Return

Thousands of miles away, in Los Angeles, California, a young woman tossed and turned in her bed. She'd dreamt of a young man, and the blackest of magics surrounding him.

Willow Rosenberg sighed as she extracted herself from her lover's embrace. She crept silently to the door and padded down the hall to the large kitchen at the end. She smiled at the petite blonde sitting at the table.

"Couldn't sleep?" Buffy Summers asked, holding out a chocolate chip cookie.

"Weird dream," Willow said, taking a seat at the table. She took the proffered cookie and began to nibble on it.

"Weird?" Buffy's face scrunched up in confusion. "Normal weird? Or big-bad's-brewin'-and -freaky-stuff's-gonna-happen-to-us-soon weird?"

"Freaky-stuff's-gonna-happen weird." Willow sighed and took another cookie. "Isn't it always though?"

"Unfortunately. Oh well, things were starting to get a little boring without someone trying to torture or kill us."

"You forgot maim."

"That too." Buffy looked over at her best friend. "Hey, I don't mean to be meddle-girl, but is everything okay between you and Kennedy? I mean, not that it's any of my business, because it's yours. Business I mean, well of course it's your business I just-"

"It's ok Buff," Willow said, cutting her off. "To tell you the truth, things aren't that good. I just, I don't think I'm in love with her." She played with a piece of her bright red hair.

"Oh," Buffy bit her lip, unsure as how to continue.

"I don't want to hurt her, but how can I tell the woman who taught me it was okay to love again that I don't want to be with her?"

"I really wish I knew what to tell you Wills."

"Next week's lotto numbers would be nice, but I'll settle for some advice." The two exchanged small smiles, but were interrupted before anything else could be said.

"HOLY SHIT!" Buffy and Willow took off like rockets to where the scream had come from. With the slayer in the lead, the two raced through the halls of their rented house.

"Faith! Robin!" Buffy burst open the door of the room that was shared by ex-Sunnydale High principal Robin Wood, and ex-Rogue slayer Faith. Blankets were strewn across the two, and their nakedness gave a clear indication of what they had been doing before the interruption.

"Oh dear," Willow said quietly, turning as red as her hair. No one paid her any mind though, as their attention was focused on the prone figure lying on the floor in front of them. It was an adult man, and while he appeared normal in every other way, he was dressed VERY oddly.

"Hey B, friend of yours?" Faith asked while grabbing her clothes off of the floor and passing Robin his. Buffy walked over and prodded the stranger with her foot.

"Nope. Don't think I know any guys who would wear a dress. In public anyways."

"And I really don't want to ask," Robyn interjected, cringing at her last comment. "Ah, Willow? Mind getting rid of the crowd?" He gestured towards the group of girls gathering around the door.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm on it. Okay, shoo, run along. Nothing to see here. Just your ordinary, every day, run-of-the-mill man in a dress and tired-sweaty people who-" Willow's voice died off as she herded the former-potential-but-now-active slayers back to their rooms.

Buffy crouched down next to the man and studied him. "Well, he's breathing, so he's not a vamp."

"And the slayer-sense isn't really sending off any warning bells. I don't think he's a demon B." Faith, now fully dressed, joined her next to the prone figure.

"Right, because demons usually have a sign and a nametag. 'Hello, my name is-'" Robyn trailed off at a shared look from the girls. The three refocused as the mystery man gave a groan. "I think he's waking up."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious. Hey, are you okay?" Buffy gave him a small nudge.

"Harry," the man groaned.

"Harry? Is that your name?" The man groaned and started to push himself into an upright position.

"No-Oh Merlin's balls." He collapsed back down to the floor before vomiting.

"Ugh. Man that is some nasty shit."

"Faith," Buffy said in a warning voice. "What's your name?" The man looked at her, confused for a moment.

"Er, my name? It's, er, Black. Sirius Black."

***

"Willow?" Kennedy walked over to her girlfriend, who had just finished herding the other girls back to their rooms.

"Oh! Kennedy, hi." Kennedy came up behind her and put an arm around her waist. Willow stiffened before pulling away. The brunette gave her an odd look before opening her mouth again to speak.

"What was with the crowd?"

"Something happened in Robin and Faith's room." Kennedy gave her a questioning look.

"What kind of something?"

"I really don't know. Buffy's looking into it." Kennedy's look turned from questioning to suggestive.

"So, you're off the hook?" She made to put her arms around Willow. For the second time that night, Willow avoided her girlfriend's embrace. It didn't go unnoticed. "Geez Will!"

"What?" Willow said uncomfortably.

"You're always flinching away from me! We haven't made love in weeks and now you won't even let me touch you!" By now, Kennedy's voice had risen to a yell, and several of the girls had wandered back into the hall.

"Kennedy, calm down. You're making a scene!"

"I don't CARE!" Willow looked at her helplessly before gathering her wits.

"Hey! Floor show's over people!" She snapped at the now re-gathering crowd. She grabbed Kennedy by the arm and hauled her back to their room. She slammed the door behind them, and then turned to face her girlfriend.

"What, Will? Are you going to deny it?" Kennedy said in an especially nasty tone. Willow flinched slightly before meeting her gaze.

"No." This was obviously not the response Kennedy was expecting, but she recovered quickly.

"Then what the HELL is going on?"

" Kennedy," Willow sighed before continuing. "I should have said something a long time ago."

"What-said what, Will?"

"I-I-Kennedy, I don't want to hurt you. I really don't! I'm just, I care about you. I do. But I'm not in love with you." Kennedy looked as though she'd been slapped.

"You-you're not in love with me? But what about that witch-bitch Amy's spell? I thought your feelings for me broke it?"

"No, I mean yes, I mean, Oh Goddess I don't know what I mean. Maybe. Kennedy, you taught me that it was okay to have feelings. That it was okay to fall in love again. I did have feelings for you, they just don't run that deep."

"And you were going to mention this when?"

"I tried. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well thanks. 'Cause, you know, that means A LOT right now." Sarcasm oozed from her mouth.

"I-"

"Don't you DARE tell me you're sorry again you-" She was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Uh, guys?" It opened to reveal a teenaged brunette with large blue eyes. "Oh! Am I interrupting? I'm interrupting. I'm sorry!"

"It's okay, Dawnie." Willow managed a weak smile. Kennedy gave a growl under her breath before pushing past them both. She disappeared down the hall, and an uncomfortable silence fell across the room. Dawn Summers shifted on her feet before speaking again.

"Um, Buffy said to round up the gang in the kitchen." She bit her lip.

"Okey-doke! Let's go!" Willow feigned cheerfulness.

"Are you okay, Will?" Willow smiled again, a real smile, before putting her arm around the other girl and leading her down the hall.

" I'm ok, sweetie. Things just went kablooie because I put something off."

"You guys broke up, didn't you?" Willow's only response was a small nod. "Good. OH! I didn't mean it like that! It's just, you always seemed so much happier when you were with-"

"With Tara," Willow finished. She gave a soft sigh. "Yeah, I was." The two finished their stroll to the kitchen in a more companionable silence than before. When they entered, the rest of the Scooby Gang looked up at them.

Rupert Giles leaned against the wall opposite them, and gave them a smile and a nod as a greeting. Faith sat on the counter with Robin by her side. Xander Harris sat at the table next to the dark-haired man Willow had last seen unconscious. Buffy sat on the stranger's other side and gestured towards the girls as they took the two remaining seats at the table.

"This is Willow, and my sister Dawn," Buffy said to the man. She looked back at the two and spoke again. "Guys, this is Sirius Black." Both girls murmured a hello, and the man nodded at them before turning his attention back to the mug of tea that had been placed in front of him.

Sirius was a handsome man, though he looked slightly malnourished, and had a dead look to his eyes. His hands were shaking slightly, Willow noticed, and he eventually wrapped them around his mug to stop them.

"Where are the others?" Dawn asked softly. "I mean Andrew's usually-"

"Flittering about with his annoying commentary of events? Yes, I had Danielle deal with all of them. At least it will keep that damned woman busy." The last bit had been muttered under his breath, but everyone still heard. Xander bit back laugh at the mention of the only other watcher in the house.

Buffy cleared her throat and everyone turned his or her attention back to her. "Okay, Sirius. I want you to tell them everything you told me."

Sirius took a large sip of his tea before opening his mouth and recounting his tale.

***

End Chapter one.