Later, towards sundown, instead of getting ready to hunt, Laura changed into her nicer dress and tied her hair back with the blue ribbon.
Ian also dressed in his church clothes and they left the house together. They joined other people soon as they entered the village.
Laura couldn't help but notice one of the older boys looking at her, Brian Thomas. Brian's father, William, was a very wealthy man, and it pleased Laura to think that Brian would look at her, as she and Ian were not so wealthy.
"Laura, you're staring," Ian gently chastised her.
Laura took her eyes from Brian and glanced up at Ian. He sighed comically.
"Even the Slayer is not free from girlish fantasies."
Laura grinned and moved her eyes forward.
They reached the meeting house a few minutes later and took seats in the back.
Laura didn't listen much to the meeting -she caught something about Salem, Massachusetts, and witches- but otherwise let her mind wander.
The meeting was over soon, and Ian and Laura headed home.
"I think I shall hunt with you tonight," Ian said as the small cabin came into view.
Ian and Laura changed back into their work clothes, setting out for the village when the moon was high.
They arrived back home when the horizon turned pink and went straight to bed.
Laura was rudely awakened a few hours later, however, as two men barged into her room. She stifled a small scream as she sat up, pulling her top sheet up to cover her nightgown.
"Come with us," one man said simply, and yanked Laura from the her bed, dragging her from her room in her nightgown.
"This is absurd, how dare you come into our house unannounced? Ian!-" She tried to top herself, had meant to call him 'Father', but it had slipped. One of the men rounded on her.
"You call your father by his Christian name? Or perhaps he is not really your father?"
Laura fell into a stunned silence as the two men led her into the main room.
Ian soon joined her, led by two other men, one Laura recognized as Brian's father.
"You are both going to prison," a man Laura didn't recognize spat, hate and disgust written all over his face.
"On what grounds?" Ian demanded.
"Witchcraft."
Laura and Ian's hands were bound with rope and they were forced from the house.
Laura thought briefly of using her power as a Slayer to run, but she couldn't bear to leave her Watcher, and they were too close to the village now. Ian would not be able to run as fast as she and would surely be caught.
Laura kept her eyes lowered until she was sure they had reached the meeting house, under which a few cells were located, standing for a jail, but when she raised her eyes, she saw Brian looking at her, but not with attraction as he had just the night before. His blue eyes were cold with hate and loathing, his handsome face contorted by a scowl.
"Witch," he hissed, with such vehemance that Laura physically recoiled.
They had reached the steps now that led down to the jail cells.
Laura and Ian's hands were untied once they were at the bottom and they were shoved into the first cell together. The door was locked and the man left.
Ian immediately turned to Laura.
"Use your strength. Get yourself out."
Laura shook her head, her hair loose over her shoulders. "Not without you."
Ian looked ready to protest, but was stopped by the look in Laura's eyes. He sighed.
"They've found the rest of the books by now. And your weapons."
Laura sank down on a clump of straw and pulled her knees to her chest. Ian stared down at her.
"What about the Council?" Laura asked softly.
"They're in England, what could they possibly do to help?" Ian snapped. Laura looked up at him, and he immediately felt guilty for being short with her.
"Why don't you do the magic we've been imprisoned for? Send them some kind of message."
"I suppose I could. Oh, but what if we get caught?" Ian asked, sitting down beside her.
"Well, I'm sure we're already set for death. Unless the Council somehow saves us."
"Right. Okay." Ian settled himself in the darkest corner of their cell and went about with his message.
Two hours later, he came back to sit beside Laura.
"I believe it worked. I told them to wait a few hours for their reply, though."
Laura nodded.
Towards sundown, a man came down with a chunk of bread and some water, presumably for Ian and Laura to share.
He leered unpleasantly at Laura and kneeled down before her.
"Such a pretty little witch." He reached out to touch her hair. He moved closer. "How 'bout a kiss?"
Laura glared at him, then spit in his face.
"Get away from me," she snarled.
The man grabbed Laura's hair and yanked, obviously enraged. This was the last straw for Laura, who grabbed his arm and twisted it. He cried out in pain, releasing Laura's hair, and she stood, pulling him up with her. She twisted harder, and a crack echoed in the hollowed out room. Laura released his arm and pushed him from the cell, then swung the door shut and sat back down beside Ian. The man fled, positively terrified.
"You've just signed your own death warrant," Ian said quietly, handing Laura half of the bread.
"I know."
The Council's reply didn't come until almost midnight.
Laura awoke to Ian's soft cursing.
"What is it?"
"They're not going to help."
"They'd just let a Slayer and a Watcher die?" Laura asked incredulously. "Ian, they know more magic than is in your books! And they can't do anything?"
"More they won't."
"Why?"
"A lot of rubbish about fates and destiny. My thought it that they're against our coming to the New World." Ian looked at Laura. "Something about our decision to come over, so therefore we get whatever comes to us."
Tears finally welled in Laura's eyes.
"I'd always thought I would die by something evil. Never by another human hand," she said sadly. "But I guess humans are evil in themselves."
Ian took her into his arms and held her, much like a father would a daughter.
After Laura fell asleep, Ian spent the rest of the night penning a letter to Laura with materials he'd conjured up.
When the first rays of sun shone in the dank prison, Ian gently blew on the ink to make it dry, then folded the letter and carefully tucked it into Laura's bodice, trying not to be indecent.
At midday, Laura and Ian were taken from their cell and up into the meeting house, which doubled as a courtroom of sorts.
When asked if she was a witch, Laura shook her head.
"No, I am not a witch."
Ian answered the same way, and after this, the head of the council stood and pulled out a book that had been taken from Ian's room. He read aloud an excerpt, the words met by horrified gasps from the audience that had assembled.
When he finished, Ian looked up. "If you'll continue on, you'll find it also tells how to kill it."
"That may very well be, but it does not exclude details on how to summon it."
"Why would a summon a demon just to kill it?"
"You tell me."
Ian fell silent. The council head placed the book on his table.
"Strip the girl."
Laura's head snapped up and Ian let out an outraged cry.
"For the love of God, she is just sixteen years old! Is this necessary?"
"We must check for the mark of the devil."
"She has none! She is not a witch! Do not-"
Ian was cut off by Laura's angry shriek as she finally unleased herself upon the two men attempting to remove her clothing. In no time, Laura had laid flat both men and glared up at the council head, who stared back at her with undisguised hatred and fear.
"Take them both to the gallows!"
A few men stood, but all seemed wary to approach Laura.
"Take my life, if you must, but please, spare Laura's," Ian pleaded. Laura looked over at him, her face softening immediately.
"Ian, no."
"If a witch is what you all would like to see, then I will show you what a witch really is," Ian muttered darkly.
"Ian, no!" Laura cried again, rushing towards her Watcher. He threw up a hand and she flew back against the wall. Tears streamed down her face as she got to her feet.
"Ian, you don't have to do this!"
Some of the villagers, obviously terrified, got to their feet and rushed for the doors, but they slammed shut, held by Ian.
"Ian, stop, please," Laura begged, approaching him again. He looked at her finally.
"Get out, Laura. I must do this." He smiled a sad smile and Laura let out a sob. "I love you, Laura, as if you were my true daughter. Don't forget that. Now, go."
Laura felt an invisible force pushing her towards a door in the side of the building.
"Ian-" Laura began.
"I know. Go."
The door was flung open and Laura was pushed outside. The book the council head had had flew outside as well, and then the door slammed shut.
Crying openly now, Laura feebly tried the door handle. She knew that even with all her strength, she would be unable to get the door to open. She picked the book up and ran from the meeting house, back to the house she and Ian had shared.
She packed all of her belongings into her chest, loading it onto the small carriage behind the house. She then loaded all of Ian's books and journals and belongings into his chest, and, along with her weapons trunk, placed it her own personal chest.
After adding food for herself and the horses to the carriage, she pulled the carriage around to the front of the house, then led the horses around as well, hooking them up to the carriage.
She gave the house one final look, then hitched up her skirts and climbed up into the driving seat.
As she headed into town, she saw that the meeting house had caught fire, and as she got closer, she could hear the screams from inside.
"Ian," she whispered, tears filling her eyes once more. She sighed and continued on, unsure of where she was going.
She hadn't reached another village by nightfall, and she was forced to make camp near the woods.
She filled buckets with water for herself and the horses, and created makeshift feed bags for the horses as well.
Laura sat by the fire after her small meal and stared into the flames. This was her first time without Ian since she'd become a Slayer, and the loneliness was unbearable.
She frowned as she felt something pressing into her chest, through the fabric of her dress. She pulled it out and unfolded it, realizing it was a letter. With fresh tears in her eyes, she read it.
Laura,
You are reading these words because I have chosen to sacrifice my life so that you may live. You are immensely powerful, and will certainly get along well without a Watcher, though I am sure that if you decide to return to England, the Council will assign you a new one. I don't think a Watcher before has felt as much pride in his Slayer as I do in you. I know that when you leave this Earth, you'll die fighting. I'm proud of you, Laura, and I love you, as if you were my blood. Take care, and be careful.
Always,
Ian
*******
"Wow, a Watcher sacrificing himself for his Slayer. That's intense," Buffy said, laying the book and letter back down on the table. "I knew all you Watcher types weren't all stuffy and... British." Buffy grinned up at Giles, and he looked back at her, putting his glasses back on.
"Yes, well, he's the only one to ever have done it."
"Wow."
Giles came over and sat on the chair next to Buffy.
"And I would do the same for you," he said softly. Buffy shook her head.
"I wouldn't let you die for me, and you know it." Buffy looked up. "But it's a sweet thought. Not you dying, of course," she added hastily.
Giles smiled. "I know what you mean."
Buffy smiled. "Good."
