Title: Unwrapping 2/4
Author: Gileswench
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.
It had seemed so easy when Giles announced at breakfast that he needed
to borrow the car and go into town to get some new blades for his
razor.
Of course, nothing in the life of Slayer or Watcher is simple. Thus it
was that Buffy and Giles found themselves part of a family expedition
to town.
First Trevor had asked to go along so he could get some guitar strings
at the music shop. Then Lucy had said she wanted to do some shopping in
town herself. At last Dawn had piped up that she really needed to go
along, too.
"What for, Dawn?" Buffy demanded. "Where could you possibly need to
go?"
"Um...the same place Giles is going, I guess."
"Why? What do you need?"
The girl went red in the face and repeated that she needed to go along.
"What for?"
"Buffy..."
"No. You're not going if all you want to do is tag along."
"But I really need to go. There's something I have to get."
"What? What do you need?"
"I need some Kotex, okay?" Dawn blurted out.
In a flash, the girl had run out of the room. Buffy groaned and hid her
face in her hands.
"I suppose you'll have to get those razor blades, after all, Uncle
Rupert," Trevor smirked at him.
The lad seemed unfazed by the withering glare Giles shot him.
*****
"Can't you just pick something?"
"I'm trying. I can't tell which ones are most like the ones I use at
home."
Giles stuffed his hand into his pocket and shifted uncomfortably.
Again.
"Perhaps you could get several kinds and decide which to actually use
later."
"And have the sales guy think I'm hemorrhaging here? Please. But you
could go get what you wanted. You don't have to stand here while I
figure it out."
"No, no. I already got my razor blades."
Giles held out the package to prove his point. Dawn rolled her eyes at
him.
"Why does everybody think I'm a dumb kid? I know why you really wanted
to come here."
"Oh, and why is that?" Giles asked evenly, certain that he didn't want
to hear the answer.
"You want to have sex with Buffy, but you need condoms, right?"
"Dawn...what your sister and I..."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it. It's none of my business 'cause I'm just a
stupid little kid."
"As a matter of fact, I was going to say it isn't your business because
it's an intensely private matter, despite Anya's insistence that all
our personal lives be a matter of public record. You are neither
stupid, nor a child."
"Oh."
"What Buffy and I do in private is our business and ours alone."
"Okay, I get it. Is the lecture over?"
"Not quite," he said. "Dawn, I know that this is a big change for you.
I should have asked before: are you okay with this?"
The girl considered for a moment. Finally, she turned to Giles and
looked him in the eye.
"Buffy's really happy. This is sorta weird, but if it makes her glad to
be alive again, I'm okay with it."
She turned back to the shelves.
"Besides," she added. "I kind of missed you."
Giles smiled softly at the back of Dawn's head.
"I kind of missed you, too. I'll be right back. Don't move."
As Giles retreated down the aisle, Dawn allowed herself to smile after
him. She was going to have so much fun making life hard for him when he
got home.
*****
"Now what do you think of this one?"
Lucy held up a frothy confection of white silk and lace. Buffy eyed it
critically.
"It's pretty, but sorta...pouffy. And not to be rude, but I think it
might be a little small for you."
"Oh, it's not for me. It's for you."
"Me?"
"If you like it. If not, we'll find you something else."
"I couldn't ask you..."
"You didn't. I want to do this. To welcome you to the family."
"You buy fancy lingerie for everyone who stays for Christmas?"
"No. Only for the ones who make Rupert smile. In other words, this is
just for you."
"You've already done so much. I mean, you let Dawn and me stay in your
house, and you gave me the room next to Giles'. And you didn't even
mind that we showed up with no warning or Christmas presents, or
anything. How can I accept this, too?"
"Quietly, and without a lot of fuss. Now, you said this was
too...pouffy, was it? Let's see if we can't find something a bit more
to your taste. What of this?"
Buffy fingered the pale blue satin slip with its black lace trim. She
felt strange taking so much from Giles' sister, but it was awfully
pretty.
"Go ahead, Buffy. Try it on."
It took only a brief mental struggle for temptation to win out.
"Okay. I'll try it. Thanks, Lucy. Has anyone ever told you you're like
a fairy godmother?"
*****
Giles turned to his snickering companion.
"What is it now, Dawn?"
"Nothing. It's just...well...that's a pretty skanky combination of
stuff we're getting."
"*We* are not getting anything. You're getting yours, and I'm getting
mine."
"Except I don't have any English money. So I guess you get to buy my
stuff, too."
Giles came to a halt.
"And the reason you neglected to mention this before would be...?" he
demanded.
"I didn't really think about it. Buffy has all the cash. How was I
supposed to know your sister would drag her off clothes shopping? Like
Buffy needs more clothes, anyway."
Giles looked at Dawn's package in distress.
"Well I'm not buying...those!"
"That's what you think. You might as well get used to it. You'll have
to do it for Buffy sometimes, too."
"Buffy is quite old enough to buy her own....supplies."
"Yeah, that's what Riley said. She still sent him out in the middle of
the night for tampons."
"I'm not Riley."
"You're Buffy's boyfriend."
"Yes, but I'm not whipped."
"Not yet, maybe."
"I am not going to that counter with...those."
"I need them. What am I gonna do?"
Giles sighed and pulled out his wallet. He handed Dawn a ten pound
note.
"You may keep the change. Get yourself some sweets or something."
"Really? Thanks, Giles!"
"That's perfectly all right."
Dawn smiled at him.
"You know something, Giles? You're way smarter than Riley ever was."
She headed for the counter as Giles smiled smugly after her.
"I thought that went without saying."