Fred looked over at Giles with a big grin at Andrew's question. He played Dungeons and Dragons? Her friends in high school had been really into that, and she had played with them a few times. She was trying to imagine Giles playing it, though. Given the memories she had of her friends playing it, it was an interesting image.
Fred waved goodbye to Willow as she directed the other two into their car. Willow made a hand signal to say they'd talk tomorrow at the Council, and Fred nodded. Since tomorrow was going to be her first day officially and she knew Rupert had some meetings, it would be nice to have a friend to talk to. She was sure, however, that she was going to get the third degree about her realtionship with him.
Once they had climbed into the car, Fred settled down with a sigh, glad that the trip was finally over. She rested her head against Rupert's shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I can't wait either," she murmured. "Although it's a bit strange to think that this is my home now. So much has changed so quickly." Tilting her head up, she gave him a smile. "I wouldn't trade it for anything, though."
The driver pulled away from the curb and headed toward London. Since they weren't going as far into the city, the traffic was nowhere near as bad as they had experienced when she had come fot the interview, and soon they were pulling up outside Giles' flat.
"I think I want to take a shower and then cuddle up with you in bed," she told him as they headed inside.
Giles was relieved to see the traffic wasn’t that heavy. He was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go home and sleep. When they pulled up to his flat, he helped the driver get the luggage out of the boot and carried them inside. “All right,” he said when Fred told him she was going to take a shower. “I’m going to wash up and I’ll meet you in bed.”
He softly kissed her forehead before bending over to pick up the mail that’d piled up. Most of it was junk, with a few bills thrown in for good measure. Giles made a mental note of reminding Fred to change her address as he walked up the stairs. He went to the small loo and washed his face before going to the bedroom to change into his pajamas. Giles wanted to sleep in the nude but he was sure he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself and he really needed the sleep.
After getting into the bed, he picked up the remote and turned the telly on. He was watching the local news when he remembered that he had to explain the Monday schedule to Fred since Mondays were reserved for weekly meetings.
He got out of bed and looked through his desk drawer, smiling when he found the schedule. Giles then crawled back into bed and waited for Fred to join him.
After getting her pajamas out of her main suitcase, Fred went to the bathroom to take her shower. She still was getting used to the electric showers that the British used - having to turn on the power, then turning on the shower unit and setting the temperature on it. The one in the hotel was different from the one Giles had, so it took her a few minutes to figure it out, but finally she got it running.
The warm water felt good after having spent all day in airports and on planes, in close quarters with so many other people. She enjoyed being so close to Rupert, of course, but after having spent the time she had in the slave quarters, having to scramble for floor space on which to sleep, she still didn't really enjoy it although being in business class on the plane definitely helped.
Once she was done, she shut off the shower and dried herself off before putting on her pajamas. She then spent a few minutes leaning over the sink, looking out the bathroom window into the garden below. The view was so different from the fields visible from her parents' farmhouse or the other buildings surrounding the Hyperion in L.A. This was her new home.
And she was sharing it with the most wonderful man she had ever met.
Smiling to herself, she headed to the bedroom, where she found Rupert waiting. She slipped under the covers and snuggled up to him, glad that they were finally here.
"The showers here are still a bit strange, but I'll get used to it," she told him. "What time do we need to be at the Council offices tomorrow?"
Giles nuzzled against Fred’s clean hair and smiled. She smelt like home and felt comfortable in his arms, something he hadn’t felt in years. Perhaps he was finally getting reward by The Powers for all that he’d done. Or maybe he’d finally gotten lucky. Giles didn’t care at that moment though.
“By eight, love,” he murmured against her hair. “Tomorrow is weekly meeting day. You’ll have meetings most of the day with various people. From 8:30 to 10 you have a department meeting. Then you’ll have some free time until 1. That’s when all the department heads meet with me. It only lasts for an hour and then Xander, Willow and Andrew usually stick around and bother me.”
He softly kissed her cheek and sighed. “I’m going to miss you tomorrow, even though we’re in the same building. It’s a bit silly, I know,” Giles said before softly kissing her neck. “Is there anything you’re going to need to make your first day better? I could hang around in the lab all day if you think you might get lonely.”
Fred rested her head against his chest, listening as he explained tomorrow's schedule to her. She was definitely getting thrown into things feet first, and while a part of her was nervous, of course, she was also looking forward to it, to getting back into doing something worthwhile. She had spent part of the flight reviewing the dossiers of the people who would be working in her lab as well as those of the other department heads so she would know who they were. She just hoped they accepted her for who she was and what she could offer and not solely because of her relationship with Rupert.
"At least the lab is only down the hall," she said, smiling at the idea of him of hanging around in the lab because she knew that he would do it if she asked him too. She closed her eyes as a small shudder ran through her when he kissed her neck. "I know you're probably going to be just as busy as I'm going to be tomorrow, so I'll be fine; after all it's not like I'm not going to know where to find you if I need anything."
She raised her head up to look at him and smiled.
"Although I would like to have lunch with my fiance if that at all possible. Think I might be able to get an appointment with him?"
Giles was a bit disappointed that Fred didn’t need him to be in her lab all day. Yet, he knew she was right and he did have a lot of things to do. Andrew had already told him about all the paperwork that had piled up while he was gone. He was going to be busy, trying to catch up, plus deal with all the new work that was bound to cross his desk.
“I can do lunch,” he said as he trailed his hand down her body. “I usually just order something from the cafeteria and eat it in my office. The closest restaurant is a formal one and all the board members go there and I rather not deal with them when I don’t have to.” He smiled down at her. “But I do like my job, no matter how much I complain about the board.”
Reaching over, Giles turned off the lamp and snuggled down on the bed. “I have to get Willow a gift,” he said, running his fingers through Fred’s hair. “If she hadn’t pestered me for days, I wouldn’t have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed right now.” He leaned down and softly kissed Fred’s head. “And this weekend, I’ll take you to Bath. You can see the house and decide on where you want the wedding. Either in the garden or inside.”
Fred waved goodbye to Willow as she directed the other two into their car. Willow made a hand signal to say they'd talk tomorrow at the Council, and Fred nodded. Since tomorrow was going to be her first day officially and she knew Rupert had some meetings, it would be nice to have a friend to talk to. She was sure, however, that she was going to get the third degree about her realtionship with him.
Once they had climbed into the car, Fred settled down with a sigh, glad that the trip was finally over. She rested her head against Rupert's shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I can't wait either," she murmured. "Although it's a bit strange to think that this is my home now. So much has changed so quickly." Tilting her head up, she gave him a smile. "I wouldn't trade it for anything, though."
The driver pulled away from the curb and headed toward London. Since they weren't going as far into the city, the traffic was nowhere near as bad as they had experienced when she had come fot the interview, and soon they were pulling up outside Giles' flat.
"I think I want to take a shower and then cuddle up with you in bed," she told him as they headed inside.
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He softly kissed her forehead before bending over to pick up the mail that’d piled up. Most of it was junk, with a few bills thrown in for good measure. Giles made a mental note of reminding Fred to change her address as he walked up the stairs. He went to the small loo and washed his face before going to the bedroom to change into his pajamas. Giles wanted to sleep in the nude but he was sure he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself and he really needed the sleep.
After getting into the bed, he picked up the remote and turned the telly on. He was watching the local news when he remembered that he had to explain the Monday schedule to Fred since Mondays were reserved for weekly meetings.
He got out of bed and looked through his desk drawer, smiling when he found the schedule. Giles then crawled back into bed and waited for Fred to join him.
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The warm water felt good after having spent all day in airports and on planes, in close quarters with so many other people. She enjoyed being so close to Rupert, of course, but after having spent the time she had in the slave quarters, having to scramble for floor space on which to sleep, she still didn't really enjoy it although being in business class on the plane definitely helped.
Once she was done, she shut off the shower and dried herself off before putting on her pajamas. She then spent a few minutes leaning over the sink, looking out the bathroom window into the garden below. The view was so different from the fields visible from her parents' farmhouse or the other buildings surrounding the Hyperion in L.A. This was her new home.
And she was sharing it with the most wonderful man she had ever met.
Smiling to herself, she headed to the bedroom, where she found Rupert waiting. She slipped under the covers and snuggled up to him, glad that they were finally here.
"The showers here are still a bit strange, but I'll get used to it," she told him. "What time do we need to be at the Council offices tomorrow?"
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“By eight, love,” he murmured against her hair. “Tomorrow is weekly meeting day. You’ll have meetings most of the day with various people. From 8:30 to 10 you have a department meeting. Then you’ll have some free time until 1. That’s when all the department heads meet with me. It only lasts for an hour and then Xander, Willow and Andrew usually stick around and bother me.”
He softly kissed her cheek and sighed. “I’m going to miss you tomorrow, even though we’re in the same building. It’s a bit silly, I know,” Giles said before softly kissing her neck. “Is there anything you’re going to need to make your first day better? I could hang around in the lab all day if you think you might get lonely.”
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"At least the lab is only down the hall," she said, smiling at the idea of him of hanging around in the lab because she knew that he would do it if she asked him too. She closed her eyes as a small shudder ran through her when he kissed her neck. "I know you're probably going to be just as busy as I'm going to be tomorrow, so I'll be fine; after all it's not like I'm not going to know where to find you if I need anything."
She raised her head up to look at him and smiled.
"Although I would like to have lunch with my fiance if that at all possible. Think I might be able to get an appointment with him?"
Reply
“I can do lunch,” he said as he trailed his hand down her body. “I usually just order something from the cafeteria and eat it in my office. The closest restaurant is a formal one and all the board members go there and I rather not deal with them when I don’t have to.” He smiled down at her. “But I do like my job, no matter how much I complain about the board.”
Reaching over, Giles turned off the lamp and snuggled down on the bed. “I have to get Willow a gift,” he said, running his fingers through Fred’s hair. “If she hadn’t pestered me for days, I wouldn’t have the most beautiful woman in the world in my bed right now.” He leaned down and softly kissed Fred’s head. “And this weekend, I’ll take you to Bath. You can see the house and decide on where you want the wedding. Either in the garden or inside.”
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