Title: Knight Fall (7/?)
Author: DarkDyer
E-mail: DarkDyer@aol.com
Rating: PG-14
Summary: Another Prophecy looms over the Scooby Gang and Xander is keeping secrets, with the help of.,.,., Angel?
Disclaimer: The characters belong to Joss, they're just dancing to my music.
Distributions: Ask and ye shall receive.
Knight Fall part 7
Willow, Oz, and Giles just settled down to some serious research when Buffy came running through the room and out the front door. It took them a second to overcome their surprise, but they soon were on their way towards the door, only to be met by the returning slayer.
"Damit!"
"What, what is it Buffy?"
"They are gone."
Giles couldn't have heard her right. "Excuse, did you say gone?"
"Yeah Giles, as in not here." Buffy continued to swear under her breath as she began to pace.
Willow wasn't quite clear on the matter. "But Buffy how could they be gone we've been here the whole time, they couldn't just disappear,.,., OH NO, they didn't just disappear did they?"
"What?" Buffy looked confused. "No, they were gone when I got there, it looks like they went out the window."
"But you went back there like, ten minutes ago."
Buffy looked guiltily at the ground, "Well I kinda,.,.,"
That was when Willow noticed the marked improvement in Buffy's makeup, and gave her a knowing glance.
Buffy smiled and shrugged, " A girls gotta freshen up sometime."
"Why would they leave, Xander and Angel never do anything together." Willow looked at Buffy who looked equally confused.
"Except save Buffy."
Everyone turned to Oz who merely shrugged. "What? From what you guys have said, it's the only time they seem to get along."
"Oh my!"
They now all turned to Giles, who had the look of someone who, after looking for their glasses for an hour, discovers them on their head.
Buffy was immediately in Giles face. "What is it?"
"I must double check the prophecy immediately, something just occurred to me that I had not considered." Giles turned and rushed back into the apartment, followed quickly by Willow and Oz, while Buffy turned to look into the night.
Buffy was quiet for a moment then yelled into the night. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU GUYS!?!"
As they drove along Xander could feel the vampires eyes on him, Angel had been giving him this silent stare since he had helped him out the window and to the car. Finally he couldn't take it anymore.
"WHAT?"
"You know Xander, something has occurred to me these last few days, watching your little act."
"And what would that be?"
"You scare me."
Xander's eyes opened wide and he stole a glance at his partner in crime. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Let me ask you this, Buffy and Willow are your friends right?"
"My best friends, again what are you getting at?"
"It's just bugging me, if they are your friends, how come they bought this goofy act you've been putting on. It's like they don't know you, or don't really pay attention, they just see this guy always making stupid jokes. I've seen your real face."
Xander turned and looked at Angel. "First of all, my jokes are not stupid, your sense of humor just happens to be as dead as you are. And second what do you mean by my real face?"
"When you think your friends are in danger and drop the comedy act, you are quiet, cold, and viscous. I think you would do anything to keep them safe, there's no line you wouldn't cross. Then when that moment of danger has passed, you put back on your Xander mask and go on like nothing happened. You don't even mention these events to them, Buffy has no idea about the times you stood up to my demon, or even how you forced me to go after her into the Master's Lair. If you thought for a minute right now that I would be a danger to them you would put a stake in me without blinking wouldn't you?"
Xander was quiet for a minute as the vampire silently watched him, then he smiled, "Well, I might blink a little, after all, all those ashes burn when they get in your eyes."
Angels laughter echoed down they highway as they road into the night.
Buffy, Willow, and Oz sat watching Giles as he read through the prophecy one more time. The watcher started to shake his head then stood and threw the book across the room.
"OH BLOODY HELL."
Buffy felt her stomach grow cold and heavy, "Giles, what is it."
"You know I should have figured it out," Giles continues in a singsong voice, " So Giles where would this portal be? Giles, would this White Knight have to wait for a certain time or could he close the portal when he liked. Giles how would he close the portal. DAMNIT!" Giles was suddenly stopped and spun around to face a slayer clearly near the edge.
"WHAT IS IT?"
"I'm sorry Buffy, It was Oz's statement about Xander and Angel only working together to save you that made it all clear."
Willow put her hands on Buffy's shoulders to calm her down then turned to Giles. "Giles, what exactly is clear?"
"It struck me as odd, how helpful Xander was being he was much more inquisitive then was his norm, but I took it as a turn for the good. I should have known better." Giles walked to where the book had come to rest, picked it up and started flipping through it as he walked towards the three worried friends.
"The soul twice lost and found shall return, and with him salvation. He knows of the one who can stand-alone and seal the portal. A protector unlooked for but not unseen. A white knight in the darkness, and this soul shall hold the key,.,.,.," Giles looked up at them expectantly but was greeted by looks of incomprehension. "Don't you see, it speaks of Angel's return, and with him salvation. Angel brings the answer. What did Angel bring with him?"
Buffy's mind was racing but she couldn't get around the feeling of dread that threatened to overwhelm her. "Angel didn't bring anything, I mean Xander said he had some things in the car, but I didn't see anything."
But Oz suddenly saw what Giles was getting at. "Oh."
Willow turned to her boyfriend and saw the pained look on his face. "From your expression I'm sure I will regret this but, Oh what?"
"The only thing that Angel brought with him was,.,.," Oz looked from Willow to Giles who nodded. "Xander."
Buffy suddenly became very pale. "Oh no, Xander." She whispered.
"Yes Buffy, Xander. Now that I know I can't believe I didn't see it. He always was determined to protect you. Whether it was going on patrol with you or forcing Angel to guide him to the Master's layer. A protector unlooked for but not unseen. Yes,., I'm afraid Xander is our white knight, and now thanks to the information he was able to extract from me he is going to try to seal the portal by himself."
Buffy felt like she wasn't standing on solid ground, this was just to much to fast. So she focused on the smallest surprise that she had had in the last thirty seconds. "Xander forced Angel to come with him to save me?"
"You didn't know? Well I shouldn't be surprised I suppose, it seems Xander is better at keeping secrets than I would have supposed. As a matter of fact I learned this from Angel, and when I tried to breach the subject with Xander he suddenly exclaimed his immediate need for a ho-ho and left the room. Now I wonder if there are more such episodes that Mr. Harris failed to bring to our attention. The fact that Angel is in on this would lead me to believe that perhaps there were more encounters between he and Xander, or perhaps Angelus and Xander, enough to convince him that Xander was the one spoken of in the prophecy."
"But why did they leave?" Oz asked.
"Xander probably thinks we would try to stop him, especially now because we found out about his injury." Willow shook her head as she thought of her life long friend. "He can be so damn aggravating."
Buffy was on the verge of panic. "Giles we still have 2 days to find another way, we have got to stop him. Where is the portal?"
Giles sighed and taking off his glasses, rubbed his eyes. "If one where to want to find a magical portal that could release horrific demons to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world, where would one go."
Buffy nodded as she returned the tired look in Giles eyes. "The hellmouth, in the Master's layer."
