Title: Well Oiled 2/2
Author: JBG
Timeline: I'm jumping in just before Giles returns in Season Seven to muddy the waters a bit.
Premise: Giles is back, but it takes Anya's insight to clear the air between
him and Buffy.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my imagination (and the characters I made
up.) Joss Whedon, WB, Mutant Enemy and/or a bunch of other people own
everything else in the Buffyverse...
Buffy/Giles - rated PG for light fluffy stuff and a mild reference to s-e-x.
"Giles is back," Buffy said casually as Dawn bounced in through the back door, fresh from spending the night at Janice's house. "Here, eat this before it gets cold."
"How did you know I'd be hungry? Maybe I ate at Janice's. When did he get here?"
"Last night, and because I know Janice's mother cooks with so much garlic you can't open your eyes in the kitchen."
"You're right about that. If he's here, where is he?" She grabbed the plate and stared at it with a skeptical expression. "And what is this?"
"Bacon and cheese omelet with salsa. It's your favorite, remember? He's upstairs borrowing my bathroom."
"He's in your room? What, did he spend the night up there? And, yeah, it was my favorite when I was, like, six. Now it's gross."
"It's not gross. Eat it. Scrape off the salsa if you need to. He slept on the couch, silly."
"You didn't make him sleep on that couch, Buffy! It's trashed! And the salsa isn't the problem. You used yellow cheese."
"Cheese is cheese. Ignore the color and eat. You have ten minutes before Xander takes you to school. Giles insisted. I wanted him to sleep in... Willow's room." She couldn't bring herself to call it her Mom's old room.
Dawn took a bite of omelet and made a sour face. "Ew... I'm not that hungry. You should put him in there anyway. It's the only bed in the house big enough for him." She put the plate down on the counter and slid it away. "Sorry, Buffy, but I can't eat yellow cheese. I gotta go. I'll wait for Xander on the front porch, okay?"
"Eat toast, then. I'll see you this afternoon." Buffy forced the slightly burnt bread into Dawn's hand and brushed a kiss against her cheek. "Have a good day at school."
"I'm sure you're speaking metaphorically," Dawn retorted. "I hope Giles is staying," she added with a wistful smile. She waved a good-bye at her sister and dashed out of the room. A few seconds later, Buffy heard a muffled squeak as Dawn saw the damaged front room for the first time. "Oh, man... this house is a *pit*!"
Buffy heard the front door squeak open and winced when she heard it slam shut. The door wasn't really in any shape to endure more slamming.
She stared at the still warm omelet. Really, it wasn't gross at all...
"Good morning," Giles greeted her warmly. "I say, is that an omelet?" He eyed the concoction greedily. "I'm famished."
"Made it just for you," she lied smoothly. He snatched it up instantly and went to search for a fork. It was on the counter.
"All I have is mild salsa, though," she apologized.
"It's fine," he mumbled around his first bite. "Heavenly."
She smiled brightly. "Thanks. At least you won't starve while you're here."
He gave her a confused look as he chewed. "I won't put you out for long. I have several apartments to look at. I called the realtor from the airport."
She stared at him in disbelief. "You're staying?" she said in a small voice.
"Well, yes. I've been... sort of... reassigned."
"You're staying?" she repeated, her voice louder. The smile grew wider.
He swallowed and gave her a gentle smile. "Yes, I am. California has many things that England does not. An active Hellmouth, for one. And... my Slayer, for another."
"You're STAYING!" she screamed. She threw her arms around his neck, almost upsetting the remains of his breakfast. She clung to him as he fumbled with the plate. He finally put it on the counter and returned the hug with both arms.
"I'm staying, love. Seems I can't live without you lot."
"I missed you, too, Watcher mine."
They broke the hug at the same instant. He turned, reaching for his fork at the same time she held up his plate of unfinished eggs. Their eyes met. They both began to giggle.
"We're psychic," she managed.
"I'd prefer to think we are in tune."
"We sorta work well together."
"A team," he agreed around a bite of food.
"Unstoppable us!"
He snorted, just managing to keep possession of his mouthful.
"And you're staying. Here. You're staying here with us." It wasn't a request.
His eggs went down wrong, catching in his throat, and he began to cough.
"Buffy, I don't want to... put you out," he croaked after downing half a glass of water.
"You're not."
He cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. "And I don't want to go back to the same destructive relationship that was developing after your return."
He steeled himself for the inevitable outburst, but she shocked him by smiling. "I learned to survive by myself when you were gone. I'm not interested in survival. I want to have a life, with friends and family. You fit both categories."
"It's not that I don't want to help. I do. I just... I don't want to be the cause of more problems in your life. You have enough already."
"Giles, you're not a problem. You're more like the solution. You can help us get the house fixed up, because all I know about furnishing houses is Cheap Charlie the friendly Rental Man, and I need someone to keep an eye on Dawn when I'm out Slaying. There's only so much Xander can do and still be awake for work the next morning."
"Buffy..." He leaned against the counter and gave her a stern, Watcher-ly look. "Are you sure?"
"Stop it. We want you here. The only real problem would be if you don't want to be here. Do you?"
"Of course I do! But..."
She held up a finger, halting his protest. "No buts. Eat your eggs and put your suitcase in the master bedroom. End of discussion."
He swallowed convulsively and sighed. "All right, but I insist on doing my fair share."
She gave him a relieved smile. "Not a problem. There's plenty of share to go around."
"I should pay some sort of room and board, as well."
"You twisted my arm."
"And help with the dishes," he added, looking with disapproval at the piled-up sink.
"Twist all you want," she drawled as she handed him a towel.
"Why do I get the feeling I've just been flimflammed?" he complained, wolfing down the last few bites before tossing the towel over his shoulder and taking position next to the sink. "Those dishes have been there for several days."
"No flim, no flam. I want you here... Dawn wants you here. You belong, dishes or not."
********
The next demon assassin approached the house in broad daylight. The seven-foot, gray, armor-clad Fyarl demon strode right up to Buffy's newly replaced front door and prepared to bash it in.
Thanks to Giles and Anya's research, Buffy's house was fortified with every anti-demon trick in the book. Before the Fyarl could raise its fist, the door opened. Buffy appeared, holding out her cupped hand. "I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong house. The Hendersons are next door."
The creature growled and took a step closer. Buffy took a deep breath and blew a cloud of dust from her hand into the demon's eyes. It gave a horrified shriek and bent over, clutching its face. Giles immediately appeared from the side of the house, vaulted the porch rail and imbedded a long, silver-bladed knife into its back. It gargled, collapsed and expired face down on the porch.
"The silver dust thing was brilliant, Giles."
"Thank you. Having been a Fyarl demon for a day, I knew anything silver was extremely corrosive to the skin. Your aim, as always, was perfect."
"Thank you," she said sweetly, faking a curtsey. "Darn, I thought this was one of the dissolving ones," she griped, prodding the corpse with her foot.
Giles stepped around her and poured something from a plastic gallon jug over the demon's body. It immediately began to smoke and shrink.
"Bleach," he explained with satisfaction. "An all-purpose solution to stains, spots, and demon remains."
"Again I say you're a genius." She looked down at the gooey mess. "Oh, cool, I get to keep the armor."
"If you like. It may take a bit of polishing to come clean."
"I'll make Dawn do it next time she skips school. A punishment to fit the crime, that's what Dawn's social worker recommended... just before she went bonkers."
"You're expecting Dawn to skip school?"
Buffy put her hand on Giles' shoulder and looked deep into his eyes. "She's my sister. What do you think?"
"It's good you've planned ahead, then."
"I try. Let's hose the porch off before the mailman steps in demon goo."
********
A week later Buffy was recounting their successful battles to the rest of the gang as they dawdled over dinner. Dawn and Giles had cooked, shooing everyone out of the kitchen until time to eat. Willow and Anya were still uncomfortable, but Xander was having a grand time. All his girls were there, whether they still liked him or not, and he had Giles as back up if he needed a moment of male solidarity.
"Do you think D'Hoffryn will give up?" Dawn asked.
"I hope so. Demon assassins are expensive and they want payment up front, so he's out a bunch of money without any results. Maybe he'll stop before he goes broke."
"We'll just keep kicking demon booty until he does," Buffy boasted.
"Thank you, Giles, for helping Buffy defend me."
"No thanks necessary," he answered.
"Here's a necessary thanks... thanks to Anya's demon list and Giles demon books and huge brain, we haven't lost a stick of furniture in six days," Buffy announced proudly. "This deserves pie."
Dawn jumped up, excited and nervous. "Will cake do? Giles helped me."
Buffy was feeling magnanimous. "Cake will do. Can I help?"
"No! I mean... Giles is helping. He's my helper tonight." She flew into the kitchen.
Giles stood, dropping his napkin and giving everyone a long-suffering look. "From Watcher to Helper... I am a man of many talents." He headed for the kitchen, favoring Buffy with an affectionate smile.
"You and Giles are perfect for each other," Anya said earnestly. Everyone at the table reacted immediately, some coughing, some laughing, and the blonde Slayer actually blushed. Anya gave an impatient sigh. "I just meant that you perform well as a team. Giles is the brains, you're the muscle. He's calm, you're spastic. You're like two parts of a whole... seamless. A well-oiled machine."
"Thank you, Anya. I never thought of being oily as a plus." She rested her elbows on the table and began searching the ends of her hair for excess goop.
"Eww," Dawn commented.
"You know what I mean," Anya insisted.
"I think I do," Xander admitted. "They do have that special something."
"Yeah, I get it, too. They just fit." Willow's eyes sparkled with affection for her friends.
"Right!" Xander nodded, pointing at Willow. "That's exactly what I meant to say. They fit."
"Metaphorically speaking," Willow added.
"No," Anya said quickly. "Not just metaphorically, but metaphysically and physically as well. One look at their auras and you can tell they're destined to be sexual partners. It's just a matter of time."
There was a stunned silence in the dining room. Xander's mouth hung open, and Buffy dropped her head on her folded arms to hide her extreme reaction. Willow tried to say something, but only managed a squeak.
"Ta-daaaaa!" Dawn swept into the room holding a chocolate cake. Nobody even glanced her way. She looked up at Giles who was a step behind and raised her shoulders in a 'what's going on?' gesture. He looked at the silent trio, noticing that everyone was acting a bit strange, but he didn't know why. He looked back down at Dawn and shrugged. She put the cake on the table. No reaction. "Okay, I know I'm no Julia Child, but it isn't that bad!"
"It isn't you, Dawn. I was talking about Buffy and Giles and everyone took offense," Anya explained grumpily.
"Exactly what were you saying about us?" Giles asked with a frown. He wasn' t sure he wanted to know.
"I was commenting on how you two were destined to be together, both metaphysically and..."
Xander's head snapped up and he waved his hands frantically. "No! No, you are not repeating that sentence at this table. There are impressionable young ears here."
"Hey!" Dawn protested.
"I was referring to mine," Xander said desperately.
"You're not the boss of me any more, Xander Harris," Anya huffed. "Not that you ever were, but I used to find it pleasant to cater to your every whim. That isn't the case now."
"Technically, I *am* still your boss, since I have continued your salary until the insurance settlement is reached. If Xander doesn't want to hear it then neither do I," Giles commanded, knowing that the subject was obviously distressing to Buffy, if her head-buried-in-arms posture was any indication.
Anya sank back into her chair, defeated.
"Thank you," Giles breathed. "Now, shall we have a change of subject and some of Dawn's cake?"
********
"I wanted to thank you," Buffy said, looking around the room with tired satisfaction. The furniture company had delivered a new set of furniture, courtesy of Giles' excellent credit standing, and they had just finished arranging it into a reasonably livable setting. Dawn was still at school, Xander was at work, Willow was visiting her parents and Buffy finally had Giles all to herself. The day was still young, and she definitely wanted some quality time with her Watcher. She turned off the overhead light and gave a happy hum at the effect. The soft light from the table lamps made the room look warm and inviting. Romantic, even.
"It was nothing," he dismissed, thinking of the furniture loan.
"Not the furniture. I mean, at the dinner table with Anya last night." She moved around to sit on the new couch, bouncing to test its softness. He joined her and she leaned against him, blowing her bangs out of her eyes.
"Ah, that. Since I have no idea what I prevented, I can only say 'you're welcome.'" Buffy flushed at the memory, which caused his curiosity to flare. "Was it really so awful?"
"Yes! No! Not awful, not really. Just... well, she's not exactly Lady Tact."
"No," he agreed carefully, still looking down at her.
"You're going to make me tell, aren't you?"
"Eventually my charm and good looks will win out," he quipped. He didn't understand why his comment caused her color to deepen.
"That's kinda what she said," Buffy said to herself.
"What?"
"I can't believe I said that out loud." She turned her face into his shoulder.
"What is it?" Not that he minded her snuggling against him, whatever the reason, but her discomfort was worrisome. "Buffy?"
"You promise you won't laugh?" she whimpered, clutching his arm with both hands.
"I promise." He would have put his arm around her for reassurance, but it was quite happy where it was.
"She said we were destined to be... partners."
He thought about the statement for a moment. "What's so bad..."
"Of the sexual kind."
"Oh." The full impact hit him. "Oh!"
"Yeah. And she said it in front of Xander. He'll be freaked out for... weeks."
Giles pursed his lips. "Why? What does it have to do with him?"
She sat up and looked at him in surprise. "What, don't you know?"
"Know what?"
"How Xander feels about you?"
Giles looked absolutely stunned. Buffy began to backtrack immediately. "Not like that... gross, Giles! I mean he thinks of you as a father figure, sort of. He idolizes you."
"Idolizes? Is that why he questions my every word in front of the rest of you?"
"Exactly."
"I don't understand."
Buffy turned to face him, her bent knee against his leg. "It's the old growing up thing, Giles. You're the father, so he has to prove himself to you. Show that he's a grownup, too, not just a kid who agrees with everything you say just because you're older."
Giles was astonished at her calm assessment. After a moment, he stammered, "W-who are you, and what have you done with my Buffy?"
She gave him a beautiful smile. "What, I can't have insight? I've had psych 101, remember. The psych professor was actually a psycho herself, so maybe that doesn't count, but I still have insight sometimes."
"You constantly amaze me," he said after a few speechless seconds.
"And you constantly make me feel like..." She trailed a fingertip over his cheek. "...like no one else in the world ever has before."
He didn't back away. His expressive eyes held hers, his pupils large and dark in the dim light. In a soft, velvety voice, he murmured, "Like you are worthy of love? Like you are precious, and beautiful, and very, very brave?" He captured her hand and held it. Her fingers curled around his thumb.
"Yeah, like that and a whole lot more."
"Perhaps... like this...?" He leaned forward slightly. She lifted her head in response. Their lips met, perfectly melding together. His free arm decided to wrap itself around her and pull her close. When they broke the kiss, both of them were breathing heavily.
"Oh, yeah."
"Buffy... I don't pretend to know what you're feeling right now..."
"You were doing a pretty good job of guessing a minute ago."
"I was stating the obvious. I meant what you're feeling about... about me... um, us."
She leaned into him again, her mouth searching for his. He responded gently, not completely committing to the kiss. Buffy continued kissing him, drawing him out until he was giving as good as he got. She broke away and kissed his neck, smiling at the frantic beat of his pulse under the skin. "I'm feeling... like Anya was right. I'm feeling safe and happy. And I'm feeling you're feeling like I'm feeling, too."
"Yes, I am," he laughed breathlessly.
"And you're thinking, 'Dear Lord, I understood everything she said. I must be slipping.'"
He laughed. "You know me too well."
"It's like Anya said. We're well-oiled."
"I'm not even going to pretend I know what you're talking about."
"I'll explain it to you. Later."
"Much later."
"Yep."
The End