Finding Her Way Home
by rebelrsr
Chapter 12
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All things Buffy belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and lots of people in expensive suits. I'm not making any money here, just trying to create a happier Buffyverse for my favorite characters.
Spoilers, etc.: "Dopplegangland," "Something Blue" and everything after "The Gift."
A/N: Character thoughts are enclosed by **. Flashbacks are enclosed by //. Thanks to Zenithar and Zigpal for the beta and encouragement! I couldn't do it without you.
Archiving: By permission only
Willow laughed and the other women looked at her in surprise. "Oh, come on, don't you think this is getting just a it much? The return of a long lost daughter and her magical mysteries. Now, a phone call? I'm thinking it's probably not of the good."
Kirstan stood first. "Then why laugh?"
The younger girl dragged herself to her feet. "Because not laughing leads to crying."
"Makes sense," the ex-Slayer nodded. "Coming, Jenny?"
Groaning, the older witch nodded. "A little help, though?" Kirstan grasped her outstretched hand and pulled her up. "Thanks, lover. Well, then, shall we find out just how bad this is about to get?" She moved past daughter and wife to unlock the door.
Drew stood uncertainly in the hallway. "Sorry to interrupt. It's just..." she trailed off.
"I'm going out on a limb here. The message had to do with me." Willow had no doubts about that.
The younger girl's eyes widened. "Um, it might have been." She shrugged. "It was a Watcher named Rupert Giles. He didn't say much, though. Just said Mama had been recommended by a friend of his."
"Girls, it would be helpful to actually listen to the message," Kirstan commented. She glared at her daughters. "Stop blocking the hallway so your mother and I can find out what's going on."
The two redheads obligingly walked down the hall to the kitchen. Hopping onto a stool, Willow commented, "Giles is Buffy's Watcher." Reality intruded. "Damn. If Giles is calling for Jennifer, something must be really wrong. Tara's a strong witch."
"Before we all go into panic mode, why don't we listen to the message?" Kirstan asked dryly.
"Right. Good idea." Willow blushed.
Jennifer chuckled and pressed the play button on the answering machine. Giles' warm voice poured into the room.
"Mrs. Hirsch, my name is Rupert Giles. I have a bit of a situation, and you were recommended as a possible source of help. A young witch in the area may be in danger." There was a long pause, and then the speaker cleared his throat. "These bloody machines...I apologize if this doesn't make much sense. Could you perhaps call me directly? My number is 00-01884-960008."
All four women looked at each other. "OK. If he's calling about me, why doesn't he know I'm already here and that you're my mother?" the ex-Scooby wanted to know. "Dawnie knows all about you. I'm sure she's forgiven Buffy enough to tell her the phone number. I just don't understand."
"Could he mean your ex?" Drew asked.
The thought of Tara needed any kind of help made Willow sick. "Maybe. There could be a new Big Bad in town." She frowned. "I need to call Buffy and find out what's going on." She moved toward the phone.
A firm hand grasped her shoulder from behind. "No, sweetie. You can't"
Spinning in Kirstan's hold, the young witch demanded, "Why the hell not?"
The ex-Slayer smiled sadly. "Because Jenny thinks we need to sequester you until you've got better control over the magic."
"You have to find your center, Willow." Jennifer joined the conversation. "Right now, the magic doesn't have a secure place to ground. It's fluctuating with your emotion."
Willow shook her head in denial. "I've got a temporary barrier in place. I just need to find a way to fuse it, and I'll be OK." She looked pleading at both of her parents. "I can't let anything happen them. They were my family. They are my family."
"Look, I'll call Mr. Giles back and get more information. Don't panic just yet." Jennifer wrapped her arms around the distraught girl.
Struggling to control her emotions and push back another surge of power, Willow agreed. "OK. No panicking yet. But I reserve the right to freak out if there's something really wrong." Jennifer's laughter vibrated through her. "Could we call Giles now?"
"It's only late evening there," Kirstan said. "Jenny?"
"Yeah. I think we'll all feel better once we've got more information." She pulled back from Willow. "Drew, hand me the phone."
"Sure." The youngest group member grabbed the handset and passed it to Jennifer.
The oldest witch dialed the long number and waited. After several minutes, she frowned and disconnected the call. "That was weird. The international operator said the number was no longer in service."
***
For the first time since coming back from the dead, the Slayer felt a surge of hope. Not only was there a witch strong enough to help train Willow, but the woman was also the redhead's mother. Sinking onto the bed, Buffy stared sightlessly at the ceiling. She missed her friend; missed talking with her about the Slaying and Dawnie. Maybe it was time to tell the other girl just how sorry she was for everything. Discarding Giles' entreaty to wait a while, the blonde mulled over her options. She could call the number on the two notes. Or she could borrow Xander's car and drive out to see Willow in person.
The Slayer knew she had to apologize in person. Taking a deep breath and forcing herself to think things through a little, Buffy planned for her trip. Getting up, she grabbed a duffel bag from the closet and packed some clothes and weapons. She moved downstairs to the kitchen. Picking up the phone, she dialed Xander's number while searching for paper and pencil.
"Hello?" Xander asked.
"Hey, Xan. I let Tara borrow the Jeep earlier, but it looks like I need to take a road trip myself. Is there any chance you could loan me your car until tomorrow?"
A long pause made the blonde nervous. "Umm, I guess so, Buffy."
"If it's a problem, I understand." She didn't really understand. She needed to make this trip, but there was no way she could explain everything to the young man on the phone.
"No, no, Buff. It's just — you know, you and driving don't always mix very well."
In another time and place, the Slayer might have joked about her driving abilities. Today, fatigue and emotional upheaval kept her from playing along. "Yeah. Look, Xan, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. I promise I'll bring the car back in one piece." The words sounded flat, cold.
Responding to the brusque tone, her friend responded, "You OK? Cause you sound a little scary."
He deserved at least part of the saga. "There's something big headed this way. Giles is looking for information, and then he's flying back here. I've got the name and address of a witch an hour or so out of town who might be able to give us a hand. I thought I'd go and talk to her in person." She tried to lighten the mood. "Explaining about the weirdness here never goes well over the phone."
"You do have a point. So, Big Bad...Let me guess, there's an apocalypse and a prophecy and we're all gonna die."
"Yep. Same as always, Xander." Buffy finally found the pencil and paper she needed in a drawer. Scribbling a brief note for her sister, she waited for her friend's words.
"OK, Buffy. The car is yours." She could hear the worry in his voice. "No way is the X-car more important than preventing the end of the world. Stop by whenever and I'll give you the keys."
"Thanks, Xander." Buffy marveled at the way the Scoobies continued to support her. "I just need to leave a note for Dawn and I'll be over." She mumbled a good bye and hung up.
Hunting for her purse and keys took longer than it should have. Finally locating the items, the Slayer taped Dawn's note to the stovetop and dropped twenty dollars next to it before grabbing her things and heading to Xander's
***
Two hours later, the blonde double checked the address before pulling into a gravel drive bounded by imposing brick columns. She braked just past the entrance to wipe sweaty palms on her jeans. Now that she was here, Buffy was afraid Willow wouldn't be happy to see her. Still, it was too late to turn back. Whatever the young witch felt, the Slayer had a new Evil to defeat. Driving slowly up the drive, the blonde gathered her composure.
It took almost ten minutes before Buffy spotted the house. The sprawling two-story building embraced a central courtyard. To the right, Buffy glimpsed other structures. The place was huge. She pulled into the courtyard and parked the car. As she climbed out, a redheaded figure emerged from the house. Shading her eyes against the glare, the Slayer grinned.
"Will!" she shouted and waved at the girl.
A small hand waved back.
Buffy bounced down the narrow gravel pathway that led to the main portion of the house. "Hey, I was worried about you! Looks like you're doing OK, though." Not slowing in the slightest, the Slayer took the porch stairs in a single leap and grabbed her oldest and dearest in a bear hug. "Missed you so much," she choked out.
The stiffness in the body she held indicated something was wrong. "Will? Please don't be mad. I'm so sorry about everything. Tara and I, we figured out what really happened." She leaned back, looking at the freckled face above her. "Fuck! Who the hell are you?"
"Dorian," the girl replied. She stepped away from the stunned Slayer. "Willow's my sister."
"Oh," was all the blonde managed.
A familiar, quirky grin greeted her response. "Willow's out in the training barn with Drew. Why don't I take you on back?"
***
Willow sat with Drew in the training barn, shielding stretched in blue and green arcs between them. Where the powerful barriers brushed together, sparks blazed and a dissonant buzzing filled the air.
"Relax, big sister," the younger Hirsch said quietly. "This isn't a contest. I know you're way stronger than me. Pull back a little and feel the energy. You aren't trying to overpower my shield. You want to match it."
Working hard to relax into a trance-state, Willow unfocused her eyes and peered at the green energy forming a half circle around Drew. She looked too hard. She sensed more than just the shield. Energy patterns flared in her mind and she automatically named the various patterns. Jennifer was in the kitchen, trying to reach Giles. Flowing farther from the barn, the redhead watched for a minute as Kirstan and Morgan worked with several horses.
"Hey. Where did you go? Mama's going to ask how this went. I'm not the one who's explaining why this simple little exercise was a bust," Drew pointed out.
Internally acknowledging the rebuke, the older girl began to reel in her inner sight. However, as she moved past the house, Willow sensed a very familiar energy pattern. "Buffy!" she said aloud. Narrowing her focus, she basked in the Slayer's presence. *Damn, I wish I was already there,* the witch thought. It would take a while to safely ground the shield energy.
The magic inside responded to her desire. The redhead literally felt her essence float from her body, forming an astral figure that raced out of the barn to the Slayer. Mere seconds passed. Astral Willow watched in amusement as the blonde ran up to Dorian and grabbed her in an exuberant embrace. She moved closer and heard her old friend talking.
*"Will? Please don't be mad. I'm so sorry about everything. Tara and I, we figured out what really happened."*
The words brought back images of the last days in Sunnydale: the arguments and accusations; the stony silences and looks of disapproval. Those memories hurt — and the hurt bled into anger. Willow tried to stop the dark and vengeful emotion, but it built too quickly. Power quickened through her channels and the witch watched in disbelief as large pieces of debris exploded from the makeshift barrier around her reservoir.
Silently screaming Buffy's name, she fought the wave of magic leaping toward her friend.