Accession

Part Two

Bring on the Weekend

Disclaimer. See Prologue for the full version. Only the plot is mine.

Chapter Nine.

Giles awoke before his alarm on Saturday morning. Today was the day he would actually meet his daughter for the first time. When he'd seen her previously in Olivia's rooms at the Dorchester, she'd been soundly asleep and the picture he had in his mind was of how peaceful she'd looked. A shock of dark curly hair with a tinge of golden haze and a pretty rounded face with coffee coloured skin tones, was all he'd been able to ascertain from the light of the doorway. When he'd asked whether Natalie was aware she even had a father, Olivia had said their daughter was as sharp as a new pin, and if she didn't know already it wouldn't take her long to work it out. He raised himself from the bed and headed for the bathroom. There was much to think about and plan before he visited her today. There was even more to discuss and arrange with Olivia. He groaned at the thought of what Xanders' comments might be. He needed a conference call. Now. How did Willow say that it worked?

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Berlin.

Mike Royce was awake early. He needed exercise and some items to renew his disguise. The wash he'd used had rubbed out during the night.

As he ritualistically performed the exercises and martial arts kata's he'd practised for almost twenty years, he pondered over his plans. There was still the nagging feeling that Felicja wasn't who she said she was. It was too soon to ditch the bint yet though. If it turned out that she was genuine, she'd call the police and there'd be an investigation. He showered, dressed and made his way to the nearest mall. Whilst he was out he came across a large bookstore and wandered inside to research the food he'd been served the previous evening.

He considered it was safe using his German here so he asked to be directed to the cookery section. He trawled though the various shelves until he found the regional and ethnic books. Scanning through the volumes he came across a book on authentic Georgian dishes. Bingo. There were several photographs on the cover depicting two of the dishes that Felicja had prepared. Chanahi, a spicy lamb dish, and Basturma, a sort of skewered kebab. Butter cake had also been on the table.

"So, not Polish then." He mused. Why was she hiding her true nationality? The Georgians were a very patriotic race. The only conclusion he could come up with was that she needed to disappear. Just like him.

Whilst he was in the mall he located an ATM and withdrew several hundred Euros on each of the cards. Most British cards had a cash withdrawal limit of two hundred and fifty pounds per day, and checking the balances told him that there was plenty of room for several days withdrawals. He segregated the cash in various pockets. Using the cash he purchased a money belt, some better fitting clothing from various shops; and lightweight camping equipment from a nearby outdoor specialist store. This was his way out. The hiking season was just starting and there would be hundreds of campers and hikers about for him to lose himself amongst. Checking he had everything, he headed back to his hotel, stopping at the nearest station on the way to stow the camping gear in the left luggage lockers. He had no desire to arouse suspicion at the hotel by arriving with a load of camping equipment.

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Chateau Villette

Saturday came bright and early for them both as they set to organising the rest of the books and putting them onto the shelves in something resembling order. Xander checked on his handiwork of shuttering the French windows.

Vi had settled herself to going through the books in the ballroom, most were the reference books for the art and works of Da Vinci and others associated with Teabing's quest for the Holy Grail. There were papers and notes on his findings scattered haphazardly throughout the room. Vi wondered if he'd have ever found it if it hadn't been for Sophie and Robert gaining access to the Cryptex and solving the clues.

Tucked away in a large storage closet off an adjacent room Vi found a single book on a shelf. Nothing else was in there. A copy of Encyclopaedia Daemonicus. "Getting warmer." She muttered. She frowned and stepped back from the closet looking at the external dimensions, gauging them against the internal ones.

"Xander. You got a minute!" She called out.

Xander came around the corner a minute later.

"What y' got, hon."

"Don't know, might be nothing. Take a look in the closet."

Xander stepped inside and exclaimed. "Whoa!"

Vi was puzzled. "What?"

"All the magical supplies in here will keep someone happy for years." He said.

"Xan, there's nothing in there except an empty shelf and….."

"No it's full of stuff for magick. Ingredients and books an' stuff." He said.

"What!?" She said, puzzled. "I called you to look at the dimensions of the cupboard. It looks bigger on the outside than on the inside; and I wondered if it could…" She stopped as she put her head around the corner to see that it was as empty as she had suspected. "Are you joshin' me?" She sounded annoyed.

"No. "You mean you can't see it?" He asked. He came out and rubbed his eyes, then went back in again. "Nope. Still all there."

He reached out to grab something from one of the shelves, there was a yelp of pain as his hand hit the wall that he wasn't expecting to be there.

"Oww! What the…… Hey, I think I got x-ray vision for magick stuff." He said, shaking and flexing his hand to relieve the pain.

"Or…. Maybe for seeing things that are hidden?" Said Vi. She tapped the wall above and below the shelf. It sounded hollow. They both looked around for some sort of lever or switch that might operate a mechanism. They found none. Xander tried lifting and pulling at the shelf, Vi replaced the Daemonicus and moved it around on the shelf in case that was the answer. Nothing worked. Vi began to lose patience and pulled back to give the wall a slayer strength kick.

Xander stopped her. "No, don't!" He said. "We don't know what might happen if you damage it. It might be booby trapped."

"True." She said. "Any ideas?"

He stepped outside again and made his way along the wall. Tapping as he went.

"I can't see into it from the outside and the wall sounds solid. I don't get it?" He said.

There was a fireplace further along the wall and he moved towards it. It didn't quite fit with the rest of the room's décor. It was plain white marble with two inlaid red roses on the pillars either side of the hearth.

"This is different. It's more recent than the rest of the furnishings." He said.

He tried twisting, pushing and prodding the roses, again nothing. He stepped into the huge grate and stood in the dim, half light of the fireplace. He tapped the wall nearest the cupboard, then the back wall. The side wall sounded hollow. He looked again and could see into the room again, but from the opposite end.

"Vi. There's a door right where we were just standing, in the closet. I can see it. It's got a door knob. Its about waist height, on your…..left as you face the door. Just try it, y' never know."

Vi went back into the closet and did as he'd instructed. As she put her hand near the area he'd described, she felt it, but she still couldn't see it. A doorknob. Grasping it she gave it a twist clockwise. Nothing. Counter-clockwise. The knob moved.

"Pull or push?" She called out.

"Push." Shouted Xander. "The door opens inwards."

She gave a push and the door creaked open and there was a slight hiss as fresh air was sucked into the semi void beyond. This room obviously hadn't been opened in quite a while.

Xander saw the door open from his position in the fireplace, but as soon as he saw Vi enter the room it quickly faded from view.

"Huh? What the…."

"Something up?" Called Vi.

"Room faded out when you walked in."

"Maybe it's like I said. You can see a hidden thing, but this isn't hidden anymore."

"So I don't need to 'see' it." He added.

Vi had a frown on her face. "Why couldn't you see it from outside the closet? I mean. You could see it from the fireplace and the closet but not from outside."

"Dunno. Wall too thick, possibly?"

Vi smiled. "No. Too much light, I reckon. It's kinda like those night vision goggles that Riley's guys have, 'cept you can see through walls 'an stuff. Neat."

Xander followed Vi into the hidden room. He'd found a torch in one of the kitchen drawers and they examined the various jars and books on the shelves. Neither of them knew what most of the items were, but seeing as the house was Teabing's and he'd died summoning a demon, their guess was that they weren't dealing with the whiter side of the craft.

"Lets close this up and get ourselves a witch. Most of this looks as though it could be pretty dangerous stuff if it gets into the wrong hands." Said Xander.

Vi agreed. "Who you gonna call?……………Oh my god. I can't believe I fell for that one." She said, grinning and shaking her head.

"You'll get used to it. Don't worry, my little padawan." He said, sagely. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled Willow's number.

"Hey Will….Is it too early to celebrate Christmas? Or, would you like all your birthdays to come at once.….'

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Brize Norton

"Damn, I'll be glad to get back to our own bed." Said Kennedy, grumpily. "Sleeping in this thing is no fun at all."

The bunk in the plane wasn't as big as Kennedy liked, not nearly big enough for a good romp in her opinion.

Willow smirked at her. "I kinda like it, it's cosy." She said.

"Says she who spent the night on top!" Responded Kennedy.

"You can take a turn tonight, if you really think you can handle it." Came the reply.

"Ok, but you'll get no sleep. I do guarantee that you'll have a smile on your face in the morning though." Said Kennedy, rattling her tongue stud against her teeth.

"Sounds worth it." Agreed Willow.

The two headed for the canteen. As they were eating Xander rang, and informed her of the discovery at the Chateau. No sooner had she ended that call than Giles called to see if she could initiate a conference call for him.

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Visitors Quarters RAF Brize Norton Hospital

The sound of a large aircraft taking off woke Robert Langdon from his sleep. He sat up in the private room in the hospital he'd been given and for a moment, wondered where he was. There was a tap on his door.

"Who is it?" He called.

"It's Sophie. Can I come in?" Came Sophie's voice from the other side of the door.

"Just a minute." He called.

He climbed out of bed and put on the white starched robe that was obviously a hospital issue. Had he not had the foresight to pack some pyjamas, the robe would not have covered his embarrassment.

He padded over to the door and opened it to reveal Sophie in a similar robe. The robe fitted her smaller stature better, but it had all the signs that she'd not had the foresight to pack night attire as he had. The robe left little to the imagination.

"Can I come in?" She asked.

He realised that he was staring at her cleavage. He averted his eyes and opened the door fully, standing to one side to allow her access.

"We are going to Westbury later today. Mr. Giles has made arrangements for us to stay there for a while. I came to ask if you are coming too?" She said.

"Yeah, I'm planning on it. I have to see Mr Giles anyway. There are some things I need to ask him before I head back to the States." Said Robert. "Although I got the impression that he won't be there until this evening. Willow said that she and her girlfriend are taking the slayers there to see the new school."

"I spoke with my grandmother last night. I'm resigning from my job at Crypto as soon as I can speak with them. What I do after that depends on certain things." She announced.

"Like what?" He asked.

"Well, you. For a start." She said.

"I have to go back to Harvard, for a while at least. Once the semester is over I'm a free agent. I did originally plan to think about Stanford; they made me a very generous offer for next year." He said.

"Would you like a companion?" She asked, in a small voice.

"Er, yeah, why?" Said Robert, puzzled.

"I would like to come with you. That is, if you want me." She asked.

There was another knock at the door. Robert held up his hands to pause the edgy conversation and opened it. It was Marie. He motioned for the elderly lady to enter and she gingerly sat on the end of the bed.

"Should you be up?" Asked Robert.

She raised a hand to stop his questiioning. "I needed to see you both. Have you decided yet?" She asked.

"About what?" Asked Robert, puzzled.

"Your future,… together." She said.

At Robert's confused look and Sophie's coy glance she became a little exasperated. Mindful of her stitches, she continued, there was a strain in her voice.

"You mean that neither of you have discussed or acted upon what everyone else has been gossiping about over the last few days?" She let out a deep sigh and winced at the pain it caused.

"I don't quite understand?" Said Robert.

"Alors! Must I draw a picture! You two are in love. Are you blind!" She paused and took a breath. "Sacre bleu! Academics!"

"Ah, yes, well." Robert was flustered. He gathered his thoughts. "I thought that after the revelations of other night and the fact that we were told by that guardian person about Sophie's required training by yourself; that I wouldn't be allowed near her. She is a princess, after all."

"Merde!" Muttered Marie, shaking her head. "I am not concerned with your status, or making Sophie have a relationship she would not be happy with. Our ways are not like that. You have both proven that you can compliment each other's abilities and will not desert one another in a crisis. However, if it is approval you require, so be it. You have my blessing. Date! Have sex! Make me a Great Grandmother!"

"Excuse me. Did you say……." Robert was cut off.

"Yes, I did!" Said Marie.

"But wouldn't we have to do it in front of………everyone?" They both asked together.

Marie put her head in her hands. "Robert. For a professor you can sometimes be quite dense." She looked at Sophie. "Your grandfather would have explained this to you, had you at least talked to him. That ritual you witnessed was only for the High Priest and Priestess of the order to perform. You will never be asked to prove yourselves in that way, although you may be asked to attend as observers."

There was a relieved sigh from both the younger people.

"And I thought that the younger generations were more relaxed over their sexual prowess." Said Marie, resignedly.

"Perhaps it skipped a generation." Commented Robert. "From what I hear, I think these slayers are a pretty promiscuous lot."

Sophie reached for his hand. "Would you like to take me out on a date this afternoon?" She said, taking the initiative.

"Seeing as we have approval, I guess so. Where would you like to go. Movies? Restaurant?" He asked.

"How about both." She said. "According to Grandmere, we have lost time to make up for."

Marie quietly got up and left the two alone in the room.

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London Waterloo. Eurostar platform.

Gerard Williams handed his passport and ticket to the porter as he boarded the train. The porter welcomed him aboard and showed him to his seat. His suitcase stowed, he settled down to read the newspaper as the whistle blew and the train started to move along the platform. Brussels was his reported destination. In reality, his true destination was Switzerland and a certain ski lodge. The one where he and his former SAS colleagues had met the previous winter. The one where the now deceased Mrs. Jones had recognised Royce's image from.

Her body was now in their freezer. No-one would suspect until at least Wednesday, when the cleaner was due to call in. Maybe not even then. He'd taken the hard drive from the computer and the albums so that any pictures of their Swiss holiday and what the Musketeers now looked like were absent. His alias was intact and he had several more to switch to in case another was compromised.

Once he crossed the border into Switzerland he could change his looks and become a different person. The three who were left had much to plan, now that their Captain was dead.

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Roslyn Chapel

Andrea Turnbull was preparing the guestbook for the weekend. Roslyn was a busy sightseeing attraction, due in part to it's architecture; but mainly because of it's legendary association with the Templars and it's diverse Pagan, Jewish and Christian symbols adorning the inside of the building.

Over the past two days there had been a trickle of visitors. She made physical contact with as many as she could, shaking hands and trying to feel their auras. David had set up cameras around the building linked to the laptop computer. He had been remotely photographing everyone and where possible, matching names to those photo's. There was the distinct possibility that the remaining members of the Priory would come looking for Marie as she was now the default head of their organisation.

She glanced down the road towards the village to see the first of their weekend visitors approaching; a coach full of foreign holidaymakers. She sighed, gave David a 'why are we doing this' look; and planted her best 'I am your official guide' smile upon her face before readying to greet them.

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Henri Lefevre stepped from the coach and mingled with the rest of the tourists. Whilst his eyes were seemingly attentive to their guides ministrations on the length of their stay and the facilities available; he was really searching the area for signs of his contact. He spied the cottage at the end of the track and decided that after the party was spread through the grounds his best option would be to make contact at the cottage.

The tour guide shepherded the party into the Chapel. David had set a chicane barrier up that allowed only a couple of people to enter the doorway at a time, therefore ensuring that the hidden digital camera took everyone's photograph.

Henri took note of the new woman greeting the party inside the chapel. She was making some apologies for the disarray inside. Something about vandals having got in. As he neared he noted her lightly touching each visitor, a friendly enough gesture, he thought. When it came to his turn to pass her, she smiled and did the same to him. What he didn't notice was the slight stiffening of her posture; the incantation she muttered; and the brief glow that emitted from the palm of her hand as she placed it on his shoulder. Lefevre was now a marked man.

End of Chapter Nine.