A/N: Not going to disclaimer, of course I don't own Buffy. The only thing I own is the original stuff I've come up with for this fic.

Teenage Giles is just too fun not to play with... so I decided to bring that back... I think this will be a three part-er. I might even throw you in a kiss if you're lucky ;)

Thank you for the favourites and follows and reviews so far! I hope you continue to enjoy!

"You know what darlin' you're just a snob!"

"I most certainly am not a snob how dare you. Just because I won't bend to your charm doesn't make me a snob. I know exactly what boys like you are like Rupert Giles, I know exactly what your game is, and I can tell you right now it isn't working. I don't think you're cool or edgy." Maria said viciously.

"You've got no idea about me." Ripper retorted.

"Oh, I do. Cigarette hanging out of your mouth, thinking you're some sort of Sid Vicious charmer, you're not, you're not in a band. And you definitely, did not help found Pink Floyd, you would have been about ten at the time."

Ripper wheeled on her. She'd pressed one too many buttons now.

"Yeah, no that's exactly what you are! You're a snob. You think you're better than everyone because you don't know how to have fun. You think that if you don't snog a bloke or smoke a ciggie or get shagged you're some sort of saint. You think wrapping yourself in books and tests makes you better than all us lesser mortals who are doin' what teenagers are supposed to be doing. It's not surprising you don't have any friends."

"I have friends-"

"Yeah? Name em?"

"Well- I- before-" Maria stammered, aware, all at once, that she couldn't actually remember any of her friends. American or English. Buffy and the others must have been her friends too though, given the way they referred to her, given the way Willow had been so nice to her.

"No before they were looking for me sweetheart, they weren't looking for you were they. You're just a scared little snobby princess, who thinks books are her friends because she doesn't have any real ones. Enough of this, I'm out."

Ripper stormed out of the shop, slamming the door so hard that the glass rattled, and the closed sign dropped to the floor.

Maria tearfully picked the closed sign up, thankful at least that the glass hadn't shattered.

This had all been far too much.

Firstly, she couldn't remember anything. Then Buffy had come into the shop and told them actually, she was a woman potentially in her forties and then she'd had to put up with Rupert Giles, a boy who behaved like he was some sort of rock star. A boy with the arrogance of someone who just had things handed to them. A boy with the arrogance of someone who was used to people fawning over him and thinking he was cool. A boy who, almost definitely, thought he could charm the pants off every girl he met. Maria Bingley was most certainly not one of those girls.

It was so frustrating because Maria could tell that past all that bravado there was an intelligent boy. He'd shown glimpses of it only to overshadow them with some cool façade.

And yes, of course, there was a tiny part of her that was flattered by his attentions, a tiny part of her that liked his flirtations. He was no professor of English but there was something about him, he could read in a multitude of languages, including some she'd never heard of and despite his efforts to be cool, there was a little bit of nerd beneath the surface.

STOP.

She thought to herself letting the sign swing back against the door. Boys like that were only interested in one thing and Maria was not the sort of girl who would give it up. When she finally did all that, she wanted it to be real. She certainly didn't want it to be like her first kiss, or like when Tommy had groped her and told everyone he'd seen her naked. She wanted it to be real and romantic and like it was in the movies. She didn't want to give anything away to a boy like Rupert who probably saw her as some sort of challenge and just wanted to get his end away.

Maria was about to latch the door when suddenly it was forced open by three men- no not men- demons.

#?#

Ripper was fuming. She could judge all she wanted from her ivory tower, but she had absolutely no idea about him, no idea what he'd been through. Snatching cigarettes from his mouth like she was his bloody mother. GOD she was the most frustrating girl he'd ever met, and he'd met a lot. How could she be this annoying. How could one girl get so far under his bloody skin. How could she be that beautiful and smart and- shit. Nope. Nope he didn't like her, not like that. She was annoying and a snob and smart and when she got all angry her forehead crinkled and-. NO. Jesus Christ. He really wasn't that desperate for a shag.

Maria's scream reached halfway down the street.

Ripper stopped, considering continuing down the street for a moment before he sighed as resignation settled in his chest. He was going back, because as annoying as she was, he still bloody cared. As judgemental as she'd been he still didn't want her being hurt, in fact the thought made anger jump in his veins, throwing his cigarette to the ground Ripper turned back towards the tea shop.

#?#

"We just want the amulet." Three demons, one with horns and yellowing skin, scales covering his face. One with long greasy black hair, who was only recognisable as a demon if you really scrutinised him. One with bluish skin who blinked vertically making her shift uncomfortably.

"Well you can't have it." Maria said bravely sliding it behind her back, she had no idea what she was going to do, how she was going to keep it out of there slimy little hands but she was going to try. Especially if them getting it could lead to some sort of world ending catastrophe.

"You will give it to us girly." One of the demons said and Maria swallowed. "Tell us where it is, and no one needs to get hurt."

"Yeah except you." Ripper appeared from behind them. Punching the greasy haired demon square in the face.

"Take your hands off me!" Maria cried as the yellow demon dived, picking her up around the waist, the blue demon advancing towards her. When he got close enough Maria kicked hard, sending the one holding her stumbling backwards and the other into the bookcase.

"Night Night!" Ripper said, throwing another punch and hearing the crunch of bone as the demon who'd hit the bookcase tried to regain his bearings.

"Give us the amulet." The greasy haired demon tried to grab at Maria, who'd backed up into the counter, tucking her arm firmly behind her so he couldn't get the amulet.

"Give. It. To. ME." He growled wrapping cold grey fingers around her throat and starting to squeeze hard.

Maria gasped, not letting go of the amulet, the demon pressed on her windpipe and desperately she reached behind her, fingers finding the metal teapot, she gripped it hard, swinging it up and round into his head. She hit him again, and again and again and again until someone gripped her arm and she turned on them with her fist.

"Hey, OI!" Ripper shouted stopping her from hitting him. "They're down." He said letting go of her. "Now let's see what this little pissants got in his bag." Ripper knelt down, pulling things out of the bag the demons had dropped whilst Maria tried to catch her breath, finger marks starting to appear on her throat.

"Weird; guard uniform, torch, Id badge that isn't his." Ripper said with a frown. "No spell books, ingredients, not even any weapons."

"OF COURSE!" Maria shouted, slapping her hand against her forehead and causing Ripper to jump.

"What?"

"That explains everything, how could I have been so stupid."

"We need to tie this lot up and call Buffy."

"Going to tell me what's going on?"

"I will yes, but let's get these tied up first. I don't fancy being strangled again." Maria said rubbing her neck.

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