Rating- R just to be safe (language, maybe sexual content)
Spoilers- Post season 7.
Disclaimer- Joss owns all in the Buffyverse
Feedback- Always welcome
Summery- Willow shares with Angel her past experiences that are written in her diary.
AN- This is for Gabrielle, my light at the end of the tunnel. Thanks for everything.
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~Prologue~
Present day.
She let her gaze move to the mirror across the room and settle on the figure reflected in it: a figure she no longer recognized. With a deep sigh, she slowly moved from the bed and made her way to her vanity and sat down on the chair in front of it.
Her eyes followed the length of her gray hair then back up to her face, and studied every line etched permanently into her skin. She brought her hands up to her face, placed them on her cheeks, and slowly moved them against the skin, feeling every wrinkle under her fingertips.
Her once vibrant green eyes now looked dull in comparison to the youthful picture of herself and the others that sat in the corner of the mirror. She remembered when that photograph was taken: it was just before graduation-just before the mayor's ascension.
She removed the picture from its perch of twenty-three years, and gazed down at the smiling faces she remembered from so long ago. She remembered the happy times when they were full of life with so much to look forward too. She remembered all the laughter they shared as well as all the tears that fell.
A smile came to her lips as her eyes fell upon Xander's likeness. She ran a finger over his image and thanked the goddess that he was still happy and healthy, and still in charge of the `New Order of Watchers'. They had kept in touch with each other over the years, and when they talked time held no meaning, as he would tell her how things were going with him and the job.
His position in the `New Order' had become more than just a job to him: it had become his life: just as it had been with Giles and her, and he would regale her with his exciting new tales of disasters that he helped to avert. Disasters that no one outside the counsel would ever hear about or know. Though now he considered himself too old to have a slayer, he was quite content to sit behind a desk and take care of things from there.
It was a little saddening to realize that there were no accolades that went with saving the world, and that Xander would never be recognized outside of the counsel for his efforts or his accomplishments.
"You know, Buffy's thinking about retiring from the counsel." He would always say, and Willow would just smile and shake her head.
"Xander, you've been telling me on every phone call for the last seven years that she's going to retire."
"Yeah, well I was just thinking…"
"Xander, do what you used to do best-don't think. Not about this, okay?"
"Okay."
Next, her eyes moved to Buffy and her smile faded as sadness took over. All those years of friendship gone, only to be replaced with a strictly `working relationship', and that left the witch with a question she didn't know the answer to. Could the friendship ever be mended?
So caught up in her thoughts was she that she didn't notice anyone walk into the room, nor did she see the two hands that came up and rested on her shoulders causing her to jump slightly.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
"No, it's okay." She replied and looked to the mirror. "No reflection, I didn't see you coming." And she raised a hand and gently patted his.
"You were thinking again." He said, but all she did was nod, and look back at herself in the mirror.
"Angel? What do you see when you look at me?"
"What do you mean?" he questioned as she turned back to look at him over her shoulder.
"I mean, what do you see when you look at me?"
"I see a woman before me. I see a beautiful woman who gave her heart to me. I see a woman who has done more in one lifetime than most could do in five. I see a woman who is just as caring now as she was more than forty years ago when I first met her." He sighed as he cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "You want to know what I see? I see the love of my life sitting in front of her mirror asking me what I see in her."
"I wish I had the strength to see what you do." She looked away. "I see a grizzled up old woman whose face is full of wrinkles and whose hair has turned gray. I see…" but she let the sentence trail off.
"What do you see?" he asked, not sure if he really wanted to hear the answer.
"I see-I see the end." She replied softly, leaving Angel at a loss for words as Willow set the picture down, stood up and walked towards the bed. "Did you bring what I asked for?"
"Yes. You're book is on the table, and I set you're glasses on top of the book."
"Good." She said as she made herself comfortable on the bed and covered herself. "Ahhh, here they are, just like you said." And she chuckled as she placed the glasses on her nose and reached for the book. "Angel, come. Sit down beside me." She said as she opened the book and began leafing through the pages.
Angel made his way to the bed and sat at the edge beside Willow as he waited for her to speak.
"You've never read what was written here." She said as she continued turning the pages, never looking up.
"It was not mine to read, and I could never have betrayed your trust in me that way." He replied, causing her to look up at him and smile.
"I know I've told you of just about everything that happened all those years ago, but now I want you to know all of it. I want you to know what happened and why, and my feelings about them. This," and she indicated the book with a nod towards it. "I've had since I was ten. It was one of the very few things that I packed and took with me when we left Sunnydale after defeating the `First Evil'."
"Willow, you don't have to do this. These are you're private thoughts and feelings about…" but she didn't let him finish.
"No, I don't have to. I want to."
"Why, Willow? Why now?" he asked.
"Because, it's time you knew." She turned her eyes to the book in her lap. "I've made some decisions in my life that I'm not proud of, and I will, in no way, justify them to anyone- but the facts still remain. I also have an issue that I'm hoping to resolve sometime in the near future." She looked up into his eyes. "I haven't read any of this after I wrote it. I'm hoping that not only will you know what's happened, but that reading it to you will also put some things into perspective for me as well."
"Are you sure this is what you need to do?"
"It is."
"Well then." He said as he moved to the other side of the bed, sat down and arranged the pillows behind him, and leaned against the headboard. "You have my full attention, as always." He said, and Willow looked down at the page and began to read.
"August 17, 2003. Dear Diary……….."
~Part: 1~
"Dear diary……………."
* * * *
August 17, 2003
Giles held the door open and let Willow enter as he followed her into the house and made their way to the kitchen. The red head went to the cupboard and took out a box of Earl Grey tea as Giles placed the water on the stove to boil, and then seated themselves while they waited for the sound of the kettles whistle.
"Giles, my decision is to…" but the older man held up a hand and cut her off.
"Please, Willow. I would much rather wait for the tea before discussing this matter in its entirety. This is the first cup of the morning, and I find, much to my chagrin, that my comprehensive abilities are somewhat lacking without it." He finished with a sheepish grin, causing Willow to chuckle and agree to his request.
The wait wasn't a long one, and they both stood at the sound of the boiling kettle.
"No, Giles. Sit. I'm a little more awake than you are." She said with a grin as she placed the tea bags into the cups, and then poured the steaming water into them. After steeping the tea, she handed the older man his cup, which he gratefully took and placed under his nose, then inhaled deeply.
"Mmm, that smells delightful." He said almost dreamily before placing the steaming brew to his lips and sipped. The red head couldn't help the giggle that escaped her as she watched him. "I see you find this somewhat amusing."
"Uh huh. Your kinda cute first thing in the morning before your tea."
"Well, `cute' is definitely not the word I would use to describe me. But then, I'm not exactly awake enough to argue the point with you either." He replied with a lopsided grin, and Willow held a hand over her mouth with the hopes of holding in her laughter so she wouldn't wake the others.
Willow watched as Giles stood with cup in hand and grab the kettle.
"Do be a dear and bring the box of tea."
"Okay. Umm, where are you going?"
"'We' are going to sit outside on the front steps, where we can talk o-or laugh about my present predicament without fear of waking the others."
"Oh!" and she took her cup and the tea, and then followed Giles back outside. She quietly closed the door behind her and sat down beside him, looking at the empty street. "You know, I always did like this time of day."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because, Giles, look around." She indicated with her outstretched arms. "The sun has just risen. It's like everything is brand new, and for a little while at least, no one else in the world exists but me. Well, a-and you cause your sitting here with me. But the point is, that right at this moment, the world is at peace." She looked at him. "Silly huh?"
"Yes, quite. However, I do understand. A certain amount of clarity can be brought to one's thoughts during this time of the day." He said as he scanned the sky, and allowed his eyes to follow two birds flying overhead. "So, Willow. When did you come to your decision?"
"Yesterday morning, while I was on the balcony at the hotel watching the sunrise. I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted my life to go."
"I see."
"I told Angel that I'd made my decision, but didn't tell him what it was until later. I wanted our last night together to be special-I didn't want both of us dwelling on it so much that it ruined our time together."
"But why on earth would it have ruined you're time together? Unless you………." His sentence trailed off as he looked to Willow, hope shining in his eyes.
"Yup." She replied with a smirk. "I guess that means I'll be calling you `boss' from now on." And she watched as the shock wore off his face to be replaced with joy as he reached over and pulled her into a hug. Overwhelming happiness engulfed her as he held her tightly in his arms. But just as suddenly as the hug happened, it was over. He leaned away and sat up straight, dropping his eyes to the ground.
"Willow, are you sure this is what you want? I don't want you doing this out of some sense of obligation."
"Giles. What we are doing `is' important, and it needs to be done-the world needs this to happen."
"Dearest Willow. After everything you have done for the world in your young life, you don't owe the world anything more."
"Yes I do. Don't you see? There are people out there fighting everyday just like us. They fight for the preservation of the oceans and lakes. They fight for the forest, for the animals, the air we breathe. And us? We fight so that they can live another day to keep up the fight. How can I turn my back on something like this? I live here too. I didn't decide to do this for you or for me. I'm doing this because it is the right thing to do."
"You are truly a remarkable young woman, Miss Rosenberg." Said Giles, and smiled as Willow beamed with pride at his words. "I must admit that I was loathe to the idea of you not becoming a part of this. Buffy, Xander, you and I, we've all been together since the beginning, and I just couldn't fathom the three of us without you."
"Awww, Giles. That's so sweet."
"There is nothing `sweet' about it, it is the truth."
* * * * * *
Buffy walked groggily to the kitchen and began the process of brewing a pot of coffee with the hopes of catching a shower before everyone woke up and beat her to it.
`Need a coffee maker with a timer on it.' Thought the blonde as she clicked the button to turn the machine on. As she walked by the window she could make out voices as they spoke, and changed her direction to see who it was.
She saw the ex-watcher sitting on the front step with a red head, and she knew Willow was back from her trip after seeing Angel. A stab of anger shot through her as she glared at the witch until she watched Giles grab her into a big bear hug.
She stayed where she was, careful not to be seen, and wishing more than anything that she could hear what was being said. She knew it was a serious conversation, because suddenly Giles pulled back and looked to the ground while Willow spoke with a slight frown on her face.
Buffy was transfixed by the sight before her, and couldn't have walked away even if she wanted to. Everything must have turned out alright, because after a couple of minutes, Giles was looking at her again with a smile on his face.
She could hear the shower in the background and knew that someone had gotten there first, but right now she didn't care. She folded her hands together and brought them up to her neck, and rested her chin on them with a smile as she saw Giles reach up with one hand and stroke Willow's hair, then pull her face to him and kiss her on the cheek.
`Willow is staying with Giles, not Angel.' She thought to herself happily as she turned from the window and went to pour herself a much needed cup of coffee. After she added the milk and sugar, she brought the cups to her lips and blew the steam away before sipping. `Yup,' she thought, `this is going to be a good day.'
~Part: 2~
The two sat on the front step, Willow's head resting on Giles shoulder as they talked and laughed about some of the things that had gone on during her absence. Periodically Willow would lift her head to take a sip of her tea, only to rest it against Giles once more.
"I should like to show you the school sometime today. It really is quite impressive, but I must admit that it does require a great deal of work."
"Ooh! The paper work and the red tape are all taken care of then?" asked the red head.
"Yes. It doesn't take long when the city is desperate to get the building off their hands. I do believe it suits all of our needs, however, as I stated, there is much work that needs to be done to it."
"That's okay. We can incorporate some of the work into the training regimen with the SIT's. Besides, it'll be good for them, cheaper for us and with the added bonus that a little hard work never hurt anyone."
"I think the young ladies in the house would argue the point." Giles said with a snicker.
"I don't thinks so. Not if they see that not only will they be helping to build the new counsel, but so will we."
"I beg your pardon?" Giles' eyebrows shot up.
"You heard me mister." And she laughed. "Besides, it will be good for morale."
"Oh? And how is that exactly?"
"It's simple really. What could be a better morale booster than to see three watcher's: you, me and Xander, and an accomplished slayer-meaning Buffy, all working together just as hard as they will be? All of us doing the grunt work together. It will not only get the job done, but it has the benefit of teaching them patience and team work."
"Yes, I do see you're point. But………."
"Nope, no `buts'. And this way, it'll work on saving us some money if we can do most of the work ourselves instead of hiring others." She finished, stifling a yawn.
"Willow, how long has it been since you've gotten any sleep?" Giles asked with concern, and Willow looked at her watch.
"Oh, I guess it would be running on forty-six hours now."
"Oh good lord! You should be in bed rather than out here talking to me. Silly girl!" he admonished. "Come on, let's get you inside. You can stay in Xander's room if you like. It's the quietest room in the house." Giles said as he and Willow gathered the cups, teapot and box of tea.
"Really? But I thought……Xander seemed okay the last time I talked to him."
"Xander's fine. Don't worry yourself about him unnecessarily. The girls are still unsure of how to behave around him so they still steer clear."
"Well, that's just mean. Maybe I should have a `nice' little chat with everyone about it." She said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Actually, Xander and I have talked about that. And quite frankly, he prefers it this way." He replied, trying to set her at ease.
"He does? Why?" she inquired.
"Because it affords him the peace and quiet that the rest of us aren't privy too." To Willow, Giles almost sounded disgusted, and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped. "Yes, you find it funny now. But give yourself a little more time here and you'll wish for the same thing." Giles tried to sound stern, but even he couldn't stop the smile from forming on his lips.
"You're probably right, Giles. Who am I to argue with my boss?" and they both headed into the house, only to be greeted by Buffy.
"Hey, Will. You're back!" said the slayer excitedly as she wrapped her arms around the witch.
"Hey, Buff." And Willow hesitantly put her arms around the slayer as she turned her head slightly to look at Giles with a frown. This was definitely not the greeting she was expecting from the blonde.
"So, what time did you get in?" Buffy asked as she pulled away.
"Oh, I don't know." She looked to Giles, then down at her watch. "A couple hours ago or so, I guess."
"Really? You should've come in and let me know." And Buffy gave her a playful slap on the shoulder.
"Uh, I did. But everyone was still asleep, and Giles and I needed to talk anyway, so we went outside. This way we wouldn't wake anyone up."
"Talk? What about?" Buffy shook her head. " Never mind, it's none of my business, I shouldn't be asking. Forget I asked."
"No, no! It's okay, really. I was going to tell everybody anyway, I just thought that Giles deserved to be the first to know, that's all."
"Well, if that's the case, don't keep me in suspense. What's the what?"
"Well, Buff." Willow looked to Giles, then back to a waiting Buffy. "I've decided to stay and become a watcher. Just like Giles, and Xander."
"Really?" she asked, surprise evident on her face. "Wills!!! This is great!" she squealed as she threw her arms around the red head once more.
"B-Buff? <cough> Need air."
"Ooops, sorry. I'm just so happy to hear that you're staying. It wouldn't have been the same without you."
"Indeed. I do believe I told you that exact same thing earlier this morning. Did I not?"
"Yes, Giles. You did." Willow replied.
"I'm happy to hear that there are others that agree with me." And Giles gave her a pat on the back as he walked to the kitchen. "You really should get some rest if I'm to show you the school later."
"Yes sir, mister boss type person!" Willow said as she saluted him and winked.
"I don't see your bags, Will." Buffy said as she looked around.
"Oh, I left them in the car for now. I'll get `em later." She yawned. "Right now there is a pillow with my name on it waiting for me. Night, Buffy."
"It really is great to have you back, Will." Buffy said sweetly. "And don't worry about your bags, I'll bring them in for you." She said as she made her way out the door towards the car. `I really do deserve an Emmy' she thought to herself with a smile.
Willow went to Xander's room, opened the door and stepped in, quietly shutting the door behind her so as not to wake the sleeping young man on the bed. After removing her jacket and shoes, she carefully climbed onto the bed and made herself comfortable, but the movements caused Xander to stir in his sleep.
"Anya?" he asked sleepily, but when no answer came a little bit of terror sounded in his voice. "Anya?"
Knowing full well that he was dreaming, she wrapped her arm around him and spooned as she kissed the back of his head and whispered:
"Shhh, it's me."
"Really?" came the sleepy voice. "I thought you were gone. I couldn't find you anywhere."
"Yes, it's really me. Hush now, and get some sleep."
"Okay. I love you, Anya."
"I love you too, Xander." Willow said as Xander pulled her arm tighter to his chest, and softly began to snore. The red head kissed the back of his head again before finally allowing her eyes to drift shut.
~Part: 3~
Present day
Willow stopped reading, took off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose as Angel sat beside her and watched with concern.
"Willow, come on. You're tired and need to rest. We can do this another time."
"No." she said simply as she replaced her glasses. "I haven't even finished reading this first entry yet."
"It's a long entry, and you can always finish…………"
"Angel, they are all long entries. There was so much going on that most of the time I couldn't write for weeks or months on end. Many times almost a year would go by before I wrote anything. I don't really have a lot of entries since the end of Sunnydale, not like you would expect. But they are long, months worth of experiences condensed into a few pages." She finished and the vampire sighed.
"Alright." He said, giving in. "We'll read an entry a day-maybe two, but no more than that. I mean it, I'm putting my foot down." He told her sternly, and after a moment's consideration, she nodded in agreement. Angel sat back against the headboard as Willow tilted her head back down to the book in her hands and began to read.
"As soon as I heard Xander's soft snores, I knew it was alright to close my eyes and get some sleep. When I woke up……………."
* * * * * * Past-August 17, 2003
* * * * * *
A short time later, Xander woke to find an arm draped over him and a body lying against his back. Confusion swept over him as he tried to figure out what was going on, when he decided to shift as carefully as possible to see who it was behind him.
His movements caused the body to stir and roll over, affording Xander the freedom to leave the bed and see who had invaded his privacy. Much to his relief and excitement, he discovered that it was his favorite red head. The young man moved around to the other side of the bed, gently brushed her hair aside and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before finally leaving the room.
"Morning everyone." Xander said cheerfully as he walked into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee.
"Ahhh, good morning, Xander. I trust you slept well?"
"Yup, I did, Giles. I also woke up to a nice surprise this morning too."
"Oh? What?" asked Buffy.
"Only the most beautiful red head on earth lying right next to me in my bed." He chuckled. "I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better way to start off the day."
"Wha????"
"Giles? Do we have anymore `Honey-O's' left?" Xander asked, ignoring Buffy's stunned expression.
"With the way these girls eat? I honestly have no idea."
"So what time did Willow roll in?" he asked as he began rooting through the cupboards.
"Oh, I'd say about four hours ago. I told her a couple of hours ago to lie down and get some rest, the poor girl was exhausted. Although, she does have some news that I think you would be most happy to hear."
"Really? What?" he looked quizzically towards Giles.
"Willow has decided to stay and not only help with getting the counsel ready, but she has opted to become a watcher as well."
"She did? Wait, this isn't a joke, is it? Are you serious?"
"I assure you, Xander, I am quite serious, and am rather ecstatic myself about it." Giles watched as a goofy grin appeared on an incredibly happy brunette.
"I can't believe it. I mean, I was hoping for it-but I didn't actually think she would."
"Well, you can now put you mind at ease. She is here to stay." Giles said as he held up some papers. "Come along, Xander. I want to put you're `carpenters' mind to good use. Maybe you can make some sort of sense of these rather rudimentary sketches of the interior of the school."
"I'll do my best, Giles."
* * * * * * * *
Willow awoke to the sensation of what felt like someone poking at her arm, but refused to open her eyes. Instead, she lay there hoping that if she ignored it long enough that just maybe it would stop, and whoever it was would go away.
But it didn't work. She felt it again and smacked at the person who dared to wake her. But a few seconds later it happened again, and with a loud groan, she opened her eyes to see a smiling Xander staring at her.
"Peace offering." He said as he pointed to a cup on the table. "I brought you a coffee. Are you still mad at me for waking you up?"
"I should be." She looked over at the cup. "But the coffee definitely makes up for it." She replied as she sat up, grabbed the cup and took a small sip. "Ahhh."
"I'm sorry about waking you, but Giles wanted to show you the school. I think he's getting a little to impatient to wait."
"Yeah, but that's just Giles. Ya know?"
"Yeah." Replied the young man as he looked to the floor.
"Xand? What's the matter? You know you can tell me."
"It's nothing really. I-I dreamed about her last night." He said as Willow nodded, reached over and took his hand in hers. "I dreamed that she was lost, a-and that I found her." He paused. "I didn't cry this time though."
"It will get easier. I promise. Right now you can think about her without breaking down into tears. That's the first step. Next you'll be able to think about her, and smile."
"I know." He paused. "It's nice being able to talk to someone about it-someone who understands."
"I'm always here for you, Xander. Make sure you remember that. And so is Giles. Don't forget, he went through this too." Xander looked at her quizzically. "Miss Calandar?" and a looking of dawning crossed his features. "You can talk to either of us, we'll always be there to listen. Okay?"
"Okay, I will. Scouts honor." And he held up two fingers.
"You were never a scout!" she said as she smacked him on the arm. "Well, this isn't getting me out of bed." And she got up out of the bed and grabbed her coffee. "If Giles wants to see the school that's fine. But I'm taking a shower first."
~Part: 4~
They walked through the halls and into the classrooms, went through both gymnasiums and into the cafeteria, and all the while Willow's mouth practically hung open.
"Hoping to catch some flies?" Xander asked with a smirk.
"Wha???"
"Your mouth. You've been practically dragging it on the floor for the entire showing. If your chin is scraped up too badly, I have some ointment with me that I could put on."
"It's just that it's a lot bigger than I expected."
"Thanks. I bet you say that to all the new watchers." Xander said, receiving a playful slap on the shoulder from the witch and a roll of the eyes from Giles.
"Well now. This is the last stop in our travels. The cafeteria."
"Giles, this is fantastic! Look, the stove is still here and so is the refrigerator. Do they still work? Oh, that would be too much to hope for."
"Actually, Xander and I checked them out while the agent gave us the grand tour. I assure you, they do work. I think they should meet our needs just fine." Giles finished as Willow clapped her hands together excitedly.
"This is perfect! A-and did you notice? There isn't really a whole lot of work that needs to be done. I mean, sure, that one room could use some drywall in one spot, but for the most part this place just needs a really could cleaning and some paint. We have two gymnasiums with the gymnastic mats still hanging on the walls, and the ropes that hang for the girls to climb. With two gyms, we could split the groups, ya know? One for training to be a watcher, and the other for slayer training. Oh, this is going to work out great!"
As Willow continued on, Giles and Xander Stood there totally transfixed as the young woman babbled out comments about the possibilities. They could practically feel her excitement in the air, until Xander interrupted.
"You have no idea how much I've missed that while you were gone."
"Missed what?" she asked.
"You're babbling. You haven't done that in a very long time, and I-well, I've missed it."
"Oh." She said, and looked shyly at her feet. "Didn't think I still had it in me, did ya?" she held her arms out and spun around in a circle. "Besides, don't you think this place deserves a little babble? It's perfect! And we deserve it too. What we're doing is important." She finished.
"Hey, hey!" said Xander as he held his hands up in mock surrender. "I totally agree. I just wanted to say, it's good to have you back. The `you' that you used to be." He said, and the red head walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"It's good to be back." But after a moment, they heard Giles clear his throat and pulled apart. "So, when can we get started?"
"Well, anytime, I suppose. When did you have in mind?"
"How about tonight?" at that, two sets of eyebrows shot up.
"Tonight? You want to get started tonight?" Xander asked, stupefied.
"Well sure. Why not? The sooner the better. Right Giles?"
"Uh, well yes. I suppose. But wouldn't you rather take some time and relax? You've only just arrived not more than twelve hours ago."
"Are you kidding? I'm too excited after seeing this place! C'mon, it won't be so bad, not with all of us working on it. Let's go get the others. We need plenty of buckets and all purpose cleaner, oooh, and lots of rags! And don't forget to change into your grubbies."
"You shoulda waited till tomorrow to show her!" Xander said when Willow was out of earshot, and smacked Giles's arm before he followed her out.
"Yes, quite."
* * * * * * * *
Willow sat at one of the table in the cafeteria and began studiously writing on her notepad as work all around her was going on. For the most part everything was going along smoothly, but complaints could be heard coming from Dawn and Buffy over the cleaning they were doing. That in itself would be no big deal, but as it was, the comments seemed to spur the others into joining them.
With a sigh, Willow got up from the table and walked towards the small group assigned to this room and spoke up.
"I'm getting the distinct impression that none of you are happy at the moment. Care to explain to me why?" she asked as Giles made his way over, hoping to dispel any arguments that might arise.
"Yeah, I would, but first I have a question."
"Okay, Buffy-shoot."
"What on earth am I doing?"
"Well, for one thing, you're doing the same thing Dawn is doing. Second, you're doing the same thing Rona is doing. Third, you're doing the same thing Xander is doing, and the list goes on. Anything else?"
"Okay, how about this? Why am I doing this?"
"Because it needs to be done." Replied the red head, already weary of the questions.
"Will, I'm a slayer-not a maid. I should be out there," she pointed in the direction of a window. "killing things, not washing floors and windows."
"Buffy, you're not doing anything that the rest of us aren't doing."
"What about you? I don't see you with a mop bucket or scrub brush in you're hand."
"Buffy," Giles cut in. "if you had bothered to pay attention, you would have seen Willow cleaning out one of the rooms already. The reason she is not doing so now, is because she is doing what I asked of her. And that was to sit down and make a list of some of the things we needed, a list of what is done, and a list of what isn't. Now, is there anything else?" Giles finished, and Buffy slowly turned around and went back to work.
"No. I-I was just wondering, that's all."
"Splendid. Now if you will excuse us, Willow and I have some things to go over." He said as he placed a hand on Willow's back and led her back to her table and sat.
"Thanks, Giles."
"Rule number one: you are the authority figure. If you lose that, you'll receive no respect from you're slayer."
"Yeah, but look at the way Buffy used to treat you… and still does sometimes."
"Yes, she was most unruly. But when push came to shove, she followed orders. She may have done things her way, but she still did what she was told." He said, and Willow nodded. "She did it because she respected me. You need to learn to be firm, otherwise, you're slayer will see you as weak."
"Right. Grow a backbone."
"Well, that is one way to put it, but essentially, yes. Being a watcher is a lot more than telling you're slayer what to do. It is a huge undertaking, and is not to be taken lightly. You will have choices to make-hard choices, and at times you may even despise yourself for making them, but they need to be done nonetheless. You have to think for the good of everyone: not your slayer, and not for yourself. That is what a watcher does, that is what a watcher is."
"I understand." She replied, and then looked into his eyes. "Do you really think I can do this? I was sure, at first. But now………." She let the sentence trail off as she cast her eyes down to the table.
"You will do just fine, I have faith in you're abilities." He said as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I'm proud of you, have been proud of you for many years now. You have done what few people your age could handle and I think you will make a wonderful watcher. If I didn't, I never would have asked this of you in the first place." She looked up and saw the sincerity in his face. "Now, if you will excuse me. I have other things that need tending too." And he left, heading towards the kitchen where Xander was looking over the wiring.
Willow watched as he conversed with Xander for a time before reaching into her bag and pull out a red, leather bound book, with gold lettering inlayed on the front. She opened the book to an empty page, and with a sigh, began to write.
"Dear Diary."
Present day
"I think you were right. One entry is enough for now." She said as she closed the book and set it on the table. Angel reached up and removed her glasses, setting them on top of the book for her.
"There, make yourself comfortable and get some rest. You can read more tomorrow." He said as he watched her slide down and make herself comfortable. He drew the blankets up over her shoulders and kissed her cheek before leaving the room to let her sleep.
~Part: 5~
Present day
Angel came into the room and stood beside the woman lying there on the bed shaking his head.
"You know what the doctor said. You should be taking you're medication." He said, indicating the little white tablet sitting on the table beside a glass of water.
"Doctors!" she said with disgust in her voice. "Always prescribing medication. Damn `pill pushers', that's what they are!"
"It doesn't change the fact that you're supposed to be taking them." He said patiently.
"Well, what does he know?" she replied angrily.
"He's a doctor." But the only response was a grunt, so he let the subject drop knowing he wouldn't be able to get her to take the medication.
"Come." She said as she patted the mattress beside her. "Time for another entry."
Angel sat himself down on the bed beside her and fluffed the pillows to lean against them.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, making himself comfortable.
"Hush up and listen." She said as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, then turned her eyes to the page. "January 1st, 2004. Dear Diary. I know it's been a while since I last wrote, but I haven't really had the time until now. Today the school closed, and the `New Order of Watchers' opened. This is a really exciting time for us right now, and with luck……………."
January 2004
Willow set down the paint roller and stood back to survey her work. `Not bad' she thought as she looked around the entire room making sure there were no missed spots.
"So, how goes the battle?" a voice asked from behind, startling her. "My apologies Willow. I didn't mean to frighten you."
"It's okay, Giles." She said with her hand on her chest. "I just didn't know you were there." She took another look around. "Well, the battle is over and I won. What do you think?"
"The colour is, well, it's different. Rather eye catching, don't you think?"
"Uh huh, but this is what the girls wanted. So, yellow it is. It should be dry within a couple days, then we can start setting up."
"Yes, quite. I do believe this was the last room that needed to be worked on, and since it is finished I think we can officially say that we are open for business." Giles beamed.
"Not quite yet."
"How so?" he asked, smile disappearing from his face.
"It's a surprise. One that I think you will like."
"Oh?" he questioned.
"Sorry, not till its ready." She replied as Wesley walked into the room.
"Excuse me. But do either of you have a pair of sunglasses I could borrow?" he chuckled, and Willow rolled her eyes.
"Look, I didn't choose this colour, okay? This is what the girls asked for, this is what the girls got, so don't blame me."
"Why on earth would they choose such a colour in the first place?"
"Well, Wes. They figured that since what they do is kinda dark and gruesome, that a happy colour was in order. I-I mean, I can totally agree but…Yeeesh! Canary yellow? Ick."
"Yes, I understand you're point." Wesley said with a shake of his head.
"Oh, and thanks for you're help with this place."
"T'was no trouble at all, Miss Rosenberg." Replied Wesley with a wave of his hand. "I must say, it has been quite an experience."
"Yeah, I guess I have run you're butt kinda ragged the entire two weeks that you've been here." Willow said sheepishly.
"I was happy to help. And a little hard work never hurt anyone. Isn't that right, Mr. Giles?"
"Oh, yes. Quite right."
"Gee, Giles. Isn't that what I told you the day I got back?" Willow said smugly.
"Yes, I believe you did."
"Good. Just so long as you remember."
"It is rather hard to forget when you've used it as a mantra almost daily." He said, and pulled her into a hug. "Come along you two, work for today is over. It is time we were off."
* * * * * * *
"Hey guys! You finally made it home." Buffy exclaimed. "I saved dinner for you." She said as she pulled three plates wrapped in foil out of the oven.
"I-I cooked it." Said Andrew nervously. "It's chicken. I hope you don't mind chicken."
"Chicken would be just fine. Thank you Andrew." Giles replied, and the young man relaxed as he passed over one of the plates. "Mmm, this smells delicious."
"Really, Mr. Giles? I-it's `Lemon Chicken'. I thought I'd try the recipe from the book over there." He said as he pointed to the cookbook sitting on the counter.
"Hey, this is great.' Willow said as she chewed a piece. "How would you like to run the kitchen when we get everything moved in?"
"Really? You mean it?"
"I don't see why not." Giles spoke up. "You could make up a schedule, have one of the girls help out at each meal. Do you think you could handle that?"
"Yeah! I mean, of course."
"Then I shall leave it to your capable hands. The kitchen is yours."
"I won't let you down, Mr. Giles." Finished Andrew, as the phone rang and was answered by one of the girls.
"Willow?"
"Yes, Vi?"
"Telephone. It's for you." And the young woman laid the phone on the table.
"Thanks." And Willow left the dinner table and made her way to the living room. "Hello?" pause "Really?" pause "Great! I'll be in first thing tomorrow." Pause "Uh huh." Pause "Okay thanks. Bye." The red head hung up the phone and went back to the table to finish her dinner.
"What was that about?" Buffy asked.
"It's part of the surprise."
"Surprise? Who for?"
"Well, basically for everybody. And no, I'm telling you what it is. You'll just have to wait till tomorrow like everyone else."
"Shucks!" Buffy said as she snapped her fingers, then laughed. "So, who's up for watching a movie tonight?"
~Part: 6~
Willow held Xander and Giles hands, practically dragging them through the halls of the school. Excitement radiated off her and everyone found it hard not to smile as they watched the two men trying to keep up.
"Willow, I do say, slow down." Giles said a little breathlessly.
"Come on, it's right over here." She replied and pointed. "Look." At her command, Giles, Xander and the others looked in the direction she pointed and stopped dead in their tracks. "Well? What do you think?"
Above the door leading to the offices was a large portrait of four figures. From left to right stood Wesley, Giles and Xander. In front of Giles sat Willow in a chair, with Giles hands on each shoulder, and all wore a look of pride on their faces.
"That's the portrait we had done two weeks ago." Said a stunned Wesley.
"I know. I had the studio put a rush on it. That's who it was on the phone last night. They were calling to let me know that it was ready to be picked up." She finished, but silence followed. "Uh, what do you think? Oh! A-and I had them put a little engraving on it too. It says: `The New Order of Watchers' founded January 1st, 2004. And look, there's all our names!"
"Willow, this is…….I'm sorry. I find myself rather speechless at the moment." Said Giles, eyes glistening.
"Willster! I can't believe it. I mean, I knew what the picture was being taken for, but" he looked again to the portrait. "Hey, I do clean up nice."
"I appreciate that I'm in the picture, don't get me wrong, Miss Rosenberg. But it wasn't necessary. I'm afraid that I haven't been here to help that much."
"Wes, that's not true! You've sent us money to help fix this place up, not to mention how much work you've done once you got here. So you weren't here right at the beginning, big deal. You're here now, and you're here to stay. You're a watcher, and that's what counts."
"Uh, Will?"
"Yeah, Buff?"
"Well, not to be a bother, but I did help too. I, uh, I don't see…………"
"Oh! Sorry, I almost forgot." Said the red head as she cut the slayer off in mid sentence. "Buffy, come with me." And she was off going down another hallway. Buffy looked to the others, and with a shrug, followed along behind her.
"It's right up here!" said Willow as she ran the last few steps and stopped in front of a trophy case. "It's kinda like the `Slayer Wall of Fame', ya know? What do ya think?" she asked the blonde.
Buffy gazed into the glass casing and saw a picture of herself, and next to her was a sketch of Kendra, and a picture of Faith.
"Oh Wills, I love it! But, where did you get that?" Buffy asked, indicating the sketch of Kendra.
"Oh, that. I-I went to the police station and asked if a sketch artist could do this for me. I told them that she was a friend of mine who was killed some years back. But when the earthquake hit Sunnydale I lost all of my pictures of her. I offered to pay them, but they were kind enough to do this for nothing."
"That was very thoughtful of you, Willow."
"Thanks, Giles."
"What about Faith's?"
"Oh, uh, well." She drew in a deep breath before answering Buffy's question. "I had to hack into the police database. Since we didn't have a picture of her, I used her mug shot and touched it up with a paint program, saved it to disk and later I printed out a copy at the local cyber café." Willow finished, and muffled snickers could be heard from the girls behind them.
"Hey!" Buffy turned and spoke to the girls. "Do you really think this is funny?" but all the girls remained silent. "One thing all of you had better realize is that Willow tried to do something nice for everyone on a very limited budget and limited resources. And yes, hacking into the police's computers is a crime, but she did the only thing she could just make us a little happier. And I'll tell you now, if any of you expect to get your picture in there, then you're damn well going to earn it!"
"Awww, Buffy. That's so sweet. Thank you." She said, and then turned to the girls. "What she said." Pointing to Buffy. "Your not getting a free ride here, none of you. If you think being here is going to be easy, then you are sadly mistaken."
"This isn't the army, you know." Rona spoke up, and Willow looked directly at her.
"You know what? Your right, it isn't." replied the red head, getting a smug look from the young lady. "But your gonna wish it was. Compared to what you will have to go through here, we are going to make the army look like a summer retreat." The girls began to shuffle their feet and Rona's smile faded. "And I'm gonna tell you something right now. You think because you helped save the world, there isn't anything you need to do or be taught? Think again missy. You didn't save the world, I did. Buffy did. Giles and Xander did. Without us, you would be nothing."
"I say that I must concur with Willow." Said Giles, proudly looking at the red head. "All of you put in a great effort and we commend you for it-but make no mistake. We have defeated `end of the earth' disasters many times in the last eight years, whereas for the lot of you, defeating the `First' was your first battle. On your own, you could never have defeated the `First', and I fully expect all of you to remember that. Your powers are great, and with it comes a responsibility. The choice to stay is ultimately yours- however, if you so choose to remain, then you will be taught everything that is within our range of expertise."
"Giles is right." Buffy put in. "Some of you will have the option of remaining a slayer, or, becoming a watcher. But realize one thing, one is no easier than the other-just in case you were wondering. Both will require classes in fighting-offensive and defensive. Both will teach patience and team work and-and this is the kicker." Buffy said with a giggle. "You still get to go to school. That's right. Our very own Mr. Robin Wood is going to finish your education; math, english, the works when he gets back from Toledo. I won't allow slackers here. You will learn, or, put simply, you won't be here. What we do here is not just for you-it's for the world."
"Okay, that said, everyone zip up you're coats and come with me. Giles, I have something for you to do before we can officially say that the `N.O.W.' is open." Willow said as she took Giles hand in her and led the way out of the school. Once out the front doors and down the steps, the red head led the group to a corner of the building. "Just wait here a sec."
They watched as she ran to a snow bank, pull out a wine bottle that was almost buried in it, and come back holding the bottle out to Giles.
"Here Giles. I know it's just a cheep bottle of wine, but since you're just going to smash it against the wall anyway." She shrugged and blushed.
"Willow?"
"Hey, what's the point of having an opening ceremony without the smashing? Oh, and I have a bag in my pocket so everyone can help me pick up the broken glass afterwards."
"You truly are a remarkable woman." Said Giles as he turned and held up the bottle. "I now declare that the `New Order of Watchers' is officially open." And a crash sounded as the bottle hit the wall and smashed into little pieces. "Congratulations everyone. We did it."
Present day
Willow closed the book and set it on the table, then grabbed the glass of now luke- warm water and sipped.
"Tired?"
"Actually, I could really go for a bite to eat." She giggled. "No pun intended."
"How does some vegetable soup sound?"
"That sounds wonderful, Angel."
"Alright. You relax, and I'll go get it for you." And the vampire left the room.
~Part: 7~
Present day
"Mmm, that was lovely." Said Willow as she dabbed her lips with a napkin. "For someone who doesn't eat food, you really are a good cook."
"I, uh. I have a confession to make."
"Oh?"
"The soup isn't homemade. I bought it from the store………….in a can." Angel replied, thankful that vampires don't blush.
"Oh, well, uh. Well, you did a good job heating it up." Willow laughed. "Come on, sit beside me. I want to read you another entry."
"Are you sure you're up for it?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Don't be such a worry-wart." She said as Angel sat beside her. "December 29, 2004. Dear Diary. Wow, it's been just about an entire year since I last wrote. We've all been so busy lately. Christmas just passed a few days ago, if you can believe it. I didn't celebrate Hanukah this year since everyone else celebrates Christmas, so I joined in on it. Anyway, let me tell you all about………………………."
Year- 2004
He walked down the hall with an air of confidence that he wasn't really feeling, before stopping at a door and knocking.
"Come in." he heard, and turned the knob. "Hey, Robin. Come on in, have a seat." said the red head, indicating a chair in front of her desk.
"Well, I'm here for the weekly report." Replied Robin as he seated himself.
"You don't look too happy. It must be Carol again." Willow said knowingly, receiving a nod and a grim look from the man sitting across from her. "Okay, tell me."
"She's too disruptive. She speaks out of turn for one thing, and for another she just won't listen. I'm trying to teach the class what I can, but she is making it impossible. She talks to others, taking their attention away from the lessons, and when I tell her to quiet down she starts mouthing off."
"What does she say?"
"It doesn't matter what she says, what does matter is that the others can't learn anything because I spend more time trying to settle her down than I do teaching. Things just can't continue this way. Something needs to be done about her, and done now. Honestly, I don't know what to do."
"She's in Buffy's training class. Let me talk to Buffy and see how she is there."
"What are you going to do?"
"Don't worry about it, Robin. I'll handle it."
"Alright." He said as he looked at his watch. "I've got to get going. I need to put together tomorrows schedule, then I'm off to help Buffy with the training class." He finished as he rose from the chair and made his way to the door. "Are you sure you can handle this?"
"It'll be fine. Trust me." Willow said with a smile. "It may prove to be an interesting class tonight if Buffy has the same problem with her as you do."
"Interesting, eh? <Chuckle>."
"I'll see you tonight in class."
"I'll be looking forward to it." And he left, softly closing the door behind him as Willow picked up the receiver and dialed Buffy's extension. "Hey, Buff. I have a question for you."
"Okay, shoot."
"The new girl Robin brought back with him from Toledo: Carol?"
"Uh huh?" was Buffy's less than enthusiastic reply, giving Willow an idea on how this conversation was going to go.
"What is she like in you're class?" she finished, only to hold the receiver away from her ear as Buffy's comments rang out loud and clear. Willow winced as she heard a string of curses come from the earpiece that she'd never heard before, and was pretty sure that she'd never want them to be repeated.
* * * * * * *
The red head stood outside the gymnasium door and watched through the window as Buffy's voice echoed instructions. She saw the new girl, Carol, stretched out on the mats instead of sitting cross- legged as the other girls were doing-all but Rona. It appeared that Rona found a new friend.
Willow silently mouthed the words of a small incantation, and blue electrical charges snaked along her body. Once finished, she stood straight, pulled down the hem of her sweatshirt and entered the room.
At her entrance, Rona quickly sat up and gave Carol a nudge, but Carol only looked at Willow with a bored expression on her face before turning back to face Buffy. Willow made her way to a chair beside Robin and sat, giving the dark man a knowing smile before turning her attention back to the group.
Willow watched as Carol yawned, and placed her hands under her head and stare at the ceiling for a moment before closing her eyes.
"Excuse me. Am I boring you?" asked the blonde slayer.
"As a matter of fact, you are." Replied the young woman, without so much as opening her eyes.
"If this is so boring for you, then why are you here?"
"Well, why don't you ask the guy who brought me here."
"Pardon me?"
"Look," she said as she sat up. "He said you were going to `teach' me how to fight. Well, since that's something I already know, you can go about your business teaching everybody else and leave me alone." And she lay back down.
Willow stood up and walked over to Buffy, saying softly for only the slayer to hear:
"Guess I'm up." And giggled as she turned to face the class. "Some of you know me already, and for those of you that don't, I'm Willow Rosenberg. I am a watcher, and part founder of this little organization."
Willow began walking slowly, gradually making her way to Carol, who still lay on the floor uncaring, with her eyes closed. When the red head got to the girl, she softly kicked the girl's sneakered feet with her own.
"Hey! Do you mind?"
"Nope, not at all." Replied the watcher as she kicked the girl's foot again, causing the girl to raise her head and look at her.
"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" she said with a sneer.
"Why? Are you gonna do something about it?" Willow said, and kicked her again. "You gonna do something to stop me?"
"You'd kick me out the second I tried. This is a set-up. You don't want me here."
"No, I do want you here…………but that doesn't mean I want you're attitude. And I'll say this right now in front of everyone-go ahead, try and stop me. `If' you think you can." She finished, accentuating it with another kick, causing the girl to jump to her feet and take a swing.
Willow easily ducked it, and then ducked another and another. Just before Carol could take another swing, the red head quickly shot her hand out and shoved against the young woman's shoulder, making her stagger back.
Anger flared in her eyes as she lunged at Willow, but the red head saw it coming and sidestepped out of the way.
"Is that the best you got for me?" and she laughed. "It appears that I can do what I want to you, and there's nothing you can do about it."
"You're really asking for it!" the girl shot back.
"I am? From who? You? Puhleeze! Tell you what, just to even it out, why don't I just stand right here, in this spot. I'll even let you take a shot for free." She said as Carol walked over and stood directly in front of her.
"Why not. It's your funeral." She replied and swung, hitting Willow right in the jaw. But what surprised the young woman was that the red head staggered back a few steps, but didn't fall to the ground. Willow straightened herself and walked towards the woman, stopped, and with a menacing smile said:
"My turn." With that, she swung and connected with Carol's jaw. The young woman staggered back, but before she had a chance to recover, Willow swung again and connected, causing the girl to fall to the floor. "Ready to listen now?" and the young woman nodded wide- eyed. "Let me tell you a little fact that you don't know, missy. I gave you you're power, and I can take it away." She hissed.
Willow raised her hand slowly, and as she did so, Carol levitated off the floor and was put on her feet.
"Heard you were a witch………didn't know you were a bitch."
"Because your new here, I'm gonna tell you a few things you didn't know." Willow replied, ignoring the girls comment. "Yup, you heard right-I'm a witch. And if necessary, I can be the baddest bitch you'd never want to meet."
"Yeah, and you probably used magic to beat me too." Carol spat.
"Oh, sure. I used magic. But I didn't make myself any stronger than you are. What you don't know is that I've been fighting for years along side a slayer. When I first started doing this, I wasn't a witch, I was fifteen years old and I didn't have any powers. I learned to fight by sheer determination and paying attention to Buffy. Everything I've achieved, I had to work damn hard for. I didn't sit on the sidelines, I got right in there with everyone and learned. I had to learn the hard way, and I've lost a lot of people that I care about, but in the end, I do this because it needs to be done."
"But………………"
"No `buts'. You know what you are? You're a dirty fighter."
"I prefer to call it `street fighting' myself."
"Call it what you will, its not always going to save your ass. Your strength means nothing if you don't know how to use it. Look at Buffy over there." She said pointing. "She is the best of the best. She is the oldest living slayer, and why? Because she uses her head."
Buffy smiled in appreciation and pride at Willow's words.
"Now, fighting with emotion is okay, but too much can be a distraction, which will ultimately lead to you're downfall."
"How so?" Carol asked.
"Because it can make you sloppy. Look at our little `demonstration' for example. You used wounded pride and anger to fight me-and you lost. Another example? Almost two years ago I went on a rampage-and no I'm not proud of it-but there is a point to this." She pointed for Carol to take a seat with the others, which she did as Willow continued.
"Now, listen carefully. I was out to destroy the world, and, frighteningly, almost succeeded."
"Its never been talked about that much, except for Andrew's ramblings." Rona said. "What exactly happened?"
"The `why I did it' isn't important." Willow said sadly, "The fact is, I did, and Buffy had the unfortunate task of trying to stop me. One thing led to another and we were duking it out in the middle of the Magic Box, and frankly, I beat the crap out of her."
"Uh, Will? I wouldn't really say `beat the crap', ya know." Buffy spoke up.
"You're right, Buffy." She turned back to the group. "I didn't beat the crap out of her-I kicked her ass." The girls snickered.
"Hey!" but Willow held up a hand to silence the blonde slayer.
"What was Buffy's downfall? Emotion. What stopped me from destroying the world?"
"I heard it was Xander." Said Vi.
"Yes, that's true. But the underlying factor was emotion. Xander was able to reach me by using my own emotions and turning them against me. Now, using emotions while you're fighting can be a big asset, but too much of it will ultimately mean you're death. This is where Buffy's teachings will help you. If you want to live, then you must pay attention." She said, looking directly at Carol and Rona. "We're here to help you. If you don't want it, then you know where the door is." Willow finished and looked to Buffy.
"If you'll excuse me Buff, I've got some paper work I need to finish, and a data base to go through." And Willow headed out the door, leaving the class in silence, except for the sounds of a snickering Robin Wood.
~Part: 8~
Willow sat at her desk, the earlier events with Carol and Rona going through her mind. She hadn't heard anything yet from either Buffy or Robin since class was still in session, but she'd hoped that her actions had spurred the two young girls into a change in attitude. Her thoughts were interrupted as a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in." she said, and the door opened far enough for Andrew to stick his face in. "Hey, Andrew."
"Miss Rosenberg. I-I brought you some dinner since you didn't have time earlier when everyone else ate."
"Thanks, Andrew. That's really sweet of you to bring me something. I've been so busy, I forgot all about dinner."
"It's no problem." He said as he came in the rest of the way and handed her a plate wrapped in foil, which she took gratefully. "Miss Rosenberg?"
"Andrew, come on, call me Willow."
"Somehow, it doesn't seem right, what with you being a counsel member and all."
"Tell you what? When you're around the others you can call me Miss Rosenberg. But when it's just the two of us, call me Willow. That sound like a good compromise to you?"
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Andrew?"
"Yes, Willow?" he replied with a shy smile.
"You had something to say to me?"
"Oh yeah! I," he looked at his feet. "I just wanted to say thanks. You know, for giving me a chance to prove myself. I mean I know it's just the kitchen, but I'm in charge of it and what goes on in it. I'm kinda like Captain Kirk, and the kitchen is my ship, bravely going where no man has gone before." He said wistfully. "I've never really been in charge of anything before."
"You deserve it. You helped us a lot in Sunnydale, and this is our- Giles, and me, it's our way of thanking you too. Who knows? Maybe sometime in the future there will be something else for you."
"Do you really think so?"
"You never know, right?" she replied and he smiled as Giles stepped through the door.
"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."
"No, you're not interrupting anything, Giles." Willow said quickly. "Andrew was just bringing me some dinner.
"Yeah, Mr. Giles. I kinda noticed she wasn't in the cafeteria earlier, so I thought I'd bring her a little something."
"Well, that was very thoughtful of you."
"Anyhow, I gotta go and plan tomorrows meals." He said with a blush as he walked towards the door.
"Thanks again for the vittles."
"You're welcome, Miss Rosenberg." He said with a smile, and was gone.
Giles took a seat and watched as Willow pushed the plate of food to one side, unwrapped.
"Are you not going to eat?"
"I didn't want to hurt Andrew's feelings but I'm not really hungry right now."
"Oh? And why is that?" he queried, and Willow sighed.
"Giles, I think I did something stupid."
"And what is it exactly that you did?"
"You know Carol?"
"Yes, the girl Mr. Wood brought back with him. What about her?"
"I," she bowed her head and lowered her eyes. "I humiliated her in front of the others. And not only that, I humiliated Buffy in front of the girls too."
"Was there a particular reason for you to do so?"
"I was trying to make a point about something."
"And what was it you did that was so bad?"
"Oh, Giles! I picked a fight with Carol and beat her. Then I told them about how I kicked the snot out of Buffy back when I was all evil and vein-y and stuff."
"I see."
"I didn't stick around long enough to find out, but I'm betting Buffy's mad at me about it. I should never have used it as an example for the girls!" she exclaimed.
"You did what you had to do, Willow. Using past experiences works far better than the telling of tales. People can tell the difference. Yes, Buffy was a little upset," Willow's eyes shot up to meet his. "But more than anything, she was embarrassed, and embarrassment is something that she will get over." Giles nodded. "She let the class out early with instructions to think about what you said, and then she came and talked to me"
"If it bugged her, she should have come to me about it, not you."
"That is neither here nor there. The point is, you did what you had to do…………you did well, and I am proud of you." He smiled reassuringly. "Buffy will get over it, have no fear of that." He stood. "Now, you have a plate of food sitting they're doing nothing but getting cold. After all, a watcher has to keep up her strength, does she not?" and he headed to the door.
"Thanks, Giles." She said and unwrapped the plate and picked up the fork as he left.
* * * * * * * *
Willow stopped in front of the door and lightly tapped. But after a moment of receiving no reply, she knocked a little harder and turned the knob, then inched inside.
"Buffy?" but all that followed was silence. The red head walked to Buffy's desk and sat down as she grabbed a pen and piece of paper, then turned on the desk light.
Dear Buffy
I was hoping to do this in person, but since you're not here at the moment, I guess a written apology will have to do. I should never have used you and I as an example for the girls in you're class today, but it was the only thing I could think of at the time. Please, Buffy. I'm sorry.
Willow
The red head looked at the paper and read over what she wrote before finally crumpling it into a ball and throwing it into the wastebasket and silently leaving. On the other side of the wall that Xander had installed to separate bedroom and office, Buffy quietly emerged through the doorframe.
The blonde looked around to make sure Willow had gone, and made her way to her desk, where the desk light was still on. She'd heard the sound of paper being crushed in her friend's hand, and immediately looked in the wastebasket. Upon finding it, she opened it up and smoothed it out, then scanned the words written before tossing it back to where she had discovered it.
~Part: 9~
A few months later
Buffy and Xander walked along the hall as they went over progress reports of the girls. Over all, Buffy was pleased with the way they were progressing in her class, and as much as she hated to admit it, they had started doing better after Willow's little stunt some odd months back; even Carol.
"How's the new girl working out? Patty, isn't it? Has she started to open up yet with the others?" Xander questioned.
"No, not really. She's just so shy, and I'm not quite sure how to bring her out of it." Buffy replied with a shake of her head. "And it's keeping the others from even attempting to interact with her. I mean, I can't even get her to look me in the face when I'm talking to her."
"Maybe you should pull her to the side and have a talk with her?"
"Xander, every time someone goes near her, she looks about ready to bolt. I'm afraid that if……………………" but the slayer stopped in mid- sentence as the two saw a smiling Patty emerge from Willow's office, with the red head behind her.
"Thanks for everything, Miss Rosenberg." The girl said shyly.
"Hey, think nothing of it. Remember, I'm always here if you need to talk. Okay?" and Willow turned back to her office as the young woman nodded, turned and made her way down the hall towards Buffy and Xander on her way to her room.
"Hi, Miss Sommers, Mr. Harris." She said with a quick wave as she passed by them.
"Hi, Patty." Said Xander happily, and then looked to Buffy. "Leave it to the Willster to help bring her out." He said to Buffy and patted her on the shoulder. "See ya later, Buff. I have to go over the reports with Wills, Giles and Wes." And he was off.
* * * * * * * *
Xander entered Willow's office with a smile on his face, causing the red head to look at him with a frown.
"What's got you into such a good mood?"
"I just saw Patty a moment ago. She said `hi' to Buff and I."
"Oh really?" she asked excitedly. "Wow. I didn't think she would start so soon. I mean, I only just talked to her a few minutes ago."
"How'd ya do it? Buffy's been trying, but no luck."
"Well, I called her to my office, and when she got here-the poor thing, she looked almost ready for tears." Willow shook her head. "I just told her not to worry and that she wasn't in trouble or anything so she can relax. That this was just a way for me to get to know the girls in a one on one basis."
"That's it?"
"Pretty much. I asked her about her likes and dislikes, hobbies: you know, the typical. She's really very smart. She's a wiz with numbers and loves Greek and Roman mythology."
"Well, then she should blend in pretty well here."
"Yeah. I told her to talk to the others, find out some things about them and that, who knows? Maybe she'll find something in common with them. I just couldn't get over how shy she was. It took me nearly five minutes before I could get her to say a word. She really is very sweet." She finished as a knock on the door sounded, and Giles stuck his head in.
"Kinda reminds me of someone else I know."
"Oh hush, you."
"Terribly sorry. I didn't mean to be so late, as I got rather caught up in some of the texts Wesley has been kind enough to give me for duplication."
"Giles?" said the young man. "Next time, just say-"Ooops, sorry I'm late" and leave it at that." Giles didn't respond, except for the glare he sent to Xander before looking around the office.
"I dare say, Wesley appears to be late as well." And he took a seat.
"Should we go on without him, or wait a little longer?" Willow asked.
"Perhaps we should wait awhile longer. He had told me that it was important that he speak with all of us."
"I wonder what about." Said Xander.
"Honestly, I have no idea. So," he said, looking between the two. "What were you two discussing?"
"Oh, nuthin." Xander piped up. "Just the new girl that Willow used witch-y powers on."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Xander, stop that!" Willow said sternly and looked to Giles. "I didn't use any `witch-y' powers on her, thank you very much. I brought her into the office to talk to her. You know, try to get her out of her shell? That's all."
"And?"
"And," Xander said with a grin. "It worked. Willow here is a miracle worker."
"Well, congratulations."
"Thanks, Giles. But you know, I was thinking that she would make a better watcher than a slayer. That might suit her a little better. I was just telling Xander that she's pretty smart, but her shyness……………….. I don't know."
"If you don't think she would be suited to slaying, what makes you think that her being a watcher would be better?" Giles questioned.
"Well, not the type of watcher that has a slayer, l-like you were. I mean, train her in everything that she needs to be a watcher, so that she can teach others to be watchers." The red head frowned and looked at the two. "Do you follow my meaning?"
"You think she would make a better teacher?" Xander asked, and Willow clapped her hands together and pointed to him.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean!" she exclaimed. "If we could just get her to open up a little more, she'd be perfect."
"I kinda have to agree with the Willster on this one." Xander said, looking to Giles.
"Well, if you both are in agreement, then I suppose it couldn't hurt to bring the subject up to her." Giles responded as the door opened, and in stepped Wesley.
"So sorry. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I was in the middle of a call and couldn't get away." Said Wesley, and Xander rolled his eyes and looked to the red head.
"It must be a British thing."
"Xander!" Willow admonished. "Sit down, Wes. Giles said that you had something important to talk to us about?"
"Oh yes, quite right." He sat, and then sucked in a deep breath. "I've been in touch with some people who are quite interested in what we have accomplished here, and they say that they would like to help out if we'd be willing to let them."
"Oh? And who might these `people' be, exactly?" Giles questioned.
"The, uh <ahem> Watchers Counsel." That said, Wesley looked around the room as everyone's jaw almost hit the floor.
~Part: 10~
The room remained in shocked silence as Wesley debated on the idea of running for his life, until Giles spoke up.
"I beg your pardon? I appear to have misheard you."
"Counsel, he said Counsel!" said Xander as he looked at the others, and then back to Wesley. "What counsel? There is no Counsel. Counsel go boom. You know, as in PKKKKKEEEEWWWW!" he said as he splayed his fingers and made an explosion sound.
"Wesley, what on earth are you talking about?" Willow questioned.
"Well, <ahem> it's not exactly the `Counsel' per se."
"Then what is it?"
"It's the British government. Or, more precisely, a government inside the government. It is a secret society that a very select few know of."
"Oh? And how is it that you know of this and I do not?" Giles said, sounding a little put out.
"I know of them because my father did. And, quite frankly Mr. Giles, due to your past acquaintances, they uh, they don't trust you." He said, eyes down.
"Ethan." Giles said and Wesley nodded. "I see."
"Well, if these `people' are part of the Watcher's Counsel, how is it they've done nothing to help?" Xander asked.
"You must understand, this sect in the government doesn't really do anything except fund the operation. That is actually where some of the money came from to help with the cleaning and slight renovations that were made here."
"I thought you said that it was your money. Okay, I'm a little confused here." Said Willow.
"It is quite understandable, my dear." Replied Wesley. "And yes, some of the money I sent was my own, but I didn't have enough for what was needed. I have been in contact with them since you had contacted me about the plans for the New Order of Watchers, and they are genuinely interested-though they were a bit surprised, to say the least."
"Quite understandable. If they are as intrigued by what we've done as you say, then why is it that they have never made their presence known?"
"You see, Mr. Giles, they don't actually get `involved' with any of this. They handle the funding, but do keep tabs on the general `goings on' to be sure that the money is being used for its intended purpose. Nothing more." He looked around the room. "You have nothing to fear, they will not interfere with the operations in any way."
"And how are we to be sure of this?" Giles asked.
"You have my word on it, as a gentleman." Wesley said with pride, and Giles considered the idea for a moment.
"Alright then, we shall take your word for it."
"Giles, are you sure?" the red head turned to Wesley, "No offense, Wes."
"None taken."
"I do not believe Wesley would do anything to put either us or our operation into any sort of jeopardy. Yes," he nodded, "I will trust his judgment on this."
"Thank you, Mr. Giles."
"Sooo, do they have any plans in specific, or what?"
"Yes, Xander. As a matter of fact, they do. One that I think you could appreciate."
"Oh?" Giles said, with a hint of trepidation.
"First off, they will-with your permission of course, send the necessary funds to operate this place."
"First off? That means there's more, right?" Willow asked.
"Quite right, Miss Rosenberg."
"Willow."
"Yes, Willow. And second, they are delighted that we have started the Counsel here on a hellmouth…………………"
"Oh no. I see `but' face."
"I beg your pardon, Miss-er, Willow?"
"But face. You know………………….they're really happy, BUT."
"Oh, I see. As I was saying, they are delighted that we have our Counsel here, but…………………"
"See, told ya." Willow interrupted, but Wesley continued on.
"They would like to have the parent headquarters in England." He finished and looked to the older man. `If his eyes get any wider, his eyeballs will pop out of their sockets' he thought to himself.
"Did you say, England?"
"I did. They are currently looking in to taking over a castle. Cardiff Castle, to be exact."
"A c-castle? A castle? You're kidding, right? A castle?"
"I assure you, Xander, I am in no way being humorous. This is not the time for jocularity."
"Huh? What do sports have to do with a castle?" he asked, and received a groan from Willow, while the two watchers rolled their eyes. "What?"
"No, Xand. He's not kidding."
"No, I am not. However, there is one stipulation that they…………………………."
"I knew it! It was too good to be true!"
"And what is this stipulation, if I may ask?" Giles queried calmly.
"They wish for Miss Rosenberg to head the New Order."
"Wha???? Me?" she said a little breathlessly and looked at Giles. He tried to hide it, but she could tell he was feeling dejected and placed her `resolve' face in the forefront for everyone to see. "I won't do it."
"Willow, please."
"Damnit, Giles! I won't!" she looked to Wesley. "Giles is the one who had the idea of starting this in the first place. He's the one who got everything going and motivated everyone. If it weren't for him, there would be NO Counsel. As far as I'm concerned, if Giles doesn't head the Counsel, then I'll quit."
"Willow." Giles said with pride at hearing her words. "Please, listen to reason. Take the offer. Don't let me hold you back, it isn't right. You fully deserve this opportunity, and I whole heartedly believe that you should take it."
"Giles, I can't do it, and I won't. They can't make me take that position and," she said holding up a finger and wagging it at him. "don't you dare argue with me about this, Mister!" she turned to Wesley. "You tell them what I said."
"I had already anticipated this response. They are willing to allow Mr. Giles to head the counsel. But please understand, I had to state their wishes at any rate. You can relax now, Willow." He finished as Willow heaved a sigh of relief.
"You said they were looking into Cardiff Castle?"
"Yes, Mr. Giles. Currently, Cardiff Castle is open to tourists, but the sect is looking to take it over as the parent headquarters." He looked to the others. "The castle sits in the middle of the city, but its high walls will allow for the privacy that we will need. Inside there are astrological symbols, creatures, and biblical characters on the walls, and marble fireplaces. It really is a fascinating place."
"So how long do you expect this to take? Before we get moved?" Xander asked.
"Of that, I am not sure. But knowing the sect and all of their resources and connections, I don't expect it to be a long wait. Maybe a year, two at most."
"And who will be left in charge here once we leave?"
"Actually, Mr. Giles, they wish for Miss Summers to agree to take over. Though I have yet to mention this to here. I thought it more appropriate to discuss this matter with all of you first."
"Indeed." He looked around the room. "If there are no objections, I say we take the chance." He turned his eyes back to the younger watcher. "I will hold you to you're word."
"Thank you, Mr. Giles. I shall do everything in my power to prove this is not a mistake."
"If this concludes the meeting then, I must search for Buffy and discuss this matter with her."
"That was everything. I must call the counsel and tell them of our decision. If you will excuse me." And with that, Wesley left with Giles right behind him, leaving Willow and Xander alone in the office.
"Wow."
"Yeah, wow."