"Giles, I have a mystery." Xander announced he as pushed through the library doors the next morning. He dropped two bags on the table.
"What kind of mystery? Vampire, demon?"
"Nope, something that involves me, somehow. Yesterday I went to the surplus store to get a vest and helmet so we could check out Crawford Mansion."
"I remember, you got prepared for it here in the library."
"Bear with me. The clerk asked me if there was a problem with the vest I'd already bought. Not having bought a vest before, just a uniform for Halloween last year, I told him so. He was sure I'd been in there four or five days before. I told him it was probably just someone who looked liked me and let it go. Until I got home. There's a panel in the closet in my room. I use it to keep stuff I don't want my folks finding. Lately that's been my vamp hunting stuff. Now it seems to include a vest and helmet I don't remember buying."
"Oh my, that certainly does qualify as a mystery." Giles agreed.
"Especially since it seems to have occurred the night I don't remember."
"What exactly do you remember from that night?"
"The fight here in the library. A vampire broke my arm, I knocked it out, picked it up, threw it at vamps that were heading for Cordy, yelled at her to run and then something must have hit me. My head hurt and I blacked out. I know from the others that at some point I came too. I apparently called an ambulance and rode in it with Willow. I hugged Cordy at the hospital. I got my arm casted. The hospital sent me home to get some rest. At some point, someone called me to let me know you were in the hospital. I went to check on you and passed out. Delayed effects from head trauma according to the docs. And no memory of what I did in between."
"Did you actually purchase this other vest? Is there some proof of that?"
"Yep, in the bag is a receipt." He pulled it out and showed it, along with one from the other bag, to Giles. "That's the last four digits of my debit card on there. I don't use it often because I'm trying to save money, not spend it. And mostly I use cash when I do."
"I have a mystery too, Xander. Someone stole two very expensive bottles of liquor from my apartment. I wanted a drink last night after the encounter with Joyce Summers and discovered two bottles missing."
"And we found evidence of two burn patterns on the floor of the Mansion. Giles, I'm beginning to think Buffy didn't save you."
"You did. And neither of us remember it. Me, because I was unconscious from pain and you because of head trauma. I may be able to help you recover some of those memories. There are techniques, non magical ones, that can help with that."
"Yeah, I'm willing to try non magical techniques, but I don't want any Magic done on my mind."
"I don't blame you. Magic and the mind don't mix well. It's rather like delicate, precise surgery. So very much can go wrong. I'll find my references on memory retrieval exercises and after class we'll work on it. Do you want the others to know?"
"Giles, the only secret I've kept from them is that I remember the hyena and that was more because I was in denial. I wanted to forget, I just couldn't."
"Many people would have been able to. People can convince themselves that wasn't a vampire that just attacked them, for instance. Others are driven insane by such an event. That you manage to retain your sanity, is proof of your strength of mind."
"Thanks, Giles. That means alot to me."
"And thank you for saving me from Angelus."
"We don't know for sure it was me, Giles."
"I think the evidence makes it clear that it was you. Dusting Angelus may put you at odds with Buffy and Willow, but I will be forever grateful that you chose to act, when others wouldn't or couldn't and spared me further pain. Who knows how bad it could have gotten before it finally ended. Angelus enjoyed torturing people after all."
"I can't not try, even when I can't remember it, I guess. I'll see you after class, Giles."
"I'll be ready."
Once Cordelia, Willow and Oz had gathered in the library in the library with Xander and Giles, Xander filled them in on what he'd discovered.
"You think you dusted Angelus?" Willow asked sceptically.
"I said the evidence suggests it, Willow. At some point that night, I bought a vest and a helmet. Someone broke into Giles place and took two bottles of liquor. There were two burn patterns at the Mansion. Buffy's never been known to use fire to dust vampires. Giles used a liquor bottle when he went after Angelus for killing Ms. Calendar. Buffy stopped him."
"Because she was afraid he would get killed!"
"Or because she was afraid he'd succeed. Six of one, half a dozen of the other. My point is, it's a method that could work for dusting vamps, especially if you want to take them out without getting too close to them. I had Giles' example, coupled with the military knowledge in my head. It's entirely possible I acted during that period of time I don't remember."
"By killing Angel?!" Willow demanded.
"By dusting a vampire that was torturing Giles! Angel was gone, Willow! Just like Jesse was! Giles was suffering. If I did act, then I'm grateful that I did, because Giles doesn't deserve that! I will chose Giles over a vampire any day!"