A Very Ordinary Evil

Part 29 Return of the Slayer


The following evening, at Giles' apartment


Spike and Willow walked in, the last to arrive. "Sorry we're late," Willow said, "we were training." As she spoke, she winced and sat gingerly on the last available chair while Spike perched on its arm.

"What training? And how did you hurt Willow?" Xander's protective instincts took full flight, oblivious to Anya's jealous sigh as he shot the questions at Spike.

Spike shook his head sadly as Willow answered "I'm teaching Spike about hacking. And I'm not hurt, I'm sore because I used muscles I didn't know I had last night."

"Excuse me?" Xander's suspicions were heightened rather than reduced by that comment.

"We practiced hand to hand combat last night, you steaming wally." Spike's acerbic comment surprised the others. Since he and Willow had begun living together, his manner had changed; he had been quieter and politer than the Spike they had known previously.

"Anyway, Xander, I don't like what you're implying." Willow?s voice was even and placid, but her resolve face was in place. "It's no-one's business but Spike's and mine if our lovemaking is gentle and soft, or hard and violent. I don't try and protect you from Anya's sexual extravaganzas and no-one tried to 'protect' me from Tara, so stop being such a ... a buttinski and let me live my life!" Xander was taken aback by Willow?s response. He knew he was trying to protect his best friend; and could not understand why she objected so much. He decided to let things go for now, but intended to make certain that she was safe. He did not quite know how he would accomplish that, but he was determined that he would, somehow.

"All right Giles, why don't we get started?" Willow decided to move the meeting along before anything else could be said.

"Well, yes ..." Giles started, then paused. "We're still really stuck on the same point as last night, of course. What do we do with Holly?"

Unexpectedly, it was Anya who spoke. "I remembered that there's a spell to blank memory. But I can't remember anything about it."

Giles smiled wanly, "At least it's a start," he said sotto voce. "Can you remember the context in which you encountered it?"

"Only that it was before I became human again." Anya's voice was quiet as she spoke, encompassing the feelings of both wonder and loss that she felt at her new-found humanity.

"So, do you think you heard it from D'Hoffryn?" Willow asked the question, leaning forward in her urgency.

Anya considered Willow's question calmly and slowly. "I ..." She paused, "No, it wasn't him. It was two wizards. They were talking about sleeping with the local peasant girls and blanking their memories of the events. One of them had an infuriated wife." Anya smiled happily as she recalled her past.

"Damn!" Willow cursed. The mild but unexpected expostulation startled the others. "We aren't getting anywhere."

"Er, I have an idea." Spike spoke up, almost diffidently. "We could use that stuff they use in hospitals. Sodium something or another. It's called a truth drug because it makes the person unable to summon the concentration to lie. That, with a bit of hypnosis should be enough, don't ya think?"

Willow looked up, shocked. {Why didn't I think of that? I'm research gal!} She rallied quickly, though. "Yes, Sodium Pentothal. That should work, as long as Giles is willing to use the hypnotic techniques the council taught him."

Giles looked old and drained; removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose, he slowly began speaking in a weary, almost querulous voice. "I have to be honest, I do not like the idea of treating a human being in this way. But having said that, I do understand, and even sympathise with, the points Willow raised last night. In a way, I'm trying to overcome a lifetime of conditioning by the council. But be thatit mit may, I'll do my best."

Willow smiled at Giles, remembering the crush she used to have on him as a high school student. For as long as she had known him, he had repeatedly redefined who and what he was to keep Sunnydale as safe as he could. She still admired him greatly for his dedication to an organisation that he had continually moved further away from philosophically, while maintaining the rightness of his cause. She realised, in a moment of total clarity, that what Giles was dedicated to was the safety of the innocent. He was taking the last and hardest step in that belief now, accepting the concept of sapience as valuable, rather than humanity. She idly wondered for a moment if it was Giles' enforced house-sharing with Spike that was the real turning point for the Watcher.

"So, all in favor?" Xander spoke up. Seeing what he thought was a viable plan, he wanted it decided on quickly, his concern for Willow, his worry that she was somehow, in some strange way, in danger driving him.

"I can't see a better option," Cordelia said. "That ditz Holly needs to be dealt with quickly."

"I agree, wholeheartedly." Willow also spoke up, quietly but clinically. "The main thing we have to do is to stop the attacks, and to do that, we have to know who has ordered them. So Holly's the logical answer."

Giles nodded his agreement. "Yes, especially after the last attempt. Can you imagine if it had been carried out ng ong opening hours?" He shuddered eloquently as spoke. "That alone is reason enough to put an end to this."

"So, we use the plan we roughed out yesterday?" Spike asked. "We use Chubs and the demon to lure the empath away, Red blocks the humans down, Giles and I engage the vamps and Huntress lures the chit into a dark alley?" As the others nodded slowly, he continued. "Right then, when?"

"Well," began Willow, "it's Sunday. When is she there? Thursday to Saturday, right?" She looked around, seeking confirmation.

Giles looked up and nodded, before adding, "We'll need to keep you two safe until then."

"Keep who safe from what?"

The whole group turned towards the voice coming from the open doorway. "Buffy?" The looks Buffy received were a mixture of incredulousness, confusion, anger and joy. Xander moved immediately to embrace her, but was almost pushed aside as the slayer stalked towards Spike and Willow.

"Get away from her, you bastard!" Buffy glared at Spike as she spoke in a low, threatening voice.

Spike and Willow both looked back at her, Spike with murder in his eyes and Willow with something cold and frightening. "Buffy," Willow began in a relentless and chilling voice, "if you make any more threats, I'll deal with you. Permanently."

Buffy looked shocked as Willow spoke. "Willow, I don't know why you're acting like this. I'm doing what's best."

"No, you aren't Buffy. You're dictating to people."

Buffy turned in shock as Giles spoke. "Giles, Spike is a vampire."

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Giles' sarcasm spoke volumes about his feelings. "Buffy, understand this." Giles tone became more serious as he continued. "Spike is currently incapable of harming humans. Furthermore, while you have been ... ill, Willow and Spike have developed a friendship that has done wonders for both of them. They're happier than I've ever seen them before. Spike has become a valuable asset to us and Willow's abilities continue to grow and astonish me. While you've been recovering, people have changed. You have to deal with that Buffy, one way or another."

Buffy looked at Giles, astonished. It had been years since he had challenged her so profoundly. "Giles, I am the slayer, aren't I? Shouldn't it be me who decides who's evil and who we fight?"

"Buffy!" The sarcasm and remaining gentleness had left Giles' voice and it cracked like a whip as the street accent of Ripper came through. "Stop behaving like a spoiled child this instant! You know perfectly well that all the decisions were made as a group, everyone having input. If you persist in this behaviour, I'll have no choice other than to ask the council to recall you and, if necessary, place you in confinement."

Buffy looked at Giles, her face a story of shock and betrayal. "Giles! You can't do that, I have rights!"

"Watch me." Giles' simple statement, delivered in such a calm and matter of fact tone, scared Buffy more than anything in her life had before.

The slayer reached into her jacket and began a throwing action, but froze as Willow forestalled her. Caught in the act of drawing and throwing a stake, she looked surprisingly like a wax figure. "Don't worry," she spoke to everyone, including Buffy. "All I've done is to put a barrier around her that conforms to her body. It means she can't move until, or if, I let her go. She can breathe quite happily though since I don't want to hurt her."

Willow stood and walked to the woman she used to consider her closest friend. "Buffy, why'd you make me do this? I stopped you from hurting Spike before you went to hospital. And I warned you I'd do it again if you tried anything. Now you have. I've got just one question, why?" As she spoke, Willow made a curious twisting gesture with one hand; as she did so, Buffy began to answer.

"Because he's evil Willow. I don't care about the chip in his skull, he's evil. He tried to turn us against each other while we were fighting Adam, and this time he's succeeded. I don't know who he's working for this time but I will find out."

Willow shook her head sadly. "Buffy, I honestly think that your fight with Glory, and falling so hard as you stopped Dawn being cut, may have done something to you. You did hit your head kind of hard, when you caught yourself."

"Don't treat me like I'm an imbecile Willow! I know that somehow, that bastard has fooled you. He's done a spell or something to make you think he's good. I don't know what, but I promise you, I?ll stop him."

Willow sighed sadly. "Buffy, you really don't understand, do you. It's got nothing to do with magic, or anyone being fooled. Spike and I really love one another. It's that simple. You, of all people, should understand that. After all, Angel's a vampire too."

"Don't even think of comparing Angel with that monster over there!"

Willow erupted, her temper completely gone. "Y'know something Buffy, to hell with Unt Until you can learn to be polite you can remain silent!" As she shouted, she gestured again, and Buffy's response was inaudible. Try as she might, Buffy could not make a sound
"W
"Willow!" Xander sounded shocked as he spoke. "What's up with you? You've never acted like this before!"

"It's pretty simple Xander. Buffy won't let Spike and I make our own decisions. She insists on trying to break us up. I've warned her twice before. I told her that I wouldn't let her threaten him any more but she obviously doesn't care what I want. I don't know what's got into her. Look, you really don't like vampires, but you're at least willing to let Spike and I try. She won't. And frankly, after all the dramas over Angel," Willow pointedly turned to look directly at Buffy as she continued, "I'm surprised and hurt that Buffy hasn't been more supportive."

Xander's face turned thoughtful. "So," he began slowly, "you're saying that ..." he paused as he reordered his ideas. "What you're actually saying is give Spike the same chance we gave Angel?"

"I wouldn't have put it in that way, but that's a neat way to say it." Willow flashed Xander a smile.

"Okay, I can do that. Even if he is the 'Big Irritating'." Xander flashed a grin back at Willow.

"Oi! Whatcha mean ..." Spike's offended squawk was cut off as Buffy's eyes bulged.

Giles was in the position to see best and reacted most quickly. "Willow, release her. She's swallowed her tongue!" Willow gestured once again. Buffy instantly slumped to the ground, and Giles immediately tried to force her jaws apart to free her tongue. As he struggled, Anya moved away, horrified at the evidence of potential human mortality before her while Xander and Cordelia both tried to gather items useful for aiding in shock.

Willow watched, her eyes fixed wide in horror. As she turned toward Spike for comfort, Buffy started to convulse. Giles' struggles intensified as he attempted to release the girl's tongue from her throat. As Buffy's convulsion subsided, he was able to force a finger behind her teeth and yank hard, pulling her tongue clear of her trachea. Buffy remained unconscious but her respiration resumed and the cyanotic pallor, which had begun tinting her face, receded.

Giles almost collapsed. He looked shocked and exhausted. His struggle to keep Buffy alive had drained him utterly and now that he had succeeded he wanted nothing more than to sleep. He was aware, however, that Buffy still needed medical assistance. "We need to call an ambulance for Buffy. She'll need to be checked out by a doctor at the very least. And I may have damaged her jaws during the struggle to start her breathing once again." As he spoke, he moved wearily to the telephone and dialled 999; almost instantly realised his mistake and dialled 911, just as Anya and Cordelia returned with blankets, pillows and, in Anya's spare hand, an empty hot water bottle.

"The ambulance will be here shortly." Giles sat and tried to gather himself together. "Now, we have to make sure that Buffy doesn't mention vampires again, or we'll be back to square one," he continued after a brief pause. As he spoke, he looked down, to see Buffy just beginning to regain consciousness.

"Buffy, what do you remember?" Giles asked in a gentle solicitous voice.

"Not a lot. Just getting angry and now waking up."

"It's okay Buffy. That's basically what happened. I think it's just an aftereffect of your illness. You did stop breathing for a very short time, so we called an ambulance for you."

Buffy looked up, shocked. "I did what?"

"It was a side effect of your anger. You swallowed your tongue." Giles explained evasively.

"Oh." Buffy seemed confused. "How did I do that?"

"To be honest, I'm not really certain, but you're all right now, and the paramedics will check you over." Giles answer was once again economical with the truth. "Just lie there Buffy, it's probably best that you don't move."

At that moment, they heard a siren approach, getting louder with each second. In short order, the ambulance stopped outside Giles' front door and he moved to open the door prior to the paramedics needing to knock.

As the paramedics briskly walked in, they looked around. "Which one's the patient?" Asked the lead officer. Giles indicated Buffy with a vague gesture. "Her. We called mainly because of worries that she may do it again. Swallow her tongue I mean. We don't know what caused it other than her getting very angry."

Nodding absent-mindedly, the paramedic moved over, crouched down and began to examine Buffy dispassionately. He concentrated the examination on her neck, head, jaw and chest. "Who reported that she had swallowed her tongue? And who removed it?"

"I did, I'm afraid. Was that wrong?" Giles answered nervously even as he voiced the previously unexpresseestiestion that had lurked in the back of his mind.

"No, anything but wrong. In fact you did a better job than I could; I think. You hardly bruised her, let alone anything else. In over half the cases where people are saved from choking like this, the jaw's broken. Did the young lady have any convulsions before the incident?"

"No," Giles responded, and then, thinking a moment added, "She did have one convulsion after swallowing her tongue but before we could get it out."

Again the paramedic nodded. "That's not unusual as the air supply's been cut off, once the brain runs short of oxygen, convulsions are a way of the body rapidly moving oxygenated blood to the brain. In itself, that's nothing to worry about. I'd have been more concerned if she had stopped convulsing."

He looked strangely at Buffy. "Ma'am, I have no idea where you got your recuperative capacity, but I can tell you right now, it's amazing. The bruises I saw when I came in have completely healed, and there's no indication that you ever had this happen to you. There's no reason to take you into hospital. Even your respiration and pulse are normal. And that's just not normal. If you follow me."

"Uh, yeah. I've always healed fast." Buffy said, perhaps a touch inadequately.

"Honestly, Ma'am, there's nothing we can do that your body hasn't already done by itself. I wish all our calls could come out like this." Smiling, he turned, rejoined his silent partner and they left, quietly shutting the door behind them.

Giles spun toward Buffy. "That's it, you're staying right there until the council come and collect you! I've had more than enough of your childish tantrums and attempted violence. Now sit down. Do not move, do not speak. I mean it Buffy, if you even twitch I'll put a sedative dart into you with the trank gun." He reached into a cupboard as he spoke and removed the tranquiliser rifle. "By the way Buffy, this contains the same muscle relaxants I used on your eighteenth birthday, so you know how you'll feel if it happens.?"

"Giles! I ..." Buffy's protest died in her throat as Giles turned the rifle menacingly towards her.

"Willow, could you pick up the cordless phone please, and dial as I dictate and when it rings hand it to me. 011, 44," he continued with the rest of the English number. "Ah, yes. I need Quentin Travers, urgently. It's Rupert Giles speaking. Ah Quentin, we need Buffy collected as soon as possible. You'll make all the necessary arrangements including visas and such? Good, and when can you collect her? That soon? Wonderful, I'll see you tomorrow then."

He looked at Buffy and drew a syringe from his pocket. He handed the rifle to Willow and said simply, "Cover her." Then he stood up and walked towards Buffy. "Don't move or Willow will shoot you, and that's a lot more painful than what I'm about to do will be."

"Please, Giles. No. I'll be good, I hated that. It made me so weak and helpless." Buffy couldn't control the shudder that jarred her from head to toe as Giles pressed the needle in as gently as he possibly could. The shudder was followed by a long drawn-out sob.

"You hate me, you all do. It's the only reason you?re doing this!"

Giles sighed. "No Buffy, we're doing it because we love you. You were just released from a mental hospital after suffering combat fatigue. You're suffering from badly distorted perceptions and you're still very fragile. We want you to recover. That's why we arranged for you to go to England. After all, if we hated you as much as you seem to think we do, we could have left you to choke on your tongue, couldn't we?"

Buffy looked up at Giles in shock as she nodded. "I'd like to go to sleep please, Giles. The drug's made me very tired."

"Of course, Buffy. Let me help you up the stairs." Giles stood and escorted the blonde gently as she staggered upstairs.

When he returned, Giles looked at the group. Apparently no-one had spoken since he left to help Buffy. "She'll sleep until after they collect her. I added some morphine to the mixture."