AB/BtVS FF: Nightmares in Waking Life 8/?
TITLE: Nightmares in Waking Life
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
PART EIGHT
Raina had made a hole somehow. Willow watched the beast circling her, as she crouched on the cold marble, and she felt her mind waking up. It wasn't as paralysed as it had previously been. Fear was humming underneath her skin, making her nerves quiver, but her mind was adapting. Her mind was learning how to think through the fear and the first clear thought she had was that when Raina shouted at her, she had penetrated the darkness. She had pierced it enough to get through to the witch.
If she had done it, Willow could do it.
She tried to remember where she had been before the heavy shadows.
Slowly, she could see images of the Circus, of feeling warmth spreading through her when Richard put his hands on her body and guided her through the mismatched crowd. She thought about the way the warmth worked through her and Anita when they were both close to Richard. She remembered how she wanted to be his. She remembered how her heart sped but how everything else was utterly calm and content.
She could feel Jean-Claude's body against hers as they moved to the music. She remembered how he danced to the clavichord---but also how he danced to the beat of the music pounding through the loudspeakers. His fingers had been so cautious---polite, in a way---as they caressed her in safe places above her clothes.
She remembered Asher's body pressing against hers, moments later. She remembered the way it felt right in a way she hadn't known before and she remembered wondering if that was how Anita felt when between the two vampires. She remembered kissing Asher and pouring her soul into that kiss as they continued to move to the pulsing bass beat. His passion sang to the parts of her he alone could touch with his powers.
When that passion threaded through her, it also seemed to reach beyond her for something else that was craved. She remembered how it sought love and lust and how Jean-Claude responded by coming closer. Utterly male but ridiculously dressed, he flirted with her more than he had ever flirted before and she had encouraged it. She didn't know why they had done that---she had never really felt compelled to do so before.
But, then, that night she had thought and done things that she never thought she would think or do before.
Something had been wrong from the beginning. Something had been developing for days. She had been seeking warmth---not necessarily in terms of temperature, but in terms of desire and passion---and she had been seeking contact with others. She remembered moments of reaching out and touching Jason more than she usually did. She remembered a fascination with Asher's shoulders. She remembered how good it felt to skim her fingers over their skin and to savour the contact.
The witch didn't understand why things were changing or evolving, and becoming more dangerous in the process. She watched the beast circling her, considering its next move, and she wondered if this creature had anything to do with the pentumvirate's unbalanced state.
She wondered what Asher and Jean-Claude would have to say.
The scent of jasmine increased. The darkness seemed to tighten around her.
But, then, there was a blasting sensation and even though it was too dark to see the explosion, she could feel it.
Heat flowed through her veins, more than any ever had before. She was warm and trembling and crying out---but not in fear or pain. Before her eyelids fluttered shut, she caught a glimpse of the beast, frozen and looking as uncertain as a defiant predator could seem to be. She was no longer circling the marble; she was still, considering the witch in front of her.
The marble was no longer marble. It was melting into something soft and sticky. It was a substance akin to taffy and it absorbed Willow---and she let it. She thought it would be better to be encased in paste than to be eaten by something for which she had no name.
But, it didn't encase her. It caressed her. It brought her other things---the scent of lilacs and cigarette smoke, the rich allure of vanilla as it wafted off of a warm body, the thickness of the forest with its sharp tang of pine and the earthy moss underneath it all, the almost sterile smell of a vampire's body, the seduction of expensive cologne, and the promise of protection at all costs---and it helped her combat the fear that came from the shadows.
She cried out again and the high-pitched sound morphed into a low moan before trailing off into a whimper. Her eyes fluttered shut and she felt the rise of the pentumvirate, the way the other four had offered her their powers. She pushed back the fear because it wasn't as scary as it once was and she dropped her defenses that had risen in the initial terror.
The four and those who were connected to them rushed her and she did nothing but welcome them. She knew, in that moment, that they were her way out of the darkness.
&&&&
Willow gasped. Her throat ached but it felt good to breathe in air that was so alive that she didn't mind the pain.
Her body was tingling. Every inch of her was tingling and it seemed to be in time to the music that was playing around her. She tried to speak and she ended up coughing.
A groan vibrating from underneath her head made her open her eyes and take in her surroundings.
She saw a black skirt on one side, and she figured she would see Asher's chest and face if she turned her head again, but all she could see was a mass of black curls as another head rested on the blond's torso. She blinked into the lights above them and saw faces peering down at them. Security guards, Dawn, Faith, Stephen and Gregory. Haven was leaning on one of his guards, standing next to Requiem and some of the other vampires who were in attendance that evening. Some looked surprised; others, like Haven and Requiem, looked both exhausted and revitalised at the same time.
As sensation returned to her body, overriding the tingles, she realised there was a weight on her stomach. She looked down and saw Jason. His eyes had bled to their wolfish state but the smile on his face was friendly and a little lecherous at the same time.
Nathaniel was near him and when she tried to reach for him she learned that he was holding onto her hand. She saw Damian behind him, holding the wereleopard's hand. He was leaning on Anita's body; the necromancer was sprawled against Richard's body and one of her hands was reaching towards the vampires. Seeley was on Richard's other side, sitting up but panting heavily with his back bowed forward and his hair hanging in his eyes. Micah was kneeling near Anita, where her hand met Jean-Claude's shoulder. His eyes were completely green, his feline pupils dilated to their fullest extent.
She blinked several times and then tried to survey the crowd around them. Most were guards wearing black shirts and pants---the traditional security ensemble---and they seemed to be vibrating under the stress of whatever had happened. They were trying not to look at the grouping of bodies on the floor. She tried to meet Dawn's eyes but the young woman refused to meet her eyes. Her face was flushed and her brow was furrowed. She looked to the brunette's other side and saw Faith. The slayer looked into Willow's eyes without hesitation. There were no accusations on her face. Her hand was on her abdomen and she looked concerned, but underneath it, she saw a spark of recognition. It was as if the slayer understood the fire the group had shared, as if she knew what it was like to be consumed by something out of her control.
Faith was the one to drop to her knees and approach the witch, when everyone else seemed uncertain.
"What happened?" Willow asked.
Her voice came out in a croak. She tried to speak again but the brunette shook her head and put her fingers over Willow's mouth.
"You collapsed," she said. "You screamed and then you... it was like you were in a trance. No one could get you to stop screaming, Will."
"I remember the screaming. I thought I was dreaming," she whispered hoarsely.
Faith shook her head. "Nope. Anyway, the other four figured out what was going on, but when they tried to make her back off, the others... well, it sorta spread."
"How did you know it was a her? Do you mean Raina or the other thing?" Willow tried to lift her head but between Jason's body and the sensation of bonelessness in her body, she couldn't move much. "Did you guys see her, too, or did I make her up?"
"It was Mommy Dearest," Anita mumbled.
Willow frowned. "The first vampire?"
"That is our legend, oui," Jean-Claude breathed from next to her. He turned his head slightly and pressed his brow against Willow's temple. "Forgive us, ma chérie, for we did not know what would happen when we lowered our shields."
"She looked like a big... sabre-toothed tiger," Willow said as she tried to piece together the experience. "I thought she was gonna eat me or bleed me dry."
"She is waking up," Asher said unnecessarily.
"Who sent Raina?" Willow asked.
Anita grunted. "Richard and I did. We first thought if we could get pack to you... because she can call most large cats."
"Because she's part smilodon, she's an ancestor for all major cats," Dawn blurted out. Willow's eyes flicked to hers and there were questions and accusations, but they were fading as curiosity and concern shone through her face. "So, it'd make sense her power goes to all feline lycanthropes." She hesitated, looked around, and then said, "Right?"
Jean-Claude nodded a little. His hair tickled Willow's jaw and neck. "Oui, notre aube, cela se tient."
("Yes, Dawn, that makes sense.")
"English, Jean-Claude," Anita mumbled.
He chuckled, but it didn't sound like his normal chuckle. It sounded more like a giggle than anything else. It sounded like he was high or strung out.
Then, as Jean-Claude translated what he had said, Willow remembered what else Faith had said.
"What did you mean by 'it,' Faith?"
"Oh. Um... well..." the slayer trailed off and looked around at the others lying on the floor.
Jason lifted his head and propped himself up on one shaky arm. "Willow, look at all of us. Spent. Utterly spent, yet giddy with the rush of it. What do you think 'it' is?"
She hesitated, but she didn't need to think about her answer. "L'ardeur," she whispered as she closed her eyes.
"Oui," Asher whispered as Jason reclined again and said: "Tell her what she's one, Bob."
Nathaniel chuckled quietly. Willow smiled and then her smile faded a little as she tried to swallow and felt her throat complain. She waited a few minutes for the pain to subside and then she said, "Thank you." She inhaled deeply and spoke again. "I... I didn't know how much trouble I was in or how to get out... and I didn't mean for this to happen, but... thank you."
"You feel closer to five by five now?" Faith asked.
Willow nodded.
"Wanna try sitting up?" she asked. "You should probably get some water or something if your throat's still sore. You screamed way too much."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Jason asked.
"Water'd be good," Willow said and Anita seconded the idea.
The witch heard Faith dispatch Dawn for supplies and then she saw Patrick and Jamil drop down and with Faith's help, they started shifting around some of the bodies so people could move a little bit.
The instant Willow started to rise, she knew it was a bad idea. She felt drained and energised at the same time---it was a bit like being drunk. She couldn't voice her complaint right away, though; it was Jean-Claude who rose to her defense.
"Not yet, ma belle," he said quietly. "If the guards could encircle us, give us a few moments privacy to regain our composure, and then we will see to our secondary needs." He shifted his head; Willow guessed he did so in order to meet the slayer's eyes. "We do not want everyone to see us this way."
"You agree, Will?"
"I think he might be right about this," Willow conceded, "as much as I want that water."
Jason lifted his head again. "Faith? Can you keep---"
"Yeah, Furball, no problem."
He sighed and dropped down. "Thanks, Faith."
She exchanged a look with Claudia, who nodded and spoke with Patrick quietly and then began to reform the security detail around the group. After that, she reached over Jason and Nathaniel to touch Damian.
"You okay?"
"I will be," he assured her. "How are you?"
"Glad I wasn't riding that power, and jealous I was left out, all at the same time," she admitted. Willow saw a light blush dusting her cheeks. "But, thanks for... not resisting. I think the extra power of the other links helped." Her smile flickered and faded. "I... I was worried when Will started screaming and couldn't stop."
"She is your family and because of that, she is mine," Damian told his lover. "I am glad I could do my part."
He paused and he looked into Faith's eyes. Willow watched the brunette's smile reappear. She shook her head slightly and said, "I owe you, Damian. And I'll let you collect as soon as you're able to." After leaving that offer out in the open, she rubbed Jason's head and told him that she would look after Dawn. "I'm gonna step out and give you guys some air, but yell if you need anything."
"Merci, ma belle," Jean-Claude said quietly, as everyone else voiced their drowsy or drugged gratitude.
A few minutes into their collective silence, Damian said: "Of course, I would also be glad if my heart would stop pounding in my chest. It is most unsettling."
His comment made Asher laugh, and the blond's laughter fueled Jean-Claude's unnatural giggle. The masters' laughter brushed over Willow's skin and she shivered, unable to control her reaction to the power. She felt Jason and Nathaniel react; she heard Anita, Micah and Richard react. They all shivered and sighed, or even moaned in some cases.
A loud outcry of the word 'ten' made some of them lift their heads and look around.
"We made it," Willow whispered, barely able to hear herself over the music and the countdown to 'nine.'
Jason laughed softly. "I think it's a world record for us." He paused, then added: "Plus, what a hell of a way to ring in the new year."
When the other guests began shouting 'Happy New Year' at the top of their lungs, as 'Auld Lang Syne' began to play over the sound system, Willow felt lips nuzzling her temple.
"Bonne Année," he whispered.
She turned her head and they awkwardly kissed each other's cheeks. Willow forced herself into a lounging position as Jean-Claude struggled to move as well. She unseated Jason, but she wasn't focused on him. She wanted to see Asher's face. She wanted to kiss him first; then, she would think about getting to Richard.
Asher caught her before her elbows gave out. He leaned up and kissed her lips.
"Bonne Année, mon colibri," he murmured.
"Happy New Year, Asher," the witch replied. She stole another kiss and then said, "Thank you for rescuing me."
"Ah, you rescued me, I rescue you, without keeping a tally. It is part of our love, n'est-ce pas?"
She nodded and smoothed a hand over the scarred side of his face. "I guess it is," she agreed quietly.
"Go wish your Ulfric a happy year," he suggested, "and then come back to me."
She smiled and looked up. She found herself looking into Micah's green eyes and flushed face.
"Happy New Year, Micah," she murmured, "and thank you."
"Like he said, we save each other and no one keeps score," he said before leaning in and resting his cheek against hers.
He rubbed once and then tilted his head to one side. He wasn't acknowledging his submission to Willow because it wasn't a feline custom and because there were no submissive gestures in the action but she sensed he was giving her a familiar greeting, something to give to their beasts as their words went to their human minds and hearts. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent as he did when he rubbed his nose into the loose strands of her unraveling braid.
Micah went to Nathaniel, having already greeted Anita, and Willow inched to Richard.
"Thank you," she whispered after burying her face into his neck when he offered it to her. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he assured her as he pulled her closer so she was resting on top of his body. "Happy New Year," he said as he put his hand under the rumpled tuxedo jacket and shirt to rub the skin of her back that wasn't covered by the corset. "You're a very sexy man, you know," he added teasingly.
Willow grinned. "Does this mean I can tell you you're a very pretty girl?"
Richard laughed openly. "Willow, I know I'm the most manly girl here," he told her as his laughter faded away, "so there's no use buttering me up."
She chuckled and kissed his exposed neck. When she turned her head to look at the others, she saw Jason and Nathaniel kneeling near her. Anita was kissing Jean-Claude and holding onto Asher's hand. Damian was speaking with Micah. She smiled at her familiars and reached out for them with her hand---the one that wasn't playing with Richard's wavy hair.
"Happy New Year, guys," she told them as she kissed their hands.
Nathaniel leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Same to you, Willow," he said, his voice rough as he purred a little. "You okay?"
"Yeah, you?"
He grinned and nodded. "It was quite a rush," he admitted. "I didn't know we could raise so much power together."
Willow brought her hand up to his cheek. "Stronger together than alone," she reminded him.
He nodded again. He seemed to want to say something else, but Jason plopped down on the floor and kissed Willow on the mouth.
"Hey, lover," he drawled.
Willow rolled her eyes. "We didn't have sex."
"Can you honestly say what we did wasn't sexual?" he asked.
She knew her cheeks were flushing. She couldn't remember a lot of the event clearly, like the others could. She didn't know what they had done when the ardeur rose, but she knew how she felt when she left the dark place and she knew that she only felt that satisfied when she and Asher thoroughly shared powers or when she and Richard shared their beasts.
"Jason, don't push."
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I know... I won't cause a scene..." his smile faded. "I'm actually not looking forward to the next couple of hours, but... in the moment, and right now... all I can say is 'wow.'"
"It was a metaphysical emergency," she whispered. "Explain to her how we're all connected, through pack and through allegiance and other bonds, and tell her what she means to you."
"How'd you know?"
"Oh, c'mon, Jason... you practically live at the apartment when you're not here."
He flushed. "Do you think... I mean... with Buffy coming..."
"Be yourself. Be honest," she advised. "All you can do is be yourself." She smiled and leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Happy New Year, Jason," she whispered, "and thank you." She looked to Nathaniel. "Both of you."
Willow wished Damian well in the coming year, too, and then she turned to look for Asher. She was feeling better and she wanted him to hold her as they recovered completely.
She found herself face to face with Anita, who looked very uncomfortable.
"So, um, Happy New Year," she said quietly.
The redhead smiled warmly and put her arms around Anita's shoulders. She didn't want to hold a grudge and she didn't want to foster any more awkwardness between them. "Happy New Year," Willow whispered, "and, I sound like a broken record tonight, but thank you."
"She's not going to win," Anita promised.
"She's waking up," Willow said as they pulled away from each other.
"We'll deal with it."
Willow's eyebrows jumped upwards. "Just like that."
Anita nodded. "Yeah."
A hand around hers interrupted their conversation. She looked to Asher. She could see Jean-Claude moving for Anita and the necromancer seemed pleased about it. Asher's blue eyes were clear but not cool; they told her how much he desired her and she yielded to his feelings by returning to his side.
He drew her into his arms and kissed her lips gently.
"It was an exciting beginning to the year," he whispered.
Willow chuckled. "Don't downplay it," she joked.
"Have I told you how much you impressed me this evening?" he asked as he brushed his fingers over her back. "You stared into the face of power, you almost let it swallow you, but you fought and you came back to me... to us."
The witch kissed his chin, the only place she could reach from her position, and she said, "You and everyone else helped. I couldn't have done it without... without my family." She felt him preparing to speak; she put her fingers over his mouth. "We have a lot to talk about and I have a ton of questions about the before, during, and after, but right now, Asher, I just want to lie here with you until I can feel my legs again."
"Et après?" he asked against her fingertips.
("And after?")
"Maybe a dance or two," she replied.
"D'accord," he agreed before kissing the each of her digits delicately.
AUTHOR: 38gnihsurc
RATING: en.sea.xvii overall
PAIRINGS: All the pairings from the previous two stories---and some new ones, too
SPOILERS: Up until Micah for AB; the whole TV series for the Buffyverse; Alive at Last and Living Underground.
WARNINGS: A little bit of fur... bdsm... the usuals for Anita's crazy, crazy world.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anyone---except for any original characters that I whip up to do my bidding ;)
NOTE: This story is a sequel to Living Underground.
Previous chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
PART EIGHT
Raina had made a hole somehow. Willow watched the beast circling her, as she crouched on the cold marble, and she felt her mind waking up. It wasn't as paralysed as it had previously been. Fear was humming underneath her skin, making her nerves quiver, but her mind was adapting. Her mind was learning how to think through the fear and the first clear thought she had was that when Raina shouted at her, she had penetrated the darkness. She had pierced it enough to get through to the witch.
If she had done it, Willow could do it.
She tried to remember where she had been before the heavy shadows.
Slowly, she could see images of the Circus, of feeling warmth spreading through her when Richard put his hands on her body and guided her through the mismatched crowd. She thought about the way the warmth worked through her and Anita when they were both close to Richard. She remembered how she wanted to be his. She remembered how her heart sped but how everything else was utterly calm and content.
She could feel Jean-Claude's body against hers as they moved to the music. She remembered how he danced to the clavichord---but also how he danced to the beat of the music pounding through the loudspeakers. His fingers had been so cautious---polite, in a way---as they caressed her in safe places above her clothes.
She remembered Asher's body pressing against hers, moments later. She remembered the way it felt right in a way she hadn't known before and she remembered wondering if that was how Anita felt when between the two vampires. She remembered kissing Asher and pouring her soul into that kiss as they continued to move to the pulsing bass beat. His passion sang to the parts of her he alone could touch with his powers.
When that passion threaded through her, it also seemed to reach beyond her for something else that was craved. She remembered how it sought love and lust and how Jean-Claude responded by coming closer. Utterly male but ridiculously dressed, he flirted with her more than he had ever flirted before and she had encouraged it. She didn't know why they had done that---she had never really felt compelled to do so before.
But, then, that night she had thought and done things that she never thought she would think or do before.
Something had been wrong from the beginning. Something had been developing for days. She had been seeking warmth---not necessarily in terms of temperature, but in terms of desire and passion---and she had been seeking contact with others. She remembered moments of reaching out and touching Jason more than she usually did. She remembered a fascination with Asher's shoulders. She remembered how good it felt to skim her fingers over their skin and to savour the contact.
The witch didn't understand why things were changing or evolving, and becoming more dangerous in the process. She watched the beast circling her, considering its next move, and she wondered if this creature had anything to do with the pentumvirate's unbalanced state.
She wondered what Asher and Jean-Claude would have to say.
The scent of jasmine increased. The darkness seemed to tighten around her.
But, then, there was a blasting sensation and even though it was too dark to see the explosion, she could feel it.
Heat flowed through her veins, more than any ever had before. She was warm and trembling and crying out---but not in fear or pain. Before her eyelids fluttered shut, she caught a glimpse of the beast, frozen and looking as uncertain as a defiant predator could seem to be. She was no longer circling the marble; she was still, considering the witch in front of her.
The marble was no longer marble. It was melting into something soft and sticky. It was a substance akin to taffy and it absorbed Willow---and she let it. She thought it would be better to be encased in paste than to be eaten by something for which she had no name.
But, it didn't encase her. It caressed her. It brought her other things---the scent of lilacs and cigarette smoke, the rich allure of vanilla as it wafted off of a warm body, the thickness of the forest with its sharp tang of pine and the earthy moss underneath it all, the almost sterile smell of a vampire's body, the seduction of expensive cologne, and the promise of protection at all costs---and it helped her combat the fear that came from the shadows.
She cried out again and the high-pitched sound morphed into a low moan before trailing off into a whimper. Her eyes fluttered shut and she felt the rise of the pentumvirate, the way the other four had offered her their powers. She pushed back the fear because it wasn't as scary as it once was and she dropped her defenses that had risen in the initial terror.
The four and those who were connected to them rushed her and she did nothing but welcome them. She knew, in that moment, that they were her way out of the darkness.
&&&&
Willow gasped. Her throat ached but it felt good to breathe in air that was so alive that she didn't mind the pain.
Her body was tingling. Every inch of her was tingling and it seemed to be in time to the music that was playing around her. She tried to speak and she ended up coughing.
A groan vibrating from underneath her head made her open her eyes and take in her surroundings.
She saw a black skirt on one side, and she figured she would see Asher's chest and face if she turned her head again, but all she could see was a mass of black curls as another head rested on the blond's torso. She blinked into the lights above them and saw faces peering down at them. Security guards, Dawn, Faith, Stephen and Gregory. Haven was leaning on one of his guards, standing next to Requiem and some of the other vampires who were in attendance that evening. Some looked surprised; others, like Haven and Requiem, looked both exhausted and revitalised at the same time.
As sensation returned to her body, overriding the tingles, she realised there was a weight on her stomach. She looked down and saw Jason. His eyes had bled to their wolfish state but the smile on his face was friendly and a little lecherous at the same time.
Nathaniel was near him and when she tried to reach for him she learned that he was holding onto her hand. She saw Damian behind him, holding the wereleopard's hand. He was leaning on Anita's body; the necromancer was sprawled against Richard's body and one of her hands was reaching towards the vampires. Seeley was on Richard's other side, sitting up but panting heavily with his back bowed forward and his hair hanging in his eyes. Micah was kneeling near Anita, where her hand met Jean-Claude's shoulder. His eyes were completely green, his feline pupils dilated to their fullest extent.
She blinked several times and then tried to survey the crowd around them. Most were guards wearing black shirts and pants---the traditional security ensemble---and they seemed to be vibrating under the stress of whatever had happened. They were trying not to look at the grouping of bodies on the floor. She tried to meet Dawn's eyes but the young woman refused to meet her eyes. Her face was flushed and her brow was furrowed. She looked to the brunette's other side and saw Faith. The slayer looked into Willow's eyes without hesitation. There were no accusations on her face. Her hand was on her abdomen and she looked concerned, but underneath it, she saw a spark of recognition. It was as if the slayer understood the fire the group had shared, as if she knew what it was like to be consumed by something out of her control.
Faith was the one to drop to her knees and approach the witch, when everyone else seemed uncertain.
"What happened?" Willow asked.
Her voice came out in a croak. She tried to speak again but the brunette shook her head and put her fingers over Willow's mouth.
"You collapsed," she said. "You screamed and then you... it was like you were in a trance. No one could get you to stop screaming, Will."
"I remember the screaming. I thought I was dreaming," she whispered hoarsely.
Faith shook her head. "Nope. Anyway, the other four figured out what was going on, but when they tried to make her back off, the others... well, it sorta spread."
"How did you know it was a her? Do you mean Raina or the other thing?" Willow tried to lift her head but between Jason's body and the sensation of bonelessness in her body, she couldn't move much. "Did you guys see her, too, or did I make her up?"
"It was Mommy Dearest," Anita mumbled.
Willow frowned. "The first vampire?"
"That is our legend, oui," Jean-Claude breathed from next to her. He turned his head slightly and pressed his brow against Willow's temple. "Forgive us, ma chérie, for we did not know what would happen when we lowered our shields."
"She looked like a big... sabre-toothed tiger," Willow said as she tried to piece together the experience. "I thought she was gonna eat me or bleed me dry."
"She is waking up," Asher said unnecessarily.
"Who sent Raina?" Willow asked.
Anita grunted. "Richard and I did. We first thought if we could get pack to you... because she can call most large cats."
"Because she's part smilodon, she's an ancestor for all major cats," Dawn blurted out. Willow's eyes flicked to hers and there were questions and accusations, but they were fading as curiosity and concern shone through her face. "So, it'd make sense her power goes to all feline lycanthropes." She hesitated, looked around, and then said, "Right?"
Jean-Claude nodded a little. His hair tickled Willow's jaw and neck. "Oui, notre aube, cela se tient."
("Yes, Dawn, that makes sense.")
"English, Jean-Claude," Anita mumbled.
He chuckled, but it didn't sound like his normal chuckle. It sounded more like a giggle than anything else. It sounded like he was high or strung out.
Then, as Jean-Claude translated what he had said, Willow remembered what else Faith had said.
"What did you mean by 'it,' Faith?"
"Oh. Um... well..." the slayer trailed off and looked around at the others lying on the floor.
Jason lifted his head and propped himself up on one shaky arm. "Willow, look at all of us. Spent. Utterly spent, yet giddy with the rush of it. What do you think 'it' is?"
She hesitated, but she didn't need to think about her answer. "L'ardeur," she whispered as she closed her eyes.
"Oui," Asher whispered as Jason reclined again and said: "Tell her what she's one, Bob."
Nathaniel chuckled quietly. Willow smiled and then her smile faded a little as she tried to swallow and felt her throat complain. She waited a few minutes for the pain to subside and then she said, "Thank you." She inhaled deeply and spoke again. "I... I didn't know how much trouble I was in or how to get out... and I didn't mean for this to happen, but... thank you."
"You feel closer to five by five now?" Faith asked.
Willow nodded.
"Wanna try sitting up?" she asked. "You should probably get some water or something if your throat's still sore. You screamed way too much."
"Don't I get a say in this?" Jason asked.
"Water'd be good," Willow said and Anita seconded the idea.
The witch heard Faith dispatch Dawn for supplies and then she saw Patrick and Jamil drop down and with Faith's help, they started shifting around some of the bodies so people could move a little bit.
The instant Willow started to rise, she knew it was a bad idea. She felt drained and energised at the same time---it was a bit like being drunk. She couldn't voice her complaint right away, though; it was Jean-Claude who rose to her defense.
"Not yet, ma belle," he said quietly. "If the guards could encircle us, give us a few moments privacy to regain our composure, and then we will see to our secondary needs." He shifted his head; Willow guessed he did so in order to meet the slayer's eyes. "We do not want everyone to see us this way."
"You agree, Will?"
"I think he might be right about this," Willow conceded, "as much as I want that water."
Jason lifted his head again. "Faith? Can you keep---"
"Yeah, Furball, no problem."
He sighed and dropped down. "Thanks, Faith."
She exchanged a look with Claudia, who nodded and spoke with Patrick quietly and then began to reform the security detail around the group. After that, she reached over Jason and Nathaniel to touch Damian.
"You okay?"
"I will be," he assured her. "How are you?"
"Glad I wasn't riding that power, and jealous I was left out, all at the same time," she admitted. Willow saw a light blush dusting her cheeks. "But, thanks for... not resisting. I think the extra power of the other links helped." Her smile flickered and faded. "I... I was worried when Will started screaming and couldn't stop."
"She is your family and because of that, she is mine," Damian told his lover. "I am glad I could do my part."
He paused and he looked into Faith's eyes. Willow watched the brunette's smile reappear. She shook her head slightly and said, "I owe you, Damian. And I'll let you collect as soon as you're able to." After leaving that offer out in the open, she rubbed Jason's head and told him that she would look after Dawn. "I'm gonna step out and give you guys some air, but yell if you need anything."
"Merci, ma belle," Jean-Claude said quietly, as everyone else voiced their drowsy or drugged gratitude.
A few minutes into their collective silence, Damian said: "Of course, I would also be glad if my heart would stop pounding in my chest. It is most unsettling."
His comment made Asher laugh, and the blond's laughter fueled Jean-Claude's unnatural giggle. The masters' laughter brushed over Willow's skin and she shivered, unable to control her reaction to the power. She felt Jason and Nathaniel react; she heard Anita, Micah and Richard react. They all shivered and sighed, or even moaned in some cases.
A loud outcry of the word 'ten' made some of them lift their heads and look around.
"We made it," Willow whispered, barely able to hear herself over the music and the countdown to 'nine.'
Jason laughed softly. "I think it's a world record for us." He paused, then added: "Plus, what a hell of a way to ring in the new year."
When the other guests began shouting 'Happy New Year' at the top of their lungs, as 'Auld Lang Syne' began to play over the sound system, Willow felt lips nuzzling her temple.
"Bonne Année," he whispered.
She turned her head and they awkwardly kissed each other's cheeks. Willow forced herself into a lounging position as Jean-Claude struggled to move as well. She unseated Jason, but she wasn't focused on him. She wanted to see Asher's face. She wanted to kiss him first; then, she would think about getting to Richard.
Asher caught her before her elbows gave out. He leaned up and kissed her lips.
"Bonne Année, mon colibri," he murmured.
"Happy New Year, Asher," the witch replied. She stole another kiss and then said, "Thank you for rescuing me."
"Ah, you rescued me, I rescue you, without keeping a tally. It is part of our love, n'est-ce pas?"
She nodded and smoothed a hand over the scarred side of his face. "I guess it is," she agreed quietly.
"Go wish your Ulfric a happy year," he suggested, "and then come back to me."
She smiled and looked up. She found herself looking into Micah's green eyes and flushed face.
"Happy New Year, Micah," she murmured, "and thank you."
"Like he said, we save each other and no one keeps score," he said before leaning in and resting his cheek against hers.
He rubbed once and then tilted his head to one side. He wasn't acknowledging his submission to Willow because it wasn't a feline custom and because there were no submissive gestures in the action but she sensed he was giving her a familiar greeting, something to give to their beasts as their words went to their human minds and hearts. She closed her eyes and inhaled his scent as he did when he rubbed his nose into the loose strands of her unraveling braid.
Micah went to Nathaniel, having already greeted Anita, and Willow inched to Richard.
"Thank you," she whispered after burying her face into his neck when he offered it to her. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he assured her as he pulled her closer so she was resting on top of his body. "Happy New Year," he said as he put his hand under the rumpled tuxedo jacket and shirt to rub the skin of her back that wasn't covered by the corset. "You're a very sexy man, you know," he added teasingly.
Willow grinned. "Does this mean I can tell you you're a very pretty girl?"
Richard laughed openly. "Willow, I know I'm the most manly girl here," he told her as his laughter faded away, "so there's no use buttering me up."
She chuckled and kissed his exposed neck. When she turned her head to look at the others, she saw Jason and Nathaniel kneeling near her. Anita was kissing Jean-Claude and holding onto Asher's hand. Damian was speaking with Micah. She smiled at her familiars and reached out for them with her hand---the one that wasn't playing with Richard's wavy hair.
"Happy New Year, guys," she told them as she kissed their hands.
Nathaniel leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Same to you, Willow," he said, his voice rough as he purred a little. "You okay?"
"Yeah, you?"
He grinned and nodded. "It was quite a rush," he admitted. "I didn't know we could raise so much power together."
Willow brought her hand up to his cheek. "Stronger together than alone," she reminded him.
He nodded again. He seemed to want to say something else, but Jason plopped down on the floor and kissed Willow on the mouth.
"Hey, lover," he drawled.
Willow rolled her eyes. "We didn't have sex."
"Can you honestly say what we did wasn't sexual?" he asked.
She knew her cheeks were flushing. She couldn't remember a lot of the event clearly, like the others could. She didn't know what they had done when the ardeur rose, but she knew how she felt when she left the dark place and she knew that she only felt that satisfied when she and Asher thoroughly shared powers or when she and Richard shared their beasts.
"Jason, don't push."
He smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. "I know... I won't cause a scene..." his smile faded. "I'm actually not looking forward to the next couple of hours, but... in the moment, and right now... all I can say is 'wow.'"
"It was a metaphysical emergency," she whispered. "Explain to her how we're all connected, through pack and through allegiance and other bonds, and tell her what she means to you."
"How'd you know?"
"Oh, c'mon, Jason... you practically live at the apartment when you're not here."
He flushed. "Do you think... I mean... with Buffy coming..."
"Be yourself. Be honest," she advised. "All you can do is be yourself." She smiled and leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Happy New Year, Jason," she whispered, "and thank you." She looked to Nathaniel. "Both of you."
Willow wished Damian well in the coming year, too, and then she turned to look for Asher. She was feeling better and she wanted him to hold her as they recovered completely.
She found herself face to face with Anita, who looked very uncomfortable.
"So, um, Happy New Year," she said quietly.
The redhead smiled warmly and put her arms around Anita's shoulders. She didn't want to hold a grudge and she didn't want to foster any more awkwardness between them. "Happy New Year," Willow whispered, "and, I sound like a broken record tonight, but thank you."
"She's not going to win," Anita promised.
"She's waking up," Willow said as they pulled away from each other.
"We'll deal with it."
Willow's eyebrows jumped upwards. "Just like that."
Anita nodded. "Yeah."
A hand around hers interrupted their conversation. She looked to Asher. She could see Jean-Claude moving for Anita and the necromancer seemed pleased about it. Asher's blue eyes were clear but not cool; they told her how much he desired her and she yielded to his feelings by returning to his side.
He drew her into his arms and kissed her lips gently.
"It was an exciting beginning to the year," he whispered.
Willow chuckled. "Don't downplay it," she joked.
"Have I told you how much you impressed me this evening?" he asked as he brushed his fingers over her back. "You stared into the face of power, you almost let it swallow you, but you fought and you came back to me... to us."
The witch kissed his chin, the only place she could reach from her position, and she said, "You and everyone else helped. I couldn't have done it without... without my family." She felt him preparing to speak; she put her fingers over his mouth. "We have a lot to talk about and I have a ton of questions about the before, during, and after, but right now, Asher, I just want to lie here with you until I can feel my legs again."
"Et après?" he asked against her fingertips.
("And after?")
"Maybe a dance or two," she replied.
"D'accord," he agreed before kissing the each of her digits delicately.