Title: Season of Change 5/?
Author: Katy Hart
Disclaimer: Joss and company own them. I’m just
changing things for the better.
From Buffy’s Diary Nov 10, 1998
Just got in from patrol. Actually, just got in from studying. Giles suggested the combo study/Slayage session. I guess he’s still trying to get me to trust him, which I do, but how exactly does studying do that? I guess taking the stupid SATs does make me look more like a normal girl, at least Giles thinks so. Like the things really means anything. How can I go to college being the Slayer and all? Yeah Faith’s here and….hey! Why wasn’t she studying too? Me and my Watcher are gonna be having a talk in the morning.
Anyway, we were waiting for this one vamp to rise, so we were studying by his grave. And he did rise. In the middle of a question. I hate getting interrupted. I fought him, improvised without a stake. Handy to know, pencils can be used to dust vamps. Then it was back to studying. I hope Giles thinks it’s worth it.
From the Personal Journal of Rupert Giles November 10, 1998
Buffy and I spent most of our night prepping her for the SAT’s. I convinced her that by taking the test she still keeps up some appearance of being an ordinary girl. I tried to persuade Faith to join us, but she insisted on doing a sweep of the other cemeteries and that tests are ‘not her thing’.
The vampire we were waiting for did rise. As an interesting side note, pencils work well as a stake. I shall add them to the growing list of sharpened wooden objects that work to kill vampires. I enjoyed the time with Buffy, and I hope that we continue to build our trust.
From Buffy’s Diary Nov 11 ‘98
Oh, yay. Yet another hoop of Snyder’s to jump through. Like I don’t already have enough to do, now I have to sell candy. To pay for new band uniforms. What, like a bake sale isn’t going to be enough. Lucky me, I’ve got mom. She bought some and a box from Faith. Moms are the best. Xander and Willow tried to sell her some of theirs, but she wasn’t buying. I suggested to Xand that he try Giles. Little did Xander know I’d already sold him some during training.
That was a hoot. Giles did this blindfold thing to help with the trust issues and to hone my skills, or that’s what he said anyway. I still think he did it to take funny pictures. We talked about vamp activity being down a lot this week. He insists it might mean something. I’m just using the time to go clothes shopping with Will. Slayage is murder on my wardrobe.
From the Personal Journal of Rupert Giles November 11, 1998
Snyder continues to insist that Buffy perform absurd duties in order to stay in school. The latest is to sell chocolate bars of some kind to buy the marching band new uniforms. Although it does puzzle me as to why there is a need for a large chicken feather atop the hat. In any case, Xander attempted to sell me some of the candy, unaware I had already purchased some from Buffy. I do not need to have a vast amount of chocolate around. It would be too much temptation. I need to keep in shape, I have a Slayer to train after all. When he promised to never call me G-man again if I bought a box, I bought three.
The training session did not go as planned. I had hoped to use the exercise to further strengthen and rebuild the trust between us. She just thought I wanted to take pictures. We also discussed the lack of vampire activity recently. I immediately started looking for a cause, but Buffy blew it off. Something like this might suggest something is scaring the vampires off. She tells me the Hellmouth is giving her a break and goes shopping. She has no sense of responsibility. Though the outfit she had on today was, what was the word she used? As yes, cute.
From Buffy’s Diary Nov 12 ‘98
Okay, so something really weird is going on. First, this morning I found mom eating some of that candy. For breakfast. This from the woman who wants to put a veggie with every meal. Then she goes and gives me the keys to the car. Um, no license, remember? Luckily Will and I were walking, but it made me wonder what the hell was going on.
Then during free period, I went to ask Giles about it and he was acting strangely too. He was just letting books sit on the tables instead of putting them away, there were candy wrappers everywhere and he was reading, while eating chocolate! If that had been me, I would have gotten an hour long lecture about treating books with care and respect. He brushed me off, told me to go back to class.
After school, when I went to get him for our daily trip to the mansion, he wasn’t in the library. I went by his place. He was there, listening to his records. Seriously, that’s what he considers music? Please. Anyway, it was real wiggy. I’m off to Will’s to see if she can help figure out what’s going on. Wish me luck.
From the Personal Journal of Rupert Giles who cares about the date?
Have run across this journal. Blimey, I’m a boring old git. But here I am writing in it. Habit I guess. Can’t believe they actually made me a bloody Watcher. And they gave me a Slayer. How ‘bout that? Whatever’s happened, I got old. Or my younger self is now possessing the older me. Damn, that was boring. Guess you can’t ditch the schooling, no matter how hard you try.
Looking through this thing seems I for get hit on the noggin a damn lot. And God am I ever repressed. This is my bloody personal journal. No one in the Council is ever going to see this, or at least not til I die. Should think about willing this to someone, so they don’t ever get their hands on it. I’m hiding the fact I’m in love with Buffy. There, wrote it, can’t take it back. She might have feelings for me too; I see the way she looks at me.
I should go find her, tell her, and give the whole situation a flip. Better than sitting here writing in a sodding journal. Feel the need to get out, wreak some havoc, or at least find something to kill. If I find Buffy, I’m bound to find vampires or a demon or something. Well, I’m off then, now where are my smokes?
From Buffy’s Diary
OMG! I kissed Giles! Okay, so technically it was ‘Ripper’ and he kissed me, but it was WOW. And did I mention how hot he looked in a t-shirt and tight jeans? Okay, I know, I know, this is Giles I’m talking about here, which I’m sure I’ll be totally wiggy about in a few minutes, but HOTTIE! Wait, I’m forgetting the sitch.
So yeah, turns out the candy was responsible for all the big wigginess in the adults. We tracked down the company packaging the stuff. That’s when I found Giles or Ripper or whoever, I found him. I’d left the gang to find out who did what to the candy while I went to the source. Giles was wandering the streets and I grabbed him. His eyes lit up when he saw me. I wanted to take him somewhere, keep him safe, but he insisted that he was my Watcher, he should come with me. It was kinda weird seeing him all giddy and bouncy. And way into the touching, he was constantly touching my shoulder or arm or grabbing my hand. So we went to the factory and guess who we found? Ethan Rayne. He fesses up that the cursage was so this demon snake (which I slayed later) could get his tribute. Which turned out to be human babies. Giles was helpful with supplying the demon’s name so I could call Will to find out about the babies. And he helped beat up Ethan. I think he liked that a little too much.
Afterwards I dragged him to the library, I wasn’t sure I could trust him while he was all Rippery, so I decided to lock him in the book cage. He was more with the touching and saying my name a lot. Before I could lock him in the book cage he said something about being a fool, he grabbed me and kissed me! Oh, it was great, waaay better than anything ever before. He tasted like cigarettes (yuck) and maybe whatever he’d been drinking, but there was something else there too. Something to do with the Watcher thing? I don’t know. Anyway, I pushed him off quickly and locked him up.
So the curse wore off eventually. Mom’s in full denial, as usual, threw out the remaining candy, said it’ll make her fat, yeah right. I imagine Giles is gonna be all stuffy and apologetic tomorrow. Okay, so here come the wiggins. I can’t believe he kissed me! What does it mean? Is it related to the dreams I’ve been having? It’s all just too weird. Facing Giles is gonna be awkward, but I think we seriously need to talk.
From the Personal Journal of Rupert Giles
Damn Ethan Rayne! When I get my hands on him again…..I thank the gods that Buffy was able to stop the sacrifice and save those babies. To stoop to human sacrifice just for money….he probably thought it was serving chaos as well. I will have to research ways to bind his magics, might save everyone a lot of grief next time. Though I will admit it was quite satisfying to feel the crunch of his bones under my foot.
I see my younger self made an entry. I cannot believe how naïve and stupid I was then. And that he got me smoking again, which my lungs are protesting as I write. My younger self has given voice to what I have denied for too long, my true feelings for Buffy. And he acted on them, something I remember as well. Buffy found me wandering the streets, and of course Ripper wanted to follow her, he knew that she would be where the action was. He would know that doing something would change our relationship. I thought that he might only taunt her, tell her my secret. What he did was worse, or better, I cannot decide which.
He kissed her, I kissed her. It was everything I’ve ever dreamed about and more. I might sound poetic, but it was, she was warm, sweet, tasting of strawberry lip-gloss and something else, something deeper. Perhaps that magical essence that makes Buffy the Slayer. She ended it quickly, before locking me in the book cage. She sent Xander and Cordelia to let me out.
And now we must deal with the repercussions, the fall out. Tomorrow Buffy will show up and it will be awkward. I shall probably rely on my British reserve, blame the candy and what not. Yet a part of me is glad that it happened. I thought I saw something in her eyes as she locked the cage. Is it too much to hope that maybe Buffy feels the same way? All I know is we both need to sit down and have a serious talk.