Heart and Home

Gift

The next morning, Buffy Summers was downstairs in the basement working on creating the perfect present to give to Rupert. So she was using books as research on creating spells, she was taking notes and adding a few things that she needed to perfect her own spell. She looked over her notes as she began to piece together her spell and recipe. 'This is a tracking spell. One part of the spell allows an enchanted compass know if someone with the enchanted item is in trouble. It will also lead the caster to them. This spell is a expert level. Type of the magic that is being used is Blood Magic.' She wrote down in her journal as she looked back at her experiments. 'Ingredients need is a compass, pendant, the caster's Blood. A compass to guide them to the person with the enchanted item. Pendant(s) to be enchanted and worn by the people. It will sense danger and send a signal to the compass. Caster Blood to link both pieces together. You will need ½ Cup of Blood.' Buffy wrote down as she consulted her notes from her experiments. 'The first step is to collect a ½ cup of blood. The second step is to place ½ cup of blood into a bowl. The third step is to place the enchanted compass in the bowl and soak it. The fourth step is too place how many pendants in the bowl and soak it. The final step to say the spell.' She said as she consulted her notes and research. She began writing once more before looking at her research. 'The incantation is 'Cum Parum Est Coniunctum.' This is translated from Latin to English meaning 'Finding the linked.' Make sure you say the Incantation properly and clearly or there could be disastrous consequences.' Buffy wrote down as she consulted her research. 'The final step is to rinse the blood with water. The receiver(s) must wear the pendant(s) and the caster must wear the compass. When the compass glows, someone is in trouble. The compass will lead the caster to them.' She wrote down in her journal her findings. Buffy begin the spell by cutting her hand and letting herself bleed into a measuring cup. She then placed the ½ cup of blood into a bowl. She grabbed the enchanted compasses and placed it into the bowl and let it soak. Buffy grabbed the pendants from her bag and placed it in the bowl and soaked them in her blood. When it was almost done, she shut off the flame. "Cum Parum Est Coniunctum." She said as she waved her hand over the compasses and pendants. There was a huge burst of light and smoke. When it cleared she saw that the items were fully connected through magic. "Yes!" She exclaimed as she took the bowl to the sink and washed everything off with soap and water. Willow came out and looked at her. "What are you so happy and excited about?" She asked her best friend. She began wash off each of the items individually. She set them aside when she was finished on the table. She turned the compasses and pendants into two leather necklaces, one for her and the other for Rupert. "Willow, I have been working on this tracking spell for months and I finally completed it." She said happily as she showed Willow her research and notes. "Wow this is a really complicated spell, could I use this sometime?" Willow asked her. "Yes, of course you can Willow. You are the witch. I'm just the slayer." She said as she cleaned up all of her notes and research from the table. "Do you think Giles will like it?" She asked Willow softly. "I think that he will love it." She reassures her friend. Buffy smiled happily as she placed one of the necklaces into a small box with an sparkly gold ribbon. Willow helped her put her own pendant and compass. She smiled happily as she placed the box in her bag and cleaned up her research and notes. She put the books back where she found them. She put her notes and research into her trunk that was in the basement. She set them in there before she organized it and locked it up.

Buffy walked back upstairs and into the kitchen. Rupert was sitting at the counter reading the newspaper. "Hey Rupert, you want me to make tea?" She asked looking at Rupert. "Tea? When did you learn to make tea?" He teased, then saw her face as she blushed heavily. "I always watched you make tea, you made it look so easy." She said as her hands were noticably trembling. "You taught me everything that I know. I remember meeting Ripper and I knew that I loved him. But to be honest it was easy because he was part of you. But he could never replace you, Rupert. Never." She said as she began to pour them their cups of tea. She made them how they both liked it. She turned and placed it down in front of him. He smiled at her as he lifted the cup and sipped the tea she made for them both. "Not bad, Buffy for an American." He said teasing her again. She smacked his arm gently as she leaned over and kissed him gently on the lips. They walked over and sat on the couch. Buffy laid her head into his lap while smiling happily. She giggled as she retrieved a small box from her pocket holding it out for him. 'I wonder what it could be.' Rupert thought as he looked at his young slayer a bit questionably before he opened the box and inside was the pendant with a small compass attached on a leather string. "Oh, Buffy. I-It's ab-absolutely wonderful. I love it." Rupert said as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He almost immediately put it on, smiling happily. "I hoped that you would like them. It's spelled so that I can always be able to find you and you can always find your way back to me." She said happily. "That's wonderful, Buffy." Rupert said proudly as he drank his tea and begun reading a new book he had acquired from one of his contacts in England. It was about Chinese Zodiac Curses and Demons. Rupert read the book while playing with her hair gently. She smiled as she grabbed the remote and turned on the T.V., she watched some detective show that was on. She fell asleep and had horrible nightmares about the time she died to save Dawn. 'The sky was growing lighter as the sun began to rise. Buffy looked peaceful as she turned towards Dawn, who stared at her with wide eyes. "Buffy ... no!" Dawn yelled at her. "Dawnie, I have to." Buffy said looking at her beautiful younger sister. "No!" Dawn exclaimed looking at her sister. "Listen to me. Please, there's not a lot of time, listen. Dawn, listen to me. Listen. I love you. I will always love you. But this is the work that I have to do. Tell Giles ... tell Giles I figured it out. And, and I'm okay and give my love to my friends. You have to take care of them now. You have to take care of each other. You have to be strong. Dawn, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. Be brave. Live for me." She told her sister as Dawn began to cry. The lightning continued to crackle behind them. Buffy stroked the side of Dawn's face, then kisses her on the cheek. Dawn continues to cry. Buffy turns. In slow-motion, she runs down the platform as Dawn stays there crying. Buffy swan-dives off the end of the platform and into the portal. Dawn watches, sobbing. Buffy falls into the portal and hangs there motionless, making expressions of pain. The portal writhing and spitting before disappearing. Buffy woke up in a large box, she took a deep breath as she punched through it, she broke it and dirt poured in but she made a hole big enough and fought her way up to the surface.' That was when she woke up screaming. "Buffy?!" Giles said as he held her close. "It's okay." He said softly as tears started flowing from her eyes. "Giles, I'm scared." She said as she crawled into his arms. "Of what, my  love?" He asked, stroking her hair gently. "Dying. I don't want to die again, Rupert. I do remember dying and the last thing I saw was Dawn crying. But I knew at that moment what the first slayer meant when she said that death was my gift." She said softly. "The next thing I remembered was fighting my way back to the surface from my coffin. I was so scared but not of dying but of never seeing yours and Dawn's face again. That is what motivated me to keep going. Then you weren't there, Dawn was but you weren't. All I wanted was you, Giles. So I waited, I don't remember much after what happened before you came back. It felt like I was just going through the motions waiting for you to return to me. But after you did, I could remember that happened everything after that when I saw you. It was like I could finally breathe again." She said looking at him. "I'm scared, Giles." She said softly, tears coming down her cheeks. He wiped her tears away and gently placed her head onto his chest. "I know and I want you to know that I will do anything to make sure your safe, Buffy. Your safety is more important to me than anything, I love you." He said as he kissed her forehead gently before he ran his fingers through her hair gently. "I love you too, Rupert." She said as she wrapped her arms around his neck as she closed her eyes. "Safe and warm. Here I am loved." She whispered softly to herself as she fell back asleep. "Yes, you are." He said softly as he held her close to himself.