Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire
Chp.57
Theories and Thoughts
Wesley lays the book down on the desk as Giles sits in stunned silence on the edge of it.
The words of what he'd asked to appear are still magically appearing across the pages before the watchers eyes. Giles quickly glances from the book, and back down to make sure his eyes aren't playing tricks on him. "Where," he gasps, not able to find words. These books had been lost for over a millennia. The counsel had been trying to retrieve them for centuries, but for some reason they weren't able to pinpoint where they might have been. He slowly reaches out a hand to make sure that they are tangible, to make sure that his mind hasn't imagined the find. He comes back to his senses, as his hand ghosts over the pages. "How on earth did you happen to come into possession of this? These books have been lost for over a millennia." His eyes come to rest on the bookcase behind the desk, from which Wesley had retrieved the mystical parchment. "There's supposedly more of them, at least three that I know of." His gaze comes to rest on Wesley. "Do you happen to possess the whole collection?"
Wesley can't help but to smile at the way Rupert Giles, Watcher extraordinaire, has been reduced to a twenty-something, red head, by the name of Willow. He almost laughs at the rambling, older man. "You've heard of the books." It's not a question, and Giles doesn't answer. Even if it had been a question he still wouldn't have gotten an answer, because Giles had already gone back to being hypnotized by the book. "Of course you have." He sighs, as he watches Giles touch the book as if it were some kind of Holy Grail or what all. "As for your questions." Giles' attention is on the researcher now. "The complete set of books were given to me when I agreed to sign on at Wolfram, and Hart.
Giles nods his head in total understanding. The books had been payment for the mortal soul he'd signed away to the evil law firm. The problem of that is, Giles doesn't know who'd gotten the worst end of the deal.
Having not recognized the thoughtful expression of the other man, Wesley soldiers on in explaination. "As I said before, I have already checked every reference that I could that are in the building. I left this avenue until you had gotten the story from Buffy and Spike.
"I can't vouche for Spike, seeing as he is his stubborn self. Explained that Buffy had remembered everything in perfect detail." His blue eyes meet the gaze of the younger mans blue orbs. "I plan to talk to him soon about the experience, but time is of the esscense, we can't possibly know if what occured could happen again."
"Of course, as I was saying I'd already checked all of my resources, every single piece of information only turned up the name of the amulet. Then while you were speaking about the meeting I had an epiphany, if you will."
Giles looks on in interest.
"I had to ask myself, what if Buffy had chosen to be with Spike? Willed herself to go where he did. Of course she didn't do it consciously, but her soul called for it, couldn't let him go without a fight. Maybe it thought that his demise were a useless waste. As I had this in my mind, the only thing I couldn't come to a conclusion about is what the catalyst of it might have been. The one theory that I could come up with is maybe somehow Buffy touched him while the amulet was empowering him. How she could've touched him is beyond my reckoning, but it may have occured."
"I hadn't thought of that, and didn't think what happened in the Hellmouth would've have been pertinent to the situation."
"Maybe their souls are supposed to be together, where ever they might end up." Wesley continues. "So that whatever happened to Spike down there, Buffy's soul automatically felt it and decided it wasn't giving him up without a fight."
Giles sits in retrospective silence as he thinks upon what Wesley had come up with. His thumb and fore finger pinches lightly at his chin, as the scenario runs through his mind. He comes to the conclusion that it's a brilliant assumption, and definately not one he'd have come up with. He knows he must now speak with Buffy about what had happened down there after the other slayers had left. He eyes the anxious man in front of him. "So, you're suggesting that in some way a soul transferrance has occured? I've heard of the theory, but I've never heard of it actually happening. It does seem to make a bit of sense, and I certainly wouldn't have thought of it. It's brilliant."
Wesley doesn't show any outward signs of how ecstatic he is at the compliment, the only sign being a certain light that had come into his eyes.If you hadn't been looking at him, which Giles hadn't been, you wouldn't have noticed it, for it had only been there for a second. He'd always been one-uped by the other watcher, now the game had been changed, The-Watcher-That-Couldn't-Be-Replaced, had been beaten by The-Watcher-Of-Bumbling-Idiocy.
His elation lasted, but a second, but the memory would last a lifetime.
They still had to research the theory, but with the books they'd already gotten a good start. The only thing that they needed now was the information that both Buffy and Spike could provide. With that they'd be able to make the theory into concrete evidence of an actual Soul Transferrence occuring. The evidence would be a pivotal advancement in the world of mystic anomalies.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce and Rupert 'Ripper' Giles could have just made the discovery of the 21st century. The only problem would be actually proving it.