Hey, I know it's been ages since the last update, but I just haven't been able to get my mind around writing fanfiction lately … sorry for the delay! I'm also aware that the last chapter of 'Best Christmas Ever' should probably best be posted before Easter, but … yeah, I'll do what I can! :-)

I hope you like this fic, it's set during the events of Graduation Day and I'm not quite sure yet how long it will turn out. Thanks to faithsummers, who has beta-ed this story!

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One Of The White-Hats

Chapter 1: The Source

For hours the only sound in the library had been the turning of pages and the quiet steps of someone going to get yet another book. Willow Rosenberg was searching the index of the big and dusty volume she was studying – De origine, moribus et rebus gestis daemonorum – for some reference to the Ascension, but she already knew it would be in vain. There just wasn't anything to be found in there! She closed her burning eyes for some seconds, then looked around.

Oz, sitting next to her, seemed to have sensed her movement, for he looked up himself and gave her one of his almost-smiles, which made her feel better instantly. Next to him, the two Watchers were still trying to get every bit of relevant information out of the pages she had ripped from the Books Of Ascension.

Willow couldn't help but feel guilty about that. Sure, she had managed to get her hands on something valuable, but she still had acted irresponsible and stupid. If she'd just fled, she might have gotten back here without being caught, and they could have destroyed the Box Of Gavrock, thereby effectively preventing the Mayor's Ascension ... everything would be over now, without anybody being hurt ... But she'd had to stop for the books, and Faith had caught her ... "Check out the bookworm ..."

The Dark Slayer's taunting words haunted Willow's dreams, as did the cold feeling of a blade being pressed to her face ... she couldn't help but shudder. If the Mayor hadn't shown up, who knows what ... She pushed that memory aside. Next to Giles sat Angel, dark and gloomy, completely motionless except for his eyes, and next to him Xander and Cordelia were actually reading and not snapping at each other. And then there was Buffy ...

Willow's gaze lingered on her best friend, and her expression changed. She was worried. Things had been hard for Buffy: Faith's treachery, Angel breaking up with her (no matter how noble his reasons were), and now time was running short. There were only a few days left until Graduation, which, according to the info Buffy and Angel had managed to trick out of Faith, would be the Mayor's big day, too. A few days only, and they still had no idea, not even a faint notion, what the Ascension actually was or how they might be able to prevent it. Xander had even come up with the idea to pump Anya for information – he had rephrased that, noticing the look on his friends' faces – but it seemed that the ex-demon had bailed. So they had nothing ... and although they all would do whatever they could to help, Willow knew (just like everyone else) that ultimately the pressure was on Buffy alone. She was the Slayer.

And Willow wasn't sure Buffy could handle it, she feared the weight might be too heavy this time. Sure, she had stopped Acathla destroying the world, but as hard as it doubtlessly had been, she at least had known what to do back then: Kill Angel. Now, there was nothing like that, nothing to work with, no enemy to kill – for the big bad inconveniently happened to be impervious, and his second-in-command …

Willow signed. Faith's betrayal had hit Buffy hard, she could tell, although the blond Slayer tried to hide it. I don't quite get that part, though … it's not like they have been so close anyway … But then again…just finding out that there was another Slayer after having been told to she was the only one, having been alone for years … the possibility of sharing the burden of the calling, the weight of destiny …at last meeting someone alike… who had tuned out to be so different …

She snapped out of the thoughts guiltily. I'm supposed to read, help, find something … Then she realized that Buffy wasn't reading, either - for at least ten minutes she had been staring at the same page, and her eyes weren't even moving along the lines, but just fixed at one point … I wonder what she's thinking about … The Ascension? Angel? Or Faith? But while she still considered calling a break, maybe get some pizza and a chance to talk to her friend, something happened … something unbelievable, something nobody present could ever have imagined happening in the library, something completely unheard of…

A cell phone rang.

***

Everybody looked up, shocked – everybody but Giles, who jumped right out of his chair. Without so much as a look at anybody, he made his was into his office, pulling a ringing cell phone out of his pocket. Then the door closed – leaving seven very confused people to stare at it.

Xander was the first one to recover. "Giles has a cell phone?" He looked round, meeting equally stunned expressions everywhere … well, neither Oz's nor Angel's faces actually showed anything, but still … "Next thing you'll tell me he got a TV!"

"Or he's actually having sex."

The young man pulled a face. "Eww, thanks for the picture, Cordy!" They started to bicker, but Willow didn't listen. Instead, she put her book down and made her way to Buffy. "Hey", she said lightly, hiding her concern. "Did you know Giles had a cell phone?"

"Huh?" The blond Slayer had evidently still been lost in her thoughts. "No … had no idea."

"Me neither. But it seems to be important, the way he ran in there …"

"Mhm …" It couldn't have been more obvious that Buffy didn't really care … which was quite uncharacteristic.

Willow pulled a chair next to her friend and lowered her voice. "Buffy, are you all right?"

"What? Oh … yeah, I'm fine." She tried to give her a reassuring smile, but it was no more than a shadow of a real smile. "Don't worry, Will."

Suddenly, Willow felt her concern turn into anger. "Rubbish!" she snap-whispered. "You're not fine, and I've every reason to worry!" When she had hoped to get some kind of a reaction out of Buffy, she was disappointed: the blond girl didn't even look at her, but continued to stare into space. The redhead sighed and changed her approach, "Buffy…"

But before she could say anything more, the door of Giles' office opened again and he came striding out with an expression of worry and determination, pulling on his jacket. Everybody looked at him, surprised. "I have to leave for some time," he stated. His voice was tense. "I'll be back in about half an hour, you just continue with the research …"

More surprised looks were exchanged. "What's going on?" Xander asked.

"I've no time for explanations now. Let's just say, I might come back with some valuable information."

Now Willow spoke up. "But maybe … maybe we can help?"

If it hadn't been Giles, she would have sworn he had let out an exasperated sigh. "There's nothing you can do. Look, I've to go …"

This was the moment when Wesley Wyndam-Pryce decided it was time for him to act. He rose from his chair, standing up as straightly, stiffly, and pompously as he could manage, opened his mouth and was cut off before he could get the first word out. "There's no time for discussions!" Nearly everybody present flinched at the sharpness and authority in Giles' voice … well, except Angel, Oz, and Buffy, but still … "I have a … contact, a source. The call … there might be information about the Ascension, information of crucial importance … But this is a delicate thing to handle, so I have to go at once, and I have to go alone. And I want you – all of you! – to stay here until I return. Any of you showing up at the wrong place at the wrong time could blow our last chance to stop the Mayor." He looked at them in turn. "Have I made myself clear?"

There were a number of nods, even from Cordelia and Angel, only Wesley opened his mouth again. "Nobody is gonna leave." Buffy said simply. Willow quickly turned her head to look at her friend, Buffy's voice… wasn't flat and emotionless any more like it had been in the past weeks, something seemed to have changed. The change was visible as well - Buffy was staring at her Watcher with an intensity Willow had feared never to see again. "Go. Go and get her."

Giles looked at her for a second, his surprise evident. Then he nodded and was gone.

***

They tried to continue with their research while they waited, but nobody seemed to be able to concentrate on the books any more. Wesley, seriously miffed about being left out of something important yet again, kept muttering under his breath, every now and then words like 'council' and 'authority' were distinguishable, but as usual nobody paid any attention to him. Xander was straining everybody's patience with ever wilder speculations about Giles' ominous 'source', Cordelia was checking her make-up, and Willow was busy watching Buffy

Buffy Summers seemed to have become a completely different person in the last minutes. Gone was the girl who would have won a brooding-contest with Angel even on one of her happy days, who had hardly acknowledged anyone's presence around her, let alone answered when spoken to. Now she barely managed to keep sitting in her chair, every other moment she looked at her watch, and when she didn't, she stared at the closed door as if trying to force it to reopen by will.

Her behavior puzzled Willow. What's gotten into her? Of course she, too, was excited at the possibility of Giles gaining information that would help stopping the Ascension, and she definitely liked 'new' Buffy better than the other one, but she couldn't help it… something about this sudden change bothered her.

She was just trying to decide whether she'd simply ask or leave it alone and wait, when suddenly the blond girl shot up from her chair, showing all signs of rapt attention. Some seconds later they all could hear the footsteps her Slayer-hearing had perceived earlier; footsteps of more than one person. All eyes turned to the door, which swung open only moments later. Giles came in, looking considerably more relaxed than 33 Minutes before … not that anyone had been counting. He was accompanied by an elderly man who looked terrified and was trembling visibly.

Everybody was looking at the newcomer incredulously. That was Giles' secret source? Willow didn't know what exactly she'd been expecting, but certainly not such an … academic looking person! But maybe it was a demon in disguise? She looked at her friend, the Slayer certainly would know … But Buffy, she realized, wasn't even looking at the stranger who was still standing in the doorway next to Giles, not really. It somehow seemed that she was looking right through him, the expression of attention even more intense than before …

For some moments, nobody moved or spoke. Giles' gaze was fixed on his Slayer, a strange little smile playing around the corners of his mouth. Then he stepped aside.

Five sharp intakes of breath.

"Hey, B. Miss me?"

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Well, who might that be? ;-) Whadda ya think, anyway? Please review!