__Knowledge__
By Gibberish



   Giles and Xander had sunproofed Giles' place, so that it was safe for Buffy to stay there. Then they sat down to serious research. Who did this to Buffy? How? True to Giles' word, Ethan hadn't stayed long after Buffy returned.

 Xander never said a word when he went for food, but he brought back plenty of blood for Buffy.

 The one thing Buffy wouldn't do, was eat in front of them. She took the mug that Giles had warmed for her and locked her self in the bathroom. She looked at the empty mirror while she drank and was glad that she couldn't see herself. She also knew that the feeling wouldn't last, but for the moment, she was grateful.

 When Buffy returned to the others, night had fallen again. Since all the windows were  covered, Buffy opened the door to look out. "I guess I should patrol."

 "Perhaps you should give yourself more time to acclimate." Giles suggested.  Buffy looked at Giles and actually smiled. "I told you, Giles. Kickin' ass is comfort food."

 Giles smiled back. "Be careful, then."

 Buffy went out the door.

 "That almost sounded like our Buffy." Xander said hopefully.

 "She's getting there." Giles returned.

 
   Buffy dusted three vampires before they even knew what hit them. Without meaning to, she ended up near her own grave. She saw him crouched down, with his hand to the headstone. He placed a white rose on the fresh dirt.

 It didn't take Angel long to realize that the grave had been dug up. "Damn." He swore as he stood. He looked around, as soon as he saw her, she ran.

 Buffy ran as fast as she could, but she kept looking over her shoulder at Angel. That was how she ran into Spike.

 "Bloody hell!" Spike swore. Then, he saw just who he was tangled up with.

"Slayer?" She scrambled to her feet and, once again, took off at a run.

 Spike was on his feet when Angel reached him. "Was that the Slayer?" Spike asked Angel, shocked.

 "It looked like Buffy." Angel said. "She moved so fast that I couldn't be positive."

 "The Watcher should know about this." Spike said. "They'll be the first ones she goes after."

 Angel pulled out a cell phone, he ignored Spike's rolled eyes, and dialed. "Cordelia. Get Wesley and meet me at Giles'. I'll explain when you get there." He ended the call and put the phone away.

 "What about Joyce?" Spike asked.

 Angel shook his head. "She wasn't headed for Joyce's. She's headed for Giles. Maybe we can take care of this before Joyce has to know."  Spike nodded. "It would kill her." Together, they headed for Giles'.


   Buffy ran into Giles', slammed the door behind her and leaned against it. "Oh God, oh God, oh God."

 Giles was in front of her in a flash. "Buffy, what is it? What happened?"

 "Angel." Buffy said. "Angel and Spike. Why didn't he go back to LA?" She looked up at Giles with wide eyes.

 Giles pulled her away from the door and sat her in the chair. He crouched down in front of her. "You have to know that he would have found out."

 "Not now." Buffy said. "Not yet. I'm not ready."

 "I know." Giles said soothingly. "I'm right here." He took her hands in his.

 Buffy looked down at them. His hands felt so warm. "I'll never be warm again, will I?" She asked in a small voice.

 "Oh, Buffy." Giles sighed.

 They all jumped at the pounding on Giles' door. Buffy and Giles stood, as he protectively wrapped his arm around her shoulders. When nobody answered, the door flew open.

 Spike and Angel stopped in their tracks at the sight before them. Giles stood with his arm around Buffy, and Buffy was leaning into Giles with what looked like fear. Xander and Anya moved to stand by Giles and Willow and Tara stood next to Buffy.

 "Well, it seems that our trying to warn you that Buffy is a vampire is a moot point." Angel said, oddly calm.

 "What the hell is going on around here?" Spike asked, not nearly calm.

 Giles felt Buffy try to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let go of her. He met Angel's eyes.

 "You cursed her?" Angel asked in disbelief. "How could ..."

 "Buffy hasn't been cursed." Giles told him. "A turned Slayer simply does not lose her soul."

 "How did she get turned in the first place?" Spike asked.

 Giles looked down. "We don't know." He said softly. "That's what we've been trying to find out."

 "Why didn't you call?" Angel asked. "We could have ..."

 "She didn't want anyone else to know." Giles told him. "She's having enough difficulty coming to terms with this as it is."

 Angel looked away, hurt. Then he thought about how he had kept to himself after he had regained his soul the first time. The knock on the door had him meeting Giles' eyes guiltily.

 Giles glared at him. "Who did you call?" He demanded.

 "Cordelia." Angel said reluctantly. "And Wesley."

 "Way to go, Dea ..." Xander caught himself. "Angel."

 "We thought there was a danger." Angel defended himself.

 Buffy dropped back into the chair and drew her knees to her chest. She looked up at Giles. "Now will you stake me?"

 "No." Giles admonished.

 "Then I guess you'd better open the door." Buffy said.

 Giles nodded at Angel and he opened the door. Wesley and Cordelia walked in cautiously, but they couldn't see Buffy as she was curled up in the chair.

 Cordelia looked at Angel. "Well?"


   Cordelia and Wesley kept looking at her, it was starting to get on Buffy's nerves. She had an urge to yell 'Boo!', just to get a reaction. When she couldn't take any more, she got up and went to the kitchen.

 Giles watched her go in concern. He stood and followed her. "They just don't know what to think." He said quietly upon entering the kitchen.

 "I know." Buffy said, just as quietly. "I just feel like I'm being studied and not in a good way." She turned to him. "There were no vampires that night, Giles."

 "I know." Giles replied. "But something must have happened, we're just not seeing it. I promise you, we'll find out what happened." Buffy gave him a half hearted attempt at a smile, then went back into the other room. Giles followed, still concerned.

 Spike looked at her as she re-entered the room. "You let Angel feed off you, you let any other vampires?"  Buffy glared at him and he shrugged.

 Xander dropped the book in his hand, a stricken expression on his face. He looked at Buffy and said two words. "The Master."

 "What?" Anya asked.

 "Dear Lord, Buffy." Giles breathed.

 "Is that possible?" Willow asked. "It's been nearly three years."

 "Actually, I'm afraid that it makes a frightening amount of sense." Giles commented.

 "Why she was stronger after that night." Angel said.

 "Would you mind telling the rest of us just what the hell you're talkin' about?" Spike asked.

 "Buffy was killed by the Master." Xander said, still dazed.

 "Only she was resuscitated by Xander." Angel added in much the same tone.

 "Then Buffy killed the Master." Willow told them.

 "And then we partied." Cordelia chimed in.

 "And you think that the demon has been lying dormant inside of her all this time?" Wesley asked. "Waiting, until she died again?"

 "Unless you have a better explanation." Giles said, almost hopefully.

 "Why would the Master want to turn a Slayer?" Spike asked.

 "Knowledge of the Slayer's soul is not common." Giles said. "Without her soul, a Slayer could be a particularly viscous vampire." Giles went on. "Her knowledge of fighting, weapons, not to mention her prophetic dreams."

 "And strength." Buffy said so quietly that the others barely heard her.

 "Yes, your strength has probably increased somewhat." Giles agreed.

 "Doubled." Buffy told him. She met his eyes. "At least." She saw several pairs of eyes widen.

 "A general." Xander concluded. "He wanted a general. A vampire that could replace Luke *and* Darla."

 "Makes sense." Angel concurred.

 "Great." Buffy said, not without humor. "I'm a two for one sale."

 "Brilliant really." Wesley said. "If it hadn't backfired, that is."

 "Rather ironic." Giles commented. "He wanted a general, instead, he actually gave her the added strength that she needed to defeat him."

 "The Annoying One kept talkin' about The Master's Chosen." Spike said. "Could he have meant the Slayer?" He speculated.

 "Quite possible." Giles responded. "Especially if one considers his choice of words, 'Chosen'."

 "'Chosen'." Buffy repeated. "Don't I feel all special." She said in sharp sarcasm. "I was 'Chosen' again. How do I keep ending up in these volunteer me lines?"

 Giles was relieved to note, at least, some humor in her eyes. "It must be hell to be wanted." He told her, then flushed as he realized how that might have sounded. He looked around, relieved to see that no one seems to have thought anything of his comment. Until he met Buffy's eyes. She just looked at him with raised brows. He just rolled his own eyes in response.

 "It seems as if the Anointed One wasn't the only legacy that the Master left behind." Angel said softly.

 "The Annoying One was bad enough." Spike muttered. He was pleased to note the Slayer's glare.




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