Title: Trusted Foe 3/21
Author: Eaglewolf
Feedback: Yummy
Disclaimer: Joss and his playmates in the sandbox own it. It's getting crowded in there.

The silence was awkward as Lauren and Buffy tried to think of something to say to each other.  Giles had made a few attempts to get the conversation flowing but had found it failed miserably.  Lauren found the question getting louder and louder in her mind until finally it just burst forth.

“Is Buffy a demon?”

Giles and Buffy both gasped.  Buffy’s head snapped around to face Giles, “You haven’t told her?” for some reason it seemed important to her that Giles had kept something from Lauren.  He didn’t trust her completely… Buffy felt a tiny twinge of hope growing again.

“Told me what?” Lauren frowned.  “Giles?”

“Buffy…” Giles looked into Buffy’s eyes and tried to convey how important it was that he told Lauren.  Buffy felt the hope fade as she realised why he hadn’t told Lauren anything.  They weren’t his secrets to tell.  Buffy took a deep breath, and shook her head.

“I’m the Slayer.”

“Slayer?  Giles?” Lauren looked to Giles for clarification. 

“Buffy is the Vampire Slayer.  There is one girl in all the world at any given time with the skill and power to hunt all the vampires.”

“Vampires?” Lauren repeated softly.

“Yes.” Giles stood and walked to where Lauren was sitting.  “You okay?” He put a hand on her shoulder, and Lauren’s hand automatically went to cover his. 

“Yeah.  I’m fine.”  Lauren smiled weakly.

“You’re shaking.”  Buffy could hear the concern in Giles’ voice, and felt her heart shatter all over again.  He really did love Lauren, she could hear it in his voice.

“Lauren?” Buffy said softly, hoping the jealousy didn’t show in her voice.  She refused to hate this woman just because she had Giles.  He deserved to be happy, even if she wasn’t the one to make him so.

“Yes?”

“You don’t seem… surprised?”

“No, I’m not.  I know there are things that go bump in the night.”  Lauren took a deep breath, and just let the words come out.  “Nick – my ex, was part demon.”

Giles eyes widened.  “Nick was a demon?”

“Part demon.” Lauren replied, “That’s what I was hiding from you, Giles.  I’m sorry.”

“No, No.  I understand – I didn’t tell you about Buffy because well they were her secrets, and I didn’t want you drag you into that world.”  Lauren squeezed Giles’ hand that was still on her shoulder.

“Nick didn’t want that either.  That’s why…” Lauren choked up, and Buffy’s heart went out to her. 

“Giles?” Buffy called his name softly, “Can I have a minute with Lauren? I think I have some experience here…”

Giles nodded, and squeezed Lauren’s shoulder.  “You’ll be fine.  I’ll just go into the kitchen and make some tea.”  Giles stopped to touch Buffy’s shoulder gently on the way out of the room.  She looked up at him and smiled her thanks.  Giles felt a gnawing in the pit of his stomach, somehow knowing that Buffy wanted to do more than talk about Nick and Angel.  He wasn’t ready for her to know his feelings, and hoped Lauren would understand that.

Buffy swivelled her neck to make sure Giles was gone.  Then she turned and smiled at Lauren, “Demon huh?”

“Part demon.” Lauren repeated softly, “Half demon.”

Buffy nodded, “My ex was a vampire.  I understand where you were coming from…”

Lauren raised an eyebrow, “I thought you just said you were the Slayer.”

Buffy nodded, “I am.  Angel was… different.  He was cursed by gypsy’s with a soul.”

“Oh.  So that made him different?” Lauren asked, keeping her voice low.  “He didn’t want to kill you?”

Buffy took a deep breath, “Angel was *cursed* with a soul – it wasn’t a gift.  If he ever had one moment of true happiness he’d lose his soul.  Of everything that’s happened in my life I’ve only ever had one regret – and that was how my putting Angel above everyone else hurt Giles.”  Buffy looked down at her hands, before she looked back up into the other girl’s green eyes.  “Angelus – who Angel reverts to when he has no soul - killed Giles’ girlfriend and then tortured Giles.  Somehow Giles managed to forgive me. I don’t know how but I will be forever grateful for that.”

Lauren hissed in a breath, “That must have been hard – for both of you.”  Something clicked and she began to understand some of the sadness in Giles that couldn’t be explained away by how much he loved and missed Buffy.

“I had to kill Angel, in the end, to save the world.  It was the third hardest thing I ever had to do in my life.”  Buffy’s strength shone through in her eyes.

“What were the hardest?” Lauren asked in the same low tone as before.

“Using my body to close a portal to hell, leaving everyone I loved behind.  My sister…Giles would be the second.  The hardest thing I’ve ever had to cope with is being ripped out of heaven, and digging my way out of my own grave.” Buffy swallowed.

 Lauren didn’t know what to say – of all the things she expected this wasn’t it.  She saw the tears forming in Buffy’s eyes and wasn’t sure what she should do.  Her heart had gone out to the blonde girl but, she didn’t know what Buffy thought of her.  She stood, and walked over to the couch Buffy was sitting on and took Buffy’s hand in her own.  “Buffy – I’d say I’m sorry but I know that’s not enough.  What you’ve been through just makes everything I’ve been through pale in comparison.”

Buffy smiled and shook her head, “I guess it’s just a part of the Slayer package… That and actually having friends who care.  They thought I was in hell, and wanted to save me.”

“That must have been hard.”

“Yeah.” Buffy took a deep breath and shook her head.  “But I got through it.  Now tell me about Nick.  I won’t tell Giles anything.”

Lauren shook her head, “It’s not that I mind him knowing….”

“Nick’s your ex and Giles is your current boyfriend?” Buffy’s smile was strained.

“Partly… and partly because I didn’t want to say ‘ Oh by the way my ex was half demon.  How about that?’ Most people would have me locked up quicker than I could say pass me a pint.”

“Giles would never do that.”

“I didn’t know that Buffy, I only found out tonight that he’s friends with the Slayer, and knows that these things exist.”

“Uhh… yeah.  That’d be me.” Buffy said brightly, wondering how much Giles had kept from her.

“I did love Nick though.  He was something special, I still miss him.” Lauren blinked back the tears that threatened to form.

“I felt the same about Angel.”  Buffy smiled, “Hard to get over, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know if I ever will.  What I have with Giles is more of a…”

“Lauren!” Giles barked from the doorway, “Could you come and help me with the tea please?”  He hoped she hadn’t told Buffy just what their relationship was, but he didn’t want her to know that it wasn’t what it should be.  He didn’t want her to pity that he’d found someone for comfort rather than love. 

“Okay, Giles…” Lauren replied frowning.  She followed him into the kitchen leaving Buffy to stare at the fireplace wondering what Lauren had been about to say.  Was it something that would break her heart even further, or was it something that would have allowed hope to blossom again.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Lauren was trying to figure out what she’d done that had upset Giles so much.  “Giles, are you okay?”

Giles took a deep breath and nodded, “What did you tell her about us?”

“About us? Nothing… You came in when I was about to… I think she’s a little jealous, but that’s good right?”

“Lauren?” Giles opened and closed his fists, trying to contain the anger that had risen in him.  “Please don’t discuss our relationship with Buffy.”

“Giles?” Lauren heard the anger in his voice and was surprised by it, “Are you mad at me?” She bit her bottom lip, as she did when she was worried.

“No.” Giles sighed heavily, “I’m not.  I just don’t want or need her pity, and if she even had the slightest idea I was interested in her… Well I’d rather…” Giles tapered off, his anger abated.

“Oh, Giles.  I’m sorry.”  Lauren said, stepping closer to kiss him gently.  “It’s okay I won’t say anything.  It’s just she was talking about Angel, and I was talking about Nick… and... well… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Giles replied kissing her back.  “Thank you.”

“So I guess I can’t play matchmaker huh?” Lauren asked grinning.

Giles just glared in reply.  Lauren simply smiled, and kissed him again.

“I do need to tell you about Nick.” Lauren murmured when they broke a apart a few moments later.

“Yes.  I’d like to hear more if you’re willing to share now.”

“I will if you will.  There’s more than just knowing Buffy isn’t there?”

Giles held her steady gaze, “Yes.  There are some things even Buffy doesn’t know.  Perhaps it’s time she does.”

“Time for me to hear what?” Buffy asked from the kitchen doorway.  Lauren went to pull away from Giles and was mildly surprised when he wouldn’t let her go.

“Things about my past, things I’ve never told anyone.  I trust you both.” Giles replied.  “Perhaps we should retire to the lounge?” Giles suggested picking up the tray with three cups of tea on it and leading the way back to the warmer room.

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