Destini Comuni

Disclaimer: See first section
Author’s notes: See first section

Chapter Four: Enter Stage L.A.

Two Years Prior: 1997

Amy walked along a rustic courtyard, vines overgrowing, and nature in full bloom. It was a witch’s moon, bright red. Rain poured through the air, soaking everything in the goddess’ path. Amy looked up to a balcony and sliding glass door. She looked back down at herself, dressed in a long black dress, very sleek and went to her feet. She played with the embroidery on her bosom and looked back up at the balcony. The sorceress’ vibrant indigo eyes cascaded in saddened shades. The wet cobblestones felt icy cold on her bare feet. The falling rain made her bangs stick to her face and the rest mat on her head. The violet tips of her strawberry hair turned dark as soaked. She looked at her feet on the wet rock and then back up at the balcony.

Amy jumped upwards and landed on the balcony gracefully. She placed her palm against the glass, looking in. The water flowed down her body and dripped down onto the cement. Her other hand up her shoulder, where one of her faint scars were. Her nimble fingers with chipped amethyst nail polish gently danced over the slightly marred skin. On of the thin straps to her dress slid off her shoulder and hung against her arm, she made no move to fix it. Every time she closed her eyes she saw flashes of that night. The malice in her eyes, the anguish in her own reflection. The pain of the rocks below when her love cast her away.

Amy closed her eyes briefly before looking back in at Willow, laying on her bed at the coven, crying softly. The redhead shook slightly with each sob. Amy felt her own tears slipping down her cheeks. She remembered everything that happened recently. Her lover’s decent into darkness, the encounter on the bridge, and then coming here, to England for rehabilitation. They wouldn’t let Amy be at her side though, which made things so hard for her. She could only stand her and watch the pain that her love was going through. The last time the coven caught Amy up here they yelled at her, saying she was interfering. That was the last time she’d let them usher her away. This time she’d chase them off, her Willow needed her.

She remembered all the way back to when she discovered her sorceress powers. How Willow was always there for her, helping her, holding her when she was scared. Oh, how Amy wanted to return it right now, to chase away all the demons that plagued her! The coven insisted that Willow had to be separate because of what Amy was. They were afraid of the sorceress, which annoyed her. They claimed that Amy’s powers would make Willow evil again. That thought was ridiculous in her mind. Willow was possessed, simple as that, they know it as well as her. It made her so different than the Willow she knew.

Amy squeezed her eyes shut, making some tears fall into the air. They hit by her feet where a puddle from her clothing was forming. ‘My Willow would never do that to Warren, to Rack, to me! She would never hurt me that way…we love each other too much. She was possessed by the dark magicks, only explanation…’

Amy opened her eyes again, looking upon Willow, who was thrashing about in her sleep, crying out for someone to save her. It hurt Amy so deeply to stand there and do nothing, but nothing could be done, she couldn’t help her at all. The coven said she probably couldn’t ever leave, because of the degree of her power. They also said Amy should accept her as gone and move on. Amy hit the glass door with her clenched fist, a small thud resounding in the dead night air. Her sharp, violet nails digging into her palm, making small, crescent cuts. Amy turned around and leaned against the glass door, sliding down the length. The sorceress pulled her knees up against her, crying. She buried her face in her arms, her short, wet, red and violet hair falling around her arms and clinging to the soft, pale skin.

A knock emanated from the door behind her, making Amy stand up and turn around. Willow was standing there, smiling shyly. Amy smiled shyly as well. They both knew that door couldn’t be opened, it was magically sealed, and so they just stood there, smiling at each other. Amy put her uncut palm against the glass and Willow did the same, right over hers. Willow leaned her forehead against the glass and mouthed “I love you, forever…” Amy smiled and leaned her forehead in the same spot, she mouthed it back to her. “I love you, forever…”

Both women kissed the glass in front of each other and stepped back. Amy’s black lipstick leaving a mark. “Forever…” they both mouthed out.

Amy woke up crying as she had every night for the past year. She didn’t tell anyone about her dreams, especially not Willow. Drying her eyes, the red-blonde-haired sorceress swung her legs off her bed and stood up slowly.
“Amy! You up yet?” Willow’s voice rang out across the gap. Amy turned around to face her best friend’s room. She rolled her eyes. If Willow were to lift her head from her computer screen, then she would see the sorceress standing there.
“Yeah, hun. Look up and see me.” She replied petulantly. A small smirk on her face while her hands resided on her hips.
Willow looked up and blushed, ducking her head enough for her fiery-red hair to hide her face. Willow picked up that habit last year, a stutter starting to form very soon after. The cause of Willow’s social recession made Amy’s blood boil every time. Amy and her were at odds daily, a Cold War going on between them that put the US and Russia to shame.
The redhead noticed the look on Amy’s face, the look of growing aggravation. “Morgan…you can’t let Cordelia get to you this way…” she said gently, placing her hand on the windowsill.
Amy looked away momentarily and collected her thoughts, letting the topic drop. “You ready to go?” She asked, making it clear she didn’t want to talk about the queen of the school. Amy glanced at the clock, noting the time. “We have to leave in five minutes at the latest.” She remarked.
Willow nodded. “Yeah, I’ll meet you down there,” she replied, the energy gone from her tone. “School…fun…” she remarked dryly, walking out of her room.
Amy sighed and looked into her mirror, seriously torn up about Willow and how to deal with Cordelia.

Willow sighs steps over Xander’s prone form on the stairs. Amy grinned slightly and helps the boy up. “Way to go, Alex,” she said cheekily to him.
Xander mock-glared at her and turned to Willow. “Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see!” He added his usual flair for the dramatic when close to begging.
“Oh, really?” Willow said excitedly. Amy stood behind them and started pushing them into the school building.
“Any time, y’know…school only starting momentarily…” Amy muttered under breath. “Any slower and we’d be classified as immobile…”
“Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math…” Xander said trailing off.
Amy attention tore away from her friends to a petite blonde walking into the main building. Over six years passed since she saw that girl last, or so Amy believed. The girl’s aura was much different now than back then, but she still got the twinge of familiarity.
“Uh…I’ll catch up with you guys…later…yeah, later would be of the good…” she said, her voice carrying a distracted quality to it. Amy bolted after the blonde, desperate to catch up to her.
“Wait! Amy!” Willow called out to her but the sorceress slipped into the school building and out of earshot.

“Where did you go in such a hurry?” Willow asked Amy in very concerned tone of voice.
Amy glanced at her from her desk, then back at the teacher. “Thought I felt a presence…a presence I haven’t felt in a very long time…” She replied cryptically, glancing away from Willow and to her paper.
“Thanks for that, Lord Vader…” Xander replied sarcastically. “Care to vague that up a bit?” He asked as the bell rang.
Amy stood up and turned to him. “No,” she responded bluntly, walking away.
Willow sighed and watched her best friend walk out on them again. “What do you think it is, Xander?” she asked.
“I dunno, she seems really distracted,” he replied.
“Well you’re certainly a font of nothing!” Willow shot back.

Amy saw the blonde girl knock into one of the nameless girls in the hall and spill the contents of her purse. The sorceress jogged over to help, her supernatural senses on overdrive when she approached. “Need some help, Buffy?” Amy asked calmly not giving away her anxiety.
The girl looked up at Amy in shock. “A-Amelia??” She asked nervously, though she didn’t hide it in the slightest.
Amy bit down on the inside corner of her lip and smiled shyly at Buffy. “Yeah, Elizabeth…its me…”
Buffy squeaked a bit and hugged her tightly, knocking them both to the floor. Amy laughed and held her close. “Been awhile…hasn’t it, Liz?” Amy asked, smiling at her friend. Buffy nodded and separated themselves from each other. The blonde picking up her stuff.
Amy stood up and offered her hand to Buffy. The blonde took it and stood up. The sorceress could feel this extreme amount of raw power just pour out of the slayer just from that little touch.
Buffy scribbled an address on small slip of paper and handed it to Amy. “Here’s my address, we so need to catch up. Dawn’s going to flip when she here’s you’re here.” The mention of Amy’s favorite spunky brunette made her smile widely. “I gotta go to class though. Seeya soon, Morgan.” Buffy said, smiling. She gave Amy a short hug before heading to class.
Amy saw that Buffy forgot something on the ground and picked it up. “Liz! You forgot your…stake…?”

Amy sighed and lowered her head so that her bangs partially covered her face. “I’m sorry, Wils…”
“Hmph…” Willow replied indignantly.
“Its just that I saw the new girl and she looked familiar, so I checked it out! That’s all.”
“We’re you right?” Willow asked.
“Yeah,”
“So this new girl is really your friend from L.A.?” Willow asked as she bent down to get a drink from the fountain.
Amy nodded, stretching her arms behind her back. “Yeah, but something’s up with her…she’s changed.”
“Well, yeah, it has been six years since you last saw her. People can change overnight, and that’s 2190 nights to change over.” Willow replied, smiling cheekily at Amy and pushing her fiery hair behind her ear.
The sorceress was about to respond but noticed Cordelia and Buffy coming. Amy nudged Willow to get her attention. Willow straightened up and looked at the two approaching girls.
“Willow! Nice dress! Good to know you’ve seen the softer side of Sears.” Cordelia said venomously to Willow.
Amy glared death at the brunette and clenched her fists. Buffy looked at her curiously. The blonde could understand the anger and defensiveness for her friend but the sheer power emanating from the strawberry-haired girl amazed her.
Amy got in Cordelia’s face. “It’d be wise not to pick fights with a crowd that outnumbers you three to one.” Amy threatened before taking Willow’s hand and leaving.

The library remained relatively quiet, apart from Amy popping her gum just to annoy Giles. The sorceress kept reading as a person entered the library. However, curiosity got the best of her since she couldn’t get a clear reading and she looked up at the new person. It was Buffy.
Amy makes eye contact with Giles so he knows her suspicion of her blonde friend. Giles gave her a reassuring small smile, like nothing was wrong.
“Um, hi! I was looking for some, well, books. I’m new.” Buffy said, clasping her hands behind her back.
“Ms. Summers?” Giles asked, checking the identity of the blonde. Amy nodded that it was indeed the girl in question.
“Good call! Guess I’m the only new kid, huh?” She said jokingly.
“I’m Mr. Giles. The librarian. I was told you were coming.” He explained and headed behind the counter.
Buffy nodded, not really caring who he was. “Great! So, um, I’m gonna need ‘Perspectives on 20th Century—“ She started but he cut her off.
“I know what you’re after!” He exclaimed, pulling out a large book from under the counter.
Buffy looked uneasily from the smile on his face to the book. Amy adjusted herself enough to see a word in large gold leaf emblazoned on the cover. Amy’s jaw dropped slightly, stunned that Giles would make such a bold and rash move.
“That’s not what I’m looking for…” Buffy said warily, trailing off. She pushed some of her golden-blonde hair behind her ear as a nervous tic.
Giles looked completely baffled at the girl. “Are you sure?” He asked in his stuffy British way of saying ‘you-must-be-wrong-cause-I’m-always-right-I’m-giving-you-another-chance.’
Buffy took a step back away from the book. “I’m way sure.” The look on her face told Amy that the topic was one she tried to escape from.
Giles stood there, taken aback. “My mistake…” He commented and put the book away, glancing away from the book. Buffy left the library quicker than a horse from the gate.
Amy got up and stormed over to him. “What the hell is your problem?! What possessed you to pull out a book labeled ‘VAMPYR’?!” She was furious at Giles for his indiscretion.

“I don’t get it, Wills.” Amy said, exhausted. She ran her hand through her red-blonde hair. The sorceress’ indigo eyes shone dully from her lack of sleep over the past few days. They briefly flittered around the quad at school, examining all the people and their comings and goings. Not that she really cared, she just didn’t want someone to sneak up on them. “It wasn’t like the reaction was a ‘ew, vampires. Gross kids’ story’ look. It was more like a ‘No, not this again, I just got away from this’ look.”
Willow leaned back against the wall behind them from her position on the bench, her lunch sitting in her lap. “Well—“ She started, but was cut off by an approaching blonde.
“Uh, hi! Willow, right?” Buffy asked, the sun blocking her vision. Amy shifted herself out of the sun so she could remain sunburn-less.
Willow looked up abruptly. “Why? I-I mean, hi! Uh, did you want us to move?” She asked nervously. Amy groaned and rolled her eyes at her red-haired best friend. Willow turned a bit to see her and Amy mouthed out ‘that’s her!’. Willow blushed and mouthed out an apology.
“Why don't we start with, 'Hi, I'm Buffy,' and, uh, then let's segue directly into me asking you for a favor.” Buffy said, sitting down by them on the bench. “It doesn't involve moving, but it does involve hanging out with me for a while.” She said nicely.
Willow looked at her with childlike confusion. “But aren’t you hanging out with Cordelia?”
Buffy looked a bit shocked, confused why a small town like this would have such rigid clique lines. “I can’t do both?”
Willow smiled a self-depreciating smile. “Not legally,”
“Look, I really wanna get by here, new school, and... Cordelia's been really nice...” Amy interrupted Buffy by bursting out laughing at that statement. Buffy glared at her. “To me... anyway, but, um, I kinda have this burning desire not to flunk all my classes, and I heard a rumor that you were the person to talk to if I wanted to get caught up.”
“Oh, I could totally help you out! Uh, if you have sixth period free we could meet in the library?” Willow asked, knowing that she and Amy had to be there later for patrolling. Well, Amy had to be there, but no one was better in Sunnydale at first aid than Willow. A skill Amy frequently needed from Willow.
“Or not. Or we could meet someplace quieter. Louder. Uh, that place just kinda gives me the wiggins.” Buffy said, visibly shuddering.
“Oh, it has that effect on most kids. I love it, though, it's a great collection, and the librarian is really cool.” She commented, playing the geek really well, which Amy found really endearing.
Xander bounced up onto the wall behind the three girls and sat down between Willow and Buffy. Jesse dropped his bag on the ground in front of the trio of girls and grinned at them. “Hey!”
Xander tossed his bag to Jesse who barely caught it. “You guys busy? Are we interrupting? We’re interrupting.”
A round of hellos and greetings cycled through the group and Xander tried to score some coolness points. “Hey, Morgan! I’d like to introduce you to the new girl, Bunny.” He said, grinning he head off.
“Her name is Buffy, Xander. Or Elizabeth Anne Summers if you want to go all birth certificate on us. Me and Buffy go way back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved.” She said, looking truly moved.
Buffy grinned back at her and slapped her leg. “Dork.”
“Like always, but you love me for it.” Amy responded, sticking her tongue out at Buffy.
“Yeah…but I don’t know why…” Buffy commented.
“Well, maybe you could show me how much you love me tonight?” Amy smirked sexually at the blonde. Buffy turned as red as Willow’s hair.
The boys went to a very pleasant mental place but smacked by Amy and Willow for it. “Not like that, she’s only coming to dinner. She’s a old family friend.” Buffy explained, glaring at the boys.
“Oh, so its of the sisterly kind of love, not the lover kind of love? Or even the lovers that are sisters’ kind of love? Cause we don’t object to any of that kind loving here. No siree. We’re open to any kind of love, even if Willow and Morgan wanted to start going out. No problems here.” Xander babbled out. The last sentence catching up to the two girls in question who blushed and glared at him, Amy smacking him again.
“Is it me, or are you turning into a bibbling idiot?” Jesse asked, grinning at him.
“No, it's, uh, it's not you.” Xander said, looking down.
Amy remembered the stake and ran off to her locker abruptly to get it.
Willow growled as she watched Amy take off again. “She really needs to stop doing that.”
Buffy looked at Amy curiously. “Does she do that often?”
“Only since you arrived,” Xander replied tactlessly..
“Oh…” Buffy replied, looking embarrassed.

Amy arrived back at the lunch spot right after Cordelia got there. All of the sorceress’ thoughts were to drive that stake between her shoulder blades right there and then.
“Are these guys bothering you?” She asked icily, glaring at Willow, Xander, and Jesse. The thought of where Amy was did cross her mind, but any moment without Amy was desirable to her.
“Uh, no…” Buffy responded.
Willow stayed silent, much to Amy’s approval. Any time the poor girl opened her mouth Cordelia insulted her. Best not give her any opening. However, much to Amy’s dismay, Jesse jumped up and stood next to Cordelia. “Hey! Cordelia!”
Cordelia could not summon up enough disgust to show the amount she had for Jesse. “Oh, please!” She responded. The queen of the school turned to Buffy. “I don’t mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won’t be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair, because gym was canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker.”
Amy bolted at the mere mention of dead guy. Whenever there was one dead guy, the possibility for more was astronomically high. And the situation was always worse when it was the walking, talking and biting kind of dead guy. She headed to the gym and waited outside. Checking to see if the coast was clear. While she adverted her eyes a blonde girl made her way to the door. Buffy pushed down on the handle hard enough to hear it shatter. Buffy looked back and saw someone entering, not noticing it was Amy. Amy slipped in after her.
Buffy grabbed the girl that followed her in and pinned her up against the locker, about a foot off the ground. “Why are you following me?!” She said harshly, only then noticing it was Amy. “Oh…” She let her friend down and let go of her. “Er…sorry…” she said sheepishly.
“What the hell are you, Buffy?” Amy asked her curiously, not angrily.
Buffy ran a hand through her hair and walked over to the dead body. Amy followed her, just watching how she moved.
The blonde girl tilted the dead boy’s head to the side. “I’m the Slayer. I kill the things that did this to him.” She replied in a very distant voice, still examining the body.
“Vampires. You kill vampires and bad demons, right?” Amy asked rhetorically. Of course she knew what a slayer was. It was Giles’ dream to have a slayer working on the hellmouth with him, and now that dream came true.
“How did you know that?” Buffy asked her, finally glancing back at Amy.
“Easy, I’m the sorceress…” She replied, a small smirk on her face.

“Its hella cool, Wils! My childhood best friend is the slayer. This is finally something I can share with someone! I know you do all the first aid stuff, which I’m oh so happy and thankful for. But now I have someone to go out on patrol with. Y’know?” Amy gushed to her best friend at the bar of the Bronze.
Willow gave Amy a satirical grin. “Apparently, not. Y’know?” She said cheekily. Amy stuck her tongue out at Willow. The redhead spotted Buffy approaching and nudged Amy. “Your dream girl is coming right now…” Amy scowled at Willow but then turned to Buffy, smiling.
“Hey!” Buffy smiled at Amy and Willow. Buffy walked over to Willow’s free side and sat down. “You two waiting for someone?” She asked.
Willow shook her head. “No, we’re just here. I thought Xander was gonna show up.” Amy tapped her on the shoulder and motioned to the door. Thier signal for Amy going out and staking a vampire.
“She really does disappear a lot…” Buffy commented.
“Yeah, she’s enigmatic that way,” Willow replied.

At the sound of Willow’s scream, Buffy, Amy and Xander take off running and into the mausoleum. “Well, this is nice. I-it’s a little bare, but a dash of paint, a few throw pillows… call it home!” Buffy circled over behind a coffin to draw the pair of vampires away from her fallen friends.
The blonde vampire stepped forward, not intimated by Buffy, Amy and Xander. “Who the hell are you?” She spat out.
“You mean there's actually someone in this town who doesn't know already? Whew, that's a relief, I'm telling you! Having a secret identity in this town is a job of work.” Buffy grinned, still stalling.
Amy and Xander got next to Jesse and Willow. Amy pulled the redhead to her instantly, holding her protectively while Xander checked Jesse’s wounds. “Willow, hun…you okay?” She asked softly. Willow nodded, just scared out of her wits.
Buffy was stalling for too long, it was steadily turning into a stalemate. Amy lifted her hand and pointed her palm at the male vampire. Energy rippled between them and he burst into flames. The vampire screamed in pain momentarily, then turned to ash. The fight was on.
Buffy tackled Darla to the ground. Xander picked up Jesse while Amy held Willow in her arms. The two pairs ran outside quickly.
Xander turned to Amy, not looking ahead. “C’mon! We’ll get the police, it’s just a few blocks up!”
“You’re foolish, man. We can’t say Jesse’s been attacked by vampires! They’ll never believe us…and oh shit, more of them.” They see vampires, including the blonde from the masouleum, surround them.