Title: The Rules Have Changed - part 11 of 12
Author: Michelle - mrsdrake@gmail.com
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Giles is attacked and has an unusual way of dealing with it.
Spoilers: Set after the finales of Buffy and Angel.
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it. Just tell me where to find it.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Big thanks to yasminke for helping with this part.
No one argued with Giles’ plan. So, they waited. To ease suspicions, they had a small funeral and allowed only those they trusted completely to attend. They couldn’t afford to take any chances. Angel stayed with Buffy and Giles. None of them like the arrangement, but they couldn’t think of another way to get blood without raising questions. Everyone would think Angel was there to comfort a grieving friend.
Weeks passed and Buffy began to wonder if anything would ever happen. Not knowing made her sick. She tried to concentrate on enjoying her time with Giles, but every moment was clouded with dread.
Giles worried about her, even going so far as talking to Angel about his concerns. Angel insisted it was more than stress and anxiety. When Giles suggested that Buffy might have been attacked, Angel took her to see a doctor. It wasn’t stress related; Buffy was pregnant.
The same day, they received a phone call.
“Angel, it’s Faith,” she said in a hurried whisper. “We got major problems. All these suits came in and announced a take over.” She paused and a few hushed voices could be heard in the background. “They said something about the Watcher legacy being dead and Slayers being next. Thought you should know.” She abruptly hung up the phone.
Giles and Buffy watched Angel as he hung up the phone. “The Council?” Buffy asked.
“They’ve taken over and threatened the Slayers,” Angel told them. “Faith sounded pretty bad.”
“This is it, huh?” Buffy asked.
“I’m afraid so,” Giles told her. He turned to Angel. “I know we’ve had our differences, but I know we both love Buffy. I trust you will stay here and protect her.”
“I’ll do everything in my power.”
“It’s almost dark,” Giles said. “Buffy, I need to go soon.” He kissed her passionately, not caring that Angel watched. When he pulled away from her, she was crying. He wiped tears from her cheeks. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.” He kissed her again. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” she said, giving him a weak smile.
As he left, Buffy fell into Angel’s arms. She had a feeling she would never see Giles again.
* * * * * * * * * *
The air in the dark corridor shimmered as Giles suddenly appeared. The magic got him this far. Until he recovered his strength, though, he would need to rely on stealth. He looked around to make sure no one saw him before proceeding. Hoping no one else knew of the secret passage, he quietly made his way to a door at the end of the hall. He slipped through the door and into a small storage room. Once inside, he pulled a map of the Council headquarters from his pocket.
While whispering a few words in Latin, Giles waved his hand over the map. Areas began to glow, showing him the locations of the demons. The secret passages had been left unguarded. ‘Either they don’t know about them, or they . . . ’ He couldn’t finish the thought. They couldn’t know he was coming.
Giles easily made his way through the oldest parts of the building and into the main area of the headquarters. It was almost too easy. He killed each guard in his path without an alarm being raised. Only a few gave him much of a fight. Before long, muffled voices led him to where the leader was. He stopped on a balcony and looked down at the group on the first floor. The man — if he could be called that — was surrounded by demons. From his pocket, Giles pulled out a small glowing orb and tossed it into the crowd of demons. There was a flash of brilliant light and brief screams. Once the light faded, all that remained was the leader standing where his minions had been.
"You're good, I'll give you that," the brute addressed the shadowed balcony surrounding him from above, slowly pivoting around. "I don't suppose you're willing to come out and introduce yourself? I'd be more than happy to discuss our differences over brandy. Or perhaps scotch is more to your tastes?" He waited with a fang-filled grin. "No, I suppose that would be foolish. Besides, one can't expect civility between sworn enemies. If that is what we are."
Hearing a faint thump from behind him, the beast whipped around. He saw nothing but darkness. "I find it interesting someone of your — how should I put this — your stock would be challenging us. It's likely you know who we are and what we stand for. It's also obvious you're skilled in covert tactics. Both of those factors require patience and intelligence. Then, of course, there is the matter of you being one of us."
"I'm not one of you." Giles cursed the demon for coaxing a response from him. He moved quietly on to reposition himself behind the monster.
"Well, perhaps not the same species but demon just the same. The fascists inhabiting this so-called Council would certainly make no distinction."
"We're nothing alike,” Giles insisted. “You and your men are nothing more than inhuman terrorists willing to cut down any opposition, no matter how innocent."
"Now, you see there, that's simply untrue. No innocent passes through those doors. This place was built upon a foundation of departed beasts, corpses of people like you and me. Only those aware and accepting of that truth are made to enter here, but I suppose I should expect as much from you. It's all too convenient to slap a label on us, grouping us in with the monsters when in fact we're nothing of the sort."
"No, you're worse. Monsters don't hide behind political agendas or wrap themselves in false righteousness."
"Sure they do, they're just lacking sufficient funding to advertise it. We're not terrorists. We're liberators. We only want what's been refused us."
"Death and destruction?" Giles asked.
"When it comes to that, yes. We will do anything it takes to win back our lives."
"At the cost of others." Giles relocated again, but the demon had caught his scent, trying to track his movements even in the dark.
"They didn't need to fight. If they had put down their arms . . . "
"You're a murderer. I'll not be persuaded otherwise."
Giles leapt from the shadows and dove down three stories, tackling the brute as he landed. They rolled along the floor, both using the momentum to separate and return upright. The commander grinned, amused as they circled each other.
"Pity, I could have really used that drink."
Giles fought him for what felt like an eternity. Each time he felt he had the upper hand, the demon would slip him up. They seemed to be at a stalemate. Though the demon seemed to have an endless supply of energy, and Giles was quickly tiring. He knew he needed to end this and end it soon.
“Even if you kill me, it won’t defeat the Council,” Giles said through gritted teeth as he narrowly missed being sliced open by the beast’s claws.
The demon laughed. “You think this is about the Council?” He shook his head. “It’s never been about the Council. It’s not even about you — well, not directly. There’s a prophecy . . . ”
“Not all prophecies come to pass.”
“We can’t take any chances. That wouldn’t do. We’ve gone to great lengths, traveled to many places to see that this one doesn’t come to pass. However, in the process, a great many people had to die. They were weak. The world didn’t need the likes of them. They died poorly, begging for their lives, every last one of them," the commander snarled. "Now would be your chance to join them."
"You're dead," Giles gasped breathlessly. "You and your men."
"I believe you're sadly mistaken, friend. It is you and yours who are dead. I've seen to it. And that Slayer of yours, by the time she knows something is wrong, it'll be too late."
"What have you done?" Giles growled.
The commander's smile widened, gleeful and boastful.
At the thought of Buffy being hurt, rage tore through Giles. He summoned the last of his strength and whispered the words to a spell. The demon howled in pain as his skin bubbled and cracked. A few final words escaped his lips before he exploded, “Your heir will never be. The prophecy is dead.”
Giles nearly collapsed, but he knew he needed to keep going. Willow was here with the Slayers, and he needed her help. She was in the building; he just needed to find her. He took a few fumbling steps towards the door when his legs gave out.
* * * * * * * * * *
Giles woke when cold water splashed onto his face. Immediately, he tried to stand, but several strong hands held him down.
“Not so fast. You’re not strong enough yet,” Willow said.
“The demons?” he asked.
“All gone,” she said.
“We took them out,” Faith added.
“Pretty easy to do once you killed their leader,” Willow told him as they helped him sit up. “Drink this.” A cup was placed in his hand. “It will help.”
“What is it?” He asked. It was blood. He knew that, but he didn’t know what — or who — it was from.
“Don’t ask. Drink,” Faith said sternly.
As he drank, he felt the strength returning. He felt stronger than before and turned a questioning eye to Willow and Faith.
“Slayer blood,” they said together.
“Don’t worry,” Faith said. “We all gave some willingly. We knew you’d need it.” She pulled him to his feet. “Now, go help Buffy.”
“We’re fine here, Giles,” Willow said. “Go. Buffy needs you more.”