I apologize profusely for the length of time that it has taken me to update this story. I wish I could say that it won’t happen again, but alas, I can make no guarantees. I would like to thank everyone for their praise, support, and ideas. Each review has been greatly appreciated. A very large thank you goes out to Lisa (merkaba over at TTH) for nominating my story for the Crossing Over Awards. I’m so glad you think so highly of this story, and hope that it continues to please you. Now on with the story (this is a short chapter, but stands well on its own, I promise the next chapter will have the sparring session in it!):
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The evening was spent reading excerpts of both the official and unofficial manuals. The official manual was dry enough to put even a tried and trained scholar to sleep, which is why Rupert alternated between the two. When he felt himself nodding off, he would read (or reread) chapters of the unofficial manual. His favorite chapter was currently “What to do when you’ve encountered an alien drug/aphrodisiac/hallucinogen/etc?” Not only was it humorous, it could easily be adapted for hunter’s handbook that was being planned for the new supernatural defense group that Spike was helping to organize.
Rupert was still astounded by his friendship with the vampire. If anyone had told him that he would be good friends and compatriots with a vampire who had tried to kill him on numerous times (and who had not been resouled by some spell), he would have wondered what drugs they had been imbibing. The world truly was a strange place.
It would be at that moment that “London Calling” started playing from the phone that Willow and Tara had set up for him, though he suspected Dawn had a hand in choosing ring tones. Getting up and riffling through his coat pockets he finally managed to silence the thing.
“Where the hell have you been, Spike? I’ve been trying to reach you for four bleeding weeks now.”
“So I’ve been told, watcher. What’s this about you joining the soddin’ military? Would a thought you had more sense than that. The kids are sayin’ you ain’t been brainwashed, and good old Captain Cardboard swears it’s above-board…but what the hell, mate, you could a called and warned me you’d gone starkers. I’d a been home right straight away.”
“Spike, did you not hear what I said? I tried to call you for a month, one whole month. I even left messages for you with various people. I was actually starting to worry about your pale arse. If Sam hadn’t told me that you were taking care of a nest of C’lar’mesh demons with some of the others, and reminded me that C’lar’mesh warp all electronics, I would have had Willow and Tara track you down and ‘port you home. Now you have obviously talked with the children, not to mention Riley. So you should know that I checked this place out thoroughly. I’m not mad, well no more than I have ever been, after all I am friends with a man known as William the Bloody. This just happens to be the best place for me right now. These people need me even more than the children did, Spike.”
“I hear ya, Ripper, but it isn’t just the children that need you, you know? This new group I’ve been recruiting, at your request I might add, could use your knowledge and skills. Thought you’d be joining up with us, not running off to join those wankin’ military sods.”
Giles sighed and reached up to rub at his eyes behind his glasses. He really hadn’t expected that note of disappointment in Spike’s voice.
“I didn’t intend to run off to join the military, which in this case is made up of its fair shares of both worthy gentleman and assholes. If I thought they were all assholes I wouldn’t have even considered taking the job. It’s just…” Rupert paused, staring moodily out the window into the shadows of his backyard while trying to sort his thoughts. “After everything…loosing Buffy, then Faith…struggling to keep my family together, healthy and sane…trying to find a way to right the many wrongs of the council and make the world a better place…I just…I needed a break. I needed to do something different, something on my own.”
Leaning his head against the window, his voice a whisper against the cool glass, “I don’t think I could watch another of my children die, Spike, and I know I can’t handle being the one who lead them, ordered them to their death. I just don’t have it in me. This job is just as important in its own way. It is likely the only job that could ever have tempted me away from my previous calling. This is where I am meant to be right now, just as Sunnydale was were I was meant to be at one time. You needn’t worry about me abandoning you completely. I’m still planning on assisting, if from a distance, in the creation of the new group. In fact I had some wonderful ideas about our training manual earlier.”
“Do you ever stop thinking about books old man?”
Rupert snorted at Spike’s way of saying that he understood, in his own taunting sort of way.
“Just so you know though, mate, I didn’t make no promises, and I ain’t bound by no geas. I’ll be coming down to check on you for time to time. Make sure those military bastards are treating you right and all. Can’t let the bit’s da go and get hisself killed now can I?”
“No I suppose you can’t, and Spike, thank you.”
Their conversation after that was mostly getting caught up on other news. Spike had finished his travels for now, and was headed back to the States, to Seattle in fact. He would look after the kids in Giles stead, and continue to build and organize the new group from there.
After several hours on the phone, Rupert finally headed to bed. Tomorrow would be another busy day.