**

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Giles paced around his study, following a well-worn track. It seemed he'd been pacing a lot lately. He sighed and continued his pacing. Why? Why did it fall upon him to convince the Slayer of her sacred duty? He hadn't signed up for this. He hadn't signed up at all, he laughed mirthfully. He was a Watcher from birth. There wasn't any choice in the matter. It was just the way it was.

From the time he had entered Watchers Training, he had always wanted something more. Something different from the stuffy Watchers. He was young and idealistic and in love, by god, he liked himself, Giles thought. He didn't know where that young man had gone. The years since Jenny died seemed to blur together. He had grown old, his hair had grayed, his body had weakened- all without him noticing.

He shook his head. No, now was not the time to think of these things. He could remember his old life later. Now he had to focus on catching the wayward Slayer.

Maybe if… No, that wouldn't work. Liam had already tried to talk to her, and they had fought. He had said, with obvious pain in his voice, that Elizabeth had cried.

This wasn't good.

Giles had heard of people losing themselves in their dreams, going crazy with fright or confusion. He sincerely hoped he could prevent that from happening to the Princess. He had to.

He fell into a short sleep and woke as the morning dawned, clearing away the storm from the night before. Birds sang and flowers blossomed. Giles dressed in his signature brown tunic and exited his house, watching the townspeople bustle around. They were so... helpless, Giles thought. They went about their daily business, knowing nothing of the things that lurked in the dark. One could argue that it was better to know about darkness and evil- you could always be alert and wary. Giles wasn't so sure anymore. Sometimes he wished he didn't know. It would be a lot easier.

His students were already standing at attention as he left his cottage. Sighing, he realized he would have to cancel training exercises for the second day in a row. His first priority was the Slayer. He needed to train and prepare her for duty. There was evil in this world; every minute spent doing nothing was a minute closer to somebody's death.

He announced, "I'm sorry, boys. Practice will have to be canceled again today. My business is unfinished with the Queen."

He left quickly, pushing his way through the crowd, not noticing the confused looks of his students. While most shrugged and accepted his announcement as another day off from the stress that was Giles' program, Riley, Forrest and Graham's suspicions were aroused.

"What's the matter with Giles lately?" Forrest asked his two friends, a frown forming on his face. He had been a student of Giles' since he was six; the older man had handpicked him from all the village children. In all his years in the program, he had never seen him act like this.

"I don't know," said Riley, "but I'm going to find out."

He left the little group quickly, trying to catch up with Giles, who had already disappeared into the crowd. Graham made move to follow the taller boy, but Forrest held him back.

"No," he said, his frown deepening. What was Riley up to? "Let him go."

"But-" Graham protested, only to be cut off by his friend.

"Let him go. Riley's too curious for his own good. There's something going on, I don't doubt that. But I'm not going to risk my neck to find out. I've got a bad feeling about this."

The pair watched as Riley disappeared from their view and blended into the morning traffic of townspeople.

Princess Elizabeth sat alone in the Royal Garden, her thoughts threatening to overwhelm her. She was pale and withdrawn, the antithesis of the 'wild child' she was known as. The 'wild child' was far from wild right now. The 'wild child' was downright depressed.

She stared out into the morning sun and gazed at the roses, so beautiful and painful at the same time. Look at the roses, marvel in their beauty, but never touch. Touching the thorns would make you bleed.

Buffy guessed this was similar to her relationship with Angel.

If she didn't already know, she would have realized then and there that she loved him. Fiercely, with all of her being.

With the roses, Buffy had never heeded anyone's warnings. She'd touch and smell their lovely sweet scent, all the while her hand bled from the pricking thorns.

She wasn't planning to start listening now.

She loved her Angel, and by god, she would get him.

But how? They had fought, she had yelled and cried and pushed him far away. She regretted it now, so much so she could barely spare a thought to worry over her dreams or the unreality that was the Slayer.

How was she going to fix this?

All of this.

Riley moved quickly through the village streets, trying to follow and not lose sight of Giles. Damn! How can that old man move so fast? Riley thought, struggling to keep up.

Giles entered the castle gates, nodding to guards. They immediately opened for the boy's master, but Riley knew it would be much more difficult for him to enter the walled-in courtyard that surrounded the palace.

He saw an opening as one of the guards left to change his post. Okay, one down, thought Riley. One guard was much easier to pass by then two. One guard could be fooled. Two was much harder.

He approached the guard cautiously, as to not cause any harm. "I'm with Giles," he said quickly, at the guards questioning gaze. "Urgent message. It's important," he explained, bypassing the young guard.

It was almost too easy.

He caught up with Giles as he opened the Royal Garden's gate. He followed him down the path; it was the quickest route the to palace. Giles made a move to turn around, and Riley ducked behind a bush, out of the older man's sight.

Someone was following Giles; he could feel it. He could always tell when someone was behind him; years of Watcher's Training and practice had honed his razor-sharp senses. There was definitely someone following him.

He turned around and looked down the stone path. Maybe he was just being paranoid. This entire ordeal with the Princess and Liam and the Slayer was wearing down his nerves. He shrugged off his suspicions and continued walking the path to the castle.

On a stone bench by the rose sat the Princess, the very subject of his quest. Although, in the Royal Garden, the open air, wasn't exactly the best place to be having this conversation. The possibilities of being overheard were endless. Sighing, he realized this conversation wasn't going to be happening anywhere else. He had to do it now. He had to convince Elizabeth of her duty. He had to. The fate of the world rested on her shoulders.

He approached he girl slowly, as not to scare her. They were Watcher and Slayer, mentor and student. They needed to trust each other unconditionally. As of now, the potential for trust was still very low.

She spotted the old man and made a move to leave the bench, but his words stopped her.

"You cannot fight it for long, you know," he said softly, gravely.

She whipped around to face him, glaring coldly in his direction. "Fight what, I ask you?"

"You are the Slayer. She is a part of you. The longer you fight it, the more painful the transition will be," he stated calmly. He realized he wasn't being very warm or friendly, but that could wait. First she had to accept her Calling.

"The 'transition?'" she asked flippantly, moving to leave the garden. "If you'll excuse me, I'm late for an engagement at the palace."

"Don't lie, girl. You have no 'engagement at the palace.' You are the Chosen One. Accept it. Then you can deal with it. The longer you spend in denial, the more painful this will all be in the end," Giles spoke again, his voice still soft.

It seemed as though Giles had struck a nerve in Elizabeth. "The Chosen One?" Elizabeth sneered, her voice becoming louder. "Find another Chosen One. Leave me alone!" she yelled, and her voice resounded in the garden.

"Admit the darkness! You were there, in that graveyard. You staked the vampire yourself! Are you telling me you can still deny you destiny?" He questioned, antagonizing her. He needed her to admit her Calling. If he had to anger her, so be it. The time for trust would have to come later.

"It didn't happen! That man, that thing didn't turn to dust in front of me! It didn't! It's not real!" she screamed, her voice thick with tears that were threatening to spill.

"It's not real," she repeated weakly.

She collapsed on the stone bench, a pitiful sight. Tears ran down her cheeks as she cried, her weak protest failing her. "It's not real," she repeated, one last time.

Giles moved to the stone bench, taking pity on the girl. He placed a gentle finger under her chin and lifted her head to face him. "It's very real. It's not nice. It's not beautiful. It's frightening sometimes."

Buffy snorted mirthfully. "You couldn't just lie to me? Even a little?"

Giles shook his head sadly. "I fear you have been lied to enough for quite a few lifetimes."

She sighed and turned her head down, staring at the smooth flagstones that paved the path through the garden.

His heart broke for the girl, looking so small and afraid, nothing like the mighty warrior she should be.

Riley was more than confused. He had spotted his goddess and his heartbeat had sped up so much he feared his heart would explode in his chest. But she was crying and yelling and why was Giles calling her Elizabeth?

Riley's thoughts raced around his mind, creating a torrent of mental chaos.

What was going on?

He left the pair in the garden quickly, eager to tell Forrest and Graham of what he had seen. Maybe if he told this to someone else, it would make more sense.

He carefully snuck out of the castle gates, hoping the guards did not see his hasty exit.

He looked through the town, traveling though the market, trying not to down anybody down. He smiled as he remembered how exactly he had met his Buffy.

"Riley? Is that you?" a female voice said questioningly.

Riley turned towards the voice. Upon seeing who it was, he smiled mischievously at the figure.

"Darla," Riley said, his grin widening as he cast is eyes over the petite woman, whose body was shaded from the morning sun.

"Come in, Riley," Darla beckoned, and he entered the house.

**

END CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A/N-- Okay, bit of a long chapter for me! Longest chapter yet, actually. :) Consider it my apology for making you guys wait so long for update. I'm very sorry. A bunch of people I know were in a big car accident, and between hospital visits I couldn't find the time to update. Also, the doctor's think I have mono, which, you know, totally not fun.

So, people, you guys know the drill by now.

REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!! REVIEW!!

Take it to heart. :)

Many thanks to anyone who reviewed last chapter:

TK2, missy, Jess, never look back, Arabow, Lori,

Tom-Lovers- I 3 new reviewers. Thanks for making me laugh.

Balloonphobia- Ahh, my sweet, lovingly dubbed 'personal harasser'- How many reviews for one chapter? 4? 5? - Gracias chica, you make me blush. :)

Love, d