__So Far Away__
By GylzGirl



Willow and Xander stood expectantly on Giles' doorstep. Buffy's call to them had been nearly frantic.

"Maybe you should knock again," Xander suggested. As Willow was about to, the door opened.

Buffy smiled at them sadly, her eyes red rimmed from hours of crying. "Hey."

"Buffy," Willow rushed forward, lightly touching her friend's arm, "what's wrong?"

She gestured for them to enter the apartment. "See for yourself."

They stepped the rest of the way in, and froze upon seeing the furniture swathed in sheets of plastic. "I don't understand." Willow turned to Buffy again.

"What's to understand? Giles is gone."

"He's dead?" Xander asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I talked to him this morning. He said he wasn't feeling well. I told him I'd bring him over some soup later. When I got here, this is what it looked like."

"This doesn't make any sense Buffy. Giles wouldn't just leave you. He wouldn't. I know that." Willow had on her resolve face.

Buffy brightened a little. "I...have a theory. I need to run it past you guys to see if you think I'm seeing things that aren't there, or if you think I'm right."

"And if you're right?"

She met Xander's gaze. "Then I have to somehow figure out where Giles is and go bring him back."

******

Giles smiled up at the elderly gentleman that opened the huge oaken doors. "Hello James."

The man stared at him, blinked for a moment, and then returned the smile. "Master Rupert?"

"Sorry to arrive unannounced. How've you been?"

"Oh Lady Juliana is going to be so very pleased to see you!"

"How is Gran?"

The butler took the younger man's arm and escorted him through the door. "She's been bored out of her mind with the rains not letting up so that I could take her for her usual strolls through the garden. Are you planning to stay long?"

"As long as she'll have me."

"She'll love that." He showed him to the foyer and motioned for Giles to sit. "I'll advise Her Ladyship you are here." With an extra spring in his step, the older man exited down the hall.

******

Buffy stood and paced before her two friends that were seated on the couch. "When I first found Giles' place like this, I completely freaked out. I couldn't stop crying. I called you guys. Then while I was waiting for you, I started to really think about it. It didn't make any kind of sense to me. When I tried to piece it together in a way that did, I came up with something fairly of the bizarre. But I think it's probably what happened."

"Tell us Buffy," Willow said. "We're your best friends so you can trust us to tell you if you're insane or not." The girls shared a smile.

Buffy took a deep breath. "Factoid one: We all know Giles. This up and moving away without a hint, without a word to any of us, especially when he knew I'd be coming over and I'd find this; it's just not him."

"Agreed," Xander said.

"Factoid two: Giles went from "give Buffy space to develop independence" guy to uber-involved overnight. He insisted on patrolling with me. He insisted on staying with me. It was almost as if he was afraid something was going to happen to me. Like he had a specific reason."

Buffy sat on the coffee table in front of them. "Factoid three: Something *did * happen to me last night. I was fighting a small vampire in Weatherly Park and it almost took me out. I completely lost my Slayer strength. Just like what happened on my 18th birthday."

"Factoid four: I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when I spoke to Giles on the phone earlier... I think he was saying good-bye, but without saying it. I think somebody was here with him so that he couldn't say it. Put it all together and it spells..."

"Watcher's Council," Xander finished.

"Exactly," Buffy sighed. "So you don't think I'm nuts?"

Willow shook her head. "Giles always told us that they weren't likely to take your breaking ties with them lying down. I guess they finally proved him right."

"My guess is they must have threatened my safety a few nights ago, hence Giles insisting on babysitting me on patrol. And last night, they showed him that he couldn't protect me from them. The apartment isn't wrecked, so either they took him by force and cleaned it up, or they threatened to do worse to me if he didn't just up and abandon me."

"That sounds like the Council to me all right," Willow said. Buffy nodded and went to the phone. "Who are you calling?"

"Cordelia. I'm going to see if she can't get Wesley to come down for a few days. We need as much insight into the Council right now as we can get."

******

Giles looked up at the towering painting of his Grandfather that hung in foyer. He observed, not for the first time, that he resembled this man in the portrait who had passed away when he was 10 more than he did his own father really. It was after his Grandfather's funeral that his father had told him of his destiny as a Watcher. Now in the decade since he had last entered the manor, the likeness was more pronounced.

"Where's my glorious boy?" Giles turned and smiled as James wheeled his Grandmother into the room.

"Hardly a boy any longer."

"Oh nonsense. Always a boy to me. Now come and give your Gran a hug." Giles knelt beside the wheelchair and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Welcome home my Love."

******

Wesley smiled as Buffy opened the door to Giles' place. Willow grinned at him as he passed her. "Boy Wesley, jeans and a leather jacket? Cordelia said you changed but...this is a *change*." He blushed as he made his way into the living room.

"Thanks for coming Wes. I...I know I had no right to ask you."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm the one that got you fired."

"You're the one who opened my eyes. And like it or not, you're still my Slayer; at least to me you are."

Buffy smiled and sat on the couch beside him. "I'm sorry I gave you such a hard time."

"You were showing your loyalty to Mr. Giles. A sentiment I believe I've come to share. Now, how can I help you Buffy?"

"It's Giles. I...we need you Wes."

******

Giles and Juliana took their tea in the estate's Victorian parlor. "So my lovely boy, did things not go well in California?"

"Not as well as I'd hoped."

She sat down her cup and covered his hand with her own. "Did you lose your Slayer?"

His smile was sad. "In a way. She's alive though. Thank God."

"I don't understand. If she's alive then what are you doing here?"

"If I tell you something, you have to promise me you won't tell father."

Her eyes crinkled in merriment. "That's the conspiratorial little boy I remember. 'Gran, don't tell Daddy but I let the dogs out and they ruined Mummy's flower bed'."

His inherited smile mirrored her own. "Well...I'm afraid it's a bit more serious than a flower bed this time. I really need your word Gran."

"Do you know that you've had me wrapped around your finger since you were just a warm kicking roundness in your Mother's belly? I give you my promise, Oliver will hear nothing of this from me."

He took a deep breath. "It started about two years ago, just before Buffy's 18th birthday. That's when Quentin Travers came to Sunnydale..."

******

Buffy looked into Wes' eyes. "So, do you think I'm right? Do you think it's the Council?"

"I'd say it was almost surely the Council. And I'd say they didn't take him by physical force or the place would be bare from floorboards to rafters and up for rent again already. No, they must have proved their willingness and ability to kill you if he didn't go and he did the only thing in his power to save you."

Her smile was sad. "Yeah."

Wesley tentatively reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear; a comforting gesture he had seen Giles employ with her. "Giles would never leave you on his own. He's made that abundantly clear over and over. The Council had a hand in this Buffy. There can be no doubt."

She took hold of his hand. "Thanks. Now the question is, what do I do?"

"What do you want to do?" Willow sat in the chair and faced her friend.

"I want to go find him. But...I can't leave Sunnydale...all of you guys unprotected. I mean, if I knew it would take a week or a few days, maybe I could find a way. But it could take that long just to track him down, if not longer. I don't know what I can do about it. I don't know where to start."

"Well, Giles' father is the current Head Chancellor of the Council. Sort of semi-retired though with Travers running things for him."

"He's their leader?" Willow asked. Wesley nodded. "And he let all this happen to his son?"

"It's no secret that they aren't very close. Though, rumor has it amongst the younger Watcher-Candidates that Travers is doing a lot of things that Chancellor Giles knows nothing about."

"If they're not that close though..." Buffy began.

Wes nodded. "I realize. But he might know where Giles would go instead of to him." He leaned closer. "The most important thing is from everything I've heard, the Chancellor is a decent sort of man. A little stern perhaps, but honorable. He very well may not know anything Travers has been up to. Like...reinstating the Slayer Test. Unfortunately, he has contact with no one in the Council but Quentin. As the Slayer however, you would be guaranteed admittance. And I can tell you where the Giles' Estate is located."

"If only I could go."

Wesley stood. "Why don't we all go home and sleep on it overnight? Meet back here in the morning. I'll do some research. Perhaps Willow, you can as well?" She nodded. "We'll figure out a way."

Buffy looked up toward the loft. "I...I think I'm going to stay here tonight. I just, sorta want to."

"There's something else I should tell you all." They all stopped to look at Wes. "Quentin Travers is my uncle. My mother's brother. I assure you, I have about as much affection for him as the rest of you do and his feelings for me are equally warm. I promise you, he will learn nothing from me. However, if you'd feel uncomfortable having me involved, I would understand."

Buffy moved closer and touched his arm. "I trust you Wesley."

He covered her hand. "Then I am here for the duration. Somehow Buffy, we will get Mr. Giles back for you."

******

"Your father should be told about this Rupert."

"No."

"Rupert..."

"No Gran. What makes you think father doesn't know already."

Juliana scowled at him. "You do your father a great disservice by thinking that of him."

"Well, he's still head of the Council after all."

"And Tiberius was still Emperor, but that didn't stop Sejanus."

He considered this. "Point taken. I just have to be very careful here Gran. Buffy's life depends on it. So does mine."

She touched his cheek lightly. "What you need right now is sleep. We both do. You're safe here Rupert. Rest, reflect, decide what you need to do. We'll talk more later." She rang a little silver bell on the table beside her.

A slightly plump woman in her forties with a sweetly round face appeared at the door. "Time for your nap Lady?"

"Yes Emma."

Giles stood as she took up the handles of Juliana's wheelchair. He bent and kissed his Grandmother's cheek. "Sleep well Gran."

Emma wheeled Juliana out of the room. Giles walked to the window and watched the sun begin to set. He sighed as he realized it would be somewhere around dawn right now in Sunnydale. He wondered how Buffy had gotten through the night. He wondered *if* she had gotten through it.

******

Willow pinched the bridge of her nose as the sun began to rise outside her window. She had just finished skimming the last spellbook she owned and she had still found nothing that could possibly help Buffy. Just then, her computer monitor began to beep. She moved back to her desk and maximized the Parasearch Query she had placed an hour ago. She read it quickly at first, then again more slowly to see if she had read it correctly. A secretive smile spread across her face. She quickly printed off the page, grabbed her jacket and headed out the door.

******

Buffy awoke in the hugeness that was Giles' bed. Her face was pressed into the pillow and as she inhaled, she realized it still smelled of him. She breathed a little more deeply and hugged to it. A tear squeezed out of the corner of her eye at the thought that the last tactile thing she would have of him was his scent on the pillow, something that would fade in time and put him forever out of her reach. She curled into a ball on his bed and cried.

******

Willow tapped her fingers nervously on the counter at the hospital. A young nurse finally emerged from the office behind it. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. I um...need to see my cousin. She's a patient here."

"Visiting hours aren't until 10 Honey. You're kinda early."

"I know, and I'm sorry. It's just you see, I was away at school...in England. I only just now heard what happened to her. She's my favorite cousin and I..." Willow sniffled. "I just need to talk to her. Even if she can't really hear me."

The nurse smiled in understanding. "Well, if you're very quiet and don't stay too long, I suppose I can let you sneak a quick visit. What's your cousin's name Honey?"

"Faith. Faith Giles."

******

At 10 am, Buffy opened the door to allow Wesley in.

"Morning," he smiled.

"Morning. Find anything in the research?"

He avoided looking directly into her eyes. "Not as yet."

"Oh." When he finally met her gaze again, he could see the hope draining out of her body.

"Now now, we don't know what Willow's come up with yet. We should wait until we talk to h..." The rest of his sentence was cut short by the sound of Xander bursting through the front door.

"Buffy! You gotta come quick! I cut through the park on my way over here. There's a big green demony thing and he's munching down on the swans in the pond. I think you better get to him before he decides to go for dessert at the school across from it."

Buffy moved to Giles' weapons trunk and produced a medieval double-bladed axe. She gave a sad look to Wesley. "See what I mean? I've lost him, and there's nothing I can do about it."

On her way out the door, Wesley called to her. "Can I come?"

She smiled at him. "Bring a broadsword and stay on the sidelines." Wesley quickly did as he was told and joined her.

******

When Buffy got to the park, her quarry was easy to locate. Besides being 7 feet tall and covered with glistening bright green scales, he had blood and white feathers covering his broad front. "You know, if you'd have just gone to KFC like a good boy, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now." The thing turned to face her.

"Yeah plus they have those neat little wetnap things which you could obviously use," Xander cracked. The demon then focused his attention on Xander.

"Xander, shut up!" Buffy ran for the demon with her axe held high. It calmly caught the axe with one hand, snapped the handle in two, and then batted Buffy away. She flew for a few feet and then landed on her backside.

"Hey Kermit!" A shout rang out from behind the demon. It, and the assembled humans, turned to identify the newcomer.

"Willow no!" Buffy staggered to her feet and was about to rush over to prevent her best friend from being killed when a shocking sight rooted her to the spot.

Willow performed two front flips and kicked the demon square in the chest. It landed in much the same position Buffy had. The redhead then cartwheeled away from it and retrieved the axe-head from the ground. She spun to face the demon as it rose to its feet. Pulling her hand back, she flung the axe-head at the creature. It spiraled like a table saw, traveling with great accuracy before plowing through the demon's neck and severing its head from its body. Both lifeless parts dropped to the ground.

Willow turned to her friends and smiled broadly. Xander was the first to break the silence. "Willow? What the Hell was that?!"

"Since when did you become Xena?!" Finding her legs would once again respond, Buffy approached her.

She moved closer to them and took a deep breath. "Buffy, guys...I'm a Vampire Slayer."

*******

After dinner, Giles dismissed the staff for the night. He wheeled his grandmother to her bedroom and positioned her before her vanity. He pulled up the bench behind her and released the gold combs that held her long white hair piled atop her head. He sat them on the vanity and took the ornately decorated brush from its resting place there. He gently unwound Juliana's hair until it hung nearly to the floor and began to brush it in even strokes. She smiled at him in the mirror. "You've always loved brushing my hair. Ever since you were a tiny little thing."

"You've always had the most beautiful hair. Besides, it gave me an excuse to spend time with you without Father thinking that I was trying to get you to spoil me after one of his tirades."

"Even if that's what you were trying to do?" At her knowing look he grinned and nodded. "You know sometimes my Love, I think that I'm responsible for the rift between your father and you."

"Don't be silly Gran."

"No, I mean it. Your father felt similarly about my recruitment of him into the Watcher Society as you did about his doing the same to you. At least you had me. My father had already passed on by the time Oliver knew of his destiny. And I always interfered on your behalf. I put him at a disadvantage and I think that perhaps my actions caused him to be stricter with you."

"As I recall, Father needed little encouragement to be disapproving of me."

"Rupert, did it ever occur to you that you still see your father with the non-comprehending eyes of a child, even if the man you've become might understand where Oliver was coming from if you'd only let yourself?"

"Perhaps," he conceded as he continued to brush.

"Your Father loves you Rupert. He always has. And even if he doesn't show it, he is proud of you."

"Could we...could we change the subject please?"

"Of course Dear. Tell me about your Slayer?"

The smile returned to his face. "She's glorious Gran. Her name is Buffy Summers. She's 19 now."

"A testament to your devotion and skill as a Watcher."

"She's the fastest, the strongest, the most gifted I've ever seen." His eyes virtually danced with pride. Juliana notice something else there too.

"What does she look like?"

"Beautiful. Very petite. Blonde."

"And what is she like?"

"Stubborn and feisty. Loyal, brave, so full of life Gran. She's just...well, amazing."

Her hand over his stopped his brushing. "Did you ever tell her that you were in love with her before you left?"

"What?"

"Did you tell her Rupert?"

"You're mistaken Gran," he turned his eyes away from her gaze. "I do love Buffy. That is to say I-I care for her a great deal. But "in love" with her? No. It-It wouldn't be appropriate at all."

She turned her chair toward him and cupped his face in her hands. "Rupert, since when is love ever an appropriate state of affairs? If you've convinced yourself that you are simply her caring friend, then far be it from me to tamper with that delusion. But I know you my boy, better than just about anyone. You're in love with the girl. Any fool could see that just by the way you speak of her."

"Gran..." he leaned forward and let her hold him.

"I don't mean to upset you my Love. I just fear for your heart if something happens to the girl and you never told her your feelings. Were you so afraid she wouldn't return your love? That she would be offended? Love is always a gift Rupert. Even if it can't be returned in the same manor it was given, the recipient is always the richer for it." She kissed the top of his head and squeezed him a little tighter. "Now I'm tired. Help me to bed dear?"

Giles nodded and put the brush back on the table. He carefully folded back the legs of the wheelchair, stood, and scooped his Grandmother up into his arms. He carried her to the bed, gently lay her down and covered her up. "Night Gran." He kissed her forehead.

She smiled at him as he moved to the door and shut off the light. Giles closed the door to her room and made his way to his own bedroom. As tired as he was, he doubted now that he would get much sleep. His grandmother had given him a lot to come to terms with and as much as he tried to deny it, he couldn't help but be struck by just how right she was.

******

"Willow what were you thinking!?" Buffy paced in front of the redhead sitting on Giles sofa. Xander observed the scene from his seat on the stairs, uncharacteristically quiet. Wesley leaned back against the wall.

"It was the only way for you to find Giles. Sunnydale needed a Slayer in your absence. Now it has one. It's only temporary!"

"What exactly did you do Willow?" Wes asked calmly.

"I found a spell that allowed the caster to transfer power from another person onto them."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Buffy stopped pacing.

"Other than you guys trying to talk me out of our one workable solution? I wasn't sure I could do it. See, the catch to the spell is that the power cannot be transferred without the consent of the power's owner. I wasn't exactly sure Faith would agree."

Buffy shook her head. "Let me get this straight, Faith's awake?" Willow shook her head. "Then how..."

"She's still in there Buffy. And in there, she's almost sane." Willow smiled a little. "Through meditation I was able to ask her. I knew I'd have her answer by whether the power came to me or not. It seems she agreed to it."

"Willow, undo it. You could be hurt," the blonde pleaded.

"She's right Will," Xander added.

"I will undo it. Just as soon as you bring Giles back." She pointed at herself. "Resolve face Buffy. I think you'd better book your flight. Oh and don't forget to tell the University that you'll be taking the semester off."

Unable to persuade her friend to be sensible, Buffy did the only thing left open to her. She embraced Willow tightly. "You're my best friend Will."

"I know," she smiled. When Buffy came to sit beside her, Willow turned her attention to the British man standing by the wall. "Wesley, I...I hate to ask you this."

"Yes?"

"Well I know you've just started a new life in LA and all but...I'm going to need a Watcher."

He swallowed hard. "Y-you..."

"I got Faith's strength and reflexes. Maybe even a little of her skill, or maybe that was just from watching Buffy all these years, I don't know. But I need training. And I'm clueless about weapons and stuff."

"And...you want me to be your Watcher?"

"Please? I'd feel safer if I had you to help."

The corners of his eyes crinkled in delight. He sniffed back the tears that threatened to fall. "I would be most honored to be your Watcher, Willow Rosenberg."

Willow turned to her blonde friend. "So, everything's in place now. Buffy, go bring Giles home."

She smiled, stood and walked to the phone.

******

Giles tossed and turned in his bed. The night was half-over and he'd had no sleep at all. All he could think about was the accuracy of his grandmother's observations about his feelings for Buffy. And how he really wouldn't be able to live with himself if she died and never knew just how much she meant to him. And how now it was too late because he would never see her, never be able to talk to her again. Fighting tears of frustration, he finally drifted into restless slumber.

******

Buffy watched from her window as the plane ascended into the clouds. Wesley had helped her acquire a passport in a false name in order for her to leave the country without alerting the Council. He had also promised to help hide Willow's Slayer status from the Council. Armed with one suitcase, five hundred dollars, and directions to the Giles' family estate, Buffy was determined to bring Giles back home, no matter what.

* * *