Disclaimer: see chapter 1
Author's notes: I really don't know where this is coming from. It really is pouring out. Odd.
Death Awaits: chapter 3 - Nightmares
Mr Giles passes me a cup of tea and sits down in the armchair with his own. He looks tired, but picks up the Breton's file and begins to leaf through it.
"I'm glad you came to us," he says, after a few pages of silent reading.
"I . I suppose I just knew I wasn't going to be able to do it alone," I admit. "I got scared."
"Highly sensible of you," he approves. "Not that I'm happy for Buffy to fight him, again, but you and she together, with some help from us, might stand a chance."
"Mr Giles," I begin, but he waves a hand and interrupts.
"For God's sakes, call me Giles, or Rupert. Nobody calls me Mr anymore."
"Call me Mike, then," I return. "Well, then, if you don't mind me asking, what is Angelus really like?"
Giles sips his tea, and then carefully puts it down on the coffee table nearby. "I don't suppose you mean Angel, the ensouled version?"
"Both, I suppose," I say, surprised to discover that I do mean both Angel and Angelus, if that is how we are to distinguish the two.
"You've read the files?"
"Yes."
"There's not much more. In the time between Angel coming to Sunnydale and him . losing his soul, I did come to like him. To feel sorry for him. I expect you've encountered many vampires before, Mike, and . and most of them would be fairly unintelligent." I nod, and he continues. "Despite what Angel said about a rather misspent youth, he is intelligent, and he knows a lot about many things. With his soul, he cared deeply for Buffy, and risked his own existence for her many times. I cannot say I app - approved of the relationship, but I understood what they felt for each other.
"When he turned, I was rather obtuse." Giles frowns at himself. "It took me a while to realise what had taken his soul away from him . is that in the file?"
"That's in," I agree, and he looks rather relieved.
"Good. I couldn't work it out for a while. And then ." he falters, and purses his lips, and takes a deep breath. "Then we began to feel what it was like to have a vampire such as Angelus chasing us, with all his cunning and all his mind fixed on tormenting us and distracting Buffy. It worked admirably, I must admit. He began to stalk us, leaving sketches in Buffy's bedroom . he killed Willow's goldfish and left them for her." There is a long pause, and I say nothing. "Then . then there was J - Jenny. I don't think I knew what it was to hate someone, or something, until she died. I was a fool, nearly got myself killed."
Giles picks up his tea, and sips it again, and again puts it down with the utmost care. "And then, there was Acathla. He sent a gang of vampires to fetch me - that was when Kendra died."
"The other Slayer?" I check, and Giles nods.
"She was a good girl. Rather too obsessive about her calling, but I understand that was mainly her parents' fault. I understand Drusilla killed her." A flash of something flickers across Giles's usually calm face. "I was knocked out, and when I woke up, I was in his mansion. It's a big, unfinished place, quite horrific . I think my legs and arms were bound. You know, when I looked at him, I expected to see Angel - Buffy's strange boyfriend, the person I'd spent hours talking to - but I didn't. He looked quite different. Something in the eyes." Giles links his fingers together, fiddling with them. "He wanted information . he used every means he knew to get it, including Jenny." He pauses, and finishes in a rush. "Then somehow Xander found me and rescued me, and then I spent the summer looking for Buffy, who'd run to Los Angeles."
He finishes his tea in a gulp, and coughs.
"I'm sorry I asked, sir," I say. "Really I am."
"No - if you're hunting him, you should know."
I decide to change the subject. "I was surprised to see so many people here tonight."
"I thought all the Council knew and were scandalised," Giles says, brightening up a little. "A Slayer with friends."
"They all know?"
"They all know. Xander and Willow found out quite by chance, a long time ago. Anya can't really help knowing. Riley . I don't entirely trust Riley, but last year the army had a kind of research project here, trying to neutralise demons. A terrific mess-up. Really quite nasty. They did get Spike, though, and put a chip in his head. Rather useful."
"And her mother?"
"Oh, Joyce - Mrs Summers - found out at the time of Acathla. She's never really forgiven me for keeping a part of her daughter's life a secret."
"Don't you worry about them all?" I ask, fascinated.
"Yes. Although Willow is becoming a remarkable witch, and Xander an excellent fighter. I worry about Buffy the most."
I remember something I had overheard at Headquarters. "They say she's possibly one of the best Slayers ever."
Giles smiles, fondly. "She is. Of course, she can be infuriating, but most of the time she's as brave and as skilled a Slayer as any Watcher could wish for." He finishes his tea and holds out a hand for my empty cup. "Another?"
"No, thanks."
"Tired?" he asks.
"Yes, a little."
"We should probably start saving on sleep. I'd imagine we'll need it." He stands, and leaves the teacups on the kitchen counter. "Sleep well, Mike."
"You too."
Giles goes upstairs, and I heard various rustlings and the running of water before the light goes out. I kick off boots and take off my shirt and trousers, and slide under the blanket Giles has provided for me on the sofa. It's a little too short, but I've had worse and at least this house is comfortable and warm and safe. I slip into sleep and welcome oblivion.
I am awakened halfway through the night by a scream - an unholy, terrifying scream from upstairs that drags me immediately out of my bed, searching for a weapon. The scream comes again, and this time I can make out a "No . please, stop!" It is Giles's voice, and I take the stairs two at a time, clutching a stake.
He is alone in his tidy bachelor bedroom, the sheets rumpled around him and sweat beading his forehead. Clearly a nightmare. He screams again, tossing and turning in the bed, and I reach out and shake him.
"Giles! Rupert! Wake up!"
His eyes snap open, and he stares at me - or through me, before moving fast, knocking the stake out of my hand before I can react. It's an astonishing move for someone who does not know where they are or who I am, and my body wants to return the attack. Instead, I use my heavier body to pin him down.
"Giles, it's me, it's Mike . You had a nightmare. Wake up. Giles?"
After a moment, his body relaxes and I let him go. His eyes focus on me, and gradually realisation returns.
"Mike? What happened?"
"You had a nightmare, I think," I say, perching on the end of the bed. "Woke me up, with a scream."
He frowns, and then rubs a hand across his face. "God. Yes, I did . horrible." He looks at me. "This time, we get him. No spells, no trying to return that soul. We stake him, his sire, the Frenchman."
"We'll do that," I agree. There is no doubt about what he was dreaming of, and I do not ask for a confirmation. "Will you sleep again?"
"I'll try. Will you?"
I nod. I know I will sleep again. It's a skill I have had to pick up over the last few years out in the field. You sleep when you can, because it might be a long time before you will next be able to lie down and close your eyes in safety.
Giles smiles a wan smile at me. "Go on."
I leave him rearranging his sheets, and lie back down on the sofa. Before I drift away, I see the glimmer of light from behind closed eyelids, and hear the crinkle of pages being turned, and know that Giles will not go back to sleep this night.
Author's notes: I really don't know where this is coming from. It really is pouring out. Odd.
Death Awaits: chapter 3 - Nightmares
Mr Giles passes me a cup of tea and sits down in the armchair with his own. He looks tired, but picks up the Breton's file and begins to leaf through it.
"I'm glad you came to us," he says, after a few pages of silent reading.
"I . I suppose I just knew I wasn't going to be able to do it alone," I admit. "I got scared."
"Highly sensible of you," he approves. "Not that I'm happy for Buffy to fight him, again, but you and she together, with some help from us, might stand a chance."
"Mr Giles," I begin, but he waves a hand and interrupts.
"For God's sakes, call me Giles, or Rupert. Nobody calls me Mr anymore."
"Call me Mike, then," I return. "Well, then, if you don't mind me asking, what is Angelus really like?"
Giles sips his tea, and then carefully puts it down on the coffee table nearby. "I don't suppose you mean Angel, the ensouled version?"
"Both, I suppose," I say, surprised to discover that I do mean both Angel and Angelus, if that is how we are to distinguish the two.
"You've read the files?"
"Yes."
"There's not much more. In the time between Angel coming to Sunnydale and him . losing his soul, I did come to like him. To feel sorry for him. I expect you've encountered many vampires before, Mike, and . and most of them would be fairly unintelligent." I nod, and he continues. "Despite what Angel said about a rather misspent youth, he is intelligent, and he knows a lot about many things. With his soul, he cared deeply for Buffy, and risked his own existence for her many times. I cannot say I app - approved of the relationship, but I understood what they felt for each other.
"When he turned, I was rather obtuse." Giles frowns at himself. "It took me a while to realise what had taken his soul away from him . is that in the file?"
"That's in," I agree, and he looks rather relieved.
"Good. I couldn't work it out for a while. And then ." he falters, and purses his lips, and takes a deep breath. "Then we began to feel what it was like to have a vampire such as Angelus chasing us, with all his cunning and all his mind fixed on tormenting us and distracting Buffy. It worked admirably, I must admit. He began to stalk us, leaving sketches in Buffy's bedroom . he killed Willow's goldfish and left them for her." There is a long pause, and I say nothing. "Then . then there was J - Jenny. I don't think I knew what it was to hate someone, or something, until she died. I was a fool, nearly got myself killed."
Giles picks up his tea, and sips it again, and again puts it down with the utmost care. "And then, there was Acathla. He sent a gang of vampires to fetch me - that was when Kendra died."
"The other Slayer?" I check, and Giles nods.
"She was a good girl. Rather too obsessive about her calling, but I understand that was mainly her parents' fault. I understand Drusilla killed her." A flash of something flickers across Giles's usually calm face. "I was knocked out, and when I woke up, I was in his mansion. It's a big, unfinished place, quite horrific . I think my legs and arms were bound. You know, when I looked at him, I expected to see Angel - Buffy's strange boyfriend, the person I'd spent hours talking to - but I didn't. He looked quite different. Something in the eyes." Giles links his fingers together, fiddling with them. "He wanted information . he used every means he knew to get it, including Jenny." He pauses, and finishes in a rush. "Then somehow Xander found me and rescued me, and then I spent the summer looking for Buffy, who'd run to Los Angeles."
He finishes his tea in a gulp, and coughs.
"I'm sorry I asked, sir," I say. "Really I am."
"No - if you're hunting him, you should know."
I decide to change the subject. "I was surprised to see so many people here tonight."
"I thought all the Council knew and were scandalised," Giles says, brightening up a little. "A Slayer with friends."
"They all know?"
"They all know. Xander and Willow found out quite by chance, a long time ago. Anya can't really help knowing. Riley . I don't entirely trust Riley, but last year the army had a kind of research project here, trying to neutralise demons. A terrific mess-up. Really quite nasty. They did get Spike, though, and put a chip in his head. Rather useful."
"And her mother?"
"Oh, Joyce - Mrs Summers - found out at the time of Acathla. She's never really forgiven me for keeping a part of her daughter's life a secret."
"Don't you worry about them all?" I ask, fascinated.
"Yes. Although Willow is becoming a remarkable witch, and Xander an excellent fighter. I worry about Buffy the most."
I remember something I had overheard at Headquarters. "They say she's possibly one of the best Slayers ever."
Giles smiles, fondly. "She is. Of course, she can be infuriating, but most of the time she's as brave and as skilled a Slayer as any Watcher could wish for." He finishes his tea and holds out a hand for my empty cup. "Another?"
"No, thanks."
"Tired?" he asks.
"Yes, a little."
"We should probably start saving on sleep. I'd imagine we'll need it." He stands, and leaves the teacups on the kitchen counter. "Sleep well, Mike."
"You too."
Giles goes upstairs, and I heard various rustlings and the running of water before the light goes out. I kick off boots and take off my shirt and trousers, and slide under the blanket Giles has provided for me on the sofa. It's a little too short, but I've had worse and at least this house is comfortable and warm and safe. I slip into sleep and welcome oblivion.
I am awakened halfway through the night by a scream - an unholy, terrifying scream from upstairs that drags me immediately out of my bed, searching for a weapon. The scream comes again, and this time I can make out a "No . please, stop!" It is Giles's voice, and I take the stairs two at a time, clutching a stake.
He is alone in his tidy bachelor bedroom, the sheets rumpled around him and sweat beading his forehead. Clearly a nightmare. He screams again, tossing and turning in the bed, and I reach out and shake him.
"Giles! Rupert! Wake up!"
His eyes snap open, and he stares at me - or through me, before moving fast, knocking the stake out of my hand before I can react. It's an astonishing move for someone who does not know where they are or who I am, and my body wants to return the attack. Instead, I use my heavier body to pin him down.
"Giles, it's me, it's Mike . You had a nightmare. Wake up. Giles?"
After a moment, his body relaxes and I let him go. His eyes focus on me, and gradually realisation returns.
"Mike? What happened?"
"You had a nightmare, I think," I say, perching on the end of the bed. "Woke me up, with a scream."
He frowns, and then rubs a hand across his face. "God. Yes, I did . horrible." He looks at me. "This time, we get him. No spells, no trying to return that soul. We stake him, his sire, the Frenchman."
"We'll do that," I agree. There is no doubt about what he was dreaming of, and I do not ask for a confirmation. "Will you sleep again?"
"I'll try. Will you?"
I nod. I know I will sleep again. It's a skill I have had to pick up over the last few years out in the field. You sleep when you can, because it might be a long time before you will next be able to lie down and close your eyes in safety.
Giles smiles a wan smile at me. "Go on."
I leave him rearranging his sheets, and lie back down on the sofa. Before I drift away, I see the glimmer of light from behind closed eyelids, and hear the crinkle of pages being turned, and know that Giles will not go back to sleep this night.