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Chapter 12

Xander was the first to reach the library door, putting his hand to the door and opening it fractionally as he smiled over his shoulder at the straggling girls. As they reached him, Xander heard something through the opening that caused him to halt their progress and beckon them to join him in listening to the ongoing conversation.

“She hit me over the head with an axe, Giles. She is obviously unstable.” Angel spoke the words harshly, still smarting over the wound to his pride. “Buffy’s kid sister just laughed. There is no telling what Joyce will do to Buffy, I need to protect her.”

Xander looked at Buffy and judging from the look of fury on her face she was not pleased with what she was hearing.

Giles just looked at the fuming vampire in front of him; it amazed him that the more time he spent with soulless Spike the more he hated the brooding souled vampire he was forced to work with. Glancing past the vampire to the door of the library he noted that it was slightly ajar. There was no way that could happen unless someone was holding it on the other side. He really hoped that the person listening was his young charge; it was time her eyes were opened. “While I do not believe for one moment that Mrs. Summers is in any way unstable, what exactly is it that you are suggesting?”

“Can’t the council take over as her legal guardian, that way you could get her out of that mad house?” Angel eagerly asked.

Giles’ look of outrage was the first thing Buffy noticed as she silently entered the library and she was really pleased to see it. “Mad house?” She queried mildly, her crossed arms belying the calmness of her demeanour.

Spinning around at her voice, Angel gasped out her name, “Buffy!” Clearly panicked for the moment, he looked lost for words. Quickly deciding that the best defence was a good offence, he opened his big brown puppy dog eyes and made his accusation; “Your mother attacked me last night, Buffy.”

“Why?” She asked simply, her face devoid of emotion.

“I don’t know, Buffy, she didn’t say anything before she me hit from behind.” Angel responded, his tone grave.

“What were you doing?” Buffy again tried to get to the facts behind Angel’s bland statements.

Again giving Buffy his well practiced expression of pained martyrdom, Angel informed her of his innocent actions. “I’d been at your window, I was just checking on you. When I climbed down, your mother hit me.”

“Gee Angel, what was she thinking?” Buffy commented sarcastically, “She sees a grown man hovering in the tree and looking in her sixteen year old daughter’s bedroom window, how did you expect her to act? You could have been a Peeping Tom for all she knew. You’re lucky she didn’t just call the cops.”

Angel looked at her, his shock visible to all. He couldn’t believe it; she was supposed to be on his side. Didn’t she realise that her mother should have known it was him? He was her protector after all! Why didn’t Joyce know that he was someone she should be happy was looking out for her daughter? Joyce had had enough time to be told everything, hadn’t Giles told her his position in Buffy’s life? Maybe not, the watcher had been less that friendly with him recently. Maybe the watcher was trying to ingratiate himself into Joyce’s life and push him, Angel, out. It seemed like another talk with the watcher was on the cards.

Heaving a put upon sigh, Angel told Buffy and Giles he’d talk to them later, knowing that he would be getting Giles alone for the little chat he had in mind for the watcher. Nodding to the rest, he turned towards the stacks and made his exit.

The entire group waited in silence until Buffy indicated that Angel was indeed gone. Turning to her watcher, Buffy felt an urgent need for reassurance. “You’re not going to ask the council to do that, are you Giles?”

“No, of course not, Buffy; your mother is a wonderful woman and she’s doing a wonderful job raising you and your sister. Regardless of anything Angel might say.” Giles’ disdain for the vampire was clear in his tone.

Giles knew that during their talk the day before, Joyce and the older slayer had made the decision that they needed to talk alone. Joyce had made arrangements for Dawn to stay at a friend’s place for the night and Spike had volunteered to join Giles at the library to meet with Jenny. The younger slayer and her friends were going to the Bronze so Giles was not concerned with them walking in on them in the middle any of the conversations and accidentally discovering Spike. Giles knew that in order to talk with Jenny he needed to catch her before she went home for the evening, so after telling the group that they had earned a night off he made his way to the computer lab and invited the dark haired beauty to join him in the library when she was free.

Spike arrived at the library just moments after Giles had returned from the computer room. With Spike’s arrival Giles picked up the book he had been reading and handed it to the bleached blond vampire.

“What’s this?” He asked the watcher, his curiosity piqued.

“It’s a ritual I’d like you to look at,” Giles smiled at the vampire with barely contained excitement, “I believe you wanted to be accepted as a …er…whitehat?”

“Yeah?”

“Then I think you’ll find that to be very interesting, Spike.”

Before Spike could comment the doors to the library opened and Jenny walked in. Spike decided his questions could wait.

Giles introduced Spike to her as his friend and earned Spike’s eternal loyalty. Indicating that they should all sit, Giles waited until they had before he started. “Jenny, a situation has arisen with which we will require your assistance. There are only six of us that know about this situation and once you’ve learned what it is, I’m sure you will understand the need for secrecy.”

Jenny smiled encouragingly at the watcher, silently urging him to continue.

“Spike and…his companion were sent back in time, by non-magical means from four years in the future. They have already started affecting the timeline and from what they have told me I totally understand why. The reason it was important to bring you into this was because of your history.”

Jenny sat up very straight, wariness infused her, “What do you mean, ‘my history’?”

“In my time, your history didn’t come out until it was too late. Angelus was freed of the curse before you said anything and everyone paid the price – both you and your uncle died. I was in a bloody wheelchair at the time and the bastard couldn’t wait to brag.” Spike informed the shocked gypsy. “This time will be different, but we need you to get together with us and my slayer, so we can suss out our options. Reckon you can come ‘round to the watcher’s tomorrow afternoon?”

After assuring them that she would be there and wishing them a good night, Jenny left. After she had gone, Spike and Giles turned their attention back to the book and the ritual within. Spike read the ritual and all the relevant details about it twice before tuning to Giles and almost whispering his question, “Is it true? Can this really be done?”

~*~*~

Spike wandered aimlessly, his thoughts moving at a hundred miles a minute. The implications of the ritual existing at all flew in the face of everything that Giles, Buffy and the Scoobies of his time had believed. It could be very dangerous and failure would ensure his dusting, but to succeed…success could bring him his dreams.

Taking note of his surroundings for the first time in a good ten minutes, Spike noticed he was just around the corner from the Bronze. Thinking that Buffy might like some snacks he headed for the back door, flowering onions and an order of wings were calling his name.

Buffy sat in her chair, sipping at her diet cola and absently gazed around the room. The music was inviting, but she was getting a bit sick of the ‘accidental’ touchage that was coming from Xander. She wished he would get the message that she didn’t like him in that way. The room was crowded, so crowded that it was almost impossible to see the pool tables or the bar from where she was seated. However, sometimes mysterious powers come together and allow a moment, a very special moment, to happen. Just as Buffy was looking toward the bar, the crowd seemed to momentarily part and Buffy gazed into the eyes from her dream. Gasping in shock, she lost sight of him as the crowd moved back and he was hidden from her view.

“What?” Willow anxiously asked her friend.

“He’s here, Will. The guy from my dream.”

Spike picked up his order and hurriedly made his way outside. Heading directly back to the watcher’s, he muttered as he moved, “Bugger. Buffy’s gonna kill me.”





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