Reveal
by DawnBTVS
Chapter 23
[reviews]
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, Joss, etc.
Rating: PG-13 (think Buffy show for violence/subject matter/language)
Time Frame: December, 1st Week.
Pairings: G/J, B/W, X/W
A/N: Apologies for the lengthy wait. Been swamped in school work and other curricular activities. I'll likely have more free time during Christmas Break... which can't come soon enough, heh. Side Note: College field trips rule! Going to Concord, MA this Friday and also, Within Temptation = great band. Working in pop culture references is honestly almost as fun as writing the chapters themselves too.
"Did you know about the Slayer Handbook?" Willow directed at Buffy, eyebrows furrowed in question. Buffy gritted her teeth, instead inspecting the grey skirt before frowning as the price tag fell into view. Buffy placed the skirt back.
"De handbook is a necessity for de Slayer."
"Yeah, B," Faith drawled with a smirk, taking time from peering around the store to pepper Buffy. Buffy glanced at Faith from the corner of her eye and scowled as she rifled through more skirts, not even caring what she was selecting.
Willow paused from holding up a shirt to Kendra and stared at Buffy. "Buffy?"
"You know my penchant for following orders, Will. Giles figured it'd do me no good and I agree," Buffy huffed, now perusing her selection with a low growl before returning all but a cheap looking black skirt. Buffy turned to Willow and Kendra, trying to hide the skirt by her side.
"I can't believe you wanted to shop here. You're not expecting me to actually... wear anything, are you?" Faith asked, one eyebrow arched, and arms folded.
Willow glanced at the clothes in her arms before looking up at Faith. "What's wrong with Old Navy?"
Faith regarded Willow skeptically, then swung an arm around her. "Like I'd be caught wearing any of this? Come on, B. There's gotta be a Coach store somewhere in California or surely some store that's more my taste."
"She makes a point, Buffy. As Slayers working in shadows, we should be wearing black, yes?" Kendra asked, giving a pointed look at Buffy. Buffy rolled her eyes while Willow's attention swung to Kendra in confusion.
Willow held up the clothes in her arms. "I thought you liked these?"
"Dey are... bright," Kendra remarked, earning a soft glare from Willow as the redhead turned towards Buffy.
"These look good, don't they? Are they too bright?" Willow asked Buffy, clearly seeking validation that her clothe picking was adequate. Buffy closed her eyes.
"They're fine, Will. Kendra, you're not the Slayer the whole day... usually... unless something bad happens... forget it. Some black is great but you don't need to turn into a female Vincent Price." Buffy glanced at Faith who was now wearing a displeased scowl. "Find some place in the mall, Faith, and we'll wait on you," Buffy commented. Catching Faith's growing smirk, Buffy tried her best Mom face. "In the mall. I don't need to be explaining to Giles or Quentin why you got lost."
Faith gleefully spun around, dashing her way through the crowd of patrons entering the store. Buffy sighed and glanced at Willow's scrutinizing face with confusion. "You didn't look," Willow stated, pressing the clothes against her chest.
Willow handed half the clothes to Kendra and moved past Buffy towards the changing rooms. Buffy stared at Kendra. "What?"
"You and dis... Will. Is it normal custom in your country to be friends?"
"I call us a product of Sunnydale," Buffy commented, glancing at the changing rooms before turning to glance at the tops that Willow and Kendra had been working through.
"A product?" Kendra asked, frowning as she was unable to make the connection.
Buffy nodded her head. "We're on top of the center of mystical convergence as Giles calls it. As you can see, most of the town was naïve although that'll change since half the town's bolted after a Caderyn decided to upstage David Letterman." Buffy pulled a couple tops down, briefly holding them against her chest before draping them over the skirt on her arm. "Me and Willow are tame compared to some of the stuff Sunnydale offers the world."
"Dis Willow is a civilian. You expect her to fight?"
Buffy flashed Kendra an annoyed look. "I've been training with her. Helping her adjust to the speed that most demons and vampires flash. There's more to Will than just her physicality," Buffy added with a small smile.
"Your friend is a demon?"
Buffy glared. "A witch. A natural too, so be careful although I'm more worried about Faith than you."
Kendra stared back, unsure how to take the comment. She turned. "I shall change," Kendra announced, heading towards the changing rooms. Buffy nodded, continuing to scouring over the tops.
Buffy glanced at the small pile of clothes and turned, skirting past a mother and daughter to duck into the changing room. Only two stalls were occupied and Buffy paused, wondering if ducking into Willow's stall would be greeted with warmth or embarrassment. Buffy's eyes widened as the stall door opened and Willow stood before her, staring at the blonde in surprise. "Too bright?" Willow asked, pulling the hem of the lime green top off her stomach and staring down at it.
"It looks good on you, despite its brightness. Gets my two thumbs up but... vampires are attracted to bright colors, Will," Buffy reminded the redhead. Willow smiled softly at Buffy's concern.
"I know, Buffy. I was the one reading through Giles' journals and notes while you got my audio taped readings."
Buffy gave a small smile and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm an auditory learner."
"And the sleeping?" Willow asked, the picture of innocence. Buffy just shook her head as Willow smiled. "Ooh. What'd ya pick out?"
Buffy held the tops out, letting Willow quickly inspect them through touch and sight. Willow glanced down at her own collection of tops, mentally comparing. Buffy pulled her tops back. "No comparing, Will. My tastes are slightly different from yours and besides, if you ever, not that you should, but if you ever need to borrow than you can."
"Already plotting a sleepover?" Willow asked with an impish smile.
"I'm giving Mom a week of cool off time, Will. I don't want mental overload too quickly."
Willow nodded her head, stepping back into the changing room and closing the door. "Are you gonna patrol after?"
Buffy sighed. "Stuck on the babysitting routine for the day... and night I guess. When you two are done, I wanna make sure Faith hasn't gotten herself arrested."
"Okay," Kendra and Willow chimed back.
~~~BTVS~~~
"Dis clothes shopping, is it often dat as de Slayer, you walk in public and... socialize? De handbook says de Slayer must be alone with her Watcher," Kendra stated, shopping bag in hand as Buffy and Willow walked alongside her through the empty second level.
Buffy regarded Kendra with a look. "I don't do the handbook for starters and socializing doesn't merit a beheading or a stockade."
"Aren't you worried dat a creature will attack during daylight? Possibly harm one of yer civilians... friends," Kendra amended at Buffy's hard gaze.
"Buffy can take on anything," Willow crowed, smiling at Buffy.
"My friends have plenty of field experience and, with the exception of Xander and Cordelia, although calling her a friend is really pushing the term, are all capable of defending themselves without needing to go hand to hand."
Kendra arched an eyebrow and regarded Buffy. "I thought dat De Master killed you."
Buffy grimaced. "A little, miniscule amount of time. See him around? He met a table he didn't like and in my book, that means a victory for The Slayer. Even if he did kill me," Buffy whispered quietly, turning to look ahead. Willow grabbed Buffy's hand, squeezing it with her own in an attempt at easing the Slayer's mood.
"You averted the Apocalypse," Willow commented, letting a smug look at Kendra flash for a second before disappearing into a grin.
Kendra turned, glancing from the clasped hands to the hushed whispering of a couple girls walking by. She regarded Buffy and Willow with a look but stayed silent. Willow, however, was trying to look defiant but instead was blushing and had lowered her eyes to her feet while Buffy merely pursed her lips, keeping a firm hand on Willow's hand. "Sure about the store, Will?"
Willow lifted her head. "There had to be a store that catered to vampire clothing. It is Sunnydale after all. Our best bet is there and if not well..." Willow trailed with a slight tilt of her head.
"You two are more dan friends?" Kendra inquired, her face otherwise neutral. Willow's fading blush returned as she nodded.
"We're girlfriends," Buffy said with a clipped tone. Her eyes flashed, challenging Kendra to say or do something but Kendra merely returned her focus ahead.
Willow's blush faded and a warm smile appeared as Buffy's eyes locked with hers. "You said girlfriends to another person," Willow whispered into Buffy's ear. She grinned, resting her head on Buffy's shoulder for a brief second before pulling it back. "I could go for a Mocha when you finish patrol," Willow suggested, a small glint in her eyes.
"I'm buying, huh?" Buffy said, resigning herself to the fact at Willow's nod.
"I don't have any pocket change after," Willow informed Buffy, gesturing at the Old Navy store they had just left.
Two feet clattered up to the gang. Buffy instantly let go of Willow's hand, tensing up next to Kendra, whom had also shifted her posture slightly. Willow whirled around in surprise. "I put you guys on edge this much already? Usually takes sooner," Faith quipped with a smirk. She had two bags in hand. "Caught sight of you all passing the store and assumed you were talking Greek so I figured I'd intercept before you walked outta the mall entirely."
"Joy," Buffy exhaled. "Giles wants a progress report after our patrol."
"De handbook," Kendra started but Buffy cut her off with a sharp look.
"Faith, did you use the Slayer's Handbook at all?" Buffy asked, glancing at the girl.
Faith shrugged her shoulders. "I was in The Council, B. It's like... next to The Holy Bible in that place. Get a free Slayer's Handbook with complimentary rosary bead."
Buffy pursed her lips in frustration. "Okay, new rule. Since you're on my home field, no more mentioning of this handbook. I've survived fine, don't," Buffy snarled at Kendra when the girl was ready to voice an objection, "and I'm your superior. Title or no title."
"Always this bossy?" Faith questioned, earning a look from Willow this time.
"She isn't bossy! She's been through a lot. Heck, she died so until you can say you died... not that we want you to die, not me anyway," Willow said, glancing at Buffy's furrowed brows at the implied insinuation, "or Buffy, but she's been through demon hunting puppet people and bugs disguised as teachers and oh! That invisible student that threatened to Joker you," Willow exclaimed, staring at Buffy, and clearly moving past the original point she was making.
"Was der a point?" Kendra asked softly. Willow gave her an indignant look.
"Yes! That point was um... Buffy's The Slayer and has faced more than most Slayers probably. Living on a Hellmouth too and it's not like there's one in England, right, Faith?" Willow asked, clearly annoyed at the questioning of Buffy's leadership.
"I didn't know sheep came in red," Faith returned coolly, starting to liven up a little at teasing the redhead.
Willow narrowed her eyes as Buffy and Kendra stopped. Buffy turned to Faith, trying to ease Willow. Willow stepped forward. "Well, at least I wasn't just following an old guy around who makes threats and talks rude."
"Keep piping like that, Red, and this hand might accidentally drop the bag," Faith warned, her eyes flickering to Buffy as the blonde stepped in front of Willow.
Buffy glanced behind her at Willow's quiet huff. Buffy spun back towards Faith. "I'm protecting you as much as her, Faith. Last time somebody pushed Will... I believe you probably ran into her."
Faith pursed her lips, then sidled past Buffy and Willow to the front of the group. "Council's still not sure how she got back human. Got yourself a pair of gold gloves, Ace."
"Are you sure dat dis magic is safe?" Kendra asked Buffy. Willow grumbled under her breath and handed her bag to Buffy, crossing her arms over chest, continuing to mumble darkly about what she'd do to Faith knowing the brunette could hear her.
Buffy placed the bag into her other hand, thankful for Slayer strength, and rested a hand on Willow's shoulder while glancing at Kendra. "Willow knows her boundaries and she's got my trust."
Kendra nodded and moved to step up next to Faith. Willow glanced at Buffy, biting her lower lip now. "Could I have turned her back without knowing it?"
"She was just trying to see how far she could push you, Will. The Council houses all of the magic books on the planet. Some guy probably accessed a spell and did it overnight so Faith assumed it was instantaneous. Um, could you help me?" Buffy asked, giving an embarrassed smile at the redhead.
Willow glanced at the bags in confusion. "Are they too heavy?"
"No," Buffy exclaimed, hefting the bags up with ease. "It's more the... book thing. I told Giles I could help him get a text and I can't find it anywhere. Angel hasn't come up with anything. Help?"
"Sure," Willow said, smiling slightly. "Title?"
"Arcadian Relics of A Warlock's Scrolls by Boudicca Harrell."
Willow turned to Buffy, awe in her face. "Boudicca Harrell?" Willow gasped.
"Yeah," Buffy returned, confusion evident on her face as Willow smiled.
"Buffy, Boudicca Harrell is one of the most famous witches in the British Isles. She was taught by a Marlow Vennison and she only wrote one book. Some call her a demon's apprentice while others say she was just a natural mortal."
Buffy frowned. "Where do you find the time to know all this? I barely have time to know where the Red Sea is or why A Catcher In The Rye isn't about a bratty kid."
"It's a talent. Want, I can scour the web and see if some of my contacts know anything. I'll keep you in the loop."
"Thanks," Buffy answered, brushing her lips against Willow's cheek before pulling away. "Can you take a bag?"
Willow giggled, accepting her bag back. "What," Willow started but smiled in understanding, quickly transferring the bag to her other hand. "Sly."
Buffy grinned, keeping her arm linked with Willow's as the pair continued behind Faith and Kendra.
TBC