Day 17 - A truth told (Buffy/RED)
Title: A Truth Told
Author: hellbells101
Fandom: R.E.D (2010)
Rating: Fr-13
Word Count: 1,010
Challenge: twistedshorts 2012 - Day 17
Disclaimer: I do not own RED or Buffy - If I did then I would probably be considerably richer!
Authors note - The requested sequel to a Different Road.
Summary: So the Scoobies finally find out exactly where Buffy got to after Sunnydale. Xander figured she’d just run away - he didn't think she would be co-leader of the CIA!
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Andrew scuttled into Giles' office looking a little too meek for Giles liking.
Andrew handed over the briefing papers for his boss. Andrew tried for a light tone, "Have you had a chance to read the newspapers yet?"
Giles looked up from the missive he was reading, "No Andrew why should I be interested?"
Andrew never managed to get an answer out, as Kennedy, Willow and Xander stormed in carrying what looked to be the Washington Herald.
Xander slammed it down on the faces of a young serious looking couple. Giles breath caught in his heart, seeing the girl who was the daughter he never had. No that wasn't true, this girl was a woman. And by the looks of it - one who had found love and success. It just broke his heart that she couldn't have found those things with him.
Kennedy would have a field day with this Giles thought. She was smirking, "So this is the high and mighty slayer - an assassain for hire."
Willow looked torn, it had taken her a long time to accept just how much damage she'd done to Buffy. The saddest thing was it had taken the estrangement for it to hit home.
Xander was still so righteous and sure of himself, "Giles we have to do something, she's killing humans."
Kennedy was positively alight, she'd get the stupid cows powers bound and then she could be top dog. Okay, maybe she wasn't the last chosen one, but Faith would be easy to manipulate. "Her powers need to be bound," she demanded.
There was a chuckle from the background, a strange man sat, feet up over the plush leather chair. The entire group turned to him, he snickered, "Sorry I'm just listening to all the self-righteous bullshit. It's beautiful really but you missed the memo."
Giles remembered Buffy's description, "You're Whistler."
The balance demon nodded, "Yep," he turned his focus onto Kennedy, "You need to be careful girly, your slayer gifts are at the discretion of The Powers. If you don't start using them properly they will be bound."
Kennedy snarled but gave Willow a betrayed look. She had expected her lover to jump to her defence. It was clear that her lover doubted her as well. That hurt more than she thought it would.
Xander though jumped on Whistler’s statement, "You said a betrayal of powers. How is Buffy running away and ignoring her calling any different?"
Whistler grinned, but it was sharp and toothy, "Who said she ran away. She certainly cleaned up your mess. After all you were the ones that kicked her out the house.”
Xander flushed, “We said sorry but she got people killed.”
Whistler chuckled, “You kicked her out of her own house and left her to the bringers. Most people would have curled up in a corner and died in the face of such betrayal. Don’t forget she died for you guys!”
Kennedy frowned, she’d heard it mentioned but no one had explained. Whistler was going to take great delight in airing the dirty laundry, “Your friends took Buffy from heaven. They seemed to forget that champions were always destined for heaven. Kennedy couldn’t believe it, but knew it to be true, as Giles, Willow and Xander flinched.
Hey, for all her threats though, Whistler liked the slayer. He was not going to let these people screw it up. Whistler had the metaphorical bit between his teeth. “Anyway you should be pleased - she married a human - not a monster.”
Xander’s indignation rose again, “She liked VAMPIRES!”
Now Whistler smirked, “Yeah because they were evil, right?”
“Yes.” The answer was definitive - so black and white - no thought that maybe he was being hypocritical.
“You do realise that the combined victims of Spike and Angel in their hey-day doesn’t even compare to Anyanka’s”
Xander wanted to retort, truly he did. Yet he couldn’t think of a good reply.
As fun as it had been to toy with the mortals, he had other duties, “Buffy Summers was released from her obligations as a Slayer because they foresaw the need for her somewhere else."
Giles was amazed, in all the years of the Council - no slayer had ever been released. However in truth, on reflection, Buffy did deserve it. The wounds of Sunnydale were far deeper than anyone realised and it had taken Faith an outsider of the group to tell them the truth.
They had all but destroyed Buffy in their fear. They had put her upon a pedestal forgetting she was human. And anytime she’d failed to meet their high expectations they had torn into her, none more so, than after the failed vineyard attack and the worst part - Buffy had been right.
They had mistakenly assumed that when Buffy came back that she’d forgiven them, but they had been wrong. Giles only wished he could say sorry in person. Whatever his misgivings about her chosen profession it was clear that she’d done well. If the papers were to be believed, Buffy and her husband had saved the life of the new American President.
Whistler had a bittersweet smile seeing Giles’ sorrow, “After Sunnydale I took her to her grandmothers where she healed … She then fell into the family profession.”
Willow frowned, “She had no family. We would have known.”
Whistler chuckled, “Oh Victoria Winslow was her Grandmother - She worked for the CIA and MI6 - Although her Grandfather was high in the KGB…” He was stuck in his thoughts before asking a startled Giles, “Do you think that is where she learnt to play both sides of the fence?”
Giles laughed softly, if he could go back in time he would have done many things differently. He asked the only question that mattered to him, “Is she happy?”
Whistler stood, “She is happy and whole. She has the love of her husband and grandmother. And recently has gained an extremely eclectic and violent extended family. She has even found an older sister in a woman named Sarah that shares her love of shoes.”
Whistler left as there was nothing left to say. Buffy had found her happy ending - It was up to the Scoobies to find theirs'.