Wonders never cease to happen. Here's a new chapter :)
TITLE: Over her (11/?)
PART: Temporary Arrangements
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: 02/02/03
--------------------------
When Giles returned at 11.30 pm the next night, he was surprised to see the lights still on in the living-room. He had told Buffy that he would come back late and that she could go to bed after patrol. Then it occurred to him that it probably was Dawn - and her boyfriend.
He decided it would be best not to disturb them in whatever they were doing. He quietly opened and closed the door, hung up his jacket and walked up the stairs.
"You know, you don't have to sneak up to your room late at night. I won't scold you."
He turned around and saw her lying on the couch with a book in her lap.
"Buffy."
"Who did you expect?"
He smiled awkwardly, then started descending the stairs and walking towards her.
"Dawn and possibly her boyfriend. I didn't want to intrude."
"Oh, I see. You don't have to worry. I told them a while ago to please not do anything embarrassing in unlocked locations. Except her room to be fair."
"Embarrassing for them or for the intruder?"
She smiled. He gave her a short smile back and sat down on the couch at her feet. He couldn't stifle a yawn. Buffy folded her legs beneath her and sat up.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be tired."
"It's all right. I just haven't slept very much in the last 48 hours. The different time zones aren't exactly helping either."
"I understand. We can talk tomorrow."
"No, I'm fine. I can tell you at least the gist of it. Any details and I'm afraid you would nod off within seconds."
"So bad?"
"Wesley can be quite tiresome. But I can tell you what you want to know. Since you stayed up and waited for me."
"What? No, I was reading." She lifted the book in her lap, and then gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Who am I kidding? I was just preparing for patrol when Spike showed up. He wanted to check on you, say hello, ask for that Scotch." She stopped his protests lifting her hand. "Yeah, I know. You tell him yourself. I told him you'd drop by in the next days. I hope that's okay."
"I'll go tomorrow."
"When he heard you'd come back late, he offered to go on patrol for me, so I could wait for you. So I spent the evening pretending to read."
He smiled at her.
"You really needn't hav-"
"I know. I wanted to. So... how is Faith?"
"Faith is in excellent condition as far as I can tell, both physically and emotionally."
"No mood swings?"
"Not while I was there. She was a bit annoyed by Wesley, but not even half as much as I was, so I cannot hold it against her."
Buffy was getting nervous. She didn't really care all that much about how Faith was, but she didn't just want to come out and ask him whether he'd stay or move to LA.
"Great. Doesn't look like she's in any particular danger then."
"Well, we have found only very little about pregnant Slayers and the documents we have are contradictory. Wesley is worried that the strain of supporting another growing body will render her helpless exactly when she most needs her full strength. He has asked me to move in with them. He has already prepared a room for me."
Buffy's heart fell. She had really looked forward to having him around again. LA wasn't far away, but it was still another town. So much for a bit of company.
"However," Giles went on, "Faith and I agree that it won't be necessary until there are signs for increased danger or she starts feeling weaker."
Buffy stared at him open-mouthed. Then she hit him on the arm.
"Ow. What was that for?"
"For playing with me like that. That wasn't nice."
"Buffy, I wasn't teasing you, well, maybe a little. I informed you of what we discussed. It is still very much possible that I will have to move to LA at any moment. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I'll cancel the 'Giles will not move to LA' party. Remind me to call Anya and Will."
He gave her a look.
"Sorry. It's just that I'm happy that you'll stay here, even if it's only for a while. Aren't you happy at all?"
She pouted at him and he couldn't help smiling at her.
"I'm very glad, Buffy. As a matter of fact, I don't think I can wait any longer to enter the room you so graciously offered."
Buffy felt bad. He really did look very tired.
"Okay. Thanks for letting me know today. You can tell me Wesley's boring details tomorrow."
They both got up from the couch. Giles turned to her.
"Thank you for waiting for me."
"Don't mention it. You know me and patience, we're not friends. Let's go to bed."
He arched his eyebrow a bit.
"Uhm, I meant..."
"Yes. Good night, Buffy."
He walked towards the stairs. She stayed behind, her cheeks slightly pink.
"Good night, Giles."
She watched him ascend the stairs until he was out of sight. Then she sat down again, hugging a pillow to herself.
Faith and Wesley could take him away from her again at any time. And she hadn't even dared to ask if he'd stay here or look for an apartment. It wouldn't be very practical to look for something, if he didn't even know how long he'd stay. Then again, it could take quite some time until he moved to LA and if he wanted his own place, it would be nonsense to stay here simply because he didn't know for sure when he'd have to move again.
She sighed. It would have been better if she hadn't gotten her hopes up in the first place. Sooner or later she'd have the house alone to herself. But she had to admit it wasn't really that. The thought of Dawn moving out didn't fill her with trepidation - even if she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. But with Giles...
She had been looking forward to spending time with someone who really understood her and had time for her. Willow and Anya were busy with their shop and baby and each other. Dawn had her own life and boyfriend. And all of them felt sorry for her because she was single and they wanted her to go out and meet people. Giles wouldn't talk about such things if she didn't want to.
The only other person who spent time with her was Spike and she still felt a bit awkward around him, though that wasn't quite the right word. It had been two and a half years since she had broken up with him, again, but she knew that he had not fallen in love with someone else. He did have a few demon buddies, but since Xander's death he didn't really have anyone to talk to seriously, so he came over every now and then to talk. She felt sorry for him. Being a vampire with a soul wasn't exactly a ticket to finding friends. Talking to Spike was good if you wanted to wallow in self-pity with someone else or reminisce about the good old times. He understood everything that went wrong in her life. The only "problem" was that things were going quite well for her right now.
But there remained a spot in her life that was empty. She hadn't even been aware of that until Giles had returned with the news of Faith's pregnancy and that he might return. And suddenly hope had filled her. For what exactly she didn't know. She had been honest with Giles. She just was happy that he would stay with her for a while. And the ifs and buts notwithstanding he *was* sleeping in the room next to hers this night, so she decided to not think about what would come and enjoy it as long as it lasted.
A/N:
Thanks for the reviews :)
Queen Boadicea (1): In this story Dawn's a great cook. Maybe she just got fed up with Buffy's meals at some point ;)
cyberwulf: Ah, sorry. Anya is kept in check by Willow for the moment. We'll have to wait and see if she has a lapse of tactlessness.
DragonGal: Thank you :)
Queen Boadicea (2): Yeah. Buffy and Giles do the coupley bit quite well, for not being a couple and all ;)
Luisa: Thank you. I'm not sure, if I can promise smoochies soon, but they will most certainly make an appearance (several even!) at some point :)
EnigmaSphinx: Wow. *blushes* Thank you very much for the praise. I hope I can keep it up and convert you :)
I'm not sure how to continue. I had it all figured out before taking the break and now I'll have to think about it again. I seem to remember that Buffy and Giles go shopping together next (to help Dawn). So that would be what's coming up.
Oh and I did a little timetable thingy for my own orientation and thought you might like to see it. If not, just ignore the following:
post-Selfless W/Ay friendship that develops into more
2003 Jan-Aug B/S
2003 April Faith helps defeating circle of ancient half-gods; W/Ay get serious
2003 August W/Ay move together
2003 September C/A visit
2003 November Jeff
2004 April Break-up with Jeff
2004 July Mike
2004 September "Baby fight"
2005 May Xander dies
2005 June Harris is born
2005 August F/Wes officially together
2005 September Break-up with Mike
2006 January Buffy's 25th birthday
TITLE: Over her (11/?)
PART: Temporary Arrangements
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: 02/02/03
--------------------------
When Giles returned at 11.30 pm the next night, he was surprised to see the lights still on in the living-room. He had told Buffy that he would come back late and that she could go to bed after patrol. Then it occurred to him that it probably was Dawn - and her boyfriend.
He decided it would be best not to disturb them in whatever they were doing. He quietly opened and closed the door, hung up his jacket and walked up the stairs.
"You know, you don't have to sneak up to your room late at night. I won't scold you."
He turned around and saw her lying on the couch with a book in her lap.
"Buffy."
"Who did you expect?"
He smiled awkwardly, then started descending the stairs and walking towards her.
"Dawn and possibly her boyfriend. I didn't want to intrude."
"Oh, I see. You don't have to worry. I told them a while ago to please not do anything embarrassing in unlocked locations. Except her room to be fair."
"Embarrassing for them or for the intruder?"
She smiled. He gave her a short smile back and sat down on the couch at her feet. He couldn't stifle a yawn. Buffy folded her legs beneath her and sat up.
"Oh, I'm sorry. You must be tired."
"It's all right. I just haven't slept very much in the last 48 hours. The different time zones aren't exactly helping either."
"I understand. We can talk tomorrow."
"No, I'm fine. I can tell you at least the gist of it. Any details and I'm afraid you would nod off within seconds."
"So bad?"
"Wesley can be quite tiresome. But I can tell you what you want to know. Since you stayed up and waited for me."
"What? No, I was reading." She lifted the book in her lap, and then gave him a self-deprecating smile. "Who am I kidding? I was just preparing for patrol when Spike showed up. He wanted to check on you, say hello, ask for that Scotch." She stopped his protests lifting her hand. "Yeah, I know. You tell him yourself. I told him you'd drop by in the next days. I hope that's okay."
"I'll go tomorrow."
"When he heard you'd come back late, he offered to go on patrol for me, so I could wait for you. So I spent the evening pretending to read."
He smiled at her.
"You really needn't hav-"
"I know. I wanted to. So... how is Faith?"
"Faith is in excellent condition as far as I can tell, both physically and emotionally."
"No mood swings?"
"Not while I was there. She was a bit annoyed by Wesley, but not even half as much as I was, so I cannot hold it against her."
Buffy was getting nervous. She didn't really care all that much about how Faith was, but she didn't just want to come out and ask him whether he'd stay or move to LA.
"Great. Doesn't look like she's in any particular danger then."
"Well, we have found only very little about pregnant Slayers and the documents we have are contradictory. Wesley is worried that the strain of supporting another growing body will render her helpless exactly when she most needs her full strength. He has asked me to move in with them. He has already prepared a room for me."
Buffy's heart fell. She had really looked forward to having him around again. LA wasn't far away, but it was still another town. So much for a bit of company.
"However," Giles went on, "Faith and I agree that it won't be necessary until there are signs for increased danger or she starts feeling weaker."
Buffy stared at him open-mouthed. Then she hit him on the arm.
"Ow. What was that for?"
"For playing with me like that. That wasn't nice."
"Buffy, I wasn't teasing you, well, maybe a little. I informed you of what we discussed. It is still very much possible that I will have to move to LA at any moment. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I'll cancel the 'Giles will not move to LA' party. Remind me to call Anya and Will."
He gave her a look.
"Sorry. It's just that I'm happy that you'll stay here, even if it's only for a while. Aren't you happy at all?"
She pouted at him and he couldn't help smiling at her.
"I'm very glad, Buffy. As a matter of fact, I don't think I can wait any longer to enter the room you so graciously offered."
Buffy felt bad. He really did look very tired.
"Okay. Thanks for letting me know today. You can tell me Wesley's boring details tomorrow."
They both got up from the couch. Giles turned to her.
"Thank you for waiting for me."
"Don't mention it. You know me and patience, we're not friends. Let's go to bed."
He arched his eyebrow a bit.
"Uhm, I meant..."
"Yes. Good night, Buffy."
He walked towards the stairs. She stayed behind, her cheeks slightly pink.
"Good night, Giles."
She watched him ascend the stairs until he was out of sight. Then she sat down again, hugging a pillow to herself.
Faith and Wesley could take him away from her again at any time. And she hadn't even dared to ask if he'd stay here or look for an apartment. It wouldn't be very practical to look for something, if he didn't even know how long he'd stay. Then again, it could take quite some time until he moved to LA and if he wanted his own place, it would be nonsense to stay here simply because he didn't know for sure when he'd have to move again.
She sighed. It would have been better if she hadn't gotten her hopes up in the first place. Sooner or later she'd have the house alone to herself. But she had to admit it wasn't really that. The thought of Dawn moving out didn't fill her with trepidation - even if she wasn't exactly looking forward to it. But with Giles...
She had been looking forward to spending time with someone who really understood her and had time for her. Willow and Anya were busy with their shop and baby and each other. Dawn had her own life and boyfriend. And all of them felt sorry for her because she was single and they wanted her to go out and meet people. Giles wouldn't talk about such things if she didn't want to.
The only other person who spent time with her was Spike and she still felt a bit awkward around him, though that wasn't quite the right word. It had been two and a half years since she had broken up with him, again, but she knew that he had not fallen in love with someone else. He did have a few demon buddies, but since Xander's death he didn't really have anyone to talk to seriously, so he came over every now and then to talk. She felt sorry for him. Being a vampire with a soul wasn't exactly a ticket to finding friends. Talking to Spike was good if you wanted to wallow in self-pity with someone else or reminisce about the good old times. He understood everything that went wrong in her life. The only "problem" was that things were going quite well for her right now.
But there remained a spot in her life that was empty. She hadn't even been aware of that until Giles had returned with the news of Faith's pregnancy and that he might return. And suddenly hope had filled her. For what exactly she didn't know. She had been honest with Giles. She just was happy that he would stay with her for a while. And the ifs and buts notwithstanding he *was* sleeping in the room next to hers this night, so she decided to not think about what would come and enjoy it as long as it lasted.
A/N:
Thanks for the reviews :)
Queen Boadicea (1): In this story Dawn's a great cook. Maybe she just got fed up with Buffy's meals at some point ;)
cyberwulf: Ah, sorry. Anya is kept in check by Willow for the moment. We'll have to wait and see if she has a lapse of tactlessness.
DragonGal: Thank you :)
Queen Boadicea (2): Yeah. Buffy and Giles do the coupley bit quite well, for not being a couple and all ;)
Luisa: Thank you. I'm not sure, if I can promise smoochies soon, but they will most certainly make an appearance (several even!) at some point :)
EnigmaSphinx: Wow. *blushes* Thank you very much for the praise. I hope I can keep it up and convert you :)
I'm not sure how to continue. I had it all figured out before taking the break and now I'll have to think about it again. I seem to remember that Buffy and Giles go shopping together next (to help Dawn). So that would be what's coming up.
Oh and I did a little timetable thingy for my own orientation and thought you might like to see it. If not, just ignore the following:
post-Selfless W/Ay friendship that develops into more
2003 Jan-Aug B/S
2003 April Faith helps defeating circle of ancient half-gods; W/Ay get serious
2003 August W/Ay move together
2003 September C/A visit
2003 November Jeff
2004 April Break-up with Jeff
2004 July Mike
2004 September "Baby fight"
2005 May Xander dies
2005 June Harris is born
2005 August F/Wes officially together
2005 September Break-up with Mike
2006 January Buffy's 25th birthday