FIC: Royalty: Chapter 4 (Power Revealed)

["cilia" <cilia@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello all...

Amazing how school can get you going isn't it...

This is the one you've been waiting for and I hope I don't disappoint,
because in this chapter:

1. Buffy, Giles and Spike move in and get measured.
2. Buffy finds Willow or is it the other way around?
3. And Auntie June is introduced <g> don't ask!


Enjoy!

Royalty
By: Stefan Cilia

Chapter 4: Power Revealed

"Wow!" Buffy exclaimed as she stared at the front of the mansion. She'd just
stepped out of the limo that had brought them there.
"Too bad Anya and Xander decided against coming." Giles commented as he
stepped out and gazed over the mansion.
"Well I'm not regretting coming along." Spike said as he came up behind
them.
"Welcome." Came the voice of Daniel as he descended down the front steps.
"This the wanker we're supposed to keep alive?" Spike asked in low voice.
"A wanker with very keen hearing and William the Bloody I assume." Daniel
said extending his hand.
"Not the last time I checked." Spike said as he shook it.
"Well I'll give you the grand tour." Daniel said as a motioned for the
carriers to get their bags.

"And this is your room Elisabeth." Daniel said as they entered the last of
many rooms they'd been shown. They'd already seen the ballroom, the dining
room, the den, the gym, the library which Giles was most likely itching to
get back to, the indoor swimming pool and Buffy could have sworn she saw a
bowling lane somewhere in there. Now her eyes traveled over the canopy bed,
the walk in closet, the door leading to her personal bathroom. A girl could
get used to this. She thought.
"Well make yourself at home." Daniel said. "And oho someone will be around
shortly to take some measurements."
"Measurements?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You'll see." Daniel said with secretive smile.
"Alright William let me show you your quarters. I'm sure Elisabeth would
like her privacy." Daniel said as he motioned for the men to follow him.
Buffy waited for the door to close and the footsteps to fade away, before
bolting for the balcony doors. One foot over the rail she was stopped by
voice that outright demanded it.
"Oho no you don't." Came a very sharp Irish voice. Buffy looked up and saw
woman, not old as in old, but still a old, respectable old, the kind of old
that demanded respect, or something.
"You're not going anywhere until I've measured you." She said as she stepped
out onto the balconies. Buffy pulled the foot back and stood straight.
Bringing herself to her full height, but one stare from the woman and it all
grumbled.
"That's better now come along dear." The woman said and walked back in.
Some measurements later. Buffy had found out that the woman's name was
Jillian June, but most people around here just called her Auntie June.
"So who's the lucky boy?" Auntie June asked as she was measuring Buffy's
bust.
"Who?" Buffy asked a little confused.
"The boy you were sneaking of to meet?" The older woman asked again with a
soft smile.
"Oho no I wasn't. I mean there is no boy." Buffy stuttered.
"Oho a girl then." June said as she took Buffy's wrist. "Lift!"
Buffy gave a shocked look, before trying to stutter something.
"Don't be so shocked dear, I've been around for awhile you know." The older
woman said as she measured the length of her arm.
"There! All done." She said after a long silence. "Go on I know you want
to." She said as Buffy's eyes wanderer to the balconies.
"You're not undying are you?" Buffy asked.
"No, afraid I'm just plain old human." June said with a smile. Buffy nodded
and bolted for the balconies.
"Young love, or in this case soon to be love." June muttered as she left the
room.


* * * * * *

Great three hours and no Willow. Buffy thought to herself as she dusted yet
another mortally challenged. Sure are a lot of them around for this time of
year. I thought Daniel had this place under control. Buffy was so deep into
her thoughts, that she didn't noticed the green cloaked figure who floated
in the shadows.
"Great, more soon-to-be-dust straight ahead." She muttered. As she was
almost upon the when she felt hands around her neck.
"Hey!" She yelled as she threw the attacker over her head. Amazingly the
attacker somehow managed to land on his feat.
"You're strong." He commented.
"And you're dust." She said a threw a stake. Which the attacker just
grabbed.
"Afraid that's not going to work." He stated as the vampires Buffy had
sensed earlier came up behind him. Buffy took a fighting stance.
"How to you want it." She said.
"Phu-lease, you won't even get close."
"Just wait and see."
One, two, three went down, but the group was still large. Four, five, six.
When will this end.
Then all of a sudden the battle stopped and a booming voice could be heard
echoing through the street:
"Get away from her!"
A green cloaked figure stepped out onto the street, the moon getting clouded
behind her.
"Or what?" The leader asked. There was a smile under the hood and green eyes
could be seen flaring. A small pale hand appeared from under the cloak.
"Something like this." The figure stated in a calm voice.
The leader muttered something along the lines of: "Oho crap." and felt
something slam against his chest, moments later he was flying through the
air. Morphing into a bird as went and then taking flight..
"Damn!" The cloaked figure muttered and turned her gaze upon the vampires
surrounding Buffy.

Buffy found herself staring at the cloaked figure who'd just saved her neck,
or at least saved her from some serious trouble. The figure stood tall,
maybe three inches taller than she did, the cloak which she wore was green,
tripped with gold and those eyes that seemingly shone from under. Buffy
thoughts where cut short when she felt a blow to her head.

The cloaked figure watched as Buffy was knocked out, the vampire question
quickly found piece of exquisitely carved wood sticking out off its chest.
Then the battle begun anew. One vampire found itself on the receiving end of
a fireball, another lost its head to an animated blade, two fell to a single
word.
"Pyro." The cloaked figure muttered. The last seemingly fell from a sweep of
a hand, by the cloaked figure.
Then all was quiet and the moon shone once again on the street. The figure
knelt by Buffy's side and pulled back the hood. Revealing silver streaked
red hair.
Turning her palm down and running it gently across Buffy's face. Buffy's
eyes fluttered open.
"Willow." She whispered.
"Hello Buffy." Willow said a soft voice.
"The vamps?"
"Gone." Willow said with a small smile, happy to see that her friend was
save.
"You?" Buffy asked.
"Guess so. Come on lets get you of this cold street." Willow said and heaved
Buffy of the ground.
"You okay." She asked, as she watched Buffy steady herself.
"Fine." She said looking at the dust on the ground. "Your stake." She
muttered as she carefully bent down and picked up the decorated stake,
turning it over in her hands.
"It's magical if that's what you're wondering." Willow said as she pulled
the hood back on.
Buffy looked at Willow's cloaked face.
"What happened Willow?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" Willow asked back.
"All this." Buffy said as she swept her hand across the ground.
"I grew up. I came here to do just that."
"You did it awfully fast." Buffy commented.
"This all began long before I came here." Willow stated.
"When?" Buffy asked.
"Don't know for sure. When Oz left, maybe even sooner." Willow said and
looked into Buffy's eyes and there was a long drawn out silence.
"Why did you leave?" Buffy asked finally.
"I live in different world now. My life is more complex, hell I am more
complex." She burst out and then lowered her voice down to a whisper. "And I
thought what I had become would scare you away."
"Willow." Buffy said and reached out to touch her.
"Don't, please." Willow said as she flinched away.
"Why are you doing this?" Buffy asked tears welling up in her eyes. "I
thought you were my friend, my best friend."
"I am and I'll always be, it's just that." Willow looked down.
"What Willow, please tell me." Buffy said gently stroking Willow's cheek.
"I don't trust myself around you." Willow whispered.
"You what?" Buffy asked a little to loud.
"I don't trust myself around YOU!" Willow screamed and threw up her hands.
Clouds gathered in the night sky. There was a thunder and then the rain
poured down. The wind blew up, blowing back the cloak and the hood,
revealing wild green eye and flowing red hair and as quickly as it all began
it stopped. That said Willow grabbed Buffy and kissed her hard and long.

Buffy couldn't believe her ears and then there was wind and rain and then
Willow, sweet caring Willow, crushing her lips against her own. Buffy felt
hands slide up her back as she struggled to make sense of the things running
through her. Then she felt an almost electric jolt shoot through her as
Willow broke the kiss.
"I need time?" Willow whispered as she collapsed against her.
"I can give you that?" Buffy whispered back as she stroked her friends wet
hair.
"You wouldn't be my Buffy if you didn't?" She said and leaned closer.
"I have to go now." She whispered after a few minutes.
"I know and I'll be here when you're ready."
Willow pulled back and took Buffy's hands in her own.
"You won't have to wait forever I promise."
"I know." Buffy whispered.
"Before I go." Willow said and slit her palms together, pulling out a
crystal tear glistening on a golden chain.
"A reminder." She said and laid it in Buff's hand and with that she was
gone.
Buffy sighed as she looked down at the tear. She held up the tear and when
it spun Willow's face seemed to appear inside it. Buffy smiled, her friend
was save.
"I love you Willow." She whispered into the night and she could have sworn
she felt a fingers on her cheek for just a moment and then it was gone.

The wind carried the whisper down the street. Willow looked back from the
shadows and smiled.
"I love you too Buffy, more then you could ever imagine." She whispered
back.


* * * * * *

Next Chapter: The trenchcoat brigade. Think Buffy, Giles and Spike in suits
and sunglasses, no joke!