Book One: Chapter Nineteen (Part 1 - 6,163 words)
WARNING: SEXUAL SITUATIONS AND VIOLENCE
Antony gripped the steering wheel, his foot pressed all the way to the floor. It had been three days since he first visited the Slayer’s home, and now he needed to get back to Rovello Drive.
It had been an hour since he found the body, but the identity of the killer was as clear as if he had been standing there himself. After snapping a few pictures with his digital camera, he knew he needed to get this to Mr. Giles and Miss Summers. Slamming on the brakes in front of her house, he gripped the camera and the stake in his hand and ran up to the front door, pounding on it, waiting for someone to answer.
“Please God, Let them be here!”
*****
The last few days had been the longest days of Fred’s life. They had been waiting for any sign of Angelus, that he had shown up in Sunnydale, but so far there had been nothing. They had been trying to go on with their lives - Xander and Anya had been finishing the plans for their wedding, which was going to be soon, while Willow, Tara and Dawn continued going to school. All of them had been staying inside after dark if they could help it, except for Buffy, who still went on nightly patrol with Spike.
And so far, beyond a few rather new vamps, there was nothing.
Wesley and Rupert had needed to go to the Magic Box for something, so Fred had stayed home with Connor. She had just put him to bed when she heard the pounding on the door. Her heart jumping into her throat, she hurried down to the door, arriving just as Dawn did. The younger woman looked through the peephole.
“It’s that Watcher that was here the other day. The one who brought Connor’s papers from the Council,” Dawn said. “Antony.”
“Here,” Fred said, opening the door. The boy outside looked scared to death. “Antony? What’s going on?”
“Where’s Mister Giles? Miss Summ-where’s Buffy?!” he demanded, breathless. “Angelus is here - I just saw the proof of it an hour ago!” He shoved the picture out for the others to see. “The girl’s body was found bearing his mark, here!”
As he pointed at the cross carved into the girl’s cheek, Xander’s head shot up. He needed to find Buffy. Dead Boy was here, and Giles and Wes were out there alone!
Fred’s hands started shaking uncontrollably when she saw the picture he was holding out, a feeling of nausea rising in her stomach and throat. “Bu-Buffy’s on patrol with Spike, and Rupert...he’s out with Wesley getting some things from the Magic Box. Oh God, if Angelus finds them...” She couldn’t finish her thought. “We have to go get them! We have to warn them!”
“Xander, take your car - find Buffy and Spike, tell them to get to the Magic Box on the double. I’ll try and meet up with Mister Giles and Mister Wyndam-Pryce and bring them home!” Antony suggested, surprised when Xander immediately grabbed his keys and ran out to his car. He guessed everyone was too worried about their loved ones to question the fact that they were taking instructions from an outsider.
“I’ll find them,” he promised Fred before taking off out to his own car and getting in behind the wheel. He sent a small prayer that he would arrive in time.
Back in the house, Dawn put her arm around Fred as they stood at the door, watching as the others disappeared. “It’ll be all right. They’ll find them in time.”
“I hope so,” Fred said, feeling useless that she couldn’t go help warn the two men she loved. “Oh, God.”
The nausea became overwhelming, and Fred ran upstairs to the bathroom to throw up. Lorne, who had been standing in the living room, watching the entire exchange, shared a concerned look with Dawn, Willow and Tara before following his friend upstairs. They all knew what this meant, and they just hoped that Wesley and Giles would be all right.
*****
Xander was speeding down toward the Bronze, thankful that Giles had insisted on planning so that they would know where everyone was at all times. Glancing at his watch, he figured Buffy would have cleaned out her first stop and was on her way to the second. His heart was racing from knowing first hand the danger his father figure was in. Finally, he saw the pair of blonde heads ahead, knowing he had never been thankful to see Spike more than he was right now.
“Spike, if you say one more word about Harmony, I swear to God I’m going to use you for target practice. Giles thinks she can be a help, so we’re going to use her. Just get over it,” Buffy was saying as Xander, turning the wheel hard, spun the car, the tires screeching as it came to a complete stop in front of them.
“Buffy, get in! Look - Junior Watcher came by, said he had proof Angelus was here. Found a body and all. Wes and Giles headed to the Magic Box for supplies. They’re wide open for attack!”
“What!” Grabbing Spike’s arm, she shoved him toward the car, ignoring his protests. “Just shut up and get in, you mook!” Once he was in, Buffy jumped into the front seat. “Go!”
At her word, Xander slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and turning the wheel, he quickly headed toward the magic box. “Please let ‘em be okay!” he breathed softly.
*****
Angelus smiled as he stood in shadows watching. He had known that if he had waited long enough, he would find his chance. It wasn’t exactly what he had wanted - he had so been looking forward to having Wesley watch while he killed Fred in front of him, but this would do.
When the door opened, he crept closer, but still far enough away that neither man could see him.
*****
Giles shouldered his bag, opening the door for Wes since the younger man was bearing the brunt of the load. Giles had several stakes and a ten-inch bowie knife, so he was responsible for looking out for any threats. His stomach was churning, not liking the fact that they had seen no evidence that Angelus was anywhere near Sunnydale. He couldn’t help but feel this was the calm before the storm.
Once Wesley came out, carrying what looked to be a rather heavy load, Angelus made his move, running out of the shadows and using the bat he had gotten from that unsuspecting girl to hit him squarely in the back of the head, causing him to tumble to the ground.
“Surprise!”
Giles spun, his heart sinking at the sound the bat made against Wesley’s skull. With a curse, he immediately dropped his bag, knowing he had to get that bat away from Angelus, or they were both dead. As the vampire hauled back to take another swing, Giles stepped between him and Wesley, grunting when the bat impacted with his ribs. He wrapped one arm around the bat, reaching for the stake on his belt with the other. He plunged the weapon into the juncture of Angelus’ arm, causing him to roar, as he spun away, maintaining possession of the bat. He then flipped the weapon in his hands so that he was gripping the handle and faced the vampire, not allowing the pain in his ribs to show on his face.
“Haven’t we been in this position before, vampire?” he asked, referring to the last time he had lumped the vampire upside the head with a baseball bat.
Angelus pulled the out, shaking his arm. Those damned things really did sting. “I’ve been hoping for a rematch ever since that night,” he growled, circling around Giles though taking care to stay out of the way for the moment. “But you really should have stayed out of this, Giles. I mean, really, I remember how you treated Wesley, so why would...”
Suddenly, he stopped and sniffed the air, an amused smirk crossing his face. “Wesley and Fred? Rupert Giles fucking two people at the same time? I never thought you had it in you. Although apparently, you’ve been in them. Tell me, are they good lays?”
Giles cursed inwardly, his jaw clenching at the taunt. Now that Angelus knew about his relationship with Wesley and Fred, there was no way he could let him anywhere near them. He understood, perhaps better than anyone, the sadistic nature of this particular vampire. He would rape either one of them, just to upset him, if he got his hands on them. “You expect me to just step out of the way while you destroy this man? I think not,” he growled, taking a defensive stance over Wesley, his body coiled, ready for an attack.
“Ohh, they must be. Have to admit, never would have pegged either of you as swinging that way. Now Fred...I knew Wesley wanted her. Could smell it every time he was around her.” The sting in his arm was being to fade, and he began tossing the stake back and forth from one hand to the other. “Maybe I really should have gone after her first, but driving her insane by getting you two first would be so much more...satisfying. Wonder if she’ll start writing on the walls again.”
With that, Angelus kicked out at him before swinging around with a punch.
“One flaw with your thinking,” Giles replied darkly with a smirk. “You won’t be getting either of us. You forget who you’re talking to, vampire. Even after everything you did to me, you still couldn’t break me, wanker. You had to depend on your woman.”
He knew if he made him angry enough, Angelus would get sloppy. Both were so focused on the other, neither heard the car come to a stop at the curb or the groan coming from the man on the ground. He sensed Angelus’ strike before he saw it, lifting the bat to block the punch. Instantly, the bat snapped, splintering in his hand, leaving him with the handle, broken to a point.
“Thank you. Saves me from having to retrieve the stake from my pocket.”
Angelus backed up from Giles, staring intently at him. The man was much more dangerous than he had given him credit for. He had always been the old Watcher, the one to get to Buffy through. But it appeared that without her around, he actually grown a pair. Or perhaps he had just done a good job of hiding them.
“I’m not going to stop until all three of you are dead. Although maybe I should turn one of them, just to see your reaction. Would you kill Fred if she were a vampire? How about Wesley? I don’t think he’d make a good vampire, though, but Fred...I could control her. Maybe let her kill both of you.”
“You know, your threats might actually worry me if I thought you would get anywhere near Fred,” Giles replied calmly. “But you won’t, we both know it. My family bested you once already, we’ll do it again.”
*****
Antony cursed loudly at seeing Mr. Giles facing off against Angelus already. He needed to act fast. Mr. Wyndam-Pryce was already on the ground, and as talented as Mr. Giles was, he was still human, and would tire. Stakes would not be enough - he needed something definitive to make Angelus leave.
Popping the trunk, he searched around quickly, his eyes lighting on the plastic petrol can. Shaking it, he smiled when he felt it was full. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a zippo lighter, a gift from an American colleague.
“Thank you, David,” he whispered when it lit right off. Closing the cap, he withdrew his dagger, trying to still his shaking hand. “Please God, let this work.”
*****
Harmony had gotten bored with being left in Spike’s crypt day after day, not allowed to eat anything but rats and other vermin. It was disgusting and so not the kind of thing she liked, not after having lived on human blood for the last few years. But she had promised the others, and she had promised Spikey.
Except Spike didn’t want anything to do with her. She had actually offered herself to him several times, and he had turned her down! How humiliating was that? Well, she decided that if he didn’t care about her, she wasn’t going to listen to him and stay put in the crypt until they needed her. She was going to go see if she couldn’t find Angelus - or some clue about him - on her own.
So she had ended up walking the streets for a while, ducking every time she had seen someone familiar since she so didn’t want to get into a conversation with any of them about what she had been doing since the spectacular explosion that had been graduation. She couldn’t find anything, however, so she decided to head over to the Magic Box that she had heard Spike talk about, see if anyone was there. At least maybe she wouldn’t have to be bored for the rest of the night.
As she turned the corner, she knew something wasn’t right. And then she saw them. Angelus was standing a few feet away from Giles, who appeared to be protecting someone. Harmony didn’t even look to see who it was, instead charging forward even though her shoes weren’t exactly the best for running in.
“Hey! Leave him alone!” she yelled.
Giles heard the familiar yet annoying voice and had to bite back a smile. This was exactly what he wanted Harmony around for. Most likely, she would end up dusted, but the distraction would allow him to dispose of Angelus once and for all.
“How does it feel, Angelus, to know that you were already bested by an old man and a girl? How about knowing that it will happen again? Scourge of Europe indeed. You must have earned that by attacking women and small children. You’re not dangerous, you’re nothing but a bully, and we both know it,” he taunted, finally noticing the young Watcher at the curb behind the vampire. He needed to keep Angelus focused on him and not on Wesley or Antony.
“Says the old man Watcher who keeps getting knocked over the head,” Angelus growled, not caring about Harmony for the moment. He knew how ineffectual the little vampire brat was without others to back her up. Her getting the upper hand at that Pyramid Scheme had been pure luck. “You two only bested me because you had your little group behind you, but they’re not here now, are they? They’re cowering behind closed doors - didn’t you think I knew that? They’re scared now, and all you have it this little tramp...”
By the time, Harmony had reached them and attempted to jump on Angelus. Quickly, he reached out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her off-balance so she landed in front of him.
“Hey!” Harmony yelled.
Bringing up his hand holding the stake, he smirked at Giles before plunging it down into her heart. “Whoops. Don’t even have her now, do you?”
As Harmony exploded into dust with a scream, Antony used his dagger to puncture holes in the gas can, quickly pulling his hand out of the way when some of the petrol splashed on it. He then pocketed the dagger, holding his lighter in his hand and tilting the can back, careful not to lose any more of the precious liquid inside, as he crept toward Angelus.
Giles shook his head, unable to believe that Angelus actually thought he cared about the death of Harmony. “She was just cannon fodder. No great loss. Vampires are so predictable and can’t be counted on. I much prefer the assistance of humans. But she was a nice diversion, don’t you think? Now!” he told Antony, stepping back as Angelus was doused in the gasoline.
Lighting the lighter, Antony stepped around to stand with Mr. Giles. He cursed loudly when, as he did, the petrol on his hand ignited. He switched the zippo to his good hand, snuffing out the flames on himself by pressing the burning limb to his side.
“So what’ll it be, Angelus? Vampire flambe?” he asked with a lot more bravery than he felt. He hoped Angelus would leave soon. It would be hard to seem intimidating to the Scourge of Europe while throwing up on his shoes.
The stench of fuel almost burning all his senses, Angelus spun around, his eyes quickly homing in on the flame as the boy moved to stand beside Giles, but when he spoke, he looked him fully in the face. “A boy? Obviously a Watcher-wannabe by his clothing choice. What is it about you Watchers - you all shop at the same store in London? You don’t want to be involved in this, kid. I’d leave while you still can.”
“Ancient Native American boys would gain their manhoods by hunting the largest game possible. What do you think the Council will give me for bagging a vampire of your reputation?” Antony pointed out. “I know you’re strong, but you’re not fireproof. Or would you like to test your durability?”
*****
Xander came to a stop in the middle of the road about fifty feet away from the figures on the sidewalk. He recognized Angelus and had no desire to give him another hostage by pulling right up on him. “Buffy, look. Wesley’s already down,” he pointed out darkly.
He hadn’t even finished what he was saying before Buffy was out of the car, running toward them and pulling her stake out of her pocket. “Angelus! Why don’t you pick on someone else for a little while!”
Upon hearing her voice, he turned around again, growling in disbelief and immediately moving to block her. “Buffy? You should be dead!”
“Sorry to disappoint you!”
“Surprise!” Giles said, for the first time feeling the constriction in his chest abate now that they clearly had the upper hand. “Tony, now!” he then called out, diving forward tackling Buffy out of the way. He rolled them away, shielding her with his body.
On Giles’ cue, Antony tossed the zippo, and the flame hit Angelus, immediately igniting the petrol covering him. The young Watcher then reached down, gritting his teeth against the pain in his hand as he gripped Wesley’s shoulders and pulled him out of the way. Xander immediately ran over to help Tony sit Wesley up against the wall and looked up at the young watcher with a smirk.
“Good job, Rookie,” he said.
The moment the flames went up, Angelus felt pain searing through his body. He wanted to grab the boy who had done this to him, but survival instinct immediately took over, and he ran, dropping to roll a few times on the ground until the flames finally snuffed out. Crawling to his feet, he looked back, seeing Xander helping the boy and Wesley while Spike - Spike! - moved to assist Giles and Buffy. His back and face were screaming in protest with each movement, and he knew that he was no longer in any condition to face anyone, much less six people.
“This isn’t over!” he yelled before disappearing down the nearby ally.
Giles rolled to his back, cradling his Slayer against his chest. His ribs were throbbing, but that wasn’t important. Looking up into Buffy’s eyes with a gentle smile, he asked, his voice soft, “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” Buffy told him. “What about you? Wesley?” She struggled to sit up and looked over to where Xander was helping the others. “Antony? Xander said he was the one that figured out Angelus was here.”
“I’m fine.” Giles sat up, carefully hiding the wince when his ribs protested the movement. When she mentioned Wesley, however, his worry reared up angrily. His lover had taken a pretty hard shot to the head. “Wesley,” he breathed, standing up with his Slayer. “Angelus hit him pretty hard.”
He crouched down in front of the younger man. “Wes, are you all right?” he asked, gently probing the back of Wes’ head with his fingers. He winced in sympathy when Wes hissed, finally opening his eyes. Giles could see that his eyes were slightly glazed.
“Rupert, why are there three of you?” Wesley asked weakly, trying to get his eyes to focus. He frowned when he heard Xander laugh.
“Congrats, Wes, your first concussion. You’re now an official scooby Watcher,” Xander quipped.
“Now’s not the time to joke, Xander,” Buffy said, giving him a slight push.
Xander just shrugged. “It’s true, though. Giles has been Concussion Man for how many years running? Looks like Wes is trying to share the burden.” He smirked, helping Giles get Wesley to his feet, draping an arm over his shoulder with Giles standing on his other side. “Come on, New Concussion Guy. Let’s get you back to the car. And don’t worry. If there’s one thing we know how to treat around here, it’s head injuries.”
“Spike, get the bags and put them in the car,” Giles instructed, not caring in the slightest when the vampire immediately started to complain.
Buffy, meanwhile, hurried over to Antony, who was still sitting on the ground, looking like he was in pain. Kneeling down beside him, she touched his shoulder gently. “Are you okay? How did you...? How did you know?”
He lifted his head, smiling shyly when she touched him. “I...in Angelus’ earlier days, he would mark his kills with a cross carved into the victim’s cheek. Almost two hours ago, I found a young girl. She hadn’t been dead long, and she had his mark on her face.” He lifted his hand and gave her a tight smile. “As for me...I spilled some of the petrol on my hand when I punctured the can. I guess I forgot about it when I went to ignite the lighter. I’ll be fine.”
“Ouch,” she said softly, looking at the burn. “Come on. You’re going to come back to the house with us. I’ll drive your car.” When she saw that he might protest, she held up her hand and shook her head. “Look, you’ve just put yourself in Angelus’ sights tonight with what you did, helping Wesley and Giles. We’re not going to risk you ending up another one of his victims. You’re with us now.”
She wrapped an arm around him and helped him up off the ground, then looked over to Giles and Xander, who were helping Wesley into Xander’s car. “Giles, I’m going to drive Antony back to the house. He’ll be safer staying with us than anywhere else.”
Giles smiled faintly, a bit surprised to see Buffy being so openly kind to a Watcher other than himself. Usually she despised everything Council on sheer principle. “Buffy, the boy has already faced death once tonight, do we really need to subject him to it again?” he asked with a chuckle. “Why don’t you let Spike drive?”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “All right, fine. Spike can drive us.”
“Oy, I’m not a sodding chauffer, you know!” the vampire said as he finished putting the bags and boxes Wesley and Giles had been carrying into the boot of Xander’s car. “I’ve already been turned into a pack mule!”
“Spike, just shut up and drive us home,” she responded as they walked over to Antony’s rental car. “Please.”
“Oh, and Spike,” Giles began, getting ready to get into the passenger side of Xander’s car, knowing he would be thrilled with what he was about to tell him. “Angelus dusted Harmony. Her demise bought Antony time to act.”
Spike grinned widely at the young Watcher. “Okay. Now, I officially like you.”
“I’m honored,” Antony replied dryly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Come on, guys. We can continue this at the house,” Buffy said before Xander and Giles got in the other car and headed out.
Once the three left behind were all in the car, they followed Xander back. Buffy glanced over at Antony, amazed at what he had just done for Giles and Wesley. He had obviously been telling the truth - not all the Watchers were like Travers and the flunkies that he always seemed to bring along. And she understood a lot more about the way things were run now than she had. Maybe if she had known a few years ago, she wouldn’t have treated Wesley the way she had.
It didn’t take long for them to get to the house. Buffy was glad for that. She knew that Angelus was probably going to be out of action for a while thanks to what Antony had done, but she also knew that when he did come back, he was going to be even more angry and dangerous than he had been.
Giles and Xander helped Wesley into the house, but not before Giles told Spike to get the things out of the boot. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Tara open the front door, holding it so they could steer the injured man in without stopping. Once they got to the couch, they set him down gently.
“Watcher Junior saved them from Dead Boy. Wes’ll have a killer headache in the morning, but he and Giles are okay,” he explained to the others.
*****
Fred had been sitting in Connor’s room with Lorne when she heard the voices downstairs and was immediately up and running down the steps. “Wesley? Rupert? Oh, thank God,” she cried in relief upon seeing them as she ran to them. “What happened?”
“Angelus attacked us as we left the Magic Box. He lumped Wes upside the head with a baseball bat before I was able to get it from him. Harmony’s gone, but her demise bought Antony enough time to douse him in petrol,” Giles explained, sitting next to Wes. “Wesley, I need you to focus on me for a moment. Can you follow my finger?”
“Which one?” he replied, his voice tight with the pain throbbing in his head, as he tried to watch the fingers moving slowly across his eyeline.
Fred felt her stomach flop again when she heard the pain in Wesley’s voice. He had just gotten over the wound that had been inflicted on him by Justine and now this. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her fingernails digging into her skin. The bastard had gone after the men she loved. If she ever...she was going to...
But her concern right then had to be for Wesley. Hurrying into the kitchen, she found the ice pack she had seen in the fridge. Once she had wrapped it in one of the towels, she took it back out into the living room and sat next to Wesley on the couch, holding it gently to the back of his head while taking his other hand in hers. She looked over at Rupert, trying not to cry but feeling her eyes tearing up anyway. She was just glad they were back alive.
Buffy, meanwhile, had helped Antony inside. “Sit down wherever you can find room. I’ll help you bandage that burn.”
Antony sat down on a chair, slowly peeling off his jacket. He frowned when he noticed that the button on his shirt was melted onto his skin. With a hiss, he pulled away the burned plastic, and the skin attached to it. Gingerly rolling up his sleeve, he looked up, needing something else to focus on. “Is Mister Wyndam-Pryce all right?”
Buffy winced a little when Antony pulled the button off. He really had burned himself pretty good although thankfully, it looked like it wasn’t too big an area. “He’ll be okay. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Watchers, it’s that all of you have pretty thick heads. I think it’s a requirement or something.”
Tony chuckled. “Yes, according to Mister Giles’ journals, he did seem to have a penchant for getting thumped upside the head.”
She couldn’t help but smile at his own smile. “Stay right there, I’ll be back.”
While she ran upstairs, Giles reached out a hand, cupping Fred’s cheek, seeing the worry in her brown eyes. “He’ll be all right, We’re both fine thanks to that boy over there.” He nodded toward the chair as he stroked her cheek gently with his thumb, trying to calm her down.
Fred looked over at Antony and, swallowing, gave him a small smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For what you did, for making sure they came back to me.”
Antony smiled shyly. “Ahhh, couldn’t let two good men get taken out by a git like Angelus,” he replied, brushing off her thanks. Now that everyone was safe, he could feel the adrenaline draining out of him. “I’m glad I could help...really.”
Even though it was good that things had turned out all right that night, Giles knew Fred needed to know what had been threatened. “Fred, he knows about us - the three of us. He wants to turn you because he thinks he can control you, get you to kill us. Just-he’ll be out of commission for awhile, but when he comes at us again, it’ll be brutal and very bloody. I just want you to promise me that you’ll be careful.”
Her chest tightened at his words, and her stomach tied up in knots yet again. Angelus wanted...to turn her? To make her hurt them? She couldn’t...she’d never... “I promise,” she managed to choke out. She couldn’t let him use her like that. She’d never let him use her like that. “I’d rather die than hurt either of you.”
“That’s not an option either,” Giles said firmly. He had failed to protect Wes, but thankfully, his love would live to fight another day. He could not fail them again.
*****
In the bathroom, Buffy pulled out the first aid kit that they always kept stocked just in case and brought it back downstairs, kneeling next to Antony and opening it up. “Hold out your hand.”
He did as she instructed, holding still while Buffy pulled out some antiseptic salve and started spreading in on the burn on his hand. After a few moments, he gave her a smile. “So what’s the verdict, Doctor?” he asked, surprised that someone so powerful could have such a gentle touch.
“I think you’re going to be okay,” she said with a half-smile. After putting some gauze over the burn, she wrapped the bandage around his hand and pinned it securely. “There you go. We have about a half dozen people here with first-aid experience, so one of us will check that for you over the next couple of days. Just to make sure it doesn’t get worse.”
“Yeah, we all got a lot of experience at putting the white stuff over the red stuff,” Xander said with a smile before turning to face Wesley. “Hey, Wes, still seeing three of everything?”
“Yes, and as interesting as multiples of you can be, I do believe your family has addressed this issue, so I would be thankful if the images would merge into one,” Wesley replied, clenching his eyes shut.
Lorne looked over at Xander, raising his brows. “There have been more than one of you?”
“Oh, please don’t ask him about that. It was bad enough at the time,” Willow teased.
Wes, meanwhile, rested his head back against Fred’s hand. “Is Connor asleep?”
“Yes,” she told him, flipping the ice pack over and pressing it back to his head. “I put him to bed after you two left earlier, and I was sitting with him just before you came home.”
“Good. I don’t think he would understand this.” He reached out to touch her face but got nothing but air. “Guess I should have tried for the one in the middle,” he joked tiredly, trying to lessen her anxiety.
“You have a concussion, Wesley, so you know we can’t allow you to go to sleep, even though your body is insisting we do so,” Giles explained, his hand trailing down the side of the younger man’s head.
“Trust the G-Man on this, Wes. Giles is the King of concussions.” Xander smiled, laughing when he got the expected glare in return.
“You could always use sex?” Anya chimed in, shrugging her shoulders when everyone glared at her. “What? Everyone knows pleasure receptors can overpower pain receptors.”
“Anya, for the love of God...!” Giles snapped, trying to cut her off when he saw Wes nearly swallow his tongue with embarrassment. Xander clasped a hand over her mouth. “Thank you.”
Fred shook her head - sex was the last thing on her mind right now. She just wanted Wesley to be okay. She just wanted this nightmare to be over, and her family to be safe and everything to be all right. Was that so much to ask? “Should we take Wesley upstairs?” she asked Rupert softly. “Might be easier for us to keep him awake.”
Anya made a noise behind Xander’s hand, holding her hand out toward the lovers as if to say ‘See?’ She watched Giles and Fred help Wes up again, heading up the stairs slowly.
“Is she always like that?” Antony laughed softly, referring to Anya.
“Yeah, she’s always like that,” Dawn said, rolling her eyes before heading into the kitchen with Lorne to make something to eat.
Once they had left, he looked over at Buffy, suddenly noticing that she seemed to be distracted. “Hey.” He touched her shoulder gently. “Are you all right?”
She looked over at him, not having realized that she had been spacing out. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I was just...I guess since you’re a Watcher and everything, you know about our-my past with Angel and Angelus?”
“Well, I know about Angel from the information Mister Giles put in his journals. Undoubtedly, to preserve your modesty, he left out a great deal, but I know enough. And when he surfaced here on the Hellmouth a few years ago, classes on Angelus and his past crimes became mandatory at the Academy. It was how I recognized the fact that he was here. I...I think I should ask you what all of you plan to do. With Miss Rosenberg here, you have the capability to resoul him. The question is...do you intend to?” he asked, cautiously.
“No,” Buffy sighed, looking down at the floor for a moment as she dug her toe into the carpet. “We’re not.” She glanced back up at him, not sure why she was opening up this much to a Watcher she had really just met, but there was just something about him. He seemed trustworthy, especially given what had had done for Giles and Wes that night. “He murdered a friend of ours - Cordelia Chase. Angel...he wouldn’t want-he’s gone now. It’s too late. We’re going to stop Angelus this time, once and for all.”
“He’s killed Miss Chase?” Antony’s eyes grew wide in shock at her nod. “It seems he’s playing for keeps this time. I respect that this is a difficult decision for you.” He could see the resolve in her eyes and felt bad that it was tempered with so much sadness. “For what it’s worth, you have my help...well, as much help as a one armed, green watcher can be.” He smirked, lifting his injured hand.
She smiled a bit at that and let out a short laugh. “From what I’ve seen, you can help quite a lot,” she told him. “Although you might want to wait until the hand heals. We’ll probably have time. You did a lot of damage to Angelus tonight. Best performance I’ve ever seen from a green Watcher.”
“I think I should confess, I was terrified,” Antony admitted with a blush. “I couldn’t be sure if I was going to pull it off or thow up on his shoes. Either way, I was fully prepared to die.”
Antony really was green. No wonder Travers had thought sending him was safe. “Exactly how long have you...been out of the academy?”
“Not long, actually. In two days, it will have been three weeks. I think Mister Travers allowed me to volunteer because he thought I was young enough that he could control me. I don’t think he realized that your Watcher has always been one of my father’s favorite students,” he explained. “Father always believed Mister Giles was the best. The way he treated you and the others.”
“You know, I’ve never met your father, but he sounds like very wise man. And it sounds like a lot of that wisdom rubbed off on his son.” She patted his knee. “Come on...looks like you’re going to need to find a sleeping spot with the rest of them here.”
*****
Antony gripped the steering wheel, his foot pressed all the way to the floor. It had been three days since he first visited the Slayer’s home, and now he needed to get back to Rovello Drive.
It had been an hour since he found the body, but the identity of the killer was as clear as if he had been standing there himself. After snapping a few pictures with his digital camera, he knew he needed to get this to Mr. Giles and Miss Summers. Slamming on the brakes in front of her house, he gripped the camera and the stake in his hand and ran up to the front door, pounding on it, waiting for someone to answer.
“Please God, Let them be here!”
*****
The last few days had been the longest days of Fred’s life. They had been waiting for any sign of Angelus, that he had shown up in Sunnydale, but so far there had been nothing. They had been trying to go on with their lives - Xander and Anya had been finishing the plans for their wedding, which was going to be soon, while Willow, Tara and Dawn continued going to school. All of them had been staying inside after dark if they could help it, except for Buffy, who still went on nightly patrol with Spike.
And so far, beyond a few rather new vamps, there was nothing.
Wesley and Rupert had needed to go to the Magic Box for something, so Fred had stayed home with Connor. She had just put him to bed when she heard the pounding on the door. Her heart jumping into her throat, she hurried down to the door, arriving just as Dawn did. The younger woman looked through the peephole.
“It’s that Watcher that was here the other day. The one who brought Connor’s papers from the Council,” Dawn said. “Antony.”
“Here,” Fred said, opening the door. The boy outside looked scared to death. “Antony? What’s going on?”
“Where’s Mister Giles? Miss Summ-where’s Buffy?!” he demanded, breathless. “Angelus is here - I just saw the proof of it an hour ago!” He shoved the picture out for the others to see. “The girl’s body was found bearing his mark, here!”
As he pointed at the cross carved into the girl’s cheek, Xander’s head shot up. He needed to find Buffy. Dead Boy was here, and Giles and Wes were out there alone!
Fred’s hands started shaking uncontrollably when she saw the picture he was holding out, a feeling of nausea rising in her stomach and throat. “Bu-Buffy’s on patrol with Spike, and Rupert...he’s out with Wesley getting some things from the Magic Box. Oh God, if Angelus finds them...” She couldn’t finish her thought. “We have to go get them! We have to warn them!”
“Xander, take your car - find Buffy and Spike, tell them to get to the Magic Box on the double. I’ll try and meet up with Mister Giles and Mister Wyndam-Pryce and bring them home!” Antony suggested, surprised when Xander immediately grabbed his keys and ran out to his car. He guessed everyone was too worried about their loved ones to question the fact that they were taking instructions from an outsider.
“I’ll find them,” he promised Fred before taking off out to his own car and getting in behind the wheel. He sent a small prayer that he would arrive in time.
Back in the house, Dawn put her arm around Fred as they stood at the door, watching as the others disappeared. “It’ll be all right. They’ll find them in time.”
“I hope so,” Fred said, feeling useless that she couldn’t go help warn the two men she loved. “Oh, God.”
The nausea became overwhelming, and Fred ran upstairs to the bathroom to throw up. Lorne, who had been standing in the living room, watching the entire exchange, shared a concerned look with Dawn, Willow and Tara before following his friend upstairs. They all knew what this meant, and they just hoped that Wesley and Giles would be all right.
*****
Xander was speeding down toward the Bronze, thankful that Giles had insisted on planning so that they would know where everyone was at all times. Glancing at his watch, he figured Buffy would have cleaned out her first stop and was on her way to the second. His heart was racing from knowing first hand the danger his father figure was in. Finally, he saw the pair of blonde heads ahead, knowing he had never been thankful to see Spike more than he was right now.
“Spike, if you say one more word about Harmony, I swear to God I’m going to use you for target practice. Giles thinks she can be a help, so we’re going to use her. Just get over it,” Buffy was saying as Xander, turning the wheel hard, spun the car, the tires screeching as it came to a complete stop in front of them.
“Buffy, get in! Look - Junior Watcher came by, said he had proof Angelus was here. Found a body and all. Wes and Giles headed to the Magic Box for supplies. They’re wide open for attack!”
“What!” Grabbing Spike’s arm, she shoved him toward the car, ignoring his protests. “Just shut up and get in, you mook!” Once he was in, Buffy jumped into the front seat. “Go!”
At her word, Xander slammed his foot down on the accelerator, and turning the wheel, he quickly headed toward the magic box. “Please let ‘em be okay!” he breathed softly.
*****
Angelus smiled as he stood in shadows watching. He had known that if he had waited long enough, he would find his chance. It wasn’t exactly what he had wanted - he had so been looking forward to having Wesley watch while he killed Fred in front of him, but this would do.
When the door opened, he crept closer, but still far enough away that neither man could see him.
*****
Giles shouldered his bag, opening the door for Wes since the younger man was bearing the brunt of the load. Giles had several stakes and a ten-inch bowie knife, so he was responsible for looking out for any threats. His stomach was churning, not liking the fact that they had seen no evidence that Angelus was anywhere near Sunnydale. He couldn’t help but feel this was the calm before the storm.
Once Wesley came out, carrying what looked to be a rather heavy load, Angelus made his move, running out of the shadows and using the bat he had gotten from that unsuspecting girl to hit him squarely in the back of the head, causing him to tumble to the ground.
“Surprise!”
Giles spun, his heart sinking at the sound the bat made against Wesley’s skull. With a curse, he immediately dropped his bag, knowing he had to get that bat away from Angelus, or they were both dead. As the vampire hauled back to take another swing, Giles stepped between him and Wesley, grunting when the bat impacted with his ribs. He wrapped one arm around the bat, reaching for the stake on his belt with the other. He plunged the weapon into the juncture of Angelus’ arm, causing him to roar, as he spun away, maintaining possession of the bat. He then flipped the weapon in his hands so that he was gripping the handle and faced the vampire, not allowing the pain in his ribs to show on his face.
“Haven’t we been in this position before, vampire?” he asked, referring to the last time he had lumped the vampire upside the head with a baseball bat.
Angelus pulled the out, shaking his arm. Those damned things really did sting. “I’ve been hoping for a rematch ever since that night,” he growled, circling around Giles though taking care to stay out of the way for the moment. “But you really should have stayed out of this, Giles. I mean, really, I remember how you treated Wesley, so why would...”
Suddenly, he stopped and sniffed the air, an amused smirk crossing his face. “Wesley and Fred? Rupert Giles fucking two people at the same time? I never thought you had it in you. Although apparently, you’ve been in them. Tell me, are they good lays?”
Giles cursed inwardly, his jaw clenching at the taunt. Now that Angelus knew about his relationship with Wesley and Fred, there was no way he could let him anywhere near them. He understood, perhaps better than anyone, the sadistic nature of this particular vampire. He would rape either one of them, just to upset him, if he got his hands on them. “You expect me to just step out of the way while you destroy this man? I think not,” he growled, taking a defensive stance over Wesley, his body coiled, ready for an attack.
“Ohh, they must be. Have to admit, never would have pegged either of you as swinging that way. Now Fred...I knew Wesley wanted her. Could smell it every time he was around her.” The sting in his arm was being to fade, and he began tossing the stake back and forth from one hand to the other. “Maybe I really should have gone after her first, but driving her insane by getting you two first would be so much more...satisfying. Wonder if she’ll start writing on the walls again.”
With that, Angelus kicked out at him before swinging around with a punch.
“One flaw with your thinking,” Giles replied darkly with a smirk. “You won’t be getting either of us. You forget who you’re talking to, vampire. Even after everything you did to me, you still couldn’t break me, wanker. You had to depend on your woman.”
He knew if he made him angry enough, Angelus would get sloppy. Both were so focused on the other, neither heard the car come to a stop at the curb or the groan coming from the man on the ground. He sensed Angelus’ strike before he saw it, lifting the bat to block the punch. Instantly, the bat snapped, splintering in his hand, leaving him with the handle, broken to a point.
“Thank you. Saves me from having to retrieve the stake from my pocket.”
Angelus backed up from Giles, staring intently at him. The man was much more dangerous than he had given him credit for. He had always been the old Watcher, the one to get to Buffy through. But it appeared that without her around, he actually grown a pair. Or perhaps he had just done a good job of hiding them.
“I’m not going to stop until all three of you are dead. Although maybe I should turn one of them, just to see your reaction. Would you kill Fred if she were a vampire? How about Wesley? I don’t think he’d make a good vampire, though, but Fred...I could control her. Maybe let her kill both of you.”
“You know, your threats might actually worry me if I thought you would get anywhere near Fred,” Giles replied calmly. “But you won’t, we both know it. My family bested you once already, we’ll do it again.”
*****
Antony cursed loudly at seeing Mr. Giles facing off against Angelus already. He needed to act fast. Mr. Wyndam-Pryce was already on the ground, and as talented as Mr. Giles was, he was still human, and would tire. Stakes would not be enough - he needed something definitive to make Angelus leave.
Popping the trunk, he searched around quickly, his eyes lighting on the plastic petrol can. Shaking it, he smiled when he felt it was full. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew a zippo lighter, a gift from an American colleague.
“Thank you, David,” he whispered when it lit right off. Closing the cap, he withdrew his dagger, trying to still his shaking hand. “Please God, let this work.”
*****
Harmony had gotten bored with being left in Spike’s crypt day after day, not allowed to eat anything but rats and other vermin. It was disgusting and so not the kind of thing she liked, not after having lived on human blood for the last few years. But she had promised the others, and she had promised Spikey.
Except Spike didn’t want anything to do with her. She had actually offered herself to him several times, and he had turned her down! How humiliating was that? Well, she decided that if he didn’t care about her, she wasn’t going to listen to him and stay put in the crypt until they needed her. She was going to go see if she couldn’t find Angelus - or some clue about him - on her own.
So she had ended up walking the streets for a while, ducking every time she had seen someone familiar since she so didn’t want to get into a conversation with any of them about what she had been doing since the spectacular explosion that had been graduation. She couldn’t find anything, however, so she decided to head over to the Magic Box that she had heard Spike talk about, see if anyone was there. At least maybe she wouldn’t have to be bored for the rest of the night.
As she turned the corner, she knew something wasn’t right. And then she saw them. Angelus was standing a few feet away from Giles, who appeared to be protecting someone. Harmony didn’t even look to see who it was, instead charging forward even though her shoes weren’t exactly the best for running in.
“Hey! Leave him alone!” she yelled.
Giles heard the familiar yet annoying voice and had to bite back a smile. This was exactly what he wanted Harmony around for. Most likely, she would end up dusted, but the distraction would allow him to dispose of Angelus once and for all.
“How does it feel, Angelus, to know that you were already bested by an old man and a girl? How about knowing that it will happen again? Scourge of Europe indeed. You must have earned that by attacking women and small children. You’re not dangerous, you’re nothing but a bully, and we both know it,” he taunted, finally noticing the young Watcher at the curb behind the vampire. He needed to keep Angelus focused on him and not on Wesley or Antony.
“Says the old man Watcher who keeps getting knocked over the head,” Angelus growled, not caring about Harmony for the moment. He knew how ineffectual the little vampire brat was without others to back her up. Her getting the upper hand at that Pyramid Scheme had been pure luck. “You two only bested me because you had your little group behind you, but they’re not here now, are they? They’re cowering behind closed doors - didn’t you think I knew that? They’re scared now, and all you have it this little tramp...”
By the time, Harmony had reached them and attempted to jump on Angelus. Quickly, he reached out and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her off-balance so she landed in front of him.
“Hey!” Harmony yelled.
Bringing up his hand holding the stake, he smirked at Giles before plunging it down into her heart. “Whoops. Don’t even have her now, do you?”
As Harmony exploded into dust with a scream, Antony used his dagger to puncture holes in the gas can, quickly pulling his hand out of the way when some of the petrol splashed on it. He then pocketed the dagger, holding his lighter in his hand and tilting the can back, careful not to lose any more of the precious liquid inside, as he crept toward Angelus.
Giles shook his head, unable to believe that Angelus actually thought he cared about the death of Harmony. “She was just cannon fodder. No great loss. Vampires are so predictable and can’t be counted on. I much prefer the assistance of humans. But she was a nice diversion, don’t you think? Now!” he told Antony, stepping back as Angelus was doused in the gasoline.
Lighting the lighter, Antony stepped around to stand with Mr. Giles. He cursed loudly when, as he did, the petrol on his hand ignited. He switched the zippo to his good hand, snuffing out the flames on himself by pressing the burning limb to his side.
“So what’ll it be, Angelus? Vampire flambe?” he asked with a lot more bravery than he felt. He hoped Angelus would leave soon. It would be hard to seem intimidating to the Scourge of Europe while throwing up on his shoes.
The stench of fuel almost burning all his senses, Angelus spun around, his eyes quickly homing in on the flame as the boy moved to stand beside Giles, but when he spoke, he looked him fully in the face. “A boy? Obviously a Watcher-wannabe by his clothing choice. What is it about you Watchers - you all shop at the same store in London? You don’t want to be involved in this, kid. I’d leave while you still can.”
“Ancient Native American boys would gain their manhoods by hunting the largest game possible. What do you think the Council will give me for bagging a vampire of your reputation?” Antony pointed out. “I know you’re strong, but you’re not fireproof. Or would you like to test your durability?”
*****
Xander came to a stop in the middle of the road about fifty feet away from the figures on the sidewalk. He recognized Angelus and had no desire to give him another hostage by pulling right up on him. “Buffy, look. Wesley’s already down,” he pointed out darkly.
He hadn’t even finished what he was saying before Buffy was out of the car, running toward them and pulling her stake out of her pocket. “Angelus! Why don’t you pick on someone else for a little while!”
Upon hearing her voice, he turned around again, growling in disbelief and immediately moving to block her. “Buffy? You should be dead!”
“Sorry to disappoint you!”
“Surprise!” Giles said, for the first time feeling the constriction in his chest abate now that they clearly had the upper hand. “Tony, now!” he then called out, diving forward tackling Buffy out of the way. He rolled them away, shielding her with his body.
On Giles’ cue, Antony tossed the zippo, and the flame hit Angelus, immediately igniting the petrol covering him. The young Watcher then reached down, gritting his teeth against the pain in his hand as he gripped Wesley’s shoulders and pulled him out of the way. Xander immediately ran over to help Tony sit Wesley up against the wall and looked up at the young watcher with a smirk.
“Good job, Rookie,” he said.
The moment the flames went up, Angelus felt pain searing through his body. He wanted to grab the boy who had done this to him, but survival instinct immediately took over, and he ran, dropping to roll a few times on the ground until the flames finally snuffed out. Crawling to his feet, he looked back, seeing Xander helping the boy and Wesley while Spike - Spike! - moved to assist Giles and Buffy. His back and face were screaming in protest with each movement, and he knew that he was no longer in any condition to face anyone, much less six people.
“This isn’t over!” he yelled before disappearing down the nearby ally.
Giles rolled to his back, cradling his Slayer against his chest. His ribs were throbbing, but that wasn’t important. Looking up into Buffy’s eyes with a gentle smile, he asked, his voice soft, “Are you all right?”
“I’m okay,” Buffy told him. “What about you? Wesley?” She struggled to sit up and looked over to where Xander was helping the others. “Antony? Xander said he was the one that figured out Angelus was here.”
“I’m fine.” Giles sat up, carefully hiding the wince when his ribs protested the movement. When she mentioned Wesley, however, his worry reared up angrily. His lover had taken a pretty hard shot to the head. “Wesley,” he breathed, standing up with his Slayer. “Angelus hit him pretty hard.”
He crouched down in front of the younger man. “Wes, are you all right?” he asked, gently probing the back of Wes’ head with his fingers. He winced in sympathy when Wes hissed, finally opening his eyes. Giles could see that his eyes were slightly glazed.
“Rupert, why are there three of you?” Wesley asked weakly, trying to get his eyes to focus. He frowned when he heard Xander laugh.
“Congrats, Wes, your first concussion. You’re now an official scooby Watcher,” Xander quipped.
“Now’s not the time to joke, Xander,” Buffy said, giving him a slight push.
Xander just shrugged. “It’s true, though. Giles has been Concussion Man for how many years running? Looks like Wes is trying to share the burden.” He smirked, helping Giles get Wesley to his feet, draping an arm over his shoulder with Giles standing on his other side. “Come on, New Concussion Guy. Let’s get you back to the car. And don’t worry. If there’s one thing we know how to treat around here, it’s head injuries.”
“Spike, get the bags and put them in the car,” Giles instructed, not caring in the slightest when the vampire immediately started to complain.
Buffy, meanwhile, hurried over to Antony, who was still sitting on the ground, looking like he was in pain. Kneeling down beside him, she touched his shoulder gently. “Are you okay? How did you...? How did you know?”
He lifted his head, smiling shyly when she touched him. “I...in Angelus’ earlier days, he would mark his kills with a cross carved into the victim’s cheek. Almost two hours ago, I found a young girl. She hadn’t been dead long, and she had his mark on her face.” He lifted his hand and gave her a tight smile. “As for me...I spilled some of the petrol on my hand when I punctured the can. I guess I forgot about it when I went to ignite the lighter. I’ll be fine.”
“Ouch,” she said softly, looking at the burn. “Come on. You’re going to come back to the house with us. I’ll drive your car.” When she saw that he might protest, she held up her hand and shook her head. “Look, you’ve just put yourself in Angelus’ sights tonight with what you did, helping Wesley and Giles. We’re not going to risk you ending up another one of his victims. You’re with us now.”
She wrapped an arm around him and helped him up off the ground, then looked over to Giles and Xander, who were helping Wesley into Xander’s car. “Giles, I’m going to drive Antony back to the house. He’ll be safer staying with us than anywhere else.”
Giles smiled faintly, a bit surprised to see Buffy being so openly kind to a Watcher other than himself. Usually she despised everything Council on sheer principle. “Buffy, the boy has already faced death once tonight, do we really need to subject him to it again?” he asked with a chuckle. “Why don’t you let Spike drive?”
Buffy rolled her eyes. “All right, fine. Spike can drive us.”
“Oy, I’m not a sodding chauffer, you know!” the vampire said as he finished putting the bags and boxes Wesley and Giles had been carrying into the boot of Xander’s car. “I’ve already been turned into a pack mule!”
“Spike, just shut up and drive us home,” she responded as they walked over to Antony’s rental car. “Please.”
“Oh, and Spike,” Giles began, getting ready to get into the passenger side of Xander’s car, knowing he would be thrilled with what he was about to tell him. “Angelus dusted Harmony. Her demise bought Antony time to act.”
Spike grinned widely at the young Watcher. “Okay. Now, I officially like you.”
“I’m honored,” Antony replied dryly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Come on, guys. We can continue this at the house,” Buffy said before Xander and Giles got in the other car and headed out.
Once the three left behind were all in the car, they followed Xander back. Buffy glanced over at Antony, amazed at what he had just done for Giles and Wesley. He had obviously been telling the truth - not all the Watchers were like Travers and the flunkies that he always seemed to bring along. And she understood a lot more about the way things were run now than she had. Maybe if she had known a few years ago, she wouldn’t have treated Wesley the way she had.
It didn’t take long for them to get to the house. Buffy was glad for that. She knew that Angelus was probably going to be out of action for a while thanks to what Antony had done, but she also knew that when he did come back, he was going to be even more angry and dangerous than he had been.
Giles and Xander helped Wesley into the house, but not before Giles told Spike to get the things out of the boot. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Tara open the front door, holding it so they could steer the injured man in without stopping. Once they got to the couch, they set him down gently.
“Watcher Junior saved them from Dead Boy. Wes’ll have a killer headache in the morning, but he and Giles are okay,” he explained to the others.
*****
Fred had been sitting in Connor’s room with Lorne when she heard the voices downstairs and was immediately up and running down the steps. “Wesley? Rupert? Oh, thank God,” she cried in relief upon seeing them as she ran to them. “What happened?”
“Angelus attacked us as we left the Magic Box. He lumped Wes upside the head with a baseball bat before I was able to get it from him. Harmony’s gone, but her demise bought Antony enough time to douse him in petrol,” Giles explained, sitting next to Wes. “Wesley, I need you to focus on me for a moment. Can you follow my finger?”
“Which one?” he replied, his voice tight with the pain throbbing in his head, as he tried to watch the fingers moving slowly across his eyeline.
Fred felt her stomach flop again when she heard the pain in Wesley’s voice. He had just gotten over the wound that had been inflicted on him by Justine and now this. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her fingernails digging into her skin. The bastard had gone after the men she loved. If she ever...she was going to...
But her concern right then had to be for Wesley. Hurrying into the kitchen, she found the ice pack she had seen in the fridge. Once she had wrapped it in one of the towels, she took it back out into the living room and sat next to Wesley on the couch, holding it gently to the back of his head while taking his other hand in hers. She looked over at Rupert, trying not to cry but feeling her eyes tearing up anyway. She was just glad they were back alive.
Buffy, meanwhile, had helped Antony inside. “Sit down wherever you can find room. I’ll help you bandage that burn.”
Antony sat down on a chair, slowly peeling off his jacket. He frowned when he noticed that the button on his shirt was melted onto his skin. With a hiss, he pulled away the burned plastic, and the skin attached to it. Gingerly rolling up his sleeve, he looked up, needing something else to focus on. “Is Mister Wyndam-Pryce all right?”
Buffy winced a little when Antony pulled the button off. He really had burned himself pretty good although thankfully, it looked like it wasn’t too big an area. “He’ll be okay. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Watchers, it’s that all of you have pretty thick heads. I think it’s a requirement or something.”
Tony chuckled. “Yes, according to Mister Giles’ journals, he did seem to have a penchant for getting thumped upside the head.”
She couldn’t help but smile at his own smile. “Stay right there, I’ll be back.”
While she ran upstairs, Giles reached out a hand, cupping Fred’s cheek, seeing the worry in her brown eyes. “He’ll be all right, We’re both fine thanks to that boy over there.” He nodded toward the chair as he stroked her cheek gently with his thumb, trying to calm her down.
Fred looked over at Antony and, swallowing, gave him a small smile. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For what you did, for making sure they came back to me.”
Antony smiled shyly. “Ahhh, couldn’t let two good men get taken out by a git like Angelus,” he replied, brushing off her thanks. Now that everyone was safe, he could feel the adrenaline draining out of him. “I’m glad I could help...really.”
Even though it was good that things had turned out all right that night, Giles knew Fred needed to know what had been threatened. “Fred, he knows about us - the three of us. He wants to turn you because he thinks he can control you, get you to kill us. Just-he’ll be out of commission for awhile, but when he comes at us again, it’ll be brutal and very bloody. I just want you to promise me that you’ll be careful.”
Her chest tightened at his words, and her stomach tied up in knots yet again. Angelus wanted...to turn her? To make her hurt them? She couldn’t...she’d never... “I promise,” she managed to choke out. She couldn’t let him use her like that. She’d never let him use her like that. “I’d rather die than hurt either of you.”
“That’s not an option either,” Giles said firmly. He had failed to protect Wes, but thankfully, his love would live to fight another day. He could not fail them again.
*****
In the bathroom, Buffy pulled out the first aid kit that they always kept stocked just in case and brought it back downstairs, kneeling next to Antony and opening it up. “Hold out your hand.”
He did as she instructed, holding still while Buffy pulled out some antiseptic salve and started spreading in on the burn on his hand. After a few moments, he gave her a smile. “So what’s the verdict, Doctor?” he asked, surprised that someone so powerful could have such a gentle touch.
“I think you’re going to be okay,” she said with a half-smile. After putting some gauze over the burn, she wrapped the bandage around his hand and pinned it securely. “There you go. We have about a half dozen people here with first-aid experience, so one of us will check that for you over the next couple of days. Just to make sure it doesn’t get worse.”
“Yeah, we all got a lot of experience at putting the white stuff over the red stuff,” Xander said with a smile before turning to face Wesley. “Hey, Wes, still seeing three of everything?”
“Yes, and as interesting as multiples of you can be, I do believe your family has addressed this issue, so I would be thankful if the images would merge into one,” Wesley replied, clenching his eyes shut.
Lorne looked over at Xander, raising his brows. “There have been more than one of you?”
“Oh, please don’t ask him about that. It was bad enough at the time,” Willow teased.
Wes, meanwhile, rested his head back against Fred’s hand. “Is Connor asleep?”
“Yes,” she told him, flipping the ice pack over and pressing it back to his head. “I put him to bed after you two left earlier, and I was sitting with him just before you came home.”
“Good. I don’t think he would understand this.” He reached out to touch her face but got nothing but air. “Guess I should have tried for the one in the middle,” he joked tiredly, trying to lessen her anxiety.
“You have a concussion, Wesley, so you know we can’t allow you to go to sleep, even though your body is insisting we do so,” Giles explained, his hand trailing down the side of the younger man’s head.
“Trust the G-Man on this, Wes. Giles is the King of concussions.” Xander smiled, laughing when he got the expected glare in return.
“You could always use sex?” Anya chimed in, shrugging her shoulders when everyone glared at her. “What? Everyone knows pleasure receptors can overpower pain receptors.”
“Anya, for the love of God...!” Giles snapped, trying to cut her off when he saw Wes nearly swallow his tongue with embarrassment. Xander clasped a hand over her mouth. “Thank you.”
Fred shook her head - sex was the last thing on her mind right now. She just wanted Wesley to be okay. She just wanted this nightmare to be over, and her family to be safe and everything to be all right. Was that so much to ask? “Should we take Wesley upstairs?” she asked Rupert softly. “Might be easier for us to keep him awake.”
Anya made a noise behind Xander’s hand, holding her hand out toward the lovers as if to say ‘See?’ She watched Giles and Fred help Wes up again, heading up the stairs slowly.
“Is she always like that?” Antony laughed softly, referring to Anya.
“Yeah, she’s always like that,” Dawn said, rolling her eyes before heading into the kitchen with Lorne to make something to eat.
Once they had left, he looked over at Buffy, suddenly noticing that she seemed to be distracted. “Hey.” He touched her shoulder gently. “Are you all right?”
She looked over at him, not having realized that she had been spacing out. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I was just...I guess since you’re a Watcher and everything, you know about our-my past with Angel and Angelus?”
“Well, I know about Angel from the information Mister Giles put in his journals. Undoubtedly, to preserve your modesty, he left out a great deal, but I know enough. And when he surfaced here on the Hellmouth a few years ago, classes on Angelus and his past crimes became mandatory at the Academy. It was how I recognized the fact that he was here. I...I think I should ask you what all of you plan to do. With Miss Rosenberg here, you have the capability to resoul him. The question is...do you intend to?” he asked, cautiously.
“No,” Buffy sighed, looking down at the floor for a moment as she dug her toe into the carpet. “We’re not.” She glanced back up at him, not sure why she was opening up this much to a Watcher she had really just met, but there was just something about him. He seemed trustworthy, especially given what had had done for Giles and Wes that night. “He murdered a friend of ours - Cordelia Chase. Angel...he wouldn’t want-he’s gone now. It’s too late. We’re going to stop Angelus this time, once and for all.”
“He’s killed Miss Chase?” Antony’s eyes grew wide in shock at her nod. “It seems he’s playing for keeps this time. I respect that this is a difficult decision for you.” He could see the resolve in her eyes and felt bad that it was tempered with so much sadness. “For what it’s worth, you have my help...well, as much help as a one armed, green watcher can be.” He smirked, lifting his injured hand.
She smiled a bit at that and let out a short laugh. “From what I’ve seen, you can help quite a lot,” she told him. “Although you might want to wait until the hand heals. We’ll probably have time. You did a lot of damage to Angelus tonight. Best performance I’ve ever seen from a green Watcher.”
“I think I should confess, I was terrified,” Antony admitted with a blush. “I couldn’t be sure if I was going to pull it off or thow up on his shoes. Either way, I was fully prepared to die.”
Antony really was green. No wonder Travers had thought sending him was safe. “Exactly how long have you...been out of the academy?”
“Not long, actually. In two days, it will have been three weeks. I think Mister Travers allowed me to volunteer because he thought I was young enough that he could control me. I don’t think he realized that your Watcher has always been one of my father’s favorite students,” he explained. “Father always believed Mister Giles was the best. The way he treated you and the others.”
“You know, I’ve never met your father, but he sounds like very wise man. And it sounds like a lot of that wisdom rubbed off on his son.” She patted his knee. “Come on...looks like you’re going to need to find a sleeping spot with the rest of them here.”
*****