Fic: The Chronicles of Ripper: Guilt Part III, General, FRT
Title: The Chronicles of Ripper: Guilt Part III
Parts I and II can be found Here: Part I Part II
Author: will_conqueror1
Rating: FRT, though there are some rather crude innuendos, if you think I should up the rating I will.
Pairing: Giles/Ethan implied. There’s really nothing more than innuendo, even in the flashback scenes where I imply that they are lovers.
Summary: The second installment in The Chronicles of Ripper. Takes place in 1980, three years after Randall’s death. Giles can’t sleep and he goes to an old friend for help.
Note: It’s not necessary to read the first story in the series, but you can if you want. It can be found here
A/N: Don't worry I didn't forget and miss my posting day, it's still July 30th in my timezone.
Word Count: ~4000 words for this part. ~9000 for all three parts.
*****
“Gran.” He said by way of greeting. “What are you doing here?” He asked, feeling suddenly embarrassed by his lack of a shirt.
She ignored his question and pushed past him, into the apartment. She noticed the broken glass on the floor, it was worse than she thought. She turned to face her grandson.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“Do you really think I’m not clever enough to figure out you’d stay with the one friend you still have in London?”
“I didn’t know you knew where he lived.”
“Putting aside the resources I have at my disposal because of the Council, I’ve been here once before.” She reminded him. It wasn’t surprising he didn’t remember, he hadn’t really been coherent that night.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here now. If you’ve come to take me back to the house-”
She cut him off. “You’ve been sneaking into the Council library with Ethan. Do you think he would have been allowed inside had I not told them to let him?” She asked, gesturing to Ethan who had just walked back into the room.
“Then why did you let us in?” Ethan asked. Edna Giles wasn’t Ethan’s favorite person; she made it clear on more than once occasion that he wasn’t good enough for her grandson. However she seemed more content to let Ripper lead his own life than her son did. Even if it meant having to clean up the mess left behind.
*****
Ethan’s Apartment, 1977
Edna Giles was notorious for keeping a cool head in a crisis, never showing emotion, but nothing prepared her for what she walked into that night. She had received a frantic call from her grandson’s boyfriend. She feared the worst, it was only a matter of time before the dark magic and drug use led him to a tragic end.
She rushed over to the flat. At first she was happy to see her grandson was fine, but as she took in the horror around her she realized that though he was alive he was far from fine.
There was a body on the floor, in the center of a pentagram and the head had been severed cleanly from the neck, and lay several feet away. Rupert was catatonic on the nearest chair, a bloody battle-ax at his feet. There were others on the floor on the floor across the room they looked younger than Rupert though not quite as young as the man inside the pentagram. At first she thought they were dead as well, but upon closer inspection she could see their chests rise and fall with each breath.
“He didn’t have a choice.”
She spun around and found Ethan behind her, a bottle of liquor in his hand. She knew he was referring to Rupert. He was the only one in the group big enough to be able and swing the ax with enough force to take the head off with a single swing.
She saw the tattoo on Ethan’s arm and everything suddenly fell into place, the pentagram, the decapitation, everything. They were summoning demons. She knew Rupert was messing with dark magic, but nothing like this.
“The reversal spell didn’t work. It was too late.” Ethan continued. He took a long pull from the bottle. “After, everyone was screaming, so I did a spell to make them sleep.”
“And Rupert?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t do that to him, he’s been like that since just before I called you. He hasn’t even blinked… Rupert wrote your number down when he moved in, in case something happened to him.”
She never liked Ethan. She understood the appeal; he was handsome, even if a bit thin, he was charming, and mysterious, but she could see him for what he really was… selfish and reckless, to the point of being dangerous. Still, she wasn’t in the habit of pushing her grandson away by interfering with his personal life, his father did that enough for the both of them.
“I’ll take care of this.” She said, taking a business card from her purse. “With one phone call I can make all of this go away.” It was common practice for the Council to interfere in supernatural deaths, to make sure nobody knew what was really going on in the world. If the existence of demons and vampires became public there would be mass panic. “You need to stay away from my grandson, or I’ll make sure you’re the only one implicated. That is my one condition.”
Ethan saw in her eyes that she was serious. He nodded in agreement, really having no other choice. “Make the call.”
Twenty minutes later she was in the back of her car, seated next to a quiet but alert Rupert. If her driver noticed the blood on Rupert’s clothes he didn’t mention it, and he knew better than to ask questions. There was a coven in Devon that the Council sometimes worked with; they could help him with his addiction. It would also give him a chance to get better before facing the Council.
End of Flashback
*****
Randall’s death had been ruled an accident. The group asleep on the floor had their memories of the death erased. They would remember most of the events leading up to it, but not enough to contradict the story if questioned. Only Ethan and Rupert would know exactly what happened that night.
“After you left the house, I knew the best way for me to be sure you weren’t doing anything foolish was to keep an eye on you. That’s easier to do at the Council headquarters.” She said. “It took me a while to connect the dots, but if anyone had bothered telling me what was going on, all of this,” She gestured to Rupert and the mess from the spell on the floor, “could have been avoided.”
Rupert’s ears perked up. “You know what’s wrong with me?” He asked, his voice muffled by his shirt, which was stuck on his head. He finally got his head through the shirt collar and pulled it down to cover his torso. “What is it?”
“The demon you slayed a few weeks back, you beheaded it, correct?” She asked him.
“I did. Why?” He said, wondering where this was going. He couldn’t figure out how it could possibly have anything to do with what was happening to him now.
“If you had done more research you would know that the only way to kill that particular demon is to stab it in the heart with a silver blade dipped in the blood of a virgin.”
“No, I killed it. I buried its body.”
“Its corporeal body, yes. Its soul would have gone on to inhabit the nearest person. You.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a file, handing it to him.
He opened the file, looking through the research, but he was so exhausted he couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was reading.
“I’ll explain more on the way, but we need to get to Devon.”
She opened the door and as Ethan made his way to follow them out she held up her hand. “No.”
“I’m not leaving his side.” He told her. “Not until I know he’ll be alright.”
“I’ll be fine, Ethan. I’ll call you as soon as I can.” Rupert said. He was tired, and he knew she wouldn’t take Ethan with them.
Ethan looked back and forth between them. Finally he conceded. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to see his friend again.
*****
It was a long drive to Devon, and most of it was his grandmother keeping him from falling asleep as she explained to him about the demon.
She explained how the demon gains power as the host slumbers, manifesting itself through nightmares. As the demon became stronger so did the nightmares, eventually it would be strong enough to where when something happened in his dream it manifested on his body. There was a legend that said if you die in your dreams you die in real life. In this case it was true. If he had died in his dreams the demon would have been able to fully take control of his body. Since he had already given himself to Eyghon a magical bond existed that helped to fight off the demon by keeping him awake. In an interesting twist of fate, if he had never summoned Eyghon then the demon would have already completely taken him over by now.
By the time they arrived in Devon it was early morning. He hadn’t slept for more than thirty minutes at a time in three days. He looked even worse than when his grandmother had brought him to them three years earlier.
He listened as they explained the ritual. They were going to give the demon its own corporeal form and draw it out of him. Once that was done they could kill it with the silver blade as he should have done the first time.
Of course, none of what they told him prepared him for how painful extracting the demon would be. As the coven chanted around him he felt like his insides were being ripped out of him and he couldn’t scream as a dark cloud of smoke came pouring out of his mouth. He now understood why they had strapped him to a table as his arms and legs strained at the bindings and his body arched up. As the last of the smoke left his body he collapsed back onto the table. He could barely keep his eyes open as he watched it funnel into the mouth of the corporeal form they had created for it.
He realized too late something that they hadn’t thought of, as they approached the form to kill the demon it woke up. Someone had been considerate enough to start undoing his restraints, but unfortunately was tossed aside by the demon before she could get more than one undone. The demon tossed the table aside and it fell, unfortunately in the direction of his restrained hand. He had no way of moving his hand out of the way and he heard a loud snap as the table edge fell on his bent wrist.
He could no longer see the rampage behind him but he could use his left hand, which was no longer restrained to undo the other three restraints, including the one on his now broken wrist. When he was free he crouched behind the table and looked at the chaos in the room. There were spells being cast at the demon from all directions with minimal effect. Most of them bounced right off, and the ones that didn’t seemed to not slow it down any.
He spotted the blade about five feet away from him. When he looked back toward the demon he saw that it was heading straight for his grandmother who was attending to one of the injured members of the coven. He used every last bit of strength he had to get the knife and bound across the room, plunging the dagger through the demon’s back, between its ribs and right into its heart. He gave it a twist for good measure and the demon fell into a heap on the floor. Dead.
He could hear his blood pumping in his ears and he felt dizzy and nauseous. The events of the last few minutes only made his condition worse and he fell to the floor unconscious.
*****
When he came to he was back in his old room. Someone had changed him into his sleep clothes and he knew it must’ve been his father, and he felt annoyed momentarily that his father had seen him like this. It was as if fate was mocking him, for this just proved his father right; he couldn’t make good decisions for himself. At least this time nobody died.
He moved to sit up and he realized he had a cast on his right wrist. He’d forgotten about that. He wondered how long he must’ve been out that someone had been able to put a cast on his broken wrist without him waking up.
He debated putting on real clothes but realized it would be too hard to button a pair of pants. Not wanting to be further embarrassed he elected to go downstairs in his flannel pajamas. His gran was at the breakfast table drinking tea and reading the paper when he came down. She looked up when he came in and she gave him a warm smile.
“Rupert, you’re awake. I was getting worried you’d never wake up.”
He took a seat across from her. “How long was I out?” He asked.
“Almost three days.”
“No wonder I’m so hungry.” As if on cue his stomach started making loud noises.
Edna smiled. “I’ll ask Ellie to cook you something to eat.” She said.
“You don’t have-” his stomach cut him off, as if protesting what he was about to say. Not that it would have done him any good as his grandmother was already out of the room to find the maid.
She came back several minutes later with another teacup and saucer. She placed it on the table in front of him and poured him a cup of tea. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I spent the last month possessed by a demon.” He took a sip of his tea. It was soothing on his dry throat. He guessed he probably hadn’t had anything to drink since his three-day siesta. When he spoke again his voice was much smoother. “What happened?” he asked.
“You mean after you saved me from that dreadful demon?” He blushed slightly and she continued. “You passed out. We tried everything we could to wake you up, smelling salts, water, someone even slapped you, but you wouldn’t wake up. We knew you were alive because you were still breathing and your pulse was steady. We just figured you needed some sleep. I brought you back here so the Council doctor could take a look at you. He set your wrist, which surprisingly did not wake you up, and he bandaged up your other injuries.”
He sat there, taking it all in.
“You almost died, Rupert.” Her voice was quiet. Almost too quiet. “If I had found what was wrong with you one day later you would have been taken completely by the demon.”
“I know.” He said. “I didn’t want to worry you or father, and I didn’t want to give him another reason to push me toward the Council. That’s why I asked Ethan for help. He doesn’t ask for anything in return.”
“I know, but I would have helped you. And as much as you despise the Council, they would have figured out what was wrong long before I did just going off your research.” She pointed out. “You could have died, and it could have been easily prevented.”
He looked down at his tea.
“Your father has lost everything. Clara. Your mum. They’re both gone. You’re all he has left.”
He felt a tear gather at the corner of his eye, as one often did when anyone mentioned his sister, Clara. His mum had died after a long illness. He’d had time to say goodbye, and when she was gone he had the comfort of knowing that she would no longer suffer. Clara’s death, like her life, was short and violent as seemed to be the case for slayers.
“I know.” He said, his voice wavering. He cleared his throat and took another sip of his tea.
She reached out for his hand. “Rupert, you can’t keep putting yourself in danger like this. I’m not going to tell you to come work for the Council, I know how you feel about it. But I do request that if you’re not going to work for the Council, then stop chasing after demons and ghosts.” She said.
He looked at her. “I can’t simply walk away knowing all that I do.” He said. “So if the Council is still willing to give me a chance…” He trailed off, looking out the window. It wasn’t what he wanted, not really, but he knew it’s where he could do the most good.
“I’ll talk to the board, but I’m sure they’ll be as thrilled as I am that you’ve reconsidered.”
They finished their tea quietly. Every few minutes his stomach would break the silence until Ellie came out with a full plate of food for him.
*****
After he ate he took a much-needed shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He had promised Ethan he’d call as soon as he could, but he’d been asleep for the last three days. He knew neither his father nor his grandmother would have called.
At this point he knew Ethan wouldn’t settle for a phone call so he took his gran’s car, giving the driver the address and instructing him to leave once he went inside. Besides, there were some things that were better said in person. He just hoped the keys to his own car were still at Ethan’s flat.
He knocked, and as if he had been expecting it, Ethan opened the door immediately. “Thank the gods, you’re alright.” He said.
He held up his wrist. “More or less. I know I said I would call.” He said, stepping into the apartment. “I would have, but apparently I’ve been sleeping for the last three days.”
“Making up for lost time, I’m sure.”
He gave Ethan a slight smile and looked down, finding his keys on the coffee table. He picked them up and shoved them into his pocket.
“I stopped by your house last night. They wouldn’t let me see you… I thought…”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Though they both knew this could have turned out very differently.
They were both quiet for a minute. Rupert wasn’t making eye contact and Ethan could tell something was bothering him.
“I’m never going to see you again, am I?” Ethan asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Probably not.” He admitted. “I’ve decided I’m going to go work for the Council.”
Ethan was genuinely surprised by that revelation. “You hate the Council.”
“Well, it’s not just about me. I’d be able to do more good working for them and it would be a lot less dangerous.”
“So that’s it? You decide to join the Council and we never see each other again? Did the last week mean nothing to you?” He asked, trying to hide how hurt he was.
“You helped me when I needed it and I’ll always appreciate that, but anything else that may have happened between us last week, we should have left it in the past.”
He hated hurting Ethan, but he knew he had to do it. As painful as it would be he needed to leave Ethan behind to leave Ripper behind. That part of his life was over.
He and Ethan were never meant to be. They brought about the worst in each other. They weren’t just ready to sacrifice themselves for the other, they were ready to hit the self destruct button and take everything out around them as they did. That was clear when Ethan tried to make a deal with the vampires at the demon bar. He’d even found evidence in the flat that Ethan’s worship of Chaos had gotten wildly out of hand. He hadn’t been willing to say anything before, since he had bigger things to worry about, but he couldn’t deny it now. Ethan was headed down a dark path, and if he didn’t get out now he would be dragged along for the ride.
“I’m sorry.”
Ethan’s only response was to open the door for him to leave. He sighed. He stepped through the door and turned to say something only for it to be slammed shut in his face. He placed his hand on the door, knowing it would be the last time he’d stand in front of this apartment. “Goodbye, Ethan.”
*****
By the time he got back across town his father was home from the office. He found him in his study. He knocked on the frame of the open door and his father told him to come in and gestured for him to take a seat.
“I’m glad to see you’re finally awake.” His father said, putting his pen aside as he looked at him.
“I’m glad to be awake. And thank you for changing me into my nightclothes.”
“Of course. Your grandmother insisted you couldn’t sleep in your jeans and they were soaked in demon blood anyway.” He said. “Perhaps next time though you could remember to wear something underneath.”
He blushed. He had forgotten that he hadn’t put anything on underneath them. He often didn’t when he was with Ethan, he just rolled out of bed and pulled them on. “O-of course.” He stuttered.
The next minute of silence was awkward to say the least. Finally Rupert broke the silence. “I told Gran that I plan to join the Council.”
His father smiled. “She told me at supper. Though I’m curious, what changed your mind?”
“You, actually.” He said. “In a way. Remember when you called me a few weeks back? You asked me what I was so afraid of?”
“Yes, if I remember correctly you hung up the phone quite abruptly after I asked.”
“Well, when the demon was giving me nightmares it was showing me my worst fear. Hell.” He explained. “Ever since the incident with Eyghon, and killing Randall, I’ve always feared that my entire life would be judged by that one night, when I killed a nineteen year old young man who was possessed by a demon that I summoned.” His father stayed quiet, and for that Rupert was grateful. He’d never talked this candidly with his father about what happened that night, he was always afraid he’d get a lecture. “That’s why I started demon hunting. I knew I needed to redeem myself for what I’d done but I didn’t want to join the Council.”
Edmund Giles nodded. “So why the change of heart?”
“Because I’ve realized that what I’m doing is dangerous. Not just to me, but to others around me. People at the coven were hurt, Ethan tried to do something foolish to help figure out what was wrong with me, and the demon almost went after Gran. I can do a lot more good with the Council than I’m doing now, and it won’t be as dangerous to me or anyone I care about.”
“I’m proud of you, Rupert.”
Rupert didn’t know how much he needed to hear that until that moment.
“I realize that had I not pushed you away that night it might not have taken your Grandmother so long to figure out what was wrong with you.” His father admitted. “I promise, from now on, I’ll try to let you lead your own life. Even if I don’t approve of your decisions.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m still your father though, so if I think you’re doing something foolish I will say something.”
“I understand.” Rupert said. He stood up. “I know I just slept for three days, but I’m still knackered.
“Of course, sleep well, Rupert.” His father said, watching as Rupert walked out of his office.
That night, for the first time in a month Rupert slept peacefully through the night, without a single dream to plague him. He had nothing left to fear.
The End
A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed this three part fic in my Chronicles of Ripper series. I'll probably do a few more fics in this series. I'm also planning on doing a prequel series titled "The Misadventures of Ru and Clara" which takes place when Rupert is a boy growing up with his sister Clara, who is a slayer.
A/N 2: So, the reason I posted this as general is because I don't think of this as a shippy fic. Rupert and Ethan had a slightly sexual relationship that was hinted at throughout the story but it was never the main focus, and my objective wasn't for them to end up together. Originally I posted it as Giles/Ethan, but I always had a problem with that because as I mentioned, I never saw it as shippy. I still left it in the tags just in case some people don't like Giles/Ethan though.
A/N 3: Don't forget to post a comment. I'm so happy to have been able to share this story with you for this year's Summer of Giles. I've thoroughly enjoyed everyone's contributions, and if I haven't gotten around to posting anything on your entry I'm truly sorry. I have been trying to keep up, but this is the longest story I've ever published so it has taken up quite a lot of my time. Just know that I will get around to it and I do appreciate everything you've shared with us this summer. I hope to see you all again next year.
Parts I and II can be found Here: Part I Part II
Author: will_conqueror1
Rating: FRT, though there are some rather crude innuendos, if you think I should up the rating I will.
Pairing: Giles/Ethan implied. There’s really nothing more than innuendo, even in the flashback scenes where I imply that they are lovers.
Summary: The second installment in The Chronicles of Ripper. Takes place in 1980, three years after Randall’s death. Giles can’t sleep and he goes to an old friend for help.
Note: It’s not necessary to read the first story in the series, but you can if you want. It can be found here
A/N: Don't worry I didn't forget and miss my posting day, it's still July 30th in my timezone.
Word Count: ~4000 words for this part. ~9000 for all three parts.
*****
“Gran.” He said by way of greeting. “What are you doing here?” He asked, feeling suddenly embarrassed by his lack of a shirt.
She ignored his question and pushed past him, into the apartment. She noticed the broken glass on the floor, it was worse than she thought. She turned to face her grandson.
“How did you know where to find me?”
“Do you really think I’m not clever enough to figure out you’d stay with the one friend you still have in London?”
“I didn’t know you knew where he lived.”
“Putting aside the resources I have at my disposal because of the Council, I’ve been here once before.” She reminded him. It wasn’t surprising he didn’t remember, he hadn’t really been coherent that night.
“You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here now. If you’ve come to take me back to the house-”
She cut him off. “You’ve been sneaking into the Council library with Ethan. Do you think he would have been allowed inside had I not told them to let him?” She asked, gesturing to Ethan who had just walked back into the room.
“Then why did you let us in?” Ethan asked. Edna Giles wasn’t Ethan’s favorite person; she made it clear on more than once occasion that he wasn’t good enough for her grandson. However she seemed more content to let Ripper lead his own life than her son did. Even if it meant having to clean up the mess left behind.
*****
Ethan’s Apartment, 1977
Edna Giles was notorious for keeping a cool head in a crisis, never showing emotion, but nothing prepared her for what she walked into that night. She had received a frantic call from her grandson’s boyfriend. She feared the worst, it was only a matter of time before the dark magic and drug use led him to a tragic end.
She rushed over to the flat. At first she was happy to see her grandson was fine, but as she took in the horror around her she realized that though he was alive he was far from fine.
There was a body on the floor, in the center of a pentagram and the head had been severed cleanly from the neck, and lay several feet away. Rupert was catatonic on the nearest chair, a bloody battle-ax at his feet. There were others on the floor on the floor across the room they looked younger than Rupert though not quite as young as the man inside the pentagram. At first she thought they were dead as well, but upon closer inspection she could see their chests rise and fall with each breath.
“He didn’t have a choice.”
She spun around and found Ethan behind her, a bottle of liquor in his hand. She knew he was referring to Rupert. He was the only one in the group big enough to be able and swing the ax with enough force to take the head off with a single swing.
She saw the tattoo on Ethan’s arm and everything suddenly fell into place, the pentagram, the decapitation, everything. They were summoning demons. She knew Rupert was messing with dark magic, but nothing like this.
“The reversal spell didn’t work. It was too late.” Ethan continued. He took a long pull from the bottle. “After, everyone was screaming, so I did a spell to make them sleep.”
“And Rupert?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t do that to him, he’s been like that since just before I called you. He hasn’t even blinked… Rupert wrote your number down when he moved in, in case something happened to him.”
She never liked Ethan. She understood the appeal; he was handsome, even if a bit thin, he was charming, and mysterious, but she could see him for what he really was… selfish and reckless, to the point of being dangerous. Still, she wasn’t in the habit of pushing her grandson away by interfering with his personal life, his father did that enough for the both of them.
“I’ll take care of this.” She said, taking a business card from her purse. “With one phone call I can make all of this go away.” It was common practice for the Council to interfere in supernatural deaths, to make sure nobody knew what was really going on in the world. If the existence of demons and vampires became public there would be mass panic. “You need to stay away from my grandson, or I’ll make sure you’re the only one implicated. That is my one condition.”
Ethan saw in her eyes that she was serious. He nodded in agreement, really having no other choice. “Make the call.”
Twenty minutes later she was in the back of her car, seated next to a quiet but alert Rupert. If her driver noticed the blood on Rupert’s clothes he didn’t mention it, and he knew better than to ask questions. There was a coven in Devon that the Council sometimes worked with; they could help him with his addiction. It would also give him a chance to get better before facing the Council.
End of Flashback
*****
Randall’s death had been ruled an accident. The group asleep on the floor had their memories of the death erased. They would remember most of the events leading up to it, but not enough to contradict the story if questioned. Only Ethan and Rupert would know exactly what happened that night.
“After you left the house, I knew the best way for me to be sure you weren’t doing anything foolish was to keep an eye on you. That’s easier to do at the Council headquarters.” She said. “It took me a while to connect the dots, but if anyone had bothered telling me what was going on, all of this,” She gestured to Rupert and the mess from the spell on the floor, “could have been avoided.”
Rupert’s ears perked up. “You know what’s wrong with me?” He asked, his voice muffled by his shirt, which was stuck on his head. He finally got his head through the shirt collar and pulled it down to cover his torso. “What is it?”
“The demon you slayed a few weeks back, you beheaded it, correct?” She asked him.
“I did. Why?” He said, wondering where this was going. He couldn’t figure out how it could possibly have anything to do with what was happening to him now.
“If you had done more research you would know that the only way to kill that particular demon is to stab it in the heart with a silver blade dipped in the blood of a virgin.”
“No, I killed it. I buried its body.”
“Its corporeal body, yes. Its soul would have gone on to inhabit the nearest person. You.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a file, handing it to him.
He opened the file, looking through the research, but he was so exhausted he couldn’t make heads or tails of what he was reading.
“I’ll explain more on the way, but we need to get to Devon.”
She opened the door and as Ethan made his way to follow them out she held up her hand. “No.”
“I’m not leaving his side.” He told her. “Not until I know he’ll be alright.”
“I’ll be fine, Ethan. I’ll call you as soon as I can.” Rupert said. He was tired, and he knew she wouldn’t take Ethan with them.
Ethan looked back and forth between them. Finally he conceded. He had a feeling he wasn’t going to see his friend again.
*****
It was a long drive to Devon, and most of it was his grandmother keeping him from falling asleep as she explained to him about the demon.
She explained how the demon gains power as the host slumbers, manifesting itself through nightmares. As the demon became stronger so did the nightmares, eventually it would be strong enough to where when something happened in his dream it manifested on his body. There was a legend that said if you die in your dreams you die in real life. In this case it was true. If he had died in his dreams the demon would have been able to fully take control of his body. Since he had already given himself to Eyghon a magical bond existed that helped to fight off the demon by keeping him awake. In an interesting twist of fate, if he had never summoned Eyghon then the demon would have already completely taken him over by now.
By the time they arrived in Devon it was early morning. He hadn’t slept for more than thirty minutes at a time in three days. He looked even worse than when his grandmother had brought him to them three years earlier.
He listened as they explained the ritual. They were going to give the demon its own corporeal form and draw it out of him. Once that was done they could kill it with the silver blade as he should have done the first time.
Of course, none of what they told him prepared him for how painful extracting the demon would be. As the coven chanted around him he felt like his insides were being ripped out of him and he couldn’t scream as a dark cloud of smoke came pouring out of his mouth. He now understood why they had strapped him to a table as his arms and legs strained at the bindings and his body arched up. As the last of the smoke left his body he collapsed back onto the table. He could barely keep his eyes open as he watched it funnel into the mouth of the corporeal form they had created for it.
He realized too late something that they hadn’t thought of, as they approached the form to kill the demon it woke up. Someone had been considerate enough to start undoing his restraints, but unfortunately was tossed aside by the demon before she could get more than one undone. The demon tossed the table aside and it fell, unfortunately in the direction of his restrained hand. He had no way of moving his hand out of the way and he heard a loud snap as the table edge fell on his bent wrist.
He could no longer see the rampage behind him but he could use his left hand, which was no longer restrained to undo the other three restraints, including the one on his now broken wrist. When he was free he crouched behind the table and looked at the chaos in the room. There were spells being cast at the demon from all directions with minimal effect. Most of them bounced right off, and the ones that didn’t seemed to not slow it down any.
He spotted the blade about five feet away from him. When he looked back toward the demon he saw that it was heading straight for his grandmother who was attending to one of the injured members of the coven. He used every last bit of strength he had to get the knife and bound across the room, plunging the dagger through the demon’s back, between its ribs and right into its heart. He gave it a twist for good measure and the demon fell into a heap on the floor. Dead.
He could hear his blood pumping in his ears and he felt dizzy and nauseous. The events of the last few minutes only made his condition worse and he fell to the floor unconscious.
*****
When he came to he was back in his old room. Someone had changed him into his sleep clothes and he knew it must’ve been his father, and he felt annoyed momentarily that his father had seen him like this. It was as if fate was mocking him, for this just proved his father right; he couldn’t make good decisions for himself. At least this time nobody died.
He moved to sit up and he realized he had a cast on his right wrist. He’d forgotten about that. He wondered how long he must’ve been out that someone had been able to put a cast on his broken wrist without him waking up.
He debated putting on real clothes but realized it would be too hard to button a pair of pants. Not wanting to be further embarrassed he elected to go downstairs in his flannel pajamas. His gran was at the breakfast table drinking tea and reading the paper when he came down. She looked up when he came in and she gave him a warm smile.
“Rupert, you’re awake. I was getting worried you’d never wake up.”
He took a seat across from her. “How long was I out?” He asked.
“Almost three days.”
“No wonder I’m so hungry.” As if on cue his stomach started making loud noises.
Edna smiled. “I’ll ask Ellie to cook you something to eat.” She said.
“You don’t have-” his stomach cut him off, as if protesting what he was about to say. Not that it would have done him any good as his grandmother was already out of the room to find the maid.
She came back several minutes later with another teacup and saucer. She placed it on the table in front of him and poured him a cup of tea. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I spent the last month possessed by a demon.” He took a sip of his tea. It was soothing on his dry throat. He guessed he probably hadn’t had anything to drink since his three-day siesta. When he spoke again his voice was much smoother. “What happened?” he asked.
“You mean after you saved me from that dreadful demon?” He blushed slightly and she continued. “You passed out. We tried everything we could to wake you up, smelling salts, water, someone even slapped you, but you wouldn’t wake up. We knew you were alive because you were still breathing and your pulse was steady. We just figured you needed some sleep. I brought you back here so the Council doctor could take a look at you. He set your wrist, which surprisingly did not wake you up, and he bandaged up your other injuries.”
He sat there, taking it all in.
“You almost died, Rupert.” Her voice was quiet. Almost too quiet. “If I had found what was wrong with you one day later you would have been taken completely by the demon.”
“I know.” He said. “I didn’t want to worry you or father, and I didn’t want to give him another reason to push me toward the Council. That’s why I asked Ethan for help. He doesn’t ask for anything in return.”
“I know, but I would have helped you. And as much as you despise the Council, they would have figured out what was wrong long before I did just going off your research.” She pointed out. “You could have died, and it could have been easily prevented.”
He looked down at his tea.
“Your father has lost everything. Clara. Your mum. They’re both gone. You’re all he has left.”
He felt a tear gather at the corner of his eye, as one often did when anyone mentioned his sister, Clara. His mum had died after a long illness. He’d had time to say goodbye, and when she was gone he had the comfort of knowing that she would no longer suffer. Clara’s death, like her life, was short and violent as seemed to be the case for slayers.
“I know.” He said, his voice wavering. He cleared his throat and took another sip of his tea.
She reached out for his hand. “Rupert, you can’t keep putting yourself in danger like this. I’m not going to tell you to come work for the Council, I know how you feel about it. But I do request that if you’re not going to work for the Council, then stop chasing after demons and ghosts.” She said.
He looked at her. “I can’t simply walk away knowing all that I do.” He said. “So if the Council is still willing to give me a chance…” He trailed off, looking out the window. It wasn’t what he wanted, not really, but he knew it’s where he could do the most good.
“I’ll talk to the board, but I’m sure they’ll be as thrilled as I am that you’ve reconsidered.”
They finished their tea quietly. Every few minutes his stomach would break the silence until Ellie came out with a full plate of food for him.
*****
After he ate he took a much-needed shower and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He had promised Ethan he’d call as soon as he could, but he’d been asleep for the last three days. He knew neither his father nor his grandmother would have called.
At this point he knew Ethan wouldn’t settle for a phone call so he took his gran’s car, giving the driver the address and instructing him to leave once he went inside. Besides, there were some things that were better said in person. He just hoped the keys to his own car were still at Ethan’s flat.
He knocked, and as if he had been expecting it, Ethan opened the door immediately. “Thank the gods, you’re alright.” He said.
He held up his wrist. “More or less. I know I said I would call.” He said, stepping into the apartment. “I would have, but apparently I’ve been sleeping for the last three days.”
“Making up for lost time, I’m sure.”
He gave Ethan a slight smile and looked down, finding his keys on the coffee table. He picked them up and shoved them into his pocket.
“I stopped by your house last night. They wouldn’t let me see you… I thought…”
“You can’t get rid of me that easily.” Though they both knew this could have turned out very differently.
They were both quiet for a minute. Rupert wasn’t making eye contact and Ethan could tell something was bothering him.
“I’m never going to see you again, am I?” Ethan asked, though he already knew the answer.
“Probably not.” He admitted. “I’ve decided I’m going to go work for the Council.”
Ethan was genuinely surprised by that revelation. “You hate the Council.”
“Well, it’s not just about me. I’d be able to do more good working for them and it would be a lot less dangerous.”
“So that’s it? You decide to join the Council and we never see each other again? Did the last week mean nothing to you?” He asked, trying to hide how hurt he was.
“You helped me when I needed it and I’ll always appreciate that, but anything else that may have happened between us last week, we should have left it in the past.”
He hated hurting Ethan, but he knew he had to do it. As painful as it would be he needed to leave Ethan behind to leave Ripper behind. That part of his life was over.
He and Ethan were never meant to be. They brought about the worst in each other. They weren’t just ready to sacrifice themselves for the other, they were ready to hit the self destruct button and take everything out around them as they did. That was clear when Ethan tried to make a deal with the vampires at the demon bar. He’d even found evidence in the flat that Ethan’s worship of Chaos had gotten wildly out of hand. He hadn’t been willing to say anything before, since he had bigger things to worry about, but he couldn’t deny it now. Ethan was headed down a dark path, and if he didn’t get out now he would be dragged along for the ride.
“I’m sorry.”
Ethan’s only response was to open the door for him to leave. He sighed. He stepped through the door and turned to say something only for it to be slammed shut in his face. He placed his hand on the door, knowing it would be the last time he’d stand in front of this apartment. “Goodbye, Ethan.”
*****
By the time he got back across town his father was home from the office. He found him in his study. He knocked on the frame of the open door and his father told him to come in and gestured for him to take a seat.
“I’m glad to see you’re finally awake.” His father said, putting his pen aside as he looked at him.
“I’m glad to be awake. And thank you for changing me into my nightclothes.”
“Of course. Your grandmother insisted you couldn’t sleep in your jeans and they were soaked in demon blood anyway.” He said. “Perhaps next time though you could remember to wear something underneath.”
He blushed. He had forgotten that he hadn’t put anything on underneath them. He often didn’t when he was with Ethan, he just rolled out of bed and pulled them on. “O-of course.” He stuttered.
The next minute of silence was awkward to say the least. Finally Rupert broke the silence. “I told Gran that I plan to join the Council.”
His father smiled. “She told me at supper. Though I’m curious, what changed your mind?”
“You, actually.” He said. “In a way. Remember when you called me a few weeks back? You asked me what I was so afraid of?”
“Yes, if I remember correctly you hung up the phone quite abruptly after I asked.”
“Well, when the demon was giving me nightmares it was showing me my worst fear. Hell.” He explained. “Ever since the incident with Eyghon, and killing Randall, I’ve always feared that my entire life would be judged by that one night, when I killed a nineteen year old young man who was possessed by a demon that I summoned.” His father stayed quiet, and for that Rupert was grateful. He’d never talked this candidly with his father about what happened that night, he was always afraid he’d get a lecture. “That’s why I started demon hunting. I knew I needed to redeem myself for what I’d done but I didn’t want to join the Council.”
Edmund Giles nodded. “So why the change of heart?”
“Because I’ve realized that what I’m doing is dangerous. Not just to me, but to others around me. People at the coven were hurt, Ethan tried to do something foolish to help figure out what was wrong with me, and the demon almost went after Gran. I can do a lot more good with the Council than I’m doing now, and it won’t be as dangerous to me or anyone I care about.”
“I’m proud of you, Rupert.”
Rupert didn’t know how much he needed to hear that until that moment.
“I realize that had I not pushed you away that night it might not have taken your Grandmother so long to figure out what was wrong with you.” His father admitted. “I promise, from now on, I’ll try to let you lead your own life. Even if I don’t approve of your decisions.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m still your father though, so if I think you’re doing something foolish I will say something.”
“I understand.” Rupert said. He stood up. “I know I just slept for three days, but I’m still knackered.
“Of course, sleep well, Rupert.” His father said, watching as Rupert walked out of his office.
That night, for the first time in a month Rupert slept peacefully through the night, without a single dream to plague him. He had nothing left to fear.
The End
A/N: So I hope everyone enjoyed this three part fic in my Chronicles of Ripper series. I'll probably do a few more fics in this series. I'm also planning on doing a prequel series titled "The Misadventures of Ru and Clara" which takes place when Rupert is a boy growing up with his sister Clara, who is a slayer.
A/N 2: So, the reason I posted this as general is because I don't think of this as a shippy fic. Rupert and Ethan had a slightly sexual relationship that was hinted at throughout the story but it was never the main focus, and my objective wasn't for them to end up together. Originally I posted it as Giles/Ethan, but I always had a problem with that because as I mentioned, I never saw it as shippy. I still left it in the tags just in case some people don't like Giles/Ethan though.
A/N 3: Don't forget to post a comment. I'm so happy to have been able to share this story with you for this year's Summer of Giles. I've thoroughly enjoyed everyone's contributions, and if I haven't gotten around to posting anything on your entry I'm truly sorry. I have been trying to keep up, but this is the longest story I've ever published so it has taken up quite a lot of my time. Just know that I will get around to it and I do appreciate everything you've shared with us this summer. I hope to see you all again next year.