Title: Where He Belongs

Author: Kate R.

abelard950@aol.com

Disclaimer: Everyone belongs to Joss and the plot bunny belongs to Connie and me.

Fandom: Buffy/Sentinel/Due South

Pairings: Giles/Ethan for now.

Summary: Wesley finds someone only Giles can fix.


Where He Belongs
by Kate R.

Remembering in his dreams and he hated it because it also left him feeling sick with himself. For a long time he'd known He had abandoned Ethan and the dreams, constant dreams about his bastardlyness after Ehygon and how he had broken his promise. Why was this happening? And what had woken him before he saw the crushed look this time? What spared him?

"Hey, Watcher," Spike's voice called up the steps, "Phone! It's the other Watcher Slutty got fired."

"Don't call her that Spike," Giles admonished as he came down the steps in his boxers. "Even if it is true."

He took the phone from Spike then, and sent the vampire into the kitchen to make him some tea.

"Yes Wesley?" he asked.

/Giles," Wesley began. ? Uh...you wouldn't be interested in knowing where...Where Ethan is...would you? /

"Would you happen to know?" Giles asked. He hit speakerphone so Spike could hear it too.

/Yes, well, /" the other man began. He sounded nervous so Spike finally sighed.

"Oi, mate, spit it out! What's the situation that you're calling Rupes at 2 in the morning?"

/Well, for the last few months I've had an informant I didn't know who was until tonight when I saw his face. I believe it was Ethan Rayne. He's not like he was though. He's chosen to live on the streets. However, there are demons who now know he is the one who tells me things and they are not happy with him. I want to get him in form the cold as it were. Maybe make him a member of our team but I know he wont respond to me. He's far too skittish. /

"Where is he?" Giles asked with a tired sigh.

Wesley gave Spike an address and Giles swallowed as he realized what it was. He turned and ran up the steps getting dressed quicker than Spike knew he could. And he stared at who came own the steps. No tweed, no tie, no button down. He was starting at a man in faded jeans, boots, and a t-shirt wearing a leather jacket with a chain looped over his shoulder.

"Yer drivin'," he said to Spike as he tossed him the keys.

Spike swallowed but followed Giles out and they were soon on the road to LA. Dammit, Giles looked upset.

"What's up, Rupes?" Spike asked.

"The dreams," Giles replied. "They were trying to tell me he needed me. Reminding me that I was the one who ran and I left him and he fell. I promised him, Spike. I promised him things and I broke every damn one of those when I left. I have to get there now."

Spike nodded and stepped on the gas hoping Ripper would do something so they didn't get pulled over. He drove, making the trip to LA in less than an hour and a half and then Giles began to direct him to the warehouse. Spike drove and stopped outside.

"Go in and get him, mate," Spike said. "I got your back"

Giles nodded and started towards the building when suddenly, something he had forgotten kicked in again and it slammed him hard. He felt, heard, smelled and tasted everything and when he opened his eyes, he realized he no longer needed his glasses. He took them off and slid them into his jacket and walked through the darkened building. His senses were leading him to the one he needed, the one who needed him.

"Ethan," he whispered taken aback by the condition of his friend/mate/guide. "Oh, lord, Ethan."

The man stirred and looked up at him blearily. He opened his mouth to say something and started coughing. When it died down, he tried again. "No," he groaned. "Leave me alone now. I'm where I belong so please just stop haunting me."

"Ethan, no, you don't belong here, mate. Feel me, luv. I'm real. I'm here."

"Can't be," the man coughed. "Left me. Said it when you left I didn't belong in the light. Left me and I had tried so hard then. Tried to make you happy. Woulda done anything to make you stay. Just wanted to be special."

"Oh, luv," Giles whispered as he lifted Ethan. "I'm sorry, Eth. I'm so bloody sorry. No, you are special and you do belong in the light. Come one now, let me take you someplace warm. I'll take care of you luv. I promise this time I wont leave. Hold on to me now. Gonna pick you up."

Ethan gripped Giles when he was lifted. He knew this wasn't a dream and if it wasn't a dream then Giles was here and carrying him someplace.

"Drive, Spike," Giles said as Ethan felt them in a car being driven someplace. "Angel's hotel. I need to get him cleaned up and put to bed."

They drove for about ten minutes and pulled up outside the Hyperion where they saw a lot of lights one for some reason. Giles did not care. With Ethan in his arms, everything was where is should be. He and Ethan had worked his senses out years ago and he was never drinking that damn tea again.

"Angel?" Giles called as they entered. "What's...Holy shit!"

What Giles saw were a black jaguar, a panther, a snow tiger, a timer wolf, an arctic wolf and a hawk. He realized the panther and the hawk were Wesley and Angel and he knew them, recognized them as friend but the others....

"Hey, one of them said. "Is he okay?" Giles growled then and Wesley pushed the person back.

"Don't touch them," he said. He seemed to know what was going on which was good and Giles would ask him later but right now Ethan needed a bath and bed.

"This way," Angel said. "You can clean him up in my suite. We have a room ready for you but the heat hasn't warmed it yet. That's why our guests are still down here."

"Thank you, Angel," Giles said as he carried Ethan and set him in the tub. He was washing him when he sensed one of the others come near them. "MINE!" He growl/roared.

"I understand that," the one he called timber wolf said. "But you need help. I'm Blair Sandburg by the way. I heard Angel call you Giles. He's your guide?"

"Mine," Giles repeated. "My Ethan."

"Okay," Blair said. "Guides get along better than Sentinels do but I noticed you and Wesley seemed okay."

"Brothers in arms," Giles said. "We fight the same war. We're friends before anything else. Our tribe is split in two. That's why there are two of us."

"Weird but then, we are all just finding our way along this path. The other guy is Ray, the other Guide I mean. My Sentinel is Jim, Wes is kind of slight for a sentinel but everyone here says he's kick ass in fighting, and Ray's sentinel is Fraser. The wolf with him, the real wolf, is Diefenbaker.

"Okay," Giles growled out again.

"Have to say," Blair said. "You are the first Lion I've ever seen. Most Sentinels are sleeker."

"Most Sentinels didn't run a gang under the name Ripper either," Giles replied. Can you hand me that towel please?"

Sure," Blair said. He handed Giles the towel and watched as the man tenderly lifted his guide.

"What happened to him?" Blair asked as he held the door open for

Giles to walk from Angel's room to the room set up for them.

"I did," Giles said before closing the door in Blair's face. He set Ethan on the bed and gently kissed his forehead before climbing into bed with him. "I did."

end part 1