Rejuvenated: Meeting Maude - BtVS/M7ATFau - Willow Rosenburg, Maude Standish - FRC
Title: Rejuvenated: Meeting Maude
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Magnificent Seven - ATFau
Characters: Willow Rosenburg, Maude Standish
Universe: Rejuvenated
Rating: Suitable for all ages
Word Count: 1468
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to J. Whedon, etc. The characters of The Magnificent Seven belong to J. Watson, etc. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes/Warnings: Kid-fic (M7 characters de-aged)
Summary: Maude Standish is the only family the Scoobies were able to find. Now it's time for Maude and Willow to meet and for Maude to learn what happened to her "darling baby boy".
Meeting Maude
By Beriaearwen
Rejuvenated - Robin's Son
by Beriaearwen
Willow sat quietly in her chair watching the woman across from her. She had gotten better over the years at reading other people and grown much more secure in herself and the power she held - magically, personally and professionally. Still, a small part of her feared Maude Standish. And the longer she studied the woman, the more confident she became in her estimation.
She let Mrs. Standish rattle on as the waitstaff buzzed around them, making noises of agreement or short answers as needed.
Once the staff finished their business, Willow turned and ready to get down to her business. Before she could say anything the attractive blonde across from her hissed her warning.
“I know what you are and I will not allow the council to steal my baby boy.”
Willow met the angry green eyes. “Were you a potential or a watcher?” she asked, her voice neutral. She had to admire the woman's pluck as she barely reacted. “We're not the old council. We only take volunteers. I don't know how long you've been away, how long you've been running, but there's no need anymore. The old council was mostly destroyed in an attack by the First.”
This did get a visible reaction from the older woman. Her hand shook as she quickly set down her cutlery. “The First Evil?” she asked, only the smallest of quavers betraying her fear.
Willow nodded. “The old council wasn't being much help and then the Bringers made them even less useful. But we managed to overcome.”
There was a moment of silence before Maude spoke. “You're one of the Sunnydale people.”
Willow nodded. “Born and raised.” She stayed silent for a few minutes as Maude seemed to digest that information. “Everyone who works is there voluntarily. Everyone has a say.”
“Even my son.” Hard, sharp eyes bore into her.
Willow winced slightly. “He will eventually.”
“What do you mean eventually,” Maude demanded.
Willow sighed and put down her own cutlery. “There was a cult looking to revert the world the the time before the Slayer, when the old ones roamed an man struggled to find a foothold. We knew we would have to stop them and, though we tried our best, we weren't able to stop them prior the the start of the ritual. We'd made enough amulets for those of us going against them, powerful enough to put ourselves an anything we were holding outside the effects of the spell.”
“I don't see what that has to do with my Ezra.”
“We know there was an old shack nearby. We didn't know that moonshiners were using it as a meeting place, or that the Denver ATF had surveillance running on them.”
Maude's hands dropped to her lap. “How... How...”
Willow wanted to reach over and touch the other woman, to reassure her, but didn't move. She continued with the story. “We were just taking out the cultists when they began chanting. About the same time eleven men crashed into the clearing. The last cultist fell. The magic was released. We grabbed as many as we could.”
“What...”
“Happened? The seven we were able to grab hold of survived, but the magic was faster than we were. Ezra and his team are all alive and well, but lost a number of years.”
“Lost how?” Maude asked her cool mask betraying her worry and fear.
“Ezra is a perfectly healthy and normal, very intelligent three year old.”
Maude sank back in her chair, for once looking her age. Her hands came up from her lap to grasp the table. “Three...”
Willow nodded. “He doesn't remember his previous life, but, as you're the only family any of them have, we felt we needed to contact you to let you know. To give you the option of being a part of his life.”
Maude stared at her for several moments. “Josiah has a sister in a sanitarium in California. Hannah.” Shaking her head, tears glistened in her eyes. “My baby boy...”
“Is loved and cared for. The psychologists don't think any of them will ever remember their previous lives, but when little JD turns thirteen, we're going to tell all of them what happened. They have a right to know. None of them will be forced into the life you obviously escaped. The new council is all about choice.”
Maude snorted, her defenses shaken and her normal aplomb missing. “Choice. Slayers have no choice.”
Willow tilted her head, granting that point. “About being a slayer, no, they don't and yes they do.”
“I don't understand. When one dies, another is called.”
“Not so much anymore. As it turns out there was a safety built into the original spell so that only young woman who had reached a certain point of physical maturity could be called. When we faced the First, we had no choice but to activate all the potentials. At the time, the slayer we used as the focus of the spell - who had fought against her destiny and lack of choice as hard as possible - was mourning over the choice she was taking away from all those girls. She thought of the question she wanted to ask, of what she wanted to know.”
“Are you ready to be strong?” Maude whispered, her eyes wide.
Willow's eyes widened as well. “You heard?”
Maude nodded, her face composed once more. “I heard the question. I didn't understand it. I certainly haven't received any of the gifts or curses that go along with being a slayer, but I did hear the question.”
“We had no idea...” Willow trailed off, her mind running through possibilities. Shaking those off to contemplate later, she met Maude's eyes once more. “They all hear that question as soon as they're able to be slayers. Once they discover what comes with the calling or at any point after, they have the right to walk away. We'll always be there to help in any way they may need, but we took one choice from them, we aren't going to take any more.” Even Willow could hear the steel in her voice, but all of the Scoobies and the rest of the inner council were adamant on this point. They would never force anyone to be their slave, to be a tool.
Maude nodded. “That's a laudable goal, but also a lot of power to wield and there is truth to the saying...”
“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Willow interrupted. “We know. We've done what we can to put checks and balances in place. We have outside auditors who come and check on us every year. We don't want to walk down that path any more than the people working for and with us want us to.”
Silence fell over their table as the words were digested.
“I want my son,” Maude finally said.
Willow looked at her, her face serene. She would fight this woman any way she needed to in order to keep Ezra with her. The boy was now Ezra Standish Rosenburg and he would stay that way if she had anything to say about it. “Are you ready to raise a three-year-old? Are you ready to change your lifestyle and settle down to raise a child?” She saw Maude waver as a devastated look entered her eyes and reached out, taking the older woman's hand in her own. “Every child needs grandparents to stop by, spoil them rotten and teach them things they should never know.”
Maude offered a weak smile.
<><><><><><><>
An hour later saw them on the back porch of the Cleveland slayer house.
Maude stood at the edge of the porch watching the seven small boys laugh, run and tumble around the back yard. She hadn't fully believed Willow and her story until now, but, there, running with the others was her precious baby boy just as he had been at the age of three.
She felt someone step up next her her and looked at the woman who Ezra called “Mom.”
“He is happy and, barring apocalypses, we have plans to get together for holidays and their birthdays. We will give them as normal a childhood as we can,” Willow said, smiling at the antics of the children.
It was a lot to take in and she didn't like any of it, didn't like being reminded of that portion of her life which first set her feet on running - a habit she hadn't been able to break yet.
Still, there really was only one choice. “Will there be room for an attractive, far too young grandmother at these gatherings?”
Willow offered her a brilliant smile. “Always. Now let's introduce you around.”
End
Author: Beriaearwen
Crossover: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Magnificent Seven - ATFau
Characters: Willow Rosenburg, Maude Standish
Universe: Rejuvenated
Rating: Suitable for all ages
Word Count: 1468
Disclaimer: The characters of Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to J. Whedon, etc. The characters of The Magnificent Seven belong to J. Watson, etc. All are used here without permission. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes/Warnings: Kid-fic (M7 characters de-aged)
Summary: Maude Standish is the only family the Scoobies were able to find. Now it's time for Maude and Willow to meet and for Maude to learn what happened to her "darling baby boy".
Meeting Maude
By Beriaearwen
Rejuvenated - Robin's Son
by Beriaearwen
Willow sat quietly in her chair watching the woman across from her. She had gotten better over the years at reading other people and grown much more secure in herself and the power she held - magically, personally and professionally. Still, a small part of her feared Maude Standish. And the longer she studied the woman, the more confident she became in her estimation.
She let Mrs. Standish rattle on as the waitstaff buzzed around them, making noises of agreement or short answers as needed.
Once the staff finished their business, Willow turned and ready to get down to her business. Before she could say anything the attractive blonde across from her hissed her warning.
“I know what you are and I will not allow the council to steal my baby boy.”
Willow met the angry green eyes. “Were you a potential or a watcher?” she asked, her voice neutral. She had to admire the woman's pluck as she barely reacted. “We're not the old council. We only take volunteers. I don't know how long you've been away, how long you've been running, but there's no need anymore. The old council was mostly destroyed in an attack by the First.”
This did get a visible reaction from the older woman. Her hand shook as she quickly set down her cutlery. “The First Evil?” she asked, only the smallest of quavers betraying her fear.
Willow nodded. “The old council wasn't being much help and then the Bringers made them even less useful. But we managed to overcome.”
There was a moment of silence before Maude spoke. “You're one of the Sunnydale people.”
Willow nodded. “Born and raised.” She stayed silent for a few minutes as Maude seemed to digest that information. “Everyone who works is there voluntarily. Everyone has a say.”
“Even my son.” Hard, sharp eyes bore into her.
Willow winced slightly. “He will eventually.”
“What do you mean eventually,” Maude demanded.
Willow sighed and put down her own cutlery. “There was a cult looking to revert the world the the time before the Slayer, when the old ones roamed an man struggled to find a foothold. We knew we would have to stop them and, though we tried our best, we weren't able to stop them prior the the start of the ritual. We'd made enough amulets for those of us going against them, powerful enough to put ourselves an anything we were holding outside the effects of the spell.”
“I don't see what that has to do with my Ezra.”
“We know there was an old shack nearby. We didn't know that moonshiners were using it as a meeting place, or that the Denver ATF had surveillance running on them.”
Maude's hands dropped to her lap. “How... How...”
Willow wanted to reach over and touch the other woman, to reassure her, but didn't move. She continued with the story. “We were just taking out the cultists when they began chanting. About the same time eleven men crashed into the clearing. The last cultist fell. The magic was released. We grabbed as many as we could.”
“What...”
“Happened? The seven we were able to grab hold of survived, but the magic was faster than we were. Ezra and his team are all alive and well, but lost a number of years.”
“Lost how?” Maude asked her cool mask betraying her worry and fear.
“Ezra is a perfectly healthy and normal, very intelligent three year old.”
Maude sank back in her chair, for once looking her age. Her hands came up from her lap to grasp the table. “Three...”
Willow nodded. “He doesn't remember his previous life, but, as you're the only family any of them have, we felt we needed to contact you to let you know. To give you the option of being a part of his life.”
Maude stared at her for several moments. “Josiah has a sister in a sanitarium in California. Hannah.” Shaking her head, tears glistened in her eyes. “My baby boy...”
“Is loved and cared for. The psychologists don't think any of them will ever remember their previous lives, but when little JD turns thirteen, we're going to tell all of them what happened. They have a right to know. None of them will be forced into the life you obviously escaped. The new council is all about choice.”
Maude snorted, her defenses shaken and her normal aplomb missing. “Choice. Slayers have no choice.”
Willow tilted her head, granting that point. “About being a slayer, no, they don't and yes they do.”
“I don't understand. When one dies, another is called.”
“Not so much anymore. As it turns out there was a safety built into the original spell so that only young woman who had reached a certain point of physical maturity could be called. When we faced the First, we had no choice but to activate all the potentials. At the time, the slayer we used as the focus of the spell - who had fought against her destiny and lack of choice as hard as possible - was mourning over the choice she was taking away from all those girls. She thought of the question she wanted to ask, of what she wanted to know.”
“Are you ready to be strong?” Maude whispered, her eyes wide.
Willow's eyes widened as well. “You heard?”
Maude nodded, her face composed once more. “I heard the question. I didn't understand it. I certainly haven't received any of the gifts or curses that go along with being a slayer, but I did hear the question.”
“We had no idea...” Willow trailed off, her mind running through possibilities. Shaking those off to contemplate later, she met Maude's eyes once more. “They all hear that question as soon as they're able to be slayers. Once they discover what comes with the calling or at any point after, they have the right to walk away. We'll always be there to help in any way they may need, but we took one choice from them, we aren't going to take any more.” Even Willow could hear the steel in her voice, but all of the Scoobies and the rest of the inner council were adamant on this point. They would never force anyone to be their slave, to be a tool.
Maude nodded. “That's a laudable goal, but also a lot of power to wield and there is truth to the saying...”
“Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely,” Willow interrupted. “We know. We've done what we can to put checks and balances in place. We have outside auditors who come and check on us every year. We don't want to walk down that path any more than the people working for and with us want us to.”
Silence fell over their table as the words were digested.
“I want my son,” Maude finally said.
Willow looked at her, her face serene. She would fight this woman any way she needed to in order to keep Ezra with her. The boy was now Ezra Standish Rosenburg and he would stay that way if she had anything to say about it. “Are you ready to raise a three-year-old? Are you ready to change your lifestyle and settle down to raise a child?” She saw Maude waver as a devastated look entered her eyes and reached out, taking the older woman's hand in her own. “Every child needs grandparents to stop by, spoil them rotten and teach them things they should never know.”
Maude offered a weak smile.
<><><><><><><>
An hour later saw them on the back porch of the Cleveland slayer house.
Maude stood at the edge of the porch watching the seven small boys laugh, run and tumble around the back yard. She hadn't fully believed Willow and her story until now, but, there, running with the others was her precious baby boy just as he had been at the age of three.
She felt someone step up next her her and looked at the woman who Ezra called “Mom.”
“He is happy and, barring apocalypses, we have plans to get together for holidays and their birthdays. We will give them as normal a childhood as we can,” Willow said, smiling at the antics of the children.
It was a lot to take in and she didn't like any of it, didn't like being reminded of that portion of her life which first set her feet on running - a habit she hadn't been able to break yet.
Still, there really was only one choice. “Will there be room for an attractive, far too young grandmother at these gatherings?”
Willow offered her a brilliant smile. “Always. Now let's introduce you around.”
End