Title : FATHER GLEN
Part : 3/?
Author : Catherine
Disclaimer : The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television, the WB Television Network, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I do not mean to infringe upon any copyrights.

Buffy came back to her house two hours later. "I brought dinner!" she said aloud, opening the door. She walked to the kitchen where the sounds of voices and laughter could be heard.

"I brought dinner," she repeated, watching the scene before her, but…apparently, you made it."

Dawn and Giles were in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner, while Willow was calmly sitting.

"Just need to put it in the oven, and we're done," Dawn smiled proudly.

"Buffy," Giles noticed her presence.

"Yeah, a little surprised, but yeah."

"We wanted to make you a surprise. I thought that would be great," Dawn explained.

"Really?" Giles raised an eyebrow at her.

"Well, even if it's more Giles' idea." She poked her tongue out.

"I wanted to help, but they said that it wasn't necessary." Willow complained.

"Giles told her that she had helped enough," Dawn whispered to Buffy.

At her comment, Buffy was surprised and intrigued.

"Buffy?"

Giles' voice tore through her thoughts, "Yes."

"May…May we have a talk together?" Then looking around them, he added, Alone."

"Okay." Buffy agreed with some apprehension; her largest fear could be real in very little time…she might see him go away from her forever.

They walked outside; Willow watched them with some indignation. First Giles' comment about her help; and now, when he had said 'alone', she understood perfectly that it was directly directed for her.

"Willow, where are you?" Dawn stopped her when Willow came to the living room.

"Don't tell me that you're not curious?"

"Willow, I'm not sure it's a great idea to spy on them."

"But-" Willow pouted.

"No," Dawn shook her head, "I think they need to be alone, to have that time together."

Without conviction, Willow agreed; she saw that Dawn was determined to not let her spy on them.

"Okay," she sighed in defeat.

"Good." Dawn smiled and then, "If you really want to watch something, you can always do it with the oven." Dawn grinned.

Willow smiled at her and sat back.

Outside

Buffy was resting on a tree, looking at her feet.

"Buffy?" Giles began.

"Yeah," she answered softly, still not looking at him.

"Buffy," he tried again to have her attention, then he erased the little steps which separated them, by walking toward her and then putting his fingers to her chin to raise her head.

"I want you to listen to me very carefully."

She nodded.

"I don't want to hear you think that I'm not glad that you're back. Ever!"

She was going to tell something, "Let me finish." Giles stopped her.

"I have no words to express how wonderful I feel. Having you back makes me feel…indescribably wonderful."

She didn't know why, but his words seemed to be familiar to her. But the thing that really surprised her was the emotion that she could hear in his voice. She had never seen him with such emotion.

"Buffy," he continued, "when…when you died," he said painfully, "you didn't died alone. I died with you. Inside," he put one his hand over his chest, inside I was dead."

Buffy couldn't say a word.

"Especially my heart. You took my heart with you," he finished in a whisper.

Then it hit her, "You spied on me. That's why you wanted to talk," she accused him.

"No," he shook his head in defence, "I…no."

"So, how…how do you know?" She said angrily.

Giles took some steps back, he rubbed his hair, and then explained to her; I was already at the church when you came in."

"Really? But I thought it was a rule that everything you said was a secret or something like that."

"Buffy, yes; but you weren't in the confessional, so your conversation could be heard," he pointed out to her.

"Ah…Oh, okay." She thought for a moment, "But that doesn't explain what you were doing there?"

Giles looked at her for a long moment, "Glen is a dear friend of me. He helped me…well, tried to help me would be more correct, when…" He didn't finish, and she could only nod.

"Some days after…your disappearance; I walked without a real destination through the streets of Sunnydale. Suddenly, I realized that I had stopped in front of a church. I was so angry and as you did today, I came in, and began to yell. Father Glen was there, and we talked for hours. Well, he listened to me patiently, and was surprised several times. From that day and until I went to England, I went there and we talked with each other."

He stopped a moment, what he was going to tell her wasn't easy either for him to tell it nor for her to hear what he was going to reveal to her. "I…I wanted to die Buffy," he said in a soft whisper.

"You mean…"

"Yes," he looked away before adding, "I wanted to kill myself. Each time I thought that I couldn't take it anymore; Glen said that I needed to find…that I must have a reason to live. I didn't see any, but he succeeded, at least until I went back the next day. Each time we left each other, he made me promise him that I would come back the next day." He laughed lightly at that memory.

"As you know, one day I made the decision to return in England, I thought that maybe…"

"I understand," she patted his arm.

He sighed with relief, even if she never said anything to him about his decision; he needed to hear her say that, to have her forgiveness and understanding.

"But actually, I knew that it was pure illusion," he chuckled softly.

"I swore to Glen that I would try to do my best, to live…without you."

Buffy didn't say a word while Giles stayed quiet a moment. "I'm not sure I really managed to convince him, but he did accept it." Giles smiled.

"I tried, and in away I succeeded," he said, "but only for a short time. I called Glen and told him that I couldn't, that I couldn…t forget. He tried to reason with me as usual; told me that I must have a reason, and that I needed to be patient. Thinking about that, I think that he has a very good intuition, at least on that."

Buffy, who hadn't said a word since his explanation, looked at him and with emotion and relief said, "I'm glad that he convinced you."

He looked at her, and then shook his head in negation, "He didn't."

She was totally surprised by his revelation.

"When I rang off, I knew that each day would be the same, and I couldn't live like that."

"So, how?" Buffy was perplexed.

"I was going to kill myself when…Willow called." He explained.

He caressed her cheek; she closed her eyes, appreciating his touch. Without realizing it, she was in his arms, held tightly by him.

"Good timing," she said, and then raising her head to look at him, "I'm happy that Willow called you."

He kissed her forehead, "I'm glad too, love."

She put her head back against his chest.

"Really?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course! Buffy?!? You mustn't doubt that!"

"But-"

"But what, Buffy?" Raising her head so that they could look at each other, he spoke. "Tell me," he asked softly.

Buffy looked away to consider her words, then she looked back in his eyes, I heard you earlier with Willow."

"And?"

"It's just that you…you didn't really sound so pleased to have me back." She looked away.

Giles sighed at her comment, "Buffy, look at me," and she did. "You can't be really think that after what I've just told you." She nodded.

"Buffy," he continued, "what you heard was, in fact, the anger that I feel towards Willow; about her unawareness of what she has done. But that's absolutely nothing to do about how I feel about your presence; and…that's the paradox." He caressed her cheek, "I'm sorry that you thought it was directed at you."

"I understand, I think." Her tone still seemed to Giles a little insecure but sincere.

"Really," Buffy assured him with a light smile.

They were in each other…s arms, enjoying the moment.

"What is it, Giles?" Buffy asked, feeling that he wasn…t telling her everything.

"I'm worried about Willow."

"Ah," Buffy said with some surprise.

"I'm always worried about you," Giles teased her.

"In that case," she grinned.

"As I see you're pleased when you torture me, evil woman!" Giles tried to be indignant, which caused Buffy to laugh frankly.

Giles snorted at that, then Buffy said, "You are a good actor, Giles; the only thing is that I know you so perfectly!" She winked at him.

"You think that I'm good," Giles said proudly, trying to take a 'pose'.

"Yep," she giggled at his expression.

After the good laugh, Buffy began serious, "Why…why are you?"

"Worried about Willow."

She nodded.

"I know you well enough to think that you are too, Buffy. Even with what happened." It was more a statement than a question.

She nodded again.

"I'm worried about the price she might have to pay for what she has done. Even if I think that she has already begun to pay for that."

Buffy looked at him questioningly.

"You," Giles explained, "your distance from her."

Buffy stared at his chest, and without thinking she played with one of his shirt buttons.

" I know…It's just-"

"Buffy," Giles cut her off, putting his hand on her chin, he raised her head to his, "I didn't say anything. I've just observed that fact."

"Thank you," Buffy said and added, "Thank you for being so you." She smiled.

He smiled back at her caressed her back. "Good, you like me as I am."

"No, not like you, love you, Giles," she said with emotion, looking straight at him.

"I love you so much, Buffy, so much." He brought his lips to hers.

The kiss was tender and passionate. The hunger of each of them could be felt there was desire, love, passion and softness in that kiss which sealed their love and life as more that a watcher and slayer. Their souls were now sealed to each other for eternity.

When the kiss stopped, Buffy put back her head over his chest. She could hear his heartbeat very strongly she chuckled at that, "What?" Giles inquired of her breathlessness.

"Your heart, wow, it's me?"

"Always you." He grinned at her.

"Hmm, I have such power on you. That could be very interesting." She said playfully.

Giles put his hand over her heart; contently, he retorted, "As I am, my love as I am."

"Yep!" They laughed.

"Wait, you called me love or I dreamt!"

"No." Giles said simply. He tried to stay neutral.

"No, you didn't call me that, or no I didn't dream?" Buffy insisted.

"No," Giles smiled, "you didn't dream, my love."

"It's-I love that!" Buffy looked at him with love, Giles' face reflected the same thing.

After a moment of silence, Giles spoke, "Buffy, love, are you ready to come inside and-"

"Face them." Buffy finished for him.

He nodded.

"Together?" She asked.

He nodded again and confirmed, "Always."

She sighed and said, "Okay."

He kissed her forehead and then they turned towards the house.

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