Karma: Jasmine Rosehip
by Spellbound
In a modest apartment in a well kept building across town, Rupert Giles was making tea as his new 'guest' slept on the couch. On the small table in front of her were pictures, photographs of a happy group of teenagers who obviously had a deep bond that bypassed friendship. A young man with a lopsided grin smiled up at Giles as he placed his cup on the table, the image warmed his heart and he picked up the photos, flipping through slowly. He had put himself at great risk to conjure these images, the magicks he had channelled not only to gain the pictures but also to return him to his usual self had left him sore and shaking but in the end it had been worth it.
From the couch, a gentle snore emerged from his sleeping friend and he smiled at her, regarding her with much curiosity as well as love. In this dimension, this sleeping beauty was Jasmine Rosehip, a campaigner against all things magical who had been a leading player in having a local magic store closed and it's owner driven out of town, in Sunnydale she was Willow Rosenberg, a powerful but careful witch who had, on more than one occasion, played a key role in saving the world with the magicks she was now so desperate to eliminate from society. Giles had spent many days following her and trying to get as close as possible without giving himself away, her cause may be different here but she still held all those characteristics that were only Willow. She had the fire and passion of her convictions but along with that, a warm heart that she wore on her sleeve for all to see, if only they'd look.

Lost in his memories of happy days in Sunnydale when the Scoobies were together and happy, Giles didn't notice her stir from her chloroform induced slumber. Sitting up slowly, 'Jasmine' looked around the room before setting her sights firmly on Giles. "What the hell do you think you're doing, you can't just go around kidnapping people you big....... you.... well I can't think of a mean thing but when I do, that's what you are!" Despite the anger that blazed in her eyes, Giles giggled; "Definitely Willow." he whispered under his breathe. "Would you like some tea?" he asked, getting up slowly to fetch her a cup from the kitchen. She watched him, stunned. How dare he kidnap her and then offer tea as if she was a guest? Her head filled with thoughts, questions, but her mouth seemed disconnected and opened and closed like a fish out of water. "I imagine you'll be wondering what all this is about?" Giles said as he returned to the table and placed a cup of tea in front of her. "Just how you like it, not too strong with one sugar." his face softened further and a smile stretched across his face and into his eyes. "How.... what...... How do you know?" 'Jasmine' asked, her voice betraying her confusion.
Giles handed over the photos he had been looking at before he continued; "There are many things I know about you, I will explain how and why but I will need you to be as open minded as you possibly can." He said, and Jasmine somehow knew that she could trust him, something about him made her feel safe and protected. She looked carefully at the pictures he had given her, the faces seemed familiar, like old friends although she was sure she'd never met them before in her life. The guy with the lopsided grin stood with his arm around a blonde woman who was looking at him lovingly, in the next, Giles, in front of him stood a blonde woman who may have been his daughter, she grinned for the camera but her eyes showed strength and a maturity that came from having experienced a lot of pain in a short life.
In the final picture, the one she now held in her hand was a vivacious redhead wrapped in the arms of, who 'Jasmine' could only assume was her lover, a blonde haired woman who looked both uncomfortable at the attention of having her picture taken and also relaxed in the presence of her lover. She studied this one longer, her heart cried out for this moment in her own life and her eyes met those of the blonde haired woman, tears suddenly and puzzlingly stinging the corners of her eyes.
She looked up at Giles and was surprised that he seemed to be expecting this response from her. "You know those people, all of them." he said, "In fact, one of them is you." 'Jasmine' wanted to argue but somehow she knew this was the truth, all her work had been to rule out the possibility of any sort of witchcraft but now she suddenly wasn't so sure. "How is that possible?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper and her heart screaming the answer. "It's magic, the same forces that you dismiss in this life as being cult led evil to poison the minds of the youth, are real. Some destructive but also many good and true." He took the photos of himself and the lopsided grin guy and left the one with the red head. "Where you truly come from, you are a powerful witch, fighting alongside a Slayer to rid the world of evils you wouldn't even believe." Giles' tone had an air of finality to it and 'Jasmine' knew she was in for a long night. "I think you should explain this to me slowly and from the beginning." she said.



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