FF: Rewrite Season 6 15/15 part 2 - B/F W/T - R

["carrkjar" <carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx>]

Point of No Return
Season 6 Reset, part 15 ?part 2

Author: Frau Hunter Ash 

Copyright © 2002 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: www.hunterash.com  

Acknowledgments: Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark 
Gremlin 
Suggestions from many people and many boards. A special "thank you" 
to them.
 
Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick 
(pisces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) for her transcripts.  

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, 
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.  
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm 
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship 
between people of the same and opposite gender. If this offends or 
is illegal for you, then please leave. Come back when you are older, 
have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws. 

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting 
with Bargaining and taking off from there. Things will be different 
here.  

Rating: R (US) 15 (UK) MA15 (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/F

Summary: Resolutions to problems and dangers but with consequences 
for everyone.


Spike really didn't know what hit him. He didn't even see any of the 
five blows that sent him flying backwards several feet. He could 
tell one had hit his jaw, another in the groin and one in the chest. 
He wasn't sure about the other two.

The vampire brought up his arms just in time to block a couple of 
Buffy's punches but most of them got through to his face. Within 
moments he was battered and bloody; the Slayer was still attacking 
and still screaming in his ear.

"You?" punch. "Will?.never?." punch. "Touch?Dawn!"

Spike growled and got in another punch to Buffy's jaw and felt the 
Slayer weakening, the blood loss getting to her. He managed to kick 
her off and jumped to his feet.

Buffy stumbled and fell over backwards, grabbing at her neck.

Spike dived forward with a growl. He was not going to let the Slayer 
die from blood loss unless it was at his fangs!

The vampire felt something very rare: a stake at his heart and the 
fear that it caused.

Spike glanced down at the stake in Buffy's hand and the hardness of 
the Slayer's eyes.

"I might have let you get by with hurting me," Buffy growled, 
grabbing the front of Spike's jacket. "You killed those computer 
guys, you hurt and killed Tara. Do you think I'd let that slide? 
You're nothing but dust!"

Before Spike could protest, Buffy pulled him down onto the stake and 
closed her eyes as he exploded into dust.

"Damn you for that! Faith, help me," Buffy whispered as she held her 
hand against the neck wounds.

* * *

Sam was still arguing with Riley about the ethics of imprisoning 
magical users when Faith tried to struggle to her feet from the chair 
at the same time that Tara, Willow and Dawn leaped to theirs.

"Buffy!" came a resounding cry from all four women.

"What the hell?" Riley snapped as Sam jumped up, suddenly concerned.

"Buffy's in trouble," Tara explained. "We need to get to her."

"How do you know that?" Riley demanded.

"We're connected to each other," Willow said absently. "Are you up to 
this, baby?" she asked Tara, noticing her lover's eyes were now 
purple.

"You stay here with her, Red," Faith said firmly. "You two reconnect 
and we'll get Buffy back and safe."

"And she can keep an eye on Riley so he doesn't try to take us," Tara 
smirked.

"You're good, girlfriend," Faith smirked back as Riley glared at 
them. "Come on, Captain America, let's find Buffy."

"Hurry, Faith!" Willow urged. "She's hurt bad."

* * *

Ripper bit down on Ethan's shoulder as the sorcerer's hand moved past 
Giles' waistband and began stroking him. Ethan cried out and 
retaliated by biting harder into Giles' neck, knowing exactly where 
to bite.

Giles felt his hips jerking in response to Ethan's touch as his own 
hands pulled at his enemy's shirt and belt buckle.  

"Bloody hell, Ripper," Ethan whimpered. "I'm supposed to be killing 
you now."

"Shut up, Ethan," Ripper growled as he pulled Ethan's trousers down 
past his hips.  

The other sorcerer growled and grabbed the dagger hidden in his 
jacket and drew back to aim for Giles' chest when he stopped cold, 
much as Spike had done moments earlier across town.

The Englishman wasn't sure he should even try to breathe with the two-
pronged dagger pressing against his throat. He thought about 
squeezing Giles' maleness in hopes of getting the man to drop the 
knife but Ethan knew he'd just end up dead faster.

"Let go, Ethan," Ripper growled, his eyes shining brightly.  

Ethan dropped the knife and trembled as he balanced on one hand over 
his one time lover and enemy.

"Roll over slowly," Giles commanded, his eyes hard and unwavering. 

Ethan did as instructed, wincing slightly as Giles followed him over, 
switching positions so he was now on top and with the dagger at 
Ethan's throat.

"Come on, Giles," Ethan said softly. "You can't kill me. You never 
could."

"Did Willow scream much when you ripped the magic from her? Did she 
fight back when you raped her?" Giles snapped.

"I didn't touch her!" Ethan protested. "I just took the magic for a 
boost. You know it'll come back."

"You took a chance on frying her brain and leaving her with no mind 
left, you bastard! You then did the same to Tara and turned her over 
to that lunatic vampire!" Giles shouted.

"Giles, I, uh," Ethan stammered.

"You hurt my kids, Ethan!" Giles growled, pressing the knife into the 
sorcerer's throat enough to draw blood and make Ethan's body tense in 
reaction.

Ethan closed his eyes for a moment and opened them when he felt the 
knife ease up slightly and saw the doubt in Giles' eyes.

"You can't do it, Giles," Ethan said softly. "Ripper might have but 
you can't."

Giles closed his eyes, having to acknowledge to himself that Ethan 
was right.

"The witches are alive, Spike is probably half way to Mexico by now," 
Ethan said slowly. "You win in the end, Rupert."

Images of Willow giving into Rack's sleazy price tag for a magical 
boost ran through Giles' mind along with images of Tara hanging 
limply in the chains, drained of life and blood and dignity. His 
kids, his girls, his witches. Gentle Willow reduced to a revenge 
thirsty younger version of himself. Tara now relying on life force 
energy to survive, much like the vampires they fought. Her life long 
fears coming to pass because of Ethan.

Giles felt Ethan stir under him and screamed in rage. He bought the 
knife up and then down firmly.

"I can't kill you but I can hinder you from doing magic again," Giles 
muttered as Ethan screamed a high pitch wail of pain. The English 
scholar rolled off the sorcerer and went to his knees, throwing up at 
what he had done.

* * *

Buffy opened her eyes slowly and managed to smile when she realized 
Faith was holding her hand and Tara, Willow and Dawn were standing 
nearby, waiting anxiously. The blonde Slayer could feel the tension 
from the other four.

"What happened?" Buffy whispered, pulling Faith closer. One glance 
around told her that she was in the hospital once again. Metal 
railing on the single bed, an IV running into her arm, and machines 
beeping, keeping track of her heartbeat.

"Me, Captain America and Sam found you in a graveyard nearly dead, 
B," Faith said softly, reaching up to stoke Buffy's hair and the 
Slayer leaned into the caress.

"Spike clawed me," Buffy whispered as Dawn rushed over to hug her. 

"Spike?" Dawn asked, her voice almost hopeful.

"He was totally insane," Buffy said softly. "He tried to rape me 
again and was coming after you next."

"Is?is he??" Tara stammered.

"Dust, I couldn't let him walk away from what he did to you and what 
he wanted from Dawn," Buffy nodded, frowning a little at the 
satisfied look in Willow's eyes. Buffy remembered how close she came 
to facing her best friend in a showdown. The Slayer never wanted to 
be that close again.

"Good," Faith said firmly.  

"Giles?" Buffy asked as Dawn moved aside, wiping at her teary eyes, 
to let Willow and Tara hug Buffy gently. 

"Uh," Willow hesitated, her eyes becoming pained again. "He?he 
kinda?"

"What? He's not dead!" Buffy sat up abruptly and Willow and Faith 
quickly held her down.

"No, B!" Faith said quickly. "He just kinda went ballistic on Ethan."

"Did he kill him?" Buffy was distressed but she could understand it 
if Giles had killed Ethan. Even with the Slayer restrictions against 
killing humans, Ethan came very close to making Buffy cross those 
lines.

"No," Faith shook her head as she kissed Buffy's forehead. "He?uh?
Giles kinda?"

"He blinded Ethan," Tara said calmly and again Buffy wondered what 
dying and coming back as an energy vampire did to her friend. She 
could still feel the connection and the love Tara had for them but 
there was a different energy underneath as well.

"Blinded him?" Buffy repeated.

"Stabbed him in the eyes," Faith nodded and Buffy turned pale.

"Said that it would be almost impossible to work magic when you can't 
read and Ethan wouldn't trust anyone to help him," Tara nodded.

Buffy understood the logic but she couldn't picture her Giles 
intentionally stabbing someone in the eyes. Murder would be easier to 
explain and accept.

"Where is Giles and what happened to Ethan?" Buffy asked after a few 
moments.

"I can answer part of that," a new voice said softly. Buffy looked 
up from Faith's arms and saw Sam standing just inside the 
door. "Ethan Rayne was captured by Faith after she killed William 
the Bloody. Because of her dedication and deception by Ethan, She was 
granted parole early. Hope you don't mind us giving her the credit 
for Spike."

"Not if it keeps Faith out of prison," Buffy smiled wider when Faith 
began blushing. "Riley?"

"He left on a new assignment," Sam said calmly but Buffy could see 
her jaw muscles tightening. "I resigned my commission so I'm out of 
work again."

"I'm sure we can find you something," Willow smiled as she absently 
stroked Buffy's hand as Tara wrapped her arms around Willow.

"I'm sorry, Sam," Buffy said softly. She knew the pain of Riley 
leaving.

"I know," Sam nodded. "I knew it would probably happen eventually." 

Sam turned to look out the window, her eyes reflecting the pain Buffy 
knew she was feeling.

"Giles?" Buffy repeated.

"Locked in his apartment and won't answer the door," Willow frowned, 
glancing away from Buffy.

"When do I get out of here," Buffy growled.

"Tomorrow, B," Faith said with a smirk. She knew Buffy probably hated 
being in the hospital as much as she did.

"So what's keeping Riley from coming back and taking Willow and 
Tara?" Buffy demanded from Sam.

"I know too many secrets, so do you and the rest of the gang," Sam 
shrugged. "Willow was telling me about that group in LA, that they 
might need a trained demon fighter with a heart."

"Well, they've got a vampire with a soul," Buffy nodded, finding the 
situation weird enough to have achieved believability in Sunnydale.

"See you, Buffy," Sam said with a small smile and awkwardly hugged 
everyone before walking out, letting Xander and Anya into the room 
for their fair share of hugs.

* * *

It was two days before Faith agreed to let Buffy up and out of the 
house. The blonde Slayer headed straight for Giles' apartment.

Anya and Xander were working keeping the Magic Box going but even 
Anya's screaming outside the Englishman's door had failed to get 
Giles to open the door.

Buffy pounded for five minutes without success and found her key no 
longer worked.  

"As Giles would say, 'bloody hell,'" she muttered and stepped back 
slightly and kicked the door in.

Buffy found her Watcher and substitute father upstairs in his bed.  

Giles was unconscious and Buffy could smell the stale alcohol across 
the room and saw four empty Scotch bottles on the floor and a half 
empty one on the nightstand. The ex-Watcher was dressed only in his 
boxer shorts and t-shirt and hadn't shaved in days.

"Giles," Buffy whispered. It hurt her to see him like this. The 
Slayer sat on the bed next to him and quickly checked his 
breathing. "Giles," she said a little louder. "Come on, Giles."

It took five minutes to even get the man's eyes open. He attempted to 
turn over and away from Buffy but the Slayer pulled him onto his back 
and lightly slapped him.

"Come on, Giles, talk to me!" Buffy demanded.

"What for?" Giles growled. "You're an adult, whatever it is you can 
handle it."

"No, I can't," Buffy protested. "There's no danger, no prophecy, 
there's just me needing the man I want as my father and friend. Why 
are you doing this? "

"Doing what? Drinking myself into oblivion?" Giles snapped. "Tara was 
killed and I let Willow use black magic with me to bring her back! I 
let Willow slip into that darkness with Ripper!"  

"You didn't stay there and neither did she," Buffy countered. "She 
used that magic to save you and Tara's alive because of you both."

"I couldn't kill him," Giles whimpered, throwing his arm over his 
eyes. "I should have, I had every right too but I couldn't. I 
wasn't Ripper anymore when we fought and I couldn't kill him."

"That's a good thing, Giles," Buffy pointed out, puzzled. "You 
couldn't kill even after all he did."

"You don't understand, Buffy," Giles said softly, refusing to look at 
her. "Ripper could have killed him. It was me, it was your Giles 
that could maim another human being out of revenge. Intentionally 
maiming someone for the rest of their lives."

Giles rolled off the other side of the bed, stumbled to the bathroom 
and slammed the door behind him.

Buffy winced at the sound of her Watcher throwing up.

Several minutes later Giles walked back into the bedroom, very 
unsteady on his feet.

Buffy rushed over and helped him back to the bed, frowning at the 
weight he was already losing.

"That's why I'm drinking," Giles whispered. "If I close my eyes and 
I'm sober, I see the knife plunging in and I keep hearing Ethan's 
screams. I did that, Buffy. I'm capable of that, not Ripper."

"No, you're not or you wouldn't be falling apart like this," Buffy 
said gently, stroking his forehead.  

Giles shook his head and reached for the bottle, ignoring Buffy's 
disapproving look.

"I'll be back a little later, okay?" Buffy asked and Giles merely 
nodded.

The blonde Slayer moved downstairs and started rummaging through 
Giles' desk until she found his address book. Buffy glanced back at 
the stairs with a frown and reached for the telephone.

She waited impatiently for the connection to go through.

"Hello?"

"Olivia? Is this Olivia, a friend of Rupert Giles?" Buffy asked, 
keeping her voice low.

"Yes, it is. Who is this?" a musical voice asked.

"This is Buffy, remember me from that weird incident with the loss of 
voices thing?"

"Yes, of course, Buffy," Olivia's voice almost smiled through the 
telephone wires. "You're one of Rupert's kids, his special charge."

"Yeah, I know it's been awhile since you've been around and, please 
don't take this wrong, but I need to ask you, do you care about him? 
I mean like special care and still dating type stuff?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, very much so," Olivia answered without hesitation. "We've had 
a couple of weekends in LA since the last time I saw you, just not 
lately. Why?"

"He needs you, Olivia," Buffy said simply. "Giles has lost faith in 
himself and he needs what a lover can give him."

"How bad is it?" Olivia asked and Buffy could hear papers shuffling 
in the background.

"Drinking himself into a stupor for four days straight," Buffy 
answered truthfully.

"Let me see," Olivia paused. "I can be in LA tomorrow night late and 
Sunnydale two hours after that."

"Thanks, Olivia," Buffy sighed. "We'll keep him fed and stuff, he'll 
be at my place."

Buffy then called her house and called out the troops. They'd take 
care of Giles until Olivia got there and, hopefully, snapped him out 
of the emotional spiral he was in.

Buffy was relieved to see the entire gang show up within minutes of 
her phone call, most of them waiting for news about their adopted 
father. "He's falling apart because of what he did to Ethan."

"He stopped Ethan from doing magic again and didn't kill him, what's 
the problem?" Xander complained.

"Giles shoved a knife into Ethan's eyes intentionally," Buffy snapped 
and watched as Xander winced. "He's having trouble accepting the 
fact that he's capable of that and has been on a steady drunk since 
then."

"How do we help?" Dawn asked firmly, determined to help and solve the 
problems.

"We get him to our place, get him cleaned up and fed," Buffy 
suggested. "Then we help him heal."

"Come on, Faith," Xander said calmly. "I'll get him dressed and you 
can help me carry him to the car."

"5x5, Xan man," Faith nodded and squeezed Buffy's hand before 
following the young man upstairs with Anya right behind them, Faith 
moving slowly with the cast enclosed leg.

Buffy turned away from Tara and Willow.

Tara squeezed Willow's hand and moved slowly towards the Slayer.

"Buffy, you've been avoiding us for the last two days," Tara said 
softly, placing her hands on Buffy's shoulders. She could feel the 
Slayer tense up and held firmly. "Why?"

"Nothing," Buffy muttered, turning to the witches but avoiding their 
eyes. "Just giving you guys time to adjust to everything. I didn't 
want to?to?"

"Get in the way because of how you feel?" Tara suggested and Buffy's 
eyes widened, meeting Tara's now purple ones. The witch smiled 
softly. "We did reconnect and I know you've heard the screams from 
the bedroom."

Buffy knew she was blushing a bright red as Willow walked up and 
wrapped her arms around Tara, smiling at Buffy.

"Yeah, well, I know Faith and I?" Buffy stammered.

"Are working on your relationship too," Tara said softly. "You've 
been avoiding us because??"

"Because everything feels weird!" Buffy complained. "Things might 
actually work with Faith this time, I came back from the dead, you're 
different now, Giles has fallen apart and?and?this connection thing 
is wigging me out!"

"I was there when Willow reconnected with everyone," Tara said 
gently. "I know how you both feel about each other. How you've always 
felt about each other. Now it's just deeper."

"And scary!" Buffy grumbled.

"We're all connected in a strange way that we have to adapt too," 
Willow said slowly. "Please don't shut us out."

"What does that mean? A sexual relationship with the four of us?" 
Buffy squeaked.

"Maybe eventually," Tara said calmly. "Maybe not. Will and I need 
some time to build our relationship again and adjust to my new 
existence."

"I?I?need time," Buffy whispered, looking down. "Me and Faith."

Willow walked up slowly to the Slayer and raised Buffy's chin. "No 
pressure, Buff and no demands. We're close friends, long video nights 
on the sofa and floor with the five of us, shopping sprees at the 
mall, helping you and Faith slay. Hugs, snuggles and no pressure 
about anything sexual, okay?"

Buffy sighed. "We can hug?" she said, her voice small and fearful.

"I really, really hope so," Willow said gently, a tear rolling down 
her cheek.

Buffy grabbed Willow in a fierce hug. "I was so scared we'd lose you! 
Both of you!"

Tara joined in the hug as both women wrapped their arms around her. 

"Is this a private thing or can I join in?" Dawn demanded from the 
stairs as Faith and Xander helped a semi-coherent Giles down the 
stairs.  

Buffy smiled up at her sister. "Come on, Runt," she said softly and 
looked to Faith's eyes for any sign of jealousy but saw only warmth 
and love as the dark Slayer steered Giles down the stairs.

"Come on, Watcher," Faith said cheerfully. "We'll get you cleaned up, 
make you watch American TV and then we'll get you laid."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about, leave me alone," Giles 
mumbled.

Xander extended his hand and gave Giles' glasses to Willow.

"Buffy seems to think we need to save you," Faith smiled, winking at 
Buffy. "I think she's right. You won't listen to us kids, so we sent 
for the marines."

"What?" Giles demanded, shaking his head.

"Olivia is on her way here, Giles," Buffy explained. "She's either 
going to nurse you back to health or kick your ass."

"Liv? Coming to me?" Giles whispered, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah," Faith nodded with a smirk which softened when she looked into 
Buffy's blue eyes.

"Let's go home," Buffy said softly. "We need to start planning."

"For what, B?" Faith asked, her face puzzled.

"I need to tell Angel that his childe is dead," Buffy said somewhat 
sadly. "He'll know but I want to explain and then we need to prepare."

"For what?" Xander demanded.

"Druscilla," Giles mumbled.

"Exactly, she'll know Spike is dead and will be looking for revenge," 
Buffy nodded. "We need to be ready."