Connections
By Kalystia
Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. There might be an original character in a later chapter, but as of right now, I don't own anything.
Author's Notes: Thanks for all your reviews! Please keep them coming! If you want to email me directly its kalystia1983@yahoo.com Also, if anyone would like to beta this let me know! This copy is unbetaed so be kind.
********************************** Rupert Giles is used to having his patience tried. After a month with Buffy, let alone 7 years in knowing her, he had learned to deal with the frustrating and having his patience tried. Add in Xander and Willow, and he had learned patience and to be flexible very quickly.
But as of now, his patience is wearing thin. He found no one who knew of where James Bartlett was after 10 years ago, and he couldn't find his old journals. But he was talking to one of Bartlett's old classmates from field watcher training, and his close friend and Giles didn't like what he was hearing.
"So Bartlett felt that it would be dangerous if a Slayer had a child?" Giles asks the man, Evans.
"Yes," Evans says, "we didn't feel that it was that too permanent though at the time, who thought a Slayer would live long enough to have a child. Now, though, his ideas might be good to flesh out a bit, unfortunately I think all records were lost."
"Do you recall anything?" Giles asks getting even more frustrated.
"Just that he was afraid that the Slayer spirit would get transferred somehow to the child. That there would be consequences on the child, unknown consequences of course. The problem would be greater though if it was a male child, because the Slayer spirit is meant to work with females. It is one girl....well now many girls, but still females. We have no way of knowing how a Slayer spirit would act with a male host, no matter how small of a part of the Slayer spirit," Evans answered.
"Did he say where he could find these answers?"
"He was researching tribes in Africa last time I heard from him. I knew that he was headed to South Africa as a field watcher, but I know that he never made his post. He was headed there with his family; his wife was pregnant at the time. We never had contact with him again," Evans sighed.
Giles removed his glass, "Thank you Evans. If you remember anything else, I would very much appreciate it. There is a bit going on right now with all the new Slayers, but we need to start looking into this."
"Actually before I leave I meant to mention something to you, even last year."
Giles looks up at the man, "I'm listening."
"I tried to mention this last year, but everyone remembered Bartlett for his Slayer children ideas, but he did have another thing he was researching. He was researching what would happen if there were two Slayers. I never knew how he knew it would happen; it was years before the whole problem occurred. But he was focusing on what would happen, he was focusing on the First specifically. The first thing that would bring a rift for the first is two Slayers, then something happening ridiculously like having three Slayers, then like something that happened to Miss Summers. But he was very specific on the need for three Slayers before something could happen. I don't know if that means anything to you, but I thought I should mention it," Evans says.
"Well thank you," Giles says getting up and shaking the mans hand. "Please if you remember anything else let me know, and if there is anything that I can do, if you have any more theories let me know."
Evans nods at Giles and leaves. Giles almost collapses in his chair. The only thing that he can recommend doing is trying to find Bartlett. But where. South Africa of course, but what can he do, send someone there on a wild goose chase? He couldn't do that. And Evans was his best bet, and he gave him nothing more then danger. No more information that he could bring back to Xander, to let him know that it is going to be alright.
And he didn't want to bring Xander's status out in the open yet. Giles still does not trust all elements in the new council, there are still some from the old regime that does not believe in the ways that Giles feels are necessary to train the girls. He does not believe in the Slayer handbook any more, believe in training the girls that way, and since some still do, he doesn't know if they all trust him. He knows he doesn't trust all of them. And Evans knew something. The way he delivered Bartlett's First theory indicated that he knew something.
No one needed this right now. They were still recovering from the First; no one needed a new crisis. And knowing Xander as he did, he knows Xander will not tell anyone. He knows the only reason he was told is that Xander probably wanted to make sure that he didn't know anything.
The phone on his desk ringing brings him out of his thoughts. "Giles," he answers it.
"Um Mr. Giles? It's Andrew. We're supposed to be having a meeting right now. We were wondering where you were? If you're busy I can handle it."
Giles suppresses a groan, "No Andrew I'll be there in a moment. Make sure everyone else is ready when I get there."
"Ok. Oh and um, Xander's late too. Should I call him?"
"Call his mobile." Giles says before hanging up the phone.
As he walks through the Halls of the new council, he runs into Xander coming in.
"How'd it go?" Xander asks.
"Not as well as I had hoped, only old information," Giles says.
"Hmmm," Xander says, "I have this, forgot to mention it before." He hands Giles a piece of paper which has Bartlett's address in South Africa. "Mom used to make me keep it with me, saying if something ever happened to them call that person. I forgot about it till now."
"This is more helpful then what I have found," Giles says. "I'll inform you of everything else after the meeting."
Xander nods and the two of them walk into the meeting together. As they both take seats at the table everyone quiets down.
"Over the last few weeks, we at the Council have decided we don't have enough resources to send Watchers in the field for each new Slayer. What we are going to do is divide the world into sections. There will be a group in each sector, in the field bringing Slayers and their families back in to main cities. At the main cities, there will be someone who will get the girls and families to London, get them everything they need and send them here for training. If a girl does not want to be brought in, and we will, deal with this case by case, we will send a volunteer to them to assist making their decision. What I need are volunteers. A few Watchers for each location, and a few for roaming. I also would like a few Slayer volunteers to assist both types of teams," Giles looks around the room to see how his plan has been playing out. At the looks of approval he hands over the gathering the volunteers to another Watcher.
He looks over at Xander who is looking at the scrap of paper in his hands. Giles narrows his eyes as he sees Xander's posture get a bit better. Giles remembers the address on the slip of paper, just as he hears the volunteer coordinator say, "I will need two people in Johannesburg, South Africa to coordinate bringing girls back and two teams for parts of Southern Africa."
"I'll do it, either one sign me up," Xander says getting a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face that Giles had not seen him have in a long while. Giles knows that he is going to try to find Bartlett and wonders how he didn't anticipate this.
And as the chaos erupts in the room coming out of Xander's announcement, Giles just hopes Xander knows what he is doing.
By Kalystia
Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. There might be an original character in a later chapter, but as of right now, I don't own anything.
Author's Notes: Thanks for all your reviews! Please keep them coming! If you want to email me directly its kalystia1983@yahoo.com Also, if anyone would like to beta this let me know! This copy is unbetaed so be kind.
********************************** Rupert Giles is used to having his patience tried. After a month with Buffy, let alone 7 years in knowing her, he had learned to deal with the frustrating and having his patience tried. Add in Xander and Willow, and he had learned patience and to be flexible very quickly.
But as of now, his patience is wearing thin. He found no one who knew of where James Bartlett was after 10 years ago, and he couldn't find his old journals. But he was talking to one of Bartlett's old classmates from field watcher training, and his close friend and Giles didn't like what he was hearing.
"So Bartlett felt that it would be dangerous if a Slayer had a child?" Giles asks the man, Evans.
"Yes," Evans says, "we didn't feel that it was that too permanent though at the time, who thought a Slayer would live long enough to have a child. Now, though, his ideas might be good to flesh out a bit, unfortunately I think all records were lost."
"Do you recall anything?" Giles asks getting even more frustrated.
"Just that he was afraid that the Slayer spirit would get transferred somehow to the child. That there would be consequences on the child, unknown consequences of course. The problem would be greater though if it was a male child, because the Slayer spirit is meant to work with females. It is one girl....well now many girls, but still females. We have no way of knowing how a Slayer spirit would act with a male host, no matter how small of a part of the Slayer spirit," Evans answered.
"Did he say where he could find these answers?"
"He was researching tribes in Africa last time I heard from him. I knew that he was headed to South Africa as a field watcher, but I know that he never made his post. He was headed there with his family; his wife was pregnant at the time. We never had contact with him again," Evans sighed.
Giles removed his glass, "Thank you Evans. If you remember anything else, I would very much appreciate it. There is a bit going on right now with all the new Slayers, but we need to start looking into this."
"Actually before I leave I meant to mention something to you, even last year."
Giles looks up at the man, "I'm listening."
"I tried to mention this last year, but everyone remembered Bartlett for his Slayer children ideas, but he did have another thing he was researching. He was researching what would happen if there were two Slayers. I never knew how he knew it would happen; it was years before the whole problem occurred. But he was focusing on what would happen, he was focusing on the First specifically. The first thing that would bring a rift for the first is two Slayers, then something happening ridiculously like having three Slayers, then like something that happened to Miss Summers. But he was very specific on the need for three Slayers before something could happen. I don't know if that means anything to you, but I thought I should mention it," Evans says.
"Well thank you," Giles says getting up and shaking the mans hand. "Please if you remember anything else let me know, and if there is anything that I can do, if you have any more theories let me know."
Evans nods at Giles and leaves. Giles almost collapses in his chair. The only thing that he can recommend doing is trying to find Bartlett. But where. South Africa of course, but what can he do, send someone there on a wild goose chase? He couldn't do that. And Evans was his best bet, and he gave him nothing more then danger. No more information that he could bring back to Xander, to let him know that it is going to be alright.
And he didn't want to bring Xander's status out in the open yet. Giles still does not trust all elements in the new council, there are still some from the old regime that does not believe in the ways that Giles feels are necessary to train the girls. He does not believe in the Slayer handbook any more, believe in training the girls that way, and since some still do, he doesn't know if they all trust him. He knows he doesn't trust all of them. And Evans knew something. The way he delivered Bartlett's First theory indicated that he knew something.
No one needed this right now. They were still recovering from the First; no one needed a new crisis. And knowing Xander as he did, he knows Xander will not tell anyone. He knows the only reason he was told is that Xander probably wanted to make sure that he didn't know anything.
The phone on his desk ringing brings him out of his thoughts. "Giles," he answers it.
"Um Mr. Giles? It's Andrew. We're supposed to be having a meeting right now. We were wondering where you were? If you're busy I can handle it."
Giles suppresses a groan, "No Andrew I'll be there in a moment. Make sure everyone else is ready when I get there."
"Ok. Oh and um, Xander's late too. Should I call him?"
"Call his mobile." Giles says before hanging up the phone.
As he walks through the Halls of the new council, he runs into Xander coming in.
"How'd it go?" Xander asks.
"Not as well as I had hoped, only old information," Giles says.
"Hmmm," Xander says, "I have this, forgot to mention it before." He hands Giles a piece of paper which has Bartlett's address in South Africa. "Mom used to make me keep it with me, saying if something ever happened to them call that person. I forgot about it till now."
"This is more helpful then what I have found," Giles says. "I'll inform you of everything else after the meeting."
Xander nods and the two of them walk into the meeting together. As they both take seats at the table everyone quiets down.
"Over the last few weeks, we at the Council have decided we don't have enough resources to send Watchers in the field for each new Slayer. What we are going to do is divide the world into sections. There will be a group in each sector, in the field bringing Slayers and their families back in to main cities. At the main cities, there will be someone who will get the girls and families to London, get them everything they need and send them here for training. If a girl does not want to be brought in, and we will, deal with this case by case, we will send a volunteer to them to assist making their decision. What I need are volunteers. A few Watchers for each location, and a few for roaming. I also would like a few Slayer volunteers to assist both types of teams," Giles looks around the room to see how his plan has been playing out. At the looks of approval he hands over the gathering the volunteers to another Watcher.
He looks over at Xander who is looking at the scrap of paper in his hands. Giles narrows his eyes as he sees Xander's posture get a bit better. Giles remembers the address on the slip of paper, just as he hears the volunteer coordinator say, "I will need two people in Johannesburg, South Africa to coordinate bringing girls back and two teams for parts of Southern Africa."
"I'll do it, either one sign me up," Xander says getting a gleam in his eye and a smile on his face that Giles had not seen him have in a long while. Giles knows that he is going to try to find Bartlett and wonders how he didn't anticipate this.
And as the chaos erupts in the room coming out of Xander's announcement, Giles just hopes Xander knows what he is doing.