Title: The English Patience: Tuesday
Author: Am-Chau Yarkona
E-mail: grant@hagden169.fsnet.co.uk
Summary: Having made up with Spike, Giles has nonetheless decided he must take Willow to England. They spend a week there.
Rating: PG-13 (for language)
Pairing: Giles/Spike (tending Rupert/William)
Spoilers: End of season 6.
Timing: Early season 7. Post 'Songfic interludes' and pre 'First Cuddles'.
Warnings: Mild slashyness, romance.
Author Notes: Part of my 'Demon!Cuddleverse' series. Section 3, to be exact.
Story Notes: This is a collection of e-mails, telephone calls and diary entries. Hope the labelling clear enough.
Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing, not even chocolate money, Joss is God, etc.

"Yes?"
"Hi Buffy."
"Oh, hi Willow. How's it going?"
"It's okay. Still raining, but that seems to be normal over here. The magic's…well, it's not. No magic at all."
"Good. Have you been out at all?"
"Yeah- went into London today, to the British Museaum and the Watcher's offices. The British museam is great- all these old things, and books, and Giles knew some of the people still, so they opened up some of the cases, and this one guy, Mr. Kenneth, let me help him with some ancient statues he was catalogueing."
"Wow. Sounds like you had a good time."
"Umm. All these books, too- and the statues, and did I mention books?"
"You did. What's the watcher's council building like?"
"It's just like all the other buildings from outside, but inside it's like a museam and a liabrary and an armory all rolled into one."
"Meet anyone intresting?"
"Our old friend Quetin Travers, for one. He didn't actually speak to me directly, but he and Giles talked for ages. Mostly about how Faith was, and how long we'd be in britian, and how you were. The Council seems to have high hopes for Faith when she's out of prision, and meanwhile they're trying to fight on their own."
"Not a great plan."
"No, but I spoke a younger chap- like, our age- in one of their training rooms, and he said that there's quite a movement (and in an organisation as select as the Watcher's Council that's like ten people) to get rid of some of the old folks- I guess that's Mr. Travers and co.- and bring it 'all into the twentieth century, even if we can't manage the twenity-first'."
"If they can do that, we might be able to work with them."
"That's what I thought, so I've got his e-mail address, and we'll keep in touch."
"Nice work, Will. Look, I'd talk for longer, but Dawn's got a parents evening tonight and I've kinda gotta go, you know?"
"I know. Talk to you tomorrrow, yeah?"
"Yeah. Bye."
"Bye."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]
To: Spike [williamtb@att.net]

Spike,
Hope the game of Scrabble went well! We went into London today- I expect Giles will tell you about it later. I really enjoyed it, though. Is my PC behaving for you?
Willow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Spike [williamtb@att.net]
To: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]

Willow,
I'm glad you had fun. Is Giles going to ring me? I want to speak to him but he did tell me not to phone, in case it disturbed you. Don't ask him straight out- I don't really want him to know how much I miss him- but let me know, would you?
Spike.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]
To: Spike [williamtb@att.net]

Spike,
He said he'd phone Sunnydale, but I'm not sure if that's your mobile, or Buffy, or Xander, or the Magic Box. I'll try and make sure he does phone, though. That's all I can tell you without asking him.
Willow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hello?"
"William? It's me."
"Hello, Rupert. Good day?"
"Willow enjoyed it, and I… we went into London, did the British Museam, and such."
"Didn't you enjoy it?"
"I've done it quite often before, you know."
"I know."
"How's Sunnydale?"
"Dull. I miss you."
"You too. I ought to go."
"If you must."
"Goodbye."
"'Bye."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Spike [williamtb@att.net]
To: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]

Willow,
Thanks. But where did you go in London? Something upset him, didn't it? I'd like to know what.
Spike.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

From: Willow Rosenburg [wrosenburg@aol.com]
To: Spike [williamtb@att.net]

Spike,
We visited the Watcher's Council. I told Buffy some about this, but I think that's what's got to him. It must have been quite stressful for him- of course, it can be hard to tell when he decides not to let on how he's feeling. At least he phoned you.
Willow.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

William's Journal

I… oh, damn it, I don't want to write. I want to kill something. I'm going to ask Buffy if I can patrol with her tonight.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Giles' diary

11:10pm Quetin Travers is a bastard. A complete and utter bastard. He won't let me introduce Willow to one of the few people who could really help her, and that is simply not on. I have to take some kind of action, but –god help me- I don't have a clue what. I need the Watcher's Council to give me an address, a phone number, something, but they are refusing outright.
Willow insisted I call Sunnydale tonight, so I called William. I didn't think I could face Buffy, but william was almost worse. he knew I'd been upset by something, but I couldn't tell him what. Not when Willow might overhear, not when I'm so upset.