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It's Only Forever—Not Long At All                                                Chapter   1   2   4   5   6   7   8

by spikeNdru

BtVS/Labyrinth Crossover, Written for the Choose Your Author ficathon, April 2006

 

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Chapter Three:  No One Can Blame You

Dawn opened her eyes to see a picture-postcard perfect sky, the blue color of a robin's egg, enhanced by fluffy white clouds. She stood in the courtyard of a castle that took on a golden hue in the warm—but not hot—sun. It was like being in a frickin' Disney film, she thought. This must be a dream. Yep. A dream. Because the last thing she remembered was . . .

Being closeted in Xander's guest room, and then . . .

Then there was wind and rain and a balcony and and owl and . . .

Dawn jumped as she felt a hand touch her hair. She spun around to see the Goblin King that had given her the crystal that showed her heart's desire. She felt a flutter in her chest. Maybe she was dead, too. Maybe she'd see Mom and Buffy any minute now . . .

Jareth smiled at her, but it wasn't a happy, friendly smile. It was more like the gleeful smirk Spike smiled when he had gotten the better of Xander in some way. Jareth held out his hand to her and in his palm was a ripe, juicy peach. Her dry mouth was flooded with moisture at the sight of that perfect fruit. She wanted to sink her teeth into that peach and let the juice run down her chin as the firm sweetness of the peach flavor burst into her mouth. She wanted that peach more than anything . . . She slowly reached out and Jareth placed the sun-warmed fruit into her hand. She bit into it and suddenly she and a carefree, teen-aged Buffy were sitting in the back yard, a bowl of fruit on the grass beside them. She ate a peach, getting her hands all sticky from the juice. With a devilish glint in her eye, she reached out and grabbed a handful of Buffy's hair. “You are so dead for that!” Buffy yelled. “Ford said he might stop by and now you got me all gross!” Dawn laughed. “Buffy has a crush on Foooord,” she said in the most annoying sing-song voice she could manage. “Buffy wants to marry Foooord!” She saw Buffy start to get to her feet and jumped up herself. She ran around the yard with Buffy in close pursuit. “Mooooom!” she yelled. “Buffy's trying to get me!”

Joyce was in the front yard watering her rosebushes. She looked up as first Dawn and then Buffy pelted past her. Joyce shook her head, gave a long-suffering sigh, and turned the hose on both of them. Soon all three female Summers were soaking wet and laughing joyfully.

Dawn smiled, lost in her dreams.

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Giles frowned and looked at Xander with disappointment in his eyes as he began polishing his glasses. “How could you let her go out alone?” he asked sharply. “After everything she's been through—”

“We didn't! She didn't,” Xander protested. We didn't let her go anywhere, and there's nowhere she could have gone because we were right here the whole time.”

“Yes,” Anya concurred. “We were right here watching television. We watched two 'Law and Orders' and a documentary on sharks. We went to check on her before going to bed ourselves and she was just gone. Poof!”

 

Giles slid the glasses back on is face.  "Disappeared?  How could she possibly have just disappeared?  Are you sure you

didn't nod off and she slipped out when you weren't looking?"

 

Xander looked grim.  "We're sure."

 

Anya nodded.  "Absolutely sure."

 

"Hmmm," Giles murmured.  He suddenly felt completely sober.  "May I?"  he asked, gesturing toward the guest room.

 

He opened the door to the guest room.  Xander and Anya crowded close on his heels.

 

The room was obviously empty.  There were no other doors or windows and nowhere to hide, if Dawn had been inclined to play a practical joke on them.  Giles carefully assessed the contents of the room.  There was something odd here.  He stepped into the room and crossed to the far wall.  The beige wall-to-wall carpeting was darker there.  He bent to touch it.  The carpet was wet and there were two damp leaves stuck to the wall.  It certainly appeared that something mystical had taken place.  He turned to face the bed.  Dawn's purse was on the floor, but it did not seem to be disrupted in any way.  There was something red behind the purse.  Giles lifted Dawn's bag out of the way and picked up a burgundy leather book.  He turned it to look at the spine.

 

The room was obviously empty.  There were no other doors or windows and nowhere to hide, if Dawn had been inclined

to play a practical joke on them.  Giles carefully assessed the contents of the room.  There was something odd here.  He

stepped into the room and crossed to the far wall.  the beige wall-to-wall carpeting was darker there.  He bent to touch it.

The carpet was wet and there were two damp leaves stuck to the wall.  It certainly appeared that something mystical had

taken place.  He turned to face the bed.  Dawn's purse was on the floor, but did not seem to be disrupted in any way.  There was something red behind the purse.  Giles lifted Dawn's bag out of the way and picked up a burgundy leather book.  He turned it to look at the spine.

 

"Oh dear lord."

 

 

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Xander blanched.  "Have I ever told you how much I hate it when you say that?"

 

"Sorry?"

 

"Oh dear lord.  Whenever you say that, badness ensues.  Tell me it's not the end of the world again!"

 

"It's not the end of the world again."

 

"Well . . . good.  So what's up with the 'oh dear lord'?"

 

"I believe I know where Dawn is, and getting her back will be difficult at best."

 

Giles glanced at the book he was holding, then placed it on the coffee table.  He picked up his coffee and took a sip.  He grimaced at the taste and added additional cream and sugar.

 

Anya brought out a plate of E. L. Fudge cookies, then perched on the arm of the couch next to Xander.

 

Giles tapped the book with his forefinger.  "This book is infamous in certain circles.  It was originally thought to be an innocuous type of fairy tale, similar to The Princess Bride, and other stories of that genre.  Then, through the years, teen-aged girls began to disappear after coming in contact with the book.  Some of the Council researchers believed there was a spell of some kind attached to The Labyrinth; a spell specifically targeting lonely girls who had suffered a loss of some kind, or those who felt misunderstood by their parents.  Girls whose ties to the world were tenuous."

 

"Girls like Dawn," Xander interjected.

 

"Yes, quite," Giles replied.  "I expect it was rather shocking to discover that the monks had  created her and all our memories were restructured.  Then she lost Joyce, was kidnapped by Glory, and Buffy . . . well, I can appreciate the desire to dwell in a happier place than this world has been to her."

 

"But what kind of spell?  What do you mean 'a happier place'?  You lost me there, Giles."

 

"Oh, sorry.  I seem to be having a bit of difficulty expressing myself at present."

 

"It's probably due to all the Scotch," Anya suggested.  "Here, have some more coffee."

 

Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He took a deep breath.  "As we all have reason to know, many fairy tales are based in truth.  Hansel and Gretel, Der Kindestod,  the Gentlemen - we've met them all and discovered they were based in reality.  I believe such is the case with the Goblin King."

 

"The Goblin King?  You mean Jareth>"

 

Xander stared.  "You know him, Anya?"

 

"We've . . . dated several times."

 

"Are there any monsters you haven't dated?"

 

"Jareth isn't a monster.  He's the King of the Goblins, and he's actually quite attractive."

 

"Attractive in a demony kind of way, or a human kind of way?

 

"Xander!"  Giles interrupted.  "Please!  We don't have time for this.  The Goblin King is a magical being who makes dreams come true, and that makes him very dangerous to Dawn in her current state."

 

"Gotcha.  So what'd'we do to get Dawn back?"

 

Anya took charge.  "There is an invocation, but you don't want to use it."

 

Giles took another drink of coffee.  "And why is that, Anya?"

 

"It's a specific invocation to the Goblin King, and it begins 'I wish . . .'  I wielded the power of the wish for a thousand years, and let me tell you, when you make a wish you put yourself in the power of the granter of the wish!  I have some contacts I used to know when I was a vengeance demon; maybe there's another way to get to the Labyrinth without going through Jareth.

 

"Giles, go home.  Take a looong shower.  Take a nap.  Check the Watchers' diaries for information about the Labyrinth.  Xander, you used to go camping, right?  Get a pack together.  Water, portable food. flashlight - that sort of thing.  Then get a rest.  I'll go to the store and try to find you away into the Labyrinth.  We'll meet at the Magic Box at nine o'clock."

 

Both men stared at her with their mouths agape.  Anya rolled her eyes and loudly clapped her hands twice.  "Get a move on!  Time's a' wasting."

 

Xander nudged Giles with his elbow.  "Huh.  Bossy women are sort of sexy.  Who knew?"

 

Giles reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and began to clean his glasses.

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

Giles and Xander arrived at the Magic Box within minutes of each other.  Both had showered and shaved, and the brief rest had done them good.  The haunted look that had shadowed both sets of eyes for the past week was gone - replaced with excitement and anticipation, now that there was something specific to be done besides grieve.

 

Anya was still in dominatrix-mode and looked extremely pleased with herself.  Aware that he hadn't been holding up his end for the past week, Giles felt a flash of guilt; then tried to ignore the thought that perhaps take-charge women were rather attractive, at that.

 

With the delighted ta-dah! sweeping arm movement of a conjurer, Anya drew their attention to a box of donuts ad take-away cups of coffee and tea.  Xander and Giles sat at the research table, reached for sustenance and prepared to listen.

 

"There's a goblin in Denmark that we occasionally use as a supplier for the Magic Box, so I e-mailed him to ask about the Labyrinth.  We bargained, and I agreed to pay double his price for the next three orders he supplies.  He initially demanded the higher price for the next seven orders, but I bargained him down to three, and we use him so rarely that he'll probably forget about it after the first order, which I sent out this morning as a show of good faith.  If he doesn't forget, we can just raise the retail prices."  Anya shrugged and continued.

 

"The Labyrinth resides in a dimensional hub, accessible from hundreds of access points, and, naturally, ther is one right here in Sunnydale."

 

"Of course there is," Xander mumbled with his mouth full of warm, glazed donut.  Anything weird on this entire planet would eventually find its way to Sunnydale.  That was pretty much a given.

 

"The entrance to the hub is accessed through the Bogglesworth mausoleum.  He didn't give me any further details, but I'm sure you can figure it out.  I'll remain here to keep the store open while you get Dawn back.  I'll also see if I can discover where Willow and Tara went on that 'retreat' of theirs."

 

"Thank you, Anya.  After all Tara suffered at the hands of Glory, I'm reluctant to disturb their time together to re-acclimate, but we may have need of them.  And if Spike should happen to drop by, perhaps he'd like to patrol in our absence?"

 

Anya nodded.  "You'd better go,  The sooner you find Dawn, the sooner you'll get back.  And Xander - don't eat or drink anything that you didn't bring with you."

 

"Oh!  Erm . . . I wasn't aware that the rules of sustenance for Faerieland also apply in the Goblin Kingdom?"

 

"I'm not sure if they do or not, but I'm not taking any chances with Xander."  Anya placed her hands on her hips and glared at Giles.  "You'd better bring him back in the same condition that I let you take him!"

 

"Ahn . . ."

 

"Er . . . yes, of course.  I shall endeavor to do my best to do so."

 

"Standing right here, guys!"

 

"I just don't want anything to happen to you, Xander."  Anya gave Xander a hard hug and quick kiss.  "Hurry back."

 

She gave Giles a quick peck on the cheek.  "You, too.  Now, shoo!"

 

Giles tamped down the thought that commanding women were definitely attractive.  Yes, indeed.

 

 

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Continue to Chapter Four

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