Title: Gift from the Heart 3/4
Author: Sav
Pairing: Faith/Giles then Buffy/Giles
Rating: Nc17
Disclaimer: Joss owns all
Distribution: Dusty, Ash .anyone else who wants it
Dedication: For Milkie, cause she’s always there with the
encouraging words
Another couple of weeks went by and still Giles failed to hear anything from Buffy. The silence was killing him. Even the gang was being limited and short with their answers to him on how she was. So he was left with no choice. If he wanted to see how she was , he was just going to have to go check on her himself.
**
Giles entered the Bronze.
It was loud and seemed to be hosting a party of some sort. As he made his way to the bar he caught sight of her. His wife. His Buffy. Lord did she look radiant. Dressed in a red silk shirt with black leather pants that hugged her…Giles thoughts halted when he saw a tall man come up behind her and lay his arms around her waist. His slayer smiled sweetly at the man and tuned to kiss him.
Giles stumbled backwards, blindingly reaching for the bar to keep himself from falling.
“Hey buddy, you ok?”
Giles didn’t hear the bartender. He didn’t hear or see anything but Buffy kissing the younger man.
“Buddy? Hello?”
His heart started to beat faster as he watched the young man sliding his hands to her hips and pulling her closer to his groin. Buffy giggled then rested her head to his chest. She looked happy. Content.
Giles wished something would stake him, kill him, do anything to him so he wouldn’t have to see this.
The bartender laid his hand to Giles shoulder, shaking him.
“Buddy, your as white as a ghost, what gives? You need a doctor?”
Giles shook his head and the bartender left him alone.
“Giles?” Willow called his name softly as she looked to where his eyes were glued. Then she groaned and stumbled for a excuse.
“It isn’t what it looks like. I-I-I mean it is but-“
“Don’t” Giles breathed harshly then closed his eyes.
Giles found his footing and stood but Willow got in his way.
“Giles, leave her be. She’s happy”
His heart broke at her words. Willow saw the tears stinging his eyes.
“I wasn’t…it’s good she’s happy”
“Yeah. Especially sense you keep lying to her”
“What?”
“I thought you said, she had time?”
“I did. She does! But she *is* my wife Willow!”
“Well, yeah, but so, that doesn’t mean you can just go kissing Faith when you want and Buffy cant-“
“I haven’t kissed Faith in over a month!”
“You, haven’t?”
” No. Faith left so Buffy and I could, so I could try…”
“So Faith isn’t…here anymore?”
“No”
“Oh”
Giles took a shaky breath as his eyes settled on Buffy.
“How long has that been going on?”
“What?”
“Them” Giles nodded to Buffy an the young man.
“Oh, uh, not long”
“She’s really happy then?”
“Giles, It’s all complicated. Things-“
“Is-she-happy?” Giles pounced each word slowly, and strongly to get his point across.
Willow looked over to Buffy and her date.
“I don’t know what to say. I shouldn’t be saying anything. Things are complicated with you two-“
“Watch over her for me?”
“What?”
“Can you at least do that?”
“Well, yeah but-”
Giles nodded, then turned and left. Willow hadn’t wanted to let him go, she knew Giles, and she knew what he saw just devastated him…but, he kissed Faith! N ok so now she knew that was a while ago, and that Faith was no longer there so Giles and Buffy could try again at their marriage…boy oh boy where things screwed up.
**
Buffy came home and walked in her room. She wanted to shower and crawl into bed before the liquor she drank had a chance to catch up with her. She entered her room and removed her tank top, tossing it on the bed. She began to remove her pants as well as Giles voice stopped her.
“Buffy”
She jumped then turned to see an outline of him sitting in the chair again.
“Sheesh, Giles. Stalkish much?”
She flipped the light on as she saw him. Tears falling down his handsome face. Hot, wet, and in a steady stream.
He looked angry an hurt.
“You win Buffy. You paid me back”
“What?”
“I cant do this. My heart…I don’t think theirs enough words to described what you’ve done to it. But I cant… I wont do this again”
Slipping the wedding ring off his finger, Giles placed it on the dresser in front of her.
“Giles what-“
“I’ve *never* nor will I *ever* love anyone as much as I do you, Buffy”
She watched him swallow, saw the sadness in his eyes.
“What are you doing here? Why you crying?”
“If he makes you happy, I wont stand in the way”
“What? Who?”
“I’m sorry I hurt you with Faith. It was never my intention.. I just needed…She helped me get through it all Buffy. I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t had her to-“
“To what Giles? To Fuck?!”
He was taken back by her words.
“To care for”
Buffy hadn’t expected him to say that. She was still so angry she caught them kissing last month, after he told her how much he loved her and would wait for her.
“Whatever, Giles. Look this is all your fault. Not mine. You cheated!”
“I know”
“Then why are you here?!”
“To tell you how sorry I am. To …”
Buffy could see he was breathing deeper as he struggled for words.
“To say I love you. An I’m just so sorry”
When she didn’t answer him, Giles knew it was over. She all ready made her choice.
An it wasn’t him.
“My heart will always beat for you Buffy. I’m so terribly sorry for the betrayal I cost us”
He lifted his hand to touch her but she pulled away.
“Not now Giles, please. I cant..”
He smiled sadly at her, his heart in such an unbearable pain he had no words to describe it.
“Goodbye Buffy”
Turning from her, he walked towards the door to head out. Buffy wanted to go after him, but all she could think about was him going back to Faith. She would comfort him. Sleep with him. He was leaving her to go back to that, Bitch!
“Coward!”
Angrily Buffy slid her own ring off and grabbed his then threw them across the room at Giles, hitting him the back. He turned to face her as she stood angrily looking at him.
“What?”
“You heard me! You’re a coward!”
Giles had no energy to fight; instead he decided to let her win about whatever she was thinking and turned to leave.
“Don’t you love me enough to stay?”
Her words made him stop dead in tracks.
“You know I do”
“No I don’t! You’re running away!”
“I am not! You’re the one who’s moved on!” He growled angrily at her as he turned back to face her.
“Moved on? ME?! You’re the one shacking up with FAITH!”
“We are not *shaking up*. Faith left me over a month ago! So you and I could have a chance-“
“Liar! I saw you! I saw the kiss she gave you!”
“What?! What kiss?”
“last month! In the living room! I was coming by , I wanted to talk, I wanted a chance to try this again with you then…she kissed you! With tongue!”
“It was a goodbye kiss Buffy. Faith left me”
“Well don’t sound so sad” Buffy snarled as Giles walked to her an grabbed her by the arms.
“I am sad , Buffy! About a lot of bloody things! Mostly us. But yes, faith as well. I told you what she meant to me –“
“I don’t want to hear it! Cant you understand I don’t want to know about you and her!”
“Faith always knew I would never love her. Not in the way I did and do you Buffy. She knew I could never give my heart to her when it was yours and always would be. But she cared for me despite that. She helped me heal a little each day. Though you NEVER left my thoughts, she made it bearable for me to live!”
Hot tears feel from his eyes, openingly showing her how deeply he loved her, how much she meant to him. Buffy had never scene him cry before, he looked so angry, so hurt and valuable. He leaned his head to hers, breathing heavily.
“I can’t do this, Buffy. I know your happy with that man, but I cant live here, watching you love someone else”
“What man” She asked quietly.
“The one at the bronze”
“The- you were there?”
“I came to see how you were. I haven’t heard from you in weeks. I was, worried”
her hands were resting on his chest as she felt his breast bone. As she looked at him she could see the dark circles under his eyes, which were now closed. She could see how skinny his face was...
“If that’s who you want, I wont stand in your way. I’ve never wanted anything but for you to be safe and happy”
“Giles, I don’t know what your talking about”
“Please don’t patronize me. It’s all right”
“Giles, that guy, Sean. He was just…It was nothing. I meet him after I saw you kissing faith. I was so *hurt* it felt like my heart had just been crushed….He doesn’t mean anything to me. We just hung out a little. I kissed him , yes. But I was trying to forget you. It didn’t work. I couldn’t”
Giles took a deep breath and pulled away. It was then Buffy saw how skinny he was, how weak he looked.
“You don’t…love him?”
“God no. How could I?”
Giles looked down. He was so tired, so emotionally drained.
“I don’t know Buffy. I don’t know, much of anything at the moment. Only that I love you, I miss you and I never had chance at a reunion with my wife. My heart aches for you. It misses you Buffy and I don’t know how to make that stop”
“Do you want it to?”
Lifting his eyes to hers, he told her strongly.
“No. Never”
She smiled at him.
“You know, you look like shit”
“Thank you, so much”
She laughed softly and went to him.
“Lay down, I want to shower then I’ll be back an we can talk”
Hope swam in his eyes as he looked at her.
“You…want me to stay?”
“Well…” Buffy was walking towards the rings. She picked them up and stared back to him. “You are my husband aren’t you? Don’t you think we should be getting that *reunion* you wanted?”
He watched her slip her ring back on then took his hand and laid his back in place as well.
“Y-yes”
With another smile, Buffy kissed the ring on his hand.
“Sorry about all the…well mess-“
Giles stopped her with his finger to her lips.
“You have nothing to apologize for”
Kissing his finger, Buffy smiled.
“I do, but we’ll talk about that later” She laid her hand to his chest and sighed. ”After we fatten you up a little”
“You…you aren’t leaving me? If I-I fall asleep before you get out of the shower, You’ll, b-b-e here when I wake up again?”
Buffy’s heart ached at the sadness in his voice. She stepped closer and threaded her hands through his hair, pulling her husband closer to her till their lips meet.
Giles thought his heart would explode. She was kissing him! She wanted him back, wanted this to work between them. He greedily deepened the kiss and pulled her closer to his body.
Buffy let a whimper flow into his mouth when she felt his shaft, hard and strong, against her belly. Giles continued kissing her, drinking her in as if it would have been the last time he could.
Soon Buffy was pulling back, taking a deep breath as Giles buried his face in her neck.
“Wow” She whispered with a smile.
“I love you, *So* much Buffy, I’ve missed you… I don’t think there are enough words to tell you just how very much”
“I missed you to Giles. I’m sorry about everything. It‘s
just…I saw you with Faith and it felt like someone ripped my heart out and stomped on it”
He squeezed her tighter as she laid a kiss to his neck. Her couldn’t stop touching her. Three years was to long of a time not to hold her, feel her…
“I’m sorry”
“I know sweetie. Let’s just, move on though, Ok?” He shook his head Buffy smiled. “Good, now kiss me”
(Giles bedroom)
The watcher woke up with the worse hangover he had ever felt. His head was splitting, his body ached, and his stomach felt like he was about to toss his cookies at any second.
Rolling to his side, Giles looked at the clock.
5am
He’d only been asleep a few hours. Thank god he woke up when he did. The dream he was having of making up with Buffy was torturing him. After leaving her last night he went to the closest bar he could find and tried to drown his sorrows.
Mostly all he did was make himself sick.
Sighing, Giles sat up as his head felt so much pressure he thought it would explode.
“Giles?”
Groaning, Giles wished she wouldn’t call his name so loudly.
“Giles its dawn! Where are you?”
“Up here” He called back to her then grabbed his head as pain shock through it. “Ah, bloody hell!”
“Giles? Are you ok?” Dawn was rushing to him as she stepped back and waved her hand in front of her. “God! You smell like a brewery!”
“An how is it you know what that would smell like?”
“Um….”
Giles sent her a glare as Dawn smiled.
“You look like crap, you know that?”
“Yes thank you for that reminder, now could you please, perhaps, keep it down a little?”
“Sure, Giles?”
“Hmm?”
He was sitting up with his eyes closed as Dawn laid a hand to his forehead.
“Your sweating, an, wow, your really hot. Can I get you anything?”
Giles opened his eyes to see concern in her own. He smiled warmly at her.
“No thank you. I’m sure I’ll be all right shortly”
”Ok, but, I want you to know, I don’t believe you”
“I’m sorry?”
“I don’t think your fine. I think your lying because you don’t want me to worry. But I do. Worry”
“Yes, well… “ he stood up and cringed as his head split. “You’re the only one I’m afraid”
Giles was heading downstairs as Dawn followed.
“What do you mean?”
“Things went rather badly last night for Buffy and I dawn”
As Giles entered the kitchen he put the tea kettle on the stove then opened the cabinet for some aspire.
“Badly how?”
“I’d rather not talk about it”
Dawn could hear the sadness in his voice as she noticed his ring was missing from his finger. When he had opened the cabinet she saw his finger was bear.
“Your ring…”
Giles closed his eyes briefly then shook four pills out of the bottle into his hand.
“Dawn… not right now, ok?” He looked at her with a sad smile as she got him a bottle of water from the refrigerator an handed it to him.
“OK”
“Thank you”
“Sure”
“I’m rather tired, so If you’ll excuse me?”
“Yeah, but…are you really ok?”
He smiled and pulled her into a hug.
“I am, but thank you”
Dawn hugged him tighter as she mumbled against his chest.
“I think you should shower Giles. Please? Your so hot” She laid her hand to his chest, where he only wore a thin shirt. The heat radiating from his body made her hand so hot, she pulled it away.
“Giles I’m scared”
“It’s all right. I’m sure it’s only the flu or something as such. I promise to go shower, all right?”
She agreed even though she didn’t want to.
“Ok, but after school I’ll be back to check on you”
“Sounds like a deal”
He kissed the top of her head as she smiled then left. Dawn however had no intention of going to school.
She was going to see her sister.
**
(Giles bathroom)
Giles removed his shirt and turned the water on in the tub. When he turned back to the sink he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Three long red marks stood out on his chest. Dry blood covered the wounds as bruising began to deepen in color. Oddly enough they weren’t hurting and he couldn’t remember how he got them. But they looked deep, and should have been quite painful.
To tired to stand, Giles decided sense he wasn’t hurting he would take his cool bath then do a little research later.
**
(Xander’s home)
Dawn knocked on the door waiting for Buffy to answer. When She didn’t she used the extra key Xander gave her and let herself in.
“Buffy?” Dawn continued calling to her sister till she reached the guest room. It was then she saw her sister sleeping with a pillow over her head. ”Buffy wake up!”
Buffy made a sound that clearly stated Dawn was disturbing her.
“Buffy get up! Giles is sick!”
“Not now dawn”
“Did you hear me? Are you that cold hearted that you don’t even care your husband is sick!”
Buffy opened her eyes and looked at her sister.
“Sick how?”
“I… well I don’t know. But he was burning up!”
“Dawn, it’s prolly just a cold-“
“What happened between you two? Why doesn’t he have his ring on!”
Buffy turned her back to her sister. Her ring as well as Giles’ made a sound as they clicked to together between her breasts. She wore them on a necklace that held them close to her heart.
“Go away Dawn”
“Never, not even when you were gone or when his fingers would swell from the fights he got into with faith and the vampires, did he take it off! Not once! So if it’s off now…Buffy, how could you!”
Buffy closed her eyes. She wanted desperately to run to Giles and care for him. But she knew Faith would be there or if she wasn’t, and she really was gone like he said, she would still be on her way to him.
“Dawn, this isn’t any of your business now go!”
“It is so my-“
“Dawn! Giles is with Faith. Not me!”
“God, Buffy. You can be so DENSE sometimes! He doesn’t love Faith! He loved you! You big idiot!”
Dawn stormed out and headed to the drug store. She knew Giles would be needing something to take his fever down.
Meanwhile Buffy lay in bed. A sinking feeling in her stomach that something was indeed wrong with Giles. Sense he left that night she had a sinking feeling that he was in danger. Their bond seemed stronger than ever as she tossed and turned all night worrying about him. But her pride refused to let her go to him last night.
**
(Bathroom – Giles Home)
Giles started to drift asleep in the tub when someone rang the door bell. Groaning he started to get up when an intense pain shot through his chest, dropping him back on his knees.
Buffy heard his yell all the way to the front door. It sent shivers down her spine that he sounded like he was in that much pain.
She immediately grabbed the handled, broke it and ran upstairs, calling his name.
“Giles?!”
“Buffy?” his whisper went unheard by her as she came in and stopped dead in her tracks. Blood was pouring from his wound, seeping into the tub. Turning the clear water, red…
He was on his knees, hunched over in pain as she came closer.
“Oh God…”
“Buffy…” His voice was low and pained as he looked at her, pleading with her to do something to help him.
“Giles, what happen?” She was at his side, grabbing a towel from the rack next to the shower and laid it to his chest. Giles flinched as he leaned into her, agony swarming through his body.
“I’m, I…I don’t know” He laid his head to her shoulder as Buffy felt heat generating from him.
“I should call 911 –“
“I doubt this is, is anything, normal”
“What do I do?”
He thought he heard her voice tremble.
“Tell me, you don’t hate me, before…I go”
“Go? No! Giles, you are *not* dying!”
Smiling against her neck, Giles whispered…
“Silly girl…I already am”
Fear gripped her heart as Buffy held him tighter.
“You are not! Giles, no!” She pulled him away to look into his eyes. They were closed as sweat continued to fall down his forehead. “Giles? Giles wake up!”
“Not, sleeping” He opened his eyes and looked at her sadly. “I wish, that I, could have, been what, you deserved…”
“What are you talking about? Giles, come on, get up. We have to-”
Shaking his head, Giles gripped her hand in his.
“No, no time for help. Buffy, I am , so very sorry, I hurt you. Faith… Faith was…I love *you* Buffy. Only you… I-“
“Don’t, it’s ok, Giles. Not now, please…” She was crying as he watched tears fall down her cheeks. “Just get up so we get someone to help you”
“GILES!!!” Faith called to him as she ran into the house with Wes behind her. “Giles??”
Giles looked towards the door. Buffy felt instinctively protective of Giles, and hurt that he was wanting to answer the slayer.
“Faith…” He could yell loud enough for her. His voice was to weak.
“In here FAITH!”
Giles looked at Buffy a she called to Faith.
“Giles! Oh thank god…” Faith stopped when she reached the tub. She saw the blood seeping through the towel and the red water in the tub.
Bending down next to him, Faith took a vile from her shirt and opened it. Then she got into the tub, took his head and made him swallow the green liquid in the vile she held.
“What is that? What did you give him?” Buffy asked as Wes helped her up and laid a hand to her shoulder.
“An anti-dote. Cordelia had a vision a few hours ago. She saw what happen to Mr. Giles”
Giles started choking as Faith soothed him then laid his head to her chest.
“Faith…” He breathed her name against her breast, as Buffy frowned.
“Easy G, ok? You need to stay still. B? Pull the drain then fill the tub with ice water”
“What?”
“Now!”
Buffy looked at Wes, he shook his head agreeing with Faith . Buffy went to the tub and did as she asked as Wesley headed out to get ice from Giles’ fridge. As Buffy turned the water on cold she reached to plug the drain again.
“G? Your not gonna like this, but trust me ok? Do you?”
“You, know, I do” He smiled weakly as Faith kissed his forehead.
“Boy, the jokes I could make about you being hot right now…”
Giles laughed slightly then cringed.
“Sorry baby. I forgot not to make an old fella like you laugh so hard”
“Hey…” Giles half protested as Buffy watched them. They looked comfortable with each other. Like, they belonged. Tears welled in Buffy’s eyes as she watched Giles lay a kiss to Faiths neck as he turned to her and smiled.
“Watch over Buffy for me?”
“What? G, Buffy is right here”
“When, I, die-“
“You’re not going to die! Besides, B hates me. She wouldn’t let me watch her pet frog, much less-“
“Faith…please…I love, her, so much. I can’t leave, Knowing, knowing she, faith…”
“Shhh, take it easy. That’s the meds working on you. You know I’ll watch over B, Giles. But your gonna be fine. So don’t sweat it”
His eyes were closed as Buffy continued to cry. He didn’t even know she was there. He only knew Faith was…only wanted her…
Not that she blamed him. She was harsh on him last night. But she was just hurt! She didn’t mean it. She didn’t want to loose him, she loved him!
Wesley came back in with a bag of ice and started to poor it on Giles and Faith.
“Faith, perhaps you should get out of there now?” Wes said as she shook her head.
“No way, he’s gonna need body heat as soon as-“
“Let me” Buffy said, her voice still shaky.
Faith looked at her then Wesley.
“She is his wife”
Giles moaned Buffy’s name as he grabbed his side.
“You sure B? You’re gonna get pretty cold”
“Please”
Sighing , Faith kissed his forehead then got out. Buffy slipped in behind her husband and laid his head to her shoulder. Faith and Wesley continued to drop the ice till the bag was gone.
“Now what?” Buffy asked, her fingers running up and down Giles’ arm.
“Now we pray the ice and anti-dote break the fever, while your body heats helps regulate his, should this start to work*
**
Giles wasn’t sure how long he was out. Just that he was cold and he was cuddle next to Faith. Wrapping his arms around her tighter as water swooshed at his movement to get closer to her.
“Buffy…is she…”
Buffy frowned then felt sadness fill her. He thought she was Faith.
“Hmm?”
“Is she, ok?”
“Mmmhmm” Buffy answered, afraid is she spoke that she would start to cry. She had pushed him away. She finaly did it.
“Faith?”
“Hmm?”
“Buffy…” He swallowed, squeezing his eyes closed. “I lost, her, Faith. Buffy, hates me”
She felt him shaking as her arms tightened around him. Why would he think she hated him? She loved him! Oh, yeah, last night. God was she a bitch.
“I wish, I just don’t, know how to, convince her, of my, feelings towards, you faith” Lord did his head hurt. He was trying to tell faith how he was feeling so she could tell Buffy, incase he, died. But his head was killing him. Maybe literally. “I love you Faith…”
Buffy held in a sob.
“Just, you know not the same, way I love Buffy. An that isn’t , fair to you. But, you still, cared for me, helped me… I wish, she would understand that. She doesn’t, know, how hard it was, for me. You, made things, bearable. Life…was nothing, with out her…Faith…I’m so tired. So cold…”
“Giles?” Buffy used her free hand and wiped her tears away then she tilted his head up so he could see her. “Giles? Open your eyes. Please?”
“Buffy?” He sighed her name but keep his eyes closed.
“Yes, Giles, I love you. I’m so very sorry for being such a, bitch. Please, look at me”
He opened his eyes slowly and smiled when he saw her.
“I’m, dreaming”
“No, no your not, I’m here. I’m here Giles” Buffy leaned into him and kissed him as he moaned. His hand went to her hair an pulled her closer as the kiss deepened. Though his head was splitting and his body was in pain, Giles continued the kiss as Buffy held him closer.
“Hey, take it easy you two. Giles still needs his rest” Faith smiled as Wes stood at her side. Buffy pulled away and kissed his forehead before Giles laid his face back to her shoulder.
“I think he’s fever is gone” Buffy told her as Faith kneeled next to the tub and felt his head.
“Yeah , looks like. Ok lets get him into bed while Wes and I go to the store. He’s gonna needs some food with an other dose of the anti-dote”
“Ok” Buffy told her as she started to move but noticed Giles was asleep again. Faith smiled then moved to help Buffy get the watcher out of the tub.
**
Once he was upstairs and in bed, Buffy excepted a towel Faith handed her.
“Go get a warm shower B. He wont be up for a while”
Faith started to leave as Buffy stopped her.
“Wait. Faith…”
Turning to Face Buffy, Faith waited.
“Yeah?”
“I…”
“I don’t want to Fight B. Ok? As much as I love him, an as much as he loves me… we both always knew it was never the kind of love he held for you or I hold for…well, someone else”
“I’m sorry”
“No worries. Go get warm, I’ll watch over him till your done”