Title: Explosion 5/7
Author: Jadedragon
Email: blm55@bellsouth.net
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Rating: PG 13
Disclaimer: The characters from BVTS don't belong to me (sigh), they are the property of Joss, the WB, UPN and Mutant Enemy. I'm just playing with them for a while.
Summary: Giles is trapped in a warehouse when it explodes and believed to be dead.
Feedback: I'd love to know what you think. If you disagree with something I would like to hear it, small flames okay, but bonfires are not appreciated.
Notes: <> denotes thoughts

Buffy awoke slowly, disoriented for a moment then she realized where she was, at Giles' in his arms, her head on his chest, his heart beating, further reassuring her he was indeed alive and with her. She was so happy; her prayers had been answered! She really owed Wesley. He had matured greatly since he had been her Watcher. He had become his own man since being fired by the Watcher's Council and going to work for Angel. She had been pleasantly surprised by the changes in him. He was beginning to be a good friend, one she was finding that she could depend on.

She turned to the man asleep beside her, so glad to be waking in his arms again. This was where she belonged and where she wanted to be for the rest of her life. The rest of her life, maybe she could live to be 58 like Callie, she hoped so. She wanted the chance to see their child grown, to grow old with Rupert, to lie in his arms and dream of all the years they would have together.

Buffy was still thinking of the future when she felt Giles hand stoke her hair. She looked at his face and he was smiling at her.

"Good morning." he said.

"It is a good morning, waking in your arms again," she told him as she laid her head back on his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat.

"Buffy, I remembered something about you last night. I remembered the many times you would come over after a nightmare and we would talk, sometimes until dawn. It was those talks that led to our relationship, wasn't it?" he asked the beautiful young woman in his arms.

"Partly. I had loved you for a long time, but thought that you only saw me as your Slayer, your student. I came over one night in late May after one of my nightmares, but you were having one yourself and I couldn't wake you up. I lay down beside you to try and calm you. As soon as I laid my head on your chest, you calmed down and stroked my hair, calling my name. In your sleep, you called me your love and I decided that I would talk to you when you woke up. I was scared that you would reject me, but I had to know if you loved me and if there was a chance that we could be together."

"Buffy, what happened?

"When you woke up, you tried to get out of the bed so quickly that you woke me. I wouldn't let you leave until I told you what I felt. You looked at me with surprise and shock on your face. Then you told me that you loved me too and we made love for the first time. I moved in with you a week later, wanting to wake up in your arms every morning. I knew how short a Slayer's life can be and I wanted to spend every moment with you that I could."

"How did your mother react?"

"Mom was less than pleased," Buffy told him, the pain on her face very clear. "She called you a dirty old man and a pervert."

"Buffy, I'm sorry. I would..."

"It's alright, love. We got through it, and Mom has realized she was wrong. She has helped me over the last week to deal with your … death," Buffy told him as she looked into his green eyes. "I feel that she will be glad to see that you're still alive. She has been very worried about me. I grieved so terribly for you."

"Oh, Buffy. I so want to remember you."

"Rupert, you will. Right now, I think that we'd better get moving, it's 10:00 and we need to get to the Scooby's for training and planning. You take the first shower and I'll gather the weapons and herbs that we'll need and get my shower when you get out," she told him as she got out of bed.

As he showered, Giles thought about the young woman who had slept in his arms. When she was with him, he had no doubts of their love, but when they were apart, he questioned how she could love him. He was so much older and so scarred. She could have her choice of any man she wanted, why did she want him? He slowly got dressed, feeling that sooner or later this wonderful dream would end, reality would intrude and he would find himself alone.

When he came out of the shower, Buffy sensing that something was wrong, handed him his tea and pulled him with her to the couch.

"What's wrong?"

"I just…why do you love me? I'm so much older..."

Buffy stopped him before he could get very far. "Rupert, you're my life. When I thought that you were dead, I didn't want to live. You're the other half of my soul and it was ripped away. I've dated men my own age, and they couldn't give me what I need. I may be only 19 chronologically, but mentally I'm much older. I've seen and done things boys my age can never even begin to understand. Even Riley couldn't totally understand what I've been through." Seeing the confusion on his face she continued. "Riley was the guy I dated last year who was part of a military group that was capturing demons and studying them. But even he couldn't give me what I truly need from a relationship. Only you can. You are the only one who can accept me as me, as Buffy. You know me, my faults, my strengths, my fears, yet still you love me. It still amazes me, after all that I have done and how I have hurt you in the past that you love me. Never doubt that I love you with all my heart, and don't doubt yourself." she finished with tears in her eyes.

"You do truly love me," Giles said in astonishment.

"That's what I have been trying to tell you. I want to spend every moment with you that I can, and if we can use the spells that helped Callie to live to be 58, I want all of that time to be spent with you and our child. Rupert, I would die if anything happened to you," she told him as she embraced him with all the love she had for him.

Giles slowly embraced her, basking in the love he felt pouring from the small body of the woman he held. He was truly blessed. He brought his hand to her face to turn it up to his and bent down to kiss this woman who loved him. He gently pressed his lips to hers and was lost in the passion that flowed between them. He didn't know how much time had passed, but she pushed him away, slowly.

"Love, we have to leave. I want nothing more than to spend the day here with you, but we have so much to do before the attack on Boris."

"I know. Buffy, I'm sorry for doubting you."

"Shh. Giles, there is so much that we need to discuss and you need to know about our relationship. But just remember, no matter what, I love you and I will be with you. That is my promise to you. I'd better jump in the shower real quick then we can leave. Okay?"

"Okay. I'll go get some clothes on and we can leave as soon as you get ready."

**********

Buffy and Rupert had stopped and picked up doughnuts on the way to the Scooby's. When they arrived, with plenty of jellies, Buffy took the weapons and other items from Rupert's condo down to the basement while he took the boxes of doughnuts to the kitchen. He was placing the boxes on the table when he saw a blonde woman he did not recognize come into the room.

"Rupert, it's so good to see you," the woman told him, the sincerity in her voice very clear."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember you. My past is a bit of a muddle," he told the attractive woman.

"It's alright. Angel told me what happened. I'm Joyce, Buffy's mom," she introduced herself.

Giles looked at the woman before him, not sure how to respond to her. He felt very protective of Buffy and did not want to see her hurt, in any way. He knew just how much her mom meant to her and he wanted to have a good relationship with Joyce.

"Rupert, you looked puzzled. I know that I have been harsh to you and Buffy and I am truly very sorry. I had come to the realization of how I had been treating you the night of the explosion and was planning to talk to both of you the next morning. Buffy was totally lost when she thought you had been killed. I never knew she loved you that much. I've been a fool and I hope that both of you will be able to forgive me," Joyce told her son-in-law.

"Oh, mom," Buffy said from the doorway as she entered the room to hug her mom. She had been listening and knew that Joyce had truly accepted her relationship with Rupert. "You do understand."

"Buffy, how can I not, your love for him is obvious, if I hadn't been so selfish, I would have seen what was right in front of my face," Joyce told her daughter, who was now standing with her arm around Rupert's waist.

Before they could say anything more, Willow came in, Tara following her. Willow looked at the three standing in front of her and hoped they had not interrupted anything important. She recalled just how explosive Joyce had been when she had first learned of Buffy's relationship with Giles. She hoped, for Buffy's sake, that Joyce had meant what she had told her the night of the explosion. Buffy had been through so much over the last week and there was still the battle before them. Willow knew that all of them would work hard to defeat Boris and protect each other. Still there was the chance…<no, > she thought to herself, <I won't even think it>

**********

After breakfast they all separated into three groups. Wesley took Giles, Karl, Xander and Anya to the back yard for crossbow practice, Willow, Tara and Sun went to the library to work on the spells they would be using and Buffy went to the basement with Angel and Callie to practice on hand to hand combat. Cordy stayed in the living room to wait for Gunn and his crew while Joyce left to go to the Gallery.

Cordelia was working on a list of supplies they would need to supplement what they already had. Once she had checked with everyone, she would be going shopping. She knew that they would need about eight more Super Soakers and had already called Father William for delivery of 20 gallons of Holy Water. It still amazed her that the priest would deliver Holy Water by the gallon and not ask questions. Living on the Hellmouth was strange in more ways than one.

Cordy had just finished her initial list when there was a knock on the door. When she answered it, Gunn and his crew were there with the rest of the weapons from Angel's office. She told Gunn that Angel wanted to see him in the basement and pointed him to the door, before she led the rest of the group to the backyard for crossbow practice.

As Gunn made his way down to the basement, he heard fighting, intense fighting. As he entered the doorway he saw Angel and a small blonde girl attacking a woman who looked to be in her forties. Angel was attacking with full strength, as was the girl with him. Gunn jumped in to help the older woman and received a flying back kick from her for his efforts. He sat stunned as he watched the older woman take Angel down simulating staking him and then turn to the girl and continuing fighting for another five minutes before they quit, neither gaining a true victory.

"I'm sorry for that, but I couldn't let anything interfere with my concentration." Callie told Gunn as she walked over to where he sat on the floor and reached out to help the young man up. "It's been a long time since I had a real challenge and was able to go all out. Glad to see that I still have my quickness and strength."

Gunn looked to Angel, the question on his face all too clear.

"Gunn, meet Buffy and Callie, our Slayers."

"Slayers? I thought there was only two, Buffy and Faith?"

"Well, there are three. This is Buffy," Angel told him pointing to the young blond woman, "and this is Callie," pointing the woman who had taken him down so easily."

"You have to be in your forties or early fifties, how did you do that?" Gunn asked, embarrassed that the older woman had taken him out so quickly.

"Actually, I'm 58, but that's another story," Callie told him as she turned to Buffy. "Do you think I'll be able to help you against Boris?" she asked the young woman.

"Callie, I don't think you'll have any trouble. You have some moves I haven't seen. You took down Angel with no problem and that's not easy to do. I'm surprised, I didn't think you would be so strong."

"Buffy, I have continued my training, it keeps me in shape, and I do most of the work around my homestead. Having Slayer strength is a real asset when it comes to heavy work."

"Buffy, I'm going to take Gunn upstairs and explain the situation to him in more detail and then have him join Wesley and the others in the backyard. I'll be back shortly."

"Okay, Callie and I will continue work on hand to hand and when you get back we'll pretend you're Boris and work on our attack strategy."

Angel took Gunn upstairs and explained in great detail just exactly what was to happen in three days and their plan for stopping the vampire and his minions. Once Gunn understood what was expected of him and his crew, he joined them in the backyard and explained the situation to them.

The rest of the day was spent on practice and planning. All too soon it was dusk and everyone was exhausted. Pallets were made for Gunn and his crew in the basement as all the beds and couches were taken. Everyone was in bed by 9:00 that night knowing that tomorrow would be another day of practice and planning.

It was decided that they would move their 10:00 a.m. practice to the mansion, which Angel still owned. There was a very large basement in the mansion where they would map out the plan in more detail and put the finishing touches to it.

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