Valentine's Day
You get home from shopping and slam the door behind you. You untangle your foot from your broken-heeled shoe. You drop your packages in the chair and throw the shoe across the room. "Happy freaking Valentine's Day!" You've always hated the hell out of this holiday. Of course you have, you've almost always been alone on it. You'd been looking forward to it this year though, 'like a sappy moron.' You've been telling the kids how much it meant for you to be spending it with Rupert since New Years. And last week, the two of you broke up.
You'd laugh but at this point you'd probably burst into tears. The best thing in your life and you can't even pinpoint why you lost it. You were both tired and cranky. You don't remember who started the fight, or over what. You only recall telling him to perform some kind of impossible physical act on himself with the same shoe you just broke, and he suggested something equally polite for you. You only want to take a long bath, go to bed and get this damn day over with as soon as possible.
You start to nod off in the warm sudsy water when the telephone rings. You jump and splash an arm out of the water, grabbing for the portable phone. "Yes? What? Uh, I mean, hello?"
There is a lot of static on the line. You can just barely make out Buffy's voice. She sounds panicked. "Thank God you are finally home! There's been an accident, the library. It's Giles! You have to hurry!" She hangs up.
Your heart has sunk to the bottom of your stomach like a solid lead weight. You are in such a panic to get out of the tub, you nearly slip and crack your head open. As it is, you get a nice sizable bruise on your leg.
You run into your bedroom, dripping water all down your hallway. You pull on your jeans, grab a tee-shirt, slip on some boots and are racing out your door, running a comb through your hair as you go.
'It's a good thing it's late,' you decide as you speed through the third red light you've encountered. You squeal into the parking lot of Sunnydale High School. You jump out of your car and sprint for the front steps, pouring on speed until you find yourself inside and shoving open the doors of the library. "Where is he?! Is he okay?!" Your heart is drumming in your chest. You look around the room as you enter further. The lighting is very dim. A few candles line the counter and tables. "He-hello?"
You spin rapidly as you hear the doors burst open behind you. "Dear God where is she?! Is she hurt?!" Rupert almost runs smack into you before he slows down. His arms come to grip your shoulders. He is panting heavily. His eyes scan your body. Rupert crushes you against his chest. "Thank heavens," he breathes into your ear as he smoothes down your still damp hair. "Wait a second." He releases you and steps back, indignant. "Why aren't you hurt?"
"Hello to you too Rupert."
"No. I got a call. A terrible accident Xander said."
You cross your arms over your chest. "Well Buffy called me and said the same thing."
Rupert throws his head back and sighs. "I've got a feeling..."
"I have the same feeling. Feels like we've been scammed."
"That uh, that sounds accurate to me."
Buffy, Xander, Willow, and Oz emerge from Rupert's office. "Sorry we had to lie to you, but we didn't know any other way to get you to talk to each other," Willow explains.
"So you give us both heart attacks?" You're not happy.
She gives a sweet smile. "Well, doesn't the fact that you both had heart attacks when you thought the other was hurt tell you anything?"
"NO!" You and Rupert answer in unison. Grins spread across the faces of all four teens.
Buffy steps forward, herding her friends for the door. "Now, if you promise to stay and talk for at least ten minutes, we'll go and leave you to it, watching the door of course to make sure you stay. Otherwise, we can all stay together here until you two grow up! Do you agree?"
You pinch your lips together tightly. "Fine. Let's just get this over with," Rupert says from behind you.
"Agreed," you answer without looking at him. The kids smile mysteriously and begin to exit.
Buffy approaches her Watcher first. She puts her hand to his side and leans close to his ear. "You be nice to her," you hear her whisper. She leaves.
You move across the room and sit at the table. He sits down on the steps to the upper stacks. You're not speaking. You're not even looking at each other. The minutes are ticking away.
You're waiting for him to start. He is waiting for you no doubt. Time is passing. At this point, you're just trying not to cry. 'Come on clock, just let me go home and fall apart in peace?'
"Detention's over. We can go now," Rupert says flatly.
Damn him. You hate when he gets all cold and Watcher-like on you. Oh well, not your problem now. You should be happy about that. Shouldn't you? You follow him to the doors. He tries them once, then twice.
"They locked them." He pats his pocket for his keys. "Buffy picked my pocket," he sounds almost proud except he's too angry. "She got my keys. We're locked in till morning."
"Well wait, what about the entrance through the stacks?"
"It uh, hasn't been cleared again yet since the last earthquake. We really are stuck here."
"Oh," that came out weak sounding. Not what you had intended. He seems to look at you for the first time since he thought you were hurt. You look down. Your teary eyes not meeting his. You raced over from your bath. No make-up and you must look like a drown rat. 'He's probably congratulating himself on being rid of me right now. Probably wondering what he could have seen in me in the first place.' You turn your back to him. "Well, good-night." You move up into the stacks and around the cases to the study nook. He can sleep in his office and the kids can let you out in the morning. Then you can just go home.
You lay down on the floor and cry as quietly as you can manage. You really wouldn't be too proud to apologize if he'd just give the smallest sign he'd care to even hear it. You wipe your tears with the back of your hand and turn over on your side. You hear Rupert approaching and become still, pretending to be asleep. You can feel him kneel down, and eventually lay behind you. Soon, his arm slips over your waist. Now you are really crying and you can't hide it.
"Shh." He is squeezing you tightly, kissing your cheek, the side of your neck.
"I'm sorry," you manage to sniffle out.
"So am I. We were both terribly silly to let it get this far Love. Remind me to thank Buffy tomorrow...right after I double her training time for taking my keys." You laugh and feel him smile against your skin. He rolls you over to face him.
You lean up, put your palm against his shirt front and kiss him on the lips. He grins down on you and reaches into his back pocket. "I got this for you ages ago. I was saving it for tonight. I'm glad I get to give it you after all." He takes your hand from his chest and slips onto your finger a silver ring, a Celtic designed band with a heart-shaped sapphire in its center.
"It's beautiful."
"You're beautiful. I'm so sorry. I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you. I love you."
He smiles at you. "I love you. Happy Valentine's Day." Rupert kisses you again...
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| The character of Rupert Giles and the show Buffy the Vampire Slayer were created by Joss Whedon and are © Fox. No infringement is intended and no profits are being made. |