Title: Electra Doesn't Live Here Anymore
Author: Gileswench
Contact: gileswench@yahoo.com
Date: 6/24/06
Spoilers: Sequel to Protector, begins the next morning.
Summary: When Buffy and Giles start to grow closer, everyone has issues to face.
Rating: FRT
Pairing: B/G
Category: Romance
Distribution: If you've had my permission in the past, you have it now. All others ask and ye shall receive.
Feedback: Constructive criticism always welcome. Praise abjectly sought.
Disclaimer: It all belongs to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc., etc., etc. I just let them have all the fun Joss won't. I own nothing except my twisted mind, which you really don't want. Please don't sue.
Warning: Multiple character death, half-baked discussion of largely outdated psychological theory. Dedication: To Savvy and Malnpudl, in incredibly late honor of their birthdays. May you both have many more in health and happiness.

Buffy fiddled with her pen, ignoring Professor Walsh's lecture on penis envy and the Electra Complex. She slid the writing implement back and forth through her fingers and thought about her upcoming lunch date with Giles. Willow nudged her with an elbow. Buffy looked up, startled. Professor Walsh and her TA, Riley, were both staring at her in horrified fascination.

"Buffy," Willow whispered, "that's a little...graphic."

"Huh? What?"

"With the pen."

Buffy looked at what she was doing. With a slight exclamation, she dropped the pen on her desk. Professor Walsh shook her head and went back to her lecture.

"So Electra wants to have a penis. She doesn't have one and blames her mother for that failing. How to remedy the situation? By killing the mother and becoming pregnant by the father. Of course, we're talking in psychological terms, not literal ones. As with the Oedipus Complex, it is a symbolic killing and an equally symbolic relationship with a parent being discussed...."

Buffy allowed her mind to wander again. The whole Electra thing was dumb, anyway. No connection to her life. Again, she lost herself in memories of Giles' kiss.

*****

As the class filed out at the end of the lecture, Riley grinned at her in a knowing way.

"That was the most Freudian response I think I've ever seen to one of the professor's lectures," he said.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

Oz grabbed Willow's hand and started tugging her down the hallway. In his other hand, he held his notebook carefully across his crotch.

"C'mon, babe," he growled, "let's earn some extra credit."

"Okay," Willow said with a giggle. "I don't have another class for a couple hours."

Buffy blushed.

"Wow, I've managed to make myself look slutty twice in less than twenty-four hours," she said. "It's a brand new record."

Riley looked uncomfortable, but spoke anyway.

"Look...I know it's none of my business, but I heard about last night. At Wolf House. I just wanted...if you need someone to talk to...well, I'm here. I'm good at listening. Won an award and everything." He laughed nervously, then tried again. "If that older guy is pressuring you in any way, you can let me know. I'd be happy to, I don't know, sort of...act as your protector if you need it. If he gets out of hand, I can probably take him."

"Oh! No! No, there's really no need. I can do any taking that needs to be done. I mean, I've got him handled...oh, that sounded so wrong. But really, the situation is under control. No threat, no problem."

"It sounded like he was pretty pushy."

"Yeah, he was. But it was all in the name of watching my back, so it's okay."

"So he's..."

"A friend. A knight in shining armor. And possibly the most annoying person I know. He's kind of a strange guy, but I like him. And I've got to go, because I'm meeting him for lunch." She headed for the door. Just beyond it, she stopped and turned back to Riley. "Thanks, anyway. It's nice of you to worry. It's just I can take care of myself."

*****

Half an hour later, Buffy sat across a restaurant table from Giles telling him about the results of his actions the night before.

"The TA in my Psych class even offered to punch you if you give me any more trouble."

Giles surprised her by chuckling and shaking his head slightly.

"It's been some time since anyone considered me a threat to the honor of a young girl," he said. "It's oddly...ego-boosting."

Buffy giggled slightly at last.

"Yeah, I'm not used to being a damsel in distress, anymore, either. Funny. I used to have all sorts of guys arguing over me. Now it feels kinda weird."

A waitress approached to take their orders. When she was gone, Buffy turned decidedly to business.

"So. Gem of Whatsis. What did you find?"

"Ah, yes, well, it's long been considered a myth, actually. Its powers are vaguely described as making the wearer nearly invulnerable, but there's no real clue what it does. Still, it's believed to be quite powerful."

"Then it's a good thing it's just a fairy tale for the bad dental work crowd."

"It's not a myth."

"But you just said...."

"Yes, it's been considered a myth for some decades," Giles said. "But I have one or two connections the authors of those books don't have. It's real, Buffy. We can't allow it to fall into Spike's hands. He's too dangerous a vampire."

"Then I guess I'll just have to stop him. Any idea where the gem is hiding?"

"As to that, I'm afraid I don't know. On the other hand, if Spike thinks it's here in Sunnydale, chances are he's got a reason."

"Maybe tonight I'll go pump Willy."

"Pump...?"

"For information. God, everything I say or do today turns out to be dirtier than I planned."

"Why do you think that might be?"

Buffy shot a mock glare at her companion.

"Okay, Captain Hormones, lay off it. I said I'd think about it. I just didn't expect my thinking process to be hijacked by my understandably overexcited pleasure centers."

"Really?" Giles grinned.

"Really. Has anyone ever told you what an amazing kisser you are? I mean I know I said I'd think about it, but I can't seem to think about anything else." Her expression softened. "You did it. You turned my brain to mush. I couldn't concentrate at all in Psych this morning. Professor Walsh wants to kick your butt."

"The Gem of Amarra, Buffy? I really think we should focus on that for the moment."

"Sure," she said. "Gem. Of Amarra. Focusing now. Do your books have any clues I can use to stimulate Willy's memory? Just his memory. Ick. My brain needs a shower now."

"Mine may require bleach."

They were quiet again while the waitress brought them their food. For a minute or two, the only sounds were of forks and knives on plates. Buffy sighed happily around a mouthful of seafood enchilada.

"That's good," she said. "I didn't know how hungry I was."

"It is good, isn't it? Do you have classes this afternoon?"

"English Lit in about an hour. After that, I'm free as a bird. Why?"

"I thought we might go back to my place, have a cup of tea and see if we can find a clue as to the whereabouts of the Gem of Amarra."

"If it can wait until about fourish, I'm your girl. Your...study buddy girl. Not your...stop laughing! It's not funny!"

"Yes it bloody well is," Giles giggled. "If this is what one kiss does to your powers of concentration, we're in a great deal of trouble."

Buffy glared across the table.

"I hope you choke on your taco," she said.

*****

Buffy didn't make it back to her dorm room until after English. She raced in to drop off her books, change her clothes and have a quick chat with Willow before heading over to Giles' apartment.

"I don't know why you're changing," Willow said as Buffy rifled through her closet. "Did he say he didn't like what you wore to lunch? I thought it was pretty."

"Lunch pretty. Now I need research pretty, and possible dinner pretty, and even more likely patrol pretty...not that I need to be pretty to patrol, but some vamps appreciate the effort. Besides, a girl likes to look her best when she's going to come home covered in dust, dirt, and twigs."

"This is fun," Willow giggled. "You're fun. I think I'm going to like you dating Giles."

"No. No, this isn't dating, Will. It's...more like...test-driving. To see if we want to date."

"I think Giles has already made up his mind."

"Well I haven't. Besides, when the whole Angel thing blew up I made a decision; no more office romances. They get in the way, mess things up. They distract me from my whole sacred mission, blah, blah, blah." She clutched a pale blue blouse to her chest and suddenly looked miserable. "This isn't going to end well, is it?"

In a flash, Willow was at her side.

"No, Buffy, you can't think that way," she said. "Okay, a lot of romances at work don't work, but I think maybe we're different. I mean, yeah, if you work at an insurance company and you date someone from the same insurance company that might not be so good. You'll start having office politics and stuff, and everybody gets all freaked out. But everybody knows about insurance companies. You can talk about writing a policy and it's just a policy and everybody's heard about them and knows they exist and a lot of people have them already. But vampires and demons and witches and werewolves...everybody thinks that's just made up stuff. We can't just go telling people about us all higgledy-piggledy. They'd just think we're either making it up or out of our minds. The only dating pool we've really got is our fellow freaks."

"So...I should date Giles because he's the only guy in our group who's interested?"

"I don't think that would be a very good reason, actually. I think a better one would be that he makes you happy. You haven't looked this happy in...almost ever, and here you are getting all miserable about what makes you happy. Stop that!"

Buffy stood staring at the blouse in her hands for several seconds. At last she shook it out, hung it back in the closet and started rummaging through her darker clothes.

"You're right, Will," she said. "Giles is nice, he's not so bad looking, he's smart, and he's an incredible kisser. And for some reason, he's interested in me. Maybe I should stop fighting and just let it happen."

"Are you gonna tell him tonight the test drive was successful?"

"Nope." Buffy flashed a wicked grin. "I think I'll save that up for tomorrow...or possibly the next day. I'm going for the gusto, but there's no way in hell I'm going to let him know it was this easy!"

*****

Giles took a final look around his apartment. Everything was straight, the tea was steeping away in the pot, his relevant books lay open on the coffee table, and a plate of cookies stood ready. In honor of Buffy's imminent arrival, he'd even changed shirts. Not that Buffy had expressed any objection to the one he'd worn at lunch, he simply wanted to be fresh yet studious when she arrived. Giles couldn't remember the last time he'd put this much care into his wardrobe two days in a row.

He shook his head and took up the letter on his desk again. No doubt it would please Buffy to know its contents, but he decided not to tell her about it immediately. He didn't want to make her feel pressured. Not a great deal, at any rate.

Shoving the letter in his desk drawer, Giles wondered if he ought to have done anything to make the room look just a little more female friendly. It rarely occurred to him how dark and masculine the place looked. A small arrangement of flowers, he thought, might brighten the place up a bit and make Buffy feel more at home.

With his thoughts wandering into uncharted territory, Giles didn't hear the door open.

"Hey, Giles."

He spun around in surprise.

"Xander. What are you doing here?"

"Feeling the love like crazy, for starters." Xander peered about himself, then nodded knowingly. "Ah, you were expecting someone, but it sure wasn't me."

"How do you know that?"

"Elementary, my dear Watson: two teacups, cookies, and your startled yelp when you realized who had come through your door. And yet, it can't be a date because you've got your oogedy-boogedy books out. This is not the sort of light reading that wins you nookie. Spill, Giles. What fair otherworldly maid are you stalking here?"

"If you must know, Buffy's coming by. We're doing some research on something Spike's looking for."

"Spike? You mean that loser's back? What fresh hell is he raising?"

"He's seeking the Gem of Amarra. It's a sort of talisman that's believed to give vampires superpowers of some sort."

Xander rubbed his hands together gleefully and took a seat, then pulled the top book on the pile into his lap and began reading.

"Then the Slayerettes are on the job. Get me a teacup, will you? Unless you happen to have a Coke on hand?"

"I don't," Giles said as he took the book away from Xander. "And you're not staying."

"Why not? There's evil brewing. When evil brews, you brew tea and we open actual books. It's a tradition."

"One I'm breaking today, Xander."

"No way. You don't break tradition. Tradition may break you one day, but you'll never break tradition."

"That's as may be, whatever you mean by it, but today I'm spending some time with Buffy. Just with Buffy."

"Oh man, oh man," Xander said shaking his head, "you do know this isn't going to work, don't you? Demon books are not a useful tool in the seduction of a beautiful woman; not even one who can break your arm with a snap of her fingers."

"It's not a seduction."

"It's a study date? Please. I've pulled this one before. Not successfully, I'll admit, but that means I know what I'm talking about when I say it'll never work."

"Perhaps it might have worked for you if you'd chosen someone who was interested in you to begin with." He narrowed his eyes at the young man. "Why haven't you expressed your horror and disgust yet?"

Xander shrugged.

"Because it's not the most surprising romantic development this week. I actually came over because I wanted to talk about Anya."

"Anya? What, the girl who used to be the vengeance demon? Why do you want to talk about her? I'd have thought you'd prefer to forget."

"Yeah, kinda hard to forget someone who just walked back into your life wanting sex so she can forget you."

Giles pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed his eyes shut.

"Could we talk about this some other time, please? I'm not sure I can cope with that particular sentence just now."

"Okay," Xander said with another shrug. "But if I lose my marbles and start going out with a demon - even a former one - it's your fault for not putting the fear of fear into me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Xander. If you go out with her it's your own damn fault. Date her or not as you please. And remember, it is possible to say no."

"Even after saying yes?"

"Goodbye, Xander. I'll talk to you...will tomorrow do? I've got some time then, I think."

"Yeah, I think it'll keep until then. Unless Anya comes back. What do I do if she comes back?"

"Give her my best." Giles pushed Xander firmly toward the door. "Goodbye. We'll talk later. Call first."

"Okay, okay, I'm going. But on your head be it if I'm seduced by dark forces."

Xander paused in the doorway when Buffy arrived.

"Hey, Buff," he said. "The big guy's grouchy, but I bet he'll be nicer to you than he was to me. Could you do me a favor and put him in a good mood before I talk to him tomorrow? He's going to give me some advice about dating a demon."

"Dating a..." Buffy shook her head. "Xander, go away. We'll talk later. Much later."

"You sound just like Giles. I'm going to be sucked into this and you guys are going to ask yourselves how it happened, and let me be the first to say it's all your fault."

Buffy stared after her friend as he strode through the courtyard and left the complex. When she turned back to Giles' door, he stood in it, smiling at her softly.

"Well?"

She smiled back at him.

"You're blocking the doorway," she said.

He moved inside and looked pointedly at her again. This time she sauntered over to him and through the door, brushing his body slightly as she passed. He looked down as she looked up at him. Buffy felt the electricity passing between them. She blushed and continued on her way further into the room.

"Cookies and tea and demon books. You spoil me."

"Only the best for the best Slayer. Consider it giving you your due."

"My due can't include flowers?"

"Perhaps another time."

She settled herself on the sofa. Giles joined her there, sitting just an inch or so closer than he usually did. His arm stretched out along the back of the seat. Buffy leaned slightly back against it. She shivered slightly at his touch.

"So," she said, "where do we start?"

Buffy blushed again at how husky her voice sounded. She saw Giles' smile widen and grow slightly wicked. His hand moved.

"I thought the Grovedale Diaries," he said as he handed her a thick, intimidating volume.

Buffy grimaced and took the book.

"And here I thought we were going to have fun today."

"We will. We just have a considerable amount of work to get through first." Giles picked up another tome from the table and opened it to the page he wanted. "Besides, I thought you were the one who wasn't ready to get too involved."

"Well, yeah, okay, that's true. I just thought you might want to...try to convince me a little more before we got down to the books. My mistake."

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

Before she knew what he was up to, Giles had leaned in and kissed her gently. His lips whispered against hers a few times before he pressed them more firmly to her. His thumb brushed across her cheek softly as he drew back. Buffy sighed when his lips were gone. She opened her eyes to find him smiling at her.

"Convinced yet?"

"Let's just say…getting closer."

"Good. Now, I think you may find something pertaining to our researches sometime around the summer of 1893. You'll want to watch for the phrase 'Valley of the Sun', which, I believe, may be another name for Sunnydale."

He stuck his nose resolutely into his own book and began to read. Buffy sighed and flipped to the section Giles had suggested she look at. The reading was still boring and not at all to Buffy's taste, but the thought that she might be rewarded for good study habits with more kisses appealed to her strongly.

Still, every now and again she couldn't help sneaking a look at him. She'd never really paid attention before to how he handled the books. Now, though, she couldn't help noticing the gentle, caressing way he held them. Would he hold her the same way? Would he touch her with the same care and tenderness? Would he concentrate that intensely on her? Would he know precisely where and how to touch her, the way he knew exactly where the information he needed lay in each volume?

He looked up at her, his eyes smoldering. Without a word, they both put down their books. His glasses hit the coffee table. Then she was in his arms. The passion was almost overwhelming to her. There were no words; they weren't needed. Buffy's slightest sigh, her tiniest movement, seemed to tell Giles all he needed to know about what she wanted from him. She sank back into the couch, Giles following her down. His kisses grew still more heated. Desire pooled in her belly. His hands, his lips, the solid weight of his body coaxed feelings from her that she'd been afraid to feel for so very long.

//How to remedy the situation? By killing the mother and becoming pregnant by the father//

Professor Walsh's words rang in Buffy's mind. All at once, she felt as though she were drowning. Panic rose and refused to be placated even by Giles' passionate tenderness. She stiffened. He paused.

"Buffy? Are you all right?"

"I - just - I...wow. That was...intense."

He smiled down at her wryly.

"Too intense?"

"Maybe a little," she admitted. "I think I need to sit up now."

"Sorry. I suppose I let myself get carried away," he said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"You and me both."

Giles sat up and helped Buffy rearrange herself, then picked up his glasses and opened his book again. She was amazed at how quickly he could turn from a passionate lover back to her reserved mentor and friend. She looked at him quizzically. He chuckled softly.

"No, it's not as easy as it looks," he said in a slightly strained voice. "I'd still very much like to ravish you. But you aren't ready. I have to respect that." He began to scan the page. "Besides, we do need to research some more."

"Yeah. Research. Okay."

Buffy took up her book resolutely. Her head was still spinning and the lower half of her body protested her panic vehemently, but there was nothing to be done. She'd already put a stop to the smoochies.

Then again, there were still issues to work out before she could feel comfortable making out with Giles. There was still Olivia. There was still a huge age gap. There was still the shudderworthy idea of trying to break the news to her mother without anyone losing a limb. Then there was that whole Electra question. No, Buffy decided, she couldn't allow that sort of intense physical fun to happen again until a couple other things got dealt with.

"Would it make you feel better to know Olivia's gone?"

Buffy looked up at Giles, startled by his question.

"She is?"

"She's found someone she feels a bit more strongly about, and decided to see where it takes them. Got the letter this morning. And while we weren't exclusive, she was the only person I'd been seeing. The field is officially clear for you, if that makes a difference."

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Well, it seemed a bit crass to say 'hello, by the way the other woman's gone and may I do unspeakable things to your body?'"

"You're right, that would have been pretty gross. You still could have said before I felt all slutty for kissing you on the couch when there's another woman pining for you elsewhere."

"Is that why you wanted to stop?"

"Some of it."

"What's the rest?"

Buffy shook her head.

"Lots of stuff," she said. "This is so new, and it's been a long time since I could just...let something happen. I'm not sure I can now. Okay, I'm guessing I don't need to worry about you losing your soul, but there could be other consequences with you that there really couldn't with...well, you know."

"A vampire, yes. They can't have children. They don't spread social diseases."

"You...don't have...I mean...oh God, this is embarrassing."

"No, I don't. I assume you haven't one, either?"

"Nope. No chance at all. There's only been...you know."

"Angel. Buffy, you can say his name."

"I just thought you might not want to talk about him."

"I don't. The fact remains that he was your lover. Refusing to mention his name isn't practical. Say it when you need to."

Buffy couldn't help noticing that while Giles' tone remained fairly casual, his jaw began to clench slightly. She laid a hand on his arm.

"It's okay," she said. "We don't have to talk about him. Not right now. We could talk about something else. Something not ex-boyfriendy."

Giles chuckled and leaned over to give her a small kiss.

"It's all right, Buffy. We don't need to talk at all, just now."

"Grovedale doesn't seem to have much to say about the gem or Sunnydale other than they exist."

"Try Mythical Histories." Giles handed Buffy another volume. "The section on talismans might have something useful."

For some time they sat in companionable silence, rifling through various books. Every now and again, one would point something out to the other or read a passage aloud that seemed to point in a useful direction. They went through two pots of tea and the entire plate of cookies. Still they had only vague hints of what the gem might or might not do, where it might or might not be.

At last, Giles closed his book with a thump, pulled off his glasses, rubbed his eyes and turned to Buffy.

"Well, that was...marginally useful," he said. "I do think it's time to take a break, though. How would you like something to eat before you patrol?"

"I've been hoping you'd say something like that for the last half hour!" Buffy closed her book gratefully and placed it back on the coffee table. "I think that's how long I've been reading this one page."

"You might have said something."

"Nah, I'm just being grumbly because we didn't figure out where it is. We'll find it. We always do. I'm just going slightly cross-eyed."

"You're not alone."

"Your eyes look fine. Tired, but not all crossed and scary. They aren't even red." She couldn't help reaching out and brushing her fingers across his cheek. "You're getting stubbly."

"Yes, that happens when I haven't shaved since morning."

"Funny. I never really thought about you doing stuff like that before. I knew you did, 'cause you're a guy, but I didn't think to wonder things like what kind of razor you use, or whether you really like pizza, not to mention the whole boxers or briefs controversy."

"You'll get all the answers in good time, if you really want them."

Buffy could feel herself blushing from the roots of her hair down to her toes. It sounded so intimate, sweet, yet dangerous. She had never had to think about things like that before. She'd dated in Los Angeles, of course, but they had all been boys. Most of them weren't old enough to shave every day, and she never saw their underwear at all. The dates they went on were simple affairs: pizza and a movie, or beach parties, or long kissing sessions in the local make-out spot.

Then Merrick had come along and turned her into dating poison. She couldn't do simple, easy, or thoughtless anymore but she wasn't ready for a serious relationship with someone mature.

Enter Angel. Buffy's mind did its level best to avoid the conclusions it kept reaching. Had part of her obsession with him been about fear? Had it been about rejecting her life? Now she took a closer look, she couldn't help noticing that there had been no way she and Angel could have worked out any semblance of a normal life. He couldn't go out in the sun or chat with her teenaged friends or make love to her again. As romantic as the dream was, it was just that: a dream she would have had to wake from sooner or later. She looked curiously at Giles as he searched his refrigerator and wondered what she was running from by coming to him. Was this really more practical? Was she looking for the same thing Electra was?

"It's okay, really, Giles," she said suddenly as she stood. "You don't have to feed me a second time today. I can go to the dining hall before I patrol."

"It's no trouble, really."

"I know. But Mom paid for the dining hall card. I really should get her money's worth out of it."

"All right, if you prefer it," Giles said as he closed his fridge. "I'll call if I find anything more on the gem. And please, I'd appreciate it if you called me when you get back from patrol. It's silly, I know, but...well...I do worry about you sometimes."

Buffy nodded.

"Sure. I'll call. It's nice that you worry, even though you don't really have to."

Giles walked her to the door, bending to kiss her before she left.

"If you can meet me tomorrow," he said, "we could continue our research."

"Maybe. I need to double-check something first. Study date with Willow. I'd better go now."

She slipped out the door, but she could feel Giles' eyes watching her until she reached the top of the steps and was out of his view.

*****

When Buffy reached the campus, she didn't head for her dorm. Instead, she turned her steps to Professor Walsh's office. She didn't have an appointment, but hoped the Professor could find a few minutes to help her with her problem.

One deep breath and a knock on the door later, Buffy was allowed into Professor Walsh's lair, or office.

"Hi, Professor," she said with an ingratiating smile. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"You're in my office, I am holding office hours, so the answer is yes," the professor said briskly but not unkindly. "I assume this is connected with this morning's lecture?"

"How did you know that?"

"Aside from the fact that you couldn't have heard more than half of it, considering how distracted you were, I'm used to getting visits from a handful of my female students after we discuss Electra. Who is he?"

"I - huh? Who is who?"

"The man you want to ask me about. Is he an instructor? A friend of your family? Your boss?"

Buffy sat with a thud.

"I guess you could say...I'm not sure. Kind of all of them, but not really any of them. He's just...I like him, but I'm not sure what he is in my life. And all of a sudden, things are happening between us...things I never really thought about before with him. I'm just not sure why."

"And you think because I'm a professor of psychology that I can explain it all for you? Well, you're probably right. From what you tell me, I'd say you're deeply conflicted. You're trying to view him as an authority figure and not as an authority figure at the same time." Professor Walsh leaned across her desk. "I'd guess that he is an authority figure, but there's been a change in your power dynamic. Would that be a fair assessment?"

Buffy thought for a moment. Not so long ago, while she had plainly flouted his orders and refused to accept his leadership on so many occasions, she knew Giles had authority over her. Just how much he was supposed to have was a point pressed home when Wesley showed up and started lording it over the Scoobies. She knew that without Giles and her friends and her mother to back her up, she would have finally buckled under to Wesley. Her relationship with Giles had always been one of equals with differing branches of expertise. It was only now that she realized how much of that was due to Giles' refusal to be the sort of Watcher the Council expected him to be.

"I guess you could say that, yeah," she said.

"Does this man have much in common with your father?"

"Some stuff," Buffy admitted. Both men, after all, were about the same height. Both had brown hair and green eyes. Both were slender yet powerfully built. They were around the same age, give or take a couple years. They'd even both slept with her mother. She shuddered slightly. "You could say that."

"Are your parents still married?"

"No, they got divorced a while ago. Then Mom and I moved to Sunnydale."

"And I take it you don't see a great deal of your father."

"I usually spend a couple weeks with him in the summer, and sometimes I see him on weekends."

"Were you and your father close before the divorce?"

"Yeah." Unbidden tears filled Buffy's eyes and threatened to spill onto the desk as she remembered all the ice shows and movies and silly games she and her father had shared when she was a child. It felt like decades ago. "He was my hero."

"Then I think you know what's going on. It's not unusual. Now mind you, I only have what you've told me to go on, so I could be wrong, but I'd say Electra is making the decisions here. It may be common, but it's not very healthy. I'd say unless you've got a good reason to think this isn't a psychological effort to replace your father with a lover, then you'd be smart to break it off now."

The professor stood, indicating the meeting was over. Buffy got up, though she wasn't entirely sure where her knees had gotten to. She couldn't even find her voice to say goodbye. She just nodded and headed out the door.

*****

Later that evening, Buffy went out on patrol. She wandered through the graveyard casually flipping her stake and musing on her conversation with Professor Walsh. What if she really was just trying to replace her father with Giles? Put like that, it made the entire concept look utterly pukeworthy. If that was what she really was doing, then it needed to stop, pronto.

But was that what she was doing?

She sighed to herself. Sometimes it just wasn't so clear what she was thinking. At times like this, Buffy preferred to stop thinking at all. A good fight would really clear the mental cobwebs, but the vamps weren't cooperating at all. It was as if they'd all decided to go take a vacation somewhere very dark. Now she thought about it, her kills had been low of late. Vampiric activity usually slowed during the summer what with the long, sunny days and very short nights, but by the time fall rolled around, she usually had plenty of reason to patrol. Since she'd taken out Summer's gang, though, there had been less vamps than usual.

"Buffy? Is that you?"

Buffy quickly shoved her stake up her sleeve and turned to smile at Riley.

"Um...hi," she said. "I'm...just...out for a walk."

"Yeah...me, too. Out for a walk." He looked nervously at her. "Do you always take walks in graveyards in the middle of the night?"

"Well, not always. Sometimes I walk in the day. Or the park. Or on the beach. It all depends on how I feel, what's close...stuff like that."

"But it's not safe," Riley said.

"Not safe?"

"No. I mean yeah. I mean there are muggers. At night. In graveyards."

"Oh. Are you a mugger?"

"Of course not."

"It's just you seemed so sure. I'm not a mugger, either. Just so you know. So no muggers."

"But there could be. Or murderers."

"Do murderers get a lot of business in graveyards? I thought this was where they put the by-products."

"Look, never mind that," Riley said. "This isn't a safe place for you to be walking at night. Let me walk you home."

"You came all the way out here to take me back there?"

"Well, no. I just...I was passing, and there you were and I thought I'd...try to help you out."

Buffy sighed silently to herself. There was no way out of this one. Riley clearly wasn't leaving and she had no real excuse to give him for her presence. She nodded.

"Okay," she said. "I guess you can walk me back to the dorms. I wasn't really doing anything all that important, anyway. Or you could take me to my mom's house. It's closer."

Buffy wasn't lying. Her mother's house was closer by a matter of at least half a dozen blocks. Besides, she decided, if she walked back to the dorms from Revello Drive, she could hit two more cemeteries on the way back to campus. She indicated the direction they should go and Riley fell into step beside her.

For the first couple blocks, they didn't talk. At last, though, the silence got too oppressive for Buffy's taste.

"That was quite a lecture Professor Walsh gave this morning."

"That was quite a reaction you had to it."

"In all fairness to both the professor and me, I wasn't really thinking that hard about the lecture when I...I'm not sure this is really helping my case."

"No, it's not," Riley grinned. "But something must have caught your ear."

"What makes you say that?"

"Professor Walsh told me you came to talk to her about the lecture and how it related to your life."

Buffy stopped in her tracks.

"Why did she tell you that?" she demanded. "Isn't there some sort of teacher student confidentiality clause?"

"You're thinking doctor patient, and she's not your doctor, you're not her patient, and I'm her TA. It's really all very professional."

"Maybe we have different ideas about professional ethics. When someone talks to me about something private, I don't just go running to Giles about it."

"Giles? So that's his name? Giles what?"

"Giles...nothing. He's just Giles. And he's none of your business."

"Okay, okay!" Riley lifted his hands in surrender. "I'll back off. You're kind of touchy about him, aren't you?"

Buffy shrugged and began walking again. Again Riley took up his post beside her.

"It's not that I'm touchy about him," Buffy said. "It's just that I don't want to talk about whether or not I'm being all Electra-ish. Just because he's a lot older than me doesn't mean this is about my father."

"I never said it was."

"It's not like I want a baby, either. I've never even had a puppy. And as for wanting a penis...well...not to be rude, but I kind of like not having one."

"Buffy, it's not universal. There are a lot of psychologists who don't even think it's a valid theory anymore, just like the Professor said in her lecture, which you didn't hear because you weren't listening."

"I mean, okay, Giles is tall and so's my dad, but you're tall, too, and so was my last boyfriend. I can't control how tall the guys I meet are, or what color their hair is, or if they've got green eyes."

"Electra isn't about what the guy looks like or his age, Buffy."

"It isn't?"

Riley grinned again.

"Told you you weren't listening," he said teasingly. "It's about personality. If you're really that worried that this thing with Giles is a psychosis, then get him and your father in the same room and just observe them. How they talk to you, what they like to do, how they handle stuff going wrong, things like that. Don't worry about whether they've got the same color eyes or if they both like a particular band. See if the way Giles treats you is the same or different from how your dad treats your mom."

"Ooh, bad one. Mom and Dad are divorced."

"Then if it's the same, that's something you need to know now." Riley stopped and put his hands on Buffy's shoulders. "Look, I like you, Buffy. I like you a lot. I don't want to see you hurt. If you decide you really want Giles, then I'll back off. I won't say a word against him as long as he makes you happy. I just want you to look before you leap, and do it right. You'll thank me in the end."

Buffy backed off uncomfortably.

"Okay, thanks for the advice. I'll think about it," she assured him. She turned and started walking again. "I'm probably just worried about nothing. I do that sometimes."

"That would be your gut talking. Sometimes it's good to listen."

"Yeah, but there are times when you just don't know what it's saying, or if it's right."

"Is there some reason you don't think you're worth listening to?"

"Maybe because I've done some stupid things listening to myself."

Riley shook his head.

"That's because you listened to the wrong part of you. Ignore your Id, pay attention to your Superego. That's the part that gets what you're supposed to do."

"Great. So I've got voices in my head that tell me what to do and I'm supposed to follow them? Don't they lock people up and throw away the key for that?"

"Only the ones who think the voices are somebody else telling them to shoot someone or take up naked square dancing."

"Naked square dancing?"

"Bad idea. Too easy to swing your partner by the wrong body part."

Buffy giggled. Riley smiled down at her. When she came to a stop, he looked puzzled.

"We're here," she explained. "My mom's place. Where she lives, and I sometimes visit."

"Oh! Okay. You'll be okay from here?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

"Okay, then," Riley said. "Well, I'll see you in class."

"Sure. Class. That's where I'll be."

"And so will I."

"Terrific."

Buffy continued to wait pointedly, but Riley showed no signs of moving on. At last, she sighed and mounted the stairs, Riley still following two steps behind. She began to be unsure whether she ought to have put her stake away when she did. He was wearing a turtleneck sweater, and it was after dark. What if he'd been turned and she hadn't realized it yet? Whatever he did, she wasn't inviting him in, she decided.

Still, when she put her key in the door, he was standing right behind her, nearly breathing in her ear. It was annoying. How was she supposed to patrol and do her Slayerly duties if she had an overprotective grad student hanging over her shoulder all night long?

She opened the door. There were two voices inside. One was her mother, and the other was a man.

"Was your mother expecting company?" Riley whispered.

"How should I know? She wasn't expecting me. We didn't talk about it."

She held up a hand to indicate he should stand back while she assessed the situation.

"Hello? Mom?"

"Oh! Buffy! I wasn't expecting you," Joyce said.

Buffy was pleased to see her mother made no move to invite her in. The safety talks had paid off. She slipped in, releasing a breath she hadn't realized she was holding when Riley squeezed his way in behind her.

"Hey, Mom. I was out for a walk. Thought I'd come by and see how you're doing."

"Who's your friend?"

"Oh, him? This is Riley. Riley Finn."

"Hello, Riley," Joyce said. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Mrs. Summers." He shook her hand politely. "You have a very nice house."

"Thank you." Joyce looked a question at her daughter, who just shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it was nice of you to walk Buffy here."

"It can be dangerous to be out alone at night. I just wanted Buffy safe."

"And now I am," Buffy said brightly. "All safe and sound and comfy at home. I'll see you in class, Riley."

He grinned.

"Seems I've been given my walking papers," he said. "Goodnight, Mrs. Summers. It was nice meeting you."

"Goodnight, Riley. Thanks again."

"It was no trouble, ma'am."

Joyce shut the door behind him, then leaned back against it with her arms folded and one eyebrow raised.

"He's not a boyfriend," Buffy said. "He's the TA in my Psych class. Don't ask me what he was doing in the cemetery in the middle of the night, because I don't know. Obviously I couldn't come up with much of an excuse, either. Hence the escort here. And don't worry, 'cause I'm only staying until I can sneak out and head back to the dorms by another route."

"I take it he's not the sort of friend who knows what you do in graveyards, then."

"A big no to that, Mom." She frowned as a thought re-entered her mind. "Who was that I heard you talking to when I came in?"

"Ah, actually, I was thinking of calling you. Your father's here."

"Here in town?"

"More like...here in the kitchen."

"Why?"

"Because I just got back from a business trip to Singapore, and I couldn't wait to see my best girl."

Buffy twirled around, startled at her father's voice.

"Dad," she said. "Hey."

She rushed forward to give him a hug.

"How's my girl?"

"Great, Dad," Buffy said from the depths of his sweater. "But you do know I live at the dorms these days, right?"

"I know, I know. After all, I'm footing part of the bill. But it's late and I didn't think they'd let me in the dorms at this hour. Besides, I had one or two little things to discuss with your mother."

"What things?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Sweetheart."

"What if I want to worry about it?"

"You concentrate on getting good grades, okay? That's all you need to concern yourself with right now."

"And if you two don't mind, I'm going to concern myself with emptying the dishwasher," Joyce said as she slipped by her ex-husband. "Go catch up."

As soon as she was out of the room, Buffy turned curious eyes to her father.

"What did you need to discuss with Mom?"

"I told you, it's sort of private."

"New girlfriend?"

"Rachel."

"And?"

"She's thirty-five, divorced with two kids, and plays the cello. Not the best party instrument, but I find it intriguing."

Buffy smiled knowingly.

"You just made her up, didn't you?"

"What gave me away?"

"The cello. I know you're holding out for a woman who plays accordion."

Hank crossed into the living room and sat down. He patted the spot next to him on the sofa. Buffy came and sat down.

"Actually," Hank said, "there is a Rachel. She's never been married, has no kids, and doesn't play any instrument."

"Yeah? Tell me more, Dad."

"She's a dog."

"That's a rude thing to say about your girlfriend."

"Yes, it would be, but it's a pretty accurate thing to say about a Golden Retriever."

Buffy blinked.

"You got a dog? What happened to the guy who would never let me have a puppy?"

"He got lonely without his wife and kid." He put an arm around Buffy's shoulders. "How would you feel about seeing me more often?"

"More often? As in going to visit you?"

"No. As in me moving here, to Sunnydale.

"What about work? You're based in LA."

"I'm the president of the company. I can telecommute if I want, just like I do when I'm on the road. As long as I go in a few days every month, things will keep running smoothly. So what do you say? Would you like to see more of your old man?"

"You do realize being seen with parents is detrimental to a college social life, don't you, Dad?"

"Hey, I was young once myself. Just dust me off once a week or so, and I'll be happy. We don't even have to see each other in public."

"Okay. As long as I don't have to show you off to my friends," Buffy grinned. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"But if I did get to meet one or two of the kids you hang with, that would make me feel happier in my closet in between showings."

"I guess it'd be safe enough for you to meet Willow and Xander."

"I've already met them, remember?"

"And that's why it's safe. They already know my shame."

They laughed softly and hugged each other.

"Is Willow still dating that short boy with the funny hair?" Hank asked suddenly.

"Yeah. She and Oz are still pretty cozy."

"What about Xander? Is he still with that dark-haired girl?"

"Nah. They broke up months ago. Then Cordelia blew town about a day after we graduated. We hear from her once in a while, but not that much." Buffy smiled wryly. "And I'm guessing all this subtle talk about my friends' romances is a warm up to asking about my love life."

"How did you know?"

"Like I said, Dad, subtle. Right now...it's...complicated. I'm not ready to talk about it."

"He's not a professor is he?"

"No. Not that. It's more...I'm not sure where we stand yet, so I don't want to make a big thing out of it."

Hank grimaced.

"Please tell me that isn't your subtle way of telling me you think you might be pregnant," he said.

"Preg...? No. Definitely not. It's really just that I'm not sure where I'm headed with this thing. You can meet him if it works out, I guess."

"Has your mother met him?"

"Well...you could say that. But she doesn't know about this. It may not ever be anything worth telling you guys."

Hank nodded wisely. He'd heard the male voice that accompanied Buffy into the house, even if he hadn't seen or heard anything more specific. Thinking back to his own youth, he remembered how long it had taken Joyce to admit to her parents that she was dating him.

"You know, you can tell me or your mother anything, Buffy," he said seriously. "We just want to keep you safe and happy."

"I know that, Dad. And thanks. But I need to work this out on my own."

"You're so like your mother sometimes. You have to work everything out for yourselves and you don't talk to the people who care about you."

"I'll talk if it turns into something more serious."

"You're afraid we won't approve, aren't you? Honey, if you think we're going to hate him, maybe there's a reason. Maybe he's bad for you."

"Why do you think he's a bad person? You don't know anything about him."

"I know you're too afraid to tell me his name."

"I'm not afraid." Buffy tamped down the little voice inside that called her a liar. "I'm just waiting until there's something to say."

"Then why did you bring it up at all?"

"You're the one who brought him up, Dad. You're the one who got nosey."

"And you're the one who got evasive. Buffy, I know I haven't been able to be around much lately, but I'm still your father and I still care about you. It's still my job to protect you."

"No." Buffy stood and glared down at her father. "No, it's not your job anymore. I'm grown up. I can vote. I can smoke, if I want, which I don't, but that's up to me. I could join the army. I can make up my own mind who I want to date."

"Your mother told me a little about that college boy you dated before, the one who wouldn't stop following you. Please tell me you're not back with him. He's no good for you."

"God, Dad, that was forever ago!"

"It was less than two years ago. That's not long."

"I've grown up a lot in those two years. I can take care of myself."

"But you don't have to, Buffy." Hank got up and took her by the shoulders. "You have a family. Let us take care of you."

"You don't get it, Dad. I can't let you. I have to start taking care of me. That's the way it's supposed to be. It's not that I don't love you and want you to care...but I have to do things for myself now." The little voice was back, this time speaking in Giles' voice on that fateful day when she found Olivia in his apartment. It echoed the words coming from her own mouth. "I'm out of school and you can't always be there to tell me what to do. I have to stand on my own two feet."

"Look, I know the divorce was hard on you..."

"This isn't about you and Mom. This is about me." She pulled back from him and took up an unconscious battle stance. "This is about being an adult. I know I can still come to you if I need to, but I can't be your little girl anymore. I've got responsibilities."

"Your only responsibilities are to get good grades and not blow up the school."

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"You torch one little building, and nobody ever lets you forget it," she grumbled. "I'm not blowing up the school, Dad. I'm just going to classes, doing my homework, and keeping my head down, vandalism-wise. That's all you need to worry about. The rest I can work out on my own."

"Does it really have to be on your own?"

"Maybe I can use a little help from my friends. Maybe sometimes I can even use some words of wisdom from my family. But mostly, yeah, it has to be me. And I can do this."

Hank shook his head.

"I wish you wouldn't shut me out," he said sadly.

"I wish I could tell you everything."

"Anytime, Buffy. You can come to me any old time you want and I'll fix any mess you've gotten yourself into."

"Thanks, Dad. But I'm a big girl now. I'll fix my own messes."

He sighed heavily.

"Is it worth it for me to move to Sunnydale?"

"Depends on why you want to move. I'd love to see you more. We just can't turn back the clock."

"I know," he said with a small, bitter laugh. "That's what your mother said, too."

Buffy looked at her father's slumped shoulders. He looked smaller than she had ever seen him. In an instant, she rushed over to hug him.

"I still love you, Dad," she said. "You know that, right?"

"Yeah," he said as he enveloped her in his arms. "Yeah, I know it. Me, too."

"I know."

"Look, it was a stupid idea to move." He pulled back and tried to smile. "If it's all the same to you, I think I'll stay in LA."

"Okay. But I'll come down some weekend and meet Rachel. Did anyone ever tell you you're no good at naming dogs?"

"I didn't pick it. I found her at the shelter and she was already called that."

"Oh. But there's somebody out there who's no good at dog names."

"Yeah. You can say that again." Hank headed for the door. "Look, when your mother gets out of the kitchen, tell her I said goodbye, would you?"

"You can't go the extra ten steps to tell her yourself?"

"Do you really think it takes this long to put away the five things that were in that dishwasher?"

"Oh. Bad, huh?"

"I've had worse."

"I know. For what it's worth, it wasn't easy for me, either."

They shared one more hug at the door before Hank slipped out into the night. Buffy watched him walk to his car and get in before she closed the door. When she turned around, her mother was standing in the kitchen doorway.

"He's gone?"

"Yeah. It's safe to come out now."

Joyce sighed and walked into the living room. She sat heavily on the sofa. Buffy flopped down beside her and rested her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I have to tell you something," Buffy said.

"New boyfriend?"

"How did you know?"

"I heard the argument."

"He's not even really...look, nothing much has happened yet, so I might be jumping the gun, but if I don't say something right now I might chicken out and not say anything until it's a huge deal."

"It's not that nice boy who walked you home, is it?" Joyce sighed in resignation.

"You just liked him because he was so polite."

"Actually, he sort of reminded me of your father. Sick, I know, but I remember how much I used to enjoy being taken care of that way. On the other hand, there were slight shades of Eddie Haskell that bothered me a little."

"That's a fetching ensemble you're wearing, Mrs. Summers," Buffy grinned. "Yeah, I noticed. He's nice, but...no. Besides, he's TA in one of my classes. I'm so not a kisses for grades girl."

"So now that we've established who he isn't, can you tell me who he is?"

Buffy sat up and turned to face Joyce.

"You're gonna flip."

"Honey, your last boyfriend was a vampire. Willow's dating a werewolf. My last boyfriend turned out to be a robot. I am completely unflippable."

"It's Giles."

Joyce blinked.

"What's Giles?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure he's a who and not a what. I...sort of...had a lunch date with him today. It was nice. I'm really not sure where it's going yet, but I think I might be falling for him in a big way."

The silence stretched out, taut and tense. Buffy waited for a sign - any sign - as to what her mother was thinking. At last, Joyce stood.

"I think some popcorn and cocoa is in order," she said.

"Huh? What brought that on?"

"We're going to watch some old movies and I'm going to forget what you just told me," Joyce explained.

"You said you weren't going to flip."

"I'm not flipping. I'm repressing. There's a difference."

Buffy chuckled and stood.

"Okay," she said. "As long as you're not flipping. Look, I think I'm gonna go now. I've got class at an unholy hour in the morning and I told Giles I'd check in with him after patrol."

"I heard everything up to 'morning,'" Joyce said. "The rest was an odd buzzing sound that I'm going to ignore."

"Mom, you can't just wish this away. We're going to have to talk sometime."

"You're right. But it's not going to be tonight." She looked seriously at her daughter. "Honey, whatever you decide about this, I'll still love you. I'll find a way to deal. On a temporary basis, though, I'm not ready to cope. Tell me again when it's a bit more serious than one lunch date."

"Mom...Giles...do you think he's much like Dad?"

To Buffy's surprise, Joyce burst into laughter.

"Oh, Buffy," she gasped between giggles, "where do you get these ideas?" She took a moment to gather herself and pulled Buffy into her arms. "Don't you know if your father had been your Watcher the world would have been sucked right into Hell by now? He wouldn't have allowed you the space to do what you need to do. He's a pretty good guy underneath it all, but he would have spent all his time trying to protect you."

"Giles tries to protect me."

"Giles understands that you have a job to do. He helps you do it. He sends you out to do it. I know he wants you to be safe, but he also wants you to be everything you can be."

"You're being remarkably supportive about this. Why?"

"I'll kick myself the minute you're gone, don't get me wrong. And then I go into full repression-mode. But Buffy, I'm just so grateful this one has a pulse!"

This time both women laughed. After a moment, Buffy pulled back.

"Has anyone told you lately that you're a heck of a woman?" she asked.

"It's been a while," Joyce said. "Feel free to tell me that anytime."

"And thanks. For the reality check on daddy issues."

"What in the hell brought it up to begin with?"

"Psych 101. We got a lecture on the Electra Complex this morning. With the whole age difference and everything, I got worried."

"Older doesn't make a man your father. Besides, it worked out just fine for Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall."

"Not so well for Prince Charles and Princess Di."

"Honey, there's no guarantee in love. But it does help if you have something in common. I've seen you and Giles work together. You two have a little world all your own that the rest of us can't get into. Go check in with him...but don't have too much fun just yet. I'm not ready for that."

"Neither am I, Mom. But I think I'm ready to say the words he wants to hear."

"Oh, God, you're not getting married, are you?"

"No, Mom," Buffy giggled. "But I'm going to say yes to an actual out on the town date. It's time I took a better look at Giles."

Joyce brushed her fingers across Buffy's cheek.

"Look at you," she said. "You've grown up so much since you walked in the door. Let's go shopping tomorrow."

"What for?"

"A chastity belt."

"Mom!"

"Better safe than sorry."

"Don't worry. I think that's one area where Giles will want to protect me a lot."

"Okay, okay, I'll stay out of it. I won't even know it's happening."

"I think we'll all be happier that way."

"But bring him to dinner sometime next week."

"Why? You've already met him."

"As your Watcher and your friend; not as your boyfriend. Humor me. Let me feed him."

"Great. He'll never be satisfied with my cooking once he's tasted yours."

"That's all part of my master plan."

"What have you got against my love life?"

"Buffy? Go. We'll talk more later."

"Okay, Mom. And I'll tell Giles he has to come to dinner. Mom's orders. But I warn you, he's gonna freak about that."

At the door, Buffy turned back and hugged her mother again.

"You really are pretty cool," she said. "Most mothers would get weird about something like this."

"Most daughters wouldn't have done anything bigger than this before. After burning down one school building, blowing up another, dating a vampire, and disappearing for an entire summer, an older boyfriend is really pretty small potatoes."

"And to think, all I really want is a quiet life. I still don't even know what a tea cozy is."

"I'm sure Giles would know."

Buffy stepped out into the cool autumn night. She smiled to herself. She wasn't sure which way to go. Back to the dorms? Over to Giles'? She allowed herself to be lost in sweet indecision for a moment. At last her feet headed in the direction of Oakpark Street. After all, Giles did ask her to check in after patrol.

Halfway there, she saw a black-clad figure skulking in the darkness. The effect was somewhat ruined by the cloud of blonde hair.

"Out for a little walk, Harmony?"

The vampiress turned and Buffy could see tears tracking down her face. Combined with the yellow eyes and forehead ridges, Harmony looked hellish.

"Oh, it's you, Slayer," she pouted.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked before she could stop herself. "Are you okay?"

"Just peachy, said Harmony. "My Spikey-bear found his stupid gem thingy and threw me out. He staked me!"

"You're looking awfully not-dusty for someone who just got staked."

"I was wearing the stupid ring at the time. He couldn't just ask for it, oh no. He had to get all dramatic and homicidal and then he was mean to me. I've been a good girlfriend. I gave him all the sex he wanted. Why doesn't he love me back?"

"I don't know," Buffy said uncomfortably. "I don't think it works that way. But the ring? Can you describe it to me? What does it look like?"

"I don't care! It's a big, tacky thing with a huge green rock. I'd have just given it to him. It didn't go with anything I have, anyway. Why does all the mystical stuff look all goth when I'm totally into pastels?"

"If it helps, you look good in black."

"Well, duh! But I hate that I can't look in the mirror and see how hot I look anymore. What good is eternal youth if you can't see how pretty you are when everyone you used to know is all wrinkly and liver-spotted? Speaking of wrinkly, is it true you kissed Mr. Giles? Ew. What was that about? He's like, a million years old."

"Okay, that's it," Buffy said. "Nobody calls Giles names except me."

With that, she slipped the stake from her sleeve and plunged it into Harmony's chest. The vampire exploded into dust. Buffy brushed a speck or two off her sleeve.

"Well, at least now we know the ring only works if you're wearing it."

She turned on her heel and headed for Giles' place.

When she got there, she didn't bother knocking; she just opened the door and sailed right in.

"Giles?"

He came out from the kitchen, dressed in blue-striped pajamas and the same robe she'd seen him wear before.

"Buffy, I didn't think you'd be back tonight. Is everything all right?"

"Spike's got the gem. It's a ring. Big green stone, tacky and goth."

"Did you see him?"

"No. Harmony. She's dust, by the way. Oh, and Mom wants me to bring you over for dinner sometime next week so she can meet the new boyfriend."

Giles regarded Buffy warily.

"Am I going to be on the menu?"

"If tonight is any indication, she's working hard to convince herself this is swell. By then she might have managed it."

"Well, all right, then. At least I'll have you there to protect me. Now, about the Gem of Amarra..."

"I'll need to hunt Spike. It's not going to be easy. I'll need to get the ring off him. Harmony said Spike staked her when she was wearing it, and she lived to tell the tale. But at least I know from empirical evidence that once it comes off, so does the protection. Things got dusty about two seconds after she called you old."

"That was rather rude of her."

"Nobody makes fun of my guy but me."

"Oh, so I'm 'your guy' now, am I?"

"What? You thought I could resist your charms? Please. You know women can't say no to you."

"Most of them have for longer than I care to remember."

"Well, they knew I was gonna come kick their butts someday if they said yes."

"Ah, well, that explains it. I knew there was a logical reason."

He opened his arms slightly, smiling when Buffy leaned gratefully against him. They stood circled in their new happiness for a long moment. At last Giles rubbed her back softly and drew back a bit. Buffy took the hint and smiled up at him.

"Strategy meeting, huh?"

"Tomorrow. Right now I want you to get some rest. If Spike's got the ring, you're going to need to be at your best."

"Guess I'd better get back to the dorms, huh?"

"No. You're staying right here tonight."

"Giles! I - I'm not sure I'm ready for that..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Buffy. This isn't about sex. I want you to stay here so we can determine the best way to approach Spike before you go looking for him. We can work out the sleeping arrangements any way you like."

"Oh. Okay. Good."

"You sound almost disappointed," Giles chuckled.

"Will you think I'm a total ditz and a slut if I admit I almost am?"

"No, I'll think you're Buffy and I'm irresistible."

Buffy mock-glared at him.

"Just for that, I'm finding it a lot easier to resist you."

"Do you want the bed or the couch?"

"Actually, would it be okay if we shared the bed? Not in a sex way, because I'm so not ready for that, but just to be with you? Would that be too awful for you?"

Giles cupped her cheek in his large hand and smiled.

"I'd like that very much," he said. "Why don't you go up and pick out a shirt or something to sleep in. I'll clean up a few things in the kitchen and you can call me up when you're ready."

With a soft kiss to her forehead, he went into the kitchen. Buffy briefly watched him putter randomly in the already pristine room, smiled, and headed up the stairs to the loft.

When she got there, she opened his closet and stared inside. All his clothes were dark, conservative, and smelled like him. She breathed in the scent. Even if it was just his laundry detergent, the smell was somehow comforting. At last, she chose a blue shirt with narrow red stripes and shut the closet door. In moments, she was dressed for bed.

Buffy leaned over the railing and called downstairs.

"Okay, I'm non-pornographic now. You can come up."

Moments later she heard the soft padding of Giles' footsteps as he mounted the stairs to the loft. Buffy dove under the covers and arranged her hair carefully on the pillow for maximum effect. He smiled down at her.

"Would you mind terribly if I slept on that side, Buffy?" he asked. "I really do prefer it."

She glared at him.

"Points off for failure to recognize blatant flirting," she said as she scooted over. "You were supposed to tell me how good I looked."

"You know how good you look. You didn't know which side of the bed I prefer."

"And now I resent it. Not a good first move."

"Can I make it up to you?"

"I don't know. You can try."

Giles smiled wickedly and dropped his robe to the floor without ceremony. The next thing Buffy knew, he had gotten onto the bed and wrapped his entire body around hers. His kisses were passionate, deep and hungry. This time when the drowning sensation came, Buffy didn't care. She wanted this. She wanted him. A soft moan rose in her throat.

Immediately Giles changed his approach to softer, lazy kisses and gentle caresses that calmed Buffy's heated passions without making her feel unwanted.

"Too soon," he said.

"I know. But you almost made me forget that."

"It would be easy to let myself get swept away and do something we'd both regret."

Buffy reached up and caressed his cheek. She smiled.

"No regrets, Giles. Never."

"You can't promise that."

"Maybe not, but I don't think it's gonna be an issue." She looked away from him. "If Spike...if I don't win tomorrow, I want you to know I'm happier now than I think I've ever been."

"Don't talk like that, Buffy."

"I'm not giving up, Giles. I mean to win. Someday, though, something is going to beat me. That's how it works. If I have anything to say about it, that day won't come for another fifty or sixty years. But in case it's tomorrow, you need to know how happy I am right this minute, right here with you." She turned to face him again. "I want you to know that you make me happy."

She watched his face work its way through a wide variety of emotions, wondering which it would stop on. In the meantime, she enjoyed the parade. At last his face wore an odd combination of wonder, fear and desperation when he spoke.

"I...I have condoms," he blurted out.

Buffy began to laugh.

"I - oh dear, that's not what I meant to say, really," he explained. "I'm no bloody good at these moments. What I meant to say was...I would do anything to make you happy. There is nothing I wouldn't do to prove how deeply I care for you, Buffy. Whatever you need, whatever you want of me, you have only to ask."

By the time he finished, Buffy's eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

"Knowing that's all I need," she said unsteadily. "Who said you're no good at this stuff, anyway?"

"Every woman who's ever known me."

"They're all wrong. You're incredible." She snuggled closer to him. "And all I need right now is to know you're gonna be there when I wake up in the morning."

"Of course I will. It's my bed."

*****

Buffy wasn't sure when she stopped watching Giles sleep and followed him into slumber. Eventually, though, she opened her eyes blearily. When they focused, she found him gazing down at her, his hand caressing her cheek softly.

"Told you I'd be here," he said with a smile.

"Morning," Buffy yawned happily.

"Good morning. Sleep well?"

"Uh huh. You?"

"Yes, actually. Best night's sleep I've had in a while."

"What time is it? I have an early class."

"Don't worry. You've got plenty of time. It's just gone six."

Buffy made a small noise of protest.

"That's horrible. It's too early to be up, but I don't have time to go back to sleep. I've got class in an hour and a half, and I need to get back to the dorms and change and eat breakfast and find my notes."

"Breakfast is ready."

"What?"

"I got up early and got it ready. When we've eaten, I'll give you a ride back to campus."

With that, Giles pushed a tray closer to Buffy from the other side of the bed. On it were two plates piled with eggs, toast, and pieces of fresh fruit. There was also a teapot covered in a sort of quilted oven mitt. Buffy looked oddly at it.

"What's that?"

"Tea. I'm afraid I don't have any coffee on hand. I suppose I'll have to get a coffee maker, if you're going to be here in the morning very much."

"I know a teapot when I see it," Buffy said with a frown. "And yes, please, coffee is my choice of morning caffeine. But what I meant was what's the coat thingy on the teapot?"

"A tea cozy. Haven't you ever seen one before?"

She inspected it, her brow furrowed, lips pouting in a way that made Giles long to interrupt her with a long, slow kiss. At last she shook her head.

"Okay, I don't know what I was thinking."

"About what?"

"Never mind. It's no biggie." She took a plate and began to dig in while Giles poured them tea. "How early do you get up in the morning?"

"Oh, I've been awake a while now."

"Hitting the books?"

"One would think you knew me. Yes, I have."

"Find any loopholes in the gem's powers?"

Giles took a sip of tea and shook his head.

"I'll keep looking," he said.

"So what I need is to distract him and get the gem off him."

"It won't be easy. You'll need to get in close, which means you'll be in his range."

"That's why I'll need a lot of backup."

"Do you think he'll have minions?"

"Maybe. He gets them sometimes. He's just not good at keeping them."

"But with the gem, he may have a better bargaining chip."

"He pisses everyone off, vamps included. Besides, he's not good at staying focused."

"The longer he has the gem, the more dangerous he becomes. He'll learn its powers and its limitations."

"So we hit him before he figures out how to use it. Tonight."

"When are you done with classes?"

"Two. I can be here after that."

"Willow and Oz?"

"Will's off at four. Oz doesn't do Thursday classes. Says it's against his religion."

"Does he have a religion?"

"It's the Church of no Thursday Classes. Congregation of one."

"Xander said he'd be back today. I'll give him a call this morning. We'll all gather here at five."

With that, they settled down to eat.

*****

After breakfast, Buffy dressed in the bathroom while Giles changed in the bedroom. He drove her back to Stevenson Hall in his wheezy Citroen, and they kissed goodbye. Buffy blushed to the roots of her hair as she walked past all her dorm mates in yesterday's clothes. There would be rumors flying before the day was out. Buffy cringed at the thought.

"So much for my low college profile," she muttered to herself.

A quick shower and a change of clothes later, Buffy hurried off to class. Time to do battle with knowledge.

*****

By the time Buffy broke for lunch, she could recognize the knowing looks, whispered conversations that ended mid-sentence as she walked by, and the snickers that followed her everywhere. Her budding romance with Giles had been spotted, and it was already a dirty joke all over campus. Once again, she was the subject of vicious gossip without a way of adequately defending herself. After all, she'd come back to the dorms in the early hours of the morning sporting yesterday's clothes. Nobody would believe that nothing had happened beyond planning strategy and a bit of kissing.

As she rounded a corner, she heard a voice she remembered from high school.

"It's not new. She was doing it with him the whole time she was at Sunnydale High! Everybody knew it. She had this pretty-boy boyfriend she took to dances and stuff, but he was just for show. We all knew he was gay. I mean, his name was Angel! Can you believe how lame that is? No straight guy would have a name like that."

"You don't think she could have been doing both of them?"

"No way! She used to stay after school and have sex with Mr. Giles in the library! And from the sounds, I'd say they were seriously into pain." The giggles of her audience stopped suddenly. Nancy followed their guilty glances to Buffy's face. "Oh. I didn't know you were there."

"Guess not," Buffy said.

The two girls stared hard at one another for a long moment. At last, Buffy turned and walked away. She could hear the nervous tittering behind her. Somehow she managed to hold her head up until she turned another corner and could no longer be seen. She sat on a bench, clutching the edge until her knuckles turned white.

Buffy had known all along that there were rumors about her relationship with Giles, but to hear their partnership reduced to filthy assumptions and her love for Angel dismissed so entirely out of hand by people who had no clue how the world actually worked was more painful than simply knowing there were people drawing the wrong conclusions with feverish enthusiasm.

"Poor little lamb. Looks like everyone knows about you and the naughty schoolmaster. Now nobody will want to take such damaged goods to the big dance."

At the sound of Spike's voice, Buffy looked up, horrified. It was broad daylight, yet there he was. He smiled viciously and continued on.

"Birds singing, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels. Sun beaming down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting; I can't wait to see if I freckle."

Buffy leapt to her feet and threw herself at the vampire. He tossed her to the ground easily. As he moved in to attack her, she kicked him in the face and jumped to her feet again. Sliding a concealed stake out of the back of her jeans, she moved in before he could recover and staked him. Spike just grinned, pulled the wooden weapon out of his still chest and tossed it back to Buffy.

"Oh, do it again. It tickles. You know, in a good way." He waggled his finger at her. A large, heavy gold ring with a green stone winked at her. "Gem of Amarra. Official sponsor of my killing you."

Again and again he hit her. Buffy reeled, but couldn't seem to get in any serious offensive moves of her own. She fell. Spike kicked her in the gut, then grabbed her by one arm, nearly dislocating it and swung her into a pole. Her mind was dazed and her body aching from head to toe.

"So, you finally let the Watcher take a poke, did you?" Spike sneered. "Tell me, what did it take to pry the Slayer's dimpled knees apart?"

"You're a pig, Spike," Buffy panted.

"Did he tell you it was destiny? That you're fated to be together? The chosen ones? There've been Slayers thick enough to fall for that one before."

Buffy aimed a roundhouse kick at him, but Spike was able to deflect it, pushing her to the ground again.

"Then again, maybe you're so willing because he's the closest thing to a daddy you've got left and you're scared he'll leave, too, if you don't put out. 'Course, once you do, he'll leave anyway. You're too cold, too afraid of your own heat, too worried about being a nice girl, aren't you? Who was it told me that? Oh, yeah, it was Angel."

The world appeared to Buffy through a curtain of red. She had no idea what she was doing from that moment on. Thought gave way to pure instinct. Without any real clue how she'd gotten into that position, she found herself sinking her teeth into Spike's arm. When he howled in pain, she grabbed the ring from his finger and started hitting him over and over again.

"I'm. Not. Afraid," Buffy gritted out as she knocked Spike to the ground. This time when her stake hit home, the battle was over permanently. "And Giles isn't my dad."

*****

That evening, the gang sat around the coffee table at Giles' apartment. They stared at the ring.

"I like it," Willow said decidedly.

"It's small," said Oz.

"It's also very dangerous," Giles reminded them. "And we're destroying it."

"We don't destroy it."

Everyone looked up. It was the first thing Buffy had said since she'd dropped the stone and told them Spike was dead.

"Buffy, any vampire who gets his hands on this will be essentially unkillable," Giles began. He caught the look in Buffy's eye. "Oh."

There was a long silence.

"I have a gig in LA," Oz said at last. "I could swing by."

"Thanks, Oz," Buffy said. "But I think I need to do this myself. Maybe I could hitch a ride?"

"Sure thing."

"What's going on?" Xander demanded. "What's in LA?"

"She's giving the ring to Angel," Willow explained. "Don't make a fuss."

"Buffy, are you sure?" Giles asked.

"He should have it," she said. "And I have to talk to him before he hears about us from someone else. I owe him that."

Giles nodded silently and pulled off his glasses. Buffy looked at Willow and jerked her head slightly in the direction of the front door.

"Come on, Oz, Xander," Willow said. "We should go now."

As soon as they had filed silently out the door, Buffy scooted closer to Giles on the couch.

"Are you okay with this?"

Giles shrugged and stood. He began to clear away tea things.

"Does it really matter if I'm not?" he countered.

"Yes, it does. Maybe not enough to change my mind, but it does matter."

"Why?"

"Why does it matter, or why doesn't it change things?"

"Either. Both."

"It matters because you matter to me. A lot. It doesn't change things because he matters to me, too. He's always going to matter to me."

"Which of us matters more?"

"That's not a fair question."

"Perhaps not. Nevertheless, I'd appreciate an answer."

Buffy watched Giles hunch over the sink with his back to her. She recognized his protective stance. He was preparing for the deathblow. She moved into the kitchen and pulled him to face her.

"You both matter. I can't tell you you're more important, but I'm sure as hell not going to lie and say you're less important, either. You're different. You've both taught me so much, loved me so much. I can't choose who's more important. But there's one thing I can tell you. Angel is my past. You're my future...if you still want to be."

"Of course I bloody want to be! If you recall all the way back to two nights ago, I was the one who started this."

"Then let's really start this thing," Buffy said. "Right here, right now."

"Do you mean...Buffy, are you certain?"

"You know that backpack I brought in with me? It's got my books for tomorrow and a change of clothes in it. I've even got a sexy little number for tonight in there, you know, just in case. That is, if you want to."

"I don't know." When Buffy's face fell, he hurriedly amended himself. "It's not that I wouldn't like to. I'd love to. It's just...after what I said just now...it feels a bit like I've blackmailed you into it. I wouldn't want you to feel you had to prove something. If there's any chance you'll regret this, then let's wait. We have time."

"We might not."

"Anyone might not. I could be hit by a bus tomorrow."

"Don't, okay?"

"Don't make love to you tonight, or don't get hit by a bus tomorrow?"

"Don't get hit. The other's up to you."

"Then let's wait a bit," he said. "I don't want this to be about how you feel about Angel, or about how I feel about how you feel about him."

Buffy giggled and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"That sounded more like me than you," she said.

"You're a bad influence."

"Can I still stay?"

He bent his head and kissed her warmly.

"I'm not letting you go."

As one, they moved out of the room and up the stairs to his bedloft. At the last moment before they mounted the stairs, Buffy gave an odd little squeak and hurried to grab her backpack from next to the front door. Giles chuckled and wrapped his arm around her again.

Neither gave another thought to the ring sitting on the coffee table.

THE END