Chapter 9

Deciding to take a well-deserved rest, Xander chose to sit at the lounge while Buffy moved to the fireplace, warming her hands in the radiant warmth. The rest of the group followed, including Angel whom had just entered the room and moved to stand in the area between the lounge and fireplace, leaving Xander to sit at the lounge listening in as the conversation started up again.

"Okay so you found the library. I thought we were supposed to be searching for the important artefact." Buffy groused at Giles.

"Indeed, but I believe what we found was far more important." Giles replied excitedly, holding up the old leather book with Barnstead Manor printed on it.

"An original print?" Xander inquired, receiving a withering look from Giles for his effort.

Giles turned back to Buffy and explained, "It is the diary kept by the Watchers stationed in this manor and this contains entries made by the Watcher whom was stationed here after the Hell's Gate key was placed in the manor."

Cordelia was heard mumbling, "Now he uses the name." Before Buffy requested the catch up lecture.

"The what exactly?"

"That is the name of the artefact we were sent to retrieve and possibly destroy." Giles clarified before continuing his earlier line of thought. "This Watcher, James Rutherford, states that this man, Michael McKinley…" Giles opened the book to a page revealing a photo, "…Was the man responsible for placing the wards on the house and according to Rutherford when he tried to query the wards with McKinley, he was informed by McKinley's estate that he had disappeared some 2 months previous. The exact time that the wards had been placed on the manor."

"So mojo guy disappeared, what are you thinking?" Buffy queried distracted as she watched Angel who had been standing on the fringes of the group, move closer into the group, positioning himself in the space between Oz and Giles.

"Well according to the diary, Rutherford contacted the Watcher's Council querying the information, but was informed they knew nothing about McKinley's disappearance and assumed given the troubles that perhaps McKinley had gone into hiding."

"So he screwed the Council over and then skipped town?" Xander questioned, summarizing in the process.

"Not quite. Imagine Rutherford's surprise when he found a plaque in the front foyer, the same one Cordelia found earlier, indicating McKinley's death." Giles shut the book and looked at the collected group, a smug look on his face at proving the importance of their find.

The rest of the group stood in silence, thinking on what they had been told. The silence was then broken by Xander who looked to Cordelia and queried sulkily, "You found a plaque and didn't tell me?" 

Cordelia rolled her eyes before responding, "You disappeared."

"Oh, okay." Xander remarked, perking back up immediately, before turning to Giles, "So what happened to Rutherford?"

Willow answered for him, "He disappeared too."

"So McKinley did something to the house, then he died and…" Buffy finally devoted all her attention to the conversation as she started to see what her Watcher was getting at. "Wait, you said the Council didn't know anything about McKinley's disappearance, but somebody knew because they put the plaque there, so this is bad."

"Conspiracy bad. We're thinking bad mojo." Willow confirmed.

"So McKinley died and he's haunting this house and killing people, but where's the motive." Buffy confused.

"This décor." Cordelia stated offhandedly, seeing the looks from the rest of the group, she motioned to the walls with her hands, "Well look at it, it would drive me to kill."

There was a scratchy laugh from Angel, whom snidely remarked, "And you lot would drive anyone to kill."

Before anyone could query the comment, Oz was flying across the room, before landing on the coffee table in front of the couch where Xander was sat. Oz landed with a groan as the table smashed with the force and his leg was trapped under him at an unnatural angle.

Willow rushed to Oz's side and with help from Xander moved him away from the destroyed table.  

Giles instantly grabbed a lamp off a table behind him and slammed it into the back of a distracted Angel's head, eliciting a growl and causing the vampire to stagger forward a step. Angel turned around, his vampiric features at the forefront and picked the Watcher up by his throat, tightening his grip until Giles could no longer breath. Sensing Buffy moving towards him Angel threw Giles into one of the walls of bookcases, before swiftly turning back to Buffy.

Giles' head connected with a bookcase, causing a shelf to collapse, sending books raining down onto the Watcher, whom was now laid motionless on the floor under a pile of books.

Xander had clambered out of his blanket and off of the couch to help Willow move Oz away from the table. Xander then moved back to the table remnants on the floor, picking up the largest piece of wood he could find. He went to move off with it, when Willow quickly moved up beside him, stopping him with a hand on his arm.

"You can't." Willow implored, her tone shaky.

"I'm not going to kill him Will, just maim. Then you can do that soul spell again."

"Promise?" Her tone fully serious.

"Scout's honour."

Willow frowned at that answer, making Xander confirm again, "I swear Will."

Willow nodded and moved her hand, allowing Xander to approach the distracted Angel.

Cordelia staggered backwards trying to get out of the way as Angel grabbed Giles and sent him flying into a bookcase. Cordelia stood stock still as Angel then turned to Buffy his face twisted in an evil grin as he started his taunts and grabbed her by her throat. Not sure what to do next, Cordelia turned to Xander for guidance, just in time to see him stop talking to Willow before taking of in the direction of Angel with a piece of broken table. Cordelia watched anxiously, worried Angel would hear him approach, but to her relief Xander managed to hit Angel hard and the follow up blow sending Angel falling to the ground. Seeing Xander eventually lift the wood in a move to impale Angel, Cordelia started to move forward, glad the situation was again in hand.

Then Buffy grabbed Xander's hand, making Cordelia stop in her tracks and watch the discussion between the two, before the situation again took a turn for the worst.

TBC…