TITLE: The End of the Odd Couple (part 2 of the Calling Marco trilogy .
AUTHOR: Jacqui
RATING: PG, for now, yes I know they’re married, it’s still PG.
DISCLAIMER: Joss, Joss, Joss, blah, blah, biddy, blah.
TIMELINE: Think season three, kinda. Well, they’re in the final year of high school anyway. I’ve played around with it a little, things don’t happen in the same order as the real Buffyverse. Deal.
FEEDBACK: I like it, I want it, I need it.
SUMMARY: Er, um, did you read the title? ‘Cause I really think that covered it. It won’t end happy, you’ve been warned.
COMMENTS: There are two things in this world I can’t resist. Characters who keep talking in my head and feedback from lovely people, such as yourself, demanding a sequel. And so, with no further adieu, I bring you: Calling Marco, part the second.
DEDICATION: To all said lovely people who asked, begged and threatened me for a sequel.

**** "Giles!" Buffy’s voice sounded so far away, so distraught, he wanted to go to her, to reach her and run his hands through her hair. If only he could get this bitch off of him. She was so strong. Her mouth opened wide, teeth dripping a thick, noxious fluid and she clamped down over his shoulder, spreading to under his arm. It hurt, it hurt a lot.

Suddenly the demon’s weight was lifted and cool air rushed over his body, he couldn’t get up. Before he knew it, he felt Buffy at his side, she lay half on top of him, clutching at him. Her sobs were loud in his ears. She held his hand tighter than ever before. He wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that everything would be fine, but the realization of what was really happening made him weak.****

* * * *

He sat at the small table, his legs cramped under the stool. They should get some new chairs, he told himself for the countless time. It was something he told himself, in one form or another, everyday as he balanced the books. They needed new tables, new chairs, new carpets, new lighting, new glassware. Speaking of glasses, the one sitting next to his left hand was empty. He sighed, they needed new help.

"Grolley? Special delivery."

He looked up and saw Susan holding out a large, flat package wrapped in brown paper. The postage marked it as coming from California. Grolley didn’t know anyone from California. He gave Susan a puzzled glance and she returned it.

Tearing the paper from the parcel, he saw the polished wooden frames. Whoever it was from, they knew the outlay of the bar. He ran his fingers over the grains in appreciation and then pulled out the first frame and looked at the professionally mounted photograph. Grolley smiled.

"Well I’ll be." He called the rest of the gang over. "It’s Blondie, in a dress."

The faces of Buffy and Giles smiled up at him, she in a white dress and he in a tux. Happiness radiated from the couple, glowed from their skin and seemed to light up the whole photograph. Grolley was glad that they’d actually found each other.

* * * *

"Buffy!"

<Oh, fer crying out…> She managed to bring her legs up between them and kicked the Stalmont demon queen off of her, using the momentum to flip herself back onto her feet. To her left she could hear Faith struggling with two of the Stalmont demon soldiers. Buffy stepped on the blade she’d been frantically trying to reach moments before. She turned to glare at Giles as the sword jumped into her hand.

"Get back!"

The momentary distraction cost her and she gave a startled cry as the thing’s solid tail crashed into her right side. She could sense Giles about to run towards them again and she flashed him a warning glare. The sword sang as she began to drive the demon back.

"That’s it, Mama-san! You’ve sucked on this town long enough!"

She didn’t pause for a second, didn’t give the pregnant demon enough time to counteract. As she stepped forward, the thing stepped back, it’s jaws dripping with thick saliva. Apparently, it sensed it’s imminent death. The queen stopped and gave a loud, earsplitting, mournful cry.

"I’m sorry." Buffy cringed, whispering the words as she swung the blade wide, slicing the creature’s head from it’s neck.

"I’m sorry?!?" Faith came to stand behind her. "What is that about, B?"

"She was only trying to protect her baby."

Buffy looked at the body on the ground as she wiped a cloth down the edge of the blade. Sometime in the last few months, she wasn’t sure when, she’d come to realize the care that was needed to keep her weapons. Maybe it was months of helping Giles clean and polish them, the new found respect for the craftsmanship, or the connection she was beginning to feel with the weapons themselves.

"Yeah, by killing all the males in this town and sucking the marrow from their bones. Excuse me for not setting up the support group."

"Yes, I, uh… I must agree with Faith on this one."

Giles stepped over the two decapitated bodies that Faith had discarded to join them. Buffy spun around to face him, anger leaping from her eyes. A long way down, deeply hidden under the anger, Giles could see the terror he had just caused her. Damn.

"Don’t you start, Watcher Mine. Unless you can stop running into the fray, you’re not allowed on patrols again. Ever."

She gave him another pointed glare before swooping down and picking up the head at her feet. Buffy stalked off without saying another word, pausing only to pick up the other two heads. Leaving Faith to shrug at a very confused Giles as they took hold of the bodies and followed.

* * * *

"I’m just saying, you have to stop doing that." Buffy tossed a box into the cart.

"Doing what? You were in danger, I was only trying to help." Giles peered down, he bent over and fished out the box of pop tarts, placing them back on the shelf as they kept walking forward.

"Danger? I was totally in control." She stepped back, took the box from the shelf and tossed it back into the cart. There was no way that she could have missed the glare Giles gave her, but she raised her chin and walked ahead.

"Control?" He shrugged and decided to leave it in there, but he would definitely put his foot down when they got to the cookie aisle. "She was right on top of you. Any more control and you would have been dead!"

Buffy cleared her throat, giving a wide-eyed nod of her head to the pair of elderly ladies who were now watching them with unabashed interest. Noticing that they had been found out, they ducked their heads and began whispering frantically to each other, but they didn’t move away from the interesting young couple.

"She wasn’t after me, Giles." Buffy hissed at him. "Remember? She had to kill the males of the species. Last time I checked," She suddenly deepened her voice and quirked her eyebrows. "last time either of us checked, I wasn’t a male."

"No. No I’m pretty sure you aren’t."

"Well, then, which of us two would have been in more danger? Hmm?" Buffy stopped walking and turned to look at him, her face serious. "It just scares me when you do things like that. So don’t, okay?"

"I shall try." She grinned at him. "Which doesn’t necessarily mean I won’t."

Buffy leaned over and examined the packet he’d just thrown in. She grimaced and reached out, plucking the offensive item from her shopping trolley and placing it neatly back on the shelf. As his hand stretched out to take it again, she grabbed it, blocking his way.

"Buffy…" She giggled as his disproving frown.

"You don’t need muesli, Giles, not when there are so many sugar rich cereals on the market."

"You still haven’t come down from the freedom of leaving your mother’s house, have you?" He set her aside and picked up the disgustingly healthy cereal, placing it very delicately in the cart.

"Nope. Not likely to anytime soon. Look!" She grinned and turned to him with excited eyes. "We’re at the end of the aisle. Just once, please?"

"No." He stood tall, not looking at her.

"Please?" Buffy stood on tip toe and pouted exaggeratedly in his face. "Pretty, pretty please?"

"I said no." His words were firm.

"You know, we just had a fight. Which means, we just made up. And you know what they say about make up sex." She watched him force down the smile, the corners of his mouth bouncing up and down as he tried to control them. She’d already won.

"I’m not listening, Buffy."

She leaned over and whispered into his ear. His eyes widened and his face paled.

"Fine, but only once."

"Yes!"

Buffy jumped up on to the front of the trolley, her hands holding on, her feet hooked into the bottom, she watched him expectantly. He sighed, placed his hands evenly on the handle and sighed deeply. There was no possible way in the world he was about to do this, but he was.

He sped the trolley as fast he could as they swerved around the corner into the next aisle. As foolish as this made him feel, he liked to watch her cheeks fill with color and her hair fly out as she twisted with the motion of the cart. The way she threw her head back and laughed, giving herself over to the freedom of the moment. Who was he to deny her that?

* * * *

"That’s not considered a healthy meal, you know."

Faith grinned down at the magazine in front of her. She flipped a page over and sighed. This was actually turning out to be a good thing, though sometimes it could get stifling, she never really tired of being looked after and cared for. Turning her head sideways she looked up to see Joyce in the doorway.

"I told you, you were making too many of these."

She reached into the pile of tulle in front of her and plucked out another handful of sugared almonds, popping one into her mouth. The candy shell began to dissolve on her tongue. Joyce gave her a mock glare.

"Well, I’ve made cookies if you’re hungry for something other than leftovers from my daughter’s wedding."

Faith feigned indifference, but she was fooling no one.

"Those little oatmeal ones?"

"Maybe, you’ll have to come downstairs and see."

Joyce turned and began to walk down the stairs, she grinned to herself when she heard Faith thundering down after her.

* * * *

Giles’ eyes glazed over as he looked at the myriad of shiny bottles in front of him. Each one glistening with its contents of smooth liquid, green or pink or white or some other light pastel color. Shopping had never been this hard when he came by himself. It was all show, over the past few months, he’d come to adore their little outings.

"What do you think of this one? It has grapefruit and papaya."

Buffy shoved a bottle of shampoo under his nose.

"Are you supposed to wash with it or eat it?"

"Well I’m sorry. It seems they’re all out of Uber Macho." She lowered her voice into a teasing baritone. "The manly man’s shampoo with added testosterone. Guaranteed to put hair on the hair on your chest."

"Just pick one and get a move on. I can’t believe you invited your mother and Faith over to dinner tomorrow night, of all nights."

"They wanted to see the photos." She whimpered and gave him a puppy dog expression. "I can’t believe you’re going to leave me all alone for almost a week, not two weeks after our wedding."

* * * *

Faith smiled as she walked along the street. She could still taste the warm cookies in her mouth. Living with Joyce was something new altogether. In the past few months they’d found a happy compromise. It was strange, having someone actually care where you were or what you were doing, or even if you were alive.

It was nice, Faith would give it that, who would have ever thought that she would actually like having responsibilities? She even had to call home if she was going to be late, but that wasn’t too bad, because it meant that someone would miss her.

Her boots clicked along the pavement and her arms were sheathed in her leather jacket, there was a slight breeze in the air, but mainly things were quiet. They’d pretty much swept the area before, she, Buffy and Giles. There was no reason for her to be out now, except she wasn’t out to hunt demons. That was the last thing on her mind.

The door opened as if by magic at her approach and a familiar face smiled her a welcome. Bodies heated the air, pumping it with new life, swelling and ceding in time to the music. People talked to each other over the band but there was no conversation. Faith could feel the life, the energy that exploded from this place, the beat of the drums radiated from the floor beneath her feet.

Before she knew what was happening, Faith found herself swept into a tight embrace, the large, heavy arms surrounding her and forcing her into a slow grinding dance. She relented, her hands finding a well toned chest to rest upon, dipping quickly to feel the ripples of a muscled stomach and then up to wind around a heated, salty neck.

Playing the dutiful daughter made her feel all warm and fuzzy, but Faith still got hungry. There was still a part of her that needed to feel powerful, needed the all over need she caused in others. It was a sickening weakness that crippled her, an overwhelming hunger for the violent passion that was this crushing force of lust and hate.

* * * *

"Just eat it."

Buffy crinkled her nose.

"It’s looking at me."

"Give it up, Giles." Joyce had finally ceded and had begun to call him by his last name. She figured that if her daughter could call her husband by his last name, then it was a name meant for him. "I’ve tried for eighteen years to get her to eat shrimp."

"It’s looking at me! Faith, help me out here." Buffy looked across the table, imploringly.

"Sorry B," Faith poked at her plate with a fork, eyeing it suspiciously. "I’m still looking for the fries."

"I give up on the both of you." Joyce snapped the head off one of her shrimp, she began to dig out the flesh. Buffy watched her with an expression akin to disgust, Faith used her fork to lift a piece of lettuce, checking futilely underneath. "You don’t know what you’re missing."

"Just taste a little piece…" Giles speared some of the flesh onto his fork and held it out to Buffy.

Joyce looked away. The two were just like any other newly married couple, except for the fact that it was her daughter. Her daughter was sitting here, almost in a man’s lap, at the dinner table. Granted, it was Buffy’s dinner table now, her house, her own life, but it was still something Joyce would have to get used to.

"Well, if you say so, but if the thing kills me, I won’t be happy."

Buffy grinned as she snapped her teeth around the fork held out for her, causing Giles to raise his eyebrows. She chewed the meat thoughtfully, never taking her eyes off him.

"Not bad."

Faith gave Joyce a look and the two had to work to suppress their giggles. Suddenly, Faith speared a piece of tomato with her fork and held it across the table, she widened her eyes and placed an over the top expression of adoration on her face.

"Eat of this, my tomato, and ye will rejoice in the taste, because it is mine."

Buffy and Giles turned to glare at her.

"Oh," Joyce let her voice rise ridiculously high as she made googly eyes at Faith, "how have I never tasted fruit like this before?"

"Mom!" Buffy narrowed her eyes.

"Rather immature, both of you." Giles fought to keep the corners of his mouth from turning upwards in the smile he knew was building.

* * * *

She was sleeping. He knew he should wake her up, that she would want to say goodbye, but he couldn’t bring himself to disturb her. It was a rare night that Buffy was able to get any semblance of peaceful slumber, she was still plagued by vicious nightmares that had her waking in a sweat, trembling so hard that she had to cling to him.

Outside the window, the first tendrils of the sun’s light worked their way into the bleak grayness. Giles stood next to the sleeping figure, letting one hand hover over her face, through her hair. They’d said their real goodbyes the night before, after Joyce and Faith had left.

Giles cursed Snyder. A week long library convention. He’d wanted to tell the weasely man exactly where to stick his convention, but Buffy had talked him into reason. If only it wasn’t so soon after their wedding. All he wanted to do was stay here and look at her. His wife.

Quietly, he pulled open the top drawer on her side, pushing the silky under things aside to clear a space. The plan was to surprise her, leave her a rose to find later, before she went to school. Before he could place the flower in the drawer, a flash of silver caught his eye.

A heavy thud sounded in his head as his brain registered the item. His fingers trembled, wavering just above it, as if it would burn his skin were he to touch it. It wasn’t possible, was it? After all that had happened? Giles closed the drawer silently and gently placed the rose on top of the bureau, in plain view.

He bent over and kissed Buffy on the forehead before walking down the stairs, his heart breaking just a little.

* * * *

****"Don’t you let go of me, Giles!" Buffy’s voice sounded in his ears. Everything was happening at half the normal speed, everything was cloudy and stilted. "It wasn’t supposed to end this way. Giles, do you hear me?"

Even her sobs were deeper than he’d ever heard them. He knew he should talk to her, answer her, make her feel better, but he couldn’t do it. A numbness was washing over him that he couldn’t shake. A heavy paralysis that made movement impossible.

He could feel the blood that stuck between their bodies and ran onto the ground, oozing out at a speed that should have been alarming. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that Xander had run off to get help, that Willow, sweet little Willow was sobbing into the arms of Oz, not able to look at them and that Oz rested his chin on the top of her head like a lid to keep the pain in. He knew that Faith was killing the demon, could hear her screaming unintelligibly at it for what it had done.

He knew that Buffy was clinging to him. He knew that it would be over soon.****

* * * *

With a name like Meredith there were no big surprises when she became a librarian. In fact, Meredith Placard loved her job. She wasn’t just a librarian, she was a locum librarian. She knew that people scoffed at that, she understood it too. But what most people never understood was the pleasure you could get from a library.

Every library was different, held its own personality, its own secrets, its own delicious flavor. Walking into a library that she’d never been in before gave Meredith the chills. She got an almost obscene amount of pleasure from discovering the secrets held within.

Sunnydale High Library was no different. At least, that was the impression she got at first. As every second passed she began to feel that things were a little different than at most libraries. Little things. Little things that niggled at her and grew into big things.

Like the book return cage. It was so big. What kind of after hours return program did this school have? Not to mention the locker inside, for which there was no key. Exactly what kind of books needed that much security? No worry, she’d manage to hair pin that lock before the week was out, she’d make sure of it.

Not to mention the extreme cultist and demonologie references that were showcased here. It was a little odd for a high school library, but very interesting. Everything about this library was interesting. Meredith felt a little pang at the thought that she’d never get to meet Rupert Giles.

The personality behind this place. He kept fastidious records, maintained a water tight system that ensured she didn’t have to do much work at all. It almost seemed as if he didn’t want anyone going through his things while he was gone.

A sound made Meredith prick up her ears and listen. It was barely eight o’clock. It was too early for anyone to be in here, not to mention that the place had been locked until she came. But there it was again, a little sob, a muffled cry from the office.

She really had not expected a young girl, petite and blonde, crying over a heavy, dusty volume.

"Hello?"

Buffy looked up, embarrassed to be found this way. She wiped at her eyes and stood up.

"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be here, I was just… I…" Her bottom lip trembled again and she couldn’t keep the sobs down. "He’s gone! He didn’t even wake me up! Why didn’t he wake me up? I miss him so much. Look, I’m even reading one of his books. How long is a week? I didn’t know it could hurt this much."

Meredith handed her a tissue and gave her a small smile.

"I’m Meredith. Why don’t you calm down and tell me what’s wrong? And, while you’re at it, you can tell me how you got in the office without me and why." The words had the potential to sound extremely harsh, but Meredith had a calm way of speaking that made it sound as if she cared.

"Giles gave me a key." Buffy blinked as she realized what she’d just said, her lips formed a little ‘oh’. "’Cause, you know, I help in the library sometimes. Yes, that’s it, I help Mr. Giles with… library… stuff. And it occurs to me that this has nothing to do with me helping him, so I’ll just leave. Nice meeting you. Oh, my name’s Buffy."

She watched as Buffy hurried out of the office. A frown dug into her forehead when she looked down at the table. Underneath the book lay a notepad, on which were scribbled several different variations of the signature "Buffy Giles." Buffy’s words came back to her, the frantic painful sobs.

It seemed like a logical conclusion. At least, it did to her, Meredith was no stranger to school girl crushes that got out of hand. She hadn’t ever met the man, but she’d talked to some of the female teachers here and they’d all concurred that Rupert Giles had chemistry. Okay, that wasn’t the exact word that they’d used, but Meredith was a Christian woman.

Her theory was blurred somewhat when, going through some old files, she found a photo of the girl. She turned it over and saw two distinctly different pieces of handwriting on the back. Her eyebrows peaked with her interest. This was something new.

-Doesn’t this remind you of that story?

-That, and others.

-Look at this when I’m in class and think of all the things in that story that I can do to you later.

-You’re a tease, Buffy.

-And you love me for it, just as I love you, Giles.

* * * *

Willow handed the page back to Buffy.

"She walked in on you? What did you do?"

Buffy grimaced and scribbled back.

"Broke down like the emotional wreck that I am. I practically told her about me and Giles before spouting some excuse and fleeing out of there. I think she’s suspicious."

Willow flashed her a sympathetic look.

"Is it a problem?"

Buffy thought for a moment.

"Who is she gonna tell?"

* * * *

Snyder looked annoyed. He gave his watch a pointed glare and then opened his office door wide for the temporary librarian to walk past. This better be good. He was a busy man. When she extended her hand he sniffed and walked back around his desk. Looming over it at people on the other side made him feel bigger.

"Haven’t we already had the welcome chat? What did I miss?"

"I think there’s something you should know."

* * * *

"Buffy Summers."

Standing at their lockers, the group was only mildly surprised to hear the reptilian voice of everyone’s favorite principal. They turned to meet him, but this time something in his voice made Buffy a little wary. It was that extra touch of confidence and smug assurance that he didn’t usually have.

"Yeah, that’s me."

"My office. Now."

Willow gave her a frightened glance as she walked off. A little thread of nervousness began to inch its way up her spine. Her feet felt heavy as she followed him, wishing that someone had come with her, wishing that Giles was here to stand by and hold her hand.

Her fears escalated when she saw the temporary librarian standing outside his office waiting for them. Now she’d done it. Although, said a tiny hopeful little voice in her head, maybe it’s not what you think, maybe they don’t know. She sighed as Snyder’s gloating reached epidemic proportions, maybe you’re an idiot.

"I’ve waited for so long for something like this. It’s like all my Christmases come at once. Do you know what I’m talking about, Summers?"

"They discovered a non-fail cure for premature balding?" She kept her face straight, but the look on his face nearly sent her over the edge, if only she wasn’t so nervous.

"That’s cute. But I’m serious. It seems your little charade has been discovered."

"My charade? Darn it, now you know. I…" Buffy widened her eyes. "I’m confused. I need help. It’s just not normal, I know, but it’s who I am." She spread her arms wide, shrugging her shoulders.

"Summers? What are you talking about?"

"My charade. You know, because I’m just a sweet transvestite from…"

"That’s it!" Snyder exploded. Damn it, why wasn’t she falling apart right now? "Do you know how much trouble you and your Mr. Giles are in?"

That got her attention.

"The school board frowns mightily on things like this. In fact, it’s not really a frown, I’d call it a big, ferocious growl and I’ll be only too happy to stand back and watch it when it happens. You’re out of this school, missy, and that sick little librarian too."

"Sick?" Buffy stood up. She could take attacks on herself, but she wasn’t about to sit here and listen to him attack Giles.

"You’re, what, sixteen?"

"Eighteen." She drew herself up to her full height and glared at him.

"Doesn’t matter. Teachers and students, not a combination we like to see. I won’t have sordid little liaisons in my school!"

"You make it sound dirty. It’s not like that, it’s…" Buffy caught herself. Giles was going to kill her. They’d hidden it for so long and the very day he leaves she’d all but sky written it.

"It’s what? True love? Don’t fool yourself, even you’re not that stupid, Summers."

Sorry Giles, she thought, but I’m not about to stand here and listen to him cheapen it like that. Buffy held up her left hand, wiggling her ring finger as she did so. It was a small sense of satisfaction she got when his eyes bulged out of his head.

"Yes, it is true love." It felt good, this release, powerful in a way. "We’re very happily married, Mr. Snyder. Won’t you congratulate us?" She turned on her heels and strode out of the room, glaring at Meredith as she passed her.

* * * *

"Eeep."

"You did what?"

"I can’t breathe. I think I’m going to pass out. Will, Giles is gonna lose his job and I’m gonna be kicked out of school. We’ll make a cute couple as we beg together on the streets. Do you think they’re hiring at Burger Barn? I could do that. You know, flipping burgers, it’s a lost art these days."

* * * *

"The librarian?"

"Yes." Snyder’s eyes lit up with glee as the man in front of him frowned. At last, he finally had the ammunition he always wanted against them. The Chief of the Education department sucked on his bottom lip as he thought about it for several seconds.

"And you say this girl is eighteen?" Snyder nodded eagerly. "They’re married?" More nodding and a delicious little tingly moment. "So?"

"What?" What? This wasn’t happening.

"He’s the librarian! If he was one of her teachers, or held any influence over her at all, then it would be a problem. For now, Mr. Giles is one of the best librarians in the country and you’re lucky to have him working in a school."

Snyder felt his whole life force being drained away. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair! How could this happen? Time and time again they defeated him. He would find a way to make them pay, one way or the other, he’d get to them eventually. Oh, yes he would.

* * * *

They’d made a mistake, bringing her here, Willow knew that as soon as they walked through the door. The music, far from the Bronze’s usual thumping rhythm, was a slow melody that wound its way into your soul and made you sway with the attempt to follow it.

Bad choice.

Buffy was depressed enough as it was. Soon, her suspicions were confirmed. Buffy’s face grew ever more wistful and she sighed at regular intervals. Willow grew ever more frantic with the desperate need to cheer her up. She signaled at Xander with a nod of her head towards Buffy. He raised his eyebrows in confusion. She raised her hands and moved her shoulders in a mime of dancing.

"Are you okay, Will?" All eyes descended upon the frustrated red head.

"Ow!" Xander jumped sideways as Cordelia poked his ribs.

"She’s trying to get you to dance with Buffy, you big retard." Cordy was oblivious to the glare Willow sent her as she sipped her mocha.

"Is it my fault her mimes are less mimey and more epileptic?"

"No, no. That’s okay guys. I think I’m just gonna go home and mope on my side of the bed. It’s no fun without Giles and I don’t want to ruin your night anymore."

"Buffy!" Willow urged. "You have to have some fun. Please, just stay a little longer."

"I appreciate your attempts Willow," Buffy glanced around the table with a wry smile. "All of you. But I just want to go home."

She picked up her bag and walked out. Willow huffed at Xander and Cordelia.

* * * *

****"I love you Buffy, I’ve always loved you."

"Don’t you do that, don’t you say your good byes now. Giles, hang on to me, don’t let me go."

Big tears bulged in her eyes and fell unheeded onto his face and neck, she whimpered as he gathered all his strength to lift his head off the ground and kiss the tip of her nose. Buffy leaned her forehead down until it rested upon his.

"Buffy? Will you smile for me? Just once?"

She looked at him with disbelief, her eyes afraid and full of terror, but she swallowed the painful sobs and forced her lips to stretch. It shook, that smile on her face, trembled with the effort, it didn’t even reach her eyes, but it was the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. ****

* * * *

He could not believe that a week had passed. It seemed like forever and yet it seemed as if he’d never left. Giles smiled as he placed the bags softly inside the door. Everything was quiet, not surprising for this time of night, he’d left the convention early and driven home to surprise her.

His eyes feasted on the vision before him. On the bed she lay, her feet where her head should be, toes curling out of the quilt as they lay upon the pillow. At the foot of the bed, she lay on her stomach, her head lying on a book, her hand curled around a pen. She’d fallen asleep doing her homework.

Gently, and oh so slowly, he tugged the quilt over her toes. With the same patience, he edged the book out from under her face and smiled at the stray squiggles and etches that dotted her notes, he plucked the pen from her hand and lay them both aside.

It took him less than ten minutes to change in the bathroom, with no light, and come back to kneel on his side of the bed. He lifted the covers and snaked his way underneath, coming as close as he dared to her warmth without waking her up.

There was no mistaking the smile that graced her face as she turned in her sleep and reached out for him, cleaving her body to him the way she’d always done. Soft, unintelligible, mumbles escaped her lips and she sighed as she made herself more comfortable.

With her in his arms, her breath dancing over his chest as her head rested against his neck, Giles fell asleep with little effort. This was the way it was supposed to be. This was the way it would always be, if he had anything to say about it.

* * * *

Buffy balanced her tray as she shuffled along the line, the stale smell of cafeteria food invading her nostrils and making her think twice about actually eating anything. She adjusted her backpack and stepped forward, eyeing the tiers of bland offerings. At least her favorite lunch lady was working today. Kind brown eyes, usually crinkled as they smiled at her, now stood smooth and expressionless.

"What have you got for me today, Doris?"

"Nothing for the likes of you."

She widened her eyes in surprise. This was not supposed to happen. In the last few months, Buffy had become good friends with the majority of the staff at Sunnydale High. Her breath was released in a gush of relief when she saw the laughter and suppressed excitement behind Diane’s (whom everyone called Doris, for reasons that should be obvious eyes. She handed Buffy a card, folded double and embossed with her name.

"It seems as if you’ve been summoned to the library."

Buffy took the card and grinned back. She flipped it open and her eyes devoured the all too familiar handwriting that flowed smoothly, requesting the pleasure of ‘Mrs. Giles’ for lunch in the library. The man was too sweet for his own good and Buffy felt a surge of warmth. She bounced lightly on her toes as she handed back her tray and skipped out of the cafeteria.

She sidestepped the ‘closed for filing’ sign and swept through the library doors, taking a moment to relish the feel of the cool air that washed over her. The deep, unmistakable scent of books and dust, furniture polish and the stuff they used to clean the weapons. It was something unique to this library and this library alone: she loved it.

Placing her backpack on the counter, she faced the main library. The room was empty and quiet. An expectant smile danced over her lips as she craned her neck to look into the stacks, listening for the slightest hint of movement.

"Giles? Sweetie?"

A quiet, polite cough came from behind her, from the door of his office. She turned on her heels and let her face melt into what, she suspected, was an extremely goofy grin, her features relaxing. He leant against the doorframe, one ankle crossed over the other, just watching her and not saying a word.

"I got your summons." She held out the card delicately between her middle and forefinger, curtsying daintily, her eyes smiling wickedly. "And here I am, completely at your service. What are you going to do with me?"

Giles kept silent, his face expressionless, but she could read the humor in his eyes. She could read everything she needed to know in those eyes and she never failed to be amazed by it. He gestured inside his office and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to make the move.

"Ah, I see your wicked plan, you evil mastermind, you." She walked past him, pausing only to step on tiptoe and kiss his cheek. "Get me into your office and then have me at your mercy, all alone. Helpless little me… mwphhh!"

Buffy’s teasing little monologue was interrupted when Giles reached out and drew her back to him for a deep, hungry kiss. She relaxed into it, letting her hands rise to his chest, then his shoulders. His hands gripped her waist and pulled her as close to him as physically possible.

"Ya know, I like your plan!"

Giles reached up and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, letting his hand rest on the side of her face, just feeling her skin. It was a delicious feeling. He smiled down at her and she melted under his gaze. Rocking forward onto her toes again, she lightly sucked his lower lip between hers and then receded.

"But you better actually have food, ‘cause I’m hungry. And you know what happens when I don’t eat."

"What? I’m not enough for you anymore? Buffy, I’m completely offended. I thought spending time with me would be nourishment enough…"

"Giles!"

He laughed at her pout.

"On the other hand, I did pack this picnic basket for two."

"You are so not funny."

* * * *

"So, what’s the what and where’s the Buff?"

Willow and Oz looked up from their lunch tray to see Xander approaching. Willow raised her eyebrow and waited for it to sink in. His brows furrowed with confusion and he didn’t notice Cordelia walk up behind him. When realization set in, his eyebrows jumped into his hairline and Willow wondered whether there was a speed limit for facial expressions, and if there was, how would they enforce it? Face radar? She shrugged herself back into reality.

"What? Again?" He dropped his tray on to the table and sat down. "What that library needs is some blue overhead lighting and maybe some mirrors on the ceiling."

"Jealous?" Cordelia jostled between Xander and Oz, squeezing her tray onto the little space that was left.

"I just think, you know, that they should keep that sort of thing private, as in… nowhere near where I am."

"Cover up, Xand," Willow smiled around the straw of her strawberry milk. "Your issues are showing. I think it’s sweet."

"Oh come on. Tell me it doesn’t bother you." He looked at each of them, pointedly.

"Nope." Cordelia smiled and then gave her attention to her salad roll.

"Sorry man." Oz shrugged. "Doesn’t rate high on the problem factor, ya know?"

"See?" Willow giggled as she felt Oz’s hand reach around and massage her back. "It’s just you."

"You’re telling me that none of you have ever been in the middle of research, or whatever, and suddenly wondered exactly what they’ve been doing on the exact spot where you are?"

Three faces suddenly took on identical ‘oh, ew!’ expressions. Cordelia placed her roll back onto the plate, untouched, she glared at him. Willow shivered and then hit Xander on the arm.

"No, but we will now!"

* * * *

"I was wrong."

"Hmm?"

"Your plan, I was wrong. It was really to get me in here and feed me so much that I can’t even move, wasn’t it?"

"You found me out."

"This isn’t, at all, your subtle way of punishing me for letting our secret slip, is it?"

"You see, I just can’t hide anything from you."

They sat on the couch in his office, Giles leaning against the back, Buffy leaning against him, they nestled into each other. Giles reached up and waved another strawberry in front of her face. She grinned and stretched her neck to reach it, taking it between her teeth. The sweet tang of the fruit contrasting with the hazy feeling of comfort that had settled over them.

"Ugh, I have to go. School calls."

She twisted in his arms until she was facing him, touching his nose with hers. His arms circled her waist and didn’t seem as if they planned on letting her go anytime soon. The rhythmic pressure of his stomach rising and falling against hers made her smile.

"I’m serious, let me go."

"No." He teased, raising his head so that he could kiss the tip of her nose.

The bell rang shrilly and Buffy looked at him.

"Very well." He let his hands fall to his sides, away from her back.

Buffy put both hands on his chest and pushed herself up. Gathering her things and stopping only when she reached the door, she turned to look back at him, still lying on the sofa and watching her with greedy eyes, and frowned slightly.

"I would have stayed."

He watched her walk out and sighed to the empty room.

"I wanted you to."

* * * *

Buffy raced around the corner and grimaced as she saw the door to her classroom close. Damn. Late again. It seemed, lately, that she never quite made it on time to the classes just after lunch. Her smile reappeared as she remembered exactly what it was that kept her late.

"Miss Summers."

Her frown returned and she spun around to face the voice.

"That’s Mrs. Giles, now, Principal Snyder."

"I’m sure it is." He paused to look back, pointedly, towards the library and then ahead at the room she was supposed to be in. "Late again, I see."

"And getting later by the second, I should go." She gave a nervous little giggle and stepped past him.

"Not so fast." His arm shot out and blocked her path, he brought his face close to hers. "I know what you’ve been doing. You and that librarian. Don’t think I don’t."

"I wouldn’t presume to know everything you don’t."

Snyder was not quite sure, but he thought there was something in her voice, something in the way her face stretched as if she were holding back laughter and the overall sense of being made fun of that he’d come to know well in his life. There was just something that told him her sentence held an insult. It made him bristle.

"Look Summers…"

"Giles." Buffy glared up at him, suddenly very annoyed and not really caring about keeping on his good side anymore.

"Whatever, it’s only a matter of time before I get you, and everyone else with the last name Giles, out of my school for good. I’m actually looking forward to that day. It’ll give me much more of a tingly feeling than expelling you ever did."

"You’ve tried, Principal Snyder, but the school board just keeps over ruling you, doesn’t it?" She let her face stretch into an obviously fake innocence. "Giles doesn’t have any effect or influence over my grades as the librarian, so there’s nothing you can do about it. Which, when you think about it, makes you kind of impotent, doesn’t it?"

He spluttered in frustration as Buffy pushed past him, not being able to come up with a retort in time.

"One day, Summers," He spat at her back, knowing she couldn’t hear him. "One day."

* * * *

The wooden spoon swirled in the milk, creating little ripples and waves as the steam began to form. Giles watched the liquid as he stirred it, his mind anywhere but on the task at hand. On the bench sat a mug, in which he’d already prepared the rest of the cocoa, and some of those small marshmallows she liked so much.

"So? Give."

He turned, surprised to see her there.

"Buffy! I thought you were getting ready for bed."

Buffy stood facing him with her back to the bench, she raised her elbows behind her until her hands rested on the marble, then she pulled herself up so that she sat on the bench. Something that she knew distracted him. Her face was serious and Giles knew he wouldn’t be able to get out of this one easily.

"Something’s up, Giles, and you’re not telling me what. So, give."

"It’s nothing." He turned the burner off and carried the pot over to the mug, pouring the milk. The deep, thick scent of warm chocolate began to infiltrate the room.

"Don’t nothing me, Giles. What’s wrong?"

Turning to the sink, he turned on the water and listened to the pot sizzle as the cold stream hit it. There was something, but he didn’t know how to bring it up, didn’t know whether he wanted to. If he was wrong, he would only be bringing up pain that would be better left buried, if he wasn’t wrong… He didn’t want to think about it. Confusing the whole issue was the fact that he didn’t know exactly what it was he was supposed to be right or wrong about, or if there was anything at all.

"I made you a hot chocolate." He handed her the cup and kissed the side of her cheek. She put it down and glared at him.

"Screw the chocolate, Giles. You’re scaring me." He stepped in between her legs and rested his hands on either side of her legs, bowing his head to her chest. She wrapped her arms around his head and held him close. "Please, just tell me."

He sighed and stepped back, out of her arms.

"It’s nothing."

Buffy jumped back down to the floor and lifted her chin ever so slightly. She was not fooling either of them, the tears glistened brightly and telling in her eyes. Her bottom lip trembled as she picked up the mug and swiveled on her heels, stalking out of the room.

* * * *

"It’s starting, Will." Buffy stepped over a stray twig and continued walking across the grass, her shoes delving deliciously into the green blades.

"Starting? What’s starting?" Willow looked at her friend, concerned.

"You know, I thought this time would be different. That we’d be the exception to the rule. But we’re not." She tossed her bag onto the table and sat down on the adjoining wooden seats. Other students milled around the courtyard, but not close enough to hear what they were saying. "I thought we’d have a few years, at least, before it came. But here it is."

"Buffy?" Willow pulled her apple out of her bag. "You’re not making sense."

"It’s like my parents’ marriage. This is exactly how it starts. We’re not fighting, oh no, nothing as crude as that. Just these tiny little undercurrents that will, with the help of the ripple effect, end up being tidal waves before we know it. And then, soon, we’re in court trying to decide who gets custody of Spot, our beloved Dalmatian puppy we’ve had for five years, not to mention who gets to keep the futon or the ancient hieroglyphs. Well, actually, I think the hieroglyphs would be a foregone conclusion, but…"

"There’s a futon? Who’s Spot? Buffy, breathe."

Buffy rolled her head backwards and then looked at Willow, a deep sadness and fear etched in her eyes.

"He’s different, Will. Everything’s different since he came back." She paused and looked down at her hands, which were nervously playing with a juice box. "There’s something wrong and he won’t tell me."

"Giles? You worry too much, he’s probably just found a demon or something that’s worrying him and he doesn’t want to frighten you. He does that sometimes."

"Maybe." Buffy considered that for a moment. "But no, I don’t think it is." She leaned into Willow. "He made hot chocolate last night."

"So?"

"With little marshmallows!"

"That bastard!"

"See!" Buffy’s excited elation didn’t last. She frowned at Willow. "Oh, you were being sarcastic. Willow, this is serious. What if he doesn’t love me anymore?"

That was it, Willow couldn’t help herself from bursting out loud with laughter. Her shoulders jumped as she tried to control herself, knowing that Buffy was serious, but the whole idea had caught her off guard. Giles? Not loving Buffy anymore?

"Oh sorry, it’s just that last time I checked Hell was still warm and fiery. It hasn’t frozen over yet."

"What?"

Willow regained control and frowned at her.

"He loves you. It’s not possible for him to do anything else. It’s in the way he looks at you, the way he gets a little smile on his face whenever your name comes up, the way he follows you around like a little puppy just waiting for you to smile at him, and when you do it makes his day."

Buffy let a smile grow on her face.

"Really?"

"Really. My advice? Talk to him."

"I’ve tried!"

* * * *

"Willow?"

She jumped up from the water fountain and choked when the water ran up into her nose. Great. Willow turned, spluttering, to face Giles. The one person she didn’t want to see more than Buffy at this very second. This was gonna be awkward. He handed her a handkerchief and she took it gratefully.

"Hey Giles. You need something?"

He looked nervous. He looked very nervous.

"Can we talk? I need… uh… I need some advice."

Willow nodded and found herself being guided into the library. She sat down at the table and a thought came to her. Giles began to pace back and forth. He didn’t know where to begin. Taking his glasses out of their case, he began to polish them, not because they needed it, but because it gave his hands something to do.

"I wanted to ask you something, Willow… Willow? Are you alright?"

She looked up from her intense stare at the desk. When she met his gaze her face was suddenly infused with hot blood. She was going to hunt Xander down and kill him slowly and horribly. There was nowhere safe to look, especially not the desk.

"Uh, yeah. Yes, I’m okay. What was it Giles?" Don’t look to the check out desk, there’s not enough space for them to… unless they… d’oh!

"Well, this is rather difficult, but," Giles eyed her strangely. She didn’t seem able to focus on anything and her face looked flushed. He hoped she wasn’t coming down with something. "do you think Buffy still feels anything for Angel?" The word stuck like gristle in his mouth.

Willow suddenly lost all nervousness as she stared, open mouthed, at Giles. Where had that come from?!? It was an illicit rule between them all, that they never speak that name. She knew that Buffy still thought about it sometimes, but not in the way Giles was asking about.

"I really think you should be talking to Buffy about this." She stood up.

"Willow, please…" In his voice, Willow heard a desperate plea for reassurance, a fear that should never have been allowed to grow. "She still keeps his ring."

"Talk to Buffy." She placed a hand on his shoulder, showing a sense of assurance that she didn’t quite feel herself. That was something she hadn’t known. Buffy kept the ring? "You’ve got nothing to worry about, Giles, she loves you. Nothing will change that, but if you feel you need to ask me, then you really should be talking to her."

* * * *

****Eventually they stopped speaking to each other, they’d said all that could be said, and everything else was construed through their sobs. Those painful, harsh sobs that pushed against each other, his and hers, like they were warring. And they were.

Giles could feel the kisses she showered on his face and neck, each one lingering as if she wanted to pull him out of himself and into her with her breath. He wished it could be done. Running his free hand through her hair, trembling as he did so, nearly broke his heart. His other hand remained tightly encased in hers.

Their hearts pulsed against each other and Giles felt a slow alarm at the realization that one was slowing down, weakening, giving up. Buffy must have felt it, too, because she sobbed harder into his neck and held him closer.

"I’m so scared, Giles, I’m so scared." She said it over and over, like a whispered mantra of panic.

"Never be afraid, Buffy, I’ll always be with you. Always."****

* * * *

"You have no idea how embarrassing it was!"

"Ha! I told you! I knew I wasn’t the only one."

"Xander Harris, I’m gonna kill you!"

"Oh yeah? Then come on, Will, give it your best sho… oomph!"

Xander fell over the back of the sofa in the student lounge as the flying form of Willow barreled into him. They tumbled over and over, stopping in a giggling heap. He leaned over her and looked down into her green eyes, they lit up with the laughter that erupted from her throat.

Suddenly they both stopped laughing. A stunned silence descended heavily. They breathed hard. Willow sat up, pushing him off of her, and ran a trembling hand through her hair.

"This is… so… not good. Not good at all."

Xander blinked.

"Um… what was that?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all. Just…"

They looked at each other as they sat on the floor, still trying to catch their breath, still trying to push the blood from their cheeks. This could not be happening, this was not possible. But it was, and neither of them understood it, neither of them were sure they wanted to. Xander leaned forward.

"Nothing…"

Willow closed her eyes.

"At all."

For several seconds the world exploded. Their lips met and burned. Then, as one, they jumped back, several feet from each other. Xander looked from left to right, suddenly grateful that there was no one else in the student lounge. Willow shook her head, she struggled to form a sentence.

"Oz! And… and… Cordelia… and… and no! No!"

They both scrambled to their feet and rushed to get their books. It seemed of utmost importance to get out of there and into the hallway. The hallway, where it was populated, with people. Lots of people. People who weren’t themselves. As they both reached for the same book, their hands touched. Willow drew back as if burned.

"No!"

* * * *

The apartment was silent, empty and silent. It seemed she had been spending a lot of time here alone. Was that going to be a pattern in the future? Already he was avoiding her. Buffy sighed as she placed the last dish in the cupboard. Her watch, the kitchen clock, the digital display on the video, all these told her it was still early, but she missed him.

She wanted him there with her. No matter what she’d told him earlier. Sure, she’d agreed, but underneath her heart had been screaming for him to shake it off and say he really wanted to stay home and spend the evening with her. Not that they would have done anything, but that was the point, wasn’t it?

To finish patrolling so that they could lie on the sofa for half the night and not move. Staying in each other’s arms and whispering words that held no consequence, moving only to refill a glass or change the CD. That was what Giles should be doing, just like they’d done countless times before. Just as, she’d thought, they’d do countless times in the future.

Without warning, Giles stumbled into the kitchen with a bright pink wreath of hibiscus flowers around his neck and a paper pineapple pinned to his hair. Although she knew she should be consumed with anger, Buffy could not help but laugh.

"What the hell did they do to you?"

He blinked at her, uncomprehending, until she reached out and plucked the paper from his head. His eyes took it in and he flushed.

"Bloody fools. Mr. Gregory is over 40, you’d think he could be civilized for his bachelor’s party. If I’d stayed there any longer…"

She stopped him with a kiss, covering his mouth with hers and tasting the lingering flavor of the alcohol he’d had. He made to protest, but she sucked the words out of his mouth and he ended up groaning as his hands came to rest on her waist.

"So? Why did you come home early?"

"You."

"I can accept that." Buffy grinned as she kissed him again. Then she drew back and lifted the flowers from his neck. "How am I supposed to take Biology seriously again knowing Mr. Gregory had a wild night, with strippers and things?"

"Don’t think about it…"

"Aha! So there were strippers. Giles, you promised!"

"You’re a vixen, you know it?"

She laughed as she took his hand and led him up the stairs. He followed her like a puppy, letting her lead the way. His brain was slightly hazy and he wished he hadn’t drank so much. Her hips bounced in front of his face as she pulled him behind her.

"Giles? Rupert, honey? You’re drooling again."

Her voice was full of laughter as they entered their room and he couldn’t figure out whether she was laughing with or at him. All he knew was that she was here with him. With him. Not with anybody else. Him. She was here, where she belonged. Giles stood up to his full height.

"With me!"

"Yes, Giles, with you."

Buffy sat him down on the bed and knelt down, she began to remove his shoes. He reached down and took hold of her wrist.

"With me?"

This time she looked up at him, surprised at the sudden insecurity. Was he having doubts? Buffy knelt up so that she pressed herself into his body and looked him squarely in the eyes. She pulled her wrist from his grasp and ran it down the side of his cheek.

"Yes. Giles, always with you. What’s wrong?"

"You kept his ring."

Four little words. Buffy cringed. Of course, he’d found it. She wasn’t sure, herself, why she kept it. It was just something she couldn’t bring herself to discard. It represented several lifetimes of heartache and pain, but it also represented the trial by fire that was now their marriage. She knew that he wouldn’t understand that, though, so she’d never told him. How long had he kept this to himself?

"It’s not what it…"

"Don’t, Buffy, don’t wall paper me with platitudes. Do you still love him?"

Even though his voice was still thick and blurred by the alcohol, Buffy could hear in it the desperate need for the truth. He knew what he was asking, knew what was at stake. She couldn’t put it off forever. Giles stared at her, waiting for her to answer him.

"Not in the way you mean."

That was not what he had wanted to hear.

"So you still do?"

"In a way."

She spoke quietly, softly, as if he would react any better if she made her voice gentle, as if it would cause him less pain. He didn’t answer her, his breath came deep, making his chest rise and fall. Buffy wound her arms around his neck, he didn’t move to shake them off, but he didn’t sink into her caresses either.

"Giles?"

Silence.

"Giles, please. Say something."

"What do you want me to say, Buffy? Is there anything I could say, anything I should? You still feel for him, there’s nothing I can do about that."

"No." She stood up and out of his arms. "No. I don’t feel anything for him. Not like that. You’ve got it all wrong, Giles. Damn." She ran her hands through her hair and looked at him. "He’s still a part of me, he always will be. Don’t you see?"

"I can’t say that I do."

"I loved him and, no matter how much I regret that now, nothing will change that. Deep inside, it still hurts when I think of it." By this time, Buffy had disintegrated into large, painful sobs that hurt to watch. "It hurts so bad that you can’t even imagine. I hate him for what he did, for what he became, but he wasn’t always like that."

"Buffy…" But she was past listening to him now, her frantic, hysterical words coming thick and fast.

"It’s just like Jenny." Buffy missed the flash that flew across his eyes. "You don’t think I know you still carry her with you? She’s a part of you Giles, a part that I can never touch. And that hurts, but I can’t do anything about it. It’s the same with…"

"Don’t!" Giles stood up, standing over her, threatening. "Don’t you bring her name into this!"

"And why not?" Buffy did not back down. "You think it’s any easier for me?"

He did not answer her, instead he turned his back and she could not bear that. Tentatively, she came up behind him and placed one hand on his shoulder, leaning her chin on it. They stood like that for several seconds of silence. Buffy could feel the torrents of emotions that were nowhere to be seen on the surface.

"He hurt me."

Giles placed his hand on hers and leaned to rest his cheek on her head.

"That’s it then." Buffy walked to the drawers and pulled out the ring. "It’s gone. All you had to do was ask."

* * * *

It was harder than she imagined it would be. As Buffy stepped into the mansion, she could not bear to close her eyes. Every time she did, she got an image, a flash, of that day. Fighting with Angel, seeing Giles broken and bent, having to thrust the sword into Angel’s stomach as he looked at her.

She hadn’t been back since that day, not once. Until now, she’d had no need. But now, as the moon gave off a pale glow and sent the world into blue lit shadows, Buffy had to say good bye at last. To put it all behind her. A piece of her, so small she hadn’t known it was there, was still grieving. It still stung to think of the way things had been.

Angel. She did miss him. For a while he had been there for her, had been the one she’d turned to. For a while.

Buffy wiped away a tear, this place was getting to her. She had to get out of here. Kneeling down on the very spot that he had disappeared, Buffy let the ring fall from her fingers. It bounced twice, sending a hollow, metallic echo throughout the stone room. As it spun around and around, Buffy stood up and walked away, whispering her good byes.

She did not see the glowing light that illuminated the ring or the body that fell down after it.

* * * *

**** "So afraid… so afraid… so afraid…"

"Always with you… always with you… always with you…"

Giles wondered if either of them heard the other now, the both of them whispering frantically through their sobs. He couldn’t bear it, could not bear what was about to happen. This, the whole thing, it was like a bad joke, a terrible, obscene joke that reached in and tore half of you away.

The pain was not so bad now, he could barely feel it anymore. He wondered if this was a bad thing. Something inside of him wanted to feel the pain, wanted it to scream through his bones like fingernails on a blackboard, just to assure him that he was still alive.

Because that one heartbeat was getting extremely slow, fading away into nothingness. Too soon. It was too soon. They weren’t ready, they’d never be ready. A blackness oozed over him and he felt his hand close for the last time over Buffy’s. She whimpered into his ear. ****

* * * *

"Don’t be afraid to wrench it."

"I don’t want to break it."

"It’s okay Buffy, this old thing has endured much more than even you, I’m sure, could give it."

"But it looks so… fragile. What if I hurt it?"

"I sincerely doubt you will, but if so, we’ll just have to get a new one."

"There’s another one like this out there somewhere? Now I’m frightened."

"Just grip it firmly and pull… oh."

"Oops. That wasn’t good, was it? Giles? Your face is turning red."

"No. It’s okay. Really. Try again."

"Are you sure? I mean, those veins are pulsing really fast and I know how possessive you guys can get about these things."

"We guys? Possess…? Oh forget it. Just be patient, breathe, and keep your mind focused."

"I am!"

"I was talking to myself."

"Oh."

"Buffy? Just drive the car."

Metal screeched against metal, the engine ground and smoke billowed out behind them before the engine revved into action again. Giles cringed and tried not to think of his beloved Citroen, he’d promised to give Buffy driving lessons and so he would.

"You still haven’t told me where we’re going."

"And at the rate we’re going it won’t really matter, because we’ll never actually get there." He couldn’t resist teasing her. She got so frustrated when she drove, it was adorable. "Just keep following this road until I tell you otherwise."

They drove on, relatively unscathed. Despite Buffy’s protests and Giles’ grumbling, they both enjoyed the time. He was actually a good teacher and, under his care, she was a good student. When they had set out that morning, it had still been early, so early that the mist hadn’t properly cleared. Now, it was melting away with the growing heat of the sun.

Around them, the surrounding trees and country roads gave off a magical air and Buffy thrilled to it all. There was nobody on the road but them, and not only did it give her more confidence, it allowed her to imagine that they were the only two people in the world. Her and Giles.

When they finally reached their destination, three hours after they started, Giles watched her face with greed. He drank in the delighted surprise, the excitement and he memorized the warm love he saw as she turned to him and grinned.

"How did you hear about this? It’s so cool!"

Around them was a buzz of excited crowds, people talking, laughing, shouting, children playing, vendors selling their wares, machines whirring, animals everywhere. It was a little country fair in a little country town. Big enough to attract a large crowd, small enough to still be enchanting.

"It’s run by the high school, fundraising or something, and I heard it through the library channels. I thought you might like it."

"Like it? Giles, I love it!"

She bounced on her toes and reached up to place her hands around his neck, her mouth found its way to his and she kissed him deeply. Behind her she heard two little girls giggling and their mother shushing them and herding them away. Giles blushed and she ran her thumb over his reddened cheeks as she pulled away from him.

"I think we’re a bad influence Mr. Giles."

"I hope so, Mrs. Giles. What do we do first?"

"Is that a Ferris wheel?"

"No, really, it’s not."

"Aw, come on Giles, it is so. And later, we have to have cotton candy, I hope they have cotton candy. Oh! And hotdogs. On a stick of course. Oh! Look, dodgem cars!"

Giles only half pretended to groan as he let Buffy drag him by his hands from one stall to the next, too excited to focus on any one thing yet. The day had just begun and he looked forward to the whole thing, but he knew he would be exhausted by the end.

* * * *

Buffy let her eyes close momentarily. The day had been perfect. Now she sat in the passenger seat of Giles’ car, her head leaning against the back of the seat, turned to watch him as he drove. The night outside was dark and the shadows that crossed his face gave it a slightly dark look. She liked it.

In her lap sat a large bear, light pink and white, and she wrapped her arms around it. He’d won it for her and no matter how gaudy it actually was, she loved it. In the back seat sat a basket full of all the little crafty home made things they’d bought, as well as half a bag of cotton candy that she’d made him try.

She could still see the fluffy pink substance as it had melted on his tongue, could still taste it as she’d leaned over and sucked it out of his mouth with her own, could still feel him laugh under her kiss. She could still feel the scratchy costumes they’d worn to sit for one of those olden day, sepia photographs. Why didn’t they have more days like this one? Happy and carefree. Giles had been so relaxed. He’d had such a good time.

Buffy closed her eyes again, this time she forgot to open them. Giles took his eyes off the road for a second to smile at her sleeping form. He reached out with one hand and stroked her cheek. Her skin was soft and warm under his touch and he felt, not for the first time that day, that the world was finally making sense.

* * * *

In a warehouse which, strangely enough for Sunnydale, was abandoned, sat a vampire. He grinned as another of his minions brought a struggling human to him. Reaching out, he ran his hands over the boy’s shoulder, coming to rest on the strong upper arm.

* * * *

They sat around the table, each looking decidedly uncomfortable as they tried not to look at the furniture, Giles thrust a paper in front of them. None of them would say what was wrong, so Giles and Buffy took it in stride. Willow reached out and read the headline that he had pointed out to them.

"Boy found slaughtered?" She looked at the people gathered there. "Well that narrows it down to about fifty percent of everything we’ve faced before."

Giles huffed at her.

"Yes, I know it’s rather vague, but certainly something we should look into, it’s the third body found this week. It says he’s… uh… was a college student at UC Sunnydale. Willow, can you find his records and things? Xander, Cordelia, could you do some research on the campus itself?"

"Oh ho!" Xander grinned. "And Buffy stays here so you two can do a little one on one research?"

Buffy punched his arm. He looked at her and mouthed ‘what?’ like an innocent.

"Actually, I was going to suggest that Buffy and I research all the demons that need to eviscerate their victims while they’re still alive. However, if you want to stay here and do that, I’m sure Buffy and I would enjoy the scenery…"

"Oh ew." Cordelia wrinkled her nose. "No way am I looking in those freaky books again. Xander, we’re going to college." She stood up and dragged him to his feet. "Maybe you’ll catch something there, like ambition."

"You know, Giles, if you guys didn’t kill them weeks ago, I’d say that those gestation demon girls are back."

"Yes, but they are dead, Willow."

* * * *

Thirst. That great encompassing need that scratched at his veins and pulsed at his temples. He didn’t know anything, didn’t feel anything, other than that thirst. It was so deep that he didn’t think he’d exist without it. It called to him, bought him into the world and made him chase his prey.

A body, a teenaged boy, running from him now. The fear that coursed through his blood only tainted it with a tantalizing spice, made him want the boy more. He was almost salivating as he stumbled after his desired meal. A deep growl rumbled out from his throat as he sensed the thing’s closeness.

Angel’s eyes flashed yellow.

* * * *

"Extra patrol… blah, blah, blah… we don’t know what’s out there… blah, blah, blah." Buffy idly played with the crossbow in her hand as she walked. "I want you to be careful… blah, blah, blah… and pick up some milk on your way home… blah, blah, blah. Sometimes, I don’t know why I married that man."

Faith glanced at her sideways as they stepped into the cemetery proper. A smile teased the corners of her mouth.

"You are so whipped, B."

"Ugh!" Buffy turned to glare at her. "I am not! Oh… I so am."

Neither saw the pair of vamps that eyed them from the sidelines. They walked on, oblivious.

"So, Buffy, it’s his birthday next week. What are you gonna get him?"

Buffy smiled.

"Well, apart from the obvious," She quirked her eyebrow to ensure that Faith knew what she was talking about. From the look on the other girl’s face, she needn’t have worried. "I’ve got this little surprise planned. Giles is gonna die when he sees…"

Faith never got to hear what the surprise was. The vamps attacked suddenly and both girls found themselves ducking and punching and kicking for all their worth. Buffy jumped into a scissor kick and felt the vamp’s face fly back with a snap. She grinned wickedly and followed through with several fast jabs to his chest. With every hit, the vamp stumbled backwards.

There was something not quite sportsman like about beating up on a vamp that couldn’t fight back. Buffy staked him, somewhat disappointed with the lack of energy needed to do it. She looked over to see Faith stake her vamp.

"What is it with fledgling vamps? They’re everywhere lately."

Faith could only nod.

Suddenly a blurred streak of color rushed at them.

"Run! Run for your lives! It’s coming!"

The boy sped past them without glancing back. Buffy and Faith looked at each other for a moment, shrugged and then began to run in the direction that the boy had come from. They came face to face with yet another fledgling vampire.

Buffy grabbed its shoulders and threw it into the bushes, she flicked another stake from her sleeve and felt the wood slide into her hand like an old friend. She lunged. The vamp really didn’t last long at all. Just enough time to give her an extremely hurt expression, as if she’d been the bad guy to dust him. It always made her smile on the inside, the irony of that wounded look.

Standing up and brushing off the earth and dust that clung to her clothes, Buffy looked around for Faith. She was nowhere to be seen. The sound of a struggle came from several bushes further on, Buffy began to walk forwards, hoping that Faith hadn’t run into anything too nasty.

What she came across made her heart stand still.

"Lookee what tasty morsel of meat I’ve captured!" Faith straddled the struggling, naked, figure. "Pass me a stake will you? I’m all out."

Buffy swallowed. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

"B? Little help? Not that I mind the naked wrestling here." Faith twisted her neck to stare at her. "What the hell is up with you?"

"A… A… An."

The growl emerged from deep within his throat, yellow glowed from his eyes.

"Yes B, an irate vamp who’s about to bite me and suck me dry. You wanna help, or have you suddenly quit the slaying?"

Faith watched with curiosity as a coldness washed over Buffy and she walked over to them. She placed a heel on the vamp’s neck and pressed it hard. It had only been months, not long at all, since Faith had known Buffy, but if pressed she would say that it wasn’t hatred in those eyes. It was a large wall of defense to hide a lot of pain and fear. Now, she was very more than interested.

"I said goodbye, damn you. Can’t you just leave us alone?"

* * * *

The ball rolled lazily down the aisle, the impact, when it happened, could hardly be called a crash as it knocked two of the remaining pins over. Cordelia sighed and checked her nails. She spun around and shrugged her shoulders at Oz, who stood behind her with his ball in hand.

"Who suggested bowling again?"

He shrugged back and stepped up to the plate.

In the booth, Xander and Willow were keeping meticulous score. Every little detail monitored and recorded, nothing was missed, so much concentration they were paying to the game. It saved them from noticing each other. Bowling. How bad could bowling be? Wearing other people’s shoes and breathing in other people’s smoke. Apparently, it could be bad.

Willow sighed and put down the crust of her pizza. She knew it was a mistake as soon as she’d done it. The greasy crust sat on her plate, glaring, obvious to those who noticed. It just sat there. Oz looked at it, looked at Xander, and then reached for his glass.

"What’s up?"

"Huh?" Xander was immediately on alert. "Nothing’s up. No siree. No up here. I’m down, very down. Uh… why do you ask?"

"Usually you pounce on her crusts." Oz gulped the last of his soda and shrugged. "Your turn."

"What? Turn? Who?" Willow’s eyes bugged, Oz gave her a worried look.

"You know, to roll the ball. We are bowling, are we not?"

Both Willow and Xander jumped out of their seats and rushed to pick out a ball, carefully not touching an inch of each other’s skin.

"What’s with them?" Cordelia reached over to pick at the pizza in the middle of the table.

"I don’t know." Oz kept his eye on the couple.

* * * *

"Now I understand." Faith jerked the chains tight and let her eyes wander over the well sculpted muscles. "You never told me about this part."

"Faith, please!" Buffy scraped her hands through her hair and continued pacing the mansion. What the hell was she going to do now? She stayed out of reach of Angel, fearing not only him but herself. Every time she drew near he growled and made to attack, and her first reaction was to reach out and soothe him. To make him better. Buffy hated herself for it. How could she do this to Giles? "We just have to think."

Faith stood up and came to her. Regardless of what they all thought, or how they felt about her, she could pick up on the subtleties, could discern in others the things they wanted to keep hidden. She had eyes and she had a brain. Her hand rested gently on Buffy’s shoulder.

"He’s not going to go away, you have to do something."

"I know! It’s just…" Buffy paused and looked at the form that she had once known so well. It was strange and cold to her now. "look at him. That’s not Angel. That’s his body, but it’s not him. We can’t tell Giles."

The panic rode her voice hard. There was no mistaking the desperate plea she sent to Faith. Buffy was hiding something, Faith could tell, probably something she wasn’t even sure was there. So blatant was the need to protect Giles, that Buffy couldn’t see she would only be hurting him more. Faith sighed, it wasn’t really her choice.

"You said he went to Hell?" Buffy nodded. "Not many returns from there. He must have gone through… He must have suffered."

Angel crouched against the wall, he watched the two girls with distrust, never taking his eyes off of them. His mouth twitched unconsciously and his limbs shook with restrained anger. All he knew was that he’d been chasing something and these females had stopped him. It was the blonde that made him want to howl and he didn’t know why.

* * * *

Giles was snoring soundly by the time she got back, sitting up in his chair, waiting for her. Buffy softly took the glasses from his face and laid them on the side table. Pushing one leg between his knees, she stood over him and placed one hand on either chair arm. Pursing her lips, Buffy blew lightly over his face.

He crinkled his nose. Buffy smiled, she blew again. His lips twitched.

"Hey sleepyhead." She cooed to him and his right eye opened, a grin spread across his face. "Time to come to bed."

"Mm? I rather like this old chair." Giles smirked as his hand ran up the back of her thigh. Buffy winced and twisted herself out of his grip, she quickly covered by squeezing herself onto his lap, but he had noticed. The worried look on his face made her want to tell him. "Buffy? Did something happen on patrol?"

"It’s just late, Giles, come on, let’s get you upstairs."

She twisted her head and kissed his neck before jumping up and pulling him after her.

* * * *

**** He knew if he closed his eyes now it would all be over. He had to keep them open, no matter how tired he got, or how much it hurt to look at the pain and terror in her eyes. Giles had to keep looking into Buffy’s eyes. They were thinning out now, the light he’d loved so much was draining from her eyes even as he watched her.

Even blinking was hard, because sometimes he didn’t think he had the strength to open them again. But he forced himself, made himself dig deep and summon the energy from somewhere. He had promised her he would never leave her and he would never forgive himself if he left her now, when she was so scared. ****

* * * *

"Hi Honey, I’m home."

"Just in time, I was about to eat my own arm off."

Buffy stepped into the mansion and handed Faith a paper bag, little grease spots had already seeped through and Faith grinned as she opened it. Without waiting she pulled out the burger and unwrapped it. Shrugging off her jacket, Buffy looked to the other room as she hefted the other bag that she’d been holding.

"How is he?"

"Mmph." Faith jerked her head back and swallowed the mouthful. "He stopped growling and snarling over an hour ago. He’s been pretty quite since."

When she stepped into the room, Buffy had to stop herself from giving a little shout of surprise. Angel knelt on the floor, his eyes focused intently on the door, and for one split second it had looked like the old Angel. For one split second. Then she had snapped out of it.

Gently, hesitantly, she stepped towards him while taking the parcel of blood from the bag in her hands. She saw his eyes flick immediately to it, he could smell it, she saw it in the tensing of his muscles, the way his tongue licked at the edge of his lips and the little growl he gave.

"Angel?" His eyes looked up and met hers briefly and then returned to the package of blood, he began to strain against the chains. "I’m going to give you this, okay?"

Buffy knelt down, placed the bag on the floor and rolled it towards him. She was well out of range of the chains, but she still jumped back in fright when he pounced. His face vamped out and his fangs pierced the plastic as he began to suck violently. She shivered but couldn’t turn away.

Images flashed in her head of him bending over innocent people, sucking their life out of them, of him gloating over hurting Giles, of him over Jenny. As she watched, her mouth drooping open in horror, Angel turned to her and his eyes began to stare into her own.

A shudder ran through him and Angel slowed his drinking, then he stopped, dropping the bag. Disbelief showed on his face, but it was a different face. This one held knowledge, reasoning, thought. Recognition. He stood up and stepped towards her, Buffy almost stumbled as she stepped back.

"Buffy? Is that you?"

Her head shook from side to side, but her eyes never moved. Angel reached out.

"Buffy?"

"No. No, no, no." It was barely a whisper as her hand covered her mouth. Her other hand reached behind her, blindly, for the door handle. She had to get out of there, she couldn’t stay with him. Inside of her chest, her heart beat wildly, thumping harder than she could remember it ever doing before. "No, god damn you, no."

* * * *

Giles smiled to himself as he poured the steaming water. She should be home soon. He’d made her a light supper, Buffy was always hungry after patrolling. There had been something wrong with her all day, after her patrol the night before, actually, and he hadn’t wanted her to go out alone again tonight. She’d insisted that she needed to be alone, though, had gotten almost hysterical over it, and so he had relented.

He was, however, preparing a special night, something to calm her down. The bathroom was already prepared, all he had to do was run the water in the bath and light the candles, which he could do while she was eating, and he’d give her a back rub while she soaked in the steaming, scented water.

The door slammed suddenly and before he could investigate, Buffy slammed into his body, wrapping her arms around his waist painfully hard and burying her face into his neck. She was shaking. Immediately he ran his hands down her back and guided her to the living room where he pulled them down onto the sofa, she wouldn’t let go of him.

"Buffy? What is it? Buffy, please, you’re scaring me."

"I killed him for you, Giles, I swear I did. He was gone. I don’t know how it happened. I killed him, you have to believe me." She was almost incoherent with panic, her words rushing past him they sped out of her mouth. "I did it for you, Giles, I love you. I love you, I really do. Giles, I don’t know what happened. It’s not my fault. You have to believe me."

"Shh. Calm down." He ran his knuckles down her cheek and kissed her forehead. "Of course I believe you. I love you, Buffy, you should know that by now, but I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s wrong."

She raised her head and looked into his eyes.

"He’s back. Angel’s back from Hell."

* * * *

"Faith? That’s your name, isn’t it? Faith?"

"I told you, I’m not listening to you, so quit it."

Faith called to other room. She didn’t know what to do. Buffy had run out so fast, the look on her face so terrifying that Faith had almost ran out after her. Almost. She’d been distracted by a voice calling after Buffy, the sound of the chains being pulled violently and the shattering of the wall plaster.

She had expected the animal to run after Buffy. She hadn’t been expecting Angel, the man, the thinking vampire, to be the one to appear. Even through her shock, Faith’s instincts had kicked in and she’d fought him, bringing him down and chaining him up again.

He was weak, but Faith could feel the strength he had once contained and didn’t want to think what would have happened if she’d had to face him when he was running on full power. Apparently, he’d regained his ability to talk and plead, and reason. That’s what had sent Buffy over the edge.

"Did she tell you about me? I have to find her, talk to her, let me out of these chains. I’m not bad, I won’t hurt you, I promise."

Faith walked to the door.

"Just like you didn’t hurt Miss Calendar?" She watched the pained expression pass over his face. "That’s right, Buffy told me all about you, so don’t think I’m fooled."

"That wasn’t me."

"Oh?" Faith shrugged. "Sorry, my mistake, it must have been the other vampire boyfriend of Buffy’s, named Angel, who killed all those people and nearly sent the world into Hell. Here let me get those chains for you and would you like my neck stretched out to the left, or to the right?"

She stood with her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against the doorframe.

"I have my soul back, did she tell you that?"

"Those damned pesky souls, they come and go with such ease nowadays."

"It’s true."

"That’s right. Is that why you’ve been killing all those guys? Because they go so well with your new soul?"

"What? What guys?"

* * * *

"Giles? Say something!"

Buffy pleaded with him. He looked straight ahead as he walked to the car, carrying his bag. It was heavy and clunked with the weapons inside it. She stood in front of the door, trying to stop him. Finally, he looked her in the eyes and her blood ran cold. Reaching out, he pushed her gently, but firmly and with no room for resistance, out of his way.

She whimpered when he drove off.

* * * *

Faith had stopped talking and now stood, just watching him. Every once in a while he pleaded with her, but she refused to listen. A loud crash startled them both. Faith turned in time to see Giles storm in, the anger and rage on his face was the scariest thing she could remember seeing.

"Faith, leave."

His voice was worse and she didn’t even pause before running out of there.

Angel looked at the man and trembled.

"I don’t care why you’re back, I don’t care what you went through to get here. It stops now." Giles pulled the crossbow from his bag, he loaded it calmly as Angel watched. "Do you know what you did to her? Do you have any idea?"

He stepped forward, his eyes daring Angel to make a move.

"You nearly broke her. You nearly killed her! I don’t care what you did to me, I don’t care what you did to everyone else, you nearly killed her!"

Angel didn’t move, he couldn’t, not even when the tip of the bolt pressed against his chest. Giles was hissing through clenched teeth.

"She loved you. She trusted you. She gave you part of herself and you threw it back in her face. You nearly killed her and now you’re back for more? I would kill you now if I could."

Angel felt the arrow tremble against his chest and saw the restraint the man was using. It chilled him more than he liked to admit.

"Please, Giles, don’t." Buffy’s voice came into the room. Giles didn’t turn around, his eyes didn’t even blink.

"Buffy, go away."

She didn’t answer, but walked forward and placed one hand on his left shoulder, the other on his right arm. Her mouth pressed lightly into the back of his right shoulder. He leaned his head back slowly, to caress her with it, but didn’t lower the crossbow.

Angel watched with fascination. It confused him to see them like that. Then he saw her hand on Giles’ shoulder, saw the glint of metal on her ring finger, took in the intimacy between them. They spoke with their actions, as much as with words, he saw it in the way she ran her lips over his neck, pleading with him to calm down.

The bow began to fall.

The chains rattled as Angel stepped back, stunned at what he was seeing.

The bow snapped back to attention and Giles shrugged Buffy off of him. She jumped in front of him, her hands rising to push his shoulders back and his arms down, her face pleaded with him.

"Giles, please, listen to me. We can’t kill him. We don’t know anything. Why he came back, if he was the one who killed those guys and what for. Calm down, think, we have to talk about this."

Buffy’s fingers closed over the crossbow and her eyes never left Giles’ as she gently took the weapon from his hands. He leaned his head forward so that their foreheads rested on one another’s. She dropped the crossbow and ran her fingers down the sides of his face, breathing into and from him.

"Thank you."

A shudder, powerful and strong, ripped through him and he began to move. His arms came around Buffy’s waist and held tight, his lips responded to hers and he let the tears fall unchecked. Buffy nestled her face into his, caressing his nose with her own, his cheeks with her own, trying to brand him with her skin and heat.

"Giles, please, let me talk to him. Alone." He tensed. "If I can’t get the information we need out of him, then…" She paused and dropped her eyes. "… then he’s yours."

Giles nodded and left. Slowly.

Buffy turned and didn’t look at Angel as she began to undo his chains.

"Buffy? Thank…"

"Oh no. You…" She stopped herself, breathed deeply and started again. "Don’t talk to me. I don’t care what you have to say. You answer my questions and then you leave. I don’t ever want to see you again."

He reached out to touch her and she sprang back. The warning look in her eyes told him everything he needed to know and he let his shoulders droop.

"So he finally won?"

"Won? Won?!?" Buffy’s mouth dropped and she shook with the anger that rose in her. "It wasn’t a contest, it was never a contest. And I was never your prize!" A thought occurred to her and she winced. "You knew? You knew how he felt and you played me against him at every turn? How could you do that?"

"It was never like that, Buffy, never."

She shook her head.

"You can’t rationalize it now, Angel, don’t even try." Buffy closed her eyes and when she opened them, Angel could see that the subject had been dropped, he didn’t argue. "Were you the one who killed those guys?"

"No."

"Then why were you out there?"

"I was chasing the vampire."

She stood, facing him, not knowing whether to believe him or not. A flood was raging under her skin and not a normal flood at that. Her nerves were rushing in several different directions, pulsing through her and making her want to flay the skin off her bones to give some small relief.

"You have to believe me, Buffy, I’m not here to kill again."

Buffy winced at his words and immediately he regretted them. She wrapped her arms around her chest and held them close, she looked fragile and he wanted nothing more than to go to her and hold her like he once had. Yet he knew that he no longer had that right, nor would he be welcome anymore.

"Then why? Why are you here? Didn’t you hurt me enough before? You had to come back to finish the job?"

"That’s hardly fair…"

She couldn’t believe her ears.

"Not fair? Not fair?!?" Buffy paused, calmed herself and looked into his eyes. She spoke clearly and coldly, wanting him to hear every word. "You want to hear not fair? Jenny will never grow old. Kendra will never know what it feels like to fall in love. Not enough? It doesn’t matter if it wasn’t you who did all those things, it’s your face I see in my nightmares. Your face that makes me scream in terror. It’s your face that makes me want to spit with hatred. It’s your face that he sees in his dreams, your face that makes him tremble and shake. Every time I look at you now, I see nothing but the man who hurt us. That’s not fair."

"I never meant…"

"But you did! Nobody knew what would happen, but it did! We can’t change that and I can’t change the way I feel. Angel, if you still feel anything for me, you’ll leave tonight. Go away and never come back."

"And if I don’t?"

"Forget Giles, I’ll kill you myself."

* * * *

"Hey! Look at this!" Willow shot out excitedly from behind the computer terminal. Only Xander answered her.

"Huh?" He rubbed his bleary eyes and looked at her.

Willow frowned and looked around the library. No one else was there. It had gotten decidedly darker since the last time she’d looked up from the screen. Most probably the others had gone home. She couldn’t see Cordelia staying later than was strictly necessary and Oz had a gig.

"Oh, um, you know that old warehouse on Richards St.? The lease was bought out two months ago, with cash, and the place has been boarded up ever since, but it’s been getting weekly deliveries of rock salt."

"So?" He came to stand behind her, looking at the screen.

"So, where have Buffy and Faith been running into all those new vamps?"

"Vamps don’t need salt, Will."

"No, but those Stalmont things do. I told Giles that’s what it looked like."

"What have they got to do with the vamps?"

"Think about it. If the queen doesn’t have her foot soldiers to bring her the sacrifices, she needs someone. A vampire minion who controls all the lesser minions would do nicely, don’t you think?"

"Shit Will, what are we gonna do?"

* * * *

They sat opposite each other, neither saying a word. Giles did not take his eyes off the door. He seethed with every breath he took. Faith had been idly picking at the now cold fries, but had stopped that when she received a glare from him. Now she sat inspecting her nails.

Buffy walked out of the room, she faced Giles but couldn’t look him in the eye.

"You let him go?"

She nodded, moved to step closer to him then stopped herself and just nodded again. Giles paused for a moment and then reached out, bringing her to him and wrapping her in his arms. She closed her eyes and drank in his warmth with all of her body.

"I had to. He… it’s not him. Giles, he said we didn’t kill them all."

"What?"

Buffy broke out of his grasp and looked at Faith.

"That pregnant demon. We didn’t kill the queen, we killed the hand maiden."

"Oh fuck."

"Quite."

* * * *

**** Giles was in a wild panic, one of their heart beats was speeding up, the other was slowing down. Almost as if one was sucking the life out of the other. That’s not the way it was supposed to happen. He wished that both hearts could be beating strongly, or that they were both petering out. Whatever happened, they were supposed to be doing it together.

Once. Twice. And then Giles felt a great physical thud rock through him with the last beat of the heart. Everything went black, everything went so blessedly black and there was no more pain. ****

* * * *

"Come on, we don’t have any more time." Willow thumped on the door of the book cage.

"Did you get hold of them?" Xander threw the last of the weapons into the bag and hefted it onto his shoulder.

"Just Cordy, the others are nowhere to be found. She’s gonna meet us at Buffy and Giles’."

"Uh, Will? I don’t think that’s an issue right now." Xander pointed behind her and she turned to see three vampires enter the library. Willow stepped back, pressing herself against the wire of the cage.

* * * *

Cordelia sighed. Then she huffed. Then she knocked on the door again.

"Oh right. We need your help Cordy. Meet us at Giles’ house, Cordy. Don’t be late Cordy. I’ll give them late. This better be good. If no one’s in any mortal danger I’ll kill them myself."

She stopped pacing as a thought came to her.

"Oh god, don’t let them be in any danger!"

Cordy raced to her car.

* * * *

"Ya know, Giles, I really think it’s time to trade this in for a real car."

"This isn’t the time, Buffy. We have to get home and look into this demon thing."

"That would be the whole point of a car that doesn’t need to be wound up by hand."

They drove on. A car sped past them. Faith twisted her neck to watch it.

"Hey, isn’t that Cordelia’s car?"

* * * *

Willow managed to dust the vampire that was cutting off her air supply, as it dusted the pressure around her neck disappeared and she drew in large gusts of blessedly cool air. Her head throbbed with the large bump that sported an impressive array of blues and greens and blood leaked out of her right ear.

She looked over to Xander who wasn’t faring much better, in fact, he seemed to be faring much worse. Willow scrambled over and thrust the stake into the vamp’s back. The dust settled over a panting Xander and he tried to catch his breath, it wasn’t working. All he could do was stare up at Willow.

She was staring back down at him.

Before they knew it, they were kissing again. It was unlike anything they’d ever experienced before. Seconds ago they’d been fighting for their lives, neither sure whether they would make it, and now they were safe again. Alive. Adrenaline pushed them further than they’d ever dared to go and suddenly it seemed like the most natural thing in the world. Xander let his hand wander to her waist, beneath her sweater and she tangled her hand in his hair.

"Oh god, Willow."

"Oh god, Xander."

"Oh god, both of you!"

They jumped at the sound of Cordelia’s shocked and hurt voice. She stared at them, unable to form any coherent words, but the look on her face said it clearer than words ever could. Her chest rose and fell with the effort to breathe. Xander stood up and stepped forward.

"Cordy, it’s not what it looks like, please!"

"What? So you two weren’t making out like lust crazed bunnies while I thought you were dead? I should have known. I’m leaving Xander Harris, and I don’t want you to follow me. Ever."

She stormed out of the library and the only sound to be heard was Willow’s head as she let it fall to the floor with a thump.

* * * *

The telephone was ringing as they entered the apartment. Buffy answered it as Giles went straight to his bookshelf. They’d brought the books on the Stalmont demons to the house when they’d been researching them weeks ago.

Buffy entered the room with a strange look on her face.

"Um, Xander and Willow are coming over. They think they know where this thing lives."

"What about Cordelia?"

"I… I don’t think she’ll be coming."

* * * *

He sat in his chair and watched the candle burn. A line of wax rolled slowly down the side, pooling itself into little nodules, only to flow over again. The time was near, he could sense it. Once the Queen delivered her spawn, then he would rise to greatness. It had been promised him. This town would be his.

Something was building, he could feel it.

A door to his left opened and the sacrifice he had given the Queen was tossed through. So, another one had failed to take her fancy. It just meant he had another morsel of meat to turn into a follower. Although, he knew, if he couldn’t please her soon, the Queen would take vengeance.

He snapped his fingers and three vampires rushed to his side.

"We need another offering."

* * * *

"Ok, here’s the plan." Buffy turned to face the group. "You guys stay behind and take care of all the lesser vamps. Me and Faith will be in front. If we find the demon, it’s strictly a slayer party, got it?"

Willow and Xander both nodded, but it was Giles that Buffy was watching. Her eyebrows raised in question and her face set in a stubborn mask. She waited. Eventually he nodded and she let her features relax. Stepping up on tiptoes, she kissed his forehead and then lifted the axe to the ready.

"Ok guys, we’re going in."

* * * *

She sat on the stool and waited for her mocha. Her lips were stretched into a straight line as she tried not to give them the freedom to move, knowing that they would only tremble and quiver if she did. Being here, at the Bronze, in public, gave her no choice but to perform. If she was alone, Cordelia knew she’d be in tears.

In her hands she held a photograph, it was a group shot, of the scooby gang. Very slowly, very deliberately, she was shredding it. Little piece by little piece. The tiny pieces dropped to the bar and arranged themselves into an abstract mosaic of smiles and eyes and arms and colored clothes. She didn’t notice the person beside her until he spoke.

"What’s up?"

Cordelia jumped and then turned to look at him. Her eyebrow quirked upwards.

"Oz!"

* * * *

Buffy growled as she swung the axe around in a wide circle. It embedded itself deeply in the vamp’s neck, but didn’t take his head off. The vamp looked extremely angry. He stepped towards her. She looked around frantically, searching for anything.

"Faith!"

Faith turned her head, saw Buffy and then turned back to the vamp she was waling on. She king hit him and then took advantage of his surprise to thrust a stake into his chest. Without pausing, Faith swung herself into a roundhouse kick, her foot connecting with Buffy’s vamp. The impact drove his head into the blade of the axe and it rolled off his neck.

"Thanks Faith."

"No worries, B."

They spun away from each other, pressing their backs together and began to attack a new vampire each. In the distance Giles was holding another vampire by its arms as Willow timidly thrust a stake into its chest. Xander was cornering a vampire with a cross, keeping it at bay until the Willow/Giles team could step in.

"Eric?" Buffy furrowed her brow. She really hated killing vampires she’d once known.

"It’s Enrich, now." The vamp paused and spoke with a jaunty lift of his chin. Buffy lifted her lip in a smirk.

"What? You get some fangs and a new un-life and suddenly you’re it and a bit? News flash, you’re just a pile of dust waiting to happen."

"You have no idea, Summers, what’s about to be let loose here. It’ll all be over before you know it and you won’t be able to stop it, no one will. It will be the end of Earth as we know it."

"Oh, save me." She punched him in the nose and as his head snapped back, Buffy thrust the stake into his heart. "That line is getting tired."

Nobody noticed the three vampires that sneaked into an adjoining room and locked the door.

* * * *

"What about Oz?"

Buffy talked in hushed tones in the back seat of Giles’ car. She and Willow were talking quietly as they drove Xander home. Faith had already been deposited at the Summer’s residence and from there they would let Willow off. They’d dismantled the nest of vampires, but hadn’t found the demon. There was nothing they could do for the rest of the night, so they’d planned to get together the next day and hunt it down then.

"I have to tell him. I… I don’t know what he’s going to do, but I have to."

They sat in silence for several seconds. When Giles got out of the car to walk Xander to his door, Buffy turned to Willow with wide eyes. They faced each other, their heads resting sideways on the back of the seat. Buffy reached her hand out and held Willow’s, her face paled.

"Will, you gotta do me a favor."

"What?"

She slipped a piece of paper into Willow’s hand.

"If anything happens to me, anything, call these people."

"Buffy! Don’t talk like that!" Willow got a chill up and down her spine.

"I’m serious, Will, I’ve been getting these dreams and they’re wigging me out. I have a bad feeling and I can’t shake it. If anything happens to me, he won’t know what to do. He’ll be broken. I… I don’t want to leave him alone. Promise me, Willow, promise me you’ll do it."

"Buffy." A tear slid down her cheek. "Please don’t say things like that, you’re scaring me."

"Promise me, Will, please."

"Of course. Anything, Buffy. But don’t you think you should tell Giles?"

Buffy shook her head.

"No, don’t tell him. Gods, that’s the last thing he needs right now."

Willow couldn’t stop crying as she held the thin strip of paper in her hand. She didn’t know what to do. When Giles came back to the car, she could barely control herself. Hiccuping, she leaned over and brought Buffy into a tight embrace, not wanting to let go. Never wanting to let go. She felt Buffy’s hand run through her hair and heard Buffy’s voice whisper into her ear.

"I love you, Will, never forget that."

* * * *

"You took a rather bad blow there."

Giles reached up and gently pressed his fingers to the purplish bruise on her head. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, relishing the feel of his heat on her skin, wanting to stay there forever. Her heart was trying to strangle her with the images from her dreams and she was having a hard time keeping them down.

"Giles… Rupert, just hold me."

He blinked. She never called him that. Something was wrong, something that went deeper than she was admitting. It frightened him. Bringing her into his arms, Giles tucked her head under his chin and held her close. Her arms snaked around his waist and gripped him hard. He kissed the top of her head and ran a hand through her hair.

"I love you, Buffy, you know that, don’t you?"

He felt her begin to cry.

"You do know that, you know how much I love you, don’t you?"

She nodded into his neck and held him even tighter. It seemed she was unable to do anything else as they sat there. Suddenly, without warning, she lifted her head and wiped her eyes. She tilted her face up and kissed the end of his nose.

"I know. But I love you twice as much. And I always will."

Giles watched her closely, trying to read the expression in her eyes. It was a mixture of many things and he didn’t know whether he wanted to know the exact cause. He only wanted to hold her, caress her, until she felt better. He wanted to make things okay. It was all he ever wanted for her.

* * * *

**** They were calling him, he could hear their voices as if from a very great distance. Calling his name, but was it really his name anymore, was he that person? Could he ever be again? And then he felt it, they were trying to pull her away from him.

"Mr. Giles? You have to let go now. Mr. Giles? She’s gone."

He tightened his grasp on her hand, but it didn’t respond. The warmth was already leaking from her whole body. Inside himself there was a large emptiness that burned. He wanted to implode, to dissolve into that very emptiness and never open his eyes again.

"Mr. Giles? We have to get you to the hospital." ****

* * * *

She leaned up on one elbow and watched his sleeping form. There was no way she could sleep now. The dreams were getting worse. Somewhere deep in her belly she knew what would happen, but she kept telling herself that she could stop it, that something could be done. Forewarned is forearmed, at least, that was the way it was supposed to be.

Her finger walked over his chest, pausing every now and again to wind themselves in the wiry hairs before continuing. She laid her hand flat over his heart and forced herself to feel the heart beating. It was so strong and steady. Just like him.

Leaning down, she let her lips feel the warmth of his chest, let them take in the movements, the very life. She tried not to cry again. Maybe she should tell him, maybe it was unfair, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. If these were her last days then she didn’t want them to be tainted.

She wanted him to be happy.

"It’s early." He grinned up at her as he opened his eyes. "Even for you, m’dear."

"I couldn’t help it, you’re just so irresistible."

For him, anything. For him, she’d even push her own tears down and be happy too. He pried his hand underneath her and rolled her on top of him. Buffy adjusted herself so that she was comfortable as she rode his breaths up and down.

"Never so much as you." Giles lifted his head off the pillow and claimed her mouth with his, sucking her down again.

* * * *

"If this thing is so dangerous, why don’t we meet now?" Xander toyed with the straw of his milkshake. He didn’t look up, he didn’t need to. He could feel Oz’s eyes burn into him.

"No." Willow shook her head slowly. She’d been awfully quiet all morning, even considering the conversation she’d had with Oz. "I think… We’re meeting them later. Let’s give them some time alone."

Oz looked at her for several seconds. There was something there that she wasn’t saying. Maybe it was better if she didn’t say anything. He was still reeling from their conversation earlier. As bad as it made him feel, he hadn’t expected her to be so honest with him. Cordelia had been so distraught that he wasn’t sure if he trusted her account. Willow had told him everything.

Now he sat in a corner booth with the two of them. Waiting. It was awkward, tense and nobody was comfortable. It wasn’t the time, however, to bring things to a head. They needed to concentrate on finding this thing and killing it.

* * * *

Faith crinkled her brows in confusion as Buffy pushed past her to go to the car. She stood in the doorway and watched as Buffy opened the door and got into the passenger seat, next to a very confused Joyce. What was said could not be heard from this distance, but Faith noticed a worried look cross over Joyce’s face. She turned to look at Giles.

"What’s up with her?"

Giles was also watching Buffy, trying to discern from her movements exactly what was wrong. He still wasn’t sure he believed that it all had to do with Angel’s visit. He frowned as Joyce drew Buffy into a hug and wiped away the tears.

"I’m not sure, Faith, but I intend to find out."

When Buffy returned to the house, she looked around at each and every one of her friends. The dearest people in her life. She had to breathe deeply to avoid bursting into an emotional wreck. Again. The conversation she’d just had with her mother had been difficult. Not that she’d given anything away, but even the veiled good byes had been painful.

"This thing likes dark places and it needs salt. We’re going to the beach caves. Xander, Giles, Oz, you guys are going to have to keep way back. I don’t care how much trouble we’re in, this thing is only dangerous to males. Faith, you’re with me. Willow, I want you to stay with the guys unless it’s absolutely necessary. Does everybody understand?"

They nodded. Buffy couldn’t meet Willow’s eyes. She knew that they would both start crying. Giles was beginning to watch her with a concern that was almost painful. Her heart was racing at a mile a minute, her eyes stinging with the effort to stay dry. She wondered just how she would stay calm enough to kill this thing without getting hurt. Which was her plan.

* * * *

They were in trouble, Giles knew it. It wasn’t just the cries that sounded from the cave, it was a feeling deep down, something he couldn’t identify. He knew what Buffy had said, but he couldn’t stop himself from racing forward. It didn’t matter to him how loud Willow’s cries for him to stay were, how many hands tried to hold him back. He pushed them all away and ran into the cave.

He knew he was in trouble when the Stalmont queen turned to face him and lunged.

"Giles!" Buffy’s voice sounded so far away, so distraught, he wanted to go to her, to reach her and run his hands through her hair. If only he could get this bitch off of him. She was so strong. Her mouth opened wide, teeth dripping a thick, noxious fluid and she clamped down over his shoulder, spreading to under his arm. It hurt, it hurt a lot.

Suddenly the demon’s weight was lifted and cool air rushed over his body, he couldn’t get up. Before he knew it, he felt Buffy at his side, she lay half on top of him, clutching at him. Her sobs were loud in his ears. She held his hand tighter than ever before. He wanted to tell her that it would be okay, that everything would be fine, but the realization of what was really happening made him weak.

* * * *

The rain pelted down mercilessly. Not that he noticed, not that he cared. His coat was soaked through, but it was a welcome chill, a feeling that seeped into his bones and made him ache. He didn’t think he had any more tears within him. It had been days since he had actually cried.

He stood staring at the gravestone. His beautiful bride. She’d sacrificed everything for him. Even when the very thing that had gotten her killed was the very thing she’d told him not to do. It hurt. It hurt so damned hard. Which was strange, because everything else felt numb.

A body, a warm person, came to stand by him. And he knew even without looking who it was. It wasn’t Willow, who had tried to be there for him even though he’d screamed at her to leave him. It wasn’t Joyce, who didn’t say anything, just stood next to him and cried in tandem. It wasn’t Oz or Xander or Cordelia, who each tried, in their own ways, to get him to leave the cemetery.

Giles leaned sideways and the person shouldered his weight easily. He leaned his head down and sighed deeply.

"She’s gone, Sarah, she’s gone."

"Rupert." Sarah twined her hand within his. "I’m so sorry."

"I feel as though I’m gone too. Why didn’t she take me with her? Why did she leave me here?"

"Come on Rupert, I’m taking you home. To England. Benny’s in the car."

Giles broke his hand from hers, stepped forward and stared down at the grave. The raindrops hit the freshly dug earth in large drops, throwing up tiny granules of dirt. He reached out and picked up a solitary yellow rose, bringing it close to his face. On one petal sat a tiny black bug.

He flicked it off and then placed the rose inside his jacket. Standing up, he turned to face the waiting car. He took a deep breath and began to step forward, one step after the other, one foot in front of the other. Just because he had no more tears to shed, didn’t mean he couldn’t cry on the inside.