Title: Charades 19/24
Author: Magpie and Wolfling
Email: magpie@moracle.co.uk and wolfling@sympatico.ca
Show: Buffy
Rating: NC-17
Category: angst, hurt/comfort
Warnings: spoilers up to the end of Chosen
Pairings: Giles/Ethan
Series: Of Old Mystics, sequel to Sleight of Hand
Summary: Searching for meaning in the signs and symbols of life.

Author Notes: Many thanks to Mad Poetess and Wesleysgirl for betaing :) This is the third story in the Of Old Mystics series; previous stories in the series can be found
http://www.myarseisnotpansy.co.uk/piedm/mystics.html.

Giles got dressed and headed downstairs, figuring if a shower didn't bring Ethan back down to earth, then perhaps coffee would. Besides, someone had to start breakfast for the rather full house they were expecting.

He was more than a little surprised to find Kat, who'd been sharing Megan's room, already down there, the coffee brewing and a selection of breakfast foods on the counter ready to cook. She grinned at him as he walked in, a strand of azure blue hair dropping from the rough knot on top of her head to fall before her eyes. "Merry Christmas, Giles!"

"Happy Christmas, Kat," Giles replied with a smile. "You're up early."

"I can never sleep Christmas Eve, ever since I was a kid. And anyway, your neighbours are *really* noisy." She waved her hand at the food on the counter. "What d'you guys want for breakfast?"

Ignoring the comment about 'neighbours', Giles listed their usual choices when they had time for a leisurely breakfast, then moved to the other counter to get Gwydion's morning meal ready. "Would you like some help?"

"Nah. Let me do this, Giles. Seeing as you and Megan are in charge of the big meal."

"Your job will be at least as challenging," Giles replied, putting his dog's dish on the floor, which Gwydion immediately buried his head in. "You get to distract Ethan so he doesn't decide he wants to help."

She flexed her arms. "Slayer strength here. He won't get near the kitchen."

Giles had a sudden image of Kat tackling Ethan to the floor less than a foot from the kitchen door and had to swallow inappropriate laughter. Perhaps Ethan wasn't the only one feeling a little... under the influence after this morning's activities.

"So," Kat started suspiciously casually, as she laid the rashers of bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes out on the grill tray -- the proper British way, Giles was pleased to note. "I guess you've all been too busy to miss me."

"You would be guessing wrong then," Giles replied easily. "Of course we've missed you."

She flashed a grateful smile at him. "I thought I'd be coming back more often, but the training's been real intensive and most of the weekends the last thing I wanna do is travel. And Xander likes Devon of course..."

"Yes, he does seem to be spending a lot of time down there recently," Giles observed in his driest of tones, keeping the smile from his face.

Another grin was flashed, this one somewhat cheeky. "He says the sea air is good for him."

"I'm sure he does. Sea air that is made all the better due to the presence of a certain Slayer."

She didn't answer that, but Giles could tell she was pleased. He watched her putter about, efficiently putting together all the pieces of what looked to be a truly luxurious English breakfast. "How's Megan been?" she asked quietly. "I know she says she's fine, but we were kinda worried."

"She's been a bit... quiet these last couple of weeks. But she seems to be throwing herself into the holidays."

"Xander and I are gonna try hard to, y'know, not be too couple-y. She'd hate it if she knew we were doing that, but..." Kat gave Giles an uncomfortable look. "Wouldn't seem fair making a big deal out of us being a, um, 'us'."

Giles raised an eyebrow. "You don't think she'll notice what you're doing?"

Kat looked uncomfortable, but insisted, "Not if we balance it right." She broke eggs into the pan and started to fry them. "Giles, is everything okay here? Not just Megan, I mean. Everything."

There was something about the tone of her voice that made Giles think she had a reason to ask. "Why?"

She half-shrugged. "It's just that everyone in the coven seems all... antsy."

Interesting. "There has been an increase in chaotic incidents," he admitted. "Just small things, really. But more than is usual."

She paused in buttering the toast long enough to give Giles an uneasy look. "Guess I better work even harder on my studies."

"How are those going?" Giles said, taking the opportunity at changing the subject. He really wanted to put the Prophecy and all the rest of that aside for today.

Beaming, Kat told him, "Really good! Even the theory. You'd be proud of me, Giles. I'm, like, writing essays and stuff. But I still like the practical best though." She turned back to the plates, arranging food upon them, but although Giles could no longer see her face, her expression was obvious from her enthusiastic tone. "They've been letting me work with real patients. Under supervision of course. But... I'm really helping. Not in a huge way, but I make a difference. That feels really bloody good." She used the British swearword apparently without self-consciousness.

"I'm glad to hear that," Giles replied, smiling at her in approval. "I'm sure your brother would have been very proud."

That won him another gratifying grin. "Mary and I have talked about Kevin sometimes. Being a healer means seeing a lot of death, she says. She says you get to see it differently, as just part of the natural process of things. She really believes in souls and stuff, and going on."

"I've had that talk with her myself," Giles said, remembering when his grandmother had dragged him to Devon after he'd turned up on her doorstep all those years ago, playing at being the prodigal. He'd never said anything about Randall's death, but somehow his grandmother had known, and somehow Mary had known too.

The healer's words hadn't helped much at the time, but he had found himself returning to them in later years whenever he lost someone else. Deirdre and Philip. Jenny. Joyce. Buffy. Mary's words had made it a little easier to bear the unbearable.

Kat gave him a soft smile, her eyes slightly unfocused as if seeing deeper than Giles would rather. But then she turned and put a loaded plate of breakfast onto a tray, handing it to him. "There you go. That will get you off to a good start for the day, as my mom always says."

"Indeed it shall," Giles said, shaking off the less than Christmasy memories and feeling his mouth water as he contemplated the food. He glanced out the kitchen door in the direction of the stairs, wondering if he should go check on Ethan before eating.

Megan was just coming down, still in her pyjamas and robe, her long hair loose and mussed. She was yawning. "Hi," she said sleepily. "Are we having the bathroom refurbished or something?"

Well, that certainly answered the Ethan question. Handing the tray to Megan, Giles started to head for the stairs. "That's just... I better go and..." He gave up trying to explain and merely offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile, but doubted actually was, and went upstairs to see exactly what kind of disaster was resulting from leaving a giddy Ethan alone.

"It'll get cold!" Kat called after him.

Giles couldn't take the time to answer her as there was indeed quite a racket coming from the bathroom. A lot of banging, a human voice apparently yelling, and... a dog howling? Oh lord. Stealing himself, Giles opened the bathroom door and cautiously stuck his head in. "Ethan, what--"

He stopped, as he could barely hear himself yell over the row of the howling dog and human. *Singing* human, he corrected himself. Both appeared to be in the shower; he could see their silhouettes through the glass. The human component to the noise suddenly stopped, and Ethan slid open the door a little way and grinned wetly out at Giles. "Shh," he told Skunk; Giles saw rather than heard it. The puppy quietened, and Ethan asked, "Breakfast ready then?"

Giles blinked at his lover for a moment, making a mental note to never shag Ethan in the morning again if this was the result. "Kat's cooking it. You might want to keep it down a bit -- you're scaring the Slayers."

Ethan pouted exaggeratedly. "My self-expression is unacceptable again, I see."

"Ethan, you are many wonderful and exasperating things, but a singer is not one of them." In the old days, Ethan attempting to sing had always been a sign to take away whatever substance he'd been imbibing as he'd obviously had too much. It was certainly clear to Giles that his lover had had too much in this instance as well; he just wasn't exactly sure *what* he'd had too much of.

The shower was still running, steam emerging from behind the glass and starting to fill the bathroom. Ethan pulled the door all the way open, revealing his dripping body as well as a totally bedraggled and very happy looking puppy. "Water's hot," he pointed out redundantly. "Want to come and get clean?"

Giles couldn't say he wasn't tempted. "You do realise that nothing is going to happen in front of the dog?"

Another pout. "You're just all kinds of spoilsport today, aren't you?" Ethan turned in the shower and began to switch the water off.

"Yes, that's me, the mean old spoilsport who just shagged you silly -- apparently literally -- when you woke up this morning."

Ethan looked back out. "Sorry," he said with a more serious expression. He stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, but Giles picked it up before Ethan could grab it and held it open for him. Walking into the towel and letting Giles wrap him up, Ethan smiled softly. "I know I'm being a bit excessive. It's just... it's Christmas!" The irrepressible grin was back.

Before Giles could answer, his trousers were suddenly soaked through as a small bundle of very wet fur shook itself vigorously beside him.

Thanking all the powers that be that at least Gwydion didn't feel the need to shower with him, Giles focused his magic on Ethan's puppy. "Exhala aquam viduum," he murmured, pulling the excess moisture from Skunk's fur and his own trousers.

Skunk yapped excitedly. "Ack!" Ethan exclaimed, looking down at Skunk in alarm. "You've fluffballed her!" It was true that the puppy's fur now looked for all the world like she'd been blow-dried.

Giles just gave his trousers a meaningful glance, then looked back at Ethan with a raised eyebrow.

That got him an amused smirk. "I'm still wet," Ethan pointed out, reaching his arms out for a hug, the towel falling to the floor. Skunk barked and bounced at their feet, skidding on the bathroom tiles.

"Exhala aquam viduum," Giles said again quickly, before Ethan could wrap himself around him and totally soak his clothes for the second time in less than a minute.

Laughing, Ethan finished the gesture anyway and pulled close to Giles. "I suppose I have fluffy hair now too."

"You're a matched set," Giles told him, unable to stop himself from wrapping his arms around his lover and sighing in contentment.

Ethan tipped his head and leant in for a kiss, and Giles found himself obliging without even thinking about it. Despite how recently he'd been inside his lover, there was something about the way Ethan was moving his naked body in a gentle rocking dance that was immediately distracting.

Giles actually jumped a little when Kat's voice came loudly from outside the bathroom door. "I'm not going to cook you two *another* full English breakfast, you know."

"We'll be right there," Giles called out, then reluctantly stepped back from Ethan. "She really has gone all out with the cooking; we should go eat it before it gets cold."

Ethan looked down at himself ruefully. "Suppose I'd better get dressed then." He picked up the towel and returned it to the rack, then donned his bathrobe. After pausing to look thoughtfully at Giles, a slight smile quirking his lips, he then left the bathroom, his faithful if rather fluffy hound at his heels.

Shaking his head with a wry smile, Giles followed.

***

Ethan gazed at the enticing heap of glittery presents strewn around the tree and then back at the kitchen door, beyond which Rupert and Megan were doing no doubt unmentionable things to the large dead fowl destined to be roasted. Then he looked at Kat and winked. "I'll cover you if you want to initiate a covert investigation."

Kat gave a ladylike snort. "You are such a bad influence."

He looked back at the pile of gifts. "Or you could cover me?" he suggested hopefully.

She crossed her arms and shook her head.

He gave her a thoroughly exasperated look. Nobody here would join in his fun today. Well, except for Skunk; he leant to his side and ruffled the dog's ears, getting a happy yap of thanks as a reward. "Actually," he started brightly. "I believe it's time for Giddy's morning constitutional if you would be so kind." The wolfhound pricked up his ears, stirring in his basket.

"Sure," Kat said brightly. "And you can bring Skunk along for hers."

He frowned. "Skunk's an indoor dog. Well, indoor and back garden."

Kat looked thoughtfully at Skunk. "Seems like she's an awfully energetic dog to be confined in that small an area."

"Well, I'm sure she'll be coming with me to the office too." He shifted uncomfortably in his armchair.

Now Kat was looking at him with a thoughtful expression. "All right, give."

"Your presents? Certainly, but I don't think Rupert will be pleased." He made to rise from his seat.

Her stare pinned him in place. "Ethan, stop dancing around and talk to your Slayer."

Sinking back in the chair, he glowered at her. "Neither of you have the slightest iota of respect for me. I don't want Skunk going near roads." He patted his lap, and Skunk jumped up for a cuddle.

Kat rolled her eyes. "We love you, which in my book is a damned sight better than respect, so get over it." Then in softer, gentler tones that invited confidences and promised understanding, she asked, "Why don't you want her to go near roads?"

Ethan wasn't sure how much he liked the changes that Kat's Devonshire training was making in her. "I don't want to lose her," he muttered and hugged the puppy close, feeling as if he was hurting her somehow even talking about this. Skunk squirmed around and licked his face, then pulled back for all the world as if checking to see if she'd cheered him up. He couldn't help but smile at her. "Such a good dog," he murmured approvingly.

"Do you think, maybe," Kat began a bit hesitantly, "you could be overreacting in what you're afraid of?"

"No," he said tightly. It was time to change the subject. "Do you want the telly on? I suspect there's a classic musical on almost every channel, so plenty to choose from."

"Maybe that's what you should do with your fear of Skunk and roads," Kat said, not seeming to make any sense, until she added, "You don't like where the conversation is going, you change the subject. You don't like the idea of Skunk going near roads because you're afraid you'll lose her, change the parameters so you won't lose her if she goes near roads. Then you won't have to be afraid anymore."

He stared at her. "Change the rules, you mean?"

"Yeah." She smiled at him. "You've never been big on following them anyway."

He stared at her some more as he thought about the little magic shop he'd purchased Megan's owl pendant from. They had a silversmith there practised in enchantment. Perhaps...

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door. Giddy stood up from his basket and barked.

"That'll be Xander," Kat said happily, dashing off to answer the door.

Ethan stood, holding Skunk in his arms, and prepared himself to play the pleasant host. As Buffy and Dawn entered the room, bearing more armfuls of gifts, he smiled at them. "Welcome both. Would you care for a sherry and a mince pie, or a mulled wine, or perhaps something more American?"

Dawn's attention however was immediately focused on Skunk. "You've got a new puppy!" she exclaimed, handing the gifts she was carrying to her already overloaded sister and moving closer to get a better look. "Oh, she's so cute!" Dawn looked up at Ethan, waiting for his nod of permission before reaching out to pet Skunk. "I always wanted a puppy, but Buffy wouldn't let me."

While Ethan could no longer see Buffy's face, as the Slayer had moved to the tree to put the gifts with the others, he could imagine the response to that remark. "Yes, she's like that," he agreed in a tone that hopefully conveyed gentle teasing and nothing more. "Skunk, this is Dawn. She's a friend." He stopped himself saying anything more about the girl at that point; he'd explain to the puppy later... which was a strange thing to feel like he needed to do now that he thought about it.

He let Dawn take Skunk from him and smiled at Xander and Kat as they came in, entwined in each other's arms. "Will *you* at least take me up on some Christmas cheer, Xander?"

"I'll take all the cheer I can get, Christmas or otherwise," Xander replied with a grin.

Ethan decided not to offer the mulled wine again, as the slightly cross voices coming from the kitchen convinced him he didn't want to go in there just now. So he walked over to the drinks cabinet and poured them both a small glass of Baileys, considering it more likely to be popular than the more traditional cream sherry. He handed it to Xander. "I'm sure you girls want something really."

Dawn was still caught up with Skunk and also Gwydion, doing her best to make a fuss of both puppies simultaneously. But Buffy straightened from putting all the gifts under the tree and brushed her hair back from her face. "Maybe a small drink," she allowed with a smile. "Just to get into the spirit."

He handed her his glass of Baileys, as he hadn't touched it yet, and poured another for himself. "You'll like that," he promised. "I've never known anyone to not like Baileys... well, apart from the dairy intolerant I suppose."`

"I'm not dairy intolerant," she replied, sipping at the glass. "Just large amounts of alcohol intolerant. A drunk Buffy leads to all sorts of badness."

"Really?" he raised an eyebrow. "Do tell."

Dawn looked up from her puppy worship to start, "Well, this one time--" A pointed cough from Buffy brought a sudden end to that story before it was really started.

Xander however wasn't quite so easily swayed. "Let's just say that beer brings out Buffy's inner primitive and leave it at that."

Ethan made a mental note to get the full story from Rupert later on. "Well, this isn't beer, so drink up. Kat, if you could take your hands off your boyfriend for at least a couple of seconds, you could go and fetch the mince pies and let the cooks know the rest of the guests are here."

"You're just jealous because your boyfriend is busy," Kat teased, but reluctantly detangled herself from Xander's arms and headed into the kitchen.

"And there goes a large part of my Christmas cheer," Xander said, with a mock sigh of pathos.

"I'm sure she'll be right back," Ethan said dryly. "I suspect your heart won't break in those few seconds."

"You'll just have to keep me distracted until she gets back." Xander held up a hand. "And no, not in *that* way."

Ethan smiled and tried to keep his discomfort from his eyes. Since the embarrassing kissing incident, he'd only seen Xander twice and both times they had been in a busy group, discussing Council business. Xander seemed to want to make light of the Chaos-charged attack, and Ethan was happy to let him do that, but he himself remained uneasy. It would have helped if he wasn't able to remember exactly what Xander's lips felt like.

Kat came back from the kitchen carrying a tray of goodies, Rupert with an apron around his waist following in her footsteps. Ethan instantly slipped closer to his husband, putting an arm lightly around Rupert's waist as he looked for Megan.

"Megan should be out in a little bit," Rupert answered the unasked question. His mouth quirked up into a half-smile. "She ordered me to go play host."

'Is she all right?' he sent, as he put his again untouched glass of Baileys into Rupert's hand. "Well, have a drink with us then," he said out loud.

'She's fine,' Rupert assured him equally silently. 'I dare say even in her element. There was some muttering about too many cooks as she shooed me off.'

"They brought more presents," Ethan pointed out, looking happily at the evidence of capitalism gone mad on their floor. "Don't you think *now* feels like a good opening time?"

Dawn looked up hopefully. "Feels just right to me, Ethan."

"Gifts are of the good," Buffy added equally hopefully.

Rupert blinked. "And you are all looking at me because...?"

Ethan giggled. "Very well then. I declare that it will be present opening time the moment Megan can be persuaded out of the kitchen to join us."

"Good luck on that," Kat said. "She practically chased me out with a rolling pin."

"Hmm," Ethan said thoughtfully. "I may have a method that will work." He looked at the kitchen door a little nervously. "A token for your knight, fair sir, before I ride into battle with the fearsome kitchen-dweller?" he asked Rupert with a wink.

"You want my handkerchief?" Rupert asked dryly, a faint smile gracing his lips as he reached towards his trousers pocket for said item. Ethan gave him a hard look. "Well, that generally was what a token was," Rupert pointed out deadpan.

"You could at least let me get it out for you," Ethan said with a wicked smirk. There were general titters of amusement from the crowd.

"Oh for--" Buffy stood up and headed for the kitchen door. "*I'll* go get her."

Ethan grinned. "Ah ha. My secret plan is working, I see." He twirled an invisible moustache.

"Behave," Rupert told him mildly, although he leant in and kissed Ethan nonetheless.

Ethan enjoyed Rupert's lips as he waited for two Slayers, hopefully, to come out of the kitchen. From behind him, he heard Dawn exclaim a long drawn out, "Wow. They do really do that."

"Yup," Xander confirmed. "All the time."

"Among other things," Kat put in helpfully.

"Yes, thank you Kat," Rupert replied mildly, pulling back just a little from Ethan.

"Aw look, you made him stop," Ethan complained, but Buffy was coming back out of the kitchen, followed by Megan, so he immediately brightened again. "Presents!"

"We should make you say 'please'," Rupert teased, chuckling. Perhaps at Ethan's reversion back to one word sentences.

Ethan knew he was behaving like a child at times, but it was almost deliberate. It was his inner child who had missed having a proper Christmas, after all. Still, he could be vaguely sensible. "Megan and, um, Dawn, why don't you two be in charge of distribution?"

"Sure," Dawn said, stepping away from the dogs to join Megan at the tree. Giddy just stretched out where he was; Skunk immediately padded over to Ethan's feet again.

Giles sat down in his armchair, and Ethan perched on the arm of it, waiting. The first present Megan lifted from the heap, of course, was therefore not for him. For a second he thought it was, because she came over to them, but it was Rupert that she handed the gift to.

"That's from Kat and me," Xander said. "Though her idea -- I just provided the legwork."

"And kind of a lot of the money," Kat added.

Ethan watched Rupert open the gift. The largish box inside had the words 'Home Recording Studio' emblazoned over the top. He leant in closer to Rupert to take a better look.

"It's so you can make your own album," Kat said as Rupert turned the box to read the contents more closely. "Record your own CD."

"So it is a present for me after all." Ethan beamed. It seemed like Rupert was at a loss for words, although Ethan could read his expressions well enough to know his husband's embarrassed sense of propriety was warring with a shy pleasure that was shining almost childlike in his eyes.

"Now you'll *have* to use the computer," Megan giggled.

Ethan himself was delighted with Rupert's present. "I do hope someone's bought me one of those portable CD players." he said a little archly. "So I can listen to His Master's Voice wherever I go."

"Well, actually," Megan started, and began to rummage through the presents until she came up with another box-shaped one, smaller than Rupert's had been. She brought it over to him. "It's not quite a CD Player, and it's second hand," she confessed, looking a little embarrassed. "But everything's there and it works. We checked."

Ethan grinned at her, delighted to get a gift to upwrap and not really caring what it was. He read the card, which revealed that it was from Megan, and carefully unstuck the tape, exposing the box inside. It took him a few seconds to work out what it was, but then he realised that the inexplicable combination of letters and numbers that formed the name of the device didn't matter. It was an MP3 player. "Thank you, Megan!" He hugged her exuberantly. "Quite perfect." He turned to Rupert with challenge in his eyes.

"This is an extravagant gift," Rupert said, looking up at Kat and Xander from his own piece of technological wizardry. "It seems I have a new hobby." He glanced at Ethan. "Whether I want one or not."

Ethan leant over to kiss him, but as their lips met, there was coughing from the couch, followed by Buffy's voice making urgent noises. Ethan looked round to see her gesticulating at her sister.

With a cheeky grin, Dawn approached with a large and rather floppy gift, immaculately wrapped. She handed it to Ethan. "Buffy wants you kept too busy to kiss Giles."

"That's gotta be some present to do that," Kat opined, which made Giles have to cover up a laugh with a cough.

"Thank you, Dawn..." Ethan said with a grin, adding, "and Buffy," after reading the label. He undid the big ribbon and drew apart the wrapping paper. Inside was... an old fashioned satin eiderdown? Why on earth wou-- the reason for the gift became clear when Ethan saw the label -- 'handcrafted and filled with 100% goosedown'. He grinned his best foxy grin. "I love it. Thank you very much, Buffy."

Buffy smiled back. "It seemed appropriate when I saw it." Rupert was looking back and forth between Ethan and his Slayer with a bemused expression.

Ethan shook out the eiderdown and looked at it fully. "After a delicious meal of roast goose, I will wrap this around myself and consider that I am a happy fox."

"Is that anything like a wolf in sheep's clothing?" Dawn asked with a teasing smile.

Ethan chuckled. "It's not dissimilar. So Buffy, if I hold this up, am I permitted to kiss my husband behind it?"

"Only if you don't tell me ahead of time that's what you're doing."

Ethan decided to use Buffy's own methods. "Megan, sweetheart? Could you perhaps find our present for the Senior Slayer and distract her with it?" He then held up the eiderdown, and behind it, slid into Rupert's lap with a giggle.

"You are very bad," Rupert murmured to him with a smile, even as he wrapped his arms around Ethan and leant in for a kiss.

The present giving carried on over the other side of the quilted bedspread, with many delighted squeals to be heard, but Ethan did his best to draw out the kiss, not that Rupert seemed exactly reluctant. Their lips had just broken apart, and they were smiling softly at each other when something piebald and fluffy landed between them and yapped.

There was a deeper bark from beside the chair.

Rupert looked down at Gwydion sitting beside their chair and Skunk now sitting on Ethan's lap and chuckled softly. "I think someone wants our attention."

"Well, if you don't *want* another present..." Megan began, making as if to put back the large wrapped rectangular gift she was resting on the floor in front of her.

"Also for me?" Ethan asked, rather surprised. He let the bedspread drop to their legs, making a Skunk-shaped mound, and straightened up as much as he could in Rupert's lap. "Is it from the dogs?"

"Nope," Dawn said excitedly. "Wrong on both counts. Read the tag."

Despite the gift not supposedly being for Ethan, Megan offered the large and very flat item to him. Confused, he cajoled Skunk back to the floor and took it. It was heavy, and from the clear raised border he could feel all around the edges, Ethan immediately suspected a framed picture. He turned the tag over; it read, 'To Giles and Ethan from the Scoobies'.

Ethan looked to find everybody watching them with an air of anticipation. "Well, go on," Dawn encouraged, "open it."

"It's not going to explode or anything, is it?" Giles asked dryly.

'It's to both of us, dearheart,' Ethan sent to Rupert, feeling both pleased and bemused.

'Do we dare open it?' Rupert sent back, his thoughts sparkling with humour.

'You first?' Ethan suggested with a sheepish grin. Rupert returned the grin and began to carefully rip the paper off, Ethan holding the gift steady. 'They're all staring at us.' he sent without looking up; he could sense the attention.

'Yes, I know. I don't know if I find that reassuring or alarming.' The wrapping paper finally came loose, revealing the gift beneath.

It was indeed a framed picture. Or, rather, pictures. The matting was of the kind that had many spaces for different photos. The centre, largest picture was a candid shot of Ethan and Rupert sitting on the sofa together, Ethan leaning against Rupert who had an arm around his waist. It must've been taken on the sly because Ethan didn't remember it. The pictures closest to it were other shots of the two of them together and apart, both from the present and from the past. The outermost pictures were of others -- Megan and Kat, as well as of the "Scoobies". There were even pictures of both Giddy and Skunk.

Ethan realised his mouth had fallen open and closed it in a hurry. If he'd had any doubt that he'd somehow gained himself a family, he couldn't maintain that now. 'Rupert, I've been accepted,' he sent, in what was meant to be an urbane and humorous tone but came out far too fast and almost panicky. All he managed out loud was a rather faint "Oh."

"We figured you could use something a bit more personal than generic Council-owned prints to hang on your walls," Xander said a smile. "It's from Willow too. From all of us."

Rupert seemed almost as much at a loss for words as Ethan was. "It's..."

"Brilliant!" Ethan finished for him, grinning around at the assembled faces. "Absolutely brilliant."

"Yes," Rupert agreed. "It is." His gaze sought out each of the Scoobies in turn. "Thank you. I'll thank Willow too when I call her later."

While Ethan was still studying all the many pictures, a happy smile on his face, a buzzer went off in the kitchen, and Megan scurried off to deal with it. There were quite a few presents still under the tree, and Ethan looked at them with mild alarm. "I do think that people who are not me deserve a present or two as well."

Dawn threw a small gift at Kat who caught it neatly. "Don't open it 'til Megan comes back!"

***

Exchanging gifts and dinner were both over before Giles was able to casually get Xander alone. There was something important he wanted to address with the younger man, but he didn't want to make a spectacle out of it.

They were outside on the patio, wrapped up warm but enjoying a cup of Ethan's blackest coffee together. Xander stuck out his gut and rubbed it expressively. "Ah, there's nothing like a good slurp of after-gargantuan-feast pure grade caffeine to hit the spot."

"To keep one from slipping into a food-induced coma?" Giles smiled. "It was quite the meal, wasn't it?"

"That goose was well and truly eaten. And the apple stuffing and the sack of potatoes I peeled. And all those roast vegetables, which were far nummier than any vegetables ever have a right to be. And even the Brussels sprouts, which I call unfair on. Nobody eats sprouts, like ever. But you did them with chestnuts and those sweet tasting onions and... I so can't eat anymore; shutting up now."

"It did turn out rather well." Giles allowed himself to feel the tiniest bit smug about that, although Megan deserved as much of the credit as he did.

Xander patted him on the back. "You and Megan have earned your droopy white hats today."

"Something to keep in mind if I ever need a fallback career." Which was as good a segue into what he wanted to talk to Xander about as anything. "And speaking of careers..."

"I'm fired?" Xander laughed and toasted Giles with his coffee cup. "Cheers, boss!"

Giles continued gamely on. "Actually I wanted to speak to you about a change in positions. A promotion of sorts."

"Who for? For me?" Xander looked rather more alarmed than pleased.

"Well it would hardly be for me now, would it?" Giles replied dryly. "Yes, Xander. For you."

"But--"

"Would you like to hear the proposal before you start protesting?"

Xander gave him a sheepish smile. "Sorry. Please commence with bean spillage."

"You've been an invaluable asset in the field, Xander. You've excellent people skills, both with the Slayers and with their families. You have a knack for making everyone feel better about the situation. That's a talent that not everybody possesses."

Xander shifted nervously, clearly uncomfortable with the praise. "Always had to play the mediator at home; guess that's where that comes from."

The little Giles knew about Xander's home-life and family was not pretty. Comforting scared young girls and reassuring their families was likely to seem easy after that. "Wherever you obtained it, it is something that I'm very glad to be able to call upon. Which brings me to my offer."

Xander opened his mouth, paused, then shut it again. He grinned ironically at Giles and made a 'go on' gesture.

"You may have noticed a certain need for finesse with people involved with running the Council..."

"The people not you, you mean? Yeah, when you're a 'know-nothing colonial', you have to tread softly on the marbled floors... or, um, linoleum as the case may be."

"Something you've excelled at -- although you've also known when treading softly is to the detriment. I could use someone with your talents and ability." Giles paused to emphasise his next words. "Here. In London. On a permanent basis."

"Seriously?" Xander's worried expression vanished, turning into one showing something close to delight. "Um, wow? What would I be doing? No, scrub that, I don't give a... Um, I mean, yes! I accept!"

Giles smiled and clapped a hand to Xander's shoulder. "Good. That's taken care of then."

"So," Xander said with a grin, "what *will* I be doing?"

"For the moment, essentially what you already have been -- helping us track the rise in Chaotic activity and working on deciphering the prophecy." Giles had more long-term plans for Xander, but wasn't sure how the younger man would take them at this point.

"Neat. Now getting a visa will be as easy as not-so-American pie. And there I was thinking I'd have to propose to Kat just to be able to stay here." He grinned, then cringed. "Um... that was a joke."

"Yes, I got that," Giles said mildly. "And yes, you should have no problem getting a visa. Pamela will have all the paperwork ready for your signature when we go back to the office after the holidays."

"So the gift-wrapped satchel was the subtle version of this chat, huh?" One of Xander's gifts from Giles and Ethan had been a leather satchel not unlike Giles' own.

"It was something I knew you were going to need if you accepted my proposal as I hoped," Giles replied with a perfectly straight face.

"It's good to have somewhere to keep my sack lunch," Xander said, nodding seriously.

The back door opened, and Kat slipped out with Gwydion to join them. As Giles patted his puppy, Kat slipped her arms around Xander. "What's all this secret plotting going on out here?"

"No secret plotting," Giles assured her, kneeling to give more attention to Gwydion, who squirmed happily. "Just a job offer that's been accepted."

She looked between them questioningly, her expression worried much as Xander's had been earlier, but Xander pulled her closer. "You have your hands on a bona fide London worker person."

Giles didn't even try to hide his smile as Kat's reaction was as enthusiastic as it was positive. He stood and headed back inside with Gwydion at his heels, leaving the couple alone before reactions could get any more enthusiastic.

NEXT