1: The Man You Love to Hate

"Ripper?" Willow asked with some fear.

"What's it to ya?" the man asked as he got to his feet. And only now was Willow seeing the differences. Not only in speech but also in clothes. The other one was still wearing his tweed suit. That was normal Giles wear. But Ripper? He was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a white t-shirt, combat boots, and a leather jacket with a chain looped around the shoulder. He also had an earring in and was playing with a lighter, a Zippo Lighter, like Spike's, and a knife. He was watching her as he helped their normal looking Giles pull a new table out to replace the one he'd crashed through. Willow was staring at him, as he and her Giles seemed to be avoiding each other. Avoiding actually touching for some reason. And Ripper kept scowling at her Giles. Like he didn't like him.

"He doesn't," Her Giles said as he read her face. "He hates me, much as I hate him. I'm surprised we haven't gotten into a fight yet. Normally that's all we do in the head."

"I ain't ready for a fight yet, wuss-boy," Ripper said from where he was now sitting at the new table. He'd said he would fix the other one when he was ready to but he had moved this one out so the principal wouldn't see the mess he'd made taking the other one down. "When I'm ready to physically pound the shit out of you for what you did, you'll know."

"What did he do?" Willow asked. She was defensive of the man she knew as their Giles but there was something off about him.

"He locked me in a sodding cage because he can't deal with the real world. Not that he'll hesitate to scream for me if he can't handle something. I didn't like being made to beat Ethan, Rupert. You remember that when I beat you the way you forced me to beat him."

"Ethan got what he deserved," Willow said. "Anyway, who are you to judge?"

"I'm 50% of Giles, little girl," Ripper growled as he tapped a cigarette out of the pack he had in his coat pocket. "And you'd best not forget it."

"You're not Giles?" Willow asked the man in the tweed suit.

"No," he told her. "I'm Rupert. He's Ripper and together we make up Giles. We hate each other, yes. But we also know we need each other. It's a perverse thing."

"Only to you stuff shirt," Ripper said. "I, personally, think it's bleedin' lark. Poor little council's boy can't do shit without the big, bad Ripper to balance him. You kids know if I wasn't here, you wouldn't be allowed to work with the blond bitch? That's all me being more indulgent than Rule-Book-Boy here."

Rupert sputtered but Ripper just smiled lazily as he lit up his fag and inhaled it. He was still wearing the smirk when the doors to the library opened and Xander's voice cut through the silence that had descended when Rupert stopped sputtering.

"G-Man," the youth called. "I'm back. I brought the donuts Willow said you wanted for the research party!"

And in chorus, completely in agreement about at least one thing, Rupert and Ripper both yelled: "Stop Calling Me G-man."

And there was a noise of a box hitting the floor, followed by the thud of a body as they realized Xander had just seen them.

"Sod it," Ripper muttered. He got up and walked over to the boy and sighed looking down at him. "Aqua Bombardia."

And a deluge of water appeared from nowhere and hit the teen and only the teen. He woke up sputtering and started as Ripper hauled him to his feet and then bent to pick up the box of donuts. He turned the boy to the table and shoved him until he moved stiffly to one of the chairs and sat down.

Ripper set the box of donuts on the table and then retook his own chair.

Xander just stared at him in shock.

"What?" Ripper asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No," the teen whispered as he continued to stare. "Its just... Giles?"

"No," Ripper said sighing. "I'm Ripper, tweed-boy there is Rupert. Giles doesn't exist right now."

"Really?" the youth asked. Ripper nodded while Rupert ate a jelly donut and continued to stare at the stone that had caused this mess worriedly.

"Chill, Stuffy," Ripper said. "We'll figure it out when we need to. It ain't world ending so just let it be for now. I got a feeling we're supposed to do something while we're like this."

"What could we possibly have to do together?" Rupert asked.

Ripper sighed. Honestly the man was so obtuse.

"I don't know but if you remember your own artifact books you know that stone only activates when it needs to separate someone for a purpose. Bloody hell man, can't you remember anything without me? Honestly you are a twit."

"I am not!" Rupert growled. "I'm just not you."

"Thank Janus," Ripper muttered. Louder he added, "I wouldn't want you to be me. The world only needs one."

"And that just relieves any and all worries I might have about you running amuck without a control so much," Rupert shot back. "You have no sense of sanity, Ripper."

"That's your job, Stiff," Ripper said as he inhaled his cigarette one more time before putting it out in a bowl Rupert had set out for him.

"So I think what we need to do is figure out a way to know what we're supposed to do before I kill you for what you did to me."

"But wont that kill you too?" Xander asked. "I mean you said you need him to be Giles."

"Bloody smart arse," Ripper muttered. "Fine, before I really hurt you. Happy, brat?"

"Yeah," Xander said. "Hey, can I be here when Buffy finds out?"

"XANDER!" Willow screeched at the evil smile on the boy's face.

"Sure," Ripper said. "It's sure to be a bloody riot."

"But it's Buffy!" Willow said in outraged tones.

"And shed serves it," Ripper said. "I'm the only one allowed to hurt Rupert there. Well, aside from Ethan but with him it's usually a joke. I don't like how she treats him and I plan to show it when I meet the little bitch."

And he got up and gave Willow a demonstration that had both her and Xander's jaws dropping in shock: he put his hand through a piece of marble. "Any Questions?" he asked.

2: Someone Wants Answers

Ripper and Rupert continued to sit at the table ignoring each other a much as possible when the doors to the library opened and more people came in. There were four but two had Xander's jaw dropping.

"Deadboy," he said and then choked as his head snapped around. "Deadboy?"

"Nah," the one person they had never seen before said. "Angel's in Vegas this week. He wanted a vacation. This is my mate, Angelus, that's Liam, you know Spike and I am Wesley. Yes, Mr. Giles, I was a member of the council before Angelus took me away from them."

"They hurt you, I hurt them," the dark hulk said as he laid a hand on the young man's shoulder. "Relax people, I won't be torturing anyone for information this time. I wanted him back, by the way. That's why I was pissed when you wouldn't tell me. Anyway, what's happened to make two of you?"

Wesley's eyes scanned the table and then settled on the stone. "Who activated it?" he asked slowly. As one, Ripper and Rupert pointed at Willow. "And do we know why?" Wesley asked coldly.

"She wanted its power," Ripper said. "Rupert and I both remember the look on her face when she was chanting over it. Telling it to release it's power into her."

"Stupid child," Wesley growled. "Stupid, ignorant child. What were you thinking? This thing could have had power to kill you if you activated it. Do you not think?"

"Not when she wants power," Ripper said as he continued to play with his knife. "So, you got any idea what we were separated for?"

"Is there one person or thing you both agree on your feelings about?" Wesley asked.

Angelus chuckled. His Mate was so damn Smart.

"Buffy," Willow said confidently.

Here both Rupert and Ripper snorted.

"Not hardly," Ripper said.

"I dare say not," Rupert spoke at the same time.

"What?" Willow exclaimed. "But....but she's your Slayer. Buffy is... is..Perfect!"

"A perfect little snobby bitch," Ripper said. "No, the person we both agree on isn't in this room. He goes by the name Ethan Rayne. He's the only person we agree on."

"And do you agree he's a bad man?" Willow asked.

Ripper chuckled seeing her eyes trying to influence him with magic.

"No, actually," he said as he saw her jaw fall open at his denial when she clearly wanted him to say something else. "What we agree on about Ethan is that he matters more to us than anything. Including a group of children who don't know how to treat anyone decently. You all use and use and use and never care about what it causes the people you take from. Rupert is too gentle and timid to say this but I am not. You wont treat me like you do him. And you wont treat him that way anymore either. I see you doing it and I will take you down. I said it once and I'll say it Again, Rupert is Mine to hate or love, Mine to torment or care for. No one else gets to hurt him like you brats have. Clear?"

"And what gives you that right?" Willow asked again.

And Xander was slowly edging backwards seeing the cold look in The Ripper's eyes.

"I am part of him, as he is part of me. What you children have done to him since the day you met him is going to stop. Because if it doesn't, I will hurt you. AM I making myself clear?" And his power lashed at Willow, slamming her against the wall.

She stared wide-eyed, as she seemed to finally realize Giles had power. Even if he never used it, he had it.

"Now, please go sit down. Rupert and I got work we gotta do. Something is up with Ethan. He needs us. Not sure why or how but he needs us."

"And we need to find out how," Angelus said.

"No, we don't," Willow said angrily. "We need to get all the research done so Buffy doesn't have to do anything when she comes in."

"It wont work you know," Ripper said. "I'm not afraid of my magic so I'm using it to counter everything you're trying to do to us. Sorry, little bitch, but it ain't gonna happen. Buffy's gonna learn to do for herself. Xander, could you bring me the Invokatum there? I may have to ask Janus himself what's happened. Thanks, mate."

And Willow stared as Ripper and Rupert, while still looking daggers at each other, opened their books and began to research. It was annoying her. Why couldn't she play on their hate for each other? Why wouldn't they side with her?

"Because they know they need each other," the new guy, Wesley, said. "Despite the mutual hatred, they know they need each other. And that is something your magic cannot touch. Now please, if you won't help, do go away. We have wok to do that you have no place in."

"Oh, like you do?" Willow snapped in an acidic tone.

"Aye, he does," Angelus said, "Because I say he does and he's smarter than you. Go away you little swill. We've work to do."

And he turned his back on her, ignoring her. She stared hatefully and then had an idea: She went and called Buffy. Not that it was a shock to those in the library. They knew she would.

"Where is he?!" the blond Slayer demanded storming into the library. "Where is Angelus so I can stake him?"

"Buffy," Rupert said.

"Shut the Hell up," Ripper finished.

And she stared gape faced for an entire minute before her eyes rolled up and she fainted.

"Well," Ripper said. "That was fun."