New Beginnings - Chapters 15 & 16
Oct. 10th, 2003 12:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
psubratAuthor: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: A familiar law firm and Buffy's new watcher arrive in Sunnydale...
Timeframe: A few days after "Discoveries"
Buffy looked around the Magic Box. Things were quiet. It was late afternoon and she was waiting for Giles to arrive. He had called her yesterday to let her know that he and her new watcher had arrived safely. Giles told her that if she needed him for any reason that she could contact him at the hotel and leave a message. She thought that he sounded nervous and was still acting kind of weird, even for him. She supposed that he was just concerned about abandoning her to someone else, or maybe it had something to do with Dawn’s new portal power thing. She was kinda concerned about being handed over to someone from the Council. She asked Giles when she would be meeting the new guy but he had been vague, dancing around the subject as he always did. She could sense that things were about to change, and maybe not for the better.
Her thoughts turned to her dream. She was pretty sure that it had been a slayer-type dream. However, Spike had been in the dream and he was nowhere to be found at the moment. What did that mean? She also remembered that he looked different. It had been his hair. It wasn’t platinum blond but kinda brownish and curly. Why had he been in her dream? Spike was the least of her concerns, though. The second being from her dream was more important. She closed her eyes and recalled the image of his face. The thought of the Master returning sent chills up and down her spine. There had to be some kind of mistake. The monster was dead. She had made sure of that when she had taken the sledgehammer to his bones. So maybe that meant...No. She refused to even think that Spike could be dead too. Damn these dreams.
She got up from the table and wandered around the shop aimlessly. Waiting. Giles should be here by now. What was keeping him?
"Buffy?" Dawn asked from behind the counter. "Are you okay?"
Buffy looked over at her sister. "Huh? Yeah. I’m good. Just waiting for Giles." She was surprised that her sister had even noticed. Little Miss-In-Love had been on cloud nine ever since the other night. All that she had been able to get out of her was that Steven had finally kissed her. But there was something else, something that Dawn wasn’t telling her. She could sense it every time Dawn quickly averted her eyes whenever she looked at her. Something was definitely up and it better not have to do with sex, otherwise she was gonna pack up her sister and send her to some convent or something.
Just then the bell on the door chimed and Giles entered. "I’m terribly sorry that I’m a bit late," he said hesitantly, trying not to seem too harried. Buffy stood in front of him with her arms folded across her chest. She raised her eyebrows at him and looked at the clock and then back at him. This wasn’t exactly starting out the way he planned.
Gavin looked around his new office as he sat down in his chair. The room was spacious and lavishly decorated. The senior partners had spared no expense when it came to opening the new branch of Wolfram and Hart. They had renovated a vacant building in downtown Sunnydale in record time, making sure that everything was in place for when he arrived. He walked over to the window and leaned against the wall. He had a perfect view of the Magic Box. This would work out splendidly for him. Now, all he had to do was to get Heinrich settled in and taken care of before the night of the ceremony.
He sauntered over to his desk and pushed the intercom button on his phone. "Ms. Blackwell would you kindly get Ms. Morgan from the Los Angeles office on the phone please."
"Certainly Mr. Park," the female voice responded.
The intercom buzzer sounded, "Mr. Park, Ms. Morgan is on line one."
"Thank you, Ms. Blackwell." He pushed the button for line one and spoke in a smug tone. "Lilah, how are you?"
"I’m fine, Gavin. Is there something you wanted? Because frankly I really don’t have the time to play right now." Her voice betrayed her irritation at being summoned by his secretary.
"Now, now Lilah," he cooed softly to her. "I was just calling to extend you an invitation to Heinrich’s ceremony. Linwood will be driving up tomorrow. I’m sure you could catch a ride with him." He could tell by her silence that he was getting to her. He loved playing this game with her it was so amusing.
"I’ll see what I can do," she said tersely. "I’m working on other things at the moment that are extremely important."
"Suit yourself," he said grinning. "I’ll save a place for you at the graveside."
Back in Los Angeles Lilah punched the speaker button to end the conversation. She looked at the man across from her and said, "Everything is set up for the ceremony. Are you sure you want to do this?"
The dark haired man with glasses glared at her. "Do I have a choice?" He asked harshly.
Lilah smiled at him as she crossed her legs and sat back in her chair.
"Buffy," Giles said soothingly as he put his arm around her shoulders to guide her into the training room. "I’m dreadfully sorry that I was late. Things are a bit hectic at the moment. I’ve been trying to get William settled in and..."
"William, huh?" Buffy asked as she stopped at the door to the back room. Her eyes were searching his for some sort of verification. "Are you trying to tell me that your nephew is going to be my new watcher?"
Damn. After all this time without mentioning a name, he finally slipped. Well, best she knew now than before he arrived. He continued walking towards the back room. Eventually she fell into step with him. He wanted to prep her as best he could for the meeting. "Buffy, please sit down. We have much to discuss."
"Why am I getting this really bad vibe from you, Giles?"
He laughed nervously and tried to make light of the situation. "I have no idea what you mean, Buffy."
"Then tell me about this William cause I didn’t know you had any family members to begin with let alone ones that wanted to become watchers."
"Fair enough. First, you have to understand why I’ve chosen him. I didn’t do this to hurt you. You do understand that, don’t you?"
"Uh, sure. I understand you’ve got a life elsewhere. So spill."
"Right. I wanted to move back home and I couldn’t do that...couldn’t leave you without a watcher. I know I made a mistake when I left you before, but I felt that you were in capable hands. Well, maybe not completely but you had Spike. And I knew that he would watch out for you."
At the mention of Spike’s name, Buffy’s whole demeanor changed. "Yeah. He’s really been watching me a lot lately, hasn’t he?"
He could feel the bitterness come off her in waves. "Buffy I’m sorry he tried to hurt you. I’m not condoning what he did. But you have to remember..."
She glared at him. "What do you mean?" She demanded. "Who told you what happened?"
Before he could answer her, the bell to the shop rang.
William had agreed to meet Rupert at the Magic Box about half an hour after his planned arrival. By that point they had figured Rupert would have had enough time to talk to Buffy and to prepare her for his appearance. And what an entrance that would be, he thought. He wasn’t sure how Buffy was going to react to his presence. He knew her track record with Wesley and Quentin and how she would be more than willing to quit the Council if she felt threatened in any way by them. He would have to tread carefully.
Knowing that he needed to make the right impression, he had chosen a gray, pinstriped, double-breasted suit. It was very flattering on him and helped bring out the color of his eyes. He didn’t know why he was making such a fuss over what clothing he chose. Either way, the girl was not going to be happy having him there. Taking one last look in the mirror to smooth out his unruly curls, he left his apartment. He decided to walk to the Magic Box instead of getting a cab. He would make arrangements to pick up his car later but for now he wanted to enjoy the warm afternoon sun.
As he approached the shop, he stopped as the feeling of being watched washed over him. Slowly he turned around to survey the area. His eyes scanned the street and the surrounding buildings. He didn’t see anything but couldn’t shake the sensation. He took a deep breath. "Right then. Time to face the music." He paused as he put his hand on the knob. With a sigh he turned the knob and swung the door open slowly. He jumped as the bell overhead rang, announcing his arrival.
Dawn sat at the counter trying to read through the watcher’s guide. Next to her was an open dictionary. The guide contained a lot of big words that she didn’t understand and when she came across a particularly difficult one, she looked it up. Understandably, her mind started to drift to thoughts of Steven. She smiled as she remembered the kiss. Then she remembered the confrontation with the vampire and a look of puzzlement crossed her face. Steven’s lightening quick speed and his uncanny sense of hearing had terrified her. Her first thought had been that he was a vampire himself since only vampires and slayers could move that fast. That’s when he told her that he wasn’t like the other guys his age.
She had laughed at him and said that all guys their age said that. But his tone had become serious as well as his face. He then hesitantly explained that he and his father had been trapped in a hell dimension for several years, since he had been a baby. They had only recently returned. Not too long after their return a vampire had killed his father. She remembered being stunned at how casually he had told her the story and then how the hatred in his voice had built up as he talked about the death of his father. She had sympathized with his loss, knowing what it was like to lose a parent.
She had questioned him about how he knew about her sister. He explained that after he had avenged his father’s death, he wandered around Los Angeles aimlessly. It was there that he had learned that a vampire slayer lived in Sunnydale. Immediately he had left the city and headed here to see if he could offer his assistance in the fight against evil.
After their talk, they had walked back to her place in silence. When they got there, he had given her a second kiss and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"Please," he had asked her. "Please don’t tell anyone about me. I don’t want people to know I’m...different."
"Don’t worry," she had said, reassuringly. "I won’t tell anyone. Besides, you’re not the only one who’s different." She had kissed him again and then gone into the house, leaving him behind to contemplate that thought.
When the bell over the door rang, her mind snapped back to the present.
Dawn looked up from her seat at the counter when she heard the bell. At first glance she thought that a customer had arrived. "Sorry sir," she sighed as she looked back down at the book she was reading. "But we’re closed. We just didn’t turn the sign over yet."
"I’m not here to buy anything," the man said hesitantly.
Dawn’s head shot up. She knew that voice. Cautiously she put the book down and looked over at the man standing on the top step. Confusion clouded her face. It sounded like him, but it didn’t look like him. She stood up and made her way over to the man. "Can I help you?" She asked questioningly, stopping just short of the stairs.
"Uhm. Yes, I believe you can. I’m looking for Rupert Giles. I’m William. The new watcher."
Dawn continued to stare at him. It was obviously making him uncomfortable since he was tugging on the collar of his shirt. She glanced out the window to make sure that it was daylight. Yep. It was. So it couldn’t be him. The voice sounded familiar but the accent wasn’t the same. It was more refined.
"Is there a problem?" William asked, trying to put the girl at ease. "Is my hair out of sorts again?" He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to make sure that it wasn’t sticking out every which way. "Hasn’t Rupert arrived yet?"
She nodded to him but continued to stare.
Absently, William pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses. It was as much out of habit as it was out of nervousness. He looked away from Dawn when he heard voices approaching the room. He saw Rupert come out of the back room with Buffy in tow. The older watcher made quick strides to reach him and pulled him off to the side at the top of the stairs so that William’s back was to the girls.
"I told you half an hour," Giles whispered to him.
"It’s been forty-five minutes, Rupert. I gave you an extra fifteen," William shot back defensively.
As Buffy watched the two men, Dawn walked over to her sister. "Buffy, wait until you see what William looks like."
Buffy frowned at her sister’s words. "What are you talking about Dawn?"
"You’ll see. It’s spooky."
Finally Buffy’d had enough of the clandestine talk. She put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. Both men whipped around to look at her. At the sight of William her jaw dropped open. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, hoping that it had just been her imagination. It wasn’t. "Spike?"
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Both William and Giles face the wrath of one very ticked off slayer...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Changes"
"Spike?" Buffy asked again, squinting as if her eyes were deceiving her.
William blinked back and then looked at Giles who sighed heavily. "Why don’t we all sit down?" Giles suggested, gesturing towards the table.
"Uh. How about we don’t and you just explain to me who this person is?" Buffy said harshly.
Giles took a deep breath. "Buffy, this is William Giles..."
"Cut the crap, Giles. I want an explanation. Now."
"Buffy," William said, taking a step towards her. He bristled when she took a step back, fury lighting her eyes.
"Buffy, please do sit down," Giles said softly. "Dawn, you as well."
Dawn moved towards the table in a daze. She sat down in the nearest chair and waited for the explanation.
"Giles, if you don’t spell out to me what is going on right now, I’m throwing you both out."
Giles’ face changed from fatherly understanding to anger. "Buffy I’m not here to negotiate with you. Now take a seat immediately so we can discuss this." His tone had been firm and demanding, taking her by surprise. She softened a little and pulled out a chair, sitting next to her sister.
Gavin sat at his desk making out his daily report to the Los Angeles office. He checked his watch to take note of the time. He was sure the senior partners would be interested in knowing that Mr. Giles was back in town and that he had brought a guest. Immediately, he had recognized Rupert Giles from the photographs they had sent him. But the second man, the man in the suit, they didn’t have any pictures for on file, at least not at this office. Very curious. He also noted in the report that the man had stopped in mid stride, as though he had known he was being watched. The windows had been tinted, hiding all who went about their business in this building, but he had still felt compelled to step away from them. There was something about the way the man had scanned the area, almost like an animal listening for it’s prey.
He finished typing up the report and sent the e-mail off to the senior partners. Perhaps with the digital picture of the man attached, the researchers in the main office would be able to track him down. He was confidant that this matter would be resolved and that the man wouldn’t be any trouble for them. After all, he looked like another harmless watcher and those he could take care of without breaking a sweat. After powering down his computer and turning off his light, he made his way out of the building and back to his apartment. Tonight was "Get acquainted with Sunnydale" night and he didn’t want to miss the happy hour specials at the Bronze.
Buffy sat in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. This man had to be Spike. Had to be. But the prickling sensation at the back of her neck that told her when a vampire was around wasn’t going off. Plus, it was still daylight out and there was no sign of a smoking blanket anywhere. She looked angrily from one watcher to the other. Waiting. Waiting for the reason that this person who looked like Spike was sitting in front of her, about to become her new watcher.
"So, uhm, Giles?" Dawn asked hesitantly. "Is William...Is he Spike or what?"
Giles smiled at the girl and then looked over at Buffy, taking on a serious tone. "Buffy, prior to William arriving on my doorstep, I had decided to put in for a transfer back to England. The only thing that held me back was the thought of the Council replacing me with someone that would try to control you. You deserved better than that."
Buffy glared at Giles. "Oh so you went out and recruited Spike? Nice move Giles. And why do you keep calling him William?" She demanded.
"Because that’s my name," William sighed, looking over at her.
Buffy slowly shook her head and started to laugh. "This is some kind of joke, right?"
"I assure you this is no joke," Giles replied. "For all intents and purposes, William is my nephew and is going to be your new watcher."
"I can’t listen to this anymore," Buffy said suddenly standing up, knocking her chair over in the process. "I trusted you, Giles. I trusted you to tell me the truth and to be there for me when I needed you. This," she yelled gesturing wildly towards William, "is unforgivable."
"Buffy. Listen to me," Giles demanded as he stood up to block her from leaving. "Yes. You’re correct. William is Spike. Or was..."
"What do you mean was?" She seethed. "Just because he changed his name doesn’t mean he isn’t what he’s always been."
"A monster?" William asked, standing up and walking towards her.
Dawn had heard enough. She stood up and walked over to William. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t noticed it before, but the telltale sign that this man was Spike was evident. There on his left eyebrow was the scar. "Oh my god. You are Spike," she gasped.
William looked down into her eyes. "Hello Niblet," he said with a smile, rumpling her hair. He reached into his pocket. "Hold out your hand." Dawn did as she was asked. Reaching out, he placed one hand under hers and the other hand on top.
"I believe this belongs to you," he said as he dropped something into her palm.
Dawn stared down at her hand in shock after William retracted his top hand. "Where did you get this? I lost it the other day after I ..."
"Went through the portal." He finished the sentence for her.
She nodded slowly as everything began to fall into place. "That was your room that I was in, wasn’t it?"
"Yes, it was. Not sure how you did it though. We’ll have to work on that one."
"You’re human now, aren’t you?" She asked suddenly with a grin.
"What makes you think that?"
"Because," she stated, "your hands are warm. Plus, it’s still daylight and you didn’t burst into flames."
William grinned at her. She was quick this one was. "I guess you could say that."
Dawn squealed and threw her arms around him. It was so good to have him back home.
Buffy stared incredulously at the scene before her. This man was Spike. But he was human? How was that possible? At least she knew one thing; that he had been in England the last few months with Giles, and Giles had never told her. How could he have withheld this information from her? Didn’t he know that she had been concerned about Spike? Wait. No. She didn’t care. That’s right. For all she cared, Spike could have been dead. That would have been just fine with her. Instead, he was standing here now, in Sunnydale, as her new watcher and a human to boot.
She continued to stare at Spike, William, whatever, who hugging her sister. Now that Dawn knew this, thing, was Spike, there was no way she would let her throw him out of their lives again. Damn. She looked over at Giles who was watching the interaction with great interest. When Giles’s gaze returned to her, she glared at him. "So," she growled. "Wanna tell us how this all happened?"
Giles nodded at her and motioned for them to all sit down once again. Reluctantly Dawn let go of William long enough to get a seat and move it next to him. Buffy started to feel like she was being ganged up on. Three against one. Great. She sat down in her chair after up righting it and waited to hear the tale.
"Perhaps it’s best that William begin," Giles said, looking over at Spike.
William nodded. "Right." He took a deep breath and looked over at Buffy. She looked so angry with him. He knew she would be at first, maybe even forever. But he took this job because he had agreed with Giles about Buffy needing someone who wouldn’t try to control her. It was time she knew what had happened to him after he left that night. The night that he had almost...He couldn’t even say it, let alone think it. He decided that it was best to start from the beginning.
"I left Sunnydale that same night that I came to see you and things got...out of control."
"Spike, it’s okay," Dawn said reassuringly. "I know what happened."
He looked at the teen in shock. Tears began to form in his eyes. What else did his Lil’ Bit know? "How? Who?"
"I told her," Buffy mumbled, lowering her eyes to look at the tabletop.
"Right," he said, choking back the tears. He looked away from them both for a moment to compose himself. He took a deep breath to continue. "I left that night for Africa. I heard that there was a demon there that would grant whatever one wanted. If one survived the challenge. I was so disgusted with myself and I wanted so much for you to love me Buffy..."
She looked away from him when his pleading eyes met with hers. His heart sank. "So," he continued trying to keep his tone even, "I went to get a soul. I managed to survive all of the challenges that the demon set forth so that he had no recourse but to give me what I had earned. Imagine my surprise when he said he couldn’t give me a soul."
"Why not Spike?" Dawn demanded with a frown. "You beat the challenges..."
He smiled at her and continued. "Because Niblet, I already had a soul."
"How is that possible?" Buffy asked in a whisper.
"Not quite sure, Pet."
"As best we can tell," Giles explained, "Spike developed one over the last few years while helping us. It’s not much of an explanation, but at the moment it’s all we’ve been able to deduce."
"So what happened next, Spike?" Dawn asked, turning everyone’s attention back to the former master vampire.
"After he said he couldn’t give me a soul, I asked him to make me what I was before."
"Before what?" Buffy interrupted.
"That’s the thing, Pet. I didn’t specify. I had meant before the chip. He took it as before I became a vampire. The next thing I know, I wake up human. I was dazed. Confused. I stumbled out of the cave and into the sunlight for the first time in 128 years. I wandered around the desert for what seemed like days because I didn’t know who I was or where I was. Finally, my memories returned...all of them, including William’s. I needed help. That’s when I decided to head to England and look for Giles."
Buffy sat back in her chair and tried to take this all in. She felt like she was on sensory overload. Spike had left her house and decided to go to Africa for a soul. Why? He wanted her to be able to love him? He already had a soul...
"When Spike arrived on my doorstep," Giles said, picking up the story. "I was skeptical at best. No one, especially at the Council, had ever heard of a demon in the African desert that could turn vampires back into their human selves. Of course, it didn’t help his situation when he told me why he went looking for a soul." At that point, Giles stared angrily at Spike who sat studying the tabletop with great interest. "Needless to say, Ripper took control."
Spike continued to study the table. "Completely deserved it, I did," he said in a whisper.
"So does that mean you’re going to punish Buffy too?" Dawn asked with anger in her voice.
Buffy’s head snapped up as she glared at Dawn.
"Why on earth would I do that Dawn? I’m not quite sure I understand..." Giles said confused.
Dawn folded her arms across her chest and glared back at Buffy. "Just for the record, I’m not condoning what Spike did that night...what he did was wrong; but Buffy’s done things too."
"What type of things, Dawn?" Giles asked.
"Things she did to him for no reason..." There was no way she was letting her sister come off as the victim here.
Spike looked sideways at Dawn and then over to Buffy. He didn’t understand where Dawn was going with this but then it suddenly hit him. "No need to go there, Niblet," he said in firm tone. "Buffy did nothing wrong. I was a monster..."
"Don’t even try to say you deserved it!" Dawn shouted. "She beat you to a pulp because you wouldn’t let her turn herself into the police for a murder she didn’t commit."
Giles couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Spike had never mentioned anything like that in his discussions with him. "Buffy, is this true?"
Buffy sat in her chair with downcast eyes. She didn’t want to look Giles in the eye. How could she?
"Go ahead Buffy," Dawn said angrily. "Tell him how you used Spike as your personal punching bag whenever you felt the need."
"It wasn’t like you’re making it sound, Niblet. Buffy had her reasons..."
"Stop it Spike," Buffy sighed. "Yes, Giles. It’s true."
Giles sat in shock. He had known that she’d had a difficult time of things after her resurrection. Spike had filled in most of the gaps after he had arrived in England. But he’d had no idea that Buffy was capable of being so cruel. Not that he was any saint himself, but still. He sat back in his chair and removed his glasses to clean them. "We have some things to talk about then, Buffy. But not right now."
For a time the silence hung heavily in the air. Finally Dawn asked, "So how did Spike become a Watcher?"
"Right," Giles continued hesitantly. "After I decided to take pity on him, I realized that the ideal situation had presented itself to me. I wanted to stay in England. Spike wanted to come back here. Despite my misgivings about the situation, I spoke to the Council on Spike’s behalf. Apparently William the Bloody turning human was of great interest to them. It also boded well for Spike that he could read the language on the scrolls that contained the prophecy. In return for certain information, he was enrolled in the Watcher training program. The Council gave him a new identity. That’s when William Giles was born. I suppose Quentin found it quite amusing to give Spike my last name and to make him my nephew."
"Stupid git," William growled. "I’m not a huge fan of the man."
Giles chuckled at the remark.
"And now you’re here to be my watcher. Lucky me." Buffy got up from her chair and glared at both men before she went into the back room.
Dawn started to go after her but Giles shook his head. "Let her go Dawn. You and I need to have our own discussion.
Dawn nodded slowly and sat back down at the table.
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: A familiar law firm and Buffy's new watcher arrive in Sunnydale...
Timeframe: A few days after "Discoveries"
- 15 -
Changes
Changes
Buffy looked around the Magic Box. Things were quiet. It was late afternoon and she was waiting for Giles to arrive. He had called her yesterday to let her know that he and her new watcher had arrived safely. Giles told her that if she needed him for any reason that she could contact him at the hotel and leave a message. She thought that he sounded nervous and was still acting kind of weird, even for him. She supposed that he was just concerned about abandoning her to someone else, or maybe it had something to do with Dawn’s new portal power thing. She was kinda concerned about being handed over to someone from the Council. She asked Giles when she would be meeting the new guy but he had been vague, dancing around the subject as he always did. She could sense that things were about to change, and maybe not for the better.
Her thoughts turned to her dream. She was pretty sure that it had been a slayer-type dream. However, Spike had been in the dream and he was nowhere to be found at the moment. What did that mean? She also remembered that he looked different. It had been his hair. It wasn’t platinum blond but kinda brownish and curly. Why had he been in her dream? Spike was the least of her concerns, though. The second being from her dream was more important. She closed her eyes and recalled the image of his face. The thought of the Master returning sent chills up and down her spine. There had to be some kind of mistake. The monster was dead. She had made sure of that when she had taken the sledgehammer to his bones. So maybe that meant...No. She refused to even think that Spike could be dead too. Damn these dreams.
She got up from the table and wandered around the shop aimlessly. Waiting. Giles should be here by now. What was keeping him?
"Buffy?" Dawn asked from behind the counter. "Are you okay?"
Buffy looked over at her sister. "Huh? Yeah. I’m good. Just waiting for Giles." She was surprised that her sister had even noticed. Little Miss-In-Love had been on cloud nine ever since the other night. All that she had been able to get out of her was that Steven had finally kissed her. But there was something else, something that Dawn wasn’t telling her. She could sense it every time Dawn quickly averted her eyes whenever she looked at her. Something was definitely up and it better not have to do with sex, otherwise she was gonna pack up her sister and send her to some convent or something.
Just then the bell on the door chimed and Giles entered. "I’m terribly sorry that I’m a bit late," he said hesitantly, trying not to seem too harried. Buffy stood in front of him with her arms folded across her chest. She raised her eyebrows at him and looked at the clock and then back at him. This wasn’t exactly starting out the way he planned.
******
Gavin looked around his new office as he sat down in his chair. The room was spacious and lavishly decorated. The senior partners had spared no expense when it came to opening the new branch of Wolfram and Hart. They had renovated a vacant building in downtown Sunnydale in record time, making sure that everything was in place for when he arrived. He walked over to the window and leaned against the wall. He had a perfect view of the Magic Box. This would work out splendidly for him. Now, all he had to do was to get Heinrich settled in and taken care of before the night of the ceremony.
He sauntered over to his desk and pushed the intercom button on his phone. "Ms. Blackwell would you kindly get Ms. Morgan from the Los Angeles office on the phone please."
"Certainly Mr. Park," the female voice responded.
The intercom buzzer sounded, "Mr. Park, Ms. Morgan is on line one."
"Thank you, Ms. Blackwell." He pushed the button for line one and spoke in a smug tone. "Lilah, how are you?"
"I’m fine, Gavin. Is there something you wanted? Because frankly I really don’t have the time to play right now." Her voice betrayed her irritation at being summoned by his secretary.
"Now, now Lilah," he cooed softly to her. "I was just calling to extend you an invitation to Heinrich’s ceremony. Linwood will be driving up tomorrow. I’m sure you could catch a ride with him." He could tell by her silence that he was getting to her. He loved playing this game with her it was so amusing.
"I’ll see what I can do," she said tersely. "I’m working on other things at the moment that are extremely important."
"Suit yourself," he said grinning. "I’ll save a place for you at the graveside."
Back in Los Angeles Lilah punched the speaker button to end the conversation. She looked at the man across from her and said, "Everything is set up for the ceremony. Are you sure you want to do this?"
The dark haired man with glasses glared at her. "Do I have a choice?" He asked harshly.
Lilah smiled at him as she crossed her legs and sat back in her chair.
******
"Buffy," Giles said soothingly as he put his arm around her shoulders to guide her into the training room. "I’m dreadfully sorry that I was late. Things are a bit hectic at the moment. I’ve been trying to get William settled in and..."
"William, huh?" Buffy asked as she stopped at the door to the back room. Her eyes were searching his for some sort of verification. "Are you trying to tell me that your nephew is going to be my new watcher?"
Damn. After all this time without mentioning a name, he finally slipped. Well, best she knew now than before he arrived. He continued walking towards the back room. Eventually she fell into step with him. He wanted to prep her as best he could for the meeting. "Buffy, please sit down. We have much to discuss."
"Why am I getting this really bad vibe from you, Giles?"
He laughed nervously and tried to make light of the situation. "I have no idea what you mean, Buffy."
"Then tell me about this William cause I didn’t know you had any family members to begin with let alone ones that wanted to become watchers."
"Fair enough. First, you have to understand why I’ve chosen him. I didn’t do this to hurt you. You do understand that, don’t you?"
"Uh, sure. I understand you’ve got a life elsewhere. So spill."
"Right. I wanted to move back home and I couldn’t do that...couldn’t leave you without a watcher. I know I made a mistake when I left you before, but I felt that you were in capable hands. Well, maybe not completely but you had Spike. And I knew that he would watch out for you."
At the mention of Spike’s name, Buffy’s whole demeanor changed. "Yeah. He’s really been watching me a lot lately, hasn’t he?"
He could feel the bitterness come off her in waves. "Buffy I’m sorry he tried to hurt you. I’m not condoning what he did. But you have to remember..."
She glared at him. "What do you mean?" She demanded. "Who told you what happened?"
Before he could answer her, the bell to the shop rang.
******
William had agreed to meet Rupert at the Magic Box about half an hour after his planned arrival. By that point they had figured Rupert would have had enough time to talk to Buffy and to prepare her for his appearance. And what an entrance that would be, he thought. He wasn’t sure how Buffy was going to react to his presence. He knew her track record with Wesley and Quentin and how she would be more than willing to quit the Council if she felt threatened in any way by them. He would have to tread carefully.
Knowing that he needed to make the right impression, he had chosen a gray, pinstriped, double-breasted suit. It was very flattering on him and helped bring out the color of his eyes. He didn’t know why he was making such a fuss over what clothing he chose. Either way, the girl was not going to be happy having him there. Taking one last look in the mirror to smooth out his unruly curls, he left his apartment. He decided to walk to the Magic Box instead of getting a cab. He would make arrangements to pick up his car later but for now he wanted to enjoy the warm afternoon sun.
As he approached the shop, he stopped as the feeling of being watched washed over him. Slowly he turned around to survey the area. His eyes scanned the street and the surrounding buildings. He didn’t see anything but couldn’t shake the sensation. He took a deep breath. "Right then. Time to face the music." He paused as he put his hand on the knob. With a sigh he turned the knob and swung the door open slowly. He jumped as the bell overhead rang, announcing his arrival.
******
Dawn sat at the counter trying to read through the watcher’s guide. Next to her was an open dictionary. The guide contained a lot of big words that she didn’t understand and when she came across a particularly difficult one, she looked it up. Understandably, her mind started to drift to thoughts of Steven. She smiled as she remembered the kiss. Then she remembered the confrontation with the vampire and a look of puzzlement crossed her face. Steven’s lightening quick speed and his uncanny sense of hearing had terrified her. Her first thought had been that he was a vampire himself since only vampires and slayers could move that fast. That’s when he told her that he wasn’t like the other guys his age.
She had laughed at him and said that all guys their age said that. But his tone had become serious as well as his face. He then hesitantly explained that he and his father had been trapped in a hell dimension for several years, since he had been a baby. They had only recently returned. Not too long after their return a vampire had killed his father. She remembered being stunned at how casually he had told her the story and then how the hatred in his voice had built up as he talked about the death of his father. She had sympathized with his loss, knowing what it was like to lose a parent.
She had questioned him about how he knew about her sister. He explained that after he had avenged his father’s death, he wandered around Los Angeles aimlessly. It was there that he had learned that a vampire slayer lived in Sunnydale. Immediately he had left the city and headed here to see if he could offer his assistance in the fight against evil.
After their talk, they had walked back to her place in silence. When they got there, he had given her a second kiss and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.
"Please," he had asked her. "Please don’t tell anyone about me. I don’t want people to know I’m...different."
"Don’t worry," she had said, reassuringly. "I won’t tell anyone. Besides, you’re not the only one who’s different." She had kissed him again and then gone into the house, leaving him behind to contemplate that thought.
When the bell over the door rang, her mind snapped back to the present.
******
Dawn looked up from her seat at the counter when she heard the bell. At first glance she thought that a customer had arrived. "Sorry sir," she sighed as she looked back down at the book she was reading. "But we’re closed. We just didn’t turn the sign over yet."
"I’m not here to buy anything," the man said hesitantly.
Dawn’s head shot up. She knew that voice. Cautiously she put the book down and looked over at the man standing on the top step. Confusion clouded her face. It sounded like him, but it didn’t look like him. She stood up and made her way over to the man. "Can I help you?" She asked questioningly, stopping just short of the stairs.
"Uhm. Yes, I believe you can. I’m looking for Rupert Giles. I’m William. The new watcher."
Dawn continued to stare at him. It was obviously making him uncomfortable since he was tugging on the collar of his shirt. She glanced out the window to make sure that it was daylight. Yep. It was. So it couldn’t be him. The voice sounded familiar but the accent wasn’t the same. It was more refined.
"Is there a problem?" William asked, trying to put the girl at ease. "Is my hair out of sorts again?" He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to make sure that it wasn’t sticking out every which way. "Hasn’t Rupert arrived yet?"
She nodded to him but continued to stare.
Absently, William pushed up his wire-rimmed glasses. It was as much out of habit as it was out of nervousness. He looked away from Dawn when he heard voices approaching the room. He saw Rupert come out of the back room with Buffy in tow. The older watcher made quick strides to reach him and pulled him off to the side at the top of the stairs so that William’s back was to the girls.
"I told you half an hour," Giles whispered to him.
"It’s been forty-five minutes, Rupert. I gave you an extra fifteen," William shot back defensively.
As Buffy watched the two men, Dawn walked over to her sister. "Buffy, wait until you see what William looks like."
Buffy frowned at her sister’s words. "What are you talking about Dawn?"
"You’ll see. It’s spooky."
Finally Buffy’d had enough of the clandestine talk. She put her hands on her hips and cleared her throat. Both men whipped around to look at her. At the sight of William her jaw dropped open. She closed her eyes and then opened them again, hoping that it had just been her imagination. It wasn’t. "Spike?"
Author: PSUbrat
Rating: PG-13 Some language and violence
Disclaimer and spoiler warning: These characters belong to Joss Whedon and whomever else he sells them to, I'm just borrowing them for a while. This story is based upon the alternate universe I created in Reset.
Update List: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Destined_Fic
Summary: Both William and Giles face the wrath of one very ticked off slayer...
Timeframe: Immediately following "Changes"
- 16 -
Unforgiven
Unforgiven
"Spike?" Buffy asked again, squinting as if her eyes were deceiving her.
William blinked back and then looked at Giles who sighed heavily. "Why don’t we all sit down?" Giles suggested, gesturing towards the table.
"Uh. How about we don’t and you just explain to me who this person is?" Buffy said harshly.
Giles took a deep breath. "Buffy, this is William Giles..."
"Cut the crap, Giles. I want an explanation. Now."
"Buffy," William said, taking a step towards her. He bristled when she took a step back, fury lighting her eyes.
"Buffy, please do sit down," Giles said softly. "Dawn, you as well."
Dawn moved towards the table in a daze. She sat down in the nearest chair and waited for the explanation.
"Giles, if you don’t spell out to me what is going on right now, I’m throwing you both out."
Giles’ face changed from fatherly understanding to anger. "Buffy I’m not here to negotiate with you. Now take a seat immediately so we can discuss this." His tone had been firm and demanding, taking her by surprise. She softened a little and pulled out a chair, sitting next to her sister.
******
Gavin sat at his desk making out his daily report to the Los Angeles office. He checked his watch to take note of the time. He was sure the senior partners would be interested in knowing that Mr. Giles was back in town and that he had brought a guest. Immediately, he had recognized Rupert Giles from the photographs they had sent him. But the second man, the man in the suit, they didn’t have any pictures for on file, at least not at this office. Very curious. He also noted in the report that the man had stopped in mid stride, as though he had known he was being watched. The windows had been tinted, hiding all who went about their business in this building, but he had still felt compelled to step away from them. There was something about the way the man had scanned the area, almost like an animal listening for it’s prey.
He finished typing up the report and sent the e-mail off to the senior partners. Perhaps with the digital picture of the man attached, the researchers in the main office would be able to track him down. He was confidant that this matter would be resolved and that the man wouldn’t be any trouble for them. After all, he looked like another harmless watcher and those he could take care of without breaking a sweat. After powering down his computer and turning off his light, he made his way out of the building and back to his apartment. Tonight was "Get acquainted with Sunnydale" night and he didn’t want to miss the happy hour specials at the Bronze.
******
Buffy sat in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. This man had to be Spike. Had to be. But the prickling sensation at the back of her neck that told her when a vampire was around wasn’t going off. Plus, it was still daylight out and there was no sign of a smoking blanket anywhere. She looked angrily from one watcher to the other. Waiting. Waiting for the reason that this person who looked like Spike was sitting in front of her, about to become her new watcher.
"So, uhm, Giles?" Dawn asked hesitantly. "Is William...Is he Spike or what?"
Giles smiled at the girl and then looked over at Buffy, taking on a serious tone. "Buffy, prior to William arriving on my doorstep, I had decided to put in for a transfer back to England. The only thing that held me back was the thought of the Council replacing me with someone that would try to control you. You deserved better than that."
Buffy glared at Giles. "Oh so you went out and recruited Spike? Nice move Giles. And why do you keep calling him William?" She demanded.
"Because that’s my name," William sighed, looking over at her.
Buffy slowly shook her head and started to laugh. "This is some kind of joke, right?"
"I assure you this is no joke," Giles replied. "For all intents and purposes, William is my nephew and is going to be your new watcher."
"I can’t listen to this anymore," Buffy said suddenly standing up, knocking her chair over in the process. "I trusted you, Giles. I trusted you to tell me the truth and to be there for me when I needed you. This," she yelled gesturing wildly towards William, "is unforgivable."
"Buffy. Listen to me," Giles demanded as he stood up to block her from leaving. "Yes. You’re correct. William is Spike. Or was..."
"What do you mean was?" She seethed. "Just because he changed his name doesn’t mean he isn’t what he’s always been."
"A monster?" William asked, standing up and walking towards her.
******
Dawn had heard enough. She stood up and walked over to William. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t noticed it before, but the telltale sign that this man was Spike was evident. There on his left eyebrow was the scar. "Oh my god. You are Spike," she gasped.
William looked down into her eyes. "Hello Niblet," he said with a smile, rumpling her hair. He reached into his pocket. "Hold out your hand." Dawn did as she was asked. Reaching out, he placed one hand under hers and the other hand on top.
"I believe this belongs to you," he said as he dropped something into her palm.
Dawn stared down at her hand in shock after William retracted his top hand. "Where did you get this? I lost it the other day after I ..."
"Went through the portal." He finished the sentence for her.
She nodded slowly as everything began to fall into place. "That was your room that I was in, wasn’t it?"
"Yes, it was. Not sure how you did it though. We’ll have to work on that one."
"You’re human now, aren’t you?" She asked suddenly with a grin.
"What makes you think that?"
"Because," she stated, "your hands are warm. Plus, it’s still daylight and you didn’t burst into flames."
William grinned at her. She was quick this one was. "I guess you could say that."
Dawn squealed and threw her arms around him. It was so good to have him back home.
******
Buffy stared incredulously at the scene before her. This man was Spike. But he was human? How was that possible? At least she knew one thing; that he had been in England the last few months with Giles, and Giles had never told her. How could he have withheld this information from her? Didn’t he know that she had been concerned about Spike? Wait. No. She didn’t care. That’s right. For all she cared, Spike could have been dead. That would have been just fine with her. Instead, he was standing here now, in Sunnydale, as her new watcher and a human to boot.
She continued to stare at Spike, William, whatever, who hugging her sister. Now that Dawn knew this, thing, was Spike, there was no way she would let her throw him out of their lives again. Damn. She looked over at Giles who was watching the interaction with great interest. When Giles’s gaze returned to her, she glared at him. "So," she growled. "Wanna tell us how this all happened?"
Giles nodded at her and motioned for them to all sit down once again. Reluctantly Dawn let go of William long enough to get a seat and move it next to him. Buffy started to feel like she was being ganged up on. Three against one. Great. She sat down in her chair after up righting it and waited to hear the tale.
"Perhaps it’s best that William begin," Giles said, looking over at Spike.
William nodded. "Right." He took a deep breath and looked over at Buffy. She looked so angry with him. He knew she would be at first, maybe even forever. But he took this job because he had agreed with Giles about Buffy needing someone who wouldn’t try to control her. It was time she knew what had happened to him after he left that night. The night that he had almost...He couldn’t even say it, let alone think it. He decided that it was best to start from the beginning.
"I left Sunnydale that same night that I came to see you and things got...out of control."
"Spike, it’s okay," Dawn said reassuringly. "I know what happened."
He looked at the teen in shock. Tears began to form in his eyes. What else did his Lil’ Bit know? "How? Who?"
"I told her," Buffy mumbled, lowering her eyes to look at the tabletop.
"Right," he said, choking back the tears. He looked away from them both for a moment to compose himself. He took a deep breath to continue. "I left that night for Africa. I heard that there was a demon there that would grant whatever one wanted. If one survived the challenge. I was so disgusted with myself and I wanted so much for you to love me Buffy..."
She looked away from him when his pleading eyes met with hers. His heart sank. "So," he continued trying to keep his tone even, "I went to get a soul. I managed to survive all of the challenges that the demon set forth so that he had no recourse but to give me what I had earned. Imagine my surprise when he said he couldn’t give me a soul."
"Why not Spike?" Dawn demanded with a frown. "You beat the challenges..."
He smiled at her and continued. "Because Niblet, I already had a soul."
"How is that possible?" Buffy asked in a whisper.
"Not quite sure, Pet."
"As best we can tell," Giles explained, "Spike developed one over the last few years while helping us. It’s not much of an explanation, but at the moment it’s all we’ve been able to deduce."
"So what happened next, Spike?" Dawn asked, turning everyone’s attention back to the former master vampire.
"After he said he couldn’t give me a soul, I asked him to make me what I was before."
"Before what?" Buffy interrupted.
"That’s the thing, Pet. I didn’t specify. I had meant before the chip. He took it as before I became a vampire. The next thing I know, I wake up human. I was dazed. Confused. I stumbled out of the cave and into the sunlight for the first time in 128 years. I wandered around the desert for what seemed like days because I didn’t know who I was or where I was. Finally, my memories returned...all of them, including William’s. I needed help. That’s when I decided to head to England and look for Giles."
******
Buffy sat back in her chair and tried to take this all in. She felt like she was on sensory overload. Spike had left her house and decided to go to Africa for a soul. Why? He wanted her to be able to love him? He already had a soul...
"When Spike arrived on my doorstep," Giles said, picking up the story. "I was skeptical at best. No one, especially at the Council, had ever heard of a demon in the African desert that could turn vampires back into their human selves. Of course, it didn’t help his situation when he told me why he went looking for a soul." At that point, Giles stared angrily at Spike who sat studying the tabletop with great interest. "Needless to say, Ripper took control."
Spike continued to study the table. "Completely deserved it, I did," he said in a whisper.
"So does that mean you’re going to punish Buffy too?" Dawn asked with anger in her voice.
Buffy’s head snapped up as she glared at Dawn.
"Why on earth would I do that Dawn? I’m not quite sure I understand..." Giles said confused.
Dawn folded her arms across her chest and glared back at Buffy. "Just for the record, I’m not condoning what Spike did that night...what he did was wrong; but Buffy’s done things too."
"What type of things, Dawn?" Giles asked.
"Things she did to him for no reason..." There was no way she was letting her sister come off as the victim here.
Spike looked sideways at Dawn and then over to Buffy. He didn’t understand where Dawn was going with this but then it suddenly hit him. "No need to go there, Niblet," he said in firm tone. "Buffy did nothing wrong. I was a monster..."
"Don’t even try to say you deserved it!" Dawn shouted. "She beat you to a pulp because you wouldn’t let her turn herself into the police for a murder she didn’t commit."
Giles couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Spike had never mentioned anything like that in his discussions with him. "Buffy, is this true?"
Buffy sat in her chair with downcast eyes. She didn’t want to look Giles in the eye. How could she?
"Go ahead Buffy," Dawn said angrily. "Tell him how you used Spike as your personal punching bag whenever you felt the need."
"It wasn’t like you’re making it sound, Niblet. Buffy had her reasons..."
"Stop it Spike," Buffy sighed. "Yes, Giles. It’s true."
******
Giles sat in shock. He had known that she’d had a difficult time of things after her resurrection. Spike had filled in most of the gaps after he had arrived in England. But he’d had no idea that Buffy was capable of being so cruel. Not that he was any saint himself, but still. He sat back in his chair and removed his glasses to clean them. "We have some things to talk about then, Buffy. But not right now."
For a time the silence hung heavily in the air. Finally Dawn asked, "So how did Spike become a Watcher?"
"Right," Giles continued hesitantly. "After I decided to take pity on him, I realized that the ideal situation had presented itself to me. I wanted to stay in England. Spike wanted to come back here. Despite my misgivings about the situation, I spoke to the Council on Spike’s behalf. Apparently William the Bloody turning human was of great interest to them. It also boded well for Spike that he could read the language on the scrolls that contained the prophecy. In return for certain information, he was enrolled in the Watcher training program. The Council gave him a new identity. That’s when William Giles was born. I suppose Quentin found it quite amusing to give Spike my last name and to make him my nephew."
"Stupid git," William growled. "I’m not a huge fan of the man."
Giles chuckled at the remark.
"And now you’re here to be my watcher. Lucky me." Buffy got up from her chair and glared at both men before she went into the back room.
Dawn started to go after her but Giles shook his head. "Let her go Dawn. You and I need to have our own discussion.
Dawn nodded slowly and sat back down at the table.
