Title: Truth and Consequences
Author: Kate R.
Sequel To: Being the Light
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Disclaimer: Own nothing and no one used herein. All belong to Joss.
Rating: PG-13 for Language. Giles is angry enough to curse in American.
Giles sat in his living room waiting quietly for the four stooges as he'd begun to think of them to arrive. Well, two stooges, a selfish twit and a girl who had had her mind messed with by someone who was supposed to love her. Willow had much to answer for. Xander needed to grow the hell up and Anya should have known better. On the table in front of him was a spell in Willow's handwriting for locating a soul. In the loft part of his place was Ethan. Ethan had already set Chaos wards around them. Willow's magic would be null here. Dawn, Buffy and Spike were in LA for the day. Dawn had wanted to go see Wesley, Spike needed to see his sire for something, Giles didn't know what, and Buffy needed to be someplace that was not Sunnydale for a day. Spike was driving.
Giles looked up as his front door opened and the four of them trooped in. Giles felt Ripper coming to the surface and he allowed it. More than that, he reveled in it. He would need Ripper in this.
"Have a seat," Giles said motioning to the couch. He did not let Willow see the spell. Instead, he gave it to Tara. He knew she would understand.
"Why didn't you look?" Tara asked Willow after a few minutes. Willow looked at her shocked when Tara showed her the spell. "You told me you didn't kn-know the spell to l-look b-but you d-did! Wh-Why D-Didn't y-you L-L-LOOK?!"
"Where did you get that Giles?" Willow asked. Giles smiled back at her as coldly as she ever looked at him.
"I have my ways," he told her. Giles then turned to look at Xander.
"As for you, Boy," he hissed, enunciating the word boy, "Where do you get off putting your selfishness above someone's peace eh? You've done it two or three times now you little hypocrite and I've had it! It's all right for you to date Anyankah, an 1100-year-old vengeance demon but the Gods forbid Buffy date Angel? You are nothing but a lying, prejudiced little hypocrite and it stops now! Anya, you bloody well knew better than to play with someone's life energy and soul and yet you did it anyway? Where the hell do you children get off thinking you had the right? You missed Buffy? So did I! So did Spike and Dawn! Yet they were not going to resurrect her just to make themselves happy. Don't even bring up the vampires Xander Harris," Giles snarled knowing what Xander's excuse would be, "We were making do fine without Buffy! You just don't like having to do real work! You can be back up boy but Gods Above and Below don't ask you to be a real hero and let someone rest in peace!"
Everyone stared at Giles in shock at his outburst and he simply glared back coldly.
"Tara, I want you to go get some ice cream. I have no anger at you because Willow messed with your memory. Xander, you need to get your head out of your ass and stop it with your damn prejudice. Don't even go to Angelus torturing me. If I can forgive, you have no bloody right to hate, get me boy? Buffy, Dawn and Spike are in LA today. I know they will visit Angel and they will likely stay the night. You will not call her and if Angel comes back with her, you will either keep your damn mouth shut or get the hell away form her. She doesn't need to be worrying about making you all happy anymore. That isn't her job. Get Me?"
"Yes Giles," Xander whispered in shock.
"Good, you can go with Tara. And I sincerely Hope you think about what you've done to Buffy, both in the past and now, and see what you've done as the acts of selfishness and spite that they were. Get out!"
Xander scrambled to his feet and followed Tara out of the house. Giles looked to Anya next.
"As for you, Miss I'm old enough to know all the things magic in the world, you certainly screwed up this time didn't you? What the hell were you thinking anyway? I've about had it with you as well so you can just learn to keep your damn mouth shut before I decide to fire you. Got That?"
"Yes Giles," Anya said.
"And while we're on the subject, I KNOW you can learn things like manners and tact. Do so before I stop being so nice to you in return, got me Little Girl?"
"yes," Anya said smally. She had never seen Giles this angry. It was scary.
"Get out then," Giles said. Anya left leaving just Giles and Willow.
"Now, Willow," Giles began in Ripper's tone. "You need to learn a lesson. And I'm going to teach it to you."
"What can you do to me? I'm more powerful," Willow said haughtily as her eyes started to bleed black. There was a flash suddenly and Willow found herself unable to touch her powers.
"More powerful, yes," Giles said. "Not more skilled. Nor can your magic affect what I'm using."
"My magic affects anything that follows the rules of magic," Will said arrogantly. Giles laughed and Ethan echoed it from the loft.
"You're in trouble then, Little Girl, because Chaos does not," Giles said in a colder tone than Willow could manage. Colder and more threatening.
"Chaos can not be bent to your will because you have no connection to it. Nor would you as it takes a full chaos mage to initiate you into it and there are only two of those left. Ethan, and myself."
"You don't do magic anymore," Willow said self assuredly. Giles laughed cold and hard.
"Don't I?" he asked as his hands began to glow with red light and Willow suddenly felt fear. "Do you think you and Tara are the only ones who can merge power Willow? Or that you are the most powerful? I think it's past time to disabuse you of that notion. ETHAN!"
The dark sorcerer appeared then and he took Giles' hand and Willow felt the power flare up around them. Power that put hers to shame.
"You lose Willow," Giles said as he spoke the chant to bind her powers. Bound with Chaos, only Chaos could remove the binding.
"You will learn to deal without magic, child," Giles said icily. When you learn your lesson I might, just MIGHT let you have a little of it back. Get the hell out!"
Willow raised her hand to try a chant and found nothing. The elements did not obey her.
"Undo it Giles," she hissed. "Undo it now! It's my Power and I want it!'
"When you can use it responsibly I will. Now leave. You don't scare me Willow. You are nothing but a little girl playing with things too big for you. Well, someone bigger just took you down, didn't they? Go now before I stop being so nice."
Ethan made a gesture with his hand and teleported her out of the house. He looked at Giles and sighed.
"I asked my father to make the binding strong. He's speaking with Aunt Hecate now," Ethan said. "Willow will not have that much power again. She's abused it too many times."
"Thanks luv," Giles said softly. "Lets go get some ice-cream or something. And thanks for coming. I know you didn't have to---"
"You know if you call I will always come Rupert," Ethan said using his real name. "Come on then, lets go join the little witch at the ice-cream parlor."
"You like her don't you mate?" Giles asked. Ethan looked at him blankly for moment before he flushed slightly.
"She's nice Ripper. I like you too though---"
"Maybe you can have both, we'll see," Giles said as the walked off. He hoped Buffy was having a good time in LA because she really needed one.
END
LA INTERLUDE (Sequel)