The Day L.A. Comes Back From Hell.

Chapter 5: A spell for dusk's early light.

Chapter 5

A spell for dusk's early light.

Dawn rose before the bright light faded in the Victorian pink laced evening sky. She quietly walked to the bedroom door and thanked the PTB that Mr. Pryce seemed to make sure it did not squeak, as she opened it. Dawn walks down the hall and into the kitchen to find Mrs. Pryce and Willow mixing the potion for the spell. They smile at Dawn as she comes over to the counter top island. Willow says, "Hey Dawn, I see I am not the only one to rise after only a few hours. Can you hand me the barre root?" Dawn hands her the huge gnarled root, which was almost as big as her upper leg. Willow deftly chops and grids it up, with a flick of her tiny wrist-ed hand.

Dawn and Minerva both look at Willow with awe in their face, but Minerva is the one to ask, "Willow no told me you were a skilled witch. Who taught you to be so quick?" As the sadness has never really left Willow, a tear sinks and slithers down her cheek before she can stop it. Knowing what Dawn does, she whispers to Minerva that maybe that is a subject best left alone. Nodding Minerva says, "I am truly sorry for bringing her up." A look of surprise crosses both Dawn and Willow's faces as they chorus, "How did you know it was a female? If you did not know I am/she is a witch?"

A twinkle shines in Minerva's hazel eyes, as she says "I am a witch also, but my mother taught me. Only someone you loved could bring that strong of a response out of both you and Dawn, who wants to protect you from being sad again." Willow nods understanding the deeper meaning behind Minerva Pryce's words. Dawn head swung back and forth between them like a pendulum of a grandfather clock, and seeing the sisterhood of being witches. Dawn asks, "But how did you know it was a she, and not a he?" Minerva smiles and replies, "Easy, it is normally a mother that passes on the craft, my own father left my mother and me when I was born a girl. His parting words to my mother was "she has your curse, she will lose her first born just as you lost ours." My mother told me later that I had an older brother that a demon had killed when he was two, just days before I was born. So in a way I always knew we would lose Wes, but I also always hoped we would pass away before him. Our daughter doesn't know yet, but I know I have to tell her soon. She will want to keep her son Jonathan closer to home now that Wes is dead, please help break this curse, so she doesn't lose him too. Her husband just passed away last month, and the thought of losing another loved one will kill all of us." Willow touches Minerva hand, and goes into a trance.

Willow starts speaking, "Jonathan will not die, but Marline must join the slayers in the fight. She is a witch/slayer, you must raise Jonathan and Hope from now on. This is the last fight that the slayers will need to be in, if this fight is lost then the world is doomed and there will not be anyone to fight Wolfram and Hart or anyone else. She must help save the world including your other grandchildren, Wesley Wyndom Pryce Jr. and Erika Faith Pryce." Just as willow comes out of her trance, she finds Minerva being comforted by Dawn and Neva who came in right after Willow went onto the trance. "What is going on? Where did you come from Neva, and why is Minerva crying?" Willow asks all in one breathe. Neva answers her in a hard voice, "You just told Minerva that her daughter might die, and I just got up. Then I came in as you were telling her that, and that is the reason she is crying. Oh, and to put a topper on that bit of news, you also said she had other grandchildren by Wes!!!" Willow shocked at the forcefulness in Neva's voice, and that she is the cause of the old lady's tears. She says, "I am so sorry, but please tell me very thing I said. But let's do it in the other room, again Minerva I am so sorry." Minerva sniffles and pats Willow shoulder, as she nods her acceptance of Willow's apology. Dawn and Willow step into the other room in order to talk. After Dawn tells Willow everything she said while in the trance, they walk back into the kitchen as Neva and Minerva are about to add the last ingredients into the pot. Which are blood from both Buffy and Angel, because of their love they are chosen to fight by each other's side. Xander walks in to the kitchen and sniffs the air, and then replies, "Willow must be cooking again..." He ducks just as the knife sails over his right shoulder into the 100 year old mahogany cabinet door. Minerva and Conrad smirked at the sight, while Giles says "Now don't start making out in front of the kids, you two need a few minutes of alone time?" The next knife flew to the left of Giles, and he plucks it out of the air just as it reaches a few centimeters in front of him. With a smile on his face, he returns the knife to the chopping board on the counter in front of her with a flick of his wrist.

Wes greets them with a smile, then says "Is everything ready? If so, then we need to start the moon is about to come up." Conrad has drawn a pentagram in a circle in the middle of the floor, and Wes asks Xander and the girls to stand inside of it. "Buffy can you stand in the top point of the pentagram, Willow the next one, Xander the one after that, Dawn across from Willow and Buffy, and Miss. Neva in the one in between Dawn and Buffy, please? Now Minerva mark each of them with this mark. "

Minerva doesn't make a move to do as Wes asks, instead she faces him, and shoulders squared and tells him,"You had children and did not tell me or anyone for that matter, tell me why I had to find this out from Willow when she went into a trance today? And mind my words as a witch I will know if you say the truth." All eyes snapped towards Wes, waiting for his answer. The look of a ghost turning a thousand times whiter, almost broke the iron will, each of them had to hold in a death grip,so that they would not explode in laughter. The look of pure disbelief and total shock, got more than one snicker, and strained grimace from Conrad and Giles to the girls.

More to come...