Repost FIC: Terra Australis Incognito 4-6/29

["Tony McD" <cdreramius@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 4-6/29 
AUTHOR: Tony McD (o163210@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and others. This is for fun, not profit. 
SUMMARY: Buffy, Willow, and Xander have their lives turned upside down and embark on a new destiny together. (B/W/X). First of my Terra/Trinity/Destiny series.
SPOILERS: AU around season 4. 
RATING: R (for language)



Authors Note: David McWray is based on a real person (and close friend) serving in the Australian SASR. Godspeed my friend, and my you return home safely.

 

Chapter 4
 

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded. "What are you doing here?"

 

The man ignored her. "Rupert Giles? I'm David McWray, Albert Nameria told me to come and see you." Giles was surprised, thinking back to his old friend and the last time they spoke. Albert was one of the few on the Council who had defended him and still spoke to him.

 

"Who the hell are ..." the man cut off Buffy's tirade.

 

"Chill out Slayer Barbie, all will be explained in good time." he said in acalm, even voice. He reached into his pocket and threw something to Giles.

 

"Albert said you might be interested in that."

 

Giles looked at the object. It was a set of dog tags on a metal chain and aring with a snake pattern on the outside. Giles' eyes went wide.

 

"Where did you get this?" Giles gasped. "We'll talk about that another time," the man said.

 

Buffy was by now quite angry at being ignored like that. "Giles! What in God's name is." Giles cut her off.

 

"Buffy! For heavens sake! Sit down and be quiet!" Giles snapped. Buffy reluctantly sat down. Xander looked surprised.

 

"Hey, you're that Aussie that got me drunk last night!"

 

Giles shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Uh.. please come in and sit down Mr.."

 

The Aussie laughed, "Please call me David," he said.

 

"OK. David. Would you like a cup of tea?" Giles asked David.

 

"Yes thanks, I'd love a cuppa." David said as he sat beside Xander. Giles went back into the kitchen.

 

"OK, you've got some explaining to do. First off I saw you playing some kind of game with Riley, acting all buddy-buddy with him. Then this morning I saw both of you at the war cemetery doing some kind of magic ritual. Now I find out that you got Xander very drunk last night and you got told to see Giles by someone. What is going on?" Buffy hissed at David.

 

"That game you saw us playing was called Aussie Rules and..."

 

"Didn't look like there were too many rules out there." Willow chipped in.  

 

David continued. "...and I was playing with Riley and some of his friends and some backpackers from Melbourne. That so called magic ritual you saw this morning; today is April 25, which in Australia is ANZAC Day. We remember those that have fallen in war, kind of like your Memorial Day. It is traditional to hold the service at dawn..."

 

Buffy cut him off. "What about that incantation thing?" she asked.

 

"What incantation thing?" David asked, some what annoyed at being cut off continually.

 

"You know. Not growing old, condemning, going down of the sun?"

 

David looked at Buffy with an expression remarkably similar to the one thatGiles gave her when she really began to annoy Giles.

 

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not wearythem, nor the years condemn." At this point Xander joined in with David. 



"At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them." There was a sombre pause. "Lest we forget."

 

"Xander, how did you know that?" Willow asked.

 

"I remembered it from when I was army guy." he said. Something clicked in his head.

 

"Hey. On that chain you gave to Giles. There was a set of dog tags on it. You in the army?" Xander asked.

 

"What's this?" Giles asked as he returned with David's tea.

 

"Thanks mate." David said as he took the cup. " Suppose I had better start from the beginning. Albert is a member of the Watchers Council and old friend of Rupert's during his young and wild days in London. Albert is also an Aboriginal tribal elder and practitioner of powerful ancient Aboriginal magic. He looked after me since I was a baby. Taught me the ways of the ancestors and of the Watchers. Of course there never having been an Australian Slayer he couldn't teach me everything."

 

"Never an Aussie Slayer?" Spike asked.

 

"No need. Until recently there were no vampires in Australia." David told him.

 

"No vampires?" Buffy asked sceptically.

  

"No vampires? Paradise here we come!" Xander whooped, only to be cut down by his blinding hangover.

 

"You're telling me that until recently there were no vampires in Australia?" Spike asked, not quite believing what he heard.

 

David sighed. "For tens of thousands of years Australia was a vampire free continent. The reasons behind it are a bit complicated but here goes. For 100,000 years the Aboriginals wandered Australia in small nomadic tribes. They were isolated from the rest of the world, they never built permanent houses or buildings, and they never developed metal technology. They lived in the driest, flattest, sunniest place on earth. They had an intimate knowledge of the land, and had powerful connections to the spirit world. Vampires never stood a chance."

 

David saw that none of them got what he was trying to say. Look, imagine you are a vampire 500 years ago. Even if you knew that Australia existed, which almost everyone didn't, how are you going to get there? Jumbo jet? No ship went anywhere near there. Even if you did, the trip would have taken almost two years and a vampire would have eaten the whole crew long before then. Say you got there? The sun is a huge problem. Australia is the sunniestplace on earth. Hell, the sun kills thousands of people a year with skin cancer each year. Where are you going to stay? Book into a motel? Jump down a sewer? There was nothing there."

 

"What about caves?" Spike asked, not believing there was a place too dangerous for him to be in.

 

"Australia is the flattest place on earth which means not too many caves. Those caves that were around had underground water in them."

 

"I don't mind getting wet to avoid the sun." Spike shot back smugly.

 

David smiled. "You know how I said that Australia was the driest place on earth? Well because water was so scarce the Aboriginals believed it to be the blood of the Great Creation Spirit, The Rainbow Serpent. To them it was sacred, holy. Any water you came across was holy water. Now do you mind getting wet?" David asked Spike. 

 

Spike shut up.

 

"Even if you found somewhere dry and out of the sun you still had huge problems to overcome. The very nature of your food source was a problem. There were only about 300,000 people living in Australia, a land that covers nearly 3 million square miles. They lived in small nomadic tribes. Your food was hard to come by. Even if you found them they were far from helpless. TheAboriginals never developed metal technology, so if they were going to attack you they wouldn't use guns or swords. They would use big wooded spears and spear you through the heart with them. They had an intimate knowledge of the land, they could detect you, track you and hunt you down very easily.Aborigines had a deep connection with the spirit world and had powerful magic to do all sorts of things."

 

"A place with no vampires. Sounds like heaven." Buffy said quietly.

 

"Not quite. Because they had no metal technology meant no silver, so were-creatures had pretty much free reign." David informed them.

 

:So there was werewolves?" Willow asked.

 

"No wolves in Australia. Mostly were-dingoes." David chuckled. "Dingoes atemy baby!" he said thinking of the infamous Lindy Chamberlain case <she wasalmost right>. David looked up and saw the discomfort on everyone's face. Willow looked like she was about to cry. <Why is everyone so up set? There is a story behind this and I want to know.> David thought.

 

"Thanks for the history lesson, but why are there vampires there now?" Spike asked.

 

"British settlement in 1788. They built towns and cities, tunnels and sewers. The British nearly wiped out the Aboriginals with disease and slaughtered them like cattle. Water lost its holy status. The British had silver bullets to deal with the were-creatures. With the advent of the jumbo jet, the trip to Australia now takes 20 hours, depending on where you left from. Australia is like any other place now." David said with great sadness in his grey eyes.

 

"OK, what has that got to do with us and Riley?" Buffy asked.

 

"Not long ago I got an assignment. Vampires were becoming a real problem. My government wanted to see how the Initiative dealt with vamps. You know, tactics, weapons, that sort of thing. The difference is that we don't want to capture and study them. We want to kill them. So they sent me here to check out the Initiative. Riley is the liaison between me and his mob. When I told Albert that I was headed for Sunnydale he told me to see you guys. I'mhere to learn from the Initiative, a Watcher, and the Slayer." David told them. 

 

There was a moment of silence before anyone spoke. Finally it was Xander who broke the silence. "I don't remember too much about last night, but I remember you said something about growing up on a station. What's the story with that?"

 

David smiled and told them about his childhood, growing up on a massive cattle station in Western Australia, seeing the ocean for the first time when he was twelve, some of the experiences he had had. He didn't mention anything about Giles being his father. That was something that he would tell him later.

 

"Extraordinary." Giles said. His stomach growled, reminding him that lunchtime had come and gone. "Would anyone like some sandwiches?" Giles asked. Everyone said yes and he went into the kitchen. When Giles returned with a plate piled with sandwiches David turned to Buffy.

 

"So you've heard my story, what's the story with you guys? I bet is interesting to say the least."

 

"My friend you have no idea just how interesting." Xander responded.

 

Over the next few hours David learnt about how the Scooby Gang came into being and some of the things they had done.

 

"Bugger me." David said in astonishment. "Only in America, hey?"

 

"Only on the Hellmouth." Buffy corrected him. They all laughed. Giles got up and stretched and saw the sun low on the horizon.

 

"Buffy, its nearly sunset. Why don't you and Willow go back to the dorm andget ready for tonight's patrol." Giles told his Slayer. Buffy got up.

 

"Come on Will, evil waits for no Slayer." She said. As the two girls got upto leave David asked, "Can I tag along tonight? You know, get some experience?"

 

"I don't want you going on patrol until you have the proper training." Giles told David.

 

"Yeah. I don't want to have to worry about looking after you while I'm out there." Buffy said. David became a little angry at this.

 

"I think that Buffy and I should have a little training season at my place tomorrow. I think that will change your mind. How about it Slayer Barbie? You game?" David challenged Buffy.

 

"Just tell me when and where so I can kick your sorry ass." Buffy replied, her eyes narrowing at the challenge.

 

"How about 10am. My place, 1610 Elm Avenue. Rupert can come and referee." David turned to address the rest of the group. "Hey everyone, come to my place at 10 and see the Chosen One verses the Thunder from Down Under. Free admission for pensioners and children under five." In spite of himself Xandercouldn't help but give a little laugh. Giles stepped between them.

 

"Listen you two I..."

 

"No Giles, I think Crocodile Dundee here is right. Let's see how good this so called Thunder from Down Under is." Buffy stared into David's eyes, a hard determined look on her face. Giles saw that he wasn't going to be able to talk sense into the two.

 

"All right, save it for tomorrow." Giles said and turned to David. "You don't know what you are getting into, do you. Don't say I didn't warn you."

 

"Fine 10am, 1610 Elm Avenue." Buffy said and walked out with Willow in tow.There was a silence which Xander broke.

 

"I had better get going. I start work in an hour." Xander said.

 

"Where do you work?" David asked.

 

"At the bar we met last night."

 

"Great! I'll call a couple of friends and we'll have out ANZAC Day get together there." David turned to Giles. "Thanks for the hospitality and I'll talk to you later about the ring." David said with some seriousness in his voice. He turned, grabbed Xander and nearly dragged him out of the door.

 

"Come on Xander, we've got a piss up to organize." David whooped as they left.

 

Spike raised an eyebrow as they left. "I like him. He's got spunk." turningto Giles he said "I think tomorrow will be very interesting."

 

Giles said nothing.

 

Chapter 5
 

David had made a few phone calls and went to his place to get a few things.Xander was setting up the bar when David walked in.

 

"Xander, where's your boss?" David asked.

 

"I'm right here," said Jack, the owner who was coming out of the back room."What can I do for you?"

 

"I'd like to hold a function here tonight and I want an open bar." David told Jack.

 

"I don't know, it's a bit short notice." Jack replied. David pulled out a wad of notes and threw it to Jack. He looked down, amazed to see a wad of hundred dollar bills.

 

"I want snacks and I want bar service. There are going to be quite a few people here and they can order anything they want. If the money runs out comeand see me and I'll give you more."

 

Jack looked at David. "Buddy, you got your self a bar," he said.

 

The bar was packed. David and his friends had managed to get a good number of the college students to come. Not too hard when there were free drinks, Xander thought. David had brought in a CD player, explaining to Xander, "I heard the crap that came out of the jukebox here last night. So I brought my own CD's. More appropriate music for the night."

 

Xander didn't know if it was appropriate music or not. He had never heard of any of the bands but it was good music and the party was in full swing. As a song finished David stopped the music, grabbed a guitar, and sat on thebar.

 

"OI! SHUT UP!!" David yelled. The bar fell silent.

 

"Right, now that I've got your attention I've got a couple of things that need to be said. Today is ANZAC Day, a day which Australians remember all those who fell in war and those who returned. It is also a day for much drinking." A cheer from the crowd.

 

"Anyway I've got a song I'd like to share with you. It's a song about a survivor of the first ANZAC Day at Gallipoli in 1915, the baptism of fire for a young nation. So here goes." David began to play the guitar.

 

Now when I was a young lad I carried me pack

And I lived the free life of the rover.

>From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback

Well I waltzed my Matilda all over

 

Then in 1915, my country said son

It's time you stopped ramblin' there's work to be done

So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun

And they marched me away to the war.

 

And the band played Waltzing Matilda

As the ship pulled away from the quay

And amidst all the cheers, flag waving and tears

We sailed of for Gallipoli.

 

And how well I remember that terrible day

How our blood stained the sand and the water

And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay

We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.

 

Jonny Turk, he was waiting, he'd primed himself well

He showered us with bullets and he rained us with shells

And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell.

Nearly blew us right back to Australia.

 

But the band played Waltzing Matilda

When we stopped to bury our slain.

We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs

And we started all over again.

 

Well those that were left, we tried to survive

In that mad world of blood, death and fire.

And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive

Though around me the corpses piled higher.

 

Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head

And when I woke up in my hospital bed

And I saw what it had done, well I wished I was dead

Never knew there was worse things than dying.

 

For I'll roam no waltzing Matilda

All around the green bush farm free.

To hump the tent pegs, a man needs both legs

No more waltzing Matilda for me.

 

So they gathered the cripple, the wounded, the maimed

And they shipped us back home to Australia.

The legless, the armless, the blind, the insane

Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.

 

And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay

I looked at the place where me legs used to be

And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me

To greave, to mourn, and to pity.

 

But the band played Waltzing Matilda

As they carried us down the gangway.

But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared

And then they turned all their faces away.

 

So now every April I sit on me porch

And I watch the parade pass before me.

And I see my old comrades how proudly they march

Reviving old dreams of pass glories.

 

And the old men march slowly, their old bones stiff and sore

They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war

And the young people ask 'What are they marching for?'

And I ask myself the same question.

 

But the band played Waltzing Matilda

And the old men still answer the call

But as year follows year, more old men disappear

Some day no one will march there at all.

 

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda

who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?

And their ghosts may be heard as they march by that billabong

Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me?

 

There was a very somber silence in the bar. David looked up to see the faces of the crowd.

 

"Anyway, enough of that. Johnno! Music please. Let's get pissed!" David cried out to the cheers of the crowd. The festive mood returned and David jumped off the bar.

 

"Xander!" David yelled over the music. "Another beer please!" Xander gave David another beer.

 

"You do remember that you've got a session with Buffy tomorrow morning?" Xander reminded David. "You keep drinking like that Willow will be able to kick the shit out of you."

 

"Xander, mate, don't worry. I think I'll be able to handle Buffy."

 

"Riley said the same thing just before Buffy kicked him 20 feet across the room." Xander informed him.

 

"Look, after tomorrow's session I'll explain everything to you and Giles. OK?" David said and wandered back to the crowd. Xander liked David. They shared the same sense of humour, David was a friendly guy who struck Xander asan older brother type of person.

 

As the night went on David and Xander became good friends. It was good to have someone to laugh with and share funny stories. David was the first malefriend Xander had since Jesse died and as such Xander was worried that Buffy would paste David in the morning. But every time that Xander expressed his concern David was very casual about it.

 

When the function was over, David said good night to Jack and Xander and started to walk home. He hadn't gone too far when a voice hissed out "Hand over your cash!" David looked around only to see a man holding a large knife.

 

"You're kidding! You realize how dangerous it is to be out at night, here?"David exclaimed.

 

"Just give me your money or I'll slice you open." the mugger said. With lightning speed David grabbed the muggers knife hand and slammed his other hand into the muggers elbow. There was a sickening sound of bones snapping andthe mugger cried out in agony, dropping the knife. David then kicked the mugger in the chest, breaking ribs and sending him flying across the alley. 

 

The mugger smashed into the wall and collapsed into a heap on the ground, unconscious and bleeding. David looked at the mugger.

 

"Told you it was dangerous here." David said to the unconscious form. Davidthen turned and walked away.

 

"Maybe a vamp will get your sorry ass." David muttered as he left the alley.

 

Chapter 6
 

It was 10 o'clock and everyone had arrived at David's place. The place had started life as a small hotel at the end of the nineteenth century, complete with 20 bedrooms and a ballroom. It had a lively trade until the Great Depression when numbers of travellers who could afford to stay there plummeted. The final straw was the killing of the entire hotel guests and staff onenight in the early thirties by a group of Vampires. The police of the day attributed the vicious killing to gangsters. It had sat abandoned for decades until now.

 

David greeted everyone instructed them to enter around the back as the lobby floor still had wet lacquer on it. As they passed through the simple garden at the back, Xander looked at David in amazement. * Damn! David is showing no sign of the huge amount of alcohol he drank last night. He definitelyhandles his booze better than my father. * he thought.     



He then looked over at Spike in his leather motorbike outfit and helmet with darkened visor. In order for Spike to move around during the day, Spike had taken up wearing this get up, much to the amusement of Xander.

 

They entered the ballroom that David had converted into a gym and workout area. All the equipment had been removed and a small wooden box sat in the centre of the room.

 

"All right listen up." David said, reaching into the box and pulling out two stakes. "The idea here is for Buffy and I to try to stake each other." David saw the look of alarm on Willow's face.

 

"Relax Willow. They're rubber, see?" David reassured her by bending the rubber stakes. A relieved Willow sat with the others on the bench along one wall. David removed the box and stood in the centre of the room facing Buffy. 

 

He threw her her stake. Buffy just looked at him with cold hard eyes. "Whoever stakes the other first wins. Understand?" A nod from Buffy. 

 

On the bench Spike leaned over to the Watcher. "I've got twenty bucks that says the Aussie beats her." Spike murmured to Giles.

 

"This is not something you bet on, Spike." Giles whispered harshly. Giles softened his tone. "I'll meet your wager. But I say David will be lucky to survive." Giles wanted to desperately talk to David to find out where he hadgotten the ring. After this, provided that David was still conscious, Giles would take him aside and talk.

 

"May the best person win." David said and bowed to Buffy. Buffy snapped offa blisteringly fast kick aimed at David's bowed head. It hit nothing but air. David had spun inside Buffy, lifted her leg higher and swept her other foot away.

 

Buffy landed on her back on the floor. Immediately she rolled away to avoidDavid's stake to her heart. She flipped onto her feet and faced David again. Buffy launched a vicious right hook at David's head, only to have him duck under it, grab her arm and flip her over his shoulder in a classic Judo move.

 

On the floor once again, Buffy flicked her feet up and caught David's head with them. With a massive grunt, she sent him flying across the room where he crashed into the wall. Quickly both got to their feet and advanced on each other again. A right from David was ducked under and she delivered an elbow to the ribs. A back fist sent her reeling backwards.

 

David managed to knock the stake out of Buffy's hand and went to stake her.She caught the hand with the stake in it with her left hand and tried to punch David in the head with the right, only to have him catch it. The two were locked together.

 

David dropped to the ground and started to roll backwards. He placed his feet on her chest and as she rolled over the top of him, he flicked his legs and sent her sailing into the wall. Buffy got up.

 

"CATCH!" David yelled as he hurled Buffy's stake at her heart. She caught it an inch from its intended target. She gave David an evil smile. "Nice try." she told him before launching herself at David again.

 

Everyone sitting to the side was stuck speechless. They had all seen Buffy fight before, but they had never seen a fight like this. They had been at it for nearly half an hour. Giles' concerns for David's safety were groundless as David had punched, kicked, thrown, and blocked as well as Buffy. It was clear that David had supernatural strength and stamina similar to Buffy's. David had speed and skill; Buffy had passion and ingenuity. Both had determination to win. Neither could deliver the stake to the heart to win it. Puffing heavily, drenched in sweat, they circled each other, eyeing each other off, waiting for the others next move.

 

*Damn he's good!* thought Buffy. *it's so even that I'm going to have to wait for him to make a mistake.*

 

*Holy shit! the Slayer sure can fight. I'll have to force an error from herif I'm to win this.* David thought. *Maybe I'll use a little mojo, but that ain't fair.* A voice from David's basic combat course entered his mind. *If it's a fair fight then you aren't doing your job properly.* A smile formed on his face as a plan came to mind.

 

Buffy watched as David crouched and leapt up and over Buffy's head. Buffy stepped forward to give herself some room and turned to face David when he landed.

 

THUMP! David landed in front of her.

THUMP! Another David landed to her right.

THUMP! Another David landed to her left.

THUMP! Yet another David landed behind her.

 

"What the fu.." Buffy started to say but the David to her left threw a punch. Buffy ducked and delivered a roundhouse kick aimed at his head. She watched in amazement as her foot passed right through his head. Her spider sense was screaming to turn around as the real David came in for the kill.

 

David was surprised that Buffy was able to react to the illusion and how quick turned to face the real threat. A series of punches and kicks saw both of them on the ground with Buffy on top of David.

 

"You think that magic will help you win this?" an extremely pissed off Slayer roared. In an instant David came up with a last ditch plan.

 

"No, just this." he said, and then he kissed her.

 

It was meant to be a quick kiss to stun her for the second or two he needed. No one expects to be kissed during a fight. It was meant to surprise her.It ended up a spiritual event; literally.

 

Magic passed through their lips as they met. The two ancient spirits, Gangui and Shelgui, touched for the first time in tens of thousands of years. 

 

The experience left them both stunned and unable to move. Buffy was the first to shake off the stupor. She leapt up, grabbed her bag and left with a very upset Willow trailing in her wake. The silence after their departure was thick. 

 

It was Spike who spoke up.

 

"Well, who bloody won?"