Title: Persecuted 1/4
Author: Riley
Rating: - PG-15
Genre: - Episode Related. Drama. Romance. Humour.
Pairings: - Jenny/Giles.
Disclaimer: - I do not own anything relating to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I do not mean to infringe on any copyrights. I am not making any money from this. Any original ideas however are mine.
Distribution: - Please ask first.
Feedback: - Kind comments are always welcome.
Summary: - This is my version of Gingerbread from the perspective that Jenny is still alive.

Note: - Band Candy didn't happen like in the show, but happened like in my fic "Sugar Rush," which means that Giles did not get intimate with Joyce. Some of the dialogue are taken from the episode, as are some of the scenes, and they are played around with by me. This was first posted to my list Ms.Calendar's Group.

Jenny and Giles spotted Buffy and Willow in the crowd assembled at City Hall for the vigil, and made their way over to them. "Hi guys! Big turn-out huh!" Jenny indicated at the mass of people.

"Yeah, this is great, maybe we could all go patrolling together later," Buffy grumbled, looking around at all of the people her mother had gathered.

"Well, at least your mom's making an effort" Willow said. "My mom's probably. . ." Willow trailed off and stared at a woman approaching them. "Standing right infront of me, right this second. Mom!"

"Willow, I didn't know you were going to be here? Hello Bunny." She looked at Jenny and Giles.

"Oh, erm, mom, this is Ms. Calendar and Mr. Giles. Ms. Calendar's my computer science teacher and Giles is the school librarian."

"Oh, erm, pleased to meet you." Willow's mum shook their hands.

"Yes, likewise," Giles replied politely and smiled.

"Hi!" Jenny nodded and gave Willow's mum a large smile.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Willow asked.

"Well, I read about it in the paper and what with your dad out of town. . .Willow you cut off your hair! That's a new look."

Jenny stared at Willow's mum in astonishment. "Yeah. It's just a sudden whim I had in August," Willow replied, obviously hurt. Jenny and Rupert exchanged glances of disbelief at Willow's mother's obvious lack of attention to her daughter.

Absent-mindedly Willow's mum muttered, "I like it." Before her attention once again turned to someone other than her daughter, as Buffy's mum approached the group. "Hello Joyce."

"Sheila, I'm glad you could come." Joyce embraced Sheila briefly. "Mr. Giles! Ms. Calendar! Hello! Good to see you both here." Giles and Jenny gave Joyce a welcoming smile.

"There's a rumour going around Mr. Giles, about witches," Sheila said. "People calling themselves witches are responsible for this brutal crime!"

Rupert and Jenny exchanged ominous looks. Willow laughed nervously. "Indeed! How strange," Giles brushed the rumour aside, trying to make light of it.

"Er, what do you think about it Ms. Calendar?" Joyce asked. "Buffy told me you're a er, what's the term, techno-pagan!"

Buffy looked apologetically over at Jenny. "Er, yes. I er, I think it's a little early to make a judgement yet."

"Er, yes, yes. Quite right," Giles backed her up.

"Yeah, and remember mom, not all witches are bad. Some of them are really good and help people," Buffy jumped in eagerly.

Sheila opened her mouth to comment, but the Mayor interrupted her with the start of his speech. Everyone went quiet and turned their attention to what he had to say. When he had finished, Joyce went up and took the podium to speak. The end of her speech sent chills down Jenny's spine. "This isn't our town anyone. It belongs to the monsters, the witches and the Slayers. I say it's time for the grown-ups to take Sunnydale back" Joyce's voice rose passionately. "I say we start by finding the people who did this and making them pay." All of the crowd, except for the Scoobies present, started to clap and cheer. Jenny felt dread build up inside of her. The whole scene was reminiscent of the lynching mobs and witch trials of old. She shuddered. Rupert noticed and placed an arm comfortingly around her. She leaned into him.

The next day at school.

Buffy caught sight of Jenny at the end of the corridor and running, managed to catch up with her. "Hey!"

"Hi Buffy."

"Look, I wanted to apologise for. . .well. . .for my mom blurting out that you were a techno-pagan."

"It's okay Buffy." A thud from back down the corridor caught Jenny's attention. Retracing their footsteps, they hurried to where the noise was coming from and were in time to see Michael being slammed up against the lockers. The taller boy that had hold of him by his lapels yelled, "Everyone knows he's into that weird voodoo crap. People like him have gotta learn a lesson."

"Hey! Hey! What's going on here," Jenny intervened, looking from Michael to the student who had shoved him into the lockers. Buffy stood at the side of Jenny, silently backing her up.

The taller student let go of Michael and started to back away. "No problem here, we're walking."

Jenny turned to Michael. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He quickly walked off in the opposite direction to the other student. Amy hurried after him.

Jenny sighed. "This is just great. Talk about democracy!"

"Calendar!" Snyder yelled down the corridor. "My office." Jenny cringed at the way Snyder had just derogated her infront of the students.

Buffy looked at Jenny questioningly. Jenny shrugged. Holding her head high, she walked down the corridor towards Snyder's office.

- - -

"You're firing me?" Jenny's mouth gaped open at Snyder.

"Yes." He smirked at her.

"Why?"

"You know why. I won't have a witch teaching in this school."

Jenny shook her head in disbelief. "I'm not a witch. I'm a techno-pagan."

"Same thing."

"No, it isn't."

"You have the rest of the day to clear your things out."

"You can't do this."

"I think you'll find I can." He sauntered past her and out of his office. Jenny stood in the middle of his room in shock.

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