Title: Support and Respect - Part 2
Author: Michelle
Date: March 2004
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Buffy/Giles friendship
Summary: The end of season two told from Giles POV with a better ending.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Author’s note 1: This was written for the B/G Angstathon. This was my assignment:
1. lj/name: _closure_
2. season: 2
3. rating: Pg - 13
4. 1 thing you don't want: Joyce/Giles
5. 3 things you do want: Tears, Guilt and drama.
* * * * * * * * * *
“Surprise” written by Marti Noxon, directed by Michael Lange, transcribed by AleXander Thompson
“Innocence” written and directed by Joss Whedon, transcribed by AleXander Thompson
“Passion” written by Ty King, directed by Michael E. Gershman, transcribed by AleXander Thompson
“Becoming, Part 1 and written and directed by Joss Whedon, transcribed by AleXander Thompson
* * * * * * * * * *
Willow found the curse that Jenny had translated that would restore his soul. She begged everyone to let her try it. It was Jenny’s dying wish, but ultimately it was Buffy’s decision to make. When she learned about the threat Acathla posed, she agreed that the curse could be our only hope.
When Buffy received a message from Angelus, we thought we had an opportunity to execute the spell. She said she would go and keep him busy while Willow performed the ritual. We were foolish.
We were attacked before the curse was completed. Angelus was distracting Buffy while Drusilla came for me. Angelus needed me. The ritual to awaken Acathla wasn’t working, and he wanted me to tell him what he was doing wrong.
I don’t know how long I was unconscious. It could have been hours or days. I wish I had never woken up. Maybe then Angelus wouldn’t have awakened Acathla. But I did wake up, and Angelus was waiting for me.
“Hi, Rupert,” Angelus said. “I wasn't sure you were gonna wake up. You had me worried.”
I couldn’t stop myself from asking, “what do you want?”
“I wanna torture you. I used to love it, and it's been a long time. I mean, the last time I tortured somebody, they didn't even have chainsaws.”
He knew that wasn’t the answer I wanted. The torture had already begun. I barely heard him as he walked over to Acathla and told me the tale of how he’d tried to wake him. I knew what the problem was. I knew how to perform the rituals. I vowed to take that knowledge to my grave.
I let Angelus torture me. It was the only way to stop him. I would never let myself give in. Pretending I was weaker than I was, I watched for any opportunity to free myself, but Angelus never tired, never let his guard down. I tried what I could to make him loose control with the hope that he might loose control and kill me.
I thought I might have succeeded when I told him, “In order to be worthy, you must perform the ritual in a tutu.” Angelus only glared at me until I called him a pillock. That angered him enough.
“All right. Someone get the chainsaw,” Angelus shouted.
Then Spike and Drusilla stopped him. Spike sat in his wheelchair and stared at Angelus. “ Now, now, don't let's lose our temper.”
This angered Angelus even more “Keep out of it, sit 'n' spin.”
I tried to loosen my bonds as they were arguing.
“Look, you cut him up, you'll never get your answers,” Spike told him.
“Since when did you become so levelheaded?”
“Right about the time you became so pig-headed. You have your way with him, you'll never get to destroy the world. And I don't fancy spending the next month trying to get librarian out of the carpet. There are other ways.”
“Enlighten me.”
“Drusilla? Sweetheart? Do you want to play a game?”
I almost had my hands free when I noticed Drusilla walking towards me. I stopped my movements as she circled around my chair. She placed her hand on my head and made some indecipherable comments before she walked back around to face me. I tried to ignore her, but I was weak.
I had heard stories of how she could read someone’s thoughts. I put all thoughts of Buffy from my mind. I would not allow Drusilla to see how much I cared for Buffy. I would not let her use Buffy to get what she wanted. Instead, I thought of Jenny, how much I missed her, and the anger I felt at her death. Drusilla used those feelings and memories and made me see Jenny again. I smiled when I saw her. “Jenny I thought I'd lost you.”
“Shh. I'll never leave you,” Jenny whispered.
“We have to get out of here,” I told her as I tried to stand.
“No, no, no, no, no. Slowly.”
“It can't be you.” I stared into her eyes, still not sure it was really her.
“Did you tell Angel? About the ritual?”
That thought sparked a memory. “No. We have to get him away from Acathla.”
“Why? Is he close to figuring it out?”
I nod to her, not wanting to answer aloud. “Later.”
“Tell me what to do.”
I was confused. Jenny should have known what to do, what was at risk.
“It's all right. We'll be together finally. We'll have everything we never got to have... never got to feel. Just tell me what to do.”
I was desperate to stop Angelus, to stop Acathla from waking. “We have to get Angel away from Acathla.”
“Angel himself? He's the key?”
“His blood. . . He mustn't. . .” I didn’t understand until later what I had done. At the time, I believed I was with Jenny. When she kissed me, I closed my eyes and lost myself to her. I didn’t care about anything else.
When Jenny pulled away from me and began talking to spike and Angelus, I opened my eyes. At that moment I realized what I had done. I had given them the information they needed to awaken Acathla.
When Drusilla, Spike and Angelus turned their attention to Acathla, I took my chance. I freed my hands and untied my legs.
I knew I wouldn’t last long against the three of them, but I had to try. I thought I could at least stall until Buffy could get there. I trusted her to find me. I just didn’t know if she would find me in time.