Giles
Giles was strumming his guitar when the telegram came. He sat down very quickly.
"Priss?" he called out weakly.
Priss
Priss looked up from where she was minding Merenseger.
"What is it, my love?"
GIles
"It's. . .it's Olivia," he said, numbly. "Her car was sideswiped in downtown London, she died on impact," he said, completely shocked. Triumph walked over to Giles and hugged him, her blonde curls flowing as she walked.
Priss
"I know thee cared for her," Priss said.
"Will thee need to go to Brittania for her burial?"
Giles
"I would like to. And I'd very much like for you to come with me," Rupert said, running his hands through his hair. "Will the girls be all right here alone for a few days?"
"Yes, Rupert, I can look after Merenseger," she said. The girl had fully reverted to good in the months since Glory's demise. "And Gorvath can always look after us."
Priss
"I think they will be fine," Priss said.
"Do we wish to go through a portal, or through mundane means? Although, Nyx hast not yet cleared the ways for travel."
Giles
"Give me a moment," Giles said. He fired up the 'idiot box,' and booked two tickets from JFK to Heathrow.
"The plane leaves in two hours," Giles said. "I know you loathe modern transportation, but I agree that portal travel really isn't very safe at the moment. People are still randomly shoing up in the wrong worlds." Triumph nodded.
"I always liked to do it safely, but Moth-- I mean Glory," she quickly corrected herself, "Always liked it when the portals were messy. She said it made for more fun. She wasn't the one cleaning graplark blood out of her hair," Triumph pouted. Giles nodded distractedly, and went off to pack a bag. Triumph looked up at Priss.
Priss
"Someone he shares a lot of memories with," Priss said.
"Now, if you'll watch Merenseger, I'll go pack."
She rose to her feet and glided through the house.
Giles
Triumph turned into a kitten and pounced along with her sister, who was older by about 10 seconds. Giles was trying to pack, before falling back onto the bed, staring at his hands in his lap.
"She was my last tie to my former life. Olivia's gone, Ethan's gone, Jenny's gone, even Buffy, who was like a daughter to me is gone. Xander, WIllow and Cordelia are all grown up, and that life-- it's over. Ethan was my tie to my rebellion phase, Olivia to my tie at Oxford." Giles could barely breath.
Priss
"Shh, love," Priss murmured.
She put her arms around him gently.
"There is always another beginning."
Giles
Giles smiled wanly. He pulled himself together and finished packing. Before long, they were in a taxi on the way to the airport.
"I'm sorry darling, I know how much you hate cars," Giles said, smiling appologetically.
Priss
"I'm fine," Priss insisted through slightly gritted teeth.
She *loathed* mechanical things of any nature that were more difficult then say, a fork. Cars made her feel like she was going to throw up. Being pregnant just excarebated that feeling.
Giles
Ignoring the cabbie's looks, Giles wrapped his arms around her. Before long, they were at the airport, preparing to go board the plane. If he hadn't had diplomatic immunity (God bless the Watcher's Council), it would have been three hours through security. As the plane prepared to take off, Giles cracked a small smile as he watched Priss' death grip with the armrests.
"Did I ever tell you about how I met Liv? It was after Ethan and I broke up. I returned to Oxford, and Henry was a lad on my Rugby team. He introduced me to his sister, Olivia." Giles smiled, wistfully at the memories.
Priss
Priss glanced at him, then returned her eyes to their forward positions.
"Almost cliched, isn't it?"
Giles
He chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose it is. My whole life was a cliche, even my fling with Ethan during my big 'rebellion' phase." Rupert put one arm around Priss and squoze her shoulder.
Priss
"And I suppose I'm your midlife crisis?" Priss said.
"To go along with the midlife crisis convertible..."
Giles
He looked at her seriously.
"No. You're my soul-mate."
Priss
"I love thee," Priss told him softly.
"For no one else would I even consider using one of these...things for transport."
Giles
Giles smiled, and they soon lapsed into silence. Giles tried to rest on the plane, but they were almost to Heathrow by the time he fell asleep. They took a cab to his flat in London, which was a little more posh than the one he kept in Bath.
"Let's freshen up before we go to the wake," Giles suggested.
Priss
"Excellent idea," Priss said softly.
"And one must suppose that white would not be appropriate."
She glided into the bathroom to wash her face and change her clothes.
Giles
"No. But I know you're not too keen on black," Giles said. "So a deep purple or green would be very appropriate." Giles kissed Priss's cheek as he went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. He let the hot water flow over his body, and wash away his tears. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the shower and towelled himself off. He grabbed a pair of trousers and a black button-down shirt, and through a blazer on over it. He sat down hard on the bed, and polished his glasses, trying not to feel.
Priss.
Priss got changed into a robelike dress in a blue so dark it was almost black. She let the drape of it hide her swelling belly. It was going to be hard enough for Rupert, going with him at all when she looked so young. Better if she wasn't obviously pregnant.
She sat next to him on the bed, and put her hand on his knee.
"I dost love thee, Rupert."
Giles
Giles kissed her.
"I love you too, Poppet," he said, then leant down and kissed her belly.
"And I love you too, little one," he said, smiling. "I still cannot believe I am going to be a father. At my age."
Priss.
"Nor at mine," Priss said softly.
She felt the baby kick, and smiled.
"Even in the midst of death, we are in life..."
Giles
Rupert smiled.
"Are you ready to go my dear?" he asked. He stood up slowly, and offered Priss his arm.
Priss.
Priss smiled at him and stood, taking his arm.
"I am honoured to."
Giles
Olivia's house was just down the street, so they were able to walk. They came inside, and spotted Henry almost right away. The dark man made a beeline for his old teammate, The two men embraced.
"Priss, this is Henry, Olivia's brother. Henry, this is Priscilla. She's a very good friend." Henry eyed the young woman, but decided not to pry. If Ripper wanted to have a midlife crisis, that was his perogative.
"Ripper, we have to talk." Giles nodded, and followed Henry to the top of the stairs. "Olivia had a child."
"What?"
"He was born 7 months after her last trip to California. You have a son, Rupert. He just turned four, and you are now his legal guardian."
"Oh my," Giles said, he leaned against the wall and started to clean his glasses. Henry went over and knocked on the door.
"Robbie? There's somebody out here who wants to meet you." A small mulatto boy poked his head out the door.
"I know you. Mummy showed me your pictures. You're my Daddy." Rupert was shocked at how up front the little boy was.
"Yes, I suppose I am," Giles said, breaking a smile.
"Do you know when Mummy's coming back?" Giles sighed. He was about to explain death the only way a Watcher knew how, when Henry kneeled down next to Robbie.
"Robbie, we talked about this already, remember? Your mummy is in heaven with Jesus now."
"Oh yeah, I forgetted. And she can't come back?" The look on the boy's face was heartbreaking. Giles instantly reached down and scooped his son up in his arms.
"Life is all about adventures. Your Mum is going on an adventure, and you get to go on a different adventure. You get to come back to America with me." Robbie looked quite happy at the prospect. After a few more minutes, Giles took Robert downstairs.
"Priss, this is Robbie. Robbie, this is Priss."
"Hullo. Are you my sister?" The little boy asked with innocent eyes.
Priss.
Priss chuckled softly.
"No, I am afraid not, sweetling. I be most honoured to meet thee, Robbie."
She was quite aware of what Henry thought of her, and she was amused. If anything, Giles was her dabble in the mortal world, though he meant so much more then that...
Giles
"You're pretty," Robbie said, "but different than Mummy. Even though you talk strangely." Giles tried hard to laugh.
"Priss, Robbie is coming back to the Colonies with us," Giles said. He wondered where Robbie would want to stay that night.
Priss.
"I have talked tihs way for a very long time, sweetest," Priss said.
"It be too hard a habit to break enow."
She looked up from Robbie to Giles.
"Didst thou think I would object, dear heart? I adore children. He is perfectly welcome by me."
Giles
Giles smiled. "FOr some reason, Olivia failed to mention to me that I was a Daddy." He bounced his son on his hip.
"I'm his guardian now. I hope you and your sisters don't mind another male in the house," he said, winking.
Priss
Priss smiled gently.
"No, I think not. I would wounder how Triumph will take it but Merenseger is not one for walking on two legs. She is content to be a cat and that is enough. Sometimes I wonder..."
She sighed slightly, looking wistful for a moment, then her baby kicked and she was smiling again.
"No, I would not exchange my life for the word, sweetest."
She kissed his cheek lightly.
"Do you like cats?" she asked the boy seriously.
Giles
"Kitties! I like kitties. Mummy won't let me have one 'cause she's 'lergic. But not me." THe little boy said, laying his head on his daddy's shoulder.
Rupert laughed. They'd all get along fine.
Priss
"Can we go?" Priss asked Rupert.
"I want to go home. And Merenseger does require supervision, not matter what she thinks of it personally."
Giles
"I just want to pay my respects." He went over to the open casket, and kissed Olivia's cheek.
"Priss, if you would like to go back to New York, I understand. But there are things that need taking care of, and we need to pack up Robert's things. UNless you want to do it all by magic to speed us along." Robbie was sitting in his Uncle Henry's lap, looking very sad.
Priss
"As long as is needed, I wilt stay," Priss said.
"Sometimes it is good not to use magic. Dost thee want to help him pack? I have a feeling your friend wishes to question me..." she added quietly.
Giles
Giles smiled. "I think he thinks you're a teenager. We'll come and pack up Robert's things, and let him sideswipe us. He's aware of the mystical parts of this world, so don't worry about concealing the truth."
"Robbie, do you want to take us to your room?" the little boy nodded, and led them to his bedroom.
Priss
Priss arranged the folds of her gown and folded her hands in her lap. Truly, she wished she looked a little older. More Nyx's apparent age, for example.
She discussed life with Harry, before he broached the subject of her age. She laughed at him, told him the truth, and watched him splutter in confusion.
Giles
Giles laughed at the look on Henry's face.
"You thought she was one of my students, didn't you?" Henry nodded. "Do you honestly believe that I would get involved with one of my children?"
"I suppose not. Not you, at least."
"All right," Rupert said. "Is everything all right with the solicitor? IS everything in order?"
"Yes. You were named on the birth certificate, so you are his legal guardian. Olivia had planned to take him to visit you, so he has a passport already. The official will reading is tomorrow after the funeral." Giles nodded and went back to packing his sons things. Son. He could barely belive that he had a SON.
Priss
Priss walked through the house, glancing at small objects.
This Olivia must have been special. Her house resonated with a sense of calm.