Halloween, Part 6: Aftermath
(_)(_)(_)
Xander didn't like how Jon was acting.
Jon'd been fine when he'd reported the situation with the girl who mistakenly killed a kid. Or well, fine enough so as to fool Xander, at any rate. That had changed when they rolled up to the site of the death. Jon had pretty much instantly clammed up, going very blank-faced and worryingly remote. At the same time, there was an edge to his voice when he spoke that made Xander frown.
It took him a few minutes to realize that the tone in Jon's voice was familiar. And then another minute or two before Xander remembered where it was familiar from. When it finally hit him, Xander sucked in a quiet breath.
It was the tone of voice Xander got whenever Jessie got brought up. Only Jon's was a little more worn around the edges, as if the hurt of the loss had had time to heal over a bit. Xander'd known that Jon had lost someone dear to him - he'd told Xander and Willow as much during the summer. He'd never said who it was, though.
Xander was afraid he'd just figured it out. And if he was right, then no wonder Jon didn't talk about it. Xander and Willow's parents might not have been the best examples of the breed, but he'd seen enough parents in Sunnydale gutted by the loss of their kids to know that non-asshole parents tended to take the loss of a kid REALLY hard.
Xander didn't have the foggiest idea of what to do, so he just settled for being as physically close to Jon as he could get away with, even leaning against him a bit, using the close quarters of the car as an excuse. He didn't know if it was helping, but it was better than just sitting there doing nothing.
Of course, his excuse was a pretty good one. They were sort of packed butts to elbows in Joyce's car. Kendra had been sandwiched between Joyce and Buffy in the front, while Willow had joined them in the back.
Which brought up the other issue of the night.
How in the name of hell were there two Slayers?
Xander didn't even consider doubting Jon's word. If he said Kendra was a Slayer, then she was a Slayer. But ... how? There was supposed to be only one Slayer at a time! Well, they'd track down Giles soon, and ask him. Maybe he'd know.
They finally caught up with Giles at the edge of town beyond the university. He'd apparently opted for very firmly escorting the shop owner out of town rather than attempting to get some sort of 'normal' justice. Xander didn't blame him. Any attempt to bring this whole mess to court in pursuit of criminal or civil charges would get them laughed out of court.
It was also clear, when they caught up with him, that Giles, while opting to force the shop owner out of town, had also opted to dispense at least some small measure of rough justice. The guy was looking rather bruised and bloody around the edges, as well as slightly wild-eyed. Xander briefly debated asking Jon what had happened to get him that way, then decided he was probably better off not knowing. There was a gleam to Giles' eyes that made Xander twitchy.
That gleam disappeared entirely when Joyce briefed him, quietly and well away from the shop owner, about what was going on. Giles' eyes went wide and he stared from Kendra to Buffy and back again a couple times as he tried to process it.
Well, there went the theory, however weak, that it was possible to have two Slayers at a time, but rare, Xander thought when he saw that reaction.
He, Jon, and Willow had been keeping a careful eye on the shop owner during the brief talk between the two adults. Wisely, the guy kept his mouth shut. The way Jon was fingering one of his knives, Xander was none too sure the guy would survive opening his mouth. Not that he blamed Jon for that reaction in the least.
Giles came back over and hauled shop guy to his feet, leveling a flat glare at the guy.
"You will leave. And never return, Rayne. Because if you do, I will not be so merciful. Do not make the mistake the Watchers did, and think me ... spineless." Giles fairly growled.
Whoah. Xander's eyebrows headed for his hairline before he shot a startled look Jon's way. Jon caught the look and grinned toothily at Xander. Xander decided that meant that Giles was actually in earnest, not bullshitting shop guy.
Xander wasn't quite sure what to do with that realization.
Giles shoved shop guy in the direction of the Sunnydale airport, about a mile or so down the highway, then turned to their little group.
"Kendra, Buffy, with me." Giles said. "Joyce, if you'd follow us?"
And then he escorted the two girls to his ratty old car. They paused for a minute outside it. Xander couldn't hear what was being said, but from Giles' gestures, he assumed at least part of it was an inquiry into any unseen injuries either girl might have from their adventures tonight.
Xander watched the three of them go before turning a puzzled look on the others. "What the heck?"
"I think Giles is taking advantage of how he told us Slayers are normally trained." Joyce said, sounding a touch hesitant. "To get Kendra to do what he wants her to do - in this case, lead us to her Watcher."
Xander thought that over for a bit, then nodded. "Ok, makes sense. Though can I just say that the fact it works bugs me?"
Joyce gave a humorless snort as she herded the two boys and Willow into her car. "Tell me about it. I am so very grateful that Buffy managed to elude their normal detection methods, whatever they are. I don't like to think of how short a life she would have had if she'd been given the 'normal' training."
Neither did Xander. Her life had nearly been short enough as it was. He still got the willies thinking about what would have happened if he hadn't forced Angel to help him keep Buffy alive. Granted, his life had gotten even weirder since then, but the thought of Buffy dead over something so stupid and ultimately preventable made him see red.
They followed Giles into town, finally stopping at one of the apartment buildings in the area Jon had been taking his kids around. They all piled out and followed a silent Kendra up to one of the apartments.
Things got really damned interesting within about ten seconds of them all walking in the door.
They were met by a guy who looked like he was Giles' age, maybe a bit older. He was one of those nondescript sorts you could walk past and forget two seconds later. Brown hair going gray here and there, brown eyes, average height and build.
The apartment itself didn't look like it was the home of a Slayer and a Watcher. Joyce's place had more or less been transformed into an armory since the end of summer, with weapons in easy reach in every room of the house. He'd been reliably informed by Buffy (who had been the only one so far to see the inside of Giles' place) that Giles' apartment was every bit as bad, and had about ten million ancient books everywhere to boot. This apartment looked like it was straight out Better Homes and Gardens or something. Nice, neat, aesthetically pleasing - and completely without any real personality, or any sense that people were actually *living* there. Not to mention the somewhat horrifying lack of weaponry in evidence. Seriously, there wasn't so much as a letter opener in sight. Nor any books, though Xander was willing to assume those were in another room where random, chance entrants into the apartment wouldn't see them and wonder.
The guy glared at Kendra. "What is the meaning of this? Why have you brought them here?" He demanded.
Kendra went all stiff, hands folded at the small of her back - almost parade rest, actually - and responded. "I had no choice. Upon leaving base, I determined there were a number of persons wearing Halloween costumes who were ... acting atypically. Furthermore there were a number of ... " She hesitated for half a second, and Xander saw the flash of pain. "Apparent demons out and about, attacking the civilians. They were unusually quick to startle and run, making pursuit and ... " her voice broke on the next word. " ... destruction ... more difficult than usual. I was in fact unable to apprehend any demons for most of the night."
And her tone all but shouted 'thank god for that'. Not that Xander blamed her a bit.
"Eventually, I was able to apprehend a demon and ... " She couldn't say it, apparently. "Unfortunately, I discovered too late that it was not, in fact, a demon. An apparent magic spell had been placed on a child, roughly six years of age, so that they looked and acted like a Yuluta demon."
Before the guy could do or say anything, Giles butted in. "I would very much like to know, Mr. Zabuto, what you are doing in Sunnydale. With a Slayer that should not exist, seeing as the previous Slayer is most assuredly still alive and empowered."
"It is not your place to question me, Rupert Giles." Zabuto snapped. "However unusual the circumstances, your Slayer has been replaced and her services no longer required. I have been given instructions to order you to remand Buffy Summers to my custody, and to ensure that you return to the Council."
"Oh HELL no."
"Not in this lifetime."
"I don't think so, buster."
"If you think you're taking my daughter ... "
"Try and take me, I dare you."
Needless to say, the objections had been instantaneous, vociferous, and more than a little venomous. The only person who hadn't actually given voice to an objection was Giles. Xander didn't mistake that for Giles agreeing with Zabuto. Giles might not have said anything, but the look he was giving Zabuto was making the hackles on Xander's neck rise, and giving him goosebumps.
He'd gotten the odd hint over the last couple months that there was more to Giles than he'd first assumed. Right now, though, it was less of a hint and more of an outright statement. Because Giles was giving Zabuto a look that promised bloodshed, pain and death ... and a marked lack of concern over dealing it out for someone Xander had dismissed as a bookworm last year.
"You will explain." Giles' tone brooked no disagreement. "In detail your purpose here. Or I will be forced to use unfortunate, disagreeable methods to enforce your compliance."
And apparently, Zabuto might have been an arrogant idiot, but he wasn't actually lethally stupid. Because he backed down and complied with Giles' ... request.
"Your Slayer is an incompetent disgrace." Zabuto said. "Uncontrolled, willful and woefully ignorant. That you permit civilians to know of our sacred duty, never mind attempt to participate in it, is criminal. That you have not prevented the dissemination of information to persons outside of your influence is even worse. That you permit your Slayer to associate with a Master Vampire, rather than seek its destruction, is wholly unconscionable. I was asked to come here and assess the severity of the situation and make recommendations as to what action needed to be taken to correct the situation."
Giles gave a disgusted snort. "And a fine example of a Watcher you are, I presume? Whose Slayer couldn't even tell the difference between a costume and the real thing and now has the death of an innocent on her conscience because of it? All because the Council decreed a few hundred years ago that Slayers need to focus on Slaying above all else." He made a noise of disgust. "Tell me, Zabuto, if you can ... what comfort will you give her when the nightmares start? However unorthodox Buffy's training and situation may be, she at least knows she can depend on me and come to me for comfort and guidance, rather than seeing me as a remote, untouchable, unconcerned drill sergeant." Giles waved a hand at Kendra, who was still standing in that approximation of parade rest.
"Has it even occurred to you yet to inquire if she is injured? For the record, she is not. I made sure of that before I asked her to lead us here." Giles eyed Zabuto. "The Council is not always right, Zabuto. I am prepared to admit that they have good ideas, and even good ways to implement ideas. But other ideas of their run counter to simple common sense and common human decency, and I will not be a party to that. And the biggest problem along that line is the idea that Slayers have to be focused on Slaying to the exclusion of all else in their lives. Yes, slaying demons is an important duty, but even the most dedicated soldier needs down time and a private life to go home to from time to time."
"Now." Giles said. "You have one of two choices. You can return to the Council - with your tail tucked firmly between your legs, and without either myself or Buffy. Or you can stay here and maybe learn a thing or two. It's up to you." Then he turned to Kendra. "I know you have to have heard all sorts of things about Buffy and myself, but please know that if you ever wish to seek us out, for any reason, we will welcome you." Then he turned back to their group. "We'd better get going. We still need to patrol at least a little, make sure things have actually calmed down."
Xander wanted to object to leaving, but he reluctantly realized that it was the only thing they could do. They couldn't force Kendra to come with them any more than Zabuto could force Buffy to go with him. She'd have to come to them of her own free will. Not that it would stop Xander from trying to talk her around if he saw her out on her own.