Title: A New Slayer 8/9
Author: Jadedragon
Disclaimer: Not mine, Buffy and company belong to Joss, Mutant
Enemy and the WB and UPN. Can I keep Giles, please?
As they continued to research, Wesley took Giles and Grandfather aside to discuss shielding the condo from any teleportation and/or attack from the Malock. Together they cast a barrier to anyone or anything trying to teleport in. The spell used would set an alarm off and cause the teleporter/attacker to be trapped in a magickal barrier in the living room. They explained this barrier to the others then continued with their research.
Nikki watched Grandfather as they researched. He was like no one she had ever met. He seemed to be very knowledgeable in the occult and walked as if he were only as old as Giles, not several decades older. The older men she had known at the Watcher's Council had been so stooped with age, they could never have even defended themselves, yet she watched as Buffy and Grandfather trained with quarterstaffs in the courtyard just before sunset. Watching the two gracefully dance back and forth trading and blocking blows that could have done serious damage if any of the blows had landed. Grandfather was more than up to the challenge of being a sparring partner for a Slayer. Also, Nikki had never met anyone of Oriental descent. Though she had not approached either Wang or his Grandfather, she was fascinated by both of them.
As the training bout began to wind down, Grandfather became aware of Nikki watching him and Buffy. He knew that the young Slayer was curious about him but he hadn't had the chance to talk to her yet. He quickly brought his quarterstaff under Buffy's guard, tapping her on the shoulder thus ending the session. Buffy quickly went inside leaving Grandfather and Nikki to talk.
"Can you teach me to fight with a quarterstaff?" she asked.
"I can."
"I've never seen anyone fight like you and Buffy did. My teachers taught me the basics, but you used moves I've never seen."
"The moves that Buffy and I were practicing are from an ancient martial art that has not been seen outside the Orient. Buffy is the only Westerner that I have ever trained in these ancient methods," he informed her.
"Oh. Would you be breaking any kind of laws to teach me?" Nikki asked fearing that she was asking something she shouldn't ask.
"Of course not child. I'll be glad to teach you. Buffy was the only person I have met who was able to learn the strict disciplines and routines. But first, maybe you could take some classes with students your own age."
"I..I've never trained with anyone but my Watcher."
"It's not training. It is a way to meet some people your age, at Buffy's dojo that she owns with my grandson."
"Oh. I don't know about that. I just need to train so I can beat the vampires," Nikki switched the subject to one she was more comfortable with.
"Well, whatever you feel is right for you, but you know, Buffy has friends her own age. They even help her with her slaying," he reminded the young Slayer.
"But, that's not how I was trained."
"I realize that, but Buffy managed to reach retirement, and I believe that it's due in part to her friends and their help," he reminded her.
"I guess. I need to get back inside," Nikki said as she turned and left Grandfather in the courtyard.
Grandfather watched as the young Slayer retreated to Rupert's condo. He knew that Nikki was still trying to come to terms with how different things were in Sunnydale. He had seen her make some changes, but knew that the young woman had a long way to go. He looked toward the setting sun and then made his way into the condo before it set.
**********
Nikki reentered the condo and went over to Giles who was reading a passage in an old manuscript. He handed another book to Nikki and she sat near him and began researching. Buffy joined them in a few minutes, her hair still wet from the shower she had taken after her workout. The group continued researching until about 8pm when Spike, Angel and Wang began to get ready to go on patrol.
"Can I go with you?" Nikki asked.
"Nikki are you sure that you want to patrol with Spike and Angel?" Giles asked his Slayer.
"Not really, but I'm better at action than the book stuff. You know that Giles."
"Ah, yes, just like another Slayer I know," he said as he placed his arm around Buffy's shoulders.
"I've gotten better at research!" Buffy pouted.
"Yes, luv, you have," he assured the woman he loved, before turning back to Nikki. "Nikki, I trust Spike, Angel and Wang to watch your back, but can you watch theirs if need be?" he asked, concerned that it might be too soon for her to go on patrol without him.
"Yes I can."
"Even though Spike and Angel are vampires?"
"Yes, Giles. I've seen how they have worked with you and the rest of the Scooby gang over the last several days. I trust you and I can see that you trust them. So I will trust them."
Giles looked at the young Slayer. He hadn't told her the entire story of Angel, but he did trust him now. For all of his misgivings, he felt that she was as safe with them as she was in his condo. "Alright, Nikki you can go. But you will follow their orders to the letter. They are more experienced than you. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir. I will do what I'm told," she confirmed.
"Good. Now go and get your weapons ready," Giles dismissed her and went back to the research.
The four patrollers left a few minutes later, and everyone else went back to researching. Wesley found a listing of the spells that were normally used by Mystical Malocks and studied the list with Giles and Grandfather. They were looking for the spell that was barring them from the Hellmouth where Joyce was most likely being held. They had been researching the list for about thirty minutes when Giles heard Ethan get up and try to make his way down the stairs. Giles went and helped his friend the rest of the way down the steps before they resumed their studies. Ethan helped them as much as he could by trying to remember which spells he had seen or heard the demon cast.
About an hour later the quiet stillness of the room was disrupted by a high-pitched whine. Wesley, Giles and Grandfather were immediately on guard. Giles instantly pushed Buffy behind him. Xander went to the weapons box and he and Doyle grabbed swords and went to the center of the room where magical energies could be seen swirling about in a column.
**********
Joyce felt something change. She couldn't explain what she was feeling but she went to check the barrier at the entrance to the `room' she was in, but this time the result was different, the barrier had gone. She took the torch from the wall and left the room, turning away from the main chamber where she had seen so many corpses ripped to shreds.
Joyce walked as quickly as she could over the broken rocks and uneven floor. She could feel that the floor was slowly rising and felt that she was leaving her prison behind her. She knew she had to be far away before the demon returned or she would be taken back to await whatever horror he had planned for her.
She had been walking for about fifteen minutes when she heard water and saw an opening in the distance. Joyce hurried toward the entrance and saw that she was now in the sewer system. < Never thought I'd be glad to be in the sewers! > She watched for any entrances to the surface and found one about ten minutes later. She climbed up the ladder and wasn't sure if this was much better. Joyce was in a cemetery and it was after nightfall.
**********
Nikki watched as Spike and Angel hunted and killed several vampires. She still couldn't believe that they were killing their own kind. It was just too bizarre. But she found herself trusting the two more as the patrol progressed. When she was able to dust a vamp that was trying to kill Spike, he turned to her after the fight.
"Thanks, Slayer. I appreciate that," Spike said
"Sure, anytime. I think," she replied.
The patrol continued on in the same manner. Two of them would attack and the other two would be back up. It didn't take but a couple of hours for a full patrol of the area and soon they were on the way back to the condo. Nikki had done quite well and had dusted five vamps.
They were almost through with the last cemetery when Nikki heard something in the bushes and she rushed to stake the vamp.
"Nikki stop!" Spike yelled when he heard the heart beating very quickly in the bushes.
Nikki dropped the stake at the last moment and found herself rolling in the grass with Joyce Summers, who was filthy and smelled quite ripe.
"Mrs. Summers, I'm sorry," she apologized to Buffy's mom as she helped her to stand.
"Joyce, are you alright?" Spike asked as he went to help Joyce.
"I guess. I'm glad that I ran into you. A cemetery is not the best place to roam about at night in Sunnydale," Joyce replied as Wang and Angel joined them. "Where is Buffy?"
"She, Giles and the rest of the group are at Giles condo continuing with the research," Angel informed her.
"What kidnapped me? Was that the demon you're looking for?"
"Yes it is. We'd best head back to Giles. Buffy will want to know you're alright," Spike suggested.
"Can we stop by my house first? I'd really like to get out of these clothes and burn them!"
"I don't see why not," Spike told her.
The group headed to Revello Drive where Joyce took a quick shower and changed into clean clothes while Spike tried to call Giles' condo. When he didn't get an answer, he was worried, but didn't say anything until Joyce came back down the stairs about ten minutes later.
"Spike, did you reach Buffy?" Joyce asked as she came down the stairs.
"No, Joyce, there was no answer. I sent Angel and Wang ahead to see what the problem was."
"Well, let's go!" she replied as she ran out the door toward her SUV, Spike and Nikki following close behind her.
**********
As Angel and Wang entered the condo the swirling magickal energies formed a barrier around the Malock demon. They saw Giles, Wesley and Grandfather in the front of the barrier apparently casting a spell with Xander and Doyle standing ready with swords. Buffy was standing behind Giles holding a quarterstaff, ready to jump into the fight, but one of Giles' hands was holding her back. Angel and Wang quickly joined the group surrounding the barrier, ready to fight the demon if it escaped. Wesley, Giles and Grandfather completed the chant, tossed several herbs toward the barrier, which then disappeared, taking the demon with it.
Once the barrier vanished, Wesley, Giles and Grandfather collapsed to the ground, their energies depleted.
"Giles, what happened? Where did it go?" Buffy asked him.
"It's been vanquished to another dimension, and its powers taken away," he explained to her.
"But how will we find Mom?" Buffy cried.
"Buffy, your Mom is safe!" Angel told the Slayer.
"Safe? Where is she?"
"She is with Spike and Nikki at your house. She needed a shower and a change of clothes, much like Ethan did," the vampire explained.
"She's ok?" she still questioned.
"Buffy, she's fine," Wang assured his partner. "She was as smelly as Mr. Rayne and wanted to get cleaned up."
"I can understand that," Buffy said, realizing just how much her Mom would hate being as filthy as Ethan was when he had been rescued.
"Rupert, I can see!" Ethan cried. The cataracts, which had covered his eyes, were gone, but he was still a very old man.
"The cataracts must have been a spell," Grandfather remarked.
At that moment, Joyce, Spike and Nikki burst into the condo. Joyce went straight to Buffy and enveloped her in a hug.
"Mom, I was so worried about you. I'm so glad they found you."
"They didn't find me, I escaped," she then explained what had happened.
They talked for about two hours each group explaining what had happened to them. Each glad that the danger from the Malock demon was passed. Spike and Angel left to check the Hellmouth to be sure that there was nothing there that could be used by any other demon, sorcerer or vampire, wanting to recover the Sphere of Summoning if it was there. Joyce offered Willow and Tara a ride home and soon left with Nikki. The others soon left too, Wesley talking Ethan with him, leaving Buffy and Giles alone.
They sat beside one another on the couch, just enjoying the peaceful feeling of being together with no danger pressing in on them. Giles held Buffy in his arms, savoring the feel of his love, wondering what the future would bring for them. Soon they went to bed, both exhausted by the events of the day. Knowing that tomorrow was soon enough to deal with the future.