Finding Strength
folder
-Buffy the Vampire Slayer › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Giles
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
10
Views:
2,693
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
-Buffy the Vampire Slayer › Het - Male/Female › Buffy/Giles
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
10
Views:
2,693
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 4
Please see disclaimers in Chapter 1
Chapter 4
After reading the letter again, Giles ran out the door and hopped into his car. He sped off to the bus station, hoping against hope he could catch her. But he was too late. The ticket attendant was new, because they had just changed shifts, and she knew nothing of the girl that Giles described.
Four buses had left in the last 30 minutes. The destinations were Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and Eugene, Oregon. She could be on any of them. Or none of them.
Giles continued to clench his fists at his sides, and returned to his car. He couldn’t go back to her house. None of the others knew he had been leaving, and now he didn’t want them to know. This was partly his fault. He knew that. And he was ashamed. And he was still angry with Willow for everything too. He was irrational at the moment, and he didn’t want Ripper to surface in front of them.
His place was all packed and ready for his absence. But he wasn’t going to leave now. He couldn’t. Not without knowing she was safe. Not without repairing the damage done between them now. He would find her. Unlike the last time, he would find her.
Her letter to Dawn had tore at him. She hadn’t even mentioned him, just like last time. However, she had said she would write to her sister. He’d wait, ahen hen her letter arrived, he’d find her and go to her, and beg her forgiveness. He didn’t know what he would say, but after knowing what had occurred this evening, what she had almost done….the tears coursed down his cheeks. He just wanted to hold her close one more time.
Giles drove through the darkened streets, his mind on Buffy, when he spotted a leather duster fluttering over a tombstone. Giles slammed on the breaks, all his rage focused on one vampire. He wrenched open his car door, and ran wildly after Spike, leaving the car door gaping open. Spike heard him approaching. How could he not? Giles ran without thinking, his feet pounding on the pavement, his breathing labored. He swung his fist wildly at Spike’s face, but the vampire stepped back and easily avoided the blow.
“Hey, Watcher!” Spike spoke with amusement. “Settle down now, mate.” But Giles was furious. Furious that Spike was the one to come to Buffy in her need. This vampire had been there for his slayer, when he had not. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he stopped in his tracks, fists again clenched at his sides, but no longer violent towards Spike.
Spike just gazed at Giles for a moment, in contemplation. It was obvious that he would not have to make the Watcher pay for hurting Buffy. He was already punishing himself enough. And that’s when Spike realized that Giles did return Buffy’s love.
Spike looked down at his feet, fighting his own tears. He sighed deeply, thrust his hands into the pockets of his duster, and resolved himself. He was a vampire after all. God, he was turning into that poofter Angel, having feelings for a slayer. What was wrong with him? This sodden chip had ruined everything!
He looked at Giles. Their eyes met in an act of wills.
Spike was the one to speak. “She still loves you. She always will. Don’t blow it.” He turned on his heels, and started to walk off. But he threw one more comment over his shoulder. “You don’t deserve her, you know. None of us do.” Then he was gone into the night.
Giles stood there for quite sometime. The wind blew leaves around the tombstone, and a sound behind him finally grabbed his attention. It wasn’t safe here. He walked quickly back to his car, and drove to the Magic Box. He laid down on the sofa in the training room, with memories of her swirling all around him. He saw her training in her graceful way, thrusting and punching at the bag that hung in the corner. He saw her sitting next to him on this very sofa, as he told her of his plans to leave. The pain and betrayal in her eyes. He had put that anguish there. Now he had to make it right. Eventually Giles fell into a fitful sleep.
Back at the house, the Scooby gang all sat around in the living room trying to figure out what the heck had happened. They were all shell shocked. The news that Buffy had been in heaven, happy and loved and content and at peace, had rocked the gang to their very souls. They were now responsible for what had happened. If they hadn’t of ripped her out of heaven, none of this would have happened. “We should have checked first.” Xander muttered.
Willow didn’t look up from the floor. Anya, sitting next to Xander, patted his hand in her off handed way. Dawn and Tara looked up at Xander, but he didn’t meet their eyes.
“Giles must not be coming back here tonight.” Dawn whispered. She had held hope that he would find her at the bus station, or somewhere, but she knew that if Buffy wanted to not be found, she wouldn’t be found.
There was a knock at the door. Dawn jumped up and threw the door open, hoping it would be Buffy. “Oh, it’s just you.” She deflated as she saw Spike standing there. He smirked, “Yes, well, it’s nice to see you too, Lil’ Bit.”
Xander stood up but didn’t approach the door. “What do you want Spike?”
Spike glowered at the young man, but bit back his impatient retort. He turned his blue eyes back to Dawn. “I promised her I’d take care of you, while she’s gone.” Dawn’s eyes grew big in her face. “You talked to her?” she asked. Spike nodded.
Now the entire gang stood and began to ask him questions. He held up his hands, glowered at all of them until they were silent. Then he looked back down at Dawn. “I promised her I’d take care of you, keep you safe, and I’d patrol. I just wanted you to know, so as you wouldn’t worry.”
He saw Xander stiffen out of the corner of his eye, and gave the man another smirk and a wink. Xander’s face turned red, but Dawn’s questions cut him off. “Was she okay, Spike? Do you know where she went? Will she be back?”
Spike reached up and tucked a piece of Dawn’s hair behind her ear, putting his thoughts into words. “She’s okay, Lil’ Bit. She will be. And I do believe that she will come back. I don’t know where she went, but I think she needs the space now. We should all just let her be.”
“Do you know where Giles went? I’m worried about him too.”
Spike’s face darkened for a moment, but it was so quick, that Dawn nor any of the rest of the gang noticed. He nodded at the young girl. “He’s fine. Probably at the Magic Box. I think it best you give him space too.” Then Spike turned and vanished into the night.
TBC
Chapter 4
After reading the letter again, Giles ran out the door and hopped into his car. He sped off to the bus station, hoping against hope he could catch her. But he was too late. The ticket attendant was new, because they had just changed shifts, and she knew nothing of the girl that Giles described.
Four buses had left in the last 30 minutes. The destinations were Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, and Eugene, Oregon. She could be on any of them. Or none of them.
Giles continued to clench his fists at his sides, and returned to his car. He couldn’t go back to her house. None of the others knew he had been leaving, and now he didn’t want them to know. This was partly his fault. He knew that. And he was ashamed. And he was still angry with Willow for everything too. He was irrational at the moment, and he didn’t want Ripper to surface in front of them.
His place was all packed and ready for his absence. But he wasn’t going to leave now. He couldn’t. Not without knowing she was safe. Not without repairing the damage done between them now. He would find her. Unlike the last time, he would find her.
Her letter to Dawn had tore at him. She hadn’t even mentioned him, just like last time. However, she had said she would write to her sister. He’d wait, ahen hen her letter arrived, he’d find her and go to her, and beg her forgiveness. He didn’t know what he would say, but after knowing what had occurred this evening, what she had almost done….the tears coursed down his cheeks. He just wanted to hold her close one more time.
Giles drove through the darkened streets, his mind on Buffy, when he spotted a leather duster fluttering over a tombstone. Giles slammed on the breaks, all his rage focused on one vampire. He wrenched open his car door, and ran wildly after Spike, leaving the car door gaping open. Spike heard him approaching. How could he not? Giles ran without thinking, his feet pounding on the pavement, his breathing labored. He swung his fist wildly at Spike’s face, but the vampire stepped back and easily avoided the blow.
“Hey, Watcher!” Spike spoke with amusement. “Settle down now, mate.” But Giles was furious. Furious that Spike was the one to come to Buffy in her need. This vampire had been there for his slayer, when he had not. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he stopped in his tracks, fists again clenched at his sides, but no longer violent towards Spike.
Spike just gazed at Giles for a moment, in contemplation. It was obvious that he would not have to make the Watcher pay for hurting Buffy. He was already punishing himself enough. And that’s when Spike realized that Giles did return Buffy’s love.
Spike looked down at his feet, fighting his own tears. He sighed deeply, thrust his hands into the pockets of his duster, and resolved himself. He was a vampire after all. God, he was turning into that poofter Angel, having feelings for a slayer. What was wrong with him? This sodden chip had ruined everything!
He looked at Giles. Their eyes met in an act of wills.
Spike was the one to speak. “She still loves you. She always will. Don’t blow it.” He turned on his heels, and started to walk off. But he threw one more comment over his shoulder. “You don’t deserve her, you know. None of us do.” Then he was gone into the night.
Giles stood there for quite sometime. The wind blew leaves around the tombstone, and a sound behind him finally grabbed his attention. It wasn’t safe here. He walked quickly back to his car, and drove to the Magic Box. He laid down on the sofa in the training room, with memories of her swirling all around him. He saw her training in her graceful way, thrusting and punching at the bag that hung in the corner. He saw her sitting next to him on this very sofa, as he told her of his plans to leave. The pain and betrayal in her eyes. He had put that anguish there. Now he had to make it right. Eventually Giles fell into a fitful sleep.
Back at the house, the Scooby gang all sat around in the living room trying to figure out what the heck had happened. They were all shell shocked. The news that Buffy had been in heaven, happy and loved and content and at peace, had rocked the gang to their very souls. They were now responsible for what had happened. If they hadn’t of ripped her out of heaven, none of this would have happened. “We should have checked first.” Xander muttered.
Willow didn’t look up from the floor. Anya, sitting next to Xander, patted his hand in her off handed way. Dawn and Tara looked up at Xander, but he didn’t meet their eyes.
“Giles must not be coming back here tonight.” Dawn whispered. She had held hope that he would find her at the bus station, or somewhere, but she knew that if Buffy wanted to not be found, she wouldn’t be found.
There was a knock at the door. Dawn jumped up and threw the door open, hoping it would be Buffy. “Oh, it’s just you.” She deflated as she saw Spike standing there. He smirked, “Yes, well, it’s nice to see you too, Lil’ Bit.”
Xander stood up but didn’t approach the door. “What do you want Spike?”
Spike glowered at the young man, but bit back his impatient retort. He turned his blue eyes back to Dawn. “I promised her I’d take care of you, while she’s gone.” Dawn’s eyes grew big in her face. “You talked to her?” she asked. Spike nodded.
Now the entire gang stood and began to ask him questions. He held up his hands, glowered at all of them until they were silent. Then he looked back down at Dawn. “I promised her I’d take care of you, keep you safe, and I’d patrol. I just wanted you to know, so as you wouldn’t worry.”
He saw Xander stiffen out of the corner of his eye, and gave the man another smirk and a wink. Xander’s face turned red, but Dawn’s questions cut him off. “Was she okay, Spike? Do you know where she went? Will she be back?”
Spike reached up and tucked a piece of Dawn’s hair behind her ear, putting his thoughts into words. “She’s okay, Lil’ Bit. She will be. And I do believe that she will come back. I don’t know where she went, but I think she needs the space now. We should all just let her be.”
“Do you know where Giles went? I’m worried about him too.”
Spike’s face darkened for a moment, but it was so quick, that Dawn nor any of the rest of the gang noticed. He nodded at the young girl. “He’s fine. Probably at the Magic Box. I think it best you give him space too.” Then Spike turned and vanished into the night.
TBC