The Good, The Bad and The Fangy
by dawnm
Destiny & Philosophy
[reviews]
Dedicated to the one I love. You know who you are... ;-)
Chapter 16 — Destiny & Philosophy
A knock at the door announced the watcher's arrival and Willow got up from the sofa to let him in.
"Good morning, Willow."
"Hi, Giles. Come in."
"I wanted to return this." He said, handing her the laptop as he entered. "It was necessary to read your email. That's how I learned about the spell and was able to bring you home."
"Believe me, I'm glad you did." Willow said. "Thanks for bringing it back to me."
"So...what did you want to talk to us about?" Buffy asked, anxious to get done with the business and back to the fun.
"Ah, yes. Well, after our chat yesterday, I was thinking about what you told me about this Bacchus and something about him seemed familiar. I did a bit of research and turned up something rather interesting."
"Yes?" Buffy prodded.
"There was mention of him in the Codex. Of course, when I had translated those passages two years ago, I assumed that they referred to an earlier slayer because of the time frame involved."
"What are you getting at, Giles?"
"This did not happen by chance." The watcher said, leveling his gaze at the slayer and hacker.
"But Kronos sent Xena and Gabrielle here and then the spell I cast...it sent us there. It was an accident." Willow said.
"It was predestined." Giles corrected, opening the Codex to the relevant page. "Perhaps Kronos played a role. Perhaps that's why he sent them to this time and place. We may never know precisely how, but I assure you it was no accident. Everything that is written in the Codex comes to pass."
"What exactly does it say?" Willow asked curiously, peering over the watcher's shoulder.
"The passage in question, when translated, states that the slayer will encounter a great warrior. That would be Xena, I presume." Giles said, looking up from the book.
Buffy nodded. "Yeah. That's a pretty safe bet."
"Together they will fight the lesser demons." Giles recounted.
"The Bacchae."
"This part is a bit vague. Both warrior and slayer will face Bacchus, but neither will defeat him. Love will be his downfall." The watcher looked up at Buffy. "Perhaps you can shed some more light on exactly how you killed him."
"I stabbed him in the chest with a bone." Buffy said.
"Didn't Xena say that she tried to kill him first?" Willow asked.
"She did. She stabbed him with a bone right through the heart, but it didn't faze him. He said only a Bacchae could kill him. Then I did the same thing and poof. I figured it was a slayer thing." Buffy said with a shrug.
"Not according to the Codex." Giles pointed out, rereading the last line. "Love will be his downfall."
"I'm telling you Giles, I killed him." Buffy insisted. Willow leaned in to whisper in the slayer's ear and Buffy's eyes widened. "Right. Of course...that makes sense." She said meeting the hacker's gaze.
Giles watched the exchange that ended with the two girls making goo-goo eyes at each other. When neither one spoke up, the frustrated watcher took the initiative. "Would one of you care to enlighten me as to what in bloody hell is going on?"
"Are you sure you wanna know?" The slayer asked in a lilting voice.
"I wouldn't have asked you otherwise." Giles retorted, perturbed at being out of the loop.
Buffy looked at Willow and the redhead began, "Bacchus said that only a Bacchae could kill him."
"Which normally would never happen since they worship the guy." Buffy interjected.
"But I got bit and was turned into a Bacchae." The watcher's eyes widened at Willow's statement.
"And I was holding her hand when I stabbed him with the bone thingy." Buffy said matter-of-factly.
When the flow of information stopped, the watcher prompted, "And?"
"That's it." Buffy said.
"But the Codex indicates that..."
"Love will be his downfall." Buffy filled in, meeting his gaze.
After a moment's pause, realization dawned in the watcher's eyes and he looked away. He began to fidget with his glasses and it was clear that he finally understood. "Yes, well..." The watcher said, wanting nothing more than to escape.
"You wanted to know." Buffy shrugged at his obvious discomfort. "So, now you know."
"Well...I think that's enough information for now." He said uncomfortably. "There is one other thing that I should mention, however. The Codex referred to this as your first encounter with the warrior."
"First?" Buffy leveled the question at the watcher.
"Does that mean that we'll be seeing them again?" Willow asked excitedly.
"From the wording of the passage, I'd say it's certain that your paths will cross again." Buffy gave Willow's hand a squeeze and their eyes met as they shared a smile. "Oh, and I discovered this in my research and thought you might find it interesting." Giles added, handing Buffy the other book that he'd been holding.
The slayer looked at it unimpressed before handing the book to Willow. "What is it?"
"It is a very rare copy of a collection of ancient writings. It's not the complete set, but it does include the English translation. The scrolls are about your friend Xena. They were written by someone called the bard of Poteidaia."
"Gabrielle!" Willow and Buffy answered in unison.
"I thought perhaps you'd like to take a look."
"Thank you so much, Giles." Willow gushed, running her hand over the gold lettering on the cover of the leather-bound volume. "This is amazing."
"Yes, well, I suppose I should be getting back to the library." The watcher said, moving toward the door.
"I'll walk you out." Buffy offered, rising to follow him. When they reached the door, the slayer asked, "How did everything go with Faith?"
"The council picked her up last night." Giles replied. "I called to check in this morning and they confirmed that they had arrived in England without any problems."
"What happens now?"
"I suspect that they will work to rehabilitate and retrain her and if all goes well within a year or two, she will be returned to duty."
"Well, that's good, right?" Buffy asked, looking at the watcher for confirmation.
"Right." Giles agreed. After an awkward pause, he added, "So, I'll be seeing the two of you tomorrow?"
"Bright and early." Buffy said. "And Giles...thanks. For bringing us home and for finding the scrolls and for everything."
"Just glad to have you back." The watcher replied, a bit uncomfortable.
"It's good to be back. It's true what they say...there's no place like home, even if it is on a Hellmouth." The slayer said with a half-laugh.
When the watcher had gone, Willow looked up from the book with an awestruck expression. "Can you believe that we have some of Gabrielle's scrolls?"
"What about all of that stuff about the Codex?" Buffy pointed out.
"Oh, I know. It's amazing to think that all of this was meant to happen. You were destined to meet Xena and go to Ancient Greece."
"Not just me, Will. We were destined to meet Xena and go to Ancient Greece." Buffy said, pulling Willow toward the sofa. "Without you, I never could have beaten Bacchus. Just because you love me."
"Or because you love me." Willow countered, lying down on the sofa beside her girlfriend.
"I think maybe it was a little of both." Buffy chuckled.
"Thanks for not slaying me, you know, while I was a Bacchae." The redhead said.
"You have no idea how scared I was." Buffy traced the line of Willow's face and smiled at her tenderly. "Before that, I think the worst thing I ever faced was going up against the Master." She took a deep breath before continuing. "When I looked at you and saw a demon instead of my Willow...I can't even describe what I felt when I thought I'd lost you. My brain went on permanent vacation. I don't know how I managed to function at all. Just instinct I guess."
"When you killed Bacchus, it was like I woke up. And the last thing I knew before that was being in the cemetery before Gabrielle bit me. I don't really remember anything in between."
"That's probably a good thing."
The redhead's face took on a sullen expression. "Maybe, but...I could have hurt you, Buffy."
Buffy shook her head. "When I found you in Bacchus' lair, you could have attacked me if you wanted to. And you would have won too because I couldn't have killed you. But part of my Willow was still in there somewhere, behind the freaky yellow eyes and the fangs, and you just stood there looking at me. Then, you let me take your hand, we walked over to Bacchus and we killed him." Buffy lifted Willow's chin to meet her gaze. "I think it was the happiest moment of my life when I looked at you and saw these pretty green eyes again."
The hacker didn't know what to say. A tear of relief or happiness rolled down her cheek unnoticed as she searched Buffy's eyes, admiring each fleck of gold in the hazel depths. "You have the most amazing eyes, Buffy." Willow vocalized the thought without even realizing it.
The blonde smiled shyly. "I'm...glad you like them."
"They get darker when you're sad...and sparkle when you're happy. And when you laugh, they dance. I always know how you're feeling just by looking into your eyes."
"What do you see right now?" Buffy asked softly.
The mixture of intensity and tenderness in the slayer's eyes made it hard for Willow to form words, but the answer was simple. "How much you love me."
Buffy answered with a vulnerable smile and they moved into each other's arms, holding on tight while they waited for the world to stop spinning. Sinking into the warmth and softness, Willow sighed into Buffy's hair and pulled the slayer closer. One small kiss sent two hearts racing and the redhead pulled away and rose from the sofa. A question flashed in Buffy's eyes, but quickly faded when Willow held out her hand.
Neither spoke as the hacker led the way up the stairs and into her bedroom. Crippled by resurgent shyness, they stood hand in hand in the middle of the room, both wondering at their first-time fears when this would actually be their second time together.
Buffy finally broke the silence. "We...we don't have to...."
The slayer's sudden bout of shyness brought a small smile to Willow's lips. Shy Buffy was a rarity and the hacker found her utterly disarming. Unable to resist, Willow leaned in to kiss the slayer's lips. The kiss ended all too soon for Buffy's liking and she wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist and pulled her close. "I love you, you know."
Willow smiled and snuggled closer, whispering against Buffy's neck. "I know. I love you, too, Buffy." A shiver ran down the slayer's spine and she buried her face in the hacker's hair with a soft sigh.
"Mmmm...do you have any idea how great you smell?" Buffy asked.
The redhead giggled softly and nuzzled the slayer's throat, brushing her lips across the sensitive skin. "So soft."
The blonde tensed at the contact and chuckled lightly. "Willow Rosenberg...I believe you're trying to seduce me."
"Uh huh." Willow eagerly admitted. Buffy laughed appreciatively. "How am I doing?" The redhead asked, placing a lingering kiss on silky skin.
The slayer shuddered. "Definitely an A+, Will."
Willow blushed. "Now who's trying to seduce who?"
"What do you mean?" Buffy asked innocently, turning her attention to the kissable flesh behind the redhead's ear.
"Ahhh...I...um, mean...you know how I...like good grades." Willow finally managed to get out.
Buffy moved to smile at the hacker and captured her lips in a slow, sweet kiss. When they had made love by the lake, it was with a blinding need to be close and the urgency of the moment allowed little time for the simple pleasures. This time they moved at a lingering pace, immersed in intimate discovery with every touch. Their kisses were slow and tender with lengthy pauses between that each spent undressing the other.
When their clothing was cast aside, they took turns with eyes, hands and mouths, slowly discovering all that they had missed in their haste days before. A blush rose on the slayer's cheeks as Willow trailed her hands over every inch of exposed skin. With a small smile on her lips, the redhead followed her hands with intent green eyes, memorizing each place that she touched. When Willow moved closer, committed to making a third trip across the slayer's flesh, this time with her lips as guide, Buffy's knees threatened to give out. She wondered how, without the benefit of slayer strength, the redhead was still standing
"Will..." Her voice was pleading. "Can we maybe...." Buffy cast a desperate glance at the bed and the redhead got the message. She pulled the slayer to the bed and continued her exploration, only grudgingly giving up her turn when they were both breathless and Buffy could take no more.
Buffy focused her attention on Willow. The redhead bit her lower lip as her girlfriend's gaze traveled over her chest. She was wholly unprepared when gentle fingers and soft lips soon followed, leaving her shaking with desire. The hacker's mind, typically teeming with life, was like a barren wasteland at the moment. One thought echoed in her otherwise empty head: Can pleasure cause permanent brain damage?
***********************
The afternoon passed unnoticed by the slayer and hacker. It was nearing 4:00 p.m. when they first looked at the clock on the nightstand. Both of them were in desperate need of food and drink so Willow made her way down the stairs for supplies. She returned a minute later with bottled water, peanut butter, bread and the book of scrolls. Buffy took the offered book, but never opened it. She was mesmerized by the view as a certain naked redhead concentrated on assembling the peanut butter sandwiches.
After a little food and a lot of water, they discarded the rest and cuddled up together again. "You don't ever have to go home, do you?" Willow asked, snuggling into the slayer's side with a contented smile. "Cause I would miss you too much." Buffy smiled in return, until a thought invaded her mind...college. Suddenly sad, the smile quickly turned into a frown. Tension rippled through the slayer's body and the redhead looked up at her questioningly. "What's wrong? Did I...did I say something wrong?"
"No. Of course not." Buffy rushed to reassure her. "I was just thinking about college. I mean, assuming we live through graduation, you'll be leaving for college and...I'll miss you - a lot. It just kind of hit me. You know...I'm never getting out of here. I kept thinking if I stopped the Mayor or... But I was kidding myself. I mean, there is always going to be something. I'm a Sunnydale girl, no other choice."
Willow shifted onto her back and retrieved an envelope from the nightstand drawer before turning back to face a pouting Buffy. "Must be tough. I mean, here I am, I can do anything I want. I can go to any college in the country, four or five in Europe if I want."
"Please tell me you're going somewhere with this." The slayer said defeatedly.
"No." Willow said with a playful grin as she handed the envelope to Buffy. "I'm not going anywhere."
Hazel eyes lit up as the slayer made out the familiar university seal. "UC Sunnydale?"
"I will be matriculating with the Class of 2003." Willow said with a decisive nod.
"Are you serious?"
"Say...isn't that where you're going?" The redhead asked with a playful smile.
"I can't believe it! Are you serious? Ah, wait, what am I saying? You can't."
"What do you mean, I can't?"
"I won't let you." Buffy said.
"Of the two people here, which is the boss of me?"
"There are better schools."
"Sunnydale's not bad. A-and I can design my own curriculum."
"Okay, well, there are safer schools. There are safer prisons. I can't let you stay because of me." Buffy insisted.
"Actually, this isn't about you. Although I'm fond, don't get me wrong, of you. The other night, you know, being captured and all, facing off with Faith. Things just, kind of, got clear. I mean, you've been fighting evil here for three years, and I've helped some, and now we're supposed to decide what we want to do with our lives. And I just realized that that's what I want to do - fight evil, help people. I mean, I-I think it's worth doing. And I don't think you do it because you have to. It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
"I kind of love you." Hazel eyes sparkled.
"Then, shouldn't you be kissing me right about now?" The redhead teased.
Buffy tackled her then and rained kisses all over Willow's face, until another thought occurred to her and she paused. "Roomies?" She asked in a hopeful voice.
"I might be able to arrange it." The hacker noted. "A few minutes with the university's mainframe... That is, if you think you can stand to live with me."
"Heaven is a hard thing to cope with, but I think I can manage." The slayer declared, pulling Willow close and planting an enthusiastic kiss on the hacker's smiling lips.
Another hour passed before Buffy and Willow again relaxed in each other's arms. "I could stay like this forever," The redhead said breathlessly, "but...I really could use a shower."
"Now?" Buffy pouted. The hacker nodded, grinning at her pouting girlfriend. "Oh...alright, but I'll miss you." The blonde conceded. She plucked the book of scrolls from the nightstand, resigned to waiting.
"Join me?" Willow asked, a sly smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"Really? Can I?" Buffy asked wide-eyed.
"Uh huh." The redhead giggled as the blush crept up her cheeks.
"You mean it?"
"Come on...before I change my mind." Willow prodded, suddenly feeling her courage slipping.
"Wouldn't want that." Buffy said, abandoning the book and bounding out of the bed, pulling Willow up along with her and kissing the redhead feverishly.
The hacker broke the kiss, breathing heavily. "Okay...shower now? While I can still stand up?" She pleaded.
"Yes, ma'am." Buffy smiled, happily pulling Willow toward the bathroom.
The book of scrolls discarded on the bed in the slayer's haste had fallen open, revealing the final page of a story that the bard had named The Good, The Bad & The Fangy...
And so it was that we met the slayer and her wiccan companion, our Amazon sisters from a distant time and place. They introduced us to a new world, not just in the future, but within our hearts. The God of Wine was but one of the adversaries that we four defeated together, considerably less daunting than facing our own demons. In the time that we shared, we found true friendship and love. Along the way, I think we each found ourselves.
We learned the philosophy of that young slayer from the future — "Seize the moment because tomorrow you might be dead." In the lives of warriors, those words resonate with truth. The world is full of evil and great sadness, but there is also beauty and goodness and love. Sometimes you just have to look hard to find it.
Now we see it... The sky is bluer, the grass greener and the stars brighter. We smile more often, laugh more richly and love more deeply. I know in my heart that our meeting was no accident. This incredible journey was meant to be. Our lives are forever changed. And though we live ages apart, we will always be great friends, kindred spirits and sisters in arms fighting the good fight, helping people, conquering evil.
~ The End ~