Chapter 20
Giles and Xander were just preparing to leave the library when the door swung open and Amy appeared a big sports bag on her shoulder. She smiled a greeting. "I hoped you'd be here, Mr Giles. I have the books I promised."
"Oh wonderful," Giles set down the sword he was carrying and went to help Amy with the bag. "I appreciate this, Amy. I'll take good care of them."
"You're welcome. I'd have been here sooner but what with last minute shopping and packing to go to my Auntie's for Christmas I just haven't had the time."
"You're going away for Christmas?" Xander asked coming to lean against the counter beside her.
"Yes, it'll be nice to get out of Sunnydale for while. Dad's waiting for me outside so I can't stop, but here," she pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "This is my Auntie's number, if you need me to help with a spell or something give me a call and I'll do what I can. Is Willow alright?"
Xander rolled his shoulders. "She says she is but she's saying and doing stuff that's just so un-Willowy."
A sympathetic look crossed Amy's face. "I haven't had time to really look at the books. I hope they can help her."
"Me too," Xander said with feeling.
"We appreciate all your help, Amy," Giles said taking the books to his office and locking them safely away. "I'll start going through these tonight, hopefully they can at the very least point us in the right direction."
Amy eyed the sword he had set on the counter and the axe Xander held that swung a little at his side. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Woods," Xander said, straightening up and adopting an air of importance. "Got a situation."
Giles rolled his eyes and took up the sword again. "Yes, quite. And we don't want to delay your Christmas trip, Amy."
"Well, Merry Christmas," she said with a smile and edged towards the door. "Um, good luck."
"We don't need luck," Xander said swinging the axe around. "We've got skills." The axe came down heavily behind him and lodged in the counter. Xander grimaced, struggling to pry it loose.
Giles closed his eyes and prayed for patience. "Thank you, Merry Christmas, Amy."
"Bye," she waved once, giving Xander a look of mingled curiosity and amusement before she left.
With one last heave Xander managed to dislodge the axe. "Got it."
"If you're quite ready, Xander?"
"Let's go kick some vampire ass."
XX
Having changed and packed up her bag Willow went with Faith and Buffy to the woods where they met up with Giles and Xander. Willow figured something really bad had to be going on if Giles was there too, he was usually all Watcher-y what with being a Watcher and everything.
Even with two Slayer's in the mix it hadn't been an easy fight. There had indeed been a nest but it wasn't vampires, they had instead found a group of large demons hiding out in the caves with blueish grey skin and red glowing eyes. They had sharp teeth and large pointed ears with a series of horns above their eyes and along their large foreheads.
They were a strong bunch and fought valiantly. Willow had retreated to the mouth of the cave to dig out her candle and perform the cloaking spell, they needed all the help they could get.
Now a thick grey mist filled the cave, hidden in the shadows Faith, Buffy and Giles waited, watching the demon as it searched the mist for those who had barged into its home and attacked and killed its brethren.
Willow held up her candle, pleased that her spell was working so well. She blew out the flame, the mist swirled and disappeared and the demon came clearly into view.
Buffy, who had been perched on a ledge above the others leapt at the demon with the light, feline grace of a cat, and tackled it to the ground. Giles came rushing forward to assist her, they each took hold of the demons arms and pulled it from the ground pinning it against the wall. Irritably, the demon shook Giles off and with a swipe of its arm sent Giles forcefully into a nearby wall and he slumped to the ground.
Faith came forward then sword held high. She charged at the demon and plunged the blade into its heart. The demon gave an agonising scream as Faith retracted the sword and it fell face down to the ground narrowly missing Giles who rolled off to the side.
"Wills, you okay?" Buffy asked.
Willow nodded. "I'm fine."
"Good thing you were here," Faith said. "These babes were wicked rowdy. If it wasn't for your spell we'd have been in big trouble."
Willow grinned and looked down at the candle. "No melting, no scary mist. All good this time."
"What are they?" Buffy asked looking down at Giles who was kneeling beside the fallen demon and examining it with unconcealed curiosity.
"I'm not completely sure."
Buffy's lips pursed, she didn't hear those words from Giles often but when she did she knew research was imminent. Research was so not her favourite thing to do, too many books depressed her.
There was a stirring to the left beneath a pile of cardboard boxes and Xander emerged scrabbling to stand on unsteady feet. "Good show everyone," he offered them two thumbs up.
Willow winced as he wobbled. "Are you okay, Xan?"
"Oh tip top," he assured her. "If anyone sees my spine lying around, just try not to step on it."
"One day you're going to get really hurt," Buffy said concerned.
"Or killed," Faith added.
"I'd like you all to remember just who it was, who, at a crucial moment distracted the lead demon by allowing her to pummel him about the head."
Faith rolled her eyes, her lips twisting in amusement. "It was real manly how you shrieked and all."
"Faith's right, Xan, one day you're going to get yourself killed jumping into the fight like that," Willow said. "I honestly don't know what you were thinking attacking a demon that size by yourself when even Faith and Buffy were struggling and they have Slayer powers. It was obvious you were just going to get hurt. And it really doesn't help Buffy and Faith having you flailing around like a puppet on a string, how can they fight at their full potential when they're worried about you? Maybe you should leave the battles to the able fighters from now on."
Xander's face flamed red, completely mortified. Buffy shifted her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot and Giles cleared his throat as he rose to his feet.
"So, we, um, we're researching then?" Buffy asked fixing her eyes on Giles, refusing to look at Xander, she could feel his humiliation even if she couldn't see the flush of his face in the dimness of the cave. It wasn't like Willow to be so blunt or to disregard someone's feelings this way, but then, Willow hadn't minded telling her exactly what she thought of her friendship a few days ago either. There was a perverse part of Buffy which was relived someone else was feeling the rough side of Willow's tongue and it wasn't just her.
"Yes indeed," Giles said, a frown furrowing his brow as he stared down at the demon at his feet.
Packing her candle away Willow fell into step with Faith and they left the cave chatting quietly together. Buffy felt a sharp stabbing in her chest as she trailed along behind them.
"See, I told you," Xander said pointing after them. "Un-Willowy."
"I'm not disinclined to agree," Giles murmured
They went back to the library, Faith and Buffy spent some time cleaning off the weapons while Giles and Willow settled down at the table to begin the research. Xander came in last having been to the bathroom to wipe some of the dust, dirt and blood from his hands and face.
When he arrived at the library Willow was already reading, Xander took a few moments to watch her unobserved. She was sitting back in her chair a look of concentration on her face and her green eyes drifting along the page as she absorbed its contents. She looked as she always did when she was researching, except for the skinny jeans and the tight black top she wore that fit snugly around her breasts. Somehow, even Cordelia's tightest tops, most clinging dresses and shortest skirts didn't affect him the way this one top did.
Willow had breasts, who knew.
Willow didn't want him anymore, she had made that perfectly clear. It didn't stop him looking or wanting though, he was used to looking. Xander had rarely met a girl he had wanted who wanted him back, expect for Cordeila and he still couldn't quite work out how that had all come about.
"I think we're probably going to be here for a while," Giles said, indicating the pile of books he had brought to the table and giving Faith and Buffy a pointed look.
"Don't we get snacks?" Buffy pouted as she took a seat beside Willow.
"I'll go," Xander offered.
Willow looked up and smiled at him. "There, an important job that's right up your street. It's all about team work, we need snacks, you provide them; team work. And," she added, "You're not in the way or getting hurt."
Xander stilled his jaw tensing. He heard Buffy suck in a sharp breath and Faith snorted. Giles had the decency to keep his eyes on the book he held.
"I'll go get the snacks then," Xander said through grit teeth, he turned and left the library.
"You, um, you were a bit hard on him, don't you think, Wills?" Buffy spoke softly, not wanting to deal with any of Willow's truthful words herself.
Willow shrugged. "He's better off out of harm's way and he never could take a hint. Better to give it to him straight and keep him nice and safe. We don't want anything to happen to him, do we? And besides, now that Faith's here there really is no need for him to be in any danger, is there? You two can patrol together."
"Of course we don't want anything to happen to him," Buffy shuddered at the very thought. "It's just…"
"I'd have thought you'd have been on my side," Willow said with a small frown. "After what happened to Jessie."
It was Buffy's turn to still, the blood drained from her face and her eyes grew so wide they threatened to take over her face. She said nothing in response, but Willow didn't appear to expect an answer, she returned to her book effectively closing the conversation.
The library descended into silence, but it was a tense, strained kind of silence that made Faith's skin itch. Even though she didn't know who Jessie was, it was obvious that Willow's comment meant something, that Jessie was a sore point that had been glossed over until Willow had deigned to drag it out into the open and force it to be acknowledged. The silence didn't lift when Xander returned, in fact it seemed to get even heavier and pressed down on Faith until she felt she would burst.
"It's the end of the world," Giles voice broke the silence and made Faith jump.
"Are you sure?" Buffy put down her book.
"The demons we fought tonight are part of The Sisterhood of Jhe, they are an Apocalypse cult. They exist solely to bring about the world's destruction, and we've not seen the last of them. More will follow."
"More wicked good times then," Faith said leaning back in her chair.
"It seems," Giles said slowly. "That they intend to open the Hellmouth and if they succeed the world will be overrun with demons of all kinds." He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"How do we stop it?" Xander asked dusting powdered sugar off his fingers.
"When's it going to happen?" Buffy asked at the same time.
"I'm not sure, to both questions."
"So," Buffy let out a breath. "Deep research mode it is then?"
Giles nodded, "I'm afraid so."
"If there's more," Faith said thoughtfully. "Shouldn't we double the patrol or something? We might find another nest or even stop them in the act."
"Yes, good idea, Faith. Buffy, maybe you could ask Angel if he's heard anything on the demon grapevine," Giles suggested. "I know most of the demons in Sunnydale avoid him if they can, but he still manages to hear things we don't."
"Sure, no problem, I'll swing by his place and ask," Buffy got to her feet an eager expression on her face.
"I didn't mean right now," Giles said putting a steadying hand on her arm. "It's late, go home and get some sleep, we'll start tomorrow."
Willow sighed inwardly how relieved she suddenly felt at Giles words, she couldn't concentrate on research, not even to stop the Apocalypse after what had happened with Spike earlier this evening. She still felt hot and bothered by it in spite of finding herself in the middle of a battle with The Sisterhood of Jhe.
She wondered where he was and what he was doing. Would he come to see her before he retired for the day? The prospect of seeing him again both excited and terrified her. How would she look him in the face after what had happened? How would she refrain herself from throwing herself at him as soon as she saw him again?
It was all so confusing and arousing.
Pulling her jacket back on and taking up her bag Willow paused her mouth popping open in surprise. "Oh!" The disappointment in her tone was that of opening up a present and finding the box empty.
"What is it?" Faith asked.
Willow shook her head. "Nothing."
It had only just occurred to her that Spike still hadn't kissed her! He wanted her, Willow knew he did, he had told her how much, so why hadn't he kissed her? Maybe he would have if Buffy and Faith hadn't turned up and she scowled at yet another interruption at a crucial Spike moment.
Perhaps, if they had been left alone there would have been more going on than kissing. Perhaps Spike would have done all that he said he wanted to do to her. The thought left her breathless and trembling with excitement and fright. How could she possibly do that with Spike. She hadn't done that with Oz. She had Oz were close but they weren't all that intimate. Oz didn't push her or try to rush her into something she wasn't quite ready for and Willow had always appreciated that about him. He accepted her as she was, and took what she offered so willingly without demanding more. He was willing to go at her pace and because of that she felt comfortable with him, they had a deeper, more intimate relationship that had nothing to do with the physical side of things.
She wasn't close to Spike, but she wanted to be, she wanted to know all about him. More than that she wanted him, wanted him in ways she hadn't known it was possible to want someone. There was something vital and earthy about Spike that appealed to her. He was dark and dangerous and somehow those qualities spoke to her, drew her in like a moth to a flame.
Now she ached for him as he said he ached for her, but the ache wasn't new, it was just awoken within her. Tonight she had discovered something about herself, she had found that beneath her quiet exterior and timid face there was a coarseness to her nature that responded passionately to Spike's vulgar words and open desires. He made her blood quicken and run hot in her veins. It was a violent blood full of urgency and desire and naked pleading for Spike and Spike alone.
"What a way to spend Christmas Eve," Buffy said with a long sigh linking her arm through Willow's as they left the library. "But as least we'll get to exchange presents."
"Hum," Willow murmured. Her mind strayed to the sword hidden beneath her bed.
"What about Spike?" Xander asked trailing along behind them with Faith.
Buffy made a face. "What about him?"
"Well, maybe he could help out too."
"I don't think so," Buffy shook her head.
"Why not?" Xander persisted. "He helped stop an apocalypse before; he might help this time too."
Buffy squirmed inwardly as she always did at the mention of Angelus and Acathla. "We can handle it," she said shortly. "We don't need Spike. Besides, I think its probably best that we don't get attached to Spike, you know, don't look to rely on him to help us out, besides, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him."
"You trusted him before," Willow pointed out.
"That's because his girlfriend was a skanky whore and running around with Angelus, Spike wanted her back. The deal we made was all about Drusilla. Without her there was no deal. Spike's evil, he can't be trusted, he'd betray us without a seconds thought if it benefited him and you know it."
"So, what'll you do when we get Willow's soul of him?" Faith asked, she was curious about the answer but more than that she knew Willow was concerned about that too, why else would she have bought a sword for Spike.
"He promised that if I let him and Drusilla leave Sunnydale I'd never hear from them again, and yet here he is back in town and causing trouble. I'm not sure leaving the Slayer of Slayer's to wander around town is a good idea. I'll do whatever I have to do."
Willow's eye's widened and her stomach cramped in horror. There was no way she was allowing Buffy to hurt Spike, there was no way she would allow anyone to hurt Spike if she could help it. She wasn't a fighter, she had no power over Buffy or Giles or Angel to ensure Spike's safety, but she wasn't completely useless. Her heart hardened against her best friend, if the time ever came that Spike would go up against Buffy then he would be ready for her.