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Chapter 29

Alden Clark had decided that being Rupert Giles was not such a bad thing. His life before had been a fulfilling one, with many people who cared for him. The one he was living now had been spent mostly alone and lonely. So, it was refreshing to embrace these people from his past. He didn’t recall everything from before, but as time went on it came back little-by-little.

In front of him, Buffy stood with her arms crossed. She looked commanding and in control. A feeling of pride coursed through him.

“So, that is the whole story,” Buffy concluded. She glanced over her audience, the first of the Scooby gang.

Giles found himself removing his glasses. He took out a hankie and began to clean them.

A wide grin appeared on Willow’s face. “Aw, he still does that.”

Giles raised his head, curiously. “Wha- What?” He was confused.

Willow looked around at everyone. “He still cleans his glasses. I never knew I could miss that. Anyone else miss that?”

Xander raised his hand. “I sure did miss the G-man. Even his compulsive cleaning ritual.”

Buffy smiled at her best friends. “I think we’ve all missed Giles. Every bit of him.”

Giles shifted uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to being admired and it was strange. Yet, also comforting. He put his glasses back onto his nose and changed the subject. “Yes. . . well I can see how this situation has upset you, Buffy. And let me assure you that we will find a way to return Spike to his usual self.”

“Which isn’t that much better than his non-usual,” Xander muttered.

Willow elbowed Xander in the side. She gave him a frown.

Turning her attention over to them, Buffy asked, “What was that, Xan?”

“Nothing,” Xander answered, sheepishly.

“Good,” Buffy said before focusing back on her former watcher. “Thanks, Giles.”

“Say, G-man, why are you so set on helping evil dead? I thought you strongly disliked him. Like me,” Xander stated. He seemed rather pleased with himself for telling them all that he still hated Spike.

“I must admit I don’t think highly of Spike. I just had the memory of him in my bathtub. He is loud, eats too much, and overly annoying.” Giles paused before adding, “And, Xander, please do stop calling me ’G’- man.”

“So, we agree that the bleached wonder is not on our ‘Top ten list’. Why are you wanting him back then?”

Buffy felt the need to stick up for her boyfriend. “Spike isn’t so bad anymore, you guys. He’s changed.”

“Yeah,” Willow spoke up. “He’s been helping the council. Well, probably not anymore, since it blew up and all. But, the point is, he’s been doing good. He’s still the same Spike, but he’s over the ‘I’m the evil big bad’.”

“Actually, Wil, he still does say he’s evil. That’s not the point, though. The point is that he ‘isn’t’ evil no matter how much he insists he is.”

“Yes, um, Buffy is right,” Giles said. “I’ve been collaborating with someone. She told me that she has been sent from the powers themselves as a messenger. She is the one who sent me here. If it wasn’t for her . . .”

“Who is this ‘her’? Where is she, Giles?” Buffy interrupted.

“Her name is Cristina. I don’t know where she is residing at the moment. We parted at the airport. She told me that we would meet again when the time was right.”
“And you trust her?”

“Yes, Buffy, I do. I believe that she is what she claims to be.”

A sigh escaped Buffy. “All right.”

“She has informed me that there is a battle coming of such nature that we have never faced before. The ‘final’ battle.” Giles looked into Buffy’s eyes. “I’m sorry to put pressure on your shoulders, but you are to be the leader in the direction toward good.”

Buffy nodded. “This isn’t new info. I’ve heard it before.” Seeing his puzzlement, she said, “Dawn told me. She is like a walking computer these days with all the keyness she‘s absorbed. ”

“Good. Then I take it I won’t have to go into detail since you’ve already heard it. Of what you have told me, I gather that Glory will be the leader of the dark side.”

That was the perfect opening for Xander and he couldn’t refuse. “Use the force, Buff. Use the force.”

Everyone laid eyes on him. “What? I can’ t crack a few jokes in times of need? You know, when things get too serious they can be harmful to your health.”

“I appreciate your good motives, Xander, but that is quite enough,” Giles declared. “As I was saying . . . Buffy is the leader for our side. But she will not be doing it alone. Spike is to be her second in command.”

A snort came from Xander. “Spike is our leader? Like I’ll be taking orders from him.”

“I suggest you do. It is prophesized that Spike is the Dark Keeper. Without him, Buffy, the Light Bearer, will not be able to use her gift. And therefore, darkness will rule forever.”

Xander leaned back in his seat, pouting. “Ok, ok, let’s work at getting dead boy Jr back.”
|} - - -> <- - - {|

When Buffy returned home she found Dawn on the couch. She was watching something intently on the TV. She didn’t even notice the slayer was home until Buffy said, “Hey.”

Dawn shifted her gaze to fix on her sister. “Oh, Buffy, you’re home.” She paused. “You look like shit.”

“Dawnie, language,” Buffy scolded.

Dawn stood up from the couch. “It is true, though. Something happen?”

Buffy shrugged. “Oh, the usual. Almost got killed by Spike. Got saved by Giles. You know, a slayer’s normal night.”

“Giles is back?”

“Yeah.”

“Cool.” Dawn’s eyes suddenly got big. “You almost died? How?”

“Oh, Spike wanted to drain me. I know, me immortal and all, but I think he wanted to turn me.”

A shudder ran through Dawn. “We really need to get Spike back. It is freaking me out to think of him as evil. Cuz even when he was evil he wasn’t this evil. Ya know?”

“Yeah, I know.” Buffy glanced over at the TV. “What ya watchin?”

Dawn went back to the couch and sat down. She pointed at the screen. “Some romance movie. Before that I caught a tid-bit on the news. I know I’m breaking one of the teen rules by watching it, but I still got a little bit of adult left in me. Anyways, they say that there is gonna be an eclipse coming in about two weeks. They’re shocked that they didn’t catch it until now. Major cool, huh?”

Buffy froze, staring off into space. Something about that new knowledge didn’t set right with her.

|} - - -> <- - - {|

Buffy and Dawn burst into the magic shop. “Giles, I think I know when all this is going down,” Buffy announced.

They halted when they saw the woman Giles was with. She was lithe, black tendrils flowing around her, and green eyes that seemed to glow. She smiled over at the sisters.

Giles gestured to his companion. “Buffy, Dawn, this is Cristina.”

“I know,” Dawn said.

Shock filled Buffy. “You know her?”

“Oh, yeah, we met up in the astral plane. Cristina is a missionary. The powers were talking about sending her down too if she was needed.”

Buffy shook her head. “Anyone else wigged about this? My sister is a key sent by the powers, who knows another being sent by the powers.”

“Hello, Buffy Summers, it is a honor to meet you,” Cristina greeted. “You are quite famous upstairs.”

“I’m famous?” She never thought of herself as famous before. But if she thought about it she was even famous down here. At least to the vampire population.

“Oh, yes. That is why they sent you back. You’re the most successful slayer that ever lived. And you will be rewarded for it.”

“Th-That’s nice.”

“Buffy, I believe you were wanting to tell me something important,” Giles reminded her.

“Oh, yeah. There’s gonna be some solar eclipse in like two weeks. I think that is when all this is gonna take place. All the bad stuff happens when there is an earthquake or . . . hmmm, eclipse.”

“Good observation, Buffy. We must look into this.”

Cristina gasped. “Two weeks? We don’t have much time. We need to act now!” She stood up from her seat.

Worry crossed Dawn’s face. “What is supposed to happen, Cristina?”

“They sent me to tell you guys about the key.”

“Huh, I’m the key.”

“No, the key of darkness. You are the key of light.”

“Key of darkness? That doesn’t sound good,” Buffy concluded.

“It isn’t,” Cristina agreed. “Glory is going to raise him. We have to act quickly.”

_____________________________________________

So, next chapter is when the excitement starts.

Please review, guys. I don’t want to be one of those authors who bribe you by saying you will get another chapter if you post. But, reviews makes me feel good. I want to know I still have people reading.

 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 





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