Chapter 9

"Willow? And the end of the world? Together?" Dawn asked, squeaking.

"Yes girl, the end of the world." Ethan tilted his head. "What are you? Ow!" Giles placed his foot back on the floor and looked around innocently.

"What are you made of?" Buffy asked sweetly. "Cause we can find out. Real easily."

"I think not," the sorcerer said, wearily watching the Slayer.

"Too bad. Mabey next time," Buffy replied with a vicious grin. Well, she had to take her anger out on someone, even if he didn't deserve the kind of anger she had.

Wait, this is Ethan, he deserves all kind of anger, Buffy though, still grinning viciously. The grin scared both Ethan and Giles, along with Tara and Dawn, but no so much. It was the kind of grin that threatened castration if Ethan pissed her off any more than he already did.

"I think we've got all the info we need today," she said decisively. Ethan sighed in relief. Soma came out of the living room and walked circles around Buffy and Giles' ankles before stopping between the two, and turning to face Ethan. She started spitting and hissing at him, hair on end, and raised on her very tippy-toes.

Ethan raised an eyebrow at the kitten and chuckled in amusement. He wasn't grinning when the kitten sprang from the ground and latched it's claws into his face, scratching and bitting everywhere.

"Bloody fucking cat!" Laughing, Buffy removed her kitten and petted it's head as Ethan continued cursing.

"That was entertaining," Dawn said.

"I concur," Giles said, grinning at his ex-friend.

"So, where am I staying?" Ethan asked as he wiped his face with a handkerchief.

"Not here," chorused three voices. Tara just smiled, having expected the answer.

"There are plenty of...motels that shall fit your personal preference Ethan," Giles said, his eyes taking on a dark glint. "And I assure you, you may stay at a hotel, but you shan't be able to leave until this situation is resolved."

"Come now Ripper, you wouldn't?"

"He might not, but I will," Buffy said, using that grin again. Ethan had enough sense of self-preservation to know he'd be wise to do what she told him, for once.

"All right," Ethan agreed sullenly.

"Excellent," Ripper said with a grin that matched Buffy's earlier smile while placing a protective arm around her shoulder. Ethan wondered worriedly what would make his old friend try and protect eh Slayer instead of the other way around.

Ripper took delight in preforming the binding spells to keep Ethan in Sunnydale until his forced mission was complete.

"Now," Giles said, calmer, but still gleeful, "I think Ethan should be on his way to book a room, and Buffy and I shall get ready for patrol.

"You've got two hours," Dawn pointed out, confused why they'd get ready early.

"But we have to go the Magic Box first," Giles said. Buffy was already heading up the stairs. Ethan left, already planning to find out what the Slayer and his old friend were hiding.

After an hour of searching the Magic Box for what they needed, it took most the time to find a book, Buffy and Giles were walking through town, waiting and watching intently. Neither off them noticed Ethan, who followed them.

Ethan checked the spell on his person and began increasing his pace enough to hear them.

"-you think he's telling the truth?"

"I do, Buffy. Ethan may be... Ethan ma lie, but he's not lying about being sent here."

"So you trust him to help us."

"Once I did the binding spells, yes."

Buffy nodded and looked around, wondering where all the vampires were. Speaking of vampires...

"He was talking about Spike," she said in a flat tone. Ethan watched, intrigued, as Giles tensed angerly while placing a comforting hand on her forearm.

"I believe so. He and Willow are somehow going to try and destroy the world."

"I'm so beginning to hate Willow." Giles didn't respond for a while, which made Ethan wonder.

"You'll have to face him," he eventually said.

"I'd rather just kill him before the world is about to end," she said, sarcasm slightly coloring her words. "But, like you said, that involves facing him."

"Tara and I can preform the de-invitation spell tonight."

"He hurt me Giles," she whispered, causing them both to stop. He cautiously pulled her into his arms. Ethan was even more confused, and somewhat angered, the right conclusions slowly falling into place. Even he wasn't ruthless enough to-

"I know, Buffy, I know," cut through Ethan's thoughts. "I believe we aren't going to encounter any demons tonight dearest, why don't we head home?" Giles hugged her tighter and looked over her shoulder, strait at Ethan, his eyes flickering with recognition. His mouth twisted slightly and he blinked once slowly at an invisible Ethan, letting him know he knew.

"Ok," she said in a defeated voice. The Watcher released his Slayer and she lent on him, her sword in a loose grip, dangling in her hand.

Come by later tonight, Ethan heard in his head. He smirked, recalling when he and Ripper had formed the telepathic link before Randall died.

It was eleven when Ethan arrive at the Summers' home. Giles waited for him on the front porch, sword by his side.

"Ripper."

"Ethan."

"You want me here, why?"

"You recall Spike I believe." Ethan didn't know how Ripper knew he'd associated with the blond vampire, but chose, for his safety, to not deny it.

"I do."

"He's to be killed the moment you see him."

"I need something to motivate me Ripper, you know that. I'm not your lapdog."

"He tried to rape Buffy." Ethan hissed, his assumptions confirmed.

"Why isn't he dust?"

Giles explained what had happened, and how the vampire disappeared, in a hard voice, anger rolling off him in waves.

Ethan growled, all negative emotions regarding the Slayer flying from his head. Even he had standards, and if someone was a victim of something outside his standards, he do whatever he could to help. Plus, she was Rupert's girl, and being nice to her, meant getting back in his old friend's good book.

"Oh, I won't kill him, not first. I'll make the bloody wanker suffer," Ethan swore, cracking his knuckles.

"We both will, if I'm with you," Giles interjected.

Neither noticed Dawn listening in the open dining room, a look of horror making her face.

AN: I'm cruel, I know. So, who should Ethan hook up with? I'm think Dawn, cause I have a twisted mind, and I can't find any real E/D stories, just ones where Ethan uses Dawn (makes her feel bad after befriending her) to get back at Buffy. sigh

Important note on the relationship question: I won't start the next chapter until I get some suggestions!