When Rupert came into the bedroom, all Fred wanted at first was him to leave. She was tired and achy and upset, and she really didn't want to deal with him while he was drunk. Especially not when he was drunk and dressing their dog in their unborn child's clothing.
Then he started speaking, making it obvious that something had sobered him up. She wondered for a moment if that was Willow's doing. There was a rather yucky odor drifting into the room from downstairs. She didn't look at him, though, as he touched her cheek, still upset. It wasn't even him she was mainly upset with - he was just a part of it and had been a sort of last straw.
A moment later, he was curled up with her, his hand on her stomach, telling her that he never wanted to hurt her. Fred looked up at him finally, fresh tears coming to her eyes, and the want for him to leave the room melted away as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his chest.
"I'm just...I was standing there, and you and the guys were drunk, and the room color was wrong, and the chair was broken, and all I could see was everything going wrong. If we can't get the nursery right, what chance to we have getting anything else right, especially when we don't have jobs anymore and the things we do know how to do involve demons and vampires and other creatures that we could never put on a resume," she told him, her voice partially muffled by his shirt. "I'm scared, Rupert. I love you and Andi, and I want to us to be good parents, but I'm scared."
When Fred rolled over and wrapped her arms around him, Giles' arms automatically when around her body. He allowed her to speak, knowing she had to get it out. He softly rubbed her back and frowned, knowing his carelessness was part of the problem. "Oh, Fred," he whispered as he softly kissed the top of her head.
Cupping her face, Giles lifted it so he could look into her eyes. "I'm sorry. The nursery will be fixed by the end of the week," he whispered as he used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her eyes. "As for us not having jobs and being good parents - we're going to get through this, Fred. It may seem bad now but we will. We're going to love Andi with everything we have and that's going to do her more good than anything else we can give her. She'll be protected and loved."
He leaned down and softly kissed her before leaning his forehead against hers. "Money doesn't matter right now. After Andi's born, perhaps we can look into buying a shop of sorts. The Magic Box did quite well in Sunnydale and people are more open to magic here." He gave her another soft kiss and smiled. "It'll work out, I promise."
Giles was about to give her another kiss when the phone started to ring. He reached behind him and picked it up before answering it. After a few moments, he rang off and gave Fred a worried look. "That was Peter. They've found a Slayer in Devon - a young ten-year-old girl. Since no other Slayer has developed powers at that young of age, the Council is rather interested in her," he explained as he shook his head. "Peter wanted to know if we'd be willing to fetch her and bring her here to protect. I know a few protection spells we could use, but only if it's all right with you. We could both go to Devon and get her."
Fred looked up into her husband's eyes, feeling silly for crying over something as silly as the nursery not being ready yet when she wasn't due for several months, but it wasn't just the nursery. It was everything. So hearing that the nursery would be fixed helped a great deal...as did hearing that he knew they'd get through this.
"She will be," she whispered, resting her hand over her abdomen.
Leaning her forehead to his, she listened to his idea about getting a shop, like the one he'd had in Sunnydale. She smiled, quite liking the thought as she had always enjoyed spending time in small shops. Running one with Rupert would be wonderful. "I think I'd like that," she told him.
She wanted to just lay there and hold him for a while, but the phone rang. Of course it would even though they weren't working for the Council anymore. Sitting back, she watched as he talked to whoever was on the other end, frowning at the look on his face. She wanted to ask him what was wrong when he hung up, but he beat her to it, telling her about the little girl.
"Of course," she said, nodding as she sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed and straightening the dress she was wearing as she stood up. "If she needs help, then we should go."
If something were to happen to them and Andi needed help, she would hope someone would do the same for her. And if the Council wanted this girl, she knew that couldn't be good - not with who was running things now, and definitely not if Peter was worried.
"We should go now, I would think because if she's ten and doesn't know what's going on, I'm sure she could use a friendly face right about now."
Giles was glad that Fred was apparently feeling better and that she had agreed to go with him to Devon. Peter had told him the Council had yet to find where she was but one of his contacts had already given him the information. Sitting up on the bed, he slipped off the bed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"She's at an orphanage. Her parents were killed about seven or so months ago," Giles said as he went over to the dresser to get some fresh clothes out since his had paint on them. "Peter says he'll call ahead so they know we're coming." He quickly changed and looked over at his wife. "If we leave now, we'll arrive after sundown. I think that'll be best with getting her out of there without the Council seeing us in case they've found where she is."
It angered him, knowing the Council would stoop to the level of hurting a child. He went over to the closet and pulled some weapons out and placed them in his duffle bag. Giles placed the bag on the bed and stepped over to Fred. "I love you and thank you for doing this with me, love," he whispered as he cupped her face and deeply kissed her.
When he broke the kiss, Giles picked up his bag and the keys to his auto. "I think that's everything. Molly will be fine by herself for a while," he said as he slipped his wallet into his back pocket. "Ready?" He held his hand out to Fred and waited for her to take it.
Then he started speaking, making it obvious that something had sobered him up. She wondered for a moment if that was Willow's doing. There was a rather yucky odor drifting into the room from downstairs. She didn't look at him, though, as he touched her cheek, still upset. It wasn't even him she was mainly upset with - he was just a part of it and had been a sort of last straw.
A moment later, he was curled up with her, his hand on her stomach, telling her that he never wanted to hurt her. Fred looked up at him finally, fresh tears coming to her eyes, and the want for him to leave the room melted away as she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face against his chest.
"I'm just...I was standing there, and you and the guys were drunk, and the room color was wrong, and the chair was broken, and all I could see was everything going wrong. If we can't get the nursery right, what chance to we have getting anything else right, especially when we don't have jobs anymore and the things we do know how to do involve demons and vampires and other creatures that we could never put on a resume," she told him, her voice partially muffled by his shirt. "I'm scared, Rupert. I love you and Andi, and I want to us to be good parents, but I'm scared."
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Cupping her face, Giles lifted it so he could look into her eyes. "I'm sorry. The nursery will be fixed by the end of the week," he whispered as he used his thumbs to wipe the tears from her eyes. "As for us not having jobs and being good parents - we're going to get through this, Fred. It may seem bad now but we will. We're going to love Andi with everything we have and that's going to do her more good than anything else we can give her. She'll be protected and loved."
He leaned down and softly kissed her before leaning his forehead against hers. "Money doesn't matter right now. After Andi's born, perhaps we can look into buying a shop of sorts. The Magic Box did quite well in Sunnydale and people are more open to magic here." He gave her another soft kiss and smiled. "It'll work out, I promise."
Giles was about to give her another kiss when the phone started to ring. He reached behind him and picked it up before answering it. After a few moments, he rang off and gave Fred a worried look. "That was Peter. They've found a Slayer in Devon - a young ten-year-old girl. Since no other Slayer has developed powers at that young of age, the Council is rather interested in her," he explained as he shook his head. "Peter wanted to know if we'd be willing to fetch her and bring her here to protect. I know a few protection spells we could use, but only if it's all right with you. We could both go to Devon and get her."
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"She will be," she whispered, resting her hand over her abdomen.
Leaning her forehead to his, she listened to his idea about getting a shop, like the one he'd had in Sunnydale. She smiled, quite liking the thought as she had always enjoyed spending time in small shops. Running one with Rupert would be wonderful. "I think I'd like that," she told him.
She wanted to just lay there and hold him for a while, but the phone rang. Of course it would even though they weren't working for the Council anymore. Sitting back, she watched as he talked to whoever was on the other end, frowning at the look on his face. She wanted to ask him what was wrong when he hung up, but he beat her to it, telling her about the little girl.
"Of course," she said, nodding as she sat up, sliding to the edge of the bed and straightening the dress she was wearing as she stood up. "If she needs help, then we should go."
If something were to happen to them and Andi needed help, she would hope someone would do the same for her. And if the Council wanted this girl, she knew that couldn't be good - not with who was running things now, and definitely not if Peter was worried.
"We should go now, I would think because if she's ten and doesn't know what's going on, I'm sure she could use a friendly face right about now."
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"She's at an orphanage. Her parents were killed about seven or so months ago," Giles said as he went over to the dresser to get some fresh clothes out since his had paint on them. "Peter says he'll call ahead so they know we're coming." He quickly changed and looked over at his wife. "If we leave now, we'll arrive after sundown. I think that'll be best with getting her out of there without the Council seeing us in case they've found where she is."
It angered him, knowing the Council would stoop to the level of hurting a child. He went over to the closet and pulled some weapons out and placed them in his duffle bag. Giles placed the bag on the bed and stepped over to Fred. "I love you and thank you for doing this with me, love," he whispered as he cupped her face and deeply kissed her.
When he broke the kiss, Giles picked up his bag and the keys to his auto. "I think that's everything. Molly will be fine by herself for a while," he said as he slipped his wallet into his back pocket. "Ready?" He held his hand out to Fred and waited for her to take it.
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