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Emptied Protector

Chapter 1 - Awashed

("And I'm not scared, but I can't move" Everlast - I Can't Move)

Looking around, the woman found herself standing on a wood porch. It was night out, the woman couldn’t tell how late though. She didn't feel tired, so it couldn't be that late, not that late at all. Looking down slightly she noticed a wooden box that she was holding. It was kinda big but didn't seem that heavy. On top of the box was an envelope that was taped to the wood. The woman looked around the porch again, looking at the door in front of her, the lawn behind her, looked at how quiet the neighborhood she was in was. Looking back at the envelope, the woman read the word that was written on it aloud to herself.

"Open me." The woman turned around to face the lawn that was behind her, propped the box she was carrying on the wood railing that was to her right, took the envelope in her hands, and proceeded to open it slowly. Turning her head around slightly she looked into a window into the house and noticed no one that she could see. Feeling safe that no one was peering, she quickly turned her head around and pulled out a piece of paper and began to read the text.

'Your questions will be answered when this box is delivered to Willow Rosenburg who lives in the house you are currently at. Please ask her to open the box and read all the materials inside. Best wishes.'

As the woman finished the last line of text, she heard the door handle click over and watched as the front door opened. A young girl with brunette hair stuck her head out with a quizzical look on her face.

"Hello? May I help you?" she asked. The lady on the porch searched her coat, which she now realized was an exceedingly long dark trench coat, for a pocket and stuffed the letter that she had just read into it. Turning around completely to face the young girl, the woman picked up the box back into her hands with a more tighter grip and took a slight step forward.

"Ummm.... I was wondering, is there a Willow Rosenburg at this address?" the woman asked in a slightly off skew tone, a hint of uncertainty and fear breaking through her words. The young girl gave the lady a smile.

"Yeah, hold on, let me get her for you." The door closed and the woman stood there on the vacant porch, fear creeping into her head slowly. She felt herself gripping the box tighter and tighter as she watched the door. Finally the house opened up again and this time a red headed lady stuck her head out.

"Yes?" the young lady said in a confused voice. The woman on the porch felt a wash of familiarity blanket over her for a brief moment as she looked at the face. Her hands lost the tightness that they had a moment ago on the box she was holding as she eyed the red head.

"Are... Are you Willow Rosenburg?" the lady asked, letting anxiousness creep through her words. The red head smiled a little.

"Yes, do I know you?" she asked with still a look of befuddlement in her eyes. The lady stood there on the porch for a moment not answering, just holding the box and looking at Willow. "Are you ok?" Willow asked. The woman blinked her eyes quickly and began speaking.

"I... I think I'm supposed to give you this box," the woman said as she held the box out slightly to Willow. The red head gave a kind of confused look and then opened up the door a little bit more and stepped out slightly.

"Is there anything I have to sign?" Willow said as she took the box and stepped backwards back into the door entrance. The woman stood there again for a moment, not answering, wavering in the night breeze. Finally she opened her mouth again, forcing herself to talk.

"Uh, no, no nothing to sign, I just... I think that..." the woman let her words trail off.

"Who is this from?" Willow asked looking at the woman whom now seemed even more last than just a moment ago. She watched the eyes of the woman clouding with confusion at her question.

"I don't... I don't know. I just... I just had it and I umm..."

"Are you from UPS? Maybe there is a tracking slip or something." Willow felt the woman in front of her become even more lost, like a rat in a hopeless maze. "Are you ok?" Willow said as she stepped out on the porch and put her hand on the woman's arm.

"I think... I don't think I'm with UPS," the woman stumbled out of her mouth. Looking up from the porch she moved her almost pleading eyes to Willow.

"Well then, who are you?" Willow asked. The woman's face quivered slightly as she looked into Willow's eyes.

"I don't know who I am," she said simply. Willow gave a puzzled look as the woman dug into her pocket and pulled out the paper that she had just read a moment ago and pushed it into one of Willow’s hands that was still holding the box. "I read this note and it said I needed to give this box to you and it would answer questions," she said in a hurried manner. Willow could see how anxious the woman had become.

"Ok. I guess we could head inside and find out what's in this box and see what this is all about." Willow said in the most reassuring tone she could muster. Turning, Willow stepped back into the house, the lady following close behind, shutting the door. Willow walked over into the living room and set the container down on the living room table, and then sat down on the couch, looking intently at the ornate wood box. The woman kneeled down on the other side of the table, her eyes transfixed at the wooden lid. Willow began reading the note to herself that the woman had put into her hand, trying to gather clues as to what all was going on. Putting the letter down after reading the unhelpful three lines of text, Willow looked up to see the woman struggling with the lid of the box that sat quietly on the table. She watched as the woman gave out a few short grunts trying to pry the lid off.

"I can't open it. I don't see a lock anywhere, I think we may need a hammer or something. Do you have any tools or anything we can use to maybe pry it open or smash the lid off?" the woman asked as she kept her concentration on the box, still trying to rip the top off with her bare hands.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea to break it, there should be some way to open it without damaging the outside I would think," Willow said hesitantly as she watched the woman’s face across from her contort into an intense glare as she manhandled the box on the table.

"No offense lady, but I really want to see what's in this box. I don't think the owner of this thing is really gunna care if the top is broken in half." The woman picked the container up off the table as she finished her sentence and slammed it down on the carpet floor next her.

"HEY! Watch what you’re doing there. You may not care about that box but that doesn't mean you can go around ruining other peoples floors," Willow said in a raised and angry tone. The woman looked up from the box, which appeared unharmed, to Willow with an apologetic face.

"I'm sorry. I'm just kinda anxious to get this thing open. I don't really know what's going on and I just... I just want to open the box is all, I'm sorry." The woman picked the target of her frustrations, laid it back onto the table, and pushed it over to the red head. Willow gave a sympathetic look to the woman.

"Do you remember how you got this?" Willow asked. The ladies brow furrowed as she concentrated.

"No. The last thing I remember is... Being on your porch. Then a girl opened the door and I asked for you and then, and then we came in here. I can't remember anything else I think." Willow watched the woman look down at the table top she was kneeling in front of. "Jesus, I can't even remember my own name, where I live, anything." She looked back up at Willow with a pleading tone in her eyes and mouth. "What’s going on?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," Willow replied apologetically. "Maybe when we get it open we'll know what this is all about." She tried to give a reassuring smile. The woman kneeling at the table smiled back, feeling a sense of safety at the red head's comment. Willow reached down and picked up the box and put it into her lap as she sat on the couch. Carefully she rotated it around, looking at every side two or three times, examining the wood and anything the box may reveal on it's own with out opening the top. The woman across the table felt impatience trying to rise up in her, but she buried it down, wanting to give Willow as much time as she needed. The red head sighed softly and set the box upright on her lap again and laid her hands across the top. "Maybe there is some kind of release button or something we're just missing," she said as she gazed down at the box lid. Willow took her hands and felt around the lid edges, trying to pry the lid open, and watched as the top came off in her hands. The woman’s eyes grew wide as she felt something well up inside her and quickly got to her feet. She watched as Willow's bent her head down and gazed into the box, putting her hands inside the wooden container, shuffling things around.

"What's inside?" Willow heard the woman say eagerly.

"Some papers," was the reply. Gently setting the wood container beside her, she put the papers in her lap and began reading. The lady watched as Willow read intently. "It says I'm supposed to read this aloud." The woman took a step closer to where the young lady was sitting. "Dear Willow, we have sent this package to you after much thought and consideration. A council beyond your world has been observing your progress for a long time and has decided that the trials ahead of you have become too perilous for you to face on your own. Because of this, we have sent you a sentinel. The woman, whom is hoped to be standing near you as you read this, has been sent as a guardian. She has chosen to protect you of her own free will. Please let her know, for we are sure by now that she is anxious to find out, that her name is Kavren. In understanding of your possible future, it was agreed that whom ever the guardian was that was sent to be by your side would have no knowledge of our council or the path ahead of you, but still would be able to protect you in the situations to come. With that in mind, Kavren agreed to be the one sent. Her memory of her own past as well as our council has been removed. Also, to promote the growth of the relationship that you two must begin, we have removed all of her memories of combat, fighting styles, tactical conflict, etc... This part, Kavren was not aware of. We apologize for this but felt it was the only way we could do what needed to be done. Kavren will regain some of her memories eventually, so long as she stays in contact with you, Willow. Please take good care of her, she is a very special person and we would miss her greatly if she were to come to a premature end, though we doubt she would let that happen. Also, she is a vampire of a slightly different breed then the ones you normally deal with but we are certain that you can handle creating a relationship with a supernatural being. Thank you for your time and understanding, our council wishes you the best of luck. Please tell Kavren thank you." Willow looked up from the note at the woman who was standing next to her. "That's all it says."