Road Not Taken
Author: Leslie
Email: leslieketchum@hotmail.com
Rating: 12
Part 1
Willow sat under the tree that shaded Tara's grave. It had been months since her murder and Willow's training with the coven. She still missed her but the pain was a dull ache instead of a gaping hole in her soul.
At first Willow wasn't going to return to Sunnydale. She thought the memories would be too much. Everything would remind her of Tara and she wasn't sure she could handle it. Giles had convinced her to come back. He had told her it was seeing Jenny everywhere that gave him comfort after her murder.
Giles had been right, instead of it being horrible reminders of Tara it had been gentle memories. Every place where she saw Tara was a gentle reminder of the love they shared not a horrible ache of loss.
Getting back into the routine of things helped too. After every “adventure” with Buffy and Xander she would come to Tara's grave and tell her what she did.
She knew Tara wasn't there in the grave, that her spirit had moved on and that she was already aware of what Willow did but this helped Willow. A place to come to talk to Tara. She missed their long walks and conversations. She didn't think even with time that she would get over missing that.
Willow had moved on. She had even tentatively begun to date. Both male and female but no one had clicked. She'd had a rebound relationship but that had quickly faded.
A twig snapped behind her and she turned to see Xander standing there.
“Sorry, Wills. Didn't mean to interrupt.”
“That's okay. I was just finishing up.”
Willow softly touched Tara's name and stood up. She slipped her hand through Xander's arm and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked through the cemetery.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?”
Xander smiled and put his hand on Willow's. One of the side effects of losing Tara and going on a vengeance spree was Willow's constant need to tell those she cared about how much she cared about them. She didn't want a day to go by without them knowing that she cared. Tara proved that the love of your life could be taken in an instant.
“I think it's been a whole 24 hours. Love you too, Willow.”
Willow smiled. “So how's the win Anya back campaign going?” Though she still didn't really like Anya she had to admit she and Xander were very good for each other.
“Took your advice and fixed a romantic dinner for her. We're taking it slow this time. Getting to know each other again. We've both changed and I'm liking the new me and the new Anya.”
Willow wasn't sure how the new Anya was different from the old Anya but if Xander saw a difference she was glad.
“So what new big bad is here for the Slayerettes to defeat?”
“It's the dreaded stockroom demon. He's possessed Giles and made him take inventory. Giles has infected Anya to help him in his evil plans. She has craftily made me, against my will, agree to help with the taking of the inventory and I being the good friend that I am enlisted the biggest, baddest Wicca I know to thwart their plans. Pleeeease tell me that you can help me get out of taking inventory at the Magic Box. You know how boring it is.”
Willow started giggling, “Sorry, Xan but even this biggest baddest Wicca succumbed to the evil stockroom demon. Giles already enlisted my help.”
Xander hung his head in defeat, “Well at least I'm going into inventory hell with my best friend.” He perked up, “Hey do you think I could get out of it if I told Anya that the clusters of dust in the basement are called dust bunnies?”
Willow laughed out loud, “Not if you want to end up dusting for the rest of your life cause she'll refuse to.”
“Oh yeah.” Xander was depressed again.
Giles looked up at the tinkling of the bell over the door. He smiled when he saw it was Xander and Willow. She had changed since Tara's murder. No longer was she the shell she had become when he had returned to Sunnydale. She wasn't quite the Willow from before but he knew from personal experience that killing changed you. Whether from self-defense or premeditation, killing another human being changed you. Willow was as close to the old Willow as she would ever be and he was happy to see it.
Anya came in from the back when she heard the door open. She felt a twinge of jealousy seeing Willow's hand through Xander's arm and then slowly relaxed. She knew that Xander and Willow didn't feel romantic toward each other but it was difficult seeing them like that. Every time she did she always flashed back to the reason she came to Sunnydale. Cordelia's pain at seeing Xander and Willow kiss. That was one of the reasons she never did warm up to Willow. Not that she didn't like her, it was just she knew that Xander would do anything for Willow and vice versa. Xander standing by Willow's side as she attempted to destroy the world proved that. How do you compete with that?
Plastering a smile on her face she went out to greet Xander and Willow.
“Ready to count things?”
Xander just stopped himself from whining. Maybe if he treated it like extra time to further his campaign with Anya it wouldn't be so bad.
Xander wiggled his eyebrows at her, “All the better to get you alone my dear.”
Willow looked over at Giles and rolled her eyes. Leaving Xander and Anya to themselves she made her way through the store to Giles' side.
“Where do you want me to start?”
Giles walked with her to the basement. “Well, we just received shipment from an estate sale you can start there if you'd like.”
Giles handed Willow the print out of the inventory that was supposed to have been shipped and pointed to the numerous boxes.
Giles looked down at his copy of the list. “I'll start with these boxes over here and between the two of us it shouldn't take anytime.”
“Okay. Do you want to just go through the boxes or go ahead and stock the shelves down here?”
“Go ahead and stock. Kill two birds with one stone.”
Willow inwardly winced. She wished he would have used a different metaphor. She sighed and opened the first box.
Willow turned to her fourth box. It was big. And heavy. Willow reached for the box cutter and carefully removed the tape. Peering into the box she could tell there was only one thing in it. She quickly began taking the packing out and slowly revealed an old mirror.
Willow sat back and looked at the list. Nope no mirror listed. Must have been a mistake. “Giles. This one has a mirror in it but it's not on your list. Should I leave it in the box to be shipped back?”
Giles was deeply engrossed in a book that he had found in his box and not really paying attention to what Willow said. “Hmm? What? Oh yes go ahead and take it out.” He went back to reading the book.
Willow shrugged. If Giles wanted to pack it back up instead of leaving it where it was so be it. She carefully took the box cutter and cut along the seams so the box fell apart. The mirror was way too heavy for her to lift out of the box.
It was oval in shape and set in a brass setting. Willow walked around the front of it and stopped. Huh? The room was reflected but she wasn't. Wow just like Angel no reflection. Willow knew she wasn't a vampire so what was up with this mirror. She waved her hand slowly in front of her face. Nope still only room and no Willow.
“Giles. Come look at this.”
Giles looked up from his book and saw Willow standing in front of a mirror. He wrinkled his brow. He didn't remember a mirror on the list. Why had Willow unpacked it?
“What is it?”
“Something I think you need to see yourself.”
Willow leaned in to the mirror and gently touched it. An electrical shock traveled up her arm and there was a bright white flash.
“WILLOW!” Before his eyes Willow touched the mirror at the same time there was a flash of light and then she promptly disappeared.
Giles frantically ran the last few feet to the mirror and in his rush to get to her he hit some boxes. The boxes fell and with a few hitting the mirror. Giles watched in horror as the mirror tilted and in what looked like slow motion fall to the ground.
He closed his eyes in despair as the mirror cracked into tiny pieces.
Xander and Anya came racing down the stairs as they heard Giles shout Willow's name and then a loud crash.
“What! What happened?”
Giles looked up at them with haunted eyes, “Willow.”
Xander skidded to a stop, “What about Willow? Where is she?” He frantically looked around not seeing her.
Giles pointed to the broken mirror. “I'm afraid she's in there.”
Xander's knees buckled and he fell to the ground. Anya put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Willow touched it, there was a blinding light and then she was gone.”
The sight of the mirror falling and his inability to get to it in time would always haunt Giles. He only hoped that it was a portal of some kind and that she hadn't been trapped in the mirror. His brain couldn't encompass the thought of Willow shattered into small pieces.
Part 2
The flash of light weakened and Willow looked around the Magic Box. “Giles?”
Willow looked around and didn't see him. That's strange he was just there. “Giles?” She tried louder.
She relaxed when she saw his familiar form come out from between the shelves. She tensed when she felt his power. It was stronger than she remembered. Stronger than hers.
“Who are you and how do you know my name?”
Willow looked confused. “What do you mean who am I? I'm Willow. You're Giles. Buffy, the Slayer? Anything sound familiar?”
“I don't know a Willow. Did Ethan send you?” Giles felt her power. It was strong and had a darkness to it. Not completely dark like Ethan's but it was still dark.
“Ethan? Giles what are you talking about? You and I were taking inventory. I found a mirror and I called you to look at it.”
Giles looked over at the mirror that the red head pointed at. Still keeping her within sight he walked over to the mirror. It was the mirror that his coven in England had given him before moving here to Sunnydale. How did this stranger know about his mirror? How did she know Buffy? Buffy hadn't been the Slayer for three years.
“Everything all right down there?” A muffled voice said.
It sounded familiar to Willow but she couldn't place it.
“Yeah, there was someone down here, I'll bring her up.”
Giles indicated that Willow should lead the way up the stairs.
Fine maybe she could get answers why Giles was acting weird. Maybe she was under a spell. That would explain why Giles power feels stronger. She needed to find out what that flash of light and tingling sensation was.
Willow emerged from the stairs and took the hallway to the front of the Magic Box. She felt Giles close behind her.
She stopped in the doorway and suddenly swayed on her feet.
The girl stopped so quick that Giles couldn't stop in time and he bumped into her. Her skin was clammy as he reached out to steady her.
The blonde looked up from the book she had been looking through as she heard a noise in the doorway. She saw a red head look at her with shocked eyes and turn deathly pale.
“I-is she okay, Giles?”
Before Giles could say anything Willow fainted and he barely caught her in time.
“She'll be fine, Tara. I don't know who she is. She claims her name is Willow and that she knows me. She even claims to know Buffy.”
“Buffy?” A dark haired girl asked. “Wasn't that the Slayer's name before Kendra? The one that was killed in the first Wizard's War?”
“Yes she was. I never knew her personally but Wesley talks about her fondly.”
Tara reached over for her girlfriend Faith's hand, “Don't worry, Sweetie. I'm sure she's not here for you. Ethan hasn't been that bold in any of his attacks. Though I do feel her power and it's a dark power. What should we do with her until she wakes up?”
Giles set Willow into a chair. “Faith, there's some rope in the back in the training room why don't you get that while Tara and I work on a binding spell. At least temporarily until we get this sorted out.”
“Right, G.” Faith leaned over and gave Tara a quick kiss. “You be careful in case she wakes up before I get her tied up.”
~~~~
Willow awoke to a tingling sensation around her wrist. She panicked when she didn't feel her connection with her magick. Her eyes shot open and she felt the bindings around her body and around her magick.
Giles saw the panicked look in her eyes and sympathized. If he had been cut off from his magick he'd panic, too.
“It's all right, Willow. It's just temporary until we get this sorted out.”
He nodded to Tara who held a book in her hand. She mumbled the incantation while Faith used a feather to send the burning sage smoke toward Willow.
Willow recognized the spell that Tara was saying. It was a truth spell. Her mind couldn't wrap around the idea that Tara was standing there, ALIVE, saying a truth spell. She must be under the influence of a spell.
“Who are you?”
Willow sighed, “I told you my name is Willow.”
“Who sent you?”
“Sent me? No one sent me. I found a mirror in the box when we were taking inventory. I couldn't see my reflection.”
Faith interrupted. “Vampire? You're a vampire?” she looked over at Giles, “How come I don't feel the vampire sensation from her?”
Willow rolled her eyes, “No I'm not a vampire. I have a pulse and heart beat. The mirror reflected the room but not me. When I leaned in to touch I felt a tingling sensation. There was a flash of light and then I was in the basement next to the mirror but Giles wasn't where he was before.”
Tara shifted uncomfortably. This Willow person kept staring at her. It was like she was looking at a ghost. It was creepy. She unconsciously edged closer to Faith.
Giles stiffened when he heard what she said. The mirror was supposed to be a portal to other dimensions. It was even rumored to be how Merlin and Nimue went to Avalon. Not in this form of course but the mirror itself used to be imbedded in a rock. The coven had carefully removed it from the rock and put it in the brass holder when they gave it to him for safekeeping.
Giles rubbed his forehead. “You say when you touched the mirror there was a flash of light and things changed?”
“Exactly.”
“Are there other things you remember that doesn't feel right to you?”
Willow carefully kept her eyes away from Tara when Giles asked her that question. Obviously her current situation had something to do with the mirror. Maybe it wasn't a spell after all.
“Well, You're power is much stronger here.” Willow nodded over to Faith, “Last time I saw her she was in jail in Los Angeles. And Buffy. Where's Buffy?”
Tara noticed that Willow who had been glancing at her was studiously avoiding her gaze now. There must be something about me that's different to her.
“Buffy's been dead for three years.” Faith said. “The Warlock got her in the first Wizard's Wars.”
“WHAT?! Wizard's Wars? What's a Wizard's War and who's the warlock?”
Tara, Faith and Giles all looked at each other in surprise and confusion. With the truth spell they all knew Willow was telling the truth. She had no idea who the warlock was or what a Wizard's War was.
Giles walked over to Willow and began to untie her. “This is a long story and you should get comfortable for this one. Tara, could you turn the sign over and lock the door. I believe the Magic Box is closed for the day.”
Willow watched as Giles untied her but she noticed he kept the binding bracelet on. Giles caught her looking at him and then the bracelet, “It's just a precaution. You're a very powerful witch and until we can be positive that you're not working with Ethan we're taking careful measures.”
“Ethan must be the warlock?”
Giles nodded.
“I'm not in my Sunnydale am I? The mirror must be a portal or something.”
Giles was impressed with her ability to adapt to her situation and not panic. He was also impressed with her intelligence that she was grasping the idea of interdimension travel with nonchalance.
“Tell me. Is Sunnydale still a Hellmouth?”
“Yes, it's one of the things Ethan wants.”
Willow rolled her eyes, “Why is it that every big bad wants to have the Hellmouth all to themselves?” She looked over at Faith, “So you probably didn't go to prison for killing a man?”
Tara slipped her hand in Faith's. Willow's heart broke again. This wasn't her Tara. “No, she's never taken a human life.”
Tara wondered about the sadness that was in Willow's eyes. It went beyond the sadness of not being in her Sunnydale.
Faith noticed the sadness, too. But she also noticed the way Willow had looked at Tara and had quickly looked away from their joined hands. She suspected that Tara had a double in Willow's reality like she had a double.
Part 3
Willow couldn't help herself. She kept glancing at Tara. She was so close to her Tara yet there were dissimilarities. Not just that she was with Faith.
Tara and Faith.
She had to get over her feelings of Faith. She had heard from Angel that she sincerely was seeking redemption for what she did. Not just killing the mayor's aide but for all the havoc she caused both here and in LA.
She could sympathize with her Faith now but it was still hard to see the soft looks Tara sent her way.
Giles interrupted her thoughts about Tara when he handed her a cup of tea.
Willow smiled at Giles and took a sip and then began to cough.
“What's in this?”
Giles smiled, “Thought you might need something a little stronger than just tea to fortify you for this discussion. It's brandy.”
Willow smiled wistfully. “Just like everything else. Not quite my Sunnydale.”
“I take it your Rupert Giles didn't put brandy in his tea?”
“Well, if he did he didn't give us any.”
Willow caught the glint of a diamond in his ear. Looks like this Giles was more Ripper than hers. She couldn't imagine Giles with an earring no matter how hard she tried.
Giles indicated that they should all sit.
“Maybe it would be best if you told us about your Sunnydale first. That would save us time from explaining about ours.” Giles glanced over at Tara who nodded.
Willow watched the silent interplay between the two. “Yes, the truth spell is still working. Tara was always good with spells.”
Oh crap. Crap, crap, crap. She hadn't meant to mention her Tara. It just slipped out.
“W-was?”
Willow closed her eyes, sighed and turned to where Tara and Faith sat.
“Sorry. My Tara was.”
Faith noticed the softly spoken ‘my'. That explained the sad looks she sent their way.
“In my Sunnydale I met Tara in college. We met in a Wicca group that was more into bake sales than actually practicing magick.”
Tara shuddered at the idea of a Wiccan group not actually practicing. You had to keep your skills sharp if you were to survive this war. Wanna bes were some of the first to go.
Willow made a decision that she would tell them everything. It wasn't just the truth spell. If they were to completely trust her they needed to know everything. The good, the bad and the ugly.
“I actually met Rupert Giles the summer before I met Buffy Summers. He had come to Sunnydale High to be the school librarian. It wasn't until I met Buffy that I found out he was her Watcher.”
“Hey G-man. If you were Buffy's Watcher in her Sunnydale wonder who Wesley was.”
“Wesley? He was your watcher after your Watcher Gwendolyn Post.”
Faith jumped and began to pace. “That bitch was my Watcher? How could they make that insane woman my watcher?”
Giles' lips quirked as he watched his Slayer pace. She was so caught up in the idea of Gwendolyn as her watcher.
“Faith. It wasn't you. It was Willow's Faith that had her as a watcher.”
“Yeah but for a twist of fate it could have been me. God no wonder your version of me was screwed up.”
“I guess this version's Gwendolyn also tried to get the Glove of Myhnegon, too.”
“What? No. Never heard of the Glove. She's Ethan's second in command.”
“She's a witch?”
“A very powerful witch. Almost as powerful as Ethan and I.”
“B-but she's not as powerful as you are.” Tara said to Willow.
“I wasn't always this powerful. Far from it actually. I lacked proper training and control.”
“Your Giles didn't teach you?”
“No, kinda learned it on my own after Jenny.”
“Jenny?”
Willow bit her lip and wondered if bringing up Jenny would have bittersweet memories for this Giles.
“Jenny Calendar?”
Her name received blank stares. “Janna Calderash. A gypsy techno pagan who watches Angel to make sure he's still cursed with a soul?”
Well the name of Angel got a reaction.
“You're Angel is cursed with a soul?”
Willow looked sad, “Please don't tell me that this version of Angel is really Angelus and he's still stalking and killing.”
“N-no. He's still Angel and he has a soul. It's just not a curse. Angel, Darla, Druscilla and William all were given permanent souls by the Wizarding council at the turn of the century. When the Wizard community was just beginning to split into factions. Our side decided they needed the help of demons and vampires if they were to have any hope of holding their own against the others. Their dark magick drew all kinds of demons to them and their cause but of course our side couldn't.”
Faith took over the explaining from Giles, “So it was decided that they needed the worst and most dangerous. They captured the Scourge of Europe and gave them permanent souls. In wanting to redeem for past actions they joined our side. They've been a big help in keeping Ethan and Gwendolyn at bay.”
“How did Ethan become head wizard to the other side? In my reality he practiced magick but he didn't have that kind of power.”
“In my youth Ethan and I dabbled in the magicks. In our arrogance we thought we could handle anything.” Giles looked down at the floor and Faith put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
“Eyghon?” Willow asked softly.
Giles lips quirked, “I take it your Rupert was just as misguided? Anyway. When our friend died I left and reevaluated my direction. Unfortunately Ethan didn't. He liked the power. The idea of holding someone's life in his hands was tempting. He studied and met with wizards who were proficient in the dark arts. They trained him much more intensely than we had studied. He became a master and wielded his magick with an iron fist and quickly rose in the ranks. Mostly through fear but he is also very powerful.”
Willow shuddered. It was like looking in a cracked dark mirror. This Ethan was how she had been in her world if Giles hadn't first given her a dose of white magick and Xander hadn't touched her heart.
Tara noticed Willow biting her lip. She could practically see the wheels turning as she came to a decision.
“I think I need to tell you about me. All about me. It started when I restored Angel's soul after he lost it while I was in high school. After Angelus killed Jenny so she couldn't restore his soul we thought Buffy would have to kill him. I found the Romany spell to curse his soul again and I was determined to do it. After that it was easy to use a spell when needed to defeat the current evil.”
“You relied on it. It set you apart from others and made you feel special.”
It wasn't a question but a statement.
Willow nodded and continued, “By the time we faced a hell goddess I would have done anything to defeat her.” She turned to Tara, “My Tara was my everything. Glorificus sucked her sanity away. I told Buffy and the others I could help. And I could but I wasn't really doing it to protect the world. That was an added bonus. I was going into the dark arts to bring Tara back.”
Giles eyes popped wide. “You defeated a hell goddess?”
Willow sadly smiled, “No I weakened a hell goddess that was already weak. She would turn into a human male. It was her punishment from her dimension to keep her weak. My Giles killed Ben which in turn killed Glory.”
“I was able to restore Tara's mind but in doing so I became addicted to the power. I hid it from my friends well but eventually I couldn't hide it anymore. Tara left me because of it.”
Faith reached over to hold her girlfriend's hand.
“The shock of Tara leaving me and my hurting those I cared about helped me to fight back. Looking back I shouldn't have stopped cold but the others thought like an alcoholic I shouldn't have any magick.”
Giles winced at his version of Giles. How could his counterpart not have seen the destructive path she was on? Especially if what she said about him was true. He should have remembered his own misspent youth.
Willow saw his expression. “Oh Giles tried to warn me. Wouldn't listen. I thought I was different. He even called me an arrogant rank amateur who didn't know what I was doing. Course that was after I brought Buffy back from the dead.”
They all gasped. Tara and Giles had felt her power but to perform the kind of magick she talked about so young and without proper training shocked them.
“Anyway, I got better or at least I thought I had. Tara and I got back together and my life was looking up. We had an annoying triumvirate to battle but they were more of a nuisance than anything. Or so we thought. The leader of the Nerd Squad was Warren. When his efforts failed he resorted to violence against Buffy. He came to her house and pulled a gun.”
Willow wiped the tears from her eyes and turned from Tara. She couldn't look at her and relive her pain.
“He shot Buffy but a stray bullet came through our bedroom window. T-tara died in my arms.”
Faith squeezed Tara's hand and softly looked at Willow. “I'm sorry.”
Just those softly spoken words from Faith helped Willow continue. Willow nodded and whispered, “Thanks.”
“I was distraught.” An ironic laugh escaped Willow. “Distraught doesn't really cover it. I called on Osiris to bring Tara back. I was denied and from that point on I ceased to exist. I embraced the dark arts. Literally. I went to the Magic Box and absorbed the magick from the ancient texts.”
Giles began to pace. He saw the similarities with Ethan but he also saw the differences. The genuine regret and remorse.
Willow looked up with tear filled eyes. “I killed Warren, attacked my friends and almost destroyed the world. Giles injected me with a powerful dose of white magick that allowed me to feel and be connected to the Earth. But instead of feeling the healing power of the Earth's magick I felt everyone's pain. I just wanted to end it all.”
“Well, since you came here I'm guessing you didn't.”
Trust Faith to cut to the chase.
“No, Xander concluded what Giles began. Giles' magick dose allowed a crack of humanity to enter and Xander's unconditional love finally penetrated my heart. Didn't end my pain or the world's.”
Willow watched as Giles silently paced. She would be lucky if they didn't strip her of her magick.
“Giles took me to England to the coven that gave him his magick. They worked with me for months to control the magick inside. It'll always be a part of me but I can control it.”
Giles stopped pacing and looked at her. “I know you can.” He held up his hand to stop her from talking. “And not just because of the truth spell. I felt your power when you entered the shop. I felt your control over it. I just wasn't sure if you controlled it for Ethan or for someone else.”
“And now?”
“I think we can use your help in fighting Ethan.”
Part 4
“Giles!” Faith stood and began to pace.
Faith looked at Willow, “Not that I'm not sympathetic to your losing Tara. God I have no idea what I'd do if my Tara died in my arms.” She turned back to Giles, “But she still hasn't proven that she can be trusted. This is a WAR we're fighting.”
Before Giles could answer Willow softly said, “You're right. Trust has to be earned and I'd like to try to earn it. You don't know me and apparently you don't know this world's version of me either. Just because I'm under a truth spell and a binding spell doesn't mean I can't work around it. But while I'm here I'd like to help. There might not be a way back to my Sunnydale and if I can help make this one a little better while I'm here I'd like to try.”
Tara was processing EVERYTHING that Willow had told them. She shivered at the thought of her death in Willow's reality. A victim of a random act of violence. It seemed her death was a waste. It hadn't saved an innocent and it hadn't defeated an evil being. It actually had created an evil being.
Willow risked a glance at Tara to see how she was handling the news of her other self's death. Willow knew from personal knowledge how freaky it was to hear about you but not you. At least she wouldn't be facing a vampire version of herself here. She hoped.
Tara walked over to Faith and put a comforting hand on her arm, “She's right, Willow has to earn our trust. This is a war and we can use all the help that we can get. If the Wizarding Council could give souls to the Scourge of Europe, I think we can let Willow earn our trust.”
Giles noticed Willow cringe at being compared to the Scourge of Europe but he knew Tara didn't mean it that way. He gently raised Willow's hand and mumbled a few words. The binding bracelet disappeared and Willow again felt her connection to her magick.
“Thanks.”
Willow turned her head to the sound of the door opening in the back.
“Why'd you lock up so early? I had to use the back entrance.”
Giles, Faith and Tara stood in front of Willow blocking his view.
“Wesley, we had an unexpected visitor.” They stepped out his view.
Wesley Wyndham Price stopped dead in his tracks. “W-willow?”
Giles walked over to the younger man. “Not exactly.”
Willow cocked her head to the side as she watched Giles explain her appearance. Just like the others this was her Wesley but not. He was darker, she also felt power from Wesley. Not a lot of power but magickal power nonetheless. She wondered if all watchers were witches or warlocks in this reality. They had mentioned the Wizarding Council maybe that was instead of a Watcher's Council.
Wesley was watching her like she had watched Tara. Like he was seeing a ghost.
Wesley was barely getting everything Rupert was telling him. It seemed this Willow was from a different reality. A reality accessed through the mirror the coven had entrusted to Rupert. A mirror that Ethan wanted to get as much as he wanted to open the Hellmouth.
He felt the power rolling off of Willow. The Willow he remembered from when he first came to Sunnydale to be Buffy's watcher had some magickal ability but even if she had lived he doubted she would have been capable of this much.
Giles trailed off in his explanation as he noticed Wesley was no longer paying attention. He was staring at Willow. Not that he blamed Wesley, she was an attractive woman, but Wesley seemed to not be able to take his eyes off her.
Wesley noticed the sudden silence in the room, “I'm sorry, Willow. I didn't mean to stare, it's just that it's been a long time since I've seen my Willow.”
Willow nodded in understanding. She must be dead in this reality. She hoped her death had meaning and that she fought the good fight. “I take it I died in this reality? Is that why they didn't recognize me?”
Wesley smiled sadly, “Yes, I also didn't report Willow's presence in my official reports. You, Jesse and Xander were our ‘secret weapons' against Ethan and the others. Ethan knew a witch was helping us of course but he didn't know who you were or about Jesse and Xander. Buffy and I felt you all were safer that way.” Wesley looked down at the floor with tears in his eyes. “We were wrong.”
Willow could see Wesley was in pain and she did what she always did when someone was in pain. She comforted. Willow placed a hand on Wesley's shoulder and squeezed.
He reluctantly raised haunted eyes to caring green ones. “Willow died trying to protect Buffy and myself.” Wesley absently stroked a scar on his hand. “Ethan killed them both in front of me.”
Willow closed her eyes on the pain. Both in his voice and in her heart. She hadn't been enough of a witch to save Buffy in this reality and she had been too much of a witch to let Buffy rest in peace in hers. At least in this reality she had died trying to protect others.
She wasn't sure she wanted to know but she had to ask. “Jesse and Xander?”
“Both alive and well. They are in Los Angeles fighting Ethan's emissary there.”
Willow slowly relaxed. At least they're alive. It gave her comfort to know that in this reality Jesse was alive.
“Is there anyone that you should warn that there is a Willow visiting? I don't want Xander or Jesse to leave their fight since I'm not their Willow but neither do I want them or anyone else to unexpectedly come upon me like you did.”
Rupert Giles was getting more and more impressed with this young woman. She'd had an emotional roller coaster of a day and yet she still found time and energy to think of others.
“Y-yes of course. I'll have to warn Angel, Darla, Druscilla and especially William. He and Willow were very close.”
Willow's eyes almost popped out of her head at that. Not that she didn't like her Spike but she wouldn't characterize their relationship as very close.
Giles saw her shocked expression, “I take it you're not close to your William?”
“Spike and I have an understanding but I wouldn't say we were especially close.”
“Spike?”
“William, the Bloody. In my reality he's known as Spike because of his talent with torture using railroad spikes.”
Faith smiled, “Huh. It's kinda hard to picture him that way but I guess if he hadn't been souled I bet he would have been good at torture. Remember the time that he had Jonathon tied up? He was pretty good then.”
“Faith!” Giles automatically scolded his Slayer but she was right. William and the others had been amazing to watch getting Jonathon to tell them what Ethan had planned.
Willow pulled Wesley aside before he left to tell the others of her presence.
“William and I. When you say especially close did you mean romantically?” Willow wished with all her being that the answer was no. Her Spike was obsessive in his devotion both with Dru and with Buffy. If this William was like her Spike it could lead to complications.
Wesley smiled and shook his head no. “No, he is and probably will always be in love with Druscilla. You, Dru and he were very good friends. They respected our Willow's last wishes and hadn't turned her but it was a harrowing three weeks after she died. They were deeply depressed and made a swath of death through the demon community that supported Ethan.”
Part 5
The reality of her situation was beginning to set in for Willow as she listened to Faith, Tara and Giles train. It seemed that the Slayers of this reality are matched with a watcher with magickal ability. They train in both the physical and the magickal.
The Wizarding Council had split into two factions before the turn of the century. Those that embraced the dark magick and those that embraced the white magick. Willow wondered what caused the split in the first place.
Giles kept glancing over at Willow who was reading the History of the Wizarding Council. Extremely dull reading but it would answer the many questions that he was sure she would have. He motioned for Faith and Tara to continue while he made his way over to Willow.
“You doing all right?”
Willow nodded, “It's just beginning to sink in that I'm a fish out of water here.”
Giles gently reached over and closed the book. “What do you want to know? Not necessarily about this reality but about the people, or the wizards or how magick works here or even what movies are playing.”
Willow smiled at the last one. She didn't think her Giles would know what the latest releases were if they weren't foreign or independent movies.
“Do all Slayers fight for the white magick?”
Giles eyes turned sad, “No, we get a few rogue Slayers that prefer the power and the rush of the dark magick. The Slayer before Faith, Kendra was like that. She enjoyed the power that came with being a Slayer. She even killed her Watcher on Ethan's orders.”
God, even Faith hadn't gone that far though not for lack of trying. It was hard to imagine Kendra being Faith like. “How did she die?”
“Druscilla. She was one of the many casualties in their grief. I hadn't realized it was grief over this Willow's death that caused it though.”
Well some things were the same here. It seemed Kendra was destined to die at the hands of Druscilla.
Willow looked down at her hands and then up at Giles, “I really don't want to impose but pride kind of goes out the window when you're all alone. Would it be all right if I stayed here at the Magic Box? I could help out and sleep in the basement.”
“Oh god, Willow I'm sorry. With all that's happened it completely slipped my mind. Of course you can stay here. If you won't feel uncomfortable I have a nice two bedroom apartment above the shop here that you are welcome to share.”
“Thanks I really appreciate that. I was beginning to realize I had no place to go and no one to call.” She looked at Giles through her lashes, “Do you think it's possible for me to return to my reality?”
“I'll have to contact the coven in England that entrusted the mirror to me. I really don't know how the portal works. I do know it was rumored to be a portal to Avalon that Merlin used. It's one of the reasons Ethan wants it. But whether it can return you to your reality, I don't know.”
Well Willow wasn't going to just hop around reality to reality until she found hers. She might end up in a hell dimension or something. This reality wasn't too bad. She even liked the people here. She just had to get the images of their counterparts in her reality out of her mind. Willow was determined to meet the rest of the group like she was meeting them for the first time. She knew if she saw Jesse and Xander all bets were off. She wouldn't be able to see them without seeing her versions of them.
“We're going patrolling, Giles.” Tara softly said from the doorway.
“Be careful. Ethan and Gwendolyn no doubt have felt Willow's presence. They'll be out looking for her or anyone that might have information on the very powerful witch.”
She hadn't even thought of that. Maybe she should just leave. If they don't know where she is they can't be asked.
Giles seemed to read her mind. “Ethan would be after us even if we didn't know of your existence. He's been after me since I refused to join him when we were younger.”
He thought that this Willow would most likely become a target as well. Ethan would be able to feel the dark magick in her and want to exploit it for himself. He may even think to get rid of Gwendolyn and have Willow as his second in command. He doubted Ethan trusted Gwendolyn to not start a coup. Rupert didn't trust Gwendolyn to not start a coup.
The sound of the door in the back slamming against the wall had both Giles and Willow jumping up and spinning waiting for the attack.
Giles relaxed when he saw it was William and Druscilla.
Willow remained tense. She knew they were souled, she knew they fought for the ‘white hats' but looking at Druscilla she just saw the mad vampire of her world.
“Rupert.”
“William and Dru, I'm sure Wesley has explained about Willow.”
William narrowed his eyes. “That's not Willow.”
“She might not be YOUR Willow but she is Willow.”
Dru didn't take her eyes off Willow as she slowly approached.
Willow was determined to stand her ground. She was a badass, mojo wielding, almost world destroying witch. She would not back down from a vampire. Maybe if she kept repeating that her heart would stop trying to escape her chest. She hoped that Giles would give her a nice burial when she died of either fright or a heart attack whichever came first.
William smiled an evil smile as he heard this fake Willow's heartbeat accelerate. He grudgingly admitted that she had courage to stand and wait to see what Dru did.
Dru stopped when she reached Willow. She raised her hands until they were on either side of Willow's head. “May I?”
Willow looked at Giles who seemed to be okay with Dru. Well she hoped it would be a quick and painless death.
“O-okay.”
Dru very gently placed her hands on Willow and closed her eyes.
Flashes of Willow's life played like a movie in Dru's mind. She saw her as a young girl with Xander, meeting Giles, with Buffy and meeting Angel. Dru's brow wrinkled when she came to Willow's version of her William and herself. She cocked her head to the side and a small smile curved her lips when Faith appeared. The scenes flew by not really meaning anything to Dru until she saw Tara. Dru flinched when Willow's Tara was shot and the resulting aftermath.
With a gasp she released Willow and looked into her eyes.
Well that had been intense, Dru thought. She looked over at her William and gave a small nod. He narrowed his eyes and clinched his jaw. Dru may have given the okay but this one would have to prove herself before he did.
Dru turned to Rupert, “This one is our Willow but not. She wields much magick and power that our Willow wouldn't have developed but her heart is the same as our Willow's.”
“Thank you, Druscilla.”
“You saw all that in my head?” Willow couldn't get over that the Dru of this world was sane. She saw what she might have become if Angelus hadn't destroyed her mind first.
“Oh yes. I become the person as I get into their minds. I saw your true self, the one that even you can't hide from.”
Dru didn't look away from Willow. She wanted her to know that she saw the good and the bad and the tightrope she still walked.
“Well, that's fine and all but she still has to prove herself.” William folded his arms over his chest.
Willow glanced over at him and fought the urge to giggle. He looked like a petulant two year old that wasn't getting his way.
“I understand that trust is something earned not given right away. I'm sure you, Dru, Darla and Angel had to earn the trust of the Wizarding Council after you were given your souls. I expect no more than that.”
Touché, Dru thought.