Buffy sat down in Giles' living room while he fussed around in the kitchen
making tea which Buffy didn't like too much but she'd drink it anyway.
Anything to take her mind off the past two hours. Wriggling uncomfortably
on the couch, Buffy rubbed her hands up and own her upper arms-she wasn't
cold, it just oddly comforted her.
The next minute Giles set the tray of tea and the imported rich tea biscuits down on the coffee table and poured himself and Buffy a cup of tea.
Buffy just munched on a biscuit for a moment and then said "Are you sure the amulet is for protection?"
Astounded, Giles replied, "I'm as sure I can be relying on the resources I have at hand. I checked thoroughly at he school library but I can check again and show you if you like?"
"No, its ok. Its just that... never mind" Buffy muttered.
"No, please. Do tell me Buffy. I insist." Giles said patiently.
Buffy looked up at him and pondered it for a moment. "Ok." She said and continued, "I was patrolling tonight, with Angel and we, err, he encountered this robey guy demon thingy and he, he got stabbed, right through the chest. Like right through his heart! When I got to him the... thing was running away"
"And he... ?" Giles asked knowing Buffy knew what he meant.
"Oh! No, he's not... dead. He's fine. Kind of. He's at the mansion. But I've never seen him bleed like that Giles. There was so much. Too much even. I just... my spider sense is tingling Giles and I think there's more to this amulet thing than we realise." Buffy said.
"Well if you're... um... spider sense tells you then I would expect it's worth researching. You've been right before relying on your slayer attributes alone." Giles said.
"Oh, me and my pop culture references! Sorry!" Buffy apologised.
"No need." Giles said slightly smiling.
"But um... Angel's in a bad way. I don't know if..." Buffy trailed off. Giles knew what she meant. He just gave her an understanding nod to let her know. He would help her save Angel. It destroyed him to see her unhappy.
"The... whatever you saw, you said it wore robes. What else did you notice about it?" Giles asked her.
"Um... nothing really. It was tall! I was too worried about Angel. I didn't get a good look at it but it's definitely not local." Buffy replied.
Giles got up and started fetching books from all over his apartment. "I have a few volumes and texts here that could prove useful as to finding the origin of the amulet and that may lead us to whoever uses it. It may be the robed figure you saw running from Angel tonight or it could be something completely different altogether." Giles said.
"Thanks for doing this Giles. It means a lot to me." Buffy smiled and began looking through an old tenth century book Giles handed her.
After over an hours searching and cross referencing Giles had finally found something. "Of course!" He said sounding annoyed with himself.
"What?" Buffy said desperately.
"The amulet we have is often mistaken for that of the Jakesh people due to the design and decoration. But in actual fact this is a Rumadien Amulet worn by the Syrma-Matis clan." Giles stated.
"Syrma-Ma what?" Buffy asked totally confused.
"Syrma-Matis. Its ah, an ancient Samarian word and is roughly translated to eliminator of power." Giles said feeling quite pleased he'd managed to translate such a complicated language.
"Eliminator of power? So your saying whatever uses that thingy goes around killing powerful forces? Energies? Or could it be people too?" Buffy asked.
"Both I imagine. That's all the book says." Giles said.
"Great! I liked it better when it protected people!" Buffy joked. She paused for a moment to think. "So you think the robed thing I saw running from Angel uses it? Oh my god!" There was a sense of fear in the tone of her voice. "Eliminator of power? It's gone after Angel. And it succeeded!" She said almost crying.
"No Buffy, he's going to be fine. You have to be strong and help me and the rest of us help Angel." Giles said in his usual calm way.
"Us?" Buffy asked. "Oh, the gang. Yeah, we can um... research tomorrow in the library."
"Yes we can. I'll finish up here. You just need to go home Buffy and get some rest." Giles told her.
"Yeah I do, I'm tired." Buffy said. "Goodnight." And she left Giles's and headed back to the mansion to see Angel before she turned in for the night.
********************
She approached Angel's bedside and his eyes began to open. "Buffy?" he said squinting in the candlelight.
Buffy took Angels hand in hers. "Yeah I'm here. I told you I'd be back."
"It felt like forever." Angel said.
"Forever's not that long." Buffy said smiling, holding back the tears.
"It hurts Buffy. I can't..." He broke off.
"I know, we'll figure it out, make you well again. I promise." Buffy reassured Angel.
"Buffy I..." Angel began.
"Shh, get some rest. You need to rest." She said almost whispering. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Hold on ok." She kissed his head, replaced his hand on the bed, quietly left the mansion and headed home for some much needed sleep.
"Your late." Joyce muttered, waking up on the sofa as Buffy tiptoed through the front door. "Rough night sweetie?" She asked yawning.
"Something like that." Buffy said and went upstairs to her room.
The next minute Giles set the tray of tea and the imported rich tea biscuits down on the coffee table and poured himself and Buffy a cup of tea.
Buffy just munched on a biscuit for a moment and then said "Are you sure the amulet is for protection?"
Astounded, Giles replied, "I'm as sure I can be relying on the resources I have at hand. I checked thoroughly at he school library but I can check again and show you if you like?"
"No, its ok. Its just that... never mind" Buffy muttered.
"No, please. Do tell me Buffy. I insist." Giles said patiently.
Buffy looked up at him and pondered it for a moment. "Ok." She said and continued, "I was patrolling tonight, with Angel and we, err, he encountered this robey guy demon thingy and he, he got stabbed, right through the chest. Like right through his heart! When I got to him the... thing was running away"
"And he... ?" Giles asked knowing Buffy knew what he meant.
"Oh! No, he's not... dead. He's fine. Kind of. He's at the mansion. But I've never seen him bleed like that Giles. There was so much. Too much even. I just... my spider sense is tingling Giles and I think there's more to this amulet thing than we realise." Buffy said.
"Well if you're... um... spider sense tells you then I would expect it's worth researching. You've been right before relying on your slayer attributes alone." Giles said.
"Oh, me and my pop culture references! Sorry!" Buffy apologised.
"No need." Giles said slightly smiling.
"But um... Angel's in a bad way. I don't know if..." Buffy trailed off. Giles knew what she meant. He just gave her an understanding nod to let her know. He would help her save Angel. It destroyed him to see her unhappy.
"The... whatever you saw, you said it wore robes. What else did you notice about it?" Giles asked her.
"Um... nothing really. It was tall! I was too worried about Angel. I didn't get a good look at it but it's definitely not local." Buffy replied.
Giles got up and started fetching books from all over his apartment. "I have a few volumes and texts here that could prove useful as to finding the origin of the amulet and that may lead us to whoever uses it. It may be the robed figure you saw running from Angel tonight or it could be something completely different altogether." Giles said.
"Thanks for doing this Giles. It means a lot to me." Buffy smiled and began looking through an old tenth century book Giles handed her.
After over an hours searching and cross referencing Giles had finally found something. "Of course!" He said sounding annoyed with himself.
"What?" Buffy said desperately.
"The amulet we have is often mistaken for that of the Jakesh people due to the design and decoration. But in actual fact this is a Rumadien Amulet worn by the Syrma-Matis clan." Giles stated.
"Syrma-Ma what?" Buffy asked totally confused.
"Syrma-Matis. Its ah, an ancient Samarian word and is roughly translated to eliminator of power." Giles said feeling quite pleased he'd managed to translate such a complicated language.
"Eliminator of power? So your saying whatever uses that thingy goes around killing powerful forces? Energies? Or could it be people too?" Buffy asked.
"Both I imagine. That's all the book says." Giles said.
"Great! I liked it better when it protected people!" Buffy joked. She paused for a moment to think. "So you think the robed thing I saw running from Angel uses it? Oh my god!" There was a sense of fear in the tone of her voice. "Eliminator of power? It's gone after Angel. And it succeeded!" She said almost crying.
"No Buffy, he's going to be fine. You have to be strong and help me and the rest of us help Angel." Giles said in his usual calm way.
"Us?" Buffy asked. "Oh, the gang. Yeah, we can um... research tomorrow in the library."
"Yes we can. I'll finish up here. You just need to go home Buffy and get some rest." Giles told her.
"Yeah I do, I'm tired." Buffy said. "Goodnight." And she left Giles's and headed back to the mansion to see Angel before she turned in for the night.
********************
She approached Angel's bedside and his eyes began to open. "Buffy?" he said squinting in the candlelight.
Buffy took Angels hand in hers. "Yeah I'm here. I told you I'd be back."
"It felt like forever." Angel said.
"Forever's not that long." Buffy said smiling, holding back the tears.
"It hurts Buffy. I can't..." He broke off.
"I know, we'll figure it out, make you well again. I promise." Buffy reassured Angel.
"Buffy I..." Angel began.
"Shh, get some rest. You need to rest." She said almost whispering. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Hold on ok." She kissed his head, replaced his hand on the bed, quietly left the mansion and headed home for some much needed sleep.
"Your late." Joyce muttered, waking up on the sofa as Buffy tiptoed through the front door. "Rough night sweetie?" She asked yawning.
"Something like that." Buffy said and went upstairs to her room.