She clutched her blanket to her breast, it was the last thing he had given her and the only kindness the humans had shown her. Her body ached from being in one place for too long, but she dared not move. Her sisters would be angry.

She craned her neck to the iron grid at the base of the ancient stonewall; the floor was damp, mildewed flagstones here, but she didn’t mind. She could hear the sound of Angel’s leather boots scuffling on the stones. She lifted her hand and tapped on the grid.

The pacing stopped and long fingers reached through the holes and yanked out the ironwork. It had taken months of hard work to free the grid from its fixings and then she was rewarded by an uninterrupted view of his face.

Angel smiled at the sound of tapping. He stopped pacing his cell, stepped up on his footstool and opened the grid between the two cells. He knew she was a demon of some kind, but one with the face of an angel. He reached through the 5’ by 9’ gap in the stonework and stroked her face. She was cold despite the blanket he’d passed to her. He studied her face trying to figure out who she reminded him of.

"Well, princess. What would you like to hear tonight? " He whispered. It was their custom to while away the hours reciting poetry.

His silent companion shrugged and then smiled as Angel started on his favourites. Her eyes gleamed with quiet joy. Just listening to his lilting soft voice made the nighttime and the horror of her existence bearable. She was almost asleep when she heard the grid slide back into place and his whispered farewell.

"It’s morning, darling. Have to go. Sleep tight my angel."

Her lips curled in her sleep and her tongue slipped out between them kissing the air, caressed by his voice. Goodnight.

Henri Sebastian tossed the coin in the air. With each toss, his anger grew. Wesley had gone. Only his "Shilling" remained. Much as he hated the snivelling senile Watcher, he knew that he needed him. Laurel was getting harder to control.

How the Hell did one mate with a Medusa anyway? He tossed the coin again, cursing as it hit the rug in his room. He bent to pick it up and then noticed something odd. It was double-headed; Wesley had handed in a fake!

That meant that Wesley had gone to warn the Slayer and her Watcher, Giles the younger. Henri grinned. He changed his habit with the coin; now he passed it over and under his nimble fingers. They would try to assassinate Laurel and he would be waiting for them.

Angel followed the Under-Secretary into the conference room. He smiled as he glanced round the frieze of the room. He sensed Giles’ handiwork here; the mage still left an echo even after these many years. The long table seated three Senior Watchers all eyeing him carefully.

Angel took his ease in the Gothic Oak chair opposite and the Watchers were undone. In one gesture, Angelus had them feeling as though they were in the presence of the Irish Kings.

"Gentlemen, why have you brought me here? And shown me such gracious hospitality?" Angel’s cutting sarcasm was wasted on these dullards.

"We wanted to ask you to help us with a small problem." The gaunt man in the centre looked to his fellows either side and they nodded. "It’s in the cell adjoining yours. One of our senior Watchers found it in the grounds and brought it in. We can’t destroy it. It’s killed all its guards and laughed afterwards. One of our Junior Watchers is enthralled and wants to …to…"

"Mate with it? " Angel questioned. He leaned forward in his "throne" making a steeple of his fingers. "You don’t want that do you? Or do you? The Council has always interfered with everything. Buffy and Giles had no end of strife with you!" He sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I’d think better if I had a pint or two…" He smiled gently, showing his fangs just slightly so his hosts would get the gist.

They scurried away scraping their chairs.

Once he was alone Angel stared out of the window. The sweet face he’d seen through the grating couldn’t be evil! It was impossible! It was possible that a Watcher would want to mate with her. He sighed, yes indeed!

The door opened and his blood was delivered to him on a silver platter, at body temperature. Angel supped and raised a surprised brow. "Human…" The butler bowed out of the room.

Gorgon gazed at his daughter and the young Watcher. He knew that now his task was completed he was not long for this world. It had taken a hundred years for him to reach maturity. Mage Rayne found him and told him about Master Giles and Mistress Willow. His tender heart responded to their sad tale and so he had pledged his lifelong fealty.

As his sight had faded, his serpents moulted from his head daily giving him back his human visage. Without his serpents’ symbiotic relationship, he faced the prospect of starving to death.

He drank plain water from the cup his daughter handed him. They were going to slay the serpents’ spawn tonight. The Watcher passed his hands over the cauldron mixing and imbibing the spell. Gorgon stepped forward and breathed in the acrid smoke; and then it was Spikes turn.

Gorgon and the vampire exchanged venomous looks. "Just don’t moult over me Grandpa!"

Gorgon smiled. "I wonder if my serpents have an affect on a bewitched vampire?"

Jenny took a pace toward Gorgon. Rose blocked her. Jack and Willow regarded the two women each defending the love of their lives.

"Jenny, back off. Nearly time to leave." He glanced at his father’s ghost and at last understood how he was able to carve the name of his Slayer in the frieze of the conference room. "Dad?"

Giles breathed the smoke and held the power in his mind; he would hold and control all the transformations. Someone called him and he turned his dragon eyed gaze to his son.

"Jack, it’s time…" He shifted his eyes to his Slayer and called her forth. "Buffy. Hold my hand and step back as they step forward. It will take a moment to acclimatise yourself. Don’t worry they won’t be harmed. They’ll be enhanced by our knowledge and power."

Buffy took her Watcher’s hand and smiled at Willow, hunching her shoulders slightly in excitement. Jack and Jenny did the same and stepped into the ghostly forms in front of them. Their bodies shivered, their joined hands tightening as they gasped aloud and closed their eyes, the room darkened and chilled.

Wesley, Willow, Xander and Oz studied the newly joined Watcher and Slayer. Slowly their hands uncurled and they opened their eyes. The Slayer smiled brightly tears coming to her eyes, Jack turned to his Slayer and Giles’ voice added depth to his own. "You ok Buffy?" The Slayer nodded and gazed round the room; she wiped tears from her eyes and felt a sudden jolt in her loins as she watched an athletic blond man approach her.

The bewitched Spike kissed her and she felt her knees weaken; his lips had the illusion of warmth. She stopped his wandering hands. "Careful Spike, remember whose soul you’re mauling!"

"Just saying welcome back, Slayer. Y’think I’m dead ’ard? I was sorry you died Buffy. Angel, Willow, and I made Mary Sebastian suffer for it! I’ll not come near you again whilst you’re in Jenny." Spike turned away dejectedly; only Willow saw the pain in his eyes.

"It really is time to go now…" Wesley glanced at his watch nervously.

Giles looked at him suspiciously. "Wesley? I can guide them there’s no need for you to come with us" Giles watched as Wesley dithered and finally told them the truth.

"He’ll be waiting for you! " He sat down heavily on the sofa and held his head in his hands. "He wants revenge for you killing his father. He’s completely mad y’know…"

Jack’s tight lipped smile held no humour only malice. Willow shivered; it was a look that she thought she would never see on her son’s face.

"Henri Sebastian, is the one who wants to mate with the creature, correct?" Giles paused while Wesley nodded. "Only those pure of heart and free of evil intent can mate with a Medusa, Wesley, and then only those who can look upon them without turning to stone. Who do we know here who’s done that?"

Giles finished gently and watched as Wesley realised he had looked on the creature and became flustered. "But I didn’t realise…I mean she’s beautiful I always thought… The legends say…" His voice faltered and Willow drifted over to him smiling gently. "That’s what I thought too."

Giles went over to the sofa and kissed his wife goodbye. "Don’t worry, I’ll keep him safe." Willow smiled. "I know."

End part 5

Site Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. own the Buffy characters.
All products, movies, books, songs, etc. are owned by their respective owners.
No copyright infringement is intended.
All ORIGINAL plots and characters on this site are owned by their respective authors.