Title: Unforeseen Circumstances 17/27
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: Sandra, thanks for such a quick beta. Great work, as usual.
The Scooby gang was at the Headquarters with Ria, Timothy and Colin. Keenan had returned to the University of Georgia to take his midterms and arrange to transfer to UC Sunnydale for the remainder of his studies. Keenan had been pleasantly surprised when he had been accepted at UC Sunnydale on a Martial Arts scholarship due to his many championships in the Southern Region. He was looking forward to moving to Sunnydale to help his father at the dojo and his sister in her slaying. Black Raven had returned home when Keenan left, saying he would return if he was needed.
The group had been searching for more information on the prophecy ever since the night when Giles had been rescued from the Qunitas Mountain Range. There were many unanswered questions about how and when the prophecy was to take place, and already there were members in the Council who wanted Buffy and Giles to have a say in the Ruling Council, each having a voice equal to that of the Chairman. Was this what was foretold? They didn't know.
Reginald had the Council Librarians searching for any and all volumes that Branson LeFoy had referenced, used, mentioned or owned. He also had them searching for Council history but had run into a dead end. It seemed that there were few volumes prior to the Dark Seer's collaboration with the Travers' line of Watchers and most were feared destroyed. The Chairman had ordered all of Quentin Travers estates, and there were several, to be thoroughly searched for the missing volumes. He also had all of the homes and property of the Watchers who had willingly joined Travers searched as well. The Senior Mage conducted a similar search of the homes and properties of the Mages that had sided with Travers. But this was proving to be a slow process, each of the residences were protected by spells and breaking such spells was time consuming.
"Giles has anyone thought to search the home of Branson LaFoy, to see if he left any volumes or notes hidden?" Willow asked as they searched, yet again, through the volumes they already had.
"That's one of the first places the Council wanted to look, but his ancestral home burned to the ground in 1789. At the time, it was thought strange because the fire started in the Library. Of course now we know why, someone wanted to destroy any evidence of his works," Giles informed the witch and the rest of the group.
"Not his home in England, the home he had in this country," Willow corrected the Watcher.
"What are you talking about?" Giles asked.
"I found a reference to his home in upstate New York," the witch explained. "LaFoy moved to this country later in his life to escape the Council. He thought emigrating to the New World was the best way to accomplish that."
"Let me see that volume. I hadn't noticed it before," he said as he took the volume from her hands, studying the passage she pointed to. He read what was there and then turned back to Willow. "Can you go on the net and locate where he lived and if the house is still standing?"
"Already on it," she said from the computer Timothy had installed. Everyone moved to stand behind Willow as she searched. "Hey guys, this will take a while. You'll only make it longer by standing over me. Go back to your research," she told everyone crowding around her.
Willow searched for over three hours before she found what she was looking for. LaFoy had purchased a farm in upstate New York near the small village of Daleton. The large farmhouse was still standing and was still in the LaFoy Family. Branson had remarried after he moved and had a son by his new wife. The group was still looking over this new information when the Senior Mage and the Chairman appeared in the room.
"We found a few more volumes of Council History," the Chairman said as a box appeared on the table before the researchers.
"And we have found something that could be quite pertinent," Giles told his father. "It seems that Branson LaFoy moved to the States and had a family here."
"Where did he live?" Reginald asked, amazed at this new information.
"In a small town in Upstate New York, called Daleton," Willow answered him. "The home is now a bed and breakfast run by his descendants. I can make a reservation on line if you like?"
"Willow, make a reservation for Buffy and myself for next weekend, if it's available," Giles told the witch as he turned to his father. "I think it would be best if only the two of us go to see if there is any information there," he told his father, expecting his disagreement.
"I agree. Too many people could put them on guard and we might never learn anything of his life there," Reginald told his surprised son.
Giles was shocked that his father agreed with him. It had appeared that everything he had done or accomplished hadn't been enough to make his father proud of him. Even now, after all this time, Giles still wanted his father's approval. In many ways, he was still the same little boy who had been denied the chance to say goodbye to his mother, who had felt abandoned by his father in a boarding school all those years ago.
"Rupert, there are some things I need to discuss with you, privately. Can we take a walk?" Reginald asked his son, bringing Giles out of his thoughts.
Giles realizing that this was leading to the discussion that he both wanted and feared, agreed and followed his father out the back door to the small wooded area behind the building. Neither spoke as they made their way to the bench under the tall trees and sat down.
"I'm very proud of the way I've seen you handle yourself during this crisis," Reginald started.
"Finally after all these years of wanting you to be proud of me, I feel that it's a little too late for that now," Giles told him.
"I hope not, Son."
"Don't call me that! You gave up the right to call me son years ago," he stated in a Ripper tone of voice.
"Rupert, whatever you may think of me, I was trying to do what I thought was best for you at the time," Reginald started.
"Best, what was best for me? You left me all alone in a boarding school and didn't let me attend my mum's funeral," Giles replied in a tight firm voice. "You didn't even care enough to come tell me yourself!"
"Rupert, there are things you don't know about, things I never wanted to tell you," Reginald said in a pain filled voice.
"What are you talking about?"
He looked at his son, regretting what he was going to have to tell him. "There was no funeral, your mum was attacked and turned. I had to protect you so you stayed at school while I hunted down the woman I had loved and destroyed her. Once that was done, I came to see you, but you wouldn't even speak to me."
"How did it happen?" Giles asked in a shocked quiet voice.
"I was in London to finish some research when I received word from Clarence Travers that there had been a break-in at home. I rushed back as fast as I could but there was nothing I could do. The house was torn up and there was blood everywhere and I couldn't find Alicia. I searched for several days before I found her or rather she found me. It was all I could do to escape her and the three other vampires that were with her. I remember something she said before I escaped about the Dark Seer being pleased that I had been captured and them needing you," Reginald told his son. "I had to do everything to protect you."
"But why didn't you explain it to me? I would have understood!"
"Rupert, I knew very little about the Dark Seer at the time, but it was enough to know that I had no chance against such a powerful Mage. There were rumors about him, but no real information on him or what he was doing. Clarence downplayed what I had overheard and tried to persuade me to bring you home immediately, but something kept me from listening to him. I think even then they knew that you had a special destiny."
"But why did you turn away from me? I felt so abandoned and unloved. I needed you and you just left me in that bloody damn boarding school where I had no real friends. If I hadn't met Ethan and Nathan Rayne I don't know if I would have made it!" he informed his father, the pain in his voice all too clear.
"Son, there were some threats against your life and the only way I knew to protect you was to leave you in the boarding school, which was protected by the Council and their Mages. I had already lost my wife; I didn't want to lose my son. I'm sorry I caused you so much pain, but I didn't know what else to do," Reginald told him, pain in his voice and in his eyes.
Giles looked at his father with a new understanding of the situation. He had always looked at it with a child's eye, but now could see it with an adult's understanding.
"Where did you find her?"
"On the grounds of your school where I managed to dust her. The next day I went to see you and you didn't want to see me."
"Dad, I'm sorry," he quietly replied looking into his father's eyes seeing the pain still there from losing his wife.
"I understood your reaction, but I was still scared for your safety. I felt that it was better for you to continue at the boarding school. I didn't trust Clarence Travers and his assurances that you would be safe at home. There has always been animosity between our families and I knew that he had some ulterior motive."
"Why would they want to harm me?"
"At the time I had no idea, but years later, I found references in several prophecies to a `son of Giles' who would bring about changes in the Council. But soon after I found these references, the books vanished mysteriously. I knew something was up but I hadn't shown them to anyone. That was just before I was chosen to be the next Chairman. When it was mentioned that you were one of the possible replacement Watchers for Buffy, I did all I could to assure that you got the assignment. Rupert, I felt that you would be best able to handle the unorthodox Slayer that had been described in Merrick's Watcher's Journal and it would get you out of England."
"Out of England?"
"Yes, there had been several subtle attempts on my life and I was afraid that you were next. The Senior Mage investigated quietly and then small things started happening."
"The prophecy?" Giles asked.
"Yes."
"I wish you had told me all of this years ago."
"I didn't feel that I could. Our relationship was so strained that you could hardly stand to be in the same room with me. You are my only child, I know that I've hurt you, but I want a chance to try and mend our relationship. Do you think we can leave the past in the past and start over?" he asked his son, tears glistening in his eyes.
"I'd like that. I'd like my children to know their grandfather," Giles assured him, as he reached to embrace the man he had hated for over thirty years.
**********
Willow looked over at Buffy as Giles left the building with his father. She knew something was wrong and Buffy looked nervous. She took her aside to see if she needed to talk.
"Buffy, are you alright?" she asked her friend.
"I'm worried about Giles. I hope he and his father can work things out."
"What happened between them?"
"Willow, it was a long time ago and I don't feel that I can talk with you about it. It concerns something that happened in his childhood, something that changed his life. He was hurt very badly and I don't want him hurt again. He's been hurt too much!" she told her friend with pain in her voice.
"I want to help. What can I do?"
"Just listening and being my friend helps. I think that I'll try and get him to leave with me when they get through talking. Can you help continue the research while we're gone?"
"Sure. Besides, Timothy is here if we need a Watcher and Mr. Giles may still be here too," she assured her friend.
"Thanks, you're a true friend," Buffy told her as they walked back to the table to rejoin the others in research. About twenty minutes passed before Giles and Reginald returned. Buffy went immediately to Giles and they quickly left the building.
"Willow, what did you find out about Branson LaFoy?" Reginald asked as Giles and Buffy left.
**********
They walked for about thirty minutes before they reached Giles's condo. Quietly they entered and sat on the couch.
"Giles, what happened?" she asked as she took his hand, breaking the silence.
"My father told me what really happened to my mum," he said in a voice filled with pain. "She was attacked and turned. Then she tried to take my father but he escaped. All those years, those lonely years that I hated him, he was trying to protect me," he said as he finally broke down, crying in Buffy's arms.
Buffy held him and stroked his hair as he related the rest of the story. She heard the pain both men felt and the fear that they would continue to be estranged. Buffy had never seen her lover so emotional and was glad that the men had talked. In her minds eye, she could see an eleven-year-old Giles trying to cope with being alone at a boarding school trying to understand why he wasn't allowed to go to his mum's funeral. When Giles mentioned that they had hugged, she was relieved. Buffy knew that it would take time, but the first step had been made.
Buffy finally persuaded Giles that Willow and the others could continue the research by themselves. They talked quietly, making plans for the trip to Daleton, New York the following weekend. It would be good to get away for a weekend just the two of them, even if it did include some research.
********** Joyce stopped by the Headquarters after she closed the Gallery. It had been a slow day and Colin had been on her mind. When she didn't see Buffy and Giles she asked where they were.
"Buffy and Rupert left about thirty minutes ago. I think they needed some time alone." Colin answered her question.
"I feel that Rupert wanted to tell Buffy what happened to his mum," Reginald started. "Since this may have something to do with the prophecy, I need to tell you what I told him."
Everyone looked at Reginald and quickly retook their seats around the table. Once he began telling the story for the second time that night, his audience listened to every word, not interrupting a single time. When he finished the questions started.
"Mr. Giles, do you think they knew that Giles would be involved in the prophecy when he was in school?"
"I can't definitely say that Willow, but it does appear that might be the case. I don't know how Alicia was turned, but that was strange in itself. Alicia was trained and knew about vampires, she would never have invited someone into our home with words. I can only guess that someone she knew that betrayed her. My guess is Clarence Travers, but I could never prove it. Clarence had dated her briefly before she and I met. She never loved him, but he resented me when we married," he told the group.
"Did Quentin know this?" Timothy asked.
"I don't know, but I would guess so. He has always hated my son and tried everything possible to discredit him and his accomplishments."
"Why was he allowed to fire Giles?" Xander asked.
"At the time that happened, the Senior Mage and I were trying to gather information on Travers and his extra curricular activities. If I had made a move, it would have tipped him off that I suspected something was wrong. We had to be careful because we realized that many of the older families were involved, we just didn't know to what extent nor how deep. I knew that Rupert could take care of himself and soon realized that he would stay in Sunnydale with his Slayer," he explained.
"Why couldn't you let him know what was happening?" Xander asked, anger in his voice.
"Xander, if I had contacted Rupert, he probably wouldn't have listened to me, but Travers would have probably discovered my attempt. He had eyes everywhere, and there were very few men in the Council that I knew that I could fully trust."
"You were still protecting Giles, weren't you?" Tara asked in a quiet voice.
"Yes, I was," he answered and continued answering their questions for another hour before he left to go to his hotel room.
**********
Giles looked at the woman in his arms. She had been very understanding last night, holding him when he broke down, grieving for his mum as he never had. Finally, he felt that he had put the past behind him and could now move on to his future, their future. As she stirred, he had a thought. He wondered what her opinion would be. They had never discussed plans and he had no idea what she would want and if they could even do it in the week or so before leaving for Daleton. But it would be perfect, a perfect beginning to the rest of their lives.
As Buffy stirred she looked up into the eyes of the man she loved. "What time is it?" she grumbled. "And why are you so happy?"
"It's about 8:00 and I have my arms full of the woman I love."
"Hummmm, that's a good answer," she sleepily replied.
"Buffy, do you have any plans for the next week or so?" he asked.
"Just researching and spending time with you."
"Then will you marry me?"
"Rupert, I've already accepted your proposal," she answered, slowly sitting up in bed wondering just what was on his mind.
"Yes, luv, I know that. But will you marry me?"
"I've already said that I would," she answered, getting a bit testy, wanting to know what he was up to.
"Ms. Summers will you do me the honor of becoming my wife next Thursday before we leave for Daleton?"
Buffy looked at him like he had gone insane.