Reveal
by DawnBTVS
Chapter 25
[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, 2nd Week.
Pairings: G/J, B/W, X/W
A/N: Here you go. Been busy with the usual. Enjoy!
Willow knelt down onto her knees and rested her hands on her thighs, staring with a determined focus at Jenny. Jenny was crouched before the redhead but was still capable of moving away at a moment's notice, something Willow's mind was acknowledging with interest. "Ready?" Jenny asked. Willow nodded, keeping her lips pursed.
Buffy leaned back, watching Giles out of the corner of her eye standing, arms crossed at his office door. A pad of paper lay on the counter next to the computer beside him. Xander was relaxing, feet outstretched while Faith had opted to take a seat on the table, "to get a better view of the action" as she had told the blonde. Kendra had even decided to join the party, seating herself on the opposite side of the table. Buffy could feel the tension rippling through her body, and the air itself. "Does she go Carrie or is it more a lightning strike?" Faith asked, the smirk on her face telling Buffy all she needed to know on where Faith stood. Buffy glared but kept quiet.
"Are we truly safe?" Kendra asked. Buffy caught Willow's arched eyebrow, even though the redhead kept her head still and eyes focused ahead.
Buffy scowled. "Yes, now shut up," Buffy hissed back icily. The last thing she wanted was Willow feeling even more anxious than she already was. The redhead had been skittish prior to Jenny showing up and had even managed to knock over two chairs just trying to get around the table.
"Will's got this in the bag, girls. She's a natural witch and therefore with her gene instilled goodness running through her body, we're safe until the end of the world," Xander added, cheerful grin in place. Buffy eyed him, wishing she could say she was that optimistic but the truth was... she had no idea what to expect but Buffy was pretty sure the circle of blue candles was a good thing. She hoped.
Willow exhaled as Jenny leaned back slightly. "Centered?"
"Yuh-huh," Willow answered, her voice barely a whisper and a squeak at that.
Jenny nodded her head, carefully stepping out of the circle of candles. She placed a pencil on the ground in front of the redhead and smiled encouragingly. "Like we practiced."
"Practiced," Willow echoed. The redhead closed her eyes.
"She isn't gonna stake us," Faith asked Buffy. The blonde snarled under her breath and shot Faith a glare. The brunette rolled her eyes and stared back at Willow, shrinking back slightly. Willow had opened her eyes and was staring directly at Faith with a sharp glare of her own.
"Willow. Focus... and calm down," Jenny instructed. Even she spared Faith a look. Faith huffed under her breath but lowered her eyes.
Willow closed her eyes and exhaled, softly counting down from ten. With each number, came a tap from her index finger to her thigh. Upon reaching one, Willow opened her eyes and stared down at the pencil. The redhead leaned forward slightly, dimly aware that her audience had mirrored her action from their seats. The pencil rose slightly, up to the middle of her knees. Willow smiled and glanced up at Jenny, getting a small nod. "Easy," Willow whispered to herself. The pencil rose in the air another inch and began to rotate end over end, like she and Jenny had been working on.
It was quiet in the room. Even Giles was holding his breath. "Novice," Faith remarked, leaning forward enough that she was almost falling off the end of the table.
"Shit."
One word. Spoken by three people.
"Oh, no."
Whispered by one person. Buffy noticed Willow's clenched fists on her lap and the quickly spiraling pencil came second into her focus. Willow's eyes were intensely focused on the pencil and the gang could see Willow mentally trying to calm down but the tension in the room, combined with Faith's remark was making it difficult. Xander eased his chair backwards. Willow glanced upward, the pencil stopping on a dime, and shooting up to embed itself in the plaster.
"Willow," Giles softly spoke, about to take a step forward.
"Don't put that foot down," Willow answered. Giles stared down at his foot in midair and pulled it back as Jenny crouched down, catching Willow's eyes with her own.
"We should try this another time."
Willow stared at Jenny and shakily nodded, her fingers tapping her thighs in a rhythmic, silent cadence that only the redhead knew. "Another..." the redhead stopped.
"Some show."
She had to think it. She just had to say it too.
Buffy shot up out of her seat and clapped a hand over Faith's mouth, shooting the surprised girl a withering glare before glancing back at Willow. Jenny was pressing herself against the cage, quickly skirting to where Giles was standing. Xander was now on the second landing and Kendra had smartly positioned herself on the stairs on the opposite side. Willow was staring directly at Buffy and Faith.
There was no white, anywhere. Black. Absolute. Buffy felt her blood drain. She could feel Faith suddenly starting trying to squirm backwards in her arms.
"I can deliver fireworks," Willow breathed, licking her lips slightly. Her body was still positioned facing the cage, fingers still tap tap tapping away. "Want a party, Faith?"
Faith shook her head as Buffy grit her teeth. "Willow, just... center. I know that you hate Faith and vice versa but this isn't an answer."
Willow nodded her head, turning her head back to the cage. "There's an answer for everything, Buffy." The cage door opened and a book whistled through the air, stopping at an unseen barrier set up by the candles. Willow frowned. "Oh, well."
The book went hurtling back into the cage, the door once again slamming shut. As if it was never opened in the first place. Willow stood up and turned towards Buffy and Faith, her fingers still on her thighs, still tapping. Buffy couldn't decide which was more disturbing, the eyes or the only sound filling the room. Buffy pulled away from Faith, suddenly registering Willow's arched eyebrow. "It's just your fear, Will."
"Fear?" Xander squeaked, earning Willow's attention.
Willow smiled softly. "Faith seems to find one of us interesting, don't you?" Willow directed at the brunette. Faith just smiled back and Buffy had to will herself from knocking the girl out. "Question is... who?"
"Don't trust your girl around me, Red?" Faith challenged, suddenly scooting herself off the table.
Giles eased Jenny behind himself and began to step forward. Willow shook her head, extended an arm, and sent Giles skidding over the floor towards the stairs below Xander. Jenny gasped and dashed over but Giles had stayed on his feet the whole time. "I said, don't put that foot down, Giles. I don't trust you, Faith. First, you lie to us about being a Slayer and then you have the nerve to toy with Buffy and I?"
Faith shrugged her shoulders. "Quentin needed a closer eye on things. After all, Blondie up and quit then got herself killed on top of that. You really think The Council trusts G-Man to keep things on the tried and true? As for you two..." Faith stepped forward, eyes glancing at the candles. Buffy stepped forward as well, ready to throw Faith backwards at a moment's notice. "Want. Take. Have."
It didn't register at first. A groan came from the second landing in the stacks. Faith was lifting her head with a cold stare. Willow pulled her arm down to her side and gazed at Buffy, a sad smile coming forth. Willow ducked her head and lifted it back up, green eyes shimmering with tears. Buffy cautiously stepped forward, quickly stepping into the boundary of the candles and hugging the redhead as Willow let out a whimper. "Some... show," the redhead mused, a sob wracking out. Buffy sank with Willow, holding the redhead to her shoulder.
~~~BTVS~~~
Buffy rested her head against the banister. She had her arms wrapped around her legs, staring through the office window at Willow curled up in Giles' chair, somehow asleep. Buffy acknowledged Giles' sitting next to her by curling her arms tighter around her legs. "I talked with Quentin and while he was rather terse, what Faith said was true. She's not The Slayer but Quentin did inform me that Kendra is next in line. I'm not sure if they perhaps employ seers although it wouldn't be beyond their talents, but I believe there's a sheet with potential names listed."
"Comforting," Buffy mumbled. She really did appreciate the information but... she couldn't get past the fact that her girlfriend had easily enforced her dominance over Giles and Faith with nary a breath and Buffy had no way to stop her.
Giles exhaled. "What happened this morning was unfortunate but that mustn't take away from the fact that Willow did end up wresting control back."
"Back?" Buffy glanced at Giles. "We're lucky she didn't send the library tumbling down on us, Giles. We have two Slayers, one good impostor, two people skilled at magic and there's no way to stop her." Buffy sighed; returning her attention to Willow's sleeping state. "You said she was a natural, right? How can we fight something she can't even predict?"
"Although formidable, it must bear repeating, Buffy. She did stop of her own accord. I can't possibly admit to the extent of going under must be like, however, I can assure you that Willow is one of the most resourceful people I've known," Giles commented, resting his elbows on his knees. "If anybody can control that state, Willow would be my best bet."
"Like that first training session where you were sorely remiss?" Buffy replied coldly. Giles winced at the reminder of what had occurred and kept silent for a few moments. "I don't need a cheer up, everything will be fine, Willow can survive this ordeal speech, Giles. We have The Council and The Caderyn to deal with. Now Willow. Just once, I would like something beneficial to happen. The oracles to look down from their perched thrones and go, 'That Buffy Summers looks to be in quite the pickle. Why, she has to deal with four different problems that could all mean the end of the world both literally and metaphorically. Let's just ease her burdens and solve the pesky invasion thing and maybe that new girl deal' you know?" Buffy asked, regarding Giles with a speculative look.
Giles just stared blankly back at her. "You... were The Slayer. As long as we live on the Hellmouth, we'll never be given reprieves. There's a cosmic inner working, Buffy. Far greater than the expansion of Earth. Besides, if the oracles were open to such pandering I would've visited them more often. I tried to, anyway."
"When?" Buffy asked quietly.
"The night the Hellmouth broke open."
Buffy nodded her head. "What'd you offer them?"
"Uh, an old cutting tool from the Taexali. They were defeated by the Romans in A.D. 84; although I'm sure your fondness of history will allow you to overlook that cultural nugget of life before the nineteen eighty's."
"Gee, I wonder how they could refuse such a token," Buffy remarked, a small smile flashing as she glanced at Giles soft glare. "At least Mom hasn't made the connection on my extracurricular activity and the recent monster updates that the news stations have been blaring about. Should we be worried about any national interference?"
"The Council is powerful, Buffy. Far greater than the President of the U.S. Loathe as I am to reference anything you lot can understand but the men in black are a subsidiary of The Council."
Buffy arched an eyebrow. "For real?"
"Men may not be the proper terminology."
"Always knew they weren't human," Buffy stated. "I can wake her if you need to be in there," Buffy offered but Giles shook his head.
"I think it best that Willow get her rest and downtime. I managed to get access to the gym and decided to employ some techniques to train Xander and Kendra. They work quite well, actually."
Buffy gave Giles an amused smile. "You enjoy the teaching, don't you?"
"Tell no one?" Giles asked, slowly rising to his feet.
Buffy nodded her head. "Silence is yours." Giles inclined his head, grabbing his bag, and heading out of the library. Buffy exhaled, once again resting her head back against the banister. "Ours too."
TBC