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Family Reunion -- by Cagewench
Rating: PG
Description: This is a story about a little family reunion which occurs over March Break in Sunnydale.
Feedback: I'd love some ;> catalysts@home.com
Dedication: To Syl because she completely kicks ass and she wrote a Buffy/Nightwing crossover and that made me ponder a crossover of my own creation...
More of my work: http://jane.crimescene.org/~wench/
Note: (*) indicates thoughts
Disclaimer: I own no rights to any of these characters. "The Others" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" belong entirely to their creators, but I thank them for allowing me to play with them. The situations I place the characters are my own.
Part One
Life was strange and complicated for Marian Kitt. She was still seeing a psychologist and having to leave out pertinent information regarding her alleged suicide attempt. She knew that no one would believe that she had channeled the spirit of a girl who had died in her old dorm room. Well, no one but The Others.
Marian smiled to herself as she thought about her new "family." Her new teacher, Elmer Greentree... the original Other of the group, was a sweet, kind and gentle man. He was an extremely powerful medium. He was the one she was the most comfortable with. Partly because she'd always lacked a strong father figure. Or any figure. Her family had always been a little bit leery of Marian.
Except for her cousin, Willow. Marian smiled when she thought about the funny email she'd received earlier in the day from the Sunnydale resident. She hadn't seen Willow since Uncle Herbert's funeral 6 years ago, but they'd always kept in touch. Connected by their sense of family and the knowledge that they were considered "odd" within the encompassing family circle.
Shaking her head, Marian stopped in front of Elmer's home. It was almost time for The Others meeting. She stood outside shyly for a moment or two. Things were kind of awkward since Satori was obviously still interested in Mark and Mark seemed torn between the psychic and herself. With a heavy sigh, Marian pushed open the door.
"Pet," Spike nudged Willow gently, "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."
"Sod off, you wanker, I'm sleeping," Willow griped.
Spike raised an eyebrow, "I can't let you get away with talking to me, the man you love, like that. you'll have to be punished."
Willow smiled into the pillow, "I love this part."
"You love all the parts," Spike smiled.
An odd sense of déjà vu enveloped the young Witch at that moment. She shook it off and then looked at her watch.
"I'm sorry, I've gotta get back to the dorm. I actually have some work to do."
Cold lips pressed against the pulse point on her neck. Fangs began to lightly nip the area. Her head fell back and she grabbed on to Spike to steady her balance.
"Maybe I can stay a little longer."
Marian stormed out of the meeting. Albert had been his usual cantankerous self. That hadn't bothered her, but the waves of jealousy and unease coming off of Satori had been hard to ignore.
(*)Every time Mark even looked at me, she got that cold, hurt look in her eyes. And it's not like I've done anything to encourage him. I don't even really know him yet. God, between him and Warren just being Warrenish I can't take it. They're making me feel crazy.(*)
She sighed and stalked off towards her new abode.
(*)I need to get the hell out of here for awhile. Maybe I'll go surprise Willow, after all, it is Spring Break, and I've got my share of that reward money for helping that little boy get home to his Mom.(*)
Marian shivered as she remembered how close to death she had been and her decision was made, she needed and deserved a vacation. She'd never been to California before, and Sunnydale sounded like such a warm, friendly place.
(*)It'll be so nice to get away and get to be normal for a week. Basking in Sunnydale, California might be just what I need to help me kick back and relax.(*)
Willow was exhausted, happily, and was going to go to bed, but she had to check her email first. She was an email addict. Maybe Marian had sent her something. It was so nice to hear about Marian and her normal life. Sometimes Willow found herself envying her favourite cousin. She had everything going for her and didn't live on a Hellmouth.
Willow sighed.
"Ooh, new mail," she smiled.
(*)Oh Goddess. Marian's coming here?! Now?! Jeez Louise,(*) Willow checked the clock, (*)She's already hopped a plane. What am I going to do? Why did she have to be so impulsive?(*)
Marian splurged on renting a car at the airport. She bought a bag of Smartfood popcorn and a Nestea Ice Tea to keep her tummy from grumbling and then consulted the map.
"Sunnydale, here I come."
A van was parked on campus. It was a beaten up old thing with freshly tinted windows and specialty locks. One would wonder about such a van, especially if the inside was visible. It contained a strong metal cage and when the moon was full a howling, fur-covered creature could be found in that cage. Thank goodness the van was soundproofed. But it was still three more nights until the full moon, so the occupant was merely sleeping.
Marian had not realized how long it would take to get to Sunnydale from the airport. She found herself dozing off at the wheel. She slapped herself.
(*)Get it together, we're almost there. Stay awake.(*)
She saw the sign on her right and smiled, and then was seized by one of the most terrifying visions she'd ever had. Marian lost control of the car and ran down the 'Welcome to Sunnydale' sign.
Her head fell against the horn and it blared into the night, like the sound of a dinner bell to the many predators in Sunnydale.
Willow walked nervously out of Stevenson Hall. She was waiting for a cab to shuttle her down to the airport. (*)Goddess, I hope Marian is there. Or else I don't know how to find her.(*)
She sighed. Then an idea popped into her head. Perhaps, magic could lead the way. Willow closed her eyes and murmured a location spell.
The response was strong. She ran after the floating light, forgetting entirely about her cab.
There was a blaring noise. An alarm clock or a phone. Marian raised her head carefully, and the sound stopped. She put a hand to her head and felt an unfamiliar moistness there.
Blood.
"Oh, what have I done," she moaned, "I don't even have a cell phone."
"Then you can't call for help."
She turned and a fist came through the driver's window, grabbing her by the neck. Marian screamed and then there was a hiss and smoke rose.
"Fucking God-worshipping bitch!"
Marian looked at the creature, the vampire, cradling its burnt hand.
"Help!"
Albert bolted up in bed, sweating. With trembling hands, he dialed a familiar number.
"You probably know, but Marian's in trouble."
He spoke with Elmer awhile longer, but there was not much they could do from where they were, they could only hope that her strength would see her through.
Mark had just gotten home from the hospital. He was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep before even undressing. His dreams were fitful and troubled and he was awoken by a pounding on the door.
"Christ, it's the middle of the night."
He stumbled to the door and let Warren in. He was babbling about signs and portents (surprise, surprise) and Mark was too drained to make heads or tails of it all.
"Later Warren. We'll talk tomorrow. Goodnight."
The empath felt a little guilty about pushing Warren out the door in such a manner, but he'd always found Warren disorienting. His mind was so powerful in its bizarre way that Mark could never read him or tune into him. And Mark knew if something was really up, someone else would contact him. Usually Satori or Marian or Prof. Miles.
Mark flopped back down on the bed and was asleep in an instant.
Marian gunned the engine and dodged the vamp. She didn't know where she was going, except away from that horrible thing.
(*)A vampire. I can't believe I came here for a well-needed vacation and I get assaulted by a mythical creature.(*)
She saw an information sign indicating the direction of Sunnydale University and followed it. Marian had almost convinced herself that it had been a delusion from the accident when she felt a cold shiver crawl up her spine.
A quick glance in the rearview mirror indicated that she was being pursued. And there was now a group of them.
Marian turned to look again and when she faced forward again, she screamed and slammed on the brakes.
A body flew up over the hood and then landed on the roof.
From her vantagepoint, everything had happened too fast to do anything about it. Willow screamed, "Buffy!"
Part Two
"Oh my God! Oh my God!" Marian leapt out of the car and crouched by the body of the girl she'd hit. Her eyes welled up with tears and she grabbed the girl's hand.
(*)Oh, I wish Mark was here now. He'd know what to do, he could help me.(*)
"Buffy! Buffy!"
Willow ran up and collapsed beside Marian, barely noticing her cousin. She was solely focused on her friend. She grasped Buffy's free hand and concentrated.
"Kuan-Yin P'u-Sa," Willow spoke in a language she did not understand to call upon Kuan-Yin, a celestial bodhisattva, a magical woman found in Buddhism who embodies compassion and divine femininity.
"I beseech you to help my friend. She is the Chosen One. She fights evil and demons, sharing a purpose with you. Accept my plea, help my friend who shares kinship of destiny with you."
Willow kept her eyes closed and quoted, "Kuan-Yin, no matter what evils we face, no matter what beasts or demons, no matter what ill fortune or disease, no matter even if we face death, Kuan-Yin destroys them all with her compassionate glance, with her perfected soul. She is infinitely blessed."
She took a deep breath, "I bow to you in prayer for this life that means so much to the world. Let not this light be extinguished too soon. Let your mercy and compassion fill my friend and keep her whole. Let this plea fly on the wings of doves and the answer come from far above. So mote it be."
Marian had closed her eyes and added her silent prayers to Willow's. She tried to remember how it felt when she was in the dark place. And how Mark and Elmer had saved her.
She slumped over the Slayer's unmoving form and was on the Other Side. Marian saw the woman and held out her hand. The blonde looked to the stranger holding out her hand in friendship and then back at the glowing female form to her other side. Both were urging her to take the same action.
Blindness.
Pain.
Confusion.
"Buffy," Willow was delighted, "Don't move."
She shook her cousin gently, "Marian?"
"Willow!" A stake whizzed by Willow's ears and dusted a vamp.
The redhead jumped to her feet and faced the other four vamps. "Bring on the bad, you're all dusted, you just don't know it yet."
One advanced and Willow knocked it down with a roundhouse kick and her trusty pencil magically staked it.
(*)Wow, Spike's lessons are certainly paying off!(*)
She cracked her neck and stared at them. Her hazel green eyes darkening dramatically. Filling with flames of piercing emerald rage. "Who's next?"
The remaining three vamps exchanged fearful glances. This time, they tried to get past her, to the helpless females on the ground behind her. Willow held out her hand and Mr. Pointy flew into it, ready to dust some more vamps.
Marian and Buffy exchanged impressed glances. Buffy wanted to get up, but her legs weren't responding and the other girl, (*)Sheesh, she looks like Will(*), Buffy thought, seemed to be in shock.
"I like pretty girls. Let's do lunch," snarled the largest of the three vampires.
Buffy rolled her eyes, "You call that a quip? You really need staking."
She reached into her jacket and removed a small pistol. Buffy aimed carefully and fired.
A jet of holy water sprayed out and got one of the vampires in the face.
"My eyes!" he shrieked. His final words were, "Uh oh," as Willow dusted him with Mr. Pointy.
"Now, who else wants to play?"
The remaining vampires exchanged glances and fled. They didn't get far.
"'Ello boys," Spike held each one off the ground by their necks, "Playing with my girl, you were. That's not gentlemanly. Especially when she is mine."
Willow sighed loudly, "I love him when he gets all 'Grr' to protect me."
"Here's how it goes, I give you mates a 30 second start, and then, I kill you. Go."
They hit the ground and scrambled to get away.
He looked back at Willow, "What am I saying? Screw that, they die now. See you in a mo, Pet."
Spike's gameface came out to play and his fangs gleamed in the moonlight as he grinned at the woman he loved. He bolted after them, his duster swooping around him omniously like Neo in "The Matrix."
Marian screamed, "What the Hell is going on here?"
Part 3
Before Willow or Buffy could clarify Marian's confusion, the women heard the final cries of the last two vampires as they were dusted. In seconds, Spike was back with them.
"Luv, I would have tortured them for you, but I didn't want to leave you alone. What happened? And who's the lookalike?"
"Yeah," Buffy appraised Marian, "And you drive worse than I do."
The Slayer tried to move but couldn't. Her eyes overflowed with liquid terror.
"I can't move my legs!"
Spike bent down and gently picked Buffy up. Then he glowered at the incapacitated Slayer, "Don't get any ideas, Slayer. I'm still Willow's mate. No evil spell-smoochies for you."
The horrified look on Buffy's face set Willow into a nervous fit of giggling. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I kicked some vampire patoot. I called upon a powerful goddess equalivent and my favourite cousin is here and I can't stop shaking."
Marian wrapped her arms around Willow's slight form; "This is all my fault. I never should have come here. I just wanted to get away and be normal for a week. Oh God, Buffy. I have a friend, he's a doctor, and he has special powers. Mark can help you. I just have to get him here."
The Slayer smiled, "So you're the infamous Marian? Sheesh, do you believe it, Will? Here you were, living on the Hellmouth and envying Marian her normal life when she was feeling the same way about you. Guess my favourite brain was actually wrong for once."
"Excellent job of stating the obvious, Slayer," Spike sneered and at a look from Willow, decided to leave Buffy alone for a moment. He then looked at Marian, "Think you can drive or shall I do it?"
"You can. Keys are in the ignition."
The sexy vamp brushed past her to place Buffy carefully in the back seat and Marian flinched as she picked up his centuries of memories.
Images. A young man, a nobleman, unhappy about an arranged marriage, but as the second son he had no sway with his father. He drowned his disgust with ale. He died that night. And rose again. Two dark creatures, faces like angels, were soulless demons. They took him and embraced him into their misguided family of hate, violence and sex.
The sexy vampire looked at Marian with supreme annoyance, "What the fuck is your problem? Get in the damn car."
"Spike," Willow chastised him, "She's my cousin and our guest. Behave."
"Well those who deserve respect get respect so let's just look at your dear cos… She blows into town without warning. Hits Buffy, your best friend, I might remind you… with this ugly car; almost gets you killed by vamps and then bloody well stands there as if she had a brain the size of Xander's!"
Satisfied he'd made his point, Spike snapped his fingers in Marian's face, "Red #2. Get in the auto, now or you'll stay here!"
Distractedly, Marian got into the back with Buffy and stared at Willow's profile. Marian was so tired. All these visions. All the things that had happened to Spike and Buffy and Willow were unbelievably draining. She wished she could shut them all out of her head.
<*>You can stop them, Mari, concentrate at it. It's easy once you practice a bit.<*>
The visitor to Sunnydale gasped as she heard Willow speaking in her mind.
"Marian," Willow twisted to face her cousin, speaking aloud now, "Why didn't you tell me you were psychic?"
"Why didn't you tell me that you were a Witch?"
"Oh."
"So Giles, until I can walk again, the town is Slayerless? We've got to do something!"
The former Watcher gently took Buffy's hand in his own, "I'm sure you'll snap out of this. We'll just give it time. Until then," he a'hemed and surveyed the group, "I expect everyone to do double-duty."
With a confident grin, Riley stepped forward, "Yes, sir," then he noticed Giles' frown, "Sorry, sir. I mean -- Giles. Yes. Giles, I can select a few good men to help out without notifying the rest of the Initiative. They're loyal to me."
"Fine. Nevertheless, keep them on a need to know basis. For example, they don't need to know about what we all do for this town."
"I'm on it," he crouched next to Buffy and whispered something that made her blush becomingly. Then he kissed her and made a hasty departure.
"So, how can I help?" Marian asked.
"Don't drive." Xander deadpanned.
Willow leaned over and smacked him.
"Hey! What was that for?" Xander protested.
"She's family. I think if I didn't know about vampires and then got chased by some while driving that I'd be distracted too. We're lucky that no one was killed, so let's move on and do planning-type things."
"Fine," Buffy took charge of the meeting, "These are your patrol groups."
"So, how come you're not grouped with Xander?" Tara ventured.
Anya snapped, "For the same reason you're not with Willow. When you really love someone, it can sometimes be a liability."
Tara flushed, "That's not true. I love Willow but I don't love her. She has Spike and she's my best friend and," the Witch's voice dropped, "you didn't tell anyone, did you?"
"No. I didn't think anyone would believe me." Anya shrugged nonchalantly, "Besides, if you died of embarrassment, I wouldn't get a chance to --"
"Look out!" Tara yelled as Anya fell to a tazer blast.
A camouflaged arm pulled her into the bushes and a gloved hand clamped over Tara's mouth.
"You don't know what you're involved with here," he hissed, "Get out and I'll try to help your friend, but Walsh sent us out specifically for that girl, I can't help her escape, yet."
"Who are--?" A finger caressed her lips, shushing her gently and avoiding her question.
"Go."
Riley's beeper went off and seemed to signal an attack from a cadre of vampires. He fought them off, and yelled at Xander.
"Do something!"
Xander thought about quipping, "Something other than wishing Buffy were here?" Then, he realized that he wasn't paying attention as he was pinned to the ground by an angry vamp.
It exploded to dust and Willow beamed at them.
"Oh yeah. I'm Willow the vampire Slayer. Vamps see me and they, uh oh."
She stumbled as another one fell into her and she staked it quickly. Then she grinned, "I'm bad."
Riley and Xander made short work of the remaining vampires.
"Will, Xander," Riley spoke urgently, "I can't ignore this page. I've got to go to HQ. Will you two be able to do this alone?"
"Definitely," Willow spoke with her newfound confidence and Xander nodded weakly.
"Can you leave me a tazer?"
"Agent Finn," Walsh smiled, "Good work capturing this demon. I'm adding a commendation to your file. Pretty soon you'll be competing head-to-head with your brother."
Thomas Finn smiled, "Just like the good ole days."
If Anya had been conscious, she would have said something that was suitably snarky and blunt. However, she was fully incapacitated, just like the other prisoner in room 314.
To Be Continued
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