Title: The Assistant 25/?
Author: Sweetdoggie
Email: (stirling_summer@yahoo.com)
Pairing: B/G
Rating: G
Summary: Buffy goes to college, Giles screws up.
Spoilers: Up to 4
Disclaimer: No permission has been granted to use the characters. They are owned by their creator, Joss Whedon, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB, and Mutant Enemy. This story is non-profit and is intended solely as entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.
Buffy came home from her first day of college exhausted and dragging. It wasn’t the physical activity but the mental stress that had tired her out. She walked in the front door of their home and was deeply surprised to see a beautiful black woman coming out of the kitchen with a cup of tea in her hand.
She looked at Buffy as if Buffy were the intruder. “Who are you?” the Slayer demanded.
“I’m Olivia, an old friend of Rupert’s. You must be his little friend. I’m sorry, I don’t remember your name.”
“Giles!” Buffy yelled without taking her eyes off the woman.
He came tearing in from the kitchen. “Hello, Buffy! How was your first day at college?”
“Forget that! Who’s your friend?”
“Oh, do forgive me! Buffy, I’d like you to meet Olivia, an old friend of mine from England. Olivia this is Buffy, ah, a young friend of mine.” He tried a weak chuckle.
Both women looked at him. Buffy, he noted, had fury in her eyes. He was dreadfully embarrassed. He didn’t want Liv to see that he was a cradle robber. He knew her opinion of men who went after younger women. It wasn’t complimentary. If she found out, then all his colleagues back at the British museum would know as well. He wasn’t ashamed of being married to Buffy, but the world was a harsh place and he hated being ridiculed. He knew what interpretation everyone would put on his actions. He could hear them now, mulling over his life, wondering if their own daughters had been safe around him, or even worse, chuckling over his downfall. He had hoped Liv would be gone before Buffy came home but she had stayed and stayed and now he was going to have to tell the truth. He looked beseechingly at Buffy, wondering if her eyes were really glowing red or if he was imagining things.
“So, Rupert, why is young Buffy here?” Olivia asked, watching him. Something was definitely going on but she had no idea what.
Buffy stood, arms crossed, head tilted to one side. “Yeah, Giles. Tell your friend why I’m here.”
He looked at the ground, unable to make eye contact with either woman. “Ah, Buffy’s mother had to go to England and asked me to look after her.” It was true, after all. Joyce had asked him to look after Buffy.
“You’ll never guess who I met at school today.” Buffy said with bright fury in her voice. “Riley Finn, of all people. He wanted to buy me a soda and talk about old times.”
Giles looked up. “Finn? That young ponce? Did he, did he try anything?” He was furiously jealous.
“Try anything?” Buffy sounded amused. “Giles, I’m almost nineteen. I think I could handle it if he ‘tried’ something.” She looked at Olivia. “Riley was assigned to me to help me graduate from high school last year. I was always in trouble and he was always there for me. I think it’s sort of funny that he is going to be the T.A. in my psychology class now. I’ll see him three times a week.” She deliberately giggled. “He’s a graduate student and very handsome.”
Giles saw red himself. “You are dropping that class instantly! Do you hear me! I won’t have you associating with that boy.”
“Rupert, lighten up.” Olivia commanded. “I’m sure Buffy can handle herself around horny young men. No need to play the heavy-handed father.”
“Right, Giles. I mean, you’re not my dad, after all.” Buffy said with patently false cheer.
Giles looked at Olivia, barely seeing her. “Liv, would you mind giving Buffy and me a few moments? We obviously have to talk.”
“Rupert, I’m sure the girl doesn’t want or need a lecture from you. So what if this handsome, young man is interested in her? It’s normal. Besides, I came here to be with you, and now you’re suddenly acting as if you barely know me!” Olivia was looking at him crossly. Buffy was looking at him with a deep and abiding fury. This was not going to end happily for him, no matter what choice he made.
“Liv, please!”
She huffed and stomped off to the kitchen. He turned to Buffy, eyes pleading. “Please, Buffy. If she finds out we’re married, she’ll go back to England and tell everyone that I’m a cradle robber! Everyone will think I’m some sort of pervert or even worse, some sort of foolish old man doting on his child bride.”
“I see. So to save yourself some embarrassment, you pretend that your wife is just some kid you’ve been asked to watch out for while her mother is off doing God knows what, eh?”
“You make it sound so bad!” He was practically wringing his hands. “I don’t want you to be in that class with Finn. You know he was in love with you. He could use his opportunity to be with you to further his advances.”
“Well, since I suddenly don’t seem to be married anymore, what’s wrong with that?” Buffy growled.
“I just don’t want to look like a child molester! Surely you can understand that! My professional reputation as a scholar…” he let his voice drop off.
“Well, I can see where that is more important than acknowledging your wife!” Buffy said. She put her hand on her hip. “Rupert, you are twenty years older than I am. You married me when I was seventeen and wanted me when I was even younger than that. That’s just a fact. I don’t see why you’re being so stupid about this.”
“I love you, Buffy, please don’t doubt that, but if word of our marriage got out, I’d be ruined academically.” He tried to take her hand but she shook him off angrily.
“Everybody on the Council knows. I can’t believe you couldn’t get a job with those contacts. Don’t use that crap as an excuse because I’m not buying it for an instant.” She recrossed her arms. “You just don’t want your girl friend to know you’re married.”
Since this was indisputably true, he didn’t know what to say. “Please, forgive me?”
She leaned forward. “Get rid of your girl friend, and I don’t mean just for tonight—she’s got to know you’re off the market permanently.”
“Buffy, please don’t put me in this position.” He again tried to take her hand.
He saw the rage in her eyes snap like lightening. Her hand darted out and slapped him across the face so hard he saw stars. “I’m going out so I don’t kill you,” she ground out. “The bitch better be gone when I get back or I’ll tell her.” She turned around and stormed out of the house, slamming the front door hard enough to crack a window.
Liv came out of the kitchen when she heard the front door slam. “Trouble in paradise, lover?”
He looked at her, the imprint of Buffy’s hand clear on his cheek. “Liv, I have to be honest with you. I’m involved with somebody and it’s serious. You and I can’t simply take up where we left off anymore.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re involved with little Buffy’s mother, aren’t you? That’s why she asked you to watch her kid while she went off.”
He looked past her shoulder, refusing to make eye contact. “Ah, we have a relationship,” he acknowledged. Strictly speaking, he allowed mentally, that was true. It was just that the relationship was that of mother and son-in-law. “Joyce had a family emergency. She’s pregnant, Liv.” He thanked God Buffy couldn’t hear his explanation. She would dismember him for what he was implying.
“Well, why didn’t you simply say so! No wonder Buffy was so angry with you. She probably thought you were going to cheat on her mother.” The beautiful woman shook her head at him. “I really expected better from you, Ripper.”
“I’m a fool, Liv.”
“Will Buffy call her mum?”
“God, I hope not!” He shuddered at the implications of that. Merrick would nail his hide to the wall in no short order. He dreaded to think what Joyce would do.
She walked up to him and patted him on the cheek. “I have to go, anyway. I just stopped in to see how you were doing. Goodbye, Ripper.”
“Goodbye, Liv.” He knew that a part of his life that he had cherished was slipping quietly out of his hands. He wasn’t, of course, in love with Liv, but she had known him since he was a very foolish young man and ties like that were hard to sever.
He watched her walk out of his house and get into her sports car. She drove out of his life as completely as if she had never been. He knew he would never see her again.