Persecuted

Rating: PG-15

Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I do not mean to infringe on any copyrights. I am not making any money from this. Any original ideas however are mine.

Distribution: http://mysticmuse.net

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Pairing: Giles/Jenny

Jenny and Giles spotted Buffy and Willow in the crowd assembled at City Hall for the vigil, and made their way over to them. "Hi guys! Big turn-out huh!" Jenny indicated at the mass of people.

"Yeah, this is great, maybe we could all go patrolling together later," Buffy grumbled, looking around at all of the people her mother had gathered.

"Well, at least your mom's making an effort" Willow said. "My mom's probably..." Willow trailed off and stared at a woman approaching them. "Standing right in front of me, right this second. Mom!"

"Willow, I didn't know you were going to be here? Hello Bunny." She looked at Jenny and Giles.

"Oh, erm, mom, this is Ms. Calendar and Mr. Giles. Ms. Calendar's my computer science teacher and Giles is the school librarian."

"Oh, erm, pleased to meet you." Willow's mum shook their hands.

"Yes, likewise," Giles replied politely and smiled.

"Hi!" Jenny nodded and gave Willow's mum a large smile.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Willow asked.

"Well, I read about it in the paper and what with your dad out of town...Willow you cut off your hair! That's a new look."

Jenny stared at Willow's mum in astonishment. "Yeah. It's just a sudden whim I had in August," Willow replied, obviously hurt. Jenny and Rupert exchanged glances of disbelief at Willow's mother's obvious lack of attention to her daughter.

Absent-mindedly Willow's mum muttered, "I like it." Before her attention once again turned to someone other than her daughter, as Buffy's mum approached the group. "Hello Joyce."

"Sheila, I'm glad you could come." Joyce embraced Sheila briefly. "Mr. Giles! Ms. Calendar! Hello! Good to see you both here." Giles and Jenny gave Joyce a welcoming smile.

"There's a rumor going around Mr. Giles, about witches," Sheila said. "People calling themselves witches are responsible for this brutal crime!"

Rupert and Jenny exchanged ominous looks. Willow laughed nervously. "Indeed! How strange," Giles brushed the rumor aside, trying to make light of it.

"Er, what do you think about it Ms. Calendar?" Joyce asked. "Buffy told me you're a er, what's the term, techno-pagan!"

Buffy looked apologetically over at Jenny. "Er, yes. I er, I think it's a little early to make a judgment yet."

"Er, yes, yes. Quite right," Giles backed her up.

"Yeah, and remember mom, not all witches are bad. Some of them are really good and help people," Buffy jumped in eagerly.

Sheila opened her mouth to comment, but the Mayor interrupted her with the start of his speech. Everyone went quiet and turned their attention to what he had to say. When he had finished, Joyce went up and took the podium to speak. The end of her speech sent chills down Jenny's spine. "This isn't our town anyone. It belongs to the monsters, the witches and the Slayers. I say it's time for the grown-ups to take Sunnydale back" Joyce's voice rose passionately. "I say we start by finding the people who did this and making them pay." All of the crowd, except for the Scoobies present, started to clap and cheer. Jenny felt dread build up inside of her. The whole scene was reminiscent of the lynching mobs and witch trials of old. She shuddered. Rupert noticed and placed an arm comfortingly around her. She leaned into him.

The next day at school.

Buffy caught sight of Jenny at the end of the corridor and running, managed to catch up with her. "Hey!"

"Hi Buffy."

"Look, I wanted to apologize for...well...for my mom blurting out that you were a techno-pagan."

"It's okay Buffy." A thud from back down the corridor caught Jenny's attention. Retracing their footsteps, they hurried to where the noise was coming from and were in time to see Michael being slammed up against the lockers. The taller boy that had hold of him by his lapels yelled, "Everyone knows he's into that weird voodoo crap. People like him have gotta learn a lesson."

"Hey! Hey! What's going on here," Jenny intervened, looking from Michael to the student who had shoved him into the lockers. Buffy stood at the side of Jenny, silently backing her up.

The taller student let go of Michael and started to back away. "No problem here, we're walking."

Jenny turned to Michael. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." He quickly walked off in the opposite direction to the other student. Amy hurried after him.

Jenny sighed. "This is just great. Talk about democracy!"

"Calendar!" Snyder yelled down the corridor. "My office." Jenny cringed at the way Snyder had just derogated her in front of the students.

Buffy looked at Jenny questioningly. Jenny shrugged. Holding her head high, she walked down the corridor towards Snyder's office.

"You're firing me?" Jenny's mouth gaped open at Snyder.

"Yes." He smirked at her.

"Why?"

"You know why. I won't have a witch teaching in this school."

Jenny shook her head in disbelief. "I'm not a witch. I'm a techno-pagan."

"Same thing."

"No, it isn't."

"You have the rest of the day to clear your things out."

"You can't do this."

"I think you'll find I can." He sauntered past her and out of his office. Jenny stood in the middle of his room in shock.

Buffy, Willow, Xander and Oz were gathered in the corridor, with the rest of the students, watching the security guards unlock lockers. "What are they looking for?" Willow asked.

"Witch stuff," Amy said, moving over to them. "They got my spells. I have to report to Snyder."

"I have spell ingredients in my locker," Willow panicked. "Oh no, my locker's next. Buffy I didn't do anything wrong. The symbol is harmless. I used it to make a protection spell for you for your birthday with Michael and Amy, only now it's broken because you know about it. Please, you have to believe me."

Snyder came down the corridor and was handed some packages from Willow's locker by one of the security guards. "Ms. Rosenberg, my office."

Jenny walked into the library to find it in chaos. Security guards were packing up the books into boxes. Rupert looked on desperately. "What's going on?"

"Ah, Jenny. They're...they're confiscating my books." She moved over to him and placed a hand on his arm.

Buffy had just come through the doors and caught Giles words. "Giles we need those books."

"Believe me, I've tried to tell that to the nice man with the big gun."

"Want me to try and smuggle some books out of here?" Jenny offered. "It's not like I can lose my job, seeing as Snyder's already fired me!"

"What?" Both Buffy and Giles spluttered.

"Hmm, the bastard fired me because of my religious beliefs."

"Oh, Jenny, that's terrible." Rupert gave her a hug.

"He can't do that can he?" Buffy asked.

"That's what I told him. But..." she shrugged.

"This is intolerable," Giles erupted. "Snyder has interfered before, but this is...I won't take this from a twisted little monkey man."

"I love the smell of desperate librarian in the morning." They all turned to glare at Snyder.

"You get out and take your marauders with you," Giles ordered.

"Oh my, so fierce. I suppose I should hear you out." He swaggered over to the table and picked up a book. "Just how is 'Blood Rites and Sacrifices' appropriate reading material for a public school library!" Snyder put the book into the box one of the security guards was holding and they started to cart his books out of the library.

"This is not over," Giles vowed to Snyder's departing back.

Later that evening

Willow couldn't believe the way her mother was reacting. "Mom, please? I'm not doing anything bad."

"I don't want you hanging out with those friends of yours. Or with that computer teacher. It's clear where this little obsession came from. Really, that woman should not be allowed to teach children. Such a bad influence!"

"Ms. Calendar's not a bad influence mom. She's really nice. She's a good person."

"Willow, I understand. You're at that age where you're easily influenced. I'm just glad I found out when I did. At least now that Calendar woman won't be able to corrupt you or any other student anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm happy to say, Ms. Calendar won't be teaching at Sunnydale from now on."

"What!" Willow stared at her mother, appalled.

At the same time, Buffy was having a similar conversation with her own mother.

"I don't want you seeing that Willow anymore. Or Ms. Calendar."

"You've got to be kidding?"

"No, Buffy, I mean it. I know it's not your fault. Mr. Giles has been a big influence on you, and well, with Ms. Calendar being his er, girlfriend, I can understand why you think she's okay. But Buffy, she's a witch."

"Techno-pagan. And so? What does it matter?"

"Buffy I know you think it's cool, but it's not. It's dangerous. And I don't want you seeing her or Willow."

Exasperated with her mother, Buffy turned around and headed for the front door. "I'm going patrolling."

In the library

Giles sat at the computer, eating some crisps and attempting to fathom the machine out. "Session interrupted, hmm? Who said you could interrupt you stupid useless fad. Yes I said fad and I'll say it again"

"At that point I will become frightened," Xander said, as he, Oz and Jenny came into the library.

"Whoa! Are my eyes deceiving me? Rupert actually having a go on a computer?" Jenny teased and moved over to see what he was doing.

"Wow! Yeah, you must have made a big influence on him," Oz commented. "Take heart, we found your books."

Xander added "You can put the heart back, we can't get 'em, they're locked up in City Hall." Giles looked crushed. Xander leaned over his shoulder. "Frisky Watcher's chatroom! Why Giles!"

Xander and Jenny started to laugh. Glaring up at them, Giles said, "Very funny. Jenny, were you able to find any books at home that might help?"

She shook her head. "Mmm, no. Sorry."

Buffy entered the library and immediately asked, "What do we know about these kids?"

"What do you mean?" Giles asked.

"What do we actually know about them? What are their names? Where do they live? Who are their parents?" They all looked at each other. None of them could answer any of those questions. "See what I mean?"

"Maybe I can find something on the net!" Jenny suggested. She put her hands on Rupert's shoulders. "Budge, then I can sit down." He moved out of the chair for her. Sitting down at the computer, she set to work. "I'll hook up with Willow via the computer too and ask her to search as well. It'll be quicker with both of us working on it."

A few minutes later, they all stared at the computer screen. "They're the kids from a fairytale?" Buffy looked skeptical. "Okay, that makes sense, to nobody at all!"

They were interrupted from their debate, when Michael came running into the library. His clothes were torn and their was blood on his face. "What happened?" Buffy asked, moving towards him.

"I was attacked."

"By whom?" Giles asked.

"My dad, his friends. They're taking people out of their homes. They're talking about a trial down at City Hall. They got Amy."

"Okay, you stay here and hide," Buffy started to organize her troops. "Giles and I will go and find my mom and hopefully put a stop to this."

"Willow!" Xander and Oz uttered at the same time, and both ran out of the library.

"I'm going with you," Jenny said to Rupert. "It's me they blame for this. It's about time I had it out with them." Her tone of voice denoted no arguing with.

At Buffy's house

Joyce turned from her meeting of MOO, to look at the newcomers. "Buffy! Mr. Giles! Ms. Calendar! Did something happen?"

"Mom we need to talk to you now."

Joyce stood up and walked over to them. "Of course honey." She stood with her back against the front door, causing Buffy, Giles and Jenny to turn their backs on the rest of the people in the living room, in order to speak with her.

It happened quickly. Two men grabbed Giles and lifted him off his feet, while at the same time Joyce put a chloroform handkerchief over Buffy's nose and mouth. Jenny tried to push the men off Giles. They were too strong for her. One of them gave her a backhanded slap that sent her falling to the floor and into unconsciousness.

City Hall

Jenny awoke to a searing pain shooting through her arms. "Ms. Calendar? You're awake! Are you okay?" Willow sounded scared. Jenny blinked and looked around. Her
eyes went wide as she saw the angry looking crowd around her. She tried to move her arms and that was when she realized the position she was in. She was tied to a stake in between Buffy and Willow. Amy was also there, on the other side of an unconscious Buffy. Around their feet, books were piled. "Oh God no!" They were going to burn them at the stake.

Jenny tried to remain calm for the kids, even though every part of her was freaking out. She turned and gave Willow what she hoped passed for a reassuring smile. "It's going to be okay Willow." Jenny turned to look at Buffy. She hoped the Slayer would wake up soon and help get them out of here.

"So it's awake!" Joyce sneered at Jenny. "Good! Wouldn't want you to sleep through your punishment."

"Joyce, listen to me, this is madness," Jenny told her. "None of us would ever hurt anyone, especially children. And you know that deep inside. Just think about it, please."

Joyce shook her head. "You can't talk your way out of this one. You have to die. You've been polluting our children's minds for too long, we won't let you corrupt them any longer."

Willow's mother stepped out of the crowd to stand next to Joyce. "Why are you doing this to me mom?" Willow sobbed.

"There's no cure but the fire," Willow's mother said crazed. At this, Jenny realized there was no reasoning with her or the rest of the mob. Their only hope now was for either Buffy to wake up or Giles and the others to get here. Jenny started to feel more panic at the thought of Rupert. Where was he? What had they done to him?

Across town, Giles was being slapped awake by Cordelia. Coming around, he swatted at the hand that tried to hit him again. Opening his eyes, he found he was lying on the living room floor of the Summers' house. "About time!" Cordelia remarked. "You know, if you keep this up, you're gonna wake up in a coma!"

Giles pushed himself up on his elbow and wrinkled his brow at her incredulously. "Wake up in a coma!" Glancing around, he noticed Jenny and Buffy weren't there. "Where's Buffy and Jenny?"

"I don't know. There was only you here when I arrived."

"How long ago was that?"

"About ten minutes ago."

Giles scrambled to his feet. "Come on, we have to get to City Hall."

Back at City Hall, Willow, Jenny and Amy were desperately trying to wake Buffy up by doing the only thing they could, which was shout her name. To their relief, Buffy regained consciousness. "Morning sleepy head," Joyce said to her daughter.

Taking in the situation, Buffy struggled to free herself from the ropes that bound her. "Mom you don't want this," Buffy pleaded.

"What does it matter what I want. I wanted a normal daughter, instead I got a Slayer!"

"Mom, think, please? What do you know about these kids? What are their names? Where are they from? You know nothing about them. They just sprung out of nowhere. They're not real."

"Kill the bad girls," a little voice commanded from beside Joyce.

Joyce looked over at the two children next to her that she believed had been murdered. "Of course they're real. They're right here."

"Mom, dead people are talking to you. You do the math!"

"It's no use Buffy, I have to do this." Sheila handed Joyce a burning torch.

"Oh, you can't be serious!" Amy exclaimed.

"Mom don't!" Buffy shouted.

"Joyce, at least let Buffy and the others go! It's me you want, not them. Don't hurt the others. Please!" Jenny pleaded. "They're just children themselves!" It didn't make any difference, Joyce lowered the burning torch to the books and set them alight.

Jenny started to shake as the flames licked up around them. Willow broke into deeper sobs and Jenny wished that she could at least hold the girl and comfort her.

"All right, you wanna fry a witch, I'll give you a witch," Amy vowed. She started chanting the spell to Hecate that she had used in the past to turn Buffy into a rat.

"Oh no!" Buffy groaned as she realized what Amy was doing.

There was a flash of light, and where Amy had previously stood, was a rat. The crowd gasped and stepped back.

"She couldn't do us first?" Buffy asked.

The flames started to get closer and closer to Jenny's feet. Jenny started to break out in a cold sweat as she realized that it wouldn't be that long before she was on fire. She struggled desperately against the bonds that were holding her. It was useless, she knew that. If Buffy couldn't free herself, what chance did she have! Nevertheless, she had to try. All of her struggling was fruitless. It just caused the ropes to cut into her wrists, causing her more pain.

Jenny was close to tears of frustration when the door opened and Giles and Cordelia entered the room. Jenny's spirit lifted at the sight of him.

Giles gasped as he saw Jenny bound to the stake with the flames leaping dangerously close to her. Acting quickly, he indicated for Cordelia to smash the glass and retrieve the water-hose from the wall. While she did that, he started to do the spell that would reveal the true appearance of the demon that was behind all of this. Cordelia pointed the hose at the mob and blasted them with water.

"Buffy I'm on fire!" Willow screamed.

"Cordelia put out the fire!" Buffy yelled. At Buffy's plea, Cordelia turned the water on the fire, putting it out before Willow and the others were seriously hurt. Meanwhile, Giles finished the spell. Before their eyes, the two children molded together to form into a huge demon. Seeing the true form of the demon, all the mob ran off out of the room.

The demon turned to towards Buffy, Jenny and Willow. Not being able to get the ropes to break, Buffy put all of her strength into trying to break the large wooden stake, so that hopefully she would at least be able to move. It worked. The demon came towards her and she leaned forward, thrusting the jagged top of the stake through the demon. "Did I get it?"

Jenny cringed and closed her eyes. "Yeah, you got it." Her eyes flew open again as part of the ceiling fell down in front of her. Lying on the floor at her feet were Oz and Xander. They looked up at her. Oz stated in his matter of fact way, "We're here to save you."

"Good timing guys, could you be any later?" Cordelia chastised.

The mob now gone, Rupert rushed over to Jenny and started to undo the ropes that bound her. "Are you okay Jenny?"

"Yeah, considering I was almost burned at the stake," she quipped.

Meanwhile, Xander undid Buffy's ropes, while Oz undid Willow's. Buffy looked over at Willow concerned. "You okay Will? Did you get burnt?"

"No, I'm okay. It just singed my pants is all."

Bonds untied, Rupert lifted Jenny off the books and away from the attempted bonfire. Placing her on her feet, he took his jacket off and placed it around her wet shoulders. He looked her over, making sure she was okay. Tenderly, his hand went to the bruise forming on her cheek. "Who did this?"

"One of the men who grabbed you. I tried to pull them off you and one of them hit me, next thing I knew I woke up here."

"Oh Jenny!" Rupert pulled her into an embrace. She clung to him, relieved the horror was over.

Pulling back a little, she looked up at him. "Are you okay? What did they do to you?"

"I'm fine." He kissed the top of her head. "They just knocked me out, that's all, but I'm okay."

"That's all! That's all! How can you say that? I can't believe you sometimes!" Jenny shook her head at him, and then pulled him close to her again, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Is everybody all right?" Rupert asked, looking at them all.

"Yeah, we're all okay," Buffy answered for them. "Well, except maybe for Amy!" She pointed to the nearby rat.

Giles' eyes widened. "Oh please tell me she didn't!"

"Okay, then I won't," Buffy quipped.

Giles sighed deeply and turned to the only person not currently helping someone, Cordelia. "Cordelia, would you er, collect er, the Amy rat please?"

Cordelia looked at him as if he was crazy. "What? No way. I'm not picking a rat up." Everyone rolled their eyes.

"I'll do it," Buffy said and started to try and coax Amy to her, so she could pick her up.

"You know, that was really brave of you Ms. Calendar, to try to persuade them to only burn you," Willow said. She went over to the older woman and gave her a hug. "Thanks for trying."

Giles looked at Jenny and smiled proudly at her. "Come on, let's get you all home before you catch cold." He put his arm around Jenny and led her out of the room.

When they were in his car and alone, Jenny turned to Giles, "Rupert, would it be okay if I stayed with you tonight? I...I don't want to be alone."

He smiled over at her. "Of course." They drove to Giles' apartment in content silence. Inside his apartment, he handed Jenny some towels and a shirt of his and she went into his bathroom and took a shower. He poured each of them a glass of brandy and started to take cups and saucers out for tea, while he waited for her. Then he went upstairs and got changed into his pajamas.

When she came out of the shower, hair towel dried and wearing his shirt, he was downstairs waiting for her and handed her the glass with brandy in it. "Thanks." She smiled at him.

They both moved to the sofa and sat down beside each other. Jenny sipped the brandy and welcomed it's warmth soothing her insides. "How are you feeling?" Rupert asked her.

"I'm okay, really, Rupert." She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He placed his arm around her and kissing the top of her head, he rested his chin there. They sat there, together, in silence while they sipped their brandy, just content to be close to each other.

After their brandy was finished, Rupert broke the silence. "Would you like some tea?"

Jenny shook her head. "I think I just want to go to sleep. I feel drained."

"I'm not surprised after that experience. Come on then!" He stood and helped her to her feet. He put his arm around her and she leaned against him as he led her upstairs.

As he pulled the covers back, she asked, "Do you think I'll get my job back?"

He looked over at her and said confidently, "I'm sure of it. Snyder will more than likely have amnesia about firing you after this evening." Covers pulled back, they both climbed into bed.

Jenny snuggled up to Rupert and he pulled the covers around her. She gave him a goodnight kiss on the lips and then rested her head in the crook of his shoulder, her hand on his chest. Rupert placed his hand on her hip, his other hand was already around her shoulders. He waited until he was sure she was fast asleep, before closing his own eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The End

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