Title: Slayer Central chapter 16
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind which you really don't want. Please don't sue.



"I'm telling you, Tara, I can't even find his credit card used to book a flight anywhere. And his bank accounts haven't been touched in all the time he's been gone."

"Not even by Crystal?"

Willow shrugged.

"Her name's not on any of them. She couldn't if she wanted to."

"So how's she been living? Does she have money of her own?"

"Not that I know of. Maybe Giles or Mrs. Summers has been paying for her stuff. It's not like she's been on a lot of spending sprees."

"So, um, how is she going to deal with y'know, stuff for the baby? And she's gonna need some new clothes soon."

"I didn't want to say anything before, but yeah. She's really starting to show, and she can only wear normal clothes so much longer."

The girls were interrupted by a knock on the door. Tara went to answer it as Willow continued typing.

"Hi guys." Cordelia entered the room without awaiting an invitation. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I? Good. So. I need some girl advice and since, well, you two are the only ones home right now, I guess you're the ones I'm asking."

The two witches glanced uneasily at one another.

"Girl advice?"

"You're still a girl aren't you, Willow? Oh my God, you weren't like planning to make a change or anything were you? 'Cause, boy howdy! Would my face be red then!"

Before her fuming girlfriend could respond, Tara jumped in.

"What did you need advice about?"

"Wesley. And I know asking you two about men is sort of like asking a blind person for fashion advice, but I'm really stuck here."

*****

Cedric Giles paced as he waited for Travers to arrive. Bloody man was nearly ten minutes late. How the man contrived to run the Council with such slipshod ways was beyond Cedric. Precisely the sort of mismanagement that led to his son being given a Slayer to Watch. The sort of chaotic idiocy that led to the current situation in that regard.

"Ah, Cedric. I do hope I haven't kept you waiting too long."

Travers ambled calmly forward with his secretary and a handful of other Watchers trailing after him.

"You're late, Travers."

"The price of power is that one must take care of so many details oneself. There's always someone making some ridiculous claim upon one's time and resources. I do apologise for my lateness. Well, let's be on our way, shall we?"

"Yes, Quentin, do let's get there before my grandchild is born."

Travers smiled sourly.

"I don't doubt that we'll arrive in plenty of time for that momentous occasion. By the way, how is that daughter of yours? Gertrude was her name, wasn't it?"

"Still in the Middle East, somewhere. We don't speak."

"You surprise me, Cedric. A devoted family man like yourself."

Travers swept past his traveling companion, followed by his entourage. All Cedric could do was fume.

Travers stopped just as he reached the door of the plane and looked over his shoulder.

"Coming, Cedric?"

Gritting his teeth, Cedric followed Travers onto the plane.

*****

Harmony slid a chill finger up Parker's still chest as she kissed his shoulder.

"Was it good for you, baby?"

Parker grunted noncomittally and rolled over to his side. Harmony flopped to her back and sighed.

"What? What did I do now?"

"What you always do. That's the problem. You're a broken record in bed. You just don't get that a man needs variety."

"V-variety? What, you want, like, a threesome or something?"

"I want someone who isn't you. We're through, Harm."

The vampiress blinked in hurt surprise.

"Through? We can't be through. I made you, dammit! You're my childe!"

"And now I'm ready to leave the nest - or, actually, make you leave it. You can stay until nightfall, but then you're outta here."

*****

"Promise me something, Joyce."

"Anything I can."

She ran her knuckles over the girl's cheek and smiled.

"You have to stay with me, alright? You have to get through this."

"I promise I'll do my best. And I promise that if I do make it, I'm not going anywhere."

Crystal leaned over the bed.

"I'm not going anywhere either. Not while I've got you."

She pressed her lips to Joyce's for a moment. she pulled back quickly as footsteps approached the room.

"Hey Mom."

"Buffy."

The girl embraced her mother

"I missed you. I would've been over to see you before, but..."

"It's okay, Honey. You're here now. And Crystal's been wonderful company. So how's my grandbaby? You do realize I'm far too young to have one of those."

"Yeah, yeah, world's youngest grandma. We're both doing just fine, thank you. I even got sprung from banishment to the bedroom. I can now join life as we know it already in progress."

"Oh that's wonderful, Buffy. Isn't that great, Crystal?"

"Crystal? Hey, are you okay?"

Buffy and Joyce watched with growing concern as Crystal moved a hand to her belly with a peculiar expression on her face.

"I-I think so. Ohmigod! It's the baby! I felt it move!"

Buffy moved to her side and put out a hand awkwardly.

"Could I...?"

Crystal took the hand and placed it on her belly. After a moment, both girls laughed.

"Wow! That's so...wierd. Does it feel wierd from the inside?"

"Yeah. The wierdest."

Just then, Giles entered the room.

"Rupert, sweetie, you have to feel this!"

Buffy pulled her reluctant husband over to feel Crystal's abdomen.

"What on Earth...?"

His expression changed to a delighted, wondering smile when he felt a tiny nudge under his palm.

"Good lord! Why that's most extraordinary."

"That's wierd in Rupertspeak," Buffy translated.

"I got it," Crystal grinned.

*****

"Do calm down and have a drink, Cedric. We have a long flight ahead of us."

Cedric glowered at his traveling companion.

"I don't understand you, Travers. I've told you that the only active Slayer we've got is pregnant by her former Watcher and you sit there calmly drinking scotch as if there were nothing the matter. You must take this seriously."

"And I assure you, Mr. Giles, that I shall take the situation most seriously if I find that you have been telling me the truth. There is no point to allowing one's emotions to get the better of one until the gravity of the situation has been assessed. And drinking scotch in an agitated manner only leads to disaster as you well know."

He sipped delicately at his drink, then grimaced.

"Then again, when one is drinking ditch water disguised as whiskey..."

He tossed the drink back and set the glass resolutely away from himself.

"But we must discuss this matter..."

"And we will. When I choose to do so."

"And when will that be?"

"When I have seen what I am going to Sunnydale to see. There is no point in talking the matter to death until I have the true facts at my disposal."

"But when you do..."

"Then, sir, I shall act as I see fit. Let me make this perfectly clear to you, Cedric: if Rupert has been mad enough to impregnate Miss Summers, he shall be dealt with firmly. And if I find that you have lied to me, so shall you."

*****

As the time neared for Joyce to be prepped for surgery, she asked Buffy and Crystal to leave the room for a moment so she could speak to Giles privately.

He took a chair beside the bed and waited patiently for Joyce to begin.

"Look, Rupert. It's no secret that I was never happy that you married Buffy. And, as much as I'm looking forward to the baby, I could wring your neck for getting her pregnant so fast."

"I'm well aware of that. I wish I could say I was sorry, but I won't lie to you, Joyce."

"No, you won't. I know I can trust you."

"Trust me?"

Joyce hesitated a moment before continuing.

"I have a sort of a confession to make, and it may just shock you."

Giles' lips twitched slightly.

"I'm afraid I don't shock terribly easily. What is it you wish to tell me?"

"It's about Crystal...and me."

"You mean the fact that you've become lovers?"

Joyce sucked in a surprised breath.

"You mean you know?"

"I never meant to pry. I was coming to see you the other night and overheard a bit of your conversation. Believe me when I say that I have told no one. Nor will I say anything now without your express permission. Perhaps not even then."

"So you haven't told Buffy?"

"Bufy is not good at hiding her emotions, no matter how hard she tries."

"I guess you really didn't tell anybody. You kept that from her?"

"It wasn't my secret to tell."

"No, it wasn't. Thank you for...well, being discreet, I guess."

She stopped briefly. When she began again, her voice was slightly unsteady.

"I know the doctors here are excellent. I know I've got about as good a shot of recovery here as anywhere, but this is still a dangerous operation. And even if I survive it, there's no guarantee that they'll be able to save me. There's a good chance that I won't make it."

"You mustn't say that, Joyce..."

"No lies, Rupert. You know I'm right. And if - if the worst happens, I need to know you'll take care of them. Both of them."

"I promise you, Joyce, Buffy and our baby will always..."

"I know that. The one I'm worried about is Crystal. Promise me that if anything happens to me, you'll see that she's okay. That you'll take care of her. That you'll make sure she knows...she knows that I loved her."

The brittle shell of Joyce's self-composure cracked and she dissolved into tears. Giles held her as she cried.

"Hush, Joyce, you're going to be fine. I fully expect you to be here to chew me out for ruining Buffy's life for decades to come. But if the worst should happen, I swear to you that Crystal will be cared for. I will see to it that she wants for nothing. As for the rest, I'm sure she knows it. After all, the Summers women do tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves."

Giles felt a slight chuckle against his damp shirtfront, followed by a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Rupert."

"Now let's get you well."

With a final squeeze to her shoulders, Giles left the room so the nurses could work.


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