Title: Worried

 Author: meagan <nutmeg@serv.net>

 Summary: Just (barely) a snippet. A challenge of sorts was issued. Finish the following: "Rupert Giles is..." This happened. Chances are very, very slim (let's just call them nonexistent) that a sequel will follow. I apologize in advance, but I did want to give a fair warning.

 Rating: G

 Disclaimer: Not mine. You know how you can tell? The guys are almost always fully clothed, and they have the unfortunate tendency to have girlfriends. They belong to the WB, Fox, Mutant Enemy, and some other companies that don't truly recognize their full potential.

 Note: Originally posted to lists 7 July 2000. It's probably a bit weird because I'm not used to writing in this tense. And now the header is longer than the snippet, so I'll stop now.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Rupert Giles is worried.

  He is not sure exactly what the problem is. It could have something to do with the weather. Yes, that is probably the case. For the past few weeks, the heat and humidity have been combining to make sleeping a mere memory, and food... Well, suffice it to say that any time spent away from the whirring fan is torture, so his stomach has been neglected lately. Unless, of course, it means opening the refrigerator or, better yet, the freezer. Unfortunately, ice cream is not an acceptable option in this weather. The milk just sits in his stomach and curdles. And the ice pop stock is completely depleted, a casualty of an impromptu visit from Xander and Anya yesterday afternoon. Now, finally, *that* will teach him to lock his front door. The door. Now is a good time to lock it as long as he is thinking about it.

  So it is perfectly normal to walk over to the door, cursing the day he discovered one Miss Buffy Summers was relocating to sunny California. And, given this twist of fate and the various lifestyle changes that have come about due to his associations with the more unusual Sunnydale inhabitants, it is perfectly normal for him to realize someone was standing on the other side of the door. But it is not perfectly normal for the as-yet-unknown visitor to actually *knock*. Rupert Giles is even more worried. He can't think of a single person he knows who would do this, with the possible exception of Joyce Summers, a person he happens to know for a fact is currently in Mexico (why would she go *there* in *July*? He sighs. As long as he is not being forced to join her, it is not his concern). A voice sounds through the door.

  "Giles? Are you there?" A pause. "I just..." Another pause. "I have Otter Pops."

  The door opens. He sees a young man who is clearly not sure if he is welcome here. Giles holds out his hand and takes the plastic bag from the young man's hand. "Oz. Hello."

  Rupert Giles is no longer worried.

  ~~~ the end ~~~