"I'm sure it'll be fine since I won't need to really shower since I did that last night," she told him as she picked up her bag with her make-up and other toiletries. She smiled at him when he mentioned clearing out space for her. "That would be great since otherwise, I'll be living out a suitcase. As for dinner...ummm...wasn't really thinking about anything special, no. I'm sure we can figure out something when we get home later."
She closed her eyes for a moment when he kissed her, a smile crossing her face. She could definitely get used to this - to waking up with Rupert and getting ready for work with him. Pulling back, she widended her eyes at his comment about being written up.
"Well, I wouldn't want that since I've heard the boss is quite a, and I quote, 'nasty bugger' although I might try a little kissing on him - heard that works pretty good." She grinned at him and leaned up to kiss him again before hurrying to the bathroom where she quickly washed up and then applied her make-up before twisting her hair up in the same style she had worn for the interview.
When she was done, she returned the bedroom where Rupert was finishing getting ready and got dressed herself. She hoped that what she had choosen was all right - she wanted to make a good impression on both her new staff and the other department heads.
"I think I'm ready," she announced, suddenly starting to feel a bit nervous again.
When Fred came back to the bedroom, Giles finished with his tie and looked at her. “You look quite fetching, love.” He slipped his jacket on and went over to her. “You’re going to be all right, Fred. And if anyone hassles you about anything, you can send them to my office and I’ll set them straight.” He grimaced a little about how patronizing he probably sounded. “I’m sorry. That didn’t come out right. I’m sure you can take care of yourself.”
Taking her hand, Giles led her out of the house and to the car before picking up the morning newspaper. Pulling out of the drive, he set his radio to a classical music station and relax since it was the only way to get through driving in morning traffic. “I think we should get you a car. I’m sure once you get your lab going, you’ll have some late nights and I don’t want you to worry about getting a Council car to bring you home. And there’s going to be some days where I’ll be out in the field and not at the building at all,” he said as he glanced over at her. The thought saddened him but he knew they had to be practical.
“Not that I don’t like having you with me every morning… I just don’t want to be smothering,” he explained as they passed the Council owned park. They were be at work in a matter moments. “How about a picnic for lunch? It’s supposed to be warm today.”
Fred smiled at Giles' comment about setting straight anyone who gave her trouble. It touched her that he worried about her so long as he didn't try to do what the others had done on occasion with leaving or trying her behind during some of the fights because they didn't think she was strong enough to deal with it. Especially after Wesley had died. He had never treated her as though she hadn't been able to handle a fight.
"I know that you didn't mean it that way, but I'm sure I can deal with whatever comes my way - after all, if I can't, then I probably shouldn't be heading up the science department for you," she told him as they handed out to the car.
Once they were on their way to work, Fred pulled out the information on her staff to go over one last time. The classical music helped her nerves a bit, and she suddenly wondered if it would be possible to go to a concert or a musical in London with Giles at some point. The last time she had been out to a performance had been the opera with the others, and that hadn't gone well at all.
She looked up when he mentioned the idea of getting her a car. He was probably right - with the work they did, it was only a matter of time before their schedules would end up diverging. She wondered, though, if she'd have a chance to go out into the field with him.
"I guess I'm going to have to get my license here," she realized. She glanced at the car wheel on the opposite side of the car from what she was used to out to the street Giles had just turned onto. "Hopefully, it won't take me too long to pick up driving on the left side of the road...or roundabouts."
She looked back over at him. "And I don't think you're not smothering at all. Actually, you're a lot more concerned about me and my feelings and letting me do what I can do than some people used to be, especially recently." She stopped and shook her head, trying to put some of what had happened in the last year with the others out of her mind, instead focusing on his other idea. "A picnic sounds absolutely wonderful. I was going to ask if you wanted to have a carpet picnic in your office, but a real picnic outside would be even better."
“When we go to Bath this weekend, I’ll take you out on a country road and teach you out there,” Giles said with a smirk. He could think of other things they could do in the car on a back road. “And it’s quite easy. If Xander can master it without wrecking or killing anyone, then I’m sure you can master it too, love.” When the Council building came into view, he let out a soft sigh. Giles really didn’t want to go to work.
He parked his car in his spot and got out before opening the car door for Fred. A few other employees shuffled by them and went to the main entrance. “Since you’re with me, you can use the other door. It’s the same one Willow, Xander, and the others use,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door reserved for him. He swiped his security card through the security pad and opened the door. “You’ll get one of these cards today. I had Andrew adjust it so you can use this door.
Giles let Fred step in first before stepping inside. He didn’t think he should hold her hand while walking the short distance to his office. Instead, he motioned toward the direction of his office. When they passed Andrew’s desk, the young man gave Giles a cup of tea and a stack of papers and gave Fred a cup of coffee.
He unlocked his office door and ushered Fred in before shutting the door behind them. Sitting his tea down, Giles shifted through the stack of papers and found her security card and handed it to her. “This will get you anywhere you want in the building,” he said before setting the papers down. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. “I think I might be a bit nervous for you,” he added as he took her hands into his.
"I don't know...you weren't there when my father tried to teach me on the farm. You'd think someone who can look at physics equations and visualize them in her head could learn to drive fairly easily, but I managed to take out a sapling and part of Dad's new fence." She bit her lip and looked over at him. "And I probably shouldn't have told you that because now you won't even want to get into a car with me behind the wheel. I did get better, honest."
When they reached the Council building, Fred took a deep breath and went inside with Giles. She understood why he had to let go of her hand as they walked up to his office, but it still didn't stop her from wishing that they could have continued to do so. It just made her feel better.
It'll be all right, Fred, she told herself silently. You'll do fine.
She was suprised when Andrew handed her a cup of coffee upon greeting them but was grateful at the same time. It gave her hand something to do, and the taste of it actually calmed her a bit. She thanked Andrew with a smile and then followed Rupert into his office, where she took the security card from him. Setting the coffee down on the edge of his desk, she slipped the card into her skirt pocket.
"Don't want to lose that," she told him, gazing up at him. "I'll be okay. I'll just take me a little while to settle out my nerves. Actually, this is really nothing new because I used to get like this whenever I went into a new situation, like when I went away to college for the first time or when I had to give my first physics presentation in class or when I had to present my paper last year--oh, that's probably not a good one to bring up, considering what happened." Shaking her head, she squeezed his hand in hers. "I'll be fine. Plus I know where to find you if I need you."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a moment later, Willow stuck her head in. "Good, you guys are here already. Since I know a bit about the science lab, I thought I'd take Fred in and introduce her to everyone and show her where her office is set-up in there."
Fred nodded. "That's probably a good idea. Thank you, Willow." She turned back to Rupert and leaned up to give him a soft kiss on the lips. "I'll see you for lunch if not before then."
She then picked up her coffee and turned to follow Willow down to the lab, giving him a last wave before disappearing down the hall.
Giles watched Willow and Fred leave and sighed. He knew this was going to happen and that they couldn’t spend every moment together. He went to his desk and sat down, looking through all the papers that had piled up while he was gone. Most of them were the budget reports he had asked all the departments to turn in.
He signed off on a few of them and picked up the phone. Then he sat the phone back down. Giles didn’t want Fred to think he was checking up on her. With a weary sigh, he continued through the paper work until it was time for his meeting with the board.
The meeting was anything but easy for Giles. Many of the board members wanted to know if Fred got the job because she’d slept with him. He couldn’t believe how incredibly stupid some of the members were being. One even suggested that Fred be placed on probation until further notice since Giles was obviously thinking with the wrong head when he had hired her.
When he’d had enough, Giles pointed out that there was no rule in marrying a co-worker. There was a few grumblings but he was used to it - they had done the same when he had hired Xander, Willow and Andrew - and decided to ignore them for the time-being. And when the meeting was finally over, Giles went back to his office.
Sitting behind his desk, the grandfather clock showed it was almost noon. Fred should be there soon for their lunch plans. The thought of seeing her again made his lips curl up into a small smile. Hopefully it would also get rid of the pounding headache he had.
She closed her eyes for a moment when he kissed her, a smile crossing her face. She could definitely get used to this - to waking up with Rupert and getting ready for work with him. Pulling back, she widended her eyes at his comment about being written up.
"Well, I wouldn't want that since I've heard the boss is quite a, and I quote, 'nasty bugger' although I might try a little kissing on him - heard that works pretty good." She grinned at him and leaned up to kiss him again before hurrying to the bathroom where she quickly washed up and then applied her make-up before twisting her hair up in the same style she had worn for the interview.
When she was done, she returned the bedroom where Rupert was finishing getting ready and got dressed herself. She hoped that what she had choosen was all right - she wanted to make a good impression on both her new staff and the other department heads.
"I think I'm ready," she announced, suddenly starting to feel a bit nervous again.
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Taking her hand, Giles led her out of the house and to the car before picking up the morning newspaper. Pulling out of the drive, he set his radio to a classical music station and relax since it was the only way to get through driving in morning traffic. “I think we should get you a car. I’m sure once you get your lab going, you’ll have some late nights and I don’t want you to worry about getting a Council car to bring you home. And there’s going to be some days where I’ll be out in the field and not at the building at all,” he said as he glanced over at her. The thought saddened him but he knew they had to be practical.
“Not that I don’t like having you with me every morning… I just don’t want to be smothering,” he explained as they passed the Council owned park. They were be at work in a matter moments. “How about a picnic for lunch? It’s supposed to be warm today.”
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"I know that you didn't mean it that way, but I'm sure I can deal with whatever comes my way - after all, if I can't, then I probably shouldn't be heading up the science department for you," she told him as they handed out to the car.
Once they were on their way to work, Fred pulled out the information on her staff to go over one last time. The classical music helped her nerves a bit, and she suddenly wondered if it would be possible to go to a concert or a musical in London with Giles at some point. The last time she had been out to a performance had been the opera with the others, and that hadn't gone well at all.
She looked up when he mentioned the idea of getting her a car. He was probably right - with the work they did, it was only a matter of time before their schedules would end up diverging. She wondered, though, if she'd have a chance to go out into the field with him.
"I guess I'm going to have to get my license here," she realized. She glanced at the car wheel on the opposite side of the car from what she was used to out to the street Giles had just turned onto. "Hopefully, it won't take me too long to pick up driving on the left side of the road...or roundabouts."
She looked back over at him. "And I don't think you're not smothering at all. Actually, you're a lot more concerned about me and my feelings and letting me do what I can do than some people used to be, especially recently." She stopped and shook her head, trying to put some of what had happened in the last year with the others out of her mind, instead focusing on his other idea. "A picnic sounds absolutely wonderful. I was going to ask if you wanted to have a carpet picnic in your office, but a real picnic outside would be even better."
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He parked his car in his spot and got out before opening the car door for Fred. A few other employees shuffled by them and went to the main entrance. “Since you’re with me, you can use the other door. It’s the same one Willow, Xander, and the others use,” he said, taking her hand and leading her to the door reserved for him. He swiped his security card through the security pad and opened the door. “You’ll get one of these cards today. I had Andrew adjust it so you can use this door.
Giles let Fred step in first before stepping inside. He didn’t think he should hold her hand while walking the short distance to his office. Instead, he motioned toward the direction of his office. When they passed Andrew’s desk, the young man gave Giles a cup of tea and a stack of papers and gave Fred a cup of coffee.
He unlocked his office door and ushered Fred in before shutting the door behind them. Sitting his tea down, Giles shifted through the stack of papers and found her security card and handed it to her. “This will get you anywhere you want in the building,” he said before setting the papers down. He looked at her and gave her a small smile. “I think I might be a bit nervous for you,” he added as he took her hands into his.
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When they reached the Council building, Fred took a deep breath and went inside with Giles. She understood why he had to let go of her hand as they walked up to his office, but it still didn't stop her from wishing that they could have continued to do so. It just made her feel better.
It'll be all right, Fred, she told herself silently. You'll do fine.
She was suprised when Andrew handed her a cup of coffee upon greeting them but was grateful at the same time. It gave her hand something to do, and the taste of it actually calmed her a bit. She thanked Andrew with a smile and then followed Rupert into his office, where she took the security card from him. Setting the coffee down on the edge of his desk, she slipped the card into her skirt pocket.
"Don't want to lose that," she told him, gazing up at him. "I'll be okay. I'll just take me a little while to settle out my nerves. Actually, this is really nothing new because I used to get like this whenever I went into a new situation, like when I went away to college for the first time or when I had to give my first physics presentation in class or when I had to present my paper last year--oh, that's probably not a good one to bring up, considering what happened." Shaking her head, she squeezed his hand in hers. "I'll be fine. Plus I know where to find you if I need you."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and a moment later, Willow stuck her head in. "Good, you guys are here already. Since I know a bit about the science lab, I thought I'd take Fred in and introduce her to everyone and show her where her office is set-up in there."
Fred nodded. "That's probably a good idea. Thank you, Willow." She turned back to Rupert and leaned up to give him a soft kiss on the lips. "I'll see you for lunch if not before then."
She then picked up her coffee and turned to follow Willow down to the lab, giving him a last wave before disappearing down the hall.
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He signed off on a few of them and picked up the phone. Then he sat the phone back down. Giles didn’t want Fred to think he was checking up on her. With a weary sigh, he continued through the paper work until it was time for his meeting with the board.
The meeting was anything but easy for Giles. Many of the board members wanted to know if Fred got the job because she’d slept with him. He couldn’t believe how incredibly stupid some of the members were being. One even suggested that Fred be placed on probation until further notice since Giles was obviously thinking with the wrong head when he had hired her.
When he’d had enough, Giles pointed out that there was no rule in marrying a co-worker. There was a few grumblings but he was used to it - they had done the same when he had hired Xander, Willow and Andrew - and decided to ignore them for the time-being. And when the meeting was finally over, Giles went back to his office.
Sitting behind his desk, the grandfather clock showed it was almost noon. Fred should be there soon for their lunch plans. The thought of seeing her again made his lips curl up into a small smile. Hopefully it would also get rid of the pounding headache he had.
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