Story: Fade Away Again, Chapter 17

[willow_25]

Fade Away Again, Chapter 17

 

A/N: Never thought you’d see this one, huh?  I’m shocked, myself.  We’re back to single-narrator chapters, now that the battle is over.  Once again, the timeline of this chapter starts during the previous chapter, which, in case you’ve forgotten in the intervening years, was the Giles interlude.

 

 

Jezzie

 

“Yellow?”  I wondered with half a thought as I picked up the receiver who had the number to the kitchen phone, but honestly I was too busy translating to give it much thought.

 

“Hey, Jezzie, can you do me a favor?”  Even if it wasn’t Penny asking me, I would’ve been hesitant.  I was buried in research, and not inclined to doing favors for anyone at the mo’.  Also, the gashes across my stomach burned, and it made me grouchy.

 

“Depends.  Whatta ya want?  Also, how the hell did you get this number?”

 

“Got the number from Wes, and I want someone to pick up Tommy at LAX.  He’s on his way to LA.  I have a few more errands to run, and I’m not sure I’ll make it on time.  Not Lorne, though.  I told Tommy he was a demon, but I’m not sure that’ll stop Mr. Impulsive from slaying anything demonic he comes across.”

 

“I’ll take care of it.  What else have you gotta do, that it’s gonna take four hours?”

 

“Not four hours; more like two.  And, I’m still not done packing up the apartment; then I need to go buy some pants for William that will actually fit over that cast, and check Willow out of her hotel and get her things; she’ll probably want to shower and change when she wakes up.”  She paused.  “There was something else, but for the life of me I don’t remember what it was.”

 

Which is really pretty typical for Penny when she’s rushing around doing ten million things.  “Okay, just…Keep in touch, will you?  Wolfram & Hart might have people looking for Angel and William’s crew, and I don’t wanna have to worry about whether or not you’re dead.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll call.  Anyone wake up yet?”

 

“Connor and Laurie, but then Laurie didn’t sleep much.  Gunn seems to be healing well; he’s up and around, but moving slow.  He took off for the hospital; some humans he used to hunt demons with got injured. No one else who was down for the count when you left.”

 

“How’s Merry handling Joy’s sleeping beauty impression?”

 

“She’s not happy, but putting everyone else back together is keeping her busy.  Not like she’s hanging by Joycie’s bedside or anything.  And, she’s out of the wheelchair, at least.”

 

“Well, that’s something.  I better go.”

 

We exchange info and say goodbye, and I turn to Wes.  “Penny’s still picking things up; we need to send someone to the airport to get Tommy.  Guess he wasn’t gonna wait for his girl to get home.”

 

Wes sits back and rubs his eyes.  “Understandable.  I suppose I should go; you’re rather bogged down here, and you shouldn’t be driving yet, anyway.”

 

I open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, but before I can Laurie and Connor come back.  Laurie heads straight for the refrigerator, and Connor steps close to Wes and me.  “Umm, so I talked to my parents.  My adopted parents, or whatever.  I’m gonna go over to their place and try to explain what’s going on with stuff.  So, I was wondering…Is there any way one of you could come with me, to help me explain, and maybe fill in some of the blanks?  I mean, it’s okay if you say no.  I guess my car’s here somewhere, so I can just go myself…”

 

Wesley stops him mid-ramble.  “I would be happy to come with you to speak with them.  It would most likely be better if it were me; a familiar face, as it were.”

 

Connor gives him a crooked little smile.  “Thanks, Wes.  I’m just gonna go check on Pops before we go; make sure he didn’t wake up and eat the Doc or something.”

 

The boy turns and basically flees the room, and we’re left there staring at one another.  Laurie sits next to me cradling the soda she dug out of the fridge, and is silent for a few seconds before piping up.  “He’s really, really confused about stuff right now.  He’s still angry with Angel for whatever happened before Connor’s memories were changed, and now he has these supportive parents who loved him, and they suddenly remember that he’s not their son, and he has to deal with that.  And Angel got injured, and I think there’s a little speck of guilt, like ‘I wished he was dead and now he might be dying’.”

 

Wes smiles tightly.  “You’re very observant, Loralie.”

 

“Well, yes.  Yes, I am.  We also spent the last hour or so talking, and I sat with him while he spoke to the adoptive parents.  Or, you know, whatever they are.”  She shrugs.

 

“Don’t you worry, baby girl.”  I reach out and run my fingers through her recently-cropped hair, because I can’t help myself.  “We’re gonna do our best to make sure that everyone comes out of this unscathed, emotionally as well as physically.”

 

“I don’t believe that’s possible, in Connor’s case.”  Wes buts in,  “But, we will do the best we can to help him through this.” Laurie nods, then says her goodbyes and rolls out.

 

Laurie’s visit reminds me that we’ve spent so much time on this damn research that we’ve kind of abandoned the injured parties.  We should really be doing something more tangible. Neither of us has the medical experience to do a lot, but Wes has his magic stuff and I have my money.  Actually; I don’t know why the hell I didn’t think of it before, but my mother would probably come out, and she is a doctor.  Maybe then Ron would sleep for more than two hours at a time. “Wes, I just realized…I should call my mother.”

 

Wes gives me a funny look, and I can tell he doesn’t get it.  “Yes, of course, we should call Apple’s parents as well; come to think of it I should give Mum a ring…”

 

Apple’s parents.  Crap, I suck as a Watcher.  That poor child is laying upstairs facing the possibility of losing her left arm alone, and I’m doing prophecy research.  I suck, verily.  She needs her parents.  I’m instantly up and headed to the only other place I know has a phone, which I’ve been informed used to be Wes’ office. 

 

Vonda answers the phone on the first ring, which surprises me, because talking to Apple’s parents often involves a long process of tracking one or both of them down.  This quick response, accompanied by a sharply barked, “What’s wrong with her?”  Knocks me off my game for a minute.

 

“Vonda, hi.  I…Umm…”

 

“Sweetie, I know Apple’s hurt, I can tell.  So, you can skip the telling me delicately part.  Is it bad?”

 

The calm forthright tone of her voice is somehow worse than if she were sobbing.  At least then I would know what to say.  “Yes, it’s bad.  It’s her left arm…”

 

“Did you take her to a doctor?”  Vonda cuts me off.

 

“Yes, we have a doctor here, and a nurse.  My mother’s on her way.  I was calling to ask you to come.  We’re still in Los Angeles...”

 

At that, it seems like emotions finally get the better of her.  Her voice is choked when she replies.  “Of course, we’ll be out as soon as we can get a flight.  How did this happen?”

 

“There was a big fight that we got sucked into helping with, Apple let herself get overtired and something snuck up on her.  That’s what I’ve heard, anyway; I was off getting bandaged at the time.”

 

“Oh, you’re hurt?”  There’s only a faint note of sympathy in her voice, as though I deserve to be injured because I allowed the same thing to happen to her daughter.

 

“Eh, I got a cut on my torso, but the doctor doesn’t think there’s permanent damage to my abdominal muscles, so I should be fine in a few weeks.  I’m on bed rest, that’s all.”  I’m more worried about Apple than myself, and there’s no need to freak Vonda out more than she already is.

 

When I emerge, not feeling any better after speaking with Vonda and John, Connor and Wes are waiting in the lobby.  “We should call Buffy, also.”  Wes says, continuing the previous conversation.  “She’ll want an update on what’s going on here.  What about Elise; is there anyone to call for her?”

 

“Just Tommy; they’re her legal guardians. Joy and Merry have a brother, but I don’t know if they’ll want him here, or if he’ll even come if we call.”

 

“Charming.  His sisters are saving the world, risking their lives, and what’s he doing?”  Wes sounds a hell of a lot more snide and bitter than I would have expected.

 

“I don’t know.  I think he works in advertizing?  No, wait, that’s Joy…”

 

“Irrelevant, I suppose…” 

 

Wes is cut off mid sentence by Connor.  “You ready to go, Wesley?  I said I’d be there in an hour, and we’re not gonna make it if we don’t leave soon.”

 

“Yes, let’s go.  I just need a book from my old office.”  He turns back to face me.  “I’ll take care of my Mum.  Buffy’s number should be in Spike’s cell phone, call her first.  Then do whatever you can, and I’ll help when I get back.”

 

I nod, still upset over how much I’ve neglected in the last few hours.  How am I going to handle this mess, where all of these girls look up to me as an authority figure, if I can’t keep my head on straight long enough to look after them.  I’m gonna have to get better at this, and fast.  “Here, take Tommy’s flight info.  You won’t have time to come back here.”  I grab a notepad off the front desk and scribble them a note.  Before I know it they’re gone.

 

I call my mother first, despite Wes’ instructions, only to realize that I’ve forgotten yet another important thing; that Willow has a head injury and we haven’t performed any tests to see if it’s serious, which reminds me that we need to get at very least an X-ray machine in here; and where the hell do you buy an X-ray machine?

 

When Mom and I are finished, I hunt down William’s phone, which is living on a small table in the sick room with every other phone Ron took out of a pocket while he treated the person in question.  Someone, I suspect Lorne, attached paper nametags to the phones with rubber bands.  Honestly, I didn’t think about where my cell went, I just used the landline in the front office.  It’s a good thing I thought to look for William’s though, because in finding mine I discover that I have 5 messages.  I’ll have to deal with those later. 

 

Sure enough, Buffy’s number is in William’s phone, and the Sineya is eagerly awaiting a call from anyone who can tell her what’s going on.  The conversation is cathartic, and the release of tears helps me to focus on what needs to get done next.  Send the research information to Rome, then call around for the medical supplies we’ll need.  At least my mother knew who to call…

 

Heading back to the kitchen, I nearly miss the strangers standing by the front door.  Actually, I don’t notice them at all until Laurie calls me.  “Umm, Mum?  You might want to come here for a mo’.”

 

I look up at the sound of her voice, and startle when I notice Laurie holding a group of people at bay.  The woman who steps forward to speak with me looks around 80.  “Hello, I’m Rosa Gonzales.  This is my son David and his family.”  She waves her arm to indicate a couple and three kids.  “These two we met on our way here.”  She motions again, towards two teenage girls who look caught between terrified and trying to play it off.

 

“It’s nice to meetcha, Rosa.”  I reply.  “What can we do for ya?”

 

“Well, dear, that’s the thing.  We don’t know why we’re here.”

 

“I believe I speak for both of us, when I say, qua?”  Laurie interjects.  I can’t help but agree.

 

“Well, morning before yesterday, I woke up and felt like we needed to go somewhere.  When I told my daughter-in-law, she said she felt the same way.  We called my son at work, and he said he’d been feeling antsy as well, so we packed some things and got in the car.  We drove here from Nevada.  We picked the girls up hitchhiking along the freeway.”

 

“Hitchhiking?”  I stare at the teenagers.  “Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

 

One of them steps forward, evidently the spokesperson.  “We know hitching’s dangerous…For most people.  But, we can take care of ourselves.”

 

I roll my eyes over the group, taking in their eager and confused faces, the glares of the defiant teenagers, and wonder what the heck they’re doing here.  Just out of curiosity, I go over our most immediate problems.  “Any of you have any medical training?”

 

Rosa’s daughter-in-law raises her hand.  “I’m a nurse.”

 

I blink dumbly for a minute, because I honestly hadn’t been expecting an answer. “Okay.  Any of you have magical abilities?” Rosa and the teenager who hadn’t spoken raise their hands.  “Okay…David.  May I ask what you do?”

 

“I’m a school bus driver, and I coach the girl’s soccer and fencing teams at the high school.”

 

Seriously?  What are the odds that a high school in Nevada has a fencing team, and their coach just happens to be a professional driver who’s the son and husband of Slayers?  I can’t help but smile.  I’ve never been much of a believer in coincidences.  I turn to the girl who spoke for her friend.  “And what about you?”

 

“Carolyn.”  She answers my unasked question.  “I don’t know, I just felt like I needed to be here, so I ditched my Watcher and started walking.  I met Tamara in San Francisco, and she bought bus tickets that got us as far as San Jose, then we started hitching.”

 

Well, at least one of them knows what she is.  “I wish you’d gotten here yesterday, you missed a big battle.  We’re mostly injured here, so I’ll set you up on the patrol schedule we’d been following.”  She blinks at me, as though she wasn’t expecting to get an assignment, or that I would have any idea what she was talking about.  “Laurie, get Carolyn and Tamara to a phone, where they can call their Watchers or parents or whoever.  Then show them where the sheets and things are, and have them help set up rooms for everyone.  Let Lorne know if you’re gonna need to move furniture again, he’ll know where to move it to and from.  I’ll bring the girls a patrol schedule in a while.”

 

“You’re not going to help move furniture?”  Carolyn asks, with an attitude that tells me she’s put me in the ‘Watcher who gives orders and doesn’t help’ category.  So, I lift my shirt to display the bandages around my ribs.

 

“Doc Ron says no lifting anything heavier than a plate for at least a week, and no patrol for a week after that.”  The sight of the bandages brings respect into her eyes, and I nod in acknowledgement.  It’s always good to know what you have to do to impress people.

 

“Oh, you poor dear.”  Rosa steps forward and leans close to look at the bandages.  Although, I have no idea how she would be able to see anything useful.  “No one here could make a poultice for you?”

 

I shake my head.  “Most of the witches were injured or knocked out in the battle.  The one who wasn’t is the only one fit to drive, so she’s been running errands for hours now.  I just got antibiotic.”

 

She shakes her head.  “Well, I can fix something up.  Of course, someone would have to direct me to a store where I can purchase materials…”

 

“There are some in the office over here.”  I lead her to Wes’ old office, where the magical things seem to congregate.  When I come back, David and his wife are having a huddle, while the kids have found seats on the sofas spread around the lobby, Laurie hanging close to the two older girls.

 

“Okay, Laurie, get going.”  She nods, and Carolyn stands to follow her, but Tamara heads towards me.

 

“I really don’t have anyone to call, you know?”  She says quietly, a blush staining her cheeks.  “My Watcher was killed almost a year ago, and I don’t know where my parents are, or who they are, so I’ve just kind of been living underground.”

 

I take in the shy blonde with her blush and her hunched shoulders, and wonder what to do about her.  Nothing comes to mind.  “Well, why don’t you go see if you can help Rosa?  When things get more stable around here, we can see about tracking down your parents.  And, if we can’t, there’s a school in Brazil to train Slayers with Magical abilities, where you’ll be welcome.”

 

She smiles, relieved that I’m not going to call the authorities on her for being a runaway, I guess.  My heart aches for her parents, wherever they are.  I hope they never knew there was something out there hunting their daughter, that they haven’t spent the last year believing she was dead.

 

When she’s gone, I’m left with the three younger kids.  I sit on the sofa across from the three youngsters.  I’m guessing they’re about five, seven, and eleven; two boys with a girl sandwiched between.  They all look worried about the fact that their grown-ups have dragged them across two states for no clear reason.  I’m about to start making conversation to pass the time when Lorne comes down the stairs.  “Ahh, there you are, Bella.  I was about to call out the dogs.  Doc wants to check your bandages, and get you to bed with a sedative.”

 

“I don’t have time for a nap.”  I reply, struggling to stand.  It’s gotten harder to move the longer I’ve been awake.  “There’s a whole stack of stuff I need to fax to Buffy and her Watcher, then I need to get to get a room ready for my Mom, and get her a ride from the airport…”

 

“Give me the papers and I will fax them or get someone else to do it; someone else can go to the airport and make up the room.  You can do anything else from bed.”  He retorts.  “Now, who do we have here?”

 

It occurs to me at that point that the kids might be scared of Lorne - Apple would have been when she was little - and I turn to them to explain about Lorne. “Umm, guys, this is Lorne, he’s from a dimension called Pylea.  That’s why he looks different.”  The older boy nods, and the younger one looks slightly less nervous, but the little girl’s expression doesn’t change.  She’s completely enraptured. 

 

“You’re green!  Like Kermit!”  She declares breathlessly.  Her declaration attracts her parents’ attention, and they both look startled.  David walks cautiously towards us, for now just observing.

 

Lorne is as charming as I’ve seen him, crouching down in front of the sofa so all three kids can get a good look at him.  “Why yes I am, dear heart.  And you are tan.”

 

She giggles, and reaches out to touch his face.  Lorne sits very still to allow her free reign.  Her little brother copies her when he sees that it’s allowed.  After a minute both kids back off, and the older boy speaks.  “Why did you come here, if you’re from another dimension?  Didn’t you like it where you grew up?”

 

Lorne frowns, considering his answer.  “No, I didn’t like it very much.  My dimension has no music, you see.  I came here at first by accident, but then when I learned about music, I never wanted to leave.”  He smiles, and Lorne smiles back.  “Now, my little blossom.”  Lorne turns his eyes back to me.  “Why don’t you show me these papers that need to be sent to the Buff-Puff?”

 

“You said there are injured people here?  And a doctor?”  Little boy’s mother (I really need to start asking people’s names) asks. 

 

“Yes.  I’m sorry, what’s your name?”

 

“Oh, I apologize, that was rude of me.  My name is Marta, and this is Aaron, Elizabeth and Ferdinand.”  She motions to the children.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all.  We’re happy to have you.”

 

She nods in acknowledgement.  “Now, if you could direct me towards the people in need of help, the children and I will go that way, and you can speak to my husband.”

 

I glance at David, who is still tense.  “Umm, it’s not my place to say, but maybe the sick rooms aren’t the best place for children.”  And somehow I don’t think they’ll be comfy leaving their kids with Lorne until they get to know him.  “Why don’t I watch them? I just have a couple of things to settle here, and they can play in my room while I lay down.”  The parents have a quick visual conference.  “It’s no trouble at all.  Laurie’s my daughter, so it’s not like I’ve never been around little ones.”  They seem relieved at that, and nod their agreement. 

 

“Great.  Listen, could you wait here for a minute, while Lorne and I get some things straightened out?”  We head to the kitchen, where I show Lorne what to send to Rome.  Then he shoes me back to the main area and heads into a part of the Hyperion I haven’t explored yet, in search of a fax machine.

 

When I get back to the lobby, there are three more people there with the Gonzales’.  Okay, seriously, where was all this help when we needed it?  “Hello?”

 

David stands up.  “This is Warren Prichard, and his wife Andrea.  And this is Barbara Thomas.  She met them outside, on the way in.”  All three of them wave awkwardly.  They’re in their late twenties or early thirties, and Andrea looks like she might be pregnant.

 

“Well, welcome to the Hyperion.  I’m not sure what to have you do, but I’m sure we can think of something…”

 

“You said there were people that needed to be picked up from the airport?”  David asks.

 

“Yes.  If I give someone the flight information, can you go to LAX?”

 

Barbara and David both offer, but I send Barbara in my car.  I’d rather David stay here until he’s more comfortable with us.  By the time that’s settled, Laurie and Carolyn are back.  Since I can’t think of anything else, I send David and Warren to help them clean and move furniture, and bring Andrea, Marta and the kids upstairs with me.  I introduce Marta to Ron, and get to inform him that my mother the surgeon will be arriving tonight.  He practically faints in relief.

 

Then he reminds me that I’ve been ordered on bed rest, and I go without a fight, because I’m starting to agree that I need to lay down.  Andrea helps me into bed, and gets the kids settled, then she drags a chair up to the bedside. “Is there anything I can do?”  She asks hesitantly.  “I mean, I’m a chef, so I don’t know how much use I’ll be around here…”

 

“Believe me, food would be welcome.  We haven’t eaten much in the past few days, and the ones that cook, myself included, are mostly too injured to do it.”  I sigh, and glare at my cell phone.  Now that I’m lying down, I just want to sleep.  “Phone calls are really the only thing left to do around here.”

 

“Well, I can use a phone.  Unless, you’re glaring at it like that because it’s a demon phone?  I don’t have any experience with demon phones.”

 

I laugh, which pulls the skin across my ribs and reminds me why I’m laying here.  “No, I’m angry because my Slayer’s injured and might lose her arm, or even just the use of it.  And all I can do to help is let her parents yell at me and buy more medical supplies.”

 

“Er, that doesn’t sound good.  What’s a Slayer?  And, how did you get one?”

 

I blink at her, because I honestly didn’t expect that.  How could the Powers have called her here if she has no idea what she is?  “Umm, well, you’re a Slayer.”

 

She looks at me like I’ve gone nuts.  “Okay.  Is that another name for an Argabmial?”

 

“A who?”  Now I’m looking at her like she’s wacky.

 

“It’s a type of demon.  I thought that’s what you meant when you said Slayer.”

 

“No, a Slayer is its own thing.  A demon half-breed, but so interwoven with humanity that there are few remaining demon traits.  We’re also called the Tribe of Sineya.”

 

“Oh, you’re Sineyan.  Well, that explains it.  I thought there was something weird going on here.  No, I’m not Sineyan, but my husband is.”

 

I can’t help it, my eyes are drawn to her stomach.  “Forgive me for butting in, but I was always told that Slayers…Sineyans can only interbreed with one another.”

 

“Well, it takes a special kind of demon, or a hybrid with compatible genetic markers; it’s not that common, but obviously it is possible.”  Andrea lays a hand over her stomach.

 

I have more questions, but I let them go and relax back into the pillows.  Once I make this call, I’m taking a nap.   I dig the slip of paper where I wrote the number of the medical supply store from my pocket, and call to find the equipment my mother requested.  As I talk, Andrea leans back in her chair, hands clasped over the small bulge of her stomach, and watches the children play.  I finish my call, and drift off to sleep to the sound of their giggles.