Chapter 7
Buffy spent the morning in a daze. Ambling from class to class, she was finally cornered by Willow at lunch.
“You’ve been all avoidy Buffy today, what gives?” Willow asked.
“Oh Will, I’m sorry. Just had a really wiggy meeting with some new vamps in town last night.” Buffy replied.
“You met with some vamps? I thought you usually just dusted them!”
“I don’t know Will, it’s just that they were both super strong. One was a witch and the other was a super good fighter, you know, the one that killed the two Slayers? It was him! So after the witchy one almost staked Angel, she called truce and we talked for like a couple hours! It was so weird.” Buffy said quickly.
Processing the information, Willow replied, “So what did you guys talk about?”
“I’m gonna tell THAT story once and once only. Scooby meeting after school, okay?”
“Sure Buffy, I’ll make sure Xander knows.”
“Thanks Will. One more thing. If you could help save someone who was insane and make them sane again, would you do it?” Buffy asked.
“Of course! No one should have to live with that torment, it would be awful!” Willow cried.
“What if it was an insane vamp?”
“Oh wow! I...uhm...don’t know.”
xxx
Buffy felt somewhat better after talking to Willow, but she still wasn’t sure what to do. She knew that Xander would be against the idea, telling her to dust them instead. Giles would no doubt be interested in the ritual itself of course, and Willow would as well. She might want to help or at least observe to sate her curiosity for all things witchy. Angel was a mystery, as usual. Buffy could see the disdain he felt for Spike, and was more than likely he felt guilty and ‘brooded’ over his torture of Drusilla for many years, and probably did to this day. She still longed to talk to her mother, and made it a point to make sure she did before using the necklace to summon Ellie. While Buffy pondered her choices, the final bell rang. She walked with purpose towards the library, ready for all comers.
xxx
Angel and Giles were talking quietly when Buffy, Willow, and Xander entered. Quickly saying a few last words, Giles turned towards the Scoobies and said, “I’ve been researching rituals of healing and peace of mind all afternoon, and I do believe that I have located the ritual in question.” Sighing, he continued, “It involves very serious black magics, of which I have no doubt a vampire is capable of withstanding. However, I believe that it would be folly to undertake this ritual, simply due to the fact that we have no records of it ever being successfully performed.”
“That’s what I was afraid you’d say Giles,” Buffy responded.
Xander was confused. “Maybe you could bring us up to speed Buffster, because I have no clue what any of that stuff the G-man just said meant.”
“Xander, please do not call me that,” Giles asked, annoyed.
Sheepishly Xander nodded. He would of course forget, but that was half the fun!
Angel took everything Giles said in with interest, and waited for Buffy to elaborate.
Taking a deep breath, Buffy began.
“You all remember Drusilla from yesterday?”
When several nods came as answer, she continued, “She’s the insane one. This new vamp I met, Ellie, is one of Drusilla’s Childer, the same as Spike.”
“Ellie loves her mother and brother very much, as Drusilla and Spike saved her from being burned as a witch in the late seventies. She’s found a ritual that would make her mother sane again, but it requires my blood and Angel’s blood to be completed. As the kicker, it has to be done tomorrow night. If I don’t go through with it, Ellie has promised to make the whole town of Sunnydale insane...forever.”
There was silence as all present digested the information. Xander was the first to speak.
“I say we just stake all three and be done with it. I mean, with no witch-vamp around, the other two should be easy to pick off. Bonus – the town isn’t insane anymore.”
“Remember when we were researching yesterday Xan?” Willow said. “If we don’t shut down the link properly, the madness will continue anyway.”
Grunting, Xander relented. Angel was beyond angry, and Giles was on the brink of Ripperdom. After realizing that it would be almost impossible to forgo the ritual, Giles was the first to speak.
“It seems as though it might be prudent to simply follow through with the ritual. However, I still believe that we should research the channel this Ellie is using to cause the madness. We could possibly find a counter-spell in time to prevent the inevitable.”
Angel spoke next. “Buffy, this is very dangerous. I agree with Giles completely. More research and a counter-spell is definitely the better option.”
Buffy was thoughtful when she replied, “What was Drusilla like before she went mad?”
Taken aback, Angel said, “She was a sweet young nun Buffy, never hurt anyone. And it’s all my fault that she’s the way she is now. Bloodthirsty and crazy. She had the visions before she was turned though.”
“It’s just so weird Angel, I can tell both Spike and Ellie care for her so much. I thought you said that soulless demons and vamps couldn’t feel anything?”
“They can’t Buffy,” Giles interjected.
“I think you’re wrong guys.” Buffy finally said softly.
“Buffy, the ritual requires my blood too.” Angel said.
“You could right a wrong Angel, it might be worth it.” Buffy replied.
Pondering his beloved redemption, Angel was very tempted.
With that, she got up and left the room saying, “I’m gonna go talk to mom before I make a final decision. You all make with the research and I’ll talk to you later.”
xxx
As Buffy made her way back home, she was no closer to a decision. Firmly believing that her mother held the final clue, she hurried on.
When she arrived, she found her mother busy doing dishes in the kitchen.
“Hey mom,” she said quietly.
“Buffy! How was your day?” Joyce replied.
“I’ve got something I need to ask you. If you could help someone, what would you do?”
“Why Buffy, of course I would help them! What a silly question.”
“What if by this person was insane, and you could help them through it along with a counselor or something? Bur what if their personality didn’t change, and they weren’t a good person?”
Joyce pondered this for a few moments, and finally said, “I would ask ‘what if they were a good person and under the weight of insanity BECAME a bad person?’ Sometimes you just have to take the risk, Buffy.”
Nodding thoughtfully, Buffy replied, “Thanks mom, I think I’ve made my decision.”
xxx
When dusk fell, Buffy took the amulet off the vanity and held it gently in her hand. Thinking about Ellie and her soft accent, it began to glow a bright gold. Knowing that the summons had completed successfully, Buffy stepped lightly down the stairs and made her way out on the porch to wait.
[Reviews - 41]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 1127 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
Buffy meets with the Scoobies, Angel, and Giles to further her quest for a decision. With the promise of a bit of redemption, Angel is close to a decision of his own.
Chapter End Notes:
Thank you again for all your kind reviews. Keep em comin, they make me wanna write more!