Hidden Truths (6/14)
Giles heads to Rome.
This chapter is rated FRT.
Nearly three months after Buffy had left England, and two days after his discussion with Willow, Giles found himself standing at the front door of the apartment Buffy and Dawn occupied in Rome. He had been able to delay the flight for a couple of days, citing some very important paperwork that needed to be dealt with before he left.
Not trusting him to actually go to the airport after he had delayed the trip for a second time using the excuse of waiting for a package to arrive, Willow and Ethan followed him to the airport. After he had boarded the airplane, they even waited until the plane had taken off. And then they waited an extra twenty minutes, just in case.
Satisfied that he hadn’t doubled back, Ethan took Willow’s hand and led her out of the airport.
“Do you think he’ll tell her?” She asked quietly.
He smiled down at her and gave a nod. “I don’t think he has much choice anymore.”
* * *
He shifted nervously and, taking a deep breath, rang the doorbell.
Buffy opened the door and stared at her visitor, her mouth dropping open in shock. “Giles?”
“Hello, Buffy. I…I was wondering if we could talk.” He stammered as he took in her disheveled appearance. In all the years he’d known her, he had never seen her look so tired…so disorganized.
She stepped back from the door, watching him as he entered. “Something apocalyptic on the rise?”
He shook his head as she closed the door and then looked into the living room. “Is Dawn home?”
“No, she’s out on a date. Is this about Dawn? I mean - ”
Giles smiled softly. “No, it isn’t about Dawn. I was merely wondering if she were home. Date…with Marco?”
Buffy snorted as she led Giles into the living room, taking his bag from him and placing it on the floor at the end of the couch. “She’s ‘so over Marco’. That ended a couple of weeks after I got back. This guy, Tomasso…is a new guy. I don’t think she thinks he’s the guy, but he’s nice enough. Would you like a cup of tea?”
He shook his head and sat down on the couch. “Not right now, thank you. How, uh…how are you?”
Buffy furrowed her brow as she sat down on a chair. “Small talk…so not like you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Buffy.”
“Nothing’s wrong? Says the man who just appears in Rome, out of the blue, and starts off with small talk. This is one of those times I could use a drink. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
Giles stared at his Slayer, searching for the right words. Apparently, the words weren’t coming quickly enough as Buffy sighed heavily and shook her head.
“Would you quit staring at me like I’m a freak?”
“You’re not a freak, Buffy.” He stated softly.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Let’s count the ways Buffy’s a freak.” She lifted her hand ticking off each statement with her fingers.
“I’ve died twice. I’ve had sex with two vampires. I have a sister who was, at one time, a mystical key. I’ve let three vampires feed from me…”
Giles narrowed his eyes as he interrupted her. “You didn’t exactly ‘let’ the Master feed from you.”
“Okay, fine. But, I did let Dracula…and I forced Angel…”
“To save his life.” Giles added quickly.
“Yeah, such a smart thing to do, wasn’t it? Freakish!”
“Buffy…”
She shook her head quickly. “No, let me finish.”
He gave an exasperated sigh and sat back in his chair.
“Where was I? Death, vampires, sister…” She crossed her arms over her chest. “My best friend tried to end the world, I practically forced my Watcher to have sex with me…twice…”
Giles reddened deeply. “I wouldn’t say you forced me. As I recall, I was a willing particip - ”
“I’m pregnant.”
Giles’ mouth dropped open as his eyes widened. “What?”
Buffy grimaced, cursing under her breath.
“That’s not how I meant for it to come out.”
Giles leaned forward, staring at her in disbelief. “You’re…you’re pregnant?”
She sighed heavily and nodded, averting her eyes from his as she answered in a whisper. “Yeah, I am.”
Giles was at a loss for words. He stared at her as she stood up. She walked over to the desk and picked up her handbag.
“Buffy…”
She opened the bag and rummaged around inside before taking a deep breath and pulling out what looked like a piece of paper. She chewed on her bottom lip, dropping her bag to the floor as she made her way to the couch and sat next to him.
Her hand shook as she handed the item to him, as did her voice when she spoke. “This…first picture of the baby. It, uh…it was taken today.”
He looked down at the picture and swallowed thickly as his heart began to race. “You’re pregnant.”
She nodded slowly and cleared her throat. “Giles, I - ”
He interrupted her with a softly spoken question. “Is it mine?”
Buffy’s face flushed red as her voice trembled with a sudden anger. “What the hell kind of question is that? Do you think I just sleep with anyone who happens along?”
He looked to her quickly and shook his head. “Buffy, no. No, that’s not what - ”
She shook her head and stood up, grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. She stopped when he called her name again.
“I need to go right now, Giles. Before I say something I’ll really regret later. We can talk when I get back…if you’re still here.”
“Buffy - ”
“I’m not asking anything of you, Giles.” She turned slowly and met his eyes. “But, I am having this baby.”
He opened his mouth, but no words formed. She sighed and opened the door.
“Like I said, if you’re still here when I get back…we’ll talk.”
With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. He stared at the door for a few minutes before looking back down at the picture in his hands.
“I’ll be here.” He whispered to the empty room.
* * *
Giles had been sitting on the couch, staring at the picture as his mind raced, for nearly two hours when a slamming door startled him.
“Giles!”
Giles quickly placed the sonogram picture under his coat, unsure as to whether Dawn knew of Buffy’s condition. He assumed that she didn’t. Surely, Buffy would have told him if she had spoken to Dawn.
He smiled as he stood up, catching her as she launched herself into his arms. “Hello, Dawn.”
“God, I’ve missed you! Buffy must be out of her mind with you here! Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
He gently rubbed her back before releasing her from the embrace. “It was a rather spur of the moment decision on my part. I do apologize.”
Dawn hugged him again before letting go. Giles smiled softly, slipping his hands into his pockets. Dawn chuckled and gestured towards the couch.
“Come on, sit down and answer my questions!”
Giles gave a sigh of mock-exasperation. “And that sounds like fun.”
Dawn grinned at him as he sat down. She plopped onto the couch beside of him, curling her legs underneath her as she faced him. “Are you staying here?”
“Um…well, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I came straight here from the airport.”
“You’re totally staying here! You wouldn’t make us stay in a hotel, so we’re not making you stay in one.”
Giles chuckled softly and then sobered. “Dawn…”
“What’s wrong? This isn’t a social call, is it? Something bad’s happened.”
Giles sighed and shook his head. “Why must everyone assume that something bad has happened when they see me?”
“Well, you’re here on an unscheduled visit and…you don’t exactly look thrilled about it.”
Giles cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “I…where would Buffy go if she were upset?”
Dawn furrowed her brow. “What?”
“We, uh…we had a disagreement earlier and…well, she said she’d be back later. Do you know where she might’ve gone?”
Dawn sighed and shook her head. “That must be a new world record for the two of you.”
“Yes, well…” He started, his tone full of sadness.
“There’s a bar a couple of blocks over. She insists on calling it a pub, I don’t know why. Anyway, she goes there sometimes to think if she’s having a rough day.” Dawn thought for a second and looked into Giles’ eyes. “Come to think of it…she’s been spending a lot of time there lately.”
Giles straightened and narrowed his eyes slightly. “She’s drinking?”
Dawn smiled softly. “No, ‘mister drinking’s not good for you’. I asked her one time, she said that she doesn’t drink because bad things can happen to good people when they’re under the influence.”
She shrugged a shoulder as Giles stared at her. “I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean. All I know is that she goes down there, shoots a few rounds of pool or throws some darts…and then she comes home after a couple of hours.”
Giles nodded slowly, Dawn’s words echoing in his head. Dawn reached out and gently rubbed his arm.
“What did you argue about?”
Giles opened his mouth and then closed it. He took a deep breath and reached up, removing his glasses before rubbing his eyes.
“I said something…thoughtlessly. Understandably, she became upset with me. But, I wasn’t able to set things straight before she left.”
Dawn gave him an understanding smile. “Trust me, she’s been real moody lately. Apparently I say things ‘thoughtlessly’ all the time these days too.”
“Has she talked to you about what’s bothering her?”
She shook her head as she thought. “No, not really. She said that she’s a bit hormonal. But, I’ve never had PMS for this long.”
Giles blushed heavily and cleared his throat. His reaction made Dawn laugh and she hugged him again.
“I really have missed you, Giles.”
He smiled as he returned the hug. “I’ve missed you as well, Dawn.”
She pushed herself up and gestured down the hall. “Look, I’ll just go change the sheets on my bed and you can have it for as long as you’re here.”
Giles shook his head quickly. “I won’t hear of that, Dawn. The couch is perfectly acceptable.”
Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “If we came to your place and we were staying in your house, would you have one of us sleeping on the couch?”
Giles chuckled softly. “Well, no. But, I have a four bedroom house, so it wouldn’t be an issue. I’ll be fine on the couch, I assure you.”
Dawn thought for a moment and then sighed. “Okay, but…if Buffy starts giving me a hard time about it, you’d better tell her that I offered.”
“I promise.”
She glanced at the clock and frowned. “You’ll be here for at least a few days, right? I mean…you’re not leaving in the morning or anything?”
“I - ”
“It’s just…my classes start early in the morning, so I’m gonna have to go to bed. But, if you’re leaving in the morning, I’ll blow off classes - ”
A horrified look crossed Giles’ features. “You’ll do no such thing.”
“I want to spend some time with you, Giles. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
He smiled softly and gently squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll have time…perhaps I can take you and your sister out for dinner tomorrow night?”
Dawn’s smile returned. “That’d be great! It’s a date!”
He chuckled and leaned back against the cushions. “Off to bed with you, then.”
“I…I can stay up with you, if you want. Until Buffy gets home.”
He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “No, that’s not necessary. Besides, I need to try to find the right words to say to her when she returns.”
“Okay…if you’re sure.”
He smiled and gave her a nod. “I’m positive. You need your rest, Dawn.”
She gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek. After making sure he knew where the essentials were…the bathroom, the canister of tea…she made her way to her room.
He sighed heavily, reaching under his jacket and pulling the picture back out.
This chapter is rated FRT.
Nearly three months after Buffy had left England, and two days after his discussion with Willow, Giles found himself standing at the front door of the apartment Buffy and Dawn occupied in Rome. He had been able to delay the flight for a couple of days, citing some very important paperwork that needed to be dealt with before he left.
Not trusting him to actually go to the airport after he had delayed the trip for a second time using the excuse of waiting for a package to arrive, Willow and Ethan followed him to the airport. After he had boarded the airplane, they even waited until the plane had taken off. And then they waited an extra twenty minutes, just in case.
Satisfied that he hadn’t doubled back, Ethan took Willow’s hand and led her out of the airport.
“Do you think he’ll tell her?” She asked quietly.
He smiled down at her and gave a nod. “I don’t think he has much choice anymore.”
* * *
He shifted nervously and, taking a deep breath, rang the doorbell.
Buffy opened the door and stared at her visitor, her mouth dropping open in shock. “Giles?”
“Hello, Buffy. I…I was wondering if we could talk.” He stammered as he took in her disheveled appearance. In all the years he’d known her, he had never seen her look so tired…so disorganized.
She stepped back from the door, watching him as he entered. “Something apocalyptic on the rise?”
He shook his head as she closed the door and then looked into the living room. “Is Dawn home?”
“No, she’s out on a date. Is this about Dawn? I mean - ”
Giles smiled softly. “No, it isn’t about Dawn. I was merely wondering if she were home. Date…with Marco?”
Buffy snorted as she led Giles into the living room, taking his bag from him and placing it on the floor at the end of the couch. “She’s ‘so over Marco’. That ended a couple of weeks after I got back. This guy, Tomasso…is a new guy. I don’t think she thinks he’s the guy, but he’s nice enough. Would you like a cup of tea?”
He shook his head and sat down on the couch. “Not right now, thank you. How, uh…how are you?”
Buffy furrowed her brow as she sat down on a chair. “Small talk…so not like you. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong, Buffy.”
“Nothing’s wrong? Says the man who just appears in Rome, out of the blue, and starts off with small talk. This is one of those times I could use a drink. Are you sure you don’t want anything?”
Giles stared at his Slayer, searching for the right words. Apparently, the words weren’t coming quickly enough as Buffy sighed heavily and shook her head.
“Would you quit staring at me like I’m a freak?”
“You’re not a freak, Buffy.” He stated softly.
Buffy rolled her eyes. “Let’s count the ways Buffy’s a freak.” She lifted her hand ticking off each statement with her fingers.
“I’ve died twice. I’ve had sex with two vampires. I have a sister who was, at one time, a mystical key. I’ve let three vampires feed from me…”
Giles narrowed his eyes as he interrupted her. “You didn’t exactly ‘let’ the Master feed from you.”
“Okay, fine. But, I did let Dracula…and I forced Angel…”
“To save his life.” Giles added quickly.
“Yeah, such a smart thing to do, wasn’t it? Freakish!”
“Buffy…”
She shook her head quickly. “No, let me finish.”
He gave an exasperated sigh and sat back in his chair.
“Where was I? Death, vampires, sister…” She crossed her arms over her chest. “My best friend tried to end the world, I practically forced my Watcher to have sex with me…twice…”
Giles reddened deeply. “I wouldn’t say you forced me. As I recall, I was a willing particip - ”
“I’m pregnant.”
Giles’ mouth dropped open as his eyes widened. “What?”
Buffy grimaced, cursing under her breath.
“That’s not how I meant for it to come out.”
Giles leaned forward, staring at her in disbelief. “You’re…you’re pregnant?”
She sighed heavily and nodded, averting her eyes from his as she answered in a whisper. “Yeah, I am.”
Giles was at a loss for words. He stared at her as she stood up. She walked over to the desk and picked up her handbag.
“Buffy…”
She opened the bag and rummaged around inside before taking a deep breath and pulling out what looked like a piece of paper. She chewed on her bottom lip, dropping her bag to the floor as she made her way to the couch and sat next to him.
Her hand shook as she handed the item to him, as did her voice when she spoke. “This…first picture of the baby. It, uh…it was taken today.”
He looked down at the picture and swallowed thickly as his heart began to race. “You’re pregnant.”
She nodded slowly and cleared her throat. “Giles, I - ”
He interrupted her with a softly spoken question. “Is it mine?”
Buffy’s face flushed red as her voice trembled with a sudden anger. “What the hell kind of question is that? Do you think I just sleep with anyone who happens along?”
He looked to her quickly and shook his head. “Buffy, no. No, that’s not what - ”
She shook her head and stood up, grabbing her bag and walking towards the door. She stopped when he called her name again.
“I need to go right now, Giles. Before I say something I’ll really regret later. We can talk when I get back…if you’re still here.”
“Buffy - ”
“I’m not asking anything of you, Giles.” She turned slowly and met his eyes. “But, I am having this baby.”
He opened his mouth, but no words formed. She sighed and opened the door.
“Like I said, if you’re still here when I get back…we’ll talk.”
With that, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. He stared at the door for a few minutes before looking back down at the picture in his hands.
“I’ll be here.” He whispered to the empty room.
* * *
Giles had been sitting on the couch, staring at the picture as his mind raced, for nearly two hours when a slamming door startled him.
“Giles!”
Giles quickly placed the sonogram picture under his coat, unsure as to whether Dawn knew of Buffy’s condition. He assumed that she didn’t. Surely, Buffy would have told him if she had spoken to Dawn.
He smiled as he stood up, catching her as she launched herself into his arms. “Hello, Dawn.”
“God, I’ve missed you! Buffy must be out of her mind with you here! Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
He gently rubbed her back before releasing her from the embrace. “It was a rather spur of the moment decision on my part. I do apologize.”
Dawn hugged him again before letting go. Giles smiled softly, slipping his hands into his pockets. Dawn chuckled and gestured towards the couch.
“Come on, sit down and answer my questions!”
Giles gave a sigh of mock-exasperation. “And that sounds like fun.”
Dawn grinned at him as he sat down. She plopped onto the couch beside of him, curling her legs underneath her as she faced him. “Are you staying here?”
“Um…well, I haven’t thought that far ahead. I came straight here from the airport.”
“You’re totally staying here! You wouldn’t make us stay in a hotel, so we’re not making you stay in one.”
Giles chuckled softly and then sobered. “Dawn…”
“What’s wrong? This isn’t a social call, is it? Something bad’s happened.”
Giles sighed and shook his head. “Why must everyone assume that something bad has happened when they see me?”
“Well, you’re here on an unscheduled visit and…you don’t exactly look thrilled about it.”
Giles cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “I…where would Buffy go if she were upset?”
Dawn furrowed her brow. “What?”
“We, uh…we had a disagreement earlier and…well, she said she’d be back later. Do you know where she might’ve gone?”
Dawn sighed and shook her head. “That must be a new world record for the two of you.”
“Yes, well…” He started, his tone full of sadness.
“There’s a bar a couple of blocks over. She insists on calling it a pub, I don’t know why. Anyway, she goes there sometimes to think if she’s having a rough day.” Dawn thought for a second and looked into Giles’ eyes. “Come to think of it…she’s been spending a lot of time there lately.”
Giles straightened and narrowed his eyes slightly. “She’s drinking?”
Dawn smiled softly. “No, ‘mister drinking’s not good for you’. I asked her one time, she said that she doesn’t drink because bad things can happen to good people when they’re under the influence.”
She shrugged a shoulder as Giles stared at her. “I have no idea what that’s supposed to mean. All I know is that she goes down there, shoots a few rounds of pool or throws some darts…and then she comes home after a couple of hours.”
Giles nodded slowly, Dawn’s words echoing in his head. Dawn reached out and gently rubbed his arm.
“What did you argue about?”
Giles opened his mouth and then closed it. He took a deep breath and reached up, removing his glasses before rubbing his eyes.
“I said something…thoughtlessly. Understandably, she became upset with me. But, I wasn’t able to set things straight before she left.”
Dawn gave him an understanding smile. “Trust me, she’s been real moody lately. Apparently I say things ‘thoughtlessly’ all the time these days too.”
“Has she talked to you about what’s bothering her?”
She shook her head as she thought. “No, not really. She said that she’s a bit hormonal. But, I’ve never had PMS for this long.”
Giles blushed heavily and cleared his throat. His reaction made Dawn laugh and she hugged him again.
“I really have missed you, Giles.”
He smiled as he returned the hug. “I’ve missed you as well, Dawn.”
She pushed herself up and gestured down the hall. “Look, I’ll just go change the sheets on my bed and you can have it for as long as you’re here.”
Giles shook his head quickly. “I won’t hear of that, Dawn. The couch is perfectly acceptable.”
Dawn crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. “If we came to your place and we were staying in your house, would you have one of us sleeping on the couch?”
Giles chuckled softly. “Well, no. But, I have a four bedroom house, so it wouldn’t be an issue. I’ll be fine on the couch, I assure you.”
Dawn thought for a moment and then sighed. “Okay, but…if Buffy starts giving me a hard time about it, you’d better tell her that I offered.”
“I promise.”
She glanced at the clock and frowned. “You’ll be here for at least a few days, right? I mean…you’re not leaving in the morning or anything?”
“I - ”
“It’s just…my classes start early in the morning, so I’m gonna have to go to bed. But, if you’re leaving in the morning, I’ll blow off classes - ”
A horrified look crossed Giles’ features. “You’ll do no such thing.”
“I want to spend some time with you, Giles. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
He smiled softly and gently squeezed her shoulder. “We’ll have time…perhaps I can take you and your sister out for dinner tomorrow night?”
Dawn’s smile returned. “That’d be great! It’s a date!”
He chuckled and leaned back against the cushions. “Off to bed with you, then.”
“I…I can stay up with you, if you want. Until Buffy gets home.”
He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. “No, that’s not necessary. Besides, I need to try to find the right words to say to her when she returns.”
“Okay…if you’re sure.”
He smiled and gave her a nod. “I’m positive. You need your rest, Dawn.”
She gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek. After making sure he knew where the essentials were…the bathroom, the canister of tea…she made her way to her room.
He sighed heavily, reaching under his jacket and pulling the picture back out.