Author: Tim Knight

Title: How The Big Bad Stole Christmas

Copyright: July 2001
Rating: PG (Language, some fight scenes, but nothing too graphic)

Spoilers: 
Buffy: Season 2 until Phases.
Highlander: Season 5 until Season finale. Richie Ryan lives and Season 6 does not take place.

Keywords: Buffy/ Highlander/ Bedlam's Bard (by Mercedes Lackey).

Summary: Christmas time hits the Wandererverse. Amy takes Shaw over the Hellmouth and through the woods to Grandma's house, so that Shaw can meet her Earth relatives. Also, Amy and her cousins give Shaw her first taste of an old Earth tradition. But, as is the norm with our beloved heroes, uninvited guests just HAVE to try and crash the party.

Legalese: All characters except those noted below with their respective rights, properties and copyrights are the property of their respective creators, authors, owners, producers and agencies. These characters are used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended or meant, and no money will be made from this story. This story may be copied in its entirety, and may be distributed as long as all copyright information remains.

The characters Shaw Hunter, Ulric Johansen, Brenna, Eleanor Madison, Joan Madison, Alison Madison (the older), Alison Madison (the younger), Lydia Madison, Anna Madison and Elizabeth Madison are mine. Anyone wishing to use them may contact me at doobytim@aol.com.
The characters Steve St. Wolf, Randi Jessup, Brian Jessup, Mike Connors, Rhonda Connors, Cindy and Terri Connors (the last four being Amy's dad, stepmom and half-sisters) are property of Steve Pantovich, as is the universe in which this story takes place. Steve can be contacted at steve711@concentric.net.
The character Robin Goodfellow is property of Mike Weyer.

Author's Notes: This story takes place in late December 1998, about two weeks after the events in Be Careful What You Wish For.

Dedications:
First, to Steve, for giving me the task of... now wait a minute, why should I reveal the plotline of how certain lovebirds experience a change in their relationship? That's what the story's for. Never mind, Steve. Well, okay, thanks for giving me the chance to pull this off.
Second, to Rebekah, whose other titles (Almighty Editor, Red Ink Rebekah, and of course Becklyn) go into hibernation during the holidays. Seriously, thanks to her for; deciding on certain names and occupations of certain characters; determining exactly where Grandma's house would be; and for information on Renn Faires in that part of California, including several links on the Internet for visual and literary aids.

Here are the changes from your normal shows that may play a part in this story:

Buffy: 
1. Due to her drowning at the hands of the Master in Prophecy Girl, Buffy is Immortal.
2. Passion and Becoming never took place, so Angel is evil, and Jenny and Kendra are alive and well. Kendra has taken up residence in Sunnydale and is attending UC Sunnydale.

Author's Note's II (read: Sorry excuse as to why a Christmas story is being started in July):
I originally began planning this story a year ago, discussing preliminary storylines with Rebekah (aka the Almighty Editor) in the first and second weeks of August of 2000. But several things delayed this story at separate times. My plan was to have this story done in time for Christmas 2000 (a fitting release date for a holiday story, even one set in 1998), but events went into motion that snowballed as time went on.
The first of these was Hunter In Dark. Originally planned to be about the same length as Born to Raise Hellmouth, HID slowly and surely morphed into The Story Which Would Not Finish. What started as a (planned) 250-page story mutated into a 560 page (by my .doc file) Russian novel or, as we jokingly refer to it at work, Tim's first "virtual hardcover."
The reasons for this were several; storylines that began (the Wishverse characters arriving; bringing new characters into the Wandererverse), continued (the hints that Joanie and Millie have dropped on occasion, hinting that they have prior knowledge of Shaw's life on Earth; the Nightbreed story arc), or were resolved (Larry joining the team; the tension in Shaw and Amy's relationship; and Shaw's flashback). There was also having the aftermath of the episode with Ares. This was not going to be a normal "trash the villain, deal, and go on" story. It isn't working out like that. Shaw's recovery is a multi-story process. When it was all said and done, The Story Which Would Not Finish took eight months to write, edit, rewrite, reedit and post. If not for Rebekah and Steve, I might still be writing it, lol.
The second thing that happened was Mike Weyer. Mike wanted my take on Shaw's characterization for Immortal Kombat, and after exchanging over one hundred pages of dialogue on IK, we expanded to exchanging dialogue for nearly ten stories that are done, in progress, or on the proverbial drawing board. I won't try to count how many hours we've spent exchanging ideas, dialogue and one-liners <G>. If Mike had done any more on the Wish story, I'd have had to make him a co-author <evil grin here.>
The third thing is Steve. Yes, that Steve. Our beloved Grand High Poobah of the Wandererverse must shoulder his share of "the blame." If it weren't for him, I would've jumped into this story right after The Story Which Would Not Finish. You know, it's amazing, the trouble you can cause on an Instant Message chat on AOL. It was during one of our little talks that Steve made the Suggestion Which Will Live In Infamy, that ‘one line/five seconds to read' smart-ass remark that we should inflict Vamp Willow on our beloved heroes. And, as we all know, the rest is (alternate) history, hahaha.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth things to happen were Destiny Unfolding, The Song, and Dating Blues 2. While DU and Song only took two days (apiece) to write, and I cranked out Dating Blues 2 in one week, that's eleven more days I was sidetracked. In writing terms, that's 70 to 100 pages I could've had on HID, Wish or this story. But, the readers don't seem to mind, so I'll let it go <G>.
Next, there's Hawk, with the Wandererverse site, the character bios, and his stories with Arrin Parkin. We've also had 3-hour marathon IM chats (typer's cramps, anyone) discussing Another Run, Wish, and other stories, as well as looking up authors for the Wandererverse site. But, he's also been a big help with several things; having us learn a little about Shaw's background that didn't come from Shaw's mouth or memories; having another character from Toril, so Merlin has more to bitch about; and of course, bugging Steve for regular updates at the S7 site. Thanks, Hawk.

Also, a bunch of thanks to:
Jack Caynon, for helping with the betas for Be Careful What You Wish For, especially the "fashion" advice regarding Sonja and Gabrielle's body armor, the pacing and discussions between the doubles, and especially when dealing with Vamp Willow, her attitude, her actions, and her and Vamp Xander's one night stand with Sonja and Gabrielle, all in our attempt to keep her as close to the original character as possible.
Erica Marr, for introducing JD Heart and giving us another character to add to our little corner of the multiverse as well as comments on the character.
Lisa, for her comments on Wish as she looked it over.
Derilaan, for giving Shaw "life" with her drawings, something you don't often get with fan fiction, a visual representation of original characters.
And Timbo, for being almost as crazy as the rest of the directors (authors) of the Wandererverse, including John Ford (Steve), John Woo (Mike), and the pre-Spaceballs Mel Brooks (that would be me).

Thanks to all. Now enough of this Piers Anthony type stuff and on to the story.

How Big Bad Stole Christmas

Part 1: Scouting Reports
(Over The Hellmouth And Through The Woods To Grandmother's House We Go)

Interstate Freeway
Eastbound from Sunnydale, California
En route to San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998 - 06:25 PST

"Amy, what do I tell them?"

Amy Madison's attention was brought to her passenger as Mariah Carey's "Hero" flowed from the speakers of her father's Ford Taurus. Keeping three-quarters of her attention on the road, she asked, "What do you mean?"

Looking straight ahead, Shaw nervously asked, "What do I tell them about myself?"

Realizing why she was asking that question, Amy smiled lightly. "Shaw, have you ever heard of something called the Sight? Sometimes it's called True Sight?"

"Yes, Amy, there is a priestly spell of that name," the half-elven fighter replied, despite some confusion over Amy's choice of topic. "Also, it is a common trait amongst the Vis. . . the Romany."

"Still getting used to the Earth term, huh?" Amy grinned. When Shaw nodded, she said, "Well, Grandma's got a touch of it, not that we have any Gypsy in us. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if she knows the Alison thing, the dimension thing, the elf thing, the priest thing, and every other thing the second she lays her eyes on you. You're not gonna get away with anything BUT the truth with her."

Unlike someone else who might be told that someone would use such magics on them, Shaw relaxed immensely. She said, "I am glad of that, Amy."

"Hey," Amy said, patting a reassuring hand on Shaw's knee, "they're witches. Believe me, you can be honest with them. Don't worry about that."

Shaw licked her lips and said, "Can you tell me who will be there?"

"Sure," the witch answered. She turned the radio down and said, "First, there's Aunt Alison, I call her Allie. She's named after your great-grandma. And I'm warning you, she's really proud of it, and makes no bones about letting people know how she knows more about Alison Madison than anyone else."

Shaw arched an eyebrow and remarked, "I beg to differ, Amy."

"I know," Amy responded with a good deal of humor. "As for what she's like. . . well, give her a slightly longer temper and a little more tact, and she's you. Or in better terms, alpha wolf."

Now both of Shaw's eyebrows went up. "In other words, we will be going at each other almost instantly."

"Yep."

Shaw sank deeper into her seat and muttered, "And you will be enjoying every minute of it."

Once again, Amy said, "Yep." She then added, "Look, Hunter, here's the game plan; I've asked them to accept you into the family. Lemme finish; I haven't told them you ARE family. I want it to be a surprise. That's why I wouldn't let you buy them Christmas presents; you ARE the present."

"A set up," Shaw moaned.

"No!" Amy sighed, then retracted her denial. "Okay, yeah, but just a little one. And remember what I told you; act like yourself, not like you think they want you to act. As far as Allie goes, she *wants* people to stand up to her. It's just the way she is."

"I understand."

Amy nodded. "Good. Next up," she informed the ranger, "is Aunt Joan. She's kind of hard to describe. The closest thing I could think of would be 'Zen witch.' You can't read her, she never reacts like you think she will, and absolutely nothing gets to her."

Shaw thought about that and said, "It sounds more like you are describing Oz."

Amy almost hit the brakes in surprise when Shaw said that. She then smiled and had to admit, "Yeah, I guess so."

"And she is the one who is the mother of. . . our cousins?" Shaw asked.

"Yeah, she is," Amy said. She was beaming on the inside; Shaw was finally accepting the fact that she had the right to call the Madisons *her* relatives. Also, she knew it would be easier for Shaw to relate to the children, because Shaw loved kids. "Anna and Elizabeth. I'm gonna warn you right now, they *will* try to pull a joke on us before our four days are up. Those little horrors have more curiosity in them than a litter of kittens, and get into just as much trouble."

Shaw smiled. "How do their skills at pranks compare to Xander's?"

"Please don't compare them to Xander," Amy pleaded. "They're the reason for the spells we discussed. Anna and Lizzie are gonna do whatever it takes to find out everything about you. You think you were a handful as a kid? Believe me, these two put you to shame."

Shaw looked extremely doubtful. "Are you serious?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," the Amazon said with a smile. "Last, there's Grandma. Her name's Eleanor, she's a retired nurse, and she's twice the witch of anyone else in the family."

"The matriarch?" the half-elf asked softly.

Amy frowned in puzzlement. "Matriarch?"

"The eldest female," Shaw explained, looking for a term Amy would understand. "The head of the clan."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," the witch nodded. The way Shaw had asked the question clicked in her head, allowing her to realize that when it came to her Grandmother. . . <Oh, Goddess.>

Amy quickly pulled over to the shoulder of the freeway and parked the car.

When Shaw looked at her she said, "Shaw, come on! I know you're nervous as heck about this, but it's going to be okay. Look, cuz. If you go in there thinking the worst is gonna happen, then it *will* happen. I'm trying to help you here, to let you know that it's gonna be fine."

Amy squeezed Shaw's knee in reassurance and said, "Try to relax, okay? When we get there, we'll just play it by ear. Trust me, Shaw, it's going to be fine." She waited a few seconds before asking, "Are you all right?"

Shaw let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She indicated that she was fine with a single dip of her head. "Thank you."

Amy smiled and gently said, "You're welcome. Now let's get driving."

The younger woman shifted the gear into drive and started moving once again, heading east in the pre-dawn darkness as her mind flashed back to just ninety minutes earlier, when she'd picked up her nervous cousin at home.

*****

Johansen/Hunter Residence
Sunnydale, California
26 December 1998 - 05:00 PST

Amy hadn't even touched Ulric's front door with her knuckles before the door flew open. As the startled Madison jumped back, her cousin stepped into the doorway, her eyes shining crimson in the darkness.

"Dammit!" Amy hissed. "Don't *scare* me like that!"

"Ulric is sleeping," Shaw whispered to her. "I do not want to wake him."

With a sigh, Amy shook off the chills running up and down her spine and walked in. She followed Shaw's silhouette through the dark house into Shaw's room. Thankfully for Amy, the lights were on. Brenna was lying on the bed, watching both girls with what Amy sensed was her usual sense of amusement.

"I'm surprised you're up this early," Amy remarked.

Shaw idly replied, "I have been awake for two hours." When she saw Amy's eyes going up in surprise, she added, "You have no idea how difficult it is to say an hour's worth of prayers inside of a moving vehicle, Amy. Believe me on that."

Amy couldn't argue with that point. She absently rubbed the moonstone bow-and-arrow pendant around her neck at the word "prayers." She, as well as her fellow Amazons, had gotten pendants from Shaw as stocking stuffers for Christmas. "I guess so. So are you ready to go?"

"I am," Shaw said, heading for the bed to pick up her suitcase.

Amy looked around the room and saw that Shaw hadn't decided where to put many of her Christmas presents. The boom box Oz had given her lay on the floor next to her bed, while on the bed were the books given to her by Xander, as well as the many items of clothing the girls had showered her with. Amy's eyes then fell upon a stack of letters sitting on Shaw's dresser. The letters were written on parchment, and tied together with a single blue ribbon. The witch was quite surprised that the ribbon hadn't been untied. "You haven't read the letters."

Shaw stiffened, her hand stopping just short of the handle of her suitcase. Her fist clenched and unclenched, and she quietly said, "I am afraid to."

"What?!?" Amy babbled, unable to believe it. "Shaw, those are letters from your friends. Your teachers. Robin's contacts on Toril, whoever they are, were able to tell them you're okay. I mean, Robin says they didn't go into details, like Earth, technology, the Hellmouth and stuff, but they know you're alive at least."

"Amy," the ranger whispered, "the top letter is from Storm."

"Your teacher?"

"Yes, and. . ." Shaw sighed and looked at Amy. "Amy, when she became my teacher, she more than taught me. She took me into her home and gave me a haven. A haven. . . from myself."

"I don't get it," Amy gently asked.

"Amy, in the weeks following Bordertown and my Grandparents' deaths, I was. . . I was self-destructive." The half-elf sat on the bed, and Brenna walked over and nuzzled her Companion. Shaw petted the cat and told Amy, "I was angry at everyone, I did not care about anyone or anything, I was without direction or purpose."

"You were lost," the Amazon said in understanding. "On the inside."

Shaw nodded sadly as she gently stroked the purring Guardian. "She saved me, Amy. From despair, depression. . . and myself. And now. . . now, she likely knows what kind of life I have led the last fifteen years." She looked at the floor and asked, "What will she think of me, after what I did with the lessons she taught me? After was I was in that living Hell?"

Amy said, "That's why you need to read those letters, cuz. If you're afraid of what they think, then reading them will resolve that. You'll know what they think. And another thing; Robin went to a lot of trouble to get those letters for you, not to mention letting your friends know you're happy. Shaw, he's trying to help you keep a connection to your past. As much as you say this is your home now, you *did* tell Xander that you wanted to know how your friends are. I think it says something about how much he likes you as his 'little sister' that he went to this much effort."

"I should have known you would do that," Shaw grumbled.

"What?"

"If logic does not work," the half-elf said with a sigh, "you will resort to the guilt trip."

Amy chuckled at her. "Is it working?"

With a sigh contradicted by Brenna's mental laughter, Shaw mumbled, "I will get back to you on that."

With a grin, Amy said, "Well, it IS the only present you haven't opened yet. I know you liked the other stuff you got for Christmas."

Shaw smiled and said, "Yes, I did. Even if the 'church clothes' you and the other girls bought me were somewhat tight for religious services."

"Hey, it's the Earth versions," Amy easily joked. "But you have no right to complain, considering the gifts *you* came up with. I'm not EVEN going to mention what you did involving Robin and Puck."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Shaw said innocently.

//Liar,// Brenna said to her. //You know exactly what she is talking about.//

Amy sweetly said, "Let's see; you give Xander a hundred bucks in Forgotten Realms stuff, AND two hundred pages single spaced of your own Harper missions as a reference guide. You sent Mulder a book on sex education, and you had it sent to his *Watcher!*"

"I wanted to be sure it did not get lost in the mail," Shaw grinned. "And Mulder called to say that sending Crotalus to see him as a 'singing telegram' made up for it. Dana, on the other hand, screamed her head off thinking he was a demon."

"I don't want to hear it," Amy muttered. "I'll give you this, though; the pendants were cool. And Cordy loved the earrings. You really put her through some grief."

Shaw smiled at that. Cordelia had gone ballistic for two weeks when she found out that the earrings she'd wanted to match a diamond necklace she'd bought had been sold mere hours before she went to buy them. So of course, she'd screamed to high Heaven when she opened the box they were in, reacting much the same way Shaw had on her birthday.

"I am glad she liked them," Shaw said. Putting on her white and green sweater, she asked, "Shall we go?"

Amy grinned. "Let's get moving."

Shaw walked out first, and Amy paused when she spotted an object on the dresser. She looked at Brenna, who just watched her with hooded eyes. Amy grinned, picked up the object, and slid it into her purse before heading out.

*****

Eleanor Madison's Residence
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998 - 07:27 PST

Shaw's eyes locked onto the house sitting at the end of the long driveway. She had already scanned the very large front yard as they went up the driveway. The house itself was a long, very large two-story wood frame ranch house. The Slayerette took in the thick walls and large bay windows that made up the residence, with its two-car garage, and the beautiful garden in the front of the house, with dozens of flowers as well as cacti and other desert plant life, and beds of Ocotillo and Mesquite.

Shaw had seen very few houses that combined plant life like this; it brought Storm Silverhand's farm to mind. She quickly shook off the memory and relaxed as Amy stopped at the edge of the gravel driveway.

Amy parked the Taurus and turned it off. She pocketed the keys and said, "You ready?"

Shaw took a deep breath, let it out, and gingerly said, "Our family is in there?"

Sensing her nervousness, Amy nodded. "Yeah, Shaw. And they're waiting to meet you." She lowered her voice and told her, "Just remember that they ARE your family. You're just as much one of us as I am. And you've got more time under your belt than anyone except for Grandma. As far as seniority goes, you're number two."

Shaw nodded to her, her confidence somewhat bolstered by Amy's endorsement. The Slayerettes exited the car and headed for the house after getting their bags out of the trunk.

As they approached the door, Amy said, "Let's go meet the family."

*****

Part 2: Head To Head
(The Alpha Bitch And Zen Witch)

Madison Residence
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998

Amy stepped up to the door and pushed the button, sending a sound like a bell ringing inside the house. She brushed some hair out of her eyes and smiled, wondering who'd answer, as she knew her relatives were already here.

The witch turned to look at Shaw and saw that her cousin was wound tighter than a spring, letting her eyes dart around and nervously biting her lower lip. Despite feeling frustrated at her inability to ease Shaw's nervousness, her heart went out to her, since she knew how important this was to the other dimensional warrior. <It's times like this that I forget that she's almost a teenager in ways.>

She reached a hand out and said, "Hey." When Shaw's eyes focused on her, the Amazon smiled. "Don't worry. It's going to be fine." <If I keep telling her that, maybe she'll get the point and believe it.>

Any further musings were stifled when the door opened to reveal a woman about a decade older than Amy. She had hair of a color that could only be described as "bronze," medium brown eyes with a look of fire to them, and a bright smile. She stood about 5'2", three or four inches shorter than Amy, but the look in her eyes would be able to back off any person who thought that her lack of height put her at a disadvantage. Upon seeing Amy and her companion, her smile widened.

"Amy." She moved across the threshold and put her arms around the seventeen-year-old. Amy returned the embrace with the left arm, her right having a suitcase in its grip. "It's about time you showed up. We were thinking you'd be here yesterday."

"Sorry, Allie," Amy said with a loving smile. As her aunt backed off, the Slayerette looked her in the eyes and said, "I had three other family engagements to attend. My calendar is just SO swamped."

With a mock frown, Allie said, "Three?" Amy nodded impishly, so her aunt ticked off on her fingers. "One would be your Father's family."

"Allie. . ." Amy trailed off warningly.

Alison held up a hand. "I know, I know, Mike had reasons for leaving Cathy. I didn't approve of them, but I still understand the reasons. I've accepted that your Mom was an olive short of a margarita. Dealt with it, moved on, and I talked with him months ago."

"He never told me that," Amy protested.

"He explained everything to me, and after talking to Mom, we reached an understanding." Figuring that was settled, she smiled again. "Now, your Father's family, the second one would be Rhonda's family, right?"

"Yeah," Amy said, a bit worried about what Allie would say to that.

"Hey," the elder Madison said, noting Amy's look, "I have nothing against her, Amy. In fact, Mom's told me how well you've done since moving in with her. That gives her brownie points in my own humble opinion."

"Thanks," Amy said with a sigh of relief. When Allie cocked her head, she said, "Okay, the third one. Third family's the Scooby Gang. We spent Christmas Day together exchanging gifts."

"The Scooby Gang?" Allie asked with an arched eyebrow. "What the Heck is that?"

Amy smiled and told her, "Hello, I live on a Hellmouth? We got a few kids who kick vamp and demon ass. We've saved the world a couple times."

"WHAT?!?" Allie snapped, losing her composure. "What the Hell are you doing fighting vampires!"

With a sigh, Amy said, "Look at me, Allie. Capital 'L.'"

Allie's eyes went a bit blank, seeming to shift as if she were focusing on something else. With what could only be described with a "snap!", she shifted back into the "mundane" world. She stared her niece in the eyes and demanded, "Since when are YOU an AMAZON?!?"

"How do you know about Amazons?" Shaw asked from behind Amy.

Allie's eyes switched over to Amy's companion. "I work as a camera editor for PBS, doing nature documentaries for NOVA and Nature. Occasionally, I do shows on ancient cultures as a way to branch out. I've spent most of my adult life traveling Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. I did a show on the Amazons as part of an archaeological documentary on Greek mythology. I saw some artifacts; some of them were mystical in nature. So I know the 'signs.'" She scanned Shaw and said, "You're not an Amazon. You're. . ." Her eyebrows rose. "A shaman. But with European origins. I can't place it. . ."

"Later," Amy told her. "Look Allie, it's chilly out here. Mind if we come in?"

Allie laughed. "Yeah, come on in." She stared at Shaw again, and this time the stare was returned with neutrality that Amy could see was making the camerawoman wonder what was going on in the girl's mind.

Allie stepped back into the house and let the two girls enter.

The three women entered the kitchen, where Allie immediately moved to the coffeepot. She picked up a couple of mugs and asked, "You girls up for some coffee?"

"You bet," Amy said before she heard her cousin sigh and sit down in the chair with a thump. She turned her head and said, "Hey! Careful with the chairs, Hunter."

Allie watched the two while holding two steaming mugs of coffee. She saw the girl named "Hunter" staring at the table and blushing, her cheekbones turning a strange shade of blue. She glanced at Amy and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I. . ." the girl said before looking at Amy.

Amy gave her a sympathetic look before shifting her gaze to Allie. "Shaw's allergic to anything with caffeine in it, Allie. Sorry."

"Ah. I see," she said. "No problem. Mom has milk, water, or grape juice if you want that."

The girl Amy had brought with her smiled and said, "Milk will be acceptable."

<Acceptable? Definitely not an American teenager,> Allie finally decided. She nodded and told the young woman, "I'll grab it."

After setting her and Amy's mugs down, Allie poured a tall glass of milk for their company and sat down to talk with them. She took a sip of her black coffee and asked, "Okay, first things first. Amy, how did you get to be an honest-to-Goddess Amazon?"

Amy smiled and shook her head. "Oh, no you don't. You get to wait just like the rest of us."

"Can't blame a witch for trying," Allie murmured good-naturedly. Shifting her brown eyes to the foreigner, she asked, "So what's your story. . . Shaw, is it? Where are you from?"

"That is. . . somewhat complicated," the woman answered. She sent a glance at Amy, who shook her head, amused at Allie trying to pry for details before getting to tell the whole family about her past year. Shaw nodded and focused back on her questioner. "Allie, suffice it to say that my story will be most unique."

"Really," Allie purred, trying to draw some information out and see if this kid had more spine to her than she'd seen so far. "Surely you can at least tell me where you're from."

Shaw cocked her head as if trying to decide how to answer that. She finally shrugged and said, "According to my birth certificate and student VISA, I am from Glenfillen, Scotland."

"A Scotswoman, huh?" the Madison woman said thoughtfully. She tapped her chin with her finger. "Strange. You can't tell by your accent. And with those cheekbones, I would've sworn you had at least some Welsh background."

"Not that I know of," came the reply.

Allie's lips tightened into a prim smile. "Really. I---"

"If I may," Shaw cut in, a look of interest in her eyes, "Allie is short for Alison, is it not?"

Allie blinked at the question. She nodded once and said, "Yes, it is."

"You are Alison Madison's namesake?" the girl asked, seeming intent on the answer.

"Yes," Allie said, pride at the name handed down to her swelling in her chest, "I am. You know about Alison Madison?"

"Yes," the hazel-eyed teen replied, her grin now matching the witch's. "In fact, I daresay that I know more about Alison Madison than anyone walking the face of the Earth. . . Allie."

Allie's eyes widened at that proclamation, while a coughing sound caught the attention of both her and their guest. They both looked at Amy, who was trying (and failing miserably) to hide her laughter. A spill of coffee lay on the table where Amy had spit up her drink at the comment made by the person she'd brought along to the family gathering.

"Is something funny, Amy?" Allie asked crossly. When Amy waved her off, her eyes a lighter shade of blue than usual, indicating that something was *quite* funny, she let it go and faced Shaw directly. "You know about Alison, huh? Did Amy let you in on the family history?"

"Actually," Shaw said, folding her arms on the table and leaning forward, "I was the one who, shall we say, filled in the blanks concerning Alison's life. . . Allie."

Allie's eyes narrowed at the way this total stranger said her name. <She calls me Allie instead of my full name.> she realized. She growled, "If you don't mind, my friends call me 'Allie.' You can call me 'Alison.'"

"I am sorry, but as far as I am concerned, there is only *one* Alison Madison."

Amy stared between the two, grinning from ear to ear at the recovery this Shaw had made from being completely silent just moments earlier.

Allie asked, "I don't supposed that you'd be willing to share some of the blanks you 'filled in?'"

"Not with you alone, no," Shaw replied. She then let one corner of her mouth rise as she said, "You will have to wait along with everybody else."

Amy let Allie focus on Shaw, since she was about to bust out in laughter. She realized that Shaw had finally figured out that Allie was going to try to establish whether or not the half-elf had any backbone to her. But she knew of something she hadn't told Shaw, one of Allie's favorite tests of people she didn't know, but had mystical prowess.

<Here it comes,> the Amazon thought. She mentally crossed her fingers and thought, <Come on, cuz. Don't let her think you're anything less than a Madison.>

Allie stood up and leaned forward, bracing her hands on the table. She glared at this impertinent woman and said, "Well, what if I told you to tell me what I want to know now? And that if you didn't, I'd do whatever it took to convince the others to reject you from ever being accepted by our family."

Allie saw Shaw's eyes flare in anger at the comment. She slowly and methodically stood up and said, "THAT is not your decision, *Allie*. And it will be a cold day in Avernus before I do anything you *think* you have to right to order me to do."

Allie blinked at the word Avernus. <By Hecate!> she thought. <Who the Hell IS this girl?!? NO ONE that young should know that name outside of Black Mages! How could this girl know it?!?>

She sensed that Amy was similarly surprised by Shaw's use of the actual name of the First Circle of Hell. Only those who called on the demonic forces had ever, to Allie's knowledge, known that name, unless they were scholars who specialized in studies of demons.

Getting back to the subject of her interrogation, the witch snarled, "What if I just used an ESP spell to get the information out of your head?"

<Here it comes,> Amy thought. She flicked her eyes to the ranger, who was snarling in response.

"You would have a hard time breaching MY defenses, WITCH," the priestess hissed. She sized Allie up and said, "How long would it take you to cast your mind raping spell?"

Allie seemed caught off guard by the question, but she promptly replied, "Fifteen seconds."

"In other words, about five seconds longer than it would take me to cast a silence spell over us," the Slayerette offered, before moving into Allie's face. "At which time, I would settle the issue of your invasion of my private thoughts. Personally."

Allie's eyes flared with righteous indignation. "How would you settle it, Hunter?"

"With a longsword through your gullet, Madison or no."

Amy and Allie's mouths both dropped at the mention of swords. Amy was also realizing that Allie had thought up the *last* thing that Shaw would ever tolerate.

"Mundane weapons are banned in challenges of mystically gifted combatants!" Allie screamed. "How DARE you suggest using a sword!"

Shaw let the tiniest of sneers come to her face. With a cold, dead look in her hazel eyes, the Faerunian drawled out, very slowly, "Soulreaver was enchanted when it was first forged twelve centuries ago. It most definitely is NOT a 'mundane' weapon."

Shaw watched Allie's eyes as they flared in fury. She could almost imagine the gears turning in the woman's brain. Finally, she saw acknowledgment in the brown eyes of the woman who'd challenged her.

"Nice loophole," Allie grudgingly admitted. She shook her head. "An enchanted *weapon*. I can't believe I never considered that."

"Perhaps you will consider it the next time you threaten to violate someone's mind," Shaw snarled to her in a tight voice.

Allie's eyes narrowed. "This was only a test, young lady. I wasn't seriously challenging you."

Shaw eyed Allie directly and warned her, "I do not see it that way."

Allie started to growl a reply, but stopped when her eyes darted to her right. Shaw felt Amy's shoulder gently rest on her shoulder. Her cousin softly told her, "It wasn't for real, Shaw."

Refusing to break eye contact, Shaw said, "She had no right."

"I think I did," Allie retorted with a snap. "If we're going to accept someone into *my* family, I want to be sure they're worthy of it. To me, that means they need to have some backbone."

"Perhaps you should be less concerned about my worthiness to be a member of this family," the half-elven Slayerette barked, "and more concerned about *your* worthiness to the name you carry."

THAT shot scored a bull's-eye. Allie's jaw clenched for several seconds a she tried to keep her temper under control.

Shaw felt Amy's hand involuntarily jerk at her comment to the elder witch. She didn't care; she was furious at even the hint of someone penetrating her psionic defenses, *especially* someone related to her.

"She doesn't know about last month," Amy's voice said, very gently. "She just wanted to see if you'd stand up to her. Remember what I told you."

Shaw took several deep breaths, trying to steady herself. Allie also calmed herself, since the witch saw that Amy was having a calming effect on her. She waited for her great-grandmother's namesake to make the first comment.

Looking Shaw over, she tersely nodded. "Glad to see you'd be willing to stand up for yourself."

"I think ending your life would be more than 'standing up for myself,'" Shaw said carefully. She swallowed and nervously said, "Allie, please. . . please, never insinuate that you would use such magics on me. I do not tolerate it, even from one such as you."

The elder witch seemed surprised by Shaw's saying "please." A look of slight regret covered her countenance. "All right," she said, somewhat uneasy over how tense the ranger still was. "Truce?"

Shaw hesitated. She looked at Amy, who nodded with a look of concern in her eyes. When she turned back to the waiting Allie, she shook her head. "Where would the fun be in that, Allie?"

Amy burst into surprised laughter, while Allie's eyes flashed.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" Amy giggled.

"Shut up!" Allie snapped at her niece. She turned back to the expressionless Shaw and said, "Shaw, I was trying to be nice to you. Obviously, you don't have any idea how rare that is."

"Actually, I would say I have a very good idea how rare such a thing is," Shaw retorted, purposely pausing before saying, "Allie Madison."

"My name is Alison," she hissed. "I was named after Alison, who was kidnapped---"

"More proof that you are not worthy of her name," the Mielikkian shot back. "If you have such a low opinion of her that you think *any* Madison would *allow* herself to be taken against her will without a fight worthy of the bards."

<BAM!!!> Amy giggled in her mind. When she saw Allie sputtering in an attempt to make a verbal comeback, she finally lost control.

Shaw and Allie looked at the teen witch, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, slapping it with one hand while laughing uncontrollably, tears coming out of her eyes.

Allie literally growled, "What's so funny, Amy!"

"You," Amy heard her teammate snap.

Allie turned on Shaw and snapped, "I don't know who you think you are. . ."

She stopped when Shaw burst into a lengthy recitation in a strange, musical language she'd never heard before. When she finished, she said, "THAT is who I am."

"I didn't understand a freaking word!" Allie protested. She knew a number of foreign languages, but this one was beyond her.

Shaw shrugged and said, "Well then, it is not *my* fault that your education and linguistic skills are lacking. Not to mention that a *simple* translation spell would have made my introduction comprehensible. But I will understand if your witchcraft is not up to the task."

That shocked Amy out of her hysteria. She gleefully thought, <Double barrels below the belt! You GO, girl!>

"Am I intruding?" a soft voice asked.

Amy, as well as Allie and Shaw, turned to view the speaker, who'd managed to walk into the kitchen without a single sound. And with Shaw's ears, that was no small feat.

Shaw watched the newcomer, who had to be Joan Madison, by her apparent age. She stood five-seven and had a slim figure despite having birthed two children and being forty-one years of age. Her softly curling hair was that dark shade of blonde that would likely turn strawberry if she spent enough time in the sun. Her gray-blue eyes took in everything while betraying nothing in return. Shaw once again looked over her figure, which greatly differed from Allie's. Allie worked in the outdoors for a living and looked like it. Her sister, on the other hand, was slim, making Shaw think of sages, for some reason she couldn't define. Nor was the former Harper immune to the utter serenity that seemed to radiate from Amy's oldest aunt.

Shaw just watched Joan, the barest of grins touching the younger woman's face. She glanced at Allie and Amy, who were collecting themselves from their temper tantrum and hilarity, respectively.

She glanced back at Joan, whose eyes rested on her. She stepped forward and offered her hand. "You must be Shaw," she said in that smooth voice. "I'm Joan, Amy's aunt."

Shaw took the hand and shook it, belatedly realizing that she hadn't consciously registered her own movements. "Joan. Shaw Hunter. I am pleased to meet you."

"Likewise," the woman said, a trace of warmth and concern in that single word. "So, how are you and Alison getting along?"

Shaw recovered her equilibrium at the mention of her "antagonist." "Oh," the ranger said, glancing at the brown-eyed witch, "she seemed speechless for the last few minutes. I do not know why. I was told that she was given to expressing her opinions."

Amy's body started shaking as she tried to hide her giggles. Allie gave her a glare before saying, "We'll talk more later, Hunter."

"Do you mean I will actually hear you say something?" she innocently asked.

"Okay, round one's over," the youngest woman in the room giggled. She got up and walked over to Joan. They hugged, and Amy said, "It's good to see you again, Aunt Joan."

"I'm glad you were able to make it," the other said softly. She backed Amy up and looked her over, hands on Amy's shoulders. "You've grown a great deal since last year."

Somehow, Shaw instinctively knew that the woman wasn't referring to height.

"Yeah, it's been a strange year," Amy said with a grin. She told Joan, "Believe me, you'll hear all about it later."

"I look forward to it," Joan said with a single, minor nod of her head. She looked between the two girls and asked, "Do you want me to show you to your room?"

"You can take Shaw," the Amazon offered, squeezing the half-elf's arm affectionately. "You could show her around, give her the quickie tour, so she knows her way around the place." She glanced at Shaw and grinned. "If you don't mind lugging the suitcases. Don't worry, we'll be on the first floor."

"I think I can handle it," Shaw said with a humored snort. She looked to Joan. "If you would be kind enough?"

Joan's small smile widened just the tiniest bit. Shaw stopped at that motion, drawing a raised eyebrow.

"Shaw," Amy asked, "what is it?"

Shaw's head turned toward Amy, then back to her appointed guide. She softly asked, "Amy said your name is Joan?"

Joan tilted her head just so and said, "Yes, it is."

Shaw looked at Amy, a questioning look on her face.

"Is her name *really* Joan," the Scooby said, "or is it Jehanne?"

Amy's eyes rolled up and she buried her head in her hands, moaning at the question she'd just been asked. Allie looked confused, and glanced at her older sister. Joan just cocked an eyebrow and shrugged with the slightest upraising of her shoulders.

The blonde witch looked up with a look of sorrow in her eyes. "Aunt Joan, I'm sorry! I can't believe she asked me that!"

"What is this all about?" Allie asked, wanting to know.

Amy sighed and shook her head in frustration. "That's for later, Allie," she promised. "You'll probably get a good chuckle out of it."

Shaw was looking back and forth in confusion, wondering about Amy's reaction to what she meant as a serious question. A bit of uncertainty flooded inside of her. "Amy, I did not mean to insult. . ."

"No, no," Amy quickly said, trying to lay her fears to rest. "It's just. . ." She let out an upward breath that blew her bangs around. "Later, okay? I'll explain it."

"All right," she said, slightly reassured. She looked at Joan and asked, "Would be kind enough to show me to our room?"

Joan's eyes crinkled the tiniest bit when she smiled. "Of course. If you'll follow me. . ."

Shaw picked up the suitcases and followed Joan out of the room.

When they passed through the swinging door, Allie leaned in close to Amy.

"Where in the name of Hecate did you find HER?" she asked demandingly.

The younger woman laughed. "Actually, she found me."

"What?" Allie asked, surprised by that. "Who the Hell is she?"

"Trust me, you'll find out later," Amy said, sending a grin her way. "And it's gonna sound like something out of the Twilight Zone."

"Amy, what is it between you two?"

Instead of answering, Amy walked over to the coffee pot and poured herself another cup of coffee. She added a scoop of sugar and some milk to it before sitting down. Allie figured she was trying to think of a diplomatic answer, so she hazarded a guess.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Allie asked straight out.

Amy dropped the mug to the table with a "thump." She stared at Allie for several seconds before saying, "No, Shaw is not my girlfriend. Sheesh, Allie! Don't you think I would've mentioned it before now?" She giggled once and said, "Of course, my boyfriend is strange enough as it is."

Allie perked up at that. "You finally snagged yourself a man, huh?"

"Yep," Amy said with a mysterious smile worthy of the Mona Lisa. "That is, he's technically a man."

"WHAT?!?" the film editor exclaimed. She stared at Amy with eyes that couldn't possibly be wider and demanded, "What are you talking about?"

"Sorry, but I'm not the type to kiss and tell," Amy said sweetly, enjoying having fun at her aunt's expense. "Let alone the type to. . . well, do anything and tell."

Allie didn't need cue cards to know what Amy meant by *that*. "When?"

With a sigh of contentment, Amy held her mug in both hands and let her eyes rise to the ceiling, wearing that same grin that Da Vinci couldn't have improved upon. "Christmas Eve. We took it pretty slow; waited four whole months before taking the plunge."

"That long? You're serious about him," the witch observed. <It's good to see you haven't let what Cathy did to you keep you down.>

"Yeah, we're serious," Amy said wistfully. "He told me it was the best Christmas present he ever had. And he's been around awhile."

Now Allie was taken off guard again. "How old is this man, Amy?"

"He's. . . you know, I'm not sure," the high school senior replied. She shrugged and said, "Fairies live a long time."

Allie almost lost her eyes at that point, since they almost literally popped out of their sockets. "You're dating a FAIRY?!?"

"Yep," Amy grinned. "And without giving out any juicy details, romantic or otherwise, let's just say that Shakespeare didn't do him any justice in A Midsummer Night's Dream."

"Please," Allie begged, completely stunned by Amy's admissions, "PLEASE tell me you're not sleeping with Oberon!"

"Of course not," Amy giggled. When Allie's body slumped in relief, she twisted the dagger. "I'm dating Robin Goodfellow."

Allie stared at her niece for several minutes before she figured out that Amy was completely serious. "Oh, my Goddess," Allie whispered in shock. "What the Hell have you been doing all year?"

"Like I said, later."

"Fine." Allie tried to assimilate that Amy had admitted to having sex with a literary character. She looked at her and said, "Can you at least tell me if he's serious about this, or if it's just a fling for him?"

Amy's face became stern. "Allie, we are completely serious. Heck, Allie, he asked me out in the middle of a fight with a Black Mage and vampires! If this was just a 'fling' for him, I don't think he'd ask me for a date while shooting lightning bolts at a demon or two."

Allie whistled. "Okay, I can accept that," she offered. "The way you make it sound, I'm surprised you waited four months."

"Well," Amy sheepishly admitted, "we were going to take the plunge two weeks ago, but something happened."

Allie's face became soft. She gently asked, "What happened?"

Amy's face came up, but rather than disappointment, she grinned evilly and said, "The guys had to take their doubles back to their alternate reality and fight a vampire army."

"WHAT?!"

"Oh, I didn't get to go," the Slayerette continued. "I just stayed behind and impersonated the Slayer while watching some guys take on a crooked law firm."

"WHAT?!?"

Amy then twisted the knife. In a figure eight.

"But the guys brought me back one of those cool t-shirts that says, 'My covert ops buddies went to another universe to meet their evil and good twins and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.'"

Amy just watched as Allie nearly fainted, and giggled her blonde head off.

<Why should Shaw have all the fun?>

*****

Joan walked into the room that Shaw and Amy would be staying in for their visit. She stepped to the side while holding the door, to allow the young woman to walk in and survey the room at her leisure. She watched as Shaw gazed out the double-glazed windows, whose storm shutters were thrown open. Joan was trying to get more of a reading off of this stranger, since she could still feel the emotional pain that had flared during the girl's talk with Alison.

Another emotion flared, a bit of concern or fear. Joan's eyes narrowed a fraction as she concentrated her empathic power to its fullest, wondering at the contradictions emanating from the visitor.

<She's an empath. Why doesn't she feel me reading her?> the book editor asked herself. She watched the girl's head going from right to left, panning across the room, which was a fair-sized one. <I don't understand what's wrong. She's concerned about the room. Perhaps I should just ask her.>

Shaw took in the room she'd been shown to, swallowing for some reason. She finally realized what it was, and tried to tone down her anxiety. She set the suitcases on one of the full-sized beds, which had large pillows and large quilts rather than normal blankets. She involuntarily shivered a bit at how close in everything felt, despite the fact the room was probably half again as large as her own bedroom. <What is making me feel so uncomfortable?> she asked herself.

"Shaw?" Joan asked, drawing the cleric out of her contemplations. "Is something wrong with the room?"

Shaw looked around again, trying to determine the source of her uneasiness. "No," she muttered before it finally dawned on her. Slightly embarrassed, she said, "It is just that my room at home. . ."

With the minutest tilt of her head, Joan asked, "Yes? It's all right for you to tell me. I won't take offense."

"It is. . . crowded," she sighed. She waved her arm at the twin full-size beds, the two oak dressers, the nightstand, all of which combined to make the room seem cramped to her. She said, "There are so many things in here. But I can manage, Joan."

"Are you sure?" Joan asked, sounding sincere.

Shaw nodded and opened her suitcase, taking some of her clothes out and taking them over to the dresser. As she began to put them in, she stopped and stared at an old photograph on the dresser. She felt herself being drawn into it, for reasons she couldn't comprehend. She knew down to her soul that she'd never seen the two women in the picture before, yet she also knew, somehow, that she *had* something to do with the one on the right. As her attention fully focused on the picture, Joan stood there, a look of consideration on her face. Shaw failed to notice, as she just continued to stare at the woman with the thick, full mane of what had to be red hair that looked like it just refused to be fully tamed.

Joan watched the girl, sensing her confusion over the picture. She padded over, standing behind Shaw and glancing at the picture before focusing back on the woman Amy had brought to meet them. She gently said the girl's name. "Shaw?"

Without looking back, the dark-haired female whispered, "Who are they?"

Seeing no harm in answering, and thinking it might help her figure out her swirling emotions, Joan replied, "The women in the picture are Lydia and Alison Madison. The original picture was taken over a century ago, this is a restored copy of it. Lydia, the woman on the left, was my great-grandmother."

She heard a slight breath, almost like a gasp, come from her visitor. Shaw reached out and let her fingers graze the glass covering before softly saying, "This is what she looked like?"

"Yes," came the answer. Joan picked up a new sensation from the child. <Why does she feel that way about Lydia. .> she asked herself before seeing where Shaw's fingers lay. <No. Not Lydia, but Alison. She feels a. . . connection to her. Hmm. The mystery deepens.>

Joan felt many conflicting emotions inside of Shaw, but decided to let that lie for now. She wanted to understand what she'd felt coming from the kitchen only a few minutes earlier.

"Shaw," Joan said, startling the woman. When she saw Amy's friend shake herself to focus, the empath apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm sorry."

"No," the teenager said, shaking her head while still looking at the photograph. "It is all right. I just---"

When she didn't continue, Joan felt her emotions roil again. She decided to bring Shaw back onto the topic she wanted to help the girl with. She put a hand on Shaw's right shoulder. "Shaw, when you were talking with Allie, I felt something."

"Felt?" Shaw dully asked. She turned around and stared at Joan's eyes, letting Joan see (and feel) the determination rising inside of her. "What do you mean?"

Joan took the demand in stride. "Shaw, I have active empathic abilities, just as you do. There are some differences between our gifts, which I cannot understand. For one thing, you should feel it when another empath's abilities brush yours. I did not intentionally read you; your emotions are quite strong. I am surprised you don't have any shields against your feelings leaking out."

The other settled down a bit, but not much. She glanced around at the floor before answering Joan's question. "My empathy is limited to reading the emotions of animals. I am a nature priestess, and my ability is linked to my connection to the natural world. It does not extend to people." Joan nodded in understanding. "I do have what one telepath referred to as a 'psi-screen,' which prevents telepathic probes or mental intrusions, within limits. Also, I can feel whenever someone attempts to read my thoughts."

"Ah," Joan said, understanding the contradictions now. "Your feelings are another matter. It's not that I intentionally tried to read you, Shaw; it's that your emotions toward something were so strong that I could feel them from across the house. I wanted to see if you needed any help." After a slight pause, she added, "You have a great deal of pain associated with whatever made your anger flare up. A recent pain. I'd like to help if you'd let me."

"I will tell you everything about myself later," Shaw told her, but Joan could feel the conflict inside of her.

<She doesn't want to wait,> the witch reasoned. <She wants to tell me everything about herself, right here and now if I wish it. If Amy asked her to wait, it was probably so that she only has to tell her story once. But I don't think she'd mind if we only talked about what's hurting her friend.> She smiled internally while keeping her face neutral to Shaw, who was watching her closely. <Which is probably why she asked me to guide her friend. Very clever, Amy.>

She gave Shaw a caring look and asked, "I understand. But would you at least like to talk about whatever it is that made you so angry at Alison?"

Shaw stared into Joan's eyes for several seconds, and the witch tried to convey her honest desire to help, if the young woman would let her. Shaw sat on the bed opposite the one she'd laid the suitcases on. She folded her hands on her lap and stared forward. Joan just waited, letting her think about what she wanted to say.

Shaw couldn't meet Joan's eyes, continuing to look straight ahead. After what seemed like an hour, Shaw began to talk. "Last month," she said quite softly, "someone used magic to unbalance my mind and emotions. He had a mass murderer's essence become active within me, and it led me to the brink of insanity before. . ."

Gently, Joan prodded her with a single, "Yes?"

"Before," the girl continued, "Amy and the others saved me. But I led them into danger by running away while trying to find a cure for myself. And. . ." She stopped to wipe away tears that were starting to form. "He violated my mind and heart. He activated that killer's memories. . . and I still have nightmares about it. They are lessening, but. ." She collected herself and looked at Joan. She swallowed nervously and said, "I had to face my dark side again. And for the first time, I thought I would lose the battle. If not for Amy. . . I owe her so much, Joan. And I do not know how to thank her."

"If I know Amy as well as I think I do," Joan began, her soft voice attempting to reassure the tense young woman, "I think the way to thank her would be to heal from the pain you feel. If you recover, that's what will make Amy happy."

"She has helped me so much, I fear asking too much of her."

Joan sat down next to Shaw and laid a soft hand on Shaw's interlocked fingers. She squeezed them with just the slightest bit of pressure and told her, in her normal gentle tone, "I can feel that you have healed a bit from whatever happened, Shaw. The pain is fading, but it will take time to fully heal. Do not be afraid to ask for others to help you through it."

Shaw looked at Joan in surprise. "Is it fading?" she asked.

Joan read the hope inside of her, and honestly answered. "It is. You've come a ways, but just let it heal in its own time. Don't try to rush it, but at the same time, trying to handle it alone is the worst thing you can do."

"I know that, Joan," Shaw admitted, looking down at the floor, "from bitter experience."

<I can tell,> Joan said silently. She gave Shaw one more reassuring squeeze of the hands and asked her, "Are you sure the room is acceptable?"

The girl smiled through her painful eyes. "Yes. I will not let a small problem like claustrophobia ruin this for me."

"Good," Joan said, patting Shaw's leg. "Let's go and rejoin the others."

Joan stood and started for the door, feeling Shaw send one more glance at the picture on the dresser before moving to catch up.

*****

Part 3: The Twin Terrors
(Mary Kate And Ashley, They're Not)

Madison Residence
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998

Amy was still messing with Allie's mind when Joan walked back into the kitchen, Shaw trailing behind her.

Joan took in both of them and let the smallest of smiles touch her lips. "Might I ask what you're talking about?"

Allie took a few seconds to stammer out, "Your niece is dating and sleeping with a fairy! An honest to Goddess *fairy*!"

Joan sent a glance Amy's way for confirmation. The youngest Madison in the room just giggled and nodded her head. The editor arched an eyebrow and asked, "How long?"

"Dating, four months," Amy confessed, almost too easily. "As for sex. . . two nights."

Joan nodded before turning to Alison. "I fail to see a problem with that. If I recall, you. . ."

"Ah!" the nature show film woman snapped, holding up a finger to prevent anything further from coming out. "We agreed never to bring that up in front of minors."

"What?" Amy asked with a grin. An innocent look crossed her face. "You're not talking about the demonstration of sex magic you gave that Masai witch doctor in Africa when you were twenty, are you? The one who was. . . what was it? Six-foot-eleven?"

Allie began sputtering at something she considered a closely guarded secret. Realizing that only one of her sisters could have told Amy that, she blurted, "Catherine didn't!"

Amy giggled and nodded to deny Allie's plea. "Oh yeah, she did. And when I was only fourteen, too."

The bronze-haired witch growled and retorted, "I'm not the one having sex with someone from Shakespeare!"

"Shakespeare?" Joan asked, slightly puzzled.

"Robin Goodfellow," Allie, Amy, and Shaw said in perfect unity.

Joan's eyebrow twitched. "Ah," she said.

"Ah?" Alison said, staring at Joan. "That's all you have to say about this? Ah?" She rolled her eyes. "Joan, I know you're unflappable, but you could show some emotion." She looked at Shaw. "It's like living with a female Jack Webb."

"I know the feeling," Shaw said with a smile. When she shared a glance with Amy, they both said, "Oz."

"Who's Oz?" Joan asked.

Amy grinned at her aunt. "Just your average, normal, friendly neighborhood laconic teenaged guitar-playing werewolf."

"WHAT?!?" Allie shouted again. She buried her face in her hands and groaned, "Amy Christine Madison, what in Hecate's name have you been DOING all year?!?"

Amy shook her head with glee. "Stop asking for spoilers, Allie. You're not gonna get 'em."

Shaw cocked her head and said, "Amy, perhaps we could give her *something*. It might give her some idea of how we spend our time."

Joan pitched in a bit. "Please, Amy. I would like to have some idea of how you've spent your time."

Joan smiled when Amy seemed surprised that she, too, could be a little impatient to know how she'd spent her year. She glanced at Shaw, who smiled as if she had an idea.

The empath looked at Shaw. "You agree with us?"

"I think it would do no harm to give you a small idea of how we spend our nights," the stranger said. She licked her lips and looked at Amy. "How about the first week in July?"

Amy squinted. "That's before you joined up."

"I know," Shaw admitted, "but it also marked the turning point for several thousand warriors. It was, in essence, the defining moment of many lives."

Alison looked between the two, suspecting that she was being set up, but figuring she might as well go for it. "Okay, you two. I'll bite; what happened the first week in July?"

Amy grinned at her and said, "Remember the vampire cult in Los Angeles that got wiped out? Those were real vampires."

Allie and Joan both nodded until Allie processed Amy's words, especially "wiped out." She stared at Amy with wide eyes and whispered, "That was you? That's impossible!"

"No ma'am," the teenaged witch proudly declared. "That was our team with some help. We had the LAPD, SWAT teams, Green Berets, Navy SEAL's, mercs, and a few dozen sword and martial arts masters to help out."

Alison looked over to Shaw, who simply nodded to affirm what Amy had already said. She looked at Joan, who sat there with two raised eyebrows.

<Oh Goddess, Joan's in SHOCK!> she thought. <Joan Madison is literally in shock!>

But that moment passed just as quickly when the elder witch put her finger to her lips and nodded. "It makes sense. The police would not be able to handle that quantity of vampires alone." She glanced at her niece. "Is there anything else that was as impressive?"

"Only that Amy got to meet Shiva," the black-haired woman said with a grin.

"WHAT?!?" Allie screamed again.

Joan watched as Amy broke out in laughter, and felt a flash of irritation from Shaw. She turned to the woman and saw her rubbing at one of her ears. Not thinking anything of it (as Allie was very loud), she turned back to Amy.

"Shiva? The God of India?"

"His Avatar," Amy corrected with a grin. She took a sip of coffee before continuing. "He showed up and sent Throlog back to Hell."

"THROLOG?!?" Alison babbled. "What the Hell were you doing within ten miles of a fight between an Old God and a First Circle demon?!? Are you completely BONKERS?!?"

"Hey!" Amy snapped, losing her smile and turning her dark blue eyes onto the camerawoman. "I'll have you know, Allie, that vampire queen was going to sacrifice two *thousand* people to raise that sucker. If it hadn't been for US, Los Angeles would've been ground zero for a vampire and demon invasion! Those bastards killed eight hundred people as it was, so don't throw a hissy fit just because I was shooting silver bullets from an M-82 into Throggie's head. Got it?"

"Amy," Shaw whispered, drawing the attention of all three Madisons, "she is just concerned for your safety. She did not mean anything by it."

Amy and Alison stared at each other for a few seconds before the older woman broke off. She muttered, "Sorry, Amy. I just can't believe this. First you tell me you've got, and I quote, 'a few kids' who fight these things on the Hellmouth, I figured you just handled local stuff." She looked back at the blonde, shaking her head in wonder. "What the Hell are you into?"

"Like I said, you'll find out everything later," Amy promised. Her grin returned as she crossed her heart with her pinky finger. "There. You satisfied?"

Allie rolled her eyes while Joan just blinked and continued to smile. Satisfied that peace had returned to the triangle of witches, Joan rose from the table and filled her own cup of coffee. As she sat back down, she said, "It seems that we are going to be in for quite the tale, Amy."

"Understatement, much?" Amy grinned. She and Shaw shared glances and Joan saw Shaw defer to Amy once again. The seventeen-year-old turned to Allie and said, "So enough about fighting, let's talk about normal stuff. Like you having kids. When are you and Uncle John gonna add some witches to the roster?"

The younger of Catherine's sisters didn't answer right away. She fingered her mug and said, "Amy, John can't have children. You know that."

"Yeah, but you could always adopt," she hinted. She let a look of worry cover her face as she continued. "Allie, seriously. Have you thought about it?"

"Yes, but there are. . . concerns involved," Allie said delicately. She shrugged and said, "He's for it, but we have to consider all of the ramifications."

Amy frowned but let it go. "Okay, we'll go on to something else. Tell me one thing; does he still look twenty-five?"

Allie chuckled at the question, as did Amy; it was a long running joke about Allie's husband. Eyes dancing a bit, she admitted, "Yes, he still looks twenty-five. After ten years of marriage."

Amy started to fire another verbal jab, but before she could, she tensed and swiveled her head towards the door leading out of the kitchen. She dropped her mug and said, "Shaw, hide and seek time."

Joan and Allie looked between the two as both girls began some rapid chanting. In seconds, they finished but with no visible changes. Joan subtly looked into the mystical realm and saw what they'd done; Shaw now registered as a completely untalented young woman, while Amy's spell had only hidden the strange new magic she didn't recognize. Her witchcraft was still showing, and at the impressive new level she'd attained over the previous twelve months. She rapidly put two and two together when two young girls burst in through the door, chattering about going to the Faire that morning.

<Oh Hecate,> Joan mused, <what are Amy and her friend planning?>

Shaw watched as the girls who were mirror images of each other entered the house, animatedly discussing a Faire they were to be attending that morning. Shaw felt her spirits sag once she realized that these two, who had to be Anna and Elizabeth, were going to be absent for much of the day. She watched as Amy got up and walked over to them.

The ranger took the time to take in their appearance. Both twelve-year-olds had blonde hair like Amy's that fell below their shoulders, and eyes that were an equal mix of blue and green. They were surprisingly tall for their age, standing just less than five and a half feet each. They were pretty thin, but Shaw figured that they would fill out in time. Both girls were wearing sweat suits, probably to ward off the December chill, but they'd obviously been working out, as their hair was moist with sweat from physical exertions.

The twins broke into smiles and ran up to their cousin. Amy hugged each of them in turn while telling them that she'd missed them too, and to quiet down so that she could introduce them to someone. Taking one hand in each, the Amazon turned and smiled at the half-elf.

"Shaw," Amy said, nodding first to the twin on her right, "this is Anna." She then lifted the hand of the girl on her left. "And this is Lizzie. Guys, this is Shaw Hunter."

"Hi!" both girls said together. With grinning faces, they looked Shaw up and down, leading the priestess to figure that they were trying to see how powerful she was.

She realized that she'd figured right when Anna's face scrunched up and she said, "Amy, she's NORMAL!"

Amy shared a mischievous glance with Shaw, who folded her arms and said, "I do not hear *that* accusation very often."

Anna looked at Shaw again, a small bit of interest in her eyes. She asked, "You talk funny."

"That one she does hear a lot," Amy giggled, as did her fellow Scooby. "You want to try and say hello without saying stuff like that?"

"Hi," they said, wondering who the girl was. Elizabeth ventured forth a question. "Are you a witch?"

"No, Elizabeth, I am not," Shaw responded, ignoring Lizzie's wince at her full name. <She is just like Buffy.> She smiled and said, "I have no talent for witchcraft or wizardry."

Anna pouted at the sad news. "You can't cast spells?" she asked, sounding quite disappointed.

Shaw realized that they were doing more than trying to get to know her; they were fishing for information, just as Amy said they would. <But they are somewhat less than subtle.> She thought of an answer that might dodge the question entirely. Shaw smiled at the twins and said, "I usually do not need spells. I often find that martial arts work just as well and call less attention to me."

Shaw didn't see Allie and Joan share sly looks (or as much of one as Joan could muster) over Shaw's evasive answer. She did see the girls' eyes light up over the mentioning of her fighting skills.

"You know martial arts?" Anna asked, now excited over knowing *something* that might be cool about Shaw.

Lizzie followed up with, "How good are you? What stuff do you know?"

Shaw watched her closest relative's eyes start twinkling as Anna and Lizzie's curiosity started to manifest itself. Shaw realized that she'd walked right into their trap. Luckily for her, she knew how to dodge such things.

With a tilt of her head, she set out to answer the questions. "Very well. In order, yes, Anna, I know some martial arts. Elizabeth," she said, drawing another wince, "I can answer both your questions at once. I have some training in karate, judo, and tae kwan do, and know enough to defend myself from vampires who think me a little girl, or arrogant teenaged athletes trying to ‘cop a feel' of my backside. I also take tai chi, which helps me as a relaxation technique, as well as part of my exercise regimen."

"Whoa," the twins said together. A similar reaction was on Joan's face. Anna asked, "Who teaches you?"

Shaw hesitated before looking at Amy. She nodded that it was all right to reveal that information to them. The elfwoman nodded gratefully and looked back at the expectant twins. "My teacher is a former member of your American Army."

Four twelve-year-old eyes went round with that. Anna recovered first and said, "You learn from an Army guy?"

"I do," Shaw reiterated.

"You're not American?" Anna's sister asked in curiosity.

Anna spared Lizzie a glance of irritation. "With THAT voice? Yeah, right."

"Hey!" Lizzie snapped at her.

Anna smiled and got into Lizzie's face. "You got a problem with that?"

"Yeah!" Lizzie agreed. She got closer to Anna and said, "Just wait 'til we get to the Renn Faire. I'll show you."

Amy, Joan, and Allie started laughing under their breaths while Shaw looked at the group in confusion. She furrowed her brows and asked, "If I may, what is a 'Renn Faire?'"

All three minors stared at her, Lizzie asking, "Don't you know what a Renn Faire is?"

"No," she replied.

"What rock do you live under?" Anna asked.

"Anna!" Lizzie snapped, slapping her sister's arm.

Anna slapped her back. "Stop it!"

"Sorry, Shaw," Alison apologized, "but they're in 'Boffer Mode.'"

"At the risk of digging myself into a deeper hole. . ."

"I'll explain," Amy said with a grin. <I've been waiting a whole month for this.> "Renn Faires are just that. Fairs. Like a carnival. The diff is that REN Faires, Renn being short for Renaissance, are historical things. People dress up like people out of the Middle Ages and play characters from the olden days. They pretend to be someone from about five or six hundred years ago, and perform for people who pay to see the show, so to speak."

<Five or six hundred? That is like my. . .> Shaw thought before getting the point Amy was trying to make. Suddenly, everything clicked in her mind. "You are not serious."

"She is, Shaw," Joan told her. Shaw turned to Joan, who smiled with the most emotion Shaw had seen her exhibit thus far. "I'm an administrator at this particular Faire. We have all kinds of performances, live stage shows, concerts with people playing ancient musical instruments, and many other attractions. It's a true carnival, but based on those that took place centuries ago. We also have crafters who act out the roles of merchants, but the crafts they sell are modern, not antiques. We also have food vendors as well as games of chance and fun. These Faires are held all across the country and Europe. I'm surprised you've never heard of them."

"I. . . have spent most of my life traveling," Shaw answered cautiously. "I had little time for. . fairs or carnivals."

"Hey, you can go with us!" Lizzie blurted out. Shaw turned to her and looked at Amy for a way out of this developing situation. Lizzie then said, "And you can fight!"

"Fight?" Shaw asked, not liking the sound of this.

Anna gushed, "We have sword fights and stuff! We've got staves, bows and arrows, you can use all kinds of weapons!"

"You have actual combat at these Faires?"

She figured the answer was no when both twins rolled their eyes at her "stupidity." Anna said, "No way! We use boffers and kendos."

"I know what kendo sticks are, but what are. . . 'boffers?'" Shaw asked, sending Amy a pleading look.

Amy grinned wider and said, "You can show her, right guys?"

"Yeah!" Lizzie grinned, promptly followed by her sister. "Come on, we'll show you."

Anna took Shaw by the wrist and started leading her toward the door. Shaw shot a look Amy's way, but the witch just kept on grinning and followed the enthusiastic pre-teens out the door, giggling all the way.

Alison and Joan looked at each other for several seconds, considering what had just transpired.

Alison asked, "Did Amy know that you and the Twin Terrors were going to the Faire today?"

"Yes, I told her last month when she called to tell me she was bringing this friend of hers," the older sister said, a bit of realization dancing in her eyes. "She knew all along."

Allie started giggling when she figured it out as well. "Oh, that poor, poor girl."

"Indeed," Joan agreed. After all, she'd put up with the twins for twelve years. She paused before speaking again. "So, what do you think?"

Allie smiled and said, "Do you mean Amy or her friend?"

"Both," was Joan's simple answer.

"O-kay," she mumbled as she considered her answer. "Amy's grown tremendously in power, and that worries me a bit." When Joan raised an eyebrow, she said, "Joan, she's nearly twice as powerful as me or Catherine were at her age. That almost always happens in one of two ways; one, she's taking the 'Dark Side' route, quick and easy. Or two, she's using magic more often than we did, which likely means she's seen a lot of fighting. That's why I'm worried."

"Do you think that strange type of magic has anything to do with it?" Joan asked.

It took a couple seconds for Alison to realize that her older sister meant the Amazon blessing she carried. "The Amazon blessing. If her physical abilities are increased, the increased stamina could have a small part of it. But she's also had some good teaching; I see the signs. Whoever she's learning from knows her stuff." She got up to put her mug in the sink. She turned and leaned back against the counter. "How she became an Amazon is beyond me, but I figure she'll tell us later. I hope it's not as shocking as what we just heard about L.A." She shook her head. "She's growing so fast, Joanie. This time next year, she might put the two of us to shame."

"I agree with you," the elder Madison conceded. She took a sip of her drink. Carefully, she said, "How about her boyfriend?"

"Oh Goddess, don't remind me!" the PBS employee moaned. "Our little Amy's dating a fairy! And Robin Goodfellow? Can you imagine what's going to happen when Mother finds out?"

"She'll tell Amy to bring him to meet her," Joan said needlessly. "That should be interesting."

"Stop being the stoic one, Joanie," Allie crossly demanded, however futilely. She just sighed in despair and said, "How about the other one."

"That young woman has some emotional issues, Alison," the senior magic worker replied with her usual soft tone. "She admitted to me that someone mind-raped her last month." When she heard Alison's intake of breath, she turned to her. "That's why she was so angry with you over the test. She doesn't tolerate that kind of magic. But I also sense a strong-willed, caring young woman beneath the exterior we've seen so far. For whatever reason, she's very nervous about this."

"I got that too," Allie remarked. She said, "She's a nature priestess, and an empath. I know you felt that much."

"Yes. She also has some magics I've never felt before. Do you have any clue?"

Joan felt the negative response before she heard it. "Nope. No idea. Think we'll find out?"

Joan just nodded slightly. <I'll just leave the connection she feels to your namesake go for now.> "How do you feel about her?"

Now Allie grinned fully. "I like her. Anyone who can piss me off that quickly is worth knowing."

"How about accepting her?" Joan asked with curiosity.

Allie's smile faded to a tiny smirk. "We'll see."

In the back yard, the Madison twins dragged Shaw out into their little set up area where she saw a number of what appeared to be training swords made of a strange material.

The girls let go of her and went over to the pile of carefully laid out artificial weapons. Shaw chanced a glance at her teammate and saw the look of bemusement in Amy's eyes. She finally confronted the witch. "You knew about this."

"And I've been waiting for a month to see the look on your face," she giggled. She brushed some hair behind her ear and said, "Oh come on. It's not that bad. And besides, they're gamers."

Shaw had been through enough to know what Amy meant by that. Her shoulders sagged. "No," she begged.

"Yep," Amy shot her down. She looked at the mirror images and said, "Hey, you two. Come here and tell Shaw about your D&D characters."

The girls' smiles grew wider as they rushed over, each carrying what they had named as "boffers." Anna and Elizabeth looked Shaw over and then at each other.

Lizzie grinned and said, "You first."

Anna nodded enthusiastically. She looked at Shaw and said, "We play role playing games. Our game's in the Forgotten Realms because that's where Mom runs her games."

"Your mother?" Shaw asked in surprise. <Forgotten... AMY!>

"Yeah!" Anna gushed. "We're the only two who aren't in college who play with the group."

Lizzie added, "We get to stay up SO late past our bedtime."

"Anyway, I play a paladin," Anna said, "since they're the ultimate good guys and get to have the holy powers and stuff."

"You do realize that paladins have very strict limitations on what they are allowed to do, do you not?" Shaw asked. <Why a paladin? Yes, I respect them, but they are far too arrogant. . .>

"It's an ego thing," Lizzie said with a grin. "Anna has a big head."

"At least my character knows how to wear armor!" Anna snapped.

Lizzie rolled her eyes in irritation. "Oh wow. Like it helps when you have to sneak up on the bad guys. How many times have you cost us a sneak attack?"

"Let me guess," Shaw mused tiredly, "you play a thief?"

"Nope. A bard," Lizzie proudly declared. She smiled and said, "They can do all kinds of stuff; magic, thieving, the music stuff."

Shaw smiled. "A well-rounded path, I see." When Lizzie nodded enthusiastically, she said, "You know, there are characters who are more. . . multitalented."

"You mean multi-classed characters?" Anna said, wrinkling her nose. "They take *forever* to advance."

"That's why only demihumans can be that way," Lizzie explained to Shaw, as if she were talking to a novice. "They live longer, so it helps."

"Yes, I see your point," Shaw sighed due to Amy's giggles in the background. She took a look over her shoulder and saw the nasty grin that matched Amy's laughter. <If that is how you wish to play it, Amy, so be it. Take this.> Shaw turned back to her youngest cousins and said, "Well, allow me to tell you something about multitalented demihumans." She crouched and looked into their eyes from the lower position to gain their undivided attention. "I am a half-elven ranger priestess of Mielikki who joined the Harpers in my early twenties. I serve Mielikki, the Lady of the Forest, and she is the most important thing in my life. My human father and elven mother died when I was two, so my human grandparents raised me. When I was twenty-eight, they died at the hands of a vampire outside of Elversult. I became a student of Storm Silverhand herself, and it was she who made me a full-ranking Harper. I am now fifty-four years old and I help others fight those who would hurt anyone who is unable to defend themselves."

Shaw watched as she drew the girls into her personal history, knowing what they were likely thinking as well as how Amy was going to be furious at her saying this so early in the day. Finally, Anna spoke up.

"Whoa."

"Ditto," Lizzie echoed. Her mouth split into a grin and she said, "You're a gamer!"

"This is so cool!" Anna seconded. "We gotta take you with us! Say you'll go!"

"Please!" Lizzie begged.

"I---" Shaw hesitated before the girls decided not to wait for her answer. They turned and bolted for the house, excitedly shouting that Mom was going to have to take Shaw with them. "Oh Blessed Mother, what have I done?"

"Walked right into the set up I've been planning since your birthday," Amy answered from behind. Shaw rose and turned on her as she giggled and said, "I'm getting you AND them." She paused then said, "You realize what they're thinking?"

"Yes," the half-elf said, letting a small smile cross her face. She considered Amy's own countenance and asked, "What do you think their reaction will be, later on?"

"What?" Amy snorted, thinking of how shocked the twins were going to be when they discovered the truth. "When they find out you were telling them about YOU, and not some character?"

"Well, yes," Shaw admitted, "as well as the fact that I have never played those games in my life."

Before Amy could answer, the twins came back out. Anna came up to Amy and said, "Amy, you're gonna go with us, right?"

"After what you pulled last year? Right," Amy frowned.

"We promise we won't play *that* trick again," Lizzie swore, emphasizing "that."

Amy looked dubious, but Shaw could see through the act, although she wondered what was going on. "Okay," Amy finally gave in. "I'm going."

"Yes!" Lizzie shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

Amy shared a glance with the other Slayerette. "I thought the point of coming out here was to show off your boffers. Aren't you going to show Shaw your stuff?"

The girls looked expectantly at their guest, who nodded that she was ready for a demonstration of their talents. They took the time to put on chest protectors, gauntlets, and head guards. As they lined up, Shaw leaned in close to Amy. "What are these weapons made of?"

"It's called PVC, don't ask me to explain. It's sorta like plastic, so it's not too hard. What they do is make the core out of it, then they put all kinds of packing foam and duct tape around it, so they're about as safe as practice weapons can be," Amy responded. She grinned and said, "Let's see if they can measure up to your standards."

Shaw watched as Anna held up what appeared to be the artificial version of a two-handed sword, keeping with her described character. Lizzie was holding what might be a longsword. On an unspoken signal, the girls began swinging. Shaw carefully watched and noted the different styles, such as they were. The girls had gone through some "classical" training as Shaw thought of it; what Earth people would learn in Europe. The twins hadn't had Oriental training such as that she and Amy took, which had her seeing holes that she herself had once had. But she mentally reminded herself that she was four times their age, and that they did this for fun, not survival.

Anna lived up to what Elizabeth had said earlier; she took the direct approach. She used the two-handed sword for its longer reach, that much was obvious. The ranger could also see that she knew her defensive tactics as well. But at the same time, the greater weight slowed her down and her arms began to droop within four minutes.

Elizabeth knew how to wield the longsword she was using, but both older women could see she was somewhat selective in her targets. She kept both hands on the hilt, swinging for all she was worth to penetrate her twin sister's defenses.

<All things considered, their skills are equal,> Shaw concluded in appreciation of the talents they displayed at this young age. <They are. . . yes, they are almost as good as I was at twelve. However. . .> She spoke up and said, "I have seen enough."

The girls stopped their match and looked at Shaw and Amy. Amy had raised an eyebrow and said, "Really?"

"Yes, Amy," Shaw said, putting her arms behind her back and clasping one wrist. "I can tell both of them what some of their strengths and weaknesses are."

"Weaknesses?" Anna said in disbelief. "We're GOOD at this!"

"I agree, but there is always someone better, Anna," the half-elf retorted. "Believe me, I know."

"Oh right," Lizzie piped up, agreeing with Anna. "What do you know?"

Shaw smiled. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yeah!" they declared.

"As you wish," she said with a single dip of her head. "Both of you first. Overall, your skills are equal, as are your overall offensive and defensive talents. You have obviously learned a great deal and paid attention to your training. That is good." As soon as the younger Madisons began smiling, Shaw flattened their egos. She pointed at Anna. "Anna, your weakness is quite obvious, at least to someone of my experience." When Anna started to protest, Shaw said, "Your sword is your weakness."

"Huh?"

"Anna, your use of a two-handed sword makes you exert more effort to effectively swing it. So while you gain a greater reach, you also have to lift a heavier weight, which tires you out more quickly. If you do not mind my suggestion, I would say that if you want the reach advantage with a lighter blade, use a bastard or hand and a half sword. They provide more reach than longswords, but they can be used with one or two hands. The possibility of having a hand free gives you the option of using a shield to increase your defensive options."

Anna could only stare at her as she listened to something that actually made sense to her. "Oh." When Lizzie giggled, she glared at her. "How about Lizzie?"

The second twin's giggles faded as Shaw inclined her head. "I noticed two things that would be fairly simple to correct. The first is that you always keep both hands on the hilt of your weapon. The option of a shield that I described for Anna also holds true for you. A longsword can be wielded with one hand, giving you any option you choose with the off hand." When Lizzie nodded, Shaw moved to her second point. "Secondly, while you use your offensive skills to the fullest, you are somewhat limited in target selection."

"Say what?" both girls asked.

Amy chuckled and moved to help out. "What Hunter here is saying, Lizzie, is that you only go for the head and chest."

"What's wrong with that?" Lizzie asked defiantly.

"Allow me to show you," Shaw said. She walked over to their selection of boffers and selected a shortsword. She held a hand to ask permission to borrow Lizzie's blade. Lizzie handed it to her and Shaw said, "Anna, if you will assist me?"

Anna smiled at the chance to show up the girl who was providing critiques of her skills. With nearly equal heights, there was no advantage other than the girl being older. The two lined up, and Anna immediately swung her two-handed weapon at Shaw's chest. Shaw blocked the blade with her right hand, wielding the longsword, forcing the younger girl's two-handed weapon up and away. Her left arm shot down in a slash, underneath her opponent's exposed body.

"OW!" Anna said as she felt an impact on her right leg. She went down to her knees as the nerves in her legs shorted out.

She just watched as Shaw saluted her and turned to Lizzie. "It is much easier to defeat an opponent with two successful strokes, one to a limb, the other to a vital area, than it is to land one lucky blow after ten are blocked."

Lizzie just blinked several times as she realized that this girl they didn't even know had beaten her sister in less than ten seconds. Shaw tucked the boffers under one arm and offered her free hand to Anna. Anna grumbled, but took the sportsmanlike gesture. As Anna reached her feet, Shaw asked, "Would you like to know how I defeated you that easily?"

With a glare, she said, "Yeah."

"Two reasons, Anna," the priestess said. Putting a finger up, she told her cousin, "One, I saw you fight your sister. This gave me a small idea of how good your skills are." A second finger rose. "Two, you do not know me, so you have not seen me fight. Thus, you do not know how good *I* am. That is all."

"How good are you, really?" Anna suspiciously inquired.

Shaw let out a barking laugh. "My teacher beats me as easily as I just beat you, Anna. And I do not have a legitimate excuse like you do."

Amy snickered as the twins' eyes lit up. They'd heard what they wanted to hear; they now thought Shaw wasn't *that* good. She pondered the possibilities of turning the joke she *knew* Elizabeth and Anna were going to play on her and Shaw. <I can't wait to see the looks on those little horrors' faces.>

Amy's ruminations were put on hold when she heard the back door open. She turned to see Joan standing in the doorway.

"Kids," she called in that honey-laden voice, "it's time to get dressed."

The younger girls bolted for the door, forcing their mother to barely avoid being stampeded by the boffer-wielding shield maidens.

Amy caught a glimpse of Shaw looking at her quizzically.

"Dressed?" her fellow Slayerette asked.

Amy looked at Joan, who had also caught the question. "Yes, Shaw. I thought the two of you might like to accompany us. If you're willing to volunteer your time, especially after the twins told me you're a gamer like us."

"But. . ." Shaw started. In a fit of confusion, she looked to Amy for guidance.

Seeing Shaw's frustration, Amy sighed. <Hoo boy.> "Joan," she said, "let me talk to her for a minute."

Joan nodded, concern typed across her brow. After she went back inside, the blonde witch turned to the flustered one. "Okay, what's wrong? Don't you want to spend time with the kids?"

"Of course! But. ." Shaw's eyes fluttered back and forth as she tried to think of an answer. She looked at the ground and quietly said, "Amy, I want to tell them. You know this."

"I know," Amy agreed. She squeezed Shaw's shoulder. "Hey. Think about it this way; do you want them to accept you for who you are, our cousin, or for what you are, a half-elven, butt-kicking fighter from a Dungeons and Dragons world?"

From the hurt look Shaw shot her way, the Amazon knew she'd hit her mark. "Right. Now think, cuz. You can come with us and spend the day seeing and doing what they do for fun. In your favor, they get to know you *before* you tell them everything. Okay?"

"It is just so difficult to know what to do. I. . . I want them to like me, Amy."

Amy softly told her, "I know, Shaw. And you're off to a good start. The kids are probably going over how they're going to get even with us for your little sword display right now. And like I said, we can spend time together and have fun doing it. We'll have the rest of the day and three more to tell them about how fun the Hellmouth is. But for a few hours, let's just be teenagers doing what we want to do."

She grinned and said, "Besides, I'm not going with those little hellions by myself."

Joan watched the girls walk in, more settled than they'd been just a few moments before. She asked, "Well?"

"We're going," Amy said with a smile. "I convinced Ladyhawke here to give it a go."

"I'm glad," Joan said from her seat at the table. She smiled tenderly and said, "I'm going to change into my outfit. After that, we'll be off."

"Joan," Shaw said, her eyes puzzled, "Amy and I do not have costumes for this Faire of yours?"

"Don't worry, Shaw," Joan assured her as she stood up. She placed her coffee mug in the sink and looked over her shoulder. "We have some extras at the Faire that we keep for last minute volunteers, or you could find one at one of the costume designers and simply buy your own. I do need to warn you, it can be expensive."

"Don't worry, Shaw has a credit card with her," Amy revealed.

Joan considered that and glanced at the dark-haired youth and the mischief-laden grin of her niece. "Dare I ask?"

"Oh, about ten thousand or so," the teenaged Amazon declared. When Joan didn't react, she grumbled, "Just once, I'd like to get a reaction."

"Ten thousand," Joan repeated, her eyes glimmering at Amy's despair.

"Yes," the foreigner admitted sheepishly. "The others insisted I have what they considered to be an ‘adequate' spending limit."

"The others being?"

Amy's eyes shined as she rattled off a few names. "Buffy, age seventeen. Cordelia, age seventeen. Willow, age seventeen. Randi, age nineteen. Me."

Joan actually laughed gaily. "I should have guessed," she said, her face lit up in mirth. "Very well, we shall buy a costume, IF you are going to use it more than once."

"Oh, you need not fear that, Joan Madison," Shaw swore. Glancing at Amy through the corner of her eye, she said, "Unlike some people, *I* do not buy something to wear once and then throw it in my closet for my little sisters to dress their puppy in."

Amy glared at her.

*****

Part 4: Our [Knowne World] Faire Is A Wonderful Faire
(Just Change The Choreography From Hammerstein To Taliesin)

Southern Renn Faire
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998

Shaw followed the others as they walked down a winding dirt road that was little more than a wide path, toward the entrance of the Renn Faire where Joan volunteered her time to as an administrator. She continuously looked all around, taking in the surprisingly large number of people in clothing reminiscent of Taliesin heading in with them. Some of the other people would see her gazing at them and either nod silently, or give her a sympathetic smile, as they either thought or perhaps knew that this was her first time at such an event. One thing that surprised the Scooby was that there were people of multiple ethnic groups, including blacks and Hispanics, although Shaw just considered them all full-blooded humans, not caring about racial issues based on skin color, but she was impressed with the turnout.

Joan had loaded up the girls into her Saturn Wagon and drove to the Faire, avoiding some of the main roads since she knew they would become packed the closer they got to their destination. When she arrived, she showed off a card of some kind, which granted her the privilege of parking closer to the entrance than any paying customers would. Still, the walk was fairly long, though none of them seemed to mind. In fact, it was harder for Anna and Elizabeth to rein themselves in and wait for the slower-walking Shaw and Amy than to grow worried about the length of their trot.

"Stop staring," Amy said, leaning in with a grin. "People will think you're new to this."

Shaw spared her an irritated glance. "I *am* new at this. And I am not staring. I am not looking at any one specific object long enough to consider it staring."

"Whatever you say, Shaw," Amy giggled. She then asked, "What do you think?"

"It is. . ." Shaw said before stopping. When Amy glanced at her sidelong, a knowing and teasing smile on her lips, Shaw sighed. "Amazing. That is all I can say about it. Although I wonder why everyone is in costume. I thought you said there were paying customers."

Joan pitched in with a light tone. "The Faire doesn't open for another hour, Shaw. These people are all workers. We do need some setup time before we open our gates to paying customers, whom are referred to as Travelers in Faire parlance."

Shaw looked over her shoulder and slowed down to let Joan come even with her. Joan's costume was very elaborate; she was wearing an immaculately maintained replica of a Tudor Upper Class dress with all the trimmings. Applied to the front and back of her outfit, in what Shaw thought resembled an armorial display, was the symbol of the Faire, which let people know that Joan was one of the people in charge of the Faire itself. The symbol was appliquéd to both front and back, and the young half-elf had noticed how the people would bow or acknowledge her when their eyes met hers.

"I have a question, Joan," she asked with a squint that showed the witch she was curious about something, "why are the other workers treating you like you are a noblewoman? Is that the case in this Faire?"

"Yep," Amy answered for her. "Milady Aunt is one of the higher-ups. Not just in a working sense, but with the nobility thing."

"So once we walk in, you have to call her 'My Lady,'" Anna added with way too much enthusiasm at the 'rookie's' lack of knowledge. <I am SO looking forward to breaking you in,> she thought. "But Lizzie and I get out of town before we have to do it."

Shaw blinked and asked, "What?"

Joan smiled warmly at her giggling daughters. "What Anna means is that they will run off and find whatever trouble they can get themselves into as soon as I have us registered and to work."

"We're here to have FUN!" Lizzie cheered. "HUZZAH!"

"HUZZAH!" Anna repeated gaily, thrusting a fist into the air.

Amy leaned into Shaw and grinned. "That's. . ."

"A British thing," Shaw finished. "I *should* know *that* much."

"Smartass," Amy grumbled. "Spoil my fun."

The quintet of Madison women arrived at the front gate, where a woman of about fifty years was standing in her costume. A red and yellow flat top cap topped the woman's silvering blonde hair. She was wearing a fine dress almost, but not quite, as elaborate as Joan's, indicating that she was not in the same social class as the administrator. However, the dress was still many levels above the peasant outfits worn by many, including Anna and Elizabeth. Her chemise was white in color, while her bodice and overskirt were red with yellow trim. Her underskirts were yellow over red-and-yellow stripes. The wool/linen blend shined as the sunlight hit it. The woman kept her chemise closed all the way down, not allowing any part of her flesh to show, but it was still fancy with its fine neck and wrist ruffs. In plain sight was the baldric symbolizing her position as a member of the Staff, done in black on a yellow field on the front, and presumably on the back as well. Added to the woman's ensemble were fine red pointed toe shoes that peeked out under the edge of the hem, and the woman carried two brown leather pouches with antler button closures on her belt. The plain brown leather belt also had a fan, tankard, and other implements, including two knives hanging from it.

The woman laid eyes on Joan's group and her face lit up with a smile that was matched by the joy in her blue-gray eyes. She curtsied a bit and said, "My Lady Joan!" She extended her arms and Joan clasped the woman's hands. "Some of your peers had begun to wonder if you had run off with a nobleman from abroad! But I see that instead you have brought strangers as part of your entourage. Are they for your household?"

"Aye, I have, Farrah," Joan said with a slight nod of her head. "But they are not servants." She held a hand out, palm up, to indicate Amy. "This is Amy, of the House of Madison, my niece and daughter to my sister Catherine." She turned to introduce Shaw. "And this is Shaw, a young woman and friend to Amy, who has recently come to make her home in our lands."

Farrah nodded graciously and took up a clipboard. "Does the young lady wish to be registered with our kingdom, or is she merely to be in your company?"

Joan looked to Shaw, who was baffled by that. Shaw looked to Joan and said, "Might I ask for a clarification? Or perhaps a translation?"

The twins started giggling their heads off and were joined by Amy. Shaw flushed a bit and Joan moved to give her some help.

"What Mistress Farrah wishes to know," the book editor said in her Faire voice, "is if you plan to be known to our people by making a living in this kingdom or visiting often, or will this be your only visit to our Faire?"

Now having some understanding of what she was asking, Shaw asked, "Should my answer be given in the way I have seen the people of this land speak, or shall I provide it in the proper Old Tongue?"

Seeing Shaw getting into the spirit right away, Amy decided to add her two cents. <Like you speak any way BUT the way they talk here.> "It would be best if you did so in the proper form for the land."

"As you wish," Shaw said. She focused on Farrah and gave her a slight bow. She then went into rapid-fire Scottish Gaelic, causing Anna and Elizabeth's jaws to drop, while Amy just moaned and buried her face behind one hand. Shaw finished her introduction and awaited an answer from Farrah.

Farrah smiled in amusement. She glanced at Joan and said, "I will note that Shawukay, daughter of Trocar, forester by trade and kin to the Clan MacLeod of Glenfillen, and Miyana, daughter of the Redstar Clan of Eire, wishes to be known to us as a daughter of our lands, in the village of Sunnydale, which she names her home, with her vocation to be determined at a later time. So she wishes it, so shall it be recorded." She glanced at Shaw, who was recovering fairly quickly from Farrah knowing Gaelic. "Shawukay of Sunnydale, when you have chosen your vocation, please inform the Lady Joan, who shall allow us to record this for future reference, should your talents be needed."

"As you wish, Mistress Farrah," Shaw said, giving her another bow. She glanced at the stunned Madison twins and cocked her head. "I was advised to give my lineage in the Old Tongue. Being a 'true' daughter of the Celts, I should know the tongue of my ancestors."

The twins were fuming, while Joan just gave Shaw a warm smile of amusement over her pulling a rabbit out of the hat. "Farrah, I thank you and hope to see you later."

"Of course, Milady," Farrah said, dipping into another curtsey. "Enter and welcome to Her Majesty's Kingdom."

"We thank thee," Joan said with a dip of her chin.

She led Anna, Lizzie, Amy, and Shaw through the solid stone castle entrance, entering what was, for all intents and purposes, another world.

*****

As they walked in, Joan turned her head to look at Shaw. "That was very clever, Shawukay."

Noting the use of her "Faire" name, Shaw smiled. "I only did what my friend advised me to do. . . Lady Joan."

"I think you shall fit in very nicely," the witch reasoned, thinking about how Shaw's emotions were growing more positive as she grew acclimated to the environment. "But first, you shall have to fit into the proper attire. That clothing is not suited for our kingdom."

Joan glanced at the twins, who were already growing anxious to get moving on their own. "We shall have fun soon enough, children. But first certain young ladies *must* change into clothing that is more proper for women befitting your station."

"Awwww...." the twins groaned.

"Children. . ." Joan said with the universal warning voice of motherhood. She started walking again and said, "Follow me, and we shall see to Amy's needs first, as I am sure she shall require less time finding a loaned dress to don. Then, Shawukay, I shall escort you to the finest shops in all the Kingdom. Shall we?"

Shaw nodded, looking to Amy for guidance. Amy smiled and took Shaw's arm by the elbow. "Please lead on, Aunt."

"This way," the administrator ordered, lifting her chin slightly and walking with an air of confidence Shaw was surprised to see the stoic witch show so openly.

"She's just getting into the role. Come on," Amy softly prompted. Amy led Shaw forward, following Joan and shooting a wink and smile over her shoulder at the two twelve-year-olds bringing up the rear. <This is going to be fun.>

Giggling, Anna and Lizzie shared evil glances with each other.

"Amy thinks we're gonna help *her*," Anna whispered.

"Yeah, right," Elizabeth laughed. She said, "Wait'll we get 'em *both*."

Anna nodded, and the girls shared a high-five.

*****

The group headed for the admin office, where Joan greeted some of her fellow coworkers and quickly caught up on recent events, both for the real world in general and the Faire in particular with some of them. Shaw took note that in the privacy of the office, the workers were "permitted" to be themselves. She was enjoying the environment thus far, and also noted (with a subtle sight shift) that nearly a tenth of the people in the office had some magical gifts. After signing herself and the rest of the group in, Joan touched Amy's shoulder and said, "If you will follow me, Amy, we can find your costume."

"Sure," Amy grinned. She glanced at Shaw and said, "Come on, Hunter. You can see some of the cool costumes they have."

Shaw followed the witches to their costume department while the twins just waited and had fun talking with the children of the other administrators. They walked into the room where the Faire kept their "loaner" costumes. Joan looked Amy up and down and pursed her lips. "Hmmm. . ." she hummed to herself. She came to some form of conclusion and nodded once. "I think a Tudor Middle Class should suffice." She turned and started rummaging through the hanging outfits. She pushed several aside, inspected a few with a critical eye, and finally saw one that she apparently approved of.

She took the hanger off of the rack and held it up for a more detailed inspection. The empath glanced between the collection of bodice, chemise, overskirt, and bum roll made of indigo colored wool/linen fabric, and Amy. She brought it over to the teenager and allowed her to look it over. "What do you think, Amy?"

Amy took the dress and walked over to the body length mirror off to one side. The Amazon held the dress up to herself and her eyes twinkled. Looking at Joan through her reflection, she sighed and said, "Now I know how Buffy felt for Halloween last year."

"Then you had best hope that this Faire does not let Chaos Mages through their gates," Shaw innocently said.

Amy snorted and lowered the costume. "Thank you *so* much for bringing *that* up," she sarcastically noted. Seeing her aunt's reflection drawing breath to speak, Amy said, "You don't want to know. Trust me on that."

Joan just glanced between Amy and Shaw, who was trying not to laugh. She shrugged and asked, "I take it that the costume is to your liking, Amy?" When the high school student heartily agreed, a light grin bloomed on her lips. "All right. I'll leave you two alone so that Amy can change. Shaw, feel free to inspect the costumes so that you can have some idea of what costume you might like."

Shaw just nodded and moved to gloss over the numerous outfits while Amy prepared to change. Once Joan left and pulled the door closed behind them, she softly said, "I was only joking about the Mage, Amy."

"I know," Amy said in a light tone. She added, "I just want to keep the Hellmouth stuff on the q.t. until we see Grandma. We're here to have fun."

"I know," the priestess said, smiling a bit as she pulled costumes off to look them over. She picked out one white barmaid's dress and sighed after two seconds. It was one of those bare-shouldered ones, which removed it from consideration. She then saw another outfit that caught her attention. Pulling it off the rack, the half-elf smiled and turned to Amy. "Amy, you might consider this outfit instead."

Amy, who'd stripped off her sweater and t-shirt, turned to look at her. Her face froze and she put her hands on her hips. "Hell. No. Hunter."

Shaw glanced at the two-piece chain mail ensemble and said, "If it is good enough for Sonja and Gabrielle. . ."

"Not!" Amy snapped, nailing the coffin on Shaw's fun. She shook her head in amusement and told her, "Now come on and look for something for *you*. But make it quick; I might need some help getting into this outfit."

Shaw nodded and turned back to the task of finding a costume to base her own purchase on.

*****

After a bit of time, Amy was all set. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled; she might not be addicted to gaming and Faires like her little cousins, but it was still fun to let herself go and dress up in these period costumes. <No Hellmouth, no school, no saving the world for one weekend.> She turned to Shaw with a smile and asked, "What do you think?"

Shaw cocked her head to one side and asked, "Am I supposed to kneel and kiss your feet, Mistress Amy, or will a bow satisfy you?"

Amy's smile turned into a disgusted frown. "Laugh it up, cuz," she said sourly. "You're going to be in the same boat as me once you stop cracking jokes and get your own outfit." She held her arms out and asked, "Now seriously, what do you think?"

Shaw looked the costume from top to bottom. Crowning Amy's head was a muffin cap of the same indigo color as the bodice and pleated overskirt, which had flat blue ribbon going all the way around. Like Farrah at the gate, Amy kept her outfit closed all the way, to indicate that she *had* a man, so not to ask otherwise. The chemise also had ruffs at the wrists and neck. Amy had removed her sneakers for a pair of what she called "Mary Jane" shoes, which were hidden but apparently permitted for all Faire goers. Amy's were made of navy blue velvet with rubber soles and a padded insole. The shoes had light embroidery on them in the shape of flowers, and Amy had selected them since they were fancier than any of the other loaner pairs she'd looked over. The fact that they were her size helped a great deal. For finishing touches, the Amazon had pulled her "props," as she called them, off their respective shelves; a fancy carved belt, a belt pouch that matched the belt. She explained to Shaw how the items were labeled to match the social class of the costumed workers, for realism. She finished by selecting a fan, basket, and a shawl that would go with her costume. She finished by putting a corduroy flat cap on over the muffin cap and adjusting the two pheasant feathers to properly lie behind her shoulder.

In the end, Shaw smiled. "You look very nice, Amy. If I did not know better, I might mistake you for the daughter of a Sembian merchant. That is, until you used your Amazon strength to defend yourself from a drunken admirer."

"Thanks, I think," Amy giggled. "But really, you like it?"

Shaw sighed. "Amy, I just admitted that I would not be able to tell the difference. And I *come* from a time like this one." Shaw's eyes furrowed as something came to mind. "One thing is missing; Joan did say something about a symbol like hers being part of your costume?"

"Joan'll get that for me," the witch replied, still looking at herself in the mirror and admiring the picture she projected. "Too bad Robin can't see me like this. But I did this last year, in a different costume. Trust me, we need to be more worried about our costumes, or the Authenticity Nazis will have a field day." Shaw arched an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term, making Amy snicker. "That's the 'kind' term for people out there who are more concerned with critiquing the laces on your bodice than in having a good time. Think Snyder in the Middle Ages."

"Gross," Shaw agreed after a momentary consideration.

Amy nodded heartily. "Right. So... cut that out!"

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"Doing the teenager thing," Amy scolded her.

Shaw looked a bit mixed up until she went back over the conversation. She sighed and grumbled, "I have been associating with Earth people for too long."

The witch couldn't help but giggle once she realized that Shaw's answer had been instinctive. She tried to stop, but the impatient glare from the half-elf only served to heighten her giggly fit.

"Are you laughing at the irony of telling me to stop talking like someone from the 20th century while we are in an environment in which we are supposed to be acting like women from the 16th century?"

"Yeah," was all the humored Amazon could get out.

Shaw started to get drawn into the laughter but said, "We need to go, Amy."

"And to maintain proper decorum for women of our station?" Amy asked, still fighting residual laughter. Standing at her full height, Amy straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. "Very well then. Let us proceed, Shawukay."

The ranger gave her a mocking bow. "After you, Mistress Amy."

*****

When they walked out, Joan beamed a bit at the sight of Amy in her costume, as well as the fact that the girls were having a good time, if her readings were accurate. "Amy, you look absolutely lovely."

"Thanks," the Slayerette said. She nodded to the girl at her side and said, "Now it's Shaw's turn."

"Yes, it is," the elder mystic said. She eyed Shaw with an appraising eye and told the novice Faire goer, "It is time for you to leave the 20th century for a time."

Joan was taken slightly by surprise when Shaw and Amy glanced at each other and started laughing under their breaths.

Joan cocked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

The older girls just kept on giggling and shook their heads.

"What is it, girls?" Joan asked again.

The blonde and brunette just retreated, heading out into the sunshine.

Wanting in on the joke, the twins shouted, "WHAT?!?"

*****

Once Joan led the girls to the longest row of shops in the "Kingdom," she asked Shaw, "Shawukay, have you decided what kind of attire you wish to purchase?"

"Yes, my Lady," Shaw said with a surreptitious glance at Amy, who winked. "As I am a descendant to Celts, I believe that I should dress as such."

"As you wish," the woman Amy had tagged as "Zen Witch" consented. "If you are to be a Celtic female, there are only a few places to go for 'authentic' attire that will meet your high standards."

Shaw blinked and said, getting into the mood and smiling a bit, "Methinks the Lady Joan may have interpreted incorrectly; I am a woman of simple tastes."

"I have not, Shawukay," Joan continued, and the ranger could almost sense the smallest of grins touching her lips. "But by the same measure, you seem to me that you also prefer some durability to your clothing. I have always known the Scots to be a practical people, with tastes to match. So I do not think you can be too different."

"If you only knew," Amy muttered with a good-natured chuckle, which the half-elf picked up. She shot Amy a look, to which she just shrugged a bit while grinning.

"Mother!" Lizzie cried from behind Amy. "The training field is opening. The knights are starting their morning practice!"

Joan had told Shaw on their trip to the Faire how Anna and Lizzie were members of the junior group of fighters who fought yearly tournaments with their counterparts from another "kingdom" in California, known as West. The people of that "land" called themselves the SCADians, and a (fairly) friendly rivalry existed between the two kingdoms.

Or as Amy had put it, "Think a football game with swords and armor instead of jerseys and pads."

Joan turned to face her anxious children and said, "Anna, Elizabeth, you should show Shawukay the courtesy of allowing her to become presentable to our peers."

"Lady Joan, if it would not be too forward of me," Shaw interjected calmly, "as it might take some time for me to finish at market, I would not want to take away from the children's enjoyment. I understand the impatience of waiting on women obsessed with purchasing clothing."

Shaw knew that Amy was fuming at yet another jab at her shopping habits, but she didn't want the twins to have their good time interrupted by her. By the toothy grins that came to their faces, the preteens were thinking the same thing.

Joan glanced between the three females before glancing at Amy. "Mistress Amy, I shall let you decide this," she said very formally. "What do you think? Should the children be allowed free rein in the Kingdom?"

The kids glared at the smug look that the witch was wearing. She placed her hands at the small of her back. "As long as they limit their activities to the training field, I see no problem."

After overcoming their momentary shock of Amy taking their side, the twins shouted, "HUZZAH!" They then turned and dashed off before Amy could add any terms to her permission.

"Now to business," Joan declared, marching off again while she wondered why Shaw's emotions had turned in such a positive direction over Amy letting the children run off. <It was a simple yes or no answer. Oh well. Another little mystery for later.> Dismissing it for now, she said, "This way, please."

Joan led Shaw and Amy to a leather goods shop, where the Slayerettes could see all kinds of newly crafted leather goods. She turned to Shaw and said, "We shall gather your accessories first, so that you need not spend much time trying to complete your purchasing during your own duties." She waved an arm and told the half-elf, "You will need a belt and belt pouch, which we can find here." She turned to the shopkeeper, who nodded with sparkling eyes. "My niece's companion needs some items of good quality, preferably with Celtic influences. Please assist her."

"As you wish, Milady," the attendant, a thirty-something woman in what would in Hollywood be considered a tavern wench's outfit, said with a curtsey. "If the Lady will come with me?"

Grumbling something under her breath about being called "Lady," Shaw followed her deeper into the shopping area.

*****

As the time neared the point where the Travelers could begin literally counting down to the opening of the Faire as if it were a space shuttle launch, Amy stood with folded arms, tapping her foot with rapidly dwindling patience at how long it was taking Shaw to dress in the costume she'd selected.

"Amy, please have some patience," Joan suggested with a bit of dry humor. She glanced at the dressing room that the shopkeeper had been gracious enough to let the ranger use to change into her freshly bought Faire outfit. "I am sure she is trying to be prompt. It was she who mentioned that others were known to be somewhat slow in their shopping."

Amy snorted in an unladylike manner; she had been stunned by the time that Shaw had taken to pick out her costume items, but also by her surprising enthusiasm for the handcrafted items the vendors had on display. It did take some effort for Amy to steer Shaw away from one shop that was displaying woodcrafts, to which Shaw let out a mild protest until Amy told her that she was *working*, not on her own time. Shaw nodded, rightfully getting the point but still casting a longing glance in that direction.

After buying a belt that had Celtic "knotwork" carved and dyed on it, Shaw had also purchased two belt pouches in which to carry coins or other small items, one openly and the other to be carried underneath her arisade. The next stop had been at the basket weaver's, where the dark-haired woman had picked out (and quickly, to Amy's relief) a fine, thick wicker basket. Shaw commented on how durable it would be, showing Joan had read the woman correctly.

The next stop had to what Amy figured was the Middle Ages version of an Old West general store, which didn't specialize in one particular item, but served as an outlet for several crafts companies. Which was precisely the reason Joan had brought them to that place. Shaw was able to pick up an eating knife, a utility knife, a pewter ale mug with a flaring handle, and a fan that the lower classes would use. The sticking point there had been Shaw examining the edges of the knives as if she were judging how well they could penetrate something if she had to defend herself. Amy finally walked up and "casually" suggested that she decide what kind of *eating utensil* she wanted to purchase. Blushing a deep blue that almost matched Amy's dress, Shaw complied.

After settling on the prop items, it came time to get to the so-called nitty gritty of Shaw's costume. Joan led her to a jeweler who specialized in reproductions of Celtic jewelry. Shaw's eyes lit up at the sight of the items, leading Amy to wonder why she couldn't show that kind of fire when shopping in Sunnydale. Amy just watched in fascination as Shaw bought *three* pewter hairpieces; one with a bird of some kind carved into the piece, one that was a simple four-sided diamond shape, and a copy of the second one, but with some knotwork bordering the outside. At twenty dollars apiece, Amy hoped Shaw was getting her money's worth. Shaw then, upon Joan's advice, bought two pewter pennular broaches with which to attach part of her costume when they got that far.

The next-to-last stop was the shoe merchant, who had just about every kind of footwear available to Faire goers under the sun. Shaw glanced around for nearly five minutes, just examining the many samples he had before Amy rolled her eyes and offered to show her the best choices based on her own observations the previous year. Shaw finally surrendered to the "pressure," but she still tried on nearly seven different pairs of footwear before settling on two, for variety; a pair of burgundy velvet shoes of the same brand that Amy currently wore, and a pair of low top moccasins that the merchant and Joan both swore was the runaway bestseller in the world. The moccasins were made of leather and Shaw was impressed with the simple design. She dropped both in her basket and nodded to Joan to lead the way. Amy just shook her head in disbelief. <Shaw Hunter, Rennie clotheshorse.>

Which brought the threesome to the costume shop, where another of Joan's friends, a Hispanic grandmother named Elisa, was glad to help, as she put it, such a beautiful young woman into one of her costumes. She showed Shaw six different variations of Celtic dress until Shaw's eyes fell on an evergreen overdress made entirely of cotton. It was obvious that Shaw had fallen in love with it as soon as Elisa extracted it from the wardrobe. Shaw had gratefully thanked the woman for her help and immediately paid for the costume once it was confirmed that it was the proper size. Elisa helped Shaw pick out the remainder of her attire and guided the priestess to the changing room.

"Aunt Joan, I am prepared to call the palace guard to go in and drag my friend out by her heels if she does not come out soon," Amy said with a sigh of frustration.

Joan pursed her lips just a bit and said, "I think she is admiring herself in the mirror, if what I am getting from her is any indication." A heartbeat later, she corrected herself. "Ah. Now she is anxious and excited. I think your wish has been granted."

"Imagine my surprise," Amy drawled. Her breath caught when her cousin stepped out and walked over to them.

Shaw looked at her and Joan with a full smile on her face and in her eyes. She was wearing a beret-style crocheted bonnet, which was the headcovering that Shaw had chosen, since it had been required for girls over the age of thirteen in Elizabethan times to cover their hair. Her overdress, in the vibrant color of pine needles, was split down the front to show off the fancy underskirt that went with the costume. She lifted the dress at her hips a bit to show off her knee-length cloth socks and the moccasins she'd decided to wear, which only laced up to the ankles. Gathered at both of Shaw's shoulders were the broaches she'd bought, which gathered the plaid arisade she'd bought to complete the costume. Smiling, Shaw spun on one foot, turning to show off the back of her ensemble. The arisade fell down her back, almost like a cloak, where it was gathered at her belt and fell to within an inch of her hem.

Shaw completed her turn and looked at Amy, simple pleasure dancing in her eyes. "Amy?" she asked, forgetting her role in her enthusiasm. "What do you think?"

Amy had to try to find her composure for several seconds. She wasn't thinking along the lines of how Shaw looked in a sense of regular shopping, where she could base her opinion on the standards set by the knockout that was Cordelia Chase's fashion sense. Rather, she was trying to reconcile the cousin she saw at school and training every day with the woman who'd been transformed into a Scottish Highlander from the time of Connor and Duncan MacLeod's mortal lives.

<It looks. . .> Amy thought before swallowing to wet her suddenly dry throat. She'd just been given a glimpse into the world Shaw came from, however separated by dimensional walls. "Shaw, I don't know how you're going to take this, but it looks. . ." When Shaw blinked in confusion, thinking perhaps that Amy disapproved, she said, "Right. Somehow, it's *you*."

Shaw broke into a full smile as she recognized what Amy was trying to say by that. She moved forward and gave Amy a hug. "I understand," she whispered softly. The hug tightened a bit. "Thank you." She backed up and asked the still-confused Amazon, "Honestly, does it meet with your approval?"

"Well, if you showed this much enthusiasm when shopping in our village, I think our comrades would faint from shock." Shaw frowned, leading Amy to smile and say, "You look *outstanding*. And now we can give you your job."

"What?" Shaw asked, looking to Joan, who was for once just as in the dark as someone else.

Amy reached into her basket and, with a flourish, pulled out Shaw's songhorn. She held it up and said, "Just remember that Kenny G wasn't played in the 16th century, Shaw."

"Where did you get that?" the half-elf asked, despite figuring out how she'd laid her hands on it.

"From your dresser, silly," the witch said with twinkling eyes the color of a summer sky. "I knew we'd end up here and I was sure you could do this. Just remember, you have to *stay* in character. You can't do anything modern like rock and roll or talk like a teenager. Pretend you're from another century. . ." She stopped in realization. "Goddess, I forget who I'm talking to here."

"You mean to ensure that I emulate someone from the time period," Shaw reiterated.

"Exactly, Shawukay," the Amazon smiled, figuring they'd get fully into character right then and there. "They want authenticity, you give them authenticity. Not that it shall be hard in your case."

Joan smiled at the sight of the flute and remarked, "That instrument cannot possibly be as old as it appears."

"It is a replica, Lady Joan," Shaw mumbled. "I take it that this will be my occupation in our Kingdom."

Joan smiled at Amy's giggles. Amy said, "I do not see much calling for young women who speak multiple languages, so this is your proper choice."

Joan reached for an item she'd been hiding on her person. "Shawukay, this might be of assistance," she offered. Shaw took it and opened it up, with Amy looking over her shoulder. "It is a map of the faire grounds. If you will allow me, I can point out the ideal locations for a musician to ply her trade and perhaps make some coin."

Shaw blinked and glanced up at the noblewoman. "Lady Joan, I was of the understanding that I would be volunteering my skills today."

"Yes, but the Travelers wish to be entertained," Joan pointed out again. A small Zen grin formed. "And they are known to be very generous to those whose skills entertain them most. Now off with you, Shawukay. The gates to the Kingdom open soon, so find yourself a place to your liking and do as you are here to do; entertain the Travelers but still find some enjoyment of your own."

Shaw nodded and turned to Amy. "*Lady* Amy, with your permission?"

Amy rolled her eyes and gave Shaw a light hug. "Knock thy audience dead, Shawukay. But not in the literal sense."

Before Shaw could leave, the twins came running up with the looks mischief beaming from their faces. Amy's eyes narrowed in suspicion as they giggled at her and Shaw before turning their attention to their Mother.

"Mother, we found Kayla and Elizabet!" Lizzie said enthusiastically. She pointed back the way they had come to show two women walking toward them.

Amy noticed Shaw sending her a questioning glance. Knowing whom the middle-aged African-American and Caucasian teenager were, she communicated a light nod. Shaw gave her the same nod in return.

The older woman, the silver highlights in her black hair showing in the morning sun, smiled as she greeted Joan. "Hello, Joan. It is good to see you again."

Joan warmly gave the woman her own greeting by affectionately squeezing her hands. "I am glad that you could make it, Elizabet. And you as well, Kayla. But may I ask how you gained entrance into the Kingdom so soon?"

It was the girl who answered. Amy noted the same punker cut from last year, as well as the leather jacket, blue jeans, and the safety pins sticking through the piercing in her ears. Her large green eyes held a great deal of laughter in them. "We're working the first aid tent tomorrow, so the doc was willing to give us a break. Besides, Elizabet wants first crack at the herbalist."

"As you know, Joan," Elizabet said with a grin that Amy thought her aunt had patented, "there are some items I can only find here, special herbs among them."

Joan nodded in complete understanding. "Just be careful about what first aid you give, both of you," she said with a light warning.

"The doctor is a True Believer, and knows of our gifts, so you needn't worry about that," the black woman replied, "but we'll be careful."

"I would not insinuate otherwise," Joan said slowly. She eyed the punker. "Hello again, Kayla."

"Hi, your Honorness," she said with a lopsided grin. She gave Amy and Shaw a look. "I remember Spanky from last year, but who's the newbie?"

Amy's eyes narrowed at the nickname. "Hey, Smitty." Kayla grinned even wider, and Amy just started nodding slowly in challenge. "Trust me, things are going to be different this year."

"That's not was these two rugrats tell me," the girl joked with a barking laugh. "They signed both of you up for a sparring match."

"WHAT?!?" Amy barked. She spitted the snickering mirror images and snapped, "You *promised*!"

Lizzie stuck her chin up defiantly. "We promised not to sign you up to fight Lord Gerald. And we didn't."

"You and Shawukay will be fighting the Stensons," Anna continued. With a devious gleam in her eyes, she twisted the dagger. "At the same time!"

Joan's eyes twitched at the knowledge that her little tykes had truly outdone themselves with their set up, but she didn't make any comment.

Amy clenched her jaw and said, "I don't believe you two!"

"Amy, what did they do?" Shaw asked her partner.

Glaring at the Twin Terrors, the Amazon groaned, "These little monsters have signed us up to fight a pair of high school linebackers, with those boffer things they use. They did this to me last year! They signed me up to fight the *best* guy they had. He takes one swing, spins me around, and literally spanks me on my butt and sends me flying to the ground!"

"And now Anna and Elizabeth want to do this to us?" Shaw reasoned.

Amy nodded and said, "It's their way of breaking you in to the Faire." She looked at her cousins and said, "I can't believe you did this to her."

Anna gave the older witch an innocent look. "It'll be fun!"

Amy started growling under her breath, leading Kayla to grab the twins' shoulders.

"Come on, you two," she ordered. "See ya at the field, two o'clock, Spanky."

Amy just continued to glare until the threesome rounded a corner and vanished. Her lips began to turn upwards until a full grin was splitting her face. She said, "They are *so* going to be shocked."

"Why is that?" Elizabet asked. She knew what had happened to Amy the previous winter.

"Well, Lady Elizabet, it so happens that I met the most interesting woman in February," the witch answered. "This woman is known to the modern world as the Lady Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt and Patron Goddess of the Amazon Nation. She saw how I and certain friends of mine defend humanity from vampires and demons, so she made me an offer, which I accepted."

"Thus, my beloved niece is now an Amazon warrior as well as a witch of Hecate," Joan added upon seeing that Amy had been waiting for just such a chance to set up her daughters. "And my children are ignorant of that knowledge."

Elizabet just smiled in good humor and asked, "They don't know?"

"I knew I forgot to mention something to them this morning," the Hecatian offered with falsified humility.

Elizabet looked to Shaw, who just shook her head in answer to the unasked question. "You are not an Amazon. . . Shawukay, is it?"

Hazel eyes gleaming with the same intent as Amy's, the Slayerette answered, "No, Lady Elizabet. I am no Amazon. But. . . I do have the proverbial trick or two up my sleeve."

"One of those is that Shawukay receives training in the arts of the East," Amy added with a giggle, "by a former soldier who favors the strangest headwear."

"What kind of headwear?" Joan asked, sensing the humor passing between the two.

Shaw smiled beatifically at Joan and said, "He favors *berets* of a *green* hue."

The healer's mouth puckered into a tiny "o" as she fought down the impulse to break out into laughter. <An Amazon warrior and a girl trained by someone from Special Forces? Oh, those poor boys!> She glanced between the two teenagers and said, "If I might make a polite request of the young ladies, would you please try to keep bodily harm to your opponents to a minimum? Kayla and I have only so much healing power to share."

"We shall do our best," Amy said with a curtsey. She glanced at Joan. "May Shawukay take her leave, Aunt? The opening of the gates is nigh."

"By all means," Joan said with a warm smile that infected Shaw and Amy. "Please, by all means."

"By your leave, my Ladies," Shaw said. She went into a half-kneeling bow by stepping back with her left leg. She flawlessly rose and turned to leave, leaving Amy jealous of her elven grace despite her own great agility.

Joan turned to Amy. "Amy, let us go to my domain and take care of affairs of state. It should only take about half an hour. Afterwards, we can make the rounds of the Kingdom and you can help me if my intervention is needed. But I do expect you to enjoy yourself before all else."

"Come this afternoon, I most definitely shall," Amy laughed, her blue eyes shining.

"Of course. Come, let us go," Joan instructed her. She turned and gave Elizabet a warm embrace. "I'll see you later, Elizabet."

"Same here."

*****

Shaw walked along, glancing between the map provided by Joan and the landmarks and shops to make sure she was headed in the direction she thought she was moving in. The ranger smiled as she located a spot in the corner of one intersection, the only spot not occupied by a stage or shop and having a pair of benches for musicians or Faire goers...

<Travelers,> Shaw scolded herself with a quirky smile. <I must remember that.> She could hear elevating levels of noise in the distance, the sounds of the crowds being let into the castle grounds being carried to her on the wind. She hastened over to the spot, which Joan had indicated was a good location for individual musicians or small groups.

The Slayerette was nearly bouncing on her feet as she walked over, enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the Faire before all proverbial Hell broke loose. She was glad Amy had talked her into coming. The atmosphere, along with the sheer enthusiasm of the twins, was contagious to say the least.

She hit the spot she had chosen and carefully set her songhorn down on one of the benches. She set her basket down on the ground, so that any coins she did earn with her music would have a place to be deposited. She sat down and picked up her flute, wryly thinking, <If anyone is tone deaf enough to think that my music is a professional quality, then so be it.>

Hearing some people heading in her general direction, Shaw studiously avoided looking at them. She didn't want them to think that she was beginning to play just to snag their attention; she also wanted to play for the sheer enjoyment of being able to do so. She racked her brain for a suitable litany of songs to perform for anyone who cared to listen and decided that any songs she'd learned from her Grandmother should wait until later.

<No sense in playing something they might not recognize,> the half-elf mentally chuckled. So, she limited herself to songs from the British Isles and, as a fallback, the rest of Europe. <Let me see. How about. . . Green Hills of Tyrol to begin, followed by. . .> A terse smile touched her lips. <Drowsy Maggie. That one has fond memories for me, at least the parts for which I was sober. Yes. Green Hills and Maggie, followed by. . . whatever in Mielikki's name comes to mind. Why should this be structured? I am here to entertain others, and I see no reason that they would not be entertained more by someone who is having a good time in her own right. So there.>

Shaw brought her flute up to her lips and closed her eyes, to better focus on the music. Just as she was about to go into her first piece, a sound interrupted her opening.

"CRAP!"

Shaw's eyes snapped open. <I am sure that the word 'crap' is most definitely not 16th century language.> She looked to her right and saw three men and a woman, all in Faire garb, looking with disgust at her. <Why are they angry with me?>

The woman, wearing Irish garb of a simple dove gray color, turned on a man wearing a British Middle Class outfit that Shaw figured was the male equivalent of Amy's costume. The Irishwoman-For-A-Day snarled, "I *told* you to make sure that the spare was filled!"

The man sighed as if he'd heard this a hundred times already. "I apologize, Kathleen. Again. I can hardly be faulted about this."

"May I ask the nature of your frustration?" Shaw asked. She didn't want to fight over the spot, even if it was first come, first serve.

"Kathleen" turned to the flautist and curtsied a bit. "Kathleen of County Claire," she introduced herself. Sending a sidelong glare through her flashing blue eyes at her companion, she said, "I apologize for my outburst, but we were late arriving for Faire due to our. . . cart suffering a broken wheel due to my betrothed's lack of inspection before departing his residence."

"Ah," Shaw said in understanding. She felt sorry for the group since she could see the frustration and sincerity in their body English. <If not for their flat tire, I would still be hunting for a suitable location.> Her mind came up with a quick solution. "If I might be so forward, I believe that I have a resolution for our dilemma."

"*Our* dilemma, Mistress. ." the man, who Shaw was surprised to see was carrying a songhorn as she was, asked, clearly looking for a name to attach to the "usurper" of his troupe's intended set up point.

"Shawukay of Sunnydale, by way of Glenfillen," the ranger said cheerfully, giving them a curtsey out of respect. She set her songhorn down and told the leader, "I could make a proposal that I believe would satisfy both myself and your group of minstrels." Sparing a quick once over, she saw the songhorn carrying man, Kathleen the mandolin player, a man with some Oriental blood carrying a lute, and a fairly large man in his late twenties holding a bohdran drum. <Obviously, he is the rhythm man.> Shaw noted. Getting to her idea, she said, "As this is my first time this part of the Kingdom, I can not stay here all day, as I wish to explore the Faire and become familiar with my new home. Also, you need a place to set up for your own performance. While I was first to this spot, I would be more than willing to part with it after playing a few pieces. At which time, I would turn over this location, not to mention any Travelers who wished to stay and listen to your group, over to you."

Shaw watched the other musicians glance at each other as they considered what she'd proposed, which was fairly simple; she'd just offered to be what passed for an "opening act," to set the crowd up for them. Three of the players turned to the songhorn owner for his opinion, apparently defaulting the decision to him. He nodded and turned to Shaw, sweeping into a grand bow. "The Lady Shawukay is as generous as she is beautiful."

<Oh, Goddess, spare me idle compliments,> Shaw said with a smile that threatened to bloom into giggles. <Let him take the smile as he will.> "My counterpart is possessed of a tongue of silver. But with your permission, I shall begin, as yonder Travelers are proceeding this way."

The four glanced over their shoulders as the leading edge of paying customers began filtering in their general direction, looking around at the shops and at the notices posted for stage performances. The songhorn player smiled and nodded for his group to move to the side. Shaw could see that they were grateful for her kindness, as well as the fact that they also needed some time to fine tune their instruments, which they began doing in anticipation of her relinquishing the spot over to them.

Shaw smiled and said, "Sir?" When the band leader glanced up at her, she said, "I will do three, perhaps four pieces of short duration, so as to provide you time to prepare for your performance, but not so much that the crowd will grow impatient waiting for your own music to begin."

"Thank you, Shawukay," he said with a smile. He bowed again and said, "And forgive my rudeness from earlier, but my name is Anthony."

"Master Anthony," Shaw said with a nod. Leaving him to work with his group, she turned and sat back down, taking care not to muss her dress as she did so. Rather than sit with ramrod posture, the half-elven Scooby let herself relax just a bit, sliding her legs forward a bit but leaving her feet planted on the ground. She saw a small number of people, most in normal clothing but some in Faire garb but obviously paying customers rather than workers, starting to filter over to listen to some live entertainment.

Shaw let a smile touch her lips just as she brought her instrument up and drew a breath. She started playing Green Hills of Tyrol, a traditional Scottish song about a Highland warrior in a foreign land, who lamented that the hills of Tyrol, a place she had no idea as to the location to, made the warrior homesick for the hills of Scotland. The song basically went on about how the Green Hills of Tyrol were *not* the hills of Scotland, which the man sorely wanted to return to. The twist was that Shaw was playing this piece on the flute, when she had never heard it done on anything other than bagpipes.

She played slowly, as the piece was played on the tapes she'd bought over her months in California. The man in the song reminded her a great deal of herself, when she first came to Earth; wanting not to stay here, but to return to Toril, where she had been born. Unlike the fictional Highland warrior, she had found reasons to stay in the strange land she found herself in. And that made all the difference.

Shaw had unknowingly closed her eyes once she began, doing so on reflex; she found that not seeing things in front of her would cut down on distractions. She floated through the piece, feeling the notes that she had always found to be, for lack of a better term, haunting in its playing. <Perhaps it has something to do with the bagpipes,> she had mused on occasion. As it was, she did her best to emulate that eerie feeling in her own rendition, but to her sensitive hearing, it seemed to her like she fell a bit short.

When she finished, a burst of applause startled her out of her self-imposed reverie. Her almond-shaped eyes popped open as she nearly dropped her flute, only to see fifteen people standing around, most of them clapping at the performance that she felt was not up to the standards of the original musicians. When two or three of the costumed Travelers shouted, "Huzzah," she felt her cheeks grow warm, but there was nothing she could do about what she was sure was a deep blush.

The priestess could feel the quartet behind her staring at her, but decided to do her best to ignore them and go into her second piece. She brought her flute back up and dove right into Drowsy Maggie, which was a slow waltz, but more cheerful than her opening number. She went through it at the right speed, having studied this piece several times to get her instrument's part down pat. The difficulty with this set was that she had to fight to keep from smiling at the memory of the first time she had danced to Drowsy Maggie, six months ago when she got herself completely drunk for the first time in Goddess knew how many years.

<At least this time, Grandfather was not waiting for me when I got home. It *was* my eighteenth birthday, so I saw no reason not to celebrate becoming Of Age,> she thought to herself. A bit of phantom pain manifested itself as she remembered what else had happened, and she nearly stopped in mid-piece due to laughter at herself. <Yes, he showed me that even if I *was* Of Age, it did not mean that he could not take a switch to me. The worst part of it was, it was not for celebrating or staying out late, but for not telling him where I was going! Goddess, was I ever so rebellious?> A second later, she added, <Mother, do NOT answer that.>

She made it through and let the piece, and her remembrances, fade at the end. The crowd applauded their approval again, and this time she simply smiled a little and nodded in recognition. She decided to do one more piece and hand the reins over to her fellows, but she decided to allow the crowd to decide what *they* wanted.

Shaw glanced around and said, not affecting an accent as the other workers did, "I thank my Lords and Ladies for their generous applause." She pursed her lips and said, "But for my final piece of music, I shall ask you, as those who appreciate music. What song does your heart desire to hear?"

Someone in Faire clothing blurted, "Banish Misfortune!"

After a second's hesitation, the other costumed Travelers began seconding the request. The "normal" people just looked around, perhaps thinking that this was part of the act.

Shaw grinned, showing teeth. "Are there any objections?" When none sounded, she nodded and set herself up. "Very well, Banish Misfortune it is."

She launched into the music, a lighthearted song with a faster pace than her previous pieces. This was one she enjoyed playing in private, and one of those she'd recorded for Amy back in November. The piece was a short one, and she played with a fervor that had the crowd, now twenty-five strong, clapping along once they got the rhythm down. When she reached the end, she finished with a flourish that brought the crowd into cheers, even those garbed in modern clothing shouting, "Huzzah!"

The half-elf smiled at the irony; she'd gotten them hooked with music that she was fairly critical of at times, but their own joining in had brought *her* into their excitement, spurring her on to play the best she could, so as to please them. She considered the mutual cycle and decided that she liked it, but came back to Earth once she remembered her promise. She stood up, held her flute in her right hand while gripping part of her overskirt with her left, and swept backward into a bow, signaling that her act was done. The garbed customers began to reach into their belt pouches and wallets a split second before the normal people did.

Coming up from her bow, Shaw smiled. "I thank my Lords and Ladies for their more than generous applause, but the time has come for those who are more accomplished than this young maiden. I present, and turn your generous souls over to, Master Anthony and his troupe."

The crowd seemed somewhat dubious about this, but Shaw turned three quarters away from the crowd and began stepping back to actually join the audience. When someone protested that they wanted more music from Shaw, Anthony smiled and beckoned her forward. Hesitantly, the opening act moved back into place and the crowd started clapping.

Anthony smiled and said, "You're good."

"You are too kind," Shaw said, blushing a bit.

"No, merely honest, Shawukay," he said, lifting his own songhorn into her field of vision for emphasis. "As someone who plays the same instrument, I think I can be an adequate judge of character." He lifted his voice and said, "My esteemed Lords and Ladies, it would seem that the fair maiden Shawukay is somewhat modest about her gifts. Would those who think her a gifted musician please make themselves known?"

The crowd started cheering again. Anthony smirked and said, "Methinks that the maiden has been blackmailed into an encore performance."

"I agreed to turn this spot over to you, Sir Anthony," Shaw reminded him.

"Agreed," he said for the crowd's benefit, "but I see no reason that you could not give your appreciative audience one more piece."

Shaw cocked her head and considered it. She turned to the gathered people and said, "It would seem that we have a dilemma on our hands. I had promised Sir Anthony that I would turn your entertainment over to his worthy troupe. I gave my oath. Yet I must consider what you, those Lords and Ladies who wish my music to continue, also desire. Thus, I have a solution." She turned back to Anthony, who seemed a bit confused, yet amused, at what she was saying. Shaw gave him a smile and said, "I challenge thee to a duel, Master Anthony."

Anthony blinked and glanced back at Kathleen O'Claire, who seemed just as much in the dark as he was. He turned back and said, "Mistress Shawukay, I have no weapons, and I have no desire to end your life."

"I did not intend that we would duel with blades, Master Anthony," she said with a grin. She turned to the crowd and said, raising her voice, "Master Anthony fancies himself a master of the songhorn, the instrument that I myself have played for you in these morning hours. I would ask you, what better weapon of choice than one we both claim to be experts at?"

The small audience roared their approval at the suggestion, calling for Anthony to accept the impromptu, and untraditional, gauntlet laid at his feet. Shaw turned to him and said, "Do you accept my challenge, Master Anthony?"

Anthony let a smile cross his lips and bowed to her, signaling his acceptance of the duel of music. "I accept your challenge, O Fair Maiden. As you are the challenging party, I assume you wish to name the 'venue' for our dueling instruments?"

Shaw nodded once and smiled. She stepped to the side so that Anthony could face her while facing sideways to the crowd. Shaw brought her songhorn up and played a series of eight notes.

Anthony's eyes widened as her eyes beamed laughter at him. His own eyes gleamed at the challenge and he brought his flute up. He played a similar series of notes, keeping his flute to his mouth.

As Shaw began her second "volley," Anthony's companions were in varying states of wonder.

*****

Kathleen was in slack-jawed shock, since she recognized the music her fiancée and his "challenger" were doing. She leaned in close to Mike and said, "I can't believe it!"

"What?" the bohdran player asked distractedly, watching the increasing speed and complexity of the song being "shared" by Anthony and the woman calling herself Shawukay.

"What they're playing," Kathleen continued. "Mike, Jason, haven't you heard that it before? And they're playing it on the songhorns!"

"No, I haven't," Jason said, finishing the tuning of his lute. "What is it?"

"I can't believe this," Kathleen breathed dryly.

"What are they playing?" Mike demanded quietly, loathe to cause any distractions.

Kathleen just continued to stare forward as the two flautists began to reach a crescendo. "They're playing 'Dueling Banjoes!'"

Her friends just nodded as they finally realized why she was so rocked by the music.

*****

Shaw reached into reserves of skill she never knew she possessed, her fingers flying over the holes of her flute as she saw just how much she'd retained from years and years of lessons handed down to her by Mishaya Flamingarrow. As she neared the end of her latest part of the song, her attempt overreached her limits. She flubbed a single note, but in a way that she and Anthony knew it. She could have continued, certain that only those who were musically inclined would register the missed note. But she didn't. Rather, she stopped, dropped her flute to her chest while gripping it in both hands, and allowed Anthony to go on to see if he could finish the duel without a similar blunder.

The male songhorn player moved into the rest of Shaw's portion with nary a pause between her declining to cover up her mistake and his resumption of the piece. He went on through his piece and the remainder of the song, reaching the end with a flurry of notes that Shaw could never have hoped to pull off.

When he stopped, he joined Shaw in their panting for breath, to the crowd's massive approval. The two artists just watched each other with smiles for several seconds before turning and bowing to the crowd with identical gestures. With an impish grin, Shaw walked up to Anthony and presented her songhorn, lying in her palms.

With mock gravity, the Slayerette said, "My Lord, I recognized your skill as the greater. I offer you my 'sword.'"

The crowd broke into laughter at the mocking of an ancient ritual of chivalry. Anthony took it from her, held it in one hand, and proceeded to tap her on each shoulder. "I accept your gracious surrender and return your 'sword' to you. May we see each other in 'battle' again, only this time as friends."

He then handed her songhorn back, to which she smiled, saluted him with it like a blade, and "sheathed" it by sticking it through her belt at her left hip.

"I give you the location and thy fair and faithful audience," she finished, backing up and holding her arm to the crowd to give them over.

Anthony turned to the crowd and said, "My Lords and Ladies, may I ask that you show your appreciation for the talented, beautiful, and *honorable* Shawukay of Glenfillen."

The patrons threw up a cheer and gave her the British version of 'hip, hip, hooray,' before starting to throw coins and bills into her forgotten basket. She blinked and was about to protest about the troupe not getting any when Anthony whispered, "Don't worry, we'll get our share."

"But. ."

"No, it's yours. You more than earned it," he told her sincerely. He smiled and said, "Like I said, you're good."

"My Lord is too kind," the woman said, embarrassed at his praise.

"I'm serious, Shawukay," he continued. "Given a few years, Mistress, you might win a challenge like the one we just waged." He looked at her strangely and asked, "Might I ask what kingdom you hail from, Shawukay? Your accent and name are strange to these lands."

Despite the blatant attempt at fishing for information, Shaw decided to indulge him. Thinking of a way to phrase her answer, she smiled kindly. "To put it in a way that I hope will be acceptable to you and our time, let us say that no matter what century I was or am to be born in, I shall always be a daughter of Glenfillen, on the shores of Loch Scholl, in the Highlands of Scotland. As for my voice, much traveling with a father who served Queen and country will do such to any proper Highland accent. For my name. . . Shaw is Scottish and Celtic, meaning "of the grove." Kay is Irish for "bright." So in either Home or Eire, my name could be translated in two ways; 'Grove's Brightness,' or 'Bright of the Grove.' That is who I am, Oh One of the Silver Tongue." One corner of her mouth rose further. "Whether it is verbal or musical."

Anthony laughed as his partners finished setting up their own instruments. He bowed to her again and said, "I thank thee for your compliments, Shawukay of the Celts. I merely wondered as I had not seen you in our Kingdom before."

Shaw understood; she was the new... musician on the block, so to speak. "I only recently moved to the Southern Kingdom. I live several hours from the Faire, and I journeyed here not so much to play today, but rather to visit cousins who live in the Kingdom. Alas, the younger ones decided that I could not understand their ways without experiencing it myself, thus here I am, playing for Travelers as you do, albeit for the first time."

Anthony smiled and looked over his shoulder when Kathleen touched him there. He looked into her blue eyes and asked, "Did you hear that we have some new competition for audiences, my love?"

"Aye," Kathleen said in her assumed Irish accent. "As it is, I had hoped that you would win your challenge, if only to keep my betrothed's ego from growing too large. There are few who play the songhorn who can match his skill." A teasing grin touched her lips. "A shame that you could not have beaten him. T'would make it much easier to keep this one in line."

The man raised his eyes to the Heavens while the women laughed at his expense. Kathleen held Shaw's basket out to her and said, "I took the liberty of taking this for you, so you would not lose any to those whose hands cannot stay in their own pockets."

"Thank you, Lady Kathleen," Shaw said thankfully. She took her flute and set it in the basket and stared for a second at the money sitting there. "I think I had best find a place to sit and arrange my. . . accessories into a more orderly fashion." She hesitated and said, "But not before I listen to my conquerors show their inherited crowd how they play their own music. Perhaps I shall learn something."

"A gracious gesture," Kathleen grinned, taking Shaw by the arm and escorting her back to the spot. "Mayhap you will join our group for a short encore when we are done?"

Touched by the surprising invitation, Shaw smiled back at her. "I would consider it an honor."

Shaw let Kathleen drop her arm and stepped back into the front of the crowd to let her new acquaintances begin their own entertainment.

*****

Part 5: Forsooth! A Show!
(Or, The Twin Terrors Learn What Happens When You Try To Play Pranks On People Who Spend Far Too Much Time With A Fairy Out Of Shakespeare)

Southern Renn Faire
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998

Joan and Amy watched the gates to the Faire, scanning the crowds as they entered the Southern Kingdom. Since the opening of the gates to the Travelers a half-hour ago, a steady stream of paying customers, both in normal clothes and period clothing, had been pouring in through the entrance.

"You know, Aunt Joan," Amy said with a whisper, "I never really thought about how many people this place pulls in."

Joan gave her a glance out of the corner of her eye. "My dear, your language is deteriorating. Please remember, you must use the proper Queen's English and set an example for your peers."

Amy nodded with a small snort through her nose. "I do apologize, my Lady Aunt," she said, reverting to her role, "but it does sometimes become difficult to remember proper etiquette when one spends her time fighting the unknown with magic and weapons."

"All the more reason to practice," Joan said with that serene smile that often drove her sister insane. With a teasing voice, she said, "But I forgive you."

Amy smiled as people passed her and Joan, curtseying as they passed the two well-to-do women. Amy gave them smiles and nods, although she knew that most of the respect was for the other, since she was probably well known to the costumed regulars.

The sun-haired witch turned her head to look at her relative. "I do have a question about our being in this location, my Lady Aunt. Is our sole purpose to stand here, greet Travelers, and look beautiful?"

"Does that pose a problem for you?" Joan asked idly, nodding to an old man in Middle Class garb.

"It is only that the last time I heard of someone. . . dressing as such an. . . ornament, a Chaos Mage turned that someone, the Chosen One, into a fainting, witless thing."

Joan glanced at Amy, who just grinned tightly and nodded to confirm what she'd said. Joan knew from talks with her mother that Amy worked with a Vampire Slayer, so she also got the comments made earlier by Amy's friend.

"Have no fear of mischief of *that* nature, Amy," the employee of the publishing company promised. "There are many. . . True Believers in our Kingdom, many of whom have made. . . assurances that those who practice the Craft with evil intent will be known beforehand. While harmless pranks are allowed, the threefold rule is very much enforced here."

Slightly relieved, and amused at her nervousness at the remotest possibility of such a misadventure, the Amazon let out a little sigh of relief. "Thank the Goddess," she said.

Joan smiled in agreement. She glanced around and decided to start roving around. Glancing at Amy, she said, "Let us go, my niece. I think you should have your desire and be allowed to see the wonders of our realm."

"Why, thank you, Milady Aunt," Amy said with a grin. She allowed Joan to turn and begin walking, moving to the right and slightly behind her in order to show that Joan had the higher social standing. "Is there anywhere in particular that you wish to go?"

"No, I thought we might simply take in the sights," Joan said as she walked with the grace of a true noblewoman of the Elizabethan era.

Amy did her best to imitate the elder witch, relying on visual cues from her aunt so as not to embarrass either Joan or herself. She caught on quickly and thought, <Hey, I can do this.> "So we are mere wanderers now?" she asked humorously.

Joan smiled indulgently. "I know that there might be areas of interest to you, despite your living in a larger city. My thought was to allow you to become familiar with this portion of the Kingdom so that when I release you to your own devices, you might do more than idly walk around performing your duty."

"You wish for me to enjoy myself?" Amy said with a grin.

"And to allow yourself to make purchases or spend some time relaxing, perhaps watching stage acts before you go to face your sparring opponent," Joan finished. She paused and said, "But I would ask questions of you and your friend, if you would be willing to answer them."

Warning bells went off in the Amazon's head. Amy seriously pondered her answer. "Are you referring to my. . . special activities?"

"No, my dear," Joan said, waving a hand across her waist, palm down. "Merely things about yourself and Mistress Shawukay."

"I see," Amy said, hoping she did. "Please, ask at will."

"Thank you," Joan said, slowing down a bit to indicate that Amy should walk beside her. When Amy came even, the first question came out. "Firstly, I would like to know how your training in your chosen Craft goes, and who you are apprenticed to?"

<How's the witchcraft coming, and who's teaching me,> Amy translated. <That's no problem.> "I am sure you can see my level of. . . expertise, my Lady Aunt." Joan nodded for Amy to continue. "I have found that my specialty is divination and scrying magics." She decided to speak openly, as she knew that a lot of the workers either had or knew about magic and other things. "My teacher comes from a long line of people who are magically inclined."

"Is she Hecatian or Wicca?" Joan asked lightly, expecting a positive response.

Amy let a light grin touch her lips. "Actually, my Lady, she is Janna of the Kalendish. A Romany."

Joan's breath caught when she read Amy's emotions and divined that the teenager had spoken the exact truth.

Amy went on to reassure her. "She is an Amazon as I am, and has become the teacher for me as well as a friend who follows the path of the Wiccans. She is most skilled, responsible, and caring."

The editor chewed on Amy's answer for several moments before nodding. If Allie's own perceptions had been even close, this Gypsy was a better teacher than anyone in the family, save perhaps Eleanor, could have been for her. She dimly thought, <Especially better than Catherine was to her.> "I see. Your Aunt approves of your teacher as well. She told me that this Romany truly knows how to teach you correctly." She paused and then said, "She had expressed worries that you had taken certain paths that might prove tempting."

<The Dark Side route,> Amy thought with a shiver. Joan glanced at her, picking up the emotion. "I have seen a great deal of fighting, but I will *not* take such a path, especially since I have first-hand experience with those who do. I need not name names, My Lady."

<No, you don't,> Joan thought sadly, though it didn't show on her face. She decided to move onto another subject. "I assume that you will speak of most matters tonight with Mother, yes?"

"I shall," Amy said with surety. "I will leave nothing out, save for those parts and specific details which would not be appropriate for the ears of the young or those with whom I am *not* intimate."

"Of course," Joan said with a light laugh. Her smile became full at the reading she was getting off of Amy. "You are happy with your. . . suitor?"

<Good save, Joan,> the seventeen-year-old thought of her aunt's near slip. "Quite happy."

"Good. I am happy for you, Niece," Joan said as they came to the border of the Faire grounds. She looked up and said, "If you wish, the next time you join us, I could ensure that you become a washer woman."

Looking at the stage with its large pool, Amy laughed. "I am sorry, but I have enough problems dealing with the walking dead and demonic beings without having to wash clothing by hand."

"A little menial labor never hurt anyone," the empath said with a quirked eyebrow.

The girl shot back, "No, but one should receive *some* benefits from one's semi-noble rank or, failing that, foiling the destruction of the Knowne World on occasion."

"I concede you the point on that matter, Niece," she giggled, enjoying the time with the niece she saw far too little of. "Let us speak of Shawukay, then, but only in matters of our Kingdom. First, you said she has the gift of languages."

"Lady Aunt, I know for a fact that Shawukay speaks, at a minimum, over a dozen tongues of the Knowne World," the high schooler began, trying to be careful. <And some that aren't.> "Among those that might find use here are the Queen's English, two forms of Gaelic, Latin, Spanish, French, Hebrew, and the tongues of Greece and Italy." She sported a smile at Joan and inquired, "Who knows when you or I might visit the shops of Milan or Venice?" When Joan blinked in surprise, Amy silently rejoiced. <HA! Bet you didn't know I *do* know some of this stuff, didja?>

"Your tongue is as sharp as I am sure your skills with the blade are," Joan sighed in faked exasperation with a teenaged noblewoman. She stopped near a stand that allowed the customers to mix different types of wax into candleholders to form their own candles. "Now, another question. How accomplished a flautist is your companion?"

Amy tilted her head with a smirk. "Most of those who hear her playing say that she is quite accomplished. Among those are myself, though I do not claim to be a proper judge of her forms of expression, my teacher in the Craft, and her guardian, a Catholic priest from Nordic lands." Amy grinned at another jab at Elizabethan times, which Joan noticed when Amy's eyes lightened a shade. "Yet another is a *true* and proper Englishman, a librarian and scholar by the name of Sir Rupert Giles. Believe me when I say that as far as being a true child of England goes, he puts you to shame."

"So she is accomplished," Joan decided.

"Although she will deny it with great fervor," the witch responded. "She considers herself to be an amateur at best. But I could have her play for you, in a way."

"Oh?" she asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Amy smiled and said, "Perhaps. You see, I have managed to use. . . an item of machinery that is able to catch sound and place it on a small piece of ribbon with wheels."

Joan wondered what she was talking about until she deduced what she meant. <A tape of Shaw's music? Well, that would be interesting.> "We do not suppose our niece might be willing to. . . loan those higher in rank a copy of this. . . device, as to allow us to make our own judgment on the subject?"

"I might be persuaded to do so on the morrow," Amy giggled.

"Very good, we have a bargain in principle." Joan turned and began walking again. "Now, let us go back to you. What do you wish to do for enjoyment before you engage in combat?"

Amy considered the question until she did come up with one idea. She turned to Joan and said, "There is one thing, my Lady. I lamented how my dearest Robin could not see me as I am dressed. Might there be a place where I could have a picture. . . drawn or painted so that he might be able to view me as a proper daughter of England?"

Joan smiled at the touching thought. "As it so happens," the witch told her younger counterpart, "there is. If you will follow me, we can settle that affair most quickly."

"Thank you, Milady," Amy giggled. <Wait'll Robin gets a load of me in THIS getup!> She then followed on Joan's heels, every inch the noble girl in appearance.

Less than five minutes later, Amy was third in line at the photographer's booth, waiting to go up and have a picture taken of herself in her Faire costume. She felt herself growing excited over giving Robin something like this as a small gift, and just knew he'd appreciate it.

She glanced over the prices and saw that she could have either a single photo, in a 5x7 or 8x10, or different packages with wallet size photos. The Slayerette decided to get the package that would give her a pair of 5x7s, one for her boyfriend and one for her own scrapbook, and ten wallet sizes. She'd figure out what to do with them later. <Maybe give 'em to the girls to show them that at least one person can dress up and not go through what Buffy, Willow, and Xander went through,> she giggled.

The photographer was quite adept at his profession, putting the Faire goers into either positions that would make them look the best, or into costumes he owned to let people pose as nobles, peasants, or as Knights. <Well, at least I'll save time on that.>

In less than ten minutes, it was Amy's turn. The photographer turned to her and smiled. "And what does Milady desire of my services?" he inquired with a near perfect English accent, making Amy wonder if maybe he *was* British.

"Good sir, I wish to have my image preserved for posterity for my own viewing and for the enjoyment of my young suitor," she answered lightly. "I wish to make a gift of your talents to him."

"Very good," the photographer said with pleasure. He cupped his chin and examined her up and down for a short time. "Very well, we shall give him two images. I think one of Milady's angelic face, and mayhap one from further back, to show off how the attire presents the lady's complete beauty."

Grinning in anticipation, the witch agreed. "I think that would be most appreciated, my good sir. Please, do as you will."

"Ah, but I am merely the artist," he said ironically, lifting one hand with the thumb touching the index finger and forming an "o." "You are as the clay to the sculptor. It might be the artisan who shapes the piece, but he could not do so if there was not something beautiful to expose to the world. As Maestro Michelangelo once quoted, 'the shape is already in the marble, and I merely remove the excess to bring out the true beauty inside.' Or something similar to that, as I do not speak Italian. So my translation may be imperfect."

Amy laughed at the pun and allowed him to guide her into position. He settled her on the spot his other customers had stood upon and stepped back. He positioned her hands just so and told her to stand perfectly still. "This is the position that Maestro Di Vinci captured the perfection of the Mona Lisa for all eternity. Allow this unworthy one to try to emulate the great Maestro with your beauty as his canvas."

<Lay it on thicker, buddy,> Amy groused. To help him along, she tried to remember the famous smile on the painting in question and did her best to do her part and copy it.

The man moved to the camera and stared through the eyepiece. He smiled fully and said, "Perfection!"

FLASH!

*****

Ten minutes later, the photographer handed Amy a receipt with a time written down. "If the Lady would return at that time, her paintings should be dried by the sunlight," he intoned with a professional quality, "though it is a pale thing in comparison to your classic beauty."

Amy curtsied out of respect. "Thank you, kind sir. I shall return anon." <Okay, now *I'm* laying it on thick.> She turned and looked to Joan, who'd patiently waited for Amy to finish her fun.

"I thank you for your patience, my Lady," she said with a grin. "I will try not to inconvenience you."

Joan embraced Amy and told her, "You never do that, my dear. But I shall allow you the run of the Kingdom for now. I wish to speak with friends of mine, and I would not want you to be bored as we older women talk of matters that you could not care less about." She gave Amy a look of confidence. "Be sure not to neglect your role or position, but enjoy thyself, Mistress Madison."

"I shall endeavor to make you proud of me, my Lady," the blue-eyed blonde returned. <Now I can really stretch my legs a bit.> "I will see you at the practice field?"

"Mayhap," Joan said noncommittally, "for I do have duties beyond most in the Kingdom. I must set my priorities. But I shall try to arrive in time for the comeuppance of the Ladies Anna and Elizabeth."

<Damn straight!> Amy giggled. She backed up a step, bowed lightly, and said, "Until next we meet, Milady."

"Gods bless," Joan finished, just watching with pride as Amy turned and walked off, taking care to keep herself in the role she'd been handed. Smiling to herself, the Faire administrator turned to see to her friends and fellow workers.

*****

Shaw walked along, having separated from Anthony and his troupe only a few minutes ago. The improvised quintet had done a three-piece finale performance for the crowd that had assembled at their locale that brought in a good amount of tips for all five musicians. Shaw had been secretly embarrassed that her share, counting the take from her opening set, had totaled just over ten dollars.

Wanting to memorize some details for later shopping for souvenirs or other goods, Shaw scouted out the various shops and vendors in order to decide where she might find some things that she liked. She'd already marked a pair of armories, a leather crafts vendor separate from the one she'd bought her leather goods at, a trio of candle makers, and a number of booths that dealt in semi-precious stones and jewelry. She figured that she could compare them later in the day and decide which, if any, purchases she might make.

She smiled at the relaxing feel the Faire had on her. She almost felt like she was back in Highmoon, the capital of her homeland. She paused and mused that it wasn't genuine, but shook that off. <So what if it is only a recreation? I like it here, and that is all I need to know.> The fighter smiled and started walking again. <I think it is time that I found another spot to perform; that *is* what my assignment is,> she thought with a grin. She still had just over three hours before two o'clock, so she had plenty of time to spare. Stopping under a solitary elm tree in the middle of the convergence of three separate paths, the Slayerette removed her map from the basket at her elbow. Unfolding the paper, she looked around to compare the names of the craftspeople with their location on the pamphlet. Determining her position, the half-elf smiled. There was a musician's spot in the middle of the path leading to the north, set against a wall near one of the many stages that the performing acts used.

<The current show ends at eleven, with the next one not beginning for another hour,> she noted. <Excellent. That gives me nearly a full hour in between for my own music. I have to hurry to ensure that another musician does not get that spot.> Glancing at the form again, she noted that the noon act was a magic show. <One of those magic acts that uses props and illusions, not actual magic, I assume.> She shrugged; she had seen one man named Copperfield on television once, and had assumed that he was merely an amateur. To her surprise, Robin of all people had defended the man's talents, saying that she needed to compare his gifts with those who *didn't* have wizardry or witchcraft to aid their shows.

<And when I did, I was more favorable toward that man,> the half-elf finally admitted. She gave the list one more glance. <Joan did insist that I do find some of my own enjoyment.> A grin formed. <Why not?>

Shaw thought back to both her solo performance and the few pieces for which she'd joined the foursome that had insisted she join for an encore. She shivered a bit as she tried to shake off some of the giddiness that had enshrouded her being. She felt like everything was perfect; she was enjoying herself, not only because she was in an environment in which she felt comfortable, but she was helping others enjoy themselves. It felt good.

<Well, let us see if I can continue that trend,> she decided. She started walking north, determined to claim the musician's stoop before anyone else could set up there.

*****

As she was walking, a mixture of scents caught her attention. Stepping to the side so as not to stop in the middle of the path and cause people the inconvenience of going around her, she looked around and saw an herbalist's booth. Deciding to take a quick look, the ranger made for it. As she walked in, she saw two women in the shop; one was a woman in her forties, wearing "typical" peasant gear, and the other was Joan's friend, Elizabet. The two women were comparing various herbs sitting in pouches on the counter.

Seeing Shaw come in through the corner of their eyes, the women turned, the shopkeeper coming to see if Shaw needed any assistance. Glancing up and down Shaw's form, the woman smiled. "Good morn, Mistress. May I be of assistance?"

Shaw's lips puckered a bit as she considered the question. Finally, she said, "Thank you, but no. I shall compare your wares and ask for your help, should I require such. But I thank you for your consideration."

"The lady is most kind," the shopkeeper said before cocking her head. "If the lady does not mind a personal question, you seem familiar for some reason, but I have no memory of your presence in the Southern Kingdom. May I ask your name?"

Shaw smiled and bowed from the waist. "I am Shawukay of Sunnydale, born of Glenfillen. I come from a family of foresters, but my trade is music. I am come with my friend, Mistress Amy Madison, niece to the Lady Joan Madison."

The woman's eyes rose at the introduction. "Ah, I see." She stared at Shaw for a few seconds in a way that Shaw recognized. "How well does Mistress Shawukay know the Lady Joan?"

Knowing what the woman was asking, she gave the shopkeeper a similar look. After several seconds, she looked around and said, "I know much that you might find doubtful, Daughter of Wicca."

The herbalist blinked and glanced at Elizabet, who stared at Shaw in her own manner. She said, "I do not see any Gifts in you, Shawukay." Suspicion ringed her tone.

The half-elf smiled. "Obscuring spells are most useful when one wishes her Gifts to be unobserved. . . or to reverse practical jokes played upon one by her twelve-year-old cousins."

Elizabet nodded knowingly and walked over to her friend. "It seems that the Ladies Anna and Elizabeth wish to force their cousin and her friend to wage mock combat against two formidable young men. But they are hiding their own Gifts in order to have the young ones underestimate them."

The shopkeeper nodded and smiled. "Then, Blessed Be," she greeted Shaw. When Shaw shook her head, the woman asked, "Art thou not one of the Gifted?"

Shaw glanced at Elizabet, who nodded stoically. <She does remind me of Joan,> Shaw mused with a silent laugh. She glanced between the two and said, "I have no talent for such magics, Mistress. My spells come directly from a Higher Power, whose name, in this language, is Mielikki, the Lady of the Forest and Goddess of Faerie. I am her servant as priestess and warrior."

Elizabet cocked an eyebrow in consideration, while the shopkeeper seemed impressed, as if this were the first time she had met such a person. She bowed a bit and said, "I have met Priests and Priestesses of Wicca and some of the Old Gods, but this is the first time I have heard that name invoked. Welcome to our Kingdom, and to my shop. Know that if you have any *special* needs that are not met by my visible stock, I can help you if necessary."

"Thank you, I shall," Shaw said gratefully. <This woman could be very helpful.> She realized she'd tarried a bit long and sighed. "Perhaps later, Mistress. I wish to capture a location to perform my music, and must hurry as another stage show will start upon the arrival of the noon hour. Thank you for your kindness."

"You are most welcome, Holy One," the woman smiled. "May your Goddess watch over you."

Shaw bowed to her in thanks and started to go, but Elizabet called after her, stopping her in her tracks. Shaw turned to see the healer give parting words to her friend and come to catch up to the half-elf.

Shaw said, "May I help you, Lady Elizabet?"

Elizabet said, "I will walk with you to your destination." Shaw paused but nodded, and started walking again. She waited for Elizabet to say, "I am surprised you admitted your secret, Shawukay."

"If she knows of things regarded as legend, and is vouched for by you, who knows the Lady Joan," Shaw began, "I would rather she know the truth than be suspicious of me for hiding my talents."

"You are gracious," Elizabet said with a tiny smile. Again, Shaw was struck by how much it copied the empath's. "I do feel the need to ask you something, Shawukay, if you are open to it."

Shaw glanced at the healer out of her almond-shaped eye. She said, "That depends on what you ask, Lady Elizabet."

"Fair enough," the older woman agreed. She slowed down as they neared the spot where Shaw was going to set up. To her good fortune, it was unoccupied. As the women moved over to the wooden bench, near the rear of the crowd that was watching the closing of the current show, Elizabet asked Shaw, "I would like to know your reason for coming here."

Shaw watched the black woman carefully for a long time, heedless of the crowd dispersing around them. When she decided upon an answer, the cleric told the healer, "Elizabet, that is not for me to tell you. My original intent was to accompany Amy to visit. . . her family for a few days. Anna and Elizabeth, in a burst of. . . inspiration, convinced Amy and myself to, shall we say, tag along. Amy confessed that she had known we would come here, and without getting into details, she thought it would be a good way for me and the children to come to know each other." Before Elizabet could speak any further, Shaw said, "As for me and my reasons, Joan and her family will know tonight, for I shall tell them. If you wish, you can speak with her on the matter tomorrow, with my permission."

Elizabet stared the young woman down for a short time before conceding the truthfulness in her words. "All right, Shawukay. I merely worry about friends, like Joan and her daughters. Thank you for your honesty."

"Such as it was?" Shaw asked with a cocked eyebrow and a touch of a grin.

The healer let out a full laugh of agreement. "Touché, Shawukay." She held out a hand, which Shaw took. "Until later."

Shaw smiled and let the elder worker of magic take her leave. Turning her attention to the Faire crowd, she took out her flute and set her basket on the ground. Wishing she'd taken care to wear a watch, she sat down and began to consider what pieces she was going to play.

*****

Anna and Elizabeth led Kayla down the dirt street, giggling to themselves. The twins were having a great time so far. They had begun the first half-hour of their day by racing back to the training field, changing out of their peasant costumes into fighting gear, and getting in a few light practice bouts. The twins had tried the modifications to their techniques as suggested by Amy's friend, with some success.

After their sparring, Anna had sought out Patrick and Billy Stenson to let them know the fight was still on. Patrick had said not to worry; they'd top Amy's humiliation from the year before, and he knew one of the other fighters had a camcorder to record their matches for the weekend. Reassured, the kids had changed back into costume and joined the teenaged healer to scope out the Fairegrounds for either Amy or Shaw to keep an eye on them and perhaps play a prank of some sort.

Lizzie saw a small crowd of Travelers gathered to the side of one of the performing stages. The sound of music gave away the source of their attention. She waved the other two over and said, "Who's that? They're good!"

Anna listened a bit and said, "That's a songhorn, Elizabeth. Is it Tony. . . Anthony? It sounds like him."

"No, I think not," the tall blonde girl said with the proper British accent. "He plays with Kathleen and their friends. I think this one is alone."

While the Madisons were debating, Kayla snuck over to the side and peeked over the shoulders of the crowd. She quietly snuck back and said, "It seems that the person playing is none other than Spanky's friend."

The twins blinked in unison. Anna glanced at her sibling and muttered, "They didn't tell us she played music. She's quite good."

"No kidding," Lizzie agreed with a quiet tone. Her eyes gleamed and a diabolical smile began to slowly creep onto her countenance. "You know, they really should have told us she played music."

Seeing the direction her sister was going in, Anna stiffly said, "Yes, I agree. My dear sister, I am *most* disappointed in our cousin and her friend for not divulging this information to us. Perhaps we should demonstrate the folly of keeping such information from us."

"If only to teach Amy and Shawukay a lesson," the other noted with an offended sniff.

The twins looked to their companion, who just shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. "Hey, don't look at me. This is your show," she said. A twisted grin formed. "But I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Huzzah!" Anna and Lizzie exclaimed, prompting some of the Travelers to "shhh" at them.

Lizzie waved Anna and Kayla a bit over to the side. Lizzie leaned in and said, "Anna, you have any money?"

"Just lunch money," came the reply. "Why?"

"I need you to buy something. I promise, I'll make it up later."

Kayla clapped a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "No way, Liz. This one's on me. Tell me what you need."

Lizzie explained her plan to her accomplices, who joined them in giggling like crazy.

*****

Three minutes later, Kayla slapped the roll into Lizzie's hands. "Here you go, squirt. Make it worthwhile."

"Oh, I shall," the instigator swore. Turning to her doppelganger, she said, "Anna, if you would?"

"With pleasure, Elizabeth," the girl said deviously. She glanced around, looking up. Seeing what she wanted, she grinned as she began casting a minor spell. Once she'd finished, she held out her hand. Seconds later, a sparrow landed and perched on her fingers. She looked to Lizzie, who cast her own incantation.

Anna smiled and said, "How would you like some food?" The bird, called by Anna's Animal Summoning, chirped a few times and cocked its head. Anna held her other hand out. Lizzie put some crumbs into it and Anna held it out to the bird. "Help yourself, little guy. After you're done, we would like you to help us have some fun with a friend. Will you help us?"

Adding up the request with a chance for a free meal, the bird gave the trio a series of chirps.

When the avian completed his chirps, Lizzie said, "No one will be harmed. You have our word."

"And after you do your job, we'll leave the bread for you where the people who pick up stuff won't find it."

The bird peeped several times and Anna gently patted its head. "Here's what you have to do."

*****

Shaw continued her latest piece, a quick-tempoed drinking song she'd learned in Faerun. The fact that the people who were currently listening to it could never have heard it before didn't seem to matter to the Slayerette or her audience. It sounded Scottish, she looked Scottish, so it *must* be Scottish, to their thinking.

Shaw finished with a flurry and smiled at the claps the crowd gave her. She knew her cheeks were turning blue, both from blushing and her heavy expulsion of oxygen from the song. The Mielikkian just smiled shyly and softly said, "Thank you, Lords and Ladies, for your generous praise. Alas, the time has come for my closing piece, as the esteemed performer begins his show at highsun. . . and a certain flautist must regain control of her breathing."

A gentle roll of laughter rolled through the crowd. Shaw's smile tightened as she declared, "For my final piece, I give you 'Shebeeg Sheemore,' a song about a war amongst the elven folk, where brother fought against brother. Let us hope that we can learn from their unfortunate tragedy, lest history repeat itself."

Shaw brought her instrument to her lips and blew. She let her eyes close again and let the sweet sounds of her pipe flow over her and her audience. The warrior played with more than skill; she let her passion for her music meld with her technique to combine the two traits to give her audience their due. She lost track of time, so caught up was she in the finale. She finished before she realized she'd moved through the piece.

A dull "plop" of something colliding with her bonnet snapped her back to reality.

The junior's eyes snapped open, searching the crowds for understanding. Scanning the listeners' faces, she saw shock on some of their faces, while others were trying very hard not to snicker. By the eyes looking upward and a sense of amusement radiating from above, she began to picture what had happened.

The half-elf slowly doffed her bonnet and eyed the brown-and-white stain with a critical eye. She looked up and saw a sparrow sitting on a ledge, emitting pleasure with what it had done. When her sharpened hearing picked up familiar giggles from nearby, the Scooby put the pieces together. <Well, two can play at that game.>

Shaw cocked an eyebrow at the bird, which just chirped in bird-like laughter. Shaw turned her head back to the Travelers, who watched for her reaction to the bird droppings on part of her costume.

What she did was let out a sigh. "And I thought that my *human* critics were less than tactful."

The Travelers and Faire people burst into laughter at her ability to improvise and be a good sport about this. They began clapping as Shaw rose to stretch her legs.

"A parting word of wisdom can be learned from this," Shaw announced as she dipped into a bow. "As some of you know, it is the Queen's law that women over the age of thirteen must don headwear. But alas, as we have just learned, even the law of the realm is no match for the call of nature."

The people laughed louder, sounding their agreement.

*****

Anna stared at Shaw in amazement. "She's getting them to *laugh* about it!" she snapped to Elizabeth.

Lizzie was also miffed. "She can't do that with *our* joke!"

"Ohh, we're gonna get even!" Anna vowed with passion.

*****

"If you will excuse me, I must endeavor to make myself presentable," Shaw said as she gathered up her basket. She curtsied once more and said, "Please remember, there shall be a performance of magic at the beginning of the noon hour. Please give him or her the same attention that you lavished upon me. Thank you." <I hope that I can give the next performer the same audience. This group is *quite* enthusiastic.>

The young fighter walked through the people, who parted so that she could pass through. Upon clearing the bunch, she strode over to the twins' hiding place and stood there, waiting for the pranksters to show themselves.

After waiting for several seconds, she finally said, "I will have you know that I have very good hearing, Anna and Elizabeth. And you giggle far too loudly."

The glaring twosome stood up, giving Shaw looks that suggested she had best not rub it in. Kayla stood up behind them and just grinned in her usual manner.

Shaw pulled out her headwear and held it up in her right hand. "I will assume that one of you has at least one spell capable of taking care of this little. . . problem?"

Lizzie sourly grabbed the bonnet and glanced around to make sure no one saw her impending witchcraft. She muttered under her breath and waved her hand over the stain. It vanished with a small flash of light, leaving the clothing in pristine condition once again.

Shaw took the bonnet and started to put it back on. "Thank you, Elizabeth," she said graciously. "I will commend you on one thing. I could not have possibly arranged for more impeccable timing from your little friend. That was very proficient."

The younger girls blinked at Shaw praising them for what they'd done. They stared at each other until Anna asked, "You're saying we did good?"

"I am," Shaw said with a smile. "It was brilliant compared to the joke Amy and a mutual friend attempted to play on me for All Hallow's Eve. Believe me, with some of the people I associate with, I know the difference between a good prank and a bad one." She gave the sisters a wink. "As it is, I think your antics earned me an additional five pounds from the Travelers."

The two siblings began fuming again at how their joke had actually helped Shaw.

"Rub it in, Shawukay," Anna grumbled.

"Hey, you can't win 'em all, kiddo," Kayla joked. "Not your fault she can turn it on you."

"They did win, Kayla," the half-elf said with a genuine smile. "For the Travelers think it was a random occurrence, to which I cannot retaliate against Anna and Elizabeth. They performed a trick to which there is no counterattack, and I salute them for it."

Lizzie was suspicious of just how good a sport Amy's friend was being about this. "What are you planning, Shawukay?"

Shaw's smile faded. She raised her left arm and said, "To put your suspicions to rest, I, Shawukay of Sunnydale, hereby swear by all that I hold holy, that I will take no actions to get even for the joke you have just played upon me." She lowered her arm and asked the blue-eyed twosome, "Is that sufficient?"

Anna and Lizzie glanced at each other. "She just swore she wouldn't get even with us," Anna said with a shrug.

Lizzie nodded and grinned; there were no loopholes. Turning back to Shaw, she said, "Agreed. It is sufficient."

"Then it is settled," the priestess said with a formal voice. Her smile returned as she glanced at all three of them. "Now, as you helped me earn some of this money, which is beginning to weigh heavily in my basket, I will ask you; how would you like to aid me in relieving some of this burden of coinage by partaking of our afternoon repast?"

"Can you say that in English?" Kayla asked with a puzzled frown.

"That was in English," the half-elf said as if confused. "If you wish, I can use one of the eighteen other languages I speak. . ."

"NO!" the twins said in a panic.

"Or not," Shaw chuckled at the look of dread on her cousins' faces. Looking to the preteens, Shaw told them, "Anna, Elizabeth, would you do me the honor of allowing me to pay for your lunch?"

"Oh, hell yeah!" Anna yelled.

"Please remember to use proper language, young lady," Shaw admonished her. Anna glared and stuck her tongue out at her. Smiling at the girl, Shaw glanced at Kayla. "Kayla, the offer is open to you as well."

"Hey, thanks," Kayla agreed. "I never turn down a free meal."

"Excellent," Shaw said, offering her hand out to the healer. After shaking, she said, "What do you plan to do after our meal?"

"Are you kidding?" Elizabeth asked in shock. She pointed back at the stage. "We're going to watch Tim the Enchanter perform his magic! He is the finest magician in all the Kingdom!"

Anna nodded her agreement to the Slayerette. "Tim does all kinds of crazy tricks while he and his assistant make jokes throughout the show. You should see it, it's great!"

"I had considered it," Shaw admitted. She smiled and asked, "Perhaps we should purchase our meals and then return to this location, so that we might have the best of both worlds?"

Lizzie gushed, "Yes! We should!" To herself, she thought, <Shaw's really getting into this. She acts like she really came from another century. Yep, we're gonna get her hooked!>

Anna saw something on the stage and said, "There's Tim! Let's go say 'hi' to him!"

"But. ." Shaw started, but stopped when the twins bolted toward the stage to the man who was setting up equipment. She noted how the man had a long beard that could not possibly be completely real, as well as a headpiece that had what looked like ram's horns curling out from the sides. She looked at the sheepishly grinning Kayla and asked, "Might I ask what kind of magician or wizard uses the name Tim?"

"You're from England, and you've never watched Python?" the younger girl laughed. Seeing the recognition of the name in Shaw's eyes, she said, "Oh, you just never watched 'The Holy Grail.' Okay, it's a tribute and comedy thing rolled into one. Like you said, no wizard would use that name, and he's showing that he saw the movie. He figures that Python fans will get the joke. Seems Merlin the Magician was already taken."

<The less I say about Merlin, the better,> Shaw sighed internally. She glanced back at the twins, who were looking disappointed. "I was hoping to treat them to lunch, Kayla."

"Oh, don't worry. They won't forget," the L. A. girl promised lightly. She gripped Shaw's shoulder and said, "That was big of you, saying you won't get even."

Shaw turned to face the other green-eyed female. A light smile grew, leading Kayla to say, "Oh no. Hey, you promised them."

"And I will keep the promise not to get even," Shaw told her. She glanced at the two peasant-costumed blondes and said, "You see, my philosophy on such matters is this; why bother getting even when you can get so far ahead that your targets will be in awe for a great deal of time to come?" She turned her dancing eyes back to Kayla. "And I will not plan such revenge. A friend of mine told me, and I quote, 'Never plan an act of vengeance. Just allow it to happen naturally.'"

"Oh, those poor kids."

*****

Tim Devereaux was glumly setting up his equipment when a familiar voice called out. "Tim!"

The architect-cum-wizard turned to see two tall girls in Lower Class clothing approaching in excitement. He smiled under his beard and greeted them. "Well, if it is not the Ladies Gemini," he said, using a nickname they had suffered through for four years. "What brings you to my stage? My act does not begin for a few minutes yet."

"We'll be in the front row," Anna said, her smile full of promise. "We would not miss your show for the world!"

"Ah, but it might not be as grand a show as before," Tim sighed. He waved his arm around for emphasis. "My most beautiful assistant is not here today."

The twins stared back at him; Kristen, Tim's partner, *never* missed Faire. She was as much part of the show as the wizard, with the two forming a perfect team of puns and one-liners going back several years at this Faire.

"Why?" Lizzie asked in shock. "But. . . Kristen has to be here! She is part of your show!"

Devereaux sighed. "Yes, but it would seem that the mighty influenza hath taken hold of the fair Kristen, leaving her bedridden for a few days, at least. So I am without an assistant for my show. It will be very hard, to say the least, to handle many of my more popular illusions without her."

Tim watched the girls turn and glance at each other. Anna looked back to him and asked, "What if you had *two* women who volunteered to be your assistants?"

"As much as I wish I could accept your gracious offer, you are both too young. I need someone who is ‘fully grown,'" he laughed, glad for their enthusiasm at least. "Plus I do not wish to give the Lady Madison a failure of the heart if I performed my illusions on her daughters. Your mother would have me hanged, guillotined, and then drawn and quartered for good measure."

The twins looked at him, then glanced at each other again. This time Lizzie was the girl who posted a question of the Enchanter. "What if we knew someone who was accomplished in the arts herself, but might be willing to help you with your act?"

"I would be most grateful for her help," Tim answered, not sure where they were going with this.

"Wait here, and we shall return shortly!" Lizzie quipped, taking Anna's hand and running off.

*****

Kayla watched as the twins ran by, Lizzie just shouting out, "We'll be back soon!"

She turned to Shaw, who said, "I am starting to wonder how much money I will spend on food to replenish the energy they are expending."

"Beats me," the healer grinned.

*****

Amy finished paying for some scented candles that were going into custom holders. She took her goods and change and thanked the shopkeeper for her help. With a bow, the woman went to help her next customer.

The grinning witch stepped back out into the open air. She'd found some good knickknacks around the Faire, including the candles and candle holders, some stones, herbs, and other ingredients that the Dragon's Cove in Sunnydale didn't have, which would help her with new enchantments, and even some toys for Cindy and Terri. Feeling good about getting a couple of presents for her sisters, the witch was deciding where to go next when Anna's voice called to her.

The Amazon turned, instinctively going on guard before rolling her eyes at her paranoia. <DUH!> she thought. <Good one, Brainiac. You're in the middle of a Faire in the daylight!> She waited for her breathless relatives to come up, heaving for oxygen. "Is something wrong?"

Lizzie's face looked worried. "Yeah! It's Tim!"

"Long version, kids," Amy sighed. "What's the sitch. . uation?"

Anna was the first to regain her composure. "A magician who is a friend of ours, Tim the Enchanter. . ."

"Tim?" the older blonde asked, more amused than she had a right to be.

Lizzie snarled in a whisper, "It's a Python thing."

"Anyway," Anna interrupted, glaring at her reflection in the flesh for doing the same thing, "he is due to begin his magic act at the stroke of noon, but he is having a problem concerning his assistant. He needs the help of someone who might relieve this pressure."

<I knew the easy duty was too good to last,> Amy groaned inside her cranium. "What about your Mother?"

"We can't find her, and it's almost noon," Lizzie answered with a roll of her eyes. "He needs someone *now*."

<So the peasant children, lacking time and patience, turn to the young noblewoman for aid in their hour of need,> Amy giggled. <Okay, now I'm getting way too much into this.> She nodded to her cousins, telling them, "Very well, Anna and Elizabeth, I shall provide whatever aid I can."

"Do you promise?" Anna inquired with folding arms, as if she thought Amy might bail at the earliest convenience.

Rolling her eyes, the Sunnydale High student said, "I swear, as one daughter of the noble House of Madison of the Southern Kingdom, to two others, that I shall provide any and all aid that I can provide to one Tim the Enchanter, the magician having problems with his assistant." She cocked her head in exasperation, already wondering what kind of tiff she was going to have to break up. Absently fingering the display on her costume, she thought, <Well, that's what this is for. You're Joan's 'Voice' if she's too busy elsewhere.> "All right, let's go."

*****

Shaw and Kayla watched as the twins led Amy toward them, the twins hustling and their older cousin walking briskly to keep up, holding her skirts at the thighs in an attempt to keep from tripping over herself in her haste.

"What's up, Madison?" Kayla teased her, wondering why the rug rats had collected the other Madison. "You bringing her along for lunch?"

When Amy's eyes narrowed in question, Shaw answered for the leather-clad punkette. "I am treating Anna, Elizabeth, and Kayla to lunch before the magic show begins."

"Wish I could join you," Amy said regretfully. She pointed at the stage, where Tim was awaiting the girls' arrival. "But it seems that our intrepid worker of magic is having a problem with his assistant. I am, shall we say, on duty."

"Oh well. More for us," Kayla grinned.

"Come ON!" Lizzie impatiently wailed.

The Twin Terrors each grabbed a hand and half-dragged the Middle Class Madison toward the platform. Once they moved out of earshot, Shaw said, "I saw no assistant on the stage, Kayla."

"Me neither, and they're a good act," Kayla told the other in a whisper. "I don't *think* they're up to something. Maybe the girl's running late or something, I don't know."

*****

Amy softly extracted her hands from the death grip that her kin had put on them. She walked up to the stage and smiled at the Enchanter. "Master Tim, I understand you need my help in regards to your assistant. How may I be of service?"

Tim glanced uncertainly at the twins. Anna grinned and said, "This is our cousin, Mistress Amy. She is niece to our mother, the Lady Joan."

"She is also near her majority," Lizzie continued evilly, stating, "and has sworn to both of us that she will provide any and all aid to you, as you need it."

"So I swore," the seventeen-year-old spell caster said, giving the magician a regal nod, "so I shall do."

Tim saw what the twins had just done to their cousin and his act. "Are you certain that you wish to do this, Mistress Amy?" he asked, giving her an out.

Amy's eyes blanked for a second; he didn't seem to have a crisis at the moment. "I am certain, my fine wizard. What form of aid do you require regarding your assistant?" She looked around and saw no such person. "That is, if you have not sent her somewhere."

"My assistant is currently at home, in bed with a common illness," Tim replied, seeing that Anna and Lizzie were once again making their warped sense of humor work for them, "and you have agreed to give me any and all aid I might require."

Amy's face went pale and her jaw dropped as she got what she'd just volunteered for, thanks to her devious relations. She started jabbering, "But. . . but. . ."

Anna, reveling in their triumph, boldly stated, "Do not fret, cousin! Much of your duties will consist only of handling objects and making puns and humor with the Enchanter, which requires little effort for someone of your intelligence."

Amy glared at Anna, so Lizzie dug her knife in from the other side. "As for the remainder, you shall give much entertainment to the lower classes with Tim's illusions."

"What illusions?" Amy asked in dread.

Anna grinned. "Tim putting his assistant against a board and throwing knives at her."

Lizzie grinned. "Tim putting his assistant inside of a cabinet that he inserts long flat blades into, dividing the cabinet into three pieces."

Anna snickered, "Tim levitating his assistant in midair, bringing a hoop up and down her body while hoping he doesn't drop her on her backside."

Lizzie then gave Amy a near coronary. "Tim locking his assistant into a box and sawing the noblewoman into two pieces."

"Oooooo, you little turds!" Amy moaned.

"Amy, watch your language," Elizabeth scolded her, jabbing a finger at her with every word. "Tim, you might wish to explain your *new assistant's* duties to her in simple terms. After all, you have little time to prepare."

"As for us, we are retiring for our noon meal, courtesy of the gracious Shawukay," Anna rubbed in on the "volunteer" magician's assistant. "With which, the four of us shall return to the seats and endeavor to gain as fine a view of your show as possible."

The girls retreated when Amy started to go after them. She stopped as she moaned at the sight of the first patrons returning with refreshments, looking for seats. She turned to Tim and said, "If I might make one humble request?"

"Of course, Mistress," the magician agreed with a grin. <Sorry, kid, but you did promise.>

"Get this slow and stupid noblewoman, who cannot see through her evil cousin's schemes, up to the proper velocity regarding your show, *posthaste*," she pleaded.

"With pleasure," he said. "Here's how it goes. . ."

*****

Shaw, Kayla, Anna, and Elizabeth sat down in the third row, setting their lunches on their laps or on the benches next to themselves in order to have their hands free. The twins were giggling and whispering to each other, although Shaw's hearing allowed her to get the gist of their whisperings; they couldn't wait to see Amy look silly in front of an audience.

<I think they will be surprised,> she decided. She glanced over at Elizabeth, who was stuffing herself with a piece of dragon leg (which was in reality a turkey drumstick). "Do you think Amy has no chance of surprising you?"

"Oh please!" Anna snapped after swallowing a chunk of pretzel. "She's gonna go *down*!"

"Yeah!" the other twin gushed. "Amy's gonna look so goofy up there!" She shot a smile Shaw's way. "Too bad we couldn't get you up there with her."

Anna giggled. "Yeah, Tim could've made you float upside down or something."

Shaw decided to ask a question. "Is he…"

Sensing what she was asking, the three companions shook their heads. She let that matter drop and glanced at the twins again. "How are your lunches?"

"Great!" they chirped together.

Shaw smiled; she was happy that they were getting along. They genuinely seemed to like her, and she could feel herself growing closer to them. Before she could further engage them in conversation, Kayla asked, "Here we go, the show's starting."

Shaw turned her attention to the stage and arched an eyebrow when she saw Amy step out onto the stage with the "wizard."

Lizzie snickered at her cousin when Amy gave them a glare upon spotting them in the audience. She stuck her tongue out at her, spurring her sister into giggles. Amy just rolled her eyes and focused on her duties.

"You know," Shaw's accented voice said, sounding very amused, "Amy's blonde hair takes away from the image her costume tries to present."

"Why?" Anna asked; getting Amy into the harem girl outfit was part of the fun!

The foreign girl smirked. "The people of Arabian descent I have met in my life tend to have dark hair, as do the Gypsies I have encountered from time to time."

"You've met Gypsies?" Lizzie asked. "Yeah, right."

She nodded. "I have. In fact, the woman teaching Amy her Craft, not to mention teaching me Computer Science, is the daughter of a Gypsy clan."

Lizzie couldn't help it, she blinked. "You know who teaches Amy?"

Their new friend seemed to hesitate before answering. "Yes, Elizabeth, I do. When I first joined the team, Amy asked her teacher to cast a spell over me to discover if I had any potential for the Craft."

"You didn't," Anna guessed, before she could put it tactfully.

Shaw shook her head. "No, Anna. The last ancestor I had who was capable of witchcraft was my great-grandmother." A sigh of lament escaped her lips. "It was strange, I must admit. I was certain I had no such potential, as my father and grandfather lacked it, but I was still… disappointed."

"'Cause you wanted to do magic," Kayla reasoned with a grin.

"No, Kayla," the English Girl confessed. She seemed to be deciding how to answer the question. Finally, she said, "To me, it seemed like this would be a part of my ancestry, or heritage, that I would never be able to experience and understand."

Lizzie glanced at Anna, who shared the same look in her eyes, one that said, <Bummer.>

"But we are here to have fun, so let us watch Amy's stage debut."

"Huzzah!" the twins shouted.

*****

Amy stifled a grin at her cousins' shout. <They're hitting it off. That's great.> She kept half an eye on them, to see how they were getting along, but most of her attention was on her improvised stage act.

<I can't believe I let myself get conned by those little monsters,> she groaned. She looked down at herself, feeling like a fool. <And having to wear this belly dancer outfit! Yuck!> Tim was nearing the end of his introductions, so she completely focused on the magician.

She was impressed to an extent; he knew as much about stage magic as she knew about the real thing, but he wasn't arrogant about it.

<He seems like a nice guy… oops, I'm on!>

Tim grandly introduced her by saying, "And here today, aiding me with my legerdemain, my lovely and capable assistant, Mistress Amy!"

The Amazon curtsied amid the cheers (and snickers from blonde-haired twins). She straightened back up and smiled. "I live to serve, mighty wizard." She placed her hands on hips. "Of course, one must first *find* a mighty wizard!"

The crowd started laughing and Tim just rolled his eyes in mock frustration. He winked at her, as if to say, <See, it's easy.>

<We'll see how easy it is later on.> As Tim went into the spiel about his first trick, Amy settled her eyes on the quartet of "her" fans. <Get ready to be shocked, you little Hellions.>

The first half hour went by quick, with Amy just helping Tim out while he performed the "staples" of a magician's act; colored handkerchiefs, disappearing milk, white doves, the rings, and basic levitation tricks. Most of her "duties" consisted of handing over and taking the props while giving out one-liners here and there.

But now she and Tim were about to get into what she was sure would be Anna and Lizzie's favorite parts of the show. <The parts where I suffer and look stupid…>

Amy helped Tim wheel out a large, circular board that had Amy fighting to keep from making a face, since she knew what this trick involved. Once it was in place, she moved to bring out the knives while Tim moved to explain the trick. She listened with a grin as he talked.

"For our next trick," the wizard intoned, "we shall show you, our beloved audience, how the eye can be easily fooled. My brave assistant will brave the dangers of having the mighty wizard throwing these razor-sharp knives at her!"

Amy pitched in, "Not to mention braving the mighty wizard's mightily crossed eyes!"

"Alas, I have misplaced my spectacles," Tim added, making the crowd laugh harder. "But to prove my sincerity, I call for a volunteer from the audience to examine the tools of my trade!"

"He means yonder blades, and NOT his skills of magic," the witch countered. <I'm enjoying this!>

After said volunteer, an actual patron and not a planted performer, saw what Amy already knew, that the knives were indeed fully functional, Amy got the crowd started by using an improvised juggling act with the blades when Tim asked her to hand them over. She savored the looks of shock on the twins' faces when she glimpsed them. With a devilish gleam in her eyes, Amy tossed the four knives, one by one (and the last being done behind the back), to the magician.

<Hey, if you're gonna throw knives at me, I'm getting my fun in while I can.> She walked over while Tim slid the knives into sheathes at his wrist. By making a show of it as he did, he could easily pull out the knives we *would* use in his act. Those knives, if the expert thrower missed on a throw, wouldn't perforate her. <They'll ‘only' bruise me.>

Tim held out a hand, palm up. "My dear, if you please?"

With a prim smile, the Slayerette placed her hand in his and let him lead her over to the wheel. She turned around, placing her back to it and stepping onto the foot rests. She then reached up and grabbed the handholds mounted at the top of the board. After Tim buckled her in place, he winked at her to signal what was coming up next.

<I hope I don't puke…> she thought as the Enchanter released the brake that started the wheel spinning. As soon as she had completed half a circuit, Tim engaged the brake, leaving the Amazon upside down, blood rushing to her head.

"As you can see, I add an extra element of danger to the illusion," he said before glancing at her once more. "Does my assistant not look better this way?"

The *entire* crowd, far too enthusiastically, shouted, "HUZZAH!!!"

<Gee, THANKS Shaw!> Amy cleared her throat. "A pity the mighty wizard does *not* look more attractive from this angle."

The crowd roared in approval of her comeback.

"At the expense of making my assistant the living embodiment of a ‘dizzy blonde,'" Tim shot back, "as they say, ‘awaaaaaaaay we go!'"

He released the brake and added his own power to the wheel, making it spin even faster.

"HEY!"

Amy's vision began to blur, but she could swear that she saw the twins crying with laughter.

<I am sooooo going to get even with you!!!!>

*****

Shaw sat with the twins and Kayla, watching Amy "suffer" through the knife-throwing act, the magic cabinet, during which Shaw felt her heart in her throat when Tim "shoved" the blades through the box while Amy was inside, the levitation trick which she still hadn't figured out yet, the vanishing assistant, and the finale, the saw-the-person-in-half-trick, one she'd seen when she was a child the twins' age.

Shaw smiled and laughed at Amy's smart remarks *and* her cousins' disbelief that Amy had pulled off her role with surprising ease. She spared a glance at the twins who, if the death glares they had aimed backstage were any indication, were planning sweet revenge upon her teammate.

<Amy was right. They ARE worse than I was at their age…>

*****

The sound of rustling fabric drew her attention back to the stage. Amy stepped out, once again dressed in her Middle Class costume. Shaw could see that Amy's face was still a bit flushed, and her hair wasn't *quite* perfectly back in place. She couldn't help but bring her hand up to cover her own smile.

The stagehand-turned-back-into-an-Englishwoman glared at the also-glaring Twin Terrors. "Are you two happy now? You got to see me get sawed in half, get swords run through me, and have someone throwing knives at me!"

"Since when do you know how to juggle?!?" Anna demanded, blue-green eyes flashing.

"It helps me with my hand-eye coordination," Amy said evasively, her lips curling into a smile. <Well, it *does*.>

Lizzie wasn't about to be deterred. "Since when can you actually make jokes like that?"

"Since my boyfriend's a walking slapstick routine." Amy folded her arms and stuck her chin up. "Now that Tim's show is over until the morrow, we can once again assume our proper roles… CHILDREN."

The Hellions glared even more, so Amy decided to really let them stew by giving them the silent treatment. She looked over at the one woman not dressed for the occasion.

"Mistress Kayla, would you be so kind as to give us the time?"

The punker glanced at her watch. "Twenty to two, Lady Spanky."

Amy glared at her but kept to her role. <Because the twins would just looooove to get my butt in trouble for breaking role.> "Thank you, Mistress Kayla." She turned to Shaw, whose eyes were gleaming with suppressed laughter. "Shawukay, we must go and report to the training field so that we may prepare for competing with the sword. Are you ready?"

Shaw nodded once. "Of course, Mistress Amy."

"Then let us proceed," she ordered. Before leaving, she turned on the miffed kiddies. "As for you two, do not think that you have heard the last of this prank you pulled on me."

As one, Anna and Lizzie said, "Pfffffhhhtttt!"

*****

After Amy and Shawukay left, Anna turned to Kayla, as did her sister. "Kayla, are you going to join us when we watch Amy and Shawukay get swatted on their buttocks?"

"I wouldn't miss this for the world," the healer grinned. "Let's go."

The Terrible Trio headed in the direction of the training field so that they could watch Amy and her friend get theirs.

*****

Joan nodded to several costumed patrons, who despite not working for the Faire, still acted as period people. She loved that they were willing to help enhance the atmosphere just because they enjoyed doing so.

She saw some familiar faces and smiled, moving to greet some old friends. They saw her coming and also smiled, changing their paths so that they could say hello. She walked up to the musicians and said, "Master Anthony, it is good to see you arrived after all. Might I inquire as to the reason for your tardiness?"

Anthony winced and seemed to be trying to ignore the snickers coming from Kathleen. He sighed and bowed to the administrator/noblewoman. "Alas, our cart suffered from a broken wheel, causing us to lose out on our preferred locale for plying our trade, My Lady. I hope you will forgive us for our unfortunate slip of punctuality."

"Hmmm…" Joan tapped her fingers together for several seconds before giving her famous Mona Lisa smile. "Master Anthony, perhaps you would be willing to perform at our feast tomorrow night? I can assure you, you not only would be well received, but you would also be well fed."

Anthony glanced at his fellow players, who were all smiling in agreement. He turned back to Joan and bowed. "My Lady, we would be honored to accept your gracious invitation. Will any of our fellow minstrels be in attendance?"

"I am quite sure several will accept mine and other nobles' invitations," Joan said serenely. She folded her fingers and asked, "Are there any of your fellow minstrels in particular that you were thinking might be acceptable to us?"

She was puzzled by the feelings of sarcasm and amusement that came from Anthony's body. He bowed again and told her, "I was thinking that you would of course invite your cousin to play at your feast, My Lady Madison."

"My cousin?" she asked, feeling a bit puzzled. That was a rare event in itself. "Which cousin would this be?"

Anthony smiled, beaming amusement at her real confusion. He obviously thought she was joking. "Why, Mistress Shawukay of course." He leaned in and muttered, "Given a few years, her skills with that songhorn of hers might equal or surpass mine."

Joan just cocked an eyebrow at his estimation of the musical skills of Amy's friend. She glanced at Kathleen, who nodded with a bright smile. <Well. If *two* second chair players for the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra agree on her skills, then Amy either was being modest, or she truly doesn't know how skilled Shaw is. But claiming to be…> "So my… cousin is skilled. Where did you see or hear her to make that judgment, if you do not mind my asking."

"She ‘challenged' me to a duel of music and nearly forced me into a draw," the flautist admitted sheepishly. "She told us she was attending Faire with her cousins, but I made not the connection until I saw her sitting with your dear children at the show of Tim the Enchanter. She plays songs with surprising variety."

Joan knew there was a story behind that comment, but kept her peace behind her unflappable exterior. She had a mystery to ponder now, so she needed some time in private. She smiled at her friends and said, "Thank you, Master Anthony. I will pass on your compliment to Shawukay. I shall see you tomorrow night, then."

The foursome bowed and moved off to find another spot to play to the afternoon crowds. Joan watched them move before heading toward her office to think about what she'd just learned.

<Why would Shaw claim to be our cousin?>

*****

Part 6: Surely You Joust!
(The Hellmouth Girls Strut Their Stuff <SCA Tradition With A Dash Of WWF Attitude>)

Southern Renn Faire
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998

Amy could feel the gaze of the two combat directors upon her and Shaw as they tried out a few of the boffers for balance. Upon hitting the training field, they'd changed into some "loaner" fighting outfits and chosen some protective gear, like the chest protectors and helmets. Shaw had wondered aloud why *they* would need helmets, but had acquiesced after she'd said something about "maintaining appearances" for their revenge on the twins.

She picked out a boffer she liked and swung it a few times. Satisfied, she nodded and set it aside for her. She glanced over at her teammate, who was still trying some out.

She noticed Lord Gerald, the head of South's combat group and a near-master fencer in his own right, smiling at Shaw's indecision. He smiled at Amy, probably remembering what he'd done to her last year, and asked, "Not used to these things, eh lassie?" He was focusing his teasing on Shaw, both because she was the "new fighter," and because Amy'd already told him that she'd taken up martial arts since their "encounter" last Christmas. He'd smiled and said that he hoped she'd show some of her skills in their sparring match.

She'd just smiled and said, "Bet on it."

Unlike most of the Faire workers, he practiced a Scottish brogue rather than the usual English accent. Amy knew just how much it paled when compared to *real* Scotsmen. <Well, okay, he's not FROM Scotland. Can't blame him for that.>

Shaw answered his inquiry with a shrug as she finally chose a boffer longsword. "No sir, I am not. I am simply not used to weapons of this material. I usually do not use imitation weapons that I see children using as playthings."

Amy stiffened. <Oh Goddess don't BLOW this!>

"I beg your pardon, lass?" Gerald asked, although Amy could also see that Kelly, his assistant and a kendo black belt in her own right, was also curious about that little admission.

Shaw turned to face them and elaborated. "I use wooden training blades when I am not handling genuine swords."

Amy stifled a scream at Shaw's unknowing screw up. "If I may, My Lord?"

Gerald glanced at her and smiled. "Tell you what. We're in private, so we can be ourselves. Go ahead, Amy."

"Thanks," she said, glad that she wouldn't have to "improvise" an explanation. "Okay, real world time. Shaw has two cousins who were born in Scotland but live in the U. S. Connor, the one sponsoring Shaw as an exchange student, owns a big antiques store in Manhattan. Duncan, the younger guy, runs a dojo in Washington State. They've gotten her into collecting old swords. It's an antique thing."

The Scooby hoped her cousin would get the point. Apparently she did as she followed up with, "Currently, my collection is somewhat limited, but I hope to purchase more blades on my own in the coming months."

"Neat," Kelly said, nodding in approval. "So you know your way around the sparring mats?" She shook her head. "God, the twins really outdid themselves this time. And the tag team concept, that's just evil."

Amy heard the unsaid, "Better you than me." She just smiled and said, "Oh, trust us, Shaw knows her way around the practice mats. You can thank her Dad and Granddad for that."

"What did they do?" Gerald asked with an upraised eyebrow.

Shaw answered with the "technical" answer. "They were members of the Special Air Service."

Since Amy had made sure that Gerald and Kelly understood that Shaw was "actually" British by birth, she figured they might know a thing or two about the country beforehand. As their eyes filled with wariness they both turned to Amy for confirmation.

With great glee, the Sunnydale witch provided it. "Tea drinking commandoes. Her Majesty's version of Delta Force and Green Berets."

Gerald stared at her while Kelly turned to Shaw, who nodded with a slight grin. The second-in-command started shaking her head again, this time in dread. "Oh God, those poor boys."

"Don't worry, we'll take it easy on them," Amy promised before focusing on the softly cursing Gerald. She decided the time had come to go back to Faire roles. She sweetly said, "My dear Lord Gerald, I would ask that you swear to Almighty God that you not reveal this information to the daughters of the House of Madison. We could consider it… a personal favor to me?"

Kelly saw why she didn't want him to spill the beans. She leaned in toward him. "Methinks, my Lord, that our intrepid Scotswoman and the niece to the Lady Joan wish to turn yonder prank back upon their tormentors. I see no reason to spoil their fun, do you?"

Gerald rubbed at his waxed mustache, which she knew was real, and said, "I have my own sources of information, which mentioned that these ‘tormentors' had enlisted the aid of someone who is known to record such scenes for posterity. I think that this will be most enjoyable."

<They were gonna tape it?!?> Amy snarled before catching herself. <Goddess, what in Artemis' name is going to happen when I introduce them to Robin? Ugh. Not looking forward to that.> "Although not for the daughters Madison." She turned to Shaw, who was ready as well. "Shall we go and conquer the brothers Stenson, Shawukay?"

"Yes," her cousin answered, a gleam in her eyes. "Let us."

Amy grinned and put an arm around Shaw's shoulder. The two walked out, but Amy heard Gerald's parting comment.

"I don't know who to feel more sorry for, the boys or the twins…"

*****

Shaw followed Amy out to one of the numerous sparring rings, apparently the one they'd be fighting in. Unlike some rings she'd seen before, not to mention the training room at Steve's, these rings had more room to them. Shaw nodded in approval; this would really allow her to use her style of fighting, should she have to do so.

<I need to remember that our opponents will be trying to embarrass us. I almost pity the twins when their joke backfires.> She glanced around, noticing some of the Faire workers watching their friends spar, as well as seeing Travelers taking pictures or just enjoying the matches. She remembered that this was more than playing the roles for the combaters; they fought in actual tournaments against the combat groups of other Faires in California, especially the "hated" Northern. <Maybe I will attend one of these tournaments someday. I think I would enjoy that.>

"Here we are, Ring Seven," Amy said, ending her imaginings. She pointed to a ring where two Faire-dressed workers were checking over paperwork. Shaw followed as Amy walked up to them and curtsied. "My Lords, we are here to report for our match."

One of the registrars, a fortyish man wearing wire framed glasses, gazed over them with a critical eye. In his Faire accent, one that bespoke of an Upper Class upbringing, he asked, "Your names?"

Amy stood up straight and clutched her sword, getting into her role. "Amy Madison of Sunnydale, niece of the Lady Joan Madison."

As the other worker started checking a list, the monocle wearer turned to her. "And you?"

"Shawukay of the Clan MacLeod of Glenfillen," she answered easily. <Let them wonder about that one,> she chuckled to herself. She saw Amy glance at her, but her own eyes were twinkling. <Because I did not let slip the truth about us…> She nodded once to know she'd gotten the "message."

"Ah, Mistress Madison and Mistress Shawukay," the other said, finally speaking. He nodded and showed the paper to his partner. "Their opponents are Patrick and William Stenson." He eyed them suspiciously. "Dost thee know what thou art getting thyselves into?"

"Please know that I am the cousin of Anna and Elizabeth Madison, who arranged this match," Amy sighed dramatically. The men nodded in understanding; Shaw remembered that the girls were members of the "junior group" of South's fighter contingent. "They hope to embarrass us and have it recorded as it happens. We hope to prevent this. May we enter, sirs?"

"You may," the first man said. "May you fare well, Mistresses. May God watch over you…" As they started to enter, he added, "And your backsides."

Shaw just laughed under her breath at Amy's stifled scream.

*****

They walked into the staging area around their assigned area and began looking around for the twins. Shaw spied them and Kayla at the far corner, watching with diabolical glee in their eyes. "Twin Terrors at eleven o'clock," she muttered to Amy.

Amy didn't react but the priestess knew she'd heard. She pulled her sword up and said, "Okay, showtime."

Amy saw a small crowd gathering around the ring and knew that the kids had been up to even more hijinks. <Oh Goddess, they went and told all their friends.> She could tell that much; most of the people were in costume. She glanced at Shaw, who was donning her helmet. "So how are we going to do this? Quick and easy or draw it out?"

"Why waste time?" Shaw asked with a grin.

"Okay, quick and easy." Amy pulled her ponytail off her shoulder and started putting her own helmet on. As she buckled the chinstrap, she said, "Which one do you want?"

"Does it matter?" the half-elf asked with a chuckle.

"We'll let them decide then."

*****

The Slayerettes walked into the circle proper, which took up at least a hundred yards from end to end. <Room to move,> Amy thought to herself. <Maybe next time we might actually use it.> She noticed Anna and Lizzie giggling their little twelve-year-old heads off and relished the idea of what those faces were going to look like when they got done with their opponents.

As they walked to the middle of the circle, Amy saw the boys entering the ring. Both of them wore similar fighting outfits, but unlike hers and Shaw's, the Stensons had heraldry designs emblazoned on the chest. She just smiled as she took them both in; they were tall and muscular, obviously men who spent a lot of time working out. But it was their swords that made Amy giggle. <Claymores. Boffer versions of Claymores. Oh Goddess, this is going to be too easy.>

She watched the boys talking to each other. They pointed at her and Shaw before coming up to them and standing a respectful distance away.

The older one, clad in dark blue, bowed his head to her. "Mistress Amy, I am Patrick Stenson. My brother William and I are here to challenge you to honorable combat."

Amy just rolled her eyes. "Honor does one little good if one is not alive to enjoy it. Let us kick thy buttocks and be done with this."

Pat Stenson winced playfully. "Just remember, Mistress, that you asked for this."

<Bullshit.> Amy nodded once and brought her sword up. She focused on her opponent, but her warrior instincts told her that Shaw was doing the same with Billy. "As they say in the New World, let's rock."

Billy Stenson watched as his opponent, Anna and Lizzie's new Brit pal, brought up her sword. He couldn't believe his good luck as she took the boffer in a left handed grip and watched him with uneasy eyes. <A leftie first-timer. God, if I wasn't getting this on tape, I just might let her off the hook. Oh well.>

*****

Anna looked to Lizzie and the two exchanged high fives. "Amy and Shaw're going dowwwwn!" she chirped.

Lizzie just laughed gleefully. "This is gonna be over soooo quick!"

The twins weren't disappointed in THAT regard.

*****

Amy fell into warrior mode, allowing her Amazon instincts and reflexes to control her body. Pat brought his Claymore to bear and with a grunt brought the sword around in an arm-level swing. Besides rationalizing that the swing would have been at her neck if the combat were real, the witch didn't hesitate.

She ducked and rolled forward, hearing the "whoosh" of rushing air as her opponent's weapon met nothing but empty air. Coming out of her roll, Amy found herself a little bit behind Patrick, and Patrick himself overbalanced. Without the slightest hesitation, Amy spun a complete circuit, bringing her borrowed boffer around with a powerful stroke that connected with Patrick's stomach, doubling him over. She then slid the sword out as if slicing a real blade across his stomach. She brought the sword around his back and "sliced" across his spine, pretending that she had severed his backbone. As Patrick stood up in response, the Scooby slid the boffer up under his chin, her blue eyes twinkling like the sun in a summer sky.

Amy tilted her head and innocently said, "And as they also say in the New World… Gotcha!"

*****

Shaw narrowed her focus, allowing her training and thirty years of true combat experience to guide her actions. She smothered a smile as her eyes became hard and William's eyes belatedly realized that Shaw had quite neatly suckered him into a false sense of superiority. When he let out a primal scream meant to unnerve her and brought his two-handed sword overhead as if to split a log, the half-elf spun clockwise and allowed his toy to crash to the turf.

Shaw completed her spin, connecting with her two handed swing. Hitting William in his shoulder guard, Shaw flawlessly moved into the follow up in her attack routine. While Amy had her beat in all of the physical areas, Shaw's greater experience and the variety of foes she'd faced in her life had taught her how to "chain attack," hitting opponents with multiple attacks in a rapid sequence. After the shoulder hit, Shaw switched to a right-handed attack grip and spun again, this time counterclockwise. Her appropriated weapon arced around and downward, hitting her sparring partner square in the breadbasket. Not stopping there, Shaw spun yet again, this time crouching and sweep kicking the man's legs out from under him, spreading her arms for balance.

As the man crashed to the ground Shaw, purely on a whim and to truly rub it in on her little cousins, pirouetted like a figure skater, bringing her arms up and raising the sword before bringing it down and leaving the tip grazing William's chestplate.

As he stared at her in pure, unadulterated shock, Shaw quirked an eyebrow at him. "Will you yield, William, or shall I finish this match by carving a ‘Z' into your chest?"

Her defeated opponent groaned at that image and let his head smack on the grass. "I'll yield."

The Mielikkian smiled and offered him a hand to help him up from the ground, which he gratefully took.

*****

Amy smiled as she lowered her sword. "I take it no one's going to call *me* ‘Spanky' anymore."

Pat just shook his head. "I can't believe those two pipsqueaks set us up like this!"

"They didn't know, Sir Patrick," the Hecatian giggled. "I never told them we take martial arts lessons from a former GREEN BERET."

"Oh God, and this is caught on tape…"

"Well, look at the bright side," Amy said as she removed her helmet. She nodded toward her cousin and Pat's brother. "At least you stayed on your feet."

Pat shared a laugh with her and she rewarded his being a good sport with a peck on the cheek. She saw Shaw coming up, a smile on the half-elf's face. <Yep, she had fun.> "Nice fight, Hunter."

"Thank you," she said with equal pleasure. "I do have a question, though?"

"What's that?"

"Will these be the only opponents we will face?"

The witch snickered. "Not if Anna and Lizzie have anything to say about it. Why?"

Shaw shrugged, looking over the embarrassed brothers. "It is that it is just so hard…"

"Being this pretty," Amy finished. Upon Shaw's confused glance, she sighed in resignation. "Laterrrrr…" Glancing over at their cousins, she said, "Well, let's go see if the kids have anything to say."

*****

Laughing at their impending rubbing it in, they walked over to the Upstaged Ones. When they got there, Kayla was just watching them with hooded eyes, although Amy knew that she was trying not to bust out laughing at the joke going bad on the kiddos.

The kiddos, however, were still staring off into space, facing the empty field.

Amy, stifling her joy at finally getting revenge a year in the making, glanced at her cousin. "Anna?"

With a dull, stony voice, Anna mumbled, "How…"

Shaw, stifling her joy at playing a joke on her newfound relatives, glanced at her cousin. "Elizabeth?"

With a dull, stony voice, Lizzie mumbled, "How…"

Trying not to totally piss off the kids by falling to the ground in laughter, Amy raised her voice a bit. "Guys?"

With dull, stony voices, Anna and Lizzie mumbled, "How…"

Amy felt Shaw looking in her direction. "Amy, are they impersonating Native Americans?"

"Must be," Amy giggled as the twins finally overcame their shock. "Well, what'd you think?"

The two started babbling again in their vain attempts to form coherent questions. After a full forty-five seconds, Amy decided to put them out of their misery. She glanced at Shaw and grinned. "Get ready to light yourself up."

Shaw's eyes widened just a bit as she realized what Amy had just said, *and* what she was saying. <Yep, you can tell them.> Shaw nodded, the smallest of smiles coming to her face.

The oldest witch in the circle turned to the kids and firmly said, "Okay, you two. Understand this; what you're about to See and hear falls under the ‘between us' category. Got it?"

"What does?" Lizzie snapped. "How'd you two…"

"Watch and learn, kiddo." Amy concentrated for just a second and cancelled her obscuring spell. Leaning her sword against the border of the sparring circle, she ordered them, "Look at me, capital L."

They did and she could read the confusion in them as she knew she was now registering to their mystical senses at her full level of power, which would give them an idea of just how strong her witchcraft was. But as for the other thing…

"What you're seeing besides witchcraft is the gift someone gave to me in February," she informed the youngest two. "Her name was Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt and the Moon… and Patron Goddess of the AMAZONS."

The twins blinked and dropped their jaws in perfect unison as they understood the secret that Amy had just let them become part of. As they started stammering again, she decided not to make them suffer. <This time.> She walked closer to them, their nearly equal height making it able for her to look them straight in the eyes. "Kids, remember; I live on a Hellmouth and work with the Slayer! I'm still the Amy you know and screw over with sparring matches, but I'm also an Amazon now. All it means is that I have abilities that are, well, greater than normal people. Among those is the fact that I learn martial arts really, really quick and right now, if you wanted to rate me against regular fighters, I'd have about five black belts. And that's without what we kinda forgot to mention about the Army guy that teaches me and Shaw."

Anna, still ticked about the whole joke going bad, demanded, "What?!?"

"He was a Green Beret. You know, a commando like Rambo. Imagine what HE teaches me in fighting stuff."

Lizzie decided to add her two cents about the joke. "But… but…" She was shaking like a leaf in a gale. "YOU CHEATED!!!"

"How did I ‘cheat?'" Amy asked, joining Shaw and Kayla in their laughter.

"You didn't TELL US!"

"YOU didn't ask."

Anna shouted, "We are SO GONNA GET EVEN with you!"

Amy shrugged. "Okay, try it. But don't expect to learn the truth about Shaw if you do." She knew she'd caught them with THAT. <They're gonna have to make a choice.> "What's it gonna be, you two; get even with me for getting even with you for what you pulled last year, or find out *why* Shaw's here, *before* everyone else. Even Grandma and Allie." When they stared at each other for a couple minutes, Amy almost began to suspect they had that "psychic link" twins were often reputed to have. Lizzie took the floor and said, "We wanna know."

The witch nodded and faced Shaw. "Go ahead, CUZ. People here know about ‘stuff,' so it's okay. Light yourself up."

Shaw nodded and started to concentrate as Anna bleated, "Why'd you call HER…"

Kayla peeked with her own sense, figuring that the Brit was an Amazon like Spanky. When the curtain dropped, though, her large green eyes went wider. <What?!? That's IT?> "That's the big secret? That's IT?"

Shaw, now fully revealed to anyone with mystical senses, laid her eyes on the healer. "You know about my mother's people?"

"Duh! I've worked with them before," Kayla shrugged. "So where exactly are you from? I know most of the pointy-eared set here in SoCal."

"That is… complicated," Shaw answered. <She knows about elves, but has no problem. That is good.> "Then you know Eldenor." The younger female's eyes flashed in recognition. "I see. Then I am willing to trust you with the truth. In fact, Elizabet asked about this before."

"I'll tell her," Kayla said with a grin. "Not often I get one up on her."

"What IS she?" the twins snapped, more at Kayla than her.

Shaw cleared her throat, catching their attention. She fought down the sudden butterflies in her stomach, remembering how telling Amy had not gone so well when they'd first met. She swallowed in an attempt to quell her own nervousness. "Anna, Elizabeth, you do understand that you cannot tell anyone about some of the things I am about to tell you, even your closest friends?" When they nodded impatiently, Shaw decided to go full out right then and there. "Very well. What I am about to tell you, I swear to any God or Goddess you might name that this is all true. I would not lie to you, not about this."

She felt Amy's hands on her shoulders. Before she could look at her, Amy's voice gently sounded, "Hey, don't worry. Just tell them, Shaw."

Shaw nodded and steeled her resolve. Seeing the confusion in Anna and Elizabeth's eyes, the half-elf said, "The name you know me by, Shaw Hunter, is the person I have come to be recently. However, the name I was born with was Shawukay. Shawukay Redarrow."

Elizabeth squinted. "What?"

"As you heard Kayla say, she knows about my mother's people. My mother…" She hesitated but then plunged in. <All or nothing.> "My mother was an elf. A mage, to be specific." As the twins' eyes went round, Shaw barreled on. "My father was human. I am what you call a half-elf." She felt a flash of her sense of humor rearing up. "Do you remember what I told you about myself in the back yard?"

"About your character?" Anna guessed.

<Time to make them understand…> "Anna, Elizabeth, I have NEVER played those games in my life." She gulped. "All. Fifty. Four. Years. Of my life."

The children were intelligent; it only took them a few seconds to realize what she'd just revealed. Anna was the first to bring up the possible inconsistencies. "But you said you were…"

Shaw glanced around before flipping some hair behind her left ear. She let down the glamour she'd learned here and let them *see* the truth. "Who is the most famous character from the Forgotten Realms?"

"Elminster," Elizabeth answered with rolling eyes.

"You know that name, not from your games but your family history."

"Wait, that was the guy…" Anna pouted. "You can't be for real!"

"Let me show you something," Amy interrupted. She reached underneath her chest protector and pulled out something. She held up the item and said, "Shaw gave me THIS for Christmas. It was her Grandma's, and that lady Storm put this on her chest *herself*."

Seeing the Harper Pin, Shaw wondered if the twins would believe her now. She went on, hoping to convince them. "Anna, Elizabeth, Toril truly exists. There are ways of traveling between dimensions, ways that I do not know myself. But that is not the issue here…" She felt herself choke up again. She softly said, "I *am* half-elven. I *am* a cleric and ranger of Mielikki. I *am* from the world you call the Forgotten Realms. And…" She looked at Amy, whose eyes were sympathetic. She nodded in encouragement.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked her.

Shaw took a deep breath. "What do you know about Alison Madison?"

"Aunt Allie?"

"No Anna, not her. The other Alison Madison."

"Oh, THAT one," Elizabeth said, furrowing her face. "She went ‘poof' a hundred years ago or something."

"Do you remember who she went to TORIL with?"

Anna cheerfully said, "Lizzie sucks at history. I know! It was…"

"Elminster." Shaw let her eyes move between the two of them. "Are you saying you never made that connection?"

They did now, as their eyes lit up with wonder. <Well, why would it not? It is not every day they find out that their own fantasy world is real. I wonder what they will want to know about Faerun…>

Anna and Elizabeth's questions started babbling in a rush at the same instant.

"Do you know Drizzt Do'Urden?"

"Do you know Elminster?"

"Do you know Arilyn Moonblade?!?"

"Do you REALLY know Storm Silverhand?!?"

"GUYS!!!" Amy shouted, stopping the tirade before it got truly unstoppable. Shaw watched as she rolled her eyes and snapped, "This isn't about asking if she knows D&D celebrities! This is about SHAW!"

"Amy, don't," Shaw protested. "They are only curious. Please, don… do not be angry with them."

Amy settled down and said, "Okay, but this is your time. If they want to ask you stuff about where you come from, that can wait ‘til later." She spitted the disappointed but incorrigible twins with a look of pure Amazon steel. "Got it?"

They looked back to her, making Shaw smile. "We do have four days."

"HUZZAH!" Anna shouted before Amy's glare silenced her. She spit another "raspberry" at the older blonde.

"So you're *really* from… you know. THERE?"

"I was born in Evereska, but my Grandparents raised me in Deepingdale. Remember what I told you earlier."

The twins nodded but Kayla raised her hand. "Uh, in English?"

"Dimension thing."

"Oh."

Shaw ignored their byplay, instead concentrating on revealing *everything* about her link to them. She swallowed nervously again. "Anna, Elizabeth, you know about Alison Madison. The original Alison?" When they both muttered, "yes," Shaw went for all or nothing. "The truth of the matter is, Alison *wanted* to go to Faerun to explore it. Elminster agreed to her request. She became a Harper and…" She hesitated again. "The reason she never came back to Earth was because she married and began a family. She…" The half-elf somehow looked into the eyes of both expectant twins at once, knowing that this was an important moment in her life, however it turned out. "Anna, Elizabeth, *I* am Alison's great-granddaughter… and your cousin."

She left off there, knowing that the two were so bright they'd understand. She simply stared at them, willing herself not to cry at allowing family she'd met for the first time, only hours before, know the truth. She still couldn't help but wonder how she'd answer inevitable questions about her life, including what she had done over the last decade. But she needed to know that they *knew*, and that they would come to their own decision about the information.

After a few moments, Amy prodded, "Guys?"

The blank expression on Anna's face was banished by the toothy smile that suddenly blossomed on her young face. "THIS IS SO WICKED!!!"

Shaw blinked, not understanding. She looked to Amy, worry on her face. Amy just smiled calmly and quipped, "Translated from the kidspeak, that's a good thing."

Shaw smiled in relief and looked to the silent partner. She meekly asked, "Elizabeth?"

"Allie's gonna be tiiiiicked…"

Shaw was confused as to why Amy suddenly started laughing. She whirled on her, conflicting emotions playing in her heart.

Amy, catching the look, just waved it off. "It's okay! She's just being Lizzie."

"But…" she said before turning back to the others, who were both staring at her in wonder and excitement. "I…" She glanced at the ground. "I wanted you to know the truth before tonight. I hope… I hope you will not think differently about me now."

"Huh?" Elizabeth asked, sounding puzzled.

Amy's hand rested on her shoulder. Her face was concerned as she asked, "What she means is, she doesn't want you to like her because she's from another dimension. She wants you to like her because she's our *cousin* and because she's a pretty cool *person*." She squeezed Shaw's shoulder. "Guys, there are things she's gonna tell the family tonight, but some of it's not really for kids. But I'm going to lay it on the line right here; Shaw's family, whether you know her or not. You've spent all morning with her, so tell us… no, tell HER, right now, did you like her *before* she just told you the truth?"

By the protests and shouts that both girls simultaneously shot at Amy about how they thought she WAS cool and had told the Stensons that she was THEIR friend, Shaw had her answer even if the words weren't specific answers.

She felt tears forming but knew that to act on her growing feelings might make them uncomfortable. She felt a squeeze on her shoulder again and looked at Amy, who just smiled and nodded to her before turning her own attention back on the young witches.

"Okay, okay, I believe you," she sighed before jerking her head at Shaw. "But more important, Shaw believes you. Just remember; she's not any different than any of us." Off their stares she growled, "Guys, Shaw doesn't want you thinking of her as some kind of kick ass super hero. She wants you thinking of her as a Madison. That's what she is. Remember the old Madison Mystery? Consider it solved." Now she smiled at them. "THAT'S your Christmas present. Enjoy."

As the girls looked back at Shaw, Amy could see them trying to follow her advice, to think of her as one of their own rather than their idealized version of a sword and sorcery heroine. She knew that even if she didn't nip it in the bud here at the Faire, Shaw's own tale and the stories they'd share regarding their duties on the Hellmouth would make her more, well, human to them. <It's not all dragon slaying. But I SO don't think Aunt Joan would want the Terrors to know about that pleasure hall thing…>

She shook her head and watched the girls walk closer to Shaw, having no suspicions about her, even though she knew everything they'd been told was still sinking in.

She stepped back and around them to let them have their own moment. She stepped next to Kayla, who muttered, "I know half-elves and elves. But she's really your cousin?"

"Yep." Nothing more needed be said.

She watched as Anna stepped up and said something.

"You're really our cousin?"

"I am. The Harper pin I gave to Amy belonged to Alison Madison," she answered. "She died only five years before I was born, in…" She did the quick tally. "1939. I was born in November of 1944 by the Earth calendar."

"This is soooo cool," Elizabeth said again. "We're getting a fricking cousin for Christmas."

Shaw wouldn't have put it that way, even though she was getting FIVE. "Is this the point at which I say, ‘surprise?'"

The twins rolled their eyes before Anna peered at her. "You're really fifty years old?"

"Fifty-four, which for me is about the same as seventeen for you. As far as my body goes, I am physically as young as Amy."

"Well, uh, welcome to Earth," Elizabeth said with a grin.

Not wanting to ruin the greeting my mentioning that she'd already been here for seven months, Shaw took it as the kindness it was. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

"If you're gonna be our cousin, you gotta stop calling me that!"

"It is your name, is it not?"

Elizabeth growled and looked at Anna. "What do you think?"

Anna smiled. "We'll get even. We have all day tomorrow."

The three shared a laugh and Shaw couldn't fight her impulse any more. She stepped forward and put her arms around both of her younger cousins. They seemed surprised for a few seconds, but they soon understood on some level how important it was for her. They too brought their arms up and returned the hug with interest, letting her know that they'd accepted her.

Shaw wondered how she'd ever survived without it.

*****

Part 7: The Truth Is Out There
(Congratulations, It's A Cousin)

Southern Renn Faire
San Luis Obispo, California
26 December 1998

Joan strode across the Faire grounds, automatically acknowledging the various bows, greetings, and shows of respect given her by the Travelers and performers as she passed them. She devoted enough of her mental faculties to avoid making any type of social (or professional) faux pas, as well as to various business matters. But the focus of her considerable intellect was on the strange claim made by Amy's friend to Anthony and Kathleen.

<For some reason, Shaw does not strike me as the type to make idle claims.> Joan's lips twitched downward just a bit. <If anything, that girl is far too serious for someone half my age.>

But still, it would be unfair to make any snap judgments at all until she'd given Shaw every chance to explain. She remembered her earlier readings of the younger empath and the girl's sincere desire to tell her story, which told the witch that perhaps there was something she was missing, although that *was* a rare thing.

Joan sniffed. <Dear, please keep your ego in check.>

The administrator arrived at the training grounds used by the Kingdom's combat group. After greeting the volunteers posing as guards on watch with a gracious smile, she asked them for Lord Gerald and Lady Kelly's current whereabouts. Once she got the information, Joan made her way to the ring where they were currently putting on a display of their own formidable talents and giving the Travelers ample photo opportunities.

She arrived and those people in costume, performer and civilian alike, parted to allow a better view. She got a proper spot near the entrance and watched the leaders going at it. Gerald was a classical fencer with additional training in the Florentine styles favored in the Renaissance, added by a sprinkling of Three Musketeers/Errol Flynn-style swashbuckling to match his Faire persona.

Joan's lips curved a little. <If only there were other fighters who used the Magic Circle he's spent so much time in. That would be most... interesting.>

In complete contrast to Gerald's "classical" period training, his bright-eyed foe had focused her training on the Oriental arts, primarily kendo and kenjitsu (being a black belt in the former). Joan's keen eyes watched the contrasting styles for several moments, almost as mesmerized by the spectacle of their display as the rest of the assemblage.

In the end, Kelly won the round by stepping past Gerald's guard and lightly touching his heart. She promptly stepped back and saluted her friend as the crowd heartily cheered both swordsmen for their excellent show. Kelly and Gerald gave bows in four directions before heading for the exit.

Joan caught their eyes as they approached and stopped to sketch another genuflection, this time to her. "My Lady," they chorused together.

"Sir Gerald, Sir Kelly," she said formally. She did allow some of her admiration for their skills to show in her greeting. "Your skills, as always, are pristine. If I might impose, could I have a moment of your time?"

They nodded casually and Joan turned to lead them through the throng of customers. Joan knew it was a strange sight they presented, the regal daughter of a noble house flanked on either side by sweaty knights in fighting leathers. Joan and her coworkers entered the building that doubled as their office and the fighter contingent's changing rooms. The witch pondered how much she could say about Shaw in front of them. Kelly, while having no Gifts of her own, knew about and accepted things such as the supernatural. Gerald, on the other hand, was a nice, normal good man who wouldn't believe in the things that were part of her everyday life.

<So, I must keep this to 'everyday' topics,> she decided. She let Gerald and Kelly enter their office first, as was proper. This was their domain. After she followed them in, Kelly closed the door behind her.

Gerald sat down at his desk and smiled, "How can we help you, Joan?"

Joan read his desire to help and some great amusement that she associated with the twins. "I think you already have an idea of why I'm here," she said kindly.

"The little prank Anna and Lizzie had turned back on them?" Joan gave him a prim smile in answer. "I tell you, Joan, if I thought they'd accept, I would ask Amy and her friend to join up in a heartbeat. Those two made Patrick and William look like Amy last year."

He and Kelly chuckled a bit before Gerald continued. "Two Green-Beret trained fighters, one of them an SAS brat... it just might give us an edge when War comes around next year. I'd love to put Amy up against Forsythe from North."

Joan sat down in a spare chair, taking care not to muss her outfit. <Wrinkles just would not do, after all.> "Shaw's father was in the Special Air Service?" It didn't surprise her, for some reason.

"And her grandfather," Kelly chimed in as she rounded the desk to stand behind Gerald. "They made us promise not to spoil getting one over on the Terrors. Oh God, it was great! You'd think they fight for a living."

"Yes, Amy's become quite the Amazon," Joan said, tongue-in-cheek. She folded her hands together and asked, "Did they mention anything else?"

"Just Shaw's cousins," Gerald answered. Joan felt how impressed he was, but she carefully hid her interest in the topic. The commander of South's warriors leaned back in his chair and his eyes were literally shining. "I suppose when you have two male cousins who deal in antique weapons and run dojos, it's understandable that a tomboy like Shaw would be reluctant to use imitation blades."

<*Male* cousins? Hmmm.> Joan filed that information away for another time. "Do you know where they are now?" she asked, changing the subject. <I may as well get the truth from the young lady herself.>

"Ring 7," Kelly replied off the bat. "As you know, that's one of our 'trainee' rings. We sent those two there so any spies won't see them wiping the ground with our other teen fighters who wanted to get even for the Stenson boys."

Joan gave them a thankful grin and stood up with perfect grace. "Thank you. And don't worry, Sir Gerald," she said, switching back to her "Faire" voice. "I shall endeavor to make your interest in the girls' skill at arms known to them."

The Lady Madison turned around and left the office to search for the younger ones.

*****

"Aaaccck!"

Amy winced as Shaw's latest sacrificial knight landed hard on the ground. Her teeth grinded in sympathy for the pain likely to be shooting through the seventeen-year-old's back. <After all, I've had to duel with her over those broomsticks.>

The difference being, Amy's superior physical skills usually compensated somewhat for Shaw's greater experience and tendency to fight dirty, thus allowing her to split most of their matches at Steve's.

She watched her fellow Slayerette back up and drop into a defensive position, slowly twirling her staff as Lysil (real name, not Faire type) stood up and considered her options. This was the third time she'd been swept off her feet in a non-romantic type manner.

She apparently didn't like the options she saw, because she brought her staff down in one hand and bowed to Shaw. "Good match," she said, forgetting her role for a second.

Shaw didn't call her on the slip. "Thank you, Lysil."

<Three and oh for cuz,> Amy thought happily, unable to suppress a surge of pride in her and Shaw's skills. <That's six for six between us.> She turned her head to gaze at the twins, who were whispering to each other, probably analyzing the fight.

Shaw walked over and removed her helmet. She shook her hair out, and Amy could see it was matted with perspiration and she was breathing hard.

"Well?" she asked with a smile directed at the twins.

The twins shared that "are you thinking what I'm thinking" twins' look of theirs and Lizzie spoke up. "Why'd you keep making Lysil chase you in circles like that? I mean, you hardly blocked any of her blows."

"Nor was she able to *attempt* many blows," Shaw added, giving Amy a sneaky glance with her almond-shaped eyes. "Why do you think that is?"

"Because she was too busy chasing your pointy-eared butt!" Anna said with a roll of her eyes.

Amy wondered how long it would take the twin light bulbs to go off.

"Thus endeth the lesson," Shaw quoted with a light laugh. She looked at her, and they nodded before turning away, as if the matter was over and done with.

"I got it!" Lizzie gushed. "You made her get tired by making her chase you!"

Amy smiled at Shaw, who was glowing at the kids' brainpower. Amy turned back to her little cousins. "The term you're looking for is, 'rope a dope.'"

*That* put it even more into terms they could understand. They looked at each other for a minute before grinning like idiots. They got it, all right.

"So how long have you been doing this again?" Lizzie asked.

Amy watched Shaw look around closely. A quick discussion after her little revelation had decided that although any of the Gifted might recognize the elven magic Shaw carried, thus giving away her elven bloodlines, she was for all intents and purposes only seventeen, because Steve had given Shaw strict orders *not* to reveal her true age or dimensional origins to anyone outside the team.

Amy had the sneaking suspicion that the orders really came from Merlin, but she knew that if Merlin had told Shaw that, it would've caused problems. However, Steve hadn't been heartless enough to tell Shaw not to tell the family. Amy knew that if he had, *she* would have told them anyway.

<It wouldn't have been fair to Shaw.>

She shook off her daydreaming to look at all three of her cousins, who were animatedly talking about the fight. She felt a burst of warm fuzzy feelings at how well they were getting along. And it wasn't just her being glad for *them*; she was happy that she could *feel* herself getting closer to Anna, Lizzie, and Shaw.

And the way she saw it, that was what Christmas was all about.

She decided to stop hanging around the edges of the conversation. "So what do you think, kids?"

Anna grinned at her. "We want you two to join up!" she demanded. Lizzie nodded just as enthusiastically.

<Oh Goddess...> "No way, Jose."

"But..." Lizzie whined plaintively.

Amy firmly shook her head. "I am *not* signing up to use my Amazon skills to beat the crap out of the knights your group fights." When their eyes gleamed with mischief rather than disappointment, she knew they were going to keep badgering her about it. <Unless I put a stop to it now.> "Look, you little rug rats. I am *not* going to be your ringer, and I have responsibilities back in Sunnydale."

"Fighting bad guys," Anna said, the first to get the point behind her refusal.

"And my family," Amy said, folding her arms. "I know that at least one or two of the bad guys we've fought might have sold the info on me and the others on my team. So if someone out there gets the stupid idea to come hunting the Amazon witch, that puts Dad, Rhonda, Cyndi, and Terri in the danger zone." She let her determination soften a bit and gave them a sympathetic look. "I've got things I'm committed to, kids. I won't bail on them."

She noticed Shaw nodding in approval. The twins looked to her, hoping to sway at least *one* of them. Amy wondered about Shaw, though; not having the extra muscle provided by Artemis or Robin, Shaw's abilities with weapons were the result of training and experience.

<Thinking about it that way, there's no reason for her *not* to join up, at least once she gets the Earth living down.>

For now, Shaw was trying to let the twins down softly. She told them, "I, too, have duties to perform. And... I have some personal issues to deal with. So I cannot accept, at least for now." She snorted out a laugh. "Besides, whereas Amy has abilities she refuses to exploit against your opponents, I have been fighting supernatural opponents longer than the two of you have been alive. That would not be fair."

Amy couldn't help but ask, "Since when do *you* fight fair, cuz?"

The four girls laughed at that. Amy put an arm around Shaw's shoulders and gleefully said, "Tonight, we'll tell you what she did to our friend Xander during their first sparring match."

Lizzie pulled out her boffer and said, "Hey, Shaw, you wanna go a round with *us*?"

<Uh oh.> "I hope you aren't talking about fighting both of you at once!" she said direly.

"I do not mind, Amy," Shaw said, looking at her. "I like a challenge."

<UH OH!> Amy knew *that* tone of voice. That "I've got something up my sleeve" tone. "Good luck, Shaw. I'll referee." <What are you up to, Hunter?>

The three of them took up positions, Anna and Lizzie using their boffer swords while Shaw elected to keep the staff for this round. As soon as they were set up, Amy took a deep breath and snapped, "Begin!"

The Terrors started to maneuver, hoping to find some weak spot in their cousin's defenses. She didn't give them the chance.

The ranger shifted her feet and charged Lizzie! She shifted her grip on the staff and Amy suddenly *knew* what Shaw was going to do. <Oh Goddess!>

Shaw planted one end of the staff into the ground and launched herself ala a pole-vaulter. Her legs came out front and Shaw's booted feet hit Lizzie square in the chest, sending the teen witch sprawling onto her butt. Shaw used the recoil to land safely and turn her attention to Anna. She brought her arm back like she was going to use throw the staff like a spear. Before Amy could shout at her not to do that, Anna threw her sword to the side and shouted, "NO FAIR!!!"

Amy couldn't help it. She broke into hysterics at Anna's whining, doubling over as she laughed at how Anna accused her of cheating again. <Hey, I *warned* them she didn't fight fair!>

Anna huffed while Lizzie stood up, dusting off her backside. "You cheated again!" Lizzie snapped.

Shaw looked like she wanted to join Amy in laughing out of control, but instead walked over and placed her staff in the weapons rack. "Rather than cheating, some might call it improvising. But to make it up to you..." She turned around and placed her hands behind her back, eyes glimmering with eagerness. "Tonight, or perhaps during another day of my stay, I could give you more pointers in your fighting."

The kids' tempers settled down real quick at that offer!

"Can you teach us ranger tricks?" Anna asked excitedly. "Like that two-handed thing?"

"I could," Shaw confirmed, looking very happy to Amy. "As well as some specific elven tactics, if you like."

"Cool!" the twins shouted together.

"Okay, let's take a break, huh?" Amy said with a sigh. When Lizzie and Anna turned disappointed eyes on her, the witch shook her head. "Guys, let us have a rest! We've got all day tomorrow for sparring. If you're good, maybe I'll show you some Amazon moves to go along with whatever Shaw teaches you."

Four blue-green eyes went wide as dinner plates. The Sunnydale senior waggled a finger at them. "But that does not mean you use them to hurt people. Got that?"

They nodded seriously, and she relaxed a bit. "Good. Then we've got a deal. But let's sit down and maybe Shaw and I will give you some previews on what we've been doing all year."

"Huzzah!" they shouted with glee.

*****

Joan finally found them after searching every ring for them. After realizing they'd likely decided to take a break, the mother searched the benches closest to the training grounds.

She stopped about fifteen feet away and extended her mental powers, wanting to get a "feel" for their moods before interrupting the children. She was pleased to feel nothing but happiness, enjoyment, and amusement. The last was underscored by a burst of laughter from her daughters.

Deeming it safe to approach, Joan strode across the distance separating them. Anna saw her first and smiled at her. "Mother, come sit with us!"

Joan smiled sweetly but kept her mind on the task at hand. She waited for everyone to face her before saying, "Hello, children. I trust you are having a pleasant afternoon?"

As four female heads bobbed up and down, she turned her attention to Shaw. "Shawukay, I need a moment of your time. Do you mind?"

"Of course not," the young woman answered with a friendly smile matched by her desire to please.

But *Amy* suddenly tensed, visibly and emotionally. <Surprise and caution. Does she know why I want to speak to Shaw?> "Amy?" she asked, one word speaking volumes.

Catching on, Shaw asked next. "Amy, what is it?"

Amy kept her eyes focused on her, her face inscrutable even if her emotions were not. She stared for a few breaths before saying, "She knows, Shaw."

Shaw focused her hazel eyes on her before glancing back at Amy. "She was going to find out anyway, Amy."

"Yeah," her niece grumbled, not very mollified by Shaw's logic. She sighed resignedly and waved her to one of two empty chairs. "You'll really want to sit down for his, Milady Aunt."

Joan knew Amy was dead serious about that much. <If she thinks *I* need to sit down, then this might prove interesting after all.> She carefully sat down and waited for the girls to explain.

Instead, it was Amy who asked *her*, "How much do you know?"

Joan arched that tiniest of eyebrows. "I crossed the path of Master Anthony and his group of minstrels. Beyond the surprise of a flautist of the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra praising Shawukay's musical skills," she started, pausing at Amy's gasp. She gave Catherine's daughter a smile of victory. "Yes, my dear. He was most emphatic in his praise."

Amy's surprise was as strong as Shaw's embarrassment, the latter being betrayed by the deepening blue color of her cheekbones.

Amy mumbled, "NOW do you believe me when I say you're good?"

She decided to proceed and get to the solving of this little mystery. "He also surprised me by calling Shawukay my 'cousin.' But I wanted to allow you to tell me your side of the story." The earlier feelings she'd detected in her first reading of the girl, the desire to tell her, came back full force, laden with hope and a healthy dose of nerves. Amy had hope mixed with concern and protectiveness directed at Shaw. What had Joan thinking though were her daughter's emotions. The bubbly humor they emitted when they thought something was hilariously funny, feelings that told the witch that they really liked their new friend, and the barely contained enthusiasm generated when they were preparing to totally ruin one of *her* carefully planned Dungeons and Dragons adventures.

<Why would they be thinking about the Forgotten Realms now?>

She put that thought aside. The twins obviously knew what was about to be said, since they were eager to see how their dear mother reacted, rather than to hear what Shaw had to say. She looked to the young woman, whose desire to go forth was shining like a firecracker to her empathic senses. "Shaw," she gently asked, "are you our cousin?"

"I am," she replied. That was all it took; Joan *knew* she was telling the truth. Amy, Anna, and Elizabeth accepted her as one of their own as well.

"Go ahead, Shaw. Please," she requested, secretly glad she was sitting down. That news might have made her fall over. She wondered if her surprise showed to her children.

What came first was relief and thankfulness. Shaw swallowed a bit. "Would you be willing to settle for the basic details for now? The complete story will come tonight with the others."

Joan smiled and patted Shaw's hand. "Of course, dear. Please don't be afraid to speak to me."

Shaw nervously nodded. "Thank you." Amy gripped Shaw's shoulder supportively. The brunette looked at her, and she saw honesty in her eyes. "First of all, there are some things you should know of my parents. It will make the explanation easier to understand."

"I understand," she said warmly.

"Very well." Shaw licked her lips before going ahead. She folded her pale hands together. "My father was human, like you, Amy, and the children. My mother was an elf." Her eyes flashed a bit. "She was an elven mage, and a powerful one." Having had some experience with High Court elves in the past (albeit ones who played music at other Faires), Joan nodded for her to continue. "My parents died when I was two years old, although my 'official' records say that my father died when I was ten. I was raised by my grandparents, my father's family. Grandfather was the son... of Alison Madison."

Everything fell into place at once. Her feelings of love and protectiveness for Amy, the nervousness upon meeting her and Alison, the way she refused to call Alison by her given name, and the connection and deep respect and devotion she'd expressed when looking at the photograph.

In the end, Joan wasn't even thrown one millimeter by Shaw's revelation. She realized she'd been subconsciously suspecting something of that nature. Instead, she found herself looking forward to hearing the rest of Shaw's story.

<But first, I'm going to show our cousin come home at last that her anxiety can be put to rest. At least where I am concerned.>

She reached forward and closed her hands over Shaw's clasped ones. When Shaw looked and felt confused, Joan gave the hands a warm, motherly squeeze of support.

"I thought it might be something of this nature," she said with a gentle, soothing tone. "It does my heart good to know that Alison's descendant is such a good person with a wellspring of emotions in her heart. I look forward to knowing you better, cousin."

"T-thank you," Shaw stammered. She could feel Shaw's relief and happiness. "I-I... I hope to know you as well."

Joan's heart went out to the girl, somehow knowing that she'd been alone for a long time. She smiled and glanced at her daughters, reading the feelings they were already starting to feel for each other. Obviously, they'd begun to bond a bit.

<And I know that it was likely Amy's idea that they get to know her *before* finding out who she was. Very smooth, and in the end, I think it might have been good for all three of them.> That thought made her look at Amy, who was also happy that Joan accepted Shaw so quickly.

"Amy, I want to thank you."

Amy's happiness jumbled into a mass of confusion. "Me? Why?"

"For such a special Christmas present of course." She switched to her limited telepathic skills to send the rest of the message. // Besides this great gift to the family, I want to thank you for helping her out. I know she has some emotional distress, but I can see and feel how she feels for you, and how you've helped her with whatever issues she has. You're an important help to her, Amy. Thank you. //

Amy's lips tightened together and Joan could tell she was fighting back a smile. But Joan heard the quiet, // Thanks to you too, Joan. //

She released Shaw's hands and said, "Since we only have a couple of hours left before leaving, I want you children to enjoy yourselves. Get back into your costumes, but you are on your own time. Do as you will and we will head home for dinner."

She stood up and waited for them to do likewise. She walked up and hugged each of them in turn, saving Shaw for last. Shaw returned the gesture but Joan could feel that she was a bit hesitant. <Well, we have four days to work on that.>

She gave them all a smile. "I'll see you at the offices in two hours."

*****

Eleanor Madison's Residence
San Luis Obispo, California
27 December 1998

The car's engine hadn't even completely shut down before the front and rear passenger doors were flung open, disgorging two five-foot-five blond whirlwinds that sprinted into their grandmother's house in an instant.

In startling, peaceful contrast, the driver side doors opened at a more sedate pace. Joan stepped out of the car with the same grace she displayed while on the job at the Faire, moving along the ground as if she were gliding on air. Amy exited the back seat with a similar grace, but being back in her street clothes, she didn't have the "debonair" look that Joan projected with such ease.

The younger witch looked back at the other side of the car, waiting for Shaw, who'd been stuck in the middle of the back seat, to climb out. <Poor Shaw. Stuck between me and Anna, with Lizzie staring back at her and *both* of them popping out all kinds of sword and sorcery questions at her.>

As Shaw's curly-topped head popped up, Amy thought about how well Joan had taken the twins' sudden squealing about where Shaw was really from. She hadn't even twitched. <No, dear Auntie Joan just takes it at face value and starts asking her own questions.>

The difference was, Joan might use Shaw's answers to get back at the Hellions for trying to shock her into driving off the road. <I wonder if they'll be rolling up new characters anytime soon,> she giggled evilly.

Her fighting instincts raised her hackles and she looked around, feeling like she was being watched. It was only Shaw, who arched an interested eyebrow, probably over her amusement.

She walked to the back of the car and started helping Shaw pull out their purchases. She shook her head in disgust. "Now we know why those little turds bailed. It's so they don't have to help us lug this stuff in."

"Probably because you are a so-strong Amazon warrior," Shaw quipped with a laugh.

Amy resisted the temptation to smack Shaw's arm. She was in such a good mood; no, *everyone* was. She wasn't going to ruin that. But still...

"You know something? It sure didn't seem like this much stuff when I was buying it," she mumbled as she looked over all of the stuff sitting in the back of the car.

"A common phenomenon where us and shopping are concerned," Shaw agreed. Seemed she was just realizing how much stuff *she'd* bought, too. And it was just their first day.

Amy cocked her head. "How much did you buy again?" she teased.

"Two Celtic and one Irish costume with all of the 'trimmings' and proper accessories for the social class," she started, rattling off the lengthy list. "Three pairs of shoes, four hair pieces, several herbs for us, Willow, and Jenny, multiple candles for all of us and Cordelia, a set of wind chimes for my house..." She groaned at how she'd been conned by the kids. "Boffer swords in long, short, and bastard class..." She reached in and gingerly picked up a carefully twined package. "And *this* arisade."

Amy could understand her awe. <A costume dealer who gets fabric in the actual Highland clan colors. Including Connor and Duncan's clan.> She gave Shaw's shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Well, if we ever find some kind of Madison kilt thing, maybe we can mix them together."

"As if *you* would dress up in a 'mere' Middle Class costume, you noblewoman want-to-be," Shaw teased her.

Amy thought about it for a couple seconds before laughing. "Got that right, Hunter."

Shaw's smile became even wider. She picked up the package and carefully tucked it under her right arm. "Shall we get our things inside and get ready for dinner?"

"Yep. Let's motor and get changed." Amy had heard the slight tremor in Shaw's voice, but took solace in the fact that she wasn't as scared as she'd been earlier that morning. <Aunt Joan and the kids liking her is really helping her nerves.>

Amy reached in and pulled out the portfolio containing her portraits. Like Shaw's arisade, she wanted to be careful with it.

<I can't wait to show these pics to Robin...>

*****

Amy pulled off her sweater and folded it neatly before setting it on the bed. She started looking through her suitcase for the shirt she wanted to wear to dinner. Unlike the other Christmas dinners she'd already attended, this one was decidedly informal. <Goddess, I expect Grandma to come out wearing a flannel shirt and blue jeans,> she giggled. Never mind that Grandma was a retired nurse and self-confessed neat freak when it came to cleaning things up or tending her multiple gardens, in the end she really was the rustic type.

She turned around with a smile on her face. It disappeared when Shaw averted her eyes because she only had a bra covering her top. But there was also the fact that Shaw hadn't started changing.

Amy folded her arms and said, "Come on, Shy Girl. Don't worry about this. It's just like we're back home and having a sleepover with the girls." She kept her tone light so Shaw wouldn't start bringing her emotional walls back up. "Come on, Shaw," she said, making her voice quieter to reassure her. "I know it's hard overcoming fifty years of customs and stuff, but you can let yourself relax a bit. I *know* you had sleepovers when you were younger, right?"

She didn't even have to answer the question; her cracking a grin did it for her. "Of course," she admitted.

Amy could also tell that she remembered some fun times. "This isn't all that different. Except that we'll have to race the twins to raid the fridge."

She got what she wanted; Shaw laughed in response. She walked over to Shaw's bed and reached across the mattress, taking Shaw's wrist in her hand. "And I know that part of you being Shy Girl is because you worry about how I might react to your back. Cuz, I don't have a problem with it. I care about *you*, not the scars. But what I *do* worry about is that you're scared about how the others will react if you tell them." She looked down at the bed and muttered, "I just don't want you to be afraid, Shaw. Look at how great things are going so far. You have to believe that it's going to keep going great. You have to believe in yourself."

*****

Shaw's heart overflowed thanks to Amy's reassurances. She was right; her day with Anna and Elizabeth had been on of the happiest she'd had since moving to California.

And Amy was right about her worries regarding Eleanor and Alison. She found herself comparing her great-grandmother's namesake to her grandfather, and in many favorable ways. But it was one thing to have Amy tell her that her fears were unfounded, and another thing to easily put them aside.

<But I am still happy from the day at the Faire,> she told herself. The joys she'd experienced because of the twins' insistence that she join them returned full strength and settled her down a bit.

"You okay?" Amy asked, making a good guess.

She brought her head up but had to truly fight the urge to look back down again. "Yes."

She slowly pulled her hand loose and started unlocking her suitcase. "You are right, Amy. I do need to gain more confidence in myself. I... I think part of the problem is that I am still trying to find a balance of what my 'self' is at this point."

She started looking through her clothing but heard Amy's reply. "Well, I'm here to help when you need it. We all are."

She knew Amy meant the others on the team and vastly appreciated it. She saw what she wanted to wear and pulled it out. She looked at Amy again, who nodded and smiled in approval. "Nice choice. Now let's get ready before the rug rats come hunting for us."

Shaw's smile returned. She pulled out the deep blue blouse and set it on the comforter. She looked up at Amy again, but she had turned back to her own bed. She turned her attention to getting dressed. She changed into her blouse and a pair of Chi blue jeans. She put her pendant back on and put in out in the open, since she didn't need to hide her religious affiliation here.

She undid her braid and spent a few minutes combing out her hair, that is until Amy, with a goofy smile on her face, gently elbowed Shaw aside while chirping, "Mirror hog!"

Shaw rolled her eyes and tried to get back in front so she could see what she was doing. Still grinning, Amy shifted to the side so they could both get done and downstairs.

Shaw decided to leave her hair undone tonight, while Amy was putting hers in a white scrunchy to form a tail. Finishing before she could, Amy backed away and sat down on one of the beds.

The priestess could see her through the reflection of the mirror, watching her with smiling eyes. "What?" she asked.

Her cousin just shrugged innocently. "Nothing, I guess. It's just..." She giggled. "It's nice to see ourselves doing something 'normal' like making ourselves pretty in the mirror. No vampires, no monsters, no prophecies, no jerkoff Gods hurting us."

She nodded in agreement. She finished brushing out her hair and tossed it behind her shoulders. "I am ready, Amy. I hope."

*****

Amy's smile turned upside down with those last two words. She pushed herself up and walked up behind Shaw. "Shaw, I know you're nervous. But there's nothing to worry about." She put her hands up on Shaw's shoulders and started rubbing, hoping to relieve some of her tension. "Cuz, Joan and the kids like you. They've already accepted you, especially the Twin Terrors. I know Allie likes you, no matter how alpha bitch she gets with you. And Grandma... well, she's a good woman. She didn't hold it against me when *I* had a little trip to no-no land back in March."

Shaw's eyes closed but Amy could feel her relaxing a bit. Amy had made sure that she knew something about her own mishap with invisible homework and how Artemis had set her straight. She turned Shaw around and pulled her close.

"Don't worry about it, and everything will go fine. They won't judge you for anything that's happened in the past. Just like I didn't once I got past my issues."

Shaw opened her eyes back up and Amy was glad to see that she was a little more certain. The Amazon was glad it hadn't taken as much effort to shore up her confidence this time. <But let's see how well she handles it downstairs.>

"Are you ready?" Amy asked, willing to give her more time if she needed it.

Shaw nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, Amy. Let's go."

*****

Shaw followed Amy down the stairs, scanning the spacious living room as they descended. She took in the comfortable looking furniture, the wide carpet spread out across the floor, the rugs and paintings hanging from the walls, and the crackling logs in the stone fireplace.

Shaw stopped in mid-step, a slight chill running up her spine. Not conscious of the looks she got from Joan and Alison, the ranger closed her eyes and started praying. She quickly finished and felt a touch of peace settle near the fireplace. Opening her eyes, she exhaled the breath she'd been holding and turned her attention to the others. She realized that *their* attention was focused on *her*.

Before she could ask what the problem was, Alison rose from her chair. The short, fiery woman's eyes shined with suspicion. "What did you just do and why did you do it?" she demanded.

Caught off guard by her reaction, she looked to Amy for help. Amy looked as puzzled as Alison was hostile, but she nodded for Shaw to go ahead.

The Forestarm shifted her gaze back to Alison. "I said the Dread Prayer, Alison."

She took notice of how Alison's suspicion flared and Amy started to speak, her blue eyes concerned.

But it was Joan's neutral voice that sang out. "Alison, it's all right."

Shaw looked at Joan and knew that as the so-called "Dungeon Master" for Anna and Elizabeth's role playing games, she might know as much about Shaw's religion as anyone on Earth.

"Since when is something called the 'Dread Prayer' all right?" Alison demanded incredulously.

Joan stood up and walked over to her sister, her red velvet dress shimmering as she walked. "Go ahead and explain, Shaw. I understand and respect why you did it."

Relief and gratitude for Joan's support flooded Shaw's mind. She gave the twins' mother a grateful smile before giving Alison the answer she did deserve. "Alison, my beliefs require that I say the Dread Prayer whenever I see a fire set by someone, like the one burning right now. It is a plea to Mielikki to make it so that the fire will not spread. The effects are that the fire, usually a campfire, gives off little smoke and is incapable of accidentally spreading and perhaps causing damage to surrounding forest."

As she let Alison and the others absorb her explanation, it was Amy who spoke up first. "Only Shaw Hunter can prevent forest fires."

<Amy!> Shaw growled at the joke, despite her knowledge that Amy was only attempting to erase Alison's tension. But on a second thought, perhaps she also needed to "lighten up" when it came to her religion. <It could not hurt.>

"So it's a protective spell?" Alison asked, although she did settled down considerably.

"It is not a spell per se, but rather a special prayer that all clerics of the Lady of the Forest learn during their earliest lessons."

"Okay. No harm, no foul I guess." Alison retreated to her seat, but did not apologize for her actions. "Sorry for overreacting, kiddo."

"Perhaps I acted hastily as well, Alison," she admitted, her cheeks flushing a bit. "I might have asked permission before acting on instinct."

"Or we can appreciate your instincts and concern for the safety of my home," a rich, matronly voice added from the side.

Shaw turned in the direction of the voice, startled that she hadn't heard the woman's arrival. She froze when she saw Eleanor Madison for the first time. The elder of the Madison women was dressed very casually, wearing a light blue, long-sleeved work shirt, faded blue jeans, and light brown work boots. She had her ash blonde hair in a tight bun at the nape of her neck and was as slim of body as Joan. But the two things Shaw noticed beyond everything else were her height and eyes.

She had to be at least five foot ten, and her eyes were a grayish blue that, at the same time, hinted at motherly warmth and extreme power. Shaw was facing a woman who could have been Grandfather's fraternal twin.

Amy's grandmother observed her in return for a few seconds before walking forward, the slightest bit of interest on her attractively older face.

"You're a Madison, aren't you?" she said bluntly, but with great certainty.

This was it, the moment she'd been worried about. But she also realized that this was the moment to claim her Earth heritage once and for all. That thought steeled her resolve not to shrink back from this, not even the woman whose approval she wanted more than anything.

She leveled her eyes and returned Eleanor's gaze. "Yes, Eleanor. I am a Madison."

"Since when?!?" Alison predictably barked, standing up again and clenching her fists. "By what right do you just claim our name!"

Shaw felt a little stung by her anger, but she stood her ground. She lifted her chin a bit hoping to convey the pride she had in her lineage. She took the final three steps to stand on the main floor.

"If I might be allowed to explain in detail?" Eleanor nodded graciously, albeit without endorsing her verbally. "Thank you. I originally had no knowledge of the Madisons," she began, falling into the role of storyteller she'd begun to learn in her Literature class. "Even after coming to Earth, I knew nothing of my ties to this family. It was not until July that I was even given the image of Amy." She looked back to Eleanor and raised the pitch of her voice in the hopes that she could convince the matriarch of her family. "When I arrived in Sunnydale, I learned that Amy and the others were working on the same prophecy that heralded my arrival on the Hellmouth."

Eleanor raised a hand and Shaw respectfully paused. Her warm voice was not unkind, but she did say, "How did you learn about your ties to the Madisons, Shaw?"

Shaw's first instinct was to look to Amy for help. But she knew that in this, at least for herself, she wanted to stand on her own two feet. "I was given the information by a divine servant of the Christian God."

Eleanor just accepted the answer with a small smile. "And how did you claim the Madison name?"

"I was told that for my 'official' records, I should have what you refer to as a middle name." She paused, suddenly less confident of how her reasons would be accepted. "I chose Madison as my middle name to honor my great-grandmother and... I wanted to forge a tie to the part of my heritage that connects me to Earth, a world I have come to love as my home."

She suspected what Alison or Eleanor's next question would be, but she expected it to come faster than it actually did. It took the half-elf a few seconds to realize that they were absorbing her speech. She finally allowed herself to look at Amy, who silently mouthed, "Very good."

A burst of courage came from Amy's approval. She said to Eleanor, "My great-grandmother was Alison Madison of New Salem, Colorado."

There. The truth was out there for the rest of the clan to accept or reject. She fell silent, waiting to see what Eleanor's judgment would be. She refused to look at Joan, who she knew was reading everyone's emotional reactions, or Alison, wary of the woman's temper.

Eleanor's gray-blue eyes searched her for many heartbeats, Shaw feeling each beat in her head. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about the head of the family watching her so closely. "Alison's *great* granddaughter?"

Shaw moved her right hand up and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I am half-elven, Eleanor. I saw my fifty-fourth birthday just last month. I can expect to live another two centuries, barring an early death."

Like Joan had at the Faire, the elderly woman had no problem accepting her mixed blood. She didn't comment on it, but rather turned to her previous topic. "I can see the Madison line in you, Shaw."

"Amy told me of your Sight," Shaw calmly stated.

Now Eleanor *did* look surprised. Shaw feared she might have inadvertently gotten Amy into trouble until the senior witch's lips curved into a serene smile.

"I did not have to use my Sight, Shaw, if that is your real name. I see the resemblance between you and Amy."

Shaw staggered back a step, rocked to her core. She'd *never* considered the possibility that she might resemble Amy! She'd always believed she took far more after her mother!

"You never noticed?" Eleanor softly asked, apparently seeing how shaken she was.

"I never did, either," Amy interjected, sounding surprised as well.

Eleanor walked up and took Shaw's hands in her own. "I see it when you stand next to Amy. The eyebrows, the line of your jaw, and your chin. You also have Alison's wild hair."

"Celtic big hair gene," Amy humorously said from the side.

"Indeed," Eleanor agreed, her eyes crinkling at the sides as she grinned. She backed up and invited her to sit down. "I would like to hear your story, Shaw, if that is your real name."

"S-Shawukay," she babbled. <Goddess, get a *hold* of yourself!> "But... I prefer Shaw nowadays."

"Shawukay," Eleanor said slowly, rolling the name on her tongue and trying it out. "A pretty name. But if you are more comfortable with the short form, then Shaw it is." She sat down on one of the couches and extended a hand. "Please sit, be comfortable."

With a nervous glance at Amy, who nodded confidently, Shaw moved to sit on the couch opposite the elder. She virtually sank into the soft leather upholstery and resisted the urge to snuggle into it even further. Amy sat down next to her and laid a reassuring hand on her thigh.

<Where do I start?> she wondered. <Do I tell her about myself or Alison...>

Amy's grandmother seemed to understand her dilemma. Her rich purr came out. "Shaw, we have four days to learn the history of Alison's line. For now, I want to hear about your background." The invitation faded a bit as she outlined what she wanted to know. "Your deeds, your beliefs, the things you have seen and done."

Shaw swallowed frightfully. There were parts of her life that she didn't want known, and still wasn't ready to talk about. But being raised on the belief that family ties were *everything*, she couldn't deny the matriarch of the only kin she had left.

She stumbled a bit but then more smoothly began talking about her early life. She lingered when talking about her receiving the Calling and her grandparents. She talked about her teenage years and her duties in the temple, easily moving onto her early twenties. She discussed her first fight against orcs, her first encounter with other creatures, and her misadventure with the mother bear, which had the twins laughing hysterically.

Things became more mature when her story turned to moving to Mistledale. She quickly covered the three years leading up to her first true Harper mission. Before she realized it, the Slayerette was at the point where she was being tortured and all but raped by one of the mercenaries. She felt sharp pains in her palms but didn't register that it was her own nails pressing against the skin. When she began to falter just a bit, Amy's hand rubbed her thigh to calm her. She finally crested that hill and moved on to moving to Storm Silverhand's farm, skipping over the aftermath of the mission.

The ranger moved into her thirties, missing the look of sheer relief on Amy's face when she only gave a slight mention to the mission in Waterdeep. She arrived at the point of her downward spiral, her chance encounter with the vampire near Elversult. She went over the fight, the year of recovery, and the enraged destruction of his lair that led to entering the Mists that left her stranded in that living Hell. She didn't give much more than the time she'd lived there, how many vampires and other creatures she'd killed, and the increasing bitterness and darkness in her mind and soul.

The only two things she described in sometimes painful detail were the cold, emotionless woman she had been only a year before, and the one less than painful memory of that dreary existence; the two weeks she'd spent with an elven vampire who had miraculously retained his true, elven soul. She told them how Jander had saved her and been the only friend she had had in that quarter of her life.

She arrived at the point where she made the choice to give up hunting Drevok to save a band of Gypsies from hired killers, and how her choice had set her back on a path leading away from the personal Abyss she'd straddled for so long.

Unlike glossing over the events in the Land of Mists, Shaw went into detail on her months on Earth. She talked about her travels with Jonathan and Mark, training with Connor, coming to California, and beginning her mission. She felt a lump in her throat when she relayed her first sight of Amy, about to be killed by the vampires that had attacked her. She covered the events leading up to her running away because of Ares and the weeks following the event.

Finally, she finished her story and continued staring at the table, unable to bear the look that Eleanor might have in her eyes. She remained respectfully silent, waiting for the others to speak.

She felt a slim hand close over hers, scaring her. She raised fearful eyes up and saw Amy gently smiling at her, tears brimming even though she'd heard the story before. She returned her gesture with a gaze of appreciation.

"Shaw?" Eleanor's voice asked, piercing the fog of her thoughts. The cleric looked to her, hoping to be able to read her face. She was sorely disappointed. The oldest woman in the living room said, "You have seen and done much, haven't you?"

Not daring to read into any hidden meanings behind the question, she just nodded.

Eleanor nodded in return and looked around. "Alison? I can feel you want to ask her something."

Shaw saw that Alison's eyes had become utterly neutral. She scrunched back in her seat and folded her arms. "How did you feel about what happened with that wizard?"

Shaw stiffened at the blunt question but she was not going to lie about it. She felt her throat tighten as she confessed, "I hated myself. I hated myself for twenty-five years, for killing a man who was sick. A man I might have helped, had I not cold-bloodedly slain him in a fit of temporary insanity." Her lower lip began to tremble and she bowed her head. "To a small extent, I still hate myself for killing him," she said in a small voice.

She watched as Amy's hand supportively squeezed hers. She gathered her wits and returned to looking at Eleanor. "I killed a man and felt nothing when I did it. I have always regretted what I did, and I have to live with the knowledge of what I did, and what I can be capable of, for the rest of my life."

Eleanor seemed to look into her very soul, so intent was her stare. It seemed like a long time passed before the ash blonde former nurse said, "You fear that part of yourself still, don't you?"

Shaw broke the stare, looking down at her tightly clenched fingers. She barely heard herself croak, "More than anything, Eleanor. More than anything."

She waited for another question but Amy's hand suddenly withdrew. Before she could react, Eleanor's warm, weathered hands closed over hers and pulled them apart. She closed her fingers around Shaw's and Shaw couldn't help herself. She looked up at the woman who would decide what relationship, if any, she had with her kin.

Eleanor's face was unreadable, despite Shaw's hopes and fears. The witch just said, "Why don't you get yourself something to drink, Shaw? I would like to talk with the others."

Shaw nodded without hesitation. She let Eleanor guide her up and Amy stood up next to her. Shaw glanced at her and silently begged her not to object. She looked dubious, but like her, Amy was not willing to go against her grandmother. She kept her eyes on the woman as she slowly sat back down.

Shaw started to move and Eleanor released her. She headed for the kitchen, hoping that things would turn out for the best.

*****

Shaw had barely disappeared through the doorway before turning on her grandmother. "Grandma..."

Eleanor held up a hand to prevent her argument and Amy fell silent. She looked at her relatives and saw all of the others, even the Zen Witch, waiting for Grandma to talk.

Grandma sat back down and rubbed her hands together, very slowly. Amy wondered how much she'd Seen and how much was Grandma's intuition. <Of course, a lot of times those are one and the same.>

Despite her worries about how Grandma felt, she didn't say anything, because it would be biased. She was the one closest to Shaw.

"Joan," she finally asked slowly, "what does it say about a person when the thing she fears most, is herself?"

Amy's eyes flicked over to Joan, who was in Jedi Master Mode. "In Shaw's case, I think it says that she had to do things to survive, things she regrets. She knows what she once was, but I also believe that what Ares did to her last month has reopened wounds that were nearly healed."

Grandma raised an eyebrow. "She has made mistakes."

"And she's learned from them," Amy blurted in Shaw's defense. "I can tell you that much."

Allie warningly muttered, "Aim..."

"No, Allie!" she barked. She stood up and loomed over her petite aunt. "She made mistakes, yeah. Who hasn't? She was getting over them until Ares screwed with her mind last month. And she has enough of a guilty conscience without you asking her how she felt about killing that jerk who tortured her!"

Allie's eyes flared for a second and Amy wondered if she'd pushed too hard. But then Allie suddenly deflated, taking the wind out of Amy's sails. She mumbled, "I wanted to know how she dealt with what happened to her, Amy. I can't believe you thought I meant that."

Amy balked at saying anything more, hoping her foot would be out of her mouth first. "I'm sorry, Allie. It's just..."

The Amazon focused on Grandma again. "Grandma, yes she's made mistakes. But she didn't have anyone to help her through them, and she didn't do stupid stuff for selfish reasons. And let's not forget what *another* member of this family did for selfish reasons."

Allie said, "I thought you were over what Cathy did to you, Amy."

Although the compassion from Aunt Allie warmed Amy's heart, the Scooby kept to watching Grandma like a hawk.

Her Nana said, "She isn't referring to Catherine."

Amy whirled around, looking at her aunts and cousins. "That's right, everybody. Catherine the Great's little girl started following in her footsteps," she said, bitterness and revulsion soaking her words. "You want to know what I did? I used the Jedi Mind Trick on my teacher so I wouldn't have to do *homework*!"

She regained control of herself and shook her head as the memories replayed in her head. "If the Lady Goddess hadn't explained to me to how I was doing the same things Mom did, I... I don't know if I'd be able to face myself, let alone a First Circle demon."

She walked to the couch Grandma was sitting on and fell down next to her. "You know how much ending up like Mom scares the crap out of me, Nana," she said, looking imploringly at her, "and you know what I've been doing all year. We've talked every week since I started learning the Craft. Can you really say Shaw's foul ups were worse than mine? She was tortured and had everyone she loved killed in four *days*. *I* was selfish and lazy. Tell me again who has karma breathing down her neck."

"An impressive and impassioned defense, Amy," Grandma said politely. She zoned out a bit, using her Sight for something. "But your karma is *far* too positive at this point. It takes some of the validity away from your argument. But you are right about Shaw; she has learned from the past. At least for the most part."

"I'm still working on the rest," Amy promised solemnly. "So is the rest of the team."

Grandma nodded and pursed her lips. Aunt Joan softly asked, "Mother?"

"I'm just thinking, Joan Marie," she sighed. Amy watched her stare at the kitchen door for several seconds before distractedly asking, "Amy, has the rest of her line acted in such a manner?"

"Alison was the first of four generations of Harpers," she responded automatically. "As for the ranger thing, Shaw's generation number seven. So I'd say 'yes' is a good guess."

"You have done well in your own right," Nana added, her eyes shifting toward her.

Amy straightened up a bit under the Granny microscope. "I like helping others. I don't plan on stopping soon."

"I know, dear," she said proudly. It made Amy beam. She stood up and smiled fully. "I am very proud of you and what you have done, Amy. But I still want to hear everything again, along with the things you and Shaw have been part of together."

Amy grinned back at her. "There really are some parts Shaw and I should talk about together."

"Then perhaps we should ask her if she wants to join the rest of the family."

*****

Shaw was refilling her plastic cup for a third glass of water, hoping that *this* one would settle her nerves. The first two had effectively cured her scratchy throat, caused by telling her life story.

She wondered what Eleanor thought of her. She'd done things in the past; she owned up to that much. But she couldn't help but feel that maybe she would be found wanting when Eleanor judged her.

After all, when comparing herself to the people she had fought with before and now, she knew she still had a lot of emotional healing to do.

The door slid open, startling the preoccupied half-elf into dropping the cup with a clatter. Gulping and feeling wyverns taking flight in her stomach, Shaw faced Amy and Eleanor, awaiting the matron's words.

Somehow, she just knew this was *it*.

Eleanor came within a half-foot of her, steel gray eyes holding her gaze. Three seconds passed by before Eleanor finally spoke.

"Shawukay, blood of Alison..." Shaw stopped breathing, not knowing what to expect. Eleanor's formality suddenly transmuted into a warm, caring smile that brought to Shaw's mind images of bedtime stories and mid-afternoon snacks. "Welcome home."

Shaw just stood there, frozen in time as her mind tried to assimilate the impact of the woman's two simple yet profound words.

She knew her mouth had opened, but no words would come forth. She felt sudden moisture descending her cheeks, feeling as if someone had sprinkled her with water. She failed to realize she was weeping for joy before the matron of her family closed the small gap between them and enveloped her in a protective embrace.

She fell into the hug, bringing her arms up to hold onto Eleanor. She knew her tears were flowing faster, but she was occupied only with feeling the joy erupting within her. She was able to feel like nothing bad could ever happen to her again.

That was the effect of Eleanor's hug; the experience of feelings she'd not had since she was a little girl in her grandparents' arms. A feeling she wished she could keep for all time.

She instinctively snuggled deeper into her matriarch's arms, whimpering, "Thank you..."

Eleanor hushed her, rocking her gently. "No, child," she murmured back. I thank you. Because of you, our family is reunited and truly whole again. We are all together. That is what matters, Shawukay. You matter. To all of us."

Eleanor softly guided her back and held her at arm's length, examining her wet face. She held onto Shaw's arm but turned halfway to bring Amy closer. She pulled them both into a momentary group hug before releasing both of them and smiling warmly.

"I am so happy that you two are so brave and caring for others. I know that you did not begin on the best of terms, but it is so obvious that you have made great strides in bridging the gap that was between you. Now I want to know everything you have done this past year. Let us talk, have our Christmas dinner, and exchange our *other* gifts. Let us be a family."

*****

The twins laughed behind their hands as Amy finished the tale of Robin's Christmas present. They'd loved it almost as much as the joke she and her sisters had played on Mulder back in May. Eleanor's eyes also shined with enjoyment while Alison's were rife with mischief.

"You actually rode a unicorn?" she asked Shaw.

Hazel eyes gleaming with pleasant feelings, Amy's teammate nodded. "He is living in Yellowstone Park."

"They say only a virgin can even get close to a unicorn," Allie teased with a grin.

"That is not true," Shaw quipped, neatly dodging the hidden joke on her aunt's part. "In any event, the unicorn was quite kind when it came to helping me."

"Point," Allie agreed. She looked at her and folded her fingers on her left knee. "So Amy, what's it like dating a fairy? Cathy gave away the details on *my* little escapades, so let's hear *your* juicy details about you and this Robin boy making out."

"Noooo!" the twins whined.

<Oh Goddess. Don't tell me they're still in the 'boys are yucky' phase...> Amy giggled.

"We don't wanna hear about sex!" Lizzie protested with a chirp. Anna, in that twin way, followed up with, "We wanna hear more about their fights and that Amazon thing!"

<Okay, so it's not the 'boys are yucky... Hold the phone!> Amy folded her arms and put on a mock frown. "Oh no you don't. Don't *even* get it in your heads to go out looking for ways to become Amazons. You're both too young anyways."

"Yeah, right!" they snapped.

"It's true," the senior said easily. "The Lady Goddess SO does not hand out her blessing left and right. Anyone who wants to be a blessed Amazon, by Her decree, has to be at least fourteen. And it's not a free ride, kids; you're expected to earn that blessing. I was already with the team when I was made the offer. And after you get the blessing, you have to use it as it's intended; by helping people."

"And how does it feel?" Aunt Joan asked her, looking at her with that Buddha smile.

"Helping others? It feels good." She glanced down at her lap, where one of Grandma's farm cats was contentedly purring. "Like two weeks ago. I had to lead that assault against the vamp drug gang. We saved Gunn's people a lot of headaches and heartache, and some spells will help keep Lily's Teen Shelter safe."

"Even if Robin wanted to kill Charles for kissing you," Shaw added with a smile.

"I made it up to him," she shrugged. "The point I'm trying to make is, Artemis won't make you an Amazon because you think it'd be cool to have superpowers. For one thing, I *worship* Her. She's my Goddess. I pray to Her and I love Her. If you want to be Amazons, you have to want it for the right reasons."

She appreciated the way her aunts nodded in agreement, but even more was the thoughtful look on Anna and Elizabeth's faces. Sure, they could be twelve-year-old pains in the butt sometimes, but they had good heads on their shoulders. She couldn't help but admire that their enthusiasm was curbed by keen minds.

She continued petting the cat on her lap, drawing more soft purrs. "But you'd still have to wait until you're fourteen. Sorry."

The twins looked at her, suspicious about the age part at least. The swiveled their heads in perfect synchronization to look at Shaw, hoping for the straight scoop.

Religion Girl shrugged. "I was not formally named a servant of Mielikki until *my* fourteenth birthday. And she is a different Goddess."

"One rule fits all," Amy smugly quipped.

"Ha, ha," Anna grumbled.

"So how does it feel to be an Amazon, Amy?" Grandma asked with a smile that Joan couldn't beat. "Metaphysically speaking, that is."

"I..." Amy paused and looked to Shaw, who *so* understood. She nodded to see if Shaw could even try to put it into words. <I just can't describe it. It would be insulting.>

"As pitiful as the image is..." Shaw began, scrunching her toes nervously, "if a mother's love were something tangible, that you could touch... imagine that love being wrapped around you like a thick blanket while you are sitting in front of a warm fire." She glanced back at her. "And multiply it by a million fold, at the least."

<That was good!> Amy thought happily. "Yeah, that'll work."

The Amazon turned back to the kids. "And if you're ever worthy of becoming an Amazon, that's what's waiting for you. But you have to live up to the responsibility." Her serious look faded and was replaced by a smile of simple happiness. "But you'd also have sisters who are always there for you, in a fight or just for girl talk."

She finished her little speech and turned her blue eyes to Grandma. "Now, is there anything else to talk about before we open presents?"

She loved the way that question made the twins defiantly stare at Allie and Joan, just daring them to delay the gift exchanging. But they managed to stifle their impatience long enough for Grandma to laugh and nod, "Yes."

The Terrors didn't need any more incentive. They bolted right for the tree where the presents lie. The snatched up a package each and zipped over to Grandma, sitting on her lap as they handed her their presents.

<Awwwwwwwww...> Amy thought with a giggle. But she saw Aunt Allie walking over and picking up a larger package. Unlike her cousins, who went around at full tilt, Allie seemed to have her energy on a tight leash, almost like the Guardian Spirits when they were in their true forms.

She handed Amy the package and gave her a soft, "Merry Christmas, Amy."

Amy reached for the package and felt Shaw shifting on the couch. Shaw gently removed the protesting cat from her lap and moved closer to get a better view of Amy's present.

<Enjoying how much I like the present and living vicariously,> she thought. She didn't mind, although she wished she'd thought of giving the others gift ideas for Shaw. <But no, I know she would've objected. Then again, she went ahead against what I told her and got them gifts anyway.>

She finished unwrapping the box and saw it was your typical clothing box. The Amazon witch pulled the top off and looked inside. A gasp escaped her lips before she broke into one of the widest smiles she'd ever given.

"Oh my Goddess..." she breathed, taking out the gleaming red shirt that could only be made from authentic Chinese silk, and the *good* stuff too. She left the brown miniskirt inside for now. She could Feel something woven into the threads that made up the stitching.

Allie told her. "There's a shop in Hong Kong where I get clothes like this. The owner's an old friend of mine and a shaman to boot. He put in little protections for you. Basically good luck charms and stuff to protect you from evil spirits."

"Something I can use on the Hellmouth," Amy joked, her eyes twinkling a light blue.

"Fashionable yet patrollable," Shaw innocently added.

Amy shot her a faked dirty look. "Smartass." But she really liked the outfit. She beamed at Allie. "Thanks, Allie."

Allie bent over and the two hugged. Allie stood back up and snickered, "Just make sure you don't flash the vamps when you do those karate kicks."

"Very funny." She put the clothes back in the box and closed it. She glanced at Shaw, who was grinning from ear to ear. <Great. She's happy because I'm happy.> "Enjoying yourself?" She asked, lightly smiling back.

"I am, Amy." She blushed a bit before adding on, "Because of you."

Her cousin didn't elaborate, but Amy didn't need her to. "Thanks, cuz," she whispered.

"Shaw?" Grandma's voice asked, drawing their attention back to the present. Amy saw she'd unwrapped Shaw's present to her. It was a CD case that was packed to the brim with CD's. "Might I ask what is on these discs?"

The witch glanced at her teammate, who looked down at her hands, absently petting the tomcat. "On the discs is the history of my line, from Alison's life on Toril to mine, up until two weeks ago. I..." Shaw looked back up, swallowing nervously. "Amy told me how important the mystery of Great-grandmother's disappearance was to your family, so... I wanted you to have as much as I could remember about her. I... I even included both versions of the family tree, the true line and the 'official' one created by some of our friends, in case there are members of the family who do not know the truth and ask... if you tell them about me."

Amy was overjoyed as the thought of the gift. Knowing how important the fate of Alison had been to *Nana's* grandma, Amy couldn't think of a sweeter present. However, she decided to needle Shaw about a little white lie she'd told *her*.

With a sly grin, Amy said, "Wait a minute, Ladyhawke! *You* told me the reason you asked about Grandma's computer was so you could check your e-mail!"

"It was," Shaw replied right off the bat. "I have been keeping in touch with Connor and Duncan."

"And nothing to do with that present?" she teased incessantly.

Shaw's cheeks turned darker. "I could have printed the files out."

"A hundred years of family history? How much copier paper are we talking here?"

Shaw's eyes glimmered with hilarity. "I am glad I did not have to find out."

As they broke into laughter and hugged each other, Allie's voice broke through their laughs. "A half-elven priestess cousin from a sword and sorcery dimension who's hooked on the WWF and can't go a weekend without surfing the Net. Hecate, I can die now, I've seen it all."

"And you read about it, Alison," Shaw said easily. "Provided you have access to a computer."

Amy wondered if Shaw realized she'd just goofed and revealed her present to Allie. <I'm not going to point it out to her. And she called her Alison!>

Allie just grinned and said, "Thanks, kiddo."

<Kiddo? She's twenty years *older* than you!>

Any retort from her was stalled when Grandma walked over and gave Shaw a light kiss on the cheek. "I cannot think of a more kind, heartfelt gift, Shaw. Thank you very much."

Amy saw that she was both embarrassed by the praise from the "head of the family," and happy to have made *her* happy.

Smiling mischievously, Amy elbowed Shaw in the ribs. "Showoff." She knew Shaw wouldn't take that seriously.

Grandma sat back down and set the CD's next to the jewelry the kids had gotten her.

The family exchanged the rest of their gifts and talked about their lives. Joan talked about her editing job, while Allie discussed her upcoming filming projects, including one in the Serengeti. Grandma discussed the gathering of her circle on New Year's Eve and invited Amy and Shaw to stay for it. Amy declined, wanting to spend part of her vacation with Robin. Shaw also declined, but because she didn’t have any potential for witchcraft.

<She’d feel like a fifth wheel. On the outside looking in.> Amy sympathized with her.

Amy talked about her grades and waiting to hear from the colleges she'd applied to. Shaw admitted that she had been trying to figure out what she was going to do in the future. Amy jokingly added that being a junior, she had another year to figure it out.

The twins, of course, only talked about kid things, Faire, witchcraft, and stuff like that.

<Stuff I never did because Mom and I had our problems,> she thought, feeling envious and sad at the same time. <And despite it all, I still love her.>

Eventually, the moment Amy dreaded came to fruition; the Terrors started asking Shaw more of their D&D questions. In contrast to Amy's feelings, Shaw seemed only too happy to answer to the best of her abilities. Amy was glad the twins had enough compassion to avoid the more sensitive parts of Shaw's background.

When the kids' eyes started spending more time drooping than staying focused, Grandma and Joan hustled them off to bed (after suitable grumbling and bribes from her and Shaw to teach them some moves in the morning).

Once the Horrors Madison had trudged off to bed, Amy's eyes did a solitary sweep of the living room. Grandma was serenely smiling and stroking another one of her cats. Allie still looked like she had energy in reserve, but then she was used to being up days at a time. Joan had her Zen face on, looking like Joan. Shaw, sitting next to her, was nursing what had to be her jillionth cup of eggnog.

<Great. Another vice to go along with the butterscotch.>

"Amy," Allie said with a smile, getting Amy to return it, "Joanie tells me you're a hot shot diviner now. We can tell you're powerful at this stage, but have you come up with any spells of your own?"

"I have a knack for it," she admitted shyly. She shrugged a bit. "I mean, the basic scrying and location spells, they come easy to me. Detect magic, identify, and those kinds. But I *did* cook up an original spell that's worked and helped us save a lot of lives so far."

She didn't consider herself egotistical, but she liked the interest in Allie's eyes. "What does it do?" she demanded.

"Well, your average Slayer can detect vamps inside one hundred feet," she explained. "What my spell does is crank that Slayer Sense up to a half mile, and it lets the Slayer tell exactly how many vamps are where."

Joan and Allie looked impressed, but Grandma wasn't so easy to impress. She asked, "Are there any side effects?"

"PMS," Shaw answered from her side of the couch.

Amy glared at her. "Gee, *thanks*!"

"Did *you* want to explain what happened to Kendra?"

The blonde witch just rolled her eyes and told her relatives how Kendra had experienced abdominal pains because of Amy's spell, not to mention how she'd refused to mention it because the Slayer had believed that the benefits of her spell had vastly outweighed some "minor physical discomfort."

"She even told me that if I hadn't cast the spell on her," Amy finished with a smile when she remembered Kendra's praise, "we wouldn't have found the vampires before sunset. And that would have been a very bad thing."

Grandma thought about it and gave her stamp of approval. "A useful spell, Amy. Very good."

"Care to give me a copy of that?" Allie asked with interest gleaming in her eyes. "I'll give you the details of some spells I've tinkered with."

"Like the one you use to get within thirty feet of a pride of lions without them turning you into Cat Chow?" Amy laughed.

"Don't knock it, kiddo. I don't see three Emmy nominations on *your* resume!" she snapped back with a crack of her knuckles.

"Would those who have helping save the world on their resume raise *their* hands?" she countered in return, her and Shaw raising hands.

The Madisons laughed over the exchange and Joan asked, "Do you plan on making this battle a permanent part of your life, Amy?"

She had to really think about how to answer that. She chewed on her bottom lip for a minute before saying, "If you're asking me if I plan on staking vamps for the rest of my life, no I don't. I want to have a family someday and that'll take priority. But I'd still have some responsibilities with the Amazon nation. I don't know, maybe teaching Amazon fighting arts or witchcraft to kids. By the time I do stop fighting, I think I'll have a lot to offer those who take over for me."

She let the others think about her answer. Nana smiled lovingly at her. "You have thought this through, Amy. That's very good."

"Well, I had to grow up kind of fast." She scrunched back in the couch. "I don't want to lose any enjoyment I can find."

"A sound philosophy," Joan agreed. She stood up and stretched herself like a cat. "I do need to get to bed, Mother. We have another day at Faire tomorrow." She favored them with a hopeful look. "Will you two join us tomorrow? I know the children would love to have you again."

"Sorry, but I can't play Joan's Voice. I somehow 'let' Tim talk me into assisting with *both* of his shows tomorrow." She smiled despite her so-called grumbling. "I figure it'll be easier than worrying about those little rugrats conning me again."

Joan laughed, her voice ringing with the good feelings permeating the room and the women. She then asked, "And you, Shawukay?"

Shaw set her cup down and Amy thought Shaw's eyes had eagerness leaking out of them. "I would really like that, Joan. Thank you."

Amy groaned. "Oh Goddess no! Those little turds got you hooked in one day!"

"They played some small part in it, yes," she admitted, smiling with the same expression she'd worn at the Faire grounds all day. "But it was more than that. The atmosphere, the reminders of where I grew up, the games... and by the Lady, Amy, I cannot remember when I was so caught up in the excitement of a crowd that I was playing for! I *wanted* them to be happy!"

Amy almost couldn't believe the excitement in Shaw's voice. Not that she was put off by it; just the opposite. She and the rest of the team were glad when Shaw stopped being so reserved and self-controlling as she usually did. To see her so enthused about something brought her happiness.

"You really did enjoy it, didn't you?" Shaw almost glowed and Amy felt herself caught up in the moment. "You going to come out here every weekend?"

Shaw's smile shrank a little. "No, our duties come first, as does my schooling. But I will, how do you say, 'sign up' to come when my life permits." She looked at Joan, a pleading look in her eyes. "That is, if I can."

"Since you both work with a Knight of the Grail and a Vampire Slayer, I think most of the committee will have little problem with that," Joan assured her. "Once they understand how important your work is."

"Thank you."

Amy stifled a yawn and she realized that it was after eleven. "Well, I'm doing an Aunt Joan and hitting the sack too. You coming, cuz?"

Despite the knowing look she gave Shaw, who *so* wanted to keep going, her cousin agreed quietly. She was just as whacked and ready for bed as she was.

As they stood up, Grandma came over and hugged them both. Amy headed for their room, Shaw right on her tail. She pushed the door open and headed to her side of the dresser. They started getting ready for bed and Amy stopped when Shaw pulled out a pair of sweats.

"You have got to be kidding me," she stated in shock.

Shaw froze for a moment, looked at her sweatshirt, and asked, "What?"

Seeing that she was really clueless, Amy smiled kindly. "Hunter, if you wear that and sleep under these covers, you'll sweat off twenty pounds. And really, you don't have any weight to spare."

When she seemed at a loss, Amy held up a finger in a "Just a sec" gesture. She reached into the drawer and pulled out a second nightshirt. She tossed it over and grinned. "Here. Consider it a loan."

She grinned as she caught it and unfolded it. The smile vanished and it was Amy's turn to say, "What?"

In response, Shaw gave her an even look and turned the shirt around, giving Amy a good look at the words sprinkled with silver glitter.

It read, Snookums.

Amy groaned at the innocent error and Shaw arched an eyebrow. "I may be dimensionally challenged, but I know what 'Snookums' means."

"Laugh it up, Hunter." She saw Shaw was just getting her goat, especially when Shaw laughed at her. "It was a gift from Robin. Just wear it for tonight, okay? Geez."

Shaw threw the shirt on and folded her sweats back up. Amy started pulling the covers back but stopped when she felt something wasn't right. She looked over at the dresser and saw Shaw holding a picture that had sat on that dresser for as long as she could remember visiting Grandma. She strode over and asked, "Hey, what's up?"

Shaw didn't have to answer because the witch's mind quickly assessed the situation. "Your great-grandma?" she asked with a whisper.

Her choked up roomie, too focused on the old photo, just said, "I wish I could have met her, Amy."

"I know." That was something Shaw'd told her before. "Now tell me what's got your eyes locked on Allie the First."

"I-I..." Amy put a caring hand on Shaw's shoulders, hoping Shaw wouldn't fall into the old trap of closing up her emotions. Shaw reached up and stroked her own jaw with her fingers. "Eleanor saw that part of me," she said in an awed voice. "T-the part..."

Amy's mouth formed an "o" of understanding. "The Madison part of you." She hugged Shaw from behind. "I understand. You told me you mostly got your Mom's looks."

"I... I am glad that I inherited traits from both of my parents. But I never thought anyone would just know upon seeing us that we were related. I..."

Amy took the flustered girl by the arm and guided her to the closest bed. She guided her to a seat and marveled at how Shaw just kept staring at the picture. <Goddess, she's just emotionally drained, but in a happy way.> "Shaw?" she whispered.

Shaw started, slightly distracted. "What, Amy?"

The senior Slayerette gently removed the picture from Shaw's grasp so she could look at it, too. She looked at her ancestors and when she really looked, she could see where Alison's genes had been passed down to Shaw.

"I was thinking that you're pooped in the emotions department," she said, trying to explain her thoughts. "You had all those worries and hopes and just about every feeling under the sun running through your brain on the way here this morning. But along the way, from spending time with the kids, to shopping at the Faire, to telling everyone the truth, to you and Grandma in the kitchen... it was like I could almost see those worries being stripped away a layer at a time. And right now, all that's left is Happy Girl. But you've been having so *many* feelings, you're mentally wasted. You want to keep feeling this happy, but you're just too tired to keep going."

Shaw just stared at the picture, but she could tell she was thinking about what Amy had said. "You sound like you are speaking from experience."

"Oh yeah," Amy confessed dryly. "When I moved in with Dad, I was going through the same stuff you were going through this morning. Would he want me? What would my step mom think? I was pretty much thinking worst case scenario."

"What happened?"

"Dad lays eyes on me for the first time in almost four years and breaks out in tears. He just took me into his arms like he was afraid I was going to up and disappear again. And in that moment I just knew everything was going to be okay." The young woman fidgeted a bit. "It was funny, you know? Here I was, worried sick about how they'd react and Dad, Rhonda, and especially my sisters were *thrilled* to have me. Heck, I spent the first two hours I was there just playing dress up with the girls, because I just loved the idea of having kid sisters. I wasn't alone anymore."

Shaw whispered, "I understand."

Amy wrapped an arm around Shaw and pulled her a little closer. "I know you do. That's one of the reasons I'm glad we're getting closer; you're someone I can talk to about family stuff, like my Mom. I really appreciate it."

She smiled at Shaw, who was tearing up at her kudos. <Yep. Happy limit reached, sir.>

She hugged Shaw and smiled. "Let's get some sleep. We've got an early start and it took you *forever* to get into that costume today."

They laughed and released each other. As they climbed into bed, Amy sent one glance at the dream catcher hanging above their beds. She wondered if it was her imagination when something glittered it the strands.

<Nope. No Freaky Friday Cheerleader or Dark Quickening nightmares for US tonight.> Thus reassured that *both* of them would have peaceful slumbers, Amy clicked off the nightlight and snuggled deeper into the warm covers, falling asleep before she knew what was happening.

*****

"Well, they're all asleep. What do you want to do?"

"I want to go to the Faire!"

Spike sighed and turned to Dru, who was looking through the costumes she'd ripped off from some costume shop back in Texas. <Of all the places to go for Christmas, she wants to go to some bloody Renn Faire this close to the bleedin' Hellmouth.>

"Look luv, I know you've got your lovely heart set on taking in the sights of this Faire and the like, but you do realize that we can't go out in the daytime. Are the bloody people even going to be in costume when the sun goes down?"

"Mmmm. They'll have a dinner," she said with one of those blank stares of a trance. She began traipsing around the room like she was dancing with someone. She was very enthusiastic about it as she talked. "Spike, there'll be dancing, there'll be singing, and there'll be plenty of food for everyone. We'll go to eat and be very happy."

Well, that did it. She had her heart set on it. And he never could refuse her, not even when she'd wanted to run with the bloody bulls. He smiled and joined her on her improvised dance floor. "All right, luv. We'll go to the Faire and dance the night away before we feast on the feasters. And then we'll dance some more. Doesn't that just thrill you, pet?"

"Grrr. Yum!" She pretended to bite someone, maniacal glee dancing in her eyes. "My Spike always shows me a good time. We'll be good." She spun a circle like an excited little girl before a birthday party. "We and Miss Edith will dress like the Queen and be royalty for a day!"

"Oh we will, luv," he said, taking the lead in their waltz to imaginary music only his true love could hear. "And maybe when we're done, we'll stop by one of the local wineries and pinch a couple bottles of the local vino, eh? Maybe some Corbet Canyon."

Dru cocked her head and trilled, "Canyon.. canyon... canyon..."

Spike hid a groan. <I hate that bloody commercial...>

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