Who tore these pages out?..."
"I…Don't…" Axton gasped…
"Buffy, I will call security…" Andrew tried… "Stop it, Mom!!..." Dawn grabbed at her outstretched arm, holding the old man in a vise grip…
As suddenly she lowered Axton and released him, he falling to the floor, Dawn hurrying to him…
"You wretched people…" Buffy whispered…Rubbing tears back… "You couldn't leave me with anything…"
She closed the book and put it on the table…
"Should I call a doctor?..." Andrew asked…Eyeing Buffy who was now returned to thumbing through some papers…
"No…" Axton shook his head… "I'm quite all right…"
"Dawn, help me with this…" Buffy looked over to her… "I'm sure Mr. Axton is fine…"
"Mom?..." Dawn looked at Andrew…
"I'm sorry I lost my temper…It's fine now…" Buffy continued pulling out papers… "Well, here they are…" she lifted several torn pages out of the box… "I was just afraid this might have been lost…It was a poem dedicated to me…Torn out, it seems…" she eyed the papers… "Yes…I'd imagine that was Simon…" she frowned…
"Mom…You could have killed Mr. Axton…"
"If I set out to kill someone, Amelia…" Buffy eyed her… "I don't stop till they are dead…"
***
"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXIV...
"From the beginning
I knew meeting could only end in parting, yet
I ignored the coming dawn
And I gave myself to you."
William Soames Walthrop to Cicely Anne Addams, March 2nd, 1880.
***
"Well?..." Buffy, on hotel room sofa, box and papers from the archives scattered about her, eyed a quiet Dawn sitting in a large chair across the living room's coffee table, likewise engaged in reviewing papers from the box....Andrew seated in another chair, a somewhat reluctant witness....
"You might've killed that old man...." Dawn looked up briefly....
"He's breathing still....Your father is not...." Buffy, dismissively.... "I'm sorry to have lost my temper....I think I'm right to point out I have been under a strain...."
"Is that the way Cicely handles things?..." Dawn replied....
"Your sister....I....Locked my husband…Her lover…Away in a cellar when he'd won his soul back for love of her and needed care....Is that the Buffy way, with which you apparently had no problem?..." hard-eyed reply....
Dawn stared a moment.... "You're jealous..." she stated, simply.... "I didn't realize…You're jealous of Buffy...."
"I am Buffy....So the Council of Watchers has certified, eh, Mr. Wells?..." she gave Andrew a quick smile....He trying to look anywhere else....
"It doesn't matter....You're jealous...." Dawn shook her head....
"I love my husband....He was ripped from me by an unfeeling God, the monsters He allowed to walk this Earth, and a group of unscrupulous, ruthless, terrified men...." Buffy said, bitterly.... "You think I like the idea another won his heart and led him out of torment....?"
"You....It was you...."
"As you and your friends keep pointing out, Amelia, your sister was quite different from me in personality as well as form....I don't blame your father, God knows, I'm glad he found something to lead him back....But...." she eyed Dawn coolly....
"Don't expect me to thank the Council for it...."
"Buffy's more like you than you know....I see it more every day...." Dawn noted.... "And she could be pretty hard on people too....At times...."
"Really?...And here I was thinking she was a gentle angel....Except of course where a condemned soul needed her...." Buffy paused, looking at her hands a while...Slight tremble...
Dawn came over to her...Hand on shoulder...
"Sorry..." Buffy looked up at her...
"You're not to blame for not rescuing him, Mama....Hell, you came back from the dead to do it....Three times if we count Xander's CPR...."
"C what?..."
"Never mind....Mama, you didn't let him down...."
Buffy staring up a long moment at her face....
"Then why isn't he here?..."
***
Evening, two days later...
Despite Xander's attempts to minimize the impact of his imminent departure an overwhelming force of sorrowful friends backed by several dozen rather broken-hearted Slayers had required him to cave and accept a farewell dinner...Though thanks to Willow's and Dawn's efforts a reasonably casual place...
"Olive..." Willow, standing in the foyer of the restaurant, greeted Ms. Knowles and her brother Edward, she in dress, he in suit jacket, with heightened warmth...Catching as she did Giles' sudden move to speak with a Slayer on the opposite side of the room... "Glad you guys could make it..."
"Ms. Rosenberg..." Edward shook hands... "Are Buffy and Dawn here yet?...And our guest of honor...?" Olive asked...Glancing for the briefest of moments to where Giles was engaged in conversation with a Slayer rather pleased to find her training schedule of such sudden interest to the Chairman...
"They're holding him at the table so he can't run and hide in the mens' room..." Willow grinned... "But once they get a few beers in him, he'll relax a little..."
"I know this will be very hard for all of you, losing Xander..." Olive nodded... "Speaking of beers, Eddie?..."
"Ms. Rosenberg?..." he smiled to Willow...
"Whatever you guys are having..." she replied... "I'll trust your expertise..."
"Too bad..." Olive grinned as Edward moved off... "I was hoping we might get to try something new...But next round..."
"There'll be plenty of those tonight..." Willow smiled back... "Just lets keep Buffy off the tables when she starts singing..." They moved to a somewhat less traveled spot of the room...
"I thought her singing grand the other night..." Olive smiled... "But I've no doubt she'll be on her best with Dawn about..."
"I have noticed 'Mom' laying off the booze a bit the last few...But thanks for coming, she'll appreciate the support from the distaff side of the family...I think it's just hitting her that 'Cousin Henry' is really going...The one familiar face, even if he isn't the real thing..."
"I suppose it must be a little terrifying for her...How is Dawn taking...All of it?..."
"After the first shock, pretty damned well..." Willow shrugged... "Me, I'm still twitchin' when I hear her call Buffy 'Mother' but she really seems to be dealing...I even think she likes the new first name..."
"Can't be bad for her to have found another mother...Especially what with knowing her physical origin as the Glorificus Key..."
"Yeah...Guess we can add poor Joyce to the list of those we prefer to forget..." Willow sighed...
"I'm sure that's not so...." Olive replied... "But if what we found is true and real, one can't blame Amelia Dawn for being happy to have her true mother back..."
God knows the chances of being loved in our lives aren't so overwhelming we should pass on any such Fate offers us...she noted, wistfully...
"You should talk to Rupert..." Willow smiled at her... "He's hurt but..."
"I don't think Rupert Giles is one to forgive a betrayal..." Olive sighed... "I should never have gotten so close when I was monitoring Buffy...It was an insult...To all of you..." she said ruefully..."Though I sincerely did want to know you all better..."
"Giles kept a few things from us for the sake of Duty...I think he ought to cut you a little slack..."
"Best to let it be for the moment..." Olive looked over into the restaurant... "Well, shall we let Eddie catch up with us?..."
"Sounds good..." they headed into the main dining area, Willow leading...
"My..." Olive stared over to where Buffy sat with Dawn and Xander...Buffy in low cut, long gown...Reasonably modern style formalwear, if a bit conservative...Flowers in her loose hair...
"It's all for Xander..." Willow hissed... "She wanted to be a little more Buffy for him before he left so she let Dawn fix her up for tonight...She's even tried to tone down the accent..."
"Olive, Willow!..." Buffy waved them over, rising from her seat... "Well, what do you think?...A little more toward the twentieth-first century?..." she smiled at Olive, then hugged her...
Obviously the attempt at accent reduction not quite succeeding, Olive noted...
"I'll have to be a bit more Buffy Summers I know in future..." Buffy explained a bit hastily... "May as well start now, eh?..."
"Just as long as you're comfortable with who you are, Buf..." Xander, a bit sternly, likewise rising to greet Olive...
"You look wonderful, in any case..." Olive smiled...
"Thank you...Thanks..." Buffy nodded... "And here's Edward..." she greeted Edward as he approached, bearing a couple of beers in glasses on tray...
"Cicely..." Edward beamed, setting down the tray and offering Willow her glass...
"Hey..." Buffy hugged him... "But tonight, it's all Buffy..."
"Of course...Sorry..." he was apologetic...
"Not at all..." Buffy waved a hand... "I need to find the proper balance..." she eyed the watching Xander... "Xander..." a hair proudly at getting the name on first mention... "...Told me that right from the first night..."
"Not exactly...I'm not that gifted..." Xander shook his head... "But it's a good idea and the bottom line is, I want you happy, Buffy...Wherever and whoever you settle..."
"Then don't go..." Buffy, suddenly...All conversations near the two ceasing...
He sighed and took her hand...
"Buffy...You know I'll always be just a phone call away..."
"I know...Yes...Yeah..." she laid on the twang... "Can't blame me for asking..."
"No, but I can blame you for that lousy American accent..." he grinned, nudging her...The others taking their seats…Giles and several Slayers entering from the foyer…
"Hey dude..." she mock-frowned as she and Xander now sat... "Dawn can vouchsafe that I practiced all day yesterday..."
"Vouch, I mean..." she corrected at Dawn's helpful eyeing...
"Just be yourself, Buffy..." he said, seriously... "I know I've been pressing a little too much for your old...Or new, depending on your point of view...Self to come back, but in the end that's really all I want...There's been enough trying to be it all for us..." he grinned…
"And for once I actually intend to follow my own advice and live my life...So long as I know you're ok..."
"Of course..." Buffy smiled wanly... "I'm a Vampire Slayer twice over...I'll be fine...It's just...You're the one who bridges both our worlds, Xander..."
"Ah..." he sighed...Grinning... "Just when I was getting used to the new name..."
"I wish you'd known William as Henry did..." she said suddenly... "I'm sure you would have been friends...As they were..."
"Some day, maybe...I did respect what he did in the end, Buffy...Judging by that, I'm sure he was a fine man..."
"...Who'd want you to live..." he ended, whispering to her...
She nodded...Bending her head slightly, leaning to him...He kissed her forehead...
"And she, you..." she noted...
"I think so..." he agreed...
Willow pulled up a chair next to them... "One of the nice perks of having been Evil for a bit is you don't feel quite so selfish when you horne in on your best friends' conversation..." she grinned... "Kinda gives you perspective..."
"Not a problem....I was just trying to see if turning back into Buffy would make him stay..." Buffy grinned back...
"I knew it..." Xander nodded... "You keep looking to put up your hair..." he teased... "Shall I fetch a wrap against the night air?..."
"Eh..." Buffy waved a hand..."You people...I used to wear gowns much more risque...But you could fetch me a pint..."
"Dude..." grin...
"As American as Governor Schicklegruber himself..." Xander nodded, rising... "Wil, Ms. Knowles...?"
"Keep it comin'..." Willow nodded...
Several Slayers eyeing Xander as he passed them…Willow nudged Buffy to see…
"This alone must be the best gift he's ever had…Lets make sure he gets some numbers before he goes…"
"Hey…Mom's saving him for me…" Dawn, arch look over…
"Keep him in the family, right idea…" Willow nodded with grin…
Buffy smiling…A bit troubled in look…
"Have you made any plans, Buffy?..." Olive, seeing her face, asked gently from her opposing seat…
"Nothing definite…Mr. Giles has offered me some training work with the Council…" Buffy noted quietly… "Dawn of course needs to do some preparatory work for college and…"
"'Of course…'?" Dawn frowned…
"I only mean you want to go to college…" Buffy, returning frown… "About which I am very proud…"
"Naturally…" Olive nodded… "But are you thinking of returning to college as well?..."
"I don't know…Perhaps later…I'd need so much work to learn even the basics…"
"They haven't changed all that much, Buf…" Willow noted… "A little tutoring and you could be up to speed in a few months…"
"Mom and me in college together…Sounds like a bad TV movie…" Dawn mock-frowned…
"Well…We'll see…" Buffy shrugged… "I have more to do here first…How about you, Olive?...Will you continue with your current work?..."
"I think so…" she nodded… "Of course freelance journalism was a good excuse to travel about when I monitored you and William... But I actually do enjoy it…"
"What about Rome?..." Edward asked… "Did you or the Immortal ever learn anything about who fired at you then?..."
"Not a thing…" Buffy shook her head… "I'm sure both Buffy Summers and the Immortal have their share of enemies…Though whoever it was, they haven't been very persistent…It may be it wasn't actually meant for us…Henri's people are still looking into it…As is Mr. Giles…"
Xander returned…Got a waitress coming with the drinks, he noted… Yeah, Stacy and Irene, two lovely Slayers in his wake noted as well…
Willow eyeing Buffy who smiled back…
"You know Stacy and Irene…" Xander introduced the pair who beamed at his intro…
"Sure…Hey…" Willow waved… "Grab a chair, guys…" The two girls hastily sitting by Xander…Who now sat down to Willow's left…She giving him a puckish smile…
So, where you're going is now an independent country, correct?..." Buffy turned to Xander…
"When it's not invaded or cut up by warlords, yeah…" he nodded…
"Sounds dangerous…You should have some trained Slayers with you…" Buffy shook her head…
"Yeah…" Stacy, eagerly…Irene in total agreement…
"I'll be in touch with the local Council guys…" he noted…
Buffy frowned… "Surely Mr. Giles can do better than that…Why I expect we could recruit a half dozen volunteers this very evening…Eh, Willow?..."
Stacy and Irene eyeing each other…
"I don't think I need a bodyguard…"
"Nonsense…What vigorous young man doesn't want a few superstrong young ladies watching over him?..." Buffy grinned now…
"Think harem, Xander…" Willow joined in…
"Will you two stop…?"
"He's a saint…" Willow noted…
Indeed…Buffy agreed…
Yeah…Stacy, Irene, and several other seated Slayers nodded…
"Seriously…I want you to have some protection at least till you get settled…" Buffy eyed him… "It's little enough for the Council to do for you or me for all your service…"
He sighed…
"For Anya's and my sake, Xander…Please…You're going to be training Slayers anyway…Just two or three experienced ones staying with you…"
Hmmn…Several Slayers looked over…
"Dream come true, Xander…" Willow grinned…He mock-frowned at her…Stop…
"It could like that awful television program Dawn always watches… Fellow with female roommates in a platonic relationship…He giving wise counsel…Well, idiotic counsel on that program…But I'm sure you…" Buffy frowned at his look…
"Willow put you up to this…" he shook his head…
"Well…Yes…Yeah…" she grinned… "But I do want you to have some help… Xander, Anya would want it…"
"I'll keep near the Council's center…I'll be careful…Don't worry…"
"Buffy and Cicely have many who'd love to hurt someone she…We…Love… I've lost too much already, Xander…Please…I'm sorry if we were teasing…" her tone a bit urgent… "Please…"
Willow, guarded look to Xander…
"I'll think about it…" he said...
"'Cuse me…" Stacy rose…Irene eyeing her narrowly as she headed for Giles' seat…
"Right back…" Irene rose…
Well, there's two…Willow hissed to Olive…
"I've let you people keep a guard on me…" Buffy noted…He…And Willow… Eyeing her…
"What?...I'm not a fool, nor have my senses deserted me…" she smiled… "You've had no less than four Slayers constantly dogging my footsteps… And I know you all agreed to it…Since I left the hospital in California…"
And I appreciate it…Particularly for Amelia Dawn's sake, she nodded…
"It was a demonstration of concern…And all I ask is you let me do the same for you…"
"Fine…" he sighed…
Yes…!...Several more Slayers hurried over to where a puzzled Giles in his seat was now surrounded by a growing crowd…
"Just not in the same apartment, please…"
"I can't believe you wouldn't tell me first…" Willow sighed, shaking head…
"Oh, now knock it off…" he grinned…
"Say…Mom…" Dawn turned to Buffy… "That reminds me…"
Hmmn?...
Yes, the 'Mom' still does freak me, too…Xander nodded to Willow…
"How did you and Daddy manage it?...Me, I mean?..."
"Amelia…" Buffy stared…
***
"So…" Roger stared at the attentive group before him in the Council's underground facility's training room B…Authorized personnel only…
"…That is the plan…Ummn…Ladies and gentlemen…" he eyed the hairless, rather frozen-faced audience…
"Do you really believe Angel has reverted to Evil?…" one in the first row asked…His concerned voice belying his blank features… "I…My old self…Fought him two years ago…He seemed so committed to the right side…"
"We can't know for sure…" Wyndham-Price shook his head… "But the indications are that he is acting in what he feels is his son's best interests…And Connor has always been the most important thing to him in his existence since retrieving the soul…However, we hope to capture him intact and either clear his name or win him back to our side…"
"Difficult job with Angel or Angelus…" another, female, noted… "But we'll do our best, sir…"
"Mr. Giles, I, and the full Council and Slayers appreciate that…" he nodded… "Remember that my duplicate will be acting independently of you and until your support is needed he'll have no contact with you…It will be up to you, Timothy…" he addressed the first speaker… "To lead our team in the attack and to obtain everything you can in the Wolfram-Hart files, particularly regarding Angel and Ms. Summers, but everything available in general…"
"Yes, sir…" Timothy nodded… "And may I say for us all…We are truly grateful for the chance to do what we can…"
"I…And the Council and Chairman are the grateful ones…Thank you all…" he looked over the group…All so eager to atone for the sins their souls never committed…
Grimly conscious of his success in suppressing the sense of shame that briefly overwhelmed him…
***
Heathrow Airport....The following afternoon....
Willow regarding Xander who gave her a wry smile....She shook her head....
"No way am I saying goodbye, Xander...."
"That's good.... 'Cause it's not...."
Sigh.... "What the hell am I gonna do without you?..." Willow bowed her head slightly....Xander putting hand to her cheek....
"Nairobi....Not the moon....Just call me...."
"Yeah, right....On the salary I'll be likely to make for the next ten years...."
"Charge it to the Council...." he shrugged.... "They oughta have you and Buffy on their payroll...."
"Giles hinted he'd see what he could do....But frankly...." she eyed him....
"Lets not let things go that way, Wil....Buffy....And you....Need Giles' help and you both need Giles...."
"Ma and I are waiting you know!..." call from Dawn where she and Buffy sat with Andrew and Giles near the departure gate for Xander's flight....
"Just a minute!..." Willow called back....
"God....I'll never get used to Dawn doing that...." Xander, rolling eyes....
"She's been waiting a long time to have parents, Xander....I never really got how hard it was for her to lose Joyce....And not just her dying...."
"I know....And I'm glad but...."
"I won't give up on Buffy....You know that...." Willow noted firmly....
"I wouldn't go if I thought you ever would....But don't forget Willow Rosenberg needs a life too, you know....And Wil...."
".... 'Be good or at least be careful'....I know...."
"I don't like saying this...." he paused....She staring at his clouded face.... "But don't forget you dealin' with Cicely Walthrop, not Buffy Summers...."
She nodded.... But gave him a rueful look.... "But don't you forget....She is Buffy....And Buffy can be pretty determined to have who or what she wants....I'll be careful with both of them...."
"Hey!..." Dawn called....Buffy shushing her....
"Come on over...." Willow waved to them....
"I'm sorry....I know I haven't given you what you needed these last few....Mourn as much as you need to....But don't blame yourself, Alexander...." she turned back to Xander, hastily, intense whisper.... "She knows you loved her...."
He fixed his good eye on her....The glass one staring straight ahead....
"If you do reach him....?"
"No, I'll put the call through direct....I always intended to when you were ready...." she noted....
"Thanks....Tell her, I wish I'd been there...."
"And the answer will be.... 'Yeah, me, too'....If I know Anya....." she grinned as Dawn and Buffy reached them....
***
"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXV...
A somewhat nervous Dawn glanced at Buffy's set face…Then over to where Andrew sat in the front row of assorted Watchers and Observers…Most, excepting the very few new members, looking rather nervous themselves as they stared at the group on the platform before them…Giles seated next to Dawn and Buffy…Vice Chairman Wyndham-Price next to him on his right…Willow next to him…
New Slayers watched as well from their seats behind the Councilors, filling the auditorium of the temporary facility of the Council to capacity…
A Watcher, female, completing a brief report on the status of the Council globally, at the lecturn front and center of the platform…
Giles rising as she concluded and moving to the lecturn…
"Thank you, Ms. Sinclair…Ladies and gentlemen…Before we discuss the urgent situation in Los Angeles, I wish to introduce to you our new Slayer Councilor General, Mrs. Cicely Anne Walthrop…" he turned to Buffy who rose to applause…And eyeing the audience coolly, moved to the lectern…He stepping away, but remaining standing near…
"Mr. Chairman…" she nodded to him… "I hope that the Council understands I use my former name in this address in tribute to my husband William…I am of course also Buffy Anne Summers and while I am not currently in possession of those memories, I am quite proud to be that as well…"
She paused, eyeing the group…
"I'm glad to see so many Slayers among you…I think it's important that we who do the fighting are properly represented here especially now that we are legion…Each of us individuals, with our own needs and lives…I say lives, ladies and gentlemen…" Stern glance… "Because, contrary to the Council's past views, Slayers are not merely demonically powered warriors serving at the beck of the Council but human beings…Women…Who deserve the right to decide their own fates…In the past, when one Slayer protected all Humanity, the case could be made by some…And was, as I know all too well…That her single, little life weighed against the fate of humankind, counted for nothing…"
Cold stare sweeping across the audience…
"That is no longer true…If it ever was…And I am here today to, among other things, ensure that that particular point of view is forever abandoned…Ladies and gentlemen of the Council, I say to you that while I respect your commitment to your work and your various individual skills and abilities, it is we…The Slayers…Who have been entrusted with the power to defend Humanity…And who therefore, must have an equal voice in decisions as to how that power should be used…"
Here, here?...Dawn thought, glancing round at the still faces of the Council members…
Though at least the Slayers seemed pleased with the notion of controlling their own destiny…Several banging on the floor, to the clear annoyance of the more sedate Watchers…
"…So, without further ado, I accept the appointment as Slayer Counselor General and I move that those Slayers able and wishing to join the Council here or in their respective locales, shall be immediately entered as candidate members…"
Definitely not hear, hear…Dawn, looking at the hardening faces…
Was that a hiss?...
"…To achieve full membership after the completion of training with all the privileges of Watcher status…And I further move…" harder tone…
"That as of this moment, my colleagues, Willow Rosenberg, Alexander Harris, and Andrew Wells, by virtue of their experience and achievements be admitted with full Watcher rank…"
"If I may have the floor…" a tall man, blond and of Scandinavian aspect, rose…
Giles frowned and moved to rise…Buffy eyed the man…
"I have not opened the floor to discussion just yet…Pray let me continue, sir…" brittle tone…
"…Destroying this organization, you mean…" the man returned, sneering tone now…Other Watchers rising…
"Enough…Mrs. Walthrop has not finished…Ladies and gentlemen, take your seats…" Giles insisted, now standing at Buffy's side…
"Hey!...Quiet!...Let her finish!..." several Slayers called from various points…
"This is not the time for radicalism…" a middle-aged woman stood… "We have guided Slayers and other fighters for thousands of years and…"
Slayers banging feet and stakes on the floor…Comments ranging from "Oh, please!..." to loudly put swear oaths in various languages…
"You aren't our only weapon!..." a Counselor's cry…
"Silence!..." Giles called… "We will have order here or I will end this meeting now!..."
Gradual calming…Watchers and Slayers taking their seats…
Buffy eyeing the Counselor rows…Waiting till all was again quiet… Despite the hostile looks…
"You people…Have no organization without us…" she said coldly… "I accept that many of you have made sacrifices in the cause of Humanity… But we are the source of the Council's power and we will not be second- class mercenaries at your beck and call…"
"Yeah!!!..." harsh cry…
"Quiet, please ladies…I appreciate your support…" she called…
"We're not slaves!!!..." more oaths in various languages…
Violent slam of fist on lectern before Giles could intervene…All looking at Buffy's angry face…And the pieces of shattered lectern…
"I asked for quiet…" she said calmly…Waiting…
"Thank you…I have one further motion…Please, Andrew…" she signaled to Wells who rose from his seat, ignoring several hard stares, and reaching the side door of the hall, opened it…
Slowly, rather timidly, a group of hairless, rather blank-faced humanoids entered…Slayers and Counselors staring…Andrew encouraging them to come in and guiding them to the platform where he led them to seats…
"Please come in…" Buffy kindly waving them to their seats…
"Yes…The Counselor who said we were not the only weapon of the Council was quite right…You have also enlisted these poor souls in your ranks…" her voice grim…
"And so I also insist that they be granted representation on the Council…They are, after all, human souls…"
Disgusted looks from several Counselors…Others clearly uninformed about the cyborgs, staring…Some at least seeming willing to hear her out, Dawn noted…
"Counselors, I think my motions are quite reasonable and long overdue… Now I will have them accepted or I will leave the Council to its own devices…" she stepped away as a Counselor and Slayer together brought over a new lectern…Giles moving in quickly before any could rise…
"I second Mrs. Walthrop's motions…And by my authority, pass the motion…" he said, quietly…Though hastily…
"Outrageous!!..." a woman rising, cried…
"I call for debate…" a male Counselor rose…
"Debate!!...Debate!!!..." several rose…
"The motions are carried…" Giles shook his head... "There will be no debate…"
"I call for the removal of the Chairman…No confidence!..." the Scandinavian rose…
Nice to see how the Council appreciates us after all our world-saving… Willow thought…
"Seconded!!…Resign!!!..." several rose…
"No!!!..." various Slayers rose…
"You're putting Humanity in the hands of half-human monsters!!..." a Counselor cried…
"Hey!!!..." Dawn rose… "Who do you people think you are?!!...You never lifted a finger when Buffy was all alone!…You killed my father, her, and me!!..."
Buffy standing by Giles who looked at her…
"This what you wanted, Cicely?..." he whispered…
"If they're cutting their own throats, it'll do…" she whispered back… Steady gaze to his…
"Enough!..." he turned to face the crowd…
"You may replace me if you wish…But you cannot replace the Slayers and all of you know that…And rest assured they will follow Mrs. Walthrop, not you…"
"Damned straight!!..." a Slayer cried…
"What Mrs. Walthrop asks is simple fairness…The Slayers and our cyborgs are risking their lives to fight our battles and they deserve representation on the Council…"
"Dominate the Council, you mean…" a voice cried…
"Without them we are a collection of arm-chair experts on the occult with some abilities in magics!…Don't be foolish!…" Giles shouted, shaking his head… "If you want Humanity to have protectors, you must accept them as fellow humans, entitled to a role in their own destinies…Will you push them to fight alone without benefit of our knowledge or even drive them into the arms of Humanity's enemies?...Who I promise you will not be such fools as to reject them…"
Some degree of calming…
"If I may…" Buffy spoke up… "Perhaps the Counselors who oppose my measures should rise…So we can see if the Council truly prefers to go it without help…"
Furtive glances across the room…
"Please, Mr. Giles…" she turned to Giles who nodded…
Ten Counselors stood up…The first five, close by each other, vigorously, the next three, scattered round, a bit less so…The last two rather forlornly in isolation…
"I see…" Buffy smiled pleasantly… "You may go…"
The standing looked at her, then Giles…
"Unless you wish to remain and accept the motions…" she continued to smile pleasantly…
Silence…The ten resume their seats…
"As to the matter of a vote of no confidence in Chairman Giles…" Buffy eyed the now quiet rows… "I move we proceed to a vote of the new full Council…"
***
"I guess we have Sir Richard to thank for that performance…" Willow grinned at Buffy now seated by her as Giles, newly confirmed in office, began a briefing on the situation in LA…
"Father always knew how to handle an unruly House…" Buffy smiled back…
***
"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXVI...
"Well, she is confirmed and clearly with the Slayers to back her…" Wyndham-Price quietly noted to Giles as they sat in his office…Open bottle of scotch whiskey on table…
"She now is the real power of the Council…Yes…Though I can deal with that…" Giles frowned…
"I was a bit disappointed that she learned of the cyborgs so quickly… I'd hoped I'd made more of an impression on young Wells…"
"She backed the plan for a probing mission to LA…"
"If anything she was too enthusiastic…She may still try to go herself… At least in borg virtual form…She wants Angelus dead, of course, though…Not retrieved…You saw she was anything but disturbed by the reports…A good excuse to the others for eliminating him…"
"We can't permit that to happen…" Roger shook his head… "Will you tell her what's at stake?..."
"No…" Giles shook head… "She wants revenge and since we're currently too useful to her, the focus of that revenge will be Angel…As we hoped… Even if we dared bring her into our plans, if I felt I could trust her, we couldn't risk that she might let her anger get the better of her…Besides her sincere desire to believe in his acceptance of a position with Wolfram-Hart and his corruption by them is the best insurance for the plan's success…She'll do our work in convincing the Partners…"
"But if she insists on joining the strike team…Even if only in a borg copy?..."
"I don't think she'll do it…" he eyed Roger, leaning back… "Somewhere there are memories of Angel and the rest of us, from Buffy's time, buried still in her…"
"She won't want to confront him?..."
Giles sighed…No… "But it's not that…She'll know his best chance of being retrieved for us lies with her…That if he truly is on the edge, only Buffy Summers could drag him from the abyss…And she'll refuse to do it…At least under the conditions of our operation…Willow has already made it clear she would insist on going as well…And she wouldn't wish to act with Willow present…"
"Cicely hates him that much?..."
"Oh, yes…" Giles nodded… "Just before she left for Europe she came to me in secret and offered a promise of peace between us if I'd let her deal with Angel herself…In her own way, without questions…"
"I see…And?..."
"I told her I would welcome it, if proof were obtained of his turning… But without it, much as I might want him destroyed for my own reasons, her friends would turn against us both…And should he not have turned, we would lose too valuable an ally in the fight…At which point…She very nearly killed me…" he smiled… "Though I must say she maintained an admirable calm, it was very clear to me…But she agreed proof was desirable and I promised to present it after she returned from Rome…It was interesting…" he paused…
"She never asked if I thought Angel might be playing along…Or if we could bring him back to our side…Cicely at least has no interest in saving him, Roger…And going to LA herself, as Buffy, with Willow and your people present, restraining her, there's always the chance that might be enough…" thoughtful look… "She's afraid of Buffy…Buffy returning to interfere…"
"If the mission did succeed as planned, we'd be bringing him back…" Roger, hesitant… "She must know her friends at least would try to reach him…Win him back…"
"I've promised…She'll be the first to meet with him here if we retrieve him…" Giles, coolly…
Roger was silent…
"So of course…She must not go with you…And we must fail…As planned…" Giles nodded…
"Besides she has other matters to concern her right now…"
***
"Dawn…!"
"Amelia Dawn!!..." raised voice…No reply…
"Really…" Buffy sighed to Willow… "I do not believe that child sometimes…Excuse me…" she rose from the dining room table at which they sat and made for Dawn's bedroom…Opening the door without knocking…
"Mom!..." Dawn's voice…The door closing behind Buffy…
Hmmn…Willow sat, a bit uncertain…Listening to the flow of voices… Dawn's rising, then Buffy's…
The door opened…Buffy emerged…Face set…Closing door behind her…
"I blame myself…The girl's had no discipline at all…" she frowned, taking seat… "What was I thinking?..."
"She was your sis, Buffy…Not your daughter…" Willow noted…
"That is the only reason I'm willing to be mild with her now…" Buffy, grim look… "It's not true defiance…Just my failure to be a good sister
and set a decent example…However, now that it's established that I am her mother…Things will be different…"
"Buffy…She's not a child…"
"Even by the lax standards of this era, she's not an adult, Willow…So long as I have charge of her, she'll be raised as I think appropriate…"
"I don't mean to interfere…"
"No…I understand…I appreciate you're wanting to help me with her…"
The door opened and a frowning Dawn emerged…Bearing a folder…
"Nice of you to join us…" Buffy eyed her as she came to the table…
"I said I was working on them…" Dawn set the folder she'd carried down… Opening it…
"Have you found a place?..." Willow, hastily…
"I got some picks…" Dawn nodded… "But I still like UCLA…"
"Out of the question…" Buffy shook her head… "I will be here in England for some time…And I want you living nearby, if not with me…"
"It's college, Mom…" Dawn, fuming a little… "I'd like to get used to living on my own…"
"If I'm paying for it…And I am…" Buffy frowned…
"Just until I can get more scholarship money…" Dawn replied…
"I don't mind the expense…Outrageous as it is…" Buffy shook her head… "But I want you where I can keep an eye on you…I still have enemies you know…One of whom recently tried to kill us…"
"We don't know that…And this isn't about your enemies…" Dawn replied… Hard look… "You want me to be your little girl forever…"
"Certainly not…" Buffy was a bit less stern… "Though it's only natural I want a little more time with my daughter…"
"We'll have time…But I gotta do what I wanna do…" Dawn, firmly…
"Ridiculous…" Buffy shook her head… "You're my daughter…Under age…And you'll do as I say…Now show me one in Europe…What about Cambridge?..."
"You keep pushing Cambridge…I understand it was Dad's university but I don't like the English schools…"
"What?...In my day, a girl would be grateful to have the chance to study at the greatest university in the world…And your lack of ability in languages doesn't leave you with much other option…"
"I'd rather go to an American school…"
"But I say no…" Buffy, smiling coolly… "And I am not a modern mother who delights to see her little spirit child fly free as on that dreadful television program the other night…Which all I can say is the flimsiest excuse for poor parenting…The liberation of women was never…" she continued
"Yeah, yeah…You're an old-fashioned mom…But I want some choice…" Dawn cut in…
"And you have it…So long as you choose a school near me here in Europe…"
God…Dawn fumed… "Willow…?"
"Miss Rosenberg isn't your mother…And if you take the Lord's name again in that tone, I'll lock you in your room until you are of age… Then you may choose whatever school you can afford…"
"You never had to put up with this…" Dawn, sputtering now…
"I believe I went to university in Sunnydale…Barely two or three miles from home…" Buffy looked to Willow…
"Four…" Willow said, helpfully…
"I'm offering you a chance to choose from dozens of schools…Just not so far away as America…I need my daughter, Amelia…At least within relatively easy reach…" somewhat plaintive tone at end…
"Oh, please…" Dawn frowned…But sighed…"Anywhere in Europe?..."…
"Assuming you can be accepted, yes…And I think that's rather generous…"
"And when I'm 'of age'?...I can transfer if I want…?"
"Transfer?..." Buffy looked to Willow…
"Change schools midway…Kids do it all the time these days…"
Damn modern intercommunication…Buffy thought…
"Yes…Fine…" she snapped a little…
"I'll think it over…" Dawn noted…
Buffy looked yet again to Willow…She'll what?...
Willow giving Do Nothing look…
"So when do we call Dad up…Forth…Whatever?..." Dawn asked, problem solved… "Are you set yet, Willow?..."
"I've gone over all the séances I know…Pooled the best of the best… There's a new moon coming up which for some cases helps, so I guess o, if you guys are ready…"
"We have everything I could collect from the Council, plus Henri's contributions of my own things…" Buffy noted…Still clearly a bit miffed…
She'll graciously let me know?...
"So we gotta do this at night?..." Dawn asked…
"Maybe it's old-witches-and-wives…Witches do get married like other people you know…Tales…But the general opinion is it's better…The new moon thing seems to have a lot of support as well…"
"Tomorrow night, then…" Buffy nodded…
"Ok…" Dawn's attitude became rather more somber…Even apprehensive… "Mom?...If Daddy…"
"I'll go and get him then…" Buffy said, quietly…Then relaxing…A smile… "But he's not in Hell, Dawn…That much I'm sure of…Lost somewhere, yes… But not in Hell…"
She nodded firmly and Dawn, slowly…Ok…
"I do kinda like Milan…" she smiled a bit…And got up… "I'm meeting Stephanie to go shopping downtown…"
"Back for dinner…" Buffy, firmly…
"Yeah…"
"And be careful…London's not the best place for two young girls…"
"Girl and Slayer girl…" Dawn corrected…"I'm covered, Mom…You said yourself Stephanie's one of the brightest…"
"Just be careful…Dawn?..." hurt tone as Dawn headed for the front door in a rush, grabbing for the hallway closet door…
"Right…You know I feel ridiculous doing this…" Dawn frowned…But taking out a jacket from the closet, returned quickly to them and pecked at Buffy's cheek with hasty kiss… "See ya at dinner…Bye, Wil'…I'll let you know what we find…" she hurried to the door and went out…Closing door firmly…
"She'll think it over?..." Buffy frowned at Willow…
"You won, she's staying in Europe…Take the silver and go home…" Willow shook her head…
Hmmmn…
"So…You know he's not in Hell…?" Willow, diverting…
"Not if there is even a moderately just God…" Buffy eyed her friend… "But of course I don't 'know'…Whatever I feel…But what did you expect me to tell her?..."
"And we're bound for Hell if he is?...I mean, 'cause there's no way you'd go without me…"
"We are…And I'd need you to open a portal anyway…" Buffy, wry smile…
"Giles'll love that…"
"That grieves me…"
"He did help you out at the meeting…"
"He saved his Council from an irreparable split that would have left it powerless and did the minimum possible for those who've done the real fighting for centuries…But…I'll keep my end of the bargain if he does his…"
"And if he objects to you…To us…Going after William?..."
"Then I pray he does nothing more than object…"
***
Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXVII...
"Buffy?..." Willow asked…
No answer as they continued down the hall…Watchers, Observers, the occasional Slayer eyeing them…Buffy nodding politely to several…
"Cicely…"
"Magda…" Buffy paused before the desk of the large, middle-aged woman in rather frightening blouse who guarded the sanctum sanctorum of Chairman Giles…
"Ms. Rosenberg and I would like a brief word with the Chairman, please…"
"I'll see if he's available…" Magda curtly indicated two chairs...
Willow glanced a bit sidelong, looking for her famed stick…
There were rumors, after all, about that stick…
Not that Magda seemed particularly of the faith in her actions…Though physically one might, if one were inclined to stereotypes, one might say she fit, in a modern form, the bill…
Something distinctly Margaret Hamiltonian about her set jaw…
"Willow?..." Buffy called her to a seat beside her…
"I doubt Giles has anything for us, Buffy…"
Buffy regarded her friend, not harshly…But not a word…
"Are you mad at me?..." Willow asked… "'Cause I gave it my all, you know…"
"I believe you…" Buffy said quietly…Looking at Giles' door where Magda had closed it immediately after entering…Summoned in by him after informing him as to the presence of visitors…
"I'm not angry at you…" she added, after a pause…
"I just prefer not to talk for the moment…"
"I know you had your hopes up…" Willow tried…
"Please…" Buffy raised a gloved hand…
Back to full Cicely regalia, Willow sighed, eyeing the hat which in fact had probably been the best possible move, Magda having given it such an approving look…
This can't be good…
"Just a moment…" a re-emerged Magda informed them…Door again closed firmly behind her…
"Thank you…" Buffy replied, smoothing her blouse…Lace on top, Willow noted…
Definitely not good…Cicely in warpaint…
"Dawn didn't want to come…?" Willow tried a new tack…
"She's quite upset…I thought it best she not…"
"I'm sorry…"
"Yes, thank you…" Buffy stared at the wall opposite…
A slight tremor over her face, Willow noted…
The hands moving a bit…
"We will try again, you know…" she said hastily…
"Yes, so you said last night…Thanks…"
"I'm your friend, Buffy…I want to be Cicely's friend…"
"You are…Please…I've no desire to discuss the matter…"
"Should I go?..." Willow eyed her…
"I asked you to come…Please stay…"
"Ok…"
Slight clenching of fists, Willow noted…
God, if only I'd had an English girlfriend…I don't understand how to deal with this…Reserve thing…
The door opened…Giles came out…
"Come in, ladies…Magda, hold all calls unless urgent…"
They went in…Giles sat behind his desk…
"Where is my husband?..." Buffy asked quietly…
"Your séance…Failed…?" he eyed her, then Willow…
"Yeah…" Willow nodded… "But we'll…"
"Where is my husband…?" Buffy repeated…A bit louder, though not much…
"I don't know, Cicely…" Giles replied… "If I did I would…"
"…Kill him…" Buffy finished…
"It would do us no good to harm him now…We haven't…If that's your thinking…"
"There's no reason Willow couldn't reach his soul or track it to another dimension unless…"
"You found no trace…?" he eyed Willow…
"Nothing…It's strange…"
"It's impossible…" Buffy corrected coldly… "Unless his soul is either not detached from a physical body or it's destroyed on all but the highest plane…"
"Do you think we destroyed him?...Or have him?..." Giles, quietly…
"That is what I need to find out…" Buffy said… "You are the only ones I'm familiar with with a strong motive for eliminating him…"
"I'm sure William the Bloody had more enemies than us…"
"Very few who would or could go to such lengths…"
"The First might be up to something…" Willow suggested…
"She would want me to know he was existing and suffering…I'd calculated for that…" Buffy said… "Her plan would be to lure me to Hell where she might still have power…"
"You were gonna walk into…" Willow looked at her…
"I've defeated her as Buffy Summers…I'd do it again…But no need to take such a risk…She doesn't have him…Who does, Mr. Giles?..."
"Not us, Mrs. Walthrop…"
"I've heard a report has come in from Los Angeles…May we hear the gist…?"
"The mission failed to secure Angel…Dr. Wyndham-Price is reviewing the details with the cyborgs' commander right now…There will be a full report to the Council shortly…"
"I see…Then we must take stronger action, mustn't we?..."
"Perhaps…But in due time…"
"Giles…" Buffy suddenly trembled, reddened, and to the shock of both her companions burst into tears…A rather copious flood…
Giles stared at her, then Willow… "Buffy…" he tried…
No avail…Another look at Willow, who appeared equally helpless to stem the tide…
"Magda…" he called…
A box of tissues appeared on desk as if teleported…Willow barely able to glimpse the instantly departing secretary as she closed the door gently but firmly…Giles gingerly offering the box to a Buffy bent over in her chair, trying desperately to staunch the flow with her gloves…
She grabbed the box, pulling tissues…
"I'm sorry…Sorry…" she put up a hand while daubing with the other… "I'd hoped so much to reach him…Be sure he was all right…Oh, Giles…If you know anything, help me…Please…They all say you loved me like a daughter…Won't you help me?...And Dawn?..."
"Buffy…I've always told you…If I knew anything…Please believe me…" he looked rather anxiously at Willow…
"Someone must be trying to prevent me from finding him…" she shook her head… "They tried in Rome and now somehow they've blocked me off from reaching him…" she looked up at the two…Both Willow and Giles vaguely trying to make comforting motions…
"What?..." she stared at them… "Oh…Yes, thanks…I'm better now…I've needed a good cry…"
Willow eyeing Giles eyeing her…Look, I'm no more used to weeping Buffy than you…
"Now as to practicalities…" Buffy was utter calm again… "I assume that these 'Partners' of Angel's…We called them the Rulers of Hell in my day…Could have interfered, if they chose, in Willow's efforts…?" she eyed them expectantly…
"People?..." she looked at their still startled faces… "I said I'm better now…Let us to the matters at hand…"
"Ah, yes…I suppose so, Buffy…" Giles nodded…Still a bit flustered, Willow saw… "But I don't see why they should…Unless…"
"Yes…" she nodded… "If they know I am back…They would seek to use William against me…Lure me in…They'd know it would be sure to bring me in…Angelus likely ready for me, with them…"
"How could…?"
"Surely an organization like Wolfram-Hart, as you people describe it, could maintain the same surveillance on you that you do on them…I do trust your surveillance is adequate, Mr. Giles…?" hard stare…
"We believe so…" he frowned slightly… "But you could certainly be right…"
"We don't know yet about Angel…" Willow tried…
"But as Mr. Giles has noted many times, we must assume the worst of the fellow…For our own safety…" Buffy, cool nod… "We gave him a chance to come with our team and explain himself…He refused…Now he must take his chances…"
"He didn't know they were ours…"
"He's made no effort to clear himself…I see no reason to worry ourselves about him…If he stays out of our way, fine…If he interferes… Or takes an active part against us…"
"You're not thinking of going in…To LA?..." Willow stared…
"Not yet…" Buffy shook her head… "I've no desire to spring their trap until I'm sure they have the bait…And we may yet get more useful information out of my, as you people say, ex-…He always had a reputation for delighting in broadcasting his plans…"
"But if, as you say, the Partners are aware of Cicely's presence in you…And seeking to use your quest for William to lure you into their power…" Giles…
"I've said I won't be so foolish as to go charging in without more information…But this could be a very hopeful sign…Yes…" Buffy reflected… "I knew I felt his presence…Willow…He's not out of this world…" she looked at Willow… "He's on this plane yet…Somewhere, somehow…"
"Can you be sure of that?..." Giles asked… "You didn't know before the séance attempt…"
"I know now…" Buffy nodded… "The séance was just that…An attempt…Yes, it fits…The amulet was given by the Partners via Angelus…It may have been planned by them all along…He hasn't left this world and that is why I have returned…" she rose…
"Yes, I definitely feel better…" she offered a hand to Giles… "Thank you…Come, Willow…We must go and speak to poor Dawn…She has to know at once her father is still with us in this world…"
"But Buf…We don't know for sure…" Willow tried…
"I know…And logically it makes sense…Besides, should we be wrong…It will comfort the girl and I can always take a tour of Hades for him later…Lets be off…I should contact Henri as well…He has some knowledge of the Rulers…Or did in our former days…Mr. Giles, let me know when Dr. Wyndham-Price will make his report…I believe I should have a plan of operation by then to discuss…Willow?..." she waited, expectantly…
Ummn… "Coming…"
They strode off down the hall after Buffy paused to assure Magda she was quite all right…Just a minor jag…
Out of the office they entered the nearby subway station and boarded a car…
"You are ok?..." Willow asked as they moved down the car… "I mean if you'd like to talk or maybe…"
"What?...Oh…I'm fine…A good cry is far superior to these remedies of pills and talk you people seem obsessed with…He responded well, don't you think?..." Buffy asked…Taking a seat after a quick dusting…
"Giles wants to help you, Buf…"
"I mean to the tears…He seemed quite distressed for me…" Mona Lisa smile…
"Buffy?..."
"No, no, it was perfectly sincere…But a Slayer learns to make full use of all available weapons…And it was useful to me to gauge his reaction after our failure last night…" Buffy smoothed her skirt as a young man across from them in leather jacket with large ring piercing his cheek and hair cut to leave two large side locks on a large bald head eyed her and the large, trimmed hat on her head with clear surprise…She returning a pleasant smile which he in turn returned…
"And?..." Willow stared…
"I didn't kill him immediately…" Buffy, continued smile… "That should tell you something…"
"So he's off your enemies list?..."
"I reserve judgment for the moment…But I believe he doesn't know where William is…And probably didn't interfere with your séance…"
"I suppose I should be pleased you believe I did my best…"
"Willow, I trust you…" Buffy looked at her… "I don't remember our past times together, I'm sorry, but I do have a feeling…And did from the start…That I could trust you…"
"Thanks…And of course you watched me like a hawk…"
"Of course…This isn't a game…My husband's soul…And mine, I think…Are at stake…And perhaps our Dawn's as well…There is a purpose in my being recalled at this time…A crisis is brewing…"
"Has it occurred to you the Partners…?"
"Of course…And very likely they had a hand in my return…Cicely, doubtless, has more at stake here…"
"Well…Buffy…" Willow, hastily…
"Loves Dawn and William, I'm sure…But doesn't…Or didn't know the full story…They probably hope I'll prove vulnerable…But it's not them I'm concerned about…They fear defeat on Earth and dread return to Hell…They've always hedged their bets and were probably quite sincere in offering the amulet to stop the First…"
"Like Spike?...They like the world…?"
"So long as they can twist it to suit them…Yes…Though if they can destroy us…William and me, they will…But it's him I'm concerned about…"
"Angel?...Buffy, I…"
"Angelus…?" harsh laugh… "I've defeated worse than him when I was thirteen…No, he's a pawn at best…Though if he has turned, I'll take great pleasure in having the freedom to destroy him…No…Simon is the one I'm worried about…"
"The Watcher?...Your Watcher…The guy who…"
"Destroyed us…Almost…Yes…"
"But…Human…Dead…Long dead at your cousin Henry's hands…"
"God bless his noble soul…But Willow…Simon Duncan Farris is not one to give up so easily…Hell, he may have arranged my return for ought I know…It would be like him…"
"How…Did he go demon…?"
"Willow, I came back…William is here…Amelia Dawn's soul has returned… And if you people are right, every player in the game started in 1880 has made an appearance here…D'Hoffryn, Halfreck…Drusilla…"
And I know Simon is here…She nodded grimly…
"He sent me a calling card in Rome…"
"That dart?..."
"His operatives always used them…Air guns, I mean…Very effective with wood darts against vampires and leaving less noise and fuss than arrows or guns…I would guess that Sir Conan Doyle got his mad professor Moriarty from city tales of Simon's operatives prowling about…"
Really?...
"But why didn't you…?" Willow stopped…Eyeing Buffy narrowly…
"You thought…"
"No…I doubted Simon would be so obvious…But the possibility existed and I had to be cautious…Though actually…" she grinned a bit… "You would've been a better choice for him than Mr. Giles…He'd've enjoyed becoming my 'best friend'…He was, after all…Once…" grim look returned…
"I'm not…"
"You wouldn't know until he'd made his move, dear Willow…" Buffy patted her arm… "But I am sure it's not you…He's probably lurking in the shadows, keeping his distance, perhaps not even yet fully running his reincarnate…"
"A relative, maybe…"
"Possibly…"
"So that's why you stayed on with the Council, isn't it?...You think he's there…A counselor?..."
"Likely…He'd want to be close to the center…And I needed to keep track of their actions…And perhaps accept their help if they can be trusted… And of course…"
"They would have any records of his family…Buffy, why didn't you let me know?...If you didn't think I was…"
"I've trusted no one, Willow…I couldn't…He has a talent for penetrating any circle and could be almost any one…The only one I could turn to has been Henri…"
"Henri's been searching for him…" Willow eyed her…
"As best he can…As have I…But now that I know William is somewhere about…And I know you all better…I can tell you at least…Though you must promise to keep this secret…He must be kept off-balance as to whether I know of him or not…"
"He's that dangerous…"
"He defeated me…Temporarily…And as I came back for the second round, so did he…Determined to finish what he set out to do…"
Kill anyone coming between us, whom I love, to torment me, then destroy me forever…she explained…Preferably by dragging my soul down to his depths…
"What about my friend, Buffy?...What about her soul?..." Willow eyed her…
"I'm sure she wants what I want…And is involved as much as she can be… In the end it's my soul, Willow…We are one, if not fully aware of each other's existence…"
"And Angel?...She wouldn't want you to kill him, Cicely…At least not without being absolutely sure…"
"Then perhaps…I won't…" Buffy eyed her… "After all…Why would I want to kill my beloved vampire ex-boyfriend who stumbled into a soul and appears to be at considerable risk of losing it and his hero's status?...Hardly something Buffy Summers would do…Eh, Wil?..."
Willow eyed her…She returning an innocent look…
"I think it's time Buffy returned to the stage…" she said quietly…
***
"Who?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXVIII...
***
En route to Rome…
"Hope I'm up to this..." sigh...
"Andrew, you'll be fine..." pat...
"Dawn..."
"Yep...He'll be fine...Best Watcher ever..." from seat behind them...
"How long before you go on to Milan?..." he called back...
"Two days..." the answer called forward...
"We'll have to do a lot of shopping from the moment we hit the tarmac...If you can keep up with us, Andy, you need have no doubts of your Watcher abilities..."
"Darned tootin'..." Dawn called...
***
London...Conference room in the underground Watcher archives and research facility...
"Will you stop?..." Willow sighed... "You're gonna wear the floor out...It's gonna be fine..."
"Stupid, stupid..." mutter... "How could I be so foolish?...We should go to Rome at once..."
"Mrs. Walthrop..." Roger eyed the pacing Buffy... "This was the plan...And Dawn will only be with them in Rome for two days...Then on to Milan...Where our people...A more than adequate force of Slayers...Will keep a close eye on her..."
"I should have gone with them...Let my counterpart come in later...If something goes wrong..."
"Henri will be in Rome...There'll be plenty of Slayers..." Willow noted...
"And your daughter truly appreciated your letting her do this..." Roger cut in... "I know how hard it is to let her go, Cicely...But she will be alright..."
"I'm worried for Andrew as well...And my duplicate..."
"Both well-trained..." Roger noted confidently...
Perhaps a bit too confidently with regard to Wells...He did not note...
"There's no reason to think anybody's going to target them..." Willow said... "We didn't run into any real trouble in Rome on our trip..."
"This time it may be different...And if Simon knows she's an impersonator..." Buffy sighed...
"That information has been as restricted as possible...." Roger noted...
Wry smile... "Unless of course you suspect I might be Dr. Farris, returned..."
"Not since you and Mr. Giles agreed to allow Willow to scan yourselves for extraordinary aural patterns..." Buffy replied, equally wry smile... "Though to be honest, one can't be sure with Simon...He could be lurking anywhere...In anyone..."
"You're so convinced this one incident in Rome proved his return...?" Roger asked...
"As I told Willow and the rest of you...It makes logical sense...Everyone else from my past is here or has been...Why not Simon?...And it would be like him to move deliberately, merely letting out a warning flare or two to rattle me..."
"Which he seems to be doing well, I agree...." she sighed to Willow's anxious face... "You're right, both of you...I made the decision to go ahead with this scheme...I must live with the consequences..."
"Sarah's a great actress as well as a Slayer..." Willow noted... "The best we could've sent to Rome...She's got Buffy and Cicely down to a T...She'll do fine...And so will Andrew and Dawn..."
"Just so long as we can teleport the instant any trouble shows..." Buffy eyed Willow...
"Blink of an eye, Buf..." nod.... "Well...Once I get the coordinates and power up a bit..." she responded to Buffy's hard stare...
"Have to do, I suppose...And of course there's always dear Angelus...Angel...And his little partners from Hell..." Buffy frowned... "With any luck he ought to make his move fairly soon..."
"I know..." she sighed to Willow's troubled face... "We must allow him some benefit of the doubt until he's fully proven Evil...For my other self's sake...And my friends' if not his own..."
Anyway...She looked at her clenched hands...Unclenching... "We've taken an active step to throw our enemies...Or potential enemies...Off- balance...They'll wonder at my exposing Amelia Dawn to any danger and assume I must be the one in Rome, whatever reports of me in other areas surface...We now have some freedom of action, presuming all goes well in Rome..."
"Andy and co can handle it..." Willow attempted to project confidence...Buffy eyeing her narrowly... "But what do we now while your Slayer clones and cyborgs are scattering round...?"
"Obviously we need information...Particularly on the situation in Los Angeles with your...Our....Friend Angel...If we could make a reconnaissance...."
Buffy paused at the sour stares...
"Buffy..." Willow frowned... "We...Including Giles...Had your promise..."
"I'm not talking about an attack...Just..."
"Mrs. Walthrop, we have just gone to a great deal of effort to establish your new home in Rome..." Roger noted...
"And several other places round the world..." Willow added...
"And we can maintain those false locations...But these 'Partners' will be expecting me to try and reach Angelus...Angel...A quick view of the lay of the land...Perhaps a quick, unexpected meeting with the dear fellow himself...We could be back before any compromising of the false Ms. Summers' would occur..."
"If they're expecting you, they're expecting a sudden drop-in, probably by magics..." "I agree with Miss Rosenberg, it's very likely they'd be prepared for you, Mrs. Walthrop..."
"However..." Roger put up a hand at Buffy's frown... "Another, in depth reconnaissance is not a bad idea...One less threatening than our previous attack...Perhaps a single cyborg in your form...Since a cyborg could be equipped with instant memory wipe to protect our information..."
"I'm perfectly capable..." Buffy began...
Knocking at the conference room door silenced her and brought all three to their feet...
"Mrs. Walthrop?...Dr. Wyndham-Price?...Ms. Rosenberg?...The Chairman needs to see you all at once in his office..." a young female, Observer, Willow noted... With more eager than anxious look...
Probably nothing serious...
***
Chairman Giles' new and permanent office at the underground facility...
Where in addition to Buffy, Willow, and Roger, half-a-dozen other senior members of the Council-normal human, Slayer, and cyborg among them, were now gathered...
"And this one came direct from Angel?..." Willow asked...
"He called my office...Not quite sure how he got this line..." Giles indicated the phone on his desk... "But he does have the resources of Wolfram-Hart at his fingertips..."
"Poor Fred..." Willow shook her head...
"You know her?..." Buffy asked...Willow nodding...
Nice kid...Fine physicist with a fair smattering of occult knowledge...Sounds bad..."
"Very bad if Angel was giving me all the details..." Giles nodded...
"And you told him that we could do nothing...?" Buffy asked...
"While he continued his work with Wolfram-Hart, yes...Although as Ms. Sinclair's report..." he nodded to Ms. Sinclair in her chair to Willow's left... "...indicates...There seems little that could be done...The amount of energy needed to recover and stabilize Dr. Burkle's soul would be enormous...The disruption its employment would cause by the methods we're aware of so devastating..."
"In short, we can do nothing...A pity..." Buffy shook her head... "It would offer a perfect excuse to visit my dear old boyfriend and see exactly what he's up to...As well as his Partners..."
"It could of course be a trap as well...Even if Angel had no knowledge of it..." Giles noted... "The Partners would certainly be pleased to have a chance at capturing you and Willow...Since Angel knows Willow has known Dr. Burkle..."
"Yes...I suppose the best course of action is to await developments, just right now..." Buffy agreed..."The woman, after all, should have been aware of the danger in dealing with the beings employed by this 'Wolfram-Hart'...."
"Winifred's a good person, Buffy..." Willow cut in... "I'm sure whatever Angel decided and why in this Partners' deal, she didn't deserve this..."
"She didn't leave Los Angeles or Angel's employ..." Buffy replied... "I'm sorry if she was a friend but..."
"We don't know what happened to Angel's people...Even if Angel voluntarily cut a deal, Wesley..." Willow eyed Roger who simply stared back... "...And the others might not have agreed to it...They might have been forced to it...Or stayed to try and break the Partners' hold..."
She turned to Giles... "I'd like to review everything he gave you about her condition...Maybe there's something else we could do for her..."
"Yes, I concur..." Buffy nodded... "If we could offer Angel some help in this...For the lady's sake as well as the chance it might offer..." she eyed Willow's curt stare...
"What we have, you are welcome to review...Though Willow, I recommend no direct contact with Angel by you..." Giles, insistent...
"Definitely not..." Buffy agreed... "You are doubtless of great interest to the Partners as Mr. Giles says...A trap for you alone would be no less a danger to us...Though perhaps it's not the best strategy to have Angel convinced we all distrust him...It seems to me the real threat is to Miss Rosenberg here, not to me...If a trap it would involve someone with great occult power or knowledge...And as you all have explained to me, my old self is not exactly blessed with either..."
"You aren't going, Buffy..." Willow said firmly...
"I agree..." Giles, nodding... "We'll consider a cyborg reconnaissance or a human agent, one not bearing any vital information, perhaps, but..."
The phone on his desk beeped...He picked up...
"Yes?...Put it through, Magda...Yes, Reynolds...? I see...Thanks..." he replaced the phone and eyed the group...
"I'm afraid our discussion is academic...The occult energy stream into Dr. Burkle's body terminated twenty minutes ago...Our monitors in LA report that her transformation has been completed...I'm sorry, Willow..."
"Willow..." Buffy took her hand... "I am sorry...If I seemed indifferent..."
"Yeah...?" Willow frowned at her...Giles... "It could've been me...Any time I was playin' round with magics, especially in the old days...She didn't deserve this...We should've tried to help when Angel called..."
"Willow, judging from the reports, it was probably too late when Angel called us..." Giles said quietly... "And we couldn't have been sure so quickly if it were...Or is... A trap..."
"What demon took the girl's body?..." Roger asked...All looking at him as his voice caught a bit... "We should establish that...Quickly..." he went on hastily...Coughing a bit at the end...
"We're trying to get confirmation...Based on what Angel told us...Illyria..."
"Illyria of Vahla ha'nesh...?" Buffy asked...
"You know her?..." Willow asked...
"I fought her high priest in 1874..." Buffy noted... "It wasn't her time to resurrect then but he'd hoped to reconstitute her army and lead it himself... According to Simon and that fellow...What was his name?...Moran?...She was one of the original Immortals, an Old One..."
"Quite so..." Giles nodded... "And potentially a devastating ally for the Partners..."
"If she wishes to be an ally..." Ms. Sinclair noted... "Illyria was famous for her independence from the other Immortals...And defeated, in the end, by their mutual alliance, rather a rare thing..."
"She may have changed her attitude with the defeats of the Immortals over the eons..." Giles pointed out... "We'll have to get as much information on her as we can as quickly as we can..."
"If Angel stops her..." Willow began...Looking at Giles, then over to Buffy... "That might prove something..."
"Possibly..." Buffy nodded... "Or only confirm that there is no honor among..."
"Seems a bit cruel to be calling the young woman evil..." Roger spoke up suddenly... "Her fate being such a dreadful one..." his voice rather angry...
"I meant no disrespect to the dead..." Buffy, apologetic... "If she was an innocent victim..."
Roger rose and left the room...Before Giles, rising from his chair could speak to him...Slamming door...
Buffy staring about room... "I..." she paused... "Honestly, I meant no..."
"It's all right, Buffy..." Giles shook his head... "I believe you read the report from our cyborg reconnaissance..." She stared at him...Hmmn?...
"Wesley liked Fred..." Willow explained to her... "A lot..."
"I'm afraid Dr. Wyndham-Price is rather more concerned about young Wesley's fate than he feels it right to show..." Giles, quietly...
"Of course..." Buffy nodded... "It was thoughtless of me..." she rose... "If you'd excuse me...?"
"Best to let me speak to him, Buffy... Roger is an old, old friend..." Giles suggested... "I'm sure he didn't take your remarks personally..."
"As you think best, Rupert..." Buffy nodded... "Willow?...Truly..."
"I know..." Willow nodded... "Maybe we best leave it to Giles for now..."
"Well...Suppose we adjourn while more data is collected...We'll discuss the situation again tomorrow, same time..." Giles eyed the group... "Should anything new arise, I'll contact you..."
"I'm not to take my training day as English Buffy until Wednesday..." Buffy noted... "If it's all right I'll assist in some of the research on these new developments with Willow till then?..."
"Of course..." Giles nodded... "And don't worry about Roger..."
"I understand his feelings completely...Please tell him I apologize for such thoughtless talk...I of all people ought to be more compassionate in such matters...Willow?..."
"You also gotta work on that accent..." Willow pointed out... "Unless you and Giles decided to go with Cicely here..."
"Nah...We wanna try and be consistently American in all of us if possible..." Buffy gave an arch look... "Better?..."
"Gettin' there..." Willow nodded...
"We should start with the 'Oracle of Nemostheis'...That was the primary source for the Old Ones that Simon made me review before my fight in 1874..." Buffy suggested as the two headed down the corridor from Giles' office...Her flowered hat firmly replanted and pinned...Willow looking back to the watching Giles, shrugging...
Buffy the Research Expert?...Who knew...?
***
He watched them a moment and giving word to Magda to hold all calls went from his office to the newly-established "Office of the Vice- Chairman"...Knocking briefly...
"Roger?..." he knocked on the inner office door after admission by the rather anxious-looking young secretary...A Ms. Rami, a Slayer of considerable secretarial as well as tactical skill...
"Come..." terse reply...
Giles closing the inner door on entry...Eyeing the Vice-Chairman in his chair...
"Roger?...You know I..."
"He loved her, you know..." Roger sighed... "I even imprinted my copy to urge things along during our cyborg recon...Of course I knew he was annoyed that we were isolating him and Angel in this project...I'd hoped, perhaps, if he believed the advice came from me..."
"Roger, I'm sorry...As is Mrs. Walthrop..."
"She'd no way of knowing...." Roger looked steadily at Giles... "And they all volunteered for this, didn't they?...All knew the potential risks of working or pretending to work with the Partners..." He eyed a painting on his new wall...A vision of Revelation, Giles noted, looking after him...The damned and elect being sorted at Judgment....
"But...Did they know the potential risks of working with us?..." a hard stare at Giles...
***
"Who..?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXIX...
***
"You sure about this?..."
"Of course…What, you don't believe I can handle it?..."
"The plan was to keep you out of sight…" Willow avoided a direct answer…They continued on their way, across one of the back fields of Giles' country estate where a large pre-fab building had been set up…
The new if temporary training facility of the Council…
"The plan is to keep Cicely out of sight…And Buffy quite prominent…In various locations…" Buffy noted… "How better to convince our enemies that I've either recovered as Ms. Summers or gone underground, perhaps permanently…And I need to be able to operate in the world…Ergo I need to hone my skills at playing your Buffy as well as rebuild my fighting skills…Which given this puny frame and the lack of training I've had since my re-emergence…"
"…Besides…The other Slayers in my form are taking great risks…I must take my turn at Fortuna's wheel…" she gave Willow a wry look… "Not that Fortuna has been especially favorable to me in the last century…"
"That was pretty what you read the other night…"
"He admired those old medieval poems…William had great belief in Fate… And understood its cruelty all too well…That's why he endured…And is enduring…" Buffy said quietly… "He would have enjoyed that setting by Mr. Orff…"
"He probably did…He was around the whole time, you know…" Willow noted… "And Spike would have liked the idea of Fortuna torturing men endlessly while he watched eternally…"
"'Fate-monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, you are malevolent…' He knew…As I did…What waited to snatch all our happiness from our hands…" Buffy said quietly…
"I won't believe that..." Willow shook her head… "It's not doom from the start, and not forever…And we're not helpless pawns…I refuse to believe it's all for nothing…"
"Nor do I…Nor did he…But Fortuna is a cruel enemy…The cruelest of all… And if I am to beat her one day…If Will and I are to…I must know her to the depths of her soulless heart…And beat her this time, at her own game…"
She eyed Willow with a smile…Involuntarily with one hand fussing at her loose, Buffy-style hair… "And lucky am I to have a friend whose people have done that since the beginning of time…If a bit sad to hear about the fall of the German humanist spirit…I know Will was disturbed by the rise of Prussia but…"
"Nobody's hands are very clean these days…" Willow sighed… "But having seen my darkest side I'm still hopeful…And that goes back to Angel…
Buffy…Cicely…You don't know the man…He's been as great a hero as Buffy in his way…I still don't believe he's turned to Evil…"
"You yourself said he'd become Angelus again before…Multiple times… Couldn't that be the case now?...He was always known for his patience in dealing with victims…"
"Maybe…But this last thing about Winifred isn't Angelus' style…He'd never fret about Darla, let alone a human minion…And we've had reports from all over suggesting he's restraining WH staffers, even making them do some good…"
"In other words, he's allowed himself to believe he can control the dark forces there…To justify his selfish action to protect his son…"
"You were willing to end the world to save Dawn…" Willow noted… "And I doubt Cicely would behave any differently than Buffy did then…"
"Probably…But if you're asking me to show Angel some indulgence I would point out that I've made no move against him, nor as yet allowed the Council to do so…Even though I suspect he has something to do with William's apparent destruction at Sunnydale…And with our inability to locate his soul now…"
"Angel wouldn't keep Spike…William…From you…"
"Some ex-lover he was then…Not even jealous?..." arch look…
"He'd moved on, I think…Though he did love you…Buffy, he intended to use the amulet himself, you know…"
"So we were led to believe…And yet, he hardly pressed for it…And didn't even stay to assist us…"
"You tole him to go…As Buffy, anyway…"
"Lucky for him he was less of a fool for love than William…" Buffy said quietly…Willow shaking her head…. "Willow, I've taken your word for his redeemed nature and haven't harmed him…I won't if he is as you say you hope, merely trying to deceive the Partners or even twist them to the cause of good…But he is a fool if he believes he can use them as his instrument…They will corrupt him…"
"…And I can wait till there's proof of that…Unless we learn he does have Will…" cool smile…Frown at ungloved hands…
"This sun is sure to ruin my hands…I don't care how much of that fancy cream we put on them…"
"If you want to be Buffy here…" Willow noted… "We're pushing it enough with the skirt…" she eyed the long skirt Buffy wore…
"I tried wearing those trousers…They were ridiculously tight…Worse than my old corset trying to move in them…Besides, I feel naked in them…" Sheepish shrug… "Maybe I could set a new fashion for wearing gloves…"
"Ummn…I don't think it's a good idea, Buf…"
"Counselor-General?!..." a call from the building's door as they approached…
"Comin'…" Buffy waved…Quick revert from attempted Califorian… "You have to admit the boots were a good idea for this place…"
"Ok…" Willow nodded…Eyeing the thick muck on her boots…
***
Rome…
Where a rather startled Dawn watched Henri in furious argument with the owner of their apartment building…A rather pyrotechnic display of virtuosity in Italian…
A sheepish Andrew in bathrobe staring at the smoke coming from their apartment, "Buffy" beside him likewise staring…
"They told me at the airport store the adapter would work just fine…" Andrew repeated for the fifth time now, sighing…Fellow tenants standing by their possessions in the street glaring at him…A few muttering fiercely…
"Just so long as we're all ok…" "Buffy" patted his shoulder as several firemen emerged from the building…
"A little less precise…" Andrew hissed… "Buffy" slightly nodding… Right…
Frowning slightly as he went to Dawn…
I know my business, Wells…Dawn says I've got her down perfectly…
Andrew now joining Dawn in watching His Benevolence in a somewhat less benevolent mood, judging by the gesticulation and sharp tone…The building owner for his part apparently not at all overawed by his opponent…Fierce glare now toward Andrew…Fist shaken…
A policeman approached…
"Andy…" Dawn nudged… "I think the police want to talk to you…"
"Mr. Giles is not going to be happy with this…" he sighed…Heading over to the officer who eyed him and his robe carefully…
Henri gave a final fist shake at the owner who turned on heel and stalked off to the group of tenants collected near the fire trucks in the street… He went over to Dawn…
"Pretty bad?..." she asked…
"Not really…And the building's fully insured…Though he's making the usual wild claims…We'll settle for half of what he wants and it's robbery at that…Bastardi!..." he shook a fist at the owner as he passed, heading back into the building…The owner giving him a glare…
"Sorry…" grin to Dawn… "All part of the game…He wouldn't believe he was getting a fair deal…From his pov…Unless I swore at him…It won't be too bad…I'd best help Andrew out there…" he nodded to where Andrew was describing the events of the evening to the officer and two of the firemen who'd now joined them…Several tenants, looking rather furious, now moving in as well…
"Yeah…Thanks…" she nodded as he headed over…The police officer instantly changing tone from stern interrogator to respectful listener as the Immortal joined the group with polite nod…
"Buffy…" she went to her…
"How's it look?..." "Buffy" asked…
"Henri's sorting it out…Good thing we were able to get hold of him…"
"Helps to have His Benevolence as your significant other, eh?..." arch look… "Andy ok?..."
"I think he'll avoid electrical appliances for the next year, but yeah… It really wasn't his fault…I get confused by the plugs here all the time…And the adapter blew out…"
"I hope this isn't going screw your plans for leaving tomorrow…"
"Nah…But we are gonna hafta find you guys a place to sleep for the next few…"
"Henri's offered to put us up at the villa…"
"Whoa…The villa…" Dawn grinned… "Nice…"
"…And can't hurt…" she whispered…
"Yeah…" "Buffy" nodded, looking round… "We'd best see if they'll let us back in…If there's anything left to save…"
"You still going to start tomorrow…?" Dawn asked…
"Far as I know, yeah…Unless Henri wants to put the shoot off…"
"Just don't be too good…" Dawn hissed, grin…
"Just gotta look pretty, smile, and hold the box up…" "Buffy" smiled… "Even I can do that…"
The police official and firemen gave the Immortal polite handshakes… Andrew somewhat reluctant ones…The official turning to speak to the cluster of angry tenants…Henri winked at the downcast Andrew…
"Looks like things are winding down…" Dawn noted…
"Just the usual post-apocalyptic aftermath…" "Buffy grinned…Waving to Henri and Andrew… All set?...She mouthed…Henri nodding…And turning to speak to the group now engaged with the official…Volume of the conversation steadily increasing…Andrew looking sheepishly after Henri…
Now in intense conversation with several tenants at once…
"Andy!..." Dawn waved him over to them… "We better get him away so Henri can handle them…" she noted to "Buffy" who called to Andrew…
"C'mere Andy!..."
He trudged sadly over, robe dragging a bit…
"We'd better get in and see if you have anything to wear left…" "Buffy" noted… "Henri has things in hand…And we should pack up whatever we can to take to his place…"
"Yeah…" he sighed… "Ladies, I'm really…"
"Buffy" waved a hand… "I've trashed a few places in my time…You should've seen my old high school in LA after I got through with it…"
LA…Dawn sighed…
"That's so awful about Angel's friend…Did Giles say if Angel tried to call him again?..."
"Not a word…" "Buffy" shook her head… "I'm surprised he didn't try to reach me here…Try to get me to persuade Giles…"
"Probably thought you were still in England at the Council HQ…"
"Meaning he's not monitoring me very strictly…I'm disappointed…Some ex- boyfriend I got…You'd think with a global organization at his fingertips, completely with spy satellites and agents in every nation he'd be keepin' an eye on me…"
"There's been some evidence of surveillance…" the Watcher in Andrew kicked in… "Our Slayers are sure the building has been watched several nights in a row…"
"Could be almost anyone…Even photographers trying to catch His Benevolence…" "Buffy" noted…
"Speaking of photos…Sorry to screw up just before you go to work…" Andrew, apologetically…
"It'll be fine…Though I am a leetle nervous…Buffy the model's a career I hadn't planned on…"
"Like you said…Just gotta look pretty and hold things up to the camera..." Dawn grinned…
"Not exactly Slaying…But it does beat Doublemeat Palace…" "Buffy" grinned back… "C'mon, Andrew…Lets go see what's still left…"
"Hang on…" Andrew waved an arm…Ummn…Sorry…He hastily folded his robe ack in place with one hand while putting cell phone to his right ear…
Star Trek underwear?...Dawn eyed 'Buffy'...Who gave a mild shrug…
"Yes, Mr. Chairman?..." he said glumly…
"Fast work…Giles does have us well-monitored…" Dawn noted to "Buffy"…
"What?..." Andrew asked the phone…
The girls stared at each other…Uh-oh…
"Yes, Mr. Chairman…" brisk tone… "It'll be an honor, sir…"
"Sounds ok…Don't worry…" "Buffy" hissed…Dawn watching Andrew carefully…
"I'll leave for the airport immediately, sir…"
Dawn looking anxiously…
"It's ok…" he hissed to her… "Not Cicely…"
Phew…
"Download to my computer, sir?...Ummn…" Andrew paused…
"Sir, I beg to report we had a minor problem tonight, sir…"
***
Library at Giles' estate…
"And this 'Dana' is definitely a Slayer…?" Buffy asked…
"There's no doubt…" Giles nodded… "But a severely troubled one…"
"I don't like this idea of sending Andrew…" she frowned… "I should go… It's a perfect chance for me to evaluate the situation in Los Angeles…"
"Buffy…We've agreed that you'd refrain from any attempt to seek out Angel until we know the situation better…This whole strategy was conceived with your input…" Giles sighed… "And we both know this could be a trick to bring you out and into the Partners' clutches…"
"I dunno Giles…" Willow, hesitant… "To let Andy do this on his own?..."
"He'll have a full compliment of Slayers…A dozen of our best…"
"I'm sure Wells can accomplish this one with his support…" Roger spoke up… "The Chairman is right, Cicely…We must know what's going on regards this girl before we risk you…"
"I could disguise myself…Willow?...You could return me to my natural form…You said Angel never met Halfreck…He never met me as Angelus…"
"The Partners would know you, Cicely…" Roger noted… "And even if Willow gave you another form by magics, the glam would stand out like a red flag…"
"If anything goes wrong we could send you in…" Giles suggested… "But it would be foolish to risk you at the outset…If all goes well, Andrew will return with valuable information as to what Angel's doing and if his personality has changed…"
"I think the guys are right, Buffy…" Willow, reluctantly… "They probably would pick up any magics I could use…And even a make-over wouldn't fool Angel…But we oughta monitor Andy 24/7 until this is over… What about this girl, Giles?...You said Wesley called you about her…"
"She's been in a psychiatric hospital for years…Apparently the victim of a maniac who murdered her family and tortured her…But she clearly has acquired Slayer abilities…There's no other way to explain her escape…"
"Yeah…But…" Willow eyed Roger briefly… "If Wes called about her…"
"Bait…" Buffy frowned… "Perhaps you're right, Rupert…"
"It could mean Angel's still with us…" Willow shook her head… "They'd've handed her over to the Partners if he weren't, wouldn't they?..."
"Impossible to say…" Giles said quietly…Roger, impassive look…
"In any case we have to secure the poor girl…She's killed already, she's sure to kill again…" Buffy noted… "All right, lets send Andrew as planned…But Willow's right as well…I want this operation monitored constantly…And I will go in if any problem develops…"
"I still think it's a good sign…" Willow, firmly…
"Perhaps…" Buffy, nodded… "But lets see how things develop…Andrew will be in London by this afternoon, you think?..." she addressed Giles…
"If he makes his flight, yes…There were some problems at his and the girls' place last night…"
"…just a minor fire…" he explained to Willow's and Buffy's worried aces… "Electrical malfunction, apparently…They've moved in with the Immortal temporarily…"
Nice…Willow nodded…
"I want to be there and go over the mission with him as well…" Buffy said, emphatically…
"Me too…" Willow chimed in…
"We'll all go…" Giles agreed… "I've arranged for the other members of the Slayer force to meet us there as well…Beth, Irani, Gong Li, and Saundra will come with us…"
"Fine…" Buffy rose…Pausing by Roger's chair… "Doctor, I hope you know I want to believe it is a good sign about your son…" she said quietly…
"Thank you, Mrs. Walthrop…" he nodded…Looking at the row of books across from where he sat…Giles rising…A brief glance at Roger…
Buffy and Giles went out the door…Willow hanging back by the library table…At which Roger still sat, quietly staring at nothing…
"I believe in Wes…" she said quietly…He looked up at her…Blinking quickly…
"Willow?..." call…
***
"Who?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXX...
***
"O, fellow, come, the song we had last night. Mark it, Cesario, it is old and plain; The spinsters and the knitters in the sun And the free maids that weave their thread with bones Do use to chant it: it is silly sooth, And dallies with the innocence of love, Like the old age."
"Are you ready, sir? "
"Ay, prithee, sing. [Music]
Sings :
"Come away, come away, death,
And in sad cypress let me be laid;
Fly away, fly away breath;
I am slain by a fair cruel maid.
My shroud of white, stuck all with yew,
O, prepare it!
My part of death, no one so true
Did share it.
Not a flower, not a flower sweet
On my black coffin let there be strown;
Not a friend, not a friend greet
My poor corpse, where my bones shall be thrown:
A thousand thousand sighs to save,
Lay me, O, where
Sad true lover never find my grave,
To weep there!"
Willow eyed Olive...Olive, Willow...The ten Slayers sitting with them in a circle about the Slayer Counselor General staring at their leader...
"Always liked 'Twelfth Night'..." Buffy closed the book, which she'd barely glanced at in her quotation... "Of course our guys in America are great too...Mark Twain and all the newer guys...Right, Willow?..."
"Umm, yeah..."
"Well, back to work, girls...Practice your uplift...Especially you, Simone...It might well save your life..."
The ten Slayers nodded in unison and rose, moving off to resume their practice with the practice dummy vamps and demons scattered about the training hall...
"Something wrong?..." Buffy eyed Willow and Olive...
"I know Shakespeare isn't the biggest thing on the television but he is still performed..."
"Yeah..." Willow nodded... "But..."
"'Twelfth Night' was on the BBC last night...I thought the girls would enjoy it...It is a romantic comedy..."
"That song wasn't exactly..." Willow, diplomatically...
"A bit of a downer, Cicely..." Olive went to the heart...
"Buffy, here, Olive..." Buffy noted.... "It's just a song of Feste's..."
"Sorry...Buffy...Perhaps something lighter next time?...Maybe Willow or I could...?"
"If you like...The ladies didn't seem to mind..."
"They're all a long way from home, Buf..." Willow noted... "We might not wanna encourage them feeling..."
"The loss they have endured or must, as Slayers, expect to endure...?" Buffy asked...
"Yeah..."
"I see..." she nodded... "I'll try to find something else next time..."
"You know it well..." Olive said... "You didn't even need the book..."
"I learnt it by heart...One autumn, long ago…" quiet smile... "Well, back to work...Gals!..." she rose, calling to the Slayers... "O…K…Lets try a few practice runs..."
Two of the American Slayers staring at her...Willow rolling eyes...
I should tell her to just stick with the Brit accent...she thought, sighing...
"Her accent's improving, don't you think?..." Olive asked...
Willow glanced at her...
"But she does seem...Is there any word from Mr. Wells?..."
"Not yet...But we don't want to be monitored by Wolfram-Hart, trying to talk to him there...He and his team did get in safely..." Willow...Both women now watching as Buffy began lining her training group up for "practice runs" on a test dummy Willow could swear bore a rather uncanny resemblance to a certain brooding, souled vamp...
"She's no better, Willow...Much as she tries to bear up..." Olive shrugged... "And there's no point hoping time will make her forget..."
"I know..."
"She's drinking more...Especially now that Dawn's away...And in private…She was drunk at dinner the other night, much as she tried to conceal it…"
"I know…She's promised to lay off while she's in training with the girls..."
"The work may help for a time but only finding William alive...If he is alive...In his own unique way...Is going to keep her from going under in the end..."
"I know..." Willow sighed...Watching as Buffy demonstrated a move she'd never seen...
So...That's a Cicely special...Nice...
"Is there any other new information from LA?..."
"Giles says no...But we'll see when Andy gets home...At least he'll be able to tell us what's up with Angel and his guys…"
"Maybe Cicely should go off for a bit...Even leave England for a while...A visit with Dawn?..."
"I think she needs to work, Olive...And it might screw things to have her show in Italy now...Sarah's just getting established..."
"Willow?..." Olive paused...
"If he is dead, we'll do what we can for her..." Willow eyed her... "She believes he's alive...She's sure of it...But the thing is…He hasn't come for her, even tried to get word to her...Buffy at least..."
"...'slain by a fair cruel maid.' Is that what she thinks? That he won't come to her because he hates her now?..."
"I think she's praying he is a prisoner in some Wolfram-Hart containment cell, somewhere... 'Cause if he were free and able to come..."
"But it would be Buffy he's angry at..."
"Not angry..." Willow shook her head... "I was there when Buffy, still Buffy, told us what he said, in Sunnydale... 'No, you don't but thanks...'...Oh, God what a fool I was..." she shook her head... "Why didn't I see what was goin' on?..."
"You didn't know, Willow...She didn't know..."
"Olive, the man won his soul back...And we treated him like..."
"William the Bloody...Which he had been...And might still have been, if he'd been trying something...I'm not saying Rupert's was the right way in dealing with my 'great-uncle' but you can't blame yourself...She can't..."
"No one did a thing for him...We left him alone in a basement for weeks...And if I feel this way, imagine how she must..."
"William would never hate her...Buffy or Cicely..."
"But he might not believe in her...And that's killing her by inches, Olive...After all this, to lose him that way…"
"Then we've got to find him or lay him to rest...Maybe the best thing would be to just go to LA...Let her fight it out with the Partners if need be…"
"She won't go without proof...She's afraid..."
"For Dawn?...Surely not for..."
"She's afraid he might not be there..." Willow sighed... "And I might be right and Angel might be innocent...She wouldn't even have revenge, then...Except on herself…"
"Again!..." Buffy's voice, an exaggerated twang that made Willow wince a bit...
Come on, we don't sound like that...
"Straight through that black heart...!"
"I almost wish..." Olive sighed, watching...
"Maybe if she'd never found Cicely again..." she shrugged...
"In the end, it wouldn't have mattered..." Willow shook her head... "I saw her face those days after he died...It wouldn't have mattered...She loves him in any form...Any century...It wasn't Cicely who drove that bus into a wall…"
"I suppose so..." Olive nodded..."He's a good man, Willow...If he is alive and knew how she's suffering, he'd never leave her like this..."
"I know..."
"If we could get word to him, somehow...Without compromising her or even requiring he let anyone else know of his existence...?" she eyed Willow... "I'm sure he'd come...Or get some word to her..."
"A big banner...'William, call home, your wife and daughter are waiting...'?"
"Something like that...At the very least we'd know...He's either not on Earth or is being held..."
Not bad, Willow reflected...Something proactive, in any case...
"If you miss the heart, aim for the head!..." Buffy called back to her trainees as she walked to where the two stood... "When he moves to protect that pretty face, you'll have him!..."
***
"Secure…" a voice…The Scandinavian counselor who'd opposed Buffy's motion at the formation of the expanded Council, Andrew recognized after a moment…
He blinked as lights went on…A small room…Giles, the Scandinavian, several other counselors, mostly composed of those who'd challenged the Slayer that day, Roger Wyndham-Price, Ms. Sinclair…All seated round the table at which he found himself seated at the head…
"Sorry to have rushed you in like this, Andrew…" Roger leaning over, patted his shoulder… "That was excellent field work…"
"Indeed…" Giles nodded… "But now we have secured the poor girl thanks to Mr. Wells and his team, we must consider the critical matter at hand…"
"Wells, you are aware of the gravity of the situation?..." he eyed the Andrew seated across from him...
"You don't want me to tell her?..." Andrew stared at him...And the others around the table eyeing him…
Sigh…
"Andrew, what do you think Cicely would do if you did?..."
"Book the first flight to LA if she can't force Willow to take her...Yell at me for not bringing him back...Try hard not to kill Dana...Mr. Giles, why shouldn't I tell her?..."
"You said yourself he requested it…" Ms. Sinclair noted…
"Yes…But I'm asking…Mr. Chairman, why don't you want her told William is alive?..."
"I haven't said you shouldn't…" Giles eyed him… "We are here to discuss the consequences of Walthrop's being alive and if you or I do tell her of that fact…"
"If we don't tell her…And she finds out another way…And knows that we knew…" Andrew looked at Giles…
"Precisely our problem…Particularly, if William should manage to get himself destroyed in the interim…I think it's safe to say that Cicely would have no mercy on us…"
"What exactly did Walthrop say to you about her?..." Ms. Sinclair asked…
"Mr. Chairman…I would like to speak to you in private, sir…" Andrew said, ignoring the question…Ms. Sinclair frowning...
"Later, Andrew…For now…"
"Sir…I respectfully decline to continue my report before this group…I think this should either be discussed in private or before the full Council…"
"Mr. Wells…" Giles frowned…Several round the table glaring at Andrew…
"Very well…Please excuse us, I will brief you all later…" he rose…The others seated all rising…But for Roger the group either eyeing Andrew coldly…Or furiously…
The room emptied but for Roger, Giles, Andrew…Roger turning to go, paused…
"Andrew…You have my support…" he said quietly…And left, a quick glance to Giles…
"Well?..." Giles eyed Andrew…
"You tried to block Buffy's motion…" Andrew said quietly… "Those people were speaking against her on your instructions…"
"I won't deny I didn't feel expansion of the Council and the shift in authority to Cicely Walthrop was the best thing at the time…However I obviously left the matter to the counselors to decide as they did…And once it was clear Cicely had won the support of the majority I backed her…"
"Now you want me to lie to her …"
"I've already said that I simply want us to consider what the best course of action is…And if we decide it is best not to inform her of what you've learned, I would only ask you to say nothing at this time… Which you have said was in fact William's request…"
"I think I should tell her…"
"That could be the best thing…But I ask you, Andrew, to consider carefully the consequences…"
"You've nearly got her to trust you…Now you want to keep this from her?..."
"Hardly trust, Andrew…She tolerates us because we're useful to her… Believe me, she does not trust us…"
"With respect, Mr. Chairman…I'd say with reason…"
"Perhaps…But our mission, Wells, is more than seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Walthrop find happiness…"
"You won't get Buffy back by lying to Cicely…"
"I'm well aware of that, Wells…But even Buffy can't be my sole concern here…Now, you say you think it's best to tell her…Give me your reasons…"
"She'd kill us all if I don't…Or maybe herself, if she doesn't learn he's ok…"
"Possibly…But if we are wrong to oppose her, it might be for the best… You see that I am open to all the alternatives…What else…?"
"If she learns the truth and turns on us…The Slayers will back her…Maybe a lot of the Counselors…"
"Again, possible…And again, perhaps for the best…"
"She'd be grateful…And we'd have Spike back, fighting with us…"
"She might…Walthrop would be an asset of course, but he would also be a liability…One more responsibility for Buffy to bear, protecting him… And she would have one more vulnerability, a serious one if her enemies played on her fears for him…"
"Mr. Giles, he's her husband…"
"Mr. Wells, part of being a member of this organization is understanding that sometimes individuals must make sacrifices…I agree that's a cruel way to look at things but we face brutal and utterly unfeeling enemies…Our mission…The Slayers' mission…Is to protect Humanity's continued existence…Humanity, Mr. Wells…Not individual humans…"
"Protect Humanity the same way we did in 1880?..."
"I hope not, Mr. Wells…" impassively… "But have you anything else?..."
"Not telling her is what Simon Farris would have done…" Andrew said, quietly…
"For his own reasons…But I don't deny the Council's viewpoint at times matched his…I am not Farris reborn, Mr. Wells…Cicely seems confident of that and I assure you she is right…"
"No, but you're the same guys who agreed to murder her in 1880…"
"And perhaps, at the time…For the sake of Humanity…That was the right decision…" Giles said, coolly…
"And if I go ahead and tell her…?"
"Andrew…What exactly did William say as to his reasons for not coming back with you?..."
"He just asked me not to say anything…Leave things to him…"
"And you don't think you ought to respect his wishes…"
"Sir, he has no idea what's happened to Buffy…That his wife has returned…And his daughter been found…"
Giles sighed, leaning back…
"All right…Wells, lets be frank with each other…I could threaten you but as I've said, truly…There's no way to be certain what the correct course of action is here…Given William's own request, can you do this much?…Wait for the moment and give him a chance to make his own decision…And for us to review our options…"
"I won't lie to her…" Andrew hesitated…
"But since he did ask me to keep quiet…For now, I won't tell her...But… I want to tell Dawn…She deserves to know and I want someone else besides me to know…"
Hard stare…Giles nodding…Faint smile…
"You have matured, Mr. Wells…"
***
Meeting of the full Royal Council of Antiquarians and Library Scientists...At the temporary facility in London...
"And what about Angel?..." Willow, standing, addressed Andrew as he stood somewhat awkwardly at podium, four of the Slayers who'd accompanied him to LA standing by him...
In rather surprisingly intense support...Willow had earlier noted to Buffy, seated by her in the front row...
Our Andrew has won some hearts, me thinks...
Or at least a bevy of maternal types...
"He didn't try to stop us..." Andrew looked at her... "He and his people had taken good care of her, as best they could..."
"Did he ask about Buffy?..."
"Yeah...Yes...I told him she was in Rome..."
"Did he?..." Willow paused... "Had he heard about Cicely?..."
"Not that I could tell..." Andrew shook his head... "He didn't say anything to suggest he did..."
"He didn't wish to call me?...Find out how I am?..." Buffy stood suddenly...
"He asked if you were ok...I said yeah...I got the feeling..." Andrew paused...
"I think some of them had hard feelings over Dr. Burkle..." he explained...
"And when you told him we didn't trust him?..." Buffy asked... "That none of us trusted him so long as he stays with Wolfram-Hart?..."
"He said he understood...We had to do what we had to do; he had to do what he had to do...What was best for his people..."
"What about the physical layout?..." Buffy asked... "Was the building heavily defended?..."
"I got in without too much trouble once I told them who I was...They did have a lot of demons and guards..."
"Magics?...Barriers, that sort of thing?..."
"Nothing that I ran into..."
Willow looked up from her seat at Buffy's intent face...
"And there's nothing else...?" Buffy asked...Calmly...
"It didn't seem like they were up to anything big...Though it's a busy place..."
"I see..." Buffy nodded... "Well...Well done, Andrew...I understand the Slayer is safely moved to a secure institution...?"
"One controlled by us..." Giles cut in from his seat behind Andrew and the four Slayers..
"I'd like to speak with her..." Buffy said...
"If her doctors allow it, certainly...Right now she's catatonic..." Giles replied...
"I know the feeling..." Buffy, wan smile... "Andrew, was there any word on our surviving cyborg team members...Did Angelus...Angel...Mention them...?"
"He didn't...I didn't think it was a good idea to bring them up..."
"Probably right..." Buffy nodded... "But I think we should consider an operation to retrieve them if possible..."
"That would require careful planning..." Giles spoke up again... "We couldn't risk using Slayers..."
"No, certainly..." Buffy nodded... "But we should not abandon them...If any remain alive...There's been enough of that..." she noted... "Thank you, Andrew..." She sat...
Faint clapping from where the cyborg members sat...A few Counselors and Slayers joining in...
Willow patted Buffy's hand...Gasping a bit as Buffy grabbed it suddenly, crushing a bit...
"Sorry..." she whispered, releasing...Continuing to look calmly toward Andrew...
"We will consider all options as to retrieval of our other personnel..." Giles rose... "Any other questions for Mr. Wells?..." He looked round...
"In that case, I thank him for his excellent work and declare this meeting closed...Thank you all..."
***
"They got him out of the room rather quickly..." Buffy said quietly as she stood with Willow in the hallway outside the meeting room...
"If he knew anything..." Willow began...
"There's something..." Buffy pursed her lips... "I need to speak with him...He wouldn't look straight at me..."
"Andrew never can look straight at anyone..." Willow noted...
"True enough...But...I think I should speak to him in private..."
"At least Angel seems to think you're in Rome...That part is working..." Willow tried to shift gears...
"Yes...But why not call me there?...Especially after Andrew's little pronouncement?...If he 'loved' me so much, why wouldn't he try to explain himself to me?...Don't you find that strange, Willow?..."
"Maybe he's ashamed...Embarrassed..."
"I thought he'd insisted he had nothing to apologize for...That he'd made the best decision he could for himself and company...Why no angry call insisting on his innocence?..."
"I don't know, Buf..."
"Ms. Summers?..." hesitant voice...
"Hey, Gretchen..." Willow smiled at the somewhat blank face before...Humanized a hair by the brunette wig and a touch of make-up...Two other cyborg members, likewise attempting a bit more natural appearance by her side...
"Ve wanted to say how much..." Gretchen blinked... "Ve app..." She paused...A tear running...
"We won't leave them there..." Buffy eyed her... "I won't let them be abandoned, if I have to go it and get them myself..." She put an arm round the cyborg...Hugging her...
"You mustn't risk it, Ms. Summers..." the male of the three insisted... "We're ready to go if Mr. Giles will allow us, but he's right...The Partners mustn't learn our team was sent by the Council..."
"The Council always has handy excuses for leaving its warriors to their fates..." Buffy, bitterly... "But we'll see what is to be done..." she hugged Gretchen again... "I could always pretend to be one of you, you know...Right, Willow?..." she grinned at Willow...
"Turnabout, fair play...?" She released Gretchen gently...
"Danke...Thank you..." Gretchen nodded...Paused... "If we go...Ve von't leave unless we know...For certain..."
"God bless you..." Buffy said, suddenly...Tears flowing to Willow's shock...
"Fortuna can be beaten, dearest girl..." Gretchen smiled, hugging her... "Ve are the living...More or less...Proof..." She released her...
"Security protocols..." Willow hissed...
"Sorry..." Gretchen, rueful look... "Ms. Summers, again...Thank you..."
The three cyborgs headed off...
"She understands..." Buffy nodded... "I forget sometimes, our story's not the only one of suffering and doomed Fate..."
"I guess so..." Willow nodded... "But they were grateful you remembered the others..."
"I'm sorry, Willow..." Buffy eyed her... "I guess I forget sometimes you've had your own brush with Fate and loss...I suppose everyone must meet the enemy, in their own way..."
"Fortuna and Time, huh?..."
"No, not Time..." Buffy smiled vaguely... "Time's a friend...It took us a while, but we became friends, Time and I...Time's what gave me this chance...Let Will save himself...Brought my daughter back to me...No, Wil...Time's no enemy...But Fortuna...That bitch with the roulette wheel, who loves bringing you right back down...And back again...Time at least plays fair and gives you a chance of changing things..."
"The undiscovered country is the future..." Willow smiled...
"That's exactly what I mean..." Buffy eyed her...
"The wisdom of 'Star Trek'..." Willow mock bowed...
"TV show and movies about..." she began to explain...
"Yes, I saw it with Dawn a few times...Interesting, though I'd thought all they did was lightly banter, fire whatever phasers are, and bed young women from other worlds..."
"A little profundity slips in every now and then..."
"Sounds like what William used to say about Gilbert and Sullivan..." smile...Followed by hard stare...
"I need to speak to Andrew..."
***
"Who?"
Disclaimer: Not mine but thine...O, Joss!
Archived at the Cicelyverse page of the Buffy Rebecca verse, http://www.geocities.com/buffyrebecca/Cicelypg.html or direct to story at https://www.angelfire.com/zine2/buffyrebecca/who.html...
General audience level...
Summary: Events after the great Sunnydale battle have left Buffy seeking her past and present...With help from an Immortal source.
Part XXXI...
***
Whoa!...Andrew gasped as the light just clicked on in his room at the Watchers' underground facility revealed two figures standing quietly against his wall...
"Buffy?..." he stared as Buffy eyed him coldly... "Willow?..." he looked at Willow's sheepish face...
"Hey...Andrew, sorry....Buffy just wanted..."
"Goddamn you!!..." Buffy shrieked, lunging...A stunned Willow staring a moment as the Slayer lifted Andrew off the floor with one hand around his throat... "You tell me!!!...Is he dead?!!...Do they have him?!!...Damn you, you little fool, tell me!!!..." shaking him like a rag doll...
"Buffy!!..." Willow grabbed at her...And found herself shoved away as Andrew gurgled in her vise grip...Feet dangling...
"You treacherous little...." Buffy, grim, raging stare... "You tell me, now!..." fierce whisper...
"Let him go, Cicely!!..Or so help me!...." Willow stood up, arms raised...Buffy eyeing her...Icy look...
"Now, Cicely!..." Willow said, firmly... "Don't make me show you what I can do..."
Buffy looked at the feebly struggling Andrew in her grip...Lowering him to the ground...
"Andy, are you ok?..." Willow, anxiously...He nodded slightly, still held firmly...
"Enough...Tell me right now..." Buffy said...
"Don't, Andy!...If you know anything..." Willow cried...
Buffy whirled on her, raging face...Andrew still in her grip, though held now with a surprisingly light touch...
"I knew you were all in cahoots...Betraying me..." she hissed bitterly... "You're liars, all of you...You knew he was in Los Angeles, alive..."
"We did not know...At least I didn't...And what about the way you've lied to us?...To me?..." Willow replied... "Making us believe you trusted us..."
"Why should I trust you?...Any of you?..." Buffy glared at her... "Your Mr. Giles tried to kill my husband...None of you ever tried to help him...And now, you're keeping him from me..."
"Only from your Mr. Farris, Cicely..." Willow said, quietly...Buffy staring at her...
"I don't know what Andy knows..." she paused... " But if you go rampaging off to LA, he'll know where William is, if he doesn't already...We both know that..."
"He could be..." Buffy regarded Andrew... "I knew Simon would never be so obvious as to take Rupert Giles but he could be..."
"He'd let you know where William was...Help you get there...He'd want you to be there...To suffer..." Willow, insistent... "Whether you trust us or no, you know that's true...This isn't Farris..."
"He knows..." Buffy shook her head... "He learned the truth in Los Angeles, I know it..."
"Then lets ask him..." Willow said, quietly... "And why he wouldn't tell you straight out..."
"I know why..." Buffy said, teeth clenched... "Mr. Giles and his Counselors told him not to...True?..." she addressed Andrew...Who cast a desperate glance to Willow...
"True?..." Buffy repeated...Coldly calm...
"I can't...' Andrew gasped as the vise tightened again a degree...
"Andy?...If you know anything..." Willow said, gently... "Stop, Cicely...He can't speak..."
Buffy loosened grip...
"Well?..."
"I can't..." he repeated...Somewhat shaken but firmly now...
"I'm sorry..."
He looked over to Willow...Who gave a reassuring but guarded look...Mingled with a bit of admiration...
Never thought Andrew Wells...
"I would if I could...But..."
"Mr. Giles?..." Buffy eyed him... "I can protect you, Andrew..."
"You could be Farris..." Andrew replied...She staring at him...
"He could be here, in you..." he explained...
She looked at Willow...Who looked at Andrew...Andy?...
"He was studying in reincarnation and possession when Henry Foxcroft killed him, Cicely..." Andrew caught his breath as Buffy continued to stare... "Henry left a report with the Council...Farris knew you'd be returning for William...He hoped to block you any way he could, even researched taking your new body...His spell notes were clear about that..."
Willow blinked...
"No...You're lying..." Buffy shook her head... "I know Simon, I'd know his presence in me..."
"Maybe...But do you wanna take the chance?...If he is in you, he already knows too much..."
"Nonsense..." Uncertainly...
"Maybe..." Andrew stared back at her... "Can you take that chance?..."
"You were going to keep the truth from me...You or Willow could be him..."
"We've been checked...Your reincarnation aura could mask him...Ask Willow..."
"Willow?..." she glanced over to where Willow was staring at Andrew...
Andrew Wells, you little poker-faced...Vague smile of admiration...
Mingled with a degree of annoyed frustration...You and Giles kept me out of all this?...
"It could be, Buffy..." she nodded, considering... "Let me..."
"Giles gave you this information?..." Buffy asked Andrew...He nodding...
"And suspects...Me?..."
"You're not the only one with suspicions, Cicely..." he replied... "But I think you'd've killed me or tried to by now if he were in you...But it's best, don't you think?...To keep anything I know or don't know a secret?..."
"He is in Los Angeles, isn't he?..." she eyed him...
"Don't make me say anything more about it...For his and your sake..."
"And what?...Wait for Farris, Angelus, the Partners, or Giles to kill him?..." she shook her head...
"I can tell you..." Andrew began... "That something big is going on in LA...But it's too early to go in now and disrupt that..."
"He's in danger then...Thank you, Mr. Wells, I'll be leaving now..." But she eyed him, hesitant...
"Andrew, I can't sit here any longer, unable to do anything..." she said, suddenly... "Please..."
"If you go to LA there's a good chance you might do more harm than good...And wherever William is, if he is on Earth, whether or not Farris is involved, if you threaten the Partners or they think you are threatening them, he could suffer..." Andrew insisted...
"I don't care about your operation...Whatever Mr. Giles and Angelus are up to..." Buffy frowned... "I want my husband back safe now...Either get me to him or him to me or so help me...I'll expose Angelus to the Partners in exchange for him..."
Andrew eyed Willow...Buffy sighed...
"I'm not a fool, Andrew...I could see Mr. Giles had a better reason for not allowing us to contact Angelus, for refusing to listen to any pleas that he might be reasoned with, than simple revenge...That abortive mission by the cyborgs didn't deceive me for a moment..."
What?...Willow blinked...
"It made perfect sense that the Council was cooperating with Angelus to destroy the Partners...I did believe you as to his souled nature, you see...Hell, I've seen souled vampires before now, God knows...And it was easy to guess the Council's intentions...The new Slayers mean the likely end of the line when the last one dies...They have only a few dozen years at best now to eliminate the remaining demonic threats to Earth and Humanity...Right, then...Willow, you'll scan me for any trace of Simon, then teleport me to Los Angeles...Willow?..."
"Angel's...?"
"Yes, true blue, or whatever you people say nowadays...Hardly surprising he'd be so willing to take on the Partners, given his famous ego...The motivations may have changed to the good but it's still the same Angelus...Eh, Mr. Wells?...It was all a lie, wasn't it?..."
"Cicely, please..." Andrew begged... "I can't talk about this...Except to say that if you go and they catch you...Or even just detect your presence..."
"Willow will keep me hidden..."
"Wait a mo, Cicely..." Willow frowned... "First of all, I'm not your magical genie...Second, thanks for the confidence but I don't know if I could handle the Partners' magics...Third..." she raised a hand...
"I've magics protection, Willow..." Buffy smiled thinly... "If you were thinking along those lines...Henri's bag contained a few things I didn't mention in Rome..." she gave an arch look...
"Ok..." Willow put her hand down... "I was only going to calm you down a little...So we could figure things out..."
"No need...I am quite calm, now...I know Will is alive and in Los Angeles...I know I was right about the Council and Angelus' plan..."
Buffy grinned a bit wanly... "Sorry, Andrew...I had to know...I won't press you for more right now...And you didn't actually tell me anything I didn't already know...Just confirmed it..."
Andrew sighed...Glance to Willow who gave a sympathetic look...
"And your information about Simon's activities is useful...Not to mention your warning...All right...Guys...You both feel I should wait...I know I can't...What shall we do then, eh?..."
"Cicely..." Willow said quietly... "You told me before you'd waited over a hundred years and you could wait longer...To be sure all was right this time..."
"I have...I am..." Buffy nodded... "But I believe he'll be safer with me, in my care...And...God, Willow..." voice so firm a moment before, cracking now... "I haven't held him in my arms since that night...I have to have him with me again...Wipe the memory..." she paused...
"Of Buffy away?..." Willow eyed her...
"I've never said I wasn't a jealous wife and lover..." Buffy, cool stare, bitter... "Dawn is quite aware how much...Yes, I want to purge her face, her touch, everything about Buffy Summers from his mind...He's my husband...My only lover...That empty-headed Yank girl with her brace of lovers living and dead..." she looked at her hands... "And every day, I'm reminded when I look in the mirror..." tears beginning to run, fists clenching... "I won't let it end like this...She can't have my husband...I will not give him up to her..."
"Buffy is my friend...She's not 'empty-headed' or some kind of husband- stealing bimbo...William chased her, not vice-versa..." Willow replied... "And she gave him what he needed to free himself...While you were off, wherever...Afraid to face him...Even now, for all your talk, you've taken your own sweet time about going after him...You're afraid it'll be Buffy he sees when he sees you...Not Cicely, the woman who..."
Buffy tensed as if for a charge...Red-faced with rage...
"No..." Andrew stepped forward... "Don't do this...Buffy, you are Buffy Summers and Cicely Walthrop...There's no breakpoint even if you don't remember Buffy's time...William loves you, not one of you..."
"Did he say so?..." Buffy said, quickly...Rage fading as fast as it had come into her face...
He frowned...
"As you people say, can't blame a girl for trying..." she smiled, ruefully... "Come then...Willow, I'm sorry..." she offered a hand...
"You've been through what I've been through...You know what it can do...I am only human, Miss Rosenberg..."
"Ok..." Willow nodded...Shaking hand a bit stiffly... "So what now?...You want me to scan you?..."
"After we see Rupert..." Buffy shook her head...
"Mr. Giles?..." Andrew, a hair anxious... "You aren't going to tell him..."
"Andrew...My lamb..." Buffy smiled at him... "You have been duped..."
He stared...
"Giles wanted you to...?" Willow blinked...
"I'll make it clear you did a remarkable job, Andrew...I'm sure he expected you to crack immediately...But you never gave a word..."
Buffy beamed...Smile to Willow... "Of course he did, Willow...He just didn't dare let it come out in Council or his office...Either the Partners or Simon could be lurking..."
"Mr. Giles expected me to..." Andrew stared...
"Now, Andrew, I would've been talking in five minutes under the circumstances...You did your duty ably..." Buffy patted him... "Now, we need to get Rupert here, I think...See what his plan for getting me to Los Angeles is...I imagine he wants me to go in incognito...Willow, lets do the scan as soon as Andrew brings him...You may need his help in driving Simon out of me if it's by the remostest chance so..."
"Willow?..."
Willow blinked...A little too much all at once...
"Can we move a bit, people?..." Buffy frowned... "We've a lot to do..."
***
Conference room C, the underground facility of the Council of Watchers...
"Mr. Giles..." Andrew, sheepishly...
"Young Wells performed admirably, Rupert..." Buffy smiled... "As Willow can testify, he didn't say a word under rather extreme duress...And yet..." she stared at Giles...
"...And yet..." Giles nodded...Roger Wyndham-Price in chair beside him... "You now know..."
"As you wanted me to..." Buffy nodded in turn...
Willow involuntarily sighing...Geesh...
Somebody might've told me...
"Very well..." Giles nodded... "Your husband is alive and for the moment, as far as we know, well..."
Buffy trembled... "Oh, God..." Hands to face... Tears suddenly welling...
"Sir..." Andrew, hesistantly...
Perhaps a faint degree of understandable exasperation giving his near- throttling...
"I'm sure it's all right, Wells..." Giles shook his head... "Buffy, I can only assure you we didn't know for certain until Andrew went to LA...Our contact with Angel had to be extremely limited..."
"I see..." she pulled hands away from her face, reddened a bit... "So you were willing to risk him...Again..."
"I've said we didn't know...And Angel didn't know of you....But frankly, even if we had..."
"Get him out...Or me there...Now..." Buffy said quietly... "I've spared your lives, waiting to hear this...But if anything happens to him now..."
"The Partners are aware of him, Cicely...He's been a pawn in their game...Not at our intent..." Giles eyed her... "I can't say yet exactly what they've been up to but he may well be their bait for you...In any case if you run there now..."
"I've no intention of charging in like a fool, Rupert..." Buffy glared... "I want Willow to bring him out or me to him...If it's me to Los Angeles, I'll do the rest..."
"The operation against the Partners..." Giles began...
"Doesn't mean a rat's arse to me..." Buffy replied... "You and Angelus want to play with your lives and those of your Slayers and comrades, fine...Not with my husband's..."
"The Partners could destroy him long before you'd reach him...Or, if Willow could get you in, trap all of you there..."
"I've bested worse..." she said, disdainfully...
"You'd have one eye on William all the time...They'd exploit that..." Giles noted quietly... "They are probably exploiting it now...And then there is your own nemesis, Dr. Farris..."
"Andrew's told me of your concerns..." she shrugged... "It's not impossible, I agree...Willow will scan me...And all of you again...And I'll be on guard for him in America..."
"If you disrupt this operation, assuming I take it for granted we can't stop you, Cicely..." Giles paused... "The Partners will destroy Angelus and move against us and the Slayer Corps...Even if you rescue William, you and he will also be targets..."
"Surely 10000 Slayers in arms plus your cyborgs..."
"Not enough if the Partners attack with all their force before we're ready...Granted, even then, we might hold them, we might prevent them from corrupting too many of our Slayers and keep them pinned down in stalemate until we lose our ladies to old age and illness ...But is that the kind of world you and William have endured so much for?...Is it what you want to bequeath to your daughter?..."
"My daughter wants her father..."
"Cicely, if we win this last great battle, Demonity is defeated...The Hellmouths will be closed for good... We won't need Slayers, in force or singlely...And you and William will be free..."
She eyed him...Bitter chuckle... "No, there'll always be a need for a killing machine like a Slayer...You'll simply set us on humans..."
"I won't..." Giles said simply... "And whether you believe me or not, without a demonic threat, you and William will be free to live your lives in peace...No one will be able to threaten you..."
"If he survives..." Buffy, calmly...
"It seems right now he's useful to them..." Giles noted... "A counterweight to Angel in some way, we think...Perhaps a test to see if Angel can bear competition..."
"I can't..." Buffy shook her head... "I've told them..." she nodded to Willow and Andrew... "And I'm telling you, Rupert...I can't sit here and hope he endures this as well..."
"Yes..." he nodded... "I know...So, you'll have to see him, won't you?..."
She stared at his smile...
***
