Title: Goodbye To You 2/3
Author: Savage
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Rating: R
Spoilers: Season 6 Sometime after Once More with Feeling
Distribution: Dusty, Dee, ASH
Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss, just the story is mine and the song isn't mine either
Author Note: For Ewie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUN! ;-) LOL and to poorlittle Heidi cause I keep teasing her about frights *g* thanks Chris ;-)
(Bronze)
Seeing Giles on the tape, openly showing his emotions when for so many years he'd hidden them from everyone and everything, touched Buffy more than she was prepared for. No matter how mad she was at him, she couldn't let him go now.
Not without a fight.
"Drive me" Buffy asked Xander, who stood next to her.
"To G? Sure Buff."
"Shouldn't we go to the ER?" Dawn asked as she followed them to Xander's car.
"Giles first, ER second."
"Oh bloody hell. Giles sheds a few tears, sings one sappy song and you run off to..."
"Don't Spike." Buffy glared at him as she opened the passenger door.
"He'll never love you the way I do, Slayer"
"You're right, he won't. He's human. Something you could never be or understand"
Getting into the car, Buffy felt a little bad for Spike. She knew he loved her, but he was still a demon through and through. And more importantly, one she could never trust. Chip or no chip, Spike was unpredictable, reckless and a cold-blooded killer. She didn't love him, it was time he realized it and accepted it.
Giles was the one who held her heart. Buffy knew it and it was about time her Watcher did as well.
Spike watched Xander take off as he lit another cigarette. He felt bloody horrible. He couldn't believe he was allowing the Slayer to treat him like this. He was the Big Bad after all. Killed two slayers in his lifetime, he did. Buffy should fear him, not boss him around. She'd realize that once he got this chip out of his head.
"Love's bitch my bleeding ass. You'll be back Slayer and when you are, I'llhave more than one surprise for you"
Turning to leave, Spike heard a ringing at his feet, which cause him to stop. Looking down, he saw it was Buffy's cell.
(Sunnydale International Airport)
Buffy's phone rang several times before Giles decided to give up. Just as he was about to hang up, he heard Spike answer.
"Yeah?"
"Spike?"
"Watcher?"
"What are you doing answering Buffy's phone?"
"Well, doesn't someone sound awfully snooty?"
"Oh, shut up"
"Well you can't have it both ways, Rupes. Either you want me to answer yourquestion or not"
Giles could just see the grin on the dead man's lips.
"Right you are. Where's Buffy?
Thinking for a moment, Spike looked down the road where Xander's car had disappeared.
"Sleeping" he said with a sly grin. Spike decided this would be the perfectway to get back at Buffy. He'd show her all right. Once he convinced ol' Rupes that she didn't want to have anything to do with him, he be on his plane and back to England before Buffy could reach the airport.
Plus, it was fun messin' with the Watcher.
"Sleeping? Where?"
"Right here, next to me."
Giles felt his heart sink. Would Buffy actually go to Spike for comfort?
"Excuse me? With you?"
"Meant to thank you for that by the way. Had you never left, Buffy never would have fallen into my arms. Where she belongs."
Anger rose inside Giles.
"Lets get one thing straight Spike. Buffy never, and will NEVER, belong with you or to you! You understand me? All you are is something to comfort her. Like it or not."
"You seem pretty sure of yourself there, Rupes. And yet, here she is, snuggled next to me like a bug in a rug."
Taking a deep breath, Giles stood and gripped the phone tighter. Growling he warned the vampire.
"What I'm doing, it's for her own well being. I know it, you know it, and she will to. However, if you do anything to hurt her Spike, if so much as have ONE indecent thought about her, I will be back here faster than Drusillaturned you. Do you understand me?!"
Smiling, Spike was walking down the street.
"So I take it you don't really believe me that she's here."
"It doesn't matter if I or I don't. Only that YOU understand what I'm telling you."
Spike was silent for several moments as thoughts of Buffy lying next to thevampire haunted Giles mind.
"So... want me to wake her?"
She was there? Damn it. How could she go back to a creature like Spike after what happened with Angel? Didn't she learn last time?
"No."
"Right, then."
Giles heard the line click and dead air. Lowering the phone, he prayed Spike was just being an ass and Buffy wasn't really with him. He needed her to be strong. He knew she could do this; he just needed her to believe it too.
(Xander's Car)
"Don't worry Buff, We'll make it."
"Yeah, I hope so."
"Xander's right, Buffy. We have plenty of time before his plane leaves. I hope" Dawn answered as she sat between her sister and Xander in the front seat. Anya, Willow and Tara took the back, with Anya in between the two witches.
"Hey! Whose hand is on my ass!!??" Anya growled looking from Willow to Tara, then back to Willow.
"Oh please. You wish!"
"No I do not, thank you very much. I like, love, penises. Xander's tobe more to the point"
"That right. Keep your hands off my woman you two" Xander said as he perkedup and looked at her through the review mirror.
"Yeah. I - Tara!"
"Sorry. I-I thought I-I had Willow this T-time for sure"
"Urgh. Please, I'm way prettier than her. How could you not tell my butt wasn't hers?? I mean, look at it. Its way better than -"
"Hey!"
"What? It's not my fault the truth hurts-"
"GUYS!" Dawn yelled back to them as Buffy closed her eyes. "Please, KNOCK IT OFF."
(Sunnydale International Airport)
A lady behind the counter called over the speaker for Giles plane to start boarding. The Watcher took a deep breath and realized this was it. Asmuch as he didn't want to go, he knew he had to.
"We are now boarding rows 1-14. Please step in line and have your tickets ready." The lady's voice broke his thoughts as he reached inside his jacket and removed his ticket.
(Sunnydale International Airport)
Rushing through the front doors, Buffy and the gang made their way to one of the large Arrival and Departure guides. As they searched for the departures they found there were only three flights that day to England. Two of them had passed all ready, much earlier in the day, so the only one left and the only one Giles could be on, was the one leaving in 4 minutes.
"Come on, this way" Buffy yelled to them, already taking off in a fast run.Dawn and the others struggled to keep up with her as she called to her sister.
"Buffy, I don't think you should be running!"
"Find Giles now, die later"
Willow and Xander looked over at each other, hoping Buffy was only kidding.
"She was holding her ribs in the car, you don't think-"
"She's fine Will. Buff's tough. Me other hand..." Xander was taking deep breaths as he followed the group around a corner, almost tripping over a garbage can.
"I saw that. I saw it."
"Xander, what if Buffy's really hurt? She didn't look too good, and she wouldn't let Dawnie or me see her side in the car."
"I don't think she be running that fast if she was really hurt, Will. I mean, I'm running half the speed she is and I'm the one in need of an oxygen tank"
"Here it is!" Buffy exclaimed to them as Xander came to a halt, thanking God it wasn't any further. He was gasping for breath as Willow and the othersjoined him.
"Buffy... next... time... need... to... ride... that... little... car... thing..."
As Buffy jogged to the gate, the agent shutting the door stopped her from going down the tunnel.
"I'm sorry ma'am, no one is allowed beyond this point"
"No, you don't understand. I NEED to get to that plane"
"I'm sorry you missed your flight Miss, but -"
"NO, see, you're not listening to me! I HAVE to get on that plane!"
"The plane is heading towards the runway ma'am. There's-"
"What? Y-you have to call the captain! Make him stop the plane, make him turn back!"
Tears gathered in Buffy's eyes as she watched the plane slowly taxi towardsthe runway. Giles was slipping away from her.
"I'm very sorry Miss. But there's no way to stop that plane now." Theagent smiled sadly at her and walked back to the counter. Buffy felt her heart clench inside her chest. Giles was RIGHT there. He was SO close to her. And still she couldn't get to him. Maybe this was a sign. Maybe she wasn't met to catch him after all. Leaning her head against the cold glass, Buffy let the tears in her eyes fall.
"Buffy?"
She felt her sister's hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Buffy."
"Why don't you break the door down and run out on the airfield?" Anya askedas Willow glared at her.
"Do you even USE your brain?"
"Hey!"
"Ladies. Now let's not start this again-"
"Shut up Xander!" both Girls growled at him as Dawn turned her sister around and pointed to a phone behind the agent.
"Look. Maybe that leads to the plane, or at the very least, the tower"
Hope filled Buffy as she walked to the agent.
"Where does that line go?"
"The what?"
"That line. The phone. Where does it go?"
"Oh no. Ma'am I TOLD you, there is no way -"
"If you don't stop that plane, someone is going to die"
The agent's eyes filled with concern.
"Are you threatening me, Ma'am?"
"What? No, No! I meant...look, please! You have to help me. If I don't get to a man on that flight..."
"It's a medical emergency!" Anya offered as Willow sighed and rolled her eyes.
"As if she's going to believe-" Willow was cut off as the agent looked at Buffy and asked.
"What kind of emergency?"
Anya smiled and stuck her tongue out at Willow.
"Um.."
Buffy looked at the gang for help.
"Pills! He needs pills. For his..." Xander tried to think of something but Tara finished it.
"Heart?"
"Right, Yes. Good. His heart"
"Uh huh" the agent said, clearly not believing them as she crossed her armsover her chest.
"And you have these, pills?"
"Um... uh..."
Everyone looked at each other and shrugged.
"Ok, so that's not true"
"You're kidding me?"
"Ok, I can see sarcasm isn't lost on you. But, I'm serious. If you don't let me get on that plane, then the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole screwed up life is going to disappear. I know he wants me on my own, and I can do that, I will do that, but... but I love him. And I didn't know he felt the same till tonight. Please, if I let him go now without knowing how I feel, I'm afraid he never will"
(Airplane)
Sitting next to the window, Giles watched the rain starting to pour down. His mind was having a battle with itself over leaving the Slayer. Though it was his job as a Watcher to do the very best thing for her, as a man, and one that was very much in love with her, he just couldn't stop the nagging guilt of leaving her.
Giles knew just how strong she was, and he knew the gang was there should she ever need backup. Plus, he was but a phone call away. Besides, he was fooling himself thinking she could ever return his feelings. If he'd stayed there any longer, sooner or later, Buffy would've found out about them. Why stay and make a fool of himself? He was twice her age, twice a liability, and more of burden than she or the others would ever let on.