Part 10

Jenny sits in the darkened classroom tapping her fingers impatiently on the desk waiting for the Program to finish its translating.

"Come on, come on."

The monitor slowly reveals the translation success.

"Yes" Jenny leans down to grab a disk out of her drawer when a hand clamps down on her arm.

She gasps and looks up into the smiling face of Angelus.

"Angel. How did you get in here?"

"I was invited. Formatia trans sicere educatorum."

"Enter all ye that seek knowledge." Jenny softly translates.

"What can I say, I'm a knowledge seeker." Angelus just smirks and tightens his hold. "How about you, Jenny? What knowledge do you seek so late at night?"

Jenny tries to ease her book bag under the desk with her foot. "Nothing. Just working on lessons for tomorrow."

Angelus quickly lets go of her arm and grabs the bag before it can disappear under her desk. Jenny yelps as she jumps up and begins to back away from the desk.

Angel sets the bag on the desk but keeps himself between Jenny and the door. "What have you got in here that you don't want me to see?"

Angel opens the bag and peers inside. He smiles and looks up at Jenny. "Jenny, you shouldn't have. A genuine Orb of Thesulah. Do you know how hard it is to find a real one?" His smile disappears, "You really shouldn't have, Jenny."

Jenny looks around frantically trying to think of a way out of the situation or at the very least a way out of the room.

Angelus casually tosses the orb and catches it. "You know what I hate about these things?" Angel throws the Orb into the wall where it shatters. "They're so fragile."

Jenny keeps backing away from Angel trying to get to the door in the back. Angelus turns his attention to the computer and sees the translation program worked. He then glances at Jenny and sees she's closer to the door.

"Lesson huh? Teaching ancient Romany curses to the kids now?"

Jenny licks her dry lips and decides to make a run for it. Trembling in terror Jenny runs to the back door and whimpers when she sees it's locked.

Angel vamps out and lunges over the desk toward her.

"NO!" Jenny yells and tries to dodge Angel.

Angelus grabs Jenny and pushes her against the locked door. The force of the push causes the door to break open. Jenny falls through and quickly scrambles to her feet. Without looking back she runs.

"Oh good, I need to work up an appetite."

Jenny runs down the hall and to a set of doors that leads outside. She tries them and they're locked, too. She bangs her fist and takes off running in the other direction.

She glances over her shoulder and sees Angelus following at a quick walk. She goes through some doors that lead to another corridor. Spying a broom she picks it up and puts it though the door handles and then picks up her pace.

Angelus tries to open the doors that Jenny just went through but they're stuck and won't open. He pulls a couple of times and then looks through the window. He sees Jenny has place a broom to block it.

"Clever girl. Too bad you'll pay for that." He breaks through the glass and breaks the broom. Now he runs to follow Jenny's scent.

Jenny looks over her shoulder and sees Angelus bearing down on her and he doesn't look happy. Spying a cleaning cart she shoves it in his path and then takes the stairs.

Angel slams into the cart and flies over it. He sees Jenny going up the stairs and smiles.

Jenny makes it to the landing and glances down hoping to see where Angel went but she can't see him. Turning she runs into a solid object. Cool arms grab her and she hears screams. She hears a softly whispered, "Shhhh" in her ear.

Angelus places one hand behind her head and the other under her chin.

"Sorry, Jenny. This is where you get off."

In one quick movement he breaks her neck and calmly walks over her crumpled body.

"Oi, you didn't wait for us." Spike complains.

"Where's Willow?"

"With the computer getting rid of all the teacher's files."

"Giles show up?"

Spike smirks, "Yeah, put up a good fight too. Seems disappointed that you weren't there."

"Where is he?"

"Don't worry. Didn't harm him . . .much. I left him like you told me. All beat up and on the Slayer's porch."

Angel looks down and sees Willow coming toward them.

"Done?"

"Done. All files and traces of what she was working on deleted." Willow sadly shakes her head, "Poor Sunnydale High. A gang on PCP came and destroyed all the computers in the lab and tragically the network server went down the same night."

"Gonna leave the body here?"

"Nope." Angel reaches down and picks up Jenny. "Got someplace special for her."

~~~~

Xander followed Buffy and Mrs. Summers' car home to make sure they got there all right. When they arrived at the Gallery to find Joyce fine and confused as to why they were there Xander came up with the excuse that they were on a scavenger hunt and needed a flyer from an art gallery. Lame but she bought it.

Buffy was silent on the ride home thinking over what had happened. Was this a distraction or another move in Angelus' cat and mouse terrorize game?

Waving to Xander as he left Buffy walks with her mom up to the front door. Joyce has her head down looking for the house keys when she hears Buffy yell, "Giles."

Buffy races to Giles' side and gently lifts his head. His bottom lip is split, an eye is swollen shut and he has bruises all over. Joyce kneels down next to Buffy.

"Mr. Giles? What happened? Why's he here?"

Buffy gently strokes his head and shakes his shoulder, "I don't know."

Giles blinks rapidly and sees the face of his Slayer looking at him with concern. "Trap. It was a trap." He softly says.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. He's just mumbling. Mom, can you help me get him inside?"

"Shouldn't he go to the hospital?"

"N-no. I'll be fine. Just need a minute to collect myself."

Joyce and Buffy help Giles into the house. Joyce goes upstairs to get a first aid kit.

"What was a trap?"

"I got a call from Willy. He said that Spike and Angel were there and . . ."

"And you went there alone to face them? What was it you said about not letting your emotions rule you?"

Giles ignored her. "Spike was there but not as incapacitated as Willy made him out to be." Giles absently rubs his raw knuckles. "Got in a few good hits before I was hit from behind. Your mother all right?"

"Yeah. She was fine and no one showed up. That must have been the distraction to get me out of the way so they could go after you."

They stop talking as Joyce enters with the First Aid kit. She takes out the iodine, "Sorry. This will sting a little."

Giles winces as she cleans his wounds.

"You should have someone look at those cuts tomorrow. What happened?"

Giles and Buffy look at each other for a moment and then Giles says, "Mugging."

Buffy quickly jumps in, "Can you believe it? I mugging just down the block. What's this neighborhood coming to? I say we get a neighborhood watch going on. I mean my god. You can't even stroll down a sidewalk without getting attacked."

Both Joyce and Giles just look at Buffy who smiles weakly. "I'm just sayin'. . ."

"Yes, well. . .thanks, Joyce. I'll get this looked at by a doctor tomorrow." Giles gathers his jacket and turns to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Buffy?"

"Yeah, see ya tomorrow."

Giles reaches into his pocket to get his keys out and notices a rose on the doorknob. He smiles and thinks of Jenny as he picks up the rose and opens the door.

"Hello?"

No answer but he sees a chilled bottle of champagne and two glasses.

"Jenny?"

On top of the ice bucket is a folded piece of paper. He reaches down and opens it. 'Upstairs.'

He smiles and lays his glasses on the note. He picks up the bucket and glasses and heads for the stairs. There are rose petals scattered around the room and up the staircase. When he reaches the top he sees Jenny lying on the bed. His smile fades and the bucket with glasses falls out of his nerveless hand.

Jenny's dead eyes are staring at the ceiling. Next to her on the bed is a pencil drawing of the same scene.

Angelus, Spike and Willow gloat when they watch Giles' reaction to their present through the open window.