Title: Protective Coloration 3/11
Author: Sweetdoggie (stirling_summer@yahoo.com)
Pairing: B/G
Rating: R
Summary: Buffy and Giles resolve some problems and Buffy gets a new chance at a normal life.
Spoilers: None: Willow didn’t bring Buffy back, the Powers did.
Disclaimer: No permission has been granted to use the characters. They are owned by their creator, Joss Whedon, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB, and Mutant Enemy. This story is non-profit and is intended solely as entertainment. No copyright infringement is intended.

The laughter woke Giles and he made his way to the kitchen. They didn’t have the heart to tell him he had the imprint of the couch on his face and that his hair was standing straight up on one side. Buffy went to him, pushed him down into a kitchen chair and smoothed his hair.

“Oh dear, it is wild?” he asked her.

“Just a little.” She kissed him and he slipped his arms around her and returned her gesture. She pulled back and grinned down at him. “I like it wild.”

He had a feeling that the conversation had gone beyond the state of his hair and blushed. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear that made her cheeks grow as rosy as his. “Well, I’m free later,” she told him.

They ate dinner and he kept his eyes on her through the entire meal. Dawn asked Buffy if she could spend Friday night at her friend’s house. It brought their attention away from each other and focused it on the younger Summers girl.

“I guess,” Buffy said. “But you know the rules. No boys, no booze, no drugs, no vampires.”

Dawn rolled her eyes. “You know, I’m older now than you were when you and Angel…” she waved her hand expressively. “When do you think I’ll be old enough?”

Buffy put her hand to her forehead. “Maybe when you’re thirty, I’ll let you date. Seriously, you’re not thinking of?”

Dawn looked at Giles and blushed. “No! Of course not, I’m not stupid, you know. Sex is too dangerous just for a quickie. Do you know the prevalence of STD’s in my age group? It’s horrendous. Besides, with my luck I’d end up preggers.” The girl shuddered. “I so do not want to be a mom.”

Buffy gave her a wry look. “You never know how you’re going to handle something like that till it happens. Let me tell you, I know. My baby turned out to be fifteen years old, but still…”

“I’m sorry you got stuck with me, Buffy. I know it must be a total drag to have to be all settled down when you’re only in you’re twenties,” Dawn said sadly.

“Oh, Dawnie! Sure it’s hard. I’d be lying if I said this was easy. But being here for you isn’t the hard part. It’s being good enough. Mom always seemed to know stuff—she could spot a lie or an evasion a mile away. She knew when we weren’t feeling good about something, she could tell when we were in trouble—she knew what to do for that sort of thing. What do I know? I don’t have any mom genes at all as far as I can tell. I mean, I can make you do your homework and eat your salad and make sure you get to bed at a decent hour, but what do I know about making you feel OK about things? What am I going to do when you do bring a boy home? It’s not like I’m a shining example for stable relationships—except now I think I finally have a decent shot at that with Giles,” she shot a smile at the bemused man.

“I was the Chosen one for less than a year, you know, before I died and Kendra was called. After that, I was just a Slayer. It’s never happened before as far as we’ve ever been able to find out. Then Kendra died and Faith was Chosen. We know how that went,” she sighed. “I guess what I’m trying to get at is, I’m not by nature a nurturer. I’m a killer, it’s what I do and I’m good at it. I try to take care of you as well as I can, but the truth is, I’m much better at killing than cooking and what I know about taking care of a seventeen-year-old girl could fit on the head of a pin. The only reason you aren’t totally screwed up is because of Giles.”

“Here now, don’t blame me!” He chuckled. “I’ve trained as a Watcher for more than thirty years and let me tell you that what I know about young girls is miniscule.”

Dawn tipped her head sideways. He was struck by the resemblance to her sister. “I would think as a Watcher that you’d have lots of knowledge of teenage girls. You know, prep for the Slayer and all.”

He snorted. “I should let you read the Slayer’s handbook sometime. Once you stopped laughing, it would give you some appreciation of exactly what Watchers are taught to believe about young girls. Why, when I came to Sunnydale, it honestly never crossed my mind that Buffy wouldn’t be thrilled to be the Slayer.” He shook his head. “I was in for a rather rude awakening.”

Buffy put her hand on his shoulder. “Sorry about that, Rupert.”

He smiled at her use of his first name. “Quite all right, Buffy. If you had been the obedient little robot the Council tries to create, none of us would be alive now. Something bad would have eaten us all.”

“Have some more garlic bread.” Buffy said as she offered him the plate. They all laughed.

“Are you patrolling this evening?” He asked her.

“Thought I would.” She told him as she and Dawn began to clear up the table.

“Can I come? I haven’t been on a good patrol for six weeks at least. I wouldn’t want to lose my edge.”

“Sure. I don’t see why not. If Dawn will be all right?” She asked her sister questioningly.

Dawn waved at her. “I’ll be fine. You kids have fun.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “OK, I’m going to change. Want to go in about forty-five minutes?”

“Sounds like a plan.” He told her using one of her phrases.

They left the house slightly later than they had planned because Willow called and wanted to talk. She said she had heard rumors on campus all day of Professor Giles’ girlfriend, a tiny blonde. Did Buffy know what they were talking about?

“Well, actually Will, that was something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about. Giles and I sort of decided that we’d like to start dating. I was going to tell you and Xand tomorrow at lunch.” The Scoobies always made a point of eating lunch together every Wednesday.

“Dating? Dating who?” Willow asked confused.

“Dating each other.” Buffy spelled out.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Willow gave a shrill scream. “Oh my God! This is huge news! I can’t believe you two finally opened up your eyes! Oh man, wait till I tell Xander!”

“So, I take it you aren’t upset?” Buffy asked her.

“Upset! I think this is the best thing to happen to either of you since you came to Sunnydale! How could I be upset about two people who are obviously so right for each other finally getting together?”

They talked for a few more minutes before Buffy excused herself to patrol. She turned to Giles who was standing next to her. “Willow’s OK with us.”

“How do you think Xander will take it?” He asked her.

“A little screaming, then he’ll be fine.” She predicted.

They walked all over Sunnydale, hitting five of the nine cemeteries, the docks and even spent twenty minutes at the Bronze. Not one lousy vampire managed to show himself and Buffy was disgusted. “Boy, you can’t ever count on vampires for anything!” They even swung by Willie’s Bar, but it was virtually deserted. There wasn’t even the general scuttling escape of the evil undead when the Slayer walked into the room.

Willie made his usual announcement about “Slayer in the House” and most of the clientele didn’t even bother to look up from their drinks.

Buffy and Giles leaned against the bar and ordered two Coke’s in unopened cans. Willie brought them the drinks and went back to cleaning his bar. They looked up as the door opened and a Tholat demon sauntered in. It looked around, spotted Buffy and quickly made it’s way toward her. Giles looked alarmed and stood up, ready to defend her.

“Clem!” Buffy yelled and pulled the demon into a hug. She leaned back grasping his arms. “Let me look at you! Gee, you look great!” She told the demon.

“Thanks, Buffy. I’ve been working out a little.” It smiled at her showing it’s serrated teeth.

“You know my Watcher, right?” Buffy said performing the introductions.

“I haven’t had that pleasure.” It grinned and offered Giles its hand.

Giles shook the proffered limb but had to refrain from the urge to wipe his hand on his pants afterwards. “How do you do?” He offered courteously. “Ah, how is it that you come to know Buffy?”

“Oh, Spike introduced us last year.” He smiled and the four extra pounds of skin on his face wiggled. He flipped an ear back and raised his eyebrow. “I heard he took a little trip over to LA?”

“Yeah.” Buffy nodded. “They’ve got some new big bad uprising and he said he would go give Angel a hand.”

Clem shook his head in dismay. “You know, it just seems really odd, vampires with souls. It’s almost like starting a trend.”

Buffy nodded solemnly. “Going to put me out of business if it continues.” She joked.

“Ha!” Clem laughed. “I can’t believe that! Why I heard just the other night you took out the Ferguson brothers down by the docks.”

Buffy wrinkled her brow. “Were those the two red-headed vamps that were eating panhandlers?”

Clem nodded. “Yeah. They were thugs when they were alive and being undead didn’t do much to change their life-style.”

“So, anything interesting going down in Sunnydale lately?” Buffy asked him casually. “I patrolled forever tonight and didn’t spot even a single vamp.”

“I heard it’s that thing in LA. Big power. Blocked out the sun for a while.” Clem shrugged. “Then the sun came back and there were an awful lot of surprised blood-suckers. Well, they were surprised for a little while anyhow. Afterwards they were kinda busy being on fire to really worry about it.”

“Cool.” Buffy noted. “When the go all flamey it’s kind of interesting.” She sighed and straightened. “Well, say hi to the family for me, OK? Giles and I need to get home. Have to work tomorrow.”

He patted her hand and kissed the air by her cheek. Buffy hugged him and Giles, who was feeling rather left out, waved. They walked home. As they neared the Summers’ house, Giles asked her about the demon. “Oh, we met when you went to that Retreat thing last year.”

“You didn’t mention it to me.” He said sounding miffed. “They are quite poisonous, you know.”

“Tholats? Yeah, I know. Clem’s a good guy though. Just don’t play poker with him.” She shuddered.

“He plays poker?” Giles said feeling lost.

“The monsters around here have a variation that humans wouldn’t, ah, appreciate.” Buffy told him. “They don’t use money.”

“What then?” He wanted to know.

“Kittens.”

“Gods!” He shuddered. “I suppose you learn something new everyday on the Hellmouth.”

They went home and had showers before meeting again in the kitchen for a late night snack. “I forgot to mention,” Giles began. “The Dean’s wife has invited me to dinner on Friday—I’m to bring a guest.”

“You ought to take Dawn. It would totally thwart her evil ways.” Buffy grinned with some malice.

Giles laughed. “I can see the look on her face when I walked in with a seventeen-year-old child. Good Lord, they’d have the police there before you could say Bob’s Your Uncle!”

“I’ve never understood why anybody would want to say that.” Buffy noted. “Do you want me to come with?”

“I would be honored if you would attend with me. But you know it isn’t going to be pretty. The harpy will be in attack mode. She expects to know every detail of faculty lives and will be quite upset that I have managed to maintain a relationship without her knowledge.”

“Cow!” Buffy said.

“Precisely.” He agreed.

She kissed him goodnight. He loved the feel of her supple body pressed against him. “You know, Dawn’s going to be away Friday night.” He mentioned with the utmost casualness.

“I know. We can have a little time to ourselves after the dinner thing.”

“Yes, exactly.” He looked down at her fondly and stroked her hair. “I know the d, dating relationship is new for us, but we’ve been together such a very long time, I was wondering, that is, ah, never mind.” He stopped when he realized that he simply couldn’t come out and ask when she would be ready to move their relationship into the physical realm.

She slipped her hands up behind his neck and pulled him down for another kiss before whispering in his ear that Friday sounded good to her. They broke apart and looked at each other shyly before heading off to their separate beds.

They met the Scoobies for lunch on campus the next day. Xander had been told and after giving them both stern looks pulled them into close hugs. “I love you guys so much and I’m so happy you’ve finally found each other.” He told them with a grin. “If you break up, I’ll be very disappointed in both of you.”

“We aren’t going to break up.” Buffy said, holding Giles hand.

“Just so.” Rupert seconded.

“Well, all right then.” Xander allowed.

They chatted for a good hour, snarfing down the hamburgers and fries Xander had purchased and laughing like the long-time friends they all were. Giles and Buffy drew their now-usual looks and finally it was time to go. “Want to get together for a movie night Friday?” Xander asked.

“Can’t. We have a school thing.” Buffy said glumly.

“Saturday would be fine, however.” Giles put in. He actually liked movie nights, though he would never say so and ruin his image. “Just don’t bring the Princess Bride, please. I’m now able to quote from it and that pains me to no end.”

They laughed again and went their own ways. Buffy walked Giles back to his office where Maria the secretary was waiting. “Mrs. Jenks called. She heard your, ah, friend was on campus and wants to meet her. She’s on her way.”

Buffy tried to look sincere as she apologized. “I can’t wait around I’m afraid. I have to be at work in ten minutes and it’s a good long ways from here.” She beat a hasty retreat.

Five minutes later, Mrs. Jenks came into the office to find that Buffy was gone, and Giles had stepped in to teach a class for an associate who had gone home ill. To say she was vexed would have been an understatement. She stomped out of the office angrily. She had half-a-mind to speak to her husband, the Dean, about this evasive behavior. He would tell Professor Giles that he had better mind his step. She nodded.

The rest of the week passed uneventfully. Buffy killed one vampire on patrol Thursday. Before staking him she had asked about LA. He had told her that the vampire community (he actually said that, having been a guidance counselor in life) didn’t know what had caused the sun to be hidden or what had brought it back. He had been napping and had missed being torched. He came back to Sunnydale for lack of anything better to do.

“You guys really are stupid, aren’t you? Why not go to some town that doesn’t have a Slayer in residence?” The question was rhetorical because he was dust in the wind by the time she asked it.

She walked home and reported to Giles. “I wonder if we should give Wes a call?” He pondered the situation.

“Nah. I’m sure if they need us, they’ll ring.” Buffy said, not really wanting to see Angel again. She knew he had a thing going for Cordy now and it sort of wigged her. He still loved her, but he was a very needy being and any female that paid the slightest attention to him was at risk of becoming his latest obsession. She wondered if that was a common vampire trait because Spike was still obsessing over her and had felt the same about Dru for more than a century. She shuddered remembering how Lothos had stalked her when she was still a kid and the encounter with Dracula several years later. She made a note to ask Giles sometime when they weren’t wrapped up in something else.

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