Part 19
"BUFFY ANNE SUMMERS AND ALEXANDER LAVELLE HARRIS, GET YOUR ASSES IN MY OFFICE NOW. AND BRING WOLFBOY WITH YOU!"
The six people in the library jumped, startled by the normally quiet librarian’s shout. From his vantage point, Angel could see Spike grinning and realized that his childe must have told Giles what had happened between Oz and Buffy. And, if the look on Giles face was any indication, Angel was glad that he was not on the receiving end of whatever was about to come.
Buffy, Xander and Oz looked at each other, scared at what might happen. They had all heard the stories of Giles’ Ripper days and realized that they were about to come face to face with the man. None of them were particularly happy about that. When they didn’t immediately respond to hi, Giles shouted again.
"I SAID GET YOUR ASSES IN HERE, RIGHT THIS MINUTE OR I WILL PERSONALLY FEED YOU TO THE FIRST VAMPIRE I SEE"
The three teenagers ran into the office, Spike vacating it quickly when Buffy glared at him. As soon as the last one entered, Ripper slammed the door shut, shaking the glass. He turned to the three teens, his anger at their deception clearly evident in his face. Buffy, Xander and Oz found themselves shrinking away from the man that they had come to care about. Buffy was the first to speak.
"Giles, we can explain. It was all a big misunderstanding," she started to say.
"Oh, so you and Oz weren’t screwing?" Giles asked, sarcastically. Buffy lowered her head, not able to stand the look of anger and revulsion that was in the eyes of the man that she had considered a father.
"Yes, we were," she replied meekly.
Giles slammed his fist into the wall, trying to vent some of the anger he was feeling. "What the hell were you thinking or were even thinking? Was this something that you planned on happening or did you just play it by ear?"
"It just happened," Buffy answered. Oz and Xander hadn’t said anything, not wishing to have Giles’ attention focused on them until he noticed them.
"How many times?"
"What?" Buffy asked, not sure she had heard him right.
"I said how many god damned times did it happen? Was it just the one time or have the two of you been hitting the sheets for awhile?"
Buffy shrank back from Giles stare. "It’s been going on for about five months. It started right after I came home."
"And you never felt any guilt about betraying your best friend? I knew you weren’t that bright Buffy but I never figured you to be a complete idiot," Giles informed his young charge. Buffy’s eyes were moist as tears threatened to fall because of her watcher’s words.
"Giles, you don’t understand," Buffy tried to tell him. "We didn’t mean to hurt anyone. That’s why we did it."
"YOU DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT ANYONE! Bloody hell, is that supposed to make it all better. ‘Oh, we’re sorry. Forgive us for doing the nasty because we didn’t mean to hurt you’," Giles said in a sing song voice. "It doesn’t work that way Buffy and you damn well know it." For the first time since entering the office, Giles finally looked over at the two boys.
"And what about you Xander? I take it from the way Willow was treating you that you knew all about this and never bothered telling her. Is that the case?" Xander could only nod his head. "And you were supposed to be her best friend. Did you not even stop to consider how this would make her act or were you hoping to get in on the slayer action?"
Xander looked at the man in front of him, guilt in his eyes. "Yeah, I knew about it. I didn’t want Willow hurt so I didn’t tell her."
"You didn’t want Willow to get hurt," Giles shouted. "How in hell do you think she is feeling now? Happy? You hurt her a hell of a lot worse by keeping it a secret. You of all people should know that secrets hurt. You learned that with Cordelia."
"What about them?" Buffy asked. "What about your sweet Willow and Cordelia? The two of them are doing the undead." Buffy was trying to take some of the heat off of her and the others by pointing out that Willow and Angel had gotten together. "How do you know that the two of them haven’t been together since before they found out?"
"Because, unlike the three of you, they aren’t the type to cheat on the people they love. Even the notion of doing so is foreign to them," Giles told them. "Only in your warped minds does it occur that you must cheat on the ones you love to make them happy. You think with your hormones while they think with their hearts."
"Giles, that’s not fair," Buffy cried. "We did it for them. We didn’t want to pressure them for something that they couldn’t give to us."
"Who the hell were you to decide that?" What remained of Giles' patience has worn out at Buffy’s pleadings. "Just because you are the slayer does not mean that you know everything. Maybe the reason they couldn’t give you what you wanted was because they sensed that you weren’t being honest with them, did you ever think of that? Of course not, because the only thing that matters to Buffy is Buffy. And apparently the same can be said for Oz and Xander also."
Oz finally decided that it was time for him to say something. "Just tell us what we have to do to make up for it. We love them and we don’t want to give them up." Giles looked over and noticed that all three really believed that they still had the right to ask for the forgiveness of the ones that they hurt.
"My god, have any of you been listening to a word I’ve said. YOU HAVE LOST THEM! Is that easier. Can you understand that. Is it clear enough now. There is nothing you can do to get them back. They have found someone to care for them. Someone who treats them they way they all deserve to be treated."
"But Giles, they belong with us," Buffy whined. "We are the ones they love."
"Loved Buffy. Big difference. Granted, I might not approve of Spike being in the picture, but I must say, that I see it. I see them all and it makes perfect sense. And I think that they will give each other what they need to be complete."
"And what about us?" Oz asked, almost too quiet to be heard.
"YOU. This isn’t about you anymore, this is about those three people out there who have been hurt by you."
"But I want Willow back," Oz cried.
"And Angel’s mine, not Willow’s."
"Same with Cordelia."
Giles laughed at the naiveté of the young ones in front of him. "Yours. You want them back. I hate to break the news to you, but they no longer are yours. They have moved on and are leaving your pitiful arses behind and I must say that I agree with them. The three of you are so pathetic. You sit here moaning and groaning about how you want to get back the ones you lost, when you are the ones that screwed up in the first place. It isn’t Willow, Angel, or Cordelia’s fault that you were shagging others, that was your decision. And now you are the ones that have to live with it."
"And it we don’t want to accept the fact that they may not want us anymore?" Buffy asked.
"If that’s the case, then you are in for a shit load of trouble and not just by those four people in there, because I will be in their corner the entire time." With that said, Giles opened the door. "Now get out. I have a very important call to make."
The three left the office, heads bowed, and walked back out into the library. Giles shut the door and took a moment to calm himself. He went over to the phone and placed the long distance call.
"Yes, this is Rupert Giles. I need to speak with him about my
slayer." Giles waited for the call to be put through. "Yes, Nicholas. Good
to hear you also. I need a favor…..Yes, I need a new watcher for Buffy
Summers….No, no, no she’s fine…..No my health is fine also….She has done
something that I cannot condone and I think it would be best if someone
else would take over my duties in regards to her training…..Yes, I would
still watch over Faith…..Within a few days, I’ll be looking forward to
seeing him….Thank you.'
Giles hung up the phone and looked out his office window. He could
feel the tension coming from the people in the library rolling over him
in waves. Cordelia, Spike, Angel and Willow were all sitting around the
main table. Oz, Xander and Buffy were huddled on the stairs. Giles noticed
the protective arms that Spike and Angel had placed over the girls’ shoulders
and realized that they truly did love them. He was glad because he was
sure that things were not going to get any easier, especially once the
prophecy was known to them all. Giles took another deep breathe and went
out to join the others. Without acknowledging the group by the stairs,
Giles walked over to the table.
"The reason I called you here was that I have discovered a prophecy
that I believe includes the four of you."