Title: Hard Lessons

Author: Kate R.

abelard950@aol.com

Fandom: BTVS/Xena

Disclaimer: Joss and Ren Pics own them, not me.

Rating: PG-13 to R, Slash

Summary: The consequences of trying to thwart prophecy for any reason are discovered and then dealt with.


Hard Lessons
By Kate R.

He lay on the floor where Buffy had left him groaning in pain. He knew he was not going to be able to get up which meant he would probably bleed to death on the floor of the library. And he did not want to die. Rupert Giles was not ready to die yet. No, it wasn't Rupert who was fighting against
going gently into the night; it was Ripper. Ripper who had come out to save the children from Ethan although he knew it was only a joke.

Ethan, his beloved Child of Janus. Janus...He was bound to Janus too. Janus had never forsaken Ethan. Ethan said Chaos looked after all it's dedicated, even if they left it. Ripper lay a few moments gathering strength for what he had to do. Ignoring Rupert's voice in his head, he looked down at the pool of blood on the floor of the library and began to draw a design on the floor in it.

"Janus, hear my plea," he gasped out. "Grant me your aid, lord. Please, do not forsake your child."

And he felt a touch of warmth that told him he had been answered.

He lay back and let himself drift for a time until he heard the library doors open.

"Holy mother of god," the voice of Angelus exclaimed.

Giles felt the cold hands of the vampire turn him over and he looked up blearily at the face of the vampire. He was waiting to die so when he saw the worried eyes he was confused.

"Hold on, Rupert," Angelus said as he lifted Giles into his arms. "I'll get you some place safe, I promise."

And all Giles could do was lie there in Angelus' arms as he was carried out of the library and to the mansion on Crawford Street.

"Sire?" Spike asked as Angelus carried Giles in the front door.

"Buffy," Angelus bit out in answer to Spike's unanswered question. "Buffy did this to him. Spike, we need to call on those who can control the Slayer. You know whom I mean. Ask Dru if she is strong enough. If she isn't, we'll have to pray you and I are enough."

"Dru collapsed today, Sire," Spike said. "It's almost time. You and I will have to be enough."

Angelus' eyes closed briefly in pain and he nodded. He lay Giles down on a bed in one of the down stairs rooms with a warning to the minions that if anything happened to the librarian, he'd kill them. Hen, he and Spike set up a circle in the dining room and got to work on a summoning.

"Lord of War and Wisdom," Angelus intoned. "We call upon thee."

"Lord of Combat and Honor" Spike called, "We invoke thy name."

"Ares, Brave and Courageous, Ares Victorious, Glorious God of War," they called together, cutting their hands and allowing the blood to drip into the circle, "We ask for your presence."

A flare of light filled the room and when it cleared, there was a man standing in front of them.

"This is new," the man said as he looked at them. Normally, you all call on Bacchus to get my attention."

"There was no time, Lord," Angelus said hoping this was indeed, Ares. "One of your Slayers has gone wrong. That man, lying on the bed in there, is her Watcher. She inflicted all of the wounds he now has. I did not know who else to call as Slayers are your creation."

"Bastardized by the way," the man said. "But yes, still mine. Still of the house of War. Was this the girl that was prophesied to die?"

"Yes lord," Angelus said as he realized they did indeed have Ares. "She was resuscitated by a friend who denied the validity of Prophecy."

"Dammit!" Ares growled, as he looked Giles over. Thankfully, the man being tied to Janus and fighting against darkness would allow Ares to do some basic healing that would keep the man alive for the ten minutes it would take Apollo to gather what he needed. "Are you asking me to intervene here?"

"Yes, lord," Spike said. "She is out of control and her two sidekicks are as bad if not worse."

"I see," Ares said as he left Giles' side at Apollo's appearance.

"Once he is healed, we will make a plan on what we will be doing. Pol, when you're done, call Hades for me? And Cupid and Strife?"

"Sure Ares," Apollo said. Once he had Giles healed completely, he summoned the gods Ares had requested as well as Ares' own mate, Joxer and Lust and Bacchus. Something needed to be done about the vampires as well as the Slayer and Angelus and Spike both knew the Dark Mother and the Wild Father would be able to deal with them.

Then, the Gods got to planning. With Giles' aid, they came up with a plan to deal with this mess. It would allow an assessment and a way to deal with things if it was as bad as Ares thought it was. And to be with Giles and offer him protection, there was summoned by Janus, Ethan Rayne. Whom Giles pretty much devoured with a kiss when he saw him. Order and Chaos could not be separated without sickness, Janus said. The Watchers' Council would also have to be dealt with for this. But that could wait until the balance in the Slayer had been restored. Not to mention finding the male and activating him. For that, Ares would need time and that he would not have until after Buffy had been dealt with. As well as those two children who helped her. Most particularly to Ares, the boy who fancied himself a warrior.

"We'll just see about that after you face one of my lessons," Ares said as they prepared to take over teaching in Sunnydale high. "We'll just see about that."


END PART 1