Part II
Midnight
The vampire that had been Rupert Giles finished the last pint of blood and discarded the container. "Thank you, that was just what I needed." His face changed back to its human appearance, and he looked back at what once had been Jenny Calendar. His current emotion was curiosity, and he decided to indulge it: "How did it happen?"
Her face had also reverted to its non-threatening appearance, and she seemed uncomfortable as she began, as if she still identified with the terror that Jenny had felt. "Angelus found her in the computer lab as she had just finished translating the ritual to restore Angel's soul. He destroyed the computer and the printout and chased her through the hallways of the school. Amazingly, she managed to evade him and had gotten outside. . .only to run straight into Dru, who captured her. Angelus caught up and was about to break her neck when Dru laughed and said she had a better idea. They took her to the factory and drained her, then fed her Dru's blood. I arrived not long after."
He nodded, and commented, "She must have been thoroughly frustrated at having been caught after having been so close to getting away." He reached for his glasses, not because of any great need but for the sense of familiarity that it gave him. He looked at her and asked, "So their plan was for you to turn Giles and use us to kill the Slayer and her friends?"
She looked back at him and shook her head in disgust. "No, his brilliant plan was for me to break his neck and leave the body on Buffy's front porch for her to discover. Some master vampire he is. . .willing to waste a perfectly good asset."
He nodded in agreement and commented, "You know, he never had any idea what was happening to him." The memories that Giles had passed to him included the soothing sound of Jenny's voice urging him to drink what the vampire knew to have been the female vampire's blood: the thought had never occurred to Giles as he died. "He trusted her absolutely, at least as far as anything other than Buffy went."
He stood up and dressed rapidly, turning back to her when he had finished. "All right, I'm here. What now? Do we go to the great and powerful Angelus and tell him you've changed his plan?"
She noted his tone and was pleased. "No, I don't think so. I seem to have gained a touch of Dru's precognitive powers from the turning, and I get the feeling we'll both end up dead if we do that. . .no, I have a better idea. Are you up for it?"
He looked at her and replied, "I'm certainly willing to listen, particularly since if you'd done things his way, I wouldn't be here." He beckoned to her, and they went downstairs, settling on the living room sofa.
She cleared her throat, then began, "Our first option, I suppose, would be to go into business for ourselves. Buffy trusts Giles absolutely. . .you could probably easily maneuver her into a position where you could kill her without problems. . .and you'd have the sense not to let her live just to cause her more pain."
He nodded and commented, "That would be the standard method of operation, I suppose. We are demons, after all. I gather from your tone that you have objections to this plan?"
She smiled, pleased that he was willing to follow her lead. "Buffy's just too damned lucky. Not only is she very talented by the historical standards of Slayers, she's managed to accumulate a group of friends with talents that have kept her alive long after she should have been killed. She was killed, and Xander and Angel just happen to find her in time to revive her, with the result that there are now two Slayers loose in the world. No, I'd just as soon come up with a plan that keeps us clear from her indefinitely."
He nodded and commented, "You're right, but that is easier said than done. After all, once she finds out what's happened, we're going to be on her better-dead list right after Angelus, Spike, and Dru. How do we get her to want to leave us alone?"
She smiled and replied, "By giving Buffy her heart's desire."
12:20 AM
Spike maneuvered the wheelchair over to where Dru was standing, staring at the ceiling and humming to herself. Annoyed with that and with the whole turn of events lately, he asked sarcastically, "And where is the lord of the manor tonight?"
The insane vampiress smiled and turned to her lover, purring, "Now Spike, no need to be unpleasant. Angel has gone to see that our present to Buffy is delivered properly."
Spike snorted and snapped angrily, "Oh, that's just wonderful, love. Hasn't that bitch of a Slayer been enough trouble without really pissing her off? Killing two of her friends in one night is not how I would deal with her. . .of course, if it had been me, I would have offed her when I had the chance rather than mucking around with tormenting her." He looked up at Dru and snarled, "That bastard has been screwing things up for us ever since he came back."
Dru's eyes widened, then she chuckled. "Don't worry, love. My Angel knows what he is doing. Didn't he bring us my Jenny?"
Spike rolled his eyes up but said nothing. Dru tended to get attached to the fledgling vampires she created, though she was prone to occasional insane fits of violence that would be very unpleasant to those who had previously enjoyed her affections. Still. . .there was something odd about the vampire that had been Jenny Calendar. He had recently recovered the ability to walk, and had regained most of his strength, facts that he had carefully hidden from Angelus and Dru. Unfortunately, the vampire Jenny had spotted him walking around in an area of the factory well away from where Angelus and Dru were. He briefly contemplated killing her, only to see her wink at him and turn away as if she had seen nothing of note. He didn't have Dru's prophetic abilities, but he had the feeling that Jenny would be causing grief to Angelus, and very soon. He sat silently, waiting for developments while Dru continued humming and staring at the ceiling.
12:30 AM
Angelus lurked outside the Summers house, still frustrated that he had been thwarted in his attack on Joyce Summers, but gleefully anticipating the pleasant results when Jenny dropped off their present for Buffy. . .he'd love seeing that tweed-covered twit lying dead on Buffy's porch, and the horrified expressions from Buffy, Willow, and Joyce that would inevitably follow.
The phone rang inside the house, and Buffy went to answer it. She listened for about thirty seconds, then spoke briefly before putting the receiver down and calling out for Willow. They ran upstairs and came down about five minutes later with Buffy's bag of supplies. Joyce had retired some hours earlier, and they had no problem leaving the house without being noticed. Angelus was tempted to attack, but he knew that he had no particular advantage over Buffy at the moment, and who knew, Willow might be able to help. . . by tossing holy water or something else annoying. He decided to wait. . .sooner or later, Jenny would show with the Brit's body, and his fun would begin.
12:45 AM
They all met outside Willow's house: Buffy, Willow, Oz, Xander, Giles, and Jenny. The first four had puzzled expressions, and Giles hastened to elaborate: "We chose this as a meeting place because Willow's parents aren't home, and it has recently been made proof against vampiric intrusion. Let's go inside, and we'll explain." The four teenagers went inside, only to see Giles and Jenny waiting patiently outside. Willow called out, "Why are you guys standing on ceremony? Come on in!" Looking embarrassed, they did so, and the group settled down in the living room. Buffy looked at the two and asked impatiently, "So what's the deal? Spill."
Giles nodded at Jenny, and she began, "Buffy, I've been working for some time on a translation program that would allow us access to the curse that gave Angel his soul back. I found the correct algorithm tonight, and I translated the curse. Unfortunately, Angelus chased me out of the school and destroyed my computer, but I had already saved the translation to floppy disk." She held up a yellow disk. "This is it."
Buffy felt a surge of pure joy so intense that she felt dizzy for a moment, and Giles reached out to steady her with a look of concern on his face. She turned to him with a broad smile on her face, and stammered, "Miss Calendar, that's wonderful. C-c-can we perform the ritual tonight?"
Jenny nodded, and elaborated, "Yes we can. I've brought all of the necessary materials, and this place should be safe from any vampires that might want to try to stop us. It should take us an hour or so to set up."
Buffy nodded and commented, "Good." She turned to her friends and asked, "Could I have a minute alone with Miss Calendar, please?" Fully understanding, the four other occupants of the room retreated to the kitchen. Buffy turned to the older woman and looked directly into her eyes before saying, "You know, Willow really tore into me tonight about the way I've been treating you. . .and I had to admit she was absolutely right. You didn't betray me. . .and you've helped me and Angel more than once before now. I've done you a great deal of harm, kept you away from Giles, and there was no good reason for it than you being the most convenient way to deal with my pain. Miss Calendar. . .Jenny, there is no good reason for you to ever forgive me, but if I can ever make it right with you for what I've done, and to repay you for what you're doing for me and Angel, I swear I'll do it."
Buffy saw an ambivalent look cross Jenny's face, then felt relief as the older woman's expression softened into a smile. "I forgive you, Buffy. As for making things right. . .I'm sure an opportunity will come up. Don't worry about it." Jenny called into the kitchen, "All right, everyone. We've got a lot to get done in the next hour. Let's get cracking."
2:15 AM
Angelus fidgeted restlessly as he continued to wait. Where was that damned Jenny with the dead Watcher? How long could it have taken? And for that matter, why hadn't Buffy and Willow come back. . .surely she wouldn't take a normal patrol on a night that had already been so stressful? He snarled to himself, frustrated, and was momentarily so distracted that he didn't notice the figure approaching him.
"Hello, lover."
Startled, Angelus whirled. Buffy was standing ten feet from him, dressed for combat. He smirked at her and commenting, "Looking good, darling. Where's your little friend?"
Buffy locked eyes with the demon, and he could feel the heat behind the gaze. "She's in a safe place, along with everyone else I care about. You're never going to kill any of them, you bastard."
"Really?", Angelus asked as he continued to smirk and as he thought wait until you hear about your little gypsy friend, "and how do you think you're going to stop me?" He laughed, and the sound was of pure evil.
Buffy smiled a cold, cold smile and replied, "I've come up with a way that works for me."
It was then that Angelus felt it: an odd sensation that seemed to weaken him and created a desire to flee. He tamped down the urge and looked at Buffy, who continued smiling as she watched the growing discomfort that her opponent was suffering. He felt the sensation was familiar somehow, but it took him a moment to identify it: when he did, his eyes widened and horror surged through his demonic mind. "No."
Buffy nodded. "Yep. Thought you might remember this." The tone of her voice changed as she began a mocking sing-song: "My boyfriend's back, and there's gonna be trouble. . ." She saw the horrified look on his face and asked mockingly, "Oh no, my voice isn't that bad, is it?" She laughed at him, with the tone coming frighteningly close to Angelus' laugh from a moment before. "That's right, demon boy. Jenny and Giles, with a little help from Willow, are brewing that golden oldie, the restoration of your soul. Doesn't that just tickle you pink?"
Liar! . .thought Angelus. He started to throw her lie back in her face by bragging about killing Jenny, but another thought intervened. "Why aren't you back with your friends, then? Why come out here and risk getting killed, when the curse will bring back your beloved Angel?"
Buffy smiled again, and the expression would have terrified any of those who called her friend-it was an expression of utter malice. She walked up to him and kicked him in the groin, dropping him into a groaning heap on the ground. "I can't kill you; after all, I need your body to give Angel a place to return to. But I can exact a big old heap of justice from you before he gets back." She kicked the downed vampire in the face, sending him rolling against a tree. "That one was for Theresa. . .I really liked her, you bastard." As the staggering vampire began to rise to him, she moved up to him and delivered two stunning punches to the solar plexus, causing him to stumble back ten feet. "That one is for that poor shop worker I found with her heart ripped out. What was it. . .a Valentine's Day present for Dru?" She began delivering an awesome barrage of kicks and punches that culminated with Angelus being knocked flat, bleeding and helpless, onto the sidewalk in front of Buffy's house. "And those were for all of the people you killed just to make me feel guilty for not saving them, and for the lifelong guilt I'm going to have to carry for their loss. Not to mention the burden that Angel is going to have to carry."
Angelus, knowing that he was beaten, looked blearily at the cold-faced Slayer standing over him and chuckled, though blood filled his mouth. "What do you know. . .I guess you learned something from me after all." Infuriated, Buffy moved to strike him again only to pause in astonishment as Angelus' eyes glowed brightly. The vampire looked confused for a moment, then his eyes focused on the young woman standing over him. His voice cracked as he spoke: "Buffy? What happened? We made love, and I felt strange. . ."
Buffy looked at him for a long moment before dropping to the ground and hugging him tightly. "It's all right. I'm here. It'll come back to you in a moment. . .remember, I love you, no matter what he did."
It took only a moment, then he was sobbing uncontrollably. Buffy just held him as the intense guilt drew out racking sobs from the now-ensouled vampire. Abruptly he stopped and leaped to his feet. "Buffy, did you tell Angelus that Jenny was conducting the curse ritual?"
Buffy nodded, puzzled at the obvious intensity of his reaction to this news. "Yeah, she translated the curse tonight. They're at Willow's house. Why-what's wrong?"
He started running towards Willow's house, motioning for her to follow. She shouted at him as they ran: "Damn it, Angel. What's wrong?"
He turned to her and replied, "I'll tell you along the way. But our friends are in great danger. Jenny isn't who she appears to be any more."
As always, comments are welcome and desired.
Midnight
The vampire that had been Rupert Giles finished the last pint of blood and discarded the container. "Thank you, that was just what I needed." His face changed back to its human appearance, and he looked back at what once had been Jenny Calendar. His current emotion was curiosity, and he decided to indulge it: "How did it happen?"
Her face had also reverted to its non-threatening appearance, and she seemed uncomfortable as she began, as if she still identified with the terror that Jenny had felt. "Angelus found her in the computer lab as she had just finished translating the ritual to restore Angel's soul. He destroyed the computer and the printout and chased her through the hallways of the school. Amazingly, she managed to evade him and had gotten outside. . .only to run straight into Dru, who captured her. Angelus caught up and was about to break her neck when Dru laughed and said she had a better idea. They took her to the factory and drained her, then fed her Dru's blood. I arrived not long after."
He nodded, and commented, "She must have been thoroughly frustrated at having been caught after having been so close to getting away." He reached for his glasses, not because of any great need but for the sense of familiarity that it gave him. He looked at her and asked, "So their plan was for you to turn Giles and use us to kill the Slayer and her friends?"
She looked back at him and shook her head in disgust. "No, his brilliant plan was for me to break his neck and leave the body on Buffy's front porch for her to discover. Some master vampire he is. . .willing to waste a perfectly good asset."
He nodded in agreement and commented, "You know, he never had any idea what was happening to him." The memories that Giles had passed to him included the soothing sound of Jenny's voice urging him to drink what the vampire knew to have been the female vampire's blood: the thought had never occurred to Giles as he died. "He trusted her absolutely, at least as far as anything other than Buffy went."
He stood up and dressed rapidly, turning back to her when he had finished. "All right, I'm here. What now? Do we go to the great and powerful Angelus and tell him you've changed his plan?"
She noted his tone and was pleased. "No, I don't think so. I seem to have gained a touch of Dru's precognitive powers from the turning, and I get the feeling we'll both end up dead if we do that. . .no, I have a better idea. Are you up for it?"
He looked at her and replied, "I'm certainly willing to listen, particularly since if you'd done things his way, I wouldn't be here." He beckoned to her, and they went downstairs, settling on the living room sofa.
She cleared her throat, then began, "Our first option, I suppose, would be to go into business for ourselves. Buffy trusts Giles absolutely. . .you could probably easily maneuver her into a position where you could kill her without problems. . .and you'd have the sense not to let her live just to cause her more pain."
He nodded and commented, "That would be the standard method of operation, I suppose. We are demons, after all. I gather from your tone that you have objections to this plan?"
She smiled, pleased that he was willing to follow her lead. "Buffy's just too damned lucky. Not only is she very talented by the historical standards of Slayers, she's managed to accumulate a group of friends with talents that have kept her alive long after she should have been killed. She was killed, and Xander and Angel just happen to find her in time to revive her, with the result that there are now two Slayers loose in the world. No, I'd just as soon come up with a plan that keeps us clear from her indefinitely."
He nodded and commented, "You're right, but that is easier said than done. After all, once she finds out what's happened, we're going to be on her better-dead list right after Angelus, Spike, and Dru. How do we get her to want to leave us alone?"
She smiled and replied, "By giving Buffy her heart's desire."
12:20 AM
Spike maneuvered the wheelchair over to where Dru was standing, staring at the ceiling and humming to herself. Annoyed with that and with the whole turn of events lately, he asked sarcastically, "And where is the lord of the manor tonight?"
The insane vampiress smiled and turned to her lover, purring, "Now Spike, no need to be unpleasant. Angel has gone to see that our present to Buffy is delivered properly."
Spike snorted and snapped angrily, "Oh, that's just wonderful, love. Hasn't that bitch of a Slayer been enough trouble without really pissing her off? Killing two of her friends in one night is not how I would deal with her. . .of course, if it had been me, I would have offed her when I had the chance rather than mucking around with tormenting her." He looked up at Dru and snarled, "That bastard has been screwing things up for us ever since he came back."
Dru's eyes widened, then she chuckled. "Don't worry, love. My Angel knows what he is doing. Didn't he bring us my Jenny?"
Spike rolled his eyes up but said nothing. Dru tended to get attached to the fledgling vampires she created, though she was prone to occasional insane fits of violence that would be very unpleasant to those who had previously enjoyed her affections. Still. . .there was something odd about the vampire that had been Jenny Calendar. He had recently recovered the ability to walk, and had regained most of his strength, facts that he had carefully hidden from Angelus and Dru. Unfortunately, the vampire Jenny had spotted him walking around in an area of the factory well away from where Angelus and Dru were. He briefly contemplated killing her, only to see her wink at him and turn away as if she had seen nothing of note. He didn't have Dru's prophetic abilities, but he had the feeling that Jenny would be causing grief to Angelus, and very soon. He sat silently, waiting for developments while Dru continued humming and staring at the ceiling.
12:30 AM
Angelus lurked outside the Summers house, still frustrated that he had been thwarted in his attack on Joyce Summers, but gleefully anticipating the pleasant results when Jenny dropped off their present for Buffy. . .he'd love seeing that tweed-covered twit lying dead on Buffy's porch, and the horrified expressions from Buffy, Willow, and Joyce that would inevitably follow.
The phone rang inside the house, and Buffy went to answer it. She listened for about thirty seconds, then spoke briefly before putting the receiver down and calling out for Willow. They ran upstairs and came down about five minutes later with Buffy's bag of supplies. Joyce had retired some hours earlier, and they had no problem leaving the house without being noticed. Angelus was tempted to attack, but he knew that he had no particular advantage over Buffy at the moment, and who knew, Willow might be able to help. . . by tossing holy water or something else annoying. He decided to wait. . .sooner or later, Jenny would show with the Brit's body, and his fun would begin.
12:45 AM
They all met outside Willow's house: Buffy, Willow, Oz, Xander, Giles, and Jenny. The first four had puzzled expressions, and Giles hastened to elaborate: "We chose this as a meeting place because Willow's parents aren't home, and it has recently been made proof against vampiric intrusion. Let's go inside, and we'll explain." The four teenagers went inside, only to see Giles and Jenny waiting patiently outside. Willow called out, "Why are you guys standing on ceremony? Come on in!" Looking embarrassed, they did so, and the group settled down in the living room. Buffy looked at the two and asked impatiently, "So what's the deal? Spill."
Giles nodded at Jenny, and she began, "Buffy, I've been working for some time on a translation program that would allow us access to the curse that gave Angel his soul back. I found the correct algorithm tonight, and I translated the curse. Unfortunately, Angelus chased me out of the school and destroyed my computer, but I had already saved the translation to floppy disk." She held up a yellow disk. "This is it."
Buffy felt a surge of pure joy so intense that she felt dizzy for a moment, and Giles reached out to steady her with a look of concern on his face. She turned to him with a broad smile on her face, and stammered, "Miss Calendar, that's wonderful. C-c-can we perform the ritual tonight?"
Jenny nodded, and elaborated, "Yes we can. I've brought all of the necessary materials, and this place should be safe from any vampires that might want to try to stop us. It should take us an hour or so to set up."
Buffy nodded and commented, "Good." She turned to her friends and asked, "Could I have a minute alone with Miss Calendar, please?" Fully understanding, the four other occupants of the room retreated to the kitchen. Buffy turned to the older woman and looked directly into her eyes before saying, "You know, Willow really tore into me tonight about the way I've been treating you. . .and I had to admit she was absolutely right. You didn't betray me. . .and you've helped me and Angel more than once before now. I've done you a great deal of harm, kept you away from Giles, and there was no good reason for it than you being the most convenient way to deal with my pain. Miss Calendar. . .Jenny, there is no good reason for you to ever forgive me, but if I can ever make it right with you for what I've done, and to repay you for what you're doing for me and Angel, I swear I'll do it."
Buffy saw an ambivalent look cross Jenny's face, then felt relief as the older woman's expression softened into a smile. "I forgive you, Buffy. As for making things right. . .I'm sure an opportunity will come up. Don't worry about it." Jenny called into the kitchen, "All right, everyone. We've got a lot to get done in the next hour. Let's get cracking."
2:15 AM
Angelus fidgeted restlessly as he continued to wait. Where was that damned Jenny with the dead Watcher? How long could it have taken? And for that matter, why hadn't Buffy and Willow come back. . .surely she wouldn't take a normal patrol on a night that had already been so stressful? He snarled to himself, frustrated, and was momentarily so distracted that he didn't notice the figure approaching him.
"Hello, lover."
Startled, Angelus whirled. Buffy was standing ten feet from him, dressed for combat. He smirked at her and commenting, "Looking good, darling. Where's your little friend?"
Buffy locked eyes with the demon, and he could feel the heat behind the gaze. "She's in a safe place, along with everyone else I care about. You're never going to kill any of them, you bastard."
"Really?", Angelus asked as he continued to smirk and as he thought wait until you hear about your little gypsy friend, "and how do you think you're going to stop me?" He laughed, and the sound was of pure evil.
Buffy smiled a cold, cold smile and replied, "I've come up with a way that works for me."
It was then that Angelus felt it: an odd sensation that seemed to weaken him and created a desire to flee. He tamped down the urge and looked at Buffy, who continued smiling as she watched the growing discomfort that her opponent was suffering. He felt the sensation was familiar somehow, but it took him a moment to identify it: when he did, his eyes widened and horror surged through his demonic mind. "No."
Buffy nodded. "Yep. Thought you might remember this." The tone of her voice changed as she began a mocking sing-song: "My boyfriend's back, and there's gonna be trouble. . ." She saw the horrified look on his face and asked mockingly, "Oh no, my voice isn't that bad, is it?" She laughed at him, with the tone coming frighteningly close to Angelus' laugh from a moment before. "That's right, demon boy. Jenny and Giles, with a little help from Willow, are brewing that golden oldie, the restoration of your soul. Doesn't that just tickle you pink?"
Liar! . .thought Angelus. He started to throw her lie back in her face by bragging about killing Jenny, but another thought intervened. "Why aren't you back with your friends, then? Why come out here and risk getting killed, when the curse will bring back your beloved Angel?"
Buffy smiled again, and the expression would have terrified any of those who called her friend-it was an expression of utter malice. She walked up to him and kicked him in the groin, dropping him into a groaning heap on the ground. "I can't kill you; after all, I need your body to give Angel a place to return to. But I can exact a big old heap of justice from you before he gets back." She kicked the downed vampire in the face, sending him rolling against a tree. "That one was for Theresa. . .I really liked her, you bastard." As the staggering vampire began to rise to him, she moved up to him and delivered two stunning punches to the solar plexus, causing him to stumble back ten feet. "That one is for that poor shop worker I found with her heart ripped out. What was it. . .a Valentine's Day present for Dru?" She began delivering an awesome barrage of kicks and punches that culminated with Angelus being knocked flat, bleeding and helpless, onto the sidewalk in front of Buffy's house. "And those were for all of the people you killed just to make me feel guilty for not saving them, and for the lifelong guilt I'm going to have to carry for their loss. Not to mention the burden that Angel is going to have to carry."
Angelus, knowing that he was beaten, looked blearily at the cold-faced Slayer standing over him and chuckled, though blood filled his mouth. "What do you know. . .I guess you learned something from me after all." Infuriated, Buffy moved to strike him again only to pause in astonishment as Angelus' eyes glowed brightly. The vampire looked confused for a moment, then his eyes focused on the young woman standing over him. His voice cracked as he spoke: "Buffy? What happened? We made love, and I felt strange. . ."
Buffy looked at him for a long moment before dropping to the ground and hugging him tightly. "It's all right. I'm here. It'll come back to you in a moment. . .remember, I love you, no matter what he did."
It took only a moment, then he was sobbing uncontrollably. Buffy just held him as the intense guilt drew out racking sobs from the now-ensouled vampire. Abruptly he stopped and leaped to his feet. "Buffy, did you tell Angelus that Jenny was conducting the curse ritual?"
Buffy nodded, puzzled at the obvious intensity of his reaction to this news. "Yeah, she translated the curse tonight. They're at Willow's house. Why-what's wrong?"
He started running towards Willow's house, motioning for her to follow. She shouted at him as they ran: "Damn it, Angel. What's wrong?"
He turned to her and replied, "I'll tell you along the way. But our friends are in great danger. Jenny isn't who she appears to be any more."
As always, comments are welcome and desired.