 |
|
21st Century: London
“Are you ready?” Buffy called out as she stood outside the door. ”Cam?”
The door opened and Buffy hid a grin at the disgruntled look on her baby brother’s face. He glared at her. ”Don’t even start with me, Buff. I still don’t see why I should even be in this monkey suit that Wes lent me.”
“Because your last suit is filled with ratty holes and you’re trying to blend in and not stick out, Cammie-sweet,” Buffy said, smiling as she used the nickname she called him since he was a baby. ”And in that time, teachers or straight ass Watchers dressed up in suits.”
“Sounds like it was the golden era for the Travers Brat Brigade,” Cameron snorted as he looked at himself in the mirror. ”And don’t start that ‘Cammie-sweet’ stuff unless you want me to call you ‘Fee’ again.”
Cameron straightened his lapels, making sure that his pistol and stakes were well hidden. His eyes narrowed. ”Can you see my ankle knife and the other pistol?”
Buffy looked down at his feet. ”Nope. But you’re wearing sneakers.”
Cameron glared at her. ”I am not taking off the sneakers. I might have to go some heavy duty running and slaying.”
“Fine then, let’s get you and Minnie out of here, and get this timeline where it’s supposed to be,” Buffy said as she lead the way towards the mirror. As they walked into the room where the Looking Glass was housed, Minnie looked up and grinned at her Watcher while Wesley barely contained a smug look on his face. Cameron glared at the two, daring them to say a word. Buffy walked over towards the long table and sat on the armrest of the chair Wesley was sitting.
Minnie tread on territory where angels fears to go. ”Hey, Cam! Looks like Hell did freeze over! You’re in a suit! Can’t remember last time you were in one!”
Cameron glared at her and was about to snarl when Wesley added his two-pence worth. “Indeed it did. You clean up quite nicely, Cameron. But the sneakers-”
“Leave the sneakers alone,” Cameron said stubbornly as he folded his arms. ”I’ll do anything for Mum and Dad, but I draw the line at wearing formal shoes.”
“That’s my Cammie,” Buffy murmured.
Cameron turned to glare at his older sister.
Unfazed, she grinned at him. In an attempt to intimidate her, he stood to his full six foot six height and glared down at her. Buffy merely fixed his tie and affectionately cuffed him on the head. As he made a production of rubbing his ear, Buffy grew serious as she looked at him, then at Minnie. ”Now, Cameron, you know that I don’t like this plan. And I really don’t think that it’s going to work.”
Cameron nodded as Buffy continued ruthlessly. ”But like you said earlier, we don’t have a choice on what to do. I want both of you to be careful. At that time, the mayor was watching every move we made because of what Faith told him about us. He didn’t attack us, but with the changes going on in the timeline-”
“We won’t know what to expect at that time,” Minnie concluded in disgust. ”Just wonderful. A renegade Slayer on the loose. And a mirror that changes time. So what was the Hellmouth before it closed?”
Lost in memory, Buffy grinned. ”Think of it as a combination of Monster Island and the Brady Bunch. Have you two got everything?”
“Yep. I got me stakes, dagger, holy garlic bombs,” Minnie grinned as she ticked off her arsenal. ”AND Mr.Pointy.”
Wesley handed Cameron a small case, his face grave. ”Here’s your medical and spell casting kit, Cam. Do be careful the both of you. The glass will not allow Buffy or I to pass and we cannot risk sending the others after you.”
“Like I’d want you to send someone after us, especially after that last damn battle,” Cameron snorted harshly as his fists clenched and his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. ”Mum and Dad dead. Oz is still under the knife, Willow is grieving for Xander while worrying about her husband, Cordelia’s in intensive care with Riley waiting for her to wake up and Angel’s guarding the children with Amy, Anya and Tally.”
Buffy touched Cameron gently, and he grabbed her, holding on to her fiercely. Wesley and Minnie moved away to give brother and sister privacy. He held her, and the years between them passed. He was a little boy looking for protection from the monsters in his big sister’s arms. ”Never has so much been riding on me, Fee. I’m scared, this scares me more than when Minnie was called in Siberia.”
“It’ll be all right, Cammie-sweet,” Buffy whispered as she hugged him, then pulled away. She smiled as stroked his face. ”Out of all of you, you’re like your dad the most. You won’t fail, not when the chips are down.”
“But if we do? What then? The end of the world as we know it,” Cameron asked, doubts still racking him.
“You won’t,” Buffy said firmly. Then she smiled impishly. ”If you fail, well, then we’re just going to have to send either Stu or Eddy after you. And you know that they’d just love to save your ass again.”
“Then I’d definitely better not fail,”Cameron shuddered. He looked at Minnie and held out his hand. She grabbed it tightly. Silently they walked towards the mirror, then he turned, looked at Buffy and glared. ”Don’t you dare send Stu or Eddy after me. We’ll fix this mess.”
When they disappeared into the mirror and it became silent again, Buffy looked at Wesley. ”Now we go back to waiting.”
Wesley pulled her into his arms and held her tightly as she softly started to cry.
*~*~*~*~* 20th Century Sunnydale High School
-Bathroom-
Willow gave herself a pep talk as she dried the last cup and placed it on the tray. ”It’ll be over soon. I know it will. We’ll all get Giles and Mrs. Summers back safe and sound, and Buffy’ll be happy again. And I’ll be happy ‘cause Buffy’ll be happy. And Oz’ll be happy ‘cause I’m happy. And Xander’ll be happy ‘cause he won’t have to put away the library books anymore. And-“
“Will? You know that you’re talking to yourself,” Oz said with a slight smile as he came up from behind her. He took the tray from her as they started heading back to the library. ”Not really a good sign, especially on the Hellmouth.”
Smiling, Willow leaned over to kiss him on the nose. ”It’s a really good sign. ‘Cause it’ll be all over soon.”
“You got that right, girl,” snarled a voice from behind her. Willow screamed as Oz was flung away from her and her hair was yanked back. With wide eyes, Willow saw the snarling face of Wolf Fergusson. ”It’ll be all over soon.”
Willow screamed again as she saw his fangs descend to her neck.
-Library-
“Geez, what’s wrong now?” Buffy muttered as she raced out the library doors, with Wesley, Cordelia, Angel and Guin right behind her. As the library doors swung shut, the mirror started to swirl and glow.
Suddenly, a figure was shot out with a bolt of white light from the mirror. With agile reflexes, the figure did a neat tuck and roll. When she landed on her feet, she looked around at the empty place. It was filled with books. ”Okay, I guess I’m in the library. But where’s everybody?”
As soon as she asked that question, Minnie heard a loud scream coming from the hallway. As she raced out the doors, she muttered, ”Now what?”
*~*~*~*~* 19th Century- Mort Grange
-The Parlor-
Morag sat at her desk, her diary opened in front of her. As she gazed at the mirror, she started to write. ‘It has been a most eventful time for us all. Everything has been in an uproar. In the past three days so much has happened that I don’t know where to start. Meg was taken from us by Deborah, but then was returned by an older Mr. Giles and Deborah. It seems that Joyce was nearly killed by Philan, but somehow the blue crystal saved her with both Mr.Giles’s help.
But now, Joyce’s Mr. Giles is in bed, recovering from the wound he received from Philan as he saved Joyce. As Joyce nurses her Sassenach with the help of Malcolm, her charge, Amanda is now in the kitchen with cook. I do not know how this child came to be in the company of Joyce, and I am unsure if I wish to know. Though the child is of the lower orders, there is something about her. I look at her and see a girl of Deborah’s age but, her eyes are old. She carries herself like an old Highland warrior that has seen many battles, and she has the air of despair about her. This child has known death recently, yet she buries it within. Yet I digress.
The mirror was nearly stolen by Wolf who failed while Father Ramsay succeeded in the task. Then the older Mr. Giles returned with the mirror with the help of a young half-Sassenach that claims to be a descendant of mine. I cannot help but wonder where I have seen him before.’
Morag paused in her writing when the mirror started to glow. She stared at the mirror, then screamed when a man shot out of it, and was thrown hard against the settee. The man rose as he rubbed his head, “Bloody hell that hurts.”
-Kitchen of Mort Grange-
Amanda slowly munched on the bread that the cook gave her while she stoked up the fire to heat some food. While the house was far grander than the home she and her Watcher dwelled in, she could not help but feel cold here. There was an air of magic in the house, and she was not comfortable with it. In fact, she was not comfortable at all. So much has happened so far. The most important being, her Watcher was dead. How was she supposed to fight the evil around her without him?
“Now, child, I have no idea what ails ye, but it can’t be as bad as all that,” said the cook as she stroked the girl’s head. When Amanda looked at the woman with tears in her eyes, she clucked like a mother hen. ”Now that Wolf Ferguson has been caught and trussed up like a Christmas goose, nothing bad shall happen. Ye listen ta me, it’ll be right as rain. If it’s not, then my name isna Kate MacConnell. ”
Amanda smiled before her eyes slid to look at the man that started all the trouble. Wolf Ferguson. Though he was tied up and not awake, he still looked menacing. It would have been better if the man were dead before this all started.
“What are ye talking about now, Cook? More nonsense? I’ll be needing more clean rags and hot water for the Mrs. Summer and her Sassenach. And we have two more guests, so I’ll be needing more hot water and some food for them,” ordered Malcolm as he entered the kitchen. He stopped and looked at Amanda intensely as the cook went off to do as she was bid. He tentatively reached to touch the child’s hair, his voice gentle. ”And how are ye, Slayer?”
Amanda shrugged as she gave him a brave smile. ”As well as I can be, sir. I’m not sure of what will happen ta me now that-that”
“Hush, child,” Malcolm said as he brought the distraught girl into his arms and hugged her tightly. ”It’ll be all right, child. Don’t ye fret.”
Then they heard a scream. Startled, they looked at each other, then they raced out of the kitchen. Not noticing that Wolf’s eyes shot open when they raced out the door.
-The Older Giles’s Bedroom-
Sitting on his bed, Giles sighed as he dried his face with the small towel. Slowly, he laid back on the soft bed. It had been a long time since he stayed at Mort Grange. His room was colored in deep greens and amber. Vastly different from the room he was given when his Joyce was alive. Thinking about it, he was vastly thankful that his younger self and Joyce were given the same connected rooms he and his Joyce were given twenty years ago. He didn’t think that he could stand being in those rooms again, knowing that the last time he was in those rooms, his Joyce was alive.
It was getting harder and harder to look at her. Seeing her alive, and looking at his younger self with love. Then, to see Robert McAllister Giles. The son that should have been his. Robert was something he had never imagined, not even when Joyce was alive. Having a baby was only a concern when they laid in her bed, basking in each other’s warmth. Or was he a fact on that last night? A harsh pain went through him. No, he won’t think that. He can’t think that Joyce died with his baby in her.
Then after Joyce died, there was a glimpse of a boy in the mirror, but that was over years ago. He still wasn’t sure if the mirror was trying to show him something or if it was his drunken haze that was playing tricks on him. He was sure that it was the whiskey talking to him because at the same time he saw Joyce’s ghost looking down at him. There were tears in her eyes, and she was so sad. It was on that morning after he decided to research the mirror, and go back in time to stop Ramsey from destroying his life.
Now that Ramsey was stopped, why the hell was he still around? What did he do in his life that was so horrible that he was condemned to this personal hell? Then he heard Morag scream loudly. As he raced downstairs, he muttered, ”Bloody hell. What now?”
*~*~*~*~* 20th Century: Outside the Girls’ Restroom of Sunnydale High School
Buffy ran through the halls screaming her friend’s name. ”Willow! Willow!”
Another scream pierced the silence of the halls. After she rounded the corner, Buffy ran faster when she saw Wolf Ferguson about to sink his fangs into Willow’s throat. With a mighty holler, Buffy leapt and knocked the two to the ground. Rolling quickly to his feet, Wolf Ferguson hissed at her. ”Bitch! You’ll die for that!”
“You sound like a bad movie,” Buffy said as she rolled her eyes at him. Roaring, Wolf leapt at her. Buffy ducked and he went flying over her head and into Angel and Wesley.
“Wesley!” Cordelia screamed as Wolf grabbed a stunned Wesley and put him into a headlock. Guin made a feint with her stake, and Wolf wrenched Wesley’s head. Buffy heard Xander coming running up from behind, and from the corner of her eye saw that Willow and Oz were stunned, but they were all right.
“Come near me and I’ll snap his neck like a twig,” Wolf snarled at her as he casually cut off Wesley’s air. As he backed away, pulling Wesley with him he swiveled to snarl at Buffy. ”Try me.”
“Okay,” said a voice from behind Wolf. All Buffy saw was a black blur knock Wolf and Wesley down. As Wolf and Wesley went flying forward, the girl backflipped and landed on her feet in a ready battle stance. At the same time, Angel grabbed Wesley out of harm's way as Buffy landed a fist against Wolf's temple, stunning him. Buffy's eyes narrowed as she studied the Asian girl with braids in her hair. She looked like a normal student of Sunnydale High, wearing high boots, fitted pants, a green baby tee and leather jacket. But there was something about her...
Guin stared at the girl and shouted in s strangled voice, "Minnie! What the hell are you doing here?"
Her eyes still on Buffy, Minnie smiled warily at Guin. "Uh-saving Wesley's life?"
Looking at the girl from where Willow and Oz were, Cordelia demanded, "Who the hell are you?"
Guin hesitated in answering so Buffy answered for her instead. "Easy, Cordy. She's The Slayer. From Guin’s time."
Cordelia stared at Buffy. "I so do not get you. You can't recognize your future sibs, yet you know she's a Slayer? And what the hell do we do with this vamp here?"
*~*~*~*~* 19th Century in Mort Grange
-Library-
Hovering protectively over the mirror, Morag let out another strangled scream as the man from the mirror stood warily up. He gave her a hopeful smile, "I don't suppose that this is the library in Sunnydale?"
Just then the doors burst open and Malcolm and Amanda entered the room, both breathless and battle ready. Malcolm looked to where his mistress stood. "Lady Morag! What's wrong? What's going on?"
Morag simply pointed at the man before her and Amanda held up her fists higher, ready to attack. Immediately, the man raised his hands up high, "I surrender."
"Who are ye?" Amanda demanded, still ready to defend the mirror. "And how did ye get in the house?"
The man was about to answer when he heard a familiar bellow come from the door, "Cameron! What the hell are you doing here?"
Immediately, Cameron's hackles rose as he glared at his oldest brother. "Why the bloody hell do you think that I'm here, Robbie?" I'm here 'cause of the mirror!"
Stomping over, Robert glared back at his baby brother and poked at his chest. "Oh really? And I suppose you didn't think that Buffy and the others would need you more back at the Council HQ? And that Seoul would need Minnie?"
His face flushed, Cameron pushed his brother back. "There was nothing that we could do there, so we came through the mirror trying to reach the library and contain the damage you two were trying to fix!”
As Robert’s face grew red, Joyce looked the man that had startled Morag and her eyes grew wide. He looked exactly like Rupert, down to his glare. She had no doubt that this man was another of hers…who was right now about to be choked by his older brother. Joyce cleared her voice, ”All right, that’s enough.”
The two continued to argue. Loudly. Joyce raised her voice. ”Boys….Boys….BOYS! STOP THIS ARGUING RIGHT NOW!”
The two looked at Joyce, blinked and immediately shut up. Joyce gave them a maternal frown of displeasure, and was pleased when their faces turned red and they muttered their apologies. Nodding, Joyce narrowed her eyes at Cameron then at Robbie, ”I’m assuming that you’re Cameron and not Stu-and don’t start with your brother, young man, he just let it slip- Didn’t any of you boys get anything from my side?”
Cameron was about to say something when Amanda cried, ”Look at the mirror!”
*~*~*~*~* 20th Century: Library Sunnydale High School
As everyone re-entered the library, with Angel dragging Wolf, then throwing him into the library cage. Buffy glared at the vampire in the cage. The one that was supposed to be related to her. ”I don’t see why we can’t just stake his ass. He deserves it for what he did to Mom and Giles. Or what he’ll do in the future.”
As Angel consoled Buffy, Guin questioned the Slayer she knew from her time. ”Minnie, if you’re here, where’s Cameron?”
“I don’t know,” Minnie said, her face clouded with worry. ”We entered the mirror at the same time, holding hands because we didn’t want to be separated. And somehow I ended up here and Cam’s somewhere-“
“Look at the mirror!” Willow screamed. Immediately all heads shot towards the mirror, and Buffy stepped closer as it showed a clear picture of a Victorian parlor with several people there…including a woman, an old man, a young guy that looked like Giles, Robert and- “Mom!”
Buffy raced over to reach over and grab her mother and bring her back, but was stopped by the cold smoothness of the mirror. Tears filled her eyes, as she pushed against the mirror, trying to touch her mother. ”Mommy…”
Through her tears, Buffy saw her mother flatten her hand against hers, then put her other one up. Buffy placed her other hand against her mother’s and sniffed as she leaned closer to the mirror. Her mother’s eyes softened as she tilted her head and made silent hushing sounds, trying to comfort her. Buffy tried to smile back, but couldn’t. Tears filled her eyes again. ”Mom-“
Her mother mouthed the words, ”Love you. Be home soon. Love you.”
Then the mirror went black. Stunned, Buffy collapsed against the mirror.
*~*~*~*~* 19th Century in Mort Grange
-Library-
As the mirror cleared, Joyce moved closer to it. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar scene. The Sunnydale High School Library. Filled with people. Willow, Xander, Oz. Wesley, Cordelia and two other women were off to the side. She narrowed her eyes as she searched for- “Buffy!”
She ran to the mirror when she saw Buffy leap over the table to get to the mirror. Joyce’s hand smacked into the cool glass of the mirror as Buffy reached over to grab her hand. Stunned by the sudden contact with the mirror, Joyce saw Buffy’s eyes filled with tears as her daughter pushed against the mirror, as if she was trying to get into the mirror.
Joyce’s heart broke when Buffy’s face scrunched up as she pushed against the mirror again, the way it did when she was a baby and didn’t get her way. Tears filled her eyes when Buffy cried a silent “Mommy…”
Automatically, Joyce tried to comfort her baby as she placed another hand on the mirror and tilted her head as if she was holding her baby in her arms again, scaring away the monsters. ”Shh…shh…”
In the mirror, Buffy tried to smile, but the brave smile fell flat. Joyce soothed her baby as best she could. ”Love you. Be home soon. Love you, baby.”
Then the mirror went black. And Joyce stood there, not quite believing that the connection to her child was no more.
“How touching,” drawled a voice from the doorway. Joyce stiffened, then turned slowly to glare at Wolf who was holding two pistols.”It really was- such a moving scene. Don’t the two of you move. I’ll kill you where you stand. Move over to the old man and the girl. Now. Else Mrs. Summers dies.”
“You leave the two of them alone,” Joyce gritted out as Robert and Cameron moved towards Malcolm and Amanda. She moved away from the mirror, and closer to the fireplace. Thoughts raced through her mind, 'God, did she have a weapon? Anything to use against him?' ”They can’t hurt you.”
“True, but I can hurt them,” Wolf said pleasantly. His face hardened as he leveled a gun at the small group. ”Now come over here. Else I shoot them.”
Joyce started over towards him slowly. ”You’re not going to get away with this.”
Wolf started to answer when a voice said pleasantly, ”She’s right, you know.”
Joyce grabbed a poker from the fireplace as Wolf spun around to shoot the man behind him. The older Giles managed to knock away one pistol as Joyce ran like a madwoman screaming at Wolf and swinging the poker at him. Giles thrust Wolf away, and somehow he managed to duck Joyce’s wild swings. ”I’ve had it!”
”Threaten my babies?” Joyce roared as the poker went down on Wolf’s shoulder, he let out a shout of pain. ”Shoot at my Rupert?” The poker came down again and another roar came out. ”Threaten me?”
His chest heaving, Wolf caught the poker with one hand as it came down. ”Ye made a mistake ta hit me with this, bitch!”
“Fine, then I won’t,” Joyce shouted back as she let the poker go and her left fist went flying. Wolf roared as he cupped his nose. Joyce was about to go after him again with her fists when she was caught from behind. Turning back, she glared at her sons. ”Robert, Cameron, let me go. I haven’t finished beating him to a bloody pulp yet.”
”There’s time enough to do that later, Joyce,” Giles said as he lifted the bleeding Wolf off the floor. Wolf shoved at Giles and grabbed the pistol from Giles’s hand.
Cocking the trigger, Wolf aimed at Giles’s chest. “Not enough.”
As Wolf fired the pistol, everything happened at once. Joyce screamed. Giles jerked back as if he was hit. A stream of light shot out from Giles. Wolf was thrown against the hallway wall when the light hit him on the chest. The light hovered over him, as if to make sure that he wouldn’t get up. Joyce and her boys ran over to Giles, relieved to find him unharmed, but stunned. As Robert and Cameron helped him up, he demanded, ”What the bloody hell happened?”
When it was satisfied, the stream of light re-entered the parlor and floated around the room, as if it were looking for a place to land. The light settled to stand before Giles. Then started to form the shape of a woman with hair down to her waist. Dressed in a long pale blue dress. Joyce’s eyes widened as she saw her own face smiling at her. ”I don’t believe this! Now a ghost in the novel?”
“In the earring actually. The mirror lets me stay there, since I refused to leave Rupert,” the other Joyce laughed softly. “And now that it’s close to the end of this madness, I can have a form and can help.”
Malcolm and Amanda looked at each other as Morag moaned when she made the sign of the cross. The two Joyces looked at each other. Then the other Joyce looked away and her eyes rested on Cameron and Robert. She smiled wistfully at them.
Her gaze lovingly rested on her Rupert, who had not said a word. “Hello, darling.”
When he still didn’t say anything, his Joyce smiled impishly, ”You still have to show me your moves, darling.” Then threw herself into his arms.
*~*~*~*~* 20th Century: Library Sunnydale High School
Sniffing into a handkerchief, Buffy sat on Angel’s lap as Willow placed a cup of tea in front of her. Guin sat near her older sister. Not even when their mother was killed had Guin seen Buffy so upset. Her eyes darted towards Wesley, who was not upset that Buffy was finding comfort in Angel’s arms. ”Buffy…”
Buffy lifted her head and sniffed. She got off of Angel’s lap, opened her arms, and Guin buried her head against Buffy’s chest. Buffy stroked her sister’s head. “We’ll be all right. You’ll see. Mom and Giles will both be back soon.”
“Yeah, the G-man will be back soon and we’ll all be eating Mrs. S-soon-to-be-G’s food in no time,” Xander said as he picked up an open book off the table. Then he sighed. ”And while we wait, we’ll be translating the new and improved edition of Lady Morag’s diary. Angel, want to read the new bedtime story?”
Sighing, Angel took the book from Xander and started translating. ”It has been a most eventful time for us all. Everything has been in an uproar. In the past three days so much has happened that I don’t know where to start….”
Then he looked up sharply, his eyes locked on to Buffy’s. An unearthly feeling went through Buffy and she shook her head slowly, ”No, tell me that Mom doesn’t die. Tell me that Giles doesn’t die…”
Swallowing, Angel finished the passage. “I feel numb. As if a part of me is dead. My head is spinning at this turn of events. So much has happened since I last wrote. Two nights ago, Wolf had tried to retake the mirror again, but was stopped by Joyce and, Lord above, the ghost of the older Mr.Giles’s Joyce who was given form by the mirror. Wolf was stopped, and for a time, my home was at peace. The two Sassenaches from the mirror healed Joyce’s beloved while the older Mr. Giles and his Joyce spent their time within the confines of his room. Much noise and laughter was heard from the two rooms and the house yesterday morn…”
”So what was so bad about that, Dead Boy? Being a Drama Mama again?” Xander snorted. Then he grimaced "We could've done without the image of Old G getting some from a ghost of Buffy’s mom…”
Angel ignored the boy as he continued, ”But now…Now my home is in shambles and my life in ruins from the battle that was fought last night. The Sassenaches fought well and hard to save my home and the mirror. But I am still numb. I know not how much more I can take…”
As he looked at Guin, then at Buffy, Angel’s voice grew softer. ”Some of my Monroe kinsmen have fallen under the curse of the undead. My husband, my beloved Gussie is now of that undead army that attacked our home. My daughter, Meg, is dead, drained of her blood. I fear that she will come again from the undead, but Malcolm and Amanda assures me she will not. And Joyce, our Joyce, is ridden with bed fever after losing her unborn child…”
|
|