By:
Beta: janedavitt
For: stakebait
Requirements: Angelus, Willow, Season 2, and "Dark, please. Or at least twisted. It can be funny, it can be sexy, it can be sad or angry, but Angelus does not do hugs and puppies."
Rating: R
Setting: Pre-Passions.
Pairings: Jenny/Giles, Giles/Ethan, Giles/Willow
"Giles, I found the book that you wanted," Buffy said as she stepped out from behind the stacks with Willow following her.
"Miss Calendar, I do not know why you insist on participating in this silly American ritual," Giles said. He took off his glasses and set them on the table.
"Jenny, Rupert. My name's Jenny," she defended herself. "And the school carnival is not an American ritual. Carnivals are huge in Europe, but I suppose England isn't on the mainland. Principal Snyder has given me permission to use the library to house some of the displays, including my Tarot card readings."
"What are you doing here?" Buffy glared at the teacher who was sent to Sunnydale as a spy for her gypsy tribe to make sure Angel was still suffering for his ancient crimes against them.
Willow sat down at the table. Her feet tapped in anticipation of Buffy's anger toward Miss Calendar. She liked Miss Calendar as a teacher, but not as a person. Evil gypsy spy.
"This is a school library. And I'm a teacher at this school," Miss Calendar said. Perhaps she had been a little stern with Buffy. After all, the whole ordeal with Angelus worried all of them.
"Buffy." Giles sighed and put back on his glasses.
"Oh, I see where this is going." Buffy rolled her eyes. Her Watcher really needed to get rid of this chick. "Come on Will. Let's leave the old people alone."
Willow stood up and followed Buffy out of the library, frowning.
"I can't believe that Miss Calendar. Thinking that Giles would be interested in her traitor-ness. Plus it's just gross," Buffy complained.
"Giles has more sense than that," Willow assured her friend. "Shoot. I left my backpack in the library. I'll walk home by myself." Buffy pouted. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. See you tomorrow, Buffy."
"Buffy go home. Buffy patrol tonight." Buffy smiled at her best friend.
"Buffy be careful. And Buffy study." Willow gave her a hug. "See you later. I think I'm going to call Xander later and see if he's really sick."
Willow started walking toward the library. The halls were mostly empty; everyone had gone home except for the janitors, a few dedicated teachers, and, of course, Giles. She opened the door to the library, and her eyes grew large as she saw Giles and Miss Calendar in a passionate embrace. Her backpack sat against a chair; she had to retrieve it for homework. She cleared her throat loudly, and the two turned to look at her.
"Willow," Giles said with an awkward smile. Miss Calendar stood smugly with her arm still slightly around him.
"I... I forgot my backpack." She scurried over to pick it up. "Mrs. Hogan wants us to read Six Degrees of Separation by tomorrow. I'll see you later."
Willow's eyes started filling with tears as she left school. How could Giles betray them? First Xander, now Giles. Would she ever been good enough? She needed a break. On her way home, she cut through the park. A perfect place to read a book under a large tree. She opened the play and began to read.
"I've read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation. Between us and everybody else on this planet."
She smiled at the idea. If she were someone else, perhaps her degree of separation would be much more appealing for him. She imagined if she was older how she would know Giles. She didn't even have to be that much older. She could be Miss Calendar's sister who flies to Sunnydale after touring Paris and seduces Giles. His hands running all over her grown-up frame - whispering desires and passions into her ear. Miss Calendar would disappear, and Giles and she would run off into the sunset. No Hellmouth, no vampires, no gypsies.
He'd take her book shopping in London. The smell of dust and leather swarming her senses, and his soft voice reading her passages out of his favorites. Murmurs of poetry by Blake. Later they'd sit down at a pub and discuss his life before Sunnydale over fish and chips. He'd drink, and she'd wrap her feet around his leg. She'd ask him questions about the mysterious Ethan, who seemed to be more than just a friend.
Dropping her finished book, she giggled while thinking about Giles and Ethan locked in an embrace. Kind of hot. And Ethan was much prettier than Miss Calendar.
Or she could be a daughter of one of Ethan's friends. Dressed in a little black skirt with fishnets. Her hair done up. Wearing a hot pink shirt with matching eyeliner, while sipping Coke. Ethan would explain that her poor mother was a loon and left her. He'd shrug in his leather jacket, no longer the tweedy librarian. No longer Giles, but Ethan's Ripper.
She'd watch them neck on the beat up couch that she slept on in Ethan's rundown flat. Trying not to get too wet. She'd finish off their drinks and finger herself while they were fucking in the other room. Her imagining that he was moaning and coming for her. Then after they were done, Ethan would fall asleep, and Giles would sneak out naked to watch the telly with her. He'd make snide remarks about her doing schoolwork. But she was no longer Willow who did her homework, taped the Discovery Channel, and couldn't form words when around attractive men. She'd straddle him and ravish his lips with kisses.
"I spy, with my little eye, a Willow alone in the dark," said a man behind her. He reached out and touched her one of her braided pigtails.
She blinked open her eyes. While she was imagining her possible lives with Giles, the sun had gone down. She turned around and there was Angelus. She began to scream.
Swiftly, he clamped his hand over her mouth. "Ah, ah." He shook his head. "No screaming. Yet. A little girl excited. Just the way I like them." Angelus smiled as Willow struggled in his arms. "This is the part where our superhero is supposed to save you. ‘Oh Buffy, save me.'" He clasped her head to his chest as if he were reenacting a dramatic scene from a movie. "Damn." He removed his hand from her mouth. "Looks like she's having dinner with mommy. Don't you wish your mommy loved you, Willow? Don't you at least wish she cared what a smart girl you are? Or where you go at night?"
"Let me go," she said, attempting to pull herself away from his arms.
"Aren't you supposed to be at home, chatting over the internet about the physics of Gargoyles?" He vamped out. "You know. Usually I love the chase, but I've found a new hobby. Bad for you."
"You're really sick. I know you're soulless and everything, but you're obsessed. You're stalking Buffy."
"Obsessed is right." Buffy ran toward Angelus after jumping over a hedge. She caught him off guard and knocked him off his feet. "Run Willow!" she shouted.
"Buffy?" Willow was worried; she wasn't sure Buffy could handle fighting Angelus alone.
"I'll be fine." She ducked a punch. "Get out of here." She kicked Angelus square in the chest as Willow rushed out of the park.
"Going to follow her, Buffy?" He watched as she pulled a stake out of her jacket. "Be nice." He laughed.
Willow turned back. She couldn't leave Buffy here on her own with Angelus. She hid behind some bushes where Buffy had laid her weapons bag. Stakes, crosses, crossbow, holy water. She grabbed a cross and the bow. Perhaps they would be useful if Buffy ended up caught between fang and punch.
"Are you really ready? Did Giles train you well enough?" Angel jumped up and grabbed hold of her arm, twisting it savagely. Buffy gasped in pain. "I don't think you were ready to dust the pretty face of your boyfriend - your true love."
"Love is something soulless vampires don't understand." She gingerly clutched her broken arm to her body.
"If you want to know about love, I'd ask Spike." His fist made contact with her face, throwing her to the ground. "He used to write soppy love poems to snobby women who couldn't return his affections. But Dru made him something more. Yet, he still remains something of a romantic. Though he doesn't have the same passion as I have for the kill - the joy and the bliss. And Buffy, it's going to truly be bliss to sink into you." He smiled, barring his fangs. "Oh, wait I already have."
Willow couldn't stand to watch Buffy struggling and in pain. She knew that if Buffy died, that Angelus would come after her. She held tightly onto the bow and cross and ran out from her cover. Angelus was distracted enough to not notice Willow until she was almost next to Buffy.
"Back off, vampire!" Willow held the cross in front of Angelus.
As he went to knock the cross down, she gave Buffy the crossbow. "Willow." His hand made contact with her arm. "Want a matching injury?" The cross slipped from her hand.
Buffy stood up, the crossbow pointed at Angel. "We're leaving. I'll deal with you another day." Willow positioned herself behind Buffy as they exited the park and headed for the Summers' house.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" Willow asked when they had safely made it to Revello Drive.
"Of course." Buffy's arm slackened at her side.
"What about your arm?" Willow had never seen Buffy this injured before.
"Slayer healing powers. And don't mention anything to my mom; she'll flip."
Willow figured that they would need ice cream to fix the damage Angel had inflicted on both of them. Willow had goose bumps from the encounter, and Buffy looked shook up. So maybe, Giles would stay with Miss Calendar. At least he was happy with her. Right now, Buffy mattered the most to Willow. Buffy's friendship made it okay that neither Xander nor Giles was going to fall in love with her. And there was that cute boy Oz...