Haakon shuddered at the thought of being responsible for Nordlys and Katla, their father.
Elvara noticed the expression on his face, "Haakon, is everything alright? It's a bit late to not want the girls; you have been their isä for years."
"I have loved those girls from the first; it’s just the idea of all those men who will want them."
Spike laughed, he was still the Big Bad. Willow slapped his arm, "You caused that worry. That's
not fair." Making Spike laugh even louder.
Elvara laughed as well..."Haakon, Fahr and Wolf will help you there." she laughed even louder when Haakon growled at the thought of his daughters mates.
The sound of their laughter preceded them up the stairs, contrasting deeply with the blood-soaked walls.
Meanwhile, down in the basement outside the council chambers, the sounds of growling and screaming were keeping everyone else on edge. Everyone else, except Methos, that is. He just laughed with every twitch that Xander and Giles made. “Makes you think twice about pissing her off, doesn’t it?” Methos asked with a wicked grin.
Xander shuddered as a particularly gruesome scream seemed to be cut off in the middle.
"I wonder if she'll eat any bits. There wasn't a lot left after we caught those men attacking the orphanage." Anya said conversationally.
"Mother never did like child molesters. Other than as supper of course," Cassie added, but her eyes showed her anxiety.
Methos wrapped his arm around the immortal woman. "Swift justice," he reminded her.
A bang against the door startled Giles; he jumped knocking his elbow against the wall.
"Careful, watcher. Wouldn't want you damaged this side of the door." Methos grinned.
The silence was almost deafening when it finally happened, the door swung quietly open, and the slight creak echoing through the hallway. Acrid smoke, reminiscent of a smokehouse, wafted through the opened door, bring with it the scent of roasted pork.
Buffy casually sauntered through the door, carefully using her dagger to clean beneath her nails, a sated grin on her face. When Giles made to move past her into the room, her arm shot out, blocking his path. “Wouldn’t do that if I were you. It’s a little... warm... in there.”
“Roasted them up good did you?” Methos inquired, still grinning. “Anything left inside for a burial?”
"Not a lot, they pissed me off." She threw a bloody mess of seared flesh onto the floor. "Find something to carry that in would you?" she asked Xander who was looking particularly green around the gills.
"What is it?" Anya asked curiously. She poked at it with her foot, there seemed to be skin amongst the debris.
"The tattoos from Alun. He seemed reluctant to give them back." Buffy said with a shrug
Anya stopped kicking the pile. "Oh," she said. Haakon will be pleased. He can prove that the bastard is dead now."
Giles looked pale and Cassie grabbed him and put his head between his knees. "Just breathe, just take deep breaths."
"Thank you," he gasped.
"So what now?" Methos asked, handing Buffy over a bottle of water he pulled from their supplies.
"My cousin pulled all the information we need when she was in there, one of the men can bribe her into telling, I'm sure." Buffy grinned wickedly. "Then we rebuild the council."
"Again," Methos added dryly. "You forgot the again."
“Not my fault the idiots tend to shove their heads up their asses every three hundred years or so.” Buffy muttered with a sour look at Methos. “Apparently they like to think they are in charge of everything.” She snorted in disgust. . "I gave them a chance last time, and look what they did with it. I nearly broke a talon in there."
“Ummm... did you say ‘rebuild the council’?” Xander asked with wide eyes as he watched Anya play with the pieces of human skin. He really didn't like the way she was spreading them out to check the tattoos that used to span Alun's shoulders.
Buffy took a long swallow of the water before answering. “Yup. And seeing as I didn’t leave much left this time, ‘I’ get to pick the new head.” She looked around, noticing the missing people for the first time. “Where’d everyone go?”
“Sent them upstairs to fetch the girl Elvara tranqed. Both she and the young witches looked a little green around the gills. Spike and Haakon went with them.” Cassandra said with a small smile.
"Wolf and Fahr went looking in the other rooms, they said there should be a library round here, and we waited while you had..." Methos checked his watch. "An early lunch."
"Glad you sent Elvara away; she tends to have a soft heart. Like her mother," Buffy's voice caught at the memory of Helga. "Travers was one of those that ordered her death. Justice has been served."
"And Alun?" Cassie asked softly.
“He took a long time dying. Father has taken his soul, no next life for him. The betrayal of the Priestess was more than we can ever let her know." She looked ferociously between Giles and Xander. "You never speak of anything you hear. Never."
Both men nodded, not willing to argue with her after what she had just done. While they hadn’t witnessed it, their imaginations filled in the details. Little did they realize that their imaginations fell short of reality.
“Let’s find the boys, and release the council’s prisoners. We’ll take them back to the house with us.” Buffy stated as she headed down the hall to where the cells were.
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Giles asked with a concerned look on his face. “Taking them into your home, where Joyce and the children are?”
“I can assure you, Mr. Giles, that Mother would not have suggested bringing them to her home if she thought they were a danger to anyone there.” Methos stated, shaking his head. “You are going to have to let go of the old council’s teachings. Ninety percent of what they taught was a lie anyway.”
"Ninety percent?" Buffy asked with a smile..."that's a bit of a low guess." she commented as she led the way towards the prison levels.
Fahr and Wolf stuck their heads out from behind one of the doors.
"I think you may want to keep Elvara out of this one,” Ritchie poke his head in, "Yep, definitely." he agreed.
Inside was a collection of antiquities, most of which were esoteric in nature.
"Isn't that a Tibetan Spirit knife?" Anya asked as she pointed at one wall.
"Mmhhmm, but we can catalogue it all later. Let's go and get the prisoners," Buffy ordered, pulling them away from the room.
There were demons of all sorts watching them as they went passed the glass walls. One stood over seven feet high and had lilac skin. He growled something at Buffy, who smiled and bowed.
"The Priestess will be back soon. We are with her. Let them all out boys, we can put them all in the van. I know the watchers had cars here; Spike and I will nick one and see you at home. Giles you and Xander are with me, until I can trust you not to do anything stupid to our guests."
Giles wanted to object at being lumped in with Xander, but in honesty he could see Buffy's point of view. He was council.
"You'd best take this one as well, Beebe. She's not too happy with me at the moment," Elvara said as she rejoined them.
Spike had a firm grip on the woman's arm as they marched her downstairs, and his fangs were showing.
"They'll kill me, don’t let those creatures out." she begged.
"You would treat E.T. with contempt," Elvara snorted. "He's vegetarian. And that one eats nothing but plankton." she pointed at a red skinned being.
Buffy shook her head and sighed. “Would almost serve her right if they did kill her...” her mind swam with images that the lilac skinned being had shown her. “Maybe later...” she muttered as everyone set about opening the cell doors.
Spike’s eyes widened as he recognized one of the council’s prisoners. “Bayan!?!” He shoved the human female at Methos and rushed over to the trembling female demon. Taking her gently in his arms he gave her a soft hug. “Are you okay? Did those bastards hurt you?” He released Bayan and deftly scooped the child from her arms, his eyes flashing at the residual wounds on the infant’s body. “Clem will be happy to see you.”
"Spike?" the floppy skinned demon said as though she couldn't believe her eyes. "There was a healer here, one of the Blessed Ones. She healed Clerise, but then she went somewhere. I thought we were never going to get out of here."
"Healer's just outside, Pet. She'll be glad to know you're both OK. Come on let's get you both out of here. Dawnie will be so pleased to see this one's OK." he hugged the child closely.
Elvara smiled as she saw how strong Bayan was, she was finding an excuse to touch each and every one of the prisoners, Anya at her shoulder. Willow and Tara were in awe of the power flowing through the woman.
Haakon was still grinning about the contents of the bag he'd been given. He was helping one of the other demons, supporting the beast under one of its tentacles.
Cassandra took over. "See to your lady before we're carrying her out of here as well." she ordered, taking his place at the demon's side.
Buffy led the way upstairs and into the hall; pulling her cell phone she gave the retrieval signal. There was a roar of motor bikes as a biker gang came round the corner, surrounding the van that Clem was driving. A Lamborghini Countach was right behind the van. The driver got out and threw the keys at Buffy who caught them deftly.
"A dragon said you might need back up, we've another bus on the way for the injured," he told Buffy just as a minibus drew up at the kerb.
"Service with a smile," Buffy laughed. She turned to Spike, “Give the little one back to its mother, unless of course you don’t want to drive?”
Spike carefully handed Clerise back to her mother and reached out to snatch the keys from Buffy. “Damned straight I’m driving!” He paused for a moment and then asked, “What are we going to do about the council broad?”
Methos grinned, “Since you seemed to have passed her off to me, I’ll take care of her.” He growled something to the slender, lizard-like being beside him. “My new friend and I will make sure she stays quiet.” He turned to the young lady. “Not a sound out of you. He hasn’t eaten in a while.” Turning to Buffy he said something in a guttural language which caused Buffy to laugh and nod her head.
“Mount up people, we have places to be.” She slipped into the sleek car and buckled up as Spike fired up the engine, almost purring himself at the sound of the motor.
“What did Methos say that was so funny?” Spike inquired as he pulled out into traffic.
“He said that we really don’t need to inform the twit that the B’sharn eats insects.” Buffy answered with a grin. Before they were out of sight of the building, Buffy waved a hand, putting her own wards around it. No one was getting in until she was ready.
Xander helped Anya onto the bus, Willow and Tara following. Elvara was still touching everyone she could. Methos growled, causing the woman he was holding to tremble and lay a protective hand on her abdomen.
The lilac demon took over from Methos in holding the prisoner, while the Immortal stormed across to Elvara.
"You stop that now, Little One, there is no-one knocking on death's door. They can all wait until you are stronger." He ordered.
Xander watched open mouthed, expecting Haakon to say something.
But the Soturi just nodded, "Told you," he commented with a smile
"Sorry, Pappa. I'll stop." Elvara actually looked a little shame faced.
"Pappa?" Giles gulped as he got onto the coach. "Pappa?"
"I raised her after her father was killed, and she'll go over my knee again if she doesn't stop healing everyone in sight soon. You’ll be exhausted for a month at this rate, Child.
Giles looked over at Haakon. “Did you know about this when you first got together with her?”
Haakon laughed. “I knew she had powerful family that would protect her no matter the cost to themselves. But that is not why I chose to come to her.” He smiled softly in remembrance. “When I first saw her, she glowed like the newly risen sun. It lit a fire in my soul, and drew me to her, even though I was just a young warrior in training.” He looked over to where Methos was softly reprimanding Elvara still. “I didn’t find out about HIM until after she had accepted me. And as much as the thought of Death chasing me if I hurt her scares me... Having Buffy mad at me terrifies me to my very core. But I would brave a thousand deaths to stand at her side.”
Giles looked at where Methos was hugging Elvara tightly. "I can understand that," he said softly. "Will you tell me about it at sometime? About the way the faith is in this day and age?"
Haakon nodded, "With Rakkaani's permission"
Anya sniffed, "That was beautiful," she whispered to Tara and Willow.
The witches both nodded.
Cassie looked at the love fest happening and rolled her eyes. "Enough people, let's get these good folks back to the house where we can all rest properly. I know I have a bullet in me that is going to start hurting like a bitch as soon as Elvara's blessing wears off, and personally I'd like to be stoned when that happens."
The comments caused laughter all round. Xander looked out of the window to see Clem letting one of the bikers drive the van, his arms wrapped around his sister and niece.
With a quick warning they were pulling away from the Watcher's HQ...
And into the London traffic, heading for home.
Giles looked at their prisoner. "What's your name?" he growled at her.
"Pamela Watkins," she replied, still nervous at the beings around her.
“Well Miss Watkins, I suggest you relax. I can promise you that nothing will happen to you, or your child.” Giles said in a firm, yet kind voice.
“At least not yet. Her final dispensation will be at Mother’s discretion.” Methos said as he slid into the seat next to Miss Watkins.
The woman shivered at the tone the blue painted man had used, she was terrified.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
We are getting close to the end!
Once again, thanks to Jamies_Lady for her prodding, poking and badgering (not to mention her ideas)!
Once again, thanks to Jamies_Lady for her prodding, poking and badgering (not to mention her ideas)!