__Endless Journey of Discovery__
By Andrea
"How many?"
"Two, please." he replied, taking money out of his wallet. Turning, he looked over his shoulder, watching her with love in his eyes. He knew he should have put his foot down but he couldn't deny her anything. Especially after she confessed her true feelings for him.
Standing there, gazing, he still couldn't believe that she loved him. How many times did he dream of the day she would see him in that light? See him as a lover, a soul mate. A man who would do anything for her without question.
And to his utter surprise and amazement, she did. She did see him as all those things and more. Telling him, not only with words but with actions, how much she loved him.
"Here's your change, sir." the ticketmaster said, handing him his money.
"Thank you." Giles replied, putting the change in his wallet.
Picking up his bag, he made his way over to her, his mind focused only on the beautiful creature standing by the newsstand.
He was still in awe, still humbled that she would do this for him, with him. She intended to put her life on hold just to help him escape. The Watcher's Council perceiving him as a threat to the cause, had put out a hit on him, sending their special black operatives to erase him.
Knowing this, he had informed Buffy and the others about his departure, and had packed ready to leave Sunnydale for a while. But, there was still one person he couldn't forget no mattered how hard he tried.
Willow.
He had written her a letter, expressing his love for her and how he had to leave her behind. Cowardice had overcome him, and he had slipped it under her door instead of hand delivering it personally. He'd thought he would have been gone before she finished reading it, but he had been wrong. And he was never happier.
She had come over, crying and hurt, lashing out at him for his insensitivity. He stood there, taking all she had to give, letting her unleash her anger on him.
His first intention was to let her rant and rave then gently shoo her away, without ever saying a word. But, when she gazed at him with those illuminating green eyes, asking him for an explanation, he knew he was lost.
Scared and excited at the same time, Giles had told her, opening up his heart, telling her everything he had ever felt about her. During his entire admission, he couldn't look at her. Didn't want to see anger or worse, disgust in her eyes.
When he'd finally turned back to face her, he was shocked at what he saw. No disgust, no hatred, no anger. Only love. Pure, sweet lobe on her face, and he was humbled.
Before he could say a word, Willow had launched herself at him, telling him the words he'd wanted to hear since he'd first met her.
"I love you too," she had said, before kissing him senseless.
Surprised and elated, he had responded back, kissing her with an angry desperation at the knowledge of his impending departure.
He had thought that nothing could have been more fulfilling than her magic kiss, but he'd been wrong. Holding her in his arms, cherishing her, he thought he had died and gone to heaven, until she had said,
"Make love to me, Rupert."
And he'd been lost. Without a second thought, he had carried her upstairs and proceeded to fulfill her request and his most secret want. Making love to her had been everything he'd ever dreamed of and more.
Love and lust, heat and wet, the feel of her gorgeous body caused him to lose his senses. To lose himself, in her, he couldn't seem to get enough of her, touching and tasting her, loving her in the way she deserved.
After....
*****
They had lain there, limbs entangled, just simply enjoying each other. He had wanted to savor as many moments as he could, knowing that he would have to leave her behind. Leave his life behind.
But, then..everything changed.
Wanting to hurry the inevitable, he had tried to tell her that he had to go, when she had said, ' "Take me with you."
"What?" he said, not believing his ears.
Staring at him, her resolve face in place. "Take me with you." he started to protest but she continued. "Rupert, I love you...so much."
"Willow, I love you too." he said, before gently disentangling her body from his. Placing her next to him on the bed, he stood up needing to get away from her before giving in to her sweet temptation. "But, I can't ask you to do this. I can't ask you to leave everything behind. I won't do that."
Rising to her knees, she replied. "You're not asking me to go with you. I'm telling you that I am." She scrambled off the bed and stood directly in front of him. "See," she pointed at herself. "Resolve face. Forget the asking, I've made up my mind already."
Grabbing her face between his large hands, he gazed at her clover green eyes, desperately trying not to lose himself in them. "No. I won't let you ruin your life for me. I love you too much to do that."
"How could being with you ruin my life? You're my life!" she told him, her voice rising.
"And you're mine." he whispered gently, pressing his forehead to hers briefly. "But, I..."
"Don't you want me?" Willow had asked her voice sad.
Looking down into her doe-like eyes, he saw the hurt and pain in them, knowing he was the one causing it. Holding her delicately, he said assuredly. "More than anything."
She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing their bodies together. Their naked bodies, who up until that moment had forgotten about, melted together, flesh becoming one.
Tilting her head up, Willow gazed deeply into his eyes and repeated. "Then, take me with you. I can't live without you."
Her words, the tone of her voice, combined with the look in her eyes, broke his resolve. Gathering her close, he whispered over and over again,"Yes..yes..yes.." '
***
Coming back to himself, Giles watched her once more. If truth be told, he knew he could have put up a better argument but his own desires got the best of him. He had wanted her to come with him from the very beginning but knew he didn't have the right to ask her
for anything. She'd already given him the best gift ever, her love. And asking for anything more was asking too much.
And when she had offered....there was no way in the world he could refuse. He never could refuse her anything and he would have been a fool to start now.
Reaching her, Giles slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. Bending his head, he whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too." Willow replied, snuggling into his warmth. "Did you get the tickets?"
He nodded. "Right here in my pocket." he patted his jacket.
"Good." she led him to a bench and they sat down, their bags at their feet. They had only packed the necessities, not wanting to be loaded down in case of a needed quick getaway. She had even packed her laptop, just in case they needed to do important research.
Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Giles hugged her closer, loving the feel of her in his arms. She rested her head on his chest, slipping her arm underneath his jacket.
"So, what time do we leave?" she asked, playing with his shirt.
"In about 15 minutes." he answered, his fingers massaging the back of her neck.
"Goody." she murmured, her voice sleepy. It had been a long day, both emotionally and physically. And she couldn't wait to get on the train to catch some sleep.
Smiling fondly, Giles asked. "Sleepy, love?"
"A little." she glanced up. "You wore me out."
"Is that a bad thing?"
She shook her head. "No. Not bad. Good..very good." She leaned up, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss.
He tangled his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss. Running his tongue along the seam of her lips, he urged her to open for him, allowing him a taste of her sweetness.
Compiling, Willow's mouth opened slightly and he immediately plunged his tongue in. Sweeping it around, he ran his tongue along her teeth, before tangling it with hers. She moaned, grasping his shoulders for support. Her tongue mingled with his, caressing it sensuously.
Needing air after awhile, Giles broke the kiss, panting harshly. He looked at her, desire coursing through him as she licked her lips, capturing the taste of him on her tongue.
"Mmmm..." Willow offered, grinning devilishly at him.
"Like that?" he asked, running a finger down her jaw.
"Oh, yes."
Staring at one another, lost in each other's eyes, Willow and Giles were in their own little world. A world where nothing else mattered, a world that consisted only of them and their love.
"On track 4, the 5:00 train to Los Angeles is now boarding." The announcer yelled over the loudspeaker. "Once again, track 4, the 5:00 train departing to Los Angeles in now boarding!"
Snapping out of his reverie, Giles said. "That's us."
She nodded and stood up. Bending to pick up her bag, he brushed her hand aside.
"Let me." he offered.
"Are you sure?" she asked, watching Giles sling both packs over his shoulders.
"You don't think I'm strong enough to carry two bags?" he asked mockingly.
Willow smiled devilishly and pressed her chest to his."Oh, no. I think you're strong enough." She drawled, her hand lightly brushing his groin. "Very strong."
He closed his eyes briefly. "Willow.." he opened them, giving her a smile of retribution. "I'm going to get you for that later."
"Promise?" she said, before pulling away and walking in front of him.
Groaning, Giles followed her, smiling at the woman he loved. She was a spitfire and more importantly, she was his.
Reaching the gate, Giles handed over the tickets to the conductor. "Here you go."
"Thank you, sir." the conductor said, stamping the tickets before handing them back." Have a great time."
Willow smiled happily. "Oh, don't worry, we will." She told him, before climbing up the stairs and onto the train.
Giles grinned at the conductor and followed Willow, squeezing himself and the bags down the aisle. Willow turned to him, asking. "What's our seat number, Rupert?"
"Seats 24 and 25." he replied, trying to keep the bags from hitting anyone accidently.
Reaching their seats, Willow grinned broadly. "Here we are."
He stood beside, dropping the bags onto their seats. Opening the overhead bins, he shoved their two bags in, wrestling with them briefly, making sure they fit properly.
Once that was done, Giles said. "After you, Miss Willow." gesturing with his hand to their seats.
She bowed. "Thank you, Mr. Giles."
She slipped into the window seat, Giles following after. Turning to him, she said, "Do you know that this is my first train trip?"
"Really?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yup. I've been on buses, planes, boats but never a train." she continued,"So, I'm kind of excited. It's like an adventure of sorts."
Giles grinned at her, loving her enthusiasm for things despite the circumstances. "And endless journey of discovery."
She grinned happily at his words, snuggling against his warmth. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close to him.
"All aboard!!" the conductor said, as the train started to pull out of the station.
Willow glanced up at him, whispering excitedly. "Here we go."
He looked down at her, love in his eyes. "Here we go."
*********
Union Station, Los Angeles
The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, the gentle movements stirring Giles awake.
Blinking his eyes a few times, he swiped his hand over his face, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He looked out the window, noticing the giant, empty platform looming outside the window. They were finally here.
After two hours speeding through California, seeing all it had to offer, they were finally in Los Angeles.
The melting pot of the United States.
People of different backgrounds, different races all gathered here in this smog filled hubbub, making a life for themselves. Bustling and alive, Los Angeles had a personality all its own. From the hip Westside, to chic Beverly Hills, from the valleys to the ocean, this town was an adventure in itself. At every corner, there was something happening, or waiting to happen or going to happen. One never really knew Los Angeles, the constant influx of people and the around the clock action making it impossible to paste a label on this town. Everyday was an adventure and Willow and Giles were now a part of it.
Giles looked down, smiling at the beautiful nymph in his arms. He didn't think he'd ever tire of looking at her, the way she smiled, the way her eyes sparkled when she was excited. He could gaze at the porcelain skin, the fiery locks, the emerald gems forever, losing himself in her everything.
He lightly brushed the stray locks out of her face, his fingers drifting lovingly along her silken cheek.
"Mmmm...Rupert." Willow moaned, leaning involuntarily into his touch. Blinking her eyes open, she tilted her head back to look at him, a sleepy smile on her face.
"Hello, love." Giles offered, kissing her lightly on the lips.
"Hello." she murmured, reaching up to cup his face. Running her hand along his jaw, she brought his face to hers, her lips pressed lightly against his.
He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue around her soft lips, teasing her with light licks and bites, before slipping his tongue between her lips. She moaned deeply as he ran his tongue around her mouth, claiming it as his own.
He gently ran the tip of his tongue over her teeth, up to the roof and stroked it, eliciting a cry from her. Willow, retaliated, darting her pink tongue into his mouth, before pulling back just as quickly. He groaned into the kiss, her teasing driving him crazy.
Digging his hand into her hair, he guided the kiss expertly, taking the upper hand once again. Biting and nipping, licking and sucking, Giles made love to her with his kiss, pouring all the love that he had for her into his kiss.
Needing air, he broke the kiss and gazed at her, smirking. He loved to look at her face after kissing her. This look of enchantment and wonder would come over her face, making her even more gorgeous if that was possible. And to know that he was the reason for that look made his heart warm with love.
Smiling, Willow said, "Hmmm..that sure was some wakeup call."
"Well, there's nothing that I love more than kissing you." he remarked, running his hand through her tousled locks. "And I also wanted to tell you that we're here."
"We are?" she asked excitedly, leaning over him to peer out the window.
"Umm..love." Giles said, shifting slightly. They had changed seats mid-train ride, Willow not wanting to sit by the window while she was sleeping. Now, she was leaning over, her hand placing itself accidently in his lap, causing a pleasant sensation to coarse through him. However, here was not the place to have those sensations.
"Hmm?" she said, distractedly. When Giles didn't say anything, she turned around to face him. "What?"
He smiled a Ripper smile and looked down. She followed his gaze and grinned wickedly. Lightly, she moved her fingers, tracing his erection through the denim. He closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy her caresses for brief moment before grabbing her hand and pulling her away.
Opening his eyes, he gazed at her, a slight reproachful look in his eyes. He raised their joined hands to his lips and kissed them.
She smiled lovingly at the gesture, before asking. "You didn't like what I was doing?"
"Au contraire." he replied, interlacing their hands. "I did but now is not the time." He gestured to the platform and she nodded in agreement. "Later." she sat back in her seat, squeezing his hand. "I promise."
*************
"Wow!" Willow exclaimed, walking through Union Station. "This is beautiful."
Giles nodded. "It is. If I recall, they just did a renovation about a few years ago to put in the new metrolink."
Bright and airy, the main area of the station was bustling with people, travelers on their way to those just coming in from a long journey. Wooden pews lined up in rows, each one occupied with either a person or luggage, as they waited patiently for their train.
Mosaics decorated the station, the multi-colored tiles representative of the Mexican heritage that built the city. Blues and reds, the mosaic gave the station a friendly and welcoming feel to the area. It mixed well with ultra modern sections of the station, the new and old complimenting each other beautifully.
"Rupert?"
"Yes?"
"You haven't told me where we're going to stay or if we are staying in L.A." she wondered, staring at him.
"Well, I had this plan.." Giles trailed off, searching the room for a phone.
"And?"
Distracted, he pointed to the wall. "Over there."
She turned in the direction he was pointing to, noticing only a newsstand and a phone booth. "What? What are we looking for?"
"A phone book." he called out over his shoulder as he headed toward the booth.
She followed willingly, wondering what he was up to. He hadn't really explained what they were doing in L.A and truthfully, she didn't bother to ask. She had been so excited, so happy at the fact that he agreed to take her with him that she didn't think of anything beyond that. Hell, he could have told her that they were going to Bosnia for all she cared, as long as she was with him. That was all that mattered.
Dropping her bag, Willow squeezed halfway into the phone booth with him. "Rupert."
"Hmm?" he muttered, flipping through the pages.
"Are you looking for a hotel? Or motel?" she asked, watching with interest as his long fingers flipped expertly through the pages.
"No."
"Well, what then?" she persisted, placing her hand on the book to stop him. "Rupert?"
He looked up finally, a guilty look on his face. "Sorry, love. I didn't mean to ignore you." he pulled her more into the booth, pressing back against the wall so she could fit. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her into a hug, dropping a kiss onto her head. "I just wanted to find where it's located as soon as possible."
"Find where is what located?"
"Angel Investigations."
"Now, tell me again why we are heading to Angel's?" Willow asked as she took a seat on the Metrolink.
Giles slid in beside her, dropping their bags on the floor. "Because, as much as I hate to admit it, Angel can be helpful. He's collected a mass of valuable resources."
"Well, living a couple of hundred years will cause that to happen." she interjected.
He nodded. "Yes. And I'm hoping that he might have some information we could use."
"Such as?"
"Helping us get away." he grasped her hand, squeezing it gently.
She looked up at him in surprise. "You mean, we're not staying in L.A?"
He shook his head. "Too risky. I'm already taking a chance coming here in the first place."
"Then why?" she asked softly, leaning in closer to him. "Why after all he's done to you?" He started to say something but she stopped him. "Rupert, you don't have to say anything. I have eyes and ears. I've seen what his presence did to you when he came back from hell last year. You hate him. You don't have to deny it with me."
"I forget how observant you are." he admitted quietly. They sat there in silence for awhile, Willow giving him the space he needed to talk. She knew that the subject of Angel was a touchy one, knew how much his return from hell had disturbed him considerably. She'd first saw it the day of Buffy's intervention. He was solemn and dead silent, his body stiff with tension. It didn't take more than a glance to see how upset he had been, his silence speaking volumes. But, as usual he'd kept those feelings to himself, pretending that all was forgiven, allowing Angel back into the fold not completely but not excluding either.
She'd more than once wondered how he managed to be near him all those times, how he kept silent when he probably wanted to rage. How he had endured all that for them. She gazed fondly, her heart warming at the
amazing man next to her. Hers.
Willow pulled their joined hands to her chest, holding them tightly. Giles smiled lovingly at her gesture.
"When Xander told me that he had caught Buffy and Angel kissing, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. The thing that had been my worst nightmare all those months, not to mention yours and especially Buffy's, was now back and alive." he closed his eyes briefly, the memories coming back. She squeezed his hand, pouring all her love into that squeeze. A faint smile appeared on his lips. "Even though my first instinct was to stake him, I couldn't. He still meant everything to Buffy and staking him..."
"Would have destroyed her." she finished quietly.
He nodded. "And after what she went through," he paused. "I saw no reason why to add more pain to her life."
"What about your life?" she asked. "What about what you went through because of Angel? That matters too, Rupert."
He smiled touched, raising their joined hands to his lips. "Not as much." she started to protest but he stopped her." You are more important. All of you."
"That's not true." she argued vehemently. "You're just as important, if not more so." she quieted and he had to strain to hear her. "I wish you'd realize that."
Touched and not knowing what to say, Giles pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her. He pressed his lips to her hair. "With you, I do."
Willow smiled at his words, hugging him for he was worth. And to her, he was worth more than anything. She just wished he'd realize that.
From the moment she had met him, Willow had known that there was more to Rupert Giles than meets the eye.
Witty and charming, he'd greeted her that day with a gentle warmth that made her feel immediately at home. To others, his quiet demeanor had been taken as standoffish, inaccessible. But to her, he was everything.
Teacher, friend, lover.
He was all three, each one beginning at different times before combining to become the man she needed and more importantly, loved.
Softly, Willow moved her head and pressed a feather light kiss to his neck, her lips on his pulse. She smiled inwardly as she felt his pulse speedup with each passing moment.
Darting her tongue out, she licked the soft flesh, alternating with little and long licks.
"Love.." he moaned deeply, raising a hand to tangle in her hair.
"Mmm.." she murmured her lips too busy with other things to utter a word. She continued the kiss, throwing her leg over his, molding her body to his.
She wrapped her arms more securely around him, holding him in a big bear hug.
Surrendering to her talented mouth, Giles did the only thing he could. He wrapped his arms around her completely, holding her tightly to him that not even the jaws of life could pry her out of his arms.
As the kiss went on, a voice over the loudspeaker boomed. "Pershing Square."
"Oh..love." Giles gently disentangled them. "I believe this is our stop."
Willow groaned in protest but reluctantly pulled away. She looked at his neck, running her fingertips over the red mark. "Wow.."
He gazed down, watching her stare intently at his neck. He felt a warmth, a rawness on his neck and smiled knowingly. "Love bite?"
She nodded biting her lip, a gesture that always sent his blood racing. "I branded you."
"Yours always." he simply said before swiftly kissing her.
"Pershing Square."
Quickly, Giles pulled away, jumping to his feet. "We'd better hurry." he bent to pick their bags.
Willow nodded, following him out the door, barely stepping off the Link before it sped off into the dark tunnel. "That was close."
"Too close." Giles agreed." But, it was worth it."
Blushing at his flirting, Willow wrapped her arm around his waist. "You're a devil, you know that?"
"But, you wouldn't have me any other way, right?" he asked sliding his free arm over her shoulder.
"You're incorrigible."
"That's right."
Laughing, they ascended the stairs to the street, the sunlight illuminating their path. Once they had reached the top, Willow pulled out a map from her purse to locate the Agency. "What's the address again, Rupert?"
He handed her a slip of paper. "I think we have to go that way." He pointed north, past the jewelry building.
"And do you know that?"
"Guess." he shrugged. "What I know of L.A, I don't think the south side is a safe place for business." He muttered under his breath. "Not that Angel's all that safe anyway."
Willow snapped her head up at his words, hearing the sarcasm behind it. Touching his arm lightly, she asked. "Are you sure you want to go to Angel's?"
"He's the only one who can help us." he said matter-of-factly. Folding the map, he said, "The agency is up the street." He turned and smiled at her." Ready?"
Slipping her hand into his, Willow flashed him a big grin. "For anything."
Angel Investigations:
"Cordelia, do you have the information on Noisop?"
"Hmm?" she answered distractedly, concentrating on filing her nails. 'If I don't get these done, I'll have Freddy Kruger hands' she mused.
"Cordelia." Wesley said a little more sharply.
"Wes, what is your problem? Can't you see that I'm trying to get my nails just right? If I don't, I won't get the Palmolive commercial, which means that I'll whine about it till the cows come home. And no one can whine as well as me, aside from Buffy, but that's another low." Cordelia rambled. She looked at Wesley sweetly. "And you wouldn't want me to whine, would you Wesley?"
He sighed. "No, but.."
"Good." She turned back to her filing. "Noisop is a horned demon that spurts out a milky poison when attacked. It's poison is fatal if mixed with one's blood but otherwise, not harmful. Just sticky. Yech, like I need another syrup infested demon on my clothes." She met Wesley's eyes and smiled triumphantly. "Oh, and you kill it by whacking off its head. So, you were saying about Noisop?"
"Nothing." he sat in the chair across from her. "I guess once again, I've underestimated your research abilities. My apologies."
"Accepted." She leaned forward on her elbows. "You know Wesley, life would go a lot smoother if you trusted that people are going to do what they said they were going to do and let them do it." She pointed to the computer. "See, I said I was going to research Noisop and I did. Just because I wasn't researching it at this precise moment, doesn't mean that I didn't do it."
Wesley took off his glasses. "I'm aware, Cordelia. I'm aware." He gazed at her intently. "You're going to hold this over my head, aren't you?"
She nodded emphatically. "Yeah. Just a dozen or so mentions should do it." She flashed him a grin. "So, Wesley what are…"
The bell clanged and the office door opened. Cordelia and Wesley both turned their attention to the sound, their mouths hanging open at the sight before them. The couple stood there, the man, tall and handsome carrying two bags on his shoulder, while his companion, a petite pretty thing held the door open for the both of them.
As they entered, Cordelia found her voice and eeked out: "GILES? WILLOW?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hi guys." Willow said.
"Cordelia. Wesley." Giles nodded as he dropped the bags onto the floor. "Nice to see you again."
"Miss Rosenberg, Mr. Giles always a pleasure." Wesley offered as he went to help Giles with his bags.
"Thank you. And call me Rupert."
"And call me Willow." she smiled at Wesley's shocked look.
"Umm..Willow, Rupert." he straightened his collar.
"Hello?" Cordelia exclaimed getting everyone's attention. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, 'cause I am. You're the only ones who care about what's happening without having a hidden agenda like Little Miss Buffy." All three stared at her but she continued. "Anyway, not to be mean, but what are you doing here?" She rose and went to stand next to Wesley." I mean its not every day Sunnydalites come to L.A. If that was the case, L.A wouldn't be cool anymore."
The three just stared at her, once again lost in the mind that was Cordelia. Willow, the first to recover said, "It's a long story." she turned to Giles who simply nodded." Well Rupert..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"And so we're on the run." Willow finished up, looking at Giles who smiled affectionately.
Wesley poured a cup of tea and handed it to Giles. "So, you're telling me that the Council is behind all this?"
"Thank you." Giles answered, taking a sip. "Yes. They sent their special ops team to 'remove' me so to speak."
"Remove as in kill on sight, remove?" Cordelia asked.
He nodded. "They think I'm a bad influence on Buffy, that I'm the reason why she's gone renegade. " He gazed understandingly at Wesley. "Which is like you, isn't it?"
Wesley nodded. "A degree. The Council, too, informed me that I was no longer qualified to call myself Watcher."
"Ahh another unemployed Watcher." Giles said. "Welcome to the club."
"Club's getting rather big, isn't it?" Wesley asked wryly.
Giles snorted. "I'm not surprised. The way the sodding, bloody Council…"
Willow interrupted." Er..Wesley? When did you get fired?"
Wesley replied. "After the Ascension and Faith, I'd pretty much knew that my days as Watcher were numbered." he poured himself some tea. "I felt my services were better served on my own."
"He's a Rogue Demon Hunter." Cordelia exclaimed, patting him on the shoulder.
"Excuse me?" Giles looked at Willow who shrugged.
"Rogue Demon Hunter." Wesley coughed. "A pen name."
"Catchy." Willow offered.
"Er...yes...well" Wesley fiddled with his glasses. "Anyway Mr. Giles…"
"Rupert."
"Rupert." Wesley smiled. "You're now on the run?"
Giles nodded. "The few contacts I still had tipped me off that the Council was on its way to Sunnydale. Four or five days at least."
"And why are you here, Willow? "Cordelia interrupted. "Were you Ms. Hacker again and they got you?"
"Well..." Willow looked at Giles wondering if she should tell them about their relationship. He just looked expectantly at her, leaving it entirely up to her. "I'm here for Giles." She smiled lovingly at him, a move not lost on either Cordelia or Wesley.
'What's up with those two?' Cordelia mused as she watched Willow and Giles give looks to each other. 'When I get her alone, she's got some serious spilling to do.'
Wesley watched the brief exchange between the two newcomers and knew that there was more that what appeared to be on the surface. The quick glances, the shy smiles and brief fingertip touching told more than any words could say. These two were in love. They didn't call him Watcher for nothing.
Or ex-Watcher in his case.
He thought it was rather romantic in fact, that the two of them couldn't bear the thought of being apart that they decided to be fugitives together.
Clearing his thoughts, Wesley asked. "Are you going to remain in L.A or move on?" he turned to Cordelia. "You could hide out here if you'd like."
"They could?" Cordelia asked surprised. All three of them glared at her. "Yeah, they could. They could stay here."
"Gee, Cordelia you're so genuine." Willow said sarcastically, causing both Giles and Wesley to smirk.
"Hey! I am!" Cordelia insisted. "What I meant was that wouldn't this be the first place they look? I mean, Wesley an ex-Watcher, you Giles another. Why don't you just put a neon sign saying 'here we are!'"
"Cordelia.." Wesley said sharply.
"She's right. We're just here temporarily." Giles replied. "Actually, that's why we're here."
"How so?"
"I thought that you could help us escape." Giles replied looking at Wesley and Cordelia.
"Escape? As in the Fugitive, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, escape?" Cordelia asked.
"Cordelia, please." Wesley said sharply. "Please continue, Rupert."
"We need your help. Specifically the use of your resources." Giles explained. "Cordelia's right. It's too dangerous for us to stay in L.A."
"See, I'm right." Cordelia said proudly as the three glared at her. "What?"
"Anyway," Giles shook his head." we could probably stay for a couple of days maximum. Just enough to plan a more permanent residence."
"How much time do you have on them?" Wesley inquired.
"A week tops. I don't know for sure." Giles began to pace. "I received a call from Darren, you know him right?"
"Feisty, devil may care chap?" Wesley recalled. "Excellent Watcher but a firecracker."
"The one and the same." Giles acknowledged. "Well, he'd been one of my main contacts in the Council during my official tenure and remained even after my dismissal. He was one of the very few who still kept in touch with me."
"And he was the one who told you about the special ops?" Wesley guessed.
Giles nodded. "He warned me that they were tired of my constant influence in the Slayer's life, that they still blamed me for our resignations, saying I was the one who influenced her."
"Wait a minute." Cordelia interjected. "You and Buffy left the Council months ago. They just now coming after you. God, what kind of group is this? They're about as fast as the U.S Postal Service."
"Well, it seems that the Council would have been just as happy not to get involved." Giles said. "But, Buffy's contact with the Initiative drew their attention."
"The Initiative?"
"It's a military operation that studies demons." Giles explained.
Willow piped up. "And Buffy's dating one of the head Initiative guys."
"And she worked her way into their operation." Cordelia mused, rolling her eyes.
"Pretty much." Giles replied. "Unfortunately, this caught their attention and they were not pleased."
"Why? I mean, Buffy was out of their hair so they should be glad, right?" Cordelia asked.
Giles shook his head. "Whether they liked it or not, Buffy is still the Slayer, still needed to kill the vampires…"
"And with Faith in a coma..." Wesley trailed off.
"Exactly. She's all they had left. They feared that if Buffy got too involved in the Initiative, she would be shirking her duties which of course they still expect her to do, despite their wanting nothing to do with her." he said bitterly.
"Let me guess, they blame you for this whole mess?" Cordelia asked.
"Of course." Giles answered sarcastically. "Even though, I wasn't her Watcher anymore, they still expected me to keep her in line without getting too close. And not let her get involved with a secret government operation."
Wesley shook his head. "They wanted it both ways."
Cordelia waved her hand to get their attention. "Okay to recap. The Watcher's Council are after you and Willow because you didn't stay out of Buffy's life. However, they blame you for her shacking up with Gi.Joe who's involved in a Roswell operation."
"Precisely."
"What a bunch of psychos," Cordelia uttered.
"Rupert, you do know that the Council will most likely send their best operatives." Wesley said. "Chase, Alwyn, Eamon."
"I figured." Giles said dejectedly.
"Who are they?" Willow asked as she noticed Giles' expression.
"Some of the most deceptive, ruthless operatives the Council has ever had." Wesley admitted. "They come from the school of 'shoot first, ask questions later'.
Willow gasped and Giles squeezed her hand. "The only thing that works in our favor is that their egos sometimes get in the way of jobs."
"You're not saying that just to reassure me, are you?" Willow asked suspiciously.
"No, he's right." Wesley confirmed. "Deceptive and dangerous, they have an impressive track record of bringing back those who are out of the fold, so to speak. But, they have egos the size of a rugby field that at times has gotten in the way of their missions."
"How so?" asked Cordelia.
"Disagreements on how to carry out the operation, how much force is to be used..." explained Wesley.
Giles interjected. "They also have a record for going against the wishes of the Council and doing whatever they wanted."
"And the Council still keeps them on?" Willow wondered.
Wesley nodded. "Unfortunately, about 85% of the time, they get the job done. So, the Council turns a deaf ear to their unorthodox methods."
"As long as they get the job done." Giles said as Wesley nodded in agreement.
"So, basically they have free rein." Cordelia said matter-of-factly. "Gee, this shouldn't be too hard."
All of them became silent as Cordelia's words set in. She was right in a way. Giles and Willow had a tough road ahead of them, one with potential danger and unforeseen obstacles. But, what the Council didn't know was that they were survivors. They weren't going down without a fight and with Cordelia and Wesley's help they were going to make it.
Softly, Willow spoke up, her voice breaking the silence."I know it'll be hard but we have one advantage over them. We know how they operate but they don't know how we operate."
All four looked at each other, smiling.
********
Somewhere in England:
"Do we have everything?" the man asked as he checked his bag, making sure they had everything they needed.
"I believe so, mate." the other man chuckled as he clicked his .32 caliber into place. "They're going to be in for a surprise aren't they, Chase?"
"Good ol' Rupert isn't going to know what hit him," Alwyn said. He detached the bottom of his suitcase, revealing a false bottom. He double-checked they had all the weapons they needed, not wanting to leave any option out.
This was their most important operation to date, one that required more skill than ever before. The whole Council was depending on them to restore dignity and prestige back to the Watchers.
Ever since, Rupert Giles had become a full-fledged Watcher, the order of the Council had deteriorated. With his unorthodox methods, rebellious Slayers one who allied herself with a demon while the other romanced one, the Watchers was now an organization of chaos and disarray with a decline in enrolment of new Watchers, with more leaving for other endeavors and lack of disrespect for the old guard. The elders were furious, blaming Rupert for all this new confusion. They thought that firing him for being emotionally attached to his Slayer, having a father's love would have sent him packing but instead he stubbornly stayed. Even after they sent a replacement, Wesley Wyndham-Pryce, a promising, young Watcher who under the influence of Rupert, ended up being a disappointment to all.
Now, the Council was stuck with a freelance Watcher, a Slayer in a coma and a Slayer who joined up with a military mission. All of this was the result of Rupert Giles. And the Council, especially the elders, felt that the only way to stop this epidemic of destruction was to eliminate the host which was Rupert.
"C'mon Eamon!" Alwyn shouted. "We got leave or we'll miss our flight."
"I'm on my way, mate." Eamon replied coming into the room. "I had to get this baby." he smiled wickedly as he held up the automatic for their perusal.
"And we can't forget that, can we?" Chase replied. " That'll certainly silence Rupert permanently."
Alwyn grinned. "No doubt. Oh, by the way, before we go, Travers wanted me to call this number." he fished into his pockets for the slip of paper.
"Who's is it?" Eamon asked, snatching the paper out of his hands.
He shrugged. "Someone Travers said could help us, who's helped him before."
"Well, all right." he replied. "But, let's call them from the airport shall we? Much safer there, if you know what I mean?"
********
One hour later, Heathrow Airport.
BRINNGG!!!!!! BRINGGGGNN!!!
Eamon waited impatiently in the phone booth as he waited for someone to answer the phone. "C'mon, pick up."
BRINNGG!!!
"Bloody Hell." he muttered as he heard the answering machine pick up.
' Hello, you've reached Olivia. I am unable to answer the phone right now, but if you leave a message I'll return your call as soon as possible." Click…
* * *