Title: Tea with Uncle Alfred

Author: lisa roquin

Fandom: BtVS/Batman

Rating:

Disclaimer: No copyrighted charecters are any way shape or form mine. They belong to their respective creators, production companies, publishers etc. No harm intended. No money made.

Summary: 20 minutes with Giles. Giles has a bit of a reunion with his long estranged uncle when he goes to Gotham to look up an activated Potential named Cassandra Cain.

"Rupert," Alfred Pennyworth gasped in surprise. "Come in, my boy, come in"

"Uncle Alfred" Rupert Giles smiled.

"Rupert! It's been far too long."

"Indeed it has," Giles agreed. The length of time since he'd seen his uncle had more to do with his father than anything else. After Giles' mother died his father had cut off all ties with her distant cousin raised as her brother.

"How ever did you come to find me?"

"Actually it was quite a lucky accident. I'm here to speak to your employer, about one of his young associates--Cassandra Cain."

"So you've--taken up your father's work after all?"

"Yes, Uncle Alfred, though things have drasticallly changed with the Council. We're rebuilding from the ground up."

"Surely Miss Cassandra is--too old. She's nearly eighteen."

"As I said Uncle Alfred things have changed. May I come in?"

"Certainly. Come I'll make us some tea. Master Bruce is expected home in an hour or so. It's Miss Barbara's birthday. Master Richard, Master Timothy, Miss Stephanie and Miss Cassandra are all expected. I believe Miss Dinah and Miss Helena are considering joining the celebration...though Master Bruce and Miss Helena do not --get along well."

Giles smiled.

~*~

Giles sipped his tea, well aware of his uncle's sharp gaze.

"Rupert, I'll not allow you to harm any of my charges."

"Of course not, Uncle, and as I've said, things have changed. The Council as you knew; it no longer exists. There are exactly four that had worked under the Council still living. You heard of the earthquake in Sunnydale, as well as the terrorist Bombing in Devon?"

"Yes, I have wondered but--"

"The Hellmouth in Sunnydale is permanently closed. Though in closing the town of Sunnydale was destroyed. Thankfully the town had mostly been evacuated. Less than a hundred died, which is truly remarkable...and less than the assualt on the Council which was tied to the Sunnydale...Quake" the last said wryly.

Alfred nodded slowly. "Still Miss Cassandra is far too old to have been called."

Giles shook his head. "The only way to stop the last--well it was necessary for the witch of our group to cast a spell activating all who had the Potential. There are several dozen if not hundred young Slayers now about the world ranging between seven and twenty years of age. None of the Potentials past the age of twenty seem to have been activated. Miss Cain has been magically identified as one of the newly activated Slayers."

Alfred nodded slowly. That would explain some of the accidents Miss Cassandra had had breaking things in the Cave lately.

"What is your proposal for Miss Cassandra?"

"I'm not quite sure. In light of her other endeavors it's difficult to say. Most of what would be offered at one of our camps--and I mean that as a summer camp. Simply for the girls to come, family or a guardian are quite welcome to come as well, and learn to control their new gifts and defend themselves. They will need that. Slayers are like a siren call to any demon in the vicinity. Miss Cain is quite proficient in defending herself if my information is correct and seems to have found her own calling here in Gotham."

"You approve?"

"My Slayer--Buffy has died twice, once resuscitated, once ressurrected with an Urn of Osiris. Her two best friends one a carpenter, the other a witch now recovering from a black magic addiction and their girlfriends at the time, one a witch and bit of a seer, the other was a mortal girl who had been Anyanka. Buffy told the Council where to put their notions and archaic ways, got me fired, cut ties with the council herself and held the hellmouth of Sunnydale in check with the most raggle taggle obnoxious group you ever could imagine. Batgirl being a Slayer is hardly a dramatic problem after the three who I've come to consider my children have in turn brought home Angelus, William the Bloody, a member of a secret government agency that nearly ended the world, Anyanka, a witch and a werewolf as their significant others."

Alfred chuckled. "I dare say your three might give mine a run for their money. Master Dick has brought home an alien princess. Master Bruce a world renouned burgalar. And Master Timothy, Miss Stephanie and Miss Cassandra really have yet to start bringing bizarre characters to dinner."

"If you cared to handle Miss Cain's occult education I truly don't see any problem with her continuing her life uninterrupted here in Gotham. After all the young lady is hardly short on fighting skills. She merely needs to recenter herself to compensate for the new strength she possesses"

"Alfred?"

"Ah, Master Bruce, you're home. I'd like you to meet my nephew Rupert. He needs to speak to you about Miss Cassandra. Miss Barbara, Miss Stephanie, Miss Cassandra, Master Dick and Master Richard will be here for Miss Barbara's birthday dinner in two hours."

Bruce Wayne frowned slightly. "Very well, Mr..."

"Giles. Rupert Giles."

"My study is this way."