Title: Goodbye, Mr. Giles
Author: Aamah
Pairing: S/B
Rating by chapter: Chapter 27 ~ PG
Genre: Post NFA ~ General
Warning by chapter: Chapter 27 ~ language
Many thanks to beta: myfeetshowit whose patience is infinite
Chapter 27 ~ The English Patient
Henry fed on even nights, so tonight he had the 2 p.m. watch. He didn’t complain. The fledges bitched and bellyached about feeding every other day being unfair, but he’d been on his own long enough to remember what hungry really was. Binnemon may be a right bastard, but it was plain to Henry that his plan worked and moaning only got the shit beat out of you… if you’re lucky. More likely, you end up dust in the wind.
Anyway, if his internal clock was right…and it always was…it would soon be sundown. Henry put down the book he was reading and began his rounds of the winery turned vampire lair. All was still except for the roaring snoring. He approached the great wooden doors that led outside and puzzlement spread across his face. His sensitive nose picked up the sweet descent of evening but there was daylight streaming through the cracks in the door. He stopped for a moment to find his center. His body told him the sun was going down. “What the fuck?”
He opened the door and sure enough it looked like noon. He shook off the anxiety and realized he must have dozed and gotten mixed up. Then, from deep within the recesses of the underground caves, he heard the rumblings of the other “evens” who were waking and getting ready for their night on the town.
“Bollocks,” he whispered. “If the old man wakes up and sees it's still day...Shit!” Henry took off at a trot to the sleeping quarters and squeaked, as loudly as he dared, “Shut up, you bloody wankers. You’ll wake him up.”
“Who you callin’ a bloody wanker? It’s nigh onto sundown and I want to be fed.” One of the others said, “’s my turn tonight and I mean to take it.”
"My turn too, ain't it, you fat fucker. It's day out there! I'm tellin' ya!" Henry bellowed in anger and frustration. The door swung open and slammed against the wall revealing Binnemon himself, his grotesque belly hanging over open pants. Henry was closest and took the full brunt of Binne's rage. Binne grabbed him by his longish beard with one hand and raised his other arm as if to punch him but instead drove his elbow into his jaw. Henry's head snapped back with a sickening crack. For a split second, Henry's shell hung in the air, then all that was left of him drifted to the ground. Chaos reigned as the others scattered to escape Binnemon's wrath.
“Stop! The next wank that moves is the next one gone.” Binnemon bellowed. The rooms fell silent. “Now, what the fuck is going on?”
A small voice from somewhere at the rear of their ranks, one vampire spoke, “Daylight,” was all he said.
Binnemon opened his mouth…and then stopped, turned and went to the great door. He saw the same light that Henry warned of. It made no sense. Every fiber of his being told him it was dusk. He opened the door and went outside to the collected gasp of his troops. For a few moments he was stunned, disoriented, then slowly, the awful truth dawned on him. The night was made bright by the world watching the scene of his crime. The girl’s blood had been so intoxicating that he’d lost control and now it was possible that he could lose everything. He had to think fast. These dullards behind him were only loyal because he got them fed regular. He turned and faced the vampires, some who gathered courage moved closer. They stepped back as he turned.
“Looks like the law has moved on campus,” he said. I gotta look into it. Somethin’ musta happened. I think the light is from floodlights used by the coppers or maybe news people. It can’t hurt you, but for crissake stay away from it. Go ahead on your runs. Head for one of the farther targets. Remember, the school is off limits, now more than ever.” Then he turned to the odds, the returning vamps, and yelled at them to get to bed.
“You don’t want me findin’ out you went nosin’ around.”
Without another word, not even a threat, Binnemon went to his quarters to think.
~~
Dr. Graham was true to her word and returned to see to Spike’s wounds. Only a short time into it, the treatment plan was working, she thought on the drive over to the Academy campus. There were no signs of infection and the wound was draining well. But now things were starting to get ugly. Spike’s churlish behavior was difficult to deal with, to say the least. She couldn’t tell him to numb himself with alcohol because the bacteria would flourish as it turned to sugar in his system, and his vampire healing would simply seal the bacteria in place, creating an unending nightmare of disability. She knew she needed to come up with something or this remarkable vampire would walk into the sun and disappear forever. The whole plan depended on limiting his feeding to slow his healing.
There was another option, she knew, one that could possibly cause her to lose her license to practice medicine. If that happened, she would have to return to work at the Council, something she dearly wished to avoid. Leah Graham knew she was facing a unique moral dilemma. Treat her patient as she was sworn to do? Or facilitate her patient’s demise, knowing what he was. Once upon a time she wouldn’t hesitate, especially when she was in the Council’s employ. Now, having met the infamous William the Bloody and finding him a most engaging fellow and witnessing first hand the genuine bond between he and the Slayer, she realized she had no dilemma at all. Her patient came first. This union, however bizarre, came first. She reminded herself again that this Council is very different from the Council she had known and she would take her chances. If she lost her license, she would work for Rupert Giles…not an altogether unappealing idea. She smiled to herself and waved as the officer monitoring traffic on the campus waved her onto the grounds.
Leah lifted the knocker to announce her arrival at the cottage and was interrupted by Buffy swinging the door open. “Dr. Graham, you’ve come.”
“Yes,” she answered with a puzzled expression, “I did tell you I was going to make daily visits, didn’t I?”
Before Buffy had a chance to answer, Spike volunteered, dripping with sarcasm, “Yes doctor, do come and relieve our poor downtrodden, overburdened slayer. She seems to be suffering. We tried to warn her that I might be unpleasant if I’m not fed, didn’t we?”
Buffy’s swollen eyes betrayed the truth of it. As he continued to berate her, her eyes welled up again. It was no surprise that Spike was not a cooperative patient. She glanced over at Spike and instead of a handsome man, she faced a snarling, yellow eyed demon. It caught her by surprise and a chill run down her spine.
Spike sneered and growled, “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an English...uh...person … And may I say, you smell …tasty.” Spike was clearly enjoying this game. “You never seen a real vampire before, have you, doctor?” he said as he made to rise from the couch.
Instantly, Buffy stood between Spike and the doctor, tears welling in her eyes and her arm raised, holding a stake and ready to use it. Her voice was cold and deadly and did not betray her emotions as she said, “You know I’ll do it if I have to.”
No one moved or spoke for what seemed like an eternity…
The doctor broke the tension when she said, “I think I have a solution.”
~~~
Giles was at his desk hours before the regular start of the business on the day after Chastity Baker died. Sleep wouldn't come despite several ounces of scotch. After tossing fitfully for several hours he decided to get up and shower with the hopes of clearing his head. If ever there was a time for clear thinking, this was it. Giles was not surprised when Dr. Graham told him Miss Baker’s death was at the hands of a vampire. He stared back at the forlorn face in the mirror while shaving and realized it was exactly what he feared most, and now he knew the blame lay only with him for his terrible decision to go cautiously in stamping out Binnemon and his henchmen. Too often Buffy and her little band of friends had moved ahead without all the facts and there had been serious consequences. With so few to help and so much at stake he wanted to make sure they did it right the first time…and it cost that sweet girl her life. Once, Buffy was his only concern… but this time there was the Council itself to consider, the schools, the employees and girls in the schools and the girls yet to be found….yet to be born. It was so important to get it right…and...damn it all, he’d bungled it. Now, as he prowled around his office like a caged cat, he devastated as he considered all that was at stake.
Today he would have to meet with the others and tell them that the murder came at the hands of a vampire. Spending the time before dawn to jot down every thought that popped into his head, he was relieved when the clock had finally crawled around to a decent hour to call the cottage. The phone rang only once.
"Buffy here.”
"Ah, yes. Good morning, Buffy," Giles began, wanting to sound cheerful. "I hope it is a good morning. How are things going?"
"Hello Giles," Buffy answered sounding tired. "Um...pretty well, I guess. What's up?"
Giles noted in her "hello" that she was lying and caught herself in letting it show. He decided that telling her on the phone would accomplish nothing and went on with his plan to ask when it would be alright to visit. "I have some news. I'd like to ah...convene a ... scooby meeting." Before she had a chance to answer, he added, "as soon as is convenient."
Buffy turned to the wall and put her hand over the mouthpiece and said, "Gee, Giles, I don't know...um, Spike's not feeling so good and..."
Spike interrupted, "I'm a vampire, you stupid bint. I can hear your fucking hair grow. Not much use in covering up the phone. Tell the old prat to come whenever he wants to. True, I'm not at my best, but talking to him will be better than listening to your simpering mouth running off."
"Buffy? Is everything alright? What is Spike going on about?"
Buffy was grateful that Watchers didn't have vampire hearing. Since he was going to be coming over anyway, she would wait until then to fill him in on the latest developments in Spuffy Haven. She amused herself as she mentally connected their names and was amazed at her own resilience. Her world was coming apart...again...and she could still smile. "I'll tell you all about it when you come over, Giles. They're gonna deliver the breakfast basket in a few minutes. I'll put on a pot of coffee and boil some water for tea. Come on over anytime."
"Afraid to be alone with me, Slayer?" Spike sneered.
"Shut up, Spike."
“Oooh, aren’t you the..?”
“I said shut up.” Buffy pulled her hair back and headed for the kitchen ignoring whatever Spike was going on about and thought about Dr. Graham's visit. Things were a bit dodgy there for awhile. Spike said he was in a lose/lose situation and it was really starting to look that way. No blood, no alcohol equals a very testy vampire. Fortunately for everyone concerned, narcotics don't convert to sugar to feed nasty bugs. Before she left a little over an hour ago, Leah injected Spike with five ampoules of morphine. It was all she carried in her bag. It worked pretty well. Spike could barely lift a finger, but it didn't do anything about his mouth. Too bad, that!
Leah promised she'd be back in a couple of hours with more. She said she had no idea how long the effects would last. It was enough drug to kill a human, but she had no clue how it would effect a vampire metabolism. Buffy knew that Giles would go ballistic when he learned how precarious the situation with the recovering vampire was.
Spike called from the couch, "Buffy, don't bother making the tea. Wait and let Giles do it. You couldn't live long enough to learn to make a decent cup of English tea."
She could hear him laughing quietly, obviously pleased with himself. For about one second she felt a wave of pity... the Big Bad reduced to making snarky comments to the one person who loved him enough to allow him to get away with it. Then it occurred to her that there was something she could do that would make them both feel better. She threw her dishtowel over her shoulder and marched over to where Spike lay.
"Listen you. I've had enough." She held up her hand and pinched her fingers together and said, "This is what is left of my patience. One more crack from you, this stake (appeared in her hand as if from thin air) WILL find itself in your heart putting both of us out of our misery.
Spike glared at her but said not a word.
Buffy turned heel, whipping her towel off her shoulder and smiled as she returned to the kitchen. There, she thought. I blew off a little steam and he was dressed down by the Slayer. All's right with the world.
~~~
When Giles and Xander arrived, the table was laid with fresh linens and set for four with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee filling the cottage. Giles told Xander on the way over that this was to be a business meeting. There were developments he wanted to share with everyone and he preferred to tell the story only once. Thus, the mood was somber as they greeted one another and settled at the table. Idle conversation filled the first few minutes while they poured drinks and chose their breakfast. Spike remained on the couch, unable to sit on a hard chair. Buffy served him tea and a scone with butter and jelly without words. Giles and Xander merely took note of the tension between the two lovers, completely unaware of the most recent crisis.
Nourished, the group brought their drinks into the parlor area in deference to Spike and with little fanfare Giles explained that Leah Graham was not only the school's physician, but apparently held the position of Medical Examiner for the local county. He told them of her visit to his office to disclose information that she was not going to include in her autopsy report. Chastity Baker was killed by a vampire.
Xander said, "Binnemon."
Giles replied, "I'm certain." His tone revealing self-recrimination at the decision to delay the capture of the vampire.
Buffy and Xander understood his caution, but Spike was not so kind. With the demon already eating at him, and hungry for blood, all he needed was one small excuse for mayhem. He condemned Giles actions with all the upper class self righteous superiority he could muster knowing that it would hit home harder than the North London slang. Spike assured Giles that he had thousands of souls to account for and he would not accept culpability for this girl’s life too. It was all on Giles.
"I'll leave her to you, Watcher. You can see her face every time you close your eyes. I already have plenty of my own." The fact of it was that they had all agreed on the safer course of action and as a result would all bear the burden of guilt.
The group fell silent. Suddenly, Xander stood and said, in a voice a little too loud, “OK! What’s done is done, huh? The way I see it… and you all know I have a different view of things these days…” he said with a nervous laugh, “anyway… we could spend more time trying to place blame, or we can come up with a plan to get rid of the bastard and his troops now. Right?” Blushing, Xander looked around the group and sat down.
Stunned into silence, they considered the wisdom in Xander’s words. Giles cleared his throat, “Yes…well…jolly good. Buffy, do you think I might have a fresh cup of tea?”
Buffy jumped up, “Oh…yeah…sure…right away,” as she scampered off to the kitchen. Spike muttered something about growing a spine and stating the obvious that nobody acknowledged and after a few more awkward moments, they began to make a plan.
After a good deal of discussion, much of which was not pleasant, or even civil they decided on a strategy. Things were said that would take some healing but they’d been there before. It was a simple enough plan, in fact it could be said in one word. Buffy.
Giles volunteered that ordinarily, with vampire healing, Spike would have been good to go in a couple of days, but the nature of this wound was different.
Buffy and Spike exchanged glances as they thought about Dr. Graham’s wish to slow his vampire healing. Of course, Giles and Xander had no clue about that and the couple wanted it to stay that way.
Xander wanted to put the young slayers to work but Giles slammed the door shut on that one right off. The school full of slayers could not help. It was too risky. True, they were Slayers, but they were young and had not yet learned the value of holding one’s tongue. If they got wind of what actually happened they would spill everything to the first willing ear and that would mean certain death to the Council’s dreams for the future.
No…Buffy, she alone in all the world, would make it safe for everyone….again. Spike was beside himself with rage and new rants began. Things might not be perfect for he and Buffy just now, but that didn’t change the fact that he couldn’t stand the thought of her in danger when he couldn’t be there to watch her back. Once they realized that Spike’s objection was based only on his concern for Buffy, they agreed that she would never patrol alone, one of them would always accompany her.
“Not exactly the same as me, eh? Shit! Both of you together still can’t make up for me not bein’ there for her,” Spike said.
“But you’re not gonna be there are you?” said Xander giving in to his inner adolescent.
Giles and Buffy both stood to interrupt what was about to turn into something ugly. Buffy cried out, “Stop it! Now!”
The room was silenced. “Xander, Giles,” Buffy said. “Go home. Spike needs his rest and so do I. One of you come by later and we’ll patrol.”
Giles said, “But Buffy, we need to finalize some details.”
Buffy was so tired. “Just go. We’ve said enough.” Buffy closed the door behind them.
“Good riddance, yeah?” Spike said.
Buffy couldn’t stop the words as they sprang from her mouth, “Shut up, Spike.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Based on characters created by Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement intended. Original characters are mine.