It is helpful when the weather suits one’s mood. The beautiful sunny day had become dull and overcast, so much so that Spike wasn’t concerned with sudden immolation. He was down, farther down than in a long, long time and that was saying something since there were more than a few bad days recently. He leaned against the old stone building and pulled out the ever-present pack of cigarettes, lit one and took a long, deep drag, pulling himself together. He had seen evil in his day, all kinds, all species. He knew humanity was full of evil, but in the past several years, he had found himself a pocket of humanity that gave him hope. People who were flawed, but tried their best. They tried harder than anyone he had ever encountered in all his years; didn’t always get it right, but kept on trying. And here, in their midst was evil and it was pretending to be one of them. It scared him.
As expected, the former Watcher and Watcher Wannabe came looking for him. Knew there was no use in hiding, sulking somewhere. They’d only find him and pry into his feelings anyway. Might just as well face the music and get it over with.
Xander looked small, and weak, and a little frightened, leaving Giles to carry the full weight of the encounter. He began with a deep sigh, “Spike, I… I don’t know what to say…” Spike tried to interrupt and Giles stopped him. “I’m deeply ashamed. You came here in good faith with olive branch extended….” It was difficult for him to speak, his words hesitant, faltering. “What Kennedy said is an abomination and I am horrified. What can I say or do to make amends?”
Spike had regained his composure and smiled his charming smile and said, “What about Xander running me back to your place and I’ll get started on making that nice dinner we talked about? We can talk and laugh and stymie the whelp here with your vinyl collection? How’s that?”
Giles didn’t expect Spike to gloss over the terrible scene and said, “I was rather hoping you might meet the girls and talk to them. I’m learning that everything is not always what it seems and I want the students to learn that now, not when their in their dotage as I am.”
“That’s a nice idea, Rupert, but something tells me that today is no longer the best time for anymore real life lessons. I’m just guessing here, but Kennedy has set herself up as ‘Miss Perfect Slayer’ and seeing her attacked by the lunch guest might just have buggered that up a bit.”
“Just between you, me, and the lampost, I think her own mouth did her more harm than your counter attack, Spike,” said Xander.
Spike glanced at Xander, somewhat awestruck, “Thanks for that, Harris, I appreciate it.”
Giles observed the exchange between the two and was, as ever, amused at this love/hate relationship they had. Of course, love is too strong a word, but the analogy works. It was more a mutual respect resulting from shared experience they were finally willing to expose. Accepting Spike’s suggestion,
Giles asked Xander to bring Spike to his cottage and then return to his usual routine until dinner at seven.
~~~
Giles returned to his office with a heavy heart. He climbed each stair slowly, dreading his next encounter. The lift might have been faster but he was in no hurry. Mrs. Reed caught sight of him and immediately set about preparing a hot cup of tea and arranging a plate of biscuits. Miss Kane had presented herself a quarter hour earlier with her usual ill-mannered attitude stating that Mr. Giles was expecting her. She migrated to Mr. Giles office to wait for him.
“Excuse me, Ms. Kane, you may wait for Mr. Giles here in the outer office,” Mrs. Reed said sternly.
Kennedy replied, “What?….Why?” Her tone and her body language were rude. “I told you he was expecting me.”
“That may be so, Miss Kane, but he DID NOT tell me, and so, you will wait in the outer office,” she finished. “Please take a seat.” The air was electric with the tension between the two women.
Giles walked directly to his office, speaking to no one. Mrs. Reed followed him with the tea and biscuits. She watched as he slumped in his desk chair and put his head in his hands. Although they were together little more than a year, Mrs. Reed came to have an understanding of Mr. Giles and knew when to simply stand silently and wait. Of course, she heard of the incident in the dining hall and all at once she was sympathetic toward his problem, sharing his embarrassment at the behavior of one of his charges and angry that he was placed in this awkward situation. She knew that his thoughts would return to her in good time and if he had to call out to her or ring her on the intercom it would have been an irritation for him, and so, she stood and waited.
After some time, he raised his head, pulled the tea tray toward him and said, with a defeated voice, “Thank you, Adele. Have their been any calls?” he continued, “Any urgent business?”
“No sir,” she replied. “Nothing urgent. Notes of all the calls are just inside your desk appointment book.” She placed them inside to protect confidentiality, even though there was nothing of an intimate nature.
He took a deep swallow of the sweetened tea, raised his eyes to Mrs. Reed in approval and said, “Please send her in.”
He opened the file on the center of his desk. He hadn’t even asked for it. Adele was a blessing.
“Kane, Kennedy,” he read. “DOB 15/08/1983. Kensington, California. Second daughter born to Kenneth and Kathleen Kane… how cute..” he thought sardonically as he reread his pinched handwriting. He began a similar dossier on each of the girls as they were identified and joined the others in Sunnydale so long ago. He read comment after hastily noted comment.
Skilled in martial arts. Trained with masters during high school years. First noted enhanced abilities at 12 years.
Each notation of some conflict or event ended in a negative summary.
Willful. Bad mannered. Rude to superiors and peers. Disrespectful. Unkind.
Natural leader, but leads through manipulation and intimidation.
Identifies weaknesses in others and preys on them. Uses as a means of manipulation. Identifies self as lesbian.
He read the word and chastised himself for his negative feelings as though the word itself offended him. It did not. In fact, he let his mind drift to the painful hole in his heart left by the lovely young Wicca who captured Willow’s heart, and for that matter, everyone’s heart.
The more recent entries included notations of unnecessary roughness with the new potentials in what seemed to be a demonstration of her physical prowess. Several of the girls actually needed medical attention despite the fact that they already demonstrated they were in possession of Slayer healing powers.
She was overheard embellishing the tale of the closure of the Sunnydale Hellmouth with suggestions that Buffy Summers had weakened the line of the Slayer by her acquisition of friends to carry out her slaying duties. Further commenting that without those friends, Buffy was unable to do her job.
There were more comments each more damaging than the next and at the end of each, more damning statements in Giles’ own handwriting.
Now, as he read the file and considered his duty, he was ashamed that he had not the gumption to do something about her before this. He remembered all his excuses. She was strong, well trained, experienced. She seemed to be a natural leader. He ignored the disobeyed orders, the failure to carry out drills as ordered, and the lack of concern for her sister slayers, and blinded himself to her attitude regarding Buffy fearing that where Buffy was concerned he was much too sensitive.
Now he would do what must be done.
The door opened and Kennedy Kane swaggered in with all the confidence of one who really believed she was a hero. Her attitude only fueled his anger.
He gestured for her to take a seat. “I’ll stand,” she said.
“Fine, then,” he began, “As a result of your outburst today, you are barred from participating in any activity here at the school. The facilities, to be specific, the pool, the gym, the steam room, the track and the classrooms will no longer be available to you. You may remain in your rooms until I’ve made arrangements for your next assignment.” Giles went on in his most formal tone, “A gentleman of my acquaintance, Carlisle Cheswyck, formerly of the Watcher’s Council, has been traveling the globe in search of more girls that may have gone undetected. He is currently in the vicinity of Cape Town, South Africa. I’ve received several letters from him telling me of a strong demon and vampire presence there. He has asked for help, you see, and until now I was unable to find a way to help him.”
Mid-speech Kennedy decided to take the seat that had been offered. This was not going the way she imagined. Just as Giles mentioned Cape Town, she began to speak, “Giles, I…”
“You will refer to me as Mr. Giles. Don’t interrupt.” Kennedy looked as if he slapped her. It didn’t go unnoticed and Giles was inwardly pleased that he hit his mark. “You have a decision to make. You may take the assignment I am offering you in Cape Town, or remain here in the capacity of ancillary help, which is to say, you may work in the secretarial pool, or as a guard or custodian…or you may leave the Slayer program altogether.” He realized he was taking a tremendous risk. She was a slayer. It would be criminal to unleash someone with her abilities upon an unsuspecting population without some kind of supervision. He was gambling that much of her bravado was a defense.
Kennedy gasped and stood placing both hands firmly on Giles’ desk. “What?…You have got to be kidding.”
“I assure you I have never been more serious.” His voice was chilling.
“Let me get this straight,” she said, with all the certainty in the world that she was being wronged, “I’m being given a lose/lose proposition? For what? Trying to kill a vampire?”
“That’s right,” Giles said with equal certainty, “For trying to kill that vampire.” He stood up and walked around the desk. She collapsed in her seat and he stood to loom over her. “There will be no discussion. You may return to your quarters now. I will expect your answer in the morning, in the meantime I will contact Mr. Cheswyck and discuss the possibility of your transfer.”
Face red, jaws rigid, Kennedy stood and turned to leave.
“One more thing, Kennedy, I truly believe you are a talented young woman. Frankly that and your history in the Sunnydale incident have been the only reasons I haven’t dismissed you already. I sincerely hope that you choose the Cape Town assignment.”
He went on, ”Despite your privileged upbringing you seem consumed with jealousy and rage. You need a safe outlet for that rage or you will get into serious trouble and I honestly do not wish that for you.” Giles observed her for a moment, looking for a reaction of some kind. There was none.
After a moment he continued, “Should you accept the offer, you will be working as a partner with Mr. Cheswyck. He is young and talented, and wise far beyond his years. I’m certain that in an atmosphere where you do not feel as though you are in competition, you may find peace.” He took a deep sigh, looking Kennedy squarely in the eye, and thought he noted a hint of surrender. “You may go,” he finished and returned to his seat.
Giles placed his head in his hands realizing that today it was becoming a habit and thought he had never felt so old, not even in Sunnydale. He found he had fallen into the trap of complacency. He imagined a bright new future with his only problems being budgets and the occasional uproar caused by one of the girls bringing a boy into the dorm or a finding they had alcohol stashed for a party. Now he had to consider the offer he gave Kennedy.
He knew full well how bright she was. Would she realize the trump card she held? He did not want her outside of the New Council’s influence. Considering the depth of her anger, should it be turned toward the Council, they would have a much bigger problem on their hands. With all she knew already about the developing plans for the potentials she could be very useful indeed to the forces they were pledged to fight. He hoped that he made the Cape Town offer sufficiently attractive that it would be her choice. And he really did believe it would be good for her. Poor Cheswyck. She’d be a handful, but he was confident it would be a good match.
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