Rupert frowned and pulled his notebook closer, writing down more detailed notes from the text he was reading. It was enlightening but...worrying.
Jessie opened the door and entered the room without speaking. She held it open for Buffy and noticed that Giles was reading from Ethan's book, but she didn't say anything.
Buffy entered the apartment and went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a soda without a word.
"Er, hello," Rupert said, looking over his glasses at both women. Neither of them looked very happy.
Buffy came into the living and sat down with a shrug. "Yay."
Jessie looked at Giles and then at Buffy. "I need to clean up this knife. Thanks again for letting me use it. Er... you two should talk."
Oh dear, Rupert thought. Talking. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Nope, not me, I'm going to go continue my party by taking a nap," Buffy said.
Jessie sighed. "Look, I don't want to betray a confidence, but Buffy, I think you should talk to your watcher about... everything you shared with me. He can help, where obviously, I can't."
"What's wrong?" Rupert asked, looking at Buffy closely. She didn't seem injured, but perhaps something had happened on patrol.
"Help? Missed the mark a bit," Buffy grumbled. "I don't have pity parties often, maybe I'll milk this one for awhile before going out and being the Slayer again."
"..Pity parties?" Rupert asked, somewhat at a loss. "What?"
Jessie gritted her teeth and focused on Giles. "I only have Buffy's best interest at heart. Obviously I said the wrong thing. I'm sorry. Being ripped away from my home, family, my time line... less than 24 hours ago, doesn't lend me into being Miss Sunshine. Buffy is upset, Giles. She's scared, she's feeling guilty, and she needs you to believe in her." That being said, Jessie stalked upstairs. It was better, obviously, if she didn't say anything.
Rupert watched Jessie ascend the stairs, shocked. How did that woman so often reduce him to someone incapable of speech?
Buffy shook her head. "And you thought I was a brick wall. At least I stick around to listen. I tried to help, she tried to help, didn't work. Just get things back to normal or tell her she's stuck. Something."
"I'm...looking into what can be done," Rupert said slowly. He faced the Slayer. "What about you?" he asked gently. "It isn't your fault, you know."
"Yeah? She's a Slayer, is up in her 20s, married to you, has a kid and a life," Buffy said, getting up. "Our world here, total downer because I wasn't here. What am I supposed to think?"
"Sit down," Rupert said quietly. He took his glasses off and began to clean them. "Yes," he said quietly. "You weren't here. But there could be a thousand other reasons things were different. I'm sure in a thousand other worlds you were here, and the Hellmouth opened anyway. You cannot be responsible for the course of every timeline."
Buffy sat down and took a drink of her soda. "She asked about Mom and I told her, she used the words 'pity party'. Maybe I want to whine for a minute."
Oh, yes, that would have pissed Buffy right off, Rupert knew. Any mention of her mother send her into long funks. "You have every right to," he said.
"Doesn't help but sometimes it happens," Buffy said softly. "I'm going out on a patrol."
"Not alone," Rupert said quietly. Not when she was in a mood like this. "I'd suggest you take Jessie but..." they'd probably beat the hell out of each other. Who knew, maybe that would get the angst over and done with.
"I'll take Oz, the moon isn't up for two hours," Buffy said. "I'll sit with him until sunrise."
"Are you sure?" Rupert set the book aside.
"I can't sit still," Buffy said with a shrug. "Ask Texas up there about her world. She said Willow was some bad ass magic type. Can vampires do magic?"
Frowning, the Watcher rubbed the back of his neck. "Some...have been known to do so."
"Then we'd better take her out before she figures it out," Buffy said. "She's focused on me. Use me as bait. Cowgirl up there can jump in, they don't know there's two Slayers."
"That's true...we can capitolize on that." Rupert sighed. And...how much better would it be, if there were two Slayers? How much longer would Buffy survive?
"I really was just trying to help her adapt," Buffy said softly. "Later, Jeeves. Oz-man, let's boogie."
"Be careful," Rupert said, automatically. He'd speak to Jessie...
Oz trotted down the stairs and grabbed his pack from beside the door containing his weapons. "Later, Giles."
"Be sure you're back before moonrise," Rupert reminded the boy
"You got it," Oz said, nodding.
Rupert watched the children go, and shook his head. He looked up at the ceiling, and then gathered himself to go up and speak to Jessie.
After returning to the guest room, Jessie took her time cleaning and caring for the Bowie knife. Now she was sitting at the desk with her journal, but instead of writing, she was staring out the window, lost in her thoughts.
Rupert knocked on the door quietly
Jessie saw Buffy and Oz leaving out the front, so she knew who was knocking at the door. "Yeah," she said softly.
"May I come in?" Rupert straightened his glasses.
It's your house, Jessie thought, but then caught herself. Just because she was in turmoil about so many things, it didn't mean she should be rude or immature.
"Of course." She put down her pen and turned towards him, looking at his feet rather than his face.
Rupert sighed. "Try not to take offense, whatever Buffy said," he said quietly. "She's...well, she's a teenager. And she's in a dark place."
"I know," said Jessie.
"Though of course, she's very good at being infuriating," Rupert sighed.
Jessie nodded at the other chair. "You can sit. I promise I won't attack you or anything." She ran her fingers through her hair.
"I tried to... explain to her... how all of you succeeded in my time, and tried to get her to focus on that. Obviously I don't communicate well. I was trying to be supportive and helpful, and considering my place in all of this..." Jessie shrugged. "Nevermind."
"It's easy to misunderstand," Rupert said quietly.
"She needs you. You have to get her to talk. It's the connection and the teamwork that is so important," Jessie tried to explain. "Pushing fears away don't make them leave... it just makes it worse."
"Yes, that is true," Rupert sighed. "However...in your world, there was some hope of recovery. Yes? Here...the Hellmouth is open, and we're all...a little hardened."
"You don't know anything of my world. None of you know what we endured, what we live with... I don't presume to know what it's like here for all of you, how hard and terrible it is, but I would appreciate that same consideration," Jessie said, but not unkindly.
Rupert's eyebrow went up. "No, I don't know what you endured," he said. "I have no idea of the difficulties you've survived."
"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be a bitch," Jessie said softly. "It's just that... at least Buffy seems to think my life is all wine and roses. It isn't. Far from it."
"From her side, it might seem to be," Rupert said quietly. "She - you're married, in your world, and a Slayer. She hasn't dated since a group of vampires tortured her boyfriend to death in front of her. It's bound to trigger some bitterness."
"She's seventeen, as you pointed out," Jessie said. "In my world, Buffy had more despair than I can ever tell you. Now she's an adult, and its still not easy, but she has a family. She has all of us." Jessie leaned forward a bit in her chair. "She died... several times, and all of you brought her back. She has her entire life here ahead of her. You can learn. You will learn. I don't know what else to say."
Rupert licked his lips. "I'm afraid the world won't last long enough for her to have a life ahead of her," he said. "But thank you for the advice."
"I don't believe that," Jessie said. "You'd be surprised what you can overcome, if you don't give up. But it sounds to me as if you've all given up."
Rupert exhaled sharply. "The hellmouth is open," he said, looking into her eyes. "There are things crawling out of the Sutro ruins. We are losing chunks of the United States to demons, and it's gaining momentum."
"And David slew Goliath," Jessie stated firmly. Then she threw up her hands. "What do you want me to say? All I know is what I know. I'm trying to motivate you, or help you. But if you have already lost all your hope... what else is there?"
Rupert sighed. "Obstinacy."
Jessie turned away, glancing back out the window. Of all the places for the Powers to send her to, why here? Was there a reason? "Have you found out anything in Ethan's book?"
"I've found some possible avenues, but I need more time," Rupert sighed. And...while she was here, she'd be helpful. Perhaps it would be better if she stayed for - a while.
"Okay," Jessie said softly. "Listen, I suppose I was sent here for a reason. I do want to help while I'm here. But this isn't my world. You are not my Giles, this is not the Buffy I know and love... do you understand?"
"Yes, I'm very clear on all of that," Rupert said quietly.
"I just mean... I'm surrounded here by strangers. I'm quite certain you all don't even like me, let alone..." Jessie swallowed. "I love you, I miss you, but you aren't... you."
Rupert sighed. "I know, this is a very difficult situation for you," he said. "But there's nothing to be done about it yet. It would be best to put as good a face as possible on it."
Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Or at least be obstinate?"
"Well, while that works in the face of danger, it might not help you get along with Buffy," Rupert said dryly.
"She tends to push people away just fine on her own," Jessie said. "I tried my best. I actually was trying to be supportive. Considering my position here, I think I deserve a little slack."
"True," Rupert said. "But by the same token, so does she. She's just found out that perhaps she could have prevented all of this."
"No, she couldn't have. It wasn't her choice nor fault not to be here," Jessie pointed out.
"That's not how she's taken the news," Rupert said.
"You're her Watcher," Jessie said. "That's why you need to talk to her. It was just as much her fault as... it's my fault I'm here. It's the Powers, it's destiny, its fault... no blame is Buffy's or yours."
"I can tell her that until I'm blue in the face," Rupert said ruefully. "She's a bit hard-headed."
Jessie rubbed her face. How did this all become all about Buffy? Jessie just wanted to go home. Maybe she could figure out how to talk to the Powers on her own.
"What would you have me do? It's obvious everytime I open my mouth, I say the wrong things."
"I think misunderstandings are likely," Rupert said with a shrug. "Perhaps, though, you could...help her? Patrol with her, and - well, you've obviously been a Slayer for some time, perhaps you can share some of your experience with her."go
"She didn't seem to want to listen to my advice based on my experience before... but I'll try. I don't mind patrolling." Jessie could do that with her mouth shut.
"Thank you. Now, I'll get back to researching - is there anything you need?" Rupert asked.
Jessie could think of a thousand things, but she just shook her head. "No. And thank you for the research. There is another version of you that is missing me."
"And I'm sure that he's working to get you back as well," Rupert assured her, though truly he believed no such thing - Jessie had come through after being shot 'in the heart' as she said. If she'd left a body there...they would believe she was dead.
"He always promised me he'd find me, through space and time, and I believe him," Jessie said.
"There you go," Rupert said, with a small smile.
Jessie saw his smile and her heart flipped. She smiled back. "Goodnight Giles."
"Goodnight." Rupert smiled at her again, and then backed out of the door, shutting it gently.