Title: Unexpected Guests - 1 of 5
Author: Michelle with the help of Jadedragon
Email: mrsdrake@sff.net
Date: January 2004
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Buffy and Giles are getting married, and some unexpected guests show up.
Feedback: I love it, want it, and need it.
Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just tell me where to find it.
Spoilers: This story takes place between seasons three and four, but uses some elements from season five. If you know about the Magic Box, you'll be okay.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. "And I Love Her" was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This is purely for fun.
Author's note 1: This is a sequel to Band Cookies, but it can be read as a stand alone. This starts a week after graduation day.
Author's note 2: Giles was put on probation after the events in Helpless, not fired. Wesley was brought in to be Faith's Watcher, not as a replacement for Giles. Wesley is supposed to report to the Council if Giles disobeys the Council again. Faith is not bad. I use these < > to denote thoughts.
Special thanks to Jadedragon for helping so much with the spells and magick scenes. Also, thanks go out to my betas, Jade and Mer.
Giles knew something was wrong before he heard the phone ring. His hand was on the phone before the first ring ended. "Hello."
He heard a panicked Joyce on the other end. "Something's happened to Buffy. I only went outside for a short time. Her room is a mess, and the window. . ."
"Joyce, you need to calm down." When he heard her take a couple deep breaths, he continued. "Now, tell me what happened."
"I went upstairs to her room to see if she was ready to leave, and she wasn't there. It looks like there was a fight in her room, and the window was open. Her dress was still hanging on her closet door. I think someone or something took her."
"Did you hear anything?"
"No. I had been taking things out to the car. When I came inside, she was gone. Why didn't I hear anything?" She started to cry.
"I don't know. A spell may have been used to muffle any noise they might have made." He looked at his watch. It was nine o'clock. "When did you last see her?"
"I saw her before I went out to the car. That was fifteen or twenty minutes ago."
"Stay there. I'll be right over."
* * * * *
Joyce was pacing frantically when she heard a knock on the door. She looked through the peephole before opening the door. "Rupert, please come in."
"Have you heard anything?"
"No."
The phone rang. "Let me answer that for you." Giles picked up the phone in the kitchen. "Hello."
He could hear Willow on the other end. She was talking so softly that he had to really concentrate to hear her. "Giles, there's a problem at the church. Quentin Travers is here with a few others from the council. They're looking for you. You have to get away from here."
"I'm afraid that it's too late for that, Willow. I think they already took Buffy."
"Oh God. Giles, I'm sorry."
"There's no time for that. Listen to me. I am going to try to find her. Try to stall for as long as possible."
"Okay. I gotta go. Someone's coming."
Giles hung up the phone. "Joyce, will you be all right?" She nodded. "Good. I don't think they will come here again. If they do, don't tell them any more than you have to."
"Where are you going?"
"I don't know yet. I'll see if I can find a trail of some kind." As he turned to leave, he said, "I will find her."
* * * * *
Buffy had no idea where she was. She was lying on a couch, still wearing her bathrobe. When she tried to stand, she became dizzy and had to lie back down. Her head throbbed. As she reached back and felt the sore spot on the back of her head, the memories started coming back to her.
A demon had come in through her window. She'd tried fighting it, but it easily knocked her down and dragged her to the window. As she was dragged, she reached for the phone. It noticed, yanked the phone from her and threw it, knocking over the lamp. Then, she tried grabbing the curtains, but they just ripped as she pulled on them. As the demon carried her through the window, she had hit her head on the windowsill. <That must have been when I blacked out. I can't remember anything else. Where am I? Why did it bring me here? Demons normally just try to kill me.>
She heard footsteps. They were getting closer. "You're awake." It was a man's voice. He was obviously British. "I hope you're not hurt. I told him not to hurt you."
Buffy sat up. "Where am I?"
"We are at a friend's house. I have borrowed it for a while."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Nicholas. I will be your watcher."
"I already have a watcher."
"Not for long. Mr. Giles is being taken back to England to be disciplined properly." He gestured to her clothes. "I thought you might like something else to wear. I brought you some clothes." He set a bag down next to her on the couch. "I'll turn my back while you change."
"Okay, but don't turn around until I say you can." She pulled a T-shirt and sweat pants out of the bag. She pulled the pants on before taking the robe off a pulling on the shirt. "Okay." When he turned around, she walked toward him. "Now you are going to take me home. I am getting married today whether the Council likes it or not."
"By now the wedding has been called off. There is no need to hurry. I think we should take this time to get to know each other better. If I'm to be your watcher, we need to know more about each other."
Buffy's glare made him take a step back, even though he was a head taller than her. "You will never be my watcher. Wesley couldn't replace Rupert, and you can't even begin to replace Wesley." She took two steps toward him. "Take me home. Now."
"I know you're angry, but those feelings will pass. You will thank me later."
"Thank you? You think I will thank you for kidnaping me on my wedding day."
"You will feel better when I reverse the spell."
"What spell?" She lost control. She grabbed him by the throat and threw him against the nearest wall.
Slowly, Nicholas got to his feet. "Mr. Giles put a love spell on you. It's happened before with watchers and their slayers. The watcher becomes infatuated with his slayer. Usually the Council has been able to stop things before they get this far. I don't know how he kept it hidden for so long."
Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing. <He thinks I am marrying Rupert because of a spell. He's got to be crazy.> "You think Rupert used a love spell on me?"
"Yes, but I can fix it."
"And what happens if you try to fix it, and there wasn't a spell?"
"But there is a spell. There's always a spell. That is how it always happens."
"Listen to me. There is no spell." She could tell that this approach wasn't going to work. She tried another tactic. "Maybe the reason that he kept it 'hidden for so long,' is because it wasn't a spell. Maybe the only way the Council can find out about watcher/slayer relationships is if they detect the magic of a spell."
"Maybe he used other methods on you. Did he seduce you or use guilt to make you do things? Slayers have been raped by their watchers. Some of them tried to kill their watchers, while others tried to pretend it never happened, letting it happen over and over again."
"Rupert never forced himself on me. He would never hurt me. He would die to protect me. He almost has more than once."
"It sounds like a love spell to me."
"Maybe that's just what the Council wants to believe. They just can't imagine a slayer who would fall in love with her watcher." She tried to walk to the door. "I'm going home." Something stopped her before she reached the door. She couldn't see anything, but she couldn't walk any farther.
"You can't leave unless I allow it. If you need anything, I can go out and get it for you."
"What I need is to go home."
Nicholas glared at her, and the look on his face truly terrified her. He suddenly looked different, and she had no idea what he was capable of doing. "You will stay here with me whether you like it or not." He grabbed her roughly by the arm. "You will do as I say." He dragged her over to the couch and shoved her down onto the seat. "I am your watcher." He grabbed her chin with his other hand forcing her to look at him. "Do I make myself clear?"
Buffy was too shocked to speak, so she nodded.
"Good. I really don't want to hurt you, but I will if you don't behave." As quickly as before, his demeanor changed. He let go of her chin. "Now, would you like some lunch?"