Judgement

Rogue Demon Hunter

Sam Perlo-Freeman

This story is set about a month after the end of Season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and setting in this story, which are the creation of Joss Whedon. I am merely borrowing them.

Thanks to Rachel Powell for beta-ing the story and for her comments and suggestions.

Willow awoke to a murmur of voices. She could feel a hand pressed against hers.

“Tara?” she whispered

“Willow? No, I’m afraid it’s only me.”

Willow opened her eyes. “Giles! Oh, sorry…”

Giles was beaming. A number of the others were standing close by, including Dragonwind, who wore a look of concern. She was in the Coven’s house, in a bed in an upstairs room.

“Willow, thank God you’re alright!”

“Good to see you too…” She sat up, and looked at Giles. “Did … was she? I thought I saw her but everything was so mixed up…”

Dragonwind replied.

“We saw something … someone, and Giles says she looked like your girlfriend. It may have been her spirit, or her essence taking a quasi-material form or…” Dragonwind stopped, a puzzled expression on her face.

“What is it?” asked Willow.

“Sometimes… when there is a person of great… “ she stopped and drew a breath.

“I mean, very occasionally people walk the earth, live as men and women, though they are very close expressions of a divine essence … avatars if you like, or their children. After they die as humans it has been known for them - or an expression of their essence - to come to those they loved on earth in their hour of need. They are usually individuals of great wisdom and compassion, and that can continue after death… what happened could fit the pattern.”

Willow looked slightly nonplussed, not knowing what to make of this.

“Oh, that’s probably just wild speculation. Pardon me, “ Dragonwind continued, “It was most likely her spirit in some form or other.”

“How are you feeling, Willow?” asked Giles.

“I..I’m OK I guess,” she replied, “just a little groggy. And hungry. How long have I been out?”

“It’s nearly one o’clock. There’s been a constant watch, as we didn’t know how you’d be after what you went through in the ritual, but your body seems to have come out of it all without too much trauma. When someone said you were waking we all came. Can you stand?”

Willow took Giles’ hand and drew herself to her feet.

“Gosh! Solid ground! Nothing shaking or.. or burning or crackling or blowing. Takes some getting used to.”

***

They spent two more nights at the house, and took the chance to get to know some of the Coven a little. One time, when Willow was talking with a couple of the people there she said, “You know it just feels strange to think about… how I got here, where I’ve come from. How a shy computer geek came to do all those things, nearly destroy the world, how I got so lost. I think to myself, where did it all start to go wrong, what was it in me that led to that? Was there always a bit of me that wanted to destroy the world? ‘Cuz that was never part of my career plan.”

They received this in silence, then after a moment Kevin, the Irish guy who’d helped out at the hearing, spoke up.

“I don’t really know you well … but I think maybe… anyone who’s really trying to do good in the world, to actually make a difference, has to walk on the very cusp of evil. That’s what you were doing, and you crossed over, and maybe in a way you had to go through that.”

Willow considered this. “I dunno, I kinda think the crossing over bit was a big no-no, but … I think I get what you’re saying.

***

“Well, Willow, I guess this is goodbye again for now.”

They stood in the forecourt of Bath station, to which Giles had driven Willow before returning home.

“Will you be coming to Sunnydale again soon? I promise a friendlier reception than last time!”

Giles smiled. “No doubt something or other will bring me there before very long. The desire to see old friends if nothing else.”

“Why not come and join us for Thanksgiving? That is, so long as there aren’t any vengeful spirits gatecrashing the party.” Willow paused. “Talking of thanksgiving, have I thanked you properly for everything you’ve done for me here?”

“Only about six or seven times.” Giles’ expression became serious. “For a while there I thought what I’d done was get you killed. If it hadn’t been for … for Tara…”

“I know. I..it was bad, it was very bad, I’d totally lost it. And it freaks me out to think what could have happened, that the Coven would have had to … kill me.”

There was a silence between them, as they digested that, then Willow continued.

“But you did the right thing bringing me here. And they did the right thing. That power was inside me, and, and maybe I could have learnt to control it, but maybe not. It would have been so easy for something to have triggered me off, the way the spell did, especially living on the Hellmouth n’all. It was like there was a timebomb ticking inside me, and if they couldn’t defuse it, maybe putting up a forcefield and letting it blow me up was the only way.”

“You can’t begin to know how glad I am it didn’t come to that.”

“Not exactly hating the whole not being dead thing myself.”

Giles didn’t seem to hear. He had become absent at Willow’s words, gazing off into the distance. Then he turned to her and spoke.

“Willow, there’s something I should tell you.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Last year, I… when…”

“Uh-huh?”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, you need to be getting on your train. Some time. Goodbye Willow, and take care.”

“You too.”

They embraced, then Willow picked up her bags and turned towards the platform.

THE END