The Other Watchers - BTVS crossover - part 4 - 08/24/2023

 

The Other Watchers
Ms. Hunter Ash

Fan Fiction Crossover
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Buffy & Dawn Summers, Anya Emerson, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, William Pratt, Tara Maclay #### Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Anya/Xander, Tara/Willow

Angel: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Cordelia Chase, Charles Gunn (maybe) Winifred Burkle (maybe) ###Pairings: Wesley/Winifred

Highlander: Original characters so far but some of the tv/movie cast might appear



# # # # #  # #


"So, Giles and Tara are both immortal?" Xander asked that dinner at the Summers house consisting of plenty of pizza for everyone and their own individual pints of ice cream.

"Yeah," Buffy said with a nod. "Tovar too."

"Wow." Xander whispered. "So where's Giles?"

"A day or so behind us," Tovar answered.

Buffy wasn't quite sure of that.


# # # #


"Hey, Anya, what's up?" Buffy asked as she and Dawn were grocery shopping. Having enough money to get a decent amount of food was a relief, she thought. "Someone's asking for Tovar? We'll be right there."

She looked at the full grocery cart and frowned.

"Give me the bank card and I'll take a cab home with this stuff," Dawn suggested.

"That works," Buffy said with relief. "Thanks. Pick out your favorite cookies."

"I'm not four, I don't need to be bribed," Dawn protested.

"Okay, make it two packs of our favorite," Buffy countered. "I'll meet you at home."

Five minutes later Buffy walked into the Magic Box and her eyes narrowed as she took in the stranger in the shop.

"You were in Canada," she said and reached for a sword from a rack of decorative swords for sale. She didn't think it would last long against a well made blade but it would be a start.

Garth raised his hands. "Asher sent me."

"Who?"

"Well, this is awkward, I don't know what his name is here," Garth said. "My apologies. I've known him for centuries and most of those as an enemy. I'm not now."

"Go on," Buffy urged as she moved closer with a strong sword in hand but not on point with it yet. The blade wasn't sharp but the blade was a thick metal. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," Garth said. "We started to talk and he was hit by a car. I picked him up from the hospital and explained why I sought him out. We were planning on following you that night. He stopped to grab some items from a club and he didn't come back out. He told me to find you and to say that you have a problem with the Initative and to go underground."

"Initative?" Buffy repeated. "What? Explain. Anya, close up the store and close the drapes. You're Garth, right? I'm Buffy. Let's talk."

After 20 minutes Buffy was still frowning. "An, call Xan and tell him to....meet us at Angel's mansion." The Slayer dialed and her frown deepened when the call wasn't answered. "Voice mail? Where are you, Will?"

She closed her phone. "Come on, we have to get to my family. You help us, I help you and we get Giles and your wife back."

"Deal," Garth said easily.

# # #


Giles coughed and held his ribs tightly. "Will they do those Nazi inspired testing? If so, I won't make it through."

"I doubt it," Ethan said as he changed channels on the television every 10 seconds. "They did that for the first couple of months. Since then, they've focused on testing my PSI....whatever. 'What is the symbol on this card?' I'd answer, 'A penis?"

Giles chuckled and winced. "Don't make me laugh, you prat."

"Have you seen Garth's wife?" he asked after a few moments.

"The girl you fell for before she took up with him?" Ethan asked. "Nah, not so far. She's talented with the magic and they grabbed her?"

"It appears so," Giles said calmly as if they were discussing football scores by two teams neither of them supported.

"Shame," Ethan commented. "Let's hope they figure out that we haven't figured it out so how the hell can we tell them how we do it other than, meditate and pretend you're a tree and channel the energy, nonsense?"

"I haven't known this bunch to be very logical despite being scientists."

Giles sat up when the illusion disappeared from the wall and he and Ethan saw a man in a lab coat approaching with four soldiers with him.

"Looks like your first 'getting to know you' meeting," Ethan commented. "Think they'll figure out it'll be a political nightmare if they keep you?"

"If they're smart they will."

Giles swung his legs off the bed as the electricfied wall was disabled.

"You don't cause any problems and we don't shock, chain and drag you," the scientist said firmly.

"I'm not dangerous," Giles responded.

"We know you're trained in martial arts and with all kinds of weapons in addition to being a sorcerer," the scientist countered.

Giles almost smiled. "Thanks for confirming that you know I'm the Watcher to the Slayer and that you're knowingly violating numerous international treaties with an organization more powerful than yours."

"Bring him!" the scientist snapped.

Two soldiers grabbed Giles and pulled him off the bed and hit him twice in the ribs, doubling him over.

"Hey!" Ethan protested. "He's not fighting!"

"Shut up or you'll spend the night in the ice room," a soldier threatened.

Two of the soldiers pulled Giles down the hallway, his shoes dragging on the floor.

Giles raised his head as he was dropped onto a wooden chair and he looked over a metal table at another man in a lab coat and another dressed in a non-descript suit.

"I am the Watcher to the Slayer," Giles declared. "The Watchers Council has agreements with almost every civilized country in the world. Watchers, potentials and especially the Slayer and Watcher, are not to be impeded, imprisoned nor injured by any agents of said governments."

The man in the suit glanced over his shoulder and upwards. Giles resisted looking up at the camera watching him.

"Hmm, I seem to have missed that in my civics class," the man in the suit said with a smirk.

"That's odd, your lackey here acknowledged that you know who and what I am," Giles countered and resisted smiling as the man in the suit glared at the first lab coat. "My Slayer, myself and her team have been responsible for saving your sorry arses several times whether you were aware of it or not. I demand that you release me, arrange transport back to Sunnydale, California and you stop trying to capture my Slayer and team."

"We'll check with your organization, by third class mail," the man in the suit said as his hand clenched tightly.

"You're making your position worse," Giles said. "Is this really worth it? We don't even know how a Slayer is chosen or how she gets her powers. We know how to train them, guide them and instruct them. We can't duplicate the process or there'd be more than one Slayer in the world. Ah, my mistake, two Slayers in the world."

"How did you get two Slayers?" the 2nd labcoated scientist asked.

"We're still puzzling that one out," Giles responded. "They certainly don't know why they were selected. A Slayer doesn't know what's happened until a Watcher pops up and tries to convince a teenage girl that she's now been chosen to fight nightmare creatures until she dies."

"How do you know who the Slayer is?" Labcoat #2 asked.

"We have seers, magic users in the Council," Giles said. It was somewhat well known among the governments, afterall. "Even those of us with a talent with magic don't know how those particular magic users do it. Whether you believe in a higher power or not, that's the only explanation we've come up with so far."

"You realize we can get answers out of you," labcoat #1 threatened.

"Everything I've said is known to your government higher up, most of the governments actually," Giles said wearily. "From the Pope to queens, kings and presidents and cabinets. Let me go."

"I say we put him through at least two rounds of intense interrogation," labcoat#1 urged.

Giles coughed and wiped at his lips and sighed.

"I wouldn't advise it," he responded.

"And why not? Think you can stand up to our interrogations?" Labcoat #1 demanded.

"No," Giles said and held up his hand, revealing blood. "I was in a car wreck before your goons attacked me and then drugged me and your idiots here also hit me in the ribs, which are broken. The inability to breathe very well and blood indicate I probably have a punctured lung or more. Stop trying to capture my Slayer and team."

"Hey, catch him!"

Giles heard someone yell as everything went black.


# # # #


Buffy jumped out of the Jeep and pulled a crowbar out from under her seat and Garth pulled a sword from his coat as they took in the open door of the house. "Anya, get up on the porch behind us. If anyone pops up or out, run and get to Angel's mansion."

"I'm not sure where that is," Anya protested.

"Then get to Oz' cell," Buffy suggested.

"There's an immortal somewhere near," Garth said softly.

Buffy peered into the open door and stepped inside slowly. She brought the crowbar up, catching the sword blade aimed at her head from behind the door.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry!"

"Wow, Tara has moves now," Buffy said. "Where is everyone, why is the door kicked in?"

"I was upstairs unpacking my clothes and someone kicked in the door. I got to the top of the stairs in time to see Willow fall and I heard Dawn scream. I saw a dart in Willow's shoulder and stepped out of sight. I went out your window and hid in the tree. I don't know where Altheana is."

"Go on, where's Dawnie?"

"In the kitchen with an ice pack," Tara explained. "I saw them carry Will out. They were dressed like Riley."

"Initiative soldiers," Buffy confirmed. "This is Garth, the soldiers grabbed his wife and they've got Giles."

"We need to get out of here," Garth suggested. "They know you'll return for your sister."

"He's right," Buffy said. "Pack a bag and hang out upstairs for a minute. Pack me and Dawn one too. Garth, keep an eye out here. Anya get in here. Grab weapons from the closet."

Buffy saw Dawn coming out of the kitchen with a bag of frozen peas pressed against a cheek. |

"They took Willow and hit me when I tried to stop them," Dawn said. "I'm sorry, I couldn't fight them."

"I know, we're going to get her back," Buffy said firmly.

"There's a black van coming up the street with running boards on both sides," Garth said as he stepped inside the house. "Cop car."

"Out the back, Garth and I will handle anyone coming in the alley. Get to Angel's mansion. Tara, out the tree!"

Buffy and Garth dashed through the kitchen and out onto the back porch as Dawn and Anya moved closely behind them.

"I hear brakes squealing out front," Buffy said. "This is going to be a mad dash. Come on."

The Slayer motioned the others past her as sounds came from inside the house. She trotted behind the small group and closed the gate. She turned and rushed past Anya and Dawn to help Tara and Garth fight Initiative soldiers. Swords against battle batons and fists.

Soldiers poured out of the gate from the house and joined the fight. Anya tossed a baseball bat to Dawn and pulled out one for herself.

Buffy spun out of the way as a pickup roared down the alley and stopped just short of a soldier. The soldier, distracted by the grill of the pickup, never saw the bat aimed at his head by an angry teenager.

Spike leaned out over the bed. "Nibblet, come on!"

"Good to see you!" Buffy called over to Xander as he slammed open his truck door into the head of a soldier. Anya jumped into the bed of the pickup as Dawn climbed in with Spike's help. "Xan, get ready to drive."

Xander punched a soldier and got back behind the wheel.

"Garth! Fall back to the truck!" Buffy called as Tara slashed the arm of a soldier and jumped into the pickup.

Buffy and Garth hit and slashed the last three soldiers and jumped onto the bumper as some of the soldiers tried to recover. "Go!"

Buffy and Garth climbed into the pickup when Xander screeched to a halt and Altheana got into the cab of the truck at the end of the alley and Xander turned onto the street with his lights out.

"Well, that was fun," Garth said as he began wiping his sword off. "Now what?"

"We get your wife, Giles and Willow back," Buffy said firmly.


### # # # #



Giles coughed and opened his eyes with a moan. He was surprised to find himself in a hospital bed in a larger cell. Especially surprising was that Ethan and Willow were with him with the girl holding his hand.

"What?"

"It'll take him a few to form complete sentences," Ethan predicted.

"Prat."

"See what I mean?" Ethan commented with a smirk.

"Don't try to get up," Willow said. "Your ribs were pretty busted up. They said they found a problem, that you're really sick."

//But immortals don't get sick// he thought. "Well, damn. I was hoping to retire in about 20 years. Anyone else here?"

"No, everyone else was out," Willow said.

"Come here, luv," Giles said softly and pulled her down gently and kissed her neck. "Don't reveal your magic levels," he whispered and then kissed her. "Thanks for watching over me."

//Let them puzzle out the relationships, the idiots//

"I saw Oz," Willow said as she continued to hold his hand.

"You went to school with him, right?" Ethan asked.

"I dated him," Willow explained.

"I'm sorry, luv," Giles said softly. "He didn't know you, did he?"

"No, not at all."

"Don't worry, the Council will demand our release and Buffy is likely to avoid capture," Giles said in a normal voice. "They're risking an international dust-up."

"The Council isn't out in the public," Ethan said with a frown.

"The Council isn't but the government and the Royal Family are," Giles said with a slight smile. "My father has the ear of the crown prince and Her Majesty. MI-6 will likely take notice if we aren't released soon."

Giles' eyes darkened slightly and the camera in the corner was revealed along with it's recording alert, a red light. The light went out and Giles sighed. "I was right, they've shielded the cells but not inside the cells and likely not below us," he whispered to Ethan and Willow. "Don't do any magic yet."

"Company is coming," Ethan said and pulled back away from the hospital room wall.

Giles wasn't surprised when it disappeared and the plexiglass wall was revealed. He recognized the man from Giles' earlier meeting and with him was another man in a suit and four guards. The 2nd suit walked with an air of confidence. "Their version of my boss, I believe."

"Good to see you awake, Mr. Giles," the 2nd suit said. "I'm Raymond Shaw."

"It's good that I'm not referred to as a number," Giles said. "I can't quite say it's a pleasure."

"I'd worry if you did," Shaw responded. "Our doctors tell me that you're very sick. They're surprised that you're up and about."

"Lungs or the heart?" Giles asked.

"Lungs, small-cell, stage four," Shaw answered. "We are attempting to contact the Council but we don't have their direct number. Our governments and organizations cooperate with each other. Given the urgent nature of your illness, we would like to talk with you about your Council and Slayers. Your Slayer is quite talented with weapons and the martial arts. Your training?"

"Mostly mine, others have also lent a hand," Giles said. "My ribs?"

"Not too bad now, they were put back where they should be," Shaw answered. "That's why your chest is bound tightly. May we count on your cooperation? Before your father raises all sorts of alarms."

"Stop trying to capture my Slayer and her team," Giles said firmly. "And start arrangements to release Willow and Ethan."

He held up a hand as the witch and sorcerer protested.

"You heard my prognosis," Giles said. "I want you two out of here. Take care of Buffy and Dawn."

"We'll start cutting through the red tape," Shaw said easily.

"Why the detainment orders for my Slayer, the team, myself and one of our aides here?" Giles asked.

"We tracked patterns among the hostiles that are alarming," Shaw said. "The consensus is that they are organizing and likely to start making progress in taking over some areas. We need your Slayer's talents and strength. She can't be all over the States and Canada."

"But we don't know how to duplicate the....what makes the Slayer a Slayer," Giles protested. "Don't you think we would have at least ten Slayers around the world by now?"

"Your Council hasn't had our technology," Shaw countered. "If you can get your Slayer and the Council to cooperate.... well, it would be very appreciated. We will be working on your cancer as well. There are some experimental drugs that show great promise even at your advanced stage."

"Let me think on that," Giles said after a moment. "I haven't taken this in yet."

"I understand," Shaw responded. "We'll leave you all to your dinner. I believe you'll find these quarters and beds a bit more comfortable. We'll talk tomorrow, Mr. Giles."

The three watched Shaw and guards leaving the cell and the plexiglass illusion once again was activated.

Giles glanced at the camera and slightly moved his head side to side. "Well, this is rather a problem. I'm sure the broken ribs didn't help my lungs any."

"I don't want to lose you!" Willow protested and wiped at her eyes.

"Shhh," Giles said softly. "We'll be all right. I am a proud father of some remarkable men and women. And more."

Willow kissed his cheek.

"Oh goodie," Ethan said loudly. "It's taco night. Let us pray that they let us start picking our meals. Their meatloaf sucks."

"Prat," Giles muttered and glanced at the red light.


# # # #



"We have to get out of Sunnydale," Xander suggested.

"We can't go to Angel's crew," Buffy said thoughtfully. "I called and warned them. The government was helped by Angel once and Riley may have reported about Angel."

"How the hell do we run and find Giles and Will?" Tara asked.

"And my wife," Garth added.

"Altheana, how did you get out of the house?" Tara asked the older woman.

"I threw out an illusion spell," the witch replied. "They thought I was one of their soldiers."

"Clever," Dawn commented. "Can we find Willow and Giles through magic? I mean they both do magic and Garth's wife is a witch."

"Possibly," Altheana said after a moment. "I'm not sure. The government must have a way to block or dampen their magic or else they wouldn't be able to hold them."

"Giles isn't that great with the magic," Xander commented.

"You're wrong," Altheana said. "He had to hold the magic from the coven when he transported here and took on Willow because he is capable of working with some major power. He doesn't because he fears the temptation."

"We know the Initiative has Ethan Rayne," Buffy commented. "Who knows where he is, probably Area 51. Siobhan is probably with Giles and Willow."

"We need to have some kind of idea what part of North America to look," Altheana complained.

Buffy pulled out her cellphone and frowned.

"Hello?"

"It's Riley," a voice said. "I need to talk to you but your phone isn't safe. I swear I'm on your side."

Buffy hesitated. "All right, meet me where we found the jars in fifteen."

She clicked off her phone. "Everyone except Garth and Altheana, give me your phone. That was Riley and he said my phone isn't safe."

"Oh man, of course, pinging off the towers," Xander exclaimed. "They'll know all of us are still in Sunnydale."

"Turn all of them off except Garth and Althie's," Tara suggested.

"Yeah, that should work," Xander said. "We'll need to get those phones where you pay for minutes."

"I'll be back," Buffy said. "I'm going to listen to Riley."

"And if its a trap?" Garth asked.

"They won't be able to sneak up on me," Buffy said. She didn't mention that she'd be stuck in a clock tower if it was a trap. She went to the mantle of the fireplace and felt along the wood until there was a click and the bottom of the mantle fell open to reveal a pistol and a shotgun.

"Vampires don't use guns but sometimes they aren't up against Slayers or other vampires," Buffy explained and pulled the shotgun off it's hooks. "I'm going out the back way over the fence. There are shells in the pantry."

"Just...be careful," Dawn said and hugged her big sister.

"As I can be."


# # # #

The Other Watchers - BTVS/crossover - part 3 - 08/07/2023

The Other Watchers
Ms. Hunter Ash

Fan Fiction Crossover
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Buffy & Dawn Summers, Anya Emerson, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, William Pratt, Tara Maclay #### Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Anya/Xander, Tara/Willow

Angel: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Cordelia Chase, Charles Gunn (maybe) Winifred Burkle (maybe) ###Pairings: Wesley/Winifred

Highlander: Original characters so far but some of the tv/movie cast might appear


# # # #

Buffy was amazed by the fact she was relaxed and smiling by the time the four of them had finished dinner and dessert. She was also very glad that Tara was a bit more confident but was still the Tara she knew. On the other hand, Tara had some new skills that Buffy found very surprising. The other woman was sometimes thought of as clumsy in addition to being shy. Now Tara wielded a sword with confidence.

She was also amazed at how open Giles was with all of them. He had told the two women stories about his many lives and of adventures he and Tovar had shared. One thing that was puzzling Buffy was that they hadn't said how Giles had come to know Tovar and become friends with the fellow immortal.

Buffy's eyes darted around as they left the restaurant and she noticed her three companions doing the same.

Giles reached out to open the door for Tara when all three Immortals stopped and looked around.

"Saxon!"

Buffy saw a man standing under a light at the edge of the parking lot.

What really caught Buffy's eye was the hand held inside his jacket and his intense eyes.

"Get them out of here and on the plane," Giles said as he pulled his coat off and handed it to Tovar.

"Giles!" Buffy protested.

"Keep Tara safe," he said as he moved away from the car.

"Come," Tovar urged. "Neither of you are experienced enough to take him on."

Tara hesitated and then got in the car. "Buff, this is the way it is, come on."

Buffy got into the car reluctantly.


# # # #


Asher Giles trotted towards Garth Harkins, his eyes darting around. Where was Siobhan? The husband and wife never traveled separately.

Garth Harkins raised his hands when Giles drew closer.

“Pax,” he said loudly.

Giles was confused. He slowed and glanced around cautiously. “You're not going to suggest a spot of tea before we get on with it, are you?”

“No, but I do seek a truce,” Garth replied. “Hey! Look out!”

Giles turned and saw a car speeding for the parking lot and jumped to the side only to have the car skid out of control turning sideways as it hit him.

“Saxon! Saxon, can you hear me?”

Giles opened his eyes slowly and found Garth holding his hand.

“Do you understand me?”

“Aye,” Giles whispered.

“I need your help, bounty hunters have Siobhan,” Garth said urgently. “Please, I swear we'll never cross swords again.”

“Take....my....sword,” Giles whispered as sirens drew closer. “Sunnydale, California, meet me there.”

“Got it,” Garth said and pulled Giles sword into his jacket as the chatter of restaurant patrons and others almost drowned out his words.

Giles saw Garth draw back as the sirens reached them and he closed his eyes.


# # # #


“I can't just leave Giles!” Buffy protested as Tovar drove to the airport.

“He wants the two of you away from Garth Harkins,” he replied calmly. “Garth usually fights fairly but sometimes long held grudges override ethics.”

“How do we get our swords on the plane?” Tara asked.

“We'll buy some clothes, wrap them around the blades and put those in a guitar case,” Tovar explained.

“This sucks,” Buffy complained. “I just got him back.”

“I understand,” Tovar agreed. “Hopefully he will call before we get on a plane.”

“You okay, Tara?” Buffy asked.

“Not really,” Tara answered after a moment. “Are you going to California, Tovar?”

“Yes, you need more training,” Tovar responded.

“Especially if Giles doesn't follow, right?” Buffy asked and tried rolling her head a bit to loosen her neck muscles.

Tovar didn't answer.


# # # #


Giles listened closely once he became aware again. Not hearing or sensing anything nearby he opened his eyes and pulled the sheet away from his face. The cold table under him told the immortal that he had obviously died. He sat up with a wince and held his arm across his ribs. At least he still had his clothes on.

Now he had to get out of the hospital or morgue and get new clothes and get on a plane.

The Watcher changed his clothes with someone who no longer needed theirs in the morgue. He absently hoped the deceased didn't have any living things in their clothes. He took the stairs up to the main floor and casually walked into the waiting area of the Emergency Room. When a good sized family group headed for the exit he followed along closely until he was out of the doors and faded into the shadows.

He was very surprised when a car stopped at the curb by him and the passenger door opened. Giles bent down slightly and saw Garth.

“As bad off as you were, I figured you'd be up and about soon,” he said. “Hop in.”

Giles got into the passenger seat and saw his harness and sword in the floorboard in front of him.

“What's going on?” he asked.

“I heard you've been in California for awhile but was spotted in Canada,” Garth said. “I came up to find you. I called in a few markers and tracked Tovar and his new student. Siobhan and I were in LA when we were attacked by bounty hunters or someone. I was shot numerous times and Siobhan was drugged. I woke up and she was gone. I don't know why they didn't kill me.”

“How were they dressed? Did you see them?”

“Yeah, like SWAT or Special Forces,” Garth answered. He downshifted with a heavy scarred hand and Giles sighed.

“They might not be bounty hunters,” Giles said. “If they aren't bounty hunters then Siobhan is still alive. The trick is getting her back.”

“What do you know?”

“There's a secret US military group of soldiers and scientists that capture vampires, werewolves, and demons,” Giles explained. “There are groups around the States, probably around the world.”

“Why are they capturing the supernatural types?” Garth asked.

“To find how better to kill them,” Giles said. “And some scientists are likely working on how to mix demon, vampire and were-creature attributes into soldiers. They set up a center on a negative node where I've been. They captured a friend and it was damned hard to get him back.”

“An immortal?” Garth asked. “I've luggage in the back where you can put your sword under your name. I've got your wallet and passport, by the by. I figured you'd need them and didn't want them locked up as your final possessions in a morgue.”

“Thank you. My friend is a werewolf,” Giles said. “Swing by the Heaven Black club, please. I'll grab a couple of things I need back in the States.”

“Can do,” Garth said. “How does the American government know about immortals and why didn't they take me?”

Giles frowned. “Something.... Siobhan is a witch, you aren't.”

“What does that have to do with it?”

“They capture non-humans,” Giles answered. “If they don't know about immortals it could be they took Siobhan for the magic.”

“You didn't say they were taking witches and mages,” Garth said as he pulled into the parking lot of the club.

“They weren't,” Giles said. “At least...They took Ethan into custody when one of his tricks nearly got me stabbed by the Slayer. They didn't know how to scan for magic but it could be they've figured out how. Leaving you dead and taking Siobhan fits my theory. Now we need to figure out where she is and how to get her back and alert as many of those with magic to stay alert. I'll be down in about 15. If I'm not, get to Sunnydale, California and ask around for Buffy and tell her you've problems with the Intiative. Fifteen minutes, split if I'm not down."

"They aren't after you," Garth said with a frown.

"They have Ethan, they just might be after me," Giles pointed out. "Hopefully this identity will hold up through their first scans. I'll be back."

# # # #


"Home, sweet home," Buffy muttered as the three travelers crossed the city limits line. "Drop me off and head over to Giles' place. I'll try and explain to Will and call you."

"Goddess, I'm scared," Tara admitted.

"We'll get you both through this," Buffy said. "Altheana knows about Giles and you being immortal, right?"

"Yes," Tovar responded. "She counsels many Immortals."

Buffy got out of the car and grabbed her backpack out of the turnk. She smiled when the door opened and Dawn barreled out of the house and jumped down the stairs to hug her older sister. "Hello, runt!"

"Where's Giles?" Dawn demanded. "He told Willow to tell us about him!"

"When did he call Will?" Buffy asked as they headed for the front door.

"Night before last," Dawn answered. "Where is he?"

"He got hung up, he should be following within a day or two," Buffy answered. "Can I bribe you into going upstairs and giving me and Willow a few minutes?"

"Depends on the bribe."

"Pizza and ice cream," Buffy suggested. "An entire pint of ice cream and no bed time."

"Deal!"

Buffy watched as Dawn trotted up the stairs and listened for Dawn's door to close. She smiled when Willow stepped out of the kitchen. "Hey, Will."

"Hey, where's Giles? I can't wait to see him!"

"I'm hoping he can follow in a day or two," Buffy said. "Let's have some coffee."

"Okay," Willow said. "I am so glad you didn't stake him. That would hurt!"

"I almost used a sword after he made me drop my stake," Buffy commented.

"Oh gods, that....could be very bad," Willow said softly.

"Yeah, he told me," Buffy said. "Will...."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Just that something's come up," Buffy said. "Where's Giles' friend from the coven?"

"Outside meditating," Willow answered.

"Will...Giles isn't the only Immortal we know," Buffy began.

Willow frowned and obviously pondered. "Who?"

"Tara's alive, Will," Buffy said and saw her friend blink in surprise and lean against a counter.

"What?"

"When you had a meltdown, Giles came to help you and he asked a friend to be there when Tara woke up and get her out of town," Buffy explained. "He said a Hellmouth mucks with their spidey-senses and she needed immediate training while he helped you."

"Tara?" Willow whispered. "Why didn't he tell us?"

"He was going to when those demons attacked and we thought he was dead," Buffy said.

She nodded to the older woman that stepped into the house.

Altheana watched Willow closely. "Easy, young one," she said softly. "Balance out."

Willow nodded and sat down on the kitchen floor as she tried to calm her rapid heartbeat and breathing. "She's alive. Tara's alive and immortal."

"Yes," Buffy said.

"She won't want me after what I did!" Willow's eyes widened.

"Will, she's as nervous as you are," Buffy protested. "I promise. She knows what happened and can't wait to see you. She's worried you won't want her."

"Of course I do! She's.....she's Tara," Willow responded.

Buffy glanced over her shoulder slightly.

"Willow."

Willow's head snapped up and she was in Tara's arms in a flash, holding each other tightly.

Tovar looked around the door jam. "She couldn't wait."

"It's cool," Buffy said and looked at Altheana. "I'm Buffy and that's...you know Tovar."

"Yes, its been a long time, my friend," Altheana said and walked over and kissed Tovar for several moments. "You're as handsome as ever."

"And you get better looking every day," he responded.

"With everyone getting all sappy I'm going to go explain to Dawn and then call Xander over here."

Tovar and Altheana moved outside onto a swinging bench while Tara and Willow cuddled on the sofa. Within 10 minutes they heard a loud squeal.

Tara looked at Willow and stood up.

Dawn ran down the stairs, jumping past the last five and into Tara's arms. "This is so cool! I missed you! Willow missed you so much!"

"I missed all of you," Tara said with a wide smile. "I had to learn how to defend myself though."

“So let's get Xander over here after he gets off work,” Buffy suggested. “I'll go and see Anya and explain everything.”

//And hopefully Giles will be here soon// she thought.


# # # ##


Giles moaned and rolled over on the bed and grabbed for a trashbin and began dry heaving for several minutes before he could blink and raise his head.

"I'm not surprised, you never could handle strong drugs," a voice commented.

Giles' eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder and saw Ethan Rayne standing in the doorway of a bathroom. Giles stumbled to his feet and looked around.

"Where are we?" he demanded.

"Hell," Ethan said easily.

Giles looked around at low-cost furniture that was maybe fashionable in the late 70s, an older tv and horrible curtains and bed covers.

"Well, it looks like a Motel 6," Giles muttered.

"Super 8 or something, this one has a hot plate, crock pot, coffee pot and microwave. In other words, same thing," Ethan commented.

The other immortal walked over to the door of the motel room that housed a window with closed drapes and an ancient a/c unit. He touched the door and everything simmered.

Giles blinked rapidly. Past the shimmering illusion he could see a hall of other cells with a guard's desk at the end of the corridor where a scientist watched a row of video screens and an armed guard watched another set of screens.

"You gave me up?" Giles said softly as his hand clenched.

"Wait a minute, Rip!"

Giles rushed Ethan, slamming him into a wall and hitting his old mate with a left cross. Ethan retaliated with a punch of his own into Giles' ribs, followed by two more as Giles winced and then doubled over. The Watcher stumbled to the bed and laid back down.

"I didn't rat you out, you idiot!" Ethan yelled. "I'm in here with you and I've been here a hell of a lot longer than you!"

"I've been trying to get you out for years but I didn't have the leverage," Giles countered. "The Council wouldn't help and several governments around the world are working with the US in this little black ops operation."

He coughed and closed his eyes against the pain.

"What's wrong?" Ethan's voice asked. "The drugs make you that sick?"

"My ribs are broken," Giles said as he tasted blood. "I was in a car wreck before I was grabbed. Where are we? Canada?"

"No, the US," Ethan said as he sat down on the bed next to Giles. "It's not Area 51 but its damned close. Your bunch hasn't a chance of finding us. Well, they do but not as free people out to rescue us."

"What do you mean? Make sense, please," Giles grumbled.

"I'm not the one that gave you up," Ethan repeated. "As much as I wanted some intelligent company around here, I didn't do that. A stray of yours did. He gave you all up, Super Barbie, the witches, the former demon, vampires with souls and the boy."

"All of them?" Giles whispered and opened his eyes. "They're after everyone?"

"Yes, they want to figure out how several of us can do magic," Ethan explained. "And where Barbie gets her powers. Former demons and vampires will get the usual treatment. I don't know if they plan on taking the kid or the little sister. They know you, me and the witches do magic."

"And want to know how and they threw me in here with you so they could listen to our meditations, debates on the finer points of a circle of Solomon construction? Microphones and cameras?"

"Everywhere," Ethan said and nodded.

"Well, I'm too damned old for this nonsense," Giles mumbled.

"Well, we aren't getting any younger," Ethan agreed. "At least they won't treat us as lab rats very often."

"Who gave us up? Riley?"

"Captain America?" Ethan asked. "He's been around a few times. It wasn't him. Take it up with Fido there."

Giles looked up and sat up slowly with Ethan's help. Sweeping the spotless floors outside the cells was a familiar figure. At least he had been familiar once.

"Oz."

"Not anymore," Ethan said softly. "They call him Fido now. The boy's mind is gone, Rip. They broke him a long time ago and kept at it until he's little more than an obedient zombie. On full moons they put him in a cell and he howls all night long and screams. They took parts of his brain in their attempts to figure out the change. They also used a lot of silver and an implant. On full moons it scrambles his brain and hurts. He can't even change into a full wolf or even a wolfman. You can't blame him for this."

Giles got to his feet and walked to the plexiglass wall. "Oz!" he yelled.

The werewolf looked up with dull eyes and went back to his sweeping.

"Oh God," Giles whispered. "Those empty cells."

"Ready to go for your bunch," Ethan said. "They like putting family members across from each other, it breaks them faster."

"And the magic?" Giles asked.

"Doesn't work down here, they've figured out just enough to dampen and shield it," Ethan explained.

Giles' eyes narrowed slightly. "Bollocks. Sod that. Got any ideas?"

“Not a one,” Ethan said. “Maybe they'll let us have a deck of cards or something.”

//Tara! Willow!// Giles mentally yelled. //Get out of Sunnydale! Soldiers//

The Other Watchers - BTVS/x-over - part 02 - 07/18/2023

The Other Watchers
Ms. Hunter Ash

Fan Fiction Crossover
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Buffy & Dawn Summers, Anya Emerson, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, William Pratt, Tara Maclay #### Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Anya/Xander, Tara/Willow

Angel: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Cordelia Chase, Charles Gunn (maybe) Winifred Burkle (maybe) ###Pairings: Wesley/Winifred

Highlander: Original characters so far but some of the tv/movie cast might appear

# # #

Buffy moaned as she lowered herself into the welcoming water of a nice, hot bath. She was definitely glad she wasn't out in the cold night in Canada and she hadn't been forced to kill her Watcher.

She closed her eyes as the warm water helped her muscles relax. Her mind, however, couldn't seem to slow down. The man she loved more than her own father was alive but almost everything about him had been a lie.

Except his dedication to her and the gang, she reflected. As she thought about all the years, she believed that. He could have left when he was fired on her 18th birthday or stayed gone when she returned from the dead or....stayed gone when Willow was in England.

Buffy sighed but her mind shifted into semi-alert as she heard Giles obviously on a phone.

"Yeah, we need to shift the schedule a bit," she heard him say. "I've got company tonight. An old friend, my Slayer found me. Don't panic, I'm all right. I'll have her meet us at the cabin. Yes, she knows what I am and is stunned. I can't wait to see you. Yes, I'm eating and I'm not lost in too many books, I promise. How is it going with Tovar? That's good. Meet me there around 11? Great, see you then. Hey...I have missed you."

It was twenty minutes before Buffy stepped out of the bathroom dressed in pajamas.

"Quick, get on the air mattress, floors up here get damned cold," Giles urged from the kitchen area. "Hot cocoa? With a shot or without? Good Scots whisky."

"With, please," Buffy responded as she sat down on the air mattress and pulled a blanket over her legs and lap. "That bath helped a lot. I still haven't gotten used to the cold winters outside of Southern California."

"I am missing the mild winters," Giles said as he handed her a mug of hot cocoa and sat down with one of his own.

Buffy took a sip of chocolate with a frown. "How much was a role?"

Giles frowned and took a sip of his cocoa. "I'm not sure much of it was, actually. I already had an interest and a lot of knowledge in the occult before finding out that Rupert Giles was destined to be a Watcher. After Ethan, me and others screwed up and a mate was killed, I did have a bit of a breakdown and the Council snatched me up and put me on the path Rupert was meant to have. I dived in, it seemed like a grand challenge. I could put my knowledge and skills to use for the light instead of being a selfish prat. Then I met you and knew this wasn't a lark I could walk away from."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Buffy asked. "After dealing with insane gods, demons, vampires and a long list of other things, I could have handled it."

"Probably," Giles agreed after a moment. "As I said, I was coming close to leaving, I knew I couldn't keep up the 'aging Watcher' thing much longer. That's one of the difficulties we face, we don't grow older and eventually people start noticing. That demon gave me an out and took some responsibility off of you."

"Huh? What? What responsibility?"

"If you knew that I occasionally have to face someone with centuries of experience out to kill me, what would you do? Let me walk out the door with sword in hand?" he asked.

Buffy's frown deepened. "I don't know," she admitted.

"And I can't stay and remain as your Watcher beyond a few more years," Giles said. "Others outside of the Scooby gang will notice that I'm not aging eventually.”

Buffy took a sip of her cocoa. "So what do we do now?"

"Now we get to spend a couple of days together and head back to California,” Giles suggested. “If you'll forgive me for not telling you immediately after that demon killed me.”

Buffy frowned. “My armor is pretty dented right now, Giles. Being shot, Tara dying, her body disappearing, Willow having a meltdown and trying to destroy the world and almost killing you in the process....”

“I know,” Giles said softly. “You are my family and we have a tendency to stay close to family even down many generations. I also didn't want to tell you over the phone, you wouldn't have believed me. I wanted to come back sooner than this.”

"Why haven't you?" Buffy asked as she felt the warmth of the cocoa and the whisky warming her back up after the hot bath.

"I've someone on my tail," Giles said. "I'm keeping a low profile for a couple of months. I don't believe he and his wife known my identity. They are persistant, however.”

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"His original name is Garth Harkins and hers is Siobhan," Giles answered. "We were on opposites sides of the English Civil War and he's held a grudge. A small group of us were captured and he ordered our deaths, by decapitation. He knew I'm an immortal."

"Isn't like a rule that you two fight and see who's better?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Giles agreed. "That doesn't mean that all Immortals are ethical. It pissed me off and I charged the guards and took on several hits that would be fatal for anyone else but it encouraged the others to rush the guards and him. My men overwhelmed his due to desperation. I lay there dying and saw him glaring at me from his horse just before he took off to escape my men who were now armed. I saw a crossbow hit him in the shoulder before he got out of reach. I told my men to leave me, to escape any other enemy troops. After I came back to life, I stole clothes from a clothesline of a nearby farm and got out of England as quick as I could ship out."

"Wow," Buffy said softly. "When were you born?"

"70 C.E.," Giles responded.

"In the Highlands of Scotland?" Buffy asked with just a hint of sarcasm.

"No, close to Wales," he answered.

"So like King Arthur and stuff?"

"No, further back but not much," Giles said. "I know this is a lot to take in and I am so sorry you thought I had been turned. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"No, I was planning on.....seeing you and then drinking myself to sleep in a hotel for a couple of days and then go home."

"Spend a couple of days with me? Please," Giles asked.

"Okay," Buffy agreed. "You look good with the goatee, by the way. Like, dangerous, not like a hipster or something."

"Thanks. I have a business meeting in the morning, how about we have breakfast, I'll do my meeting and you meet me out of town at a cabin I have," he suggested.

"Sure as long as the Garmin thing can find the address," Buffy agreed. Was she going to get to meet whoever he had been missing?

"It can. Now, tell me about the last couple of months," he urged. "Willow was in too much shock to give me much info."

Buffy smiled. "Well, Dawn...."

# # # #

Buffy woke to the smell of coffee brewing and steaks cooking. She sat up and smiled as she watched Giles navigate the small kitchen area as he pulled breakfast together.

He glanced over and smiled. "Hullo, how did you sleep?"

"Not too bad," Buffy answered. "I'm still pissed off, by the way."

"I understand," Giles responded. "Breakfast should be ready in 10 minutes."

"Just enough time to get dressed," Buffy responded. "I'll be right out."

Fifteen minutes later Buffy sat down at the small breakfast table. Giles sat a plate of eggs, steak and toast in front of the Slayer and sat down with one of his own.

"I have something to show that might show I was coming back," he said after a moment.

"This is really good, Giles," Buffy responded. "Show me what?"

"Next to the pepper on your side of the table is a bank book," Giles said. "I know things have been rough. There's enough there to cover the mortage and Dawn's schooling."

Buffy opened the bank book and tried to remember to swallow. "Giles, this..."

"Is yours," Giles said. "I was going to give that to you after I got up after you hit me," Giles said with a slight smile. "I still deserve a good right cross, I know."

"I still might hit you," Buffy said and looked back at the bank book. "This is huge. You can afford this?"

"Yes, easily," Giles said. "Whenever I'd get low on funds I could take on dangerous work, it pays better than a regular wage."

# # #

"Hey, Welshman! Pick up the pace!"

Giles glanced back at the foreman and waved a small wave. He looked at the beam they were trying to place on the half-built bridge. It was just out of reach of the crew and the crew below couldn't move the crane at that point.

Giles made his way to the others. "Get ready to catch this," he told them and jumped at a beam just above him and swung his legs out and kicked the beam. He pulled his legs up just as the return swing of the I-beam was caught by the others on the team. Giles swung his legs back and forth and let go and he managed to get his feet on the structure and one of the other men grabbed Giles' belt to steady him.

"You're insane!" Tommy Jones exclaimed. "You're not tied off!"

"Yeah, maybe," Giles agreed.

# # # #

"Remember me saying that being on a Hellmouth can be difficult?" Giles asked.

"Yeah, it screws with your spidey-senses," Buffy responded.

"Yes, it can," Giles said. "I do have a student that's been studying with a friend this week. I'd like you to meet them."

"Okay," Buffy said. "You think they'll be ready to...I don't know, leave the nest? You said we'd go back to California together."

"I believe so," Giles said. "Here's the address to a small place I have where I practice my sword work and occasionally train other Immortals. "Here's a key to the place and code to the alarm. There's a door heading upstairs just the other side of the main door to this place. You'll come out?"

"Yeah, around noon, you said," Buffy said with a nod.

"Good," he said as he stood up. "There are still some surprises but I hope they don't get me decked. See you out there."

# # # #

Giles smiled and vaulted over the railing to the porch of a small cabin and the two people fighting with swords stopped and watched him.

The woman hugged him tightly. "Are you all right?"

"I am," Giles answered. "Hullo, Tovar, how goes the training?"

"Quite well," the man answered and shook Giles' hand and then hugged him. "She is open to learning and takes to it well."

"Good," Giles said and smiled at the girl. There was definitely a change in her, he thought.

"Buffy knows?"

"About me, yes," Giles said and cocked his head. "I think she's early. I'll talk with her outside for a moment and bring her in."

"We'll go inside and get warm," Tovar suggested.

Giles trotted around the cabin and saw Buffy getting out of her rental car. "You found it, good."

"This place is nice," Buffy said as she looked around. "Is your friend here?"

"She is," he said. "I remember you telling me that Tara's body disappeared."

"Yeah, disappeared from the morgue but she didn't show up with a bumpy forehead so we kinda let it go," Buffy answered.

"She's alive," Giles said softly. "She came back to life in the morgue and I had a friend waiting to get her out of town while I was on my way to England with Willow."

Buffy blinked and leaned against the car. "What?"

"I couldn't be in two places at once," Giles said. "I needed her away from the Hellmouth and I needed to be in England to get Willow past the worst of her magical breakdown."

"And when you came back from England?"

"I was about to go on a buying trip to Canada and take Willow with me once Willow was back. Then those demons attacked," he explained. "That's why I called Willow. She grilled me for a half hour to prove I was alive and not evil. I haven't told Willow that Tara is back.”

“Tara's alive and she's...”

“Like me, she's an immortal,” Giles answered. “She's inside the house and she's very nervous.”

“Wow,” Buffy said softly and then tried to smile. “So all three of us have died and came back.”

Giles' eyebrows rose. “Well, there is that. I'm sorry about keeping her return and our immortality a secret. My friend has been training her along with myself.”

"How the hell do you spring this on Willow? I'm in shock, she'll be...I don't know," Buffy snapped.

"Alethena, the high priestess of the coven will be there as a counselor of sorts," Giles said.

"And in case Willow turns darkside again?"

"That as well," Giles admitted. "Please, Tara didn't ask for this."

"Why did you and your friend take her away?" Buffy demanded. "Willow might have come down without as much trauma."

"I understand what you're saying and agree," Giles said. "I told you being on a Hellmouth or strong node mucks with us. To help her transition into this....this game as they call it, we needed her away from family and home and out where she can feel that sensation of having another Immortal nearby. I'm trying to give her the best chances there are to survive future encounters."

Buffy continued to frown as she pondered. "I think I still owe you a right cross but I sure as hell won't take it out on Tara. Walk with me, I need.... Just, come on."

Giles glanced back at the cabin and waved slightly and joined his Slayer as she walked down the dirt road towards a small creek.

He waited as they walked along in silence for several minutes.

"You were gone, then you're back to tackle an out of control Willow and then left again," she began. "Mom is gone, Tara was dead and Spike disappeared after...an incident, then you died. Anya and Xander broke up and got back together but...it's been hard."

"And the trauma of coming back?" he suggested.

"Yeah, you and me couldn't connect and...none of them...I'm angry," Buffy admitted.

"I've known, I know you weren't happy at being brought back," Giles commented.

"That's part of it," Buffy said and then was silent for several minutes. "Did they tell you about that night?"

"Just that Willow found a spell and reworked it and they did the ritual," Giles answered. "She said she destroyed the ritual notes and when the demons attacked they didn't think the ritual had worked."

"No details about the ritual?" Buffy asked. "Or how they prepared?"

"No," Giles said softly. "None of them would talk about it beyond Xander saying that it was a crazy night he doesn't want to repeat."

"When I found my way home....I remember Dawn and Spike treating my hands and nails in addition to all the bruises from fighting the demons."

Giles frowned. "Your hands and...oh gods. They left the casket locked?"

"No, they didn't bring it up," she finally said.

"Oh boy," Giles whispered. "How? How could they miss that?"

"I don't know," Buffy said.

"I should have asked for more details," Giles grumbled. "I'm sorry. How can I help?"

"I don't know," Buffy said softly. "I...it feels like live wires inside me but like I'm also dead inside."

"It's hard to concentrate, you wake up with nightmares, some things just send you over the edge, irrational anger or tears?" he asked.

"Yeah, especially the dead inside," Buffy agreed.

“PTSD," Giles told her. "It's common from many traumas. Maybe talking with Althenea, a casual talk, might help? She's helped me greatly over the years."

"Maybe," Buffy said after a moment and turned to walk back. "I'm angry at them. None of them apologized."

"And you haven't confronted them," Giles ventured.

"No, I haven't. I didn't want to hurt them. They might...disappear."

"Like your father?" He asked.

"Yeah," Buffy said with a nod.

"And like me?" he asked.

"Yes."

"I'm sorry, I was coming back, each time," Giles said.

"I get that but it doesn't help the emotions right now," Buffy said. "I won't reject Tara. I get how weird it is to have died and come back different."

"Buffy...I haven't said it enough but I am proud of you," he said as he stopped to face her. "I will not leave you, I won't leave Dawn, I won't leave her children. I may disappear for a bit but I will always come back somehow."

"Thanks," Buffy said and then hugged him. "I still want to punch you but not as much now."

"I'll take that."


# # # #


Tara bit her lip as she watched out the main window of the cabin.

"Easy, young one," Tovar urged. "She loves you, she will accept you."

"It's hard, I want to just jump on a plane and run home to Willow," Tara said as she turned and sat down and began sharpening her sword.

"It'll be a shock, especially after her breakdown but it will work out," Tovar said easily and refilled his smoking pipe.

Tara jumped when the front door opened and Buffy stepped inside. The new Immortal stood up and sat her sword down and tried not to shuffle on her feet, drop her head or bite her lip. "I, uh, hi."

"Hey," Buffy said and moved closer. "This is kinda weird."

"Yeah," Tara agreed. "Everything was turned upside down. I woke up with Tovar telling me we were leaving California and he could explain."

"Sounds like my first Watcher trying to convince me I was the Slayer now," Buffy said as the girls sat down on the sofa. "Did you hit him?"

"Yeah," Tara said softly. "He slapped me back and pulled the car over and stabbed me."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Uh, wow."

"Yeah, I woke up and there was no wound," Tara continued.

"I get that," Buffy said softly and smiled as Giles put two sodas on the coffee table and disappeared with Tovar.

"How's Willow? Giles told me she...lost it. Please tell me."


# # # #


Giles smiled when the two girls entered the kitchen and found him fixing fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy for lunch. "Hullo, how are you two doing?" he asked as Tovar huddled over a laptop.

"We're okay," Buffy said.

Giles noted the red eyes and nodded. "It's not easy, certainly."

"How did you find out?" Tara asked. "You haven't been up here very much."

"I know, don't worry, we're going to really train once we get back to Sunnydale," Giles said. "I was involved in a small skirmish between two families and took a sword to the chest. I remember falling and darkness. Then I was awake and surrounded by members of the opposing family. I was accused of being an evil magic worker, tied up and they planned on burning me the next morning."

"Oh so not good," Tara said softly.

"I was tied to a stake next to a pig pen," Giles continued. "I felt someone tugging on the rope holding me but didn't move. My cousin's voice was then in my ear telling me to move slowly and to crawl into the pig pen. We crawled through the muck very slowly. Somehow we managed to get across the open area to the trees and ran like madmen away from there. We finally stopped by a river. Ioan told me he had stayed behind and saw me taken. He had also seen me go down to a chest wound."

"Wow," Buffy whispered.

"Ioan could see in the moonlight that I wasn't wounded any longer," Giles said after a moment. "He handed me his sword and belt and what coin he had. He hugged me tightly and pointed up river and then he dived into the river and headed downstream. I ran into another immortal six months later and learned the game."

"Bloody idiotic name for it," Tovar muttered.

"I agree," Giles commented. “I was thinking we should include Buffy and the others into some of the training. There are occasional times when a sword is needed.”

“And unethical Immortals targeting them,” Tovar added. “They usually attack with swords or axes.”

“That's true,” Giles agreed. “What say we head back day after tomorrow?”

“I'm ready,” Tara responded.

“Me too,” Buffy agreed.

“Take them both back tomorrow,” Tovar suggested. “I'll tell your music bunch that you were picked up as being in the country illegally and tossed out and you were under a false name while here.”

“That works,” Giles said with a nod.

“What about your club? Who runs it when you aren't here?” Buffy asked.

“Tovar or Ethan if he's in town,” Giles answered. "If not the manager steps in. He's loyal, capable and honest, a rare thing in the pub business."

"Can Althie meet you there?" Tovar asked.

"She's already in Sunnydale working with Willow in dealing with a Hellmouth energy," Giles said.

"That works then," Tovar commented. "Let's take these two out and have a bit of sparring and then out to dinner and you all can sleep here since I know he only has one air mattress and it's a single."

Buffy laughed. "It's comfortable but not for two even if Tara doesn't kick in her sleep."

Tara lightly punched Buffy's arm.


# # #

 

The Other Watchers - BTVS/Highlander/Angel x-over 01

 

The Other Watchers
Ms. Hunter Ash

Fan Fiction Crossover
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: Buffy & Dawn Summers, Anya Emerson, Xander Harris, Willow Rosenberg, Rupert Giles, William Pratt, Tara Maclay #### Pairings: Buffy/Spike, Anya/Xander, Tara/Willow

Angel: Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Cordelia Chase, Charles Gunn (maybe) Winifred Burkle (maybe) ###Pairings: Wesley/Winifred

Highlander: Original characters so far but some of the tv/movie cast might appear

Rating: PG

# # ##

“No one knows what it’s like to be the bad man
to be the sad man behind blue eyes.

No one knows what it’s like to be hated
to be fated to telling only lies

but my dreams they aren’t as empty
as my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
my love is vengeance that’s never free

No one knows what it’s like to feel these feelings
and I blame you
no one bites back this hard on their anger
none of my pain, woe, can show through

but my dreams they aren’t as empty
as my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
my love is vengeance that’s never free”

A pair of blue eyes hardened as they watched the singer behind the lead guitar while ignoring the rest of the band.

She might have doubted her own eyes about the man’s identity with the right handed guitar playing but the song convinced her.

Not that she had heard him sing it before. Others had and they had raved about his singing. Well, most of them had. So much so that Buffy Summers had become curious and downloaded the song (the original version by The Who, not the lackluster cover by Limp Bizkit). She had listened to it repeatedly. It certainly wasn’t her usual middle of the road pop but the lyrics fit the parts of her Watcher that she and the Scooby gang had only seen bare hints of.

Almost against her will, Buffy Summers was becoming a fan of The Who.

Now…. The Slayer left the Canadian nightclub.


# # #

“Need a lift, Jack?” the drummer asked as the band exited the club through a back door, long after the patrons had left for the night.

“Nah, but thanks, I’ve got my bike,” the lead singer said as he pulled the shoulder straps of his soft gig bag over his shoulders. No way in hell he’d leave the guitar around casually and he wasn’t going to stop before going out and getting something to eat.

“Tomorrow night then,” the bass player called as he and the other three band members got into a van and it sped out of the alley and onto the street without even slowing.

The lead singer shook his head. “Daft bunch.”

He turned to unlock the chain around his motorcycle tire and a pipe. He stood up with a puzzled expression.

“Aren’t you afraid of going down on ice?”

Jack spun around with one hand clenched and the other reaching inside his military peacoat. With his LEFT hand, Buffy noted.

She stepped into the light, her face hidden by a broad brimmed hat she was wearing.

“I haven’t dropped a bike in years,” the singer said. “I’m not up for fans right now, thanks.”

“Not even for coffee? Or should I say tea?”

“I drink either,” Jack said slowly, his hand still hovering near his jacket lapel. “Do I know you?”

“Maybe. We could catch up over coffee,” Buffy suggested. She pulled off her hat, her eyes hard. In her other hand was a stake.

“No!” Ripper barely turned sideways into the thrust, taking the stake along the front of his jacket. He grabbed Buffy’s wrist with one hand and elbowed her nose hard with his other arm.

The singer wasn’t even sure what moves she had used when he realized he was face down on the pavement of the alley and Buffy had one foot on his wrist and her knee at the back of his neck. He froze when he saw a blade in front of his eyes and it was moving to his neck.

“I’ll give your guitar to Oz when I run into him again,” Buffy said in his ear.

“No! I’m alive! I’m not a vampire!” Ripper yelled. “Inside my shirt, I wear a cross!”

He felt the Slayer hesitate and then something metal was pressed against his cheek.

“I’m not Catholic but I’ll kiss it if that’ll help,” he offered and sighed when the cross was pulled away from his skin.

In a flash, Buffy was several feet away from the man.

Giles slowly got to his hands and knees and then to his feet.

“I didn’t teach you that,” he commented.

“You died. I found another teacher, I've been training with Gunn from LA,” Buffy countered. “Giles, I saw you die! You’re not a vampire so what the hell?”

Giles brushed his coat and then jeans off, trying not to show had rattled he was. He had almost been staked by his own Slayer. Worse had been the sword she had pulled and was about to use on him.

He glanced at the snow beginning to fall and sighed.

“Don’t you usually ensure someone is a vampire before staking them?”

“I usually don’t find my Watcher two months after he died,” Buffy countered. “And looking younger than when I first met you! What the hell is going on? What did they call you? Jack?”

“This will take awhile,” Giles muttered and pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the back door to the club.

“You have keys to the place where your band plays?” Buffy asked as he stepped inside and turned off the alarm.

Buffy grabbed a large backpack from behind a dumpster.

“Worse, I own the place,” Giles said, motioning her inside. "That's hidden behind a small corporation title." He closed and locked the door and reactivated the alarm.

The Englishman went to a wood paneled wall and reached along the molding and Buffy heard a click and the panel slid away like a pocket door.

“What?”

“There’s two entrances to the apartment upstairs. This one keeps me from being tracked too easily. Somewhat,” he explained. “come on up.”

He waited until Buffy had passed him and he clicked on a dim light and pulled a handle on the wall and the panel slid back into place.

“Track you?” Buffy asked as he moved past her. “Who would be tracking you? Did you break some law by not wearing tweed anymore? And where are your glasses?”

“I know, a hundred questions,” Giles said as they entered a spacious studio apartment. “Lots of questions. As for my glasses, I don’t need them. I never needed them but I am rather fond of them. I’m still very attached to my time in Sunnydale.”

Buffy frowned but glanced around and smiled at all the books, including several that had taken up residence on one side of a twin bed.

“Don’t have many sleepovers?”

“You’re the third person to visit me here,” Giles said as he pulled off his coat.

Buffy blinked as she took in the sight of a small… sword in a weird shoulder holster under his right arm. A sword without a hilt?

“They don’t share my bed,” Giles continued as he went to the kitchen area. “You want something to eat? It’s going to be a long night. I was going out to eat but I prefer privacy for this conversation.”

“Sure,” Buffy said softly.

“As for answers…the glasses helped me fill a role,” Giles said as he began pulling items out of cupboards and a fridge.

“A role? I don’t get it and it’s getting really irritating. You were my Watcher, that wasn’t a role. Quentin even fired you.”

“Yes, he did,” Giles said as he began making spaghetti. “He doesn't know the truth. I wasn’t born Rupert Giles. He was a mate of mine. He died in a motorcycle wreck when he was 19. I was injured as well and I switched wallets. I had facial injuries and told rescue I was Rupert Giles and I took his place. We looked enough alike to pull it off after a wreck.”

“Took his place?” Buffy repeated. “But…. You trained me, you helped save the world several times!”

“Something I enjoyed and would do again in an instant,” Giles said.

“Who the hell are you and how did you get younger?” Buffy demanded, almost shouting, one hand clenched into a fist.

Giles sighed and ran a hand through unruly hair.

“I never aged. I merely led you all to think I was. It was annoying but not hard. I intentionally thinned my hair a bit, applied some makeup, including some liver spots and complained about aches and pains and you all believed because it was expected that I was aging. I hadn’t expected to be in Sunnydale so long but you and the others beat the odds. I was just about to disappear when I got the call that you had been brought back to life. That kept me in the role far longer than I ever thought.”

“You didn’t expect me to live so long?” Buffy asked as she sat down at a breakfast bar.

“No,” Giles said. “I thought I could help train a Slayer and possibly help save the world and disappear on a Hellmouth for a few years. My kind steers clear of them. It mucks with the senses and that can be deadly.”

“Your kind? Deadly how?”

“When one or more of us are close, we sense it,” Giles said. “Your spidey senses as you call it.”

“You’re talking in circles,” Buffy growled. “You sound like the Scottish guy on tv with the sword and living forever.”

“Until someone removes his head,” Giles pointed out. “We’re still trying to find out who gave out so much information about us.”

Buffy blinked, watching his eyes and face closely.

“You’re telling me you’re immortal and hunt other immortals for their heads?” she asked.

“I don’t go hunting them,” Giles said. “Sometimes they hunt me or we run across each other. Most times we fight, sometimes we just talk. Depends on the immortals.”

“How… how many are there and wouldn’t headless bodies attract attention? Especially since you don’t like Hellmouths.”

“One thing the show didn’t get right. If we lose our head the body and head turn to dust,” Giles explained.

“This is pretty out there, Giles,” Buffy complained.

“Says the girl chosen at age 15 to fight vampires and demons,” Giles countered. “Whose best friend is a powerful witch.”

Buffy glared at the Englishman and pondered for several moments. “What do I call you?” she asked as he dished out a plate of spaghetti for each of them.

“Giles works. It seems right from you,” he said as he placed the plates on a small breakfast table.

Buffy moved to sit at the table with him. He brought a soda for each of them and placed Parmesan cheese on the table as his hands shook slightly.

“I saw you die,” she said softly. “That hurt.”

“I know,” Giles said softly. “There was no way to explain those wounds and the fact that I healed so quickly from it. You held me and felt me die. Its rather hard to explain.”

“What happened?”

“As you chased the demon that ripped my stomach and intestines apart, I came back and stumbled behind a dumpster,” Giles said. “I was alive but still hurting. The damage isn’t healed all at once. I've been setting up a new identity, one that would bring me back to all of you, if you've reported my death to the Council.”

“We didn't yet. This hurts, Giles,” Buffy said. “You help Willow and bring her back to Sunnydale and you get killed. And why are you shaking?”

Giles said, “I was nearly killed by my Slayer. A final death. That rattled me. As for the other, I was going to explain but I had to focus on helping someone outside of a Hellmouth.”

“Why the hell didn't you explain when you died?” Buffy demanded. “I kinda get the superhero secret identity thing.”

“Oh so good to meet you, I’m your Watcher and I’m immortal. I’m going to ask you to die young. Want a spot of tea?”

“I also get sarcasm the first time around,” Buffy complained. “How the hell…?” Then her eyes widened. “When you tried to take my place and face the Master!”

“Yes,” Giles said softly. “After that I knew you had to be allowed to be the Slayer. Do you know why Angelus couldn’t break me?”

“No,” Buffy said, still wincing after all the years with guilt. She knew Giles had been tortured and she had left without even talking to him.

“Most torture is effective only if someone is afraid of death,” he explained. “Don’t get me wrong, it hurt like hell. I didn’t think he would threaten me with decapitation or fire so I could hold out. Oh, losing limbs is rather permanent and frightening. Death isn’t as long as we keep our heads. It’s just… very painful and unpleasant.”

“I know about decapitation but fire?”

Giles shuddered. “I hope fire is permanent since there are no muscles and nerves keeping the skull attached to the spine. If not…”

“You scar and losing limbs is permanent,” Buffy said thoughtfully. “If someone like you was badly burned…”

“It would leave the immortal like a walking Freddie Kruger,” Giles said softly.

“Wait! Did you just use a pop cultural reference?”

“I was never as out of touch as I pretended,” he said with a smile.

“So you guys go around killing each other until there is only one?” Buffy asked after a couple of minutes.

“We don’t know if there is a set number of Immortals or not,” Giles said. “Sometimes we’re called Walkers, we walk through history. When we kill another we get a lot of their memories and some of their fighting moves but…. No flashes of lightning or such. We have the same strength and intelligence as other humans, or lack of intelligence. We’re just hard to kill, we don’t age after our first death and we don’t get ill.”

Buffy laughed bitterly and shook her head. “A girl destined to die young and an immortal. And I thought falling for a vampire was ironic.”

Giles nodded. “Most of us have loved many people over the years. It hurts to lose every one of them, whether it was to violence, illness, accident or old age.”

“So who are you?” Buffy asked after they finished eating. “Are you even English?”

The Immortal Watcher nodded. “I am. I have been other nationalities over time but I was born a Saxon.”

“A Saxon? Like Robin Hood and Normans and stuff? Like that Errol Flynn movie?”

“Something like that, yes.”

He got up and took their dishes to the sink and rinsed the plates off.

“How did you find me? I've only been gone two months,” Giles asked.

“YouTube.”

“Excuse me?” Giles asked, turning around looking quite puzzled.

“Someone posted a clip of your band doing Behind Blue Eyes and Bargain by The Who,” Buff explained. “I remembered Willow and everyone raving about you doing Behind Blue Eyes at the coffee house. I was going to ask Willow if she had seen the YouTube clip and how eerie it was that you looked like Giles and could play and sing, nice goatee, by the way. While I was waiting for her to finish a telephone call to Xander, I noticed she was moving songs from her laptop computer onto her MP3. I saw a long list of songs by your group including the covers of the Who. I never knew you were an Alice Cooper fan.”

“Amazing lyrics,” Giles said absently.

“I knew it was too much of a coincidence and tracked down the band,” Buffy continued. “I thought you had been turned and Willow didn’t want to traumatize me.”

“I told Willow a week ago,” Giles said. “I was going to tell you and quietly leave, letting you know that you could always call for help then we were attacked by those demons.”

“And you took that swipe across the stomach for me,” Buffy said softly.

Giles nodded and lifted his shirt, showing her the angry scars. “They fade after a few years. You should see all of Ethan’s.”

“I thought maybe you were barely alive and the demons ran with vampires and turned you somehow. Wait! Did you say Ethan as in Ethan Rayne?”

“An Immortal.”

“And the demon thing?” she asked. “When you were young? Or said that you were young.”

“Just because we’ve lived for centuries doesn’t mean we’re always smart,” Giles said slowly. “Especially when together.”

“I’m getting a headache,” the Slayer complained.

Giles chuckled. “I wonder if its that easy for Immortals or bounty hunters to find me the way you did.”

“Bounty hunters?” Buffy asked, suddenly frowning.

“There are some that know about Immortals and think we shouldn’t exist,” Giles said. “Like those rogue Watchers in that show, especially those of us with magical abilities. We are rare even among Immortals.”

“So you and Ethan are rare,” Buffy said. “Go figure. How does someone know if someone else is an Immortal? Bounty hunters, I mean. You can’t go around killing people and seeing if they pop back up again.”

“The few Immortals I’ve talked to about it don’t know,” Giles said. “We don’t believe there are Watchers that watch Immortals and keep track of us, so how would someone know? We know each other only when close. I wouldn’t know if one walked in the club downstairs but I would know if they started up the stairs or were on the roof.”

“Could they be using magic?” Buffy asked. “You said that the Council found Potentials by using seers and they sometimes missed some, like me. Could they be using seers?”

“It’s possible,” Giles said. “It is getting harder to change identities in this modern age of computers, data bases and fingerprints but it is possible. Most of us have changed countries and nationalities over time with no connection to former lives. It would take magic or an organization like the watchers on that television show to track us.”

“Do you know many Immortals with magical abilities?” Buffy asked after a few moments. “Can you tell that someone is going to be an Immortal?”

Giles’ eyes shifted away from hers for a moment. Most wouldn’t have caught it but Buffy knew her Watcher…. Or thought she did. “Yes to both.”

“And you know someone that is going to be an Immortal that will go around carrying swords and fighting?” Buffy asked with a frown. “Who?”

“No,” Giles said.

Buffy wasn’t sure if she believed him or not. If he did, why wasn’t he hanging around that person, waiting to train them or something?

“Did you tell Willow your suspicions?” Giles asked as he poured them both more tea.

“No,” Buffy said, shaking her head. “She knows about you being an Immortal, is that why she’s planning on coming to Canada? She’s not just checking in with a coven that works with the one in England?”

Giles sighed. “Yes. Buffy, I've stayed away because I needed away from the Hellmouth for a short time.”

Buffy frowned. It felt like there were pieces of a puzzle in front of her and she wasn’t seeing the pattern. “You know someone that is either an Immortal or going to be and they’ll need training. It can’t be any of us because you left, you wouldn’t have left a future Immortal, right?”

“We can’t always tell who will be an Immortal,” Giles said.

“Okay, I’m tired now,” Buffy said.

“You’re welcome to stay here,” Giles said. “I’ve got an air mattress and plenty of bedding.”

“That would be great,” Buffy said. “You can tell me why you own a bar. It's obvious that you've owned the place longer than two months.”

“Yes, the place was Ethan's, he turned it over to me,” Giles said.

“What’s going on, Giles?” Buffy asked. “You disappear and I think you’re dead. You move to Montreal but tell me you were going to return?”

“Yes,” Giles said softly.

Buffy frowned and looked around. "Still feels like your place. Was it real?"

"Absolutely, I borrowed Rupert Giles' name and background but who I am comes through. Studying to be a Watcher and being assigned to you was real. Sunnydale and how I feel about all of you is real."

Buffy felt tears filling her eyes and Giles stood up and opened his arms. In a moment the Slayer was hugging him tightly.

"I am so sorry you thought I died," Giles said softly. "I've missed you."

"I almost killed you," Buffy whispered.

"And I know how much that can hurt and I'm also proud of you," Giles said as he pulled back to look her in the eyes. "You couldn't have known I'm immortal. You were willing to stake your former Watcher, that's difficult."

"Thanks," Buffy said and attempted to smile. "I don't know why I'm tired now."

"Your fight-or-flight is winding down. The bathroom is through there and it includes a comfortable bath tub. Take your time, I'll set up the air mattress. You can take my bed."

"If that air mattress is the usual length then either your feet or your pillow will fall over the ends," Buffy commented. "I'll take the air mattress."

"Normally I'd argue and be a total gentleman but I do acknowledge there is a slight difference between our heights."

"Yeah, yeah, jab at my shortness," Buffy pretended to grumble.