Fic: The Connection 6/?

["daenerys_winter" <mwalthew@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Title: The Connection
Spoilers: Bound to be some. AU fic.
Disclaimer: If you recognise a character, they're not mine.
Crossover: Highlander
Rating: R (possibly nc-17 later)
Author: Daenerys
Warning: Crossovers ahead.
Feedback: Please, please, please.
Archive: You want my story, take it please. Just tell me where you 
put it.

AN: Story's going well now. Got the basic direction going again 
(hopefully). Chapter 5 & 6 were darker than I had intended to 
originally write, but after this they should get lighter. We should 
see the other scoobs coming into the fic after this chapter, wanted 
to bring them in earlier, but it would have led to even greater 
conflict. I do have plans for them, but it's going to be quite AU. As 
always, this is my first story, so all feedback and advice is 
welcomed.

Chapter 6

Willow ignored the sound of her bedroom door opening as she sobbed on 
her bed. She knew without needing to look ands see who it was. "What 
do you want Giles."

The ex-watcher looked down at her in sorrow. "I'm not going to ask if 
you're okay. Because it's abvious that you aren't. But until you know 
all the facts you can't make a reasonable decision Willow."

"Reasonable decision!" The red headed witch glared up at him. "What 
do you mean 'reasonable decision'? I just found out that I'mn going 
to live forever, but wait, there's something else to it, you're now a 
killer, a murderer. Have a nice day!"

"It's not like that Willow, and if you think about it you'll realize 
that."

"Not like that! Then tell me how it's like!"

"Did Buffy tell you about the Society of Watchers Willow?" Willow's 
face creased up into a frown. "I'll take that as a no. It's quite 
seperate from that of the Council. And if I didn't know that Buffy 
was going to tell you everything about them anyway, I wouldn't say a 
thing. These watchers chronicle the lives of immortals. They are 
mortals who watch everyone of the immortals in the world, keeping 
track of what they do and say, where they go, how they treat others, 
and yes, who they kill. And you know what, I am a watcher. I've 
watched Buffy ever since she came back from after sending Angel to 
hell. I didn't know who her teacher was until today, because I was 
very lucky to find out that she was indeed immortal. I just happened 
to see a wound of hers heal, and then found that because she was only 
a suspected immortal, no-one having seen her except when another 
immortal called Duncan Macleod had reacted to her entrance in a bar. 
In the time that I've known about her, she has taken the heads of two 
other immortals."

"This is hardly helping here Giles."

He nodded at her. "Yes I know that, because I haven't finished. The 
first immortal was a man called Aaron Lake. He was, for the most 
part, an honourable immortal. He never used another's friends against 
them, and despised the use of a gun, or interference in any duel. 
Buffy saved his life from vampires that had attacked him when he had 
left the Bronze. He knew she was an immortal. If you remember when 
you met Buffy last night you felt what might have been a headache, or 
a cramp, then it seemed to recede when you saw her? That's called a 
buzz. It's how you can tell another immortal is nearby, so there's 
very little chance that you will kill a mortal by accident. So Buffy 
knew when she saved his life that he was immortal. If she was a 
murderer like you said she could have just let the vampires kill and 
drain him, and then taken his head, but she didn't. She saved his 
life. He thanked her, said he'd probably leave Sunnydale soon as he 
now knew about vampires. Then as soon as her back was turned, he drew 
his sword and stabbed her. She fell forward, and he tried to behead 
her. This must be the first time that I saw an immortal duel that 
ended with a staking. They both recovered about the same time. Buffy 
told him to leave, but instead he attacked her again, and this time, 
with Buffy ready, he was defeated. She couldn't finsh it. She swung 
her sword, but stopped it against his neck, unable to actually remove 
his head. So he did it for her. He grabbed her arm and swung it for 
her. Before she realised it his head was on the ground before her 
body. Do you know what she did then Willow? She'd just saved Lake's 
life, been stabbed from behind, fought a duel, and been forced to 
take a head. And after the quickening, she spent the next five 
minutes vomiting and crying."

Willow was just staring at him, shocked at his description of Buffy's 
first decapitation.

"The second time that I saw Buffy take a head was only about a week 
later. A man called Victor Mikhailovitch. He was one of the worst men 
who has ever lived. He was about two thousand years old, and in those 
two thousand years he committed most, if not all, the greatest 
atrocities known to man. He had killed more mortal men, women and 
children than any Nazi camp of the second world war. He had raped and 
tortured a greater number of people of all ages and sexes than Darla, 
Angel and family did. His favourite method of fighting an immortal 
was to find any mortal friend, lover or family of his opponent, 
preferably at least two. He would then rape torture and murder one, 
who he would leave behind for his prey to find, usually with a note, 
describing what he did to them, and what he was going to do to the 
other if they refused to fight him, and then a time and place for the 
duel. Then he'd usually shoot whoever it was with a high powered 
rifle as they arrived at the meeting place. He'd tie them up, and 
then kill any loved one's left in front of them, before decapitating 
them. He told Buffy in a note that he was going to capture you and 
then, . . ., but I'm sure you see the picture. Buffy went unarmed to 
see him, to make a deal for your life. Her head if he'd leave you 
alone. He agreed, so she went knowingly to her death, and he, 
thinking that she was harmless without a sword, and being a female, 
laughed at her, calling her a fool, that he was going to come after 
you anyway. In all the time that I have known Buffy, I have never 
seen her fight like that before. Unarmed, against an opponent two 
thousand years older than herself, with almost all of that spent in 
training and fighting, she totally humiliated him, disarming him 
within a minute, and taking his head with his own sword. Do you know 
why she was able to do it? Because he threatened you. Buffy was more 
than willing to die to see you safe, and willing to kill to keep you 
from harm. In all my life I have never seen anyone who had that level 
of devotion for another. She loves you Willow, and would never do 
anything that might hurt you in any way. That's why I'm here and not 
her. She knows that she's hurt you, and its, quite frankly, killing 
her. Find out everything from her before you make a decision Willow, 
because all she wants to do is protect you. Hopefully she'll still be 
here when you decide. Because she'll be leaving soon, unable to stand 
the fact that you , in her opinion, hate her, and that she has caused 
you pain. And if she does leave, I doubt she'll live for much longer. 
She'll give her head to the first immortal she meets, rather than 
have you think she could harm you ever again, and unable to live with 
herself as a result. That's how far she loves you Willow, so I'd 
suggest that you go to her, and find out just what immortality 
entails. Ask her why she fights, and find out what you're life is 
going to mean fr4om now on, because you can't run from it, and you 
can't get rid of it. So get all the facts, and see if you can mend 
your friendship, if thats still possible."

He left her there, contemplating her words, as she worked her way 
through what he had said. 'She did that for me? She loves me? Wow! 
But, . . ., what will happen if we're both immortal? Will we have to 
fight. Wait a minute. She's LEAVING. No, . . ., she can't!!'

Willow grabbed her jacket, and ran out the door, sprinting toward 
Joyce Summers' house. She calmed her breathing, and then with a 
tremulous hand knocked on the door. It slowly opened to reveal Buffy 
standing in front of her, just looking at her. "Buffy, I, . . .,"

They stood facing each other for a long few seconds before Willow 
spoke again. "Let's talk." Buffy nodded and moved to the side, 
letting Willow in. "Buffy," she turned to look at Willow again. "I 
love you too."

Buffy didn't smile, but her face seemed to lighten slightly, losing 
the traces of despair that were marring the lines of her body. She 
still di not look happy, but she wasn't still in despair, as she 
allowed her heart the faintest bit of hope that the situation could 
be repaired. "Willow, . . ., I, . . ., I love you, and always will. I 
swear I'll never hurt you, NEVER!"

"I know. It was just shock Buff, for a moment I didn't see you, I 
just saw the sword. It wasn't you, it could never be you. You are the 
only person that makes me feel safe. And I know that you could never 
hurt you."

A tiny smile now graced the lips of the slayer. "Just hold me for a 
while Willow. Just hold me." 

Willow almost leapt into Buffy's arms, hugging her as if she was a 
lifeline, as if she would never let go. From the top of the stairs 
Joyce looked down at her daughter and her love, with a smile. "It was 
about time that happened," she murmured as she retreated to her own 
room. "It was about time."

End Chapter 6