Title: Little Boy Lost 4/7
Author: Jadedragon
Email: blm55@bellsouth.net
Pairing: B/G
Rating: PG 13
Spoilers: Season 4. This takes place over the
summer, before Season 5.
Disclaimer: Characters from BtVS are property of Joss, WB, UPN
and Mutant Enemy. I'm just playing with them for a while.
Summary: Buffy finds Giles' son on the door step with
a letter from his mother.
Feedback: Greatly appreciated.
Joyce heard a knock at the door and went to see who it was. She was thinking of Buffy and Rupert as she opened the door, at first not seeing that it was Spike standing in the doorway.
"`Allo, Joyce, is Rupert `ere? I saw his poor excuse for a car and need to speak to him, soon as possible."
"Spike, ah.... come in. Buffy and Rupert are in the dining room with Hank."
"Joyce, is something wrong, you seem distracted?" asked the vampire, concerned for the Slayer's mom.
"It's not everyday your daughter gets engaged to a man old enough to be her father." Joyce told him, looking at him for the first time.
"They finally saw what was in front of their noses? It took them long enough. Joyce, don't worry about the Slayer, Rupert worships her and won't hurt her."
"I know that Spike, I've expected this for a while, it still doesn't make it any easier to accept." She told the vampire as she led him to the dining room where Buffy and Rupert were looking deeply into each other's eyes.
"Well, well, well, you took long enough to finally realize how you felt about each other!" Spike said as he entered the room with Joyce.
"Spike, what are you doing here?" Rupert asked the blond vampire.
"Rupert, I need to talk to you and...a...Buffy, it's urgent!" Spike told them, seeing a man he did not know and not knowing whether or not he knew that Buffy was the Slayer.
"What is it Spike, you can talk, Dad knows I'm the Slayer." Buffy said as she introduced them.
"Spike, it's nice to meet you," Hank told him uneasily as he reached out to shake his hand. "My your hands are cold."
"I'm a vampire, mate. I came to warn the Slayer that there's a new vamp in town has a spell to resurrect the Master's essence and join it with his."
"Who?" Rupert asked.
"His name is Jacques, he wants to be `King of the Hellmouth' and rule all the vampires."
"King?" Buffy asked him with a puzzled expression on her face.
"Yeah, this vamp is certifiable. He's about 350 years old and has always been crazy, more so than Dru ever was. But his madness mixed the power of the Master, is too scary to think of, even for me."
"Spike, tell me about the spell?" Giles asked him.
"Rupert, it's called the Rite of Escene, He needs the blood of those who were present the Master's death, then he can perform the ritual at Lugnassa in the Master's lair."
"That's in three days." Rupert moved toward the phone and quickly dialed his number.
Hank looked at Rupert and Buffy, seeing the seriousness in their expressions asked Buffy, "Honey, what's going on?"
"The Master was an ancient vampire who tried to open the Hellmouth the first year I was here. Dad, he killed me, but Xander was able to bring me back and I later killed the Master. His minions later tried to restore him by gathering his bones and the people who were there at his death, Willow, Giles, Ms. Calendar, and Cordelia. We were able to defeat them and after I pulverized his bones, we thought there was no way that he could be brought back."
"You died!" Hank said in disbelief.
"Yes, that's when Kendra was called. She was the second Slayer."
"Second Slayer?"
"Dad, when the Slayer dies, another Slayer is called. There are two Slayers now."
"You and Kendra?" he asked
"No, me and Faith. Kendra is dead."
"Then why are you still the Slayer?"
"I'm the Slayer and will be until I die," she told her father.
"There's no answer at my condo. We'd better get over there!" Giles called as he headed for the door, Buffy and Spike on his heels. Hank looked at Joyce, questioning whether or not they should follow. Joyce ran for her purse and grabbed his hand, pulling him with her as they left heading for Giles'.
Giles, Buffy and Spike rushed into his condo as soon as they got there. The place had been trashed. Chairs were turned over, books were scattered everywhere, glass was on the floor, the coffee table smashed and only Anya and Tara were in sight, unconscious. Willow, Xander and Rupe were nowhere to be seen. Spike and Buffy went to the two girls while Giles called for Rupe, rushing through the condo looking for his son.
A small door under the stairs slowly opened and Rupe cautiously looked out after hearing his name called by his father. Xander had told him to stay there until he let him out, but hearing his father's voice, he looked to see what was happening, it had been quiet for so long.
Seeing the small door open, Giles rushed to it, finding Rupe and taking him into his arms as Joyce and Hank entered the condo.
"Rupe, are you alright? I thought I had lost you." Giles told his son as he held him as close as he could.
"Daddy, Xander told me to hide and not come out until he told me too. I think the monsters took him and Willow." Rupe told his father in a scared voice.
Tara had awoken and was sitting up with Buffy's help. She heard what Rupe had told his father and added to it. "T-they were d-demons, they just s-shoved me and A-anya out of the way and t-took Willow and X-xander. A-anya seemed to k-know s-something was going to h-happen and told X-xander to h-hide R-rupe in the s-storage closet. M-mr. G- giles, t-there were s-so m-many of t-them."
"Tara, it's ok." Giles told the terrified young woman. "Do you know what kind of demons they were?"
"They were Moslair demons," Anya said as Spike helped her to sit up. "They usually stay to themselves, not wanting to get involved with other demons or humans. Giles this is very strange, I've known some Moslairs in my time and they never attacked humans like those did tonight." Anya told him as she held the back of her head, frowning in pain. Joyce went into the kitchen returning with damp cloths, which she handed to Anya and Tara as they sat on the couch.
Hank watched as Buffy and Giles helped their friends and questioned them about what had happened. He had not read in any of the journals of the Slayer working with anyone other than her Watcher, but the way that they were discussing what had happened, the two young ladies on the couch and the two missing people had helped Buffy and Giles in fighting the vampires and demons. It seemed like Spike and even Joyce had helped on occasion. Hank felt that he had walked into one of the horror movies he had loved as a teenager, only this one was real and his daughter was the heroine who had to defeat the monsters.
"Anya, I need you to tell me everything that you remember. Tara said that you were able to tell Xander to hide Rupe before they broke in. How were you able to do that?" Giles asked the ex-demon.
"Moslair demons have a very distinctive scent and when I caught the smell, I knew that something was funny so I told Xander to hide Rupe, just to be safe. He had just hidden him in the closet when there was a knock on the door. Xander went to the door and opened it when he saw Cordelia. A Moslair was holding her and seven others came in and took Xander and Willow. They tried to resist and we tried to help, but were knocked out and pushed aside. One of them called Xander `Giles'. I think they thought he was you," Anya told the former Watcher. "Also one of them mentioned that they were to meet the others at the factory on Miller Street.
"Anya, from what Spike has told me they came here looking for me. Spike told us about a spell that a new vampire in town plans to use at Lugnassa to raise the Master's essence to combine it with his. He will need the people who were present at the first attempt to raise the Master, myself, Willow, Cordelia and Jenny. If they think that Xander is me, that may stop the spell, I don't know. I don't know what he will do about Jenny being dead. We need to research."
"Giles, do you think we should call Angel?" Buffy asked him, hesitantly.
"They've already been there since they had Cordelia. But we'd better call, just in case." Giles said as he reached for the phone only to find it dead. "Blast. They cut the bloody phone lines."
"Rupert, I have my cell if you would like to borrow it?" Hank offered.
Giles looked at Buffy's father, for the first time realizing that he and Joyce were there. "Thank you, Hank. I need to call and see if Angel knows what has happened," he said as he started dialing the number of Angel investigations. The phone was ringing at Angel's office when there was a knock on the door. Giles quickly handed the phone and Rupe to Joyce as he went toward the door to his condo. Buffy grabbed a crossbow from the chest and tossed swords to Giles and Spike as they approached the door slowly.
"Rupert, are you in there?" came a voice with a British accent.
Giles set the sword down and quickly moved the door to see Wesley there helping Angel to stand. Spike helped Wesley to get Angel inside and to the couch.
"We were attacked by Moslair demons at the office," Wesley explained as they got Angel settled on the couch. "They took Cordelia and stabbed Angel. We followed them here, but I see that we aren't here soon enough. "
"Buffy, get my first aid kit..."
"I'm on it, Giles," she told him as she headed to the bathroom to get the needed supplies to bandage Angel's wound.
"Shouldn't he be taken to a hospital? He's lost a lot of blood," Hank observed.
"Hank, This is Wesley Wyndham-Price and Angel. Angel is a vampire and this wound, while painful, won't kill him." Giles told him as he examined the jagged wound in Angel's side.
"Daddy, I thought that vampires couldn't come in?" came a small scared voice from the other side of the room where Joyce held his son. Giles took Wesley's hand and put it over the wound where he had been putting pressure to stop the bleeding.
"Rupe, Angel and Spike are both vampires who have helped us. They are the only vampires who have an invitation to come into my home. I trust them and they will not hurt you," Giles looked very pointedly at Spike as he crossed the room to reassure his son.
"Daddy, I was so scared. I didn't know if you were coming back."
"Rupe, I told you I would be back and I'm here. I want you to meet Spike, Angel and Wesley," he told his son as he took him from Joyce and walked over to Spike, Wesley and Angel, who had surprised expressions on their faces.
"Spike, Angel, Wesley, I would like to introduce you to my son, Rupert Whitsonby. We just met today and are still getting to know each other." Giles explained to the two surprised vampires and the stunned Watcher.
"Well, mate, Giles never told us about you!" Spike told Rupe and he took the young boy's hand.
"Daddy didn't know about me. Me mum's dead and I have to live with him now."
"Well, if you need anything, you just tell your `Old Uncle Spike and I'll get it for you," Spike told the child in Rupert's arms.
"Rupe, I'm pleased to meet you." Wesley told young boy.
"I'm sorry that you're first day with your Dad has been so rough." Angel told the small child who was trembling in Giles arms. "I'll help your dad to get the demons who scared you."
"You help Dad and Buffy?"
"Yes, I have. I live in Los Angles now, but when they need help, I do whatever I can."
Buffy came back with everything Giles would need to bandage Angel's wound. Giles handed Rupe to her and she went and sat down in a chair across from where Giles was bent over Angel bandaging the wound that the Moslair demons had given him.
"Buffy, is that the Angel that you dated?" her Dad asked as he came to the chair where she was sitting.
"Yes, Dad, but that is so over. We are friends now, associates."
"Buffy, you dated a vampire, but you're the Slayer." Rupe said in a confused voice.
"Rupe, Angel is a special vampire. He was cursed with a soul by a gypsy clan. When someone becomes a vampire their soul is lost and they feel no sadness for the people that they kill." Buffy told him, remembering to use words that he would understand. "Once he was cursed, Angel felt great sorrow for all the people that he had killed and has done good deeds to make up for all the bad he has done in the past. He helps people in Los Angles with Wesley and Cordelia, the lady who was held by the Moslair demons. Cordelia went to school with Willow, Xander and me."
"So, Angel is a good vampire?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Is Spike a good vampire? Does he have a soul?"
"Spike does not have a soul, but he has a computer chip in his head and can't hurt humans because of it. He has helped us in the past and is helping us now."
"So, he could hurt me?" Rupe asked in shaky voice.
"He can't hurt you or any of us, but if he tried, I would stake him in a minute," Buffy assured the scared, tired child. "I think that it is time for you to get some sleep. Why don't I take you upstairs get you ready for bed and your Dad can come up and tuck you in once he gets Angel patched up."
"Okay," the tired child told her as he put his arms around her neck.
Hank watched his daughter as she had comforted the small child and reassured him of his safety. When had she grown up? She was a confident, strong and beautiful young woman he was proud to call his daughter. He looked around the room at the strange group of friends she had made while she had been in Sunnydale as the Vampire Slayer. It was hard for him to think that he was in the room with two vampires, one she had dated and been very much in love with. Joyce had done a good job of guiding her in his absence, as had Rupert.
"Hank, would you help me in the kitchen? I think that coffee and tea are in order." Joyce told him as she touched his arm and brought him out of his reflections.
He helped Joyce and they had coffee, tea and hot chocolate for everyone as Buffy came back down the stairs to tell Giles that his son waited for him to come and tuck him in. Giles went up stairs to tell his son good night as Joyce and Hank set the trays down on the coffee table. Buffy handed Giles a cup of tea as he came back downstairs a few moments later.
"How is Rupe?"
"He's asleep. Thanks for your help, luv," he told her as he kissed her on the forehead, placing his arm around her shoulders as they entered the living room. Giles sat in the chair that Buffy had just left and she sat in his lap, holding his hand.
"Spike has told us about a new vampire in town named Jacques," Giles told Anya, Tara, Angel and Wesley who were staring at him and Buffy.
"Not Jacques du Lac?" Angel inquired.
"Yeah, that's his name. What do you know about him?" Spike asked.
"He's crazier than Drusilla ever was. Why is he in Sunnydale?"
"He wants to be `King of the Hellmouth'. He's found a spell called the Rite of Escene, which he plans to use to conjure the Master's essence and combine it with his own. He needs the blood of those who were present when the Anointed One first tried to raise the Master. Their blood will be used to anoint the dust of the Master's bones and bring his essence back to this plane. Buffy, the humans he uses in the rite will become vampires." Spike told them.
"You said that the rite has to take place at Lugnassa?" Giles asked.
"Yes, it has to do with the time of the year and the position of the moon. I really don't know much more than that, Giles. I'm just a vampire, not a mage."
"Spike, your information is more to go on than we had. Thank you. Let's get this place straight and see what we can find on the Rite of Escene," Giles told everyone as they pitched in to help get his condo back into some semblance of order.