Walking with Justin

[buffyxsummersx]

Nothing could have prepared me for the direction things were about to take at the moment. Tonight was supposed to be about Homecoming. Celebrating. I think it's what Willow would have wanted. I couldn't say the same for Cordelia. She's a vampire now. She doesn't care. Although, we could have celebrated for her in a different. Well, for

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[backintweed]

I had regained a semblance of my equilibrium and had made my way into my offices. I knew that the dead bodies were a problem and that the police would arrive, but on this occassion, there was nothing supernatural about it.

I also knew that Buffy and Faith were trying to fend off a plot involving the shooters and that Xander had gone to find them, but apart from that, I...I knew very little.

I didn't know if Buffy was okay. I didn't know if Faith was okay. I didn't know what had become of the assassins, or if they had killed anyone else and I wanted to challenge them and find Buffy and Faith, but the pheno-barbitol was making me weak and I was of no use to anyone in my current state.

Then I saw Buffy, and if I had more strength, I would have hugged her. A strange man was with her and I wondered about who he was, but I didn't feel up to figuring out who he was, at the moment. I was just glad that she was okay. The strange man grabbed me a glass of water and Buffy handed it to me.

"Giles, you were shot with a tranq. Do you remember anything?"

I finished the water and gathered my strength. "Buffy, I shot myself. I had the gun raised to stop the two hitmen, and somebody kicked the door I was behind and I somehow managed to pull the trigger while it was pointed at myself. Is everyone okay? Are...are Faith and Xander okay?"

[buffyxsummersx]

"Angel. I have heard of Angel. He was a terror in the days. My sires knew of him. They said he was beautiful and legendary, and that he was cursed by Gypsies for ravaging their community and their most wholesome of daughters. As for me, I was hit by guilt. A lot of guilt, but mostly, Buffy, I saw you and knew that I had to find you. You were so beauti...you were in danger and I could see it and had to get to you. I feel remorse and want to atone for that. I don't know who's pulling my strings or making me see you, but I just assumed that with you was were my penance could be filled..."

Justin almost called me beautiful. Well, I guess he did, but covered it up, nicely. I was a little taken back. Did he know about me this whole time? It was a little surreal. It helped that he knew about Angel's past. Talking about Angel, right now, wasn't something I wanted to do. Angel isn't around, anymore.

Right now, I was worried about Giles. I had to check on him. There was no time to discuss what Justin told me. After I see Giles, then we can talk more in depth about the current situation. I have to say, he dumped a lot on me at one time. It's bad enough that I'm not focused, now I have all of this to absorb.

We found Giles in his office. I asked Justin to get him a glass of water. Giles was out of it, but I had to know what happened.

"Buffy, I shot myself. I had the gun raised to stop the two hitmen, and somebody kicked the door I was behind and I somehow managed to pull the trigger while it was pointed at myself. Is everyone okay? Are...are Faith and Xander okay?"

"You shot yourself?" I looked a little confused. Giles, gave me a side glare and took a sip of water. "I-I just thought someone did this to you. We didn't get the bad guys. Justin, here, helped me and Faith. He's a vampire. But, he has a soul." Giles looked at me. "That's exactly what I said, but he's telling the truth, Giles." I smiled up at Justin. "Justin, this is my Watcher, Giles. Giles, meet Justin."

I knew this wasn't going to be very comfortable with Giles. He never really trusted any vampire. Justin was an ally. We needed him. When we go after Angelus, Cordelia and Spike, Justin will be extra muscle. That's something we're going to need. One way or the other, this had to work out.

[no_fear_justin]

My challenge at this point, was to resisit my attraction for Buffy. I wasn't used to restraint. For my whole life, both human and vampire, I didn't have a problem with women coming to me, or with them turning away my advances. It was amazing to me that this was the girl that had been dominating my dreams and thoughts for so long and she was even more stunning in the flesh.

"I-I just thought someone did this to you. We didn't get the bad guys. Justin, here, helped me and Faith. He's a vampire. But, he has a soul."

"That's exactly what I said, but he's telling the truth, Giles. Justin, this is my Watcher, Giles. Giles, meet Justin."

I had the feeling of tension and could sense Buffy's. This Giles character struck me as irritable, yet he had an air of sophistication to him, even though, at the moment, he was filled with either anger, or surprise and probably both.

I tried to make it look as though I wasn't thinking about the situation. "Hello, Giles. Your relation to Buffy is..."

It struck me as the obvious question to ask. I didn't want to pry, and as he struggled to answer and as Buffy seemed surprised by my question, I decided to change the course of that conversation. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. The bad guys have been eliminated. The guys with the guns are not going to be shooting anyone else. I got one of them, and a big, tall vampire without a whiff of a soul on him, got the other one. I don't know who he is, or why he helped, but I can't imagine that this is going to go very well or that he has good intentions towards Buffy."

I wondered if maybe I hadn't taken it too far? My description was truthful, but possibly, a bit too curt for two people that I didn't know and one that I was already in love with. It's just the way that I am.

[backintweed]

"I-I just thought someone did this to you. We didn't get the bad guys. Justin, here, helped me and Faith. He's a vampire. But, he has a soul."

I might have been a trifle out of it thanks to the pheno-barbitol, but there was no question that hearing that another souled vampire made me think of nefarious and rather terse things. Angel's influence on Buffy had led to brutal and macabre things in Sunnydale, and to say that I wasn't concerned, was an understatement.

Still...I...I held my tongue in check for the moment.

"That's exactly what I said, but he's telling the truth, Giles. Justin, this is my Watcher, Giles. Giles, meet Justin."

It was quite obvious that this, of course, attractive being, already had a slight hold over Buffy. I just hoped that she could differentiate the truth from the lies and that she was prepared to deal with the consequences of what might come of this new friendship.

"Hello, Giles. Your relation to Buffy is..."

Well, that was rather rude, and I suddenly wondered how it was that he came to have a soul, or if in fact, he did have one.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. The bad guys have been eliminated. The guys with the guns are not going to be shooting anyone else. I got one of them, and a big, tall vampire without a whiff of a soul on him, got the other one. I don't know who he is, or why he helped, but I can't imagine that this is going to go very well or that he has good intentions towards Buffy."

Well, this new player, outside of the one in front of me, raised my blood pressure. I would delve further, when feeling better and when I was convinced that this Justin was safe to be around.

"I'm Buffy's watcher, Justin. And as a watcher, I know all things about vampires throughout history, having...having studied them. Now I am aware how Angel got his soul, but what I want to know, is how it is that you came about getting yours?"

I didn't even look at Buffy. I knew that she would disapprove of my...of my prying but still, I wasn't about to lose a pissing contest to a vampire who may or may not have a soul. Spike's influnce, even more then Angel's, made me doubt this ma...being.

[buffyxsummersx]

It was cute how nervous Justin was around Giles. Well, I mean, he's cute anyway, but even cuter when he's nervous. A smile formed on my lips. Justin even asked what his relation was to me. Giles didn't like that too much. So far, this was going in the wrong direction.

"I'm Buffy's watcher, Justin. And as a watcher, I know all things about vampires throughout history, having...having studied them. Now I am aware how Angel got his soul, but what I want to know, is how it is that you came about getting yours?"

Oh, great. He had the snotty English tone. I knew it wasn't a good sign. "Giles." I whispered to him and nudged his arm. He glared at me. Like, he was allowed to say it the way he did. Sure, have no consideration for my new friend, who happened to save my life, tonight. I should have known he would react this way.

"Wait. Giles, this happened to him, recently. He wasn't really cursed with a soul." I looked over at Justin. "Right? I mean, Angel was cursed and if he has any happiness he loses it, but it's not the same with Justin. You see, he g-got into a fight with these demons..." I trailed off. I was in complete innocent, puppy dog eyes mode. "Why don't I let Justin tell you what happened." I looked over at Justin and smiled.

It was going to take a lot for Giles to trust Justin. The sooner, the better. The tension was spread on too thick, at the moment. Justin wasn't going to sit here and argue with him. On the other hand, Giles could say anything at any moment. He could even pick a fight with Justin. My goal was to not let that happen. I walked over to Giles and talked in his ear.

"If I found Justin a threat, you know I wouldn't have brought him here. Just let him explain everything to you. I promise, you'll change your mind." I just hope it works. I looked over at Justin.

[no_fear_justin]

"I'm Buffy's watcher, Justin. And as a watcher, I know all things about vampires throughout history, having...having studied them. Now I am aware how Angel got his soul, but what I want to know, is how it is that you came about getting yours?"

It was obvious to me what was happening, and in another life, I might have hurt the old guy, but that wasn't the case now. He called himself a watcher and I wasn't filled with recollections about watcher tales from Adria or Brandy, but I did hear of them before. Watchers gave guidance to slayers, so I didn't get angered with him. If I wanted to work with Buffy and hopefully so much more, then I had to get along with him. After all, his mission was to help Buffy, which was he same mission for me.

I was about to answer, when Buffy spoke up.

"Wait. Giles, this happened to him, recently. He wasn't really cursed with a soul."

I cringed, but didn't show it. I knew that this Giles had probably heard of the Sofilar's, the great vampire-hunting benevolent demons of Europe, and he would look at them as if they were allies. I was going to have to tell him the truth.

"Right? I mean, Angel was cursed and if he has any happiness he loses it, but it's not the same with Justin. You see, he g-got into a fight with these demons..."

That was true. I was nothing like Angel. Except that he seemed to be involved in Buffy's life. Although, hearing that Angel could lose his soul, which meant that he could revert to evil again, was stunning.

"Why don't I let Justin tell you what happened."

I put my hands at my waist and folded them together, first smiling at Giles and then at Buffy, who was beautiful when she smiled.

"If I found Justin a threat, you know I wouldn't have brought him here. Just let him explain everything to you. I promise, you'll change your mind."

She really didn't whisper it to Giles and I heard what she had told him. I wasn't so convinced.

"Giles, I'd be lying if I told you that guilt didn't ravage me over how I'd gotten this soul in my chest. I don't know anything about Angel, or why I have my soul, but I don't think that I could ever lose mine..."

I looked at Buffy. I was stalling, and looked at her for comfort. I then looked at Giles. "As a watcher, you've no doubt heard of the Sofilar demons?"

He nodded.

I knew that this was the point where he might reject me on a permanent basis. If I wasn't convincing, yet honest, then he would probably cast a shadow on me being with Buffy. There was nothing in the world for me but this now, and I wanted to fight evil and attain proximity to Buffy. I wasn't sure of how strong Buffy's relationship to Giles was, or if she would ignore him if she wanted to be with me or around me, but I knew that it wasn't going to help the two of us from the start, if her watcher looked at me as a monster and only a monster, with no man in him.

He was waiting, and I tried my best to start the story, apathetically, as to not revel in my victory over the Sofilars, while still being honest, curt and not fake.

[no_fear_justin]

"Well, I was in London meeting up with Rory, who blamed me for Brandy's death on a cruise ship at the hands of a lynch mob. He sired Brandy and she was his lover, but she left after two centuries, came to America, and along with Adria, they sired me together. Brandy was my lover, and Rory knew it and resented me for it. He hated me more when he found that she had died. He blamed me for it and lured me into a situation where I had to fight the Sofilar demons. I had heard of them from my sires, and was told of their powers, abilities and what they could do to a vampire. I didn't seek them out, nor did I ever just pray on helpless people for blood. They came after me. I don't know how Rory knew where they would be, but they attacked me, and I defended myself. I killed two of the three and when fighting with the third, I was bitten before killing it. I know that the holy water in their veins was supposed to kill me instantly, a dust explosion, but it didn't happen. I also know that they never failed against a vampire in the past, not one of them alone, and I killed all three of them. I guess that it makes me quite the warrior, I suppose, and I'm here to help. I've been receiving visions since I woke up with a soul after the Sofilar bite...visions of Buffy. I didn't know who she was, but I knew that she was important and that whoever kept me alive for some reason after I should have exploded from the bite, wanted me to help, and I want nothing more then to help Buffy..and you, I suppose, in the process. I assure you that guilt fills me for many of my wrongs of the past, and nothing more then killing the Sofilar demons..."

I had just put a lot on both of them, but especially on this Giles. He looked like he didn't know how to respond. It was interrupted as the police arrived, and he went to talk to them, while I was left alone with Buffy. I smiled at her.

"That was a lot for him to absorb, I realize..."

Minutes later, he came back and said that we should leave. We started towards his home. He was still leery of me, but seemed to have softened a bit.

He had a small car and I scrunched myself in the back of it as he drove towards his home. His allowing me into his car was something that I took as a good sign.