Title: Fatal Strike pt. 2
Authors: Ew and Savage
Pairing: B/G, and other various canon ships.
Rating: PG this part
Summary: The answers they find leave them with even more questions.
Disclaimer: Joss owns all but the story ;-) That's ours
Distribution: Everyone who has our permission, anyone else just ask ,and you
shall receive :-)
The Alex double met the two lovers coming out of the kitchen and smiled. He knew there was no way that they could have figured out what or who he really was. He'd been too damn smart and careful for that.
"Um, I'm afraid I have to forgo the tea, I just remembered something I have to do while I'm here. I'll be back to see you tomorrow though if that's okay?" He said with a grin, all the while thinking of the ways he could get the book back tomorrow.
"Oh, Okay" Buffy answered surprised, looking towards Giles for help.
"Err, yes. Yes, of course, if you have things to do, then tomorrow will be fine, Alex."
"Thanks Bro. It was good to see you again."
"And you." Giles said as he managed a smile.
It was most likely better to let this, what ever it was go, and gather the gang together. With everyone here, they could figure out what to do with his brother’s imposter, and find Alex.
Buffy smiled. "I'll see you out Alex."
"No, No that's okay." Alex smiled. "You two stay as you are." And with that he turned and walked out the door and away from Giles' house as fast as he could. Forgetting the real Alex's car sitting there, and that the real Alex was still in it.
Buffy spoke as Giles watched the man who he believed was his brother walk away. "I'll call the gang." she kissed Giles. "We'll figure out what's happened to Alex, I promise."
Giles smiled softly; "I don't know what I'd do without you all." Buffy smiled back and reached for the phone.
Within an hour, everyone but Tara was sitting in Giles' apartment. She'd been out when Buffy called, so Willow had left her girlfriend a note on the fridge, telling her where she was and to come as soon as she could.
(Coffee shop)
Tara had been wondering what had happened to Alex, he was meant to have called her the second he'd made the drop off. She'd been waiting in the small coffee shop they used for Ophidian business. She looked down at the snake tattooed on her ring finger. She smiled; Willow had never asked her about it. Never even seen it. The tattoo was imbued with a special magic that meant only those who were involved with the group, or destined to be, could see it.
She'd had to hide a small smile when the secret about Riley had come out. The Initiative was nothing compared to the Ophidian. She cast her mind back to when she'd been recruited and smiled. It had been hard to act as if she'd never met her boss when he'd come over to sort some things out in Sunnydale, when in fact he was just like an uncle to her and she loved him dearly. She knew how hard it was for him to act so cold when he was nothing like that really. But he needed the front, needed the prophecy to unfold.
Tara sighed and took another sip of her coffee as she looked at the study in front of her. She knew this stuff like the back of her hand, she sighed again, closed her eyes and let thoughts of Willow flow over her. It was so hard to keep this secret from the woman she loved, but she knew it was something that had to be done. If she hadn't had the people within the Ophidian to talk to and lean on there would have been no way she would have made it this far. Her hand unconsciously moved to the mark behind her ear.
She decided to give him half an hour more and then she was going to ring head quarters, and then go home to Willow.
When 40 minutes passed, she walked to the payphone hidden in the back, picked it up and waited for 3 rings before saying, "Hi, it's me. Alex hasn't called in yet." She listened, and replied "Okay, I understand." hanging up she walked back to the table and sat down. Sighing heavily again, she wondered how the hell to bring up the fact to Giles and Buffy that she knew Alex, and needed to know if he showed up and where he was now. And if he had dropped off the book to them.
And it wasn’t like Alex to be late. In fact, he was never late, protocol taught them, and taught them well, about certain things and points of the job they were to perform. Being tardy was never an option, if an agent was late, something was wrong.
Alex was supposed to give the book to Buffy and Giles today. Maybe he was still there? Maybe it was taking a longer time to explain what was happening than Alex originally thought.
Tara stood, left money on the counter for her coffee and headed to Willows. After she saw her girlfriend she would go to Buffy's and Giles and find out what was taking Alex so long.
(Outside Giles Home)
Tara arrived some time later just outsides Giles' home. When she went to see Willow, she found the note from her and rushed as fast as she could to the Watcher’s home. Something was wrong. Alex still hadn’t checked in with her or headquarters and the note she found from Willow sounded rather urgent. As she approached the street right outside Giles' flat, she saw Alex's car.
Frowning, she went to it and looked it over. She saw Alex's body lying across the back seat, through the driver’s window.
"Alex!" she cried out. She opened the backdoor and quickly checked him over all the while talking to him, encouraging him to regain consciousness. She was relieved when she heard him groan.
"Oh god. What hit me. OH MY GOD. Giles, Buffy I have warn them. Tara? What are you doing here?" Alex slowly took in his surroundings, and slowly realised he was lying in the back seat of his car. He reached around to the back of his head and winced as he felt a huge lump there.
"Tara!" Willow saw the form of her girlfriend leaning into the back seat.
Tara quickly pulled her head out of the car and turned to face her girlfriend.
"I found this man groaning and holding his head. I just wanted to make sure he was okay." Tara quickly covered up her involvement.
Willow glanced at the handsome man, and did a double take. He looked just like Giles, only 10 years younger.
"Alex?" she questioned. His only answer was a moan.
"Whether he’s Alex or not we need to get him to a hospital. Can you stay with him while I get Giles?" Tara’s only answer was to nod. She was frantic with worry about the man who was not only her collegue but probably her best friend.
"Giles," Willow screamed out as she ran back to his apartment. "I think we’ve found Alex."
**
"I just don’t understand why they would just leave him in the car, Giles." Buffy said as she and Giles were on their way back from the hospital.
"Perhaps we are dealing with a particularly stupid demon? That would be nice for a change." Giles hoped.
"Yeah right, like that would ever happen!" Buffy said with a grunt as Giles smiled sympathicly at her.
"Whom ever did this to my brother, never intended to kill him. Obviously. So, the question remains why did they do it?"
*********
Back at Giles' home, the two decided to make a quick stop there, gather some books from his personal collection then head to the magic shop for research. He wasn’t quite sure what to look for, but he knew looking for shape shifting demons and what powers they held, was a good start.
When Watcher and Slayer entered his home, they found Willow and Tara still there. Xander and Anya had left shortly after Buffy and Giles had rushed to hospital.
"Giles, how's Alex? Is he here? Or his hotel? " Tara asked as she stood and nervously rubbed her hands together. A move which her lover caught immediately.
"He's all right. They’re keeping him for observation-"
"Oh, good" Tara sighed with relief.
Willow watched her lover as she saw relief swim in her eyes. Why was Tara so worried about this Alex guy? And why was she no nervous about Giles' brother being here? Giles noticed the change in Tara as well. His brow creased about the same time Buffy nudged him.
"Giles." Buffy’s whispered voice was urgent, as she directed his attention towards Tara’s hand with her eyes.
His eyes widen as he saw what she was gesturing at. On Tara’s left ringer finger was a tattoo, identical to the one Giles was so used to seeing on Alex’s hand. He gasped as his eyes met Tara’s. She shook her head slightly so he wouldn’t say anything, he raised his eyebrows but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Tara caught Buffy and Giles and what they were looking at. She decided now was the time to let them know. She turned to Willow.
"Um, sweetheart. Could you please go get us some pizza? There's something I need to explain to you three"
Willow frowned and stood. "We don’t need a pizza to talk"
"Well, no of course not, but I am kinda hungry and this is a really long talk"
Willow looked at Tara for a long moment then sighed.
"Ok, I'll go. But when I get back, we all sit down and you explain to me why it is you're so concerned about Giles' brother."
"Agreed."
"All right."
"Thanks sweetie." Tara said as she shut the door behind Willow.
Turning, she sat on the couch and took a deep breath. "There are a few things about me you don’t know, things even Willow doesn’t," she sighed heavily, "and will never know." Her sad blue eyes met Giles' green ones, and Buffy’s hazel ones. "How much did Alex get a chance to tell you?"
"Nothing.. He went out to the car and came back in.. Well his double came back in." Giles replied running his hand through his hair for what felt like the millionth time that night.
"You are the chosen. You are the two from the prophecy, everything matches. She who walks the night to deliver peace to the unwary, he who watches her sacrifice. They walk for all eternity side by side. The serpent will appear. The two will become one, only these two shall know true sacrifice for two shall cease to exist and one there will be." Tara smiled gently and pointed to her ring finger. "I’m a part of the Ophidian."
Giles gasped. "But they.. they are just a fairy tale."
Tara smiled, "No fairy tale. If they are a fairy tale then explain the tattoo of the snake on your fingers? Why can you see mine? Only those destined to belong can see them."
Buffy and Giles both gasped as they saw a snake twirl around their own fingers. Somehow Buffy knew her snake was the male and Giles was the female. It was as if the tattoo was real, as if a snake was really curled around their fingers.
"If you are the two we think you are, then there is much you must learn. Will you meet with us?"
Buffy and Giles' eyes met, in synchronicity they both nodded. This was something that needed to be explored. Giles had heard many whisperings about the Ophidian when he was a watcher in training, but no one had really believed they really existed. The things they were meant to have done were more unbelievable than the things that went bump in the night.
"How does Alex fit in?" Buffy suddenly asked.
"I can only tell you so much, it’s better you meet with the head of the organization and ask him everything. I swore a blood oath." Tara smiled gently. "But yes Alex is a part.. He plays a large part."
Buffy and Giles looked across at each other; their lives had changed completely the moment Alex had stepped back through the door that morning. Nothing would ever be the same again.
NEXT
