Part five

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Xander asked his girlfriend as they approached the Sunnydale Police station.

"Yes," Cordelia responded, slightly annoyed, "My cousin Calvin has a friend who's a cop...he...kinda has a thing for me."

"A thing?" Xander asked, worried, "What kind of thing? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?"

"It's a thing. And it will help us get that stupid box!"

Xander watched as Cordelia opened the doors to the station. She was wearing her short, do-you-think-I'm-sexy, skirt, and a very tight blouse. If they weren't on such a grave and important mission, he might have been turned on by her appearance...who was he kidding, he *was* turned on. But, part of him was also terrified to know what her plan was in getting the box back. She wouldn't tell him, but he knew it had something to do with woman's wiles.

He supposed it was only fair what she was doing to him. He was getting his 'just deserts', after the last recovery mission they worked on together. Back when they had fought the powerful demon, the Judge, and they needed fire power strong enough to take down a creature that no army could defeat. So, of course, a rocket launcher was the first thing to come to his mind. All he had to do was to sneak in to a military base, and steal one. Knowing about military procedures, he was certain he could fake his way through it...if he had the right cover. And Cordy was the right cover.

Of course he failed to mention to her that she was going to pretend to be a gun-loving nympho, who loved military men and their weapons.

And now the tides were turned, and Cordelia had a plan that she refused to divulge to him. Well, as they say...all is fair in love and war. And with this attack on their friend...they were most certainly at war.

"Hi," Cordelia said, stepping up to the front desk, "Is Kerri on duty?"

"Yeah," the desk sergeant said, "Hang on."

The two waited patiently amidst the chaos in the room. It seemed like a busy night on the Hellmouth. The vampires might be taking the night off, but every other criminal and nutcase was out in full force. Xander supposed that the influence of living on the Hellmouth had that subconscious effect on the people of Sunnydale. Bad vibes breed bad people. And this town was full of bad vibes.

"Hey, Cordelia, how are you?" the young policeman said as he approached her. He looked barely old enough, in Xander's eyes, to be out of high school, let alone be a cop. But, there stood this six-foot tall, blue eyed, hunk of a police officer, smiling at his girlfriend.

And she was smiling back.

"Hi, Kerri," Cordy said, giving him the most sexiest smile she could muster, "You look busy tonight."

"Yeah, well, it's that time of year. Everyone gets a little nutty around Halloween. I don't know, maybe it's all that candy."

"Yeah," Xander said, trying to hold back the sarcasm in his voice...and failing, "I guess all that sugar does strange things to people. You know, I heard that too much chocolate can cause homicidal behavior. Behavior that you should be out stopping."

"Xander!" Cordelia hissed, elbowing him in the side, "You have to excuse my friend. He had too much candy tonight."

"Hey," Xander suggested, "Maybe you should lock me up too."

"That might not be a bad idea," Cordelia replied. Then turning back to Kerri, she said, "So, anyway...I was wondering...you remember when you offered to give me a tour? Are you free tonight?"

"Well, actually," he grinned, "you caught me at a good time. My shift's almost up. Can you give me about fifteen minutes?"

"Sure."

"And your friend," he said, motioning to Xander, "does he want a guided tour also?"

"Who, him? Nah, he just came down with me as an escort...he was just leaving. Right?"

Now Xander began to understand...

"Oh, yeah...right" he stuttered, "Well, I could come back...you know to walk to back home?"

"That's okay," Cordelia said quickly, "Kerri can drive me home. If that's okay with you?"

Kerri's face lit up when she said that. "Sure, that wouldn't be a problem. Not at all. Let me just finish up a few things, okay?"

"Sure."

As soon as he left, Xander found he could no longer contain his annoyance with the entire situation. "Are you out of your mind?" he asked, "If he finds out what you're doing...you're history. And besides, how can you just dis' me like that?"

Cordelia smiled. As much as she and Xander fought, it was so cute when he got jealous. And it made her feel wanted. Of course, if this plan was going to work, he would just have to trust her.

"I'm not dis'ing you," she said, trying to calm him down, "Do you honestly think I can get any info from him if you're tagging along? Don't worry, I'll be fine. After Kerri drops me off, I'll meet you guys back at the library. Okay?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"If you want to help Giles...no."

"I just hope you know what you're doing," Xander said concerned.

"I do," She answered bravely, "I only hope Giles can hang in there long enough for this to work."

******

He knew he had to wake up. Or, at least he had to try...for Buffy's sake. But the darkness and the horrible dreams kept him a prisoner in his own mind, and Giles began to wonder if escape was even possible. He could hear the concerned voice, feel the warm touch of his Slayer's hand as she held his, yet he couldn't open his eyes. He couldn't tell her that everything would be all right, because that was something he wasn't even sure of himself.

But...he had to try.

"Buffy..." he moaned softly through the fever, "Buffy..."

"Try to rest," he heard a voice say, "Conserve your strength."

Giles' eyes fluttered open to see, not Buffy, but Joyce sitting by his bed...wearing a mask of concern on her face. How long had she been here, he wondered dimly. And why was she staying?

"Joyce...w...where is...Buffy?" He asked, trying to clear the haze.

"She and the others went out to find who did this," Joyce explained, taking a damp cloth and pressing it against his forehead, "Mr. Giles..." she hesitated, "I need to know if there is anyone I can contact from England...you know...family?"

The Watcher considered her words for a moment. Even in his weakened state, he knew what they meant...he might not survive this one. But, how much of his past was he willing to divulge to her...to anyone? Too much had happened...too many things he preferred to forget...

"Th..there is no one," he finally whispered. This was something he had to go through on his own...he had no choice. He tried sitting up. The room was spinning around him, but he knew he had to focus on what was more important...helping Buffy. "I'm thirsty," he croaked, "I could use a drink."

"I'll get you some water," she said, quickly getting up and going to the bathroom sink with a small cup, "The doctor said you're extremely dehydrated, and you need as much fluids as possible."

As she was talking, her back was turned away from Giles, so she didn't see him slowly get out of bed, pull out his I.V. catheter, and put on his jacket.

"There this should do the..." Joyce stopped as gasped in horror at the sight of the departing Watcher, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!," she said, grabbing him by the arm and trying to redirect him back to bed, "You have a high fever. The last thing you should be doing is getting up! Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

"Buffy...needs my...help," he said wavering, trying to fight back the darkness that was threatening to overtake him, "I...have to do...research."

"The only research you are doing," she said firmly, "is finding out how soft your bed feels."

"You...you don't...understand," he argued weakly, "I can't do anything...from this...infernal hospital. I'm...better," he lied, "I have...to...go."

"Oh, no you don't," she said struggling to get him back into bed. She was amazed at how strong he was, even being as sick as his was. She used all of her strength just to keep him from advancing. No matter how much he wanted to leave...she knew that letting him go would be a fatal mistake.

She could see his eyes cloud over, as the fever began to take a stranglehold once more. He tried desperately to push his way past her, but was rapidly losing his sense of balance. She needed to get him back to the safety of his bed...but first, she needed to convince him that he was too ill to be playing hero.

"Rupert," she said with more tenderness in her voice, "Please, get back into bed. If anything were to happen to you...Buffy would never forgive me. Please."

He stopped and stood still for a moment. As much as he wanted to help Buffy, deep down he knew Joyce was right. He was in no condition to do much of anything. All he could do was trust the skills of his Slayer.

"Joyce, I..." was all Giles could get out before collapsing to the floor...unconscious.

******

Buffy was in a foul mood, and with good cause. Every time she thought she had a handle on the vampire community, something new would pop up, sticking a forked tongue at her in defiance. And now...they got to her Watcher.

Giles.

The thought of him lying in the hospital bed, helpless, made her blood boil. She could handle hordes of demons, plagues of ghouls and an army of undead; but this...

She wanted to sit by his side in the hopes that her presence alone could make everything all right, but she knew better. If she was going to save Giles, she was going to have to go out looking...and hunting. She only hoped that her Watcher didn't die before she found the cure.

"I don't mean to pry..." Faith started to say, walking at a furious pace just to keep up with her angry partner.

"Then don't!" Buffy snarled. Realizing that taking out her frustrations on her only ally was not only wrong, but also stupid, she amended, "Sorry. This whole thing with Giles is making me a little postal."

"A little?" Faith said, "Look, B, Giles knew what he was getting into when he took this gig. Don't feel sorry for him. It won't do any good. You can't let this make you postal. Kick some vamp butts, yes...but don't wig. You'll make a mistake. And as much as I love Slaying...I don't want to do it alone."

"Don't go postal?" Buffy asked defensively, "I seem to recall a certain Slayer, who beat a vampire into next Tuesday, while I had to fight off three of his closest friends."

"Hey, I'm just trying to help."

Buffy rubbed her temples as if to rub away a year's worth of headaches, "I know," she sighed, "And don't think I don't appreciate it, because I do. It's just that...I lost one Watcher already, I don't want to lose another...especially Giles. I've let him down so many times...I don't want to let him down again. I have to find a way to make it right."

Faith looked at Buffy with a newfound admiration. In spite of everything that she had done, in spite of everything that had happened, Buffy was not about to give up on the most important thing...life. And neither was she.

"You mean we have to make this right," Faith said, putting her arm around her friend's shoulder.

And together the two Slayers walked down the street, looking for answers to too many questions. And looking for forgiveness.

******

"Did you find anything?" Willow asked Oz, as he rooted through stacks of old, dusty books.

Oz stifled back a sneeze as he continued his search, "Are you kidding? I could die of hay fever before I found anything. Besides without the box, I have no idea what I'm even looking for. How about you? Did you break into the UPS files?"

"Yup," she said proudly, her fingers flying across the computer keyboard, "Now all I have to do is locate the file number, then...ah, ha!"

"Ah, ha...you found it?" Oz asked hopeful.

"Ah, ha...I'm going to get a care package from my Aunt Louise. A big one too, by the weight..."

"Will?"

"Oh," she said sheepishly, continuing to type, "Sorry...I'll keep looking."

"You know," she continued, "You'ld really like her."

"Who?"

"My Aunt Louise. She's cool...and has a lot of money. And I know she'd adore you."

Oz smiled at that. "So, when are you going to introduce me to her?"

"You really want to meet her?" Willow asked.

"If she's anything like you...I know we would get along great."

Willow's heart skipped when he said that. Oz was a very laid back guy, but she always knew where she stood with him. And even though he was low keyed, when it came down to her...and music...Oz could be extremely passionate. A quality that didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, guys," Xander said, strolling through the library doors, interrupting Willow's thoughts. He walked over to the center reading desk and sat down.

He always wondered how they managed to meet at the school library without getting into trouble. The security in the school was not exactly top quality, even though with the rash of disappearances and deaths it should be. Just about any student could break into any of the buildings if they really wanted to. Of, course it also helped that Willow still had the keys to the school. A fact he was meaning to ask her about sometime.

"Um," Oz said, raising an eyebrow, "I thought you and Cordelia were getting the box?"

"We are," Xander huffed, "or, I should strongly point out, she is. Don't ask...you don't want to know how." Then turning to Willow he asked, "So, did you guys get anything?"

"Not yet..." Willow said.

"But Willow's getting a care package from her aunt." Oz finished with a grin.

Xander saw the secret exchange between the two, and wondered just what have they been doing all this time. He picked up one of the books Oz hadn't gotten to, and dusted it off before he opened it. He hadn't realized just how many volumes of the occult Giles actually had...and these weren't all of them. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, even if they did manage to retrieve the box. As he thumbed through the book, he wondered what Cordelia had in mind...and would it work.

******

"So, this is the police station...from the inside?"

"Pretty impressive huh?"

Kerri walked along side Cordelia, leading her through the precinct. As he gave her the tour, Cordelia couldn't help but notice his constant staring. This was going to be more painful than she had thought. Not that Police Officer Kerri Stanton was unattractive, he was actually quite good looking, but ever since her and Xander got together, things had become...complicated.

Every time she thought about it, she kept wondering why she found herself so attracted to Xander Harris. And every time, she came up with a blank. He was nothing like the guys she was used to dating; he wasn't popular, not very athletic, didn't have money or a car...and the way he dressed...she didn't even want to think about that.

Yet, none of the guys she ever dated ever helped to slay vampires before, or fight back demons and fish men. And every time he smiled, her heart melted just a little. So he wasn't the perfect guy. So he wasn't popular, or rich or athletic. So he was a geek, she thought, but he was a brave geek. And...he was her geek.

And...god help her...she was in love.

"What do you think so far, Cordy?" Kerri said.

"About?"

"About the tour?" He said, opening the door for her.

Cordelia walked through, and realized that they were only about ten feet away from her mission...the box. "Oh, it's great," she said, trying to muster up as much interest as she could, while never taking her eyes off the box, "Where are we?"

"This," he said proudly, "is where evidence to current and past cases are kept. You see," he said pointing at the shelves, "everything is categorized and filed away for use later. It's a very important job..."

"Let me guess," Cordelia said, "They reassigned you here?"

"Yeah," he answered her, slightly deflated. "They feel that us rookies have to experience all aspects of law enforcement before we can go out on the streets."

"Well I suppose that's good," she said, trying to console him, "I mean think about it...when you do go out an arrest someone, you wont have a problem filing away their stuff."

"Um, yeah," he said, "Well, enough with this room, let me show you the shooting range."

As he began to lead her down the hall, Cordelia stopped and looked concerned, "Oh no," she said, with mock concern, "I think I left something behind."

"I'll get it," he said, "You wait here. What was it, and do you remember where you left it?"

"Well," she gave it some thought, "It was my compact case, and I think I left it in the...um what's that room called? You know with the fingerprints..."

"Processing? That's way down the hall. Are you sure it was there?"

"Oh, yes. I remember taking it out to fix my makeup and now I don't have it. It's about this big," she made a motion with her hand, "silver and has a mirror inside. My grandmother gave it to me. It has a lot of sentimental value."

"Don't worry, you stay here and I'll find it."

"You're a lifesaver," she said with a smile, as he disappeared down the hall.

Well, part one of the plan worked like a charm, she thought. Now if she could only get the cop on duty to leave his post...

******

Giles stirred in his bed. The darkness was lovely, and he really didn't want to leave, but deep down he knew he had to. The fever was ravaging his body, making it difficult to even open his eyes, but he managed to pull the heavy lids apart. He caught a figure in the corner of his eye, sitting in a chair beside the bed.

It must still be Joyce, he thought, as he tried to turn his head. He couldn't believe that she had stayed with him for...how long had it been anyway?

But as his vision cleared, the figure in the chair was definitely not Buffy's mother. Nor was it possible. Giles tried keeping the panic that was welling up inside from taking control, as he looked at his unwelcome visitor...

"Hello, Rupert, it's been a while hasn't it?"

"Angel," he whispered with terror.