Still Grrr

The legs of the stool squeaked under Giles' weight, as he reached up to the top of the cabinets in Buffy's kitchen. He managed to steady his balance, and stretched his arm further across the dust covered surface. He smiled; it appeared nobody had discovered where he'd been storing his treasure.

Giles began his descent, a box of Jaffa Cakes clutched in his hand. When his feet touched the floor, he tore through the packaging. He took his first bite into the chocolate and sponge; it was pure heaven.

“So, that's where you've been hiding them, is it?” Spike said. Giles took a deep breath, which did nothing to steady his frayed nerves. And, so ends my peace.

Giles got down from his perch; Spike had already turned his back towards him, and missed the glare aimed in his direction. Spike was digging through the contents of the refrigerator. His fingers curled around an open milk carton and pulled it out, then slammed the door shut.

“What are you doing here?” Giles asked. He hadn't planned to speak, but at least his tone was even, no inflection had bled into it, which preserved his dignity. “Shouldn't you be at the high school, preparing with the others?”

“It's daylight.” Spike said, and inclined his head towards the back yard.

“That never seemed to stop you before. What on earth happened to that moth eaten blanket of yours?”

Spike shrugged, before taking a swig from the milk carton. He stopped mid-gulp, and narrowed his eyes at the label.

“That's for humans.” Giles said.

“It's got tomorrow’s date on it,” Spike sighed, “Wonder if any of us do too?”

Giles had been thinking that too, since Buffy's latest speech. No, it was before that. He didn't feel that any of the girls were ready to face death, but maybe they'd surprise him - Buffy had.

“I was never in the dark as to that,” Giles said. “I always knew what I was signing up for.”

Spike nodded. “I grabbed that bloody brass ring with both hands; turned out to be barbed.”

“No, you've never done anything by halves.”

“Could say the same about you. You can be a right ruthless bastard, when you've got to be,” Spike said, and took the seat opposite Giles. “Put the blood on your hands, so that she doesn't have to. Always, admired that about you.”

“You were a threat.” Giles looked down, he couldn't bring himself to mention Ben. He was a sacrifice he still would be willing to make, but a sacrifice nevertheless. Spike inspected his knuckles with intense scrutiny. Giles wondered if he too was looking for the splatters of blood.

“She's not gonna fail.”

“I know. Buffy's a great strategist, when she puts her mind to it.”

“It’s why she always ended up kicking my arse. Not that I was always complaining about that,” Spike said, the affection in his tone evident to Giles, although it made him uncomfortable. “I'm just telling it like it is, Watcher.”

“Indeed.” Giles held the box out to Spike, “Jaffa cake?”

Spike stretched his arm out towards the box. He stopped, his muscles seemingly seizing up. “Didn't inject them with holy water did you?"

“I can assure you, I did not. I know that you like them,” Giles exhaled, “I had to eat them all when you moved out of my flat into that dreary crypt of yours. I was seduced by their charms.

“My sympathies,” Spike said, and reached for one, “Alright, I'll take your olive branch. Take my pleasures where I can find them.” He smirked, goading Giles with the implications of that. “'Cause, I got it figured, I'm the likely candidate for the chop, come tomorrow.”

Giles took another bite of his Jaffa Cake. “And, how did you come to that conclusion about your imminent death?”

“Got a shiny trinket, and that's almost never a good omen. I've also got that same feeling, the one I had the night Buffy threw herself off that tower.” Spike said as he gritted his teeth.

“You didn't die that night.” Giles noticed Spike's Adam's apple bob as he spoke.

“No, something worse happened. I'm going to make sure it doesn't happen again.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because, if something does happen to me, I need to know that you're going to be there for her,” Spike unclenched his fingers and looked up at Giles. “If, I'm out of the way then you two stand a chance at being pals again. She needs people she can trust.”

“And, you think that person should be me?” Giles asked sceptically.

“I'm not saying she hasn't surpassed you, because she has. But, she's forgiven the lot of you, still loves you all. She needs her friends and family.

“I know,” Giles nodded, “I'm not doing this for you.”

Spike laughed. “Rupert, I know the bloody score. Beside, I can only trust someone, who loves her more than their own worthless hide.”