In the Space of a Journey
Chapter Sixteen
England -- The Compound
Xander opened his eyes and found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He was laying in a bed, covered by a green velour spread. The pillow under his head and the mattress under his body were stuffed with feathers. He knew he wasn't in the hotel. He searched his memory for the last thing that had happened, and then he remembered the chase through the bowels of the Compound ending when the girl with the blue eyes hypnotized him and someone zapped him from behind.
He tested his muscles, and found himself sore, but not too badly damaged. Then he sat up and looked around. There was a lamp next to his bed, and he turned it on. Soft light filled the room. Xander saw that all the furniture was made of thick, carved wood and covered with well-made tapestry or soft fabrics, all the same, deep shade of green as the bed spread, or a complimentary color. He also saw a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a door which, when he got out of bed, he discovered led to an old fashioned, but very functional, bathroom.
Xander took care of some business, washed his face and hands, and then went back into the bedroom. He walked over to the window, and pulled back the curtain. Looking out, he saw that night had fallen in England. He couldn't see much, but he could tell that he was on an upper floor.
"I must still be in the Compound," Xander told himself. "There's no other place with this many antiques." But what he really wondered was why he hadn't been locked in the underground chambers with Doyle.
Xander tried the window. Of course, it was locked. And there wasn't a balcony or a ledge, or anything to facilitate an escape that way, if he dared to try it. Then he walked over to the door. It was locked, too.
"Of course!" Xander searched the room, but could find no way out of his richly appointed prison, so he flopped back down on the bed.
"I hope Joyce got out all right," he whispered, feeling sleep creeping back over him. Blue Eyes must've taken more out of him than he'd realized. "And Buffy... I hope you're all right. I know you'll find me..." Soon, Xander was fast asleep again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale -- Angel's Apartment
It was midmorning when Angel opened his eyes. He stretched his arms and touched something warm. Angel turned and saw Faith fast asleep next to him. One bare shoulder peeked above the maroon blanket.
(At least she stayed this time) Angel thought. He wondered if he should wake her.
Then Faith opened her eyes and stared right into his. Under the leftover haze of sleep, she smiled at him. Then her expression changed to one of confusion, and then realization set in. Her face hardened, and she sat up, clutching the covers around her chest.
Angel sat up, too. "You're still here."
"I slept too well," Faith answered, rubbing her eyes a little. "Forgot where I was."
"That could be dangerous in your line of work," Angel replied.
"Yours, too," Faith returned. Then their conversation trickled off into awkward silence.
"Now what?" Angel finally asked.
Faith reached for her clothes and started to dress. Angel reached for his robe and put it on.
"I'm going home," Faith said brusquely.
"Wait," Angel said, stilling her hand before she could get her boots on. "You never told me what happened last night that got you so upset. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Faith pulled away from him. "There's nothing you can do. You were right, that's all. We didn't stand a chance against the Kun'gi. It attacked someone right under my nose, and I missed it. It ran away before I even got there."
Angel's gaze went from concerned to confused. "When was that?"
"Well, I don't remember the exact second. Looking at my watch wasn't exactly top priority," Faith snapped. Then she relented a little bit and added, "It was towards the end of our patrol. Nicole was kind of shaken up, so Rio and I took her back to the motel, then I came over here."
"But, it's not possible that the Kun'gi could have attacked someone then," Angel protested, estimating the time from Faith's description. "Besides the fact that Roger is a pacifist, he was with me about then."
"Roger?" Faith raised a questioning eyebrow.
Quickly, Angel filled Faith in on the confrontation with the pacifist Kun'gi. He didn't leave anything out -- Roger's visions, Terrance's cross bow bolts and resulting unconsciousness, etc. In fact, the only thing Angel edited from his story was Roger's belief that Terrance wasn't on the up-and-up. Angel didn't know what he thought about that, but he did know that Faith wouldn't take kindly to the idea. He looked closely at her. Her face was drawn in concentration.
"You're right," she agreed, surprisingly without a fight. "If you're telling the truth, then there is no way that guy from the bar was killed by the Kun'gi. Unless there are more than one..."
Angel shook his head. "Roger said he can sense others of his kind, and that he was the only one in town. And Willy only mentioned one Kun'gi, too. Jenny is researching what or who else can drain life force like that."
He watched Faith, waiting for the usual explosion. But it didn't come.
"What are you thinking?" Angel asked, wondering if they were thinking the same thing for once. He was thinking about Nicole crouched over a body, and then lying to place the blame on a murderous Kun'gi who did not exist. Compound that with Roger's comments about Terrance, and some suspicions had definitely started to form in Angel's mind. But he didn't want to say that to Faith, unless she'd come to the same conclusion herself. Angel had no guarantee that she would take his side instead of supporting her troops. Even their nocturnal activities seemed to mean nothing to Faith.
"I... I don't know," Faith admitted. "But there's definitely something odd going on here." She stood up. "I've got to get back to the motel and talk with Nicole. Maybe she was wrong. She's never seen a Kun'gi before..." She shoved her feet in her boots and headed for the door.
Angel jumped up and grabbed her elbow. "Do you want help? I'll come with you."
Faith glanced at his windows where sunlight tinted the dark window shade.
"There are old tunnels that run all over Sunnydale," Angel explained.
"I don't want you to come," Faith said bluntly. "I'll get to the bottom of this myself." Then she left. After she was gone, Angel walked over to the phone to call Jenny and apprise her of this latest development.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
England -- the Compound
The proconsul's office had to be the most opulent in the Compound. Buffy looked around with a little awe. There were more antiques and velvet coverings in here than anywhere else. The paintings on the wall looked familiar -- like she should recognize them from art class. And the crystal decanter and glasses on a table near the wall looked like that expensive crystal her mother always admired. She could smell the scent of old cigar smoke, probably Cubans.
She and Giles sat in the least comfortable chairs in the office, right in front of Chamberlain's desk. They'd been in there for a long time, waiting for their audience with the man in charge. He now sat behind the desk, with Gwendolyn and Marcus on either side of him, giving them a "concerned, yet disappointed" look.
"Mr. Giles, Miss Summers," Chamberlain said in a sad tone, "why did you have to betray our trust like this? Yes, we have our disagreements, but the tribunal was supposed to solve that without such shenanigans. Why did you send your friends into forbidden areas?"
Giles gave the proconsul an impassive stare. "First of all, this plan was entirely mine. Buffy had nothing to do with it. Second of all, what have you done with Xander and Mrs. Summers?"
Chamberlain glanced at Marcus, who leaned down and whispered in his ear. Gwendolyn was distracted, looking at the two men. Giles took that moment to pass Buffy a folded piece of paper. Buffy stuffed the note into the waistband of her sweats, and tried to look casual as the Watchers turned back to face them. She glanced up and met Gwendolyn's gaze. For a second, Buffy thought she was caught, but the woman didn't say anything, so Buffy decided that Gwendolyn had missed the clandestine exchange.
"We detained the boy, and let the woman go," Chamberlain told them calmly, after conferring with Marcus.
"Can I see Xander?" Buffy asked. The question earned her stern looks from every Watcher in the room.
"No, my dear," the proconsul said. The sad tone was back again. "He got into something he shouldn't have. Our doctors are working on him, but it may be a lost cause."
Buffy's eyes widened and began to fill with tears. Xander was dying? She looked at Giles. Her Watcher gazed right back at her and shook his head slightly. Buffy got his meaning. He thought that the proconsul was lying. Buffy stifled her fear and worry for her boyfriend and sat back in her chair.
"What are you going to do with us?" Giles demanded. "We have the right to know."
"You're under house arrest," Chamberlain told them. "Mr. Giles, you will be confined to your room until the tribunal resumes. Only Mr. Wyndham-Price can visit you." Then he turned to Buffy. "You, Miss Summers, are confined to the grounds. I know that seems harsh, but it is for your own good. Remember, you are not being punished. This is just a precaution we must take if a Slayer is found to have a dishonest, unworthy Watcher. We must make sure your training has not been compromised beyond repair... if Mr. Giles is found guilty, of course."
"Of course," Giles echoed, unsurprised. "The verdict would never be decided on without a fair trial, would it?"
"Never, Mr. Giles," the proconsul assured him.
Buffy schooled her face to reveal none of her emotions: not the horror she felt having to stay at the Compound, not the agony she felt wondering what had become of Xander and her mother, not the fear she felt for Giles, who seemed about to be burned at the stake for things the Council didn't understand. There was one thing she was glad of. It seemed that the Council might be willing to believe in her. Perhaps her celebrity-like status as Slayer would pay off, if they were inclined to trust her. She knew that no matter how badly she felt for Giles and the others, that right now she had to play her part and not let on that she'd rather disown the Council than to help them in this situation.
Glancing at the window, and noting how dark it was, Buffy gave Chamberlain a cold look. "Are we done here, sir? It's long past the dinner hour, and I'm starving. I did fight two vamps today..."
"Yes, you did, Buffy," Chamberlain said, his lips curving into a smile. "And you did it quite successfully." He glanced at Gwendolyn, giving his second-in-command the authority to deal with this.
"Come, Buffy," Gwendolyn said with a smile. "Let's find you something to eat."
Without a word or a look at Giles, Buffy stood and follwed Gwendolyn from the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
England -- A Shopping District
A cab pulled up in front of a small shop. It was the only shop on the street still lighted. That had something to do with a phone call Joyce had made before leaving the hotel. She clutched the sheaf of papers from Jenny to her chest as the vehicle came to a complete stop.
"Need me to wait, Ma'am?" the cabby asked as Joyce opened the door.
She shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary, but you could help us carry up our luggage." He popped the trunk for her, and she grabbed three bags. To Cordelia, in the back seat next to Oz, Joyce said, "Can you help him out and get the rest of the bags."
The unusually subdued Cordelia nodded and started following orders with the cabbie's help, while Joyce went up to the door of the shop and knocked. The door opened and a tall, thin man with a dramatic shock of black hair and vivid blue eyes stared out at her.
"Joyce Summers?" he asked in a cultured British accent.
Joyce nodded. From behind, she heard the cab pull away and Cordelia walk up with the last of the luggage and Oz and his crutches.
"Come in." The man opened the door wider, and helped them with the bags. They walked into a small magic shop, full of the usual paraphernalia -- crystals, herbs and whatnot. They followed him through a door in the back and into a large workroom.
Oz stared at the man, a confused expression on his face.
Cordelia looked at Joyce. "Do you know this guy?"
As they set down all the luggage, the man turned and extended a hand to Cordelia. "My name is Nigel Goring. I'm an old ... acquaintance of Buffy Summers and Jenny Calendar. When I got word that Mrs. Summers and her charges needed help, I couldn't refuse."
Joyce flashed him a quick smile. "Please, call me Joyce. You're doing us a huge favor, so we should at least be on a first name basis."
"I owe your daughter my life," Nigel replied. "Anything I can do for you, I will."
"Nigel Goring," Oz repeated incredulously. "You were the host body for Nathan. I didn't realize you were still..."
Nigel nodded. "Yes, once the Nathan spirit was expelled from my body, I retained my original soul and also my powers."
"So, you're a witch?" Cordelia asked.
"A warlock," Nigel corrected her. "And I've been in contact with Ms. Calendar. She explained the plan to me." He held out his hands and Joyce gave him the fax papers. Then he glanced at Oz and Cordelia in consideration. "I think it will work, but the broken leg makes it difficult."
"Wait a minute. What's going on?" Oz asked.
Joyce sighed. "I'm not really sure of all the details. I called Jenny when we were at the hotel, and she said to come here. She said she would call Nigel and explain things."
"I just got off the phone with Ms. Calendar," Nigel repeated as confirmation. He flipped through the sheaf of papers and pulled out several from the middle. "Ah, yes. This is the derivation I need." He looked at Cordelia and Oz. "Get up on those tables."
There were two tables, long, black affairs that looked like they'd been stolen from a doctor's office. Joyce helped Oz up on one of them, and Cordelia hopped up on the other. Nigel gathered some magic paraphernalia and walked over between the tables. He set everything down but a purple leaf. It looked almost like the leaf from a palm tree, except for the color. "Are you two ready?"
Cordelia jumped up and scooted away from the leaf. "No way! You are not performing any kind of mumbo-jumbo on me until I know exactly what is going on!"
"Ditto," Oz replied, glaring at Nigel and remembering some of the evil spells the man had performed in the past. Admittedly, Nigel hadn't been himself, but Oz was still worried.
Joyce looked at her charges with a sad expression. "You two have to save the world. This spell should give you a fighting chance to infiltrate the Compound and rescue everybody."
"Why don't you do it?" Cordelia asked. "You're the one who's been there."
"Jenny told me that it has to be somebody young. It was supposed to be Xander, but..." Joyce's words trailed off as she remembered the fate that had befallen the well-meaning boy.
"But he got caught, and you decided two replacements would be better than one?" Oz's voice had an underlying tone of sarcasm.
"Jenny said two would be better than one anyway, Oz," Joyce said, "It was supposed to be you and Xander. It's based on a plan Giles had, just in case something went wrong." She looked at each of the teenagers in turn, her heart in her eyes. "Neither one of you has to do this. I'll try, if I have to, though Jenny says the spell won't hold on me for long enough to get to the Compound. But I have faith in you guys. You have the resourcefulness to adapt and do this right, with the right help."
"Even with this?" Oz smacked his cast, glancing at Nigel with some anger in the back of his gaze. It had been Nathan -- albeit in Angel's body -- who put Oz into this cast.
Nigel stepped forward with a bottle of blue powder. "We're going to take care of that. Give Mother Nature quite the helping hand."
Oz looked at the bottle in consideration, the wheels in his mind clicking away as he figured out what was going on here. But Cordelia didn't have that much patience.
Raising a hand, she cried, "Even though I'm, like, your third choice, I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes until I know exactly what will happen to me. It better not be something making me a giant toad or a lizard or something, because my wardrobe just doesn't go well with scales."
Even Nigel had to conceal a chuckle at that one. "No, Miss Chase, there are no creatures involved in this. Just you, Mr.... er... Oz and Miss Summers..."
Cordelia looked at him, even more confused. "What does Buffy have to do with this?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale -- The Rose Cup
Amy pulled up and got out of her car a little nervously. What if Terrance stood her up again? Amy knew that Terrance had many responsibilities that were more important than a lunch date, but the day before had been so embarrassing, no matter the sweet apologies she'd gotten later.
But before she had even turned off the engine, she saw Terrance standing out front waving at her. She got out of the car and hurried over to give him a hug. His cheeks were a little flushed, and when she leaned in to give him a kiss she noticed a purple bruise on his jawbone.
"What happened?" she exclaimed, touching the bruise with a gentle fingertip.
The boy's welcoming smile faded into a fierce frown. "Angel."
Amy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What are you talking about? Did you and Angel get into a fight?"
"Let's just say that Angel took the Kun'gi's side when the demon started beating up on me," Terrance spat angrily.
Amy didn't know what to think. Terrance was so angry, and there was the bruise, as big and purple as any she'd ever seen. But that just didn't seem like something Angel would do. "Why would he do that?"
Terrance shook his head. "I have no idea. It was a big surprise to me, let me tell you. But at least he didn't let the demon kill me, just punch on me for awhile." He sighed and seemed to try and rein in his anger. "I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't want to ruin our date, it's just that I'm so upset..."
"It sounds like something upsetting definitely happened," Amy replied. "You have a right not to be cheerful. Maybe... maybe you and Angel should talk. I could go with you, be an impartial third party. Or we could call Jenny. I'm sure something can be worked out."
He looked at her and smiled. "You mean you wouldn't mind skipping lunch?"
"Not if it helps you and Angel," Amy replied, smiling back at him.
Terrance leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Then he guided her back to her car. "Maybe we can go back to my place and call them. I'm also worried about Faith. She was gone all night again, and I don't know where she is."
"Oh, no," Amy said. "That just doesn't seem right for someone who's supposed to be in command."
"That's what I keep saying," Terrance replied, "but no one listens. I'll just have to hope that..."
"Hope what?"
Terrance shook his head. "Never mind. It wasn't important. Do you mind if I drive?"
"You sure you can stay on the right side of the road?" Amy teased, but she handed him the keys and got in the passenger side.
"No problem." Terrance started the car, and they squealed out of the restaurant parking lot, heading back into the main part of Sunnydale. Amy wasn't sure what they were going to do, but it was obviously very important to Terrance. Sneaking a glance at his handsome profile, Amy sat back in the seat and waited.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
England -- The Compound
After Buffy had a quiet dinner alone in the huge dining hall, Gwendolyn came back and showed Buffy to her bedroom. When the Watcher left, Buffy closed the door and looked around. Like the rest of the mansion, her room was well appointed and full of antiques. It had everything a bedroom should have -- a bed, a night stand, a dresser, a connecting bath. But no telephone. Looking in the dresser drawers, Buffy saw that her clothes from earlier had been cleaned and put in one. Her bag sat on top of the dresser. She ran her fingers across the bag, closed her eyes and thought of home. She wanted to go try and find Xander, or a phone to call the hotel, but if she were going to look like she trusted the Council, she couldn't be caught doing anything like that.
Then Buffy remembered the note Giles had given her. She made sure the door was closed and locked, then she pulled it out and unfolded it. She recognized Giles's handwriting immediately.
"Dear Buffy,
I'm writing this in the hotel during one of my interminable sessions with Wesley. He's a good enough boy, but I don't have high hopes for how he'll do against Barrows. I wanted to have this note prepared, just in case something happens at the tribunal. If suspicion falls on me, we will be cut off from each other, and I have to make sure you know about my plan.
Jenny has been working on a spell derivation for me. It should be finished soon, and she will fax it to the hotel. If something happens to me, or if they detain me at the Compound, call Jenny and she will know what to do. The spell she is attempting to derive is based upon the spell we used to transfer the Slayer Essence from Sonya to you all those months ago.
The spell should be divide your powers, loaning some to others for a limited time, while leaving you enough so that you do not get ill, and thus attract the attention of the other Watchers. The main problem with the spell is anchoring the powers, even for a little while, to someone without the genetic codes of a Slayer, but it has to be that way, because if we transferred them to a potential Slayer (if we could find one we could trust) she would probably keep them permanently.
If we can find a healer for Oz's leg, I thought that sending him and Xander in, each with a third of your powers, would be the best thing. I won't go into too many details, but you had to know what was coming. If you feel weak or dizzy, just cover it up. Don't let on to the Council. Then, perhaps, we will stand a chance to get Sonya and Doyle back.
When you've read this, and understand it, destroy it.
Giles"
Buffy read the note several times over, until she almost had it memorized. Then she shredded it up into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet. After that was taken care of, Buffy laid back on her bed, wondering what it would feel like to lose only part of her powers for a limited time. She wasn't excited about the prospect, but if it would help them find Sonya, Doyle and now Xander, Buffy was willing. Then, with nothing else to do but worry about her friends and her mother, Buffy closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale -- The Condo
Covered with a thick blanket, Angel made it into the condo unscathed. Jenny waited for him by the open door.
"Any problems?" she asked.
"I'm just a little smoky, now," Angel answered in a wry tone. He walked inside and threw the blanket over the coat rack. Jenny closed the door behind them, and they went into Giles's library/study where open occult books covered every available surface.
"What did you find out?" Angel asked, peering at one of the books.
Jenny sighed and pushed her dark bangs off of her forehead. "Taking what you told me about the Kun'gi and what you just told me about the supposed attack last night that couldn't have happened, I've come up with a pretty harsh scenario."
Angel looked up and saw the dark smudges marring the pale skin under her dark eyes. "Are you OK, Jenny?"
She brushed off his concern with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine. I've just been up all night researching."
His thoughts flashed back to what he'd been up all night doing, and he felt a twinge of guilt. Angel pushed that away and concentrated on what Jenny was saying. "... so I think that Nicole was trying to put something over on Faith."
"You think Nicole is the one draining life essences?"
"It's possible." Jenny pointed to a thick book on the edge of the desk. "There are spells in here that allow a human to drain the life force from another human. The spells are complex, but they do exist."
"But why?"
"That I don't know," Jenny answered. "I've gone through everything Giles has on the subject, and all I could get were myths. Supposedly draining a life force can prolong your life, or heal you from various ailments -- none of which Nicole seemed to be suffering from -- but it was all conjecture." Jenny paused and then added, "Honestly, I've been getting a strange vibe from those commandos since they got here. And if Nicole is in on it, then the others probably are, too."
"No!" Angel exclaimed. "Not all of them. Not Faith! Terrance, maybe. Even Rio I could believe, but not Faith."
Jenny's eyes narrowed on Angel. "And just why do you believe in Faith's innocence so strongly? She tried to kill you several times, and you've never gotten along. Unless there's something you're not telling me, Angel."
"We're getting along... better... now," Angel hedged, avoiding her demanding gaze. "And why would Faith tell me about Nicole if it were all part of some elaborate cover up?"
"To protect herself?" Jenny guessed. "I don't know. I just don't think we can afford to trust them." Her face paled as a thought struck her. "Amy! She's been getting really chummy with Terrance. We've got to warn her."
Angel watched as Jenny went to the phone and called Amy. After a few minutes, Jenny said, "Amy, it's Jenny. When you get this, call either me or Angel as soon as possible." Then she hung up. Turning to Angel, she said, "She wasn't home."
Suddenly the door opened, and Faith burst into the condo. Seeing Angel and Jenny in the library, she ran in and asked, "Have you seen the others? I went back to the motel and they were gone. I can't raise them on the radio, and I don't know where they are."
Jenny and Angel looked at each other. In light of what they'd just been talking about, this didn't look good for the three errant commandos. But Angel hoped that Jenny would be more favorable to Faith since the girl had come to them first. Unless it was all part of some big scheme to cover her own butt... Angel didn't want to think that, but when it came right down to it, he really didn't know Faith, or what made her tick, very well.
Looking at Faith, Angel said, "We've got something to tell you..."
Chapter Sixteen
England -- The Compound
Xander opened his eyes and found himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He was laying in a bed, covered by a green velour spread. The pillow under his head and the mattress under his body were stuffed with feathers. He knew he wasn't in the hotel. He searched his memory for the last thing that had happened, and then he remembered the chase through the bowels of the Compound ending when the girl with the blue eyes hypnotized him and someone zapped him from behind.
He tested his muscles, and found himself sore, but not too badly damaged. Then he sat up and looked around. There was a lamp next to his bed, and he turned it on. Soft light filled the room. Xander saw that all the furniture was made of thick, carved wood and covered with well-made tapestry or soft fabrics, all the same, deep shade of green as the bed spread, or a complimentary color. He also saw a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a door which, when he got out of bed, he discovered led to an old fashioned, but very functional, bathroom.
Xander took care of some business, washed his face and hands, and then went back into the bedroom. He walked over to the window, and pulled back the curtain. Looking out, he saw that night had fallen in England. He couldn't see much, but he could tell that he was on an upper floor.
"I must still be in the Compound," Xander told himself. "There's no other place with this many antiques." But what he really wondered was why he hadn't been locked in the underground chambers with Doyle.
Xander tried the window. Of course, it was locked. And there wasn't a balcony or a ledge, or anything to facilitate an escape that way, if he dared to try it. Then he walked over to the door. It was locked, too.
"Of course!" Xander searched the room, but could find no way out of his richly appointed prison, so he flopped back down on the bed.
"I hope Joyce got out all right," he whispered, feeling sleep creeping back over him. Blue Eyes must've taken more out of him than he'd realized. "And Buffy... I hope you're all right. I know you'll find me..." Soon, Xander was fast asleep again.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale -- Angel's Apartment
It was midmorning when Angel opened his eyes. He stretched his arms and touched something warm. Angel turned and saw Faith fast asleep next to him. One bare shoulder peeked above the maroon blanket.
(At least she stayed this time) Angel thought. He wondered if he should wake her.
Then Faith opened her eyes and stared right into his. Under the leftover haze of sleep, she smiled at him. Then her expression changed to one of confusion, and then realization set in. Her face hardened, and she sat up, clutching the covers around her chest.
Angel sat up, too. "You're still here."
"I slept too well," Faith answered, rubbing her eyes a little. "Forgot where I was."
"That could be dangerous in your line of work," Angel replied.
"Yours, too," Faith returned. Then their conversation trickled off into awkward silence.
"Now what?" Angel finally asked.
Faith reached for her clothes and started to dress. Angel reached for his robe and put it on.
"I'm going home," Faith said brusquely.
"Wait," Angel said, stilling her hand before she could get her boots on. "You never told me what happened last night that got you so upset. Is there anything I can do to help?"
Faith pulled away from him. "There's nothing you can do. You were right, that's all. We didn't stand a chance against the Kun'gi. It attacked someone right under my nose, and I missed it. It ran away before I even got there."
Angel's gaze went from concerned to confused. "When was that?"
"Well, I don't remember the exact second. Looking at my watch wasn't exactly top priority," Faith snapped. Then she relented a little bit and added, "It was towards the end of our patrol. Nicole was kind of shaken up, so Rio and I took her back to the motel, then I came over here."
"But, it's not possible that the Kun'gi could have attacked someone then," Angel protested, estimating the time from Faith's description. "Besides the fact that Roger is a pacifist, he was with me about then."
"Roger?" Faith raised a questioning eyebrow.
Quickly, Angel filled Faith in on the confrontation with the pacifist Kun'gi. He didn't leave anything out -- Roger's visions, Terrance's cross bow bolts and resulting unconsciousness, etc. In fact, the only thing Angel edited from his story was Roger's belief that Terrance wasn't on the up-and-up. Angel didn't know what he thought about that, but he did know that Faith wouldn't take kindly to the idea. He looked closely at her. Her face was drawn in concentration.
"You're right," she agreed, surprisingly without a fight. "If you're telling the truth, then there is no way that guy from the bar was killed by the Kun'gi. Unless there are more than one..."
Angel shook his head. "Roger said he can sense others of his kind, and that he was the only one in town. And Willy only mentioned one Kun'gi, too. Jenny is researching what or who else can drain life force like that."
He watched Faith, waiting for the usual explosion. But it didn't come.
"What are you thinking?" Angel asked, wondering if they were thinking the same thing for once. He was thinking about Nicole crouched over a body, and then lying to place the blame on a murderous Kun'gi who did not exist. Compound that with Roger's comments about Terrance, and some suspicions had definitely started to form in Angel's mind. But he didn't want to say that to Faith, unless she'd come to the same conclusion herself. Angel had no guarantee that she would take his side instead of supporting her troops. Even their nocturnal activities seemed to mean nothing to Faith.
"I... I don't know," Faith admitted. "But there's definitely something odd going on here." She stood up. "I've got to get back to the motel and talk with Nicole. Maybe she was wrong. She's never seen a Kun'gi before..." She shoved her feet in her boots and headed for the door.
Angel jumped up and grabbed her elbow. "Do you want help? I'll come with you."
Faith glanced at his windows where sunlight tinted the dark window shade.
"There are old tunnels that run all over Sunnydale," Angel explained.
"I don't want you to come," Faith said bluntly. "I'll get to the bottom of this myself." Then she left. After she was gone, Angel walked over to the phone to call Jenny and apprise her of this latest development.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
England -- the Compound
The proconsul's office had to be the most opulent in the Compound. Buffy looked around with a little awe. There were more antiques and velvet coverings in here than anywhere else. The paintings on the wall looked familiar -- like she should recognize them from art class. And the crystal decanter and glasses on a table near the wall looked like that expensive crystal her mother always admired. She could smell the scent of old cigar smoke, probably Cubans.
She and Giles sat in the least comfortable chairs in the office, right in front of Chamberlain's desk. They'd been in there for a long time, waiting for their audience with the man in charge. He now sat behind the desk, with Gwendolyn and Marcus on either side of him, giving them a "concerned, yet disappointed" look.
"Mr. Giles, Miss Summers," Chamberlain said in a sad tone, "why did you have to betray our trust like this? Yes, we have our disagreements, but the tribunal was supposed to solve that without such shenanigans. Why did you send your friends into forbidden areas?"
Giles gave the proconsul an impassive stare. "First of all, this plan was entirely mine. Buffy had nothing to do with it. Second of all, what have you done with Xander and Mrs. Summers?"
Chamberlain glanced at Marcus, who leaned down and whispered in his ear. Gwendolyn was distracted, looking at the two men. Giles took that moment to pass Buffy a folded piece of paper. Buffy stuffed the note into the waistband of her sweats, and tried to look casual as the Watchers turned back to face them. She glanced up and met Gwendolyn's gaze. For a second, Buffy thought she was caught, but the woman didn't say anything, so Buffy decided that Gwendolyn had missed the clandestine exchange.
"We detained the boy, and let the woman go," Chamberlain told them calmly, after conferring with Marcus.
"Can I see Xander?" Buffy asked. The question earned her stern looks from every Watcher in the room.
"No, my dear," the proconsul said. The sad tone was back again. "He got into something he shouldn't have. Our doctors are working on him, but it may be a lost cause."
Buffy's eyes widened and began to fill with tears. Xander was dying? She looked at Giles. Her Watcher gazed right back at her and shook his head slightly. Buffy got his meaning. He thought that the proconsul was lying. Buffy stifled her fear and worry for her boyfriend and sat back in her chair.
"What are you going to do with us?" Giles demanded. "We have the right to know."
"You're under house arrest," Chamberlain told them. "Mr. Giles, you will be confined to your room until the tribunal resumes. Only Mr. Wyndham-Price can visit you." Then he turned to Buffy. "You, Miss Summers, are confined to the grounds. I know that seems harsh, but it is for your own good. Remember, you are not being punished. This is just a precaution we must take if a Slayer is found to have a dishonest, unworthy Watcher. We must make sure your training has not been compromised beyond repair... if Mr. Giles is found guilty, of course."
"Of course," Giles echoed, unsurprised. "The verdict would never be decided on without a fair trial, would it?"
"Never, Mr. Giles," the proconsul assured him.
Buffy schooled her face to reveal none of her emotions: not the horror she felt having to stay at the Compound, not the agony she felt wondering what had become of Xander and her mother, not the fear she felt for Giles, who seemed about to be burned at the stake for things the Council didn't understand. There was one thing she was glad of. It seemed that the Council might be willing to believe in her. Perhaps her celebrity-like status as Slayer would pay off, if they were inclined to trust her. She knew that no matter how badly she felt for Giles and the others, that right now she had to play her part and not let on that she'd rather disown the Council than to help them in this situation.
Glancing at the window, and noting how dark it was, Buffy gave Chamberlain a cold look. "Are we done here, sir? It's long past the dinner hour, and I'm starving. I did fight two vamps today..."
"Yes, you did, Buffy," Chamberlain said, his lips curving into a smile. "And you did it quite successfully." He glanced at Gwendolyn, giving his second-in-command the authority to deal with this.
"Come, Buffy," Gwendolyn said with a smile. "Let's find you something to eat."
Without a word or a look at Giles, Buffy stood and follwed Gwendolyn from the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
England -- A Shopping District
A cab pulled up in front of a small shop. It was the only shop on the street still lighted. That had something to do with a phone call Joyce had made before leaving the hotel. She clutched the sheaf of papers from Jenny to her chest as the vehicle came to a complete stop.
"Need me to wait, Ma'am?" the cabby asked as Joyce opened the door.
She shook her head. "No, that won't be necessary, but you could help us carry up our luggage." He popped the trunk for her, and she grabbed three bags. To Cordelia, in the back seat next to Oz, Joyce said, "Can you help him out and get the rest of the bags."
The unusually subdued Cordelia nodded and started following orders with the cabbie's help, while Joyce went up to the door of the shop and knocked. The door opened and a tall, thin man with a dramatic shock of black hair and vivid blue eyes stared out at her.
"Joyce Summers?" he asked in a cultured British accent.
Joyce nodded. From behind, she heard the cab pull away and Cordelia walk up with the last of the luggage and Oz and his crutches.
"Come in." The man opened the door wider, and helped them with the bags. They walked into a small magic shop, full of the usual paraphernalia -- crystals, herbs and whatnot. They followed him through a door in the back and into a large workroom.
Oz stared at the man, a confused expression on his face.
Cordelia looked at Joyce. "Do you know this guy?"
As they set down all the luggage, the man turned and extended a hand to Cordelia. "My name is Nigel Goring. I'm an old ... acquaintance of Buffy Summers and Jenny Calendar. When I got word that Mrs. Summers and her charges needed help, I couldn't refuse."
Joyce flashed him a quick smile. "Please, call me Joyce. You're doing us a huge favor, so we should at least be on a first name basis."
"I owe your daughter my life," Nigel replied. "Anything I can do for you, I will."
"Nigel Goring," Oz repeated incredulously. "You were the host body for Nathan. I didn't realize you were still..."
Nigel nodded. "Yes, once the Nathan spirit was expelled from my body, I retained my original soul and also my powers."
"So, you're a witch?" Cordelia asked.
"A warlock," Nigel corrected her. "And I've been in contact with Ms. Calendar. She explained the plan to me." He held out his hands and Joyce gave him the fax papers. Then he glanced at Oz and Cordelia in consideration. "I think it will work, but the broken leg makes it difficult."
"Wait a minute. What's going on?" Oz asked.
Joyce sighed. "I'm not really sure of all the details. I called Jenny when we were at the hotel, and she said to come here. She said she would call Nigel and explain things."
"I just got off the phone with Ms. Calendar," Nigel repeated as confirmation. He flipped through the sheaf of papers and pulled out several from the middle. "Ah, yes. This is the derivation I need." He looked at Cordelia and Oz. "Get up on those tables."
There were two tables, long, black affairs that looked like they'd been stolen from a doctor's office. Joyce helped Oz up on one of them, and Cordelia hopped up on the other. Nigel gathered some magic paraphernalia and walked over between the tables. He set everything down but a purple leaf. It looked almost like the leaf from a palm tree, except for the color. "Are you two ready?"
Cordelia jumped up and scooted away from the leaf. "No way! You are not performing any kind of mumbo-jumbo on me until I know exactly what is going on!"
"Ditto," Oz replied, glaring at Nigel and remembering some of the evil spells the man had performed in the past. Admittedly, Nigel hadn't been himself, but Oz was still worried.
Joyce looked at her charges with a sad expression. "You two have to save the world. This spell should give you a fighting chance to infiltrate the Compound and rescue everybody."
"Why don't you do it?" Cordelia asked. "You're the one who's been there."
"Jenny told me that it has to be somebody young. It was supposed to be Xander, but..." Joyce's words trailed off as she remembered the fate that had befallen the well-meaning boy.
"But he got caught, and you decided two replacements would be better than one?" Oz's voice had an underlying tone of sarcasm.
"Jenny said two would be better than one anyway, Oz," Joyce said, "It was supposed to be you and Xander. It's based on a plan Giles had, just in case something went wrong." She looked at each of the teenagers in turn, her heart in her eyes. "Neither one of you has to do this. I'll try, if I have to, though Jenny says the spell won't hold on me for long enough to get to the Compound. But I have faith in you guys. You have the resourcefulness to adapt and do this right, with the right help."
"Even with this?" Oz smacked his cast, glancing at Nigel with some anger in the back of his gaze. It had been Nathan -- albeit in Angel's body -- who put Oz into this cast.
Nigel stepped forward with a bottle of blue powder. "We're going to take care of that. Give Mother Nature quite the helping hand."
Oz looked at the bottle in consideration, the wheels in his mind clicking away as he figured out what was going on here. But Cordelia didn't have that much patience.
Raising a hand, she cried, "Even though I'm, like, your third choice, I'm not saying no, but I'm not saying yes until I know exactly what will happen to me. It better not be something making me a giant toad or a lizard or something, because my wardrobe just doesn't go well with scales."
Even Nigel had to conceal a chuckle at that one. "No, Miss Chase, there are no creatures involved in this. Just you, Mr.... er... Oz and Miss Summers..."
Cordelia looked at him, even more confused. "What does Buffy have to do with this?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale -- The Rose Cup
Amy pulled up and got out of her car a little nervously. What if Terrance stood her up again? Amy knew that Terrance had many responsibilities that were more important than a lunch date, but the day before had been so embarrassing, no matter the sweet apologies she'd gotten later.
But before she had even turned off the engine, she saw Terrance standing out front waving at her. She got out of the car and hurried over to give him a hug. His cheeks were a little flushed, and when she leaned in to give him a kiss she noticed a purple bruise on his jawbone.
"What happened?" she exclaimed, touching the bruise with a gentle fingertip.
The boy's welcoming smile faded into a fierce frown. "Angel."
Amy's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What are you talking about? Did you and Angel get into a fight?"
"Let's just say that Angel took the Kun'gi's side when the demon started beating up on me," Terrance spat angrily.
Amy didn't know what to think. Terrance was so angry, and there was the bruise, as big and purple as any she'd ever seen. But that just didn't seem like something Angel would do. "Why would he do that?"
Terrance shook his head. "I have no idea. It was a big surprise to me, let me tell you. But at least he didn't let the demon kill me, just punch on me for awhile." He sighed and seemed to try and rein in his anger. "I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't want to ruin our date, it's just that I'm so upset..."
"It sounds like something upsetting definitely happened," Amy replied. "You have a right not to be cheerful. Maybe... maybe you and Angel should talk. I could go with you, be an impartial third party. Or we could call Jenny. I'm sure something can be worked out."
He looked at her and smiled. "You mean you wouldn't mind skipping lunch?"
"Not if it helps you and Angel," Amy replied, smiling back at him.
Terrance leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Then he guided her back to her car. "Maybe we can go back to my place and call them. I'm also worried about Faith. She was gone all night again, and I don't know where she is."
"Oh, no," Amy said. "That just doesn't seem right for someone who's supposed to be in command."
"That's what I keep saying," Terrance replied, "but no one listens. I'll just have to hope that..."
"Hope what?"
Terrance shook his head. "Never mind. It wasn't important. Do you mind if I drive?"
"You sure you can stay on the right side of the road?" Amy teased, but she handed him the keys and got in the passenger side.
"No problem." Terrance started the car, and they squealed out of the restaurant parking lot, heading back into the main part of Sunnydale. Amy wasn't sure what they were going to do, but it was obviously very important to Terrance. Sneaking a glance at his handsome profile, Amy sat back in the seat and waited.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
England -- The Compound
After Buffy had a quiet dinner alone in the huge dining hall, Gwendolyn came back and showed Buffy to her bedroom. When the Watcher left, Buffy closed the door and looked around. Like the rest of the mansion, her room was well appointed and full of antiques. It had everything a bedroom should have -- a bed, a night stand, a dresser, a connecting bath. But no telephone. Looking in the dresser drawers, Buffy saw that her clothes from earlier had been cleaned and put in one. Her bag sat on top of the dresser. She ran her fingers across the bag, closed her eyes and thought of home. She wanted to go try and find Xander, or a phone to call the hotel, but if she were going to look like she trusted the Council, she couldn't be caught doing anything like that.
Then Buffy remembered the note Giles had given her. She made sure the door was closed and locked, then she pulled it out and unfolded it. She recognized Giles's handwriting immediately.
"Dear Buffy,
I'm writing this in the hotel during one of my interminable sessions with Wesley. He's a good enough boy, but I don't have high hopes for how he'll do against Barrows. I wanted to have this note prepared, just in case something happens at the tribunal. If suspicion falls on me, we will be cut off from each other, and I have to make sure you know about my plan.
Jenny has been working on a spell derivation for me. It should be finished soon, and she will fax it to the hotel. If something happens to me, or if they detain me at the Compound, call Jenny and she will know what to do. The spell she is attempting to derive is based upon the spell we used to transfer the Slayer Essence from Sonya to you all those months ago.
The spell should be divide your powers, loaning some to others for a limited time, while leaving you enough so that you do not get ill, and thus attract the attention of the other Watchers. The main problem with the spell is anchoring the powers, even for a little while, to someone without the genetic codes of a Slayer, but it has to be that way, because if we transferred them to a potential Slayer (if we could find one we could trust) she would probably keep them permanently.
If we can find a healer for Oz's leg, I thought that sending him and Xander in, each with a third of your powers, would be the best thing. I won't go into too many details, but you had to know what was coming. If you feel weak or dizzy, just cover it up. Don't let on to the Council. Then, perhaps, we will stand a chance to get Sonya and Doyle back.
When you've read this, and understand it, destroy it.
Giles"
Buffy read the note several times over, until she almost had it memorized. Then she shredded it up into tiny pieces and flushed it down the toilet. After that was taken care of, Buffy laid back on her bed, wondering what it would feel like to lose only part of her powers for a limited time. She wasn't excited about the prospect, but if it would help them find Sonya, Doyle and now Xander, Buffy was willing. Then, with nothing else to do but worry about her friends and her mother, Buffy closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunnydale -- The Condo
Covered with a thick blanket, Angel made it into the condo unscathed. Jenny waited for him by the open door.
"Any problems?" she asked.
"I'm just a little smoky, now," Angel answered in a wry tone. He walked inside and threw the blanket over the coat rack. Jenny closed the door behind them, and they went into Giles's library/study where open occult books covered every available surface.
"What did you find out?" Angel asked, peering at one of the books.
Jenny sighed and pushed her dark bangs off of her forehead. "Taking what you told me about the Kun'gi and what you just told me about the supposed attack last night that couldn't have happened, I've come up with a pretty harsh scenario."
Angel looked up and saw the dark smudges marring the pale skin under her dark eyes. "Are you OK, Jenny?"
She brushed off his concern with a wave of her hand. "I'm fine. I've just been up all night researching."
His thoughts flashed back to what he'd been up all night doing, and he felt a twinge of guilt. Angel pushed that away and concentrated on what Jenny was saying. "... so I think that Nicole was trying to put something over on Faith."
"You think Nicole is the one draining life essences?"
"It's possible." Jenny pointed to a thick book on the edge of the desk. "There are spells in here that allow a human to drain the life force from another human. The spells are complex, but they do exist."
"But why?"
"That I don't know," Jenny answered. "I've gone through everything Giles has on the subject, and all I could get were myths. Supposedly draining a life force can prolong your life, or heal you from various ailments -- none of which Nicole seemed to be suffering from -- but it was all conjecture." Jenny paused and then added, "Honestly, I've been getting a strange vibe from those commandos since they got here. And if Nicole is in on it, then the others probably are, too."
"No!" Angel exclaimed. "Not all of them. Not Faith! Terrance, maybe. Even Rio I could believe, but not Faith."
Jenny's eyes narrowed on Angel. "And just why do you believe in Faith's innocence so strongly? She tried to kill you several times, and you've never gotten along. Unless there's something you're not telling me, Angel."
"We're getting along... better... now," Angel hedged, avoiding her demanding gaze. "And why would Faith tell me about Nicole if it were all part of some elaborate cover up?"
"To protect herself?" Jenny guessed. "I don't know. I just don't think we can afford to trust them." Her face paled as a thought struck her. "Amy! She's been getting really chummy with Terrance. We've got to warn her."
Angel watched as Jenny went to the phone and called Amy. After a few minutes, Jenny said, "Amy, it's Jenny. When you get this, call either me or Angel as soon as possible." Then she hung up. Turning to Angel, she said, "She wasn't home."
Suddenly the door opened, and Faith burst into the condo. Seeing Angel and Jenny in the library, she ran in and asked, "Have you seen the others? I went back to the motel and they were gone. I can't raise them on the radio, and I don't know where they are."
Jenny and Angel looked at each other. In light of what they'd just been talking about, this didn't look good for the three errant commandos. But Angel hoped that Jenny would be more favorable to Faith since the girl had come to them first. Unless it was all part of some big scheme to cover her own butt... Angel didn't want to think that, but when it came right down to it, he really didn't know Faith, or what made her tick, very well.
Looking at Faith, Angel said, "We've got something to tell you..."