Title: Voyage To BuffyWorld 2/?
Author: Della
Disclaimer: None of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer characters are mine. They belong to Joss Wheddon and UPN and WB and any others that have a rightful claim to them and the programme... Also I have no claim to Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea and any characters within that programme... No infringement was ever intended with this fanfiction...
Feedback: Yes please... *Constructive* flames keep the fire burning, but the good stuff keeps it alive...

Consciousness came swiftly to Chip. He rose in an instant, his arms flailing wildly about him, until his brain caught up with his actions and complained bitterly at the pain that shot from the base to the crown. He slumped back down and groaned. He heard a voice he didn't recognise, call to him,

"Erm, Mr Morton...?"

Chip blinked open his eyes, fighting the fog that had descended and groaned against the harsh light. Then he remembered. He looked around himself to see where he was. He was in someone's apartment, but the most worrisome thing was that he couldn't see Lee. He looked up at that point and found an older man blinking back down at him, with a look of concern. "Lee...?" he croaked.

"Erm, no, my... my name's Rupert Giles..."

He shook his head, immediately regretting the action when his headache flared, "No..." he muttered, "Lee... Where's Lee...?"

"Ah," Giles said, "You mean Mr Crane..."

"Yes..."

Giles sat at the edge of the coffee table and started to explain, "No need to concern yourself, Mr Morton, I assure you. Mr Crane was... was rather the worse for wear, as... as you are, so... so I sent him to bed..."

Chip couldn't help it, and despite his headache that was at its worst, he broke down and laughed at the older man's revelation. The image of Lee Crane, stubborn Captain of the submarine Seaview, being 'sent to bed' got the better of him. "Boy, I would have liked to have seen that..." he eventually admitted. But then, knowing Lee Crane as he did, he began to worry. Chip frowned with concern, "He's all right, isn't he...?" he asked, a tendril of fear darkening his question.

"Oh... oh yes," Giles easily assured the blond haired man, "far... far better than yourself..."

Chip smiled at that. It was good to hear. He moved his arms to either side of himself and tried to rise, but a hand to his shoulder prevented him. He looked at the older man with a frown.

"I... erm... I, I wouldn't if I were you..." Giles suggested and on Chip's deepening frown, he added, "You have several bruised ribs, some... er... some troublesome contusions across your chest, and, if I'm not mistaken, a... a mild concussion..."

Chip suddenly felt weak, as though with the older man's labelling of his injuries had brought forth the pain associated with each one. He again flopped back down, then turned a quizzical frown at the man beside him, "You a Doc...?" he asked.

Giles shook his head, "Er, not... er... not in the strictest sense of the word..."

"So what *exactly* are you, then...?"

"I can't say..."

"Huh...?"

"Er... that is, what I am, the... er... job that I do, shall er... shall have to remain unknown to you, Mr Morton..."

Chip felt his headache start to nudge at him again. He gritted his teeth against it and also the rising frustration within him. None of this was making sense to him. Despite his weakness, however, Chip sat up. He swallowed hard against the dizziness that suddenly engulfed him and squeezed his eyes shut in concentration. When he felt that he could cope with the apparent swaying of the room, he opened his eyes and looked at the older man, "Look, uh, Mr Giles...?" he asked, and on his nod, continued, "Uh, this isn't making too much sense to me at the moment, but I gotta ask one other thing..."

Giles nodded, but said, "Though I cannot guarantee an answer, Mr Morton..."

Chip nodded himself at that, "Fair enough..." he acknowledged and then asked his question, "Am I going... uh, like... going off the deep end here...?"

Giles frowned. He would have laughed had he not seen look of seriousness on the young man's face, "You... er... you appear to me to... er... to have all your faculties safely intact... er... Mr Morton..." he assured the blond haired man.

"Then those... those things...? They were a nightmare...?" Chip asked with a sense of hope, but it crumbled when he saw Giles shaking his head. "They were real...?" he whispered with dread.

"I'm afraid that those 'things' were very *much* real, Mr Morton..."

"Vampires...?" he gasped, "Vampires, are *real*...?"

Giles nodded.

Chip's gasp of surprise quickly turned into a frown of concern for Giles. He watched as a wave of profound sadness washed over his face, so profound that he almost felt it himself. He swallowed hard at the feeling the look had invoked in him and decided to change the subject; the last thing he wanted to do was cause any more pain. "Uh, how... how did I get here...?" he asked and allowed a tiny smile of relief grace his own face when the question quickly wiped away any further signs of sadness from Giles'.

The answer was immediate, "Buffy and I came across you and...er... Mr Crane in Restfield Cemetery... We, er... we helped and... and then brought you both here..."

"Buffy...?" Chip asked with a frown of incredulity.

Giles just silently nodded, but did eventually add with a smile, "She too found *your* name a little difficult to accept also..."

Chip chuckled at that, "Yeah, most do..." he softly admitted, "My real name is Charles Philip Morton, but it was too long to pronounce, so my mom and dad shortened it... That's how I got to be 'Chip' Morton..."

# #

Giles softly chuckled at the explanation. He was beginning to like this 'Chip' Morton. He immediately set him at ease, unlike his companion Lee Crane. *He* had set his teeth on edge, what with his deliberate interest in Buffy. However, Giles turned his attention back to the young blond haired man in front of him and asked, "Do you wish to settle down now, Mr Morton...?"

Chip grimaced, "What I *want* doesn't come into it..." he blurted, then added, "and call me Chip, yeah...?"

Giles smiled, "Indeed I shall..." he said, "And please, you must return the favour and call me Giles. Whenever I hear the name Mr Giles, Rupert Giles or simply Rupert, I have this inuring sensation to straighten to attention..."

Chip laughed at that, "Gotta say, I know what you mean. My Mom was the champion at that..."

Giles chuckled and held out his hand for shaking in greeting, "Well, Chip, welcome to Sunnydale..."

"Thanks Giles..." Chip whispered, shaking the proffered hand in front of him, "for the welcome *and* the help..."

"You are indeed most welcome..." Giles acknowledged with a smile. He then stood and started to move away, "Would you like some tea, Chip...?" he lightly asked, although he believed that he already knew the answer. So he wasn't entirely surprised when an expressed 'coffee would be better' came floating over at him. "Coffee it shall be..." he immediately answered, "though I only have instant..."

"No worries, Giles..." Chip called, "any kinda coffee will be fine by me..."

Giles simply nodded then carried on to his kitchen. Many thoughts about these two strangers buffeted him. 'What were they doing in Restfield...? Why were they here...? Neither were ordinary citizens... More military in action as well as talk, he surmised... Well, Crane certainly... Chip Morton, however, appeared more relaxed and certain within himself; despite the circumstance that had brought both young men to his apartment. If they *were* here on a secret mission, then Crane had been the one to blow their secrecy... *He* had been the one, despite the friendly smile, that had screamed at him 'military' of some sort. If he had spoken to Chip Morton first, Giles knew that his natural instincts would have been dampened by the likeable young man's banter.

Giles sighed as he reached a conclusion to his thoughts. No matter the reasons of why they were here, as long as they did not interfere with his and Buffy's fight against evil, then he would leave them to their secrecy. He quietly stirred his tea, as he placed an herb into the cup of Chip Morton's coffee. He stirred the coffee inside, until the herb could no longer be seen, then picked up both cups and returned to the front living room.

He saw Chip Morton bravely trying to stay seated, only the shaking of his arm that he leant on and the convulsive swallowing gave away just how weak the man truly was. Giles again sighed, though this time with empathy. He, however, no longer felt guilty for what he was about to do. He smiled as he neared the couch and silently handed over the cup of coffee. He grimaced when a good splash of that coffee spilt over the rim onto Chip's hand, such was the shaking of that hand. However, he immediately schooled his expression when he felt the young man's eyes on him.

He could not understand his immediate trust of this stranger before him. If anything he should be on his guard, as he was with Crane, but something about Chip Morton had him wanting to help, rather than dispel. He smiled a tiny smile when he saw Chip take a sip, and then another, from his coffee cup. He moved forward with his hand out ready to take the cup from the blond haired man and did so when Chip's other shaking hand went to his forehead. He placed the cup on the coffee table, as well as his own tea, and moved to lay Chip fully onto the couch. He leant a little closer when he saw the young man's lips moving.

"You... you *sure* you're not a Doc...?" Chip whispered.

Giles shook his head, "I'm not a Doctor..." he softly answered, "Why do you ask...?"

"S'just that J-Jamie..." Chip murmured as the sedative took a hold, "Jamie's fond of... of slipping you a 'mickey'... a 'mickey' too..." He then sighed and closed his eyes.

Giles hovered a moment, making sure that the deep breaths of sleep were evident in the young man's breathing. Once satisfied, he moved forward and started to inspect the wounds on Chip's chest. He frowned when he saw that they had re-opened and were sluggishly bleeding again. He was more concerned, however, to see the first signs of infection taking a hold of the wounds.

"What did you just do...?" a voice, full of accusation, loudly enquired.

Giles turned, slightly startled at the sudden intrusion and again tried hard to maintain a look of neutrality towards someone he simply did not trust. "I erm... I simply gave him a sedative..." he spluttered in explanation, "He... he was being difficult... He would not rest..."

"You a Doctor...?" Lee Crane asked, his brow furrowing in suspicion.

"No..." Giles replied, then smiled and softly added, "Your friend, Chip Morton here, asked the same of me..."

"If you're *not* a Doctor, then just *what* are you...?"

"And he too asked that of me..." Giles coldly muttered beneath his breath, all humour leaving him at the accusing tone that was being used on him. Aloud he said, "I regretfully inform you, Mr Crane, that I cannot tell you..." Giles then stood, his back straight, clamping down on his ire. 'How dare he look at me with such anger and distaste...' he angrily thought. Aloud he said, "You might look at me like that *MR* Crane," he fumed, "but as little as I have divulged to you, the same could be said of *you*, also..."

# #

Lee Crane took a step back from the tone of anger aimed at him. He wasn't used to that. Only the Admiral had ever used such a tone to him, and had forgiven such a thing, but a *civilian*...? Still, he reluctantly admitted, he had to hand it the man in front of him, he was right. There didn't seem to be much trust flowing from either of them... Maybe he should make the first move...

Lee sighed and as he walked down the remaining stairs, he said, "Look, I'm sorry, uh, Giles... This hasn't exactly gone like we planned, so I guess we're, *I'm*, a little off-kilter with what *has* happened..."

"Well, Chip here wasn't as untrusting, I can assure you..." Giles retorted, unable to let go of his anger as quickly.

Lee Crane stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh...?" he queried with a certain amount of worry in his voice, "What did he say...?"

Giles shrugged, "Nothing at all..." he said, "Well," he then sighed, "nothing of importance that is... Such as why you are here and what exactly you are *doing* here... That type of thing..."

Lee sighed heavily with relief. "Phew, you had me worried for a moment then..." he admitted with a slight smile, but quickly added with a frown of puzzlement, "But then *I* haven't told you anything either and I'd say that it's pretty obvious to me, by the way you're standing and acting towards me, that you *don't* trust me..."

"If you want the truth, Mr Crane, no I don't trust you..." Giles simply stated.

"But you *do* trust Chip...?"

Giles nodded and admitted, "It wasn't what he had to say, more the manner in which he said what *little* he said... He doesn't appear a suspicious man by nature, of which I admire... He appears to trust first and then deal with the consequences later, should there, indeed, be any to deal with at a later time..." Giles briefly afforded a glance towards the sleeping man, before gently adding, "It is a... a rare but... but commendable trait...

Lee Crane sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He needed this man's trust... He thought to try and wake Chip up... he was always better at this than him, but if anything, he knew that Giles was right to have forced rest on his friend. Right there and then he came to a decision. He looked up and directly at Giles and said, "All right, Giles, I'll make a bargain with you. As a step in the right direction, I'll tell you..."

"It would be appreciated, though not necessarily needed..." Giles replied.

Lee waved the older man's last comment away and sat in the high-backed chair. He quickly gathered his thoughts and decided what he *could* tell. Eventually, he leaned forward and said, "Chip and I are on a government mission. We're working for the Office of Naval Intelligence; ONI as it likes to be known. We were supposed to meet up with a man that worked for the other side, a faction called 'The People's Republic'..."

"I assume that he was one of the two vampires you both encountered in Restfield Cemetery...?" Giles asked.

Lee solemnly nodded, "Yes, the one that was fighting Chip..." He looked at his friend and continued on, "He was supposed to supply us with the name of a double agent, but I guess we'll never know now..." Lee quickly looked up at that point, suddenly realising how the demise of both vampires and his regret that they had been unable to get the said information *before* they had been killed could have been interpreted.

Giles held up a hand as if to stop any other talk and said, "No need to explain, Mr Crane, I understand..."

Lee smiled and nodded at the older man, "Thanks Giles..." he whispered gratefully. He then moved over and sat on the coffee table, unable to keep his concern for Chip away any longer. He half turned back to face Giles and asked, "Is Chip all right...?"

Giles shrugged, "He was awake just now, as you know, and lucid, however the wounds... the wounds are... are becoming infected. He really should see a Doctor here..." Giles softly offered.

Lee winced, "It's always the way with him when he gets hurt..." he just as softly admitted, "but Chip has an aversion to hospitals and Doctors... of being out of control..." He looked away and added, "He's not going to be happy about the 'mickey' you gave him..."

Giles smiled, "Understandable..." he said and added with conviction, "Infernal places are hospitals... As if they know better, than you know your own body... And as for Chip here not being in control...?" he sighed, "That I also understand..."

Lee looked up at that point and frowned. He then began to chuckle, "Sounds like you *would* know the feeling to me, Giles..."

Giles chuckled with him, nodded and said, "Only too well..."

Lee smiled, but as he looked back down at Chip, the smile was replaced with a look of concern. He leaned a little forward and placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, softly murmuring that he was going to be okay; hoping that it would help in some way.

# #

Giles stood back from Lee Crane and Chip Morton, allowing the conscious man some privacy towards his unconscious friend. He began to ponder both men in front of him. Perhaps he *had* been wrong in his first assumption concerning Lee Crane. He had seen many like him in the past. A cold exterior, that came from being too long in Command. No feelings to show, only a hardness of determination that nothing shall stop them from succeeding.

However, the moment Lee's hand of comfort had gone to Chip's shoulder, Giles had started to re-evaluate the man. Their concern for the other was most prevalent in them both. Chip's first thought had been for Lee Crane and Giles had seen the concern on Lee's face when he'd asked after Chip's condition. Giles shook his head. Whilst it had been easy for him to develop a natural liking for Chip Morton, what with the young man's easy going attitude, he had found it far more difficult to extend the same trust for Lee Crane... And he was embarrassed to admit that it had all been due to the smile and greeting that he had given Buffy. Giles sighed. 'Foolish old man...' he silently admonished.

He then took a step forward and softly asked, "Would you like some tea, Mr Crane...?"

Lee turned away from Chip, though still kept a hand on his shoulder, and smiled, "Two things, Giles... First, please call me Lee and secondly..." He paused a moment to chuckle and briefly glance at his sleeping friend, then said, "I think I'll pass on the drink, thanks..."

Giles' eyebrows rose with the hope that he could convey an utter innocence to the man before him.

Lee Crane chuckled again. "Well, all right, Giles..." he eventually relented, "I'll have a coffee if you promise not to slip me a 'mickey'..."

"He really needed to rest, Lee..." Giles stated, trying to quantify his action, "and so do you..." He held up a hand in supplication at that point, when he saw Lee open his mouth, "However," he added, "I... I understand and... and you shall have your coffee... without the 'mickey'..."

Lee Crane chuckled at that, then returned to watching over his friend.

Giles silently left the room.

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