Chapter 8
[Cafe in London, several days later]
Giles looked at the headline of the Guardian: 'ARMS DEAL GOES BAD: DOZENS DIE IN COASTAL MELEE'
"Well, it looks like MI5 managed to keep the whole Grail connection a secret," he said.
Wesley sipped his tea. "Probably a wise decision. The public's not ready to face the truth."
Giles nodded. "The cup of salvation ... do you think the whole thing is a legend: lost in the mists of time?"
Wesley stared at the soaring spires of St. Paul's Cathedral. "I guess we'll never know. Are we afraid to find it? Do we even want to find it?"
"Perhaps what people most afraid of is ... what the Grail means ..."
Wesley remembered Amy taking that last horrific step off the cliff. Clutching the urn with the lily of Joseph of Arimathea. She would not let it go. She would take it to her death rather than let it be used for evil.
"The Grail was worth ... dying for." Wesley replied. He changed topics. "So what of your plans, Rupert?"
"The chairman may be defeated, but there are like-minded people in the Watcher's Council who will not rest until they grasp the most revered relic in Western civilization. I can only hope – and pray – that there are men like Thomas who will make the right choice and prevent that from ever happening."
"I guess the fighting ... is not over for you."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "No, I'm afraid it's not."
The server interrupted them, carrying a potted plant. "Mr. Wyndham-Pryce? I believe this is for you."
The Arimathea Lily!! Giles' jaw dropped in amazement. Wesley quickly turned around. He thought he saw a young woman step into a cab. He blinked ... and it had vanished.
"There appears to be a note," Giles handed it over to Wesley, who read it aloud.
'Hey Wes, I told you I'd keep an eye on the lily! I watered it and fed it some really expensive plant food. Now I'm asking you to keep it safe until it reaches the Slayer. She'd better appreciate it too. People died for it. In case you're wondering ... I did have one last spell left in me. That was too close!'
"Wesley?" Giles asked, but Wesley was already rubbing his eyes.
Giles continued: 'If you think you've seen the last of me, think again. We make a great team! Remember, Wes, you can count on me. Thanks for being my pal! Hugs, your friend, Amy Madison.'
A horn honked. "That's my ride." Giles gathered his books and shook Wesley's hand. "So I guess you'll be delivering the lily to Buffy?"
"I'll make sure it gets to her. Anyway, I have things to straighten out in L.A." Wesley waved at Giles, who sped away into the London traffic.
I may not have much say with the Slayer, Wesley admitted, but I do know of someone who'd make an excellent messenger ...
[Sunnydale, CA]
Dawn waited on the couch. Buffy hadn't returned from her nightly patrols yet. Usually, she'd call by now if there were problems. Ring! The doorbell. Dawn rushed to open the door ... and saw a green, horned creature. In a leisure suit.
Dawn shrieked. Lorne – Angel's demon pal – waved his hands, trying to silence her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, kid! I know pastel colours aren't in vogue this year. Hello, Yves St. Laurent?! The threads aren't THAT bad!!"
Dawn screamed again. Tara and Willow appeared at the top of the stairs. "It's okay. Lorne's a friend of Angel's."
"Oh, uhhhhh, alright," Dawn replied, "I'll leave you guys to ... uhh ... catch up." She sprinted upstairs.
"I'd better get my sunglasses," Tara joked, "That suit is blinding me!" Lorne laughed mockingly, but they were already upstairs.
"Where's the Slayer?" Lorne asked. "Right here!" Buffy stated, and promptly punched Lorne in the back.
"Owwww!" Lorne crumpled to the ground.
Willow held back Buffy's arm. "Buffy! Wait ... he's good. Lorne's a friend of ... Angel."
Buffy's face paled. "Sorry! Is Angel ... here???"
"Sorry, babe, the Morbid One has some unresolved family issues in L.A. I've got some news for you ... about the lily."
Willow gasped.
"Well??" Buffy demanded. Lorne opened the door. The potted lily was in the passenger seat.
"We'd better go for a drive, Slayer." Lorne started the ignition. When they were a few blocks away, Lorne began to explain.
"Sorry about the cloak-and-dagger stuff, Buffster, but the information I have is strictly for your ears only. The lily is extremely important."
"I know. With the right magics, it's the vamp-demon killing equivalent of cyanide! What else did Amy find out about Spike?"
Lorne smirked. "Well, let's just say there's not much more to find out. Once Amy and Wes stumbled upon this lily scheme, this fact-finding mission of yours became a drop-everything-lets-save-the-world-from-dark-forces kinda mission!"
The car stopped at a red light.
Buffy frowned. "What's the big deal about this lily? It's rare, but so are plenty of others with magical properties!"
"I take it you're not up on your Arthurian legends. Let's say this guy Joseph, a buddy of the Lamb of God, was entrusted with the cup of the Last Supper and traveled to England. This lily is the supernatural treasure map to the Holy Grail and – should it fall into the wrong hands –"
"Yadda, yadda ... chaos reigns on earth." Buffy finished the sentence. "Wow!"
"My thoughts exactly, sis. We're talking Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade kinda badness!! That's what Wesley told me."
"I hope Amy didn't cause any problems over there." Where is that witch, anyway, Buffy wondered.
"From what Wesley told me," Lorne continued, "the little witch saved the day." He handed the lily over to Buffy. "You're holding the keys to the cup of salvation, honey, thanks to Amy."
Green light. The car raced off. They pulled up to Buffy's house.
"Why me? Oh right ... I'm the Chosen One," Buffy mumbled.
"That's right. Make sure you keep that lily safe! I don't wanna have to drag Angel's gloomy butt up here to fix things. If I have to put up with another two hours of his self-flagellating griping, I swear I'm going to blow a gasket!" Lorne zoomed off, singing something from 'West Side Story'
Buffy walked into the house. Willow smiled. "Is that ..."
"The most beautiful thing on earth," Buffy replied, clutching the potted lily. I'm keeping it in my room. Safe. Thanks, Amy.
EPILOGUE
Amy screamed. With joy. She was zipping along the Greek coast on a jet-ski.
"Come on, Wills! The water's great!!" she hollered.
William winced at the lack of protocol. Wills?! He shrugged it off.
Melissa, MI5 agent and confidante of His Royal Highness, walked to the edge of the yacht. "I could fetch her, Your Highness. Lunch is almost ready."
The young prince opened the case in his hand. A medal for valour. 'To Amy Madison. On behalf of a grateful kingdom. Elizabeth II.' And well earned.
"No. Let her play. She deserves to have some fun."
THE END ... for now ...
[Cafe in London, several days later]
Giles looked at the headline of the Guardian: 'ARMS DEAL GOES BAD: DOZENS DIE IN COASTAL MELEE'
"Well, it looks like MI5 managed to keep the whole Grail connection a secret," he said.
Wesley sipped his tea. "Probably a wise decision. The public's not ready to face the truth."
Giles nodded. "The cup of salvation ... do you think the whole thing is a legend: lost in the mists of time?"
Wesley stared at the soaring spires of St. Paul's Cathedral. "I guess we'll never know. Are we afraid to find it? Do we even want to find it?"
"Perhaps what people most afraid of is ... what the Grail means ..."
Wesley remembered Amy taking that last horrific step off the cliff. Clutching the urn with the lily of Joseph of Arimathea. She would not let it go. She would take it to her death rather than let it be used for evil.
"The Grail was worth ... dying for." Wesley replied. He changed topics. "So what of your plans, Rupert?"
"The chairman may be defeated, but there are like-minded people in the Watcher's Council who will not rest until they grasp the most revered relic in Western civilization. I can only hope – and pray – that there are men like Thomas who will make the right choice and prevent that from ever happening."
"I guess the fighting ... is not over for you."
Giles adjusted his glasses. "No, I'm afraid it's not."
The server interrupted them, carrying a potted plant. "Mr. Wyndham-Pryce? I believe this is for you."
The Arimathea Lily!! Giles' jaw dropped in amazement. Wesley quickly turned around. He thought he saw a young woman step into a cab. He blinked ... and it had vanished.
"There appears to be a note," Giles handed it over to Wesley, who read it aloud.
'Hey Wes, I told you I'd keep an eye on the lily! I watered it and fed it some really expensive plant food. Now I'm asking you to keep it safe until it reaches the Slayer. She'd better appreciate it too. People died for it. In case you're wondering ... I did have one last spell left in me. That was too close!'
"Wesley?" Giles asked, but Wesley was already rubbing his eyes.
Giles continued: 'If you think you've seen the last of me, think again. We make a great team! Remember, Wes, you can count on me. Thanks for being my pal! Hugs, your friend, Amy Madison.'
A horn honked. "That's my ride." Giles gathered his books and shook Wesley's hand. "So I guess you'll be delivering the lily to Buffy?"
"I'll make sure it gets to her. Anyway, I have things to straighten out in L.A." Wesley waved at Giles, who sped away into the London traffic.
I may not have much say with the Slayer, Wesley admitted, but I do know of someone who'd make an excellent messenger ...
[Sunnydale, CA]
Dawn waited on the couch. Buffy hadn't returned from her nightly patrols yet. Usually, she'd call by now if there were problems. Ring! The doorbell. Dawn rushed to open the door ... and saw a green, horned creature. In a leisure suit.
Dawn shrieked. Lorne – Angel's demon pal – waved his hands, trying to silence her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, kid! I know pastel colours aren't in vogue this year. Hello, Yves St. Laurent?! The threads aren't THAT bad!!"
Dawn screamed again. Tara and Willow appeared at the top of the stairs. "It's okay. Lorne's a friend of Angel's."
"Oh, uhhhhh, alright," Dawn replied, "I'll leave you guys to ... uhh ... catch up." She sprinted upstairs.
"I'd better get my sunglasses," Tara joked, "That suit is blinding me!" Lorne laughed mockingly, but they were already upstairs.
"Where's the Slayer?" Lorne asked. "Right here!" Buffy stated, and promptly punched Lorne in the back.
"Owwww!" Lorne crumpled to the ground.
Willow held back Buffy's arm. "Buffy! Wait ... he's good. Lorne's a friend of ... Angel."
Buffy's face paled. "Sorry! Is Angel ... here???"
"Sorry, babe, the Morbid One has some unresolved family issues in L.A. I've got some news for you ... about the lily."
Willow gasped.
"Well??" Buffy demanded. Lorne opened the door. The potted lily was in the passenger seat.
"We'd better go for a drive, Slayer." Lorne started the ignition. When they were a few blocks away, Lorne began to explain.
"Sorry about the cloak-and-dagger stuff, Buffster, but the information I have is strictly for your ears only. The lily is extremely important."
"I know. With the right magics, it's the vamp-demon killing equivalent of cyanide! What else did Amy find out about Spike?"
Lorne smirked. "Well, let's just say there's not much more to find out. Once Amy and Wes stumbled upon this lily scheme, this fact-finding mission of yours became a drop-everything-lets-save-the-world-from-dark-forces kinda mission!"
The car stopped at a red light.
Buffy frowned. "What's the big deal about this lily? It's rare, but so are plenty of others with magical properties!"
"I take it you're not up on your Arthurian legends. Let's say this guy Joseph, a buddy of the Lamb of God, was entrusted with the cup of the Last Supper and traveled to England. This lily is the supernatural treasure map to the Holy Grail and – should it fall into the wrong hands –"
"Yadda, yadda ... chaos reigns on earth." Buffy finished the sentence. "Wow!"
"My thoughts exactly, sis. We're talking Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade kinda badness!! That's what Wesley told me."
"I hope Amy didn't cause any problems over there." Where is that witch, anyway, Buffy wondered.
"From what Wesley told me," Lorne continued, "the little witch saved the day." He handed the lily over to Buffy. "You're holding the keys to the cup of salvation, honey, thanks to Amy."
Green light. The car raced off. They pulled up to Buffy's house.
"Why me? Oh right ... I'm the Chosen One," Buffy mumbled.
"That's right. Make sure you keep that lily safe! I don't wanna have to drag Angel's gloomy butt up here to fix things. If I have to put up with another two hours of his self-flagellating griping, I swear I'm going to blow a gasket!" Lorne zoomed off, singing something from 'West Side Story'
Buffy walked into the house. Willow smiled. "Is that ..."
"The most beautiful thing on earth," Buffy replied, clutching the potted lily. I'm keeping it in my room. Safe. Thanks, Amy.
EPILOGUE
Amy screamed. With joy. She was zipping along the Greek coast on a jet-ski.
"Come on, Wills! The water's great!!" she hollered.
William winced at the lack of protocol. Wills?! He shrugged it off.
Melissa, MI5 agent and confidante of His Royal Highness, walked to the edge of the yacht. "I could fetch her, Your Highness. Lunch is almost ready."
The young prince opened the case in his hand. A medal for valour. 'To Amy Madison. On behalf of a grateful kingdom. Elizabeth II.' And well earned.
"No. Let her play. She deserves to have some fun."
THE END ... for now ...