Found

Chapter 3

Deidra pulled the motorcycle into the barn, and threw the tarp over it to hide it as best as she could. Then she ran into the house to change. The leather was great for biking in, and fighting in, but not the most comfortable ensemble in her wardrobe. She pulled on some old Levis and a blue flannel shirt, then headed quickly to the kitchen. Deidra was sure her two new companions were as famished as she was, so she made up some turkey sandwiches to take with her.

Her mind was a jumble as she drove back to them. After all this time, she had found them. She had found him. But once he knew the truth, would he look at her in friendship as he once had? Would Buffy understand the truth? Would they trust her? Could she make them listen, and understand? And ultimately, would they help her to understand so she could fight her own destiny?

She wouldn’t hold it against them if they didn’t. She knew all to well how dastardly the Council had treated them both. Especially at Buffy’s eighteenth birthday, and then all the rigor moral they put Buffy through before Glory. Buffy had left the Council, and Giles had been fired. Her research had told her that Giles had been fired because he had gotten too close to his Slayer. He “had affection for her”, is what the journals said. This affection and loyalty to Buffy had caused him to stay by her side, even after his termination. Deidra knew it was more than affection and loyalty on his part, however. It was his destiny. It was even Buffy’s destiny. But what part did Deidra play in all of this? How could she come to gripes with her own destiny? She couldn’t even come to gripes with herself, who she was…let alone what she would be. She prayed that Rupert and Buffy could help her. That is why she searched for them for so long. Knowing Rupert was out there, that he would help her, is all that kept Deidra going these last twenty years. She hoped it would all come to pass, but she had grave doubts.

Deidra’s doubts mounted as she drove up towards the tree, and saw them holding hands. It was a fierce loyalty they had for each other. Would they fear that Deidra was trying to tear them apart?

Giles and Buffy stood up, and brushed themselves off. Giles picked up the sword, and carried it into the cab of the truck with them, placing it at his feet. Buffy squeezed into the middle, with Giles on the passenger side. It wasn’t a big truck, just a little pickup, but it was better than riding three way on a motorcycle.

While Buffy and Giles had climbed into the truck, Deidra had gotten the ice chest out from the bed of the truck. “Here you are. I made some sandwiches. I ate mine on the way,” she said with a small grin. “Eat up. You must be starving.”

“Wow, thanks. I could eat a Lossoga demon!” Buffy teased, as she took a gigantic bite out of the turkey sandwich. Giles smiled and started in on his as well.

“So tell me about these demons. What are they? And how did this fierce battle come to pass today?”

Buffy looked too busy eating to answer, so Giles obliged. “The Lossoga demons are a mercenary species from another dimension. We aren’t sure what brought them here to ours. Spike…er…well..”

Buffy chuckled and took over the discussion. “What Giles is trying to tell you is that a friend of ours, who just happens to be a vampire with a soul, heard a conversation in one of his local haunts in Sunnydale. Willy’s bar, it’s called. He was there having a pint of…well, just a pint. I’ll leave it at that. Anyway, he heard these other two demons talking about this prophecy. We are big on prophecies in Sunnydale, so Spike perked up his vampish ears.” Buffy stopped to take the last bite of her sandwich.

“When Spike learned all he could, he came to my flat to tell me about it,” Giles continued. “I looked up the prophecy in of mof my books, and it described these Lossoga demons.”

Buffy rolled her eyes..”Yea, you mean after making us all research for five days straight your books finally told us.”

Giles scowled at her. “Nothing ever comes easy, and the discipline the research brought us the answer, didn’t it?”

“Sure, I guess. If you call telling us to track them into the desert so that they could surround us and almost kill us an answer.”

The desert road started to develop more and more vegetation, until finally they traveled in a dense forest. The shade of the trees were cool, and the sun had completely set now. Deidra had the headlights on, and it was almost a peaceful drive, if not for the conversation.

Giles continued to scowl at Buffy as he went on with the story. “Yes, well. Back to the research. The Lossoga demons came to this dimension to find what the prophecy calls, ‘The Forgotten One’. Once they had this ‘Forgotten One’ they could use it to bleed their dimension into ours, thus ending our world as we know it. However, we still aren’t clear on whether they use it, or were just hunting it for someone or something else. Either way, we had to stop them before they found it.”

Deidra remained con ton the outside, but her insides were churning. “Did your research tell you what or who this “Forgotten One” was?”

“No,” said Buffy. “We just decided to kick some Lossoga ass before they could get it. In retrospect, Giles, perhaps we should have brought more of the gang with us. I know we needed them to stay in Sunnydale to protect the the Hellmouth and all, but if not for your friend Deidra here, we would have all been toast!”

Deidra’s heart had lurched at Buffy’s phrasing of ‘your friend’

“Speaking of which, Deidra,” Buffy went on, “Giles filled me in on…uh…everything. That you two grew up together. And then the mystery of your disappearance and all. I think it is your turn to tell a story. And by the way, Giles, this kind of research is much more interesting then your stuffy books.”

“Books are not stuffy at all, Buffy.” Said Deidra. “Books can open you up to an entirely new world. Their words can save your life. Their words can become your life. Their words can redeem you, and give you purpose. You, out of anyone, should know that.”

Buffy and Giles just stared at her, both with wonderment, and knowledge of the truths of her words. Giles recognized his friend at last.

“Well, Deidra. You obviously know a lot about me. At least, you know who I am, and you most definitely know Giles. So tell us, what happened to you?”

Before she could answer, Deidra veered the truck off the road to the left towards a small buat lat looking barn. “Here we are, at the ranch. Let’s get settled. I’ll make us all some tea, and we can sit comfortably in the living room. And then I’ll tell you everything I can. I do want to. It’s why I’m here, after all.”

She pulled the truck into the barn, next to the covered motorcycle. She led them to the house and pointed out two of the spare bedrooms and bathroom. As they washed and settled, she put on the tea. The three of them then gathered in the living room. Giles and Buffy sat next to each other on the sofa, while Deidra took the lounge chair opposite them.

“Nice place you have here.” Buffy commented, as she looked around at the small but comfortable little ranch house.

“Thanks,” said Deidra. “It’s not mine, really. I’m just renting it. As you might have figured out by now, I’ve been researching you two for some time now. I knew you were on your way to this area. Actually, I had been in Sunnydale right before you left. I mis missed you. I tried to question this young girl at your store, Rupert…Anya I think her name was?”

“Yes, Anya. Didn’t get much out of her I’ll bet” Buffy snickered. “So you were looking for your old friend Giles here? After all these years you were just going to pop in and say howdy?”

Deidra and Giles looked at each other then. For the first time, Giles could see the pain and fear in her eyes. He tried to smile through his own pain. “Deidra, please…what happened? I tried to find you at first, but they wouldn’t let me. You seemed to cease to exist. What happened to you?”

Deidra sipped her tea, and then settled back into her chair. She looked at both of them, swallowed her fear, and decided it was now or never. “I was kidnapped by the Council.”

“Kidnapped?!” Gasped Giles. “But why?”

“You have to ask her why Giles? Because they’re evil, that’s why. Geesh.” Buffy rolled her eyes at Giles and turned back to Deidra. The look on Deidra’s face made Buffy pale, and she stilled herself.

“They kidnapped me because I found out who my real father was.”

Giles leaned forward, intent. “And who was he?”

“Not ‘was’, Rupert. ‘Is’. He is. He is someone you know.”

Buffy looked at Giles, and then back at Deidra. “So, who is it then?” She asked.

“My father is Quentin Travers”.

TBC