Title: Trust 9/9
Author: Eaglewolf
Email: auzzie98@hotmail.com
Feedback: Always nice:)
Disclaimer: Joss and his playmates in the sandbox own it. It's getting crowded in there. Coz ya know things would be very different if I did:)
"Okay, Logan. Which arm do you want me to take the blood from?" Willow asked.
Logan shrugged and held out his left arm. "This one will do." He watched as Willow slid the needle into his arm. "So you're a doctor?"
"Nope." Willow smiled, as Logan tensed. "But. I do know what I'm doing. I studied. Aha! There we go. I'll just take this down to the basement, and see what's what."
Logan quirked an eyebrow, "You have the equipment for that?"
Willow nodded, "I told you, I studied. I need it for that." She looked at Max, "Do you have that paper work?"
"Rightio." Max rummaged through her bag and pulled out a sheaf of papers. "Mind if I help?"
"Not at all. It would probably be useful. Do you have the results of other."
Max laughed, "of the last 200 blood tests we've had trying to cure this puppy? Yes."
Willow smiled, "Good."
Willow looked over at Buffy and Giles, and smiled. "You know it's good to see you two finally figured it out."
Their eyes opened wide and they looked at her with their mouths agape.
"Pardon?"
"What?"
Willow just smiled, "C'mon guys. It's ME! I've known you both since I was 16, it's kinda obvious that you finally 'fessed up to each other." She waggled a finger, "I thought we learned not to lie to our best friends. Besides, Giles doesn't usually wear lipstick, especially not the exact shade you're wearing, Buffy."
Giles blushed, and Buffy grinned. "I guess you caught us, huh, Will?"
Willow smiled, having wondered for a long time if they were ever going to figure it out. "Oh! Best friend! Duties I have duties." She walked over to where Giles was standing and looked up into his eyes. "You hurt her I kill you." Then she took a step towards Buffy and found herself face to face with the Slayer. "You hurt him I kill you. You kill him and I'll hurt you." She squealed and wrapped them up into a big hug.
Willow frowned and looked over at Logan, and then back at Giles. She pursed her lips, as she looked back and forth between the two of them. Buffy smiled, as she watched the red head slowly process the information.
"So, how do the two of you know each other anyway?"
Buffy giggled, keeping an eye on the vial of blood still in Willow's hand. "I know where this is going." She muttered.
"Willow, Logan is my son."
"Son? Oh my God! I KNEW you looked familiar! I figured I'd just seen you around somewhere but you're actually Giles' son, so you kinda look like him.that makes so much sense. Wow! Giles I never knew you had a son, have you had a son long? I guess you have because Logan looks like he's a bit older than us and," Willow paused to glare at her friends, "You are supposed to STOP me when I do that!"
"Hey, I was too busy watching that you didn't let the vial slip from your hand to really listen, Will." Buffy said still watching Willow's hand.
Giles just laughed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Willow. I just didn't know how."
"It's okay, Giles. Everyone has their secrets." Willow smiled, "Okay, so this is even more important than I thought. Max?" Willow frowned, and turned to Buffy, "You don't have a daughter I don't know about do you Buffy?"
Buffy laughed, "No, Will. Max is." she turned to look at Max who nodded, "A genetically enhanced female who was made by the government - Manticore."
"Manticore?" Willow whispered, her face going pale. She tilted her head as she turned to look at Max, "X5?"
Max narrowed her eyes, "What do you know about Manticore?"
"Willow?" Buffy wanted to know what her friend knew as well.
Willow shrugged, "I hack." She turned to Buffy, "You know that."
Max still looked suspicious. "What do you know?"
"They're a secret government department who deal with genetics, they breed, for lack of a better term, genetically enhanced people, splicing their DNA with other species to try and make better soldiers. Max, I honestly don't know all that much. I just remember reading how 9 X5's escaped - years ago."
Max glowered at Willow, not knowing how to take the news Willow knew exactly what she was. "Willow."
Willow shook her head, "Max, I don't expect you to trust me - I wouldn't trust me if the situation was reversed. But know this, I would never hurt Buffy or Giles for the world, and I think if I was to hurt you I'd be hurting them. I don't secretly work for Manticore, and I know how hard life must be for you on the run." Max could see the sincerity in Willow's eyes, gone was the child who had been squealing moments before.
"Willow's been my best friend since we were 16, Max. I trust her." Buffy spoke quietly from the corner. "But if you don't feel like you can I understand."
Max looked at Logan who shrugged. "It's up to you, Max. It's your life on the line - Manticore doesn't care about me. We can go now if you prefer."
Max took a step towards Willow, grabbed her wrist, and looked her straight in the eyes. "Can I trust you?" She whispered.
Willow's eyes never left her own. "Yes."
Max nodded. "Okay, let's go check this sucker's gone."
As they walked down the stairs to the basement Max murmured, "So you don't secretly work for Manticore. Who do you secretly work for?"
Willow smiled, "What makes you ask that?"
"Oh just a hunch."
"Okay, let's have a look at this virus." Willow took the paper work from Max and studied it.
"You think they'll be okay, Dad?" Logan asked looking worriedly after his girlfriend.
"They'll be fine, Logan." Giles sat down on his couch. He sighed, "Do you want me to go check on them?"
"Would you?" Logan asked, smiling.
"You know, it would have been easier to say: Dad I'd like a few moments alone with Buffy." Giles smiled at his son.
"Dad, I'd like a few moments alone to talk to Buffy." Logan grinned. Giles smiled and walked towards the basement, perhaps some time alone together would be good for them. It must be strange the woman you're father is dating being nearly ten years younger than you.
"Buffy?"
"Yes, Logan?" Buffy walked over to sit next to Logan.
"I just wanted to thank you."
"Thank me?" Buffy's eyes registered surprise.
"Yeah." Logan smiled, "Thank you - for everything. If it hadn't been for you then well I know Dad wouldn't be as happy. I don't know how you got Max to trust you so quickly either - it's really not like her."
Buffy smiled, "He makes me happy too. Max and I are far more similar than you'd think. I think she felt that, I know I did. I'm so glad Giles finally told me about you. But why did you need to see me alone to tell me this?"
"I have something for you. I know that if I tried to give it back to Dad that he'd refuse, but I really think you should have it." Logan reached behind him to unclasp the necklace he was wearing. "Dad gave this to me on my eighteenth birthday. It belonged to his mother. I'd like you to have it."
Buffy gasped as she saw the crucifix, it was simple and yet it had a breathtaking beauty. It was small, and made of the purest gold. "Logan, I can't! Your Dad gave that to you for a reason - he wanted you to have it."
"Buffy, Dad told me that if I ever met a special lady and my heart told me it was for her - that I should give it to her." Logan smiled and held the cross out, it glinted under the light from the lamp on the side table.
The tears rose in Buffy's eyes, "Logan - what about Max?"
"I have something else for her." He smiled, "Something from my mother's side. But I really want you to have this. Pass it on to my little brother or sister if you're so blessed. May I?" Buffy nodded and turned so she was sitting with her back to him. She lifted her hair out of the way, and as she felt him do up the clasp she noticed the chain had lengthened so that the crucifix now sat over her heart.
"T-Thank you." The word caught in her throat.
Logan smiled, "You're welcome. Yes, it's magic. It always lays over the heart of the one who wears it, Dad would never tell me if there was any reason for that - only that I would understand in time if I needed to." Logan's eyes twinkled, "If you ever find out, let me know?"
"Sure." Buffy leaned over and kissed Logan on the cheek, he wrapped his arm around her and they sat there like that for a long, long time, and eventually both fell asleep feeling safe in each other's arms.
"Hey!" Giles said when he came back into the room. "What are you doing with my girlfriend?"
Logan jumped, "What? I can't hug my mom? Or fall asleep with her in my arms?"
"NO!" Max said stepping out from behind Giles. "At least not until I have." Max grinned, and sat down in Logan's lap, laying her legs out over Buffy, who was trying very hard to stay asleep.
Logan felt his heart beating faster and faster, Max in his arms could only mean one thing. "The virus?"
"It's gone. Completely, one hundred percent - gone!" Max said with glee in her voice.
"Gone?" Logan untangled himself from Buffy, and wrapped both arms around Max.
"It's gone? We're cured?" She nodded, "Thank you, Joshua!" Max and Logan shared a deep kiss.
Buffy opened her eyes, "Who IS Joshua anyway? Giles, come here and be my comfy pillow seeing my other comfy pillow is otherwise occupied." Giles grinned, sat down and pulled Buffy into his lap.
"Joshua was the first. He doesn't have one of these." Max swivelled her head around, and lifted her hair to show them the bar code she'd spent her whole life hiding. "Last time we touched, Logan grabbed me because I didn't want to argue, and I didn't want to go on with the pain. I was finished, I was just going to cut him out of my life completely. But he grabbed me to stop me and then. the virus." Max stopped and caressed Logan's cheek, he lent into her hand like a cat.
Logan took over the story for her, "Joshua was the only one they could find who had the right blood to help save me. It was a long shot, but it worked. I never thought in a million years that transfusion could have cured me though. It's hard for Joshua, he's got mostly canine DNA so he can't leave his house. We had the cure almost ready, the formula for it when."
"Joshua had discovered his artistic talent, and well, I'm afraid our papers suffered because of it. He's managed to sell quite a few paintings though." Max continued, the two of them telling the story like a well oiled machine.
"Wait a minute! Are you telling me Joshua." Giles indicated a painting on his wall. "Joshua is THE Joshua?"
Max laughed, "You HAVE one of those? How much did you pay? I could have gotten you one for free!"
Giles looked sheepish, "Well I didn't know. and as for what I paid, you seriously do not want to know."
"Where's Willow?" Buffy asked suddenly noticing the lack of her presence.
"In the bat cave." Max answered, grinning.
"Huh?" Giles and Buffy looked confused.
Max rolled her eyes, "In the basement."
"Oh." Buffy kissed Giles on the tip of his nose and stood. "She'll be down there all night again no doubt. Well, I'm one tired little Slayer. How about you guys?"
"Oh, I don't sleep." Max said. Logan coughed, and Max yawned, "although I am rather tired tonight.long day."
Logan grinned.
"You guys can use Dawn's room. She won't mind - or even know. She's not due back from college for a couple of months yet." Buffy smiled, and turned to look at Giles "and you can share mine."
"Buffy, I." Giles blushed.
"You can share mine. We need to talk." Buffy's smile put to rest any argument he would have had.
"Okay." Giles allowed himself a small smile.
Buffy showed Max and Logan to Dawn's room. Buffy smiled as she pressed something into Max's hand and winked. "Have a good night guys, we'll see you in the morning. Sleep well."
"G'night Buffy." They said in unison. Max opened her hand as Logan shut the door and laughed. "Thanks, Buffy," she called out. Logan turned to look at her with an arched eyebrow. She opened her hand and showed Max the roll of condoms Buffy had placed in her hand.
"Well, well, well. I can think of a good use for those." Logan said grinning.
"Yeah, I hear they make great water balloons." Max smiled, as Logan slid an arm around her.
"You did, huh?" Logan lowered his head slowly relishing the feeling of her in his arms finally.
"Uh huh." Max breathed as Logan's lips brushed against her own.
"I have a better idea." Logan smiled, as he drew Max towards the bed.
"You do?" Max questioned, as he slowly removed her top, and licked his lips.
"Uh huh." Logan kissed her again, "I surely do."
Buffy smiled as she heard Max call out thanks to her, and walked down the hall to her bedroom. She heard Giles singing over the running shower and contemplated surprising him, but decided that she wanted to savour what they had, instead of rushing through it. She knew Giles would want to take things slowly as well, this was uncharted territory for the both of them.
Giles washed the shampoo out of his hair, and grinned like a Cheshire cat. Buffy and he were an item, things were going to be very different now. The fears and doubts began to plague him, but as the shampoo ran down the drain, he felt them go with it. Tonight was something special and he wasn't going to ruin it with what ifs and what nots. Logan and Max were finally free of the virus, and it looked like they were going to be okay. Giles wrapped a towel around him, stood in front of the mirror and smiled. It was about that second that he realised he didn't have any clean clothes of his own. It was his dirty clothes or just the towel. He took a deep breath, and stuck his head out the door.
"Buffy." He hissed, and waited for a moment before he realised she wasn't coming, or couldn't hear him. He looked down the hallway, and realised Willow was probably still downstairs, and it wasn't likely Max or Logan would be emerging for a while. He stepped out of the bathroom, still dripping and headed towards Buffy's door.
"Buffy?" He knocked on the door gently, even though it was a jar, and jumped when she came to the door with a quizzical smile on her face. She had already changed into her grey tank top, and white men's pyjama bottoms.
"Giles?" She took in his appearance and smiled. "I thought you'd want to wait a little longer. not rush things."
Giles smiled, and pulled Buffy to him, "I don't want to rush things." He bent down and kissed her on the tip of the nose. "I simply realised that I don't have any clean clothes here, and I didn't really wish to sleep in my dirty clothes tonight."
"Oh." Buffy let her hands roam around to the back of the towel, and ran her hands over his backside. Giles jumped a little and grinned.
"Buffy!" His tone was warning when he felt her hands reaching towards the edge of the towel.
"Yes?" She gave him her best innocent smile.
"Do you have any clothing that I could wear?"
"The other option is you sleeping in the towel right?" Buffy grinned.
"Buffy." Giles shook his head. "The other option is I get back into my dirty clothes, and go home to find something decent to sleep in, maybe stay there." Buffy gave him the full power of her pout, "and that's not getting to me."
Buffy pouted even more, "Aww Giles."
Giles sighed, "I don't suppose you do have anything?"
"Umm," Buffy started to blush furiously, "Umm"
"Buufffy."
"I kinda sorta borrowed a pair of your boxers the other week."
"You what?"
"Well, remember that demon that completely spattered me in goo, and I borrowed your shower?"
"Uh huh." Giles nodded slowly.
"Well, there was no way I was ever going to wear that thong again. And, well, I needed something." Buffy smiled sweetly, and ran her finger under the towel, hoping that Giles would forget his modesty and let it drop to the ground.
"Well, could I have them please? Then I guess we could put my clothes through the wash, and hang them up somewhere to dry."
"Are you absolutely positive you need them, Rupert?" Buffy was pulling out all the stops, she didn't feel ready to sleep with him yet but she really wanted to get a glimpse of the coming attraction.
Giles blinked, "Rupert." He repeated.
"Is that okay, Giles?" Buffy asked suddenly worried she'd overstepped some boundary.
Giles laughed at her hasty retreat to known territory, "No, Buffy it's fine. It's just - you've never called me Rupert before. It just. stunned me for a moment."
"So, it's okay?" Buffy tugged a little harder on the towel.
"Of course, but will you stop that and give me my boxers please?"
Buffy pouted yet again, "Okay." Then she smiled energetically, "Rupert." She went to her bed, and reached under the pillow. At Giles raised eyebrow she replied, "What? I've been having warm fuzzies about you for a while."
Giles blushed, hoping to God that she didn't have anything of an unsavoury nature wrapped up in the boxers. He smiled as she handed them to her, and was relieved when he felt only material in his hands.
Buffy grinned, "Oh I keep my vibrator in the bedside table, see?" She doubled over laughing at Giles face as she reached as if to open the drawer. "Oh my God, Giles. Your face."
Giles glared at her, and said "I'll be right back."
In between her giggles Buffy managed to gasp out, "I'll be waiting."
Two minutes later Giles came back into Buffy's room to find her already in bed, sitting up, waiting for him to join her. She patted the bed in invitation, "There's plenty of room here for you as well." Her eyes drank in the sight of the man she loved, wearing nothing but the pair of boxers she'd had under her pillow all week.
Giles suddenly felt shy and self conscious, he stopped in the doorway and took in the sight of Buffy laying in bed waiting for him. For a moment he allowed himself to ponder their future, he wanted to see her like this for many more years to come.
"Giles?" Her look was apprehensive, "What's wrong?"
He shook himself out of his reverie. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I was just thinking how beautiful you are, and wondering what I did to deserve you."
"Come to bed and I'll tell you."
Giles smiled and made his way across the room. He climbed into bed, and gathered Buffy into his arms. She laid her head down on his naked chest, and ran her fingers through the hair there. Buffy smiled as she heard Giles ' heart beating, just a little fast, which reassured her that he was just as nervous as she was.
"Ahh, this is nice," Buffy murmured, as Giles' arms closed tighter around her.
"Indeed."
Buffy lifted her head and smiled, content. Giles smiled back, his green eyes twinkling.
"I wonder how long until I wake up, because being here with you is too good be true." She whispered, afraid to talk any louder for fear of ruining the moment.
"It is rather like a dream, isn't it?" Giles replied in a sexy low voice. He bent his head slightly, and brushed Buffy's lips with his own. They soon rolled over into a position more conducive for easier snuggling. Their lips met again and again as their tongues duelled for supremacy. Eventually they broke apart, and Buffy burrowed her head back into Giles' chest.
"I love you." Buffy murmured in time to Giles' heartbeat.
"I love you, too." Giles stroked Buffy's hair in a steady rhythm, "We do need to talk though Buffy."
"Mmm. I know. Can we talk in the morning after our wake up smoochies?"
"Mmm, that sounds good to me." Giles smiled lazily, knowing that just two days before, he never would have dreamed being here with Buffy was possible. They both slowly drifted off, drained by the days events and looking forward to starting the next day with a fresh bout of energy. They'd sort out everything as they went along, spill their guts and share their deepest secrets, but for now they gave into the gentle waves of slumber.
Xander opened Buffy's front door and walked into the kitchen, it was late and he'd just finished up at work. He didn't want to go home, but he didn't want to go out somewhere else either. He'd always felt at home in the Summers' house. He went to the top of the stairs and called down when he saw the basement light was on. "Hey, Willow."
Willow looked up and smiled, "Hey, Xand. Gimme a minute and I'll be up."
"No worries." Xander went into the fridge, and saw left overs from the roast Buffy had cooked the other night. He smiled, and pulled out the plate he turned around and began to make himself a roast beef sandwich.
"Okay, I'm all yours." Willow said walking into the kitchen, "Ooh, that looks good."
"Want one?" Xander asked, his mouth full of the meaty goodness.
"Yeah." Willow smiled, "I haven't eaten since before Logan and Giles got here."
Xander stretched up to get a plate out of the cupboard, "Giles was here?"
"Yeah. He's up sleeping with Buffy. They were wiped, after all that stuff with Logan and Max." Willow replied, tilting her head wondering how Xander was going to react.
Xander took the plate out, turned around and looked at Willow. "Who are Logan and Max?" He took a step towards the kitchen bench and stopped, "WOAH! Did you say Giles is sleeping with Buffy?"
Willow nodded, "Uh huh, and Logan's his son. Really nice guy - I was surprised Giles had never mentioned him before."
Xander dropped the plate as he fainted, and the plate shattered as it hit the ground.
END