FORAY-PART 5
CHAPTER 20
"Willow? Honey, is that you?" Mrs. Rosenberg asked, calling out from the kitchen.
"Yes mom, it's me," she replied.
"You've got a message on the answering machine. It seems kind of important," her mother said as she wiped her hands with a paper towel.
"Okay... thanks," she said, putting her bag down, as she went to listen to the message.
"Hello... uh... this is Rupert Giles, the high school librarian. Could you have Willow call me at school around 6 p.m.? I... um, I seem to be having difficulties with the computer in the library, and I'm hoping she might be able to assist me. She should have the number, thank you..."
There it was, short and to the point. She listened to it twice, it was the only time she had actually heard his voice since he'd called her last Sunday.
"So, are you going to call Mr. Giles?" her mother asked.
"What? I'm sorry mother, I wasn't paying attention," Willow responded, after saving the message.
"It's almost 6 p.m. If you're going to call him, you'll have to do it soon. He has a lovely voice... don't you think?" she asked her daughter, wondering what her reaction would be.
"Yes... he does," Willow replied without thinking. "Umm... I've got the number written down in my room. I... I think I'll call from upstairs," she said.
"Alright dear," Mrs. Rosenberg said as she watched her daughter practically fly up the stairs. 'Hmm, Rupert Giles?'
Willow picked up the phone and dialed Rupert's office number.
"Three... four... come on, be there. Five," she said out loud.
"Sunnydale High School Library, Rupert Giles speaking. May I help you?" came the voice she missed through the telephone line.
"Rupert! It's me... Willow," she said, barely keeping the gleeful tone from her voice.
"Ah... Miss Rosenberg. Thank you for calling back on such short notice," he replied.
'Miss Rosenberg? What's going on?' she wondered.
"Giles... is there something wrong?" she asked.
"Yes, as... as a matter of fact there is. I'm... I'm, uh, having the most dreadful time with that infernal computer, I was wondering if you might be able to come by... and look at it for me? You wouldn't need to bring you're kit, you could use the one from last week," he asked.
"Right now?" she asked.
"If that's not an inconvenience for you...?"
"No... it's okay," she replied.
"Um... I... I'm sorry, I can't offer to pick you up..." he started.
"That's alright, I can ask my dad..."
"Thank you Miss Rosenberg, I really must go... good-bye," he said as he hung up the phone.
Looking at the receiver, the teenager couldn't understand what had happened. She went over the conversation, hoping to gleam some nugget of information that would clear things up for her.
'Kit? What is he talking about?' she asked herself. The only kit she had used last week was the...
"The first aid kit," she said out loud. "Oh... my gosh! Rupert's in trouble!"
CHAPTER 21
Rushing to her closet, Willow grabbed a backpack from the floor. Checking in the compartments to see if she had everything she needed.
"Okay... crucifix... small bottle of Holy water... stakes. Gotta call Buffy and Xander," she said to herself.
She left a message with Xander's mother to have him meet her at the library as soon as he could.
Luckily, Buffy was at home, she filled her in on the situation.
"I'm on my way... and Willow?" Buffy said.
"Yes," she replied anxious to get to the library.
"Don't go in by yourself... wait for me or Xander," she told her friend.
"Umm... okay," she answered, crossing her fingers behind her back.
"I'll get there as soon as I can... bye," the slayer said as she hung up the phone and ran out of the house to the library. 'This doesn't look good. If anything happens to Giles... they'll wish they'd stayed dead the first time around,' Buffy thought to herself.
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Running out of her bedroom, the backpack slung over her left shoulder, Willow hit the brakes as soon as she reached the stairs. She couldn't let her parents see her acting suspiciously they would know something was wrong. And she didn't want to have to lie to them.
Besides, she wasn't very good at it, she had a tendency of looking everywhere else, except at the person she was speaking with, whenever she lied.
"Stay calm," she muttered to herself, and slowly walked down the stairs.
She heard the news coming from the living room. Going in, she saw her parents on the couch watching television.
"Daddy? Could you give me a ride to school, please?" she asked.
"School... now?" he replied, looking at the clock on the wall.
"Yes, please," she said.
"Mr. Giles, the school librarian left a message for Willow. Seems he's having a problem with the computer, isn't that right dear?" Mrs. Rosenberg asked.
"That's right," she answered, wanting to physically haul her father off the couch and into the car, she was wasting time.
"Can't this wait until Monday?" he asked.
"NO! No, it... it can't," she replied, she could feel her self-control begin to slip.
Willow's mother looked at her daughter, she could sense something was wrong. She turned to her husband and said: "It's okay, take her. You won't be long, will you?"
"I hope not," she answered.
"All right, let's go. Where are my keys?" he asked, only to see them dangling from his daughter's hand.
Mrs. Rosenberg watched them leave the house. She had faith in her daughter, she knew Willow had a good head on her shoulders. "If anything happens to her Mr. Giles, you'll have to deal with me."
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Willow was trying to mentally push her father into driving faster, each minute that passed made her edgier. Her heart was pounding, she needed to know how Rupert was doing. The thought that he might be injured... unable to defend himself was driving her crazy.
When they finally arrived at the front of the school, Willow opened her door before her father had come to a complete stop.
"What's the hurry?" he asked.
"It's important daddy, I've got to go," she said.
Shaking his head, Mr. Rosenberg called out to her as he watched her run up the steps, "See you later."
Pulling the door open, Willow ran down the hallway that led to the library. Swinging her backpack off her shoulder, she slipped her arms through the straps, giving her the appearance of wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Her hands reached into the front compartment, taking the crucifix out, as she stopped short of the entrance.
She knew she should wait outside for Buffy and Xander, but her feelings for Giles were clouding her judgement.
"Come on Buffy. Where are you?" she whispered.
Willow slowly pushed the door open with the tip of her shoe. Once it was open wide enough for her to slip in, she did.
She could see the light coming from Rupert's office, keeping low to the floor, she made her way to it. She held the crucifix out in front of her, hoping it would provide some protection against whatever Giles was facing.
She thought she saw something, some kind of movement. She looked to her left, and saw only the magazine racks and books.
A few more feet and she would be close enough to attempt a peek inside.
She never saw the blow to the back of her head coming, as she collapsed to the floor unconscious.
The crucifix flew out of her hand and skidded across the floor.
"Take her inside," the voice said.
CHAPTER 22
After Giles had phoned Willow, he had taken another beating. He wasn't sure how long he'd remained conscious before he finally passed out from the pain, temporarily removing him from the situation he found himself in...
He had been surprised by the attack.
He had just walked into his office when he was struck from behind. The blow propelled him into his desk, knocking over the lamp, and scattering the books he had been reading to the floor.
He managed to elbow his attacker in the stomach when he had been placed in a choke hold. He listened for the man gasping for air, before he acted.
He reached up, and grabbing his assailant's head brought it down on the desk... hard. The satisfying sound of cartilage breaking and the sight of blood pouring out, let him know that he had broken the man's nose.
"Mne noze... mne noze!"
Giles took the momentarily lapse in the man's concentration to clasp both his hands together and hit him behind the neck. A smirk appeared on his face as he watched the man slump to the ground out cold.
Turning around, he was greeted with the site of four other men waiting to come in.
Taking a deep breath, he gestured them forward.
"Who's next?" he said, a predatory look on his face.
He managed to take out two more before they were able to subdue him.
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Giles felt the sting of a slap across his face, as he drifted to awareness through a cloud of pain.
Rupert had taken the beatings they inflicted on him, and only when they threatened to go to Willow's house, did he finally make the call. He hoped Willow had understood what he had tried to convey to her, and that she would contact the others, rather than attempting anything by herself.
'If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself,' he thought.
"Wake up," a voice told him. "WAKE UP!" Giles' head jerked violently to one side as he took another blow to the face.
"Wha... what do you want?" he managed to say, as blood ran from his mouth.
"Right now? Nothing, I just like hitting you that's all," came the reply.
"Put her over there... BE careful. I have plans for her," the leader of the group said, when two men carried the unconscious teenager into Giles' office.
'Put who where?' Giles wondered.
Wincing as he strained to lift his head, Giles tried to focus on what was happening in his cramped office.
Looking through his nearly swollen shut eye, the blood drained from his face as he watched his beloved Willow being put on the floor.
'Merciful God in heaven... NO!' he thought.
"WHAT have you DONE to her!" he shouted, aggravating the ringing in his ears, as he fought against the binds that secured him to his chair. He grimaced each time he moved his now useless wrist, which he believed had been broken during his attempts to ward off his attackers.
"So, you're awake... good," the voice came from behind him.
"If you harm her... I'll KILL you," Giles said quietly, as he continued to struggle.
"Stop that... or I'll gut her right now!" the voice told Giles, imbedding the point of a deadly looking hunting knife in the middle of his desk. "Makes no difference to me."
The gleaming knife took the fight out of him. He couldn't risk Willow's life, he tried to get a look at her from where he was sitting, but it was no use. He started to move when someone grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back.
"Don't you move... not one inch," the voice breathed in his ear. "I know you CARE for her... Watcher. So, if you know what's good for the kid, you'll be a good boy and sit tight, Okay?" the end of the conversation was punctuated by a slap to Giles' face.
"Please... don't hurt her, I beg you!" Giles pleaded with his captures.
Giles heard the shuffling of shoes.
"She's entered the building, she should be here any minute."
"All right, you know what to do. If he gives you any problems... kill the bitch," the leader said before turning his attention back to Giles. "Oh... by the way, you've failed. You can't keep her from harm, no matter what you do, but then... you've had that problem before... haven't you... Watcher?"
CHAPTER 23
Giles watched as the leader left the room.
His head sank to his chest.
Rupert realized that one of his biggest fears had become a reality, he couldn't protect Willow.
He had faced that particular fear when Buffy had been killed by the Master, if it hadn't been for Xander's intervention, who knows what would have happened.
He wouldn't survive if the same fate were to befall Willow.
"Well... I think it's time you took another nap," Giles heard before he was knocked out again.
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"GILES!"
"Buffy?" he muttered. He couldn't see what was happening outside his office, he only heard the commotion.
His head ached, he could barely see, and his wrist was numb, but his main concern was for Willow, he had to get to her.
"Willow... can you hear me?" he called out. Inching his chair forward, as he tried to get around his desk. "Willow? Please, answer me if you can," he said, the concern in his voice evident.
"Giles... she's not here," Buffy said as she entered his office.
"What do you mean she's not here?" his mind refusing to accept the information.
"Giles... don't move. Xander's calling for an ambulance, we've got to get you to the hospital," she said as she gingerly released him from his bonds.
"Willow?" he said.
"Giles, listen to me very carefully. Willow's gone, Angel's trying to find her," she told him.
"What do you mean Angel's out looking for her... ? She WAS here...," he replied.
Sorrow filled Buffy's face, "Giles, what's the last thing you remember?" she asked.
Closing his eyes, he thought back. "I think someone said... 'She's here?' I'm not sure, and if I... " he swallowed as the tears began to fall. "If I gave them any problems, to... kill... to...," a large lump formed in his throat, making it impossible for him to continue.
"It's okay Giles, we'll find her, don't worry," Buffy told him, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as he cried.
Buffy noticed Xander standing in the doorway, and placing her index finger on her lips, she gestured for Xander to leave them alone. He nodded his head, and waited outside.
"It's all my fault," he muttered.
"Giles, it's not your fault. You're not to blame," the Slayer told him.
"Yes... it is. She'd be safe at home this very moment if it wasn't for me," he said.
"Giles, stop that, stop it right now. You don't know that. Who knows what would have happened to her without you here? Look at where she lives!" Buffy told him, throwing her arms in the air. "Where we all live."
Kneeling next to him, she looked into his face and, despite the beatings he had obviously taken, she had never seen the look of total despair on it... until now.
"I couldn't live with myself if something happens to her Buffy," he whispered.
"Giles... I know you care for Willow, we all do..."
"Not like I do," he told her as he looked into her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"I love Willow," Giles said, wondering how Buffy would react to the statement he had made.
"I love her too Giles," she replied with a confused look on her face. "She's like a sister to me."
"You don't understand Buffy... I'm IN love with her," he explained.Part 6
