Natalie stared at the door for a few minutes, entirely confused. "What just happened here, Vachon?"
"The part where LaCroix was civil, the part where he sounded approving of a Slayer, or the magic spell part of it?" Vachon's voice was low, but held amusement and puzzlement.
"Any of it." She still couldn't quite fit tonight into her previous view of how the world worked.
Vachon was smiling a little bit, looking at Tracy's sleeping face. "Well... he said that Nick would heal better if he didn't have to worry about Tracy being unprotected. And I think he thinks well of her. The part about maybe thinking well of the Slayer... that threw me a bit. The magic spell... Did you feel that? It worked. It really did. She's going to get better..."
"That's great." She smiled, feeling good for Tracy. This gave a better chance that she'd recover. " I have to go, I have to work tonight. Ellie said it was a pretty full house tonight, so..."
"Be careful." Vachon offered as she left.
The rest of her evening was filled with dead bodies. She wasn't used to thinking of this as particularly unusual, but she'd started to think about it after Rupert had left. Had there been something besides her own desires guiding her career choice? Could she have this potential that he'd spoke of? Apparently, there was only one actual Slayer at a time, but many people that could become one, that carried this... potential. The idea was a bit scary.
It also made her think about things. Was there some higher power guiding people's lives? Was there such a thing as destiny? Had there been some purpose behind her encounter with Nick, some meddling force shaping her life? Did she have some destiny to be involved with vampires? Maybe she didn't go around killing them, but they were definitely a powerful influence on her life.
But there had been too many disasters for her to blindly believe that some greater power was directing everything. Some people had more ability at some things than others, more strength, smarter, prettier, but that didn't mean grand destiny aiming someone for greatness, did it? Or did some higher power give a person these abilities and turn them loose, watching to see what would happen? She could almost see that, and the image made her shiver.
Maybe she should talk a bit more with Rupert, learn a bit more about what else might be out there, something about how magic worked. Maybe if it wasn't such a mystery, it wouldn't leave her so queasy inside? He'd said he had been part of a group that existed to watch and guide, and she definitely felt in need of a little help to learn.
It only occurred to her later that the confusion of this whole potential Slayer and 'magic is real ' thing had distracted her from the pain of Nick's disappearance. That she hadn't spent her day frowning and moping over the fact that he was gone, injured and unlikely to return.
"You know, it's not very common to find someone willing to help a stranger. And that's all Tracy could be to him, a stranger." Vachon's voice was thoughtful, almost admiring.
Natalie looked at him, a part of her wanting to protest that she did see that sort of effort. From police and firefighters.... but those were hardly everybody, hardly the typical person. Vachon was right, that sort of action wasn't ordinary at all. "I think... I want to like him, Vachon."
"He seems rather likable, if a bit stuffy. And definitely English..." Vachon shook his head with a small smile. "But then again, everyone has to come from somewhere."
She didn't have much else to say to him as she reported the light bulb burn-out in Tracy's room. She made her way to her office, part of her mind still dwelling on Rupert Giles. To dedicate his whole life to keeping people safe from demons and vampires... to expend years of his life teaching someone to fight them only to see her die... to help Tracy like that. It was amazing. She couldn't help but admire that sort of dedication, and determination. And he didn't look that bad either.
Nat found herself wondering if Watchers were allowed to have relationships, to date, maybe even get married. Maybe... She shook her head, trying to chase away the half formed images and dreams. She had no business fantasizing about him. Which was why she should put him out of her mind right now. Well... maybe she could still be grateful that he'd helped Tracy.
Perhaps she could meet him again, maybe learn more about the dangers that Watchers watch for. Maybe learn more about Rupert Giles the man.
end part 10.
Rupert Giles woke up, feeling stiffness in every muscle of his body. His eyes felt particularly gritty, and there was that lovely feeling of discomfort that came from sleeping in one's clothing. Slowly, he sat up, trying to figure out exactly what his situation was.
Ahhh, yes. He'd gone to the hospital, performed a taxing magical ritual, held a conversation about Buffy with a very old vampire, and... hmm, he'd apparently made it safely back to the hotel, although that was really a rather distressing blur. He didn't have any clear memories of the trip back. But here he was, so he'd obviously made it.
A shower and a change of clothing left him feeling a bit better. He'd certainly felt far worse, but he was still rather exhausted. Not sleepy, but drained, as if he had no reserves to fall back on. They'd probably all been used in the spell and holding the ward when that ancient vampire, what had his name been? the cross? no, that couldn't be right... But the ancient vampire had touched the ward. He'd felt it, the magics reacting to him as a threat, a dangerous presence.
Finding himself a bit at odds, he wandered around the city for a bit, just relaxing and looking around. Not that everything was of particular historical interest, but it was good to learn more about the overall tone and mood of a place that he was staying in... And that almost sounded as if he wasn't planning to go back to Sunnydale. Did he want to stay here? He prodded at the idea much as a child will poke at a loose tooth, and decided that what he needed right now was food. Spotting a small restaurant that smelled particularly promising, he made his way inside.
He was still looking over the menu, attempting to decide what he wanted when he heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Mind if I join you at your table? The place is a bit crowded, especially in the non smoking section." Natalie sounded almost cheerful today.
Looking at her, he tried to smile in a friendly manner. "Of course, please do."
"What you did for Tracy... she's already made some noticable improvements. It's amazing." Natalie's voice was low, an obvious attempt to keep the words private. "I wanted to say thank you."
He looked at her, feeling unexpectedly pleased by her words. How many times had someone thanked him for his knowledge? It was not one of the most common experiences of his life. And a thank you from such a lovely woman, with eyes like honey and hair like amber over dark velvet... It made him feel warm and off balance and sort of floaty inside. "err... You are most welcome."
She smiled at him, this mysterious woman smile that said she knew things that he didn't, and looked at her menu. "Were you in a hurry to go back to... Sunnyvale, was it?"
"Sunnydale, actually." He corrected the name almost automatically. "I wouldn't say that I'm in much of a hurry. I do have things there, and a few people that I wouldn't want to loose touch with, but... There's a lot of pain there, and most of it hasn't had a chance to fade. I'm in no hurry to go back, and I'm not entirely certain that I want to."
"Well, if you're not leaving immediately, maybe I can help show you around a bit?" Her eyes had a warm sparkle to them, and her smile was welcoming.
Why did it suddenly feel so warm in here? Rupert took a drink of cold water, and looked back up at the smiling face of Natalie. Could she be flirting with him? Or was this just a natural warmth and friendliness? "I think I'd like that very much, actually."
It seemed that Toronto was filled with unexpected things. Not only a more civilized type of vampire, and potential Slayers with real jobs and lives, but the possibility of a new start. And a lovely woman that might be flirting with him. Add in the fact that Toronto seemed to be an interesting city, and... well, there was all sorts of potential here. He just might stay for a while.
end part 11.
"The part where LaCroix was civil, the part where he sounded approving of a Slayer, or the magic spell part of it?" Vachon's voice was low, but held amusement and puzzlement.
"Any of it." She still couldn't quite fit tonight into her previous view of how the world worked.
Vachon was smiling a little bit, looking at Tracy's sleeping face. "Well... he said that Nick would heal better if he didn't have to worry about Tracy being unprotected. And I think he thinks well of her. The part about maybe thinking well of the Slayer... that threw me a bit. The magic spell... Did you feel that? It worked. It really did. She's going to get better..."
"That's great." She smiled, feeling good for Tracy. This gave a better chance that she'd recover. " I have to go, I have to work tonight. Ellie said it was a pretty full house tonight, so..."
"Be careful." Vachon offered as she left.
The rest of her evening was filled with dead bodies. She wasn't used to thinking of this as particularly unusual, but she'd started to think about it after Rupert had left. Had there been something besides her own desires guiding her career choice? Could she have this potential that he'd spoke of? Apparently, there was only one actual Slayer at a time, but many people that could become one, that carried this... potential. The idea was a bit scary.
It also made her think about things. Was there some higher power guiding people's lives? Was there such a thing as destiny? Had there been some purpose behind her encounter with Nick, some meddling force shaping her life? Did she have some destiny to be involved with vampires? Maybe she didn't go around killing them, but they were definitely a powerful influence on her life.
But there had been too many disasters for her to blindly believe that some greater power was directing everything. Some people had more ability at some things than others, more strength, smarter, prettier, but that didn't mean grand destiny aiming someone for greatness, did it? Or did some higher power give a person these abilities and turn them loose, watching to see what would happen? She could almost see that, and the image made her shiver.
Maybe she should talk a bit more with Rupert, learn a bit more about what else might be out there, something about how magic worked. Maybe if it wasn't such a mystery, it wouldn't leave her so queasy inside? He'd said he had been part of a group that existed to watch and guide, and she definitely felt in need of a little help to learn.
It only occurred to her later that the confusion of this whole potential Slayer and 'magic is real ' thing had distracted her from the pain of Nick's disappearance. That she hadn't spent her day frowning and moping over the fact that he was gone, injured and unlikely to return.
"You know, it's not very common to find someone willing to help a stranger. And that's all Tracy could be to him, a stranger." Vachon's voice was thoughtful, almost admiring.
Natalie looked at him, a part of her wanting to protest that she did see that sort of effort. From police and firefighters.... but those were hardly everybody, hardly the typical person. Vachon was right, that sort of action wasn't ordinary at all. "I think... I want to like him, Vachon."
"He seems rather likable, if a bit stuffy. And definitely English..." Vachon shook his head with a small smile. "But then again, everyone has to come from somewhere."
She didn't have much else to say to him as she reported the light bulb burn-out in Tracy's room. She made her way to her office, part of her mind still dwelling on Rupert Giles. To dedicate his whole life to keeping people safe from demons and vampires... to expend years of his life teaching someone to fight them only to see her die... to help Tracy like that. It was amazing. She couldn't help but admire that sort of dedication, and determination. And he didn't look that bad either.
Nat found herself wondering if Watchers were allowed to have relationships, to date, maybe even get married. Maybe... She shook her head, trying to chase away the half formed images and dreams. She had no business fantasizing about him. Which was why she should put him out of her mind right now. Well... maybe she could still be grateful that he'd helped Tracy.
Perhaps she could meet him again, maybe learn more about the dangers that Watchers watch for. Maybe learn more about Rupert Giles the man.
end part 10.
Rupert Giles woke up, feeling stiffness in every muscle of his body. His eyes felt particularly gritty, and there was that lovely feeling of discomfort that came from sleeping in one's clothing. Slowly, he sat up, trying to figure out exactly what his situation was.
Ahhh, yes. He'd gone to the hospital, performed a taxing magical ritual, held a conversation about Buffy with a very old vampire, and... hmm, he'd apparently made it safely back to the hotel, although that was really a rather distressing blur. He didn't have any clear memories of the trip back. But here he was, so he'd obviously made it.
A shower and a change of clothing left him feeling a bit better. He'd certainly felt far worse, but he was still rather exhausted. Not sleepy, but drained, as if he had no reserves to fall back on. They'd probably all been used in the spell and holding the ward when that ancient vampire, what had his name been? the cross? no, that couldn't be right... But the ancient vampire had touched the ward. He'd felt it, the magics reacting to him as a threat, a dangerous presence.
Finding himself a bit at odds, he wandered around the city for a bit, just relaxing and looking around. Not that everything was of particular historical interest, but it was good to learn more about the overall tone and mood of a place that he was staying in... And that almost sounded as if he wasn't planning to go back to Sunnydale. Did he want to stay here? He prodded at the idea much as a child will poke at a loose tooth, and decided that what he needed right now was food. Spotting a small restaurant that smelled particularly promising, he made his way inside.
He was still looking over the menu, attempting to decide what he wanted when he heard a somewhat familiar voice.
"Mind if I join you at your table? The place is a bit crowded, especially in the non smoking section." Natalie sounded almost cheerful today.
Looking at her, he tried to smile in a friendly manner. "Of course, please do."
"What you did for Tracy... she's already made some noticable improvements. It's amazing." Natalie's voice was low, an obvious attempt to keep the words private. "I wanted to say thank you."
He looked at her, feeling unexpectedly pleased by her words. How many times had someone thanked him for his knowledge? It was not one of the most common experiences of his life. And a thank you from such a lovely woman, with eyes like honey and hair like amber over dark velvet... It made him feel warm and off balance and sort of floaty inside. "err... You are most welcome."
She smiled at him, this mysterious woman smile that said she knew things that he didn't, and looked at her menu. "Were you in a hurry to go back to... Sunnyvale, was it?"
"Sunnydale, actually." He corrected the name almost automatically. "I wouldn't say that I'm in much of a hurry. I do have things there, and a few people that I wouldn't want to loose touch with, but... There's a lot of pain there, and most of it hasn't had a chance to fade. I'm in no hurry to go back, and I'm not entirely certain that I want to."
"Well, if you're not leaving immediately, maybe I can help show you around a bit?" Her eyes had a warm sparkle to them, and her smile was welcoming.
Why did it suddenly feel so warm in here? Rupert took a drink of cold water, and looked back up at the smiling face of Natalie. Could she be flirting with him? Or was this just a natural warmth and friendliness? "I think I'd like that very much, actually."
It seemed that Toronto was filled with unexpected things. Not only a more civilized type of vampire, and potential Slayers with real jobs and lives, but the possibility of a new start. And a lovely woman that might be flirting with him. Add in the fact that Toronto seemed to be an interesting city, and... well, there was all sorts of potential here. He just might stay for a while.
end part 11.