Title: Age Ain't Nothin But a Number 1/?
Author: Nicole
Email:slay4you1978@yahoo.com
Pairing: G/B
Summary: Giles has always been a significant part of Buffy's life.
What happens when the girl that used to admire him so is all grown up?
Rating: FRT
Distribution: My live journal:
www.livejournal.com/users/slay4you1978 and my personal yahoo group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ForTheLoveOfBuffyFanfiction
if you had my permission before you have it indefinitely all others please ask.
If you're nice enough you shall receive.
Disclaimers: Sadly they do not belong to me. They belong to the might Joss and all those other corporations. No copy right infringement intended I'm just using them for my own fun. Please don't sue.
Author's Notes: No characters were harmed in the making of this story.

Rupert Giles was cleaning his apartment when he came across a picture of a beautiful blonde girl who could have been no younger than eleven. He smiled as he remembered the last time he had seen her. It was at her eleventh birthday party and she was already a little spitfire. It was a couple of days before he left to return to England he intended for it to be her special day. Once the party was over he approached her and told her that he was leaving and shouldn't be returning. His heart broke along with Joyce's when Buffy started crying and ran upstairs. He took off after her, but she didn't want to see him. He left his gift at her door and turned and walked away. He had finished helping Joyce clean up the party. No words were said between the two. Two days later he walked out of both of their lives never to be heard from. Coming out of that memory he slid the picture back into place.

Buffy was exhausted when she entered the house. She spent the night babysitting Willow's little girl Destiny, she was quite the handful but she loved her a lot. She usually went back to her own apartment, but she wanted to visit her mother first. She placed her keys on the table and called out for her mother. Joyce came out of the kitchen with a mug in her hand.

"Hello Buffy, I didn't know you would be coming by tonight."

She went into the living room and Buffy followed.

"I wasn't but I was too tired to go home. I was babysitting for Willow while she and Tara went out to the movies."

Joyce looked at her sympathetically; she wondered why Buffy didn't date anymore. Since she broke up with Angel she has been in non dating mode. Something like that was not healthy for someone of her age.

"Sounds like Destiny wore you out."

"You got that right. I didn't think that a three year old would wear me out as much."

She gave a small chuckle. Joyce took a sip of her tea and placed it back down on the table.

"Buffy do you remember my old friend Rupert Giles?" She asked nonchalantly.

Buffy sat there wracking her brain trying to remember. Then she looked down at the locket she always wore and remembered.

"Yeah I do he was the one who gave me the locket for my eleventh birthday. Why?" She asked curiously.

"He gave me a call today and he is coming to visit his sister Jenny. It is her and Ethan's twentieth anniversary. Which you are required to attend their party at the Country Club."

Buffy let out a small sigh. It wasn't that she didn't like the couple they just treated her like a little girl. She had to constantly tell them that she was twenty one years old not twelve. They were good people anyway always looking out for her whenever Joyce needed them too. Jenny was like a segregate mom and Ethan was the father she never had. Her father just seemed to drop off the face of the earth. All he is to her is a sperm donor paying child support.

"So when is he arriving? And when is this party?"

She tried to hide the irritability in her voice. Joyce took note of this and gave her daughter a stern look.

"Elizabeth Anne Summers don't take that tone of voice. Rupert will be arriving Friday night. The party is Saturday night. What is with the sudden attitude? I thought you liked Jenny and Ethan."

"Mom I do like them. They just treat me like I'm twelve and not twenty one. Plus that means I am going to have to buy a new dress."

She pouted Joyce wasn't going for it. This tactic may have worked when Buffy was younger. Not anymore she doesn't, she gave her the glare. Buffy straightened up instantly.

"Buffy you will go end of discussion. Now are you staying here tonight or are you going to go home?"

"I'm staying here tonight."

She got up to head towards the steps. She turned around and faced her mother.

"Mom do you think Rupert will remember me?"

Joyce got up and went to her. "Honey, he could never forget you. You were his world and he loved you very much."

She gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek and walked up the stairs. Buffy just stood there dumbfounded. She hadn't seen nor heard from him since she was eleven. Now he was coming back after all these years. She wanted to thank him for his wonderful gift, but he was already gone. This saddened her another man had walked out of her life. Unfortunately this man had a piece of her heart. She walked up the stairs and into her childhood room everything was still the same except for it was dusted. Looking in her old dresser she found a t- shirt and some shorts. Slipping those on she got under the covers and drifted off to sleep.

**Fast Forward to Friday**

Rupert was on the airplane headed to Sunnydale. He hasn't been there in eleven years and never had any intention of returning. But it was his sister's twentieth wedding anniversary he had to be there for that. He had talked to Joyce briefly about his coming to visit. She insisted that she stays with him. It will give them time to catch up and what not since Buffy had moved into her own apartment. The thought of Buffy made him happy, she took a piece of his heart and never let go. He just hoped that she would remember him. The pilot came on the intercom and told them that they would be landing in LA soon.

The plane landed smoothly he was a little tired because of the time difference. He was still on England time. Getting off of the plane he was greeted with smiles from his sister.

"Rupert it is so good to see you again. I am so glad that you could make it."

She embraced him in a hug. He noticed that her accent isn't as pronounced as it was.

"You really think I would miss your twentieth anniversary. Come on luv, you know me better than that."

He let her go and walked toward the luggage claim. It felt good to see his sister again she hadn't changed a bit.

"We are going to stop by my house first before I take you over to Joyce's. She is running behind at the museum."

She told her brother as they were waiting for his luggage to come around.

"That is quite alright. I am not ready to go over there just yet anyways."

He gave her a small smile. When he spotted his luggage he grabbed it and they walked out of the airport to her car. She popped the trunk and he glanced at her keychain the picture he saw caught his eye. He wondered who that blonde beauty was.

"Jenny who is that young woman you carry around on your keychain. I don't remember you and Ethan having children."

She glanced at her keychain and gave a small smile.

"No we don't have children. If you must know that is Buffy Summers."

He was speechless. There was no way that the beauty on that keychain was Buffy Summers. He got inside of the car and Jenny had started it.

"That can't be Buffy. I know she is grown but she has turned into a beautiful young woman. How old is she in that picture?"

He was mesmerized by her beauty.

"It is Buffy and she is all grown up. You will see for yourself on Saturday."

She gave him a smile and went back to looking at the road. They spent the road trip to her house making chit chat about this and that. It really did feel good to be back in his sisters' presence. Two hours later they turned onto the familiar street of Revello Drive. Jenny pulled the car into her driveway.

"Home sweet home."

She said as she got out of the car and helped her brother with his bags. Rupert stretched his legs and followed his sister into the house. He was greeted by Ethan even though he couldn't stand the sight of the man he was still amicable.

"Hey Ripper old man!" Ethan reached out his hand. Rupert reluctantly shook it.

"It's good too see you too Ethan. Please don't call me Ripper." He said tersely.

Jenny entered the room with a tea tray in hand. She motioned for everyone to sit down. They talked about England and everything else. They were disturbed when there was a knock at the door. Ethan got up to answer it and let the person at the door in. Everyone's attention turned to Joyce.

"Joyce come in and have tea with us." Jenny offered.

"I would love to but I have errands I have to run before tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know that I was home. Rupert you could bring your things over anytime. Jenny has the spare key."

Rupert got up and embraced her into a hug. This surprised her a little out of all of the time she knew him, he never showed any emotion. Then again she took that back he was always hugging Buffy. She broke away and looked at him again he still looked as handsome as ever.

"I will be over as soon as I can. Take your time running errands I can make myself at home."

He gave her a small smile. She told everyone good bye and left.

NEXT