Title: Of Magic and Machinations (15/?)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X
Description: Xander and Buffy are headed for London to rescue Giles. The new Slayer is patrolling Sunnydale. Angel seems to be playing both sides, and the children are at risk.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a burned out light bulb and some stainless steel chopsticks. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. They make the money. I make the mess.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8
Oz watched with fascination as Anya attempted a bedtime story for the children. She was telling them about Little Red Riding Hood, but with a gruesome spin. He shook his head. It seemed no one would get much sleep that evening. He strummed his guitar again, trying hard to clear his mind. The moon was full, and he had to focus to keep the change from coming on.
Willow was in the master bedroom getting a change of clothes for Sarah Potts, the new Slayer. The young woman was roughly her size, which was helpful.
"So... where are you from? Originally, I mean." Willow said softly.
"The Bay area," Sarah said, slipping on the blue jeans she had been handed. They were a bit tight, but she was thankful to have something clean. Her road trip around the world had been a hard one. "I'm a West coast gal just like you."
"Oz is gonna go with you," Willow said matter-of-factly, averting her eyes for a moment. "He knows the patrol patterns."
"Is he gonna go all wolfy on me?"
"No. He has it under control. He just... gets a little antsy when the moon is full. This'll be a good distraction."
"You two been married long?" Sarah finished lacing her combat boots and grabbed the blouse off of the bed. "I mean... he knows about you?"
"Knows about me? The witchcraft?"
"No, silly. About your... inclination... toward women." Sarah smiled at her.
Willow broke eye contact. "I'm not sure what you..."
"C'mon. You've been checking me out the whole time I've been changing."
Willow willed her face not to get red. She turned her wheelchair and headed for the door. "That's not true. You're imagining..."
"Bull," Sarah said, stepping in front of her. "I don't mind. You're cute. I just don't normally swing that way. Flattering as it is though, the question was... about your husband."
There was a knock at the bedroom door. "Everyone decent?" Oz asked from the other side.
Sarah leaned into Willow and kissed her cheek, just shy of her lips. "Depends on what you mean," she answered back. With a smile, she opened the door and stepped past Oz into the hallway. "I'm gonna grab a snack if that's okay."
"Help yourself," Oz said.
"You sure you don't mind sharing? I may get used to it," she said with a grin.
"What's ours is yours," Oz said. He watched as she retreated toward the kitchen. "Strange girl," he said.
"That she is," Willow said, afraid to look at Oz. "That she is."
"Why so nervous?" Xander asked the Slayer. "Not much for long flights?"
"It's not that," Buffy said, rubbing her eyes. "I just have a really bad feeling about all of this."
"You aren't alone," he said, kissing her cheek. "What I saw in my vision was scary. But we'll make it. We always do."
"But we always have Giles to point us in the right direction."
He nodded. "So what's the plan?"
"We check the Watchers HQ... see why no one is answering the phone. I have a feeling we aren't going to like the answer."
"Me too. But Giles is tougher than he looks. He'd pretty much have to be."
Buffy smiled at that. "Don't let him hear you say that."
"Damn," Giles mumbled beneath his breath.
"What's wrong, Ripper?" Ethan Rayne sat down across from Giles at a small table. They had changed locations. The apartment they now inhabited was definitely a step up.
"What's wrong?" Giles repeated. "Oh, possibly it's the fact that you are asking me to betray the closest thing I have to a daughter."
"Ah, yes. But you will do it nonetheless."
"I have no choice," Giles said, slamming his fist down on the table.
"Just tell us," Ethan said, "how to hold the Slayer long enough to take the children. Then, you will have insured Buffy's survival. Buffy need never know of your involvement."
"Strangely, I don't trust you," Giles said. "Besides, there will be no way to stay hidden. The only way to stop Buffy is to attack her from the heart. I will have to deliver the blow, or your plan will fail."
Xander paid the cab driver, and turned to see Buffy standing on the steps of the Watchers' headquarters. The sign on the door read "Oddities and Mysteries, Books and Antiques."
"As fronts go," Xander said, "this isn't too conspicuous. This part of town is so run down, it's a wonder Giles dares to come down here."
Buffy tried the front door. It wasn't locked. She raised her eyebrows at Xander.
"Don't assume the worst," he reminded.
She pushed the door open, and they stepped inside. There was a wet, sucking sound when they stepped on the carpet. They both looked down. The carpet was soaked in blood.
"Unless, of course, the floor is a pool of blood," Xander said softly. "At THAT point, we panic."
"How'd patrol go last night?" Willow kissed her husband gently.
"It was fine. Sarah knows her stuff, I'll give her that." Oz sat up in bed and wiped his eyes. "I didn't want to wake you when I came in." He paused. "You were restless last night."
"I-I was?"
He nodded. "Nightmares?"
Willow shook her head. "Just got a lot on my mind, I guess."
He nuzzled her neck. "Anything I can help with?"
"Maybe," she said with a grin. Then she got serious suddenly. "Oz?"
"Hmm?"
"You know that I love you, right?"
"Of course, I do."
"Sarah came on to me." She blurted it out, then looked at him with fearful eyes.
"I know," Oz said calmly. "I heard it through the door with my wolfie hearing."
She turned from his gaze. "I'm sorry."
"Why? You didn't come on to her."
"But... I WAS looking at her. She wasn't wrong about that."
"Well, she IS attractive," Oz admitted. "But the thing is... you're gonna be attracted to other people. It's like me watching American Pie and saying how hot that red-head is. I may be attracted, but if she were here, I would choose you. It's all about the choices we make. I trusted you to make the right one, and you did. I just didn't bring it up, because I wanted you to tell me. If you didn't tell me... well, secrets are a problem."
"She IS attractive," Willow admitted. "But she isn't you. And I'll choose you any day... over any man or woman."
"Even that guy that played Scott Evil in Austin Powers?"
"Even him. Though... he is a cutie patootie."
Before they could kiss again, there was a loud noise.
"Gunfire!" Oz shouted, bolting out the door.
"Volatilis!" Willow shouted. She immediately floated off the bed. She grabbed her robe and floated toward the door. She heard a struggle coming from the living room downstairs.
Another gunshot pierced the morning.
Willow zipped downstairs, hovering 4 feet off the ground. She found Oz unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. "Anya! Sarah!"
"They can't hear you," said a familiar voice. She knew it wasn't the culprit's real voice, but she recognized it anyway. "Angel."
She turned and opened her mouth to cast a spell, but it was too late. He fired something at her. There was a loud sound... and pain. Then, everything went black.
To Be Continued...
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X
Description: Xander and Buffy are headed for London to rescue Giles. The new Slayer is patrolling Sunnydale. Angel seems to be playing both sides, and the children are at risk.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a burned out light bulb and some stainless steel chopsticks. Buffy and all related characters are the property of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. They make the money. I make the mess.
*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8*8
Oz watched with fascination as Anya attempted a bedtime story for the children. She was telling them about Little Red Riding Hood, but with a gruesome spin. He shook his head. It seemed no one would get much sleep that evening. He strummed his guitar again, trying hard to clear his mind. The moon was full, and he had to focus to keep the change from coming on.
Willow was in the master bedroom getting a change of clothes for Sarah Potts, the new Slayer. The young woman was roughly her size, which was helpful.
"So... where are you from? Originally, I mean." Willow said softly.
"The Bay area," Sarah said, slipping on the blue jeans she had been handed. They were a bit tight, but she was thankful to have something clean. Her road trip around the world had been a hard one. "I'm a West coast gal just like you."
"Oz is gonna go with you," Willow said matter-of-factly, averting her eyes for a moment. "He knows the patrol patterns."
"Is he gonna go all wolfy on me?"
"No. He has it under control. He just... gets a little antsy when the moon is full. This'll be a good distraction."
"You two been married long?" Sarah finished lacing her combat boots and grabbed the blouse off of the bed. "I mean... he knows about you?"
"Knows about me? The witchcraft?"
"No, silly. About your... inclination... toward women." Sarah smiled at her.
Willow broke eye contact. "I'm not sure what you..."
"C'mon. You've been checking me out the whole time I've been changing."
Willow willed her face not to get red. She turned her wheelchair and headed for the door. "That's not true. You're imagining..."
"Bull," Sarah said, stepping in front of her. "I don't mind. You're cute. I just don't normally swing that way. Flattering as it is though, the question was... about your husband."
There was a knock at the bedroom door. "Everyone decent?" Oz asked from the other side.
Sarah leaned into Willow and kissed her cheek, just shy of her lips. "Depends on what you mean," she answered back. With a smile, she opened the door and stepped past Oz into the hallway. "I'm gonna grab a snack if that's okay."
"Help yourself," Oz said.
"You sure you don't mind sharing? I may get used to it," she said with a grin.
"What's ours is yours," Oz said. He watched as she retreated toward the kitchen. "Strange girl," he said.
"That she is," Willow said, afraid to look at Oz. "That she is."
"Why so nervous?" Xander asked the Slayer. "Not much for long flights?"
"It's not that," Buffy said, rubbing her eyes. "I just have a really bad feeling about all of this."
"You aren't alone," he said, kissing her cheek. "What I saw in my vision was scary. But we'll make it. We always do."
"But we always have Giles to point us in the right direction."
He nodded. "So what's the plan?"
"We check the Watchers HQ... see why no one is answering the phone. I have a feeling we aren't going to like the answer."
"Me too. But Giles is tougher than he looks. He'd pretty much have to be."
Buffy smiled at that. "Don't let him hear you say that."
"Damn," Giles mumbled beneath his breath.
"What's wrong, Ripper?" Ethan Rayne sat down across from Giles at a small table. They had changed locations. The apartment they now inhabited was definitely a step up.
"What's wrong?" Giles repeated. "Oh, possibly it's the fact that you are asking me to betray the closest thing I have to a daughter."
"Ah, yes. But you will do it nonetheless."
"I have no choice," Giles said, slamming his fist down on the table.
"Just tell us," Ethan said, "how to hold the Slayer long enough to take the children. Then, you will have insured Buffy's survival. Buffy need never know of your involvement."
"Strangely, I don't trust you," Giles said. "Besides, there will be no way to stay hidden. The only way to stop Buffy is to attack her from the heart. I will have to deliver the blow, or your plan will fail."
Xander paid the cab driver, and turned to see Buffy standing on the steps of the Watchers' headquarters. The sign on the door read "Oddities and Mysteries, Books and Antiques."
"As fronts go," Xander said, "this isn't too conspicuous. This part of town is so run down, it's a wonder Giles dares to come down here."
Buffy tried the front door. It wasn't locked. She raised her eyebrows at Xander.
"Don't assume the worst," he reminded.
She pushed the door open, and they stepped inside. There was a wet, sucking sound when they stepped on the carpet. They both looked down. The carpet was soaked in blood.
"Unless, of course, the floor is a pool of blood," Xander said softly. "At THAT point, we panic."
"How'd patrol go last night?" Willow kissed her husband gently.
"It was fine. Sarah knows her stuff, I'll give her that." Oz sat up in bed and wiped his eyes. "I didn't want to wake you when I came in." He paused. "You were restless last night."
"I-I was?"
He nodded. "Nightmares?"
Willow shook her head. "Just got a lot on my mind, I guess."
He nuzzled her neck. "Anything I can help with?"
"Maybe," she said with a grin. Then she got serious suddenly. "Oz?"
"Hmm?"
"You know that I love you, right?"
"Of course, I do."
"Sarah came on to me." She blurted it out, then looked at him with fearful eyes.
"I know," Oz said calmly. "I heard it through the door with my wolfie hearing."
She turned from his gaze. "I'm sorry."
"Why? You didn't come on to her."
"But... I WAS looking at her. She wasn't wrong about that."
"Well, she IS attractive," Oz admitted. "But the thing is... you're gonna be attracted to other people. It's like me watching American Pie and saying how hot that red-head is. I may be attracted, but if she were here, I would choose you. It's all about the choices we make. I trusted you to make the right one, and you did. I just didn't bring it up, because I wanted you to tell me. If you didn't tell me... well, secrets are a problem."
"She IS attractive," Willow admitted. "But she isn't you. And I'll choose you any day... over any man or woman."
"Even that guy that played Scott Evil in Austin Powers?"
"Even him. Though... he is a cutie patootie."
Before they could kiss again, there was a loud noise.
"Gunfire!" Oz shouted, bolting out the door.
"Volatilis!" Willow shouted. She immediately floated off the bed. She grabbed her robe and floated toward the door. She heard a struggle coming from the living room downstairs.
Another gunshot pierced the morning.
Willow zipped downstairs, hovering 4 feet off the ground. She found Oz unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. "Anya! Sarah!"
"They can't hear you," said a familiar voice. She knew it wasn't the culprit's real voice, but she recognized it anyway. "Angel."
She turned and opened her mouth to cast a spell, but it was too late. He fired something at her. There was a loud sound... and pain. Then, everything went black.
To Be Continued...
