Fic: Aftermath (2/?)

[ladyvyxen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Aftermath, Part Two.
Comments/Thoughts on n-spatial geodesics/Etc. to: 
ladyvyxen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
This is a continuation/development of the storyline in Convergent 
Slayers.

Anne-Lise burbled drunkenly as she lay on the floor. After a whole 
week of continuous consumption of free Jungle Juice, she'd managed a 
state reminiscent of the CaveSlayer.
"Bloody typical," Spike snorted as he sucked ineffectively at Anne-
Lise's unprotected neck. "I can't even bite humans that are sodding 
nearly dead." He picked up the inebriated Muse and carried her off to 
bed. As he tucked her in, and crossed her arms in a virginal pose, he 
noticed the scorch-marks on her face and arms; battle scars from her 
recent flaming. "Poor little bugger," he muttered with 
uncharacteristic concern. "She's had it rough." Spike pulled out a 
Mills & Boon pulp romance novel, and kept watch as the small bard 
slept.

--

The Toyota braked, hard, causing the traffic behind to swerve 
wildly. Horns blared, and from the back seat of the car, Angel 
screamed in tortured agony as he was thrown forward into vicious 
sunlight, sunlight which scored his legs momentarily before he was 
able to re-cover himself. The pain brought forth his demon side, and 
in his thrashings, he managed to rip open his own tongue with a fang 
tooth.
"Dammit, Cordelia," he snarled, "What's..." he broke off as he 
realised what was happening. In the driver's seat, Cordelia shook 
violently as visions tore painfully through her mind.
"We're going back to Sunnydale," Cordelia said as soon as she was 
able. "Unless we do something to help, Willow's going to get herself 
killed." She spotted a gas station at a nearby turn-off. "First 
though, I need to freshen up."
Angel growled. "This is no time for a makeup check!"
Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Issues, much! Don't the undead ever need 
to pee?" She paused. "No, I really don't wanna know!"

*

Xander's mother led Cordelia into the basement, where Xander and 
Anya were engaged in immoral activities.
"Mom!" Xander cried, casting ineffectively about for clothing, a 
towel, a sack. Anything! "Door! knock! Jesus!"
Anya, who lived in an entirely different world of morals and 
ethics, noticed the red-faced Cordelia and waved, exposing 
herself. "Hi!" she said with a smile of greeting. Cordelia and 
Xander's mother wordlessly beat a hasty retreat to the daylight.

*

"Sorry about barging in on you guys," Cordelia frowned. "Well, 
actually I'm not, but what the hell. Only, I had a vision of the 
future in the car, and I saw Willow die. I thought it important to 
tell you guys. Well, Buffy. Only, she's not home. And neither is 
Giles for that matter. You think he'd leave a note or something. He's 
so inconsiderate!"
Xander's mouth opened and closed soundlessly before he 
managed, "You saw Willow die?"
Cordelia nodded. "Angel's hiding under a blanket in the car. Do you 
know where Buffy, Willow or Giles are?"

*

Sheila left the two young lovers alone for a moment as she fetched 
them all coffee. Despite their earlier premonitions, Buffy and Willow 
were actually able to relax and enjoy themselves.
"She took that well," Buffy admitted. Willow nodded.
"I'm unflappable," Willow's mother admitted cheerily as she walked 
back in. "I refuse to be flapped." She threw them both a motherly 
smile. "Now, which one of you will get to wear the wedding dress? Or 
will it be both of you?" Both Slayers' eyes widened in shock. 
Unfortunately, before they could speculate further, the phone rang 
and Mrs. Rosenberg answered it. Willow whispered to Buffy that she'd 
look so cute in a wedding dress. Buffy tried hard to keep a straight 
face.
"Oh, why yes. Okay." Sheila hung up. "That was Xander," she said. 
Sheila was quite fond of Xander Harris, who'd been a close friend of 
her daughter since childhood. They'd always gotten on so well, except 
for that one occasion when Xander'd stolen Willow's Barbie, and her 
daughter had dutifully blacked Xander's eye. "He says you have to get 
over to Giles' house right away." She frowned. "He didn't mention 
what it was about though."
"Oh. Okay. Do you mind?" Buffy asked, as she rose.
"Not at all." Sheila opened her arms to the girls and gave them both 
a hug. "But please, do call again soon!"

*

Buffy and Willow joined Cordelia, Xander and Angel in the car 
outside Giles' place. Darkness had cast its ebony pall once more over 
Sunnydale, and Angel was able to come out from under his blanket, 
albeit looking a little ruffled. Willow thought this immeasurably 
cute and had to restrain herself from ruffling his hair further. She 
giggled as she noted Angel's resemblance to Miss Kitty Fantastico, 
and had to bite her lip as she thought about Buffy's morning hair. 
Especially after the passionate embrace last night...
"No Giles?" Buffy asked.
"Nope," Xander said. "The G-Man's not been here for awhile."
"Strange," Buffy mused.
"Oh!" Willow blurted, as she caught up with the conversation. "He'll 
be at the Espresso Pump. Its his guitar thing tonight."
Cordelia frowned. "Guitar thing?"
Buffy grinned. "Oh, you're gonna love this. Giles sings and plays 
the guitar."
"He sings?" Cordelia blinked, then shook her head. "I don't know why 
I'm so shocked. I mean, you ought to see Angel sing Karaoke..."
Everyone stared at Angel, who glared out of the window broodily.

*

"You should have seen Xander's face," Cordelia said, as she drove 
them to the Pump. "He made this wonderfully girly cry!"
"It was not a girly cry," Xander huffed, despite overwhelming 
evidence to the contrary. "That was my family's battle cry, handed 
down from generation to generation."
"Anyway," Buffy put in to stop the fast-approaching 
hostilities, "What's going on? I thought you guys were on your way 
back to LA?"
Angel glanced at Willow. "Cordelia had a vision of the future," he 
said. "She saw Willow die."
Willow gasped.

*

Giles watched Tara's movements as she spoke, noticing the patterns 
which, to the trained eye, proved she was no longer amongst the 
living.
"Why are you here, now?" Giles asked.
"I wanted to ask you to tell Willow that I'm sorry, and that I'm 
leaving. I won't be back." she said.
Giles nodded, noticing the pain in Tara's eyes and the lack of 
stutter in her voice. "Do you know where you're headed?"
"Yes. I'm going to see if Angel could use my help in LA. If not, I 
was thinking of heading for Massachusetts."
Giles puzzled. "Massachusetts?"
"Strong witch area," Tara expanded.
"Why don't you stay here?" Giles asked. "You've seen some of what 
we're up against. I know things will be strained between you and 
Willow, but that will pass. Time heals." Giles watched Tara's face.
"I can't." Tara sobbed, thinking about how she'd caused Buffy's 
mother's death. "I... can't." She rubbed at her eyes, and rose from 
her seat. "I'm leaving now."
Giles let her go, feeling drained.

*

Cordelia pulled up near the Pump and the gang filed out. Buffy and 
Willow stretched after having been cramped up uncomfortably on the 
back seat with Angel.
"That felt really weird," Willow commented.
"What did?" Buffy asked.
"Sitting by Angel." Willow frowned. "I felt like he was about to 
attack me. I couldn't get comfortable."
Buffy nodded. "Slayer senses," she explained. "I never was much 
good with them, but you're more used to the whole mental power thing. 
You can sense vampire and it puts you on edge."
Willow nodded, relieved. "That's good. I thought I was going a 
little mad." 
They shared a quick kiss, which Willow broke with a startled yelp. 
Buffy span, and saw what had affected Willow. Watching them, open-
mouthed, standing in the entrance to the Pump...
"Tara?" Willow whispered. Tara recovered, and made a run for it. 
Angel ran after her, Buffy only a few steps behind.
"Check Giles is okay," Buffy shouted over her shoulder. Willow 
nodded, dumbly.

*

Buffy and Angel filed into the Pump to find Giles, Willow, Xander 
and Cordelia in animated discussion over Cordelia's vision. Despite 
the nature of the vision, Giles seemed more fascinated by the 
mechanics of Cordelia's precognition.
"Hey guys," Buffy sat down at their table. Angel asked Xander to 
budge up, and he grumpily complied.
"Tara?" Giles asked.
"We lost her," Buffy replied despondently. Giles looked from Buffy 
to Angel. They were hiding something, he was sure. But he knew better 
than to raise issues about Tara in front of Willow.
"We were just discussing Cordelia's vision," Giles prompted, to put 
the conversation back on track.
"Yeah," Xander nodded. "I knew she was too good to be true."
Buffy gave him a blank look. "Who?"
"Kyoko," Xander replied. "She of the big sword and bigger chest." He 
frowned. "Forget the last part, it was supposed to be an internal 
reference."
Buffy digested Xander's words. "Cordelia saw Kyoko kill Willow?"
"I didn't know that was her name," Cordelia said, "but it was 
definitely the weird Japanese girl who went with you when you went to 
fight Faith. I saw her decapitate Willow."
Buffy nodded, stunned. "Yeah, that's her." Buffy sank deeper into 
her chair. "I need more details. Where did it happen?"

*

"Gomen, oneechan." Megumi licked her sister's face as they sat 
together on a bench in Sunnydale's park.
"Why do you apologise?" Kyoko kissed her sister's lips, luxuriating 
in their softness.
"I sensed your unhappiness," Megumi replied. "I assumed that I would 
be the cause."
Kyoko inclined her head, offering her neck to her sister, offering 
her the fount, sharing her love in the way only vampires are able. 
She gasped, softly, as she felt Megumi's fang teeth penetrate her 
neck.
Held in her sister's arms, Megumi entered a trance of unparalleled 
bliss as the blood poured forth from Kyoko's neck; it poured through 
every fibre of her being, suffusing her limbs, stinging her skin with 
its heat, causing her to writhe in hunger. And then she pulled away, 
and offered her own neck to Kyoko. Their hair enmeshed, and Kyoko 
nuzzled softly at her sister's fount, shivers of ecstasy ran through 
each girl in turn as two became one, united by blood.
"Never," Kyoko breathed. "Never will I be unhappy if you stay with 
me."
"Forever," Megumi whispered.

*

Giles seemed truly upset by everything. "I think," he 
commented, "that for now Buffy should patrol alone. Or at least 
without Willow accompanying her until we can alter events and stop 
Kyoko."
Willow jutted her chin. "I won't let Buffy patrol alone."
"She doesn't have to," Angel replied.
"You're right," Buffy nodded. "Xander, will you back me up?"
Xander blinked. Angel appeared nonplussed. "You want my help?" 
Xander asked, his tone incredulous.
"Sure," Buffy nodded. She still didn't trust Angel, not after he'd 
shielded Faith from her. "You've clocked more than enough field 
time." Xander's cherished grin resurfaced and Buffy smiled. Okay, 
she'd have to keep an eye on him as well as doing her usual 
patrolling, but she hated the near-terminal hangdog expression he'd 
been wearing lately.
"Okay!" Xander agreed enthusiastically. "I'll be cover-your-ass 
guy." His face slowly changed to an expression of horror. "I mean, 
well, not literally..."
"Thanks Xander," Buffy smiled.
Giles shook his head.

*

Willow turned to Angel as they sat together on Giles' sofa. Since 
Xander and Buffy were off patrolling together, Angel had elected 
himself for Willow protection duty. 
"Why'd you always look so glum?" Willow asked.
"Bad memories," Angel replied. In the background, Giles was showing 
Anya how to use a blender. From her hand gestures, it seemed she 
liked the concept of blending. She kept clapping her hands and 
staring through the glass mesmerised.
"Well yeah," Willow tilted her head. "I know about that. But you 
should try exorcising some of those inner demons."
Angel threw her a Look.
"I meant as a metaphor." Willow shrugged. "I'm not sure I've ever 
seen you smile."
Angel nodded. "Maybe once I've fought against enough evil, killed 
enough demons, maybe then I can feel as though my sins have been 
atoned for." He gave her a patented Angel broody look.
"Maybe," Willow agreed supportively. "Or you could try working off 
the guilt by baking us all some cookies!" She noticed everyone 
staring at her and pouted. "Works for me," she mewed, plaintively. 
Giles and Anya hastily looked away again.
"I don't think cookies would be quite enough to make amends for all 
the things I've done," Angel offered, soothingly.
"You're thinking maybe some muffins, or a quiche or two?" Anya 
asked, shifting the focus of stare central. "What?" The stares 
unnerved her. "Xander likes quiche," she informed them, crossing her 
arms.
Willow frowned. "I just think Angel would look cute in a 'kiss-the-
chef' apron," she admitted.
Giles laughed, and hastily turned it into a cough.
"There's no way," Angel said gruffly, "you will ever catch me 
wearing designer kitchenware!"
Willow grinned, putting on her Resolve Face. A challenge!

*

"Buffy!" Xander shouted. "Behind you!"
Buffy whirled, in time to confront an extremely badly-dressed vamp. 
The vampire, sporting the usual demonic scowl and fang teeth, seemed 
to be decked out in fading leather and hair gel like an extra from 
Grease.
The vampire snorted. "Prepare to die, Slayer."
"Nah!" Buffy flipped Mr. Pointy into the air, and as the vamp's eyes 
tracked its vertical ascent, she unleashed a powerful jab to the 
vampire's face, breaking his nose.
"I've been there, done that already," she told the vamp as she 
caught her falling stake in a deft backhand. "It sucked." In a 
single, graceful movement, she rammed her stake forcefully into the 
vampire's chest. Dust.
"Nice moves," Xander congratulated.
Buffy offered him a faint smile. "Thanks." For a strange moment, it 
almost felt like old times.

*

"Buffy?" Giles answered the door and instead came face-to-face with 
a complete stranger.
"Afraid not," the woman replied in an extremely upper-class London 
accent. "My name is Deborah Wilmslott. I'm here to see Willow 
Rosenberg."
Giles nodded, looking like someone who'd answered the door to the 
Mormons. "Please," he murmured, "do come in."
Willow stared at the newcomer. Mid-thirties, dressed to teach, with 
sensible shoes and a flat chest. "Is she evil?" she asked.
"We can only hope," Giles muttered, and went to verify the woman's 
credentials with the Watcher's Council.

*

In their dorm, Buffy climbed into Willow's bed and kissed her lover 
softly. Undressed, Buffy's hair hung down and surrounded Willow's 
face like a corona, so that all they could see was each other's eyes. 
Buffy reached out, massaging Willow's right breast lightly, then 
stroked her downy underarms, feeling the slight curve of muscle 
beneath the tiny wisp of flame-red hair. Then she stroked that full 
moist hair between Willow's legs, so that Willow sighed and trembled 
and bucked beneath her.
"I'll never let harm come to you," Buffy whispered. "I promise."
Willow smiled up at her love. "I believe you."

*

She returns to me through the veil of dreams; I see her blessed 
sight in my night's despair. Can she soothe my mind and soul that 
seem to have no comfort left within this body lair? Should I dare to 
gaze at her shining face, or should I turn away my unworthy eyes? 
Though still a dream, her warm embrace shall moist my heart, which 
slowly now dies. My soul will touch her satin vests of gold, will 
caress the flame-red hair the Slayer now owns, and no more shall I 
ever feel alone...
Tara awoke with a jolt. "Willow!" she cried. As always when she 
slept, her natural magick was at its weakest, and thus her demon at 
its strongest. Seductively, the demon within fed her images of her 
deepest desires, played on her fears, stirred the hunger of her 
needs. Soon she would be powerless to resist; she would not fight 
another agonising battle of the heart she knew she couldn't win.
She would yield to her love, embrace it, feed on it. She would 
surrender once and for all to the passions that plagued her, and she 
would rejoice. Yes, the inner demon cried. Yes!

*

End Part 2.