The Taken Care Of Series

Calling Giles

Taken Care Of – Part 3

Story: Taken Care Of Series

Author: Bek Allen

Chapter: 3/16

Title: Calling Giles.

Feedback: Yes please. Although, flames will be given to my cat to play with as she sees fit.

*Disclaimer and Notes with Chapter 1 of this Fic**

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The shrill of the telephone pulled Buffy back from her daydreaming, images of her mother, father and herself at the ice skating rink when she was eight scattered to the far corners of her mind. She stood up and reached for the cordless phone.

“Hello?”

“Buffy?? What is it? What's wrong? Is there an apocalypse?” Her younger sister's voice became panicked.

“Whoa, Dawn, slow down. It's got nothing to do with the Hellmouth . Not that you should be worrying about that anyway. I just have to talk to you and most possibly dad.”

“Oh okay then. What's up?” Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. “How are you? How's work? How are the others?”

“I'm fine, work is…work is work. And everyone is doing great. Well, as great as you can expect living on a Hellmouth .”

“Okay, then, why the dire? Your message sounded uber important.”

“Is dad there?” Buffy had moved back over to the sofa, curling her legs underneath her.

“Yeah, what's wrong Buffy?”

Buffy had hit play on the video. Her eyes welling up again as her mother appeared back on the screen. “We…I had a visit from a lawyer this morning.”

“Oh my God, do you need money? What's wrong? It's not jail is it? They aren't going to take the house away from you are they?” Dawn's voice had regained the panic she had when she first rang.

“Okay, Dawn, SLOW DOWN.” Buffy sighed, “I want you to listen to this for a second okay?” She turned the television up and held the phone away from her so Dawn could hear their mother.

“Dawn? Dawnie , are you still there?” Buffy paused the tape. “Dawn, speak to me.”

“Buffy?” Dawn's voice had become a tiny whisper. “Was that…?”

“Yeah, that was Mom.” Buffy bit back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks again. “I think you should go and get dad okay? Just tell him, it's important.”

“Okay.” Dawn's voice cracked as she called out to her father.

“What is it sweetheart?” Came the male voice from L.A. “Is that Toby? Don't tell me that boy is breaking your heart.”

“N…no. (sniffle) I…(sniffle) I think you should pick up the other…(sob) phone. I…its B…Buffy.”

Buffy wiped at her tears with the edge of her sleeve while she waited for her father to pick up the other phone. Just as she was about to ask Dawn what was taking so long, she heard the click of the second phone being picked up. “Daddy?”

“Buffy? What's wrong? Why is Dawn crying?” Her father sounded annoyed.

“Daddy, I needed to speak to you and Dawn, this is really important” She waited while Dawn finished sniffling and composed herself.

“What is it Buffy?”

“Are they going to take the house?” Dawn asked quietly.

“No Dawn, they are not going to take the house.” Buffy reassured her sister for the second time.

“Who's taking what?” Their father was beginning to sound panicked.

“Look, no one is taking anything. Daddy, I had a visit from a lawyer this morning. They, um… They have been handling Mom's state of affairs since she passed away.”

“Her state of affairs? She doesn't have a state of affairs.” Her father sighed in frustration. The last thing he needed was for Buffy to begin causing trouble between Dawn, Mary-Anne and him self.

“Well, according to Mackenzie, Mom's lawyer, she has a state of affairs. She organised it just before she went in for the operation.” Buffy had stood up and began pacing.

“Well then why wasn't anything done about this a year ago?” Hank too, had begun pacing in his small home office.

“I don't know Daddy, I just know that, Mom left instructions for them not to do anything or say anything until the week before my twenty-first birthday. The lawyer said that, I was to be notified the week before my birthday and the week after my birthday would be the reading of Mom's last will and testament.”

Hank was quiet before he cleared his throat. “So, what you're saying is, your mother asked them to wait an entire year before putting her state of affairs in order?” Buffy could tell he was holding back his temper.

“That's what I'm saying. Also, Mackenzie said that Mom left a list of people that had to be present at the reading of the will. You were both on it. It's to be held the Friday after my birthday.” She stopped pacing and moved into the hallway to sit on the bottom stair.

“We'll be there.” Hank was livid. “This is so like your mother. Always forgetting about other people and thinking only of herself.”

“How dare you.” Dawn had been quiet until now.

“Excuse me?” Hank sounded surprised at the anger resonating from his younger daughter's voice.

“How dare you!” She all but screamed into the receiver. “My mother was the most caring person on the face of the planet, she was always there for us. No matter what. When Buffy ran away, it was Mom running herself into the ground trying to find her, along with Mister Giles. You have no right to say those things about her.” Dawn was now reduced to tears.

“Don't you speak to me like that young lady.” Hank's voice had risen three decibels.

“Dawn…”

“No Buffy, he has to hear this. I'm sick to death of pretending that everything was good. I'm sick and tired of pretending that everything is perfect.” Dawn softened her tone. “Our Mom was the best mother anyone could ever ask for. Not only has she been there for us, but she's also been there for everyone. Willow, Xander, Tara… Damnit Buffy! She was even there for Spike and Anya. She was there for all of us when we needed her.” Dawn's voice had risen again.

“I will not have you speaking that way in my house Dawn Jade Summers.” Buffy had to pull the phone away from her ear as her father went off into one of his famous rants.

“I'm sorry dad, but you weren't there when I was sick, you weren't there when Buffy was almost trapped in a fire in the student coffee house. Actually Dad, I don't remember you being there when Buffy graduated High School. You didn't even call to see if she was okay when the school blew up just after the Mayor's asc …asinine speech!” She quickly corrected her self before she mentioned the ascension.

“ Dawnie , you don't have to do this.”

“Buffy, you don't have to worry about me. I want to come home. Can you get Xander or someone to come and pick me up? Please? I promise I'll do better. I just can't stay here anymore. It's like living in…like living in some kind of mental ward where everyone is completely deluded.”

“Are you sure that's what you want Dawn?” Buffy could tell her father was seething with anger on the other end.

“I'm positive Buffy. I'll go and start packing now.” Dawn said goodbye and hung up the phone, leaving Buffy to deal with their angry father.

“How dare you call my home, and provoke such an outburst from my daughter.” Buffy jumped at the sound of Hank's voice

“But I didn't…”

“You know, I might not have been there for you. But I was willing to make an effort for Dawn's sake. I thought I could at least get one of you right.”

“No Daddy, you're right. You were never there for me. You were never even there for Dawn. Do you realise that every time you go away on business, Dawn spends hours on the phone to either me or one of my friends? You leave her alone in that house with a complete stranger.”

“Mary-Anne…”

“Mary-Anne's as foreign to Dawn as running water and electricity is to ninety percent of most third world countries. And, you're just upset because Dawn and me are more like our mother, a strong, independent, wilful, wonderful woman. Neither of us is like you, lying, cheating, backstabbing and ignorant. You can see Dawn the week after my birthday when you come here, to our home for the reading of the will. My friends Xander and Spike will be there to pick Dawn up around eight. You can bring the rest of her stuff down when you come to the reading. Goodbye Daddy. I'm sorry that you missed out on so much, and I'm sorry that you'll continue to miss out on seeing Mom's two gorgeous daughter's turn into even more gorgeous young women.” She hung up the phone and burst into tears again.

It was harder to know that, she'd helped make the rift between her and her father larger then it was, but it was also twice as hard knowing that her baby sister had to be left in that house with their father who was in, no doubt a flying rage.

She sighed, only one more phone call to make. Picking up the phone again, she dialled the number Willow had left on her bedroom table. The phone rang twice before someone finally answered.

“He…hello?” Came the sleepy English voice.

“Giles?” She quickly wiped at her eyes again with her sleeve.

“Buffy? Is that you?” Across the ocean, Giles had sat bolt upright in his bed and reached for the switch to his bedside lamp.

“Giles…” Her breath caught in her throat as she realised she'd actually gone through with calling him.

“Dear Lord Buffy, what on Earth is wrong? Have you been crying?” He reached for his glasses.

She had to laugh. Thousands of miles away and he could sense even the slightest hint that something was not right in the world of his slayer.

“Buffy?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Have you been drinking again?”

“What? Oh no Giles. Beer and Buffy are two of the most unmixiest things. You know that.” She grinned into the receiver, happy to just be able to hear his voice once more.

“Then what in the devil do you think you're doing? It's two o'clock in the morning!” He had swung his legs over the side of the bed and was searching for his robe.

His harsh tone sobered her a little. “I'm sorry Giles. I completely forgot about the time difference. I can call you back if you'd like.” She looked at her watch and realised that Willow would be home anytime now.

“No, it seems quite pointless to call back now that you've roused me. What's the matter?” His tone softened a little.

“Okay, I'll cut to the chase then.” She took a deep breath and swallowed down the lump that was beginning to form in her throat again. “I had a visit from a lawyer this morning.”

“So you rang because you need money?” His tone had instantly taken on a sharp edge.

“No, actually, that's not it. I'm pretty right for money. By this time next week, you should have your cheque fully reimbursed.” Buffy could feel her blood to begin to boil. Why was it that everyone, at the mention of a lawyer thought she was in some kind of trouble? “Actually, the lawyer was here because, due to instructions left by my mother, you are requested to be here for the reading of her will.” Buffy's voice shook with frustration.

“Your…your m-mother's will?” Giles suddenly felt like a prat . “Buffy, I'm sorry. I didn't realise your mother had organised anything like that.”

“Yeah, well, you and me both. The reading of the will is the Friday after my birthday. Two weeks from today. It's…” She burst into tears. “It's really important that you be there. Mom wanted all the Scoobies there. She um… she left me a… um… she left me a video tape.”

“Oh Buffy, God I'm so sorry.” His voice softened as he heard his Slayer breaking down on the other end of the line.

Buffy shook her head and wiped her eyes and nose again with the back of her sleeve. “It's okay Giles.”

“Buffy, I do wish you'd use a tissue.” He smiled as he heard her giggle for the first time since she'd been pulled from Heaven. “I shall be on the next flight out of London either tomorrow or the day after.”

“Okay Giles. I…I have to go now.” She looked to the front door as she heard the soft laughter of Willow. “I'm really sorry for waking you Giles. Talk to you later. ‘Bye.” She hung up the phone as Willow opened the door.

Half way around the world, Giles looked at the receiver in his hand, the annoying beep to signal that Buffy had hung up ringing in his ears. “'Bye Love.” He whispered before placing the receiver back in the cradle and heading downstairs to make himself a pot of tea.