Title: R.I.P 3/6
Author: Savage
Pairing: B/G
Rating: Strong R, sad fic, ends happy
Distribution: Dusty
Dedication: To Morr, Merry Christmas Sis! *g* Even if it this is
two years old *eg* seems to be a thing with me, LOL
Disclaimer: Joss owns all
Author note: um, I was thinking of adding another story to this later,
but I’m not sure. You guys let me know. Jules you rock, thanks so much
for keeping Giles english!
(Graveyard)
Silently she took a seat next to Angel as he pulled the Slayer into his arms and held her close.
"You think...you think Giles would have liked the headstone?" Her voice sounded so small as she tried to talk through her tears, that it nearly broke his heart.
"I think he would, yes. It's...well, it fits him... and you" Angel answered as they stared at the unique headstone on Giles grave. The shape was unusual, but beautiful.
"You picked it out?" Angel asked.
"Yeah. Xander carved it, then painted it and did something else to it. I-I didn't pay attention much at the time..."
"He's quite the handyman" Angel told her as he admired Xander's work.
"Yeah"
"I think Giles would be very touched by it"
"I hope so"
Angel could tell her voice was slightly slurred as he looked down to her and saw her eyes fighting to stay open.
"I promise everything will be all right"
"Hmm?"
"Rest Buffy, I'll keep watch"
"Giles..." Buffy's head slipped to Angel's chest as her hand clenched at his shirt.
Some time later, exhaustion finally took her over.
(Outside)
Giles was amazed at how easily he had escaped. Something was wrong, nothing was ever that easy. Making his way along another alley, Giles stopped when he heard a noise to his left. Turning, he looked behind him, but saw nothing.
"Who's there?" He asked out loud, waiting for someone or something to answer. He looked around with his eyes darting left then right.
"I know someone's there! Who is it?"
Another sound came as a shadow appeared out of the darkness in front of him.
"Oh, bloody hell Ethan! What's wrong with you?"
"I owe you for saving my life back in Sunnydale Ripper. This is your last warning then you and I, we're even"
"I never saved you."
"Yes you did. Buffy could have killed me for turning you into that demon, but you didn't let her."
"I could have killed you myself, for that"
"Yes, but the fact is you didn't, and you didn't let her either."
"A momentary lapse of..."
"Point is, you could have. So I owe you. And I always repay my debts. Ripper this IS your father. Be careful"
"If you wanted to make amends, why did you take me in the first place?"
"He helped me escape from prison. Before I knew what I was getting into, he made sure I would have no choice but to get you to him. So, I did. Never said I would keep you there however"
"How noble of you" he said sarcastically
With a chuckle Ethan looked down at his arm.
"Not noble Ripper, just..." With anger in his eyes, Ethan looked at Giles and told him sternly "Make sure he suffers, Ripper. For what he's about to do to you and what he did to me"
"You?"
"Be seeing you"
Turning, Ethan walked away ignoring Giles who called to him several times. Ethan needed to find a witch and cast a spell to heal his body. Rupert was on his own now.
(Grave Yard)
Angel stood with Buffy still in his arms. She stirred slightly but didn't speak and assuming that the slayer was still asleep, the vampire began to walk out of the graveyard. Buffy was vaguely aware that she was moving. Opening her eyes, she saw they were heading away from Giles' grave.
"Where are we going?"
"It's almost time for the sun to rise. I wanted to get you somewhere safe while I ..."
"I don't want to leave him ,Angel" Buffy struggled to get out of his arms, but Angel wouldn't allow it. Had she not been so weak, she would have fought harder to get free.
"Buffy..."
"It's raining still, the sun..."
"I'm not letting you out here any longer Buffy. Slayer healing or not, you can still get sick If I don't get you inside and into something warm and dry. I know how you feel, but you need to rest. We can come back tonight"
Buffy knew he was right and she was too tired and weak to argue.
"Take me to his place"
"Do you know where it is?" Angel asked.
"Address is in my pocket"
She mumbled as her eyes slowly closed and she fell back asleep.
Exhaustion sucked.
(Hotel Room - England)
Willow, Tara and Dawn looked at one another then at the bathroom door as the sounds of Anya and Xander moaning filtered into the room. Dawn turned the TV up louder.
"It's nice they're back together, but how can they do that with Giles...you know" Dawn said.
"What?" Willow strained to hear as Tara smiled and turned down the TV.
"There" Tara said with a kind smile.
"Thanks baby"
"Anytime"
"Now, what did you say Dawnie?"
More moans filled the room as several noises of something falling were heard.
"Shampoo bottles?" Willow guessed as Dawn made an 'Oh Gross' face.
"Probably" Tara answered as another crash was heard.
"Again, how can they do that when Giles is gone and Buffy's in so much pain?" Dawnie's voice was low and full of sadness as she asked the girls.
Tara and Willow barely heard her as tears formed in the younger sister's eyes.
"Oh Dawn. Sometimes people have different ways of dealing with the loss of someone close to them" Tara tried to explain.
"So, they have loud sex?" Dawn asked
"Um, well, some do, I guess?" Tara looked at Willow for help.
"W-What Tara means, is sometimes, people find a way to deal with death that ..."
"Yeah I get it, never mind. They find comfort in each other thing, right? And that sounded grosser than I meant for it to"
With a smile, Willow and Tara wrapped Dawn in a hug as girl asked "You think Buffy's ok?"
"I think she is. Angel's with her" Willow said softly
"She loved him" Dawn told her.
"I know"
"Not Angel"
"Huh?" Willow asked as Dawn look at her.
"She was in love with Giles"
"What? Giles? Our Giles? How do you ... did she tell you that?"
"I just know" Dawn said as Willow looked at her, then to Tara, in shock. Her girlfriend smiled and nodded as Willow looked back at Dawn.
"Was I the only one who didn't know?"
"Well, it was kind of obvious" Dawn offered.
"Yeah Will, didn't you ever see the 'looks' between those two?" Xander said as he appeared in the open door way from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and his hair still damp from the shower.
Anya came into view a few moments later wearing the clean clothes that Xander had taken into the bathroom to change into himself.
"You guys have fun?" Tara asked with a smile.
"Best orgasm of my life" Anya answered proudly
"Looks? What looks? Buffy-" Willow, still stuck on the last comment about the 'looks' between Buffy and Giles, was interrupted by Xander.
"Will, trust us, she did"
"I'm her best friend! Don't you think I would know this?"
"I think you were a little too busy with T, no offence T, to notice Will" Xander said.
"No offence taken X"
They shared a smile as he went to the closet to grab more clean clothes.
"So, everyone knew but me?"
"Yup" Anya said, perfunctorily, as she sat on the side of the bed next to them and asked "How you doing Dawnie?"
"Ok I guess. I miss him though"
"Yeah, I know"
"I hope Buffy's ok"
"Angel's with her, he wont let anything happen to her"
"Yeah, but I mean, you think she's 'really' ok?"
" I don't think Buff will ever be 'really' ok. She not only lost her watcher, but her best friend" Xander chimed in as he emerged from his closet, dressed in sweats and a shirt.
Xander took a seat next to Anya, wrapping her in his arms.
"Hey! Best friend sitting here!" Willow growled.
"Sorry Will"
"I feel so bad for her though. I want to help her so much" Dawn whined as Anya said softly, trying to comfort her.
"And you will Dawn. Buffy just needs to be alone right now, to sort out some things on her own"
"I can't believe everyone knew about this, BUT me" Willow huffed as Xander chuckled.
"You not letting this go anytime soon, are you?"
(Giles' Home - Bath)
Angel found Giles' home. However, the sleeping Slayer in his arms said nothing about a key as he tried the door and found it was clearly locked. Of course with his vampire strength he could just turn the handle and break the lock off, but if Buffy was going to be sleeping here while he found a place to wait out the daylight, then he wasn't leaving her with a door that wouldn't lock.
"Buffy?"
He murmured her name softly as he looked down at her. She looked so sad in his arms, even in sleep she was restless as he watched her eyes darting back and forth under her closed lids.
"Buffy?"
"Hmm..."
"I don't suppose you have a key, do you?"
"Key?"
Opening her eyes, Buffy lifted her head off his shoulder and found herself in front of a beautiful home. Looking around, she saw green grass, healthy and thick as the wind breezed through it. Flowers covered the walkway to the door. Roses, tall, full and of all colors, lining the side of the home.
Beautiful.
"Buffy?"
"Under the mat. Giles told me, if I ever needed to get in for any reason, not that he expected me to come here, but a key would always be waiting for me under the mat"
With a warm smile, Angel set Buffy down then reached under the mat and grabbed the key waiting there. As he inserted it into the lock and turned the handle, Buffy laid her hand under the pedals of a white rose, with red slashes covering some of the petals, making it look like blood.
"He told me about this one"
"What?"
"Well, not me. Dawnie, then she told me. He told her that he planted it a while ago. It was supposed to be pure white but a few weeks ago it started to turn red on some of the petals, looking like..."
"Blood?" Angel asked.
"Yeah"
"You think it's a sign"
"I don't know. But-"
"Buffy, you really have to get inside so I can go soon"
"Ok"
Removing her hand, Buffy let the rose go. Angel touched her shoulder lightly to get her attention before he asked.
"Are you going to be ok?"
"Yeah. Angel, can you.."
"I know. You wanna be alone. There's a hotel across the way, not far at all from here. If you need me, just.."
"I know. Thanks. For everything"
With a smile, he kissed her cheek then headed for the hotel before the sun rose and turned him into ash.
The white rose that Buffy touched outside, withered and died....