[Reviews - 15]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Microsoft Word Chapter or Story | ePub eBook Chapter or Story | Printer Chapter or Story

Has been viewed 1077 times

- Text Size +




Author's Chapter Notes:
Special thanks to Ginar369 for the beta. Any remaining mistakes are my fault.

Disclaimer: Nope still don't own Buffy
Chapter Eleven

Things were looking up at last as far as Rupert Giles was concerned. Ethan hadn’t been as helpful as Giles would have liked and Willow and Tara had difficulty procuring the items required for the spell to return Spike and Buffy back to their normal selves. Nevertheless, from what the witches had told him earlier today they should have preparation complete by the morning and the slayer and vampire should be back to normal at last. Speaking of the duo, the two brats were being increasingly annoying. They didn’t seem too bothered by the delay in the spell taking place, perhaps even revelling in the situation. Everywhere Giles went in the Summers’ home;, the two were giggling loudly and chasing each other about the house. The Watcher had an almost constant headache from the noise level. Not only were they noisy, they were also playing pranks; Joyce had found salt in the sugar bowl and sugar in the salt shaker. She hadn’t been impressed but Spike and Buffy thought it was hilarious. The only way to keep them in line was to keep them busy. The problem was that tiring out two super powered children proved a rather difficult task. Xander was around playing video games with them, and Joyce and Dawn were always on hand for board games. Tara and Willow were too busy working on the spell to help, while he and Angel were preoccupied with the Glory situation. He had tried a truth spell on Ethan but nothing had come out of it, and he suspected that the mage told him all he knew. Despite this and knowing that Ethan could have some defence against a truth spell Giles had taken up Angel’s green skinned friend’s offer to have Ethan sing for him. This was the man and demon were in the basement listening to Ethan warble some Pink Floyd.

Lorne shook his head, “I’m not getting anything, Rupert. Sorry, it’s a wash out.”

“See – I told you,” Ethan said. “You can let me go now.”

“I don’t think so, old friend. I can’t take the chance of you going back to Glory with information. Besides, you’re probably safer here then you are out there.”

Ethan shuddered to Giles’ satisfaction. The watcher doubted that Glory would show any mercy to someone who had got himself captured by the other side.

“The least you can do is untie me,” Ethan insisted. “I won’t go anywhere, I promise.”

“I know you too well,” Giles reminded him, turning his back on the man.

“Bastard,” Ethan muttered under his breath.

Giles ignored him and directed his attention to Lorne instead. “What time is Angel supposed to get here?”

Lorne shrugged and looked at his watch. “He should be here soon. He seemed a little down in the dumps today.”

Giles raised a brow, “Isn’t he always moody?”

“True,” the demon conceded with a smile. “But more so than usual. Did you say anything to him?”

Giles squirmed a little. “I might have said we don’t really need him here. Glory’s been keeping away and we should have our Slayer back to normal soon.”

“Well – I think Angelcakes took it to heart,” Lorne said.

“I don’t know why he’s being so sensitive. It’s not as if he has been around to help recently. We can manage quite well on our own.”

“Why did you call him then?” Lorne asked.

“You know why. Buffy’s been incapacitated.” Giles was rather annoyed to be feeling a little guilty. He knew he should be grateful for the vampire’s help but he didn’t want him around any longer than necessary. Seeing him always reminded him of what the vampire was capable of, soulless, and the loss of Jenny Calender struck him anew once more. He shook off the melancholy and tried to bring his mind back to back to the task at hand. There was no need to reopen old wounds.



Once Giles had checked the mage’s bonds he and Lorne went upstairs to join Spike, Joyce, Dawn and Buffy. They were sitting in front of the telly engrossed in a movie. Giles looked at the clock on the mantelpiece and wondered again where Angel had gotten to. Surely he hadn’t decided to head back to LA without saying a word. He sat down on the settee beside Joyce. Dawn was sitting on her other side, her head on her mother’s shoulder. Spike and Buffy were lying on the floor having a thumb war. Giles hadn’t been sleeping very well recently and he had started to dose when he was awoken by the sound of a disturbance outside. All the heads in the living room turned to the window. Angel burst in the door, holding on to a struggling creature. It was one of the odd looking servants that Glory had. Buffy and Spike jumped to their feet.

“Can we keep him?” Buffy quipped.

“Don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Slayer,” Spike said. He stinks a bit.”

Angel smirked and shoved his strange looking creature into the centre of the room. “I decided to take a detour on my way here and I managed to bump into this little fella. I knocked him out but he came to as I was coming in the garden.”

All eyes on the room were upon the new captive. “Let me go. Glorificus will come searching for me. I’m her most loyal servant.”

“Hate to break to you, Frodo, but I doubt that bint cares what happens to you,” Spike put in. “You could be scrambled hobbit and I don’t think she would bat an eyelid.”

“How dare you?” the creature spluttered.

“Take him down to the basement,” Giles ordered.

“My pleasure,” Angel said.

Down in the basement Ethan’s mouth dropped open to see he had a fellow prisoner. Buffy and Spike followed them downstairs eager to be involved in the interrogation. The demon or whatever he was, continued to protest that he was protected by Glory and that she could avenge his death.

“Nobody is going to kill you,” Giles snapped.

“I might,” Angel interjected.

“Or me,” Spike added.

Giles rolled his eyes. “Well – they might. Tell us what you know.”

“I would rather die than betray my mistress,” the demon squeaked. “I would be a martyr to the cause. She would reward me beyond all others.”

Giles knew it would be impossible to get anything out of this creature.

Giles locked eyes with his slayer. “Buffy, will you get your mother to ring Willow and Tara? Tell them they are needed over here. It can’t wait till morning.”

“Sure,” she said and ran up the stairs.





Willow arrived within an hour with the ingredients for a truth spell. Giles and Angel were waiting for her in the sitting room. Spike had opted to stay below with the prisoner and was surely tormenting them with snide comments. Joyce had decided to head to bed and had convinced her two daughters to do the same. Angel had taken Lorne and Ethan back to the motel they were staying at. Getting the mage out of the way seemed like a good idea. Willow looked exhausted;, her eyes had bags under them. Maybe he should have waited until the morning?

“Sorry to disturb you,” Giles said. “He keeps harping on about how Glory will save him and we can’t take any chances that he will escape and we won’t get any information.”

The redhead’s hair was mussed. “Tara stayed behind to make sure that the other spell will be ready for the morning.”

“Of course.” Giles nodded.

“I’ll do the spell and then I have to go back to check on Tara and her progress. That’s ok is it?”

Giles decided to make himself a cup of tea while Willow went about doing her spell.

His inherent manners encouraged him to ask Angel. “Would you like a cup?”

“Coffee would be great, thanks. I don’t like tea.”

Giles shook his head. “What sort of Irishman are you? I’ve never known an Irish person to refuse a cup of tea.”

“Well – I’m not a person am I?” Angel pointed out.

“Touché,” Giles replied.

After he was finished making the tea and coffee, the two made their way downstairs. They met Willow halfway up the stairs.

“What colour underpants are you wearing or do you go commando?” Spike was asking.

“What are you doing?” Angel asked.

“White,” the demon answered in a dreamy voice.

“Can we see?” Spike asked.

Before Giles could utter a word of protest the demon started to life his robe to reveal his briefs.

“He’s telling the truth,” Spike announced with a smirk.

“That’s enough,” Giles said, his lip twitching. “You can let them down now.

Giles had to admit it was a good idea to make sure that the spell was working, although if the minion had any brains he would have figured out what it was the little vampire was doing. He wasn’t going to let Spike knew he thought he had the right idea though. Actually, it would be best to get the little vampire out from underfoot.

“Go upstairs, Spike,” he ordered. “Go and ring Lorne and make sure our other prisoner is behaving.”

“I want to stay,” Spike protested with a little stamp of his foot. “What am I? Your secretary?”

“I’ll pay you,” Giles said.

Spike crossed his arms and pouted. “Ok fine.”

“Don’t come down again unless I call you,” Giles added.

Spike’s eyes narrowed into slits and he gave Giles the middle finger.

“As offensive as ever,” Giles muttered.

“I really have to go, Giles,” Willow said suddenly, reminding him of her presence.

Giles gave her a nod. “Thank you for the help, Willow. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Willow waved at them before heading out of the basement. Spike stomped up the stairs after her. Giles and Angel exchanged a look at Spike’s surprising obedience. Putting the surprise to one side, they turned back to the prisoner.

“What’s your name?” Giles demanded.

“Jinx,” the creature said.

“Hello Jinx. You’re going to help is by answering our questions truthfully.” Giles’ kept his tone menacing. “Do you understand?”

Jinx didn’t even flinch and that was sure sign that the spell was working.

“What does Glory want the key for?” Angel asked.

“She intends to get home and she needs the key for this. We live only to serve the magnificent and glorious…”

“Does your Glory have any weakness?” Giles asked.

“No – she is all powerful and had a lot of strength. However, there is one way…”

“What way?” Angel asked,

“Glory is actually trapped in the body of a mortal man. This is the only time when she is vulnerable.”

“Good lord,” Giles muttered.

How extraordinary? This meant there may be a way to defeat her after all. He caught Angel’s gaze.

Giles ran his fingers through his hair. “Tell us about the man.”

“His name is Ben,” Jinx continued, “and he works at the Sunnydale hospital. He is a trainee doctor.”

Giles took his spectacles from his nose and began polishing them furiously.

“If we could get rid of this Ben,” Angel said, “then this would mean that Glory wouldn’t have a body to share.”

“I don’t think Buffy would agree,” Giles said. “Although, I think we should wait and discuss this once the spell is done tomorrow.”

So, Glory had a weakness. This was some good news at least. Killing an innocent was an unpalatable option. Nevertheless, if this was their only way of defeating the hell god, they may not have any other choice. He couldn’t see Buffy or any of the ladies agreeing to this. Angel and he had lived their lives and saw many terrible things. Could they really sit back and let Glory go on stealing the sanity of people and possible destroy the world all because it was unthinkable to kill one man to save many?

To be continued….





You must login (register) to review.