Title: The Rules Have Changed - part 3 of ?
Author: Michelle
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Giles is attacked and has an unusual way of dealing with it.
Spoilers: Set after the finales of Buffy and Angel.
Feedback: I love it, want it, and need it.
Website: http://www.drakeleather.com/bripper/index.shtml
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it. Just tell me where to find it.
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Author's note: This is written for the Ripper ficathon.
Many thanks to Elizabuffy and Beadtific. You helped a lot.
Sonia stayed until she was certain Giles would be okay. As she left, she told Buffy, "Call me if anything changes." Buffy nodded and closed the door behind her.
Giles was awake when she walked back to check on him. "I suppose I have quite a bit of explaining to do."
"Doctor Picone told me about most of it," she said as she sat on the edge of the bed. "She told me you have a plan and that I won't approve."
"You won't," Giles answered. "It involves magic and. . . Angel."
"Angel?" Buffy asked. "Why would you - ?" Her eyes grew wide in realization as she stood and backed away from the bed. "No. You can't."
"Buffy. It's the only way. Nothing else can help me. Would you rather let me die?"
"Yes!" she shouted a bit too quickly.
Giles winced at the hurt in her voice. "You don't mean that, do you? Would you really want me to die?"
"You'll be different. You'll be evil. Unless we get Willow to do the spell, but then. . ." She couldn't finish as she began to cry.
"It won't be that way. I have a way to anchor my soul before I'm turned."
"But why do this at all? Are you that scared of dying?"
"I'm not afraid to die. I need more time; time to spend with you, time to find out who is behind the attack. If I let them kill me, I'll let them win. This isn't the first time they've done this, and unless I stop them, it won't be the last."
Buffy was quiet for a long time before she asked, "What about the way you've always disapproved of my relationships with vampires?"
"This will be different."
"Why?" she asked. "Because it's you?"
He was silent a moment before answering. "I admit that I had my reasons for hating your relationships with Angel and Spike. They would never be able to give you what you need, what you deserve, what you would eventually want." He looked away from her. "Someday you will want children, something they can never give you."
"And you can? How can that happen if you're a vampire?"
"I haven't been turned yet," Giles stated quietly. "I have stored sperm samples in various storage facilities. When you decide that you want children -"
"It won't be the same," she said, cutting him off. "I don't want to get pregnant in a doctor's office. I want to do it the old fashioned way, with a living and breathing man, with someone I love."
"There is still time, Buffy. I won't need Angel for a few weeks, at least." He sat up and reached out to her, only to have her move farther away. "I'm sorry, love. I never meant to hurt you. I just never found a good opportunity to tell you."
"So you let me find you passed out on the kitchen floor."
"I'm sorry," he repeated.
Buffy stared at him for a moment, still trying to process everything she'd learned.
When he started to stand, she said, "Don't. I need time to think."
As she turned and left the room, he fell back onto the bed. "What have I done?"