[Reviews - 8]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1244 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
For Brett who wanted a story where Merrick didn't die and Giles was not Buffy's main Watcher.
Chapter 22

Giles cleared his throat. “Anne, William, you’re here.” His mouth twisted into a wry smirk while the two blonds struggled to their feet.







Buffy glanced at Giles. “You know them?”







“I’ve met Anne. She told me about William. However, they haven’t met me,” Giles said softly. He took a deep breath before he crossed the apartment to the telephone. He went through the motions of making a phone call without looking at the others. Only the two vampires could hear who answered the phone on the other side. “It’s time. I need the book.”







“Who are these people, and why do they look like me and Spike?” Buffy demanded.







“Because they are you and me,” Spike sneered. He tilted his head towards the newcomers. “Good to see you again, pet.” He spoke directly to the newest Buffy.







Merrick and Buffy were startled when two more female bodies fell out of the rift onto the floor. Anne and William rushed over to help the newcomers up.







“There has to be a better way to travel than this,” the younger of the women complained when she got to her feet. She looked around. “Where the heck are we?”







William looked around the apartment. “I’d say we’re just in time for a visit from the Native American vengeance demons.” He let out a chuckle. “Better get old Spike there out of the line of fire. Between the arrows and the bear, it wasn’t a fun evening for me.”







“I really must insist you tell me what’s going on here,” Merrick said. He was confused, and he didn’t like being confused.







“I agree,” Buffy growled. “I want to know what is going on too.”







Giles ignored Buffy and Merrick, and he continued to speak into the phone. “Yes, of course. We’ll see you in a few hours, Angel. Bring the rest of your team along with you, please. See you soon.” He replaced the receiver on its cradle. He turned around, and said, “Everyone sit down, and I’ll explain.”







Buffy and Merrick didn’t look too happy, but they did as they were told. They were astonished by this take charge type of Giles. Before he had always deferred to Merrick, and only offered advice in a helpful manner.







“In 1977, I killed the Slayer on a subway train. Her name was Nikki Wood,” Spike said. He closed his eyes. “Then, a portal opened, and a woman fell out of it. It was you, Anne. You were being chased by these Shades creatures.”







“That’s when Spike and Anne contacted Angel and myself for help. We were able to thwart the Shades at that time, but we knew we had to be ready.” Giles let out a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Anne told us that the only way we could prevent the Shades from coming here again was to either allow the Immortal Guardians to emerge or to prevent certain events from occurring like Buffy dying at the hands of the Master.”







“You and Spike know each other?” Buffy blurted out.







Anne looked at Giles with interest. “Which one was your choice?”







“I prevented certain events from occurring. Buffy has not been bitten by any Aurelian master vampire.” Giles gestured towards the young Slayer’s neck as evidence to his claim. “Several years ago, Spike and I searched out Glory’s host body. We eliminated it.”







Merrick sat back in shock. All this time he had thought that Giles was interfering with his decisions because he wanted control of the Slayer. In reality the other Watcher was changing the course of history.







“As long as Buffy’s not resurrected, everything should be okay,” Anyanka replied. “I mean obviously, she’s not a vamp. Without the bites from the Master or Angel she won’t be a Sultana.”







“Angel has the Wolfram & Hart’s version of the Codex,” Giles replied. “I’ve been hoping you’d show up again, Anne. There’s some information you need to see.”







Anne looked at her companions. “Looks like we’re waiting on Angel then.”







William rose to his feet. “Spike and I’ll go out for a smoke then.” He grabbed the other vampire’s chair, and he dragged it towards the door.







Anne smiled brightly at Buffy. “Thanksgiving dinner? We just love a ritual sacrifice or two.”







“With pie.” Anyanka rubbed her hands together. “Don’t forget the pie.”







“Why was Spike tied up?” Dee asked Giles. “If the two of you are friendly and all?”







Giles gestured towards Merrick and Buffy. “Despite my reassurances that he was of no threat, they weren’t convinced. The only way they would allow him to be around was if he was tied up.”







“What about the chip?” Anne bit her lip.







Giles shook his head. “Spike hasn’t had a run in with the Initiative as of yet. They are here in town though, I’m afraid. Professor Walsh and Riley Finn are teaching a psychology class at the college.”







“What is a chip? Who are the Initiative, and what does it have to do with my boyfriend?” Buffy demanded.







“You’re dating Riley?” Merrick asked. “I thought you were going to concentrate on your school work and slaying.”







Buffy blushed. “Yeah, well, I am. Honest. Riley was just so cute when he asked me out I couldn’t resist.” She glared at Anne. “Are you going to answer my questions?”







“In order, the chip is a microchip that the Initiative put in William’s brain so he couldn’t hurt humans. The Initiative is an army group sent here to capture demons to make them into weapons.” Anne glanced at Anyanka and Dee. “Riley Finn is one of the men directly involved with the Initiative. I should know. I dated him for a year and a half until he went to vamp hos and then left me to go to some country starting with the letter B.”







“Belize.” Dee nodded. “His wife was kinda nice, in a military sorta way.”







Buffy looked at her counterpart in aghast horror. “Vamp hos? Why would he go to one of them?”







“He didn’t think I needed him. He wasn’t powerful after leaving the Initiative, and he couldn’t handle it.” Anne gave a sad smile.







“So you took up with Spike?” Merrick glared at the older Slayer. Why on earth would a Slayer want to be with an evil, soulless vampire?







“Not right away.” Anne shook her head. “When he first told me he loved me, I was pretty much as disgusted as you seem to be, Merrick. He grows on you after awhile.” In a way she was a bit wistful to see Merrick again. Although he wasn’t her Watcher for long, his death was the first blow of many that she received, and it hurt her deeply. After Merrick was gone, she was all alone with parents who thought she was crazy.







Dee laughed. “Kinda like mold.”







Out in the courtyard, Spike and William were both smoking a cigarette from Spike’s meager pack.







“Can you get me a refill?” Spike asked, holding up the almost empty package.







“Shouldn’t be a problem,” William replied. “So, if you’re Rupert’s friend, how did you end up tied up in the chair?”







Spike winced. “The Slayer and the other Watcher don’t trust me.”







William arched an eyebrow. “You haven’t mentioned the soul have you?”







Spike shook his head. “Your Slayer loves you with or without the soul. I couldn’t take that chance. This Slayer is sometimes so shallow that I can’t stand to be around her. Everything that makes Anne herself was changed for my Buffy, and I’m not sure it’s for the better.”







“I always said she needed a little monster in her man. Here’s what you do…” William leaned down to whisper in his counterpart’s ear.





You must login (register) to review.