Fic: RR&R Book IV (8a/?) NC17 see header for pairings

Title: Repercussions, Reactions and Retaliation Book IV

Author: The Bear!

Spoilers: None really, this is in the Triadverse AU and follows RR&R Book III (it’s about a month later)

Pairing: Willow/Buffy/Tara Joyce/Giles Dawn/Xander Faith/Non-BtVS Characters

Summary: An enemy begins a campaign to bring down the Scoobies; plus, the Watcher’s Council is coming to town, but I repeat myself.

Warnings: NC17 (People will be having hot, sweaty, sticky, kinky, yummy sex in this story! (This particular chapter startlingly devoid) If that offends you, feel free to PISS OFF)

Disclaimer: If I owned ‘em, they’d have to show it on the Xstasy Network.

Author’s Note: Three months to crank this one out. Damn. I hope I do better on the next, but I can’t promise anything. It’ll be done when it’s done.

========== BtVS ==========

Chapter 8

“You have a theory?” Xander’s voice conveyed his surprise. “But you just found out that I...you know–” he trailed off.

‘I know just how you feel,’ Dawn thought at the look of sadness that the redhead wore like a mourning veil. ‘Even after this morning, I don’t think my heart has completely stopped hurting that he was gone in the first place.’

“I’m just that smart,” Willow replied—not so successfully attempting levity.

“Will,” Xander started—his voice heavy with emotion.

“I figured it out when Dawn was talking about having more power than she was used to having,” Willow went on, apparently ignoring for the moment the sadness she was so clearly feeling. “Then when she couldn’t reach it I realized it must be something to do with both of you.”

‘The fire...that first night together,’ Dawn thought.

They paused silently as the waitress came by to refresh their coffee.

‘The Key...somehow the Key is in both of us now,’ she realized even as Willow again spoke.

“I think that somehow the energy from the Key is in both of you guys,” the redhead said in a quiet voice. “I think that’s why the fire was coming from you both—why you couldn’t feel that extra power without Xander touching you.”

“And you think that’s how I...uh, came back?” Xander questioned in an equally low tone.

“Exactly,” Willow's face showed growing excitement as she continued to expound. “If I’m right, that’s exactly what brought you back. The energy is what gave Dawnie life; it’s her life-force.”

“So you’re saying now it’s in me too?” Xander said with a look of surprise.

“It makes sense,” Willow explained. “That’s why the fire that surrounded the two of you yesterday was coming from both of you—it’s why Dawn couldn’t call it forth again without you touching her.”

“And the part where I came back to life?” he said, sounding skeptical.

Looking thoughtful, Willow paused for a moment before answering. “I think that the shared life-force means that one of you can’t die...or stay dead, anyway...if the other is still alive?”

“It’s more than that,” Dawn interjected.

“Right, the scratches,” Xander said with a nod.

Dawn smiled at the slight blush that stained Xander’s cheeks as he looked back toward Willow. ‘Poor baby,’ she thought even as she felt her own face grow warm.

“Scratches?” Willow asked with a confused frown.

“I scratched him...um, pretty hard,” Dawn started to explain, blushing even more strongly. ‘God, this is embarrassing...and I’m getting turned on by it!’ she realized with chagrin.

“Why?” Willow asked innocently.

“That’s not important,” Xander muttered. “What’s important is that it healed up without a trace.”

Still looking confused, Willow said, “Then how do you know she scratched you?”

Xander blushed harder as he said, “Oh, I felt it!”

“And, there was blood, after I mean.” Dawn hurriedly added. “Kinda all over...but when I tried to clean off his back with a washcloth, there were no marks at all.”

“His back?” Willow questioned. A moment later realization struck and she blushed twice as hard as the other two. “Oh! I...during...right, I get it.”

“So, you think that’s the same thing? Cause I’ve got the Key in me too?” Xander asked.

“Well, I guess that makes sense too...if it’s enough to regenerate you even after...you know...then it makes sense that little injuries would be healed even faster,” Willow answered.

“You don’t sound completely sure,” Dawn observed aloud.

“Well, the only way to be sure would be to test it,” she replied.

“But how did it happen?” Xander asked, sounding mystified, but not upset.

A memory struck Dawn at that moment. “I want to give you everything that I am; I want to make love to you and share myself with you completely!” she said softly.

“What?” Xander asked, startled. Willow didn’t say anything, but her eyes grew wide at Dawn’s statement.

A warm smile stole across her features at the recollection. “Remember Xan?” she asked. “That amazing night on Catalina? I said that to you right before we made love for the first time.”

His eyes unfocused for a moment, and then a look of recollection appeared on his face. “Yeah, I remember,” he said with a note of fondness in his voice.

“Wow!” Willow gushed with a heavy sigh. “That’s so romantic!”

“It was,” Dawn agreed with a grin. “But I also remember how I was feeling when I said it—I mean beyond the whole sexy-romantic thing.”

“Whaddya mean?” Willow chirruped, her head tilting to the side.

“I felt centered...focused,” she explained. “Like when we’re casting.”

“What does that mean?” Xander asked, sounding worried.

“I think I cast a spell on you...or us, really,” she clarified.

“She really did share herself with you,” Willow said in wonder.

“Everything I am,” Dawn continued. “Not just my heart and soul–”

“But the Key energy too,” Willow whispered.

Xander’s hand reached out to grasp hers. “But...that’s not gonna hurt you, is it?” he asked anxiously.

‘God, how I love this man,’ she thought, her eyes welling with joyful tears. ‘Always putting me first.’

“No, it should be fine!” Willow answered sounding happy. “I’d really like to test it to see, but I think that it means both of you should have the same heally thingy now.”

“But, I’ve never had any special healing before,” Dawn said, thinking back. ‘Of course, I’m not really sure when my life really started, and what was just the fake memories.’

“See, I think it’s not just the Key, it’s 'cause it’s in you both now,” Willow explained.

“I don’t get it,” Xander said, looking to Dawn.

“I’m not sure I understand it either,” she agreed. “I mean, I’ve always been the Key, but I’ve had cuts and stuff before and they didn’t heal like Xander did.”

“Well, that’s just it!” Willow expounded excitedly. “It’s the whole sharing thing. As long as one of you is healthy, I think the energy works to return the other one to the same state—it’s trying to restore a state of equilibrium.”

“So, if we both got hurt, it wouldn’t heal?” Dawn asked.

“Well, I’m not sure,” Willow said, growing if anything even more excited. “We’ll have to do some experiments and see. Does it have to be at the same time? Is it anything, as long as it’s both of you, or does it have to be the exact same thing, in the exact same place, or what?”

The two lovers were silent for a moment in the face of Willow's exuberance, then Xander quipped, “Suddenly I’m seeing things from a guinea-pig’s point of view.”

========== BtVS ==========

“Thank you for coming in this afternoon, Tara,” Giles began as he watched the blonde witch reshelf some books that had been left on the Magic Box’s central table from the last research session. “Quentin will be stopping by on his way out of town, and I imagine he’ll want to speak privately in order to ‘reveal the truth’ about Beth and Alex.”

“It’s no problem,” Tara said with a soft smile. “Willow doesn’t get back until late this evening anyway, and it gives Buffy a chance for some ‘mom-time’ with Joyce.”

“Yes, well,” he gave a slight shrug, very slightly ill at ease. ‘Of all of the children, I don’t think I’ve actually spent any time with Tara without Willow or Buffy present,’ he thought with sudden realization. ‘Even after all this time I don’t actually know her very well.”

“I never imagined that I would miss Anya’s presence in any way, however, she was at least a competent assistant when it came to minding the store,” he muttered—unusually garrulous in his discomfort. “I suppose I’ll have to break down and post an opening and begin looking for a replacement.”

“Mr. Giles, could I ask you a question?” Tara asked tentatively.

“Of course, Tara,” he said, surprised at her hesitancy. “And, please; it’s just Giles.”

She smiled and dropped her gaze slightly. “Ok...Giles. Um, about the store, I just wondered why...well, why bother with it at all?”

“I beg your pardon?” he asked confused by the question.

“Well, I mean, it isn’t as though you need the money,” she trailed off.

That rocked him back slightly.

“I suppose...well,” he took off his glasses and began to clean them. “I hadn’t actually considered that,” he admitted.

“If it’s the training room, we have plenty of space that we aren’t using at our house,” she continued on.

“And, being a residence,” he added as he considered the idea. “It does offer the natural protection against vampiric intrusion.”

“Exactly,” she agreed. “Not that there’s anything wrong with running the shop,” she suddenly temporized. “It’s just that...well...it seems to be an inconvenience sometimes.”

“It’s something to consider, certainly,” he hedged.

“It’s nothing, just a thought,” she said softly and went back to reshelving.

‘I am uncertain about giving it up entirely...perhaps what I need is someone to manage the store in my place,’ he thought. ‘All the benefits of ownership without the bother...I wonder how Joyce might feel about it?’

Just then his thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of the front door bell.

‘Bloody marvelous, he thought with resignation as Quentin and his lackey entered the store. ‘Let the play begin.’

Forcing his features into a mask of placid amiability, Giles stepped out to greet the man who was, ostensibly, his employer.

“Well Quentin, was your inspection satisfactory?” Giles asked pleasantly. Mentally, he added ‘You bloody pillock!’ while struggling to suppress his body’s natural desire to throttle the older watcher.

“Hmm,” Travers hummed with a sour look on his face. “I’m afraid I need to discuss something with you—a rather delicate...situation.

“I see,” he replied, pretending to be unaware of Quentin’s ‘situation’. “Why don’t we step into my office?”

“Hmm,” Quentin again grumbled sourly.

Giles gestured for the senior watcher to precede him into the office, and then followed—closing the door behind him.

“What did you need to tell me?” Giles asked as he moved around to sit at his small desk.

Quentin—not surprisingly—remained standing. “When the council agreed to release the second Slayer from prison, it was over the rather strenuous objections of several members.”

“I imagine so,” Giles said when Quentin paused.

“Yes, well...in order to help assure that we didn’t have another rogue situation arise, it was decided that we would provide some...assistance...to the Slayer.”

“Assistance?” Giles had no problems looking surprised—though it was more at the audacity of the man before him than at the supposed revelation.

“We were able to attain the services of a pair of counselors...trained and experienced in dealing with combat veterans,” Quentin continued.

“I see,” Giles said flatly. “And when do you plan to subject Faith to these ‘counselors’?”

“Ahh, yes, well that is the issue in question,” Quentin said, apparently trying to sound apologetic.

‘I suppose I should be relieved to see that you still can’t lie with any sort of credibility,’ Giles thought. ‘You right bastard!’

“You see, we’ve already had them in place for several months now,” Quentin ‘revealed.’

A much better actor than his visitor, Giles paused to grit his teeth, remove his glasses and slowly withdraw his handkerchief before cleaning his glasses with a dramatic sigh. “I presume you are referring to the couple with whom Faith has recently established a relationship?”

“That’s a rather genteel way of describing the situation,” Quentin said with a dry chuckle.

“And why the *bloody* hell wasn’t I informed?” Giles demanded, acting the part to the full. “Am I not supposed to be the girl’s watcher?”

Quentin’s tone was aggravatingly paternal as he answered, “Frankly Rupert, there are some who don’t completely trust that you have the council’s best interests at heart.”

‘You chiefly among them no doubt, you complete prat!’ Giles thought, hiding a smile behind the act of replacing his glasses. ‘Of course, you aren’t at all mistaken. I certainly place little value on the council’s objectives. Instead I waste my time on such lesser considerations as fighting the forces of darkness and saving the world.’

“I cannot undo the past, Rupert,” Quentin went on, oblivious to Giles momentary lack of response. “I wanted you to be aware of the situation now so that you might help smooth over any suspicions the junior Slayer might develop.”

‘You won’t even say her name, you bloody wanker,’ Giles quietly seethed. ‘And yet you sit there and pretend that you have Faith’s best interests in mind. Even if I hadn’t had prior knowledge, I suspect I would have by now realized your true intent in “bringing me into your confidence” as it were.’

“Obviously she mustn’t discover their allegiance to the council,” he continued—spinning his ‘influence’ with a decidedly heavy hand. “I somehow doubt she would trust that we only have her best interests at heart. Keeping such close watch on her is the only way we can be certain that she’s continuing to fight on the side of angels.”

‘Laying it on bloody thick, aren’t you?’ Giles marveled at Quentin’s mendaciousness.

“I see...well,” he muttered annoyed. ‘Good thing he’ll misinterpret the cause of my anger...I don’t believe I’d be able to hide it any further without reaching out to throttle the bastard!’

“I’m sure you’ll take the appropriate precautions, Rupert,” Quentin added with a smarmy smile.

“Of course,” Giles responded through clenched teeth.

“Well, I fear I must depart if I’m to be on time for my flight,” Quentin said, moving to the door and opening it. “I’ll just see myself out, then.”

“Of course,” Giles answered, plastering a smile to his face.

“Come along Jeremy,” Quentin called for his lackey. “We must be off.”

“Good bloody riddance!” Giles growled quietly to himself.

========== BtVS ==========

“This is nice,” Joyce Summers sighed, leaning back into her chair as the pedicurist finished massaging her left foot and started on her right.

“Mmm, I have to say, this whole being rich thing–definitely of the good,” Buffy agreed happily as she underwent the same treatment in the adjoining seat.

“So is this going to be a new habit, every time you bring me bad news we go to the day-spa?” Joyce asked, her voice a mix of amusement and bitterness.

“It wasn’t bad news, per se,” Buffy refuted half-heartedly.

The pregnant silence caused her to look over toward her mother and she winced slightly at the outraged incredulity she saw.

“Someone tried to k...hurt...your sister—again!” Joyce said in a low voice. “Is that supposed to be good news?”

“But...tried,” Buffy sputtered. “Bad news would be if they actually–”

‘Poor mom,’ Buffy thought sadly as Joyce closed her eyes and dropped her head back against the chair with another sigh.

“I don’t know whether to be more relieved or frightened that I actually agree with that sentiment,” Joyce said softly.

“I worry about her too,” Buffy allowed. “I think I get a little bit of how you must feel...I always thought you were overreacting when you worried about me...but now–”

“Sucks, doesn’t it?” her mom asked with a very slight grin.

Buffy laughed at the unexpected idiom. “Oh yeah.”

They sat in silence for several moments while their feet were dried and prepped for nail polish.

“I do feel a little better though, knowing that Dawnie...um–” she paused, glancing at the spa workers before finishing her thought. “That she can, you know—take care of herself?” Buffy opined.

“Hmm, that’s a toughie...I’m guess I’m glad she can take care of herself,” Joyce agreed grudgingly. “I just wish she didn’t have to.”

‘Same thing you wish for me, sound’s like,’ Buffy thought wistfully.

“I am proud of you, you know?” Joyce broke the silence a moment later.

“Huh?” Buffy grunted, surprised at the non sequitur.

“Both of you, actually,” Joyce went on with only a smile for her daughter’s less than witty rejoinder. “I hate that you and Dawn had to be a part of this...this...madness, but I am so proud of you for the incredible courage you’ve shown...for not turning away from it...for–” she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

‘Oh God!’ Buffy thought, a surge of warm emotion causing tears to start at her eyes.

“I can only imagine how horrible...and how wonderful...it must feel to do what you do,” Joyce said with an emotional voice.

“Wow,” Buffy breathed. “I never knew you felt like that...I...I always thought you hated it.”

“I worry about you...and I worry about Dawn. I hate that these...things...even exist, but they do and you...you stop them. I...you’re so strong, I could never have done what you do.” She looked down with a blush. “I’m probably not making any sense...I just thought of it, and I realized I had probably never told you that, and I wanted to make sure you knew.”

Buffy smiled broadly. “Thank you. That’s...that’s just...thank you!” she stammered, overwhelmed by the unexpected subject and subsequent emotion.

“Promise me you’ll let Willow and Tara help keep you safe,” Joyce whispered softly. “I want to keep being proud of you for a long, long, time.”

“I promise,” Buffy said. ‘For the first time since I got called, I feel like I could actually live long enough to die of old age,’ she thought happily.

========== BtVS ==========

As she approached the front counter to pay for their treatments, Buffy was still basking in the glow of maternal pride coming from her mother.

The owner of the spa was having a whispered conversation in with a younger woman. ‘Even if I did speak Vietnamese, I don’t think I could follow that,’ Buffy thought as the two spoke at what sounded like incredibly high speeds.

‘Hmm, she looks familiar for some reason,’ the Slayer thought as she observed the younger one subtly gesturing her way as she made some point to the elder. ‘Maybe she’s cut my hair before? Oh well, whatever.’

“Here you go,” Buffy said, holding out her debit card with a smile. ‘So very nice to not even have to ask how much it cost...I didn’t even realize how much I’d missed having money,’ she mused.

“No, no...no charge for you,” the elder lady said, bowing deeply toward the Slayer. “Is on the house, yes?”

“What?” Buffy asked, stunned.

“What’s wrong honey?” her mother asked, just then approaching the three women.

“She says she isn’t charging us,” Buffy said with a confused pout. ‘How come this kind of thing never happened when I was broke?’ she thought petulantly.

“What? Why not?” Joyce asked, sounding surprised.

“You save my Lieu-Thuy from the...how you say...buveurs de sang?”

“Vampires,” the younger woman—apparently Lieu-Thuy—corrected.

“Oh!” Buffy said with sudden realization. “I remember you now, last month at the Bronze–”

“Yes, you saved me.” Lieu-Thuy quickly interjected, bowing deeply.

“You Chosen One. Is honor to serve you—yes?” the older lady said questioningly, again with a deep bow.

“Oh, um,” Buffy blinked in confusion. She looked for guidance to her mother and nearly wept at the even more strongly maternal pride showing on her face. She turned back to the spa-owner and said, “I...Yes?”

Both women bowed as one.

“Ok...um, thank you,” Buffy offered as she put her bank card back in her purse.

“Yes, thank you very much,” Joyce added.

Again the women bowed deeply.

Nonplussed, Buffy let her mother guide her out of the spa.

“Well, that was surreal,” Buffy muttered as they stepped out into the afternoon sun.

“I take it that’s never happened before?” Joyce asked.

“Uh, no,” Buffy stated emphatically. “Usually they just run away without even a thank you...in fact, that’s what she did too.”

“Did it seem like she interrupted you in there,” Joyce asked after a moment. “When you were remembering the...um...incident?”

Buffy laughed. “Probably didn’t want her mother to know the position she’d gotten herself into.”

“What do you mean?”

Buffy couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory. “I followed them out into the alley behind the Bronze...by the time I’d gotten there, her shirt was already off, bra was missing and skirt was bunched up around her waist.”

“Oh dear,” Joyce said, blushing. “No, I don’t imagine she wanted you to recount that part of the story.”

“In her defense, he was really, really cute,” Buffy said with a grin. “If it weren’t for the no-heartbeat, evil demon thing...”

“Um–” Joyce trailed off with one eyebrow raised questioningly.

“Hey,” Buffy protested. “I’m not looking to get a guy, but you know...a girl can window shop, right?”

“Definitely!” Joyce said, laughing aloud.

========== BtVS ==========

“Xan?” Dawn’s voice was soft in Xander’s ear.

Xander took his card back from the cashier and stepped out of the check-line before answering. “Yeah?”

“I was thinking I might do a little shopping while you and Willow go back to the room,” she said.

He tilted his head slightly in confusion.

“I think she needs some alone-time with you,” she continued.

“Whaddya mean?” he asked with a slight frown, instinctively looking toward the restroom area where Willow had gone when they were preparing to leave the café.

“She tried to cover it up—with the being all excited about experimenting on us—but I think she’s pretty shaken up about the whole you dying thing,” she explained.

‘And you aren’t?’ he wondered as he looked at her with brows raised.

She smiled warmly at him and answered his unspoken thought, “We had a chance to ‘reconnect’ this morning. I think Willow needs a chance to reconnect too—only with clothes on instead of off.”

“Spoilsport,” he said with a smirk.

“Hey, if there’s gonna be naked Willow, it better be when I’m there to enjoy it!” she said firmly.

‘Great googly moogly!’ he thought at her blatant comment.

She winked and grinned at him as though just kidding, “Keep dreaming, Sugar.”

‘Hmm, I dunno,’ he thought at her attempt to play it off. ‘That sounded kinda like a Freudian slip to me.’

“Seriously though, look at her and tell me I’m wrong,” she said, gesturing with her chin toward the restrooms.

He looked once again to see Willow coming out of the ladies room. ‘She washed her face...but Dawn’s right, I can see the redness around her eyes,’ he thought—recognizing from their shared childhood the look of recent tears on his friend’s face.

“You’re not wrong,” he said softly, feeling his own heart ache at the sight. Turning to face Dawn, he added, “You know, it’s not like you have to leave just so we can talk–”

“I know, but I think she’ll feel better about making with the hugs if I’m not there,” she explained. “And I trust you both not to do any fluking,” she added with a smirk.

“Unless you get to be there for it,” he smirked right back.

“Darn right!” she agreed with a smile.

Looking deep into his lover’s eyes, Xander spoke in a more serious tone. “You’re incredible, Dawn. I love you so much I can’t even begin to describe it.”

Her lower lip quivered slightly and she reached up to pull his head down. “I feel exactly the same,” she whispered, then punctuated it with a kiss.

His eyes slipped shut as she kissed him with slow passion. ‘Definitely more reconnecting later!’ he thought warmly.

«You better believe it!» he heard her ardent reply in his head.

“Ok you two,” Willow's voice interrupted them. “You’re broadcasting naughty thoughts again!”

“Right, like you mind,” Dawn said with a laugh after breaking away from Xander.

“Hey!” Willow protested with a pout.

‘Mmm hmm,’ Xander thought, silently agreeing with his lover’s assessment.

“Ok, anyway,” Dawn segued. “I’m gonna go do a little shopping and you two can’t come.” She instructed.

“How come?” Willow asked, pouting even harder.

“Xander, because it’s going to be a surprise,” Dawn explained. “You, 'cause I don’t want you getting all worked up when your girlfriends aren’t around to...you know, relieve your stress,” she added teasingly.

“Hey!” Willow again protested—this time blushing a deep pink all over her face and neck.

“Come on Will,” Xander said, wrapping one arm around the redhead’s back. “We’ll go hang out.”

“Fine,” Willow said with a mock-resigned sigh.

“Maybe if you’re good, I can talk Dawnie into modeling whatever she gets for both of us,” he added in a teasing whisper as he guided her toward the elevators.

“Xander!” Willow again protested.

‘That blush tells me you wouldn’t be upset if I did,’ Xander thought smugly.

========== BtVS ==========

TheBear!

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