Finding Her Way Home
by rebelrsr
Chapter 21
[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.: Pretty much 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.
A/N2: I'm mixing parts of S6 and S7 with very little regard to canon. For purposes of the fic, Dawn is over the age of consent *wink*.
"Giles!" Faith said, shocked to see the older man.
A tired smile lifted one corner of the Watcher's mouth. "Hello, Faith. I didn't expect to see you here. I hope you're doing well."
A grin flashed, showing off the brunette's dimples. "Hey, you know me, G-man. It's all good." She stepped out of the house, looking for his bags. "I usually travel light, but no bags? Didn't take you for the type."
While she and the Englishman spoke, the three girls filed passed into the foyer. "Nice place," one of them announced in an accent Faith didn't recognize. "Bit of a mess, though."
Cocking an eyebrow at her former Watcher, the Slayer looked at the trio wandering in the house. Before he could answer the unspoken question, Dawn's voice cracked out. "Hey! Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"
"Ah, ya might want to get in there before things start flying around, G-man," Faith commented.
Looking harried, he moved inside and an ear-splitting shriek wafted down the street. "Giles, ohmygod, when did you get here? Faith didn't say it was you!" The brunette Slayer peered into the house and laughed. Dawn was wrapped around Giles, hugging him tightly. Finally letting him go, the youngest Summers glared at Faith. "Why didn't you tell us it was Giles? And who are these girls?"
Raising her hands, Faith shrugged. "Hell if I know, D. You might want to give Giles a chance to answer."
Flushing a little, Dawn backed down. "Sorry, Giles. It's been a long night."
"It isn't going to get much better, I'm afraid," the older man said. "I have bad news. Perhaps we could take this into the living room. We've been traveling for days."
"Sure." Faith took charge and led them toward the living room. "If you guys don't feel up to the big conversation, the kitchen's through there." She gestured toward the doorway. The three teens brightened immediately. "Help yourselves, then. Pizza should be on the way, too." Now without the three newcomers, the trio wandered in and sat down.
Tara looked up and smiled widely. "Mr. Giles! Welcome home."
"Hello, my dear. Perhaps you could stop the clean up for a moment. I believe we all need to talk."
Faith dropped onto the couch. "Can we do a real short version? We had a freaky night and I'm done in." She yawned hugely. "'Sides, B ain't here. That means another version when she gets back."
Giles pursed his lips. "Where is Buffy?" He directed the question at the room, but looked directly at Tara.
"She's with Willow," the witch replied quietly.
"We have to go there." The Watcher took off his glasses, chewing on the earpiece. "My dears, the Evil that came through when Willow did the resurrection spell...it calls itself the First. Angel dealt with it a few years ago, and it nearly convinced him to kill himself. It is the oldest and most powerful force for the Dark the world has ever known. After the past years in semi-exile, it's returned and has been gathering an army and building strength. Two nights ago, it attacked the Council headquarters in Devonshire."
Faith sat forward. "What happened?"
Giles met her eyes. "It was destroyed — utterly. Not a single person in the building survived. All the records and texts burned to ash." He opened a satchel that had been slung across his back and took out a handful of books. "I had taken these from the library there when Buffy first called. They are all that remain of the Council's vast research. At the same time as the destruction in Devonshire, agents of the First began assassinating Watchers and their Potentials. I was able to locate three of the girls."
"Those kids in there are potential Slayers? You've got to be kidding me. They couldn't take out a newbie vamp if all three of them were working together." A knock interrupted. "I hate to think what's out there this time," Faith groused.
"It's probably the pizza guy, grumpy," Dawn teased. "I'll get it." She stood and walked to the door, opening it cautiously. As she had predicted, a teen in a multicolored shirt stood on the porch, pizza box in hand. The young brunette paid for the food and closed the door. "I'm going to take this into the kitchen. You guys want anything before I go?"
Three head shook a negative and the teen disappeared with her dinner. "Mr. Giles, were you able to find any information about the prophecy?" Tara asked.
"A few vague passages in the Watcher's Codex. Nothing concrete." He sounded frustrated. "I believe the First went after the Council to keep that information from us."
"So we got ourselves another prophecy." Faith began to pace around the room. "I hope B already knows, cause I ain't wanting to be around if she don't."
"She knows," Giles commented.
Striding around the cluttered space, the brunette went on. "She's expecting you to show up with the answers, just like always, G-man. You don't have 'em. All you got are a pile of useless books and three little girls. Stop talking. Start doing," she declared. "If we don't have enough information on this First thing, we need the whole gang here to help out. B and Red gotta come back from their vacation in the boonies and we need X-Man and his girl, too."
"I agree, Faith. It's an excellent suggestion, but I don't think we are safe here." Giles smiled slightly. "If I remember correctly, you lot call what I am proposing a 'road trip.' It would be best if we all traveled out of Sunnydale."
***
This time when Buffy opened her eyes, Willow was awake and staring back. "Someone's coming," the redhead announced.
"You mean the big evil thing?"
"No, Sweetie. There's someone coming from the house." The witch frowned. "I think it's Drew."
Pushing herself up, the Slayer grumbled. "They were all for the honeymoon. This probably isn't a wedding gift. How long do we have?"
"Not long. She's on the path leading to the cabin. Once she's through the wards, only a couple of minutes."
Dropping a gentle kiss on Willow's lips, Buffy sighed. "Not even one night to celebrate. How much do our lives suck?" She rolled out of bed and hunted down their scattered clothing. "Can you sense her mood? Should I have weapons handy?"
The redhead grimaced. "I can't tell." She pulled on shirt and pants. "She's shielded. I'd have to go through or around the barrier to read her emotions." Willow paused. "Drew just shut down the wards. You ready?"
"Truth?" Buffy tried to smile, and failed miserably. "I'm still not back to normal, and the number of Big Bads just keeps growing."
Willow moved in close, wrapping her arms around the grim Slayer. *Just remember you aren't alone anymore,* she whispered through their link. *I'll always be here for you, and there's the Scooby gang waiting to help as well.*
*I remember, Wills.* A shy, hesitant trickle of love and happiness touched the witch. Love you.
"Willow? Buffy?" A tentative voice called from the door.
"Come on in, Drew," Buffy called back. She stayed in Willow's embrace, though, trying to extend the contact as long as possible.
The door slowly opened and Willow's mirror image stepped inside. Despite the worry shadowing her eyes, she grinned at their positions. "Looks like you guys were able to settle your differences. Mom and Mama will be glad. When you try to deny the bond, it can really mess you up."
The new "couple" shared a look. "Great. Another thing to ask Giles and the Moms about," Buffy bitched. "What bad news do you have for us? Cause I know you aren't here to celebrate with us."
"I wish I was," Drew commented, meeting Buffy's hazel eyes. "Willow's back and she found her bond. This is supposed to be the best thing ever. But trouble's on the way."
"Vamp, demon, magic, or all of the above?" Willow asked calmly.
"None of the above — yet," Drew said. She looked at her sister. "I think I was expecting more freakage." She glanced at Buffy. "What the hell is up with you two? Big Evil on the way and you just stand there. I don't get it."
Grinning faintly, Buffy explained. "This is our, what, Will? Fourth, fifth apocalypse?"
"Close enough. Though, I think it's more like eight or nine."
Holding her witch's hand, the Slayer moved toward the door. "After the first couple, it gets old. I mean, there's still a rush and some fear, but you just don't think about that. It's a job." Looking back at Drew, still standing in the same place, Buffy inquired, "What's on the horizon?"
"Your Watcher and a bunch of other people are on their way here. He said he's got information on something called the First and Willow's prophecy."
"Maybe we can get some answers, Sweetie," the older redhead suggested. She felt Buffy's tension spike through their link. Giles was a touchy subject. If he had known of their bond, the damage to the relationship between Watcher and Slayer might never recover.
***
The walk back to the main house had been quiet. Buffy and Willow stayed close together, lost in thought. If Giles and the Scoobies were on the way, news wasn't of the good. They entered the large kitchen to find the all the Hirsches. "Oh, damn," Willow muttered. "If we're all here, and they're all coming...oh, damn."
Jennifer smiled at the new couple. "It might not be as bad as you think."
"Right. It's probably worse." Buffy stared unseeing across the crowded room. "My life and the lives of those around me are generally unhappy ones."
Willow didn't hesitate. Opening herself fully, she dove through the conduit linking her to the Slayer. *Enough, Buffy. We don't have time for the Depresso Gal routine. The gang's all coming. That means they have your...our back. We need to get my family ready. I don't think even Kirsten's faced off with something this big.*
The Slayer took a deep breath. "Sorry." Her voice was soft so she tried again, meeting Jennifer's eyes. "Sorry. I guess I wasn't ready for the real world to find us here." She scanned the room. "Experience says that if the Giles and the Scoobies are headed this way, we need to be ready for anything. Jennifer, we're going to need room — lots of it. A research center with all your magical texts and Internet access. Kirsten, Slayers make bad researchers. Faith is even worse than I am. Is there someplace we can burn off some excess energy?"
Smiling at her lover's rebound, Willow took a chair, watching the Slayer ready her troops.