"Tattoo? You mean something like 'Property of Rupert Giles' on my hip? 'Cause I don't think it'd be a good idea to have it on my neck - then I'd have to wear my hair down all the time at work." She shook her head with a laugh and reached up to run her hand through her hair to make sure that it was still covering the bite mark.
She nodded when he changed the subject and reminded her that they needed to get downstairs, walking with him out into the hallway. Once they were heading downstairs, she smiled and leaned over to give him a kiss before the elevator arrived at its destination, knowing that this was going to be last time they'd really be able touch each other before the end of the day.
Tugging at her top, she exited the elevator in front of Giles. "I need to run into my office and get my notepad," she told him. "I'll be right back."
Hurrying down the hall, she ran into the lab and to her office, grabbing the notepad she had left on her desk before returning to where she had left Rupert. Holding it up, she smiled at him as she joined him. "Okay, ready to go."
While Fred was in her office, Giles watched as a man walked out of the lab. According to his name tag he was that Martin fellow Fred had told him about. Giles crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the man, wanting to tell him what happens to people who lies to his Fred but he saw her walking back and decided not to say anything. Instead, he merely nodded and gave Martin a look before the other man disappeared into the lab.
When Fred came out and said she was ready, Giles smiled. “The boardroom is down the foyer.” He started to walk, resisting the urge to take her hand. It was a short walk and when they got to the room, he opened up the door. Xander, Willow, Andrew and William, the head of research, were already there.
“Emily and Charles aren’t going to be able to make it,” William said as Giles sat down at the head of the table. “A few of the Slayers missed their curfew last night and didn’t show up for morning training. They’re in the middle of speaking with them right now.”
Giles nodded his head and made a note to speak with the Slayers in the morning. “Oh, William, this is Fred Burkle, the new head of our science department. And Fred, this is William. He heads up research.”
“Hello, Ms. Burkle,” William said with a smile. “I’ve heard all about you from Andrew.”
“You did not!” Andrew quickly said before he slouched down in his chair, his cheeks bright red.
Fred's eyes widened at William's statement as she shook his hand, her gaze flicking over to Andrew. "Hope that whatever he said was all good," she told him, a nervous twitter to her voice.
Part of her wondered, however, if Andrew had been telling everyone about her relationship with Rupert. She knew it was going to be public soon with their plans to get married before the end of the month, but she was kind of hoping that she could at least have shown that she knew what she was doing in her job before it became known.
"Suffice to say, I've been looking forward to meeting you all day," William told her. Now Fred really wondered what Andrew had told him.
Just then, the door opened again, and another woman with short blond hair walked in, holding a folder, a PDA and a notebook under her arm. "My apologies for being late. I had to file some data protection act requests with some of the companies that we've been dealing with," she said as she placed everything on the table. She noticed Fred and extended her hand. "You must be Winifred Burkle. I'm Charlotte Moore, head of legal."
"Nice to meet you," Fred said, shaking her hand. The last female lawyer she had dealt with had been Lilah Morgan, and she found a part of her wondering what Charlotte would be like compared to her. Since she was working for the Council, would she be different? Or would she be just as aggressive in her work?
"And you." Charlotte glanced over briefly at Willow, who seemed to have suddenly lost her voice, as they sat down at the table. Fred raised her eyebrow at her friend, who refused to meet her eyes. Did Willow have a crush on Charlotte?
She'd definitely have to pump her for more information later.
Giles watched Charlotte sit down and smiled. “How’s your project coming along?” he asked. “Is it about ready?”
Charlotte smiled and nodded her head. She shuffled through her papers before saying, “It’ll be ready by tomorrow and I’ll bring the final project by your office in the morning. Now, since I have to be with a consulate in forty minutes, I’ll go first. I have a client who might need some magical help,” she said, handing some papers to Giles.
He flipped through them and handed them to Willow. “Can you help with that?” he asked.
Willow stumbled over her words for a moment before saying she would. Charlotte smiled and nodded her head. William went next, reporting he had nothing that needed attention. Xander was next and didn’t seem to have anything add.
“Willow?” Giles asked, looking over at her. “Do you have anything to add?”
Willow looked up and shook her head. Her eyes ticked on Charlotte for a brief moment before she looked down again.
Willow did have a crush on Charlotte, Fred could definitely tell now. She'd have to ask her about it later, but right now, she could see that everyone was looking at her to see if she had anything that needed reporting or help from another department.
Fred shifted slightly and looked around the table at everyone. "At that moment, the science department is fine - everyone's working on their respective projects. Although Stephanie Jameson may need help filing some patent paperwork next week if she makes the breakthrough she thinks she may have sometime this week."
"Just drop me an e-mail when she's ready, and I'll schedule a time for her to come up to see either me or one of my other solicitors," Charlotte told her, making a note of the possible need on her notepad.
"Thanks," Fred told her with a smile. "That's all I have from the science department at the moment."
"Don't worry - it took me weeks to get used to how things work around here," Xander told her.
"I need to excuse myself now," Charlotte said, standing up and gathering up her belongings. "Don't want to get stuck in traffic on the way to the consulate. See you tomorrow. Again, wonderful to meet you, Fred. Welcome to the Council."
Fred saw Willow's eyes follow Charlotte as she left the room and then turned to catch Rupert's gaze. She raised her eyebrows at him and tilted her head slightly to silently ask, Are you seeing what I am?
While Fred was talking, Giles looked down at the notepad in front of him. There was a sense of pride and amazement at how quickly Fred was adjusting to her new job. Plus, he was afraid he’d start staring at the bite mark on her neck and then everyone else would look too. “See you in the morning, Charlotte,” he said before she walked out of the room.
He caught Willow watching Charlotte leave and then looked over at Fred. Grinning, he gave her a knowing nod and looked over at William as he started to stand. “I have to get back to the office and finish some things. I’ll speak to all of you later,” William said before walking out.
The atmosphere in the room changed now it was just the five of them. Willow cleared her throat and looked over at Fred. “Did you burn your neck in the lab?” Willow asked, pointing at the bite mark. “It wasn’t there this morning. Did you fill out an accident report? The Council is really strict--”
“Looks like a hickey to me,” Xander added before looking over at Giles. “No wonder we couldn’t find you over lunch. You two were off… doing stuff!”
Giles knew he could get angry and he was about to when he heard the door open. Turning, he blinked when he saw who was standing there. “Buffy? What… what are you doing here?” he asked his Slayer.
“Came to meet the fiancée, plus, we have a slight problem,” Buffy said as she closed the door behind her.
Her eyes widening in embarrassment, Fred clapped a hand over her neck when Willow asked her if she had burned herself. She was about to say that it hadn't happened in the lab when Xander jumped in, and suddenly she just wanted to melt into the floor and disappear even though that would never happen. She turned to Rupert, wondering what they should say just as they were saved by the boardroom door opening to admit a slight blonde.
This was Buffy. Fred had heard so much about her over the years - from Angel and Cordy and Wesley and now Rupert. She had never been sure what to expect if she were to ever meet her. Someone bigger than life, she supposed. Buffy looked nothing like what she expected.
"Umm, hi," Fred said, waving her hand through the air in a short arc before extending it out to her. "I'm Fred. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."
"And I've only heard a bit about you," Buffy said, reaching out to shake her hand. Her grip was very strong. "We'll have to change that. I can't let just anyone marry my Watcher, you know. But it's nice to meet the person that finally managed to make him decide to settle down."
"Thanks...I think." Fred glanced over at Rupert, giving him a shy smile. "He's made me the happiest I've been in a long time."
Giles felt his cheeks go warm when Fred paid her compliment. "The feeling's mutual," he said with a smile. Buffy sat next to him and knew this wasn't the time for social interaction. "What's going on?"
"A demon," Buffy started. "We tracked it to a village near Rome, where it did a lot of damage but we lost it and now we've tracked it to here, in England."
"What sort of demon is it?" Andrew asked.
"We don't know," Buffy admitted, "but I don't think it's really a demon." She looked at Giles and gave him a look. "I had it cornered and there was something with its eyes. I think it was a human at one time."
"Ethan?" Giles asked as his body visibly stiffened.
"I spoke to Riley and he said Ethan is still locked up," Buffy said before she pulled out a small plastic bag. "I did manage to get its finger. If that's any help."
"I'm going to call Riley's superiors. We all know how good of a source Mr. Finn can be," Giles said as stood. He picked up the plastic bag and dropped it in front of Fred. "Test that for human DNA. Willow, you know what to do. I'll be in my office." He then gathered his things and walked out without another word.
"So," Buffy said as the door slammed shut, "how's everyone doing?"
Worried, Fred watched Giles leave the boardroom, her eyes wide. She had never seen him act that way before and wasn't sure what had just happened. How come news about a demon would make him act that way? "Wha--what's wrong with Rupert? Who's Ethan?"
"Ethan?" Xander said. "Ethan's probably the bane of the G-man's existence. Old enemy, older friend. He's pulled crap like this before when he turned Giles into a Fyral--."
"Xander!" Willow said, shaking her head, but it was too late.
"Rupert was turned into a demon?" Fred asked in disbelief, looking down at the finger in front of her. Oh, God, no wonder he had reacted the way he had to the thought that someone else had been turned into a demon.
"Yeah. Back a couple of years ago. Buffy almost killed him, too."
"I didn't know!" Buffy exclaimed in her defense. "At least, not until I looked into his eyes. That's how I knew this time. I remembered what Giles' eyes had looked like. But Riley swears that Ethan is still being held in Nevada by the Initiative."
"I'm going to go find the restoration spell just in case that's...you know," Willow said, rushing for the door.
Fred looked at Xander and Buffy then reached out and picked up the bag with the finger and her notepad. "I should...I'll talk to you two later."
Hurrying out of the boardroom, she headed directly for Giles' office and knocked on the door. "Rupert? Rupert, it's me. Can I come in please?"
She nodded when he changed the subject and reminded her that they needed to get downstairs, walking with him out into the hallway. Once they were heading downstairs, she smiled and leaned over to give him a kiss before the elevator arrived at its destination, knowing that this was going to be last time they'd really be able touch each other before the end of the day.
Tugging at her top, she exited the elevator in front of Giles. "I need to run into my office and get my notepad," she told him. "I'll be right back."
Hurrying down the hall, she ran into the lab and to her office, grabbing the notepad she had left on her desk before returning to where she had left Rupert. Holding it up, she smiled at him as she joined him. "Okay, ready to go."
Reply
When Fred came out and said she was ready, Giles smiled. “The boardroom is down the foyer.” He started to walk, resisting the urge to take her hand. It was a short walk and when they got to the room, he opened up the door. Xander, Willow, Andrew and William, the head of research, were already there.
“Emily and Charles aren’t going to be able to make it,” William said as Giles sat down at the head of the table. “A few of the Slayers missed their curfew last night and didn’t show up for morning training. They’re in the middle of speaking with them right now.”
Giles nodded his head and made a note to speak with the Slayers in the morning. “Oh, William, this is Fred Burkle, the new head of our science department. And Fred, this is William. He heads up research.”
“Hello, Ms. Burkle,” William said with a smile. “I’ve heard all about you from Andrew.”
“You did not!” Andrew quickly said before he slouched down in his chair, his cheeks bright red.
Reply
Part of her wondered, however, if Andrew had been telling everyone about her relationship with Rupert. She knew it was going to be public soon with their plans to get married before the end of the month, but she was kind of hoping that she could at least have shown that she knew what she was doing in her job before it became known.
"Suffice to say, I've been looking forward to meeting you all day," William told her. Now Fred really wondered what Andrew had told him.
Just then, the door opened again, and another woman with short blond hair walked in, holding a folder, a PDA and a notebook under her arm. "My apologies for being late. I had to file some data protection act requests with some of the companies that we've been dealing with," she said as she placed everything on the table. She noticed Fred and extended her hand. "You must be Winifred Burkle. I'm Charlotte Moore, head of legal."
"Nice to meet you," Fred said, shaking her hand. The last female lawyer she had dealt with had been Lilah Morgan, and she found a part of her wondering what Charlotte would be like compared to her. Since she was working for the Council, would she be different? Or would she be just as aggressive in her work?
"And you." Charlotte glanced over briefly at Willow, who seemed to have suddenly lost her voice, as they sat down at the table. Fred raised her eyebrow at her friend, who refused to meet her eyes. Did Willow have a crush on Charlotte?
She'd definitely have to pump her for more information later.
Reply
Charlotte smiled and nodded her head. She shuffled through her papers before saying, “It’ll be ready by tomorrow and I’ll bring the final project by your office in the morning. Now, since I have to be with a consulate in forty minutes, I’ll go first. I have a client who might need some magical help,” she said, handing some papers to Giles.
He flipped through them and handed them to Willow. “Can you help with that?” he asked.
Willow stumbled over her words for a moment before saying she would. Charlotte smiled and nodded her head. William went next, reporting he had nothing that needed attention. Xander was next and didn’t seem to have anything add.
“Willow?” Giles asked, looking over at her. “Do you have anything to add?”
Willow looked up and shook her head. Her eyes ticked on Charlotte for a brief moment before she looked down again.
Reply
Fred shifted slightly and looked around the table at everyone. "At that moment, the science department is fine - everyone's working on their respective projects. Although Stephanie Jameson may need help filing some patent paperwork next week if she makes the breakthrough she thinks she may have sometime this week."
"Just drop me an e-mail when she's ready, and I'll schedule a time for her to come up to see either me or one of my other solicitors," Charlotte told her, making a note of the possible need on her notepad.
"Thanks," Fred told her with a smile. "That's all I have from the science department at the moment."
"Don't worry - it took me weeks to get used to how things work around here," Xander told her.
"I need to excuse myself now," Charlotte said, standing up and gathering up her belongings. "Don't want to get stuck in traffic on the way to the consulate. See you tomorrow. Again, wonderful to meet you, Fred. Welcome to the Council."
Fred saw Willow's eyes follow Charlotte as she left the room and then turned to catch Rupert's gaze. She raised her eyebrows at him and tilted her head slightly to silently ask, Are you seeing what I am?
Reply
He caught Willow watching Charlotte leave and then looked over at Fred. Grinning, he gave her a knowing nod and looked over at William as he started to stand. “I have to get back to the office and finish some things. I’ll speak to all of you later,” William said before walking out.
The atmosphere in the room changed now it was just the five of them. Willow cleared her throat and looked over at Fred. “Did you burn your neck in the lab?” Willow asked, pointing at the bite mark. “It wasn’t there this morning. Did you fill out an accident report? The Council is really strict--”
“Looks like a hickey to me,” Xander added before looking over at Giles. “No wonder we couldn’t find you over lunch. You two were off… doing stuff!”
Giles knew he could get angry and he was about to when he heard the door open. Turning, he blinked when he saw who was standing there. “Buffy? What… what are you doing here?” he asked his Slayer.
“Came to meet the fiancée, plus, we have a slight problem,” Buffy said as she closed the door behind her.
Reply
This was Buffy. Fred had heard so much about her over the years - from Angel and Cordy and Wesley and now Rupert. She had never been sure what to expect if she were to ever meet her. Someone bigger than life, she supposed. Buffy looked nothing like what she expected.
"Umm, hi," Fred said, waving her hand through the air in a short arc before extending it out to her. "I'm Fred. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."
"And I've only heard a bit about you," Buffy said, reaching out to shake her hand. Her grip was very strong. "We'll have to change that. I can't let just anyone marry my Watcher, you know. But it's nice to meet the person that finally managed to make him decide to settle down."
"Thanks...I think." Fred glanced over at Rupert, giving him a shy smile. "He's made me the happiest I've been in a long time."
Reply
"A demon," Buffy started. "We tracked it to a village near Rome, where it did a lot of damage but we lost it and now we've tracked it to here, in England."
"What sort of demon is it?" Andrew asked.
"We don't know," Buffy admitted, "but I don't think it's really a demon." She looked at Giles and gave him a look. "I had it cornered and there was something with its eyes. I think it was a human at one time."
"Ethan?" Giles asked as his body visibly stiffened.
"I spoke to Riley and he said Ethan is still locked up," Buffy said before she pulled out a small plastic bag. "I did manage to get its finger. If that's any help."
"I'm going to call Riley's superiors. We all know how good of a source Mr. Finn can be," Giles said as stood. He picked up the plastic bag and dropped it in front of Fred. "Test that for human DNA. Willow, you know what to do. I'll be in my office." He then gathered his things and walked out without another word.
"So," Buffy said as the door slammed shut, "how's everyone doing?"
Reply
"Ethan?" Xander said. "Ethan's probably the bane of the G-man's existence. Old enemy, older friend. He's pulled crap like this before when he turned Giles into a Fyral--."
"Xander!" Willow said, shaking her head, but it was too late.
"Rupert was turned into a demon?" Fred asked in disbelief, looking down at the finger in front of her. Oh, God, no wonder he had reacted the way he had to the thought that someone else had been turned into a demon.
"Yeah. Back a couple of years ago. Buffy almost killed him, too."
"I didn't know!" Buffy exclaimed in her defense. "At least, not until I looked into his eyes. That's how I knew this time. I remembered what Giles' eyes had looked like. But Riley swears that Ethan is still being held in Nevada by the Initiative."
"I'm going to go find the restoration spell just in case that's...you know," Willow said, rushing for the door.
Fred looked at Xander and Buffy then reached out and picked up the bag with the finger and her notepad. "I should...I'll talk to you two later."
Hurrying out of the boardroom, she headed directly for Giles' office and knocked on the door. "Rupert? Rupert, it's me. Can I come in please?"
Reply
Leave a comment