London
Sean O'Hara, part of the new Watcher's Council got to work, had cleaned up some of the rooms at the new headquarters. They had purchased several cots, sleeping bags, and portable lanterns. Giles, Dawn, and Xander deposited their luggage at Giles's place with the exception of Buffy's stuff. That would have to wait for later. Methos had headed back to his place, so that he could pick up before Buffy arrived.
"My god, this place should have been condemned." Giles said as they walked around the building.
"Hey, its not that bad. A little paint here and there... good as new." Dawn tried to sound upbeat, but failed miserably.
"Ok, super frowny folks, you're forgetting something very important here." Xander said to the collective group. They all turned and looked at him.
"A wrecking ball?" Buffy looked skeptically at the building.
"Massive quantities of TNT?" Giles added.
"A billion roach motels?" Joe chimed in.
"Faithless knaves. I'm Construction guy. I am one with the almighty tool belt…I may only have one eye, but I've still got mad skills with a hammer. Give me a little time, and I'll have some ideas what to do with the place." Xander seemed to be the only one that was optimistic about the place.
"He's been watching 'While you were out' again, hasn't he?" Buffy asked Dawn.
"He's got about a zillion episodes taped. He brought them with him." Dawn explained as they followed Xander around the building.
Xander went on and on, making a mental list about what had to be done here and there, and explained to those gathered about his plans. The ones that knew him the best smiled at one another. Xander was coming out of his shell.
Dawn, Buffy, and Joe headed back into the warehouse. Xander and Giles got to work on a list of where to start. That included finding a phone book to gather the phone numbers of contractors and hardware stores.
Mrs. Philby and Brenna had arrived from town after they finished the food shopping, and Xander caught Brenna as she was unloading some of the food. He didn't say anything at first; he couldn't find the right words to say to her. Brenna started blushing under his scrutiny.
"Uh, I just wondered if you'd…you being a girl, I mean a woman…you might want to give me a hand…no, not body parts literally. I mean, maybe you'd like to throw some ideas out about color schemes. You know decorating type tidbits, and things like that." Xander could feel himself blushing.
"Me? Oh, I couldn't. I've got no experience with that sort of thing." Brenna said as she almost dropped a whole bag of eggs, but she managed to hold on.
"Sure you do. You look great to me. You've got that coordinated thing going for you." Xander commented on her outfit of a rose pink blouse and patterned skirt.
"Oh, I couldn't. Miss Summers would be a much better judge than I. She's very glamorous and beautiful." Brenna gripped the bag tighter against herself.
"Yeah, but Buffy, not the decorator type. She's more destructo-girl than glamour girl. Besides, I asked you. Think about it, ok?" Xander grinned and Brenna weakly smiled, and hurried back into the factory.
Xander felt great right now. He stood there with a dopey look on his face, and congratulated himself on his minor accomplishment. He turned around and saw Buffy smiling at him.
"Destructo-girl?" She asked.
"The mighty X-Man does not lie." Xander grabbed some of the groceries himself, breezed past Buffy, and went into the warehouse. Buffy just stuck out her tongue at him as he passed. He was still quite the cheek monkey, but it was good that he was taking an interest in the opposite sex again. She liked Brenna. Now, if Brenna would get over her shyness, Buffy was supremely confident the two of them could hookup.
By evening, the group had decided to go for dinner. Willow and Mac still hadn't come back by the time the group arrived at Methos's house. The council and Slayers slept at the warehouse, while Dawn sacked out at Giles's flat. Buffy was starting to worry, so was Joe for that matter. Methos tried to reassure them.
"Would all of you quit worrying…they are fine." Methos dropped a kiss on Buffy's shoulder as she stared out the window.
"What about Castillo? He's still out there, you know." Joe added.
"Yes, very true, but he's after my head not McLeod's." Methos pointed out.
"Hey, lover boy, I mean, man. I'm not of the cool with him after your head. We should go find him before he finds you." Buffy moved away from the window, and looked up at Methos.
"Buffy, it doesn't work like that. He challenged Methos only. We can't interfere. I know it's bullshit, but thems the breaks, kiddo." Joe told her and lit another cigarette.
"You promised, remember?" Methos brushed the hair from her neck, and kissed the spot where her neck and shoulder met.
Buffy arms fell to her sides. He was right. She'd have said the same thing if Methos would have interfered with her slaying. That was her fight, just as this Game was his. It majorly sucked.
"Fine. I hate waiting…I'm getting little restless. I gotta patrol." She gave Methos a quick peck on the cheek before she went out the door.
"Should I go with her?" Methos asked Giles.
"Nah, its best if you leave it to the Buffster. That chick has got her deal down. She won't be cool with having to watch your ass, believe me. She'd kill you if you got killed." Xander smiled at Giles, the Watcher just shook his head. After all these years he was still amazed by the younger man's lack of coherent speech.
"Anyone for tea?" Methos let out a resigned sigh, and went to the kitchen without waiting for an answer.
As he passed into what was supposed to pass for a kitchenette, his thoughts wandered to his lover. Telling Buffy to stay out of looking for Castillo disappointed her. It humbled him to know Buffy wanted to protect him. She couldn't interfere…she knew that, and she made it clear she wasn't thrilled about it. It was what she signed up for when they became a part of each other's lives. Methos fixed the tea and then carried it to the living room.
"Have you tried calling McLeod again, Joe?" Methos set down the tray.
"I tried before we left to have dinner. Hang on a sec, let me try again."
No sooner had Joe started to dial Mac's phone did Methos feel the other immortals presence. Joe saw this, and hung up his phone.
"Something the matter, Methos?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, what's up?" Xander asked as Methos moved to the door. Methos flung the door open to reveal Willow with her finger poised to ring the doorbell.
"Ah, McLeod and the lovely Miss Willow. We were about to send out a search party." Methos grinned at the couple.
"Hello, Methos." Mac walked into the house with Willow holding his hand.
"About time you showed up. You said a couple of hours, Mac. You've been gone more than eight hours." Joe looked at the man and then noticed the two of them holding hands and he raised an eyebrow.
"Definitely more than a couple. You ok, Will?" Xander got to his feet, and fixed his one eye intently on the couple's joined hand.
Willow noticed it right away and took her hand out of Mac's. An embarrassed flush painted her cheeks. She should have called. Xander and Giles didn't look very pleased. In fact, it looked like they wanted to put the hurt on Mac.
"Sorry I didn't call sooner, Dad. We've been sight-seeing." Mac took Willow's coat and hung it up.
"Buffy has been worried about you, Willow. We all have been. You should have called." Giles admonished her. Willow just smiled softly. Giles was getting good at being the papa bear.
"We just saw her. She said the same thing, but now that we're back...Its all goodie good. Buffy decided to go patrolling?" Willow said.
"Yep." Xander sat back down, and helped himself to the biscuits Methos laid out with the tea.
"London is not that big, Highlander. What did you do, drive to Scotland too?" Methos poured a cup of tea and handed it to Willow.
"No. I suggested it, but he boohooed the idea. We saw Stonehenge and almost got arrested. We drove all over England. It's a great country. We popped over to Devon and called in on the coven, Giles. They say hello." Willow sipped at her tea and tried her best to avoid Giles's and Xander's enquiring looks.
"Arrested? I'm sure you've a good explanation for that, Mac?" Giles looked at the man with a level stare that meant business.
"Oh Giles. It was totally cool. I just told the guy we were there for the National Museum. Remember that one time; I had that cop in Sunnydale believing you were from Interpol? Same thing. We're here, aren't we? Handcuff free." Willow smiled and looked at Mac.
"Ah hah, I see naughty leather bustier Willow isn't totally gone." Xander grabbed for more biscuits, but Methos got it before he did.
Willow choked on her tea and turned about a million shades of red. Methos, Mac and Joe all looked at her.
"Big foot in big mouth. Forget I said anything." Xander looked at the pained look on his friend's face. He loved to tease her about that sometimes, but it was something he should have saved for a lot later when they all knew one another better.
"Leather bustier? That sounds very intriguing." Methos winked at Willow and that caused her to turn even redder.
"Another story for another time, old man. Let's go, Joe." Mac wanted to hear about it too, but he could see it was something Willow wasn't entirely comfortable with telling him just yet.
"Yeah, yeah. Ok." Joe got his coat.
"Yes, come along Xander." Giles got his coat and tossed Xander's to him. It had been a long day. The younger man reluctantly put his coat on and followed Giles' to the door. Joe and Mac had already gone outside.
"Tell Buffy I said goodbye, and I'll see her tomorrow." Willow told Methos before she joined the group outside.
"I will. Goodnight." He kissed her on the cheek.
Methos could see why Mac was drawn to her. He saw the sweetness and spirit in her. Perhaps she was just the thing for his friend needed. Only time would tell.
When the group said their goodbyes outside, Methos went back into his house and put away the tea things. That task took only 10 minutes and he thought about Buffy the whole time. Was she safe? She probably was, but it didn't stop him from worrying about her.
He tried not to think about it when he went into the bedroom. Methos saw Buffy's suitcase. He wasn't going to have any peace until he knew she was safe. She'd probably be mad at him for coming after her, but she'd have to deal with it. He went into his closet, changed his sweatshirt for a heavier sweater, and also grabbed his coat.
Methos had another reason for wanting to know that she was safe. A whole day had passed since they had been alone, and he very much wanted to make love to her. Most of all, he wanted to just to have her safe with him.
London was very big, and it would take some time to find her. It was still early yet, only 9pm. He hoped he found her before trouble did, he thought as an image of Castillo threatening came into his head.
Three hours later, Buffy walked along the docks and warehouse of London. She wrapped her coat around herself tighter to ward off the increasing chill in the air. This was the same place that Methos had rushed in when he thought she was in trouble. It was an incredibly stupid thing to do, but the action moved her. She was still kind of miffed that he told her to stay out of protecting him when someone tried to go for his head.
"It's not safe for such a pretty a young lady to be out so late alone at night, especially in this area." A voice spoke from a dark corner.
"Oh please. Is there some kind of lame evil guy handbook that you guys get these lines from?" Buffy turned in the direction of the voice. It didn't belong to the blond giant man that stepped from the shadows.
"I smell fear." The gigantic man spoke.
"Really, cause I smell fish." Buffy said back to the giant. It was so not the time for witty remark, but she couldn't help herself.
Buffy backed up a few steps. He was at least two feet taller than she was and definitely not a vampire. Not a good thing. Castillo finally showed himself.
"Miss Summers. Its lovely to see you again." He bowed deeply to her.
"You called me to handle this little toddler? You're wasting my time." The giant spoke to the other immortal with a heavily accented voice.
"She's worth the money we're paying you, Savalov. Call me when you're finished." Castillo said as he slid back into the night.
Just at that moment, Savalov pulled a very long, and wickedly sharp sword from nowhere. He held it in one massive hand, and advanced on Buffy.
"Hey, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not an Immortal. I died…twice…really." Buffy backed away a step or two.
"We're going to have fun, you and I. I promise." He moved closer and Buffy moved back more. About ten more feet and she'd hit a wall, literally. The alley wasn't very wide to begin with, and with Savalov's enormous size, it got a lot smaller.
"I don't suppose I can take a rain check on the fun-capades? No? Ok, you win."
Buffy took in his size and strength, calculating the best way to take him down. She'd have to be quick, get around him to the back, and knock him off his feet. It sounded good, but she really hoped she could pull it off.
"Ok, let's dance." Buffy said as she rushed forward and landed a kick to his midsection and that sent him back a step, but when she moved in again, he was ready for her and grabbed her by the throat.
Savalov brought her close to his face, and struck her hard across the cheek. Buffy's head snapped back violently as she felt her world blacken, then an explosion of lights splintered from behind her eyes. Savalov grunted with satisfaction, and then tossed her away like a rag doll.
Buffy hit the wall of the alley with a crunch. She knocked several bricks loose upon impact. After a second, she got to her feet and tried to knock his sword out of his grasp with a stunning roundhouse kick, but to no avail. He caught hold of her foot, and knocked it away. When she swung around for another kick, Savalov grabbed her by the hair and yanked her to him. He wrapped a massive arm around her neck and squeezed.
"This was too easy. I will pop you like a balloon, little girl." He squeezed harder, and Buffy struggled against him for air. She smashed her boot heel down on his foot and he let her go. His cry of pain sounded like a roar to Buffy. Savalov was about to move in on her again when he stopped suddenly. There was another Immortal there. Buffy looked behind past him to see Methos casually lounging against a stack of crates by the alley-way entrance.
"Enjoying the show?" Buffy said as she tried to breath again.
"Immensely. You were just about to turn the tables on him, I believe." Methos pulled out his sword. Savalov looked from Buffy to Methos, as if trying to decide whom he'd like to kill first.
"Just take a breather, little one. I'll get back to you shortly." Savalov had the nerve to blow Buffy a kiss. He moved on Methos, and the two Immortals thrust and parried at one another as they fought. Savalov played dirty. He landed a few punches to Methos's face, but that didn't stop him. He only laughed as he spat blood from his mouth and charged the giant.
Methos's smaller size, and leaner frame gave him a good advantage; it made him a lot quicker than the giant. When Savalov swung his sword in a wide arc, Methos slipped around him and cut his opponent deep across the back. Savalov yelled something in some language that sounded like a bellow to Buffy.
Buffy stood there panting and aching as the two men fought. She watched anxiously, and fought the tremendous urge to join in. Savalov may be an Immortal, but he was still human and Buffy still didn't kill people.
"You really should watch your language. There is a lady present." Methos said and winked at Buffy as he moved on the man.
Methos came around the giant and cut him across the stomach. That move didn't come without a price. Savalov's blade managed to slice into Methos's right arm. Savalov put a hand to his stomach. The blood pooling in his hand mesmerized him.
Methos used this momentary reprieve to move back around the other man again, and cut his across the back. The giant fell to his knees in pain. That was the moment Methos went for the kill. He raised his sword high and took the Immortal's head.
"Wow. You're not bad." Buffy said in surprise.
"I know."
Methos stood there breathing heavily as he waited for the quickening to come. It built slowly as it approached Methos, and then hit him full on like a punch from an electrified iron fist. Buffy stood there and watched in wonder. She was so transfixed by the sight before her that she had no time to avoid a bolt of the electricity that struck her. Buffy crumpled in an unconscious to the alley floor.
When the quickening finally abated, Methos opened his eyes. He saw Buffy lying unmoving on the ground, and rushed to her side. He felt for a pulse and breathed a sigh of relief when he got a strong pulse.
Something in his peripheral caught his attention. He turned his head, and saw a porcelain doll on the stack of crates. The blond doll wore a blindfold. It struck Methos as extremely odd, and he wondered how it got there. Deciding to ignore it, Methos put his sword away and gathered her in his arms.
"Buffy?! Come on girl. Wake up." He nudged her gently to wake her. She was out cold.
Methos had to get them out of there before the police arrived. Someone was bound to have seen the light show. Methos was glad he had the presence of mind to bring his car. He couldn't have carried her back with his arm bleeding so heavily.
He carefully deposited Buffy in the passenger's seat and got in. The car engine roared to life and he drove them out of there. Methos heard the sound of sirens as he put some distance between them and the alley.
Buffy regained conscious about an hour after Methos had taken Savalov's head. Methos worried when she didn't wake up right away. He didn't see her get zapped. She was already been unconscious when he got to her.
"You're awake." Methos sat on the bed and hugged her to him. She lay on top of the bed, while Methos in the chair next to the bed.
"What happened? My head feels like someone plugged it into a light socket. Oh, God, my hair." Buffy sprang off the bed.
She stopped short of the mirror because her legs felt like spaghetti. She swayed and Methos grabbed her before she fell. He guided her back to the bed and sat down with her.
"I look like that boxing promoter guy."
"You in no way resemble Don King, my darling girl. Do you remember what happened?" His hand stroked her hair.
Buffy tried to think, but everything was kind of blurry about what went on in the alley. Castillo had been there, so had that giant named Savalov, but that was all she remembered. She felt like something else was missing.
"Somebody is paying him, he said 'we're paying you.' Why would an immortal want me dead? I don't have a quickening thingy." Buffy remembered Castillo said, but that wasn't it…something about what happened after fighting the giant eluded her.
Buffy didn't understand why Castillo had come after her. She wasn't immortal. She wasn't even The Slayer anymore. There wasn't anything special about her anymore, there were thousands of Slayers in the world. To all intent and purposes, Buffy was just one of the crowd now.
"You don't have to be immortal for an Immortal to kill you, Buffy. In spite of our uniqueness, we're still human beings. We love, we hate, and we murder just like mortal people." Methos lay back against the pillows and Buffy lay against his chest.
"I've never been too popular with the fang gang, you know. I need to call the gang, and get them working on it. We'll Mulder around a bit, and see what's the dealio." Buffy suggested.
"I'll call Giles and tell him. You need to rest. I'll phone McLeod too. He has contacts around everywhere. We will see if we can discover what Castillo and his silent partner are up to." He stroked her hair while he was thinking.
"There isn't a particular vampire that would try something like this?" He asked, and kissed the top of her head.
"No. There was only Spike that was stupid enough to something like that. He only tried to kill me like every other week." Buffy sighed, and turned her head into his chest.
"Spike? Your former lover Spike? He tried to kill you, and you slept with him?" Methos couldn't believe he was hearing this.
"Its not what you think…no, wait…it is what you think. He kind of got neutered. Long story. He fell in love with me, but I…." Buffy ran her hand down the arm that held her, and felt something wet on her fingers. She brought up her hand to look at whatever it was…it was blood.
Buffy noticed that there was blood all over his sleeve and sat up straight. Her eyes were no longer dilated, but clear. Whatever grogginess she felt was gone now, and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Forget to mention something?" Buffy tugged at his sleeve, and moved out of arms. Methos just lay indolently against the pillows.
"Ah, it is just a flesh wound. Just about healed up." He didn't move from where he lay. Buffy grabbed him by the front of his sweatshirt and hauled him up into a sitting position.
Buffy pulled the soiled garment over his head and tossed it behind her to the floor. She looked at his arm. He was right, it was just about healed, but still was bloodied. She carefully got off the bed and went to the bathroom for a wet rag and bandages.
She returned and sat down on the bed next to him and wiped off his arm.
"Sometimes I forgot how fragile people are…they bleed so easily." Buffy said in such a distant quiet whisper that he almost didn't hear her.
"I'm fine, or I will be when it closes up. I have been taking care of myself for millennia." He said, but then Buffy hands went to remove his undershirt.
"Spare me." She rolled her eyes, took off the shirt, and also tossed that behind her. She wiped the blood from his arm and wrapped a clean bandage around the wound. Methos stopped her hands and pulled her head to his for a kiss.
"I think I may be injured here too." He took her hands and guided them to the, button at the waist of his jeans.
"Oh, you're funny." Buffy said as she undid the top button.
"Couldn't hurt to look. You have to be thorough, Miss Summers." He kissed her again and they proceeded to play doctor for the next several hours until they fell asleep.
Back at the warehouse, Giles, Joe, and Mac swept up in the room that would eventually serve as the library. Willow and Xander had gone with Brenna, Sean, and Ms. Philby to pick up a few more girls from the train station on the other side of London.
"I've been meaning to ask about the tattoo, Joe. Is there some significance to the mark?" Giles said as Joe rolled up his sleeves.
"Doesn't mean a thing…he got it in Saigon one night after one too many. That and he had one that said 'Mother'." Mac commented, and then Joe tried to hit him with the broom.
"It's what we Watcher's use to identify one another." Joe said.
"It was that or a really complicated handshake." Mac said and then Joe did manage to catch him in the face with the broom.
"Hey!" Mac said, and took the broom from Joe.
"Serves you right. It's better than a membership card that you can lose. Not another word, Mac." Joe warned Mac, who was about to make another smartass remark.
"Every Watcher has one in the same place?" Giles was curious.
"Yes. Of course, I would have picked somewhere more inconspicuous. This," he said as he pulls up his sleeve to reveal the blue tattoo, "really nixes wearing a nice short sleeve shirt." Joe joked, and Giles and he laughed.
"Yeah, you could got it tattooed on your pe…" Mac said and stopped short of completing his sentence when Willow entered the room.
"Who got a tattoo where?" Willow asked, it was clear that she didn't catch the previous part of the conversation.
"Back so soon, Willow? Did everything go alright?" Giles asked before she could ask any more questions.
"Its all in the green, Giles. There were only three girls…Michelle Alexander from the U.S., Aiko Takayama from Japan, and Martina Krutz from Germany. We've already got them bunked down for the night. I'll see you guys in the morning." Willow smiled at Mac, and then left the room.
Mac handed the broom to Joe, and then left the room himself. Joe looked at Giles and then shook his head.
"Figures. Anything to get out of the dirty work." Joe muttered.
"Yes, funny that. Fancy a beer?" Giles asked and the two of them dropped the brooms, and went to tell others that they were going out to meet with another Watcher.
Willow made it to the second level; she turned to see Mac reaching out for her. He stopped before she entered the room she was heading to. He had her mouth covered and drew back against him, gesturing to keep quiet as he slowly moved them forward.
"What?" She mouthed silently.
The two of them leaned part way past the door and saw Xander and Brenna kissing. He had a hand resting gently on her hip, while the other cupped her chin. Brenna held a bucket full of dirty water in one hand and the mop in the other. It was the cutest thing in the world.
"Come on." Mac whispered in Willow's ear and they quietly left.
Mac drew her back to the stairs and released her. He smiled at her, and then descended three steps, and then loudly banged on the steps as he got to the landing. From inside the room, they heard a clatter as Brenna dropped both the bucket and mop, causing the water to slosh all over the couple.
Willow tried not to laugh as Xander and Brenna came out to see who it was. Brenna quickly dashed away, while Xander wiped his face.
"Real funny, Will." He said.
"Me? He did it." Willow pointed to a grinning Mac.
"Yeah, but he's bigger than me." Xander gestured to Mac and then took off to change his clothes.
"Nice going." Willow said and went back downstairs.
They found Sean as they got downstairs, and Willow told him what Mac did after and he informed them that Giles and Joe went out.
"Come on, I'll drive you to Giles. I'll be good." Mac held out his hand to her and Willow reluctantly took it.
"You better behave or I'll give you a nice set of donkey ears." Willow said had Sean laughing in the hallway as they left.
Mac dropped Willow off at Giles's flat. Xander arrived later, avoiding all questions about the little scene with Brenna. Dawn loved joking about sweeping Brenna off her feet. Xander sacked out on the couch and hid under the covers, until Willow and Dawn went up to go bed in Giles's room.
Across London
Buffy and Methos lay in each other's arms as they both dreamt that night. Methos saw himself standing on a deserted highway, looking at Buffy standing at the edge of a massive crater that would rival the Grand Canyon. He turned slowly and saw a little girl of two standing a few yards away. Methos saw that he was smiling at her as the little girl tried to run to him on short baby legs. He picked her up in his arms and kissed her cheek.
The little girl in turn planted a big wet kiss on his cheek. She wrapped her arms as best as she could around his neck and hugged him. An overwhelming joy and contentment filled him as he held this little girl. 'Who was she?' He continued to wonder as he dreamed on.
Buffy, on the other hand, did not have a peaceful dream. She thrashed her head from side to side. Buffy was crying on a bed in a strange room. She was in a great deal of pain. She felt it even in her dream.
A series of jarring, searing pains tore throughout her body. There was a woman there that she didn't recognize. The woman whispered to her in comforting tones. She couldn't make out what the lady was saying, but Buffy saw herself turn her head to the woman. There were tears streaking down her face as she shook her head.
The woman wiped at dream Buffy's forehead. The woman rose off the side of the bed and Buffy saw a large purple bruise covering most of the right side of the woman's face. The next images Buffy saw were random and very disconcerting.
Willow with her white and red hair blew all around her in a storm.
Willow chanted with her arms with flung out wide as a storm raged.
Mac was held Methos back, but he struggled against his friend.
She felt his desperate urgency pierce the very heart of her.
Last was the strange woman was holding a bundle.
She stood over Methos, who was crying in suffering as he held Buffy in his arms.
"A life for the one you took from me. Remember that, Methos.' The woman spoke.
Buffy awoke violently with tears streaming down her cheeks, and saw that Methos stretched out beside her. He had one arm flung over his eyes and the other reaching out to her. He snored softly. She wiped her eyes with her hands, lay back down next to Methos, and snuggled close against him. In his sleep, Methos tightened an arm around her as she laid her head on his chest and she closed her eyes. There would be no more dreams that night.
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