Xmas Fic #8
Jan. 11th, 2011 04:50 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
theroadhouseTitle: Perspective
Characters: Sophie, Eliot, Giles
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1489
Summary: Timestamp to Ace in the Hole. Sophie's perspective on Faith and her relationship to the two most important men in Sophie's life as seen through a conversation with Giles.
Author's Note: Written forwhuffle, who wanted to see Nate and Eliot's relationship with Faith through Sophie's eyes. Hope you enjoy it, sweetheart!
=======================================================
Sophie couldn't hold back a small, satisfied smile as she saw Rupert Giles stalk into the hospital waiting room. “Handed you your hat, did he?”
The Englishman glared at her for a second, then sighed – his expression softening. “Ms. Devereaux, can I buy you a cup of lousy hospital coffee?”
A polite refusal was on the tip of her tongue, almost escaping to freedom, when Sophie called it back. It had been a hellish twenty-four hours: Nate had taken Faith and tried a rogue move against their foreign blackmailer, Faith had been shot in an unplanned confrontation with the woman and her goons, and her supernatural life had barreled into their mundane world – again – with predictably catastrophic results.
Sophie knew she should be more charitable, especially with the girl barely out of surgery, but there were days she seriously questioned Faith's presence in their lives. “Mr. Giles,” she said, well aware the man was waiting for her answer, “if you wouldn't think me too much of a cliché, I would love some tea.”
His answering smile was charmingly uncomplicated.
“How is she?” Sophie asked as they walked down the hall together. “I assume from what I've picked up that everything went well?”
Giles nodded. “Once the surgery had progressed far enough, her healing factor took over. We're going to have to do a little work to get her released without raising too much suspicion.”
Sophie recalled earlier discussions to that effect. “Your witch will be able to take care of that, will she?”
“Most certainly,” Giles said by way of reply. “Admittedly it would have been easier if we'd been called in sooner – Willow might have been able to affect an immediate healing. We should be able to manage with the situation as it stands, however.”
“You're very good with the little digs, you know,” she said when they reached the hospital cafeteria. As expected, the available tea was bagged and dishearteningly mainstream, but she found a Celestial Seasonings blend that wasn't likely to be too offensive if she steeped it long enough.
“I'm sorry?” he asked, paying for both their cups.
Sophie laughed at him. “Don't play naïve with me, Mr. Giles,” she said as they took their seats. “It's insulting. Even if you hadn't introduced yourself with a closed fist, an idiot could see that you don't approve of Nate's presence in Faith's life.”
“He is a con artist and a criminal,” Giles said flatly. “Faith has had a hard enough time separating herself from those sorts of influences – she doesn't need the kind of temptation he represents.”
Sophie took a sip of her tea, made a face, and added a liberal dollop of honey. “Temptation Mr. Giles?” she asked. “You mean the temptation of a father who worships the ground she walks on and is willing to do anything in his power to make her life easier?”
Giles arched an eyebrow. “I understand you're biased towards the man, Ms. Devereaux, but surely you see we're talking about a fantasy here – the kind of fantasy that falls into the 'too good to be true' category on both sides.”
“You're talking about Faith's time in prison?” Sophie asked carefully. She was suddenly very aware that this was a man who had first hand knowledge of the sort of person Nate's daughter had been growing up.
“I simply find it curious that a man of Ford's background would so willingly embrace somebody like Faith as his family,” Giles said, taking a sip of his own tea. “Particularly to the degree he has. Forgive me, but it makes no sense, unless he has some sort of agenda in play.”
Sophie tried to look at the situation from Rupert Giles' point of view. As a Watcher, he was responsible for the Slayer under the traditional system. “Somebody like Faith must have been such a disappointment to you,” she said, finally. “Going rogue like that...killing those people...”
Giles' expression was suddenly cold as he looked at her. “Faith has turned away from that path, Ms. Devereaux. She is working on redeeming herself and doing the right thing – living a good and productive life. It hasn't been easy for her.”
“Yes,” Sophie agreed, “but from what I understand – it wasn't you who convinced her to turn her life around. It was that vampire friend of hers...Angel?”
She knew immediately she'd scored a hit on the man. “It doesn't matter who was responsible for helping Faith turn her life around,” Giles said. “The important thing is that she not be distracted by the influence of somebody like Nathan Ford. He is not a good man, Ms. Devereaux.”
“Mr. Giles, with all due respect,” Sophie said, “Nate Ford is many things. He's brilliant, he's ruthless, he's obsessive to a fault, and if there is a bigger control freak on God's green earth I haven't met them yet.” She sighed. “He is a good man, however, with a good heart, and he loves his daughter without shame or reservation or agenda.”
It was an interesting position for Sophie to be in, since most of the time she felt like an outsider when Nate and Faith got going. How could she possibly explain it to this stranger so that he could understand the strange, fucked up dynamic they had – and how despite what Giles thought he knew, it had turned out to be the best for both of them.
Before she could find the words, she saw Eliot at the entrance to the cafeteria and waved. The hitter spotted her immediately and came to join them.
“How did everything go?” she asked, after he'd grabbed a chair and brought it over to their table.
Eliot glanced at Giles, but said, “We had a visitor. Luckily the witch was able to take care of the monitoring devices she left behind.”
Sophie felt a stab of fear at what Eliot was implying, but she did her best to hide it from Giles. The shared concern about Faith aside, the Italian was family business – not to be shared with outsiders.
“Are the others upstairs?” Giles asked Eliot.
The younger man nodded. “Nate's also back from seeing Faith. They've moved her to a room, so she can have more visitors.”
Setting down his cup, Giles immediately got to his feet. “Please excuse me,” he said to Sophie. She waved him on.
When she and Eliot were alone together, he shifted into Giles' chair across from her. Sophie was abruptly struck by how tired he looked. “Have you seen her?” she asked gently.
“What?” he asked. “Oh. No. Not yet.” He rubbed a hand across his eyes. “How's Nate holding up? Any more problems with Hugh Grant there?”
Sophie laughed bitterly. “Nothing a good cattle prod wouldn't solve. I have to say, the girl does tend to bring it out in people.”
“What do you mean by that?” Eliot asked sharply.
You too, Sophie thought, but she didn't say anything out loud. “There's something about her that just invites men to try and protect her,” she said. “Which is ironic, because I don't know if I've ever met someone less in need of protection.”
Eliot leaned back in his chair and sighed. “It's the damage,” he said. “You see the same in reverse with girls being attracted to the bad boys. You start to believe that you can be the one to fix her – to save her.”
Sophie was quiet for a moment, unsure whether or not she should pursue this when Eliot was so obviously not on his game. “Is that why you fell for her so hard?”
His smile was soft and knowing. “I'm not sure whether I'm trying to fix her or myself.”
“Eliot, why have you been avoiding her ever since we got here?” Sophie asked. “I mean, I understand you not wanting to cause any drama with Nate, but you've got just as much right to see her as any of the others.”
He was quiet long enough that Sophie began to wonder if she'd overstepped her bounds. Finally he said, “It's not about rights. And I can handle Nate and his issues.” He paused, as if he was trying to choose the right words. “If I sit by her side and hold her hand, and wait for her to get better, I might find out that these feelings I've been having are deeper than I thought. And I'm not sure either of us is ready to handle that.”
“You and Nate?” Sophie asked.
Eliot shook his head. “Me and Faith.”
Characters: Sophie, Eliot, Giles
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1489
Summary: Timestamp to Ace in the Hole. Sophie's perspective on Faith and her relationship to the two most important men in Sophie's life as seen through a conversation with Giles.
Author's Note: Written for
whuffle, who wanted to see Nate and Eliot's relationship with Faith through Sophie's eyes. Hope you enjoy it, sweetheart!=======================================================
Sophie couldn't hold back a small, satisfied smile as she saw Rupert Giles stalk into the hospital waiting room. “Handed you your hat, did he?”
The Englishman glared at her for a second, then sighed – his expression softening. “Ms. Devereaux, can I buy you a cup of lousy hospital coffee?”
A polite refusal was on the tip of her tongue, almost escaping to freedom, when Sophie called it back. It had been a hellish twenty-four hours: Nate had taken Faith and tried a rogue move against their foreign blackmailer, Faith had been shot in an unplanned confrontation with the woman and her goons, and her supernatural life had barreled into their mundane world – again – with predictably catastrophic results.
Sophie knew she should be more charitable, especially with the girl barely out of surgery, but there were days she seriously questioned Faith's presence in their lives. “Mr. Giles,” she said, well aware the man was waiting for her answer, “if you wouldn't think me too much of a cliché, I would love some tea.”
His answering smile was charmingly uncomplicated.
“How is she?” Sophie asked as they walked down the hall together. “I assume from what I've picked up that everything went well?”
Giles nodded. “Once the surgery had progressed far enough, her healing factor took over. We're going to have to do a little work to get her released without raising too much suspicion.”
Sophie recalled earlier discussions to that effect. “Your witch will be able to take care of that, will she?”
“Most certainly,” Giles said by way of reply. “Admittedly it would have been easier if we'd been called in sooner – Willow might have been able to affect an immediate healing. We should be able to manage with the situation as it stands, however.”
“You're very good with the little digs, you know,” she said when they reached the hospital cafeteria. As expected, the available tea was bagged and dishearteningly mainstream, but she found a Celestial Seasonings blend that wasn't likely to be too offensive if she steeped it long enough.
“I'm sorry?” he asked, paying for both their cups.
Sophie laughed at him. “Don't play naïve with me, Mr. Giles,” she said as they took their seats. “It's insulting. Even if you hadn't introduced yourself with a closed fist, an idiot could see that you don't approve of Nate's presence in Faith's life.”
“He is a con artist and a criminal,” Giles said flatly. “Faith has had a hard enough time separating herself from those sorts of influences – she doesn't need the kind of temptation he represents.”
Sophie took a sip of her tea, made a face, and added a liberal dollop of honey. “Temptation Mr. Giles?” she asked. “You mean the temptation of a father who worships the ground she walks on and is willing to do anything in his power to make her life easier?”
Giles arched an eyebrow. “I understand you're biased towards the man, Ms. Devereaux, but surely you see we're talking about a fantasy here – the kind of fantasy that falls into the 'too good to be true' category on both sides.”
“You're talking about Faith's time in prison?” Sophie asked carefully. She was suddenly very aware that this was a man who had first hand knowledge of the sort of person Nate's daughter had been growing up.
“I simply find it curious that a man of Ford's background would so willingly embrace somebody like Faith as his family,” Giles said, taking a sip of his own tea. “Particularly to the degree he has. Forgive me, but it makes no sense, unless he has some sort of agenda in play.”
Sophie tried to look at the situation from Rupert Giles' point of view. As a Watcher, he was responsible for the Slayer under the traditional system. “Somebody like Faith must have been such a disappointment to you,” she said, finally. “Going rogue like that...killing those people...”
Giles' expression was suddenly cold as he looked at her. “Faith has turned away from that path, Ms. Devereaux. She is working on redeeming herself and doing the right thing – living a good and productive life. It hasn't been easy for her.”
“Yes,” Sophie agreed, “but from what I understand – it wasn't you who convinced her to turn her life around. It was that vampire friend of hers...Angel?”
She knew immediately she'd scored a hit on the man. “It doesn't matter who was responsible for helping Faith turn her life around,” Giles said. “The important thing is that she not be distracted by the influence of somebody like Nathan Ford. He is not a good man, Ms. Devereaux.”
“Mr. Giles, with all due respect,” Sophie said, “Nate Ford is many things. He's brilliant, he's ruthless, he's obsessive to a fault, and if there is a bigger control freak on God's green earth I haven't met them yet.” She sighed. “He is a good man, however, with a good heart, and he loves his daughter without shame or reservation or agenda.”
It was an interesting position for Sophie to be in, since most of the time she felt like an outsider when Nate and Faith got going. How could she possibly explain it to this stranger so that he could understand the strange, fucked up dynamic they had – and how despite what Giles thought he knew, it had turned out to be the best for both of them.
Before she could find the words, she saw Eliot at the entrance to the cafeteria and waved. The hitter spotted her immediately and came to join them.
“How did everything go?” she asked, after he'd grabbed a chair and brought it over to their table.
Eliot glanced at Giles, but said, “We had a visitor. Luckily the witch was able to take care of the monitoring devices she left behind.”
Sophie felt a stab of fear at what Eliot was implying, but she did her best to hide it from Giles. The shared concern about Faith aside, the Italian was family business – not to be shared with outsiders.
“Are the others upstairs?” Giles asked Eliot.
The younger man nodded. “Nate's also back from seeing Faith. They've moved her to a room, so she can have more visitors.”
Setting down his cup, Giles immediately got to his feet. “Please excuse me,” he said to Sophie. She waved him on.
When she and Eliot were alone together, he shifted into Giles' chair across from her. Sophie was abruptly struck by how tired he looked. “Have you seen her?” she asked gently.
“What?” he asked. “Oh. No. Not yet.” He rubbed a hand across his eyes. “How's Nate holding up? Any more problems with Hugh Grant there?”
Sophie laughed bitterly. “Nothing a good cattle prod wouldn't solve. I have to say, the girl does tend to bring it out in people.”
“What do you mean by that?” Eliot asked sharply.
You too, Sophie thought, but she didn't say anything out loud. “There's something about her that just invites men to try and protect her,” she said. “Which is ironic, because I don't know if I've ever met someone less in need of protection.”
Eliot leaned back in his chair and sighed. “It's the damage,” he said. “You see the same in reverse with girls being attracted to the bad boys. You start to believe that you can be the one to fix her – to save her.”
Sophie was quiet for a moment, unsure whether or not she should pursue this when Eliot was so obviously not on his game. “Is that why you fell for her so hard?”
His smile was soft and knowing. “I'm not sure whether I'm trying to fix her or myself.”
“Eliot, why have you been avoiding her ever since we got here?” Sophie asked. “I mean, I understand you not wanting to cause any drama with Nate, but you've got just as much right to see her as any of the others.”
He was quiet long enough that Sophie began to wonder if she'd overstepped her bounds. Finally he said, “It's not about rights. And I can handle Nate and his issues.” He paused, as if he was trying to choose the right words. “If I sit by her side and hold her hand, and wait for her to get better, I might find out that these feelings I've been having are deeper than I thought. And I'm not sure either of us is ready to handle that.”
“You and Nate?” Sophie asked.
Eliot shook his head. “Me and Faith.”
