FIC: Terra Australis Incognito 12/?

[CDRERamius@xxxxxxx]

TITLE: Terra Australis Incognito 12/?
AUTHOR: Tony McD
DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss Whendon, Mutant Enemy, WB and 
others. This is for fun, not profit.
SUMMARY: A stranger with many connections to the Scooby Gang arrives and 
changes their lives forever.
SPOILERS: General Season 4. Follows it for a bit then it's an AU.
DISTRIBUTION: Anywhere is fine, just email me first.
RATING: PG


David entered the room where Xander and Giles was. Giles sat in a 
chair opposite the unconscious Xander, pretending to read a book. Giles was 
worried. He was worried about Xander, he worried about David. He worried 
about Buffy and Willow. Their strange behaviour towards Xander coupled with 
the fact that David had stormed out of here brandishing guns and swearing 
revenge, only deepened the worry lines on his face. He heard movement behind 
him.
"Hi Dad." David said, somewhat glumly.
"David! You didn't..." Giles started but David cut him off.
"They are OK, at the moment they are probably half way through 
uncontrollable crying and heading for a serious grief talk." David assured 
his father.
"What did you do?" Giles asked.
"There was a little punch up between me and Buffy and I made them feel 
some of the pain that I absorbed from Xander." he looked down at Xander. 
"Still no change?"
Giles looked at Xander as well. He shook his head.
"OK. Xander is probably going to be out of it for a few hours yet 
which will give me time to move the rest of his stuff into one of the rooms. 
He has to get out of that dank little place he's in at the moment." informed 
David.
"What do you want me to do?" Giles asked.
"I need you to determine if Buffy and Willow are under some sort of 
spell. Their behaviour towards Xander just doesn't add up. If they are then 
you need to find out what kind of spell, who cast it, and how to reverse it. 
The girls will be around later tonight, I'd expect, so this has to be ready 
by then, OK?"
"I'll need to get my books." Giles informed David. David smiled.
"OK, get them while I unload the jeep. I've also got some books that 
may be of some use as well in the library." David put his hand on Giles' 
shoulder.
"Thanks Dad." he said. Giles returned the smile, happy that David felt 
comfortable with him being his father. Things between him and David were OK. 
Now Giles needed to make things between his other children better as well. To 
this end Giles left to gather the books and other supplies that he might need.

Willow and Buffy entered David's place, uneasy at the possible 
reception they would get from Xander. However their need to see Xander to 
make sure he was OK overcame their unease. A small voice inside of them told 
them that they would be happier without Xander, that he was the root of all 
their unhappiness. That voice was ignored for the time being.
They saw Giles come down the stairs and they headed to him.
"Where's Xander?" Willow asked.
"Before you see him, I need to check some things. Please follow me." 
Giles said. Buffy grabbed him by the arm.
"Where is Xander." Buffy insisted. Giles gave her a cold, hard look.
"Follow me." he said in a voice that brokered no argument. They 
followed him.
They entered a room. It was lit by candles and had a symbol painted on 
the floor.
"What's this?" Buffy asked suspiciously as she saw the room. David's 
voice came from behind them.
"Before you see Xander, we need to check if you two are under some 
sort of spell. If you are then it needs breaking." David said. Buffy spun 
around, glaring at David.
"What the hell are you up to?" she hissed at him.
"I think you two are under some sort of spell and it needs to be 
broken." David told her.
"If you think for one moment that I'm going to let you use your magic 
on us then..." David cut Buffy off mid sentence.
"This is not Aboriginal magic, it's book magic. Besides Giles here 
will be doing it, not me. So you have a choice, you can voluntarily under go 
this or be knocked unconscious. Either way it's going to be done." David said 
in a low dangerous voice. Reluctantly Buffy agreed.
"We aren't under any spell." Willow told Giles as they were moved to 
the centre of the symbol.
"Willow, if some one with powerful magic put a spell on you them you 
would have no way of knowing it was done, you know that as well as I do." 
Giles said. He picked up a book and began to recite the spell.
"Mare per delectanto destrani folevum paxus tentabo summum." Giles 
sprinkled a red dust over the two girls. A dark blue light shimmered as the 
dust settled on the pair.
"Well?" David asked Giles.
"They are definitely under a hate spell. I can't find out who did 
this, but who ever they are they are very powerful." Giles informed David.
"Hate spell?" Willow asked, horrified at the thought.
"Yes, it intensifies any negative feelings about a person that you may 
have to a point where the closest of friends can become sworn enemies. Who 
ever cast this wanted you two to turn on Xander." said Giles.
"Why?" asked Buffy. Giles just shrugged his shoulders and picked up a 
book and started to search through it.
"Can you reverse it?" Willow asked. The though that some one had made 
her turn on her oldest friend chilled her to the bone. Giles found the spell 
he was looking for.
"Yes, I think Izard's Reversal spell would do the trick." Giles said. 
He began to chant and held forth a white crystal. Buffy and Willow's eyes 
flashed first black, then white, then returned to normal. Willow burst into 
tears.
"Where is Xander?" she sobbed.
"Up stairs and the second door to your left." David told them. The two 
girls raced up the stairs and charged into Xander's room. Soon the three of 
them were hugging and crying. Giles stood in the door way and watched. They 
had a new and powerful enemy. But for now he smiled as the his family, the 
Scooby Gang, were back together again.