Title: Vindicated 2/3
Author: Sav
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Rating: R, a lot of Violence (mostly towards Spike) *g*
Disclaimer: Joss owns all
Dedication: For Jac who asked for this. And Ari? Keep your eyes
on the road! *eg*
Author note: picture of Giles was made by Wickedfox,
I made the wall
THANK YOU CAT
(Buffy’s Room)
Buffy laid in bed as Willow, who was sitting at her best friends side, turned to see who had just walked in. "How is she?" Giles asked as he made his way to Buffy.
"Oh my god, Giles!" Shocked, then worried when she saw all the blood on Giles shirt, the Wiccan stood. Giles ignored Willow’s cry as he took a seat next to his slayer on the bed.
"Buffy?" He called to her softly but she didn’t stir from her slumber.
"She’s sleeping. Giles, are you all right? Are you bleeding?" Willow asked him.
"Yes, I’m fine and no, I’m not. Bleeding that is."
"Then who’s. . .oh!" Willow whispered, finally getting it. It must have been Spike’s blood.
Giles softly ran his knuckles along Buffy’s cheek as he stared at her. He could have lost her tonight. For some reason Spike’s chip wasn’t working and he was able to hurt Buffy. In the worse way any man or *thing* could hurt a woman.
"Willow, will you please, get me some tea?"
Willow could hear the sadness in his voice as she answered.
"Sure Giles. Tara’s on her way home. So when she gets here, I’ll bring the bandages up and you can tend to Buffy."
Giles nodded, never taking his gaze off Buffy.
"Thank you." He answered.
When he heard the door shut, Giles leaned into Buffy and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, then rested his own against hers as he whispered to her softly.
"I’m so sorry Buffy. I wish I’d known. . .I wish there was something I could have done before this. . ." He couldn’t bring himself to say it. He didn’t even want to think about what could have happened had he not been there.
"You’re safe now, darling. Rest well and know nothing will ever harm you again"
"Giles?"
He drew his face back to look at Buffy as she called his name softly.
"Hello," He answered her just as quietly.
"Are you really, here?"
He was smiling as Buffy’s eyes were drawn to the red stains of blood on his white shirt.
"Oh Giles. Is that, are you. . ."
He looked down at his shirt then back at her.
"It’s not mine. I’m all right."
Relief filled her as Buffy sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. She buried her faced in the crook of his throat before releasing a breath.
Giles shivered.
"I can’t believe you’re really here."
"I’m sorry I wasn’t when you really needed me, Buffy."
"It doesn’t matter. You’re here now," she whispered and hugged him tighter. Giles strained not to tell her he was having a hard time breathing.
"I am here. And here is where I’m staying."
Slowly, Buffy pulled away to look into his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"If you’ll take me back, I would very much like to continue on here was your watcher."
"Only my watcher?" For some reason, she sounded sad to him as she asked.
"I’m sorry?"
"You only want to be my watcher? Not, my friend or--"
"Of course your friend. That goes without saying."
Buffy smiled sadly.
"You must think. . .I-I mean I don’t know what you think about me and Spike, but-"
Giles laid his finger to her lips.
"Buffy, you owe me nothing. Whatever you had with him. . .though I won’t pretend to understand it. . .it is and was none of my business. As long as you’re safe, as long as you’re happy, I don’t mind what you do."
Buffy didn’t know what to say as tears began to fall down her cheeks. She wrapped her arms around Giles’ neck once again, holding him tight.
"Is he--…did you, dust him?"
"Yes. He won’t hurt you anymore."
Buffy closed her eyes as she once again, turned her face to his neck. Giles thought for moment that he felt her shaking in his arms as she tightened her hold on him.
"I don’t want to be alone tonight Giles. I know. . . I know it’s stupid because I’m the slayer. . .but …will you stay?"
His heart broke at her sad plea.
"Of course."
Pulling back with a small smile, Buffy settled her back against the pillows. Giles started to stand, but Buffy grabbed his hand, stopping him.
"What is it?" He asked her softly, taking a seat back at her side.
"Hold me."
"Are you sure? Buffy, you’ve been through--"
"I trust you. I. . . need you."
Swallowing, Giles stood.
"Giles…?"
"I’ll be right back. I just need to change my shirt."
"I don’t want you to go."
"I promise-"
"No!"
Giles wasn’t sure why she was so scared of him leaving, but he didn’t want that look in her eyes, to stay.
"All right, then what do you suggest I do?"
"Take it off."
He looked at her for a long moment. "Pardon?"
"Take your shirt off." Her voice was softer now as Giles looked around then back at Buffy. She could tell he was uncomfortable with the idea of laying next to her, half naked. But she didn’t care. She loved Giles. She trusted him, and right now she needed him more than any other time in her life.
"Giles?"
"Hmm?"
"Please?"
"Buffy, I-"
"You’re my Watcher. . . my friend. Best friend. I trust you. More than anyone. So, please… take the shirt off, and hold me"
Without any more reservations, Giles removed his shirt and placed it on her chair. Then slid his boots off before turning to walk towards Buffy. When he reached her, he grabbed the thick comforter laying over her and tucked her in.
"I’ll always be the one you can trust, Buffy." His whisper pulled her to look into his eyes. They stared at one another for the a long moment before Giles slid behind her and spooned with his Slayer. After a few moments, she took his arm and placed it against her chest, before closing her eyes with a soft sigh and finally, drifting off.
***
Nearly a week had passed sense that night, and Giles had never left his slayer’s side, except to bring her meals and patrol. Though tonight as he laid at her side, she noticed him close his eyes briefly, with a look of pain etched across his handsome face. His left hand pressed against his rib cage, his fingers lightly squeezing a sensitive spot, testing to see how much of it was truly healed.
Buffy called his name. "Giles?" Her small voice caused him to open his eyes as he turned his head to look at her. His hand also slipped away from his side, a smile touching his lips as he watched her.
"All done?" He asked softly.
"What?"
"With dinner? Would you like dessert?"
He wasn’t going to tell her? He was going to act like everything was all right and he wasn’t hurt... Buffy thought sadly.
"Yeah, some ice cream please?"
"Of course" He told her with another smile. Giles slipped out of bed, pain screaming through his body as he moved.
"And maybe some water to? With ice. And how about those magazines Dawn said she got for me a few days ago? And those books Willow brought home from school?"
Giles nodded before picking her tray up.
"Anything else?" (Lord she’s going to kill me if I have to carry all that up here) Giles thought.
"Yeah, one more thing." She glared at him.
Confused, he stopped, waiting for her to tell him. "Yes?"
"Tell me how you got hurt."
Sighing, Giles put the tray down. He knew not to lie to her about things like this. But he also didn’t think it was right to let her know how badly he was hurt while she was still recovering. She would just worry about him instead of herself and he didn’t want that. He wanted his slayer feeling better again and not worrying about her old Watcher. "It’s nothing really."
"Giles. Not me. Don’t lie to me."
Swallowing, Giles let his eyes fall to the bed beside her. Buffy smiled slightly, knowing he was silently asking if it was all right to sit down. She scooted over. Smiling at her warmly, Giles sat. She could tell he was hurting more than he wanted her to know.
"Vampires" He told her as his eyes met her own. She was watching him, worry evident in her blue-gray irises.
"Are the others--…"
"They’re all fine. I assure you."
"But you’re not?"
"I am. Just, some what, sore at the moment."
He was still smiling at her, unaware for the longest time as they held each other’s eyes, that Buffy was leaning towards him. Her hands reached for his shirt. She pulled the buttons from their slits and opened the material to look at his side.
"Uh, B-Buffy?" Giles was stuttering as her fingers lightly caressed the bruises along his rib cage. He didn’t feel any pain as her hands brushed his skin. In fact, all he felt, all he could feel, was himself hardening at her gentle touch.
Her face was so close to his, all he had to do was in lean just a little, and touch his lips to hers.
"Poor Giles," Buffy whispered. Her voice holding such an amount of worry to it, Giles’ heart fluttered in his chest. His slayer leaned down to his side, placing butterfly kisses to his wounds. He closed his eyes briefly, enjoying her attention.
Giles was speechless. He felt her tenderly kissing his wounds, almost unable to believe this was real. Several emotions ran through him as he wondered if he should stop her or not. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy it, but after what happened with Spike, Giles wasn’t sure Buffy was thinking straight.
"Your skin’s cold."
"It’s cold in here" Giles answered, His voice low an a bit shaky.
"No more patrolling for you." Her soft voice drew his eyes back to hers. Buffy was looking at him, with a gentle frown .
"I have to. You certainly aren’t up for it." He answered her, his own voice sounding lower than hers.
"Actually, I’m feeling much better now." She smiled gently at him as Giles touched her cheek lightly. His fingers brushing over the now light bruise Spike left when he backhanded her.
"I’m so very sorry he hurt you."
"Doesn’t matter," she whispered before taking his hand into hers. "You’re here now. That’s all that matters to me. Well that, and one other thing, but I doubt it would matter to you."
Squeezing her hand, Giles asked, "Why would you think that? Don’t you know by now, whatever matters to you, matters to me?"
Shyly, Buffy dropped her eyes to their hands.
"There’s something I have wanted to tell you since my patrol that night. I was going to call you, to wish you happy birthday. . ."
His smile warmed the room as he leaned forward a bit and laid a kiss to her forehead.
"And I would have thanked you."
Surprised by his actions, Buffy’s eyes flew back to his.
"Did you just, kiss me?"
"Yes. Should I apologize or duck for cover?"
Laughing, Buffy hugged him.
"Neither. I-I mean, I kissed you too. I was just surprised. You’re usually so. . .British."
"You mean Stuffy."
"Well, yeah, but in a cute way."
Giles laughed.
"I’m just hesitant because of what you went through, Buffy. Not more than 7 days ago-"
Her finger to his lips stopped him from finishing his sentence.
"Don’t. Giles. . .I’ve loved you. . .well longer than I first realized. You’re the only man in my life who never judged me, never asked anything of me. You were always so supporting and warm. And I know you loved me too. That’s how I made it through so much crap in my life. But things, life, growing up, it changes people and I no longer love you in the way of Watcher or a friend. I fell in love with you in the way a woman falls in love with a man."
Giles sat quietly, watching her as she went on.
"A man who means the world to me; who always has in one way or another. So when you left, it really hurt me--a lot, like, more than I ever knew anyone could."
"Oh, Buffy-"
"But it’s ok. Because you were right. I needed to know that I could be on my own without you. I didn’t want it that way, but I know now that if you don’t want to be with me, because god knows I haven’t been all that great to you, I can make it, Giles. It won’t be fun and I won’t like it, but I can make it"
Lord he was so proud of her. She had grown so much, been through so much…
"How could I not be in love with you?" He asked her quietly, his eyes holding hers.
"Trust me, there are tons of reasons. Most-"
"There are even more to love you. And I do. I love you--so very much"
She was smiling as her hands held his.
"So, you’re in love with me?"
"Indeed I am," He told her with a wide smile.
"And I’m in love with you…."
"Yes, it would appear so," He answered, his smile still holding strong.
"So, shouldn’t we be kissing or something right now?"
Giles chuckled lightly.
"That would be up to you, luv."