Chapter 9
December 27th continued…
"Mom! Are you home?" Buffy called. There was no answer. "Huh. She must still be at Giles'. Let's go." They got into Buffy's car. Xander and Anya had dropped them off and not stayed. It was nearly a 3-hour drive for them to get back home from Sunnydale. Ten minutes later, because Sebastian drove, they pulled up in front of the Watcher's apartment.
"Giles, we're here! So, what's up with the latest apocalypse?"
"Buffy, I'd like you to meet Reginald Hastings, my good friend and colleague of many years. Reggie, this is Buffy Summers, and Sebastian Pierce."
Reggie hastened to shake their hands. "I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Summers. You are quite a novelty in Council history."
"Please, call me Buffy. Now, what does the Council want me to do?" she asked, getting right to the point. The group took their seats in the living room.
"Well, you see, an artifact was stolen from the vault, along with an unidentified scroll. The Amulet of Talraska is fairly powerful on its own, but it is also the headpiece for the Staff of Talraska, said to give the wielder ultimate power to do what they wish. Now, the shaft has been lost for several centuries, but if one were to find it-"
"The world goes boom. Don't you guys have people you can send after a thief?" Buffy wondered.
"If it were only that simple. You see, to break into Council Headquarters, you have to go through both a physical and magical security system. Two teams infiltrated the building at night, one going down to the vault, where they knew exactly where the Amulet would be, and the other team heading upstairs to the conference room. The entire senior staff was in a least meeting before the holiday, and they slaughtered every one in a quick, precision strike. You will no longer have to deal with Mr. Travers, Buffy."
"Really? Eh, um…I'm sorry to hear about that…Why kill all the guys in charge? Why not just take the doohickey and run?"
"We don't know. It could be a personal grudge. It could have been just to throw us into chaos…delay the search for the Amulet. We did send a team right away, as soon as someone discovered a problem, but the perpetrators vanished. Miss Summers…Buffy…we need to get that Amulet back. God only knows what will happen with it in the hands of evil. I'll understand if you refuse, though. I know you don't have any reason to trust the Council, based on your past history," Reginald replied.
"You're right, I don't. But…you're a good friend of Giles, and I know he wouldn't even let you in here to talk to me if he didn't trust you. How long do I have to think about it? There's stuff I'd need to do, if I'm going to be gone for a while."
"I'm scheduled to leave on Monday. I know that isn't much time, but I can't afford to be away any longer than that."
"If I do this, I do it my way. I want full support and backing for whatever I might need to track down this amulet thing. That includes anyone I think needs to come with me," she said seriously.
"That shouldn't be a problem. We have been working non-stop since this disaster to come up with anything that might help. You'll know what we know," he promised.
"Okay. Then, I'll let you know." Buffy rose from her seat. "Well, it's been a long day, already, and we still have to unpack…"
"Go ahead, Buffy. I'll talk to you tomorrow," said Giles. She smiled gratefully.
"Mom, I'll be over at Sebastian's tonight. Later." Once she and Sebastian were back at the car, she spoke again. "You were pretty quiet in there. Don't tell me you're feeling shy around a stranger."
"Hmm? No it isn't that. I'm just concerned. This is very serious, Buffy."
"Yeah, I kinda caught the omens of doom. Do you know something about the amulet?"
"I've read the legend. Talraska was one of the Old Ones – a really nasty and powerful one. He was only defeated when his staff was stolen somehow, and broken. One of its powers is said to be mind control, and he had a whole nation of demons under his influence. When the staff was broken, the demons were free, and chaos ensued, enabling the attacking army to storm his fortress and kill Talraska. It's said he is entombed in the Deeper Well now…"
"Well, if I do this…if we do this, where do we start? Reggie says the thieves disappeared. Do you think the bad guy will go boasting that he got it away from the Watchers?"
"Not if they have half a brain. Any demon with a quest for power would be on them in a heartbeat to steal it away. There is one grace, however…"
"What's that?" she asked, turning down the street that led to his apartment.
"The Order possesses the remains of the shaft."
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"Thank you so much for your help, girls."
"Will the shield be enough?" Willow asked.
"It should be, at least long enough for us to escape to safety undetected. You both are welcome to stay as long as you like, but I suppose you have obligations at home," Althanea replied.
"Yeah, we do. Otherwise, you know we'd love to visit for a while," said Tara.
"But we'll stay for dinner, though!" Willow added. "We can teleport home in the morning."
"As you like."
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"Are you sure Joyce won't mind that you didn't go home right away?" Kara asked.
"Nah…you know how much she loves you guys," Dawn replied.
"I just don't want her to be worried because she doesn't know where you are."
"I'm sure Buffy will tell her I rode with you. I'll be home tonight, anyway, right?"
"Yeah, Bit. I'm heading up to patrol this evening," Spike replied.
"Cool. Then there's no problem. Besides, I can keep an eye on the twins while you two carry everything inside," she said, smiling sweetly.
The girls were lifted out of the truck, still in their car seats, and carried inside. Spike and Kara went to unload the bed, while Dawn unbuckled the twins and carried them up to their bedroom. Both were sound asleep. She turned on the baby monitor and left the door open, before heading down stairs to look for a snack. She placed the speaker for the monitor on the counter.
"Hey! Your fridge, is like, totally bare!"
"We weren't going to leave food in there to rot for a week, silly. Get your butt out here to help, if you're just going to sit around," Kara said.
"Eh, I'll go check on the Freckles." Dawn made a hasty retreat to the backyard and rounded the house, to the large kennel along the eastern side. She didn't get the leash attached to his collar before he shot out the door, and went running. "Oh, shoot!"
Spike came through the side gate, letting Batou into the yard, and chuckled, watching Dawn chase the beagle all over, trying to catch him. The dog would let her get close, then take off again just when she lunged to grab him. After seeing her fall on her butt a second time, he whistled for the beagle. The dog came running and begged for a treat.
"No fair!" she complained. "I thought they didn't like you much."
"That was before I moved in. There hasn't been a problem since I quit smokin'."
"Oh. Ick, I'm all sweaty!"
Spike draped his arm around her shoulders. "Don' worry about it. You're still just as beautiful, Niblet."
She bumped her hip against his, as they walked back to the front of the house. "Liar."
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"Mmm, Chinese food is the best!" Dawn said later.
"Part of a standard college diet," said Kara. "Pass the shrimp."
"It's better in Chinatown," Spike added, biting into a hot pepper. Dawn and Kara's eyes started watering just from sitting near him.
"Well, we don't live near there, so you're just going to have to deal. Did you eat all the shrimp?"
"Uh, maybe…" he muttered.
"Spike!"
"They go good with blood!"
"Oh, eew! You dip food in your blood? That is totally gross!"
"It's like dippin' biscuits in milk," he replied.
"By 'biscuits', he means cookies," Kara explained.
"I remember. Have you always done the dipping thing?" Dawn wondered.
"Yup." Spike grinned and bit into another hot pepper. He squeezed the juice into his mug, then popped the rest into his mouth.
"I am so not kissing you until you brush your teeth!" Kara declared.
"Luv…!"
"Nuh-uh. I am not interested in dragon breath."
Dawn rolled her eyes, smiling. She had a faint memory of her parents still being friendly with each other and teasing, a happy point before Hank started practically living at his office. She'd never admit it, well, probably…but she viewed Kara and Spike as her model for how a happy couple should be. Her parents obviously weren't, Buffy was just neurotic enough to screw it up with even Sebastian, Xander and Anya were too weird, and Willow and Tara had things a bit different because they were both girls. Her mom and Giles seemed to be doing pretty well, but they played down their relationship around her and Buffy, trying to not make them uncomfortable. In Dawn's eyes, they didn't need to, but maybe Buffy felt differently. They hadn't talked about it.
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Sunday…
Giles called a meeting in the morning. He was going to do a conference call with half the group, until Willow and Tara popped in on their own. That left Xander and Anya, and Kara at home with the twins. Buffy set it up, then indicated he could start.
"It's all you, Giles."
"Yes, um, is everyone there?"
"Loud and clear, G-man." "Go ahead, Giles."
"Yes, well, first, I want to introduce everyone to Reggie. We've known each other a long time, and he is the reason I've called this meeting. Reggie?"
"Hello. Could I get all your names, please?"
Willow raised her hand first and recited her name, followed by Tara.
"This is Anya, Giles' equal partner in The Magic Box. I'd love to negotiate an arrangement to provide the Council with all of their magic supplies." "Not the time, Ahn. I'm Xander. I went to high school with Buffy and Willow."
"Kara Browning, here. And if you hear any baby noises in the background, those are my twins, Anastasia and Lillian. Is Spike there, yet?"
"Not yet, Kara. He said he was taking the sewers," Giles answered.
"Should we wait, then?" Reggie asked.
"No, go ahead. I can fill him in later," Kara said.
"Alright, then. As I told Miss Summers yesterday, it has been a chaotic time for us. On Christmas Eve, when the building was mostly empty, Council Headquarters was infiltrated by two groups that we're assuming were mercenaries, or private soldiers. One group made their way up to the conference room, where the senior staff was in session for a last meeting before the holiday break; and the other went deep under the building to our most protected vaults, and stole two items. They disarmed both the physical and mystical security systems without raising the alarms, and traveled through the building without making a sound. Every Department Head for the Watcher's Council was killed."
"No more Travers? Can't say I'm sorry about that," Xander said, interrupting.
"Yes, I'm aware that my former employer had a…less than pleasant reputation. Anyway, we dispatched a team to try to track the perpetrators as soon as the crime was discovered, but it was no use. The group seems to have just disappeared."
"That's a lot of magical skill they used," Willow observed. "That would take a very powerful being, or demons with some kind of innate ability…" She was taking notes as Reggie spoke.
"Exactly. That is one thing that makes this event so disturbing. The gravest problem lies in an item that was taken: The Amulet of Talraska."
Kara gasped. "Oh, dear God…"
"Kara, is it? You've heard of the Amulet?"
There was silence over the line as she took a moment. "Yeah, I have. I was with the army that defeated Talraska. It was my job to get the staff," she admitted, old memories of a very bloody day coming to mind.
"How is that possible?" Reggie asked, bewildered.
"Kara is also Kalari Elbereth of Ossiriand, Reggie. She carries Kalari's memories of her 10,000-year-long life," Giles replied.
"Bloody hell…an Old One come back to life…?"
"I am not an 'Old One'. I'm not a demon, Watcher," she growled. Silly mortal had no clue what kind of insult that was.
"My sincerest apologies, madam. I will make sure the records are corrected once this mess is over. Now, where was I…ah, yes, the Amulet. For those who do not know, the Amulet is the headpiece for a staff. The staff was broken into two pieces, and the shaft is somewhere unknown. It was lost to historical record several centuries ago. If the two pieces are reunited, the wielder will have the power to do anything they can imagine…destroy very worlds…"
"Gee, you'd think it was Tuesday," Spike quipped. He had entered quietly and no one had noticed him, yet. The Scoobies shared a rueful laugh, knowing all too well the truth in that statement.
The Watcher sighed at being interrupted again. "Therefore, with all of that in mind, we need the Slayer's help. I don't know what expertise any of you hold, besides the two registered witches, but I have agreed on behalf of the Council to allow Miss Summers to take whomever she deems necessary to retrieving the amulet. She has agreed to consider aiding us. As I am flying back to England tomorrow, there isn't much time to decide."
"Uh, Reggie? You mentioned there were two items stolen," Tara's soft voice reminded the man.
"Hmm? Oh, quite right…there was a scroll taken as well, though we don't know offhand which one it was. There are thousands kept in one vault, you see, and we have to check for the one that is missing. Unfortunately, that list has not been transferred to computer, yet, so the research team has to go through the catalogues by hand. Thank you for reminding me, Tara."
"You're welcome."
"That amulet is quite the legend, you know. It would have to be a very power-hungry demon to risk trying to possess it, since once everybody knows you've got it, they all try to take it from you. That should narrow down the search, actually. There are only so many that would know of the amulet, have the money for that kind of team, and the ego to think they can wield it. Just ask around Europe. Demons are bigger gossips than humans have ever been," Anya said simply.
"Are you into occult research, too, dear?"
"Oh, no! I was a vengeance demon for over a thousand years. You pick up things. Your books would know me as Anyanka."
"Goodness, Rupert! I had no idea of the…uniqueness of your team," Reggie said, astonished.
"Regular human, on this end, last I checked," Xander added.
Joyce took the opportunity to interject and invite Reggie out for a walk while the others discussed what they had just learned. She knew Xander had a habit of letting things slip, and didn't think the Watcher was ready to hear about Spike's vampire status, or that there was a Shadow Knight sitting on the couch with her daughter. He agreed with very little persuasion, and followed her out the door.
As soon as the door was closed, Kara let loose her first thought. "Buffy, this is a suicide mission."
"Huh?"
"I can guarantee whomever wanted that Amulet is wearing it right now, and there's no way you're getting it off them without falling under the influence of the amulet's mind control capability."
"Giles trained me to resist thralls," Buffy replied, as if that solved anything.
"This is nothing like that. You're mostly human. That Amulet enslaved an entire race of demons, Giles. She doesn't even have close to enough power to resist that."
"Then what do you suggest, Kara?" Sebastian asked.
"Your only prayer is to grab the amulet off them from behind. If you look at it when the wearer has noticed you, you're dead. The only other option is a full bombardment. Blow up the wearer and the Amulet, problem solved."
"We can do that! All we have to do is find the right demon," Buffy said, making it sound like a simple task. "Wills and Tara can make some kick-ass spells or potions – whatever – and we'll toast the guy. End of story, and we go home."
"Cocky, as usual," Spike muttered. This was a plan that required a lot of strategic timing, and a hell of a lot of luck. They would have to be in the right places at the exact right moment.
"I'll contact the Order. We deal with this kind of thing every day," Sebastian said, already getting up to use his phone.
"Wait…they asked for my help."
"And help they're getting. I'm not risking you on this. Let it be handled by professionals."
"Since when am I not a pro at stopping apocalypses! Hello! Slayer since I was 15!" Buffy exclaimed, her quick temper rising.
"Buffy, you know nothing of Europe, especially its darker, seedier, nooks and crannies. IF you could find the demon, there is no guarantee you'd be able to carry out whatever plan you might be thinking of. This isn't your standard Hellmouth problem. It's bigger."
"And what are you going to do? Run over there and command the mission?" she asked snidely. They weren't even bothering to keep their voices down in the kitchen.
"Yes, as a matter of fact." His steely blue eyes and grim determination left no doubt he was planning to do just that. Truth was, he missed it. Slaying a few demons every night wasn't exactly action for a career soldier.
"Then, I'm going, too."
"Oh, no, you're not! Did you not catch a word of what Kara said? She was there, Buffy! Besides, this isn't your fight. You quit the Council long ago. They don't have any hold over you," he pleaded.
"It's. My. Call," she ground out. Buffy turned on her heel and stalked out of the apartment, slamming the door hard enough to shake the dwelling. The others cringed at the sound.
Willow and Tara's faces were sympathetic. Giles walked over to where his scotch was hidden, and poured a glass. He handed it to the knight, who was still leaning against the counter where Buffy left him.
"You made the right call," Giles said quietly. The knight lifted his eyes and saw the understanding in the ex-Watcher's, and nodded. He swallowed the alcohol gratefully.
"Uh, we'll be going, now. Give us a head's up later," Xander said. They heard the phone quietly disconnect. Spike picked up the receiver and murmured something to Kara.
"May I, uh…?" Sebastian asked Giles, indicating the upstairs.
"Oh, of course. Take all the time you need." The knight headed off for some privacy, leaving just the four of them. "Willow, Tara, it's good to have you home. How are things at the Coven?"
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Sebastian walked into the Summers' home. "Dawn, is..?"
"She's in her room."
"Thanks." He took the steps two at a time, and came to a halt in front of Buffy's door. He took a deep, calming breath, let it out, and knocked. "Buffy? Can I come in, sweetheart? I'd like to talk with you."
"No!"
"Why not?" he asked carefully.
"Because you're an asshole!"
"Alright, I'm an asshole. Could I talk with you, please?"
"Go away, Sebastian. I'm not in the mood."
He sighed, and passed through the door, becoming solid again on the other side.
"Hey! I told you 'no'! That doesn't mean you can walk in like a ghost, or something!" she yelled.
"Buffy, just hush for a minute and hear me out, alright?" he pleaded.
She sat back down on her bed, holding Mr. Gordo in her lap. "Fine," she said sulkily.
"I love you, Buffy, and the most important thing to me is your safety. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you, if something went wrong." She picked at the comforter, not looking up at him, knowing that he meant every word. "I came up with a compromise."
"What kind of compromise?" she asked skeptically.
"I can't directly work with the Watcher's Council. A big part of the efficacy of the Order is that we remain in secret. We work in secret, strike quickly, and disappear before anyone's sure who did what. So, the only way this works is to have them think that you are conducting the investigation. And you will be…I just don't want you anywhere near the final attack, okay? Partners still?" He tilted his head down to try to see her face.
"So, what your saying is, you need me, or you can't do your job."
"Yes, darling, I need you. I'll always need you." Sebastian smiled, knowing she was on board.
"Okay. ONLY if you make the trip worth my while. If I'm going to have deal with Watchers all the time, then I'm going to need some awesome pampering to keep my sanity."
"Alright…"
"And that means seeing the sights, too. There's no way I'm going to Europe and not doing touristy stuff, or eating good food."
"Anything else, my lady?"
She grinned wickedly. "I'm sure I'll come up with something…"
"We have a deal, then?"
"We do. Now, you have some making up to do for earlier."
"Do I, now?"
"Mmm-hmm. Start at my feet." Buffy leaned back against the pillows and placed her feet in his lap.
"I'd much rather kiss you, at the moment." Sebastian leaned down, brushing his lips softly over hers before capturing them in a toe-curling embrace.
Okay, so Buffy had to admit to Anya that make-up sex was pretty damn good.