The Two
by acs
The Apocalypse Blues
[reviews]
TITLE: The Two (13/24)
AUTHOR: -Andy- (see2go4me@yahoo.com)
RATING: R (For future violence and Adult situations) - (though Parts 1 thru 12 just barely make it to a PG-13)
DISCLAIMER: This is a derivative work. All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox Television, and others. I don't own any of this, just the words and plot.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
[1] Feedback welcome/desired. Especially the kind that helps me write better.
[2] It's been a while. Let's hope the next quarter of the story is finished before Sept. 06.
[3] This part added 7/22/2006 - Let the Apocalypse Commence!!
[4] And the inevitable revision on 7/24/2006.
Word Count: 4,818
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Part XIII - "The Apocalypse Blues"
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He waited out of sight, hidden in the trees, watching to see if the girl returned. He'd been waiting a long time, visiting on and off for almost a century for something like this, for someone to enter the house. The prophecy he'd discovered in the catacombs in Paris had drawn him back to Sunnydale half a year ago. Its words had seduced him into believing that his long wait would soon be over. But the town had been as quiet and peaceful as always when he first arrived.
He'd known something was beginning to happen almost a month ago. Feeling something in the air, he'd finally decided it was time to speak with the slayer who'd appeared since his last visit to Sunnydale. But the minions he'd sent out, led by one of his oldest disciples, hadn't returned. And the minions he'd sent out to follow her on the ensuing nights also seemed to have disappeared without a trace.
He'd trained them as well as he could. His vampire minions should have been able to easily handle a Coven trained slayer. Something more dangerous than his minions or the slayer was living in Sunnydale but it would have to wait. There were other pressing matters to deal with.
The stars, his constant guides over the years, had become silent at the same time, sending him into a panic at first. But he'd caught a faint whisper from them once more the moment he spied the girl.
Impatiently stomping his feet, he paced back and forth under the trees, the offensive odor from the crushed pine needles making his nose itch. This was the first proof he'd had that someone could not only see the house, hidden by the spells he'd placed on it years ago, but was also able to enter it, something he'd been unable to accomplish himself no matter how hard he'd tried over the years.
Tired of waiting, after making sure he didn't have an audience, he strode through the grass towards the house, ignoring his protesting acolytes.
The door refused to open no matter how hard he tugged and pounded on it. Not even hitting it gave him any satisfaction. It refused to show any evidence of his efforts. It was as if it were impervious to change. It had always been like that, ever since it had mysteriously appeared on the plot of land he'd so carefully set aside when planning the town.
--- --- ---
She'd had a very restless night. She'd woken later than normal, her only memories of her dreams a vague sense of foreboding. They hadn't had that strange clarity that she'd come to associate with slayer dreams but she wasn't prepared to dismiss the feelings that had remained behind.
She'd driven herself hard that morning, the muscle numbing exhaustion caused by her workout and a long run afterward feeling almost good. Unwilling to explore it further just yet, during her run Buffy had avoided the house on Heisenberg Street. Instead, she'd spent her run reviewing everything she could remember about Hellmouths. Which didn't take her long.
She'd always been the one to react to the current apocalypse. She'd learned through hard experience that planning and managing pre-apocalypse resources were things better done by people like Giles and Willow. They were experts at viewing slayers as chess pieces, to be moved around the board only when necessary, she thought bitterly, quickly stepping into the hot water pouring from the shower.
She tried to steer her mind away from the past as she stood under the steaming water. But some things were harder to forget than others. Her issues hadn't all been petty. Her concerns had just been different. She attempted to focus on her current problems in vain, until she gave up and quickly finished.
Standing in the small locker room at the Coven house, covered only in a large fluffy towel, Buffy stared in confusion at the envelope now taped to the locker she'd been using. It hadn't been there earlier when she'd gotten back from her run. Gingerly removing it, she ripped off one edge and extracted the thin piece of paper it contained. Unfolding it, she read the short note -
"I need to see you. I have the information you asked for. - Willow"
Frowning, Buffy quickly dried her hair. Getting dressed she stuffed the note and envelope into the back pocket of her jeans. Looking at her watch, Buffy hurried into the library. She only had a minute before she had to head to work. Finding a pen and scrap of paper, she wrote out a quick reply. Climbing up to Willow's apartment door, she shoved her reply under the door.
--- --- ---
Willow hadn't come by the bookshop or shown up at the bar when she'd gone there after work. Giving her what she thought was more than enough time, Buffy eventually headed home, planning on an early night's sleep for once, until she needed to get up to shadow Dawn on another patrol.
Hours later, unable to sleep, she sat huddled under the covers of her bed, her back wedged as far as it could go into the corner. She could feel something in her chest. It was a sour, wretched feeling. Crying wasn't something she'd done in a long time but she recognized the signs. In the last week Buffy had gotten closer to breaking down than at any other time in the last few years.
Her emotions were on edge and all it would take was one little push. And it wouldn't be pretty she thought, taking deep slow breaths in an attempt to keep some semblance of control. She wasn't quite sure why she was so disappointed that Willow hadn't been at the bar but she knew that had something to do with what she was feeling.
And, although Buffy hadn't planned on getting so attached to this mild mannered version of Sunnydale, somehow the place and the people she'd met had wormed their way through her defenses. She wouldn't go so far as to describe her feelings as heartfelt, she didn't think her heart would ever open up like that to anyone again. What was left of it felt calcified and impenetrable. But somehow, in the past few weeks something had happened, something she had no control over.
She now felt oddly possessive of the small town. It might not be the same place she'd spent so much pain and effort protecting years ago but it was hers now. It, its slayer, the witches in the Coven, and the people, from the guy who brought her pizza to the old man who drove the rattling old street-sweeper -- they were all hers to defend.
Maybe it was just transference, she thought, dredging up a term from a psychology class long ago. Maybe her loneliness was confusing her? Making her feel things she shouldn't about the town and certain people in it? Feelings she couldn't afford to have if she wasn't going to stay around, if she were really leaving after she'd dealt with whatever was coming.
She'd spent the past couple days thinking about it, trying to figure out the source of her feelings and analyze them. But she hadn't gotten very far, except when it came to Dawn and Willow. She thought she might finally be on track to understanding their place in her life.
In Dawn's case, Buffy was almost certain that her feelings towards her own absent sister were an important factor. If she were really honest with herself she knew she would have to admit that mixed in with that was some of that overprotectiveness that some of the younger, more innocent slayers she'd come to know since Sunnydale had brought out in her.
No matter what Giles had claimed the last time she remembered speaking to him, they'd been her girls. Hers to guide, hers to teach. The closest she would ever have to someone to pass her legacy on to. And if she'd been able to shield them from the harsh sudden reality of becoming a slayer the way she and Faith had, she knew with certainty that not even the Council could have stopped them from fulfilling the dreams she'd had for them.
And, of course, there was the nature of the girl herself. Dawn continually reminded her of a small kitten trying to grow into a tough wildcat. She was rough around the edges but her upbeat attitude and energy made her someone Buffy enjoyed being around, though she had no intention of ever telling her that.
But her feelings towards Dawn had been easy to examine. Buffy had spent a lot of time thinking about her growing feelings towards this Willow without coming to any real conclusion. Sure, she had some of the mental and physical traits of the Willow she had grown up with but they weren't the same person. Much of that could be attributed to the different lives they'd had growing up. Her Willow had become a dark person in self defense, her toughness clearly visible to those who really knew her.
This Willow, if she were tough, had managed to keep that part of her personality well hidden from outsiders like herself. Buffy suspected that if she were a bell she would have 'rung true'. This was a woman who seemed emotionally solid to the core. Buffy wasn't sure what her feelings towards this Willow meant for the future but she knew she needed something only this woman could give her.
Unfortunately, she wasn't sure how to get it. Or even what it was. During the evenings they'd spent together at Tony's they'd become friendly towards each other but, even though there was an undeniable attraction of some sort, she couldn't really call their relationship anything like friendship. And they weren't quite colleagues. They were closer to being competitors, even if Willow wasn't aware of that yet. And competitors, in her experience, didn't admit to needing anything from their fellow competitors.
But Buffy wasn't blind to how being in this Willow's presence seemed to brighten her normally gray world, adding a bit of color. Her Willow had affected her in much the same way when they'd first met, the feelings lasting through their early period of close friendship. The only conclusion she could come to was that her long years as a slayer had made her sensitive to the unconscious magical aura both Willows had exhibited and that was what attracted her. In the process it was drawing her in to Willow's orbit like a magnet.
Buffy yawned and pulled her covers tighter, exhausted by such heavy thinking, but sleep continued to elude her. It was too early in the evening to get up and make a swing through town and Dawn wouldn't be out patrolling for several more hours. Rolling onto her back, she lay there mummy-like, staring up at the ceiling, and waited for her mind to admit defeat and allow her to sleep.
--- --- ---
The sound of knocking roused her from a light sleep. Groaning, she rolled off of her bed, ending up in a confused heap on the floor. Getting to her feet, Buffy threw the pile of bedclothes back on the bed, in too much of a hurry to do more than spread them out in a not so close approximation of neatness. Scrambling around, she hunted for something to wear, her search punctuated by the slow rhythmic sound of something or someone tapping on her door.
Spying a large t-shirt draped over a chair, she hastily put it on, feeling marginally more presentable as she reached the door. Standing on her toes and peering through the cracked peephole, all Buffy could make out through the splintered glass was a pale face surrounded by red hair. It could only be Willow.
Looking down at herself for a moment, she shrugged. It was better than naked like she'd been earlier. If she'd had a few minutes warning she could have found something more appropriate to wear, but this was Willow, her half asleep mind told her, and Willow had seen her dressed a lot worse or in a lot less over the years. Opening the door, she found herself staring into Willow's wide, surprised eyes. She was standing there, holding several steaming cups in a cardboard tray in one hand, and a brown paper bag in the other. Inhaling the welcome aroma of hot coffee, Buffy automatically stepped aside to allow her to enter.
--- --- ---
Willow swallowed nervously, quickly suppressing the small exclamation that threatened to escape at the sight that greeted her. She hadn't really thought about what Buffy would be doing so late in the evening when she'd rushed over. Standing there in just a large t-shirt, her silhouette clearly visible through the thin material in the glaring light pouring out of her apartment, Buffy seemed like an image from a dream. She'd either been sleeping or doing something Willow wasn't willing to contemplate.
"Coffee?" She breathlessly squeaked as she entered the loft. "I have muffins." She held up the objects she was carrying.
Following Buffy into the main part of her loft, Willow looked around for somewhere to put the muffins and coffee. She didn't object when Buffy relieved her of the muffins, following her into the small kitchen and placing the coffee on the counter.
"What did you find out?" Buffy asked, grabbing a plate out of a cupboard and handing it to Willow, quickly pulling the muffins out of the bag and placing them on it, as Willow watched her curiously, all as if it were something they'd done together many times in the past.
"It was a little surprising. I had to go to the Coven house in San Francisco. Ours didn't have anything useful about the part of the town's history." She stopped talking long enough to take a muffin from the plate she was holding. "Where do you want me to start?"
"Assume I don't know anything." Buffy told her, guiding her into the living area and pointing at a low table near her bed where Willow deposited the plate of muffins.
"Well, Sunnydale isn't actually that old. Even for this part of California. It was founded in the 1890's several miles from an old Spanish mission." Willow said, nervously taking a seat next to Buffy on her bed.
"Why here?" Buffy asked, taking one of the coffee cups she'd brought in from the kitchen and handing the other to Willow. "There must have been better places to build a town."
"I couldn't find any reason. I even checked with the state Historical Society." Willow frowned in thought, watching Buffy quickly demolish one of the muffins. "It's not like there was gold or anything like that here. Even the small harbor isn't big enough for real ships. All we ever get are small coastal tramp freighters.
"It looks like someone bought a large plot of land and managed to convince the railroad that this was the perfect spot for a train station. Once the railroad was here the town grew quickly." She took a sip from her own coffee, giving a quick glance around as she did so to see if she'd interrupted anything personal by her surprise visit. Not seeing any signs of anything obvious, she felt a quick stab of relief.
"Was there any record of this person who bought the land?" Buffy asked, reaching for another muffin.
"No. Sorry." Willow said apologetically. "That was lost in the great earthquake of 1906. By that time the town was thriving and the land had been split up into smaller parcels. But I was able to find out who the first mayor was."
"Who?" Buffy asked.
"A Richard Wilkins." Buffy looked puzzled at the name, almost as if she recognized it. It hadn't been familiar at all to Willow. "He disappeared several years later. It was a big mystery." Willow added. "His house was destroyed in an earthquake the same year."
"What about that building?" Buffy mumbled, finishing her muffin.
"Nothing. It doesn't appear on any maps. It's as if it doesn't exist."
"What do you mean?" Buffy said.
"Someone must own it and pay taxes but I couldn't find any record of who." Willow said, frowning. "They must pay in cash. It's like it's invisible."
"Nothing at all?" Buffy asked, her disbelief clear in her voice. "How is that possible?"
"It doesn't take much. There are still a number of documents the town clerk keeps locked away. It could be listed there." Willow suggested, though she doubted it given the other mysteries about the building.
"Okay. What about the land it's on? Someone must own that."
"Well, according to the town clerk's office, someone bought it from the estate of Richard Wilkins after he was declared deceased."
"Who?" Buffy asked, looking at Willow as she licked muffin from her fingers.
"They won't say. And I had to threaten them with a lawyer to find out that much." Willow said, trying not to react to the almost erotic sight. "And that's it. I have inquiries in to the State Archives but that could take weeks, if they have anything the Historical Society and the town clerk didn't."
There wasn't much to talk about after that. Not wanting to intrude on whatever Buffy's plans had been for the rest of the night, and not sure of her own control after seeing what she was almost sure was a completely innocent act, Willow finished her coffee and muffin before getting up to leave.
"Let me walk you home." Buffy said. "Just give me a minute to change into something more appropriate."
"You don't have to do that." Willow protested.
"I was going to go for a walk anyway." Buffy demurred.
Willow watched her curiously as she rummaged in a small wardrobe, eventually producing a small pile of dark material she took into the bathroom.
When Buffy rejoined her, Willow stared at her clothes in interest. This wasn't the first time she'd seen Buffy in what she assumed was her demon hunting outfit but the contrast between what she'd been wearing earlier and now struck her as significant. It seemed as if Buffy had done more than change her clothes. Gone was the almost nymph-like, amusing conversationalist of the last few minutes and facing her now was the tough, mysterious woman she'd accompanied to LA, her violent nature just barely suppressed.
Although she was very much aware of it, Willow didn't subscribe to the whole butch-femme lifestyle. She simply preferred the company of women who wouldn't be mistaken for anything else. But looking at the very butch looking Buffy, a shiver of desire went down her back. She radiated raw power in a way that pulled Willow in, almost making her want to wallow in it.
"Ready." Buffy said, grabbing a jacket from her closet.
"Oh yeah." Willow murmured, unable to suppress a blush at her own comment. "Yes." she said loudly, hoping Buffy hadn't heard her.
"You promised me a tour of the Hellmouth." Buffy said, as they stepped out into the street. "The sooner the better."
"Saturday morning?" Willow asked. "Dawn is going to want to see it also."
"She hasn't seen it yet?" Buffy asked, the surprise evident in her voice.
"No... there hasn't been much point, it being closed." Willow said with a shrug. "It isn't the easiest thing to get to."
"Okay." Buffy said. "I'm assuming she'll know enough to bring weapons that are useful underground. Just in case we run into anything." She added.
Willow nodded. "Yes, we've explored the caverns below Sunnydale before. I thought it would be a good training experience learning to fight underground while we had the chance if the Coven needs her elsewhere in the future."
--- --- ---
They'd driven to the edge of Sunnydale at first light, stopping in one of the numerous small public parks that dotted the area. Entering the park on foot, Willow had led them to a sheltered corner. Dropping the bulky bag she'd taken from her car, she waved at them to do the same with the ones she'd given them.
Grabbing a pair of gloves out of her bag, she began clearing away the brush in front of a rock wall. "You're welcome to help." she said, giving them a look several minutes later.
"Yeah, okay." Buffy said, also grabbing a pair of gloves and throwing the remaining pair at Dawn, embarrassed at having been caught staring.
Half an hour later, the area clear, Buffy and Dawn watched Willow as, after saying a few words in what sounded like German, she blew a handful of dust against the rock wall. It seemed to cling in the shape of a small arch. Buffy wasn't able to contain her surprise when the area below the arch disappeared, revealing a small door.
"How did you find this?" Buffy asked, staring at it. It was the first real magic she'd seen Willow do since coming to Sunnydale.
"I did mention the extensive cave system under Sunnydale?" Willow asked absently. Buffy noticed she didn't seem in too much of a hurry to enter.
"You'd mentioned exploring." Buffy said, watching her remove a number of things from all three bags, arranging them into piles.
"Well... this is the entrance to the cave system that gets us closest to the Hellmouth." Willow said.
Squatting down next to her, Buffy looked curiously at the three piles. Each pile contained several long, thin ropes; something that looked like one of those glow-sticks you'd get at a fair; several small objects that reminded her of the radios used by the Initiative; and several small packets of food and bottles of water. It wasn't quite enough for an Arctic expedition but certainly more than she expected.
"I don't think we'll have much use for radios underground." she commented, examining one and wondering where Willow had gotten them.
"I, um, borrowed these from a friend. They don't have much range underground, maybe a kilometer, but they'll help if we get separated." Pulling several other objects out of her bag, she added. "These are signal boosters. They should help. He wouldn't let me have the piece that connects everything into the cell network." she grumbled.
"Okay..." Buffy said, hoping they wouldn't actually need these toys. Mixing magic and electronics together tended to cause problems in her experience.
Dawn snorted in amusement. She'd been fairly quiet after joining Buffy and Willow at the Coven house, not saying anything once they'd started out. Buffy raised an eyebrow at the young slayer, who just shook her head. From her expression, Buffy wondered how many other trips she'd been on with Willow in the past that had turned into similar geek toy fests.
"I wasn't able to borrow the version with the built in cameras." Willow added, missing the byplay between her companions. "But I brought a camera." She held up a small device.
"Camera?" Buffy asked.
"I'm hoping you can get close enough to take pictures."
"Why haven't you done that already?" Buffy said. "You've been to the Hellmouth before."
"She can't get close enough." Dawn told her with a slight smirk. "None of the witches can. It's a thing."
"None of the witches who've tried." Willow corrected primly.
"What about Dawn?" Buffy asked. "Why haven't you had her try it?"
"She doesn't want me going near it." Dawn grumbled. "This is the first time she's let me come along."
"She's not really ready yet." Willow told her. "If you weren't in such a hurry..."
"I've been ready for months." Dawn protested. "Besides, you keep telling me it's closed."
"Okay." Buffy interrupted, before Dawn's complaint could turn into a full blown rant. "So you think someone else can get close to it?"
"I'm hoping." Willow said before handing each of them one of the piles.
--- --- ---
"It's why we aren't too worried about the Hellmouth." Willow said. "No one can get past the barrier."
"Who did it?" Buffy asked, watching Willow several feet away, apparently leaning on nothing in the dim light. Carefully reaching out in front of herself, she found a firm barrier blocking her away.
"No idea." Willow admitted sheepishly. "It's been like this as long as we've known the Hellmouth was here."
"Have you asked Madeline?" Buffy asked.
"Why?" Willow asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "What does she have to do with it?"
Buffy shrugged, not willing to air her suspicions just yet. "Not sure. Just a hunch."
Stepping closer to the barrier, she followed Willow's example, slowly putting her full weight on it. Dawn gingerly mimicked their actions.
She looked around the large cavern. "Homey." she murmured, causing Dawn to giggle nervously. "Could use a few decorations, nick-nacks. That sort of thing."
"Decorations?" Willow asked, giving her an odd look.
"Yeah. Skeletons hanging from chains, smoking fires, chanting minions." Buffy winked at Dawn who unsuccessfully tried not to laugh. In the back of her mind was the thought that her sister shouldn't have a slayer's macabre sense of humor.
"It's a cave with a potential opening to Hell in it." Willow said. "Isn't that enough?"
"Nah..." Dawn blurted out between giggles. "Something is definitely missing."
Buffy sobered up at the stern look on Willow's face. Pushing against the barrier again, she wasn't able to suppress her gasp of surprise when it suddenly gave way and she fell forward towards the cavern floor. "Oops?" she said, turning her fall into a roll, ending up back on her feet.
She looked back at Dawn and Willow. "Care to join me ladies?" She asked, watching both of them push fruitlessly against it.
"I can feel it give slightly now," Dawn grumbled, "but it still won't let me through." She seemed to bounce slightly.
"Feels solid to me." Willow added.
Buffy felt the air around her. "From this side it's as if it weren't there." she told them. "Just a slight tingling."
"Not fair." Dawn said, pouting.
Buffy winked at her. "Whomever put it up must like blondes."
"Yeah, right." Dawn huffed before laughing at her. "More likely it only allows old people through."
"Old people?" Willow asked, giving Dawn a look that Buffy felt even from a distance.
"Old, almost, but not quite, blondes?" Dawn corrected herself as she stepped away from Willow with an exaggerated motion.
"Not quite blonde?" Willow asked, in a puzzled tone.
"Let's not go there." Buffy said, wondering if her roots were starting to show. "Why don't you throw me something. Let's see if the barrier is person or object based." Before she'd finished, Dawn had thrown a water bottle through the barrier at Buffy, just barely missing her head as she grabbed it out of the air.
"Hey!" Willow said, scolding her, "What was that for?"
"An experiment?" Dawn mumbled.
Taking a large gulp of water from the bottle, Buffy sighed, suspecting it was her fault for the overly light tone. But she couldn't help it. As much as she hated to admit it, the trip down to the Hellmouth had been fun. Waving the bottle, "It's okay." she told Willow. "I was thirsty anyway."
"Crap." Willow grumbled, plopping down onto a nearby rock. "It's us, isn't it."
Hearing faint growling, Buffy turned and watched as several large demon-like creatures entered at the far end of the cavern and headed in their direction.
"We seem to have company. How far does this barrier extend?" She asked, pointing at the new arrivals.
"All around." Willow said, quickly standing and motioning to Dawn. "They shouldn't be there either."
"Well, they are. And I don't think they're here to invite us to a party." Buffy said, stepping back through the barrier and joining Dawn and Willow at the mouth of the tunnel they'd used to reach the cavern. "Go ahead, I'll follow." Buffy said, urging them into the tunnel.
"I can help fight them." Dawn protested.
"You might have to but not yet." Buffy said, pulling out a long knife. "Go!" She pushed Willow into the tunnel with her free hand.
"Where'd you get that?" Dawn asked, looking at her weapon.
"Less talking, more leaving." Buffy told her, pointing up the tunnel. "We can discuss how to hide weapons in inconspicuous places after we get out of here. Make sure Willow gets out of here safely. I'll be right behind you."
"Okay, okay!" Dawn grumbled, turning and running after Willow.
Buffy stood her ground as the growling demon-creatures approached. Her initial plan of quickly dealing with them came crashing to a halt when she saw several other larger creatures also entering the cavern at the same place.
"Getting a bit crowded down here." Buffy muttered under her breath.
As soon as the first creature passed the barrier, Buffy attacked, not giving it a chance to get in the first blow.
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TBC in The Books
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