TITLE: No Regrets
AUTHOR: Gileswench
EMAIL: gileswench@yahoo.com
RATING: R for violence, language, multiple character deaths, mind control, and just plain yuckiness. This is ugly darkfic, people. If you don't like it, I suggest you don't read it.
SUMMARY: Giles indulges in some very uncharacteristic behavior.
SPOILERS: Set just after Checkpoint.
DISCLAIMER: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.
FEEDBACK: Constructive criticism always welcome, praise abjectly sought.
DISTRIBUTION: YGTS?, UCSL. All others ask and ye shall receive.
NOTES: This is in answer to Collie's Gloveslap to me on You Got The Stones? in which she demanded...I'll let her say it in her own words: Okay, you wench -- you have forced me to pull out the big guns. I didn't want to have to do this, because it's pretty messy.. but you made me. I want Buffy dead, and I want her dead by Giles' hand. He must be under a spell or mind-fucked or manipulated by something/someone else. That way, when he realizes what he did, there is *much* pain to be had by all -- except Giles. There is a lingering effect of the spell that makes him *glad* that Buffy is gone. It brings out his inner- resentment towards her -- of which you know he suffers much. Also -- there can be *no* mention of romance. As a matter of fact, Giles finds Buffy's diary/journal/some sort of note expressing her "feelings" towards him, and he gets wigged. So, so.. ha! I hope that gets your dander up!
DEDICATION: To Collie, may she rot in the ickiest of demon dimensions for making me write this. With sincere apologies to Gabi, Gail, Savage Dawn, Quinn, Patti, Marti, Cindy B., Belinda, and all my other B/G buddies. I swear this will not happen again.

"Giles! No!"

Xander hurled himself at the Englishman, but it was too late. With a sickening snap of her neck bones, Buffy was gone.

Giles continued to hold the limp body several inches off the floor. He began to laugh. The only other sound in the shop was Willow and Tara sobbing as they held one another. When Giles spoke again, none of the others could believe their ears.

"You selfish little bitch!" He spat at the corpse as he threw it to the ground. "Do you know what she did? Do you? Sent me a fucking note to say she thought she might have 'feelings' for me! Wanted me to love her back of all things!"

"So you decided to kill her?"

He turned on Xander.

"I gave that brat everything! Gave up my home, my every chance for a normal life, all of it! So she decided I was hers, body and soul. Well she can't have it! I'm not a weakling like Angel or Riley. She can't fucking have me! It's disgusting to even consider."

"But Giles, she's dead. You killed her."

"Another amazing observation from Xander bloody Harris! What astonishing fact will you share with us next? Tell me what color the fucking sky is, you ponce!"

Giles began to laugh again. It was a horrible sound. Willow pulled herself together enough to try a containment spell so they could at least keep Giles from hurting anybody else. Before two words were out of her mouth, Giles silenced her with a vicious backhanded slap.

"Don't even try it, little girl! I'm free for the first time in my entire life and I won't let you box me in again. Not to mention, with your success rate I'd likely end up a frog or a pot plant. You have no talent for majicks, you stupid bint. Give it over."

He hauled the girl up against Tara's protests.

"I wonder if I should show you what a man can do for a woman, or if I should just kill you."

Xander launched himself at his former mentor. Willow was knocked from his grasp and scrambled behind the counter. Giles hit the young man again and again. When he threw Xander across the room, a shot rang out.

The others turned stunned eyes to Anya. She stood trembling, the gun still in her panic-frozen fingers. Giles lay in a heap on the floor, his blood seeping slowly over his still chest.

Xander regained his feet slowly.

"Anya, give me the gun."

The girl seemed startled to find she still held it. The weapon fell with a clatter to the floor. She continued to stare at it.

"I killed Giles. I didn't want to, but he killed Buffy and he was going to kill us all, he was!" She sobbed hysterically as Xander held her, his own tears falling fast.

"I know, Honey. I know. You didn't have a choice."

"But he was happy he did it. How could he be happy? How could he do it?"

"I don't know, An. All I know is that he wasn't himself. He'd never be able to live with himself if he knew what he just did."

"Who could have done this? Why would somebody want Giles to do that?" Willow could barely speak through her tears.

"I don't know, Will. But whoever it is, I'm gonna find them and make them pay." Xander swore as the surviving Scoobies huddled together for comfort.

*****

In a cheap motel room across town, a tall, lean man slumped within the confines of the pentangle drawn on the floor as the candles extinguished themselves.

"It's done."

"Thank you, Mr. Rayne. We are in your debt, sir."

"Well you won't be as soon as I get my pay, will you, Travers?"

"Don't worry. You will receive your due before you leave this room."

Ethan began to clear away the evidence of his spell. "You know, I was quite fond of Ripper at one time. And his Slayer was a fetching little thing. I may actually regret this in the morning."

He stiffened as the blade sunk deep into his back.

"I rather doubt that, Mr. Rayne. I don't believe you'll have the time."

END

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