Shadows of the Resurrection
By: Michelle
Notes are on Chapter 1.
Chapter 4
Giles was pissed. Well not pissed exactly, but rightly peeved off. He’d been traveling for the better part of two days, actually was working on his third, and he was exhausted. The layovers at JFK and Denver international were mind blowingly fetid, and the rental car company at LAX, for some reason today, seemed to be abysmal.
“And it has bloody well decided to rain. Blast.” Giles groused as he made his way to the uncovered parking lot to pick up the rental. He’d thought about calling the house to see if one of the girls could pick him up from the airport, but he remembered they both had classes. “Damn.” He cursed as the key failed to unlock the door. “Bloody American cars with their two key system. Bugger.” He finally managed to get the car loaded and was on his way. The windshield wipers keeping time with the radio.
Giles had a lot to think about and luckily the drive from LAX to Sunnydale was a good two hours. Hopefully, he could have sorted out the problem by that time, but knowing his children - for that is how he thought of them, as his - all his well laid plans would go the way of the dodo. But it never hurts to occupy one’s mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tara sat at the island in the kitchen, a small smile playing about her lips as she watched Willow trying to cook pancakes for Dawn. When Dawn’s face took on an aggrieved expression and looked beseechingly at her, Tara decided enough was enough.
“Hon. Why don’t you let me do that. You know you’re hopeless in the kitchen. You never were very good at making the shapes and the edges of your pancakes always burn.”
“Oh. I see now how it is.” Willow laughed indignantly. “Yeah, I’m good enough to magic up some souls for dead vampires, or put us all as one, but not enough of a Julia Child to be in the kitchen. Fine.” She picked up the skillet and dumped the misshapen burning heaps of dough into the trash. Then she cocked an eyebrow at her lover. “You’re so good at this, hon, you do it.”
Tara and Dawn exchanged glances, one greatly relieved and smiling the other indulgently knowing. “Ok. You sit here, I’ll have breakfast done in a jiff.”
Willow sat heavily down in Tara’s abandoned chair, and watched lovingly as she set about preparing the pancakes. Dawn sent her an apologetic look saying, “Thanks, Will, for trying, but Tara’s are just better than anyone else’s including Mom’s. And don’t ask me how that is.”
Willow turned to the teenager with a grateful smile. “Nah, no problem Dawnie.” She leaned closer to her, “Besides, I hate cooking, that’s why I’m so bad.”
“I heard that!” Tara whirled on her, wielding the spatula like a paddle. “Don’t make me come over there.”
Willow snapped to attention, and all three laughed easily. When the front doorbell rang, they were all equally surprised. It was still too early in the morning to be having visitors, except for Spike or Xander, and Xander was already at work. Dawn spoke up finally, saying she would get it. Willow and Tara nodded. They nearly jumped out of their skins when Dawn shrieked loud enough to wake the dead. Tara hurriedly turned off the stove burner, and she and Willow rushed out to see what was wrong.
The sight that greeted them had them both almost squealing too. Giles stood, nonplused, a slightly puzzled frown on his face and his arms laden down with luggage while his body was wrapped in Dawn’s tight embrace. The girls walked to either side of him and relieved him of his luggage. He was about to express his gratitude when he found himself thoroughly surrounded by soft female bodies. Not usually one to look a gift horse in the mouth - well, ok he was, but certainly not soft womanly gift horses - Giles just wrapped his arms around all three ladies and took his fill of being cuddled. Thankfully, both Tara and Willow were less vocally enthusiastic in their greetings and his ears were spared. However, his ribs were beginning to ache severely.
“Um, well. Ladies. As lovely as it is to be reunited with all of you, might I suggest we let me move further into the house so that we can shut the door, and you can tell me why I’ve flown halfway around the world for some emergency?” And that was not his soft moan of protest at being let go. No, he was much too mature and dignified for that.
Dawn’s beatific smile at his presence was enough to make him feel ten feet tall and bulletproof, though he certainly wouldn’t want to test that feeling. He smiled at her and kissed the crown of her head. “You are looking quite lovely, Dawn, growing up into a fine woman. Your sister would be so proud of you.”
“You’re here. I’m so glad to see you, Giles. God! You don’t know how much I’ve missed you.”
“Well, my ribs have some idea, now, I think.”
She simply grinned. “Sorry.” Her words were belied by the unrepentant light in her green eyes.
He just looked at her in disbelief. “Right. Sure you are.” He turned to Tara. “So. What has happened that you felt it necessary for me to fly here on a moment’s notice.” The lack of questioning inflection left no doubt that he was serious about finding out what was going on.
Tara looked both sheepish and a little afraid of what was to happen. When Giles turned to ask Willow the same question and saw her frightened, guilty look, he had an idea of what the matter was.
“Willow. What did you do?” His firm voice brooked no prevarication, but Willow tried anyway.
“Umm. No big deal really” she started.
“It bloody well is a big deal if Tara had to call me all the way from Bath.” He turned to the witch in question. “Tell me, now, what happened.”
Tara blanched at his tone, but started the explanation. “Willow has called on some very dark magics, Giles. And they’re after her.”
He looked to Willow. “Why the dark magics, Willow? What happened. Has something happened to Xander? What happened?”
Willow took the plunge. “I brought Buffy back.”
“What? You called on her spirit? You called her for help? Could you all not handle it? I mean, you have Spike and I know I left plenty of research materials here for you. Why did you need to call on Buffy’s spirit?”
“No! No, Giles. Not her spirit.”
“Oh thank god, because that is exceedingly dangerous Willow. You have no idea,” he began.
“No! Giles, would you shut up a minute! I brought her back. From Hell, or where I thought was hell. She’s here.”
Giles’ lips pursed so hard they turned white. His voice dropped several octaves and the color drained out of his face. “What do you mean she’s here?” He turned to Tara again. “You raised her? The two of you?”
Tara was shaking her head at him, when Willow spoke up. “Not Tara. Just me, and three of my university coven members. I needed them for the corners.”
“You used others in this madness? Don’t you know you could have killed them? Are you completely insane? You had no business, not to mention not enough experience to call on those forces necessary,” He stopped. “Please, Willow. Please tell me you were smart enough to use a binding spell first?” At her confused look, he threw back his head. “Oh god. You stupid, stupid girl. There is a reason none such as you are meant to do those kinds of spells.”
“Well, that may be, but I did it, Giles. I brought her back. Not you. Not the Council. Me.”
“Yes. Yes you did. But at what cost, Willow? Did you even consider?” He sighed. “No, of course you didn’t. You’re just a child. They wouldn’t let you consider.” He turned to her fully, his voice taking on that of teacher and confidant. “Willow, even just reading those materials is dangerous. For one as inexperienced as you are, it is too easy for the forces that harness that kind of power to be corruptive. You never even had a chance to do this right.” He lowered his voice to a whisper, “Not that it should ever be attempted at all.”
Dawn spoke up finally after watching the scene unfold before her. “So. Will you stay this time? Will you help us?”
“Of course. That was never in question. I’ll always be here should you need me.”
“That’s good.” A new voice from the stairs had him turning in shock. “Because we always need you.”
Giles’ eyes widened to an impossible diameter, his jaw clenched, fighting back feelings he didn’t know how or want to define. He finally settled on a whispered “Oh god. Buffy.” Then he took a tentative step toward her, his arm, unbidden, reaching up to touch her.
“In the flesh, Giles.”
When his shaking fingers first felt the soft skin of her face again, his knees buckled and he fell to them, arms wrapped around her waist. “God, you’re alive? How? Jesus Buffy. I missed you so much. You have no idea.”
“I think maybe I do, Giles.” Her voice soft, as though she were afraid she would break if she spoke too loudly. She cradled his head in her hands, trying to offer the same comfort Dawn had given her when she came back.
Willow walked over to Tara, sliding her arms around the softer woman’s waist, and Dawn stepped up beside them. The three girls watched the reunion with silent tears rolling down their cheeks. They knew Giles had loved Buffy, but had never seen it manifest itself so obviously.
Buffy bent over the older man kneeling before her. “Giles?” She laid her arms lovingly down over his back, trying to reassure him that she was real. She’d never seen him like this. Fallen in grief, yes. She would never forget how he felt in her arms after he attacked Angelus for killing Jenny, the wracking sobs bone jarring and knowing there was nothing she could say or do to ease them. But this display on her behalf was not something she had experience with. All she could do was rub his back, and whisper that she was alright, that she was glad he was there, that she needed him always. At his continued silence, she laughed nervously. “Umm, earth to Giles? Come in Giles?”
“What?” He noticed where he was and what he was doing and immediately tried to stand up. “Oh yes of course. I apologize for breaking down so.” He was looking everywhere but at her.
She reached up to touch his face. “I missed you too, Giles.” She smiled shyly. “Umm, I never told you this, because I never would accept the fact that I didn’t have all the time in the world, but I love you.”
He laughed. “Well, apparently you have more time than initially expected or experienced. This is truly unprecedented, Buffy. And I love you too.”
“Good.” She gave a soft smile. “Now that we have the mutual admiration established, can we get down to the oogly boogly?”
“Yeah. That’s a good idea, but I think we need to wait till Xander and Spike can be here, don’t you?” Dawn questioned, her voice watery with the tears she had shed watching their reunion.
“Sure. We can wait for them.” Buffy smiled at her little sister. “Can’t do the scooby thing without all the scoobies, now can we.”
Dawn grinned and shook her head. Buffy smiled back at her and looked back up to Giles. “So. Tell me, Giles. Whachya been up to these last few months? I mean besides not being here. I haven’t been here either, so I can’t say much about that, but come on, Watcher. Fill me in.”
The group moved back into the kitchen where Tara resumed her cooking, with Giles talking about being completely bored in London for a while, then settling in Bath. But mostly he noticed how Buffy never really looked at or spoke to Willow, and how the other two women in the room tried to cover that slight. The discord was apparent, but only to those well attuned to the dynamics of this group of Hellmouth Survivors. This situation was going to come to an ugly head, and as much as he didn’t want to be around for the fallout, he knew he needed to be, if only to help pick up the pieces.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Xander pulled off the yellow hard hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. Quitting time and he had so many things to do, but Dawn had called earlier and said he and Spike needed to be at Buffy’s ASAP afer work. Which made him think two things. One, that the situation wasn’t a dire emergency, or else she’d have begged him to ditch work. And he would have, he had to admit. Two, that whatever was happening was still important enough for him to be a part of it, and if they wanted Spike there too then it had something to do with the Hellmouth. Yay. Just what he needed.
He called out some goodbyes and se ya tomorrows to his coworkers and hopped into his truck to head home. Where Spike still was after the night that Buffy came back. That had been three days ago, and while Spike hadn’t shared his bed since then, his presence was a constant stimulus that Xander was not becoming accustomed to. He still started in the morning when Spike would greet him from the sofa. Still jumped when the vampire accidentally interrupted his showers after work to bring him fresh clothes that Xander never used to forget, but was forgetting all the time now. Despite the not getting used to him, Xander appreciated having Spike around at night to talk to. He hadn’t realized his loneliness after Anya left had been so severe, but faced with companionship now, he realized he missed it terribly.
He smiled as he pulled into the parking lot of his apartment. Home sweet home. He took a deep breath and nearly gagged. God he stank of sweat and drywall and paint. And that was truly a disgusting smell. He walked up the steps to his door and walked inside. Oh. That smelled heavenly. He inhaled deeply. Hmm, Oregano, thyme, some bay leaves. Oh hell yeah! Spike cooked dinner again. He almost ran to the bathroom shedding his clothes on the way.
Spike laughed at him from his spot in the kitchen. He had just heated a mug of blood and was enjoying it when Xander came in. He saw the young man stop and sniff the air, then take off at a quick trot to get into the shower. This always happened when Spike cooked and it never got old. Only two things kept Xander from the table: sleep and being dirty. It was another thing that Spike noticed about him. He couldn’t stand to be dirty, and refused to eat until after he had washed the day’s grime from his body. Spike shook his head and headed for Xander’s room. The boy forgot a change of clothes again.
He opened the door of the bathroom to hand Xander his clothes just as he was stepping out of the shower. “Oops. Sorry, pup. You forgot your kit again.”
“Yeah. Sorry. Thanks.” Xander took that clothes and before Spike could close the door again he said, “Damn, Spike. We really have to stop meeting like this!”
Spike turned around again, agog. “Like what?”
Xander laughed. “With one of us naked.”
Spike grinned back. “Yeah. Gettin to be a habit, that. It would help if you would remember to bring a change of clothes in when you get your after work shower, ya know.”
“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t have a master vampire waiting on me, then would I?”
“Oh, shut up, ya git. Dinner’s almost ready, so get yer kit on and eat, alright?”
“Oh yeah. Spike? We’ve been summoned over to Buff’s later. Not a true emergency, but necessary that we be there.”
“Right, you’d better hurry then, hadn’t ya?”
Xander appeared from the bathroom squeaky clean. The scent of the day’s work off of him, leaving behind that fresh soapy smell that Spike was coming to associate with him. That scent of him permeated the space of the apartment. Spike was fast becoming used to it, and when he did go home to his crypt, the smell of Xander’s apartment was the first thing he missed. Which was probably one of the reasons he stopped spending much time there.
After that night, Spike tried to go home, he honestly did. Braved the scorching the next day when Xander was at work. The crypt that had been home for almost two years now just couldn’t compare to Xander’s. But he tried to fool himself that the reason he stayed at Xander’s was so the boy wouldn’t be alone. In all honesty, and Spike was nothing if not honest, it was so he wouldn’t be lonely. He’d always preferred being with the living, or at least living in a place that smelled alive. Crypts were a necessity, but hotels, abandoned houses, and basically anywhere that living people had been was what he preferred.
He watched the living specimen before him. Xander ate with a gusto that Spike could appreciate. The boy had a zest for life that mirrored his own. He may be dead, but Spike loved life, lived it to the fullest, because it was something he could do with impunity as a demon. He sighed a little sadly. Well, it used to be something he could do with impunity. This blasted chip in his head ceased that for him. Dammit.
Xander looked up from the plate of lasagna he’d been eating. “What’s the what, there Spike? And thanks for dinner, again. You really know what you’re doing in the kitchen. And don’t worry, I’ll keep your rep intact by not saying anything. But seriously, why the sigh?”
“Nothin, pup. You bout done? I’m thinkin we need to head on out before it gets too dark out there.”
“What? The big Bad afraid of the dark? I’m not worried, cuz I’ll have you to defend me.”
“You forgettin Red’s new stalkers pe - umm pup?”
Xander smiled at the slip, but then thought about what Spike was saying. “Yeah. Honestly, I did. You’re right,” he said, wiping his face and moving to put his dishes in the sink. “We need to head on out if we want to get there before dark.”
Spike nodded and after getting their coats from the hall closet and putting them on, they left together, neither remarking the strangeness of their synchronicity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They arrived at Buffy’s and heard the screaming before they stepped up on the porch. Both took off at a run, breaking the door off its hinges in their haste to enter the house. The scene that met them shocked them into stillness. Dawn was floating above them, hovering in the midst of shadows that seemed to oil their way across the living room from the four corners of the room. The inky feel of evil oozed about the room, coating the air with a heaviness that was immediately discernible.
Dawn just hung about in the air, supported impossibly by the nasty shadows. She looked terrified, but the screaming they had heard didn’t come from her, if the wide open mouth full of inky blackness was any indication. Her body looked frozen in the dark embrace, but her eyes were searching wildly around the room for help.
Buffy stood on the stair, hand over her mouth, looking for all the world like she was helpless. Her frightened face turned to Spike and Xander in despair. Tara stood above her, trying to contain Willow, who was black-eyed with power, her hands shaking to reach out and call it to her, trying to protect Dawn.
A fourth person stood just outside of Xander’s periphery, but the voice was instantly recognized and Xander whipped his head around to see Giles chanting an incantation from the book in his hand. As he chanted, the light from all the lamps in the living room intensified, steadily growing brighter and stronger. As it did so, the thing or things that had hold of Dawn began to withdraw, abruptly letting her go.
Before she could drop to the ground, Spike stepped up, vampire reflexes be praised, to catch her. When the shadows fully receded, Buffy ran down the rest of the stairs and grabbed hold of Dawn, clutching her close. Willow collapsed within Tara’s arms, and they both slipped carefully down to sit on the stairs.
Dawn, shaking in the remnants of fear, tried to console her sobbing sister. “It’s alright, Buffy. I’m ok” Her arms snaked up around Buffy’s neck, turning from seeking to giving solace. Buffy’s muffled sobs eventually slowed, and her muttered words could finally be understood. “I couldn’t do anything. Nothing. They weren’t solid, nothing I knew would work. They don’t feel, can’t hit em. God they almost took you. Oh god. You’re the reason I’m here, what would I do without you?”
“Buffy. I’m ok now. It’s going to be alright.”
Giles stepped over to the two girls, prying Buffy’s arms from around Dawn. He wrapped his slayer in a steady calming embrace, nodding a greeting to Spike and Xander as he did so.
“Good. Glad we’re all here - still.” He turned a rueful smile to Dawn, who nodded gratefully back to him. “Now. I think I’m figuring out what’s happening. Willow?” She looked up at him from her perch on the stairs. “You summoned magics you had no hope of controlling, without a binding spell, correct?” She nodded, still visibly shaken from the encounter in the living room. “Now those forces are manifest. In shadow form no less.” He sighed, and said to himself. “Nothing like beating the metaphor to death. Dark forces as shadows.” He felt Buffy giggle softly in his arm and let her go with a slight smile. She moved to sit next to Dawn on the sofa.
Spike grinned. “Leave it to the watcher to find the funny. Wait. That’s usually you, pup.” He turned to Xander who promptly told him to shut up, but grinned back at him.
“Anyway!” Giles frowned at the two of them. “So now we need to figure out how to deal with this threat. It occurs to me that one day, you lot will call on me for something positive and I shall die from the shock.”
Buffy looked at him and pouted. “Well. Nothing good had happened yet. Oh wait. How would I know? I’ve been gone!” She looked rueful before grinning. “Sorry. Automatic defense response.” Giles laughed. “I promise, Giles, when something good happens to us you’ll be the first, or at least the second to know.”
“Oh I shall be more than that. I’m going to be here for a long time. You lot are not getting anything past me again!” At their wide eyed stares, he said, “Oh yes. I will be here for graduations, promotions, weddings - or commitment ceremonies,” he nodded toward Tara and Willow, “babies and what ever else good comes. Of course, that means I’ll be here for all the apocalypses too.”
Dawn squealed, and Buffy just grinned hugely. Xander and Spike exchanged knowing looks and rolled their eyes. Willow and Tara looked greatly relieved. They knew now that Giles would be there to teach them and guide them. Something they both knew they needed.
Spike, ever the practical one spoke up. “Hey, watcher. Just where do you plan to plant your roost? Your apartment’s already gone to rent.”
“Hmm. Good question, Spike. I’m sure I’ll find something, though.”
Buffy spoke up again, shyly. “Umm, you could stay here til you do.”
Willow and Tara carried on the offer. “Yeah. You could have Mrs. Summers’ room. Tara and I still have the dorms, we just were staying here to take care of Dawn.”
“Well. Alright, Buffy, if you’re sure. Plus, it will give the couriers an address for where to send my books. And we’re going to need those, aren’t we?” A rhetorical question that the others knew not to answer.
“Ok. Now that that’s settled. What are we going to do about the Big Bad?” This from Dawn.
“What’d I do?” Spike asked, genuinely confused.
Giles laughed outright. Xander clapped a hand onto Spike’s shoulder and finally told him what they all knew. “Umm, Spike. I believe, and I think everyone here will agree with me, that your days of being the big bad are long over. I mean you babysit for pete’s sake. And umm, not to be telling secrets, but I know Beaches made you cry.” Xander ducked before the fist flying at him could connect. “Come on, fangless, you know I”m right.”
“Right, pup. See if I make you lasagna again. Or hell, even if I cook for you again, or bring your clothes into the bathroom when you forg-” He stopped abruptly at Xander’s wide eyes. “Oh bugger. I just said all that out loud didn’t I?”
Xander, still wide eyed, just nodded. Spike looked around at the other occupants of the room. Buffy was trying to hold back laughter with her knuckles pressed hard into her mouth. Tara and Willow were just smiling indulgently. Dawn looked like she was going to pass out from glee, so he glowered at her and she just grinned bigger. Giles was the only one who looked truly nonplused.
“Umm, Spike, why are you taking clothes to Xander in the bathroom?”
“Because he forgets to get out a spare set before he jumps into the shower after work.” Spike answered automatically, then groused when he felt Xander’s elbow jab into his ribs. “Oi, whelp! What’s that for?” Xander just gave him an exasperated look.
“Ah. I see.” But Giles clearly didn’t.
“Giles, Spike stays with me. A lot. It’s just a thing. I like the company, and I guess he likes the benefits of hot and cold running water and electricity.”
“Hey!” Spike shouted indignantly. He frowned in consternation, then said, softer, “I like the company too.”
“I know. I was teasing.”
“Well, that’s not very white hat of you. I’m not using you or your place, pet. I mean, I cook for you too. And I don’t leave wet towels on the floor anymore.”
Xander laughed softly. “Ok, Jewel. I know. And I like your cooking. I was only teasing, Spike.”
Neither of them noticed the quiet that had settled over the room. The five other people in the room agog at the intimacy of the conversation, the indulgent expression on Xander’s face, and the wounded expression on Spike’s.
Dawn, as usual was the first to break the spell. “Umm, guys?”
Spike and Xander, startled by her voice - they both seemed to forget the others were in the room - looked up in tandem. “Yeah?” they spoke in unison, causing a ripple of laughter to course through the room.
“Ya think we could get back to the matter at hand? Like why I was floating on incorporeal shadows? Or why I couldn’t scream? Or why Buffy and Willow were powerless to stop it?”
“Yes. Excellent suggestion, Dawn.” Giles cleared his throat and, as usual, snatched his glasses off his face and cleaned them til they squeaked. “But I believe I know what is happening, and believe it or not, neither Willow - because she called them to begin with- nor you Buffy - because they are incorporeal - can deal with them.”
“Ok. So what do we do?” Xander asked confused.
“Well. It will be you, Xander, and Spike, and - I’m afraid to say - Dawn.”
“Oh whoa. Wait a minute! Why them and not me? And why Dawn?”
“Well, Buffy. Xander and Spike, because they are not the ones who called them, and Tara will be occupied with me helping to protect Willow. As to why Dawn? Because she is pure energy. In human, corporeal form, yes, but we can utilize her origins to defeat these things.”
“And how do we do that?”
“By releasing her energy as the ultimate light source. She will be, I guess you could say, the ultimate floodlight, killing anything consisting of mystical darkness. She’s the perfect weapon.”
“Will anything happen to me?” Dawn finally asked.
“Umm, not to who you are or your human self. But the energy that is the key? It will be expended. You’ll just be an average everyday normal human being. Nothing mystical will be left within you.”
Buffy was thoroughly confused. “But Giles, her entire existence is mystical. Our memories of her, her experiences, her human form.” She sniffed in true fear. “She’s my sister, Giles. I can’t lose her. I won’t lose her. If that is a possibility, then we’ll have to find another way.”
“Buffy. The memories, the human form, her experiences - those are all constructed from the monks’ spell. None of the essence of the key was used in creating them. They were created to hide it. Just because its power is utilized doesn’t mean the spell used to protect the key will fail.”
“But Glory’s ritual?”
“Required the spilling of Dawn’s blood. The very stuffs that made her alive. Come to think of it, Glory was rather one dimensional in her pursuit of opening her hell. She didn’t even consider just using the Key’s energy itself. Too focused on murder and mayhem, I suppose, as a Hellgod is wont to do.”
“So she’s not going to die. We’re just going to use the Key. Finally.”
“Yes.”
“Ok. So long as you’re sure.”
Giles’ smile reassured her. “Absolutely.” He walked over to hug Dawn and Buffy to him. “Nothing is going to happen to either of my girls.”
“Ok, Watcher. Good plan. I’m all for it, but one question. How, exactly do you plan on gettin these things all together in order for us to use the - what’d you call her? - oh yeah. Ultimate floodlight?”
Giles gave a decidedly Ripper-like grin. “Live bait.”
TBC
Chapter 5
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