Means and Ends
Season 8, episode 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Warning: Rated R. This episode is somewhat dark.

6:48

Buffy hated training days. It was so much easier to stake a vamp than it was to explain staking a vamp. However, despite her dislike of the task, it’d been a productive session. The new girls were coming along and the older ones were getting better at mentoring.

Buffy mentally prepared a list of things to review the next day as she walked up to her apartment and opened the door. She dumped her bag in the middle of the floor and walked over to the answering machine and pressed play. She expected Dawn’s voice to beg for a later curfew, just this once, or Faith to cajole her into a night out, or maybe even a small crisis. Instead she got:

“Buffy, it’s Giles. I’m being held captive. Please, as soon as you get this come to-“

Buffy stood absolutely still, hand out stretched over the answering machine. She waited, hoping for more, hoping for some small clue. In movies there was always a voice in the background or a train whistle. They’d run it through the computer and one of them would say, “Hey that’s the blah blah whistle only manufactured in bladity blah. He must be in Zanzibar.” But there was only a mechanical voice announcing the date and time of the message: November 11^{th, 3:23.}

Buffy picked up the phone and dialed. “Hi, uh, emergency level one. Meet at the library.”

6:49

Willow jumped out of bed and ripped a shirt out of the closet.

“What’s up?” Fred asked sleepily.

“Level one.”

“Which one’s that?” Fred asked. She hadn’t really paid attention when they’d explained the levels and codes, it all seemed so silly.

“Abduction of one of the council,” Willow explained, tossing her a shirt.

“Oh,” Fred replied while shoving her stick-like arms up though the shirt and missing the arm holes entirely. “Probably Dawn.”

Willow concentrated and felt for the potentials. “Maybe, it isn’t one of the slayers.”

7:02

“It’s Giles,” Buffy said, looking up briefly as Willow and Fred entered. Xander and Faith were already seated at the table, pouring over phone records.

“These British phone bills are remarkably thorough, but this info just isn’t going to be recent enough,” Xander said.

Faith had the phone pressed against her ear while she flipped through papers. Suddenly she looked up, looked incredulously at the phone, and slammed it down. “They left me on hold for ten minutes before telling me that they close at five.”

“Ok. What’ll you need to break in?” Buffy asked.

Faith shrugged. “It’s probably just a matter of getting past the guards,” she replied pulling her top down to reveal more cleavage and hiking up her skirt. “I’ve got everything right here.”

“Ok, but try to avoid the surveillance. Angel’s getting tired of free legal support.”

“Please. That boy owes me after the psycho mystery tour through his brain. The least he can do is get me out of a few breaking and entering charges,” Faith said as she strode out of the room.

“Is there anything at all useful?” Buffy asked.

“A bunch of calls from an Olivia Jones.”

“Yeah, I think they’re back together. Fred could you run over to her place and see if she knows anything?”

“Got it,” Fred said. She kissed Willow briefly and walked toward the door. “Be back in a minute.”

“I miss you already,” Willow replied and turned her attention to booting up her laptop.

“I don’t understand why I have to be here but none of the potentials do,” Anya whined as she entered.

“They’re not potentials,” Willow said without looking up from her laptop. “They’re slayerettes.”

“I though we were the slayerettes,” Xander said. “Remember, we have those T-shirts? Or did before all our worldly possessions got sucked into a big pit. They’re just slayers.”

“But they’re not slayers like Buffy and Faith are – they’re so young and numerous,” Anya countered. “It’s not the natural order of things.”

“Not the most productive use of your time guys. And I’ll wake the slayers when we have something for them to do,” Buffy said.

“They could make me coffee,” Anya offered.

“They’re highly skilled warriors – not your baristas,” Xander replied.

“I don’t see why they can’t be both,” Anya countered. “Buffy was a day care worker.”

“Counselor.”

“Whatever. They should have day jobs – it’ll teach them responsibility or something.”

“And that day job should be serving you?”

“Well, not all of them, that would be silly.”

“Ok, seriously now. Giles is missing – focus,” Buffy said as calmly as she could. “What other numbers are cropping up?”

Xander turned his attention back to the records. “Nothing so far… Oh wait,” he said, going pale. “There was a call placed from a prison in the states.”

“Who does Giles know in jail?” Willow asked.

“Ethan,” Buffy answered. “You know, I just don’t care anymore. Human or not, that man is going down.”

“I don’t know why you’re all so freaked out,” Anya said. “It’s probably just one of his practical jokes.”

“Giles, right. Always with the wacky hijinks,” Xander said.

“Sure like how he always used to say, ‘The customer’s always right,’ when they were clearly morons.”

“That wasn’t a joke. And even if it was, there’s nothing practical about it. What kind of whacked out sense of humor do vengeance demons have?”

“Oh like human humor is so superior. Humans think Carrot Top is funny.”

“We do not.”

“OK,” Buffy interjected as she hung up her cell phone. “Anya, Xander, I’ve booked you on a flight to Indiana.”

“Indiana?”

“That’s where they’re keeping Ethan. Be ready. He’s very powerful.”

“So send one of the girls.”

“You have more experience with magic. I don’t even know where to begin prepping them for a guy who worships chaos.”

“Fine, but there’d better be a decent movie,” Anya replied.

8:37

“Ok, Ok. I’ve got him this time. North London, Camden… crap,” Willow said.

“What? What happened?” Buffy asked, peering over her shoulder at the map.

“There’s just too many people. I’d need a much bigger map to get any more specific.”

“Olivia hasn’t seen him since Tuesday,” Fred announced as she entered.

“I got the latest phone records, but there’s nothing new,” Faith said as she entered. “You check out his place?”

“Yeah. It’s clean,” Buffy answered. “No sign of a break in or struggle.”

All four girls stood in the library, each expecting the others to offer a new question, announce a new lead. But no one did.

11:30

“I hate flying,” Anya said, looking out at the clouds.

“Well, think of that the next time you get us kicked out,” Xander said.

“I did not get us kicked out. If anyone did it was you,” Anya replied.

“No it was you any your insensitivity.”

“My insensitivity?” Xander asked incredulously.

“You’re the one who points out every thing I get wrong, like I’m some sort of social imbecile.”

“Your words, not mine.”

Anya turned angrily to face Xander. “I don’t believe you. You’ve been a jerk to me ever since I got back.”

“You’re the one who didn’t want to see me.”

“I didn’t? You were avoiding me,” Anya countered.

“Please.”

“Oh like you never avoid conversation about important things, like say, weddings.”

“I was…” Xander began to protest, then gave up. “…avoiding you.”

Anya started to object, but stopped as she registered what he’d said and replied, “Maybe I was avoiding you too. It’s just so confusing.”

“I know...”

“Let’s kiss.”

“What?”

“We need to figure out how we feel about each other. According to popular song lyrics, it’s in the kiss.”

“An…” Xander said wearily, trying to think of how to break it to her that the Pointer Sisters were not qualified couples therapists. “… that’s actually a decent plan.”

He drew closer to her and she reached forward to meet him. Both moved unevenly and awkwardly pressed their lips together. It was a slow, shallow kiss, their lips just grazing each others, and it didn’t deepen. After a moment they pulled apart.

“Well,” Xander said, trying to gather his thoughts.

“Nothing,” Anya declared, a little confused.

“You too?”

“Yeah. I- I don’t know what to say.”

“I guess we’ve been headed in this direction for a while now,” Xander shrugged.

“I guess, I mean, that time in the basement-”

“Right.”

They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes.

“But we can still be friends,” Anya finally said. “I mean it’s customary, right? To still be friends.”

“Actually it’s customary to say that you will, then burn each other’s stuff and bad mouth each other to who ever will listen – but let’s just do the friends part.”

“Right, much better,” Anya agreed.

“Ok.”

“Willow-“ Anya began.

“I know,” Xander said looking down at his hands.

“I feel like we’re failing her.

“Don’t. I’m sure she’d have made the trade to get you back regardless of how I felt.”

“Yeah, cause we’ve always been such good pals.”

“Seriously, she would have.”

“But she gave up so much.”

“And she got you back.”

“Right, it’s like the crappiest purchase ever, I’d want my money back.”

“An, what are you talking about? You’re a bargain at thrice the price.”

“No I’m the same person I always was, a pain, a bitter self righteous pain who couldn’t get over being dumped. The only time I was decent was when I was with you.”

“An. No. Listen. You were, are fierce and intelligent. You became more human everyday. Always more compassionate and alive. And you did that, not me. I was just there; just watching you create yourself and become this brave, beautiful woman. You’re amazing.”

Anya looked up, eyes glistening, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

1:13am

Giles had long since grown weary of being knocked out. It was painful and emasculating. He looked around and blinked several times to clear his vision. The room was sparse and cool, undoubtedly a basement. The dark bulbous shapes sharpened and became walls and shelves, but didn’t quite clear. “Glasses,” he muttered.

He couldn’t remember being brought there. The last thing he remembered was making the frantic phone call to Buffy. Buffy. Buffy would find him. The thought was comforting so he repeated it a few more times. She’d stride through the door any minute and kill anything in her way.

Just then the door opened and a female form appeared. But it wasn’t Buffy.

“Hello Rupert,” a familiar voice said. She crouched down beside him and leaned in close enough for him to make out the details of her face.

“Oh God,” he whispered.

She smiled. “That’s right. I figured it out. Didn’t think I would, did you?”

“I… It was…”

“Shhh. I’m talking Rupert. I’m talking and you’re screaming.”

6:19am

Xander watched as Ethan walked up to the barrier and sat down. The set up was in many ways similar to your average prison. He and Anya sat on one side and Ethan sat in chains on the other. It was the barrier that let you know you were dealing with a man who could kill you with a chant. It shimmered like the surface of a lake. Spells couldn’t go through it and it crispified anything that tried to breach it, a feature that the guard had gleefully demonstrated with a banana.

The black, shriveled banana was lying there on the floor, but Xander was still nervous. He’d never come face to face with Ethan but he’d seen plenty of the aftermath. And there was something particularly terrifying about someone whose primary motive was chaos. He didn’t want power or money, or even tasty babies, only destruction.

“Hello, you ya been?” Xander asked cheerfully.

“Good. They tell me you’re friends of Rupert.”

“Yeah. And we know Buffy,” Anya hastened to add. “And she’ll be very angry if you turn us into bushels of corn.”

Ethan smiled. “But, say a barrel of barley, that’d be alright?”

“No, no hexing of any kind,” Xander interjected.

“My dear. I don’t know where you’re getting your information. Why would I want to hex you?”

“Fun?”

“You have an odd definition of fun. I myself prefer a good game of checkers.”

“So you’re all reformed?” Xander asked.

“Yes I am, as you put it, “all reformed”.”

“You’re lying,” Anya said.

“Why should I? Do you have the authority to get me out of here?”

“No, but I have the authority to tell Buffy to kick your ass,” Xander said. “Or, rather, I can ask nicely, but I’m sure she’d do it.”

“Just because I was rude to her little friends? Her moral center had declined more than I thought.”

“No, just because you kidnapped Giles,” Xander said.

“Kidnapped Giles?” Ethan replied with genuine surprise. “And what? I have him hidden away in my cell? I couldn’t hide a mouse there.”

“Well, we haven’t worked out the logistics – but we’re sure you’re behind it,” Anya said.

“I’m flattered and if old Rupes is in trouble I really wish I was behind it…”

“We know you’ve been calling him,” Anya said.

“And you think I kidnapped him over the phone?” Ethan asked.

“No,” Xander said, getting flustered. “Look, we have permission to search your cell and all the ingredients for a truth spell so tell us now or tell us later.”

6:39

“Ok, is the spell all set?” Xander asked.

“Umm, yes,” Anya said, brushing ash from her hands.

“’Umm yes’? Why can’t it just be ‘yes’?” Xander asked nervously as he glanced at Ethan. They were on Ethan’s side of the barrier to allow them to perform the spell and Xander missed his shinny little security blanket.

“Well, I’ve never done this.”

“Never in all your vengeance years? You didn’t ever need to question the accused?”

“No, we generally didn’t concern ourselves with such details.”

“Guilt? Guilt is a detail?”

“I’ve seen the error of my ways, ok?” Anya said. “I did my best. The spell will either make him tell the truth or raise bees.”

Xander nodded sagely, “Bees. I love magic. Ok. Mr. Rayne, how long have you known Giles?”

Ethan had been thoroughly enjoying Anya and Xander’s interaction and was a bit unprepared for the question. “Uh, let’s see. Thirty four years.”

“Wow, Giles is old.”

“An.”

“Right. What did you do with Giles?” Any asked slamming her hand on the table between them for emphasis.

“Do you want a list? Ethan asked with a grin that Xander so very much didn’t want explained.

“Recently. Yesterday, or tomorrow. I’m not sure with the time difference and all.”

“Nothing.”

“Ok. Who did?” Xander asked.

“I don’t know.”

Xander and Anya exchanged a glance. Was this working at all?

“Ok. Who would have reason to harm Giles?” Xander asked.

“Well, any number of demons,” Ethan answered thoughtfully. “Me, a half dozen people from the old neighborhood, Olivia…”

“Wait. Olivia? No, they’re back together,” Anya said.

“Oh really?” Ethan said smiling.

“Yes really. Stop that,” Anya protested.

“Stop what?”

“Smiling – like like…”

“Like I know things about Ripper that you two could never imagine?”

“Yeah, like that. What would Olivia have against Giles?” Anya asked.

“Wouldn’t she like to know.”

6:48am

“Aren’t you just dieing to know how I figured it out?” Olivia asked evenly, as if inquiring after his mother’s health. The effect was undermined somewhat by the rope she wound round her hands.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Giles stuttered.

“I underwent hypnosis. Crazy I know, but my girlfriend Nancy – she used this hypnotist to loose weight and I wanted to quit smoking,-” Olivia continued in the same even tone. “Anyway, the hypnotist kept insisting there was some block in my memory. ‘Had I ever suffered brain damage?’ he asked.” Olivia paused to open a chest on the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Giles said. “But you have to understand- I did it for you. For us, for everyone.”

Olivia turned from the chest to look at him, eyes cold. “No, not for everyone.”

7:01am

“Ethan’s clean,” Xander’s voice crackled over the phone line.

“What? That can’t be,” Buffy replied. Ethan had been their only lead. She’d been counting on this call. Without it she had no idea how to find Giles.

“Well either that or he’s somehow resisting the spell. He did say something about Olivia though.”

“What? Olivia’s in danger?”

“No she is danger. Apparently she had some grudge against Giles.”

“Ok, but why act now?”

“I don’t know. He’s being all cryptic and smiling all weird.

“Ok. Well, see what else you can get out of him. I’ll… do something.”

Buffy hung up the phone and turned to face the gang, still hard at work tracking down minute pieces of information that would no doubt prove useless.

“I’m going to question Olivia, you guys work on the research.”

“Got it,” Willow answered. “Need backup?”

“Nah, she’s just a human. What’s she gonna do?”

8:08am

Olivia surveyed the table and smiled at her reflection in the gleaming tools.

“Olivia. Please. I understand that you’re angry…”

“You understand nothing,” Olivia shouted. “What you did…”

“I know. Don’t you think I regret what I had to do? I do. I swear to you. It weighs on my soul every day.”

“Really? Funny, I never saw any remorse. All these years, all the times we’ve been together – nothing. How could you even look me in the eye?” she demanded.

“I- It was torture.”

“No,” Olivia said picking up a small knife. “This is torture.”

“I wanted to see you, to feel the pain,” Giles said quickly, desperate to make her understand. “I thought I deserved it.”

“You do.”

“And I thought, I had to behave as if nothing had happened-“

“So I’d never know the truth about you. All those times we were together, that was just you covering your tracks.”

“No. It was for you, to save you the pain.”

“This pain?” she asked sliding the knife across his chest lightly. “Or this one?” she said passing the cold steel across again, harder this time.

Giles’ screams filled the basement like rising flood water. The sound came in bursts and flowed around the room. And for the first time since she unlocked her memories Olivia didn’t want to scream her body apart. Giles was crying for both of them.

8:09

“I’ve had enough of the cryptic baloney,” Xander said walking toward Ethan.

“Would you prefer cryptic lamb instead?” Ethan asked and burst into laughter. “I- I’m sorry. It’s a horrid joke, I know. Couldn’t help myself. I don’t get a lot of visitors, you know.”

Xander looked on calmly. “What did Giles do to Olivia?”

The smile slid off Ethan’s face. “It’s not so much what he did to her.”

Xander threw his hands up, “Great cryptic lamb, my favorite. Can I get some mint jelly with that?”

Ethan looked at him almost sadly. “I’m doing this for you, you know.

“Wearing an orange jumper and sitting tied a plastic chair? Thanks,” Anya said. “I mean it.”

Ethan ignored her. “I say this with all honestly - You don’t want to know.”

Xander looked at him, appraising his sincerity. The open look he saw frightened him. He hadn’t really given much though to what Giles had done. Cheated on her maybe. Hey, perhaps he’d left her at the altar. But now darker possibilities were entering his mind. Maybe Ethan was right. Maybe he didn’t want to know.

After a long deliberation Xander forced out the words; “We need to know what we’re dealing with if we’re going to help him. Tell me.”

8:10

Giles’ screams faded and Olivia stepped back to admire the crisscrossing red lines. “I thought a lot about this, you know. I couldn’t figure out what to do to you that could possibly be as bad as what you did to me.”

She paused a moment to listen for the footsteps on the porch. “Then I realized, it’s not about physical torture. Tit for tat, there’s a reason it’s a classic.”

Giles looked up at her as he realized what she was saying.

“Which one do you think it is?” Olivia asked pulling a gun out of the chest. “Buffy? Xander? Willow? I hope it’s Buffy,” she continued, checking the clip and sliding it in.

“NO,” Giles shouted with all the strength he could muster. “Please, they’re not part of this. This is wrong.”

“No, it’s perfect,” Olivia replied as she tucked the gun into the waist of her jeans. “You killed my baby. Now I’m going to kill yours.”

8:10

“No,” Xander said stumbling backwards. Anya reached out to steady him but he pushed her away. “No, you’re lying. Giles would never do something like that.”

“Oh, well then I must be mistaken,” Ethan said, enjoying Xander’s reaction.

Xander thought back to all Giles’ lectures about sacrifice, his willingness to kill Dawn, his murder of Ben.

“Why?” Xander asked hoarsely. “He must’ve had a good reason.”

“That, my young friend, is the truly delicious part.”

8:11

Buffy reached up and knocked on Olivia’s door. Part of her wondered if she should’ve brought one of the girls. They were supposed to be learning how to deal with these sorts of things after all. But somehow this felt too personal. It was Giles and Giles was hers.

Buffy’s train of thought was interrupted by Olivia pulling open the door.

“Buffy! Hello. Have you heard anything about Rupert?” she asked anxiously.

Buffy felt a stab of guilt. How could they suspect Olivia? She was so nice. “Oh, sorry. No I actually came here to… You know, this is silly. I’ll go.”

“No, no. You’ve come all this way, won’t you come in?” she asked, opening the door wider. “I’ve just made some tea. I was hoping it would calm my nerves. Would you like some?”

Buffy was about to protest that she should really focus on finding Giles when she heard a muffled scream coming from below. She looked at Olivia, trying to read past her worried expression. “You know, tea would be great,” Buffy finally said.

Buffy followed Olivia into the kitchen, all the while scanning for cellar doors.

Olivia prepared the tea, mixing in a heavy dose of muscle relaxants and sleeping pills.

Below, Giles thought about his son.

He and Olivia weren’t married, but they didn’t let that bother them. They had a small flat in Oxford. Giles was still in school. Olivia, a year older, had just finished and was doing an internship when she got pregnant. It was a surprise but they decided to keep it. They were happy, young, and in love.

Around the sixth month the portents started. Giles tried to ignore them, tried to determine some other cause. But as time went by he grew certain that the baby was a Natalav, a vessel for the demon Kgrasli. He never managed to determine how he’d become infected, not that it would have mattered much. The fact remained that there was no cure.

He waited of course, like anyone would, hoping that some solution would present itself. But the birth brought only more surety. The first possession was relatively mild. Kgrasli manifested himself and choked the life out of a song bird that had woken them one morning. Still Giles couldn’t bear to do what he knew was necessary. It was, after all only a bird or two, so far.

Then one morning when their son was four months old, everything changed. Olivia ran around the house getting ready for an interview and Giles was studying at the breakfast table. The boy cried for attention but Olivia was too busy to stop. She picked him up and half heartedly soothed him before passing him on to Giles. Giles held the baby awkwardly, and tried to quiet him while cramming for his exam. A few moments of calm went by before he turned to ask Olivia something and saw her fall to the ground and begin convulsing.

The next few hours were a blur. They rushed to the hospital, the doctors were baffled, and the baby looked innocent, so innocent. Giles couldn’t believe that this soft little life could hold so much evil. But he knew, and no amount of hoping could will that knowledge away.

That night, while Olivia was in the hospital, he made a deal with a warlock. The warlock agreed to erase the memory of the boy but refused to take his life. That was for Giles to do.

First he got rid of the toys, crib, and photos. The warlock was not as powerful as the monks who made Dawn. He could not alter the physical reality to that extent. So Giles burned every indication that there was ever a child in their flat. There was of course other evidence, but the warlock assured him that anyone who possessed a photo would not be able to remember why they had it, assume it had come with the frame, and throw it away.

When everything was gone he sat down on the couch next to the baby’s basinet. Tears streamed down his face as he injected his son with an extremely potent sleeping drug. If the Kgrasli realized what was happening, it was too late. He weakened as his vessel weakened and slipped away.

Giles picked up the basinet and took it to the incinerator, all the while his face contorted with grief.

Olivia had different memories. For her there was no demonic possession, no dead bird, just a small seizure, nothing to get worked up over. She remembered only that she had a child. That she held it in her body and in her arms and in her heart. She remembered the smell, his chubby cheeks, his name: Nathan. She remembered only that she loved it, as she stirred Buffy’s tea.

“Here you are,” Olivia said smiling and turning toward Buffy.

Buffy smiled back and threw a right hook that knocked Olivia out cold and ran to the door she’d seen in the hallway. She threw it open and sprinted down the stairs.

She stopped at the bottom, arrested by the sight of Giles, shirt bloody, head hanging.

“Giles,” she whispered, afraid to wake him, afraid that she couldn’t.

She walked to him and knelt down beside the chair. “Giles,” she said again, louder this time. His eyes fluttered open and he raised his head. “Hey,” Buffy said grinning widely. “It’s ok, we’re going to get you to the hospital.”

She started to untie him but Giles shook his head in response. “No, she’s got… Olivia…”

“I know, I took care of her, it’s alright,” she said, working at his restraints.

“No, no it’s not.”

“Shh. You’re delirious.”

“No. You don’t understand. You don’t know - what I did,” Giles stammered.

“And I don’t care,” Buffy replied.

“You should,” Olivia said, standing behind her, gun in hand.

Buffy slowly turned around and stood in front of Giles.

“How is it ‘delicious’?” Xander asked.

“Well this is where I come into the story, so of course it’s bound to get a little tastier.”

“Yuk. Explain,” Anya said wearily.

“I’m not sure I should.”

“Yes you are. You want to explain. Why else bring it up? We never would have guessed you were involved,” Anya said. “You’re proud of it.”

The look on Ethan’s face was impossible to read. “Interesting analysis. Of course it’s also possible that I’m ashamed, and want to confess.”

“Whatever, just talk,” Xander said angrily.

“I thought it would be fun to play a little joke on Rupert, so I did a spell.”

“What kind of spell?”

“Actually, it was a whole series, very elaborate.”

“You’re diligent and will go far in life.” Anya said. “Get to the point.”

“Spells to mimic Nitalia.”

Anya looked up and her eyes glazed over, “Why?”

“For fun.”

“You have a strange definition of fun,” Anya replied.

“I didn’t intend for him to actually…” For the first time Ethan looked genuinely remorseful.

“What?” Xander asked. “What’s Nitalia?”

“He faked demonic possession,” Anya explained quietly. “A particularly serious kind. Giles would have thought…”

“You tricked him into killing his son?” Xander asked and leapt forward to grab Ethan by the lapels.

“I didn’t mean for it to go that far,” Ethan choked.

“Xander. Xander let him go,” Anya begged, pulling at his arms.

“Why?” Xander asked as he tightened his grip.

“Well, for one – the guards. Two – Giles will want an explanation and I think we can agree that this is something he should never know,” Anya explained.

“Yeah. Right,” Xander said, then loosened his grip and stepped back. “Tell him and I’ll kill you, guards or no guards,” Xander said, looking Ethan in the eye.

“Alright,” Ethan replied. “I promise.”

“Put the gun down,” Buffy said.

“Oh, ok,” Olivia said, not moving at all.

“Whatever he did, it’s not worth this.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I know Giles.”

“Two weeks ago I’d have said the same thing. A lot of things were different two weeks ago. Two weeks ago I had no idea why I kept this photo in my wallet all these years,” she said and pulled a worn photo out of her pocket.

Giles choked back tears at the sight of it.

“Who’s that?” Buffy asked, not at all sure she’d like the answer.

“Our son,” Olivia replied.

Buffy turned to look at Giles. He nodded yes, eyes empty, and his head fell again.

“Something happened to-“ Buffy began.

“Rupert happened. Tell her. Tell her what you did.”

Giles looked into Buffy’s eyes. She was no child. She knew what he was capable of. At least he didn’t have the pain of feeling he was disabusing her of her illusions about him.

“I killed him. He was possessed, I had to.”

Buffy nodded slightly in response and looked down. “I see.”

“I see? I see?” Olivia yelled, waving the gun at her. “He killed my baby.”

“I know,” Buffy said, turning to her, arms raised. “He did what he thought was best.”

“Would you accept that, if it was your child?”

“No, but I wouldn’t kill him.”

“Oh, I’m not going to kill him, I’m going to kill you. You see, I feel I have to. It’s what’s best.”

“Olivia, you don’t want to do this,” Buffy said.

“Why? Cause you’re the slayer? Will your super strength save you from a bullet in the head?” Olivia asked as if genuinely curious.

“No, but my friends’ll probably just bring be back, and that never fails to make me cranky,” Buffy replied walking toward her.

“I can’t believe you’re siding with him.”

“Well the alternative is siding with you and you just announced your intention to kill me so - you know.”

Buffy took another step and watch Olivia’s finger tighten around the trigger. She fell backwards onto her hands and kicked out, knocking Olivia’s legs out from under her. As she fell she let off a shot and dropped the gun. Buffy scrambled to grab it and stand up. She looked down, ready for the next attack.

Olivia stayed on the floor. Her body was heaving and she had one hand clasped on her abdomen. All at once a cry tore out of her. Buffy was standing there, at a loss as to what to do when Giles stumbled past her and knelt to take Olivia in his arms. She clung to him and wept while he murmured, “I’m sorry, so sorry,” over and over.