Chapter 4
*********************************************************************
I wonder what you're doing, imagine where you are, there's oceans in between us, but that's not very far.
"Blurry" Puddle of Mudd
*********************************************************************
Giles could feel the sand moving between his toes, gently rubbing at them, making them feel warm. A wave washed over them, clearing them of sand for the moment, but now that his feet were wet the sand would stick,
"Don't you just hate it when sand gets stuck in your toes then you go to put your shoes on." A voice said beside him. He didn't turn to see who it was. He knew,
"That's why one wears sandals." He said indicating his shoes next to him,
"Or goes bare foot." He said looking at his companion's own feet. His attention was drawn back to the setting sun on the horizon, the lap of the sea on the beach soothing him,
"Sun's going down." He observed,
"I don't have to worry about that anymore." She said softly,
"And me?" he said turning to the woman. He watched her blond hair blowing in the breeze, her summer dress floating about round her knees before looking into her blue-gray eyes,
"You know you don't belong here yet. Even though I want you to stay." Giles eyes turned back to the horizon,
"I've wondered for so long where you were and if you were safe. I know now that it was wrong to leave everyone, and to leave you. I knew you were far away, but somehow, you seemed further in England." He paused, blinking, seeing the red sunset so clearly, the dinghy bobbing on the horizon so far, yet so close,
"I'm safe here."
Giles pulled himself to his feet, picking up his sandals as his unbuttoned shirt blew in the breeze,
"I know that now." He said turning back up the beach,
"I'll see you again." She said, turning to watch him go,
"Goodbye Buffy." He said, retreating from the beach,
"For now."
*********************************************************************
Willow set Giles head gently down on the pillow again, afraid that she would do more damage to his already damaged head. Tara and herself had seen to his wounds as best they could, putting a dressing on his shoulder that looked as though it had been cut by a knife of some sort and cleaning other open wounds that had been left to heal without attention. They had all stood agape after they had taken off his jacket, and peeled back the two layers of ripped T-shirt and jumper. The Watcher's body was black and blue. He was so thin as well. Dawn had turned away from the scene, leaving the living room and running up the stairs. Willow could hear the faint sobs as Dawn bedroom door slammed shut. She didn't blame her though Giles was a state.
Willow picked up one of the watcher's large hands and held it in hers for a moment. She looked at, his hands rougher than she remembered them. Her fingers traced the scars there, knowing they had never been the same since he and Angelus had had their run in. Yet he had never had half his index finger missing. Willow frowned, placing his hand back on the couch beside him. She turned away and pulled the cloth form the bowl on the table, as there was a knock at the front door.
Tara got up and went to answer it as Willow placed the cloth on Giles head. He had a fever and Willow was becoming more and more panicky. She heard both Xander and Anya's cheery voices from the door, but still she did not move. She couldn't move. She couldn't leave his side she was so scared for him. She felt as if she was the only one anchoring him here.
"Anya I told you he doesn't want the." Xander's voice trailed off as his eyes met the battered form of Giles on the couch. His mouth opened and closed like that of a goldfish, suddenly unable to form any words whatsoever,
Anya's eyes passed over Giles and she suddenly had a guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had been more concerned about the shop than Giles. But maybe it wasn't,
"That's not."
"Giles." Xander finished Anya's sentence for her, finally finding words again,
"Oh Man." Xander said as he moved towards the couch. Anya turned away from the sight, unable to look at him any longer,
"Willow why haven't you taken him to the hospital?"
"I would if I could. But he has no passport or anything. No bag, no clothes, no wallet." She rung the cloth out again, placing it back on Giles head,
"Xander I'm scared. I don't know. What do we do?"
*********************************************************************
Could it mean this is where I belong, it is you I have loved all along.
"It is you" Dana Glover
*********************************************************************
"Rupert?" Giles looked up from his book as he heard the voice. He didn't know whom he had expected, but it wasn't the person who stood before him,
"Jenny?" he placed the book down in front of the fire, standing up from his seat. He moved towards her, reaching out for her standing there. His eyes started to well with tears as her hand met his mid-air,
"Rupert." She said softly, a smile spreading widely on her face. She leaned in to kiss him and he automatically took her up in his arms, gratefully.
After what seemed like an eternity they pulled away from each other,
"Jenny I've missed you so much." He said in hushed tones,
"But now," he paused, taking her in, "Now I can be with you f." Jenny put a finger to his lips, making hushing noises,
"You know that's not true Rupert." She said, sadness in her eyes,
"You know it's not your time. Your Nana told you that. Buffy told you that. And now." she let her eyes gaze into his for a long moment,
"Now I'm telling you that you don't belong here. You have to go back to them. Back to Willow. Back to Xander, Dawn. everyone." He started to shake his head,
"I don't want to lose you again." He said, remorse in his voice,
"You won't. I'll be here when you come back. You just have to live a little longer without me." There was a long silence between them as Giles realised she was right,
"We'll all be here when you get back. Your Nana, Buffy, me. your parents." Giles eyes twinkled with tears. Jenny's hand wiped them away under his eyes,
"You're more handsome without glasses." She said softly before her lips brushed against his again. His eyes closed, relishing the moment,
"Take care Rupert."
*********************************************************************
Spike rolled over on the camp bed. His eyes drifted up to the window in the cellar and he noticed that the sun had stopped illuminating the drape hung there. He pulled the blanket back wondering why no one had come to wake him. Not even Dawn. He pulled a pair of jeans on and grabbed a shirt from the pile in the chair before walking barefoot up the stairs of the Summer's basement. He started to do the buttons up as he came into the kitchen and found Dawn sat there, her back to him,
"Why didn't you wake me nibblet?" he asked her going to the fridge and pulling a cup of blood from it. He frowned when he didn't get a reply,
"Nibblet?" a small sob escaped Dawn's lips,
"Dawn?" he moved towards her putting the cup of blood done,
"Dawn what's up?"
"Giles," she said looking up at him, her eyes reddened,
"He's back."
*********************************************************************
I wonder what you're doing, imagine where you are, there's oceans in between us, but that's not very far.
"Blurry" Puddle of Mudd
*********************************************************************
Giles could feel the sand moving between his toes, gently rubbing at them, making them feel warm. A wave washed over them, clearing them of sand for the moment, but now that his feet were wet the sand would stick,
"Don't you just hate it when sand gets stuck in your toes then you go to put your shoes on." A voice said beside him. He didn't turn to see who it was. He knew,
"That's why one wears sandals." He said indicating his shoes next to him,
"Or goes bare foot." He said looking at his companion's own feet. His attention was drawn back to the setting sun on the horizon, the lap of the sea on the beach soothing him,
"Sun's going down." He observed,
"I don't have to worry about that anymore." She said softly,
"And me?" he said turning to the woman. He watched her blond hair blowing in the breeze, her summer dress floating about round her knees before looking into her blue-gray eyes,
"You know you don't belong here yet. Even though I want you to stay." Giles eyes turned back to the horizon,
"I've wondered for so long where you were and if you were safe. I know now that it was wrong to leave everyone, and to leave you. I knew you were far away, but somehow, you seemed further in England." He paused, blinking, seeing the red sunset so clearly, the dinghy bobbing on the horizon so far, yet so close,
"I'm safe here."
Giles pulled himself to his feet, picking up his sandals as his unbuttoned shirt blew in the breeze,
"I know that now." He said turning back up the beach,
"I'll see you again." She said, turning to watch him go,
"Goodbye Buffy." He said, retreating from the beach,
"For now."
*********************************************************************
Willow set Giles head gently down on the pillow again, afraid that she would do more damage to his already damaged head. Tara and herself had seen to his wounds as best they could, putting a dressing on his shoulder that looked as though it had been cut by a knife of some sort and cleaning other open wounds that had been left to heal without attention. They had all stood agape after they had taken off his jacket, and peeled back the two layers of ripped T-shirt and jumper. The Watcher's body was black and blue. He was so thin as well. Dawn had turned away from the scene, leaving the living room and running up the stairs. Willow could hear the faint sobs as Dawn bedroom door slammed shut. She didn't blame her though Giles was a state.
Willow picked up one of the watcher's large hands and held it in hers for a moment. She looked at, his hands rougher than she remembered them. Her fingers traced the scars there, knowing they had never been the same since he and Angelus had had their run in. Yet he had never had half his index finger missing. Willow frowned, placing his hand back on the couch beside him. She turned away and pulled the cloth form the bowl on the table, as there was a knock at the front door.
Tara got up and went to answer it as Willow placed the cloth on Giles head. He had a fever and Willow was becoming more and more panicky. She heard both Xander and Anya's cheery voices from the door, but still she did not move. She couldn't move. She couldn't leave his side she was so scared for him. She felt as if she was the only one anchoring him here.
"Anya I told you he doesn't want the." Xander's voice trailed off as his eyes met the battered form of Giles on the couch. His mouth opened and closed like that of a goldfish, suddenly unable to form any words whatsoever,
Anya's eyes passed over Giles and she suddenly had a guilty feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had been more concerned about the shop than Giles. But maybe it wasn't,
"That's not."
"Giles." Xander finished Anya's sentence for her, finally finding words again,
"Oh Man." Xander said as he moved towards the couch. Anya turned away from the sight, unable to look at him any longer,
"Willow why haven't you taken him to the hospital?"
"I would if I could. But he has no passport or anything. No bag, no clothes, no wallet." She rung the cloth out again, placing it back on Giles head,
"Xander I'm scared. I don't know. What do we do?"
*********************************************************************
Could it mean this is where I belong, it is you I have loved all along.
"It is you" Dana Glover
*********************************************************************
"Rupert?" Giles looked up from his book as he heard the voice. He didn't know whom he had expected, but it wasn't the person who stood before him,
"Jenny?" he placed the book down in front of the fire, standing up from his seat. He moved towards her, reaching out for her standing there. His eyes started to well with tears as her hand met his mid-air,
"Rupert." She said softly, a smile spreading widely on her face. She leaned in to kiss him and he automatically took her up in his arms, gratefully.
After what seemed like an eternity they pulled away from each other,
"Jenny I've missed you so much." He said in hushed tones,
"But now," he paused, taking her in, "Now I can be with you f." Jenny put a finger to his lips, making hushing noises,
"You know that's not true Rupert." She said, sadness in her eyes,
"You know it's not your time. Your Nana told you that. Buffy told you that. And now." she let her eyes gaze into his for a long moment,
"Now I'm telling you that you don't belong here. You have to go back to them. Back to Willow. Back to Xander, Dawn. everyone." He started to shake his head,
"I don't want to lose you again." He said, remorse in his voice,
"You won't. I'll be here when you come back. You just have to live a little longer without me." There was a long silence between them as Giles realised she was right,
"We'll all be here when you get back. Your Nana, Buffy, me. your parents." Giles eyes twinkled with tears. Jenny's hand wiped them away under his eyes,
"You're more handsome without glasses." She said softly before her lips brushed against his again. His eyes closed, relishing the moment,
"Take care Rupert."
*********************************************************************
Spike rolled over on the camp bed. His eyes drifted up to the window in the cellar and he noticed that the sun had stopped illuminating the drape hung there. He pulled the blanket back wondering why no one had come to wake him. Not even Dawn. He pulled a pair of jeans on and grabbed a shirt from the pile in the chair before walking barefoot up the stairs of the Summer's basement. He started to do the buttons up as he came into the kitchen and found Dawn sat there, her back to him,
"Why didn't you wake me nibblet?" he asked her going to the fridge and pulling a cup of blood from it. He frowned when he didn't get a reply,
"Nibblet?" a small sob escaped Dawn's lips,
"Dawn?" he moved towards her putting the cup of blood done,
"Dawn what's up?"
"Giles," she said looking up at him, her eyes reddened,
"He's back."