Title: Waiting 1/4
Author: Morrwen
Rating: PG-13 (violence and language)
Pairing: B/G
Distribution: Gabi (if she wants it). Anyone else…just ask. :)
Disclaimers: All for Joss and the network of the month club.
Spoilers: Season 5 through ‘Forever’
Feedback: Yes! Am willing to grovel for it. <G>
Buffy sat curled up in Angel’s arms. Once, the safest place in the world to her.
Now however, it brought her little comfort and even less warmth.
"Angel?"
"What Buffy?"
She shifted in his arms so she could see his face. She smiled a sad smile.
"It’s not the same. Is it?"
He reached out to softly stroke her hair as he felt an incredible wave of pain wash over him.
He knew this had to happen. She needed it to happen.
For although she was his only love. He knew as he touched her that he was no longer hers.
He looked into her sad eyes, knowing this was the last night he would hold her this way.
"No, it isn’t. I…."
Buffy shushed him with a finger to his lips.
"Not now, okay? For now just hold me. The rest can wait."
And she again settled in his arms and closed her eyes.
Giles stood motionless staring at the scene across the cemetery for some time.
He had been worried when Buffy didn’t return home and somehow knew she would still be in the cemetery.
He just never expected her to be with him.
It always came to this. Angel. His expression pained as he watched Buffy reach out to touch Angel’s lips.
His voice not above a whisper he spoke his heart to the woman who would never hear him.
"I would have waited forever, Buffy. I have loved you always. I thought, perhaps, in time, you could move beyond the past, beyond Angel and see me for who I am instead of what I am. I’m wrong aren’t I? I’m nothing more than a foolish old man. It was and always will be Angel. Not even Riley took his place in your heart."
He reached out as if to touch her even from this distance. "Oh Buffy how you break my heart."
Unable to watch any longer, he slowly turned away from the pair and found himself facing three rather large vampires.
<Bloody hell>
He reached for a stake but was too slow, for the vampires were already on him. Two of them dragging him to the ground while the third bashed him across the side of his head with a club.
He dropped motionless to the ground.
The largest of the vamps laughed, and in a sarcastic tone told the others, "Now let's not let our dinner get cold. Watcher is best served warm."
Then he reached down and tore the shirt to reveal the Watcher's neck as his fangs tore the flesh, tasting sweet blood.
*Sigh*
Angel smiled against Buffy’s hair.
"What was that for?"
"I don’t know. Just missing Mom. She put up with so much shit from me… for so long."
Buffy stood up and turned away from Angel, tears filling her eyes and voice.
"God! First I couldn’t cry, now I can’t stop."
Angel reached out for her but she pulled away still not facing him.
"I’m sorry, Angel, I just…I just need to…to…."
Angel dropped his hand, a pale smile stealing across his face.
"I’m sure he’s waiting for you. He’s always been waiting for you."
Buffy whirled around, shock replacing grief.
"Angel, I…."
He ran the backs of his fingers across her tear tracks.
"It’s quite natural. Slayers and Watchers, I mean. Who better to share a life with, than the one who truly shares you life?"
Buffy gently took his hand in hers, her eyes drawn to the smooth fingers and hands that were so different from the scarred and callused hands she had grown to love most.
Softly he asked, "Have you told him, Buffy?"
Still looking at his hands she slowly shook her head.
Angel withdrew his hand from her grasp and lifted her chin to look into her bright eyes.
"You should tell him. Tell him before he stops waiting."
Buffy threw her arms around Angel’s neck in a fierce embrace and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you."
"You’re always welcome Buffy," he said returning her embrace, wishing he never had to let her go.
Buffy abruptly felt a chill run down the back of her spine.
She pulled back, searching his face; her expression growing more alarmed by the second.
His brows knitted together quizzically.
"Buffy? What is it?"
Buffy began to shake. Her mouth was dry and her voice scratchy. "Giles, something happened to Giles."
"Buffy…" he began.
However, it was too late. She took off at a dead run across the cemetery, pulling out a stake as she ran, letting her senses guide her.
She saw them, three vamps hovering over something her heart told her was Giles.
With a cry of rage, she flew at them. Staking two before they even knew she was there. The third one fled for his unlife.
Buffy dropped to her knees beside her watcher.
His skin was ashen. Making the deep crimson gash on his temple stand out in marked contrast.
Gently she touched his face, before pulling back his torn and bloodied shirt collar.
She felt the ground drop away and couldn’t breathe.
Two sets of bites.
"Oh, Giles…no…no.no.no.no."
Quickly she grasped his wrist to feel for a pulse.
She let out the breath she didn’t even know she was holding when she felt it. Weak and thready but his heart was still beating.
"Hospital. I have to get you to a hospital."
She looked around frantically; knowing there was no time to waste.
"Angel!"
Louder still.
"Angel!!"
She heard movement off to the side and saw Angel running toward her.
He stopped next to her. His face stricken.
"Is he…."
"No…. But…."
Buffy was incoherent. It was too much. She couldn’t loose him too. Not now. Not ever.
"No. Hospital. We need to…please."
Angel reached around Buffy, but she pushed him roughly aside.
"Buffy, you have to let me pick him up. You can’t carry him. I can. Let me help him."
Buffy let go of Giles’ hand and stood up.
She stepped back to give Angel room and heard a ‘crack’.
She moved her foot and saw Giles’ now shattered glasses. She bent down with shaky hands and reverently picked up all the broken pieces, clutched them to her, and started walking toward her car.
Angel gently picked up the unconscious Watcher and quickly followed Buffy to the car.
The emergency room doors flew apart as two worried Scoobies ran inside.
Willow was the first to spot Buffy sitting stiffly next to Angel in the waiting room.
"There she is."
Buffy stood up and ran to Willow letting herself cry in her best friend’s embrace.
"It’s okay Buffy" Willow soothed.
"How is he?"
Buffy wiped her eyes and pulled away.
"They won’t tell me anything. I mean he’s been in there over an hour…and…nothing."
Xander reached out and kissed her on the cheek.
He’ll be fine, Buff."
She gave him a teary smile and gasped his hand tightly.
<Dawn> The thought sent her again to near hysterics, as she didn’t see her sister.
Her grip tightening even more.
"Shit! Where’s Dawn? Why isn’t she here?"
"Buffy, fingers, I need my fingers."
She quickly released Xander’s hand and he began trying to regain his circulation.
"She fine, Buff. She was asleep when Angel called a-and told us what happened to Giles. I…we didn’t have the heart to wake her. So Tara and Anya stayed with her."
Buffy took a deep shaky breath, relief colouring her voice.
"Thank you Willow. And thank Tara and Anya for me."
Buffy looked around at her family, for that is want they were to her, wondering how many times she’d been here.
Now there was nothing to do but worry and wait.
She looked down at the hand still holding Giles’ broken glasses.
Her mouth tasted like ashes and her throat was scratchy from tears shed and unshed.
Her voice sounded empty and lost.
"I broke Giles’ glasses. Do you think he’ll be very mad at me?"
Three sets of eyes turned to her, alarmed.
She ignored them and walked over to the window looking out at the coming dawn.
Now was her turn to wait for Giles.
And she was. She was waiting.
Waiting for Giles to live.