Title: Family
Author: Katy Hart
Pairing: Giles/Wesley
Rating: FRT
Spoilers: Post Chosen, AU ending to NFA
Summary: Giles needs help and there is only one person who can help him.
Word Count: 2537
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be mine, no infringement intended, not for profit, just for fun.
Distribution: Want, take, have; just let me know where it’s going.
Beta: the wonderful Rainne, any mistakes left are my own.
Author’s notes: Written for maleslashminis’ second Giles round. For Antennapedia who wanted sophistication, a puzzle and flirting without angst or kink. Sadly I suck at prompts. There is none of the first, a very broad definition of the second and the third is extremely subtle. And there is a smidgen of angst.

“I am told this is not an uncharted territory for you.”

Wesley knew that voice. He struggled from the blackness of sleep, forcing one eye open. A hospital room, someplace he had seen far too often in the last few years. The heart machine beeped in a reassuring cadence, the IV stood at his left and there was someone at the foot of his bed. Rupert Giles, the last person on this earth that Wesley expected to see.

“What…?” he croaked.

Rupert stepped around the bed, offering a cup with a straw. Taking a sip, the cool water soothing his throat, Wesley took a moment to note the changes in the man before him. Gone was the academic he had first met in Sunnydale, instead Rupert seemed to portray the modern business man. Their gazes locked for a moment before Rupert took the cup away and set it a tray.

“What happened?”

Rupert pulled up a chair that had been sitting up against the wall. He sat and stared for a moment before straightening.

“What is the last thing you remember?” he asked.

Wesley closed his eyes. Cyrus Vail. The knife, white hot pain in his side. Fred – no- Illyria. Blackness. “I died. Why am I not still dead?” He tried to sit up but gasped in pain.

“Lay still, man, before you hurt yourself anymore,” Rupert scolded. “We have a lot to discuss and I would rather not have the nurses interrupting.”

Hand reaching for the morphine pump he knew would be there, Wesley lay back, closing his eyes. It was pressed into his hand and he muttered a soft thank you to Rupert. Seconds of silence ticked by after he depressed the button, waiting for the drug to course through his veins. When he looked over at Rupert again, there was a frown marring Rupert’s features.

“Tell me, Rupert. I can handle the truth, I assure you.”

“I have no doubt that you can, but I don’t want to upset you or hinder your recovery.”

Wesley turned his head so that he could face Rupert more directly, his eyes hard. “Tell me.”

“Very well,” Rupert sighed. “But if you attempt anything foolish, I’ll leave.”

Wesley nodded and Rupert began his tale.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rupert had reluctantly told Wesley everything that had happened and now sat in the lobby, awaiting his car. It had been a hectic time and when Rupert had found out that the younger man lived, he had immediately gone to the hospital. It was nothing short of a miracle.

The Devon coven had warned him of the impending apocalypse and had used their combined magic to transport Slayers and Watchers out to Los Angeles. There hadn’t been time for much conversation. He’d been approached by a young woman in blue who somehow knew that Rupert was a Watcher. She told him that Angel and Spike had recently met their demise as had a young man named Gunn. She then turned to the approaching hordes and scowled.

She had called herself Illyria, and had declared that her next act was in the name of her friend Wesley. She had then thrown herself into the fray. Rupert wasn’t exactly sure what happened next, but with all the Slayers and Watchers in action the tide was starting to turn. A blinding flash of light had caught his attention and he turned to see that it was coming from Illyria. Then the demons were gone and there was a figure lying in the middle of the alley. Wesley. Rupert wondered why and how his former nemesis had inspired such loyalty, but resigned himself to the fact that he might never know. Wesley had been near tears by the end of Rupert’s recitation. Rupert made his excuses to leave, but not before offering the other man a place in the new Council. He would return in the morning to get his answer. He knew that Wesley needed time to mourn; he knew that all too well.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rupert stood at the door to Wesley’s room, hesitating before knocking. Wesley had accepted his offer a few days ago, but there was another matter that needed attention and Wesley was the only person he could trust to help him. He knocked.

“Come in.”

Rupert pushed the door open and saw a vastly different person that he had seen that first day. Gone was the IV and morphine, Wesley had more color and was sitting up. He still had dark circles under his eyes but he seemed brighter, more alert.

“Am I correct in guessing that Willow has been to see you?”

When Wesley looked up and smiled, the expression didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“Yes, she left about a half hour ago. Powerful, isn’t she? Though I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s just when Andrew visited….”

“You didn’t want to believe him,” Rupert filled in. “That’s why he was sent.”

“He pulled off that ruse quite well. But you’re not here to talk about that, are you?”

Rupert smiled ruefully. He’d forgotten how perceptive Wesley could be. He closed the door behind him as he came into the room and pulled the chair up again. He set out the materials he’d brought with him, spreading them out in front of Wesley who picked up some of the pages and started reading. Rupert watched and waited, something he’d had plenty of practice at. When Wesley set the papers down again, Rupert was ready for questions.

“Why me?”

“You are one of the few Watchers left over from the old Council. And one of the only ones who subscribed to the old ways.”

“Used to, Rupert,” Wesley clarified, adjusting his position in the bed. “I broke from the Council a while ago. Doubtless you heard of it.”

Wesley faced away from him. Rupert knew he meant the business with Faith after she had awoken from her coma.

“Yes, but you and I are among the few who know how it was run, its history. I need you, your researching capabilities. They need you,” he pressed.

Wesley turned back, picking up the first page of the report in front of him. All the activated Slayers needed Watchers. The explosion had devastated the ranks, leaving far too few who could teach and train. Rupert needed him to help find more. They alone knew where to look for distant relations of Council families, or not so distant ones, who would have the distinct marker that would bond them to a Slayer, keep the Slayer alive longer. If Wesley didn’t help, the Slayers would likely all die quick deaths, negating Willow’s achievement. Despite all that had happened, including the failures with Buffy and Faith, Rupert knew that Wesley could not allow that to happen.

“I’ll do it.”

Rupert let out the breath he’d been holding.

“Thank you.”

“Yes, well, first I need to get out of here.”

“I’ll see what I can do and we’ll be on our way to England as soon as possible.”

Rupert stood, collecting the scattered material. He wanted to say more, but instead just nodded to Wesley who nodded back.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“No! I thought we’d decided that we would not be looking into the Travers family.”

Rupert jumped up, kicking his chair out from under him and started pacing. He and Wesley were holed up in one of the Council’s meeting rooms, books spread out on a table. They’d been researching for almost two weeks now.

“No, you decided that, Rupert,” Wesley sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Regardless of your feelings towards Quentin, his family needs to be investigated. Some of the strongest Watchers have come from that line.”

“I know,” Rupert grumbled as he picked up the chair and sat again.

Wesley reached across the table to place a comforting hand on Rupert’s, ignoring the frission of heat he felt.

“You needn’t worry, Rupert. You will be remembered for a long time, as will Buffy.”

Rupert stared at their two hands. “Yes, of course. After all, do the victors not write history? It’s just that….”

“I understand.”

Wesley did understand all too well. The Wyndam-Pryce line also had an astounding number of Watchers. Wesley was their first disgrace, whereas Rupert came from a long line of rebellious Gileses and had never been expected to succeed.

“We need them, Rupert.”

They both looked at each other for several moments before Rupert turned away, pulling his hand out from under Wesley’s .

“Pass me the Whitman history, will you?”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The smells of food drifted his way and Rupert finally looked up. Wesley had brought Thai. It was wonderful to be in London where they could have proper take-out and not the same bland Chinese food or pizza that had become staples in Sunnydale. He gave Wesley a smile. It was returned and this time Rupert noticed that it reached Wesley’s eyes. The loss of Wesley’s friends, his default family, was finally lessening.

Abandoning his notes to eat, Rupert couldn’t help but take a moment to appraise Wesley. He was not as lean as he used to be, more confident, but sadder. Rupert attributed this last trait to everything he had endured during his time in Los Angeles. He also saw that while they were eating Wesley’s eyes kept drifting to his notes.

Wesley’s hand reached out to pull them closer, but Rupert wasn’t sure that was wise. He went to stop Wesley but wasn’t quick enough. Wesley perused the information.

“I have a cousin?” he asked, eyes wide and daring Rupert to contradict the notes. “Why didn’t you say you were looking into my family?”

“I wasn’t entirely certain and I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“And now?”

“She lives in British Columbia,” he stated. “We are almost finished here, I can book you on a flight out if you wish.”

Wesley looked at the piece of paper in front of him, to Rupert and back again. Rupert suspected that he would say yes. His need to be connected, to have a family, was strong. He wasn’t going to acknowledge that he thought of Wesley as family.

“Come with me, Rupert.”

“Pardon?” Rupert’s gaze jerked up to Wesley’s. “Why?” Wesley dug out his own notes from the pile on the table. He flipped through the notebook before handing it over to Rupert.

“I was doing my own digging. You also have family in Canada, Rupert.”

Rupert glanced over the notes. He had several cousins in the same area as Wesley’s

Wesley continued. “As you said, we’re nearly done and I believe we both deserve a break.”

Rupert found himself saying, “Yes.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Three days later found both men over the Atlantic, deep in reading. Well, Rupert was reading, Wesley was thinking. He and Rupert had spent the better part of two months together, working closely, in each other’s spaces. He always felt more at ease in Rupert’s company than with the others in the new Council. His name was still synonymous with failure and betrayal. Rupert was constantly coming to his defense, emphasizing the need to break from outdated thinking.

As he liked to point out, hadn’t he, the new head of the Council, once been denounced as a failed Watcher? The flight attendant stopped by to offer them more drinks, taking Wesley from his thoughts. Both of them declined and when she left, Rupert turned to him.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, just a bit tired. I think perhaps I will attempt to nap.”

Rupert bookmarked his place and unbuckled the seatbelt. He stood, pulled a pillow and blanket from the overhead compartment. He handed them to Wesley without a word before sitting down again. Wesley took them and arranged himself as comfortably as he could before closing his eyes, his last thoughts of how good a friend Rupert was.

*~*~*~*~**~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Angela Price had been quite surprise to find that she had an English cousin. But she had welcomed Wesley and Rupert into her home with great warmth. Rupert knew almost instantly that Angela was not Watcher material, but her two boys, David and Joe, both had potential. As far as Angela knew they were just there to meet family.

She had sent them off into the living room, offering them tea. They sat on the small couch, knees touching awkwardly. Both men went to stand when she appeared carrying a full tray.

“Sit, sit. You two are guests. It’s so wonderful to know that I have more family. The boys will be pleased as punch to find out they have a British relative. Sugar?” she asked, holding a cube over Wesley’s cup.

“No, thank you. I’m sorry that we missed them.”

“Nonsense. You can meet them another time.” After Rupert took a sugar cube she plopped two into her own cup, stirred and picked it up. “So, Rupert, how long have you and my cousin been a couple?” She sipped her tea innocently.

Wesley paled, nearly choking on his own beverage. Rupert merely patted his back and handed him a napkin.

“Not very long. In fact we haven’t even told any of our friends yet.”

Wesley looked like he wanted to protest but Rupert squeezed his knee, giving him a look. Wesley swallowed, fiddling with his glassed before attempting to speak.

“We had intended to keep it to ourselves for a while. Our relationship being so new and all. However did you guess?”

Angela smiled and put down her cup. “Oh honey, anyone who looks at the two of you can see it. They way you both do little things for each other, the constant touching, and the looks! It’s as plain as day.”

Rupert and Wesley glanced at each other before sipping their tea in unison.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m so sorry, Rupert. I should have known that any relations of mine would be….flawed,” Wesley sighed. Rupert closed the door to the hotel room behind them.

They’d suffered through another hour with Angela before claiming jet lag. She’d extracted a promise from them to come back and meet her boys.

“Its fine, Wesley.”

“It’s not! She thought that we…that you and I are…..”

“Lovers?” Rupert supplied. He stepped closer to Wesley, invading his space. “Would that really be such a bad idea?”

“Yes…no…I….”

Wesley was cut off by Rupert’s mouth on his, Rupert’s hand on the back of his neck, holding him in place. His own hands came up to Rupert’s arms, holding on for dear life. Then they broke apart and were both breathing heavily.

“No, not a bad idea at all,” Wesley answered.

Rupert grinned and pulled him in for another kiss.

END