__Another One__
By Gibberish



     The girl looked confused. "What? Nevermind." She threw a stake right at Buffy's heart.

 Buffy caught the stake two inches from her heart and rolled her eyes. "I really hate it when people throw pointy things at me." She threw it back and it stuck in the ground between the other girl's feet. The girl stared at her wide-eyed. Buffy met her eyes. "I'm Buffy."

 "Buffy Summers?" A man asked, with a Scottish accent, as he joined them.  Buffy looked at him and almost laughed. These two were the opposite of her and Giles. The Watcher couldn't have been more than 5'5, maybe a little taller than Willow. "You the Watcher?"

 "I am." He said. "Warren Bruce. And we understood that you were dead."

 "Oh, I am." Buffy told him.

 "She's a vampire, Warren." The girl warned.

 "So I gathered, Kelly." Warren said wryly.

 Buffy smiled. Maybe they weren't so different from her and Giles. "Are you going to tell the Council? 'Cause they really didn't like me a whole lot when I was alive."

 "Perhaps I should speak with Rupert, first." Warren said. "I assume that he is in full knowledge of the facts."

 Buffy's smile widened. "You know Giles?"

 "We trained as Watchers together." Warren told her. "I knew he was still here, I was going to visit anyway."


   Buffy opened the door to Giles' place. "Giles?" She called out in a sing songy voice. "I brought company." No response. "Hi Honey, I'm home?" 

 Giles came into the living area from the bathroom, wearing a robe and drying his hair. "That was a short patrol." Then, he noticed their company. "Warren?"

 Warren looked at him with raised brows. "You're living well for a man with no job." He successfully kept his grin in check.

 "What are you ..." Giles began, then he saw the girl. "Another one?"  Buffy giggled. "That's what *I* said."

 Giles smiled at her. "Indeed? Work it out all on your own, did you?" He teased.

 Buffy stuck her tongue out at him. She headed for the kitchen. "I'm gonna ..." She gestured with her hands.

 "All right." Giles said gently. "Then, you should join us. This concerns you."

 She rolled her eyes, but nodded. After a quick stop in the kitchen, she went down the hall, out of sight.

 Giles turned back to Warren. "So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" He asked as he went upstairs and Warren began his tale. Behind the open wardrobe door, Giles dressed.

 "We were under the impression that the Hellmouth was left unguarded." Warren told him. "I take it that the Council is unaware of the conditions here?"

 "I certainly hope so." Giles called down.

 "Or maybe they aren't and that's why they've sent us." Warren continued.

"Buffy mentioned the Council's dislike of her."

 "Ridiculous, isn't it?" Giles asked as he came back downstairs in jeans and a sweater. "Bloody wankers." He muttered.

 Warren smiled. "Tradition is very important to the Council." He pointed out.

 "Sod tradition." Giles returned. "It shouldn't be more important than the Slayer."

 Warren shrugged. "It isn't to most, but Travers is ..."

 "A pillock." Buffy said brightly, as she rejoined them. "Giles said so." She stated as if that made it fact. "Of course, I don't know what that means, but I know it isn't nice. Personally, I thought he was a prick."

 Giles coughed. "Buffy." He admonished.

 Warren laughed. "It's the same thing, Buffy."

 Buffy's eyes widened. "Oh." She looked at Giles. "Boy, you *were* pissed."

 "You were drunk?" Warren asked Giles.

 "Angry." Giles translated.

 "Ah." Warren responded.

 "Huh?" Buffy asked.

 "Nevermind." Giles said with a shake of his head. "This conversation is deteriorating quickly." He looked at the girl who was basically standing behind Warren, then back to Warren. "You used to have manners. Council influence?" He asked with a raised brow.

 Warren glared at him. "Rupert Giles, former Watcher; Kelly Madison, current Slayer."

 "One of two." Giles said. "Or didn't the Council tell you that, either?" He asked.

 "Two?" Kelly asked, speaking for the first time since they'd arrived at Giles'. "There can only be one."

 "Well, right now, there's three, if you count me." Buffy said. She looked at Giles. "I can't believe they didn't warn them about Faith."

 "Warn?" Warren asked darkly.

 "A Slayer gone Rogue." Giles told him.

 "Rogue." Warren echoed. "What else hasn't the Council told us?" He asked.

 "Got a week or two?" Buffy asked. She looked at Giles. "I suppose you're going to want tea?"

 "I want a scotch, but tea will do." Giles told her.

 "It'll have to." Buffy told him in return. "I'll get it. You fill them in." Buffy went into the kitchen.

 "Best make it the chamomile." Giles advised. He indicated to Warren and Kelly that they should sit on the couch. "I suppose that I should begin with the first time Buffy died."

 
  An hour later, Giles had finished his account of Buffy's time in Sunnydale. Warren and Kelly stared at him silently for a moment, before Warren spoke, "You do realize how fantastic that all sounds?"

 Buffy snorted. "Try living it."

 "Will I be put through that test?" Kelly asked quietly. "The Crucamentium?"

 "Not if I have anything to say about it." Buffy said. "If you do, you won't be alone." She promised Kelly.

 "I didn't even know that they still did the test." Warren said quietly.

 "They don't want you to know." Giles told him.




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