Interlude: The Betting Pool
*~*~*~*~*~*
“Oh, boy that was intense!”Faith said as she shoved open the library doors and threw her stake on the library counter. Willow groaned in agreement as she headed straight for the library chair.
“I thought that it was invigorating,”Xander said as he sat on the table. Faith climbed on top of a chair as Oz went behind Willow to rub her shoulders.
“It was intense...and violent,”Oz said.”Who would’ve thought that Angel would do that?”
Willow snorted.”Who would have thought that *Buffy* would have to save that vampire from a beating by staking him?”
Faith shrugged.”Horny is as horny does. Think he’ll make it through to the wedding?”
“With that display of aggression? I just hope that *we* make it through the wedding,”Xander said in wonder.”I just want to see what happens when Angel sees Buffy’s dad tonight. Bet that’ll be really pretty.”
Willow snorted.”Buffy said that Angel’s not too happy with him right now. Not a good start in the first meeting between her dad and Angel. Buffy’s running interference, for both him and Giles.”
Faith looked at Willow curiously.”Why’s that? Thought that G and Buff’s dad would get along.”
“Yeah, like oil and water,”Xander snorted.”G-man gets along with Hank Summers from a distance, say in a different hotel? And away from the Happy Giles Family Household.”
Faith still looked puzzled and looked at Willow. She turned red as she explained, ”Buffy says that her dad and Giles do get along...but if he stays more than one night, Buffy’s mom, uh, loses the desire to, uhm, you know...”
“I know what?”Faith asked puzzled. Willow stared at Faith, then grew even more redder.
“You know...what married couple do...you know,”Willow said desperately.
Faith’s eyes widened.”Mrs. G doesn’t want to screw around with G while her ex’s in the house ?!?”
Willow’s head flopped on to the desk with a bang. Faith stared at a red faced Xander and Oz. Oz looked at her.”I don’t that they heard you in New York.”
“Sorry. So G gets frustrated because Mrs. G doesn’t feel the heat? No wonder he was training with Buff and me so much last night!”Faith exclaimed in wonder. ”Jeez, and we have to put up with this for 17 days and 6 hours?!?”
“Yep,”Xander said as he nodded.”Last time Dad was here, he stayed for three days.0 And boy, were those days *intense*!”
“Giles and Angel went on a rampage of drinking, training, and slaying until he left. Sunnydale had no demons showing for a month. Then we didn’t see Giles and Buffy’s mom for three days,”Oz continued. Faith’s jaw dropped.
“And Buffy and Angel?”
“Oh, we didn’t see them for at least a week,”Xander said cheerfully.”And Buffy was walking funny when we did see her while Angel was sporting bruises. And Giles had a nagging back ache.”
Willow smacked Xander on the shoulder.“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Willow, Angel threatened to remove my head with a pair of pliers and Giles threatened to throw me into his book cage and forget about me until the next century when Buffy’s dad was here. Let’s not say what Buffy threatened to do to me,”Xander said flatly.”I *don’t* want to be around those three while Mr. Summers is here.”
“So Angel promised to keep his hands off of Buffy until the wedding. huh? So why doesn’t Mrs. G want to while Buffy’s dad is here? That’s what I don’t get,” Faith said. Willow shifted uncomfortably.
“The guest room is above the master bedroom. He stayed there for three days for Buffy’s graduation,”Willow said as she reddened.”And her dad said that Mrs.G must have had mice or something because he heard alot of squealing and scratching in the ceiling at night.”
“Oh,”Faith said as she absorbed that. Then she smiled evilly,”Want to make a bet, guys?”
“A bet on what?”Oz asked as he leaned over from Willow’s shoulder. Xander also leaned closer.
“How about a bet on who’ll break first? Angel or Giles?”Faith said excitedly as her eyes slid around the library.”We can start at five bucks a piece.”
“I don’t know...”Willow hesitated.”I mean, if Buffy or Angel or Giles ever found out about it...”
Xander looked at Willow.”Who’d tell them? You? Oz? Me?”
He caught the looks of Oz, Willow and Faith.”Okay, so it may be me. But it won’t be this time. I have a sense of preservation.”
“I dunno, sounds kinda boring,”Oz mused.”Think we can jazz it up a bit?”
Faith crossed her arms.”What do you have in mind? Make bets on who’d kill the most vamps because they’re repressed? Or how many times G and the missus will sneak at having-”
“I simply cannot believe that we have to resort to this while Hank is in our house, Joyce! Oh, hello!”Giles said as he came out from his office.”Didn’t know that you four were here!”
Willow’s mouth hung open as she took in Giles’s appearance. She looked at Xander’s look of astonishment, Oz who was giving his stunned look and Faith’s incredulous smile. Willow looked back at the very rumpled Giles whose top shirt buttons were still not buttoned and light lipstick all over his cheeks and chin.
Giles cleared his throat loudly as his hand tried to nonchalantly comb through his mussed up hair.”So...how long have you been here?”
“Well, uh...Not long,”Xander squeaked. Then his eyes widened when he recognized the voice coming from the office.
“If it’s such a problem we should have moved the guest room!” Joyce Giles said as she came out of the office holding a colorful necktie. “And Rupert! You forgot put on your-oh! Hi kids! When did you kids get here? Was the uh, hunting well?”
Giles swung to look at his deliciously mussed up wife. He cleared his throat.”Yes, how long were you here?”
“We, uh, just got here?”Willow said hesitantly.”And the hunt went well, I think. Angel beat up several vamps before, uh, Buffy staked them. We, uh, came to report in before, uh, we, uh-”
“Before we went home for the night,”Oz finished for her. Willow gave him a grateful look.
Giles nodded his head vigourusly.”Good. Good. That’s good. Time for bed!”
Faith cleared her throat.“So...why are you here Mrs. G?”
Joyce Summers Giles reddened as she stuttered.“I was, ah, Rupert didn’t have his dinner yet since there was a late faculty meeting today, so I, ah, brought it over. And since he was waiting here for you kids to report in-”
“She stayed,”Giles finished enthusiastically as he swung his hands around him. ”Well, I believe that it’s time for bed for all of us! Let us go! Now!”
The youngsters said their good nights as they quickly made their way out the swinging doors. After ducking into a side hall, they leaned against the wall.
“Man! Who’d a thunk it?”Faith exclaimed before she burst into giggles.
Willow snorted with laughter.”I hope that I don’t have that image imprinted on my young and impressionable mind!”
“Go Giles!”Xander said in wonder.”Give hope for me and Cordy!”
“Guess *that* pool is out!”Oz said as he looked at the group.”Oh, well! Can’t bet on them all!”
Faith shook her head.”But we can bet on something else...something *really* outrageous...especially since Giles made us lose the original idea.”
“Like what?”Willow asked curiously. Faith smiled evilly at her.
“How about a bet on who would deck Buffy’s dad first...Giles or Angel?”
The four looked at each other...and started placing bets.
~Fin? Who knows..
