Rules'verse Fic: Heroic Couplets (Spike/Buffy, Faith/Giles)
Remember how I was not writing more F/G for a while...? Ho hum.
Title: Heroic Couplets
Pairings: Spike/Buffy, Faith/Giles
Rating: PG
A/N: in that sub-section of the Rulesverse which I’m calling the Heroes series [nothing to do with Tim Kring]. In which F/G is a given, but we find out how their world works. I get to do my world-building future-fic stuff. With Spuffy, in this case. If you're getting confused by the chronology, see the super-handy Rulesverse timeline
1. May 2004
“So... you and Giles, huh?”
It had taken three weeks for Buffy to say it.
“Yeah.”
Faith wasn’t in the mood to make it easy.
“That’s... new.”
“Pretty much.”
“Isn’t it-” Buffy stopped dead.
“Weird? Inappropriate? Kinda gross? No, no, and no. Okay?” Faith had her arms crossed, chin tilted, eyes sliding away from Buffy’s. Body Language 101 suggested she was feeling closed off, defensive and on the verge of running.
Someone had to break, and it was Buffy. “Yeah, pretty much. I’m sorry, but I’ve known Giles since I was sixteen. He’s a better dad than my Dad.”
“Yeah, well he’s not my dad.” Faith’s chin was higher still, rejecting Buffy’s silent apology. “And you’d better get used to it, B. This is how it’s gonna be from now on.”
“Seriously? Like, long-term?” Buffy was goggling. Faith getting serious?
“Nooooo,” said Faith, in horror. But then, “Well, maybe. We’ll see.”
Buffy left her to that personal revelation; she had enough trouble getting her brain into a Giles-and-sex place, without adding Faith-and-commitment.
*
2. January 2008
Buffy was already talking as she entered the library with Spike. Much louder-voiced than anyone usually spoke in Giles’s domain. But her distressed words broke through his automatic twitch of disapproval: “Giles. Oh God, I’m sorry. The mission went bad in Ulan Bator. One of the Slayers is dead.”
Buffy was holding his left arm. When Giles tried to move his right, without much idea why, he discovered Spike’s hand was there, in support. “Sit down, eh? Not much point running off till we know something.”
Giles wasn’t listening, though he folded obediently into a chair at their nudges. One thing mattered above all, and he managed to say the vital three words. “Is it Faith?”
“We don’t know.” Buffy was grave and clear. “We don’t know much, in fact. Dita got a short call through, but the line was terrible. She’s calling again from the secure line as soon as she can.”
They waited for the call in almost uninterrupted silence. For the first time in his life, apart from when fighting, Giles was consciously grateful for Spike’s presence. He didn’t want to be alone, or alone with Buffy’s huge-eyed sympathy and visible sense of responsibility.
When the call did come, it was Buffy who took it. Buffy whose eyes welled up. Buffy who asked, “And Faith?” so that Giles should know the worst news wasn’t about his lover.
But it was Spike who said, once they knew Tzipi was gone, “It’s okay, Rupert. You can be glad. Doesn’t make you a bad person.”
Giles looked at him, uncomprehending.
Spike tried the first tentative joke, “Trust me, I’m evil.” But added, “And I’ve been there with Buffy, too.”
But then Buffy got off the phone, and Giles dismissed the well-meaning advice; turned to hear about Faith: severely wounded, bloodied, unconscious. But alive.
*
3. September 2010
“Little woman seems pretty pissed off.” As Spike spoke, Giles silently speculated whether Faith or Buffy would have kicked the vampire further had they heard those words. Buffy, he guessed - kicking had always been a strong point there.
Might as well cash in on Spike’s caveman instincts. “Say that to Faith’s face. Please. With any luck it’ll distract her.”
But Spike merely snorted. “What did you fuck up this time?”
Giles bristled in turn. “I’m not quite sure what business it is of yours if I express concern about Faith’s Slayer activities in late pregnancy. It’s my marriage.” Beautiful, Giles. Lovely pomposity. Faith would kick you too, if she heard you.
Spike grunted a not unsympathetic, “Yeh. Not interfering, Rupert. Merely offering a little masculine fellow-feeling. Thought we might stick together - Slayers’ blokes may be a growing club, but we’re still outnumbered ten to one or more. And the Slayerettes’ spotty lads’ brigade look like toddlers to me.”
Giles carefully didn’t agree, either that the Slayerettes’ (oh God, another expression he must censor if he didn’t want Faith to crush him) boyfriends were generally too callow to be of interest; or that he had the slightest thing in common with Spike.
But still, he was curious: “I don’t suppose you get scared for Buffy?”
Spike shrugged. “Every day. But not, because it’s Buffy, you know? She knows what she’s doing - ‘s who she is now. ‘M not gonna stop her.”
“How about when she was pregnant?”
Spike flinched. “Didn’t let her go out alone. At first. Then she spotted me lurking and put me on punchbag duty for the baby Watchers for a month.”
Ah. That must have stung. “So there’s nothing to be done?” And I don’t believe I’m actually asking Spike for relationship advice.
“Nope, sorry Rupert. Grin and bear it, and enjoy the good stuff that comes with Slaying. Oh, and pray your kid’s a boy, cos we need reinforcements. Have a terrible feeling our next is a girl too.”
Which was how Giles found out Aurora was on the way.
*
4. November 2010
Buffy crept up behind Giles as he stood outside the nursery window, looking at his son sleeping. “He’s gorgeous, Giles.”
For it was true, Michael Patrick Eldred Giles was the most intelligent, attractive and outstanding six-hour-old baby in the world. Even when asleep and almost invisible under his blanket and hat.
Buffy gurgled softly, apparently suppressing a laugh. Giles twitched slightly with annoyance. “Sorry Giles. I just... when you first set eyes on Faith, betcha never pictured this moment.”
In truth, Giles hadn’t pictured this moment at all until about three months ago, once they knew for sure the infant was healthy and developing well. But Buffy had a point, all the same. He remembered Faith at eighteen, lipsticked and scornful (no change there). Lithe, seductive and dangerous (or there). Insecure and on the road to evil (aha - that was where the change had come. Up to a point). No, his forty-something self hadn’t dreamed of laying a finger on her, let alone sharing genetic material and creating this.
Giles opened his mouth to defend himself and his relationship choices; to remind Buffy that Faith had changed; that the world they operated in was very different now; that he and Faith had been free adults who found each other by accident and choice; and that the relationships of others are mysteries too deep to explore casually.
Then Giles remembered who he was talking to, shook his head to try and rouse some of his common sense, and said cheerfully, “Oh, not the slightest idea when we first met that we could get from there to here. Just like you and Spike, in fact.”
Gotcha.
*
5. April 2013
Faith was waiting for them as they reached the Arrivals area. It had only been six months since she saw Buffy last. When all the available Slayers had gathered at headquarters to wish her well in her ‘retirement’, and predict that she’d find California too damn sunny after ten years in Highland gloom.
“You’ll be back.” They’d all said it, and half disbelieved it all the same. Though Spike’s discomfort at the prospect of persistent sunshine had been good evidence of the downside. Still, both parents had agreed they wanted Annie and Rorie to have some American life too, so that seemed like a solid plan.
Now Buffy was back, and just the one Slayer to meet her. Family behind the chair, even Rorie toddling along, as Spike pushed Buffy steadily forwards to meet Faith.
“Hey B. Good to see you.”
“Hey Faith. Weirdly, we missed you.” Buffy smiled up at her, then shifted in her arms onto the sides of the chair, and struggled to her feet.
Foot, Faith corrected, internally. Shit.
Then they were hugging, in the manner of two women who don’t often get close, but who can’t avoid it this time. Faith was aware that Buffy had half-lost her balance and was trying to cover so no one else would notice. Between them, complicit, they managed to get Buffy re-seated without too many wobbles.
There had been too much silence during that manoeuvre. Faith tried to think of anything to say. How was your flight? How’s LA holding up? Did Spike hate the sunshine? Hey Annie, like your dress!
But all she could actually think was Foot-no foot-foot-no foot. And in the end she had to say, “Yeah. Heard you got careless. They gonna fix you up with a bionic leg now?”
Buffy grinned, shiny teeth in golden face, the picture of happy health, except for the teary eyes her kids couldn’t quite see. “That’s right! Give me six months and I’ll be Robo-Slayer to the max!”
It was only on the way back to the castle, once the girls were asleep, and even Spike was nodding off, that Buffy said quietly. “It’s good to be home. It was... tough, without you guys.”
“Hey, you can un-retire any day!” Faith was gear-shifting and trying to cover her dismay at the thought, but Buffy shook her head anyway.
“No, I’m done with the leader thing, for now. But it still feels good to be back for a while. I-, I- I really needed some Slayer time.”
Just for a moment, emotion quivered in the air.
Faith said softly, “I get that. Girls’ll be glad to see you too. We were pretty shook up by the accident, B - you gave us a scare.”
Buffy smiled, watery but determined to break the moment. “Hey, it’s a great teaching case. Slaying’s all fun and games till someone loses a leg. Right?”
***
Title: Heroic Couplets
Pairings: Spike/Buffy, Faith/Giles
Rating: PG
A/N: in that sub-section of the Rulesverse which I’m calling the Heroes series [nothing to do with Tim Kring]. In which F/G is a given, but we find out how their world works. I get to do my world-building future-fic stuff. With Spuffy, in this case. If you're getting confused by the chronology, see the super-handy Rulesverse timeline
1. May 2004
“So... you and Giles, huh?”
It had taken three weeks for Buffy to say it.
“Yeah.”
Faith wasn’t in the mood to make it easy.
“That’s... new.”
“Pretty much.”
“Isn’t it-” Buffy stopped dead.
“Weird? Inappropriate? Kinda gross? No, no, and no. Okay?” Faith had her arms crossed, chin tilted, eyes sliding away from Buffy’s. Body Language 101 suggested she was feeling closed off, defensive and on the verge of running.
Someone had to break, and it was Buffy. “Yeah, pretty much. I’m sorry, but I’ve known Giles since I was sixteen. He’s a better dad than my Dad.”
“Yeah, well he’s not my dad.” Faith’s chin was higher still, rejecting Buffy’s silent apology. “And you’d better get used to it, B. This is how it’s gonna be from now on.”
“Seriously? Like, long-term?” Buffy was goggling. Faith getting serious?
“Nooooo,” said Faith, in horror. But then, “Well, maybe. We’ll see.”
Buffy left her to that personal revelation; she had enough trouble getting her brain into a Giles-and-sex place, without adding Faith-and-commitment.
*
2. January 2008
Buffy was already talking as she entered the library with Spike. Much louder-voiced than anyone usually spoke in Giles’s domain. But her distressed words broke through his automatic twitch of disapproval: “Giles. Oh God, I’m sorry. The mission went bad in Ulan Bator. One of the Slayers is dead.”
Buffy was holding his left arm. When Giles tried to move his right, without much idea why, he discovered Spike’s hand was there, in support. “Sit down, eh? Not much point running off till we know something.”
Giles wasn’t listening, though he folded obediently into a chair at their nudges. One thing mattered above all, and he managed to say the vital three words. “Is it Faith?”
“We don’t know.” Buffy was grave and clear. “We don’t know much, in fact. Dita got a short call through, but the line was terrible. She’s calling again from the secure line as soon as she can.”
They waited for the call in almost uninterrupted silence. For the first time in his life, apart from when fighting, Giles was consciously grateful for Spike’s presence. He didn’t want to be alone, or alone with Buffy’s huge-eyed sympathy and visible sense of responsibility.
When the call did come, it was Buffy who took it. Buffy whose eyes welled up. Buffy who asked, “And Faith?” so that Giles should know the worst news wasn’t about his lover.
But it was Spike who said, once they knew Tzipi was gone, “It’s okay, Rupert. You can be glad. Doesn’t make you a bad person.”
Giles looked at him, uncomprehending.
Spike tried the first tentative joke, “Trust me, I’m evil.” But added, “And I’ve been there with Buffy, too.”
But then Buffy got off the phone, and Giles dismissed the well-meaning advice; turned to hear about Faith: severely wounded, bloodied, unconscious. But alive.
*
3. September 2010
“Little woman seems pretty pissed off.” As Spike spoke, Giles silently speculated whether Faith or Buffy would have kicked the vampire further had they heard those words. Buffy, he guessed - kicking had always been a strong point there.
Might as well cash in on Spike’s caveman instincts. “Say that to Faith’s face. Please. With any luck it’ll distract her.”
But Spike merely snorted. “What did you fuck up this time?”
Giles bristled in turn. “I’m not quite sure what business it is of yours if I express concern about Faith’s Slayer activities in late pregnancy. It’s my marriage.” Beautiful, Giles. Lovely pomposity. Faith would kick you too, if she heard you.
Spike grunted a not unsympathetic, “Yeh. Not interfering, Rupert. Merely offering a little masculine fellow-feeling. Thought we might stick together - Slayers’ blokes may be a growing club, but we’re still outnumbered ten to one or more. And the Slayerettes’ spotty lads’ brigade look like toddlers to me.”
Giles carefully didn’t agree, either that the Slayerettes’ (oh God, another expression he must censor if he didn’t want Faith to crush him) boyfriends were generally too callow to be of interest; or that he had the slightest thing in common with Spike.
But still, he was curious: “I don’t suppose you get scared for Buffy?”
Spike shrugged. “Every day. But not, because it’s Buffy, you know? She knows what she’s doing - ‘s who she is now. ‘M not gonna stop her.”
“How about when she was pregnant?”
Spike flinched. “Didn’t let her go out alone. At first. Then she spotted me lurking and put me on punchbag duty for the baby Watchers for a month.”
Ah. That must have stung. “So there’s nothing to be done?” And I don’t believe I’m actually asking Spike for relationship advice.
“Nope, sorry Rupert. Grin and bear it, and enjoy the good stuff that comes with Slaying. Oh, and pray your kid’s a boy, cos we need reinforcements. Have a terrible feeling our next is a girl too.”
Which was how Giles found out Aurora was on the way.
*
4. November 2010
Buffy crept up behind Giles as he stood outside the nursery window, looking at his son sleeping. “He’s gorgeous, Giles.”
For it was true, Michael Patrick Eldred Giles was the most intelligent, attractive and outstanding six-hour-old baby in the world. Even when asleep and almost invisible under his blanket and hat.
Buffy gurgled softly, apparently suppressing a laugh. Giles twitched slightly with annoyance. “Sorry Giles. I just... when you first set eyes on Faith, betcha never pictured this moment.”
In truth, Giles hadn’t pictured this moment at all until about three months ago, once they knew for sure the infant was healthy and developing well. But Buffy had a point, all the same. He remembered Faith at eighteen, lipsticked and scornful (no change there). Lithe, seductive and dangerous (or there). Insecure and on the road to evil (aha - that was where the change had come. Up to a point). No, his forty-something self hadn’t dreamed of laying a finger on her, let alone sharing genetic material and creating this.
Giles opened his mouth to defend himself and his relationship choices; to remind Buffy that Faith had changed; that the world they operated in was very different now; that he and Faith had been free adults who found each other by accident and choice; and that the relationships of others are mysteries too deep to explore casually.
Then Giles remembered who he was talking to, shook his head to try and rouse some of his common sense, and said cheerfully, “Oh, not the slightest idea when we first met that we could get from there to here. Just like you and Spike, in fact.”
Gotcha.
*
5. April 2013
Faith was waiting for them as they reached the Arrivals area. It had only been six months since she saw Buffy last. When all the available Slayers had gathered at headquarters to wish her well in her ‘retirement’, and predict that she’d find California too damn sunny after ten years in Highland gloom.
“You’ll be back.” They’d all said it, and half disbelieved it all the same. Though Spike’s discomfort at the prospect of persistent sunshine had been good evidence of the downside. Still, both parents had agreed they wanted Annie and Rorie to have some American life too, so that seemed like a solid plan.
Now Buffy was back, and just the one Slayer to meet her. Family behind the chair, even Rorie toddling along, as Spike pushed Buffy steadily forwards to meet Faith.
“Hey B. Good to see you.”
“Hey Faith. Weirdly, we missed you.” Buffy smiled up at her, then shifted in her arms onto the sides of the chair, and struggled to her feet.
Foot, Faith corrected, internally. Shit.
Then they were hugging, in the manner of two women who don’t often get close, but who can’t avoid it this time. Faith was aware that Buffy had half-lost her balance and was trying to cover so no one else would notice. Between them, complicit, they managed to get Buffy re-seated without too many wobbles.
There had been too much silence during that manoeuvre. Faith tried to think of anything to say. How was your flight? How’s LA holding up? Did Spike hate the sunshine? Hey Annie, like your dress!
But all she could actually think was Foot-no foot-foot-no foot. And in the end she had to say, “Yeah. Heard you got careless. They gonna fix you up with a bionic leg now?”
Buffy grinned, shiny teeth in golden face, the picture of happy health, except for the teary eyes her kids couldn’t quite see. “That’s right! Give me six months and I’ll be Robo-Slayer to the max!”
It was only on the way back to the castle, once the girls were asleep, and even Spike was nodding off, that Buffy said quietly. “It’s good to be home. It was... tough, without you guys.”
“Hey, you can un-retire any day!” Faith was gear-shifting and trying to cover her dismay at the thought, but Buffy shook her head anyway.
“No, I’m done with the leader thing, for now. But it still feels good to be back for a while. I-, I- I really needed some Slayer time.”
Just for a moment, emotion quivered in the air.
Faith said softly, “I get that. Girls’ll be glad to see you too. We were pretty shook up by the accident, B - you gave us a scare.”
Buffy smiled, watery but determined to break the moment. “Hey, it’s a great teaching case. Slaying’s all fun and games till someone loses a leg. Right?”
***