Healing

Part 46

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Xander rolled over and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

Ring. Ring.

Xander opened his eyes to see why the phone was still ringing. He couldn't help but chuckle as he saw that he had 'answered' his alarm clock. He reached out and snagged the telephone receiver from its cradle.

"Hello?"

"Xander, it's Giles."

"Hey, G-man. What's up? It's like, not even eight o'clock yet."

"Sorry. It's Wesley. He's not taking this thing with Angelus too well."

Xander snorted. He could totally understand why Wesley would be having a hard time with it. Permanent souls just weren't as permanent as they should be.

"Understandably. What d'ya want me to do?"

"Er, well I was hoping perhaps... Could you maybe speak with him?"

"Sure Giles. I'll be over later today, Spike and I have news we want to share anyway."

Giles was almost sure he knew what the news was, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Alright, we'll see the two of you later on then. Goodbye Xander."

"Later Giles."

Xander hung up the phone and rolled back into his mate's arms. Spike was still sleeping, but he automatically gathered Xander into his embrace. Xander smiled and kissed the vampire softly before snuggling back into his arms and drifting back to sleep.


Tara had lifted the silencing spell from Ethan so that he could be further questioned as to the reason behind the spell put on Angel. Other than repeating the information they already knew he didn't offer anything of use. Wesley was wishing Cordelia had not left as he was certain she could make the man talk.

Giles, having already decided that Ethan was too much of a threat to be turned loose with his magic intact, had begun gathering components for a binding spell. He would have preferred not to do this to his one time friend, but felt he had no choice. The man had attacked him, not only him but his children as well. For that he had to be punished.

Wesley was at his wit's end. He needed to know what exactly had been done to his lover, and if there were any way to reverse it. He knew Angel would rather die than allow Angelus to hurt someone again but he didn't want to even consider staking him unless they had exhausted all other options first. He lit upon an idea and went to talk to Giles.

"Rupert?"

"Yes Wesley?"

"Do you think... Would Spike be willing to talk to Mr. Rayne? Perhaps he could be persuaded to speak with the right motivation."

Rupert Giles, former watcher and ex-librarian, was showing a lot of 'Ripper' in the smile that adorned his face. He clapped his fellow ex-watcher on the shoulder and led him from the room.

"I think that is a very good plan, very good indeed. Shall I call him and ask or would you like to do it?"

"I, er well. Perhaps you should do it, he doesn't know me, so I'm hardly in a position to ask a favour."

"I doubt that he'd see it that way. We'd be doing him a favour by asking, he doesn't get to torture people these days."

Once again, there was a very 'Ripperish' smile on the man's face. Wesley, having been told about Rupert’s past, wisely stepped back from the man. He didn't feel comfortable in the presence of this aspect of Rupert’s personality.

Buffy chose that moment to show up. She opened the door and took in the faces of the people around her. She knew something was up, something to do with magic, otherwise she would have been called to be here.

"So, who is doing what spell on who?"

Tara and Willow, who had just entered the room as Buffy came in looked at each other and then at Giles. They remained silent and let Giles explain what was going on to Buffy. One look at his slayer and all the 'Ripperish' aspects of his personality were gone. She was the one person he would never hurt, could never hurt. He wouldn't allow the baser nature of Ripper to taint the purity of her soul. He loved her, and would never hurt her.

"Buffy. We were just about to cast a binding spell on Ethan, that way he wouldn't be much of a threat to anyone."

"Cool. Anything I can do to help?"

"No, it's a rather complicated spell. We have to gear it in a way that only the combined efforts of all four of us can break it. That way there is no chance of him ever regaining his power."

"Okie dokie. Hey, where are Xander and his blonde shadow?"

"Xander and Spike are not here, they will be joining us later. Xander said they had news to share with us. I was actually just going to call Spike and ask if he might be interested in ... interrogating our friend."

"How come? If he needs to be roughed up, I'm your girl!"

Buffy gave Giles one of her million dollar smiles and he couldn't help but return it. She was the best thing he had in his life, and he was grateful that his past hadn't cost him her trust and friendship.

"Unfortunately Buffy, Ethan is well aware that you would never take a human life. What we need, is for him to believe that he will die if he doesn’t give us the information we want. That is where Spike comes in handy. He has no such moral limitations. Ethan is much more likely to fear for his life if William the Bloody is the one asking the questions."

"Okay, I see your point. But what is it that you think he knows?"

Giles took Buffy into the kitchen and explained about the knife Xander had found, how Spike had said it smelled off to him and that they were sure there was a potion of some sort on the blade. He told her that without knowing what the potion was supposed to do, it could take a long time to perfect an antidote, if it were even possible.

"And without this information, Angel could be trapped in his body, with Angelus in control forever?"

"Essentially, yes."

"That's horrible! Giles, we have to help him. Angel would rather die than let that monster loose."

Giles felt a flare of jealousy thinking about how the souled vampire still had a place in his slayer's heart, a place he would never have. He stomped it back down as soon as it flared up. He was her watcher, her friend. Nothing else. He had to be content with what he had, God knew it was more than he deserved.

"I know, Wesley has already said the same thing. Don't worry, Buffy. We will find a cure for him."

"I know. If anyone can do it, it's you. Thank you Giles."

Buffy hugged Giles briefly and went back out to the living room where the others were preparing the spell. Giles stood in the kitchen for a moment just remembering the feel of her arms around him. He had it bad.

Before all of this, he had fooled himself into believing his was a father's love for a child. After what had happened the past few days, losing his magic, Buffy losing her power, he couldn't fool himself any longer. He could have lost her. If any of the demons in town had learned of their predicament, she would have been killed. The fact that Spike had not only kept their secret, but was instrumental in proving to Buffy that she needed help, was still mind boggling. He had little choice but to trust the vampire now. He had proven himself to be on their side, and if what he suspected were true, then he would remain on the side of good, for Xander’s sake, forever.

That in mind, he picked up the phone.