Title: Unforeseen Circumstances 9/27
Author: Jadedragon
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 4 up until Bad Beer, Angel Season 1, in my verse, Doyle didn't die!
Paring: B/G, B/P mentioned
Summary: Buffy has to face the consequences of her night with Parker
Notes: <> denotes thoughts
Thanks: To Wyrmbath for such a quick and through beta. Great work, Wyrmie!
A man met them downstairs and they entered a large black van, which drove toward the dock/warehouse section of LA, not a place tourists would choose to populate. The driver stopped the van in front of a fairly new building with a for rent sign on the chain-link fence which surrounded it, the sign on the building read San Remos Imports. The driver quickly opened the gate and the van entered the fence and proceeded to the building.
Inside, the first thing Smyth and McTavish saw was a large barred cage to one side. There were several tables where computers were set up and an assortment of guns, herbs and other magickal paraphernalia were on the tables as well. Everything was set up to hold a Slayer for an indefinite time period.
"Everyone," Travers started, trying to get the attention of the people in the warehouse. "We will be taking the Slayer in tomorrow night. You all have worked very hard to help bring the Council back to where it should be. The Slayers are just the tool, we are the hand that wields that tool and we should have the power. With your help we will regain that power. I will be meeting with your leaders today to assess the progress toward our goal. We have approximately 39 hours before the start of this operation. Ladies and Gentlemen, please continue your work," he finished and turned toward the office where Nathan Rayne waited to give him an update of the work that had been completed.
"Quentin, welcome. How was the flight?" Nathan asked as Quentin entered the office with Smyth and McTavish following him.
"Thank you. How's everything here?" he asked, wanting the information as quickly as possible.
"Everything is on schedule and we'll be ready to leave for Sunnydale in 35 hours to set everything up. Watcher Wainwright has rented a space for training and research. He and the Slayer also live in the space over the store where he has located the training/research space. The building is located in a section of downtown Sunnydale that is being restored and there are very few people out during the evening hours. We are well prepared and foresee no difficulties."
"Have you prepared for any contingencies that may happen?"
"We are prepared for any occurrence." Nathan assured his friend.
"Good. Is your brother helping with the operation?"
"No, I haven't been able to contact him. I'm sorry. I know you wanted him on this job."
"It doesn't matter that much, especially since Rupert is not involved," Quentin assured his second in command. "I want to meet with leaders of the different teams."
"I thought you might and I have already arranged it." Nathan told him as he led him to a conference room where the leaders of the various teams waited to answer Quentin's questions about the upcoming operation.
*****
As Giles was brewing himself another cup of tea, Timothy came up to him.
"I'm glad you're alive, Rupie!"
"Please! No one has called me that in over forty years," Giles told his cousin, staring him down with his Ripper glare.
"You never thought diminutives were dignified enough."
"They, aren't, I have a name, and it's Rupert," Giles teased back in a conversation that had taken place many times over the years.
"I know. I never thought I'd get the chance to tease you again," Timothy admitted.
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you. Honestly, I didn't think of it. I was so concerned with hiding Buffy from the Council."
"I understand, Rupert. Buffy is a special woman."
"Yes, she is," he agreed as he watched his lover sleeping on a couch at the far end of the room.
"When do you think Travers and his group will attack?" Timothy asked, getting the conversation on the track that needed discussing.
"When I was going through my training in the Special Ops section, Travers was one of the team leaders. He always attacked at midnight, the Witching Hour. It seemed to have some significance for him. No matter what the situation or intelligence information we had, he always had the groups under his command attack at midnight."
"Even if another time was better?"
"It didn't matter to him. He said that midnight was a magickal time and would enhance the terror of the attack."
"He used magicks?" Timothy questioned.
"Undoubtedly. Once I was assigned to a team not headed by Travers and I immediately felt the difference. Travers had magickal help, and I think we know where it came from."
"The Dark Seer?"
"I'd bet on it."
"So, you think he'll attack tomorrow night at midnight?"
"Again, I'd bet on it."
"That doesn't give us much time."
"We have plenty of time. We found the protection and repel spells in the books the Senior Mage brought back last night. Once everyone is up, we'll gather what we need to cast the spells, bring all the weapons from my condo and Buffy's house and finish the preparations for their visit. I dare say that Travers has again underestimated what he is up against!" Giles assured his cousin.
"How many do you think will be attacking?"
"Knowing Travers 20 to 25."
"So many?" Timothy asked, fearing they would be overrun.
"Don't forget, we have the Senior Mage and quite possibly other Council Mages on our side. Travers doesn't expect that. Nor does he expect Buffy and myself or our friends."
"You really think we can defeat them with the Dark Seer on their side?"
"I can't afford to think any other way," Giles stated as he finished making his tea and turned to walk away, toward where Buffy was sleeping.
*****
Keenan McCallahan looked at the building where his father had located the new dojo. He knocked on the door and there was no answer. He had come to Sunnydale immediately after his older brothers had told him what had happened to his little sister, letting them believe that he had returned to school in Georgia. He didn't know quite what to believe. His family had always respected the mystical; their grandmother had second sight. But to believe that his only sister was some sort of super hero to kill vampires and demons was a bit much. Keenan sat on the sidewalk, his duffle bag beside him, awaiting his father's arrival.
An hour had passed before Keenan saw anyone. A man drove up to the shop next to the dojo on a motorcycle, dressed in black biking leathers. The man looked his way and after securing his bike walked over to him.
"Hello. May I help you?" the biker asked in a cultured British accent.
< A British biker? > Keenan was even more confused. "I'm looking for Colin McCallahan."
"He's probably over here with the rest of us," Wesley told the young man who looked a lot like the Slayer's father. < Must be one of Ria's brothers. >
Keenan followed the biker into the next building after getting the bags from his bike. As he entered the room Ria ran into his arms.
"Keenan!" she cried as she wrapped her arms around her brother, forgetting her new strength.
"Ria…." He tried to stop her from squeezing him so tightly.
"Sorry," she started. "I forget how strong I am now," she continued as she loosened her hold on him.
"Keenan, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be in school!" Colin stated in an angry voice as he approach his youngest son.
"Had to check on you and Ria. What's this nonsense that Morgan and Sean were telling me about?"
"It's not nonsense, Keenan, believe me. I found out the hard way," Colin told his son as he led him over to Timothy. "This is Timothy Wainwright. He is Ria's Watcher and he can explain everything better than I could."
"Keenan, it's good to meet you," Timothy told the young man as he took him to one side to further explain the situation with his younger sister.
Wesley took the books he had retrieved from Giles condo to the table where the research was continuing. The spells they needed to protect the building and its inhabitants had been found late last night and now the research was concentrating on defense spells and gathering all the ingredients and weapons. Everything was going well and they expected to be fully prepared for the attack tomorrow night. Angel and his crew had arrived just before midnight and brought what weapons they had and some of the more obscure ingredients that they would needing. The Senior Mage had appeared to Angel before they had left and told him they would be need. Giles left Black Raven in charge of the research and took Ria, Buffy, Wesley and Colin next door to train for the coming battle. They had been training for about thirty minutes when Timothy and Keenan joined them.
"I want to help," Keenan told the group before joining them
Keenan was also a black belt, specializing in Kendo, so he and Giles practiced with swords while the rest worked with staffs and hand to hand. Keenan was surprised that the man he was fighting was so good. He was clearly an expert and easily turned Keenan's best moves away. He found himself learning more in this one session with the older man than he had in the last year. Then it dawned on him. This man had spent his adult life fighting demons, defending himself and others with a sword, while to Keenan Kendo was just an exercise.
Keenan looked around the room at everyone training. Everything Timothy and his older brothers had told him was sinking in as truth. There was a sense of urgency that he had never felt before as if everyone knew that their lives depended upon their skills with the weapons at hand. It was a mind-altering experience for him.
**********
Joyce sat in her backyard drinking her coffee as she thought over the dream she had last night. She had dreamed of the time she and Rupert had sex on the police car while they had been under the spell of the cursed candy. As she thought about what had happened, she realized that she was jealous of Buffy. She had wanted to have a relationship with Rupert, but had been too embarrassed with what had happened to pursue it. So now she was jealous of her daughter having a relationship with a man she wanted.
Joyce was disgusted, with herself. After reading the journals, it was very clear that Rupert truly loved Buffy. Joyce had seen the love between them, but had denied it until Buffy had confronted her last night with their engagement. Joyce had been shocked at the time, but now she realized that it was jealousy that had prompted her reaction to the news.
She had to apologize to both Buffy and Rupert, but how could she hide her feelings for the man who would be her son-in-law? Joyce further pondered this question as she finished her coffee.
**********
Black Raven, Wesley and Rupert prepared to cast the protection spells over the buildings where the group would be staying until the attack occurred. They had to wait for the last items which Cordelia and Willow had gone to pick up at the local store, The Magic Box. While they waited, Black Raven cleansed the two buildings and the perimeters with sacred white sage he had grown for such purposes. As he conducted the cleansing ritual, he formed his own circle of protection to add to the protection spells they would later cast. There was not much else to be done except for the casting of the planned spells. They would wait until sundown tomorrow before casting them.
**********
Smyth and McTavish listened closely to the planning sessions between Travers and the section leaders. The plans for kidnapping the Slayer and her Watcher seemed very well organized and going smoothly. The meetings took all day and it was 9 pm before they were returned to the hotel, where they were contacted by the Council Mage and relayed to him the plans that had been made by Travers and his crew.
**********
The Chairman looked over the plans the Senior Mage had given him. It seemed that Travers was a bit more prepared than he had suspected. He hated to lose the Watchers who had been subverted by Travers, but their loyalty would always be in question. If any of them survived the attempt to kidnap the Slayer, they would be dismissed with dishonor. It would be a shame to lose those families, but they had been undermining the true purpose of the council for too long and an example had to be made of them. Travers and his cohorts had to be excised from the Council. Only then could the Council begin to heal the wounds made by three hundred years suffering under the influence of the Dark Seer and his followers.
As the Chairman looked over what Travers had planned for the Slayer and the Council he was sickened. The Council had been perverted over the last three hundred years, but the changes that were planned by Travers and the Dark Seer were nothing less than depraved. The plan was to use the Council, with its covert operations, to undermine the economy of several of the larger countries, starting with Great Britain. As he read the plans he saw what the Dark Seer wanted - control of the organization that had, in his mind, cast him out. But the Dark Seer wasn't interested in just destroying the Council, Watchers and Slayers. He wanted to destroy the very fabric of the country that brought about the formation of the Council and many of its traditions.
"What are your recommendations?" he asked the Senior Mage.
"Put Rupert Giles and Buffy Summers in control of the operation and give them the total support of the Council. Rupert understands Travers as well as anyone and Buffy has a keen insight into what needs to be done to protect those she cares for," the Senior Mage told him. "Also, you should be there to confront Travers in person."
"I agree that Rupert and Buffy are more than qualified to head the defense against Travers, but I think I would be a distraction for Rupert. We haven't spoken since he left for the States."
"I know your relationship hasn't been a close one, but he needs your support and Travers must be confronted by the Head of the Council."
"I will do what needs to be done to save to Council, but is it imperative that I travel to Sunnydale?" he asked the Senior Mage, not wanting to make a difficult situation even more so.
"Yes I feel that it is. We both must face our pasts and come to terms with those pasts. I know that my brother will die in the coming battle, probably by my hand. That can't be helped. But you and Rupert can be reunited. I know you're proud of him and it's time you told him. I'll be here to transport you with the Council Mages in 24 hours. We'll arrive three hours before Travers' planned attack," he finished before he vanished, teleporting out of the Chairman's office.
The Chairman sat in thought about what the Senior Mage had said. It was indeed time he and Rupert tried to repair the damage done by years of silence.