The Traveler Strikes Back

Chapter 17

"Well it looks like duty calls." I announced eagerly, pushing my now empty tray back and standing up. "Angel didn't ask for you." Gunn warns.

"Oh please, go ahead and try to make me stay." I laughed before teleporting back up to the room Lorne had given me. I couldn't go out and fight creepy crawlies in the same clothes I had been wearing for two days now can I?

I strode over to the closet and pushed it open. Inside was the largest collection of black clothes I had ever seen. This room had to have been previously occupied by a shopaholic goth. My eyes were immediately drawn to a pair of tight leather pants. Something I had always wanted to wear but was now considered an outdatef fashion faux pas in my own time. I grabbed them and threw them on the bed before stepping further into the closet to find other stuff. I found a typical 90's top that covered the torso in black fabric but the sleeves and upper chest made out of large black fishnet fabric.

After finding some new under garments I balled it all together and walked back to the bed where I had thrown the leather pants. I tried to put everything on but was soon reminded of how popular the 90's near anorexic thin look had been, because absolutely nothing fit. No worries, a little magical alteration brought the pieces to a more realistic size for my fit but pizza loving body.

Note to self: talk to the girls here about body positivity. I thought to myself before teleporting directly to Angels office. When I arrived it was empty. "Drats!" I cursed to myself. Where else could they be? Ah, the garage! That had to be it. In a swirl of emerald fog I found that I had made the right assumption, because appearing suprisingly unstartled by my sudden apearence was Illyria. "Didn't mean to scare ya." I apologized to the blue Goddess.

"You didn't. I sensed your arrival before it happened." Answered the deity who was possessing the now deceased body of Fred, the pretty, petite brown haired vessel that she inhabited was once a human damsel in distress, a lady Angel had saved in the early seasons, and who had been a part of the team for a long time before she accidentally opened the casket that contained the essence of this goddess.

The elevator doors dinged open and out stepped Gunn, followed by Buffy, Willow and Xander. "How did you get here so fast?" The words came out in surprise. "And did you change?..." Questioned the bald by choice monster hunter. "Oh this?" I motioned down to the gothic outfit I was wearing. "Its a little retro for me, but I like it. That change time was nothing though, I once had to change entire performance wardrobe in the span of a 37 second clown act... And that was including a crazy headpiece..." I bragged, my A.D.D. veering me off topic.

"I don't care!" Gunn cut me off, holding up his hand. "How did you beat us here?!?" He asked rudely. "Rude much?" I crossed my arms. "She teleported." Illyria informed him. "Oh... I forgot about that." He mumbled quietly. "Well they don't call me The Traveler for nothing." I told him with a bit of attitude.

"Well whatever you are, whatever they call you... You are not coming with us." He stated matter of factly. "Try and stop me mortal." I cocked my head at him. I saw his hand go towards the stake on his hip. "Woah Woah Woah Gunn..." I called out softly. "Look im not trying to threaten you in any manner. All im saying is a higher powet sent me a long way to help fix this broken universe. I can be quite useful I promise, and ill do my best to stay out of your way. All im asking is that you please let me do my job."

"Angel will not be pleased..." I heard Illyria tell Gunn as we all piled into his black convertable. I sat in the middle seat between Buffy and Willow.
"Watch her. If she goes rouge take care of it." He told the goddess in the passenger seat.

"I can still hear you you know?" I complained. "I still don't care." He replied without looking back at me. I slumped a little in my seat, realizing to myself that I was such a people pleaser.
"Are you ok?" Willow asked me once were out of the garage. "Ill be ok..." I sighed.  "Im just not used to so many people not liking me..."

"I like you." She gave me that trademark awkward Willow smile, and patted me on the arm. "You seem very likable."
"Oh Willow..." I smiled in sad irony at her. "As much as I would like to be reassured in your well meant and comforting words.. , I happen to know that you also comforted Spike after Drucilla left him and then again when he tried and failed to drink you. Both times when he was still your enemy, and still very much evil..."

"Oh... Yeah, I could see how that wouldn't give you very much faith in what I'm telling you." Said Willow.

"I didn't realize just how much darker this universe was from the rest until I got here." I told her, very much aware that everyone in the car was now silent and listening to my every word. "I get where you are all coming from. This universe does not have happy endings like the others ive seen. In fact I don't think any of you has ever had a happy ending.... Not once, not one that lasted anyway." I looked around to each of the beings in the car, thinking about all the horrible things ive seen them endure. "Anything with this much power and knowledge must be evil right?" I motioned to myself looking at Buffy. "But I'm not. I genuinely care, and I want to help."

A few moments of awkward silence passed as we drove through the busy city streets. My loose hair flapping violently against my face in the open air motor vehicle.

"In sorry I didn't give you a fair shot." Buffy suddenly spoke up in an apology,  and this surprised me. "I just saw you with Spike and I don't know why I just decided to go full on Regina George."
"Don't worry about it." I shrugged.

The car began to slow down.
"Were here." Announced Gunn.
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-Authors Note-

First of many weekly Wednesday updates of the Travelers Story!
Hope you guys enjoyed it.
Please don't forget to vote and comment! See you next Wednesday. Same bat time, same bat channel!

-GeekPower1