Reminding the Fallen
by zenithar
Chapter 22
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Author's Note: Once again thanks to Rebelrsr for help on the fic, couldn't do it with out you.
After the two Slayers left, Willow started heading back up the stairs. As she was getting back into bed, there was a knock at the door. Thinking one of the Slayers had forgotten something, she went back downstairs and opened it.
What greeted her was the sight of a haggard, tired, old librarian. As soon as Willow recognized the old man was Giles she hugged him. "Giles, what are you doing here?" the Wiccan asked, as she dragged him inside.
Smiling gently at the girl, Giles broke the hug. Once he was out of it, the tired look came back into his face as he answered, "I'm here to warn everyone and to help prepare, I'm afraid."
"Warn us about what?" Worry began to seep into Willow's voice.
"Serenity is on her way. She found where Buffy is living when she destroyed the Council," Giles told the redhead before him.
Shock showed on Willow's face. "What? The Council is gone?"
The old man's face hardened. "Yes, and we can thank Serenity for doing us the favor. The damn fools destroyed themselves when they betrayed Buffy."
"What do you mean? Giles, you're not making any sense," the Wiccan said.
Looking around, hoping to spot something or someone, he asked, "Where is Buffy, I must tell her immediately."
"She just left for patrol with Faith. I have no idea when they'll be back," Willow told the librarian. Letting the multitude of questions she had for Giles go for the time being, she said, "You're tired. Do you want to sleep until they show up?"
Nodding his head slowly, Giles staggered over to the couch. "I suppose it will be alright to rest until Buffy arrives. Once she does, wake me right away. We do not have much time until Serenity is in the States."
Letting Giles go over to the couch, Willow went and grabbed a blanket for him. After seeing him settle down to sleep, the redhead sat in the armchair and watched out the windows for the patrolling Slayers.
After falling asleep for several hours, there was the soft sound of the front door being opened. Willow quickly got up and went to whoever it was. Finding it was only Faith, Willow asked the obvious question, "Where's Buffy?"
"She decided to keep patrolin'. What are you still doing up?" Faith said while closing the door.
Rubbing her eyes sleepily, Willow answered, "Giles just showed up, and he's asleep on the couch."
"What? G-man's back?" Faith sounded astonished to hear the old Watcher was back in Sunnydale. "What's he here for?"
"He's here to help us with Serenity. Looks like she found out Buffy's here and is on her way," the redhead told Faith.
"B's sire is coming here? Did G say anything else?" the dark Slayer asked.
Willow nodded her head. "He said Serenity destroyed the Council, and he needed to talk with Buffy."
"Ok, I have a feeling this is going to be big. Could you wake up D and me when B gets here?" Faith requested.
"Sure, Faith. You know when she'll be back?"
"No idea, but it's obviously going to be before dawn," the Slayer said.
"Gee, thanks, Faith. That helps," Willow said sarcastically as the two separated. The Slayer headed for Dawn's room while the witch headed for the living room.
Looking at a clock, Willow saw that it was only a few hours till day break so she went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee and Earl Gray. With that done the redhead got to work on making some pancakes.
The sun was beginning to rise, and there still wasn't any sign of Buffy. Willow began to worry. Right when she was going to go upstairs and send Faith out to find her mate, the Slayer Vampire burst through the entrance as the sun's rays came cresting over the horizon. Smiling somewhat stupidly as she leaned against the door, she fought to regain her unneeded breath.
"Buffy, where were you?" Willow asked worriedly, going up to her and wrapping her arms around the vampire's waist.
Breathing in the redhead's scent, Buffy leaned away from the wall and more on Willow. After placing a light kiss on Willow's forehead, Buffy said, "Sorry I pulled it so close. I was just having a little too much fun."
"Well, your fun is going to be put on hold for a bit. Giles is here," the Wiccan informed Buffy.
"What?" the vampire asked incredulously. "When did he show up?"
"Pretty much right when you left for patrol," Willow said as she broke their hug. Going into the kitchen she said over her shoulder, "He wanted to talk with you as soon as you got back."
"Do you know about what?" Buffy asked as she followed the redhead.
"Yes, and it's something that we'll need all of the Scoobies here for."
"That serious?" Buffy asked with a frown.
"Yes, now could you go get Faith and Dawn up?" the witch asked. "I told Faith I'd get her up when you showed."
Nodding her head, the undead Slayer asked Willow to call Xander and tell him to get over here as well. As Buffy passed the living room, she saw Giles asleep on the couch. She could not remember ever seeing her ex-watcher look so exhausted before. Whatever news he came with must be really big, she thought.
'It's about our sire,' Buffy's mental demon stated.
(How do you know?)
'Nothing else makes sense for the Watcher to come running back here,' the demon thought.
(You might actually have a point,) Buffy conceded. (But if he does, why didn't he just call us?)
'That I have no idea about,' the Slayer's demon answered.
Nodding, Buffy headed to her sister's room. Before opening the door, the Slayer had a devious thought. 'Ooo, do it, do it!' her mental demon cheered on. Shrugging Buffy decided to go with it.
Quietly opening the door, Buffy looked in and saw the younger Slayer was mostly on top of Dawn with one hand cupping a breast. The other was under her rear. Sneaking up to Faith the vampire gently leaned over the bed and put her lips near her sister Slayer's ear. Buffy whispered, "Ya, know, F, groping Dawny while she's asleep really isn't the best way to stay on my good side."
The soft voice talking about groping Dawn was enough to rock the Slayer to almost full consciousness. "Wa? I'm not groping D, I swear!" Faith groggily exclaimed.
"Really? Looked like your hand was on her breast, and that's groping in my book," the blonde commented. Giggling at Faith's reaction, Buffy put her hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Faith. I'm not going to do anything."
Punching the Slayer Vampire in the shoulder, Faith glared at her. "That wasn't nice, B. That's something I would have done."
"I know," Buffy said with a smirk. "Must be the demon rubbing off on me. Get Dawn up and head downstairs; we're going to eat breakfast then have a meeting with Giles."
After everyone had eaten breakfast, they all gathered in the living room, shades pulled closed. Faith had Dawn sitting comfortably on her lap in an armchair. Spike had taken his place in another chair. Xander was sitting on the couch with Anya, who was asleep and drooling on his shoulder. The last armchair was taken by Willow who had Buffy standing behind her. Finally, there was Giles, standing in front of the windows facing out through the small crack in the blinds.
"The Council has betrayed you, Buffy, for the last time. Their final act of treachery ironically caused their own destruction." Sighing, Giles removed his glasses and began cleaning them. Everyone else in the room remained silent and waited for the old man to continue. "Do you all remember the prophecies I read to you in our last conversation?"
Receiving a few spoken 'no's as answers, Giles began reciting from memory. "On a night of darkest sin, the Fallen Warrior of the people will fall further still. The Calming Darkness will take her as its child. As the Fallen Warrior falls so will the light of day follow. With the descent of the Fallen Warrior complete, she will try to destroy all unless she is reminded. Reminded of whom she was, reminded of who she is, and reminded of who she will be. Only she will be able to quell the fury of the Calming Darkness." Turning around the Watcher went on, "These were the two that the Council allowed me to know of. They withheld a third." His voice was quiet and filled with anger. "The bastards knew of a third prophecy that related directly to these two, and subsequently to you, Buffy. They wanted," he said the word in a fierce tone, "you to be turned because they believed it was the only way to keep themselves alive."
The entire gang looked at Giles in shock. Granted, it wasn't too surprising that the Council would sacrifice the Slayer to save their own skin, but to let her be turned into the very thing she fought against? Dawn actually teared up at the realization that her sister had been betrayed. Faith felt a fury grow within her. Unable to keep sitting, she lifted Dawn off her and set her back down while she began to pace. Spike let out a growl at the betrayal of his one-time enemy. Xander continued to look shocked, while Anya, amazingly, looked pissed. Willow's eyes burned with a dangerous anger as she thought of a fitting punishment for the men who had condemned her mate. She felt that whatever death Serenity had granted them was far too good for the Council. All the while Buffy began to seethe in a quiet rage waiting to be released. Her face didn't show it in any other way than shifting into her demonic visage. When everyone began crying out why and how this could have happened, Buffy quietly said, "Go on, Giles." At the softly spoken command everyone quieted and let the Watcher continue.
Slightly startled at seeing Buffy with her demonic face for the first time, Giles stuttered, "A-alright, Bu-buffy. The-the Council learned of a third prophecy, as I stated before. This third one was the first one they found. The Calming Darkness will turn it's fury on those that have taught the defenders of humanity. The teachers will be destroyed by the Darkness. The Council believed this to be a separate prophecy from the other two due to it being the first they found. Instead this prophecy could only be triggered if the two that came before were fulfilled. In essence the fools killed themselves when they allowed Buffy to be changed into a vampire."
Faith was the first to react, "So you're saying that some jackass in England read some words out of order and that's the reason why B's... the way she is?"
Looking directly into Buffy's golden eyes Giles said, "Yes, Faith, that's precisely what I'm saying."