The Forbidden Texts
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the Dewey Decimal system works." Giles finished with a flourish. The seven year olds that were scattered about his feet on the library floor applauded. "Now, your teacher will give you a card with which you may sign out no more than two books."
"Mr. Giles?" a blonde girl near the back raised her hand. Giles noticed the deep blue of her eyes. Almost like Buffy's were... had been. Giles shook the thought from his mind.
"Yes?"
"Where are the Babysitter's Club books?" she gave a shy smile. Giles waved toward the paperback section. "Thank you."
"Yes." Giles watched the youngster scamper off in that direction. About to gather his briefcase and leave, he was stopped by a tap on the shoulder. He turned to see Willow grinning at him.
"Back to the good ol' days, huh, Giles?" she kidded.
"Yes, well," Giles began. "While being in a library does bring back only the fondest of memories, I must attest that these children do not."
"They're good kids." Willow winced as a young boy tore the table of contents out of an old dictionary. "Thanks for helping us out today."
"You're most welcome," Giles adjusted his glasses. "Judging by the record crowd at Sunnydale Public Library, your day camp is doing well?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Willow shrugged. "But 'Willow's Educational Day Camp' is nothing compared to 'Fun Time Summer Day Fest'."
"It's all in the name, really." Giles sympathized. He looked down at his watch, noting that it was almost dinner time. "I should be going, Willow. It's been fun."
"Sure, thanks again, Giles." Willow said. Giles was about to leave when the young blonde girl ran up to him.
"Mr. Giles! Mr. Giles!" she shrieked. Giles knelt down to her level.
"Whatever is the matter?" he asked exasperatedly. The girl held out a weathered text, and pointed at the spine of the book.
"This one doesn't have a call number." She reported. Amazingly, some of Giles' lecture seemed to have gotten through to her. She could certainly have a career as a future librarian.
"Let me see," Giles took the book from her. He read the title, recognizing it as an old English poetry collection. As he opened the cover, however, a thinner, older manual fell to the ground. Giles picked it up, and scrawled on the first page, he read the following words:
The Watcher Diaries ~ Forbidden Texts
"Willow," Giles was almost speechless. "Can I have a moment?"
"Uh, sure," Willow gave Giles an odd look. She turned to the little girl. "Stacy, can you go find me that book I told you about? The Cat in the Hat?"
"Yes, ma'am," Stacy ran off again. Willow turned to Giles, who still looked rather shocked.
"Giles?" she questioned. Giles turned the book over to her. After scanning the title, Willow gasped. "Is this for real?"
"It's been talked about." Giles explained. "The Council, er, censored the original Watcher Diaries for... content... leaving out the most dangerous, and effectively the most potentially crucial texts."
"But why?" Willow interrupted. A sharp look from Giles silenced her.
"Most Watcher's, however, frowned upon the censorship, arguing that the material in the texts could be useful to future Slayers." He continued. "Thus, they kept the forbidden volumes hidden from the Council. To this day, no one knows where they exist."
"But this is just a tiny book." Willow protested. "There's no way all of this supposed information could be in here."
"Surely a practicing Wicca should know of condensing spells." Giles chided. Willow blushed, realizing her oversight. Giles continued. "I've got to get this home, and look over it. As soon as you're done here, come to my place. Bring Xander as well."
"Okay, but Xander's with Anya, they're looking at wedding stuff." Willow reminded the Watcher. "She'll want to come."
"She can't," Giles said firmly. "Whatever is contained in this book is of the utmost confidentiality. And, well, Anya has a certain bluntness about her that could get all of us in a lot of danger if she said anything. She mustn't know about it, and nor should Tara."
"But-" Willow protested ineffectively.
"Willow, there may be something in this book that pertains to Buffy." Giles said gently. "Surely, you don't want anything... bad... to happen before we figure it out. Prudence and secrecy are necessary from this point on."
"Alright," Willow gave in. "I'll be by as soon as I can."
"See you then." Giles turned to leave the library. Willow grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
"Giles, do you really think there might be something in there to help her?" Willow's eyes shone with unshed tears.
"If there is, we'll find it." Giles promised. "One way or another."
*
Spike watched as Xander and Willow hurried up the walk to Giles' apartment, and rushed inside when the door was opened.
"Well, well, well," he smiled to himself. "There are games afoot."
It had been a long six weeks since the final confrontation with Glory. Six weeks in which Spike had secluded himself in his crypt, not socializing with anyone, let alone the Scooby Gang. Boredom, however, had gotten the best of him. As luck would have it, the night he chose to drag his sorry fangs out of hiding was when there appeared to be some fun to be had.
"We'll see about this." He strode up the walk, and knocked confidently on Giles' door. It opened a crack, and Willow's nose poked out.
"Who's there?"
"The bloody Easter Bunny," Spike replied sarcastically. "Who in Hell do you think it is?"
"Hold on." The door slammed shut. Spike listened to the conversation on the other side of the door.
"Giles, it's Spike." Willow announced in a hushed voice.
"What does he want?" Xander asked cockily.
"Tell him to go away." Giles instructed. The door opened once more, and Spike smiled widely.
"Just in the neighborhood, and thought I'd stop by and see if my good friend Giles had any blood in the fridge, that's all." He explained to Willow, who obviously didn't buy it.
"Sorry, fresh out." She smiled weakly. Spike stepped forward a bit, which caused Willow to leap back a few inches in surprise.
"Look," he said, leaning in the doorway. "I saw you lot rushing in here, and I figured something's up. Your Hellmouth has been a crashing bore lately, so I thought I'd see if I can be of service."
"Hold on." Willow closed the door again, and again Spike listened in. "Giles, he just wants to help."
"He can help by falling on a stake." Xander's sarcasm could sometimes rival Spike's own.
"Willow, do you remember what I said about 'utmost secrecy', not three hours ago?" Giles sounded flustered, which intrigued Spike even more.
"Giles, you have no idea what we could be dealing with." Willow argued. "Spike, on the other hand, was alive when this happened. He may have some creepy vampire insight."
"Ooo, that's the best kind." Xander rolled his eyes. There was a pause, followed by a reluctant sigh from the Watcher.
"She may be right," he said through clenched teeth. "Let him in."
"Fine." Willow opened the door widely enough for Spike to enter. He hesitated at the threshold. Giles had apparently un-invited him over the past month and a half. Willow noticed his pause. "Oh, uh... I invite you in."
"No deal, duck," Spike reminded her. "You don't live here."
"Giles?" Willow looked back to see Giles glaring at the vampire. He sighed again, and then spoke.
"Come on in."
*
"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how the Dewey Decimal system works." Giles finished with a flourish. The seven year olds that were scattered about his feet on the library floor applauded. "Now, your teacher will give you a card with which you may sign out no more than two books."
"Mr. Giles?" a blonde girl near the back raised her hand. Giles noticed the deep blue of her eyes. Almost like Buffy's were... had been. Giles shook the thought from his mind.
"Yes?"
"Where are the Babysitter's Club books?" she gave a shy smile. Giles waved toward the paperback section. "Thank you."
"Yes." Giles watched the youngster scamper off in that direction. About to gather his briefcase and leave, he was stopped by a tap on the shoulder. He turned to see Willow grinning at him.
"Back to the good ol' days, huh, Giles?" she kidded.
"Yes, well," Giles began. "While being in a library does bring back only the fondest of memories, I must attest that these children do not."
"They're good kids." Willow winced as a young boy tore the table of contents out of an old dictionary. "Thanks for helping us out today."
"You're most welcome," Giles adjusted his glasses. "Judging by the record crowd at Sunnydale Public Library, your day camp is doing well?"
"Yeah, I guess so," Willow shrugged. "But 'Willow's Educational Day Camp' is nothing compared to 'Fun Time Summer Day Fest'."
"It's all in the name, really." Giles sympathized. He looked down at his watch, noting that it was almost dinner time. "I should be going, Willow. It's been fun."
"Sure, thanks again, Giles." Willow said. Giles was about to leave when the young blonde girl ran up to him.
"Mr. Giles! Mr. Giles!" she shrieked. Giles knelt down to her level.
"Whatever is the matter?" he asked exasperatedly. The girl held out a weathered text, and pointed at the spine of the book.
"This one doesn't have a call number." She reported. Amazingly, some of Giles' lecture seemed to have gotten through to her. She could certainly have a career as a future librarian.
"Let me see," Giles took the book from her. He read the title, recognizing it as an old English poetry collection. As he opened the cover, however, a thinner, older manual fell to the ground. Giles picked it up, and scrawled on the first page, he read the following words:
The Watcher Diaries ~ Forbidden Texts
"Willow," Giles was almost speechless. "Can I have a moment?"
"Uh, sure," Willow gave Giles an odd look. She turned to the little girl. "Stacy, can you go find me that book I told you about? The Cat in the Hat?"
"Yes, ma'am," Stacy ran off again. Willow turned to Giles, who still looked rather shocked.
"Giles?" she questioned. Giles turned the book over to her. After scanning the title, Willow gasped. "Is this for real?"
"It's been talked about." Giles explained. "The Council, er, censored the original Watcher Diaries for... content... leaving out the most dangerous, and effectively the most potentially crucial texts."
"But why?" Willow interrupted. A sharp look from Giles silenced her.
"Most Watcher's, however, frowned upon the censorship, arguing that the material in the texts could be useful to future Slayers." He continued. "Thus, they kept the forbidden volumes hidden from the Council. To this day, no one knows where they exist."
"But this is just a tiny book." Willow protested. "There's no way all of this supposed information could be in here."
"Surely a practicing Wicca should know of condensing spells." Giles chided. Willow blushed, realizing her oversight. Giles continued. "I've got to get this home, and look over it. As soon as you're done here, come to my place. Bring Xander as well."
"Okay, but Xander's with Anya, they're looking at wedding stuff." Willow reminded the Watcher. "She'll want to come."
"She can't," Giles said firmly. "Whatever is contained in this book is of the utmost confidentiality. And, well, Anya has a certain bluntness about her that could get all of us in a lot of danger if she said anything. She mustn't know about it, and nor should Tara."
"But-" Willow protested ineffectively.
"Willow, there may be something in this book that pertains to Buffy." Giles said gently. "Surely, you don't want anything... bad... to happen before we figure it out. Prudence and secrecy are necessary from this point on."
"Alright," Willow gave in. "I'll be by as soon as I can."
"See you then." Giles turned to leave the library. Willow grabbed his shoulder to stop him.
"Giles, do you really think there might be something in there to help her?" Willow's eyes shone with unshed tears.
"If there is, we'll find it." Giles promised. "One way or another."
*
Spike watched as Xander and Willow hurried up the walk to Giles' apartment, and rushed inside when the door was opened.
"Well, well, well," he smiled to himself. "There are games afoot."
It had been a long six weeks since the final confrontation with Glory. Six weeks in which Spike had secluded himself in his crypt, not socializing with anyone, let alone the Scooby Gang. Boredom, however, had gotten the best of him. As luck would have it, the night he chose to drag his sorry fangs out of hiding was when there appeared to be some fun to be had.
"We'll see about this." He strode up the walk, and knocked confidently on Giles' door. It opened a crack, and Willow's nose poked out.
"Who's there?"
"The bloody Easter Bunny," Spike replied sarcastically. "Who in Hell do you think it is?"
"Hold on." The door slammed shut. Spike listened to the conversation on the other side of the door.
"Giles, it's Spike." Willow announced in a hushed voice.
"What does he want?" Xander asked cockily.
"Tell him to go away." Giles instructed. The door opened once more, and Spike smiled widely.
"Just in the neighborhood, and thought I'd stop by and see if my good friend Giles had any blood in the fridge, that's all." He explained to Willow, who obviously didn't buy it.
"Sorry, fresh out." She smiled weakly. Spike stepped forward a bit, which caused Willow to leap back a few inches in surprise.
"Look," he said, leaning in the doorway. "I saw you lot rushing in here, and I figured something's up. Your Hellmouth has been a crashing bore lately, so I thought I'd see if I can be of service."
"Hold on." Willow closed the door again, and again Spike listened in. "Giles, he just wants to help."
"He can help by falling on a stake." Xander's sarcasm could sometimes rival Spike's own.
"Willow, do you remember what I said about 'utmost secrecy', not three hours ago?" Giles sounded flustered, which intrigued Spike even more.
"Giles, you have no idea what we could be dealing with." Willow argued. "Spike, on the other hand, was alive when this happened. He may have some creepy vampire insight."
"Ooo, that's the best kind." Xander rolled his eyes. There was a pause, followed by a reluctant sigh from the Watcher.
"She may be right," he said through clenched teeth. "Let him in."
"Fine." Willow opened the door widely enough for Spike to enter. He hesitated at the threshold. Giles had apparently un-invited him over the past month and a half. Willow noticed his pause. "Oh, uh... I invite you in."
"No deal, duck," Spike reminded her. "You don't live here."
"Giles?" Willow looked back to see Giles glaring at the vampire. He sighed again, and then spoke.
"Come on in."
*