The next month was filled with as many exhausting work, death-defying battles and difficult situations as any other in Buffy's life -- or, as she sometimes thought of it now, lives. Six nights a week, she and Angel patrolled and fought their hardest. They carried out another four Underground raids, never failing to dust at least 25 vamps at a go and permanently destroying most of the Underground lairs in central London. Already, more above-ground nests were being reported, and Buffy was hatching plans for some daytime burnouts that she figured ought to take a real toll.
A few afternoons and evenings a week, she and Angel would be together -- listening to the music he owned, kissing on the sofa, even just curling up next to each other and reading. Buffy was now about two-thirds of the way through "The Keeper of the Key," and she felt that Dawn had written a very good book, even if she wasn't quite sure she understood it.
"Why is there always a mirror?" Buffy had said, frowning down at the page. "Every time Anna's searching for her daughter, there's something with a mirror."
"It's a motif," Angel had said. He had been sitting on the floor, leaning back against the sofa on which Buffy lay. He reached back and patted her sock-clad feet. "It's symbolic. The answers she hopes to gain from her daughter are really there inside her, all the time."
"That's what that means?" Buffy had said. "I mean, of course that's what that means. I just thought she could, you know, vary it up."
Angel had smiled at her, and she had leaned forward to kiss him, and the resulting make-out session had led them back into the bedroom for the first and, so far, only time since that original, wonderful night.
Most times, of course, they got to kiss a little and then part, unsatisfied. Buffy remembered how difficult that had been back during her senior year, but it was exponentially worse now. Back then she had been a teenager with one night of experience; most of her longings toward Angel were still formless and mysterious. Now, though, she knew exactly what they were missing, knew so many more things that she wanted to give Angel, to share with him --
But Buffy forced down her discontentment. Now that she understood, she told herself, it was different. Now that Angel's nature had a purpose in their relationship, it was easier to accept.
And even the boundaries on her slaying were becoming less burdensome. Frances generally objected to every innovation Buffy tried to make, and Ishak often backed her up. But Buffy was beginning to get enough flexibility to start making a difference.
Her next step, though, would be the most challenging of all.
**
Buffy unfolded the map. "The British Museum," she said. "I should give some spiel about its history and culture and everything, but for us, it's just a big old stone building with tons of rooms without windows, and therefore the Happiness Hotel for vampires. Has been for decades. Is that right?"
The people in the room nodded. Buffy looked around a bit uneasily. She'd never been inside one of the residence buildings before, and she felt she wasn't disguising her shock or dismay very well. People slept four to a mattress, or in hammocks that hung in layers in every corner. People's clothing was drab because there was little room or water for washing. At least a dozen thin, wide-eyed children were watching her from the doorway. She wished for a moment that she could have brought Angel with her -- but no scrap of fabric had been wasted on curtains, and the morning sun provided the only light. Besides, in the interest of trust, it was probably better to come alone --
She took a deep breath and continued. "Any conventional attack is pretty much doomed. There's only a few entrances -- thousands of square feet with no windows at all. Conservative estimates put the number of vampires in there in the hundreds. Those are odds we can't beat, even with all the Slayers and Angel working together. That's where you come in."
Tam's arms were folded across her chest. "And what is it you want us to do?"
"Well, first I'm looking for suggestions," Buffy said carefully. "What would you do?"
"I -- suppose -- we might think about setting up barriers," Tam said. She shifted uneasily in her seat.
Buffy beamed. "Great idea. Exactly what my friend Willow would have done. What she did do, one time. Totally saved me." Remembering Willow brought a lump to her throat, and she cleared it quickly before continuing. "Barriers would be great. If you and your fellow witches could set up some barriers, cut the vamps off from each other so we could take them out, group by group -- that would really help."
A man near the back spoke up. "There's sleep spells too." Tam half-turned to glare at him, but he continued, unrepentant. "They work better on groups than on individuals. During the daytime, I expect the vampires will be asleep anyways, but it would be handy if they couldn't wake up for a while."
"They'll snap out of it eventually," Tam warned. "As you kill more sleeping vampires, the strength of the spell will diminish with their numbers."
"Totally okay," Buffy said. "Being able to stake any of them in their sleep is a big help."
A brief pause followed, and Buffy folded her hands together as she leaned over the table. "So -- are you guys in?"
Tam rose quickly from the table, running her hands through her long, dark hair. "The Council's disapproved of us for so long. We've had to practice in secret, hide our whole lives. And now you want us to just come out in the open --"
"It's scary," Buffy said. "I spent a lot of my life carrying around some heavy-duty secrets myself. I know what it's like to think the whole world's gonna come crumbling down if you tell the truth."
"You are a Slayer," Tam scoffed.
"In my day, being a Slayer was not the VIP scene it is today," Buffy said. "I wasn't able to tell anybody. Not even my mom, until I'd been at it almost three years. We didn't get fancy accommodations or a free ride or anything. You just went about your business, like everybody else, all day. School or work or whatever. At night, you stayed up and fought for your life. Nobody knew. They said horrible things would happen if anybody knew."
"The Council said that?"asked one of the women nearby.
"Said it over, and over, and over, in classic Watcher style." This actually got some smiles from the group; even Tam's worried face started to soften. "I know it's a risk. But think about the benefits. Not only do we kill a whole load of vampires, but we also get to prove how valuable you are. The Council won't know anything about it until it's all done with. And by then, you guys will have helped win the biggest fight in Slayer history, near about."
"You really think this might make them lift the ban?" Tam said.
"Maybe," Buffy said. "I hope so. They might not let you teach other people yet -- but they'd at least have to let you guys start helping out. And once we win that battle, we can work on winning the war."
Tam looked around the room, studying the expressions of those around her. Finally she nodded. "Then we shall join you."
Buffy grinned. "Spectacular."
"When do you plan on doing this?"
"I didn't put it on the calendar without you guys aboard," Buffy said. "But let me run it by everyone. Soon -- a week, maybe? Does that give you time to prepare?"
"Certainly," Tam said. "Those who will be helping all know the necessary enchantments very well. And the few herbs and supplies that are necessary are at hand."
"Okay, then," Buffy said. "Take a head count, and let me know exactly how many we've got on board."
"I think we will all participate," Tam said. "But we move frequently, and we try not to remain in a group. There are others besides the Council who distrust us, and we must be vigilant. So you will need to know how to find us --"
"Put together some forwarding addresses, then, because there is no way we're trying this without you. And once we pull this off -- maybe you guys won't have to run anymore."
Tam gave her a warm, unguarded smile Buffy hadn't seen since the first day we met. "I'm glad you traded for my wares, Buffy."
'Me too. I mean, you should see the dress."
**
Agatha seemed to like Angel's room quite a bit, particularly when she found some Dickens on a bookshelf. Xiaoting and Sky were obviously trying hard to understand why anyone would live surrounded by so many odds and ends. Sumiko was very taken by the pictures on the walls, particularly Wesley's.
Sky shrugged one shoulder in Sumiko's direction. "Tell me again why we invite her to the meetings."
"I think she feels better knowing we include her," Buffy said. "Just a hunch."
"And at least she doesn't whisper to her neighbors throughout the entire strategy meeting," Agatha scolded. Sky looked faintly abashed and made a show of studying the papers on Angel's table very closely.
"You really think the Council will go for this?" Angel said.
"They've been cutting us a lot more slack lately," Buffy said. "And you know we've got the results to back it up. Maybe they're starting to see the light."
Angel laughed a little. "I've known the Council a lot longer than you have. We're still working within boundaries, Buffy. They may be a little wider now, but you're kidding yourself if you think they're not still there."
"I think they'll pitch a fit," Buffy admitted. "But I think they'll end up giving us the go-ahead. And if we can pull off something on this scale --"
"Then there's no stopping us." Xiaoting's face was lit up with excitement. "Do you realize, if we keep it up at this rate, the city of London might be a fairly safe place to live in a year or so?"
"Safe?" Sky said. Her face was confused, as if she couldn't even wrap her mind around the concept.
"Perhaps we'll all be taking moonlight strolls by next spring," Agatha said. "I do so worry about the Museum, though. I suppose the vampires have been very destructive towards the artwork."
"I dunno," Buffy said. "Some vamps are into the finer things, aren't they?" She squeezed Angel's arm.
"So Buffy uses her famous diplomacy and tact to win over the Council," Xiaoting said, straight-faced. "We make one nighttime run by the Museum -- we can't count on them all being out, but at least from the outside, we can make sure they haven't boarded up any windows or doors that we might want to try to use tactically. Then, on a bright and sunny morning shortly thereafter -- we sweep in there and make the Museum's dusty relics a great deal dustier."
"How do we get Angel in, if it's all sunny outside?" Sky said.
"I can avoid the sun in the transport," Angel said. "And Kean's shroud should get me from the transport to the doors."
"That sounds like a plan," Buffy said.
**
"That sounds like suicide," Frances said. She was frowning at Buffy across the table of Ishak's Hall. "What can you possibly hope to accomplish against the hundreds -- possibly thousands -- of vampires who dwell in the Museum?"
"We've warned people against living anywhere near the Museum -- well, for as long as I can remember," Ishak said. "It would be a blessing to have that wretched nest dealt with. But how can you possibly think to guarantee your safety once you are inside?"
Buffy took a deep breath. "I can't tell you."
Markwith leaned back and raised his eyebrows. "Oh, now this is rich."
"We have a plan," Buffy said. "As plans go, it is an A-plus, biggie-size, first-class plan. But it is also a secret plan."
"Secret from us?" Ishak said incredulously.
"Yeah," Buffy said. "Even secret from you. I promise that you'll hear all the details after."
"Let me guess," Ishak said. "You're not telling us the details now because we would say no."
"Oh, I dunno. I mean, you're an open-minded, forward-thinking group of people," Buffy said. "You'd probably be totally on board with it."
"I don't understand any of your behavior recently," Frances said. She looked upset -- really upset, Buffy thought, like she might cry. "Yours or Angel's. This -- suicidal wilfulness -- it's maddening. And incomprehensible."
Ishak shook his head. "Buffy, you've proved yourself a resourceful, bright girl in your two months here. But you cannot expect us to send all of our greatest fighters on an impossible mission only on your say-so."
"I think we should consider it," Markwith said.
Even Ishak stared. Buffy finally said, "Aren't you the safety-first methods guy?"
"I know success when I see it," Markwith replied. At Frances' disbelieving stare, he sighed. "I'm not saying we should approve it outright. Just -- talk it over. Think about it for a few days."
Buffy shifted impatiently in her chair. A few days' delay would mean rescheduling, and by that time, the witches might have scattered again.
Of course, she'd intended all along to go ahead with the plan -- with or without Council approval. But it would be a lot easier to get the transports out of the Keep with it.
"Very well then," Ishak said heavily. "We will discuss this amongst ourselves. But I warn you, Buffy, approval is far from certain."
"Just so long as you're thinking it over," she said cheerfully.
The meeting broke up, and Buffy started heading back upstairs. To her surprise, Frances fell into step beside her -- but said nothing.
However, when the lift doors closed, Frances turned to face her. "Why wasn't Angel here today?"
"The man keeps as many daylight hours as he can," Buffy said. "But he patrols all night, and eventually he's got to sleep. I think he trusts me to handle myself with you guys by now. Why do you ask, Frannie? Worried that I boinked him evil during the night?"
"Yes!" Frances said. "I don't understand it at all -- I don't understand you at all --"
The lift doors opened on Frances's floor, and Buffy grabbed Frances' elbow and pulled her down the hall. "Where is your room? This way? Come on, then. Frances, if you still have a problem with me and Angel, let's just work it out now, okay?" Buffy said through clenched teeth as they went through the door. "Because I've been dealing with crap about this for three lives now, and I mean it, I am done."
"You should be done," Frances said. "But you're not, and I don't understand why --"
"What are you blabbing on about?"
Frances cried out, "Why isn't Angel human?"
Buffy stared at her for a moment. "Because he is a vampire."
"He doesn't have to be! Not any longer! I gave you the means -- though it might have cost me everything, I gave you the means, and instead of using it, you inexplicably go on risking us all --"
"Back up," Buffy said. "Repeat that. You gave us what?"
Frances collapsed onto a chair. "I gave you the blood," she said. "The greatest treasure of the reliquary for a century now. The essence of eternity. Capable of restoring a vampire's humanity."
Buffy's rising hopes were fighting with her disbelief. "Okay, Frances," she said carefully. "I think we would remember if you had given us that --"
"When I returned Angel's belongings after the spell --"
"It was you! You were the one who stole Angel's stuff!" Buffy pointed a finger at her. "Thief."
"When I returned Angel's belongings after the spell, Frances repeated, "I put the bottle in there. I knew that he would find it, and I assumed he would use it. Why hasn't he?"
"That's what that is?" Buffy said. "That little bottle? I thought that was ink -- but it's blood? Blood that makes Angel human?"
"You mean you didn't know?" Frances said incredulously.
"I don't remember any instructions on the bottle!" Buffy said. "I didn't know. And Angel didn't know. Oh, my God, when he hears this, he is just going to -- wait a minute."
Buffy stared at Frances, and her eyes narrowed. "Wait one minute. You said the Council has had this for a hundred years. They've -- they've had the ability to make Angel human for a century, and they never did it?"
Frances nodded, and now she looked shamefaced. "It was in the period just following the plagues. The Council was, well, still trying to create its authority in the eyes of the world. And perhaps the internal politics of the time were a bit Byzantine."
"Does that mean lying, sneaking dogs?" Buffy felt sick with outrage. Literally sick. If she didn't scream in a moment, she thought, she might end up vomiting. Or fainting. It was so unspeakably cruel --
"Close enough," Frances said miserably. "The records say that a Mohra demon appeared at the Keep -- they'd only just built the Keep, then -- in the dead of night. Angel must have been out patrolling. The Council had thought Mohra demons extinct; this was the very last one. The demon said the Powers had commanded him to come here and be the source of Angel's shanshu. Do you know what that word means?"
"I do now," Buffy said. "So what happened?"
"They bled the demon and it died, as the Powers had decreed. But the Council members disagreed on whether the blood should actually be given to Angel. The essence of eternity is a powerful thing, Buffy -- it heals wounds, aids in prophecy, empowers magic --"
"So they said, Hey, we can use Angel's celestial reward for ourselves," Buffy said. "And they kept it." Frances nodded. Buffy fought the urge to put her fist through a wall. "Did they use it up? Is there even enough to make him alive now? And it's a hundred years old -- what if it's gone bad or something?"
"Of course it's not gone bad," Frances snapped. "It's the essence of eternity! It's not going to spoil like some fruit. And they have used a quantity of the blood over the years, but that shouldn't matter. Only the very smallest amount is necessary to effect change."
Buffy looked down at Frances. "And you went along with this. When you were in the reliquary, working just across the hall from Angel, all alone with his books, you found out this dirty little secret and decided to keep it."
Frances lifted her chin. "I don't question the Council's wisdom on a daily basis, as some do."
"The Council's wisdom --"
"But," Frances continued resolutely, "the Council, in its wisdom, made me your Watcher. That means I look out for your welfare first, above all things, no matter how reckless you may choose to be with it. When you took up again with Angel, I knew the disastrous results that were possible. I wanted to spare you that possibility. Not to mention the rest of us --"
Buffy took a deep breath and forced herself to focus. "Angel can turn human."
Frances grabbed at her arm. "No one can know what I've done. They'll suspect eventually, but they must never know. Markwith has no idea I did this, nor Ishak --"
"Ishak was in on the secret?" Buffy said weakly.
"After he was made leader, he found out," Frances said. "He considered Angel's viewpoint too valuable to lose."
"Yeah, you can't go wasting good people's talents by making their dreams come true. That's going to hurt Angel so much --"
"Perhaps it won't matter in the end," Frances said. "Surely, after he's become human, he will be too happy not to forgive the past."
"I wouldn't count on it," Buffy said. She took another deep breath. "But -- but he will be happy. And so will I. Frances -- thank you. I mean it."
"It's a matter of safety," Frances said. "Though I shall be glad to see you both content at last."
Buffy's rage still simmered, but it was losing heat and energy to the joy that was beginning to spring up inside her. Angel can turn human, she thought. When I tell him that he can finally be human --
"Thank you," Buffy repeated, and ran out the door. She thumped the controls for the lift several dozen times before the doors opened some forty-five seconds later. She punched the control for her floor -- then lost patience for even that brief trip and punched the controls for Angel's floor.
As the lift rose, maddeningly slow, Buffy bounced on her heels and thought back to that night in Angel's quarters. To think, he'd just handed that bottle over to her, with no idea --
She thought about his face, grave and determined, as he made her take the bottle.
He had made her take it away from him.
The lift opened, and Buffy hurried down the hall. Angel had cued his lock to her thumbprint weeks ago, and so she just ran through the door and into the bedroom where Angel slept. She jumped onto the bed and started shaking him. "Angel! Angel, wake up.."
"Uhf," Angel said. He rolled over and stared up at her with sleepy eyes. "Nothing is this important before noon."
"Wanna bet?" Buffy said. "Angel, wake up. Seriously. We have to talk. Right now."
Angel propped himself up on one elbow. "Buffy, what is it?"
"Do you remember that bottle you found in your box?" Angel's expression was remote as he nodded. Buffy took a deep breath and said, "Did you know what was in that bottle? What it could do?"
After a moment, he simply said, "I knew."
*