disclaimer on first part
"Most creatures such as those you have dealt with are rather...crude...in their approach. They tend to prefer a face-to-face confrontation; it allows them to work with their strengths. If the Council hired a human, it is likely they hired a professional. Someone who specializes in killing humans and not getting caught. It is entirely possible that you would never see your attacker, let alone have the opportunity to fight him." He unwinds his fingers from the steering wheel with a controlled slowness. "I trust in your ability, if not to defeat every opponent you face, to at least run away, so that you can get my help, or that of the others. But if they hired a human assassin, you might not have that chance." Finally, Giles looks at her, holding her gaze as she tries to imagine not seeing the blow coming: suddenly being on the ground, not being able to breathe, and then...well, what then?
"So, we're talking about me getting sniped from 1000 yards and not getting the chance to duck, right?" Giles nods slowly, and Buffy frowns. "Well. Not how I expected it to happen. Kind of anti-climactic, when you think about it." She stops there, not knowing what else to say.
Giles turns away, putting the car back in gear and continuing down the street. "I think it would be best if you lay low for a few days, while I try to get some more information on the subject. It must be possible to get the Council to change their minds, and it certainly won't hurt to know exactly what you're up against. You can come stay with me; perhaps not the safest place, but I don't want you to be alone. I have some contacts in London I'll try and reach, see if they've heard anything about this." He falls silent, considering the next move.
"I have class," Buffy says quietly. For a moment, Giles is too caught up in his planning to respond.
"Hmm? Oh, of course; well, you will just have to catch up later. Willow can bring you your work. Or Xander; he isn't doing anything time-consuming nowadays." Buffy shakes her head slowly.
"I can't skip; attendance matters. I'll be careful, though," she adds, noticing that Giles' hands have tightened on the wheel again.
"Then I'll write you a note. For God's sake, Buffy, this is not a situation you can be cavalier about. Your life is far more important than classwork." His voice is clipped and sharp, and she stiffens a bit, but does not let go.
"Really? Is my life more important than Slaying? Because I do that all the time and never get to skip out. It's not just the schoolwork, it's everything I do that isn't being the Slayer. Slaying comes first because it has to. The whole point of being a Slayer is to die for the cause, and I don't think I should have to give up all the things in my life that I choose to do, just because the end is more nigh than usual." By the flicker of the streetlights, Buffy can see that Giles' face is drawn and pale, and she feels a bit sick to her stomach. She wants to reach out and put her hand on his arm, tell him that he shouldn't feel bad for her. That, in fact, she feels bad for him. Once she's dead, it's over for her, but for the ones left behind it will not be so easy.
"You're being ridiculous. Just because you live a risky life is no reason to blithely disregard an imminent threat." She starts to speak but he cuts her off abruptly. "Damn it, Buffy, you will do what I say! Obviously you're not thinking clearly. We'll have no more discussion of the subject until you can be reasonable." Silence falls in the car, and they drive on for a few minutes more. The lights from the dashboard create a feeling of isolation in the vehicle, a small, dimly-lit space moving through a large dark world. Buffy shifts in her seat.
"Giles, could you stop the car for a second?" He looks at her, brow wrinkled, and pulls the car over to the curb.
"Is there a problem?" he asks in a reasonable voice. Buffy opens the door and steps smoothly out into the night before Giles can protest.
"I think I'll walk home, thanks. Maybe get a little vamp action in." Giles opens his mouth to speak, but Buffy holds up a finger to silence him. "Uh-uh; you said we weren't going to talk about it anymore, and we won't. This is how it is, Giles. I'll call you every few hours, and be as careful as I can, but I'm going back to my room, and tomorrow, I'm going to class. Night." She steps away from the car and closes the door gently but firmly. As she turns to walk away, she catches a glimpse of Giles, still staring at where she had been standing. She resists the urge to break into a run, to take herself and her own personal doom far away from anyone who might ever care if she lived or died. Instead, she cuts across the street and through a park, back towards the University. Though she listens for it as long as she can, she never hears the engine kick into gear, never hears the car drive on to Giles' apartment.
*****
"So then, I said 'Well, what do you think I'm going to do about it?' And she said, "Well, you'd better do what I just told you to do, because I don't want to have to tell you again.' And so I said..."
"Xander?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you get to the point?"
"Oh. Well, so I just folded the laundry and then Mom went back upstairs."
"Gotcha."
It's Buffy's third patrol since Giles told her about the assassin, the third night she's walked the streets of Sunnydale with Xander at her side, as he casually pretends not to be intensely worried about her. The first night was kind of fun; she and Xander hadn't patrolled together since high school. They hit all the old places, telling stories, reliving their best moments fighting evil. And the second night had been fine. This third night, however, is making Buffy wish Xander would be struck mute, at least for ten minutes. His nerves always had a tendency to get his mouth moving, and Buffy is afraid if they patrol together any longer, she'll learn way more about Xander than any friend should have to know.
And through it all, no sign of danger, above and beyond the usual vamps. Giles has come up with nothing, and it seems to her that he is getting more and more touchy by the day. She barely speaks to him, except to call and check in every few hours. One way or another, she wants this to end.
"I need a break," she says, motioning across the street to the little café. "Coffee?"
"Just like in a real job," Xander replies, and they cross the street together.
The café is quiet, only a few people inside this close to closing time. Buffy goes to the counter while Xander browses the bulletin board by the door for real employment. "Anything interesting?" she calls out to him as she waits on their order.
"Do you think I'd make a good baby sitter?" Buffy shakes her head no. "Dog sitter? Plant sitter? How about house sitter - I can't kill a house over the weekend."
"You never know," she replies warningly, rummaging in her pockets for cash. When she tugs out the bills, a shower of change spills to the floor. Sighing, Buffy crouches to pick it up.
"Need a hand?" The voice is familiar, and Buffy looks up to see Cait leaning down beside her.
"Hey, I didn't even see you there," Buffy answers, as Cait sweeps some of the change up and hands it to her. "You're pretty sneaky."
Cait grins, running one hand through her short black hair. "Comes in handy sometimes." They both straighten, and Buffy puts a few bills on the counter in payment. Cait collects her order as well, and the two women turn away from the counter together. "I thought you had a night job?" Cait inquires, popping back the flap in the plastic lid with one long finger.
"Uh, yeah, I do...security. It's sort of a campus thing - I walk people to their cars and stuff. With a partner," she adds, nodding at Xander as he joins them. "Cait, this is Xander."
Cait extends a hand to him, which he takes gingerly. "Uh, hi there. Are you one of Buffy's teachers, 'cause you're too old to be a...wait; what I meant was...let me start that again..." Xander sputters to a stop when confronted by Cait's quirked right eyebrow and mock-stern look.
"I think what you meant was, I seem far too mature to be a student, yes?" Xander nods mutely, and Buffy says a silent prayer of thanks. Maybe now that his foot is firmly in his mouth, it will stay there for a while. Cait casts a sly look at Buffy, and then lets Xander off the hook with a grin.
"She's just a friend, Xander," Buffy puts in, smiling back at the woman.
"That's what I said, right? Just a friend. Are we going now?" he implores Buffy, as he shuffles sideways towards the door. Buffy moves to join him, and Cait puts a gentle hand on her arm.
"Hey, security-girl, do you think you could walk me to my place? I know I'm not a student and all," Cait says, glancing at the blushing Xander, "but it would be a good deed. And I'm right off campus."
"Uh, sure," Buffy replies, hoping that now will not be the time her pursuer chooses to attack.
"Thanks," Cait replies. "After you," she says, holding the door for Xander, who scurries out with alacrity.
The three stroll slowly down the quiet street, sipping their warm drinks and keeping their thoughts to themselves. It's the kind of silence Buffy has longed for all week; simple, companionable, and sweet. She looks up at the stars, those that can shine through the city lights. Cait catches her motion and smiles, looking up as well.
"Ever been to Australia?" Cait asks, and Buffy shakes her head no. "They have a whole different sky down there; a whole different set of stars. It's a funny thing to see, when you've had this sky all your life."
"I wish I had the chance," Buffy says wistfully, and Xander's head snaps around.
"You will, Buffy. One of these days, we'll get down there. See the kangaroos and koalas and whatever those birds are that stick their heads in the ground." His voice is anxious and brave at the same time, and Buffy can not answer.
Cait shrugs. "Well, if you don't, you don't. Only so many things a person can do in her life." She looks at Buffy. "Stars are stars, anyway. Seen one, seen 'em all."
Buffy forces a smile, and they continue their walk. Buffy is so wrapped up in her stargazing that she doesn't notice Giles' car pass them from behind. When it comes to an abrupt halt at the intersection, it catches her attention, and she exchanges a quick look with Xander.
"Uh, Cait, I'll be back in a second, okay?" Buffy says over her shoulder, as she and Xander hurry up to the driver's side. Giles rolls down the window with quick, jerky motions.
"I'm glad I found you. I've finally heard back from Wesley and he thinks he knows what they've sent for you. Get in; I want to do some research on this and I'll need your help."
"Why don't you take Xander, and I'll meet you there. I have to walk someone home," Buffy answers, looking back towards Cait. The woman is not on the street behind them, and Buffy gets a sudden cold chill.
"Who are you with?" Giles asks, and Buffy realizes that Cait has reappeared on the other side of the car. The dark-haired woman has a very odd smile on her face as she looks through the passenger side window at Giles. Buffy watches her walk around to the front of the car and stand, without squinting, in the bright glare of the headlights. Xander follows Buffy's gaze, but Giles is a step behind. "Buffy?" he prompts, and then turns his head quickly towards the front of the car.
For a moment, all four are frozen. Then Cait shifts her weight and crosses her arms in front of her. "Not happy to see me, Ripper?" she calls out to Giles, who twitches at the sound of his old name.
"Ripper?" Xander says quietly to Buffy. "Why am I thinking this is not a good sign?"
"Because it's not a good sign," answers Buffy. The two step away from the car door as Giles slowly gets out. He puts a hand on Buffy's arm, preventing her from moving towards Cait, but doesn't say a word.
"Is this who you were expecting?" Buffy asks him, but he seems not to hear as he walks towards the front of the car. Giles stops a few feet away from Cait, whose smile has disappeared. The look on her face now is a hard one, and the grey eyes are cold.
"Good to see you, Ripper," Cait says quietly, taking a step towards Giles.
"And you, Caitlin," Giles answers calmly. "Though I'd prefer it be under different circumstances." She smiles at that, and says nothing.
"Oh. Oh!" says Xander. "Now I get it. This is really not good. It's her, isn't it?"
"Seems like," says Buffy. She steps forward to stand besides Giles. "I hate to break up the reunion, but I have some studying to get to, and you came a long way to do a job. So let's just get to it, and I'll make sure Giles tells me all about you later, okay?" Cait's smile widens at that, but doesn't take her eyes off Giles' face.
"Buffy, get in the car," he says quietly. Buffy looks at him in surprise.
"Uh, Giles, I think that I'd rather just be done with this, if you don't mind. I mean, it isn't so bad; at least I can face her." She looks back at Cait. "And to think I bought you tea."
"You've got yourself a real tough little Slayer there, Ripper. Good work; I knew you could do it." Cait's voice is sharp, and Buffy can see Giles' lips tighten at her words.
"Did you? I don't recall you saying that at the time," he answers coldly. The smile slips off of Cait's face, to be replaced by a scowl.
"And I don't recall you wanting my opinion. In fact, I clearly remember you telling me to shut up and leave it alone. Or am I mistaken?" She tips her head to the side and lifts an eyebrow inquisitively.
Giles shakes his head. "That was a long time ago, and I'm sure you remember it better than I do. Buffy, get in the car." He moves to place himself between Buffy and Cait, but the Slayer moves around him and towards her attacker.
Cait steps forward until she is only a couple of feet from Buffy, and then casts a smile at Giles. "Brave of you, Ripper, to act as if you could protect her from me. Quite admirable."
"I don't think I like you anymore," Buffy says to Cait, who looks directly at her for the first time since Giles arrived on the scene. Cait seems a bit confused at Buffy's statement, wrinkling her brow in thought. Then she gives a short but genuine laugh.
"That's not a very nice thing to say, considering," Cait answers, smiling wryly at Buffy.
"What, considering you've come all this way to put me out of the Council's misery?" Buffy feels Giles' hand on her arm, but shrugs it off. "I'll have to send them a card and thank them."
"Considering I've taken time out of my busy schedule to give a damn whether you live or die," Cait responds, looking Buffy up and down. Then, she walks away from them, out of the bright headlights and into the dark on the far side of the car. "Get in the car, Buffy; go with Giles. There's something I have to do. I'll meet you at his place in a bit." She winks at Buffy, then moves off back towards the café. All three turn and watch her go in silence.
Xander is the first to speak. "Giles? Not to be nosy, but..." Giles cuts him off.
"Not now. In the car, both of you." He opens the door and pulls the seat forward, and Xander squeezes into the back. Buffy moves around to the passenger side of the car, but does not get in.
"Where are we going?" she asks Giles.
"Back to my apartment," he answers, getting in and shutting the door. She opens the passenger side and slides into the seat, closing the door awkwardly as Giles puts the car in gear.
"Isn't that just falling into her not-so-cunning trap? Xander asks, leaning over Buffy's shoulder.
Giles shakes his head. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I know this: if she wanted you dead, Buffy, you would be. Running from her would be pointless. Clearly, she has another agenda, and I want to know what it is. Now both of you, be quiet and let me think."
*****
Giles' thinking lasts the entire drive to his apartment, and Buffy spends her time watching the play of emotions across his face. The fierceness she had seen when Cait first spoke to him disappears, to be replaced by concern, worry, and then something that she can only think of as sorrow. By the time they reach his place, she feels more upset than she did when she realized Cait was the one sent to kill her. She pops out of the car with relief, glad to be free of the closed space, and reluctantly follows the others into the building.
"Okay, Giles HQ, where all mysteries will be revealed," says Xander, immediately plunking himself down on the couch. "Go to it, Watcher-guy, bring us your fine wisdom." Giles ignores Xander, dropping his keys on the kitchen counter and moving over to the stove. He appears to be making tea, something which Buffy finds absolutely astounding.
"You want me to whip up some little sandwiches with the crusts cut off, so we can do this right?" she asks him, leaning across the counter. Giles regards Buffy for a long moment, and she turns away from his look. She perches on the back of the couch and waits for Giles to put the water on.
"I met Caitlin a long time ago, when I was younger," he starts, resting his hands on the cool kitchen counter. Xander snorts.
"Yeah, when she was twelve, maybe. Please tell me she was your best friend's little sister, or your niece or something. The other options are just icky."
Giles glares at the boy. "Please don't interrupt, Xander. She's significantly older than she appears. In fact, she looks much as she did when I first knew her."
"Significantly older, like, my mom's age?" Buffy asks, thinking again of the large grey eyes and wide smile that seemed to come so easily to Cait. Giles shakes his head slowly. "Like, Angel's age?" she asks, wondering what kind of magic Cait had, or who she had sold her soul to for eternal youth.
"Far older than that. Caitlin is not mortal, as you and I are. She was born of a human mother, but is not properly human, either. It's very difficult to explain." The water is starting to boil, and Giles sets out two mugs, carefully pouring the hot water into each.
"So, she's a witch or something, right?" asks Xander. "Some sort of creepy thing that we hope Willow doesn't grow up to be." He leans over the back of the couch next to Buffy and nudges her with his elbow. "See, we'll have to tell Will this is what happens when you do too much magic." Giles comes into the room, setting one mug down on the table and sipping at the other.
"She doesn't do magic, exactly. She is herself magic, much as Angel is a magical being. She has certain abilities which make her very powerful, and very dangerous. And unfortunately," he sighs into his mug, "she and I did not part under the best of circumstances."
"That much I picked up," says Buffy, rocking back and forth in her seat. "So, what do we have here, an ex with a grudge who thought she'd kill two birds with one stone? So to speak," she adds hastily, wincing at her inadvertent pun.
"I don't understand why she's here," Giles says, half to himself. Xander frowns.
"Wait, this is the part I thought I got. You're saying she wasn't hired to come after Buffy?"
"Oh, I'm sure she was, but I don't know why she accepted. Buffy is, to put it bluntly, small game to someone like Caitlin. It's like hiring a marathon runner to walk your dog. No," he says, pulling out a chair and sitting at the cluttered table. "She has another reason for being here."
"Maybe," Buffy begins, but is stopped by a tap on the door. "I hope that's a Jehovah's Witness," she says, slipping off the couch and turning to face the door.
"Come in," Giles calls, getting to his feet.
Cait walks in and pushes the door shut with her foot. She surveys the room slowly, pausing at the stacks of books piled crookedly along the walls, then looking curiously at Giles. "Just move in?" she asks, crossing the room towards him.
"Long story," he replies, stepping back and away from her, and gesturing at the mug on the table. She smiles as she picks it up, cradling the warm mug in her hands. Cait turns and leans against the table, shifting her gaze to Buffy.
"What did Ripper tell you about me?" she asks Buffy, who shrugs in response.
"That you were old, powerful, and that you and he used to go bump in the night. Nothing much, really." Cait grins at that answer, and Buffy continues. "And that it's beneath you to even be here, which I tried not to take offense at. It's nice to see that killing the Slayer rates a real professional."
"Well, if you want it done right..." Cait says. She shoves back some of the papers behind her with a free hand, and scoots back to sit on the table. For a moment she sits there, legs swinging, and ponders her drink. Then she sighs, looking back up at Buffy.
"You're lucky I was in London when they were looking for someone to hit you. They contacted one of my friends, who knew I had a long standing interest in the Slayer, and I asked him to set me up for the meet, so I could find out what they were after. When the guy told me they wanted the Slayer dead, I figured I'd come out and take a look." She takes a deep drink of the tea. "He seemed to think you'd gone renegade, and there's nothing good about a Slayer gone bad."
"Don't I know it," Buffy says, and Cait looks at her curiously before continuing.
"Anyway, I tapped a friend who owed me a favor, he sent me over here so I wouldn't have to get on a plane, and here I am." She shudders and smiles at Buffy. "I don't fly. Big metal things whipping through the air; it's not natural."
"A long-standing interest in the Slayer, eh?" Xander says, coming to stand beside Buffy. "Is this sort of an academic curiosity, or a sick obsession? Besides, you seem more Watcher-oriented to me."
"Xander," Giles says firmly, narrowing his eyes at the boy before turning to Cait "The Council believes Buffy can no longer be trusted, as she removed herself from their authority, under extreme duress, I might add. She is in no way unfit to carry out her duties as Slayer."
Cait shrugs and leans back on one hand. "Hey, as long as she's not killing passerby in the street, that's good by me. I've never been fond of the Council's attitude towards the Slayer. You'd think it was all their idea, the way they go on about their 'sacred trust' of education and training." She puffs a bit of air through her lips in disgust. "They forget that if they all disappeared off the face of the earth tomorrow, the Slayer would continue without them."
Buffy contemplates coming into her Slayer powers without anyone to guide her in her calling. "I'm not sure that would be so hot either," she says, catching Giles' eye. He rewards her with a small smile, which Cait observes with interest.
"Maybe not. But as far as I'm concerned, the Council works for the Slayer, not the other way around. They may think that they can just get rid of you and start fresh, but, this time at least, they're wrong." She finishes off her tea, and hands her still-warm mug to Giles. Buffy leans against the back of the couch.
"Once they figure out you're not going to do it, they'll just send someone who will," she says dejectedly. "Now I'll have to start waiting all over again, just when I was ready to see some action." She brightens and looks at Cait. "Hey, why not tell them that you came over here and killed me; I promise not to deny it. Then everyone's happy, right?"
"And just hope they don't notice that no new Slayer gets called? I think they might pick up on that," says Xander, and Buffy frowns. "It's okay, it was a good idea," he says, patting her on the shoulder.
Cait slips off the table and stands up straight. "Actually, I was thinking of something more dramatic." She turns to face Giles. "Providing Ripper here feels up to some summoning. Been keeping your hand in with the magic, Rip?"
Giles frowns. "I'm still relatively competent, yes, but I don't know what you're getting at. I don't recall summoning as much your speed. Corporeal creatures being more your strong point," he adds, almost teasingly, and Buffy is shocked to see a small blush creep across Cait's cheeks.
"Now, there's the Ripper I remember," she says lightly, putting her hand for a moment on Giles' forearm. Then she steps away and rummages for something in her jacket pocket. "But I was thinking more of doing a little trade." She frowns as she continues to search her pockets. "Dammit, where did I put the...ah!" From an inside pocket, she produces a small, blue-glass vial.
"We're going to trade Buffy's life for a bottle? I hope there's a genie in there," Xander says skeptically. Cait shakes her head as she sets the bottle on the table.
"We'll trade a life for a life. That's the traditional way," she says. Giles reaches out for the bottle, after receiving a nod from Cait. He carefully works the stopper out and peers into its blue-tinted depths.
"Whose is this?" he asks her, and she grins.
"Who do you think?" she returns, and he frowns, replacing the stopper gingerly.
"This is fun; now I have a question - what the heck are you talking about?" Buffy bursts out. "If we trade a life for a life, doesn't that mean someone else dies? I'll admit, living is pretty high on my to-do list, but I'm not sure I'm ready to let someone die for me."
"Nobody's going to die. Well, not if everything goes as I expect," says Caitlin casually, taking the bottle from his hand. "It's simple, Buffy. Smythe's the Head Watcher; he's the one who ordered the hit. Unfortunately for him, his lackey's lackey hired the wrong person for the job. Let that be a lesson to you both," she says, wagging the bottle at Buffy and Xander.
"So, you're going to kill Smythe?" Buffy asks slowly.
"Only if he insists on killing you. Think of it as pro-active self-defense," she says, and Giles grimaces.
"Or extortion," he puts in, and Cait scowls at him.