Title: Unforeseen Circumstances 10/27
Author: Jadedragon
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 4 up until Bad Beer, Angel Season 1, in my verse, Doyle didn't die!
Paring: B/G, B/P mentioned
Summary: Buffy has to face the consequences of her night with Parker
Notes: <> denotes thoughts
Thanks: To Wyrmbath for such a quick and through beta. Great work, Wyrmie!
It wasn't really that late but Giles led Buffy upstairs to the room that Timothy had assigned to them wanting her to get a good nights sleep before the coming battle. Buffy was practically asleep on her feet, but continued to help with the planning until she started nodding off. Giles was determined that she rest and he made her lie down and she was asleep almost immediately. He sat beside her for a few minutes watching her sleep before rising from the bed.
"Don't go."
"I thought you were asleep. I was going back downstairs," he explained.
"Stay with me," she softly asked him. "Rupert, this could be our last night together and I need you to hold me while I sleep."
"Buffy, don't talk like that," he told her as he took her into his arms.
"We don't know what'll happen, either of us or both of us could die. I've never been as happy as I have been with you. It scares me!" she cried, as she held him close. "Whenever I manage to find happiness, something happens and it's taken from me!"
"Buffy, my brave dear girl, we will survive tomorrow night. I won't allow anything to happen to you or your child. And I don't foresee anything happening to me either. Buffy, you've survived before and you'll survive this time," he told her as he looked into her eyes.
"Giles, I've never felt like this before. I've never loved anyone, like I love you."
"And I you. Buffy, we both need to get some sleep," he told her as he lay them back down, stroking her hair as he held her to his chest.
She quickly fell back to sleep as Giles held her. He silently swore that once tomorrow night was over, he would take Buffy somewhere so the two of them could spend time together. There was so much she didn't know about his life about him, things he really needed to tell her. He dropped off himself while thinking of what he would need to share with his love.
**********
Timothy noticed when Rupert didn't return and realized that he had stayed with Buffy. At first he had been shocked when he realized that the former Watcher and Slayer were lovers, but as he had watched them together he had seen the deep devotion each felt for the other. They were truly destined to be together. He wondered if something similar would happen between him and Ria. She was a wonderful girl, very intelligent, resourceful and already a 2nd degree black belt. Training her in the traditional methods of slaying vampires would not be hard. She was a very good student and very athletic.
"Timothy, what are you thinking about?" his Slayer asked him as he made himself a cup of tea.
"Rupert," he replied.
"The other Watcher? Why?" Ria queried him.
"I've known Rupert most of my life and I've never seen him truly happy. Yet, even in the midst of all the preparation, and knowing that we are to be attacked tomorrow night, I can see how happy he and Buffy are together." He honestly told her.
Ria decided to ask the question she had wondered about ever since she had realized the relationship between the former Watcher and his Slayer had become a sexual one. "Timothy, will we become lovers?"
"Ahh, I…I don't know," he answered, very flustered.
"I didn't mean to upset you. I just wondered. They love each other so much," she commented in a wistful voice and paused before continuing. "They remind me of my Mom and Dad, before she died."
"You still miss your mother, don't you?"
"Yes, I always wondered what my life would have been like if she hadn't died when I was so young."
"Ria, you must live your life in today and not dwell on the past. I understand your longings, but you must be focused, now especially," he told his Slayer.
"I know, we must defeat Mr. Travers or he will kidnap me."
"It's much more important than that. If we don't stop Travers, the Dark Seer will be closer to accomplishing his goal of destroying the Watchers' Council and after that England."
Ria looked at her Watcher in distress, as he returned to researching.
**********
Joyce watched as everyone was preparing for the attack the next night. She felt out of place, not knowing how to help or even what to do.
"Joyce, you help Buffy by your presence," Black Raven said as he joined her on the couch in the back of the room.
"I wish that were true. She depends more and more on Rupert and not on me," Joyce told the Cherokee.
"Rupert is her destiny, her future. It's natural that she will turn to him. But you are her mother and she loves you very deeply. It's not that she doesn't need you, but your place in her life has changed. Just as your place with your mother changed when you met Buffy's father."
Joyce looked at Black Raven in a new light. He truly was a wise man. "I hadn't thought of it that way. I was feeling neglected, like I had lost her."
"You will never lose her unless you push her away. If you don't accept Rupert in her life as her husband, you will make your fears come true," he continued.
"It's just so hard," Joyce said softly.
"Because you want him for yourself?"
Joyce looked at Black Raven in fear. Had she been so transparent in her feelings? "How?" was all she could manage to get out.
"I sense the turmoil in your soul. I know you're attracted to him, but Rupert will never hurt Buffy."
"I know that. I'm disgusted with myself. I want the man my daughter is going to marry. How Jerry Springer is that?"
"Joyce, you'll never act on those feelings, it's only physical attraction. You don't love Rupert the way you loved your husband when you married him. There is another man for you, just be patient."
"How can you know that?"
"I know," he told her as he left her in a daze, thinking over what he had said.
**********
Travers looked over the warehouse as they were in the final stretch preparing for the attack that would take place in less than 24 hours. He had stayed at the warehouse when he had sent Smythe and McTavish back to the hotel earlier, to oversee all the final preparations. He was extremely pleased with all the hard work his troops had accomplished in less than a week. They were most competent and would be very helpful in taking over the Council.
**********
A man in black watched through the skylight as Travers directed the final preparations for the attack. He had been watching the entire week and now it was time to warn Rupert and his Slayer and give them the information that he had gathered as he watched the Rogue Watcher's plans come together. He couldn't believe that Travers thought that he could kidnap Buffy and not have to deal with Rupert. He soon realized that Travers thought Rupert and Buffy were dead and it was the new Slayer he planned to kidnap. < Oh Boy, was Travers in for a surprise! > He felt Rupert's presence still on this plane of existence and knew that he was in Sunnydale. The lone figure slowly and quietly made his way off the roof and headed to Sunnydale to inform the Watcher and Slayer of the plans that would soon be put into action.
**********
Buffy awoke with a start, waking Giles up immediately.
"Buffy, what is it?"
"I think a Slayer was trying tell me something."
"What?" Giles was now totally awake and alert.
"There is an old enemy, who was once a friend, coming to help with information that will turn the tide in your favor," she told him with a blank expression on her face.
"Who is this person?" he asked.
"There were five, but now only two still exist on this plane. Trust him and you will defeat the Seer," she said as she collapsed into his arms.
Giles held Buffy until she came to.
"Who could that be, Giles?"
"I think I know, but I want to talk to Black Raven, Timothy and Wesley first," he told her as he started getting up.
"I'm going with you."
"You need your sleep."
"I don't care, I want to know who is bringing this information to us and if we can really trust him," she answered her lover.
"When will he be here?" he asked hoping that the Slayer was still close to the surface.
"Soon, very soon," was the reply.
There was a knock on the door before either could say anything else.
"Come in."
"Buffy, Giles, I think you'd better get downstairs, immediately!" Xander told the Watcher and Slayer.
"Who's here?" Buffy asked.
"You won't believe it," Xander said as he left them to follow him back downstairs.
Quickly, Buffy and Giles headed downstairs to see who the visitor was. As they entered the main room, Ria and Keenan, their backs to the stairs, were holding a tall figure, dressed in black, by the arms.
Giles quickly approached them and took the man by his shoulder, turning him around.
"Ethan Rayne, why am I not surprised to see you here?" he asked his old friend and nemesis.
**********
The Chairman looked around his office. He had a small bag packed to take with him, not knowing how long he would have to stay in Sunnydale. He thought about Rupert and how well he had done there. Teaming him with Buffy had been one of his first decisions as he co- chaired with the former Chairman during the transition between them. The old Chairman had been in the position for over twenty-five years and had wanted to make the transition as smooth as possible. He still spoke with Lord Haddon and the former Chairman would take charge of the Council while he was in America cleaning up the mess that Travers was creating.
The Senior Mage wouldn't be here for about 18 hours, but he wanted to discuss the situation with Lord Haddon and inform him of everything that was happening. Lord Haddon was expected within the hour and the Chairman still had paperwork to get done. < Paperwork, the bane of my existence!! >
**********
Giles quietly met with Black Raven, Wesley and Timothy in the back corner of the room, telling them what had been channeled though Buffy.
"Can you trust him?" Timothy asked. "What about his brother?"
"I don't know, Timothy. Everything that has been channeled through Buffy up to this point has been true."
"There's always a first time and I don't trust him. His brother is one of Travers' cronies!" Timothy reminded him.
"I know, Ethan was close to Nathan, until he met Travers," Giles countered. "Then it was like Nathan forgot his twin brother even existed.
"The Slayer Guides always give true information. They can't give anything else," Black Raven reminded them. "No matter what your feelings in this matter, we must hear the information that he has for us."
"You think we can trust him?" Wesley asked, confident of Black Raven's council.
"We can trust the guides that he has information that will help us win against the Black Seer and Mr. Travers," Black Raven assured them. "I also sense that we can trust Mr. Rayne."
**********
"Buffy, do you think we can trust him?" Willow asked.
"I wouldn't trust Ethan Rayne as far as I could throw him, but I trust the Slayers. They saved my life," Buffy replied.
"What can he know that is so important?" Xander asked.
"According to the Slayers, he has vital information on the attack that Travers has planned," she told her friends.
"I do," Ethan started. I've watched them for the last week and can tell you everything about their plans."
"Why would you want to help us?"
"It's not so much as helping you as destroying Travers. I hate what he's led Nathan into," Ethan told them.
"Nathan?"
"My brother, my twin," he explained.
"Twins? There are two of you?" Willow asked in surprise.
"No, we're not identical, but we were close until he went to Oxford and met Travers. He never was the same after that," Ethan said, with sadness in his voice. "That's when I met Rupert in London."
As he told the Scoobys this, the Watchers and Black Raven joined them at the table where they had been researching. Giles watched his former friend as he told Buffy and the others about his brother. Ethan rarely spoke of Nathan, and this got Giles attention. He knew just how much it had hurt the young Ethan when his twin had turned from him to Travers. It was then that he realized that they could trust Ethan. He would do anything to get his brother back. That was the reason that Ethan had gotten into magick in the first place, Travers had the Dark Seer cast some sort of spell over Nathan Rayne to turn him from his brother.
"So Ethan, what exactly do you know about the attack?" Giles asked his former friend.
"Rupert, I'd thought you'd never ask," he replied as he began to take a notebook and several maps from the inside of his coat.
The next several hours were spent studying the intelligence that Ethan had brought them. The attack was much as they expected, with one large difference. There were three Council Mages with Travers and 30 Watchers, about ten more than they had expected. Plans and lists of other needed equipment that would be picked up first thing in the morning were made. Everyone would meet here, in Timothy's library/training facility by 3 pm the next afternoon. It was 2:30 a.m. when the meeting finally broke up and every one tried to get whatever rest they could.
**********
Joyce was finding it hard to rest and was sitting at the research table when Colin came over to her.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
"No, I can't. I've never really been involved with any of this before and it scares me," she admitted to the other Slayer's dad.
"I must admit it's a little overwhelming, all of it. Do you ever get use to it?" he questioned her.
"I never have. There were nights when I waited for Buffy to come home; only to have her call from Rupert's or Willow's to say she was staying there for the night. I was just glad she was safe," she told him.
"What's the closest call Buffy has had?" Colin asked, wanting to know as much as he could about his daughter's calling.
"She died once."
"What?" he asked in shock.
"I didn't know about it until much later. Xander revived her with CPR and mouth to mouth. She was sixteen," Joyce said with a faraway look in her eyes. "Now she's grown and will soon be a mother and a wife."
"How do you feel now? Did the journals help?" he asked concerned for her and her daughter.
"Yes, they did. Thank you for giving them to me. I think I understand their relationship better now. The love between the two of them is so great. I must admit, I'm a bit jealous."
"Why?"
"I'll be in that big house all alone," she replied.
"And her father, does he know she's the Slayer?"
"He's in LA. Hank and I divorced shortly before Buffy and I moved to Sunnydale. And no, he doesn't know she's the Slayer. I don't think it would make much difference to him. Since we moved to Sunnydale, Buffy rarely sees him. He pays her college tuition and still pays child support, which he will cut off once she marries, but that's the only contact we have with him," she told him. Colin was easy to talk to and Joyce felt like she could tell him anything and it wouldn't go any further.
She and Colin talked about twenty more minutes before both went to try and get some sleep, knowing that tomorrow was a big day for everyone.
**********
Buffy quickly changed into a long t-shirt while Giles stripped down to his shorts before joining her in bed. They reached for each other, sealing their love with a kiss, which quickly became passionate. Giles hands massaged her back as he plundered her lips, passion building quickly in both of them. Buffy was licking and gently biting his nipples as he nibbled on her ears and neck, slowly trailing down to her breasts. He pushed her away from him and raised her shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it to one side as he made lazy circles around her breasts with his tongue, avoiding the area that most wanted his attention. He pushed her back on the bed as he continued his assault of her body, which responded to each touch. Finally his tongue reached the tip of the right mound and slowly the tip of his tongue teased her nipple until it was so hard it hurt; then he turned his attention to the second. It didn't take long before Buffy was begging for him to quit teasing her. He quickly discarded his shorts, caressing her nether lips with his long tapering fingers, feeling the abundance of moisture, he quickly entered her. Both were so close that they quickly reached their climaxes and were soon spent, lying in each other's arms. Soon both were asleep; content in the love they shared.
**********
By 3:00 pm the next afternoon all the supplies had been gathered and everyone was back at the new Watcher's library/training facility. With everyone working together, they soon had all the physical barriers and booby traps in place. Just after dusk, Black Raven, Rupert, Wesley, Willow and Tara cast the protection and repelling spells. The spells were cast so early because they would gain in strength up until midnight when they would reach their peak. Now came the waiting game. The attack was expected to come at midnight, but it could come at anytime. Doyle and Xander were posted as lookouts at the rear and front of the building. Also, Colin had allowed Angel access to his roof and he was watching for any attack from the sky, which while not expected from what Ethan had learned, could still happen as Travers had two helicopters in his possession. Even though everything was planned, they still reviewed their battle plans to be sure that nothing was missed or overlooked.
**********
The Chairman was waiting patiently for the Senior Mage and five of the other mages who would also be going to Sunnydale tonight. Three of their number had gone with Travers and would fight for the other side. Lord Haddon was prepared and would make sure that everything ran smoothly in his absence. The Chairman planned to take two weeks vacation while he was in Sunnydale to spend some time with Rupert.
The Senior Mage appeared at the appointed time, with the other five mages.
"Are you ready Chairman?" he asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," was the reply.
The Senior Mage quickly teleported them to Sunnydale, where they appeared in the middle of the library while everyone was eating supper and discussing the planned attack. The Chairman walked to stand beside the Senior Mage and face the group of Watchers, Slayers, their friends and family.
Giles looked at the group of mages standing before them. Their chances of surviving had just increased tremendously. As a man stepped forward to stand beside the Senior Mage, Giles tensed.
"Rupert, what's wrong?" Buffy immediately asked sensing something had happened but not sure what.
"Buffy," he caught her attention, "This is the Chairman of the Council, Reginald Giles, my father."