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Sunnydale Library, present day
Buffy was beyond reacting. She just stared at Angel as he turned blank page after blank page, hoping vainly there would be more. Guin was shaking in her big sister's arms, still emotionally distraught over the events of the past, the present, and most of all, the future.
A roar from the book cage startled them all. Wolf screamed and lunged against the heavy metal door again. He was in full game face, and his wild eyes glowed like candle flames in the shadows. "It canna be! My Meg was destined to be with me! She was MINE! She canna die a child!! I must go back... the Mirror... it canna be..." He roared again and threw all his weight against the wire frame. The impact shook the entire room.
Buffy and Minnie were on their feet in a flash, both with stakes at the ready. Buffy looked ready to finish her ancestor off, but Minnie eyed him thoughtfully, then spoke in a low, intense voice. "Listen to me, fang-face-from-way-back-when... the only reason you're still not-breathing is that you belong to the Mirror's timeline. Get it? Your precious Meg is dust now because of you! You keep messing things up, and the Mirror might just decide you're too much trouble, and off you itself."
Wolf subsided with a growl and began pacing, still in his demonic guise.
Minnie deliberately turned her back on him, then threw the next sentence over her shoulder. "And get rid of the Halloween mask. You'll spoil my dinner."
Minnie boosted herself up onto the check-in counter and dangled her feet idly, twirling the stake in her hand. Buffy hopped up beside her, her face still streaked with forgotten tears, but bearing a curious look. "Can the Mirror really do that? Kill someone?"
Minnie shrugged. "I guess it isn't like killing, really. But it can make events happen so that the person never existed, and they just... vanish, I guess, into thin air. No trace left."
Buffy whistled low in amazement. "Wow. No muss, no fuss, and no long, drawn out murder trials."
Minnie nodded. "That's why everyone in London... and the whole world, probably... is so hot to get this under control. If we can't set things straight, the Mirror just might decide to do it for us... and it doesn't have warm fuzzy family feelings to worry about."
"I don't know about that," Wesley stated quietly as he joined them. "It seemed quite fond of Mr. Giles and Mrs. Summers. It touched them with such obvious care..."
Buffy snorted. "Yeah, and zapped them into a nightmare."
Guin started sobbing again, and Buffy immediately slid down and wrapped her arms around the weeping woman. Xander looked like he was ready to explode. Willow and Oz were sitting at the table, looking a bit dazed.
Wesley took a deep breath. Someone had to take charge before everyone descended into hysteria. Just as he started to speak, Willow sat up and squeaked, "Look!" She pointed at the Mirror.
~~~~~~ 19th Century Scotland, Mort Grange
With a sobbing groan, the elder Giles crushed the now substantial image of his beloved against his chest. The reunion was so heart-wrenching that everyone in the room--with the exception of Wolf, who was still unconscious on the floor--felt their eyes filling with tears. The time-traveler and the specter ignored them all, clinging to each other as if there was nothing else in the universe besides the two of them.
Perhaps, in their universe, there wasn't.
They all started badly when a weak voice came from the doorway. "What... what is going on? Joyce?"
"Rupert! What are you doing out of bed?"
"I heard screams..." He sagged against the door frame, barely able to remain upright.
She dashed to his side, supporting him as she escorted him back down the hall, scolding him all the way.
Robert and Cameron exchanged knowing glances. They knew their mother's lecture voice well, and were vehemently glad they weren't on the receiving end of it now. Robert grinned at Amanda and Malcolm, then noticed Morag crumpled in the corner, still muttering and crossing herself. After gently helping her to her feet, he led her to the couch and arranged some pillows behind her so she could recline. He checked her pulse with practiced ease, then, satisfied that she was in no danger, strode over and examined Wolf carefully, noting the deep burn marks on his wrists where he'd snapped his bonds and freed himself. He made a quick decision, and beckoned Cam to his side.
"Cammie, look at this. The demon is strong in him, and doesn't care if his body is damaged in the process of getting what it wants. We need something stronger than ropes to hold him."
Cameron growled a bit at his big brother's use of his childhood name, but nodded in agreement. "I brought my kit with me, Robbie. Looks like a containment spell is in order, here."
Morag gave a cry as she tried to rise. "No, lads, no! Ye canna weave spells near the Mirror! That's the thing that brought us to all this madness!" Malcolm went to his mistress and helped her settle back onto the settee. She continued to plead with Robert, her voice becoming weak as her strength faded from her. Her head lolled against the arm of the couch, and she was reduced to moaning softly.
Robert frowned, looking more like his father than at any other time previously. Amanda noticed immediately, and smiled slightly at the familiar expression. She sidled up to him shyly, drawn to him by some unseen force. "Mr. Robert?" He looked down at her with a bemused look. She almost faltered, but took a deep breath and continued, "there be tae many Mr. Giles-es aboot to call ye that. If it does'na offend..."
Robert grinned down at the tiny girl. She reminded him of his big sister in a very real way. "You may call me Mr. Robert, Amanda. It's quite all right."
She flashed him a grateful smile. "Aye, then, Mr. Robert, we could witch this man inside tha stable boy's rooms. Nobody's there, Cook showed me. I was ta sleep there tonight. It's away from tha house, and away from tha Magic Mirror."
Cameron's sharp laugh filled the room. "Well done, Amanda. A Slayer with brains. Who'd a' thought?"
The older Giles looked up, his arms still around his Joyce. "Robert, Cameron, you two move Wolf into the stable. Malcolm can show you the way. Secure him well. We all need some peace and quiet tonight." His gazed down at his dream come true, and smiled. "I've waited twenty years for this miracle to occur... I don't wish to be interrupted."
Cameron immediately bristled at the man's commanding tone. He took a step forward, but Robert caught him by the arm and dragged him back. "Cammie, let's do as he says. In a strange way, he's still our father."
It was a job of about a half hour to incarcerate the unconscious Wolf in the stable boy's rooms across the front court from the main house. Once the binding spell was in place, Cameron gathered his spell kit and began walking back to the house with Robert and Malcolm.
"Well, Cameron, I may not like your being here, but I must say you do come in handy when one needs a bit of magic. That spell had at least four layers to it, didn't it?"
Cameron walked a little straighter because of his brother's rare praise. "Circles within circles, Robbie. To be sure he doesn't escape, then to be sure the demon doesn't, then to see that vampires cannot enter and turn him, then to..."
Robert started laughing and held up a hand. "You're better at magic than I. Let's just leave it at that, shall we? Anyway, now that we've seen to it that Wolf cannot be turned..."
Malcolm made a surprised noise. Robert stopped in the gathering twilight just steps from the front door. "I say he cannot be turned... Malcolm, you seem to disagree with that statement."
Malcolm cleared his throat, obviously not relishing being the bringer of bad news. "I'm sorry, young sirs, but Mr. Fergusson... Mr. Wolf Fergusson, that is, has already been 'turned', so to speak. When he attempted to misuse the Mirror's powers, the Mirror retaliated, and now there are two Wolf Fergussons. One, a demonic human, and the other..."
"...A soulful vampire."
The three men whirled, taking defensive stances with stakes at the ready...Malcolm and Robert holding theirs in their right hands, Cameron brandishing his in his left.
Vampire Wolf held up a hand, then dropped it weakly. Robert noticed the blood stained shirt and realized that this doppelganger had an identical wound to the Wolf inside the protection circle behind them. His brain calculated, discarded, then formulated hypotheses with the precision of a brilliant mind, then blurted, "You've been hurt!"
Cameron looked at his brother as if he'd lost his mind. "He's a VAMPIRE, Robbie!!"
"He's the key, Cammie, remember? It's in the journal." Robert pocketed his stake, although Cam and Malcolm did not. "Mr. Fergusson, why have you not healed?"
Wolf swayed slightly, but managed to catch himself. "Need blood to heal. No time... to stop and hunt. Must be here when... when..." He sagged and fell to his knees. "My... shadow awakens." Robert caught him before he hit the ground, unmindful of the potential danger. His younger brother hovered around them, straining to see in the faint light from one of the windows. If this creature tried to harm Robert...
Robert, still supporting the vampire, turned and began walking him towards the barn. "Malcolm, can the Fergusson's afford to donate a sheep for the Mirror's sake?"
Malcolm blinked several times, then hurried to join the strange procession. "Young sir, where the Mirror is concerned, there is no sacrifice too great."
~~~~~~ Upstairs, inside the main house, Joyce was fussing quietly over her Rupert. 'My Rupert... what a lovely sound that makes.' She tried it aloud. "My Rupert..." Oh, yes, she liked the sound of that very much.
She was startled when he whispered, "My Joyce." A contented smile eased its way across his pinched face.
"You're supposed to be sleeping, my Rupert, not listening to my insane ramblings." She stroked his face tenderly, soothing him with her touch.
He gazed up at her as well as he could, given his groggy state. In the warm flicker of the lamp, he could see that she was smiling. The only thing that could make him happier than her smile was...
"Joyce?"
"Yes, dear?"
The endearment made him pause, then he continued, "Give us a kiss, love?"
She complied happily, and they lost themselves in sweet sensation for several minutes. At last, she pulled away and pressed her lips against his forehead. "I love you, Rupert. Now sleep." She started to rise from the bed, but his suddenly strong grip on her hand kept her in place.
"Joyce, love," he pleaded with her, his eyes full of longing. "Stay with me?" His voice faltered slightly as he added, "I... I don't wish to sleep alone... ever again."
She looked down at his dear face, then slid into bed beside him, covering herself carefully with the heavy bed spread and quilts. She moved into a semi-reclining position, propped against the headboard, and he rested his head against her chest, humming contentedly. She didn't even care, at that moment, what Malcolm would say when he came in to check on Giles' condition.
They both fell asleep quickly, his breath against her skin a warm and welcome breeze, her heartbeat soothing him like he was a child.
~~~~~~ On the Moors
A fastidious man by nature, Father Ramsey was not in the habit of mucking about in ankle-deep mud. The two men that were with him were sitting in the wagon, fearful of being shot by their mad employer. Ramsey waved his pistol carelessly in one hand as he slogged around, muttering to himself.
Finally, he came to a decision, and started back down the road towards Mort Grange. The two men, familiar with the dangers of the moors, decided there was strength in numbers, and started after him. It was nearly dark, and they had no light with them, but they made good time anyway. The moon was nearly full, the rough landscape aglow with a silvery light.
'Soon,' Ramsey thought to himself as he studied the night sky. The convergence was close... he could feel the magical currents gathering towards one final event... the opening of the Mirror. Two more days... His blood drew him onward, and he increased his pace. Nothing, no one, would stop him. His Slayer would live again.
Ramsey soon reached more stable ground, and the two men behind him groaned as he broke into a light jog. They sighed and ran after him.
~~~~~~ London, 21st Century
Buffy paced back and forth in front of the ancient Mirror, stopping every so often to frown into its unyielding depths. No amount of begging or demanding had persuaded it to reveal the past to her. She had no desire to see the future, she knew that much already. Her future had been a shock when it was revealed to her as a teen, and she wasn't ready for any more.
She heard Wesley approaching, knowing him instantly by his distinctive footfalls. He was still limping slightly, despite being in the care of the best surgeons in London. He'd refused to use the cane, but the limp identified him as surely as his overly-cultured voice would.
"Buffy, you must eat something. I've gotten some soup from Mrs. Waverly, and a few of those savory biscuits you like so well. Please stop pacing and eat!"
She shook her head, but snaked out a hand to grab one of the biscuits. She began munching as she paced. "We've missed something, Wes, I can feel it. The Mirror isn't satisfied. Either we've sent too many people into the past, or not enough, or the wrong ones. I know something is wrong, but the Mirror won't show me what it is." She stopped as the aroma from the bowl on the table reached her. "Maybe I can pace and eat soup at the same time..."
She gave a cry of dismay as she slopped some of the rich broth onto her shoes. "...and maybe I can't. Okay, I'll sit. But just for a minute." She began eating, barely stopping to breathe between bites. After she finished, she grabbed the last biscuit and chewed as she stood to pace again. "If only I knew what it would take to make this all go back like it's supposed to be."
The Mirror brightened, and the familiar swirling mists gathered at its center. When it cleared, there was a clear picture of a rock cavern, lit only by torches. The view seemed to be elongated, as though the Mirror glass was a camera lens designed to distort the images as they were being filmed. She watched as figures appeared in the cavern, arriving sometimes alone, sometimes in twos and threes, until there was a small crowd. The people faced the Mirror expectantly, and it seemed to Buffy that they were looking right at her. She began to search for familiar faces, and she found them: Robert, Cameron, Giles and her Mom, Wolf, a little girl she assumed was Meg, and a few more that looked faintly like they might be her relations. As she watched, more people gathered, until there was a small crowd. They stood, expectantly, waiting... for what?
A new face appeared in the tableau, and, suddenly, it became crystal clear. "Wesley! Call the others! I've figured out the secret of the Mirror!"
~~~~~~~ Sunnydale Library, present day
Guin's concentration while researching had to be hereditary. The only other person Buffy had ever seen research with that much intensity was Giles. Guin had the same look, the same expectant air. Oz, Willow and Wesley alternately argued, shouted, paced, and waved various fast food items under her nose, and she never faltered. She did whisper to herself from time to time, and took copious notes in the small notebook she carried with her. Behind her, the Mirror glowed and pulsed, and Buffy stayed in front of it, seemingly mesmerized by the display. Angel couldn't even pry her away with the offer of a triple-mochachino with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Minnie amused herself with Giles' collection of weapons, finally coaxing Wesley into a little fencing to pass the time. Xander hovered over Guin protectively, still lovestruck and puppy-dog-eyed.
Minnie had disarmed Wes for the third time, and she had just flipped his rapier back to him for a fourth go-round when Guin started laughing. She'd been quiet so long that everyone in the room jumped in surprise.
"Buffy! Have you seen the cavern again?"
"Not yet. They're still at Mort Grange, except for the priest guy and his hired muscle."
Xander looked confused. He stared intently into the mirror, then frowned. "I don't see anything but pink swirly stuff." He blanched and looked away, feeling vaguely nauseated by the constant movement in the glass.
"Good! That's still two days away, then. It should be enough time." Guin completely ignored Xander's interruption.
"Time for what?" Xander couldn't resist the question. Buffy and Guin seemed so in tune he felt left out.
"For the Mirror to set things right... right, Guin?" Buffy looked away from the Mirror, her eyes dazed and tired.
"Yes, and I knew you would see it. You're cleverer than you give yourself credit for, Sis!" Guin jumped up, scattering papers everywhere, and ran to give her sibling a massive hug.
Buffy laughed at her enthusiasm, then gasped, "Easy on the ribs, Guin! I may be the Slayer, but stuff still hurts!"
Guin released her, blushing slightly at her outburst. "You tell me that all the time, and I still forget. I've got Dad's strength, I guess."
The gang gathered around them, curious, but not wanting to interrupt the moment.
Buffy picked up the conversation where they'd left off, not missing a beat. "The only thing I don't know is: when?"
"The Mirror will tell you. I wish..." Guin's face grew wistful.
"I know, I wish you could go, too. Seeing them alive, and young... it must be hard to pass that up."
A tear escaped from Guin's eye and tracked down her cheek, despite her best efforts. "I would rather go home and sit by the fire with them as they were before all this... madness... came about." She sniffed and straightened, dismissing her doldrums. "But I have a job to do before that will be possible. There are things we must collect. I've an idea or two..."
The two heads bent over a list of some sort, and they began discussing it in energetic tones. Xander sidled over to them, managing to almost get between them before they noticed. Buffy looked at him with her usual 'I can't believe you, Xander!' face, half frown and half smile. Guin shivered and drew away from him, causing his face to fall. "I just wanted to see if I could help." He said plaintively.
Buffy patted him on the arm. "You can help. You can make a supplies run for us." She handed him the list, and he smiled broadly.
"Ooo, I can soooo do that. I'm supply guy. Now all I have to do is find..." He glanced down at the list, and blinked in surprise. "...flash paper, black powder, sage, arrow root, a wind-up toy mouse, and two bottles of bleach?"
"The bleach is for Mom. I forgot to pick it up before all this started. She'll need it when..." Buffy fought back desperate tears. "...when she gets back home. My white leggings have grass stains in them... again." She shook her head stubbornly. As he started out the door, still staring at the list, Buffy called, "Be sure you get the brand I wrote down, Xand, or Mom will freak."
~~~~~~ 19th Century Scotland, Mort Grange
A small sound at the door woke Joyce from her light sleep. She looked up to see the regal butler standing in the doorway. She steeled herself for more disapproval and clipped comments. She was surprised to see the man smiling.
Rupert began to stir, and when he realized they were not alone, he attempted to sit upright. With Joyce's help, he was able to prop himself up enough to see Malcolm clearly. The man had obviously had a change of heart concerning their unorthodox and wanton behavior. Joyce raised her eyebrows in an unspoken question, and Malcolm seemed to understand her meaning perfectly well.
"Forgive me for waking you. Miss Amanda thinks very highly of you, Mrs. Summers, and of Mr. Giles. I know now that you were sent here to assist the Slayer. She's quite a bright girl. She reminds me very much of..." He stopped, uncertain of how knowledgeable the woman was about his secret past.
Joyce suddenly realized something. "She reminds you of someone else, doesn't she? Someone you lost long ago?"
Giles' eyes narrowed as he drew a few conclusions of his own. "You are a Watcher," he said bluntly.
Malcolm didn't flinch. "Yes."
Joyce tilted her head, studying his face in the lamp light. "You had a Slayer, once, didn't you?"
He dropped his gaze. "Yes." She didn't have to ask what had happened. It was plain in the slump of his shoulders. His precious Slayer had been a casualty of the dark war they fought.
Giles had to ask, "did you know of Barnes, Amanda's Watcher?"
"Yes, I knew his family well."
Joyce said, with compassion, "Malcolm, Mr. Barnes is dead. An accident... he fell into a ravine. We brought Amanda back with us. Poor thing... she's all alone. She has no family."
Malcolm looked up with a fierce determination in his eyes. Gone was the cold, formal demeanor, and in its place was the bright-eyed fervor of destiny. "She does now."
The couple on the bed smiled, and Malcolm returned it before letting himself out and starting down the hall. Joyce listened as his footfalls grew fainter until they were gone. She turned to Giles and helped him ease back down, pulling the covers over him gently. "You're supposed to be asleep," she whispered.
"So were you." He reached for her, drawing her against him, craving her warmth beside him.
"So, let's get back to it." She closed her eyes and relaxed. Suddenly she yelped in surprise and sat up, glaring down at her lover's innocent face. "Rupert! We'll never get back to sleep if you keep doing that!"
He grinned up at her. "I know."
~~~~~~ In the barn, Robert and Cameron were arguing again as they attempted to shear the neck of a struggling sheep. Being city born and bred, neither one had any idea of how to go about the task, and Wolf would have laughed at their efforts if he'd had any strength to do so. The creature bleated loudly and lashed out with a hind foot, catching Cameron painfully in the shin for the third time. As he howled and hopped around, Robert managed to down the animal and hold it in place with his body weight. "Cammie, stop dancing about and help me!"
Cam rubbed his wounded leg and snapped, "This was your bloody idea, big brother, so you can bloody well figure it out yourself. I'm too bloody tired of getting kicked." He went to the side of the pen and propped himself against it, smirking at Robert's red face as he struggled with the sheep.
"At least hand me something to tie the wretched creature with, Cam. On the wall there, behind you."
Cam handed over several short lengths of rope, and watched as his brother tied the sheep's feet together. Robert reached into his back pocket for the hand shears, and proceeded to work on the thick wool. After a lot of effort, he had cleared a patch big enough to be useful. He stepped back, watching the animal struggle for a few seconds. Satisfied that his knots would hold, he looked over at Wolf. The hunger was plain in the vampire's eyes, and he rose unsteadily to his feet as Cameron said, sarcastically, "Dinner is served."
They both turned away as Wolf began to feed, ignoring the animal's plaintive screams. Cam turned to his brother, disgust plain on his face. "This is about as sick as it gets. Tell me again, Robbie, why we're feeding a vampire? And don't give me the bloody business about the journal, just tell me."
Robert closed his eyes, seeing the pages of the ancient diary in his mind. "We're feeding a vampire because he played... will play a key role in repairing the timeline and getting us all the hell away from here and back where we belong."
"How long do we have to baby-sit, then? The Fergussons may well run out of sheep, at this rate." The vampire raised his head from the now-dead animal, his face shifting back to human form. Wolf looked down at the corpse in front of him, and shuddered.
"Just two more days, Cammie, then we all go home."
Wolf whispered, almost to himself, "if the Mirror wills it."
~~~~~~ Malcolm entered the kitchen, stopping as he took in the scene. Kate, the cook, was showing Amanda how to peel potatoes. The older woman's voice held such tenderness that he was caught by surprise. The girl turned a delighted face to Kate as she held up a white potato for her inspection. "Bonny, me girl! Not an eye left on it!"
He cleared his throat gruffly. "Have you found a place for Amanda to sleep?"
Kate eyed him challengingly. Normally, she deferred to his authority in the household, but something about this slip of a girl made her feel maternally protective. "She'll stay in my rooms tonight, thank ye, sir. I'll not have her sleeping in the barn in this weather!"
Malcolm fought back a smile. "Very well, Cook. See that she is well cared for. She is a special one."
Amanda's bright smile turned on Malcolm, and he knew he was lost. After fifteen years of trying to forget, he once again had a Slayer in his care.
~~~~~~ It was early morning, and the house was silent except for the creaks and groans an ancient structure always emitted. The older Giles lay wide awake, his long-lost lover cradled against his side. The Mirror had been kind to him this night, giving him his heart's desire, even if it was only for a few days. He knew with calm certainty that their time was short. He resolved to make the most of it.
His Joyce stirred, moaning happily. He pulled the heavy blankets more securely around her shoulders, even though she had assured him that she did not feel the cold as she had in life. She gazed up at his time ravaged face, and her sorrow at being separated from him caused her to bite her lip and raise a hand to stroke his beard.
He turned into her touch immediately, and smiled, closing his eyes blissfully. "My love, my darling, I never hoped to see you again on this plane of existence. I traveled through the Mirror more times than I could count, but I always ended up back at the same starting point, here, in the past, aged and alone."
"I know," ghost Joyce whispered. "I was with you... I wouldn't leave you, although I knew it wasn't yet time for us to be together. I couldn't leave you."
"The earring..."
"I was always near you, as long as you wore it. And, since you never took it off..."
"I couldn't." He kissed her gently. "It was all I had left of you."
Ghost Joyce sat up, ignoring the covers that pooled around her waist. Her Giles gazed at her with worship in his eyes. "Rupert, I have to tell you something. If we succeed in setting things right during the eclipse..."
"When we set things right, love," he corrected gently.
She smiled. "When we set things right, and all is as it should be, you will still be displaced... out of sync with the timeline as it was meant to be."
"I suspected as much, but I always imagined I would cease to exist if I succeeded in saving you."
"No, it's not like that. Not exactly. You will still exist, but you will have to choose where and when."
The idea shocked the older man. "I can choose? I have choices? What are they?"
"To stay here, with the Mirror, alone, as a sort of guardian. To return to Sunnydale, or to the future, with your relatives and descendants. Or..." She caressed his face lovingly. "...to come with me."
"With you? Where?" Joy began to spread across his face. Could it be true?
"Into the dimension of the Mirror. It's impossible to describe... but you and I have become one with the Mirror, and it has offered us the chance to be together... forever."
Tears began to stream down his face. "Forever... how..."
She gave him the most tender of kisses. "In the world of the Looking Glass, my darling Rupert, Time means nothing."
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