“Thank you for responding so quickly, Buffy.”
“There’s no need to be snotty, Giles. I was in class. I came just as soon as I got your message.”
Giles glanced significantly at her and Riley’s joined hands and raised an eyebrow. “Of course you were.”
“No, it’s true.” Willow called from the couch where she and Tara both sat, leaning forward to read a tome sitting open on Giles’s coffee table. “The only French class she could get into was at 4:30, and we’re required to take a language.”
“What are you taking?” Tara asked her quietly.
“Hebrew. I’m trying to get in touch with my roots.”
“So what’s the what, Giles?” Buffy asked as she headed for the kitchen. “Got anything to eat?”
“No, Spike got here first.”
The vampire in question emerged from the kitchen, the “Kiss the Librarian” mug he had stolen in his hand. “Don’t blame me that your fridge was so understocked, Rupe.”
“Why do you feel the need to raid my refrigerator anyway, Spike? You don’t need to eat.”
“Passes the time. I don’t even need to worry about gaining weight,” he smirked at Buffy.
Buffy just rolled her eyes at the barb. “Is that the best you can do, Spike? Not even your wit is dangerous anymore.”
“I could do better.”
“Not if you don’t want to see the inside of a dustbuster.”
“If you two are *quite* finished...”
Spike rolled his eyes and wandered off into the den. He turned the TV on to MTV and ignored Willow and Tara’s dirty looks as he threw himself down on the couch and crossed his boots on the coffee table right beside their book.
Giles turned back to Buffy and Riley. “I anticipated that you would be hungry when you arrived—“ He cut a glance at Riley instead of Buffy this time. The former soldier was unable to suppress a blush, and Giles smirked. “Uh-hum.” Buffy looked sharply up at her beau, who was blushing and fidgeting, then turned back and glared at Giles. “—so I sent Xander and Anya to fetch some pizza--*Seasoned with garlic*!” He called over his shoulder. Spike grunted and settled deeper into the couch, sulking. “I will explain what the “what” is once they arrive.”
As if on cue, Xander and Anya entered. “Soup’s on!” Xander called, holding up two pizza boxes.
“What soup?” Anya asked. “It’s pizza. We didn’t get soup.”
“They’d better not be half-gone, Xander.” Buffy warned.
“Are you ever going to let me forget that, Buff? It was just the once.”
Buffy quirked an eyebrow at him.
“Okay, twice.”
Willow looked at him.
“Alright, alright, a few. But I’ve gotten better. Delivering pizzas gave me practice.”
“I told him he wouldn’t get any sex tonight if he snuck any pieces,” Anya said, taking a piece.
“Traitor.” Xander muttered. “Open the other one for the vegetarian option, Tara. It’s just got mushrooms.”
“Th-thank you.”
“Is everyone fed, then?” Giles asked as the Gang gathered around the table. “Very well. I received a call from Angel today. It seems that Cordelia had a vision.”
“Um, excuse me, sir,” Riley interrupted, holding up his hand in a reflex from both military service and studenthood. “I’m sorry, but who is Cordelia, what does she have to do with Angel, and...vision?”
“She’s a friend of ours—“ Buffy started.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Willow grumbled.
“She’s someone who went to high school with us.” Buffy corrected. “She worked with us while she was here, but she moved to L.A. when we graduated.”
“She’s the reason I’m here.” Anya elaborated. “She was Xander’s girlfriend, but he cheated on her with Willow, so I came here to avenge her. But *he* broke my power center,” she pointed at Giles. “And here I am now, stuck in this form. I can’t even boil anyone’s blood anymore.”
Riley gaped at her for a minute, then shook his head. “I’ll sleep better not knowing,” he muttered. He looked back at Giles. “Yes?”
“She works as Angel’s secretary now. Originally, they had a friend whose visions guided Angel’s endeavors. That friend died, and passed the visions on to Cordelia.”
“So he’s got his own prophet working for him?” Riley asked incredulously.
“Effectively, yes.”
Riley looked at Buffy. “Is that supposed to be standard issue? Why don’t you have one of those?”
Buffy tapped on her temple. “I get dreams instead.”
“Oh.”
“If I may?”
“Sorry, Giles.”
“It seems she saw you, Buffy, wearing armor and killing people. She also heard voices chanting the name ‘Belial’.”
All the color drained from Anya’s face. “Belial?”
The sound of shattering ceramic startled them.
“Damn it, Spike!” Giles shouted, turning toward the den and his unwelcome guest. “I don’t have the money to keep cleaning that carpet!”
“Did you say Belial, mate?”
“Yes, I did. Belial. Now, this information seemed to disturb Angel greatly. In fact, he was nearly frantic. He said he would be on his way here as soon as the sun set.”
Riley scowled. “Is that really necessary?”
“He seemed to think so.”
“Of course he did.” Xander groused. “It doesn’t have anything to do with coming back here to see Buffy and shake her all up again.”
Buffy was scowling, too. “Doesn’t he think I can handle myself at all? A warning isn’t enough. No, of course not. He has to come running here to the rescue—“
Spike rushed across the room and grabbed Anya by the shoulders.
“Hey!” Xander protested.
Spike ignored him. “You got a car, don’t you, An?”
“Yes.” She turned toward the door and grabbed Xander’s arm. “We’re going.”
“Going? Where? Wait—“ He pulled his arm out of her grasp. “*No*, we’re not going. What’s got into you two?”
Anya grabbed the front of his shirt. “Xander, Belial is coming.” She pointed at the door. “I am going out that door, I am getting in that car, and I am going to see how many states away I can be by the time he gets here. If I could still do dimensions, I would. And you are coming with me if I have to knock you unconscious and make Spike carry you.”
“Carry him? Me?”
“You will if you want to come with me. I have the keys, and you can’t take them from me.”
“Oh, alright.”
“Whoa, wait a second.” Buffy spread her hands placatingly. “What’s with the sudden wiggage?”
“What do you know about Belial?” Anya demanded from Giles.
“Um, quite a bit, actually. The name is fairly well known. He’s a Christian demon, supposedly the angel who kept his beautiful voice even after he fell. He’s reputed to be the most gifted of tempters. He’s ranked as one of the most potent arch-demons, sometimes identified with Lucifer himself.”
“Got the profile right, mate. Just got a couple words wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“You called him a ‘demon’.” Anya answered “He’s a True Devil.”
“Demon, devil, what’s the difference?” Buffy asked.
“Everything. Demons were the Earth’s original inhabitants. When the animals came, some left and some stayed and became tainted. Regardless, Earth is the demons’ original home. True Devils are from...somewhere else. They *always* lived in the Outer Dark, and they *always* hated the Earth, and wanted to destroy it. Even when it was demons living here. Differences that matter to you? They’re much, much more powerful.”
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