FIC: Acid String Quartet (1/?)

[PChazzman@xxxxxxx]

Yea I know it's taking me a long time to post this and it isn't very long. 
Sorry.
Chazzman

TITLE: Acid String Quartet (1/?)
AUTHOR: Chazzman
E-MAIL: PChazzman@xxxxxxx 
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters in this story. They all belong 
to Joss and the WB network. Please don't sue. We have nothing anyway.
SPOILERS: For Seasons 3, 4 & 5.
SUMMERY: Challenge response.
RATED: PG-13, Language
DISTRIBUTION: Just ask me, please...
FEEDBACK: Is very welcome.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Answer to Challenge from Bill & Shadow


Quartet
Chapter 1: 'You Poisoned Me.'


Jan 20, 1999 10:36 pm

'You poisoned me.'

The words of shocked betrayal echoed through his head as Rupert Giles raced 
through the dilapidated hotel. Charging through the door, he threw himself 
upon the vampire menacing Buffy and together they crashed into the shelves. 
The vampire rose up in anger and dove on top of a prone Giles, only to impale 
itself upon the raised stake Giles held in his hand. With a sigh of relief 
Giles struggled to stand up. 

He turned towards Buffy... and the apologies froze on his lips.

Buffy stood with and expression of grief and rage on her face. "So what part 
of the test is this?" she spat at him in anger.

Giles stared in shock and horror at what sat in the chair next to where Buffy 
stood. The body was bloody and torn apart, but the face was untouched. A 
face twisted in pain and agony of its final moments.

The face of Joyce Summers.

"Buffy, I..." he moved towards her but she held up a hand.

"I told you once this evening that if you touch me I will kill you," she said 
in a low voice. A voice that held a distinctive malevolence towards him for 
the first time since he had met her. 

*
*

Several hours later after the police had come and gone, Giles sat alone in 
his apartment nursing a scotch. He had been fired by the council. For 
caring too much about Buffy's welfare, 'having a father's love for her'. 
Buffy had told Quentin not to bother sending another Watcher.

"I am no one's servant or slave," she had declared with a cold tone of 
contempt. "You can try to tell Faith what to do. Maybe she will listen, but 
as for me, I will have nothing more to do with you."

"You can't just walk away from the council, young lady," Quentin had told her.

"Watch me," she snapped as she turned and walked out of the room.

"Buffy," Giles called as he ran after her. 

"NO!" she shouted as she spun around to face him. "No excuses! No apologies! 
She's dead Giles! Why? Because a group of idiots thought it would be a 
great idea to give Buffy a pop quiz. 'What do you do if you are without your 
powers and facing a stronger enemy?' Like we don't have enough trouble facing 
us here on the Hellmouth? And you helped them!"

"Buffy, please. I... I know I was wrong-"

"Save it. I'm not in the mood right now, Giles. For three years, I've been 
the good little soldier for the council. Well, no more. This is my town, 
and I will do what I need to do to keep it safe. If you want to stick around 
and help, fine. But I don't work for the Watchers anymore. Now if you will 
excuse me, I have to call my *father* and let him know that my mother is 
dead."

Giles flinched at the inflection of her words. He silently watched as she 
disappeared into the dark. 

######

June 23, 2008

Buffy leaned back in the plush black velvet chair, and set the letter down in 
her lap.

"What is it?" murmured Willow from the bed.

"More stupidity from the council," Buffy told her. "Our friend reports of 
another assassination proposal."

"What?!" growled the now fully awake Witch as she threw off the silk sheets 
and stalked across the floor, snatched the sheets of paper from Buffy and 
began to rapidly read them over. Buffy smiled and enjoyed the show of a 
naked Willow pacing back and forth, swearing up a storm and beginning to glow 
with rage. For Buffy the phrase 'You're beautiful when you're angry' always 
conjured up an image of Willow in one of her rages. Faith had taught Willow 
how to release her inner anger, and Buffy loved having a front seat for the 
show.

After a few minutes, Willow stopped, threw the letter on the ground and 
looked in exasperation at Buffy.

"You would think after what happened the last time... Argh!" She spun about 
and launched three small fireballs at an antique table and the two matching 
sitting chairs on the opposite side of the room.

"We made a mistake the last time," Buffy said calmly. "We erred in punishing 
only the foot soldiers and allowing the Generals to live. Well, now they 
have given us the right to correct that mistake."

A small, thoughtful smile crossed Willow's face as she looked at Buffy.

"You knew," she accused as she placed her hand on her hips. 

"I suspected," replied Buffy. "That is why I needed a spy to confirmed 
Cordelia's vision."

"What vision? When did she have a vision? And why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I wanted confirmation first," chided Buffy gently. "It was bad 
enough it took me nine days of torture to get this vision out of her last 
November. And before you ask, no that is not why I bought her those outfits 
for Christmas."

"I was wondering why you spent so much time hidden away with her last year. 
It was beginning to look as if you'd abandoned your other pets. Faith was 
even starting to get jealous."

"Well I had every confidence in you keeping our little Faith in line."

"Anytime," Willow said with a smile as she seductively glided closer to 
Buffy. "I'm a little hungry, right now. How about you?"

Buffy slipped her arms around the lithe red-head as she moved into her lap. 
"Why don't you call up room service, Will. Suddenly, I just feel too comfy 
to move anywhere."

Willow snapped her fingers and a phone flew across the room to her hand. She 
hit the kitchen quick dial button as Buffy began to nibble at her ear and 
neck. Concentrating on the call, her voice took on a firm tone.

"Breakfast for two. Water suite. Now." 

*****

TBC



'What I believe Mr. Baker .... Is that this is all far from over.' Dead Again