New BeginningsBy PSUBrat
Departures & Arrivals
The early morning sun had just made its presence known to Sunnydale as Xander heaved the last of Willow's luggage into the trunk of his car. It was hard to believe that just about everything she owned was in that trunk. Tara's stuff too. They had no idea when they would be coming back or if they'd be coming back at all. Willow was afraid that maybe she would like England too much or that maybe she wouldn't be able to control her dark side. She had to keep an open mind about this trip, for her own sake. She looked around the campus one last time, "this must be what it feels like when you graduate," she said softly.
"What did you say sweetie?" Tara asked while she got into the car.
"Oh. Nothing really," Willow said with tears in her eyes, "I'm just going to miss this place."
"Willow are you crazy," Xander asked incredulously, "you and Tara are getting an all expenses paid trip out of the hellmouth. Please enjoy it so I can live it vicariously through you."
"Yes Willow," added Anya cheerily from the front seat, "you will love England. It doesn't have a lot of monsters. On the other hand though, they do have a great deal of vampires, werewolves and witches. You know, the usual mystical things."
"They have a lot of werewolves there?" Tara asked with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Maybe that's where Oz had finally found a home. What if Willow ran into Oz? What if they got back together?
Sensing her lover's thoughts, Willow took Tara's hand and tightly clasped it in her's. She gave Tara a warm smile that said, "don't worry about him, I only love you."
Tara returned Willow's smile and the two settled into the back seat together.
***
About fifteen minutes later the foursome arrived at the Sunnydale airport. Giles was already there waiting for them. Buffy and Dawn had driven over with Giles in his rental since there wouldn't have been enough room for them in Xander's car, what with all of Willow's and Tara's luggage. Since the new airport security measures had been instituted, only Tara, Willow and Giles could go to the gate. This meant that all goodbyes would have to be said at the check-in area. Buffy tried to remain strong but her tears got the better of her. If it had just been Giles leaving, she could have dealt just fine. But now her best friend and Tara were leaving as well. Who was she going to talk to now, especially since Spike was gone? She felt abandoned on so many different levels.
"Buffy, don't cry," Willow said as her own tears streamed down her face, "I'm gonna call you everyday, I promise! We'll be back before you know it."
"I know, Will. I'm just really gonna miss you," Buffy said as she hugged Willow.
A few feet away, Dawn and Tara were saying their goodbyes. "I promise I'll keep you updated on how things go with Steven," Dawn said giddily.
"Good. Because I want to know everything, well, maybe not everything!" Tara said with a smile.
Dawn grinned from ear to ear.
"Oh, and don't even think about doing that young lady," Tara gasped, "You're too young, understand?"
"God Tara! I would never!" The teen was now blushing. "We just met! Besides, I think Buffy would kill me if I did that."
"Did what?" Buffy asked from behind.
"Oh nothing," Tara said trying to cover up the sex talk.
"Uhm. You know," Dawn added nervously, "Go on patrol without you."
"Yeah, I'd kill you before the beasties would even have half a chance at you."
The hugs and goodbyes continued all around. While the others were extracting promises of phone calls and postcards, Buffy and Giles walked off to the side to say their goodbyes. "Thanks for everything Giles," Buffy said giving her watcher a slayer strength hug.
"It was my pleasure," he said gasping for air.
Realizing that she was crushing him, she released him from the embrace and took a step back so that he could catch his breath. "Sorry."
"Quite alright. Buffy, I want you to remember that if you need anything…"
"I can call you day or night. Is that my day and night or your day and night?"
He shook his head and smiled. "Both." He then put his arm around her shoulders in a fatherly fashion. "Buffy, I'll be back in two months with your new watcher. Please do try to stay out of trouble until then."
A feigned look of indignation passed over her face, "Geez, Giles! Non-supportive much…?"
"Right," he said with a smile, "and do keep me informed about Dawn. If anything happens, even the slightest thing, I want you to call me."
"Aye, aye Captain," she said giving him a salute.
Giles rolled his eyes in response. Looking at his watch he realized that it had gotten much later than he had thought. "Tara, Willow," he called, "time to go."
Willow nodded at Giles and gave Xander and Buffy one last big hug. "Bye guys! Come visit soon," Willow said as she took Tara's hand and followed Giles down the hall to their departure gate.
"We will," Dawn called after them as she and the others watched the threesome turn the corner and disappear out of sight.
***
The flight to England had been uneventful, even boring. Tara and Willow had managed to sleep most of the flight, which gave Giles time to study the notes the Council had faxed him prior to his departure. The prophecy still didn't make much sense to him and he wasn't sure how it involved Dawn, if it involved the girl at all. He would call the Council when he got back to his flat to let them know he was back in town and to see if anything new had developed while he was in the air. As he was deep in thought, the pilot came across the intercom to tell the passengers that they were now on final approach to London's Heathrow Airport. Giles looked out the window and smiled to himself, he was almost home.
It took the three of them a while to collect their luggage and to go through customs. By the time they had gotten to the car, it was almost dark. "You two will be staying at my flat until next week. The coven will be ready for you at that time. In the meantime," Giles added, "you're both on holiday, so relax and enjoy England."
"Giles, that's so cool" Willow squealed. "We're gonna be roomies!"
"Yes. Right," he said with a forced smile. What had he gotten himself into?
***
It was past nine when they finally arrived at Giles' flat. He checked his messages and then called the Council for an update. He left a message for his protégé and then helped the girls take their luggage to his guest room. There wasn't much food in the refrigerator so they would have to order take out. He was just too exhausted to take them to a nice restaurant their first night in England. From the looks of things, they were exhausted too. Both girls looked frazzled and jet lagged. "Why don't you two freshen up a bit and then we'll see about getting something to eat."
Willow nodded at him and fell to the bed. "Okie doke, Giles," she said with a yawn.
While he was getting fresh towels out of the closet, there was a knock at the door. Who on earth could that be? He wasn't expecting anyone. Perhaps it was someone from the Council. They were the only ones who knew that he was back in town. He dropped the towels off in the guest room and made his way to the door.
"Rupert! Welcome back," said the visitor as he made his way into Giles' lounge room. So how was good ol' Sunnydale? Does anyone miss…" he stopped in mid sentence when he saw the look on Giles' face. "What? What's wrong?"
Giles was staring at the man intently. "You shouldn't have come here," he said gravely.
"Why the bloody hell not?" The man demanded, "I figured I would bring some of the…"
"Giles?" Willow called from the guest room.
"Was that who I thought...?" the man asked with wide eyes.
"Yes. You better leave. Now."
"Giles," Willow asked coming around the corner, "Do you have any extra…Oh my gosh! Spike?! Is that you?"
***
The tall, brown haired woman walked around her desk and looked at the Asian man in front of her. She didn't like him but they had to work together. Things had been quiet in Los Angeles since Connor had sent Angel to the bottom of the ocean. For three years Wolfram and Hart had tried to turn Angel to their side but in the end it had been the boy that was the true evil. She didn't know where the boy was now but she definitely wanted to thank him for what he had done, getting Angel off their backs. Now that the Angel problem had been taken care of, even if it proved temporary, it was time for them to move on to the next phase of their plans. It was time to open an office in Sunnydale. But first, they had to ensure that a certain Slayer wouldn't get in their way.
"Lilah, you're very fortunate that Holland made copies of the scroll before Angel took it," Gavin said with a smug smile. "Are you sure that this demon will be able to do the ritual successfully?"
"Gavin, do you have such little faith in me?" She asked folding her arms across her chest and goading him with a smile of her own.
He smiled back at her.
"Hey you two," Linwood said from the doorway, "stop trying to seduce each other and let's get to our party."
"Yes, sir," Gavin said as he gave Lilah another smug smile.
They drove to the crypt and walked inside. The ceremony had already started. Lilah shivered as she felt a wave of déjà vu take over. They had been late to the ceremony the first time they did this as well. Definitely not a good sign, if she were superstitious. No matter, there'd be no Angel to try and stop things this time.
The five vampires that had been chained to the box were already dust. The moment of resurrection was close at hand; Lilah could feel it in the air. After their work was done, she would have to visit Wesley again to relieve some of the tension that was building up in her. Why did evil ceremonies always make her so hot and bothered?
"Arise! Arise! Arise!" the demon demanded.
Suddenly the room became a vortex and the dust from the five vampires was sucked into the box. The three Wolfram and Hart associates hugged the wall and shaded their eyes as the ring of light exploded outward from the box. Then everything was quiet. Lilah moved before Gavin could stand up. She had been through this before so it gave her the edge. Slowly she made her way to the box. Inside was a scared, naked man.
"Hello," she said to him as if she were speaking to a child, "I'm Lilah Morgan. We've sacrificed a great deal to bring you here. Don't be afraid. The confusion will go away soon."
She reached out to touch him but he whimpered and moved to the back of the box away from her hand.
"Shhhhh. It's okay," she cooed to him. "Do you know who you are?"
"Are you sure this worked," Linwood demanded, "He doesn't look menacing."
"It worked," Lilah assured her boss. Turning her attention back to the box, she bent back down and looked inside, "Do you remember your name?"
The still dazed man nodded.
"Good," Lilah said comfortingly, "What is it?"
"Heinrich Joseph Nest," the man said in a whisper.
***
"Heya red," Spike said with a smile. "Long time. How ya been?"
"Spike what did you do to your hair?" She asked him in amazement.
Confused, he reached up and touched it, and then he looked over at Giles questioningly.
"The blonde Spike," Giles said in response. "She wants to know why you're not blonde anymore."
"Oh. That. Well, long story. But, uhm, basically I just wanted a change. Tired of the whole California look, ya know?" He hoped she bought the lie. He could see Rupert cringing out of the corner of his eye.
"And you have curls now," Tara added as she entered the room.
"Hey witch," he said with a grin. No wonder Rupert had tried to get rid of him so quickly. This was bad. Very bad.
"Spike, why are you here?" Willow asked, "You're like the last person I expected to ever see at Giles' door."
"Yes Spike," Giles asked with a glare, "Why are you here?"
"Well, I was in the neighborhood and I thought I would look up a fellow mate from Sunnyhell. Didn't know he had house guests."
"Are you living here now?" Tara asked.
"I guess you could say that," Spike said with a nod.
"I need to call Buffy," Willow exclaimed as she reached for Giles' phone, "she's been worried about you for the last couple of months!"
"She has?" He asked incredulously.
"Willow no," Giles demanded taking the phone from her hand, "Buffy cannot be told that Spike is here."
"Wh-Why not? What's the big?" Willow couldn't understand why Giles would keep something like this from Buffy.
"She just cannot be told. Now can we please leave it at that." It was more of a demand than a request.
"Giles, I really appreciate everything you're doing for me. But I think you should tell us why you don't want Buffy to know. I mean, we could slip up and accidentally mention it, you know."
Giles knew that he had been defeated. With a sigh he took off his glasses and began to clean them. "Very well then. Why don't we all have a seat and I'll make some tea. Spike, why don't you begin?"