Chapter Six

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"So, this is the local hot spot?" Angelus looked around the Bronze and raised an eyebrow. More than he would have expected from a tiny town like Sunnydale.

"Yep, this be it. It’s not LA, but it’s better than nothing." Buffy smiled and went to sit down, but Angelus beat her there and pulled out the chair for her, taking her hand to help her into the seat.

Buffy was eyeing the dance floor as she sat down, and forgot where she was. Therefore, she didn’t give it a second thought when Angelus pulled her chair or took her hand. After all, she’d been given this kind of treatment for four years now.

Willow and Xander, however, were watching from across the room with confused looks on their faces. Anya glanced at Oz on stage who gave a small shrug. There wasn’t much they could do about it. He was obviously the vamp sent to protect her, and if he was going to insist on doing this in public, they’d have to take their cues from him.

Anya did her best to distract Xander, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t last. This could turn out to be an interesting evening.

**

Buffy smiled at Angelus when he sat down across from her. He smiled back, but immediately stood back up. The Slayer raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Don’t you want something to drink?"

"Oh!" Buffy bit her lip and cocked her head. "Diet Coke?" Angelus nodded and headed for the bar.

She looked up at the stage and waved at Oz, who raised an eyebrow. He glanced at Angelus and then raised both eyebrows for a minute. Buffy shrugged.

Willow watched the exchange with growing curiosity.

**

When Angelus came back to the table with her drink and sat down right next to her, with his arm across the back of her chair, Xander decided it was time. After all, where was Riley? What was going on?

He stood up and started to make his way across the room, but Anya stopped him.

"Xander, dance with me."

He looked down at her and frowned. "Ahn, I wanna talk to Buffy. I think something’s going on."

Anya sighed, and with her ever-present lack of tact, grabbed his arm. "I’m trying to distract you. Don’t you get it yet? Now come dance with me."

Xander stared for a minute, then looked back at Buffy. "Just what are you trying to distract me from?"

"I’m not allowed to tell you that. So just come, ok? I don’t wanna get in trouble. You don’t know what the Council will do to me."

"The council?"

Anya winced. "I wasn’t supposed to say that..."

**

Oz watched the exchange from the stage. He saw Anya talking, and managed to make out some of the words.

When he saw her say ‘the council’ he inwardly moaned. There went that.

Giles was gonna kill them.

**

"Why weren’t you supposed to say that? Anya, what’s going on? Who is that guy?" Xander barely registered that the band was taking a break, and that Oz was announcing that he wouldn’t be coming back onstage.

"He’s...a guy. With his arm on the back of Buffy’s chair." She was scrambling. Ok, so she wasn’t big on the tact thing, but she knew when she’d screwed up. And the stories of what the council did when you betrayed the Slayer were infamous.

She had no desire to be locked in a room with an Odistrian demon.

"Ha ha." Xander broke away and headed towards Buffy’s table, only to be blocked by Oz.

"Hey man, where ya’ goin’? Thought you were gonna keep my Willow company."

Xander looked at Oz, back at Anya, and then at Oz again. "There’s something big going on here, isn’t there?"

"I don’t know what you mean." That was Anya. Oz rolled his eyes.

"Please. You already spilled. I’m with damage control. Shut up."

Xander’s eyes got wide. He’d *never* heard Oz tell someone to shut up. But that wasn’t the shocking part.

The shocking part was that it worked.

"Ok, look, obviously, something’s up. And obviously, you both know what it is. And it has something to do with Buffy, and that guy over there, who is not her boyfriend...or, soon to be boyfriend, if Willow has any clue what she’s talking about. So, someone spill, or I go over there."

Oz shook his head. "That’s not how this works. How this goes is: You go back and sit down, possibly dance with Anya. I go sit with Willow. Buffy and her guar-guy, her guy, will do whatever they came here to do. If they need to talk to us, *we’ll* go over there. There’s no reason for you to talk to them at all tonight."

Xander was clenching his jaw so tight Anya thought it might break. He carefully put aside that Oz had almost called that guy ‘her guard’ and turned to Anya.

"You’re on the same page? You’ll stop me from going over there?"

Anya bit her lip but nodded.

Xander took one look at the two of them and, turning on his heel, walked out.

____________

Chapter Seven
____________

Buffy watched Xander leave the Bronze with a frown on her face. She turned and raised an eyebrow at Oz who shrugged and came over.

"He wanted to come over and talk to you. Anya kinda spilled."

"I didn’t mean to!"

Oz turned to see the ex-demon standing behind him with her arms crossed.

"I was trying to distract him."

"Just a thought. Subtlety: not your thing."

Buffy sighed and kept her eyes on Oz, afraid she’d hit Anya if she wasn’t careful. "What did she say?"

"She said she was supposed to distract him. Then she told him that if she didn’t, the council would kill her."

Buffy groaned and dropped her head into her hands while Angelus glared. "Anyaka!"

"I’m sorry, ok? Jeez. It’s not like I meant to."

"You know I have to tell the council how it happened, right?"

At the vampire’s statement the ex-demon paled. "You *have* to?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"No, you don’t."

Angelus turned to Buffy and frowned. "Yeah, I do."

"*No*, you don’t." She lifted her eyebrows pointedly. "Anya is a friend of mine. So is Oz. Neither works for the council. She may have been a Faithful demon at one point, but now she’s human, and she isn’t a watcher. I’m trusting her as a friend to cover for me, and if she screws up, we deal with it here. Damage control. We do *not* call the council."

Angelus met her eyes for a moment before nodding. "Ok."

"You sure? I can’t work with you if I can’t trust you."

"I’m sure."

**

Willow watched Xander leave and then watched the exchange between her boyfriend and her best friend...and her other best friend’s girlfriend. She frowned and then got up to go after Xander.

She found him outside, leaning against the wall just around the corner from the club entrance.

"So. What happened?"

Xander shook his head. "I dunno, Will. But it was weird. And they’re all hiding something."

Willow leaned against the wall next to him. "Do we know what?"

"No. But it’s big, I think. Anya was seriously scared."

They stood there for a few minutes in thoughtful silence until a scream ripped through the air. They moved back to look at the Bronze entrance and saw a girl running away...

And Buffy fighting some big guy...with a weird face.

And they were talking. Willow inched forward, staying hidden by the wall, and listened.

"You know, you people aren’t supposed to make my job harder."

"Slayer, you may be worshiped by the Faithful and Council, but my clan will never yield!" The creature took a swing and Buffy blocked it.

"Clan? You have a clan? Do you have a kilt? Oh! Or a secret handshake?" She backhanded him and swung a kick that sent him flying against the brick wall. "Never mind, I don’t care. You know, I’ve never really gotten used to being worshiped, but those of you who don’t are even harder to take. I mean, don’t you get it? I’m not gonna be killed by one vampire with a cause."

The thing rose and took another swing at her only to look down in shock. Willow followed it’s gaze and her eyes widened. Buffy had shoved a piece of wood through it’s heart.

The redhead couldn’t move, and started to wonder if she was dreaming when she saw the guy turn to dust.

But then Oz stepped forward and kicked at the dust. "He said he had a clan." Oz turned and looked at Anya who shrugged.

"Don’t look at me. I have no more connections. Once you’re un-demonized, all your friends tend to...oh, I don’t know...try to kill you. So, I avoid them."

Angelus had stepped forward during this exchange and was anxiously checking Buffy over for injuries. He had wanted to argue when she told him not to get involved, but she seemed to be unhurt, and from what he’d seen, she knew how to take care of herself.

She was a true Slayer. He reflected that they all were, when you put them in battle situations. There was a reason for the title.

"Ok, well, a clan of Un-Faithful is not something we need right now, with Darla around. We should go see your Watcher."

Buffy nodded. "Right. Back to Giles’ we go." She turned and started walking, Angelus, Anya and Oz right behind her.

Willow watched them go and then turned to Xander.

"I was kinda hoping they were hiding something like a surprise party."

Chapter Eight

____________

"A clan of Un-Faithful is not something we need right now, with Darla around. We should go see your Watcher."

Buffy nodded. "Right. Back to Giles’ we go." She turned and started walking, Angelus, Anya and Oz right behind her.

From her hiding place, Willow watched them go and then turned to Xander.

"I was kinda hoping they were hiding something like a surprise party."

They waited until the four were out of sight, and then Xander started after them.

Willow caught his arm. "Hey! Where are you going?"

He motioned with his head. "That was my girlfriend, your boyfriend, and our best friend. I want to know what’s going on. Where do you think I’m going? I’m following them!"

"Xander!"

"Will, you’re either coming with me, or you’re not. But I’m going."

He started down the alley. After a few seconds, Willow bit her lip and followed him.

**

They managed to catch up with the foursome in time to see Buffy knock on the door. A few seconds later Giles opened it. "Buffy. You’re back awfully fast." He glanced at Anya’s scared face and groaned. "What happened? Anyanka!"

Xander frowned. What the hell did ‘Anyanka’ mean? His eyes widened when his girlfriend answered to it.

"I didn’t mean to, ok? It was an accident. Don’t go using my full name like you’re my mother. She died a good eleven hundred years ago. You’re a child."

Xander was now in shock. Willow didn’t even glance at her friend, however, because the change that came over the face of their ‘librarian’ was frightening.

"Would you like to see what I *can* do to ex-demons who put my slayer in danger?" He stepped forward and Willow’s eyes got very big. His hands were shooting small bits of electricity, and his eyes were sparkling.

Literally.

Anya backed up a few steps, but Buffy stepped forward and put her hand on his chest and Giles stopped advancing.

"Giles, please. Just let us in, ok? That’s not the bad part. I can deal with Willow and Xander, and that’s all she compromised. It’s fine. I can trust them. Please? There’s something bigger we have to worry about."

Giles looked down at her and Willow watched all the anger drain from his face. His eyes softened, and he smiled. "Alright." He stepped back and the others walked in. Willow glanced at Xander.

"You back with me?"

He nodded.

"Good." She patted his head and he glared at her. Then she crept over to the window next to Giles’ door.

"Willow, what are you doing?" Xander hissed it from the shadows next to the courtyard entrance, not willing to come out. "They’ll see you!"

Willow turned and glared at him, putting a finger to her mouth. "I can hear them. Shh!" She turned back to the window and Xander looked back over his shoulder before joining her.

They could see the five people in the Englishman’s living room, and more importantly, could hear what they were saying.

**

"Clan. He definitely said clan." Oz sat down on the hearth in front of the fireplace and turned to Angelus for confirmation. The vampire nodded before sitting on the couch next to Buffy. She was in her usual spot and turned to talk over her shoulder to Giles, who was in the kitchen getting everyone drinks. Anya was pacing, still upset over Angelus’ threat to call the council.

"Alright. So, clan. So what? Clan can be anywhere from ten to a thousand."

Giles came out and frowned at Anya. "Ten? I think you’re thinking of ‘club’." His eyebrows furrowed as the ex-demon shook her head.

"No. It takes four to make a clan in Ireland. Four. Or at least, it used to. But these are vampires. We don’t know how old their traditions are. So..."

"Quite." He handed Buffy her cup before handing Oz his. Angelus shook his head and Anya never stopped pacing. "Alright, so we’re dealing with...at this point, as one clan member is dust..." He glanced at Buffy, who nodded. "Yes, as one is dust, we’re looking at at least nine vampires, most likely more."

Buffy scoffed. "I can take nine vamps. I have plenty of my own to back me up."

Giles sighed and put his cup down so he could clean his glasses. He perched them back on his nose before speaking again. "Buffy, I wish you would take these threats more seriously. You aren’t expendable."

"Technically, that’s not true. I mean, originally, the idea was that one dies, another comes, so that they *could* be replaceable, and it suddenly occurs to me that I don’t want to be saying that in front of a faithful vampire and the Slayer’s Watcher." Anya took a few steps back as Angelus stood and Oz nodded.

"Probably not wise, no. Plus, pretty faithful werewolf over here, not liking the Slayer bashing."

"Stop." Buffy thumped her cup down and attention turned back to her. "Look, I’m not saying I’m replaceable. I have no intention of dying. But...Giles, I’m the Slayer. I’m not made to just sit around and be waited on. I’m supposed to...you’re supposed to pamper me so that I’m ready when I have to fight. That means...I fight. It’s part of my nature. It’s a basic function of being the Slayer." She gave him a pointed look. "It’s even right there in the title. ‘Slayer. One girl in all the world to *fight*’."

Angelus raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "She’s right, you know. We can’t stop her from fighting. And, who here would be willing to stand between the active Slayer and..." he pointed, "that door?" Angelus glanced at the window and his eyes narrowed.

"Watcher? We have company."

Giles’ head snapped up and he sighed when he saw the faces in the window. Then he turned to glare at the now-quivering ex-demon.

"Well, Anya, you might as well let them in, yes?"

Chapter Nine

____________

"Watcher? We have company."

Giles’ head snapped up and he sighed when he saw the faces in the window. Then he turned to glare at the now-quivering ex-demon.

"Well, Anya, you might as well let them in, yes?"

Buffy groaned and dropped her head into her hand while Anya went to get the door. Angelus started rubbing small, soothing circles on Buffy’s back. She mentally purred and leaned into the touch. A moment later, something in her mind clicked and her head shot up.

"Last of the Master’s line!" She glanced at Giles and he nodded.

"I was wondering how long that would take you."

Angelus frowned. "What about me?"

"One moment." The watcher went to get the book Doyle had left with the prophecy in it and Xander and Willow came in, looking at the room oddly.

The redhead looked around at everyone for a moment, then turned to her boyfriend. "Oz?"

He squinted at her. "How much do you know so far?"

"Um. You called yourself a werewolf. Buffy stabbed some guy in the alley, and he turned to dust. Something about being faithful. Anya’s full name is Anyanka, and she’s very old. Mr. Giles’ hands were shooting sparks." She shrugged. "I’m just kinda in shock here."

"I’ll bet." Oz came over and put his arm around her shoulders, expecting her to shy away, but she just leaned into him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and breathed a silent sigh of relief, before reflecting that she might feel differently when she came *out* of shock.

"Ok, so, explanations?" Xander was glaring at the man currently rubbing Buffy’s back. "And who is he? Where’s Riley?"

Buffy looked up and frowned. "What does Riley have to do with anything at all?"

Willow bit her lip. "Buffy, he’s a nice guy. And you two...aren’t you, kind of..."

The Slayer shook her head. "Will, I’ve been to lunch with him twice. I’ve flirted a little. That’s it. What makes you think I’m with Angelus, anyway?"

Xander raised an eyebrow. "‘Angelus’? What kinda of a name is that?"

"Oh, because ‘Xander’ is so much better?"

He glared. Anya shrugged. "Just putting it in perspective."

"Ok, while we’re at it, what’s up with Mr. Giles calling you ‘Anyanka’?"

She shrugged again. "It’s my name."

Oz had led Willow over to a chair. Once she was seated, he turned to Anya with a confused look on his face. "I thought your original name was Aud?"

"It was."

"Found it!" Giles came back in and handed the book to Angelus, who started to read. The Watcher then turned to Buffy. "Would you like something to eat?" She shook her head. "Something else to drink?"

Buffy grinned. "No. Giles, sit. I’m fine."

He glanced at her two friends. "I’d hardly call this ‘fine’. I’d call this a bloody mess. What am I going to tell Quentin?"

The blond giggled and Anya winced.

"Just tell him that I’m living as the ‘normal people do’."

Giles glared. "That will hardly make him happy. I’m in enough trouble as it is for letting you go to college."

"What?" Willow had come out of it enough to hear him. "Why wouldn’t this...this ‘council’ want Buffy in college?"

"They don’t think she should be taking on extra work. She’s not supposed to be working at all. Not like that, anyway."

Xander raised his hand. "Someone wanna tell me who the council is?"

Giles sighed and started telling the story of the Temple.

**

"Wow." Xander kept shooing glances at Buffy. "They worship her?"

"Hey." Oz actually frowned at him. "I happen to have joined the Temple. Could you keep that tone out of your voice?"

"And that’s something *else* I don’t get. What did you say you are?"

"Werewolf."

Willow’s eyes were glazed. "Well, that explains why I never see you three nights a month. Hey...how come three nights?"

Giles sighed. "The werewolf is such a potent, extreme representation of our inborn animalistic traits that it emerges for three full consecutive nights: the full moon and the two nights surrounding it."

"Oh." Willow nodded. "Ok. I think I’m getting the hang of this." She let out a small laugh that struck Angelus as slightly hysterical. "I wouldn’t believe any of this, except I *saw* that guy turn to dust, and I *know* Mr. Giles’ fingers were giving off sparks."

Buffy smiled a little. "It’s just ‘Giles’, actually."

"Right. Ok. Giles." Willow nodded. She kept nodding until a minute later she passed out. Oz managed to catch her before she fell off the chair.

The Slayer bit her lip. "Too much all at once?"

"Probably." Giles turned to Xander. "Are you all right?"

The boy shook his head. "No. No, I’m not. I’m dating a thousand year old ex-demon. My best friend is a...well, by all standards, a god. I have problems with that second one on more levels than I can say. I believe in God. She ain’t it. And my best friend’s boyfriend is a wolf three nights out of the month. No, no I’m not ok. No. There’s nothing ok here. Not a thing."

Giles sighed. "Well, why don’t you go home. You can come back tomorrow morning, and we’ll all talk this over when we’ve had some sleep, alright?"

Xander just nodded and got up. He walked to the door, opened it and left all without looking at anyone and still muttering. Anya watched him go with a worried look on his face. Giles raised an eyebrow at her.

"I think you’d better follow him home, just in case."

Anya nodded and left.

Willow was still passed out.

Chapter Ten

____________

After a few more minutes, Oz managed to get Willow to wake up. He promised Giles he’d be back the next day and then walked his girl home.

Angelus waited until they’d left before turning to Giles. He held the book up. "Interesting prophecy. Can I tell you how much it would have helped had someone mentioned this before I came?"

The watcher frowned. "Um. How so?"

Angelus groaned. "Well, for one thing, when Quentin Travers told me not to even *think* about making advances towards the Slayer, I might have told him where to shove it. That would have been nice. I really, really don’t like him."

Buffy giggled. "Me either."

Giles sighed. "Buffy, you know that he only wants what’s best for you. He doesn’t want you breaking your back..."

"‘Toiling as the normal people do’. Yes, Giles, I was there when he said it. But I’m not some porcelain doll that’s just gonna break under the weight of some English homework."

"You might under some science."

She just glared.

"Go home, Buffy. It’s late. There’s nothing we can really do tonight about Darla. I’ll look into the clan the vampire talked about and call you in the morning."

Buffy shrugged. "I could check out Willie’s. Someone there might know something."

This time Giles glared. "No. I forbid it. You will not walk into a vampire hangout when there is a possibly large group of unfaithful in town."

"But..."

"*NO*. Please, just go home. Perhaps you’re tired. Or, go back to the Bronze and enjoy the rest of the evening, hmm?"

Buffy tried to pout but Giles was determined not to give in and therefore stood up and took the dirty dishes into the kitchen.

Seeing it wasn’t working, the Slayer stood up and headed for the door, Angelus on her heels.

"So, where to?" He took her coat down and helped her into it. "Bronze or the dorms? You do stay in the dorms, right?"

Buffy nodded. "But neither. My mom’s. She’s been getting phone calls from England recently, and I’d like to be there tonight if any come in, so I can yell at whoever’s doing it. Plus, haven’t really seen her in a while."

"Ok." He held the door open and Buffy raised an eyebrow. "I’m here to protect you, remember? And with the prophecy, I have twice the motivation. I’m walking you. Everywhere. If the sun’s down, I’m your shadow."

Buffy smirked. "Interesting, because the sun usually takes my shadow with it."

"Ha ha." He smiled dryly. "These are the Slayer Puns I hear about so much? You’re not living up to your reputation."

She grinned unrepentantly as she passed him. "I’m not trying to."

**

They were three blocks from her mother’s house when they were jumped again. Buffy frowned and counted.

"One, two, three, four...five? This is it? Tell me there’s more to your clan that this, because this is just sad."

The leader stepped forward. "We are but a few of dozens."

Angelus smirked. "Dozens? That’s it? That’s all? What’s my line here? Wait, I know...give me a second....oh, yeah." He stepped forward, game face to the fore. "I am but one of millions. You haven’t got a chance in hell."

The leader snarled. "I’ve got a better chance in the Dark Kingdom than you do, turncoat!" He lunged forward and took a swipe at him, only to turn to dust. The others followed easily, barely putting up a fight.

When the dust settled, Buffy was pouting. "That’s it? Don’t they bother to learn to fight anymore? That was hardly worth the stake I lost! And what’s with the ‘dark kingdom’ bit? I’ve *never* heard that before, and I’ve *been* to hell!"

Angelus’ eyes got huge. "What? Hell? When?"

She shrugged. "Long story."

"That I’d like to hear." He sighed when he saw her face. Wasn’t gonna happen tonight. "Ok. But referring to Hell as the Dark Kingdom. That rings a bell. I think I know the clan these guys were a part of. But now I’m even more lost. They’re supposed to have been killed when the Council first took order of the Faithful. Which would be a couple thousand years ago."

Again, she shrugged. "It only takes one, you know. He makes another, who makes another..." Her voice faded off as his words sunk in. Thousands of years ago. How did he know about it, then?

"Yes, I’m familiar with the process. I know how it works." He slid his stake into his jacket and missed the large smiled that crossed her face at his snapping tone. It was nice. Someone who knew who she was, yet still didn’t walk on eggshells.

"Come on. We should get you inside." He put his hand on the small of her back and they resumed their walk to her mother’s.

Across the street, three Initiative soldiers watched them go.

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