a/n – Well here I am again apologizing for not updating sooner.  School is back in session so things should settle down some.  I also needed to get a leg up on the next few chapters.  Don’t look for a daily update, though.  My beta’s rock, but they both have lives too (unfortunately – LOL) and it takes a bit to get the chappies back from them.

This is a very short chapter, but I have another that I’ll be posting as soon as I have the final edits done (so, next day or so), so I apologize in advance and beg you to be patient.

Also, as if you all weren’t mad enough at me, I’ll be heading to Long Beach this coming week to meet the amazing James Marsters for the first time at his one and only convention appearance this year, James Marsters and Friends.  Just in case you’ve been living under a rock or something and haven’t heard about it, you can check out the event info at: http://www.jamesmarsters.com/QMEvent/index.html

As always, special thanks to my betas – Gail and Megan, without whom this fic would languish in unfinished purgatory.  You guys still rock!

So, on with the show.

**hugs** sfg

Who am I?
 
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Chapter 8 – Oh, dear lord

Giles sat at the small writing desk in his loft bedroom surrounded by crumb covered plates and empty teacups, a small brown leather book open in front of him.  He stared off blankly, a pen poised above the empty page, his mind rolling over all that was going on.

Between the Initiative and Adam, that harridan Walsh had left quite a mess for them to clean up.

Giles felt a small twinge.  Perhaps he shouldn’t be so hard on the woman, now that she was dead.  But then Giles remembered her callous words and superior attitude when he had gone looking for Buffy.  Not to mention the fact that the good doctor had tried to kill his Slayer.

No.  Giles squelched any sympathies for the woman.  If she had not embarked on her very convincing impression of Josef Mengele she would likely still be annoyingly alive, and the rest of them wouldn’t have to deal with the dissected remains of children and demons alike.

As if his Slayer didn’t have enough to deal with being a college freshman, now she had to face a demon version of Frankenstein built from some of the deadliest creatures that walked the Earth.

And having to deal with Adam didn’t stop the Hellmouth from spewing forth the usual apocalypses on a frighteningly regular basis.

Thank goodness that business with Faith had been taken care of so quickly, even if Giles didn’t approve of the tactics the Council had resorted to.  There was no telling what sort of mayhem she might have stirred up if she’d been allowed to roam free for any length of time.  Luckily, the damage this time around had been limited to an unconscious visitor at the hospital, a slightly traumatized Joyce and a great deal of broken furniture at the Summers’ home. 

All in all, not that unusual.

That might not have been the case had Spike actually found Faith first. 

Giles thought about the latest meeting with the chipped vampire.  Giles had taken Xander out looking for the rogue Slayer and they had happened upon Spike in an alley.  As usual, the boy had spoken without thought.

He could still hear Spike’s snarky reply.

“Tell you what I'll do then.  Head out, find this girl, tell her exactly where all of you are, and then watch as she kills you.  Just because I can't do the damage myself doesn't stop me from aiming a loose cannon your way.”  

Then he walked away...whistling. 

The pillock.

And, honestly, he’d had to agree with Xander, for once.  They were “deeply stupid” to believe Spike would help them.

Giving up the attempt to record his thoughts, Giles cleared his desk, stacking the dirty cups and dishes, and started down the steps with both his hands full.  Just as he reached the landing his door flew open and in staggered a very battered Faith, followed by a grinning Spike.

“Giles!”  Giles froze as Faith’s eyes fell on him.

“Oi, Watcher.” Spike smirked.  “Lookie who I found.”

Oh, dear lord.  Spike actually followed through on a plan.

tbc