What Happens Now?: Part One - Giles
by Perdita X DeVise
Okay, believe it or not, I wrote this over the summer, before we knew what was gonna happen at the beginning of the third season. This was born of wanting many things: some Giles-angst and maybe even healing, some Willow rethinking, some Xander perspective (since I seem to be one of only a few who has any), and some Joyce reaction. I'm mildly miffed that we haven't got much of any of these in this new season, so I decided to take the initiative and post this thing. As per usual, I don't own anybody or anything, I'm borrowing. Joss Whedon etc. are the masterminds; I just like to play in their sandbox. Onward!
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Part One
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The new books had come in.
Giles hefted the heavy crate onto the main table in the library, careful not to set it on top of the scattered tomes that littered its surface. Just to be sure, he glanced at the postmark--England. Good. Nodding once, briskly, he turned and headed into his office to get a crowbar.
As he worked at opening the crate, he wondered at just how much good the new--old--books were going to be in his current situation. After all, even if he did find something in them about some new prophesy or demon or other such hellmouth-y thing--the Slayer was missing. Expelled, and out of town. Her absence did not bode well for the state of the world.
Giles felt the same mushrooming anger he'd felt when he'd first heard of Buffy's expulsion. The day he'd returned to work, Snyder had called a staff meeting to 'discuss' the recent events--the dead body, the abduction of the librarian, the beating senseless of one of the school's best students (oh, and of course that Harris boy), and finally, the expulsion of the culprit, Buffy Summers.
Giles had listened in shock as the principal nattered on about how to deal with the various repercussions, what the school board had decided about keeping the expulsion final...by the end of the meeting, he'd resolved to set things right--what he could, anyway. He hadn't bothered to approach Snyder; instead, he'd gone straight to the police and fabricated some story about gangs and initiations and eyewitness accounts and whatever else he could think of. The police had grudgingly dropped Buffy as their prime suspect, and turned their attention elsewhere. A call was made to Snyder and the school board about the new facts, and Giles hoped that whatever the principal thought of the developments, he wouldn't keep Buffy from the school.
If she ever came back...
With a growl of frustration, the Watcher dropped his crowbar and turned away from the crate. He fervently wished that he knew what had happened during the final fight between Buffy and Angel. He'd been nearly unconscious as Xander half-carried him from the mansion; the boy hadn't seen anything more than he had, so occupied was he with supporting him as they left. The only light he could shed on the subject was that he saw Spike carrying an unconscious Drusilla towards the door; Giles had supposed that they escaped while Buffy was busy stopping Angel.
Which she wouldn't have had to do if he hadn't told them...
Giles closed his eyes and took off his glasses, determined not to dwell on his guilt. He'd been unprepared; previous Watchers hadn't had much contact with Drusilla, so there hadn't been much about her in their journals. Certainly nothing about her extraordinary powers of mental persuasion. With a humourless chuckle, Giles recalled the total reality of her deception. It was as if Jenny was there in front of him, telling him everything he'd ever wanted to hear: that she loved him, she wanted him--she forgave him...
With a start, Giles realized that he was crying. His eyes snapped open and he swiped at the moistness on his cheeks with the tissue he used to clean his glasses. It didn't matter; the tears kept coming, steadily relentless. It been Jenny. The image Drusilla used was the one from his mind--the one that painted her as he wanted her to be, not as she was in life. She was too perfect; he should have known it was a trick.
The man lowered himself into a chair, his body wracked with sobs. He had betrayed his Slayer, and now she was gone.
* What happens now? *
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