cold_affection: Needed by a friend
Pushing his glasses up his face as he walked into the living room in Buffy's home, Giles reached up and massaged the back of his neck with a sigh. He wasn't sure that damn stone was going to work on Spike anymore than Buffy was, but he knew they needed to give it more time. Spike was a danger so long as whatever trigger the First had planted in him was still active.
With a sigh, he looked up to see Willow hanging up the phone, her eyes large as though someone had just told her some very bad news. "Willow? Is something wrong?"
"That--that was Fred. They're...Angelus..." She swallowed and stared at him, the look in her eyes telling him that he was obviously the last person she wanted to tell. "Angelus is back. I don't know how, but he is. Fred says he's killed Wesley, Faith and Charles, and she's down there by herself, and she doesn't know what to do. I need to go."
"You're not going alone!" Giles told her. His chest tigtened at the thought of poor Fred down there by herself. He had gotten to know her quite well when he had gone down to Los Angeles after Buffy's death a year and a half before and stayed with her while Angel took off for parts unknown to "deal with" his grief. He couldn't let her become another victim of that bloody vampire.
"But Buffy has her hands full here! There's no way she can--."
"No. I'm going with you. And we'll take one of the potentials with us." He looked into the kitchen to see who was there. "Amanda, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Hey, what's up?" she asked, coming into the living room.
"We have an emergency in Los Angeles. The vampire Angelus is back, and we need to go down there to help a friend before she becomes his next victim. You're one of the most advanced of the potentials, so we could use your help."
Amanda's eyes widened. "Of--of course."
"We'll get some weapons together while Willow gets what she needs to take with her." He looked at Willow. "Are you going to try to re-ensoul him again?" He wasn't sure what he felt about the idea, especially after everything that had happened, but he also knew that Buffy would probably never forgive them if they didn't try.
"We have to try," she said, echoing his thoughts before running upstairs to her bedroom to get her things together.
Giles and Amanda quickly kitted themselves out, grabbing crossbows, stakes and swords from the chest. They took everything out to the car and loaded it up, finishing just as Willow hurried out, her bag slung over her shoulder.
"You driving?" she asked.
He nodded, sliding into the drivers seat as Willow climbed into the passenger seat and Amanda got into the back. Soon they were on the road to Los Angeles, and on the way there, they filled in Amanda on Angelus' background. Giles found himself gripping the wheel until his knuckles were almost white, trying not to think of finding Fred the same way he had found Jenny. Part of him just wanted to stake Angelus the next time he saw him, re-ensouling be damned.
When they reached Los Angeles, he navigated them through the streets to the Hyperion and parked in front on the street. Once he and Amanda grabbed their weapons, he handed some stakes to Willow, and the three of them headed into the hotel.
"Fred?" Giles called out as they walked into the eeriely quiet lobby. "Fred, it's Rupert Giles. I've come with Willow to help you. Are you here?"
With a sigh, he looked up to see Willow hanging up the phone, her eyes large as though someone had just told her some very bad news. "Willow? Is something wrong?"
"That--that was Fred. They're...Angelus..." She swallowed and stared at him, the look in her eyes telling him that he was obviously the last person she wanted to tell. "Angelus is back. I don't know how, but he is. Fred says he's killed Wesley, Faith and Charles, and she's down there by herself, and she doesn't know what to do. I need to go."
"You're not going alone!" Giles told her. His chest tigtened at the thought of poor Fred down there by herself. He had gotten to know her quite well when he had gone down to Los Angeles after Buffy's death a year and a half before and stayed with her while Angel took off for parts unknown to "deal with" his grief. He couldn't let her become another victim of that bloody vampire.
"But Buffy has her hands full here! There's no way she can--."
"No. I'm going with you. And we'll take one of the potentials with us." He looked into the kitchen to see who was there. "Amanda, may I speak to you for a moment?"
"Hey, what's up?" she asked, coming into the living room.
"We have an emergency in Los Angeles. The vampire Angelus is back, and we need to go down there to help a friend before she becomes his next victim. You're one of the most advanced of the potentials, so we could use your help."
Amanda's eyes widened. "Of--of course."
"We'll get some weapons together while Willow gets what she needs to take with her." He looked at Willow. "Are you going to try to re-ensoul him again?" He wasn't sure what he felt about the idea, especially after everything that had happened, but he also knew that Buffy would probably never forgive them if they didn't try.
"We have to try," she said, echoing his thoughts before running upstairs to her bedroom to get her things together.
Giles and Amanda quickly kitted themselves out, grabbing crossbows, stakes and swords from the chest. They took everything out to the car and loaded it up, finishing just as Willow hurried out, her bag slung over her shoulder.
"You driving?" she asked.
He nodded, sliding into the drivers seat as Willow climbed into the passenger seat and Amanda got into the back. Soon they were on the road to Los Angeles, and on the way there, they filled in Amanda on Angelus' background. Giles found himself gripping the wheel until his knuckles were almost white, trying not to think of finding Fred the same way he had found Jenny. Part of him just wanted to stake Angelus the next time he saw him, re-ensouling be damned.
When they reached Los Angeles, he navigated them through the streets to the Hyperion and parked in front on the street. Once he and Amanda grabbed their weapons, he handed some stakes to Willow, and the three of them headed into the hotel.
"Fred?" Giles called out as they walked into the eeriely quiet lobby. "Fred, it's Rupert Giles. I've come with Willow to help you. Are you here?"