Riley waited on the couch as the three people moved quickly and
efficiently.
He'd already reported in to Maggie, and had received her permission to wait.
She wasn't happy that the demon hadn't been brought in. Like himself she was
sceptical that it could be Buffy's Mr. Giles. But they'd agreed to wait, and
so now he sat while Buffy and her friends hurried to save the demon's life.
Finally the three of them tiredly walked down the stairs, their body covered in drying demon blood. Willow pushed the hair off her forehead with the back of her hand. "I think we got all the wounds. He just needs to rest now." Like the others, she'd been shocked and horrified at the extent of his wounds. How he'd survived, even as a demon, none of them knew. "He must have been hurt when he saved me."
Xander rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It isn't your fault Will. He was just being Giles."
"But the other one was green. How could I."
"Willow," Buffy's voice was tired, yet there was an extra strength there. "You couldn't have known. At least you tried. I was gonna shoot him."
"Why didn't you?" The three of them finally turned to Riley. "I mean, how did you know?"
Buffy's body swayed slightly. "I didn't." She walked to the window, ignoring the three shocked faces behind her. "Not really. The whole scene just reminded me of something, a dream. I didn't know for sure until I told him to duck. If he hadn't."
"But he did." Willow tried to put some enthusiasm in her voice. "He knew to trust you."
Xander finally shifted. "I better get going. I have to swing round my place to pick up," he hesitated when he remembered Riley was there, "some supplies."
"Where are you going?"
Buffy turned. "We know who did this to Giles. He was able to let us know where to find him too."
"How?"
Willow smiled. "Oh, Giles has his ways. Be careful" This was to Xander as he
left the apartment.
"So who did this to your friend?"
Buffy and Willow glanced at each other, before the blonde answered. "An old
friend. Ethan Rayne."
..
Ethan leaned back in his chair, enjoying the midnight snack. He didn't want
to admit, even to himself, that he was concerned. Ripper should have come
back by now, but he hadn't. The spell was a relatively simple one, and
should have taken effect immediately. So why wasn't his friend here thanking
him? If it wasn't for the demon who'd tried to attack him before, he would
have left Willy's and gone looking for his old mate.
A knock on the door broke his reverie. His first reaction was to jump up and
swing the door open, greeting Ripper with open arms. But years of
experience, and memories of monsters who don't enjoy a hug for a greeting
made him pause. Finishing off his meal, he rose and pulled on the doorknob.
"Hello Ethan." One of Ripper's pesky children stood on the other side, the
dark haired boy. Pity it wasn't the redhead. Beside him stood a slightly
older man, his bleached hair and leathers screaming his rebellious nature.
"Can we come in?"
Ethan stepped back, his survival instincts screaming out a loud warning.
"What are you doing here? Where's Rupert?"
"Well, that's why we're here." Xander pulled away from the frame he'd been
leaning against and walked through the doorway. He paused as if waiting for
his friend, but the other one just stayed where he was. "Giles wants us to
take you to him." Ethan shook his head, backing further away. "Come on now,
you don't want to make this any harder than it has to be do you?"
Taking his chances, Ethan darted toward the door, hoping to bowl the other
one over. He'd almost made it too, until the blonde grabbed him by the
shoulders and pushed him against the wall. The boy sauntered up to him. "Now
that was silly. What was it? A ward?"
The other one finally spoke. "Yeah. Couldn't get in or out."
Ethan stared on in shock as the blonde's face began to change. "You - you're."
Blonde smiled. "Yeah, I am ain't I?"
"And if you want him to behave, you'll come along nicely." Patting Ethan on the head, Xander moved ahead as the blonde vampire dragged Ethan away from
his sanctuary.
He'd already reported in to Maggie, and had received her permission to wait.
She wasn't happy that the demon hadn't been brought in. Like himself she was
sceptical that it could be Buffy's Mr. Giles. But they'd agreed to wait, and
so now he sat while Buffy and her friends hurried to save the demon's life.
Finally the three of them tiredly walked down the stairs, their body covered in drying demon blood. Willow pushed the hair off her forehead with the back of her hand. "I think we got all the wounds. He just needs to rest now." Like the others, she'd been shocked and horrified at the extent of his wounds. How he'd survived, even as a demon, none of them knew. "He must have been hurt when he saved me."
Xander rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It isn't your fault Will. He was just being Giles."
"But the other one was green. How could I."
"Willow," Buffy's voice was tired, yet there was an extra strength there. "You couldn't have known. At least you tried. I was gonna shoot him."
"Why didn't you?" The three of them finally turned to Riley. "I mean, how did you know?"
Buffy's body swayed slightly. "I didn't." She walked to the window, ignoring the three shocked faces behind her. "Not really. The whole scene just reminded me of something, a dream. I didn't know for sure until I told him to duck. If he hadn't."
"But he did." Willow tried to put some enthusiasm in her voice. "He knew to trust you."
Xander finally shifted. "I better get going. I have to swing round my place to pick up," he hesitated when he remembered Riley was there, "some supplies."
"Where are you going?"
Buffy turned. "We know who did this to Giles. He was able to let us know where to find him too."
"How?"
Willow smiled. "Oh, Giles has his ways. Be careful" This was to Xander as he
left the apartment.
"So who did this to your friend?"
Buffy and Willow glanced at each other, before the blonde answered. "An old
friend. Ethan Rayne."
..
Ethan leaned back in his chair, enjoying the midnight snack. He didn't want
to admit, even to himself, that he was concerned. Ripper should have come
back by now, but he hadn't. The spell was a relatively simple one, and
should have taken effect immediately. So why wasn't his friend here thanking
him? If it wasn't for the demon who'd tried to attack him before, he would
have left Willy's and gone looking for his old mate.
A knock on the door broke his reverie. His first reaction was to jump up and
swing the door open, greeting Ripper with open arms. But years of
experience, and memories of monsters who don't enjoy a hug for a greeting
made him pause. Finishing off his meal, he rose and pulled on the doorknob.
"Hello Ethan." One of Ripper's pesky children stood on the other side, the
dark haired boy. Pity it wasn't the redhead. Beside him stood a slightly
older man, his bleached hair and leathers screaming his rebellious nature.
"Can we come in?"
Ethan stepped back, his survival instincts screaming out a loud warning.
"What are you doing here? Where's Rupert?"
"Well, that's why we're here." Xander pulled away from the frame he'd been
leaning against and walked through the doorway. He paused as if waiting for
his friend, but the other one just stayed where he was. "Giles wants us to
take you to him." Ethan shook his head, backing further away. "Come on now,
you don't want to make this any harder than it has to be do you?"
Taking his chances, Ethan darted toward the door, hoping to bowl the other
one over. He'd almost made it too, until the blonde grabbed him by the
shoulders and pushed him against the wall. The boy sauntered up to him. "Now
that was silly. What was it? A ward?"
The other one finally spoke. "Yeah. Couldn't get in or out."
Ethan stared on in shock as the blonde's face began to change. "You - you're."
Blonde smiled. "Yeah, I am ain't I?"
"And if you want him to behave, you'll come along nicely." Patting Ethan on the head, Xander moved ahead as the blonde vampire dragged Ethan away from
his sanctuary.