FIC: Destiny's End 2/?

[CDRERamius@xxxxxxx]

TITLE: Destiny's End 2/?
AUTHOR: Tony McD
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and 
others. This is for fun, not profit.
SUMMARY: Final in Terra/Trinity/Destiny series. Buffy, Willow, Xander face 
the final battle. The battle to end destiny. Sequel to Terra Australis 
Incognito, and Trinity's Child.
SPOILERS: None really. AU.
RATING: R (suggested sexual situations [no smut]) and language (if I lived on 
the Hellmouth I'd swear more too).


Destiny's End 2/?

Buffy's POV

We mourned. Well, to be exact, we numbed out first, then mourned.

Jenny.

Dead.

For more than 2000 years.

With everything that had happened to us over the last month or so (I'm still 
not sure how to express things that, to us, happened a few weeks ago, but 
everyone else happened in a dim and best forgotten past) we shut down. I 
guess we had to let it sink in first before we could deal. I know that's what 
I did.

We all crawled into our own private world. It could have been hours, it could 
have been days, I lost all sense of time.

Later, the doctors told us that we had slipped into a near catatonic state 
for 5 days. We never spoke, barely ate, and avoided any human contact, 
including our own. In the end it was Willow who brought us out of our state.

Willow's POV

I stood before a picture that hung in our room. I wasn't really looking at 
it. I wasn't focusing on anything at all. But then something made me focus on 
the painting.

It was a painting of a crowed beach, by the style of dress of the people, I'd 
say it was set in the 1920's or 30's. The painting itself wasn't all that 
remarkable. Except for one small detail which caught my eye.

I was in it.

In the corner, at the very bottom of the canvas, I saw myself.

A woman with long red hair and pale skin, wrapped in a turquoise sarong, 
playing with a red haired infant by the waters edge. A short distance away 
lay a woman with long blonde hair and a man with chocolate eyes that watched 
the woman and child. Beneath them was the signature of the artist.

Jenny

The name ripped through the heavy cloak that surrounded my emotions. The 
picture distorted as tears flooded my eyes. For the first time since hearing 
the news of my daughter, I cried.

Xander's POV

I was sitting at the edge of my bed when it happened.

I heard the sound of someone crying and looked up.

It was Willow.

She stood before a painting crying. I stared blankly at her for a moment or 
two. Then three words ripped through my mind.

Willow needs me.

In that instant, I knew that I was the last thing that should be in my mind, 
now and always.

I stood and went over to her. I wrapped my arms around her and cradled her 
head to my chest. We held each other tightly for a few seconds. Looking up, I 
saw Buffy standing a few feet away, the look on her face nearly breaking my 
heart.

I extended my arm in invitation to join us.

For the first time, we held each other, and mourned.


*************************************************

"I know you've got about a billion questions, so let me answer the first. My 
name is Professor Lena Alibek. I'm a professor of history at the University 
of New Haven." she smiled a sly little smile. "I'm also the Head Watcher of 
the Slayers Council."

Buffy and the others just nodded. One question down but not the most 
important one.

"As you can imagine a lot has happened in the last 22 centuries. You'll have 
a lot to catch up on, however I'm here to give you a broad overview. You'll 
have plenty of time to catch up on the finer points." the last sentence 
dripped with underlying meaning.

"Our daughter?" Willow asked, not real sure how to broach the subject.

"I'll start with Jenny's story, then move on to the larger world history." 
Professor Alibek gathered her thoughts as she started to tell the tail.

"As you know, the end of the Inter-Council War saw Jenny called as the Slayer 
and the Sunnydale Hellmouth active again. With you three kept safe in the 
opal, there was only one Slayer again. In order to ensure that the Hellmouth 
was never opened again, Jenny moved to Sunnydale. Rupert Giles took on the 
job of Jenny's Watcher, aided by Jenny's husband Paul." Professor Alibek 
paused as she let the three digest the news of their daughters wedding.

"In order to have maximum control over the Hellmouth, Rupert Giles resumed 
his position as the Librarian at Sunnydale High School. Jenny was his 
assistant while Paul took the job as the Computer Science teacher there." 
Buffy and the others smiled at the thought of history repeating itself. What 
was it with librarians and computer teachers? Lena continued.

"Like your case, a small group of students became involved in Jenny's duties 
as Slayer. There are reports of a brother and sister who were friends with 
Jenny and Paul, who lead a team of crack warriors into battle, both in 
Sunnydale and else where. However almost all records of them were lost in 
Winter Fall." Xander looked at his soulmates in confusion. Winter Fall?

"Jenny was the first Slayer to marry and have children. She had 2 sons and 2 
daughters, descendants of which live today in New Haven. Rupert Giles lived 
for another 11 years after your departure. He never remarried and was buried 
next to his wife in the Blue Mountains." Tears sprung from the three at the 
thought of the death of the man they called father. Choking back the tears 
they gestured for Professor Alibek to continue.

"I know this is very hard for you, but you need to know these things." 
Shifting in her chair, Professor Alibek leaned in toward the three soulmates.

"Jenny was a remarkable woman of many firsts. The most important of which was 
the fact that she was the first Elder Slayer." Looks of confusion greeted 
Professor Alibek.

"Elder Slayer?" asked Buffy.

"Yes. Elder Slayer. Jenny was the first to live a full life. As she entered 
her 50's her physical strength declined a little. However she started to 
develop mystical and mental powers. The older she got the more powerful she 
became. Her powers rivalled the greatest Master Vampire. Even though 
physically, she wasn't as strong as she used to be when she was young, the 
older she got the more she was feared by vampires and demons."

"You mean kinda like Yoda?" Xander asked.

"Yoda? What's Yoda?" asked Professor Alibek.

"You know, Jedi Master. The Force. Star Wars!" Xander said in frustration.

"Xander, it's been over 2000 years. I don't think she's ever seen the movie." 
Willow told him.

"It's a movie?" Lena asked.

"Yeah, a classic. If it's still around you should watch it." Xander enthused. 
A soughing sound from Buffy brought the conversation back on track.

"As I was saying, Jenny became more powerful the older she got. She averted 
the Apocalypse no less than 12 times in her life.

"She became the first Slayer to become a grandmother, then a great 
grandmother. She, along with her husband and Rupert Giles rebuilt the Slayers 
Council and turned it into a truly powerful force for good. When she died in 
her sleep at the age of 98, she was hailed as the greatest Slayer, on par 
with her mother before her." Professor Alibek stopped as the three parents 
started crying openly. It was several minutes before any of them could regain 
their composure.

"OK, so we know what happened to Jenny. But what else has happened? Where's 
New Haven? What's Winter Fall? Why are we here, now?" Buffy asked. Professor 
Alibek took a deep breath.

"To understand all that, you'll need to know some 21st and 22nd century 
history. Without it the last 2000 years will be meaningless. It also provides 
the reason you are here. And the reason why the fate of the Earth rests with 
you."