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(c) October 1999, Eleri McCleod
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*****
Part 4
*****
Buffy walked slowly through the dark hallway. There was no other movement, no other sound, but her near-silent footsteps. She recognized the walls and ceiling around her. She was in the passageway leading to the Master's old lair. Another corner and she'd be there. Her steps faltered for a moment, memories of her drowning flashing through her. She forced her feet to keep moving, knowing she had to get to the main room, yet not knowing why.
She rounded the corner, the chamber looking the exact way it had when she'd come to kill the Master. Glancing quickly around, she knew he wasn't there. But someone, something was. And that something was rounding the Master's throne.
Buffy gasped when the figure came into the light. "Angel?" But her mind told her that wasn't right. The vampire in front of her looked like her love, except for the eyes. Angel's were a warm, beautiful brown. These were a piercing green, cold like an emerald.
"Not Angelus, love," his voice was rough velvet, sending a shudder down her back. "But you will know me. You should know me now."
She backed up a step, sure she'd never seen this vamp before. Also more than aware that she was afraid just looking at him. That didn't happen to her very often. And it usually meant that she was in big trouble.
Now, after the initial shock, she could see the subtle differences between him and her love. The two men could have been brothers when they were alive. Suddenly she realized she couldn't feel him with her Slayer senses. And she didn't feel the urge to end his existence like normal.
He smiled, enjoying her discomfort. "I have a little present for you, love." He snapped his finger and another vamp appeared, dragging a teenaged boy with him.
Buffy tensed, wondering how she could get over to wigged-looking teen and get him out. She felt uneasy down here. Her Slayer senses seemed to be turned off, which had never happened before.
The vampire took a step toward the cowering boy, keeping eye contact with Buffy. "I'm Gideon, my dear." He vamped out, grabbing the boy who let out a shriek. "And we're going to have so much fun together." He tore into the boy's neck, drinking eagerly.
She took a step forward, determined to do something. Except she didn't feel the customary urge to save the teen. Her mouth watered at the sight of Gideon's feeding, nose catching the scent of the blood from across the room. This is wrong, her head screamed at her. Help the poor kid!
Gideon looked up from his feeding, the boy flopping in his arms. "Want some, love?" He carelessly tossed the teen to Buffy, who caught him and tensed to run.
Then she felt her face begin to change. Brows growing, arching down, teeth elongating into razor sharp daggers. She looked down at the blood trickling from Gideon's bite. And wanted to taste it. Needed its sustenance.
Shaking in horror, the realization dawned on her. "I'm a vampire?" She hadn't meant it as a question, but her mind was trying to deny the possibility. Praying it couldn't be.
He smiled, full of pride. "Welcome to the family, love."
"No!" she screamed, dropping the teen and holding her head in her hands. Feeling the ridged brow, she fell to her knees. "No," she repeated, whimpering.
Gideon knelt in front of her. Gently raising her head, he kissed her forehead. "You can't stop it." Staring into her eyes, he touched his lips to hers.
*****
"No!" Buffy cried, jolting upright on the couch. Frantically she felt for the cross around her neck. The cross Angel had given her the night they'd met. As her fingers closed over the precious silver, she felt Angel's hand soothe over her arm.
"Buffy, what's wrong? What happened?" He looked anxiously over her, checking for blood, bruises, anything to make the Slayer cry out in mortal fear like that. His senses were on full alert, not wanting anything to harm this girl he loved.
They had returned to Giles' after finishing off the vamp who had attacked them in the park, unsure what their next step was going to be. Xander had bellyached about having nothing edible at the Brit's place, edible meaning calorie filled, nutritionally worthless, preferably chocolate snack items. So Cordelia had grudgingly offered to drive him and Willow to a 24-hour store. Buffy, totally drained, had succumbed to the comfort of the couch, leaving Giles and Angel to discuss the possibilities.
Now, the Slayer's chest heaved with her panicked breaths. "It was a dream," she murmured, clutching the cross against her bare skin. "It was just a dream." She leaned against Angel, grateful for his presence.
"A dream?" he asked worriedly. He knew what her dreams were: a foretelling of the future. And they always became reality, in some form or another. "Buffy, what did you dream?"
She stared up at him at the harshly asked question. Knowing only that it was important to tell him, she swallowed and gripped even harder on the cross. "I was in the Master's old lair with a vamp I've never seen before." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Giles sit on the other end of the couch, but kept her gaze on Angel. "He looked just like you." Giles gasped while Angel drew back in alarm. She grabbed his hand to keep him close. "But it wasn't you. He had green eyes. Really cold."
Angel felt dread work its way down his spine. It can't be. He died, he reassured himself. He died a hundred years ago. Buffy's grip on his hand would have been painful if he'd been human. She still had a lot more to tell about her dream.
"He fed on this kid. A-and I didn't stop him. I just watched." She finally turned to Giles, tears beginning to fall over her cheeks. "I just watched."
Angel's heart seized. He knew there was more. He stroked her cheek, wanting to deny the possibility of her dream. "Go on," he choked out, afraid he already knew what was coming.
She stared at their entwined hands, concentrating on the feel of his skin against hers. "He threw the boy over to me and... and..." A sob ripped out of her throat, not letting her force the words out.
He gathered her up into his arms, holding her tightly. He closed his eyes and finished what she couldn't say. "Gideon had Changed you."
She sobbed into his chest as the impact of Angel's words sunk in. He held her, desperate to think of something he could do to stop it.
Giles tried to speak, but nothing came out, mouth bobbing like a goldfish. He pulled off his glasses, needing to do something. "Turning the Slayer," he said quietly. "That's insanity. I've never read of a vampire trying to do that." Then it hit. "Buffy never said his name was Gideon. How do you know?"
Angel set Buffy slightly away from him so he could see her as he spoke. "His name *was* Gideon, wasn't it?"
She nodded, a slight frown forming through the tears. "You know him?"
The vampire looked over at Giles. "You haven't read up on me, on Angelus, have you?"
"Uh, no. I haven't." He stared Angel in the eye. "It didn't seem quite right."
He nodded at the Watcher, appreciating the Brit's sense of privacy. "Gideon and Angelus ran together over a hundred years ago. I watched him die in Paris." He looked down for a moment, laughing humorlessly. "At least I thought I did. You've never heard of him?"
Giles readjusted his glasses. "I believe I'm about to. What happened in Paris? And what about this, uh, other business? What do you know of that?"
"We got trapped into a building by hunters. They set it on fire and I escaped. I guess he did, too."
"You didn't help Gideon?"
"Buffy," Angel admonished. "This *is* Angelus we're talking about. He only cared about getting himself out. Gideon was nothing more than a hanger-on. He and Mariah. Angelus kept them around so he'd have someone to showoff to. And Gideon seemed to have the same enjoyment of terror." Angel was engulfed in memories, none of them good. The memories were immediately followed by guilt and pain. He had done so much to so many. Could he ever make up for it?
Buffy's hand squeezed his. Looking up, he saw the compassion and love in her eyes. The pain lessened a little with the reaffirmation of her love. There had to be something good about him to allow the beautiful soul sitting in front of him to feel that way.
"Mariah?" Giles asked, a frown on his face. "Mariah Sefton?"
"Yeah," Angel said shortly, knowing Giles had made the connection.
The Watcher stood up, eyes wide with shock. "The Journals never said what happened to her. Her Watcher woke up one morning and she was just gone. No one ever saw her again." He paused on the other side of the couch, implications of Buffy's dream sending horror knifing through him. "Gideon Turned Mariah."
"It's what he does." The vampire stood, unable to remain sitting. He prowled the room, needing some kind of action to reduce the apprehension that was taking root in his chest. "Like the Slayer hunts a vampire, he would hunt the Slayer. He used to say they were the only ones worth the energy. The only ones worth Turning." He stopped moving, staring blankly at the books lined neatly on the shelf in front of him. "He should have been dead." The words were barely audible in the silence of the room.
"But it was just a dream, right?" Buffy asked urgently, looking from her Watcher to her boyfriend. "I mean, it's nothing to get that worked up over. It just, you know, gave me the wiggins. It doesn't mean that this guy's actually alive, right?"
Angel kept facing the books, unable to look at her pleading expression. His mind was already working up and discarding plans to keep her dream from coming true. All of her prophecies had so far, but he wasn't about to let this one. Gideon wasn't going to touch one hair on her head. He's going to have to go through me first, he vowed silently.
Her eyes flitted back and forth between the two men. There was something they hadn't told her yet, she recognized the symptoms. "Giles?"
He came around the end of the couch and sat next to her. "The Slayer is gifted with prophetic dreams, Buffy. It allows her to prepare."
"Prepare?" she repeated slowly. "What does that mean?"
"Well," Giles stalled, toying with his glasses again. "The dreams give the Slayer a little advance warning of some of the terrible demons that are attracted to the power of the Hellmouth."
She stared at the librarian, sure there was a way to break that one down to a couple of words, but her brain wasn't really working up to snuff yet. "And again, that means what?"
"It means Gideon's in Sunnydale."
The pair on the couch jumped at Angel's terse summary. Buffy's stomach started tying itself into knots, dread and adrenaline beginning to pump through her. "I think that was one of those answers I shouldn't have asked the question to."
He tried to give her a smile, but his overwhelming worry shadowed the gesture. He watched her for a moment, once again struck by how young she actually was. Not even seventeen, he thought bitterly toward whatever forces had decided to give her a life of pain and death. And I'll do anything to see that she makes it to seventeen.
"So, uh, what can you tell us about this Gideon?" A notebook and pen had materialized in Giles's hands, ready to take notes.
"You've heard it all, basically. I thought he was dead." Angel ran a hand through his hair, coming back over to the couch. "We need the Watcher Journals. They would have the only information on him. There's no reason he would be in any other chronicle. He wasn't strong enough to be considered a major threat back then. He was just damn lucky."
"The Journals are at the library. We should get over there and begin our research." He gave Angel a questioning look. "This could take the rest of the night..." he trailed off, not wanting to dig too deeply into Angel's habits, especially with Buffy sitting next to him.
Thankfully, Angel understood the reason for the slightly uncouth question. "I'll be fine. Do we wait for the others or just call them?"
Giles nodded, wondering how much Buffy actually understood of their cryptic words. The girl was awfully perceptive sometimes. "I'll call. Why don't you two grab those books there," he pointed to a short stack by the coffee table. "We might need them."
Buffy stood slowly, heart still beating a little faster than normal. "So this library," she said, trying to keep her anxiety hidden. "I guess we're there quite a bit?"
Angel looked over at her, pausing in mid-reach for a book. "Just think of it as a second home," he teased lightly, playing along with her. His heart clenched as she forced a cheery smile, obviously determined to try not to wig out on them. She walked past him to get her jacket, silver cross flashing in the light. "Hey," he said quietly, bringing her back in front of him. "We'll get through this," he promised. "Just like everything else."
She felt a real smile work its way over her face. Her heart lightened a little with Angel's optimism. "I take it we get into trouble a lot, huh?"
He moved a step closer, lifting her chin with gentle fingers. "We've had our share of it. And we've always gotten out okay." He kissed her forehead softly, then one cheek followed by the other. Expecting to feel his lips on hers next, a chuckle slipped out when he kissed the tip of her nose instead. "That's my girl," he whispered, leaning closer, careful to avoid the gleaming silver around her neck. This time his lips met hers softly, taking comfort in each other. You can't have her, Gideon, he swore silently, cupping her face in both hands. You won't Turn this one, too.
Abruptly, Buffy pulled away. "Hey, I remembered something earlier." She looked up at him excitedly. "This cross," she put her hand over it gently. "You gave it to me, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he confirmed. "The night we met." He chuckled as the memory flashed through him. "You surprised the Hell out of me by attacking from behind like you did."
Her eyes widened at his words. "And you said that you didn't bite and I let you up. I remember." She threw her arms around him, knocking him back a step in her enthusiasm. "Angel, I remember that night."
He held her tightly, relief replacing a little of his apprehension over Gideon. "It's coming back, Buffy. It's all going to come back."
Giles came down the stairs in time to hear Angel's words. "Excellent." He let out a quiet sigh. That was one of their problems seemingly solving itself. "Now then. The others are on their way as we speak. I suggest we 'boogie,' as you're fond of saying, Buffy."
She glanced at Angel, positive he was thinking the same thing. "You know, Giles, I've only remembered a couple things, but that just sounds wrong coming out of your mouth."
"Yes, well, there's a reason for that." He grabbed his car keys from the hook. "Shall we go?"
*****
"Explain to me *again* why I'm here?" Cordelia demanded petulantly, tossing her book onto the table. She slumped into a chair and looked around expectantly. "Well?"
Xander stepped up for that one. "Encouragement, Cordy. And your wonderful personality." She shot him a disgusted look and reached for her nail file. Xander smiled triumphantly and turned back to his thick tome of Watcher Journal.
The others were arrayed around the room, flipping through pages, paper and web type, searching for references on Gideon and his possible accomplices. The last one Willow had found was back in the '20's in Amsterdam, which had been absolutely no help with the current predicament.
"Argh!" Buffy let out and shut her book disgustedly. "Is it always like this?" All eyes turned to her, her missing memory having been momentarily forgotten with the normality of research. "Somehow I really don't think I'm a whole lot of help in this department."
Giles hid a smile behind a sip of tea. "Usually Willow and I handle this sort of thing, but in this instance I believe 'the more the merrier' would be more beneficial."
She looked at him blankly. "Huh?"
"We need everyone's eyes for this one, Buff," Xander translated, voice slightly superior. He started to turn another page, then sat up abruptly, shooting Giles a look. "And there you go with that ten words for one thing, again. I thought we'd trained you out of that."
Giles returned the teen's look calmly before focusing on Angel. "I know I've already asked this, but are you sure there's nothing else you remember? No matter how small, it may help."
Angel closed his eyes, concentration clear on his face. "Nothing. I never heard of him or Mariah after the fire."
The librarian nodded slowly, wishing he had more to go on. "Perhaps we should also do a check of-"
His words were drowned out by the sound of glass shattering. Three windows sprayed glass across the room as Buffy jumped to her feet, ready for a fight. Except no vampires had come through the windows. Only small tubes that were spraying a yellowish gas into the library, quickly giving the air a saffron-tinged haze.
Buffy took a breath to speak, but doubled over coughing, the gas choking her. The others joined in the cacophony, unable to get a clear breath.
Angel stared through the smoke, searching for attackers. He moved from one window to the next, but found no one. Something's wrong, his mind warned, the gas having no effect on him.
Giles coughed, glasses falling to hit the floor with a clatter. Willow collapsed next to him, landing next to the glasses. Then it clicked in Giles's muddle mind. "Angel!" he choked out, falling to his knees. "Get Buffy out of here." His vision dimmed, colors fading to a dark gray. He tried to keep his eyes open and that was the last thing he thought.
Angel's brain pieced it together just as Giles's choked voice came through the noise. Buffy, he thought desperately, searching through the haze to find her coughing and clutching a chair to stay upright. "Buffy," he said aloud to get her attention. He stepped over Xander's prone form and pulled her into his arms as her legs gave way.
"Angel," she gasped weakly, gripping his shirt with all her remaining strength. "Wha- what's going on?"
He wrapped one arm under her knees and lifted her high against his chest. "Some kind of knockout gas. It doesn't work on me. I'm getting you out of here."
"But Giles and Willow and..." She pushed in vain again his chest, trying to break his hold.
"It's too late for them," he told her gently. His heart ached at her crushed expression, wishing he could do more. But... "Giles wants you out of danger and I agree."
She nodded weakly, too drained to do more. She slumped against him, eyes sliding closed.
"Buffy?" he paused in his rush for the door for a moment, eyes roving her still features. She looked so beautiful and peaceful and unmoving. "Buffy!" he shouted before logic could kick its way through his brain. It's a knockout gas. You've smelled it before. Just get her out of here, he order himself harshly. Determinedly, he started for the door again, Buffy's heartbeat thrumming through him as a counterpoint to his footfalls.
He was shifting his grip to open the doors when he felt it: the presence of another vampire. "Gideon." The name slipped uncalled from his lips as Buffy's dream flashed through his mind.
The double doors flew open as Angel's fear was confirmed. "Angelus," Gideon said pleasantly. "What a nice surprise." He snapped his fingers to the five vamps behind him. They spilled into the room like dominoes, surrounding Angel and his precious cargo.
Angel's jaw tightened in rage. Gideon had him trapped and he knew it. He couldn't fight all five of them and keep Buffy alive at the same time. Helplessness filled his soul, forcing rage into the open. His face changed, eyes glowing. His mind worked furiously, trying to figure a way out of this.
"Oh, I know, I know, old chap," Gideon drawled sympathetically. "You're really stuck between a rock and a hard place." He held up a hand to forestall any comments. "Clichéd, true." His voice hardened as his face changed. "But I never was one to play fair, remember?"
In agony, Angel closed his eyes. Gideon had more vamps than just these five here. He wouldn't be so cocky otherwise. Hearing the growling behind him, he swiveled cautiously, keeping Gideon in line of sight. Four other vamps were arrayed around the room, bringing the total to nine. Even with Buffy it would be a close call. Without her, impossible. He turned back to Gideon, focusing on him alone. The others were merely muscle. "What do you want?" His voice was a dangerous growl, causing the nearest vamps to back away a step.
Gideon smiled triumphantly. "The Slayer, her Watcher, her friends and you, Angelus. We've got a lot of *catching up* to do, don't you think?"
"You can't Turn her, Gideon," he practically pleaded, arms tightening around her limp form. Not his beloved Buffy, the one good thing in his entire existence. His soul chilled at the mere thought.
"Watch me," he took a step forward, crowding Angel. "Oh, that's right, you will. Take them all," he commanded, his flunkies jumping to grab the prostrate humans.
Angel could only glare hatred into Gideon's cold green eyes as Giles, Willow, Xander and Cordelia were carried quickly out the door. The five remaining vamps continued to surround him and Buffy. "Come now, Angelus, you wouldn't want to miss the fun, would you?" Gideon asked cheerfully, leading the way out the door.
(c) October 1999, Eleri McCleod
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*****
Part 4
*****
Buffy walked slowly through the dark hallway. There was no other movement, no other sound, but her near-silent footsteps. She recognized the walls and ceiling around her. She was in the passageway leading to the Master's old lair. Another corner and she'd be there. Her steps faltered for a moment, memories of her drowning flashing through her. She forced her feet to keep moving, knowing she had to get to the main room, yet not knowing why.
She rounded the corner, the chamber looking the exact way it had when she'd come to kill the Master. Glancing quickly around, she knew he wasn't there. But someone, something was. And that something was rounding the Master's throne.
Buffy gasped when the figure came into the light. "Angel?" But her mind told her that wasn't right. The vampire in front of her looked like her love, except for the eyes. Angel's were a warm, beautiful brown. These were a piercing green, cold like an emerald.
"Not Angelus, love," his voice was rough velvet, sending a shudder down her back. "But you will know me. You should know me now."
She backed up a step, sure she'd never seen this vamp before. Also more than aware that she was afraid just looking at him. That didn't happen to her very often. And it usually meant that she was in big trouble.
Now, after the initial shock, she could see the subtle differences between him and her love. The two men could have been brothers when they were alive. Suddenly she realized she couldn't feel him with her Slayer senses. And she didn't feel the urge to end his existence like normal.
He smiled, enjoying her discomfort. "I have a little present for you, love." He snapped his finger and another vamp appeared, dragging a teenaged boy with him.
Buffy tensed, wondering how she could get over to wigged-looking teen and get him out. She felt uneasy down here. Her Slayer senses seemed to be turned off, which had never happened before.
The vampire took a step toward the cowering boy, keeping eye contact with Buffy. "I'm Gideon, my dear." He vamped out, grabbing the boy who let out a shriek. "And we're going to have so much fun together." He tore into the boy's neck, drinking eagerly.
She took a step forward, determined to do something. Except she didn't feel the customary urge to save the teen. Her mouth watered at the sight of Gideon's feeding, nose catching the scent of the blood from across the room. This is wrong, her head screamed at her. Help the poor kid!
Gideon looked up from his feeding, the boy flopping in his arms. "Want some, love?" He carelessly tossed the teen to Buffy, who caught him and tensed to run.
Then she felt her face begin to change. Brows growing, arching down, teeth elongating into razor sharp daggers. She looked down at the blood trickling from Gideon's bite. And wanted to taste it. Needed its sustenance.
Shaking in horror, the realization dawned on her. "I'm a vampire?" She hadn't meant it as a question, but her mind was trying to deny the possibility. Praying it couldn't be.
He smiled, full of pride. "Welcome to the family, love."
"No!" she screamed, dropping the teen and holding her head in her hands. Feeling the ridged brow, she fell to her knees. "No," she repeated, whimpering.
Gideon knelt in front of her. Gently raising her head, he kissed her forehead. "You can't stop it." Staring into her eyes, he touched his lips to hers.
*****
"No!" Buffy cried, jolting upright on the couch. Frantically she felt for the cross around her neck. The cross Angel had given her the night they'd met. As her fingers closed over the precious silver, she felt Angel's hand soothe over her arm.
"Buffy, what's wrong? What happened?" He looked anxiously over her, checking for blood, bruises, anything to make the Slayer cry out in mortal fear like that. His senses were on full alert, not wanting anything to harm this girl he loved.
They had returned to Giles' after finishing off the vamp who had attacked them in the park, unsure what their next step was going to be. Xander had bellyached about having nothing edible at the Brit's place, edible meaning calorie filled, nutritionally worthless, preferably chocolate snack items. So Cordelia had grudgingly offered to drive him and Willow to a 24-hour store. Buffy, totally drained, had succumbed to the comfort of the couch, leaving Giles and Angel to discuss the possibilities.
Now, the Slayer's chest heaved with her panicked breaths. "It was a dream," she murmured, clutching the cross against her bare skin. "It was just a dream." She leaned against Angel, grateful for his presence.
"A dream?" he asked worriedly. He knew what her dreams were: a foretelling of the future. And they always became reality, in some form or another. "Buffy, what did you dream?"
She stared up at him at the harshly asked question. Knowing only that it was important to tell him, she swallowed and gripped even harder on the cross. "I was in the Master's old lair with a vamp I've never seen before." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Giles sit on the other end of the couch, but kept her gaze on Angel. "He looked just like you." Giles gasped while Angel drew back in alarm. She grabbed his hand to keep him close. "But it wasn't you. He had green eyes. Really cold."
Angel felt dread work its way down his spine. It can't be. He died, he reassured himself. He died a hundred years ago. Buffy's grip on his hand would have been painful if he'd been human. She still had a lot more to tell about her dream.
"He fed on this kid. A-and I didn't stop him. I just watched." She finally turned to Giles, tears beginning to fall over her cheeks. "I just watched."
Angel's heart seized. He knew there was more. He stroked her cheek, wanting to deny the possibility of her dream. "Go on," he choked out, afraid he already knew what was coming.
She stared at their entwined hands, concentrating on the feel of his skin against hers. "He threw the boy over to me and... and..." A sob ripped out of her throat, not letting her force the words out.
He gathered her up into his arms, holding her tightly. He closed his eyes and finished what she couldn't say. "Gideon had Changed you."
She sobbed into his chest as the impact of Angel's words sunk in. He held her, desperate to think of something he could do to stop it.
Giles tried to speak, but nothing came out, mouth bobbing like a goldfish. He pulled off his glasses, needing to do something. "Turning the Slayer," he said quietly. "That's insanity. I've never read of a vampire trying to do that." Then it hit. "Buffy never said his name was Gideon. How do you know?"
Angel set Buffy slightly away from him so he could see her as he spoke. "His name *was* Gideon, wasn't it?"
She nodded, a slight frown forming through the tears. "You know him?"
The vampire looked over at Giles. "You haven't read up on me, on Angelus, have you?"
"Uh, no. I haven't." He stared Angel in the eye. "It didn't seem quite right."
He nodded at the Watcher, appreciating the Brit's sense of privacy. "Gideon and Angelus ran together over a hundred years ago. I watched him die in Paris." He looked down for a moment, laughing humorlessly. "At least I thought I did. You've never heard of him?"
Giles readjusted his glasses. "I believe I'm about to. What happened in Paris? And what about this, uh, other business? What do you know of that?"
"We got trapped into a building by hunters. They set it on fire and I escaped. I guess he did, too."
"You didn't help Gideon?"
"Buffy," Angel admonished. "This *is* Angelus we're talking about. He only cared about getting himself out. Gideon was nothing more than a hanger-on. He and Mariah. Angelus kept them around so he'd have someone to showoff to. And Gideon seemed to have the same enjoyment of terror." Angel was engulfed in memories, none of them good. The memories were immediately followed by guilt and pain. He had done so much to so many. Could he ever make up for it?
Buffy's hand squeezed his. Looking up, he saw the compassion and love in her eyes. The pain lessened a little with the reaffirmation of her love. There had to be something good about him to allow the beautiful soul sitting in front of him to feel that way.
"Mariah?" Giles asked, a frown on his face. "Mariah Sefton?"
"Yeah," Angel said shortly, knowing Giles had made the connection.
The Watcher stood up, eyes wide with shock. "The Journals never said what happened to her. Her Watcher woke up one morning and she was just gone. No one ever saw her again." He paused on the other side of the couch, implications of Buffy's dream sending horror knifing through him. "Gideon Turned Mariah."
"It's what he does." The vampire stood, unable to remain sitting. He prowled the room, needing some kind of action to reduce the apprehension that was taking root in his chest. "Like the Slayer hunts a vampire, he would hunt the Slayer. He used to say they were the only ones worth the energy. The only ones worth Turning." He stopped moving, staring blankly at the books lined neatly on the shelf in front of him. "He should have been dead." The words were barely audible in the silence of the room.
"But it was just a dream, right?" Buffy asked urgently, looking from her Watcher to her boyfriend. "I mean, it's nothing to get that worked up over. It just, you know, gave me the wiggins. It doesn't mean that this guy's actually alive, right?"
Angel kept facing the books, unable to look at her pleading expression. His mind was already working up and discarding plans to keep her dream from coming true. All of her prophecies had so far, but he wasn't about to let this one. Gideon wasn't going to touch one hair on her head. He's going to have to go through me first, he vowed silently.
Her eyes flitted back and forth between the two men. There was something they hadn't told her yet, she recognized the symptoms. "Giles?"
He came around the end of the couch and sat next to her. "The Slayer is gifted with prophetic dreams, Buffy. It allows her to prepare."
"Prepare?" she repeated slowly. "What does that mean?"
"Well," Giles stalled, toying with his glasses again. "The dreams give the Slayer a little advance warning of some of the terrible demons that are attracted to the power of the Hellmouth."
She stared at the librarian, sure there was a way to break that one down to a couple of words, but her brain wasn't really working up to snuff yet. "And again, that means what?"
"It means Gideon's in Sunnydale."
The pair on the couch jumped at Angel's terse summary. Buffy's stomach started tying itself into knots, dread and adrenaline beginning to pump through her. "I think that was one of those answers I shouldn't have asked the question to."
He tried to give her a smile, but his overwhelming worry shadowed the gesture. He watched her for a moment, once again struck by how young she actually was. Not even seventeen, he thought bitterly toward whatever forces had decided to give her a life of pain and death. And I'll do anything to see that she makes it to seventeen.
"So, uh, what can you tell us about this Gideon?" A notebook and pen had materialized in Giles's hands, ready to take notes.
"You've heard it all, basically. I thought he was dead." Angel ran a hand through his hair, coming back over to the couch. "We need the Watcher Journals. They would have the only information on him. There's no reason he would be in any other chronicle. He wasn't strong enough to be considered a major threat back then. He was just damn lucky."
"The Journals are at the library. We should get over there and begin our research." He gave Angel a questioning look. "This could take the rest of the night..." he trailed off, not wanting to dig too deeply into Angel's habits, especially with Buffy sitting next to him.
Thankfully, Angel understood the reason for the slightly uncouth question. "I'll be fine. Do we wait for the others or just call them?"
Giles nodded, wondering how much Buffy actually understood of their cryptic words. The girl was awfully perceptive sometimes. "I'll call. Why don't you two grab those books there," he pointed to a short stack by the coffee table. "We might need them."
Buffy stood slowly, heart still beating a little faster than normal. "So this library," she said, trying to keep her anxiety hidden. "I guess we're there quite a bit?"
Angel looked over at her, pausing in mid-reach for a book. "Just think of it as a second home," he teased lightly, playing along with her. His heart clenched as she forced a cheery smile, obviously determined to try not to wig out on them. She walked past him to get her jacket, silver cross flashing in the light. "Hey," he said quietly, bringing her back in front of him. "We'll get through this," he promised. "Just like everything else."
She felt a real smile work its way over her face. Her heart lightened a little with Angel's optimism. "I take it we get into trouble a lot, huh?"
He moved a step closer, lifting her chin with gentle fingers. "We've had our share of it. And we've always gotten out okay." He kissed her forehead softly, then one cheek followed by the other. Expecting to feel his lips on hers next, a chuckle slipped out when he kissed the tip of her nose instead. "That's my girl," he whispered, leaning closer, careful to avoid the gleaming silver around her neck. This time his lips met hers softly, taking comfort in each other. You can't have her, Gideon, he swore silently, cupping her face in both hands. You won't Turn this one, too.
Abruptly, Buffy pulled away. "Hey, I remembered something earlier." She looked up at him excitedly. "This cross," she put her hand over it gently. "You gave it to me, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he confirmed. "The night we met." He chuckled as the memory flashed through him. "You surprised the Hell out of me by attacking from behind like you did."
Her eyes widened at his words. "And you said that you didn't bite and I let you up. I remember." She threw her arms around him, knocking him back a step in her enthusiasm. "Angel, I remember that night."
He held her tightly, relief replacing a little of his apprehension over Gideon. "It's coming back, Buffy. It's all going to come back."
Giles came down the stairs in time to hear Angel's words. "Excellent." He let out a quiet sigh. That was one of their problems seemingly solving itself. "Now then. The others are on their way as we speak. I suggest we 'boogie,' as you're fond of saying, Buffy."
She glanced at Angel, positive he was thinking the same thing. "You know, Giles, I've only remembered a couple things, but that just sounds wrong coming out of your mouth."
"Yes, well, there's a reason for that." He grabbed his car keys from the hook. "Shall we go?"
*****
"Explain to me *again* why I'm here?" Cordelia demanded petulantly, tossing her book onto the table. She slumped into a chair and looked around expectantly. "Well?"
Xander stepped up for that one. "Encouragement, Cordy. And your wonderful personality." She shot him a disgusted look and reached for her nail file. Xander smiled triumphantly and turned back to his thick tome of Watcher Journal.
The others were arrayed around the room, flipping through pages, paper and web type, searching for references on Gideon and his possible accomplices. The last one Willow had found was back in the '20's in Amsterdam, which had been absolutely no help with the current predicament.
"Argh!" Buffy let out and shut her book disgustedly. "Is it always like this?" All eyes turned to her, her missing memory having been momentarily forgotten with the normality of research. "Somehow I really don't think I'm a whole lot of help in this department."
Giles hid a smile behind a sip of tea. "Usually Willow and I handle this sort of thing, but in this instance I believe 'the more the merrier' would be more beneficial."
She looked at him blankly. "Huh?"
"We need everyone's eyes for this one, Buff," Xander translated, voice slightly superior. He started to turn another page, then sat up abruptly, shooting Giles a look. "And there you go with that ten words for one thing, again. I thought we'd trained you out of that."
Giles returned the teen's look calmly before focusing on Angel. "I know I've already asked this, but are you sure there's nothing else you remember? No matter how small, it may help."
Angel closed his eyes, concentration clear on his face. "Nothing. I never heard of him or Mariah after the fire."
The librarian nodded slowly, wishing he had more to go on. "Perhaps we should also do a check of-"
His words were drowned out by the sound of glass shattering. Three windows sprayed glass across the room as Buffy jumped to her feet, ready for a fight. Except no vampires had come through the windows. Only small tubes that were spraying a yellowish gas into the library, quickly giving the air a saffron-tinged haze.
Buffy took a breath to speak, but doubled over coughing, the gas choking her. The others joined in the cacophony, unable to get a clear breath.
Angel stared through the smoke, searching for attackers. He moved from one window to the next, but found no one. Something's wrong, his mind warned, the gas having no effect on him.
Giles coughed, glasses falling to hit the floor with a clatter. Willow collapsed next to him, landing next to the glasses. Then it clicked in Giles's muddle mind. "Angel!" he choked out, falling to his knees. "Get Buffy out of here." His vision dimmed, colors fading to a dark gray. He tried to keep his eyes open and that was the last thing he thought.
Angel's brain pieced it together just as Giles's choked voice came through the noise. Buffy, he thought desperately, searching through the haze to find her coughing and clutching a chair to stay upright. "Buffy," he said aloud to get her attention. He stepped over Xander's prone form and pulled her into his arms as her legs gave way.
"Angel," she gasped weakly, gripping his shirt with all her remaining strength. "Wha- what's going on?"
He wrapped one arm under her knees and lifted her high against his chest. "Some kind of knockout gas. It doesn't work on me. I'm getting you out of here."
"But Giles and Willow and..." She pushed in vain again his chest, trying to break his hold.
"It's too late for them," he told her gently. His heart ached at her crushed expression, wishing he could do more. But... "Giles wants you out of danger and I agree."
She nodded weakly, too drained to do more. She slumped against him, eyes sliding closed.
"Buffy?" he paused in his rush for the door for a moment, eyes roving her still features. She looked so beautiful and peaceful and unmoving. "Buffy!" he shouted before logic could kick its way through his brain. It's a knockout gas. You've smelled it before. Just get her out of here, he order himself harshly. Determinedly, he started for the door again, Buffy's heartbeat thrumming through him as a counterpoint to his footfalls.
He was shifting his grip to open the doors when he felt it: the presence of another vampire. "Gideon." The name slipped uncalled from his lips as Buffy's dream flashed through his mind.
The double doors flew open as Angel's fear was confirmed. "Angelus," Gideon said pleasantly. "What a nice surprise." He snapped his fingers to the five vamps behind him. They spilled into the room like dominoes, surrounding Angel and his precious cargo.
Angel's jaw tightened in rage. Gideon had him trapped and he knew it. He couldn't fight all five of them and keep Buffy alive at the same time. Helplessness filled his soul, forcing rage into the open. His face changed, eyes glowing. His mind worked furiously, trying to figure a way out of this.
"Oh, I know, I know, old chap," Gideon drawled sympathetically. "You're really stuck between a rock and a hard place." He held up a hand to forestall any comments. "Clichéd, true." His voice hardened as his face changed. "But I never was one to play fair, remember?"
In agony, Angel closed his eyes. Gideon had more vamps than just these five here. He wouldn't be so cocky otherwise. Hearing the growling behind him, he swiveled cautiously, keeping Gideon in line of sight. Four other vamps were arrayed around the room, bringing the total to nine. Even with Buffy it would be a close call. Without her, impossible. He turned back to Gideon, focusing on him alone. The others were merely muscle. "What do you want?" His voice was a dangerous growl, causing the nearest vamps to back away a step.
Gideon smiled triumphantly. "The Slayer, her Watcher, her friends and you, Angelus. We've got a lot of *catching up* to do, don't you think?"
"You can't Turn her, Gideon," he practically pleaded, arms tightening around her limp form. Not his beloved Buffy, the one good thing in his entire existence. His soul chilled at the mere thought.
"Watch me," he took a step forward, crowding Angel. "Oh, that's right, you will. Take them all," he commanded, his flunkies jumping to grab the prostrate humans.
Angel could only glare hatred into Gideon's cold green eyes as Giles, Willow, Xander and Cordelia were carried quickly out the door. The five remaining vamps continued to surround him and Buffy. "Come now, Angelus, you wouldn't want to miss the fun, would you?" Gideon asked cheerfully, leading the way out the door.