Title: The Bell
Author: LadyForASH
Rated: FRC
Spoilers: Approx Season 5
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I own nothing and make no profit.

Giles checked his watch again just before he killed the engine, coasting to a stop in front of his garage. He was really cutting it close today. If he was lucky, he could get the kickstand down, the garage open, and his bike put away before Buffy showed up. That was the reason he was being quiet. If she was early, he did not want her getting curious about the sound of the bike. It would blow his cover as the "Tweedy Librarian." The thought made him laugh. Buffy early? Surely, that would be a sign of a pending apocalypse. And his cover was blown years ago. Now that he owned the Magic Box and was technically not her Watcher, he dressed the way he wanted to dress. But some things, like his motorcycle, were still just his secret to keep. He was a private man, for the most part. But if anyone got inside of him, it was Buffy.

The Watcher was quick about wiping down his bike and putting his riding gear away on the shelf before dashing inside his home. He immediately went into the bathroom, kicking off his riding boots and jeans as he went, along with his boxers. He'd worn boxers ever since Deidre back at Oxford had seen him and told him how sexy he looked in them. He wasn't a vain man, and he never noticed the way both men and women looked at him. The smallest compliment, such as boxers versus briefs, stayed with him a lifetime. The man was practically starved for affection these days.

Whistling under his breath, Giles lit a few candles and turned the light down low before turning on the water in the shower. He removed the rest of his clothes and flicked on the stereo before moaning as the spray descended on his body. Soon rivulets of water were rushing down his lean frame, droplets catching in the fine hairs upon his chest.

He was so preoccupied with his shower that he didn't hear the bell of his phone ring at first. The song on the stereo switched over, and in the break from the music, he could finally hear it. He turned off the water from the shower and stuck his head out of the shower curtain. Yes, it was the phone! Snatching a towel, he threw it around his chest and practically skidded to a stop beside his desk, snatching up the phone.

"Rupert Giles?" He listened for a moment and his brow furrowed. It was the new book company he had tried using at the Magic Box, mostly because they had advertised discounted demonology texts.

"No, it's not the book I ordered," Giles complained into the telephone somewhat peevishly. "I distinctly remember ordering Theodoseuss's Demon Compendium not Theodora's Demon Companion."

He listened a moment, brow furrowing at the excuses pouring forth from the other end of the line. "Bloody hell man, I think I know the difference. And no, I certainly won't be recommending your services to anyone else in the Council."

"Is it wrong that I find that tone of voice exciting?"

Giles couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he glanced up at Buffy. She either hadn't knocked and just helped herself inside, or he hadn't heard her knock with all the ranting on the phone.

"Love the new outfit, Giles." Buffy gave him an appreciative wink. Only then did he remember he was wearing nothing but a towel!

"Y-yes... I... uh..." He blushed a furious shade of red and would have snatched his glasses off of his face if he'd been wearing them. Then he tilted his head and pursed his lips as the salesman continued to natter on and on about how they hadn't made a mistake and the Council would certainly continue in their support. And last they heard, he wasn't on the Council payroll anymore. Giles glowered and then slammed the phone down without another word.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at him. "Did you forget to pay a clothing bill or something?"

"Oh dear lord," Giles mumbled. He abruptly stood up, clutching at his towel, and hastily retreated into the bathroom. "One moment, Buffy!" He slammed the door and quickly found some clean clothes to put on. Then he snapped off the stereo and blew out the candles before re-emerging from the bathroom.

He found Buffy sitting on his desk, something small in her hand.

"What do you have there, Buffy?" he asked, toweling off his hair.

She held it up and rang it, a quizzical look on her face. "I found this little bell outside your garage." She rang it again and then raised her eyebrows. "It's not a demon caller, is it?"

Giles smiled and held out his hand. Buffy dropped the bell into his palm, curious as to the gentle look on his face.

"That's mine," he said softly. He stood up and nodded. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

The last few months, Giles had been revealing himself layer by layer. His loyalty and love for his Slayer had been revealed after the Cruciamentum. He'd been discovered by Willow, Tara, Xander and Anya singing in the coffee shop last year, and Olivia... well, that hadn't been his finest moment, especially where Buffy was concerned. He had little left to hide about himself. His privacy, just like everything else, mattered little when it came to Buffy.

Giles lifted up his garage door and motioned her inside. She gasped when she saw the gleaming motorcycle. "Giles?! That's yours! It's... it's so beautiful!" She stepped close to the machine, but didn't touch it. She stared at the bike with an almost reverent look. "But what does this have to do with the bell?"

Giles reached down and found the tie. It had broken, probably when he'd been cleaning the bike but he hadn't noticed. He picked it up and twisted it back into place, securing it around the bell. Then he crouched down to tie the bell down low on the frame of the bike.

"Have you ever noticed a small bell on a motorcycle before?" Giles asked her softly. When she shook her head, Giles continued. "As you know, life has many mysteries that have no apparent solutions. One of these is Evil Road Spirits. They are the little gremlins that live on a motorcycle. They love to ride. They're also responsible for most of a bike's problems. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work, or the battery goes dead, the clutch needs adjustment, or any of several hundred other things go wrong. These problems are caused by Evil Road Spirits."

Giles stood up and patted the seat on his bike. He wrapped one long leg around it and settled in. Then he scooted forward and smiled up at Buffy, nodding that she should get on and sit behind him. His body hummed when she slowly eased down behind him, wrapping her body around his. She rested her hands firmly on his hips and pressed her chest against his back.

"Road Spirits can't live in the presence of a bell," he continued to explain. "They get trapped in the hollow of the bell. Among other things their hearing is supersensitive. The constant ringing of the bell and the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. And the best place to put the bell is as low to the ground as possible. One shouldn't give the Spirits a chance to get on your bike."

Giles voice changed a little. As he talked about his bike, it was obvious it meant a lot to him. But now, there was almost a sadness to his tone. "If you have picked up a bell of your own, the magic will work. But if your bell was given to you, the power has been doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you." Giles leaned back against her and sighed.

"Who gave you your bell?" Buffy asked. Inside, she wished more than anything that she'd been the one to give him his bell.

Giles sat up and frowned a little. "Well, when I came over here... I bought this bike not too long ago. I have another at home in Bath..."

Buffy squeezed her arms around his waist. No one had bought this bell. He'd gotten his own. Well, she'd remedy that! "Giles? Are you gonna give me a ride or not?"

He chuckled and reached over to the shelf where the helmets were. "Where to, my lady?"

"To the bell shop. I want my Watcher doubly protected."

"That's not necessary, Buffy," Giles began to protest.

"Maybe not, but... I want to do this for you. We are special friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, Buffy. Yes... we are."

And that was how Giles came to have a shiny new bell, with a cross engraved on its side, dangling from his bike.

The End

(Credit must go to Harley Davidson Arts for the Rider's Bell Legend.)