Sola Sum Davids






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Sola Sum Part One


Title: Davids

Series: Sola Sum

Part: One

Author: DaniCa

Summary: Willow leaves Sunnydale after Once More With Feeling and travels for a while. She meets up with a girl in Houston, Texas. How does this girl change her decision to never go back?

Distribution: WLS, BMP, NHA, DS, anywhere that’ll take it.

Feedback: Duh.

Willow Rosenberg threw the final bag into the bed of her truck, a blue Ford pick-up. Climbing into the front seat, she brushed a lock of red hair out of her face and sighed.

“Goodbye, Sunnydale.” She whispered, casting one last glance at her childhood home. “It’s been.... interesting.”

With that parting shot, Willow pulled out of the driveway and sped off, out of Sunnydale--for good.

***

Ress Davids shot out of Cypress Falls High School, ignoring the startled and angry yells of her classmates and teacher. It was ten minutes ‘til eight, and class wasn’t over for another 35 minutes. Ress didn’t care, though. She had had enough.

Her dark brown hair flew out behind her as she hopped a fence into the apartment complex; cutting through to get to the neighborhood her house, which would of course be empty, was in. It was always empty when she was awake. Her mother worked all day and most of the night, and her sister had disappeared years ago.

There was no one to care that she had just walked out of class after cussing out everyone in the room.

***

Willow sighed and ran a hand through her hair when she had signed the last of the forms. She had rented an apartment in a small town just outside the Houston city limits. Most still called it Houston, although she had heard it referred to as Cypress. Considering all the forms she had to sign, one had to wonder if the owners of the apartment complex actually wanted people to live there.

She stood up and accepted the key from the landlady, then walked out to her truck. It was about ten o’clock in the morning, and she had a lot of unpacking to do.

***

“So what was up with the exit?” Ress’s friend Fae asked that afternoon, while the two of them sat on Ress’s front porch.

“They pissed me off.” Ress replied with a raised eyebrow, shooting her friend a questioning look. “I told you I was about ready to leave.”

“I didn’t think you actually would, though.” Fae said. “Especially not first thing in the morning.”

“Yeah, well, I was tired of it. They keep giving me shit ‘cause I’m smarter than them, I ain’t gonna stick around.” Ress grumbled, leaning back on her elbows.

“No way. The grammar freak did not just use the words ain’t and gonna. I must be hallucinating.” Fae gasped.

“Funny.” Ress shot back, checking her watch. “It’s nearly five, you should be going. I’ll see you tomorrow... if you’re lucky.”

***

Willow collapsed onto her mattress shortly before midnight, finally finished unpacking. She had no furniture to speak of--just a cheap mattress on the floor of the bedroom--but it was a nice place. Despite her exhaustion, though, she couldn’t bring herself to sleep yet. She figured she’d walk around a bit and make sure there weren’t any vampires. Just in case.

It turned out to be a wise decision, as she fought to defend a girl that couldn’t have been older than 14. She had walked out of the apartment complex and to the nearby neighborhood, finding herself in a small park, where a vamp had been preparing to snack on the girl. When she finally dusted him, she turned around to face the girl, who reminded her of someone.

“Hey. I’m Willow. Willow Rosenberg.”

“Ress Davids.” The girl replied, attempting to stand, but failing because of her twisted ankle.

“Do you have somewhere we can fix this up?” Willow asked, feeling a strange connection with the girl.

“Yeah, my house’s just down the street.”

***

Ress unlocked the front door, hobbling into the house with Willow on her heels. Normally she would never trust a complete stranger, but the woman had just saved her life.

Collapsing onto a chair, Ress raised an eyebrow at Willow.

“So what was up with that guy turning to dust?”

***Seven Months Later***

“Hey,” Ress waved as Willow pulled up to the curb. School was finally out, and Willow and Ress were leaving Houston, probably for good. Throwing two bags filled with everything dear to her into the bed of the truck, she turned around and went back to the house. She needed to write a note to her mother, after all. No reason for her to worry.

“Ready?” Willow asked when Ress returned, smiling at her young friend.

“Duh.” Ress said as she settled into the passenger seat. “Let’s get the hell outta Dodge.”

The first few hours passed with little conversation, the two girls singing along with the radio and laughing at ugly cars. Shortly after they passed El Paso, though, Willow reached over and turned off the radio.

“Okay,” she said. “You know why I left my childhood home with no intention of ever returning. What’s your excuse? You have friends there.”

Ress laughed hollowly. “All my friends graduated this year. They’re all going off to college all across the US. I have my laptop so I can email them. My mom’s never home; my sister disappeared about four years ago... What reason do I have to stay?”

“Tell me about your sister.” Willow said. Ress had always changed the subject when her sister came up, and Willow had a feeling that talking would help the girl.

“She was awesome. I got picked on a lot, you know, back before she left and I learned how to fight. But whenever someone was giving me shit, suddenly she’d be there. She took care of me, she always did. And then one day she was gone.”

“What was her name?” Willow asked gently.

“Faith.”

***

“Faith!” Cordelia yelled impatiently, stomping her foot.

“What’s up, Cheerleader?” Faith asked, slipping a picture back into her pocket.

“What was that?” Angel asked suddenly, having seen her move.

“A picture, Fang, what’d it look like?” Faith snapped.

“A picture of what?” Gunn asked.

“If you must know, it’s my sister.”

“You have a sister?” Fred asked suddenly.

“Yeah. She was eleven when my watcher showed up babbling about destiny and shit. Then she dragged me off to Boston. I didn’t get to say goodbye, of course. Can’t involve civilians.” Faith laughed humorlessly. She saw their looks of pity and sighed.

“Look, Cheerleader, what did you want?”

“You’re sitting on my notes.” Cordelia said. Faith stood up and handed her the notes, then sat back down.

“Look, don’t y’all start pitying me or shit. I don’t need it. Yeah, I miss her, but there’s nothing to be done about it and we have to fight the forces of darkness.”

***

“Do you have a picture?” Willow inquired as they pulled to a stop in front of a hotel somewhere in Nevada a few days later.

“What?” Ress asked, baffled at the sudden change of topic.

“Of your sister. Do you have a picture?” Willow explained, turning to face her young friend.

“Oh! Yeah, here.” Ress handed Willow a much-loved picture, and Willow stared in shock. There was no mistaking it. She looked a lot happier than Willow had ever seen her, but the second Slayer was staring back at her.

“Willow, is something wrong?” Ress asked when she saw her friend’s expression.

“I know her. She lives in LA with a friend of mine.” Willow finally managed to respond, handing the photo back.

“Really? Can we-” Ress trailed off, not sure how to ask.

“Of course.” Willow said, turning the truck back on. “California, here we come.”

***

Wesley was in his office, on the phone to God knew where. Faith was down in the basement, working out her frustrations on a punching bag. Cordy and Fred were splayed across couches across from each other, talking about nothing in particular. Angel and Gunn were cleaning some of the weapons that had been messed up the night before.

This was the scene that met Willow when she walked into the Hyperion that night.

“Hey guys.” She said, alerting them to her presence. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

“Willow! What are you doing here?” Cordelia asked, falling off the couch.

“What, I can’t come visit my favorite investigators?” When she saw the look of disbelief on their faces, Willow rolled her eyes and laughed. “Okay, okay, I have an ulterior motive. Is Faith here?”

“What’s up, Red?” Faith asked, making her way up the stairs to get some water.

“Well, I left Sunnydale about seven months ago, and I was just wandering around aimlessly until I found something. I believe you lost her in Houston.”

Faith’s eyes widened, and Ress stepped into the hotel.

“Faith?”

***