Chapter Six: MANNY
The door swings open as the hard rain hits the already overflowing eaves troughs; and she's standing there, barefoot and clad in a black unbuttoned shirt and faded ripped Levi's. She has her left hand resting still on the doorknob while the other holds a glass of clear, fizzy liquid. Behind her, the tv's on in muted silence.
I don't really know what prompted me to come over here. We're hardly what I'd call friends—our relationship ends after we separately leave the research room or the fight scene… We've been working together for six months and I still don't know squat about her, other than what concerns her daughter.
"What?" She asks in her cold, distant way. Maybe she can't see that my eyes are red and puffy. Or that my hair looks like a family of unorganized rats just settled in. Or that I'm soaked to the bone from the downpour.
"Can I come in?" I try weakly.
She nods her stoic nod briefly before she sidesteps to let me slip in. Before the door is even shut, she scoots me over to the couch and helps me strip my wet coat: A gesture that I've yet to see from her and for a split second, it impresses me. Don't know why, really. After all, she must have a drawer of emotions locked away somewhere.
She makes her way to the kitchenette and comes back a few moments later with another glass in hand.
"Vodka tonic." She says neutrally before she hands it over. She takes the seat next to mine and stretches her legs out underneath the coffee table. For a Council dorm room, it's pretty decent. I nod in thanks and she shrugs as if it was nothing.
"I left Ben." I start, letting my eyes travel to the screen, where an infomercial is making its pitch for a corn on the cob cooker.
She shrugs again. "Figured." She says, downing her drink before gesturing towards mine. "Want another?"
My glass hasn't been touched since she brought it over about a minute ago. "No." I say. "Thanks."
"Suit yourself, kid." She says as she gets up for a refill.
Call now and receive these four corn on the cob handles, usually priced at two dollars apiece, absolutely free!
My glass is half-full—that's me, Manny the Optimistic—by the time she gets back, a glass in each hand and a tub of Ben & Jerry's tucked under one arm. Two spoons are snug in her back jean pocket and she turns her back to me, letting me take them out.
And, as a special bonus, if you call in the next 20 minutes, this incredible corn cookbook will be making its way to your door absolutely free of charge!
"Thanks." I manage as she sets everything down on the coffee table.
"Sure." She shrugs again before she turns and lands her murky eyes into mine. "I left Buffy. I mean. To come here. I left her."
Her tone is such that my heart breaks a little more at her admittance and it strikes me as odd that I never even considered that scenario. Stranger, even, that she's actually opening up about something.
Nothing more needs to be said as we silently pass the ice cream between us and down our Vodnics as the infomercials keep rolling.
Don't miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime! Get your very own corn on the cob cooker today!
Emmanuelle Evans, Manny to friends—Ellie to family, likes long walks on the beach at dawn, goes out of her way for a white wonder bread grilled cheese sandwich and a pint of draught when the weather is grizzly, and can sing along to any Garth Brooks' tune, especially Callin' Baton Rouge, as every Louisianan should.
She's never been a realist. Or a romantic. She sees things the way they are and figures that's the way it's always been and always will be. She has a routine and believes the world follows one as well. So when things go all 'Paris Hilton at a midnight honky-tonk' (Manny's words, believe you me), she's the first to lend a hand to remedy the situation.
When Giles first assigned her to work alongside 'The Dark Slayer', she hadn't known what to feel or think. Was she thrilled? Scared? Intimidated? However she wanted to look at it, she had taken the BIG ladder to the top and sidestepped all the snakes along the way. She was in the fray of things, and that's all that really mattered, right?
At least it made Mom and Papps happy, she thinks carelessly as she looks out the passenger side window of Riley's Humvee.
"So explain this to me again." Sam says as she handles the SUV carefully around a steep, narrow, curve.
Manny smiles as Faith sighs from the back and Gravis and Teresa chuckle into waiting hands. From Manny's view, the trio looks relatively comfortable in the back seat, and she marvels at the size of the vehicle. It's kinda big and… well, obnoxious looking. But hey, that's Ry for ya, Manny mulls over.
"Well, it's not that complicated. We grab the ferry and eventually end up in Seychelles where their magnetic field is ideal for a confected protection spell. The rest is really up to the Scoobs." She sums up quickly as she steals a glance at the driver.
Sam's wearing her usual combat Kevlar pants and white buttoned shirt uniform, but she looks different—at least to Manny's trained eye—kind of like she actually feels like she's contributing to the team. Manny knows the feeling. When partnered up with someone like Faith, one often makes the other feel left behind.
"Yuh-hunh, I still don't get the mirror part." Sam says as she stretches in her seat, and Manny can't help but stare.
"Me either." Terry adds gleefully from her seat in the back, causing everyone in the car to crack a smile, and Manny can't help but feel impressed with the eight year old for being so down to earth about the whole situation.
"Yeah, kinda radical, dontcha think, Man?" Faith says, agreeing with her daughter and it makes Teresa beam in delight. "I mean, walking through glass—that's a tough sitch to pull off—even for Red."
Manny sees Gravis nod and she can't help but wonder why she's interested in what he thinks.
"You guys keep forgetting that this magic is totally different to what you're used to see. What they're gonna attempt—cause I'm not saying that they're going to make it work—is an art. Takes skill and assurance and, um, skill. Walking through a mirror to Faerie Land won't be an easy gig."
Faith nods and Teresa giggles again. "You said 'skill' twice."
"Duly noted." Manny whispers before she throws the back seat a smirk and settles back comfortably into her passenger bucket seat. "The Scoobs'll make it."
"Yeah, about that, can we not be called the Noobs?" Sam expresses sourly and it makes the mood in the Humvee lighten even more. "It kinda makes me feel like a…" She trails off, obviously searching for the right word, but it escapes her and Manny picks it up with a toothy grin.
"Like a newbie?" She teases before she hears the back crack up again.
Sam throws her a look before she mutters a very sarcastic 'Spassiba'.
Manny winks back before she silently settles for good for the rest of the ride. She's enjoying the light banter and the light disposition of the others, and it suddenly makes her realize that maybe, just maybe, things aren't meant to be this easy. But she refrains from saying anything just yet as she stares out from her window, and into a sky where the sun should be rising on her side of the SUV.
When Manny first met Sam, there were butterflies. Not in her stomach or in her throat or anything internal like, but there were butterflies floating about in a nearby field. Made Manny calm and Sam was strangely off her high horse for a moment or two. There was a split second of perfect contentment between the two and they both just shrugged it off; passing it off as a first encounter of smart minds, as Sam says. Manny's not so sure. She's never gotten over it, and for the past eight years, she's been living with the biggest girl crush known to humankind… or unknown, as it is—and will forever remain—Manny's biggest secret.
"Shit, I forgot my PP in the truck." She says, patting her pockets down with her slim fingers. "Willow was supposed to give me live updates through it."
The rest of the Noobs break out of their reverie and Sam throws her the Humvee keys.
"Have fun." She says and Manny throws her a saucy smile that borders on flirtatious.
"You know me."
And just as she's about to make her way out of the ferry cafeteria, Gravis suddenly springs to life and joins her.
"I'll go with." He suggests and leaves the others to shrug. "Gotta walk around. Got ants in my pants."
Manny rolls her eyes when she hears Teresa giggle and can't help but feel annoyed. Why are we all competing for this kid? she thinks gloomily.
Silently, they make their way to the elevator and wait for it in impatience. Manny's known Gravis for about six years, and they've never really gotten past the one sentence conversation part of their acquaintance. Maybe it's the resentment that she felt towards him when he and Faith first started going out. Maybe it was the torch she was carrying for Buffy and Faith to get back together that refused to die out, and that torch was flickering wildly for a few years while he was in the picture. Maybe she was just jealous. Of what, she's not really sure.
She knows that Spike and Xander aren't on best terms with the mechanic, only pretend to be for Buffy and Teresa's sakes, but so far, she's refused to pretend. We all want what he has, she thinks, we all want to be Terry's best friend. How fucking childish is that?
The elevator finally 'dings' to life as the doors open and they both step inside the luxurious box and Manny presses the 'G' button before pressing the 'Close doors' one.
"So Willow's gonna keep us up to date?" He asks, slightly raising his pierced eyebrow sky bound.
"Yeah."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
One-sentence conversations.
The doors open to a sea of vehicles and they both make their way to the parked black H1 at the far right corner. They're maybe fifty feet away from their prize when the sound of screeching tires makes its way to their ears and before she knows it, Manny's face hits the metal panelled floor with a loud and sickening crunch. Then nothing. Nothing until urgent footsteps makes their way towards her, and Gravis' panicked voice.
"Manny, are you okay? Are you okay Manny? Manny, are you okay? Are you okay Manny?" He asks hurriedly.
Slowly, she opens her eyes and they immediately land in his green ones. There's something in there that she can only interpret as worry, and she forces a tight smile.
"Yeah, I think so. I was hardly hit by a smooth criminal." She mumbles as pain suddenly springs into her jaw and neck.
"Don't worry. I got the licence plate number." He grins softly and she has trouble remembering why she's not on the 'I love Gravis Page' bandwagon.
She frowns as the pounding in her head keeps a steady rhythm.
"Gravis, I don't think now is the time to joke about this."
"What? No! You were hit by a car." He explains slowly. "I got the licence plate number, but didn't get there in time to catch the driver. He's gone."
She frowns again, but stops when she realizes that it simply increases the throbbing pain in her noggin.
"So you're saying that I was a victim of a hit and run?" She mumbles before adding, "In a ferry?"
He nods and helps her stand, albeit a bit crookedly.
"Sounds planned to me." He says softly as his eyes dart around the sombre room. "Get your palm pilot, and let's get back to the others. I don't like this."
She nods, still somewhat confused and gratefully leans against his bigger frame as they make their way to the humvee.
Chapter Seven: WILLOW
But this. This thing he's proved. Well it just cuts the Wow-Cake, doesn't it? If ever there was a Wow-Cake, I mean.
"I'll think about it." I say and he smiles victoriously my way. "But back to your DNA test. Are you positively sure about this? I mean…" My eyes wander over to his Big Board where he's got DNA chains here and there and chromosomes all strung about in what seems to me like a genetic mess of dry erasable markers.
His smile wanes a bit, and I can't help but notice a look of disappointment quickly flash over his eyes before they attain pure amazement. I can't even seem to wrap my mind around this. Faith… Teresa… Whoa all things that are Nelly.
"I'm sure." He scoffs before giving me a sidelong glance. "I just wanted you to double check my results. Cause this is…." He stops before going on and winces his left eye as he sways his head a bit.
"Mind-boggling?" I supply before he shrugs.
"I guess. I was kinda going for something more dramatic. Like 'unplumbed.'" He shakes his Faramir head of hair. "No that's not right. Anyway, don't tell anyone. It's not our place."
A chuckle dramatically escapes my throat before I look out his dinky office window. It looks out to a typical foggy day in Bath. Some pigeons are flying around as if they've got nowhere to go and it takes me elsewhere entirely. There are some places I'd rather be, and Andrew has somehow become so perceptive in his way that he knows. And if he knows, then it's safe to say Dawn knows too.
"I would never." Comes out, and we both know it's not the truth. This is something Giles needs to know. Like. Now.
"Will." He warns and I roll my eyes. "We can't go to Giles and Rob before Faith and Buffy do."
"I know."
He sighs and takes out a travel pamphlet.
"Dawn going with you?" I ask, changing the subject, and it seems to work.
"No. Just me and you."
"I don't know Andy. Travelling is taking its toll on me lately." I lie and hope it's convincing enough.
But it's not, evidently, as he rolls his blue eyes before he gives me a reproachful look.
"Puh-leaze." He retorts. "It'll do you some good. Besides, Cozumel is always nice this time of year." He smirks as he hands me something that looks an awful lot like a plane ticket. "It'll get your mind off some things that are neither here nor there."
Willow's pressing some buttons with superhuman speed as she texts something on her palm pilot. The beauty of having an old school palm pilot is lost on the others as she presses the 'send' button with a flourish.
--Arrived in Bath. Got the mirror. Going in. W.—
"There. Done." She looks up to find the others look at her expectantly. Apparently, she'd been assigned Head of Operations while she'd been typing away like a mad typewriting caper. "Guys?"
"Can I ask, why in the world are you're using a techy gadget when you've got the ability to yak telepathically with just about anyone?" Spike says and Willow sees the others just stare at their nails and feet.
"Saving energy." She responds briskly and it whisks the others into shape completely. It's not like she wants to be quick with them, but they've got a road to build up ahead, and she wants to get it over with as soon as she can. Her motives are somewhat selfish, but with Teresa in possible danger, she's passed the point of caring.
"Where do you want the mirror?" Riley asks as he brushes a few strands of hair away from his eyes. His fingers roam the frame sensitively and Willow gives him a sharp look before he brings his hand away and stuffs it into one of his pockets.
"Right there will do." She says.
The next few moments are a blur as directions are shot to Buffy and Xander whilst Riley and Spike are used as gophers for her few errands. When everything is finally set to her liking, Will motions to them to keep behind her as she lays her sweaty hand on the glass pane.
After a few moments, she brings her hand down and sighs in defeat.
"Anybody wanna give it a try?"
"What? Is it not working?" Ry asks as he comes forward, laying his large hand on the surface, and as he does so, his hand, complete with arm and body falls through.
"Wha—."
As he picks himself up, the others can see that Riley has stepped through and in doing so, all of his attributes have been switched symmetrically.
"Ry!" Xander shouts as he bangs the glass with both hands.
"Don't need to shout. I can hear you just fine."
Willow cocks her head a bit and brings her hand to the pane once more, but yet again, is met with resistance. "How'd you do it?"
"I dunno. I guess I wasn't really expecting it, and it just happened."
"Hey Red? What happens if the mirror breaks while Dutch is in there?" Spike asks with a smirk and in response, Ry gives him a scornful look.
"Shut up Pratt."
"Guys, shut up. Wills? Spike's got a point. What happens if this thing breaks while we're in there?" Buffy asks, finally gaining a little assertiveness through it all.
Willow sighs and wishes things were easier than they are. With only one of them being able to go through the mirror, things aren't really going according to plan, and re-thinking everything this late in the game might prove to be too risky.
"Okay. No breaking of the mirror. I have no idea what might happen, but it can't be good. Let's all have another try at getting through before we decide anything else."
So one by one they all try again, and as Spike lays his hands on the cool glass, he can feel a little give beneath his fingertips.
Frowning, Willow notices and gives him an approving nod before he rests all of his weight on the surface. Instantly, he's by Riley's side.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me." He moans and the others fail to suppress their laughter.
"Not too happier about this than you, Spike."
"Alright guys. Looks like you're the ones we're relying on for what has to go down in there. We'll look after things over on this side. What are your surroundings like?" The redhead asks as she picks up an old tome.
They both turn on their heels and have a look.
"Dark." Riley mutters. "And empty."
"Kinda like the sewers in Sunnyhell." Spike observes calmly.
"Or the inside of your wallet." Ry snaps back with a smirk.
"Yeah, remind me to thank the guy who signs my pay checks, boss."
"Guys! There should be a door to your left—or our left?—anyway, it says here that the door, once opened, will lead to the place where your heart desires to be. So think faerie who wants to meddle in Faith and Buffy's affairs. Mainly a little girl." Will explains carefully as her eyes never leave the musty pages of the book.
"Right. You got that Finn? No boy band fantasy land."
"Shut up."
"Guys!" Buffy scorns and it seems to sober both of them completely. "For Terry's sake, please take this seriously. For me."
Will looks up from the tome and when she feels like they've both gotten the message, explains a bit more about what they might encounter in their upcoming adventure.
"Don't be fooled by anything in there. You'll most likely stumble upon some puzzle-like challenges where a loss could mean an eternal stay in Bizarro World, so be on you guard and be smart about decisions. No joshing around."
"Yeah, but Red, what the hell are we looking for?"
"The faerie, nimrod."
"Yeah, but what of him? I mean, do we just waltz into His Tinkerbellness' adobe and get rid of him?"
Willow sighs and stares desperately over to Xander and Buffy who're keeping their eyes locked on the dynamic duo over on the other side of the glass pane.
The redhead has grown over the years, not in height, but in maturity, and it shows. Even though her skin looks more radiant than ever, some grey hairs are starting to show, and she knows that she's subject to more stress than she'd like to be, but that's life. Her relationship with this universe starts and ends with The Council and the Scoobs, and the rest of her time is spent travelling places she'd never dreamt to ever be.
"Look, I dunno what's going to happen there. Hopefully things will just sort of fall into place as they happen. All I can say is that if you really have your priorities straight, things will go better than if you don't."
"What about you guys?"
"We'll be keeping tabs on Rob and his decision making skills over at The Council. Maybe check in on Giles, Andy and Dawn and see if they're all right. And most of all, make sure that the mirror stays intact while you guys are in there."
Goodbyes and Good Lucks are exchanged but cut short when Willow's palm pilot bleeps into life, signalling incoming mail.
--I was attacked in the garage, I'm hurt but I'll be okay. Rob prolly has wind of what's going on. Watch your backs. M.--
"Shit."
"Okay, so we've got more or less the rundown on Faith and Terry and the others, but how do we keep track of Itchy and Scratchy in Faerie Land?" Xander asks as the three of them take a seat by the mirror. "Can you get through to them?"
Willow sways her head in negation. "No can do. Magick immunity covers a lot."
"So what's the plan for us three?" Buffy asks eagerly, and it's obvious she's primed and ready to hurt something or someone. She's come a long way from her General Buffy days and Willow is glad that she's sidestepped that role for this situation, and let her take over.
"Well, I was thinking that we could split up. Someone has to confront Rob, someone has to keep the mirror safe, and someone should really check on Giles and the others." From her bag, she pulls out a map and lays it on the table. "We're here in Bath. From what Robin told Riley, he sent Giles to London to help maintain the peace due to the whole sun fiasco, and apparently Andrew and Dawn are with him. Now, Robin is in London as well, so whoever wants to check up on the guys could tag along with the other for the Robin 21 question session."
"Sounds good Wills." Buffy says as she gets up immediately. "Ship me off to see my favourite principal. I've got some suspensions to assign."
"Me too. Wanna check on the Dawnster and her crazy scone eating sidekicks." Xander adds as he stands next to the blonde.
"Okay. That leaves me with mirror duty… Duty."
--Have arrived in Seychelles. Nothing new to report, just that Mr. Perfect gets seasick. Pass it on. Also, we're moving to a little bungalow by a secluded beach. Still on the look out for the car that ran me down. F and S are pretty strung. M. --
--Spike and Ry are off to FL. Don't ask. B & X have gone to rough up the Prince of Thieves. Make sure to set up the shield once at the bungalow. Make sure T is always with F or G. Try not to split up. W.--
She's been alone since sending Xander and Buffy off to London, and the silence and loneliness is slowly getting the better half of her. She sighs and lands her gaze on the mirror. There's a glint through the glass that she hadn't noticed before, and frowning, she gets up from her seat at the table and carefully approaches the frame. The mirror itself is just your any old mirror found at the local pawnshop, but where the magic lies is really in the frame itself.
Laying hands on it was just a stroke of luck. Will made the jump from Madagascar directly to somewhere where she thought she might be able to find a frame of the sort, and it just so happened that the old man she was used to deal with had one in stock and was trying to figure out how to get rid of it. It happened to be an ugly piece of artistry, and he claimed that it was repelling business. Will was only too pleased to take it for a measly price.
The glint is more evident now, like there's a lit candle behind her and the glow is reflecting on the glass. But… There is no candle.
"Spike? Have you guys found the door yet?" She asks the pane, but only receives a long silence in answer.
Intrigued, she slowly lifts her hand to the glass surface again, only to feel comforting warmth radiating through it.
"Spike?" She tries again. "Riley?" But there's nothing. She can only see herself through the glass.
After about 5 minutes of intently staring herself down, she sees it. Applying a little more pressure to the glass, she tries her hand on the pane again, only to see it go through, and sense a cool wave like feel curl around her fingers.
Victoriously, she pockets her palm pilot and takes a deep breath before muttering a small incantation to protect the room before taking the plunge into Faerie Land.
