A Different Life: Part 13

Giles had managed to get a few hours of sleep. Ethan and Gwen had gone down twice more to see the dogs. Gwen was glad the plane was landing as the sedatives had completely worn off and the dogs were going stir crazy. Someone had the dogs waiting for them in the jetway as they were getting off the plane. Giles raised his eyebrows but figured that this was just more of Ethan’s money in play. Gwen was delighted and the dogs were beside themselves to see Giles.

After the happy reunion was completed Giles, Gwen, and Ethan with dogs in tow headed down towards baggage claim. Between the three of them they had six suitcases. One each for Giles and Ethan and four for Gwen. As Giles wrestled another one of hers off the conveyer belt he looked at her askance. “Honestly Gwen, what did you bring with you?”

“Well, Ethan just got us one-way tickets. I have no idea how long we’ll be here before I get to go back and get more stuff. I had to bring something for everything. Plus I packed the dog bowls and some food for them.”

Giles rolled his eyes. “Gwen, I am sure they sell dog food here. As well as bowls.”

“But it may not be the sort they like. And things will be different enough for them without making them eat new food.” She saw another one of her suitcases coming down the belt. She attempted to hand Rayne’s leash over to Ethan but it dropped to the floor and that was all Rayne needed. He was desperate for a run. Taking off down the baggage claim concourse like a flash it was only a moment before they couldn’t even see him anymore. Ethan handed the leash for the other dog to Giles and sprinted after Rayne. Giles just covered his eyes and groaned. Gwen nudged him. “Do you see him?”

“No, I don’t want to look. Just tell me when it’s over and to whom I owe damages.” Giles could just imagine the passengers who were now lying on the ground, little old women with broken hips, children traumatized by being knocked askew by the racing dog.

“I’m hoping this belongs to you.” Giles removed his hand, opening his eyes and saw a young dark haired man holding Rayne’s leash.

Giles nodded and then looked at the young man again. Then he noticed the petite red head next to him. “Xander, Willow?”

Willow grinned. “In the flesh.” She grimaced. “What does that mean anyway? It’s kind of gross given what we know and all, you know, about things that actually eat…” Willow noticed Gwen. She leaned towards Giles. “Does she know?”

Giles grinned. “Yes, she knows.” He introduced his sister. “This is my sister Gwen Giles. This is Xander and Willow. I’m sorry I don’t know your last names.”

Xander pointed at himself. “Xander Harris”, and then pointing at Willow, “Willow Rosenberg.” He noticed that Giles was looking at them intently. “Do I have something on my face? We ate right before we got here.”

Giles let out a silent chuckle. “No, you both just seem so familiar. I had a few dreams when Buffy was in London and you were both there, in my dreams.” He shook it off. “I can’t really explain it.”

Willow was willing to try. “Maybe those dreams were from Buffy’s first life when you were her Watcher. I mean me and Xander were there too. Maybe you just remembered part of it.”

“Do I seem familiar to you?”

Willow looked at him, her head cocked to the side. “Yes, you do. I mean not so I would have stopped you on the street, but with you standing here in front of me I just feel comfortable with you, really fast. And I’m not usually that comfortable with people I don’t know.”

Xander nodded. “She has stage fright even when she’s not on stage.”

Ethan came running up, bending over to catch his breath. “I couldn’t…” He caught sight of Rayne. “That blasted dog, where did he come from?”

Xander grinned. “I caught him outside, looking a bit confused.”

Gwen gasped. “He was outside? Oh my God.” She got onto her knees in front of Rayne and threw her arms around his neck. “You could have got yourself killed.”

Ethan stroked Gwen’s head. “He’s all right, Gwen.” He followed the leash up to Xander’s arm. Holding out his hand he spoke. “I assume you’re Xander?”

Xander nodded. “Xander Harris, and this is Willow Rosenberg.”

Ethan shook both their hands. “I’m Ethan Rayne.” He turned to Giles. “Do we have all the luggage?”

Giles raised his eyebrows. “I have no idea, I was too busy imagining myself in court for the rest of my life to worry about luggage.” He looked at Ethan. “Did you notice any moaning bodies around on your mad dash through the airport?”

Ethan grinned. “Nary a one. But perhaps we should take the dogs outside in case anyone is looking for them.”

Giles nodded. “Good idea.” He prodded Gwen. “You need to get the rest of your luggage. I don’t remember what your other suitcases look like.”

With one last hug to Rayne, Gwen got up and started looking at the bags going by. Giles went and got a luggage cart for Gwen and then left her and Ethan at the carousel while he, Willow and Xander took his bag and the dogs outside.

Giles was starting to feel impatient. He blew out a breath. Xander grinned. “She’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Giles grinned, and shook his head. “Am I that transparent?”

Xander nodded, decisively. “It’s like you’re glass.”

Willow looked up at Giles. “What should we call you? Buffy seems to call you Giles but isn’t that your last name?”

Giles pursed his lips. “It is. But somehow it feels fine when Buffy calls me that, as if she always has. But, please, call me Rupert, or Ru.”

Xander grimaced. “Rupert. Did your father hate you or something?”

Giles glared. “It’s a family name and I’ll thank you to treat it respectfully.”

“You got it, big guy.” He looked down at the dogs. “Who are these guys anyway?”

Giles pointed at first one dog and then the other. “Ethan and Rayne.”

Xander’s brow furrowed. “Isn’t that guy’s name in there Ethan Rayne?”

Giles grinned. “Yes it is.”

Ethan walked out pushing a loaded luggage cart. “Yes, it is my name. And I had it long before Rupert here got the idea of pawning it off on a couple of mongrels.”

Xander looked at Willow. “Promise me if you ever get two dogs that you won’t call them Xander and Harris.”

Willow nodded seriously. “I promise.”

Gwen came to Giles’ rescue. “Now wait a minute. Ru only named the dogs after Ethan because Ethan played a terrible joke on him. It was a fitting and just revenge.”

Xander’s eyes lit up. “What did you do to him?” He grinned when he saw Giles cover his face with a hand.

Ethan grinned back. “I got him very, very drunk one night and took pictures of him dancing on the tables. Then I blew them up into poster size and put them on all the office doors at the museum.”

Xander choked out a laugh and gave Ethan a look of pure admiration. Willow looked horrified and she glared at Xander. “If you ever did anything like that to me I’d buy two rats and call them Xander and Harris.”

Giles let out a sigh. “Yes, well now that you’ve all had a laugh at my expense may we please move on?”

Willow tucked her arm in his and grinned. “We’re parked this way.”

Giles grinned down at her and patted her hand. “You’d buy rats, you say?”

“Ugly rats.”

“I wish I’d thought of that.”

Willow giggled as she directed Giles to where the car was parked.

***

Wes was annoyed with Buffy. Which was nothing unusual, except that tonight he was particularly annoyed with her. She’d been very distracted the last two days during training and both days Kendra had come out the victor in every sparring match the girls had. It was humiliating. Wes was the senior Watcher here, so his Slayer should be superior at all times.

He decided that he better go out on patrol and watch his Slayer in action. If her slaying technique while out in the field was as sloppy as her movements over the last two days then he was really going to have to step up her training. He knew he had been too lax by allowing her to spend time with those two friends of hers. Not wanting to have it interfere with his necessary sleep regimen he decided that they should all go out on an early patrol so he could observe her.

So far it had been a fairly quiet night and other than being able to make some snide comments about Buffy’s atrocious use of the English language he’d had no satisfaction at all from it.

***

The closer they got to Sunnydale, the more nervous Giles became. Willow kept patting him on the leg and despite her kindness Giles was starting to feel like one of the dogs. It was a tight fit between all the passengers, the two dogs and the luggage. That wasn’t helping either. Rayne was practically sitting in his lap and he wasn’t a small dog by any stretch of the imagination.

He tapped Xander on the shoulder. “Could you drive a little faster? I know I’m being a nuisance but…”

Xander looked at his speedometer and grimaced. “It’s about maxed out. This baby doesn’t do much over 65.”

For about the tenth time Giles wished he had just rented a car. A very fast car. Curbing his impatience he looked out the window. He knew that it wouldn’t really have got him there any faster because he’d have had to take the time to rent it and then work out where he was going but it frustrated him to be this close and yet so far away. And he couldn’t seem to ease past the tension in his gut that something was going to go wrong.

*** Joyce kept looking out the window waiting for them to arrive. Wes had shown up unexpectedly and insisted that Buffy go out early to patrol. Without spoiling the surprise there was no reason for Joyce to refuse. She did get a somewhat tenuous itinerary out of them.

She blew out a breath and let the curtain fall. Joyce was almost sorry she had let Dawn sleep over her friend’s house. She could have used the company. She wished she had thought of having Xander call once they connected. For all she knew Xander and Willow were still at the baggage carousel waiting for a phantom to arrive.

***

Giles almost gasped with relief when they passed the sign that said Welcome to Sunnydale. Xander looked in his rearview mirror and grinned. “Almost there, it takes about ten minutes to get to her house from that sign.”

Giles smiled tightly in return and nodded. He knew he was being a nervous wreck but he couldn’t help it. There was still so much that was unknown. She’d lived another entire life. Suppose she was too changed. Suppose she found that once faced with him that she couldn’t love him, suppose she had a lover. That thought made Giles grit his teeth. It was almost worse being this close, this close to the thing that mattered most to him in the world and with no idea how things would turn out.

He was grateful that Gwen and Ethan were with him. If things turned out badly he wouldn’t have to make the return trip alone. He had to grin when he thought about the two of them. Giles wasn’t quite sure what had triggered the change in their relationship but he was thrilled. Gwen would be safe with Ethan. And Ethan would be a better man for Gwen.

***

The vampires came out of nowhere. They rarely congregated in these numbers but Wes couldn’t even count them. Not that he tried very hard. Buffy and Kendra were in the thick of it punching, kicking, working off each other. Sam was standing over by Wes, watching Kendra closely, wanting to be available to her if she should need him. He held a stake in each hand. Wes was taking notes, shaking his head and making tsk tsk noises.

Sam shook his own head. Sometimes he couldn’t stand Wes. Sam took it upon himself to watch out for Buffy as well and he continued to watch the girls fight, unconsciously mimicking their movements by the shifts of his body. It seemed as if they were getting the best of the vampires. One suddenly loomed over him but before he could even get his stake up Kendra was there turning the vampire to dust. Sam flashed her a grateful look. He offered her another stake as that last one had gone to dust as well. She took it and he pulled out another one.

***

Joyce let out a cry of relief when she saw Xander’s car pull in the driveway. She pulled open the door and waited to see who would get out. The first ones out were a man and a woman that she didn’t recognize. Then two dogs got out and ran up to her, circling her with delight. Then they promptly went and peed on her lawn. Finally she saw him. He got out the other side of the car and she watched him blow out a breath and square his shoulders.

Xander and Willow got out of the front seat and Xander waved at Joyce. “The British reinforcements are here.”

Joyce grinned nervously. She headed over to the car wanting to greet Rupert first. He lifted his head and saw her. Walking quickly around the car he held out his hand. “You must be Joyce. She looks so much like you.”

“Welcome to Sunnydale, Rupert. I can’t believe you’re really here. I was just watching you on the television again.”

Giles let out a short laugh. “I’m afraid I’ve left my staff a bit stymied by my abrupt and somewhat unprecedented departure. It will take them a couple of days to rally and send a new victim out to face the press. Then my face will be gone, at least for the time being.”

“Do they know why you’re here?”

“No, I told them it was a family emergency and that I’d contact them when it became clearer as to how long I might be gone.”

“For instance, the rest of your life?”

Giles grinned somewhat ruefully. “Exactly. I’d rather make that sort of announcement in person and with a plan already in place, with all the right people already forewarned. They expect I’ll be back, at this point.” He glanced up at the house and his brow furrowed. “Is she here?” Giles was beginning to think that she wasn’t.

Joyce let out a frustrated noise. “No, Wes came by and decided he wanted to observe her patrolling. And that means an early patrol. They left about 30 minutes ago.”

The nervousness in Giles’ gut increased. He tried to shake it off and went to make the rest of the introductions. “This is my sister Gwen Giles, and my friend Ethan Rayne. This is Joyce Summers, Buffy’s mum.”

Gwen gave her a hug. “Isn’t this exciting? I’ve never been to America and for it to be for such an adventure just makes it even better.”

Joyce hugged her back, already feeling that she and this woman could be good friends. She shook hands with Ethan and took in the fact that Gwen and Ethan were obviously a couple. Giles finished with the dogs. “And this is Ethan and…” He looked around, “…and that’s Rayne.” Off her look he explained. “Yes, they have the same name as my friend. It’s a long story which I’m sure, to my utter humiliation, will be thoroughly explained to you.” Giles sighed.

Joyce stared at him. He was even better looking in person. He still wasn’t looking happy, though. More nervous now than sad, but not happy. Hopefully that would be rectified soon. She pointed to the house. “Would you all like to come in while we wait?”

Giles hesitated. “Do you know where she is?”

This time it was Joyce who hesitated. “I have a rough idea, but Wes doesn’t like anyone to intrude unless it’s an emergency.” She scowled. “Or rather something he would consider an emergency important enough to interrupt him.”

Giles looked at her seriously. “I know this sounds mad, but perhaps no madder than the rest of this tale, but I fear something has gone wrong. I feel as if Buffy needs my help. It is beyond presumption to ask but will you show me where she is? I’ll accept full responsibility for Wes’ wrath.”

Joyce saw the seriousness on his face and nodded. “We can take my car.” As she looked at the determined faces around her she raised her eyebrows. “We’ll need to take both cars if everyone wants to go.” She went in the house and retrieved her keys. Giles went with Joyce with the two dogs in the back seat. Ethan and Gwen followed with Xander and Willow.

End Part 13