Disclaimer: The characters of BtVS and Dawson's Creek do not belong to me.
A/N: This is a story that has a really big point behind it. I confess, not that many people will get the big point, but there's one none the less. It's not for fun, per se, but it's not like this is the peak of my writing career, either. It's a happy median of the two. It's sort of a crossover between DC and BtVS. For this purpose, let's pretend that Joey lives in Sunnydale now, and she and Buffy are really good friends
Summary: Giles gets sick and has to be taken back to England, Buffy wants to help take care of him, but stuff happens and she has to chose. Will she choose wisely?
From the Quotebook, Vol. 3:
F: "Blythe, darling. You look like that Buffy girl. Well, without the odd nose anyway."
B: "Really? I guess Regina looks like Cordelia then."
F: "No. She looks like that Joey girl only (pause) how do I put this?"
R: "Shorter?"
F: "That's it! Shorter!"
COME HOME by HarvestGirl
Sunnydale
"Hi. You've reached the Summers' residence. We can't come to the phone right now, but please leave a message and someone will return your call as soon as possible." BEEP.
"Buffy? If you're there, please pick up" Joey's voice sounded frantic even to her. She took a deep breath. "Buffy. Something happened to Giles at the Magic Box. Meet us at the hospital." Joey paused. It didn't seem like enough. "Buffy? Hurry."
Sunnydale Hospital
A doctor comes out of the operating room and down the hall. His face is grim, but everyone is still waiting for him to say that everything is just fine.
"Mr. Giles has suffered a stroke. It's not as severe as some others that I've seen, but it is still quite serious. Are any of you related to him?" The doctor asked looking at the group.
"Well, we all are. Kind of." Willow said quietly. Everyone was shocked, but Buffy was looking worse than anyone.
"Okay, is anyone here his blood relative?" Silence answered his question
"Well, I'm going to have to call his next of kin. The number we have in his records is an international number. Do you know if there is someone in the country I can get in touch with?"
"Only us." Xander said.
"Alright. I'm going to make a few calls. You kids should go home and get some sleep. There's nothing you can do for him right now."
"Can we see him." It was the first time Buffy spoke since she heard the message from Joey.
"Not right now. We need to let him rest. Go home, get some sleep. Come back in the morning and I'll see what I can do."
The gang was somber as they made their way out of the hospital.
"Hey guys, you want to grab something to eat? I think we could all use some fuel right now."
"I'm going to go home. I can't even think about food right now. I'm just going to go to bed, then wake up and see Giles." Without another word, she turned around and walked towards her house. The rest of the group watched her as she disappeared into the night.
Buffy's bedroom
"But you can't go Buffy!" Willow was holding one of Buffy's shirts tightly. Buffy gave Willow and Joey a sad look and took the shirt from Willow.
"I have to. I don't trust those people to take care of him. He needs me, and I'm going to sit by his side and feed him chicken noodle soup."
"I think chicken soup is for the flu. Or colds." Joey said
"Okay, so what's comfort food for a post-stroke stuffy Englishman?"
"I'm not sure. I could look it up, though!" Willow pronounced
"No, don't worry about it. But I am going."
Willow and Joey saw that Buffy had her resolve face on, so they both gave her a hug. "Be careful, Buffy" Joey said as she hugged her.
Giles' Home, England
Months later
"Buffy, I understand that you want to stay and t-take care of me, and don't get me wrong, I love chicken noodle soup… for every meal, but I see no reason why you can't go home. You need to finish the school year."
"Actually, Giles, You're not the only reason why I'm still here."
This comment actually surprised him. "I'm not?"
Buffy looked a little sheepish "Actually, I've met someone. He lives here, he was born here."
"Buffy, I'm surprised. I had no idea. How long do you plan on staying here?"
"Right now, I can't imagine going back to California!"
A couple of weeks later
"Buffy! You can't possible be serious. You HAVE to come back. You live here!"
"Joey, you don't understand. I think I've fallen in love!"
"That's impossible! You haven't known him long enough to fall in love. You're probably in love with the fact that you THINK, and I do stress 'think' you're in love with him. He might turn out to be a psychopathic killer, and you'd be his next victim!"
"Joey! You're just over-reacting. It's nothing like that. Oh, he's here. I've got to go! I'll call you later! Ta!"
The phone clicked in Joey's ear. "Ta? When the hell did she start saying 'ta'?" She placed the phone back on its base.
A week later
"Ms. Potter?"
"Yes?"
"This is Rupert Giles' brother. I believe you know him?"
"Yes, of course. What is this all about?"
"I'm afraid I have some rather terrible news. I hate to do this over the phone, but my brother has passed on."
"Oh God! When did this happen?! I thought he was getting better!"
"He was, it was that another terrible tragedy struck and it was more than Rupert could handle."
"What happened?" Her mind started turning, and she thought to herself 'I don't want to know, I don't want to know, I don't-'
"His caretaker, the young girl that came to see to his health, well, it seems that she was the latest victim of a serial killer. It was some young man that she had been seeing. No one knew that he was a psychopathic killer. It was a terrible shock to everybody here. I wanted to call, though, to tell you about Rupert…"
The man's voice faded as Joey fainted.