(no subject)
Title: You Can Leave Your Hat On (3/4)
Author: gilesbabe
Pairing: Giles/Buffy
Rating: FRT
Timeline: A/U set during season four
Synopsis: A new opportunity brings surprises to Giles’ life.
(Sorry it's so late - real life is a bitch sometimes. the rest tomorrow - if that's okay?)
Wednesday night Giles walked passed a line of young men and women outside the community theater. Riley was waiting for him at the door. “Hi, Mr. Giles, I’m glad you could make it.”
Giles smiled. “Mr. Giles sounds so formal, please call me Rupert.” Perhaps it was foolish, but he was hesitant to suggest the more familiar 'Giles'. That name was special, just for the others.
Riley hesitated. “Rupert,” he said slowly. “That sounds formal too.”
Giles laughed. “When I was at university I went by ‘Ru’ or ‘Bert’, either would be fine.”
Riley laughed as well. "Bert it is then. Come meet the rest of my class." He led Giles over to a group of young people sitting in the first row. "Guys, this is the man I told you about. Bert, this is the gang."
Giles smiled and nodded at the chorus of 'hello's'. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
One of the girls frowned. "I've been watching the movie for pointers and the main characters talk with a strong accent. He doesn't sound right; he's too smooth, like a teacher or something, not like a factory worker."
"If we can get everyone using any kind of English accent it will be good," Riley protested. "This is an amateur production. The audience isn't going to quibble at the type of accent."
Giles smiled slightly and let himself drop into the accent he had used while running with Ethan and the others. "Is this better? I lived rough in London during the 70's and talking posh got you thumped, so I adapted." The group stared at him, mouths open in shock.
Riley laughed. "I think we have the right guy."
For the next three hours Giles sat behind the group, watching and listening to the auditions. It was an interesting process, hearing the discussions on why one person was chosen over another and why they were chosen for which character. Soon all but one part had been cast. No one had arrived to audition for the part of Gerald. While the others were worried, Riley brushed it off.
"We'll just put out another ad, one specifically for this part. In the mean time, we have the rest of our cast. Why don't we take a few minutes to try out the dance sequence and see how much practice we're going to need?"
While the rest passed out scripts and set up rehearsal times, Riley took the men who would be stripping at the end of the show back on stage to do a quick run through. Giles watched, wincing. They were going to need a lot of practice, and even then he doubted that a couple of the men were going to able to strip. He gave a slight shrug. Nothing to do with him, and besides, the characters in the play were supposed to be amateurs. No one would expect them all to be smooth and confident.
On stage Riley waved everyone to a halt and sighed. “The line isn't right. We really need Gerald to be here too." He looked out into the theater. "Burt, are you still there? Would you mind helping out for a minute?"
Giles stood and mounted the steps to the stage. Riley pointed to the far end. "Gerald's character is on the end. Just stand there and it will help with the spacing for the others. Let's run through this one more time, then that will be all for tonight. Watch me and follow my movements." Riley nodded, and the sounds of Tom Jones again filled the theater.
Afterward Giles could never say what had possessed him to do what he did. Some small embers of annoyance that, even though he wasn’t interested, no one had suggested that he play Gerald. Or perhaps it had just been the sudden re-play in his mind of Buffy's voice saying, 'You're old and it's gross'. He had watched the DVD of the movie again last evening and the moves to the dance were fresh in his mind. Giles closed his eyes and let the music take over.
**********
Riley entered the Bronze after rehearsals finished for the evening. He glanced around and after a waving arm caught his attention he crossed the room to join the boisterous group near the dance floor. He leaned over to kiss his new girlfriend on the cheek.
Buffy smiled up at him. “How did it go?”
“Much better this week. I tell you, we would be in trouble if it wasn’t for Bert. He’s a great dancer and one of the other guys told me that he was only able to go through with the stripping because Bert could do it. You know, for a guy his age he’s in pretty good shape. His body’s better than a couple of the younger guys.”
Buffy gave him a mock frown. “Should I be jealous of this Bert character?”
Riley laughed and pulled her to him for a quick kiss. “Not a chance.”
Buffy continued her frown. “I don’t know. Maybe I should check out my competition. Can I come to the next rehearsal?”
“Buffy, I already told you, no outsiders at rehearsals. If Professor Hoffman made a surprise visit I could get in serious trouble.” He gave her a winning smile. “It’s just another couple of weeks, then you can see the finished product.” He glanced around at the group. “I’ll get front row tickets for everyone.”
Buffy’s smile faded. “Thanks for the offer, but I’d rather sit in the back. Mom’s having a rough time with her chemo treatments and I’d like to be able to leave without causing a fuss if she needs me.”
“I thought she was doing better.”
“Most days are good, but some are really bad.”
Riley hugged her. “I’m sorry. Is there anything I can do?”
“No, she just needs rest. I try not to hover cause I know it drives her crazy, but I get worried when she’s alone. Giles goes over a couple nights a week, and if he was going to be there that night I’d be cool with the front row, but he told me he has to go out of town for a few days right around then so I’ll have my cell with me in case she needs to call me.”
“Is Giles her brother?”
“No, he’s just a friend. He was the librarian at my high school and he and Mom dated a couple of times.” Buffy gave a little grimace. ‘Dated’ was much better than saying they had hot sex on the hood of a police car. Her mother’s memories flooded through her again, followed quickly by her own memory of him standing in his doorway wearing that silk robe. A shiver ran through her. NO! Bad Slayer! Not sexy! He was her Watcher and he was old and it was wrong to think of him like that.
Since Riley had yet to meet Buffy’s mom, it was easy for him to believe that she was older than the average mother. He speculated that Buffy had been a change of life baby, and never having heard Buffy mention her dad, thought that her mother was a widow. So his mental picture of this ‘Giles’ person was that of a white haired, perhaps bald, man with thick glasses, and smelling of dusty books. He nodded and smiled sympathetically. “Ok, seats in the back, on the aisle so you won’t have to climb over anyone, and I hope you won’t need to leave.”
The trill of a cell phone had everyone reaching to see if the call was for them. Buffy saw the number on the caller ID and quickly answered. “Giles, what is it? Is it Mom?” The others listened intently and saw Buffy visibly relax. “Okay. Sure, no problem. See you.”
“Buffy, is everything okay?” Willow’s face was filled with concern.
“Yeah, no big. Giles just wants me to swing by tomorrow for a talk.” Buffy put her phone away and turned to smile at Riley. “You had enough dancing tonight, or can you still shake your booty?”
Riley laughed and took her hand, pulling her out onto the small dance floor.