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FIC: Beginning Anew - Chapter 15/15 - Williamverse
The final chapter of Beginning Anew.
Past chapters can be found at my site:
www.geocities.com/laniew1, Chapter 14 can be found here.
Previously on Beginning Anew:
“You let Dawn go,” Buffy said icily. “And I’ll go with you… voluntarily, of my own free will.”
TITLE: Beginning Anew – William / Buffy
Author: Melanie
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing at all, least of all those contained within.
Beginning Anew – Chapter 15
Buffy ignored the Slayers muttering and concentrated fully on the man in front of her.
With her memories back she could remember almost everything from the moment of her transformation from vampire to human.
And she remembered Quentin Travers.
She remembered him from the hospital when she’d regained consciousness after her transformation, when she’d been confused and in pain and not understanding what was happening to her.
She remembered him standing at foot of her bed, staring at her like she was some sort of prize, a gift. He’d looked at her as if he’d owned her.
No one owned her. She was no one’s possession and she wouldn’t be used to hurt the Slayer or anyone else. And that was what this man wanted. He wanted her because having her would hurt the Slayer
She remembered how to hate and she hated this man. Hated him in a way that she hadn’t hated anyone since those first early days when she’d hated Dru because she had to battle with her for scraps of Angelus’ attention and affection.
She hated him because he thought nothing of having her niblet, her little Dawn bound and terrified at his feet. She hated him because he’d hurt the Slayer and thought it his right to do so.
“Buffy,” William started and she ignored him. Pushing him to the back of her mind and listing him as unimportant at the moment. Because he was unimportant. Right now getting Dawn free was her top priority.
“I knew you’d see things my way,” Quentin grinned at her and Buffy wondered if the man realized that he was insane or if any of the men standing behind him knew that he was totally off his rocker.
Quentin at this moment made Angelus look sane and she would have thought that impossible.
“Yeah well,” Buffy shrugged. “Holding people that I care about as hostages will do that to me, let her go.”
“You come here first,” Travers smiled at her and she had a brief fantasy of punching that grinning countenance and drawing blood.
Her eyes flitted between the Watcher who was still fuming and William who looked like he was about five words away from blowing a gasket, to the Wolf at his feet snarling and the Slayers friends who all looked horrified.
Did they really think that she’d allow Dawn to be hurt in her name?
Had she ever given them cause to think that she wouldn’t protect Dawn and the Slayer with every fiber of her being?
She moved forward. Stopping in front of him, crouching in front of Dawn.
Quentin waved and two young men jumped forward, positioning themselves between the Slayer and his group and Dawn and Buffy.
Buffy wondered if they were scared. Oz was still snarling and William and the Watcher were beyond pissed off. For a moment she missed being a vampire, she would have relished in the scent and taste of fear.
She snapped the ropes around Dawn’s wrists with a flick of her wrist and once free the young girl flung herself at Buffy. Babbling at her in a high pitched voice that Buffy tuned out.
She pulled away, wiping the tears from Dawn’s face, kissing her cheek softly. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered and Dawn choked back an obvious sob. “Be strong now, you hear.”
Dawn nodded, tears still streaming from her eyes.
She stood slowly, pulling Dawn to her feet with her movements and then pushed Dawn towards her brother, not looking back. She tilted her head at Travers, arms crossing over her chest.
“I have a few conditions.”
“Of course you do,” Quentin rolled his eyes, obviously thinking her nothing more than a silly girl that happened to be the first female Slayer in a very long time. He seemed to have forgotten that she’d spent over a hundred years as a ruthless, bloodsucking vampire and that just because she was now human didn’t mean those instincts had faded.
She needed to get him away from the others before William let Oz loose to cross the clearing and tear out his throat.
She hoped that Naya had gotten her message.
“I get to choose my own Watcher.”
Quentin nodded once. “Anyone besides Rupert,” he sneered. “He already has a Slayer.”
“And I get to live my own life,” she smiled. “I won’t live under your thumb.”
Quentin agreed readily, obviously of the mind that with a Watcher she would be under his thumb whether she chose to be or not. He was probably going to have a heart attack when he found out who she wanted and she hoped she was there to see it.
“Of course my dear,” he waved at the two groups. “We’re all friends here.”
“Buffy you can’t do this,” William finally managed to find his vocal cords and lunged forward. Only to be stopped by Xander and surprisingly enough Dawn. The expression on Xander’s face was one of surprised realization. Someone (not the Slayer and she would have never in a million years thought it would be the whelp) had figured out what she was up to.
“Then we’re ready to go,” she smiled sweetly, mentally she was cataloging weapons and skills. Quentin’s group had come in two cars. He’d probably go with her in the last one with a driver and maybe one other guard.
She could do this.
“Buffy…” William sounded like he was pleading with her and Buffy knew that if she delayed any longer that William might get on his knees and beg her to stay. She never wanted to see her Slayer on his knees, well almost never. Sometimes he looked good on his knees not that she’d ever seen him there willingly.
Quentin took her arm and Buffy chanced a glance back. One glance and wink at Xander that he returned even as he was bodily holding William back from following her.
She couldn’t hear what he was saying but Buffy figured it was along the lines of she knows what she’s doing, don’t interfere.
She had maybe underestimated the boys’ capacity for understanding an intricate plan. She would have to sit down with him sometime soon and figure him out. She hated underestimating anyone.
******************************************************************************
A fully human Oz had taken Dawn’s place restraining William.
William himself struggled, he didn’t want to hurt either Oz or Xander but he was ready to start breaking fingers in order to get away.
“She knows what she’s doing,” Xander muttered into his ear and William was alarmed at the whine he could hear coming from his own throat.
“Naya said…” William relaxed; maybe he could fake them out. If they thought he was giving up the fight they would let him go and he could be out of the clearing before they even realized what he’d done.
“Have faith William,” Naya’s voice from somewhere behind them and they turned as one entity to face her. “Your Slayer knows what she’s doing, what she must do. You should not be separated for long.”
“You said separation was bad, that it would weaken the good side.”
Naya smiled enigmatically and William growled.
“And sometimes separation is necessary, so that a heart can heal. She’ll return… in time.”
******************************************************************************
Buffy was tuning Quentin out, fingers laced together primly in her lap to keep from strangling the life out of him. She could envision his death in her minds eye and he was human so acting upon those impulses would only serve to get her arrested for murder.
No matter how justified.
“What’s this now, why are we slowing down?” Quentin asked, leaning forward. He’d chosen to sit in the back seat beside Buffy so that he might share his ‘grand plans’ for her future and by extension his. Buffy so far had not been impressed.
“Someone in the road,” the driver of their car responded as the car came to a complete stop. Quentin growled, and the idiot in the passenger seat pulled out his gun as the man walked up alongside the passenger side of the car.
Opening the door and leaning down to stare directly into Quentin’s face, Buffy smiled.
“Wesley Wyndham-Pryce,” Quentin sneered. “Haven’t you managed to get yourself killed yet?”
“Not quite yet,” Wesley grinned. “You should find a seat in one of the other vehicles. My Slayer and I have some business to discuss.”
“You must be joking?” Quentin laughed.
Buffy studied her nails with a bored expression on her face. “You told me I could choose my own Watcher.”
“I meant one that still worked for the Council of course.”
“Funny,” Buffy smirked. “I don’t remember that being one of our conditions. In fact the only condition I recall is that it not be Rupert, Wesley has worked with Slayers before, from what I’ve heard he’s capable.”
“This is absurd.”
“Absurd or not, Elizabeth is my Slayer now and we have business to discuss and you are in our way. I suppose I could sit on your lap but I’m pretty sure that people would talk.”
Quentin growled and Buffy picked at a cuticle. Wondered if they had time to stop and pick up nail polish and a change of clothes, she didn’t even have any luggage with her.
Quentin finally slid out of the seat muttering under his breath and by the time Wesley slid into the seat beside her she was close to laughing out loud.
The idiot in the passenger seat wasn't even bothering to try to hide it and she wondered if Quentin realized that half of the men that he’d brought with him would probably rather shoot him in the back then back him up.
“Elizabeth,” Wesley nodded at her as the car began moving once more.
“Call me Buffy.”
“Its an absurd nickname,” Wesley rolled his eyes and Buffy reminded herself that she’d chosen this, that Naya had given her the knowledge and the keys and that she’d called Druscilla herself in order to tell her that she was stealing Wesley from her for a short time.
Or long time, she would have to see how things went.
“It’s my name,” Buffy frowned at him.
“Fine,” Wesley sighed and Buffy smiled. “We have several hours before we reach the airport, why don’t you tell me what’s going on and why I’m here.”
Buffy grinned at him. She thought he might grow on her like the whelp had at some point.
“Well you see it all started when I went to Africa…”
******************************************************************************
Past chapters can be found at my site:
www.geocities.com/laniew1, Chapter 14 can be found here.
Previously on Beginning Anew:
“You let Dawn go,” Buffy said icily. “And I’ll go with you… voluntarily, of my own free will.”
TITLE: Beginning Anew – William / Buffy
Author: Melanie
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing at all, least of all those contained within.
Beginning Anew – Chapter 15
Buffy ignored the Slayers muttering and concentrated fully on the man in front of her.
With her memories back she could remember almost everything from the moment of her transformation from vampire to human.
And she remembered Quentin Travers.
She remembered him from the hospital when she’d regained consciousness after her transformation, when she’d been confused and in pain and not understanding what was happening to her.
She remembered him standing at foot of her bed, staring at her like she was some sort of prize, a gift. He’d looked at her as if he’d owned her.
No one owned her. She was no one’s possession and she wouldn’t be used to hurt the Slayer or anyone else. And that was what this man wanted. He wanted her because having her would hurt the Slayer
She remembered how to hate and she hated this man. Hated him in a way that she hadn’t hated anyone since those first early days when she’d hated Dru because she had to battle with her for scraps of Angelus’ attention and affection.
She hated him because he thought nothing of having her niblet, her little Dawn bound and terrified at his feet. She hated him because he’d hurt the Slayer and thought it his right to do so.
“Buffy,” William started and she ignored him. Pushing him to the back of her mind and listing him as unimportant at the moment. Because he was unimportant. Right now getting Dawn free was her top priority.
“I knew you’d see things my way,” Quentin grinned at her and Buffy wondered if the man realized that he was insane or if any of the men standing behind him knew that he was totally off his rocker.
Quentin at this moment made Angelus look sane and she would have thought that impossible.
“Yeah well,” Buffy shrugged. “Holding people that I care about as hostages will do that to me, let her go.”
“You come here first,” Travers smiled at her and she had a brief fantasy of punching that grinning countenance and drawing blood.
Her eyes flitted between the Watcher who was still fuming and William who looked like he was about five words away from blowing a gasket, to the Wolf at his feet snarling and the Slayers friends who all looked horrified.
Did they really think that she’d allow Dawn to be hurt in her name?
Had she ever given them cause to think that she wouldn’t protect Dawn and the Slayer with every fiber of her being?
She moved forward. Stopping in front of him, crouching in front of Dawn.
Quentin waved and two young men jumped forward, positioning themselves between the Slayer and his group and Dawn and Buffy.
Buffy wondered if they were scared. Oz was still snarling and William and the Watcher were beyond pissed off. For a moment she missed being a vampire, she would have relished in the scent and taste of fear.
She snapped the ropes around Dawn’s wrists with a flick of her wrist and once free the young girl flung herself at Buffy. Babbling at her in a high pitched voice that Buffy tuned out.
She pulled away, wiping the tears from Dawn’s face, kissing her cheek softly. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered and Dawn choked back an obvious sob. “Be strong now, you hear.”
Dawn nodded, tears still streaming from her eyes.
She stood slowly, pulling Dawn to her feet with her movements and then pushed Dawn towards her brother, not looking back. She tilted her head at Travers, arms crossing over her chest.
“I have a few conditions.”
“Of course you do,” Quentin rolled his eyes, obviously thinking her nothing more than a silly girl that happened to be the first female Slayer in a very long time. He seemed to have forgotten that she’d spent over a hundred years as a ruthless, bloodsucking vampire and that just because she was now human didn’t mean those instincts had faded.
She needed to get him away from the others before William let Oz loose to cross the clearing and tear out his throat.
She hoped that Naya had gotten her message.
“I get to choose my own Watcher.”
Quentin nodded once. “Anyone besides Rupert,” he sneered. “He already has a Slayer.”
“And I get to live my own life,” she smiled. “I won’t live under your thumb.”
Quentin agreed readily, obviously of the mind that with a Watcher she would be under his thumb whether she chose to be or not. He was probably going to have a heart attack when he found out who she wanted and she hoped she was there to see it.
“Of course my dear,” he waved at the two groups. “We’re all friends here.”
“Buffy you can’t do this,” William finally managed to find his vocal cords and lunged forward. Only to be stopped by Xander and surprisingly enough Dawn. The expression on Xander’s face was one of surprised realization. Someone (not the Slayer and she would have never in a million years thought it would be the whelp) had figured out what she was up to.
“Then we’re ready to go,” she smiled sweetly, mentally she was cataloging weapons and skills. Quentin’s group had come in two cars. He’d probably go with her in the last one with a driver and maybe one other guard.
She could do this.
“Buffy…” William sounded like he was pleading with her and Buffy knew that if she delayed any longer that William might get on his knees and beg her to stay. She never wanted to see her Slayer on his knees, well almost never. Sometimes he looked good on his knees not that she’d ever seen him there willingly.
Quentin took her arm and Buffy chanced a glance back. One glance and wink at Xander that he returned even as he was bodily holding William back from following her.
She couldn’t hear what he was saying but Buffy figured it was along the lines of she knows what she’s doing, don’t interfere.
She had maybe underestimated the boys’ capacity for understanding an intricate plan. She would have to sit down with him sometime soon and figure him out. She hated underestimating anyone.
A fully human Oz had taken Dawn’s place restraining William.
William himself struggled, he didn’t want to hurt either Oz or Xander but he was ready to start breaking fingers in order to get away.
“She knows what she’s doing,” Xander muttered into his ear and William was alarmed at the whine he could hear coming from his own throat.
“Naya said…” William relaxed; maybe he could fake them out. If they thought he was giving up the fight they would let him go and he could be out of the clearing before they even realized what he’d done.
“Have faith William,” Naya’s voice from somewhere behind them and they turned as one entity to face her. “Your Slayer knows what she’s doing, what she must do. You should not be separated for long.”
“You said separation was bad, that it would weaken the good side.”
Naya smiled enigmatically and William growled.
“And sometimes separation is necessary, so that a heart can heal. She’ll return… in time.”
Buffy was tuning Quentin out, fingers laced together primly in her lap to keep from strangling the life out of him. She could envision his death in her minds eye and he was human so acting upon those impulses would only serve to get her arrested for murder.
No matter how justified.
“What’s this now, why are we slowing down?” Quentin asked, leaning forward. He’d chosen to sit in the back seat beside Buffy so that he might share his ‘grand plans’ for her future and by extension his. Buffy so far had not been impressed.
“Someone in the road,” the driver of their car responded as the car came to a complete stop. Quentin growled, and the idiot in the passenger seat pulled out his gun as the man walked up alongside the passenger side of the car.
Opening the door and leaning down to stare directly into Quentin’s face, Buffy smiled.
“Wesley Wyndham-Pryce,” Quentin sneered. “Haven’t you managed to get yourself killed yet?”
“Not quite yet,” Wesley grinned. “You should find a seat in one of the other vehicles. My Slayer and I have some business to discuss.”
“You must be joking?” Quentin laughed.
Buffy studied her nails with a bored expression on her face. “You told me I could choose my own Watcher.”
“I meant one that still worked for the Council of course.”
“Funny,” Buffy smirked. “I don’t remember that being one of our conditions. In fact the only condition I recall is that it not be Rupert, Wesley has worked with Slayers before, from what I’ve heard he’s capable.”
“This is absurd.”
“Absurd or not, Elizabeth is my Slayer now and we have business to discuss and you are in our way. I suppose I could sit on your lap but I’m pretty sure that people would talk.”
Quentin growled and Buffy picked at a cuticle. Wondered if they had time to stop and pick up nail polish and a change of clothes, she didn’t even have any luggage with her.
Quentin finally slid out of the seat muttering under his breath and by the time Wesley slid into the seat beside her she was close to laughing out loud.
The idiot in the passenger seat wasn't even bothering to try to hide it and she wondered if Quentin realized that half of the men that he’d brought with him would probably rather shoot him in the back then back him up.
“Elizabeth,” Wesley nodded at her as the car began moving once more.
“Call me Buffy.”
“Its an absurd nickname,” Wesley rolled his eyes and Buffy reminded herself that she’d chosen this, that Naya had given her the knowledge and the keys and that she’d called Druscilla herself in order to tell her that she was stealing Wesley from her for a short time.
Or long time, she would have to see how things went.
“It’s my name,” Buffy frowned at him.
“Fine,” Wesley sighed and Buffy smiled. “We have several hours before we reach the airport, why don’t you tell me what’s going on and why I’m here.”
Buffy grinned at him. She thought he might grow on her like the whelp had at some point.
“Well you see it all started when I went to Africa…”