FIC: Terra Australis Incognito 19/?

[CDRERamius@xxxxxxx]

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 19/?
AUTHOR: Tony McD
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and 
others. This is for fun, not profit.
SUMMARY: A stranger with many connections to the Scooby Gang arrives and 
changes their lives forever.
SPOILERS: General Season 4. Follows it for a bit then it's an AU.
DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere is fine, just email me first.
RATING: PG 13
AUTHORS NOTES: Sometimes memories can open old wounds anew.

It had been 6 days since David brought Xander back from the Dreamtime. 
In that time they had sat down and researched Murg Dor while keeping an eye 
on Xander. They had listened as Xander had flash back through his life, from 
the beginning to the more recent times. The good times, the funny times, and 
as Willow had warned, a lot of bad times. The abuse by his parents, his 
failures at school, his broken relationships. It was heart breaking to 
witness Xander weeping as he unconsciously recounted the night Jesse died. He 
had been quite now for about three hours and Giles slept in the chair beside 
Xander's bed. 
Buffy came in and on seeing Giles sleeping she smiled at the sight. 
His glasses were half way down his nose and a leather book lay in his lap. 
Buffy felt a special love for the man who was her Watcher. He had been more 
of a father than Hank Summers had ever been. Giles had put his life at risk 
more times than she could recall for her. Not only her but all the Scooby 
Gang. He would never abandon her, never hurt her, he would die to protect 
her. She quietly picked up the book out of his lap. Giles woke with a start.
"Whuh? Huh? Oh. Buffy." He said coming fully awake "Where's Willow?" 
he asked.
"She is sleeping in the room next door. Any change in Xander?"
"No, he has been quiet for a few hours. How is Spike?" he asked.
"He left about an hour ago. Said he was tired of being cooped up. I 
think he just needs some space to figure out what is happening with his life. 
Well, unlife." she amended. The loss of his arm and the conflict of feeling 
he had towards the gang was a lot for him to deal with.
"You haven't heard anything from David yet?" she asked him. He just 
shook his head. Buffy inwardly raged at David. He pissed her off, he had hurt 
her and Willow, and he had put Xander in danger and then run off. But she 
held her tongue for Giles sake.
"I take it that you haven't found anything more on this Murg Dor since 
last night?" she inquired.
They had found a few things on Murg Dor. Murg Dor was a powerful demon 
warlock who had raised an army of vampires to rid the world of humanity. He 
and his army was defeated and banished to the ethereal plane by a group of 
ultra powerful witches and a small band led by the then Slayer and mysterious 
man. Both the Slayer and the man died of the wounds they sustained in the 
battle. Murg Dor had powerful magics to conjure demons, slow time, command 
vampires, and a host of other things that were not pleasant to read. But they 
had not found out how to defeat Murg Dor or why he was after the Slayer and 
Scooby Gang. Xander stiffened, signalling another flash back.
"Come on, Will. Look, you don't have a choice here. You gotta wake up. 
I need you, Will. I mean, how am I gonna pass trig, you know? And who am I 
gonna call every night... and talk about everything we did all day? You're my 
best friend. You've always... I love you." Xander said. Willow's voice 
sounded from Xander.
"Oz?" 
Tears rolled from Xander's sky blue eyes. Silence pervaded the room, 
only to be broken by the sound of sniffing coming from the door way. Buffy 
and Giles turned to see Willow standing in the door way, she too had tears in 
her eyes.
"Willow! Wait!" Buffy called out but Willow ran into her room and 
locked the door. Buffy knocked frantically on the door.
"Willow, please let me in. Let's talk about this." Buffy pleaded. 
After a few moments Buffy heard the door unlock. Buffy went through and saw 
Willow laying on the bed crying. Buffy held her lover and Willow cried in her 
lap. Buffy felt helpless to console Willow, a multitude of thoughts and 
feelings going through the Slayer. Soon Willow would be willing and able to 
talk, but Buffy didn't know what to say to her lover.