Mother, Son and holy ghost: Past tense
by Timan
The machine whirred to life as the mechanical part shifting into place made a slight clicking sound. For a few seconds there was silence. That silence was broken by the harsh crackle of static. Soon after the static was replaced by an image.

It was an image of a woman, elegant and proper, sitting in the chair like she was running a class on deportment. She was very thin but with soft features and her posture tells a tale of many woes. Her serious green eyes anxiously stared straight ahead as her thin lips pursed in anticipation for the job that had to be done. She looked down as she straightened her suit skirt. After a few moments she looked back up and spoke

"If you are watching this," she said with a controlled calm, "then I am dead. Daniel, my darling, I knew when I took my oath as a watcher that there was a chance that I would never see you grow into the incredible man that I know you will become. Now that I have passed on I have only one request, not just for you but for Raleigh to, keep each other safe."

She pauses for the moment. The look in her eyes clearly showing that she was trying to hold back some heavy emotions. She turns away from the camera. From a side table off the side of the screen she picks up a piece of paper. She holds it up at chest height facing away from her. He takes another quick breath and continues.

"I made preparations for my death. With this cassette there will be bank details. By the time this recording was made the account balance will be standing at thirty thousand dollars. I ask you to please use this money wisely. Make sure you keep up with your schooling and that you eat well."

A brief smile crossed her face as she gave her motherly advice. That smile left as she placed the paper back on the side table. She lent in closer and stared more intently. Although she tried to fight it a tear began to roll down her cheek.

"All though the council was not willing to help me in this matter. I managed to make . . . some arrangements concerning your safety. Through certain contacts I had made I was able to destroy every official record of your existence Daniel. This is so no one can ever find you. You can be truly safe.

She lent back again and folded her hands neatly in her lap. She smiled a warm motherly smile.

"I just want you to know how proud of you I am. You are an amazing person, you will become and amazing man. I love you. Stay strong and keep fighting."

The image faded into static until the clunk of the machine stopped the motion of the tape.

For a while no one spoke. The Scooby's sat and stared at the screen not knowing how to react. Up until now that all though Daniel was a troubled teen hiding from the law on a self destructive path but this message from beyond the grave painted a completely different picture.

"That was Lillian Foster," Giles said breaking the silence, "I met her twelve years ago at one of the councils annual meetings."

"So. What was she like?" Buffy asked, " I'm guessing that you are going to say she was highly respected by the council."

"On the contrary. She had been disciplined many times for her rebellious nature."

"It's so said," willow said not turning from the blank screen, "Danny had a Mom and a sister. Then his mom died and Buffy saved Raleigh from the bringers and he was all alone living with . . ."

Willow furrowed her eyebrows. She turned to the group frowning

"Who was he living with?"


Out on the back steps Daniel and Raleigh sat staring up at the stars. Raleigh held her little brother and lent her head on his. He may not have been a blood reletive but he was still family. Daniel wiped the steady stream of tears still falling from his eyes. Between the head injury he received and going into shock when he saw Raleigh he was still not convinced that what just happened was real. They both had so many questions for each other but neither one new where to start. For the moment this silence was the most perfect thing in the world for them both. During the silence Daniel tried to calm his thoughts. Only one question entered his mind.

"Where did you go?" Daniel ask softly

Raleigh lifted her head and smiled at Daniel. She brushed back her fire red from her deep chocolate eyes. She started to strokes his slowly.

"What?" asked Raleigh

"When those men came, the men with the knives and the weird eyes, you and mom you left me … "

"Hey, hey, hey," Raleigh replied holding her brother tighter, "we didn't leave you. We had to make sure you were safe."

"You didn't come back." Daniel wept as the tears streamed harder

"I tried to find you after Buffy save me. I went back to the house . . . I guess you ran too huh."

Daniel shook his head. He took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself.

"Do you remember the time we played hide and seek and I found that loose panel in the wall that went into the crawl space behind the wall?"

Raleigh's eyes widened. She let go of Daniel and stared at him. She remembered that day well. After about six hours of playing she wanted to phone the police. She shook her head slowly.

"How long?"

"About four days." Daniel replied

Daniel couldn't help but notice Raleigh's horrified expression.

"I had to make sure it was safe. I grabbed what I could from the cupboard and hid. First there was fighting, then sirens, then other voices I guess they were police, eventually there was nothing so I came out."

"Four days? Why didn't you come out when the police were . . .?"

"I was scared Ral. Big people were trying to kill us! And when I came out and saw the outlines."

Daniel couldn't hold back the emotion any longer neither could Raleigh. They held each other tightly.

"Where did you go?"


FIVE MONTHS AGO

Quentin Travers sits calmly at the end of the giant boardroom table that sits in the chambers of the council of watchers in London. A man of sixty odd years his round face and silvery hair show a picture of calm in complete contrast to the voice at the other end of the phone call he received.

"As I explained the last time we spoke we are unable to help you."

"Unable or unwilling?" the angry female voice replied

"Mrs. Foster why do you continually try the councils patience with such triviality."

"I hardly think my son is a trivial issue." She replied venomously

"The council . . ."

" . . . Needs to protect him! You and I both know what has been happening over the last few months."

"The council of watchers is in the business of saving lives Mrs. Foster not to cover up your indiscretions."

"Daniel is not an indiscretion! He is an innocent in this war!"

"Mrs. Foster . . ."

" . . . And it is in our mandate Mr. Travis to protect the innocent."

Quentin sighed.

"I'm sorry Lillian it is not within the councils to grant asylum to him. Good day"

Before she could reply Quentin hung up the phone. On the other end Lillian Sat frustrated for a few seconds before hanging up her end. She put her head in her hands as Raleigh bounced happily into the room.

"Okay I think that was the last box. We are now officially townies."

Raleigh's smile dropped when she saw her watchers frustrated state

"What?"

Lillian stood up and lent against the wall. She pounded it in frustration and turned to Raleigh.

"The council is not going to help us. They are not in the business of covering up my intercessions." Lillian replied cynically

"What are you going to do?"

Lillian paced. She always felt that she thought more clearly when she paced.

"There is only one other option. They are somewhere in town. I couldn't get the address in time before they found us."

Raleigh moved closer to Lillian with a look of awe on her face

"That's why we moved here isn't it? To Sunnydale, you're here to find . . ."

From behind the front door burst open. Lillian and Raleigh pulled the loaded crossbows from behind the sofa and both aimed it at the person who entered.

Daniel dropped his school bag in surprise at the sight of the heavily armed welcome. The women lowered their weapons and glared at him.

"Okay so I'm a little late," Daniel said in annoyance, "don't need to go all Van Helsing on me."

"Where were you?" Lillian asked him coldly as she placed the weapons back in the hiding spot

"At school. I was waiting for a friend to see if she wanted to study but she got a ride home so . . ."

Raleigh smiled at Daniel mischievously.

"This 'friend' wouldn't happen to be a certain crystal eyed brunette named after a sunrise would she?"

Daniel gave Raleigh the 'shut up' look.

"No!" yelled Daniel in mock horror.

"Come on we both know you have a thing for 'Dawney'."

Daniel stormed up to Raleigh.

"Shut up." he said through clenched teeth

"Oh. Some one call a doctor I think I hit a nerve!" Raleigh replied laughing

"Both of you stop it!" Lillian yelled, Startling both Daniel and Raleigh, "this is not a time for games. Something is out there killing potential slayers and pretty soon it is going to realize that we are trying to find the real slayer. That's why we need to work together it's not just Raleigh at risk it's all of us."

Both brother and sister looked at each other seriously. Lillian took the break in the lecture to calm herself she placed a hand on their shoulders.

"I couldn't bare the though of losing either one of you. We need to stay strong and keep fighting and I know we will come out on top."

The children smiled at Lillian who returned a simile back to them.

"You got it Lil," Raleigh replied, "go team"

"Good. We need to stay focused if we are going to find Buffy Summers and her …"

Daniels looked curiously at her. He recognized the name but not for the same reason that Lillian did.

"My school councilor? Why?"

Lillian turned to Daniel with an expression of both surprise and shock

"She works in the school? Why didn't we see her when we enrolled you?"

"I heard she started day two. A lot of the guys around the school think she's weird."

Lillian's shocked expression turned to relief. Raleigh also had a look of hope. Daniel continued to look confused.

"I head to the school with Daniel tomorrow and make arrangements." Lillian

"Right and while your there you can help Danny with his problem."

"Right," Daniel replied, trying to sound involved, "Wait. What problem?"

"So you meet the girl of your dreams and your not gonna intro her to your mom? That's low." Raleigh smirked

Daniel glared right back at her

"You are so dead red!"

Lillian rolled her eyes. She was never going to get those two to stop fighting.

At that moment the front windows smashed as a pair of bringers jump through the living room window. Raleigh pushes Daniel onto the floor while she and Lillian grab the crossbows from behind the sofa again. They struck the bringers square in the chest as the others break through the front door. The women stand and get Daniel to his feet.

"Raleigh get Daniel into the kitchen!" Lillian yelled

"Sure but what . . .?"

"GO!"

Raleigh grabbed Daniel by the arm and they bolted. They dodged oncoming knives and Raleigh managed to knock down two just before they entered. They jammed the door with a chair and backed away Quickly Raleigh Grabbed Daniel by both arms and stared him square in the eyes

"Stay here Danny. I need to go help Lil"

Daniel look distraught, the sound of the fighting was making his petrified.

"I wanna help."

"This isn't your fight. Go find some place to hide until we come back."

She let his go and headed for the door. Daniel stood motionless

"But?"

"No buts Danny. Go and hide or I'll kick your ass myself."

Raleigh left the room, knocking down a bringer who was aiming for her. Little did he know that was the last he was going to see? Rubbing his hands through his hair he thought where he could hide. Back in the living room Raleigh and Lillian were trying desperately to hold back the Bringers. Eventually the fight moved to the front lawn. Both women by that stage were completely worn out. The fight raged on for what seemed an hour. Eventually Lillian, who was completely worn out, saw struck in the chest.

"LIL!" Raleigh yelled as she fought her way over to her dying watcher.

Just before Raleigh made it she was punched in the head, which made her lose sight of Lillian. Quickly regaining her focus she continued to fight. One of the bringers knocked her to the ground. Just as the knife was about to plunge into her chest the bringer was hit in the side which made him fly across the lawn until he hit the wall. Others followed until all bringers were eventually killed. The blonde woman, who did the killing, walked up to Raleigh and helped her to her feat.

"Raleigh Webb?" Buffy asked.

Raleigh nodded painfully. She looked Buffy up and down

"Who are you?"

"I'm Buffy, the slayer, we heard you were somewhere in town."

Raleigh wasn't absorbing any information. Her head began to swim and Buffy caught her just as she was beginning to loose conscious. In her state Raleigh didn't notice the other people who had arrived all she noticed is that Buffy was talking to somebody

"We have to get her back home now." Buffy yelled to the mystery people

All of a sudden she felt like other people were holding her. As she was being helped to a car she looked back.

"Wait!" she said groggily, "inside! There's a kid."

That's all she could get out before she lost conscious.

Then there was Darkness

Then she felt something wet on her forehead.

She opened her eyes and the image of the group of people looking back at her slowly came into focus. Raleigh tried to sit up but was stopped.

"Take it easy." Buffy said, "You need to rest."

"No I need to find them." Raleigh said as she tried to break out of the slayers grip, "Let go of me I need to find Lil and Danny!"

The group looked uncomforting at each other. This reaction was enough to make Raleigh stop moving. Buffy knelt on the floor next to her.

"The woman you were fighting with . . . Died."

Raleigh looked horrified. Tears welled up in her eyes. Buffy hugged her as Raleigh began to cry hard.



Buffy was in the middle of packing up Daniels equipment when there was a knock at the front door. She opened to find Principal wood standing expecting on the other side.

"I got your message. Something about Daniel."

Buffy looked at him sadly. Principal wood rolled his eyes

"What has he done this time?"

"I think you better see for yourself"

Principal wood was shown the tape. Like the rest of the group he was awe struck. He sat back in his chair and tried to absorb the morbid home movie he was just shown. Buffy sat next to him.

"We found it with the rest of the weapons he was carrying."

Principal Wood looked curiously at Buffy

"Weapons?"

"It turns out that the reason he wasn't sleeping to good was because he was doing some vampire hunting on the side."

Principal woods curious look got deeper. Buffy smiled at him.

"C'mon he out back."



Raleigh and Danny were still hugging as Buffy Lead Principal Wood out the back. She placed Daniels stuff near the door and watched them. She didn't have the heart to break the two of them up but she needs information. Buffy walked up next to them

"Hey Raleigh." Buffy said softly, "We need to talk to Danny."

Both Raleigh and Daniel look up at Buffy. She smiles back at the both of them. It's been a hard few months for Buffy preparing the potentials for war. And happy news was extremely welcome. The children separated and Daniel looked up at both Buffy and Principal Wood.

"Why didn't you tell us about your mom?" Buffy asked

Danny didn't reply. He hung his head so he didn't have to look at the both of them. Raleigh frowned and started to stroke his hair again. Principal Wood moved in and crouched next to Buffy.

"We could have helped. There are places . . . People who could have helped you with your grieving. All you needed to do was to talk to either Buffy of myself . . ." He continued

"And what would I say?" he replied as he looked at them again, "My entire family was killed by blind guys with weird eye tattoos?"

"You should have talked." Buffy replied, "I mean how would anyone know if you were in danger unless you said something."

"Mom put me off the grid for a reason."

"I don't think your mother wanted you to do that at your own risk." Principal wood said calmly

"Right," Buffy continued, "for instance she would have wanted you to stay some place safe."

Buffy couldn't help notice the slight guilty look Daniel was giving them right now. Buffy looked at him closer.

"You did find somewhere else to stay right Danny? It's not like you kept living . . ."

The guilty look on Daniels face was no longer slight. Buffy, Raleigh and Principal Wood were both stunned.

"You didn't stay there Danny? Tell be you didn't stay there!" Raleigh said with a tone of desperation.

Daniel stood up from the step. He took a couple of steps then faced the group.

"How long?" Buffy asked

"I never left. I waited 'till the police finished then I stayed."

Raleigh stood up. By her calculations that means that Daniel was on his own for . . .

"Five months?" she yelled at him, "you were there for five months."

"Where was I supposed to go Ral? We didn't talk to any of the neighbors and I had only been at school for four weeks." He snapped back at her

Raleigh folded her arms and shook her head. Daniel glared at her.

"Don't give me that look red. Mom would have told you to stay."

"Lil would have told me not to be stupid! Theses bringer guys attack us and you stay in the last place they did. That's not exactly in the game."

"Right and your all about the game aren't you red!"

Raleigh narrowed her eyes. She walked up to Daniel slowly

"Yeah I'm about the game. It's that game that save your life."

Danny rolled his eyes. Rally forced Daniel to look at her

"You lose focus for one second and somebody dies."

"Like mom?"

Raleigh punched Daniel Square in the face. He reeled back and collapsed onto the ground. Daniel got up onto his elbows he looked up at Raleigh

"Some one get a doctor I think I hit a nerve." He said coldly.

Raleigh stormed up to Daniel. She was about to hit him further when she was held back by Buffy

"Stop it! Both of you!" Buffy yelled

Daniel got to his feet and glared intensely at his sister.

"No I think we should keep going." He said as he walked up to Raleigh

Buffy stopped them both midway. Her slayer strength was more then enough to keep them apart

"You wanna keep going Danny? Fine with me! You were always jealous of me because I was going to be important."

"I wasn't jealous because you're going to be important."

"Why then? I'm a big girl Danny I can handle the truth!"

"BECAUSE MOM LOVED YOU MORE!!"

The group stopped. Daniel took three steps away for Raleigh and Buffy. Raleigh's look of rage switched to a look of shock. She never knew Daniel felt like that. She loosed her self from Buffy's grip and walked over to Daniel. As she approached he backed off.

"Danny. Lil, your mom, didn't love me like that."

"Then why did she spend more time with you?"

"I was her job Danny. She had to work with me."

"Why didn't she talk to me the way she talked to you?"

Raleigh tried to move in again. This time Daniel didn't move.

"Daniel you were her world," Raleigh replied, "You meant everything to her. There were some nights after training were she would just go on and on about how great she though you were."

"Then why did she go?" Daniel asked, his eyes filling with tears

Raleigh frowned. She rushed in and hugged her brother as tightly as she could.

"Why did she go Ral?" he continued, " I got so scared and lost! Why did she leave me?"

"I know Danny I know," Raleigh consoled.

Buffy and Principal wood looked on not know what to say. What could they say?
Danny went from troublemaker to hero to scared child in one night. They looked at each other and thought the same thing. That they both needed time to adjust it is a hard transition for even the strongest person to manage.

"Come one" Buffy said as She and Principal Wood went back into the house. Little did they know that someone else was watching this scene and waiting for the right moment.


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