FIC: Cat's in the Cradle - BtVS/M7 - (7-9/?)
Cat's in the Cradle - cont'd...
Previous parts:
Part 1 - Mourning Comes Softly
Part 2 - Pieces Kept
Part 3 - Voices in my Head
Part 4 - Dynasty
Part 5 - Boys and Bars
Part 6 - History Raises
Part 7 - Reunification Day
“You’re kinda quiet, Wills.” Buffy commented, drawing Willow out of her thoughts. The entire group had been unnaturally silent since arriving at the airport.
“Just thinking.” the witch replied, silently asking herself if she should attempt to be the old Willow, so her friends would stop looking at her like she was possessed. But Tara was dead. She was allowed to mourn without having to put up a brave front.
“Don’t worry about England, Wills.” Buffy tried to comfort, though she wasn’t too sure how she was doing. At least Willow wasn’t crying anymore, which was a slight improvement. “You’ll see. A few months with the English witches, and you’ll be fixed right up.”
There it was again. The implication that she was sick, and the coven would cure her. But she wasn’t sick. There was nothing wrong with her, her father said so. She was grief-stricken, not broken, and said as much to the Slayer.
“Will - I didn’t mean-“
“I know.” she sighed in apology. “You all seem to think that I’ll come back from England the same old Willow. But I’ll never be her again, Buffy. Too much has happened over the last months.”
The Slayer had no response to that, and looked to Giles and Xander for help. So much had changed in the past year, and she didn’t want to have to deal with more things changing. Buffy didn’t know if she could.
“Well, I like you however you want to be.” proclaimed Dawn, tightening her hold on Willow’s hand. The instant Willow had sat down in the uncomfortable airport seat, Dawn was by her side. They could all tell she was still upset by Tara’s death, traumatized by the time she’d spent in the bedroom with the blonde witch’s body.
“Thanks, Dawny.” Squeezing back in appreciation.
“I still don’t understand why I’m here!”
This from Anya. The vengeance demon had been complaining since being forced to accompany the group to the airport.
“In case anyone tries to come after Willow, you can take her somewhere safe.” replied Giles for what seemed like the hundredth time, closing his eyes in annoyance.
“She can blast anyone that comes within two feet of her, or disappear on her own!” Anya pointed out.
“Until Willow learns to control her magic, I do not want her attempting any spells.” replied the Watcher, cleaning his glasses - again. Willow didn’t understand how they were still in one piece after being polished so many times in the last twenty-four hours.
“Seems to me, that’s what got her into this mess in the first place!” Anya accused him.
“Guys, please stop! I-“ Willow started, but cut off as she felt his presence. Her father was finally here. “I have to go now.” cursing the nervous trembling in her voice as she rose. Swinging her brown leather back pack over her shoulder, the witch looked at her confused friends. “I’m not going to England, Giles.” she explained.
“You cannot remain in Sunnydale.” Giles argued.
“I’m not staying in Sunnydale, either.” Biting her bottom lip in nervous anticipation. “I’ll be safe, Giles.” she cut off the older man as he opened his mouth to protest.
“Willow? What’s-“ the Slayer began to question as she rose from her seat, to attempt to convince Willow to stay with Giles.
Willow focussed her gaze on Buffy just as a heavy wave of magic washed over her, and froze the Slayer halfway out of her chair. Startled, Willow looked around her to see Giles and her friends frozen in place, as was the rest of the terminal. She turned around, searching for the source of the spell, preparing to defend herself, when she spotted him.
Sandy blonde hair topped an all-black ensemble, right down to the cowboy boots he wore. The tall, slim build was standing with his arms and legs braced apart, seemingly against the tide of magic coming from him. The inky blackness that consumed his eyes whole, had sent shivers down the spines of any who had seen the eerie sight.
Except for one red headed witch who welcomed the sight with a watery smile.
“What the hell is going on?” demanded and angry voice that belonged to an irrate vengeance demon.
Quickly glancing around the terminal, Willow noticed a few others that weren’t frozen, like Anya.
Turning to face the approaching figure, Willow’s furrowed brow asked its own question.
“Demons.” he said, as if that explained everything, but realizing it didn’t when she rolled her eyes at his statement of the obvious - to her, at least. “They understand what type of Sanctuary Denver is, and will pass along the knowledge that you are protected. Blood of my blood.” The last bit was said louder, while his black eyes raked over the demons now standing frozen in terror, save for the frantically bobbing heads. They all knew who this black-clad witch was, and would do anything to stay out of his way and that of those he called his own.
Anya knew who he was, too. Even years as a human hadn’t affected her contacts in the demon community.
Chris Larabee, called ‘Death’ by vampires everywhere, though most demons referred to him as the ‘Guardian’. On his own he had formed a formidable magical barrier around Denver, which had only strengthened and grown with the addition of six other mages - though only the suicidal called them a coven.
“Get away from him, Willow.” Anya whispered harshly. She knew how dangerous this male witch was, and was surprised that Willow didn’t. When the red headed witch didn’t move, Anya tried to push her point, all the while praying that Larabee didn’t incinerate her for interfering. “Do you know who that is?” she asked, trying to warn with her tone alone.
“Yeeees . . .” She drew out the word, as if unsure of Anya’s comprehension of the answer.
“He’s dangerous.”
“Not to me.” Willow answered, and Chris had to smile at the complete trust she had in him. She was one of a small handful of people who trusted him completely and unconditionally.
“There a problem, cowboy?” inquired a voice that was born and bred in Texas. “Edwards’ gettin’ itchy, stayin’ in this place.”
“Take Willow. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Bounty hunter!!” exclaimed Anya, as if that revelation made her argument that much more solid.
“Vin.” Chris explained at Willow’s questioning look.
Surprised, Willow looked at the denim and leather clad bounty hunter. This was the only other person who had been able to put a smile on her father’s face after Sarah and Adam had died.
“It’s nice to finally meet you.” said Willow, producing another watery smile that she knew didn’t come off right.
“Go with him.” urged Chris, his black eyes not leaving the trembling - yet determined - demon. “Don’t worry, everything will still be standing after.” he reassured her when she didn’t move.
“Just wants to have a lil’ talk with your friends, darlin’.” added Vin, pleased when she gave a little nod and let him lead her outside to the waiting plane.
Once he was sure they were safely out of the building, Chris released the spell holding Willow’s friends in place, but kept the rest of the humans frozen. The demons had made for the exit the instant his attention was off them.
“-going on?” the first words out of Buffy’s mouth, finishing her sentence. “Willow?” she called looking for her friend.
The others were similarly confused, as from their perspectives the witch had seemingly disappeared into thin air. It was then that they noticed the relative stillness of the airport terminal, as well as the man that seemed to be in a stand-off with the newly reconfirmed vengeance demon.
“You care about her.” contemplated Anya, her brow furrowing as she ignored the demanding questions of the Scoobies. She was contemplating this new development - the Boogeyman of the demon world cared about Willow. And the witch apparently knew and trusted the man enough to willingly leave with a bounty hunter. “You’ll protect her?”
“We all will.” Chris vowed.
Seeing her nod of acceptance at that, Chris turned to the people who, up until now, had made up most of Willow’s world, narrowing his eyes at them.
Silence reigned as they looked at the all-to-familiar eyes.
“Seeing as you’re Willow’s friends, and she’d be very upset if you became smears on the floor, I’ll say this once. Stay away from Willow.” he warned through clenched teeth, trying desperately to quell his homicidal impulses toward these people. “Don’t try to find her. Don’t try to contact her. When she’s ready to see you, she’ll let you know.”
Not waiting for any form of acknowledgement, he turned to Anya, who had relaxed slightly with his attention diverted elsewhere. “Explain to them.” he told her, motioning in the Scoobies direction before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“Anya, what the hell happened? Where’s Willow?” demanded Buffy, moving to confront the still-stunned demon, barely noticing the return of normal activity in the terminal.
“She’s gone.”
“You let someone take her?!” demanded an outraged Xander, unable to comprehend what was going on.
“I didn’t ‘let’ anyone take her - she left of her own free will and I couldn’t stop her.” Anya defended harshly. “Besides, you don’t tell Chris Larabee ‘no’!”
“Th-that was Larabee?” stuttered a stunned Giles, looking paler by the second, though it was hard to tell under the harsh fluorescent lights.
At Anya’s nod, Giles uttered the only words to inspire fear in the hearts of the Slayer and her friends.
“Oh, dear!”
End Part 7
A/N: I truly apologize for the complete and total heaping pile of smarm I’m unloading on you in this part. I will try in future to control myself, but the freaking characters want to do their own thing, my feelings be damned.
Part 8 - Higher Planes
“So . . . you’re a bounty hunter?” Willow asked conversationally, trying to break the awkward silence between her and Vin as they waited for her father. “How’s that working for you? I mean, I didn’t think a lot of dangerous demons would come to Denver, because - Hello! - Sanctuary!”
A slight quirk of an eyebrow and minuscule pull in the corner of his mouth were the only signs of Vin’s amusement as he gained his first real impression of his best friend’s daughter.
Willow, however, saw none of this and took his silence as condemnation of some sort.
“Am-am I not suppose to mention that it’s a Sanctuary?” Willow asked him beseechingly, green eyes wide. “Is it some sort of big, fat, supernatural ‘no-no’?”
Vin opened his mouth to answer her, a questioning furrow to his brow, but was cut off before a single word could be formed.
“Because if it is, I’m really sorry. I don’t know much about the whole ‘demons are our friends’ thing because most of the demons I see, we kill - or rather, Buffy kills and the rest of us cheer on from the side.”
Vin’s eyes widened slightly at this, which Willow took notice of.
“Not for being demons!” she hastily added. “Because they try to take over the planet or open the Hellmouth or try to sacrifice people to some evil that’s evil-er than they are. Though I guess this time, I was the ‘big bad’ that was trying to end the world.”
Hey eyes began to fill up as she continued on.
“I didn’t mean to - really. I just felt so much pain and sadness from everybody on the planet, that I just wanted it to stop for them, and then maybe I would be able to stop feeling like I was empty inside without her.”
And the tears began to fall as a horrified Texas bounty hunter found himself way out of his depth.
Vin had no idea how to deal with the sobbing red head, panic settling quickly in his chest as he frantically prayed for Chris to hurry up.
The babbling had him stunned, but the sobbing had him terrified.
The goddess was apparently listening to desperate pleas that morning, because Chris was suddenly there.
Taking in the situation immediately, Chris would have laughed at his friend’s petrified expression, but instead decided to send him to the cockpit to tell Edwards to take off.
Barely noticing Tanner’s hasty departure, Chris settled himself next to the red head, where she’d crumpled when the crying had started again. Wrapping her in his arms, Chris gave her the comfort they’d both been desperate for.
They remained wrapped in each other until the plane levelled off some time after takeoff - Vin having the sense to stay up front with the pilot.
Chris gently moved his now silent bundle to one of the short couches, holding tightly all the while.
“I missed you.” he whispered into her hair, tightening his told on her slightly.
“I missed you, too, Dad.” Willow replied, a small smile in her voice. She’d missed his all-black wardrobe, his mock-glares when he tried to be annoyed with her, his irritation when she named his animals, but mostly she’d missed the safety and comfort and feeling of belonging and love she felt in his arms.
Her father gave the best hugs.
“What happened to your shields?” he asked her after a moment. The question had been rattling around his brain ever since the plane had landed in Sunnydale. The second he’d stepped off the plane, he’d felt her untethered magic. The shields he’d taught her to build years ago had been completely shattered.
“When I absorbed the magic books at the Magic Box, they just sort of went ‘pop’.” she explained hesitantly, unsure of what he would say. “I’ve tried to get them back up, but I can’t . . . I can’t remember how.” Willow finished whisper-soft, with a tremble in her voice.
“Are-are you mad at me?” she asked after a moment, lifting hesitant eyes to her father’s.
“No.” he sighed. “I’m angry at myself. I should have spent more time training you in the basics, instead of leaving it to a stranger who had no idea of your potential.”
“Why did you?”
“We had so little time together, especially once your powers started to emerge, that I wanted to spend time with you. I wanted to be your father first, and your teacher second.”
A beautiful smile was his reply.
“When we get to the Ranch, I’ll give you a crash course in shielding - you’re a quick study, so it shouldn’t take long.”
Another smile at the pride she heard in his voice.
“Until then, just open our connection and I’ll shield you until then.”
Doing as she was told, Willow felt him erect barriers around her powers, containing the powerful magic from random escapes.
And for the first time in days, Willow fell into a dreamless sleep, safe in the arms of her father.
End Part 8
Part 9 - Revelations of Vengeance
“Giles, who’s this Larabee person? Why are both you and Anya so scared of him?”
“And why’d you let Wills go with him, Anya?”
“We’ve been quiet and patient since we left the airport and our best friend in some dark, wiggy guy’s hands. You’ve had your glass of ‘brain-number’, now answer our questions!”
“In point of fact, you lot have been neither patient nor silent since we left the airport.” Giles snapped, putting down his empty glass rather forcefully. “And if Willow left of her own free will-“ Anya nodded emphatically “-then there is nothing we can do.”
“Who is this guy, Giles?” asked Buffy, still not accepting any of the current situation.
“Simply put, Chris Larabee is Death.” began the former Watcher. “He is the most powerful magic user ever recorded, and has surrounded himself with others like him - dark and dangerous.”
“He’s into black magic?” asked Dawn, trembling slightly at the thought of Willow in his hands.
“Very heavily.” responded Giles.
“Then we have to get her out of there!” proclaimed Buffy, seconded by Xander and Dawn.
Anya, however, looked less than impressed.
“Where the hell did you get your information from? The cover of an Anne Rice novel?” the vengeance demon demanded. “Or do you make it up as you go along? No wonder the Watcher’s Council is in decline.” The last mumbled under her breath.
“I beg your pardon!” exclaimed an affronted Watcher.
“You Watcher’s spend so much time focussing on vampires that you have no idea what goes on in demon circles.”
“What is that suppose to mean!?” demanded Giles.
“It means ‘of course’ the vampire community sees him as evil incarnate - he decimated one of their oldest clans!” Anya was just beginning a good rant. She might be more scared of Larabee than D’Hoffryn on a really bad day, but he’d been good to the demon community, a group she was again a part of.
“He may be dark, glowery, bad-tempered and have dabbled in black magic a time or two, but if that makes him the ‘devil made flesh’ then sign black-haired, evil Willow up, too!”
“Anya-“
“Chris Larabee may be considered ‘Death’ by vampires, but most demons, and quite a few humans, call him ‘the Guardian’. He literally holds the future of the entire demon world in the palm of his hand.” the vengeance demon finished.
“But still, his unprovoked attack-“ argued Giles, only to be cut off again.
“‘Unprovoked’ my ass!”
“Anya . . .” Xander tried to interrupt. It was the first word spoken by any of the young people, too stunned watching the argument escalate between the Watcher and the blonde demon.
“Tell me you didn’t want to dust every vampire in this town when Angelus killed Jenny Calendar!” she challenged him.
All movement in the room stopped at that.
No one had brought up the deceased gypsy in a long while, knowing how much Giles still grieved for the woman.
“Chris Larabee lost his wife and young son to a deliberate and brutal vampire attack, and in retaliation massacred most of the vampires in his town. A few years later, when he found out it was all due to an obsessed Master vampire who hadn’t wanted any competition for his affections, he hunted and killed every minion and childe of the Order of Olavia.”
“Is that what happened to them?” Giles murmured speculatively. The mystery behind the disappearance of the clan had the Council confounded.
“Is he dangerous?” asked Dawn, speaking up. “To Willow, I mean.”
“He’s claimed her as blood.” Anya explained. “No one will dare go after her, because if she doesn’t blast them into the next dimension, Larabee and his men will make them wish she had.”
“A-and the demon community accepts him?” asked Giles, his mind still not processing that fact.
“Yes.” answered Anya, as if it were the simplest of questions, but went on to explain. “When he finally pulled himself out of his grief, he decided no one else would suffer as he had, and put wards like no ones business around the city. Vampires are exclusively banned, and anyone who tries to pass through them, comes under the watchful eye of Larabee and his men. The city is treated like humans would treat a church, with powerful magic users as the bouncers.”
“How would that-“
“Don’t you see, Giles? We can live regular lives, without the fear of humans hunting us. Chris Larabee created a safe haven where demons can make lives for themselves in the human world, without the fear of discovery.”
“Does it work?” asked Dawn, curious as to the place Willow would be living for the next few months.
“Yes. Most of the clans and tribes have declared it a Sanctuary, the wards and his presence simply reinforce it. It is the only thing that has ever united the demon population.”
“I still don’t like-“
“You can ‘not like it’ all you want.” Anya interrupted the Slayer. “It won’t change the fact that if you violate Sanctuary in some brain-fried attempt to bring Willow back to where ‘you’ think she should be, every demon species will be out for your blood! Slayer be damned!”
“Is there some rule banning Slayers from Sanctuary?” asked Giles, never having heard of that particular amendment.
“It’s more of an unwritten rule; an implication.” answered the blonde demon. “In this particular case, Buffy would need permission to enter the city.”
“Permission? Why wou-“
“And even if Larabee, and the various heads of the demon clans did allow her in, she wouldn’t be able to go more than two feet before she has a death sentence on her head because she violated Sanctuary!”
“I wouldn’t violate Sanctuary - whatever that it . . .” defended Buffy.
“Right! Because you have such good impulse control when it comes to your violent tendencies.” taunted Anya, though a part of her would love to see the Slayer in Denver. She hadn’t seen a decent blood hunt in more than two centuries.
“I don’t have impulse control problems!”
The look Anya sent the blonde Slayer clearly conveyed her disbelief. Not that Anya could blame her - the Slayer was made to kill ‘what goes bump in the night’, and Buffy did her job very well. However, Denver was a city ful of such creatures, where following her instincts would get her killed.
“Just let Willow do what she needs to do.” Anya told them. “Besides, Sanctuary means you can’t force Willow to leave against her will.”
“But what if this Larabee guy tries to hurt Willow?” asked Xander, his concern still for his friend who had lost so much already.
“He wouldn’t have extended his protection if he intended to hurt her. Besides, once inside the wards, the rules apply to him, too.”
With that, Anya decided her time was up. If they wouldn’t let Willow recover in peace after all she’d said, nothing would get them to leave it alone - except maybe Larabee in a rage.
As she was walking out the door in search of her own brand of vengeance, Giles’ voice paused her exit.
“You never mentioned the name of the city.”
Smirking in smug satisfaction, Anya ignored him, closing the door quietly behind her.
That’s right. She hadn’t.
End Part 9
Next Part
Previous parts:
Part 1 - Mourning Comes Softly
Part 2 - Pieces Kept
Part 3 - Voices in my Head
Part 4 - Dynasty
Part 5 - Boys and Bars
Part 6 - History Raises
Part 7 - Reunification Day
“You’re kinda quiet, Wills.” Buffy commented, drawing Willow out of her thoughts. The entire group had been unnaturally silent since arriving at the airport.
“Just thinking.” the witch replied, silently asking herself if she should attempt to be the old Willow, so her friends would stop looking at her like she was possessed. But Tara was dead. She was allowed to mourn without having to put up a brave front.
“Don’t worry about England, Wills.” Buffy tried to comfort, though she wasn’t too sure how she was doing. At least Willow wasn’t crying anymore, which was a slight improvement. “You’ll see. A few months with the English witches, and you’ll be fixed right up.”
There it was again. The implication that she was sick, and the coven would cure her. But she wasn’t sick. There was nothing wrong with her, her father said so. She was grief-stricken, not broken, and said as much to the Slayer.
“Will - I didn’t mean-“
“I know.” she sighed in apology. “You all seem to think that I’ll come back from England the same old Willow. But I’ll never be her again, Buffy. Too much has happened over the last months.”
The Slayer had no response to that, and looked to Giles and Xander for help. So much had changed in the past year, and she didn’t want to have to deal with more things changing. Buffy didn’t know if she could.
“Well, I like you however you want to be.” proclaimed Dawn, tightening her hold on Willow’s hand. The instant Willow had sat down in the uncomfortable airport seat, Dawn was by her side. They could all tell she was still upset by Tara’s death, traumatized by the time she’d spent in the bedroom with the blonde witch’s body.
“Thanks, Dawny.” Squeezing back in appreciation.
“I still don’t understand why I’m here!”
This from Anya. The vengeance demon had been complaining since being forced to accompany the group to the airport.
“In case anyone tries to come after Willow, you can take her somewhere safe.” replied Giles for what seemed like the hundredth time, closing his eyes in annoyance.
“She can blast anyone that comes within two feet of her, or disappear on her own!” Anya pointed out.
“Until Willow learns to control her magic, I do not want her attempting any spells.” replied the Watcher, cleaning his glasses - again. Willow didn’t understand how they were still in one piece after being polished so many times in the last twenty-four hours.
“Seems to me, that’s what got her into this mess in the first place!” Anya accused him.
“Guys, please stop! I-“ Willow started, but cut off as she felt his presence. Her father was finally here. “I have to go now.” cursing the nervous trembling in her voice as she rose. Swinging her brown leather back pack over her shoulder, the witch looked at her confused friends. “I’m not going to England, Giles.” she explained.
“You cannot remain in Sunnydale.” Giles argued.
“I’m not staying in Sunnydale, either.” Biting her bottom lip in nervous anticipation. “I’ll be safe, Giles.” she cut off the older man as he opened his mouth to protest.
“Willow? What’s-“ the Slayer began to question as she rose from her seat, to attempt to convince Willow to stay with Giles.
Willow focussed her gaze on Buffy just as a heavy wave of magic washed over her, and froze the Slayer halfway out of her chair. Startled, Willow looked around her to see Giles and her friends frozen in place, as was the rest of the terminal. She turned around, searching for the source of the spell, preparing to defend herself, when she spotted him.
Sandy blonde hair topped an all-black ensemble, right down to the cowboy boots he wore. The tall, slim build was standing with his arms and legs braced apart, seemingly against the tide of magic coming from him. The inky blackness that consumed his eyes whole, had sent shivers down the spines of any who had seen the eerie sight.
Except for one red headed witch who welcomed the sight with a watery smile.
“What the hell is going on?” demanded and angry voice that belonged to an irrate vengeance demon.
Quickly glancing around the terminal, Willow noticed a few others that weren’t frozen, like Anya.
Turning to face the approaching figure, Willow’s furrowed brow asked its own question.
“Demons.” he said, as if that explained everything, but realizing it didn’t when she rolled her eyes at his statement of the obvious - to her, at least. “They understand what type of Sanctuary Denver is, and will pass along the knowledge that you are protected. Blood of my blood.” The last bit was said louder, while his black eyes raked over the demons now standing frozen in terror, save for the frantically bobbing heads. They all knew who this black-clad witch was, and would do anything to stay out of his way and that of those he called his own.
Anya knew who he was, too. Even years as a human hadn’t affected her contacts in the demon community.
Chris Larabee, called ‘Death’ by vampires everywhere, though most demons referred to him as the ‘Guardian’. On his own he had formed a formidable magical barrier around Denver, which had only strengthened and grown with the addition of six other mages - though only the suicidal called them a coven.
“Get away from him, Willow.” Anya whispered harshly. She knew how dangerous this male witch was, and was surprised that Willow didn’t. When the red headed witch didn’t move, Anya tried to push her point, all the while praying that Larabee didn’t incinerate her for interfering. “Do you know who that is?” she asked, trying to warn with her tone alone.
“Yeeees . . .” She drew out the word, as if unsure of Anya’s comprehension of the answer.
“He’s dangerous.”
“Not to me.” Willow answered, and Chris had to smile at the complete trust she had in him. She was one of a small handful of people who trusted him completely and unconditionally.
“There a problem, cowboy?” inquired a voice that was born and bred in Texas. “Edwards’ gettin’ itchy, stayin’ in this place.”
“Take Willow. I’ll be right behind you.”
“Bounty hunter!!” exclaimed Anya, as if that revelation made her argument that much more solid.
“Vin.” Chris explained at Willow’s questioning look.
Surprised, Willow looked at the denim and leather clad bounty hunter. This was the only other person who had been able to put a smile on her father’s face after Sarah and Adam had died.
“It’s nice to finally meet you.” said Willow, producing another watery smile that she knew didn’t come off right.
“Go with him.” urged Chris, his black eyes not leaving the trembling - yet determined - demon. “Don’t worry, everything will still be standing after.” he reassured her when she didn’t move.
“Just wants to have a lil’ talk with your friends, darlin’.” added Vin, pleased when she gave a little nod and let him lead her outside to the waiting plane.
Once he was sure they were safely out of the building, Chris released the spell holding Willow’s friends in place, but kept the rest of the humans frozen. The demons had made for the exit the instant his attention was off them.
“-going on?” the first words out of Buffy’s mouth, finishing her sentence. “Willow?” she called looking for her friend.
The others were similarly confused, as from their perspectives the witch had seemingly disappeared into thin air. It was then that they noticed the relative stillness of the airport terminal, as well as the man that seemed to be in a stand-off with the newly reconfirmed vengeance demon.
“You care about her.” contemplated Anya, her brow furrowing as she ignored the demanding questions of the Scoobies. She was contemplating this new development - the Boogeyman of the demon world cared about Willow. And the witch apparently knew and trusted the man enough to willingly leave with a bounty hunter. “You’ll protect her?”
“We all will.” Chris vowed.
Seeing her nod of acceptance at that, Chris turned to the people who, up until now, had made up most of Willow’s world, narrowing his eyes at them.
Silence reigned as they looked at the all-to-familiar eyes.
“Seeing as you’re Willow’s friends, and she’d be very upset if you became smears on the floor, I’ll say this once. Stay away from Willow.” he warned through clenched teeth, trying desperately to quell his homicidal impulses toward these people. “Don’t try to find her. Don’t try to contact her. When she’s ready to see you, she’ll let you know.”
Not waiting for any form of acknowledgement, he turned to Anya, who had relaxed slightly with his attention diverted elsewhere. “Explain to them.” he told her, motioning in the Scoobies direction before vanishing in the blink of an eye.
“Anya, what the hell happened? Where’s Willow?” demanded Buffy, moving to confront the still-stunned demon, barely noticing the return of normal activity in the terminal.
“She’s gone.”
“You let someone take her?!” demanded an outraged Xander, unable to comprehend what was going on.
“I didn’t ‘let’ anyone take her - she left of her own free will and I couldn’t stop her.” Anya defended harshly. “Besides, you don’t tell Chris Larabee ‘no’!”
“Th-that was Larabee?” stuttered a stunned Giles, looking paler by the second, though it was hard to tell under the harsh fluorescent lights.
At Anya’s nod, Giles uttered the only words to inspire fear in the hearts of the Slayer and her friends.
“Oh, dear!”
End Part 7
A/N: I truly apologize for the complete and total heaping pile of smarm I’m unloading on you in this part. I will try in future to control myself, but the freaking characters want to do their own thing, my feelings be damned.
Part 8 - Higher Planes
“So . . . you’re a bounty hunter?” Willow asked conversationally, trying to break the awkward silence between her and Vin as they waited for her father. “How’s that working for you? I mean, I didn’t think a lot of dangerous demons would come to Denver, because - Hello! - Sanctuary!”
A slight quirk of an eyebrow and minuscule pull in the corner of his mouth were the only signs of Vin’s amusement as he gained his first real impression of his best friend’s daughter.
Willow, however, saw none of this and took his silence as condemnation of some sort.
“Am-am I not suppose to mention that it’s a Sanctuary?” Willow asked him beseechingly, green eyes wide. “Is it some sort of big, fat, supernatural ‘no-no’?”
Vin opened his mouth to answer her, a questioning furrow to his brow, but was cut off before a single word could be formed.
“Because if it is, I’m really sorry. I don’t know much about the whole ‘demons are our friends’ thing because most of the demons I see, we kill - or rather, Buffy kills and the rest of us cheer on from the side.”
Vin’s eyes widened slightly at this, which Willow took notice of.
“Not for being demons!” she hastily added. “Because they try to take over the planet or open the Hellmouth or try to sacrifice people to some evil that’s evil-er than they are. Though I guess this time, I was the ‘big bad’ that was trying to end the world.”
Hey eyes began to fill up as she continued on.
“I didn’t mean to - really. I just felt so much pain and sadness from everybody on the planet, that I just wanted it to stop for them, and then maybe I would be able to stop feeling like I was empty inside without her.”
And the tears began to fall as a horrified Texas bounty hunter found himself way out of his depth.
Vin had no idea how to deal with the sobbing red head, panic settling quickly in his chest as he frantically prayed for Chris to hurry up.
The babbling had him stunned, but the sobbing had him terrified.
The goddess was apparently listening to desperate pleas that morning, because Chris was suddenly there.
Taking in the situation immediately, Chris would have laughed at his friend’s petrified expression, but instead decided to send him to the cockpit to tell Edwards to take off.
Barely noticing Tanner’s hasty departure, Chris settled himself next to the red head, where she’d crumpled when the crying had started again. Wrapping her in his arms, Chris gave her the comfort they’d both been desperate for.
They remained wrapped in each other until the plane levelled off some time after takeoff - Vin having the sense to stay up front with the pilot.
Chris gently moved his now silent bundle to one of the short couches, holding tightly all the while.
“I missed you.” he whispered into her hair, tightening his told on her slightly.
“I missed you, too, Dad.” Willow replied, a small smile in her voice. She’d missed his all-black wardrobe, his mock-glares when he tried to be annoyed with her, his irritation when she named his animals, but mostly she’d missed the safety and comfort and feeling of belonging and love she felt in his arms.
Her father gave the best hugs.
“What happened to your shields?” he asked her after a moment. The question had been rattling around his brain ever since the plane had landed in Sunnydale. The second he’d stepped off the plane, he’d felt her untethered magic. The shields he’d taught her to build years ago had been completely shattered.
“When I absorbed the magic books at the Magic Box, they just sort of went ‘pop’.” she explained hesitantly, unsure of what he would say. “I’ve tried to get them back up, but I can’t . . . I can’t remember how.” Willow finished whisper-soft, with a tremble in her voice.
“Are-are you mad at me?” she asked after a moment, lifting hesitant eyes to her father’s.
“No.” he sighed. “I’m angry at myself. I should have spent more time training you in the basics, instead of leaving it to a stranger who had no idea of your potential.”
“Why did you?”
“We had so little time together, especially once your powers started to emerge, that I wanted to spend time with you. I wanted to be your father first, and your teacher second.”
A beautiful smile was his reply.
“When we get to the Ranch, I’ll give you a crash course in shielding - you’re a quick study, so it shouldn’t take long.”
Another smile at the pride she heard in his voice.
“Until then, just open our connection and I’ll shield you until then.”
Doing as she was told, Willow felt him erect barriers around her powers, containing the powerful magic from random escapes.
And for the first time in days, Willow fell into a dreamless sleep, safe in the arms of her father.
End Part 8
Part 9 - Revelations of Vengeance
“Giles, who’s this Larabee person? Why are both you and Anya so scared of him?”
“And why’d you let Wills go with him, Anya?”
“We’ve been quiet and patient since we left the airport and our best friend in some dark, wiggy guy’s hands. You’ve had your glass of ‘brain-number’, now answer our questions!”
“In point of fact, you lot have been neither patient nor silent since we left the airport.” Giles snapped, putting down his empty glass rather forcefully. “And if Willow left of her own free will-“ Anya nodded emphatically “-then there is nothing we can do.”
“Who is this guy, Giles?” asked Buffy, still not accepting any of the current situation.
“Simply put, Chris Larabee is Death.” began the former Watcher. “He is the most powerful magic user ever recorded, and has surrounded himself with others like him - dark and dangerous.”
“He’s into black magic?” asked Dawn, trembling slightly at the thought of Willow in his hands.
“Very heavily.” responded Giles.
“Then we have to get her out of there!” proclaimed Buffy, seconded by Xander and Dawn.
Anya, however, looked less than impressed.
“Where the hell did you get your information from? The cover of an Anne Rice novel?” the vengeance demon demanded. “Or do you make it up as you go along? No wonder the Watcher’s Council is in decline.” The last mumbled under her breath.
“I beg your pardon!” exclaimed an affronted Watcher.
“You Watcher’s spend so much time focussing on vampires that you have no idea what goes on in demon circles.”
“What is that suppose to mean!?” demanded Giles.
“It means ‘of course’ the vampire community sees him as evil incarnate - he decimated one of their oldest clans!” Anya was just beginning a good rant. She might be more scared of Larabee than D’Hoffryn on a really bad day, but he’d been good to the demon community, a group she was again a part of.
“He may be dark, glowery, bad-tempered and have dabbled in black magic a time or two, but if that makes him the ‘devil made flesh’ then sign black-haired, evil Willow up, too!”
“Anya-“
“Chris Larabee may be considered ‘Death’ by vampires, but most demons, and quite a few humans, call him ‘the Guardian’. He literally holds the future of the entire demon world in the palm of his hand.” the vengeance demon finished.
“But still, his unprovoked attack-“ argued Giles, only to be cut off again.
“‘Unprovoked’ my ass!”
“Anya . . .” Xander tried to interrupt. It was the first word spoken by any of the young people, too stunned watching the argument escalate between the Watcher and the blonde demon.
“Tell me you didn’t want to dust every vampire in this town when Angelus killed Jenny Calendar!” she challenged him.
All movement in the room stopped at that.
No one had brought up the deceased gypsy in a long while, knowing how much Giles still grieved for the woman.
“Chris Larabee lost his wife and young son to a deliberate and brutal vampire attack, and in retaliation massacred most of the vampires in his town. A few years later, when he found out it was all due to an obsessed Master vampire who hadn’t wanted any competition for his affections, he hunted and killed every minion and childe of the Order of Olavia.”
“Is that what happened to them?” Giles murmured speculatively. The mystery behind the disappearance of the clan had the Council confounded.
“Is he dangerous?” asked Dawn, speaking up. “To Willow, I mean.”
“He’s claimed her as blood.” Anya explained. “No one will dare go after her, because if she doesn’t blast them into the next dimension, Larabee and his men will make them wish she had.”
“A-and the demon community accepts him?” asked Giles, his mind still not processing that fact.
“Yes.” answered Anya, as if it were the simplest of questions, but went on to explain. “When he finally pulled himself out of his grief, he decided no one else would suffer as he had, and put wards like no ones business around the city. Vampires are exclusively banned, and anyone who tries to pass through them, comes under the watchful eye of Larabee and his men. The city is treated like humans would treat a church, with powerful magic users as the bouncers.”
“How would that-“
“Don’t you see, Giles? We can live regular lives, without the fear of humans hunting us. Chris Larabee created a safe haven where demons can make lives for themselves in the human world, without the fear of discovery.”
“Does it work?” asked Dawn, curious as to the place Willow would be living for the next few months.
“Yes. Most of the clans and tribes have declared it a Sanctuary, the wards and his presence simply reinforce it. It is the only thing that has ever united the demon population.”
“I still don’t like-“
“You can ‘not like it’ all you want.” Anya interrupted the Slayer. “It won’t change the fact that if you violate Sanctuary in some brain-fried attempt to bring Willow back to where ‘you’ think she should be, every demon species will be out for your blood! Slayer be damned!”
“Is there some rule banning Slayers from Sanctuary?” asked Giles, never having heard of that particular amendment.
“It’s more of an unwritten rule; an implication.” answered the blonde demon. “In this particular case, Buffy would need permission to enter the city.”
“Permission? Why wou-“
“And even if Larabee, and the various heads of the demon clans did allow her in, she wouldn’t be able to go more than two feet before she has a death sentence on her head because she violated Sanctuary!”
“I wouldn’t violate Sanctuary - whatever that it . . .” defended Buffy.
“Right! Because you have such good impulse control when it comes to your violent tendencies.” taunted Anya, though a part of her would love to see the Slayer in Denver. She hadn’t seen a decent blood hunt in more than two centuries.
“I don’t have impulse control problems!”
The look Anya sent the blonde Slayer clearly conveyed her disbelief. Not that Anya could blame her - the Slayer was made to kill ‘what goes bump in the night’, and Buffy did her job very well. However, Denver was a city ful of such creatures, where following her instincts would get her killed.
“Just let Willow do what she needs to do.” Anya told them. “Besides, Sanctuary means you can’t force Willow to leave against her will.”
“But what if this Larabee guy tries to hurt Willow?” asked Xander, his concern still for his friend who had lost so much already.
“He wouldn’t have extended his protection if he intended to hurt her. Besides, once inside the wards, the rules apply to him, too.”
With that, Anya decided her time was up. If they wouldn’t let Willow recover in peace after all she’d said, nothing would get them to leave it alone - except maybe Larabee in a rage.
As she was walking out the door in search of her own brand of vengeance, Giles’ voice paused her exit.
“You never mentioned the name of the city.”
Smirking in smug satisfaction, Anya ignored him, closing the door quietly behind her.
That’s right. She hadn’t.
End Part 9
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