Chapter 5
Facing Reality
"Buffy." he said, shaking her slightly. "Buffy, we need to leave."
"Sleepy." she said, clenching her eyes shut. Her pillow vibrated with laughter.
"Dearest, it's getting late. Despite the fact that there are virtually no demons here, I don't trust the wildlife." Giles looked down as her with amusement as she gradually opened her eyes.
"Ok Watcher-mine you win." she said with a yawn. The sun was close to setting. She stood and helped him up. She followed him to the car, thinking about everything that he'd told her. They rode in silence. Once the house was in view, Buffy smiled and sat in her chair, really wanting to get out of the car. Giles smiled at her enthusiasm and parked the car. She shot out of the door and towards the house.
Giles locked the car and followed. After entering the house, he locked the front door and headed to the kitchen. Buffy was finishing off a glass of water, thinking once more.
"Are you heading to bed?" he asked. She nodded, not looking at him. "Good night then."
"Night." she said absently. He made some tea while contemplating what he'd told her. He'd said more than he'd meant to. But, unless he wanted to use magic, he couldn't take back what he'd said. Giles went into his sitting room. After picking a book from the shelves, he settled in a chair by the window and began reading, the tea on the table at his elbow.
Nearly two hours later, Giles jumped from the chair, spilling his tea and throwing the book to the floor, and ran to Buffy's room, wondering why he hadn't just stayed with her in the first place. Her screams sounded through the house as he ran.
He flung open the door and ran to the bed, where Buffy was thrashing around so much, the covers were dangerously wrapped around her neck. Even the Slayer could be chocked to death. TI would take longer, and be somewhat harder, but it was possible.
"Buffy!" he called, grabbing her arms.
"No!" She moaned as if in pain and stopped thrashing just enough from Giles to use a knife to cut the covers and embrace her.
"Wake up darling, it was only a dream." He continued talking to her as she slept for ten minutes before she calmed enough to rest peacefully. He gently laid her on the bed and left to check the house. After being sure everything was turned off, and the doors and windows were closed and locked, he returned to Buffy's room with a light blanket. After toeing off his shoes, he laid in the bed next to her.
It was after ten before Buffy woke up. She groaned at the bright sunlight and rolled over, bumping in to Giles' chest.
"Good morning." he said with a smile. She smiled uncertainly. Giles kissed her nosed and placed a hand on her cheek. "Are you all right?"
She frowned. "I don't know." she admitted, lowering her gaze to the space between them.
"Would you like to sleep in?"
"No."
The phone rang, interrupting whatever Giles was going to say. They both groaned and tried to ignore it, but on the second, almost instant, call Giles stood and headed for the phone in his room across the hall. Ten minutes later, he returned, dressed in fresh clothing, and looking sour. Buffy finished tying the string on her pants and looked at him.
"What's wrong Watcher–mine?"
"That was Travers' secretary. We are being summoned to the Council." he said, watching her. Her eyes widened and she growled.
"So we don't go." He shook his head.
"We're in England Buffy. They can force us to go."
"Over my dead body."
"Buffy, they have plenty of control over the government. They can force you to be deported."
"Assholes."
"Quiet."
"Can I hit someone?"
"We'll see."
"That had better mean yes."
Council
A few hours later, Watcher and Slayer pulled into the parking lot. Buffy was pissed to say the least, and Giles wasn't any happier. They exited the car and entered the large building silently. The few people who were going backed off when they felt the anger radiating from them.
"Where are we meeting?" Buffy asked.
"The library." Giles replied.
"Figures." They finished the climb to the fourth floor and entered the library. Buffy wasn't impressed.
"Mr Giles, Miss Summers."
"What the hell do you want Travers."
"Is that any way to speak to your elders?" Giles laid a hand on Buffy's shoulder as she took a step towards the smug man.
"Why did you call us here Quinine? We came to England for a reason, and it didn't involve you."
"Mr Giles?" a young Watcher, no older then twenty-five, questioned from beside a shelf of books.
"Yes?"
"Mr Vondagole heard you were h-here and sent m-me to take you t-to him." the younger man said, shaking. Giles suddenly offered a Ripperish grin to Travers.
"Well, looks like someone above you would like to speak with us." Travers didn't reply, but was as red as a beet. And it wasn't from embarrassment. They left the library and Giles took hold of Buffy's elbow and lead her down a hall, towards a set of stairs.
"Who's Vodolgeney?" she asked.
"Vondagole." he corrected, holding open a door. "Mr Vondagole is the Head of the Council."
"I thought that was Travers." she replied with a frown.
"Good lord no. Travers is in charge of assigning and keeping track of Watchers. He's actually very low on the power scale." Buffy scowled.
"And he almost had you deported."
"Yes, well he was reprimanded for that." a voice said as they closed the door to an office. Buffy jumped and looked around.
"Mr Vondagole." Giles said, taking hold of her elbow once more.
"Mr Giles. And I assume this is Buffy Summers?"
"Yeah." Buffy said, scowling. She didn't like the man. There was enough magic in the room to make her jumpy, but it was all radiating from him.
"How very nice to meet you Ms Summers." Vondagole said, holding out a hand. She stared at it. Giles realized what was making her uncomfortable and looked around nervously. He really didn't want her mad at him. He hadn't known they were going to see Vondagole, or he would have shielded her from the magic. She would have known it was there because of her Slayer senses, but he wouldn't have felt it.
"Won't you both have a seat?" Vondagole asked, gesturing to two chairs. Giles sat, not really having a choice. "Ms Summers?"
"Nope. I wanna know why in the hell we were called here."
"Buffy-"
"No Giles, I'm not gonna not ask. You wanna know too."
The man behind the desk smiled and sat back in his chair. He studied her for a moment. She was entirely to tense for a Slayer in his opinion.
"Ms Summers, I called you both here to discuss what has happened with the Slayer line."
"What about it?"
"It's disrupted."
"Not my fault."
"No, it's not. It's Ms Rosenberg's, Mr Harris', Ms McClay's."
"So. What do I have to do with it?"
"You're coming back has triggered the First into awakening once more. The Slayer line is vulnerable." Giles stared at the man while he was talking.
"Absolutely not Marius. Buffy was brought back by her friends, and I'll admit they shouldn't have done it, but you are NOT about to send her back to stop the bloody First!" he said, banging his hand on the desk. Buffy jumped and moved away as Giles anger rolled off him.
"Giles." Buffy whispered.
"Mr Giles, I suggest you calm down." Vondagole said, looking at Buffy.
"You're not about to kill her!"
"Giles." she said again, a little louder this time. He paused his angry pacing and looked at her frightened face and felt his anger dissolved. She was standing inches away from being pressed into a bookshelf. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest.
"I'm sorry dear heart."
"Mr Giles, I was not going to suggest killing Ms Summers. There is a simpler, and less pain filled, way to deal with the disrupted line." Marius said, standing. Giles flushed, but didn't apologize. He was to busy feeling bad about scaring Buffy.
"What is your plan then?"
"It's quiet simple actually. It all comes down to Willow Rosenberg." Buffy whimpered as Marius said the name. He paused in looking for a book and turned his gaze to her. He repeated the name softly and was rewarded frm a warning glare from Giles.
"I don't advise doing that again." Ripper growled, tightening his hold on the Slayer.
"Ms Summers, I do not know what happened except for the very basics." Marius pinched the bridge of his nose. "The Powers saw fit to reveal to me you were...returned, and that no one was to know. You are here for a reason. The Powers have plans, but for what, I am not sure."
"Marius, may we leave this for another time?" Ripper asked in a soft voice. Buffy's mind was reeling from memories of the resurrection, and she was on the verge of hysteria. Vondagole rounded the desk and Buffy broke away from Giles. She grabbed an antique sword from the wall mount and pointed it at Vondagole.
"I'm tired of being used, I'm tired of the Powers playing games, I'm tired of the Council, and I'm tired of magic. None of those things ever lead to any good. So unless you plan to tell me exactly what Willow-" She winced. "-has to do with anything ad what've I've got to do about it, I suggest you stay the hell away from me if you want to keep your life."
"It's very simple really. Ms Rosenberg must be stripped of her magic. She is now working with the magic of the Slayer line–the magic that keeps all Potentials alive. Without the magic, the Potentials would cease to ever be, and the world would go to hell–evil would be in control."
"And what does this have to do with me?"
"You are the only once who can take them away." Buffy laughed, and Ripper's eyes widened in revelation.
"How does that work? I can't to magic. I can't even get NEAR it without getting scared. Granted, I was yanked from my rest by Willow and magic, but you can't blame me for that."
"That sword you hold. Once you are trained in how to use it, you shall be able to take the magic of Rosenberg. She's taken magic from other wielders, people who have lost their lives without it." Buffy stared. Giles took the sword before she dropped it.
"Marius, there are many flaws in your plan."
"No actually, just two. Ms Rosenberg is in Sunnydale at the moment, one. And Ms Summer's reasonable fear of magic, two. Both can be dealt with."
"What'll happen to her?" Buffy asked.
"She'll return to being at the level she was in her freshman year of college. She'll have enough magic and knowledge to help you, but she will never have the power beyond that level." Giles sighed in relief. Buffy loked at the floor, willing away the tears.
"It's not fair."
"It never is Ms Summers."
"I was done."
"She knew that."
"Yet she still brought you back, for her own selfish needs Buffy. Not for Sunnydale, not for the world, for herself."
"Can we go?"
"Of course dear heart. Mr Vondagole, I will ring you in a few days."
"Good day Mr Giles, Ms Summers."
As they left the office, Vondagole sighed. He'd hoped the Powers were wrong, but he'd known better. The Powers had a reason for everything. He took some pleasure in knowing the wheel was finally coming back to the end. Rosenberg was going to get the justice she deserved, Rupert was finding his way back, and Ms Summers was going to get her revenge. It would be a while before she returned to normal, but if the Slayer line was stabilized, that wouldn't matter. The Powers weren't going to push.
AN: OK, this story just took a completely different route then I intended when I started this chapter. Crap. sigh I can't believe this. Oh well. Can't wait to see what's gonna happen.