The Long Summer 19
"Xander, please stop and talk to me for a moment." Giles' instructed as he followed Xander around the work site.
"Look, G-man." Xander held up his hand to stifle the Brit's continuous monologue. "I appreciate your concern. I'm fine. Everything's fine. Except this is my work site. We work here. You're not with the working flow."
"Please don't be tiresome, Xander. This is extremely important."
"My paycheck is extremely important, too. I'm already several days in delay. Can we do this another time?"
"No." Buffy announced as she circled around Giles and folded her arms. "We can't. This is pretty deep, Xander. We're all worried about you."
He sighed and looked away from the pair of looks being directed at him. His crew watched, despite trying to avoid looking like they were watching. When Xander attempted eye contact, they each became deeply interested in the project they were supposed to be working on.
"Fine." Xander slammed the metal clipboard shut. "Let's get out of the pit and we'll talk." He didn't want for their responses and charged across the work area to the ladder. He climbed out.
They caught up with him next to the truck, which looked worse in the direct sunlight than it did in the shadows of night.
"What is with you?" Buffy demanded as she walked up to him. Her expression was a wrinkle of concern and frustration. "This is serious and you're all bent about some boards going up on a place we shouldn't be building on anyway."
"You're not building on it." Xander said patiently. "I am. Or I would be if the interruptions would disappear."
"Xander." The warning in Giles' voice came through loud and clear. "Spike informed me of your encounter with Drusilla."
"And?"
"We are merely concerned about the amount of preternatural activity that is occurring."
"Like this is anything new for Sunnydale?" Xander shook his head and began to turn to reach inside the truck for his thermos. Buffy's hand on his arm halted his motion and yanked him back around.
"Look, you're playing no return call, no hang out and avoid guy really well. Now I hear you're dancing with Drusilla by the pale moonlight. Wanna lose the Joker like attitude and rejoin the program?" Buffy's eyes narrowed on him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't pass go and I didn't collect two hundred dollars. I'm busy. It's called having a life."
"It's called about to get knock on your -"
"Buffy, please." Giles intervened. "Enough, both of you. Let's not make a difficult situation anymore difficult, shall we?"
Xander felt pleased that he wasn't the only one receiving the G-man evil eye. "This is great just hanging the hang and chatting the chat. But I'm a construction worker. I have a crew that's constructing. Standing here isn't very constructive. Does anyone see where I'm going with this?"
"Yeah. Straight to - fine. Fine. I'll be over here. Shutting up." She made a face at Giles before retreating. Xander bit his tongue as she put into action her statement. There was no regret in seeing her retreat, but guilt surfaced briefly.
"I understand things are extremely difficult for you, right now." Giles said. "And you may think that I am patronizing you, which I assure you. I am not."
Xander sighed.
"It's been a difficult several months. Don't shut out your friends. Buffy wants to help. So do I. Drusilla is very dangerous and extremely alluring." Giles removed his glasses and polished them with trademark efficiency.
"Giles - I know how dangerous Drusilla is. I was in the library with Kendra. Remember? Know all about her spooky mojo and stuff. I was just tired last night. Thrown for a loop. Better now. No dancing with devil for me."
Giles looked at him skeptically.
"Scout's honor."
"As you wish, Xander. Will you at least promise me that you will let someone know if you need help?"
"Sure." Xander nodded. "I need help right now."
"Yes?"
"Yes. I need some kind, but overly involved friends to go away so I can get some work done."
"Hmmm."
Xander plastered on a bright smile. "I'm Xander the handyman. Got a library to build."
Giles acquiesced to the statement and Xander abandoned him with a half-wave to Buffy. He waited near the ladder to the pit and breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone. A half-heard sound drifted past and it sounded far too much like laughter.
He suppressed a shiver and got himself back to work.
"Xander, please stop and talk to me for a moment." Giles' instructed as he followed Xander around the work site.
"Look, G-man." Xander held up his hand to stifle the Brit's continuous monologue. "I appreciate your concern. I'm fine. Everything's fine. Except this is my work site. We work here. You're not with the working flow."
"Please don't be tiresome, Xander. This is extremely important."
"My paycheck is extremely important, too. I'm already several days in delay. Can we do this another time?"
"No." Buffy announced as she circled around Giles and folded her arms. "We can't. This is pretty deep, Xander. We're all worried about you."
He sighed and looked away from the pair of looks being directed at him. His crew watched, despite trying to avoid looking like they were watching. When Xander attempted eye contact, they each became deeply interested in the project they were supposed to be working on.
"Fine." Xander slammed the metal clipboard shut. "Let's get out of the pit and we'll talk." He didn't want for their responses and charged across the work area to the ladder. He climbed out.
They caught up with him next to the truck, which looked worse in the direct sunlight than it did in the shadows of night.
"What is with you?" Buffy demanded as she walked up to him. Her expression was a wrinkle of concern and frustration. "This is serious and you're all bent about some boards going up on a place we shouldn't be building on anyway."
"You're not building on it." Xander said patiently. "I am. Or I would be if the interruptions would disappear."
"Xander." The warning in Giles' voice came through loud and clear. "Spike informed me of your encounter with Drusilla."
"And?"
"We are merely concerned about the amount of preternatural activity that is occurring."
"Like this is anything new for Sunnydale?" Xander shook his head and began to turn to reach inside the truck for his thermos. Buffy's hand on his arm halted his motion and yanked him back around.
"Look, you're playing no return call, no hang out and avoid guy really well. Now I hear you're dancing with Drusilla by the pale moonlight. Wanna lose the Joker like attitude and rejoin the program?" Buffy's eyes narrowed on him.
"I'm sorry, I didn't pass go and I didn't collect two hundred dollars. I'm busy. It's called having a life."
"It's called about to get knock on your -"
"Buffy, please." Giles intervened. "Enough, both of you. Let's not make a difficult situation anymore difficult, shall we?"
Xander felt pleased that he wasn't the only one receiving the G-man evil eye. "This is great just hanging the hang and chatting the chat. But I'm a construction worker. I have a crew that's constructing. Standing here isn't very constructive. Does anyone see where I'm going with this?"
"Yeah. Straight to - fine. Fine. I'll be over here. Shutting up." She made a face at Giles before retreating. Xander bit his tongue as she put into action her statement. There was no regret in seeing her retreat, but guilt surfaced briefly.
"I understand things are extremely difficult for you, right now." Giles said. "And you may think that I am patronizing you, which I assure you. I am not."
Xander sighed.
"It's been a difficult several months. Don't shut out your friends. Buffy wants to help. So do I. Drusilla is very dangerous and extremely alluring." Giles removed his glasses and polished them with trademark efficiency.
"Giles - I know how dangerous Drusilla is. I was in the library with Kendra. Remember? Know all about her spooky mojo and stuff. I was just tired last night. Thrown for a loop. Better now. No dancing with devil for me."
Giles looked at him skeptically.
"Scout's honor."
"As you wish, Xander. Will you at least promise me that you will let someone know if you need help?"
"Sure." Xander nodded. "I need help right now."
"Yes?"
"Yes. I need some kind, but overly involved friends to go away so I can get some work done."
"Hmmm."
Xander plastered on a bright smile. "I'm Xander the handyman. Got a library to build."
Giles acquiesced to the statement and Xander abandoned him with a half-wave to Buffy. He waited near the ladder to the pit and breathed a sigh of relief when they were gone. A half-heard sound drifted past and it sounded far too much like laughter.
He suppressed a shiver and got himself back to work.