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Part Eight
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The Gathering
"It must be my lucky day... Not!" I muttered as I paced across the apartment. Sometimes I'm so glad that I can't see myself in the mirror. If I could, I'd see the "sucker" I had stamped on my forehead. I looked down at the injured young woman who lay on my bed, wrapped in blankets, and wondered how Willow had talked me out of not taking that walk in the sunlight nine years ago. Then I thought about Diana, and for once the demon and I were in total agreement. "That's it. I'm tired of this Mr. Nice Guy crap. She's going to know fear. She's going to know pain, and _then_ I'm going to kill her!"
It felt so good not to care, for once, about the savage anger churning in my gut. I wanted to take the bitch out. I should have done it the first night I came back here, rather than go looking for the new Slayer. But somewhere deep down, I guess, I knew I couldn't thwart prophecy. How I hate being just a pawn in some big game,and having read enough of the Tiberious Manifesto, I knew my part this time. Then again, maybe it's not so bad knowing the future. There is something to be said for the assurance that the last moments of life will be spent well.
Brigid started to stir, as I sat next to her to check the dressing. The wound was clean, and I tend to be thankful for all the small favors I can get. I have to keep reminding myself she's not an adult. Hell, she's not even the age Buffy was when I met her.
So again I find myself taking the hardest part, the waiting.
* * *
The harsh florescent light flooded into her eyes as soon as she opened them. "Goddess... Will someone dim those damn lights?"
The brightness subsided after a moment and Brigid found herself looking into a pair of worried brown eyes. "You okay?" Angel asked as he brushed some stray hairs off her face.
She smiled slightly as she worked her shoulder to see how bad the damage was. It still hurt and felt a little stiff, but she figured she'd make a full recovery. One of the great perks of being a Slayer. "I'm fine, but I thought that was my line?"
His eyes blazed, "You could have gotten yourself killed!"
"And your point being?" She asked as she snuggled into the blankets for warmth. "Angel, I wasn't going to let her kill you or anyone else for that matter."
"Damn it, Brigid, I _don't_ matter. That's the point."
"Could you please get over your 'I'm not worthy, I want to be a martyr' kick, Angel. It really doesn't impress." She pushed herself up from the bed in annoyance, and as the blankets slipped from her, she realized all she was wearing was her bra. Brigid managed to contain her anger, and tried to keep her voice controlled. "Angel, where is my sweatshirt?"
He dropped his eyes and began ringing his hands, and actually managed to blush. "Uhm, in my sink, soaking." He glanced back up at her and his words began to run together. "It was drenched in blood, and I needed to get to the wound to dress it, but I figured you'd be pissed if I torn it anymore that it already was..."
Anger gave way to laughter at the hang-dog expression on his face. "You lecher!" she accused fondly. He looked like a fourteen year old who'd just got caught with a bunch of dirty magazines.
"I'll get you something to wear." Angel stammered as he moved to the closet. This was a new side to him. Young and vulnerable were two words that neither Buffy or Brigid would have used in association with him, but here Angel was, acting for all the world like he was both.
"Angel, I. . ." She opened her mouth to apologize only to be cut off by a mass of black silk flung in her face. The shirt slid into her lap, and Brigid looked up to find the vulnerable young man gone. Angel was smirking like his old self, and the strange moment passed.
"Hurry up, we've got places to go, people to see, vampires to slay, and a certain watcher reassure."
"You called my dad?" Brigid shook her head as she pulled the shirt on and muttered "Oh shit." She then looked at Angel. "You ever been to Hawaii?"
"No."
"You want to go? I could go for a moonlit walk on a black sand beach right about now."
He smiled at the underlying suggestion, "Sounds nice, but Hawaii's not exactly conducive to my life style. After all, I don't think I'd react well to sunlight or lava."
"I know, I know. . . Alaska, then? After all you'd get six months when you can walk around during the 'day'"
He grinned at her as she stalked out of the apartment, "Get in the car, Brig."
* * *
Xander sat in the living room of the apartment; strumming an old tune on his guitar. It helped him relax when he was worried. He and Willow had arrived an hour ago to find Ms. Calendar trying to keep an almost frantic Giles from rushing to Angel's apartment. Willow had taken over after the former computer science teacher left for God only knew where. He could hear his wife arguing with the old Watcher in the kitchen.
"Damn it, Willow, she could be dying!'
"Giles, if it was that bad, don't you think Angel would have told you? You've just got to trust that he knows what he's doing."
[Trust the bloodsucker? Yeah, that'll be the day.] Xander thought tiredly. He agreed with Will though, that if Fang Face had thought Brigid was in mortal danger he would have said more on the phone. So he wasn't worried. . . . About that anyway. It'd been quite a day of revelations for him. Twenty seven years old, a best selling author, and now for his next big project he was going to be a father. Not exactly how he'd planned his life to go, but when did it ever?
The two were still yelling at each other when Xander heard the lock on the front door click. He put the instrument aside, and moved into the foyer to find Brigid and Angel stepping inside.
"Brigid! You okay?" He started to look her over for wound, fang marks, the usual.
She rubbed her shoulder, and winced slightly, "Yeah, I'm fine, just a little stiff." She glanced around. "Is Justin here yet?"
"Uh, who? Oh, nobody's here but Will, me, and your dad. Speaking of which. . . Giles, your daughter's home." He called and then turned his attention to Ghoul Guy. "Why aren't you the one who took the shot? After all, it might give you a new profession, like coat rack or ash tray decorations."
"Watch it, Xander." Angel growled.
"If you two are done with your traditional testosterone greeting, we can move into the living room. It is more comfortable." Brigid sighed as Giles came rushing in followed by Willow.
"Brigid!" Giles pulled her to him in a hug, and she winced in pain. "Damn it, I almost lost you."
"Dad, are you going to make a habit of this bear hug thing? Because if you are, please be a little more gentle. . . I might heal fast, but it still hurts." Her father reluctantly let go, but still looked over her with concern.
"Should we begin our discussion?" He asked.
"I want to wait till Justin gets here. This is one little chat I'd rather not have more than once. By the way, where is Jenny?"
"She said she had something important to take care of."
* * *
Jenny knocked on the front door. The nice suburban ranch style house was the last place one would expect to find one of the most powerful oracles of the Kaldarash gypsy clan, but they were a long way, both in time and distance, from that place.
The door opened and a doe eyed woman with light brown hair pulled back in a severe braid, "Janna! It's been too long. Please come in."
"I'm sorry to intrude, Magda, really I am." She said as her old friend and clan sister guided her to a seat.
"You're never an intrusion, Janna, or should that be Jenny now." Magda smiled as she sat down. "How can I help you?"
"I need the assistance of your gift. Angelus has returned to the Hellmouth, and in his footsteps has come his sister, Diana. She's after the Slayer."
Magda snorted, "That should get rid of two problems at once."
Jenny shook her head. "Did Uncle ever tell you about how I was forced to separate Angelus from a young woman he'd fallen in love with?" Her clan-sister nodded. "Well this Slayer shares a piece of her soul with Angel's dead love. She won't kill him. I need to know, what she might face."
"I'll do as you ask, Janna. I dislike the thought I might be helping that rabid dog, but the Slayer has come to our aid in times past." She sighed. "Is this all you need of me, or are you able to stay for tea?"
"I have a little time, I think. Last time I saw you, you were trying to repopulate the Kaldarash tribe by yourself. How's it going?"
Magda's smile faded a little, "I can't have anymore children, Janna. I almost lost my son before he was born, a car accident."
"So your gift dies with you. . ."
"No, Justin has the gift."
* * *
Justin reached out to know on the heavy Spanish style door to the Giles family apartment, but as flash made contact with wood a scream pierced his psyche. He fell to his knees as his gift filled his vision. Again he saw the Death card of his tarot and he heard the heart-rending cry of the phoenix as it rose to the sun. The young man managed to blink the dazzling light away. It was rare that he had such a strong reaction, and he felt sorry for who ever the vision was meant for. . . Then he remembered, the card, Brigid! The door opened, and Justin looked up expecting to see his oldest friend, but instead was greeted by the worst enemy of his blood.
"You okay?" The demon asked as it proffered a hand to him.
Justin reacted on instinct, being confronted with the bogeyman made flesh, and charged it.
"Oh shit!" He heard the bastard mutter as it dodged out of the way, like a matador, allowing Justin to run head-long into the Giles' foyer.
* * *
Brigid looked up from her conversation with Willow to see Justin skid to a halt and turn with a stake in hand as Angel warily moved back into the living room.
"You keep away from them, you son of a bitch!" her friend brandished a stake, and set himself between Angel and the herself.
"Justin, what are you doing?!?" Brigid tried to shake her surprise. How the hell did he know?
"Keep back, this monster is a killer."
Brigid felt the tension pour into her, winding her up like a spring. She hoped she could move fast enough to get between them, but her father rendered the action unnecessary.
"What do you think you're doing, young man? I'd thank you not to threaten guests in my home." He said calmly as he moved to Justin's side.
"But Mr. Giles you have no idea..."
"Actually, Justin, I have a very good idea who Angel is. I've known him for quiet some time."
"How....?" Brigid smiled slightly. Justin didn't seem to be able to get a word in tonight.
"I could ask you the same question, but I suspect that this is the reason why Brigid called us here." He turned on her, and all of a sudden _she_ was the one in the hot seat. "You _are_ going to explain yourself, correct?"
She sighed, "Yes, Dad." Her father had a marked tendency to take all the fun out of life. "Both of you might want to sit down." She said as she guided a pole-axed Angel to a seat far across the living room from Justin.
"Okay, here goes... You know, Dad, how you told me not to play with magick?" Giles nodded, as Justin's eyes went wide. "Well, you told me a little to late. I've been practicing with a local coven for over a year..."
"You've been _what_? I thought I distinctly forbade you from touching any form of magick! Didn't you learn anything from my mistakes?"
"Yes, but this is part of my heritage, Dad! Grandma Kate began instructing me two years ago when I went to visit her in Ireland."
"I don't _care_ what that Irish witch has been teaching you! You are a Giles, with responsibilities!" He stood up and advanced on her.
Brigid pulled herself up to her full height, and exchanged glares with her father. "Then to hell with being a Giles! I'm the Slayer first, a Giles second, and if magick can aid me in my duties I'm going to use it!" She saw the terrible blow she struck with those words, and knew she'd have to heal the wound now, before the rift she opened came between them. It was time to try another tack. "I'm sorry, Dad." She said softly, "But wasn't it just that attitude that drove you to the black arts for fun and profit? Grandma Kate's family has always passed down the arts to their daughters. Would you have their knowledge lost because you're afraid?"
"Of course not, but it is extremely dangerous, and you are even younger than I was. I just don't want to see you repeat the mistakes I made."
"And I'm not. Believe me, Dad, the last thing I'm going to do is a summoning, and that's what got you in trouble in the first place."
Justin finally managed to find his voice. "You're the what. . .?" He stopped, studied her for a moment. "The Slayer....It all makes sense..."
Brigid turned to look at him in confusion, "How would you know?"
* * *
I watched the kid as Brigid and Rupert went round. I heard the "Irish witch" line. I'm going to have to talk to Giles about that one of these days. The kid looked damn familiar, and it wasn't someone from my pre-soul days. Those faces were burned into my soul. He was different, and he knew who I was, something I didn't exactly go around advertising.
Damn, I hate this. Then it came to me, as my mind's eye softened the sharp lines of his face, lengthened his hair, and aged him slightly. Suddenly I wasn't looking at a sixteen year old boy anymore, but Jenny Calendar. The pieces came clattering into place, more Kaldarash clan folk. Why me? Okay,so Jenny's not so bad, maybe if I talk to her, she can keep a leash on him, at least till I do what I have to. Of course that means having to explain how I know who she is, and why she's here.
Justin wasn't answering Brigid's question, and I owed him for knocking me off balance. "He's Kaldarash."
"He's what???"
I shrugged, figuring I'd keep Jenny's secret, since she's kept mine. "He's of the Kaldarash Gypsy clan, the ones who cursed me."
"And you know this how?" She challenged me. Sometimes she was to damn smart for her own good.
"He looks a lot like his relative, who's face I can't seem to forget." I looked her straight in the eye, and saw she wasn't buying it. But she didn't seem to want to push it either. That was enough for me, for now.
* * *
Brigid backed down, knowing if she tried to get Angel to talk now, he'd clam up even tighter. She'd just wait him out, he'd have to tell her eventually, and if he didn't... She'd wring it out of him.
"Okay, now that we've got all the surprises out of the way, we need to discuss a few things, like training and strategy. I mean, I've had enough unarmed combat for basics, but I need weapons work, so I just need to know when you want to start Willow."
Xander, who'd been fiddling with his guitar, looked up, "Weapons work? As in you and Willow hitting each other with long pointy things?. No... No, bad idea, I don't think so."
"Xander..." Brigid, Willow, and Giles all looked at him in similar concern.
Xander kept shaking his head, "No, definitely a bad idea." He turned to Willow. "Will, in your condition, this is a bad thing. You could get hurt, the baby could get hurt..."
"Baby?" shocked voices echoed throughout the room.
Willow shrugged, "I'm pregnant."
Brigid caught her old friend up in a gentle hug. "Congratulations!!!"
"Thanks, but I'm not glass, Brigid. I'm not going to break with a hug." Willow admonished as she looked up at Angel, who was hovering behind the younger woman, with a concerned look on his face.
"Are you okay with this?" He asked.
Willow blinked, then nodded, "I'm okay. After all I wouldn't have married him if I didn't want this."
Angel's lips twisted into a wry grin, "It seems I underestimated him," he murmured, "If there's anything I can do for you, Will, just ask." He raised his head and locked eyes with Xander. As soon as he was sure of the young man's attention he mouthed, with an overly sweet smile, "You hurt my little sister, I'll take you apart alphabetically."
Brigid caught the exchange and chuckled as Xander rolled his eyes
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