Causatum.alt
by sailor80
Thirteen
[reviews]
The phone rang again startling all of them. Giles hurried to answer it.
"Sorry we got cut off," Tara said.
"What's happening out there?" Giles asked.
"Nothing," Tara answered. "Please let me talk to Willow again."
Giles handed the phone to the redhead.
"Willow," Tara began, "please listen to me. This is really bad. You need to get out of there now."
"No," Willow said firmly. "If anything, you need to come in here."
"There's no here to come in to," Tara said.
"It's an illusion."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Willow said calmly.
"Okay," Tara conceded.
"Keep talking," Willow directed. She put her hand over the mouthpiece and asked Giles, "Will you get the door, please?"
He did as she asked.
"You still there, Tara?"
"Yeah. We're standing beside the car."
"Giles is waiting to open the door."
"Okay. Ow."
"What?"
"She tripped on the curb," Aislin said in the background.
"Just keep moving," Willow instructed.
"Oh. Sidewalk."
"That's good. Don't trip on the steps."
"I won't," Tara said. "There it is."
Buffy and Dawn looked expectantly at the door. There was a rap on it, and Giles pulled it open. Tara and Aislin emerged from the darkness, and Giles quickly closed the door behind them. He reopened it and peeked out for a moment before swiftly shutting it again.
"There's nothing out there," Giles reported as he rejoined the group. They all looked at him.
"I'm getting really tired of this," Buffy said. She was torn between leaving Willow's side to take care of what was causing her distress, and staying with her to try to soothe her.
"It feels familiar, but I can't remember how or why or when," Willow said with a frown while Tara hugged her hello.
"I'm not surprised," Tara answered while steering Willow back to the couch.
Buffy pulled Willow onto her lap and Dawn moved down next to them to make room on the couch for Tara and Aislin. Willow snuggled into Buffy and draped one leg over Dawns' knee. Dawn rested her hand on Willow's knee and leaned against Tara, who put her arm around the teen's shoulders.
Aislin looked at all of them for a moment, then concentrated on Willow for a few seconds longer before sitting next to Tara. "Willow," she said casually, "you don't look so good."
"I'm okay;" Willow answered absently. Her brow was still furrowed as she tried to find the link in her memory to the current situation.
The phone rang again and Giles, still closest to it, answered, "Summers residence."
"Giles, what the hell is going on now?" Xander asked while Anya wailed in the background.
"We're still trying to figure that out," Giles answered. He put his hand over the mouthpiece and told the others, "It's Xander."
"Anya is having a major freak out."
"End of the world or that something might happen to the money?" Giles asked.
"Both," Xander answered tiredly. "Should we come over or what?"
"Just a moment," Giles said, and covered the mouthpiece again. "He wants to know if they should come here."
"No," Willow answered sharply. "They're safe inside," she added.
"Not now, Xander, but stay indoors," Giles instructed.
"Okay. Call when you need us," Xander answered and hung up.
Giles put the phone down and moved to one of the chairs near the sofa. He looked at the couch, then removed his glasses and began to clean them. "Like Willow, I have a sense of familiarity about this," he said.
Aislin turned her attention to her godfather. "Familiar how, Uncle Rupert?"
Giles replaced his glasses and carefully folded the handkerchief before answering. "Like I know the caster, and he or she is concealing or confusing his or her identity."
"Ethan Rayne," Buffy said calmly.
"Exactly," Giles said.
At the same time, Willow brightened for a moment. She slumped against Buffy again, and said, "Not just him."
"Ethan's supposed to be in custody of the Initiative, or whoever they are calling themselves now."
"Oh, please," Buffy said. "It's not like they're so good at keeping track of their experiments."
"True," Willow said.
"Who would be with him?" Giles wondered.
"Amy," Dawn said. "And Rack."
Willow closed her eyes and buried her face in Buffy's neck. She was shaking again, so much that everyone could see. Buffy tightened her arms around Willow and glared at the door.
"Why do you say that, Dawn?" Aislin asked.
"Who else would it be?" Dawn answered.
Giles' expression hardened. "From the mouths of babes," he commented.
"Okay, we know who. But why? And why now?" Tara frowned a little as she thought about it. "I thought Rack was dead," she added, confused.
Aislin squeezed Tara's hand reassuringly. "If you were messing with the Slayer's wife, you'd want everyone to think you were anywhere else."
"Ok, that does it. I'm going to kill him," Buffy said calmly. Willow still quaked in her lap, and Buffy grew angrier and more determined each time Willow twitched against her.
"As much as I would enjoy watching, and helping," Giles said, "I believe we should hand this over to someone Ethan fears."
"The Council?" Aislin asked.
Giles nodded and ignored Buffy's look. "Specifically, the Inquisitors."
Aislin's eyes widened. Tara asked. "Like the Spanish Inquisition?"
"Correct," Giles answered.
Their exchange caused Willow to sit up. "History says they no longer exist."
"Of course it does," Giles answered. They all recognized his tone and prepared themselves for a history lesson. "History doesn't recognize the Watchers' Council, either, but it exists. When the Inquisitors became a liability to the Catholic church, the Pope contacted the Council. They arranged a mutually acceptable agreement, under which the Inquisitors were absorbed into the Council so the Church was able to whitewash the whole mess and blame it on renegade priests. The Council gathered the Inquisitors, swore them to secrecy, and kept them as their personal magick police. As time passed and the original Inquisitors died, the Council replaced them with skilled magick users who still use the techniques of the originals only as a last resort. They use other, less bloody tools now, and focus on rogue covens and such. That's where Quentin Travers started," Giles added.
"Well, that explains a lot," Buffy said.
"I suppose it does," Giles answered thoughtfully. "Hindsight is amazingly clear, isn't it?"
"No hindsight here," Buffy said. "I told you he was evil the first time I met him, didn't' I?"
"You did," Giles agreed.
"So you'll listen to me next time, right?" Buffy pressed.
"Yes," Giles said finally.
"Good. Are you going to call or am I?"
"I will." Giles got up and went to the phone. He was pleased that the dial tone was still present, and dialed the Council number from memory. While he waited to connect, the checked his watch and calculated the time difference, and nodded to himself when he realized that Londoners were beginning their workdays. He was immediately put through to Merry.
"Mr. Giles," she greeted him, "how can I help you?"
"We have some renegade magick users causing difficulty for Willow."
"And, by extension, the elder Ms. Summers," she responded.
"Exactly," Giles said with relief.
"Do you know who they are?"
"We aren't certain, but suspect Ethan Rayne," Giles told her.
Merry sighed. "I had hoped he would go to Singapore or Rio de Janeiro."
"I had hoped he would die in custody."
"Yes, I imagine you did. Is there anyone else?"
"We believe that a magick dealer called Rack may be involved, and a young witch called Amy Madison."
"Why do you believe that?" Merry asked.
"Amy accosted Willow and Dawn the other evening. And Rack," Giles paused. "You know how black magick dealers are, Merry."
"All too well."
Although he couldn't see her, Giles knew Merry was rubbing her temples. "If it was anything else, we wouldn't bother you. But Willow is still quite fragile, and Buffy cannot protect her from this."
"How is Miss Rosenberg?"
"Much better."
"And the Slayer?" Merry asked.
"Understandably frustrated," Giles replied.
"Indeed. Do you want the team to contact you?"
"That's not necessary."
"I'll let them know. Say hello to Aislin for me."
"I shall. Thank you."
"Whatever the Slayer needs, Mr. Giles." Merry hung up the phone. Her eyes glowed red and she growled, "Damn it, Ethan!" She took a deep breath and her eyes returned to normal. She pressed the intercom button.
"Yes, ma'am?" A young man inquired.
"Ethan Rayne is wreaking havoc in Sunnydale. Bring him to me immediately."
"Yes, ma'am," he repeated, this time in acknowledgment of her order.
Merry pushed the button again and glanced at the clocks above the fireplace mantel, each neatly labeled. She picked up the phone and entered a long string of numbers and drummed her fingers on her thigh while she waited to be connected. She said a half-dozen words in Mandarin Chinese and hung up without waiting for a reply.
Giles hung up the phone and returned to his chair. They all looked at him expectantly. "A team is on the way. I suggest you all get some rest."
Buffy stood up. Willow held on and said nothing. "C'mon, Dawn, you bunk with us and let Tara and Aislin use your room."
Dawn kissed Tara's cheek before standing. "Good night, everyone," she said, and led Buffy to and then up the stairs.
Tara and Aislin remained seated.
"Go to bed, girls," Giles said firmly.
"No offense, Uncle Rupert, but you look terrible. You go to bed. We'll sit up and keep an eye on things," Aislin answered.
They looked at each other for several seconds before Giles said, "Thank you, dear, I believe I shall," and got to his feet.
Aislin's eyes followed him up the stairs. She waited until she heard the bedroom door close before telling Tara, "I think Buffy needs to buy a bigger home."
"Why?"
"This is going to happen frequently. We need to stay close to one another."
Tara half-smiled at Aislin and wiggled closer. "If you say so."
Aislin smiled back. She put her arm across Tara's shoulders and encouraged her to come closer. Tara rested on Aislin's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Sleep, beautiful one," she murmured, and Tara hummed happily while her eyes closed.
Aislin was wide awake. There was no change to the atmosphere around the house. She hoped it would dissipate with the morning light, as many evil things slunk back into their dens. If the magic users were human, or had recently been, they wouldn't care about sunrise. She frowned as she felt the beginning of a bad dream try to enter the Slayer's bedroom. Aislin was relieved when she felt it be repulsed by the barrier that Tara erected. Tara whimpered, and Aislin kissed the crown of her head. "You're safe," she said softly.
Things were quiet after that, but Aislin remained awake. A little after 5 am, she heard footsteps and turned to see Willow walking down the stairs. "Willow?"
When there was no response, Aislin separated from Tara and walked to the foot of the stairs. When she saw Willow's face, Aislin screamed for Buffy as she used her body to barricade the bottom of the staircase.
A second later, Buffy was at the top of the steps. She hurried down them and pulled Willow off Aislin. Willow struggled briefly, then became limp and boneless. Buffy sat back on the steps, pulling Willow along. "You all right?" she asked Aislin.
Aislin nodded. She glanced at Tara, who had fallen over and was making herself comfortable on the couch. "Yes."
"What's this?"
"I have no idea," Aislin answered tiredly. "Take her back to bed and hang on to her."
"You sure you're ok?" Buffy asked.
"Yes."
Buffy grunted as she rearranged Willow's dead weight. The redhead was limp and did not put her arms around Buffy as she normally did, awake or not. Buffy climbed the stairs. She carefully placed Willow in the center of the bed and got in beside her. Buffy laid across Willow, but didn't sleep. She remained alert to any changes in Willow's appearance or breathing. When the sun began to rise, Willow stirred under Buffy, and wrapped herself around her lover. Buffy smiled at Willow's return to normal sleep. An hour later, Buffy let herself sleep.