Getting Ahead of Myself
by sailor80
Chapter Twenty-seven
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By dawn, Giles knew little more than he had when he started. The sword was old, and its engravings recounted some of its history. Its original owner had fought under Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours, and his progeny had wielded it in every war involving France since then, including the defense of Paris against the Vikings, all of the Crusades, the Wars of Religion, and the Thirty Years War. Its history after that was less clear, but from its condition, Giles knew that it had been both used and well cared for. He had no more luck with the symbol Willow had copied, and before going to get some rest, he faxed all of the drawings to the Watchers Council.
The phone woke him shortly before noon. Philip Westrope was on the other end. "Where did you get this sword?"
Giles sat up and from habit reached for his glasses. "Buffy brought it home last night."
"Do you have any idea what it is?"
"Apart from quite old, no."
"No weapon like this has been seen outside of a museum in a century. Where did the Slayer find it?"
"She removed it from a man in a suit of armor."
"Excuse me?"
"She removed it from a man in a suit of armor," Giles repeated.
"Did she describe him?"
"Only the tattoo."
"The Slayer took the sword from a tattooed man in armor?"
"Yes. Why so many questions?"
"We need to be certain of what or who we are up against."
"We're supposed to meet with the knights this afternoon. I'll call you afterward."
"I look forward to it," Westrope answered, and hung up.
Giles returned the phone to its cradle and swung his feet to the floor. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair before getting up to begin his day.
"You can't bring Dawn," Buffy insisted.
"You're not going by yourself," Willow answered.
"Giles and Faith are going, too."
"Buffy, I don't trust them. Not Giles and Faith, the knights. Remember what they did to Faith?"
"All the more reason you can't go."
"I'm going," Willow said with determination.
"No, you aren't. I need you and Tara to stay with Mom. Tara can't fight, but you can."
"Buffy," Willow began.
"No," Buffy interrupted. "This isn't a discussion, Willow. We need to know what's up with these knights. Faith and I can take care of ourselves. Giles can handle the talking. I'm not putting anyone else at risk. You and Dawn and Tara are going to the gallery to stay with Mom."
"We're going to talk about this later."
"Fine. I'll get Dawn's bag ready."
Willow glared at Buffy's back as she left the room. "Stubborn Slayer," she grumbled.
Buffy returned a few minutes later with the diaper bag. "I almost forgot, Mom wants you to talk to Tara."
"About what?"
"Slaying. You know, dealing with slaying."
"All right. But we're still going to talk."
Buffy sighed. "I know."
Giles arrived promptly at 3 p.m., and Buffy was locking the door before he could get out of his car. She installed Dawn's seat in the back of Giles' car, and she and Willow squeezed in beside it, Willow in the middle. Tara sat in the passenger seat. Giles snagged a parking spot in front of the gallery, and Buffy hurried to remove Dawn's seat.
She carried her daughter into the empty gallery. Joyce appeared when she heard the bells on the door. Faith came in from the back a few moments later. Buffy kissed her mother's cheek as she passed. Willow, sulking, followed them to the office.
Faith smiled at Tara. "Hey, Blondie."
"Hey," Tara smiled back and walked to her. "Be careful, please."
Faith nodded. "We shouldn't be long."
Tara brushed Faith's cheek with her thumb and kissed her quickly. "See you soon."
Faith grinned. "Count on it." She winked at Tara and joined Giles. "You ready?"
"Yes." He yawned. "So sorry. Didn't get much sleep last night."
"Why?" Buffy asked.
"I was researching the weapons."
"Did you bring them?"
"In the trunk."
"Cool. What did you find out?" Faith asked.
"Not much. The sword is quite old. It was used at the Battle of Tours." Both Slayers looked at him blankly, and Giles sighed. "I don't know why I bother."
"No, wait, I got it. Stopped the Muslim advance into Europe," Buffy said.
"Very good. Shall we go?"
Buffy smiled. "I paid attention in World History."
"Showoff," Faith teased.
Once Dawn was settled in Joyce's office, Willow and Tara wandered back to the store room. "How are you feeling?" Willow asked.
Tara shrugged. "All right, I guess."
"You sure? You didn't look so good the other night."
"I hate seeing her like that."
"It's going to happen sometimes."
"I know. I doesn't make it any easier."
"I don't know what to tell you, Tara. Buffy gets better and stronger every day. So does Faith. And she's a lot better than she used to be. I guess she's growing up." Willow turned away from Tara so she wouldn't see her inner
conflict. She knew Faith had changed, but she was still angry at her about all the history they shared.
Tara frowned slightly. "Doesn't it bother you?"
Willow turned back to face Tara. "Doesn't what bother me?"
"The, um, blood. Her," Tara trailed off, not sure what she was trying to ask.
"She comes home, it was a good night," Willow said firmly. "I wouldn't have picked this, Buffy didn't pick it. It's just how things are." Willow pushed away from the wall. "Being a Slayer is who Faith is. If you love her, you take a deep breath and accept it." Willow paused for a moment. "You love her, right?"
"Yes."
Willow shrugged. "Then you do what you need to do. When I first met Buffy, she told me, life is short, seize the moment. She meant her life, but I didn't know that right away. I try really hard to make sure that after she's gone, I don't look back and wonder about the things we wanted to do or say. Because she'll die one day. One night. I know that. It scares the heck out of me when I let it, so I try not to let it. Am I making any sense?"
Tara nodded. "Th-there's no middle ground, is there?"
"Not on the hellmouth." Willow looked past Tara for a few seconds, then returned her attention to the other witch. "Buffy suggested we put a bigger first aid kit in the downstairs bathroom and down in your room. I'll show you how to put in stitches. I used to practice on fruit." Willow laughed at the memory. "It's probably my fault Xander doesn't eat fresh fruit, cause every time he picked something out of the bowl, I had been practicing on it."
"Franken peach," Tara said with a smile.
Willow laughed again. "That's exactly what he said." She smiled at Tara. "Last chance for serious Slayer issues."
Tara paused for half a minute before answering. "I-I w-w-w-wish," she started, and paused again to curse her stammer. "I think you and Faith need to work out your issues," she said slowly, and her heart fell when she saw Willow close down.
Willow turned her back to Tara. Her eye caught on a large hammer on the wall, and for a moment, Willow fantasized about using it to smash everything in sight into splinters. Then she took a deep breath and brought her feelings back under control. Tara saw the changes, both physically and in Willow's aura, as her emotions changed. Without facing Tara or answering, Willow left the storeroom.
Tara watched her leave, and sighed. Faith and Willow were so alike in some ways, and she was afraid that neither of them would open a door to the other. Tara hated the tension between Faith and Willow. She knew Faith berated herself every day for whatever had occurred between them so long ago; Faith refused to tell Tara anything except that she had deliberately hurt Willow. Tara was equally certain that Willow had never told Buffy the details, and that Buffy was the reason Willow hadn't tried to pull she and Faith apart. "Time," Tara said to herself, and involuntarily wondered how much of it the four of them had.
They got into Giles' car, with Buffy again in the rear. While they drove to the cemetery, Giles related the rest of what he learned from the sword and the call from Philip Westrope.
"Sounds like Wesley," Buffy said.
"Yes, he did sound a bit like Wesley," Giles agreed. He parked within site of the crypt, and all of them got out of the car. Giles opened the trunk and removed the leather belt. Buffy took it from him, and they walked to the crypt.
A few minutes later, five knights approached in a vee formation. Their heads were bare, and the one at the head of the group wore a cape with a red lining. He was older than the others, and had scars on his face, and his tattoo was more ornate than the others'. They stopped a few feet from Giles, who stood between and one step in front of the Slayers.
"Gentlemen," Giles said.
"You have something that belongs to one of my men."
"Yes," Giles agreed. "Introductions?" he suggested.
"Gregor, general of the Knights of Byzantium. We know who you are."
"Then please be so kind as to explain why you harass my Slayers."
"They guard the Beast's Key. The Key must be destroyed, as must all those who align themselves with the Beast."
Buffy stepped forward. "We aren't guarding anything." Giles put his hand on her shoulder but she shook it off. "You aren't welcome here. I have enough problems without a bunch of boys playing King Arthur getting in the way. I was nice last night. Next time, I won't be. Are we clear?"
"As long as you are aligned with the Beast, you are our enemy."
Faith stepped up before Buffy could reply. "We aren't aligned with anyone. Especially not something called the Beast."
"This is not a debate, little girl."
"Call me that again, and you'll find out exactly what a Slayer is," Faith said evenly.
Giles dropped the leather belt to the ground and put one hand on each Slayer's shoulder.
"Stay out of my way," Buffy said, and turned to leave. The others followed her silently. When they reached Giles' car, they stood and watched the knights file back into the woods.
"Who are those freaks?" Faith asked.
"I'm not certain. But we'll find out," Giles answered.
Giles parked across the street from the gallery this time. Once they were inside, Buffy flipped the sign to closed and locked the door. "Mom?"
Joyce came in from her office. "What, Buffy? Hello, Rupert."
"Just checking. Where's Will?"
"They're in my office," Joyce answered, and Faith walked in that direction.
"Ready to call it a day?"
"I think so."
"I see that thing is gone."
"The sculpture? Two very nice men picked it up just after lunch."
"I can't believe anybody bought it."
"One woman's ugly is perfect in another's house. Rupert, will you join us for dinner?"
"Sorry, I have some things I must attend to. Another time?"
"Certainly."
"Buffy, may I have a word before I leave?"
Joyce took the hint and left.
"What?" Buffy asked.
"I don't think either of you should patrol until I find out from the Council exactly what these knights are. I fear they will ambush you or Faith again, and won't stop until, well, until..."
"They kill one or both of us."
"Um, yes."
"Fine. No patrolling until you give us the go ahead. Are we allowed to leave the house?"
Giles rolled his eyes at Buffy's tone. "As long as you are careful."
"Meaning, you'd rather we didn't."
"Yes."
"Monopoly marathon, here we come." Buffy sighed, and unlocked the gallery door. She held it open for Giles, and locked it again once he was gone. Buffy went into Joyce's office. "Giles says no patrolling until he gets the 411 on the shiny metal guys."
"Cool, a night off," Faith grinned.
"Two in a row for you," Buffy pointed out. "Don't get used to it. Especially since we're supposed to stay home."
"You're kidding, right?" Faith asked.
"Nope."
"Guess we better get some movies."
"I'll call Xander and see if they want to join us," Willow added. "If that's ok," she added to Joyce.
"It's fine, Willow. It will be nice to see all of you together again."