Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except for Claudia. Joss is God. I am just
playing with his creations. I promise not to hurt them.
Summary: I'm really lousy at summaries. Plus this story is taking on
a life of it's own. I fear that I am no longer in control. Anyway, someone
comes to town to help the gang with an ancient curse.
Feedback please...pretty please....:) natoth@thegrid.net or xandersgrrl@yahoo.com
"Rayne? Your Ethan Rayne's sister?" Buffy's voice was cold as she turned and began to advance on Claudia.
"Ah, by your tone and the fact you look like you're going to hurt me, I'll guess that you've met him."
"You could say that. He's been here twice. Once he managed to rob me of my powers. The next time, he tried to kill me by having a demon enter my body. And I had to spend my allowance to get that damn tattoo removed." Claudia thought that the girl almost sounded comical. That is if Buffy hadn't been standing right in front of her. In a fighting stance. Claudia stood her ground as she looked from the Slayer to Rupert and back to the Slayer again. She sighed.
"A tattoo? You mean like this?" She rolled up the sleeve of her blouse and showed the mark that was just above her left elbow. She could hear Rupert's sharp intake of breath but her eyes didn't leave the girl standing in front of her. "Ethan Rayne is my brother only out of the unfortunate fact that the same woman gave birth to us. Beyond that, he is nothing to me. I'm sure that he has caused you problems. But believe me when I say that I hate him more than you ever could. Whatever he has done to you pales in comparison to what I have had to endure. He is the closest thing to evil that I ever want to encounter, and you can rest easy that I am not here because of him." Her voice was ice and steel. Her normally blue eyes had turned a dark gray as she barely held in the anger she felt.
Willow calmly stood up and placed herself between the two women. Facing Buffy, she stared at the Slayer silently until Buffy nodded and backed away. Then she turned to the other woman. Claudia's eyes had lost the heat of anger that had been in them just moments before. Now they held only curiosity for this little girl who just controlled the Slayer. Standing close, she could feel the power coming off of this one. But one look in Willow's eyes told her that there was a danger to this power. <Dear God, she has no idea what she is.>
Giles regarded the scene before him with concern. There was so much energy in the room. He didn't know what was going on, but he felt certain that it was all connected somehow. Like Claudia, he was amazed at the way Willow had simply controlled Buffy with a look. <What is going on?>
"Umm...yes...we should concentrate on...er Willow, could you help search for anything referring to the curse. The rest of you, grab a book. Stormy, since you say you are here to help, why don't you aid the rest of them while I go look into some of the Watcher diaries." As soon as he spoke, the rest were broken out of the spell that they had fallen into. Willow felt strange, as if she was merely a spectator in her own body and someone else was controlling it. She was glad that Giles had spoken up, his voice seemed to bring her back to herself. She looked over at Claudia, who was trying very hard not to look at Giles. <I really want to get to know her better. I think that she is the key to whatever it is going on in my head lately. And I think she knows about the dreams.>
Claudia turned toward Willow and smiled. <I'll try and help, dearest.> She sent the thought out toward the younger woman and was glad to see Willow smile back at her. She watched as Willow sat at the computer and began to search. Buffy, Xander and Cordelia all sat at the far end of the table leafing through various books. <Wow. Must be hard to be a teenager and live on the Hellmouth.> She turned wistfully towards the office that Rupert had disappeared into moments before. Smiling to herself she went over to where Willow was working. After suggesting a few sites that the young girl might try, she grabbed a book from the stack in the middle of the table and settled down to do some research.
********************
Several hours had passed when Xander let out a startled exclamation. The rest turned towards him expectantly. Looking around to make sure they were all listening, he began to read.
"...and when the one who has gone beyond has returned, then the Vessel shall be filled with the spirit of one who has fallen before the Seraphim. And on this day, the Slayer will face her greatest challenge, for her enemy will be known to her...", Xander looked around the table hesitantly before continuing. "Alone the Slayer will face the Vessel, and alone the Slayer shall fall."
"Well, it just wouldn't be right if I wasn't involved in some kind of ancient curse," Buffy quipped.
"What does it mean 'her enemy will be known to her'?" Cordelia asked.
Xander shrugged. "I don't know. That's all it says here."
Giles who had been listening from the doorway to his office spoke up. "I'm afraid that I may know. I found this in one of the Watcher diaries from the 17th century. It points to one of us being the Vessel."
"Who?" Buffy asked, afraid of the answer.
Giles cleared his throat and began to read the passage. "In the days following Acathla, the Slayer will face a great danger, for it will come disguised in the form of a friend. And as the daughter of ...", his voice trailed off as he silently read the rest of the passage to himself. Five pairs of eyes fixed upon him, waiting for him to continue. Clearing his throat he finished. "And as the daughter of...Romany again walks the world then the Fallen One will again know pain. In her vengeance the Vessel will destroy the Fallen One, and all that he holds dear."
"Wait, daughter of Romany? That would be..." Buffy didn't want to speak the name aloud.
"Jenny." Giles' voice was hoarse with pain and sadness. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose, as if trying to stave off the beginnings of a headache. Claudia however could see the tears glistening in his eyes.
"Who's Jenny?" she asked.
"A friend," Buffy whispered, concern painting her features as she watched Giles struggle to gain control of his emotions.
Claudia could tell that there was more to this story, but held her tongue. Looking around the table her eyes were once again drawn to Willow. <She looks so sad.>
"That still doesn't tell us who the Vessel is," Cordelia pointed out.
"Yes it does." Everyone turned towards Willow. She took a deep breath and spoke the two words that threatened to tear her world apart.
"It's me."
***********************
Everyone spoke at once.
"Willow, no. How can you even think..."
"Wills, it can't be."
"Willow, what are you talking about?"
"Willow, are you sure?"
Willow let them all talk themselves out before trying to answer. Claudia watched as everyone quieted down and waited for Willow to explain. <The girl may be right, but I don't think so. I wonder why she thinks it is?>
"When I was in the hospital, and I did the spell to restore Angel's soul, I felt a presence enter me. I was suddenly filled with energy. Cordelia, you were there, you remember what happened."
Cordelia was hesitant. "Yeah... but, it could be some other spirit. I mean this is the Hellmouth and all. There's probably lots of spirits just waiting to do something like that..." It sounded lame, even to her own ears.
"Yes but I don't think that most spirits would help me complete the curse. In perfect Romanian. A language I don't speak. I was just reading the spell, in English. After the presence entered me, I knew the words, knew the meanings. I think that it was Jenny. I think that's what the curse means."
"Well, I'm not about to fight you Willow, so that's it. I don't care if you start channeling Elvis, we're not going to fight," Buffy stated. Willow's declaration had shook her to the core. There was no way she could face fighting one of her friends, especially not after what happened with Angel. Just the thought of him made her soul ache. No she couldn't fight her friend.
Giles stepped into the confusion. "Let's not rush into this. We need more information. Willow, I don't doubt that you felt something, but we have no proof that it was Jenny and we have no proof that you are the Vessel. Let's all hit the books once more and see if we can find anything else useful. We can't let our fears get in the way of this," he looked at all of them meaningfully, but his gaze lingered on Buffy and then on Claudia. Her being here after all these years was disconcerting. She was just a little girl when he had seen her last, and now here she was, grown up. And beautiful. He watched how she glided across the room to speak with Willow in hushed tones. She had a grace about her that he didn't remember from the past. Suddenly she looked up and smiled at him. He felt a tug that he hadn’t felt in a long time and he looked away, embarrassed at the thoughts he was having. <Don't be ridiculous. She may be a woman now but she is still way too young for you. Besides she's only here to help. Why though? Why is she here? And why now?> He would never admit it to himself, but he almost didn't trust her being here. He glanced back at her and was startled to see her still looking at him, the smile that she had given still playing at her lips. <She really is beautiful.> And then he noticed her eyes. The bright blue eyes that he used to drown in even when she was a little girl. <Where did that sadness come from?> He smiled back, turned and went into his office.
Claudia sighed and turned back to the young girl in front of her. Willow had watched the silent exchange, and felt a kinship with this woman. After all, she was the resident authority on unrequited love. She looked across the room and smiled as she watched Xander leaf through a book.
Claudia tapped her on the shoulder bringing her back to reality. Knowledge shown through the older woman's eyes.
"And I thought I was the only one who fell in love with men who don't notice me. How long have you known him?"
"All my life.... it's like he's a part of me. I can't remember a time when he wasn't there. I love him so much, but I've never known how to make him see that. Plus, I don't think he feels the same for me, so I've been afraid." Willow couldn't believe she was telling a relative stranger all of this, but for some reason she felt that she could trust Claudia. Claudia smiled back at her
"I fell in love with Rupert when I was eight years old. He gave me the cross I wear. I've never taken it off. Unfortunately I will always be Ethan's baby sister. And with what little I've heard about Ethan's activities lately, I don't think that Rupert is all that willing to allow me back into his life." She smiled again at Willow. "Okay enough wallowing in self-pity. Let's find some information that will help this Slayer of yours."
Her smile was infectious, and Willow found herself working with Claudia on yet another ancient curse.
Willow smiled to herself. <I have a new friend.>