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summer_of_giles2006-06-27 12:03 am
ladyforash.livejournal.com) wrote in summer_of_giles2006-06-27 12:03 am
Entry tags:
Fic: A New Beginning (Rated G, No pairing)
This is my first Fic for the day. I'll post another one in the evening when I get home from work…if I get lots of comments to this one.
(Just kidding)
Title: A New Beginning
Author: LadyForASH
Rated: G
Spoilers: Post Chosen
No pairing… It's a general fic for mysummer_of_giles entry.
They had driven the bus until they just couldn't go anymore. Weary from exhaustion, Giles pulled the bus into a sprawling motel in the hills of Northern California. The sun had set many times, and the fight had seemed like long ago. They had barely eaten, and they were all exhausted. Their only stop had been at the very first town hospital, where they deposited the wounded, including Robin Wood. They'd stayed until they knew everyone was safe, relatively. Most of the potentials had decided to either go back home, or stay in the town. Faith stayed behind with them, as did Kennedy, Andrew, and most of the others. Now it was just the core group again: Xander, Willow, Buffy, Dawn, and Giles. They had the need to just…get away.
Buffy, Dawn and Willow got a room together, which connected with Xander and Giles' room. They had all gone their separate ways at first. Xander went to the vending machines to get them all something to eat. Giles walked off to procure a bottle of Scotch, and Buffy and Dawn had showered. Now Xander and Willow and Dawn were gathered in the girls' room. Buffy was outside on the little patio, just sitting and staring up at the sky. Willow and Dawn and Xander were sitting on the bed with the TV on, but they weren't really watching it. They were watching Buffy.
Giles was watching Buffy too, from the seclusion and darkness of his room, with only the bottle to keep him company. He preferred it that way. The others had invited him to their little slumber party, but he had declined.
Willow sighed and snacked on another chip. "This really feels final like never before. Like the end, you know?"
Xander glumly nodded between chips. He thought of Anya. "Yeah...it does." He didn't think he had any tears left. After all the grief, Xander just felt hollow inside. Numbness was becoming a way of life.
Dawn frowned and looked at the both of them. Then she snorted. "Why don't you think of it as a beginning instead of the end? You thought it was the end last time with Glory, and look how that turned out?" Then she thought about that horrific year following Buffy's death and resurrection. Her lips trembled a little. "Never mind," she said softly.
Willow reached out and took her hand. "No, Dawnie. I think you're right. We should look at this as a new beginning, especially for Buffy. That's probably what she's thinking about right now. She's out there wondering where to start in enjoying her new, normal life. How did you get so smart, Dawnie?"
A slow smile spread across her face. "Must have been those darn monks," she whispered.
* * *
Several Years Later…
Giles sat behind his desk at the new Council and leafed through his mail. He loved research. He loved discovering new books, as well as securing ancient, old tomes, but he hated going through the mail, and loathed paperwork. The multiplication of Slayers had not been kind to him in regards to paperwork.
The frown deepened on his face as he spied a pale yellow envelope within the stack. It wasn't the normal business envelope that he received. Placing the rest of the mail aside, he pulled on the corner of the personal envelope and separated it from the stack. His heart contracted as soon as he saw the handwriting, and his eyes flew to the corner of the post, where the return address lay.
"Buffy," he whispered.
His fingers began to tremble.
It had been several years since he'd heard from her, or any of them. They'd all parted then. They had stayed together as far as Portland, Oregon. Then the bus broke down, beyond repair. Giles had made some phone calls, intent on flying them all to England, but the others balked. Xander decided to rent his own car and just travel, hopefully with success this time unlike that summer after graduation. Willow had decided to return to California and find Kennedy. She wanted to help more, if she could.
And Buffy and Dawn…he'd bought them airline tickets for Rome. They'd all promised to stay in touch, but none had. He was just as guilty. Several times he picked up the phone. He didn't have numbers to call, but the Council could have found them if he'd asked. Instead, he didn't ask. The last thing he wanted was to bring them back to the painful past. If they were happy and at peace in the present, he didn't want to take any of that away, even for a moment. Sometimes, just the sound of someone's voice at the wrong time, could bring you down. At least, that's what he told himself. It was easier that way. His fear of rejection was so deep and so profound, that it was easier to believe he was doing them all a favor.
Rupert Giles had decided to do what he did best; research. He helped develop a new Council. This one would be much different then the Council of old. Thankfully, most of the resources and books had been saved. The most important issues had always been in fire proof, secured, stable vaults. And since most of the Watchers that remained had been field Watchers, they were more in touch with what was really needed, and not that of archaic, obtuse times. The new Council thrived, and Giles was the Head.
He would have laughed all those years ago in Sunnydale if someone had told him he'd be Head Watcher some day. It was a job he never wanted, but he was good at it. It was all he knew. It was all he had.
Turning the envelope over in his hand, he finally stuffed it inside his jacket pocket and picked up his phone to buzz his secretary. "Jayne, I'll be taking the rest of the afternoon off."
"Yes, sir. Shall I cancel your remaining appointments?"
"Please. Have a good day, Jayne."
"Thank you, Sir." Jayne signed off, and Giles stood up and grabbed his briefcase. Taking the rear door out of his office through his private exit, he climbed into his town car and headed home.
It was a short drive to the home he kept in London. He still had the sprawling ranch in Bath, but the nights he stayed there now were getting farther between. Entering the flat, Giles tossed his jacket over the back of a stuffed leather chair, and put his brief case on the floor. Before doing anything else, he immediately went to the side bar and poured himself a tall glass of Scotch. After several burning gulps, he sat down at his desk and pulled the envelope out of the jacket pocket.
Several times he turned it over and over again in his hands. He noticed his fingers were trembling. What the hell? Was he getting that old? That poncey? Daft? He pounded down another glass of Scotch. When his nerves had settled, he picked up the letter opener and carefully slit the envelope.
Immediately he recognized it for what it was. An invitation. An invitation to a graduation. Dawn was graduating from Oxford…and he had never even known she was attending.
His frown deepened when he opened it further.
There was nothing. No personal notes. Not a letter, not a sentence, not even a salutation.
Not even a place for an RSVP.
Giles set the contents of the envelope down and poured himself another glass of Scotch. It was the only thing that numbed the pain anymore.
After several quiet moments of reflection, Giles pulled open the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out his checkbook. Slowly he wrote out a check for one hundred dollars. He signed it, with Dawn's name at the top.
Placing it in an envelope, he addressed it to the location on the invitation. No letter. No note. Not even a salutation. Before he could change his mind, Giles walked out his front door to the mail box nearby. He hardly wobbled as he dropped it into the post, and then turned back to his flat without another look back.
Sometimes a new beginning really is the end.
(Just kidding)
Title: A New Beginning
Author: LadyForASH
Rated: G
Spoilers: Post Chosen
No pairing… It's a general fic for my
summer_of_giles entry.They had driven the bus until they just couldn't go anymore. Weary from exhaustion, Giles pulled the bus into a sprawling motel in the hills of Northern California. The sun had set many times, and the fight had seemed like long ago. They had barely eaten, and they were all exhausted. Their only stop had been at the very first town hospital, where they deposited the wounded, including Robin Wood. They'd stayed until they knew everyone was safe, relatively. Most of the potentials had decided to either go back home, or stay in the town. Faith stayed behind with them, as did Kennedy, Andrew, and most of the others. Now it was just the core group again: Xander, Willow, Buffy, Dawn, and Giles. They had the need to just…get away.
Buffy, Dawn and Willow got a room together, which connected with Xander and Giles' room. They had all gone their separate ways at first. Xander went to the vending machines to get them all something to eat. Giles walked off to procure a bottle of Scotch, and Buffy and Dawn had showered. Now Xander and Willow and Dawn were gathered in the girls' room. Buffy was outside on the little patio, just sitting and staring up at the sky. Willow and Dawn and Xander were sitting on the bed with the TV on, but they weren't really watching it. They were watching Buffy.
Giles was watching Buffy too, from the seclusion and darkness of his room, with only the bottle to keep him company. He preferred it that way. The others had invited him to their little slumber party, but he had declined.
Willow sighed and snacked on another chip. "This really feels final like never before. Like the end, you know?"
Xander glumly nodded between chips. He thought of Anya. "Yeah...it does." He didn't think he had any tears left. After all the grief, Xander just felt hollow inside. Numbness was becoming a way of life.
Dawn frowned and looked at the both of them. Then she snorted. "Why don't you think of it as a beginning instead of the end? You thought it was the end last time with Glory, and look how that turned out?" Then she thought about that horrific year following Buffy's death and resurrection. Her lips trembled a little. "Never mind," she said softly.
Willow reached out and took her hand. "No, Dawnie. I think you're right. We should look at this as a new beginning, especially for Buffy. That's probably what she's thinking about right now. She's out there wondering where to start in enjoying her new, normal life. How did you get so smart, Dawnie?"
A slow smile spread across her face. "Must have been those darn monks," she whispered.
* * *
Several Years Later…
Giles sat behind his desk at the new Council and leafed through his mail. He loved research. He loved discovering new books, as well as securing ancient, old tomes, but he hated going through the mail, and loathed paperwork. The multiplication of Slayers had not been kind to him in regards to paperwork.
The frown deepened on his face as he spied a pale yellow envelope within the stack. It wasn't the normal business envelope that he received. Placing the rest of the mail aside, he pulled on the corner of the personal envelope and separated it from the stack. His heart contracted as soon as he saw the handwriting, and his eyes flew to the corner of the post, where the return address lay.
"Buffy," he whispered.
His fingers began to tremble.
It had been several years since he'd heard from her, or any of them. They'd all parted then. They had stayed together as far as Portland, Oregon. Then the bus broke down, beyond repair. Giles had made some phone calls, intent on flying them all to England, but the others balked. Xander decided to rent his own car and just travel, hopefully with success this time unlike that summer after graduation. Willow had decided to return to California and find Kennedy. She wanted to help more, if she could.
And Buffy and Dawn…he'd bought them airline tickets for Rome. They'd all promised to stay in touch, but none had. He was just as guilty. Several times he picked up the phone. He didn't have numbers to call, but the Council could have found them if he'd asked. Instead, he didn't ask. The last thing he wanted was to bring them back to the painful past. If they were happy and at peace in the present, he didn't want to take any of that away, even for a moment. Sometimes, just the sound of someone's voice at the wrong time, could bring you down. At least, that's what he told himself. It was easier that way. His fear of rejection was so deep and so profound, that it was easier to believe he was doing them all a favor.
Rupert Giles had decided to do what he did best; research. He helped develop a new Council. This one would be much different then the Council of old. Thankfully, most of the resources and books had been saved. The most important issues had always been in fire proof, secured, stable vaults. And since most of the Watchers that remained had been field Watchers, they were more in touch with what was really needed, and not that of archaic, obtuse times. The new Council thrived, and Giles was the Head.
He would have laughed all those years ago in Sunnydale if someone had told him he'd be Head Watcher some day. It was a job he never wanted, but he was good at it. It was all he knew. It was all he had.
Turning the envelope over in his hand, he finally stuffed it inside his jacket pocket and picked up his phone to buzz his secretary. "Jayne, I'll be taking the rest of the afternoon off."
"Yes, sir. Shall I cancel your remaining appointments?"
"Please. Have a good day, Jayne."
"Thank you, Sir." Jayne signed off, and Giles stood up and grabbed his briefcase. Taking the rear door out of his office through his private exit, he climbed into his town car and headed home.
It was a short drive to the home he kept in London. He still had the sprawling ranch in Bath, but the nights he stayed there now were getting farther between. Entering the flat, Giles tossed his jacket over the back of a stuffed leather chair, and put his brief case on the floor. Before doing anything else, he immediately went to the side bar and poured himself a tall glass of Scotch. After several burning gulps, he sat down at his desk and pulled the envelope out of the jacket pocket.
Several times he turned it over and over again in his hands. He noticed his fingers were trembling. What the hell? Was he getting that old? That poncey? Daft? He pounded down another glass of Scotch. When his nerves had settled, he picked up the letter opener and carefully slit the envelope.
Immediately he recognized it for what it was. An invitation. An invitation to a graduation. Dawn was graduating from Oxford…and he had never even known she was attending.
His frown deepened when he opened it further.
There was nothing. No personal notes. Not a letter, not a sentence, not even a salutation.
Not even a place for an RSVP.
Giles set the contents of the envelope down and poured himself another glass of Scotch. It was the only thing that numbed the pain anymore.
After several quiet moments of reflection, Giles pulled open the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out his checkbook. Slowly he wrote out a check for one hundred dollars. He signed it, with Dawn's name at the top.
Placing it in an envelope, he addressed it to the location on the invitation. No letter. No note. Not even a salutation. Before he could change his mind, Giles walked out his front door to the mail box nearby. He hardly wobbled as he dropped it into the post, and then turned back to his flat without another look back.
Sometimes a new beginning really is the end.