Title: Father of the Key
Author: Kate R.
Disclaimer: Joss owns all
Rating: PG to PG-13 I think. Maybe a bit of R as well at some point
Summary: Suppose the Monks had sent the Key earlier and had sent it to someone not Buffy?
A.N: Serious AU here people (2) Jenny belongs to Mac. She walked into this story and refused to leave. Thanks for letting me use her Mac)
Father of the Key
by Kate R.
He'd come as soon as he got the flight information. Dressed more casually than anyone had ever seen him. He would have to go to the school in these clothes. He had no time to go home and change. Wesley Wyndham-Pryce waited at the gate for Flight 1640 from England. Waited for the person he had a higher obligation than even his obligation to The Slayer. He looked up as he heard her squeal. "DADDY!" Then he had his arms full of 8-year-old daughter.
She held on to him tightly as he felt her shivering. Her mother's death, then being shipped over to him and Wes knew she was confused. He just held her tightly in his arms and rocked her gently. He signed the paper that was stating he got his daughter and then carried her to baggage claim. "You need to tell me what bags are yours, Dawn," he said to her.
Speaking without his customary stutter.
She nodded against his chest and turned her head watching the belt. She pointed out the bags that were hers. A suitcase and 2 duffle bags plus the small backpack she had with her. Wes gathered them and they left.
Dawn walked at his side out to the car he had for his tenure in California. She scrambled into the passenger seat and buckled up as Wes got into the driver's seat and did the same. He started the car and drove them towards Sunnydale proper. He looked at the clock on the dashboard and sighed. Definitely no time to go home and change into his customary suit.
He stopped at a McDonalds to get breakfast for the both of them and then drove them to the High school. He took Dawn's hand and led her inside. He would have to register her for classes next week at Sunnydale Primary. For now, she needed to be by his side.
According to Travers, she had witnessed the accident that killed her mother so she was a little in shock. Wes led her to the library where everyone was gathered waiting it seemed and he winced looking down at the file in his hand. He was late and he had the information they were waiting on.
"Damn," he muttered in Freni Demon. Dawn looked up at him and he shrugged. He walked into the library with Dawn hiding behind him and faced what he privately called the Firing Squad.
"Where were you Wesley? We've been waiting an hour on your ass. What were you thinking?"
"I---," he stammered.
The boy Harris started next.
"And you call me irresponsible? What could be so important that you deliberately come in late and not in your usual suit?"
"Daddy?" he heard Dawn ask from behind him. He turned to her and lifted her into his arms so he could hear her if she wanted to whisper. "Why is every body yelling at you? You had to get me from the airport. Isn't that important?"
"Yes, you are baby," he said as he brushed her long, brown hair off her face. "It's very important. Everyone, this is why I was late. This is my daughter, Dawn. I had to get her from the airport this morning. I'm sorry if wanting to make sure she got here okay offends you."
"Of course not, Wesley," Giles said as he looked at the little girl in his arms. She had the same dark brown hair and blue eyes as Wesley. Same build to, he would bet, once she got older.
"Gee, why didn't you just tell us that to start with?" Buffy asked.
"Because you didn't let him," Dawn told her with a stubborn set to her jaw. "You didn't even let him apologize, you just started yelling. You should learn to listen, you could get hurt otherwise."
Dawn was set down again, she was small but she would grow, just as he had, when she started eating better than what they served the children at Wyndham Castle. She walked over, looking at all the old books sitting on the tables and started to read one. Wes was aware she had his gift for languages so he knew she could read those books. He watched her ignore everyone around her save him and that sort of warmed him. Wes handed Giles the folder and walked over to join his daughter.
"He has a daughter?" Buffy asked. "When did that happen?"
"8 years ago," Wesley replied off handedly as he looked down at the passage in front of him. He heard Giles laugh at that and smiled a bit himself. His daughter was with him, he could keep her safe, and Travers was far away from them both. Life was good.
2
Dawn watched as the little rat-faced man came into the room and spoke to Mr. Giles. He was the principal of the school. He knew she was there and why and there really wasn't anything he could do about it so he ignored her. Daddy was translating something so Dawn walked around the library and got a regular fiction book. She could read the old books but it would be really rude of her to translate it without asking first and Mr. Giles was busy and Daddy wanted her to play like a normal little girl. He wasn't training her to be a watcher. As a matter of fact, that's why he had her at public school in London. He said she wouldn't be forced like he had been. And she was glad for it. She liked to help him research and translate but she also liked to play.
The blond girl came back in and Dawn retreated to her father's side. She didn't like Buffy. She thought it might have been because she could see how the blond snot treated her daddy. Her daddy who was the best daddy ever.
"Daddy, can we go out to lunch?" Dawn asked him at about 2:30.
Wesley looked at her and nodded. He waved to Mr. Giles to tell him they were going out and Giles nodded.
Wes drove them to a diner where they had some good food. Dawn ordered her first hamburger and French fries. Wes ordered the same for the first time himself and the two of them had a good lunch. Talking about the plane ride and such. Dawn looked up as Willow came into the diner as well. She saw Wesley and waved. Wesley looked at Dawn, who nodded, and then he waved her over to the table. Willow looked relieved because there weren't any other open tables.
"Hi Wes," she said. "Thanks for the seat. This place is crowded today."
"You're welcome Miss Rosenburg," he said. "Oh, this is my daughter Dawn. You weren't there earlier so you missed her introduction to everyone else."
"Hi, Dawn," Willow said. "You have a smart Dad, you know?"
"The smartest," Dawn said. "And the bestest. He came and got me even knowing it would make him late and everybody yelled at him until I told them where he was. Not right to yell cause he wanted to make sure I got here safe."
"No, it sure wasn't," Willow said as she ordered a veggie sub.
Wes and Dawn waited for her to finish and they all walked back to the school. Classes were about over for the day but Wes had to get his briefcase. He had told Dawn they would go to the mall after school let out and he would get her some new things. Dawn could hardly wait. It was going to be fun to spend time with her dad. And the mall sounded like a good place to do it.
3
"Daddy, do you have to wear a suit?" Dawn asked the next morning, as Wes was getting ready for work. He looked over his shoulder to where she was sitting on the bed, then looked in the mirror and sighed for a moment.
"No," he said at last as he walked to his bureau. "But, I do have to wear a tie." He pulled form the second drawer a pair of black jeans. He slid them on after shooing Dawn out so he could change. He came out in a black tie and his black jeans with a white shirt and a black vest. He slid a pair of black boots on form by the door and then he and Dawn headed out.
She was dressed in a new outfit of jeans and a t-shirt and tennis shoes. Dawn noticed his long coat in the car and she knew what it meant. There could be headhunters here. Daddy's Secret had to be kept but she noticed when they got to the school, he pulled the long coat out and carried it. He walked to the school doors with Dawn next to him where he met Faith.
"No suit today?" she asked.
Wes shook his head and looked down at Dawn. "Tired of being what they expect me to be," he said in a voice with less of the priss in it. "I think maybe they should know who I am."
"About damn time," a gruff voice said from behind. Wes smiled as he turned to the voice. An older man was standing there. He was leaning on a cane and he grinned at Wes. "Good to see you boy," he said. "The Old Man is coming to see you and make sure Dawn is okay over here."
"Right," Wes replied. "He just wants my beer. If he gets here while I'm here, tell him to come get the key to the apartment. How is Mr. Boy scout?"
"Broody as ever," the man replied.
Wes nodded. "He makes Angel seem down right cheerful, I tell you, Joe," he laughed as he hugged the man. "How the hell are you?"
"I'm good, boy. Can't complain. My bar is doing well. We were both just thinking about you the other day. Is this Faith?"
"Yeah," the girl said.
Joe grinned at her. "Don't mind his attitude. It's part of an act he's putting on to see how attentive the council is," Joe told her.
"I'm starting to realize that," she said as she looked at how he was standing. Straight and proud and his posture that of a trained warrior.
He looked at Faith and winked. "Our secret," he said as he saw Buffy walking up and immediately
slumped. Faith grinned, as did Dawn. Faith had also seen something else in his eyes that she would look up in Giles' books. She had seen Ages in his eyes. Ages Buffy couldn't comprehend, and she was amused by what he was doing playing the part of a watcher. She thought it might be cool to find out.
Wes smirked at her as he followed Buffy with his head down. The guy with the cane laughed as soon as they were out of earshot. Dawn grinned as she trailed after her daddy. Her Daddy was old and powerful and he knew what he was doing with a sword. Pity no one could know that quite yet. Dawn skipped to catch up with him wondering when her 'Grandfather' was going to arrive and would he bring Uncle Darius with him when he did?
Joe laughed as he and Faith followed Dawn into the school. Joe was thinking that when they found out his secret, Wes was going to have fun seeing their shock. He and Methos seemed to both have perverse senses of humor. But then at 4 and 5 thousand respectively, their humor was likely a bit bent. Joe wanted to be present when they found out. He could use a good laugh every now and then.
4
Giles watched Wesley. Something about him had rung false from the start and occasionally he'd see hints of what it was. Like now. Wes was sitting at the desk, translating things but Giles noticed something peculiar.
Every so often, he would take a translated passage and re-write it in its original language and then translate it again. Sometimes one word in the original language made all the difference in the translation to English. In other words, the prophecies made sense.
Then there was what Faith had asked if she could research. Ages seen in the eyes of people. But she wouldn't tell him why she wanted to research it. Then there were the times Wesley seemed to be muttering in languages so old they predated the things and words Giles recognized him using. Who was he? What was he? And why was Adam Pierson walking into his library?
"Hey, West!" The researcher from Paris called.
Giles watched as Wesley looked up and smiled. When did he answer to 'West' anyhow? Giles watched as he and the Paris researcher hugged manly and then went to work on the texts Wesley was working on.
"This is wrong," Pierson muttered. "Who translated this? Dopey and Doc?"
"Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber," Wesley answered. "I had to put one passage back in the original Language again and then retranslate it because it made no sense the way it was. It mentions the Heart of War but nothing else made sense."
"If you retranslated it here that means it was important."
"It's about our old friend Dickey. He's going for the Ascension. We need Darius. We need the Ancients that are left. Cassandra, Darius, Amanda, you, myself, Rebecca, Cerdwyn. We need them if we're to stop the Ascension. You know what'll have to happen if we don't get everyone
together."
"Cassandra did say an Ascension would have her work with me," Pierson said.
Wes sighed. "Tell the bitch to get over herself. It was three thousand bleeding years ago. There is no time in life for this shit."
"You tell her," Pierson retorted.
Giles just felt his jaw dropping as he listened. Wes looked at Pierson again.
"Contact Merlin to if you can find him. Ethan Rayne is what he uses now. Helps me razz the hell out of the council. Love the man and his work."
"I'll get a wire to him, although, his Watcher is in the office now."
"Yeah, only watcher who is intimate with his immortal. Wonder if the children know?"
"Hell, no," Pierson said. "You know what the blond bitch would do if she found out Ethan and Giles are playing tag. No one was going to get hurt on Halloween. Ethan was watching the town; we all know that. And Darius could have cancelled the spell from Paris if it came to that. Speaking of which, we need to get him here without alerting Mr. Boy Scout of the fact that Darius will leave the Church as Ares' Right hand to come here for this. We know Dickey is afraid of Ares' Warlords. Always was."
"Yeah," Wes said. He looked down at Dawn and then up at Giles and winked. Giles just stared before he finally understood what was going on and began to laugh.
"Travers has no idea, does he?" Giles asked as he joined them.
"Not a bleedin' one," Wes said. "He's failed the 'How observant are you?' game for sure. 200 years I've been there. You think they'd notice."
"Man never could see past the end of his nose. None of them could. Why are you here?"
"To stop Old Dickey," Pierson said. "Someone needs to deal with the homicidal 'I want to be a demon because I can't hack it as an immortal' fool bastard. Only the Ancients can deal with someone doing this without massive property damage. We're going to be contacting them now so you might want to get Ethan here ASAP. West, take you munchkin home and feed her. And we'll have to explain to Giles how she came about as well I'm sure but she looks hungry and you look beyond frustrated with these really bad translations so I'll avail myself of Mr. Giles' phone and start our round robin list going and then do some work on these horrendous translations."
"Thanks Old Man," Wes said as he gathered Dawn up and they headed out. He was getting frustrated with those words and he needed a break so dinner with his daughter was it. They'd be back at sunset to explain the details of how an immortal had a child but West really needed out for a time. Just to gather his thoughts.
5
Wes and Dawn arrived back at the school to another buzz. Wes stopped for a moment and then smiled. Ethan was here, excellent. He must be staying close to Rupert then. Wes and Dawn entered the library where the old sorcerer was seated looking over a book with Methos. He was making faces at the translation as well. He smiled when he saw them.
"West, Dawnie," he said.
Dawn grinned and walked over to hug her Uncle Ethan. Dawn had lots of aunts and Uncles. Ethan smiled.
"We got a hold of Amanda. She's picking Darius up. Whether or not MacLeod can stay out of it I don't know."
"He can't help," Wes answered softly. "Even if he comes, he can't help. It isn't his fight and The Mayor will eat him for breakfast. This isn't something that being a good person will combat. This requires Power, which is why Connor MacLeod is to be called as well. He has Nakano's Quickening and power and we need that. We desperately need that."
"Methos already called him. He's on the way as we speak. He has the Ryan boy with him. After saving him from Duncan, he took the boy in."
"That's fine," Wes told Ethan. "Perhaps that mess can be straightened out as well. Is Cassandra coming?"
"Yes, she's already on the way," Ethan said.
"When she gets here warn her that I will not tolerate her bullshit any more. I've had it with her whining. Now, Giles, you'd like to know about Dawn I bet."
"Yes," Giles said as he sat next to Ethan.
"Dawn was made from me, literally. To protect her, and the Key energy in her, monks made her of an Ancient Warrior. They made her Of Me. When she was born, I took the Key energy out of her and pulled it in to myself. Dawn is a pre immortal, yes. But her mystical energy is within me now. Should Glory attempt to take it, she will have a serious problem."
"Yes," Ethan said amused, "I imagine she will. So, what are we researching? Ancients together can stop Ascension. Our Power is enough to block his. That's why we're gathering all the Ancients here. It will take our power to stop him."
"Power you all have but rarely use?" Giles asked.
Ethan nodded. "What I did on Halloween and what I did with the candy is nothing compared to what I could do if I truly wished to use Power. When I removed the curse and its effects from the town, that was still only a tiny fraction of my power. Darius has more than I ever could and he is coming. West and the Old Man both have power that they use when they need it. That's why we're calling the Old Ones. Myself, Cassandra, Darius, Rebecca, Amanda, Methos, West, Cerdwyn and Connor through the Quickenings he carries within him. We need them so we're gathering them."
"And this power is enough to stop the Mayor?"
"It should be," a strange accent said from the doorway to the library.
West grinned. "Connor," West said as he hugged the elder Highlander. He saw two people behind Connor and one of them was a shock.
"We needed him so I resurrected him," Connor said. "I have too much power so I called Ramirez back and gave him a third of it. Richie has a third and I have a third. I had three Ancient Quickenings. I kept 1, I gave one to Ramirez and I gave one to Richie. That way we're balanced."
"Hello, West," Ramirez said as he entered the library. "I see Merlin and Methos are both here."
Wes grinned as he led them in. Methos stood and hugged the Spaniard and led him to the table. Richie sat quietly and Connor looked at Wes and Methos.
"Darius is coming, aye?" he said.
Wes nodded.
Connor sighed knowing that would bring Duncan as well. Oh, well. Someone needed to deal with the pup and he suspected Merlin and Wes would have no problem telling him where he could go. He would wait to see what happened. Connor had learned patience in his 400+ years. He would be patient and see what happened now.
6
"Duncan, really," Wes heard as the doors to the library opened, "This is not your concern. There is nothing you can do here."
"He can help fight the army of vamps," Wes said. "That's about it. Dickey is stockpiling his evil and paying his contracts to the demons. He tried to get Merlin to help but we know Merlin can sense things like that so he went along up to a point and then allowed the Slayer to catch him. He played Dickey and called me. I got myself sent over here and well, here we all are."
"Indeed,: Darius said as he looked around the room. "Ramirez I'm guessing Connor resurrected?"
"Yes," Methos said as he came down with more books of demonology. He set them on the table and began to re write them and then retranslate them.
"When they Christianized the writings, they lost half the bloody meanings," Wes said as he took one. Darius took one as well. Ramirez and Connor were already working on some. Richie was sparring but when he saw Duncan, he took Dawn's hand and they went to the soda machines. Duncan just stood until Giles appeared.
"Oh, do sit down, Mr. MacLeod. We have much work to do and very little time in which to do it. Actually, we have until Graduation Day I believe was the date the Mayor will use. Centennial of the founding."
"Dickey always was a fool," Darius said in a harsher tone than Duncan was used to hearing. He looked at the man he saw as the gentle priest and he did not like what he was seeing.
"What's happening to you, old friend?" he asked.
Darius looked at him and sighed as Amanda came in with Richie and Dawn. "I'm merely pulling on another role, Duncan," he said patiently. "In this place, I am---" here he said something in Ancient Greek that had Methos laughing. The smile he gave Darius expressed his pleasure that the Old General was accepting who he was again.
"You're who?" Duncan asked.
Wes sighed and looked at the younger highlander. "Ares' Right Hand," he translated. "The Heart of War, Ares' Flame, Ares' Chosen. All titles that Darius has worn in the past and it's those titles we need now."
"Darius would never serve a pagan god," Duncan said self assuredly.
Darius sighed and looked at Duncan. "I pre-date Christ, Duncan. I served the army that sacked Rome. Who the hell do you think I did that in the name of? It certainly wasn't the Holy Roman Empire. I am Ares' Right hand. I will always be Ares' Right Hand. Nothing will change that. Accept it and move on because I have no time for your Bullshit right now. We are trying to stop something that makes the God I serve trivial."
Duncan simply gawked as Darius began to read. The doors banged open again and a girl with a long, honey/brown braid literally flew in.
"Hi padre," she said as she sat down. "What are we fighting?"
"An ascension," Darius told her. "We need the power in our Quickenings to defeat this evil. It rises, and we must stop it. Oh, meet West and Merlin, 2 of your mate's students. Wes as you can see, is old. Merlin or is it Ethan now? Is about 1500. The other Ancients are coming because our power is one of the few things besides a God or an active volcano that can stop the Mayor."
"Hi Jens!" Richie called from the door as he and Dawn returned.
Jenny hugged her twin and they sat. Jenny had known what Uncle Connor would do. She'd learned of Dawn through the bond although she wasn't sure about the mechanics of that. She watched as Darius and Methos and West she ahd learned his name was although everyone called him Wes, re wrote passages in the original languages and then re translated them to English. Ramirez, Connor's old teacher, helped. Jenny was looking over weapons when a blond girl sauntered in.
"Time to train, Wesley," she said.
"Not right now, Buffy," he said. "I'm afraid I'm rather too busy to be bothered. Do go sit down and do your homework for a change. We're doing something that could quite possible stop the Mayor."
Buffy looked insulted but when she went to grab him, her arm was grabbed. Jenny shoved her across the room.
"If you want to fight, hey, we can do that," she said. "But you will let them work."
7: The Heart of War
Buffy sat nursing her shoulder. Five seconds after accepting the girl's offer to fight, she'd been on her ass staring up at her. The girl had wiped the floor with her while everyone else researched. Buffy was fuming when Willow and Faith and Cordelia came in. Faith noticed Buffy rubbing her
arm.
"Wes do that?" Faith asked.
"No," Buffy answered. "Commando girl there did. Wesley is too busy to bother training us right now."
"Wesley has too much to do to bother with it," the young watcher said form his seat. "He and his friends are trying to stop The Mayor. And we actually know what we're doing." Darius chuckled and stood then. "I'm off for a walk," he said as he headed out of the library.
He knew Duncan would insist on following him and he was starting to get irritated but this called for The Heart of War. The Apostle of Peace did not fit here.
Darius was walking past the park and City hall when the Mayor himself walked out the door. Darius smiled somewhat coldly as the Mayor stared at him. Behind him, he felt Duncan tense.
"Hello, Dickey," Darius said.
The Mayor just stared at him and Darius found himself smiling like a shark.
"The Heart of War---" the Mayor whispered. "No, this is a trick. You can't be here. You can't."
"But I am," Darius said darkly. "The Heart of War, Ares' Flame, has come. You know what it means. Why don't you just give up now? We both know I could incinerate you where you stand."
The mayor ran from him and Darius turned back to Duncan. "This is why it must be The Heart of War. The Apostle of Peace will fail as surely as you will. This is not a fight that can be won with goodness and purity. The Mayor corrupts those things. The Heart of War can meet him face to face with no trouble."
"How?" Duncan asked.
Darius sighed as he walked to a bench as West and Methos joined them.
"Because the Heart of War is not completely nice. He has a dark streak in him a mile and a half wide. And he will tap it when it needs to be tapped. You can ask Rome about that. Or Berlin. They've met my Dark Streak. They did not survive. I am the Heart of War mentioned in those prophecies. My presence scares him because of what I can do when surrounded by enough Ancients. He knows what I'm going to do at Graduation and it scares him. He never thought The Heart of War would really get involved."
"And now you are. Darius, this side of you---It scares me. What if, what if you can't turn it off?"
"Then I can't. I am changing Duncan. I have been for some time. I am The Heart of War and sometimes I think I'm needed again."
"You have the sword, right?" Methos asked.
Darius nodded. "As I promised him. I have kept his Sword and it is ready to be returned to him. West, how is Dawn handling all this?"
"She's handling it fine. You're the one who is changing back into something you haven't been in years."
"West, I am now and always have been my father's son. That never changed. I am Ares' son. That never changes no matter what I am doing."
"Whoa. You admitted it. This must be serious."
"I've never not, Old Man. I have ever been his son. I will call him when we need him. I carry his heart. The Heart of War.
8: War's Last Child
As they got back to the library, Methos and West were watching Darius as he sat quietly for a few minutes. They knew what revealing what he knew of his parentage ahd cost him. Sometimes he did not mention for years whose child he was. Now, he'd had to tell them and he would have to tell Giles as well. In all the prophecies, The Heart of War was integral to them being successful. The Heart of War who was only now reconnecting with that side of himself in a permanent manner.
"What Is The Heart of War?" Giles asked, as he looked at all the books. Every one of them mentioned The Heart's return being able to stop the Ascension.
"Who is the Heart of War," Wes said as he looked up from where he was talking with Dawn about what was coming.
"I am," Darius said quietly. "I am the Heart of War, Ares' Flame. I am Ares' youngest son."
"The Heart of War---is a person?" Giles asked.
Darius nodded as he stood and began to pace. "For 2000 years I have kept my father's sword safe. I was his heart. I was his link to humanity. He raised me himself, away from Olympus and the family intrigues. He raised me to feel things like compassion and love. He raised me to know when a War was needed and when it was not. That's why I intervened in WWII. I knew that War was pointless."
"Why are you needed here?" Giles asked.
Darius chuckled and withdrew from his long coat a very ornate sword. "Because you can't call father without me. The Ancients build the circle to summon Father in. I call him with this. The Sword of War. And he can kill the Mayor."
"And you'll do this for us?" Giles asked.
Darius nodded. "Better my father than West's. Lord Hades will not be best pleased about this mess. As a matter of fact, he'll be downright enraged."
"Oh," Giles said as he watched.
Darius laid the sword on the table and began to polish it. He knew it was time. He'd known this time was coming as surely as he knew there was darkness in the world. The Heart of War would rise now. And he would call from times past, his Father, the most beautiful and Powerful God of War.
Darius walked around the library swinging the sword lightly at his side. It was a huge sword and yet, Darius was capable of handling it with no trouble. He truly was The Heart of War.
Dawn trailed after Darius as he walked. She knew this was upsetting him. West was working on translations and he too stood and walked to Darius, gripping his shoulder in a warrior's manner.
"He will not understand," Darius said looking to where Duncan was staring at him with something between confusion, hurt and hostility. "I knew he would not be able to accept this part of me---."
"Then he has never been your friend," Methos said coldly. "You have always been more than just the priest. Jenny knows it, Richie knows it, and I know it. Everyone but him, it seems, knows and accepts that you are more than what you appear to be. He needs to get over himself. This is not a war any of us can win. West could summon his father but if Hades comes there will be panic if Death appears. Better it be War. Not many people will panic if he shows up."
"You aren't Ares' son, Darius! You can't be! You just can't be the son of a blood thirsty coward!"
"Duncan, I care for you a great deal. But do not EVER insult my father again!" Darius turned his back on his best friend feeling his heartbreak a little for the friendship. It hurt. He'd known it would happen but it hurt.
Jenny came in with Richie then.
"I won't be returning to the church after this, children," he said softly. "I can't go back to that place of worship for the biggest mass murderer in the universe."
END PART 8