Title: Once In A Lifetime 1/24
Author: Karen Jephson
Rating: Oh, I think we'll go R for Euro and Australasian, and NC17 for the rest.
Spoilers: No real mention other than The Gift, but I'm setting it in S7.
Pairing; definitely b/g. And other pairings, but you'll see what I mean.
Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately. Want to adopt and treat them better than their owners, but I don't have enough.
Feedback: Live for it.
Distribution: Just let me know so I can find it myself.
Content Warning: There is some mild bondage in part of this fic, so if that isn't your thing, you might want to skip some of the first six parts.
Warning: This is only for b/g shippers. If the thought is not good for you, you really will not like this.
Summary: A fight. Halloween. Strange things happening. The Whacky.
Update: I was advised of some concern of the cooperation of certain parties, to some activities. So, I've rewritten a bit of these parts to show that all activities are concensual. So I'm reposting the first parts for the rewrites, and because it's been so long you've probably all forgotten about it.

..are the most stubborn, irritating woman! I told you to wait!"

"I couldn't afford to wait! You said so, yourself. We didn't know when the Canopy demon would attack. I couldn't risk innocent lives while you did a spot of research!"

Dawn, Xander and Willow sat on the Summers' couch, watching the argument escalate between Buffy and Giles. Their heads swung back and forth as if in a tennis match, although Dawn occasionally paused as a brown glob would make its way down her sister's body.

"You're lucky that all you ended up with was the demon's blood all over you. Kanbe demons' talons are poisonous. One scratch."

"So I stayed out of harm's way. I don't know what all the fuss is about. It' s over. After I wash the evidence off, nobody'll know the difference."

"That's beside the point!"

Buffy sighed in frustration. "No, that is the point! I did my job, and all those unsuspecting innocent people can now sleep peacefully! I'm sorry I didn't wait for you, but it was the right thing to do!"

"And what if you had been wounded?" This was said more quietly, the pain showing through. "What if I'd had to bury you again because you feel you no longer need my help in researching these creatures?"

This brought Buffy up short. She was obviously still angry, but understanding dawned on her face. None of the occupants of the room spoke, the two combatants obviously unwilling to continue the fight, yet neither willing to back down. Finally, Giles moved toward the front entry, grabbing his leather jacket on the way. Silence filled the void after he slammed the door.

....

Giles strode through the deserted streets of Sunnydale. Most of the town's citizenry may not have understood what happened at night, but they knew enough now to stay indoors, especially after the witching hour. His hands pushed into his pockets, his head bent, Giles was unconcerned that he might be attacked. He was carrying his usual supply of stakes and holy water, but most vampires and demons knew him as Watcher to the Slayer. Their fear of Buffy was such that they did not want her on the warpath were one of her own harmed in any way. Plus, being Halloween, there was very little demon activity about.

So occupied was Giles in his internal thoughts, he didn't notice the fog growing in front of him. Nor the sudden chill that filled the air. His anger at Buffy foolishly endangering herself seemed to grow rather than dissipate with every step he took away from her. That emotion seemed to be taking over, filling every pore of his being. That she would be so careless after they had all been reunited was beyond any other stupidity she had shown previously. Except perhaps sleeping with Spike. And Angel. And going up against Faith to save Angel. Well, perhaps it wasn't the most stupid thing she'd done.

Giles' train of thought was broken by a noise like the crack of a whip in front of him, followed immediately by a flash of light. He raised his eyes, finally realizing he was shrouded in a thick fog that blocked everything from his vision. The normal landmarks of Sunnydale were nearly invisible to him. Another crack and a flash of light in front of him increased his trepidation. Certainly he'd never heard of lightning strikes in a fog before. Another strike hit closer to where he was. In the illumination of the space around him, he thought for a moment he'd seen another figure before everything once again went dark. Turning, Giles began to run back towards the Summers' residence, hoping to avoid being hit by the bolts of light. His only awareness of being too late was a slight stinging sensation at the back of his neck.

.....

Giles awoke to find himself lying in the middle of a road. The skies above him were now clear, the stars twinkling down at him. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a week in Sunnydale if I wasn't knocked out at least once." Sighing, Giles lifted himself up into a sitting position. A blinding headache halted his movements. He lifted his hand to his head, trying to ease the pain. He mentally checked the rest of his body, pleased to find no sign of any other injuries, major or otherwise. He pushed himself into a standing position, swaying as a wave of dizziness hit him. Shaking his head, he started making his way back toward the Summers' residence.

"Hey, Giles!" He turned at the sound of Xander's voice across the road. "You better hurry up and get home. She's kinda pissed."

"Xander, wait! I need.." Giles stopped as the younger man jumped into a car and drove off. ".your help. Since when do you drive off when I'm talking to you? And where did you get that ridiculous station wagon?" Giles shook his head as he weaved his way towards the front door of Buffy's house. He was surprised to find the place in darkness. He'd only just been here. Where were Willow and Dawn?

He pushed open the door, surprised to find it unlocked. "Hello?" He stepped further into the foyer. Other than the dim glow of a light from upstairs, there was no sign of life. "Anybody up?"

"Up here." There was no mistaking Buffy's voice.

Giles climbed the stairs. "Buffy? We need to talk." He hesitated in the upper hall. "Where are you?"

"In here." Her voice came from what he still considered Joyce's room. Confused, he opened the door. The décor seemed somehow different, but as he' d not been in the room since he'd returned from England, he assumed that whoever was now sleeping here had redecorated. "I'm over here."

Giles moved around the bed, toward the bathroom. He wasn't sure what game Buffy was playing, but he needed her help to investigate the strange phenomena he'd just experienced. "Buffy, while I was gone.."

"You realized how foolish you'd been and came back to beg my forgiveness." Buffy stood framed in the bathroom doorway, the still-damp robe she wore doing very little hide her naked body from his view. "Well, you are really going to have to do some begging this time. I'm going to have to be very inventive to find a way for you to make it up to me." She raised her hands to the sides of the robe, pulling them apart before letting the material fall to the ground at her feet.

Giles' mouth opened in shock. Before he could utter a protest, Buffy took two steps and launched herself at him. His hands automatically circled her to prevent her from falling off him. Her hands grabbed clumps of his hair as she fastened her mouth against his, her tongue darting inside in the most carnal kiss he'd experienced in some time.

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