"Passion. It lies in all of us, sleeping, waiting. And though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir, open its jaws, and howl. It speaks to us, guides us. Passion rules us all and we obey. What other choice do we have?" – Angelus
Passion
"Oh god! Oh god!" Cordelia cried as she took Xander's arm and walked away from her so-called friends.
"It's gonna be okay. Just keep walkin'," Xander comforted as he took her hand.
"Oh, god, what've I done? They're never gonna speak to me again."
"Sure they are. If it helps, whenever we're around them, you and I can fight a lot."
"You promise?" Cordy smiled.
"You can pretty much count on it," Xander smiled back.
Out of nowhere, Buffy charged up to them and punched Xander in the face. The contact was so loud that everyone stopped and stared at them. Xander fell to the ground and clasped his bleeding and broken nose.
"Buffy! What the hell are you doing?" Cordy shrieked as she helped Xander to his feet.
"It's your fault! Angel kidnapped Libby last night!" Buffy's tears of rage held nothing on her betrayed shouting. "He never would've been able to if she wasn't under your ridiculous spell! Now she's trapped and being tortured and if I do anything to save her, Angel will kill her!"
"Libby…" Xander whispered, horrified. "Buffy, I swear, I had no idea –"
"She told you not to do that spell and you did it anyway! You're the one Angel should be torturing, not Libby."
"Okay, that's enough!" Cordy defended. "Xander didn't know. You can't blame him when Angel's the one who did it."
"I can when he's the one who gave Angel the perfect opportunity," Buffy shoved Cordelia out of the way and glared up at a shocked and disgusted-with-himself Xander. "If Libby dies, I promise I will kill you."
"Buffy, I'm sorry! I didn't know! Please, let me help! I want to save Libby!"
"Weren't you listening?" Buffy screamed.
"Don't waste your breath on him," Willow said with a sneer at Xander. "He's not worth anything anymore."
Xander's legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground. Giles called Buffy and Willow over, sending Xander a frightening look of hatred. How could this have happened? What had he done?
Xander shot up in bed. His heart was racing and his forehead dripping with icy sweat. That nightmare had been plaguing his mind for the past couple nights and it got over-exaggerated every time. In reality, Buffy didn't blame him (not consciously, Xander could see that in her eyes) and Willow defended him just as Cordy did. Giles, however…Xander feared he would never be right with him again.
In the end, none of that mattered to Xander because he would never forgive himself. Even if Libby walked into school tomorrow perfectly fine, Xander would hate himself for being such a fool for the rest of his life. He would find a way to redeem himself and atone for what he did to Libby. He would go to hell and back to earn forgiveness, but never for himself; for the ones he hurt.
"Curly locks! Curly locks! Wilt thou be mine? Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine;"
Libby twitched on the cold floor as she felt something small and sharply rounded graze across her arm. She couldn't quite wake up thanks to her head pounding like a bat to a ball, but she could hear a haunting voice echo in her ears.
"But sit on a cushion, and sew a fine seam, and feast upon strawberries, sugar, and cream."
Upon realizing the voice singing was Drusilla, the Protector bolted upright and slammed her back into the wall behind her. The action sent throbs of pain into her bones, but Libby refused to show weakness. Drusilla smiled widely and bounced up and down with glee.
"My pretty new dolly's finally awake."
"I'm not a freakin' doll," Libby angrily rasped. "And I'm definitely not yours."
Drusilla tisked as she raised a slender knife in her hand. Libby's eyes froze on the slicing weapon and tried to free her hands. It was no use. As long as she couldn't see them – or the lock binding her down – there was no way to escape. And even worse, Libby's movement made her discover that Drusilla had dressed her in a classy yellow dress with shoes to match and her hair was in perfectly smooth curls with prissy yellow bows atop the crown of her head.
"Oh, but you are my dear," Dru purred as she caressed Libby's locks. "You are mine to play with."
The blade pierced into Libby's flesh without mercy and as her blood flowed to create the sadistic designs, Libby was unable to keep from screaming.
Buffy woke up completely unrested. The sunrays lighting up her room gave her no solace and she was sure there would never be moisture in her eyes again. The blonde turned her head to see what time it was and instead saw a dreaded envelope.
With shaking hands, the Slayer opened it to find two pieces of paper. One was a drawing of her sleeping and the other was of Libby lying on the floor bleeding. She couldn't bear this.
"He was in my room," Buffy announced to Giles.
"Angel?" Giles frightfully asked.
Buffy strode over to the library table where Xander and Cordelia stood and replied, "Yeah. He was in my room last night."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive!" Buffy shouted at her Watcher. "When I woke up, I found two pictures he left me on my pillow. And one was of Libby after being tortured." The Slayer collapsed in her seat and Xander wanted to die inside.
"Wait, I thought vampires couldn't come in unless you invited them in," Cordy asked, not knowing how to personally deal with Libby's kidnapping.
Giles turned and focused on a subject he could actually address, "Yes, but once you've invited them in, thereafter they're always welcome."
"Are we seriously talking about this? Libby is being tortured! Maybe even as we speak and we're talking about visitation rights? I mean, Giles, there has to be some kind of spell to reverse the invitation, right? Like a barrier – a "no shoes, no pulse, no service" thing?" Buffy demanded in a rush.
"Yeah, that works for a car too?" Cordelia added, much to Buffy's annoyance.
"So we can get back to how the hell we're gonna save my Protector?"
"No one is taking that lightly, Buffy!" Giles yelled. "You're not the only one who lost a Protector." Everyone quieted down as Giles gathered himself. "As for the invitation, I can check on my –"
"Hello?" Xander suddenly burst, causing everyone to jump. "Excuse me, but have you ever heard o' knockin'?"
Jonathan and a girl looked very confused. "We're supposed to get some books. On Stalin."
"Does this look like a Barns & Noble?"
Giles glanced suspiciously at Xander and said, "This is the school library, Xander."
"Since when?"
Buffy scowled at them as Giles pointed the students in the right direction. As the two ventured into the bookcases, the Scoobies left the library for the hallway and then outside.
"So, Angel has decided to step up his harassment of you," Giles pondered.
"By sneaking in her room and leaving stuff at night?" Cordelia spat out. "He already kidnapped Libby, shouldn't he be leaving body parts instead of pictures? Why not leave her heart on the pillow and then strangle Buffy or slit her throat or just kill them both at the same time?" The shocked and disgusted expressions of her friends were intense enough to kill. "What? I'm trying to help."
"Then stop." Buffy growled.
"Yes. Look, it's classic battle strategy to throw one's opponent off his game," Giles explained, trying to give comfort. "He's just trying to provoke you. To taunt you. To-to goad you into some mishap of some sort. He won't do anything truly life-threatening to Libby – like Cordelia so graphically suggested – because her life is his leverage. The moment he kills her, he knows you will kill him and the game will be over."
"The nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah approach to battle," Xander offered, but not in his usual lighthearted jest, no it was meek and childlike. A weak attempt to win back some favor.
"Yes, Xander. Once more you've managed to boil a complex thought down to its simplest possible form," the Watcher replied with hostility.
Buffy sweetly smiled at Xander so he knew that she didn't hate him along with Giles and he sadly smiled back. Buffy wanted to hate and blame Xander, it would be so much easier if she did, but even though he played a role in Libby's capture, it wasn't his fault. He didn't cause it and he most certainly didn't plan it. And the Slayer knew how much Xander cared about Libby and saw how distraught he was over what happened. She refused to treat him the same as Giles.
"Giles, Angel once told me that when he was obsessed with Drusilla, the first thing he did was to kill her family," Buffy anxiously said.
Everyone stopped in their tracks and Xander put out a caring hand to Buffy. "Your mom."
"I know. I mean, he already has Libby and doing god knows what to her. What if he goes after my mom next? I have to tell her something. About Libby and Angel. The truth?"
"No, you can't do that," Giles replied in alarm.
"I've gotta tell her something. I've gotta do something. Giles, Angel has an all access pass to my house and I'm not always there when my mother is. I couldn't protect Libby so how am I supposed to protect her?"
"I told you, I will find a spell."
"What about until you find a spell? My mom's already asking questions about where Libby is and I already panicked and told her she was off on a religious holiday. I can't keep that up forever. I don't even know if any religious holidays are going on right now!"
Giles thought for a moment and responded, "Lent is in progress as is the nineteenth day fast in the Baha'i religion and Ostara in the pagan religion is coming up next month."
"Giles!" Buffy practically screamed.
"Yes, well, Buffy, I understand your concern, but it's imperative that you keep a level head through all of this."
"That's easy for you to say. You don't have Angel torturing your sister by day and lurking in your bedroom by night."
"I know how hard this is for you." Buffy glared at him, which Giles challenged. "Whether you believe me or not, I do. And as the Slayer, you don't have the luxury of being a slave to your-your passions. You mustn't let Angel get to you, no matter how provocative his behavior may become. It may be the only protection you can give Libby at the moment."
This hit home in Buffy's mind and somehow brought her a little peace. "So what you're basically saying is just ignore him and maybe he'll go away? Get bored with Libby even?"
"Yes, precisely."
"Hey, how come Buffy doesn't get a snotty "once again you boil it down to the simplest form" thing?" Xander forcibly joked with Buffy, trying to make her smile. "Watcher's pet."
"Yes, Xander, she is because she doesn't make rash decisions that put the ones she loves in grave danger!"
At Giles' harsh rebuttal, everyone fell silent and went their separate ways. Xander never felt so unloved in his life and his parents did a good job of that everyday.
Jenny shuffled with things on her desk as Buffy and Willow walked off to class. Giles considered leaving with them, but something drew him in so he stayed in the doorway.
"How've you been?" Jenny asked. "Willow told me about Libby. I'm so sorry, Rupert."
"Yes, uh, thing's have been rather horrible, actually. Since Angel lost his soul, he's regained his sense of whimsy. He left sketches of Libby in Buffy's bedroom and it-it's hard to put on a brave face for her when I can barely keep myself together."
"Rupert," Jenny sweetly said as she took a step forward, but Giles wasn't done.
"Libby's my Protector as well, she's my charge, my ward…she's like my dau – I can't imagine…I, uh, I need to drum up a spell to keep him out of the house."
Jenny lunged for her desk in order to help him in the only way she knew how and handed him an old book. "This might help. I've been doin' a little research since Angel changed. I don't think you have that one."
"Thank you."
"So how's Buffy handling it?"
Giles slammed the book shut and stared Jenny down in gall. "Libby's been kidnapped and he's giving her terrorized imagination visual aid. How do you think?"
Jenny cast her eyes down and turned away from him replying, "I know you feel betrayed."
"Yes, that's one of the unpleasant side effects of betrayal."
"Rupert, I was raised by the people that Angel hurt the most. My duty to them was the first thing I was ever taught," Her voice was honest and smooth in its kindness and for the first time, Giles was listening to her words. "I didn't come here to hurt anyone. And I lied to you because I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know I was gonna fall in love with you."
Giles gazed upon her lovely face in astonishment and for the first time in those past few miserable days, he felt a wave of happiness. The librarian never expected the computer teacher to love him, nor did he expect himself to love her back.
"Oh, god…" Jenny whispered. "Is it too late to take that back?"
Giles stepped closer to her this time and replied, "Do you want to?"
"I just wanna be right with you. I don't expect more. I just want so badly to make all this up to you."
Giles genuinely smiled. "I understand, but I'm not the one you need to make it up to."
Jenny absorbed his words and nodded.
"Thank you for the book."
The Protector breathed heavily and clenched her fists tighter and tighter until her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands. She could feel the warm blood trickle down her skin and seep into the dress. Drusilla finally lifted the knife and wiped it with a dainty handkerchief. Libby watched the insane vampire admire her work and clean it to perfection. She couldn't see the torture Dru carved on her right upper arm and shoulder, but she could feel the piercing sting left behind.
"It's lovely. Right out of a dream…" Drusilla cooed. "You are a Protector nevermore." She clapped her hands and shrilled, "Where good once lived, evil will blossom within you. Just like it did with me."
"I'm nothing like you…" Libby growled through gritted teeth.
Dru giggled. "No, no you're not. 'Cause you are not free."
Suddenly, a puppy's whimper sounded from the corner of the room and Drusilla got up to scoop it in her arms. Libby gazed at it fearfully, but the vampiress unchained her from the wall and dragged her along.
"I brought something for you," Drusilla called out to a depressed Spike. "Poor thing. She's an orphan. Her owner died…" With a big smile, she swung Libby up and slammed her down on the long metal table. "Without a fight. Do you like her? Mm?" Dru grazed her hand inside Spike's shirt and captured his attention. "I brought her especially for you, to cheer you up. And I've named her Sunshine. Open wide."
Libby groaned in disgust, but the vampiress ignored her…just like Spike did the puppy being shoved in his face.
"Come on, love. You need to eat something to keep your strength up. Now…" Drusilla flew the puppy like an airplane and said, "Open up for Mummy."
"I won't have you feeding me like a child, Dru." Spike harshly replied as he tried to roll away.
"Why not? She already bathes you, carries you around, and changes you like a child," Angelus taunted. "I see Libby has come back out to join us."
"Why, Angel, where have you been?" Drusilla inquired. "The sun is almost up and it can be so hurtful. We were worried."
"No, we weren't." Spike and Libby said at the same time, earning an angry and slightly amused glare from the blonde vampire.
Drusilla hissed at Libby and then responded, "You must forgive Spike. He's just a bit testy tonight. Doesn't get out much anymore."
"You're welcome," teased Libby.
"Why can't I eat her again?" Spike snarled and sneered at the helpless Protector, tantalizing blood still fresh on the surface of her body.
"Because I need her alert and that means alive and honestly, if anyone's gonna eat her…it'll be me." Angelus smiled and slid his way on the table to sit uncomfortably close to Libby. He leaned over to smell her wound and saw the effects of a night with Drusilla. "Looks like you had fun."
It resembled something of a gothic tattoo, only her skin was ripped and raw and her blood served as the ink. Twists and curves of sharp lines spread out from her shoulder around to her upper arm and turned inward ending at the top of her inner elbow. However, what was embedded in the midst of torturous lines mattered most: Provoker. Angelus grinned and could smell the heavy blood loss and see how deep the wounds went. If this wasn't taken care of the wound would surely become infected.
Angelus loomed over the brunette and licked the bloody design. He moaned in pleasure when a few drops of her blood touched his tongue. Libby writhed underneath him, but the vampire was much stronger. He bent his lower arm across her chest to hold Libby down and propped himself over her stomach on his other elbow.
"I admire strength, Libbs, I really do. But I've starved you for a couple nights now and Dru here has drained you quite a bit, so let's not pretend that you have any energy left all right?" Libby looked up at Angel's face with exhausted eyes. She couldn't help it, all of her strength disappeared from her body and the Protector went limp. "See? Isn't that better?" Angelus jumped off the table and spread out his arms. "Now, we can get on with the night."
"Oh!" Drusilla suddenly wailed as visions began to flood her mind.
"Dru, what is it, pet?" Spike asked.
"The air…it worries. Someone, an old enemy, is seeking help. Help to destroy our happy home."
As she whimpered and gripped her stomach, Libby's eyes widened and her heartbeat raced. Jenny was translating the curse. She was afraid they had already entered Passion and now there was nothing she could do.
Angelus threw the chair at the head of the table across the room and stared the Protector down. "What old enemy?"
"You're over a hundred years old, I'm sure you have lots of those."
He hung his head and touched foreheads with her. Angelus' nose buried in her hair and he cupped the sides of her face. Abruptly, he thrust her into a sitting position. "Wow, you're wrists got real banged up." Libby heard the cuffs unlock. "How 'bout we take a break from these chains?"
Libby felt the cuffs leave her skin, but before she could relish in the feeling, Angelus spun her around and brutally grabbed her wrists. She yelled at the painful contact and tried to wriggle free, but she was too weak.
"Now, just to make sure you can't use your telekinesis," Angelus broke her wrists and the vampires could hear the bones snap even as Libby's scream cut through the air. Laughing, Angelus cracked each and every finger.
Libby shrieked so loudly that she thought her lungs might pop like balloons. She had never broken a bone before and now both wrists and all ten fingers were shattered. The pain was excruciating and the sight of some of the bones protruding from her skin along with the flowing blood and dark bruising made her hot and cold at the same time. Libby cried out and rocked back and forth as Angelus snickered.
"So, Libby, who's the old enemy out to destroy us?"
She cried with every wavering breath she took and roared, "Not them! Just you! And it doesn't matter what you do! Break me a thousand ways or tear Buffy's life apart person by person! You're going to hell! Literally! And the Slayer's gonna send you there!"
Angelus glared at her, ready to tear her throat out, but then something happened. Libby's scream echoed from her soul at a volume even the most evil vampire recorded had never heard before. She arched back as a new, unbearable pain racked her body. Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! The broken bones were telekinetically resetting themselves and it was more torturous than breaking them in the first place. Libby sobbed and lost her breath and she shook all over. She wanted to die. And Angelus sensed it.
"Oh, Libby…" Angelus hummed as he caressed his hands up her legs. "You're gonna be my masterpiece."
Buffy and Willow sat on the Slayer's bed surrounded by cloves of garlic and clutching stakes in their readied hands. And yet, the bed seemed too large for them. It was as if every precaution they took was for nothing because that natural and confident force field they instinctively depended on had been diminished too many nights ago.
"Thanks for having me over, Buffy. Especially on a school night an' all," Willow nervously said.
"No problem," Buffy looked around the room and it appeared dark with all the lights on. "Hey, sorry about your fish."
"It's okay. We hadn't really had time to bond yet. Although, for the first time, I'm glad my parents didn't let me have a puppy."
Buffy felt like she couldn't listen. She heard her best friend's words and sympathized with her, but it was hollow. The Slayer had an overcasting shadow scraping the pit of her stomach and she was petrified to acknowledge what it might be.
"It's so weird…" Buffy whispered. "Every time something like this happens, my first instinct is to go to Libby and then run to Angel. I can't believe it's the same person who took my Protector away from me. He's completely different from the guy that I knew and Libby's probably wondering where I am and why I haven't saved her. I'm the worst Slayer there's ever been."
Willow turned to her and said with great confidence, "No you're not. And Libby knows you. And I don't mean because of her power, she knows you because you're her sister. So Libby will hold on until you're able to take on Angel. She's strong. She'll survive this just like we will."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Besides, Giles is right. The only reason he has Libby is to get to you because…you're still the only thing he thinks about."
Libby lay on the table. She was alone. She couldn't move. There was a glass of water with a long straw. It hurt to drink, but she sipped on the cool liquid anyway.
She couldn't lift her arms or bend her wrists or move her fingers. Her lungs felt like a semi-truck was lying on top of them. She could barely stretch her legs and there was no wiggling her feet. Her own blood stained the table and she was drenched in it. She was bruised in so many places that she was afraid there was severe internal bleeding. Her hair was let down and her shoes discarded. Her dress was torn on the left sleeve and along the bottom. She was a doll left on the table to be played with later.
"Buffy…"
Buffy and Willow walked to the front of the school, but neither were in a good mood.
"Well, good morning," Xander glumly greeted. "What did you two do last night?"
"We had kind of a "pajama party sleepover with weapons" thing," Willow answered.
When no snarky comment followed, Buffy looked at Xander and asked, "How bout you?"
"More nightmares."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
Willow felt for her friends, but unfortunately she had to reply, "I have to go. I'd stay, really, but I have a class to teach in about five minutes and I have to arrive early to glare disapprovingly at the stragglers."
Ms. Calendar walked across the grass for the door in her matching floral top and skirt that melded together to make the illusion of a dress. She had just returned from purchasing the orb of thesulah and was determined to complete the translation that night.
"Oh, darn. She's here," Willow frowned and walked on. "Five hours of lesson planning yesterday down the drain."
Buffy watched Jenny get closer and closer and was overwhelmed by an urge to go and talk to her. She turned to Xander and said, "You know what? I'll see you in class."
Xander nodded and followed behind Willow. Images of his nightmare kept flashing in his mind, but would hide it like he'd been doing everyday. Even if today it was Libby dying in his arms and cursing his name.
"Hey."
Jenny's eyes softened in delightful surprise when Buffy randomly came up to her. "Hi." They stared at each other awkwardly. "Is there something that…?" Jenny began. "Did you want something?"
"Look, I know you feel badly about what happened, especially now that Angel has my sister, and I just wanted to say…Good. Keep it up."
Jenny did not conceal the disappointment on her face and replied, "Don't worry, I will."
She tried to move on, but Buffy raised a hand to stop her. "Wait. Um… He misses you. He doesn't say anything to me, but I know he does. And I don't want him to be lonely. I don't want anyone to."
"Buffy, you know that if I have a chance to make this up –"
"We're good here. Let's just leave it."
Buffy swiftly turned around and disappeared into the crowd entering the front doors, but Jenny was filled with new hope. If Buffy was able to possibly begin to forgive her, than there was a real chance that she could make this right. She could prove her loyalty and intent of redemption…and her love for Rupert Giles.
Buffy marched down the hall and made her way to Giles.
"Buffy. So how was your night?"
"Sleepless, but no human fatalities. Or pictures of Libby."
"Good, that's good. I found a ritual to revoke the invitation –" Cordelia appeared out of nowhere and stared at Giles…who didn't like it. "To vampires."
"Oh thank goodness! I actually had to talk my grandmother into switching cars with me last night."
Giles blinking at Cordy's words and continued, "The ritual's fairly basic actually. It's just the recitation of a few rhyming couplets, burning of moss herbs, sprinkling of holy water…"
"All stuff I have at my house," Buffy replied as she followed her Watcher.
"Hanging crosses…"
Giles explained the rest before Buffy and Cordelia had to go to class and then went back into the library. Finishing up the few things he had to do as librarian, Giles retired in his office to write in his Watcher's journal. He flipped through the pages, but the pages stuck together so he ended up farther than where he should've been. However, he found something he never expected.
Hey Giles. I hope I'm writing this on the right page. I know you have a habit of flipping backwards and not forwards in your journal so I did the episode math and I should be in the right area. If not, I hope I'm earlier rather than later because this is important. After I almost died, I've been kind of paranoid. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't know what would happen to me since I know what happens to all of you, but clearly that is my weakest spot. So I'm writing this just in case of another spell, or a demon took my memory, or god-forbid I'm dead. All right, here it is: Jenny's going to give you a book to help you find a spell to un-invite vampires. Not that night but the next, Angel is going to come to the school and Jenny will be there. She's trying to make up for everything and Angel WILL KILL HER before she has a chance to. Angel is going to kill Jenny. I don't know what will become of her if she lives and I don't know if I'm even supposed to do anything to try to save her, but what I do know is that she loves you and you love her and I think you deserve to be happy. All I ask is that you be safe, Giles. If I had to choose between you and Jenny, I'd choose you every time. So please be safe and I hope I will be too. I'd much rather tell you this in person.
Giles looked up from the journal and for a moment his heart stopped beating. Jenny.
Joyce drove into the driveway after some nighttime grocery shopping and the moment she parked, Angel came up and opened her door.
"Mrs. Summers, I need to talk to you," He said desperately.
She got out of the car with a paper bag in her arms and replied, "You're Angel."
Angelus beamed. "Did Buffy tell you about us?"
"She told me she wants you to leave her alone."
"Oh, I can't. I can't do that."
"You're scaring her."
"You have to help me. Joyce, I need to be with her. You can convince her. You have to convince her."
Angelus hyperactively followed Mrs. Summers as she tried to reach her front door, but he was doing a frightening job of slowing her down and getting her heart rate up.
"Look, I'm telling you to leave her alone."
He could see the resolve fading in her eyes and the fear taking over. "You have to talk to her for me, Joyce. Tell her I need her."
"Please, look, I just want to get inside, okay?" Joyce said as she reached for her keys, but she dropped the bag doing so. Angelus dropped down and insanely went to collecting the oranges and throwing them back into the bag.
"You don't understand, Joyce. I'll die without Buffy. She'll die without me."
"Are you threatening her?"
"Please! Why is she doing this to me?"
"I'm calling the police, now." Joyce got up and scrambled to the door, but her hands were trembling so much that she could grasp the right key.
Angel stalked over and slyly sneered down at her fiddling fingers whispering, "I haven't been able to sleep since the night we made love." Joyce stared up at him in shock. "I need her. I know you understand."
"Just leave us alone," Mrs. Summers demanded as she finally opened the door.
Angel was about to step in, but an invisible wall smacked into him just like Buffy's body language as she descended the stairs.
"Verbis consensus recisus est." Willow concluded the incantation.
"Sorry, Angel. Changed the locks."
The Slayer slammed the door in his face and went up to one of the windows and whispered, "And don't think I won't come for Libby next."
Giles stood outside Jenny's classroom and listened to her type. He didn't know what she was doing, but at this point it didn't matter. All he was sure of was that the sun had gone down and it was the night Libby said Angel would murder his love.
"Hello?" Giles gently said.
"Oh!" Jenny jumped as she minimized the window. "Hey."
"You're working late."
"Special project."
"So I'm told."
Jenny frowned, curious. "By who?"
"Libby, actually. She left me a note in my journal." Giles answered as he leaned against the edge of her desk.
"She wrote you what I was doing?" Jenny nervously inquired.
"No, she didn't. It was regarding something…else."
"Oh, well, did she mention that I spoke with Buffy today?"
"No?" Giles asked, perking up a little.
Jenny coyly looked down and then up at Giles through her eyelashes. "She said you missed me."
"Well, she's…a meddlesome girl. Just like Libby."
"Rupert, I don't want to say anything if I'm wrong, but I may have some news. Now, I need to finish up here. Could I see you later?"
Giles was about to smile with joy, but he knew this wasn't the time. "Jenny, you need to go home for the night and stay inside."
"What? Why?"
Giles thought for a moment. He didn't want to frighten her and cause a panic so he replied, "Libby said that the school is a dangerous place to be tonight and I don't want you to be at risk. Is it possible to do this at home?"
Jenny shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I have to do it here."
"Then do it tomorrow. Please, Jenny. I need to know you're safe."
She got to her feet and placed her hand on his. "I'll get my things and leave as soon as I can."
Giles smiled in relief. "Good, good. Then perhaps tomorrow night, you could stop by my house?"
"Okay."
Giles continued smiling and then kissed her on the cheek. Jenny stared at him all starry eyed as he left and then turned back to her computer.
"I don't see why you're putting yourself through all this," Spike said as he rolled up to her. "It's only the teacher. It's not like it's your Slayer or your Watcher. Why in the world would you go through all this for a bloody computer teacher?"
Libby slightly lifted her head and caught his eye. She was dangling from the ceiling now. Her hands were clasped in the chains again, only they were bolted far above her head. The Protector's toes grazed the ground, but she was out of energy to dispense in holding herself up. Angelus had broken and re-broken her bones so many times and let Drusilla cut into her flesh over and over that Libby could barely talk anymore. Her voice was nearly destroyed.
"You wouldn't understand…"
Spike came closer. "What's that, love? I can't hear you with all that wheezing."
At his chuckle, Libby lowly replied, "How could you understand loyalty when you have none?"
"I understand loyalty," growled Spike
"That's not what I mean," Libby coughed. "You are loyal, but no one around you is." Spike was about to defend his sire and renounce his allegiance to Angel, but Libby wasn't finished. "You would do anything for Dru, but she has no problem spreading her legs for Angel whenever he tells her to."
"Shut up!" Spike yelled and rolled close enough to grab her ribcage. Libby released an open hiss and Spike ordered, "Never speak of Drusilla that way again."
"Why? You know it's true. That's why you hate Angel so much and rightfully so. But it takes two to tango and Dru really likes to do the tango to Angel."
Spike gripped her harder to the point of reopening wounds and making her ribs crack. "He's going to kill your teacher, Protector. When he comes back, you tell me if being loyal was worth it."
Jenny highlighted the text and sent them through the translation program. As it loaded, she glanced at the clock. It had been much longer than she planned to stay, but she was so close. How could she not see it through?
When it completed, Jenny saw the beautiful and accurate translation. "That's it. It's gonna work! This will work." She saved it onto the yellow floppy disk and as it came out she printed the results at the same time.
Angel's face appeared out of the shadows and made Jenny gasp and bound to her feet in defense. "Angel. How'd you get in here?"
"I was invited. The sign in front of the school: Formatia trans sicere educatorum."
"Enter all ye who seek knowledge."
"What can I say? I'm a knowledge seeker."
Giles words of warning sounded in her head and she realized that this is what he meant. If she had listened and not been so intent on completing the translation that night, but she wanted to help.
"Angel, I've got good news."
"I heard. You went shopping at the local boogedy-boogedy store," Angel taunted. "Not that Libby was much help with that. I tortured and tortured her, but in the end, I had to send Drusilla."
"Oh, god…" Jenny breathed.
"Oh yeah," Angel mocked. "Libby hasn't been faring too well."
"What've you done to her?"
Angel sadistically smiled and chose to ignore her. "The orb of Thesulah. If memory serves, this is supposed to summon a person's soul from the ether." He tossed the orb in his hands and caressed it like it was a living organism when it glowed. "Store it until it can be transferred. You know what I hate most about these things?" Angel threw it on the chalkboard and it shattered into thousands of pieces. "They're so damn fragile. Must be that shoddy, Gypsy craftsmanship, huh?"
Jenny inched her way to the door and found it locked. She tried to force it open, but it was no use. She watched him go to her computer and see what she had re-created.
"I never ceased to be amazed by how much the world has changed in just two and a half centuries. It's a miracle to me. You put the secrets to restoring my soul in here!" He smashed the computer onto the floor, making it catch fire and pulled the paper out of the printer. "And it comes out here. "The Ritual of Restoration." Wow. This… This brings back memories."
Angel ripped the paper and Jenny gasped, "Wait, that's your…"
"My cure? No thanks. Been there, done that… Déjà vu just isn't what it used to be." He looked down at the fire and smiled, squatting next to it after burning the paper. "Boy, isn't this my lucky day? The computer and the pages. Looks like I get to kill two birds with one stone."
Jenny began to silently walk across the room to make it to the other door, but it didn't matter. Angel looked up at her movement with his vamp face on.
"And the teacher makes three."
Jenny bolted, but Angel cut her off and threw her so hard against the locked door that it crashed open leaving a bleeding gash on her forehead. Jenny looked back to see him smile and wasted no time in fleeing for her life.
"Oh good. I need to work up an appetite first."
Giles looked at his watch and worried about the time. Of course, Jenny should have been home by then, but he had read and reread Libby's note too many times. He went to the phone and dialed Jenny's number. No answer. He tried again in case she had already gone to sleep. Still no answer.
"Jenny…"
She dashed through the halls and tried to open the front doors of the school, but they were locked. Seeing him behind her and catching up, Jenny took another path. She made it outside on the balcony winding along the side of the building with Angelus right on her tail. The teacher made it to a corridor but at the end of it was another locked door. There was no other way. It was through those doors or die. The adrenaline heightened in her survival instinct and she was able to force the doors open just in time. She shut them on a growling Angelus and ran down the hall. Angel pulled on the door several times until he finally opened it.
By the stairs, she found an abandoned janitor cart and slammed it into him as he came after her. Jenny ran up the stairs and as she did she heard a voice.
"Jenny! Jenny!" Giles called out for her when he broke his way into the school.
"RUPERT!" She cried out for him as she crossed in front of the second story window in the front of the school.
Giles looked up and sprinted for the staircase that led to her. Jenny called for him again, but it was cut off by a scream when Angelus was suddenly in front of her.
"Jenny!" Giles called out again as he raced up the stairs.
Angelus laughed and placed a finger on her lips. "Sorry, Jenny. This is where you get off."
As he gripped her neck in order to twist it, Giles came up behind him and staked him in the back. Angelus yelled out in pain and this loosened his hold on Jenny. She escaped him and ran to Giles, who immediately directed her down the stairs, shouting, "Go! Hurry!"
Angelus pulled the stake out of his back and he could feel the splinters grazing his heart. "Dear Watcher. You're losing your touch in your old age."
Giles and Jenny ran down the hallway, but Angelus suddenly leapt on top of Jenny and before Giles had time to turn around and thwart him, Jenny screamed as his fangs viciously bit into her neck.
"Jenny!" Giles shouted as the blood freely poured from her neck and Angel snarled as he gnawed and gulped it down.
The light was fading from her eyes and the strength was fading from her limbs. Giles was watching her die. It took seconds to remove the cross from the back of his pants and Angelus was forced to drop Jenny's body to the ground. He went after Giles, but the Watcher stabbed the vampire in the neck with the cross. It gave him enough time to carry Jenny out.
He put her in his car and broke every speed limit to get her to the hospital. Giles held a handkerchief over her wound and applied pressure to stop the bleeding, but he could feel the cloth absorbing too much and Jenny looked so pale.
"Stay with me, Jenny. Please, hold on," He kept whispered through the choked back tears.
The Watcher swooped her up in his arms and yelled for help inside the hospital walls. Nurses came with a gurney. They took her vitals and gave her fluids. They asked him what happened. "An animal bit her," he said. Giles never let go of her hand. Nurses had to pry him off when they rolled her through the emergency room doors. "We'll let you know how she is as soon as we can," they said. Giles barely heard. The woman he loved was dying. He failed her.
Angel had cleaned himself up and walked over to Buffy's house. He could see through the windows very nicely. It was so kind of his lover to leave the lights on for him. He watched as he saw Buffy and Willow walk into the dining room.
Any moment now, he thought.
The phone rang. Buffy went to answer it.
"Hello? Giles?" On cue, her face fell and she frowned in horror as tears threatened to spill from her eyelashes. Angel smiled triumphantly.
The Slayer sunk to the floor and Willow took the phone. "Giles? Really? No! No! No!" Angel smiled again.
It was a priceless moment and he had molded it to perfection.
Angel returned to the factory with the same grin on his lips and dark spark in his eyes. He strode right up to Libby and unshackled her. The Protector slumped to the ground in a heap of meat and bone.
"My sweet, beautiful…Provoker," Angelus snickered as he pet her head, entwining his fingers in her hair. "I tasted your teacher tonight. I'm not as big of a fan of Gypsy as I used to be, but Jenny had something special in her blood."
A tear trickled from the corner of her eye and landed in a lonely, cold circle on the floor.
"Giles tried so valiantly to save her. He even stopped me from breaking her neck with my own hands, but I must say it was so much more satisfying to have her die in his arms. I suppose he has you to thank for that."
Libby shut her eyes and did her best to maneuver her body into a ball. "I'm sorry, Giles…" Libby whispered so softly not even Angel heard her. "I'm so sorry…"
"Giles?" Buffy asked as Cordy and Xander drove up in her car.
"No luck," he answered. "By the time I got to the hospital, the nurses said he'd already left."
"Cordelia, will you drive us to Giles' house?" Buffy asked.
"Of course," Cordy seriously and empathetically replied.
"Don't you think he wants to be left alone?" worried Willow.
"I'm not worried about what he wants. I'm worried about what he's gonna do."
They all got into Cordelia's car, but it was too late. Giles had already packed all of his best weapons and firepower…leaving the picture Angelus drew of himself drinking from both Jenny and Libby on the table. Clearly it was a sketch of fiction, but Giles had left rationality behind.
Xander carefully opened the door and called out, "Hello? Giles?"
Everyone slowly stepped in so they wouldn't spook him, but the place was empty. Xander found the picture and repulsively sighed, "Oh god…"
Buffy took it from him and grimaced. She ripped it to shreds.
"Look, all his weapons are gone," Willow observed as Buffy went upstairs to check for anything else Angel might have left.
"But I thought he kept his weapons at the library?" Cordelia asked.
"No, those are his everyday weapons. These were his good weapons, the ones he breaks out when company comes to visit." Xander gravely answered.
Buffy came back down, but stopped half way. Willow looked up and asked, "So he's not here?"
"Then where is he?" Cordy added, getting worried.
"He'll go to wherever Angel is." Buffy replied.
"That means the factory, right?" Willow asked, growing fearful. "Where he's keeping, Libby. Where Angel says he'll kill her if –"
"Anyone goes there. I know."
"So Giles is gonna try to kill Angel anyway." Cordelia mused along with them.
"It's about time somebody did." Xander's voice was stronger, bold even.
"Xander!" Willow tried not to scold, but she couldn't help it. It wasn't the time. Emotions were running way too high.
"I'm sorry, but lets not forget that I hated Angel long before you guys jumped on board the band wagon. So I think I deserve something for not saying, "I told you so" long before now. And if Giles wants to go after the fiend that –" Xander picked up the pieces of the picture and shouted, "Violated his Protector and nearly murdered his girlfriend, I say, "Faster, pussycat. Kill, kill!""
"You're right," Buffy agreed.
"Thank you."
"There's only one thing wrong with Giles' revenge scenario."
"And what's that?"
"It's gonna get him killed. And Libby too."
Xander took in a deep breath and stared the Slayer down. "Which is why I wish I was there with him. I could give my life for hers."
Everyone stared at him astonished at his self-sacrificing words, but no one knew what to say. Except for Buffy.
"I know you would, but not today."
Libby lay freed from any chains on the floor. She tried summoning the will to hurl them all into the metal walls so hard they'd be unconscious for hours, but she could barely turn her head. If this was Angelus warming up – seeing as how he hadn't even bitten her yet – what was she truly in for?
"Are you insane?" Spike yelled up at Angel. "We're supposed to kill the bitch, not leave punctured gag gifts in her friends' laps."
"But, Spike, the bad teacher was going to restore Angel's soul."
"What if she did? If you ask me, I find myself preferring the old Buffy-whipped Angelus. Because this new, improved one is not playing with a full sack. I love a good slaughter as much as the next bloke. But his little pranks and turning the Protector into a bloody bruised peach will only leave us with one incredibly brassed–off Slayer. And what if Provoker over there were to get her strength back? Hmmm? We'd all be dead before sunrise!"
Angelus rolled his eyes. "Don't worry, Roller Boy. I've got everything under control."
Something crashed onto the table Libby was on only moments ago and it was lit up in flames. Drusilla lifted Libby up from where she rolled to the floor and put her across Spike's lap so he could roll them both out of the way. Angelus went around the table only to get an arrow through the shoulder. And in strode Giles. He lit a wooden club on fire and right after Angel got the arrow out of his flesh, the Watcher repeatedly hit him in the face with the flames.
"Geez! Whatever happened to wooden stakes?" Angel grunted as Giles beat him to the ground.
Drusilla went forward to help, but Spike pulled her back. "Uh-uh. No fair going into the ring unless he tags you first."
Giles struck the vampire again and again and when he caught sight of Libby – wounded, weakened, waning Libby – Giles found new rage.
"You took my child! Tortured her!" The Watcher seared the flames into Angelus' face and relished in the scream that escaped his throat. "And you rip into my love's throat! Tear and drink the life out of her!" Giles did it again and Angelus went down into the stairs. "Did you think there would not be retribution?"
He lifted the club into the air, but Angel grabbed hold of it before Giles could strike him again. The vampire seized the Watcher's throat and Giles soon dropped the flaming wooden weapon.
"All right. You've had you're fun. But you know what it's time for now?"
Buffy kicked him in the back and threw him into the staircase. "My fun!" She kicked him again as Giles fell to the floor unconscious.
Drusilla and Spike began to escape, but Libby found inspiration and in that inspiration: strength. She pushed off of Spike and flung them into the direction they were already going. It hurt her to her marrow, but Libby rose to her feet and headed toward her Slayer.
Buffy had cut Angelus off on the metal balcony above the flames and fought him off. She was doing well. She maintained the upper hand and was winning the fight. Angelus came back at her, but she flipped him over and hit him again and again.
"Buffy," Libby called out with all her might.
The Slayer stopped and saw her Protector. Everything froze. She barely recognized her beneath the black, purple, and blue and blood stained dress. However, the Protector's eyes showed endurance and resilience and it gave the Slayer hope.
Libby slowly came over as Buffy resumed hitting him. Angelus started to bleed and with that one fateful hit, he saw his way out.
"Gonna let your old man just burn?" Angel laughed as the girls stared at Giles lying on the floor below them.
In one swift movement, Angelus threw Buffy over the railing as he trapped Libby in his arms, but Buffy held on to her sister. The vampire tried to pull Libby back, but they wouldn't let each other go.
"You can't have both," Angel cruelly declared. "Your Protector or your Watcher."
Buffy stared up into Libby's sorrowful eyes and tears fell out of her own. "No! Libby, please! Hold on to me!"
"He's right. There's no time for both." Libby croaked out as she loosened her grip.
"No! I promised you! I can save you!"
Libby breathed deeply and sadly smiled at her Slayer. "I know."
The Protector released her Slayer's hand. "NO!" Buffy screamed as she fell and collided with the floor. She looked up to see Angel knocking Libby out and slinging her over his shoulder, disappearing into the shadows.
"I will save you!" Buffy called out. "I promise I will never stop looking for you! Don't give up, Libby!"
Buffy sniffed back her tears enough to get Giles on his feet and lead him outside. Once the night air entered his lungs, the Watcher came to, and his memory was cleared of the smoke. He brushed away from Buffy and looked about them.
"Where's Libby?" When Buffy shook her head, his full anger spilled on her. "Then why did you come here? This wasn't your fight!"
The Slayer lost it and punched her Watcher in the face. He fell to the ground and it was like all of his anger left him and all that was left was despair.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
Buffy dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around him as they both cried. Tears of anguish, tears of loss, tears of hopelessness. They both clung to each other, but it wasn't enough. Not that night.
"You can't leave me! I can't do this alone. I need you now more than ever."
Giles held Jenny's hand as the machines beeped away. Her skin was warm, but her body was lifeless. It looked like she was sleeping, but the doctors say she may never wake up. It was possible, but with the major blood loss she suffered it affected her brain so adversely that it was more likely Jenny would never awaken from the coma. It was best to say goodbye now, but Giles wasn't ready.
"In my years as Watcher, I've lost too many people, but Libby and Jenny were the first I've loved."
Buffy put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't kill him for you, for Libby, for Jenny, when I had the chance. I wasn't ready. But I think I finally am. I can't hold on to the past anymore. I can't afford to. Libby's life depends on it. Angel is gone. Nothing is ever gonna bring him back. But I can bring back Libby. And I will."
Just then, Willow sat down in Ms. Calendar's desk and the precious yellow floppy disk fell into the dark crevasse of desk and side table.
"Passion is the source of our finest moments: the joy of love, the clarity of hatred, and the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we'd know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms shuttered and dank. Without passion, we'd be truly dead." – Angelus