A/N: Hello all! ***waves to readers*** how are things? I like totally forgot to wise you all a merry (insert you holiday here) ***pout*** So… um… I guess, happy belated (insert your holiday here). Anyway, to make for my absent mindedness I added a little something extra for all you wonderful people! An opening with Giles! Our favourite Watcher! Yay! Just a funny little chapter opening about what's been going on with the G-Man whilst our Slayer kicks some king-demon ass. Enjoy!

            To Caltimere: Thanks for the Happy Holiday note. It made me remember I forgot to wise you one! I think it's safe to say you've become my loyalist reviewer. Here ya go! ***hands plaque with 'Most Loyal Reviewer' on it.

            To A Watcher: I always thought Xander was kick-ass awesome (favourite word) and even though he's not a Slayer or Witch or Wicca, he just kicks ass. He's Xander! Duh!

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Chapter Seventeen- Keys to War

                        Rupert Giles the former Watcher of Buffy the Vampire Slayer realized, while reading a big leather book on ancient demons, that he hadn't checked his messages in over a week. Normally, the British-born man would've checked his phone messages everyday but he had been so exhausted that he hadn't been able to.

            The Watcher had just been so busy. What with convincing Dawn, the sister of the Slayer, to start High School again and training the New Slayers, he'd hardly had time to think. And on top of that, his body hadn't fully recovered from the battle with the First.

            And during all that, Giles had been worrying over Buffy. It bothered him that he was no longer able to control Buffy. He wasn't her Watcher anymore; she would no longer come to him with her problems. To add to that, during the battle with the First, Giles and Buffy had ended their friendly relationship all together. She had made sure he knew that she no longer needed him. Giles supposed he deserved it, after what he did to Spike, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

            Giles suspected that was one of the reasons the Slayer hadn't let him go to Bayville with her. He was 'disposable' now. Not necessary. Unimportant.

            Robin Wood, former principal of Sunnydale High School as well as a son of Nikki the Vampire Slayer, rushed up to Giles with an unpleased look upon his dark face. But then Giles wasn't surprised. Robin had been unpleased all week, ever since his lover Faith had left. The Watcher wasn't sure what had brought those two together, but he supposed it had mellowed Faith out. A little, anyway.

            "What can I do you for, Robin?" Giles asked, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. He had a headache and would probably need to go to sleep soon. Now that Vi was over her stomach virus, Rona had started a day-job and Kennedy was done trying to e-mail Willow, he just might be able to sleep.

            "Nothing." Robin answered, "Just came to get a book. Boredom can be a disease you. Gotta protect myself against the virus."

            "Hmmm. Yes." Giles answered, half-asleep. He was very well aware that boredom can kill when given to a person in large doses.

            Robin smiled at Giles, whose head was drooping, "Giles, you look dead on you feet. Why don't you go to bed? I'll make sure the New Slayers sleep on time." the principal offered.

            Giles stood from his chair, more thankful then words could describe, "Thank you… thank you…"

            Robin laughed pounded Giles on the back and walked out, "Go to sleep, Watcher. You're a daddy again and need your rest because of it."

            Giles stood perfectly still at Robin's words. At first in shock at what that meant and then he smiled. Long and full. Robin was right, he was a daddy again. To these girls Buffy had chosen to take under her wing, he wouldn't be Watcher. He'd be father. He'd been a father to Buffy and now he was going to be the father to her sisters.

            "America is making me soft." Giles said, "Here I am getting sentimental over being a bloody parent. I must go back to England soon."

            Still smirking he walked away. Just as he reached his room he remembered he still had to check his messages. Groaning, Giles turned and headed for the kitchen were the answering machine was kept.

            Leaning against the wall, Giles pressed the button on the machine and yawned. The first call was a telemarketer. Nothing interesting. Then Giles bolted upright as he heard Buffy's silvery voice come over the speaker.

            "Hi Giles, it's me Buffy. I just called to tell you I think I got a clue. So 'ginkizes' and all that. Anyway, there's some weird writing on this medallion I found. I think it's German and since you're the wiz, I was wondering what this meant." Giles listened carefully as she said them, wincing as Buffy pronounced the German words poorly, "And as far as my number, not going to give it to you. The last thing I need is that Andrew stalking me. Gotta go now. Faith's trying to convince me to have a sex orgy with some guys she picked up at a bar. They're kinda hot; I think I might let myself be convinced. See ya."

            "German words… wait, what sex orgy? Blast it! Why wasn't I here to answer the phone?" Cursing, Giles closed his eyes and tried to wipe out the mental pictures of Buffy and Faith and her cronies. Shuddering, he forced the mental images to leave him. Instead he concentrated on the German words, "Am heiligen Tag führt es zu? Acht Wege vom Sonntag?"

            Giles, who's German was a little rusty, pondered over the words. Suddenly the meaning came to him and his eyes widened. This was not good! He lunged for the phone just in time to remember that he didn't know Buffy's number.

            "Bloody hell." Giles said, closing his eyes. All because Buffy found Andrew annoying! Wouldn't she like to know that Andrew had gone out to Mexico again?

            "Buffy." Giles groaned, "You are the most undisciplined youth I have ever laid eyes on." Then he remembered Xander and Faith. Maybe not.

            All he knew is he wasn't going to get any sleep.

                        Even as the Earth shook with tremors as if in labor, the X-Men and Ori did not stop their fight with the vampires and Jake. All of them were bloodied and battle torn. Jean and Scott the worst from the beating by Jake.

            Jean had long slashed up and down her arms and legs, not to mention a nasty cut on the side of her neck from crashing into the ground. The battle wounds Scott totted so far was a brutal slash across the cheek as well as cut across his chest. Ori was managing to hold her own as of that moment, but her moments had slowed drastically.

            Then suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Jean saw Kitty and Lance walk through the rocks that had closed the path to the crypt. Relief swelled within her now that she knew her teammate was okay. She almost smiled when she realized that Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the Brotherhood member Colossus was not with them. She opened her mouth to demand of Kitty what happened…

            When Scott's voice ripped into her head, "JEAN!!! LOOK OU!" Jean turned back to Jake just in time to see him raise his hand and shot his power at her. Jean was blown back by an invisible force and was slammed against a tree.

            Stars burst in her eyes as pain wrapped its claws around her shoulder. She heard it snap and knew her shoulder was dislodged from its position. She groaned in pain and gripped her new wound.

            Farther away, Ori turned when she heard Jean's cry of pain. Her guard drop and the vampire she was fighting used it to his advantage. The vamp lunged forward and grabbed the stake from Ori's hand. Remembering what she was doing, Ori wheeled around to defend herself. But it was already too late.

            The vamp slammed the stake into her unguarded stomach and she released a howl of pain. As the blood poured from her new wound, she raised her hand and shot her gold power. It hit the vampire right in the heart and he burst into dust. Ori pressed her hands against her wound and the blood seeped between her fingers. Her energy left her and she slumped to the ground, only to be caught by Lance, who moved her away, with Kitty helping.

            Jake smirked and disappeared, deciding to finish the fight later.

            Scott rushed towards Jean. Had anyone been able to look into his eyes, they would have seen panic, fear and love as the young man rushed to the young woman.

            "Jean?" Scott asked bending down to Jean, "Is it broken?"

            "No." Jean answered through gritted teeth, "I think it's just disconnected. I'm fine. Oh my God, Ori." Jean said, her eyes rising to look behind Scott.

            Scott turned and watched as Lance and Kitty approached them. In Lance's arms was Ori, who was clutching a deadly stomach wound. She groaned in pain every time Lance moved.

            "We need to get her to a hospital." Scott said and glared when Lance shook his head.

            "No, it's to far away. Ori will be dead by the time we get there." He pointed, "She's losing too much blood already. We take her to Buffy's apartment. There's a Wicca there that can heal her."

            "Well, let's go." Scott said and helped Jean to her feet. As they hurried along the darkened streets, no one asked Kitty or Lance about Buffy or Colossus. In truth, they already knew what had become of the pair.

            They moved to Scott's car and Lance handed Ori over to Kitty. They placed Ori's head gently on Kitty's lap. Kitty stroked the golden girl's head and tried to soothe the pain away.

            The drive to Buffy's apartment seemed longer then it had originally been. Everyone in the sporty red car knew that Ori's life depended on how fast they could reach Willow the Witch.

            Finally, Scott pulled in front of the apartment complex. Scott and Lance hopped out while Jean used her physic powers to try to lift Ori. She managed to get the golden girl up the two fleets of stairs before her head started to pound again. Scott then took Ori in his arms and they made their way to the top floor.

            When they reached to door that lead to Buffy's apartment, Scott kicked it open. Everyone within the room, Willow, Sidney, Gambit, Pyro and Faith, jumped up from their seats in on the couch and at the kitchen table with a jolt.

            Pyro's eyes widened at the sight of Ori, bloodied and broken, in Scott's arms. He rushed forward and helped Scott placed the golden mutant on the couch. Ori moaned and clutched at her wound.

            "Can you here me, luv?" Pyro asked of Ori. Golden eyes fluttered but then Ori sighed and fell back asleep.

            Willow took immediate charge, "Move aside." she ordered pushing Pyro away, "I have to heal her quickly. She's already lost to much blood."

            Willow placed her hands over the wound on Ori's stomach. Ancient chants, thick in Latin, rose from her lips and Willow glowered with the magick. The bloody wound Ori totted began to glow as well. Then it began to heal and Ori drew in a long deep breath. Willow, completely spent, fell backwards but Faith was there to catch her.

            Ori's eyes fluttered open and Pyro helped her lean forward. Weakly she mumbled, "I'll kill him." and promptly collapsed against Pyro.

            A little uncomfortable, Pyro placed Ori gently back down on the couch. Faith leaned Willow, who was falling asleep as well, on the floor. Willow curled and began to snore.

            Then Faith looked up at the new arrivals to the small apartment and noticed that two people were missing. Quietly, trying to keep her voice from creaking, she said, "Where's Buffy and Colossus?"

            Kitty lowered her head and said grimly, "We were like trapped in the crypt. The floor was coming apart. Buffy… she told us to… to leave Colossus and her… behind." Her eyes watered, "They have to be like dead now."

            Willow heard that and her eyes fluttered open, "No," she whispered, "Buffy's not dead. She can't be dead! She's survived worst then this! Faith tell them!"
            "Willow…" Faith said helplessly, "I don't think that they would lie."
            "NO!" Willow cried and collapsed again.

            "Perhaps the witch is right, mon ami. Are you sure that they couldn't 'ave escaped?" Gambit asked.

            "No, damnit!" Lance shouted, "There was no other way out expect that one and we were trapped! Buffy knew it!"

            "Damnit, B." Faith whispered.

            In the kitchen, Sidney stood. Her eyes were filled with sadness, though there were no tears. She hadn't cried in years. Besides her, stood the ghosts Ann, Jack and Eve. Ann was sobbing and Eve scowled. Jack looked over at Sidney and saw the sadness in her eyes. He reached out for her hand, but Sidney moved away.

            "Buffy…" Sidney whispered, "what will we do now that you're dead?"

            "Friggin' idiot." Eve cursed and moved away before Jack could grab her earlobe, "Why the hell didn't you think to ask me if she's alive or not? Aren't I a frickin' Slayer? What moron doesn't know that? I would know if Buffy's dead or not."

            Sidney jerked her head to Eve, "Buffy's not dead?" she said out loud and everyone's head whipped around to look at the pale young woman.

            "No shit Sherlock." Eve said sarcastically and Jack slapped her upside the head. Eve shot him a glare and moved away.

            "Guys," Sidney said smiling, "Eve says Buffy and Colossus aren't dead! She can feel them and she knows they aren't dead."
            Relief washed through the room, but it was quickly lost when Xander, along with Tabitha, swept into the room.

            "Like Mr. Harris, too?" Kitty said in shock.

            Xander didn't even look at Kitty as he said, "Guys we got a problem! Vampires are everywhere. They're going on a killing spree. All the people in the mall are dead! This could be beginning of another war."

            "Great, the world gets threatened by supernatural war the one time Buffy let herself be buried under piles of rock and stone." Faith said angrily.

            "Wait, what? Buffy's what?" Xander said hotly.

            "These are the keys to war." Ann said in a mysterious voice that no one heard.

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            ***throws hands up*** And I'm spent! No, really that was actually a hard chapter to write. See, nothing interesting is really gonna happen to TB until after we find out what happens to Buffy and Colossus so I had to come up with an idea to make this chapter. So what do I do? I stab my original character! Oh, aren't I wonderful? Anyway, REVIEW (please?) this chapter and stay tuned for chapter eighteen Bain the Hell Guardian. Buffy and Colossus wake up in a fiery hellish place and they have to find a way out. But WAIT! Furia attacks, but not Buffy…? Can the Slayer turn away from someone in need? Even a demon?

                        "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes. After that, who cares? ...He's a mile away and you've got his shoes." –Billy Connolly