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Chapter 15:

A/N Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to review. Sorry my updates have been less frequent, I'm just really busy right now. However, the reviews do keep me writing, hint hint.

Giles poured himself a glass of scotch and sat down at his desk. There was no looming threat which mean he had time to goof off and get back to a particularly difficult passage in the Dead Sea Scrolls he'd been puzzling over for some time.

He was just looking up an unfamiliar root when someone knocked on his door.

"Oh bugger," he said under his breath, even though there was no one in the room to hear him.

There were only a few people who ever knocked on his door, especially at this time of night. No doubt the world was ending, again.

He opened the door to find Angel standing there with Willow and Tara. On the one hand he was almost delighted to have someone who was older than twenty knock on his door. On the other, Angel would only be here if there were some dire threat.

"Giles, we have to talk," Angel said, pushing his way into the flat.

Giles was particularly worried now. Although he had not revoked the invitation he'd given the vampire at Thanksgiving, usually Angel was polite enough to ask. Especially considering that Angelus had murdered his lover, Jenny, and tortured him. A fact he was not soon going to forget.

"Buffy's in trouble," Angel continued.

The two girls looked at each other, as if they thought Angel was exaggerating.

"Indeed? What seems to be the threat? And oh yes, do come in," Giles said pointedly.

"It's Spike, he's planning something. He's been stalking Buffy, obviously looking for a weakness to exploit," Angel explained.

"I d-don't think-" Tara started, but Angel turned on her, and she closed her mouth.

"Yes Tara? What is it you think?" Giles prompted kindly. Although he didn't know the young witch that Willow had taken up with very well, he had found her rather astute. Not to mention that Angel was already starting to irritate him. Try as he might, and he hadn't tried all that hard, Giles could never really forgive Angel for the monster that lurked within.

"I think," she paused, took a deep breath and then said all at once, "I think Spike's just in love with Buffy. I don't think he wants to hurt her."

Giles was amazed at the utterance, both for its content and its length. It was surely the most words he'd ever heard Tara put together.

Angel laughed. "That's ridiculous. He's a vampire."

"That fact hardly seems relevant. After all so are you, and you loved Buffy," countered Giles.

The wheels in his head were turning. Having been forced to live with him for some time, Giles felt he had a good insight to Spike's character. Despite his tough exterior Giles had realized that Spike was a romantic, as his running commentaries on Passions had proved.

At first Buffy might not have seemed to be Spike's type. Certainly not after his century long romance with the bedlamite Drusilla. But then again, Giles couldn't help but remember what he had said to Angel on their first meeting: 'A vampire in love with a Slayer, it's rather romantic, in a maudlin sort of way.'

Maudlin was indeed the perfect way to describe the blond vampire. Not that Giles believed Spike was really in love with Buffy, he was probably just in love with the idea of being in love with the Slayer. Still, he could see how Tara could mistake the two things.

"I LOVE her, but only because I have a soul. Are we forgetting that Spike doesn't have one? That he's evil?"

"Are you forgetting that he once helped Buffy stop you from ending the world?"

The two men were now standing very close to each other. All the old tensions once again alive between them.

"Okay, I think it's time we all take a step back," said Willow as she stood between the two of them.

For a moment Giles hesitated, after all it was his flat. But then he decided that he wouldn't be drawn into this childish display by Angel.

He relented. "Do you have any direct proof, Angel, that Spike is trying to kill Buffy?" he asked.

Angel opened and closed his mouth several times, but couldn't find anything to say.

"Look, I think something needs to be done about Spike," Willow interjected. "And I don't know about this love stuff. I think he's just being a peeping tom. After all, it's about the only evil thing he can do. I bet it's really frustrating having all those murderous impulses and not being able to do anything about them."

"I quite agree, Willow." Giles turned to Angel. "However, I think it would be a good idea if you were to go back to L.A." Angel started to protest, but Giles went on, "You have no business here. Spike has been rendered harmless by the government, and even if he hadn't, Buffy does not need you to save her. She's a quite capable young woman, whose life is no longer your business. In other words, you weren't invited, and you're not welcome here."

"But. . ." Angel, started. But even he couldn't find a way to justify his presence. He hung his head, and turned to go.

For a moment Giles almost felt sorry for the man. But then he remembered all the pain that Angel had put Buffy through. In some ways that seemed worse than what Angelus had done to him. He knew Angel's continued presence could only cause Buffy more pain. And what's worse, it might actually drive her into Spike's arms.

The two girls started to leave.

"Willow, Tara, would you mind staying for a bit?"

The two girls nodded, and sat down in their accustomed research chairs.

"Perhaps it would be best if you two told me exactly what happened tonight."

Suddenly a chilling thought ran through Giles' mind. Not too long ago he'd tried to reason with Spike that there might be some higher purpose in his chipped state. That he could become a champion and do some good. At the time the vampire had only laughed at him.

But twice now, mystical forces had brought Spike and Buffy together. The thought of some sort of destiny pulling the two of them together made Giles' stomach turn.

He tried to tell himself that it was ridiculous. The Initiative had been an aberration, not part of some grand scheme. But the idea kept niggling in the back of his brain and wouldn't go away.





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