The Library - again.
Giles sat staring in fascination at the two halves of the chronos stone. Xander and Buffy had long since given up searching the library for any mention of the device, and they were stretched out across chairs, dozing. Of the eight people in the library, only Giles, Xena and Willow remained awake, and the hacker was looking increasingly dazed as she stared at her monitor. Xena was perusing the vampire history book which contained her history with Bacchus.
"They got a lot of this wrong," she was saying to Giles. "It's somewhat exaggerated anyway, like something Gabrielle would have written." She closed the book. "So, because I killed Bacchus once, I'm technically the first Slayer? Interesting."
"Yes, well, all the details are still sketchy, but if you succeed in putting the time line right and killing him again, *after* he aqcuired his demonic traits, your title seems assured." The librarian adjusted his glasses. "Frankly, it's this Dahok fellow who has me worried. His power is to blame for Bacchus, and possibly for every vampire since then. He is a force to be reckoned with, and I can't seem to find any mention of him. Maybe if I look further back....." Giles trailed off absently, and headed for another area of the stacks.
The warrior wandered over to Willow, looking over hershoulder. "This machine is amazing," she observed, causing the redhead to jump slightly. Xena smiled. Willow reminded her of Gabrielle when they first met--naive, but with an inner strength.
"It's not so amazing if you understand it," replied Willow. "Of course, I can't really teach you 2000 years of technology in a day, but trust me, it's no biggie."
"I guess I'll have to trust you, then," said Xena, sitting down. "So, any mention of the chronos stone?"
"I've come across a few things, but nothing relating specifically to repair--sorry. I'll keep looking." Xena shook her head at Willow.
"Actually, why don't you get some sleep? We'll have plenty of daylight for research, and we need to be prepared for Bacchus tomorrow night."
"You think he'll try to get the stone back?" asked Willow, looking a little wild-eyed at the thought of facing the wine god.
"I know he will. Bacchus is not a complicated fellow. We have something he considers his, and he wants it back."
"Refreshingly straightforward," commented Giles, dumping a new stack of books on the table. "Xena's right, Willow. Why don't you and the others head home and get some sleep? Xena and her companions can sleep here."
"Okay," said Willow, stifling a yawn. She woke Xander and Buffy, and the three left the library.
Xena looked at Giles seriously. "They're awfully young for this line of work," she commented. "Are they up to it?"
Giles stared after the departing trio. "They have to be," he said. "Besides, you grow up fast on a hellmouth--if you live long enough."
* * *
The Next Morning
Giles (with some help from Xander) had managed to scrounge up some slightly less conspicuous clothes for Xena and the others, but the sight which met Buffy's and Willow's eyes the next morning was still hard to take.
"Somebody dial Fashion 911!" said Buffy, checking out Xena's bizarre combination of sweatsuit and combat boots. "What *happened* last night?" As Joxer wandered up, decked out in a tweed jacket and an old pair of Xander's pants, Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "This atrocity can only be the work of one man. GILES! What have you done to these poor people? Or are you trying a new experiment in Cordelia-torture? Her head would explode if she saw this." Buffy paused, thoughtfully. "Maybe not necessarily a bad thing, but...."
"Wow," said Willow, looking at the mismatched group, "I'm actually feeling better about my own fashion statement. Or lack thereof."
"I'm calling Cordy," said Buffy, heading toward Giles' office. "We'll have this all straightened out in a jiff."
"Buffy," began Giles, "I somehow doubt that matching outfits are of paramount importance....."
"But, Giles," said Willow, "what if Principal Snyder comes by? He knows that Library Inspectors don't dress this way."
"Library Insp - oh, yes, good thinking, Willow." Giles turned to Xena. "We should have a cover story. Not everyone in Sunnydale knows about the Slayer, or the vampires, or even the hellmouth."
"Who does know?" asked Gabrielle, tugging at her new attire and trying to make one of Xander's t-shirts seem less huge on her frame.
"Actually, we're it," said the librarian, looking uncomfortable.
"But shouldn't the people be prepared for attack?" Joxer asked.
"It's complicated," said Willow. "Most people here don't believe vampires even exist. They freak out so much when they do find out that it's just easier if they never know. Plus there's all this 'protecting the Slayer' stuff--the fewer folks who know, the fewer the vamps can use against Buffy. It's a whole danger reduction thing."
"Oh, I get it," said Joxer. "A top-secret undercover mission. I can do inscrutable. I can do mysterious. I can--"
"You can knock it off, Joxer," said Gabrielle, steering Joxer away from Willow. "We've got work to do." The duo went back to their books.
Cordelia arrived shortly, with bags of clothing in tow. She was somewhat dismayed at Xena's stature, but eventually got the four travellers outfitted in what she called, "Loser-like, but do-able."
"Frankly, the leather wouldn't be so bad--if someone actually *cleaned* it once in a while! Ewww!" Cordelia dropped the portion of Xena's gear she had been examining and held her nose. "What is that stain? Food? Paint?"
"Actually, that's blood," replied Xena, retrieving her clothing. Unfortunately, her remark didn't phase Cordy.
"You know, that's really the worst thing about this whole vampire business. My drycleaning bill is *HUGE* now! But if you want, I know this fabulous little cleaners down the street...." at this point, Xena's stare penetrated even Cordy's self-involvement, "Or, okay, be smelly. Geez."
"Cordelia, aren't you late for class?" Giles asked politely.
"Oh sure, Cordy, come on in, save everyone's butt, and get kicked out. Fine. Xander? You coming?"
Xander put down the boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts he'd brought in for breakfast, and replied through a mouthful of pastry, "I just got back from a breakfast run, Cordelia. I need my brain food; I'm a growing boy. I'll catch up."
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't expect me to be receptive to closet time with someone suffering from doughnut breath." Cordelia left in a huff.
Autolycus watched Cordy leave with admiration. "If I were you, kid, I'd chew and chase her at the same time. If 'closet time' means what I think it means." Xander looked at Autolycus, nodded, grabbed two more doughnuts, and was out the door in a flash.
Buffy slammed the book she'd been reading down on the table. "I can't take any more of this. We live on a hellmouth, for crying out loud. You'd think someone would have figured out time travel by now, and that some anal Watcher would have recorded it--no offense, Giles."
"None taken," said the Watcher.
"I wish Ms. Calendar was here," murmured Willow absently. When she realized what she'd said, she clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry! Stupid! I'm so stupid! Giles....."
The librarian dismissed Willow's apology with a wave. "It's okay, Willow. We could all use her expertise at a time like this..." he trailed off, thoughtfully, and silence resumed.
Gabrielle leaned over to Xena. "Who's Ms. Calendar?"
"A friend of Giles'. Willow told me about her last night. She was murdered by the vampire they call Angelus just to torture Buffy and the others. She was a sorceress--they call them technopagans, now. Buffy feels guilty, and Giles is still suffering."
Gabrielle looked sympathetically at the Slayer and her friends. She understood how they felt - Callisto had caused the same kind of damage to her and Xena by murdering Gabrielle's husband Perdicus.
Finally, Willow and Buffy had to get to class. They gathered their things and left, assuring Giles that they'd be back as soon as they could.
* * *
Vampire Central
"So, let me get this straight," drawled Spike, as he propelled his wheelchair around the table where Bacchus, Angelus and Drusilla were sitting, "I've already met you, we were about to be attacked by the Slayer, you three *DITCHED* me and used the chronos stone to go back in time, where you got your arses kicked *AND* lost the chronos stone. Am I anywhere near correct, here?"
Angelus looked annoyed as he replied, "The plan was to catch them off guard and secure the stone. Then we could have simply time travelled and picked them off one by one."
"Ooooh, great plan. And where in this plan was the addendum 'lose the chronos stone, return in defeat, and bring along the one person guaranteed to draw lots of unwanted Slayer attention'?"
Angelus sprang from his seat and grabbed Spike by the shirt. "Listen, Mr. Big Wheel, I don't need any more crap from you. I'm going to personally rip the hearts out of every single Greek freak and Slayer groupie until we get the stone back. If you're so concerned about this situation, why don't *you* do something about it? Like, maybe WALK?" Spike growled and lunged at Angelus, who plucked him out of his wheelchair and tossed him across the room. "Ahhh," sighed Angelus, stretching his arms, "Now *that's* stress relief!"
"Spike! Oh, my poor baby! Did Angel play too rough?" Dru ran across the room to attend to Spike, chiding Angel, "Now, now, Angel. No temper tantrums. Dru and Bacchus will make it all better, won't we?"
Bacchus had been silent for the duration of this exchange. Now he pushed away from the table violently and stood, staring menacingly at the three other vampires. "THIS IS NOT MY DESTINY!" he roared, slamming huge fists down onto the table and cracking it in half. "Look at you! Hiding from mortals, afraid of a 17 year old girl and her inept friends. Slaves to darkness and blood. What use are you? Who fears you? Mortals deny your existence! If you are my progeny, I disown you! I am a god!" Bacchus calmed himself, then continued in a deadly even tone, "I deserve respect and power, as Dahok promised. You will help me retrieve the stone, and then you will get out of my sight, or I will kill you."
Bacchus strode toward Angelus and lifted him off the ground by his throat. "Of course, I may kill you anyway, just for kicks." The wine god smiled evilly at the struggling Angelus, then shook him viciously and dropped him. "Who knows? I'm funny that way." He looked at the three shocked vampires before him. "I'm waiting for a plan," he said calmly, crossing his arms. "And you know what? Apparently I *can* wait all day." Spike, Angelus, and Drusilla simply stared at him, openmouthed, as he threw back his head and laughed.
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