Chapter 9

A doctor on the payroll for Wolfram and Hart checked over both Giles and Wesley. Besides the bruises and scrapes, both were pronounced out of danger. The group then all gathered in Wesley's office.

"At least the prophecy books were destroyed by the fire, so that they can't fall into the wrong hands." Giles said.

The warehouse was still under siege by various firemen and emergency vehicles. Angel had sent some men across the street to see if they could garner any information, or if any of them had been witnessed entering or leaving the scene.

Wesley glanced at Giles, and then proceeded to the rear of his office, pushing in a hidden panel. One of the bookshelves moved to reveal a hidden room that served as a vault. "The prophecy books are safe, in their secure location. Those books on my desk were not the originals. I'm not that dense! Those were for show, and harmless. The real books are kept in a fireproof safe here in the vault."

Giles smiled sheepishly at Wesley. Then Wes again pressed the panel, closing the bookshelves, returning the office to its original size and shape.

"Wow, Wes. That's pretty neat." Buffy grinned at the younger man. He blushed, and smiled in return.

Buffy sat next to Giles on a couch on the left side of the office, and Wesley returned to his chair behind his desk. Angel stood near the door, leaning against the wall, while Fred and Gunn sat in chairs opposite the desk.

"I wonder where Spike is?" Buffy asked. She failed to notice the pained look on Giles face as she did, but Angel didn't miss it. Angel knew that Giles was not a big fan of Spike's, but he was curious as to the rage that seemed to seethe inside the elder Watcher. And it was also obvious to him that Buffy was quite oblivious to it.

Angel also saw the exhaustion weighing Giles down. "Perhaps we should put this meeting off until tomorrow. You need your rest, Giles."

But Giles shook his head. "I'm okay. It was a long flight, and an even longer afternoon, but I'm fine. We should do this now, while it's fresh."

"Are you sure Giles?" Buffy asked him gently. He looked down at her, and saw the concern on her face. He smiled slightly at her. She sat inches away from him. So close, yet so far. He sighed. "I'm sure."

"Always the research guy," she teased him. They again smiled at each other, and for a moment, everyone else dropped away. It was just the two of them. For the first time, everything clicked for Buffy. It was all crystal clear. She scooted closer to him, and placed her arm around the back of the couch, and gently rubbed his neck. He was startled at first. Her gentle touch soothed his aches, then he relaxed into her fingers, hooding his eyes behind half closed lashes. Fred and Gunn shyly smiled at each other. Angel frowned and glanced at Wesley, but the younger man was slouched at his desk, holding his own aching head in his hands.

Fred cleared her throat, bringing the group back to attention. "Perhaps we should wait for Spike to return?"

But Angel disagreed. "He didn't witness anything more than I or Buffy did. He doesn't know any more than we do who this Fyarl demon is working for, or what he wanted. Wes, you can't tell us anything more?"

"No, Angel. I really don't know anything. Like I said before, my secretary took the call this morning to set up the appointment."

"Did she take down a name and number for confirmation?" Gunn asked.

"No, I already looked into that," Angel said. "Your secretary has been questioned by security all afternoon. She doesn't seem to know anything. It was just a man placing the call. He said he was calling on behalf of his client, a Fyarl demon. He assumed we'd have a translating department, left the time the Fyarl demon would show, and rang off."

"It's all so strange." Buffy thought. "This is a high falootin law firm you have here. I don't understand why, especially since you work with such evil forces, that you don't have better security or scrutiny of no named, unknown clients. Doesn't seem very smart, Angel."

Giles softly chuckled under his breath, but only Buffy could hear him. It thrilled her a bit to know she had said something that pleased her Watcher.

Angel opened his mouth to protest, but then shut it again. He just shrugged. "We are still new at this, and have a lot to learn, obviously."

"Well, I'll bet it's an inside job."

Angel turned back to Wesley. Wes was his employee, after all, and didn't think he would be as antagonizing as Buffy seemed to be. "Tell us everything from the beginning, Wesley. Perhaps there is a detail we are missing."

"Well, Giles showed up looking for Buffy. I invited him in to my office and phoned the operating pool to learn where we could locate her. I was told Buffy was in the lab with Fred and Giles and I were going to make our way there. I opened my office door, and the Fyarl demon was standing there. My secretary was not at her desk, so I assume she hadn't greeted the demon either. I tried to explain to him that I needed him to wait for a moment, so I could show Giles the lab. But before I could, the demon pushed his way in here, knocked out Giles, and then me. When I again awakened, Buffy was helping me out of the warehouse. That's all I can recall."

Giles tried to concentrate on what Wes was saying, but he was way more mesmerized by Buffy. His muscles melted like butter under her touch, wiping his headache away. He was hypnotized by every breath she took. She had never looked at him quite like that before, nor had she ever touched him so casually, especially in front of others. His emotions were all jumbled. He was confused by her, and didn't know quite what to think.

Part of him never wanted this moment to end. There was Buffy, sitting next to him on this couch, massaging his neck, defending him. Usually she was defending others, while he protested. But this time, she seemed to be there for him. And that look he had seen in her eyes, what did it mean?

He realized that Angel had asked him something. "Sorry?" Giles queried.

"I asked if you can remember any other details from your capture?"

"Ah. Well, it all occurred exactly like Wesley stated. Except I do remember waking up in a small room, and the demon was tying me up. I tried to fight him when he knocked me out again."

"That must have been under the trap door, where the Fyarl held you in the warehouse."

Giles shrugged. He really didn't know. "I'm sorry I can't be of any more help, Angel."

"Seems you ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time, Mr. Giles." Fred said.

Giles smiled. "The wrong time, most definitely." But it was not the wrong place, since it was where Buffy was.

"Ok, that's enough, guys. I'm taking my Watcher out of here. He needs rest."

Angel agreed. "I'll keep researching, and we'll keep interrogating the secretary, talk again with security, and study the surveillance tapes. Hopefully we will discover something by morning."

Gunn and Fred glanced at each other. They knew they too were in for a long night.

Buffy helped Giles stand up. He really was feeling a lot better, but he didn't want Buffy's touch to leave him. He needn't have worried, however. She slipped her small hand into his, and gently squeezed his fingers. "We'll go to my hotel and grab some room service. I'm starving." He smiled at her exuberance, but he also saw the concern in her eyes. He nodded.

They said their goodbyes and made their way out of Wesley's office and through the lobby. Giles bags had already been delivered to the hotel, thanks to Angel.

As they walked out the front doors, Spike was coming in. Buffy let go of Giles' hand as Spike approached. "Spike, there you are. We wondered if you got lost." She smiled at the vampire. "You do look lost without that duster of yours." He smiled back. "Yes, well, guess I'll have to pilfer another from somewhere. And no, I didn't get lost. I thought I'd lurk and see if I could find out anything from the police at the warehouse. No doing though. It doesn't sound like there were much remains left of the demon."

"Were they able to save the building?" Giles asked.

Spike was wary in the Watcher's presence. He shrugged. "Inside is a total loss, by the sounds of it. I don't know anything else." Spike couldn't meet Giles' eyes. The Watcher noticed this, and was pleased. Buffy could sense the tension between the two, and resolved to talk to Giles about what was up as soon as he was rested.

"Come on, Watcher mine, before you fall down."

"I'm perfectly fine, Buffy, and will not 'fall down!'" Giles protested.

Spike did meet the Watcher's eyes then. "Let her take care of you, Rupert." A beat passed as their eyes locked. Then Spike gazed down at Buffy's confused expression. "Take care of each other," he said, and then passed them entering the building.

Buffy turned and watched the vampire's back before the door closed behind him. Then she looked up into Giles' face. His expression was blank, and he wouldn't look at her. "Later, you and I are having a serious talk, Giles. I want to know what the heck just happened." When he didn't say anything, she began walking down the sidewalk. He followed slowly at her side, his hands now pressing down inside the pockets of his jeans.

They crossed the street at the light, noticing that on the opposite corner the emergency vehicles were packing it in. The warehouse looked dark and just as abandoned and imposing as before. One would never know it was now gutted out by a fire.

When Buffy reached the hotel, instead of entering the front lobby to go the front desk, she instead went to the left of the building, pulled a key card out of her back pocket, and unlocked room 47. "Home, sweet home."

Giles hesitated at the threshold. "Buffy, this is your room. I can get my own room."

Buffy shook her head. "No need. We can share. This room is plenty big enough. Besides, your bags are already here, and we were going to order room service. Don't be so stuffy, tweed man."

Giles grunted, but followed her into the modest room.

There was one queen sized bed, a writing desk and chair, and a bathroom. His luggage sat untouched by the bathroom door, and Buffy had taken over the closet with her shoes and clothing. Across from the bed was a long table that held the television, phone, and various other papers and menus. Giles sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. He knew he should argue and get his own room. Buffy grabbed the room service menu, flopped down on the bed, and started flipping through it.

Giles hadn't moved from where he was standing. Finally Buffy looked up at him, a bemused expression on her face.

"Ok, Giles. Here's the sitch. Angel called here earlier while you were with the doctor getting checked out. There are no available rooms. Seems like there is this sporting event called the Rose Bowl in town this weekend, and every hotel in the vicinity is booked. So it's you and me. But don't worry, I can get one of those roll away cot things later."

She smiled at him, but he seemed to turn another shade paler.

"Giles? Are you okay?" She jumped up from the bed and helped Giles sit on the edge of it.

"Sorry, I was dizzy there for a moment." His heart was pounding in his chest, and a fine sheen of sweat sprung up on his forehead.

"Lie back." She helped him lie down on the bed.

Her stricken expression made him smile. He patted her hand. "I'll be fine in a moment, Buffy. I've been hit on the head numerous times. It will pass. I think I'll pass on dinner though, but you go ahead and order something."

"Are you sure you are okay? I can get the doctor to come over here."

His eyes were closed now, and his heart rate was returning to normal. His dizziness had little to do with the bump on his head, and everything to do with panic.

If only Buffy knew how much she effected him. She seemed so comfortable with him, as if he was Willow over for a slumber party.

As if he was like her father.

That was his last thought as his tired and sore body drifted off to a much needed, healing sleep.

Chapter 10