Connection: Chapter Twenty-Three
by rockangelz25
Buffy looked out the window again. Everybody else had gone upstairs--probably sleeping. And she was glad that they were back, but equally glad that they had left again.

Yeah, she'd left town--on her own. After she had sent the love of her life to hell. And after her mother had told her that she was not allowed back in the house. She had not gotten a real choice.

They'd just bailed for the hell of it. They were scared. It was no different than Angelus and Acathla, or Angelus and the Judge, or the Master, or anything else that they'd fought.

But they'd left.

She turned away from the window. Giles would be surprised to find the Oz-van in the driveway. She would've told him that they were coming back, but....

She didn't know. He'd been almost more disappointed than she had when they'd left. There was a note on his desk that the two of them had found after school.....

There he was. Or someone, anyway. No--two someones. She frowned, and squinted harder out the window. It was--Giles, and someone else. Was it a vamp? Could Giles have--no.

She looked down and fought a wave of nausea. Giles was not a vampire. He couldn't be a vampire. There was no way that Giles could have gotten turned..... And the guy with him couldn't be one, either.

All the same, she got up and ran up the stairs. A crossbow wouldn't be that bad of an idea.

**

Giles watched the two of them. Riley Finn, in his military clothing. Buffy--his slayer--in her normal clothes. He hadn't even mentioned Oz's van in the driveway to her yet. He was sure that she knew about it, and he hadn't needed to make a fool out of either one of them in the eyes of what could be an ally.

"So. You're the Slayer."

"You've said that. And you are?" She left it hanging.

"Riley Finn. Of the Initiative."

"Wow. He's.... Got initiative? Giles, I'm not getting this." She looked at Giles.

She hadn't liked the guy since he'd walked into her house, and practically into her notched crossbow bolt. He probably didn't like her too well, for the same reasons.

"From what I understand, Buffy, the Initiative is a military group that fights with the vampires and other forces of darkness."

"That's nice. So, you're a military suicidal group." She smiled brightly at him.

"And you're a suicidal."

"Wow. Touche for the rookie." She crossed her arms, slightly impressed.

"You kill vampires."

"And anything else that gets in my way. That's a demon. And no people at all."

"You were involved with the witchcraft incident. We heard about a girl..... And one of her 'family friends' helping her. They single-handedly contained and killed the demon."

"Yup. Was a real picnic. So, what exactly do you do?"

"We kill demons, and we study them."

"You study dead vampires?" she snorted. "What, scoop up the ashes and poke at them?"

"We tranquilize them and take them back to our military base. I trust that I can tell both of you this in confidence."

"You don't sound confident," Buffy pointed out. He rolled his eyes at her in response.

"I've taken out about ten hostiles already."

"Hostiles?"

"Hostile Sub-Terrestrials. Demons."

"Wow. Ten. That's--so impressive." She was being openly sarcastic this time.

"And you?"

"We don't count. But.... Giles? On an average?"

"Good lord, Buffy, I certainly don't know. May I talk to you in private for a moment?"

"Sure. Stay, military boy." She walked out into the living room with Giles.

"What's up?"

"Oz's van. What is he doing here?"

"They came back. All four of them. Just before sunset." She avoided her eyes.

"Did you know that this would happen?" He was angry.

"Only since last night."

"Buffy, how could you....."

"How could I tell you, Giles? They called, and--and we'd just buried me, and we were worried about Faith, and what could we do? What would you have done?"

"I'm going to go and speak with them," he said, struggling to keep his rage under control. Buffy was keeping a secret from him again--had she learned nothing after Angel's return?

Of course, with all the wrangling that he'd needed to do regarding the Incruciatum.... And making sure that she wouldn't go through with it.... And that she wouldn't find out... So he couldn't say much about that, not without feeling guilty himself.

But the other four.... They had left. It had filled him with almost more rage and sorrow than the time that Buffy had left. And now they waltzed back? How dared they?

He would not yell at them..... He would, however, chastise them. He knew what happened to Cordelia's parents, and Xander's parents. He knew nothing of the parents of Oz.

"I'll go and speak with them."

"Giles? Be gentle. I think.... I think that they went through something major in L.A."

He regarded his slayer. He'd be gentle. He did care for all four of them, even Xander and Cordelia. "I'll speak with them," he repeated. "You speak with Riley. He's closer to your age than mine."

"Okay. This'll be fun." She took a deep breath, going back to the kitchen as Giles went to the staircase.

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