Causatum.alt
by sailor80
Three
[reviews]
After a few seconds of silence, Anya demanded, "Finish the story."
Giles removed his glasses and began to polish them while he talked. "We got you to the hospital. Buffy stayed with you the entire time. The Council met later that morning, and we all went.
"The meeting was a farce until we told them what we knew had happened and delivered Buffy's ultimatum. I didn't know until yesterday what they finally decided. We got a plane and brought you home. Aislin came because she,"
"I came," Aislin interrupted, "because Buffy asked me."
"Aislin came with us," Giles continued. "We came home to try to find a way to cure you, only to learn that a demon was resident in your body, and had been since you restored Angel's soul. It was able to surface because you were ill and weak, and it took your body. Next thing we knew, the hospital called to say you were there. We kept researching, trying to find a way to evict the demon. Xander hit on the idea to mindwalk, like you did, Willow, when Glory took Dawn."
Willow smiled at Xander. He smiled back, his relief at seeing her healthy again obvious.
"Tara and Aislin and Dawn did the spell," Buffy said. "But Dawn did most of the work. I don't know how, but she fixed everything."
"I don't know how, either," Dawn said. "It just did what felt right."
"Thank you," Willow and Buffy said at the same time.
"That leaves you, Willow. What happened?" Giles asked.
"I don't remember a lot of it. Just that it hurt. A lot," Willow said slowly. "It wouldn't stop. It was so hard not to use more magicks than I did. I saw your tag, too," Willow told Tara. "I knew I had to hang on until you could get to me."
"You were all torn up, Wills," Buffy said. "Did they do that?"
Willow furrowed her brow while she thought about Buffy's question. "I don't think so. My hands itched, with the magicks trying to get out." She looked at her hands. "I guess Dawn fixed them, too."
"What exactly happened while you were in Willow's mind?" Aislin asked.
Tara answered first. "There was a, um, lobby, I guess. There were a lot of doors, and I knew I shouldn't go any further. Buffy and Dawn had to pick one."
"How did you know which one to pick anyway?" Buffy asked Dawn.
Dawn shrugged. "I don't know, really. One seemed right."
"It was," Buffy said. "It took us into a corridor. All the doors but one were labeled, so we went in. The demon was there, and boy was it stupid. It wasn't even any work to kill it. After it was dead, Dawn touched it and there was flash and the demon was gone and the room was immaculate. We left there and went to find Wills." Buffy kissed Willow's cheek. "There was another unlabeled door, so we opened it. You were there." Buffy stopped, remembering finding Willow the second time.
"It looked like a dungeon," Dawn said. "Will was in the corner, and she didn't look too good. I gave her a choice, to stay there with her magicks or to come with us and leave the magicks. She said she wanted to come home, so I told them to close their eyes, and I put my hand on Will's head, and saw what she wanted, and I made it happen. And here we all are."
"What else can you do?" Giles asked Dawn.
"I dunno. I haven't tried to do anything. Oooo, do I have special powers now?" Her eyes got wide. "Maybe I can patrol with you guys."
"No," Buffy said immediately.
"We'll test you later," Giles said.
"No," Buffy said again.
"Buffy," Willow said, "we need to know what happened to Dawn. 'The Key will be transformed,' remember. We need to know how."
"Okay," Buffy said grudgingly. "Giles can test you. But no patrolling. Not until we get you trained."
"Really?" Dawn asked. Her excitement was obvious.
"Really," Buffy answered, then turned to Giles. "When do we do the thing with the Council?"
He got up. "I'll arrange it now," he told her, and went into the house.
"Aislin, how do you know Giles?" Willow asked.
"He's my godfather," Aislin responded. "It's been quite the experience to meet all of you after hearing so much about you."
"Giles talks about us?" Xander asked, disbelieving.
"Oh, yes. Frequently and at great length." Aislin smiled at Xander. "Most of it is complimentary."
Buffy laughed while Xander tried to decide what Aislin's statement meant. Willow shifted to move from Buffy's lap, but Buffy held her there. "I need you here," she whispered in Willow's ear, and Willow settled back against Buffy. "When they go home," Buffy continued, "we can go back to bed."
Willow flushed. She closed her eyes. Mistake, she thought, as she saw Buffy naked in her mind. Buffy's breath blew across her ear, and Willow felt a surge of wetness between her legs. One of Buffy's nipples poked her arm, and she knew Buffy knew how aroused she was. She laid her head on Buffy's shoulder and murmured, "Giles better hurry up."
As if she had summoned him, Giles appeared at the back door. He returned to them, but didn't sit. "They will be ready at eight o'clock this evening."
"Good," Buffy answered. She lifted Willow and got her feet under her before standing.
"Buffy!" Willow said indignantly. "I can walk."
"I know," Buffy answered. To the others, she said, "We'll see you then." Without waiting for an answer, she moved toward the house.
Everyone except Dawn stared at Buffy's retreating back. Dawn sighed, then turned to Tara. "Movies?" she asked.
Tara nodded, and looked at Anya. "Videofest at your place?"
Anya poked Xander in the ribs to get his attention. "You act like you've never seen anyone run off to have sex," she told him. "You should be used to it. Willow and Tara used to do it all the time."
Tara blushed. She glanced at Aislin, who smiled at her.
"Look at those two." Anya pointed at Tara and Aislin. "They'll be next." She poked Xander again. "Enough lesbian fantasies, Xander. Just for that, I'm picking the videos."
Xander turned to her. "What videos?"
"Vidfest at your place." Dawn filled him in. "No crappy sci-fi this time, either."
"Star Wars," Xander began.
"No," Anya, Dawn, and Tara said simultaneously.
"One more mention of that movie and you'll be watching a Shirley Maclaine marathon," Anya threatened.
Xander held up his hands. "Okay, okay." He stood up and held out a hand for Anya. "Giles, you coming?"
"Not this time. I have a few other things to attend to."
Tara and Aislin stood up, too. Dawn got to her feet, as well.
"Okay. Guess we'll see you back here later," Xander told Giles. "To the Xanmobile, ladies."