[buffywantswillow]FIC: The Last Death

[Jessica Cioffi <cioffi@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: Dor(i)an is mine ... but she plays well with others
(usually). The Buffy cast and all likenesses to them belong to Joss and
Mutant Enemy *argh*.

Title: The Last Death (1/?)
Author: Me (otherwise known as Jessie)
Archive: Okay. Please let me know where, though, okay?

Spoilers: I don't think any, but I would say "all is fair game" just in
case I slip up somewhere.
Rating: I don't plan on any sex, but Willow and Buffy come to terms with
their feelings, Giles comes to terms with his ... and Dor(i)an, well ...
she's the one who helps everyone along.
WARNING!: I do not have a beta reader. Please bear with me. I will try
to fix grammar, punctuation and the like on my own, but I am not well
versed in the Buffy-verse so any inconsistencies with the show may not
be edited right away.
Feedback: Of course.
Notes: I'm making up a lot of stuff. Giles has a past ... a long one.
The Watchers have a nice little past. And the history of Wicca is brand
new! I hope you enjoy it!

THE LAST DEATH (1/?)

BANG BANG BANG

"Wha--hmm-oh," Giles rolled his pillow over his head and sleepily
mumbled, "infernal banging."

BANG BANG BANG

Eyes closed, Giles sat up, grabbed his glasses and sighed deeply.
His body felt heavy as he began a slow journey to the front door. His
hand fell on the doorknob just as another round of banging ceased.
Without opening his eyes, he slowly cracked the door open.

"Tag, you're it."

Giles' eyes opened wide as a hand reached past the door and tapped
his forehead. His hand, involuntarily, reached up and touched his
tag-point. His eyes followed the small hand as it retreated back to its
side of the partially opened door.

"Manners, Giles. Englishmen are known for manners." She looked
young, but her eyes confessed her age. "Won't you invite an old friend
in?"

"Do-doran ... I'm sorry," Giles stammered, "please." He opened the
door enough to let the woman in. She walked effortlessly into the
house, as if floating. "This is, I must say, quite a surprise."

"You had to know I'd look for you one day." Doran turned from Giles,
looked around his house, turned back to him and smiled. "You've got a
nice little dwelling here. Are you happy?" Her blue eyes searched,
almost begged, for an answer. She could feel him tensing, as if the most
serious moment of his life was threatening to come to play.

"I live in the Hell Mouth," Giles said with a sad smile, "that's
answer enough, I should say."

Giles couldn't take his eyes from the woman standing before him.
She looked every bit the same as she did at their last meeting, yet
something was profoundly different. Her eyes, bluer than he had ever
seen, carried the sadness of one who had seen more than her soul could
handle. Her mouth, with lips full and pink, no longer fell into an easy
smile. Her lips seemed to retreat into a nothing, with their edges
turned down. While she still looked like a young woman of 20-something,
she carried herself like an old woman with her shoulders sagging under
an unseen weight. But her face was still as youthful as it was so long
ago, with light freckles dotting her peachy complexion. He remembered
her freckles and how often they would make light of them, or how often
she declared that freckles were a sign of beauty, but that she was still
waiting for the beauty. The beauty was always there, and it still was.

"Doran," Giles breathed with a smile. *What has happened to you?* He
walked to her, held his hand out to her and pulled her into an embrace.
"You look ... "

"Oddly, old," she interrupted, "I know. It's why I am here."

"I know why you are here," Giles confessed, "I knew you would find
me and ask me to ... do this ... but, I can't. I can't do ... that.
To you."


______________________________________________________________________

"Buff? What time is it?" Willow asked, as she and her best friend
approached Giles' door.

"Uhm, no watch, but my guess?" Looking at the deserted street, "too
early."

"That's what I thought," Willow said, with distress in her voice.

"Will ... "

"It's just. Well, wouldn't you think that, it being 'too early' and
all, Giles' front door would be closed?" Willow said, pointing to the
open door.

The two girls reached the door just in time to see a stranger in
Giles' arms. His voice was softer than usual, which surprised Buffy
because she didn't think anyone's voice could be softer than Giles'.
They couldn't hear what he was saying to young girl he was holding.

"Ahem." Buffy said with her eyebrow arched.

Giles quickly turned to see Buffy standing squarely in the doorway
and Willow peering out from behind her. Not making complete eye
contact, Willow merely offered, "Uh, hi Giles. Made a new friend?"

"Old friend is more like it." Giles moved from a two-armed embrace
to a one-armed hold. He let his arm hang casually over Doran's
shoulders. "Girls, this is Doran ..."

"Dorian."

"Ehr, Dorian?" Giles looked questioningly into Dorian's eyes.

"It's not so old school. I don't get as many 'where's your family
from,' 'is it a family name,' and so on with this. Besides," she looked
intently at Giles, her eyes full of meaning, "Dorian Gray. Fitting,
don't you think?"

Giles nodded solemnly. "Dorian, then, Buffy and ..."

Dorian approached the two girls and regarded them. Her eyes looked
deep into Buffy's. "You," she said with a small nod, "you're the
Slayer." Her attention then turned to the girl hiding behind her
friend. "That must make you ..." Dorian stopped short, thoughtfully
looked away and then looked back into the eyes reminded her of someone
she couldn't quite place, "Willow."

"How ... "

"No offense, Doran or Dor-ee-an, but we know who we are. Who are
you?"


______________________________________________________________________

(end part 1)

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