summer_of_giles | Fic: CLAIM

Back to Part 3

She was dreaming, Buffy knew. It was that vague sense that one has of being an outsider, viewing your own life unfold. She was both in her body, and watching her body from afar, at the same time.

She was on a beach, not a specific one, but a generalized beach. It was not unlike the one she’d traveled along with her Watcher near the village of Bournemouth on the English Channel. It was a lovely day, with the sun just setting. The sea was coming in, the sound of the waves soothing. Looking at herself, she noted she was wearing a pretty white summer dress and sandals. She couldn’t remember when she’d last worn a dress – certainly from a time long before she'd become the Slayer.

Looking up, she saw a figure walking toward her on the beach. The shape was indistinct at first, then resolved suddenly into the form of her Watcher. He was yet a ways off, but she could see he was walking barefoot in the small waves. He was wearing an untucked white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the buttons undone. The legs of his tan trousers were also rolled up to accommodate the playful waves. He wore no glasses, and carried nothing but his shoes. The wind ruffled his shirt and hair gently. A shy smile of welcoming graced his face as he looked toward her. Her heart was so filled with love for the him she thought it would burst.

Suddenly, the scene changed. Rupert was no longer walking toward her, but rather out to sea. The sky had darkened, and the waves had turned rough. She tried calling out to him, but she could make no sound. Terrified, she took off at a dead run toward him, she threw her arms around him, nearly crushing him. She guided him back up the beach, and as she did so, the sky cleared and the waves diminished, and all was well again. She tucked her head beneath his chin and held on for a long time. Finally, she released him.

“Hello, My Lady,” the dream Rupert greeted her with a small bow.

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Buffy woke, her heart pounding in her chest. As she took in her surroundings, she realized where she was, and comforted herself that it had all been a dream. She reached out with her Slayer senses to locate Rupert. She found his presence in the adjacent cottage, where she expected him to be, and felt only peace. He was safe, and she breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that her hours of Watcher-sensing practice had been fruitful.

Searching under the bedcovers, she located her dragon and looked it in the eyes. “Don’t scare me like that,” she chided it, and then placed a kiss on its adorable little nose.

Buffy flopped back onto the bed, closed her eyes and reached out with her senses again to reassure herself, and was surprised this time to find a mind awake.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, just a bad dream – maybe just a weird dream.”

“Do you need me?”

“Always. But for now, I’m okay.”

“Good.”

“How are we doing this?”

“You are the Slayer. I am the Watcher. The moment of fear is past.”

“Rupert?”

This time, there was no answer. Buffy knew it had been Rupert, without any doubt. She pondered his meaning about the ‘moment of fear.’ She figured it meant they could only communicate like that when they were in danger. She grinned like a loon. Maybe she could work on that as well.

She knew there was some sort of mystical bond thingy between them. She knew it had been growing. She’d been able to sense things about him for a long time – now to actually speak – it was amazing. She wondered if his communication had even been conscious.

Buffy lay awake for a time, pondering all the thoughts whirling around her head. What had that dream been all about? Was it a vision or message as some of her dreams had been? Did it mean she was meant to be with him? To hold him and keep him safe in some way? She’d long since worked through the manuscripts Mother Minerva had provided to her a year ago. She knew what was coming – if she were brave enough to go through with it.

Buffy knew she cared deeply for Rupert. She was fairly certain he felt the same, even if he generally seemed to keep those feelings to himself for reasons she could only guess at. She knew that they soon would face a major confrontation with the master vampire known as The Overlord, and that she and Rupert might not even survive. Taking a lesson from her Watcher, Buffy decided to think positively. She made her decision - she’d send a letter ahead to the Inn at the village of Trowbridge – the one Minerva had commended to her.

It was time to make preparations for her Claim.

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On to Part 5

Fic: CLAIM - Part 4 of 9

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