Title: The Players
Author: Kate R.
Series: God Crystal (1)
Disclaimer: own nothing and no one used herein

Giles stumbled down the steps after his nightmare and the phone call from the council. He needed a drink and to think. He knew something. He understood now. But damn if it did not confuse him. Giles' hand trembled as he reached for the Scotch and glass.

"Rupert?" a voice asked softly from behind him. Giles spun around and growled at the vampire standing in front of him.

"Dammit Spike," he snarled. He stopped as he saw the tired lines around the vampire's face. He knew. He just knew looking at Spike.

"The Crystal?" he asked. Spike nodded and pulled his t-shirt off. Over his heart was a mark Giles recognized.

"I was right," Giles said. "You are Dionysus/Bacchus."

"You've had them too then?" Spike asked. Giles nodded and poured two glasses of Scotch. Then, handing one to Spike, he gestured to the couch. The two of them sat.

"As far as I can see, we have to wake the Gods of Olympus. The Council called me tonight, which tells me they know and they don't want this to occur. They're sending things to guide us into doing it their way. I don't plan on doing it their way."

Spike nodded and looked at Giles. "I been havin' the dreams since Thanksgiving," the vampire said quietly.

"I have as well," Giles said. "You bear the mark of Dionysus/Bacchus. I carry three but most people can only see 2You all likely can see all three."

"Who all do you think 'as the other ones then Rupes?" Spike asked. Giles stood then and walked to his desk, returning a moment later with a list of names and a god corresponding to each person. Spike looked at it and looked up at Giles.

"It fits mate," he said as he read Giles' script. The list was in two columns and read as:

Giles- Hades/Zeus/Poseidon
Wesley- Apollo
Faith- Artemis
Willow- Athena
Angel- Ares
Tara- Aphrodite
Cordelia- Hera
Buffy- Demeter
Joyce- Hestia
Xander- Hephaestus
Ethan- Hermes
Spike- Dionysus/Bacchus
Dawn- Persephone

"Everyone coming' here then Rupes?" Spike asked. Giles nodded looking again at the list. Spike smiled to himself when he saw how Giles' glance lingered on Ethan's name. The Watcher still loved the Sorcerer.

"I believe Angel, Wesley and Cordelia are on their way now," Giles said. "They should be here by sunrise."

Spike nodded. Normally he hated his Sire but for this he would put the hate on hold.

The Watcher and the vampire sat in companionable silence for an hour. At the end of which time, there was a knock on the door. Giles went to it and opened it revealing Angel, Wesley and Cordelia. Giles invited them in after a strict and emphatic "No Staking Spike" rule was laid out for them. Angel simply nodded. He had known instinctively his Childe was a part of this prophecy.

Once the three were in, Giles asked to see what mark each carried. His thoughts were confirmed as he saw the marks of Ares, Hera and Apollo on Angel, Cordelia and Wesley respectively.

"Well, that answers that," he said quietly as he looked out the window. It would be dawn soon, he knew. Giles sighed as he put on a pot of coffee. He was interrupted an hour later by another knock on the door. Wesley opened it, took one look and called Giles. Giles' face contorted with rage when he saw who was on the other side.

Ethan he had expected. And Faith as well. But the two men behind Ethan, they were not expected and Giles stared at them coldly once he had Ethan across the threshold.

"Get the fuck off my property," he snarled as he guided Faith into the house. He pulled Ethan inside as well and stared at the men. "I know what we have to do, I don't need your files to tell me," he said as he slammed the door in their faces. He led Ethan over to the couch that Angel and Cordelia got off of and sat, pulling the sorcerer against his chest. Ethan was staring blankly at nothing and Giles couldn't stand it.

"Come back to me Ethan," he called to Ethan's soul. "Come back to me now luv, I need you. I know you can hear me. I'm here. You're safe."

Ethan whimpered in Giles' arms and Giles growled swearing blood for this. He knew Ethan had retreated into his mind to escape the pain from the torture. By the gods, there would be retribution for this.

"Giles!" Buffy yelled slamming the door open. He mother and sister as well as Willow, Tara and Xander followed her in. She made a face seeing Ethan laying in Giles' arms and Giles simply glared at her saying succinctly "Put Up or Shut Up."

Spike sniggered and went to pull the chairs from the dinning room for everyone. Ethan seemed to be waking slowly.

"I'll kill them for this Ethan," Giles vowed. Ethan smiled weakly and sat up slowly. Oh, his bones ached.

On Olympus, a little godling woke up from his nap feeling something on the edge of his mind.

"Gwampa?" he said. He traced the feeling and found someo9en who hummed with Ares' power. Immediately, he flashed down to it. His father and stepfather both looked blank before running to the hall of time to find him. What they saw confused them.

"They have the marks?" the adult blond with wings whispered to himself. He and his husband looked at each other and then followed the baby.

Back in Giles' living room, Angel was making himself comfortable when a flash of light preceded something dive-bombing him and latching onto him. More like Glomming onto him.

"Hi," Angel said being well used to the strange. "Can I help you?"

"Feel wike Gwampa," the little one said. Angel felt the child hug him tightly and looked at Giles.

"Bliss was the grandson of Ares, God of War," Giles said softly. "You carry Ares' Mark so I'm guessing he was attracted to you."

"Oh, okay," Angel, said stroking Bliss' hair gently. "He can stay then."

Giles nodded and went back to explaining everything. They all looked up when another flash filled the room revealing an older blond with wings and a man with wild dark hair and dressed in leather looking like it was being held together with safety pins.

"Bliss!" the older blond with wings hissed. Angel looked up and smiled.

"It's okay. He's fine," he said. Giles looked at Xander then.

"Xander, could you get more chairs from the dining room for our other gests? And I do believe others will be arriving shortly."

"Sure G-Man," Xander said as he went into the kitchen. The living room was getting way crowded now. Xander couldn't wait to see who popped in next.

TBC...
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