Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
belongs to Joss Whedon, WB, and Fox,not me.
Part One
Buffy stretched luxuriously, purring as her body awoke from
the best sleep she'd had in a long time. She smiled to herself
and cuddled closer to the warm, muscular body next to hers on the
floor of the library.
< Good morning. > Buffy heard in her mind as Giles
stirred. < Did you sleep well? >
"Better than ever," Buffy responded aloud. She ran
her fingers lightly across his bare chest. "You?"
"Excellent," Giles said aloud. Buffy felt his
arousal at her touch through their empathic link. She grinned.
"Like that?" she asked, seductively.
"You know I do," Giles answered, then pulled her
roughly on top of him.
Several hours later, the two lovers stood and dressed. The
Scooby Gang was due to arrive at 1:00, and the library needed to
be put back into order.
"Giles?" Buffy said as she folded the blanket. Giles
was putting away the candles scattered about the room.
"This…link we have. Is it normal?"
"Normal? Yes, it is a normal occurrence between a Watcher
and Slayer who have become intimate," Giles said. "In
fact, I was reading about this very subject the other day because
I had sensed something different about our relationship ever
since…"
"…since that night in the cemetery," Buffy
finished. "I know. Xander thinks its kinda ooky."
"'Ooky'?"
"You know, 'they're creepy, they're kooky, they're all
together ooky'?" Buffy said.
"Er…yes," Giles said. Buffy picked up that he
was clearly confused.
"It's from the old TV show, Giles. The Addams Family?
John Astin?" Buffy tried to explain. "Never mind."
"I didn't watch much television," Giles said.
Buffy saw a picture of younger Giles surrounded by books.
"Got ya. That's why you're the book man." She began
scooped up several rose petals and put them on the table, then
started the vacuum.
< I just thought of something, > Buffy said to Giles
through their strong psychic link.
< What is that? > Giles responded in similar fashion.
< I can still talk to you even though I can't hear with the
vacuum running. Cool, huh? >
< Fascinating, > Giles responded dryly. < And you
discovered this all by yourself? I am so proud. >
< Hey! > Buffy glared at him while she continued running
the cleaner over the floor. She sent him a picture of Giles tied
up and at her mercy.
< Looks like fun, > Giles told her with an naughty grin
on his face.
"Boy, are you the kinky one," Buffy said, shutting
off the motor. She wrapped up the cord and wheeled the machine
back behind the desk.
"I do try," Giles said. He glanced at his watch.
"It's 11:30 now. Would you like to order a pizza?"
"Pizza? You bet'cher life," Buffy responded
enthusiastically.
"There is a phone book behind the desk. If you would call
it in, I shall run over and pick it up when the time comes."
Buffy went into Giles' office to make the call as he did a
spot check of the library. Except for the small pile of rose
petals Buffy had left on the table, one would never know the
activities from the previous night.
Giles smiled at the memory of Buffy's youthful face glowing
with pleasure in the candlelight. He loved that girl so much. He
felt a wave of love wash over him from Buffy, and knew she felt
the same way. *We're going to have to test these links before the
others arrive to see how extensive they are,* Giles thought to
himself.
Giles entered the office and kissed the top of Buffy's blond
head. He retrieved his glasses, a pen and his own Watcher diary
and sat on the couch in the small space.
"Large cheese, sausage, pepperoni, mushroom and green
peppers pizza, please….two large Cokes….pick
up….thanks," Buffy said into the phone. She turned to
Giles. "Twenty minutes."
Giles nodded absently as he scribbled in the book. Buffy
walked over and sat next to him. "What'cha doing?"
"Writing about our experience last night."
"WHAT!?" Buffy yelled.
"Buffy, I have to record everything that happens to the
Slayer. It's part of my duty as a Watcher," Giles explained
patiently.
"Don't I get any privacy? I mean, did you write in
there when it's that time of the month, too?"
"Er…yes, actually," Giles said.
Buffy's face was part hurt, part anger. "Thanks a lot,
Giles," she said, standing. She stormed out of the room.
"Buffy," Giles called. < Buffy. >
< Get out of my head. >
< That would be impossible, Buffy. If what I have read is
correct, we are now thoroughly meshed with one another. There is
no longer a 'you' or 'me.' Only an 'us.' >
< I don't care. Get lost. >
Giles sighed, took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of
his nose. < Buffy, I am sorry, but this is something that I
must do. It is part of my sacred duty. >
< Doesn't mean I have to like it. >
Giles closed the diary and walked out of the office. Buffy was
pounding the stuffing out of the punching bag she had set up.
"I am going to get the pizza. We'll continue this when I
return."
"Great," Buffy said sarcastically.
Giles shook his head and left the library.
As soon as he left, Buffy stopped beating on the bag. She
glared in the direction Giles had left, then went into the
office. Picking up the diary that lay on the desk, Buffy flipped
to a random page and began to read.
Buffy is an amazing Slayer. I am constantly surprised at
her resourcefulness. Recently, she used a broken pencil she had
found in the vampire's own pocket to stake him.
Buffy turned a few more pages.
The Slayer/Watcher bond which I had read about from my
predecessors is forming between Buffy and myself. When I first
met her, I was not certain she would survive for long. She was
very impertinent, refused to take her responsibility seriously,
and involved others in her fight. She is stronger than any Slayer
in history because of these 'imperfections.'
Buffy smiled, tears forming in her eyes as she continued to
read. Everything that Giles had written involved some kind of
compliment about her abilities as a Slayer. She turned to read
what he had just written before leaving.
Last night, Buffy and I became intimate. The Slayer/Watcher
bond is complete. I know that this is was suppose to happen in
order to enhance her capabilities as a Slayer, but, in all
honesty, I could rather care less. I did it for myself, not for
any sacred duty. I love her with my whole being.
Buffy was fully crying now. She picked up a pen and wrote
under his entry.
I love you, too, Giles.
Giles returned with the pizza to an empty library. He had felt
Buffy's hurt and anger when he left. He had tried to 'tune' her
out, to allow her some privacy, and was able to succeed by
concentrating on driving.
"Buffy?" < Buffy? > he called both aloud and
in his mind. He set the pizza on the table and went into his
office. Buffy lay asleep on the couch, the open diary in her lap.
He removed the book then he took her hand, gently waking her.
"The pizza has arrived," Giles said quietly, rubbing
her and with his thumb. Buffy stirred and blinked sleepily at
him.
"I'm sorry I got mad at you," she said.
"It's alright, Buffy," Giles responded. "I
understand your reasons."
Buffy was about to say something else when her stomach erupted
in a loud growl. They both laughed.
"I think someone is rather hungry," Giles said,
helping Buffy to her feet.
"Understatement, Giles," Buffy said. "Xander
isn't ever as hungry as I am right now."
"Now, that is a scary concept," Giles responded,
sitting across from Buffy at the table.
He opened the box and the steam from the still hot pizza
fogged his glasses. Buffy reached over and plucked them off his
face, then took a slice and bit into it.
"Mmm," she hummed over the tasty bite in her mouth.
Giles never knew that a bite of pizza could be so erotic. He
felt Buffy's pleasure at the food through their empathic link and
had a hard time eating his own slice. He needed a distraction
before he threw Buffy across the table and ravished her.
"Buffy, while we are eating, why don't we experiment with
this bond between us," Giles said between bites.
< Ok. As long as I can keep eating, > Buffy responded,
still chewing.
< Let's start with the obvious then, > Giles said. They
continued to eat, speaking telepathically rather than between
bites or with their mouths full.
< The obviouser the better. >
< That is not a word, Buffy. >
< Is this going to be an English lesson? If so, I need to
study first, > she responded. Giles glared at her over his
drink. < Sorry. >
< If I may continue, we obviously can speak to each other
telepathically. However, I am unsure as to how far this
particular aspect of our bond reaches. >
< We can test it when I go out on patrol tonight. >
Buffy told him.
"Good idea," Giles said, wiping his mouth on a
napkin. "Second, we have an empathic link."
"What's that?"
"An empathic link is where one can 'feel' the other's
emotions," Giles explained.
"Kinda like I 'felt' your arousal this morning?"
Buffy asked mischievously.
"Er…y-yes," Giles stuttered, blushing.
"And like I can feel that you're embarrassed right
now?"
"You h-have grasped the c-concept."
"That's not all I want to grasp," Buffy mumbled to
herself.
"What did you say?" Giles asked.
"Oh, nothing," Buffy said quickly. "Hey, wait a
sec, you didn't know what I said, even though we can read each
other's minds."
"Hmm. Good observation, Buffy," Giles said. She
beamed at him. "We must only be able to communicate verbally
one way at a time. However, we can pick up emotions at any
time."
"Cool."
"I can also safely say that we can 'send' pictures to one
another, either consciously or sub-consciously," Giles
continued.
"Like when I saw you as a boy surrounded by all those
books?" Buffy asked.
< Correct, > Giles said, eating another slice of the
rapidly dwindling pizza. < I was also able to tune you out, so
to speak, by concentrating fully on another task. >
"When did you do that?"
< When I went for the pizza. I knew you were upset about my
duty to record what transpired, and I wanted to give you privacy.
>
< That's so sweet, Giles, > Buffy told him, stuffing her
face once more. < Now I know why I love you so much. >
Giles blushed. < I love you, too. >
< I have a question for you. Can we see into each other's
memories? Like, say I wanted to see what you looked like when you
were 10, would I be able to go into your mind and pluck that
image out? > Buffy asked.
< Interesting question. Why don't you try it. > Giles
answered.
Buffy thought about what she wanted to know for a few minutes.
Giles kept silent, even though he had discovered something else
about the bond.
< Ok. Here I go, > Buffy told him. She tried to get a
picture of what his first girlfriend looked like. Nothing
happened. < Doesn't look like it, Giles. >
< I didn't feel anything, either. What were you trying to
find out? > Giles asked, curious.
< What you're first girlfriend looked like. >
An image came to Giles' mind and Buffy was able to see it
without him broadcasting the picture. < She's pretty. >
< I must have sent a subconscious image to you, Buffy. This
is rather extraordinary. >
< You're telling me. Here I am, sitting with a man twenty
years older than me, who I made love to last night, talking
without using sound, > Buffy said. < This is great! >
Giles chuckled. "Glad you approve, " he said.
"I ascertained another limitation on our psychic link.
Unless you talk to me directly, I can not hear what your are
thinking."
< No wonder it's so quiet in my mind. I had read that some
psychics go nuts cuz their heads are always filled with other
people's thoughts. >
< Do you enjoy communicating with me in this way? >
Giles asked seriously.
< I love it! I feel so…not alone, > Buffy gushed
enthusiastically. < It's like I feel your arms around me, only
in my mind. >
Giles smiled brightly at her. "Why don't we practice
sending images to one another. Try to send me a 'moving' image,
like you did with Snyder last night."
"Ok," Buffy said. She thought for a moment, knowing
that Giles couldn't pick up on what she was contemplating, then
smiled devilishly.
The image Giles received in his mind was like watching a
television program. A very erotic program. Buffy was wearing
scraps of black lace, barely covering her muscular body. He
watched as she walked slowly up to the figure of himself lying on
a large bed.
Giles closed his eyes as the images continued to come. He saw
Buffy kiss the Giles in his head on the mouth, then move lower on
his body until she licked the tip of his…
"Buffy!"
Xander's shout started the couple, who were both sitting at
the library table, and empty pizza box in front of them, with
their eyes closed.
"Xander!" Buffy exclaimed, jumping in her seat.
Xander, Cordelia and Willow had entered the library.
"You sound surprised to see us," Xander said, as he
stuck his fingers in the pizza crumbs then licked them.
"N-no, we knew you were coming," Buffy said. Her
face was flushed in embarrassment. She looked over to Giles who
had grabbed his glasses and shoved them back into place.
"How come you guys had pizza and didn't invite us?"
Xander asked with a pout.
Willow sat in the chair next to her friend and picked up a
rose petal that was lying on the table. "Rose petals?"
Buffy reached for the pile and scooped them into her hand as
Giles stood and threw out the pizza box. They were both feeling
overwhelmed at the sudden intrusion into their once private
world.
"So, what's the evil of the day, because I want to get to
the mall. There's a big sale going on that I don't want to
miss," Cordelia said. She took in Giles' light colored
khaki's, blue T-shirt, brown woven belt and deck shoes. "By
the way, nice outfit, Giles. Your taste in clothing is vastly
improving."
"T-there isn't one that I k-know of," Giles
stuttered. "And th-thank you."
"In that case, I'm gone," Cordelia said. She kissed
Xander on the cheek and left.
"I love a woman with priorities," Xander said,
sliding into the seat recently vacated by Giles.
"Xander, you love any woman who looks at you,"
Willow said.
"So true, Will," Xander replied.
< Giles, we can do this, > Giles suddenly heard in his
head. He looked at Buffy, who was staring intently at him. <
It's just Willow and Xander. > He nodded.
"Willow, why don't you get on that dread machine and do a
g-general search. Xander, you and Buffy can whittle some
s-stakes," Giles instructed, reverting into Watcher mode.
"And what are you going to do, oh great and mighty
librarian?" Xander asked, groaning at the thought of
whittling.
"Look for prophecies, what else?" Buffy answered for
Giles. She giggled at the face he made.
Time passed quickly as Buffy conversed with her friends while
they worked. She could feel Giles' strong, soothing presence
subtly in her mind. She hoped he could feel her in the same way.
"Oh dear," she heard Giles say as he walked out of
his office. The three friends looked up at him expectantly.
"I hate it when he says that. It usually means something
big and ooky is gonna come and rip our intestines out or
something equally disgusting," Xander said.
< See. Ooky. I'm telling ya, you gotta watch more TV, >
Buffy said to the Watcher.
< I'll put it high on my list of things to do, right after
averting the apocalypse, > Giles responded wryly. "I am
sorry to disappoint you, Xander, but my comment was about the
time. I am sure that Buffy is wishing to go home and shower
before patrolling this evening."
< Wanna shower with me? > Buffy asked. Giles choked on
the tea he was drinking at the image that sprang into his mind.
Buffy jumped out of her seat and hurried over to him.
"Are you ok?" she asked as she rubbed his back.
< Quite, > Giles told her. < Just give me a moment.
>
Giles calmed down to the quizzical looks from Willow and
Xander. "Wrong pipe?" Willow asked, clearly worried.
"Y-yes, that is it," Giles said.
"If you're sure," Buffy said, still rubbing his back
through the blue T-shirt. Giles nodded. "Ok. C'mon, guys.
I'll walk you home."
Willow and Xander stood and joined Buffy. < Please check in
before you head out on patrol, > Giles told her silently as
the three friends headed out the door.
"Will do, Giles," Buffy said aloud. "See you
later."
The two other friends glanced at Buffy. "Uh, Buffy,"
Xander said. "Giles didn't say anything."
"What?" Buffy asked. "Of course he did. He told
me to check in before…oh!" She blushed furiously.
"Buffy? I didn't hear him say anything," Willow told
her friend.
"I…uh…guess I'm so use to him saying that I
answered without thinking," Buffy said quickly, trying to
cover her mistake.
"Oh. Ok," Willow said. Xander continued to look
perplexed, but soon shrugged it off.
*****
Buffy was being naughty. As she stepped into the shower, she
tried sending X-rated thoughts to Giles. She wasn't sure if it
worked because of the distance from the school to her house, but
was pleased when she heard Giles' voice in her head.
< You are being intentionally cruel, > he said to her.
< And you are enjoying every minute, > Buffy responded.
She continued putting on a show for him in her mind, broadcasting
it over the miles. She could feel his arousal building as was her
own.
Giles groaned as the pictures entered his head. He felt
himself hardening right there in the library. As Buffy continued
her onslaught, Giles knew the moment she walked back through the
library doors he would make savage love to her.
Buffy walked into the library with a bounce in her step.
"Giles? Where are you?" she sing-songed.
"In here," Giles called out from to her from the
office.
Buffy entered the door and was immediately thrown onto the
couch. Giles slammed the office door shut and locked it. In a
flash, he was upon Buffy, kissing her with brutal force.
< Payback. > Giles' voice slipped seductively into
Buffy's mind as he continued to ravish her body. Soon, they were
both naked in each other's arms, with Giles thrusting in and out
of her forcefully.
Afterwards, they lay on the couch, spent. Giles was the first
to stir. "That will teach you," he murmured in Buffy's
ear.
"Yeah, to do it more often," Buffy said. She sighed,
satisfied and began to redress.
"Now, Buffy," Giles said, putting his clothes back
on, as well. "What if I was not alone? Or, what if I did
that to you in the middle of class?"
"Point taken," Buffy replied. She left the office
and began to place stakes in various places on her body.
"Don't use my powers for evil."
Giles locked the office door. "I shall drop you off at
the cemetery and go home."
"No. Please don't punish me by making me ride in your
car," Buffy whined exaggeratedly as they left the library.
"Very humorous, Buffy. Why did you ever give up your job
as a comedian?"
"After I drop you off, I shall go home. That is
further in distance than your house to the school. We shall see
if the links are as strong as they were earlier this
afternoon," Giles said as they pulled up to the cemetery.
"Will do," Buffy responded. When the car stopped,
she leaned over and kissed him. "I'll see you
tomorrow."
"Please check in before school starts," Giles
said, giving her a brief hug. "Be careful."
"Aren't I always?"
"Do you want me to answer that, or shall I just
glare?" Giles said, repeating what he told her long ago.
Buffy laughed and exited the car, waving as Giles drove
off. < I love you! >
< And I you, Buffy. >
Buffy turned and made her way into her favorite hunting
ground. "Here vampy, vampy, vampys. I got a nice, pointy
treat for you."
She heard rustling in one of the bushes outlining the
perimeter of the cemetery. Crouching, she slowly crept towards
the noise.
The vampire burst out of the bushes in a rain of leaves.
Buffy fell back onto her rear and he loomed over her. "Good,
dinner," he said through his fangs.
"Can't you guys think of anything but your
stomachs?" Buffy asked as she leapt to her feet.
The vampire lunged and Buffy ducked out of the way, landing
a blow to the back of his head. She spun and kicked him in the
chest, while letting a stake fall out of her sleeve and into her
hand. Blocking the new vampire's inept punch, Buffy plunged the
stake into him, and the creature turned to dust.
< Buffy? Are you alright? > Giles voice entered her
mind, tinged with worry. She jumped, startled.
< Geez! You scared me! >
< I apologize. I was receiving, through our empathic
link, increased excitement and fear from you. > Giles
responded.
< That's what I usually feel when I slay the bad guys,
> Buffy told him.
< How many were there? >
< One so far. >
< Only one? But why were you fearful? >
< Giles, each time I fight, no matter what or how many,
there is a chance that I may die. And that makes me afraid, which
makes me fight even harder so I don't die. >
Giles was silent in her head. She could feel his worry and
wondered if he reacted this way each time she was on patrol.
< Giles? >
< Yes, Buffy? >
< Thank you. >
< For what? >
< For caring. >
< I've always cared, Buffy. My greatest fear is losing
you. It always has been, > Giles said.
*****
"Well, it's obvious that our links are very
strong," Giles said to Buffy the next morning before school.
Buffy had arrived very early in order to have smoochie time with
the object of her affection. After re-straightening themselves,
the two lover's were sitting in the library office, waiting for
school to begin.
"You know, I really love this...whatever, between
us," Buffy said. "I was wondering if you could, like,
feel me in your mind. When I'm not talking to you, that is."
Giles smiled and took her hand. "Yes, I do. It is
almost as if you are sitting in the room with me, even when you
are not."
"That's exactly what I feel!" Buffy exclaimed.
The bell rang and Buffy stood, smiling. "I'm off to class.
See you later." She bent and kissed him on the cheek.
"Love you."
"I love you, too," Giles said softly in response.
Buffy grinned and bounced out of his office.
Buffy entered her second period class and slid into a seat.
*Only one more class until I can see Giles,* she thought to
herself as the bell rang.
The teacher began to lecture and Buffy let her mind drift.
She thought about all that had occurred the past few days and how
much her life had changed.
< Buffy, pay attention in class, > Giles' voice said
to her. < The images you are sending to me are not conductive
to accomplishing my work. >
< Oops! Sorry, > Buffy told him. < I didn't do it
on purpose. I was just daydreaming. >
< Why don't you take notes? >
< It's boring, Giles, > Buffy whined. < Who cares
about whether or not cows have four stomachs. >
< The cow probably cares, > Giles responded with dry
humor.
Buffy snorted and the class looked at her. "Ms.
Summers, is there something funny?"
"Um...no, Mr. Davis?"
"I would appreciate it if you would pay attention,
rather than whatever it is you are doing," Mr. Davis
admonished
"Yes, sir. Sorry," Buffy said, sinking into her
seat. Her classmates chuckled at her discomfort.
< Thanks a lot, Giles! >
< What did I do? > Giles asked. He had felt her
embarrassment and knew that she had gotten caught communicating
with him.
< You made me get in trouble! > Buffy said.
< I apologize, > Giles said. He clearly didn't mean
it.
Buffy sent Giles an image of her throwing him off a cliff.
*****
"Hi guys!" Buffy called to her friends in the
hallway.
"Buffster!" Xander exclaimed, throwing an arm
around his bud. "How goes the slaying?"
"A little louder, Xander," Buffy said as they
walked towards the library. "I don't think the people in
Kansas heard you."
"Didn't you know? There's a giant billboard
proclaiming that you are the Chosen One in Topeka," Xander
said.
The four friends entered the library and flung their bags
onto the table. Willow immediately went to the computer and began
surfing the net. Xander and Cordelia started to argue, as usual,
and Buffy dug through her bag for a nail file.
< Honey, I'm home! > Buffy called out to Giles.
"Oh good, you're here," Giles said, exiting his
office with one of his many volumes in hand. "We have a
slight problem."
"What is it this time? Cows with only three
stomachs?" Buffy said with a satirical brow raised.
"What? Er...no," Giles said, looking up at her.
He paused, catching the joke. "Very funny," he said
sarcastically.
"Did I miss something?" Xander asked.
"Inside joke, Xand," Buffy responded. "Very
inside."
Giles cleared his throat. "If I may?"
The four looked expectantly at him. "Thank you. Like I
said, we have a slight problem. According to this reference,
something is returning to Sunnydale from Buffy's past."
"Do you know what?" Willow asked.
"No. The wording is too vague. It does not even say if
it is friend or foe, whatever it may be," Giles said.
"Looks like it's research time," Xander said.
"Yeah, but what do we research?" Cordelia asked.
"I suggest we start by listing as many things from
Buffy's past that we can think of, including Lothos and your old
friends in Los Angeles," Giles instructed.
Third period ended and Giles received four separate lists
to be combined into one chronologically and to be referenced with
what he had recorded in his Watcher diaries.
The interim list was rather long, seeing it included both
friends and enemies, and took Giles until school ended to compile
it.
Giles passed around a copy to the Scooby Gang. "Is
there anyone you can think of that we are missing?"
"No," each friend said in turn as they looked at
the list.
"So, what's our plan of attack, Giles?" Buffy
asked, going over the list again and again with her eyes.
"Be prepared for anything is the only advice I can
give you," Giles said. He looked worriedly at her. <
Please, be careful. >
< I will. I always am. >
Buffy sat in the cemetery with the Slayerettes. They had
formed an impromptu party in order to watch Buffy's back for the
mysterious thing from her past.
"Next time, we bring Cheesy Chips," Xander said from
the ground. He was laying with his head in Cordelia's lap.
"Is food all you ever think about?" Cordelia asked
her boyfriend.
"Fifty percent of the time. The other fifty is spent
thinking about sex," Xander responded, popping a piece of
candy into his mouth.
"Xander!" Willow said, blushing. Oz smiled sweetly
at her. They were sitting cuddled together against the cool night
air.
< How are things? > Giles said to her from the library.
He was still researching for any more specific details he could
find.
< Pretty dead, no pun intended, > Buffy answered him.
Her friends continued to talk around her.
< That's good, > Giles responded.
< Did you know, you don't ever stutter in here. >
< Do I? I hadn't noticed. >
< I did. But, then again, I notice everything about you.
>
< And I notice everything about you, as well. Including
that cute little mole on your... >
"Earth to Buffy," Cordelia said. Buffy looked at her
blankly. "I asked why you were grinning like an idiot."
"No reason," Buffy said, stifling her grin.
"Just thinking."
"Share with the class, Buffy," Xander said.
"Oh, I don't know. About Giles mostly," Buffy
answered.
"And what about our fearless leader?" Xander asked.
"He's not fearless, Xander," Buffy corrected him.
"He's a normal person, just like us."
"If you call sitting in a cemetery waiting for undead
things normal," Oz said.
"We do," Willow chimed in. "Call that normal, I
mean. Does that make us disturbed?"
"Completely," Buffy said with a off-kilter grin.
"Tweed, however," Cordelia added. "Is
definitely not normal. He probably had tweed boxers."
"He does not," Buffy replied, then quickly covered
her mouth with her hand.
"And how do we know he doesn't wear tweed?" Xander
asked.
"I...uh...that is...," Buffy stammered.
"Spill it, Summers," Willow said.
< I'm sorry, Giles. > Buffy sent the quick thought
before telling what she knew.
"Remember a couple a months ago when Giles wore jeans and
this leather jacket to school?" She said, indicating to the
warm coat around her shoulders. "That afternoon I took him
shopping for clothes. However, before we could go, we had to stop
off at his place to put on some...unmentionables."
< Whatever for? > Giles replied.
"Giles was naked under the jeans?" Willow
asked with wide eyes. "Our Giles?"
"Yes, Will," Buffy said.
"Looks like our stuffy Watcher isn't quite as stuffed as
we thought," Xander said, grinning.
< You can't 'hear' the conversation I'm having with the
gang, can you? >
< No. Only you when you speak directly to me. > Giles
said.
< Good.> "Don't tell him I told you guys,"
Buffy said.
"And let this juicy tidbit go to waste?" Xander
said.
"You can always save it for blackmail," Willow
suggested.
"Willow!" Buffy exclaimed.
"Not that I would ever do that," Willow said.
< Buffy, what did you say? > Giles asked, a warning tone
in his voice.
< Sorry, can't talk... >
*****
The night ended uneventfully. Buffy walked everyone to their
cars and then started on her own way home. She had said goodnight
to her Watcher earlier, wishing she could be in his arms. Sighing
at the thought, Buffy trudged down the street to her house.
Her spider-sense kicked in first. Whirling, she searched the
darkness for the vampire she knew was nearby. "Come on out.
I don't want to play. I'm tired and I have a test tomorrow,"
she called.
Nothing.
She started back the way she came. She saw a flash of movement
to her left and quickly turned. Hidden slightly behind a tree,
she saw him.
Angel.
*****
A wave of intense fear washed over Giles' body as he lay in
bed, reading. He sat up quickly, knocking the tea over in his
haste. < Buffy? > he called. She didn't answer.
Standing, Giles threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. <
Buffy, what's wrong? Where are you? > he tried again. Still,
no answer.
He was uncertain at what to do. He could feel Buffy's emotions
as she experienced them. Gathering his wits about him, he sent a
wave of love and courage to her, hoping that it would help.
Giles grabbed his car keys and wallet and ran out the door. He
drove slowly around Sunnydale, looking for his love, calling to
her. She never answered.
Giles nervously paced in the library. He had tried throughout
the night to contact Buffy, but to no avail. Early this morning,
around dawn, he stopped receiving her emotions through their
empathic link and had almost lost it. He drove directly to
school, not bothering to return home and change out of his jeans
and T-shirt.
"Yo, G-man, what's up?" Xander asked, entering the
library with the Slayerettes.
"Buffy's missing," he answered without preamble. He
was extremely scared, but knew he had to be strong in order to
find Buffy.
"What?" Willow asked, astonished. "But she was
fine last night. She escorted us to our cars and everything
before walking ho...," she trailed off. "Oh no!"
"What do we do, Giles?" Cordelia asked, concerned
for her new friend.
"I don't know," Giles said. "I don't know. If
only she would talk to me, say something, say anything,
dammit!" His voice ended with the loud swear as hit slammed
his fist into the counter.
"Uh, Giles?" Xander said. The others stood staring
at Giles with confused and worried looks on their faces.
Giles didn't hear him. He resumed pacing, his voice
practically shouting. "I know you're alive, I can still feel
you there in my mind, but why won't you say anything? Why am I
getting no emotions from you? Why the bloody hell won't you talk
to me?!"
"I think he's lost it," Cordelia said.
"Cordy, shut-up," Xander admonished. He turned to
Willow. "Will, you're pretty close to him. See if you can
find out what he's yelling about."
Willow nodded and Oz squeezed her hand. She walked slowly over
to the agitated Watcher. "Giles?"
Giles stopped pacing and looked at Willow's worried
expression. He removed his glasses, closed his eyes and rubbed
them. "I'm sorry," he said with a pained voice.
"What did you mean when you said Buffy wouldn't talk to
you?" she asked. "Do you know where she is?"
"No, Willow. I don't," Giles said.
"Then how can she talk to you?"
"Buffy and I are l-linked as it were," Giles started
to explain. "Psychically and empathically."
"When did this happen?" Xander asked.
"Just recently," Giles said. He replaced his glasses
and looked at the loyal group of friends. "It is something
that happens between Slayers and their Watchers once a certain
level of...of intimacy is reached."
"I knew there was something wiggy going on between the
two of you," Xander said. "Wait a minute. What kind of
intimacy?"
"That's not important. What is important is the fact that
Buffy is missing and we need to find her. She could be seriously
hurt, which is why I'm not getting anything from her," Giles
said.
"She's not dead, is she?" Willow asked, scared.
"No. She's still alive, of that I am positive on,"
Giles replied. "But for how long, I do not know."
*****
The Slayerettes attended classes in a daze. They were all
reeling from what Giles had told them, wondering about how close
Buffy and her Watcher had actually come.
"Do you think that they...you know," Willow asked Oz
later in the day.
"From the way Giles was acting, I wouldn't be
surprised," Oz answered her.
"How was he acting?"
"Like a man in love."
Giles couldn't sit still. He tried to do some research, but
after reading the same paragraph over and over, he gave up and
resumed pacing around the small office like a caged tiger.
At precisely 3:03 p.m., Giles felt Buffy. Fear, sadness and
guilt rolled through his system as their empathic link picked
them up.
"Buffy?" Giles said aloud. He was standing in his
office door, not moving so as not to break the link.
"Giles? What is it?" Willow asked from her seat in
front of the computer. The entire gang was there, hopelessly
wondering what to do.
They watched as Giles closed his eyes and balled his fists in
concentration.
< Buffy? Can you hear me? >
< Yes. >
Giles' eyes popped open and he looked around wildly for a
moment, before he slid to the floor in relief.
"Giles!" Willow said running over to the librarian.
"Are you ok?"
"I-it's Buffy. S-she's..."
< Giles. I need you. >
Giles shot to his feet, a bit shaky, then hurried over to the
weapons locker.
"Giles, what's up?" Xander asked, standing as well.
He watched as Giles packed several weapons in a large bag.
"Buffy needs me," Giles answered shortly.
"Where is she? Is she alright?" Xander said.
"She's at the mansion," Giles said. Then he slung
the bag over his shoulder and quickly left.
The Slayerettes stood stunned for a moment, realizing what
they had just witnessed, then took off after the Watcher.
< Are you hurt? > Giles asked Buffy as he ran out of the
school to his car.
< No. Not physically, > Buffy answered him.
< What happened? Why are you at the mansion? I've been so
worried, > Giles said.
< Let's just say that the person from my past has arrived.
>
< Who? >
But Buffy didn't answer him.
"Dammit!" Giles cursed, hitting the steering wheel
with his palm. "Why won't she talk to me!"
He arrived at the mansion in record time. Taking the crossbow
out of the bag, Giles loaded it and stuffed several stakes into
the back pocket of the jeans he was still wearing from the night
before.
Giles had a wild look about him. His hair was sticking up from
the number of times he ran worried fingers through it. The
earring in his ear, which he now always wore, matched his air of
intensity.
Cordelia's car pulled up behind Giles as he closed the trunk.
They hopped out of the car, weapons in hand.
"What are you doing?" Giles said, facing the group.
His features were a combination of fright and fury.
"We're here to help," Xander said, taking a step
closer to Cordelia at Giles' look.
"It wasn't asked for," Giles spat. He spun on his
heels and strode forcefully towards the mansion.
The stunned group followed cautiously, not wanting to get into
Giles path.
*****
Buffy stared at Angel, who was lying on the floor across from
her. She had heard Giles calling her the entire night before, but
she was too frightened and confused to answer.
They had talked most of the night, going to sleep behind the
heavily curtained windows just before dawn. Buffy woke first,
around 3 p.m., and lay watching the sleeping vampire until she
heard Giles voice once again in her mind.
< Buffy? Can you hear me? >
< Yes, > she answered. She could feel his fear and worry
as if it were her own. She watched as Angel stirred in his sleep,
obviously in the grips of a nightmare. Fear, sadness and guilt
flooded her.
< Giles. I need you. >
Such a simple statement, yet rife with layers of meaning and
emotion. She needed the man she had fallen in love with to be
with her, to comfort her, to hold her as she cried for the lost
Angel who had returned from the Hell where she had sent him.
Angel stirred and opened his eyes, looking at the woman who
lay less than three feet from him. She was staring at him with
pain-filled eyes.
"Are you ok?" Angel asked, not moving from his prone
position.
Buffy nodded slightly, one hand tucked under her cheek.
Angel sat up slowly, crossing his legs and tenting his
fingers. "What do we do now?"
"I don't know, Angel," she answered, tears falling
down her face as she sat up. "I don't know."
Angel leaned forward and reached one hand out, wiping the tear
track with his thumb.
< Buffy, I'm here. >
She heard Giles deep voice in her mind and took a deep breath,
letting it out slowly. The love she felt coming from him through
their link was practically radiating off her body.
Angel watched as Buffy's eyes dilated and she slightly cocked
her head, as if she were listening to someone. "Buffy?"
Buffy opened her mouth to say something when the curtain at
the back of the hall moved.
Giles strode into the mansion, crossbow at ready, searching
for his love. His step faltered when he saw her sitting on the
floor across from... "Angel!"
Angel quickly turned his head towards the Watcher and winced
as the memories of what he did to the man came forth. He was
surprised to see the way Giles was dressed. The way Giles
clenched the crossbow caused his muscles to bunch under the
T-shirt, straining the material. The earring combined with the
glasses gave him an edge that made Angel very fearful. This was
not a man to mess with.
Giles pointed the weapon at the vampire and glanced at Buffy,
taking in her haggard, tear streaked appearance. < Are you
alright? >
"Yes. Well, sort of," Buffy answered. She looked
back at Angel. "Not really."
Angel turned back to his former love as she spoke, not
understanding. He saw her eyes dilate again, her head still
cocked slightly to the left.
< What would you like me to do? > Giles asked silently.
< Hold me. >
Giles nodded and approached cautiously, keeping Angel in his
sights.
Angel looked back at the Watcher and saw that his eyes were
dilated as well.
< You can lower the crossbow, > Buffy told him as he
made his way to her.
< But... >
"Please, Giles," she said in a rough, choked up
voice.
Angel watched as Giles lowered the crossbow and held out a
hand to Buffy. She took it and was pulled to her feet into the
Watcher's waiting embrace. Buffy started to cry.
Giles was glaring at Angel as he comforted the small woman in
his arms. His hatred must have been emanating from him because
Buffy shook her head against his chest. "No, Giles. It
wasn't his fault."
"But he..."
"No, he didn't. It was the demon. And if anyone is to
blame, it is me," Buffy said, sniffing.
Giles looked down in surprise at Buffy. He had thought they
had moved passed the blaming stage. "No, it wasn't your
fault, you didn't know."
< Just like it isn't Angel's fault, > Buffy said softly.
Giles let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding.
"You're right," he said, letting the crossbow fall to
the floor in order to hold Buffy against him. "It's time to
let it go."
Angel watched the whole exchange with curious eyes. *It was
almost as if Buffy and Giles were speaking to each other without
using their voices,* he thought. *And if that's the case, then
they have attained an unbreakable bond that rarely forms between
the Slayer and her Watcher.*
The Slayerettes walked slowly through the curtains after
observing what had just taken place. "Angel?" Willow
said quietly, hiding behind Oz.
Angel smiled slightly at the red-head. "Yes, Willow. It's
me. Thank you."
Willow smiled brightly and clapped her hands. "I knew it
would work! I'm only sorry that Buffy had to send you to
Hell...oh! Oh!" She covered her mouth. "I'm
sorry."
"It's ok, Willow," Angel said, standing.
Xander was glaring furiously at the vampire. "I can't
believe you kidnapped Buffy, dead boy."
"I didn't," Angel said.
"Xander, Angel didn't do anything. I chose to go with
him," Buffy said.
"Why? Giles was frantic. So was I. So was everyone
else!" Xander spit out. "I can't believe you still want
to see him. After what he did."
< Giles, > Buffy's sob filled voice entered his mind.
She hugged Giles to her tighter.
"Xander, that's enough!" Giles snapped at the boy.
"We've had plenty to deal with today without your
comments."
"I'll say we had plenty to deal with!" Xander
yelled. "First, Buffy's missing. Then you start wiggin out,
showing up to school dressed like that again, screaming about
Buffy not talking to you. Then we find out that you two were
intimate," he said the word like it was the vilest thing
on Earth. "Which caused a psychic link between the two of
you."
"Xander," Cordelia said, trying to calm her
boyfriend.
"Then after school, you take off and we follow you here,
where you rip us a new one before storming away. Finally, to top
it all off, Angel is back!"
The group stood in stunned silence at Xander's outburst. Buffy
was crying into Giles' shirt. Giles was glaring at Xander in
anger for being inconsiderate of Buffy's feelings. The others
were staring back and forth between Xander and the trio across
the room.
"I'm sorry."
Buffy's quiet voice broke the silence. She turned around and
faced Xander, leaning her back against Giles' chest, his arms
protectively around her waist. "I just...I needed...it
wasn't..."
< I'm here, love, > Giles said to her. < I'm right
here. >
Buffy nodded slightly. "I needed to have time alone with
Angel. To forgive. To apologize. To finally heal."
Xander closed his eye and took a deep breath. When he opened
them again, he apologized. "I'm sorry, too, Buffy. We were
just scared for you, that's all."
Buffy smiled slightly at him. "Thank you, Xander."
"And it's ok if you have something going with the
G-man," he continued. "He's a great guy, although
sometimes he can be so stuffy, you could make an easy chair out
of him."
The group broke out in laughter, dissolving the tension. They
began to ask Buffy and Giles questions about their bond, which
they answered, leaving out the more personal details.
Angel stood silently with the group. Buffy looked over to him
and smiled, gesturing with her head towards the back rooms,
giving him permission to leave if he desired.
Angel nodded and faded from quietly from sight.
< Sweetheart? What's wrong? > Giles asked when he felt
her sigh.
< Angel's gone. I have a feeling I won't be seeing him
again. > Buffy answered.
< Is that ok with you? >
< It has to be. That part of my life is officially over.
It's time for me to move on. >
< And I'll be at your side, where ever you may go. >
