Rupert stared at his reflection in the bedroom mirror, he could feel the silence gathering round him like an invisible cloak. Senses honed to vampiric heights thanks to Angel. He revelled in the giddy feeling of power that pervaded his body after sunset. He shook his head and grinned, to think he used to pay to feel like this!

"Rupert?" He turned at his loves sultry voice. Willow had poured herself into the Slayer suit he designed for her. He licked his lips and praised God for Lycra™! She turned her back to him revealing a pale extended “v” of soft skin down her spine. He swallowed and placed a hot kiss between her shoulder blades as she lifted her hair out of the way.

"Zip me?" She murmured and moaned as he gripped the zipper at the base of her spine, his fingers gliding along her silken skin to save it from being caught in the zip. Willow gasped as the suit tightened round her body, hugging her hips and cinching her tiny waist and finally resisting the swell of her breasts. Rupert’s hand rested on her left breast his lips by her ear…

"Exhale, darling." Willow sighed and backed up to his body. The zip glided easily up to the padded collar, "You’re in." He sighed and kissed her neck.

Willow turned and allowed her molten gaze to take in his aroused body. She lifted her hand and dangled the leather corset from her fingertips. Her arched eyebrow and parted painted lips sending evil ravishing messages to his groin.

"Lace me?" Rupert growled and pulled her closer.

"Willow… Time for rescue, now." He licked her neck and nipped at her flesh, she shuddered. "Ravish you later!"

She smiled coquettishly at him and then pouted. "Mean man!"

"Xander? Xander!" Buffy tried to rouse her Watcher but he remained unconscious since the Griffin attack. His blood stained the earth floor where they were cornered by prowling Griffins, she slid down the rock face and checked on his pulse and hugged her coat round him tighter.

Xander had stepped in front of her when the Griffin attacked. Sending her sprawling and looking up helplessly as he was lifted into the air by the feathered feline, birds talons dug into his shoulders and lions claws fastened onto the flesh of his abdomen. His cry echoed round the cave and the creature released him twenty feet from the ground. He fell silently and Buffy winced at the crack of his ribs as he hit the ground.

She shivered and glared at the majestic head that poked over the threshold of the cave. It chattered at her briefly nodding its head, she grabbed a handful of stones from the cave floor and threw them at it. The Griffin roared and withdrew with a swish of its tail.

"Where are you Watcher man?" Buffy muttered. She couldn’t battle these creatures, Xander had warned her off killing them. They had invaded their territory and the Griffins were merely defending it. She sighed then leapt to Xander’s side as he lifted his head, finally awake.

"Did you get the number of the truck that hit me?" Buffy smiled through her tears.

"Keep still Xander, Giles will be here soon." Xander groaned.

"Great! So he can lambaste me for tearing off with you while I’m helpless, thanks…" Buffy shook her head in wonder.

"You’re even beginning to sound like Giles, Xand!" She grinned.

"Hey, insult me, why don’t you?" He moved on the ground and rolled up to a sitting position. Buffy supporting him as his head rolled onto his raised knees.

"Oh, God! Shoot me now!" he groaned.

Willow stood quietly by his side as Rupert tilted his head back to catch the last rays of the setting sun. He glanced down at her and smiled.

"Willow, at night I have to be silent. Once the sun goes down and I wear the mask…" He shrugged and pulled the hood and veil over his face. Willow shivered as Rupert departed and the Watcher–Slayer squared his shoulders to their goal of the evening. The Griffin Roost.

: Can you hear me love?

Willow took his hand and squeezed it lovingly. He looked down at her and surrounding her with psychic warmth he set a fast pace up the rock face to the mouth of the roost.

The Griffins, roused and alerted, paced pensively round the female’s nests, one had already perished at the hands of the interlopers. An offering meal had been chosen and not consumed. The largest of their number mourned the death of its brother, the ignominy of being stored in cold darkness when it was their destiny to be free to roam where they pleased after death.

There was a new Roost Guardian, one who knew their ways and traditions. They had only wished to welcome the Guardian but his brother was too eager and had not landed to welcome the new Guardian. He had wished to bring him into the presence.

He was here now with another of the two–legs, a female. It was strange the Guardian had no knowledge of his destiny, he was supposed to be an investigator!

The prowling was forgotten with the arrival of the Silent One and his consort, the roost formed loose ranks and reared up as in the ancient days greeting the Watcher–Slayer.

Willow walked next to Giles her pale skin the only sign of her fear. He halted before the high rock upon which lay the matriarch of the pride, one whose wings were gossamer and silver with age. He tilted his head and spoke with her.

: Mother, where are the two–legs?

"Within." Her left wing dropped down and pointed the way under the jutting rock. Giles hurried into the cave parting the rough curtain.

"Giles! Quickly, Xander’s hurt. They picked him up and hurled him down" Buffy related vehemently. "And he said not to kill ’em!"

Willow stepped in and listened to Giles. "Buffy, they’ve proclaimed Xander their protector, he needs to sacrifice an ounce of flesh to the old protector and Giles has to … No!"

Willow’s hand lifted to her mouth in shock, tears forming in her eyes. Rupert ripped off his mask.

"I have to drink the Griffin’s blood. An ounce… I should be ok,"

"Bullshit! You said it was poisonous, I read up on it! It’s cumulative like mercury poisoning, you can be exposed to so much then you die. Right?"

Giles studied Xander, he knew his stuff. The Griffins had chosen well and they’d marked him. "Xander, it was a long time ago…"

"How much is too much?" Willow asked, Rupert didn’t answer she looked to Xander. "How much is too much?"

"Twelve ounces. How many have you had, Giles?"

Rupert stared at the floor of the cave. "Enough. C’mon, they want their meat Xander!" He hauled him up and walked him out of the cave.

An altar had been set up to the right of the cave, on it were laid a silver bladed knife, a weighing scales and a silver cup. Before the other’s could prevent him Rupert drained the liquid in the cup. Xander gasped as the purple blood stained Giles’ lips briefly before it was absorbed.

Willow knelt by Rupert’s side and saw his face go through turmoil as the blood took effect. Xander sank down and watched the Watcher. "How many did you take?" He whispered.

"That one makes thirteen. Xander I don’t have anaesthetic, so I’m going to deaden your nerves, you won’t be able to walk properly for a few hours, but you won’t feel anything. OK?" Xander nodded and Giles pressed hard then harder still at the junction of his inner thigh and groin. There was an almost audible “pop” and then Giles quickly scored a cube of flesh from the muscle there. He plopped the red bloody cube on the scales, it balanced.

A twittering Roar greeted the event and Giles stood unsteadily, Buffy helping Xander to stand. Willow tucked under Rupert’s arm and the troop started off for the entrance.

"Watcher–Slayer, thy transformation will cease this night."

Giles spared a glance over his shoulder at the sprawled dying matriarch and bowed his head in thanks.

"Oh God!" The doctor exclaimed. "It’s you again!" He bustled round Xander and took in the scars, talons and claws. He pursed his lips and glared at Mr.Giles.

Rupert sucked a mint feigning innocence. Buffy fussed round Xander like a mother hen.

"What’s the story this time? Or don’t I want to know?" The doctor cleaned Xander’s wounds with iodine, they weren’t very deep and were hours old!

Xander hissed and nearly leapt from the bench. "Would you believe a mad budgie and a wild pussy?"

Giles choked on his mint.

The doctor gave Xander an old fashioned look. "I’m going to have to get a new filing cabinet aren’t I? G–H, and R–S too?"

Giles shook his head and pulled Willow close to him. "No, never R–S. Buffy and Willow will never be hurt while we’re around right, Xander?"

Xander grunted and groaned. "Yeah, right!"

End.

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