Title: Deceptions and Betrayals 3/21
Author: Ness
Contact: sessa1_2@yahoo.com
Written: 09/08/2003
Spoilers: Nothing after "Wrecked" in season 6 on BtVS and anything before "Sleep Tight" on AtS. But this is completely AU.
Summary: This one is a sequel to "When You Least Expect It". If you didn't read that one, this will probably confuse you.
Pairings: Cordelia/Giles and Buffy/Wesley
Rating: PG most of the time but there are NC-17 parts.
Distribution: Anyone that already has permission. Anyone else, please ask first.

Disclaimer: We all know who owns 'em and it ain't me. Joss and Co. are gods in their universe, I'm just a peon in mine.
Thanks to Suzanne for the beta. It is much appreciated, Chica. *G* A/N: I did a bit of juggling with this after Suz saw it, so any and all mistakes are mine--as usual. ;-)
Dedication: This one is for Kerrie. She gave me the idea that ended an almost six month block. She read this puppy even though she didn't normally read these pairings. Now, I've corrupted her or that's what she says anyway. *G* Thanks darlin', you're the best.

Giles became aware of someone pounding a hammer close to his head. No wait--that *was* his head. He groaned and immediately realized *that* was a mistake. As his stomach made its displeasure abundantly clear, he opened one eye and the light almost blinded him. Squeezing his eyes shut, he began praying to every deity he knew of that he would die immediately.

"What's the matter? Feeling a little sick this morning?" Cordelia was trying hard to keep the amusement out of her voice. She didn't completely succeed.

"Please," he pleaded weakly.

"Please what?"

"Let me die in peace. I will love you for all eternity if you do." Giles felt as though he was shouting. In reality, he was barely whispering.

"You already promised to love me for eternity?" his wife reminded him.

"I will love you more. Please, please, please. Let me whither away in someplace dark and quiet." He hadn't felt like this in years.

She took pity on him and stopped teasing him.

"Sit up. I've brought aspirin and a hangover remedy that Doyle swore by."

Giles eased up in the bed--slowly. His head didn't feel very firmly attached at the moment. She handed him some aspirin and a glass of some foul-smelling concoction.

"What is this?" He asked, sniffing it suspiciously and immediately gagging.

"It's probably better that you don't know that right now."

"I will not drink something that smells like a sewer without knowing what is in it," he insisted.

"Giles, it's nothing life-threatening and Doyle could be so hung over he had one foot in the grave, but he'd take this stuff and be fine in less than fifteen minutes. So, unless you want to be sick as a dog for the whole day, drink it." Cordelia loved him, and she felt sorry for him--a little. But she was not going to listen to him moan and groan the whole day because he was too wimpy to drink something.

Giles swallowed the aspirin with the water she had brought. He took the other glass and, as he held his nose, drained it. He turned an interesting shade of green, but managed to keep it down.

"There you go. Lay back down and you should be feeling better in a few minutes," she instructed. Giles did as he was told and, miraculously, he did begin to feel somewhat better.

****

Wesley groaned as he became aware of someone knocking on his door. He realized he was at home. The last thing he remembered was having a few pints with Giles. After that it became quite blurry and faded to black. The pounding on the door became more insistent. He sat up and had to stop when the room began spinning wildly.

"Just a moment," he called. He winced as the words reverberated in his head--loudly.

The banging stopped and he slowly made his way to the front door. He opened it to find Buffy standing there.

He stood there for a moment, unable to process the fact that the slayer was standing on his doorstep.

"Well, are you going to let me in or do I stand here all day?" She asked. When she got a better look at him, she realized that he looked more than a little green around the gills and smelled like a brewery.

Wesley stepped aside to let her pass. Even though it was daylight outside, some habits were too deeply ingrained. Not inviting someone into his apartment was one of them. Buffy understood the silent invitation and stepped into the apartment, brushing by Wesley as she did.

"What's up with you? You looked like death warmed over." Buffy studied him. "Lukewarm," she amended.

"Thank you." Wesley replied wryly. "Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I need some help and I thought of you."

"You need my help? Why?"

"Well--." She hesitated, not quite sure how to explain this.

"Well, what?" Wesley's curiosity was piqued.

"I'm having a problem with--someone--from work and I need another someone to help me discourage him."

"What do you mean 'discourage him'?" Wesley was totally in the dark.

She blew out a frustrated breath that ruffled her bangs.

"I mean that he keeps hitting on me and, no matter how many times I tell him no, he won't stop. It's not like I can stake him or anything, can I?" she asked hopefully.

Wesley chuckled. "No, I'm afraid not."

"Damn! I knew you were gonna say that.," she growled under her breath.

"Surely you have someone that can help you. Aren't you dating?"

"Wesley, I'm raising a 15-year-old teenager, working full-time and patrolling at night. When would I have time to date?" Buffy asked a bit huffily.

"Point taken," he conceded. "How am I supposed to help? Would you like for me to discuss this with Angel?"

"NO!" She stopped herself from yelling, although her voice still went up several levels.

He winced. His hangover symptoms, forgotten in his curiosity, were now making themselves known again.

"Are you okay?"

"I seemed to have had a bit too much to drink last night," was his sheepish answer.

"You got drunk?"

"Slightly," he acknowledged.

"From the way you look, I'd say a little more than slightly." She giggled.

"The night's proceedings are a bit fuzzy," he admitted.

"Come on. I'll make you some coffee and find your aspirin," Buffy said as she headed towards his kitchen.

Buffy saw a note leaning against the coffee maker.

"Well, here's a few questions answered," she said as she read the note. "Do you know a Graham?"

"Yes. He's the bartender at the pub where Giles and I were."

"You and Giles?" She got sidetracked. "Don't tell me, my Watcher got drunk."

"I can't really say for sure."

"He did! Oh man, I bet Cordy is loving him this morning. I bet she read him the riot act."

"What does the note say?" He changing the subject.

"Just that this Graham guy brought you home and he's got your keys and the bike that goes with them at his pub and you can pick it up whenever you want to." She decided to leave him alone about last night. She needed his help and needling him wouldn't help her cause.

"Good. I must thank him for his help." He muttered half to himself.

A cup of coffee appeared in front of him along with two aspirins. He took them gratefully and sipped at his coffee.

"Would you like to finish telling me about your predicament?" He asked as soon as the pounding in his head lowered to a dull roar.

"Do you feel up to it?"

"Certainly."

"It began right after I started at my new job."

"You have a new job?" he interrupted.

"Yeah." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Giles got me an interview at the Sunnydale Museum. I'm just filing and answering phones, but it's loads better than anything else I've had."

Wesley nodded and motioned for her to continue.

"Anyway, there's this guy that works in the office next to me. He seemed nice enough when I first met him, but then he started asking me out. I tried to explain to him that I don't really have time." She blew out a frustrated breath. "He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Has he tried anything physical?" Wesley asked.

"No."

"I don't wish to seem dense, Buffy. But I'm afraid I'm still not sure where you're going with this," he said as he sipped his coffee.

Buffy didn't quite know how to ask him for this favor. She took a deep breath and plunged in.

"I want you to play my boyfriend," she said it quickly.

Wesley was in the middle of a sip of coffee and started to choke, so she pounded on his back.

"Please," he wheezed. "I don't have slayer healing and I think you're about to do serious damage to my ribs."

She stopped immediately.

He thought about her request as he attempted to regain his breath. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

Buffy had her head down and her hair made a golden curtain that obscured her face from his vision.

"Buffy?" he asked quietly. He got no response.

"Buffy?" he called again. When her head came up he could see a sheen of moisture shining in her eyes.

"Never mind, Wes. It was a dumb idea." Buffy started to gather her things, talking the entire time. "I shouldn't have asked. I mean, why would you help me. I treated you badly when you were in Sunnydale. I thought we had gotten past that, but I guess I was wrong. I just didn't have--" Her voice caught on a sob.

"Buffy." Wesley caught her arm and gently turned her to face him. "What's wrong, really? Surely, it's not that some git can't take no for an answer? There has to be more to it."

Buffy dropped her head again. He hooked his finger under her chin and lifted her face.

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

"It's not just Jason. I mean, if that's all that was wrong, I could handle it. But it just seems that whenever I get everything going okay, something happens," she said in a quiet voice.

"What else has happened?"

"I got a letter from the bank." A single tear escaped and trailed down her cheek.

"What type of letter?" Wesley asked gently.

"It said that Mom had taken out a second mortgage on the house. She had most of it paid off, but not all of it." Tears thickened her voice.

"How much?"

"Never mind." Buffy tried to pull away. "It's my problem."

"How much?" Wesley repeated a bit more firmly.

"Eight thousand dollars," she answered in a hoarse whisper.

"When is the payment due?"

"Three weeks. I've been trying to reach Dad, but he's in Europe and nobody knows where. Or at least, nobody that will tell his daughter," she amended, bitterness coating every word.

"Is there anyone else? Giles, perhaps?" Wesley suggested.

"No!" Buffy responded vehemently.

"Why not? If you're about to lose your home?" Wesley didn't understand why she wouldn't ask her Watcher.

"Because, he's had to pull me out of trouble too many times as it is," Buffy explained. "He's got his own life now and I won't ask him for money."

"He wouldn't mind, Buffy."

"He might not, but someone else might," Buffy responded quietly.

"If you're speaking of Cordelia, I seriously doubt that she would raise any objections to his helping you keep your house." Wesley defended his absent friend. "In fact, I think you do her a great disservice in suggesting that she would."

Buffy sighed. "You're right," she conceded. "But I don't want to ask him. I need to take care of this myself."

"If there is anything I can do--" Wesley began.

"No. I didn't come here to ask you for money," Buffy insisted.

"I know that, but--"

"No, Wes. But would you think about helping me with the other problem?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Help you rid yourself of the obnoxious Jason?"

Buffy nodded.

"Of course. What do you need me to do?" Wesley's mind was turning over both problems. He might have a solution to the house problem, but he wouldn't mention it to Buffy right now. The problem of the git harassing her was something else entirely.

"All I need you to do is show up in Sunnydale in a couple of days and pick me up from work. I'll tell everyone you've been in England and you just got back." Buffy told him.

"Did you tell this young man you were seeing someone?"

"I did after I found out he wasn't going to take no for an answer." Buffy was at the end of her rope with this situation. Something had to give.

"Very well. I would be honored to be your significant other."

"Great!" Buffy was relieved to have one problem solved.

"How do you wish me to act?"

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Do you want to me act very affectionate or simply friendly?" Wesley clarified.

"I don't know." Buffy hadn't thought that far. She didn't think that Wesley would agree to it, so she hadn't really planned anything. "Just act the way you normally do with your girlfriends and I'll follow your lead."

Wesley nodded.

Buffy looked at her watch.

"Oh man! I've gotta go. I told Willow I'd be back this afternoon." Buffy gathered her things and headed towards the door. She turned as she reached it. "Thanks, Wes. I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome, Buffy. I'll see you in a few days."

Buffy waved goodbye and was out the door.

Wesley stared at the closed door for a long moment before nodding to himself. He reached for the phone, knowing exactly what he needed to do.

****

Giles came out of the bathroom feeling more himself. The hot shower, combined with the remedy Cordelia had given him, had worked wonders. He felt almost back to normal.

"Cordelia?" he called to her.

"Yeah." Cordelia answered as she came up the stairs.

"How did I get home?" That was something he had finally thought about while in the shower.

"Graham Nichols brought you home." She grinned at the memory. "He said that the car was at the pub and we could pick it up when we wanted."

"That was good of him." Giles commented.

"You're not kidding." Cordelia agreed. "Especially since I would have had to come get you, if he hadn't brought you home."

"I must remember to thank him." Giles said as he dressed.

"I already did." Cordelia informed him.

Giles finished dressing and, as he knotted his tie, turned to his wife.

"Would you like to have lunch at the pub?"

"Okay. Then I need to get to work. I told them I'd be in this afternoon."

"I told Robert the same, so we have time for lunch." Giles paused. "I am sorry for coming home in that condition."

"Don't worry about it. I've dealt with drunks before and at least you go to sleep and don't bother anyone." Cordelia said matter-of-factly.

Giles didn't like the implications of that statement. There were still things that he didn't know about his wife's childhood. Things that she refused to discuss, saying it was ancient history and didn't matter anymore.

"Get a move on it." Cordelia's voice interrupted his reverie. "I'm hungry and it's almost lunch time."

Giles nodded and followed her out the door.

****

Graham greeted them as they walked through the door. "Giles and the fair Cordelia!"

"Hi, Graham," Cordelia returned his greeting cheerfully.

"Hello, Graham." Giles shook hands with the bartender. "Thank you for last night."

"Think nothing of it, mate." Graham insisted. "Was happy to do it. Even if my back admonished me for it this morning." Graham winked.

Giles chuckled. "Regardless, I appreciate it."

"As I said, not a problem." Graham stated again. "What can I do for you?"

"We're having lunch here." Cordelia told him. "We thought that you should see him when he's not quite so *happy*." Cordelia giggled.

Giles sighed, but accepted the teasing good-naturedly. After all, he deserved it. The only thing that would make it more bearable is if Wesley were there to receive it with him.

"Have a seat and I'll send Sally out with menus."

Giles and Cordelia chatted with both Sally and Graham as they ate. The pub began to fill up with the lunch crowd and, after awhile, the bartender and waitress had their hands full with other customers.

"I like them." Cordelia said as she watched them work.

"As do I." Giles agreed.

They finished their lunch and said goodbye to Graham and Sally as they left.

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