The Gift of a Family Ch 26. An Old Mystery Revealed.
Happy Birthday to cancan227 I actually got it out in time! The real thanks for that goes to clarityfades who got this chapter beta read and back to me in less than a day. Clarityfades is awesome.
Thank you everyone who is reading and reviewing.
"I'm starting to think these books don't have any information about what is going on with Buffy and the Order of Aurelius, or about her being able to heal Jack with that sword," Daniel sighed. They had been looking for information while Buffy was healing from her fight with the Dragon. He had found a lot of interesting information but nothing about what they were looking for.
"Giles only left Buffy a few select books. Thankfully, we don't have to go through the demonologies. If it isn't in these last books we are looking through now, I will have to go to LA to look through my library."
"These are only a few books on the Slayer?" Daniel asked, amazed at the thought of so much information on Slayers and the things that they fought. He had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of books Buffy had on the subject, yet was still wishing for more.
"Oh yes, each watcher is given a complete set of watchers' journals dating back centuries; we each have our own special collection."
"Could I get a look at them? I could help you search," Daniel suggested.
"Only watchers should have access to the watchers' journals," Wesley said, sounding very British and more than a little pompous. Wesley was silent for a moment, but when he continued he sounded much more like the Wesley Daniel had come to know. "Watchers in training can also have access to the books. After what happened to the heart of the council, they are definitely going to need to rebuild their ranks. I don't supposed you would be interested in joining us?"
"I could never leave the St..uh...mountain. We do too much good there, and I can really make a difference." Daniel stated with more than a little regret.
This statement got Wesley's full attention. "What exactly is it that you do there? What could you possibly do there that makes more of a difference then helping the Slayer to save the world?"
Daniel winced and could have kicked himself. "Deep space radar telemetry?"
Wesley only looked at Daniel for a long moment before replying. "In the words of your friend Jack, riight." There was another long moment of awkward silence before Wesley continued on with his original recruitment pitch. "At any rate, you wouldn't have to leave your current employ. We have watchers scattered all around the wold. Of course, I'm not officially with the council anymore, so I really can't hire you on; but I would be willing to be your mentor, and drop your name to whomever ends up in charge."
Daniel was silent for a long moment while he considered Wesley's words. He was about to ask more about what his duties would entail when Faith walked in, eyeing Daniel as if she were a hawk and Daniel were a tiny mouse.
"Time for a break, you two. Let's get something to eat, and I have a question or two for you," she stated to Daniel. He tried not to gulp or show how nervous he suddenly felt. Knowing as much as he did about the Slayer, he really hoped she wasn't going to ask him about Cheyenne Mountain.
Jack finished his surprisingly intriguing story of how he met a damsel in distress; and how he fell in love with said damsel while helping her to get away from some nasty bad guys. He explained how he had wanted to take down the group who had been after her; but instead, ended up helping her get a false identity, Joyce O'Connell, at her insistence.
She had already lost her first family to them already, she didn't want to lose Jack too. She had been convinced that if he had tried he would have ended up dead, and thus refused to give him any information about them. Even without any information from her, Jack had been able to capture the men who had been after her, but they all committed suicide before he could interrogate them.
It had been hard for him to tell Buffy about it all, he was sure that mysteries about her mother was not what she wanted to hear; especially ones that he had no answer for. But there was so much he had to keep secret from Buffy, and he knew that what she really wanted from him was the truth. He had already promised her that he would tell her the truth about anything she wanted to know, outside of his work. He had to keep that promise no matter how hard it was for him.
"You are being very quiet," Jack observed. He was nervous about how she would react to his story.
"I was just thinking. You're story answers a lot of questions I have always had."
"It does?" Jack asked, surprised. It seemed to him that all he had to offer her with this story were a bunch of questions.
"Not all of them. I already knew that Mom's first husband died, and that my two half-brothers were kidnapped when they were little. That was why she was always worried about me when I was little. She seemed to relax as I got older, and then I was called. When she told me about how she used to have to run all the time, I never understood why it was that she had to keep running so much before I was born, but we were able to stay in LA for my entire life until Sunnydale. It was because you helped her to get a new identity."
"Did she tell you about the people who had been after her?" Jack asked, even after all of these years he wanted some answers. He wanted the people who had hurt and scared the woman he had loved so much. He wanted to make them pay.
"When mom told me about all of this she refused to give me anything that I could use to try to find them. She was afraid that I would go after them. She only told me after she found out about my being the slayer. She said that I had to know, because if they ever did find us, my slayer status would be something that they would be interested in."
Jack's eyes grew cold and his hands balled into fists as he thought about someone coming after Buffy. He couldn't even protect her from it because he didn't know anything about who might be coming for her.
Faith had declared that if they didn't want food poisoning that they either needed to make lunch themselves, or they needed to go out to eat. So now they were eating the last of the leftover Chinese food Daniel had brought for Buffy when he had first arrived.
"So you and B?" Faith's voice broke the silence in the kitchen. Wesley's head popped up from looking at his leftovers. His eyes fastened onto Daniel, clearly curious as well.
Daniel's ears turned bright pink. Of all the things she wanted to talk to him about this was the last thing he would have suspected. He almost wished she was asking him about the Stargate program instead.
"Me and B?" He asked, playing dumb and hoping she would be to embarrassed to clarify what she was asking him. He obviously didn't know Faith very well.
"What is going on between you and Buffy?" Wesley quickly clarified, knowing Daniel was playing dumb but also knowing Faith would be far more colorful in clarifying her question.
"Er...well, we only just met and haven't really had a change to talk about things yet."
"So, you are going to let Jack drive you off?" Wesley interpreted, sounding surprised and disappointed.
"No!" Daniel exclaimed loudly.
"Really because if you scare off that easily it might be best if you just give up now," Wesley stated.
"What is this about Jack scaring Daniel off?" Faith asked.
"I'm not scared off! Buffy and I need to discuss this in private. There is definitely interest there, at least on my part." He admitted.
"B is interested," Faith stated. "Normally, I would tell you to make a move and get on with the horizontal mambo; but with everything B's been through lately and with how her last relationship ended, I have to warn you to take things slowly. Take a little warning from your friendly neighborhood slayer. That girl has been through Hell. Don't be hurting her anymore, or human or no, I'll be seeing you."
It took a long moment for Daniel to answer. "Putting the rather vague but frightening threat aside for a moment. I don't want to hurt Buffy. I want to do everything I can to help her. As for taking things slowly it will be very difficult, but that is what I want to do as well. With my first wife, it seemed like we had only just met and the next thing I knew I was married. I don't want to miss anything this time around. Besides, my work keeps me well and truly occupied. I'm not sure how a long distance relationship would work out. I would like to try and get Buffy hired on where I work, if she can leave Sunnydale."
"Oh, she is leaving," Faith interrupted him. "I'm not sure where is she going, but I'm here to take over as resident Slayer."
"Then it's true," Wesley murmured, then seemed to come to a sudden decision. "Faith, I know that I let you down as a watcher before, but I wonder if you could give me another chance?"
"You would leave LA and AI to come to the mouth of hell and be my watcher?" Faith asked, overwhelmed. "Don't ya wanna go with Buffy?"
"It's true that I let you both down; that I failed both of you. If there is ever anything I can do for either of you to make up for it, I will. I, I thought I could do more acting as your watcher, if you will have me. Besides, Buffy already has a watcher."
"She does?" Daniel asked in surprise. "Where is he?"
"In England, at the moment. Giles will always be her watcher. Meanwhile, I am a watcher without a slayer. That is like..."
"Peanut butter without the jelly?" Daniel tried to help out. He was fascinated by the watcher/slayer dynamic.
"Who you callin' jelly?" Faith asked, leaving Daniel sputtering. "The truth is, I could use a good watcher," she continued to Wesley. "And I am all about second chances."
Wesley smiled. "Well, I'll need to let Angel know, get my things and figure out where I'm going to stay. I wonder if Giles' old apartment is still available."
"Why don't you stay here? Buffy asked me to stay and take care of the house and yard until she is ready to sell it. You could stay here with me," Faith said.
Wesley blinked, looking at Faith with an odd look in his eye. "Are...are you coming onto me?" He asked hesitantly. The thought was flattering, but he did have feelings for Fred.
Faith blinked in obvious surprise, but a moment later was smirking at him. "You wish, watcher boy, but who knows if you play your cards right? Having a young studly watcher could come in handy when the H & H factor kicks in."
Wesley turned a bright red. "Well, I...I'll just go and get some more tea. Did...did either of you want something else?"
"I'll let you know," Faith whispered in a sultry voice and winked at him. Wesley fled the dining room for the kitchen without waiting for Daniel's order. Faith started laughing the moment he was gone.
"I am going to love having him around," she said with a laugh, "Maybe I can corrupt him yet."
After seeing Wesley's reaction, Daniel knew he should just let it go, but he could never help his curiosity. "I'm curious," he admitted. "What is the H & H factor?"
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