Back to Crossover Fics
Main Page

It had taken ten hours of tears and yelling and some severe emotional blackmail, but Buffy had finally given in. She’d broken down sobbing and told her Watcher the entire story of what she had had to do to Angel, not Angelus, but to Angel. Giles had felt his heart shatter for the young girl, wondering how she was even still standing after her young shoulders had been forced to bear so much weight.

It was the quiet way he’d told her that no matter what, he would always offer her his support and his respect that had got through to her. They were the same words that he had told her after she’d first slept with Angel and Angelus had been unleashed.

You must be so disappointed in me.

If it's guilt you're looking for, Buffy, I'm not your man. All you will get from me is my support. And my respect.

She’d taken Giles back to her small apartment, and they’d packed the few possessions that Buffy had taken with her into her bag and set back towards Sunnydale in near silence. Giles cast a look towards his charge, smiling sadly as he saw that she’d drifted off to sleep, her head against the window.

Her eyelids fluttered daintily and Giles knew that she dreamed.

All she could hear was screaming. She wanted desperately to help whoever was making such bloodcurdling sounds, but she couldn’t. She was stuck to the spot.

“Not Harry! Not Harry! Please, not Harry!”

“Stand aside, silly girl…stand aside now…”

“Not Harry, please no. Take me, kill me instead-”

The woman was screaming, holding a young child in her arms, the boy barely a year old. Buffy felt a shiver of cold fear run up her spine as she heard a cackling laugh coming from behind her. She turned to face the sound but saw only pure darkness behind her. She turned back again to see the woman standing, still screaming.

“Not Harry! Please…have mercy…have mercy….”

There was more laughter followed by a bright green light. After an ear-splitting scream, there was only silence.

It was the silence that woke her. Buffy came to with a start just as the Citroen passed the ‘Welcome to Sunnydale’ sign. Buffy shivered, the memory of the dream staying with her. It wasn’t the first time she’d had that dream. She still wasn’t sure what it meant.

“You alright?” Giles asked quietly.

Buffy just nodded and curled up into the seat, wishing that the car would just swallow her whole. She didn’t want to have to face her family and friends again. She didn’t know what to say to them at all. The words “I’m sorry” just seemed like a slap in the face after what had happened.

“Do you uh…want me to drive you home?” he asked. “You’re…you’re welcome to stay at my place for the evening. If you’d find it easier.”

Buffy nodded, her heart in her throat. “Your place,” she whispered.

He nodded and turned his car down the street that would lead them to his apartment.

He slowed the car to a stop and waited for Buffy to move first. It took her a few moments to realise that he was waiting for her to move. With a sigh, she unbuckled her seat belt and uncurled herself from the seat, opening the door and getting out. She got her duffle bag out of the back seat and shouldered it, looking towards the apartment block with nervousness.

Giles gently placed his hand on the middle of her back, giving her a slight push towards the building. Buffy sighed and walked forwards, coming to stand outside Giles’ front door. She couldn’t explain it, but she was terrified. Seeing him in LA was one thing. But, back here in Sunnydale was different.

Giles unlocked the door and led her inside, flicking the light on. He made his way to the kitchen, putting the kettle on to boil before he shed his jacket, placing it over the arm of the couch. Buffy settled herself onto the couch, pulling a pillow in front of her protectively.

“I’m going to call your mum, alright,” he said gently. He wanted her permission in this.

She nodded blankly, and Giles wondered if she’d even registered what he’d said. He sighed and made his way to the phone, dialling the number that his fingers remembered by heart.

The phone was answered on the first ring by an overanxious Joyce. “Buffy?”

“Mrs Summers, it’s Rupert Giles,” he said.

Joyce breathed out and Giles could hear that she sounded completely deflated.

“Any luck?” she asked.

“Uh, quite a bit actually,” Giles replied.

“You found her?!” Joyce asked, enthusiasm and excitement creeping into her voice again.

“I did,” he replied. He had hoped to explain further, but Joyce shot off a volley of questions.

“How is she? Is she alright? Oh, Mr Giles, did she say what had happened? Will you tell her I love her? I didn’t mean what I said, honestly. Oh, is she hurt?”

“Joyce!”

The sharp bark of her name had the effect Giles had wanted, completely shutting Joyce Summers up.

“She’s fine. She’s a little shaky, very tired, but…she’ll…I think she’ll be alright.”

“Where was she?” Joyce asked.

“In LA.”

“When are you coming back?” Joyce asked.

Giles hesitated. He really didn’t want to tell Joyce that they were back in Sunnydale, but he couldn’t lie to her. He’d already done that too many times over the past two years. She deserved the truth.

“We uh…we already are,” he said.

“But…I mean…why aren’t you…”

“She needs some time Mrs Summers,” Giles said. “She’s…she’s incredibly fragile right now.”

“But…I have to see her.”

“I know. And you will. I’ll bring her around tomorrow. Until then…I’m afraid she just needs a little more time,” he explained.

He heard Joyce sigh, but he knew that she had understood.

“Alright. I don’t like it one bit, but…alright.”

“Thank you Mrs Summers. I’ll bring her over when she’s ready,” Giles said.

Joyce sighed again and felt tears well in her eyes. “Thank you Mr Giles,” she whispered.

Giles smiled, and closed his eyes, knowing only too well of the relief he had felt when he’d seen for his own eyes that Buffy was safe and sound. He looked towards Buffy and smiled when he saw her curled up on the couch, her eyes closed, the young girl dozing.

“You’re welcome.”

Giles let her sleep, content in the knowledge that she was safe. A light tapping on the window however, woke the young blonde girl from her light slumber. She wiped her eyes tiredly and looked around the room, confused at first until she remembered everything that had happened in the last day.

“What’s that tapping?” she asked tiredly.

Giles stood up and opened the window again, allowing the same tawny brown owl to enter. Buffy’s eyes widened in shock as the large bird came into the living room.

“Uh…Giles? Why is there an owl in here?” she asked.

“He’s delivering the mail,” Giles answered simply.

“Oh.”

Giles held back a chuckle, knowing it would only aggravate the tired girl. He took the envelope from the owl, gently patting the creature before turning his attention to the letter.

Dear Rupert,

We received your owl and we’re only too pleased to hear that young Miss Summers is back in Sunnydale and under your care. The Ministry feels it’s time, however, for Miss Summers to be under more protection than she is. We mean no offence to you and you’re guardianship of her, but we feel that the Dark Lord will be quick in locating her if she is not brought within our walls as soon as possible. I leave this decision in your competent hands.

Yours,
Albus Dumbledore.

Giles swallowed hard. He’d been fearing this for nearly sixteen years. There was no denying it now. He’d have to tell Buffy. There was no way to keep this from her any longer.

“Giles?” she asked nervously.

He looked up and removed his glasses, beginning to polish them with a handkerchief. The owl that was perched on the desk hooted softly with impatience and Giles turned his attention to the small creature.

Giles sighed and grabbed a pen, scribbling a short message on a piece of paper before letting the owl take the paper in it’s clawed feet. The owl took off out the window and Giles closed it to keep the cool night air out of the apartment.

“I suppose you’d like an explanation,” Giles said, seating himself on the couch beside her.

“Might be nice,” she replied quietly.

He cleared his throat and looked at his hands, hoping that the young girl wouldn’t decide to kill him for keeping this sort of thing from him.

“I’m not a Watcher.”

“Oh.”

“And…well, you’re not a Slayer.”

…

“Huh?”

Back to Crossover Fics