Wesley turned around and half-suppressed a squeal. Jenny stiffed in Rupert's arms and he soothingly stroked her arm. Keeping hold of Jenny, Giles slowly rose to his feet and stood protectively in front of her. "What do you want?" Rupert asked in a steady voice.
One of the vampires stepped forward from the rest, saying, "That which belongs to our master." Motioning to the other vampires, the lead vampire commanded, "Bring them."
Wesley offered no resistance, just yelped, as a lone vampire grabbed him, twisted his arms behind his back and tied them with rope. Giles instinctively spread his legs into a fighting stance, ready to protect Jenny, as the other vampires swarmed towards them. There wasn't much Giles could do though. He contemplated punching one of the vampires, but worried what the fall-out effect would be upon Jenny, and thus changed his mind, deciding to comply and wait for a better opportunity. "All right, I'll come with you, but leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with it," Rupert told the vampires.
"What, and were would the fun be in that?" the lead vampire sneered. "Besides, she could tell the Slayer." Before Rupert could do anything, three vampires took hold of him and pulled him away from Jenny. While they tied his hands behind his back, Rupert watched as the lead vampire took hold of Jenny and roughly twisted her arms behind her, tying them. "Well, well, we may just have a good bargaining tool here!" He grinned over at Giles. Rupert glared back at him, before being shoved towards the exit. A glance back over his shoulder, showed that Jenny and Wesley were also being pushed after him.
- - -
Hands tied behind their backs, Jenny, Rupert and Wesley stood in a line in front of the demon Balthazaar. Jenny was in the middle of the two men, who stood as close to her as possible. "Wh. . .who are you?" Wesley stuttered to the demon.
"That would be your demon, you know, the one that's dead," Giles replied sarcastically through gritted teeth.
"Now there's no need to get prickly," Wesley whined.
Feeling sick at the sight of the grotesque demon, Jenny turned her head and kept her eyes on Rupert, looking for a sign from him on what they were supposed to do. She felt Wesley lean against her, his breath on her ear, "I. . .it will b. . .be all right Jenny. Just d. . .don't panic."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I feel so reassured now. I'm so glad you're here because before you said that, I was planning on panicking."
Wesley didn't take note of the sarcasm in Jenny's voice, and took what she said literally. His chest puffed out importantly. "Not to worry, I'll deal with this and get us out of here. I am the Watcher after all."
"Bring them nearer," the demon ordered and his vampires shoved them closer to the large round bathtub the demon was sitting in.
"W. . ." Wesley swallowed. "What do you want?"
"If it's for me to scrub those hard to reach areas, I request you kill me now," Giles quipped. Jenny half-smiled at Rupert's attempt to make her feel better by lightening the mood of the horrible situation.
"Rreally Giles, I don't think you ssshould antagonise him," Wesley admonished.
"Silence! I want my amulet."
"Oh! Of course. An exchange," Wesley sounded slightly relieved.
"No exchange. I want the amulet and then I'm going to kill you."
Jenny felt Wesley shake beside her. She looked at him and saw that his knees were actually shaking.
"P. . .pplease. I can tell you everything. J. . .just promise to let us all go."
"For Goodness sake man, shut up," Giles said irritated. "You don't seriously expect that he'll let us go after you've told him everything do you!" Looking at the demon, Giles spoke frankly, "He knows nothing. If you let him and Jenny go, I'll tell you what you want to know."
Jenny looked at Rupert in alarm. He saw her reaction to his suggestion and smiled at her, "It'll be all right."
"I. . .I'm the Watcher here, I do know what you want to know," Wesley replied sticking his chin out.
"Enough!" The demon roared. "Tell me where my amulet is or I'll take your kneecaps."
"A. . .a fffriend of the Slayer hhas it," Wesley gushed. Both Jenny and Giles glared over at Wesley. "What? I'd rather like to keep my kneecaps. Don't you?"
"What friend?" the demon barked.
"Er. . ." Wesley was lost for words. He didn't know the person's name whom Buffy had given the amulet to. "I. . .I'm afraid I ddon't know."
The demon's gaze sweeped over the three captives, and came back to rest on Jenny. "Such a pretty thing. Yes, I'm undecided whether to just kill her or let one of my soldiers turn her. Which would you rather I did?" He looked at Giles.
Giles stared him out. "I'm hoping that's a rhetorical question!"
"No, it isn't. I want my amulet. I can make it a slow death or a fast death for her. She could stay dead, or come back as an undead. It all depends on the next few seconds. On how quickly you tell me WHO HAS MY AMULET?"
They spun around as a male voice from behind them said, "I've got it." Relief flooded the three captives as they saw Angel and Buffy.
Angel and Buffy moved fast, rushing further into the room and staking the vampires that were guarding Jenny, Giles and Wesley. Taking their swords, Buffy and Angel started to fight the other vampires that charged at them. Spying his chance, Rupert turned his back to Buffy, so that she could slice the ropes that bound him. Once he was free, he moved Jenny out of harms way of the fight and started to untie her wrists. That done, he picked up a fallen sword, ready to defend them both.
A vampire rushed towards Giles and Jenny. Giles stood in front of Jenny, and raising the sword, started to parry with the vampire. One swipe of the sword, sent the vampire's head clean off and before it's body could hit the floor, it turned to dust. "Giles!" Wesley yelled. Looking up, Giles saw Wesley running from a vampire. Taking hold of Jenny's hand, Rupert ran off towards Wesley with her close by his side. Raising the sword, he told Wesley to, "Duck," before swinging it and chopping the vampires head off. Picking up the sword the vampire had dropped, Rupert handed it to Jenny. He then slit open the ropes that were still binding Wesley.
The vampires all slayed, Buffy turned her attention to the demon. She dropped some electrical cables into the water and the demon started to fry. They all stood around in silence until the screams of the demon stopped, signalling it's death.
Buffy moved over to Jenny and Giles. "You guys okay?"
Rupert looked at Jenny and she nodded. "Yes, we're fine Buffy," he ended with smiling at his Slayer.
"Thanks to you," Jenny gave a weak smile at Buffy. Rupert flinched at Jenny's words. Noticing, Jenny placed a hand on his arm, "I didn't mean. . ."
Rupert looked down at his shoes and then back up into her brown eyes. "No, you're right. If it hadn't been for Buffy. . .Once again I seem to have placed you in mortal danger and not protected you." His gaze dropped down to his feet again.
"Rupert, no. That isn't true." Jenny tightened her grip on his arm.
His head snapped up to look at her. "Isn't it?" Buffy snook off out of their way, and went over to Angel who was standing with Wesley.
Jenny moved her other hand up to cup Rupert's chin. "No, it isn't. None of this was your fault. And you did everything you could to protect me."
"But it wasn't enough, was it?"
Jenny tilted her head to the side, rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "Rupert! We live on a Hellmouth. Chances are things are gonna happen. You're not the Slayer. You did what you could, more than most people would have done. If you hadn't been there. . .I don't think we'd have been alive to see Buffy turn up. So don't be so hard on yourself."
Rupert briefly closed his eyes and then opening them, he smiled at her. "Shall we get out of here!"
"Oh yes." She linked his arm and they walked over to the others. As they exited the building, she whispered into Rupert's ear, "At least you didn't whimper like Wesley!" They both started to chuckle, and Jenny leaned nearer into him. He kissed her temple and smiling, she squeezed his arm.
Wesley came up beside Jenny and smiled broadly at her. "Jenny, see as I said, nothing to worry about."
Jenny raised her brow at him in astonishment. "Hmm. Yeah, I could really see you weren't worried at all Wesley. All that whimpering, shaking and yelping was just an act right? Very convincing." She grinned up at Rupert and he returned it. Wesley went bright red and looked thoroughly ashamed. Feeling a little badly for him, she added, "Hey, relax. Not everyone can be like my man here." She kissed Rupert's cheek and his grin widened. "You did okay Wesley."
"Yes, maybe next time you can get it down to just yelping like a woman, instead of all three!" Rupert teased.
Jenny smacked his chest. "Rupert!" And gave him a reproachful look.
"What? It's true. He's a bloody liabilty. He could have got us all killed."
Jenny pulled away from Rupert and stood in front of him. "Rupert I think you're being a little harsh on him."
"Oh it's like that is it?"
"Like what?"
"Since when did you start to get a soft spot for him?"
Jenny rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, I don't believe I'm hearing this!"
"Okay guys, can you stop the bickering and all go home," Buffy cut in. The adults lowered their gazes and kept quiet. "All right, Angel and I will make sure Wesley gets home okay. Giles, will you take Ms. Calendar home!"
"Unless she'd rather Wesley escort her home?" Rupert said childishly.
"You know what, I think I would," Jenny snapped back. Rupert looked at her in astonishment. Turning to Wesley, Jenny linked his arm saying, "Come on." Wesley looked like he'd won the lottery as he walked away arm in arm with Jenny.
Buffy and Angel exchanged glances. "I'll make sure they get home okay," Angel offered and set off after them.
"So Giles, could you have behaved more like a moron?" Buffy chided.
Pulling his eyes from the retreating form of Jenny, Giles glared at Buffy. "I don't believe it's any of your business!" Turning around, he stalked off. Rolling her eyes skywards, Buffy followed discretely behind him, to make sure he made it home safely.
One of the vampires stepped forward from the rest, saying, "That which belongs to our master." Motioning to the other vampires, the lead vampire commanded, "Bring them."
Wesley offered no resistance, just yelped, as a lone vampire grabbed him, twisted his arms behind his back and tied them with rope. Giles instinctively spread his legs into a fighting stance, ready to protect Jenny, as the other vampires swarmed towards them. There wasn't much Giles could do though. He contemplated punching one of the vampires, but worried what the fall-out effect would be upon Jenny, and thus changed his mind, deciding to comply and wait for a better opportunity. "All right, I'll come with you, but leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with it," Rupert told the vampires.
"What, and were would the fun be in that?" the lead vampire sneered. "Besides, she could tell the Slayer." Before Rupert could do anything, three vampires took hold of him and pulled him away from Jenny. While they tied his hands behind his back, Rupert watched as the lead vampire took hold of Jenny and roughly twisted her arms behind her, tying them. "Well, well, we may just have a good bargaining tool here!" He grinned over at Giles. Rupert glared back at him, before being shoved towards the exit. A glance back over his shoulder, showed that Jenny and Wesley were also being pushed after him.
- - -
Hands tied behind their backs, Jenny, Rupert and Wesley stood in a line in front of the demon Balthazaar. Jenny was in the middle of the two men, who stood as close to her as possible. "Wh. . .who are you?" Wesley stuttered to the demon.
"That would be your demon, you know, the one that's dead," Giles replied sarcastically through gritted teeth.
"Now there's no need to get prickly," Wesley whined.
Feeling sick at the sight of the grotesque demon, Jenny turned her head and kept her eyes on Rupert, looking for a sign from him on what they were supposed to do. She felt Wesley lean against her, his breath on her ear, "I. . .it will b. . .be all right Jenny. Just d. . .don't panic."
Jenny rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I feel so reassured now. I'm so glad you're here because before you said that, I was planning on panicking."
Wesley didn't take note of the sarcasm in Jenny's voice, and took what she said literally. His chest puffed out importantly. "Not to worry, I'll deal with this and get us out of here. I am the Watcher after all."
"Bring them nearer," the demon ordered and his vampires shoved them closer to the large round bathtub the demon was sitting in.
"W. . ." Wesley swallowed. "What do you want?"
"If it's for me to scrub those hard to reach areas, I request you kill me now," Giles quipped. Jenny half-smiled at Rupert's attempt to make her feel better by lightening the mood of the horrible situation.
"Rreally Giles, I don't think you ssshould antagonise him," Wesley admonished.
"Silence! I want my amulet."
"Oh! Of course. An exchange," Wesley sounded slightly relieved.
"No exchange. I want the amulet and then I'm going to kill you."
Jenny felt Wesley shake beside her. She looked at him and saw that his knees were actually shaking.
"P. . .pplease. I can tell you everything. J. . .just promise to let us all go."
"For Goodness sake man, shut up," Giles said irritated. "You don't seriously expect that he'll let us go after you've told him everything do you!" Looking at the demon, Giles spoke frankly, "He knows nothing. If you let him and Jenny go, I'll tell you what you want to know."
Jenny looked at Rupert in alarm. He saw her reaction to his suggestion and smiled at her, "It'll be all right."
"I. . .I'm the Watcher here, I do know what you want to know," Wesley replied sticking his chin out.
"Enough!" The demon roared. "Tell me where my amulet is or I'll take your kneecaps."
"A. . .a fffriend of the Slayer hhas it," Wesley gushed. Both Jenny and Giles glared over at Wesley. "What? I'd rather like to keep my kneecaps. Don't you?"
"What friend?" the demon barked.
"Er. . ." Wesley was lost for words. He didn't know the person's name whom Buffy had given the amulet to. "I. . .I'm afraid I ddon't know."
The demon's gaze sweeped over the three captives, and came back to rest on Jenny. "Such a pretty thing. Yes, I'm undecided whether to just kill her or let one of my soldiers turn her. Which would you rather I did?" He looked at Giles.
Giles stared him out. "I'm hoping that's a rhetorical question!"
"No, it isn't. I want my amulet. I can make it a slow death or a fast death for her. She could stay dead, or come back as an undead. It all depends on the next few seconds. On how quickly you tell me WHO HAS MY AMULET?"
They spun around as a male voice from behind them said, "I've got it." Relief flooded the three captives as they saw Angel and Buffy.
Angel and Buffy moved fast, rushing further into the room and staking the vampires that were guarding Jenny, Giles and Wesley. Taking their swords, Buffy and Angel started to fight the other vampires that charged at them. Spying his chance, Rupert turned his back to Buffy, so that she could slice the ropes that bound him. Once he was free, he moved Jenny out of harms way of the fight and started to untie her wrists. That done, he picked up a fallen sword, ready to defend them both.
A vampire rushed towards Giles and Jenny. Giles stood in front of Jenny, and raising the sword, started to parry with the vampire. One swipe of the sword, sent the vampire's head clean off and before it's body could hit the floor, it turned to dust. "Giles!" Wesley yelled. Looking up, Giles saw Wesley running from a vampire. Taking hold of Jenny's hand, Rupert ran off towards Wesley with her close by his side. Raising the sword, he told Wesley to, "Duck," before swinging it and chopping the vampires head off. Picking up the sword the vampire had dropped, Rupert handed it to Jenny. He then slit open the ropes that were still binding Wesley.
The vampires all slayed, Buffy turned her attention to the demon. She dropped some electrical cables into the water and the demon started to fry. They all stood around in silence until the screams of the demon stopped, signalling it's death.
Buffy moved over to Jenny and Giles. "You guys okay?"
Rupert looked at Jenny and she nodded. "Yes, we're fine Buffy," he ended with smiling at his Slayer.
"Thanks to you," Jenny gave a weak smile at Buffy. Rupert flinched at Jenny's words. Noticing, Jenny placed a hand on his arm, "I didn't mean. . ."
Rupert looked down at his shoes and then back up into her brown eyes. "No, you're right. If it hadn't been for Buffy. . .Once again I seem to have placed you in mortal danger and not protected you." His gaze dropped down to his feet again.
"Rupert, no. That isn't true." Jenny tightened her grip on his arm.
His head snapped up to look at her. "Isn't it?" Buffy snook off out of their way, and went over to Angel who was standing with Wesley.
Jenny moved her other hand up to cup Rupert's chin. "No, it isn't. None of this was your fault. And you did everything you could to protect me."
"But it wasn't enough, was it?"
Jenny tilted her head to the side, rolled her eyes at him and sighed. "Rupert! We live on a Hellmouth. Chances are things are gonna happen. You're not the Slayer. You did what you could, more than most people would have done. If you hadn't been there. . .I don't think we'd have been alive to see Buffy turn up. So don't be so hard on yourself."
Rupert briefly closed his eyes and then opening them, he smiled at her. "Shall we get out of here!"
"Oh yes." She linked his arm and they walked over to the others. As they exited the building, she whispered into Rupert's ear, "At least you didn't whimper like Wesley!" They both started to chuckle, and Jenny leaned nearer into him. He kissed her temple and smiling, she squeezed his arm.
Wesley came up beside Jenny and smiled broadly at her. "Jenny, see as I said, nothing to worry about."
Jenny raised her brow at him in astonishment. "Hmm. Yeah, I could really see you weren't worried at all Wesley. All that whimpering, shaking and yelping was just an act right? Very convincing." She grinned up at Rupert and he returned it. Wesley went bright red and looked thoroughly ashamed. Feeling a little badly for him, she added, "Hey, relax. Not everyone can be like my man here." She kissed Rupert's cheek and his grin widened. "You did okay Wesley."
"Yes, maybe next time you can get it down to just yelping like a woman, instead of all three!" Rupert teased.
Jenny smacked his chest. "Rupert!" And gave him a reproachful look.
"What? It's true. He's a bloody liabilty. He could have got us all killed."
Jenny pulled away from Rupert and stood in front of him. "Rupert I think you're being a little harsh on him."
"Oh it's like that is it?"
"Like what?"
"Since when did you start to get a soft spot for him?"
Jenny rolled her eyes at him. "Oh, I don't believe I'm hearing this!"
"Okay guys, can you stop the bickering and all go home," Buffy cut in. The adults lowered their gazes and kept quiet. "All right, Angel and I will make sure Wesley gets home okay. Giles, will you take Ms. Calendar home!"
"Unless she'd rather Wesley escort her home?" Rupert said childishly.
"You know what, I think I would," Jenny snapped back. Rupert looked at her in astonishment. Turning to Wesley, Jenny linked his arm saying, "Come on." Wesley looked like he'd won the lottery as he walked away arm in arm with Jenny.
Buffy and Angel exchanged glances. "I'll make sure they get home okay," Angel offered and set off after them.
"So Giles, could you have behaved more like a moron?" Buffy chided.
Pulling his eyes from the retreating form of Jenny, Giles glared at Buffy. "I don't believe it's any of your business!" Turning around, he stalked off. Rolling her eyes skywards, Buffy followed discretely behind him, to make sure he made it home safely.