Buffy The Vampire Slayer Fan Fiction / Supernatural Fan Fiction ❯ Oops ❯ Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Not mine.

 

Chapter 4

 

John yanked off his hardhat and sat down to eat his lunch in the shade of a nearby tree, nodding as Xander joined him. They ate in silence, enjoying the break from hard labour, especially since they had to head straight to the magic Box after work finished.

 

“How's Joyce?” John finally asked and Xander shrugged.

 

“She's gone in for tests today. I was gonna stop by the hospital on the way to patrol, wanna come?” Xander answered and John nodded.

 

“I hope it's nothing serious.” John murmured and Xander nodded.

 

“Me too.”

 

-------------------------

“Hi. May I come in?” Buffy asked from the doorway.

“Oh, of course, baby, come on in. Uh, where's Dawn?” Joyce answered.

“Uh, she's with Riley. They're watching TV in the waiting room.”

“Excuse me, I'm just gonna check on the status of the OR.” The doctor told them before leaving.

“The OR?” Buffy asked nervously.

“Dr Isaacs says I'm ... lucky there's one available on such short notice. Some people wait for days, sometimes, weeks.” Joyce explained.

 

“Mom, what did they find?” Buffy whispered.

“A shadow. I've got a shadow. Somewhere ... over there ... he showed it to me, but, um ... they have to do a biopsy to find out exactly what it is.” Joyce explained and Xander froze outside the room. He backed away slowly and then left. He felt John following him but ignored him as he walked from the hospital and then broke into a run, tearing blindly across town, tears building.

 

“Xander!” He lashed out as someone tackled him but soon he was pinned, John staring down at him.

“Xander.” John called again and Xander blinked up at him. John loosened his hold as Xander calmed under him, a single tear falling and that had John really worried. He'd seen Xander get stabbed with his own stake and not even whimper.

“What happened? What's wrong?” He demanded and Xander closed his eyes.

 

“Joyce.” Xander whispered and it all clicked. It hadn't taken too long to realise what sort of home Xander had come from and how much he looked to Joyce as a mother. John sighed sadly and then got off Xander, holding a hand out to him. Xander slowly took it and let John pull him up.

 

“Xander the doctors will do their best.....” He trailed off as Xander snorted.

 

“Sunnydale doctors? She'd be better off in LA but we both know she won't go.” Xander said and John nodded.

 

“I know.” John said and they slowly started the walk back towards the hospital.

 

----------------------------

“Maybe she's not in the books.” Tara hesitantly pointed out, gaining everyone's attention.

“What do you mean?” Willow asked in confusion.

“I mean, what if she's not a demon or sorceress or spirit or whatever these books cover? What if she's something else altogether?” She explained as Giles finished serving the shop's sole customer.

“Something new, you mean?” The ex-Watcher asked and Tara shook her head.

“Something old. So old it pre-dates the written word.”

“Giles, the Dagon sphere. You said that was created to repel...” Willow started and Giles finished.

“That which cannot be named.” He removed his glasses, frowning in thought.

 

“So I'm thinking maybe she...” Willow trailed off fearfully.

“Predates language itself?” Giles asked and Willow nodded. John frowned, if they didn't have any written accounts to go off they were in the dark and that was never a good thing.

 

“Well hey, if it means I don't have to read any more, woo! And might I add a big hoo!” Xander tried to cheer them up and Giles sighed.

“If Tara's right, then we're blind. There's ... there's no way we can determine ... her moves, her habits, where she'll turn up next-“ Giles turned and nearly jumped as he found an attractive blond woman holding a few items.

“Oh! I beg your-“ He tried to apologise.

“Uh-huh. I want these.” The woman stated.

“Yes, of course! Um, you find everything all right?” He asked and she took out her purse.

“No problemo.”

 

“That's, um...” He continued making the sale as the others continues to toss theories around.

“Your receipt. And thank you!” Giles handed the bag to her and she left.

“She could be anywhere. But if she is as powerful as, uh, Buffy says, I imagine it won't be long before she makes herself known.” Giles said as he turned back to them.

 

-----------------------------------

John paused as he saw Anya pick up a receipt and freeze, her eyes widening in shock.

 

“Hey.” She called but was ignored.

“Hey!” She called louder and John frowned, nudging Xander.

“HEY!” She yelled and they all finally turned to her. Anya held up the receipt and waved it at Giles. Giles, Willow and Tara rushed over to her.

“HEY!!”

“Anya, your heys are startling the customers.” Giles scolded mildly.

“And-and pretty much the state.” Xander threw in.

“You sold someone a Khul's amulet and a Sobekian bloodstone.” Anya stated and Giles took the receipt to examine.

“Yes, I believe I did.”

 

“Are you stupid or something?” Anya demanded and John felt a sinking feeling settle in.

“Allow me to answer that question with a firing.” Giles answered.

“She's kidding!” Xander called out before turning to his ex.

“An, we talked about the employee-employer vocabulary no-nos. That was number five.” Xander warned calmly. Anya grabbed the receipt back, waving it around.

“You never sell these things together, ever! Bad news! Don't you know about the Sobekites?”

“Oh! I do. It was an ancient Egyptian cult, heavy into dark magic.” Willow exclaimed and Anya nodded.

“And the Khul's amulet, wasn't that a transmogrification conduit?” Tara asked and John shut his eyes before looking at Xander who was frowning.

“Damn straight!” Anya yelled.

“Be that as it may, I still see no reason for concern. I mean, the-the Sobekian transmogrification spells were lost thousands of years ago. And besides, the young woman to whom I sold them would have to have had enormous power-“ Giles stopped as he suddenly realised and Xander swore under his breath.

 

“Young woman?” Willow whispered.

“Oh, dear lord.” Giles whispered as he realised what he may have just done.

-------------------------------------

“Things are getting bad. Guess it's this year's apocalypse gearing up.” Xander muttered.

 

“I still can't believe this happens yearly.” John muttered and Xander laughed.

 

“Sometimes several times a year. Sorry you're stuck here for this.”

 

“Better here than hell Xander. Besides if you guys ever lost...every human would end up stuck in this.” John said and Xander nodded.

 

“Yeah, I know. It just sucks.” Xander's answer made John chuckle.

“Sorry that this is taking attention from your situation. You must miss your sons and friends.”

 

“I do, buy I've got that program Willow set up to track them so I have some idea they're okay. And we're going to need all hands to beat this one. So get back to work.” John ordered and Xander laughed but went back to the exercises John had set him.

 

---------------------------------

“So I figured there has to be some kind of mystical cure, right? I mean, like a, a potion, or a spell or something. We have to look.” Buffy urged as she finished explained what was wrong and John watched Xander pale.

 

“We can look ... I mean, we will, but ... I haven't seen anything.” Willow stammered, in shock. Joyce was meant to be safe.

“The truth is, uh, the ... mystical and the medical aren't meant to mix, Buffy. Sorry, um .. .the human mind is very delicate. Too much can go wrong.” Giles stated quietly, not wanting to hurt Buffy but he had to give her the truth.

“Yeah, I've heard stories about people trying healing spells ... if we did something, it could make things a lot worse, Buffy.” Tara backed him up.

 

“I've never run across any sort of healing magic that doesn't come with a really big price tag for the one healed and the ones doing it. Your mom wouldn't want that Buffy.” John said.

“We've done just about enough making things worse for one day, haven't we?” Anya asked and they all exchanged guilty looks while Buffy stared at them in confusion.

 

“Why? What do you mean?” Buffy asked warily.

“Uh, nothing. Anya broke a ... bippity boppity boo. A thing. Don't worry about it.” Xander tried to cover for Anya's mouth.

“I did not! I didn't break-“ She argued.

“Anya, Buffy doesn't need to hear about your ... clumsiness right now.” Giles grabbed onto Xander's clumsy excuse.

“My clumsiness. I mean, that is so-...like ... me. Slippery, slippery ... butterfingers.” Anya continued once John and Xander shot her a look.

“What happened?” Buffy demanded, not fooled.

“Nothing to concern you, uh-“ Giles tried again.

“Giles!”

“The, uh, demon woman was here, the one who attacked you.” He stated in embarrassment and Buffy became alarmed.

“It's no biggie, she-she just got an amulet and a bloodstone.” Willow tried to comfort her.

“That can create a monster.” Anya added and Xander banged his head on the table.

“Okay, biggie.” Willow sighed.

“My god, are you guys okay though? I mean, did - no one got hurt, right?” Buffy asked, looking them over for injuries.

“ Oh no, thankfully, no, uh, no violence to speak of.” Giles assured her.

“Okay, so, that's good ... How did she get away with this bad mojo stuff?” Buffy asked, more than a little confused and they looked around, embarrassed.

“Giles sold it to her.” Anya finally whispered and Buffy shot Giles an accusing look.

 

“I, I, I... I didn't know it was her! I mean, how could I?” Giles then sighed.

“If it's any consolation, I may have overcharged her.” He added and John snickered.

“Anya figured out what the demon lady's up to.” Tara pointed out.

“Yeah, a few thousand years ago there was this cult, the temple of Sobek.” Willow explained.

“Sobek.” Buffy stated.

“Reptile demon. Sobekites were reptile worshippers.” Anya clarified.

“Just once I would like to run into a cult of bunny worshippers.” Xander groaned.

“Great. Thank you very much for those nightmares.” Anya snapped angrily.

“Sorry.” He said and Anya nodded.

“Anyway, their high priest Khul had great mystic powers. He, um, forged an amulet with transmogrifying crystal.” Anya continued to explain and Buffy finally sat down.

“Transmogrifying is changing a living thing into a different kind of thing.” Willow told the Slayer when she looked at her.

“We've managed to decipher the markings that were on the bloodstone that I sold - that she left with. Um, cobra. She's going to transmogrify a cobra.” Giles continued.

“Okay, so she's making a monster. What for? What does it do?” Buffy asked.

“That's the part ...we're working on it.” Giles told her.

“Well, you keep working on it I'll go kill it.” She got up to leave.

“Buffy?” Giles called and she turned back to him.

“What? I'm going.”

“Buffy, this chick creamed you last time.” Xander pointed out.

“That's because I wasn't ready for her last time. I am now.” Buffy stated.

“But you-“ Willow tried but Buffy cut her off.

“But what? Will, I can't just sit here. I have to do something.” She argued and then slammed out of the shop.

 

-----------------------------

“Dawn, you okay?” Xander demanded as he checked her over and she nodded shakily. John stood guard over them, hand on his gun.

“Why was the big snake afraid of Dawn?” Willow asked in confusion. Giles rushed to Buffy's side as she finally freed herself from the bookshelf the creature had knocked onto her.

 

“It knows!” She whispered in horror before running out of the store, Giles on her heels.

 

Buffy ran out into the street and stopped to stare. She could hear the screams as people saw the creature and moved to get out of its way. She started to run after it. She was partway down an alley when Giles' convertible came around the corner and screeched to a stop beside her. She jumped in and Giles floored it. As they rounded a corner the creature used its tail to shove a dumpster into the cars path. Giles swerved to avoid it and ended up crashing into a pile of garbage bags.

 

“I've gotta stop this monster before it gets back to Glory.” Buffy told him and he turned to her as he struggled to put the car into reverse.

“Glory?” he asked.

“That's what he called her. Giles, she's gonna know Dawn's the key if we don't-“ Buffy stopped and Giles nodded.

“We will.” He stated as they resumed the chase.

TBC...