CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE: WESLEY
Monday: 9pm
23rd August 1999
California: Sunnydale
Ethan and Giles were trying to remain calm, but on the inside they were panicking. They had no idea of what the Council would do to them for going against the rules of the Watcher's Council. The fact that Buffy was allowed to socialise with civilians, as well as date and have a job was something that no other Slayer had been allowed to have. Giles knew that his desire for Buffy to have a somewhat normal life may very well have just sentenced her to death.
"Have a seat," Travers said coldly.
Buffy swallowed hard and stepped into the living room, seating herself on the single couch opposite the man she hated more than anything in the world. Jay, Faith and Xander lingered in the doorway, unsure of what they should be doing.
Travers cast his gaze to the trio, his eyes landing on Faith. "Ahh, Miss Adams," he said to the ex-Potential. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting to see you here. I'd suggest you take your…friends and leave before we decide to take action against you as well."
Faith wanted nothing more than to yell at the man who had terrorised her best friend for years on end, but she knew that if she did anything, it would only make things worse for Buffy. She grabbed Jay and Xander and left before either of them could say anything.
Buffy closed her eyes, a sick feeling in her stomach as she heard the door click shut.
"I must say, Miss Summers, I am most disappointed by you," Travers said. Buffy could hear that he wanted to start laughing. Buffy restrained herself from standing up and hitting Travers as hard as she possibly could. "When we listened to the recordings from the bugging system we planted on Ethan, we were shocked to hear of your extracurricular activities."
Ethan looked as though he was about to be sick. He hadn't known that he'd been bugged. Knowing that it was he who had basically put Buffy in this position was killing him.
"You are aware, aren't you, of the rules in regards to civilians, are you not Miss Summers?" Travers continued.
Buffy nodded. "Yes sir."
"Just so we know we're both on the same page, what rules would these be?"
Buffy sighed and wanted to break down and cry. "The Slayer is to have no contact with civilians unless they are reliable informants. They are to form no emotional attachments to any person. The Slayer is an instrument used to fight evil, and as such should have no desire to do anything except eradicate evil from the world."
Travers nodded and stroked his chin as though he were deep in thought.
"I assume I don't have to tell you that you've broken that rule. From the looks of it, not only are you associating with civilians, but you are in a romantic relationship with one of them as well," Travers said. "Am I correct?"
"Yes sir."
"Well, I don't think I need to tell you that this cannot continue. You will have no further contact with anyone in this town, except for your Watcher," Travers explained.
Buffy looked up at Giles who wouldn't meet her eyes.
Travers chuckled and Buffy felt her stomach drop even further.
"By the way, Miss Summers, your Watcher, Rupert Giles has been fired from his position," Travers informed her.
Buffy's eyes flew open in shock and disgust. "What?" the question was out of her mouth before she even registered that she shouldn't be talking back to the Head of the Council like that. Travers walked towards her and stood in front of her.
"Stand up," he ordered.
Buffy hesitated for a split second before doing as she was told. She stood and looked Travers in the eyes. She couldn't believe that even after all these years there was still hatred in the depths of his eyes. She wondered why he still hated her when she wasn't there to annoy him at the Council.
Buffy saw him raise his hand and prepared herself for the blow. It seemed so unnatural to let someone take a swing at her. Every fibre of her being was protesting against the attack. She could see it coming, knew the exact move to counter it, but she could not. She was suddenly a scared eleven year old being beaten in Travers office.
He backhanded her fiercely, using every ounce of his strength. The blow rocked Buffy, but she didn't stumble. The blow had hurt, but it wasn't the most painful hit that Buffy had ever received. It hurt her pride more than it had hurt her face.
"Do not question the decisions of the Council Miss Summers," Travers hissed angrily.
Buffy nodded submissively and Travers stepped away from her. She took her seat again, keeping the tears at bay. She hated that she'd just been humiliated in front of Giles and Ethan.
"Mr Giles allowed you to break the rules that have been in place for eons. It will not be tolerated. He's being shipped back to England when I leave tomorrow morning."
Buffy's eyes once again widened. She looked at her Watcher who looked as though he was struggling not to cry. Buffy swallowed hard, unable to imagine life without Giles.
"This is Mr Wesley Wyndham-Pryce," Travers said, pointing towards the younger man in a suit who sat opposite Buffy. She hadn't even paid all that much attention to the man. She looked him over and wondered whether this man would even know how to kill a vampire if he was met with one.
Wesley Wyndham-Pryce nodded snootily and let his eyes wander over Buffy. She had the desire to squirm under his obvious appraisal of her, but she held her ground. She couldn't believe that she was still terrified of Travers and of the Council.
"You'll have tonight to inform your…friends that you are no longer able to associate with them," Travers said coldly. "Mr Giles has informed us of the situation with Glorificus. The Council will be looking into the matter and will be assisting you in ways to defeat this woman. As soon as that task is done, you will be removed from Sunnydale, and you will never set foot in California again."
Buffy felt like bursting into sobs. Her mouth had gone dry and the words running through her head no longer made sense. Buffy was fairly certain that Travers had said more, but she hadn't been paying attention to anything else. Her mind had shut down under this barrage of new information. Not see her friends, her family anymore? It didn't seem real. She didn't know how she was supposed to stay away from them. It was a small town. She wondered if she could deliberately keep Glorificus alive so that she could stay in Sunnydale.
Then there was the other problem. If she was supposed to protect Jay from Glorifcus, how was she supposed to do that if she wasn't able to talk to him anymore?
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Monday: 9:30pm
23rd August 1999
California: Sunnydale
Travers and Wesley had left, leaving Ethan, Buffy and Giles sitting in absolute silence when the door closed. Tears threatened to spill from Buffy's eyes, but she kept them in check. Until, that is, Ethan stood up and pulled Buffy into a fierce hug. The tears fell and her small body began wracking with sobs. He sat in the chair and pulled her onto his lap, rocking her gently.
Giles felt tears of his own slide down his cheeks. He had until tomorrow morning to vacate the apartment that had become a home to him over the last year. He knew it wasn't the apartment itself, it was more the people within it. He didn't know how he was supposed to leave Buffy alone. He was already formulating ideas of how he could stay in America. He'd have to call in several favours.
"They're gonna make you go away," Buffy cried, clutching Ethan's shirt in her small hands.
Ethan stroked her hair gently and kissed her temple. "We'll find a way around it."
"How?"
Ethan was silent. He didn't know how he was going to find a way around this. Having Giles as Buffy's Watcher had been a tremendous help to Ethan. Giles hadn't restricted their seeing each other, but Ethan knew enough about Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. As much of a coward as he was in battle, he was a stifler for rules and regulations.
"I dunno luv," he admitted sadly. "We'll find a way. We always do."
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Ahhh, fluffy Ethan. Such a change from bastardy Ethan…figured I should at least update this one…
K.