WDWG - Chapter 28: Answers
With a knock on the door, one of the household servants politely reminded the couple that they had thirty minutes until His Lordship was leaving for the pub. Buffy griped at Giles claiming she needed more time to get ready, but her fiancé managed to usher her out the door with a few minutes to spare insisting she looked lovely and offering his arm in a gallant gesture as they left their rooms. They met Sebastian outside leaning against the front of his Range Rover. He was dressed in loose jeans and a pullover sweater, and the Slayer had to do a double take. His usual attire was much more formal, even around the house or out walking his dogs.
She raised her eyebrow and gestured towards his attire as she greeted him, "Slumming?"
"Not wishing to stand out in the crowd." He chuckled, and leaned in to kiss her cheek before addressing his nephew, "Would you mind driving, my boy? I prefer not to drive in the evenings. My eyesight's not as keen as it once was."
"I would love to, Uncle." Giles replied, taking the keys from the older gentleman.
"Buffy, go ahead and sit up front with your intended. I prefer to ride in the back. Rupert has quite the heavy foot and I intend to relax this evening." The earl explained, giving her a wink as he let himself into the back of the vehicle.
The younger man ignored the jibe and watched as his fiancée attempted to climb into the driver side before noticing she was on the wrong side of the car. Giles stifled a laugh and she glared at him with mock indignation, "You were waiting for that, weren't you?"
"Indeed I was, love, but only because I have made the same mistake often enough traveling back and forth." He led her around to the other side, opened the door, and waited until she was belted in before shutting it.
Giles' injured hand only gave him a little trouble on the downshift, but he managed to find a system that worked for him and after a practice drive around the property, they headed off to the pub. They were all in high spirits as the teasing banter between the two men continued, and Giles only gunned the 4x4 once turning onto the main road from his uncle's property and then drove the rest of the way obeying the posted speed limit just to prove a point.
"You know, Rupert, if I wanted to get there after the kitchen closed, I would have walked." Sebastian goaded.
The younger Watcher pulled over and stopped the car, giving his uncle his patented hairy eyeball while pointing at the door.
Sebastian laughed and clapped his nephew on the shoulder. "Well played, my boy, you've proven your point. Drive on."
Giles grumbled something under his breath about several long suffering chauffeurs, his uncle, and infinite patience, though he was having a hard time keeping up his chagrined facade, especially since Buffy was laughing so hard, she had moved into the silent giggle stage. Sebastian's easy nature was good for her.
When they arrived, they took the earl's regular table in the back corner and were greeted by the pub landlord who welcomed the men back and exchanged pleasantries. Sebastian introduced Buffy as his nephew's fiancée and congratulations were offered as well as a free round to all the patrons that evening. Afterward, Giles took Buffy up to the bar to read the daily specials on the blackboard and order drinks for the three of them, fish and chips for her, and rabbit pie for him. There was no need to order dinner for Sebastian since the owners knew he never strayed from chili, the beloved house special.
Anna showed up shortly after dinner arrived, apologizing for being late. Knowing her cousin was anxious for any news concerning his Slayer's health, she let them know that she would have all the results by lunchtime the next day. The landlord brought out her meal when it was ready, and informed the party that the pub quiz would be starting in fifteen minutes time.
"How shall we team up?" Anna asked after taking a bite of her salad and washing it down with a sip of lager. "All four against the room? The Greys versus the Giles'? Girls versus boys? Or do I get my darling Ru to help me win the pot tonight?"
"I think the four of us against the rest wouldn't be very sporting." Her father answered. "Best you and Rupert form one team and I'll pair up with Buffy. Are you game, my dear?"
Buffy had nestled herself into the crook of Giles' shoulder and smiled at her host, "You'll be at a severe disadvantage."
"That, I highly doubt."
The two women switched seats and the teams were formed. The questions were a mixture of local trivia, current events, and pop culture, and Buffy perked up when she beat Giles to the punch answering a current events question.
"Huh, I guess all those hours helping Dawn with her social studies homework paid off. Who knew I'd know what the largest city in the UAE is?" She said with some surprise and received a raised eyebrow from Giles. He had to admit, it wasn't something he expected her to know. Not that he thought for a moment that she wasn't smart, it was just that she had never been that interested in geography when she was in high school.
More beer was consumed, although Giles switched to tea since he was the designated driver, and the mood in the pub started to get rowdy. After the first round was won by a team at the bar, and the second round won by a couple two tables over, Anna poked Giles in the ribs and pointed to Buffy who discreetly tried to stifle a yawn, and he gave her an imperceptible nod.
"Perhaps we should call it a night," he said, "I'm feeling rather knackered."
"Probably for the best. I really need to head back to the city tonight." Anna agreed.
"Spoil sports." Buffy teased, though there was little behind it, tired as she was.
After goodbyes were said Anna left and Buffy headed to the restroom, leaving Giles alone with his uncle.
Sebastian fidgeted with his empty ale glass before addressing his nephew, "Tell me, Rupert, does it usually take Buffy this long to recover from battles? It's been what, ten days? Eleven? She seems awfully tired for a Slayer, and jet lag shouldn't affect her much, if at all."
The younger man pulled off his glasses and threw them on the table in front of him, "I know. I hadn't really noticed how tired she was until she told me this afternoon. I'm supposed to notice these things. I've trained my whole life to make sure she is in top form, and I can't see what is bloody well right in front of me! I'm failing her ... again."
The senior Watcher took in the defeated posture of the man in front of him, gave Giles' shoulder an encouraging squeeze, and spoke softly "You're looking at her through rose tinted glasses, my boy, as a man in love always does. We tend to overlook things when we're in that state."
"I've not done right by her as Watcher since Willow brought her back." He confessed. "I just haven't managed to-"
"Don't be so hard on yourself, Rupert! Let's not disregard the trauma you both havesuffered these past few years. No Slayer has ever come back from the dead. There is no precedent for what the two of you have gone through. Yes, she's had a time of it, but so have you! She was in heaven. You were left to bury her and pick up the pieces. The circumstances of her resurrection, and the subsequent fallout from it, doesn't make your suffering any less agonizing. No one expected you to be able to flip a switch and say, 'that's all done now.' Against the odds, you've made it through together and added a whole new complexity to your relationship. So, stop blaming yourself and accept help where you find it."
"Yes, sir."
"Good." Sebastian punctuated with finality. "Now, we've agreed there is a problem. What could be the cause?"
Thankful for his uncle's insight and ability to separate emotions from issues, Giles took a steadying breath, picked up his glasses, and stuck one end in his mouth as he thought. After a moment he offered, "I think it's emotional exhaustion more than physical. If something's amiss physically, we'll know tomorrow. But, apart from the final confrontation with the First, there's been so much loss, then you add her family issues, loose ends to tie up before coming here, the move itself, the added surprise of everything here in England, and of course we've gone from barely tolerating each other over the last couple months to becoming engaged ..."
"She obviously takes comfort in your relationship, but it's still something to which she must adjust. Most people can only handle one life changing event at a time, Rupert, how many are you both handling, together and separately?" Sebastian paused to allow the thought to sink in. "Hopefully, that's all it is and things will normalize once she's had some time to settle down at the farmhouse. Follow her lead and be there for each other. She knows you need her too. I'll run interference with the Council until you are ready to take the reins. Anything else I can do?"
"I'll ask Buffy-"
"Ask Buffy what?" The blonde asked, approaching the table. Mindful of their manners, the two men stood up to greet her.
"We were just talking about how difficult these past few months must have been for you and how tired you must be. I've offered to help any way I can." Sebastian said, cupping her cheek in a fatherly gesture.
She leaned into his touch, slid her arms around him, and hugged him close, sighing contentedly when she felt him quickly return her embrace. In the short time she had known him, Sebastian had made her feel at ease. His presence was a comfort and she realized that she missed having a parent to go to when she needed. She missed her mom something fierce, and, while she still had her dad, he wasn't someone she could let into her inner sanctum anymore. Sebastian had slipped through her defenses undetected and adopted her without judgment or second thought, and she had accepted him without ever realizing that's what she had done.
"Thank you." Buffy said simply, her heart full. She felt him rest his cheek against the top of her head for a brief moment and then give her a squeeze before letting go.
"The least I can do." He said affectionately before turning to address both her and Giles, "Now, shall we head back?"
XxXxXxXx
In their bedroom later that evening, Giles held Buffy close. She had fallen asleep about an hour earlier, almost at the exact moment her head hit the pillow, but he found he was having trouble. It had been an extremely eventful day, full of highs and lows, and he found that although he was completely worn out, his mind was racing. He had stopped trying to concentrate on anything after he attempted to replay the day's events but couldn't sort them out in any logical order. They clearly needed some time to decompress and he was exceedingly thankful that they would be heading home tomorrow afternoon.
Pushing himself up to rest on his left forearm, he watched his fiancée sleep, just letting himself feel. He didn't understand why she would be in love with him, but he was humbly thankful that she was. He had admitted his dark secret to his uncle earlier that evening, that he had failed her as a Watcher to her over the past couple years. Not that he hadn't tried to reach out, to fix things, it just hadn't been up to him alone. He'd needed her to meet him halfway, and when she hadn't, he'd left, unable to stand the rift between them any longer.
Giles knew that his father figure had countered with a fundamental truth: that they had both been broken by her death. While it had taken time, they had fought their way out of their dark places and found the other waiting, and now they were healing together, and helping to heal each other. Leaning in, he dragged the fingers of his right hand along Buffy's cheek and kissed her temple, silently promising a renewed vigilance, and that he would always be there for her, as her Watcher, her partner, her lover, and one day soon, her husband.
Feeling as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, Giles lowered himself back down onto the mattress and drew her tightly into his chest as sleep started to overtake him. When he let out a cleansing breath, she turned in his arms and nuzzled against his shoulder. The last thought that ran through his mind was that the sensation was better than any lullaby.
XxXxXxXx
The morning's events were a whirlwind and the vigilant Watcher, fresh from his promise, kept a wary eye on his Slayer, offering his support unobtrusively in light touches and trying his best to explain English customs and law as needed when the solicitor had shown up to settle the issue of his family's estate. The Board had decided on a fair price earlier that morning and submitted the offer through Sebastian. The couple had taken a moment to discuss the terms together and after Buffy converted the sum to dollars her eyes glazed over. Giles took her hand, offered her a reassuring smile, and asked if she had any questions. She wanted to know what would happen to the current staff of the house and requested that their positions remain secure. Giles agreed, and they emphatically stated that they would not sell the estate if people's jobs were not maintained.
Negotiations drawn up and paperwork signed, Giles and Buffy joined Sebastian in the drawing room before lunch.
"I take it the outcome was satisfactory?" Sebastian asked, sitting himself down in a chair and crossing his legs.
"Yes, now we wait for the Board to meet, accept our terms, and sign." Giles replied as he guided Buffy over to the other high back chair next to his uncle before taking a seat on the small settee across from them.
The Chairman of the Board remarked assuredly, "I'll meet with the others in a week's time and the matter will be settled."
Buffy smiled softly at her fiancé knowing that he would be pleased that this issue wouldn't linger. He was impatient to rid himself of the burden of the estate, and she was looking forward to getting started on creating training programs and classes for the new Slayers. She needed something to focus on, even if it would all have to wait until after she and Giles took their vacation and settled into the farmhouse.
"Hello, my lovelies! How are we all doing on this fine day?" Anna addressed the trio as she entered the room. She greeted her father first with a kiss to the cheek and repeated the gesture with Giles. When she made her way over to Buffy, the Slayer stood and gave the doctor a huge hug before taking her hands.
"I take it you have good news for me?" Buffy questioned hopefully.
"In fact, I do. There is absolutely nothing to be concerned about. All tests came back as they should and the only magick I found on you was the 'thrum' which we already spoke about during your checkup. The only thing I would like for you to do is to take a multi vitamin, get out into the sun more, and reduce your stress levels. Doctor's orders."
Giles closed his eyes, flexed his jaw muscles, and breathed a sigh of relief. He then looked over towards his uncle who gave him a small smile and nodded his head.
Buffy hugged Anna again, grinning widely, and stated, "I think I can handle that. Did you hear that, Ru? Looks like there'll be lots of horseback riding for us in the immediate future!"
"I'm sure that can be arranged." He returned, chuckling with amusement at her newfound passion.
"So now that business is concluded, how about we have some lunch?" Anna suggested threading her arm through Buffy's and training her gaze on her cousin, "I am sure the two of you are eager to head home."
XxXxXxXx
Cuddled up into Giles' side with his arms wrapped around her, Buffy watched the rolling countryside pass by from the window of Sebastian's Bentley. She figured she would never tire of how green England was and she marveled at how strange it was that the land was parceled out with trees, bushes, and different types of fences providing boundaries between the fields. It reminded her of one of her grandma's old patchwork quilts - only way more asymmetrical - and with every patch of land came a different shape and slightly different shade of green.
As they continued west along the A4 towards Bath, Buffy noticed Giles' breathing even out and was relieved that sleep had found him. She had known when they awoke that morning that he had had a rough night, though he would never mention it. She'd seen that look of quiet fatigue so many times over the years, but at least the business with his family estate was out of his hands and he was on his way to getting some resolution with his past. She had to admit that she was happy to be on the road and heading to Giles' home ... their home. He'd said it was his haven and she was more than ready for some time alone with her man, no distractions. While saying goodbye to Anna and Sebastian had been tough, it was made easier by the notion that they were only two hours away. Smiling, she remembered her reaction to finding out that Giles was related to nobility. She'd been so nervous and hadn't known what to expect, but the one thing she never expected was to be accepted so readily into his family.