heaven and Earth Chapter 7 Part B
Why am I posting this chapter in two pieces, you ask? Because Livejournal won't let me post them in one!
Los Angeles, 2003
Are you sure?” Kennedy asked, leaning against Wesley’s desk as she pinned Tara with her eyes.
“It’s her,” Willow said shortly, her eyes following Kennedy’s as she briefly looked up from her laptop.
“What’s she doing?” Kennedy asked softly, “She’s just been sitting on that couch and staring at that book since I’ve arrived.
“She’s thinking.”
“About what?”
Willow shrugged, “Things,” she muttered as her drifted to the laptops screen, “A lot has happened in the last year.
“So…how do you feel,” Kennedy asked tentatively.
“I’m not sure,” Willow murmured softly, “Confused, mostly, - I’m sorry, this must be hard for you,” she added, biting her lip worriedly.
A small smile graced Kennedy’s lips. “That’s one way of putting it,” she said softly, “I just like to know where I stand, Willow; this… this is killing me. I know you love me, but I’ve always suspected you loved her more. It never really bothered me before…well, no, that’s a lie. It did bother me but it’s rather tacky to be jealous of a dead person and you’re entitled to your memories and…”
Kennedy,” Willow interrupted gently, “You’re babbling.
“Yeah, I know, you must be rubbing off on me” Kennedy said, laughing softly, “I just don’t like knowing where I stand, Willow… and you can jump in and tell me not to be silly anytime, you know...”
Yes, she could, Willow told herself, so why didn’t she? Smiling sadly, she looked away from Kennedy’s searching eyes. What could she say? Don’t be silly, Kennedy, of course I love you more. That nothing has changed? She could, she supposed, but it would be a lie…
“Willow, you still here?” Kennedy joked nervously.
“Sorry,” Willow murmured, “It’s just that I…I…”
“Don’t,” Kennedy said stiffly as she straightened up
“Kennedy-” Willow said pleadingly.
“Later,” Kennedy said, cutting her off, “I’m going to check on how Giles and Faith are doing with the other slayers. “We’ll talk tonight - when we have some privacy,” she added, glaring pointedly at Tara as she strode out of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Tara said, looking up as the door was slammed, “This is all my fault, I should never have come back.”
“You should never have left in the first place,” Willow snapped, “Then this would never have happened - should never have happened. I still love you Tara, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t care for Kennedy. She helped me through some very dark times and….and….I owe her,” she murmured softly, “Oh Goddess, she deserves so much better than this-”
“Not interrupting again, am I?” a soft voice broke in, and Willow snorted in irritation as she noticed who stood at the door.
“Nothing that can’t wait,” Tara piped up before Willow could answer, “What’s up?”
“Don’t ask me,” Adam said as he threw himself on the couch beside Tara, “I’m just a lowly professor, remember?”
“Uhuh….oh, look at that, a flying pig,” Tara joked lightly.
Willow watched the exchange warily. That Tara seemed to trust Adam Pierson was obvious, and usually Tara was an excellent judge of character…but there was something about Tara’s teacher that made her nervous. “So, how did you two meet?” she asked lightly.
“In a dark alley, of course,” Adam drawled as he slouched further into the couch.
Willow laughed politely, “No, seriously, where did you meet?”
“Um, I was being serious, actually. We met in a dark alley…though I suppose we technically met at the mouth of a dark alley and not actually in one, but you get the general idea.
“And what, exactly, were you doing in the alley?” asked Willow cautiously.
“Being dead, of course.”
“Adam, stop being obtuse,” Tara chided, elbowing him sharply in the ribs.
“Ow! That hurt!!”
Tara rolled her eyes, “He was jumped by a couple of vampires while he was in Sunnydale for an job interview,” she explained, “The, when he came to, he stumbled out of the alley and bumped into me.”
“You’re taking all the fun out of this, you know,” Adam said with a smirk.
“ And you’re just trying to wind her up to see what she’ll do,” Tara snorted, exasperation showing in her voice.
“No I’m not,” he disagreed good humouredly, “I’ve already seen what she can do. I’ve had the dubious pleasure of having a stereo sound technicolor demonstration.”
“What does that mean?” Willow asked softly, straightening up slightly in her chair.
“Last year,” he informed her. “It took me a while to make the connection as you’re no longer sporting the ‘black’ look. That was quite a display you put on, Kid. There wasn’t much left of that Police station by the time you were finished with it.”
“Willow felt her face flush as the immortal calmly met her gaze “You s-s-saw that,” she stammered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“Let me guess, it’s a long story,” he murmured.
“Adam, don’t push,” chided Tara. “It’s none of you business.”
“And I am none of her business,” he countered brusquely. “You need to work a bit more on your interrogation techniques, kid,” he added, turning his gaze to Willow. “You’re a little too obvious.”
“Let’s change the subject, shall we? Tara said hastily, giving Adam a meaningful glare before getting to her feet.
“Yes, lets do?” Adam said abruptly. “Any major breakthroughs?”
“Um, nothing much yet, there is a brief description of an artefact being confiscated from a monastery in France during the second world war which sounds like the light of R’Nathnor, but I can’t be positive. Apparently, the Third Reich was a major client of Wolfram and Hart’s, and they went to great lengths to cover up that fact when it became obvious Germany was going to lose. Luckily, though, the reference caught a clerk’s eye, and he made a not of it in the file dealing with the light of R’Nathnor before destroying the original transcript,” Willow explained breathlessly.
“They had just a transcription of the acquisition, not the actual object itself? Adam pressed.
“Um, yeah, why do you ask?”
“Just a hunch. The description doesn’t include the acquisition number from the original transcript by any chance?”
“Well…yes,” Willow muttered,” But I don’t see how that would help…”
A lot of the Artefacts taken by the Third Reich were returned to their former owners at the end of the war,” Adam explained, “And those they couldn’t trace back to their owner were kept in keeping until someone stepped forward to claim them. Some were sold off to various museums, but all were recorded. If this piece was taken in France, it was probably given back to the country at the end of the war so that they could deal with it.”
“So, somewhere in France, there is a record with this acquisition number on it,” Willow interrupted excitedly.
“That would be my guess, yes,” Adam said, shrugging. “But why are you bothering with all this? Giles seemed to be under the impression that you could just wave your hands and…and …you know…” Adam ended lamely.
“Magic it here?” Willow supplied, her face quirking into a smile “Europe is a big place, Mr Pierson. It could take me weeks to locate it by magic alone, but if I can narrow down the location…well, then I might be able to do something.”
“Hmmm, I see,” Adam muttered.
“No, you don’t, but that’s okay,” Willow said, laughing as she caught the expression that fled across his face. “Most people get the wiggles when I talk about this kind of thing.”
“Fancy that,” Adam muttered, earning himself another jab in the ribs from Tara.
“Behave,” Tara scolded.
“I am behaving.”
“No you’re not. You’re being... ironic!”
“No I wasn’t, I was being sarcastic; there’s a difference,” Adam pointed out
Tara threw her hands up. “I give up.”
“GOOD TO KNOW.”
The hairs on the back of Willows neck went up as she slowly looked around the room. “Oh,oh,” she murmured.
“Oh, oh, what?” Adam said, as he followed her gaze around the room. “I don’t see anything.
“Exactly.”
PART EIGHT
Los Angeles, 2003
Are you sure?” Kennedy asked, leaning against Wesley’s desk as she pinned Tara with her eyes.
“It’s her,” Willow said shortly, her eyes following Kennedy’s as she briefly looked up from her laptop.
“What’s she doing?” Kennedy asked softly, “She’s just been sitting on that couch and staring at that book since I’ve arrived.
“She’s thinking.”
“About what?”
Willow shrugged, “Things,” she muttered as her drifted to the laptops screen, “A lot has happened in the last year.
“So…how do you feel,” Kennedy asked tentatively.
“I’m not sure,” Willow murmured softly, “Confused, mostly, - I’m sorry, this must be hard for you,” she added, biting her lip worriedly.
A small smile graced Kennedy’s lips. “That’s one way of putting it,” she said softly, “I just like to know where I stand, Willow; this… this is killing me. I know you love me, but I’ve always suspected you loved her more. It never really bothered me before…well, no, that’s a lie. It did bother me but it’s rather tacky to be jealous of a dead person and you’re entitled to your memories and…”
Kennedy,” Willow interrupted gently, “You’re babbling.
“Yeah, I know, you must be rubbing off on me” Kennedy said, laughing softly, “I just don’t like knowing where I stand, Willow… and you can jump in and tell me not to be silly anytime, you know...”
Yes, she could, Willow told herself, so why didn’t she? Smiling sadly, she looked away from Kennedy’s searching eyes. What could she say? Don’t be silly, Kennedy, of course I love you more. That nothing has changed? She could, she supposed, but it would be a lie…
“Willow, you still here?” Kennedy joked nervously.
“Sorry,” Willow murmured, “It’s just that I…I…”
“Don’t,” Kennedy said stiffly as she straightened up
“Kennedy-” Willow said pleadingly.
“Later,” Kennedy said, cutting her off, “I’m going to check on how Giles and Faith are doing with the other slayers. “We’ll talk tonight - when we have some privacy,” she added, glaring pointedly at Tara as she strode out of the room.
“I’m sorry,” Tara said, looking up as the door was slammed, “This is all my fault, I should never have come back.”
“You should never have left in the first place,” Willow snapped, “Then this would never have happened - should never have happened. I still love you Tara, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t care for Kennedy. She helped me through some very dark times and….and….I owe her,” she murmured softly, “Oh Goddess, she deserves so much better than this-”
“Not interrupting again, am I?” a soft voice broke in, and Willow snorted in irritation as she noticed who stood at the door.
“Nothing that can’t wait,” Tara piped up before Willow could answer, “What’s up?”
“Don’t ask me,” Adam said as he threw himself on the couch beside Tara, “I’m just a lowly professor, remember?”
“Uhuh….oh, look at that, a flying pig,” Tara joked lightly.
Willow watched the exchange warily. That Tara seemed to trust Adam Pierson was obvious, and usually Tara was an excellent judge of character…but there was something about Tara’s teacher that made her nervous. “So, how did you two meet?” she asked lightly.
“In a dark alley, of course,” Adam drawled as he slouched further into the couch.
Willow laughed politely, “No, seriously, where did you meet?”
“Um, I was being serious, actually. We met in a dark alley…though I suppose we technically met at the mouth of a dark alley and not actually in one, but you get the general idea.
“And what, exactly, were you doing in the alley?” asked Willow cautiously.
“Being dead, of course.”
“Adam, stop being obtuse,” Tara chided, elbowing him sharply in the ribs.
“Ow! That hurt!!”
Tara rolled her eyes, “He was jumped by a couple of vampires while he was in Sunnydale for an job interview,” she explained, “The, when he came to, he stumbled out of the alley and bumped into me.”
“You’re taking all the fun out of this, you know,” Adam said with a smirk.
“ And you’re just trying to wind her up to see what she’ll do,” Tara snorted, exasperation showing in her voice.
“No I’m not,” he disagreed good humouredly, “I’ve already seen what she can do. I’ve had the dubious pleasure of having a stereo sound technicolor demonstration.”
“What does that mean?” Willow asked softly, straightening up slightly in her chair.
“Last year,” he informed her. “It took me a while to make the connection as you’re no longer sporting the ‘black’ look. That was quite a display you put on, Kid. There wasn’t much left of that Police station by the time you were finished with it.”
“Willow felt her face flush as the immortal calmly met her gaze “You s-s-saw that,” she stammered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.
“Let me guess, it’s a long story,” he murmured.
“Adam, don’t push,” chided Tara. “It’s none of you business.”
“And I am none of her business,” he countered brusquely. “You need to work a bit more on your interrogation techniques, kid,” he added, turning his gaze to Willow. “You’re a little too obvious.”
“Let’s change the subject, shall we? Tara said hastily, giving Adam a meaningful glare before getting to her feet.
“Yes, lets do?” Adam said abruptly. “Any major breakthroughs?”
“Um, nothing much yet, there is a brief description of an artefact being confiscated from a monastery in France during the second world war which sounds like the light of R’Nathnor, but I can’t be positive. Apparently, the Third Reich was a major client of Wolfram and Hart’s, and they went to great lengths to cover up that fact when it became obvious Germany was going to lose. Luckily, though, the reference caught a clerk’s eye, and he made a not of it in the file dealing with the light of R’Nathnor before destroying the original transcript,” Willow explained breathlessly.
“They had just a transcription of the acquisition, not the actual object itself? Adam pressed.
“Um, yeah, why do you ask?”
“Just a hunch. The description doesn’t include the acquisition number from the original transcript by any chance?”
“Well…yes,” Willow muttered,” But I don’t see how that would help…”
A lot of the Artefacts taken by the Third Reich were returned to their former owners at the end of the war,” Adam explained, “And those they couldn’t trace back to their owner were kept in keeping until someone stepped forward to claim them. Some were sold off to various museums, but all were recorded. If this piece was taken in France, it was probably given back to the country at the end of the war so that they could deal with it.”
“So, somewhere in France, there is a record with this acquisition number on it,” Willow interrupted excitedly.
“That would be my guess, yes,” Adam said, shrugging. “But why are you bothering with all this? Giles seemed to be under the impression that you could just wave your hands and…and …you know…” Adam ended lamely.
“Magic it here?” Willow supplied, her face quirking into a smile “Europe is a big place, Mr Pierson. It could take me weeks to locate it by magic alone, but if I can narrow down the location…well, then I might be able to do something.”
“Hmmm, I see,” Adam muttered.
“No, you don’t, but that’s okay,” Willow said, laughing as she caught the expression that fled across his face. “Most people get the wiggles when I talk about this kind of thing.”
“Fancy that,” Adam muttered, earning himself another jab in the ribs from Tara.
“Behave,” Tara scolded.
“I am behaving.”
“No you’re not. You’re being... ironic!”
“No I wasn’t, I was being sarcastic; there’s a difference,” Adam pointed out
Tara threw her hands up. “I give up.”
“GOOD TO KNOW.”
The hairs on the back of Willows neck went up as she slowly looked around the room. “Oh,oh,” she murmured.
“Oh, oh, what?” Adam said, as he followed her gaze around the room. “I don’t see anything.
“Exactly.”
PART EIGHT