ff:Guided by Voices 4/?

[Carol.Clarke@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Title: Guided by Voices 
Chapter Four: The Touch Factor 
Rating NC-17
Disclaimer: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
Summary: Someone comes to the door of 1630 Revello drive looking for the
slayers help and starting a prophecy that may lead to the end of days.
Again. 
Pairing: Buffy / Other (female) Tara/ Willow. 
Thanks: To AnneBar for the help and guidance. Cheryl Hill who generally just
rocks. 

Guided by Voices
The Touch Factor

Moria hurried along the lakeshore half hoping her aunts couldn't keep up.
Why she should care was beyond her. Karon, the ferryman, would never leave
without all three girls present. So Moria just gave up running, stopped
along the shoreline and began idly skipping stones. 

"You know, everytime one of those stones skips along the water, it changes
all possibilities in the world. A fish may miss a meal when a mosquito is
scared away by your stone. The fish may then die before it reached its fate
as the meal of a larger animal and so it goes, little one. So many
possibilities with each cast of a stone. "

Moria didn't even turn around; she knew the voice of the speaker well. "So
we are to be ever careful and live our lives on the shore afraid of possible
fates, Nim."

"No granddaughter it means you can always change your fate." The aging women
said.

Moria turned and ran to her great grandmother and hugged her tightly. The
slayer could hear the footsteps of her two aunts coming just as Nim would
hear them coming as well, so Mordred pulled out of the hug and stepped away
from the elderly woman.

"They do make a lot of noise, those two." The Queen of Avalon stated.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Buffy had enjoyed her night with Nikki. Probably a little too much in fact.
At least that was the message she was getting from her mother across the
breakfast table. Riley wasn't exactly smiling either. 

To make matters worse the other half of her sister in crime was watching
cartoons and drinking blood in the basement. She was just going to have to
make Gad suffer later, as mildly evil plots circled her brain. Happy evil
naughty naughty thoughts were always the best kind. Of course that line of
thought just served to make her horny which didn't help in her in the trail
of silence her mother and boyfriend where now engaged in.

Finally Buffy just couldn't stand the stares and silent glares any longer.
"Enough with the eyeballing silent treatment all ready, if you want to voice
an opinion, now would be a good time," the blond stated loud enough for the
vampire in the basement to hear and get her ass up the stairs. That's what
Buffy hoped would happen anyway.

"How could you, with Riley here, right in front of him?" Joyce shouted
slamming her coffee down on the table.

"He's welcome to watch the next time, does that make you feel better mom?"

"I can't believe you are my daughter." Joyce said, her white knuckled fists
clenched. 

"That is just it Mrs. Summers, she isn't exactly your daughter. Not really."
Nikki said from the top of the basement stairs. Having just then figured out
one of the advantages to not breathing. Not being breathless after you run
up the stairs.

Buffy smiled at the girl before saying, "Go on tell her Gad, make her
understand." Buffy was also hoping Gad could make them understand the
weirdness that was her life too because she herself didn't have the first
clue about her own life.

"Mrs. Summers, the Buffy that is your daughter is still there so don't
panic, just like Nikki, ...ah...me, is still here... in this body, ever so
dead though it may be. But there are others inside me as well. The Buffy you
know is very much in love with Riley and praying when this is over he will
still love her too." Gad said hoping she made sense.

Gad walked to the table and took a seat next to Riley. "Riley I am so sorry
about this, it all must be very confusing. Not that it's not confusing for
us too, Buffy and I...."

Buffy reached over and took Riley's hand, "The thing is mom, Riley, as much
as I am Buffy, I am also Moria. I have all her memories. Memories of
lifetimes with Gad at my side." Buffy reached her other hand out taking
Nikki's.

"Mom, Gad and I spent so many lifetimes together as a couple, as lovers.
Actually it something like a hundred lifetimes together. I have loved her
since Stonehenge was new, Since Hadrian built his wall, or the Great Wall of
China was built. Mom we lived in Carthage, and Cairo. In Jerusalem and
Baghdad."

Nikki took over, "Rio, Singapore, Dakar, and London."

Buffy continued, "Malta, Madrid, Capetown, Katmandu"

Back to Nikki, "Kiev, New Deli" 

"Enough we get the picture." Riley shouted. "I can't deal with this, I am
going to take a walk." The ex-commando said rising from his set. He could
deal with his girlfriend having a girlfriend of her own. God he had wondered
about her and Willow enough times, but he couldn't deal with this insanity.
He needed to think.

"But Ril..." Buffy started to say.

'I'll be back Buffy, I just need to be alone for a few hours," the soldier
said cutting off his girlfriend. With that he was out the door.

Buffy started to follow. "Let him go Buffy" Joyce said grabbing her daughter
by the arm stopping her. Buffy turned and sat down beside her mother.

"Now what about the demon inside your girlfriend. I've lived through one
soulless vampire with you, I am not interested in living through two." Joyce
said, leaning back and giving Buffy the impression that her mother was
nowhere near ending this conversation.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The boat ride to Avalon was smooth just like always. Morgannia and Morgrouse
bitched the whole time, just like always. And Nim said nothing; she just
stared at the lake waters. Moria had taken over the rowing for Karon who was
happily watching the waters with Nim. The blond slayer never could figure
out her great grandmother. Or was she her great great grandmother. 

Passing through the magical gate that kept Avalon invisible to the rest of
the world, Karon took over to dock the boat. He would never trust the slayer
to do that. It was surprising he let her row at all. It was a true
compliment from Karon. 

After Karon departed, Moria and her aunts headed straight for Morgan's home
on Avalon while Nim returned to her palace. 

A woman who looked no more then 22 or 23 opened the door letting her family
in. "Morgan, what's for lunch" Morgrouse asked. 

"Cooking is in the kitchen. Mog" Morgan said pulling her youngest sister
into a tight hug.

"Morgan, you still look as young as ever, it won't be much longer before
Moria looks older than you." Morgannia said with a evil grin. The comment
was meant to disturb Morgan. To remind her that her only daughter was
mortal. 

"Let me hug you first before you start trying my patience." Morgan said
pulling her other sister in to a hug.

"Since Mog is so hungry, why don't you go with her to the kitchen while I
talk to my daughter, Morg." The immortal replied. She wanted to talk to her
daughter along. 

"Just don't expect to have anything left sis." With that Morgaine and
Morgrouse were running toward the building that housed the kitchen.

When they were gone, Morgan said to her daughter, "Where is my hug."

Moria slowly moved to her mother and they hugged tightly for several
minutes. The Mordred was not allowed to leave the City often. Much less see
her mother. Nim and Morgan could only get Arthur to agree to let her visit
once or twice a year. And now that she was the slayer, the Mordred, her work
had to come first. This was the first visit to Avalon she was allowed in a
year and a half. Moria had guessed correctly that Gwen was probably behind
the visit.

While Morgan hugged her daughter she felt the slightest flinch. A human
wouldn't have noticed but Morgan la Faye, or as she was known on Avalon,
Morgan Queen of the Fairies, noticed. Morgan had loosened her grip on her
daughter's back. She hated what Arthur did to their child. She hated that
she had to let the King raise her only daughter. At least she was allowed to
keep Moria until she was 10 years old. 

Morgan ended the hug and quickly turned her daughter around lifting her
shirt.

"Mom, what are you doing." Moria tried to say casually. The slayer hated for
her parents to argue and this was one of things that caused their worst
arguments. She just wished her mother would just not notice the whip marks.
They didn't really hurt that much any more.

"Has Gwen been healing them behind Arthur's back?" Morgan asked trying to
sound normal and not let her daughter see the rage inside.

"Yes" the slayer whispered still hoping her mother would dropped the
subject.

"This is good work for a Glasgow witch." Morgan said in praise. 

That answer surprised Moria, "Gwen is really nice mom, and if Arthur found
out...well she could be the next May Queen and ..." 

"Rest easy little one, he will not hear about it from me. Now let me see if
I can heal your back a little deeper to make you more comfortable during
your stay on Avalon." Morgan's hand began to glow blue and she slowly held
it over her daughter's back. Morgan worked until not only the fresh wounds
were healed but many of the scars were removed as well. 

"Feel better?" Morgan asked

"Yes" Moria said with a little wonder. It had been a long time since her
back was completely pain free. 

"Good, now what is this I hear about your adventures through the ladies in
waiting and Arthur's squires. I can understand Brighad; she has been in love
with either you or Galahad as long as I have known her. In fact I could see
you with Galahad. But Tor and Kay and goddess knows who else? " The Queen of
the Fairies said in her best motherly tone. Crossing her arms she waited for
her daughter to reply. 

Moria just sat down in a chair wondering, if it wasn't a better idea not to
have visited her mother. 'How does she find out this stuff?' The slayer
asked herself not for the first time.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The Forge mistress, Brighad, had waited until the King's rooms were empty.
There was someone she needed to speak with, her mother. And that was a
tricky feat. Arthur had forbidden her from seeing or talking with her
mother. And this was a subject he was not so forgiving on. If she were
caught Arthur would either have her beaten or burned at the stake. 

Still the girl had to risk it. Brighad snuck past the guards to the kings'
chambers, crawled out a window and scaled part of the higher wooden fence,
then back through another window. Then finally ran up the hall to Arthur's
bedroom.

Once in the room she made a sound only the fairy people could make and
waited for the response. It came back clear from the sword on the wall.
Arthur's prize treasure, Excalibur. The sword her mother had forged for
Arthur then allowed her soul to be trapped inside of the magical sword
forever. 

Brighad took the sword off the wall, set Indian style on the floor. Holding
the hilt of the sword tightly she began to hum. Closing her eyes she moved
from this plane to the magic dreamscape. "Mom?" the girl called frightened
she would not be able to find her in such a large sea of time and dreams.

"Behind you Gad" The women said startling the girl. Her form wasn't solid,
but Brigitte was doing her best for her daughter.

"Mom" Brighad ran to her mother and tried to hug the formless figure. The
girl was crying with tears of joy.

"Gad you realize Arthur will find you and he can be a hard master, it will
not be pretty or painless." Brigitte said taking her child inside her
formless entity. Beyond joy to see the girl was growing into a beautiful
woman. 

"It doesn't matter, I needed to see you." Gad, cried still trying to gather
the particles of her mother around her. It had been so long since she was
allowed to see her mother.

"I am listening my child, I will always listen for you." The formless figure
said trying to comfort the teen.

"I had a vision, and not the good kind." Brighad stated.

"Even as a child you had visions, why not go to Merlin with them." Brigitte
asked.

"He was one of the people causing them mom, they were killing Galahad and
Gwen. They were burning at the stake and it wasn't Beltin, there was so much
hate in the air. 

"You had a dream of a possible future, Arthur will not be happy his best
knight is sleeping with his current wife." The formless sword spirit said. 

"Arthur could send them away. I don't think he sleeps with Gwen much now,
there is no love between them."

"Child what will be will be."

"Nim said you can always change your fate."

"That is true but it does not always mean it will be better. You are not
here for Lance and Gwen alone. Who's fate do you wish to change?"

"Moria, I saw her turned soon. ...And Morg. ...Maybe Mog too. It wasn't
clear. I know, I can not stop her being bitten but is there a way I can keep
her from losing her soul."

Brigitte was changing color trying to stall. The answer was yes, but it
would tear a hole in the fabric of time so large that it could last until
the end of days. It was a dangerous path her daughter was on, and she could
do little either way to help her.

Instead Brigitte asked another question. "Gad, what did Nim say to you this
morning?"

"I thought that was weird too, Nim almost never leaves Avalon." 

"Brighad," Her name was said only as a mother can. "What did she say?"

"She asked me if I would be willing to die for my soulmate."

"And your answer my child. "

"If I knew who she was for sure maybe.

"Go on"

"She said I already knew the answer to that question."

"And do you?"

"I think so, but mom, I am 16, I don't really have a lot of answers just
tons of questions. I haven't got much in my life figured out yet"

Brigitte laughed, " Answers are easy, it's the questions that are hard,
Gad, but please I want to hear what else you and Nim spoke of. It is
important."

"Nothing really after that except she told me that life was like the ocean,
and if you throw enough stones into it, you can build an island. I really
don't get exactly what she was talking about but I am working on it." Gad
said seriously.

"Brighad the answer to your question is yes, you can give a vampire back its
soul but there are consequences that will pass with you from this life to
the next."

Time in the land of the dreamscape did not flow the same as in the real
world. Arthur's men quickly found Gad. Leaving the girl in her trance with
the sword in her hands they called for Arthur, who brought Merlin with him.

Arthur's first response was to kill the girl. He even had his sword drawn
ready as he stood behind the girl. The girl didn't make a move; she just
hummed along with the sword. Putting his sword back in the sleath he looked
at Merlin. He always looked to Merlin when he needed answers to hard
question

"Interesting, I should have thought of that before." Merlin answered to no
one imperticuler.

"Just explain why this kid is holding my sword and Exculibar has drawn no
blood?"

"You don't recognize her?" Merlin stated flatly.

Arthur took a closer look, getting down on one knee to look in her glowing
eyes. "Magic" Arthur, said in disdain. He hated magic. 

"Arthur look at the girl carefully," Merlin said losing patience with the
boy he had raised from childhood.

"I know her face but I can't place the name." Arthur said 

"She is Brighad, the one they call Gad" Merlin noticed the blank look on
Arthur and added, "Your teenage forge mistress."

"She has grown since last I saw her." Arthur admitted finally placing the
girl. 

"She doesn't come inside Camelot often, I gather." Merlin replied still
staring at the child. Not child young woman, well almost: Merlin noted to
himself. 

"So old man, you were going to tell me why this is interesting?" Arthur said
still looking at the girl. " Is she in a complete trance?" The king added. 

" Yes, she is in the land of dreamscape, the trance is real enough and to
answer your first question, she can touch Excalibur because her mothers
sprit is trapped inside. Next to you, it makes sense she should be able to
touch the sword, now, to what she is doing; she is speaking with her mother.
Again to be expected. A teenage girl living outside the walls would
naturally wish to speak to her mother. Isn't your own daughter in Avalon
doing the same thing." Merlin explained carefully. It was never wise to
anger the king. 

"So how do we get her out of this trance?" Arthur asked wanting to get his
sword back.

"We don't, when she finishes talking with her mother she will return. Time
does not travel the same where her sprit is. Arthur, I am sure the girl
didn't mean to steal the sword, otherwise the sword would be gone and she
would be at home doing this." Merlin pleaded. He knew Arthur would punish
her, he was hoping it was a punishment the girl could live with or more
actuarially be alive after. Arthur was deadly to those he saw as enemies.

"I will have to punish her old man, stop trying to talk me out of it."
Arthur said, knowing Merlin well enough to see his plan.

"I know boy, just remember she is not your daughter, she will not heal in a
day. Secondly, if you punish her, please wait a day or two. What she is
doing now takes great focus and energy, if you have her whipped right after
this, she might die. I mean it Arthur. She is half human and only a girl,"
Merlin said very sternly.

When Brighad stepped out of the dreamscape she was very tired. And she was
also staring at the angry face of Arthur and Merlin.

Arthur ordered her to jail. She was surprised she was too weak to walk.
Percival carried her to the jail cell. Gwen later brought her food and
blankets. Even the next day she was much too weak to move around much.
Arthur had come to lecture her and give out her punishment. Instead he
helped her hold a glass of water and drink it.

By the time she was well enough to face her punishment Moria was back from
her mothers. That morning they were lashed together. Ten each. Arthur had
decreed that Brighad would need to return in a week for another ten lashes.
He wanted to make sure everyone knew how serious the offence had been. 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Buffy and Nikki took a walk after lunch. Riley had not returned and Buffy
wanted an excuse to look for him without looking for him. They were moving
across campus heading for Tara's room when it hit.

This time it hurt more than the others did. After each phantom lash that cut
into their skin it felt as if salt was being thrown on the wounds. The
lashes were much deeper and there were more then ten. Buffy counted twenty
strokes. Then something new happened. Buffy felt a paddle across her butt.
Even rolling on her back didn't stop it. They lay there in the middle of
campus on the grass, moaning and screaming in pain as more invisible salt
and the relentless paddle continued to make marks across the soulmates
bodies.

When it was finished, Nikki asked, "How many?" 

"Twenty lashes, 30 with the paddle. Are you ok." Buffy asked breathless, the
pain shooting through her body. 

"Thankfully I am no longer human, but yeah it hurts, you?" Nikki answered. 

"Still human, majorly hurts with a real big pain in the ass, Slayer healing
will hopefully kick in." Buffy replied very breathlessly. 

Nikki crawled over and began to lick Buffy's neck. Buffy just rolled her
head back and let Nikki go. It was a comforting feeling. After a few minutes
Buffy rolled on top of the little vampire lying in the sun and kissed her
hard on the lips before moving down and licking the girl's neck trailing
down to between her breast. As she licked and kissed the girl Buffy rolled
Nikki on her side. Not aware of what she was doing. She was licking the
blood off Nikki's skin. 

"Isn't that Riley girlfriend." Someone from her pysch class asked.

"See I told you she was weird." Her companion stated.

Buffy just dropped her head back down on Nikki's chest. Noticing for the
first time the blood pooling under the vampire's back and the taste of blood
in her mouth. Reaching over to her side she touched her own blood that was
dripping in to the growing pool on the grass.

"We need to get to Tara's and get cleaned up." Buffy stated. She could taste
the blood in her mouth, Vampire blood. It was all happing too fast. Time was
rushing toward them and there was nothing she could do to stop it. And as
she pulled Nikki to her feet, all she could think about was tasting Nikki's
blood and wanting more. 



"I wear the cheese it does not wear me." Bald Man, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.