Future Imperfect  by Lilachigh

 

 

Chapter  23    Old Magic

 

 

“This is just like old times!”  Willow’s eyes shone with excitement as she stared at Buffy across the jumble of ingredients spread out on the basement floor.  “Magic and charms - you and me and Giles - ”

 

Buffy was tempted to remark that she couldn’t remember a time when their group had also included Spike and Angel at the same time, but she wanted to do nothing that would upset Willow, distract her from her task of calling up Kendra, the Slayer they had known all those many years ago. The red-head was so delighted to be doing this magic; it was almost as if the reason for it - bringing the twins home from wherever the group of Slayers had taken them - had slid, conveniently, to the back of her mind.

 

Shanny was sitting on the basement stairs, her hands twisting uselessly together in her lap  one moment, then plucking at the skin round her fingers the next.  Buffy shuddered and for a second, tears burnt her eyes.  It had been a very long time since she’d seen her daughter doing that - now it came flooding back to her; the little girl hidden away in a corner while her parents killed demons in front of her; a little girl tearing at the skin on her fingers until they bled.  Why hadn’t she and Spike seen how unhappy she was?  And surely, even though they hadn’t realised, they’d known that she didn’t fit into their world and, loving her so much, had sent her back to the States to keep her safe, not to get rid of her, as Shanny so obviously thought.

 

Giles was fussing with a bowl of herbs in some foul stew Willow had made, stirring them round and round with cinnamon stick, the smell drifting around the airless little room.  

 

Buffy found herself staring at him: here was another person who was thriving on the situation. An old man, side-lined by life, no longer a Watcher, no longer asked for advice or help, and here he was, busy, happy, oh paying lip service to the gravity of the situation but secretly enjoying every second.  She wanted to shake him and Willow, make them understand how she was feeling.

 

A voice behind her, a hand laid briefly on her shoulder - “It’s no good getting angry with them, pet.  They’re enjoying themselves too much.”

 

She didn’t turn, just raised her hand to cover the fingers at her neck, but their cool touch was already gone.   “They’re both living in the past,” she murmured.  “Will is back when we were eighteen and as for Giles - ”

 

“Rupert just wants to be wanted again.  To be useful. To have a role in life.”  Spike’s voice darkened. “As we all do.”

 

Now Buffy turned; she had to make him understand what she had done by going up against the Charks. That getting the twins back was worth her death if that was the price she had to pay.  But he’d already stepped back into the shadows and was now standing next to Angel, their heads together, as if the only comfort he could get was from his grand-sire.

 

‘So maybe Willow is right and it is like old times,’ Buffy thought bitterly.  ‘Spike tells me he hates Angel, but sometimes it seems as if the bond between them is stronger than ours.‘  And she felt a wave of trepidation flood over her. If Spike wouldn’t listen, if he felt she no longer loved him, that their marriage was over, would he turn to the one person who truly knew what he was feeling?  ‘But Angel doesn’t,’ she whispered to herself. ‘Angel cares about himself first. He always has.’

 

She stared back into the shadows - two vampires, two men - one she had loved with all the passing passion of a young girl, the other she still loved with all the fire and depth of a woman.  Dark hair and blond close together - she couldn’t hear what they were saying but suddenly she felt a wave of anger for both of them.  They’re as bad as each other, she thought furiously.  All hurt feelings and drama queeny behaviour.  When all they should be thinking about were their joint grandchildren. Two nine-year-olds, lost out in some terrifying alternate world, lost and frightened and although Joyce was an amazing kid, they were at the mercy of powers much stronger than theirs....

 

........”Why do they just stand there, looking at us?” Joyce glared out across the rocky, barren land towards the women who were standing in a circle, surrounding the twins.  They were weirdly silent; there was no noise, not a sound coming from them.

 

Billy frowned. “No idea. You’re the one with the witchy brain, you figure it out.”

 

“They look creepy now we can see them and they’re much closer. I don’t like them. I’m hungry and  I want to go home.”

 

“But you can’t get us home, can you?” He turned to look at his twin sister: there was dirt streaking across her forehead, her jeans were torn and she looked pale and tired. That last magic act seemed to have drained all the energy out of her and he felt a trickle of worry.  Joyce had always been able to get them out of any trouble her magic got them into; but they were only kids and Billy was beginning to think that some problems couldn’t be solved so easily.

 

Joyce picked at a scab on her elbow.  “Can so!”

 

“No, you can’t, Twin!  I know you can’t.  And I think it’s because of those....those women. They’re sort of blocking out the signals or the magic, or something.”

 

Joyce looked up, interested again.  “Well, we did that big think thing to make us see them. Can’t we do the same thing if I wish us home?”

 

“OK. We can try. And we’d better hurry, they’re getting closer and closer.”  

 

The circle of women was closing in on them. Slowly but surely, they were inching forward across the rocks, their gaze never leaving the twins and all Billy could think of was a film he’d seen on the TV once of a lioness stalking her prey with just that same look of concentration on her face.

 

........In the basement of Buffy’s house, Angel and Spike were standing watching Willow and Giles prepare for calling Kendra back to life.  

 

“So, what’s it like, being able to go outside, sit in the sun? Never seen a vamp with a suntan before.”

 

Angel shrugged.  “OK.  I’ve got a boat.  I go fishing.”

 

“Fishing?”

 

“It’s - relaxing.  I’d like....I’d like to take Billy out some day - do you think Buffy would agree?”

 

“Shouldn’t you ask would Shanny and David agree?  I suppose you think you can introduce the twins to your son while they’re not around.”

 

Angel frowned at the thin, tense figure at his side.  He still couldn’t get used to the grey hairs amongst the blond.  “They should meet him, but even I can see that would be difficult.  No, I just thought Billy - ”

 

“You’re not interested in Joyce at all, are you?”  Spike sounded intrigued.

 

Angel laughed.  “Of course I am, but she’s too much like you. Like talking  to a razor. Billy - even you must see he’s the image of Darla.  He takes my breath away.”

 

Spike massaged the back of his neck. Any mention of that vampire could still make him shudder. “So not like your son?”

 

There was no reply.  Angel had no words to describe Connor. Their relationship was too complicated, too violent, laced with tragedy and horror.  How would he react to knowing he had two children?  Would he want to know, would he care?

 

“All these years and you’ve never got in touch.”

 

The words sounded calm and even but Angel had known this man for too many years and could hear the hurt threading through.  “Get in touch?  Spike, you and Buffy - well, it was always you and Buffy. I never saw myself as just a friend of the family. And anyway - “

 

“Yes?”

 

The reply was so quiet, Spike almost missed it. “I always knew where you were. How you were.”

 

“Do you think this magic will work, Dad?”

 

The vampires spun round. Shanny was looking at them, her eyes dry but red-rimmed from crying. 

 

“Your mom thinks it will,” Spike said tenderly.

 

“Mom always thinks she knows best,” Shanny replied.

 

“She usually does.”  And there was a silence as they realised both men had spoken together.

 

Shanny’s fingers twisted together. “She was prepared to die to get to them. That’s...”

 

“Stupid!” Spike snapped.

 

“Brave!”  Angel replied.

 

“I would do the same,” Shanny said, tilting her chin and glaring at them.  “And when this....this Kendra gets here, if she does....then I’m not letting her go back without me.  And there’s no way you two or Mom can stop me.”

 

Before Spike could reply, Willow and Giles called everyone to sit in a circle on the floor.  Willow leant forward and lit three deep purple candles, their smell reminding Buffy vividly of hospitals.  Giles had placed the foul stew he’d been preparing in the centre and handed round spoons.  “Everyone has to eat a mouthful and inhale the smoke from the candles as Willow does the calling charm. We think, well, we’re almost certain that this will bring Kendra from the other side to talk to us,” he said enthusiastically.   “But Buffy, Shanny, she’ll only be here for a very short while, so please, let me ask the questions. We’re only going to get one shot at this.”

 

Angel moved uncomfortably, trying to get his long limbs into a different position.  He envied Spike’s ability to sit cross-legged, but then the boy had always been flexible!  He crushed memories that flooded his brain - those days were long gone.  He sighed; he had grave doubts that this magic of Willow’s was going to work.  He glanced at Shanny who was hunched over in a tense ball at his side. He found this woman  disturbing. She was nothing like Buffy or Spike. There was no sign on her face of the emotion that had to be racing through her body.  Only  her fingers, with the nails bitten and ragged, gave any indication of her emotions.

 

  Buffy, sitting between Willow and Spike, seethed with impatience. This was all taking too long.  What if Kendra wouldn’t tell them what the Slayers wanted with the twins. What if they never got them back?  She shuddered with a cold terror that she’d never felt before in all her years as a Slayer.  If the twins vanished for ever, she knew Shanny would never speak to her again and she had no idea how Spike would react.  One thing was certain, all their lives would change completely.

 

But now Willow was chanting and the bowl of foul stew was being passed from hand to hand. Eagerly, Buffy scooped up a spoonful of disgusting mush and swallowed it down as if it was ambrosia.  Willow’s chanting got louder and louder and the disinfectant smell from the purple candles grew stronger and stronger.  Then, suddenly, in the middle of the circle, a small, swirling silver circle began to whirl on the floor: it grew larger and larger, the basement filling with smoke that stung their eyes and throats. And then, as the purple candles flickered and went out, a dark, shimmering figure appeared in the circle. Crouching low, ready to attack - Kendra.

tbc