Title: Healing Time
Written by: Ladyforash for the “What If, ficathon.”
Feedback: Ladyforash@gmail.com
Disclaimers: You know it’s all Joss’s and ME. I’m just dusting off the characters and plot and giving them some exercise.
Spoilers: After Season 2
Rating: PG at the most.

The Challenge:

Name: Kelly
Email: kmc_burton@yahoo.com
What "what if. . .?" question would you like answered: What if Buffy hadn't run away at the end of season 2?
Pairings (or none): none, necessarily
1-2 Requests: Giles & Willow actually have to stay in the hospital and not miraculously recover. Giles gets the Council to help clear Buffy's murder charges.
1-2 Restrictions: No senselessbitch!Joyce. No Angel resurrection.
maximum rating: R
Any other comments: Bonus points for Faith, Wesley, Quentin Travers appearances...

I usually write Buffy/Giles, so forgive me if you see a twinge. J

Healing Time

Quentin Travers entered Giles's hospital room and sighed heavily. This was most unexpected. The Slayer wanted for murder, and her Watcher lying near death in a hospital room. He glanced over his shoulder and saw the Slayer, Buffy Summers, asleep curled up in a chair in the corner. Apparently she hadn't left the room since Giles had been admitted, except to check in on her friend Willow in the room across the hall.

Buffy and Giles had told him everything. Angelus, Giles's torture, the sword through her lover's heart, his soul restored, and everything else leading up to that night and Acathala. Travers admiration for the Slayer had grown, and so had that of her Watcher's. In the beginning, he had little faith in either.

Phoning the Council had been almost as difficult for Buffy as killing Angel had been. She was a failure, and had to admit that. But Giles needed help, and so did she. Everything was such a mess now, and it was all her fault. She had thought about running away, but knew that would cause more harm than good. Giles had been there for her, always, as had Willow and Xander. She couldn't abandon them now, even though her own heart was breaking.

Quentin stepped out of the room and grabbed his cell phone. The Hellmouth, as of now, was virtually unguarded. That couldn't remain the case.

"Yes, Travers here. Get me Mr. Wyndham Pryce on the phone please." He closed his eyes and tried to make his breathing regular as he waited for the whelp to get on the line. He hated to have to do this, but Sunnydale needed some fresh recruits.

"Mr. Travers? Wesley Wyndham Pryce here, at your services, sir."

Quentin rolled his eyes and sank into a hard chair in the waiting room. He would make this as quick and painless as possible. "Pryce, I need you here in Sunnydale, with that other Slayer we've found. Faith is her name, I believe?"

Wesley's throat instantly went dry. "Certainly. Is it bad there then?" Had the Slayer and Watcher both died?

"Yes, it's bad, although they will both live. The Hellmouth is unprotected, however, and it may well need our help for awhile. You'll leave on the first plane out, understood?"

Wesley nodded, then realized he was on the phone. "Yes sir, of course."

Travers clicked off. He was in an awful mood. He needed some sleep and a hot shower. Wearily he stood and headed off to his motel room for some rest. Plus, he had some plans to make. That made him smile a little as he left the hospital grounds.

Giles moaned and slowly came awake. His body was continually one dull ache. Only the drugs being pumped into his body intravenously saved him from constantly screaming out in pain. He glanced over and his features softened as he saw Buffy asleep in the chair. She had been such a comfort to him these last few days. How she could even stand to look at him he didn’t know. He had failed her. True, Dru had tricked him appearing as Jenny, but still, he had been the one to tell Angel how to open Acathala. If it wasn’t for him, Buffy would not have had to kill her lover once his soul had returned.

He had really mucked things up as her Watcher. He should have seen the danger signs. He let his emotions, his romanticism, run away with him. A Vampire being in love with a Slayer had to spell doom, and he should have known it. Instead, he let Angel get close. He didn’t protect Buffy. He should have researched the spell more, so he would have known what would bring Angelus out. Perhaps then all of this could have been prevented. Jenny would be alive. Kendra would be alive. Buffy would not have had to face the horrors of the last few months. He didn’t deserve to be her Watcher.

He had done one good thing, however. Buffy made him proud. It really had nothing to do with his teachings or his training her, he knew that. Still, they had a bond now, and that pleased him.

Giles had seen to it that the Council would take care of Buffy’s murder charge. He had no doubts that Travers could accomplish that with ease. He wouldn’t worry about the details. He just wanted to make sure Buffy was protected and free. He fell back asleep with a little more peace, knowing that his Slayer would be protected.

Two days later Willow sat in a wheelchair next to Giles’s hospital bed. Travers had wanted to talk to them all, and Giles was not yet permitted out of bed. Xander stood behind Willow’s chair, his hands resting on the handlebars. Buffy sat in her chair across from the bed. Her eyes occasionally met Giles’s, and he’d smile tenderly at her. She knew it was going to be okay when she saw him looking at her.

Quentin came in and held forth in the middle of the room. “Mr. Giles, Miss Summers…” he bowed his head at the others, not sure what to call them. “All charges against Miss Summers have been dropped.” There was a relieved sigh from everyone in the room.

“Yay, me,” Buffy said with little enthusiasm. It wasn’t that she wasn’t relieved. She was just so tired of it all.

Quentin quirked his eyebrow at her. “Yes, well, indeed. I have more news. Due to recent circumstances, the Hellmouth has been unprotected. I have remedied that dire situation however.” He leaned out the door. “Mr. Pryce, Faith?”

The woman came in first, clad in leather and a smirk on her face. She stalked right up to Buffy and stuck out her hand. “Hey, B, my name’s Faith. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Buffy, in shock, took the other slayer’s hand and gave it a shake. “Hello…uh, how are you?”

Faith shrugged, “I’m five by five. Ready to kick some Hellmouth butt.” Buffy gave a disconcerted smile and then gawked at the stiff man standing behind Quentin. “Now you have Watcher written all over you.”

Wesley blushed, taking his handkerchief out of his jacket and polished his eyeglasses. As he did this, Buffy glanced at Giles. Giles glanced back at her and he blushed furiously. Buffy rolled over in laughter, as did Xander and Willow. The others just looked confused. Buffy held up her hand. “Sorry, it’s just…inside joke.”

Giles glared at Buffy and then spoke up for the first time. “Wesley Wyndham Pryce, I presume?” Giles had heard of the other Watcher, but never had the pleasure of meeting him.

“Yes, I’ve been assigned as Faith’s Watcher. We are here to serve and protect, until you both are back on your feet.”

“That brings me to my next order,” said Travers, turning so he could glance between Giles and Buffy. “I spoke with the nurse and Mr. Giles is to be released tomorrow, providing he stays as inactive as possible and gets plenty of rest. So, I have rented out a cottage near San Francisco. It has several bedrooms, plenty of sun, an ideal place for relaxation. Mr. Giles, you are to let Miss Summers and the children here escort you and stay with you for the rest of the summer. Faith and Mr. Pryce will handle things here. Is that understood?” Inside, Travers was grinning. He knew they would all be floored by this, but he wanted his top Watcher and Slayer well rested for the Fall. They needed time to heal in body, mind, and soul. They needed time away, without worries.

Silence reigned for several more minutes, before Willow squealed with delight. Buffy and Giles looked at each other, and both smiled. Finally Buffy got to her feet and came to stand in front of Quentin. “You know, for the Council, you aren’t so bad.” Then she hugged him.

Quentin smiled and hugged her back as a father holds a daughter. His eyes misted and he glanced at Giles. Giles just nodded in understanding, giving a grateful smile himself.

Perhaps this summer wouldn’t be so bad after all.

End…