TITLE: Giles is a woman? 1/3
AUTHOR: Anne
RATING: this part PG-13
PAIRING: Buffy/Giles (friendship)
FEEDBACK: Oh yes please!
E-MAIL: bookmangal@yahoo.fr
SUMMARY: Giles is trapped in a woman's body while a demon possessed his body. Problems ensue.
DISTRIBUTION. VSS; ODD. GRB; GN; The BG Zone; Tweedybookguy; WatcherGirls. USCL. Anyone else please ask first.
DISCLAIMER: The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television and the UPN Television Network. The story is written for the pleasure of the author and readers, and has no lucrative purpose whatsoever. Please do not reproduce this story anywhere without the author's consent.
SPOILERS: None.
TIMELINE: season 3.
WARNING: minor graphic violence.
NOTE: it's my first classical fic!
DEDICATION: to Nikki for her great beta reading. Thanks.

Mary Higgins/Karemza drew up in front of the Spanish-style residence and cut the engine. She saw that an old grey Citroen DS was parked opposite, along the pavement, in front of the stairs. Rupert Giles was at home.

She had inquired after him before choosing him as her next victim. The man was insignificant. He was the librarian of the High School who lived his life through his books. He had no friends except for some teenagers and no social life. His sudden departure from the city would worry nobody when she sent a letter of resignation to the Principal in which she would cite homesickness as the reason for his return to England. He was perfect. She would leave the city tonight, happy in the knowledge that the Kade Agent, who had pursued her for years, would lose track of her. The time gained between her discarding her host and the Kade's renewed search would be to her advantage.

Higgins/Karemza got out of her black Volvo and crossed the deserted dimly lit street. She quickly found Rupert Giles' apartment and glanced through the illuminated window. The man sat at his desk, a book in one hand a steaming mug in the other. She smiled and rapped the doorknocker sharply on the sculpted door. It was opened a moment later by Rupert Giles.

Higgins/Karemza had only seen him from afar. She congratulated herself on her choice. Giles was handsome, charming and tall with brown hair and green eyes, his angular jaw had a dimple on the chin. His attire was a little old-fashioned: tweed suit, a shirt with fine lines and a tie. Behind his oval metal-rimmed glasses, his kind- looking eyes held a strange intensity.

He was beautiful. She thought that with such a physical appearance she would not remain alone for long. She would make him a real Don Juan!

Without a warning, Higgins/Karemza caught Giles' wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. She then pinned him brutally against the wall adjacent to the door and touched his forehead. They both felt a sort of electric shock, which made them quiver, leaving them slightly disorientated. They staggered back from one another.

Karemza looked at his hands and smiled noticing that they belonged to Giles. She was now in Giles' body. Giles frowned seeing himself before his eyes and immediately understood that he was in the body of his female attacker. Suddenly a violent right hook landed on his jaw, sending him crashing into the chair that he had vacated earlier. He lost consciousness.

Giles/Karemza searched the tweed jacket that hung on the coat rack beside the door and found Giles' wallet. She put it back then put the jacket on. It was hers now. She glanced at Mary Higgins/Giles, sprawled on the floor and said:

"I hope that you enjoy your new body, Rupert. Because it's yours till the end of your life."

Then she went away laughing.

*
* *

Buffy Summers dusted off her coat and knocked at Giles' apartment door. She was going to apologise to him after she gave him a rough time in training. As usual, he had said something to wind her up and she had hit back quite ferociously, she'd knocked him out…again!

Buffy frowned. Giles had not come open the door yet and she found it bizarre. It was hardly likely that he slept. Giles usually did not go to bed before 02 AM. Furthermore he knew that she would be by to make her report before returning to her home. He was probably reading and had forgotten that the world existed. She suddenly shivered, very worried. Or maybe he had passed out going back to his place? She had hit him rather hard on his head. Maybe he had a concussion again? Or a cranial trauma? Or a fracture? Maybe he had internal bleeding? Maybe he was in a coma?

"Oh my God!" She moaned. Buffy tried the door it was unlocked. She entered and on the floor near the kitchen she saw the immobile body of a young woman. As she knelt down next to the woman Buffy noticed that she had a large bruise on her left cheek.

Buffy blinked twice in surprise. Who was she? Who had hit her? Where was Giles?

"Giles? Giles? Where are you Giles?"

Buffy could not possibly know that this woman now sheltered Giles' mind and soul.

The teenager returned from her fruitless search for her Watcher and carried her to the couch. She slid a pillow under her head and requestioned herself: What did she was doing here? What had happened? Was she Giles' friend? Was she Giles' girlfriend?

Higgins/Giles moaned and groggily opened his eyes. He saw Buffy bent over her/him.

"Ah! Buffy, you're here…"

Buffy looked puzzled. "You know me?"

Higgins/Giles brought his hand to the back of his head and touched the bump there.

"Aw! Oh God! Not another concussion."

He suddenly noticed that when he spoke it was not his voice, which he heard. He sighed. < Obviously! You have the voice of this woman. Your host. >

He sat up and a terrible headache made him grimace in pain. He saw then that he had long slender legs and prominent breasts. He wore red stiletto-heeled shoes, a skin-tight black skirt with a low cut scarlet blouse, a gold watch was on one wrist whilst the other was adorned with flashy bracelets.

"Do we know each other?" Buffy asked trying to remember the beautiful young woman's face.

"Buffy, it's me Giles … I have… I am trapped in a body which is not mine!"

Buffy starred at Higgins/Giles in amazement. "What?"

"I am trapped in a body which is not mine." Higgins/Giles repeated and he added: "And I would like to know why and how." Higgins/Giles got up and staggered, feeling dizzy. "I have to go to the library. I have research to do."

Buffy nodded. "You're Giles, no doubt about it!"

Higgins/Giles went to the bathroom with a shaky step, his hand on his burning cheek. The face, reflected in the mirror had a high forehead, big blue eyes, a well-proportioned nose, fleshy lips, and a dimple in the chin and long curly blond hair.

It was the face of the young woman to whom he had opened his door and who had then attacked him.

"I'll bring you some make-up to the library Giles to mask the bruise on your cheek." Buffy said, grinning. "You know, Giles, you are really very beautiful. Good for you! You could have had the body of an old ugly woman as a host. Eww!"

Higgins/Giles glared at Buffy. "Oh, Hah, bloody hah! It is not funny, Buffy!" He then opened the medicine cabinet and looked for his painkillers. He swallowed the pill, then a mouthful of water and exhaled a long sigh. "No, it's not funny. It is very disturbing."

Buffy giggled. "I can imagine, and it will be even more disturbing when you undress to take a shower Giles."

Higgins/Giles paled and quivered, then he felt the blush work its way up his neck to his face "Good Lord!… um… Buffy, you are going to help me. You have absolutely got to find this woman who stole my body. I am going to go to the library to discover what happened."

"All right."

Higgins/Giles headed to the front door.

"Oh Giles!"

He turned around. "Yes?"

"Giles, you have the body of a woman, try to have a less male walk, take smaller steps, all right? Move your hips, wave your butt… Hey! One minute! Giles, how do you know how to walk with stiletto heeled shoes? Giles answer me!"

Higgins/Giles hurried away.

NEXT