GILES

"Are we there yet?" Molly asked for the hundredth time.

"NO" Giles responded...for the hundredth time.

"Well then where are we?" she pouted, her accent thick.

"I know where in the city," Giles replied, "But this bloody Hotel is so hard to find!"

" Willow found it! " Vi pointed out the obvious from the back seat, making all 3 girls laugh.

"In my defense," Giles exclaimed, "Willow is a highly trained witch!"

"O.r..She took a 'highly trained' cab driver"Rona retaliated, causing another ripple of giggles. A smile tugged the corners of Giles mouth.

"Mr. Giles" Molly asked, when the laughter had died down. "Do all American cities look like this?"

Giles looked out of his side window and felt his smile slip away.

Garbage was strewn everywhere, building destroyed, and the glass from each shop window was broken-shattered

"Um..No" Rona supplied. "No... it isn't."

"Something really awful must have happened then right?" Vi asked, her voice no more than a whisper.

"Yes, something must have." Giles replied. Finally pulling up to the Hyperion. "Wait here," he said turning so he could face all the girls. "Im going to go in and check it out first. Stay in the car, alright." the girls nodded. " I'll come to get you." with that he stepped out of the car and headed up the stairs.

The damaged doors did nothing to calm his nerves. 'Here goes nothing' he thought stepping into the Hyperion

He barely had time to register Buffy screaming his name before a hand grabbed him from behind and held him in a choke hold. Another hand immobilized his arms and he was gruffly pulled to the side.

"Hello Rupert," a voice said in his ear. "Long time no see"

BUFFY

"GILES!" Buffy screamed.

" Yeah Giles," Angelus breathed in his ear. "Talk about good timing! Whew, for a second there I thought I was a goner."

'He has Giles, he has Giles! Omg he going to kill Giles!' Buffy panicked, the arrow in her hand fell limply in her hand as she tried to regain control of her nerves. Angelus was still talking. "You know..."

Buffy closed her eyes 'breath' she thought.'take control, don't let him- Angel...ANGELUS get the better hand... take control, take control ' she repeated her mantra in her head. Her eyes closed, her lips moving.

"I never really repaid you for the time you set a bat on fire and beat me with it!" Angelus continued.

' take control, take control.. Take '

"Say hi to Jenny for me will ya?" He pressed the knife into Giles neck.

'KNIFE!' her eyes snapped open and the crossbow was once more raised, when she spoke he voice was loud-commanding."LET–HIM–GO!"

He looked up at her "It still amazes me how I have you sister and now your Watcher," he gave Giles a little shove, "under my mercy, and yet you think you can make the demands!"

Buffy let in a sharp intake of breath. The arrow wavered.

Giles...Knife. Knife...Giles

"Well guess what!" he shouted, " you can't" he leaned in once more.

" Please!" Buffy pleaded, "Let him go! This is between you and me!" her vision began to get blurry.

Giles...Knife, Knife...Giles

"You & me? Do you really think we have a chance Buffy? I mean gosh, you would have to try and stop saving all my victims and then maybe we can make it work." he laughed. "No I think ill just kill him to show you who's boss." he positioned the blade at the side of Giles neck...or his front. Buffy no longer knew. All she saw was blood.

Coming from Giles's neck.

" No! " she cried.. Her voice being echoed by several others, tears where flowing freely down her face now.

"God.. WHAT DO YOU WANT!" she screamed."WHAT!"

A lot of things happened very quickly then. Angelus had thrown Giles aside.. The crossbow had dropped soundlessly to the ground. Angelus stood before Buffy the next instant. Cold hands dug into her flesh before cold lips claimed hers.

"You" Angelus hissed and the next second he was gone. The hotel doors swinging to a stop the only evidence of his departure.

Buffy could still smell him around her, he smelt of musky manliness that was purely Angel. She could still taste him, he tasted like...

Blood

With a startled sob, she slowly raised a hand to her lips. His words echoed in her head...

You