Truth and Myths
Chapter 3
Angel reacted instinctively, and slammed Spike to the floor as he hit the dirt. But the bolt smashed into ceiling and there was a thump behind them.
"Good thing I decided to follow you after I covered your tracks"
Angel and Spike picked themselves up and saw Fred standing over a now unconscious Rupert Giles. She was grinning, and had a sturdy metal staff resting against her left shoulder.
"Thanks again then." Spike grinned back at her. "Can you help me get Buffy off these things now?"
"Sure."
Angel was enraged. In game face, he stalked over to the crossbow, removed a bolt and prepared to drive into to Giles' heart. The bastard had done his last bad deed as far as Angel was concerned. He would die slowly and painfully. Not only could the Watcher have killed Spike or himself, but if a bolt had struck the equipment or Buffy, it could have killed her.
Spike saw Angel's movements out of the corner of his eye, leaped the ten feet, and stopped the downward arc of Angel's arm. "Don't do that, Angel. Not what Buffy would want."
"How do you know what she'd want?" Angel said rage and anguish in his voice.
"Don't know for sure. But I do know it's up to her to make it. Not me, not you."
Angel's shoulders slumped, defeated and sad, "That's why she loves you. You don't decide what's best for her, you let her do that."
Angel stood up and stomped the crossbow and bolts into useless fragments, far out of the reach of Giles, should he be waking up and faking continued unconsciousness.
Spike understood how Angel felt right now. Angelus had gleefully taught him that lesson many times with Druscilla. Buffy unwittingly had with Angel back in Sunnydale a couple of days before it was destroyed.
Buffy had come back to Spike, both then and now. Then with a warmth, openness, and kindness he'd never seen so strongly in her before, for him. Could it really be that she loved him? And even that she loved him more than Angel? Angel seemed to think so. But could he dare to hope?
After regaining his calm, Angel spoke quietly to Spike, "I know you said it was Buffy's choice, but those sedatives will probably take a while to wear off. Since you were Giles' major target this time, I think whatever temporary measures are needed to keep him from harming anyone should be yours."
"Suppose you're right." Spike thought for a few minutes then nodded to himself. "How about a bit of what he's done to Buffy. Keep him sedated and locked away, but where we can keep an eye on him all the time. Don't trust the types here. We should be his guards."
"Sounds like a good plan. We'll need their help getting him sedated and locked away though." Angel pulled out his cell phone. "Eve, get your team down here, no trigger happy types this time though, some of Fred's department with them as well."
Spike insisted on carrying Buffy all the way to Angel's office/bedroom suite. He sat down on the couch with her still cradled in his arms.
Buffy moaned something inarticulate as she came around. Spike kissed her on her forehead. Her eyes opened and she gasped sharply. "S-pike?" Buffy touched his face and when she realized she wasn't dreaming her cry was stronger and surer, "Spike!" she threw her arms around his neck and started to cry.
"It's alright luv, yeah I'm here. Came back just like you did. Well, not quite like you did, but yes, I'm here in the undead flesh."
Buffy relaxed and got control of herself, then she looked down in shock, "I wasn't this big before!" Then realizing the situation she smiled slyly at Spike and said, "You're gonna be a daddy."
He laughed and kissed her gently on the mouth. "Nothing makes me happier. You might want to look around now. Some other people here are happy to see you."
Buffy turned her head and the first person she saw was Angel. She blushed, a bit embarrassed. "Hi."
"Hi." Angel valiantly attempted to keep a bland smile on his face, but Buffy saw the pain in his eyes.
Buffy rose from Spike's lap, but gave him a reassuring squeeze of the hand before she walked slightly unsteadily over to Angel.
"You know now, I guess."
"Kind of obvious, yeah."
Buffy sighed, "Angel, just because I love Spike, doesn't mean I don't still care for you. If anyone hurt you I'd want to hurt them back just like I would if someone hurt Spike."
Angel sighed, "Well caring is something, thank you."
"Perhaps you could finish this later, Buffy, right now we have situation that needs your input."
Buffy smiled uncertainly at Wesley, he was the same, yet somehow different.
"Hi, Wesley. Could you tell me where the hell I am and how the hell I got here?"
Wesley sighed and continued, "Yes I can. It relates directly to this situation. First let me ask you a question. What is the last thing you remember before you woke up?"
Buffy giggled, "You mean besides my dreams?"
Wesley blushed lightly, Buffy could still somehow embarrass him, he thought with a mild irritation. "Yes, what you remember before you were asleep."
Buffy realized someone must have messed with her head, nothing was clear, it was a jumble. She sat back down on the couch next to Spike and tried to concentrate.
"Something with Giles...an argument." Buffy closed her eyes tight and rubbed her temples trying desperately to remember more, then opened her eyes and clenched her fist in frustration. "I can't remember anything else."
"It's what we suspected, he used a memory suppression spell on her as well. Thankfully, just of the last few moments of her consciousness. But it didn't work entirely successfully. I think if she sees him it might trigger the suppressed memories."
"What the hell happened to me! No one has told me yet!"
"You want to do the 'honors' Spike or should I?" said Angel.
Spike shrugged, "You know more about it, you tell her."
Angel winced. He would not come off very stellar in this, and if he soft pedaled his part Spike would call him on it. Should he start with an apology to Buffy or end with it...
Angel decided that maybe saying he was sorry both at the beginning and end might be best. "First off, Buffy I'm sorry. Second, I hope you don't hate me after you hear everything."
"Why would I hate you Angel, well there was the time you killed-"
"I know, and I'm sorry for that too. I better start talking now Buffy about what I did wrong this time, or I don't think I'll be able to and I'd rather you not hear Spike's version of the events first."
"Hey!"
"That was meant as a joke Spike. Being funny now because I don't think I'll be able to later."
"It's that bad?"
Angel sighed and sat down in his chair. "Yeah."
Buffy tensed. If he was admitting it was that bad, then it really had to be bad.
"You've been unconscious for at least two months. Giles somehow was able to inject you with something, get you over here and arrange for you to be secured in room in this building's basement."
"How long have you known?"
"Since he contacted me once you were here."
"And that was?" Buffy said with an edge of anger in her voice.
"The beginning of November."
"And it's now?"
"December 28th."
Buffy slammed her hand down on the lamp table. Everyone heard the wood crack. Buffy was too angry to apologize for the damage. "And you did nothing?"
Angel thought of dozens of excuses, but dismissed them all, perhaps if Spike hadn't been there he might have used one of them. "I didn't do what I should have, until Spike had already started to."
Buffy looked at Spike, "When did you find out?"
"A few hours ago. As soon as I did I went to Fred and she helped get me into that room. Rupert tried to kill us, but Fred followed me and stopped him."
"Who is Fred?"
"That's me."
Buffy saw a slender brunette woman, who was pretty yet somehow still put you in mind of a gawky young teenager. Buffy thought of Dawn a few years ago. Then Buffy suddenly had fear for Dawn's welfare, did Giles harm her too? She looked at Spike again. "Do you know if Dawn is okay?"
"Yeah just talked to her yesterday. She's worried sick about you, Giles didn't tell her, or your friends where he took you. He made up some story about you suddenly getting really sick and had to take you to some ultra secret hospital that had the latest equipment and so on."
Buffy clenched her fist and nearly bashed the lamp table again. "Why the hell did he do this to me?"
"Guess that's my cue to step back in." Angel said. "Giles told me about some prophesy- even showed me copies of the text and translations, about your baby could possibly destroy the world if it was demonic. He convinced me that what he was doing was for the best of everyone. He said someone named...Stick, no, that's not it-"
"Wood." Spike spit out with disgust.
"Yeah that's it Wood, said that you should be knocked out and the monster growing in you aborted without delay-"
Buffy did slam her fist down on the lamptable then. Spike grabbed the lamp as the table broke in two and crashed to the floor.
No one commented on the destruction. Spike set the lamp on the floor and unplugged it.
Buffy was now sobbing but enraged. "How dare he say that! My baby, my choice! I want this baby with all my heart! I considered it an amazing wonderful gift. And he was...Oh I wish I'd killed him after he tried to kill you Spike!"
Spike hugged her tightly till she recovered to that deadly angry calm he'd seen on her face in battle.
"Who is this Wood? Giles didn't tell me anything about him, just what he said."
Spike responded. "Son of Nikki Wood, the Slayer I killed in New York back in the 70's."
"Oh boy. No wonder he had it out for you. I've had a few encounters over the years with family members of people I killed before I got my soul. How did he come to be in Sunnydale?"
"I never found out all the details." Buffy said. "But he took the job as the principal at Sunnydale's last high school. He knew about me, but not my connections to you or Spike. He was kind of obsessed with Slayers and with killing vampires."
"Kind of, luv?"
"Make that majorly obsessed. He tried to come onto to me some, but after he found out about my involvement with Spike he got distant and eventually kind of hostile to me. He and Faith hooked up for a bit, but then she moved on, amazingly without leaving him for dead. Now I kind of wish she had."
"So he's creepy guy number one" Fred chimed in. "What about this guy Giles, he used to be Buffy's Watcher right?"
"Yes. Giles told me he disagreed with this Wood, and that's when he decided to bring Buffy here, because no real hospital would agree to his procedure."
"Which was?"
"Well, Giles told me that it was possible that the child might actually be beneficial to the world, a sort of Slayer. The fact that it's female increased the chances of this. He was going to wait until the baby was born and tested before deciding whether it would live or die."
"And you thought this was acceptable? That I have no say in the matter?"
"He said he knew you'd never agree to kill it, nor would Spike. He was emphatic that Spike was not to be told."
"And you trotted right along with that like a 'good doggy', Peaches?" Spike said, feeling a bit pissed off himself by now.
"I did the wrong thing and I admit it. I shouldn't have but I did. I should have listened to that part of me that questioned it. And that sensed something off about Giles."
"Off?"
"I think I know what he means, pet. He's been kind of off since that fight he told us he survived with that Bringer in London-"
"You think the First has some sort of control on him?"
"Not directly or that would have disappeared when you defeated it."
"Spike defeated it." Buffy said softly.
Spike put his arm back around Buffy gently, and she leaned back against him.
Angel nodded. "Anyway, it's obvious whatever altered Giles then is still having some affect now. Buffy, I think it may be his old 'Ripper' persona. He may even be infected by the demon that he and his friends played around with in their youth."
Buffy closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't know why I didn't think of that, I don't think any of us did. It would explain some stuff I wondered about. So I'm guessing this is the matter of major importance you want me to make a decision on?"
"Yes"
"What are the options."
"Test him for demon infection or possession and either kill him or exorcise the demon if he is."
"As pissed off as I am right now I still vote exorcism, if it's necessary."
"It might cause him permanent damage or kill him Buffy."
"And if we don't exorcise him and he's demon infected?"
"He's proved himself to be a threat to some of us already, either permanently locked away sedated or death."
"Then exorcism if we have to, but I want to speak to Giles before we do this. I want to hear from him directly why he did it."
"It's too dangerous Buffy, remember he knows magic nearly as well as Willow does." Angel said.
Buffy gave Angel a hard stare. "I'm aware of that Angel. You didn't let me finish."
Spike smirked, Angel had really stepped in it now. Angel glared at Spike and then gave Buffy an embarrassed look.
"Sorry Buffy."
Buffy groaned inwardly at the jealous vibes sparking between Angel and Spike over her, but she put a neutral expression on her face and nodded to acknowledge Angel's apology.
"Angel, I'm assuming that in a place like this there's some place that you can do something to protect people from the influence of magic?"
"Yeah. You want me to set us up there so you can question him safely?"
"Yes."
A short time later Giles was revived in a small room. Just for sure he couldn't launch any kind of attack on Buffy or the other people in the room his arms and legs were secured by manacles with short chains. The irony of this reversal in positions wasn't lost to either Spike or Buffy. They smirked at each other as they entered the room.
Giles jumped into a full scale rant as soon as Buffy and Spike walked in.
"You have no idea what folly you are perpetuating. My mistake was not recognizing this sooner, as soon as his attraction began to divert to you."
"Why did you do it?" Buffy kept her expression blank but her voice had in edge in it.
"Do what Buffy? Attempt to eliminate that menace?" His arm chain rattled as he pointed at Spike. "Or are you referring to my drugging you and bringing you here?"
Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. "The last one."
"You mean Angel hasn't told you about the prophesy?"
"He told me that you and Robin believe my child with Spike could endanger the world."
"Yes, if it's demonic it could quite likely cause mass destruction in this dimension." The chilling words were delivered calmly. "But you are a disruptive force in this dimension Buffy, when Willow brought you back it allowed the First a path that caused the events in Sunnydale this past year."
"Me? Why didn't you tell me this before? When did you discover this, and from where?"
"Anya and I discovered it late last year. From an Oracle we traveled to that Anya believed might be able to give us information on how to defeat the First. That point was unsuccessful but the oracle did give us that disturbing piece of news."
Buffy wrapped her arms around herself, this news stunned her to her core.
"And I suppose Angel hasn't informed you about what happened here shortly after my arrival?"
Spike put his arms around Buffy. "I'll say it before Rupert tells it. When I first came back luv, I was a ghost. When I became solid again it set off chaos here. Apparently I caused some disruption in this dimension too."
"Dawn as well is disruptive to this dimension. Her creation as your sister threw everything into chaos. I do not believe her key powers are completely gone." Giles said ominously.
Buffy reacted with anger, she'd heard enough. Her rage was not held in check with her words. "And what about you Giles? We know about your Ripper persona and what you did. You are a cold heartless killer, you are as much a monster, if not more, than any one of us in this room" Buffy turned her back on Giles and slammed out of the room, but saying loud enough so he knew exactly what was coming, "Exorcise him."
"Buffy you know that none of us," Angel glanced at her and then at Spike, "can be anywhere near that ritual, we are part demon and your baby may be."
"As a Slayer, I'm part demon as well. It's how she was first created."
"You mean some woman thousands of years ago willingly mated with a full demon and created a mixed child?"
"Nothing quite so romantic." Buffy grimaced. "The Shaman that were the precursors to the Watchers, captured a demon spirit magically and then bound a girl they caught and let the demon violate her and bonded the demon spirit to her soul."
"How could something so evil be turned into something for good?" Wesley said with shock.
Buffy sighed. "I've wondered that ever since I found out. But at least I learned why my own darkness runs so deep." She turned to Spike and gently stroked his chin, her eyes brimming with the sorrow of shame for how she had hurt him for a while with that darkness.
Spike brought his hand up to hers and clasped it. He smiled at her with compassion and acceptance. "It's alright luv, now that you know it, you can control it, rather than the other way around."
Buffy nodded and leaned back against him. She always felt stronger with him around. She took a deep breath and brought herself back to the matter at hand.
"Can you keep Giles secure until Willow arrives?"
"Yes."
"Good. I need to contact Dawn and Xander too."
"I doubt if Harris will come, luv. He hates Angel here a lot more than I do. He's not exactly pals with Giles either now."
Buffy nodded, she had witnessed the heated argument between them that had caused Xander to return to California. "I need to talk to him though, tell him what happened, let him know I'm okay."
"After Giles is freed of the demon infection, and assuming he survives, what do yo want done with him?" Angel asked.
"I think Willow will know best what to do."
"There's the other problem after that one is taken care of." Wesley reminded.
Buffy grimaced. "Could Giles be wrong... Nevermind, I know the answer, not this time."
Chapter 3
Angel reacted instinctively, and slammed Spike to the floor as he hit the dirt. But the bolt smashed into ceiling and there was a thump behind them.
"Good thing I decided to follow you after I covered your tracks"
Angel and Spike picked themselves up and saw Fred standing over a now unconscious Rupert Giles. She was grinning, and had a sturdy metal staff resting against her left shoulder.
"Thanks again then." Spike grinned back at her. "Can you help me get Buffy off these things now?"
"Sure."
Angel was enraged. In game face, he stalked over to the crossbow, removed a bolt and prepared to drive into to Giles' heart. The bastard had done his last bad deed as far as Angel was concerned. He would die slowly and painfully. Not only could the Watcher have killed Spike or himself, but if a bolt had struck the equipment or Buffy, it could have killed her.
Spike saw Angel's movements out of the corner of his eye, leaped the ten feet, and stopped the downward arc of Angel's arm. "Don't do that, Angel. Not what Buffy would want."
"How do you know what she'd want?" Angel said rage and anguish in his voice.
"Don't know for sure. But I do know it's up to her to make it. Not me, not you."
Angel's shoulders slumped, defeated and sad, "That's why she loves you. You don't decide what's best for her, you let her do that."
Angel stood up and stomped the crossbow and bolts into useless fragments, far out of the reach of Giles, should he be waking up and faking continued unconsciousness.
Spike understood how Angel felt right now. Angelus had gleefully taught him that lesson many times with Druscilla. Buffy unwittingly had with Angel back in Sunnydale a couple of days before it was destroyed.
Buffy had come back to Spike, both then and now. Then with a warmth, openness, and kindness he'd never seen so strongly in her before, for him. Could it really be that she loved him? And even that she loved him more than Angel? Angel seemed to think so. But could he dare to hope?
After regaining his calm, Angel spoke quietly to Spike, "I know you said it was Buffy's choice, but those sedatives will probably take a while to wear off. Since you were Giles' major target this time, I think whatever temporary measures are needed to keep him from harming anyone should be yours."
"Suppose you're right." Spike thought for a few minutes then nodded to himself. "How about a bit of what he's done to Buffy. Keep him sedated and locked away, but where we can keep an eye on him all the time. Don't trust the types here. We should be his guards."
"Sounds like a good plan. We'll need their help getting him sedated and locked away though." Angel pulled out his cell phone. "Eve, get your team down here, no trigger happy types this time though, some of Fred's department with them as well."
Spike insisted on carrying Buffy all the way to Angel's office/bedroom suite. He sat down on the couch with her still cradled in his arms.
Buffy moaned something inarticulate as she came around. Spike kissed her on her forehead. Her eyes opened and she gasped sharply. "S-pike?" Buffy touched his face and when she realized she wasn't dreaming her cry was stronger and surer, "Spike!" she threw her arms around his neck and started to cry.
"It's alright luv, yeah I'm here. Came back just like you did. Well, not quite like you did, but yes, I'm here in the undead flesh."
Buffy relaxed and got control of herself, then she looked down in shock, "I wasn't this big before!" Then realizing the situation she smiled slyly at Spike and said, "You're gonna be a daddy."
He laughed and kissed her gently on the mouth. "Nothing makes me happier. You might want to look around now. Some other people here are happy to see you."
Buffy turned her head and the first person she saw was Angel. She blushed, a bit embarrassed. "Hi."
"Hi." Angel valiantly attempted to keep a bland smile on his face, but Buffy saw the pain in his eyes.
Buffy rose from Spike's lap, but gave him a reassuring squeeze of the hand before she walked slightly unsteadily over to Angel.
"You know now, I guess."
"Kind of obvious, yeah."
Buffy sighed, "Angel, just because I love Spike, doesn't mean I don't still care for you. If anyone hurt you I'd want to hurt them back just like I would if someone hurt Spike."
Angel sighed, "Well caring is something, thank you."
"Perhaps you could finish this later, Buffy, right now we have situation that needs your input."
Buffy smiled uncertainly at Wesley, he was the same, yet somehow different.
"Hi, Wesley. Could you tell me where the hell I am and how the hell I got here?"
Wesley sighed and continued, "Yes I can. It relates directly to this situation. First let me ask you a question. What is the last thing you remember before you woke up?"
Buffy giggled, "You mean besides my dreams?"
Wesley blushed lightly, Buffy could still somehow embarrass him, he thought with a mild irritation. "Yes, what you remember before you were asleep."
Buffy realized someone must have messed with her head, nothing was clear, it was a jumble. She sat back down on the couch next to Spike and tried to concentrate.
"Something with Giles...an argument." Buffy closed her eyes tight and rubbed her temples trying desperately to remember more, then opened her eyes and clenched her fist in frustration. "I can't remember anything else."
"It's what we suspected, he used a memory suppression spell on her as well. Thankfully, just of the last few moments of her consciousness. But it didn't work entirely successfully. I think if she sees him it might trigger the suppressed memories."
"What the hell happened to me! No one has told me yet!"
"You want to do the 'honors' Spike or should I?" said Angel.
Spike shrugged, "You know more about it, you tell her."
Angel winced. He would not come off very stellar in this, and if he soft pedaled his part Spike would call him on it. Should he start with an apology to Buffy or end with it...
Angel decided that maybe saying he was sorry both at the beginning and end might be best. "First off, Buffy I'm sorry. Second, I hope you don't hate me after you hear everything."
"Why would I hate you Angel, well there was the time you killed-"
"I know, and I'm sorry for that too. I better start talking now Buffy about what I did wrong this time, or I don't think I'll be able to and I'd rather you not hear Spike's version of the events first."
"Hey!"
"That was meant as a joke Spike. Being funny now because I don't think I'll be able to later."
"It's that bad?"
Angel sighed and sat down in his chair. "Yeah."
Buffy tensed. If he was admitting it was that bad, then it really had to be bad.
"You've been unconscious for at least two months. Giles somehow was able to inject you with something, get you over here and arrange for you to be secured in room in this building's basement."
"How long have you known?"
"Since he contacted me once you were here."
"And that was?" Buffy said with an edge of anger in her voice.
"The beginning of November."
"And it's now?"
"December 28th."
Buffy slammed her hand down on the lamp table. Everyone heard the wood crack. Buffy was too angry to apologize for the damage. "And you did nothing?"
Angel thought of dozens of excuses, but dismissed them all, perhaps if Spike hadn't been there he might have used one of them. "I didn't do what I should have, until Spike had already started to."
Buffy looked at Spike, "When did you find out?"
"A few hours ago. As soon as I did I went to Fred and she helped get me into that room. Rupert tried to kill us, but Fred followed me and stopped him."
"Who is Fred?"
"That's me."
Buffy saw a slender brunette woman, who was pretty yet somehow still put you in mind of a gawky young teenager. Buffy thought of Dawn a few years ago. Then Buffy suddenly had fear for Dawn's welfare, did Giles harm her too? She looked at Spike again. "Do you know if Dawn is okay?"
"Yeah just talked to her yesterday. She's worried sick about you, Giles didn't tell her, or your friends where he took you. He made up some story about you suddenly getting really sick and had to take you to some ultra secret hospital that had the latest equipment and so on."
Buffy clenched her fist and nearly bashed the lamp table again. "Why the hell did he do this to me?"
"Guess that's my cue to step back in." Angel said. "Giles told me about some prophesy- even showed me copies of the text and translations, about your baby could possibly destroy the world if it was demonic. He convinced me that what he was doing was for the best of everyone. He said someone named...Stick, no, that's not it-"
"Wood." Spike spit out with disgust.
"Yeah that's it Wood, said that you should be knocked out and the monster growing in you aborted without delay-"
Buffy did slam her fist down on the lamptable then. Spike grabbed the lamp as the table broke in two and crashed to the floor.
No one commented on the destruction. Spike set the lamp on the floor and unplugged it.
Buffy was now sobbing but enraged. "How dare he say that! My baby, my choice! I want this baby with all my heart! I considered it an amazing wonderful gift. And he was...Oh I wish I'd killed him after he tried to kill you Spike!"
Spike hugged her tightly till she recovered to that deadly angry calm he'd seen on her face in battle.
"Who is this Wood? Giles didn't tell me anything about him, just what he said."
Spike responded. "Son of Nikki Wood, the Slayer I killed in New York back in the 70's."
"Oh boy. No wonder he had it out for you. I've had a few encounters over the years with family members of people I killed before I got my soul. How did he come to be in Sunnydale?"
"I never found out all the details." Buffy said. "But he took the job as the principal at Sunnydale's last high school. He knew about me, but not my connections to you or Spike. He was kind of obsessed with Slayers and with killing vampires."
"Kind of, luv?"
"Make that majorly obsessed. He tried to come onto to me some, but after he found out about my involvement with Spike he got distant and eventually kind of hostile to me. He and Faith hooked up for a bit, but then she moved on, amazingly without leaving him for dead. Now I kind of wish she had."
"So he's creepy guy number one" Fred chimed in. "What about this guy Giles, he used to be Buffy's Watcher right?"
"Yes. Giles told me he disagreed with this Wood, and that's when he decided to bring Buffy here, because no real hospital would agree to his procedure."
"Which was?"
"Well, Giles told me that it was possible that the child might actually be beneficial to the world, a sort of Slayer. The fact that it's female increased the chances of this. He was going to wait until the baby was born and tested before deciding whether it would live or die."
"And you thought this was acceptable? That I have no say in the matter?"
"He said he knew you'd never agree to kill it, nor would Spike. He was emphatic that Spike was not to be told."
"And you trotted right along with that like a 'good doggy', Peaches?" Spike said, feeling a bit pissed off himself by now.
"I did the wrong thing and I admit it. I shouldn't have but I did. I should have listened to that part of me that questioned it. And that sensed something off about Giles."
"Off?"
"I think I know what he means, pet. He's been kind of off since that fight he told us he survived with that Bringer in London-"
"You think the First has some sort of control on him?"
"Not directly or that would have disappeared when you defeated it."
"Spike defeated it." Buffy said softly.
Spike put his arm back around Buffy gently, and she leaned back against him.
Angel nodded. "Anyway, it's obvious whatever altered Giles then is still having some affect now. Buffy, I think it may be his old 'Ripper' persona. He may even be infected by the demon that he and his friends played around with in their youth."
Buffy closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't know why I didn't think of that, I don't think any of us did. It would explain some stuff I wondered about. So I'm guessing this is the matter of major importance you want me to make a decision on?"
"Yes"
"What are the options."
"Test him for demon infection or possession and either kill him or exorcise the demon if he is."
"As pissed off as I am right now I still vote exorcism, if it's necessary."
"It might cause him permanent damage or kill him Buffy."
"And if we don't exorcise him and he's demon infected?"
"He's proved himself to be a threat to some of us already, either permanently locked away sedated or death."
"Then exorcism if we have to, but I want to speak to Giles before we do this. I want to hear from him directly why he did it."
"It's too dangerous Buffy, remember he knows magic nearly as well as Willow does." Angel said.
Buffy gave Angel a hard stare. "I'm aware of that Angel. You didn't let me finish."
Spike smirked, Angel had really stepped in it now. Angel glared at Spike and then gave Buffy an embarrassed look.
"Sorry Buffy."
Buffy groaned inwardly at the jealous vibes sparking between Angel and Spike over her, but she put a neutral expression on her face and nodded to acknowledge Angel's apology.
"Angel, I'm assuming that in a place like this there's some place that you can do something to protect people from the influence of magic?"
"Yeah. You want me to set us up there so you can question him safely?"
"Yes."
A short time later Giles was revived in a small room. Just for sure he couldn't launch any kind of attack on Buffy or the other people in the room his arms and legs were secured by manacles with short chains. The irony of this reversal in positions wasn't lost to either Spike or Buffy. They smirked at each other as they entered the room.
Giles jumped into a full scale rant as soon as Buffy and Spike walked in.
"You have no idea what folly you are perpetuating. My mistake was not recognizing this sooner, as soon as his attraction began to divert to you."
"Why did you do it?" Buffy kept her expression blank but her voice had in edge in it.
"Do what Buffy? Attempt to eliminate that menace?" His arm chain rattled as he pointed at Spike. "Or are you referring to my drugging you and bringing you here?"
Buffy sighed and closed her eyes. "The last one."
"You mean Angel hasn't told you about the prophesy?"
"He told me that you and Robin believe my child with Spike could endanger the world."
"Yes, if it's demonic it could quite likely cause mass destruction in this dimension." The chilling words were delivered calmly. "But you are a disruptive force in this dimension Buffy, when Willow brought you back it allowed the First a path that caused the events in Sunnydale this past year."
"Me? Why didn't you tell me this before? When did you discover this, and from where?"
"Anya and I discovered it late last year. From an Oracle we traveled to that Anya believed might be able to give us information on how to defeat the First. That point was unsuccessful but the oracle did give us that disturbing piece of news."
Buffy wrapped her arms around herself, this news stunned her to her core.
"And I suppose Angel hasn't informed you about what happened here shortly after my arrival?"
Spike put his arms around Buffy. "I'll say it before Rupert tells it. When I first came back luv, I was a ghost. When I became solid again it set off chaos here. Apparently I caused some disruption in this dimension too."
"Dawn as well is disruptive to this dimension. Her creation as your sister threw everything into chaos. I do not believe her key powers are completely gone." Giles said ominously.
Buffy reacted with anger, she'd heard enough. Her rage was not held in check with her words. "And what about you Giles? We know about your Ripper persona and what you did. You are a cold heartless killer, you are as much a monster, if not more, than any one of us in this room" Buffy turned her back on Giles and slammed out of the room, but saying loud enough so he knew exactly what was coming, "Exorcise him."
"Buffy you know that none of us," Angel glanced at her and then at Spike, "can be anywhere near that ritual, we are part demon and your baby may be."
"As a Slayer, I'm part demon as well. It's how she was first created."
"You mean some woman thousands of years ago willingly mated with a full demon and created a mixed child?"
"Nothing quite so romantic." Buffy grimaced. "The Shaman that were the precursors to the Watchers, captured a demon spirit magically and then bound a girl they caught and let the demon violate her and bonded the demon spirit to her soul."
"How could something so evil be turned into something for good?" Wesley said with shock.
Buffy sighed. "I've wondered that ever since I found out. But at least I learned why my own darkness runs so deep." She turned to Spike and gently stroked his chin, her eyes brimming with the sorrow of shame for how she had hurt him for a while with that darkness.
Spike brought his hand up to hers and clasped it. He smiled at her with compassion and acceptance. "It's alright luv, now that you know it, you can control it, rather than the other way around."
Buffy nodded and leaned back against him. She always felt stronger with him around. She took a deep breath and brought herself back to the matter at hand.
"Can you keep Giles secure until Willow arrives?"
"Yes."
"Good. I need to contact Dawn and Xander too."
"I doubt if Harris will come, luv. He hates Angel here a lot more than I do. He's not exactly pals with Giles either now."
Buffy nodded, she had witnessed the heated argument between them that had caused Xander to return to California. "I need to talk to him though, tell him what happened, let him know I'm okay."
"After Giles is freed of the demon infection, and assuming he survives, what do yo want done with him?" Angel asked.
"I think Willow will know best what to do."
"There's the other problem after that one is taken care of." Wesley reminded.
Buffy grimaced. "Could Giles be wrong... Nevermind, I know the answer, not this time."