Pieces Kept

Part 2

Wake up, Willow.

“-can’t remain here, Buffy.” Willow woke to hear Giles saying.

“Giles-“

“She cannot remain untutored in magic.” The watcher interrupted. Willow could feel the Slayer’s stubborn pout form behind closed eyes. Buffy didn’t like anyone telling her what she could and couldn’t do - even Giles. Though him she listened to more than others, before going her own way. “The amount of black magic she absorbed, even trained witches with a full coven to back them up, they rarely come out of it alive, or even sane.” Giles continued, unaware that his audience had just increased by one. “With her previous addiction to those same dark magics, it will be even harder for her to resist the power now inside of her.”

“But England?” she heard Buffy question, slightly unsure but sounding almost convinced that her old Watcher was right.

“They are one of the more powerful covens, Buffy, and they are willing to help.” Giles answered the blonde. Willow could hear it in Giles voice as he spoke - he was determined to bring her back to England. Tired, but determined.

“Why can’t you just teach her here? Bring the whole coven?” Buffy suggested. Willow could hear her getting more excited the more she spoke. “It could be a group outing. You know, ‘See the Hellmouth - Cure the witch’. I mean, how long could it take?”

There was complete silence for a moment before Giles could bring himself to speak again - at least, that was Willow’s theory when she heard how aghast he sounded when he finally regained the power of speech.

“Buffy. You cannot simply ‘move’ a coven, especially across half the planet! The travel plans and arrangements necessary for every member, their significant other, family members and familiars, alone, are almost incomprehensible. Needless to say the sheer quantity of supplies they would need to bring, and any travelling requires precise timing of lunar cycles and earth rotations, as well as making sure to avoid magical ‘hot spots’ while finding adequate housing where the ley lines happen to intersect-“

“All right! All right!” Buffy interrupted, sounding as overwhelmed as Willow felt. The witch had never been privy to the coven structure before - UC Sunnydale Wicca Group excluded - so this was all new to her. Well, for the most part. Just because neither Giles, Jenny Calendar nor Tara had ever brought it up, didn’t mean that Willow didn’t know about the basics of a coven. In fact, none of them knew just how far into her studies she’d gotten - before her addiction and without their help.

“The ideal solution is for Willow to return to England with me.” Giles told Buffy, being as gentle as he could. “To be some place other than the Hellmouth.”

“Why don’t you tell them the real reason you want her across the ocean, Giles?!” came a slightly hysterical and panicked voice.

Willow’s eyes snapped open at that, taking in Anya as she confronted the slightly annoyed Watcher and confused Slayer.

“What’s she talking about, Giles?” asked Buffy, turning her whole body to face her old Watcher.

“Tell them about how Little Miss ‘Let’s Destroy the World’ sent out a magical call through the supernatural community on two continents and three different planes of existence!” Anya’s shrill voice rose with every word. “Tell them how every being bent on world destruction or domination will be heading straight for this little slice of Hell! Or maybe just mention the hundreds of bounty hunters bound to show up soon, so they can be the one to claim the head of the ‘Dark Witch’!”

The entire room listened in horror, imagining what any one of those people could do to Willow if they ever got their hands on her.

“Is that true?” asked Xander, speaking up for the first time.

Reluctantly, Giles nodded.

“Will she be any safer in England?” was his next question, causing Willow to smile inwardly. Everyone was worried about her becoming a weapon against them, but Xander was worried about her. His best friend.

“The coven will protect her as best they can, until she can protect herself without falling into the dark arts again.” Giles replied after a moment.

But it was a moment too long for Willow. Her actions were continuing to put people in danger. First, her friends, and now this coven of witches she’d never even heard of before today.

However, she didn’t see any viable alternative.

“It’s a yes or no question, Giles!” Xander pushed, coming to the same conclusion Willow had - if someone more powerful came after Willow, the coven may not be able to protect her.

“I’ll go.” The words left her mouth before she had consciously thought them. She wouldn’t put her friends in danger, but she also wouldn’t put people she’d never met before in danger, either. At the first sign that the coven was in trouble because of her, she would leave. No one else would die because of what she’d done.

“Wills. You don’t have to go. We’ll deal with whatever-“

“I’ll go pack.” Willow interrupted Buffy. Any more well-intentioned pleas to stay from her friends, and she would - damn the consequences. “When do we leave?” she asked Giles, rising from her position on Xander’s lap.

“The flight leaves at 8:45 a.m., tomorrow. We should be there for 7:00 a.m. at the latest.” Giles informed her, his face devoid of all thoughts.

“Ok. Goodnight.” was said over her shoulder as she strode from the room, leaving silence behind her.

End

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