The Threefold Cord
Chapter 14 - End Games
by: JBG
Rated PG-13
It was surprising that neither Wesley nor Faith was actively affected by the spell. The Bond alerted them to its onset each night, but they remained aware of their surroundings. As the active Watcher on the job, Wesley theorized that the evil forces that surrounded the Hellmouth would jump at the chance to take advantage of this handy distraction. He believed the Hellmouth had to be involved in some way, and that this new activity would draw evil like a flame draws moths. His assumption had proven sound. Faith had been a busy Slayer ever since the second night, fighting an increasing number and variety of demons as each night passed. Wesley called Armstead every morning to report the number of monsters she had vanquished... and to be sure that Buffy and Giles had survived.
Armstead arrived at the Giles home bright and early, bringing coffee and donuts to the exhausted people inside. Angel's troops had already melted into the shadows with the morning sun. When Buffy finally came to the door, he couldn't believe that it was the same woman he'd met almost four years before. Her eyes were tortured and sunken, her hair unkempt. Dark circles under them testified to many sleepless nights. From somewhere behind her, he heard Cedrick say, "Hello, Armstead. I hope you brought good news. We could certainly use some."
"Yes, I believe I have. And breakfast, as well. Jellies." He held up the sack and came into the hall. "If you have a place to put them..."
The sight of Giles and Cedrick kneeling face to face in the middle of the living room carpet stunned him. Giles was wrapping a long gauze bandage around Cedrick's head. Blood was seeping through the layers.
"Good God, sir, what on earth...?" He dropped the donuts and coffee on the pitted countertop and went to them.
"I assumed that the nightmares would end with dawn," Cedrick said wearily. "My timing was... inappropriate, to say the least."
Giles sighed. "I thought he was a Gnurr. I nearly took his scalp off the moment he walked in."
Cedrick gave a wry grin and grimaced as Giles put pressure on his wound to staunch the bleeding. "I shall never enter your house without knocking again, Rupert."
Giles gave a strangled laugh that did nothing to hide his anguish.
Armstead was appalled. "Where were the guards?"
"It's all they can do to keep us inside the house, Bill," Buffy explained, her voice full of self-loathing. "I jumped through a window night before last to chase after an imaginary Polgara." She sat down, cross-legged, next to her husband. "The good thing about this whole deal is the demon blood disappears with the nightmare."
Giles smiled over at her, loving her ability to joke in the face of such fearsome events. Armstead caught the smile and his heart broke for them. These were the bravest people he'd ever met, and it was appalling that something like this had come upon them. Blinking back his emotions, he announced, "I may have some small good news. Sampson thinks he might have found a way to block the spell that causes the nightmares."
"There's a way to block it?" Buffy's voice rose happily.
"Might have found a way?" Giles queried as he finished Cedrick's bandage and sat back.
"Block, but not counteract?" Cedrick added, his security training causing him to pick up on what had not been said.
"I'm sorry not to have anything more concrete, but if the spell can be blocked, we will have a breather. We will be able continue the research at full strength then, without having to worry for our sanity."
"You mean, our sanity," Buffy corrected.
"Our men at the mansion experience some... ah... discomfort each time the spell takes effect."
Cedrick nodded. "I feel it as well. The onset is rather abrupt, but the spell wanes slowly. I suppose that is why I failed to sense it this morning."
"Since the team were not directly affected, they were able to conduct some experiments as to its nature. It took some time, but we've learned a great deal about what's going on."
"What did you find?" Giles asked eagerly. Armstead noticed the man's face was badly scratched and bruised, but didn't ask how Giles had gotten the wounds.
"Sampson believes placing very specific wards around the mansion will filter out some of the spell's influence. They believe that combining these with the Bond will create an impenetrable barrier. Sampson proposes to use the technique you demonstrated at the Retreat during the summer of 2000."
"You mean, hold hands and get really, really indignant?" Buffy said doubtfully.
"I believe indignation must come first, but that's hardly difficult, given the circumstances."
Unexpectedly, Buffy began to laugh. It wasn't a healthy laugh.
Giles stood stiffly, favoring his right side. "I believe Buffy is expressing a certain... incredulity... at the answer being so simple. If wards and the Bond were a deterrent, we should have been able to shield ourselves."
"That's not the way this spell works," Armstead said earnestly. "This spell is cast in cascading increments, over and over, with specific targets in mind. You two cannot shield each other because one of you is constantly being weakened by the spell, and there must be at least two working together for the Bond to be effective. You need to come to the mansion, since we have everything prepared there. We shall have two men utilizing the Bond to shield you and your family and two Watchers. Two more will protect the two shielding you, and a final two will be protecting the first two. The rest will serve as backup."
"Say that again. Slower," Buffy demanded.
Armstead opened his mouth, flushing slightly. "I'm not sure I can."
"Overlapping circles," Giles said with sudden comprehension. "Overlapping protection against overlapping attacks."
"Exactly," Armstead agreed with relief. "In a nutshell."
"But why do the children have to be there? I don't want them in danger."
"They will be in far more danger if they are attacked outside our perimeter of defense," Armstead pointed out.
Giles and Buffy exchanged a few seconds of silent communication. They both hated the idea, but couldn't come up with a reasonable alternative. They both nodded their assent.
"Do your Watcher guys know how to use the Bond?" Buffy asked, still not convinced.
"Of course. Mister Connors did say 'qualified' Watchers," Armstead said with dignity.
"Did you call and ask him?"
"Of course not. Once Mr. Giles explained the situation, I do believe that Mister Connors would have sent the appropriate personnel."
"The Council doing something appropriate? I'll believe that when I see it," she scoffed.
"I believe... I need to lean against something," Cedrick said faintly, swaying from his kneeling position. He caught himself with one hand before toppling headfirst into the carpet.
"Here, Dad," Buffy said fondly and helped the older man to prop himself against the wall. "I don't know what I'm going to do with these two macho men. They're both hurt, but they won't call the doctor."
"It would not be wise to involve anyone else," Cedrick continued weakly. "They would be at risk."
Armstead nodded in agreement. "If the shielding works, we shall be able to trace the spell back to its origin and put a stop to it. This could very well end tonight."
Another knock interrupted Giles before he could voice any further doubts. Xander and Anya, each with a baby in their arms, came in without waiting for an invitation. Abigail was crying loudly on Anya's shoulder. Xander carried a fussy David, whispering soothing words. Marcus came in behind them, his arms full of baby carryalls and blankets. The load was almost too tall for him to see over.
"Hey, everyone," Xander called over the babies' protests. "It's official. Buffy, these kids of yours hate formula." He eyed her with resignation. "Every time I try to feed them, I end up wearing formula. So now, officially, I hate formula."
Giles gave Xander a knowing look. "Don't feel too badly, Xander. They don't eat well for me, either. They want their mother, poor loves."
"Hello, my sweet babies," Buffy crooned tearfully, kissing David and taking Abigail with a sigh of relief despite the infant's wails. She tilted her head at Giles as she gently bounced her daughter. "Since you're injured, babe, I'll take the noisiest one for now."
Giles gave her an almost imperceptible grin, followed by a grimace of pain. "So kind of you, dear."
Abigail immediately quieted in her mother's arms, her face solemn. Giles took David with a smile, cuddled him close for a moment, and squatted carefully to give a clearly disturbed Marcus a comforting hug.
"Hello, son. Did you have a nice night?"
Marcus didn't answer, just dropped everything and hugged his father desperately, tears running down his face. Xander apologized sadly, "I tried everything I could think of, but the little guy wouldn't sleep. He kept trying to get me to bring him home. The babies cried all night, too. I think it's safe to say nobody at my house had a nice night."
Buffy knelt down on one knee, holding Abigail carefully and putting an arm around her sobbing son. "Honey, we only send you away at night to keep you safe."
"But I can't protect you when I'm not here," he managed to say between sniffs.
"Marcus, love..." Giles began. "You couldn't stop the nightmares before. What makes you think you can stop them now?"
"I couldn't do anything before, but I can later," the boy said, as if that was the most reasonable answer in the world.
Buffy kissed his head and wiped his face with one hand. "You need to get something to eat, and you'll feel better, sweetie. Speaking of eating..." She bounced her whimpering daughter and tilted her head towards the upstairs. "I need to feed these two before they turn up the volume. We need to get over to Angel's as soon as possible. I'm feeling lucky today. Maybe we'll find some answers." Buffy and Giles stood and headed for the upstairs so Buffy could nurse her babies in private.
Marcus watched them go, and then turned to Armstead with a solemn face. "Mom always makes me eat, even when I don't really want to. Did you bring any jelly donuts?"
"Of course. Enough for everyone." He handed the bakery box to the boy, who half-heartedly fished out a pastry and began nibbling with reluctance.
"Dad really likes these things," he confided to Armstead. "So does Mom."
"And so do I. I'm starving." This came from Xander. "I gotta go to work, so this is breakfast."
From his seat on the floor, Cedrick commented, "At least we shall have a little over thirteen hours before anything happens."
Bill looked at his watch, frowning in disagreement. "No, we actually have just over fifteen hours."
Cedrick shook his head gingerly. "No, we don't. Last night's episodes began at ten fifteen."
"But that's... I thought they occurred between eleven and two."
"The onset has become rather unpredictable," Cedrick informed him.
"When did the time begin to vary?"
"The past few nights have caught us all by surprise," Giles added as he came down the stairs and paused on the bottom step as if he could go no further. He put his hands to his face for a moment, then dropped them and explained, "I thought it was just... that I was forgetting to watch the time as I went into the dream state. But yesterday I smashed the grandfather clock upstairs. The face barely remained intact. It stopped at fifteen past ten, over an hour earlier than we had anticipated."
"Then... we're not sure when the attacks will begin."
"Yes." Cedrick's head fell back against the wall with a soft thud. "We have no idea."
Instead of replying, Armstead took the bag of the counter and offered Cedrick a donut. As he took one, Cedrick smiled wearily. "Quite right, Armstead. First things first."
********
Buffy and Giles moved to Angel's mansion that afternoon. They managed to salvage the babies' cribs and set up a makeshift nursery in one of the dining rooms. Once they had been fed and changed, both Abigail and David were a hit with everyone. Nearly everyone took a break to play with them, even the stuffiest of the Watcher team. The three women were the most help to Buffy, taking over diaper changing and holding a child when she needed an extra hand.
Giles was immersed in research, but he managed to hold a baby from time to time while he read. Buffy had to laugh as she watched her worried husband soothing his fussy daughter as he argued with one of the Watchers about whether or not the casting involved blood sacrifice as a catalyst.
By late afternoon, the people at Angel's mansion were exhausted. Wesley and Faith had promised to come by before patrol to see if they could help with research. Actually, Faith was hoping that they'd find out who was messing with her sister Slayer's mind so she could go and beat the offender to a pulp. Neither of them had been hampered by the spell, but they knew that if these attacks succeeded in killing Buffy and Giles, it would most likely be leveled at them next.
As night drew closer, tensions in the room began to rise. This was the first time Giles and Buffy had been away from their home at night since they trashed Cedrick's living room. They didn't know what to expect. The Watchers wandered in a few at a time, giving each other worried looks as they took up positions around the edges of the room. Sampson seemed calm as he turned the pages of his book.
Footsteps startled the shaky group as Angel came down the stairs from the second floor. He smiled slightly at his houseguests and announced, "We have company. I saw them from the window."
Giles stood to his feet, still holding a sleeping Abigail. "Madvekhar! It's good to see you!" he said softly.
"Hello, Watcher. We've come to help ssssave the babiessss," the troll said bravely.
"We?"
"Yeah, we. Mad and me... and someone else, too," a blue-skinned goblin said as he bounced into the room.
A slender, white-robed figure strode in behind him, and Buffy's heart skipped a beat. "Ancient!" she cried, forgetting her sleeping babies for a moment. David stirred, whimpering, and she shushed him softly, looking apologetic.
"Slayer, Watcher... I am here to offer what help I can," Zehdlaf said humbly, bowing his head, the silver circlet glinting in the lamplight.
"I say, is that...?" Sampson began, but Giles held up a hand.
"Ancient," he said formally as he executed a careful bow, trying not to upset Abigail. "Your presence honors your friends above ground."
Angel wasn't new to dealing with elves, so he bowed and added, "You honor my home above ground, Ancient. Welcome."
"I am always honored to serve," Zehdlaf replied with an equally deep bow. "Watcher, may I meet your new arrivals?"
Sampson stepped forward, his hand extended, but Giles waved him back again. "He was referring to my children," he corrected gently.
"Oh. Sorry." Sampson backed up, his face sheepish.
Giles knelt down and held Abigail for the Ancient to see. She opened her eyes and stared up at the elf without fear.
"She is beautiful, Watcher," Zehdlaf said softly.
"Yes, she is."
"Hello, Ancient," Buffy said equally softly as she knelt down with David.
"They both are beautiful. The circle is complete."
Buffy opened her mouth to ask "What circle?" when to her surprise, Zehdlaf leaned forward and touched her forehead with the tips of his fingers. He repeated the gesture, touching Giles in the same fashion. "Blessings on you and your beautiful family, Watcher and Slayer," the elf intoned solemnly. He straightened, looking directly at Giles with a hint of a smile. The stunned parents stood, overwhelmed by the gift of a blessing from such an ancient and wise mage.
He bowed again, his white beard brushing his feet. He then sketched a sigil in the air before him, and Giles gasped, recognizing its meaning.
"I am Zehdlaf," he intoned, offering the Watcher the gift of his name.
Giles inhaled deeply, calming himself. He returned the deep, ritual bow. "I am Rupert," he replied, giving a single name in answer.
"Well met, Rupert. You and your family may use my name freely."
"Well met, Zehdlaf. You and your family may do likewise, and thank you."
"Wow," Buffy exhaled, realizing just how important this gesture was to the elf.
Zehdlaf wasn't finished. He tilted his head to look behind Giles and said with a smile, "Hello, Marcus."
Marcus eased out from behind his parents and came forward, his face shy. He bowed as gracefully as a four-year-old could. "Hi, Zehdlaf. I'm different from the last time you saw me."
"Yes, you are. You are becoming. It is good."
Marcus beamed and stepped forward to hug the fragile creature. "I'm so glad you guys are here," he said softly. Mad and Gerard crowded around him, getting and giving hugs to the child that was almost the same height as they were.
Sampson was getting impatient. "I'm sure this is a wonderful reunion, but it is getting rather late," he complained.
Zehdlaf fixed Sampson with a thoughtful stare. "You are also a Watcher."
"Yes, I am. My name is..." behind him, Angel grabbed an arm and swung him around. Sampson stared at Angel. Angel shook his head.
Finally, Sampson got the hint. "Oh, I see. Apologies. I've had very little contact with elves." He looked at Angel and extricated his arm from the vampire's grasp. "Please feel free to tell me if I am about to commit another faux pas."
Angel shrugged with a half smile. "Sure thing, Raymond." He had no awe for Watchers. In two and a half centuries, Giles was the only one he'd ever met that he respected.
Buffy couldn't help smiling as she looked at the three mismatched creatures. Every time things had gotten rough, they had pitched in and helped them. Seeing them, here and now, gave her a sense of hope. The Ancient glanced over at the large table that dominated the room, where research materials lay scattered over the entire surface.
"I would be happy to offer my assistance with your research," he offered. "I have knowledge of many languages and customs."
"That would be much appreciated, sir," Sampson said with surprise.
"Ancient," Angel corrected with a crooked grin. At Sampson's glare, he held up his hands in mock surrender. "You told me to correct you, Raymond."
Sampson swallowed a retort and turned back to the elf. "Ahem. Thank you, Ancient." The two of them immediately went to the table and began discussing the documents in low voices.
"It's time we got something to eat and began to prepare for tonight's battle," Cedrick reminded them, looking at his watch. "It's almost eight o'clock."
"Eight?" Buffy said, surprised. "Where are Xander and Anya? They were coming over after work."
"I'll call," Giles volunteered, handing Abigail to Willow. He dialed his cell phone but closed it a minute later, frowning. "No answer."
After he'd tried several times, Armstead volunteered to drive over to the apartment to check on them. While he was gone, Gerard and Mad decided that since research wasn't their forte, they would see that everyone was well supplied with drinks and food. The two diminutive lower beings busied themselves with playing waiter, bringing snack food and drinks from Angel's surprisingly well-stocked kitchen. Everyone took something, but nobody was really hungry except David and Abigail, who both woke and started wailing at the same time.
"Be careful what you wish for," Buffy exclaimed as she and Giles each gathered up a crying child. "For weeks now, I've been wishing they'd both wake up at the same time." They took the two hungry infants into an upstairs bedroom to feed them. When they came back down, both babies were full, changed and quiet.
Willow kept glancing at the clock as she waited, wondering when Bill would be back. Most of the Watchers were meditating in preparation for their planned defense. Buffy and Giles huddled on one end of the couch, holding each other for comfort. Cedrick was at the other end, trying to read German text through tired, blurry eyes. The twins were asleep in their salvaged cribs. Pages rustled from time to time as some of the Watchers checked their resources, and occasionally two of them would leave the room to cast wards of protection around the mansion, but otherwise, the room was silent.
Bored, Marcus wandered into another room, found Angel's television and turned it on, the sound barely audible through the thick walls.
After half an hour, Sampson looked up and announced, "We're ready. The wards are in place. It is time to begin."
Giles nodded his approval. "Yes, it is. High time."
"Bill's not back yet," Willow protested. "I don't know what's taking him so long!"
"He'll be back soon, I'm sure. We don't want to risk falling under the spell's influence," Giles explained gently. Willow looked frightened, but she sat down and swallowed her protests.
Sampson nodded at his colleagues. The designated Watchers stepped forward and grasped hands in groups of two. They closed their eyes and began to concentrate. A sense of power began to fill the room. To Buffy, it felt like a gentle breeze. As it slowly grew stronger, she took a deep breath.
Beside her, Giles commented, "Ah. That's a relief. I feel more alert."
"I believe we are ready for tonight's challenge," Sampson informed them. "The shields are holding."
"Go, Watcher Guys," Buffy exclaimed, rolling her head around on her shoulders to ease the tension she'd been fighting. "I had no idea how on edge I was."
"Yes, it is refreshing, isn't it?" Giles said, giving her a fond smile.
The sound of footsteps caused everyone to look up. Armstead entered the room, his face set in an unsmiling mask.
"Hey, Bill, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," Willow asked, going to him and threading her arm through his.
"I might have," he replied unsteadily. "Actually, I'm not sure what I saw."
"Report," Sampson ordered gruffly, and the young Watcher immediately came to attention.
"I drove to Xander's apartment. He should have been off work long before now, but the place was dark and locked up tight. All the curtains were drawn. It felt... wrong, somehow. So, I drove to Anya's. No answer there, either."
"Okay, I'm worried about them now. Xander hasn't missed a night since this whole thing began, and Anya's been here a lot, too." Buffy stood and began to pace.
"That wasn't all," Armstead continued. "There were people in the streets all the way there and back... and I don't mean strolling alongside the road. They were lying in the middle of the lanes, or milling about with blank faces in all sorts of... ah... inappropriate attire. One poor confused fellow tried to climb on top of my car as I drove away from the apartment. I nearly flattened him, but he shrugged it off and walked away. It was eerie, as if they'd all been turned to zombies."
"Mom? Dad? I think you'd better see this," Marcus called in a frightened voice. The adults dashed into the other room. Marcus was watching news footage of people all over town going bonkers, walking off bridges and in front of cars, climbing out the windows of tall buildings and falling to their deaths, or driving their vehicles into brick walls.
The reporter was speaking over the images, his voice nervous. "These scenes were recorded over the last three nights in a small coastal town near Santa Barbara. A name like Sunnydale conjures up images of quiet urban life... however, tragedy has this quiet burg reeling in shock. What began with a few isolated incidents has grown steadily worse each evening, and is now being called a genuine emergency situation. Is it mass hysteria, biological warfare, environmental pollution or perhaps even mind control? At this moment, no one knows."
"Oh, dear," Giles breathed in his calmest voice, the one he used before recounting the latest apocalypse.
"Rupert," Buffy warned, "It's never good when you say, 'oh, dear'."
"I'm afraid it isn't good. It's very bad."
The Bond never wavered, despite Giles' sudden horror, and Buffy heard his thoughts. She couldn't think of anything to say. She sat on the arm of the couch beside Marcus and reached out to touch him, as if that touch would reassure them both.
Cedrick stepped closer. "You believe it's the spell."
Giles nodded. "Yes."
"This is a side effect?" Buffy asked incredulously. "I thought it was aimed at us!"
"Originally, it was." Giles' face was as grim as Buffy had ever seen it. "But it seems the one casting this spell has made a fatal mistake. He, she or... it... failed to allow for the Hellmouth. The evil intent of the spell is being strengthened by it. The effect is growing each time the sorcerer casts, the sphere of influence expanding bit by bit. It's being fueled by an inexhaustible source and the backlash is bleeding over into the surrounding area. I'm not sure the caster is even aware... it could soon be utterly out of control."
"And people are being affected... how?"
"I believe it takes them in their sleep. It can't make them fall asleep as it does us, because it is specifically aimed at us. However, once a person is asleep, their subconscious mind is open, and the spell can slip in and take control."
Willow's hand flew up to cover her mouth. "You mean, everyone's going crazy when they fall asleep?"
"If you're right, Mister Giles, this madness will spread until the entire town will be living their worst nightmares," Armstead added in a hollow voice.
"If we don't stop this, the entire state might very well go insane. If not from the nightmares, then from sleep deprivation," Giles finished roughly. He rubbed his bleary eyes. "I'm two steps away from madness, myself. It's been a fortnight since I've had a good sleep, and even having an afternoon nap, I'm almost done in. Not everyone in the general populace can sleep during the day. Most people have jobs that don't allow for a summer holiday."
"Hey, this is California," Buffy said in a falsely cheerful voice. "Nobody will notice if we all go insane."
"What do we do?" Willow pleaded, her voice catching slightly.
Giles looked down at the book in his hand. He hadn't even been aware he'd held on to it. "We fight this thing with every means at our disposal."
On the TV screen, the scene changed as a reporter announced his interview with Acting Police Chief Larry Stockton. The familiar name caused Buffy, Cedrick and Giles to take notice.
The reporter didn't mention what had happened to the man Stockton had replaced.
"I say, wasn't Stockton the fellow that helped us during Marcus' kidnapping? The one with the new baby?" Giles squinted at the TV, wondering where he'd put his glasses in all the confusion. He hadn't had them on in several days, and had a blinding headache from reading through squinted eyes.
Buffy nodded. "That's him. He must've got a promotion."
"That isn't difficult around here."
"Sure isn't. All you have to do is wait until your boss does something stupid, like walk around outside after dark, and boom! Pay raise."
"I'm quite sure he deserves the position, Buffy." Giles thought a moment and added, "And I'm reasonably sure the previous Chief did not deserve whatever happened to him."
"At least this Stockton guy has some idea of what goes on in Sunnydale."
On the television, Stockton's name and title flashed along the lower part of the screen as he was saying, "The important thing to remember right now is: Don't panic."
********
The television in the psych ward at Sunnydale General blared out Chief Stockton's words as several people watched. The people in the room were restrained to keep them from harming themselves or others and drugged to keep them quiet. The inmates giggled at the Police Chief's suggestion. The cop was right, of course. It was far too late for panicking. Screaming was much more appropriate. Through bleary eyes, they watched their town tearing itself apart, not even reacting when the night nurse came in.
"Mister Harris?"
A young man looked up at her, his brown eyes vacant, his face pale against the stark white of his straightjacket.
"It's time for your medicine." She smiled brightly, ignoring the drool rolling down his chin as she administered a needle full of false serenity. She had no way of knowing that once her patients fell asleep, their nightmares would begin again.
"My name is Xander," he insisted groggily, but the nurse ignored him, bustling around the room to dose the rest of his fellow patients.
********
Anya carefully barricaded herself into a dark corner of her tiny apartment. She pulled as much furniture as she could physically handle into a protective barrier around her and didn't come out, even to answer the phone. She had taken a short nap while she waited for Xander to get home and come to get her. She didn't intend to sleep very long. Things had been so unsettled because of Buffy and Giles, and she was just tired. She awoke and saw demons everywhere, but none of them looked familiar, not like D'hoffryn or Halfrek or any of her other demon friends. She wasn't sure if she should try to kill them, but she knew for certain that she was afraid of them, so, being the sensible girl she was, she compromised and hid. She had no idea she was still asleep.
She didn't know where Xander was. Someone came and knocked on the door, but she didn't make a sound. Xander wouldn't knock because he had a key. Anya knew from experience that demons could knock on doors, too, so she cringed in her hiding place and prayed for daylight.
********
"The police have cordoned off the entire town, and it looks like the armed forces have been called in as well," Wesley informed Giles the moment he and Faith arrived. "We had to cut across Restfield Cemetery to get here."
"Yeah, you shoulda seen 'em, B. There were big tanks parked in the street right behind to the "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign. It was pretty cool. Lots of hardware. I'd love to try out some of those big guns they were sporting. Vamps may be fast, but they can't outrun a bullet." She insolently pointed a finger at Angel and imitated a hammer strike with her thumb. "Bang!"
The vampire shook off a shiver as he moved out of her imaginary line of fire.
"Bullets don't kill vampires," Wesley said with a frown. He was still all business when it came to Slaying.
Faith gave him a knowing smirk. "I know, cute stuff. Stakes kill vampires. But... bullets make them easier to catch."
Buffy chuckled and gave Faith a fond smile. Faith had always been a brash, straightforward girl, but something about her resonated with Buffy. Perhaps it was their close kinship as sister Slayers, or maybe it was her defiance of convention. Buffy was pleased to see that Faith's years as the active Slayer on an active Hellmouth hadn't dampened her spirits one bit. Her smile turned into a heavy sigh as she sat on the couch, suddenly exhausted.
Giles came over and sat by Buffy, putting an arm around her shoulder. "You look so tired, love," he said with a sad smile.
"I am," she admitted. "But I'm okay. We're gonna get through..." Her sentence was interrupted by a huge yawn.
Giles looked alarmed. "Buffy?" He grabbed her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.
"Sorry, I got drowsy for a second, there. I'm okay." She yawned again.
Gerard, who had been watching the pair keenly, jumped up from his seat on the floor. "Coffee," he said quickly, and dashed for the kitchen as fast as his short legs could carry him.
"We shouldn't be feeling anything at all," Giles said angrily, turning to Sampson.
"The shields are holding," the Watcher insisted, looking over at the Watchers fighting the spell.
"They bloody well are not!" Giles snarled. "Buffy can barely hold her eyes open!"
"Rupert?" Buffy stood, but sagged against him before she could take a step.
Cedrick stepped up to Sampson and took a fistful of the man's tweed vest. "Do something, quickly, or you will shortly be dead."
"Don't threaten me, sir!" Sampson said with great distain, holding himself up very straight and proud.
"That wasn't a threat, you fool," Cedrick hissed. "If my son and his Slayer lose consciousness, you will simply be in the way. You saw the interior of their house a few days ago. That should be motivation enough."
Sampson swallowed hard. He nodded, pulling away from Cedrick's grasp. "Thornton... Spencer... take position and reinforce the shield."
The two men stepped forward, clasping hands in what would have been a rather embarrassing way, had it not been so essential. They bowed their heads and closed their eyes, looking for all the world like priests at prayer.
Behind Sampson, Zehdlaf shook his head sorrowfully. He looked at Madvekhar and Gerard sadly. "The Watchers do not understand," he whispered in a voice that only a lower being... or a Slayer... could hear. "Perhaps Rupert will see it soon."
Since Faith was a Slayer, she looked over at the elf, a pensive look on her face. She didn't know much about elves, but she wasn't impressed with Sampson's tactics, either. Until her Watcher openly disagreed with the man, however, she wasn't going to say anything. Wes knew how she felt, anyway. He was getting really good at using the Bond to read her mind, when she let him.
However, he couldn't read her mind if she wasn't sure what she thought about the elf. He was an unknown. She could only hope he was one of the good guys.
********
Several miles away, Father Denning was roused out of a sound sleep by an urgent nudge. He sat up, blinking, wondering why he'd been disturbed. He looked around, bewildered. There was no one in the room. He listened. No sounds broke the silence. It finally dawned on him what had happened. He'd been awakened at night only a few times before, and it usually meant trouble.
He looked up to the ceiling and whispered. "Yes, Lord, what is it?" he said, trying not to sound weary. It wasn't wise to ignore the call of God, no matter what the time.
The feeling was insistent. He got out of bed and began to pull on his clothes. Another late night prayer session seemed to be in order. For some reason, Rupert Giles and his family came to mind. He decided to pray for them until God directed him otherwise.
********
An angry burst of Bond energy roused Buffy out of her near-stupor. "David's crying," she said groggily. She staggered over to his crib and checked him, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Oh, sweetie, I just changed you a little while ago," she complained, reaching into the diaper bag for supplies. Giles hovered behind her, fighting fatigue.
"I'll check Abby," Willow volunteered, cringing briefly as both parents corrected her.
"Abigail!"
She strode past them, going to the crib. "Abigail is fine. No poopy pants," Willow said in a singsong voice as she straightened with the baby in her arms.
Giles looked around, wondering where Marcus had gone. He couldn't see the small figure among the rest of the people in the room. He looked into the next room. The TV was on, still booming out its tale of gloom and misery, but the couch was empty. He began to get worried. "Marcus?"
He stepped around the concentrating Watchers, calling his son's name again as Abigail began to whimper. Torn, Giles finally turned and took the fussing baby from Willow. The growing drowsiness fled as he concentrated on finding his oldest son while soothing his daughter. "Marcus, where are you?" He tried to reach out with the Bond, but he couldn't sense him at all.
Buffy was completely agitated by now, picking up on Giles' fear and adding her own to it. She picked up David and began to call Marcus herself, moving around the room and looking into doorways. Before either of them got very far, Sampson's voice stopped them. They looked over at the team leader. His head was still bowed over his book.
"We've got a magical signature! I believe we can trace the spell now."
"How did you find it?" Giles asked, surprised that Sampson was the one to solve the puzzle.
Sampson looked up, grinning. "The Ancient found it. A Sumerian reference... very obscure."
Zehdlaf nodded regally, acknowledging Sampson's praise. "The information was there. I merely pointed it out."
"We have to find Marcus," Buffy said desperately.
Willow stepped forward and held out her arms. "C'mon, let me take her, Giles. You go look for Marcus."
"I need to look, too, and you can't hold them both," Buffy said hesitantly. David continued to whimper, needing more comfort than the past weeks had allowed his parents to offer.
"Bill can hold David for a little while. Can't you, Bill?"
Armstead looked up, startled. "Ah... um, yes, I suppose so." He stood, taking the baby awkwardly from Buffy.
"Hold his head, here, like that. You're doing fine," she encouraged. Armstead sank onto the couch next to Willow, holding David like he was about to break. It was obvious the man had little experience with children this small.
"Relax, honey, he won't bite," Willow teased, cuddling Abigail easily. "Just look at how cute he is, and the rest will come naturally."
Armstead looked down at David's big, dark eyes and fussy face and smiled. "Hello, little fellow," he said softly. "I do hope we can get along." He felt so large and clumsy holding such a tiny thing. Marcus had been four months old already when Armstead had first met him, and it took months before he was comfortable around him.
"Piece of cake." Willow smiled and took one of Abigail's tiny hands. Miniature fingers closed around her thumb. "Awww, you're such a cutie, Abby baby," she cooed, forcing her mind not to dwell on the invisible battle surrounding them. Abigail forgot her complaining and tried to pull Willow's finger to her mouth.
"Marcus? Please, son, don't hide from us," Giles pleaded as they began to a serious search of the mansion's rooms. A wave of dizziness swept over him, and he stumbled against a chair.
"Rupert?" Buffy ran to him, steadying him. "This is no time to nap. We have a missing kid."
"I know." He shook his head, causing his headache to reassert itself.
"He's not on the ground floor."
"Upstairs, then."
The Watchers trying to hold the psychic shield were beginning to tire. The spell was battering against them as if it knew they were weakening. Sampson and the last Watcher stood to reinforce the shield. It helped for several minutes, then they began to feel groggy and weak themselves.
Sampson could feel the battle through the Bond. It was as if they were pushing uphill against a gigantic boulder, one that was growing heavier by the minute. He looked over at Wesley and Faith, who were deep in whispered conversation at the other end of the room.
"Could you two perhaps... help?" he asked, standing. He felt like a complete fool for not enlisting the active Watcher and Slayer the moment they came into the room. Bonded or not, Slayers had tremendous power, and Sampson was in sore need of some at the moment.
Wesley straightened his tie and stepped forward. He had been wondering if the Team Leader was ever going to acknowledge their presence. "Possibly. We have assisted Buffy and Giles a time or two..."
"We've saved their butts twice," Faith said honestly. She looked over at Zehdlaf, smiling slightly at his nod.
"Please," Cedrick added without a hint of formality. "If you can help..." He cleared his throat loudly, and continued, "I don't wish to lose my family."
"Of course, Mister Giles, we'll do what we can. Faith?" Wesley reached for his Slayer's hand, and she took it with a wink and a sultry look.
"Always told you we were hot together," she drawled.
Wesley flushed, but held her hand firmly. "I'm more concerned about us being effective at this point. Once we join the battle we will very likely be targeted ourselves."
"Whoever's doing this would get around to us sooner or later. I'd rather kick their butts first, myself, so hang on, cute stuff. We're fixin' to burst into flames." She closed her eyes.
A fresh wave of power expanded out into the room, fueled by Faith and directed by Wesley. The concentrating Watchers' eyes flew open in shock as power from the Bond poured into them through their connections. The Watcher team members relaxed slightly, exhausted from their efforts.
"Dear Lord," Cedrick said quietly, his head throbbing with the strength of it. This Chosen pair had incredible potential.
Upstairs, Buffy felt the shockwave take her fatigue and wash it away. She bounced a few times on her feet and looked up at Giles, who had been supporting her while trying to fight off his own exhaustion.
"Now that's the Bond we all know and love," she said with relief.
"Wesley and Faith," Giles said with a smile.
"They're just so cute together."
"Just like we are," he reminded her. "And just as naïve about the Bond's true depth as we were a few years ago."
"Yeah. Now that our brains have stopped turning to mush, let's go find our oldest kid."
"Sounds like a plan," he quipped, taking her hand. The moment their fingers touched, they could feel Marcus again.
"Ah, there you are," Giles whispered. He turned and went straight down the hall to one of the rooms and turned the knob.
They found Marcus standing by a window, his hands on the glass. He appeared to be looking out into the street, but his eyes were unfocused.
"Son, come back downstairs," Giles ordered gently, stopping just inside the doorway.
"I can't."
"Yes, you can. Faith and Wes are helping. It's better now."
Marcus didn't move. "I can't stop it. It's too strong still." His voice faded, and he continued through the Bond, 'I'm supposed to protect the babies. I have to do something, but I don't know how to stop it. I can block it a little, but I can't find it and I can't stop it.'
"Marcus, honey..." Buffy knelt beside his stiff body, putting her arm around him. "You don't have to protect them all by yourself. There are a lot of people helping down there."
"Their help isn't the right kind. If I don't fix this, bad things will happen. The babies are important."
"I know you love them as much as we do, honey..."
"Not just to us. To the world."
Giles and Buffy looked at each other, their eyes wide. Giles recovered first, refusing to be sidetracked. "I understand, son, but right now, this evil must be stopped. Mister Sampson is working on tracing the spell..."
'He won't be able to,' Marcus thought firmly. 'The current is too strong. It's forcing him away. And... there's something else. Something I don't understand yet. I can't stop it if I can't figure it out.'
"Then come down and let's all try to figure it out," Buffy suggested. "We can help Faith and Wes shield the mansion, and you can help the Watcher guy trace the spell back to the sorcerer."
Marcus considered the idea for a moment. "I have to keep concentrating."
"That's fine. You can still concentrate, just come with us."
Marcus turned to face his parents, and the terrible, completely adult look of responsibility and sorrow caused Giles to gasp and Buffy's eyes to fill with tears.
"Mom... Dad... you don't understand. I'm supposed to be able to stop this. The prophecy said so. This is what I came here for... to save the babies and you... so we can save the world... and... and..." He thrust a knuckle into one eye, fighting tears. "I don't know what to do!"
"Oh, honey..." Buffy cried brokenly, hugging her tortured son. "I'm so sorry, baby... sorry that you have to go through this. I hate all this prophecy mumbo-jumbo! If you weren't my son..."
A large warm hand fell on her arm and a brush of calm certitude bathed her. With conviction that rang in both his tone and his thoughts, he said, "If Marcus wasn't your son, he would not have the strength... the courage... to do what must be done. But he is. And he does." He stepped forward, putting his other hand on Marcus' shoulder. "Marcus."
The boy looked up at his father's calm face. "Help me, Daddy," he whimpered.
"With everything I have, I will, son." Giles knelt beside Buffy and pulled Marcus into his arms. "But you know what you must do. You can feel it already. I can tell." He sighed as one of Buffy's arms snaked around his neck and the other embraced the small, sobbing child with fierce, motherly love.
"Marcus, you are the most amazing person I've ever met, no matter what age. If a thousand-year-old prophecy says you can do this, who am I to argue?" She kissed his hair firmly and then stood. Giles stood with her, his hand dropping from her shoulder.
"Let's go kick some bad guy butt, sweetie baby," she said lightly. Her damp face belied her teasing words.
Marcus scrubbed at his face in embarrassment, smearing away his tears. "Oh, Mom." He sounded mildly annoyed at her use of his babyish pet name, but his voice was much firmer than before.
He reached for Giles' hand. Buffy took the other, and they started back downstairs together.
********
A sudden movement caught Sampson's eye and he turned just in time to see one of his Watcher's drop into a defensive crouch. She surveyed the area, her eyes sliding right over him as if he wasn't there. His stomach lurched as he realized what had happened. Despite Wesley and Faith's reinforcement the shield was wavering, and one of his people had fallen asleep where she stood.
"Anderson, Gilbert, see to Miss Van Horn," he ordered calmly, although his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest.
The two Watchers closed on her, but she sprang past them with a surprising snarl and started up the stairs at a dead run. They ran after her.
********
About half way down the winding staircase, Marcus stopped.
"What...?" Giles barely had time to say before the fleeing Watcher came into view. She paused on the stairs, her eyes unfocused, and then began to creep towards them, one hand holding a small dagger.
"She doesn't see us," Marcus whispered.
"Oh God," Giles answered. "I don't want to hurt her."
"I'm more afraid of her hurting us," Buffy said bluntly, pulling both of them behind her.
Mom... Dad... danger! Something clicked in Marcus' mind. He took a deep, shaking breath as he summoned the Bond and pushed it out ahead of him. Buffy saw what he was doing immediately and grabbed Giles' hand. Together they concentrated, and the Watcher seemed to run into a solid, invisible wall. She cried out in bewilderment and began pushing against nothing. The barrier held until the two men pursuing her came up behind her and immobilized her arms.
Giles looked at Marcus with amazed pride. "Well done, love," he said with a smile.
Marcus allowed himself a small smile. It had been instinctive, his use of the Bond. Maybe he was worrying when he should be doing what came natural to him... He straightened his small shoulders and tightened his grip on his father's hand.
"We have her, sir," Anderson panted, grimly holding his snarling comrade's arm behind her back. "She won't be any more trouble."
"Don't count on it," Giles answered tiredly. They passed the struggling trio and went back to the main floor. The heavy weight of weariness was falling on them again, and they had to fight to make each step.
"What's wrong, Rupert?" Buffy mumbled, turning her face into his chest as they leaned against each other. "It's never been like this... we've always just used the Bond and poof!"
He chuckled weakly and tightened his arm around her. "Not everything in life is simple, or easy. This is something we've never faced before."
She tilted her head up to look at him. "But the Bond thing... it's supposed to be from God, right? Why doesn't He do something?"
Giles looked ahead of them into the room full of concentrating Watchers. An idea began forming in his head. "Perhaps it's because we haven't asked Him yet. We're going about this all wrong."
He stopped and pulled the cell phone out of his pocket.
"Who are you calling this late?"
"Our priest."
"Oh." Comprehension stole across her face and she smiled. "Oh! Good idea, babe."
********