"Hey Giles. Ready to have your butt kicked?" Buffy was surprised by the smile on her Watcher's face.
"Hmm." He glanced up at her. "Oh. Yes of course."
"Well, you look happy. What is it? You've just been given a year's free subscription of Card Sorting Are Us?"
His smile didn't even fade. "No actually, I've been offered an award. On some work I was doing before. Some research in the....." He noticed the tell-tale signs of switch off in her glassy eyes. "You don't really want to know what it's for."
"No. No. Really." She tried to put as much enthusiasm in her voice as she could. "I'm sure it's really - fascinating."
"Not really. Unless you're interested in the field. Anyway, there's going to be a presentation dinner on Saturday." He looked across at her shyly. "I'm able to invite a guest. I was wondering....."
"This Saturday?" She thought hard, almost tempted to think up an excuse. "I don't think I have anything planned...."
"Buffy! You won't believe this. Oh, hey Giles." Xander and Willow stood at the doorway to the office. "The Bronze has a guest band playing on Saturday and Sunday."
Giles stepped back, having a terrible premonition where this was going. Buffy smiled at her friend's enthusiasm. "Xander, the Bronze always has guest bands."
Xander's smile became sly. "Yeah, but not all of them are the current flavor of the month with a certain slayer."
"You're kidding! Really? This weekend?" Buffy was almost incoherent with excitement.
"Yep. So get on your gladbags this Saturday, and I'll take my two favourite ladies to heaven." "Saturday and Sunday? Well, you could always go on Sunday..." Giles knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he tried anyway.
Xander looked at him impatiently. "Only dweebs go on a Sunday. Saturday is the night. Can't your training session or whatever it is you've got planned wait for another night?"
Buffy looked at Giles guiltily, remembering she'd promised to go with him on Saturday. "Actually, I've kinda promised Giles that I'd.."
"Nonsense. Xander's right. Whatever I had planned wouldn't be as exiting as seeing your favourite band at the Bronze."
"Really? Thanks Giles." The teenagers started leaving the library. "What am I going to wear?"
"Yes. Of course." As they left the room. "After all, it's only the most prestigious award in the field. Once in a lifetime opportunity. How could that compete with your flavor of the month'?". He sighed. "Bitter much Rupert?" In frustration, he picked up the ashtray on his desk and threw it against the wall.
Later that evening, Giles paused in his study of a new book on demonology. He could have sworn he'd heard something. Waiting a few seconds, he shrugged and resumed his reading. A scraping noise made him lift his head again. Closing his book, he rose quietly, grabbing a cross sitting on the desk. He paused at the doorway to his office, peering into the darkness. "Hello? Anybody there?"
"You know, you make yourself the perfect target standing in a lit doorway." A dark figure stepped forward. "Hallo Ripper."
"Ethan!" Loathing was evident in his tone. "What are you doing here?" He stepped forward.
Ethan moved back, his hands half raised. "Truce. I'm not here to cause trouble."
"That's an impossibility. You cause trouble just by being in the same room."
The other man smiled. "You know me so well." He stepped forward cautiously. "Actually, there's a rumor going around that you've been awarded a SORDID." Even in the darkness he could see Giles' blush. Enthusiasm entered his voice. "It's true. Congratulations Rupert. You deserve it. When's the ceremony?"
"Saturday."
"I suppose you'll be taking your slayer along. Or her mother." He winced, waiting for some retaliation from Giles.
He was disappointed. The watcher dropped the arm carrying the cross and half-turned away. "Actually, Joyce and I aren't getting along quite well. I'm sure you can understand why." This was said in a growl, reminding Ethan of his part in Giles' fall from grace. "And Buffy had - other plans."
"You're going on your own?" At the other man's nod, Ethan found himself getting angry. "I told you 20 years ago that this would happen..."
"Leave it Ethan."
"Why do you keep letting her use....."
"I said leave it!" His rage was barely restrained.
Ethan sighed. "Well, if by chance I happened to be passing the...?"
Giles looked up. "Billings Convention Centre." He smiled at the other man's look of distaste.
"The Billings Convention Centre, I might pop in. That is if I can expect to come out in on piece."
"If you, um, do decide to 'drop by', I think I can restrain myself from beating you to a pulp for one night." He looked at Ethan with gratitude. He was his bane, but he knew Giles better than anybody alive. And knew, more than anybody else, what this award meant.
The two men nodded to each other, before turning away.
Joyce left the kitchen at the knock at the front door, wiping her hands on a tea-towel. As she passed the stairs she called up to her daughter. "Buffy! Xander and Willow are here." She opened the door, then froze in shock. "Angel? What are you doing here?"
Angel shifted uncomfortably. "Is Buffy in?"
She moved to cover the door. "Yes. But she's going out in a minute. And I don't want her upset." Her threat was obvious, although futile.
He smiled at her. "She didn't go on patrol. I was worried."
"Angel?" Buffy stood on the stairs.
He looked up at her. "Hey." Joyce sighed in defeat and stepped aside so he could enter. "You didn't patrol."
"I'm going out. With Xander and Willow. Faith's patrolling tonight."
"Oh." They all stood awkwardly in the entry. Joyce started pushing the door to, when something blocked it's momentum.
"Hey, Mrs. S. Is Buffy read - dy." Xander and Willow paused when they say the other visitor. "Angel."
"Hey Angel." Willow still felt uncomfortable being around the vampire, but decided to make an effort for her friend.
Angel stepped back. "I'm not stopping."
The others followed him into the living area. Xander couldn't stop the hostility. "Then you're going the wrong way."
Buffy trotted down the remaining steps. "Guys..."
"Well now, isn't this sweet?" They all turned to the newcomer. "The slayer and her buddies ready for a night out."
"What's wrong Ethan? Had nothing better to do so you thought you'd let me hit you a few times?"
Recognition finally hit in for Joyce. "You're that man. The one with the candy."
Ethan looked at her. "You know, you're not as clueless as they say." He straightened as Buffy took a step toward him. "Actually, I do have plans tonight. I'm going to watch Rupert get his SORDID."
"A what? Giles is getting a SORDID? How did he manage it, and how do I get one?" Xander stepped forward, curious.
Joyce turned to her daughter. "You didn't tell me he was getting a SORDID."
"Well, I know he's getting some sort of award."
"Some sort. That's like saying the Oscar is some sort of prize for an actor."
"Excuse me. What's a SORDID?" Willow thought her question quite reasonable.
"A SORDID. Society of Occult Research and Development of Interpreting Demonology. Quite prestigious actually." Ethan was beginning to enjoy himself.
"It's the most prestigious award in it's field. Buffy, why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know."
"Actually, she didn't care. She had more important things to do."
"That's not fair!" Guilt made her anger stronger.
"But true." He waited for her to argue. They all stood silent. "You know, I predicted Rupert's future for him 20 years ago. I said he'd give up everything for a spoilt selfish girl who'd care nothing about hi...."
"Buffy's not spoilt!" Willow stuck up loyally for her friend.
"Or selfish." Joyce couldn't believe the nerve of this man.
"I do care."
"Really? Then why does he have to rely on me tonight? When was the last time you did anything for him? Oh, and how was his Christmas last year?"
"That isn't Buffy's fault. She wanted to invite him. I said no because of - well, because." Joyce felt herself blushing. This man knew.
"You have a strong willed daughter. If she really wanted him to be there, do you think you could have stopped her?" There was no answer. "As I said, spoilt." He turned away.
Angel had had enough. "Who are you to preach on morality? Or caring? Buffy has the most loving, generous heart."
"Yes she does. As long as you're a vampire she sent to hell." Willow's gasp was loud in the room. "It's ironic don't you think?" His attention was now fully on Buffy. "You boyfriend killed people you knew, tortured Rupert, almost destroyed the world. And yet, it's Rupert who's still in hell." With that last parting shot he left the devastated slayer, her guilt stricken friends, and her horrified mother.
Rupert Giles sat at the empty table, moving his glass so the ice twirled in the whiskey. Ethan hadn't turned up yet, and he suddenly felt so lonely. The other members of the society had been generous in their praise, and very complementary of his work. But they were obviously wondering why he was on his own at such a time. He hadn't even noticed when the table had emptied.
A movement to his left barely registered on his moment of self-pity. Obviously somebody else wanting to discuss his theories. This one though, from the scent reaching his senses and the material of their clothing, was female. That didn't mean a thing. Most of the females here were old enough to be his mother.
A small, very feminine hand reached across, stilling his hand. "I'm told you're meant to drink that stuff, not play with it."
He looked across in shock, tears in his eyes as he looked at her beloved face. "Buffy?" She looked beautiful. Her dress must have been new, he hadn't seen it before. The material and cut made her look more mature, and the stylish coif of her hair added to that aura. Only the tears in her own eyes belied the image.
"I'm so sorry."
"Shh. Don't be. You're here now. Why are you here now?"
"Well, where else would we be? Watching some boring band that'll be has beens next month?" He turned to see Xander and Willow both smiling at him. They'd also made an effort. It was the first time he'd seen Xander in a suit, and Willow had forsaken her usually dungarees for an outfit he swore he'd seen Buffy in before.
A fourth person joined them. "Is there room at this party for one more?" Joyce looked across at him apologetically. They would still clash about Buffy, but she wouldn't be fighting him outright any more.
"I don't understand. Why?"
Buffy's hand pressed into his, drawing his attention back to her. "Let's just say I got a swift kick of conscience and a reality check tonight." She indicated with her head toward the back of the room. Ethan was leaning against the wall, a glass in hand. When he realised he had their attention, he saluted with the glass.
"Damn." Giles looked back at his slayer. "You know what this means."
She sighed. "Yeah. I can't kill him next time he plays one of his games."
"I do so hate being grateful to the bloody sod." But he was. After all, Ethan had given him something more important than the award he was about to receive. He'd given him his slayer.