History Raises

Part 6

“You gonna tell me why we’re headed for a Hellmouth, Cowboy?” Vin asked. They were the first words he’d spoken since they’d met at the airport in Denver. Chris had been very intense and dark since the start, and Vin knew enough to leave the man to his thoughts. However, seeing as they were merely minutes from landing he decided that it was now or never.

Chris’ eyes flew up to meet Vin’s calm gaze, and the bounty hunter knew he’d drawn Chris out of something important. The man had been seated in the same place since takeoff, eyes closed as if asleep, but the warm waves of power washing through the cabin told him differently. Chris was concentrating on something very hard, and though Vin normally wouldn’t question his friend, he felt in need of some information.

Glancing out the window, Chris realized it had been dark the last time he looked. It was now past dawn.

“We close?” he asked Vin, his gaze swinging back to be met by piercing blue eyes.

“‘Bout to land.”

Silence followed, as Chris tried to sort through everything he knew.

“That wave of magic that about knocked half of Denver on its ass?” Chris began, not really needing an answer - everyone had felt it. “It was caused by a witch who was trying to destroy us all.”

“All?”

“Everyone on the planet.” confirmed Chris.

“One witch?” A raised brow accompanying the question.

“Only one.” Which made Vin all the more uncomfortable. Most covens couldn’t hope to generate that much power.

“Who is she?” he asked, knowing they weren’t hunting this witch - more of the boys would have come if that were the case. That, and Buck’s words still echoed in his head. ‘The only thing that kept Chris sane and in one piece after Sarah and Adam died.’

“My daughter.”

Two raised brows were the only outward sign of surprise Vin showed. “Didn’t think you’d be up for anymore kids after what happened.” Referring to the devastating deaths of his wife and son.

“She’s older.”

‘Before Sarah’ was left unsaid.

“I didn’t know about her ‘till she was eight, and by then her mother was married and didn’t want her husband to know. Sheila told him I’d died, and Willow didn’t know the difference. I kept pushing to be allowed to spend time with her; threatened to go to court before she relented. After that, Willow spent a few weeks every summer at the ranch. Sheila told everyone Willow was at her grandmother’s.”

“Sheila?”

“High school girlfriend. We broke up before she knew she was pregnant, and didn’t tell me.” the anger and resentment still evident in his voice.

“She’s powerful.” Vin remarked. The pulse of magic felt in Denver had been intense - he could only imagine what people in Sunnydale had felt.

“She doesn’t have much control, either.” added Chris, silently cursing Sheila for never telling him about Willow. The woman had no idea about the powers Willow had inherited from him, so she had gotten no formal training. Two weeks a year was nowhere close to constant supervision. Maybe if he’d pushed harder, Chris could have gotten partial custody, or simply more time with Willow.

Looking at Vin, Chris clearly read the look on the Texan’s face. It said ‘And you’re bringing her to Denver?’.

“I tried to teach her the basics, but only having two weeks a year . . .” he trailed off, and Vin understood. It took months, if not years, to gain understanding and control, especially given the levels of power she’d displayed.

“She doesn’t have a mentor?” asked Vin, not understanding why no one would take the girl in and teach her.

“There was a gypsy, once, but she was killed by a vampire shortly after she began to teach Willow. The only other candidate was a British Watcher, and from what Willow has said, he kept trying to dissuade her from magic.” The tone of voice conveyed exactly what he though of the man and his ideas.

“That level of power didn’t emerge overnight.” Vin commented.

“No. It’s been building up for some time.” Chris explained. Ever since the plane had taken off, he’d been in contact with Willow through the link he’d forged between them when her powers had just begun to emerge. She’d been telling him about the last few months of her life, and the rage was still boiling within. The idiots could have killed her. “Her powers began to fully emerge after the gypsy’s death. I remember being that age, and the hormones had nothing on the magic surging through my blood, trying to find release.”

“So this was her ‘big bang’?”

“Yeah. Her friends convinced her she was addicted to dark magic, and made her give it up.”

“Ain’t that kinda dangerous?” Vin asked. He knew that black magic could be addictive, but didn’t think that was what had happened. Chris wasn’t like other magic users. He didn’t harness the magical energy around him, which was either black or white, positive or negative. Instead, the blonde seemed to tap into the Earth’s energy, which wasn’t good or bad, simply . . . natural. Vin figured Willow would be the same way.

“Extremely.”

He’d explained all this to Willow, saying that Rack had only been ‘releasing the pressure’, so to speak. She was not addicted to black magic, her body just needed the release of energy build-up. But it still acted the same way.

“So that’s what made her pop?” referring to the reason behind the trip.

“Partly. Her lover was hit with a stray bullet, after they got back together. Died instantly.”

That’s when Vin understood. The daughter had followed in the father’s footsteps, though unintentionally.

“She gonna be dressed in black and glowering at everyone, too?” Vin joked, drawing a slight smile from the other man.

“Worse. Babble and Resolve Face.”

“Goddess help us all.”

End

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