Chapter 9
Destroy Me While You Still Can
Kyle opened the heavy door and gestured for Giles to enter the study. Softly closing the door behind the Watcher, he bent close to the keyhole.
Giles walked into the room and got his first look at the Imperial Wizard, and although resembling the picture in his file, in person Roger Chaplaine looked far older and much more careworn.
Buffy was certainly right, the job has aged him tremendously.
Standing firmly erect with an almost military-like bearing, the wizard extended his hand. “Rupert Giles. It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person; I am such an admirer of yours. I’m Roger Chaplaine. Please sit down. May I offer you some tea? Or perhaps you would prefer a glass of wine?”
Giles shook the man’s hand and sat in the chair indicated by his host. It was then he noticed a tray sitting on a cherry side table laden with the teapot and trimmings that constitute a cream tea. “Tea will be fine.”
Handing over an aromatic cup of Earl Gray and a filled plate, Chaplaine spoke. “I’m American; however I spent several years in England during the early portion of my tenure and acquired the habit of afternoon tea.”
Reaching for the cream, he continued. “As I’m sure you’re aware, I have had the occasion to meet with your Slayer and I was most impressed. Ms. Summers is forthright and I admire that. I raised my daughter Margot to be a strong individual, too. I can’t abide solely decorative women.”
Giles placed his cup and saucer on the small table next to his chair. “Buffy is doing everything possible to locate your daughter.”
“I’ve actually asked you here for two reasons. First allow me to preface my remarks by saying that although our organizations no longer work together, I nonetheless follow the Watcher’s Council and its members. I feel that you are Quentin Travers’ most capable and knowledgeable Watcher. It is because of your training and resources that the current Slayer has had such longevity in the field.”
“Buffy Summers is the strongest Slayer we’ve had since Nikki Wood. She is very resourceful in her own right.”
“Please do not misunderstand, I do not mean to impinge on your Slayer’s personal abilities. As I stated a moment ago I admire her tremendously. I merely wish you to know that I realize you have had a strong hand in her successes.”
“Thank you.”
“My true hope is that someday our organizations can again be close allies in the fight against the dark.”
“As do I.” Giles sipped his tea and studied the older man. An obviously formal man, Chaplaine projected both power and strength. Gillian was correct. It would be foolhardy to cross him without an extremely good reason. He cleared his throat. “You spoke of two reasons for this meeting?”
“Yes. I believe you and I should join together to sort this problem out. It would be a good first step for our organizations. As allies, this would mean that we can not have secrets from each other, so in good faith I shall be the first to show my hand, as they say. I know your Slayer has already discovered the location of my daughter.”
Giles murmured. “The bracelet.”
“Of course. Did you really believe I would fashion such an intricate object and not have a way to track its bearer? I placed a beacon that alerted me the moment your Slayer found her. It also allowed me the knowledge that my daughter is both alive and well.”
“We had no choice in the matter. Ms. Chaplaine swore Buffy to secrecy.”
“Margot is an impetuous woman who has no doubt hatched some wild scheme as a last grand hurrah before assuming her position.”
“So you knew she hadn’t been kidnapped all along.”
“I surmised as much. However I was not absolutely certain until you located her.” He leaned forward. “Mr. Giles, she’s not only the Successor, but my only child. You must tell me what she has planned.”
“In the spirit of mutual cooperation and because she didn’t mention keeping her undertaking a secret from the Imperial Council, I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Kyle shifted his weight and leaned closer to the keyhole. He listened as Giles quickly summed up Margot’s plot. He straightened up and stepped away when he heard a loud knock at the front door. He opened the door to see Spike standing on the wide porch.
“I need to speak with the Watcher. I know he’s here.”
“Hi Spike.” Kyle thrust his hands in his pockets. “You’re right, Mr. Giles is here. But before you see him, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“What is it?”
“Why didn’t Buffy tell me you’d found my mom?”
Spike stopped short. “How?” He noticed the scuff marks in front of the study door. “Listening in at keyholes eh? I did the same thing when I was your age.”
Spike studied the young boy. Kyle was staring at his sneakers, his shoulders hunched over. Suddenly the memory of another young boy growing up in a house very much like this flashed through his mind.
Spike placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and his voice softened. “I’m truly sorry, Kyle. Your mum made us both promise. If it was up to me, I would’ve told you. But the Slayer’s too honorable for that, she’d never go back on her word. She really worried over it too. Felt real bad about keepin’ the truth from you. We both did.”
Kyle lifted his head. “I understand she couldn’t break her promise. She’s the Slayer.”
“That’s right. The Slayer is very serious when it comes to her callin’ and doin’ the right thing.” Spike smiled. “And even though I’m not naturally predisposed in that direction, now that I work with her, she makes me toe the line, too. Now, where’s her Watcher? We’ve got a problem to sort out.”
Kyle pointed toward the study. “They’re in there. My grandfather invited Mr. Giles to afternoon tea.”
“How bloody civilized, those two takin’ afternoon tea together. No, don’t wait out here in the hall. Everything you’d done lately, I think you’ve earned the right to come in and join their boys club.”
Giles looked up sharply when Spike strode into the room, Kyle at his side. Before he could speak, Spike beat him to the punch. “Slayer’s gone missin’. I drove to her house, thought I’d save her a walk and Joyce said she didn’t show for dinner. She missed our meeting, too. Last time I saw her, she was trackin’ a Thesa demon that was spendin’ its time following Rayne around Sunnyhell.”
Kyle’s gasp could be heard in the sudden quiet of the room.
Chaplaine looked over at his grandson. “Kyle, please retrieve my staff.” The wizard looked at Giles. “I can help you find your Slayer, the bracelet will track her.”
While they waited for Kyle to return with the staff, Spike filled them in on the visit to the apartment that afternoon and their discovery that Claire was helping Margot in her endeavor.
Chaplaine shook his head. “I never even considered that Claire was anywhere but at home in New York.” He sighed. “I fear I am getting much too old for all of this.”
Kyle returned with the staff. Chaplaine took it, placed it in his lap and gripped it tightly with his right hand. Making a fist with his left hand, he muttered an incantation. A soft burst of light appeared around the closed hand. He opened his eyes and indicated for Spike to move closer. Warily he obeyed.
“Hold out your hand.” Champlain’s voice was tired.
The wizard dropped a small silver ring into Spike’s open palm. “This ring will lead you to the Slayer. It is a companion piece to the bracelet. Go to the last place you were with her, say the word “reveal” and it will indicate the way.” He slumped against his chair obviously exhausted. The lines that bracketed his eyes and mouth were more pronounced than ever.
Giles poured the elderly man another cup of tea.
Spike slipped the ring on his finger. “I’ll run by the crypt and grab a weapon, and then I’ll start tracking the Slayer from the apartment building.”
“Spike?”
“Yeah?”
Giles pulled out his key ring and removed a key. “My place is closer. Get something out of the weapons chest.” At Spike’s surprised look, he added. “Time may be of the essence.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find her.” Hesitating, he added. “Ta.”
Spike opened the study door and Kyle followed him out. “Spike? Could you give me a ride back to Mr.Giles’ apartment? I need to pick up my bike.”
“Sure.”
Once in the car, he turned to Spike. “I wanted a chance to talk to you.”
Spike started the ignition and pulled away from the curb. “Okay, you have your chance. What is it?”
“I want to help Buffy. Will you let me see the ring?”
Spike handed the ring over.
Kyle held it in his hand and closed his eyes. Muttering an incantation under his breath, he opened his eyes again. “Here.”
“Are you goin’ to tell me how you magicked up the ring, or am I supposed to know intuitively?”
“I added something.”
“Oh? And what might that be? Not thinkin’ I’m going to be needin’ a vamp van tonight.”
“No, but you might need to be a vamp van so I added a glamour spell. Touch it, whisper the word “glamour” and then hold a picture in your mind of whatever you want to be in disguise. You’ll appear to be that until my spell stops holding, probably about an hour, maybe a bit longer.”
“An hour can be an eternity and trust me, I know eternity.” Spike glanced over at the young boy staring solemnly at him. “Thanks wizard. Your spell might help save the Slayer’s life.”
*****
Buffy wasn’t sure whether it was the horrific stench or the cold water dripping on her face that awakened her, but the way she felt when she opened her eyes made her almost wish she was still unconscious.
Sitting up slowly, she winced at the pounding in her temples and checked her calf. The puncture wound replete with deep purplish bruising hadn’t begun to heal. That meant she’d only been unconscious a short time.
Along with her leg and jackhammer headache, the Slayer felt weak and uncoordinated, her energy level depleted. There must have been something in the bug’s sting that had sapped her Slayer strength.
Scanning the area around her, Buffy realized she was incarcerated in a completely different building. The demons must have moved her while she was unconscious.
Now she was sitting on a cold stone floor in a small barred cell that smelled like it was part of the Sunnydale dump.
The only illumination was a small metal lamp hammered into the wall outside her cell. She couldn’t decide which smelled worse, the room itself or the fuel burning in the lamp.
Trying not to gag at the stench, which would only make her head hurt worse, she ran her hand across the rough stone wall. The blocks were too solid to punch through even at full strength. Ignoring the headache, she tilted her head. The ceiling was comprised of the same stone blocks, several cracks running through the mortar.
More water dripped from one of the cracks, splattering the top of her head and face. Wiping her eyes, she slid a few inches, gritting her teeth at the sudden pain.
Using one of Giles’ breathing techniques to lessen the stabbing pain, Buffy concentrated on listening to the sound of the water splashing into the growing puddle on the floor.
Finally ready, she stood up trying not to place any weight on her leg. Leaning against the wall, she touched her bracelet and illuminated the cell. Carefully skirting the growing puddle while putting all her weight on the good leg, the Slayer slowly limped/ hopped around the perimeter.
Completing an entire circuit of the small room was exhausting. Wiping off the beaded perspiration, she sat leaning against the iron bars that comprised the cell’s door. When she felt rested again, she turned around. Gripping the bar in front of her with both hands, she tugged. Nothing.
Scooting slowly across the front of the cell, Buffy tested each bar individually. They stubbornly refused to bend, she just didn’t have the strength to force them apart. Frustrated, she rubbed her temples where the struggle with the bars had worsened her headache.
Giving up the idea of immediate escape, she decided the best course of action was to rest, giving her Slayer constitution time to heal her leg and force the demon’s poison out of her system. If that didn’t work, at some point someone would show up and open the cell door.
Sliding as far from the puddle as she could, Buffy stretched out on the floor in the only position that didn’t hurt her leg. Wishing for a flyswatter the size of a troll’s hammer to materialize while she rested, the Slayer closed her eyes.
*****
The fleeting vision disappeared. Buoyed by the information she’d received during the scrying, Margot picked up the bowl, tossing the water through the window where it would soak into the parched ground.
She had been right in her supposition. The Grimoire was definitely in the possession of the Gashi Chieftain. Worriedly she thought about another piece of information she had acquired during her vision. She had been shown the Chieftain leafing through the Grimoire.
Shuddering at the potential, she knew he needed to be stopped as quickly as possible. Pulling out her cell phone, she punched a familiar number.
“Ethan? There’s been a change of plan. I want you to tell the Gashi that we need to push our meeting up….Yes now. I need to meet with the Chieftain to finalize our deal before my installation…….I don’t care what excuse you choose. Tell him I just received word I have to leave the country on important business or something. Tell him anything. Just get him to agree. Since we’re moving this up, we’ll need to do it here on the Hellmouth, so give him the alternate location we discussed…… Do you think I’m stupid? Of course I realize we’re giving him the advantage. I have my reasons, just do it……. Yes, I still want you to meet with the Thesa Overlord. We’re continuing with the plan so we need him…… Then go now, before your meeting. The Gashi are nocturnal.” Her voice hardened. “I’m warning you Ethan. Don’t screw this up.”
The final stage had been set in motion. Margot walked through the filthy rooms where she’d spent the past week. She missed her children and her comfortable bed. She missed her life.
The certain discovery of John’s Grimoire had caused memories to resurface that she’d thought long buried.
Stopping at the small sink, she splashed cold water on her face. Staring at her reflection in the cracked mirror, Margot hardly recognized the woman that solemnly stared back, exhausted eyes too big for the overly thin face.
She continued to inspect the gaunt face with the ancient eyes, trying in vain to find some resemblance left of the young woman who had been in love with life and still had her entire future before her. A woman so consumed by love for a man that she couldn’t fathom living without him.
But the man had been dead for many years, gone forever with a single cruel twist of fate and the woman had lost that love of life. Replaced now by a powerful wizard, balanced precariously on a knife’s edge, poised to either save her world or destroy it.
Walking to the scarred table, Margot laid her head down on her arms and awaited the arrival of the Slayer and her vampire partner. The wizard had a gut feeling about the pair. The unexpected players in the game, they could tip the scale in her favor and help her undo the hubris of youth.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Still not mine.
AU S5 Romance, Drama, Adventure, Humor
AU S5 Romance, Drama, Adventure, Humor