Title: The Rules Have Changed - part 12 of 12
Author: Michelle - mrsdrake@gmail.com
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Giles is attacked and has an unusual way of dealing with it.
Spoilers: Set after the finales of Buffy and Angel.
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it. Just tell me where to find it.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Big thanks to yasmink for your help.
Angel watched as Buffy paced. “You can’t help him by worrying.”
She stopped and glared at him. “Don’t you think I know that?” She dropped onto the couch. “I just feel like I should be doing something. I’m the Slayer. It’s my job.”
“I know, Buffy,” Angel said as he sat next to her. “He just wants you to be safe.”
“I know. It’s just . . . I hate not knowing.” She stood up suddenly. “Do we have any ice cream?”
Buffy walked towards the kitchen as Angel said, “Ice cream won’t solve the problem.”
“No,” she agreed. “But it’ll make me feel better for a while.”
He sat back and waited for her to return with the ice cream, knowing he’d only be in the way if he tried to help. After several minutes, he decided to check on her. As he stood, he heard a crash, and Buffy called for him. Before he reached the kitchen, he grew scared when the scent of blood assaulted his nostrils.
“Angel,” she called again as he entered the room. She stood by the sink, leaning over the counter. A puddle of blood surrounded her feet. “Need to call the doctor,” she said before she collapsed into Angel’s arms.
* * * * * * * * * *
Giles knew he was too late before he even entered the house. Following the scent of blood to the kitchen, he was briefly relieved that he didn’t find a body; although he knew Buffy was still hurt.
He needed to get to the hospital. That was the only way to know what happened.
On his way out, the phone rang. He ignored it until he heard Willow’s voice on the answering machine. "Giles, I need to talk to you. It’s about a prophecy."
He quickly picked up the phone. "Willow?"
"Good. You’re there." She got right to the point. "We overheard you talking with the demon. That’s how we knew Buffy was in trouble. I heard him mention a prophecy. We found it, and I think he interpreted it wrong."
"Wrong? How?" he asked.
"He thought he won because the prophecy talks about your life after you’ve died. He interpreted it to mean your heir was his enemy. But it doesn’t mean your child: it means you, your future life. The Shanshu prophecy, the one about a vampire becoming human again, is about you — not Angel or Spike."
"Willow, are you certain?" His voice trembled as he asked the question.
"Yes. The vampire with a soul is mentioned here, and it’s clear that the soul had to always be there. A soul gained later would void the prophecy. It’s about you."
* * * * * * * * * *
Giles and Angel stood as the doctor entered the waiting room. “Is she —?” Giles started to ask, but choked on the words.
“She’s stable, but she’ll need a lot of rest to fully recover.”
“The baby?” Angel asked.
Giles already knew the answer, but he still tensed in anticipation.
“I’m sorry,” the doctor told them. “We weren’t able to save the baby.”
Angel narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Giles clenched his fists. “I expected as much. May I see her?”
“You’re Rupert?” Giles nodded. “She’s been asking for you.”
Giles shared a long look with Angel before following the doctor.
* * * * * * * * * *
Buffy opened her eyes when she felt a cool hand on her forehead. “You’re here,” she mumbled.
“I’m here.” He sat on the bed. “The doctor said I could stay with you.” He leaned over and kissed her gently. “Are you alright?”
Tears pooled in her eyes as she looked up at him. “Yes, but the baby —”
“I know, Love.” He scooted closer and wrapped his arms around her.
“Right before it happened, I found a letter that had come in the mail. It was just lying there by the sink. It though Angel had found it or something. It was from them. They knew about us — about the baby.” She stopped to wipe tears from her eyes. “They destroyed every chance we had to have a baby. All the labs where you —” She choked on the words. “How could they do that to us?” she demanded. “We’ll never have another child.” She buried her head in his chest as she cried.
“Never is a very long time,” Giles said quietly, but Buffy didn’t hear him. She had cried herself to sleep.
* * * * * * * * * *
When Buffy woke, she knew something was different. She was sure she was still in her hospital room, but a non-hospital noise had woken her, a soft snoring. “That can’t be right,” she whispered. She opened her eyes slowly. Giles was lying beside her, and he was snoring.
“Rupert,” she said and nudged him a little. He didn’t respond. “Giles,” she said a little louder.
He gave a soft snort and opened his eyes. “Morning, Love.”
“You were snoring,” she told him. She watched him as she waited for a response. It looked like he was breathing. She rubbed her hand over his chest and thought she felt a heartbeat.
Her eyes widened at the same time he spoke. “I didn’t think it would happen this soon. Otherwise, I would have told you last night.”
She didn’t seem to hear him. “You’re human again. How?” She laid her head against his chest, listening to his heart.
“I defeated the enemy, and the Powers That Be rewarded me.” Before she could respond, he asked. “How are you this morning?”
“Better. It still hurts.”
“Your Slayer healing will kick in soon, I’m sure,” he assured her.
“Not physical pain. I meant . . . ” Tears began to form in her eyes. “I was just getting used to the thought of having a baby, and they took it away.”
“If it helps, they’re all gone now. They’ve all been destroyed.” He kissed the top of her head.
“You could have left me a demon or two to kill. How am I supposed to vent my anger?” She sat up and looked at him. “What if I want vengeance for what they did?”
“There are many ways to get revenge. They best being to live a long and happy life with many children and grandchildren.” He kissed her tenderly. “If you still want that.”
“I think I’d like to try.”
He pulled her into his arms again as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window.
“Soon, Love. Soon.”
* * * * *
The End
* * * * *