Sins of the Father
by: Rari Coss
Rated R
SPOILER WARNING: Nothing past season 5, Checkpoint
RATING: R, talk about Giles' past which includes him being abused as a child. Giles' dad, in this story, is an uber-bad guy. Uber. And there's cursing, you know, the "f" word. Oh, and a bit of slash innuendo. And in case all of that is making you worried, please, it's me, of course there'll be a happy ending.
PAIRING: B/G
DISTRIBUTION: Gabi, Nikki, Dee, Dword, Della
DISCLAIMER: It all belongs to Joss, the WB, UPN, Fox, Mutant Enemy and anybody else who feels they own it. I'm just borrowing the characters, playing with them a little bit and then giving them back, memories wiped clean, except when they ask me not to, which Giles always does because he likes the Paul and Roger universe.
SUMMARY: Ethan Rayne gets in trouble with Giles' dad, and Giles goes to rescue him. Then it's Giles who needs rescuing.
NOTES: Ninth in the Paul and Roger Universe. I'm thinking you'll be a little lost if you don't read the first few.
FEEDBACK: Absolutely.
THANKS: To Lori Ann for her happy faces and snorts, Deb for her amazing editing skills, Ruth for keeping Giles British, and Gileswench for all the ongoing lovin'. And a thanks to Dword for her debating skills and Gilesfan for her quibbles. Oh, and you can thank Morwen for the story. This was another one of her plot bunnies. This is also a VERY belated birthday present for her, and also a bribe for Maura and Gina.
Sins of the Father: Part 1
Ethan heard about the job the way he usually did, through word of mouth. Someone was looking for a sorcerer and was willing to pay. He did a little sleuthing to try to determine who was behind the offer but wasn't able to turn up much.
He agreed to a meeting. Ethan sat in a booth in the back of the bar and watched the door. Two men in conservative suits screaming Watcher walked in. A small part of Ethan, the part he acknowledged as the wiser part, knew he should just walk. Anything the Council was behind had to be trouble. But the rest of him, the part of him that loved trouble, was insatiably curious.
As they sat down in a booth, Ethan waved his fingers in the air and spoke a short incantation. Their voices became clear to him.
"So, where the bloody hell is this sorcerer?"
"Relax, George, he'll be here."
"I don't like it. I don't like using someone from the outside."
The other man sighed. "It doesn't matter what we want, you know that."
"Yeah, well why doesn't Mr. Giles just do the magic. He's supposed to be this all powerful sorcerer."
The man hissed at George. "Shut up. Don't mention his name."
George sneered. "Why? Are you afraid he's listening in? That he's going to turn us into toads? Jesus, Zack, I don't think he can do magic at all."
Zack knew differently. "Just keep it down."
At the mention of a Mr. Giles, Ethan's eyes narrowed and he sat back in his booth. Mr. Reginald Giles. Ripper's dad. Ethan let out a short quiet laugh. It didn't take long to sum up how Ethan felt about most people. He hated them. People existed, for the most part, for Ethan to take advantage of. He'd had a few friends here and there, and he'd loved someone once, still did love him, and hated him. But if he had to name one person he hated more than anyone else in the world, it would be Ripper's dad.
Too many years of watching over Rupert when they were kids, picking up the pieces after the elder Giles had beaten Rupert again and again, using his magic so there'd be no physical traces of the abuse. Watching over Rupert as he tried to catch naps during the day between classes, too afraid to sleep in his own house at night. And he'd watched as Rupert's older sister, Eleanor, had died in her bed. The sister that both Rupert and Ethan had adored.
The doctors said it was a heart attack, despite the fact that they were mystified that she'd been afflicted so young. Seventeen years old. But Rupert and Ethan knew. That next night they'd both run away. Rupert ran because he had to; it didn't matter that he was only thirteen. He couldn't stay in that house one more night, not now that his sister was dead. Not now that his mum was dead, and his father's Slayer was dead, and it would just be him and his father. So he had gone to Ethan to tell him goodbye. Ethan had no intention of letting him go by himself so he had packed a bag and shimmied down the tree after Rupert, and neither of them had ever looked back.
But being free hadn't made the hate go away. Rupert continued to hate his father fiercely and Ethan had absorbed it through all the years they were together. And the hate was still strong.
Ethan made his decision. If Ripper's father was involved in this, Ethan wanted to be as well. Because then he could throw a little chaos in the mix. Smiling, he got up and joined the two Watchers.
***
Paul was brooding. He knew he shouldn't be brooding; he should be enjoying himself. He was in Las Vegas, at a conference for police chiefs, that was in reality just an excuse to drink, gamble and be rowdy. But he couldn't snap out of his mood.
Part of it was just being away from Buffy and Giles. Cordelia constantly teased him about his mother hen tendencies, but he couldn't help it. He hadn't been this far away from them since he'd been let in on their secret. He took a swallow of beer and then blew out a long breath. He knew he was being a bit ridiculous. After all, Giles had been taking care of himself for a long time. And he was far from helpless. Between his knowledge, his fighting skills and his magic, he was a formidable adversary to anyone who might try to take him on.
But, Paul also knew that since he'd learned about Giles' life as a Watcher, that one catastrophe after another had befallen him, and it was hard to get past that. He was afraid that something would happen while he was gone. While he was leaning over a craps table, or tossing back a beer, or watching a show. Afraid that he'd call home and find out that something had gone terribly wrong.
He knew Spike was looking after things, but he was still nervous. Buffy was spending the weekend with her dad, Roger was pulling extra shifts in the ER, and Linda and Kevin were visiting with her sister for the week. That left Giles on his own, with no one to watch his back. Paul's heart clenched at the thought of anything happening to Giles. He blew out another breath and tried to relax. He reminded himself that he wasn't completely alone. Spike would keep an eye out for him. And Willow, Xander, Tara, and Anya were around.
Paul tried to shake off the impending sense of disaster he was feeling. Part of his anxiety was due to Angel. He and Buffy had gone down to see him after she and Giles had gotten home from their honeymoon. Even Paul had to admit that Angel had not acted suspiciously. He'd understood their unease, gotten angry at the allegations, but conceded that their concerns about him were well grounded. And somehow he'd convinced Buffy that he hadn't been in Sunnydale, that he hadn't had anything to do with that week from hell before the wedding.
Paul wasn't buying it for a minute. He knew he had issues with Angel, hell, he hated the guy, and he knew it made him biased, but he'd been a cop for a long time, and his instincts were telling him that Angel was in this up to his fanged teeth. No one was listening to him anymore, though. With Cordelia, Wes, and Buffy sure that Angel hadn't been involved, Giles was insistent about letting it go.
Angel hadn't asked about Drusilla, so neither Buffy nor Paul had volunteered the information that she had been staked. Buffy told Paul on the way home that she'd tell Angel that later, another time when they weren't accusing him of trying to kill Giles.
To top it off, Paul missed Cordelia. He'd tried to get her to come with him, but she hadn't wanted to be away from the agency that long. Paul was tired of only seeing her a couple times a month. He let out a long sigh and took a swallow of his beer.
***
Ethan paced the small suite, unsuccessfully trying to access his magic. Whatever the old man had done to bind the room he was currently held prisoner in was beyond his skills to identify and penetrate. He was disgusted with himself. Ethan knew the man, had known him for years and knew what he was capable of, and yet he'd been caught, immobilized, and imprisoned with such ease it was humiliating.
Ethan was being held at the Giles' estate. He recognized the grounds outside the window. The gardens looked exactly as they had when he'd last been here thirty-five years ago. Same fountain, same topiaries, it was as if time hadn't touched this place. Ethan used to love it here. He'd sneak around and play in the mazes and imagine the animal shaped bushes had come to life. But that was before he met Rupert. Before he realized what the man who lived here was like, what he was willing to do to his own children to advance his mastery of magic.
Ethan indulged in another round of self-deprecation. He should have listened to that warning voice and just walked out of that bar that night. But the opportunity to screw things up for the old man, to exact a bit of revenge had completely overridden what small amount of common sense he had. So, he'd met with the Watchers and agreed to help, while having no intention of doing so. Once outside, the new moon had made him think of a certain spell and exactly how to screw the bastard.
His most audacious act, though, was that he'd naively expected to walk away. Ethan snorted at his delusions of power. Here he was, a prisoner, with no hope of getting out. The old man had no intention of letting him go until he undid the spell he'd cast. Ethan sighed. That was the problem; he didn't know how to undo the spell.
Ripper had created that spell years ago. It was after he'd left Oxford, after an unexpected meeting with his father who had managed to track him down, wanting to remind his son of his duty, wanting to tell his son that he was pleased he'd remembered his place. That was all it took. Ripper was out the door that same day, and once again, Ethan had followed him.
Ripper had been as angry as Ethan could remember him being. He'd mucked about with spells and potions, muttering, slamming things around, and then he'd started writing, word after word, almost as if he were channeling directly from the magic in the air. He'd given Ethan that grin of his and had told him that at the next new moon he'd be giving the Council a bit of a start.
But he never did cast the spell that he had created that day. After he cooled off, Ripper had decided that more than the Council would suffer if he used the spell, and that it wasn't right. Ethan shook his head. That had always been Ripper's weakness. Too much conscience.
Ethan blew out a frustrated breath and once again chastised himself for being so stupid. Stupid for getting caught and stupid for trying to protect Ripper. On any other day he'd have sold his old friend down the river for the right amount of money. He had already, several times. He couldn't seem to help himself. It helped clear his head of the nostalgia and the pain of what he'd lost.
But he couldn't do it this time. Not even when the old man had been in his face, threatening to rip him in to little pieces. Ethan had refused to tell him whose spell it was. He let out a short laugh. That had been a mistake. He should have made up a name, he should have sold out another friend, anything would have been better than silence. Because Reginald Giles had seen through the silence for what it was, and had recalled the young boy who had tried to protect his son so many years ago. And he had known that Ethan was doing it again.
Now Ripper was going to end up getting involved, despite Ethan's best efforts to keep him out of it. Ethan felt it was deeply ironic that his first attempt in years to do right by Ripper had completely backfired. Because of him, his old friend would have to deal with his father again. And no matter how powerful Ripper had become, he wasn't as powerful as his father, because he hadn't been willing to sell his soul.
The closest he'd come had been that fateful night that they'd conjured Eyghon and everything had gone wrong. Ripper had discovered the potential within himself to become his father, to become the man he hated more than anything. So, he'd walked away, back to the Council, back to a structure that would support him as he tried to find the man he wanted to be. He'd walked away, and left Ethan behind.
***
Giles sat back in his chair and picked his book up again, a newly made cup of tea sitting by his side. The house was so quiet. It felt odd to be alone. Nice, but odd. Between Buffy, Paul, Roger, Spike, and the rest of them, he never seemed to be alone these days. Not that he was complaining. Giles glanced down at his left hand and with his thumb he touched the gold ring encircling his finger. Married. To Buffy. He still couldn't believe it sometimes.
They'd been married for almost seven months now and it still caught him unaware. He would occasionally wake up at night, his heart tripping in his chest, sure that it had all been a dream. Then he'd feel her lying at his side, snuggled close, the way she liked to sleep. He'd feel for his ring, reach out and touch hers, and then, shaking his head at his own foolishness, he'd fall back to sleep.
It was especially odd to not have her here. This was the first time they wouldn't be sleeping together since their honeymoon. Giles found himself missing her with a longing that took his breath away. How he loved her. Giles smiled softly as he took a sip of his tea. Sending out thoughts of love to her, he hoped she was enjoying this time with her dad.
Giles suddenly thought of his own father. He felt the familiar tightening in his gut. Then the phone rang and Giles almost dropped his teacup. Laughing at himself, and expecting it to be Buffy, he answered the phone. "Hello."
"Rupert. It's your father."
Giles felt his gut tighten again. "What do you want?"
He could almost hear his father shaking his head in dismay. "Rupert, is that any way to speak to your father?"
Giles came close to slamming down the phone. "What do you want?"
"I have your friend Ethan here."
Giles went very still. "Excuse me?"
"Your friend Ethan did a spell. He says it's one of yours. I need you to come and show him how to undo it."
Giles listened to his father's voice. It was so calm, so civilized; you'd never know that every sentence was full of threats. "Is he all right?"
"Of course he's all right. He's a guest."
"Let me talk to him."
"There's no need for that. He has assured me that it is your spell, and that only you know how to counteract it."
Giles knew his father was lying. Ethan, had, over the years, caused Giles extraordinary misery, but Giles knew that Ethan would never sell him out to his father. "Let me talk to him."
There was a pause. "Very well." Giles waited on the phone, listening. He could almost picture the house as the sound of his father's footsteps changed as he crossed over hardwood floors and expensive carpeting. Giles heard the jangling of keys and then a door being scraped open. "Ethan, Rupert would like to speak to you."
Ethan got up out of the chair and gingerly reached for the phone. He could feel the magic in the air surrounding the older man. "Rupert?"
"Ethan, what happened?"
"It doesn't matter, stay away."
"What's he doing to you?"
"Nothing. Giving me time to think about how stupid I am. Just stay away."
"How did he get you?"
"I wasn't careful enough. And you won't be either." Ethan glanced up at the man. "He's stronger than he was."
"What spell did you do?"
Ethan didn't want to say anything, even though Reginald knew. He still didn't want to implicate Rupert.
Giles smiled softly at the silence. "He knows. And I know you didn't tell him. I trust you in this, Ethan. So, tell me, what spell did you do?"
"Remember that day, the day you left Oxford?"
Giles' eyes widened. "Good Lord, Ethan. You did that spell?"
"He wanted a Slayer." Ethan glanced up at Rupert's father, a look of vindication in his eyes. "That was the only spell I knew that would make sure he didn't get one."
Giles sighed. "There is no counter spell. You know that. I wasn't even sure it would work. I was going off half-cocked when I made that up."
"I told him there wasn't a counterspell." Ethan let out a short laugh. "For some reason he doesn't believe me."
Giles sighed again. "Let me talk to my father again."
Ethan hissed in the phone. "Stay away. I mean it. I'll figure something out." Then he handed the phone back and sat down in his chair.
"Yes, son."
"Don't call me that."
There was a brief silence. His father's voice was a bit less civilized. "I think it's time for a visit, Rupert. It's been a long time since you were home."
"That place is not my home."
"You need to develop a counterspell, and then Ethan must perform it. Then he still owes me a spell. I believe your presence will help persuade him to be more helpful."
Giles could hear the door scraping shut, and the keys jangling as they relocked the door. "Let him go. I can do what needs to be done from here."
"No, I think it would be best for you to come here." The voice carried a clear threat now. "I'd hate for anything to happen to your friend in your continued absence."
Giles wanted to reach through the phone and throttle his father. He decided it would be much more satisfying to do it in person. "I'll be there."
"Good. I've already booked you a ticket. If you leave immediately, you might just make it in time."
"You haven't changed a bit, have you? Still can't abide making things easy on anyone."
"Don't be absurd. It's simply a matter of timing. And I would have thought you'd have outgrown the need to fling accusations in my face. Every father makes mistakes."
The anger pulsing through Giles pushed him out of the chair. "Mistakes? My mother is dead. Eleanor is dead."
"Ah, still blaming me for that?"
Giles tried to loosen his grip on the phone. He refused to have this argument with his father. It was one he'd never win. "Give me the flight information."
His father complied. "It will be good to see you again, son."
Giles hung up.
End of Part 1
Sins of the Father: Part 2
Giles packed a small suitcase and then called Buffy on her cell phone. He couldn't help smiling a little when her cheery voice answered. "Hello, love of my life."
Giles still wasn't used to the caller ID function. It always surprised him when Buffy knew it was he on the phone. "Are you having a nice time?"
"Yes, I am. We're having dinner in a really swank restaurant."
"Well, I'm sorry to disturb you."
All of a sudden Buffy got a creepy feeling. "What's wrong?"
"I have to go to England."
"England? Why?"
"My father just called. I have some family business I need to take care of."
Buffy was dumbfounded. "Your father?"
"Yes."
"I thought your father was dead." She nodded to herself. "I know you told me he was dead."
Giles let out a sigh. "I know. I'm sorry. He…uh…well he's actually still alive. I…I just don't talk to him."
Buffy could hear how tight Giles' voice was. "Giles, what's going on?"
"Something's come up and I just need to go take care of some business."
"What's come up?"
"I'd rather not talk about it now. I have to leave to catch my plane."
Buffy sat up. "What? You're leaving now? Without me?"
"Buffy, I have to go now. I can't wait."
"But, I'm in LA. I can be at the airport in twenty minutes."
"There's no need. Hopefully I'll be able to wrap things up quickly and be home before you. There's no need to spoil this time with your dad. I know you've been looking forward to it."
"I don't like this. You're not telling me something."
"It's a rather long and sordid affair, Buffy. I promise I'll tell you everything when I see you."
"You'll call me as soon as you get there?"
"I will."
"What's your dad's number? In case I want to call you?"
Giles hesitated, and then he nervously cleared his throat. "I don't know. I haven't called there in a very long time."
Buffy frowned. "I think I should go."
Giles shook his head. He wasn't letting Buffy anywhere near his father. "No, I really would rather you didn't. Please."
Buffy wished she were with him so she could see his face. Something about this felt wrong. "You'll call me the minute you get there?"
"I'll call you from the airport." He looked at his watch and made a mental calculation. "Considering the time difference, that should be about 10:00 tomorrow morning."
Buffy let out a huffy breath. "Okay. But you better call."
"I promise. I love you."
"I love you, too."
Giles hung up and headed out the door.
Buffy stared at the phone for a minute, and then she held a finger up to her father, asking for his indulgence. She hit one of her speed dials.
***
Paul reached for his phone when it rang. "Erikson."
"Paul, it's Buffy."
"I knew it, I knew something was going to happen. What's wrong?"
"I don't know."
That wasn't quite the answer Paul was expecting. "What do you mean?"
"Did Giles ever tell you anything about his dad?"
"Just that he was a Watcher, and that he was dead."
"Yeah, that's what he told me, too."
"Why do you ask?"
"He's about to get on a plane to go to England to see him."
Paul stared at the phone for a minute. "Could it be a step dad?"
"No, he told me that his father was actually still alive, that they just don't talk." She frowned. "And he sounded weird on the phone."
Paul wasn't sure what to do. "Do you need me to come home?"
"No, I just wondered if maybe he'd told you some goods on his dad during one of your male bonding nights at the bar."
"Nope, not a word. Of course, he's not very forthcoming about his past."
Buffy barked out a laugh. "God, you've been hanging around with him too much. You've got the understatement thing going great."
"So are you going with him?"
"No, he didn't want me to."
Paul raised his eyebrows. "He didn't want you to?"
"Yeah. He said he just needed to take care of some business and he'd probably be home before I was." She paused.
Paul could hear the hesitation. "And?"
"When I asked about his dad, he said it was a sordid affair and he'd tell me about it when he got home."
Paul's lips tightened. He couldn't even imagine what would cause Giles to identify something as sordid, especially about his own father. "Maybe one of us should go. Maybe…" He got out his pen. "Where is he going?"
Buffy let out a noise of frustration. "I have no idea. I don't even know where his father lives, seeing as I thought he was dead. And Giles didn't have a phone number to give me."
Paul scowled. "Did he say he'd call?"
"Yes. I made him promise to call as soon as he got to the airport in England. He said it would be about 10:00 tomorrow morning."
That seemed like such a long time from now. Plenty of time for things to go wrong. "Call me when he calls you."
"Will do. Bye."
"Bye." Paul disconnected. "Shit."
***
Giles tried to sleep on the plane, knowing he'd need his wits about him when he dealt with his father. He very much needed to not be sleepy. Before getting on the plane he had wondered if this was the smartest thing to do. A part of him had deliberated taking a different flight, wondering if he could somehow sneak on to his father's property, free Ethan and simply leave. He had discarded the idea quickly. If his father wanted something, simply removing it from his presence wasn't going to keep him from it. And his father had power and money enough to bring the fight to Sunnydale if he needed to, and Giles had no intention of letting that happen.
Better to go, meet with his father, act as if the past wasn't still standing between them with its claws extended, discuss events as calmly and rationally as possible and arrange for Ethan's release. Giles let out another deep breath. He really needed to sleep. Knowing the futility of even trying to rest with thoughts of his father racing through his head, he nonetheless closed his eyes.
***
After arriving at the Heathrow airport, Giles felt a moment of resistance when he saw the driver holding up a sign with his name on it. He couldn't help but feel as if he were a lamb going docilely to the slaughter. He wanted to believe that his father couldn't do anything to him now but, despite the passage of years, and the newer, more terrifying visages of evil that Giles had dealt with during his tenure as Buffy's Watcher, the thirteen-year-old boy inside had still not let go of his ghosts, or his sense of impotence in dealing with this particular evil.
He caught a pay phone with the corner of his eye. He let the driver know he had arrived, left his bag with him and walked over to the pay phone, pulling out his calling card as he went. After a minute's perusal of the instructions, Giles started dialing numbers. As the phone rang, Giles couldn't stop the pleasant sense of anticipation that grew at the thought of speaking with his wife. He loved thinking that. His wife.
"Hello? Giles? Is that you?"
"Yes, I just arrived."
"Is everything all right?"
"Well, other than the fact that I wish I were home with you, yes, everything seems to be fine. A driver is standing by to take me to my father's home."
"Isn't it where you grew up?"
"Yes."
"So, isn't it your home, too?"
"No." Giles was tired and he didn't want to go into explanations right now, especially as he'd have to make up some plausible explanation first. He didn't want Buffy to know about his father, or about what his father had done to him and his family. He didn't want to inflict that on her. Her life already had too many demons in it. And an irrational part of him kept thinking that if Buffy didn't know where he was going, then she would be safe, clear of his father's influence. "I need to go, Buffy, but I will be home soon."
"I still think I should be there."
"I'd rather know you were there waiting for me."
There was a hesitation. "I hate waiting."
Giles let out a soft chuckle. "I know you do, love. I'm sorry. I'll try not to keep you waiting for long."
He could almost hear Buffy frowning. "All right, then. But call me the minute you get to your father's house so I can reach you if I want to."
Reluctant for Buffy to even have his father's number, Giles was tempted to say no. But unless he wanted Buffy on the next plane, he knew he had no choice but to agree. "I will."
"You promise?"
"I do."
"So how long will that be?"
"It all depends on traffic, but no more than two hours."
"Okay, I'll be right here, waiting. I love you."
"I love you too. I always will. Don't ever forget that." Giles knew Buffy hated to be the one to hang up first so he silently hung up the phone. Then, squaring his shoulders, he headed back to the driver.
***
Buffy stared at the phone and repeated Giles' last words. "Don't ever forget that." She didn't like the sound of that. It sounded too much like words you say when you might not get to tell someone you loved them again. A finger of dread coiled around her spine. She tried to shake it off, tried to convince herself that she was being unnecessarily overdramatic, but the sensation wouldn't go away.
She flipped her phone closed and looked around her father's spare bedroom. It felt weird to be here, even though it had been nice to hook up with her dad. It made her feel like a teenager again, instead of a sort of grown up woman with a husband of her own. A husband, she reminded herself, who is too many miles away, dealing with something bad, something bad enough that he refused to talk to Buffy about it.
Buffy didn't like that. She had thought they weren't going to have any more secrets. Flipping her phone open again she checked the cache of numbers and chose one. She bit her fingernail while it rang.
"John Drinan."
"John, it's Buffy."
"Hello there." His voice was genuinely pleased. "To what do I owe the honor of this phone call?"
Buffy couldn't help but smile. She really liked John. "What do you know about Giles' dad?" There was a pause that made Buffy nervous. One of those types of pauses.
"Giles' father?"
"You're stalling, I can tell. What do you know?"
"Why are you asking? Or I suppose I should be wondering why you're asking me? This seems a better question for Giles to answer."
"He told me his father was dead. But now he's in England on his way to see him and he won't tell me why. But I know it's something bad." There was another pause and it made Buffy crazy. "John."
"Are you sure he's on his way to see his father?" John's voice was laced with doubt.
"Yes, I'm sure. He just called me from the airport in London. What do you know about him?"
"I'm assuming you want to know specifics about his relationship with Giles, not his history as a Watcher."
"You assume right."
"Well, just rumors mostly. Serious estrangement, mysterious deaths of members of the family. I've been told that Giles ran away from home when he was thirteen, supposedly with another character of ill repute. Are you familiar with Ethan Rayne?"
Buffy's eyes opened wide. "Ethan Rayne? Giles ran away from home when he was thirteen with Ethan Rayne?" Buffy leaned back in her chair. She couldn't believe it. Giles had whole lives he'd lived that she knew nothing about. Nothing. How could she feel that she knew someone better than she'd ever known anyone and yet seem to know nothing about him?
John was still talking. "Although none of this is substantiated. Giles and Ethan Rayne are probably the only ones who could corroborate that story. By your questions I gather that Giles has not spoken of it, and from what I know of Ethan Rayne, I don't imagine he would." He paused. "Unless you paid him a lot of money."
"Sounds like Ethan." Buffy thought for a moment. "So are you trying to tell me that Giles hasn't spoken to his father since he was thirteen?"
"No, they are both Watchers. Once Giles became a Watcher he would have found it necessary to talk with his father on occasion. All I've heard is that there continues to be no love lost between them." There was another pause. "Buffy."
Buffy heard something in the sound of her name that made her nervous. "What?"
"There is something else you should know. Giles' father is a powerful sorcerer, without equal among the Watchers."
"What aren't you saying?"
"His techniques have fallen under question over the years. At this time he really has very little to do with the Council, although he stays in touch, partly through his friends who, in my mind, are also of questionable character. One of his companions is, or was, Quentin Travers."
"Crap. I knew it. I knew this was something bad. I just knew it."
"It could also be just what Giles said it was, some family business that needs taking care of."
"Some family business that comes out of nowhere, takes Giles to England on a plane late at night, with no notice, and that makes him not want to take me?"
John knew Buffy well enough to recognize that tone in her voice. That dog with a bone tone. He tried anyway. "Perhaps you should wait until you hear from him again."
"If I waited until Giles actually told me he was in trouble he'd be dead a hundred times by now."
"I suppose if I don't help you, you'll just do this on your own, won't you?"
"Yup."
John considered his options. He wasn't sure which Giles would be angrier about. On the one hand, he might not require rescuing at all, and John would be assisting Buffy to stick her nose in something that Giles clearly felt didn't concern any of them. On the other hand, Giles could find himself in trouble, at the mercy of some deadly adversaries, and Buffy might get hurt trying to help if she was without the assistance John could potentially provide. It really didn't take much thought. Giles would forgive everything except something untoward happening to his Slayer and the love of his life. For that matter, John wouldn't forgive himself if he let anything happen to Buffy. "I can get you the address, schematics of the house, and transportation. Will that suffice, or do you want some additional manpower as well?"
"Just Paul. We'll need to go get him. He's in Las Vegas."
"No one else?"
"Well, I'll ask Roger but he's covering for a couple of other doctors, and seeing as no one's actually been hurt he probably won't feel like he can just hop on a plane and leave the country. And things get complicated with Spike because of sunlight, plus I'll need him to keep an eye on things at home." She sighed, loudly. "And if this really is just family business, Giles may be less mad at me if it's only me and Paul who show up, and not the whole gang poking their nose in where it doesn't belong."
Even though she couldn't see him, John tried to keep from smiling. "Well, all things considered, I think I'd rather have this be much ado about nothing, and have Giles be annoyed at the both of us, than think that he might really be in some danger."
"Yeah, me too. But he'll be less mad at me if I save his life."
John let out a small laugh. "Are you sure you don't want to wait a few hours?"
"No. I just know something's gonna go wrong."
"Far be it from me to argue with a Slayer's sixth sense. Let me make some arrangements and I'll get back to you."
"Thanks, John." Buffy hung up and then she dialed Paul's number. One of the many things Buffy loved about Paul is that he was perfectly willing to see threats to Giles in just about anything. She knew he'd be on his way to England yesterday even with the scanty evidence she had. But the names Quentin Travers and Ethan Rayne both ending up in a conversation about Giles was something she had no intention of ignoring.
End Part 2
Sins of the Father: Part 3
Giles was escorted into his father's study. Reginald Giles looked up from his chair. "Ah, Rupert, welcome home."
Giles chose not to respond to the greeting. "Where's Ethan?"
"Slow down, boy. All in good time. We have a few things we need to discuss first."
Giles ran a hand down the bottom half of his face. He wanted to get this done and go home. "I don't know how to undo the spell he did. I already told you that. I will work on it, and find a way to counteract it." There was a reason Giles hadn't done the spell years ago when he'd first created it. The fact that it coincided with his father's request did not alter the fact that the spell needed to be undone.
Reginald carefully saved his place in the book he was reading, and laid the book to the side. "How long will that take?"
"I have no idea. I need my books and I need time to research. I don't know why you insisted I come here. I would be far more able to complete this task in my own home. Now, please take me to Ethan."
"I'm afraid I need a bit more than that."
Giles tried to curb his impatience. "What else do you need?"
"I need Ethan to do the spell I originally hired him for."
"I don't imagine he has any intention of doing that, as your current circumstances clearly demonstrate."
"Well, I trust you can persuade him."
"I have no intention of trying to persuade him to do anything of the sort. He took a step toward his father. "Why did you use Ethan anyway? You must have more than enough power to do whatever magic you wish."
"Yes, I do. But the Council's bloodhounds would trace the magic used to do that sort of spell, and I'd much rather have them chasing after Ethan, than chasing after me."
Giles contemplated his father. "It's not going to happen. Ethan clearly won't do it, and neither will I. I'll do whatever I can to reverse the spell he did because it may cause needless suffering over time, but then I'm through."
His father's voice grew soft and it put Giles on his guard. "I was counting on your assistance in persuading Ethan."
"I'm afraid you've miscalculated, then."
Reginald slowly nodded his head, his lips pursed. Then he stood up and walked over to the door. "It doesn't matter. You see, I know what his weakness is. And whether you want to or not, you will be assisting me." Nodding at someone outside the door, he moved out of the way as three men walked in.
Giles began to back away. "What are you doing?"
"Persuading Ethan." He watched, his face impassive as two of the men grabbed his son.
Giles struggled and almost got free, but the two men were more than a match for him, and held him still, securing one of his arms. He sent an unbelieving look at his father. "What are hoping to achieve? This is lunacy."
Reginald waited until the third man had removed a syringe from his inner coat pocket, uncapped the needle and injected Giles. "I told you. Persuading Ethan. He might not do the spell for me, but I'm betting he'll do it to protect you. I'll get his oath by blood and then I'll free you both to do your research." He stood in the doorway. "These men will take you to Ethan." The old man smiled and if Giles wasn't being held so tightly he would have recoiled. "Sweet dreams, Rupert."
***
Ethan leapt out of the chair when he heard a key being turned in the lock. He wanted to be prepared for any possibility of escape. As the first man entered holding a gun pointed directly at him, Ethan stood quite still. All thought of running leached out of his mind when the next two men entered dragging a man between them.
Ethan let out a curse. "Bloody hell." He shot daggers at the two men. "What the fuck did you do to him?"
They ignored him and deposited Giles, none too gently, on the couch. Without another word, the three men left the room, locking the door again behind them.
Ethan moved to the couch and helped Giles into a sitting position. His voice was angry. "What happened? Why are you here? I told you to stay away."
Giles shook his head, trying to shake off the lethargy creeping through his system. "I know. But, I could hardly do nothing and just leave you with him." His eyes closed and then he jerked them open. "Don't let me fall asleep."
For a moment, Ethan felt as if he were twelve years old again. Then his older eyes perused his friend's face, taking in the glazed eyes. His eyes darkened in anger. "What did he do to you?"
"Gave me something to make me sleep." Giles' eyes started to close again.
Ethan stood. "Shit." He wished with all of his might that he could access his magic and use it to place wards to protect Ripper from his father. Or use it to stop the bastard's heart. With a sickening lurch in his stomach he knew that the bindings that would keep him and Giles from using their magic in this room, wouldn't protect them from the old man's magic. Ethan reached down and grabbed one of his friend's arms. "Get up." When all he got in return was a grunt he spoke more sharply. "Damn it, I said get up." He pulled harder, and forced Ripper to his feet.
Giles swayed as he stood and latched on to Ethan. The drug was taking its toll. He did his best, following Ethan's commands, stumbling across the room and back. Finally his knees just gave out and he ended up pulling them both down to the floor. "Ethan." Giles gasped in desperation.
Ethan hesitated but then slapped Ripper across the face. "Don't you dare fall asleep." As his eyes continued to close Ethan slapped him again. "Wake up." He tried to pull Ripper back up. "Get up, walk with me."
Giles shook his head. "I can't. I can't. I'm sorry." He grabbed at Ethan's hand. "He's using me to get to you. Don't let him. Promise me."
"Just get up." Ethan tried again to pull him up, but Ripper had always been a heavy man, and supporting his almost dead weight from the floor proved a bit unmanageable. Ethan's voice was thick with fear and anger. "Bloody hell, Ripper. Don't do this to me. Wake up."
The grasp on Ethan's arm grew weak. "Promise me." Then Giles lost his hold on consciousness and the hand slipped to the floor.
Ethan pulled back as if to hit him again, but then thought better of it. He stared down at his now unconscious friend. "Fuck." Hating the older Giles more than he'd ever hated him before, he settled himself on the floor, resting against the couch. He gathered his friend up, resting Ripper's head against his chest. Knowing he would never be able to do this if Giles were awake, Ethan wrapped his arms tightly around his friend, resting his cheek on the top of his head. He spoke softly. "I'm right here, Rupert, I'm right here."
***
Giles glanced around, wondering where he was. Then he noticed the topiaries and his heart started pounding. It had been years since he'd been here, but he would never forget it. This was his father's domain. The garden, but not the garden. In this garden the topiaries weren't mythical beasts, and gaily-prancing animals. Instead, they were creatures in anguish, locked in deadly torment. The sky was gray, and all the greenery had a sickly brownish tinge to it, as if the ground had been poisoned.
Giles heard the footsteps and he spun around. He tried to keep the feeling of helplessness from rising but it was difficult.
His father walked around him, smiling. "You're stronger than you used to be." He sniffed the air, as if Giles' magic filled the atmosphere with an enticing aroma. "Maybe strong enough to resist."
Giles hated that smile. He lunged at his father but when he reached the spot where his father had stood, he was gone.
The voice came from behind him. "Yes, definitely strong enough to resist. But not while you're on that drug."
Giles lunged again only to find himself wrapping his arms around empty space again. "You can't keep me drugged forever."
"I don't have to. I only have to do it long enough for Ethan to agree to help."
"He won't do it."
"He will. He foolishly loves you."
"I'll kill myself first."
"Then he won't care. Either way he'll help."
"Do you really think you're that invincible? Do you really believe you can somehow control a Slayer and not have the Council know, not have them take action against you?"
"You don't understand. I don't intend to keep her."
"What then? Why do you want to know where the next Slayer is?"
Reginald smiled again. "Think of it, Rupert. A brand new Slayer, all that power, all that raw power but still untrained. She won't know how to fight back, how to protect herself."
Giles gave him a horrified look. "Good Lord, you'd go into her head while she's sleeping and siphon part of her power off, weakening her."
"But not completely. She'd still be strong, and never know what she lost. Then she'd be assigned a Watcher and go off and get herself killed quickly like every Slayer should. Then there'd a new one and again I'd get there first." His eyes gleamed. "Just think of all that power."
"You've gone completely mad."
"No, well, yes, I suppose, but only for the power. Otherwise I'm still quite sane."
Giles sent up a little prayer of thanks that Ethan had actually done his crazy spell. "I'll never undo the spell Ethan did. How could you think I would after you've told me this? Those girls are better off never being found by the Council then being violated by you."
"Ethan's a bright lad. He'll figure out a way to undo it, or he'll figure out a way to make you do it."
His father's certainty made Giles uneasy. "I won't let him."
Reginald waved off his statement. "I understand Ethan better than you do. Ethan's the sort who will do anything to get what he wants, without questioning the ethics, or the outcome of his actions. That's why you're in this predicament to begin with. And to save you from me, I don't believe there's anything he wouldn't do, even if it destroyed you."
Giles was afraid his father might be right. "Don't do this."
The older man laughed. "Hoping to touch a core of decency within me, Rupert, after all this time? You are such a fool. You always have been." He took a step closer to his son. "Although, I do like this new plan of yours. Quentin told me all about it. Even more Slayers for me to access."
"I'll stop it. I'll stop the research."
"And leave your beloved Slayer to her fate?" He shook his head. "What a quandary for you."
"There is no quandary. Buffy would never choose a longer life at the expense of someone else."
"Oh, dear. You've found someone as noble as you to marry. How dull." He waved his hand again. "Enough of this. I didn't bring you here to chat."
Giles' heart began to pound again. Regardless of the many years since he'd faced this, there were too many vivid memories to keep the fear at bay. He started to back up, his eyes darting around, looking for a place to run, knowing it was futile. But the fear continued to grow and when Giles saw the pathway open up he ran.
Reginald smiled and lifted his hands, creating a small fireball in his palms. Then he spoke a few words and set it aloft after his son.
Giles could feel the heat from the fire just before it knocked him off his feet. Then it began to slowly consume him and he let out a scream.
***
Ethan could feel the body in his arms stiffen. He held him tighter as Giles let out an agonized cry. Ethan wished he could rip out the old man's heart. He'd eat it as he stood over him.
***
Buffy glanced at her watch again. It had been four hours with no word from Giles. He had said no more than two and he wasn't the sort to just forget to call. Giles never forgot to call. Not unless he was researching, and even then, only if it was life threatening. But if he were dealing with some life-threatening research, he would have called her so she could come and help. No matter how she looked at it, it made no sense that he hadn't called. Unless he couldn't call. Unless he were hurt, or…
Buffy shook her head, unwilling to go there. Buffy was sure she'd know if something that horrible had happened. Somehow she'd know with that link they had if he… Again she shook her head. He was fine. It was something stupid like the phone line being down, or a flat tire.
Buffy checked her phone again, making sure it was on, and the batteries were good. She shook it as if it might make it ring. Buffy fought the impulse to call Paul again, just so she could be talking to somebody. She glanced up at the door to the cockpit. John was there, talking to the pilot, making arrangements. She resisted the urge to burst in and make him talk to her. She hated this. Hated the waiting, hated not being able to just punch something. Clenching her jaw, Buffy looked out the window down at the patterned fields as they passed by beneath the plane.
***
Paul stood at the small airport, waiting for the private plane to come and pick him up. He'd been speaking to Buffy every thirty minutes, hoping that Giles might call, hoping that Giles would put all their minds at ease, saying he was fine, giving them the number where he was staying. But he hadn't. And now too much time had gone by, and Paul was beside himself. He glanced at the sky again, cursing every second that he had to wait.
End of Part 3