Title:  Augury
Author:  Pet
Date:  July 2004
Rating:  R
Pairing:  no pairing
Summary:  Giles, back in England after Buffy’s death, receives an expected visitor.
Disclaimer:  I don’t own a thing…not even my car.

A/N:  A thanks to the wonderful Mezz for the quick beta.

***

Giles sat alone in his modest flat in London, listening as the rain drummed against the windows.  Picking up a lighter, he lit a small, white candle.  He’d lit the same candle every night since she’d been gone as a kind of memorial. Sipping his scotch, Giles pondered what he should do next.  His slayer was gone.  He was a watcher with no one to watch.  He’d tried to fill that gaping hole by playing father figure to Dawn and confidant to the others.  Being in Sunnydale, at her house every day ripped trenches into his already broken heart.

Giles had considered an open position at the Sunnydale Public Library.  He thought it might perhaps fill some of the void.  Give him something to throw himself into.  When he’d walked through the doors for the interview, he knew it’d never work.  Being back in a library, working in one everyday was much to close too repeating the past.  It brought back all the old memories of his first meetings with Buffy.  He’d left without even interviewing.

A knock at the door drew Giles from his reverie.  He rose and opened the door.

“Rupert,” a smug voice greeted him.

“Ethan?”  It came out like a curse.  “What are you doing here?”

“Is that anyway to greet an old chum?” Ethan asked with a dark smile.

“We’re not chums,” he spat.  “I’ve nothing to say to you.”  He started to shut the door but Ethan stopped him.

“It’s in your best interest to let me in.  I’ve some…information you might want to hear.”

Giles studied the man, trying to read his motives.  Ethan looked older and thinner than when he’d last seen him.  Haggard, like his time spent under arrest had been hard.

“I’d rather hoped they wouldn’t release you,” he said.

“Yes.  I should probably thank you and your slayer for my freedom.  I was deported once you helped to put an abrupt end to The Initiative.”  The arrogant grin that never left Ethan’s face served only to further agitate the watcher.  “So, old man, are you going to let me in?”

“I think not.”

“You’re risking the lives of all those kids you hold so dear,” he said in a singsong voice.

Giles removed his glasses and roughly grabbed Ethan by his collar, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.  “If you dare threaten a single one of them…”

Rayne threw his hands up defensively.  “I’m not the threat.  Couldn’t even get into the States if I wanted to.”

Giles released him but the glare remained.  “And you’ve come to warn me?” he snorted.

“I’m a changed man,” he responded with a slight shrug.

Knowing he’d probably regret it later, but far too intrigued to not hear Ethan out, Giles stepped back, silently acquiescing.  He watched as the man crossed his threshold, no invite spoken.  Never missing a trick, Rayne said, “I’m still among the living.  Come now, Ripper, don’t look so disappointed.”

“The warning?” Giles questioned angrily.

“Not going t’ offer me a drink?” he asked.

“I seem to remember having drinks with you once and waking up a Fyarl demon the next day.”

Ethan chuckled.  “You are quite proficient at holding grudges, aren’t you?”

“Get on with it,” Giles growled, feeling the control slipping.

“Right.  The warning.  I’ve come to inform you of a dark power rising in Sunnydale.”

“It’s a bloody hellmouth.  Unless you’ve something more helpful,” Giles said dismissively.

“No, this is a new force.  Of the magical variety.  I can’t be sure, but I’d say a human.”

“And exactly how would you be in possession of such information?” Giles questioned, narrowing his eyes.

“I can feel it.  Remnants of some of the powerful magicks I’ve done.”  He shook his head at Giles’ incredulous look.  “Surely you haven’t forgotten your lessons on connectivity and magic?” Ethan chided.  “I drew on the power of the hellmouth and now I have some residual connection.”  He spelled it all out, as if talking to a child.  Rupert briefly wondered if his motive wasn’t just to see how much it took to piss him off.

“So you sense this dark power?  Have you a name?  Physical description?  Timeframe?”

“No.”

Giles sighed, replacing his spectacles.  “What is your angle?”

Ethan smiled ingratiatingly. “I have a proposition.  I thought perhaps I could be of some service.”

“You plan to help?” Giles said, punctuating it with a bitter chuckle.

“Yes.  We both know I’m far more powerful than you in such matters,” Ethan explained.

“What is it you expect to get from this?”

“A trip back to The States.  You and I both know your powerful friends at the Council can see to it.”

Giles took off his glasses again as it all sunk in.  “You’re a right bastard,” he said in a quiet, menacing tone.

“What?” Ethan asked, portraying innocence.

“I may have underestimated you in the past, it won’t happen again.”  Giles shot him an icy stare.

“Why, Ripper, what ever could you mean?” Rayne taunted, knowing he’d been found out.

Ripper grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into a wall.  “Tell me, old friend,” he growled.  “I pull the strings and we arrive in California.  How soon before you jump sides.”

Even as Giles hands closed off his airway, he smirked. “I didn’t say to whom I’d be of service,” he struggled to say between gasps.

“Get the fuck out of here before I do something you’ll regret.”  Giles dragged the smaller man to the door and threw him out unceremoniously.

Ethan stood on the stoop, rubbing his throat.  “Best of luck, mate,” he said.  He added, “You’re going to need it,” before turning and walking off into the night.

Giles slammed and locked the door.  Leaning on it, he rubbed his temples, cursing himself for ever letting in Ethan Rayne.  He made his way over to the couch.  Sitting down with a heavy sigh, he drained his scotch.  He wondered if Ethan had been telling the truth; maybe a dark magical power was rising in Sunnydale.  On the other hand, it might just be more of his smoke and mirrors.

Giles was tired and his head was throbbing.  He decided to ring Willow in the morning to check on everything.  For now he needed another glass of scotch, followed by sleep.

***

A loud ringing woke Giles from a deep sleep.  “ ‘llo, Rupert Giles here,” he slurred, still half asleep.

“Giles?  It’s Willow.”

“Willow?  Do you know what time it is?”

“Yeah, I do but this is an emergency.”

Giles sat straight up in bed, memories of the night’s events running through his head.  “Yes, what is it?  Is everyone alright?”

“Are you sitting down?”  He could hear what he thought was Dawn talking excitedly in the background.

“Willow just tell me.  What’s…”

“Buffy’s back.  I did it, Giles.  I brought her back,” she said proudly.

“What?  How?”

“Um…magic.”  Giles didn’t hear the rest as the phone fell from his hand, landing on the hardwood floor with a thud.

***
Fin.