(Rupert's POV)
I paid the cab driver handsomely and watched the taxi as he drove off and around the corner. I stood in front of the familiar surroundings of Sunnydale, California and faced the Summer's house. It had been two years since I had stepped on American soil let alone the only place in America that I had called home once. I sighed heavily and threw my hand through my shaggy hair, I needed a hair cut, then grabbed my bags and made my way up the so familiar walkway to the front door.
Stopping at the door I felt my heart speed up, I was so nervous to see everyone and how much they had changed. Sure they kept in touch with me, but I missed them dearly. They were my family and so much more to me. I put my bags down and straightened up to ring the doorbell.
"Hold on be there in a second." A familiar voice came from inside, it was Dawn.
I held my breath and closed my eyes until Dawn had opened the door. When I opened my eyes and saw Dawn I finally let my breath go to speak.
"Hello Dawn, it's been a while." Finally releasing my tension within myself.
"Okay who are you and what have you done with the Giles that I saw two years ago?" she protested to me, but with that smile of joking in all ways.
"Oh I'm dreadfully sorry miss. I was looking for the Summer's house, I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction." I returned to her with a smirk.
We laughed at the sarcasm that we still had and she walked over to me to give me a warm welcome. It really did feel good to be among family again. Dawn broke the hug when a familiar voiced called from up the stairs.
"Dawn who is at the door?" the other female of the house called down to her little sister.
"An old friend that you might want to come and see." The little sister called back up the stairs.
The slayer trudged down the stairs mumbling about something under her breath that I didn't catch. Apparently she didn't want to be bothered at the moment in time.
"Dawn this better not…" the slayer started but cut herself short when I found her gaze looking at me.
The older sister stopped short of the last step. Frozen in her spot amazed, surprised, and what also looked like anger through her gaze. There stood the one person that made me part of this family. She was the real reason that I was drug to Sunnydale, California and into their lives. I had a flashback to that day in the library at Sunnydale High. That was the first time that we ever met, 9 years ago.
"Buffy?" Dawn asked drawing us out of our staring contest. "Are you going to stand there or say hi?' she concluded.
The slayer descended the final step to the floor not pulling her eyes off of me. Walking over to me she finally gave me a hug for a warm welcome. My heart went out to her at that point in time. When I left she was getting her life back together and I knew that I had to step out for her and the others, it was for the best.
"I think it has been a little too long, Buffy." I said to her with tears coming to my eyes.
She didn't say anything to me, but stepped out of the embrace. She took my bags up the stairs and probably to the guestroom. I had planned to stay in a hotel, but I wanted to come to the house first to see them. Dawn took me into the kitchen were it looked to me that she was doing her homework. I glanced over her work to see what subject she was doing it was English.
"If I remember correctly you were in the 9th grade when I left. To my calculations you are in the 11th grade now am I correct?" I asked her.
"You do your math well Giles and yes I'm what they call a junior here in America." She said back to me smiling, then she returned back to her homework.
Buffy walked into the kitchen smiling. It was around 7 in the evening and tomorrow was Friday. To my guess Dawn still had school and I think Buffy still worked as a councilor at the high school. I started to think about the others and wondered where they were at tonight. I didn't want to ask because I really thought my presence was shock enough for the Summer sisters.
Buffy got out a box of cheese pizza and started eating some. I watched her and realized that I had not eaten in a while. Cheese pizza was really good all the way around so I helped myself to a piece of pizza. Dawn dug in as well then we all got into a conversation dealing with what he had been up to for the past two years. Half way through our conversation the doorbell rang and Buffy shuffled off to answer it.
"Sounds like everyone is here finally." Dawn said out loud.
I finished my piece of pizza then stood up looking at the doorway as the others entered. Willow and Tara were holding hands. Anya and Xander were fighting as usual. They all froze in their spots when their gazes came up to meet mine. All four of them stuck up smiles at the sight of me. Willow and Xander were the first ones to walk over and give me another warm welcome. Anya followed suit, but Tara was shy like always and just smiled at me. I smiled back at her and said hi. They broke up the group hug and looked at me with nothing but smiles.
"Giles what are you doing here? I thought you had important business in England for a while. That is what you told me in your last email at least." Willow said breaking the silence between all of us.
"I missed you all so bloody much, I had to come back into the country to see you all. That is my important business, just not in England." I said to the red head Wiccan.
"You can't have the Magic Box back because you promised I could keep it for myself." Anya pointed out.
"Don't worry Anya I will keep my promise to you." I told her with a smile.
"So my question to all of you is why are you here?" I asked everyone standing around in the kitchen.
"We are here to help the Buffster kill the vamps. She has us on a system that scans all the cemeteries by midnight." Xander spoke up.
It felt good to be home and talking about killing vampires again. I was home and with my family, nothing could bring me down of the great feeling I had. Well that feeling suddenly died when I certain undead visitor came into the kitchen.
"Good evening everyone." The vampire said as all eyes landed on him walking in the back door to the kitchen. "Well, well look what the cat dragged in." he said eyeing me.
"Bloody hell your still around Spike?" I asked to the vampire annoyed to see his face again.
"Yes and I'm here to help like I have been, right Buffy?" he said looking over at the slayer.
"We need to set out and stop wasting time. Dawn needs to be in bed by midnight." She said rolling her eyes at the vampire.
We walked over to the living room to gather weapons and hear what we were going to head out and do. I like the idea of killing again, now I really felt energized even though the plan ride was really boring and left me restless.
"Tara and Will take the eastside. Anya and Xan take the westside. Spike takes the southside. Dawn, Giles and I will take the north side. Meet at the Bronze by eleven o' clock. If you need help use the walkie-talkies. Be careful out there and be safe." Buffy said to everyone with all the care in the world for the people standing around in her living room.
With that we were out of the house and went separate ways to hold down our side of Sunnydale. I went with Buffy and Dawn of course. Ready for the night and what decided to go bump in the side of town that we were going to.
11 o' clock at the Bronze
We were the first group to reach the Bronze follow by Anya and Xander then Willow and Tara then last person was Spike. All together we had killed 3 vamps tonight, but I wasn't disappointed at all to find a little bit of action with the Summer sisters. We all said our good byes and good nights then hugs, but mostly for me.
Buffy, Dawn and I walked back home with Dawn telling me all about her high school. I loved to hear her talk my ear off, it makes me think that she still loves me like a father. Buffy though kept silent the entire walk back to their house and I started to get concern about her. I think I really did come back at a bad time.
We got home and Dawn went off to bed, but I made my way to the guestroom.
"Giles can we talk downstairs?" Buffy asked me in the hallway.
I told her that I would be back down in a few minutes and she smiled then made her way downstairs. I walked down the stairs after a few minutes and walked into the living room. She was seated on the couch with her head on the palms of her hands, the girl was in thinking mode or very stressed out.
"Okay Buffy I'm here what would you like to talk to me about?" I said taking a seat on the table in front of her.
"Giles I haven't talk to you in two years and now you just show up randomly. What is really going on?" she said to me.
"Buffy I told you and the others I missed this place and all of you so much that I just wanted to come back for a few days." I told her seeing her eyes start to water. "Buffy I hated leaving when I did, but you had to pick yourself back up on your own without an adult around. You and the others are all adults now so you can all make decisions for yourselves, you didn't need me around to boss you around." I said to her.
"Did you ever once think how we felt when you left us also randomly. You just one day left us all notes at the Magic Box saying good bye. We all slipped into sadness so deep I don't know if we would ever talk to one other ever again." she said with a tear sliding down her cheek.
"It looks to me that you all have been getting along pretty well from the looks of tonight." I said to her not knowing what to do if she really let go of those tears.
"Giles this has only been going on for a week now. We finally started talking again a week ago. I think you are to blame for this Giles. You left our lives with no warning and we shunned each other and blamed one another for your leaving. Though it seems that you and Will have been keeping in touch." She said finally looking at me.
"Buffy honestly I really am sorry for my intrusion, but I thought it was time to come and see you again. I can leave if you really want me too." I said to her.
Buffy looked up at me and let all the tears pour out. I went and sat down beside her then rapped my arms around her to let her cry on me. I then realized that everyone missed me just as much as I missed them and this was going to be great chance to catch up with everyone. Even though I regretted coming here in the first place I think I might just take back my regret.