Finding Her Way Home
by rebelrsr
Chapter 45
[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 Ivy for the preread and Zigpal and Lilly 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*.
"That means we have to move fast." Jennifer jumped into the conversation. "Can we get to Spike before the First finds him?"
Willow glanced at Cordelia. Both of their visions showed Spike already taking part in the ritual. "Cordy? You're the expert on PtB messages. What do you think?"
"Nothing you're going to like." Cordelia shifted on the couch, pressing closer to Angel. "Sometimes we've had enough time to get to the victim before the demon, but...it looked like Spike had been there for a while."
All the wounds and the blood. Willow closed her eyes, remembering. "So, if we don't get there first, we only have one option."
No one said the words, yet they hung heavily in the air.
"Even k-killing Spike might not b-be enough, Willow," Tara said softly. "If we arrive after the ritual has st-started, his blood will have already unlocked the Seal. We need a way to c-close up the Hellmouth again."
"Ah..." Willow looked up at a very uncomfortable-looking Dawn. "Experience says that what opens also closes," Dawn said, meeting Willow's eyes. "I'm sorry, Will. I really am. Spike isn't going to walk away from this one."
Staring at her clenched hands, Willow accepted the truth of that statement. "You're right, Dawnie." She'd simply have to find a way to break it to Buffy. "We know how to close the Seal. We know where the ritual is taking place."
"And we know the First's timetable." Angel stood and smiled. The tips of his fangs gleamed. "Anybody up for a trip to Sunnydale?"
"I'll go." Willow's head nearly came off it snapped around so fast. "You'll need an experienced witch for this," Jennifer said firmly. "It may have been a long time since my last fight with evil, but I'm sure I remember how it works."
Narrowing her eyes, Willow prepared for a fight of her own. "Sorry, Mama. I'll be the one going. You can..."
Suddenly, she was talking to an outthrust palm.
"You can't go, Willow," Jennifer responded calmly.
Willow sensed more than saw the people around her edging away. "Yes, I can." She leaned forward, hands on knees. "In fact, I've got way more experience than you and every other witch on this ranch. I'm going."
The edging away became outright fleeing. Soon, only Willow and Jennifer remained in the room.
"Listen up, daughter mine. You aren't going." Jennifer moved closer and dropped to her knees in front of Willow. "The First was in your mind. It hid there, nearly overloading your reservoir and maybe leaving hooks into your power. I'm not letting you head for a face to face meeting where it might be able to use those hooks to its advantage."
"The First isn't in my head any longer." Willow was up in a heartbeat. Glaring down at Jennifer, she refused to even consider the thought. "You were the one who told me my mind was clean. Were you wrong?"
Jennifer dropped back to rest on her heels. "Is it worth the risk to find out?"
The quiet question stopped Willow cold.
"You and Buffy aren't alone in this one, Willow. You have a family now — both of you." Jennifer stood and kissed Willow's cheek. "I'm going; you're not. It isn't up for any more discussion."
Willow numbly watched Jennifer stride away.
***
The small den where Buffy taken her nap a couple of days ago was crowded. Perched on the arm of the sofa, she surveyed the research team. Giles held court at the desk by the window. Faith leaned against his shoulder, peering at the open book in front of him, while the rest of the group sat on chairs and the floor around them.
"There is frightfully little to go on, I'm afraid." Giles tossed his glasses onto the book and rubbed his eyes.
Faith reached out and moved them. "What about this?" she asked, pointing to something.
Buffy sighed. Research. Did it ever end?
"Yes, thank you, Faith." Putting his glasses back on, Giles bent back to the book. "Yes, that's it exactly."
Excitement edged out the boredom. Straightening, Buffy stood and stretched. "You got a location on the Scythe?"
"No," Faith and Giles said in unison.
"Then what's with the 'that's it exactly,'" she mimicked. "And since when did you start replacing Will as Research Gal?" Buffy demanded of Faith.
Drew waved a hand. The Willow-like gesture distracted Buffy.
Turning, she tilted her head. "You got the location?" Please, she mentally added. All this sitting was driving her mad.
"Maybe," Drew answered. "When you and Willow were going over the dream, she mentioned Restfield. Since it was a Slayer dream, doesn't that mean the Scythe is there?"
It couldn't be that easy.
Buffy shot Giles a pleading look. "Is she right, Giles? Does that mean we should try Restfield?" The excitement was back. The Slayer woke slightly, energy coursing through Buffy in a tingling rush.
"Well, I..." Buffy knew where Giles was headed as he stumbled over the words. "...I suppose that might be the case. There hasn't been an in-depth study on Slayer dreams before, you know."
"I know. I remember you saying that the first time I had one." Buffy managed a small smile to take the sting out of that comment.
"Restfield's a rather large cemetery, is it not?" Buffy didn't recognize the tiny woman next to Drew. That didn't mean she didn't immediately think 'Watcher' from the accent and the Tweed patches on her elbows.
Nodding, Buffy agreed. "The biggest, actually. Why?"
"Did you intend to simply wander around, peering behind headstones in the hopes the Scythe would be in plain view?" the woman asked derisively.
A rumble began deep inside. The Slayer didn't like this woman any more than Buffy.
Drew's hand waved again.
"Kid, we ain't in school. If you got something to say, just spit it out." Faith sounded as frustrated as Buffy felt.
"Sorry." Drew blushed and shrank back on the couch. "Um...Buffy, did you and Willow see anything else in the dream? I mean, we just got the highlights, I'm sure. If you remember any of the details, it might help." A tiny grin flickered across her lips. "Fewer headstones to peer around."
Buffy bit back a laugh as the unknown Watcher frowned, lips pressing together tightly.
"She's got a point, B. You remember anything we can use?" Faith leaned against the back of Giles' chair.
"Maybe." Closing her eyes again, Buffy replayed the dream. It had never faded. The details were as bright and crisp as they had been the first time. "We were walking through Restfield, talking about going to the mall," she mumbled, lost in the memory. "I heard something and went running off. There were a couple of vamps. I dusted them just as Will caught up."
She could see the row of tombstones and one large mausoleum in front of her. There was a name etched in to the stone. It was...
"Aaronson!" Buffy's eyes popped open. "The Aaronson mausoleum. That's where I got the Scythe."
***
"Then what the hell are we waiting for?" Faith pushed away from Giles' chair. "I'm ready for some fucking action. Been sitting around talking way the fuck too much."
She stopped after just a few steps when no one else moved.
"Surely you don't think we're letting you go alone?" The woman had been irritating when she'd questioned Buffy. Now, though...Faith gritted her teeth to keep from growling as the nasally voice droned on, "There should be at least one Watcher with you."
Faith vowed right then that she would ask Wesley along before this woman volunteered.
As if he'd heard her thoughts, Wesley stood up. "Well, then, ladies. I think we need weapons for our trip."
Resuming her trek to the door, Faith called out, "You want a sword, B? I think I saw some in the training barn earlier." Not waiting for an answer, she picked up her pace. Prison hadn't been big on vampires or demons, and the Bringer had been over too quickly. Nearly dizzy from the rising anticipation, Faith almost careened into Kirsten in the hallway.
"Watch where you're going, little girl! You came close to skewering yourself," Kirsten snapped.
Faith looked down. The deadly tip of gleaming steel was less than an inch from her stomach. "Fuck."
It dropped as Kirsten lowered her arm. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
"Sunnydale," Faith announced. Her eyes tracked the sword until the blade rested on the floor. "Why are you running around with that? We got trouble on the way?"
"No," Kirstan replied with a snort. "Not yet, anyway. Grab your gear and your crew, though. The vans are leaving in a few."