Love's Revenge

by StarSwathi

This story is more proof that the Sunnydale gang should never make plans on Halloween. This story is a from ten years ago. I just found it and decided to publish it. It is slash. Please take that into consideration before you try to read it. It is also a crossover with the movie Sleepy Hollow.

Title: Love's Revenge
Author: Star Swati
Email: StarSwathi
Summary: Ethan wants revenge.
Rating: PG-13 (R at most for kissing)
Feedback: PLEASE. This is my first fic so I would love to know what you think.
Archive: Just ask.
Disclaimer: I just used the character. They all have been returned to Joss just like I borrowed them. Well except Spike. He now has my name tattooed on his ass. Come on you wanted to do it too. =P.
Author's note: I want to thank my roommate for getting me to write this. I also want to thank Dink for sending out the Challenge that started this mess. Also this was written years ago so please don't hate me for it.
This story should be taking place before the Halloween episode but after Giles gets back from England.

POV changes a lot.

He looked at the ebony box in his hand. He finally had enough power to take his revenge. Ripper had turned away from him for this: the Slayer and her Slayerettes. Now He would pay by watching everything he loved be destroyed.

Ethan opened the ebony box and took out the dust from within it. The last ingredient needed. He had translated the symbols from on top of the box to find the prefect time to carry out his plans. Just as before, All-Hallow's Eve.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Xander, get your butt down here," Willow yelled.

"Yes, Master," came the reply from up the stairs.

The Scooby gang decided that they should all get together before going out to a frat party for Halloween. Considering the history they had with Halloween, they decided not to chance it by arriving separately. That and they didn't want to leave Xander alone. Anya, finally, got fed up with Xander not telling any one about their engagement and left taking the ring with her. No one had heard from her since. Not even the lure of money could keep her in Sunnydale. Xander was heartbroken. He loved her as much he could love any women. Maybe that wasn't enough. Xander frowned at the idea. "Man, my life is too complicated." Xander whispered.

Dawn's head popping into the room yanked him out of his thoughts. Dawn was on her way to a party at one of her friend's house and wanted to say bye. Dawn decided that she wanted to go as a witch. Not like Wills or Tara but the whole green with warts number. She pulled it off with Buffy's black dress. Not that Buffy knew that. Yet. Buffy surprised them by going as a vampire. Well, it more like amused Spike, who was going as an 'oh so unique' Game face version of himself. Willow and Tara decided they wanted to match for a change and were going as a groom and a bride. Tara looked awesome in her wedding dress. Xander wanted to top them all. After reading (okay so more like looking at the pictures) in one of Giles' books, he decided to go as the Headless Horseman. A man who let himself be controlled by a chick just to get his head back sounded just like him, except instead of getting his head back Xander was more controlled by getting head, but who was he to worry about little details like that.

Xander looked at himself one last time. His costume looked pretty cool if he did say so himself. It looked almost exactly how the Headless Horseman looked in the sketch, complete with sword that he borrowed from Giles when he wasn't looking. It was a perfectly horrible costume. It fit his mood completely.

"Xander, if you make me come up there..." Willow yelled.

"Coming."

Xander put on his sword and went down stairs. Tonight was going to be interesting.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Wandering Souls of years before,

Send me the man of old lore.

Give his head to me,

His master let me be."

A simple spell seemed to be all Ethan needed for his revenge. The head of the Headless Horseman would be his to control and use for his bidding.

Soon after his last words were uttered a light glow came over the room and a women dressed in a grayish gown with a veil come into view. Her facial features were hidden from sight but the dress looked aged. It had holes at the bottom edge and tears on the arms.

"You call the power of the Hessian? "

"Yes. Yes I do," Ethan replied to the soul eagerly.

"Here is his power." In the old crone's hands appeared a simple leather bag. "But beware mortal, for true love's power is stronger than revenge can ever be."

As soon as Ethan's hands touched the bag, the wandering soul disappeared. Opening the bag, Ethan found the Horseman's head staring back. Ethan was finally going to have his revenge over Ripper after all these years of wanting him to pay for what he did. It didn't matter what the old hag said. The vengeance he swore to when he was a young man would finally come to pass. He would make the Ripper pay.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In a forgotten woods near the small town of Sleepy Hollow, two-days journey up the Hudson from New York by carriage, a man awoke to find his beloved missing.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Xander couldn't enjoy himself. Here he was at a college party surrounded by beautiful hotties, who were really digging him, and all he could do was think about the G-man at home watching AMC's Edgar Allen Poe movie marathon. It was stupid. He had gotten over his crush on Giles years ago. Okay so maybe not but could you really blame a guy? Giles was funny, cute, and looked extremely hot in jeans... "Woah, Xander! You are not going to fall for Giles, again. Do you understand me?"he thought as he glanced around the room to see if anyone saw him flinch at the idea of being in love with the watcher again. Everyone seemed to be going on their business of partying.

Giles had been there for him when Anya left him. Maybe he felt a little weird being here without the guy. Xander had been following around like a puppy dog ever since Giles came back from England. That didn't mean anything. Then why did it hurt more when Giles left than when the women he loved dumped him and pulled a Houdini? Too much thinking for one night. If he keep this up people might actually think he go to college or something. He put his usual goofy smile back on and tried to cruise for chicks.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He was alone. None of the Slayerettes were around. Even Spike went with them to the Halloween party. /How did the Scoobies adopt a vampire, much less William the Bloody, I will never know./ Giles chuckled into his cup'a tea thinking about the remark that Spike had made one night while saving him and how true it really was.

He just dropped Dawn at her friend's party and came back to an empty Summers house. These last few months had been hard on him. He lost a girl who was like a daughter to him, left a town that had become home and left the people who made it home only to have it all returned to him. And what was he doing with the news? Nothing. He was sitting at home watching old horror movies on AMC with his faithful cup'a tea.

/If the Ripper could see me now, he would kill himself to keep this from happening./ He smirked. So much had changed since the time he was the Ripper. He had changed. True, the Ripper was still a part of him. He no longer felt the need to push the limits, shock and scare everyone, or cause mayhem just for the Hell of it. No, he turned into a man his younger self would have jeered at.

Due to this change, he had lost a man he had truly cared for. Ethan. A man who still haunted his dreams. Ethan and he had used the world for their own amusement. The things they did made Giles cringe. Yet that was not longer his cup of tea in a manner of speaking. That is why he lost Ethan. He lost him to become what he was now: Mr. Rupert Giles, the Watcher to the Slayer, the Owner of the Magic Box, and a father to most of the Slayerettes. Yes, most of the Slayerettes. Willow and Buffy would always be like daughters to him as would Dawn and now Tara but Xander... He had always been drawn to the boy. He had watched him grow from the smart aleck boy to a smart aleck young man. Though he had matured and grown quite a bit, it was astounding how Xander could keep his child-like manner intact. What was even more puzzling to Giles was the type of women Xander ended up with. He watched Xander bounce from one insane young women to another. Though, Miss Chase is arguably sane. Xander seemed to have finally found a mate in Anya. True, the bond between the two was a bit more physical than most but they seemed to love each other. What's more Xander seemed happy. That was important. It was truly shocking to all when Anya seemed to have left, breaking both an engagement and Xander's heart. "Never trust a vengeance demon," Giles thought. Giles naturally tried to console the boy...man by trying keep him close and busy. Maybe too close.

Having the younger man following him around had given rise some rather unfatherly feelings in Giles. He had to keep turning around to make sure no one noticed his reaction to the boy's proximity. So far Spike was the only one who seemed to figure out about his little problem and surprisingly all Spike did was smirk at him. Never even said a word about it. Odd, mostly due to the fact it was such wonderful blackmail for the vampire. Rupert Giles in love with a man half his age. Yes in love with. He had always cared deeply for him even when the man was doing his best to get on his nerves so falling for Xander was no big jump.

The opening credits to the next movie shook Giles from his thoughts. His mind should be on the film he was watching, not a man who was probably trying to get shagged by the first pretty coed who looked his way. Irritated at the thought, Giles tried to concentrate on the movie yet what the young man was doing kept creeping into his mind.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Horseman, I want you to find the Slayerettes and bring them to me. Alive. You can have their heads later."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A soul, who was looking for his other half, was dropped in Sunnydale. He was fighting as hard as he could not to faint.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The party started picking up. The music was jumping. The people were loosening up and Xander was having a horrible time. For God's sake, Spike was have a ball and all he could do was think about a tweed wearing Watcher and how lonely he must be. Xander was fighting the urge to run out the doors and back to Giles. He didn't know the second that Giles became the center of his world happened but probably sometime when Giles was in England. Or maybe it just took Giles leaving to wig him out enough to see it. It didn't really matter as long as Giles didn't leave again and Xander was going to make sure of that right now.

Xander stepped towards the door when a man with pale white skin and brown eyes dressed in 1800's clothing stopped him. "Christian, is that you?"

"Sorry man. The name's Xander. You've got the wrong headless horseman." Xander replied. Xander was impressed by how detailed the guy's clothing was. It looked just like the photos in his history book.

"You mean there are more of you?" The man sounded freaked. For a guy who seemed to pull out all the stops on Halloween (he even had the accent), he was sure surprised that more than one person would dress up like the headless horseman.

"Well, yeah. I don't know how many but there's me and that guy you were talking about. So that's at least two. Maybe Tony would know. Ton…"

Xander's yell was overpowered by the noise of screams coming from the front door. "Why can't I ever have a normal Halloween?" Xander muttered as he rushed towards the door against all the crowd of people, who were trying to get out the back. When he got to the door, Xander stopped cold. A man dressed just like him was throwing people around left and right. Spike and Buffy were trying to stop the guy. Trying was the main word here. He was batting them away like they were flies. The guy was making his way towards Tara and Wills. What sucked is none of their spells were working on him, either. It looked like there was no stopping him. When the Headless Horseman was pretty darn close to the girls, the man in the 1800's clothing jumped between them.

"Christian. No." The Headless Horseman stopped as if he was looking at the guy. "Christian, please don't do this. You don't have to... please don't."

Still not bothered by Spike and Buffy's attacks, the Horsemen moved and gently caressed the other man's cheek before pushing him away as well. The Horseman then caught Wills and Tara and held them both for a second before they just fainted. He flung the limp bodies over his shoulder and walked back to the front door.

"Willow!" Xander screamed. His best friend was being kidnapped by what seemed to be the real Headless Horseman. Xander fought to get the costume off so he could help rescue her and her girlfriend but the damned thing wouldn't come off. Spike was now knocked unconscious and Buffy wasn't even making a dent in the Horseman. He walked right past her and then the man with the accent screamed again from where he was sprawled on the floor.

"Christian, let them go." The horseman paused but then just kept on going. He dumped his bundles on a giant black horse before Buffy could attack again and rode off. Xander didn't know what to do. He wanted to run after him but that would to nothing so he just stood there watching his friends be carried off and did nothing out of shock.

"Ah Bugger." A small noise was heard from the blond vampire still on the floor. He looked around confused. "Where's Red and her girl?" He looked at Xander and Buffy's faces. "Bloody hell. Lets get to the watcher and bring the new whelp with." He got up and spun around just enough to get his duster to flare and walked out the door with two boys and the slayer in tow.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Giles fell asleep halfway through "The Pit and the Pendulum." He started to dream almost immediately. He was laying on his back in bed next to his lover in the room he owned when he was the Ripper. Then the room started to change. He gripped his bed and hugged his lover close. His room was now the one he had a few months ago, but he didn't let go of the near crushing grip he had on his lover.

"Shhhhhh!" he heard. "It's okay Rupert. I'm here. The Xan-man won't let anything happen to you. Love ya too much to." His lover moved on top of him. He looked into his lover's chocolate eyes and recognized them as Xander's.

"Xander?" he asked, almost pleaded, when his lips were covered by lips that taunted him so much in the past. His lover's hand were sliding up and down his body. Xander lightly sighed as his lips never left Giles's.

"Rupert" came a husky breath of his name. That was the moment Giles couldn't hold out any more. He tried to draw Xander closer only to find his arms empty.

"Giles!" came a cry from his right. He turned to see a cliff right next to his bed. "Giles!" He looked down to see Xander holding on for dear life.

"Aw, what are you going to do Ripper? I mean Rupert. The boy is going to die all because of you."A voice said from behind Giles.

Giles turned to find Ethan next to him. "No! Ethan, we have to help him."

"No, no, Rupert. He is going die just like I died when you left me, Ripper. Only this time you are going to watch."

The cliff started to crack. Giles dived but he was too late.

"Giles!" was all Xander screamed as he fell down the cliff to the rocky bottom. "Noooooooooooo!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Giles? Giles. Giles! Wake up!" Xander said, seeing the older man stuck in a bad nightmare. A scream had greeted the four of them as they entered the Summers house. Instinctively, Buffy and Spike checked the surroundings while Xander rushed to Giles.

"Move, whelp." Spike snapped as he pushed Xander a little to the side. "We need the watcher up now." Spike then slapped Giles light enough to make sure the chip didn't go off yet hard enough to leave a red mark on the watcher's cheek.

"No, no, Xan... " stuttered Giles as he awoke. The first sight he saw was Xander. Instantly, Xander was surrounded by Giles. He hesitated for a second before returning the embrace that he so desired.

"Shh, it's okay. I am right here. Nothing's gonna happen. It's okay, G-man."

The whispered name G-man was what made the older man jump back. Xander was all right but he wasn't his lover Giles quickly realized. He didn't love him like in the dream. He didn't whisper Rupert in his ear. No, his dream was not real. Not any of it. Nor would any of it ever be.

"Oooooookay," said the blond haired slayer and looked at her two friends as if they both had grown another head. "Yeah, um...Giles, we have a little problem." Still looking at her friends with confused eyes, Buffy continued. "Willow and Tara have been kidnapped."

"What? When did this occur?" said Giles while trying not look to at Xander.

"At the shindig tonight. The thing was unstoppable. Knocked me out he did.,. Bloody Wanker". Spike absently rubbed his head were a bump should have been if he wasn't a vampire.

"What did he look like? " Giles asked as he looked pointedly at Spike.

"Like the whelp in his costume except much more convincing. " Spike gestured to Xander. "Same clothes and everything. Looked like his double almost."

"Are you saying it was a Headless Horsemen?" Giled did not even glance at Xander to see his costume. Though, Giles had helped with some of the clothing so he knew what Xander looked like but it still hurt Xander.

"Yeah, I am." Spike folded his arms over his chest as if he was asking for a fight. Even though Spike was now one of the group, that didn't make him tame by any stretch of the word.

"So we have to research the Horseman, find his weaknesses." Giles said as he stood up from his chair and started to pace.

"He has no weakness, at least physically. That I know of and I am sure Christian would have told me if otherwise," spoke the stranger in a meek voice.

"And who would you be sir?" Giles said as he noticed the stranger for the first time.

"My apologies for being so rude. My named is Ichabod Crane." Ichabod stepped forward to shake Giles' hand. "I know Christian very well and what he is doing is not by his own will. He might have been a mercenary, but this kidnapping is not his working. His will was content at home protecting Sleepy Hollow and it's citizens, even if they feared him." Ichabod had a slightly forlorn look on him as if the remarks in the past made about the Hessian hurt him somehow. "As long as his bones are undisturbed, no one can harm Christian."

"So we have to find the bones and destroy them," said Buffy as she was getting up ready to go.

"Noooooooo! No, you must not harm Christian. He is as mush a victim as the two ladies kidnapped. You must find the person in possession of his head and give back the head to alleviate him from his toil," reasoned Ichabod as he looked from person to person to make sure that no one was going to threaten the Horseman.

"Well, it seems more logical than the five of us tramping around digging up graves, but we still have to figure out what spell or ceremony would call the horseman back from his grave. I might have something in one of the books in the basement concerning him." Giles turned towards the kitchen entrance to get to the basement.

Giles' movements startled Xander out of his thoughts. Giles had held him close when he had first come in the door. It had been a near crushing grip but it seemed that Giles didn't know who it was because as soon as G-man left his lips, Giles jumped back. He still refused to look at him. One hug might have destroyed one of the most important friendships he had. Xander couldn't stand it. There was only one thing to do, talk to Giles.

"Yeah, I'll help ya out." Xander offered.

"Noo! No you stay up here. I'll be just a moment. I'll be just fine." Giles was now backing away from Xander with worry coloring the older man's face.

Xander's heart was broken but he held it together until Giles left the room then bolted for the front door. He didn't want anyone to know how hurt he was by Giles's actions.

"Xander. Xander!" Buffy cried after her friend. She looked at Spike for help.

"'Kay. You go after the whelp. I'll have a talk with the watcher." Spike then turned to the kitchen as Buffy went after Xander leaving a very confused Ichabod Crane in the living room.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Giles saw the hurt in the boy's eyes as he told him not to follow but right now his emotions were too volatile to let Xander near him. He might actually attack the youth. He loved him and if all he could be his friend then damn it he had to try and not attack Xander.

"You effed it up, Watcher," started a voice halfway down the stairs. Giles turned already knowing whom it was.

"What do you want, Spike?" He really did not have the energy to play one of Spike's mind games.

"This has nothing to do with what I want. It's about the boy," Spike said as he glared at Giles.

"What about Xander?" Giles said in a voice that was almost calm except the underlying fear that he knew that Spike could detect. It was hard hiding emotions when the person you were talking to could hear your heart beat.

Spike continued down the stairs to stand right in front of Giles. "That show you did upstairs bloody tore out his heart. Ran clear out of the house like a vamp was on his tail. Now, I won't say anything about your little affair but I like the boy. He's nothing special but he gives it his all." Spike lit a cigarette then continued. "Got to like that in a bloke. Decent too. A good host he was except for the whole tying me to the chair so in exchange I look after him a bit."

"Where is this going, Spike? "

"Not far. Look, watcher. You like him. He likes you. Talk to him. You bloody humans always seem to need to talk about your feelings. Bloody well could get a decent shag out of it but remember two things. One, don't hurt the boy and two we never had this little talk. I'm evil after all. Don't want anything to happen to my reputation, now would we?" Spike tossed his cigarette to the floor. "Remember don't hurt the boy," he said poking the watcher then he turned and left.

Giles was bewildered. Did he just get relationship advice from William the Bloody? A man whose most stable relationship was with a crazed vampiress and, scarier still, was he actually thinking about using it. He must have gone totally mad. Yet, Spike was right. He needed to talk to Xander. But first he had to find the book. "Ah, there it is. Now off to find Xander." Giles said as he took off towards the stairs, leaping them two at a time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Xander." Buffy cried as she left the house. She heard a muffled cry from behind the tree. "Xander?" She slowly went towards the noise. She didn't know what was going on but she sure as hell was going to find out and now. "Xander, what's wrong?"

With a sizable sniffle came a murmured, Xander replied. "Nothing."

"Nothing? Oh really? You never ran out the door because of nothing. You never cry over nothing. Come on Xander, what's wrong? "

Xander looked at her with defeated eyes. He looked like he had lost everything in the entire world. He hadn't been this bad when Anya left.

"Xander," Buffy spoke in a voice usually used for lost little boys and cute little animals, "tell me."

Xander pushed himself off of the tree and walked back to the house. Buffy followed him silently. Xander then sat on the front steps and motioned Buffy to sit down, too.

Xander didn't know what to say. Buffy might be one of his best friends but how was he suppose to tell her he was in love with Giles. She freaked when Willow showed up with Tara. What would she do now?

After quite a few minutes and even more a false starts, he spoke. "It's kind of complicated." His voice filled with despair. "When Giles left, it was like there was a hole put into me. Anya was always around so I didn't have to feel anything. She constantly wanted my attention so she got it. It was the perfect way to keep Giles out of my mind. The reason it wasn't so bad when Anya left was because Giles had come back. Everything was fine as long as he stayed. He's the main reason I didn't want to tell anyone about the engagement. Back then I thought it was just, ya know, because I cared about his opinion but I guess that's wrong. The reason was because announcing the engagement made it real so I couldn't even think about him and me together. That door would be closed and a big fat guy with horns would be sitting in front of it. I couldn't do that. Especial since I wanted him ever since high school."

"Wow, you really liked him since then?" Buffy was amazed at the thought that Xander held a crush on a guy who was like a dad to her for so long.

"Yeah." He chuckled. "Ever since I first saw him in the tweed. Can you really blame me? He's smart, funny at times, has got a British accent, is always around when you need him, plus he looks really hot in jeans." Xander exploded in laughter at the look Buffy gave him because of the last comment then he sobered up. "Yeah, well, it doesn't matter what I feel. He hates me." Xander's defeated face came back with a vengeance.

"Xander, he doesn't hate you". Buffy said trying to put her hand on his arm to console him only to get it knocked off.

"Save it, Buffy," Xander said anger entering his voice. He got up and paced in front of the door never taking his eyes off his friend. "You saw him. Jumping back as soon as he recognized it was me holding him, not looking at me when he was talking. God, he found the floor more entertaining then me. Oh and let's not forget the mad dash out of the room after I asked to help...Of course, he doesn't hate me."

Venom and self disgust dripping from his words until he saw the grief on his friend's face from his little rant. "I'm sorry, Buff," he said as he sat back down next to her wrapping an arm around her giving her a slight squeeze. "I didn't mean to yell at you. It's just that's how my life is. The one person whom I love more then anyone else won't even let me touch him."

From behind the seated pair came a question in very shocked British voice asking, "You love me? "

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Giles came up to see Ichabod Crane asking Spike about the 21st century. Giles quickly gave Ichabod the book and grabbed his coat to go look for Xander but when he opened the door he saw Buffy and Xander talking. He meant to turn away so they could have their privacy but then he heard "Giles was there." His interests were hooked. They were obviously talking about what happened and listening would only help him find a way to tell the boy something that wouldn't hurt him in any way. Yet, the more he heard the more amazed he got. "Xander wants a relationship with me... He's had a crush on me since high school... He finds me extremely attractive in jeans." Giles thought as he listened to Xander speak. As Xander started to get up, Giles drew back to hide but kept close enough to hear the brunette's words. He felt his stomach turn from the pain he had caused the younger man. Then he heard something so miraculous, he needed to question it. He spoke simply, "You love me? "

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Xander jumped at the noise behind him. He turned to see Giles in the doorway coat in hand looking at him with questioning eyes. Xander turned back around and buried his head in his hands. His life couldn't get any worse. He heard some movement. He knew that Buffy had just left and now, Giles was sitting next to him. He felt strong hands turn him towards Giles yet he still couldn't look. He didn't to want to see the disgust in the older man's eyes. One of the hands left its place on Xander's shoulders and gently pulled his chin to face Giles. He had two choices: one act like a complete five year old and refuse to budge or two, he could face Giles. It was one of the hardest things he had ever done. The idea of looking at the older man in the eyes and fearing the sight of disgust or anger scared Xander like no demon ever had but when he saw Giles's eyes he found none. Instead, he found no expression at all. He didn't know which was worse.

"Xander, do you love me?"

He tried to turn so Giles couldn't see the tears in his eyes. "Damn him," Xander thought, "for make this so hard."

"Yes," he finally blurted out. "Yes, I love you. I'm sorry Giles." Tears were now flowing down his cheeks silently. "I know you don't like me or anything. I'm so sorry. Don't hate...me. Don't leave me. Please."

When he couldn't get any thing else out, he was enveloped in two strong arms and pulled close to a manly body. Then he heard the owner of those arms whisper softly into his ear as he was held close and rocked. "Shhhhh. Shhhhh. Don't cry, love. I don't hate you. Shhhhh. I love you, too. I'll never leave you!"

Xander drew himself closer to the man with his love's voice. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Willow was waking up. Her head was killing her. She opened her eyes to find a cold gray wall staring back at her. She tried to move but it seemed that she was tied to a bar of some kind and Tara was on the other side of the bar. "Tara? Tara, baby, get up." Willow's only response was a groan from her lover. Both Willow's and Tara's hands were handcuffed behind them. She got up and started to scan the room to see if there was anything she could use to help her get them out of this situation. She then heard a noise coming from the door.

"Ah, you are awake child?" Ethan walked towards Willow.

"What do you want?" Willow's narrowed when she realized who had kidnapped her.

"Nothing much. I just want the Ripper to feel what I felt when he left me. The way I figure it, the best way is to kill everyone he holds dear. What do you think?" smiling diabolically.

"He beat you last time, Ethan. He can do it again." Willow spat out as she tried to throw her self towards Ethan.

"Oh no, my child, I know quite well the Ripper's limits and I assure you I have taken them all into consideration. And don't think I have forgotten your Slayer." He pulled a leather bag out of what seemed like nowhere and took out a skull. "And this will insure she will be no problem. I am actually looking forward to the encounter between her and my Horseman. Should only make my work more pleasant but I shouldn't be tiring you out so. You have a big day ahead of you once my Horseman gets the rest of the Slayerettes so rest up."

Ethan put the Horseman's head back in it's bag and put it in the cabinet. "Good night, Ladies," and left the room.

Willow knew she had to get the information to the Scoobies so she decided to send it via Spike.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

/Spike!/ the Vampire jumped back suddenly.

"Oi, Red don't do that." He scanned the room to find Ichabod looking at him with bewildered eyes. "Where are you?"

/In a basement of a old hose with gray walls./

"Red, not helpful. Do you know who's got ya?"

/Ethan and he is using... /

"Yeah, yeah. The Horseman's head, we know. We've got a source." Looking directly at Ichabod, who now looked extremely anxious. "I'll get the watcher but you stop getting 'n my head. The pillock might trace it."

/Okay. Be careful, Spike./

"Always am." He couldn't feel the witch anymore wandering around his head and turned to get the watcher.

"What was that?" Ichabod's voice reached Spike. Ichabod was now standing.

"The two girls your boy nicked were witches. Red's very good at what she does." He said with his usual drawl but clearly wanting end this little converstion.

"You mean she can contact you through your mind. Fascinating." Ichabod looked like he had a thousand questions at the tip of his tongue.

"Yeah, Red's something." Raising his hand to stop the questions before they started, he advanced towards Ichabod. "Need to get the watcher so we can get the witches and you can get back your bloke." He was now close enough to be face to face with the brunette man. "So you have anything else to say, whelp?" Spike used the small amount of distance and his aggressive nature to scare the other man.

"No. No. You may be on your way," Ichabod tried to step back only to stumble on to the couch.

"Thanks much." Sarcasm covered his words. He muttered different curses under his breathe as he walked towards the door. Hope, the watcher and the boy are decent thought as he smirking. Then again might be fun to watch.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Xander loved him, truly loved him. He in turn had told the youth that he loved him as well. It was one of the most wonderful moments of his life. Well had it not been for the pain he had brought to the man in his arms. He pulled slightly back. Just enough to start covering the other man's face with feather-light kisses. At first, Xander seemed to tense under the ministrations but quickly let himself relax completely as he sighed and moaned. Giles continued down Xander's face without once touching his lips. Then slowly he started working down Xander's neck. Xander wiggled and moaned as he was licked. "Must remember how sensitive this lovely neck is." Giles thought as he continued exploring. Giles then backed away and looked at his love's face. The man looked like he was in heaven with his eyes closed and his face flushed. Not to forget those lips that were begging to be kissed. Giles wasn't going to say no to an invitation like that.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Giles was kissing him. On the lips. If the butterfly kisses before were amazing then this was a whole other ballpark. An extremely good park but a different one. He had never been kissed like this before. The kiss was consuming. It was like Giles was trying to possess his mouth wanting to every part of it. Xander gave up control completely. Even when the lack of air was becoming a problem, he didn't want those lips to leave his. He could easily get addicted to Giles' kisses. When Giles finally drew away from him, he gently moaned, "Giles." Trying to urge the older man to kiss him again.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was like heaven. Ambrosia couldn't taste as good as Xander did to Giles. From the first second, he needed to know every part of the young man's mouth, to possess it as it possessed him. The only problem was horrible fact that he had to breathe and take his lips away from his love's. When he broke the kiss, Xander seemed to be as disappointed as he was. Then his love moaned but it wasn't the name he wanted to hear from his lips. He wanted Xander to sigh and moan his proper name. Slowly moving from his love's lips and licking a trail to the man's ear, he whispered in the ear, "Rupert, call me Rupert."

There was a slight pause before the whispered name came out of that lovely mouth. "Rupert" in a sigh carried on the wind.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Rupert. Cupid. Love stallion. He would call him anything under the sun and sea as long as those wonderful lips came back to his. It wasn't fair that they were torturing him like this. He disentangled himself from Giles...Rupert. He saw the bewilderment and fear in the older man's eyes at his sudden departure. He smiled. It was kind of nice to know he wasn't the only one nervous about this whole deal.

He slowly moved back towards Rupert and gently cupped the other man's face. He drew that face closer inch by inch until there lips met in an almost painful, gentle, and sweet kiss that seemed to feed a fire somewhere inside of Xander. Just as he was getting into it, though, Spike's voice made him jump back.

"Watcher, whelp. Red's gotten into my head again. Almost worse than the bloody chip. At least the chip just gives me a bleeding headache. Don't know what Red's screwing around with up there. Come one get off your arses, stop mooning, and come on. Red and her girl need rescuing." Spike then turned back into the house but a muttered "horny bloody gits," could still be heard by Xander.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was amazing. The feelings he got from this man were truly amazing. When Xander retreated, he feared that maybe he was going too fast. Maybe the boy had decided against it but the smile and the kiss he got after made up for the absence of those delicious lips for those brief seconds. "My lord, what I wouldn't do to stay like this forever." Giles thought.

Images of his and Xander doing naughtier things in the bed hit the watcher's mind causing the man to moan. He couldn't wait to make those images a reality.
Just before anything could happen, he heard that annoying British accent. The first thing Giles felt was the absence of the warm body as Xander jumped back at the intrusion. Then Giles listened to what the blond vampire was saying. They had a lead in the kidnapping. He had to check it out so he got up.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Xander's thoughts were a mess. "Oh, my god. Spike just caught me and Giles ... Rupert making out. I really have to get over that. He's going to freak. Wait, what if he doesn't want anyone to know? He's going to be so pissed. He's gonna hate me. Why does Spike love messing up my life? Well, there is the chair thing. So he's a bloodsucker, he deserved it. Oh no, Rupert's leaving. He's mad." Xander started to pout. He couldn't believe how badly his life sucked. Rupert was leaving and he was probably mad at what had happened. Rupert was regretting one of the top three...who was he kidding, the best moment of his life. Then Rupert offered Xander his hand to get up.

"Come on, love. We have to find Willow." Then Rupert pulled Xander up and won't let go of the hand in his. He lightly kissed Xander on the cheek and said, "Don t worry love. We'll find them." Xander towards the living room.

"God, I love it when I'm wrong." Xander said softly as he smiled.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Okay, Spike. What did Willow tell you?" Giles said as he carefully kept Xander as close as he could to him. He ignored Spike's smirk and again asked Spike about the new information with slight exasperation clear in his voice.

"Right, Red and her bit are locked in some basement some where. Nothing special. She figured out who has them though. A mate of yours. Ethan."

Giles stiffened at that name. "No, it was just a dream." Giles thought. "Ethan can't take Xander from me. Not when I just found him. There is no way I am letting anything happen to Xander."

"I can find Ethan if it is really him." Giles said. "I have a trinket of his that will trace him. I'll just be a moment." Giles went down to the basement again. Giles was wonder about how to explain what had happened with Ethan to Xander. His young lover had a right to know about his past especially now that that past had come back to haunt him. He walked towards the boxes that he had sealed many years ago and opened them. They were his past, his memories. Both painful and beautiful. Giles searched and found the wooden box the amulet was held in. He pushed the latch of the simple box and it opened. The emerald green amulet lay on a violet piece of velvet just like the day Ethan had given it to him for their anniversary. Giles frowned at the memory. He had caused Ethan so much pain that years later he had come back into his life to exact his revenge on him. What if he also hurt the young man upstairs? Giles couldn't bare the thought and quickly dismissed it. He had to help Willow and Tara. He had to keep them on his thoughts not hat could go right or wrong in his new relationship.

Giles reached for the amulet and whispered "Ethan." In front of him. a picture of Ethan came to view. He was standing in a living room talking to the Headless Horseman. "Trace him, spirits. Lead me to him." Giles said and the picture turned into a ball of light. Giles placed the amulet around his neck and followed the ball up the stairs. "Buffy, Spike, follow me. Xander, you and Mr. Crane stay here."

"No can do watcher. Crane's the only one that can stop old Headless. The two of them are mates," Spike started to object before Ichabod or Xander could. Ichabod colored slightly at the words while Xander and Buffy got confused to see him embarrassed.

"Mates?" Xander said. "You don't mean..." Xander trailed off and started to as well.

Giles took in the image of his soon-to-be lover with the glorious blushed and wondered how long it would take for Xander to loose that ablity. Giles hoped never. Giles wanted to see if it went all the way to Xander's toes but he knew he would have to wait until after he defeated Ethan to find out.

"Fine, Xander and Mr. Crane may come with us but you stay close to me, you understand, love? Hmmmm." Xander blushed even more as he nodded slightly. "Okay, let's go." Giles went to the door and ushered everyone to car so they could quickly follow the glowing spirits.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the end, Buffy, Ichabod, and Spike sat in the back because of they were the smallest, Xander got shot gun, and Rupert drove. It all seemed so unreal to Xander. First ,his best friend and her girlfriend were kidnapped by a Headless Horsemen, then he found out the man he loved, loved him as well, and now they were driving to find his witch friends with a slayer, a vamp, and the Horseman's boyfriend like it was normal thing to do. No, it was an only in Hellmouth thing. Xander looked at the man driving the car almost insanely. God bless it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"I thought I told you to get all of the Slayerettes". Ethan fumed. "Not just the witches."

The Headless Horseman stood still but even without the head anyone could tell he was very close to ripping off his Master's head but he couldn't . He needed his head to get back to the crossroads of earth and the afterlife so he could go back to his lover. Yet once he was freed he would teach this imbecile of a master some respect. He would be so much crueler than he had been to the black witch. No, he would show him what being a Hessian was really about. If the Horseman had his head, he would have been smiling.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The spirits stopped in front of a little blue house. It looked like nothing special. It hardly looked livable. Giles knew that was probably why Ethan picked it. It would not have stood out in anyone's mind. Giles got out of the car and allowed the others behind him out. "This seems to be the place."

"Christian's in there. I can feel him." Ichabod said in an excited tone.

Spike looked at Giles with a satisfied smile, "Told you they were mates."

"Yes, you did." Giles said as he accidentally slammed the door on Spike's fingers.

"Awwwwwww, bloody Watcher. Whatcha do that for?" Spike exclaimed.

"Sorry, thought you were already out," Giles said as he winked at Xander, who was chuckling at the exchange.

"Come on, Spike. We have to find Willow and Tara." Buffy said from the other side of the car.

"Isn't it a bad showing when the Slayer is more mature than the Watcher?" Spike said as he walked past the car and followed Buffy into the house.

"Wait, don't we need a plan?" Xander asked as he watched Spike and Buffy enter the house. "Guess not." He started for the door when an arm encircled his waist.

"I thought the plan was you stick close to me." Whispered the voice of his hopefully-soon-to-be-lover and then he was pulled back to meet the older man's broad chest. Xander knew that it better be very-soon-to-be-lover or otherwise one of them is going to have a serious problem with his pants and it would probably be him. Xander rethought his idea when he felt Rupert's lower body bump into him. He smiled as he realized that Giles was just as eager to get it on as he was.

"Gentlemen, shall we?" interrupted Xander's train of thought.

Rupert let go of Xander with a sigh. "Yes, let's go." He kissed the nape of Xander's neck and started towards the door.

"Tease." Xander whispered under his breathe at the retreating form.

"You'll pay for that later, love. Come on," Rupert yelled.

Xander followed with a smirk on his face. "Coming, dear."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The house was better on the inside then the out yet it was still an eerie sight. "It doesn't look like what Ethan would live in but the Spirits had brought us here." Giles said softly.

"Watcher, over here." He turned to see Spike holding the door open to the basement. "Come on no dilly-dallying. Cor, did I just say that. Too much time with you bleeding Slayerettes," Spike stated disgusted as he went down the stairs still cursing. The basement was much more elaborate.

"Willow? Tara? Willow? Willow?" Xander started to say behind him.

"Bloody hell boy. Give it some voice. RED! RED! WHERE ARE YA?! "Spike bellowed.

"Spike? Is that you?" came a muffled reply behind a door.

"See." Spike smirked walking to the door a few feet away.

"Spike, be careful," Giles started to say as Spike reached for the door.

"I bloody know how to open a door." He opened the door then was flung back by an explosion across the room to the hard cement, which he hit with a thud.

"Hey Spike, are you okay?" Xander asked.

Spike moaned in pain from the floor and shaking his head said, "Yeah, I'm bloody peachy."

Xander pushed ahead of Giles and walked through the doorway followed quickly by Ichabod. Giles walked over to Spike with a small smirk and offered his hand to the vampire. Spike looked at it then to Giles' face "Don't you bloody say it," Spike said as he used Giles' hand to get up.

"Say what?" Giles replied innocently.

"Bloody I told you so. That what." Spike stomped into the room.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Wills." Xander rushed to her. "You okay? Whoa, great hand cuffs. You wouldn't be chance know where he put the keys would ya, Wills?" He looked up at the red head's face. "Didn't think so."

"Do you know where he put the head, milady?" Ichabod chimed.

"Ahh. I think he put it in the cabinet over there." She motioned with her nose. "It was in a leather bag." She watched the man go to the cabinet then asked Xander, who was fiddling with her cuffs, "Who's he?"

"Sorry. Wills. Ichabod Crane. Ichabod, Willow Rosenberg." Xander said.

From the cabinet "Pleased to meet you?"

"Err, likewise." Then whispered to Xander. "Like in the story?"

"Yeah, kind of weird huh? God damn, I can't get these to open." He yelled at the cuffs.

Spike pushed him aside. "Here let me do it whelp." Spike took the sword still hanging on Xander's waist and smashed it into the chain and freed Willow. He then moved and did the same to Tara's cuffs.

When Tara was free, she whispered, "Thanks Spike."

"It's nothing, pet," he gave the weapon back to Xander. "Nice sword. Careful not to cut yourself with it." He then pulled out a cigarette to smoke.

"Where's Buffy?" Willow asked.

"Right over here." A voice from the doorway stated "The Scoobies turned to see an unconscious Buffy being carried by the Headless Horseman with Ethan at his side. "Now, that the whole lot is here, let the fun begin." Ethan said grinning widely.

"Ethan, let them go. I am the one that hurt you. They're innocent." Giles pleaded looking at his ex-lover.

"That's the best part. You and your holier-than-thou attitude are the reason for their deaths. Just like you killed me by leaving." Ethan spoke as he looked directly into Giles's eyes. "Yes Rupert, you will feel exactly what I did." He reached out and petted Buffy's hair.

Xander started to advance towards Ethan but Giles grabbed his arm and forced him to stop.

Xander stopped and looked at Giles' pleading eyes. He backed off. He had no idea what scared the older man to make him give anyone that look. Xander automatically fell next to Giles to take and give comfort by being as close as he could to the older man. Maybe he was too close.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ethan watched the exchanged. It was orchestrated and known to him. "Well, well, well. Rupert, you didn't think of telling me about your new beau. It's such bloody good news." Ethan advanced towards Xander. He stopped a few steps away from them. "Killing you, boy, is going to be a pure pleasure."

"Don't you dare touch him, Ethan or by God, you'll be sorry." The Ripper tried to block Xander from Ethan.

"What will you do? Glare me to death? There was a time when you would have killed someone for the slightest glance at someone you loved," Ethan spat out.

"Don't tempt me." Giles's voice was cold as he glared at Ethan.

"I'm shaking in my boots. Really I am." Ethan said in a drawl. "Don't worry I won't hurt the boy...Yet. Save the best for last they say. It's so hard to choice which should go first. "

He looked at the group measuring them up to choose which one would be first. He heard a noise from cabinet and looked to see a scared young man starting back. "Horsemen, take the head of that man." Ethan said as he pointed to Ichabod.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The Horseman laid Buffy down on the floor before following his master's instructions. He turned towards the cabinet and his next victim. He pulled out his sword ready to strike but stopped short. "Ichabod. It's Ichabod. I can't kill him. How dare he try to make me kill Ichabod?" The Horseman thought. The Horseman stood still as everyone waited. Ethan was the first to get his wits back from the shock of the Horseman refusing his orders.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, you damned Hessian?" He screamed.

The Horseman turned back towards his master again starting to raise his sword. "Christian, stop. Don't kill him." And the Horseman stopped again. "He's the only one who knows where your head is."

"Who's your master? Me or that sniveling child?" Ethan called to the Horseman.

Spike looked intently at the three hoping something would happen. He was getting bloody bored of the verbal threats that lead to nothing. He wanted the blood and guts to fly. Hey, he was evil. Then he saw that Ethan was carrying a knapsack on him. "Hey whelp, check what he has in the sack. "

Ichabod advanced on Ethan. "Sir, if you would give me your knapsack."

"Over my dead body." Ethan started backing away from the rest of them. As long as he still had the head he could still have his revenge, alas he didn't factor in the Horseman's lover. Ichabod attacked Ethan and quickly got his lover's head out of the sack without truly hurting the other man. He blindly threw the head towards his lover. The Horseman shot out one of his large hands and grabbed his head as it flew through the air. He placed the skull on this shoulders where is should reside. The skin from the neck seemed to grab the skull. Muscles and tendons started sprouting from nowhere to cover the skull of the Hessian and slowly changed the skull to its fleshed form.

As the transformation occurred, the room stood still. Everyone was enthralled by the changes happening due to fear, awe, or, in Spike's case, glee. Then the Hessian stood still in his human glory and slowly smiled. His filed teeth fully showing as he attacked Ethan, who had foolishly frozen on top of Ichabod. He grabbed Ethan by the throat and threw him across the room. "No one touches my boy," he said glaring at Ethan, who was losing the fight to stay conscious after meeting the wall headfirst. Christian hunched over and slowly brought his lover to his feet. "Are you all right, my little one?"

Ichabod wrapped himself around Christian. "Only you would be kidnapped and ask me if I was alright." He smiled at how gentle his warrior love was.

"You saved me again, my little one." Christian said softly to the man whom he pulled even closer.

"I guess I should be rewarded.," Ichabod said impishly.

"Yes, you shall." Christian bent his head and kissed his lover. Ichabod, never being passive, took his arms from his lover's waist to his lover's head to pull the glorious mouth closer.

A woman, who was wearing an old wedding dress, suddenly appeared. She turned and spoke to the kissing pair. "It's time to go, Hessian. You and Ichabod must go back to the crossroads. It misses it's protector."

Ichabod and Christian finally broke the kiss and stood with their foreheads touching together. "No rest for the wicked they say," Ichabod told his lover.

Christian smirked at his lover and said, "You think me wicked? "

Ichabod looked directly into his lover's eyes a smile over running his face. "Entirely." He kissed his lover then let go to stand next to the Crone. The Horseman straightened and looked at the body he had flung at the wall. "May I bring him with us?" He asked the pale-faced woman.

"Yes, I believe there are some interesting things we can do to him." She then pointed a finger and made a portal to the crossroads and left. The Hessian grabbed Ethan and flung him over one shoulder then followed the Crone. Ichabod watched him leave then turn to the Scoobies.

"Thank you. My love and I are in your debt. If you even need us use Ethan's amulet and we will come as quickly as possible. Gentlemen, ladies..." He bowed slightly then walked through the portal that closed behind him.

The Scoobies were silent. They didn't know what to do. It was the first time a problem solved itself without their help. All they really did was watch. A moan from the Slayer brought them out of their thoughts. Spike and Willow were instantly at her side.

"Owwwww. My head is killing me." Buffy looked around. "What happened?"

Spike said, "The long and short is Ethan, Headless, and the other whelp are gone. Come on, let's get out of here."

Spike pulled her to her feet while she moaned, "Not so fast."

Xander turned from watching his friends to look at Giles. "Another crisis averted huh G-ma..Rupert. Damn it. I swear I'll get it one of these days." Xander said, blushing from embarrassment.

Giles placed a hand on his chin and raised it up. "Well, I'll just have to monitor your progress," he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, I happen to be a slow learner..." Xander's eyes now had the same glint in them."So it might take a really, really long time." He smiled mischievously.

"I think I can handle that," Giles said as he cupped Xander's face to show how much he liked the idea of handling Xander.

Willow watched the exchange and then looked at Buffy. "When did this happen?"