Watcher, until the next is called - Part 3
Title: Watcher, until the next is called
Chapter: 3/?
Author: astarte lydianna
Rating: NC-17
Season: During 3 and then I wander off the plotlines a bit :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the fandom or characters or anything else recognisable and make no money from this.
Summary: After a slayer turns 18 the cruciamentum isn't the only thing she faces. Council are creepy in this and there will be adult content.
Author’s Notes: OK, bad me! I haven’t updated in a while but over the festive period with a family to look after it gets a little manic for everyone right? Soooo…I’m just going to get this up and then I need to get around to going through and checking my entry for the Drunken Giles ficathon before that goes up on livejournal.
Disclaimer: You know the drill guys, I don’t own it!
Part Three
When she stirred it was bright. She couldn't remember going to sleep...she glanced around and it took her a moment to realise where she was. She'd not been here many times before, only the odd occasion when they had brought back an unconscious or injured Giles.
Giles!
Suddenly remembering why she felt so stiff and what had happened she glanced around her quickly. Her eyes landed on her sleeping watcher next to her. He was on top of the covers not under them with her and he was asleep on his front snoring lightly. She flushed with embarrassment thinking of the previous night...the things he had done to her...with her. She looked at his bare back and felt the urge to cry when she saw the marks that had been left there. Someone she had made love to had done that to him...it might not have really been him but it was still hard to swallow.
She wondered how they had gotten up here and why such a private man had remained with her. He probably fell asleep waiting to see if she was alright. She suddenly realised that in spending the night here her mother would be worrying. She remembered the last time she felt this panic and then looked to the man next to her with widened eyes. That was why he had stayed...so that she wouldn't wake up alone.
Everything he did for her...and now tied to her until she died, and now he would follow her there too. She choked back and sob and leant over to place a kiss on his temple.
"Buffy?" he asked in a rough voice as he opened his eyes.
"I love you." she told him. "It may not be the same way as him but...I just thought you should know, I do love you Giles and I'm grateful."
"I love you too my dear girl." he replied. He felt immediately relieved that despite feeling a bit awkward, last night hadn't ruined their relationship. They still cared about one another and appreciated one another. They would manage. "I had Willow call your mother last night and tell her that you're staying there."
"Oh thank God." she sighed in relief. "That's one less worry."
"And you're other worries?" he enquired.
"What happened? Everything was...well you know and then dizzy badness and then I wake up in bed." she flushed.
"The forging of the bond made you feel dizzy, that on top of the erm...activities caused you to pass out." he explained. "I thought you'd rather not spend the night on the floor."
"Oh." was all she said. Then another thought came across her mind. "Why didn't you pass out?"
"I would imagine that it is partially to do with having more experience in both magic and aforementioned activities and partially that it affects the slayer more." he explained.
"Right...so...what happens now?" she asked.
"Well...we go and meet with the council this morning to confirm that the bond has been completed and then we go on pretty much as normal I should hope." he told her. "We shall play the rest by ear but I dare say we can continue to treat each other as we always have."
"You didn't have to do this, I did." she said quietly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." he replied. "I think I shall go sort out some breakfast, feel free to use the shower room through there, you're clothes are over there." He pointed to a chair in the corner where her bag and clothes from yesterday sat.
He rolled out of the bed and stood to leave but Buffy's gaze stopped him. He chose to say nothing and instead shook it off and headed downstairs.
Buffy blinked the image of his broad naked chest from her mind. Who would've thought that behind all that tweed was so much man. Weird. She got up and stretched. In her head it was confusing because she was able to view him as surprisingly attractive but that seeing him that way was wrong and weird still.
In the shower she felt much more awake. She didn't feel too bad save for an aching feeling in an intimate place. Probably because it had been so long and she had only done it the once she thought...unless it was like this everytime. She wondered if she should ask Giles but now that last night was over and they had left the bed...it seemed like the intimacy they had was now over and it would just be weird to ask that sort of thing now. Maybe she'd ask Faith. Oh God...Faith! She finished her shower and dressed in record time before dashing downstairs.
"Something wrong?" Giles asked as she whirlwinded into the front room.
"Faith." she said. "Will they be doing the same to her? Is it too late to help her? How do we help her?"
"Well, the council will insist on her bonding however the last I heard from the men here last night was that she had vanished. She knocked out the men who went after her to explain yesterday and has now fed town as far as they can tell." he explained. "There isn't a great amount we can do about that without knowing where she is I'm afraid."
"I take it you can't bond Faith to you as well?" she asked.
"It is sort of possible in some cases I believe but not with the type of bond we did. The ritual we did cannot be broken in any way but death, that is why I chose that one. That and the other is even more barbaric. This way the council cannot remove or change our bond in any way. They cannot remove me and replace me at a later date." he told her passing her a plate of breakfast.
"I kind of glad about that. I know that makes me sound awful but...I didn't really want to share you anyway." she replied.
"It isn't awful." he told her. "I am your watcher, it is a complex relationship that cannot be explained or shared."
"You're not just my watcher, you're my friend and you're Giles...you're the only man in my life I can trust...with a few minor glitches when threats to me and you are being made of course." she replied, trying not the think of how betrayed she had felt not two weeks ago. But she understood why he had to do it. "And hey...now you're the only guy I can sleep with too." Her smile slipped from her face and she looked at her plate. "Yeah, that's still weird. No offense."
"Perfectly understandable." he nodded. "As I said we can carry on as before and deal with the issue of you not being able to have another man in your life in that capacity if and when the issue arises."
"Good plan." she agreed.
"I would advise however that this morning when we meet the council that we act as if this has affected us." he said.
"It has, now I know exactly what is under that suit not to mention the wow over last night and I still have to train with you like normal every day. It's weird." she protested. "You're Giles! You're supposed to be dependable safe guy not looks good without his shirt guy, guy!"
"I'm not entirely sure I followed that." he commented.
"Giles I obviously knew you were a guy in there somewhere but I sort of expected that I'd get the revelation gradually. You know how we've gradually learned more about each other the last three years? Well I thought that we'd gradually continue the rest of the revelations not wham all at once. It's a shock to the system." she tried to explain. "It's like after everything that happened last night I'm still trying to process seeing you with your shirt off. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I understand what you're trying to say yes." he nodded. "It isn't a great deal easier for me Buffy. I feel rather like a dirty old man for having done anything at all."
"You can't be serious." she snorted. Then she saw his face and her voice changed. "Oh God...Giles... You're not a dirty old man, not enough close." She got up and to his surprise she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him to hug him from behind. "The circumstances weren't ideal but last night was...I wanted it, I enjoyed it and any lady would be lucky to have you Rupert Giles. You're one of a kind."
"Thank you Buffy." he said fondly, putting his hands over hers and holding them to him. "Still, what I meant earlier was that we should act like Quentin has won. Let him think that he's damaged our relationship, if he thinks we're still fine and dandy he'll not be happy "
"Isn't that the fun part?" she grinned releasing him and moving back to her seat.
"As entertaining as irritating Quentin Travers is, if he is annoyed he will be thinking up new plans to ruin us. If he believes that he has already won, he is far more likely to leave us alone." he explained.
"That makes sense" she agreed. "And the quicker he's gone the better."
The two finished their breakfast with minimum talk and headed to school. He dropped Buffy off outside before heading to the staff parking area.
"Buffy!" Willow came bounding up to her. "So...the council did their bonding spell on you and Giles? They did let Giles do it right?"
"Yeah, yeah Giles and I all watcher slayer bonded." she nodded weakly. She hadn't told Willow what was actually required for the bonding ritual. She hadn't known how to begin explaining it and the more she thought of it that more she didn't want to share it because it's make it harder to carry on as normal.
In her head, now that her and Giles were both in normal clothes and at school, she could almost pretend that it wasn't them. Almost. It seemed distant and unreal.
"I have to go meet the stupid council droids in the library this morning to confirm it's worked properly and then they should be out of our way...for now at least." she told Willow. "Faith skipped town so they haven't got her yet. I kinda hope for her sake that they never catch her. Her new watcher is quite cute in a James Bond kinda way but he reminds me of first day Giles...only more British and stuffy! I'd better go."
Sure enough when arriving at the library the room was full of watchers. This time she didn't sit casually next to Giles, she went and sat on a chair a little way from him instead. It was a close enough position that they would believe she still preferred Giles to them but far enough away from him to believe that she wasn’t entirely comfortable around him anymore.
"Miss Summers, good morning." Travers greeted her cheerfully.
"That depends on how quickly you all get lost." she replied flippantly.
"You know what we need to see." he told her before his gaze shifted to Giles.
"I haven't done this before, I've not finished memorising all of the details." he warned them and Buffy.
"So I'm a guinea pig, joy." she mumbled, shrinking back into her chair a little as he stood. Their act suitably convinced Quentin who looked very smug at Buffy's discomfort with him.
"Stand up Buffy, if you would move over to where Mr Whyndam-Price is stood?" he suggested, expecting her to need someone to support her in a moment and for their act to work it couldn't be him. Buffy had reached the younger watcher but not even turned to face Giles before he mumbled a word and she felt dizzy. Sure enough she found herself falling and the younger man caught her quickly and lowered her to the floor gently. Buffy was livid, she had been prepared for a bit of pain or to feel a bit unsteady or something, not for her strength to just vanish from her. She tried to sit up to tell him so but her head spun and Wesley held her down.
"I think waiting a moment before hopping back to your feet would be prudent Miss Summers." he told her gently. "Just a moment."
"Well that is rather successful, I dare say that worked even better than I thought it would." Quentin clapped his hands together in delight.
"Buffy are you alright?" she heard Giles asking as he moved closer. She instead allowed Wesley to help her to her feet.
"What the hell was that? You said it wouldn't be that bad!" she snapped, turning on him.
"If you recall I also just said that I've never done it before." he replied calmly. "Are you alright?"
"I...don't know." she replied. She still felt weaker than usual and for the first time felt real fear about this bond. Her slayer strength could be taken from her at any moment.
"I only held the spell for a moment, your strength should be back to completely normal levels in a few minutes." he told her reassuringly.
She let go of Wesley's arm and slowly made her way back to her seat.
"Are we done?" Giles asked his superior coldly.
"I suppose we are." he replied. "I shall be taking half of my team and returning to England in the morning, the remaining team minus Mr Wyndam-Price will continue their work in tracking down the rogue slayer. Mr Wyndam-Price will remain here to await her return. I want you to meet with him occasionally to update each other on the situation, although I dare say this morning it looks like your Slayer would rather have had the choice of Wesley here for herself.". He chuckled at that and gestured for his staff to start filing out until only Wesley, Giles and Buffy remained.
"I trust that you will inform me if you hear anything of Faith's whereabouts?" Wesley spoke up.
"Why would I do that?" Buffy asked.
"Because if Faith comes to me willingly to complete the ritual it will be a great deal easier than if Quentin's men find her and bring her back half drugged or worse unconscious." he replied looking uncomfortable. "I'd rather complete a bond where she was willing not forced..."
"Then don't force her." Buffy replied angrily. "What kind of people are you? You'd perform a ritual and rape a knocked out girl for your precious council traditions! It's wrong and sick."
"If you think that this is something I want Miss Summers you are gravely mistaken." he replied before leaving the library.
"Wesley Wyndam-Price is Quentin's nephew, it wouldn't surprise me if he is being forced into this because he is someone Quentin believes to be afraid of him and will follow his every order. He certainly isn't the kind of watcher you think of to suit Faith." Giles mused. "Are you feeling alright Buffy?"
"Fine, I have biology." she replied getting up and heading for the library doors without another word.
She didn't speak to him for the rest of the day. She did a quick patrol that night and returned to bed as usual but without reporting to him. It wasn't his fault, she was probably being way harsh on him but feeling that powerless had reminded her of the test not two weeks ago. She would forgive him, it wasn't his fault but it wasn't any less upsetting.
She resolved to give herself tonight to sulk and tomorrow things would be back to normal.
Part Four
Chapter: 3/?
Author: astarte lydianna
Rating: NC-17
Season: During 3 and then I wander off the plotlines a bit :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the fandom or characters or anything else recognisable and make no money from this.
Summary: After a slayer turns 18 the cruciamentum isn't the only thing she faces. Council are creepy in this and there will be adult content.
Author’s Notes: OK, bad me! I haven’t updated in a while but over the festive period with a family to look after it gets a little manic for everyone right? Soooo…I’m just going to get this up and then I need to get around to going through and checking my entry for the Drunken Giles ficathon before that goes up on livejournal.
Disclaimer: You know the drill guys, I don’t own it!
Part Three
When she stirred it was bright. She couldn't remember going to sleep...she glanced around and it took her a moment to realise where she was. She'd not been here many times before, only the odd occasion when they had brought back an unconscious or injured Giles.
Giles!
Suddenly remembering why she felt so stiff and what had happened she glanced around her quickly. Her eyes landed on her sleeping watcher next to her. He was on top of the covers not under them with her and he was asleep on his front snoring lightly. She flushed with embarrassment thinking of the previous night...the things he had done to her...with her. She looked at his bare back and felt the urge to cry when she saw the marks that had been left there. Someone she had made love to had done that to him...it might not have really been him but it was still hard to swallow.
She wondered how they had gotten up here and why such a private man had remained with her. He probably fell asleep waiting to see if she was alright. She suddenly realised that in spending the night here her mother would be worrying. She remembered the last time she felt this panic and then looked to the man next to her with widened eyes. That was why he had stayed...so that she wouldn't wake up alone.
Everything he did for her...and now tied to her until she died, and now he would follow her there too. She choked back and sob and leant over to place a kiss on his temple.
"Buffy?" he asked in a rough voice as he opened his eyes.
"I love you." she told him. "It may not be the same way as him but...I just thought you should know, I do love you Giles and I'm grateful."
"I love you too my dear girl." he replied. He felt immediately relieved that despite feeling a bit awkward, last night hadn't ruined their relationship. They still cared about one another and appreciated one another. They would manage. "I had Willow call your mother last night and tell her that you're staying there."
"Oh thank God." she sighed in relief. "That's one less worry."
"And you're other worries?" he enquired.
"What happened? Everything was...well you know and then dizzy badness and then I wake up in bed." she flushed.
"The forging of the bond made you feel dizzy, that on top of the erm...activities caused you to pass out." he explained. "I thought you'd rather not spend the night on the floor."
"Oh." was all she said. Then another thought came across her mind. "Why didn't you pass out?"
"I would imagine that it is partially to do with having more experience in both magic and aforementioned activities and partially that it affects the slayer more." he explained.
"Right...so...what happens now?" she asked.
"Well...we go and meet with the council this morning to confirm that the bond has been completed and then we go on pretty much as normal I should hope." he told her. "We shall play the rest by ear but I dare say we can continue to treat each other as we always have."
"You didn't have to do this, I did." she said quietly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." he replied. "I think I shall go sort out some breakfast, feel free to use the shower room through there, you're clothes are over there." He pointed to a chair in the corner where her bag and clothes from yesterday sat.
He rolled out of the bed and stood to leave but Buffy's gaze stopped him. He chose to say nothing and instead shook it off and headed downstairs.
Buffy blinked the image of his broad naked chest from her mind. Who would've thought that behind all that tweed was so much man. Weird. She got up and stretched. In her head it was confusing because she was able to view him as surprisingly attractive but that seeing him that way was wrong and weird still.
In the shower she felt much more awake. She didn't feel too bad save for an aching feeling in an intimate place. Probably because it had been so long and she had only done it the once she thought...unless it was like this everytime. She wondered if she should ask Giles but now that last night was over and they had left the bed...it seemed like the intimacy they had was now over and it would just be weird to ask that sort of thing now. Maybe she'd ask Faith. Oh God...Faith! She finished her shower and dressed in record time before dashing downstairs.
"Something wrong?" Giles asked as she whirlwinded into the front room.
"Faith." she said. "Will they be doing the same to her? Is it too late to help her? How do we help her?"
"Well, the council will insist on her bonding however the last I heard from the men here last night was that she had vanished. She knocked out the men who went after her to explain yesterday and has now fed town as far as they can tell." he explained. "There isn't a great amount we can do about that without knowing where she is I'm afraid."
"I take it you can't bond Faith to you as well?" she asked.
"It is sort of possible in some cases I believe but not with the type of bond we did. The ritual we did cannot be broken in any way but death, that is why I chose that one. That and the other is even more barbaric. This way the council cannot remove or change our bond in any way. They cannot remove me and replace me at a later date." he told her passing her a plate of breakfast.
"I kind of glad about that. I know that makes me sound awful but...I didn't really want to share you anyway." she replied.
"It isn't awful." he told her. "I am your watcher, it is a complex relationship that cannot be explained or shared."
"You're not just my watcher, you're my friend and you're Giles...you're the only man in my life I can trust...with a few minor glitches when threats to me and you are being made of course." she replied, trying not the think of how betrayed she had felt not two weeks ago. But she understood why he had to do it. "And hey...now you're the only guy I can sleep with too." Her smile slipped from her face and she looked at her plate. "Yeah, that's still weird. No offense."
"Perfectly understandable." he nodded. "As I said we can carry on as before and deal with the issue of you not being able to have another man in your life in that capacity if and when the issue arises."
"Good plan." she agreed.
"I would advise however that this morning when we meet the council that we act as if this has affected us." he said.
"It has, now I know exactly what is under that suit not to mention the wow over last night and I still have to train with you like normal every day. It's weird." she protested. "You're Giles! You're supposed to be dependable safe guy not looks good without his shirt guy, guy!"
"I'm not entirely sure I followed that." he commented.
"Giles I obviously knew you were a guy in there somewhere but I sort of expected that I'd get the revelation gradually. You know how we've gradually learned more about each other the last three years? Well I thought that we'd gradually continue the rest of the revelations not wham all at once. It's a shock to the system." she tried to explain. "It's like after everything that happened last night I'm still trying to process seeing you with your shirt off. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think I understand what you're trying to say yes." he nodded. "It isn't a great deal easier for me Buffy. I feel rather like a dirty old man for having done anything at all."
"You can't be serious." she snorted. Then she saw his face and her voice changed. "Oh God...Giles... You're not a dirty old man, not enough close." She got up and to his surprise she moved behind him and wrapped her arms around him to hug him from behind. "The circumstances weren't ideal but last night was...I wanted it, I enjoyed it and any lady would be lucky to have you Rupert Giles. You're one of a kind."
"Thank you Buffy." he said fondly, putting his hands over hers and holding them to him. "Still, what I meant earlier was that we should act like Quentin has won. Let him think that he's damaged our relationship, if he thinks we're still fine and dandy he'll not be happy "
"Isn't that the fun part?" she grinned releasing him and moving back to her seat.
"As entertaining as irritating Quentin Travers is, if he is annoyed he will be thinking up new plans to ruin us. If he believes that he has already won, he is far more likely to leave us alone." he explained.
"That makes sense" she agreed. "And the quicker he's gone the better."
The two finished their breakfast with minimum talk and headed to school. He dropped Buffy off outside before heading to the staff parking area.
"Buffy!" Willow came bounding up to her. "So...the council did their bonding spell on you and Giles? They did let Giles do it right?"
"Yeah, yeah Giles and I all watcher slayer bonded." she nodded weakly. She hadn't told Willow what was actually required for the bonding ritual. She hadn't known how to begin explaining it and the more she thought of it that more she didn't want to share it because it's make it harder to carry on as normal.
In her head, now that her and Giles were both in normal clothes and at school, she could almost pretend that it wasn't them. Almost. It seemed distant and unreal.
"I have to go meet the stupid council droids in the library this morning to confirm it's worked properly and then they should be out of our way...for now at least." she told Willow. "Faith skipped town so they haven't got her yet. I kinda hope for her sake that they never catch her. Her new watcher is quite cute in a James Bond kinda way but he reminds me of first day Giles...only more British and stuffy! I'd better go."
Sure enough when arriving at the library the room was full of watchers. This time she didn't sit casually next to Giles, she went and sat on a chair a little way from him instead. It was a close enough position that they would believe she still preferred Giles to them but far enough away from him to believe that she wasn’t entirely comfortable around him anymore.
"Miss Summers, good morning." Travers greeted her cheerfully.
"That depends on how quickly you all get lost." she replied flippantly.
"You know what we need to see." he told her before his gaze shifted to Giles.
"I haven't done this before, I've not finished memorising all of the details." he warned them and Buffy.
"So I'm a guinea pig, joy." she mumbled, shrinking back into her chair a little as he stood. Their act suitably convinced Quentin who looked very smug at Buffy's discomfort with him.
"Stand up Buffy, if you would move over to where Mr Whyndam-Price is stood?" he suggested, expecting her to need someone to support her in a moment and for their act to work it couldn't be him. Buffy had reached the younger watcher but not even turned to face Giles before he mumbled a word and she felt dizzy. Sure enough she found herself falling and the younger man caught her quickly and lowered her to the floor gently. Buffy was livid, she had been prepared for a bit of pain or to feel a bit unsteady or something, not for her strength to just vanish from her. She tried to sit up to tell him so but her head spun and Wesley held her down.
"I think waiting a moment before hopping back to your feet would be prudent Miss Summers." he told her gently. "Just a moment."
"Well that is rather successful, I dare say that worked even better than I thought it would." Quentin clapped his hands together in delight.
"Buffy are you alright?" she heard Giles asking as he moved closer. She instead allowed Wesley to help her to her feet.
"What the hell was that? You said it wouldn't be that bad!" she snapped, turning on him.
"If you recall I also just said that I've never done it before." he replied calmly. "Are you alright?"
"I...don't know." she replied. She still felt weaker than usual and for the first time felt real fear about this bond. Her slayer strength could be taken from her at any moment.
"I only held the spell for a moment, your strength should be back to completely normal levels in a few minutes." he told her reassuringly.
She let go of Wesley's arm and slowly made her way back to her seat.
"Are we done?" Giles asked his superior coldly.
"I suppose we are." he replied. "I shall be taking half of my team and returning to England in the morning, the remaining team minus Mr Wyndam-Price will continue their work in tracking down the rogue slayer. Mr Wyndam-Price will remain here to await her return. I want you to meet with him occasionally to update each other on the situation, although I dare say this morning it looks like your Slayer would rather have had the choice of Wesley here for herself.". He chuckled at that and gestured for his staff to start filing out until only Wesley, Giles and Buffy remained.
"I trust that you will inform me if you hear anything of Faith's whereabouts?" Wesley spoke up.
"Why would I do that?" Buffy asked.
"Because if Faith comes to me willingly to complete the ritual it will be a great deal easier than if Quentin's men find her and bring her back half drugged or worse unconscious." he replied looking uncomfortable. "I'd rather complete a bond where she was willing not forced..."
"Then don't force her." Buffy replied angrily. "What kind of people are you? You'd perform a ritual and rape a knocked out girl for your precious council traditions! It's wrong and sick."
"If you think that this is something I want Miss Summers you are gravely mistaken." he replied before leaving the library.
"Wesley Wyndam-Price is Quentin's nephew, it wouldn't surprise me if he is being forced into this because he is someone Quentin believes to be afraid of him and will follow his every order. He certainly isn't the kind of watcher you think of to suit Faith." Giles mused. "Are you feeling alright Buffy?"
"Fine, I have biology." she replied getting up and heading for the library doors without another word.
She didn't speak to him for the rest of the day. She did a quick patrol that night and returned to bed as usual but without reporting to him. It wasn't his fault, she was probably being way harsh on him but feeling that powerless had reminded her of the test not two weeks ago. She would forgive him, it wasn't his fault but it wasn't any less upsetting.
She resolved to give herself tonight to sulk and tomorrow things would be back to normal.
Part Four