Wow! Ten Chapters! Who'd have thought? Thank you for looking past the occasional typos and the sometimes, I think, nonsensical way my mind works. You guys rock! Thanks so much!
Gorgolek brought them in front of him a few hours later. They had been whispering all that time, heads together and hands together. He had no idea what they were thinking but he knew it couldn't be about how to use the gem against him. Without the extra power of his might, his former Son of Chaos would no longer have the strength to wield enough magic to power the diamond's ability. That thought brought him joy. The Slayer glared defiantly at him and he smiled at her, a long row of jagged teeth flashing.
"What say you and your pet, Rupert Giles?"
"I'm not his pet!" the blond spat out before she was silenced by the man at her side.
"We'll get you your diamond."
The demon smiled. "Splendid! I almost regret that you are no longer my child! You always seem to do what is necessary to please me! I trust this is the will of the Slayer as well?"
Against her own defiance Buffy nodded. It wasn't worth it now to risk their lives. "I'll help get you your rock and then I never want to see you in my Hellmouth again."
The brown demon roared with laughter watching the human half his size speak to him in such a way. Giles grabbed her hand and she stepped back. His eyes never left Gorgolek's face. His body was tense as an animal getting ready to fight or flee. Once the laughter finished echoing through the chamber to diminish into silence the demon continued. "You have until sunrise tomorrow to bring the gem to me here."
They had no idea how long that gave them to act. Giles cycled through plan after plan in his quick mind, trying to assess time and likelihood. The sacrifice of efficiency raised the likelihood of being caught. He didn't like that risk factor. Trading one prison for another wasn't high up on his list of priorities.
"Two days," He countered, "which is still too short a time to plan properly. Give us until sunrise next to get the diamond."
Gorgolek's eyes narrowed. "Ah, child, what will you give me to ensure your return? This extra time you ask for could allow you escape, though it is not wise to run from me."
"I have no intention of running."
"I believe you, Rupert Giles, but I have heard those words before from other men. It is an easy promise to break."
"What do you want?" he demanded. "Cut to the bloody chase."
"A new contract. This one would forfeit you both if either of you fails or tries to run."
"Not for the wide world, demon." He responded flatly. "She's not part of this."
"Then you have until the next sunrise to bring me the diamond and your time passes as we sit here speaking."
Buffy nudged her Watcher, looking at him crossly. She leaned up and hissed in his ear. "I am not a child. We need time to plan. If we want to pull this off and make you free for good…we need time!"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the cave much to her dismay. Once they broke free into the morning air she gasped, welcoming in fresh air after so long being confined to the damp cave. She bent at the waist and heaved in gulping breaths. He smoothed a hand up and down her back, soothing her in her troubles. When her breathing slowed he directed her to where Xander's truck awaited them. He was thankful now for the foresight to ask for it, though he didn't remember now why he didn't take his own car. Shrugging, he decided that it didn't matter for now.
They drove in silence and it wasn't until they got into his front door that he finally spoke to her. "Are we clear about the plan?"
"What you're planning on is dangerous, Giles. Even with Willow's help there's so much potential to go wrong!"
"It's the only way, darling. I can't have this held over our heads in the years to come."
She blinked at use of the pet name. It had just slipped from his mouth without a conscious effort to use it. He was thinking of what he truly meant to say but wouldn't allow. He meant to say he couldn't allow the demon to live if indeed a child happened to be growing inside the Slayer that happened to be his. It was his one and only chance to be a father, after all. Despite knowing how many problems they'd be facing if it was true and if she chose to go through with it, he couldn't suppress the pang of hope that started to blossom in his heart. Discovering the lover of his heart and having a child he didn't think himself capable of creating all in the same day was like a miracle. It wasn't a gift horse he intended to look in the mouth.
Buffy went into a shower and stayed a long while, body warming under the steaming water. It was hard to digest everything she'd gone through in the last twenty four hours. Thirty sex, really. From making love to Giles, to being captive of a demon and now she had to prepare to steal a diamond from a museum. This was not shaping up to be a good week. They called the others and they rushed over, both friends relieved to have their family returned to them. After the round of hugging that even the Watcher participated in, they all settled down to work.
Giles briefly outlined the situation leaving out the same details he had for Buffy. No one spoke until they were sure he'd finished. Willow piped up after a few moment's thought. "Not that I'm trying to be a downer here cause, you know, I'm trying to be with the peppy but is making this demon invincible the best idea?"
Buffy shook her head as Giles started his explanation. "You see, Willow, we don't actually intend to make Gorgolek invincible. I think I have enough use of magic to be able to activate the gem myself. Gorgolek, I think, has underestimated me. When he took back his own power, he must have assumed I could no longer use it against him. I think I'm still in tune enough with my other magics to be able to power the ability."
Xander let out a sigh and slapped on a relieved grin. "All right, Giles!"
Giles turned to the boy and shook his head. "It's not so simple, Xander." He began, "I can power the gem with my magics but who knows how long I can sustain the effect? Magic's effect on the human body is very definite. It's like a drug. The longer you use it, the more you want to. The more you use it, the weaker your body becomes. To power something like this will take a great deal of strength. I don't know if it will be long enough to destroy the demon. I might have twenty minutes? Perhaps a little more if I'm lucky."
"What happens after twenty minutes?" Willow asked tentatively.
"After twenty minutes, Willow, I'll be dead. Or so weakened that I'll fast be on my way there."
"Oh."
No one spoke for a while. Buffy looked at the clock and watched the numbers flip down to pronounce that another minute had passed. It was now 11:20 in the morning and they still hadn't really gotten to the plan for the museum. A simple smash and grab like she'd pulled with Faith didn't seem like a good idea. It wasn't Fort Knox by any means. This was Sunnydale, after all, but she couldn't expect for there to be no security whatsoever around the diamond. It was part of a world famous collection.
"We need to start planning for tonight. And then for sunrise. I'm sorry but I think we'll be pulling an all nighter."
Xander sighed. They'd all been here, done this before. At least now they didn't have to round robin just to get in research time. With all of them more or less independent, saving the world meant less lying to mom. He was the first to look at the Slayer and shrug. "Always here for you, Buff. What can I do?"
She smiled. "Thank you Xander. It looks like we're robbing a museum and then trying to kill a demon and its very strong lackey. I'm sure everyone will have something to do."
"I think I have a plan." Giles explained, patiently. After all, this wasn't the first time they'd broken into the museum. The only tricky part would be negating the security measures around the diamond itself. From the photographs he'd seen it was such a small gem. Large for a diamond, of course, but small in the grand scheme of things. The British man considered it strange he'd never known the diamond had significant arcane power before.
"Willow, I hate to ask but I'm going to have to ask you to get on your computer and see if you can gain access to the security mainframe of the museum. If you can loop the security footage from the night before and cut the rest of the measures, it should help considerably."
The redhead nodded and reached for her laptop. She'd brought it along since she skipped her classes for the morning but now she was glad she had it. She set the machine on the coffee table and started to work while the other three talked. Giles intended for only Buffy and he to go into the building though he didn't know what he'd do except watch the girl's back. "Xander, we'll need you to drive."
Xander blinked. "That's it? I don't get to play Mission Impossible?" he seemed equal parts disappointed and thankful. The older man shook his head.
"I'll not risk you lot any more than I have to." Buffy got up and paced, looking tense. This was taking too long. He cleared his throat and went into the kitchen. "Would you come speak to me, Buffy?" he asked softly. Once again they were hidden in the nook between his fridge and the walled pantry. The living room lay beyond but they were quite secure and out of sight. Giles sighed softly and took her into his arms, kissing her deeply before he could tell himself this wasn't the right time for such things. She returned the kiss eagerly enough, wrapping her arms around his neck. The Watcher finally pulled away when he was panting for breath.
"You seem tense." He whispered to her tenderly, a master of the obvious. She shrugged.
"Wouldn't you be?"
"Yes, I imagine I am, too. I'm sorry, Buffy."
She shrugged again. "It's not your fault. Not really. I just…something inside of me is saying there's something really wrong here. Something I don't know."
Giles blanched and thought of the child she might have inside of her. Instead of confessing like he wanted to, he gathered her face in his hands and kissed her lovingly. "I love you, Buffy Summers. I'll spare you any pain in the world if I can still draw breath."
She smiled at him sadly, raising her blue eyes to meet his. "I don't intend to lose you tonight."
Giles was only too aware she had yet to say the words "I love you" out loud to him. While he had no doubt that it was how she felt he wanted to hear her say it. He'd imagined the words ringing in his ears long enough but he didn't have the heart to press her, not right now. Instead he let her go and took a step back. He straightened his shirt and fixed his green eyes on her face. It looked ragged with fatigue and worry. He didn't like seeing her looking so much older than her scant eighteen years should have made her but she was the Slayer and such worries were hers to take on. It was her place. He sighed.
"I suppose we should get back and start planning for if this museum robbery goes according to plan." She didn't disagree.
They both walked back into the living room and Buffy nodded in Willow's direction. "How's it going, Will?" she asked softly. The redhead bit her lower lip and studied the screen. That was never a good sign to anyone.
"They have some surprisingly complex walls to get through." She admitted. "I'm really having to work hard to get through them. At this rate I'll be in in a couple of hours."
"We can't wait, Willow. We need to be in as of yesterday."
"Not helping, Buff." Xander broke in, putting his hand on the Slayer's shoulder and trying to draw her back to the couch.
"I know." She confessed in a strained voice. "I'm just nervous."
"No one's blaming you there." Xander replied, wrapping his arms around her. "We've been through worse, remember?"
"Remind me."
"Well, hey, I almost got mated with with the added bonus of getting my head bitten off by a mantis in hot teacher disguise. And then there was the time I almost got the life sucked out of me by an ancient teenage mummy, who was also hot. And then the hyena thing. I'm still not ok with pork after they found the mascot bits. Oh, and there was the time I…"
She smiled and moved to hush him. It was enough to calm her nerves for the time being. She looked up at her best friend and hugged him, pressing her cheek to his. "You're amazing, Xander. Thank you. I love you."
Giles heard that and sniffed defiantly, slightly annoyed with self pity. Sure, tell Xander she loved him but the man who was trying desperately to save her life while risking his own? While the Watcher wasn't prone to irrational bouts of jealousy, he couldn't stop the emotion from surfacing now, just a bit. He cleared his throat. "We need to talk about what we're going to do once we have the jewel and we have to take it back to Gorgolek."
Xander and Buffy stepped away from one another. He piped up in his best brave voice. "I'll do anything I can."
Giles cleared his throat, still more than a little under the influence of his sudden influx of jealousy. "Xander, when he need someone to hide we'll let you know. I hardly think a serious fight is somewhere for you to be."
Buffy looked at Giles sharply when Xander's face fell. Everyone knew he wasn't the best fighter among them, or even special in the way a Slayer, witch, Watcher and werewolf were. But they all danced around the knowledge for his ego's sake. After all, he was the one that provided the heart of the operation. "Xander, I'm sure he meant to say that we can't lose you." Buffy said reassuringly all the while giving her mentor a "what the hell" look. The Watcher felt sufficiently reprimanded.
"Xander, what I mean to say is that we need someone out of battle. If we get hurt we'll need someone healthy to help get us to the hospital."
They all began to discuss the plan as Willow typed away on her keyboard. If she couldn't get through now there might never be any hope at all of getting the diamond. The redhead buckled down and tried that much harder, making a small sound of joy when she made progress. They all waited tensely as time ticked away. The plan couldn't start until it was dark anyway and at this time of year, in Southern California, that meant around ten thirty. Giles came up behind his Slayer and nudged her gently.
"Why don't you go upstairs and have a lie down, Buffy. You have a long night ahead of you."
"I couldn't possibly. Not right now with….everything."
"No, it's a good idea, Buffy." Willow added in. "Someone should be rested tonight and I think it'll help if it's the Slayer."
Buffy reluctantly shrugged and resigned herself to trying. Giles led her to his bedroom though he knew she didn't need to be shown the way. He paused at the doorway as she walked inside, unsure if he should follow. She lay on his bed which was still unmade and smelled lightly of their lingering passion. She curled up on it and looked at him in the doorway, shafts of sunlight filtering in through the window between them. She reached a hand out to him, her face innocent and wanting. He crossed the room and took it, looking down at her.
"God, Buffy, you're beautiful." He murmured, brushing his other hand down her cheek. She closed her eyes and blushed.
"Hold me a while?"
He padded around to the other side of the bed and held her tightly, pressing his body to support hers from behind. They spooned together with his arm around her shoulders. He didn't say anything and neither did she. For long minutes they stayed like this until he noticed she'd gone to sleep. Once he made sure she'd stay that way a while he got up as quietly as he could from the bed and padded across the carpeted floor. He turned the knob and closed the door behind him before making his way back to the others. Xander's eyes watched him the whole way down.
"We gonna talk about this, G-man?"
"Talk about what?" the Watcher replied, confused. "And don't call me that."
Xander shook his head.
"Are we gonna talk about you and Buffy?"
"What about Buffy and I?"
"You're in love with her."
Giles stopped in his tracks. Even the constant clacking of the keyboard keys on Willow's laptop ceased as the girl stared in horror at her best friend. The older man felt trapped, wanted to deny everything but couldn't find the words. Xander wasn't the strongest among them, or the fastest, or even the bravest. He was, however, the one among them that had nothing better to do but observe those he held closest. Apparently they were not careful enough to avoid detection. He cleared his throat as both of them looked at the elder expectantly.
"I, ah, well…" he started and then faltered, not quite finding the words.
Willow looked dismayed. "Giles?" she questioned softly in her "I don't really want to believe this" voice.
Giles came to sit in the chair and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose from habit. "Yes, I love her." He admitted at long last far more quietly than he would have thought possible. "And she loves me." He added a little more loudly than the first statement had been.
"Excuse me when I say this but ummm….weird?" Neither teenager could hide their shock.
"It's been a recent development to say the least." Giles continued not the least bit put off by Xander's statement. "We weren't expecting this to happen."
"But you're Giles." Willow eeked out piteously. "You're not supposed to…"
"Supposed to what, Willow? Fall in love? I didn't hear objections when it was Mrs. Calendar's affections I pursued."
"Yeah, but she was old." Xander butted in before stopping himself. "or, you know, older."
Willow pursed her lips. "That's not what I meant. It's just that it's Buffy and you're you and…" she trailed off.
"No, go ahead and say it, Willow. I went into this knowing there would be objections. I might as well hear them from the two people closest to us both."
"How does that work, exactly?" she responded weakly. "She's a full twenty years younger than you or more." The older man didn't want to open his mouth and admit it was the more part of that sentence. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, the redhead continued. "How does that work when you get in trouble?"
"The same as when you are, I imagine." He responded evenly, trying to feel the way he spoke but truth to tell, she was right. Even if she weren't a Slayer her body healed much more quickly and efficiently than his. Even with his magic to help him not be useless, any injury severe could pull him out of the fight altogether or risk being a liability.
Xander frowned. Willow joined him. Giles sighed. "There's nothing official between us, anyway. I trust Buffy to follow her duty. If we don't manage to get this gem one of us will be dead and I'll wager that to be myself."
It was enough to get them back to work, none of them knowing how to really deal with the changes just yet. Hours passed as time drained away. Giles gave a worried look outside the window where the sun was setting. All of a sudden Willow squealed. "I'm in!" she declared in triumph. "I can control everything from here provided I keep a connection. Security's no longer and issue."
Giles gave her a grateful look. "So, let's go over the plan."
Without any of them hearing her approach, Buffy climbed down the stairs toward them, looking rested. Giles cleared his throat, pleading the other two with his eyes not to mention anything they'd discussed earlier. Thankfully, neither of them seemed eager to go against that. Willow looked up at all three of them on the couch from her position on the floor in front of her laptop.
"Xander takes you guys downtown. At 9 o'clock exactly you'll pull up to the museum. I'll loop the security tape for 1 hour. You'll have to be in at exactly 9 and out before 10."
Giles spoke up. "Buffy, the diamond is in the west wing of the museum on the ground floor. The front entrance gives us the least amount of cover but it's the closest to the target."
"I've got a truck." Xander piped in, trying to be useful and instead the other three looked at him, dumbfounded out of speech for a few minutes. The boy sighed. "Nevermind." Giles continued.
"Willow can't disable the security around the diamond but we know it's got high density beams around it to trip the silent alarm, not to mention the glass casing and the security guards roaming. I estimate we'll have between ten to fifteen minutes between rounds. It is imperative that we use the time wisely."
The blond listened to all of the instructions and nodded. "Piece of cake. Tech me out, Will. How do we find these laser beams?"
Giles spoke up instead of Willow. "I believe my magic can detect them, possibly even reflect them for a very short time."
"Right." She responded, looking resolute. "Let's rob a museum."