Author's notes: Okay guys, I am back. Sorry for the delay. Things in real life got crazy and I had to regain my creative spirit. I wrote "…Nail Polish", because I needed to write a story to cheer me up, but I promise I'll be writing this as well. The next chapter won't take this long. Oh, and this chapter could be revised in the future – just a warning; I'll let you know if it is revised.
This chapter for all my readers, but especially for Shashu – thanks for the continued support, and for Levi who keeps the encouragement coming. Thanks to all who reviewed.
Summary: Previously, Buffy gives the bad news about Angelus to Willow and Tara. Gnash plots some more. Spike broods. Xander has a night out then saves a woman. Angel heads back to Sunnydale. Xander finds the mysterious orb Gnash left for him.
Chapter 5: Of Orbs and Unexpected Company
"It's beautiful," Buffy said as she held the orb up to get a closer look. "Where did you say you got this again?"
"A woman dropped it, I think. Or maybe the vampire dropped it. The vampire I scared away," Xander added.
Buffy nodded and resisted the urge to tell Xander that he'd told them about scaring the vampire away ten times already. Instead she asked him, "But why would a vampire want an orb? The only orbs I've been aware of so far? Not the kind of things a vampire would want. With the orb of Thessula, it was more the opposite. And that orb thingy that came with Glory? She didn't seem too happy about that." She handed the orb to Willow to examine.
"This one is almost mesmerizing," Willow said as she stared deeply into the prisms of color. "So many beautiful colors."
"B-be careful, though. Looks can be deceiving," Tara warned. "I don't get friendly vibes from that thing."
"Really?" Willow asked with some disappointment.
"You can get vibes from an orb?" Xander asked.
"Well, not like with live entities," Tara answered, but her brow furrowed like she was a bit confused. "This one though… I don't know. It's not normal."
"Well, that would be the usual for us then," Buffy quipped. "Normal does not describe our lives. Oh, but Angel should be here soon. Maybe he can help us figure it out."
"A very good example of the abnormality of our lives," Xander joked. He reached for the orb in Willow's grasp, but she frowned exaggeratedly and pulled it away from him, motioning to his hands which were coated with powdered sugar.
"You should be used to Angel by now," Buffy said.
Wiping his hands on his slacks, Xander smirked at her. "Well considering he now lives in Spike's body, and that Spike sometimes comes out to visit, I think we can legitimately place that back in the abnormal category." He took another bite of his donut, this time being careful to keep the powdered sugar from getting everywhere.
Buffy sighed. "Fine. I'm a weirdo." Raising her chin, she gave a smile. "See not so bad. Didn't hurt a bit." Her mouth returned to a frown as she faced Willow. "But unfortunately, I still have to try and find out more about Angelus' return. So Willow if you could…"
Xander's choking interrupted her. "Angelus' what?"
Willow pouted. "We didn't tell you?"
"I think I would've remembered something like that!" Xander pointed out indignantly as he waved his donut for emphasis.
"Oh, sorry, Xan," Buffy apologized. "We kinda got distracted by your orb, but that's why we're here researching. I had a slayer dream, and in it Angelus said he was coming back here."
"And the bad just keeps on coming," Xander said.
*********
Angelus was hungry again, and he was bored. Now that Gnash was bringing him people to eat, it just made the in between times that much more monotonous. His benefactor had told him there was only so much he could do about that, however. Time moved more quickly where Angelus was, so Gnash would have a hard time keeping him in fresh bodies without attracting suspicion. In fact, the demon told him last time he brought someone – a young man this time to make the hunt that much more interesting – that it had only been a day for him since he'd brought the woman. For Angelus, it had been almost a week. He'd tried to make this one last, not killing him the first time he'd fed or the second time either. By the third day of being hunted and bitten though, the young man had finally showed signs of succumbing, so Angelus finished him off: after he'd imagined that he was Angel or Spike and acted out just what he planned to do to them if he had the chance.
He vaguely wondered which of the two would receive his wrath, which one had control. He supposed it would be Angel, and that would be fitting, because he certainly would like to get revenge for all those years he had to spend trapped in tedium. Spike though, that would be a nice trip down memory lane. He really should have disciplined that boy more, and maybe he wouldn't have ended up the disgrace of a demon he'd become. Angelus scoffed. Who knew that someone from his family would be so reckless and driven by emotion? Maybe it had something to do with who William had been, or maybe it was because Drusilla had been so unpredictable herself. Angelus sighed. Now he was even boring himself. Who the hell cared why the two were like they were? He'd just make sure they regretted it.
It almost made him wish Gnash would bring him another young man to eat again this next time.
*********
"I found it! Look!" Willow said excitedly as she held up a battered volume, her finger tucked inside to mark the place.
"Where'd you find it?" Buffy asked.
"It was in this box of books, here." She motioned to a box of books on the table with her head.
"Um, Will, I hope you didn't take any of those books out of the box, and um, you know, misplace them?" Xander said.
Willow gave him an odd look and again held up her prize. "Book we need. Yay," she reminded him.
"Yes, I'm all for the excitement of finding the info we needed, but those are new books for the shop. That Anya hasn't gone through, yet," Xander added as he pointed to the box. "And now the box looks half empty. Not yay."
"She'll forgive us this one time. I'm sure. We'll show her the orb when she gets here. Convince her it might be worth something," Willow suggested.
"I think we better find out what it is before we suggest releasing it on an unsuspecting public, honey," Tara lightly chided her lover.
"Oh, of course," Willow agreed. "Research first. Potential riches later." She smiled widely at Tara and sat next to her at the table.
Xander looked at the list of books on the packing slip he'd retrieved and then back to the box. "While you guys do that, I think I'll have another donut and try to find where these books might have gone to."
Buffy smiled. "She may not be a vengeance demon anymore, but you still fear the wrath of Anya, huh Xan?"
"She's had much experience, and we all know how she is about her inventory."
Buffy groaned. "Don't remind me."
"I second that thought," Willow said from her seat at the table. Her eyes hadn't left the pages. "Darn!" she exclaimed suddenly.
"Well it least it wasn't an uh oh," Buffy remarked. "What's the matter, Will?"
"There's almost a whole page missing. I mean, I can tell from what's here that the orb is powerful and can enhance a person's magical abilities, but I'm not exactly sure how it enhances their abilities."
"In other words, we don't know how to activate it?" Tara asked. She sounded almost hopeful.
"No, it tells here how to activate it. I'm just a little fuzzy on what happens after that. Oh, maybe there's another reference to it here somewhere." Willow moved over to the bookcases, her face scrunched in concentration but her eyes bright with anticipation.
Tara didn't like this one bit. Willow looked excited, excited enough that she might throw caution to the wind when they didn't have enough information about what this orb did exactly.
"Yes, good, I'll help you," Tara encouraged. She quickly perused the pages Willow had been studying, looking for any clue that might lead to a new reference to search. She saw the orb's box and briefly considered letting the object have a tragic accident, but she noticed Willow held it in one hand as she traced her finger across the book spines with the other. No, not good at all, she thought.
*********
Gnash was itching to act. The boy Harris was coming closer to discovering that the book Willow held hadn't been on the original inventory. Fortunately for him, the witch had done a good job of spreading the books around into piles with other books after she'd searched them, good for keeping the already perused books away from those not searched, but not helpful for Xander's quest to get them all back in the box. Despite him getting closer, Gnash didn't want to act quite yet though, because two more members of their party had yet to arrive, and he wanted everyone present before he acted. In a way, it might be safer to do it now, but in another, it would be just that more effective when the ex-demon and the vampire got there. Either Angel or Anya would no doubt recognize the disguise he would use and could inform the others how difficult it would be to save their friend. A Vishnak demon was known for being powerful, ruthless, and most of all conniving: always with an agenda, even if that agenda often was an insane one.
It was a good plan. The one problem: where he planned to stash the boy wasn't the most hospitable place. He decided he better devise a method of protection for him while he waited, because the boy certainly was going to need it. Oh, and look, the ex-demon girl had just arrived. She'd never figure out about the book in time, because she hadn't heard where the witch had found it, but she was sure to take the next part of his plan very badly. Gnash chuckled. This was going to be fun.
*********
Angel was surprised to find that everyone was still at the Magic Box when he arrived. Anya let him in and smiled pleasantly at him. "How was your trip?" she asked in her usual overly-polite manner.
"Angel!" Buffy said, rushing up to wrap her arms around him. "Yes, how was your trip?"
Sighing, Angel took a moment to melt into her embrace before he answered. "Long. Spike was brooding. As if I wasn't worried enough already." He made a face. "So I had to listen to tapes of the Ramones and the Clash the whole second half of the trip just to distract him."
Xander chuckled. "Oh that must have been awful." Then he stopped what he was doing abruptly as if he realized that he had just brought attention to himself.
As if to justify his concern, Anya looked at him accusingly. "Xander, what are you doing with my brand new book shipment?"
Xander looked like a deer-in-the-headlights. Angel supposed it was a common look on him since he met the ex-demon. The others seemed to be oh so casually moving away from the caught Xander.
"It wasn't me," he insisted. "I said they shouldn't touch them."
"Well, they either didn't listen to you, or you told them after the fact," she replied.
Willow raised her eyebrows, looking impressed enough that Angel figured one of Anya's guesses was correct. But as entertaining as seeing Xander get in trouble might be, Angel decided they better get down to business. It was time to bail him out.
Buffy beat him to it. "It was our fault Anya, but we do have a bit of a crisis. That's why we asked you to come help us."
Anya rolled her eyes. "So what else is new? What is it this time? You were kinda vague about that part, but I figured if I was going to get you out of here in time to get in a good day's business, I better come over now. So, is it nasty demons? An upcoming apocalypse?"
"Angelus is coming back," Buffy stated.
Anya furrowed her brow. "But he's just a vampire, right? We stake him. No problem."
"He's a vampire that knows all about us," Xander explained.
"And knows how to use that against us," Buffy added.
Willow put in her two cents next. "And it's probably going to take some major magic to get him back here, so somewhere there has to be a powerful force at work to make this happen."
"And I'm guessing that force is not one of the good kind." Buffy looked then as if she'd just realized something. "So could it be possible that Angelus might be a symptom of something worse? Of some major evil brewing?"
"As if Angelus isn't bad enough," Xander complained. "No offense Angel but your evil twin sucks."
"No argument here," Angel agreed.
"I mean he made Spike look almost nice…"
"Don't let Spike hear you say that," Angel teased. "Oops, he probably already did somewhere in here." He pointed to his head.
Willow looked up. "Well, having been almost bitten by both of them, Spike twice, or three times if you count that time on parent/teacher night when I had to hide in a closet with Cordelia which was a whole 'nother sort of evil." She shuddered dramatically. "I can say they were both pretty bad. Spike just changed somehow."
"A good migraine inducing chip will do that to you," Xander chided.
Tara looked up. "Well, I didn't really know him very well when he was evil, but he did help us a lot, and the chip didn't make him do that. Things would have been much harder that summer Buffy was… gone without his help."
"Well, no one look at me," Anya added, momentarily looking up from her search for her missing books. "I found him just as interesting when he was evil. We shared a common bond then – he was newly chipped, I'd just lost my powers. We commiserated over drinks." She frowned at her packing slip then, and didn't add anything else as she once again became engrossed in the search for her misplaced inventory.
"Well, I agree boring never really was a word I'd use for Spike," Buffy said. "But I don't think even you'd have appreciated him pre-chip, Anya."
Anya looked up again. "Well, maybe when I was Anyanka…" she hinted wistfully.
No one seemed to want to dwell on that thought any further, so Angel decided to add his own opinion. "He has changed. At least enough that I'm okay with having him in here." He pointed to his head. "I never would have done the binding spell with Angelus."
"And I wouldn't have let you either," Buffy said. Putting her arms around him, she got on her tip toes and kissed his forehead. "That's for Spike," she said. "Now enough of the trip down twisted memory lane. Updates? Angel? Got any ideas? How proficient is Angelus at magic?"
"Pretty good for a vampire," Angel admitted.
"But not good enough to get back here from where I sent him," Willow asserted. "No, I think we're pretty much in a 'big Evil is helping Angelus' situation here. Major magic involved. Sorry, Buffy, but I think you were probably right earlier with Angelus maybe being a symptom. Good try though." Then she looked as if her thought process had reminded her of something. "Oh! Major magic!" She turned to Angel. "Xander found this. Does it look at all familiar? I think it's a Tapas orb, but one of the pages to this book is missing."
Angel frowned at the orb. "I can't say as I've heard of one. What does it do?"
"It's supposed to enhance a person's magical abilities. Sort of like an amplifier."
"Without the need for electricity or the potential for loud, annoying feedback. At least I hope not," Xander quipped.
Angel watched everyone give Harris blank stares. Inwardly, he smiled. Some things never changed.
"Like with a musical instrument amplifier," Xander clarified. "And the 'check, check' then the annoying squeal?"
Willow smiled at him "Dated a band member, remember? But you're right about the squealing part. The orb would definitely lose all its appeal for me if anything like that happens."
"There's potential squealing now? There isn't a pig involved all of a sudden is there?" Buffy joked.
"God, I hope not, because that sort of squeal also has little appeal, along with the whole wallowing in mud aspect." Xander said, his face showing that he was seemingly pleased that someone decided to join him in the "let's trivialize our problems so they don't overwhelm us" banter.
Of course, looking back on it later, Angel should have known that was a sure sign that something terrible was about to happen.
*********
Yes, good, Xander thought as he smiled genuinely at Buffy's joke. This is how it should be. Us working all together. We'll figure this out. Looking once again at the book he held, the one filled with weird words and hardly any pictures, he started to have doubts. He glanced up again at the off chance he might engage someone in another joke. Nope. Everyone was working. Okay this is bad, he mused. My optimism already wore off. That might be a record. Come on, Xander, you can do this. You scared away a vampire tonight. He smiled at that thought, his confidence renewed. Nothing can stop us now. Then he heard a sound, an almost electrical static. "I just never learn, do I?" he muttered just before a horrendous looking demon grabbed him.
He had just enough time to hear Anya scream his name and see the horrified looks on his friends' faces before a strange and unpleasant feeling overtook his body. The next thing he knew he was in a weird room, his body momentarily disorientated. He fell to a seated position as the demon moved to stand in front of him. Then it changed. Instead of the flashy, horned, and strangely coiffed demon he'd seen grab him, in its place stood a sturdy ox of a demon with black eyes, talons, and slightly scaly skin in a color that vaguely reminded him of Kermit the Frog. Weirder still, it spoke in perfect English.
"Here, you're going to need this." The demon held out a chain which held a large, globe pendant. "I suggest you put it on."
"Who are you? Why am I here?"
The demon smiled, though the effect was more unnerving than amusing. "Sorry. This evil villain doesn't tell all his secrets, even if the hero isn't supposed to be around afterwards."
Xander laughed nervously. "Not one for clichés, huh? But it always works in the movies." He eyed the chain skeptically.
"If you don't put it on, you'll die. I can almost guarantee that."
Xander sighed and took the chain in a slightly shaking hand. It felt heavy as he slipped it on, and he almost expected to catch on fire or turn into a toad as soon as it settled around his neck. Nothing happened except a slight, momentary tingling sensation. As he settled the odd necklace on his chest, he caught site of a door.
The demon moved his body slightly to block his path to the exit before Xander even had the chance to try for it.
"Don't make me chase you. You won't like it if I get mad."
I already don't like it," he replied.
"Well, you'll like it less. Now listen carefully. You can continue to be scared, just pay attention while doing it."
Eyes darting back to the demon's, Xander tried to keep them there without totally losing his barely restrained sanity. His brain, however, kept chanting Oh, God. Oh, God.
The demon continued. "This pendant will keep you safe. There isn't much magic where you're going so you'll need to keep it on at all times. It's like a small piece of magic energy trapped in there. Without it, the protection spells I'm about to cast on you won't work, and then well… let's just say it will be messy."
Xander wanted to ask more questions, but was afraid to interrupt the demon as he cast his spells. Either they really were protection spells and he'd mess them up, or they were evil spells and he'd mess them up. Either way the results were likely to be bad. Good, the need for quiet will give me time to calm down, he thought, but the spells were over quickly, so Xander blurted out a question anyway. "What do I need protection from? And why do you want to protect me? You are the bad guy, right? Stupid, you're not supposed to remind the evil demon that he's the bad guy.
"I need you alive for now. That's all you need to know. Oh, and that if you lose that pendant, you won't last long." He dumped a good-sized leather bag on his lap. "Better hold on to this, too. It's enough food and water for a few days. I'm not sure when I'll be there next."
"Days?" Xander almost choked.
"Well days for you, not for me. Don't worry, you'll have company." The demon chuckled and Xander began to suspect he'd rather not have whatever company he referred to. "Hold on tight to your bag. This first step is a doozy." He raised his taloned fingers.
"Wait, wait. Can't I just stay here? I won't be a problem at all… Ungh!"
Okay that spell was quick too, Xander thought from his new position on his back. The surface wasn't the most comfortable, but the aching in his entire body made him decide to stay put for the moment. Instead, he checked to see that he still held his leather bag and that his pendant was intact. He closed his eyes and tried to think of what he should do now, or at least what he should do as soon as his body stopped hurting.
"Oh good, I was staring to get hungry."
I know that voice, Xander thought. Don't open your eyes. Don't open your eyes.
"Oh, come on, Xander. It'll be more fun if your eyes aren't closed." His new companion encouraged.
Xander opened his eyes. Stupid! Of course now that he saw, there was no denying it. Angelus! My company is Angelus! Suddenly Xander wished he were back with the scaly demon again.
The vampire moved closer then crouched beside him. Xander watched Angelus' hand extend to touch his shoulder, almost mesmerized. It made no sense to even try to move. In his state, his body wouldn't make it more than a few steps before he was caught. Just as the hand was about to make contact, Angelus yanked his hand back as it if it had been scorched.
"What the f…?" He tried again with the same result.
At first Xander watched the vampire's eyes flash in frustration and barely restrained rage as the demon paced like a trapped animal, but then his look seemed to change, the rage replaced by resignation and… amusement? Angelus walked back and looked down at him.
"So I guess you're not dinner after all. Doesn't mean we can't have some fun, huh, Harris?" He crouched beside him again. "We can discuss old times, like the many ways you always seem to end up in these situations. And I can tell you all about my plans for what I'll do to your friends when I get back to Sunnydale." He smiled evilly. "Later you can watch me hunt. I'm sure the next one will be a nice, ripe young thing. You can watch me hunt her down." He leaned down close to his ear. "Maybe I'll give you first crack at her."
"Oh, God," Xander said, and Angelus chuckled and walked away. "You rest. I'll see you soon."
Watching him walk away, Xander assessed his situation. He had no idea what a powerful demon had planned for his future. For the present, he was in a barren wasteland with no way to get back. He had a few days worth of food and water, and now, presumably, he had only Angelus as his "company." He truly was in Hell.
Xander decided that now, officially, things couldn't get any worse.
TBC
