Title: Kith, Kin and Clan

Author: Kate R.

Disclaimer: Own nothing and No one used herein.

Rating: PG-13 to R

Pairings: Giles/Ethan, Eventually, Xander/Spike

Summary: Suppose Giles was never allowed to leave Sunnydale?

Kith, Kin and Clan
by Kate R.

"Spike!" Xander yelled as he kicked the front door of the house Spike, Dawn and he lived in. "Spike, open the door, now! It's an emergency!"

The door opened and the bleached vampire took in the badly abused form resting in Xander's arms. "Jesus Christ!" Spike exclaimed as he opened the door wide.

Xander carried his burden in and laid it on the couch. Spike was moving after shutting the door. He was in the kitchen getting a bowl of warm water and when Dawn came down, he sent her to get the first aid kit. He grabbed rags and carried the rags and the water out to where Xander was sitting brushing the hair off the face of his burden. Spike set the bowl of steaming water on the table and looked down at the face of Xander's burden. He noticed the strip of cloth tied so tightly he could see it had cut the man's mouth.

"I couldn't get it off," Xander whispered. "The ropes were so tight he was bleeding when I cut them off but the gag is too tight and I was afraid of hurting him. Can you?"

"Sure, mate. Here, start cleaning the wounds on his wrists while I get this off of him, okay?" Spike asked.

Xander nodded and Spike pulled a dagger out of his boot. He went as gently as he could, carefully sliding the dagger under the strip of cloth and cutting carefully so he did not touch the skin.

"Hand me a damp rag, Pet," Spike said.

Xander gave it to him and Spike gently wet the strip of cloth and the skin under it and it came away with bits of skin and blood.

Spike growled. "Who did this?" he asked.

Xander swallowed as he and Spike cleaned the wounds. Spike had to change the water in the bowl twice and then, once the wounds were clean, Spike carried him up to one of the bathrooms and filled the tub. Xander wondered what he was doing as he carefully laid the man in the water. The man yelped in pain even in the state he was in and Xander gripped his flailing hand.

"Giles!" He yelled to be heard over the thrashing. "Giles, it's okay! You're safe. I promise you're safe."

The hand he was holding suddenly gripped his tightly and Xander realized what Giles wanted. He squeezed back hard and the hand relaxed. Giles could always tell who they were by their grips and Xander knew Willow could have used glamour to make herself sound like him but she couldn't mimic his grip. Giles wanted the grip to confirm identity.

"It's me, Giles," Xander said gently as Spike washed the ex-watcher's badly abused body. "It's me. It's Xander."

"X-an-d-er?" the man whispered weakly.

Xander nodded and held the hand tighter again.

"Yeah, G-Man. It's Xander. And Spike is here too. He's cleaning you up. Dawn is getting a bedroom ready for you."

"Bed?" Giles asked weakly.

"Yeah, you know, that thing you lay on to sleep? We have like three guest rooms. More being made up cause Spike bought a huge house. I think it may be Cordelia's old place. Not really sure but it's big and safe and there are the softest beds in the world here. We're gonna take care of you now, G-man," Xander said gently as Gile's eyes closed again.

The right eye was badly swollen so Xander knew Giles had not been able to see him too well.

"Call Ethan?" Giles asked as he slipped unconscious again. "Please?"

"You want Ethan?" Xander asked as Spike dried and bandaged Giles and then carried him into the bedroom in a towel. "Giles?" he called again. "You want Ethan?"

"Mmmhmmm," Giles said as his head hit the pillow and he seemed to slide out.

"He's sleeping Pet," Spike said as they left the room after closeting the door.

They found Dawn in the hallway watching them. Her eyes were angry as she was holding what was left of Giles' clothes that Spike had pretty much ripped off when he put him in the tub.

"There's blood and semen and stuff on these clothes," Dawn said.

"Xander, who had him? Who did this to him?"

"Buffy," Xander whispered as he led them down the steps to the living room to see if there was a way to contact Chaos Mages in any of the books Spike had. "He was tied to a chair in Buffy's bedroom. She and Willow were beating him and using him and making him give them answers because Willow couldn't find the answers. I heard them say Giles would never be allowed to leave if they had anything to say about it. He'd never be allowed his own life. I couldn't leave him like that. I couldn't leave him there so I waited until they left and then I went into the house and got him. Spike, he---he didn't even notice I was cutting him loose. He just kind of fell into me when he was free. Like his body was too tired to hold up anymore. I just had to get him out and bring him here. He never made it out of his apartment the day he was supposed to leave I'd wager. He never made it out of his room before Buffy and Willow grabbed him."

Spike was quiet fir a few minutes before he just started swearing in as many languages as he knew. Finally he calmed down and looked at Xander. "I'm going to need you to stay with him during the day, mate," Spike said. "I have to rest soon and then---then I'm calling my Sire."

"You mean Angelus? You're going to call Angelus here?"

"Yeah, pet," Spike said as Dawn went back upstairs to sit with Giles for a bit so Spike and Xander could talk. "I can't protect Giles without my Sire claiming him as clan like he did you and Dawn when he was here that first night we lived here to mark the house. He needs to be made aware of this. Sire can stop her or give me permission to stop her. And if we can't find a way in those books, Sire can find the sorcerer. Get some rest. Tomorrow night, I want a full report on this. You need to rest and process this first but tomorrow I want a report. I want details and descriptions and I want to know how you found out he never left Sunnydale. I want to know everything."

"Why?" Xander asked.

"So I can make them pay for everything," Spike answered, as he looked down at the stains on the clothes the ex-watcher had been wearing and whispered quietly and with malice: "Everything."

Part 2

"Hello?" a just waking up voice said over the phone.

"Wesley," Spike said. "I need to talk to my Sire, can you get him for me?"

"Of course, Spike," Wesley said. "What's happened?"

"I need to talk to Sire first. He can tell you then."

"Of course Spike," Wesley said as the phone was taken from him.

"Yes, Childe?" the dark voice of his Sire came over the phone.

"Sire, I need you," Spike whispered. "Xander found Rupert tied to a chair in the Slayer's house. He's been abused badly. I can't protect him unless you mark him as clan. I need you here. I need help. I can't find Ethan and I can't stand against the bitches and protect the children at the same time."

"We're on our way, William," Angelus said. "We'll be there in a few hours. You just take care of him until I get there. Think of this as me saying he is Clan. You may defend him if you must."

"Thank you, Sire," Spike said as he hung up. "Thank you."

LA

"Wesley, go get the crash pack bags," Angelus said. Here in their private rooms, he was able to use his name and to breathe freely if he needed to breathe. He was dressed in his favorite leather pants and velvet shirt and as angry as he was he did not plan on changing on their way out.

"Angelus?" Wesley asked.

The dark vampire looked at his Mate and sighed gently pulling his head against his shoulder. "Slutty and Swillow had Giles prisoner in Slutty's house. He was tortured badly and abused. Spike asked me to come and help. Mark Giles as clan, and help him protect the children."

"Lets go then," Wesley, said as he grabbed the three duffle bags they always had ready. They had three hours of darkness left. God willing, they could be in Sunnydale in two.

"We'll have to find Ethan Rayne as well," Angelus said as they got in the car having ignored Cordelia, Fred and Gunn on the way out. "Giles needs him so we're going to have to find him."

"Of course," Wesley said as he got into the passenger seat.

Angelus could drive like the demon he was so Wesley left speed driving to him. They peeled out of the garage under the hotel and Wesley sat thinking on how bad Giles had to be for Spike to call Angelus and to ask Angelus to find Ethan Rayne. Not that they wouldn't but a call like this was bad news. It meant something worse than bad had happened so he just held onto his seat and waited to get to Sunnydale so he could find out what it was.

Sunnydale 1 hour or so later

Wesley released his death grip on the seat as Angelus braked the car behind the house Spike had bought. They were out and heading towards the door, which was opened by Dawn. She looked upset as she lunged into Angelus' arms. He was shocked but held her tightly as Wesley got the door closed and their things up to one of the other guestrooms. He came back down to Dawn sobbing in Angelus' arms. She was upset about what ahd been done to Giles and she wanted Angelus to make it better.

"I will sweet lass," he said gently. "I swear I will. Can you tell me anything that you know?"

"Buffy had forced sex with him," she sniffled against Angelus' leather coat. "There was semen on his slacks."

"Dammit," Angelus growled. He sat and held Dawn in his lap until Xander came down to get some lunch. He seemed relieved to see the dark vampire sitting there.

"I hate speed limits," Angelus said casually in response to the questioning eyebrow. "Now, since I sense William is waking up, get ready to tell me what all happened. I'm working on finding Ethan Rayne now."

"Yes, Sire," Xander, said. It was something he and Dawn had decided on when Spike asked for them to be made Clan. They both referred to Angelus as Sire as he was the Father of the Line, the Head of the Family.

Spike came into the room and Angelus suddenly realized he'd had Dawn in his lap for several hours and not realized it. She was so upset she had clung to him for that long.

"Okay," Xander said taking a deep breath. "I went for a walk yesterday and was near Giles' old apartment and I got one hefty shock. I saw Giles kind of sitting in the courtyard---"

FlashBack

Xander was watching Giles just sit by the fountain and stare at nothing. His face looked so tired and he seemed to have lost a shit load of weight. Xander started to approach him to ask what was wrong and why was he back when he saw Buffy and Willow. He ducked back behind a wall and watched as Willow first shoved Giles into the fountain and made him stay there until he was completely soaked and then Buffy hauled him up by his shirtfront and slapped him hard.

"What the hell are you doing here Giles?" Buffy asked angrily.

"You said I could go for a walk," Giles had answered.

Buffy slapped him again and Willow reached up and grabbed him by the neck. "I said you could go for a walk. I did not say you could walk nearly halfway across town!" She hissed. "Get moving. You are so going to regret this!"

"Buffy, please," Giles had begged.

And Xander knew he was begging. She tripped him as they exited the courtyard and he hit his knees. Xander knew he had just scraped his knees and shins up and he watched as Buffy forced him back to his feet.

"You know the punishment for this kind of rule breaking Giles," she said. "Don't make it worse."

"But you didn't say I couldn't---," he began.

She reached up and slapped him casually hard enough to split his lips open.

Xander followed them back to Buffy's house and managed to slip in unnoticed. He hid and watched what was going on in the house as Giles was tied to a chair in the dining room so tightly he could not move. Xander could see the ropes had already rubbed his wrists raw and he watched as a strip of cloth was wrapped tightly around his head gagging him. Then, he'd watched in horror as the real punishment began.

Buffy systematically beat the tar out of him, working him over from head to toe. Then, to be truly cruel, Xander guessed, she raped him.

"You aren't ever leaving me, Giles," she said as she kissed him through the gag. "You belong to me. I never lose what's mine and you are mine."

She and Willow had left then, left him tied like that and gone out the front door and headed towards the bronze. Xander had slid into the room and got to working the ropes off. They were so tight they had cut Giles' flesh so he was bleeding. Xander cut him loose and caught his body as it slumped towards him. He only had one thought in his head as he lifted the badly abused Watcher into his arms. Well, two but one was shock at how light Giles was.

For someone of his size and build he should not have been light enough for Xander to lift on his own. The other thought was "I have to get him to Spike. Spike will know what to do."

End Flash Back

"So, uhm, I got him here and Spike and I er--- well, we had to cut his clothes off while we were treating him and he started thrashing in the tub. He knew me by my grip. He didn't trust my voice because I know Willow and she's cruel enough to use Glamour so he heard her voice as mine. He knows our grips the same as he knows our footsteps and those can't be mimicked. Once he knew it was me he calmed down and asked if we could call Ethan and then we put him to bed, Dawn told us what the stains on what was left of his slacks were and then Spike cursed a blue streak and then said he was calling you. And then he ahd to rest a bit and now you're here and---."

"Take me to him," Angelus said as he stood.

Dawn released him and they all followed him up the steps. Spike took him to the room Giles was in and Angelus walked over to the bed where the Ex-Watcher was laying. He was semi concious and he stared up at Angelus seeming to think before he spoke.

"Not Angel," Giles whispered weakly.

"No," Angelus said. "Not Angel. But I am here to help you. Give me your hand, Giles. Once you are Clan, William may act in your defense."

"His chip?" Giles asked weakly.

"Was gone the second I found out about it. I have not been Angel for more than two years, Rupert. Now, I want you to rest. Rest and take my hand. Wesley is tracking Ethan down now. He'll be here as soon as we find him."

Giles nodded and gave Angelus his hand. The dark vampire bent over the hand and nipped Giles, taking a sip of his blood and then blended his blood in with Giles'.

"Kith is Kin, Kin is Clan," the dark vampire intoned. "By birth, By Blood, by Choice. You are Kin to me now, Rupert Giles. Safe and protected by my law. Rest and heal."

Giles was asleep as Angelus left the room. The others were waiting for him, Wesley with a smile.

"I found him," was all his Mate said.

Part 3

A rolling crash of thunder had preceded his arrival. A storm had come with him that seemed to be reflecting his rage. Its Fury lashed at the town a he materialized in the living room of the mansion. One word had brought him here.

One name: Rupert

"Where is he?" he asked the dark vampire who was waiting for him. The dark vampire turned and led him up a flight of steps and to a bedroom.

He slipped into the room where he saw Rupert Giles laying. "Janus have mercy," Ethan Rayne whispered as he took in the condition of the man he had loved for over 30 years. First, as the one who saved his life, then as a brother and finally as a lover. "Ripper? Can you hear me?"

"Mmm, Ethan?" Giles asked in that weak whispery voice. E

than nodded and took his hand. Ripper squeezed his hand and Ethan squeezed back. He knew how Ripper was when he was like this. He knew Ripper relied on touch when he was hurting and sick.

"I'm here, luv," Ethan said. "I'm here."

"Stay?" Giles asked weakly.

Ethan nodded and sat by the bed.

Ripper shook his head and pulled on the hand until Ethan understood. He lay down on the bed next to Giles who immediately rolled into his arms and hugged him tightly. Or, at least as Tightly as he could given the condition he was in.

"It's okay, Ripper," Ethan said. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"Hurts," Giles whispered.

"I know, luv," Ethan said as he wrapped his magic around the two of them. He felt Giles sigh against his chest and he smiled. "Janus still cares for you, luv," Ethan said. "I still love you. I'll stay here with you if you want me to but I have to know you do want me to."

"Stay?" Giles whispered. "Please?"

"Forever and for Always," Ethan said as he kissed Giles' forehead. "Rest now, luv. Rest. I'm here."

"Ethan," Giles whimpered raspily as he hugged the sorcerer.

Ethan sighed and settled in knowing he wasn't going anywhere for a while. "That's right, Rupert," he said gently. "Your Ethan is here. I'm right here."

"Ethan," Giles whimpered again and hugged tightly.

Ethan held him back and realized after a moment that Ripper was crying. He shifted his arms so Giles was so wrapped tightly in them and he felt the sobs finally escape. Pain Rupert must have been hiding from those who had been caring for him in the two days it had taken him to get here. He allowed Ripper to sob against him clinging desperately to him and he felt his rage at the two bitches grow.

Oh, they were going to learn a very serious lesson. A Painful lesson. No one did this to his Ripper and got away with it. Chaos took care of it's own and Ripper and by extension Everyone in this house was Chaos'.

Ethan held Giles as he finally seemed to run out of tears and he stroked the shaking back until Giles fell asleep.

"You will learn," Ethan silently vowed. "You will learn what it's like to face me when I am NOT playing."

He felt Giles hug him tighter and he sighed. He knew Ripper needed him more now than he needed to slake his thirst for vengeance. By an act of sheer will he calmed the storm going on outside and then wrapped Ripper in his arms. He remembered drifting off vaguely but he did not remember someone coming in to cover him with a blanket, which was the first thing he noticed when he woke up. The second thing he noticed was the Ripper had somehow moved so he was now mostly on top of Ethan as if seeking shelter in his very form.

Ethan nodded to himself and extended the Chaos Shield out and around him. Ripper seemed to relax as soon as he felt it brush over him. Ethan would keep him safe he knew. Ethan would make the pain go away.

Ethan sighed as he caught those thoughts through the bond with Ripper he had allowed to pen again. Yes, Ethan would do all those things. But first and foremost, Ethan would love him and make him well.

"Sleep, Ripper," he said gently. "Sleep until you wake hungry. There will be something here for you to eat."

"Mmmhmmm," Giles said as he drifted off. "Sleep."

Ethan shifted around so his back was against the headboard of the bed and Giles was wrapped in his body. Ethan could be caretaker when he had to be and right now? He had to be.

"It'll all be okay soon, Ripper," he whispered. "I promise."

Part 4

Giles was eating stew a few days later with Ethan still sitting behind him on the bed. He knew it was likely a pain in the ass to his lover but he needed him. Ethan had cut that thought off at the pass with a gentle kiss to Ripper's neck.

"I do not mind this, love," the Sorcerer told him. "You need me and I am here. Now, eat your stew and bread and drink your milk. I can see how much you are loving it."

"It's fresh," Giles whispered.

Ethan gripped him tighter beating down yet another surge of rage. He had figured out Ripper had been on a very limited diet of stale bread and brackish water but to see evidence of it set the fuse on his temper igniting again so he had to stomp it down. Now was not the time.

"It'll always be as fresh as can be, love," Ethan said. "You won't be treated like that again."

"You promise?" Giles asked.

He was afraid, Ethan knew. Terribly afraid.

"My vow, love," Ethan affirmed.

"Mine as well, Rupert," Angelus spoke from the doorway.

Giles looked at him and shifted back against Ethan. He knew he was safe and yet he still felt fear.

"Relax, Rupert," Angelus said. "Angel is not in hell this time so I won't be asking how to open portals there to get him back."

"That's why you wanted to know that? But Jenny said---."

"Jenny's clan knew I would be insane without Angel. They wanted you all to hate me without letting me explain what I needed. I was trying---I came to the school that night to ask for help. Doesn't matter I suppose though. Anyway, I'm here now because Angel was tired, so very tired after Doyle died. When Wesley came, he remembered things that he had suppressed. Like how much he adored the scent of Wesley. Angel had buried his feelings thinking it could never be. I knew he loved Wesley and I watched. I watched Wesley and I knew He was the one. He was the one who could free Angel; give him the paradise he deserved after the hell of putting up with me for 80 years. Of course then something even more amazing happened: I fell in love with Wesley too. Imagine my shock when he did what I thought I was going to have to trick him into doing. He knew. I was so gob smacked that he had figured it out. He waited until Cordelia left one night, he came down to my apartment, and to our shock, he reached up, wrapped his arms around Angel's neck, leaned up and against him and then kissed him with everything he had. I felt Angel's joy at that kiss, felt him realize I was letting him go. He made me promise though to protect Wesley. As if I wouldn't? He's My Mate as well as he was Angel's. Of course then he had to teach me to be Angel. Sometimes I need reminders like when Gunn and Fred hurt him. I know Wes likes women as well as men and I will tolerate it but I will not tolerate people hurting him and playing with his heart. I will not stand for that. Those two had best be glad Wesley called me on it or they would have been pate long before now."

"You won't hurt us?" Giles asked.

Angelus sighed. "You are blood of my blood now, Rupert. As is he. You are Kin, Kith and Clan to me. You are safe here. No one will hurt you again. Even if it means I make an object lesson out of one of those two for what they did to you. As anyone at Wolfram and Heart can tell you, I make Object Lessons extremely Easy to see."

There was a crash from downstairs and Spike yelled then: "Bloody hell, cheerleader, don't you people ever knock?!?!"

"Where is he?" Cordelia asked. "Where is Angelus? And if he's hurt Wesley so help me God I'll---."

"Do not a damn thing," Angelus said as he came down the steps followed by Ethan carrying Giles. "Sit the hell down, all of you and shut the hell up. I'll explain this when I'm damn good and ready."

Part 5

"No please," Giles cried in his sleep. "Please, don't. I swear, I didn't. You said. Please!"

"Giles, wake up. It's okay, you're safe. Giles!"

"NO!" Giles yelled. "Please, noooo!" His magic flared to life and the voice was thrown back off and away him. He heard the thud of a body hitting the wall but he didn't care. He was stronger now and no longer drugged. They wouldn't hurt him again.

"Ripper!" A voice called. Another voice but this one came with a touch of magic. The flavor of it wrapped around him and he sighed. Warm. Safe. Ethan.

"Ethan?" he called not really awake but wanting the presence to hold him. "Ethan, please?" he pleaded as he felt the presence come closer and wrap around him.

"I'm here Ripper," Ethan's voice said as a hand stroked his back.

Giles lunged into his arms still more asleep than awake and he began to cry silently.

"Please?" Giles asked.

"All of you, get out now," Ethan, said. He was rubbing Ripper's back and building what he knew Ripper needed with his magic.

"But---," the not voice said again. No touch so no identity to it.

"I. Said. LEAVE!!!" Ethan roared. He heard the door close and then felt Ethan wrapping him in Chaos magic. Making a blanket out of the power.

"I'm here Ripper," Ethan sighed. "I'm sorry love. I shouldn't have left you but I had to go to the bathroom. Next time I'll make sure there is a blanket of my power around you, okay?"

"Stay?" Giles whimpered.

"Shhh," Ethan soothed. "Easy. Let's get you dressed and then I'll take you downstairs with me, okay?"

"Not alone?" Ripper asked as Ethan swathed him in his magic.

"Never alone, never again," Ethan said as he gathered Giles' clothes. Giles felt Ethan dressing him gently. Going slowly so he didn't freak and making sure to tell him where his hands were at all times. Ripper was soon dressed in sweatpants, a t-shirt and very thick socks. Ethan wrapped the down comforter around Ripper and then lifted him and carried him out of the room and down the steps. Ripper lay against his chest and Ethan carried him down the back steps to the kitchen.

"Hey, G-Man," the voice called.

He cringed back against Ethan and Ethan took a deep, calming breath.

"Touch him before you speak," Ethan gritted out. "Gods, don't any of you understand? He was tortured with your voices. He doesn't see you by voice anymore. You have to touch him until he's well."

"Oh," Xander said in a small voice. "Hi, Giles, how are you?" His hand stroked Giles' arm as he spoke and Giles finally knew:

"Xander."

"You feeling better?"

"Sorry," Giles whispered.

"My bad," Xander answered. "I forgot I had to garb your hand in the bathroom to stop you flailing. I'm sorry. Are you feeling better? Hungry?"

"Pizza?" Giles asked hopefully.

After five days of stew and broth, he was more than ready for something else.

"Yeah, Angelus said you can have pizza tonight. Go ahead into the living room. Everyone else is in there and Angelus built you a fire. Be careful of Cordy and Gunn. They are--- In a Mood."

Ethan nodded and shifted Giles up higher in his arms and carried him into the living room. He knew Cordelia was being bitch by her grating voice. At least until she saw---

"GILES! What happened?"

"Don't yell his name," Ethan growled. "Gods, are all of you this thoughtless? Touch him before you speak to him!"

Cordelia opened her mouth again and Ethan growled. His eyes flashed and she froze. She found herself unable to speak for ten minutes and he sat on the couch still cradling Giles through the entire time. Finally he looked up at her.

"I do not care how rude and tactless you are at any other time but in this house you will respect everyone. Now, sit down and if you can't think before you speak, do not speak."

Cordelia felt the spell release and Ethan sat still holding Giles against his chest. Cordelia just stared at how bad Giles looked.

"Who did it?" she asked Ethan quietly. "Who did this?"

"Buffy and Willow."

part 6

Dawn was sitting and thinking; something was wrong with Giles. Something was really, Really terribly wrong with Giles. She didn't know exactly what it was or how she knew but she knew something was wrong. It had started with a bad feeling about the reason he was never actually looking at anyone even when he was speaking to them. He looked at the person but he never met their eyes.

Added to it was the fact you had to touch him so he knew who you were. Well, that was getting better but he sometimes still needed grip to know who was in the room with him. He would sometime stand at the window and let the light hit him. But he was never looking at things. It was like he wanted to feel things. It was like---oh, no. Dawn felt horror struck as she realized what she was seeing and it scared her.

It was like he couldn't see.

"Oh, no," she whispered. "Oh, Giles."

She heard a crash then and a thud and she was on her feet and running before the thought totally coalesced in her mind. She found Giles lying at the foot of the steps. There was a shopping bag next to him that it was obvious he had fallen over. It was a big bag though so unless he was totally blind, he should have seen it.

"Giles?" Dawn said as she laid her hand on his shoulder. He looked in her direction and Dawn knew without a doubt he couldn't see her at all.

"Here," she said as she took his hand. "Lets go sit in the living room until dinner. Okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Dawn," Giles said and he sounded relieved.

Relieved someone was there to help him.

"We have to tell the others," Dawn said as he sat on the couch with her guidance. "They have to know so they can help."

"Ethan knows," Giles told her. "He's teaching me to use my magic in lieu of a cane. I didn't see whatever I tripped over and the magic---er, I didn't have it on at the moment. I was getting ready to turn it on to come down the steps and I tripped."

"Yeah, it was Cordy's shopping bag. It should not have been at the top of the steps like that anyway. So, how long have you been blind?"

"Since three days after Buffy and Willow took me," he said. "I could get to my apartment by sense memory. I know the roads, and my sense of hearing is up as are all of them except sight, which I don't seem to have at all. I, er...Well, Ethan has been helping me."

"That's why you need touch to confirm who we are isn't it?" Dawn asked. "You can't see to compare voices."

"Yes," Giles said. "I've always known you all by how you grab my hand or how hard you open a door. I know your footsteps and the way your presence feels but I was in too much shock to use those cues and clues. I think I was in too much pain."

"Trauma," Dawn said as she took his hand again. "Come on, it's dinner time. We need to tell everyone."

Giles nodded and stood, still holding Dawn's hand and they made their way into the dinning room where there was a big spread laid out on the table. Ethan was there to take Giles to his seat and Dawn chose to sit next to Giles that night. She looked at Spike, Xander, Angelus and Wesley and the look was one that said she needed to tell them something. Unfortunately, Cordelia and Gunn came in to the room before she could and they all sat down to start the meal. Giles still cringed slightly hearing Cordy or Gunn yell. Cordelia because her voice always sounded irritated and Gunn because he didn't know him.

"Okay," Cordelia said. "So, who knocked my shopping bag down the steps? It had new silk shirts in it and---."

"I did," Giles said. "I didn't see it there and I tripped over it."

"Like it was supposed to be at the top of the steps in the middle of the landing to begin with?" Dawn asked sarcastically.

Ethan turned a glare on Cordelia who seemed to think that just because this was her old house she had a right to behave as the spoiled princess she used to be here. Angelus growled slightly and even Spike looked irritated.

"That ain't the point," Gunn said. "How the hell could you trip over something that big? Are you blind or something?"

"Yes," Giles said seemingly calm. "I have been for 6 months."

Part 7

 "What?!?!" Angelus roared. "How---Who did it?"

"Buffy," Giles whispered softly. His throat was constricting and Dawn took his hand in hers. She had a bad feeling she knew what had happened or at least how it had been done.

"Rupert," Angelus said. "Can you tell us or does it hurt to much?"

"God, Giles, I'm sorry," Cordelia whispered. "I didn't know."

"No one did, Cordelia," Giles answered. "I was trying to learn to cope before I told you. That's what Ethan is teaching me: How to use magic as a cane of sorts. It can tell me what is in front of me as I walk. I got to the top of the steps tonight without it but I didn't have a chance to turn it on before I tripped over the bag."

"I'm sorry for leaving it there," Cordelia said. "So, can you tell us what happened?"

"I--," Giles began. He stopped and swallowed hard. Finally managing to clear his throat. "I was tied to a-a chair in Buffy's dinning room I guess about three days after she and Willow grabbed me. Dawn had left the day before I think. I'm not really sure because I was in a good deal of pain for those first weeks. Anyhow, Buffy was angry with Dawn leaving. She and Willow s-said it was my f-fault and that she was going to make sure I c-couldn't leave. She was beating me, tenderizing me I think, and I felt this stinging pain in my arms as Willow did something so my head snapped back. Uhm, Buffy said she was going to punish me and the next thing I saw was the bat swinging at my head. Th-that was the l-last thing I s-saw. When I woke up, Buffy said I was going to remember the last thing I ever saw was the image of the thing that took my sight. She's right. I have never been able to forget the image of the bat that took my sight. Nor have I forgotten the face of the person who swung it. The crack against the side of my head I will never forget the sound of and I---."

"It's okay, Giles," Angelus said gently. "It's okay. We understand. And I swear by all that's unholy they will pay for it. They will pay in blood for this."

"For everything," Spike added as he reached over and gripped Giles' hand. Everyone at the table squeezed his hand before the meal commenced and they watched how Ethan gave him cues as to where everything was and they realized Ethan had set Giles' place every night since he'd starting eating with them for a reason. He was setting it up in a way that Giles would know. A specific pattern. It seemed that Giles had learned quite a bit on coping the six months he'd been at Buffy and Willow's mercy and his other sense were upped to compensate but he did sometimes need help so the magic would act as a cane.

"How can we help?" Cordelia asked.

"Don't leave things in the middle of the floor until he knows how to use his magic without thinking about it," Ethan answered. "Don't move things around for awhile and don't yell if he drops something or trips over something. It will take time for him to learn to use his magic as a cane and to be able to extend it like radar. We're working on it but it will take time."

"Is there any chance of healing this?" Angelus asked. Ethan thought for a few moments.

"Possibly but I need everything else healed first before I even attempt it. I need to have everything else back in condition before I even attempt to look for the mage to his eyes. That was the other reason he called me; he knew I could help him cope."

"Thanks, luv," Giles whispered as he clung to Ethan's hand.

This terrified him, it was obvious but he was trying to be brave for the children.

Ethan sighed and hugged him gently. "We will get through this, Ripper," Ethan said. "I don't
know whether or not I can restore your sight but you won't lose me."

"You won't lose any of us," Cordelia said forcefully. "We're all here, Giles. We will always be here for you....You aren't going to face this alone."

Giles' eyes were bright with unshed tears at the show of support from this group. His Family.

"Kith, Kin and Clan," Angelus said as he gripped Giles' hand again. "Kith, Kin and Clan is what we are and we stand or fall together. No fears, Rupert, we wont let you fall. Ever."

"Thank you," Giles whispered. He was touched, truly touched, that they cared so much about him, this twisted up, bizarre family of his. Angelus' words echoed in his head as he sat on his bed that night: Kith, Kin and Clan.

He was not alone.

And he never would be.

END PART 8

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