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summer_of_giles2015-07-25 04:08 pm
lycomingst.livejournal.com) wrote in summer_of_giles2015-07-25 04:08 pm
Entry tags:
Fic: Ficlet, Gen
Title: Season Four - Holiday
Rating: G
Length: 792 words
Disclaimer: I own naught
Season Four - Holiday
The forecast is always the same. Sunny. Warm. Giles sipped his mid- morning coffee as he stared out the window. No miracle snow for this Christmas, then. How could there be? Angel and Buffy were no longer a force stronger than nature. Presumably Angel was in Hell, or someplace for the semi-repentant demon.
Giles gave himself a mental shake. Mustn't fall into a Scrooge mode. Try to think of this as just another day, not Christmas Eve. He glanced around the room; it had not a hint of festive decorating. Much better that way. There had been a year when the room held a small tree, with twinkling lights. There'd been an intimate dinner with a lovely woman.
Brace up, Giles, he said to himself. Keep yourself occupied.
He'd purposely saved reports to do, journal updating, translations, any busywork he could think of, until this week so that he'd could plow through them, eating up the holiday hours. He'd briefly even considered flying back home for a week or two but he really couldn't think of any place that he'd be truly welcome. Certainly not at the Watchers' Headquarters, even the friends he had there would be embarrassed to be seen with him.
So involved was he with his paperwork that he was puzzled when there was a knock on the door and he realized that several hours had passed. He found in rising from his chair that his body registered that he hadn't moved in a while. While he took a moment to stretch, the knock came again. The door probably wasn’t locked but it was dangerous in Sunnydale to shout out "Come in".
Swinging the door open he found Willow and Xander, each holding a bulging plastic bag. "It's the Jewish Santa, bringing you Chinese food," said Willow.
Giles smiled and moved aside to let in his guests. "I guess that makes me an elf. Or a reindeer, since I drove Santa here," said Xander.
"Well, whatever you both are, you’re welcome. And you smell delicious. I'll get some plates"
"And forks. Reindeer can't handle chopsticks," Xander said.
"I'll put on some music,"S Giles said, and catching sight of Willow's face, added, "Definitely not Christmas music."
"Thanks, I'd appreciate it. It all gets a little much when you're not into the holiday. My family's not into any holiday much anymore. Mom couldn't even remember where she stored the Menorah last year. She said I was too old for eight presents anyway. She and my Dad are in LA until the New Year."
"I got to agree with my red-headed friend here about Christmas music," Xander added, "One year my dad played "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" 23 times in a row. Then he fell asleep on the floor. Good times."
They both looked at Giles expectantly. "No," he said, "I'm not going to contribute any awful holiday memories. Most of them were unremarkable. The best one was when I got a bicycle."
"Ok, Giles, don't vent," Xander said," Tell us some Watcher lore. Or better still, the story behind that picture of you all leathered up. Did you ever open for the Rolling Stones?"
"Amusing, Xander, but I won't be talking about my dark past, either. So Watchers lore it is."
So with some to the best 60's rock and roll playing softly in the background, Giles recounted stories he'd gleaned from the Watcher's accounts of former Slayers. He spoke only of the victories.
After a while Giles thought he'd talked quite enough and he said, "I'll stop there. I hope I haven't come across as too much of a …teacher, for want of a harsher word."
Willow was quite bright-eyed and enthusiastic, "Oh, no Giles. I love stories like that. I'll bet you could tell some good magic ones." Willow stopped. "Or not, if you'd rather not talk about that. With the Ethan stuff and all. Or not."
"I appreciate your thoughtfulness. We could talk magic but I think it should be some other time. I seem to have lulled Xander into a soporific state."
Willow jabbed an elbow into Xander who had slumped against the arm of the couch. His eyes were closed and his breath very deep. "Wha..," he sat up straight, "Great stories, Giles. I really liked the one about the vampire."
"Come on, Xander, it's time for us to go," Willow stood up and started gathering up the plates from dinner.
"No, no, I'll take care of that, Willow," Giles said, "I'll get your things. I want to thank you for coming. It was much appreciated."
And after they'd gone, as Giles was washing up, he came to the conclusion that he'd had a very nice family gathering for the holiday.
Rating: G
Length: 792 words
Disclaimer: I own naught
Season Four - Holiday
The forecast is always the same. Sunny. Warm. Giles sipped his mid- morning coffee as he stared out the window. No miracle snow for this Christmas, then. How could there be? Angel and Buffy were no longer a force stronger than nature. Presumably Angel was in Hell, or someplace for the semi-repentant demon.
Giles gave himself a mental shake. Mustn't fall into a Scrooge mode. Try to think of this as just another day, not Christmas Eve. He glanced around the room; it had not a hint of festive decorating. Much better that way. There had been a year when the room held a small tree, with twinkling lights. There'd been an intimate dinner with a lovely woman.
Brace up, Giles, he said to himself. Keep yourself occupied.
He'd purposely saved reports to do, journal updating, translations, any busywork he could think of, until this week so that he'd could plow through them, eating up the holiday hours. He'd briefly even considered flying back home for a week or two but he really couldn't think of any place that he'd be truly welcome. Certainly not at the Watchers' Headquarters, even the friends he had there would be embarrassed to be seen with him.
So involved was he with his paperwork that he was puzzled when there was a knock on the door and he realized that several hours had passed. He found in rising from his chair that his body registered that he hadn't moved in a while. While he took a moment to stretch, the knock came again. The door probably wasn’t locked but it was dangerous in Sunnydale to shout out "Come in".
Swinging the door open he found Willow and Xander, each holding a bulging plastic bag. "It's the Jewish Santa, bringing you Chinese food," said Willow.
Giles smiled and moved aside to let in his guests. "I guess that makes me an elf. Or a reindeer, since I drove Santa here," said Xander.
"Well, whatever you both are, you’re welcome. And you smell delicious. I'll get some plates"
"And forks. Reindeer can't handle chopsticks," Xander said.
"I'll put on some music,"S Giles said, and catching sight of Willow's face, added, "Definitely not Christmas music."
"Thanks, I'd appreciate it. It all gets a little much when you're not into the holiday. My family's not into any holiday much anymore. Mom couldn't even remember where she stored the Menorah last year. She said I was too old for eight presents anyway. She and my Dad are in LA until the New Year."
"I got to agree with my red-headed friend here about Christmas music," Xander added, "One year my dad played "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" 23 times in a row. Then he fell asleep on the floor. Good times."
They both looked at Giles expectantly. "No," he said, "I'm not going to contribute any awful holiday memories. Most of them were unremarkable. The best one was when I got a bicycle."
"Ok, Giles, don't vent," Xander said," Tell us some Watcher lore. Or better still, the story behind that picture of you all leathered up. Did you ever open for the Rolling Stones?"
"Amusing, Xander, but I won't be talking about my dark past, either. So Watchers lore it is."
So with some to the best 60's rock and roll playing softly in the background, Giles recounted stories he'd gleaned from the Watcher's accounts of former Slayers. He spoke only of the victories.
After a while Giles thought he'd talked quite enough and he said, "I'll stop there. I hope I haven't come across as too much of a …teacher, for want of a harsher word."
Willow was quite bright-eyed and enthusiastic, "Oh, no Giles. I love stories like that. I'll bet you could tell some good magic ones." Willow stopped. "Or not, if you'd rather not talk about that. With the Ethan stuff and all. Or not."
"I appreciate your thoughtfulness. We could talk magic but I think it should be some other time. I seem to have lulled Xander into a soporific state."
Willow jabbed an elbow into Xander who had slumped against the arm of the couch. His eyes were closed and his breath very deep. "Wha..," he sat up straight, "Great stories, Giles. I really liked the one about the vampire."
"Come on, Xander, it's time for us to go," Willow stood up and started gathering up the plates from dinner.
"No, no, I'll take care of that, Willow," Giles said, "I'll get your things. I want to thank you for coming. It was much appreciated."
And after they'd gone, as Giles was washing up, he came to the conclusion that he'd had a very nice family gathering for the holiday.
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Excellently done.
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I'm sure Xander and Willow came to the exact same conclusion. Such warmth in this story!
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Thank you for reading!
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