The Apocalypse Stone, Buffy/Giles, part 2
anonymous
September 3 2011, 05:33:27 UTC
And like that he was gone, black coat swirling. Buffy felt a flash of irrational anger about it. Okay, sure, he couldn't cope with hearing a discussion of how his girlfriend was going to have to lose her virginity to somebody else. How was she supposed to cope with hearing it? Or hearing Xander blither on about how he was going to man up and avert apocalypse with her? Because that was what he was doing. Cordy's face was not what you would call happy. Xander was going to get his arm punched if he didn't shut up. Come to think of it, Buffy was going to punch him for Cordy. She could punch way harder.
Xander concluded with a cheerful, "So lay it on me. How do I do this ritual thang?"
She cast an almost desperate look at Giles: *get me out of this*. Giles met her glance and gave her a little nod. To the others he said, "Everyone go home. This, this matter will not be resolved tonight. We have several days before the stone reaches its full potential."
"But--"
"No. Go home."
Cordelia was already gathering her books. Xander hadn't moved. He was staring at her, wounded. Yes, it was all about him. Just like it was all about Angel. If would be nice if it were all about Xander for a change. See if he liked having to lose his virginity in a creepy sex ritual.
Giles folded his arms and glared. "Now, Xander."
He turned and went into his office without bothering to wait to see if they obeyed him. Such was the power of the Giles-glare that they all did. Willow cast a piteous glace at Buffy and left without a word. When the library door had swung shut behind Xander and the furious Cordelia, Buffy crept into Giles's office and sat on the little battered couch tucked into the corner. Giles was sitting at his desk in his thinking posture, one arm over his chest, the other propping his chin up. Buffy kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet underneath herself. This day couldn't get any worse.
"Can I read it again?" she said. Giles passed her the book without turning around. Buffy read the ritual through slowly, twice. There were parts she didn't understand, the parts that laid out how the magic ritual was supposed to go, but the sex part was in plain English. Old-fashioned words, but clear ones.
Buffy handed the book back to Giles, who took it silently and laid it on his desk. He took off his glasses and turned toward her. He fiddled with them and didn't look at her. Then he said, "Being the Slayer is sometimes--"
"The uber-suck."
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
A pause, then he said, "Is there no one else you can trust for this?"
"Xander is sort of it for guys I know well enough who aren't technically disqualified because of deadness." Except-- well, that wasn't true, was it? There was another guy. But he maybe didn't want to.
"The ritual must be done properly or it's an utter waste. Xander is a good lad at heart, but I don't trust him to overcome his, his youth and inexperience."
"You mean his hormones."
Giles half-smiled. "As you say."
Buffy decided to find out. "There is one other guy. I know he'd do the ritual right and I'm pretty sure he has his hormones under control."
Giles sat up straighter. "Who?"
"My Watcher."
Giles flinched and the glasses went back on instantly. To Buffy's surprise, Giles didn't flee the office or start sputtering. When he responded at last, he spoke slowly, as if thinking hard about every word. "The, the Watcher is sent to the Slayer for many reasons. He trains her, he prepares her, at many times he provides for her as the only family she has. In other circumstances, he-- he does whatever he must. Whatever they must, to protect humanity."
Sometimes they died on the job, like Merrick had. Sex wasn't as bad as death, no matter what the movies told her. It just felt like it sometimes.
"So why aren't you volunteering? Because of Miss Calendar?"
Giles shook his head, but she didn't miss the sadness on his face. "She isn't speaking to me. And even if she were-- No. It's because of you. I thought you would prefer anyone but."
Well, yeah, that's what she would have said too, if somebody had popped that question to her yesterday. But now? Buffy paused to do some actual deep thinking instead of just twitching around. What would she prefer?
Xander concluded with a cheerful, "So lay it on me. How do I do this ritual thang?"
She cast an almost desperate look at Giles: *get me out of this*. Giles met her glance and gave her a little nod. To the others he said, "Everyone go home. This, this matter will not be resolved tonight. We have several days before the stone reaches its full potential."
"But--"
"No. Go home."
Cordelia was already gathering her books. Xander hadn't moved. He was staring at her, wounded. Yes, it was all about him. Just like it was all about Angel. If would be nice if it were all about Xander for a change. See if he liked having to lose his virginity in a creepy sex ritual.
Giles folded his arms and glared. "Now, Xander."
He turned and went into his office without bothering to wait to see if they obeyed him. Such was the power of the Giles-glare that they all did. Willow cast a piteous glace at Buffy and left without a word. When the library door had swung shut behind Xander and the furious Cordelia, Buffy crept into Giles's office and sat on the little battered couch tucked into the corner. Giles was sitting at his desk in his thinking posture, one arm over his chest, the other propping his chin up. Buffy kicked off her shoes and pulled her feet underneath herself. This day couldn't get any worse.
"Can I read it again?" she said. Giles passed her the book without turning around. Buffy read the ritual through slowly, twice. There were parts she didn't understand, the parts that laid out how the magic ritual was supposed to go, but the sex part was in plain English. Old-fashioned words, but clear ones.
Buffy handed the book back to Giles, who took it silently and laid it on his desk. He took off his glasses and turned toward her. He fiddled with them and didn't look at her. Then he said, "Being the Slayer is sometimes--"
"The uber-suck."
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
A pause, then he said, "Is there no one else you can trust for this?"
"Xander is sort of it for guys I know well enough who aren't technically disqualified because of deadness." Except-- well, that wasn't true, was it? There was another guy. But he maybe didn't want to.
"The ritual must be done properly or it's an utter waste. Xander is a good lad at heart, but I don't trust him to overcome his, his youth and inexperience."
"You mean his hormones."
Giles half-smiled. "As you say."
Buffy decided to find out. "There is one other guy. I know he'd do the ritual right and I'm pretty sure he has his hormones under control."
Giles sat up straighter. "Who?"
"My Watcher."
Giles flinched and the glasses went back on instantly. To Buffy's surprise, Giles didn't flee the office or start sputtering. When he responded at last, he spoke slowly, as if thinking hard about every word. "The, the Watcher is sent to the Slayer for many reasons. He trains her, he prepares her, at many times he provides for her as the only family she has. In other circumstances, he-- he does whatever he must. Whatever they must, to protect humanity."
Sometimes they died on the job, like Merrick had. Sex wasn't as bad as death, no matter what the movies told her. It just felt like it sometimes.
"So why aren't you volunteering? Because of Miss Calendar?"
Giles shook his head, but she didn't miss the sadness on his face. "She isn't speaking to me. And even if she were-- No. It's because of you. I thought you would prefer anyone but."
Well, yeah, that's what she would have said too, if somebody had popped that question to her yesterday. But now? Buffy paused to do some actual deep thinking instead of just twitching around. What would she prefer?
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