TITLE: Flying Giles 1/4
AUTHOR: Anne
RATING: R (parts 1-3) NC-17 (part 4)
PAIRING: Giles/Xander (slash m/m), Giles/Ethan (slash m/m)
FEEDBACK: yes please!
E-MAIL: bookmangal@yahoo.fr
SUMMARY: If Giles had feathers and wings…
DISTRIBUTION: VSS; m-m Slashaholics; USCL; Ucfic4BtVS; UCBTVSSMut; 3somes; The Wicked Ones. ODD; Giles Slash. Anyone else ask first please.
DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television and the UPN Television Network. The story is written for the pleasure of the author and readers, and has no lucrative purpose whatsoever. Please do not reproduce this story anywhere without the author's consent.
SPOILERS: "Beauty and the beasts."
TIMELINE: Season 5.
WARNING: Graphic violence. Angst and horror. Non-consensual sex
THANKS: To Caz for her beta reading.
NOTE: < … > indicates thoughts.

For Sofy

Xander put his hands on the joystick of the small plane and smiled broadly. He piloted! One of his most dearly loved dreams had just come true, thanks to Giles, who had offered him a first flight for his birthday.

Very happy he turned to the ex-Watcher sat next to him. "Thank you Giles, thank you very much. It's very kind. I'm piloting a plane! It's super! It's great!"

Giles laughed. "I said the same thing exactly to my father when he offered me my first flight."

Xander's face darkened. Giles saw him as if he was his son while he loved him, was in love with him. Regrettably they never will be lovers. < Damnit! It's too bad! >

The small plane penetrated inside a big white cloud and took several minutes to go through it. Coming out on the other side it was abruptly pulled upward by a big opening in the blue sky. Through it the two men were able to see another sky, black, streaked by flashes of lighting.

"Oh Geez! What's this Giles?" Xander frightened asked Giles who had taken the joystick.

"An opening between two dimensions. I believed that they opened only in the Bermuda Triangle."

Xander blinked. "It's like this that all those planes and boats disappeared? They were all sucked up by this thing?"

Giles nodded. "Yes, and this plane, you and I are going to be sucked up into another dimension too."

*
* *

On entering the other dimension, the small plane was roughly shaken by furious winds and a flash of lighting came to strike its right wing, tearing it away. Giles was unable to raise it. It fell down to the sea. It crashed some minutes later headlong on reefs then slid across them, with a deafening noise of torn metal. He crashed half a mile farther into a barrier of robust rocks.

Xander opened his eyes and immediately had the unpleasant feeling of having been beaten up. He examined his anatomy and noticed with relief that he was not hurt. He probably would be bruised but that's all. He then turned towards Giles and gave a start. The ex-Watcher's head was tilted on his chest and he was limp. Xander raised his chin and was horrified seeing that his face was covered with blood. He noticed as well that metal fragments had perforated his body. A pink froth appeared on Giles lips. His lungs were pierced. His breath was laborious, chopped, and extremely painful.

Xander undid his belt and glanced around him: the small plane was no more than a wreck. The cabin, here and there was twisted, torn and the right-hand side was ripped open. Waves came to rush into the cockpit, as well as the squalls of wind loaded with rain. Outside, it was dark and stormy. A big wave suddenly entered by the breach in the cockpit and submerged Xander and Giles. When Xander was again able to breathe again, he perceived the coast thanks to flashes of lighting. It had to be 2 miles away.

Xander undid Giles's belt then slid into the water. He then slowly pulled Giles to him holding him by his shoulders. Maintaining the ex- Watcher's head above the water, he swam to a beach of fine sand which abrupt blasts lifted in whirlwinds. He lay Giles down behind a rock to protect him from the sand whirlwinds then left to explore the immediate area lit between two clouds by the beams of the moon and, luckily, discovered a small cave. He made the wounded older man as comfortable as possible on the ground, sliding his jacket off, he rolled it in a ball and placed it under his head. Xander left him alone again to collect palm tree branches on the beach, torn off by the storm. With, them, he blocked the entrance of the cave, preventing the cold wind and the rain from entering.

*

Xander spent the night watching over Giles, who did not regain consciousness for a single moment and continued to lose blood, to weaken. He was still alive, but already looked like a corpse: he was ashen and his face streamed with sweat. His features were wrinkled in a grimace of motionless pain. Convulsive shivers shook him and he breathed with difficulty.

The sun had got up a short time ago when Giles moaned, beat his eyelids then slowly opened his eyes. He wanted to look at Xander who knelt near him, but he was incapable of it. The slightest square inch of his body made him suffer horribly and he could hardly breathe. He was terribly hot but at the same time shivered and chattered his teeth. Clenching his jaws not to scream, he managed to raise himself on his elbows. The stalactites of the ceiling of the cave immediately began to turn above him. He was taken by such dizziness that he fell heavily on his back, fighting against the nausea, which assailed him. He felt a hand settling on his shoulder, affectionate and said:

"Xander I'm going to die."

Tears ran down on Xander's cheeks. "Yes." He breathed.

"I don't want to die here, in a cave. Take me outside, please. I want to see the sky."

Xander transported Giles outside and settled him against the trunk of a big palm tree, in the shade.

"Thank you." Giles uttered, breathless.

Xander sat down indian style in front of Giles and tenderly took his burning hand. He caressed it. "Giles, before you die I'd like to tell you something. I-I-I love you. I-I-I am in love with you. I always loved you, since the beginning, in spite of Cordelia… Larry was right. I love men, and one man in particular: you."

Giles had a weak smile. "Oh Xander… before dying, I have to tell you that I am in love with you too."

Xander blinked twice. "You're in love with me Giles?"

"Yes I fell in love with you as soon as I saw you and I was disgusted by myself. It was sickening, I was a pervert… you were 16! You were a boy! I tried to erase the love, which I felt for you from my heart, unsuccessfully. It's hideous to say but-but… even when I was in love with Jenny, I thought of you Xander I couldn't refrain from it. I loved you as if you were my son, because… I couldn't love you otherwise." He had a sad smile. "Now you're a grown up, now I know your feelings for me… you know mine and unfortunately it's too late for both of us. I'm dying."

Xander began to sob. "I don't want that you die Giles! No. I forbid you to die! Don't leave me alone!"

Giles smiled weakly. "I'm sorry… I love you so much…"

Xander bent towards Giles and kissed him; his heart was crushed by the sorrow. Tears blurred his sight, running down his pale cheeks. At first their mouths brushed. Xander's lips trembled. Giles forced the young man to open them then he felt a shy tongue coming to meet his. Suddenly Xander threw his arms around the nape of Giles's neck and kissed him deeply, hungrily, desperately enough to suffocate him.

Giles' face turned ashen grey and he began to have muscles spasms. He felt cold, so cold. His vision blurred and darkened. His ears were buzzing. His body had become heavy. Little by little, he drifted into unconsciousness. His head bent into his shoulder and he did not move anymore.

"Noooo!" Xander yelled.

Xander took his pulse: his skin was cold to the touch. His breathing was shallow, almost non-existent. Xander felt his eyes closing. He was physically and emotionally raw. Sleep caught up to him. He fought against it with his last strength. He wanted to be able to hold Giles in his arms as he died but he was quickly overcome. He lay down on the hot sand near Giles and closed his eyes.

*
* *

Olan glanced across the beach when she perceived two strange creatures, leaned in a koôl. They seemed to sleep. She got closer and noticed that it was not "without wings" men, however they have no wings either. It was two males, the one was a mature man and the other one a young man. Olan landed not far from the strange creatures and approached them slowly, with prudence. She noted that the older male was seriously hurt. Red blood poured out of his numerous wounds. He was not asleep, but unconscious or dead.

She hesitated for a moment then touched him. He collapsed on his side, his face in the sand. He was warm, thus living. She decided to return him to the Palace. Okas would be delighted to have a new specimen to study. She would come back for the young man later. She closed her fingers provided with claws on Giles' shoulders and took him off from the ground. Soon she rose in the air and disappeared in the volumes of mist, which wrapped the tops of the trees.

When Xander woke up, some hours later, Giles was not beside him anymore and he panicked.

"Giles! Giiiiiles!" He yelled.

*
* *

Okas put the blade of his sharp knife on the throat of the strange creature, which Olan had brought to him. He was going to finish him, to abbreviate his sufferings, and when it died, he would dissect it. Onia and two guards entered his laboratory, preceding the Queen, sat among pillows on her wagon pulled by four slaves. He knelt down as soon as he perceived her and lowered his eyes.

"Your Majesty." He said, deferentialy.

Olad bent towards the table on which laid Giles, still unconscious and naked. She examined him attentively.

"My daughter said to me that she had found a strange creature, on the beach, this morning, and that she had brought it to you." Olad told Okas. "It is strange, indeed."

Giles suddenly moaned. Olad had moved back, frightened. Onia and the two guards pulled their two-edged sword of their sheath.

"The creature is alive!" The Queen exclaimed, surprised.

Okas nodded. "Yes it is, Your Majesty. I was ready to cut its throat when you arrived. I'm going to dissect it to know its anatomy and its skeleton."

"This creature will teach us nothing of it and where it comes from if it dies, Okas."

The Queen touched Giles' shoulder. His white skin was smooth, warm and clammy. Disgusted, she removed her hand and hurried to wipe it on the shell of one of the guards.

Okas nodded. "It's certain, Your Majesty."

"Save it!"

"If I save it, Your Majesty, the Spirit of the forest is going to have to transform this creature into a Elii, because according to the Law, nobody without wings, excepted the slaves, has the right to live in the town."

"Indeed, Okas." Olad said. "Save it then transport it in front of the ofalu and call the Spirit of the forest."

Okas bent his head. "Yes Your Majesty."

Olad clapped her hands. The slaves immediately pulled her wagon outside the big infirmary. *
* *

The animal appeared from the border of the forest and charged straight ahead at Xander who crossed the beach. The young man perceived it and the fear froze him on the spot. Paralysed, he saw a big animal covered with long black hairs, possessing a horn on the forehead bearing straight down on him. It was going to harpoon him. Suddenly he heard a whistling and an arrow penetrated in the side of the animal, which fell. Xander then perceived a humanoid being coming out of the forest. He was tall, powerful and covered with long brown hairs. He had a wide and flattened skull and an osseous crest above. The nose was flat and surmounted thick lips. The jaw was squared. He was dressed in tanned skins of animals and furs. He looked like a prehistoric man.

Xander took some steps in the direction of the humanoid. He stretched out his hands, palms opened to indicate that he was disarmed. "I mean you no harm. I am a misled traveller. I need help."

The "prehistoric man" glanced at Xander surprised then approached him and, intrigued, touched his face.

"Your skin is smooth and white." He said with a raspy voice. "It's the first time I met a man like you. Where do you come from foreigner? What is the name of your tribe?"

< The Scoobies? Hmm! The people are talking English here. Good point. I can only." speak English

"Listen, my friend has recently disappeared. I think that an animal in the forest took him to… eat him. Maybe you saw his body? I want to retrieve his corpse to offer him a decent grave."

The hunter shook the head. "No animal of this forest is carnivorous, foreigner. If your friend disappeared, it's because the Elii captured him. The Elii are winged creatures, which capture the males of the various tribes, which populate the coast to make slaves of them. They make them work above (with his forefinger he pointed to a range of green mountains whose summits were wrapped in the mist) in their fields of peii, until they are old and worn out. Then, they kill them and throw their bodies in the space. Some of them are slaves in the Royal Palace too."

"My friend was dying… I don't think these Elii had taken him. What for? To study his cadaver?"

"Yes, they are very curious. Your friend is dead, foreigner and the Elii are probably examining his corpse now."

"But… they also could have saved his life in order to study him like… like an exotic creature. He's probably prisoner in the Royal Palace… in a lab, or in a zoo."

"Exotic? Zoo?"

"I'm sure he's still alive. I can feel it. I have to go to free my friend. Can you show me the way to go there?"

"You will not arrive there. The Palace is well guarded. Forget your friend, consider him as a dead man." The hunter raised his eyes and scrutinized the sky, worried. "Let's not stay here, other Elii can come. Follow me; you will be in a safe place in my village. Oh, I forgot. My name is Ekat. I'm a hunter of the Gâa tribe."

"My name's Xander… I'm a member of the… Humans tribe and a hunter too. < Of demons and vampires… >

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