Banner by Selene
Banner by Selene
Chapter 5
“Ease off, old man,” Ethan grumbled. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to shuffle off from this mortal coil just yet. It was just a bloody spell.”
“And a powerful one at that,” Giles reasoned as he ignored Ethan’s griping and helped him to his feet. “You’ve barely recovered from Amy’s machinations. Forgive me if I’m a little concerned.”
Giles relented and let Ethan go once they were on their feet, but immediately clapped on again when Ethan stumbled and would have fallen.
“Maybe I’m just a little tired,” Ethan conceded.
“I’ll second that,” Xander added. His legs felt like jello and he had his arm draped around Faith’s shoulder so that he, too, could remain upright. The spell had drained them, much more than the last time.
Jessi jogged up. “So, we did it? We beat the bad guy?”
“You bet your ass we did,” Faith replied, a wide smile on her face. Despite being bone-weary, she was still juiced from the spell and her body practically vibrated with restless energy.
Xander chuckled and even Giles cracked a smile.
Her smile disappeared, however, when she suddenly remembered their audience.
As did the others.
Together, they turned and confronted a seething, scythe-wielding Buffy and a frowning Willow, and the small army of slayers flanking the two.
Between them lay the body of Riley.
Otherwise known as Twilight.
~*~*~*~*~
One week earlier
“Do you think we’ll be safe in London?” Xander asked as the jet reached cruising altitude and the pilot gave the all clear to remove their seatbelts.
“We’re not going back to London just yet,” Giles replied.
His eyes strayed to the mage in a deep, restorative sleep on the chair across from him. He’d not seen Ethan since the Initiative had taken him into custody, and in that time, the man looked like he’d aged a good dozen years. Seeing him, Giles couldn’t help but feel remorseful; he’d known what the Initiative was like, but had been too consumed with anger – and betrayal – and had given Ethan over without a moment’s hesitation.
“We’re not?” Faith questioned.
“No. Whatever we’re dealing with, it’s bigger than Andrew, or even Amy and Warren.”
“How’s that?” Xander asked, his brow knitted in confusion.
“Because the Initiative is involved,” Giles replied.
“But, we already knew that,” Xander interjected. “Buffy said as much when she rescued Willow.”
“The Initiative is the least of your worries. It’s the Slayer’s ex that is the real problem.”
Three pair of eyes zeroed in on Ethan as he attempted to sit up in his chair, found himself too weak and reluctantly settled back into his previous position.
“Angel?” Xander asked, bewildered. “What does he have to do with anything? Last we heard, he was fighting the good fight in LA, even if he was using an evil law firm to do so. Has that changed? Is Angelus back?”
“No,” Ethan managed to wheeze out. “It’s not Angel who I was referring to, but Riley.”
~*~*~*~*~
“Still no luck?” Buffy asked, having spied Willow’s chagrined look as she disconnected her cell phone.
“No, and I’m not able to determine his whereabouts with a locator spell either. It’s like something is blocking my magick.”
Willow frowned, causing Buffy to frown with her.
“What?”
“Not to brag or anything, but I’m a pretty powerful Wiccan now. Whatever it is that’s blocking me is strong. I want to say it’s rooted in the dark arts, but it’s not. Not quite. There’s something there that’s not entirely good, but it’s not purely evil either. Still…”
“And nothing from Xander either?”
“No.”
It had been Willow that had informed Buffy that Xander had left their stronghold, repeating his story of him having to check something out and that he’d call in a few days. Unfortunately, a few days had passed and there’d been no phone call. Repeated attempts to try and reach Xander on his cell phone had been met with nothing but Xander’s voicemail.
Now Giles had disappeared.
Throw in Renee’s defection and Buffy was ready to grind her teeth in frustration.
“Well, keep trying.”
Willow nodded and Buffy left. She needed to see her sister before she went to bed.
~*~*~*~*~
Xander was stretched out on the bed he’d been given, his hands clasped together beneath his head. The house was quiet; everyone had gone to bed after reaching a decision about dealing with Twilight.
Faith had wanted to call in Buffy.
He and Giles had been equally adamant about not involving her. They had everyone they needed to perform the spell – Faith to fill Buffy’s previous role and Ethan to cast the spell.
But still she’d balked, citing a laundry list or reasons why she couldn’t be the one.
Xander had read between the lines though.
Faith still didn’t think she was worthy.
Ethan had been the one to convince her, going so far as to say that it was a good thing that she – and he – weren’t without their faults. That the spell they were going to use on Riley would need to tap into their darker side in order for it to work.
She’d finally agreed, her shoulders slumping as Ethan’s words struck a nerve, and Xander could have banged his head against the wall in frustration. While they’d researched the spell, Faith had taken Jessi out to patrol.
“Do try to keep a low profile, Faith,” Giles had warned. “I don’t want the other slayers here in Paris to discover our being here.”
She’d not answered and Giles had sighed after she left then helped Ethan to bed. The man was still weak, even if he was steadily improving.
Xander had taken up residence in the living room and stared at the television unseeing while he waited for the girls to return.
It had been several hours later, but they had returned – unharmed.
Thankfully.
He’d not liked the look on Faith’s face when she’d left.
Their patrol must have gone well because the two had chatted animatedly as they’d come in and trudged up the stairs to the room they shared.
He’d waited another hour before turning off the television and seeking his own bed. If Faith figured out he’d been waiting up for her, there’d be hell to pay.
A floorboard creaked somewhere down the hall and Xander froze, waiting. Ethan and Giles had warded the unused safe house, but the spells were only as good as the next person strong enough to counteract them.
There was a brief, muffled knock at his door, but it opened before he could call out “come in”.
Faith seemed a little lost standing there, though she tried to hide the fact by leaning against the doorjamb and giving him an appraising look.
Xander just rolled his eyes.
“Can I come in?” she finally asked when she didn’t get her hoped-for response.
Xander sat up and patted the place beside him. She hesitated for a minute before nodding as if she’d reached a decision with herself and walked over and sat down. Her body remained rigid and Xander laid a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back to lie down next to him, his arm wrapped loosely around her body. A shudder went through her as the pent up energy seemed to drain away.
The hard Slayer was gone, leaving behind a confused little girl.
One seeking confirmation of her worth.
“Mind if I sleep here tonight?”
Xander nodded his consent; his lips brushed against her temple.
Nothing else was said and eventually they both closed their eyes and slept. Neither seemed to mind the cold, or the fact that they’d not bothered to get underneath the covers.
~*~*~*~*~
For three days, Giles was a practical no-show, spending his time either researching the spell and the secondary one that would track Riley, or helping a less-than-pleased Ethan, who he’d confined to his room on mandatory bedrest.
Any day now, Xander expected a lightning bolt to erupt from the mage’s fingertips and zap Giles in the ass. The thought had him chuckling, earning him a curious look from both Faith and Jessi.
“What?” Faith asked.
“Nothing. Just imagine that Ethan is about sick of Giles’ mothering.”
The three were taking in the sites of Paris – a deserved vacation, they’d all rationalized, and it wasn’t like Giles was around to say no – and had stopped for lunch at a local bistro.
Faith snorted. “Are you kidding? Those two are like peas in a pod. There’s definitely some history there.”
“Wha? Huh?” Xander stammered.
“You can’t tell?”
“Tell what?”
Faith quirked her brow.
“Are you saying… Giles? And Ethan? No! You’re pulling my leg!”
Which was why, later that night when Giles finally emerged from Ethan’s room to retrieve their portion of the Chinese takeout he ordered, Xander couldn’t help but watch him covertly.
Or so he thought.
Faith’s laughter proved otherwise, causing his face to redden when Giles went into disapproving librarian mode and frowned in his direction.
“Is there something you needed, Xander?”
“No! Ah… no.”
“Very well.” Giles included the two slayers when he added, “Ethan has managed to locate Riley. Another day or two, and we’ll have everything we’ll need to perform the spell.”
“Will Ethan will be recovered enough to do it?”
“He will if I can keep him in bed.”
Faith’s lips twitched and Xander could feel his face redden yet again. Damn Faith for putting the image of those two together in his head.
“Ah…” He coughed. “Okay. Anything you need us to do?”
“Not really. Although, I would prefer it if you didn’t go traipsing about Paris. We’re trying to keep a low profile.”
“Right! Lock down. Got it.”
Giles’ eyes narrowed at Xander’s comment, but he didn’t say anything as he grabbed his food and returned to his nursing duties.
Xander waited until he was out of sight before throwing a fortune cookie at Faith’s head.
~*~*~*~*~
“Buffy, I think I may have something…”
“Xander?”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think so. There’s a huge concentration of magick centering in New Mexico, and not the good kind either… and it’s building.”
“Let me get the girls. Give me twenty minutes.”
Willow nodded and Buffy left to change, grab her scythe, and rally the other slayers.
~*~*~*~*~
“Pull over here, Xander. Any closer and we’ll give away our position,” Giles informed him at a look from Ethan.
Xander parked and they all got out.
“Jessi, your job is to provide protection for us once we start the spell. Faith will keep Riley busy, but he may have acolytes lurking about.”
“Gotcha.”
“Over there, Xander.” Giles pointed to a small clearing in between two trees.
Xander nodded and walked off, a box of supplies in his hand. The others weren’t far behind.
They didn’t waste any time starting the spell, Xander pausing only long enough to give Faith a reassuring squeeze before taking his place in the circle.
Faith moved off after giving Jessi instructions to watch out for the three. Riley wasn’t too far away, from what Ethan had been able to determine. She moved carefully through the trees, hoping to conceal her approach, and to bide some time before the spell kicked in.
An invisible force slammed into her back, lifting her off her feet, throwing her against a tree. She heard the distinct sound of ribs cracking but ignored it as she got to her feet.
He was there, still wearing his mask.
Twilight.
She wiped at the blood trickling from her mouth with the back of her hand.
“That all you got, Soldier Boy? I get a better workout from a just-risen fledge.”
“Faith,” Twilight intoned. “Why am I not surprised? Though, I have to admit, I expected the real slayer.”
“I am a real slayer, asshole. You’re the lab rat experiment. You people don’t know when to leave well enough alone. Messing with things you don’t understand.”
“Oh, I understand. And soon the world will realize—”
“Spare me the song and dance,” Faith interrupted. “Look, are we going to fight or what? Personally, I find this little chit chat thing a bit boring.”
“Ready to die so soon?”
“Please. As if you could ever kill a slayer, even with your government upgrades.”
Twilight tisked. “Now it is you that is the one underestimating me.” Twilight extended his hand and squeezed.
Faith felt the effects around her neck, felt her air cut off, and kicked out, her hands trying to remove the invisible force slowly choking her to death as she was lifted from the ground by an invisible force.
Then all hell seemed to break loose.
His acolytes appeared, and at a gesture from him, attacked.
Right as the spell took effect and Faith felt Xander, Giles, and Ethan’s presence fill her mind. Heard Ethan speak a bit of Latin and the constricting pressure around her throat abruptly subsided.
“It is as I said; you do not comprehend the power inherent in the Slayer. You trifle with the balance, human, and that is not to be allowed.”
Faith raised her hand and the soldiers abruptly froze.
“You should have learned from your mistakes,” Faith informed him, invoking the voice of the First Slayer.
Faith had every intention of killing Riley, finishing things once and for all, but then he pulled off his mask. She heard a gasp from somewhere off to her right and turned to see Buffy and Willow and about a dozen slayers standing behind them.
The cavalry, it appeared, had arrived.
Then he was hurling untruths in her direction, claiming that she’d gone rogue and was trying to kill him. That she’d been building up an army with the help of Andrew and was just biding her time.
And Buffy was buying it.
Riley was put on hold as Faith was suddenly confronted with an enraged Buffy. She could just make out Riley’s smirk before Buffy was on her, attempting to take a pound of her flesh with just her hands.
Faith didn’t want to hurt Buffy, but neither did she want Riley to get away. Another spell, this time from Giles, got Buffy off her and flying through the air.
Which pissed Willow off, and the slayers waiting in the wings.
It appeared to be an all out war then, Willow and Faith – with Ethan assisting – began hurtling spells back and forth, and when Faith didn’t fall, the baby slayers got in on the action.
It was a well-choreographed dance, but they were no match against the combined forces of Ethan, Giles, and Faith, along with Xander’s heart, which tempered the effective dark magicks Ethan was using.
One final spell and Buffy, Willow and the slayers were immobilized and left fuming as Faith turned, once more, towards Riley.
“How?”
“Because right is on my side.”
Faith blocked everything Riley threw at her, closing the distance until she stood in front of him.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, and her voice carried none of the slayer with her this time, just a girl that regretted doing what she had to do.
‘It’s okay, Faith.’ Xander’s voice, reassuring, enabling her to drive her fist into Riley’s chest, right where his heart resided.
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