For bloodnchaos
The glass crunched under Giles' feet as he made his way toward the back of the Magic box. In his arms was a box full of books; the few he was able to salvage. He knew most of them could be replaced but he couldn't risk any of them falling into the hands of the wrong person, or demon. They had been safe at one time but with Anya gone, there was no one to watch the shop and to keep people and things out.
After placing the box in the backroom, Giles placed his hands on his lower back and stretched. He grimaced in pain and pondered sitting down for a bit. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a moment to himself. Things had happened so quickly - one moment he was enjoying a much needed break in Bath and the next he was scrambling about, collecting potentials so the Bringers wouldn't kill them.
The battle with the First had been difficult on all of them. It had tried to divide them by taking the form of the people they'd lost. Giles could still remember the night he'd woken up to find Jenny standing at the end of his bed. She had said all the right things and for a moment, Giles wanted to believe her. Yet, he knew he couldn't, even if it hurt.
It'd been hard on all them and he sometimes wondered if they should just give up and leave. The potentials were too young and naive to understand the intensity of what was about to happen and Buffy seemed too tired to care. They had promised to protect Sunnydale but sometimes promises had to be broken.
Things turned around, though, when Willow was called to Los Angeles to help Angel's crew. When she returned, Giles was shocked to see she'd brought Faith, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and others, along with her. And, even though he had never cared much for Wesley, Faith or Angel, he knew having them there would help. And, it did.
Faith seemed to lift the spirits of the potentials, while Angel helped Spike control himself and his new soul. Giles was glad to have Wesley there to help with research, but had soon realized Fred was just as good with researching as Wesley was. And, he found himself spending a lot of time with her, pouring over books.
There was something about Fred that made him have hope again. He'd known she had been in another dimension from what Willow had told him after her visit to Los Angeles when Buffy had died. Not many humans could survive such an ordeal and it made Fred an extraordinary person in his eyes. Plus, the more time they spent together, they more Giles started to care for her. But, he knew he couldn't act upon those feelings since there were more important things at hand.
When the battle finally came, they were prepared. Willow cast the spell to make the potentials into Slayers, which helped them win. They had lost Anya and few of the younger girls, but they had won without destroying Sunnydale.
Giles knew all of them were tired so he sent them off to heal before they started new chapters in their lives. There were new Slayers to train and the Watchers Council had to be rebuilt. Giles had opted to stay in Sunnydale to do clean-up. Luckily for him, Fred decided to stay also, along with Angel and Wesley.
He knew he couldn't stay there forever, especially since he'd promised he would take over the Council eventually and rebuild it. The thought of leaving Sunnydale saddened him for the first time since moving there. There was nothing for him to look forward to the last few times he'd left, but now there was Fred and he wasn't sure if she would come with him, or stay with Wesley and Angel.
Shaking his head, Giles walked out into the main part of the shop. He looked over at Fred and gave her a warm smile, wishing he could just be honest about his feelings. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him but there was always something stopping him. Besides, why would someone like her want to be tied down with someone like him? He wasn't actually the best looking bloke in Sunnydale.
He adjusted one of the lanterns, grumbling to himself about how the power company refused to turn their electricity back on due to fire hazards, and walked over to Fred. "I thought perhaps we could finish packing the rest of the books, load them into my car and stop of the night," he said, rubbing his lower back.
He then gave her a sheepish look. "And, if I remember right, I still owe you some tacos for losing to you at checkers the other night," he said, a small smile crossing his face.
After placing the box in the backroom, Giles placed his hands on his lower back and stretched. He grimaced in pain and pondered sitting down for a bit. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a moment to himself. Things had happened so quickly - one moment he was enjoying a much needed break in Bath and the next he was scrambling about, collecting potentials so the Bringers wouldn't kill them.
The battle with the First had been difficult on all of them. It had tried to divide them by taking the form of the people they'd lost. Giles could still remember the night he'd woken up to find Jenny standing at the end of his bed. She had said all the right things and for a moment, Giles wanted to believe her. Yet, he knew he couldn't, even if it hurt.
It'd been hard on all them and he sometimes wondered if they should just give up and leave. The potentials were too young and naive to understand the intensity of what was about to happen and Buffy seemed too tired to care. They had promised to protect Sunnydale but sometimes promises had to be broken.
Things turned around, though, when Willow was called to Los Angeles to help Angel's crew. When she returned, Giles was shocked to see she'd brought Faith, Angel, Cordelia, Wesley and others, along with her. And, even though he had never cared much for Wesley, Faith or Angel, he knew having them there would help. And, it did.
Faith seemed to lift the spirits of the potentials, while Angel helped Spike control himself and his new soul. Giles was glad to have Wesley there to help with research, but had soon realized Fred was just as good with researching as Wesley was. And, he found himself spending a lot of time with her, pouring over books.
There was something about Fred that made him have hope again. He'd known she had been in another dimension from what Willow had told him after her visit to Los Angeles when Buffy had died. Not many humans could survive such an ordeal and it made Fred an extraordinary person in his eyes. Plus, the more time they spent together, they more Giles started to care for her. But, he knew he couldn't act upon those feelings since there were more important things at hand.
When the battle finally came, they were prepared. Willow cast the spell to make the potentials into Slayers, which helped them win. They had lost Anya and few of the younger girls, but they had won without destroying Sunnydale.
Giles knew all of them were tired so he sent them off to heal before they started new chapters in their lives. There were new Slayers to train and the Watchers Council had to be rebuilt. Giles had opted to stay in Sunnydale to do clean-up. Luckily for him, Fred decided to stay also, along with Angel and Wesley.
He knew he couldn't stay there forever, especially since he'd promised he would take over the Council eventually and rebuild it. The thought of leaving Sunnydale saddened him for the first time since moving there. There was nothing for him to look forward to the last few times he'd left, but now there was Fred and he wasn't sure if she would come with him, or stay with Wesley and Angel.
Shaking his head, Giles walked out into the main part of the shop. He looked over at Fred and gave her a warm smile, wishing he could just be honest about his feelings. He wanted to tell her how much she meant to him but there was always something stopping him. Besides, why would someone like her want to be tied down with someone like him? He wasn't actually the best looking bloke in Sunnydale.
He adjusted one of the lanterns, grumbling to himself about how the power company refused to turn their electricity back on due to fire hazards, and walked over to Fred. "I thought perhaps we could finish packing the rest of the books, load them into my car and stop of the night," he said, rubbing his lower back.
He then gave her a sheepish look. "And, if I remember right, I still owe you some tacos for losing to you at checkers the other night," he said, a small smile crossing his face.