February 27, 1998
“This could be it!” Pushing back in her chair, Jenny Calendar laced her hands behind her head, her voice filled with excitement. After a month of spending most of her free time trying to translate the transliteration annals for the ritual of the undead, it looked like they (she and Christian Toben) were finally going to have success.
“Thank God!” Christian peered closer to the computer screen, as he watched the Rumanian text scroll by.
“Why am I getting the feeling that resouling Angelus has become priority for you? Is your foster child becoming tiresome?” Jenny teased, as she sat back up, and pulled a yellow computer disk out of her desk drawer.
“He can be most challenging, and he’s at his worst when he’s with Buffy. The two of them seem to have this powerful energy force that merges when they’re together. No wonder, Angelus complained about Buffy instigating Spike.”
“Angel,” Jenny corrected. “We only refer to him as Angelus when he’s soulless. But my question is, does Buffy instigate Spike, or does Spike instigate Buffy?”
Straightening up, Christian shrugged. “Who knows? But I do have to give them credit; they’ve certainly cleaned up a number of demons here in Sunnydale. But I swear that when they‘re not putting their energy into good, they’re out plotting God knows what.”
“Don’t blame it all on them.” Jenny’s eyes were glued to the computer screen, as she tapped her fingers impatiently. The end was near, but like anything else, the journey itself, passed by, but that little bit before the finish always seemed endless. “I’m sure Xander and Willow make their contributions.”
“Willow?” Christian couldn’t believe that his star pupil was involved in anything nefarious.
“Yes! That’s it!” Jenny smiled widely, as she watched a translation of the original text pop up on the computer screen. “We did it!” She half-stood to give Toben a quick hug, before popping the computer disk into its slot and clicking on save. “And before we start dancing a jig to our big achievement, I’ll wrap up the thought on Willow. It’s always the quiet, angelic types that have hidden depths, but then. . . .” She turned to look Toben. “Perhaps you know that better than anyone.”
“I -, Christian began, but his mouth snapped shut, as he was suddenly aware that they were no longer alone.
At that same moment Jenny looked up from her computer, and the sight of Angelus with two minions slightly behind him had her jumping up with a gasp. “Angel.” She exchanged a meaningful look with Christian. “ How, how did you get in here?”
“I was invited. The sign in front of the school, Formatia trans sicere educatorum.”
“Enter all ye who seek knowledge,” Christian translated., as both he and Jenny simultaneously took a sideways step toward the classroom door.
Angelus let out a short laugh. “What can I say? I'm a knowledge seeker.”
Angling his body, so he was between Jenny and the vampires, Christian raised one hand for defense, as he gave Jenny a push with the other. “Run!” he ordered, as he lunged at Angelus.
But this time the vampire was ready, as he side-stepped the angel, while swinging a big arm, knocking Christian to the floor. “Kill him,” he commanded, as his two minions made a grab at Toben, wary of his burning touch.
With his underlings keeping Toben out of the way, Angelus had a clear path to Jenny. She was his target, and he had already marked her for death. Drusilla had warned him of the gypsy, who wanted to restore his soul, and that was not going to be permitted. She had to be eliminated, and then he could concentrate on reclaiming his Childe.
And so the chase was on.
**
“You know, and I can’t believe that these words are even coming out of my mouth, but didn’t we come here to study?” Xander asked, as he grabbed a handful of popcorn out of a bowl, which Spike was bringing in from the kitchen of Christian Toben’s apartment.
“As soon as this is over.” Buffy waved a shushing hand in Xander’s direction, as her eyes never left the television set. Xena: Warrior Princess was on, and she found Xena to be a fascinating television character. Perhaps, because the movie/television industry so rarely made their main character a butt-kicking female.
“Never knew you to care much if we studied or not, and especially on a Friday night?” Spike threw himself down on a recliner with the bowl of popcorn in his lap. “Are you sick or something?”
“Share, share.” Buffy hand gestured toward popcorn, while Xander shoved the handful he had just grabbed into his mouth.
“I’ump fumph if Ium stumph,” he answered Spike with a mouth full.
“What?” Spike leaned forward to drop the popcorn bowl on the coffee table, while trying to decipher Xander’s blather.
Fortunately, Willow spoke Xander with or without a mouth full of food. “He’s actually on the verge of flunking a few of his classes. Spending too much time with Cordelia, and not enough studying,” she added, throwing Xander a chastising glare.
“Hey, Cordy is high-maintenance; dating her is time consuming.” Xander finally swallowed and could speak clearly. “And you know some of my problems stems from your new guardian.” He glared over at Spike. “His class is one that I’m in danger of flunking. The last paper he gave me an F, even though I’m sure it was D-minus material. Think he was just mad because of that whole Valentine’s Day spell thingy.”
“Toben was angry?” This was news to Spike. “Thought it was Giles, who was so brassed off at that idiotic stunt of yours?”
“They both are,” Xander said gloomily. “Toben’s pissed cause Giles is pissed. The two of them are the best of mates now.” The last part was said with a faked English accent.
“Bloody unlucky for you.” Spike’s words were sympathetic, but his tone was one of unconcern. To him Xander was such a prat. “So where’s your high-maintenance girlfriend now?”
“Trading cars with her grandmother.”
At Spike’s look of confusion, Willow jumped in with an explanation. “Giles found an anti-invitation spell and he thought it wise to cast it on all of our homes, so that An. . .your, err. . . .” She trailed off at the momentary hurt look that passed over Spike’s face.
“He was invited into all our homes.” Buffy’s attention was finally diverted from Xena. “And until he is resouled, it’s a necessary precaution.”
“I know. I know.” Spike turned his face away, so his expression was hidden. For some illogical reason having his friends use an anti-vampire spell against his father felt like a punch in the gut.
“And anyway,” Willow continued. “Cordelia had given your dad a ride once, so she doesn’t want to drive her car, until Giles can perform the spell on it.”
“And so she trades cars with her grandmother?” Spike had regained his composure. “Selfish cow.”
“Hey!” Although Xander couldn’t disagree that Cordelia was selfish cow, he felt it was his duty to defend his absent girlfriend’s honor. “Cordy is many things, but she is not a cow. She wouldn’t be caught dead in a brown and white outfit.”
Spike could only roll his eyes, as Buffy and Willow exchanged grins.
“Chin up, Spike.” Buffy’s eyes cut back to the TV. Commercial time was over. “Toben and Ms. Calendar are working on that resouling ritual thingy as we speak. Hopefully, it won’t be too long before you have your dad back.”
**
Struggling to pull the holy cross out of pant’s pocket, Christian was just not fast enough, as one of the vamps stomped on his hand and then kicked the cross out of reach. Biting back the shriek as the heavy foot came down on his hand, he rolled, and with his good hand grabbed the vampire under the pants by the ankle.
His burning touch had the vamp flailing, trying to pull away, but before Christian could further his advantage, the second vampire booted him in the ribs and then stamped down on his one good arm. This time, he couldn’t keep back the screams, as he felt bone and cartridge snap.
“Hold him.” He heard one of the vamps say, as a hand took a hold of his hair, and he felt his head being pushed to the side.
“Let’s see how angel blood tastes.”
Christian closed his eyes, praying with every fiber of his being, that they drained him dry and didn’t turn him. Sharp teeth pierced his neck, and despite the futility of his situation, he twisted and squirmed, anything to keep up the fight. As his life blood was being drawn from him, he felt himself becoming light-headed, dizzy.
“Concentrate,” he told himself. “Concentrate.” His mind feebly grasped for the words: My Father, who. . . .” Three words in and he suddenly felt the fangs being brutally torn out, as the vamp’s weight was lifted off of him.
A sickening sound of flesh tearing had him cautiously opening his eyes to see the vampire dissolve into dust. The second vamp immediately went for their attacker but he was no match for a demon, who was centuries older than him.
Struggling to sit up, Christian cradled his broken arm. He hadn’t even risen to a sitting position, when strong hand seized him and hauled him up.
“Tch. Tch.” The demon shook his head. “See what happens when you leave me, end up in some tussle. Serves you right.”
“Chax.” Christian eyed his rescuer with uncertainty. One could never tell what his mood would be.
“In the flesh, and none too soon.” Chax did a quick appraisal of Toben, taking note of the broken arm and bloody throat.
“Jenny!” Gathering his wits, Christian suddenly remembered his colleague, as he turned toward the classroom door. “There’s another. . .my friend. . .she,” he stammered this out, while trying to gauge whether Chax would put himself out to help Jenny.
Pursing his lips, Chax reached out with his senses. A moment passed before he shook his head. “I heard a neck snap, and I smell a dead female.”
“Damn! Jenny!” Without even knowing where she was, Christian pushed his way out of the classroom, and began to run wildly.
“Can’t help her, bub.” A hand grabbed him by the collar of the shirt and pulled him backward, stopping him in his tracks.
“Yes, but she. . .I have to. . . .” Pain, fear, and now sorrow overwhelmed Christian, as all he could think about was finding Jenny’s body.
“Body’s being moved,” Chax said, as his demon radar tuned into the lifeless corpse of Jenny Calendar.
“He’s turning her! He can’t. . . !”
“Nope.” Chax shook his head again. “Broke her neck, didn’t drain her, and who, by the way, is he?”
“Angel, Angelus, of the Order of Aurelius. He. . . .”
“Angelus, Scourge of Europe!” Chax was impressed. “You’re fucking around with him! Jesus, you’ve either got one set of balls, or you’re the dumbest fuck in this dimension.”
“You know him?” Now Christian was surprised.
“Our paths may have crossed once or twice and not really in the mood to bump into him again, so. . . .” He grasped Toben’s good arm. “We’re getting out of here.”
“No, no! William, I have to warn William. Angelus will be going after him, and. . . .”
“Who the fuck is William?”
“He’s, he’s,” Christian paused, wondering if he should lie. After all, he knew Chax would never be agreeable to saving Angelus’ childe. “My foster son,” he dissembled, and then began walking purposely down the hall, hoping that Chax would continue to humor him, at least until he could warn Spike and Buffy.
**
“And I don’t understand why Giles couldn’t have done his mojo on my car tonight!”
Xena: Warrior Princess was over, and the gang had gotten as far as getting the books and pencils ready and had everything spread out on the coffee table. But before any real work could get done, Cordelia arrived with her laundry list of complaints, the chief one being; why Giles hadn’t gotten around to doing the anti-invitation spell on her car.
“I mean, after all, he did all of your houses, so what? Don’t I rate?”
“Cordy,” Xander pacified. He spent most of his time placating her, mainly to keep the friction down between her and the rest of his friends. “Angelus had been lurking around both Buffy’s and Willow’s homes. They had to be done first.”
“Anyone with half a brain knows that the invitation rule for vampires doesn’t apply for auto. . . .”
“Okay,” Xander broke-in, cutting off Spike and what was sure to be an insult or insults directed at his girlfriend. “So, history quiz on Monday. I need to ace it to have any chance at all of passing the class, so whatever help I can get will be rewarded by love and kisses.”
“That’s certainly an incentive,” Spike said sourly.
“Giles has a date with Ms. Calendar tonight,” Buffy addressed Cordelia. “But I’m sure he’ll get to your car tomorrow.”
“I though Ms. Calendar was with Toben working on translating the transliteration annals for the ritual of the undead?” Spike asked.
“She is, but when they’re finished, she and Giles are going to get together and. . .well, I don’t know the details because I totally tuned Giles out, when he was talking to me about that. T.M.I., you know.”
“So does that mean Toben is on his way here?” Xander’s brain clicked away. Brownie points for studying history at his apartment? A few hints from the man himself on what was going to be on the quiz?
“Probably, because he has no social life. Another Rupert, except Rupert has met computer teacher now.” As usual Spike’s attitude was slightly scornful, when speaking about adults and their sex lives or lack of sex lives.
“Great!” Xander exclaimed without thinking, which had the rest of the room’s occupants staring at him. None of them were in any hurry to have an adult, especially an adult, who was one of their teachers keeping them company. “Well, you know.” He immediately realized his faux pas and hurriedly tried to backtrack. “Great for Giles because he’s actually seeing someone, and great for us because perhaps Toben will give us a few helpful clues on Monday’s quiz.”
Spike snorted. “Don’t bet on it. The man is an ex-angel, doesn’t believe in. . . .”
The door banging open interrupted any further conversation, as a beat-up Toben entered, followed by Chax.
“We were attacked,” Toben got right to the point, as everyone stood up, staring at his battered appearance. “Angelus and his minions attacked myself and Jenny at the school. Angelus. . . .” He stopped and took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. “Angelus got Jenny. He, he snapped her neck.” His voice lowered to a whisper as he broke the horrifying news.
First shock, and then disbelief, as looks were exchanged and then Willow began to weep. “No, no, no!”
“I’m sorry.” Toben felt helpless. “There were too many of them. I tried. . .I tried,” he trailed off, hating the fact that he had to make excuses.
“Giles, Giles is expecting Jenny. We need to call him,” Buffy said this, as she fought back the tears. Now was not the time to lose it.
“I’ll call him.” Cordelia immediately walked over to the telephone. She had many faults, but with every fault came a strength, one being keeping a cool head in a crisis.
“You need to go to the hospital,” Buffy told Toben, as she took a moment to assess his companion. Her slayer sense was tingling; the man was dangerous with his arrogant stance and his menacing eyes. “We should take you.”
“No,” Toben said this decisively, as Cordelia hung-up the phone.
“No answer at Giles’.”
“You have to go find Giles and then Jenny’s body. Angelus took it, and. . . .”
“We get it,” Spike interrupted, as he finally found his voice. Hearing the news that his father had just killed a teacher and ally had his stomach turning. He wanted to heave. “He’ll be dismembering her and leaving her parts like gifts for us. We’ll find Giles and retrieve Ms. Calendar’s body, but what about y. . . .”
“Go!” Toben waved them firmly away. “I’ll be fine.”
**
February 28, 1998
“Giles, focus!” Buffy commanded, as she stared at her despondent Watcher, who was sitting listlessly at his desk in his apartment, staring but not seeing the open book in front of him.
It was the next morning and despite Jenny’s lifeless body being left at Giles, courtesy of Angelus’ perverted sense of humor, and Buffy and Spike having to battle Angelus to save Giles, she knew there were still important things to be done.
“Toben was all beat-up last night, and we’re not sure if it was from Angelus’ attack or the man. . .demon, who was with him. Now I remember he mentioned that he had been owned. What was the demon’s name, Chad, Chase?”
“Chax, bint!” Spike yelled from the couch crabbily, where he sat with Xander and Willow. As far as he was concerned, the night had been one disaster after another, culminating in having to battle his own father to save his best friend‘s Watcher. Afterward, he and Buffy tried to track down Toben, but were unsuccessful, so he ended up sleeping on Giles’ couch. His life was pure shit; his loyalties were torn and constantly being tested. A part of him said it had been right to save a good man like Giles, but another part wanted to run to his father and side with against anyone and everyone, who was against Angelus, Scourge of Europe.
“Shut-up, Spike!” Buffy shouted back, which had Giles closing his eyes in pain at the decibel level.
The Englishman was desolate, not only was he humiliated at doing something as idiotic as attacking Angelus, but his Jenny was now dead, body taken by the Sunnydale’s coroner’s office.
“Anyway, we couldn’t find Toben at the hospital last night, and we also couldn’t find him at his apartment. So we need to find him before this Clax. . . .”
“Chax, stupid cow!”
“That’s it!” Spike had just uttered his last insult at her. Spinning around, Buffy lunged at him, and the two of them tussled, flipping the couch over in the process. Both Xander and Willow let out screams as they found themselves falling backward.
“Enough!” Giles raised his voice to the same volume as the two teens. “Enough!” Taking off his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes, he wished he could send the four children home, but he knew that Buffy was correct; Toben was one of them and they needed to help him.
“Rupert.” A voice behind him spoke softly.
Giles turned to the welcome sight of Christian Toben standing in his doorway.
“I did knock,” Christian said tentatively. “But it seems that you couldn’t hear me over the commotion.” He scanned the room, noting the overturned couch with Buffy sprawled on top of Spike, and Xander and Willow trying to find their feet.
“Mr. Toben!” Four voices yelled in unison, accompanied by four wide grins. They had lost one special teacher yesterday, losing another would have devastated them all.
“We looked for you at the hospital last night,” Buffy stated as she untangled herself from and Spike and stood-up.
“I was there,” Toben said holding up his right arm, which was now plastered in a cast. “But listen, last night Jenny and I were successful in translating the transliteration annals for the ritual of the undead. It’s imperative that you go to the school and retrieve a yellow computer disk. It’s either still in the computer, or maybe Jenny popped it out, and it’s on her desk.”
“O-kay.” Buffy cocked her head, as she made brief eye contact with Giles. It was a strange request, since Toben was faculty at Sunnydale High; it was no issue for him to enter the school on a Saturday.
“I would do it, but I need,” he paused, as he looked down at his feet for a moment. “I need to get back. So go find the disk, and you. . . .” He nodded at Giles. “Can study it. And Spike.” He now looked over at the teen. “You probably should come and get your stuff, unfortunately I can no longer offer you a home. Don’t come until later today, but, but, bring Buffy with you. . .just in case.” His voice lowered to an embarrassed whisper.
“Mr. Toben.” Buffy had heard enough and took the bull by the horns. “If this Chax. . . .” She turned and threw a glare at Spike. “Is a problem, them just tell me what I can do. After all, I am. . . .”
“Don’t, Buffy.” Christian held up a hand. “Don’t bother yourself because I’m telling you, all of you, Chax is not someone you want to tangle with. Just go and get that disk, and restore Angelus’ soul. I gotta go.” And with a wave he turned and disappeared out the door.
“Giles.” Buffy turned to her Watcher. “We’re not just going to let him go, are we?”
“We’ll all go to the school and retrieve the disk,” Giles told the four teens. “And then we spend some time in the library and see what we can find out about this Chax. Come along.” He walked and grabbed his coat.
“So,” Xander said, as he filed out the door behind Buffy and Giles. “I guess our weekend is full, resouling Angel, and saving Mr. Toben from Chax. Won’t have much time to study, so do you think Toben will give us a pass on the quiz Monday?”
****