Haunted
by Kimberly
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Buffy, Dawn, Willow, Tara, Faith, and all the others (except Iz, Tabitha, and
Danny) are all property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, the WB, the actors, and
the other creators.
Spoilers: Everything in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series
is fair game.
*Dreamscape*
A baron land lay before them. Nothing for miles. Quiet. Nothing made a sound not even them. Peaceful? No. Frightening. Iz looked at the people who were with her in this place, whatever this place was. The Scooby gang. They all stood, looking. But not seeing anything. There was nothing to see.
“Where are we?” Buffy’s voice broke the silence like a bat would break glass, it shattered. Unrepairable.
“I don’t know.” Iz didn’t know why they were there, and she didn’t know where there was, but she knew she didn’t like it. Shared dreams were something that was just being studied in her time. Very rare. There had to be a bond between the people who shared, and even then not more than two people sharing a dream were ever recorded, something was wrong.
“Screw where we, how do we get out?” Faith looked to Iz, they all looked to Iz, but she was looking at something far beyond them, something they couldn’t see. The future.
Tall building began to rise out of the ground forming a city around them, L.A. 2134. The only thing missing from the city was the people. There are always people in L.A. regardless of the time, and now there was none.
“Where is everyone?”
“Hiding.”
“From what?”
“The dark.”
A petite woman could be seen walking out of the shadows. She looked about 20 years old, and had strawberry blonde hair. She seemed to walk straight to Iz, who never took her eyes off the woman. “You came back?”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“You never do anything you don’t mean, you told me that once.”
“I told you lots of things.”
“Iz who is that?” Tabitha slowly began to realize that somehow they were in Iz’s world, but it couldn’t be a real, a dream?
“Samantha.”
“You left.”
“I had no choice.” The Scooby gang all seemed to step back not wanting to interrupt the conversation between the two women.
“You did.”
“And what would that choice have been? A future with no promise, a land where the people hide to survive, a place where demons rule? What choice is that?”
“We could have made it better, you didn’t have to kill us.”
“I didn’t want to.”
“But yet you did.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You told me once you would never lie to me, and now you have.”
“Would you not have done the same?”
“We’ll never know.” The building slowly began to decent back into the land from whence they came. In seconds there was nothing again. It was the same as when they arrived except for the mysterious woman standing in front of Iz.
“Where did the city go?”
“You already know the answer to that.”
“I do?”
“You put it where it is now.”
“Where?”
“The only place we still live is in your mind, you destroyed this world for the one you have now.”
“I wanted to take you with me.”
“But you didn’t, you made your choices.” With that the woman disappeared just as quickly as she had come, back into the nothingness.
Iz fell to her knees staring at the space that Samantha had once occupied, then she buried her face in her hands and wept for the things her choices destroyed. Tara silently walked to her and collected her in a gentle hug to let her know she wasn’t alone. Buffy, Faith, Willow, Tabitha, Giles, Xander, Kate, Anya, and Cordelia stood staring at them.
Iz stood but didn’t pull away from Tara’s comforting embrace; she looked at the people with her once more, “are you injured?”
Willow looked down and felt her stomach for the bandage that she was to wear for quite some time still, nothing. She lifted her shirt to expose her stomach, “no.”
“Iz, what’s going on?” Tara asked the girl gently, it seemed as though she would break any minute.
“This isn’t reality, somehow we’re all in the dreamscape together.”
“That’s impossible,” Giles spoke for the first time.
Iz looked him right in the eye and replied, “I know.”
“Then how…?”
“I don’t know, but right now all we can do is try to find someway to wake up.”
“Dawn, she isn’t here, she’ll wake us up.” Buffy felt better that this would all be over just as soon as Dawn woke up.
“Let’s hope so.”
“Buffy?” Buffy turned around to see a face she never thought she would ever see again, but yet somehow it was possible.
“Merrick?”
*Summers’ Home*
Small paws kneading at her face awaked Dawn, when she opened her eyes to investigate she saw Miss Kitty walking on her chest, “yes?”
The cat just meowed in response, Dawn looked up from her pallet on the floor to the bed where Iz still slept peacefully. She then looked at the clock, only 8:20. Not wanting to wake anyone so early on a summer morning Dawn crept down the stairs and planted herself in front of the TV to watch the early morning programs she usually missed due to either school or sleep.
*Dreamscape*
“I thought you were dead.” Buffy looked at the man who introduced her to the world of vampires and demons, the one who told her she had a destiny, she was a slayer.
“I am.”
“Then how…?”
“You brought me here, so you tell me.”
“I don’t know, Giles?”
Giles looked at the old man, he was a legend among watchers. But he still had no clue what was going on, and how they could all be in the same dreamscape, “I don’t know Buffy.”
“Do you wish me to leave?”
Buffy looked back at Merrick and said in a very small child like voice, “yes.” And so he did, disappearing just as everything had done so far, into nothing.
“The future you’ve made is causing your new friends pain.” Iz looked up Samantha had come back to visit, only it wasn’t her Samantha, it was something else.
“No more than the other would cause.”
“Perhaps. But who will hurt next?”
“Stop this.”
“And how am I to do that?”
“Sam please?” Samantha again disappeared and left the group alone wondering who would walk out of the dark next, they didn’t have to wait long for the answer however.
“Hello Anyaka.”
“Clovis?”
“How are you, it’s been awhile since we’ve talked.”
“Go away. And it’s Anya now.”
“Changing your name does not change who you are Anyaka.”
“She said go away.” Xander came to his girlfriend’s defense when he saw the man had no intention of leaving Anya alone.
“You were once one of the most feared demons by man, and now you are dependant upon one, life does have a sense of irony doesn’t it.”
“I’m not dependant, I’m in love, and no one asked you.”
“Once such a proud demon, a saint to so many, and now so weak, helpless, pathetic.” A tear fell down Anya’s eye at the harsh words of her former friend.
Faith caught sight of the single tear and decided it was time to put an end to this, “back off buddy before I started hurtin’ ya.”
“Back down little girl, or you’ll not like the result.” Faith didn’t like being called a little girl, and it was a demon, so she attacked. But before she could connect a blow, he was gone, vanished. Anya buried her head in Xander’s chest. “Who was that?”
Anya brought her face up, tear stricken, and answered, “Clovis, patron saint of revenge, we worked together a lot in my early days, he sort of taught me the ropes.” Xander held on to Anya a little more. “He was a good friend for a long time.”
“What happened?”
“Giles broke my necklace, I became mortal again, and haven’t seen him since. But that’s a good thing!”
Xander looked down at the girl he was holding, “I want to go home!”
“I know Xand, so do all of us, and no matter what we’ll find a way.”
*Tabitha’s apartment*
Danny woke up and looked around his room, it was just too sunny in California for his liking. He glanced at the clock 10:45, he had to get up, he was meeting Dawn at noon for lunch. Slowly he dragged himself up and to the bathroom, noticing no signs that his mother was, tried to be as quiet as possible.
*Summers’ Home*
Dawn looked at the clock, 10:45, and still no one had stirred. ‘They must have had a really late night last night.’ Dawn quietly collected the clothes she was going to wear to her date with Danny and went downstairs to shower.
*Dreamscape*
The Scooby group sat in somewhat of a circle form, waiting for what torture one of them would have to endure next. Buffy kept staring at Iz, hoping that if she examined the girl enough, the mystery would be solved. Who was Samantha, and what happened before she left for the past. And had she really given up someone she loved simply to help them, she looked at Faith who was sitting next to her, she didn’t think she could make that sacrifice. And she prayed to whatever deity may be listening that she never had to make such a decision. She felt horrible that Iz might have.
Willow leaned back into Tara, trying to think of who could visit her that would hurt as much as Merrick, Clovis and Samantha had hurt Buffy, Anya, and Iz, although Iz seemed to be taking things the hardest, as if she blamed herself. She couldn’t come up with anyone, maybe Jesse, and that would hurt Xander too. But no one else came to mind. And that’s when she saw her. “Amy?”
The girl, who was now trapped in a rat’s body because Willow and Buffy’s moms wanted to burn them at the stake, was standing before her. She stood up quickly and ran to the girl to give her former friend a hug, but Amy pulled back not excepting. “Amy?”
“Failure.”
“What?” Willow was confused Amy had never been mean before.
“You can’t even change me back, you’re a failure and magic.”
“But I…”
“You what, you’ve tried, yeah so what, I’m still a rat.”
“Amy?”
“What Buffy, are you going to stick up for her, after all those times you’ve told me you wished she never heard of magic? Please try to defend her, she’s pathetic.”
“Stop!” Amy looked at Tara who now held Willow’s hand tightly, she hated when people she loved were hurt, even if was by words. “Willow is very powerful, we just haven’t found a way to change you back yet.”
“Please! I was back, and then she changed me to a rat again!”
“What? When?”
“Think back Willow, my will be done, when you were talking about me I changed back into a human. And then you changed me back! You should have nothing to do with magic!”
“Oh my god, I am so sorry, I didn’t know.”
Amy got an evil smirk on her face, “aw of course you didn’t, because. You’re. A. Failure.” Willow was sobbing into Tara’s chest before Amy could even finish what she was saying. Buffy stood up to defend her friend, but Faith held her back and shook her head. “Face it Rosenberg, you just weren’t cut out for magic.”
Tara pulled back from Willow and used her finger to lift Willow’s chin so she could look into those beautiful green eyes, “Willow think of all the good you’ve done. You’ve saved so many lives with magic. Helped in so many ways, you are not a failure. No one is perfect, and someday we’ll find a way to bring the real Amy back, but for now all we can do is stay strong, and help in all the ways we can.” Willow shook her head in understanding and hugged Tara again, and put on her resolve face.
Willow looked up at Amy and said what was in her heart, “I’ll bring you back, the real you someday.” Amy like the ones before her just vanished. Willow sunk back to the floor with Tara, no longer crying, but unwilling to let her lover go. Not that Tara ever minded being strong for Willow.
The group looked up at the sound of clapping, “you haven’t turned on each other yet, I’m impressed.”
“What now Sam?”
“Just came to check up on you Izzy, is that so wrong, there was once a time when you welcomed your time with me.”
“The real you, not this.”
“And what is this?”
“My insecurity.”
Samantha clapped again, “you’re figuring it out, but not fast enough, more will suffer.”
“I can’t change that.”
“Can’t you?” With that once again she was gone.
*Coffee Shop*
Danny walked up to the booth where Dawn was sitting and kissed her on the cheek before sitting their drinks down. “How was you morning?”
“Unusually quiet actually.”
“What do ya mean?”
“Well I left at 11:30 and still no one was up, which is weird ‘cause usually Faith and Buffy due to slayer powers are up with the sun.”
“Maybe they were just having alone time or something.”
“Maybe, but what are the chances of both couples having alone time at the same time, plus Iz isn’t a couple and she wasn’t up.”
Danny leaned over and kissed her again this time a peck on the lips, “I’m sure it’s nothing, watch when I take you home everyone will be up and you won’t be able to find a quiet space again.”
Dawn smiled, “thanks.” Looking out the window briefly Dawn’s expression changed. “Danny is it just me or are we being watched?”
Danny looked out the window and saw a man in a suit look the other way, when he looked again more discreetly this time; the man was watching them still. “Mom said something about being watched, guess we’re cutting lunch short today.”
“No fair!”
“Come on I’ll walk you home and call my mom from there.” Danny and Dawn walked out of the store; every now and then Danny would glance in a window across the street, and saw the man following them. This was definitely no good.
The two walked into Dawn’s house, and she called out, but no one answered. Dawn ran upstairs going straight to her sister’s room and opened the door. She saw Buffy and Faith snuggled up together, but with frowns on their face. She walked up to Buffy and shook her lightly, not wanting to startle her, “Buffy, wake up some guy is following me and Danny around… Buffy!… Dang it wake up!” Dawn walked out of the room and went into Iz’s, no luck there either, and the same results from Willow and Tara.
Dawn walked down the stairs extremely worried now. Danny walked up to her wearing an expression she thought matched her own, “no answer at home, Giles’, Xander’s, or the magic shop.”
“Everyone is here but I can’t wake them up. What are we going to do?”
“I would say call the council, but I don’t know the number.”
Dawn’s face lit up, “Angel! He always knows what to do, we can call him.” And they set about doing just that.
*Dreamscape*
The group was silent once again, and then they heard, “Buffy, wake up some guy is following me and Danny around… Buffy!… Dang it wake up!” That was followed by similar pleas for Iz, Willow, Faith, and Tara to wake up. As well as answering machines with Danny’s pleas for someone to answer.
“They aren’t going to be able to get us out of here?” Buffy asked, almost making a statement, what scared Faith though, was the fact there was no emotion, Buffy showed emotion in everything. For the first time since entering the dream, she was scared they wouldn’t make it out.
*L.A.; Angel Investigations*
Angel walked into the office just in time to answer the ringing phone. He was surprised when on the other line it was an old friend in Seattle on the other end. Apparently there was something that needed hi expertise up north. So Gunn, Wesley, Oz, and Angel packed their bags and headed to the airport. Just as they closed the door the phone rang again. The machine picked up, “Angel Investigations we help the hopeless, we are on a case right now so please leave a message so we can get back to you.” Beep.
“Angel this is Dawn, we have a major problem everyone is asleep and won’t wake up, and some guy is following Danny and me. We need your help like yesterday, so when you get this call, or better yet just come here!” Beep.
*Dreamscape*
“So what everyone is going to be harassed by their insecurities?” Buffy looked around at her friends, between them there had to be a million different insecurities, it would take forever to get through them all, and they didn’t have forever.
“I don’t know Buffy, but that seems to be the theme so far, whoever cast this spell either knew what they were doing, or this is just a side effect we’re creating while being here.” Iz was slowly losing her patience with the Scooby gang; they kept asking her everything, like she knew. She was the one being harassed the most, if she could stop it she would.
“Who would cast a spell to make us sleep though?”
“Buffy pick a demon you or one of us has killed, maimed, or done something to, either in it’s mind or actually done something to, and you’ve got a suspect. Does that narrow it down for you?”
Buffy looked at Iz like she was a small child that just got yelled at, her bottom lip was trembling and she was fighting with all her might not to cry. Faith gently pulled her into a hug, and Buffy buried her head in Faith’s shoulder and cried silently. Iz looked away not needing any more guilt right now.
“If this is a spell, maybe there is something we can do to reverse it,” Tara said hopeful, she knew any minute her friends would crack, and turn on each other, and she didn’t want that to happen again. At least this time she wouldn’t be hiding in a bathroom with Anya if it happened.
“Good luck. But this is the dreamscape; everything here is controlled by our subconsciousnesses. Which is why neither of you have your bullet wounds, your subconscious doesn’t register them.”
“Oh.” Tara was trying to stay hopeful she really was, bit there just didn’t seem to be anything they could do.
“How are you Izzy?”
“Sam.”
“That’s not happiness to see me.”
“Hmm, no it’s not.”
“Have you still not figured it out yet?”
“Can’t say that I have, why don’t you give me a hint.”
“Now where would the fun be in that?”
“Is this supposed to be fun?”
“Well it is quality time with your friends.”
“Yes I suppose it is.”
“I remember what we use to do during our quality time, we had so little of it…”
Iz wore a sad face as she looked at Samantha, “I’m sorry.”
“I thought we went over this, don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“You actually think I didn’t spend much time with you on purpose?”
“No.”
“Then what didn’t I mean?” Samantha didn’t answer she just left, this time walking till she was nothing more than a speck of color, and then nothing.
*Summers’ Home*
“Books!”
“What?” Danny looked at Dawn like she had lost her mind, with the situation she might have. The situation being the paramedics taking all the “victims” to the hospital so they didn’t get sick while they were sleeping.
“Giles’ and your mom’s books there has got to be something in there that can help us, oh and Willow’s computer too.”
“Ok, but we can’t split up with that guy following us, so where should we go first?”
“The magic box, Buffy has a key to the back door, most of the books are there, and I think Willow keeps a laptop there in case of emergencies too.”
“Well if ever there were an emergency, it’s now. Let’s go.”
*Dreamscape*
Giles looked up to see a figure walking out of the darkness towards the group. Slowly his mind registered whom it was walking towards them. And then it registered how impossible that was. Jenny Calendar was walking to them.
“Jenny.” Giles breathed the name so low that everyone barely heard him. When they looked up four mouths dropped open. Willow, Buffy, Xander, and Cordelia looked at their former teacher, who was smiling at them.
“Hello gang.”
“Miss Calendar?” Willow couldn’t believe her eyes, the woman who practically introduced her to magic, and was the only one she could relate to on a computer basis was standing in front of her.
“Yes. How are you Willow, staying up to date in the cyber-world?” Willow no longer could talk and just shook her head up and down. “Good. How about you Cordelia, you don’t still think Del is for deliver do you?” Jenny smirked at the girl teasingly.
“No, I can hold my own on a computer now thank you.”
“I’m glad to hear that, I always thought you were smarter than you wanted people to believe. Buffy, Xander how are you two?”
“Um, ok I guess.”
“Still slaying and still alive so I’m good, other than being trapped hear that is.” Giles sat up waiting for his turn to be addressed from the woman he had once loved, but it never came, it was as though he wasn’t even there.
“I’m glad to hear you are all doing well,” Jenny looked at Faith, “so you are the one called after Kendra? I’m glad you were welcomed in better than she was, it’s sad what happened to her.”
“Yup that’s me, the replacement slayer.”
Jenny smirked again, “hmm and an attitude to boot, and an ex-demon, a witch, and a cop, you all have become more diverse that’s for sure. Nice to meet you all.” The ones just addressed all shook their hellos, not wanting to say anything. Jenny looked at a watch on her wrist, “oh my look at the time, I’m afraid I’ll have to leave now. Goodbye, it was so nice seeing all of you again.
When Jenny was gone everyone looked at Giles who looked as though someone had just punched him in the stomach. Willow who was catching on to how things worked spoke up, “she knew you existed Giles, she never ignored you, she loved you. You have to know that.”
“Yes well, um, I’m sure, it doesn’t matter now anyway.” Everyone let it drop at that, not wanting to tear up more old wounds for their friend.
*Magic Box*
Danny and Dawn walked into the training room at the back of the Magic Box. “Research stuff should be back here in the store room, and Willow’s laptop will be behind the counter.” Danny went to get the laptop as Dawn walked into the storage room and started scanning the books. Normally Giles would get out the books that most likely info needed in them. But he wasn’t there to help.
“Which do you want to do first, Internet or books?”
“Internet, Willow was teaching me how to surf, and we can do searches on it.” She and Danny sat at the round table and began searching for something helpful.
*Dreamscape*
Faith was pacing in a short line trying to calm her nerves; she didn’t like situations where things couldn’t be solved. She looked at Buffy who just shortly had stopped crying. Her eyes were still puffy though. They had to get out of there, and quick.
“Well, well there’s my girl.” Faith looked up and saw the major standing not five feet away.”
“Boss? Didn’t B kill you?”
*Magic Box*
“Hey check this out.” Dawn and Danny had only been searching for a few minutes when they found something useful.
“Lucifer? Why would the devil himself want to make everyone take an extended nap?”
“Well they kill all his demons and stuff this way they can’t do anything, and no new slayers are called or anything. Besides it says here it wouldn’t be Lucifer himself rather someone using his power for their own plans.”
“Great all we have to do is find someone in the area that has something against one of them, that shouldn’t be too hard.”
“Maybe Spike can help.”
“Who?”
“He’s a vampire who helps out sometimes, Iz usually talks to him, but we’ll have to do it this time.”
“Whoa, hold the horses, a vampire, what you have a death wish?”
“He has a chip or something in his head, makes him harmless. Come on!” With that the two left the Magic Box in search of Spike. A blue mist surrounded the computer screen, and it went black.
*Dreamscape*
“Well she did, and from what I heard you helped her.”
“I… yeah I did.”
“Well now that’s all in the past, how are you, drinking your milk?”
“Yuck, you know I hate milk.”
“It’s good for the bones, you don’t want a slumped back when you get old.”
“You think I’m gonna get old?” Faith couldn’t believe she was talking to the mayor again, and like nothing had happened at all.
“Of course you are, old and wrinkly, there may even be cats involved.” Faith smirked she had missed Wilkins. “Well I’m here for a reason so I guess I should get to it then.”
“What’s up?”
“First of all, I’m not one of your insecurities like the others visiting, I’m not from your subconscious, I’m here straight from hell.”
“Um, I dunno whether to be glad about that or…”
“Those pesky kids are trying to help you out, and my boss is getting very upset about it.”
“Your boss?”
“Lucifer.”
“You work for Satan?!”
“You worked for me, same difference.”
“So what does he want us to do about it, we’re trapped here, we can’t exactly tell them to knock it off.”
*Spike’s Mausoleum*
“No.”
“Oh come on Spike you have to help.”
“Information like that would have to come from Willy, a human, and to get info from Willy you have to hit him. I can’t hit humans. And he knows it.”
“So I’ll hit him.”
“Yeah kid, I’m sure a 14 year old will terrify him.”
Dawn saw something out of the corner of her eye, it was Buffy, but she knew that was impossible, “maybe she could do it then.”
Spike looked shocked, “how’d you know about her?”
“She’s not very good at hiding, and I wonder what Buffy would think when she woke up and I told her that you have her doppelganger?”
“Damn kids, come on then.”
*Dreamscape*
“Well whatever you come up with it better be quick, I’ve found this guy Lindsay is very impatient.”
“Lindsay!” Cordelia said the name with as much hate as was possible for her.
“Ooops, I mean Lucifer, yes that’s what I mean.” Wilkins winked at Faith, and she realized he might have just saved them all by telling them who was keeping them there.
“Thank you, and I’m sorry ‘bout you know failing.”
“Aw don’t worry about it, I’m in hell now, which is what the world would have been had I succeeded, same difference really. Goodbye Faithy.”
“Bye.”
Buffy walked up behind Faith and placed her hand on the small of the taller girl’s back. “You two seem like you were close.”
“Other than being evil, he was the father I never had, but now that role is filled.”
“It is?” Buffy asked confused.
“Yup G-man there,” Faith smiled up at Giles, who gave a shy smile and a nod of his head. He already thought of them as his children, but to hear they thought of him, as a father was enough to let him float on the clouds.
Faith looked at Cordelia, “Lindsay, Wolfram and Hart right?”
“Yes.”
“Now all we have to do is figure out how to tell Dawn and Danny who to look for so they can wake us up.”
*Willy’s Bar*
Robot Buffy threw Willy against the back wall. Long ago any patrons of the bar flew in fear of the slayer gone mad. Buffy threw Willy around like a rag doll. “Tell Spikey who is messing with his friends’ sleep.”
“Don’t you mean your friends?” For that Buffy punched Willy in the gut. “Right, some guy from L.A., human, that’s all I know. I swear.”
Robot Buffy looked behind her to Spike to see if the answer given was acceptable, he shook his head, and she dropped Willy unceremoniously to the ground, who then just stared up at her in fear. Robot Buffy and Spike left the bar to go back and tell Dawn and Danny the information gathered.
*Dreamscape*
“You’re still here.”
“Yes Sam we are.”
“Hmm, I figured once Wilkins visited you would figure it out.”
“Well I guess I’m getting slow, ‘cause escape is still something I have no idea how to do.”
“Well there’s your problem Iz, you can’t escape, what you want to do is leave the dreamscape, two totally different things.”
“And how do you figure that?”
“You’re not seeing the forest through the trees Iz.”
“Riddles was never your style Sam, spit it out!” Samantha just disappeared and Iz heaved a sigh, she was snapping at Sam and Buffy now, whom else would she snap at.
“It’ll be ok Iz, everything will be ok,” Tara sat down next to Iz and rubbed her shoulder in a comforting motion.
“I can’t help but think this is all my fault somehow, even though I know it’s not. I feel like I should have gotten us out by now.”
“That’s just your insecurities talking,” Tara nudged Iz with her shoulder, “literally.”
“Yeah I know, doesn’t make it any easier though. But I guess it isn’t for any of us.”
“Well there’s my girl.”
Tara looked up at her father’s voice, “Dad.”
“What no hug?”
*Magic Box*
“Ok, male and human, from L.A. with something against one of them.”
“Dawn maybe it would help if we knew which one.”
“Well, Kate’s from L.A., Cordelia spent some time there, Buffy and I lived there when she was first called, and Faith went to prison there. But there is no guarantee that it’s not someone who met whoever in Sunnydale, or anywhere else for that matter. Arg!”
“Dawn it will be ok, we’ll figure this out.”
“And why hasn’t Angel called back yet?”
“You talked to the poof?”
“Huh? No Spike, I left a message.”
“Would you like me to beat him up?” Robot Buffy asked eager to please her master.
“Why don’t you go to the butchers' and get some blood luv.”
“Ok!”
“Do you have any idea how disturbing that is?”
“Tell me ‘bout it, I’m thinking of giving her up for scrap, that way you and Iz don’t have any thing on me no more.”
*Dreamscape*
“Hello Katie.”
“Daddy, what are you doing here?”
The gang looked between Kate and Tara’s fathers, this was the first
time two people had visited them. “Well I came to see you. After the failure
that was the L.A.P.D. I heard you were with the S.P.D how’s that going, screw it
up yet?”
“Well Tara it seems you have something in common with her, neither of you can seem to do
anything right.” Kate and Tara hung their heads, as if they were again little
kids being yelled at for doing something wrong.
“You mean she’s good for nothing too. Kate here can’t do anything right, her mother and I should have
given her up when we had the chance.”
“Tara’s mother was very powerful, and beautiful, it seems as though she didn’t get any of her mother,
maybe there was a switch at the hospital, and my beautiful little girl is out
there somewhere.”
“Daughters, pah, I should have had a boy, one that would be a good cop.”
Cordelia could no longer stand what was being
said about her lover and butted into the two father’s conversation, “Kate is an
excellent cop, and not corrupt like you!”
“And they’re both dykes too.” Tara looked up when her father had said that about her and Kate.
“I wish I knew what mom saw in you, because I can’t for the life of
me figure out what she fell in love with, you’re mean, and unfair, and …” Tara
probably would have continued had the two men not disappeared.
“Well I feel 12 years old again.” Kate sat back down and stared off into space, hurt
by what her and Tara’s fathers had said, but not wanting it to show.
Emotionless, that’s what makes a good cop.
Dawn suddenly stood up, and the two guys in the room just looked at
her, “I have a plan!”
“Care to share luv?”
“Bait.”
“We going fishing Dawn?” Danny asked confused by his girlfriend, his
father had warned him about this; ok not this exactly, just the not
understanding women thing.
“Yup, for a guy from L.A.”
“Huh,” the males in the room said simultaneously.
“Well he’s following us around right, so we set up a trap, I’ll be bait and lead him
right into, Robot Buffy can get him and we’ll make him stop whatever it is he’s
doing.”
“Not bad kid, are you sure you want to be bait though, bait has a tendency to die.”
“You won’t let me die, ‘cause Buffy’d kill you if she ever wakes up.”
“Right then lets go.”
*Dreamscape*
“I wonder who’s next, me, Xander, Tabitha, or Faith.”
“Faith already got visited Cordy.”
“No she didn’t.”
“Did you forget the mayor?” Faith looked up at the two talking about her.
“He said he was here straight from hell though, not one of the people visiting.”
“Oh yeah, that’s right.” Xander looked down, not really wanting to discuss it any
further.
“I’m hopin’ we’re not here long enough for anymore
visitors,” Faith said, still holding Buffy to her since the mayor’s visit, it
was hard seeing him again, but good to know he didn’t blame her for anything.
“Well then I guess no one wants to see me.” Everyone looked up, it
was the first time that Samantha had addressed anyone but Iz, and she shocked
them again by walking over to her and hugging her, “God I missed you!”
“Sam? How did you get here?”
“I fell asleep I think.”
*Dreamscape*
Iz wrapped her arms around Samantha tighter and began to cry. “Shh, don’t cry I’m here, shh.”
“I didn’t think I would ever see you again, they told me that everyone I knew would be gone.”
“Well I’m right here so they were wrong, you know I’d never give you
up. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I hate to break up the party, but who are you?”
“Hi,” Sam wiped some tears from her eye
and then continued, “I’m Samantha Simms, born 2114, speaking of which what year
is it?”
“2001.”
Sam looked back to Iz after Buffy’s answer, “I guess that mean you did it.”
“Yup, stuck all in a room
and let ‘em duke it out.” Iz smiled to her friends, they had never seen her so
happy, so they figured that this Samantha would be nothing like the one who had
visited off and on since they got there.
“And they didn’t beat you up for it, must be very understanding people.”
“Hey half those couples wouldn’t be couples if it wasn’t for me sticking them in a room and
making them work things out, right Buffy.”
Buffy smile at he memory of Faith’s visit after their little soul-searching excursion in the factory,
unconsciously she grabbed Faith’s hand at the memory, “yup.”
Buffy’s movement weren’t lost on Iz, “Buffy what were you thinking about just then?”
“Just when, huh?”
“When you grabbed Faith’s hand what were you thinking?”
“About that night that we worked things out why?”
“Ok, this is very important, why did you reach for her hand?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t even think about it.”
Iz’s face broke out in a huge smile, “bingo.”
*Sunnydale*
Dawn walked down the street aware of the man
following behind her. She walked into an ally, the one where Danny, Spike, and
Robot Buffy were hiding waiting for her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and
turned to see a man smiling at her.
“Hi I’m going to kill you to
hurt your sister, my name is Lindsay, and this is for Darla, make sure to give
that message to her after she dies in her dreams.” Lindsay was about to strike
her when an impossibly hard force hit him from behind. “It can’t be, you’re
asleep.”
“No I’m not, I’m hitting you,” Robot Buffy stated
matter-of-factly, and then knocked him out, “now what?”
“Let’s take him back to the Magic Box,” Dawn said already walking out of the ally.
*Dreamscape*
“What the hell are you talking about Iz, what does B grabbing my hand have to do with anythin’?”
“She did it subconsciously, if she can figure out how, she might be
able to reach Dawn the same way,” Willow stated having finally figured it out
along with Iz.
Sam looked around at the people, “am I the only one lost?” Several heads shook no. “Good.”
“Think about it Buffy, you
have the strongest bond with Dawn ‘cause your sisters, you have to ask her for
help, subconsciously.”
“If that’s our only hope we’re doomed,”
everyone looked at Anya disapprovingly. “What she can’t even ask for help
consciously, how is she going to do it subconsciously?”
“Well if she were, ah, asleep…”
“Giles, she is asleep that’s how she’s here!”
“It’s worth try.”
“Ok Giles, how do I fall asleep when I’m already asleep?”
Giles pulled out a pocket watch, “ever been hypnotized?”
*Magic Box*
Spike threw some water into Lindsay’s face, “wake up already.”
Lindsay groggily opened his eyes and looked at the people surrounding him, two teens,
slayer and a neutered vampire. “How come you’re not in the hospital with the
others?”
“I’m special,” Robot Buffy fed him the line Spike always
said to her when she asked a question, like why she couldn’t go out and enjoy
the sun, or go to school.
“You killed Darla!”
Spike looked at him curiously, “is that what this is all about, you fell in love with
a crazy vampire? Well then you deserve all you get.”
“You fell in love with Dru, no one is as crazy as her.”
“Yeah, but I. Was. A. Vampire. When. I. Fell.” Spike flicked Lindsay’s forehead, “moron.”
“I want whatever you did to everyone end,” Dawn stopped and grabbed
her head; someone was talking to her, but how the hell was that possible?
“Dawn can you hear me?”
“Buffy? How the?”
“Lindsay from Wolfram and Hart is the one who did this to us.”
“We know that we have him tied to a chair right now.”
“Really?”
“Yes really, what you thought I was going to
let you play sleeping beauty forever, it’s your night to do dishes.” Everyone
looked at Dawn like she was crazy; it appeared to them that she was talking to
herself.
“Ok if you have him, make him wake us up!”
“Well I was working on that, by the way he’s mad at you for killing
Darla.”
“Moron.”
“Hmm, that’s what Spike said.”
“Spike is there?”
“What did you think me and Danny
kidnapped a grown man on our own? Sorry got to go, everyone is looking at me
like I’ve lost it.” Dawn knew she should be worried that she was hearing her
sister in her head, but she learned to just blame it on Sunnydale, so mentally
that’s what she did.
*Dreamscape*
Giles brought Buffy out of her trance, she opened her eyes, and laughed, “did it work?”
Buffy looked at him and nodded, “Dawn, Danny, and Spike had Lindsay
tied to a chair when I contacted her, they are working on waking us up now.”
“Why has he done this?”
“Darla. We killed her, and it ticked him off.”
“Moron.” Buffy started cracking up at Faith’s statement, “what?”
“Oh nothing, it just seems that me and you, and Spike think alike.”
“That’s just mean B!” Faith couldn’t help but smirk as she said it though.
Sam looked at Iz, “I don’t want you to
go, I can’t lose you again.” Iz took Sam by the arm and led her away from the
group, who respected their need for privacy and didn’t say anything.
“I don’t want to loose you either, but I can’t stay asleep for the
rest of my life, and what about you, if you just fell asleep, then you could
wake up at any time, with no guarantee of ever coming back.”
Samantha sniffed, “I know, but I missed you like crazy, and now that
I have you back, I have to give you up again. It’s not fair.”
Iz gently kissed the other girl on the lips, “I know.” Iz pulled the crying girl
into her arms and held her close, never wanting to let go, but knowing she would
have to.
*Magic Box*
“I can’t just turn it off I made a deal.”
“With?” Dawn was becoming very impatient.
“Lucifer, Satan, the devil, he has so many names.”
“Sell your soul?”
“No, theirs.” Dawn was ready to hit
Lindsay when he said that, but didn’t, it wouldn’t do any good.
“Summon him.”
“What?!” Everyone in the room yelled at the same time.
“You must have summoned him to make the deal, you’re
going to do it again and break it, or she’ll break you, and the deal will be
broken anyway.” Lindsay looked her straight in the eye and knew she wasn’t
bluffing.
“You’ll have to untie me.”
“Ok, just remember you try anything and there’s no way you’ll make it out of here alive.
Lindsay did everything he had to do to summon Lucifer, and when he
finished chanting there was a blue mist that surrounded the room. “Have you
succeeded?”
“No.”
*Dreamscape*
Anyone else notice that the darkness is letting up?”
Iz pulled away from Sam as she heard Xander’s comment, “it’s almost time.”
“I know.”
“I love you.”
“I know, I love you too.”
Everyone in the dreamscape with their lover present held on to
them for dear might, and Giles and Tabitha clung to each other, just because
they had no one else.
“No one fails me!”
“There was nothing that could be done.”
“If I can not have their souls I will take yours.” With that the blue mist surrounded Lindsay
and when the mist was gone, so was he.
*Sunnydale Hospital*
Willow opened her eyes to the
bright moonlight flooding into her hospital room. It wasn’t the regular kind of
room though, it held 12 beds. All of her friends were there too. She slowing got
out of bed, sore from disuse of her muscles and padded her way to Tara’s bed at
the end of the room. “Tara?”
“Hmm, we alive?”
“Think so.” Tara opened her eyes and took in the disheveled appearance of her lover, in
the real world; it was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. She sat up
and pulled Willow to her, and kissed her. That’s when they heard groans coming
from the other beds, everyone was waking up.
Everyone gathered at the center of the room, and started hugging, and apologizing for things they may
have said in the dreamscape, everyone but Iz. She was standing in front of a bed
holding a Jane Doe, Samantha. Everyone noticed what Iz was looking at and came
over to her.
Samantha opened her eyes, disoriented at first and then she saw Iz standing in front of her, “Iz?”
Iz walked over and sat on the bed, “yeah honey it’s me.”
“Mom!” Danny and Dawn walked in and
the hugging started all over again, Iz and Sam never took their eyes off each
other.
*Two weeks later*
Everyone was assembled in Xander and Anya’s apartment having a farewell party. Xander and
Anya were moving to L.A. where Xander had gotten a job as a high-rise foreman.
Giles and Tabitha were taking a trip to England to tell the council off, and Iz
and Sam were going on vacation just the two of them.
Faith tinked a spoon against her glass, “I’d like to make a toast,” every stood up and paid
attention, “to Xander and Anya two of the best friends anyone could have. Giles
and Tabitha good luck, and don’t come back stuffy, and Iz and the new girl Sam,
it’s no fair you get a vacation!” Everyone laughed and clinked their glasses
together, it was an end of an era for the Scooby gang, and nothing would ever be
the same again.
...continued in Kids, Who Needs 'Em: A Charmed Crossover