Chapter 12
Giles
It’s ironic that I’m back in the airport only twelve hours later and even more ironic that I’m waiting for one Mr. Hank Summers to step off a plane from London, England. Bastard was right near me the entire time.
“Plane’s on time,” Angel says, stepping up behind me.
“Good. How…nice of his secretary to tell you what plane he was on,” I reply.
Angel shrugs. “All part of being a good detective.”
We fall into an uncomfortable silence. I desperately want to ask him about Darla and her pregnancy, but I bite my tongue. Buffy and Dawn first, insatiable thirst for knowledge second.
“There he is.” Angel points to a man juggling a suit coat, a briefcase, and a phone. I don’t ask how he knows what the man looks like.
“Mr. Hank Summers?” I ask as Angel and I fall into step with him.
“Uh, yeah, c-could you hold on a moment,” he puts his hand over the mouth piece of the phone. “I’m sorry, do I know you gentleman?”
“We are associates of your daughters and we need to speak to you,” I say.
That stops him. “Lori, I’ll call you back.” He snaps the phone shut. “I’m sorry, Did you say you know my daughters?” He looks Angel and I up and down.
“I did. My name is Rupert Giles and this is my associate, Angel…”
“Angel as in the psychotic ex-boyfriend that Joyce told never to come near Buffy again, Angel?”
Angel shifts uncomfortably. “Well, there were circumstances…”
“I’m sure,” Hank says. “Look I have nothing to say to either of you except to stay the hell away from my daughters or I’ll have a restraining order on you so fast it’ll make your head spin.”
He starts to walk away, but I stop him.
“Those are very forceful words for a man who has left said daughters to fend for themselves after the death of their mother.”
Hank pales and stops. “What did you say?” he whispers.
“You.Left.Your.Daughters.To.Fend.For.Themselves.” I say the words slowly and deliberately.
“No,’ he whispers, licking his lips. “The-the other part. The part about Joyce.”
I stare at him a moment and wonder if he’s playing me for a fool. “Joyce is dead. You should know that as we left you numerous messages at the office.”
Hank flounders and sits down with a thump in one of the airport’s plastic chairs. “I-I’ve been at the England office for over six months.” He picks up his cell phone again and hits a button. “Lori, are there any messages for me that haven’t been given to me…I see…uh-huh…Okay, call me back.” He hangs up and looks at us again. “Lori, my secretary, was out on leave of absence. She just got back and can’t make heads or tails of the temp’s notes. I gotta…” He opens the cell again and hits another number. “Buffy? It’s Dad…Buffy, please, I just found out…the temp didn’t give me the messages. Why didn’t you call the number I left with Mom?...Buffy, princess, stop yelling…Okay, we’re gonna get Dawn back and then you can both come live with me…Buf…Buffy…hello?...hello?”
“Believe us now, Mr. Summers?” I ask.
Hank nods. “I…I gotta call them a lawyer…my poor girls…”
“Aren’t you a lawyer?” Angel asks.
“Of mergers and acquisitions. I don’t handle child welfare…I can call Dan…yeah, that’s who I’ll call.” The phone flips open again. “Dan? Hank Summers here…yeah, good….you?...really?...Listen, need a favor, seems my ex-wife died while I was overseas and the damn temp didn’t bother to tell me…yeah, I know. Can’t get good help these days…Listen my eldest was taking care of the younger one, but she lost custody…Yeah, Sunnydale…You’re the best. I owe you Kings tickets.” The phone closes again but only for a moment. “Summers here…Lori…You’re kidding me! Call the agency and file a complaint, then book two tickets for Sunnydale, one for me and one for Dan Whitewall…yes of course I’m going to see my daughters, dammit!...You’re fucking kidding me! Fine I’ll be in the office in a few.” The phone closes again. “Look,” Hank says, running his fingers through his hair. “Am I correct in assuming that you are headed toward Sunnydale?”
“You are,” I say.
“I have to…I have to stop in the office, but a lawyer is on the way for the girls and I’ll be there as soon as I can…Tell them…Tell them I love them,” he says.
“Tell them yourself,” I answer. What a bloody ponce.
XXX
Spike
I’m staring at the many bits and pieces that formerly made up a telephone but are now scattered across the floor.
“I can’t…he…” Buffy’s drawing great gulps of air into her lungs and I can tell she’s holding back tears. She closes her eyes and clenches and unclenches her fists.
“Buffy,” I say slowly, keeping my distance from her fists.
“He didn’t know…says he didn’t know…” she murmured. She slides to the floor and cradles her knees against her chest.
I sit down next to her, letting our shoulders touch. My left hand slides down her arm and worms its way inside her right hand.
“I have to go to work,” she whispers.
“I know…You want me to go with you? Maybe patrol a bit until you’re done?”
Buffy looks down at our entwined hands for a moment and then looks at me. “Why are you here?” she asks.
“You know why.”
“No, why didn’t you leave and not come back…like everyone else?”
My hand grips hers tighter. “Because you don’t abandon the ones you love.”
“But love isn’t forever. It changes…dies…love isn’t real.”
“Look at me,” I say grabbing her chin and forcing her to meet my eyes. “I’m not leaving.
‘M not Angel, not your da, not your fair weather friends. I don’t leave people I care about.”
She looks at me, silently reading my emotions. “You left Dru,” she says. “You left Harmony…You left Angelus when he became Angel…and you did leave. You can only come back after you leave.”
“Dru left me. I didn’t care about Harmony. Angel disappeared. You will not push me away,” I say sharply.
She sighs and turns away. “I know,” she says softly. “Doesn’t mean I won’t try.”
XXX
Dawn
I am so glad I have to wear a uniform for work. Rilla decided to play dress up doll with me and showed up yesterday with two bags full of clothes…apparently she thinks I’m hippie Barbie. I haven’t seen that much tie-dye or peace signs since day camp. There’s something a little off about the Katz family. I haven’t quite put my finger on it yet, but I will.
“Hey,” Lisa says, walking up to the counter with a stack of movies in her hand. “Look who’s outside the window.”
I spin around hoping to see Spike or Buffy. It’s neither of them, but seeing Clem cheers me up anyway.
“Go ahead and clock out. Visit with puppy before Ward and June show up.”
I smile my thanks and run out the door.
“Hey, Dawnie,” Clem says. “How’re things? Haven’t seen you around?”
“Things suck.”
“Oh, that’s too bad…Would a kitten cheer you up?”
“I’m sure the new foster parents wouldn’t let me have one,” I answer.
“Oooh, foster parents, huh? Who are you staying with? Do I know them?”
I laugh. “No offense, but how would you know them?”
He shrugs. “Most of the foster parents around here are part demon…nice demons though, you know, not the ‘grr argh’ type…no vampires ‘cause it raises suspicions when they can’t go out in the sun…although one woman tried it right after that Nicole Kidman movie came out…didn’t work though.”
Demon foster parents…well that makes sense.
“Dawn,” Rilla’s voice fills my ears. “What are you doing outside? I thought your shift didn’t end for another ten minutes.”
I turn to find her standing behind me. “I’m talking to my friend, Clem.”
“Dawn, please come here.”
I look at Clem to find him backing up a little bit. “I-I-I don’t think you should go with her, Dawn.”
“Clem, what’s going on?”
“Dawn,” Rilla said impatiently. “This is exactly the type of person that we don’t want you to associate with. He’s very dangerous.”
“He is not!” I yell. “Clem is my friend.”
“Dawn, we are leaving this instant,” Rilla insists.
“No,” I reply. “I’m not going with you.”
“You don’t know what he is,” she says.
“Yes, I do. He’s my friend.”
“He is,” she pauses, taking several deep breaths to calm herself. “He’s a demon,” she whispers. She stares at me as though daring me to deny her statement.
“Duh,” I reply. “And I’m going with him.” I grab Clem’s hand and take off running.
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