Chapter 8
Giles' Apartment Mid Morning
Willow entered listlessly and closed the door behind her. Everyone's heads sprung up and they all turned to her to see what news she had. Her looks said it all though, Xander had not returned home last night. Willow told the gang how she spoke to his parents, who were surprisingly sober for this time of the morning, then made up an excuse to check his room for a school book.
"I went into his room, everything was there. I didn't tell his parents though, should I have? I mean, are they in danger now - it's his home, can't he just walk in?" said Willow.
Angel answered that one. "No. He still has to be invited."
"Well we have to warn them somehow" said Buffy, concerned. "Even though they're not the greatest Mom and Dad in the world they need to be told about the danger they're in."
"And say what exactly?" asked Giles, rhetorically. "Sorry but your teenage son has been transformed into a vampire, a creature of the night and if you invite him in he will kill you and suck the blood out of you. Yes I'm sure that will work just fine."
"Ok Giles no need to be sarcastic" said Buffy, sulking. "What do we do then? Is there a spell or something we can do?"
"I know a spell that will uninvite a vampire" said Jenny. "I'm sure with Willow's help we can modify it to prevent an invitation from working."
"Well I know that Xander's parents will be out tonight. His Dad plays poker on Saturday nights and his Mom has some women's group thingy. If we head over there about 8 o'clock that should give us time to do the spell" said Willow, happy to be thinking about anything else than last night.
"Alright then. 8 o'clock tonight. We'll meet here at 7.30" confirmed Giles.
"Fine. But I think I'll patrol tonight", said Angel from the kitchen. "Try a few different area's, see if he shows up." Privately Angel hoped that he would run into Xander tonight and kill him. Not only would it help preserve the memory of their friend as a human and not a vampire, but he seriously doubted if Buffy or the others could actually go through with staking Xander so soon after his death. That could prove costly later on.
Angel retired upstairs to Giles' spare room to sleep for the remainder of the day, while the others went their separate ways home, with Willow promising to come back after lunch to help with the spell.
Giles' Apartment 7.30pm
Buffy was the last to arrive at Giles place. As usual she opened the front door without knocking and walked right in, causing Giles to roll his eyes and give a minor shake of his head. Seated at the table with him were Jenny and Willow, who had finished altering the spell only moments earlier and were now sorting the ingredients they needed for tonight.
Buffy came up to the table and sat down without a word. The stress and worry of the situation had taken it's toll on her, as Buffy had told herself over and over again that it was all her fault before finally she fell asleep. Her dreams had not been any kinder to her, and time and again she saw Xander being killed by either Spike or Drusilla, or both.
When she finally woke in a sweat two hours ago, a long cry under a cold shower had done little to soothe her soul. Giles could see by the rings under her eyes that Buffy was taking this hard. More of a surprise was Willow, who as far as Giles could ascertain had shown little or no emotion since the news of Cordelia's death early that morning. Had Giles been able to see inside Willow, he would have known that she was barely keeping it together and even then only by managing to focus on something else and not thinking about the previous night.
Once Buffy had seated herself Giles began updating the group about what he had found out regarding Cordelia's death. "According to a contact I have in the Police," said Giles, "Cordelia was found on her front porch wearing a while dressing gown over her, uh, nightie. As for her physical condition, well without going into details, she had lost most of her blood and there was a large wound on the side of her neck. Completely consistent with a vampire attack, although that last part obviously wasn't part of the Police report."
"I knew it" said Buffy, shaking her head. "And it's completely my fault"
"That's enough Buffy!" said Willow forcefully.
Shocked, Buffy looked at Willow wondering the reason for her attack.
"We have to think of Xander here" continued Willow. "There isn't much we can do for Cordelia, and there is no way ANY of this is your fault. But think, if you were turned into a vampire, what's the first thing you would want us to do?" asked Willow.
"I'd want you to stake me" said Buffy softly.
"Damn tootin. That's what Xander would have wanted too. The only way we can save Xander now is to stake the vampire that has taken over his body" stated Willow.
"Uh, actually there might be another way" said Jenny without a lot of conviction.
All heads turned to her. "Huh?" said Willow, giving voice to everyone's thoughts.
"Hear me out. Remember when I told you all my real reason for originally coming to Sunnydale, to make sure Angel was suffering with his curse?" said Jenny, and seeing everyone's heads nod, continued. "And remember I told you how that curse could be broken with a moment's happiness. Well since then I've been working on a pet project. You wouldn't know, but the original curse was in a Gypsy pidgin language that is no longer spoken. I've been working on a translation for two weeks now and I'm close to finishing it, translating the curse into English."
"So what does that mean then?" asked Buffy. "That we can curse him and put his soul back?"
"Yes, I'm hoping that is exactly right. But I'm waiting on a book I've ordered to come in. It contains some Gypsy words that I don't yet have the meaning for. Once I get the book I guess it would take a day or two and then I'll be ready" explained Jenny.
"So when is the book due to arrive?" asked Giles.
"Oh, should be here tomorrow".
"Three days. I think we still need to do the prevention spell at Xander's house though" said Giles. "What are your thoughts Buffy?"
"If we could get Xander back, I'm all for it. But what do we do in the meantime? We can't just sit around and let him kill people for three days, we need to do something now" answered Buffy.
"Yes you're absolutely right. Lets get this spell done first, then we'll come back here and start making some plans" said Giles.
With that the group of four left the apartment and crammed into the Gilesmobile for the trip over to Xander's place to do the spell. On arriving Willow got out and rang the front doorbell. After a minute with no answer, and no lights being on inside, Jenny and Willow made their way around the back to 'break in' so they could do the spell. Giles and Buffy stayed at the front until they got the signal that the two Wiccan's were inside.
Willow was following Jenny and they had both just rounded the corner when Jenny gasped in surprise. That was the last sound she made before she was hit with a powerful blow and fell to the ground unconscious. Willow looked up in shock and saw a familiar face smiling at her.
"Hello gorgeous" said Xander.
Giles' Apartment Mid Morning
Willow entered listlessly and closed the door behind her. Everyone's heads sprung up and they all turned to her to see what news she had. Her looks said it all though, Xander had not returned home last night. Willow told the gang how she spoke to his parents, who were surprisingly sober for this time of the morning, then made up an excuse to check his room for a school book.
"I went into his room, everything was there. I didn't tell his parents though, should I have? I mean, are they in danger now - it's his home, can't he just walk in?" said Willow.
Angel answered that one. "No. He still has to be invited."
"Well we have to warn them somehow" said Buffy, concerned. "Even though they're not the greatest Mom and Dad in the world they need to be told about the danger they're in."
"And say what exactly?" asked Giles, rhetorically. "Sorry but your teenage son has been transformed into a vampire, a creature of the night and if you invite him in he will kill you and suck the blood out of you. Yes I'm sure that will work just fine."
"Ok Giles no need to be sarcastic" said Buffy, sulking. "What do we do then? Is there a spell or something we can do?"
"I know a spell that will uninvite a vampire" said Jenny. "I'm sure with Willow's help we can modify it to prevent an invitation from working."
"Well I know that Xander's parents will be out tonight. His Dad plays poker on Saturday nights and his Mom has some women's group thingy. If we head over there about 8 o'clock that should give us time to do the spell" said Willow, happy to be thinking about anything else than last night.
"Alright then. 8 o'clock tonight. We'll meet here at 7.30" confirmed Giles.
"Fine. But I think I'll patrol tonight", said Angel from the kitchen. "Try a few different area's, see if he shows up." Privately Angel hoped that he would run into Xander tonight and kill him. Not only would it help preserve the memory of their friend as a human and not a vampire, but he seriously doubted if Buffy or the others could actually go through with staking Xander so soon after his death. That could prove costly later on.
Angel retired upstairs to Giles' spare room to sleep for the remainder of the day, while the others went their separate ways home, with Willow promising to come back after lunch to help with the spell.
Giles' Apartment 7.30pm
Buffy was the last to arrive at Giles place. As usual she opened the front door without knocking and walked right in, causing Giles to roll his eyes and give a minor shake of his head. Seated at the table with him were Jenny and Willow, who had finished altering the spell only moments earlier and were now sorting the ingredients they needed for tonight.
Buffy came up to the table and sat down without a word. The stress and worry of the situation had taken it's toll on her, as Buffy had told herself over and over again that it was all her fault before finally she fell asleep. Her dreams had not been any kinder to her, and time and again she saw Xander being killed by either Spike or Drusilla, or both.
When she finally woke in a sweat two hours ago, a long cry under a cold shower had done little to soothe her soul. Giles could see by the rings under her eyes that Buffy was taking this hard. More of a surprise was Willow, who as far as Giles could ascertain had shown little or no emotion since the news of Cordelia's death early that morning. Had Giles been able to see inside Willow, he would have known that she was barely keeping it together and even then only by managing to focus on something else and not thinking about the previous night.
Once Buffy had seated herself Giles began updating the group about what he had found out regarding Cordelia's death. "According to a contact I have in the Police," said Giles, "Cordelia was found on her front porch wearing a while dressing gown over her, uh, nightie. As for her physical condition, well without going into details, she had lost most of her blood and there was a large wound on the side of her neck. Completely consistent with a vampire attack, although that last part obviously wasn't part of the Police report."
"I knew it" said Buffy, shaking her head. "And it's completely my fault"
"That's enough Buffy!" said Willow forcefully.
Shocked, Buffy looked at Willow wondering the reason for her attack.
"We have to think of Xander here" continued Willow. "There isn't much we can do for Cordelia, and there is no way ANY of this is your fault. But think, if you were turned into a vampire, what's the first thing you would want us to do?" asked Willow.
"I'd want you to stake me" said Buffy softly.
"Damn tootin. That's what Xander would have wanted too. The only way we can save Xander now is to stake the vampire that has taken over his body" stated Willow.
"Uh, actually there might be another way" said Jenny without a lot of conviction.
All heads turned to her. "Huh?" said Willow, giving voice to everyone's thoughts.
"Hear me out. Remember when I told you all my real reason for originally coming to Sunnydale, to make sure Angel was suffering with his curse?" said Jenny, and seeing everyone's heads nod, continued. "And remember I told you how that curse could be broken with a moment's happiness. Well since then I've been working on a pet project. You wouldn't know, but the original curse was in a Gypsy pidgin language that is no longer spoken. I've been working on a translation for two weeks now and I'm close to finishing it, translating the curse into English."
"So what does that mean then?" asked Buffy. "That we can curse him and put his soul back?"
"Yes, I'm hoping that is exactly right. But I'm waiting on a book I've ordered to come in. It contains some Gypsy words that I don't yet have the meaning for. Once I get the book I guess it would take a day or two and then I'll be ready" explained Jenny.
"So when is the book due to arrive?" asked Giles.
"Oh, should be here tomorrow".
"Three days. I think we still need to do the prevention spell at Xander's house though" said Giles. "What are your thoughts Buffy?"
"If we could get Xander back, I'm all for it. But what do we do in the meantime? We can't just sit around and let him kill people for three days, we need to do something now" answered Buffy.
"Yes you're absolutely right. Lets get this spell done first, then we'll come back here and start making some plans" said Giles.
With that the group of four left the apartment and crammed into the Gilesmobile for the trip over to Xander's place to do the spell. On arriving Willow got out and rang the front doorbell. After a minute with no answer, and no lights being on inside, Jenny and Willow made their way around the back to 'break in' so they could do the spell. Giles and Buffy stayed at the front until they got the signal that the two Wiccan's were inside.
Willow was following Jenny and they had both just rounded the corner when Jenny gasped in surprise. That was the last sound she made before she was hit with a powerful blow and fell to the ground unconscious. Willow looked up in shock and saw a familiar face smiling at her.
"Hello gorgeous" said Xander.
