Watchers Retreat: Part 9

Giles put his glasses back on. "Excuse me?"

Daniel grinned. "It was a unanimous vote. You're in charge."

Willow let out a squeal. "Giles, that is so cool. Think of all the changes you can make, all that stuff we used to talk about. No more testing, no more withholding information, better training for Watchers. You could make it all so much better."

A cold feeling started coiling in Buffy's gut.

Wendell spoke first. "I know we're springing this on you, but who else could do it? You're the only Watcher who's had a Slayer, who knows how to fight, who's dealt with demons. You kept us all alive; you kept us sane. You took charge on that mountain, and, well, we don't want you to stop."

Maddy picked up the argument. "You know it's true. There's no one else we'd trust. There's no one else who can do it. The Council has been ripped apart and it won't ever be right again unless there's someone we trust at the head of it."

Giles was staring at them. "I…I don't know what to say."

Daniel shook his head. "You don't need to say anything. Well, other than yes."

Xander was the one who spoke Buffy's fear out loud. His voice was tight. "Isn't the Council in England?"

Daniel nodded and looked at Giles. "Yes. We know you'll need some time to wrap things up in Sunnydale, but then you can come back home to England."

Buffy tried to keep the fear off her face. They'd never had their conversation. Buffy didn't even know if Giles had decided to stay in Sunnydale. She had thought they'd have plenty of time to talk. She glanced up at Giles. He was staring at Daniel, completely flummoxed.

Wendell spoke up again, taking Buffy in with a hand gesture. "Buffy, you can come too. We know Rupert's your Watcher. We don't mean to separate you." This had been Celiane's idea, and Wendell had thoroughly supported her. He grinned at her. "There are vampires in England too."

"I can't leave Sunnydale. The Hellmouth's there. My family is there." She was appalled that her voice was so shaky. Her whole life was there. Her mother's grave was there.

Giles looked at Buffy when he heard her speak. He took in the unhappy look on her face. "She's quite right. Buffy can't leave Sunnydale." Buffy wouldn't look up at him. He continued. "And I, of course, can't leave Buffy." She looked up then, her eyes bright. Giles smiled softly at her. "I am her Watcher."

An older man pushed forwards. "Rupert, we know you're Buffy's Watcher, but she's done fine without you for a year. If she wants a Watcher, another one can be assigned to her. There is a higher need here that must be met."

Giles sat up a little higher. He squeezed Willow and Dawn's arms and they got the message and got out of the bed. Giles moved to sit next to Buffy. "And exactly what is that higher need, James?" Giles knew them all by now. Every man and woman in the room had been by to visit him.

James flushed a little, finding himself the recipient of such attention from Giles. "Well, the Council. The Council must be strong. It must not be allowed to fall apart. It is imperative that it survive."

Giles' voice was soft. "And the Slayer? Is it imperative that she survive?"

James' eyes opened wide. "Of course. There must always be a Slayer."

Giles' voice grew even softer. "A Slayer?"

James finally began to understand that he had taken a wrong turn somewhere. "No, no, I didn't mean it like that." He looked around at everyone, wanting them to believe him.

Giles stood. "You did mean it that way. And I'm glad you said it." Giles heard Buffy's soft gasp and he placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. "It needed to be spoken out loud because it is everything that is wrong with the Council."

Giles glanced at James, took in his tortured expression. "Don't worry, James. I don't blame you. You are only repeating what you have been taught. I was with Buffy when Quentin Travers last came to town. He looked her in the face and told her the same thing. Slayers come and go, the Watchers remain. He told her that the Slayer is merely an instrument, easily replaceable, a pawn in this fight against evil." Giles shook his head, feeling a fresh spurt of anger as he remembered Travers' words.

Giles took them all in with his gaze. "The Council was set up to support the Slayer. All of its resources, all of its manpower should be directed toward the end of keeping her alive and assisting her in her fight. Somewhere along the way it got off track, and it became about perpetuating Watchers, and hoarding knowledge. It became a power struggle, a group of directors who for whatever reason, became threatened by the power of a young woman, and started doing everything it could to seize that power back by making her feel powerless."

He put a hand out to touch the IV pole, feeling the cold metal under his fingers. "I watched it play out in front of my eyes. I was never so humiliated in my life to know that I had been a willing part of something that thought that way. To know that, until I had a Slayer of my own, I had thought that way. The only reason I allowed myself to be reinstated that day was so that I could continue to help Buffy." He smiled down at her. "Buffy taught the Council a lesson that day about power. They weren't happy to learn it, but they did. She taught them that she had the power, not them."

Giles looked around at all the faces. "And she's right. She does have the power. The Slayer should be the heart of the Council. Each Slayer, each young woman that devotes her life to stopping evil should be celebrated, revered, valued. And the loss of a Slayer should be a time of mourning, not merely the replacing of one name for another, the shifting of Watchers as a new assignment gets made."

He paused, thinking. "You say you want me to lead you. But you expect me to do it at Buffy's expense. Either by leaving her, or by uprooting her. I cannot do it. I cannot belong to a Council that would think that behavior not only reasonable but expected."

Daniel interrupted. "Rupert…"

Giles put up his hand. "Let me finish. I will accept this position but with some conditions." Buffy looked up at him, worry evident in her eyes. He smiled down at her.

Wendell spoke first. "Whatever they are, they'll be all right with us."

Giles raised his eyebrows. "You might want to hear them first." He glanced around. "I am Buffy's Watcher and will remain so. And she must remain in Sunnydale. Therefore, Council headquarters must be relocated. Sunnydale is the front line of the battle between good and evil. No other Hellmouth in the world is as active. Its knights should reside there."

He continued. "In addition, the Special Ops teams should have the needs of the Slayer as their first priority. I was told what they accomplished when they landed on that mountaintop. It is inexcusable that the Council had resources like that, and they were never offered." Giles' hand tightened on Buffy's shoulder. "The prices we've paid have been too high and they will not be paid again, not if I'm put in charge."

His eyes swept the room again. "Those are my conditions. The Council on the front line. All resources directed towards and available to the Slayer. It will be a different life for you all. Certainly, a more dangerous one." He flashed them a wry smile. "I expect that living in Sunnydale will perhaps be extra incentive to lend all of your talents to the fight against evil." Giles glanced at Daniel. "I imagine that you want to talk this over. I will certainly understand if you wish to vote for someone else." He gestured toward the door. "It might be easier if I just left for a while."

Buffy stood as well. She needed to get out of that room. A part of her was thrilled that Giles was going to stay and be her Watcher. The other part of her was nervous that he'd have no time for her. Buffy wanted to get him alone, to talk to him, to have him hold her and reassure her.

Wendell shook his head. "I don't need you to leave. My vote is unchanged."

Maddy nodded. "As is mine."

The room was filled with voices as they all spoke of their still unconditional support of Giles. Maria raised her hand. Giles nodded at her, encouraging her to speak. "Will the Council move us?"

Giles nodded. "Yes, the Council will pick up all relocation expenses." He glanced at Daniel. "It can afford that, right?" Daniel seemed to be the person to ask. He'd been a fountain of information during Giles' stay at the hospital.

Daniel grinned back. He had already called the finance people, concerned about financial assistance for the families of the Watchers who had died. "Trust me. It can easily afford that."

Giles gave Daniel a brief grin. "Daniel, I think I shall appoint you as my number two. Will you accept?"

Daniel beamed. "I will."

Giles looked at Willow. "Willow, how would you like to be in charge of the Council's Research Division?"

Willow's jaw dropped. "For real?"

Giles gave her a serious nod. "There's no one I'd trust more with it."

Willow couldn't believe it, that he would trust her so much. Her eyes bright, she felt this sense of purpose shoot through her. She just nodded at him, speechless.

Xander spoke up from the back of the room. "How 'bout me, Giles? What do you want me to do?"

Giles considered him. "I'm sure Daniel could use your assistance in securing a new Headquarters."

Dawn tugged on his arm. "How about me?"

"Let's have you finish high school before I put you to work. All right?" At her frown he smiled at her. "Perhaps you can help me find a home."

Dawn shook her head. "You'll stay with us." Buffy could have hugged her sister.

Giles smiled again. "Thank you, but I can only sleep on your sofa for so long. I'll need to find a new home."

Maddy waved her hand. "I can help you look. After all, I'll be looking too."

Maria nodded. "Most of us will be looking. We can help you find just what you're looking for."

Buffy felt something start to shrivel inside. She saw her future unfolding. Just when she'd gotten him back, she was still going to lose him. She'd never have him alone, just to herself again. They'd always be surrounded. He'd always have these women latching onto him. Women who were smart, who could talk about stuff with him. Buffy suddenly felt so young and stupid. She glanced around the room and felt that no one even knew she was there, not even Giles. Feeling more alone than she thought a person could feel in a room full of people, she quietly eased out of the room.

Giles watched her go. He could tell she was upset, he just wasn't sure why. Telling Daniel he'd be back in a few minutes, and suggesting that they do a revote just to be sure, he headed for the door. When he got to the hallway he found that Celiane had followed him out. Giles pointed down the hall. "I'm just going after Buffy. She seemed upset about something." He took a step in that direction.

Celiane stopped him by touching his arm. "She's afraid she's going to lose you."

"Why should she think that? I just turned the Council on its ear so I could stay with her."

"She's in love with you."

"Excuse me?" He barked out a short laugh at himself. "I seem to be saying that a lot today."

Celiane repeated herself. "She's in love with you."

"Buffy?"

Celiane nodded. "She thinks she will lose you to one of these women. She thinks she will lose you to the company of other Watchers. She may have power as a Slayer, but she is still a young woman, insecure, and unsure of her place in your heart."

"Perhaps I misunderstood. Are you saying that Buffy loves me? Because I, of course, love her too."

"No, I am saying she is in love with you."

"I don't…what…why?"

Celiane smiled. "A powerful Slayer, a powerful Watcher, and yet, both so unsure of themselves." She smiled at him. "Are you truly asking me why she might be in love with you?"

"I suppose I am."

"Rupert. You are handsome, brave, committed, resourceful, educated, passionate. What woman wouldn't love you?"

"I've made so many mistakes."

"And that just makes you human. And it makes you the perfect Watcher for a Slayer who is also very human." Celiane looked up at him. "Are you in love with her?"

Giles hesitated. "I've never…I've never really thought about it. There's never been a right moment. She was too young, and then she was in relationships, and then…and then she died." Celiane put her hand on his arm again in response to the pain in his voice. Giles continued. "Then she came back but she was so…" Giles shook his head, "…things were so different. And now, I haven't seen her in a year, and fully expected to never see her again."

Celiane cocked her head to the side. "I watched you with her one night. You were asleep. She was sitting on the bed and then she lay down and put her head on your chest. Even in your sleep you wrapped your arm around her and held her close. You belong together."

Giles smiled at Celiane. "Or perhaps you are a French woman who sees romance hiding behind every action."

Celiane laughed softly. "My husband says that about me all the time. Perhaps you're right. But go and find her and when you have, listen to your heart. She is special, and not just because she is the Slayer. If your heart truly does not love her that way, be very gentle with her. I think her heart is fragile right now."

Giles just nodded briefly. "Celiane?"

"Yes?"

"Will you move to Sunnydale as well? We could use a physician of your talents. And I could use a friend, as well."

She smiled at him. "Of course. My husband and I spoke about it last night."

Giles raised his eyebrows. "You knew that this is how things would end up?"

"I suspected. I knew you would not leave her. I knew we would settle for no one else. That only left one of two solutions, and I decided you would choose the solution that was easiest for Buffy." She grinned at Giles. "I was sure you would choose as a man in love would choose."

Giles rolled his eyes. Then he ran a nervous hand through his hair. "Maybe she could use some time alone."

Celiane laughed at him and gave him a push. "Go to her."

Giles hesitated and ran his hand through his hair again. Then he headed down the hallway. He didn't even notice the four men who quietly followed him down the hall.

End Part 9