Scavenger Hunt players PLEASE read note at bottom when you have
finished the story.
********
Despite what he said earlier, Giles had no intention to rest and
let things develop on their own. This place was extremely
dangerous and he WOULD NOT be responsible for any of the kids
getting hurt. No, he was the only adult, and had to find a way
out.
Pondering over the possibilities, and not getting anywhere, he
decided to take a walk. Somewhere around, there were clues:
clues that he was going to find. His stroll took him down the
corridor. The path forked in front of him, one way leading down
some very suspicious looking steps, into the darkness. The other
way looked just like the corridor behind him. The small part of
him that was Ripper wanted to descend the stairs and take on the
dark. The sensible watcher/librarian, on the other hand, was
quite certain the other corridor was the better choice.
As it turned out, the librarian was right once again. When Giles
followed the corridor around a corner, his eyes lit up with
delight. Before him was a huge room, illuminated by torches
along the far wall. Shelves crammed full with books covered the
other three walls, almost up to the ceiling. In the center of
the library there was a group of tables with more books in high
stacks and rolls of parchment. All this had the feeling of
ancient secrets to it.
**This is it! With all this knowledge, it's only a matter of
time before we get out of here.**
He made his way to the table, and a worn sheet of paper caught
his eye. It seemed to have been ripped from a notebook of sorts.
The handwriting on the paper was quite pleasant and easy to
read. He could identify the language as Latin, with some Gaelic
influences. The piece probably dated back about two hundred
years.
He sighed. The words were easy enough to decipher, but the
meaning of some phrases escaped him. And, much to his dismay, he
knew just the person who had grown up learning both of the
languages.
Angel.
Yes, he knew Angel had a soul and was fighting for the good guys
now. He also knew that Angel would never hurt any of them, and
that he loved Buffy with all his heart. Still, he couldn't quite
quench the uneasy feeling he got around the vampire.
Nevertheless, this vampire had his uses.
With a stoic expression and a deep breath, Giles knocked on the
door to Angel and Drusilla's room. He was greeted by Dru, who
smiled at him like the loony she was. He fought the urge to roll
his eyes, and asked to be let in.
"Where's Angel?"
Dru's eyes lit up with mischief. She leaned closer to Giles,
almost as if to tell him a secret. Then she blew lightly in his
ear, stepped away, and started dancing with Miss Edith. Her
voice, reminding him of sunshine and flowers, called out to her
sire.
"My Angel, someone is here to see you."
A mumbled, "Who is it?" came from the bathroom. Giles related
his problem, all the while watching Drusilla dance. She was
beautiful, in a way, her predatory grace and deathly nature
competing with eccentric, somehow childish innocence.
Angel called, "I'll be right out," but Giles barely noticed. Dru
had captured him with her glistening eyes, her mind probing in
his thoughts.
Dru was happy. Her Angel was here with her and Miss Edith. The
Watcher had come here to dance with her. And the stars were
singing with angels' voices. There, in his delicious psyche, Dru
could see what the Watcher wanted.
"I can help you," she uttered in a moment of clarity. "My Angel
wants to be alone. He's all confused; the slayer is in his
head."
Giles took a look at the closed bathroom door. He hadn't heard
any water, neither from a shower nor from a bath, and it fed his
growing suspicion.
**Buffy's in his head... that wanker better not...**
His irritation with the vampire had just multiplied by about a
million. With another sigh he held his arm out to Dru. The
vampiress took it, and Giles led her out of the room.
When Angel stepped into the main room he was greeted by silence.
Giles wasn't there anymore, and Dru was gone as well.
**What the hell?**
Angel was a little confused. Giles' problem had sounded, while
not urgent, at least pretty important. Why would he leave
without him? Why would he take Dru? Why had they not waited for
HIM?
He paced, trying to decide what to do.
**Follow them**
**Stay and brood about Buffy. ... Hmm, Buffy, all golden and
innocent...**
Shrugging, Angel decided it couldn't have been all that
important.
********
Oz nuzzled Willow's neck, his hands roaming over her delicious
body. He wanted her so much. Never had he imagined he would meet
someone so warm, so loving as Willow. Her body responded to him
almost immediately. He smiled as his left hand moved down lower.
Tracing her soft curves, he rested his palm just above the
waistband of her panties. Then he slipped lower, tickling her
through the cotton. It caused her to shudder, but when he looked
at her eyes they weren't luminous with pleasure.
In fact, she had a worried frown on her face.
**Am I that bad?**
No, something else must be upsetting her. "What is it, Will? Not
in the mood?"
The smile she gave him made his heart melt. Willow sighed, and
then fell silent again. He didn't want to prod her, but even HIS
patience wore thin in bed. Before he could ask again, Willow had
made up her mind to tell him.
"It's Buffy."
"Are you worried because she's in there with Spike?" he
wondered.
Willow shook her head. "No. Well, yes, but that's not all. She
wanted to tell me something... I can tell it's really bothering
her."
To his surprise, Willow broke into another smile and shrugged.
Her eyes reflected her awakened desire. "I'm sure it can wait
until tomorrow." With that, she caught his lips in a searing
kiss, and all thought of Buffy and evil vampires left his mind.
Just when it was about to get serious, a white figure appeared
in front of their bed. Willow yelped, and Oz glared towards the
ghost. He was REALLY out of patience now. The figure pointed at
them.
"A match as night and day, the slayer and vampire bear the key.
Only together will the door open to them." Then the ghostly
apparition exploded into white light.
Oz shrugged. "Nice exit."
Willow decided that she had had enough interruptions as well.
She could be bold too, and right now she wanted to. "Ready to
give our dead audience a show?" Of course she was talking about
the ghosts, but Oz couldn't help himself.
With a slight frown he said, "Angel and Spike would enjoy that,
but I don't think I'd like them ogling my girl."
Willow grinned. He expected a witty comeback; instead she
reached down his pants. "I'm about done with talking for
tonight," she whispered huskily.
Oz agreed. Without words.