TITLE: Merry Christmas Mr. Giles [RIPPER episode 2 (virtual)]
SERIES: Virtual Ripper Series
AUTHOR: Anne
RATING: this part R (for Ethan's naughty thoughts)
PAIRING: Ripper/Ethan (non-ship)
FEEDBACK: Oh yes please!
E-MAIL: bookmangal@yahoo.fr
SUMMARY: this part: Ripper comes back home (to his Bath apartment) after having spent time helping Willow.
SPOILERS: "Same time, same place."
TIMELINE: season 7 (BtVS.) Season 1 (virtual) of "Ripper"
DISTRIBUTION: VSS; ODD. GRB; GN; The BG Zone; Lost in the Stacks.
Tweedybookguy; WatcherGirls. HardRayne. 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 don't reproduce this story anywhere without the
author's consent.
WARNING: Ethan has slashy thoughts.
THANKS: I want to thank Caz my wonderful beta reader.
NOTE: #1 "Ripper" (virtual season) second episode.
NOTE #2: Challenge fic. Lizz on the HardRayne list wrote: the ripper
show will be out September 2003, possibly earlier. Now, I don't know
if that's true, but it did give me an idea: who's up for a little
challenge? It's simple: "Ripper Virtual Season". Only, not too
seriously because I don't feel like archiving and managing a real
virtual season. But if people want to write stories taking place in
the new show, going places with it, from serious joss-style writing,
to weirdass parodies, go with it! Flow with it! And why, you ask,
does this belong on an Ethan list? Well, my dears, because we all
know Giles moves back to England because of Ethan. What other reason
is there? (No, don't answer that). It does *not* have to be g/e
(believe me, its hard to say that). But it does have to include
Ethan Rayne. People want?
NOTE #3: fic written in response to The Annual Wencheriffic Giles-
centric Holiday Challenge as follows: Pairing: Giles/Anybody.
Genfic, threesomes and orgies also more than welcome. Timeline:
Past/Present/Futurefic all welcome. Rating: Anything goes from G to
NC17. But please, if there is graphic sex involved, make sure all
participants are over the age of 18 and consent fully in advance to
whatever sexual activity they participate in. ALL of the following
are required: a holiday tradition connected to any of the following
holidays: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Saturnalia, Giles
drinking something other than tea or whiskey, an unexpected phone
call or guest, someone thanking Giles for something he did for them
in the past. At Least THREE of the following are required:
chocolate, someone other than Giles singing, a stray cat or dog,
someone taking a photograph, someone putting blue nail polish on
Giles' toenails while he's asleep, A happy memory of any of the
following deceased characters: Joyce, Jenny, Tara, Gay Larry,
Principal Flutie, Randall.
Ethan threw himself against Giles' chest as soon as he had entered the apartment. He tightened the Watcher in his arms then crushed his lips on his. Giles pushed him away friendlily and growled.
"Ethan … "
Ethan grinned. "I am really sorry Ripper!" With two fingers he gently wiped Ripper's lips to erase his kiss. "I am so happy to see you again. Welcome home! So Willow is back in Sunnydale?"
"Yes she is. And I'm back here. Mmmmmm… it smells really good. You cooked? Oh it's new."
"There's something else new too. I moved here. I am going to be able to stay near you"
Giles blinked. "You moved to my home?"
"Our home." Rectified the sorcerer. "From now on I shall not be alone any more and you either. I could not bear to be alone any more and you either, then I solved the problem."
"Ethan … "
Ethan nodded. "I know, I know Ripper. I shall not touch you, I promise unless you wish it, naturally." He had a mischievous smile, and then he laughed. "Let's both try to become friends again, you want? I decided to change Ripper, to become again the man who was your best friend, the Ethan Rayne of before I worshipped and served Seth, before I chose to use the dark arts to create chaos around me for the biggest pleasure of my god and myself. And it is the truth I swear it to you. When you died I understood I had wasted more than 20 years of my life trying to make you suffer, I would have been able to spend them at your sides to love you not as lover because you were never in love with me, but as a friend and… you are resuscitated!" He grinned. "Then when you phoned me from the Coven to say that you were alive again, I decided to change and become again the good, kind, generous and peaceful man whom you knew formerly."
Ripper narrowed his eyes. He had difficulty believing what Ethan had just said to him.
"I believe that you said that it was impossible."
Ethan giggled. "Only an imbecile wouldn't change his opinion Ripper, and I am not one."
"You gave up worshipping and serving Seth?"
"Yes I did."
"You gave up using the dark arts to create chaos around you for his pleasure and yours?"
"Yes I did."
"You also gave up working for the forces of evil?"
Ethan nodded. "Yes I did."
Ripper was totally stunned. Ethan was sincere for the first time for a very long time.
"What did you decide to do now that you are not the bad sorcerer Ethan any more?"
Ethan closed the door behind Ripper then took him by his hand to lead him into the former guest room, now his bedroom. With his finger he indicated the tweed suit, which was on the bed. Giles frowned, puzzled then he understood what Ethan wanted to make him understand and looked at him with a totally unbelieving air.
"I asked your father and obtained from him permission for you to take charge of me Ripper."
"You're a Watcher?"
"A Watcher in training. You are going to have to teach me all that you know except the magic, naturally, because I am more endowed than you. I shall be an interested, wise and studious pupil, I promise."
Giles was astonished. "I just can' t believe it …"
Ethan smiled broadly. "Better late than never. I was destined to become a Watcher but I chose another way… and I'm back on the way of my fate more than 20 years later." Ripper suddenly hugged Ethan. "I am so happy Ethan! I'm happy that you changed, I am so happy that you are the Ethan who was my best friend, and I am happy too that you are again on the good way." He giggled. "Don't expect me to be tender with you because you are older than me and because you are * once again * my best friend. I shall be hard on you Ethan, austere and inflexible. You will become one of the best Watchers, I promise you, because only the best survive and die in their bed very old. But for now trainee, serve me my food, I am starving."
Ethan waved his finger. "Tss! Tss! I am your pupil Ripper, not your slave, remember that."
Giles grinned. "Please Ethan."
*
* *
That night
Ethan dressed in his pajamas of blue navy silk entered Ripper's bedroom and came to sit down at the edge of the bed. Ripper raised his eyes from his book, looked at his best friend.
"Can't you manage to sleep Ethan?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. I am afraid."
Giles raised his eyebrows, surprised. "What are you afraid of?"
The Watcher in training-sorcerer hesitated and embarrassed looked at the carpet, near the big bed.
"Ethan? Look at me."
Ethan complied.
"What are you afraid of Ethan?" Ripper repeated.
"I'm afraid when I am alone in my bed. No, I'm terrified. It is because of that I always had a woman or a man in my bed, a girlfriend or a boyfriend or prostitutes. Can I sleep with you Ripper? I swear to you that I shall not touch you, not voluntarily at least. Maybe by moving in my sleep… Please say yes. I don't want to be alone in my bed."
Ripper frowned. Ethan had gone pale and trembled. He was really terrified. He wondered why.
"Why are you terrified when you are alone in your bed Ethan?" Ethan sighed. "When I was has boy, each evening my brother told me stories of monsters which killed then ate children who were not kind, so that I would remain kind. He told me these horrible stories more to make me be a good boy rather than to frighten me. I knew that they were only stories, but every evening before closing my eyes I looked under my bed to see if there monsters hidden there, ready to jump up and kill me then eat me. One evening when I was very sick I did not have the energy to look under my bed and that night there were monsters under my bed and they surrounded me. I did not dream about it Rupert, they were there, really there. Later I learnt that our house was haunted and that these monsters were harmful spirits, which had taken the shape of monsters to terrify me. . And they succeeded. They did not hurt me, but they told me with many horrible details all the tortures which they were going to make me undergo before killing me. I was petrified, incapable of moving or shouting. I never felt so alone, so terrified. When I saw the first beams of sunlight leaking through the curtains, I collected my courage and I screamed with all my strength. My mother entered my bedroom two minutes later and the bad spirits volatilized… After that I did not want to remain alone in my bed then I slept with my brother. When he was not at home, I slept with my parents. Once I became a teenager they did not want me in their bed any more and then I slept with a girlfriend… I then managed to have somebody in my bed. Always."
Ripper nodded. "Come to bed Ethan."
Ethan did it immediately and said. "Thank you very much Ripper. It is very kind, thank you. I promise you that I shall stay far from you."
He lay down on his stomach on the other side of the big bed. Ripper grinned at him.
"I am going to stay there. I do not move at night when I sleep."
"Good night Ethan."
"Good night Ripper."
*
* *
The next morning
Ethan woke up first curled up against Ripper, his arms around him, his head resting against his chest. He smiled broadly and he had to fight against the terrible urge, he had to lick his neck, his chin, and his lips and to kiss him. He managed not to do it, and also not to caress Ripper's chest, his thighs and his groin, if he rubbed himself against him he could not continue to sleep in his bed, near him. He managed to control himself and got up from the bed.
Ethan went to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes when someone knocked at the door. He opened it. The man in tweed suit, who was in the corridor, raised his eyebrows of surprise discovering an unknown man in pajamas in front of him, scratching his scalp.
"Who are you?" Asked the Watcher in training-sorcerer before yawning for a long time."
"Peter Hawkins, Rupert Giles's Supervisor. Can I speak to him? It is very important."
"He is still sleeping."
"Go wake him please."
Ethan shook his head. "No, I will not. He needs rest. I have an idea: come back later in the morning when he will have had breakfast. Or you can tell me what you want to say and I shall tell him later. You can count on me, I am almost a Watcher."
Hawkins blinked. "You're Ethan Rayne? … I did not know that Giles and you had become lovers again."
"We did not. We share the apartment, that is all."
The Watcher opened his briefcase and took out a thick file, which he stretched out to Ethan."
"Please give these files to Mr. Giles Mr. Rayne. They are new cases to be cleared up."
Ethan took the thick files and giggled reading "for your eyes only" written above the first one in the red ink.
"I knew it! Ripper is a spy and the Council a branch of MI-6!"
Hawkins released an irritated sigh and turned on his heels. Ethan grinned. He liked teasing his future colleagues. The files slid under his arm he headed towards the kitchen. He prepared a substantial breakfast for two then returned to Ripper's bedroom. He sat down at the edge of the bed and with his finger tenderly caressed the sleeper's bearded cheek.
"Rupert, love, open you eyes, it's time to go to school."
Giles moaned. "Mummy?"
Ethan kissed Giles on his temple. "No, it's Ethan. Your Supervisor Hawkins brought you lots of files. New cases to be cleared up. I put them on the kitchen table next to your plate. Breakfast is ready."
Ripper opened eyes. " Hmmmmmm thank you Ethan."
"You are welcome."
"Ethan?"
"Yes Ripper?"
"I woke up last night to go for a piss and I found you almost stretched out on top of me."
Ethan shivered afraid that Ripper could chase him from his bed. "I swear to you that I did not want it!"
"Continue to do it. I like being hot." Ripper said before closing his eyes.
Ethan was astonished. "What?"
"But no licks, no caresses, no kisses, and no sex!"
Ethan nodded. "I know. I know. It's going to be hard no wanting you Ripper, but I will succeed."
"I know Ethan. What did you plan to do for Christmas holidays?"
"Well… Pay a visit to my brother and his family and rest at their farm for some days. You?"
"I'm going to see Liz in France."
Ethan nuzzled in Ripper's side. "I miss you already Ripper."
"You will survive."