More V!Giles

Buffy walked slowly along the dark streets of Sunnydale, shadowed by a trio of Watchers Council commandos and with Quentin Travers, head of the Council, silently at her side.

She hadn't been able to answer his question about Giles, and not just because she'd very carefully kept herself from knowing exactly where he was. She knew that Vampire Central these days was out in Sunrise Grove, but no one had specifically ever said, "Rupert Giles, using the professional name of Ripper, is doing business here."

She should have expected someone to wonder where he was. She'd demanded that he be reinstated to the Council, so of course they'd be in contact with him. The reports might be reluctant and incomplete, but the reports were still being made.

"How did you know he was--missing?" she asked.

Travers didn't blink at the sudden breaking of over an hour's worth of silence. "He'd been reporting every week, even if it was just to say 'Situation continuing.' When the reports stopped, we assumed things were becoming more complicated, and we decided not to bother him. The two of you have proved the match of any number of crises, and we expected we'd get a long summary before too much longer."

He fidgeted with his walking stick. "We did hear about the last fight with Glory, though the tales were third hand and worse. It was a story of magic and blood and very unlikely alliances. And every story mentioned two vampires. William the Bloody and a compatriot of his. How long has William the Bloody been--fully capable again?"

Buffy gave him a disbelieving look for his phrasing, imagined Spike's reaction for a moment, and forced back a snicker. "He's been--back to normal for several weeks now."

"And you've left him alone?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

She stopped and gave him a very level look. "Didn't we have this conversation already, about you telling me what to do?"

Travers raised a calming hand. "Please, Miss Summers, I'm not--I would really like to know what circumstances would prevail that would allow a Vampire Slayer of your skill to ignore so vicious a vampire as William the Bloody."

"I'm not ignoring him. It's more--an understanding. I patrol every night, and if I catch them I slay them. To go after Spike now I would have to declare war, and I'm not ready for that."

"Sure you had the opportunity once Glory was finished."

"Mr. Travers, we would not have beaten Glory without Spike's help, or without--" She really did try to say his name, really. "Spike could have sold out to Glory, but he didn't. He stood on the side of the humans instead of a hellgod."

"For his own selfish reasons, I'm sure."

"Mr. Travers, you weren't here. There was so much going on. And Glory nearly tortured Spike to dust trying to get him to tell where her Key was."

Travers frowned. "Really?"

She nodded. "There were pieces missing when we rescued him."

"Rescued? 'We'?"

"You weren't here. You odn't know."

They walked along quietly for several minutes. Buffy led the way into one of the busier cemeteries, and the commandos spread out, like hunting dogs looking for a sent.

Travers broke the silence. "In a war, strange alliances are often necessary. But those alliances are finished when the war ends. There is no shame in that."

Buffy didn't answer.

"I first met Rupert Giles when he was eight years old. His father brought him to the Council for a tour. He didn't seem impressed."

She smiled sadly. "He wanted to be a fighter pilot."

"Did he?"

"Or a grocer." After a moment, he handed Buffy his handkerchief and studied the surrounding tombstones himself for several moments.

oh lord. You've made Quentin Travers a sympathetic character. That's just wrong.

(more!)

Hah, it worked.

you are such an evil creature, Constance.

Erika, I liked that, though I don't know the characters at all. Maybe I'll fall in love with them like I have Kay, Munch and Tim, just because you show them to me so well. I don't even LIKE cop shows, blast it.

I'm totally with Travers on this one, seriously.

Aw, Deena, that's cool. A lovely compliment. I mean I love Munch, Kay, and Tim(sometimes more than a friend) but some of those pairings? Redundant.I'm glad I can pass it on though. I'll find some photos. Logan also is a detective with big brown eyes who got beaten up as a child...I think I have a scary type. Logan's a hothead though and way more "Love 'em and leave 'em" than "Sex is love" I don't even like cop shows... That's right. Not everybody's mama takes "The Valachi Papers" for light beach reading. Or "Serpico". I keep forgetting that. ETA, because it's a Bitch's duty to share the pretty, even from ugly websites...http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/park/3460/MICHELLESPIC.html. And, I love Lenny, just not in the sort of way that would enable me to watch a hideous Roman movie to see him in a toga, as with our friend here. And for that one special person who's not seen L&O at all(though this boggles me, as much as there is.) [link] Briscoe's the one on the banner who isn't a. Sam Waterstonb. Black C.ER

“Sorry, Lenny, didn’t mean to offend your virgin ears.”

“The ears’re all I’ve got left, in that department."

“Neighbors say they were a real romantic couple...only started going out.”

”Maybe we need to look somewhere else then.” Lenny said. “Usually this kind of anger takes years.” Logan shot his partner that irritating raised eyebrow look.
“Experience really is the best teacher on that, Mike. You change girlfriends like sweatsocks. You’ll probably never know.Poor boy.”

“You know as well as I do the neighbors only know what affects them. A whole lot of ‘incidents’ have to happen before the cops come. You know that.”

”But you’re not bitter. OK, let’s talk to Romeo.”

SUNNYDALE HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARY

“Rupert Giles?” Briscoe said. “Detectives Briscoe and Logan, Sunnydale Police.”

“One moment, Detectives.” Giles returned to his conversation with a shapely brunette.

“I’m sorry, but this really is urgent. About the Calendar murder...” Logan cut in.

“That is totally awful. But I still can’t believe he’s making me pay the fine.” The brunette said.

“Fine?” Briscoe asked.

“On the philosophy book I use to pick up college guys.”

“In my day it was Langston Hughes.”

“Poetry. That must have been a long time ago. No offense.”

“How could I possibly be offended by that?”

“That is totally awful. But I still can’t believe he’s making me pay the fine.” The brunette said.

Oh, brava! Cordy vs. Lenny should be amusing.

It feels weird to write this. No interior monologues. No assasination chatter. No Cavalier confessions. No Jesuits(I take that back...McCoy's got that story. He just doesn't talk about it like FP.)

“How could I possibly be offended by that?” Lenny asked sardonically.

“Well, some people have the crazy idea I don’t have any manners. That I just shoot my mouth off anywhere, but when it’s important, I have manners, like I don’t remember your name, Detective...”Miss Chase had decided Lenny meant that straight. She aimed a dazzling smile at Logan.
“Logan. Like Boston Airport,.
” Briscoe couldn’t believe it. His partner had to know how young this girl was, but he was still pulling out the crooked smile bit.

“Excuse us,” Lenny said.

“What? Why are you busting my hump?”

“You just can’t stop yourself, can you?”

“ I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

”Well, I’ll just be here to make sure “hump” stays a noun, if you get my drift. I’ll talk to Lolita the Next Generation, you interview Giles.”

Logan went off into the back with the librarian. Briscoe sat at one of the tables with Miss..Chase, it said on her I.D.

“Where’s Detective Logan?”
“I sent him out to prevent a felony.”

”That’s good, I guess. What was I saying?”
“Talking about your manners,’ Lenny said, dryly. “Right. Giles doesn’t know everything. I mean, sure, he’s English, but he’s also Secret Life Guy. I wouldn’t call that classy.” “Whoa. Secret life? What kind?”

”It’s this whole big thing...he’s Buffy’s Watcher, and teaches her how to catch monsters and be a big freak. He gets hit in the head a lot though...I guess he’s better at the bookwork part."