Sorry about the no update, guys. I did write part of this on Wednesday, but it just didn't work out quite as I wanted and I had to prepare a report on SVG and SMIL, so I let it stay there until today.
This is not Giles' talk with Caroline. I played that over in my head and though the general gist of it was always the same it turned out differently each time, which is odd for me. Moreover I realized that it was entirely unnecessary to torture you with Giles/Caroline if I can say what I want to say and more with the following chapter.
Enjoy.
TITLE: Over her (8/?)
PART: Half The World Away
AUTHOR: Gabriele Schulz
EMAIL: gabi@gschulz.de
RATING: PG (might go up)
DISTRIBUTION: Everyone who has my general permission. Others please ask first.
SPOILERS: Up to Selfless
FEEDBACK: Love it. Especially if you like the story ;-)
SUMMARY: On Buffy's 25th birthday Giles visits Sunnydale, finally over her. Or so he thinks.
COUPLES: Buffy/Giles, Willow/Anya, Dawn/OC (male), mention of Wesley/Faith, Cordelia/Angel
DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television, the WB Television Network, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I do not mean to infringe upon any copyrights.
DATE: 11/20, 23/02
--------------------------
Rupert Giles sat in his flat, which felt as empty as it was. Caroline had left. For good.
Well, not exactly for good. He had to promise her to call him when he had the photos of Harris and the others ready and that they'd stay in touch, but what was once a relationship was now friendship.
He had expected nothing else. Or so he had thought. But at this moment that was just as little consolation as the fact that he would be able to see his friends in Sunnydale again on a more permanent basis.
He wanted a drink.
Caroline had liked to drink, but with one look at him she had known when it wasn't the right time.
'Drinking is fun, Rupert. Don't do it for the wrong reasons.'
And this would be a wrong reason. He wanted to forget. But he would not drink.
He thought about how happy they had been that first month. No, that wasn't a good idea. He needed to do something else.
He should perhaps call the Council to let them know he would adhere to their request. But the thought of discussing what he was supposed to do while he was in California with someone who had no idea of what he was going though was not very inviting.
It was only afternoon so he couldn't very well go to bed already. The best option right now seemed to keep sitting in his armchair and wallowing in self-pity.
Suddenly Buffy's words came back to his mind. Ice-cream and discussing their rotten love lives. Yes, that was what he needed at this moment. Unfortunately Buffy was half the world away.
But instead of calling the Council he could call her. She would at least understand and she had a way of cheering him up whether she wanted to or not.
He got the phone and sat down again, wondering for a moment if it wasn't too early to call her. It would be just after 8 am in Sunnydale. He decided to give it a try and if she sounded very sleepy, he would simply tell her he'd come and that they could discuss it later.
"Buffy Summers."
"Buffy, hello."
"Oh, Giles. I was a bit worried about you. I thought that maybe Caroline didn't react well to the news and cut off some vital body parts." He had to smile. Calling Buffy had definitely been the right thing to do. When she didn't hear him answer worry crept into her voice. "You're fine, are you?"
"Yes. All body parts intact."
"Good." There was a short silence. "So how did it go?"
"It went well. We talked and came to an agreement. I will go to California."
He heard her intake of breath. He knew that she was happy but didn't want to show it because she knew what it meant for his relationship with Caroline.
"I'm sorry. Not that you'll come here, but..."
"I know."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He hesitated for a few seconds.
"Yes. But I don't want to keep you from anything important..."
"Important? Ha! I'm doing laundry. You'd do me a favor!"
"Then I'd gladly accept your offer."
"Great. Just give me a second. I'm gonna go to the phone in the living room and get some ice-cream. Do you have some ice-cream?"
"Ehm, not here, no."
"I'll eat some for you and try to convey the soothing feeling. You'll get the comfort but no calories. Bet you can't find a better deal anywhere. Hold on."
He couldn't help smiling. He was feeling better already. Buffy picked up the phone again.
"Okay, I'm back with double-chocolate ice-cream with chocolate chips. That should do the trick."
"I feel better already."
"Do you, really?" Buffy asked, serious now.
"A little. I don't know why I'm so... I expected it, you know. When I told you I had to talk to Caroline first to decide whether I'd stay here or go back to California... in my heart I knew it was over. But still..."
"It hurts."
"Yes."
"You cannot prepare for something like this. You know it's the right thing to do, it's what you have to do, but when you do it, nothing about it feels right or good."
She understood him almost too well.
"I thought I'd lost her some time ago. But I didn't. Not until today. She loves me. She says she's just not the right woman for me."
"Do you think she is?"
"I don't know. No. She's right. We want different things. She cannot give me what I want. It's not what she wants."
"What do you want?"
He thought for a moment before answering.
"I want to wake up with one person every day for the rest of my life."
There was a short pause.
"I know."
Only two words, but they said so much. They said 'I understand how you feel', but they also said 'I feel the same way'. And they were filled with a sadness and resignation that made him angry. He could suddenly feel tears threatening to spill over.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. No! I feel... this isn't right. It shouldn't be like this for us, should it? I don't know anyone who deserves happiness more than you."
"I could think of someone. You. But I guess we shouldn't fight about that. Let's just say that we deserve some damn happiness and whoever is not giving it to us is just mean and heartless and probably very ugly."
He laughed.
"So you can still laugh. That's a good sign."
"You make me laugh. I can't help it. I miss you so much. All of you. How is Harris?"
"Giles, you only left two days ago. I think I haven't even seen her since you left, but to answer your question, I'm sure she's fine. But you can see for yourself very soon."
"Yes, I will. And if there's anything good in all of this it's that I can be with all of you much more often now."
"Do you know where you'll stay?"
"No, I'll call the Council and they'll tell me what they want me to do and I will talk to Wesley. I think he wants the Council to move their headquarters to the Hyperion and be up in arms 24 hours a day around Faith."
"I can just see Faith's reaction to that."
"Yes, which is why I will talk to her, too. I'll try to catch her alone. We'll see if they really need me in LA or if it will be sufficient, if I stay in Sunnydale."
"Good. But you'll come here first, right?"
"That's the plan, yes."
"Okay, then I'll prepare the room for you."
"It's really not necessary. You can leave it as it was. Unless you have moved anything in there after I left. Or Willow and Anya..."
"No, it's as it was, I just thought I'd go through the cupboards and stuff."
"You really don't have to d-"
"I want to! I mean I wanted to sort out Willow's things for ages. And that way you can put some of your things in the cupboard. You could leave some clothes there if you move to LA, so that you'd come here over the weekend. Or you could take your time finding your own apartment." There was a short pause before her final quiet offer. "Or maybe you could stay here if you don't have to move to LA."
He didn't know what to say. Buffy wanted him to live with her? ~With them~ he mentally corrected himself. Buffy seemed to have taken his silence as doubt, for she quickly continued.
"Only if you want to of course. It's totally up to you. And we don't have to decide now, I mean *you*. You don't even know where you'll live..."
"Yes, we can talk about it after I went to LA."
"Good. I'll tell the others. They'll be thrilled."
"I know I am. I'm looking forward to being a part of your lives again."
"You always were, Giles."
"But it's not quite the same."
"No, this'll be much better. I'll count the days till your return. Uh, when will you return? Do you know already?"
"I'm not sure. I'll have to discuss it with the Council, do some more research on pregnant Slayers and I'll see if I can find someone to take over my flat while I'm gone. I expect it won't take longer than two or three weeks."
"'kay. Let me know when you know your flight. Maybe I can pick you up from the airport. Or if it's late I can send Spike. He's been going on about that bottle of scotch that you owe him."
"Owe him?! He only won because he cheated. Moreover he was stupid enough to let himself be caught. Tell him to take it like a man. I certainly won't pay up."
"I'll leave that to you. You know I think Spike misses you, too. He has enough liquor. I think it's just an excuse to ask about you. It's been a while since he had a guy to talk to."
There was a short silence in which they both thought about Xander.
"Anyway, we'll all be glad to have you back."
"Yes. I will call you as soon as I have news."
"Or if you feel bad. You can call me anytime, even at work. You have the number of my office, don't you?"
"Yes, but I don't think that will be necessary. I really feel better now."
"I'm glad to hear that. But I guess I can't evade laundry any longer then."
He laughed.
"I'm afraid, no."
"Bye Giles."
"Good-bye Buffy. And thank you."
"You're welcome."
He hung up.
He wondered what to do now. He felt ready to call the Council, but he longed for some activity. He decided to go there in person instead.
After putting on his jacket and fetching his keys he looked around his flat once more. It was strange. An hour ago it had felt like a living testament to his newly single life, reminding him of all the moments that he would now spent here without Caroline. Now it felt like nothing more than the space that would give him shelter until he could return to his family. Almost like a hotel room. Albeit one with very personal memories.
He turned and walked out, closing the door without another glance back.
A/N:
Thanks for all the reviews :)
EmryldWing: I do have a certain idea about their getting together now, and I think you'll enjoy it and the way to it. Hmm. I didn't describe Caroline, so I guess you could imagine her as ugly. But hey, she's gone now and he's on his way to Buffy, so what does it matter? :)
Catlimere: Thank you very much. If the opportunity comes I might put in a bit more about Xander in relation to W/Ay and Harris. Letting them take it slow is quite new for me, too and I do wonder how long I can keep them from just jumping each other. So far I and they are still in control though.
Queen Boadicea: *blush* Thank you :)
: Thank you :) The bunny thing jumped at me so had to grab it. About Giles seeming off: Maybe if you could tell me what you think feels is different I could change it or try to justify it. One difference that is intentional is that Giles is more open towards Buffy now. I think the believe that he's over her is giving him a lot more freedom. He doesn't have to constantly censor himself. So if it's that, it's intentional. If it's something else, let me know and I'll look into it.
KittenGal: I'm glad to hear that. I will try to keep the updates coming. I hate waiting for the next chapter myself ;)
Shelly: Maybe you should look up what you're trying to write about. You'll find the word under "incest". And it doesn't fit Buffy and Giles. Oh and basically what D_V said.
D_V: Thanks for your support and the glowing review :) I don't really know what to say. I just hope I will not disappoint.
Up next (I think): Buffy cleans up Will's old room and has a talk with Dawn. Needless to say it involves guys and dating.
This is not Giles' talk with Caroline. I played that over in my head and though the general gist of it was always the same it turned out differently each time, which is odd for me. Moreover I realized that it was entirely unnecessary to torture you with Giles/Caroline if I can say what I want to say and more with the following chapter.
Enjoy.
TITLE: Over her (8/?)
PART: Half The World Away
AUTHOR: Gabriele Schulz
EMAIL: gabi@gschulz.de
RATING: PG (might go up)
DISTRIBUTION: Everyone who has my general permission. Others please ask first.
SPOILERS: Up to Selfless
FEEDBACK: Love it. Especially if you like the story ;-)
SUMMARY: On Buffy's 25th birthday Giles visits Sunnydale, finally over her. Or so he thinks.
COUPLES: Buffy/Giles, Willow/Anya, Dawn/OC (male), mention of Wesley/Faith, Cordelia/Angel
DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television, the WB Television Network, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I do not mean to infringe upon any copyrights.
DATE: 11/20, 23/02
--------------------------
Rupert Giles sat in his flat, which felt as empty as it was. Caroline had left. For good.
Well, not exactly for good. He had to promise her to call him when he had the photos of Harris and the others ready and that they'd stay in touch, but what was once a relationship was now friendship.
He had expected nothing else. Or so he had thought. But at this moment that was just as little consolation as the fact that he would be able to see his friends in Sunnydale again on a more permanent basis.
He wanted a drink.
Caroline had liked to drink, but with one look at him she had known when it wasn't the right time.
'Drinking is fun, Rupert. Don't do it for the wrong reasons.'
And this would be a wrong reason. He wanted to forget. But he would not drink.
He thought about how happy they had been that first month. No, that wasn't a good idea. He needed to do something else.
He should perhaps call the Council to let them know he would adhere to their request. But the thought of discussing what he was supposed to do while he was in California with someone who had no idea of what he was going though was not very inviting.
It was only afternoon so he couldn't very well go to bed already. The best option right now seemed to keep sitting in his armchair and wallowing in self-pity.
Suddenly Buffy's words came back to his mind. Ice-cream and discussing their rotten love lives. Yes, that was what he needed at this moment. Unfortunately Buffy was half the world away.
But instead of calling the Council he could call her. She would at least understand and she had a way of cheering him up whether she wanted to or not.
He got the phone and sat down again, wondering for a moment if it wasn't too early to call her. It would be just after 8 am in Sunnydale. He decided to give it a try and if she sounded very sleepy, he would simply tell her he'd come and that they could discuss it later.
"Buffy Summers."
"Buffy, hello."
"Oh, Giles. I was a bit worried about you. I thought that maybe Caroline didn't react well to the news and cut off some vital body parts." He had to smile. Calling Buffy had definitely been the right thing to do. When she didn't hear him answer worry crept into her voice. "You're fine, are you?"
"Yes. All body parts intact."
"Good." There was a short silence. "So how did it go?"
"It went well. We talked and came to an agreement. I will go to California."
He heard her intake of breath. He knew that she was happy but didn't want to show it because she knew what it meant for his relationship with Caroline.
"I'm sorry. Not that you'll come here, but..."
"I know."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He hesitated for a few seconds.
"Yes. But I don't want to keep you from anything important..."
"Important? Ha! I'm doing laundry. You'd do me a favor!"
"Then I'd gladly accept your offer."
"Great. Just give me a second. I'm gonna go to the phone in the living room and get some ice-cream. Do you have some ice-cream?"
"Ehm, not here, no."
"I'll eat some for you and try to convey the soothing feeling. You'll get the comfort but no calories. Bet you can't find a better deal anywhere. Hold on."
He couldn't help smiling. He was feeling better already. Buffy picked up the phone again.
"Okay, I'm back with double-chocolate ice-cream with chocolate chips. That should do the trick."
"I feel better already."
"Do you, really?" Buffy asked, serious now.
"A little. I don't know why I'm so... I expected it, you know. When I told you I had to talk to Caroline first to decide whether I'd stay here or go back to California... in my heart I knew it was over. But still..."
"It hurts."
"Yes."
"You cannot prepare for something like this. You know it's the right thing to do, it's what you have to do, but when you do it, nothing about it feels right or good."
She understood him almost too well.
"I thought I'd lost her some time ago. But I didn't. Not until today. She loves me. She says she's just not the right woman for me."
"Do you think she is?"
"I don't know. No. She's right. We want different things. She cannot give me what I want. It's not what she wants."
"What do you want?"
He thought for a moment before answering.
"I want to wake up with one person every day for the rest of my life."
There was a short pause.
"I know."
Only two words, but they said so much. They said 'I understand how you feel', but they also said 'I feel the same way'. And they were filled with a sadness and resignation that made him angry. He could suddenly feel tears threatening to spill over.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. No! I feel... this isn't right. It shouldn't be like this for us, should it? I don't know anyone who deserves happiness more than you."
"I could think of someone. You. But I guess we shouldn't fight about that. Let's just say that we deserve some damn happiness and whoever is not giving it to us is just mean and heartless and probably very ugly."
He laughed.
"So you can still laugh. That's a good sign."
"You make me laugh. I can't help it. I miss you so much. All of you. How is Harris?"
"Giles, you only left two days ago. I think I haven't even seen her since you left, but to answer your question, I'm sure she's fine. But you can see for yourself very soon."
"Yes, I will. And if there's anything good in all of this it's that I can be with all of you much more often now."
"Do you know where you'll stay?"
"No, I'll call the Council and they'll tell me what they want me to do and I will talk to Wesley. I think he wants the Council to move their headquarters to the Hyperion and be up in arms 24 hours a day around Faith."
"I can just see Faith's reaction to that."
"Yes, which is why I will talk to her, too. I'll try to catch her alone. We'll see if they really need me in LA or if it will be sufficient, if I stay in Sunnydale."
"Good. But you'll come here first, right?"
"That's the plan, yes."
"Okay, then I'll prepare the room for you."
"It's really not necessary. You can leave it as it was. Unless you have moved anything in there after I left. Or Willow and Anya..."
"No, it's as it was, I just thought I'd go through the cupboards and stuff."
"You really don't have to d-"
"I want to! I mean I wanted to sort out Willow's things for ages. And that way you can put some of your things in the cupboard. You could leave some clothes there if you move to LA, so that you'd come here over the weekend. Or you could take your time finding your own apartment." There was a short pause before her final quiet offer. "Or maybe you could stay here if you don't have to move to LA."
He didn't know what to say. Buffy wanted him to live with her? ~With them~ he mentally corrected himself. Buffy seemed to have taken his silence as doubt, for she quickly continued.
"Only if you want to of course. It's totally up to you. And we don't have to decide now, I mean *you*. You don't even know where you'll live..."
"Yes, we can talk about it after I went to LA."
"Good. I'll tell the others. They'll be thrilled."
"I know I am. I'm looking forward to being a part of your lives again."
"You always were, Giles."
"But it's not quite the same."
"No, this'll be much better. I'll count the days till your return. Uh, when will you return? Do you know already?"
"I'm not sure. I'll have to discuss it with the Council, do some more research on pregnant Slayers and I'll see if I can find someone to take over my flat while I'm gone. I expect it won't take longer than two or three weeks."
"'kay. Let me know when you know your flight. Maybe I can pick you up from the airport. Or if it's late I can send Spike. He's been going on about that bottle of scotch that you owe him."
"Owe him?! He only won because he cheated. Moreover he was stupid enough to let himself be caught. Tell him to take it like a man. I certainly won't pay up."
"I'll leave that to you. You know I think Spike misses you, too. He has enough liquor. I think it's just an excuse to ask about you. It's been a while since he had a guy to talk to."
There was a short silence in which they both thought about Xander.
"Anyway, we'll all be glad to have you back."
"Yes. I will call you as soon as I have news."
"Or if you feel bad. You can call me anytime, even at work. You have the number of my office, don't you?"
"Yes, but I don't think that will be necessary. I really feel better now."
"I'm glad to hear that. But I guess I can't evade laundry any longer then."
He laughed.
"I'm afraid, no."
"Bye Giles."
"Good-bye Buffy. And thank you."
"You're welcome."
He hung up.
He wondered what to do now. He felt ready to call the Council, but he longed for some activity. He decided to go there in person instead.
After putting on his jacket and fetching his keys he looked around his flat once more. It was strange. An hour ago it had felt like a living testament to his newly single life, reminding him of all the moments that he would now spent here without Caroline. Now it felt like nothing more than the space that would give him shelter until he could return to his family. Almost like a hotel room. Albeit one with very personal memories.
He turned and walked out, closing the door without another glance back.
A/N:
Thanks for all the reviews :)
EmryldWing: I do have a certain idea about their getting together now, and I think you'll enjoy it and the way to it. Hmm. I didn't describe Caroline, so I guess you could imagine her as ugly. But hey, she's gone now and he's on his way to Buffy, so what does it matter? :)
Catlimere: Thank you very much. If the opportunity comes I might put in a bit more about Xander in relation to W/Ay and Harris. Letting them take it slow is quite new for me, too and I do wonder how long I can keep them from just jumping each other. So far I and they are still in control though.
Queen Boadicea: *blush* Thank you :)
: Thank you :) The bunny thing jumped at me so had to grab it. About Giles seeming off: Maybe if you could tell me what you think feels is different I could change it or try to justify it. One difference that is intentional is that Giles is more open towards Buffy now. I think the believe that he's over her is giving him a lot more freedom. He doesn't have to constantly censor himself. So if it's that, it's intentional. If it's something else, let me know and I'll look into it.
KittenGal: I'm glad to hear that. I will try to keep the updates coming. I hate waiting for the next chapter myself ;)
Shelly: Maybe you should look up what you're trying to write about. You'll find the word under "incest". And it doesn't fit Buffy and Giles. Oh and basically what D_V said.
D_V: Thanks for your support and the glowing review :) I don't really know what to say. I just hope I will not disappoint.
Up next (I think): Buffy cleans up Will's old room and has a talk with Dawn. Needless to say it involves guys and dating.