TITLE: Cruel & Unusual Punishment
AUTHOR: Ragna (writinggoddess@aol.com)
RATING: FRT
SPOILERS: None, unless I miraculously get hired to write for the show.
DISTRIBUTION: Sure, just tell me!
DISCLAIMER: Everything except what comes out of my pretty little head belongs to Joss and Mutant Enemy.
FEEDBACK: Wanted. Needed. SEND IT!

***

"And so it's been decided," the man at the podium said. The Watcher's council had adjourned, and a special judgment was handed down. And they all knew how mad Alexandra Giles was going to get when she saw it.

***

"WHAT!?!" Alex yelled upon getting her copy of the transcripts. "Why those low-down, dirty bastards!"

"What's wrong love?" Spike asked, walking up behind Alex and reading over her shoulder.

"They're sending Gaby on a mission. To Ireland. To find out why Galway is being terrorized."

"There's a Hellmouth there, sweet. It's probably just acting up," Spike said, massaging her shoulders.

"Thanks. That's not what makes me upset, though. The thing that pisses me off is that I can't go with her, and she's not exactly mature. Even if she is eighteen."

Spike sighed. She was having one of those days. "I feel sorry for you at times. Would she get a copy of that as well?"

Alex shook her head. "Nope. I have to tell her. The next time I'm in London, I think I'll murder Arthur."

Spike laughed, a little abruptly. "Normally I don't mind outright violence, but in this case, let him live. Just...torture him a bit."

"Are you sure you have a soul?"

"Well, yes, but it isn't always a problem. I rationalize. If I'm not actually doing it, then it's not a bad thing."

"You rat."

***

"So you're telling me I have to go to Ireland alone, to deal with something I have no idea about, with no help?" Gaby asked the next day as Alex was shelving books at the Sunnydale High library. It was late afternoon.

Alex nodded. "Wait. You can have help. It just can't be a Watcher or another Slayer, unless they live there."

"Fine. I'll take Spike."

"Hell no! You know I'd go too and then I'd get in trouble!"

"You two are connected at the hip, you know that?"

"Only at night. Anyways, you can take Willow or Oz or Xander, if you want."

Gaby's eyes brightened. "I can take any of them?"

"Yeah. The council will reimburse me for any expenses, so I'll make sure you do well, and if you want to bring someone else, I can cover it. Let's just call it a belated graduation present."

"But that was only a few weeks ago!"

"Well, sue me. I'm slow with expensive presents."

Gaby ran over to the phone and called Xander's dorm.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Xander."

"Gaby! I was hoping you'd call. You have to patrol tonight?"

"Yeah, but in about two weeks or so, I won't."

"How come?"

"I'll be in Ireland."

"Oh." Xander sounded disheartened.

"But, of course, you'll be coming too."

"How? I can't afford it."

"Who has a lot of money that I happen to be related to?"

There was a pause. "Where are you at?"

"The library. At SHS."

"Be there in a few."

Gaby hung up. "I think he likes the idea."

***

"Basically, Xander, you'd go to keep her sane and help her out. I would have her take Willow and Oz as well, but they've got summer classes. I can't go, and neither can anyone else," Alex finished.

Xander nodded. "And you're paying for everything?"

"Yep. Passports, tickets, lodging, plus an ample amount of money for food. But you guys will have to hurry. She needs to be there in two weeks to meet with the Watcher in Galway."

Gaby squeezed Xander's hand under the table. "I'm glad you'll be there. I wish that I could get some more help, though."

"Well," Alex said, reaching for a small black book, "this is where all the Watchers in the world are, as well as some of their current slayers."

Gaby flipped through it and noticed a lot of names scratched out. "And I can always call you?"

"Just remember the time difference. And try to call during the day."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Xander said.

"Not much. Tomorrow, you guys will need to get passports. I can speed it up a little by stating it's for an urgent business meeting in Ireland. Then, you get the fun job of packing while I sort out all the tedious details."

"I'm glad I'm just a Slayer," Gaby said.

"You may not feel the same way when you're done," Alex cautioned. The sun had begun to set, and Alex stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going home to get some sleep."

"Sure," Gaby said. She ducked just in time to avoid being hit with a book.

***

After all the tedious work had been done, Alex drove Gaby and Xander to the bus depot. Buffy and their friends would meet them there.

"Okay, so we see Mr. McClintock when we get to Dublin, and he'll take us to Galway?" Xander asked.

Alex nodded. Before getting out of the car, she looked at them. "I'm trusting you not to do anything...foolish. Be careful in every possible way," she cautioned, hoping they caught the hidden meaning.

Gaby blushed. "We will."

"Good. Here's your bon voyage celebrants," she said, inclining her head towards the people on the platform. "Oh, and this is for you," Alex said. Handing a wrapped present to Gaby. She opened it.

"It's grandma's Book of Shadows. You may need it more than me, so..." Gaby hugged Alex before she could finish the sentence. "Good luck. Call when you get to Ireland!" She headed back towards her car.

"Where are you going?" Xander asked.

"To the airport. I have a flight to London that leaves in an hour. I'm going to yell at the council for a bit." With that, she closed her door and drove off.

"That's my sister for ya!" Gaby ran to her friends, and they talked as they waited for the bus that would take them to San Diego to fly to Dublin. When it did show up, each of her friends gave them something.

Buffy gave Gaby a golden cross necklace, Willow and Oz gave Xander a bag full of junk food, which he gladly accepted, and Giles gave both of them a nice collection of assorted wisdom and vampire fighting supplies, as well as an old relic. "It's supposed to help whoever posseses it."

Gaby hugged her uncle and then boarded the bus, followed by Xander. As they sat down and the bus began to pull away, Xander held her hand and saw the sad, detached look on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"What if I never see Sunnydale again?" she asked quietly.

Xander moved her head so she was looking right at him. "You'll make it back. I promise."

"I'm holding you to it."

***

After a long journey with boring in-flight movies and bad food, Gaby and Xander finally landed in Dublin. "I feel so lost here," Gaby said, looking around. The airport was huge, and finally she just sat down in a chair. Xander sat beside her.

"I think our contact has arrived," Xander said, pointing to a man holding up a sign that read "Giles" on it. They got up and walked towards the man. He had gray hair and a friendly countenance.

"I'm Gaby, and this is a friend," Gaby said, tapping the man on the shoulder.

"Ah. So you're the girl I was sent to pick up. Quite unlike your sister, it seems."

"That's what everyone says. So your Mr. McClintock?"

"Call me Danny," he said, sticking out his hand.

Gaby shook it. "What am I doing here? All my sister could tell me was I was supposed to fignd out what was wrong in Galway."

Danny shook his head. "This is your rite of passage, I hate to inform you. Unlike most Slayers, you have a natural telepath power as well as the fact that your witchcraft power is natural. If all your powers were to be stripped, those two would not return. Therefore, you have to prove you can use your wits to solve this problem." He stopped and frowned. "And no Slayer has survived to date."

Xander stopped Danny. "No Slayer has survived?"

"None."

"Oh boy," Gaby said.

"However, you will have help. Since you are a foreigner, you will not be able to adapt as well as you should. So you will have an Irish Watcher to help. However, it shan't be to the extent of your sister or your uncle." They arrived outside and walked to his car.

"Basically meaning not much in the way of assistance, right?" Xander asked.

Danny nodded. "You will have guides, and you will be allowed your two powers."

"Thank God I listened to my uncle and started practicing those," she muttered, remembering the ritual she had to help in to banish the demon a few months ago. "Will I be able to use other help?"

"As long as it isn't from a Watcher or a Slayer. And I mean direct help. Your family has the most extensive collection of relics and books over anyone, so that was the only exception. You may call your uncle to ask for research, or it may be sent over the internet."

"I really hate rules," Gaby stated as they drove away from the airport and towards Galway.

"Oh, and one more person has lent his assistance with the customs. An Angel has sent documents with his recolections of the times before the trouble started."

"Good old brood boy," Xander said. Though he really didn't like Angel, his help would be useful in this instance.

***

The drive was long, and Gaby slept through most of it. Xander stayed awake and asked many questions, trying to figure out exactly what they were getting into.

As they arrived in Galway, Gaby woke up and looked around. It was an old-fashioned town in many respects with modern touches. While there were pubs and other old-fashioned type businesses, there was also a computer store, a travel agency and a few other convenient buildings. Most importantly, there was a bookshop that specialized in old texts.

Danny pulled up to the inn. Outside, it looked old, but the inside was very modern. The two Americans went inside and straight to their rooms. They unpacked and, noticed special things in their rooms. There was a laptop in Gaby's, and Alex had made sure that some American food was in the refrigerators.

Gaby plugged in to check her e-mail, and found a new message from Willow there. She replied and said they'd arrived safely and, no, they weren't in the same room. She wrote and told her of all the rules and asked if she'd be willing to help with research from Giles' library.

About to close out, another message appeared. It was from Alex. "Hey, sis! I'm in London, about to harass the council. I know I can't help, by they didn't say anything about no contact. I'll e-mail you with what the council has to say ASAP. Take care and tell Xander I said hello."

"Alex said hi," she said to Xander as he walked in her room.

He nodded. "Where do you want to start?"

"I was thinking about that bookstore nearby."

"Good idea. If there's one thing I've learned best in the last few years, it's the joy of researching musty old books."

***

"This meeting will now come to order," Arthur droned on at the podium. The door opened and was slammed shut after two people entered the building.

Gwen Highwater looked up, smirking. "You're too late, Alexandra," she said.

"Shut up, bitch!" Alex yelled, storming down the stairs followed by her guest. As his face slowly came into the light, the Watchers gasped.

"How dare you bring a vampire into this meeting!" Arthur said. Alex, the Ripper side of her personality coming through in full force, decked him. He landed on the floor unconcious.

"First off, introductions. Spike, this is the council I've grown to despise. Council, this is Spike. My lover." Those last two words caused quite a few of the members to choke or faint.

"Now all of you listen to me. I really hated having to take time off my busy job to come here, and I really hate London. By sending my sister away, you've endangered the Sunnydale Hellmouth. Buffy is in Los Angeles, and she can't get back right away."

Alex paused for a breath and saw two burly Watchers trying to get up on the elevated part of the floor. "Spike?"

He nodded and proceded to hit the two men. One pulled out a stake, and Alex muttered a freezing spell on the two men. "Anyone tries to hurt him and I'll kill everyone in this room. Now, I know that Gaby did not need this test. I called James, her original Watcher, after I got my transcripts and he said she's already gone through the rite of passage before coming to Sunnydale. Why did you idiots choose her?"

"We needed a young person no one would miss much," Gwen said.

"Idiots. Everyone in Sunnydale needs her, and she can't just be replaced if she dies. And there's a civilian with her as well. Whatever Watcher you've given her in Galway had better be as much of a help as he or she can humanly be, because if she dies, I hope none of you on the council plan on living much longer."

Arthur was getting up. "Wh..What happened?" he asked.

"You're going to approve the Watcher in Galway to help my sister in any way possible, and then you're going to leave her the hell alone."

"You should be taken off the council for your blatant dis regard for the ethics of being a Watcher!" Gwen yelled.

"Dear, that's why I'm on this damn council to begin with. I made a pact with Spike and saved his life. Well, boys and girls, we need each other. And I don't think any of you will ever understand it. So just deal with it. He has a soul now, so he poses little danger. I, on the other hand, am not so safe."

Arthur, now looking white as a sheet and very scared, walked over to the podium. "Who approves Miss Giles' motion?" Everyone raised there hands, except Gwen.

"I'll have no part of this absurdity," she said indignately.

"If you want to live you will," Alex said coldly.

Slowly, she raised her hand as well. "Fine. Now you can get back to your boring meeting." The two walked back up the stairs, both looking particularly fear-inspiring with their matching facial expressions of pure hatred.

As soon as the door closed and they were outside in the moonlight, Alex started to laugh. "God and Goddess, I never thought I could be that vicious!"

Spike joined her. "You were brilliant. I'm just glad that I wasn't on the other end of that punch. Where'd you learn to hit someone?"

"Fighting you."

"That explains it. Well, you've done your teacher proud."

"Now all we have to do is hope they keep their promises."

"I think you scared them so much, love, that they were ready to do just about anything you told them to."

Alex leaned over and kissed him "That's good. I wonder how Gaby and Xander are doing?"

***

"Thanks, Donald," Gaby said as she and Xander left the old book store four hours later with stiff necks and squinting eyes. It was dark now, and the two walked hand in hand back to the inn.

"Man, he was nice. Do you get the feeling that he wants us to succeed?" Xander asked.

"Whatever happened at the council meeting must have had immediate results. I hope Alex didn't kill anyone. Or at least, anyone that didn't deserve it," Gaby said as they entered the inn. She reached up and stretched. "I am so tired," she said, yawning.

"How? You slept almost all the way here," Xander said with a smirk on his face.

Gaby swung at him lightly. "I haven't had much sleep lately. Bad dreams."

That was news to him. "Those Slayer type dreams? The ones that hint at the future?"

She nodded. "Nothing about here, much, but I see blood and I feel pain. I don't recognize anything, but it all feels familiar. As if I've lived it before."

Xander hugged his girlfriend. "It'll be okay. I promise. You want to get some sleep?"

She nodded. Kissing him goodnight, she went upstairs and promptly fell asleep.

***

The dreams came again. Dreams of death, of demons, of destruction. She saw some new things, though; she saw a handsome man that looked strangely like Angel, a woman with blonde hair and a seductive look upon her face, and she felt his death and turning.

She saw other vampires, turning and being turned, all in the same alley. She saw blood flowing down the street, and fires burning out of control. She felt the earth open beneath her, and unimaginable horrors spring up.

She woke up, sweating and scared. She crawled out of bed and went across the hall to Xander's room. Timidly, she knocked on the door. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Xander looked down at her.

"My God, what happened?" he asked as she stood there.

"The...the dreams. I'm...I'm scared," she stuttered, trying to hold back her tears. He reached out to her and she clung to him, bawling.

"Do you want to sleep in here? I can sleep on the floor," he asked.

She nodded. "But..but stay with me, okay?"

He nodded and climbed back into bed next to her, just holding her until she fell asleep again. He stayed awake, thinking.

She's never been this scared before. Not even when dealing with her mom's death or the end of the world. He looked down at her, her pale face framed by her long black hair. She looks so young, but she's just...so old. She's been through so much. And I don't know what I can do to help her. Pretty soon, Xander fell asleep too.

***

The next morning, Gaby woke up and felt relieved. She'd finally gotten a decent night's sleep. She rolled out of Xander's bed and stretched.

"Awake already?" Xander asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," she said.

He got up and walked over to her. "I have an idea. Do you want to just...share a room? I mean, we don't have to do anything, but I'd feel better if you..."

She smiled at him. "I was thinking along similar lines myself. I mean, I just...I want to feel safe. And I do, at least when I'm with you."

He leaned down a little and kissed her. "I'm glad." Normally, he'd try to make a joke, but he felt very comfortable with Gaby and, no matter how stupid he sounded, he knew she'd still care for him. "I love you," he said quietly.

Gaby froze. Those three words were not exactly what she'd expected to hear from him. She felt the same way, though. "I...I love you, too."

He didn't do anything except look her in the eyes. "I won't hurt you. I can guarantee that."

She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't trust herself. Walking towards the bathroom, she said, "Well, I think we should change the room arrangements soon, don't you?"

***

Gaby picked up the phone and politely asked the operator to dial her uncle's phone number. At the last minute, she remembered he'd probably be at the library setting up to go against the demon. She had the operator redial, and she waited.

"Hello?" an older female voice answered. Gaby sighed a sigh of relief. If Patricia was there, so was her uncle.

"Hi Patricia. It's me, Gaby," she replied.

"For a minute, I thought you were Alex," her uncle's girlfriend said.

"Where is she? Still in London?"

"Yeah. She and Spike left two days ago."

"So they are connected at the hip!" Gaby said, laughing.

"Let me guess: you two talked about that?" Patricia said. "Do you want to talk to Rupert?"

Gaby laughed. "Yeah. To both questions." She waited for her uncle to get the phone.

"Gaby?" her uncle asked.

"Hi. Umm...I need some help. I need you to find out what you can about Galway. I mean, it's mystical history. The Hellmouth here, the various vampires from here, anything. Especially an alley near a tavern. I'll talk to some of the locals, but I'm not sure if they'll know anything."

"Very well. Should Willow e-mail them?"

"Yeah. She's got the addy."

"Addy?"

"E-mail address. She knows where to send them."

There was a pause. "Are you having any...dreams?" her uncle asked gently.

"Yeah. They're starting to scare me. A lot."

"Well, tell me about them and we'll see what we can find about the history of them."

Gaby sat down on the bed and started describing her dreams to her uncle, unaware that Xander was standing by the door. As soon as she hung up, he walked over. "No wonder you were so scared," he said.

Gaby looked up startled, and then relaxed. "Yeah. They're getting worse every night. To the point I don't want to go to sleep."

"Look, I'm sorry about this morning. I know that you're still a bit jumpy about things lately."

"When'd you get so mature?" she asked.

"It happened a bit at a time. Dealing with death every so often can do that."

"Oh." She looked around. "I'm sorry too. I was just...really surprised to hear you say..."

"That I love you?" She nodded. "We've been dating for almost an entire year, being on the same coast. Not counting the four or five months you were in South Carolina. Can I help it if I feel that way?"

She smiled a bit. "No. It's just...my life, and my track record with guys has just been awful. And I'm always scared you'll be the same way."

He knelt right in front of her so they were looking face to face. "I won't hurt you. At least, I won't if I'm not possessed or something."

"That makes me feel a lot better," she said drily.

"Okay. I will do everything in my power to make sure you don't get hurt." He leaned in and kissed her. "As long as you don't hurt me," he said as they pulled apart.

"I won't if I'm not possessed or something," she said, laughing. "Come on, we have to research some more.

***

The information came within a few hours. Xander checked it and looked surprised. "Check this out," he said, finishing the apple he was eating.

She walked away from her pile of books and towards the laptop. "What?"

"According to this, there's a demon that reemerged every 500 years. Each year, a Slayer was sacrificed until about 500 years ago. The last slayer killed it. And that's when the Hellmouth emerged."

"So if this Slayer hadn't succeeded, there might not be a Hellmouth here?"

Xander nodded. "But there's more. Ever since, vampires have gravitated here...up until the last 200 years or so. In fact, Angel was among one of the last vampires to come from Galway. After that, there's no mention of vampires here at all, and there is now no longer a Slayer here in Galway. Even though there is a Hellmouth."

"I wonder who guards it?" Gaby asked.

"We do," a male voice said. Gaby and Xander looked up and saw a man in a long black robe standing in the doorway of their room. "We being the Druids. We've come to ask for your help, Slayer."