The Summer After. 5/6.
Title: The Summer After.
Author: elisi.
Summary: A few weeks post-NFA Giles meets some old acquaintances. But where do their loyalties lie these days? And what exactly do they want with Giles?
Rating: PG.
Feedback: I’d love to know your thoughts!
Notes: I was never all that happy with this chapter when I first wrote it, so I’ve edited and re-written it a bit before posting here. Still not 100% satisfied, but... it should suffice.
Previous chapters here.
Chapter 5
Giles automatically shook the girl’s hand, but he found himself unable to make any coherent sounds when he tried to ask a question.
The vampires seemed to understand his predicament, because Angel began to explain. “This used to be our friend Fred.”
The Watcher finally managed to find his voice. “Used to be?”
Another one of those dark, unreadable looks that he was beginning to get very tired of. “Illyria infected her, gutted her from the inside, killed her and took over her body.”
Giles’ confusion must have shown on his face, because after a brief pause, Angel elaborated. “Illyria is an ancient demon God - one of The Old Ones from before the time of the humans. There was a prophecy - as usual - and she rose as predestined. The fact that she took Fred’s body was somebody else’s doing. Somebody now dead.”
Giles tried to absorb all this information, slowly taking a sip of his drink and letting the rough heat take the edge off the pressure on his mind. A moment later Spike sat forward, placing his elbows on the table as he looked at Giles with eyes that belied his youthful countenance. “This isn’t Fred. Illyria can assume her form, but that is all. Fred is gone. We have no way of bringin’ her back - but that doesn’t mean we didn’t try!”
“The day I called you,” Angel said, as he took up the tale, “Fred had only just died. We did everything to stop it... so far as travelling half way around the world - but we failed. Only death doesn’t have to be the end, as we well know. If you’re powerful enough you can bring back the dead, which is why I needed Willow.”
The vampire leaned forward and fixed Giles with a look so full of anger that the Watcher was taken aback by the sudden force of it.
“And you refused to help! You decided that Fred’s life was not worth fighting for because of ancient laws that you now follow just as blindly as your predecessors... you who should know better! The world isn’t black and white Mister Giles - and it’s no good pretending that it is! Sometimes we have to do terrible things for the sake of good. And once you have blood on your hands, it never comes off, does it?”
Giles swallowed involuntarily, but Angel was far from finished. “Yes W&H are evil - on a scale you might not comprehend - and you had every right to cut your connection with us. Funny how that never came up until you’d used us to capture your psychotic Slayer. And one good turn deserves another - even evil lawyers usually acknowledge that.”
A brief pause, then he continued. “I tried to fight the beast from the inside, and now these two are all that’s left of my team. But -” and the fire in his eyes went out, leaving only weariness, “...we keep fighting, because that’s all we have left!”
Casting a glance at the pretty girl next to him, he spoke again. “We came here and found you for a reason. But before we get to that, we wanted to show you your part in an innocent death, so that you will understand why you will do what we tell you!”
The Watcher felt numb. He tried to wrap his mind around what Angel was saying, but it wouldn’t fit. He also felt a sudden stab of indignation at being held responsible for this girl’s death, when clearly there was nothing he could have done! Only - the pieces of the two conversations suddenly joined up and... Damn them! When did they get so clever? He had admitted just moments previously that refusing help would implicate someone in carrying the guilt. And Willow was certainly capable of bringing someone back from the dead...
But still - he felt indignation rising at being turned into their scapegoat. Would they have given the same speech to Buffy? Except Buffy would of course never have put Angel on hold... He sighed, wishing that he knew what to say, but there were still far too many unknowns for him to formulate a solid defence - or attack. And why had Angel taken the job at W&H?
He looked up and saw that the-girl-who-was-Fred-no-longer was creating another complex composition. She smiled when she saw him looking at her. “There’s something very satisfying about constructing something out of nothing, don’tcha think? I tried to build a model once based on the fractal principle, which is of course not really possible. But if you have enough sticks you can get a good base structure, although it did take weeks and weeks - but then I was very bored at the time! Oh, I should probably explain that this was while I was stuck in a hell dimension called Pylea. But thanks to my brave hero here, I was brought back home again after 5 years of being hunted and living in a cave!” And with a big smile she looked at Angel, whose face was now a stony mask.
Giles noticed that the way the vampires were ignoring ‘Fred’ was very reminiscent of the way Spike had ignored the BuffyBot the summer Buffy was dead... it was obviously too painful a reminder.
Feeling the need to say something, he tentatively cleared his throat. “When you say there is no way of bringing her back...”
Angel met his eyes and answered, voice more tired than Giles could ever remember. “Fred’s soul was destroyed when-”
He stopped, shook his head and then reached out, touching the girl’s arm lightly. “Illyria - please change back. Demonstration over.”
She shrugged and a moment later her entire appearance was blueish and alien again.
Just like Glory and Ben! Giles thought - although Ben had been a person in his own right and not just a shadow. He wished he had more whiskey, but understood now why Spike had refused - even with a clear head, this was almost too much. Trying to get his thoughts in order, he asked a question that had been in his mind since he had first seen the strange being. “Why does she travel with you?”
Angel had become immobile, so Spike, after a moment of hesitation, answered - words slow and obviously painful. “Shared enemies. Shared grief.”
Giles understood that this was as much explanation as he was likely to ever get, and silence fell over the table. After a moment, Illyria turned to Angel. “I wish for you to reveal your ‘surprise’ now. I am growing weary of this place.”
Angel nodded. “OK.”
Go to Chapter 6.
Author: elisi.
Summary: A few weeks post-NFA Giles meets some old acquaintances. But where do their loyalties lie these days? And what exactly do they want with Giles?
Rating: PG.
Feedback: I’d love to know your thoughts!
Notes: I was never all that happy with this chapter when I first wrote it, so I’ve edited and re-written it a bit before posting here. Still not 100% satisfied, but... it should suffice.
Previous chapters here.
Chapter 5
Giles automatically shook the girl’s hand, but he found himself unable to make any coherent sounds when he tried to ask a question.
The vampires seemed to understand his predicament, because Angel began to explain. “This used to be our friend Fred.”
The Watcher finally managed to find his voice. “Used to be?”
Another one of those dark, unreadable looks that he was beginning to get very tired of. “Illyria infected her, gutted her from the inside, killed her and took over her body.”
Giles’ confusion must have shown on his face, because after a brief pause, Angel elaborated. “Illyria is an ancient demon God - one of The Old Ones from before the time of the humans. There was a prophecy - as usual - and she rose as predestined. The fact that she took Fred’s body was somebody else’s doing. Somebody now dead.”
Giles tried to absorb all this information, slowly taking a sip of his drink and letting the rough heat take the edge off the pressure on his mind. A moment later Spike sat forward, placing his elbows on the table as he looked at Giles with eyes that belied his youthful countenance. “This isn’t Fred. Illyria can assume her form, but that is all. Fred is gone. We have no way of bringin’ her back - but that doesn’t mean we didn’t try!”
“The day I called you,” Angel said, as he took up the tale, “Fred had only just died. We did everything to stop it... so far as travelling half way around the world - but we failed. Only death doesn’t have to be the end, as we well know. If you’re powerful enough you can bring back the dead, which is why I needed Willow.”
The vampire leaned forward and fixed Giles with a look so full of anger that the Watcher was taken aback by the sudden force of it.
“And you refused to help! You decided that Fred’s life was not worth fighting for because of ancient laws that you now follow just as blindly as your predecessors... you who should know better! The world isn’t black and white Mister Giles - and it’s no good pretending that it is! Sometimes we have to do terrible things for the sake of good. And once you have blood on your hands, it never comes off, does it?”
Giles swallowed involuntarily, but Angel was far from finished. “Yes W&H are evil - on a scale you might not comprehend - and you had every right to cut your connection with us. Funny how that never came up until you’d used us to capture your psychotic Slayer. And one good turn deserves another - even evil lawyers usually acknowledge that.”
A brief pause, then he continued. “I tried to fight the beast from the inside, and now these two are all that’s left of my team. But -” and the fire in his eyes went out, leaving only weariness, “...we keep fighting, because that’s all we have left!”
Casting a glance at the pretty girl next to him, he spoke again. “We came here and found you for a reason. But before we get to that, we wanted to show you your part in an innocent death, so that you will understand why you will do what we tell you!”
The Watcher felt numb. He tried to wrap his mind around what Angel was saying, but it wouldn’t fit. He also felt a sudden stab of indignation at being held responsible for this girl’s death, when clearly there was nothing he could have done! Only - the pieces of the two conversations suddenly joined up and... Damn them! When did they get so clever? He had admitted just moments previously that refusing help would implicate someone in carrying the guilt. And Willow was certainly capable of bringing someone back from the dead...
But still - he felt indignation rising at being turned into their scapegoat. Would they have given the same speech to Buffy? Except Buffy would of course never have put Angel on hold... He sighed, wishing that he knew what to say, but there were still far too many unknowns for him to formulate a solid defence - or attack. And why had Angel taken the job at W&H?
He looked up and saw that the-girl-who-was-Fred-no-longer was creating another complex composition. She smiled when she saw him looking at her. “There’s something very satisfying about constructing something out of nothing, don’tcha think? I tried to build a model once based on the fractal principle, which is of course not really possible. But if you have enough sticks you can get a good base structure, although it did take weeks and weeks - but then I was very bored at the time! Oh, I should probably explain that this was while I was stuck in a hell dimension called Pylea. But thanks to my brave hero here, I was brought back home again after 5 years of being hunted and living in a cave!” And with a big smile she looked at Angel, whose face was now a stony mask.
Giles noticed that the way the vampires were ignoring ‘Fred’ was very reminiscent of the way Spike had ignored the BuffyBot the summer Buffy was dead... it was obviously too painful a reminder.
Feeling the need to say something, he tentatively cleared his throat. “When you say there is no way of bringing her back...”
Angel met his eyes and answered, voice more tired than Giles could ever remember. “Fred’s soul was destroyed when-”
He stopped, shook his head and then reached out, touching the girl’s arm lightly. “Illyria - please change back. Demonstration over.”
She shrugged and a moment later her entire appearance was blueish and alien again.
Just like Glory and Ben! Giles thought - although Ben had been a person in his own right and not just a shadow. He wished he had more whiskey, but understood now why Spike had refused - even with a clear head, this was almost too much. Trying to get his thoughts in order, he asked a question that had been in his mind since he had first seen the strange being. “Why does she travel with you?”
Angel had become immobile, so Spike, after a moment of hesitation, answered - words slow and obviously painful. “Shared enemies. Shared grief.”
Giles understood that this was as much explanation as he was likely to ever get, and silence fell over the table. After a moment, Illyria turned to Angel. “I wish for you to reveal your ‘surprise’ now. I am growing weary of this place.”
Angel nodded. “OK.”
Go to Chapter 6.