A Very Ordinary Evil

Part 26 Truths and Consequences


At Giles apartment, later that evening.


The small group entered the flat, dripping from the short trip from the car. Cordelia's hair dripped into her pretty face giving her a slightly bedraggled look. Giles immediately headed for the linen cupboard, collecting towels and passing them around with some of his dry clothing.

“All right everyone, lets get dry. I kthesthese won’t fit, but they’re warm and it’ll preserve our dignity.” Everyone speedily complied with the very welcome instructions and they were soon as dry and comfortable as they could be. Cordelia took charge of the wet clothing, surprising all of them.

“Is there anything here that can’t be tumble dried?” She called out as she went in search of Giles’ laundry. When no-one answered, she threw everything into Giles’ dryer and returned. In response to the three questioning looks, she asked, somewhat defensively, “What? What! Oh, the clothes.” She sighed and explained. “Well, duh! It’s perfectly logical. Who knows more about clothes than the rest of you combined? At least I could work out what would shrink, what needed warm cycle, what needed hot. It’s just a sensible division of labour. Talking of which, who’s making coffee?”

They all blinked in response. Willow recovered first and answered. “I will Cordy. Giles can you ring Xander and Anya please, and get them to come over? I only want to have to explain this once,” she said, heading to the kitchen. Giles nodded and began to dial.

Spike walked over to the petite redhead. He simply wrapped his arm around her and kissed her neck gently. Then he began murmuring to her, in a voice so low pitched that no-one else could hear. He continued to comfort her, even as Giles spoke. “No, Xander, it’s not ‘important’ it’s bloody vital. Now get your backside over here, and bring Anya with you. No, not tomorrow, NOW!” He slammed the phone down and then cursed. “Stupid bleedin’ pillock!” He sat down, and leaned toward Cordelia, finally filling her in on all that happened; after cautioning her not to say anything.

****

Xander and Anya hurried into the apartment and the sight of everyone in Giles’ clothes surprised them. “What’s so important it couldn’t wait G-man?”

“We’ve got some very important news about Buffy. I’ll let Willow explain it, and she wants to only have to do it once.”

Anya looked profoundly unimpressed. She sat on the sofa, sighing obviously and wrapped her arm around Xander’s. “So, what’s happened to the slayer now? And is it worth my valuable orgasm time to hear about it?” She asked acerbically, making it clear that she did not feel the inconvenience in rushing over was worth the effort involved.

Willow sighed as she began to explain. “Well … overall, she’s getting better. And they intend to release her shortly.” She was interrupted by both Xander’s statement of joy and Anya’s barely concealed sigh of boredom. She pressed on, concealing the gloom threatening to overwhelm her. “It’s not all good news though. Apparently, she refuses to accept that Spike and I are a couple. According to her doctor, who isn’t part of the Initiative by the way, she'll try to force Spike and I apart. Most likely by making me choose between Spike and herself. Though the doctor did imply that she could resort to more...extreme measures.”

Xander looked at her, puzzlement showing in his eyes. “Just what do you mean by extreme?” He asked with suspicion.

“Dr McKeon thinks that she may go as far as attempting to killing Spike. However likely that may be, she’ll most certainly try and drive a wedge between Spike and I. If that fails, then between us and the rest of you.” Willow paused to draw breath and also sip at her coffee before continuing. “I simply need to know where everyone stands on this. If Buffy does try to force Spike and I apart, how will you guys react?”

Everyone looked nonplussed for a moment, gathering their thoughts and considering the ramifications of what Willow had said. Cordelia was the first to speak. “Wills, I’ll go with you on this one. You’ve finally got a life and you seem to be truly happy. More importantly, you’re dressing so much better now.”

Spike spoke quietly before anyone else could. “I don’t like the idea of people taking sides pet. I’d much rather just convince the slayer to ignore us and let life go on.”

“She won’t Spike, my love. She’ll punish us by forcing us away from our friends or forcing us apart. In all honesty, what worries me is what may come after that.”

Giles entered the conversation. “You should also be aware that Dr McKeon has strongly suggested that Buffy be removed from active service as a slayer. He feels that she won't recover sufficiently to return to active duty. We did look, very briefly, at other options open to us, but we haven't been able to decide on anything quite yet. Furthermore, I won’t permit Buffy to split this group, and if she tries, I’ll have the council take her to England. I love Buffy like a daughter, but I will not permit one of my children to tear the family apart.”

Everyone except Spike looked shocked at the vehemence in Giles’ voice. Willow was tearing up as she thought about what he had said. Xander looked confused at the intensity with which everyone was speaking. “But Buffy’s the slayer!” Xander began, trying to work out what everyone was saying. “We can’t leave her alone.”

Willow sighed. “Xander, no-one is suggesting that Buffy be left alone. But she can't be allowed to dictate to us who we're allowed to love. How would you feel if she told you to choose between her and Anya?”

Xander pondered this for a moment, and then nodded slowly, realisation dawning. “No, that would be wrong. Anyway Wills, You’ve been there forever and I love you,” glancing quickly over at Anya, “Like a sister.” He added hastily. I wouldn’t let Buffy do that to you. Or, if she did, I’d stay with you.”

Anya nodded slowly. “She shouldn’t do this. I don’t care who or what she is, forcing a happy couple apart is wrong. For over a thousand years punishing the people who did that was my sole reason for existing. Of course I was very good at it, but still ...” She gave Xander a loving look. “I know how good the real thing is now. I didn’t then.”

Spike looked over the group, one by one before he spoke. “Are you certain you want to do this? You’ll be committing yourself to a demon, in the face of the slayer. She’ll be more than angry She’ll be furious and feel abandoned and betrayed. Furthermore, she’s not stable. If you do oppose her, she’s more likely than not to see you as enemies. In particular Giles and Anya; Giles because she will see it as a betrayal, and Anya because you are a former demon. The way she appears to be at the moment, it won’t be a great leap for her to conclude ‘once a demon, always a demon’.”

Xander looked confused again. “Why would she do this? Buffy isn’t like that.”

Giles looked over at Spike and Willow, raising his hand slightly to get everyone's attention before taking over the explanation. “Buffy isn’t the same anymore. McKeon described it as a form of combat fatigue. I still remember my grandfather. He suffered from combat fatigue, or shell-shock as it was called then, after the Great War. Even when he was elderly, he would still react to cars backfiring, or suddenly ‘see’ gas clouds. A certain level of delusional behaviour will remain with Buffy for many years, if not forever. Her refusal to accept Willow and Spike’s relationship is symptomatic of that. That’s why I’m going to investigate whether or not the council can retire her and let her train potential slayers instead.”

“But that means that she’ll have to go to England,” protested Xander. “That’s not fair.” Giles and Spike both looked highly offended. “Er … that didn’t come out quite right,” Xander acknowledged. “What I meant was she shouldn’t be sent away just because she’s sick.”

“I know.” Spike surprised everyone. “What?” He responded to the looks directed at him. “I don’t think anyone should be sent off like that, but what other option is there? She’ll try to kill me when she discovers that Will and I won’t be broken apart. The only other option is Red and I moving away. Is that any fairer? Whatever we do, someone’s going to be hurt. The main difference is that, for the slayer, she can go somewhere she’s accepted for what she is, have people who know of and understand her situation.”

Cordelia simply shook her head at Spike. “You’re being far too forgiving, Blondie. She's gonna destroy your relationship with Willow if she can. And if that doesn't happen? She's going to try to kill you. This is just me, of course, but I wouldn’t be offering her tea and sympathy. I’d tell her to the the hell out of Dodge.”

“Err, Willow’s already taken care of that side of things, via Dr McKeon.” Giles spoke to Cordelia, explaining. “She made it absolutely clear that if Buffy tried to interfere between her and Spike in any way she would regret it. Profoundly.”

“Ah, good.” Cordelia’s satisfaction was written openly on her face. She grinned at Willow. “Way to go girl!”

Willow sighed. “I wish I didn’t have to though. This really boils down to her resenting me for having what she can’t; a vampire as a lover. It’s so … childish.” The look of genuine pain on Willow’s face brought an automatic response from Spike, he embraced her tightly and began, once again, to murmur very quietly in her ear.

“Is there anything more to say?” Spike asked, “because, if there isn’t, I’d like to get Red here home.” There was a moment of silence before a chorus of negatives greeted his question, as once again, the rest of the group was taken aback by his concern for his petite and emotionally fragile lover.

****

As they walked into their apartment, the blond looked over at Willow and asked, very simply, “What do you need pet? Is there anything I can do?”

The redhead looked at her lover as she replied. “I need you, Sir. In the basement. Please.”

Spike nodded and immediately moved to the concealed trapdoor. Rolling up the hall runner, he opened it and they descended together into the security of their playroom. Spike flicked on the lights and pulled the door shut. Looking down, he saw Willow, kneeling on the floor. “I’m ready Sir, would you begin?”