by xita » Thu Jul 19, 2001 9:40 am
by karenk » Fri Jul 20, 2001 5:14 pm
Same disclaimers as before.
Chapter 10
“It’s great how you two have added to this space…” Alex said as she wandered round the living room of the apartment she had given Tara and Willow. She stopped in front of one of the windows and peered out into the deceptively tranquil morning.
“Thanks, Alex.” Willow had her hand firmly taken by the nervously sweating Tara, “The Christmas lights were from Tara’s dorm… well, what was left of her dorm…” the redhead pointed out the pretty lights hanging across the room.
“I know.” The immortal replied simply as she turned back to face the witches, when she noticed the surprise on the faces of the witches, she added, “I’ve sneaked into Tara’s dorm before… just after ‘they’ came to try and take you away.”
“The man I always thought was my father, you mean.” Tara asked in a deceptively even tone.
Alex smiled sadly, she gestured to the leather sofa set, taking the chair when Willow coaxed the rather stiff Tara down to the couch.
“Keldorn told me that Sarevok sprouted some stuff about me being sent on a wild goose chase after him?” Alex unconsciously pulled her legs up to seat Indian-style on the big chair as she directed her question to both young women.
Willow glanced at Tara, who had also pulled her legs up to sit Indian-style next to her, expecting her to answer but when Tara didn’t for a long moment, Willow piped in, “Yes, he claimed that rumours of his ‘reappearance’ were the reason why you left Tara and Tara’s mom.”
“Yes… but I didn’t leave you as such… I was ordered to go hunt down Sarevok. I knew he wasn’t back but The Powers That Be insisted and I owed them. I had to go.” Alex explained, knowing that that was the easiest explanation she could give.
“You owed The Powers That Be, because of me, right?” Tara wanted to know, her tone determined.
Alex sighed deeply, “Yes. I owed them because of you. I thought that having you would perhaps change Caitlin’s mind about leaving that man.” Her blue eyes looked steadily into Tara’s equally blue ones, “For almost five years after you were born and five before that, I tried everything to make Caitlin leave but she never… she wouldn’t.” the dark immortal sounded slightly exasperated which changed to regret as she continued, “She wouldn’t leave your brother, her son. Nothing I said or did could change her mind. She had no feelings whatsoever for that man, but your brother…” she closed her eyes, face showing her regret.
“But didn’t you keep track of what that man was doing to Tara and Caitlin?” Willow demanded angrily, “If you cared so much, why didn’t you have Tixon or some other demon like him protect them?” the redhead pointed accusingly at the tall figure slumped in the chair.
“Willow,” Alex sounded weary, “I was sent to a different dimension, the one where Tixon and the rest of the Lenti demons came from originally, so all the Lenti demons under my command were with me. I left Keldorn to keep an eye out, but he could only observe from afar and he never knew about Tara’s relationship to me back then. He only knew about Caitlin.”
“He was always careful not to hit where it would be noticeable.” Tara said, rather blankly. Willow immediately placed a protective and loving arm round Tara’s shoulders.
“Yes. Keldorn never suspected anything, until one day he saw that man slapping you just outside the front door and from then on, he slowly worked his way into his confidence. Becoming one of his drinking buddies. He got closer to you and Caitlin and saw for the first time, evidence.” Alex took a deep breath as she dropped her first bomb, “By then, I had already been gone for three years.”
Willow gasped in astonishment, “Three years?”
“What I didn’t know and what I wasn’t told initially was that the dimension that I was in operated at a different time speed from this one.” Alex looked down at her hands, ashamed of her lack of knowledge, “When I first got Keldorn’s message, I was going to head back immediately but The Powers That Be convinced me to stay for another week, just to be sure that Sarevok really wasn’t there while they would personally make sure that Caitlin and Tara remained safe.” the dark immortal looked up at her captive audience as she continued her account in an increasingly bitter tone.
“Then after a week and still no sign of Sarevok, I packed up and left, but before I could get anywhere near you, The Powers That Be summoned me to another dimension where they said that Sarevok was wrecking havoc in.” she brushed her left hand nervously through her hair before continuing, “They even showed me images of you and Caitlin smiling and laughing, so I thought that what Keldorn saw was not the norm. And I went.”
Alex covered her face with her hands, “What I didn’t know was that one week in the Lenti dimension equalled one year in this. So I thought I was only gone for one month. Keldorn had never mentioned how long it had been since I had left in his messages and Tixon thought I knew about the difference in the speed of time, so he never said anything.”
Tara sat open-mouthed with Willow equally shocked, “That would have been four years...” the redhead managed to sputter out.
The dark immortal nodded curtly, “The Powers That Be lied to me, constantly sending me from one dimension to another. One wild goose chase after another. Showing me images of you and your mother being happy to placate me, until it was about what I thought was seven months away from Caitlin and you.”
Alex rose from the chair, too agitated to remain seated, her long form paced a small circle as she continued, “I had enough, I threatened to never work for The Powers That Be again and finally they relented or so I thought. When I got my bearings back, I sensed that something was wrong and when I picked up the newspapers…” Alex’s tone was the bitterest either young women had ever heard, “I realised that not seven months had past but rather thirteen years. The Powers That Be had knowingly sent me to dimensions that had the greatest difference in time.”
“Thirteen years?” Willow couldn’t believe it. Tara was stunned beyond belief.
“I know, I couldn’t believe it either.” the dark immortal collapsed back in the chair, “I went back and found out that Caitlin was dead and Tara had left for Sunnydale. So I came straight here. Tara,” Alex sat up straight and reached for Tara’s hand, “I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to walk up to you and… and I don’t know… talk or something. But I couldn’t… I was too ashamed. Me, the mighty ‘Defender of Mankind’ tricked by The Powers That Be for thirteen years.”
“But why? Why would The Powers That Be do that?” Tara wanted to know as her right hand grasped Alex’s, while her left hand was held tightly by Willow.
“My deal with The Powers That Be was that whenever I was with the reincarnation of Anastasia, they wouldn’t call upon me to work for them. That changed when Caitlin wanted you and in order for me to give Caitlin what she wanted, I agreed that I would once again be available to work for them, even if Caitlin was still alive.” the immortal explained.
“Those lying bastards!” Willow was indignant.
Alex laughed mirthlessly, “Thank you, Willow. But that was not all. Like I said, I was around when that man came with your brother and cousin to take you away. I watched at the side, I would have stepped in if he had forced you to go back. Just as I was about to step in anyway, Tixon told me that there was a demon uprising in northern Russia. So I left. And that was when the whole Glory thing came to bear. Unfortunately, I had left too many Lenti demons here, Lenti demons are not traditionally warriors. They don’t fight, they spy and they infiltrate.” Alex shook her head in disbelief at her own lack of foresight.
“So when Glory attacked you, they couldn’t stop her. One of them shimmered to me but I was right in the middle of a battle. I couldn’t leave at that point because those Bodhi demons were very strong, I wasn’t able to make it back in time.” Alex sighed, “I try not to do teleportation with a Lenti demon because it drains me and I knew that if I was weakened in anyway, I would not have been able to stop Glory. After all, she is a hellgod and I am just an immortal. A very powerful one, but still…”
“But you teleported here when Sarevok came.” Willow pointed out.
Alex smiled slightly, “Desperate times call for desperate measures, Willow. And besides, back then, I already knew I was too late. So instead, I went to The Powers That Be and confronted them. Just like I am now almost certain that they were behind the Yuan-ti’s, I knew that they were behind the Bodhi’s. They did not want me around to interfere in any way with what was to be.”
“Buffy’s death.” Tara stated while Willow had her hand over her mouth.
“Yes. Buffy’s death was destined to happen.” The immortal was grave.
“But how…” Tara started to ask the question she knew Willow wanted to know.
“I had never been angrier. Never. Not in the past 2,788 years of my life. I’m not exactly sure what happened next,” Alex was rueful, “but I had the two Powers That Be’s throats in my hands. And I told them if Buffy wasn’t returned, I was going to start squeezing. It was long moments before they finally agreed. Then, I also told them that I was never going to work for them ever again. And I left.” she shrugged.
“Thank you.” Willow didn’t know what else to say.
“The world needs heroes like Buffy. And the rest of the Scoobies. You are all heroes.” Alex was matter-of-fact.
“The world has you.” the redhead pointed out.
The dark immortal shook her head, “It would be better for everyone if the world didn’t need me.” she looked straight at the two witches, “Doesn’t need me.”
Tara sprung up and launched herself at Alex, “But I need you, mom. I do.”
“I know you do, sweet bird. That’s why I’m here,” the immortal hugged Tara close as she motioned for Willow to join in. The redhead did without hesitation and the three of them squeezed each other tightly for a long time.
The End for now. Will be continued in Alexina: Cherish.
[This message has been edited by karenk (edited July 20, 2001).]
by tommo » Fri Jul 20, 2001 7:52 pm
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"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
by Warduke » Fri Jul 20, 2001 7:54 pm
by xita » Sat Jul 21, 2001 12:40 am
by tommo » Sat Jul 21, 2001 9:50 am
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"She looked across at Willow, whose face was filled with light. She had never felt so calm and happy, and strong..." ~ Unseen: Door To Alternity
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