Author: Nicki C.
Email: "It's all been done before"- Barenaked Ladies. I don't own Buffy. Nor do I own the world of Harry Potter. They both belong to Joss and J.K. Guess what else I don't own? . The words to "Landslide". Yup, they're somebody else's too. They belong to Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks. My personal opinion is that they should be the only group to ever sing it. (I just had to get on my soapbox)
Summery: Giles is heading home
Feedback: I used to think that I didn't need it and it wasn't very important, but then I got some and I really liked it, in fact the more feedback I got the more I wanted. I think you get the idea.
Setting: Ok, this is set during the middle of September. Harry and the gang are in their sixth year and in the Buffy verse it's set after a couple of weeks after episode 7.3, after that it's AU. Willow has been home recovering from the loss of blood. A/N This one flitters a little bit into first person I hope it's not too confusing.
Thanks to.
Littleren- Ok I'm definitely going to work on that, thanks for pointing it out. I just have this thing about paragraphs. My horrible eleventh grade English teacher tortured me into doing them her way. Angeleyes- They're going to find out soon, but I'm pretty sure it won't be in the next chapter. Terrina- I'm glad you like it!
Alright here's the thing, there used to be a song in this chapter, it was important and integral part of the song, but since songs aren't allowed on this site, i'd recommend googleing twisting the hellmouth and reading it there. I'll fix this up a little bit to let you know where it goes
Insert first Stanza of "Lanslide" by Stevie Nicks
He couldn't believe that he was going back there again. It wasn't that he didn't want to. He wanted to more than anything in the world. But it hurt so much to go back there and to know he couldn't stay; wouldn't stay. When he'd left he'd known it was best for everyone especially for Buffy. But she was the reason that coming home was so hard. It would be so easy to let her depend on him again; to fight all the battles she couldn't. Not the physical battles, but the emotional ones. He knew that his ego was part of it, who wouldn't want to be the one person in the world that the strongest girl in the world depended on. But she had to learn to make it on her own; and she had been learning. She was surviving, he'd left with Willow immediately after "the incident" but even then he could tell that she was starting to put herself back together again. She was finally starting to see what she was capable of. Lately her letters had been happier also; she was so excited about her new job. She was glad that Willow was home, from what they'd written him they were bonding with each other all over again. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't those children be happy for just a little bit. It wasn't fair they had to work so hard fighting evil. They deserved a little happiness. But if there was one thing he knew it was that life isn't fair. But none of that mattered right now; they had to find Willow, she had to be ok.
Insert Chorus of "Landslide"
Giles looked around his apartment, checking and double-checking to make sure he had everything he would need. It was three in the morning, his flight left in little over an hour. He'd gotten the tickets immediately after talking to Buffy. He had also made some phone calls to a few contacts who might have information about what was going on, but hadn't been able to get a hold of anyone; he'd left messages with instructions to call the Summer's number as soon as possible. He hoped that someone out there knew something; because he didn't have the foggiest idea as to what was going on and now more than ever they needed to figure it out. He looked around the apartment one last time, knowing he'd packed in a hurry and once he'd gotten to America he'd realise he'd forget some vital volume or text. As he closed the door behind him he murmured to himself "I'm coming home Sunnydale."
Insert Bridge of "lanslide"
As Giles settled himself into his plane seat he wondered if there would ever be a time when he would be able to come back just for a visit. Would it always be life and death calls in the middle of the night? Will there ever be a call asking him to vacation with them? The thing was they'd always call him when the going got too tough and he'd always answer. That was the part of his relationship with them that he both loathed and hated; and ironically in the end it'd was why he'd left Sunnydale in the first place. Deep down the thought of them not calling when things got bad worried him more than them calling. Because as much as he wanted them to be able to handle things on their own; he wanted to be needed. And he'd never been needed by the Scoobies as much as he was needed right now. And that was why he was on a plane in the middle of the night heading to Southern California. He decided that he needed to stop over thinking things so he pulled out a few of the magazines he'd gotten at the airport.
Giles was halfway over the Atlantic when he'd worn out all the reading material he'd bought in the Airport Gift Shop. Albeit Seventeen wasn't his usual reading fair; though there had been an interesting article about facial hair. The pickings had been slim and he'd been in a hurry. He sat the last magazine down and started to think about Willow, no matter how philosophical he may feel at times; she was reason he was going. Where could that girl be? No Demon he knew would steal the girl right out of the Slayer's house. It had to be somebody who was really stupid or really sure of himself or herself (he didn't want to be sexist). From what Buffy had said on the phone this "Bad" was making big waves in the demon community; some sort of massive genocide (or demoncide) to wipe out any sort of competition. But competition for what? Why Willow? As bad as she'd been last spring, the word had to be out by now that she'd gone back to the side of good.
They stopped to refuel in New York and Giles got off of the plane and headed into the airport café. As he was eating his tuna on rye a thought occurred to him. Maybe this "Bad" who was upset that Willow almost succeeded at what they'd failed at; maybe whatever it was afraid that Willow would be real competition if she ever went dark again. That would explain all they'd found out so far explaining the killing of the Demons as competition and Willow's disappearance. But if this "Bad" was killing off the competition then Giles wasn't coming home to help bring Willow back; he was coming home to bury her. As he headed back to the plane he shook off the depressing train of thought muttering, "That can't be an option."
Insert Second Verse
The plane arrived in Los Angeles, he was almost home, and despite what had brought him back it felt good to be here. The smog and pollution was almost a welcome scent. Giles collected his luggage and headed out into the parking lot to look for a cab. But it was a busy Saturday morning and there wasn't an empty one to be found; as he was waiting he noticed a rather odd looking older gentleman standing next to him; the man dressed in long blue robes with pink moons on them and seemed to be trying to catch a cab rather unsuccessfully. Giles continued to stare at him until the blue robed man looked over at him and said "Beautiful day isn't it?"
"Why yes it is, but I guess I hadn't really noticed it until now." Giles replied as he looked at the cloudless sky.
"Other matters on your mind?"
The older man asked in what Giles discovered was a very pronounced English accent. Giles didn't know what it was about the man but as he sat there looking at the odd man there was something that made him want to confess the whole thing to him, tell him about Buffy and Willow and how he was scared to be coming home and elated at the same time. But instead he only answered
"Yes, it's been awhile since I've been in LA and I'm anxious to see some friends." As he finished this sentence a cab finally pulled up, Giles offered it to the other man but he refused saying only, "Reunions among old friends are momentous occasions, I can wait for another cab."
Giles got in the cab and told the driver "All the way to Sunnydale sir."
Insert Chorus
As the cab pulled up to the house and Giles exited it everything seemed to move in slow motion, Buffy and Dawn running out of the house when the car pulled up. There were hugs and smiles but there was an underlying sadness and grief in all their greetings. It was a bittersweet homecoming.
