Buffy knocked at his door. Knocked was the polite way of saying hammered. She opened the door, fully intending to give Giles ’what for’ for confiscating all her music. Then she saw him, huddled in a corner, hugging his knees and her heart hit the floor. Something awful must have happened. She picked up the phone and called Willow. She’d be able to help her to help Giles.

She knelt before him and covered his cold hands in her warm ones.

"Giles." She said his name quietly. His eyes shifted to her face and watered slightly.

"Buffy!" He gripped her arms. "I’m sorry, I can’t prevent it." Tears fell silently down his face. His grip became painful when he noticed her clothes.

"Buffy, please stay with me tonight. Don’t patrol! Please?" Giles’ vehemence disturbed Buffy. She’d never seen Giles like this before. It scared her. She pulled slowly away and his eyes deadened once more. Buffy was in the kitchen making tea when Willow arrived.

Willow stood in front of Giles. He made no sign of recognising her. He became agitated when Buffy came in with the tea. Everytime she came near he would pluck at her clothing, trying to gain purchase, to hold her. Buffy kept away. Giles was frightening her now. Willow sat beside him on the sofa. He stared right through her. She caught a sob in her throat.

’He needs your help!’ Willow told herself, ’don’t go to pieces because he doesn’t see you!’ She wove a relaxation spell about him. Gradually, his eyes that had remained open all night, denying his mind the rest it craved, closed. His breathing deepened and he slept.

"He’ll be OK now, you go and get ready for the party. I’ll bring him along later, nice outfit by the way." Willow told Buffy.

"Thanks," Buffy beamed, "my shoes pinch a bit." She winced. "I was expecting a present from Giles." Buffy shrugged, absently jingling her bracelet. She studied her Watcher in repose, his lips parted in gentle breath. She gave in to an impulse and sealed his lips with a kiss. He moaned in his sleep.

"Thanks for seeing me to twenty-five, Rupert." She murmured as she left.

Willow hovered nearby, uneasy with the scene that flashed through her mind. "A Slayer’s Death." She looked in horror at Giles sleeping soundly. He hadn’t wanted Buffy to leave. She had made him sleep. Shit!

With her heart in her mouth she raced after Buffy, leaving Giles helpless in his tragic nightmare.

While Giles slept, some men from the Watchers’ Council arrived to clear his apartment. They moved him to a car and he woke suddenly as it started.

"Where’s Buffy? Who are you?" Giles reached for the door lock. He was shoved back down in his seat by two men opposite him.

"We got your message, Mr.Giles. We’re taking you home to England." The younger of the two looked extremely pissed off. The elder had a kind face.

"Buffy has gone ahead."

Giles looked from one to the other, his fear growing heavy in his chest. He shook his head vigorously.

"No! Buffy, needs me, I need to get to her!" He struggled to open the door nearest to him. "Let me out!" He shouted desperately, fighting frantically to free himself from the men holding him. The Watchers exchanged worried looks as his body spasmed into stillness, giving the impression of calm. His agonised expression denied calm. Were they going to lose this one? Giles blinked and his nightmare played in real time.

Buffy walked through the cemetery, cursing her new shoes, toying idly with the charms on her bracelet. She smiled as she remembered Giles giving her the first one. He’d been so serious that first year! Her grin widened. She soon knocked that out of him. Her bracelet was more than jewellery to her. It represented her circle of friends. Each charm a memory, each link forged in love.

The dull ache in her belly alerted her to the presence of an exceptionally powerful vampire. He emerged from an ancient tomb, cast a casual grin over his shoulder at the Slayer and loped nonchalantly away. Buffy bristled!

Willow cut across his path and brought him to the ground. Buffy yelled and tore over the ground to the tumbling pair. What had got into Willow? Why wasn’t she with Giles? Buffy couldn’t get near because Willow fought so fiercely.

The vampire’s heart wasn’t in the fight, whereas Willow fought like a wild cat to stake him. She wanted him dead! If he was going to kill Buffy, he’d have to kill her first! That thought splintered her concentration and the vampire knocked her senseless. He crouched over her about to feed when Buffy hauled him backwards. Buffy guarded her friend. The vampire snarled and fled. She hesitated about giving chase until a voice she knew well urged her to do so.

"Go Buffy," Angel said. "I’ll take care of Willow." They exchanged a smile of farewell and she took off in pursuit.

Willow revived in Angels’ arms. He brought her to her feet. Surprisingly, instead of resting she began to follow Buffy with faltering steps. He caught her when she fell.

"What is it, Willow?"

"Buffy’s going to die tonight. Giles saw it. He couldn’t prevent it. I can." She sank against his chest; Angel placed her on one of the many benches in the cemetery.

"No, I can." He vanished into the night with preternatural speed.

The alley was a dead end. ’The vamp is trapped,’ Buffy thought triumphantly. She drew her stake and adopted the "en garde" stance that so amused Giles when he first saw her use it. This is for Giles.

The vampire launched itself at her. ’He’s aiming at me,’ she thought. Why? The vamp froze in dust. She noted its smile with dread. What?! The light and life screamed out of her mind as she fought for breath through the choking, poisoned dust. Her last thought shot from her soul, GILES!

In the back of the speeding car, Giles felt her death. Black, all black now, the light of her pure spirit was gone. He ceased his struggle and collapsed onto his captors.

"What happened?" asked the youngest.

The eldest held Rupert’s head, trying to soothe his tortured soul.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer is dead."

End of pt 5.

Site Disclaimer: Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, etc. own the Buffy characters.
All products, movies, books, songs, etc. are owned by their respective owners.
No copyright infringement is intended.
All ORIGINAL plots and characters on this site are owned by their respective authors.