Title: Deceptions and Betrayals 17/21
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.

Several days later, Wesley was sitting in a wheelchair waiting to be discharged.. The doctors had told him he could go home on the condition that he had someone there to help him. He was about to lie to them and tell them there was just so he could get out of the hospital when Buffy spoke up and told them she would be staying with him.

His thoughts on that development were interrupted by a nurse who handed him papers to sign. After scrawling his signature on too many forms to count, he was wheeled to the exit doors. Giles was there to greet him. Wesley looked around for Buffy, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Where is Buffy?"

"She couldn't be here, but she said to tell you she would see you a bit later," Giles told him as he helped him into the car.

Wesley did his best to stifle his disappointment, telling himself that she must have had a good reason for not being there. He leaned back against the seat and tried to relax. He'd fallen into a half doze when he felt the car pull to a stop.

"We're here," Giles said as he opened his door. He helped the younger man get to the elevator and up to his apartment, and then turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Wesley asked, confused.

"I don't think you'll need me beyond this point," Giles told him with a chuckle.

Before Wesley could ask what he meant, the door to his apartment swung open.

When he stepped into the dim interior, he was greeted by the sight of candles on every available surface. The dining room table had been set and candles cast a golden glow over the crystal and china. He was still staring when a voice pulled him out of his reverie.

"Do you like?"

He turned to find Buffy standing beside him in a simple white dress with thin straps that left her shoulders bare. He took in the vision before him. The dress fell to mid-calf and was demurely cut. It shouldn't have sent his blood rushing to his brain and parts a bit lower, but it did. She took his breath away and he told her so.

"Thank you," she said quietly as she flushed.

"What is all of this?" He gestured to encompass all her hard work.

"It's your welcome-home party."

"You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to."

He shook his head and smiled.

"Come on," she said as she gently tugged him to the table. "Lorne helped me fix all of this, so I don't want it to go to waste."

He chuckled and seated himself but only after pulling out a chair for her and waiting for her to sit down.

He couldn't eat a great deal of what she'd made, but she'd heeded the doctor 's orders and made it a light meal of soup and sandwiches. It was delicious, much better than hospital food.

After dinner, they moved to the sofa and sat together in silence.

"What are you thinking," she asked, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"How I could have gotten so lucky as to have a woman like you," he answered truthfully.

She shifted so she could look him in the eye. "We're not gonna do that 'I'm not good enough for you' thing again, are we?"

He chuckled. "No, of course not. You warned me what would happen the last time I tried it."

She settled back down against him. "I'm glad you remember."

"I do." He tightened his arm around her. "I just am very thankful for whatever power gave me a second chance to have you in my life."

"Me too." She leaned up and kissed him.

He tried to deepen the kiss, but she stopped him. "Nope, you know what the doctor said. No strain on those stitches."

He groaned.

She giggled.

"Come on. Let's get you to bed." She laughed at the glint that came into his eyes. "To sleep, Romeo." She gave him a saucy grin. "But if you're good, I just might decide to take a nap with you."

He smiled broadly and followed her into the bedroom.

****

Giles drove home after dropping Wesley off. He was pleased that Wesley and Buffy were building something together, but he was tired. After dealing with situation with Wesley's father and getting the younger man's mother on a plane back to England, Giles had gotten a message that Travers would be visiting shortly.

Giles sighed as he opened the door and tossed his keys on the table. He was deeply troubled; even though William was dead, who else was in the faction that wanted him and his Slayer dead and would they continue to try even though their ringleader was gone?

"Giles?" Cordelia came and put her arms around him. "What's wrong?"

He gave her a kiss and returned the embrace. "Travers is coming here," he said.

She leaned back in the circle of his arms and frowned. "That's not all."

He smiled wryly. He should have known she would pick up on his mood.

"No, that's not all." He pulled away from her to walk to the bar and fix himself a drink. He and Cordelia had debated about moving out of this house, but Robert's parents had learned what had happened, they'd decided to sell the house to Giles and Cordelia. The older couple had not been mistreated; in fact, they had been told that they were on vacation courtesy of their son. The Council only wanted to get them out of the country. Since Robert had no idea of where they were or how to contact them, he'd had only William 's version of what was happening. Robert had been immensely relieved to find that he'd been told almost nothing but lies.

Cordelia seated herself on the arm of the sofa and waited for him to continue.

He turned to her. "I just can't see a movement as organized as the one William was involved in, dying just because he did."

"You think we still have a problem?" Cordelia asked.

He took a long pull from his glass and nodded as he lowered it. "I think it is a very strong possibility."

"How do we fight it?"

"Our first step is to talk to Quentin and find out what the hell is going on in England." Giles voice was hard and determined.

She walked over to him and took the glass out of his hand and set it on the bar. "No, the first step is to get you in bed. You've been running on nerves and caffeine for days. Not to mention the fact that you still haven't recovered from that spell Robert put on you."

He started to protest, but she cut it short by taking his hand and pulling him toward the bedroom. "Nope, you're going to bed and get some rest," she said firmly.

"Will you be joining me?" Giles arched a hopeful eyebrow at her.

"No, if I do, you won't get any sleep." She grinned at him.

"Party pooper," he mumbled as he allowed himself to be pulled along.

She giggled as she led the way.

****

Giles opened his eyes slowly the next morning. Cordelia was lying beside him, still asleep. As promised, she'd put him to bed the night before, but she had been unable to deny him when he'd asked, ever so sweetly, for her to join him.

He grinned to himself, she'd also been correct in her prediction about his lack of sleep.

His smile slowly faded as his mind went back to the problem at hand. He knew he couldn't do anything until Quentin arrived, but that didn't stop the sense of unease that haunted him.

He got out of bed without disturbing his wife and headed to the bathroom.

****

Cordelia stretched and reached for her husband, only to find cold, empty space next to her. She opened her eyes, looked at the clock and frowned. Throwing back the covers, she climbed out of bed and went in search of her wayward man.

She found him sitting on the patio, watching the sun rise.

"You're supposed to still be asleep," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stood behind him.

"There will be time for sleep later," he replied.

She moved around to sit in his lap and saw his worried eyes. "It's going to be okay, Giles."

"We don't know that."

She grasped his chin and forced him to look at her. "Yes, we do. We find out who the bad guys are and kick their asses. That's what we do. The Master couldn't beat us. Neither could Angelus, the Mayor, Darla, Adam or Glory. And those are just the major Big Bads. If they couldn't do it, do you really think the *Council* could?" She put as much scorn on the word 'Council' as she could.

He shook his head. "It's not the same thing, Cordelia."

"Why?"

"Because these men aren't demons that can be researched and defeated." He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. "They are human beings that are trying to control that which they have no business trying to control." He could feel his anger rising. "They wish to kill Buffy because she won't bow and scrape to them. They've forgotten that they live to serve her and protect her; she does not owe them anything."

Cordelia framed his face with her hands. "Let's not forget that they're trying to kill you too."

"I haven't. They know that if they harm Buffy, they will, by necessity, have to eliminate me. They know that I will avenge her and they can't take that chance."

Cordelia saw the fire in his eyes and knew that if the Council succeeded in murdering Buffy, Giles would do whatever he had to do to protect or avenge Buffy. And considering the things he was capable of, she really didn't want to see what the 'whatever' might be. Besides, she really didn't want to lose her husband. Or Buffy, if she was totally honest. Not that she'd admit that to anyone. She did have a reputation to maintain, after all.

"Well, it doesn't matter what they plan. They won't do anything to Buffy, and you won't have to go 'Ripper' on them." She told him firmly.

He kissed her softly and pulled her tighter into his embrace. He knew she was worried about him and he didn't know how to make it better. Finding out the pregnancy had been false had been harder than either of them wanted to admit. Even though it would have been frightening in the extreme to bring a child into their lives, it would have been a miracle to have a living, breathing piece of their love. But, now, he couldn't help but be thankful there wasn't a child. If he did have to fight this battle to the end, it would be hard enough to leave Cordelia behind. He didn't think his sanity could stand the thought of leaving her to raise their child alone.

She could tell he was thinking of what might happen.

"Come on," she told him as she jumped up and grabbed his hand.

"Where are we going?" He asked, allowing himself to be pulled from of his chair.

"It's a surprise," she answered with a wink.

****

An hour later, they were standing on an isolated beach. Cordelia led him to a sheltered spot by an outcropping of rocks.

"Cordelia, what are we doing here? If Quentin arrives, I need to be there." Giles reminded her.

"We've got a cell phone and Buffy and Wes promised to let us how if he shows up. You know if he goes to our house and we're not home, he's gonna go to Wesley's." Cordelia spread out a blanket and set the picnic basket down. She looked at her husband, noted his defiant stance, and ordered him to sit.

He did as she commanded and propped himself up against a large rock and waited for her to tell him why they were there.

"Relax," she said as she took the food out of the hamper.

"Cordelia, we do not have time for a picnic."

"We have time for whatever we need to do," she contradicted him. "And right now, you need something to help you relax."

"And you think this is it?" He didn't try to disguise his skepticism.

"Yep." She didn't add that the picnic wasn't the only relaxation technique she had up her sleeve.

He could see that arguing with her would do no good, so he decided to make the best of it. He hated to admit it, but some time later, he was feeling more at ease. He leaned back against the rock and watched the waves rolling in. There was something calming about the endless rise and fall of the vast ocean. He felt his eyelids slowly droop and blinked quickly in an attempt to stay awake.

"Nope, if you need to take a nap, you close those eyes and do it," Cordelia ordered from her place across from him.

The rocks around them provided ample shade and Giles decided to take obey her, on one condition. "Come lie with me?" He asked softly.

She flashed him the same smile she'd given him the day she'd married him, and went into his arms. "Gladly," she whispered.

****

Cordelia felt the steady beat of Giles' heart under her cheek. He'd fallen asleep almost as soon as she'd lain down beside him. She was so worried about him. Not just because of the Council business, but also because he hadn't allowed himself to recover fully from the spell he'd been under. Her mind shuddered back from the possibility of life without him. It was something she just couldn't seem to contemplate and she wasn't sure if she would ever be able to. Logic told her that she would probably outlive him, but then again, when had she ever listened to logic? She curled around him and pushed the morbid thoughts away. Right now, he was with her and that was all that mattered. She drifted off to sleep.

****

The sound of a cell phone ringing woke both of them.

Cordelia fumbled for a bit before punching the right button. "Hello?"

"Cordy?"

"Who else would be answering my phone, Wes?" She was a bit grumpy from her interrupted nap.

He ignored her bad humor. "Quentin Travers is in my apartment as we speak." He paused. "He's brought someone with him."

Cordelia could hear the dread in his voice and felt her stomach drop. "Who?"

"Giles' uncle."

She looked over at her husband who was trying to wake up. "Giles' uncle?"

Giles' eyes snapped completely open in shock. He grabbed the phone from Cordelia. "Wesley?"

"Yes?"

"What the bloody hell is my uncle doing there?" Giles' voice shook with repressed anger.

Wesley took a deep breath. "From the looks of it, he's taking over for my father," the ex-Watcher answered quietly.

Giles stomach hit the ground. "We'll be there as soon as we can," he ground out and jabbed the off button.

"Giles?" Cordelia called his name.

He threw everything in the hamper and wadded up the blanket. He grabbed his wife's hand and headed to the care.

"Giles, what the hell is going on?" Cordelia dug in her heels and jerked her hand out of his grasp.

"Lawrence Giles is my uncle." Giles dropped the hamper and sank to the sand. God, he'd known it wasn't over. Why had he allowed himself, even for a moment, to believe that it was?

"And?" Cordelia asked.

"He hated my parents and now he hates me."

"Why?"

"Because the one thing he wanted all his life was a Slayer. My father had one and then I was assigned to Buffy. It ate at him that he was passed over both times. He felt that because he was the oldest son, the right should have gone to him automatically. The Council felt differently and he's never forgiven them, or us, for his imagined slight."

"You think he'll still try to follow through with William's plan; even though it's all out in the open now?"

"Cordelia, it's always been in the open within the Council. The only people that didn't know what was going on was going on were Buffy and the rest of us."

"So now we know and we'll kick his ass if he tries anything," she said as she knelt down in front of him. "Now, come on." She took his hand and pulled him to his feet. "We've got an uncle to intimidate and a Council to take back."

"You don't understand," he began.

She stopped and turned to face him. "I understand that you've never backed down from a fight before. I understand that you've put it on the line for Buffy and the others for years. I also understand that they've done the same, and will do the same again, for you. I also understand that he doesn't realize you have me. That's a biiiggg mistake on his part." She grinned as she grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the care again. "Your uncle doesn't know it yet, but he's not messing with just you anymore. He's gotta go through all of us to get to you now."

Her back was to him, so she didn't see the effect her words had on him. Sometimes he forgot how courageous the young people he'd aligned himself with were. They never backed down from a fight and very seldom lost one. He grinned suddenly. Uncle Lawrence wouldn't know what hit him.

****

Wesley watched as Quentin Travers and Lawrence Giles alternately paced and glared at one another. He'd tried to find out what was wrong, but they'd both informed him, haughtily, that he was no long Council, therefore he didn 't have any right to now. Forget the buggers were in *his* flat. Lawrence had let slip that he was William Wyndham-Pryce's right hand man. That's when the ex-Watcher had gone into his bedroom and called Cordelia and Giles. He'd heard the click of the extension being picked up, but it wasn't like they could fire him for warning Rupert Giles about their presence, so he'd finished the call and went back into the living room. He'd just been glad that Buffy was out and, hopefully, they would be gone before she got back.

Naturally, just as he finished the thought, fate decided to have a jolly good laugh on him by having her come back early.

"Hey Wes, I got some--." Her voice died at the sight of the two suit-clad men standing in his living room. Her eyes flew to her lover. He shrugged his shoulders in quiet confusion.

"What is *she* doing here?" Lawrence Giles demanded.

Buffy looked at the man. She didn't recognize. "I could ask the same thing about you, but then again, I don't even know who the hell you are."

"I am here on behalf of the Council," he told her, with a sniff of disdain.

"As part of the Council," Travers corrected.

Buffy turned slowly to stare at Travers. He seemed--friendlier--somehow. "And what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Trying to protect you and Rupert," he answered quietly.

"Forgive me if I don't believe you."

He drew in a deep, slow breath. "I know I deserved that, Miss Summers."

"You deserve a helluva lot more than that."

"Quentin, are you going to let her get away with speaking to you in this manner?" Lawrence protested.

Buffy gave him her attention again. "Look, mister. I don't know who you are, and I don't really care. This is between him and me."

"He's my uncle," a voice said from the doorway.

Buffy turned to see her Watcher standing there with an odd, guarded look on his face.

Cordelia was standing beside him. The look on her face was plain to read. It said, 'Don't mess with my husband'.

Buffy moved to stand by Wesley because, suddenly, the vibes in the room were getting way too weird for her.

"Do you have any idea what's going on?" She whispered out of the corner of her mouth to him.

"Somewhat," he answered just as quietly. "I'll tell you later."

She nodded unhappily.

****

Giles stepped further into the apartment and closed the door behind him and Cordelia. "Hello, Uncle."

"I claim no kin to you," Lawrence Giles spat.

"Really?" Giles cocked his head to one side and folded his arms across his chest. "That's not what I heard when the Council was choosing its new leader. I was told, by many reliable sources, that you played upon the Giles' name quite shamelessly."

Buffy watched the older man sputter, and grinned as she whispered to Wesley. "See how he does that? When he gets that teacher's voice going, you're in trouble."

Wesley nodded and smothered a smile of his own.

"I don't know who told you that, but they were lying." Lawrence blustered.

"I doubt it, but we'll let it slide for the time being." Giles said as he led Cordelia to the sofa and sat down.

"This is Council business; they have no business being here." Giles' uncle gestured to Buffy, Cordelia and Wesley.

Giles looked at him with barely concealed astonishment. "You would advocate throwing Buffy out of the room?!"

"She does not make Council policy," the other man replied stubbornly.

"She's the *reason* for Council policy, you bloody idiot." Giles' temper was hanging by a slender, fraying thread.

"What of the other two? They have no reason to be here."

"Cordelia is my wife and, might I add, a warrior on the front lines of the battle we wage. She does not sit in a posh office thousands of miles away and play politics while others are dying." Giles took a deep, calming breath. "As for Wesley, he may not be an active member of the Council, but he has paid his dues and we are in *his* home. I hardly think we can ask him to leave just because it offends your sensibilities." The younger Giles gave a disgusted shake of his head. "Why don't we just put our cards on the table, shall we?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"William Wyndham-Pryce was here to murder my Slayer and me. He failed." Giles saw a flash of consternation cross his uncle's face. "Now, you are here to take his place, are you not?"

"Are you accusing me of plotting your demise?" Lawrence demanded.

"I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm telling you, we know what you're up to and you won't get away with it."

The older man looked at the four people lined up against him. His nephew looked exhausted, but his wife's eyes held a fire that was somewhat disconcerting to behold. He suddenly remembered that she was half-demon; something about not being able to withstand the visions without giving up part of her humanity. His disgust for his nephew went up another notch. Imagine a Giles being involved with a demon of any sort.

He then looked at the woman that everyone in the Council was supposed to swear their loyalty to. She had slept with Angelus; that he had been wearing the guise of the souled vampire, Angel, was neither here nor there. She'd willingly had carnal relations with the enemy. She was a disgrace to that which she proclaimed to defend.

He gestured to the blonde Slayer. "I will not have this--this *whore* judge me." He said contemptuously.

He barely had the words out when he found himself pinned against the wall.

"If I *ever* hear that word leave your mouth in conjunction with Buffy again, I will put you in the ground, do we understand one another?" Surprisingly--or maybe not--it wasn't Giles uttering the quiet threat. It was a *very* pissed-off Wesley.

Lawrence tried to demand his release, but the only thing that came out was a gurgle. Wesley had his arm against the older man's throat, barely able to keep himself from crushing the man's windpipe. He watched as the pinned man slowly turned blue.

"Wes?"

He felt a small hand on his arm. He turned to find Buffy looking at him with concern.

"Let him go, Wes. He's not worth it and," she looked at his abdomen, "you've opened your wound again." She gently pried his arm away from Lawrence's throat. She pulled Wesley back to the sofa and sat him down, smoothing his hair back before giving her attention back to the man still leaning against the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"I think you need to leave," she said in a low, controlled voice.

"You can't force me to leave," he spluttered.

"That's where you're wrong." This came from Cordelia. She moved to stand beside Buffy, the two women sharing wry smile as they stood shoulder to shoulder once again.

The older Giles thought about testing their resolve, until he saw his nephew align himself behind the two of them. Wesley struggled to his feet and stood beside Giles.

"Fine," he huffed. "We'll leave. But we will be back," he promised in an ominous tone. He turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment.

Travers hung back for a moment. "May I contact you, Rupert? We really need to talk."

Giles nodded and Quentin followed his fellow Council member out of the door.

****

Buffy turned to find Wesley swaying on his feet.

"I thought I told you to sit down," she exclaimed in exasperation.

"No, actually, you made me sit down. You never told me anything," he corrected her with a chuckle that ended on a pain-filled groan.

"Smartass," she muttered under her breath as she helped him sit again.

Wesley would have laughed again, but once was more than enough, his bruised and battered body decided.

Buffy finished situating him and sat down beside him. It was only then that she noticed that Giles and Cordelia were still standing.

"You know, you *can* sit."

Giles nodded. "Yes, of course. But I think we need to be going. Something tells me that the talk that Quentin wants to have can't be put off."

Buffy nodded and started to get up to show them out. After all, her mother did teach her a few manners, even if the hellmouth did manage to drum most of them out of her.

Cordelia waved her back down. "Sit. We know the way out." She followed her husband out and locked the door behind them.

****

Buffy turned to find Wesley with his head leaned against the back of the sofa. He was pale and pain had dug deep grooves at the corners of his mouth; he'd closed his eyes and was concentrating on bringing the pain under control.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked as she sat down gently beside him, curling one leg underneath her.

He nodded, slowly.

She caressed his forehead, brushing that unruly lock of hair back again. She let her fingers drift down his cheekbones to trace a light path across his full mouth. His warm breath against her skin sent a shiver down her spine.

"Wes, I think you need to go to bed," she told him softly.

He shook his head. "I don't want to lie down."

"You mean you're in too much pain to get to the bedroom," she corrected. She couldn't help the amusement that colored her voice.

He cracked one eye. "One might think that it was cruel for the person who claimed to love him to laugh at him."

"One might think that," she agreed. This time, she made no attempt to hide her smile. "Besides, it's your own fault you're hurting. Nobody told you to play Neanderthal with Giles' uncle."

Wesley opened both eyes and turned his head to fully look at her. "I have no intention of allowing someone like Lawrence Giles to slander you in my presence." He shifted and winced as the stitches pulled, yet again.

"It didn't matter; I could've handled him, Wes."

"It mattered to me." Wesley took her hand and traced her lifeline with the tip of his finger. "What kind of man would I be if I allowed someone to speak that way about the woman I love?"

Buffy drew in a sharp breath. He'd told her that he loved her before, but it never failed to hit her right in the heart when he said it.

"I just don't want you hurt anymore," she said softly.

He picked up her hand and placed a warm, wet kiss on the center of it. "It will take more than that pillock to hurt me," he assured her.

"I was more worried about self-inflicted damage than him doing something to you." She thought about the older man. "Besides, I think maybe Connor could take him and he's not even a year old yet."

Wesley chuckled and then hissed through his teeth as the pain bit at him.

Buffy stood. "Come on, cave-man, let's go to bed."

She held out her hand and pulled him to his feet. She slid an arm around his back, being careful of his wound, and helped him to the bedroom.

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