Not Home but it'll do [Abby & Giles--Maybe others]

[that_was_ace]

Abby looked up at the derelict building, brow furrowed as she tried to figure out why the cab had stopped here of all places. Sure she hadn't seen her father in eleven years but this didn't appear to be the sort of place he'd reside

Comments

[loveme_fearme]

Rehab was on Defcom like, 23. Something wicked high.

Faith was armed to the teeth; ironic expression when your main occupation is dusting vampires. Her jaw was set and she darted quickly by the tiny mirror in her room because she knew her eyes weren't occupied at the moment. It wasn't something she liked to see.

She took the stairs down to the main floor, four at a time, loosing that instinct to hunt and acting on pure instinct. She needed to get out before Buffy realized what she was doing -- judging by the noises coming from above her, she didn't have much time.

She paused, almost brushing past the young blond chick who had the deer-in-headlights look of a newbie come for guidance, and checked her out. Didn't look promising but Faith tossed her a quick greeting. "Hey, newbie -- might wanna jump outta the way, you got a stampede comin' right for you."

Faith hustled toward the door, calling behind her: "Make yourself cozy, we'll be back to put you through boot camp!" It slammed behind her once she was out.

And now a pair of twins was emerging from the opposite staircase, also heading Abby's way.

[whattingawhat]

Abby gave Faith a wide-eyed 'are you crazy' look. Boot camp? This wasn't supposed to be boot camp. She had no idea what the woman was talking about. She'd just registered the twins heading toward her when a small, blonde woman took up all the air in the room.

She was moving fast, obviously furious and she had a wicked looking scythe in her hand. Her jaw was set, muscles in her neck standing out and her eyes were scary angry.

"Faith! Get back here now or I swear I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as she cut a path toward the door.

At that point, Abby decided sitting down was good. Maybe the couch would swallow her up and spit her out back in her own flat in London.

[tweedlestupid]

The twins had come to a halt upon Buffy's entrance. Buffy was far scarier than any demon they'd ever faced, especially when she was pissed off. Yeah, something like a four headed dragon that spit acid and was covered in adamantium was preferable to their leader when she was on a mission.

Jill took a moment to decide what to do; staying seemed impossible, but there was a new girl that needed some looking after from what she saw. A quick exchange and a nod from Jack, who took off through the front door left Jill approaching the couch slowly, her eyebrows raised in concern for the girl being swept up in that mess.

"Hello," she said. Jill extended her hand, accompanied with as much of an apologetic smile she could muster up. "My name's Jill. That was...well, why don't we save that for later, after things have calmed down. Are you okay?"

[that_was_ace]

Abby was white as a sheet, giving Jill the 'what the hell is wrong with Americans' look. She nodded in response. "That was...fairly disturbing but I'm fine. Thank you."

She glanced back toward the door to see if the scary blonde or the weird brunette were coming back anytime soon. When she saw that they weren't, she returned the handshake. "How rude of me. I apologize. I'm Abigail...Abby."

Cassie wandered in with a half empty orange soda bottle in hand. She smiled at Abby. "You're going to be okay here," then she looked at Jill. "Stall. Giles will be here in a sec."

And she continued toward the kitchen in her creepy ass way.

[bloodypriceless]

"Nice to meet you," she replied, briefly shaking her hand and then perching next to Abby on the couch.

While she spoke, Jill looked blankly from Cassie to Abby, finding herself only slightly irritated with the lack of details. She put on another smile and shrugged. "Things have been uhh, messier than usual around here but there's nothing to worry about," she continued until she saw Giles hurrying down the stairs, with a bag full of what looked to be charms or possibly materials for a spell. He was about to spread out on one of the large conference tables when he saw the two girls sitting on the couch and dropped the materials, a glass orb shattering on the hardwood floor. The sudden noise made Jill jump in her seat.

He didn't seem to notice, and his eyes were locked on Abigail. Notions of all calibers flew through his head as he tried to figure out what happened. Why was she here, and why couldn't he move? She was 15 now, a real person. His daughter was here, and all he wanted to do was hug her.

So why couldn't he move?

[that_was_ace]

As soon as Rupert walked into the room, Abby's gaze went to him. She kind of did the gaping fish thing for a minute then slowly stood up but her feet were glued to the floor.

"Dad?...uhm...I mean...Mr. Giles? I'm-you might not remember me and I apologize for arriving without an invitation and so suddenly. I just-there was a letter."

She couldn't get a complete thought out. There were way too many barraging her at the moment.

[bloodypriceless]

Jill's eyebrows raised even higher when Abby called Giles "dad." Why did everyone take this moment to be out of Rehab? This was the juiciest of juices.

The glasses came off, and then he put them back on again. All at once, the parts of her mother that were starting to show in her cropped up and took over his mind. Her mouth, her hair; her cheeks.

He finally noticed the mess, but Jill was faster and had grabbed a broom and pan to sweep it up, so he simply stepped over it, toward Abby. "Of course I remember you," Giles said softly; he felt like if he spoke too loud she'd disappear. "Abigail, how could I ever forget you?"

Jill was pretty sure she'd fallen asleep watching a Lifetime movie.

[that_was_ace]

Abby glanced over to Jill and back to Giles. She fidgeted with her hands and shrugged in response.

"I got all the stuffed ducks you sent," she blurted out. "I just-I didn't know if Mom sent you pictures and...I was five the last time I saw you so-I think I've grown a good deal and-I don't know."

[bloodypriceless]

His hand twitched upward toward his glasses, but he stopped himself and nodded. He'd stopped getting letters close to four months ago; after she'd gone to some sort of occasion at her school. A prom, or the like. "She did. I-- there's, well, I have an album." It came out much more embarrassed than he thought it should have.

Right, so this was more than awkward. He wouldn't be much more uncomfortable if a bird descended upon him and ripped his liver out, right where he was standing.

"Has something happened?" He asked finally, after noticing her luggage. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to hug Abby, so he flitted nervously in front of her. "Are you all right?"

[that_was_ace]

At least it was equally as awkward for Abby. "Uhm...she...summer and busy...you know. She was in a car accident." The last came out in a rushed blurting sort of gasp.

Her eyes filled up with tears and she bit her bottom lip hard. She clenched her hands tightly in front of her, staring at the floor instead of at Giles. "She-I was staying with a mate of hers until-I couldn't stay there forever and I didn't have any other place to go. She wrote me a letter...if something happened I was supposed to find you. The attorney had it--the letter and your address."

[bloodypriceless]

Giles took another step forward, pulling Abigail into his arms, and holding her tight to his chest. It was news that he would have no words for, and he needed a moment to digest the fact that her mother was indeed gone.

Dead.

"It's all right, I've got you," he hushed softly, smoothing her hair hair back and giving her the opportunity to pull away if she wished. The truth was, aside from pictures and letters from her mother, Giles had no idea who Abigail was as a person. Now she was solely his, among all of the mess he wanted to spare her from.

The time to angst about what he couldn't control would be later. At the moment, he needed to make her comfortable. Make her feel at home.

[that_was_ace]

Abby didn't pull away though. She was British but she was also a 15 year old girl who'd just lost her mother. She'd been very stiff upper lip for the most part. Until now. Now she allowed herself to cry and curl up into Giles. He smelled a bit like her mother, books and tea. The Old Spice was new but no less comforting.

[bloodypriceless]

Giles pulled back slowly, and crouched down to Abigail's eye level. He brought his hand up to her cheek and wiped away the tears with his thumb.

"You've had a long flight, you've got to be exhausted. Let's get you a room, yes?" His hand slipped into hers, and he picked up her luggage, waiting for her to give him a cue to lead her upstairs. "We'll get you some supper, too. Anything you'd like."

[that_was_ace]

Abby nodded in response, letting Giles lead her. Now that she knew he wasn't going to throw her out, she felt like she could finally just cave under everything. It also felt a little safe.

"Tea..." she started. "And scones with strawberry jam. Please."

[bloodypriceless]

At the request, Giles looked back at Jill, to catch her attention. "Er, Jillian, could you perhaps...?" He received a nod in response, and then showed Abigail towards the stairs, following her up to the second floor and turning into the first room on the right.

"I apologize; the quarters are fairly small," he said, while placing her baggage onto the bed in the corner. "Are you-- err, that is, do you need anything?" The entire scene would've gone better had he not only just been dealing with another crisis before Abigail simply appeared.

[that_was_ace]

"Thank you," Abby said quietly.

She looked around the room Giles took her too and then finally up at him. "This is perfectly acceptable. Thank you."

Her brow furrowed after a moment. "There were two women fighting when I got here. A brunette and a blonde. Is everything alright?"