Watcher's Journal
R. Giles
Note: The watchers counsel is no more. As I have been writing this journal for a number of years I will continue to do so.
Update:
In the past months after winning the battle with The First a lot has happened. The old watchers counsel building has been turned into the Joyce Summers School for gifted young women. Dorms and classrooms were adding in the reconstruction plans for the building. Many Watchers and all the new Slayers who survived the battle have found positions at the school according to skills and necessity.
Willow was made girls’ dean along with Faith of all people. I was given head master position until a suitable replacement can be found. Willow and the Coven were able to send a message to all the new Slayers so they now flock to the school by the busload to seek answers. They also found a way to track potentials. We found out that not all Slayers were activated by the spell. Some girls were too young but finding them will help before they manifest their powers.
Everything is going much smoother than I had though it would and now my biggest concern is of course Buffy. I have never been able to understand that girl but she has changed the world and saved the world and surpassed expectation, defied orders, exposed her identity, fallen in love with not one but two Vampires, getting them to fight by her side and living to be the oldest Slayer in history. Now that she is not "The Slayer" she has a lot of work to do to find her identity again. She no longer has all her friends, family, and fellow humans counting on her alone. She no longer has an inescapable destiny staring at her.
She is now free to be a normal girl with a normal life, if she wants. I do not know what she is thinking or feeling right now but I am worried, as she still seems obsessed with Spike. She is researching and compiling a file on him and it seems to be more than for a simple thank you to remember him for his help saving the world. I am quite worried but I am also curious to see what she finds since the old council did not know much.
Buffy drifted off to sleep staring at the ceiling thinking about Spike. Not much was known about the man except he was unlike anyone they had ever met. She mentally compared Spike and Angel. Angel would always be her first love, but Spike would be her greatest. Spike loved her without a soul and he had gotten one because of her. She felt guilty for the way she had treated him over the years, but he did not make it easy to love him. She realizes now that she fought her feelings for Spike not just because of Angel and the fact that Spike was a Vampire.
Buffy still hoped to have a "Normal" life one-day with a husband and kids. Vampires are not supposed to be able to have children. To her knowledge Connor is the only one ever born of a Vampire. Knowing that Spike could never be husband and father Buffy pushed him away. None of that mattered to her once he was gone. All she could think of was the time together they had lost. So, Buffy was now determined to find out who William the Bloody was before and after he was turned. Robin had told Giles what Spike had told him when they broke the trigger of The First. Now, Buffy was in London looking for more information.
She knew he was not wealthy and from his words she deduced he was close to his mother and his father was absent. She knew his mother’s name was Anne and that he died around I880. Buffy had looked through the website Willow had helped he find that contained old information on various places in England. Buffy searched through the site for the oldest cemeteries; the lower middle class housing areas in the I880's, with list in hand she searched the gravy yards. In one she finally found a gravestone that simple said William, beloved son. In the side of the crumbled stone was a small broken porcelain doll attached to the stone with a railroad spike. Buffy smiled when she realized this had to be her Spike's work.
Buffy returned to her room and again drifted to sleep thinking of Spike. In her dream she saw twins, a boy and a girl. The girl had blue eyes and slightly curly brown hair. The boy had hazel green eyes and short brown hair that curled softly at the ends reminding her of Spike's hair when it was not slicked back with hair gel. The twins smiled at Buffy and took off running. Buffy ran after them and had to use her Slayer speed to keep up.
They ran across a desert and into a temple much like the one that Buffy had found the guardian in when she was fighting Caleb and The First. Buffy entered and the curtain parted. The first Slayer stood before her and spoke the words "There is hope". Buffy turned to the sound of giggling, she found Spike holding the twins all of them smiling at her. Spike motioned with his head for her to look at the wall. Buffy turned to see writing on the wall that said "Unto each generation " Buffy did not read on, as she knew it all to well. She looked at Spike who motioned again for her to read. This time the words had changed " One line broken and the balance changed. One defied nature must restore it again. From once dead foes life springs forth. Slayer line reborn through unlikely birth." Buffy awoke in a fetal position rocking and crying as she hugged herself.
Back in LA Spike receives a package that some how makes him corporeal again. After helping Angel for a while he still cannot let go of Buffy and leaves to find her. He was set up with the company plane and a good luck from Angel as well as the usual warning about hurting her. While on the plane he drifts off to sleep and dreams. He finds himself sitting in a chair watching his favorite show on the television. He looks up to see the Slayer enter the room. She is VERY much pregnant and more beautiful than he ever thought possible.
He got jealous seeing her that way and wondered where the father was since vampires are not supposed to have real children. Buffy was breathing funny and said," Well Spike, Come on it is time to make you a Daddy." Spike was shocked at what that statement implied and then he saw a ring on her left hand and noticed he had a matching one on his hand. He stood and grabbed the bag she was pointing at. He opened the door and dropped the bag as sunlight poured over him he waited for it to turn him to ash. Buffy stomped her foot and he noticed that he was not on fire or a pile of ash. She simple arched an eyebrow and said, "Old habits die hard?" Then stepped out to get into the SUV in the driveway. Spike stepped out in to the sunlight and then awoke on the plane crying softly whispering "If only". It was night when he landed and he went to find food and a place to stay for the day.
Buffy took out her sketchbook. She was no Angelus but Angel did try teaching her when they were dating. She had drawn pictures of those in her life many are now gone. She had pictures of her Mom, Dawn, Angel, Kendra, Anya, Willow, Xander, Faith, and even one of Spike done in color. She captured the love and mischief that would dance in the depths of those blue orbs. She sketched his hair soft and slightly curled the way he looked with no hair gel and before a hair cut.
Now drew the twins and added color to the eyes. Under the sketch she wrote, "There is hope" She also wrote the dream down in her journal. Buffy layback down on the bed and again went to sleep. This time she dreams herself in the graveyard where William was buried. Drusilla walked up to Buffy singing to herself. She stops and looks at Buffy and in her sing song voice says, "Daddy was mad at me. He was tired of taking care of me. William said I looked like a dark goddess. He read poetry. I liked him but he was a boy then. Daddy said we would come back again. Daddy was more patient than my William was. We came back years later and his eyes were different. He was tired of living and wanted to die, so daddy killed him and gave him my blood to give new life.
William cried as his mother wept over his grave and she coughed a pretty red. William turned her that night. William was still too human even then. The next thing he wanted to do was punish some boys at his school. William crucified them on trees around the school with spikes. He even left a note "Beware of harsh words that breed bad deeds" I did not understand but Daddy thought it was funny and began to teach William every thing he knew. Daddy got mad and left one day. My William took me away and loved me and took care of me. When Daddy found us again William had to be punished. Daddy had his way with William that day and night.
You and William killed Daddy but Daddy came back. Not same Daddy. I told William he tastes like ash. Then was ash. But he came back too. Not same William. If I taste him again I think he will taste like you. You changed the world, world not done with you yet. Powers that be not done with William. William will send me to rest in peace like dust back to the ground. World is done with Drusilla. No Mummy, no Daddy, no William, just Drusilla and sleep." Drusilla then skips away signing again. Buffy woke up and started writing everything she can remember word for word knowing there are always hidden meanings in Drusilla's words. Then for no reason she can think of she draws the Drusilla she saw in her dream.
Buffy asked around until she found a girl who said she might have some information for her. Elizabeth Lunsford had recently inherited a trunk that contained items from the women in her family dating back to the late I800's. Buffy told her she was researching an old family member for a psychology thesis paper at school. Together they opened the chest and sorted the contents. It was full of fascinating things passed down for over 200 years. Buffy Gasp when she came across several drawings. Most were of a young William and must have been done years before he was turned. Elizabeth looked at the drawings with a simple a he’s cute and continued sorting thing. She handed Buffy a book and some letters.
The book was a journal with more poems than entries. Buffy recognized Spikes handwriting. Buffy looked again at the drawing sensing something familiar about them. Then she saw the signature and dropped them like they had burned her. It was Angelus. There was even one of a very young William on Drusilla's lap. The letters were written to a woman named Cecily over many years from William. There were also a few pages from a diary." Today William is dead. We will bury him soon. I feel bad that our last words were harsh. He read his poem to me at school. The other boys made fun of him. I have been telling him there could be nothing between us that we are too different. Yesterday I told him he was beneath me. I hated the look in his eyes but I would be leaving soon and I could not take my sweet William with me. I hoped we could remain friends and I was trying to help him find his Father. I truly did love him and that was why I had hurt him to save him. I was not good enough for him and I knew it even if he did not. Drusilla even said a greater purpose awaits us both. I leave after the funeral for London. A lead on William's father introduced me to a group called the Watchers Council. I will be starting my journey to becoming a Watcher soon. When I mentioned Drusilla and Angelus they asked a lot of cryptic questions. They want me to bring the drawings of William. I have a strange feeling now that I will not like what I find out about the two."
Another page was also in the chest "I am leaving today but I visited William’s grave first. My trip was put off a day due to his death. From what I have learned already it appears my fears were right. My William has risen and I think that Drusilla, Angelus and Darla are the cause. I will try to protect William and keep as much of this from the Council as I can. His mother gave me most of his personal belongings from his life. I hope Anne is going to be all right. She is a sweet woman who was dealt a hard life."
There was also a note to the owner of the chest. "In this chest are memories. The bundle addressed "William" is to remain unopened until someone comes asking for him. Please be true to your family name and pass this as I have requested. All my love to you Cecily." "How odd?" Said Elizabeth after reading the note aloud to Buffy, "It is as if she knew you would be here but how could she that was over 200 years ago." Buffy kind of shrugged, "I knew a few members of that Council thingy from what they say this Drusilla lady could tell the future. Pretty silly right?" Buffy lied. Buffy had told Elizabeth she was researching the, "whole nature verse nurture thing." Buffy was glad when Elizabeth offered her the items without further questions.
Buffy returned to the archives at the school, which held all the salvageable items from the old watchers council. She began looking for information on Spike, Cecily, Spikes mother Anne and the man who may have been his father. Buffy found many references that lead her to various other references. There were old journals and class papers. It seemed that the major part of what survived the explosion at the watchers council had been from centuries earlier because it was stored underground and spelled to keep it safe from decay.
Buffy was down there for several days. She would not let others help and only came out to sleep, eat and go to the bathroom. There were notes everywhere and several open books. It looked like the library at the old Sunnydale High when the whole Scooby gang had an all night research the demon before it destroys the world session.
Buffy finally called Giles and Willow down to show what she had found. “It seems”, Buffy started, “That Cecily was looking for William’s father and was some how introduced to the watchers counsel. Cecily started watcher "school" right after William died and had learned enough from watcher friends that she knew he had risen and the counsel would kill him again if they knew. She kept the information about him to herself.
Williams’s "friend" Drusilla had told Cecily she would have to protect him one day for a greater purpose was their destiny." Giles jumped "DddddDrusilla prophesied about Spike to Cecily?" he stuttered. "Looks like" said Buffy and then continued "Entries in several journals point to an argument Cecily had with a watch named Price. Journals mostly said they had argued about a prophecy and something about Price's son. Most wrote it down because they did not know Price had a child any where and it struck them as odd although no one asked for clarification.
An old council report did show that Price had been reassigned and was not allowed to go out in the field as a watcher to a Slayer. Other references seem to imply he had an inappropriate relationship with a potential Slayer he was assigned to. I also found he was assigned to said girl in England and her name was Anne. My guess is that not only did Cecily find this out but also found prophecies that refer to Spike.
She knew him better than anyone else there and had argued that many of the prophecies that had been put together about one vampire, who we later find out is Angel, actually are more likely about Spike. I have made a list of some for Willow and the girls to get to work on. Anything that is linked to Angel needs to be reread with the knowledge that there were two ensouled vampires. Brief the girls on the two and how they are different as that may be the clue we need. Angel was cursed with his soul, Spike won his." With that Buffy left the room and a very stunned Giles and Willow trying to understand everything they had just heard. Giles called LA and left a message for Wesley to contact him ASAP.
When the Wesley did call back Giles began with questions, "Wesley, do you know anything about a watcher named Price in the 1800's." Wesley thought for a moment, "Yes. One of my great grand Uncles or some such thing. He seemed to be a bit of an embarrassment to the family though, why!" Giles just asked more questions. "Would you happen to have a drawing or portrait of him or any thing that the family may have held on to?" Wesley began to worry, "I do not know I will ask and see what I find out. Is everything okay over there?" "What? Oh no everything is just fine he was…ummm… researching a prophesy and I want to be sure of what it is before I tell the others about it. Nothing to worry about. I promise once I filter through this information I will let you know what it is about." Giles lied but he did not want to say anything until he was sure. Wesley had the little information known about Price sent to Giles and a scan of a picture was also sent. Giles compare the pictures of Price and of William. He saw a striking resemblance in the two drawings. They had the same distinctive jaw line. Giles was sure that they even had the same intense blue eyes. Wesley had also found a love letter to a lady named Anne.
Giles picked up the phone and called Wesley back. "Hello Rupert I guess you received the information you where looking for." Wesley said cheerfully. He had just had a good day with Fred and things might be finally going the way he wanted there. Giles tone was flat as he replied, "Well I found it but I had hoped I was wrong. Wesley are you sitting down?" Giles quickly ran through the information that he had starting with Mr. Price and down to the fact that some of Angel's prophecies were not his at all. Wesley took the news that he had a vampire of a relative much better than Giles thought he would. Wesley promised to only tell Angel what he had to and to do research on the prophecies to help out. With that he headed for Angel's office. An evil grin came across his face as he thought about how best to tell Angel and how much fun he was going to have with the news.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!