Confusion
By: Lynn
Disclaimer: I own nothing, please don't sue.
Summary: see chapter 1
Rating: still PG-13, but it may change.
A/N: For the purposes of this story, Giles is in Sunnydale on a visit. Also, Vision: Thanks for pointing that out. I completely forgot. I'll try and answer in this chapter.
Chapter 2
Night fell over the city, and a shadow broke away from the wall of a large house. Moving quickly and silently, yet with no real idea of where he was going, Spike strolled through the night, remembering back to his first days as a vampire, stalking prey with Drusilla on this very same street. It was strange that after all this time, he still remembered this area so vividly.
There's no place like home…
Heading toward the center of London, he tried to remember what he had heard about the location of the Watcher's Council. Over the years, they had changed headquarters frequently, but Spike was determined he'd find a Giles tonight.
"Hey, baby. Are you lonely?" Turning his head to see the streetwalker, Spike felt a deep sense of shame. He should have known that someone was standing there. Where was his survival instinct?
"Not tonight, luv."
"You sure…I can make it worth your while."
"I'm sure you could, but I've got places to be."
Walking further down the road, he stopped abruptly when he heard the scream shatter the quiet of the night. Turning around, he saw the girl being dragged into an alley.
Vampire…
Cursing the Scoobies for making him care, he raced back toward the corner and into the alley. Taking the corner fast, he almost slammed right into the vampire and his victim, just as the demon was leaning in for the kill.
"Get away from her."
The vampire looked up, confused. Seeing another of his kind, he frowned.
"Get your own food. This one's mine."
"Well, thanks for the suggestion, mate. But I don't think there's a good place for wings anywhere around here. Now, where was I? Oh, yeah! Get away from her."
Snarling, the vampire threw the girl away and rushed Spike. Easily sidestepping the attack, Spike smiled when he realized it was a fledgling. This should be no problem. Well, except one: he had no weapon.
Oh, well…Spike grinned, shifting into game face as the joy of the fight spread through his veins. That's never stopped me before.
Reaching out toward the fledgling's head, he grabbed on, twisted and tore his head off. Dust exploded around him as he exhaled happily. Remembering the girl, he turned toward her, effortlessly slipping back into his human face before doing so. He held out his hand. As she reached out for it, he heard a noise behind him. Tensing himself for another fight, he didn't even have time to turn around before a grim voice commanded:
"Back away from her, Vampire."
Holding his hands above his head in true cop-movie fashion, he slowly turned around to face two guys and a girl – all in their early 20's. The speaker, obviously the leader, stood a little in front of the others and held a stake in attack position. The other brandished a sword, while the girl held a cross straight out in front of her. Looking closer at the leader, a quiet suspicion began tickling the back of his brain…
Could it really…? Tweed, check. Glasses, check. Desperately trying to hide a stutter, check. By Gum, I think I've got it! It's proto-Giles!
"Look, mate. It's not what it looks like."
Proto-Giles looked at him for a few seconds, before looking pointedly at the streetwalker, who was still crouched on the ground, tears running down her face. Spike followed his gaze.
"Ok, it IS what it looks like, but I'm not the vampire that put her in this situation."
"Right." With that, Proto-Giles launched himself at Spike, stake flying toward his heart.
* * *
Buffy breezed through the Magic Box's door, with Willow and a scared, confused William on her heels. Giles looked up briefly from his book, before immediately burying his nose back in it. Obviously, too preoccupied to notice that the Spike with his girls wasn't the right Spike. Xander was sitting at the table with him, the book lying open in front of him forgotten as he stared at Anya counting her money.
"Buffy. I'm glad you're here. There are reports of a rather nasty demon rising to power in the area. I fear he may be planning to destroy the world."
Xander snapped himself out of his reverie in time to make a joke.
"Ooh, an apocalypse. We haven't had one of those in almost a year."
"Er…yes. Anyway, Buffy, could you-"
"No time for that right now. There's something bigger that I think we need to research."
Giles looked up at her again, obviously concerned.
"What is it? Oh my God… Spike?"
"Good evening, sir. My name is William Carlisle." William stepped forward, offering his hand. A Carlisle may get scared, but he never disrespected an elder.
Giles instinctively grasped William's hand and shook it. Looking past the man, he met Willow's and Buffy's eyes and said the first thing that came to mind.
"Huh?"
"That's what I said."
Willow stepped forward and began to explain what had happened that night. A few minutes passed, while Giles, Xander and Anya, who had joined them after ringing up the last customer, stared at William.
"Anyway, then he said he was William Carlisle. And I explained to Buffy that that meant he was Spike."
Giles held up a hand, confused. "Why did you have to explain it to Buffy?" He looked over at the Slayer. "I mean, I've told you a bunch of times about Spike's past."
Buffy stuck her hands in her pocket and avoided Giles' eyes as she answered.
"Yeah, I know. Spike's told me, too…" Finally meeting his gaze, she lifted her hands up in front of her. "Don't look at me like that, Giles. I'm out there every day, saving the world. Do you really expect me to remember every little thing I learn? In fact, I think you should be happy that I'm focused on the more important things, like weaponry and kicking and…and…"
"Alright, alright. Back to the story."
"Well, that's pretty much it." Willow sheepishly said.
"Oh, well, that is most interesting." Giles floundered around for more words, feeling like he was expected to have the answers. Really, he still wasn't sure of the questions.
"Sit down, William. Let me ask you a few questions."
Pulling out the chair next to Giles, he paused and counted the number of chairs.
"I will stand, sir. Otherwise, there won't be enough seats for the ladies." Everyone in the room stared dumbstruck at him. No, this was definitely not their Spike. Buffy shrugged and perched on top of the table.
"That solves this problem. How about the bigger one?"
Taking a seat, William devoted his full attention to Giles.
"Um…William…why don't you tell us what you remember."
Spike quickly told the story, starting with when he went to bed the first night. A half an hour and a number of questions later, they were no closer to discovering what had happened.
"Excuse me, sir. I have a question…Why does everyone here think I'm a person named Spike?"
"Because you are…well, you aren't yet. But you will be someday."
* * *
Spike flung himself backward, barely avoiding the stake as it flew through the air where his heart had been mere fractions of a second ago. Dodging back and forth, he tried to get Proto-Giles to stop and listen to him, but there was no reasoning with the man. He just kept attacking.
"Stop!!" The streetwalker finally gathered her wits about her and stood, while everyone in the alley turned to face her. "Please, sir. Don't hurt him. He saved my life."
Proto-Giles, looking rather foolish standing with the stake raised in the air, didn't know what to do. He looked back at his friends, who just shrugged in the same confusion he felt. If this girl was telling the truth, that a vampire had saved her life from another one…then maybe everything they had been taught was wrong.
"Please, mate…let me explain. But first of all…is your name Giles?"
Proto-Giles mouth dropped open for a second, before he steeled it shut and glared, gripping the stake a little harder.
"How do you know my last name?"
"I guessed. I mean, you do look exactly like your…let's see, it must be great-grandson."
"What?!?!"
"Look, how about we talk about this over a cuppa?"