Getting Ahead of Myself
by sailor80
Twenty-one
[reviews]
Faith knocked before opening Giles' door. She and Buffy stood in the doorway, stunned at the number of people crammed into the room.
"Close the door," Giles said crossly.
Faith closed the door and she and Buffy went to Giles. "You didn't tell us you were having a party," Buffy said quietly.
"And it's all for you," he answered snidely. For the past two hours, he had been answering questions and getting few answers in return. The interrogation, following his trip into the sewers, had frayed his nerves as well as his manners.
One of the suits approached them, and looked them up and down for a few seconds before speaking. "I suppose you'll do," he said.
"So glad you approve," Faith answered in a saccharine tone.
"We have much work to do," he continued.
"Don't hurt yourself," Faith answered, and Giles poked her in the back.
Unfazed, the man continued. "The recovery team has been waiting for you."
"You don't need both of us to show you where the rats are," Faith said.
"You will lead the team to Mr. Travers," he went on. "We will talk when you get back."
Faith looked from Buffy to Giles.
"Go on, I'll be ok," Buffy said softly.
"You sure?" Faith asked, and Buffy nodded. Faith turned to Giles and held out her hand. He put the keyring in her palm. "Don't antagonize them," Giles said softly but firmly.
"Gotcha," Faith said. She turned to the assembled group. "We got wheels or what?"
"The van is outside."
"Let's go," she said, and headed for the door. Everyone but the man who had spoken earlier followed Faith.
"Shall we get acquainted, Ms. Summers?"
"Your name would be a good start." Buffy crossed her arms over her chest.
"Philip Cable Westrope." He offered his hand, but Buffy ignored it. "Shall we sit, then?"
Buffy sighed and went to a chair around Giles' table. Giles took the seat nearest her, and Westrope sat opposite her.
"Your record as Slayer is most impressive," he said.
Buffy shrugged. She wanted him to get to the point so she could check on Faith and get home to her family.
"You will, of course, continue in your current capacity. Ms. Spencer is needed elsewhere."
"Ms. Spencer," Buffy said icily, "is needed right here."
"Why, pray tell?"
Buffy looked at Giles, and he nodded. "Something big is coming. We're having dreams about it. Different dreams about the same things."
"The Beast," Westrope responded calmly.
"You know so much, how about sharing a little?"
"Our research teams are hard at work. When we have something useful, we will share it with you," he said.
Giles knew Buffy would answer sarcastically, and jumped in. "We would appreciate it. We haven't found much yet."
"Ms. Summers, given your track record, we believe you can handle The Beast on your own."
"Faith is staying," Buffy said stubbornly.
"You do not make that decision."
"No, I don't," Buffy agreed. "But neither do you." She leaned toward Westrope and fixed him with her best Slayer stare.
He folded sooner than either Giles or Buffy expected. "Very well. Ms. Spencer may stay for now."
"I'm glad that's settled. If you have anything else, work it out with Giles." She stood up and looked at her Watcher. "Come for dinner," she ordered him, and he nodded. Buffy left quickly, restraining herself from slamming the door.
She trotted to the cemetery. A black panel van with dark windows was parked near the crypt, and two of the men from the apartment stood near it. Buffy stayed out of sight and watched. It wasn't long before two more of the men from the apartment emerged with two of Travers' flunkies chained between them.
Buffy waited, watching as Travers' remaining underlings were brought out. Travers was brought up last, with two men holding him tightly. His lips were moving a mile a minute, and Buffy snickered. When the van was loaded, the two guards got into the front and it left.
Faith appeared a few minutes later. She pushed the crypt door closed before walking toward Buffy. "All done," she reported.
"Good. I left Giles with the head tweedy guy. He'll be by later to fill us in."
"Cool. Let's get home, then. I'm tired of smellin' like the sewer. Next time, let's use someplace above ground."
"Let's just skip the whole next time thing."
"Deal," Faith agreed. After a few seconds, she asked, "You all right with your mom?"
"No, but I don't have a choice, do I?"
"Guess not."
"Sorry, the whole thing just weirds me out. I mean, Will just had the baby last night, and now Mom's going to the hospital," Buffy burst out. "I hate the hospital," she added emphatically.
"I think everything's gonna be ok," Faith said. "I mean, Mrs. S was in one of those freaky dreams I had, and none of that stuff has happened yet, so..." she trailed off.
"Thanks."
"No big."
Tara held dinner as long as she could while they waited for Giles. He showed up when they were halfway through, and slid into his seat at the table, apologizing.
Buffy waited until he finished eating to begin asking questions. Giles had few answers. He had been reinstated as official Watcher to both Slayers. Westrope had been full of questions about them, and Giles had answered only those having to do with their Slayer duties. Then he handed an envelope each to Buffy and Faith.
"What's this?" Faith asked suspiciously.
"I don't know," Giles said. "Mr. Westrope asked me to give them to you with his thanks."
Buffy waited while Faith cautiously opened her envelope. Faith's eyes widened, and she whispered, "Holy shit."
Tara leaned over to see what Faith was holding, and her eyes grew wide, too.
Buffy's curiosity got the better of her, and she hurriedly opened her envelope. She didn't say anything, just passed it to Willow, who stared in silent shock.
Finally, Faith asked, "Is this real?"
"We'll know for certain in a few days, but I have no reason to doubt him so far."
"Wow," Buffy said, and nudged Willow. "Show Mom."
First Willow, then Faith passed the envelopes to Joyce. "It's about time," was her response before returning them.
Dawn began to fuss, and Buffy got up. She returned with the baby, and sat beside Willow again. She remembered her earlier conversation with Giles and asked, "Want to hold her?"
He looked briefly uncomfortable, but said, "Yes."
Buffy got up again, and walked around to Giles. She laid the baby gently in his arms and said to Dawn, "This is Giles."
Giles examined the baby for a few seconds, and Dawn looked back at him with a serious expression. "Hello," he said tentatively, and Dawn howled. Sputtering, he held her toward Buffy, and the others burst into laughter.
Buffy took Dawn from him. "Don't worry," she comforted her daughter, "I did the same thing when I met him. You'll get used to him."
Willow got up before Buffy could sit. "She's probably hungry."
"Living room?" Buffy suggested, and turned before Willow could agree.
Faith and Tara got up and began clearing the table, and when the left the room, Giles moved to a seat closer to Joyce. "Have they told you anything that's happened?"
"Not yet." Joyce stacked the plates she could reach.
"There is a new leader for the Watchers Council. He was here earlier, and I imagine we'll be hearing from him again shortly. Quentin Travers and his followers have been purged from the Council. Travers himself has been returned to England to face the consequences of his actions."
"They didn't kill him?" Joyce asked.
"Apart from a few bruises, they didn't harm him," Giles answered calmly, leaving out his part in obtaining information from the men Buffy and Faith had brought to him.
Joyce sighed in relief. "I was worried they would do something they would regret later."
"They were remarkably level headed," he said, and paused when Faith and Tara returned to finish clearing the table. Once they were gone, he continued. "Philip Westrope, the new head of the Council, wishes Faith to become guardian of the Cleveland hellmouth. Buffy refuses to allow Faith to leave, and the Council has temporarily acquiesced."
"There won't be any more of those barbaric tests, will there?"
"Not if I have anything to say about it," he said firmly.
Joyce nodded. "I'm trusting you to take care of them."
Giles looked confused.
"They haven't told you?"
"Told me what?"
Joyce sighed. "I'm going into the hospital on Tuesday. Hopefully, it will just be for a few days, and everything will get back to normal."
"I wish you all the best," Giles said stiffly.
"Rupert, I'm sure everything will be fine."
"I hope it will. If you need anything, please let me know."
"I could use a ride. I'm expected there Tuesday morning, and I want to leave the Jeep for the girls to use."
"I'll be here," Giles told her.