Tile: One Sunday Morning
Author: Ness
Contact: sessa1_2@yahoo.com
Pairing: None
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Summary: Giles attends a family function
Distribution: Anyone that already has permission. Anyone else, please ask first, I like to know where my babies are going. *G*

Disclaimer: We all know who owns 'em and it ain't me. Joss and Co. are gods in their universe; I'm just a peon in mine.
A/N #1: This is an answer to Gileswench's Monday mini-challenge #28. "A Giles family Gathering"
A/N #2: Thanks to Morr for the beta. But she also bunnied me again by the end of it, so I'm not sure if I should thank her or curse her. *BBG* I did play with it a bit after she saw it, so any mistakes are mine, as always.
Written: 07/24/2004

Giles slipped quietly into the back of the church and took a seat in the back pew. His plane had been delayed and he'd been afraid that he would miss the entire proceedings. Happily, he'd been wrong.

He settled himself and watched the couple at the front of the church as the listened to the words the priest intoned solemnly. The couple's eyes strayed to one another frequently and the man sitting in the back pew couldn 't help but smile at the naked adoration in their eyes.

The routine of the ceremony took Giles back the church of his youth and the happy, and not-so-happy, occasions that he'd witnessed there. His mouthed curved yet again as he looked at the small bundle in the woman's arms. He was awed by the small miracle that she held so reverently.

He wasn't sure what part of the ritual they had progressed to until he heard the priest speak to the godparents about their responsibilities concerning the small child before them and asking them if they turned to Christ for both the child and themselves. The priest listened as they affirmed their promise to guide and protect the child in their care. The Watcher heard them name the child as the priest took the baby and sprinkled the baptismal waters over its forehead and made the sign of the cross on the forehead of the child as he said the words that would welcome the infant into the faith of its parents. Giles was thankful that he was in the back of the church when he heard the name.

The child's middle name was Giles. He felt his eyes go misty at the though of a child carrying his name. He knew this was as likely as close as he would ever come to having a child to carry on his name and memories. The priest then introduced the infant to the congregation. "Welcome Tristan Giles Morgan." The congregation rose and received their new addition.

Giles made his way to the front of the church and tapped the woman holding the child on her shoulder. She excused herself and turned to face him, her eyes lighting up as she realized who was standing behind her. She quickly handed the child to her husband and threw her arms around him. "Rupert! I was afraid you wouldn't make it." She hugged him tightly; so tightly that his eyes misted again. When he was away from home, he told himself that his absence didn't affect his family - until he felt the force of his sister's embrace. At that moment, he knew that she missed him every bit as much as he missed her.

They had only had each other for years now; ever since their parents had perished in a car accident when he had been in his late twenties and his sister had been in her late teens. Giles had taken it upon himself to try and shield her from life's harsher realities ever since their deaths, therefore, he had never told her of his calling. Karen had often asked him why he must live in California. He'd simply told her that his job for the museum entailed living in America. She hadn't known of his position as the librarian for Sunnydale High School or, since then, his acquisition of the Magic Box. She'd never known of the Watcher's Council or his role in it.

He pulled away and smiled down at her. "I almost didn't make it; my bloody plane was delayed at airport." He tucked a tendril of hair that had come loose behind her ear. She reached up and pressed his hand against her cheek and returned the smile.

Giles looked at Karen's husband. "Hello, Robert." He held out his hand and Robert shook it, offering his own greetings.

Karen turned to her husband. "Robert, I need to speak to my brother for a moment, please?" Understanding dawn in his eyes and he nodded and turned away to greet other well-wishers.

"Karen, is something wrong?" Giles asked worriedly as he allowed his sister to lead him out into the small garden behind the church.

Karen waited until they had reached a fairly secluded spot before turning to face him. "Nothing is wrong, Rupert, I just wanted to speak to you alone."

Giles sat down on a small, stone bench and waited for her to begin. She stared down at him for a long moment before beginning to pace. She stopped, took a deep breath and began to speak. "How long have you been in California?"

Giles' brows pulled together in concentration as he tried to figure out what was going on with his sister. "Almost five years," he replied slowly.

"Five years," she repeated, nodding her head. She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. "And in five years it has never occurred to you to tell me the truth?" She sighed suddenly and sat down heavily beside him. "Actually, I guess it never occurred to you to tell me the truth in the last fifteen or twenty years, has it?"

Giles reached out and took his sister's hand. He was terribly afraid that his efforts to protect her all these years had been in vain, but he couldn't admit the truth until he knew for sure. "What do you mean?"

***

Karen pulled her hand away. "I mean that you haven't been truthful with me since Mother and Father died." She pulled the lace handkerchief that she'd used to dry her son's skin after the baptism was over and slowly turned it over in her hands. She had debated with herself about calling her brother on his half-truths to her for all of these years, but the arrival and baptism of her son had convinced her that the lies, no matter how well-intentioned, couldn't go on any longer. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Rupert without her knowing what her brother 's life was really all about. She knew that he'd done all of this only to shield her; but she was a grown woman now, long past the need of his protection.

She could see that he wasn't going to tell her anything unless she convinced him that she already knew about his life. One question would be all that it took. "How is your Slayer?"

***

Giles' mouth dropped open. "How did you know?" He stopped himself, not wanting to reveal anymore than necessary.

"How did I know about your Slayer?" Karen raised her eyes to him. "I've known about Buffy for years, Rupert. I've known about your life as a Watcher for even longer." She turned her head away, but not before he saw the glint of tears in her eyes. "I know that Mother and Father both were Watchers."

"How?"

"I found Father's diary two years after he died." She stared unseeingly at the beautiful flowers surrounding them. "He wrote about his position within the Council, about Mother's and," she turned to face her brother again, "about yours, as well."

Giles wasn't sure what to say. It appeared that all he'd done to guard his sister from the truth about their parents' lives, and his, had been for naught. "If you've known for this long, why haven't you said anything before now?"

"Because you obviously didn't want me to know what you were doing and I was willing to let you have your façade." She stood again, the nervousness she felt at this meeting not allowing her to stay still for very long. "I can't do that any longer."

"Why?" Giles' curiosity, always his downfall, won out over all the other questions in his mind.

"Because I want to completely know my brother, I want my son to know his uncle - without lies and evasions, no matter how well-intentioned." She stood with her back to him, spine stiff, and he finally realized that, along with nervousness, was fear. She was afraid of telling him that she knew he' d lied to her all of these years. He stood and turned her until he could look at her downcast face. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Her head lifted and she reached out a trembling hand to stroke his cheek. "Don't be sorry; just tell me about your life; about our parents' lives. I need to know, Rupert." Her tone verged on pleading.

He nodded and led her back to the bench and as they sat down, he took a deep breath and told her about their family.

***

An hour later, Robert came outside carrying Tristan, intending to tell Rupert and Karen that it was time to leave. He saw brother and sister deep in conversation, their hands clasped together. He could see the tears streaming down both their cheeks and the smiles that illuminated their faces.

He looked down at the babe in his arms. "Tristan, my boy, I think we should fetch your mum and uncle a bit later." He glanced at the two figures on the bench. "They've rather a lot of catching up to do." He smiled and walked back into the church, quietly pulling the door shut behind him.

FINIS