Part nine

It was quite in the house; too quite for Buffy’s liking. As she stealthily made her way through the second floor of Trick’s house, she was almost hoping that some vampire, or other bad guy would make an appearance to break the eerie silence. Walking alone through the lair of her enemy, she had almost wished Faith had not run off on her own.

When she got to the end of the hall, she looked down the darken stairs with great caution. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the vampires should be asleep...she could only hop. That didn’t, however, stop her from wondering if she was walking into a trap. But, she thought as she descended down the steps, too many lives were at stake for her to get cold feet now.

She got to the bottom of the stairs and peaked out around the corner. There was no sign of the vampires...or of Faith. Buffy looked around, and when she determined it to be safe, stepped out into the downstairs hall. It was a short hallway that spilled out into the foyer. From there, several doors lined up on either side on the entrance.

“Well,” Buffy sighed, grasping her stake, and putting her hand on the first door, “let’s see what’s behind door number one...”

She looked into the room and turned on the light. It was a music room, with a piano elegantly sitting by a large picture window. The curtains were drawn, giving the room sealed up appearance. Nope, she thought, closing the door, Nothing here.

She walked over to the second door on the right. It opened easily, leading into the kitchen. A kitchen. Now, why did that make her want to laugh? Buffy entered and gently closed the door behind her. She went over to the refrigerator and held her breath, as she pulled on the handle. If there was going to be anything here that could help Giles...here would be as good as any place for it.

The refrigerator door popped open, showing its contents to the Slayer. There where several bottle of dark liquid, Buffy could only assume to be blood, and a decanter of red wine. She looked in the door holder and smiled. There, sitting where the butter should be, were two vials of clear liquid, and a syringe. This has to be it! But, as she looked at both vials...which one?

“Well,” she said, pocketing both, “I’ll figure it out later.”

One part down...one more to go.

“Now,” Buffy said, as she left the kitchen, “If I were a vampire and I had a hostage, where would I keep her?”

Buffy continued down the foyer, looking for clues as to the little girl’s where-a-bouts, unaware that she was being watched....and stalked!

She opened another door that led to a study. A beautiful fireplace was set in the far wall...it’s contents were still smoldering. Trick couldn’t have been gone for very long, and that meant he would probably be back. God, she hated this! It was so much easier fighting vampires out in the open, but this Cloak and Dagger stuff, was beginning to wear on her nerves. All she wanted to do was to find this girl, find Faith, and get the hell out of there. She didn’t ask for much.

She searched the room for a secret panel, realizing that she probably looked very foolish, but not caring much. She was about to give up when a thought popped into her mind, about the secret panel idea. The bookcase! Why the hell not? She had nothing else to loose. Buffy walked over to the bookcase and examined it closely. It looked like an ordinary bookcase...it felt like an ordinary bookcase...and yet...

“It pays to watch movies,” Buffy smiled, as she placed her hand on the loose panel next to the case.

Just as she was about to move the panel, a rope tightened around her throat, pulling her away from the bookcase, and cutting off any air from reaching her lungs. Instinct prompted her to push into her unseen attacker, backing him up. They both hit into a high back chair, toppling them over onto the hard wood floor. This brief moment of distraction gave Buffy enough of an opportunity to break free of the constricting rope. She swung her body around and hit the vampire squarely in the face with her fist.

He growled and rolled further away from the Slayer, before leaping quickly to his feet. At that same time, Buffy rose off the floor and stood to face her attacker. He was the same vampire, her and Faith fought outside the Bronze. His shocking red hair, was disheveled from his most recent tussle.

“You just don’t give up do you,” Buffy quipped, stake in her hand, ready for the kill, “I thought after our little “dance” at the Bronze, you’d be long gone by now.”

“The pay’s good,” Eric huffed, swinging at Buffy.

“Yeah,” she replied, dodging his blow, “But I’m sure the benefits must suck.”

“But at least, I don’t work alone,” Eric grinned, revealing four more vampires in the doorway. “Now which job is the sucky one?”

Buffy looked at the five vampires and shook her head. She was not having a good day!

******

Giles was not having a good day. This was supposed to be his day off. Instead, he was poisoned, trapped in a fever induced dream...and was now running for his life from a phantom demon. He and Jenny ran through the halls of the dream-school, looking for a way to escape. But, at every turn, there was Angel...waiting.

They raced through the upstairs hall, trying to outrun Angel...who, once again, disappeared. When they got to the large picture window, Jenny stopped short, pulling Giles to a halt.

“W...what is it?” he asked, looking around for the cause of her alarm.

“I can’t go this way.” Jenny said. The pain was apparent on her face, as she let go of his hand.

“Why not?” Giles asked, confused, “Angel’s right behind us, and this is the only way out. We have to go...now.”

“I know. But I can’t cross this spot.”

“Jenny, I don...” Then her words struck home. “Oh, God,” he sighed, “this...this is were y..you....”

“...died?” Jenny nodded, sadly, “Yes.”

Giles lowered the sword and choked back a tear, “I..I knew you were murdered in the school, but I never...I never knew where. I suppose I never really wanted to know.” He bent down and touched the cold tiles on the floor, as though in doing that, he might be able to feel her presence.

He stood up and walked over to his love. With his free hand, his pulled her into him, embracing her long and hard. Kissing her on the lips he said, softly, “We’ll turn back.”

“Mmmm, I don’t think so,” Angel said, blocking their only escape, “You want to escape, Rupert, you’re going to have to go through me first.” Then turning to Jenny, he smiled, and added, “Hi Jenny. Does this bring back some fond memories? You see, Rupert, this is our “special place”...right?”

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Giles snarled, swinging the sword around, viciously at Angel’s head, “Buffy sent you to Hell...I’m going to send you to oblivion!”

“Oooo, I’m scared,” Angel said, blocking the blow, and striking out with his own. “You should have stayed a Watcher...not a do-er. It’s alot safer that way. You get involved, you run the risk of getting hurt. Ask your dead girlfriend about that...she has some experience.”

Angel swung the sword with terrifying speed. It took all of Giles’ strength and skill, just to fend off the blow. But even still, the impact of the two weapons sent waves of agonizing pain down the Watcher’s arm. He staggered back, trying to regain his balance, while blocking the relentless assault, from his opponent. Giles was holding his own...but he was no Slayer, and he knew it would only be a matter of time, before Angel would overpower him, ending this game.

“Once again, Rupert,” Angel said, smiling, “I must say you’re impressing the hell out of me.,” he blocked a vicious swing by the Watcher, “You’re a man of many hidden talents. And I thought all Watchers were just stuffy bookworms, who sent little girls to do their dirty work. But you...you’re different, aren’t you.”

Angel could see that his taunting were affecting Giles in a profound way. No longer was he, Rupert the mild mannered Watcher/librarian, but something a little darker...a little dangerous. This concerned him slightly, but found he couldn’t bring himself to cease the tormenting.

“There is a darkness in you, that’s kept well hidden from prying eyes, isn’t there, my friend?” Angel continued, well aware that the Watcher’s blows were coming with greater force and accuracy, “A darkness that even you have hidden from yourself. Buffy told me about you little stint as ‘Ripper, the bad magic man’, but this...this goes deeper than that. It’s a darkness that lives deep down in the corner of your soul, just itching to get out...”

“Shut up!” Giles growled, lunging for Angel, “You have no right to make any observations about me. You don’t know me! And you are certainly no friend of mine!”

“No, you’re right,” Angel admitted, “I guess I’m not a friend. But I know you better than you think. You’re a lot like me...”

“I’m nothing like you!” Giles spat, swinging the sword around, catching Angel in the fore arm, “You’re...you’re a monster...”

“...that your Slayer loves,” Angel finished, with merciless finality.

Giles stopped cold.

“That’s right, isn’t it?” Angel said, “It’s not bad enough that I took the only woman you’ll ever love away from you...but for Buffy to still love me...that must kill you to know she has more feelings for a murderous demon, than her own Watcher,” Angel circled Giles, like a predator, continuing to bait him, “And it’s that reason alone that you hate me; not that I killed Jenny, or tortured you, but that you will never hold the same place in Buffy’s heart that I still do.”

Giles shook his head, “No, you're wrong. I hated Angelus the demon...not Angel the man. Angel wasn’t responsible for those deaths...you were. And for that you’re going to pay.”

“Angelus, Angel...we’re one in the same. Haven’t you figured that out yet? I would never have become the demon, if the man wasn’t willing. Just as you could never have been Ripper if, deep down inside, you didn’t love every minute of it.”

“No!,” Giles shouted, “I’m tired of paying these games with you! This ends right here and now!”

“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Angel replied, striking out with blurring speed. The sword pierced Giles left shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and drop his sword, leaving the Watcher utterly defenseless. “But,” he continued, pulling out the sword and raising it high in the air, “unfortunately, there can only be one winner here...and it sure as hell ain't you.”

******

“ ‘Who has the sucky job’?” Buffy asked, her eyes darting from the red hair vampire to his four cohorts, “English was not your language of choice I take it?”

“You know what amazes me?” Eric’s smile oozed with confidence, “How you can be so flippant...so confident at the time of your death.”

“Well,” Buffy said, looking beyond them, through the open door, “I have a very good reason to feel confident.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because she has me,” Faith said, plunging her stake into the vampire’s back, “So, B, two against one...”

“I like the odds much better now,” Buffy replied, leaping into the fray, “By the way,” she said to her partner, “where the hell have you been?”

“Missed me?”

“Well, let’s say, I was a little worried,” Buffy said, staking one of her attackers.

Faith swung around and killed her own vampire, leaving a mist of dust behind, “Aw, I’m touched. I was trying to find Trick.”

“And?”

“And,” Faith said, dodging a blow, and striking out with her own, “no deal. If he’s here, he aint nowhere to be found. But think of it this way,” she smiled, as her stake finally found it’s mark, “I got to dust a whole lot more of these guys in the hunt.”

“Remind me later,” Buffy replied, finishing off the remaining vampire, “to either thank you...or kill you for going off on your own.”

Buffy walked quickly over to the panel and removed it. She could hear a mechanism grinding as the bookcase slid open. There, sitting tied up in the chair, was Emily Wilson. She removed the gag and untied the restraints, half expecting the scared, little girl to scream, but was surprised when she didn’t.

“Is the game over now?” she asked, standing up on shaky legs.

“Almost, Emily,” Buffy said as reassuringly as she could, “Your daddy asked me to come and take you home...okay?”

The little girl nodded, “I want to go home. That other man was scary. He said he would do mean things if I didn’t play his game.”

“What game is that?” Buffy asked, suddenly feeling wary of the slight girl.

Emily looked calmly at the two Slayers and smiled, “This,” With that, she changed into the demon she had, only recently become, and flew passed the girls, knocking them both to the ground. “Tell, my daddy, that this is his fault. He should have never gone to you two for help. He did this to me...and so did you.”

Buffy silently cursed at herself for not being able to stop this half pint vampire, before she slipped away out of sight. She was also furious with herself for allowing Trick to take such a young life, and pervert it. And now, she was going to have to tell the only person who could save Giles’ life that she couldn’t save his daughter.

“B,” Faith interrupted her thoughts, “You got the antidote?”

“Yeah,” she answered. Her voice seemed barely audible, through the emotions she was feeling.

“Then come on...let’s book. We can’t save the kid, but we can save Giles,” Faith said with a mater-of-fact tone that almost frightened her.

A little girl had just fallen victim to this war against evil, and to Faith, it was ‘business as usual’. But deep down, she knew her counterpart was right. There was nothing they could do for little Emily. But they had, in their hands, the power to save another life. What a rotten trade!

As the two Slayers raced out of the house, Mister Trick stood, watching a security camera video taping the entire event. A human assistant stood by his side, wondering what was going on in his employer’s mind. There were times in which it was hard to read him, but the wide grin on Trick’s face was a dead give-a-way that he was quite pleased with himself.

“Um, sir,” his assistant pointed out, “The Slayer’s have the antidote. They’ll use it and all of this will have been for nothing. Should I sent the ‘dogs’ out, once the sun sets, to finish the job?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Trick assured him, “This wasn’t ‘all for nothing’. I’ve learned their strengths and weaknesses, seen how they fight...I’d say, this little experiment has been quite a success. Let them have their Watcher,” he smiled, putting his arm around Emily, “I have what I want. Right Emily?”

Emily Wilson, who wasn’t even ten before her life both ended and begun again, looked up at Trick and smiled an unholy smile, “Yes Daddy.”

******

By the time Buffy and Faith got to the hospital, Dr. Wilson had been waiting outside for them. Over the phone, they said nothing about the events that happened at the house, only that they had the antidote and they had to talk to him. When he saw them pulling up in a cab, without his daughter, his knew what they were going to say.

“She’s...she’s dead, isn’t she?” He blurted out, trying to maintain his composure.

Rather than trying to explain exactly what happened, which would take far too much time...something they had precious little of, Buffy just nodded, “We tried to save her, but it was too late. I’m sorry.”

“Oh, God...my baby,” he sobbed softly, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault, I did this to her.”

His words struck an eerie chord in the Slayer’s ears. She shook her head and tried to get the grieving doctor to focus on her, “Dr. Wilson, we have the antidote. We can’t bring your daughter back...God, I wish I could...but we can prevent another innocent life from being lost. Please, we can’t do this without you.”

The doctor looked at her, as though he had seen the young woman for the first time, “Yes, yes of course,” he said weakly, “We have to save Mr. Giles life. I must make things right. Make them right by Emily.”

Buffy and Faith followed the doctor up to Giles’ room. As soon as they entered Buffy knew they had very little time. Xander, Cordelia and her mother were all there...the concern shown on their tired faces. She walked over to her Watcher and picked up his hand. It was icy cold, and clammy. She watched his chest rise and fall erratically, and felt for a very weak pulse.

Giles was dying.

She reached a trembling hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out the two vials, “Here, they aren’t marked so...so I just grabbed both. Please help him.” The tears fell unchecked down her cheeks. Watching him slip from her grasp was the hardest thing she had ever faced, and she hoped would never have to face again...if the antidote worked.

The doctor looked at both vials, and after a moment of consideration, stuck the needle into the glass container and drew out the life saving liquid. He then reached for an I.V. port, and injected it into the line. He stood back from the bed and looked at her, “It’s done. I...I think we got to him in time.”

“Well,” Faith asked, “now what?”

The others waited for the doctor’s response, “Now,” he finally replied, “we wait.”

“Wait,” Cordelia asked, folding her arms, “I gave up going to sleep to do more waiting?”

“Cordy!” Xander hushed.

“No,” Buffy agreed, “Cordy’s right,” Then turning to the doctor, she asked, “I thought once you give the antidote, he would get better right away.”

“Only in movies,” Dr. Wilson explained absently, “The antidote will stop the process and reduce the fever, but as for his recovery...that’s up to him now.”

******

Giles closed his eyes preparing for the worst. He had only hoped that his death would be quick...and maybe then he could get some rest. He was so tired, and he missed Jenny so much, all he wanted was to be with her.

Then, a miracle happened. The pain in his arm was suddenly gone! He quickly picked up the sword to block, what Angel thought to be, the deathblow, knocking the vampire off his feet. Angel staggered back, confusion played on his features. This wasn’t supposed to happen! The Watcher was supposed to die!

Giles eyes narrowed as he drew closer to his foe, “Now, it ends!”

With that, Giles lunged at Angel, striking him harder and harder, until he knocked him to his knees. All Angel could do was hold his sword up in a feeble attempt to fend off the relentless attacks of the Watcher.

As Giles pounded on Angel he shouted, “This is for all those innocent people you butchered over the century! This is for breaking Buffy’s heart! And this,” he said, plunging the sword deep into Angel’s chest, “This is for Jenny! You destroyed her life, and mine...you’re not going to get another chance!” He pulled the sword out and looked Angel directly in his eyes, “You’re not going to hurt another living soul!”

With one smooth motion, Giles struck the blade against Angel’s neck. A look of surprise was on his face for only a brief moment, before he exploded into dust.

Giles dropped the sword and sank to his knees. Six months of pain, and pent up anguish were finally allowed to flow freely with every teardrop. He could feel Jenny, holding him, stroking his hair, and whispering soothing words in his ears, but all he could focus on was feeling of release. And when no more tears could fall, he just knelt on the cold ground holding Jenny, not wanting to let go.

It was only her soft words that made him open his eyes and look at the woman he loved, “Rupert,” she said gently, “it’s time to go.”

“I don’t want to,” he said, almost with a child’s fear of abandonment, “I want to stay with you. Here.”

“You can’t,” she said patiently, “You have to go back to the people who love and need you.”

Giles looked into her eyes, and whispered, “I love you.”

“I know,” Jenny said, kissing him, “and someday, we will be together, but not now. Not like this. They all need you...Buffy needs you.”

“Th..they can find another Watcher for her,” Giles reasoned.

Jenny stroked his cheek, “Yes, they can fill the position...but they could never replace the man. I would be selfish, and wrong, if I let that happen.”

He knew she was right...and God, if it didn’t hurt! He needed her so much, but not as much as Buffy need him. He couldn’t only think of himself and what he wanted, he had to consider her. Giles stood up and wiped the remaining tears from his eyes. He took Jenny’s hands in his and smiled.

“As usual,” he said, “you’re right. I don’t want to leave you, but...”

“I know.”

“What do I do?” he asked, not really wanting to know.

“Let me go. Move on. Only them can I be free...and you too”

She reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the corkscrew earring. It’s metal sparkled brightly in the rising sun. It’s glow spread, surrounding them in an almost heavenly light. They kissed with a passion few would ever experience. Giles wrapped his arms around Jenny, and the two shared their final moments together, before the glow began to fade.

“What’s happening?” Giles asked, as he watched the woman he loved begin to fade from his life forever.

“It’s time for me to move on...as well as you. I love you England. I always will.”

“Jenny, please,” Giles pleaded through tears, “Don’t leave me...please!”

“Goodbye, my love,” she said, before disappearing into the light.

“Goodbye.”

******

Giles moaned and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked several times, trying to focus on the many faces that were standing by his side. Xander and Cordelia, Oz and Willow, Joyce and Faith, were all there looking at him with well deserved relief in their eyes. But the one face that brought a warm pang to his chest was Buffy. His Slayer...his friend.

“Hey,” she said, fighting back tears, “Welcome back. We’ve missed you. how are you feeling?”

Giles reached up his hand and held hers. His grip was surprisingly strong for someone who was on the brink of death no more than two hours earlier. He smiled weakly, but with honesty, and said, “Better, now that I know you are all here.” Then as an afterthought he added, “I had the strangest dream...”

“Yeah, well,” Cordelia said in her usual, I’m-glad-you’re-okay-but-I’m-too-hip-to-show-it, “if you say, and Toto was there too...I’m outa here.”

Giles laughed, for the first time in a long while. Perhaps, even on the Hellmouth, there was room for healing.