The Ugly Head of Complacency 7

Giles straightened from the task of laying the herbs in a circle and grimaced at the aches and pains that protested his standing. But they were so close now, that he did his best to ignore them. He'd spent the time, whilst throwing the herbs, internally reciting and memorising the spell. He was confident now that he would not need the book, and with that came the assurance that should something happen to him, then Willow had the book in front of her to continue.

He turned around and faced his two young stalwart friends and said, "Right, time to get started, I think..." Willow silently handed him the book, but he declined her offer with a shake of his head. At her puzzled look, he explained, "I have it memorised, Willow, so you keep hold of it, just in case..." At her nervous look he smiled and re-assured her again, "It will be fine, Willow... Trust me... Remember it is just precautionary..."

She nodded, but said a little tersely, "Yes, I know Giles, but you always make me nervous when-when you say that it's only precautionary... it's almost as if you know that something is going to happen..."

As if scripted, no sooner had the words passed Willow's lips, than the door suddenly burst open, surprising them all, and then a growl accompanied a swift movement of entry...

Giles was the first to move, and he did move, towards the Vessel. "Oleecia, please," he begged, "let us help you..."

She laughed out loud at him. "Help me...? You think you can *help* me...? Don't you think you've done enough to *help* me, Giles...?" With that she leapt at him.

He raised his arms in defence of himself again, ready this time for whatever she might throw at him, but she caught him by surprise, because the moment she landed from her leap, she then crouched and swept his feet from under him. He fell heavily, banging his head against the hard floor. He blinked the dots that swam before him from his sight, but then cringed at the horrible sight of Oleecia's demon above him. "Willow," he whispered, not having enough air in him to shout, "Willow, start the incantation..."

Oleecia's head suddenly shot up to look at Willow. "I've hurt you once, Witch, don't make me have to hurt you again..." she warned.

Xander then stood in front of Willow and warned her back, "Over my dead body, Leec..."

She laughed at that, but then concentrated on her main objective. She hit Giles twice before either blow could register. She then stood, pulling Giles up with her and in one motion shoved him away with a growl. He hit the far wall with a sickening *thud* and slid the rest of the way down to the floor.



Xander then noticed the Vessel, which stood in the midst of the circle of herbs, was now virtually unprotected. The horrible image of Miss Calendar, defending the restoration spell of Angel's Soul against the onslaught of Angelus, forced it's way into his brain, but he would not be deterred. He moved forward and stood on the outside of the circle, but in front of the Vessel; blocking Oleecia's view of it. He wasn't sure that it was the wisest of things to do, considering that she seemed adamant to cause Giles as much pain as a human could withstand, but then he knew Giles' determination to restore Oleecia's Soul back within her body and remained where he was.

He cringed when Oleecia picked up and threw Giles again. He watched, desperately wanting to stop Oleecia, as Giles landed heavily on the couch, and then tip it over with the force of Oleecia's throw. His heart constricted when he heard Giles' painful moan, but he was determined not to let him down.

Vaguely he heard Willow chanting the incantation. Her voice wobbled here and there and he could almost touch her concern for Giles, but, he guessed, that much like him, she knew the importance Giles had placed upon returning Oleecia's Soul to her and his heart went out to her as she bravely continued on... All the while, he guessed, and again as he was, trying to ignore that their friend and Father figure was systematically being beaten alive.

Then there was silence...

Xander blinked against the sudden stillness. Then blinked again as a light, too bright for the human eye to withstand, overtook his sight, before darkness then claimed it. His heart started to beat furiously with his fear that he had been blinded, then beat ever faster when a scream, of the most suffering he had ever heard, suddenly pierced the silence and covered them all...

He hadn't been aware that he had had his eyes open all the time, but he did when the shadows of movement became colourful, as the world snapped into place again.

His first thought was to look at the Vessel... It was lifeless... The ethereal light that had shone from its centre was gone. He then looked for Willow and smiled to see her still standing. He went to her and then hugged her as tight as he could. "Thank God..." he whispered, then kissed the breath from her. It wasn't passionate or loving, it was more desperate and full of relief that she was still alive... That they all were...

Then, as he moved from Willow's lips, he heard someone wailing in despair... Oleecia... He turned, but fear of what he would see, made it as slow as possible... He saw Oleecia wailing beside Giles, who was lying so still on the floor... He watched, as tears formed in his own eyes, as Oleecia placed a hand to the older man's forehead and started the familiar circular pattern of comfort; all the while urging Giles to wake up...

"Giles..." he whispered, as he made his way to the wailing Child and to the only man in his life that had given him everything he had ever wanted; respect and consideration; love and security; and courage.

Oleecia looked up at Xander, and though she looked afraid of him, she said, "I've killed him, haven't I...? Oh God, Xander..." she pitifully wailed at him, "I've killed him... for real this time..."

Xander knelt beside Giles and felt for a pulse. It wasn't as strong as he would have liked it, but there *was* one there. He shook his head at Oleecia, wanting to communicate that she hadn't killed Giles, but by the heightened sound of her wail, he knew she had misread what he'd been trying to tell her.

He took her hand from Giles' forehead and pulled her around so he could hug her. He felt her resist at first, but then she relaxed and he took her in his arms. "He's alive, Leec... Not exactly fighting fit, but he's alive... It's okay..." he assured her.

He felt her hug him even tighter and then felt his shirt start to dampen as tear after tear fell from Oleecia's eyes, the same time a pitiful wail of relief was uttered.

On hearing a gasp from the doorway, Xander looked up to find Buffy there, standing one foot over the threshold, with a hand over her mouth. "We're too late, Spike..." she gasped, "Oh God, we're too late..."

"It's all right, Buffy..." Xander softly whispered to her. "He's okay... He's not ready to be up and jumping about, but... he's alright..."

Buffy then knelt beside Xander and made a move to take Oleecia from his arms.

Xander relinquished his hold on Oleecia and stepped away; straight into the arms of the woman he loved; then looked on.



Buffy softly hushed and shushed Oleecia, "It's all right, Oleecia, he's gonna be fine... C'mon, stop with the crying... He's all right..." She then lifted the Vampire Child's chin up and asked, "Are *you* okay...?"

Oleecia blinked at her. This couldn't be happening... She'd almost killed the one thing that was the most important to her, to Buffy, and the Slayer was trying to console *her*... it didn't make sense... Right now, she should be on the receiving end of *all* their anger... What she'd done was bad... So bad that she couldn't find a word that best described just how bad she thought it had been... "Why...?" she eventually whispered.

"Why...?" Buffy replied then shrugged, "I don't understand..."

Oleecia looked up at Spike, then Xander and Willow and then back at Buffy, "Why are you being nice to me...? I don't understand..." She sniffled loudly before muttering, "I almost killed Giles... And I would-a done, if Willow hadn't of finished the spell... So, why are you being nice to me...?"

Buffy couldn't help but chuckle at that. At one time she would have been yelling full force at Oleecia, but she understood now... Completely... "Oleecia, if you'd've done what you did to Giles, with your Soul still intact, then, yeah, you would be getting the full force of my anger, and not long after you would've been dust, but you didn't... The moment your Soul was taken from you, you didn't know what you were doing. Your Demon did, and I bet it enjoyed every moment, but you, all that makes you Oleecia, didn't have a clue..." At the Vampire Child's wobbly smile, Buffy added, "And I can tell you now, that Giles won't hold anything against you for what your Demon did to him."

A soft, male voice then interrupted their conversation with a "Hear-hear..."

They all looked down at Giles, who was trying and failing to raise himself to a seated position. Oleecia was beside him in an instant. Hugging him for all her worth. He grimaced then grunted in pain, as the bruises she had inflicted on him protested rather earnestly at him. He prised her away from him and then smiled, "Are you back with us, Oleecia...?"

She nodded, not being able to find a voice. Then she hugged him again and wailed, "Oh God, I nearly killed you... Oh God... I'm sorry... Sorry... Sorry... Sorry... Oh God, I'm sorry..." she repeated over and over.

"As Buffy has mentioned, and I am sure, that the others have, you are *not* to blame..." Giles murmured. He placed a hand to Oleecia's head and smoothed her dishevelled hair until he felt her start to relax in his arms. Then he moved her away again and said, "I do believe my arse has gone numb... I don't suppose one of you could help me to the couch, could you...?" He was hoping to extinguish the gravity of the situation with his quip, but when only a silence greeted him, he sighed and accepted that perhaps there are some situations that no matter how much humour you might choose to use, it will always remain intense and claustrophobic.

Xander then stepped forward and said, "Where you should be going is to the hospital..." And as he bent to help Giles to his feet, he added, "That's where we *should* be helping you to..."

Smiling up at him, Giles shook his head and replied, "I've suffered worse... No, I am staying here... besides," he then added, "I must do the Permanency Spell... This must never happen again..."

Willow was the first to speak up then, "No way Giles, you can't..." she protested, "You're tired and you've just had the stuffing knocked out of you..."

"Well, the only alternative is for you to do it... Do *you* want to do the Spell, Willow...?"

That stopped her in her tracks. She thought about the sensations she'd experienced during her casting the last Spell and quickly came to the conclusion that the only unpleasant thing she'd had to go through was being unable to help Giles fight of the Demon inside Oleecia. So with that thought, she nodded and said, "Yeah, I think I can do that." As Xander started to protest, she turned to him and, with a devious smile on her face, she informed him, "Trust me when I say that the benefits of me doing this spell, you shall reap at a later time." She then giggled at his embarrassed face and then laughed out loud when she saw the same colouring of red on Giles' cheeks.



Giles stood anxiously to one side, but sent out a tendril of Magick himself, just to make sure that all would pass without interruption. Just as Willow had finished the Permanency Spell he almost lost contact when another spell suddenly invaded the arena. He recognised it immediately. It was the spell that had taken Oleecia's Soul in the first place. He concentrated on it to see what would happen. He could not help the exclamation of joy when he saw the spell bounce from Oleecia and then rapidly dissipate in the air that surrounded her.

When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Oleecia, Buffy, Xander, Willow and Spike looking at him with clear looks of puzzlement. He immediately explained, "Just as you finished the Permanency Spell, Willow, another spell, the spell that took Oleecia's Soul from her, came into view..." He grinned. "It bounced off the shield of the Permanency Spell..."

The whole apartment suddenly reverberated with their collective cheers of joy...

End 7



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