Part 9
Giles sees Buffy as she enters the library and waves her over to his office, "I found a ritual to revoke the invitation to vampires."
"Oh thank God. Mom said that Willow and 'her friend' William stopped by the other night."
"It's fairly simple and doesn't require any proficiency in magic."
"What are they waiting for Giles? I mean they have access to my house, they've stalked my mother…."
Giles reached over and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "They're playing cat and mouse with you. It's one of the things Angelus excels at. He loves to play mind games and keep you off balance. I know it's hard but you need to focus. If you let your emotions get the best of you, he'll take advantage and all will be lost."
"Great, no pressure or anything."
"I'm serious, Buffy."
"So am I, Giles. I have to kill two demons that wear the face of my boyfriend and my best friend. I also have to protect my mother from three vicious vampires WITHOUT telling her why I'm out late or not leaving her side. Plus I have school with the little troll breathing down my neck. Need I go on?"
Giles smiles a little half smile, "Yes, well...point taken."
Buffy smiles back, "I'm sorry, Giles. I'm just angry and frustrated. Every time something happens I want to run to Angel or Willow and talk about it but I can't."
Giles nods in sympathy. "Every time the door to the library opens I expect to see Willow come in and then I realize that she won't ever be coming in to help or even to just brighten my day." Giles absently fingers the Kiss the Librarian coffee mug.
Buffy sees Giles fingering the mug and smiles in remembrance of going shopping with Willow and her nervously picking it out. Then they snuck into Giles' office and leaving it on his desk for him to find the next day. Willow had wanted to cheer Giles up after the whole Eyghon incident.
The bell rings and Buffy turns to Giles, "Thanks. For everything."
~~~~
Xander watches Jenny sitting in front of her computer tapping her nails impatiently. Making up his mind he enters.
Jenny looks up at the sound of the door opening and sees Xander standing just inside the doorway.
"Hey, Xander. I'm really sorry about Willow."
Xander looks down at the ground for a minute and then back up at Jenny. "Giles said you were working on a computer program to translate the curse. Any luck with it?"
Jenny sadly shakes her head. "It's still trying to translate it. I think I'm close though."
"Do . . .do you think you can give Willow back her soul?"
Jenny smiles sadly at Xander and motions him closer. She opens her book bag that is sitting on the floor. Inside is a small glass sphere that she carefully takes out. "Don't tell Rupert or Buffy this okay? I'm serious Xander you can't tell anyone."
Seeing how serious Jenny is he solemnly nods his head.
"This is an Orb of Thesaluh. If the program works and I can translate the curse I can use this to give Willow her soul back."
Xander beamed. "Why do you want to keep this a secret?"
"The magic shop only had one in stock. Rupert and Buffy would want me to use it on Angel to stop the threat of Angelus. It's partly my fault that Willow was turned and I will put that right."
Xander watches as Jenny carefully replaces the Orb into her bag. "You're right, they would. Buffy would want her boyfriend back but Giles would think it the greater good to restore Angel's soul first. Of course I might not be the best qualified to judge. I'd put Willow's soul over anyone's."
~~~~
Willow dropped the body of the landlord to Jenny's apartment as she finished feeding.
"Should have been less trusting of Ms. Calendar's favorite computer nerd." Willow tsked.
Angel smiled over at Willow. She was brilliant. It had been her idea to use the landlord to get in and search Jenny's apartment.
Willow walked over to Jenny's computer and powered up while Spike and Angel searched the apartment.
Angel came up behind Willow and leaned over her shoulder, "Find anything interesting?"
Willow pointed to a program, "Seems Jenny has been trying to develop a program that would translate the ancient Romany. So far nothing but with just a few lines of code . . ."
Willow absently began typing and then hit enter. The computer began to beep and a blue screen appeared on the monitor.
"Voila! One crashed computer."
Willow turned the chair around to face the room, "Find anything?"
Spike shook his head, "Nothing. If she's got the Orb it isn't here."
"Now what?"
"I think a distraction is called for. We need to get them out of the school library where they probably all are. You and Spike cause a distraction and I'll search the school for the Orb."
Willow smiled evilly and picked up the phone while Spike and Angel looked on in curiosity. She listened for Joyce to pick up at the gallery.
"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there?"
Willow just giggled and then hung up before redialing. Spike and Angel just looked at each other and then back at Willow.
"Buffy? Guess who?"
'Willow? What do you want?'
"You know . . .I missed you and Joyce. Thought I'd stop by and have a nice chat with your mother."
Buffy smiled on the other end of the phone. She wished she could see Willow's face when she told her, 'You can try but I did a little magic on my own. No more invitation for the vampire community at casa Summers.'
"Ooh, now that the resident witch is gone you think you can do magic now? I'd like to test that theory but maybe later and who said I was going to your house. The gallery is nice, quiet and BONUS open invite for all." Willow smirked as she hung up the phone. "Well, that ought to keep Buffy out of the way but how are we going to distract Giles?"
"What about Xander?"
"Oh he'll insist on going with Buffy. He wouldn't pass up a chance to see his bud Willow." Willow's eyes lit up as she continued, "I know. We could have Willy call Giles and say he knows where you and Spike are. He'll be all noble and come to defeat you by himself to save his precious Slayer further heartbreak."
Angel kissed Willow roughly, "Baby, I love the way you think. You and Spike go to Willy's and I'll go to the school."
Willow held up a disk to Angel. "Whether she is or isn't there she probably has a backup to the translation program on the school computers. Just insert this disk and double click on the exe file. That'll start the virus program that will crash the hard drive."
Spike reached out to take Willow's hand, "Let's go have some fun at Willy's. I'm in the mood for a spot of violence."
~~~~
"Hello?"
"Is there a Rupert Giles there?"
"This is he."
"Hey. I have some information that might be of use."
"Who is this?"
"Willy. Your slayer came in the other day wanting information about Angelus."
"And why would you help the Slayer?"
Willy answered in a softer voice, "Angel's bad news. He, Spike and that crazy red head are ruining my business. I figured I scratch your back you scratch mine."
Giles didn't trust him but he didn't have much choice at the moment. "Go on."
"Spike's here and they're making plans about your Slayer. They've been drinking a lot, mourning Dru so I figured they're pretty vulnerable now. You and the Slayer should be able to take them easy."
Giles glanced around the empty library. Normally he wouldn't be a match against two Master Vampires but Ripper was rattling his cage and wanting to revenge Willow. With steely determination he answered, "Thanks" and he abruptly hung up."
Willy nervously replaced the phone and turned to Spike and Willow. "So, h-how'd I do?"
Willow patted his cheek. "You did fine, Willy. Just hope that Giles took you up on it and comes here. Otherwise..."
Willy audibly gulped and nodded. God he hoped the stupid Watcher came. He didn't even want to think what would happen if he didn't.
Spike smirked as he saw and smelled the terror that was coming off of Willy. Pulling Willow back into his body he leaned down and nipped her neck with his fangs. "You're beautiful when you terrorize."
Willow turned in Spike's arms with her demon face to the fore. She entwined her fingers in his hair and roughly pulled him down into a kiss.
Willy quietly backed away while the two vampires forgot his presence and hoped the Watcher got there soon.
