Sins - XVI
'One leak will sink a ship: and one sin will destroy a sinner' - John Bunyan
The Early Bird Motel
The sun had long since dipped below the horizon and several hours of darkness had passed before Dawn's absence had been regarded by the other girls with an air of concern. Although baffled by Dawn's actual whereabouts, they were at least united in their explanation behind her sudden disappearance; Spike. The potentials regarded the newcomer to their midst with measured suspicion. Since his rescue from the border Spike had emerged from his room only to pester Giles for the next mug of animal blood, and done little to alleviate the girls' collective fears.
The favourite theory was that Spike's somewhat shaky self-control had finally been overwhelmed by his thirst and that Dawn, being the weakest of the band, had become his unwitting victim. Unable to resist the possible opportunity to slay, the potentials had set about scouring the hotel for Dawn's corpse or, better yet, the guilty vampire in question. Thirty minutes of peering through windows and exploring rooms behind doors that were marked 'private' in bold lettering had brought little to light. The search had unearthed nothing more than a couple of enraged lovers who had not relished an audience for their nocturnal acts, and a band of cleaners stealing sheets from the linen closet.
Momentarily willing to admit defeat, the girls had gathered in the lobby to regroup and pummel the vending machine until it spewed soda cans. Ruthie collapsed dramatically onto a sofa and coughed as the resulting cloud of dust invaded her lungs. Sonya perched on the arm of the couch by her side, wrinkling her delicate nose in distaste as she allowed her skin to brush against the aged polyester cushion. She cringed away from the touch of the fabric, almost as though the sensation of anything other than a designer cotton blend caused her actual physical pain.
"What now then?" Hayley demanded, furrowing her brow as she settled onto an adjacent armchair and popped open her free can of lemonade. She gulped down the entire contents of the soda without pausing for breath, and then placed it on the low table at her side before proceeding to crush it into a metallic disk with the palm of her hand. Hayley, like many of the young and inexperienced potentials in Rome, would never tire of the novelty of possessing superhuman strength. Such displays were commonplace among the girls, or at least those who had chosen to embrace their heritage. Those who did not preferred to aid Mr. Giles in the research process and, although fully aware of their promise, Buffy refused to push them into a life they would only grow to regret.
"I guess maybe we should search the place again?" Ruthie suggested, sighing laboriously at the thought. If the truth was known she was not overly fond of Dawn Summers, whose superiority complex and penchant for weaving spells on the potentials proved a bone of much contention.
"Again?" Jenny reiterated, arching an eyebrow and shaking her head vigorously. Her southern drawl intensified as her irritation escalated, "I'm not haulin' my ass round this God-damn motel one more time tonight for that littl'…"
Jenny trailed off as she received a pointed stare from Hayley, one of the very few girls to have developed a kind of comradeship with Dawn. They shared an unspoken understanding that afforded them a comfortable yet distant relationship. This was how both girls preferred it, neither one feeling the need to form the kind of bonds that many of the newer potentials seemed to pursue with desperation.
"Fine, fine, we'll look again," Jenny relented, scowling as Hayley nodded in smug satisfaction. More than anything, Jenny loathed being co-operative. Sonya peered with evident confusion at the girls surrounding her, clearly having understood little if any of the exchange. Ruthie rolled her eyes and poked the German potential in the forearm with a little more vigour than was absolutely necessary. When Sonya's attention was upon her, Ruthie mimed a repeated stabbing gesture and motioned to the lobby exit. Sonya nodded once but her even expression made it difficult to discern if she was indeed better informed of the plan.
"You don't think we should maybe tell Mr. Giles first?" Ruthie asked somewhat hesitantly, lowering her tone to a barely audible whisper. Unconsciously the three other girls leaned closer so that the crowns of their respective heads were almost touching.
"That stuffy ol' fart?" Jenny snorted with derision and shook her head. "What do ya think he'll be able to do about it? There's a stick shoved so far up his ass he's practically a popsicle…"
Jenny trailed off as Hayley coughed pointedly and inclined her head towards the lobby doorway. Giles stood framed in the moonlight, his hands jammed into the pockets of his jacket and his head cocked with interest. He wore an oddly disturbing smile that lacked any hint of amusement and rather indicated his annoyance at what he had overheard.
Jenny beamed unperturbed at the ex-Watcher, who simply arched a greying eyebrow in response. Giles adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and leaned against the frame of the door.
"Mr. Giles…" Hayley began as it became quickly apparent that Giles did not wish to break the weighty silence that had descended.
Giles sighed, almost weary, and affixed the potentials before him with an expression that managed to be both simultaneously stern and yet bored. This particular look was rather well refined courtesy of almost a decade of serving as Buffy's mentor.
"Girls," Giles said curtly, "I am rather disappointed, I must say."
Hayley and Ruthie visibly deflated, whilst Jenny simply responded with a shrug. Sonya's gaze ticked back and forth between Giles and the other girls, her mouth hanging open in an effective demonstration of her ignorance.
"How much did you hear?" Hayley asked, her voice small and meek. She was the more level-headed of the four girls chosen to make the journey to America, and Giles had thought on occasion that perhaps one day, in Buffy's absence, Hayley would make a fine leader. Hayley generally made a point to adhere to the rules that were laid down before the potentials, and appeared to respect the necessity for the boundaries that were set for her. Her own sense of morality only helped to steer her rather effectively towards a bright and promising future. Now that Giles was evidently displeased, Hayley was ashamed and embarrassed.
"Enough," Giles replied, resisting the urge to soften as Hayley gazed at him with wide, doleful eyes. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Giles strode into the lobby, pausing to shoot Jenny a frosty look. Finally, the southern potential lowered her eyes to the ground and curled her knees into her chest. Her cheeks flushed a little in a treacherous display of her own humiliation. The girls respected Giles for his knowledge of the occult and apparent wisdom regarding life in general, yet the temptation to mock his rigid demeanour often proved too great. Jenny was not the first potential to be caught in the middle of such an act but, with Giles' steely gaze upon her, she felt every bit as ashamed as if she were.
"Neither had it escaped my notice that Dawn appears to have been absent for the last few hours," Giles continued, pacing behind the row of occupied couches like a prison guard during evening rounds.
"You knew?" Ruthie asked, suddenly meeting Giles' gaze with an evident curiosity spread across her face. Giles nodded in reply.
"I was once a Watcher," he said, slowly and deliberately emphasising the most significant word.
"And you're not worried?" Jenny demanded, all traces of her previous embarrassment suddenly forgotten. Giles' head whipped round and Jenny instantly wished that she had not spoken. For, as much as she mocked Giles for his typically British composure, she had not failed to sense the air of danger that hovered over the man like a black cloud.
"Dawn is more than capable of looking after herself," Giles said with conviction, glancing at each one of the potentials in turn before continuing, "I may remind you that she has been involved in the supernatural world for more years than all of you here put together."
The silence prevailed once more until Giles consented to break it with a sigh.
"Now all of you, back to your rooms please, we have a long day of research and training ahead of us tomorrow."
Rather than a chorus of the usual groans and protestations, Giles was met with subdued nods. He watched carefully as the four girls abandoned their soda cans and sloped back to their motel rooms. He doubted that the discussion he had interrupted would be the final one of the evening but for the moment more pressing matters weighed upon his mind.
Giles sank gratefully into the near-collapsed armchair that was closest to his body, and cradled his face in his hands. It was true that he had observed both Spike and Dawn's disappearances some time ago, but the conviction of Dawn's safety that he had only moments before conveyed to the potentials had begun to dwindle in his mind. He did not want to contemplate even momentarily the conversation he may be forced to share with Buffy upon her return. Giles leaned back in the armchair and closed his eyes, suddenly feeling as though every one of his near fifty-years were creeping up upon him.
He could not be sure how long he had been asleep when the sound of stifled giggling hauled him back to reality. Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his bleary eyes before turning to gaze into the parking lot of the motel. Giles swallowed hard at the sight that greeted him.
Dawn had returned. She walked barefoot, although she carried a pair of stiletto heels in one hand and her jacket in the other, revealing the rather adventurous halterneck top she wore. Her smile was delighted and yet somewhat bemused as she strode arm in arm with Spike, who shot the girl equally thrilled glances with every few steps they took. Giles gritted his teeth whilst observing the scene. Dawn lingered just short of the doorway and, laughing softly, yanked Spike towards her body. He stumbled a little and then recovered, choosing to encircle Dawn's waist with his arms. All traces of laughter gradually died on their lips and the mood abruptly shifted, growing more tense and sombre as the seconds mounted. Giles resisted the overwhelming urge to declare his presence, knowing that for the benefit of Dawn's safety, this was an exchange he should bear witness to in secret.
Spike swallowed hard as he cupped Dawn's chin in both hands. Giles blinked rapidly, watching aghast as Spike lowered his lips Dawn, whose eyes were filled with hungry expectation. Somewhere in the midst of the kiss, her eyelids fluttered closed and she moaned a little in what Giles assumed to be ecstasy.
Giles finally tore his gaze away, hardly daring nor wishing to believe his eyes. His fingers dug into the cushion of the armchair with such force that the fabric groaned in protest. Dawn and Spike each seemed oblivious to anything more than the presence of the other.
"So… I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."
It was Dawn that had spoken, her voice high and ringing melodically in a betrayal of her happiness. Relieved that the tryst had apparently drawn to a conclusion, Giles peered once again over the body of the armchair. Spike nodded and Dawn chewed on her bottom lip in an attempt to restrain a grin. As Dawn moved to depart, Spike's fingers lingered a little around her own and he shot the girl a near dazzling grin. Dawn returned to the vampire's side and was once again lost to him.
Having already seen more than enough, Giles slumped down into the armchair and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, the sound of two sets of footsteps echoing through the lobby signified that Dawn and Spike had begun the return journey to their rooms.
With the events he had just witnessed replaying in his mind, Giles continued to linger in the silence long into the dawn.