Title: Misunderstandings - Part 14
Author: Michelle
Rating: FRAO (Adults Only)
Pairing: Buffy/Giles (eventually)
Summary: Another birthday has tragic consequences for Buffy
Setting: set after season seven
Warnings: contains non-consensual sex
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Previous parts are here: http://bripper.drakeleather.com/Misunderstandings01.shtml
“Hey, I brought you something,” Dawn said as she entered Buffy’s room in the infirmary. She stopped when she noticed someone else on the bed. “Buffy?”
The dark haired woman groaned. “She’s gone.”
“Who are you? Where’s Buffy?” Dawn asked as she pulled a small knife from her pocket.
“Relax. I won’t hurt anybody.” She held up her hands. “I’m Fred. I came here with Wesley and Charles to help Buffy.”
“Wesley’s here?” Dawn asked. She lowered her hand but didn’t put the knife away.
Fred nodded and then grabbed her head. “He went to find Mr. Giles while I stayed here with Buffy.” She groaned again. “She took my stun gun and used it on me.”
“Oh my god,” Dawn said as she grabbed her phone and dialed. “This is bad. Really bad.” She let the phone ring for a while before giving up. “Willow’s not answering her phone.”
Fred stood shakily. “We need to find them.”
Dawn let Fred lean on her for support as they left the room. If she found them, she would need help. She just hoped Fred was steadier on her feet by then.
As they walked, Dawn tried to call everyone she could think of. Xander didn’t answer. Neither did Robin. Fred suggested she try Wesley, but he didn’t answer either. Finally, Faith answered her phone.
“Faith. Thank god. What’s going on?” Dawn asked. She listened a moment before nodding her head. “I’m bringing Fred with me. We’ll be there soon.”
As Dawn closed her phone, Fred asked, “It’s bad, isn’t it?”
Dawn just nodded.
* * * * * * * * * *
Inside her room, Merissa groaned as she woke up. “What the hell? Where am I?” She stood unsteadily and made her way to the door, using the wall for support. When the door wouldn’t open, she looked out the window.
She recognized the detention area. “Giles must have brought me here,” she grumbled. Then she got a good look at the area. Several people were lying on the floor. Others were standing around talking in hushed tones. She couldn’t make out much of what they were saying, but it was clear they were talking about something on the computer that was on the table. She heard her name a few times.
She tried to get their attention without any luck. Once she had given up and started to turn away, someone broke from the group and walked towards her. It was Rachel.
“They all know what you did,” Rachel said, smiling. “You will be punished for it.”
Merissa slammed her fists against the glass, causing it to shudder but not break. “It wasn’t all me! It wasn’t even my idea!”
The others came to see what the commotion was. Merissa recognized Faith, but she didn’t know the two men with her.
“The evidence is pretty clear,” Faith said. “We found it on the computer in your room.”
“You really should be more careful about what you keep in your room,” Rachel said.
“It’s not my computer,” Merissa argued. When they didn’t believe her, she took a deep breath. “Look. I’ll confess to everything I’ve done, but I didn’t plan all this. I was following orders. I didn’t organize it.”
“Then who did?” Faith asked.
“I don’t know. None of us know. We received anonymous messages, telling us what to do.”
“Where are these messages now?” one of the men asked.
“I destroyed them so they wouldn’t be found,” she answered, knowing how it sounded even as she said it. She knew they would never believe her. Someone had set her up to take the fall for this, and it was working.
“How convenient,” Faith said.
“Please,” Merissa pleaded. “There must be some way to prove it, a spell or something. I’ll do anything, let you do anything.”
“I can tell you if she’s lying,” the other man said. “I need to gather a few things first.”
“Thank you,” Merissa whispered to him.
* * * * * * * * * *
Giles slowly released his hold on Buffy. She fell forward, tears falling from her eyes and making a small puddle on the floor. He watched her, knowing she needed this. He felt like crying, too, but now wasn’t the time.
After a few minutes, Buffy sat up. She wiped her face dry on her sleeve. “They’ll pay for this. They’ll wish they were dead when I’m done.”
Giles knew he should object, but he felt the same hatred.
“They can’t just play God with people’s lives,” she said, turning to look at him. He’d been shocked by the look of hatred in her eyes that she’d directed at him earlier, but this was far worse. He was thankful beyond measure that it wasn’t directed at him.
Buffy stood. “We need out of here.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Dawn and Fred entered a chaotic scene in the detention area. Fred immediately checked on Wesley and Willow. Xander and Robin were beginning to wake up already. Dawn, however, went straight to Giles’ room.
“Buffy, are you okay?” Dawn asked.
Buffy nodded. “Let me out.”
Dawn unlocked the door and opened it. Buffy walked out but stopped to look back at Giles. He was still sitting on the floor.
“I’ll stay here,” he said. “It’s safer that way.”
Dawn stared at him. “Giles?”
“It’s alright, Dawn. Close the door.” He nodded to her. “Until the trigger is removed, I’d rather remain here.” He left unspoken that it was more for their peace of mind than his. If he was triggered, he could easily find a way out.
“Buffy, are you okay?” Dawn asked.
“I will be,” she said, looking around the room. When she spotted Ethan, she headed straight for him. She caught him by surprise and slammed him against the wall. “I should have known you were behind this!” She pulled her arm back and made a fist. As she started to swing, someone grabbed her arm, stopping her. She turned and glared.
“He’s not responsible,” Faith said. “I think he might actually be here to help us.”
“I can remove the trigger,” Ethan said.
“How can we trust you?” Buffy asked. “How do we know you didn’t do this to him?”
Ethan gestured to Giles. “Let him decide.”
Buffy turned just enough to see where he was pointing. “If Giles allows it, I’ll agree.”
“Let’s find out then. Shall we?” he asked. He didn’t wait for an answer and walked to Giles room.
Giles was standing, waiting for him. “Hello, Ethan.”
“Ripper. Seems you’re in a bit of a mess,” Ethan said. “I can help.”
Giles nodded and tilted his head to the door. Ethan opened the door and locked himself inside with Giles.
* * * * * * * * * *
By the time Ethan finished with Giles, Willow and Wesley were awake. Faith and Gunn filled them in on what had happened.
Faith let Ethan out of the room and asked, “Did it work?”
“I removed the trigger,” he answered.
“I think we’ll test it before we let him out,” Willow said as she grabbed Giles' phone and gave it to him before closing the door again. She called his phone and let it ring several times. Giles didn’t react to it, and she didn’t feel any magick in the air.
“Satisfied?” Ethan asked.
Willow merely opened the door and let Giles out.
“Thank you, Ethan,” he said.
Ethan barely heard him as he turned to Merissa’s room. “Now. Let’s take a look into your mind.” He turned back to Giles. “I could use your help with this.”
Giles grabbed Willow’s hand. When she started to pull away, he explained, “We need someone who can verify what we see. Ethan and I will do the spell, and you will observe.”
Over an hour later, Giles and Willow emerged from Merissa’s room looking pale. “Oh my god,” Willow whispered. She covered her mouth, fighting the urge to throw up. Giles helped her to a nearby chair.
Ethan stormed out of the room and headed straight for Rachel. Everyone moved out of his way, not wanting to be close to an enraged sorcerer. They could all feel the magick rolling off him. He reached Rachel and grabbed her arm in a fierce grip. “You have some explaining to do and don’t even think of lying to me!”