The House
Roger sat in his car and looked at his new house. He had only been living there for a month. He had loved it when he first saw it and he still loved it. It was the perfect house for him. Well, almost perfect. He frowned and looked at the house next door. He was really starting to hate that house. There was something very wrong with it. A pathologist at the hospital named Linda and her 10-year-old son Kevin had been living in the house up until about four months ago. He and Linda had been dating pretty seriously.
He sighed and leaned back against the headrest in his car. The last time he had seen her she had come into the ER with her son. Kevin had hurt his arm. Roger had determined that it was just a bad sprain and he had splinted it to keep Kevin from using it for a while. Linda had been upset, almost frantic, quite out of keeping with her usual character, despite her son being hurt. She had acted terrified. And Kevin had barely said a thing. Usually you couldn't shut him up. He had just sat there, almost unresponsive as Roger had worked on him.
The next day Linda left town. She called the hospital to say she was leaving and when Roger had heard and had gone by the house it had been empty. He had just looked in the window and stared at the empty living room for a long time. That had been four months ago and he still missed her.
When he bought his house he hadn't been concerned that the house next door sat empty. He had been sure it would sell soon enough; it was a great house too. But, the realtor rarely even showed the house anymore. People just walked in and after a minute they walked out. Roger had gone in there a few days ago, curious. He still had the key that Linda had given to him while they had been dating. He had walked in the house and had felt something bad. Something hanging in the air, something that made your skin crawl. He'd seen a mark on the wall, almost like a large dirt smudge. The longer he'd looked at it the more it looked like a face, screaming. It had completely creeped him out. He had left right away and hadn't been back.
Roger wanted Giles to look at the house. He actually wanted Giles to buy the house and be his next-door neighbor. He figured it would be handy for Giles and Buffy to live next door to their doctor. Mostly he just wanted Giles nearby for purely selfish reasons. He loved the guy. Giles and Buffy were looking for a house. They wanted a place of their own, without all the bad memories. Buffy wouldn't even use the master bathroom anymore and it was driving Giles crazy. Plus they wanted room for all of his books and they needed training space.
Roger stared at the abandoned house for another minute. Giles could fix the house with a spell or something and then he could buy it cheap. The realtor had told him that the owner was quite anxious to sell. Roger noted the time and started his car. He was supposed to be meeting Paul and Giles for a beer and he was already late.
As they started on their second round Roger brought the subject up. "So, Giles, what's the news on the house buying front?"
Giles snorted. "You'd think that on the Hellmouth that real estate prices would be reasonable but that doesn't seem to be the case. Every place that suits us is much too expensive." He sighed.
Roger nodded his head and made a sound of commiseration. He waited another minute. "I have the perfect house for you. You can get a cut-rate deal on it."
Paul and Giles both looked at him suspiciously. Paul glanced at Giles. "Don't fall for it, he's trying to hustle you."
Roger barked out a laugh. "That's right. I've decided that being a doctor doesn't pay enough to support my drug habit so I've gone into real estate." He turned crazed eyes to Giles. "Man, you have to buy this house. I need a fix." He looked at Paul and crossed his eyes. Paul grinned and took a swallow of beer.
Giles hesitated but finally gave in. "Okay, I'll bite. Why is the house so affordable?"
Roger scrunched his face up and paused a moment. "I think it's haunted."
Giles' eyes widened as he stared at Roger. "You don't think I have enough evil in my life, now you want me to live in a haunted house?"
"No, no, no. I want you to…what's the word…" he narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice. "…cleanse it." He wriggled his eyebrows and grinned at Giles. "Then you buy it at a bargain basement price. They're desperate to unload it."
Giles was interested despite his reservations. "How exactly is it haunted?"
Roger shook his head. "I have no idea. I just know that it sure creeped me out. There's just a feeling of…I don't know…sadness or fear or something." He mocked a shiver running down his spine. "It's just creepy."
Paul was curious. "Is this Linda's old house you're talking about? The one next door to you?" Roger nodded.
Giles raised his eyebrows. "Linda?"
Paul answered. "Roger's old girlfriend. She just up and vanished one day. I tried to figure out where she'd gone but it's like she fell off the face of the earth."
Roger's eyes darkened at the memory. That had not been a good day. Giles saw his eyes and cocked his head to the side looking at Roger. He seldom saw Roger upset about personal issues. "What happened?"
Roger shook his head. "I don't know that either. One minute things are going great, then her son gets hurt, I fix his arm, I drop over the next day and poof, she's gone."
Giles was even more intrigued. "Do you think the house had anything to do with it?"
Roger and Paul had both been working with Giles in his watcher capacity for two months now. Despite the things they had seen and heard they were still unprepared for some of the questions he'd ask. They both bit their lips to hold back a laugh. Giles rolled his eyes at their reaction to his question. "I'm serious, maybe whatever went wrong with the house went wrong while they were there and it frightened them. Most people are ill-equipped to deal with supernatural occurrences."
Roger looked thoughtful for a moment. "I never thought of that. Maybe it did. She was almost hysterical when she brought Kevin in and Kevin was definitely not himself." He looked at Giles. "Will you look at it?"
Giles nodded. "I'm quite curious. Hauntings are actually fairly rare." Roger grinned as he saw that look in Giles' eyes. He knew Giles was hooked.
Giles agreed to meet Roger there the next day after the shop closed. Paul volunteered his services in case something needed to be shot. Giles would bring Buffy in case something needed to be slayed. They figured that way they would have their bases covered.
The next day Giles and Buffy pulled up to Roger's house and looked at the house in question. It looked perfectly normal to them. Buffy leaned towards Giles. "I don't know. I was expecting something more Norman Bates like."
Giles grinned. He lowered his head to hers and kissed her. She licked her lips. "Mmmm." She grinned and kissed him back. She ran her hands down his face. She turned his head a little to the side and looked at the scars that were barely visible on his cheek, temple and forehead. She grimaced.
He grabbed her hand and kissed her palm. "Buffy, you have to stop that."
She made a face. "I know. I just can't believe how close I came to killing you. I know it wasn't my fault but it still scares me that I could have lost you so easily."
He smiled gently at her. "But you didn't. Just like I didn't lose you." He chose not to mention that he was still having nightmares about that. He reached across her and opened the passenger door. "Come on. We have a ghost to meet." She grinned at him and hopped out of the car.
Paul and Roger were waiting in front of the door to Linda's old house. When Giles and Buffy reached them Roger used his key and unlocked the door. He swung it open and they walked inside.
They could all feel it immediately. Buffy made a face as if she smelled something really bad. "God, what is that?" Giles just shook his head and started walking around. Buffy took Paul and they did a walk through making sure that there was nothing threatening in the house, either human or demon. When they returned Giles was still in the living room staring at the dirt smudge on the wall.
Buffy went over to stand by Giles. She looked at the marking on the wall and cocked her head. She took a couple of steps back. "You know, if you look at that just the right way, it almost looks like a person." She grimaced. "And not a very happy one." She moved closer to Giles trying to get him to put his arm around her. This house was giving her the wiggins. Without even being aware of it Giles pulled her close as his arm got around her shoulder. All of his attention was on the wall. He realized Buffy was talking to him.
"Hmm? I'm sorry, what did you say Buffy?"
She pointed at the wall. "What is that?"
Giles shook his head. "I don't know but I'm sure that our answers lie with it." He reached out a hand to touch the mark. As he touched it Giles let out a loud groan and almost fell to his knees. Only Buffy's strength kept him from falling. Paul and Roger hurried over, Paul grabbing Giles' other arm. He helped Buffy lower him to the ground.
Buffy stood and put out her hand to touch the wall in the same place that Giles had touched but when her hand made contact nothing happened to her. She pulled her hand back and looked at it. She crouched back down to check on Giles. He was starting to sit up. She spoke. "Giles, what was that? Are you okay?"
Giles blinked his eyes a couple of times and then shook his head as if to clear away the cobwebs. He tried to stand and was only marginally successful. Paul and Buffy assisted him again, this time to rise. He looked at the wall and started to move his hand as if to touch it again. Buffy pulled him back. "Do you think that's such a good idea?"
Giles took a deep breath. "I have to. I'll be okay." Buffy didn't look happy but she braced Giles as he reached out to touch the wall again. As he touched it his face winced in pain and he let out another groan but he stayed standing this time. Buffy watched Giles, watching the pain on his face, watched as tears started to run down his cheeks. After a minute she couldn't stand it anymore and she grabbed his arm. As soon as she pulled his arm away they could hear it, the sound of a young boy crying. The sound filled the house and then slowly faded away.
Giles wiped the tears from his face. "I could feel what he's feeling. He's so lonely and afraid."
Buffy had heard the sadness in the boy's cries and she could see it on Giles' face. "What happened to him?" Giles shook his head. He didn't know.
Roger had gone and placed his hand gingerly on the mark on the wall but he didn't feel a thing either. He walked over to Giles seeing the sadness on his friend's face. He put his hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Giles smiled softly at his friend. "Yes, I'm fine. It just overwhelmed me for a moment." He slowly turned. "I can feel his presence now so clearly." He closed his eyes and sent out a tendril of magic, searching for answers. Suddenly his eyes flew open and he stepped back. "He's not the only one here."
Both Buffy and Paul moved closer to Giles as if to protect him. Buffy looked at Giles. "Help us out here. You're being all spooky. Who's not the only one here?"
Giles ran a hand over his face. "The boy, the boy who was crying. Somehow his essence has been locked in this house. Something attacked him, something that split him in two. I think whatever did this to the boy is here too. I can feel a demon presence. But it's trapped as well. It and the boy."
Buffy looked horrified. "A boy is trapped here with a demon?" She started to pace. "How do I get him out? How do I save him?" The boy's cries had been heart wrenching.
"You don't Buffy. This will take magic. I'll need to get Willow and Tara, and some supplies."
Roger kept looking at the face on the wall. He turned to Giles. "Is it Kevin? Could it be Kevin?" The thought horrified him. "What would that do to someone? What will happen to him?
Giles moved over to Roger. "I don't know if it is Kevin. All I could pick up is his emotions. I could try and reach him again." He started to raise his hand.
Buffy stopped him. "No. Twice was enough. We know he's there. We know we need to get him out. I don't want you to get zapped again."
Giles reluctantly nodded. "Whoever it was I imagine his body is slowly dying. We need to free his spirit and then get him back to his body." He looked at the face again, eyes closing as he remembered the boy's pain. "It's possible his body is already dead. He may have been trapped here for years."
Roger couldn't turn his head away from the face on the wall. "I don't think so. This didn't used to be here. I think something happened to Kevin. I think it happened when he hurt his arm. He was so quiet, so not like himself." He touched the wall again wishing he could comfort the boy. "Damn it. I wish I knew how to get a hold of Linda."
Giles turned to Buffy. "We'll need to get in touch with Willow and Tara. We have a lot of research to do. I'd like to try and do this as soon as possible, hopefully tonight. I can't bear to leave him like this."
Buffy nodded and asked to borrow Paul's cell phone. She started making the call as they moved out to their cars. They headed off to the Magic Shop.
***
Willow and Tara had joined them and they all sat around the table at the Magic Shop flipping through books. Paul kept getting stuck on all the pictures. It was times like this when his new life felt the most surreal somehow. The group was silent as they searched. The silence was broken as Willow snapped her fingers and looked over at Giles.
"Giles, I just thought of something." He looked at her, patiently waiting for her to finish. When she didn't speak he raised his eyebrows. She realized he'd been waiting and startled. "Oh, right. Okay, how about that book you have, the one that's all brown with the angels all over it." At Giles' puzzled expression she rolled her eyes. "You know, the one you keep locked up in…" Her eyes widened and she stopped as she realized that she was in trouble again. She looked up to see Giles' glare. She hastened to reassure him. "Honest Giles, I haven't gone in there once since I almost lost my magic. I saw it before." His glare didn't soften but she gamely finished. "Isn't the whole book about stuff like spirits and well…you know, spirits?" She smiled hopefully at him.
He glared at her a little more and then thought about the book in question. He got up and headed upstairs. He unlocked the cabinet where he kept his most dangerous spell books but he couldn't find the one Willow was talking about. He walked to the railing and looked down at Willow. "Any idea where you put it when you were done looking at it?" He glared at her again.
She winced and headed upstairs. She crouched down and pulled a bunch of books out and pointed at the one Giles had been looking for. It was on its side; the other books she had removed had hid it. Giles looked at her. "New filing system?"
She blushed. "Sorry, you came back earlier than I thought so I just sort of crammed them all back in." She winced again at the glare he was still sending her.
Then he started to laugh and he shook his head. "Come on." He reached out a hand and helped her up. He held out the book. "This was a good idea." She beamed at him and she headed down the stairs. He followed her down already flipping through the pages.
After that it didn't take Giles long to find the spells they needed. He sent Willow a smile. She grinned back and assisted him in pulling together the supplies they would need. They loaded up and headed back to the house.
Willow was thrilled. Giles was letting her do the spell. She had been working with him every week and he thought she was ready to handle a spell of this magnitude. Roger and Paul were grinning at her. They couldn't help but respond to her sparkling eyes. She leaned closer to them, as if to tell a secret. "Just between you and me I'm glad that Giles is going to be here. He's handy to have around if things start going wrong." They solemnly nodded at her and smiled. Then when she wasn't looking they looked at each other and they both knew they were thinking the same thing. They were both very, very glad that Giles was going to be there.
Giles watched as Willow finished drawing the symbol on the floor. All the candles were lit and Giles was satisfied that Willow knew the correct incantation. The plan was to first bring forth the demon and banish him and then call forth Kevin's spirit. They still weren't sure it was Kevin but they had all started referring to him by that name.
Buffy, Paul and Roger were standing out of the way, allowing the magicians in the group to work undisturbed. Giles checked everything again and then he spoke out loud. "Kevin, if you can hear me, we are going to summon the demon…the..the…bad thing that's been living in this house with you." He glared at Buffy when she grinned at his choice of words. "You may feel as if you are being called as well but I need you to try and not come out right now. We'll come and get you next." There was no answer but Giles hadn't expected one.
He turned to Willow and asked her to begin. Willow started the incantation and they all turned their eyes to the pentagram on the floor. An unexpected breeze blew through the room making the candle flames flicker. Then a bad odor began to fill up the house. When Willow started to falter because of the smell Giles motioned to her to continue.
Giles sensed something and he turned to the wall behind him. He felt as if the marking on the wall was calling to him. Giles started walking towards it, feeling the need to be close.
Willow kept her eyes focused on the symbol on the floor. Something was materializing inside of it. As the figure solidified, the smell became stronger. Her eyes were watering. The demon fully materialized and tried to get out but the pentagram held him prisoner. He snarled and turned slowly trying to see if there was some escape. Willow took a step back. Everything about this demon was repulsive from his breath-catching odor to his bad teeth and fashion sense.
The demon had completed his circle and faced Willow again. Paul had gone over to stand by Giles. Giles had put his hand on the wall and Paul had seen the pain once again cross his face. He stood ready to support Giles if he needed any assistance.
Willow was starting to get a little nervous. The demon was staring at her, very intently. She tried to look away and found that she couldn't. She took a step closer to the pentagram. Roger frowned. He wasn't sure if she was supposed to be doing that. She took another step and Tara moved over to her and put her hand on Willow's arm to keep her from moving any closer. Without taking his eyes off of Willow the demon snarled at Tara and spoke in a voice that sounded as if it was half lion, half human. "Do not interfere."
He turned his attention back to Willow and continued trying to compel her. She shook off Tara's hold and took the last step that brought her right up to the symbol. Tara grabbed a hold of her in earnest and at the same time she turned to Buffy. Buffy moved up and grabbed Willow's other arm.
Without taking his eyes off of the demon or Tara and Willow, Roger reached back and smacked Paul to get his attention. Paul put his hand out just in case Giles fell and then he turned his head to see what Roger wanted. When Paul saw the demon his eyebrows lifted. He quickly turned back to Giles. As he turned he heard the demon speak again. "You cannot stop her. She is under my control." Then he laughed.
Before Paul could touch him Giles lifted his head and removed his hand. He almost lost his balance but Paul steadied him. Giles listened to the laugh and his eyebrows rose. He rolled his eyes. "Good Lord. I thought you were dead." He walked over to the pentagram.
The demon saw Giles and stepped back. Then he moved back up and continued with his threatening. "You are too late. She is about to free me."
Giles rolled his eyes. "Oh stop. You know you were always lousy at this." He placed his hand in front of Willow's eyes breaking off the eye contact. Willow shivered and shook her head. She looked up seeing Giles' hand in front of her face and she looked confused.
"What happened?"
Giles smiled at her. "I'm sorry Willow. I got distracted." He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder. "He tried to compel you to open the pentagram."
Willow gasped. "Was I going to?"
Giles shook his head. "No, you would have been able to resist in another moment. He's not very good at it."
The demon stood up straight and put his hands on his waist. "Hey, I am so." His voice was whiny now.
Giles turned around to face the demon. "No, you're not. You've never been good at that or anything else you've tried to do."
Everyone was staring at Giles as he conversed with the demon. Roger was laughing and Paul was struggling not to join him.
The demon looked outraged. "I scared you plenty when I first met you."
"Quite true, however, I was twelve at the time. What I mostly remember about that occasion was watching my father's slayer beat you senseless." Giles grinned at the memory. "I'm afraid the luster went out of your fear techniques for me that day."
The demon was fit to be tied. "I scared everyone out of their wits the day I showed up for that birthday party."
Giles snorted. "That must have been a proud moment for you, terrifying 15 eight year old girls, besides you were hired to scare them." He waved his hand back and forth in front of his face. "God, you stink. What is that?"
By this time the rest of them had all stepped closer. They all felt more comfortable about being nearer to the demon but they still stayed pretty close to Giles. Except Buffy. She just glared at the demon. Then she turned to Giles. "Why don't you just let him out? I'll be glad to take care of him."
The demon's eyes widened as he took in Buffy. He started to shake his head looking back at Giles. Before he could open his mouth Giles spoke sharply to him. "What did you do to that boy?" Giles glared at the demon.
The demon recoiled from his look. "It wasn't me. I got caught in it. I've been stuck here with him trying to get out. I swear." Giles frowned, not sure whether to believe him or not. The demon continued. "Honestly, I was just getting ready to jump out and give the kid a good scare when something hit us both and the next thing I knew I was stuck in this house." He put his fingers in his ears. "I've been listening to that brat cry for months. Jeez, what a crybaby."
Giles' eyes hardened. He turned to Willow. "Ready for the banishment spell?" As Willow nodded the demon gasped.
"Rupert, buddy, we're pals. Let's talk about this. I won't hurt anybody." He continued with his entreaties as Willow and Giles both said the banishment spell and the demon slowly disappeared from the pentagram. Everyone took a deep breath tremendously relieved that the awful smell had vanished with him.
Giles shook his head. "Really, you meet the most appalling sort of demons." He looked up at everyone and saw that they were all grinning at him.
Buffy came up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "You've known him since you were twelve?"
Giles made a face. "Yes, awful sort of fellow, wasn't he?"
Buffy grinned. "I am never going to know all there is to know about you, am I?"
Giles just shrugged. "Really, Buffy, there's not that much to tell."
Buffy rolled her eyes and let out a laugh. "I thought my childhood was weird."
Paul and Roger looked at each other. They had thought their childhood was weird. As if they could read each other's minds they both started to laugh. Willow walked over and spoke softly to them. "See, this is why it's a good idea to have Giles around for stuff like this." They both nodded at her and the three of them started to laugh.
Giles started making a few changes to the markings on the floor. He looked back up at Willow. "Ready for the next one?" Willow made a face. Giles knew what she was thinking. "Willow, you did fine. You did the spell perfectly. If you'd known what kind of demon it was you would have known not to look at his eyes."
"You looked at his eyes."
"Yes, well, I'm a bit stronger than you are. And now that you know of him he'll not be able to do it again." He smiled gently at her. "You did the spell fine. You'll do this one fine as well." Willow hesitated and then nodded her head. Giles moved up to stand next to her. He looked at her. "I promise I'll stay right here this time, all right?" She nodded again, smiling.
Giles put his hand out to stop her for a moment. He called out. "Kevin, it's your turn. You're going to feel as if something is calling you. Just try and let go and allow it to pull you. You'll end up standing right here." He pointed to the pentagram on the floor. "Don't be afraid. It won't hurt." He nodded to Willow and she started the incantation. The breeze again blew through the room and the candles flickered one more time.
Roger stepped up closer as a shape started to form in the pentagram. He looked closely to try and see if it was Kevin. When enough of his shape was formed Roger could clearly see that it was. His heart leapt at the sight. He longed to know where Kevin's body was right now, where Linda was. He closed his eyes and sent a fervent prayer up that Kevin was still alive.
Paul noted that Kevin wasn't solid. In fact he could see right through him. Willow had noticed the same thing. She gasped. "Did I do it right? He doesn't seem to be all there."
Giles smiled. "Yes, you did it right. He's not all here. This is only a part of him." He sent an approving glance to Willow and she grinned. Giles looked at Roger and Roger nodded his head. Giles squatted down, looking at Kevin. "Kevin, can you hear me?"
Kevin, his eyes wide, slowly nodded his head in response. Giles continued. "I'm Giles. Could you hear me talking to you before?" Kevin nodded again. "There's nothing to be frightened of, we are all here to help you." Another nod. Giles looked up at Roger. "Do you remember Dr. Erikson?" Kevin looked up at Roger and nodded again, a small smile on his lips. Roger gently smiled back.
Giles paused for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how to tackle this. He pinched the bridge of his nose pushing up his glasses. Kevin just kept watching him. Giles took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea where…" Giles paused again, not sure what word to use. "…the rest of you is right now? Can you sense your body out there?" The spell would be easier if they had some idea of where to send Kevin's spirit. Giles watched as the boy's eyes started to fill with tears.
Giles hastened to reassure him. "It's okay if you don't. I think we can still get you home. You've been very brave." Giles silently let out a relieved sigh when the boy was able to choke back his tears and give him a watery smile. Giles smiled back. "Do you have any questions for me?"
Kevin nodded and after a moment's hesitation he spoke. "Is the monster gone?"
Giles wasn't sure which monster Kevin was speaking about. "Do you mean the monster that was trapped in the house with you?" The boy nodded.
"Yes, the monster has gone away. We made him go away." He motioned to Willow.
Kevin only had eyes for Giles. "What kind of monster was he?"
"He was a demon, a Cededo demon. I'm afraid they like to scare children. It's what they do best. He really couldn't hurt you."
"He was mean to me."
"I'm sure he was. He won't bother you anymore."
"What did you do to him?"
"I sent him home."
"Does he live near here?"
"No, he lives very far away."
"What was he doing to that girl?" He pointed at Willow.
"He was trying to talk her into letting him go."
"Why?"
"Because he wanted to be let go."
"Oh." A brief moment of silence reigned and Giles started to get up to prepare for the spell to send him home. Kevin made a sound of protest and Giles looked back at him.
"I'm not going anywhere. I just need to get some things ready to help send you home. You can keep talking to me."
Kevin nodded and the questions began again as Giles started to move about the room.
"How did I get stuck?"
Giles shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know what happened."
Kevin thought about that for a moment. "How come you don't know?" Everyone grinned at that.
Giles frowned. He hated not knowing. "I didn't see what happened. I don't know what attacked you or how you were split. I don't have enough information." Buffy moved next to Giles and put her hand on his arm. Giles smiled at her. "Kevin, this is Buffy." He pointed out Willow, Tara and Paul and introduced them to Kevin as well. Kevin said a soft hi to them all and then brought all his attention back to Giles. Giles made him feel safe.
"So, what are you doing now?"
"We're going to try and send your spirit back to your body."
"How do you do that?"
Giles thought for a moment, trying to decide if he could explain it so a ten year old could understand it. He decided he couldn't, at least not without taking too much time. "I can't really explain it. It's magic. Will you just trust me?"
Kevin nodded and continued his barrage of questions and Giles answered all of them in his unhurried patient fashion. All of them watched spellbound as Giles and the young boy conversed as if the rest of them weren't even there. After a while the boy's questions returned to the ritual.
"How will you know where to send me?"
"That's part of the magic."
"Oh." The boy paused. "Will it hurt?"
"I don't believe it will. I wouldn't expect it to."
"What will it feel like?"
Giles sat back down on his heels looking at Kevin. "I don't really know. I've never had it done to me."
"Will you go with me?"
Buffy's brows lowered at the question. Giles pursed his lips, thinking. "I suppose I could." He thought about it some more.
Buffy moved and crouched down next to him. "You can't go with him. How do we get you back?"
Kevin shot her a glare and then turned back to Giles. "I'm scared. I don't want to be by myself."
Giles turned to Buffy. "It should be quite safe really. Willow can just pull me back." Willow shook her head. She didn't like the idea of being responsible for pulling Giles back from anywhere. She wanted him right here.
Buffy didn't like it either. "It should be quite safe? I don't like the sound of that." She could feel Kevin's glare again. She looked at him and tried to make him understand. "Kevin, we need Giles here." She turned back to Giles and spoke to him. "I need you here."
He stood pulling her up with him. He gave her a quick kiss. "It will be fine Buffy. It's quite straightforward. You can't blame him for being frightened. And I think that it will be an interesting experience." His eyes were sparkling with the thought of learning something new.
She turned to Roger and Paul. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him."
They looked doubtful about that. Paul, however, took Giles' arm and pulled him aside. "Can we talk for a minute?" Giles nodded and turned to Kevin.
"Kevin, will you excuse us for a moment?" At Kevin's nod they all walked into the other room.
Paul spoke up first. "Is there any risk to you?"
Giles hesitated. "I really think it will be quite safe. Willow can send my spirit to go with Kevin's, I can make sure he gets to his destination and then Willow can call me back. It should be a simple task."
Willow made a face at the thought. Paul just asked his question again. He'd gotten quite used to Giles' amazing ability to dodge questions. "Is there any risk to you?" He made his question clearer. "What happens if things go wrong?"
Giles pursed his lips, thinking about it. His head swung to one side and then the other. "Well, I suppose at worst my spirit might be unable to find its way back." He shook his head. "But, that's not likely to happen."
Paul wasn't finished. "What happens if your spirit can't make its way back?"
Giles frowned at Paul. Paul just frowned back. Giles sighed. He'd never been able to intimidate Paul. "I don't know." As Paul's frown deepened Giles spoke again. "All I do know is that this poor boy has been alone and terrified for months. He's frightened of what we are about to do to him. He may not know what he has to do once he gets to his body. His body may be dead. I can help. I'm the only one here who can. I have to go." Giles didn't understand why but he felt strongly connected to the young boy.
He turned to Buffy. He put his hands on her shoulders. "Buffy, I'll be fine. I promise you." Then he turned to Willow. "Do you understand what you need to do? It may take both of you." He included Tara in his statement.
They both nodded unhappily. Willow spoke, her fears clear in her voice. "Suppose I can't pull you back? What do I do?" Giles was supposed to be here with her to help her deal when things went wrong.
Giles smiled at her. "Willow, you'll be fine. Just concentrate. Give me twenty minutes and then pull me back. Our spirits should be able to travel fairly quickly."
Willow looked nervous but she agreed. Kevin looked up as they walked back into the living room. Willow wandered over to the spell book and reread the words that would return Kevin's spirit to his body. Giles walked over to the pentagram and frowned at it. He turned to Willow. "You'll have to hold the pentagram steady while I open it up and get in with Kevin." Kevin smiled in relief at Giles' words. Giles softly smiled back.
Willow nodded and came over. She put her hand up and started to speak. Giles leaned down and swept part of the marking away, quickly stepping inside. Tara moved forward immediately and closed it back up. Giles tried to touch Kevin but his hand went right through him. Giles looked a little disconcerted but then he grinned. He looked down at Kevin. "Are you all right?" Kevin nodded.
Giles sat down and then he lay down, curling himself up so he'd still fit in the pentagram. Seeing everyone's confused looks he explained. "I imagine that my body will…well…perhaps not be able to stand once my spirit is gone, so this way I won't fall."
At his words Buffy moved close to the markings on the floor. "Giles, don't do this."
Giles just smiled at her. "I have to. I'll be right back." He sent her a look full of love. She just shook her head, her stomach in knots. Kevin did his best to sit down in the bend of Giles' body, wanting to be close to him. He sent Buffy another glare.
Giles looked at his watch and then nodded to Willow. Willow turned to Buffy as if asking her permission and Buffy reluctantly nodded her head. Willow's lips tightened and then she started the spell.
After a few moments Kevin's form started to waver, becoming even more insubstantial. He tried to grasp Giles' hand, fearful of what was happening to him. Willow could feel his spirit; she could feel the youth and vitality in it. She searched for Giles' and found his as well. Her breath caught at the brightness of it. She concentrated her energies on the two of them, sending them off. Soon they couldn't see Kevin at all.
They all watched as Giles' eyes closed and his body grew lax. Suddenly Willow gasped and her face tightened in fear. She almost stumbled off her feet but Roger held her up. Willow looked at Giles fearfully and they all followed her look. He was starting to fade, the outline of his body growing indistinct. Buffy gasped. She turned. "Willow, what's happening?"
Willow looked fearfully at Giles' body. "I don't know. Something else is pulling him. I don't know how to stop it." Giles' body was becoming more and more insubstantial and they all watched in horror as it just disappeared.