North and South...and West
by Rin
Private War
[reviews]
A/n: I just want to apologize ahead of time if I offend anybody. Also, it's time for my M. Night Shyamalan moment...
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"No...absolutely not. I won't show, and there's no way you can make me." Willow set her resolve. It was one hour before she was to show up for the duel, and she was still refusing. Was dueling even legal anymore? Was it ever?
"You have the chance to end this debauchery once and for all." Dr. Giles was determined, and was growing wearier by the minute.
"There's another way. We'll find another way. I won't do this." Willow moved into the kitchen, and kissed Buffy on the cheek. Joyce and Dawn were currently taking baby Samuel on a walk outside, while the other ladies (except for Drusilla, who was playing with her dolls) were busy in the kitchen. Tara had even pitched in to help. "We're finished with this discussion."
"You don't understand." Dr. Giles was about to yell at this young man.
"I understand perfectly. You accepted a duel without my consent. I'm not going through with this barbaric act. I don't care about my pride." Will set her resolve, and made it clear in her facial expression that there would be no more discussion.
"You have married the most stubborn man." Dr. Giles rubbed his temple before a small smirk appeared on his face. "I dare say, you're the perfect match."
"You should've known better anyways, Giles." Buffy glared at the older man, and wiped her wet hands on her apron.
There was no more discussion, as the good doctor went into the library to continue reading, and the women (and Will) finished making lunch and prepared supper. The rest of the afternoon was spent in calmness, as the sun began to set on them all.
As everybody began to settle into bed for the evening, there was a crash of a window breaking. On the lawn, there were several men, dressed in white sheets and hoods, holding torches, and yelling obscenities. Dr. Giles, Forrest, and William grabbed shotguns from the front cabinet. Joyce had Dawn, Mary, and Susie come into her room, while Buffy had Tara in her room with Samuel. Willow finally unpacked the pistol Sam had given her, and loaded it before making her way downstairs with the other men.
"Give us the Yankee!" Some man had shouted.
"Bring out the coward!" Another yelled.
"Get them n@(%*^s outta there!"
"Sinners!"
"You'll all burn!" Finally, Giles opened the door, and the other three men flanked behind him, standing in a military-like formation.
"You'll leave this property, if you know what's good for you all." Giles and the others aimed their guns, though Willow only had hers to the side, ready just in case but not aiming it directly. "We've done you no harm, so just leave us be."
"No can do. You see, we hear there's a coward among you n#$(%r lovers. We want him." The leader (who sounded quite similar to Riley Finn) stood his ground, waving his torch in the air for emphasis. "This is your only warning."
"Step back, young man, or I will be forced to shoot." Dr. Giles aimed for the leader, who only stood his ground.
That's when there was a gun blast from the crowd, and Giles only aimed further, after making sure nobody was harmed. Another blast, and William was nicked in the shoulder, holding his gun to the side, so he could grip his wound. Willow was the one who saw him first. Acting on instinct, she fired at the gunman, blowing his last round into the air as he fell back. The crowd gasped at the blood staining his white sheets.
The leader panicked, as he rushed over to his fallen comrade. There was too much blood. He looked up to see the doctor, his doctor, staring in shock at the sight before him. Giles rushed down the stairs, and knelt by the wounded man. He tore off his face sheet to uncover Warren Mears himself. Checking for a pulse, he found nothing there. The young man was dead. The leader grabbed his friend, and had another member help him carry the body, as they ran away from the plantation but not before they set the old slave quarters on fire.
The smoke billowed from the old buildings, and the four men stood in shock. Giles turned around, a forlorn look on his face.
"There's nothing we can do. I have to extract the bullet, and salve William's wound." He took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, Doctor. I never really cared much for it anyways." Forrest watched as Dr. Giles ushered William in the house. Will just stood there, staring at the ground where Warren Mears had fallen. He had killed a man. What would happen now?
There was a commotion, as Dawn rushed down the stairs, screaming something about being shot. Willow panicked again, and rushed inside the house to check on the baby. Rushing upstairs, she checked on Buffy, only to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing her standing, and the baby still in the bassinet. However, there was an unmoving body on the floor by the window, and all red left Willow's cheeks. Tara lay lifeless on the floor before them, one solid shot through her chest.
"It...I...she...she was just standing there, and something crashed through the window. I thought it was...I thought it was a rock...but I was splattered with blood, and Tara said something about my nightgown before falling to the floor. She...she was shot." Buffy was on the verge of disbelieving tears. "How did this happen?"
"It was Riley Finn, and the Klan. I'd recognize that voice anywhere." Joyce said from the doorway. "Is the baby okay?"
"He's fine...but..." Buffy felt guilty that she was relieved the baby was unharmed, when there was a dead body, one that had given birth to said baby not even two weeks ago, on the floor before them.
"I know. I'll send Rupert into town to fetch the sheriff once he patches William's arm." Joyce closed her eyes. Tara had seemed like such a sweet girl, and she was taking care of her grandson. "Meanwhile, I'll have Forrest move the bassinet to one of the guest rooms, and ya can stay there for the night. Get some rest because I fear we'll have to part ways in the mornin'."
"Mother?" Buffy sounded so weak. They weren't supposed to leave for another three days. Now, their trip was being cut short because of some idiots in white sheets.
"I know, baby. Just get some rest." Joyce turned away, afraid to show Buffy there were tears in her eyes. She had to be strong, and get them through this.
"Will?" Buffy turned to Willow, and immediately fell into the redhead's arms, tears threatening to spill finally. "I'm scared."
"I know, I know." Willow just stared at the dead body on the floor, a similar wound to the one she had inflicted moments ago. When Forrest came into the room, no words were said, as Willow picked up the baby, and ushered Buffy out of her bedroom. Forrest hauled the bassinet down the hall, and left the family to themselves. He wanted to make sure his mama and sister were okay.
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Willow couldn't sleep, as she stared at the wall beside her, wide-eyed. Sure, she'd shot men in the war but that was different. She didn't have a name, or have the surety that the men were dead. She'd always shot in the leg and hand, just to incapacitate the other shooters. No, this was different. She'd shot a man in cold blood.
The sheriff and deputy made a trip to the plantation, and took in the crime scene. Buffy and Willow stayed in the guest room but William (arm in a sling) had come by the room to inform his brother-in-law that he highly doubted Riley Finn would take Warren's death to the police because of their activities during the 'unfortunate incident,' though Giles concluded that it was a stray bullet that caught their nurse. William made it sound so proper, and not as vile but Willow still didn't feel any better about taking another life.
She told Buffy what had happened, and her wife let her cry in her bosom, to let it out of her system. Joyce had come in after hearing what happened, and made arrangements for them to be on the next train back to Washington in the morning. They would be taking Tara's body with them, as they knew she would like to be buried by Daniel. Joyce made it clear that Riley Finn would come seeking revenge on Will, and it was best if they left as soon as possible. They would meet the coroner at the train depot in order to retrieve the body.
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"I can't believe we have to leave so soon. It feels like we just got here." Buffy's deep Southern accent had returned since she'd been home, and Willow couldn't hide the slight smirk on her face, even in light of recent events. She loved that accent, and had noticed it losing some of its inflection this past year.
"I know, dear but it's for the best, and we should get Tara's body to Washington before it begins to deteriorate." Willow had arranged to pay for a coffin to transport the body in that morning. She didn't want the birth mother of their child (and a dear friend) to have to be transported in a body bag. It seemed sacrilegious somehow, and disrespectful.
"I'm glad they decided to arrange for a visit in the next few months. I didn't realize how much I've missed them all." Buffy laid her head on Will's shoulder, as baby Samuel was asleep against the redhead's shoulder. Outside the train's window, the trees were moving by quickly, and the tracks rattled and jerked the cars. "I hope they visit sooner than later. Dawn promised to write if they heard anything in the next few days."
"When we get home, I'll place an order to import some of Liebig's new soluble food, and some India-rubber nipples for bottles. I read that the new formula is much healthier than the baby food books your mother gave us." Willow needed to put her mind on a task. When she could sleep, all she could see was blood. "We can just say you weren't producing sufficient milk. It shouldn't be a problem."
"Slow down for a minute, will ya?" Buffy was worried about her husband. Willow had avoided talking any further about killing Warren Mears, and it seemed like the redhead was holding back her guilt and grief. She could try to convince her that the world was less one more evil man but taking another life like that is harder than just a simple reassurance. "I love you, okay?"
"I love you, too." Willow released one of her hands from the hold she had on the sleeping Samuel, and grasped Buffy's in her lap. "I'm just not ready to talk about it yet, okay? Give me a few more days. Let's get settled back at home. Once the excitement wears off, then I'll deal. I promise. I won't let this put a damper on our marriage."
"We have a lot to discuss when we get home." Buffy remembered the packages from the Harris family, and blushed. "We can wait to discuss the 'presents' from Xander and Anya until we get everything sorted, okay? I love to watch you blush and squirm in embarrassment but not when we have somethin' like this hangin' over our heads."
"Oh, goody. Another apocalypse on hold." Willow blushed, as she too remembered the package. "Thank you...for being here, with me. We'll get through this. Right now, there's just a lot to deal with."
"Let's try to get some rest, okay? Maybe it'll make the trip seem shorter." Buffy rested her entire body against Willow, and closed her eyes. The redhead moved Samuel in a waddling position, and just rested her head against the blonde's. She couldn't sleep, which was probably a good thing, since there was really no place she felt safe enough to place the baby to sleep. They'd already lost too many people. She'd be damned if their baby was the next on the list.