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Because Cavemen Have Fire. Chapter 5.
Chapter 5 finally here. It's rather long I'm afraid, but it sort of all went together - you'll see what I mean. I'm currently embedded in Chapter 6, so figured that I might as well post this, since I doubt it'll improve much. I hope you like. :)
As usual much gratitude to my beta,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kathyh! :)
Catching up? Previouslies here.
And feedback is still the best treat there is!!! *makes puppy dog eyes*
Chapter 5
There was a silent and barely visible conflict passing over Giles’ face. Finally he spoke, voice cold. “This is hardly the time for jokes!”
“I wasn’t joking!” she answered. Half-turning, she poked Angel experimentally. “Look! Not evil!”
She smiled, as though utterly unconcerned, and she could see Giles’ nostrils flare.
“I cannot believe that you could be so reckless! And to bring them here - the danger-”
“Don’t talk to me about danger Giles!” The smile had vanished from her face now, her eyes meeting his in defiance.
“I walked to my own death when I was sixteen to save the world! Danger and death is what a Slayer’s life is! We - all of us - risk our lives every night! And do I have to remind you that The Council and all these Slayers are here only because of me and Willow? Or that the reason there still is a world to protect is because Spike sacrificed his life for it? Wearing the amulet that Angel brought - and that came from Wolfram & Hart. You once told me to look at the big picture. Believe me, I am!”
She held his eyes, praying that he would see sense. She had happily let him steer The Council this past year and a half, since bureaucracy and large organisations were so not her thing. Slowly they had mended their fences as well as they could, and although they didn’t always agree, it was usually easy to find a compromise.
During this last couple of days, travelling with Spike and Angel, she’d been trying to work out what to say, how to get through to him. She understood perfectly well where he was coming from, but he was beginning to be stuck in a groove by now... maybe it was an essential Watcher thing? ‘Go with what you know’? Anyway, she figured that revealing the origins of the amulet should go some way towards shaking him up.
And after a tense moment she found that she was right. He looked down, thoughtful. “You may have a point...”
Then he looked around, taking in all the curious faces, and suddenly appeared rather uncomfortable. “Would you mind coming to my office? This is probably a discussion we should be having in private!”
“Sure!” she said, and motioned her vampires to follow.
*****
Buffy loved Giles’ office. It was like something out of a period drama - all oak panelled walls and deep red leather chairs what you could sink into and never get out of again. The sort of office that she’d always thought he belonged in.
When the door was closed, Giles didn’t immediately jump to the main issue, maybe wanting to give himself some time to adjust.
“Pardon me for asking, but how did you get them back here so quickly?”
“Oh, we hijacked a jet!”
She smiled mischievously.
“You what?”
Oh dear, now he was angry again. But it couldn’t be helped.
“It’s OK! It was an evil jet!” Apparently she could still pull out her best flippant side when arguing with Giles. Good to know.
“Buffy...” he was obviously lost for words. “I cannot begin to describe my astonishment at your actions. I know you... love... both of them, but to bring the whole of the Council into danger because of your own wishes strikes me as incredibly selfish!”
The gloves were off now. Fine. She could give as good as she got.
“Did you miss the part where they saved the world? And the fact that they were fighting Wolfram & Hart and lost all their friends? Sure they’ve done some bad stuff in the process, but we have quite a few murderers working here too!”
For some reason this made him go very quiet, and Buffy felt like explaining in a bit more detail.
“Look, they’re working on this spell that’s going to hide them from The Senior Partners! They don’t want to put anyone in danger, least of all me - I practically had to force them to come with me, and as soon as the spell is active they’ll be untraceable!”
Giles looked at her and slowly nodded. “That certainly puts a slightly different perspective on things...” But his voice drifted off as Angel stepped forward.
“Sorry, but it’s not quite that simple!” He turned to Buffy. “I hope you don’t mind, but there are some unresolved... issues... that we better get out of the way before we do anything else. Aren’t there Mr Giles?”
“I’m not sure that I know what you’re referring to,” Giles answered, but Buffy could feel any remaining heat being sucked out of the room.
“Let me enlighten you!” Angel replied. They were facing each other across Giles’ huge desk, and Buffy began to feel very uncomfortable. What was it Spike had said? Something about trying to broker a truce without killing Giles? She had meant to inquire into that, but she had been preoccupied with trying to work out her own defence... And now Angel had turned his face back into stone.
“But before I start, let me explain a little something about where we stand, because we’re not really the best of friends anymore. You see, I’ve lived through more prophecies these last few years than you’ll read in your life. I’ve seen a Power That Was walk this earth, as well as an Elder God from before the time of men. I’ve seen every friend I ever had killed or worse, and tasted the power of The Senior Partners. I am not the same man you once knew. And I have some things I need to bring up.”
He stopped for a moment before slowly continuing.
“First of all, there was your runaway Slayer that we captured for you. You sent Andrew - with 12 Slayers at his disposal - and yet you used me and my team to do your dirty work, not caring about the price we might have to pay. Now I can understand that. You wanted to keep your people safe - and well, we were all working for Evil anyway, weren’t we?”
Giles didn’t reply to this, but his face didn’t show any remorse. Buffy felt rather bad, having herself been involved in this incident - telling Andrew that they would no longer be talking to Angel.
But Angel wasn’t finished...
“Second... I called in the spring, needing Willow... Do you remember?”
Giles nodded slowly.
“We were trying to save a friend’s life... a woman who spent 5 years in a hell dimension, who was... sweeter and brighter than you can imagine. She was also the woman that Wesley loved. He watched her die - slowly, painfully; gutted from the inside to be made into a vessel for a demon god... And you refused to help!”
He stopped for a moment, and then got that look in his eyes that Buffy had already learned to dread. He crossed his arms and tilted his head - once again the CEO, laying down the law.
“... But then I did torture you once for hours, so maybe we should call it even and start afresh!”
Buffy was speechless, and if it hadn’t been for Spike taking hold of her hand just then she didn’t know what would have happened.
Giles however had obviously reached his limit.
“How dare you?”
He was leaning forward on the desk, furious.
Angel was still immobile, but his anger was showing now, too. He was studying Giles and spoke very deliberately.
“Your psycho Slayer cut off Spike’s hands! I never got round to using that chain saw!”
The silence stretched and stretched, and Buffy was looking from face to face with a sinking feeling. Were they going to bring up every past misdeed? And what was that about Dana cutting off Spike’s hands? She turned to him, but he shook his head, very carefully watching the now silent battle of wills.
“You killed Jenny.” Giles finally said, voice cold and clipped.
Angel looked down, apparently silenced. After a moment he lifted his face, his expression was unreadable, eyes distant.
“The first thing I did when I rose as a vampire was to go to my father’s house,” he began. “My little sister - who was only ten years old - opened the door. She thought I had come back to her, as an angel - and invited me in. So I ripped out her throat. And I thought her remark so funny, that I used it to choose my name...”
He was silent for a little while, as though lost in thought. Buffy was fighting back tears, for this was not something she had known. Spike pulled her into a hug, and she gratefully leaned on his shoulder.
Then Angel continued. “If you want to hate me Giles, please join the queue. Hate is fine, hate I am used to. But if that hatred affected the way you chose to deal with me, and cost people I cared about, then that is not something I can accept! Am I making myself clear?”
Giles was silent for a long time pondering Angel’s words and finally he looked up.
“You have made some very valid points. But I do not think I would have acted any differently if personal feelings had not been involved. The Council could never be seen to in any way accept a truce with W&H, and that’s a stand I will always take. However - in the light of what I have heard today, and the fact that you no longer work for them, I think it might be possible to find room for you here at The Council... for a start it would be incredibly helpful for the girls to train with actual vampires...”
He stopped, confused, at the look on Angel’s face. Spike swiftly sidled up to Angel’s side, clearing his throat.
“Remember - no pulling heads off!”
Angel turned to him, incredulous. “Did - did he just say what I thought he said?”
“Well you do look awfully like Oliver Twist...” Spike said, lightly, before turning towards Giles.
“Now Rupert...” Spike began, a mixture of suppressed mirth and indignation playing across his features. “Far be it from me to tell you how to run your Council, but insulting the chosen Champion of The Powers That Be strikes me as less than stellar policy! You see... there’s this Apocalypse that we’re sort of in the middle of. And we’ve got battles to fight and prophecies to fulfil and humanity to save - you know, that kinda thing, I’m sure it’ll ring a bell any moment. So although we’d love to stay and give you a hand with the bitty Slayers, I’m afraid we’re a tad preoccupied!”
Giles stared at him, speechless.
“Of course,” Spike continued, “If you’d like to help us out, like say... lend us a handful of Slayers or let us roam around your archives, that would be great, but if not - then that’s fine.” He held up his hands. “You’re not going to be seeing much of us either way. The reason we’re here is because of Buffy... thought it’d be nice if we could all learn to get along, since it looks like you’re going to be something like our father-in-law!”
He couldn’t help a grin at the end, and Buffy fought hard to suppress the same urge.
Angel took a deep breath. “What Spike said,” he finally said. He turned to Buffy. “Do I have to be evil or something to get any respect?” He silently shook his head and glowered in Giles’ direction.
“Well, they all seem to think we’re just big fluffy puppies with bad teeth who’ll be so deliriously happy to be half-accepted into their little super club that we’ll do whatever. Liked your crew better, Angel.” Spike sounded rather bitter now, and Giles shot him a dark look.
“I am not sure that’s entirely fair, Spike...” he began, but Spike cut him off.
“If it had been Willow who had a trigger in her head, would you have tried to kill her behind Buffy’s back?”
Giles could not answer straight away.
“See? Don’t get me wrong Rupert, I get why you did what you did - pretty much the same method Angel here used at W&H! But winning at all costs has a steep price!”
He sighed and held out his arms. “Now - can we all just say that we’re sorry and move on? There’s not one of us that doesn’t live in a soddin’ glasshouse after all.” He stopped, looked around. “Our top priorities are saving the world and making Buffy happy. I think that should mesh rather well with yours. Oh - and we reserve the right to bite Andrew at any time and for no reason!”
And for the first time that day, a shadow of a smile crossed Giles’ face.
“I think your terms are... acceptable,” he said, and Buffy could have kissed him in gratitude.
A little later, when they were almost out the door, Giles pulled her aside.
“Buffy... I know it is not really my business, but are you absolutely sure you know what you’re doing. I mean...”
“Is this the part where you tell me that you want more for me? ‘Cause honestly I think two is going to keep me more than occupied!”
Giles winced and took off his glasses. “I... see. I don’t suppose you’ve given any thought to what sort of example you’re setting...”
She tried to look innocent. “Because of the vampire thing? I know - put it in the new edition of the Handbook - ‘A Slayer can sleep with as many Souled Vampires as she likes!’”
She smiled brightly.
“Very well,” he sighed, and she relented a little.
“I’m sorry Giles, but this is what I need. What we need...” she gave him a little smile, and checking that Spike and Angel were coming, walked out of the office.
Where Willow was waiting.
“Buffy!” she said, excitedly, and bounced out of the chair she’d been sitting in and gave Buffy a hug. The corridor was otherwise empty, which Buffy was very grateful for. Privacy was good.
“How did it go? I came as quickly as I got this-” Willow held up her cell phone, where a snapshot of Buffy, Spike and Angel was displayed, “- but got here just a little too late. Knew I should have teleported!”
Buffy smiled. “It’s so good to see you! And it went... OK. I think.”
She turned. “Did it go OK?”
They looked at each other and shrugged. “Well nobody got hurt...” Spike said, then moved forward. “And it’s good to see you, Willow. How have you been? Still with Kennedy?”
“I’m fine, and still with Kennedy and thank you for saving the world!” She then gave him a hug too, which obviously surprised him, but after a second he gratefully hugged her back.
“And hi Angel!” Another hug, and Willow was repaid with a rare smile.
“I also got a text message...” Willow continued slowly, studying Buffy’s face, “Saying something about - beds?”
“Oh.” Buffy swallowed. “That.”
“So?” Willow prompted, looking curiously from her and to Spike and Angel and back again. “Is it true or just some sort of exaggerated thing like Chinese whispers?”
Why was this so hard, Buffy wondered. Technically Giles should have been much trickier, but then he didn’t want to think of her having sex with anyone, so all she needed for him to do was to accept the situation. Willow... she wanted to understand.
“It’s true,” Buffy answered. “I am... I mean we are...” she took a deep breath. “I’m sleeping with both of them.”
“Okay,” Willow said, in a voice slightly too high pitched, “Okay... that’s... I was kinda clinging to the Chinese Whispers theory...”
“Sorry,” Buffy said, biting her lip. “It’s just... I love them both and now they kinda... come as a pair?”
Willow’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but look over Buffy’s shoulder.
Buffy turned just in time to see Spike smirk and wink suggestively as he leaned against an impassive Angel and Willow’s eyes scooted back to Buffy’s face, as though burned.
“This... this is going to take some serious getting used to, Okay? I mean... ”
She stopped and suddenly frowned. “Oh, but what happened to your coat?”
“Firedemons,” Buffy answered, “They could probably smell that it was new and wanted revenge for killing them.”
“Oh! Just stand still!” Willow was grinning now and said a strange little incantation, and with a little sparkly ‘puff’ the coat looked like new.
“Oh wow! Thank you, you are a genius!”
“Hey - speaking of genius...” Spike chimed in. “Do you think you could help us with a cloaking spell? We’ve got all the ingredients and a vague outline, but - not really our field of expertise.”
“Oh! Let me see!” Willow exclaimed, and then stopped herself. “Actually, let’s go somewhere more private... It’s almost break time for the Slayerettes.”
As they walked down the corridors, looking for an empty room, Spike and Angel gave Willow as much information as they could about Lindsey and how his spell had worked. After not too long they found an unoccupied study room, and Buffy put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, before locking it.
“It’s almost like being back in High School... except for being in charge... Oh and what was that thing about these symbols being all over my walls?”
“They’re quite... decorative,” Angel said, apologetically, and then frowned and looked at Willow.
“Do you think you could make them... smaller? On us, I mean. They just looked a little... silly... and I don’t want them to cover up my tattoo...”
“I’ll make them small and tasteful,” Willow promised in her best school teachery voice, as she examined the magical artefacts that Spike was handing her.
“Oh! Shiny!” she suddenly exclaimed, as he gave her the Ishtan globe. “Is this the one you got, Buffy?”
Buffy nodded, and Willow slowly turned it over in her hands. “If you look really closely, you can see that the surface is covered in fractals. Actual fractals, getting infinitely smaller but never stopping - this is why they’re so good for covering spells you see, they use the infinity principle to continually repel any attempt at breaking the spell - very much like The Hitchhiker’s Guide actually...” She stopped and shook her head at the looks she was getting.
“Just give me the instructions!”
*****
It had all been over surprisingly quickly. If a couple of hours could be called quick. But it definitely worked... trying to take a picture of them with Willow’s phone, they didn’t show up at all.
“I tinkered a little...” Willow said, smugly, and smiled. “I also added a little bit of confusion and forgetfulness, so people won’t notice you much - you do kinda stand out!”
Spike and Angel were grateful, if rather worn out by now, so Buffy gave them the key to her flat, and they walked off to catch the tube.
Buffy was still trying to get her head around that ten minutes later, sitting with Willow in the little cafe across from the council, drinking hot chocolate and eating a belated breakfast consisting of buttered scones.
“I mean it just never occurred to me. I just thought they always used the sewers...”
“Cosmopolitan vampires! And considering how dark it is on an average winter day here in England...” Willow shuddered.
“Do you miss Brazil?”
“So much! Not that it doesn’t have its problems of course, but England just isn’t like the brochures... I’ve not heard a single person say ‘Alright Gov’nor’ yet...”
She was interrupted when her phone started ringing. She picked it up, and after listening for a moment said, “Yeah, she’s here...” and handed it to Buffy, mouthing the word ‘Dawn’.
Oh great, Buffy thought. I was hoping to put it off just for a little while longer...
“Hi Dawn...” she said, and Dawn cheerily replied.
“Hi Buffy! Thought I’d call, what with there being all these crazy rumours going round the Academy about you and Spike and Angel...”
“Already?”
Dawn scoffed. “Please! This is totally Gossip Central! We usually know stuff before Giles!”
“Oh...” Buffy looked down, and studied her extra large cup very carefully. “Well about the rumours... they’re kinda true. I mean I don’t know exactly what they’re saying, but I’m with... sleeping with... both of them.”
“OK!”
“Okay?”
“Sure! It always struck me as the obvious solution, and if they don’t mind sharing...?”
“No...” Buffy said, feeling oddly light-headed, “They don’t mind sharing...”
This was surreal.
“Dawn - you’re being very calm about this, how...”
Dawn made a ‘pfft’ sound, and Buffy could picture her disdainful hand wave perfectly. “I think it’s all the early emotional scarring, I’m unshockable now. Also, I’m used to you being a freak - it feels... comforting. Oh and does this mean that I can go to orgies now?”
“What? No!” Buffy desperately tried to re-group her brain. “There are orgies at The Watcher’s Academy?”
“Heee! No. I just love winding you up. Sorry. Oh, but - I knew there was something I needed to ask you. Can you tell Spike and Angel that I’ll need to interview them when I come home for Christmas? Our main course this term is ‘Behaviour of the Vampire’ and I’ll totally ace it if I can use quotes from actual vampires. Some of the stuff they teach is just hopeless! I knew better when I was twelve! Oh wait - brain wave! I could write my thesis on one of them... or maybe the whole Aurelian line... Woohoo! I am so going to be Head Girl, just wait and see!”
“Dawn...” Buffy tried to say, but was cut off again.
“Oh crap! I have to go - I’m going to be late for my demonology class! At the moment we’re learning about demons who use bodily fluids for attacking - like sputum or mucus or-”
“Bye Dawn!” Buffy said very firmly, and closed the phone. Slowly she looked up at Willow.
“My sister is terrifying and unshockable. I think that is a good thing. No wait - it’s bad, isn’t it? I’ve destroyed her innocence ... I’m a terrible guardian!”
Willow smiled. “Nah, you’re brilliant. She took it well?”
“More than well! She just sort of breezed past it and wants to use them for her school work...”
She stopped and then remembered the last obstacle. “Oh God. I don’t know how to tell Xander. He’ll freak, seriously. I mean Giles was bad enough, but mostly he was just worried about the Council, when he wasn’t being all fatherly....”
“Look! Buffy-” Willow was thinking hard. “I’ll call Xander - ask him to come back as soon as he can. He’s usually pretty out of touch, so I’ll sit him down and talk to him when he comes.”
Buffy looked at her friend with enormous gratitude. “Thank you Will, that’s... I don’t know what I’d do without you!”
*****
Xander could never get over how cold England was. And now it was November and horribly damp and grey to boot. He had meant to stay in Africa until Christmas, but Willow had called and said that if he wanted he could come back now... and then told him about Buffy finding Spike and Angel and how everything was a bit up in the air. There was obviously more to the story than she let on, but he could easily work out that she needed to talk to him face to face and so agreed to come back. He wasn’t going to say no to an extended holiday... he really was rather exhausted, truth be told.
He’d of course been a bit surprised by the news - he had heard a little about the whole 'Angel-plays-for-the-opposition' and thought they'd never see him again... but then Buffy really had a way of forgiving just about anything. And a couple more fighters could never be a bad thing.
Realising that he was passing close by Buffy's flat, he thought he might as well see if she was home - it had been forever since he'd seen her, and he figured he might just as well get her side of the story first. He asked the taxi driver to change direction, and shortly (for a London taxi journey) afterwards he was skipping up the steps to Buffy's flat. It was around 4 in the afternoon, so she was probably at the Council, but it couldn't hurt to look in.
When she opened the door, he thought that she might faint upon seeing him. "Xander? What are you doing here?"
"Just arrived! Thought I'd stop by and say hello to my favourite Slayer!" Standing in the doorway he looked around the sitting room. "Hey - you've redecorated! I like the stencilling. Very different!"
"What? Oh that. Well that's... I mean - have you talked to anyone-"
She was cut short by an angry yell.
"Spike! You used up all the hot water! Again!"
Seconds later Angel, wearing only a towel wrapped around his middle and displaying some very odd tattoos on his chest, strode into the room, as Spike (thankfully dressed) entered from the kitchen, a mug in his hand. Xander did a double take, but well... Buffy was obviously just putting them up until they could find somewhere different. What with Dawn gone she had the extra space...
"Well if you insist on sleeping in..." Spike said, uncaring.
"Maybe I'd get some actual sleep if you didn't keep stealing the covers!"
"That wasn't me - it was Buffy!"
"She was in the middle!"
Buffy's frantic waving finally stopped their argument, but it was too late.
"You... sleep in the middle?" Xander asked, suddenly feeling faint himself. He’d misheard. That was all. And Buffy would laugh and tell him that it was just a mistake...
Instead Buffy smiled nervously. "I was kinda planning on letting you know slowly... guess I sort of blew that, huh?" He could see how she was silently trying to plead with him, but he was still too astonished to register anything other than abject shock.
Angel had swiftly retreated, but Spike came up to them, face now serious.
"Heard about Anya and wanted to offer my condolences. She was a brilliant woman." He shook Xander's hand, and then with a nod to Buffy went back to the kitchen.
Xander felt as though they’d all punched him, but things were slowly starting to fit together.
“This... this is why Willow called. Buffy - have you gone insane?”
“No...” she said quietly. “I just... I just love them both, OK?”
“But - but -” There were so many layers of wrong that Xander didn’t know where to start. “They hate each other!”
Buffy looked down. “Things change... I’m sorry Xander, but I had to follow my heart.”
He looked at her, noticed how very small she really was, how fragile she could look, and yet how unyielding.
“Buffy... Look you can do whatever you want with your life, but this... I’m going to need some time, OK? And - I’m worried. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
She smiled softly, a tiny twinkle in her eyes again. “Don’t worry. These days my heart is a fortress - it has two cute vampire guards and everything!”
Xander nodded quietly. “I... should go. I have a taxi waiting. I’ll see you around. Just remember - I’ll always be there for you. Whatever happens!”
“Thank you,” she said, and smiled, a tendril of hope in her eyes. A little later he was slowly walking down the stairs, trying to fit his brain around what he’d just found out. He didn’t have a clue what to do, really, but he kept coming back to the fact that... she looked happy. And that had to be good. So... he’d have to back away and just let her be.
*****
Weeks went by and Buffy discovered many new things. Like the fact that given the right incentive she could become almost nocturnal. And that Angel was very neat, had really, really good taste and took almost as long as her in the bathroom. That Spike had an extensive and encyclopaedic knowledge of British TV - Eastenders and Coronation Street particularly - and that the remote was suddenly a battlefield. That both of them were surprisingly good cooks, although Angel would cook for her, and Spike would cook for them all, so his meals were usually heavy on every spice she had. That they both knew Latin and Greek as well as various other languages and were rather good at research. That the new symbols on their chests were definitely lick-proof. And that they could argue indefinitely about almost anything and sometimes had to be stopped with violence.
The people around her tried to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary was going on, although there were always a lot of whispers and staring when she went to The Council. But then she was rather used to that and it was a small price to pay for happiness... She knew she’d thrown them all in at the deep end, praying that they could make it work, and although it wasn’t easy she was sure it could be done.
And then came the night when Spike walked out.
Chapter 6.
As usual much gratitude to my beta,
kathyh! :) Catching up? Previouslies here.
And feedback is still the best treat there is!!! *makes puppy dog eyes*
There was a silent and barely visible conflict passing over Giles’ face. Finally he spoke, voice cold. “This is hardly the time for jokes!”
“I wasn’t joking!” she answered. Half-turning, she poked Angel experimentally. “Look! Not evil!”
She smiled, as though utterly unconcerned, and she could see Giles’ nostrils flare.
“I cannot believe that you could be so reckless! And to bring them here - the danger-”
“Don’t talk to me about danger Giles!” The smile had vanished from her face now, her eyes meeting his in defiance.
“I walked to my own death when I was sixteen to save the world! Danger and death is what a Slayer’s life is! We - all of us - risk our lives every night! And do I have to remind you that The Council and all these Slayers are here only because of me and Willow? Or that the reason there still is a world to protect is because Spike sacrificed his life for it? Wearing the amulet that Angel brought - and that came from Wolfram & Hart. You once told me to look at the big picture. Believe me, I am!”
She held his eyes, praying that he would see sense. She had happily let him steer The Council this past year and a half, since bureaucracy and large organisations were so not her thing. Slowly they had mended their fences as well as they could, and although they didn’t always agree, it was usually easy to find a compromise.
During this last couple of days, travelling with Spike and Angel, she’d been trying to work out what to say, how to get through to him. She understood perfectly well where he was coming from, but he was beginning to be stuck in a groove by now... maybe it was an essential Watcher thing? ‘Go with what you know’? Anyway, she figured that revealing the origins of the amulet should go some way towards shaking him up.
And after a tense moment she found that she was right. He looked down, thoughtful. “You may have a point...”
Then he looked around, taking in all the curious faces, and suddenly appeared rather uncomfortable. “Would you mind coming to my office? This is probably a discussion we should be having in private!”
“Sure!” she said, and motioned her vampires to follow.
Buffy loved Giles’ office. It was like something out of a period drama - all oak panelled walls and deep red leather chairs what you could sink into and never get out of again. The sort of office that she’d always thought he belonged in.
When the door was closed, Giles didn’t immediately jump to the main issue, maybe wanting to give himself some time to adjust.
“Pardon me for asking, but how did you get them back here so quickly?”
“Oh, we hijacked a jet!”
She smiled mischievously.
“You what?”
Oh dear, now he was angry again. But it couldn’t be helped.
“It’s OK! It was an evil jet!” Apparently she could still pull out her best flippant side when arguing with Giles. Good to know.
“Buffy...” he was obviously lost for words. “I cannot begin to describe my astonishment at your actions. I know you... love... both of them, but to bring the whole of the Council into danger because of your own wishes strikes me as incredibly selfish!”
The gloves were off now. Fine. She could give as good as she got.
“Did you miss the part where they saved the world? And the fact that they were fighting Wolfram & Hart and lost all their friends? Sure they’ve done some bad stuff in the process, but we have quite a few murderers working here too!”
For some reason this made him go very quiet, and Buffy felt like explaining in a bit more detail.
“Look, they’re working on this spell that’s going to hide them from The Senior Partners! They don’t want to put anyone in danger, least of all me - I practically had to force them to come with me, and as soon as the spell is active they’ll be untraceable!”
Giles looked at her and slowly nodded. “That certainly puts a slightly different perspective on things...” But his voice drifted off as Angel stepped forward.
“Sorry, but it’s not quite that simple!” He turned to Buffy. “I hope you don’t mind, but there are some unresolved... issues... that we better get out of the way before we do anything else. Aren’t there Mr Giles?”
“I’m not sure that I know what you’re referring to,” Giles answered, but Buffy could feel any remaining heat being sucked out of the room.
“Let me enlighten you!” Angel replied. They were facing each other across Giles’ huge desk, and Buffy began to feel very uncomfortable. What was it Spike had said? Something about trying to broker a truce without killing Giles? She had meant to inquire into that, but she had been preoccupied with trying to work out her own defence... And now Angel had turned his face back into stone.
“But before I start, let me explain a little something about where we stand, because we’re not really the best of friends anymore. You see, I’ve lived through more prophecies these last few years than you’ll read in your life. I’ve seen a Power That Was walk this earth, as well as an Elder God from before the time of men. I’ve seen every friend I ever had killed or worse, and tasted the power of The Senior Partners. I am not the same man you once knew. And I have some things I need to bring up.”
He stopped for a moment before slowly continuing.
“First of all, there was your runaway Slayer that we captured for you. You sent Andrew - with 12 Slayers at his disposal - and yet you used me and my team to do your dirty work, not caring about the price we might have to pay. Now I can understand that. You wanted to keep your people safe - and well, we were all working for Evil anyway, weren’t we?”
Giles didn’t reply to this, but his face didn’t show any remorse. Buffy felt rather bad, having herself been involved in this incident - telling Andrew that they would no longer be talking to Angel.
But Angel wasn’t finished...
“Second... I called in the spring, needing Willow... Do you remember?”
Giles nodded slowly.
“We were trying to save a friend’s life... a woman who spent 5 years in a hell dimension, who was... sweeter and brighter than you can imagine. She was also the woman that Wesley loved. He watched her die - slowly, painfully; gutted from the inside to be made into a vessel for a demon god... And you refused to help!”
He stopped for a moment, and then got that look in his eyes that Buffy had already learned to dread. He crossed his arms and tilted his head - once again the CEO, laying down the law.
“... But then I did torture you once for hours, so maybe we should call it even and start afresh!”
Buffy was speechless, and if it hadn’t been for Spike taking hold of her hand just then she didn’t know what would have happened.
Giles however had obviously reached his limit.
“How dare you?”
He was leaning forward on the desk, furious.
Angel was still immobile, but his anger was showing now, too. He was studying Giles and spoke very deliberately.
“Your psycho Slayer cut off Spike’s hands! I never got round to using that chain saw!”
The silence stretched and stretched, and Buffy was looking from face to face with a sinking feeling. Were they going to bring up every past misdeed? And what was that about Dana cutting off Spike’s hands? She turned to him, but he shook his head, very carefully watching the now silent battle of wills.
“You killed Jenny.” Giles finally said, voice cold and clipped.
Angel looked down, apparently silenced. After a moment he lifted his face, his expression was unreadable, eyes distant.
“The first thing I did when I rose as a vampire was to go to my father’s house,” he began. “My little sister - who was only ten years old - opened the door. She thought I had come back to her, as an angel - and invited me in. So I ripped out her throat. And I thought her remark so funny, that I used it to choose my name...”
He was silent for a little while, as though lost in thought. Buffy was fighting back tears, for this was not something she had known. Spike pulled her into a hug, and she gratefully leaned on his shoulder.
Then Angel continued. “If you want to hate me Giles, please join the queue. Hate is fine, hate I am used to. But if that hatred affected the way you chose to deal with me, and cost people I cared about, then that is not something I can accept! Am I making myself clear?”
Giles was silent for a long time pondering Angel’s words and finally he looked up.
“You have made some very valid points. But I do not think I would have acted any differently if personal feelings had not been involved. The Council could never be seen to in any way accept a truce with W&H, and that’s a stand I will always take. However - in the light of what I have heard today, and the fact that you no longer work for them, I think it might be possible to find room for you here at The Council... for a start it would be incredibly helpful for the girls to train with actual vampires...”
He stopped, confused, at the look on Angel’s face. Spike swiftly sidled up to Angel’s side, clearing his throat.
“Remember - no pulling heads off!”
Angel turned to him, incredulous. “Did - did he just say what I thought he said?”
“Well you do look awfully like Oliver Twist...” Spike said, lightly, before turning towards Giles.
“Now Rupert...” Spike began, a mixture of suppressed mirth and indignation playing across his features. “Far be it from me to tell you how to run your Council, but insulting the chosen Champion of The Powers That Be strikes me as less than stellar policy! You see... there’s this Apocalypse that we’re sort of in the middle of. And we’ve got battles to fight and prophecies to fulfil and humanity to save - you know, that kinda thing, I’m sure it’ll ring a bell any moment. So although we’d love to stay and give you a hand with the bitty Slayers, I’m afraid we’re a tad preoccupied!”
Giles stared at him, speechless.
“Of course,” Spike continued, “If you’d like to help us out, like say... lend us a handful of Slayers or let us roam around your archives, that would be great, but if not - then that’s fine.” He held up his hands. “You’re not going to be seeing much of us either way. The reason we’re here is because of Buffy... thought it’d be nice if we could all learn to get along, since it looks like you’re going to be something like our father-in-law!”
He couldn’t help a grin at the end, and Buffy fought hard to suppress the same urge.
Angel took a deep breath. “What Spike said,” he finally said. He turned to Buffy. “Do I have to be evil or something to get any respect?” He silently shook his head and glowered in Giles’ direction.
“Well, they all seem to think we’re just big fluffy puppies with bad teeth who’ll be so deliriously happy to be half-accepted into their little super club that we’ll do whatever. Liked your crew better, Angel.” Spike sounded rather bitter now, and Giles shot him a dark look.
“I am not sure that’s entirely fair, Spike...” he began, but Spike cut him off.
“If it had been Willow who had a trigger in her head, would you have tried to kill her behind Buffy’s back?”
Giles could not answer straight away.
“See? Don’t get me wrong Rupert, I get why you did what you did - pretty much the same method Angel here used at W&H! But winning at all costs has a steep price!”
He sighed and held out his arms. “Now - can we all just say that we’re sorry and move on? There’s not one of us that doesn’t live in a soddin’ glasshouse after all.” He stopped, looked around. “Our top priorities are saving the world and making Buffy happy. I think that should mesh rather well with yours. Oh - and we reserve the right to bite Andrew at any time and for no reason!”
And for the first time that day, a shadow of a smile crossed Giles’ face.
“I think your terms are... acceptable,” he said, and Buffy could have kissed him in gratitude.
A little later, when they were almost out the door, Giles pulled her aside.
“Buffy... I know it is not really my business, but are you absolutely sure you know what you’re doing. I mean...”
“Is this the part where you tell me that you want more for me? ‘Cause honestly I think two is going to keep me more than occupied!”
Giles winced and took off his glasses. “I... see. I don’t suppose you’ve given any thought to what sort of example you’re setting...”
She tried to look innocent. “Because of the vampire thing? I know - put it in the new edition of the Handbook - ‘A Slayer can sleep with as many Souled Vampires as she likes!’”
She smiled brightly.
“Very well,” he sighed, and she relented a little.
“I’m sorry Giles, but this is what I need. What we need...” she gave him a little smile, and checking that Spike and Angel were coming, walked out of the office.
Where Willow was waiting.
“Buffy!” she said, excitedly, and bounced out of the chair she’d been sitting in and gave Buffy a hug. The corridor was otherwise empty, which Buffy was very grateful for. Privacy was good.
“How did it go? I came as quickly as I got this-” Willow held up her cell phone, where a snapshot of Buffy, Spike and Angel was displayed, “- but got here just a little too late. Knew I should have teleported!”
Buffy smiled. “It’s so good to see you! And it went... OK. I think.”
She turned. “Did it go OK?”
They looked at each other and shrugged. “Well nobody got hurt...” Spike said, then moved forward. “And it’s good to see you, Willow. How have you been? Still with Kennedy?”
“I’m fine, and still with Kennedy and thank you for saving the world!” She then gave him a hug too, which obviously surprised him, but after a second he gratefully hugged her back.
“And hi Angel!” Another hug, and Willow was repaid with a rare smile.
“I also got a text message...” Willow continued slowly, studying Buffy’s face, “Saying something about - beds?”
“Oh.” Buffy swallowed. “That.”
“So?” Willow prompted, looking curiously from her and to Spike and Angel and back again. “Is it true or just some sort of exaggerated thing like Chinese whispers?”
Why was this so hard, Buffy wondered. Technically Giles should have been much trickier, but then he didn’t want to think of her having sex with anyone, so all she needed for him to do was to accept the situation. Willow... she wanted to understand.
“It’s true,” Buffy answered. “I am... I mean we are...” she took a deep breath. “I’m sleeping with both of them.”
“Okay,” Willow said, in a voice slightly too high pitched, “Okay... that’s... I was kinda clinging to the Chinese Whispers theory...”
“Sorry,” Buffy said, biting her lip. “It’s just... I love them both and now they kinda... come as a pair?”
Willow’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t help but look over Buffy’s shoulder.
Buffy turned just in time to see Spike smirk and wink suggestively as he leaned against an impassive Angel and Willow’s eyes scooted back to Buffy’s face, as though burned.
“This... this is going to take some serious getting used to, Okay? I mean... ”
She stopped and suddenly frowned. “Oh, but what happened to your coat?”
“Firedemons,” Buffy answered, “They could probably smell that it was new and wanted revenge for killing them.”
“Oh! Just stand still!” Willow was grinning now and said a strange little incantation, and with a little sparkly ‘puff’ the coat looked like new.
“Oh wow! Thank you, you are a genius!”
“Hey - speaking of genius...” Spike chimed in. “Do you think you could help us with a cloaking spell? We’ve got all the ingredients and a vague outline, but - not really our field of expertise.”
“Oh! Let me see!” Willow exclaimed, and then stopped herself. “Actually, let’s go somewhere more private... It’s almost break time for the Slayerettes.”
As they walked down the corridors, looking for an empty room, Spike and Angel gave Willow as much information as they could about Lindsey and how his spell had worked. After not too long they found an unoccupied study room, and Buffy put a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, before locking it.
“It’s almost like being back in High School... except for being in charge... Oh and what was that thing about these symbols being all over my walls?”
“They’re quite... decorative,” Angel said, apologetically, and then frowned and looked at Willow.
“Do you think you could make them... smaller? On us, I mean. They just looked a little... silly... and I don’t want them to cover up my tattoo...”
“I’ll make them small and tasteful,” Willow promised in her best school teachery voice, as she examined the magical artefacts that Spike was handing her.
“Oh! Shiny!” she suddenly exclaimed, as he gave her the Ishtan globe. “Is this the one you got, Buffy?”
Buffy nodded, and Willow slowly turned it over in her hands. “If you look really closely, you can see that the surface is covered in fractals. Actual fractals, getting infinitely smaller but never stopping - this is why they’re so good for covering spells you see, they use the infinity principle to continually repel any attempt at breaking the spell - very much like The Hitchhiker’s Guide actually...” She stopped and shook her head at the looks she was getting.
“Just give me the instructions!”
It had all been over surprisingly quickly. If a couple of hours could be called quick. But it definitely worked... trying to take a picture of them with Willow’s phone, they didn’t show up at all.
“I tinkered a little...” Willow said, smugly, and smiled. “I also added a little bit of confusion and forgetfulness, so people won’t notice you much - you do kinda stand out!”
Spike and Angel were grateful, if rather worn out by now, so Buffy gave them the key to her flat, and they walked off to catch the tube.
Buffy was still trying to get her head around that ten minutes later, sitting with Willow in the little cafe across from the council, drinking hot chocolate and eating a belated breakfast consisting of buttered scones.
“I mean it just never occurred to me. I just thought they always used the sewers...”
“Cosmopolitan vampires! And considering how dark it is on an average winter day here in England...” Willow shuddered.
“Do you miss Brazil?”
“So much! Not that it doesn’t have its problems of course, but England just isn’t like the brochures... I’ve not heard a single person say ‘Alright Gov’nor’ yet...”
She was interrupted when her phone started ringing. She picked it up, and after listening for a moment said, “Yeah, she’s here...” and handed it to Buffy, mouthing the word ‘Dawn’.
Oh great, Buffy thought. I was hoping to put it off just for a little while longer...
“Hi Dawn...” she said, and Dawn cheerily replied.
“Hi Buffy! Thought I’d call, what with there being all these crazy rumours going round the Academy about you and Spike and Angel...”
“Already?”
Dawn scoffed. “Please! This is totally Gossip Central! We usually know stuff before Giles!”
“Oh...” Buffy looked down, and studied her extra large cup very carefully. “Well about the rumours... they’re kinda true. I mean I don’t know exactly what they’re saying, but I’m with... sleeping with... both of them.”
“OK!”
“Okay?”
“Sure! It always struck me as the obvious solution, and if they don’t mind sharing...?”
“No...” Buffy said, feeling oddly light-headed, “They don’t mind sharing...”
This was surreal.
“Dawn - you’re being very calm about this, how...”
Dawn made a ‘pfft’ sound, and Buffy could picture her disdainful hand wave perfectly. “I think it’s all the early emotional scarring, I’m unshockable now. Also, I’m used to you being a freak - it feels... comforting. Oh and does this mean that I can go to orgies now?”
“What? No!” Buffy desperately tried to re-group her brain. “There are orgies at The Watcher’s Academy?”
“Heee! No. I just love winding you up. Sorry. Oh, but - I knew there was something I needed to ask you. Can you tell Spike and Angel that I’ll need to interview them when I come home for Christmas? Our main course this term is ‘Behaviour of the Vampire’ and I’ll totally ace it if I can use quotes from actual vampires. Some of the stuff they teach is just hopeless! I knew better when I was twelve! Oh wait - brain wave! I could write my thesis on one of them... or maybe the whole Aurelian line... Woohoo! I am so going to be Head Girl, just wait and see!”
“Dawn...” Buffy tried to say, but was cut off again.
“Oh crap! I have to go - I’m going to be late for my demonology class! At the moment we’re learning about demons who use bodily fluids for attacking - like sputum or mucus or-”
“Bye Dawn!” Buffy said very firmly, and closed the phone. Slowly she looked up at Willow.
“My sister is terrifying and unshockable. I think that is a good thing. No wait - it’s bad, isn’t it? I’ve destroyed her innocence ... I’m a terrible guardian!”
Willow smiled. “Nah, you’re brilliant. She took it well?”
“More than well! She just sort of breezed past it and wants to use them for her school work...”
She stopped and then remembered the last obstacle. “Oh God. I don’t know how to tell Xander. He’ll freak, seriously. I mean Giles was bad enough, but mostly he was just worried about the Council, when he wasn’t being all fatherly....”
“Look! Buffy-” Willow was thinking hard. “I’ll call Xander - ask him to come back as soon as he can. He’s usually pretty out of touch, so I’ll sit him down and talk to him when he comes.”
Buffy looked at her friend with enormous gratitude. “Thank you Will, that’s... I don’t know what I’d do without you!”
Xander could never get over how cold England was. And now it was November and horribly damp and grey to boot. He had meant to stay in Africa until Christmas, but Willow had called and said that if he wanted he could come back now... and then told him about Buffy finding Spike and Angel and how everything was a bit up in the air. There was obviously more to the story than she let on, but he could easily work out that she needed to talk to him face to face and so agreed to come back. He wasn’t going to say no to an extended holiday... he really was rather exhausted, truth be told.
He’d of course been a bit surprised by the news - he had heard a little about the whole 'Angel-plays-for-the-opposition' and thought they'd never see him again... but then Buffy really had a way of forgiving just about anything. And a couple more fighters could never be a bad thing.
Realising that he was passing close by Buffy's flat, he thought he might as well see if she was home - it had been forever since he'd seen her, and he figured he might just as well get her side of the story first. He asked the taxi driver to change direction, and shortly (for a London taxi journey) afterwards he was skipping up the steps to Buffy's flat. It was around 4 in the afternoon, so she was probably at the Council, but it couldn't hurt to look in.
When she opened the door, he thought that she might faint upon seeing him. "Xander? What are you doing here?"
"Just arrived! Thought I'd stop by and say hello to my favourite Slayer!" Standing in the doorway he looked around the sitting room. "Hey - you've redecorated! I like the stencilling. Very different!"
"What? Oh that. Well that's... I mean - have you talked to anyone-"
She was cut short by an angry yell.
"Spike! You used up all the hot water! Again!"
Seconds later Angel, wearing only a towel wrapped around his middle and displaying some very odd tattoos on his chest, strode into the room, as Spike (thankfully dressed) entered from the kitchen, a mug in his hand. Xander did a double take, but well... Buffy was obviously just putting them up until they could find somewhere different. What with Dawn gone she had the extra space...
"Well if you insist on sleeping in..." Spike said, uncaring.
"Maybe I'd get some actual sleep if you didn't keep stealing the covers!"
"That wasn't me - it was Buffy!"
"She was in the middle!"
Buffy's frantic waving finally stopped their argument, but it was too late.
"You... sleep in the middle?" Xander asked, suddenly feeling faint himself. He’d misheard. That was all. And Buffy would laugh and tell him that it was just a mistake...
Instead Buffy smiled nervously. "I was kinda planning on letting you know slowly... guess I sort of blew that, huh?" He could see how she was silently trying to plead with him, but he was still too astonished to register anything other than abject shock.
Angel had swiftly retreated, but Spike came up to them, face now serious.
"Heard about Anya and wanted to offer my condolences. She was a brilliant woman." He shook Xander's hand, and then with a nod to Buffy went back to the kitchen.
Xander felt as though they’d all punched him, but things were slowly starting to fit together.
“This... this is why Willow called. Buffy - have you gone insane?”
“No...” she said quietly. “I just... I just love them both, OK?”
“But - but -” There were so many layers of wrong that Xander didn’t know where to start. “They hate each other!”
Buffy looked down. “Things change... I’m sorry Xander, but I had to follow my heart.”
He looked at her, noticed how very small she really was, how fragile she could look, and yet how unyielding.
“Buffy... Look you can do whatever you want with your life, but this... I’m going to need some time, OK? And - I’m worried. I don’t want you to get hurt again.”
She smiled softly, a tiny twinkle in her eyes again. “Don’t worry. These days my heart is a fortress - it has two cute vampire guards and everything!”
Xander nodded quietly. “I... should go. I have a taxi waiting. I’ll see you around. Just remember - I’ll always be there for you. Whatever happens!”
“Thank you,” she said, and smiled, a tendril of hope in her eyes. A little later he was slowly walking down the stairs, trying to fit his brain around what he’d just found out. He didn’t have a clue what to do, really, but he kept coming back to the fact that... she looked happy. And that had to be good. So... he’d have to back away and just let her be.
Weeks went by and Buffy discovered many new things. Like the fact that given the right incentive she could become almost nocturnal. And that Angel was very neat, had really, really good taste and took almost as long as her in the bathroom. That Spike had an extensive and encyclopaedic knowledge of British TV - Eastenders and Coronation Street particularly - and that the remote was suddenly a battlefield. That both of them were surprisingly good cooks, although Angel would cook for her, and Spike would cook for them all, so his meals were usually heavy on every spice she had. That they both knew Latin and Greek as well as various other languages and were rather good at research. That the new symbols on their chests were definitely lick-proof. And that they could argue indefinitely about almost anything and sometimes had to be stopped with violence.
The people around her tried to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary was going on, although there were always a lot of whispers and staring when she went to The Council. But then she was rather used to that and it was a small price to pay for happiness... She knew she’d thrown them all in at the deep end, praying that they could make it work, and although it wasn’t easy she was sure it could be done.
And then came the night when Spike walked out.
Chapter 6.
no subject
Thank you. Dawn is fun. :)
And nice cliffhanger ending!
It had to be done...