Part 19
Giles sighed as he removed his glasses and began to rub the bridge of his nose. He wondered if it was too early to have a glass of Scotch. This was NOT how he'd planned to start his morning.
He glanced down at the small piece of paper that he held in his hand. Xander. He'd known Xander would go after Willow. Hell, he was surprised Xander had held out as long as he had. Giles had hoped to prolong the inevitable for as long as possible. This could only lead to heartache for all involved.
Rupert remembered his rebellious period and what he had put his family through. He just hoped Willow, Xander and Buffy could weather what was coming. He knew what the lure of magick could do to you. That was one of the reasons he had agreed with Buffy to do an intervention for Willow. He hadn't wanted to see her go through what he had gone through. But like any parent he had to let his children make their own mistakes.
The ringing of the phone brought him out of his thoughts. He quickly crossed the floor and reached for the receiver.
"Yes?"
Buffy frowned in confusion at Giles terse greeting. "Geez, Giles. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"
"Something like that."
"We've got a problem."
Giles tensed. Did Xander leave notes at Buffy's house along with notes here? "W-what do you mean?"
"Spike's chip."
Giles' shoulders relaxed slightly. "Have you heard back from Riley?"
Buffy glanced over at Samantha Finn. "You could say that."
"And?"
"And I need to get Spike down to Tunnel D of the old Initiative Headquarters and we'll be met by a medical team."
"T-they'll replace the chip?" Giles was surprised. He didn't think that the government would replace it. He'd been expecting them to just let it misfire and eventually kill Spike.
"Looks like."
"Buffy, be careful. This might not be what it appears."
"On top of it."
Giles frowned down at the phone as he hung up. There was something that Buffy wasn't telling him. Her answers were vague and to the point. Buffy was rarely vague or to the point. Maybe it was due to bringing up Riley's old ghost but she hadn't seemed that distracted when she had called Riley about Willow and Graham. He shook off the feeling and decided to busy himself with the shop. If either Buffy or Xander needed him they knew how to get in touch with him. It was time to let his "children" solve their problems on their own.
Buffy hung up the phone and turned to Samantha. "So why is the government really willing to help us out?"
Samantha gave a small smile, "Officially they know nothing of what's happening here. Unofficially, they're turning a blind eye to this."
"Why? They didn't turn a blind eye when we went after Adam. What's different now?"
"Riley. When you called him to find out about Spike's chip, he called in some favors. The medical team and others that you'll meet all report to Riley."
Samantha smiled inwardly. She hadn't given anything away. All personnel that were coming to Sunnydale did report to Riley, as he was the head of the "Sunnydale team".
~~~~
Lilah looked at those that were assembled in the Board of Director's Room. Red Death and Hunter were seated next to Zalana and his entourage listening as their client gave them instructions.
The brunette's lips twitched as she watched Willow. For once the Powers that Be at Wolfram and Hart had missed an opportunity and didn't see the potential in one close to the Slayer. They had spent their energies trying to take down Angel and hadn't seen the opportunity to use Willow.
She admired that Willow hadn't taken anything for granted and prepared for any contingency. That she used Lilah's face in a glamour to stop her plans just made Lilah respect her more and she rarely respected anyone.
Maybe when this was over and Hunter and Red Death's agreement with Zalana was complete they'd consider coming to work for Wolfram and Hart. Or better yet, for her. She knew that they didn't work exclusive but maybe she could hammer out a deal like Zalana had. And as an extra bonus it would be sure to hack off Angel.
Lilah smiled when she saw Leland enter. Or rather the entity that showed itself as Leland. She had hoped the First would come as Buffy because she wanted to see Willow's reaction. She might still get her chance.
Zalana stood as the newcomer entered the room. This was the First. The one that he was hoping would mentor him into the inner circle. He had finally made the higher level with Red Death and Hunter's help. Now the next stage was to get in with the inner circle. That was why he had offered the services of the humans, with their permission of course, to the First. They were familiar with Sunnydale and the Slayer, which would be an advantage in the upcoming battle.
Leland slightly inclined his head in acknowledgment to Zelana before turning his attention to Willow.
Willow silently thanked her instructors back at Quantico that had ever taught her anything about masking her true emotions. This being was evil incarnate and it was taking everything in her to not show the revulsion that she felt. She watched in horror as the man morphed into her best friend. Graham and Willow had been briefed before their assignment began that the First, their ultimate target, could assume any identity of anyone that had died. They had been warned that it would probably use people from their past and to be prepared to meet ANYONE they knew that had died.
Buffy/First smiled at Willow, "Most people don't like visits from their dead."
Willow smirked, "I'm not most people."
Buffy/First beamed with pleasure at Willow's answer. "No, no you're not." She turned her attention to Hunter before morphing into Maggie Walsh.
"Hunter, look at you. Look how far you've come. You probably don't know this but I was there for your first kill." Maggie/First raised her hand as if to caress Graham's face but stopped before she touched him. "I couldn't be more proud then if you'd killed him for me."
Graham prayed his face didn't reveal anything. It was quite a surreal experience for him, as his Maggie Walsh had been there for his first demon kill.
The First morphed back into Leland and turned to the rest of the room. "Because of Hunter and Red Death's defeat of Jasmine our plans go forward. We've averted Jasmine's apocalypse, which creates the stage for ours. Of course there are a couple of obstacles standing in our way but we have the means to defeat them. Steps have already been taken for their eventual defeat. Red Death and Hunter will work with me in the defeat of the Slayer and her Champion. While Zalana and Lilah will bring forth the Beast and work on the defeat of the Powers' champion."
Willow's mind whirled, if Angel was the Powers' champion who was Buffy's champion. Wasn't the champion for the Light supposed to be a vampire with a soul? The only vampire that Willow knew that would even think about working with the Slayer besides Angel was Spike.
SPIKE?!? Spike had a soul? No, that wasn't possible. There was NO WAY the Spike she knew would get a soul. One, no gypsies around to curse and she seriously doubted that Giles would curse Spike with a soul. Two, Spike had always mocked Angel because of his soul. She couldn't see him actively looking for one. So the only way he would have been given a soul would be through magickal cursing. Maybe she had been replaced with another witch and that witch had given him one. Willow inwardly smirked, heh the demon in Spike must be mad as hell.
The sound of chairs scraping brought the red head out of her thoughts. The demons closest to Zalana were congratulating him. Obviously she had missed Zalana's introduction into the inner circle. It was common gossip among the demon community that Zalana's promotion into the inner circle had been contingent on their defeat of Jasmine. It appeared that the gossip had been right and Zalana had finally achieved his promotion.
Lilah smiled as she approached Willow and handed her an envelope. "You might find this useful in your meeting with Angel later. I thought about telling him personally but I figured you've earned it. Besides the information will probably hurt more coming from you."