STAKE YOUR CLAIM
Chapter 24: ‘1906’
‘Time: April 12th, 1906
“Hank…” Spike Giles greeted his son, in Sunnydale, California, on the other end of the telephone. Buffy had insisted they have the bloody thing installed, finally, a couple of years before, “we’re so behind the times, Will,” she had actually whined a bit. No, make that a lot, but then it was okay, because she had convinced him by other means then begging for the damn contraption. Spike smiled, slightly, at the memory of just how Buffy got her way ‘that’ time, then he remembered why he was calling his son, Hank Summers Giles out in California.
“Dad,” Hank responded anxiously, “what is it? You sound upset. Mom,” the young man mumbled nervously, “is she all right?”
Spike felt his throat tighten, again, a pain shot through his body, “yeah, son, Mum’s fine…it’s your Grand Dad Giles. He passed away, this morning, around 3:00 AM. I…”
Spike felt the tears spill from his eyes, his voice was shakey and full of emotion as he tried to explain this horrendous loss to his boy.
“Grand Dad, you know,” he whispered, barely audibly, he realized, “he was sick for a while now. Never got over that pneumonia he caught last winter. Didn’t want to worry you, unneccessarily. He’d been so sick the last week, Doctor Wilkens, the son that is, he said that my Dad was…”
Spike broke down and began to sob uncontrollably. He hadn’t felt such a loss, ever, well, not since Buffy lost the poor little baby back in 1884. His own Mother had died in birth with him, so he never really knew her.
“Let me have the phone, dear,” Buffy murmered as she took the receiver in one hand, then placed her free arm about her husband’s still strong shoulders.
“Hank, we’ve lost him. Grand Dad Giles, passed on this morning, in his big bed. It’s how he would have wanted it son, going in his own bed, with Jennifer close by. No, Dad’s not doing well at all, none of us are, really, son. I want you to come home, Hank, you and Bethie, bring Anya and the babies, Xander too.
All of you must come for Dad’s service, stay on for a while. Please Hank, your Dad and I, we need you here, as soon as possible. Angel, Winnefred and the kids are coming, by train, of course, immediately. Please get a train out here, today, if possible. We will hold the services for you all.”
Buffy hung up the phone and placed her other arm around Will’s shaking shoulders.
“God, Buffy,” he cried into her neck, “I was a lousy son, wasn’t I? I mean…”
She cooed softly and patted her man’s back, like she would a sobbing child. “Like hell you were a bad son, William Giles. You ‘are’ a wonderful son, father and grandfather. You’re an even better husband and your Father loved you so much, maybe most of all of his kids. In a different way, I think. You’ve always been so much like him, you know, Will?”
Buffy led William to a nearby chair in the kitchen and sat him down, then slipped onto his lap, gently. She pulled his head back into her chest and continued to stroke his silver hair lovingly.
“Dad Giles loved you so much that he orchestrated our whole meeting, yours and mine, planned our whole courtship, I bet. He knew, right off, that you and me, we were meant to be together. Carry on the Giles’ dynasty and all. Why I bet he’s up there, right now, with my Papa, laughing about how ‘they’ pulled the whole thing off, by themselves and…”
She chuckled softly, even as her own tiny tears slipped out of her still emerald green eyes.
“He was such a good man, Will,” she continued, softly as she let her tears fall down her cheeks. “That’s only one of the ways you are so much like your Father. You handle your family, your life, me, in such a strong, but gracefully loving manner. Your Dad was the same way.”
Buffy paused for a minute to lift Will’s head up, so they could look into each other’s eyes. “You know,” she whispered, running her slim fingers down his cheek, “I thank God every day your Father talked me into coming out here, to teach.”
She chuckled again, through her tears, bringing a smile to her Will’s mouth. He wiped at his tears and nodded, “me too,” he replied shakily.
“I’ll never forget when Dad,” Will grinned this time, “when he asked me what I intended on doing about you and Riley Finn. Asked me what wedding present that we all should get for you two.” he finished with a combination of a scowl and smirk.
“Oh, Riley,” Buffy tsked, “that fool was never any threat to you and me, Will. You know that, as I chose you. Besides, you got the girl, right?”
Spike grinned again, despite his tears and sorrow, “yeah, well, took you long enough to decide to marry me, Princess,” he smirked again. “Dad was about to send me out to shoot, Riley, the son-of-a…”
Buffy gave him one of her warning looks, then smiled warmly at him.
‘She’s still beautiful,’ Spike mused as he wiped a tear from her cheek, tenderly.
“Remember when he was so angry about Connor and Dawnie’s botched elopement? Took Angel and Gunn to track them down?” Buffy laughed out right.
“Yeah,” Spike joined in her laughter, “then when Connor informed him, back in ‘83’ that he intended to go to Tennessee and ‘whisk’ the Bit away, for his bride. Dad just threw up his hands in defeat and said ‘oh, just go and bloody hell do it already, I give up!”
His Buffy giggled, a still delightful sound to his ears, then she grew serious again. “When you brought me down from the bluff, when Holden Webster took me away from you. Oh, Will,” she began to cry again, “Dad Giles was there, waiting for you to bring me to safety. I never forgot, never, how he got all the money together, to save me, save us, our love. I loved him too, Will,” she began to sob uncontrollably, “and you’re you, because of him.”
Spike clasped his love to him, her tiny body shook with emotion against him, “it’s because of him,” he rasped, this time he stroked her golden head, lovingly, “and you, Baby,” he added honestly.
The sorrowful group from California arrived within twenty-four hours of each other. Hank and his family, Anya and Xander included, arrived on April 16th while Angel Giles, Winnefred, young Liam and Jenny got to Cheyenne on the 17th.
“Would’ve been here yesterday,” Angel Giles explained sadly, “had to cancel a buying trip, into San Francisco. Took some time to fix that up, so sorry we didn’t get here sooner but…” then the tall, dark haired man broke into tears in Jennifer, his Mother’s, arms.
“Dad would understand, Angel,” Jennifer comforted her oldest biological son, “I’m just glad you’re here. All of you,” the Gile’s Matriach smiled at the rather large group of people gathered at the train station.
“Good Lord,” Buffy exclaimed, “there’s enough of us here to build an entire army!”
They buried Rupert William Giles in the family cemetary, located just on the edge of the South 40 area of his beloved ranch. It was early morning, near 9:00 AM on the 18th day of April, 1906, that the Giles’ Patriach was laid to rest on his precious land. All of his family, his wife, children, except Drusilla and her husband, their children and grandchildren were in attendance.
Half of the State of Wyoming seemed to be there, including Rupert’s loyal ranch hands, Charles Gunn, Ford, with his wife and children and all the others. Ethan Rayne had driven his wife, Cordy and their own families out in one of those new automobiles, as they were called. Daniel, Willow, their son and daughter, grandchildren, all followed in an old fashioned buckboard.
Various people, from all walks of life came out to the Gile’s Ranch to see the ‘Grand Old Man’ off, with respect and love, always love. Reverend Caleb Montgomery gave the Eulogy for Rupert Giles, even as he held his twin granddaughters, Anne and Elizabeth Giles in his arms.
Later, as the funeral attendees lunched on a fine meal at the Gile’s Ranch, they spoke fondly of Rupert Giles. Jennifer had held up well, Buffy felt, even if the rest of the family was falling apart, emotionally.
William, Buffy’s husband, sat next to his wife, holding her hand in his, ‘always did feel so right,’ she thought to herself, about their hand holding.
“He was always so proud of you, us, all of us, dear,” she murmered to Will, lovingly.
Buffy’s man just nodded and smiled, but leaned in to give her a quick kiss on her lips. Will seemed to pause for a moment, after the kiss, in thought.
“I’m thinking, luv,” he whispered, seriously, “that maybe, just maybe, we should see about one of those automobiles. I could learn to drive, Ethan Rayne says…”
Buffy rolled her eyes, “don’t even think it, Old Man,” she groaned, “I’ll depend on a horse and buggy, or my own two good legs to get about.”
William pouted, then grinned at Buffy, “you’re right,” he chuckled, “but I’d say your legs are more ‘great’ not just good.”
The phone in the Gile’s kitchen rang, shrilly, and Connor Giles rose from his seat to take the call.
“What!” Spike heard his little brother exclaim. “Wait, I can’t quite hear you,” Connor continued excitedly. A great commotion began in the kitchen and Spike pulled his Buffy with him to join his brother.
“No, it couldn’t be!” they heard Connor cry. Finally, the youngest Gile’s brother slowly hung the receiver of the phone up. “Jesus, Spike,” Connor gasped in disbelief, “that was young Daniel Osbourne. He went back to work, after Dad’s service. My God, you’ll never guess…”
Spike was totally confused, “what is it Conn,” he asked in concern.
“It’s California,” Connor gasped, “My God, there was a ‘shaker’ out there, this morning. Huge, up in San Francisco. Damn thing wiped out half the town and surrounding areas. The whole city is in an upheaval, like I said. Most of the buildings fell, or burned down in the aftermath. Tons of folks are dead or missing. Daniel says it hit Salinas, too, Angel, his house might be gone completely!”
Angel Giles had joined the rest of the family in the kitchen. “What the hell?” he gasped himself, “an earthquake? Can’t be, they’re never so big as to shake the whole of San Francisco apart. Tornados are worse then quakes, any day of the week. I can’t believe it, all of Frisco is gone?”
Connor shook his head, “not all, but most of it, according to Daniel. Damn city just fell apart, then I guess some fire started, it’s what did most of the damage.”
Buffy watched her brother-in-law tear up again, this time from another loss.
“Jesus, Spike,” Angel hissed as he stared at his oldest brother, “Me, Fred and the kids, we were supposed to be in Frisco, today. On that buying trip. My God, if Dad hadn’t gone when he did…”
Everyone in the kitchen just stood in shock and looked around at each other. Finally Buffy whispered in awe, “Dad Giles,” she swallowed back tears, “do you suppose he’s still watching out for us. All of us?”
‘April 30th, 1906’
Buffy Giles snuggled up, closer, to her husband, William in their big bed. “Well,” she sighed, “our Hank and the family are going home, tomorrow. I’ll miss them, terribly, but I understand they need to get back to the winery.”
She tried hard not to tear up, but failed miserably. “I wish…” Buffy whispered to her unusually quiet husband.
“Princess,” Will began softly, “Xander and Hank, they want us to come out to sunny California, for Christmas. Bring the whole damn family with us, Will, Alice and their twin Goddesses. Zach and Sarah, of course with Zach Jr.” He grunted, “Jr. for God’s sake, I wish to bloody hell they wouldn’t call my Grandson, Jr., but anyway.”
Buffy giggled, “of course the twins, James and Joshua will go and our Cindy. Did you see how Jesse Harris followed our Cindy around like a puppy dog?”
Spike laughed, “yeah, that he did, Princess. But, you know Cindy, she’s as fickle as the wind in a storm. Where boys are concerned anyhow. I’m not sure there’ll be another Giles/Harris marriage in the future, at least not through them.”
His Buffy chuckled and let her husband spoon her tiny body even closer up to his.
“Connor and Dawnie will want to go, for sure,” Buffy sighed again, “and Conn, Jr. and Jenny. Do you think we can pull it off? Get this whole circus out to California for Christmas?”
She tightened the embrace she had on her husband’s neck and back. “Oh, hell yeah,” Spike chuckled, “we’ll manage. Besides,” he hesitated then added, “there’s a stretch of land, out just above Sunnydale. Xander’s been talking to me about it. It’s right by the Pacific Ocean, thought we might like to take a look at it.
I thought maybe, if it’s right for us, we’d buy it, set up some kind of a get a away place for us and the kids. When it’s frozen here, in winter, it’s still warm enough there in California, even on the coast. What do you think, Princess? Would you like a posh little place by the Pacific, for a Gile’s winter Holiday away from Wyoming, every winter?”
Buffy thought about this for a moment or two, it took about three seconds that is.
“Yes, Will,” she sighed dreamily, “I would like it. We could build a nice little place on the property, a place to go in winter. The kids and grandchildren would love it, I know. Me too,” she added as she kissed Will’s still handsome mouth, then kissed him again, just for good measure.
“The Harris’s say that that Parade of Roses, down by Los Angeles in California…they say it’s really something and we should see it at least once. It’s on New Year’s Day and this year, they might even use automobiles as floats, instead of horses and buggys,” she continued. “I’d like to see that, Will,” she stated wistfully.
“Well, then,” William responded as he nuzzled his wife’s cheek with his mouth, “that’s settled. It’s Christmas and winter Holiday in California this year. Maybe for years to come, eh?”
Buffy grinned up at her love, “oh,” she scrunched up her forehead, “by the way, dear. I was thinking,” she paused for a moment and studied Will’s raised left eyebrow, the scarred one.
“I suppose you ‘could’ look into one of those crazy automobiles, for here I mean. Give it a look and have one sent out. If you drive it only, that is, you and the boys. I have a feeling,” she chuckled again, “that these new fangled horseless carriages and me, we just might not mix too well.”
A/N: I’ll finish this chapter on that note. I was going to write a Spuffy lovin’ scene here, but we’ll just assume that they ‘bonded’ together in their big old marital bed. After all, this is Spike and Buffy we’re talking about, of course they did the horizontal bop. Thanks for reading, please review. Luv, Spuf
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