Prologue

Buffy glanced out at the crater formerly named Sunnydale with a small smile. Finally she felt at peace. She was exhausted, but despite aching wounds and bruises, she was finally at peace. She closed her eyes and drew in a big breath. Thank god it was finally over. She was no longer the Chosen One, she was now one among many.

"Feels pretty good huh?"

Buffy smiled as she heard Willow's voice. "Yeah, it really does. Despite our losses today, it really does."

Willow hugged her tight. "Imagine that Buffy," she whispered, "you're now just an ordinary girl."

Buffy grinned, hugged Willow back, once again reminded why Willow was her closest friend. She should have known her best friend would know how she felt.

"Yeah, imagine that," she whispered.

Willow let go of her. "So, what now Buffy?"

Buffy glanced over at her battered warriors huddled together, talking excitedly to each other. There was no doubt there would be an emotional aftermath after this. Especially for Xander, but she also knew it would be all right. They would all heal. She caught Dawn's eye, and gave her a smile. Dawn waved back then returned to talking to Andrew.

Buffy looked back at Willow. "First, I am going to sleep for two days straight. Make sure Xander is ok, and then I was thinking about taking Dawn to see dad. She needs him now."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, sounds like a good idea. You're not staying?"

Buffy's eyes sparkled and she gave Willow a smile. "No. I'm going to go find Giles."

Willow's eyes misted and she hugged her friend with a loud squeal. Buffy laughed and hugged her back.

Willow knew how much it had hurt her when Giles was deported by the Council over two years ago. It had been one of Buffy's worst days in memory, and she shuddered as she remembered the day they had all followed him to the airport. She'd resolved she wouldn't cry as soon as she'd gotten the fateful news from Giles that the Council had made sure to revoke his green card. She had hung on to a last shred of hope that they would found a way out or that she would wake up from what seemed like an awful nightmare. But when she was the last one to get her goodbye at LAX airport, she had crumbled.

A pain so much fiercer than any physical wound had caused tears to spring from her eyes when Giles had turned to her and looked at her with sad eyes as the final boarding call was announced to take him away from her.

Giles stepped close to her and brushed the tears from her cheek with his thumbs as he cradled her cheek in his hands. "Tears? Not on my watch" he whispered in a broken voice.

Buffy threw herself at him and buried her face in his shirt as sobs made her back shake. "Don't leave me, Giles. I can't do this without you."

Giles embraced her fiercely. "Yes, you can Buffy. You are the strongest woman I know."

Buffy vehemently shook her head and tightened her hold. "Please don't leave me."

Tears had formed in Giles eyes, and he had kissed the top of her head. "I promise to both call and write. I won't have left you."

Buffy pulled back and looked at him with a tear stained face. "But you won't be here."

Giles closed his eyes and swallowed hard a few times. He opened them, and then lightly tapped her chest. "I'll be right here Buffy, just as you will be in mine." He placed her hand on his chest above his heart, covering her hand with his.

Buffy frowned and spoke in a shaky voice. "It's a pretty poor substitute."

Giles pulled her back into his arm and whispered in her ear. "Yes, it is."

Last boarding was called again, and Giles tried to let her go, but Buffy clung to him. "I love you, Giles." She whispered fiercely.

Giles kissed her cheek, the side of his mouth briefly touching hers. "And I you, my love."

He kissed her forehead, and then managed to extract himself. He gave Buffy a last long glance as he gave his boarding card. She was clinging to Willow, and tears were coursing down her cheeks.

With a last smile he turned around and disappeared through the doors. It was the last time she saw him.

They had stayed in touch as he had promised, but when she died fighting Glory, Giles had cut his ties with the rest of them. He had written a letter to Willow explaining how hard he had taken her death and that he needed time to heal. They had never heard from him again.

When Buffy returned, she had tried to contact him, but he was nowhere to be found. He had moved and had left no forwarding address or phone number. Buffy had been inconsolable when they were unable to locate him, and until this day she had never stopped thinking about him.

Willow jumped up and down excitedly, but then sobered. "Not to rain on your parade, Buffy, but how are you going to be able to find him? He could be anywhere."

"Yeah I know, but if I have to search the entire earth for him, I will. It's not like I have anything but time now."

Willow laughed. "True." She wrapped her arm around Buffy's and they headed towards the others. "So where are you going to start? I mean, the world's a pretty big place."

Buffy grinned. "Where else? England."

Chapter 1

Buffy's heart beat furiously as she stood outside the Louvre, wiling her hands to stop shaking by taking deep breaths. She couldn't believe it. She had finally found him. It had taken longer than she had expected, but she had needed to be there for Xander, and when she left for her dad's with Dawn she had ended up staying there until she got everything settled for her trip. Her father had given her a large financial contribution, which helped tremendously.

Finally, she had taken a plane to England, to start looking in Giles' home country. She had started out in Bath, where one of his old neighbors believed she could recall Giles saying something about the British museum. She had spent a few days in his home city, soaking in every building, street and park she imagined Giles had been.

Then she had taken the train to London, where she had called the British museum merely to find out that there was no Rupert Giles working there. She had spent several days visiting every museum in town and called every R. Giles she could find in the phone book. But, still no luck.

In sheer desperation she had decide to pay the British Museum a visit. The information desk had been rather frustrated as they had tried to explain to her over and over that they knew no Rupert Giles.

Buffy was devastated until luck had struck. The director of the museum had passed and heard their conversation. It turned out he used to be a very close friend of Giles when they had both worked there years ago, and they still kept in touch now.

Five days later, she found herself outside the Louvre in France, where Giles had a position as curator. She had been outside for an hour now. Working up the nerve to give him the shock of the year.

She straightened her skirt nervously and then headed towards the main entrance. It took some time to find out where the administration wing was, but eventually she was standing in a large reception hall, waiting patiently for the receptionist to get off the phone.

After what seemed forever the girl turned to her. "Mademoiselle, Puis-je vous aider?

Buffy swallowed nervously. "Um, I am here to see Rupert Giles."

The woman nodded and responded in broken English. "Do you have an appointment?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, but I am friend of his."

The woman looked at her critically. "Monsieur Giles is a very busy man. You need an appointment to see him."

Buffy's face fell. "Please, can't you just tell him I am here? I am sure he would see me."

The receptionist frowned. "He is in a meeting right now, but if you can take a seat he should be by shortly."

Buffy gave her a nervous smile and took a seat on a nearby couch. Her hands were shaking so badly now that she grabbed a hold of a magazine to keep them busy. The minutes passed so slowly she was pretty sure she would pass out. Every time she heard foot-steps coming down the hall she would look up expectantly, but he didn't show.

Half an hour later she was about ready to scream from nervousness, but she heard the chatter of some men coming from around the corner from where she was sitting.

They were speaking in French, but her heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she recognized the voice of her Watcher. Time seemed to stand still, and she lost her breath when he came around the corner. He was looking at some documents in his hand and barely glanced at her as he passed her.

He continued a few more steps as Buffy's stomach fell, and then he stopped abruptly, causing the other man to bump into him. Buffy rose slowly, knowing that this moment would be forever branded into her memory.

The man he was with looked at him with a question mark on his face, then followed his gaze as Giles turned around and met Buffy's nervous look.

He didn't move or speak, just looked at her with wide eyes. The other man kept switching between looking at the two of them. Buffy swallowed and walked slowly towards Giles, trying to smile. He just kept staring at her.

Finally she was right in front of him, close enough to touch. She brought a shaky hand up to his cheek and stroked it slowly.

"Hey Giles" she whispered.

Giles looked like he had seen a ghost, and she quickly realized, that to him she probably was.

"You're not seeing things," she said. "It's really me."

Her hand was still resting on his cheek, and she closed her eyes when his own came up and rested on top of the hand that was touching him.

"Oh my god." he whispered.

Buffy's eyes were now threatening to overflow with happy tears, and when she blinked they trailed down her cheek. "Don't you mean dear lord?" she almost sobbed out.

The next ting she knew she found herself in a crushing embrace, surrounded by the oh so familiar scent of a man she had dreamt of for years.

Chapter 2

The feeling of being in his arms surpassed every fantasy she had ever had about this moment. His hold was just as tight, until he suddenly pushed her away and checked her up and down frantically.

Buffy looked at him with a worried frown, until his hand shot up to touch her neck. He brushed her hair away, and laid his hand against her pulse with wide eyes. Buffy laughed breathlessly and launched herself back into his chest with a soggy chuckle. "It's daytime silly, and I'm in France."

Giles laughed as well and squeezed her tight. "Yes, well, I am not thinking clearly right now."

Buffy laughed again and only tightened her hold.

"Ah, Rupert, care to introduce us to your ah, friend?" Came a soft-spoken voice close to them.

Giles pulled away and suddenly realized he had completely forgotten he was standing in the middle of the reception area, with several onlookers. He blushed, and tucked one arm around Buffy as he introduced her to his colleague.

"Pierre, this is Buffy Summers. My, ah, friend from when I worked in the US. Buffy, this is Pierre Badeau, my right hand man here at the museum."

Buffy laughed and swiped some errant tears away from her cheek before shaking hands with Pierre. "Hi, sorry about that. Been a long time since I have seen this man."

Pierre grinned. "So I gathered."

Giles kept looking at her with awe in his eyes, and Buffy found herself incapable of tearing her gaze away from him. He hadn't changed one bit. Oh, sure, there were a few more lines on his face and a few more streaks of grey hair by his ear. Without realizing her hand traveled to his cheek again, and she stroked his skin. Giles smiled and kissed her softly on the cheek.

"Come with me, I'll take you to my office." He turned to Pierre. "We can talk tomorrow, alright? I have some rather pressing matters to attend to" he said with a smile and looked back at Buffy.

Pierre raised his hands in front of his chest and walked away. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't dare to intervene here."

Giles thanked him and tightened his hold on Buffy as he steered her down the hall. "This way."

He kept looking at her as they walked, and Buffy felt happier than she had in years. They finally reached his door, and he let her go in front of him as they entered. When he closed the door, they stood looking at each other nervously for a few seconds until Giles stepped closer. He touched first her cheek and then ran his hand down her hair.

"Oh God, Buffy." He hugged her again. "You're alive. You're here."

Buffy hugged him back and closed her eyes.

"And you are still …. remarkably strong" he croaked as she squeezed him a little too tight.

"Huh? Oh." Buffy let go and blushed. "Sorry."

Giles only shook his head as he looked at her with a disbelieving smile. "It's, uh ... you're ... " he trailed off.

Buffy grinned impishly. "A miracle?"

Giles smiled and then sobered and said softly. "Yes. But then, I always thought so."

Buffy closed her eyes and stepped back into his arms. "God, I have missed you so much Giles."

"And I you, love" Giles whispered, and raised his head to look at her. He cupped her cheek and leaned slowly forward. Buffy's breath caught, and she held her breath in anticipation. As he closed in she could vividly remember the feelings she'd developed for him over two years ago. And the sensations he was causing in her now, she realized they had never fully disappeared. They had merely been dormant, cloaked by her grief for the loss of him.

When he brushed his lips against her cheek, she almost groaned out loud in disappointment. His lips lingered on her skin, and Buffy yearned for them to be elsewhere. She looked down as he stepped away, but then shrugged. Things had changed, and she was not about to risk losing him by making inappropriate declarations of love. She was here with him now, that was all that mattered. It had to be enough.

He squeezed her shoulder quickly, and then gestured for her to take a seat on the couch against the wall.

"Come, sit down, we have quite a lot of catching up to do."

Chapter 3

Giles watched Buffy make herself comfortable on his couch with a furiously beating heart. He was tempted to pinch himself just to make sure he wasn't dreaming. He could not believe that the woman in front of him, who he had dreamed of and grieved over, was alive.

When Willow had called him and sobbingly told him about Buffy's death, his world had fallen apart. For the second time in his life, he had lost another woman he had cared for. No, that wasn't right. He had cared greatly for Jenny, but it was Buffy he had been deeply in love with.

It had come rather as a surprise when he had finally been able to figure out the feelings he'd developed for her. When she asked him to be her Watcher again he hadn't even thought twice about saying yes. That was when he realized why he did so. He had fallen in love with his Slayer.

Little did he know what the Council was plotting against them. Before he had time to even consider doing something about his feelings, he was taken away from her. The tearful goodbye at the airport was one of the most painful days he could ever remember of his entire life. Next to the day he was told she had been ripped from the earth. His heart had shattered and he had pulled up his roots, left his life behind him and never looked back. It was too painful to be around any reminder of her.

"Giles?"

His thoughts were interrupted by Buffy's soft-spoken voice, and he realized he was still standing in the middle of the office, staring at her. He smiled, amazed once again she was really there.

He sat down close to her, and grabbed a hold of her hand. He needed to touch her, to make sure she was really there. He hoped he'd never have to let go of it ever again. He glanced nervously at her. Him touching her this way might be little too close for comfort for her. He realized they had touched more today than they had in the five years they had known each other.

Luckily Buffy only laced her fingers with his and gave him a smile. She curled her feet up beneath her and leaned into his shoulder. "So, ready to hear what you've been missing out on? I'm warning you, it's pretty awful."

Giles released his hold on her hand and draped it over her shoulder instead. His free hand grabbed her fingers that had fisted in his shirt. "I'm ready." He whispered.

Giles listened in disbelief as Buffy told him of the events since he had left. He held her in his arms as she relived the loss of her mother, her resurrection and Willow's magic addiction. Her job at Double Meat Palace, Spike, the potentials, the destruction of the Council, Caleb, The First Evil and the bringers, and the destruction of Sunnydale. Her breakdown came when she told him about the loss of Anya. The emotions seemed to pour out of her, and Giles held her tightly against his chest, while murmuring words of comfort in her ear. The walls she had built since her calling came crumbling down fast and hard.

Dusk fell on the city, and hours had passed, when she finally quieted. He rested his head on the top of her crown while he kept stroking her hair. He suspected the emotional breakdown had left her exhausted, and was reluctant to make her get up right now, but he wanted her lying down in a comfortable bed to get some real rest. He kissed the top of her head.

"Buffy?" he murmured.

"Mm?" she responded in a sleepy voice.

"Let me take you home. You need some rest."

Buffy struggled to sit up, and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. "Yeah you're probably right."

She yawned and looked at him. "Sorry about all of this. I just..." she trailed off.

Giles rose, helped her up and hugged her. "Buffy, there's no need to apologize. I am just so sorry you had to go through this." He closed his eyes and said in a shaky voice. "God, if I had just been there, I-"

Buffy placed her hand on her cheek. "No, Giles, don't think like that. Probably nothing would have changed. Don't you dare blame yourself for this."

Giles nodded without much enthusiasm. "Alright, come on let's get you out of here."

Buffy stretched. "God, my hotel bed sounds pretty damn good by now."

Giles stopped in the middle of grabbing his briefcase from the floor. "Hotel? You're not staying at some hotel. You are coming home with me."

He cringed as soon as the words were out. That was rather presumptions of him, but he was reluctant to let her out of his sight for even a second.

His fears were calmed when Buffy's face lit up in a shining smile. "Really? I can stay with you?"

He grabbed her hand and brought her out of his office as he spoke. "Wouldn't want it any other way."

Giles hailed a cab outside the museum and told the driver the name of Buffy's hotel so they could retrieve her luggage. In no time they had gathered her things and were heading toward his apartment. Buffy fell asleep against his shoulder on the way there and Giles had the driver help him up with her luggage as he carried Buffy inside.

He laid her gently down on his bed, so he could pay the cab driver, figuring he could take the couch for remainder of her stay. He dreaded asking her how long she was staying. He wanted to cling to this dream come true as long as he could.

He returned shortly and approached the bed. She was asleep, and he could see the fatigue on her face. He thought about getting her out of her clothes, but he wasn't sure how she would feel about that. Considering the feelings she had provoked in him in a few short hours, he would avoid that. He merely removed her sandals, and tucked the sheet around her.

Still he was not able to resist placing a loving kiss on her forehead, reveling in the fact that the woman he had never stopped loving was alive and tucked into his bed. With a smile, he turned from her and shut off the light on the night table. He was just about to close the bedroom door behind him when he heard her speak.

"Giles?"

"Yes, Buffy?" he responded softly.

"Can you please stay with me?" she asked in a small voice.

"Of course." He stepped back in and glanced at his chair.

"No, here." Buffy patted the bed.

Giles gave her a long look, and was tempted to turn her down. Lying next to her without being able to touch and kiss her they way he wanted to would be torture. But the hopeful tone of her voice broke down all his defenses, and he walked over to the bed and crawled in next to her, sure to remain on top of the covers. She immediately curled up, and rested her head on his chest, her arm wrapped around his waist. Giles closed his eyes and stroked her back as she fell back asleep.

He took in the feel of her body pressed to his, her warmth and the scent of her hair. Never had he loved a woman as much as her, and he felt his restraints snapping every minute he spent in her company. With a sigh, he stroked her hair until sleep finally claimed him.

He woke hours later when Buffy stirred and got up from the bed. He glanced at the alarm on the night table. It was still the middle of the night. He watched her curiously as she moved around his bedroom. He grinned when she saw her stop by his drawer, wondering what had possessed her to go snooping in his bedroom at 3 am.

His eye brow rose when she started opening his dresser drawers, and he was just about to ask her what she thought she was doing when she pulled out one of his undershirts and held it up to her face. He went speechless as he watched her take deep breath of his shirt, and he was afraid his heart would stop as he watched her place it on his dresser and start to get undressed with her back to him.

The moonlight caressed her skin as it revealed her removing layer upon layer. She was the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen, and although he knew he should tear his gaze from her when she was clad only her underwear, he found himself incapable of doing so. He almost groaned in disappointment when she pulled his undershirt on, and had to will himself to stay still.

He was taken off guard when she suddenly turned, and their gaze locked. It was too late to pretend he hadn't been watching her, but instead of getting mad, she only blushed and tugged the shirt nervously. "Sorry, I just needed something to sleep in. I hope it's alright?"

Giles tried to respond, but had to clear his throat before he was able to. "Of course." His voice came out husky and much lower than he had intended.

Buffy ducked her head and then walked back to the bed. She climbed back in and looked at him critically. "Giles, you're wearing an awful lot of clothes. You won't shock me if you lose some of them, you know?"

He looked down at himself. "No, no, I'm fine."

"Giles." The amused tone in her voice made him look back at her. She was grinning. "Strip."

Giles was unable to hold back a chuckle and rose from the bed. "If you insist."

He was slightly unnerved as she watched him, but figured he had done the same to her; it was only fair. He stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and then crawled back onto the bed. His eyes widened as she held up the comforter for him, indicating he should get underneath the blankets with her. He lay down, and once again he found Buffy flush against him in her previous position. She giggled into his chest, and he smiled.

"What are you giggling about?"

Buffy stroked his chest. "We match."

Giles chuckled. His hand covered hers and he laced their fingers together. "We certainly do."

Chapter 4

Buffy woke up the next morning to the blaring of an alarm clock. She would have turned it off, but she was held so tightly against Giles's chest she couldn't have moved an inch if she wanted to. Luckily, his arm shot out and he turned the offending noise off.

He rubbed her back and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before climbing out of bed. Buffy tried to quench the disappointment that he was getting up, but she knew he had a job and was a busy man. She rolled over onto her stomach, placed her hands under her chin on the pillow and sighed. Responsibility sucked.

Just as she was about to doze off she heard Giles come back into the room, and there was a flutter in her stomach as she sensed him crawling across the bed towards her. A gust of air brushed against her body as he lifted the comforter and settled himself under it with her. He built a nice warm cocoon around them, brought his chest flush against her side and laid his hand on her back, stroking softly with long slow sweeps.

Buffy grinned and turned her head around to meet his smiling face.

"Good morning," he murmured in a deep voice that made her shiver. "Slept well?"

Buffy nodded happily. "Yes, I did. And good morning to you too. Did you?"

Giles's smile softened. He let his eyes follow his hand as it brushed some hair from her face. "Very." He answered in that same low voice. "As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time I slept as well as I did last night." He grinned and let his finger trail down her cheek as his eyes met hers. "Must have been the company."

Buffy beamed and rolled on her side so she was facing him. His hand on her back slipped to her waist, his fingers brushing against her naked skin, where her shirt had risen. Their gazes locked, and Buffy completely forgot what she was about to say.

Her hand came up to rest against his chest, and a heady tension filled the space between their bodies. His eyes were burning with an intensity she'd never seen before, and she suspected her eyes matched his, if her heart had any say in the matter.

She felt incapable of hiding her feelings for him anymore, and the way he was looking at her clearly said he felt something about her, too. Several moments passed as they seemed to have a silent conversation. Both searched and finally found what they needed.

She held back a gasp when she felt his leg brush against hers, and fisted her hand in his shirt when he started slipping his leg between hers while simultaneously pulling her closer to his body. Her body temperature seemed to have risen several degrees, and she leaned her forehead against his as his strong thigh placed itself between hers.

Her eyes opened when she felt the brush of his hand against her cheek, and she met his heavy lidded gaze. His pupils were dilated and his green eyes darkened when they met hers. Her breathing became shallow when he brushed her lower lip with his thumb, making sure to keep eye contact as he caressed her softly. Her lips parted and he closed his eyes with a low moan when her tongue brushed against the pad of his thumb.

Buffy inched closer to him, and brushed against the proof of his desire. His eyes opened, and the heat in his gaze almost melted her on the spot. He pulled her flush against him and rolled her on her back, laying half on top of her. Slowly he leaned his head towards her neck, and she shuddered as she felt his breath against her skin before his lips grazed her neckline. Her hand tangled in his hair and she pressed his lips more firmly against her neck.

He parted his lips and let his tongue brush against her skin. She wasn't able to hold back a whimper. Oh god, who is this man? She thought to herself, Never had she expected herself to ever be in such an intimate situation with him. Except maybe in her dreams. Had he not looked and smelled like her Watcher, she would have suspected she'd woken up in a stranger's bed.

The painful realization he wasn't actually her Watcher anymore, and hadn't been for several years, made her eyes snap open. She tightened her arms desperately around him as painful memories of his disappearance surfaced.

His kisses stopped and he raised his head and looked at her in question. "Buffy? Are you alright?"

She hated for this moment to end, but she needed to know. "Giles?" she whispered. "Where have you been all these years? Why did you disappear?" Her hand stroked his chin, and tears gathered in her eyes. "I've looked for you for so long."

Giles closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. He drew a deep breath. When he didn't answer, she pressed on. "Why did you cut yourself off from the others?" Her voice broke. "I couldn't find you when I got back, and nobody knew where you were."

He sighed and hugged her close before lifting himself off her. For a second, Buffy was worried he was going to leave, but he lay next to her and pulled her close. He rested his head on the pillow next to her. His eyes were pained and his voice shook slightly when he spoke. "When you died…"

He trailed off, closed his eyes and swallowed, before opening them again. Buffy's heart ached when she saw the moisture in his, and she stroked his chest encouragingly. Giles covered her hand with his and let his thumb stroke back and forth. "The latter part of my life, Buffy, has revolved around you. You went from being my charge to . . . someone I cared deeply for. And when you died, my whole life fall apart."

Buffy listened with wide eyes, stunned that he put words to the way she'd felt when she came back and he was nowhere to be found.

Giles' voice dropped to a whisper as he continued. "I blamed myself for your death, because I wasn't there." Buffy started shaking her head, but he stroked her cheek to keep her from speaking. Buffy gave in and stayed silent. She suspected he needed to say this.

"But the worst came just a few days after your death. I realized I blamed the others since they were there. I was shocked by my own emotions. I had become a broken shell of the man I used to be. So I broke contact, asked them for time. But, even with time, I couldn't go on the way I had. I was haunted by the memories of you. Somehow everywhere I looked I would see, smell or hear something that reminded me of you."

Buffy swiped a tear from his cheek, and Giles attempted to smile wryly and failed badly. "How was I supposed to know that you are one woman who is incredibly hard to forget?"

Buffy, whose own eyes had misted up, laughed soggily and snuggled into his neck. She held him tight to ease both their pain.

Giles held her back and kissed the top of her head before continuing. "I left, traveled the world. I tried to keep myself busy, tried to erase my memory of you, but all I felt was emptiness. A never-ending emptiness. And the memory of you haunted me. Still has. Until yesterday."

He tightened his hold on her and whispered, "Oh god, Buffy."

Buffy stroked his hair as she whispered soothingly into his ear. "It's alright Giles, Shh, it's alright. I am here now. We both are."

Several minutes passed until he got a hold of himself. He wiped his cheeks, where the silent tears had fallen, and continued speaking. "Before I knew it, a year had passed since I'd spoken to them, and I felt so awful for doing what I did to them. Leaving them behind like that."

Buffy stroked his back soothingly. "You're only human Giles."

Giles laughed cheerlessly and whispered. "And even more so when it comes to you, dear. I lost all rational thought, and when it came back to me, I felt it was too late. Didn't want to disappoint them anymore."

He pulled her tighter and Buffy slipped her hand beneath his shirt to stroke his chest. "They've only said good things about you, Giles. They've been sad, but never angry at you for disappearing."

Giles was too choked to speak and just kissed her hair again. When he felt he had control of his emotions again he pulled back and looked at her. "By the way, do they know you found me?"

Buffy felt relieved that the painful conversation was over and raised herself on her elbow. "Yeah, I called them yesterday. All of them send you their love." Giles smiled when he heard that.

She stroked his cheek. "I do understand your actions, Giles. I really do. When I couldn't find you, I was devastated, and was ready to shake heaven and earth to deal with my feelings. But real life kicked in and I just had to run to keep up with it. There was no time for anything else."

Her voice dropped into a whisper. "But I want to tell you something. When it was over, the first thing I thought about was you. I told Willow I would search the earth for you." She laughed breathlessly. "Thank god it didn't take me that long."

Giles laughed as well, a little shakily, and pulled her tightly against his chest. "Yes, thank god. I'm not sure how many days I would have managed more without you."

Buffy squeezed him and stroked his chest with soft tender strokes. They stayed like, resting in each others arms for a while, until Giles spoke again. "How did you find me Buffy?"

Buffy laughed. "Well first I went to Bath, and your old neighbor tipped me off to the British Museum. But they claimed they'd never heard of you when I called and asked about you."

Giles nodded. "It's been a long time since I worked there."

"So I literally searched everywhere in London for you." Buffy grinned. "Looked up every R Giles in the phonebook and stopped by every museum. Finally, I went to the British Museum in person and tried again. Still no luck. But then your old buddy Ashton Hirschfield swung by and gave me your location."

"Ashton you say?" Giles laughed and pulled her close. "He called me the day before you arrived. He actually got me the job at the Louvre, but we hadn't spoken in months. And usually he calls me because of business -- never to chat. But the other day when he called he was acting very strange. Wondering if I were busy and had I had a visitor lately. Now it all makes sense."

Buffy laughed as well. "Yeah, well, I made him promise not to tell. I wanted to give you a surprise."

Giles chuckled and slipped his hand underneath her shirt to caress her back. "You gave me the shock of my lifetime, you did."

Buffy raised her head. "Was it too much?"

Giles chuckled and stroked her cheek, and brought her head back down to rest on his chest. "It was perfect, love."

Buffy smiled, and realized how exhausted she felt after their talk. The feel of Giles hand stroking her hair soon lulled her to sleep.

Chapter 5

The next time Giles woke, he was alone in bed. For a second he panicked, when he found no trace of Buffy. He worried that her return had all been a dream, but then he found her perfume lingering on his pillow and relaxed. He pressed the pillow close to his face, breathing in deep for a moment, before sitting up.

"Buffy?"

Mere seconds later, he heard footsteps running towards the room, and the next thing he knew he found a very excited Buffy bouncing into bed with him. She was wearing a beautiful sundress, and his heart constricted with pleasure as she threw her arms around him.

"Giles! Finally, you're awake!"

Giles laughed breathlessly and pulled her tight, lost in a true moment of bliss. "You could have just woken me, you know," he murmured into her hair.

"Nah," she shrugged as she pulled back. "You looked like you needed it. Plus, you're awfully cute when you are asleep, did you know that?" She asked with an impish smile.

Giles smiled and stroked a finger down her cheek. "I had no idea."

Buffy grinned and nodded. "Well, you really are. Cute like a bunny."

Giles laughed and tickled her side until she squealed. "Brat."

She grabbed his hand excitedly when he stopped. "Come on, get up, we need to take advantage of your free day!"

Giles glanced at his clock. "Oh dear, it's after noon. We missed breakfast."

Buffy stood, not quite able to stop bouncing. "That's ok, I made a picnic basket. We can eat outside!"

Giles smiled and got up and stretched. "What a lovely idea. I know just the place."

Half an hour later, when they stepped outside of his apartment, Buffy strained to look everywhere around her at once. Giles smiled down at her, and then decided to be a little daring. After what had happened this morning, he felt quite confident about what was brewing between them. He grabbed Buffy's hand and laced it with his.

Buffy smiled up at him and pulled herself closer as they walked down the street, towards the Seine. It was on the way to the park, and at the least, Giles wanted to show her a little bit of Paris before they settled down. The day was sunny and bright, with a nice cool breeze to lessen the heat of the summer as they strolled hand in hand.

As they approached the river, Giles let go of Buffy's hand and placed his arm around her shoulder, smiling as she slipped her own around his waist. He pulled her in front of him as they stopped to enjoy the view by the river, circling her waist and pulling her snug to his front as he explained about all the different buildings in their field of view.

The scent of her was wrecking havoc on his senses, and causally he let his fingers stroke her stomach as he talked. Buffy rested her own hands on his forearms and leaned her head on his chest.

The feel of her in his arms was the most exquisite feeling he had ever had, and he didn't fight the urge to brush his lips against her neck. He heard Buffy's breath catch. When he raised his head, he saw her eyes had closed. He grinned wolfishly, very pleased that he wasn't the only one affected by their closeness.

"Enjoying the view?" He murmured close to her ear.

He had to hold back a chuckle as her eyes snapped open, and he watched the blush rise on her face as she nodded vigorously. "Oh, yeah," she said breathlessly.

He refrained from commenting, just enjoying the blush on her skin, and swore to himself that he'd continue this wonderful play the remainder of the day. He let his lips brush her neck again, and both laughed as her stomach growled.

Giles rubbed her stomach. "Come on, there's a piece of green grass with our name on it."

When they found a nice spot close to a tree, they settled down with the basket between them. Buffy unpacked all kinds of food: a mixture of cheese, fruit, bread and wine.

"I had no idea all of this was in my kitchen."

Buffy grinned. "Well, you didn't have it in your kitchen. I snuck out while you were sleeping and found a deli close by."

Giles looked up from the basket with surprised eyes. "You did? How very sweet of you."

Buffy blushed and busied herself with some bread. "I just wanted to make it nice for us."

"And so you did" Giles murmured and stroked her bare arm. He watched in fascination as goose bumps spread on her skin. "Cold?"

She shook her head and answered breathlessly. "Not at all."

Giles eyes twinkled as they locked with hers. "Good."

Buffy ducked her head and spread some cheese on a piece of loaf. Giles couldn't help but notice how lovely the sun shone on her hair, and was unable to resist tucking a stray strand behind her ear as it fell down in front of her face.

"Thank you" he whispered.

Buffy smiled at him. "Hey, no big. It didn't take me that long."

Giles shook his head. He stroked her cheek and spoke in a low voice. "No, thank you for this. Thank you, for finding me."

Buffy sobered and looked him straight in the eyes. "I'd do anything for you, Giles."

He leaned forward without realizing, bringing his mouth close to hers. "As would I for you, dear."

Buffy's eyes widened and she stared at his lips as they got closer. Giles seriously contemplated kissing her right there and then, but decided to wait. He was enjoying this far too much. He let his lips barely brush the side of hers, and then leaned back, looking anywhere but at her, as he heard what sounded suspiciously like a frustrated sigh coming from her.

He fought to hold back a grin, snapped the piece of bread she was holding, and took a big bite. "Mmm, very good."

Buffy scowled playfully at him, and then hurried to make another one for herself.

When they were sated, Giles leaned back on his arms, stretching his longs legs in front of him. Buffy packed the remaining food back into the basket. When she was done, she placed it out of their way and settled closer to him on the grass. Giles tugged her arm, indicating that she should come closer, and she lay down on her back, resting her head on his thigh, and closed her eyes.

"I'm stuffed" she moaned, and Giles laughed.

He placed a hand on her stomach and stroked it soothingly. Buffy made a content sound. It was far too content for Giles' liking. He decided to up the stakes a bit.

He lifted his hand from her tummy and used the tip of his finger to trace the shape of her face. Buffy smiled and opened her eyes. Giles smiled back at her; the back of his finger stroking the bridge, of her nose, her cheeks, and then lightly tracing her lips. When Buffy parted her lips, a jolt of arousal hit him, and both their smiles froze. Her eyes darkened, and, after a breathless moment, his fingers trailed down her cheek, to her neck. He grew bold and ran his fingers across the skin above her dress.

The hunger in her eyes was mirrored in his. A whimper escaped Buffy's lips as his fingers touched the edge of her chest, and in one thoughtless moment he almost covered her breast. He realized he had forgotten completely where they were, and that anyone could see them.

Just then a splash of water hit Buffy straight in the face, and Giles looked up, realizing a dark cloud was looming over them. The sky opened, and rain poured down as they scrambled to their feet, seeking refugee under a nearby tree.

Giles pressed Buffy back against the trunk, trying to shield them both from the rain.

"Oh, wow, that was close, huh?" Buffy laughed up at him.

Giles grinned and wiped a drop of rain from her cheek. He tried not to look down at her rather damp dress. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I would rather say we were too late."

Buffy wiped her face, and looked up at him with a slightly nervous gaze. "God, I can just imagine. I must look like a drowned cat."

Giles laughed at the absurdity of her comment. "I think you are the loveliest woman I have ever seen."

Buffy stared at him for a second, before she started laughing. "That's the biggest lie I've heard in a long time."

Giles pressed his body closer, his mouth hovering above hers. "It's true. I can think of several ways right now to prove it."

Buffy stared at him, and Giles felt the light moment between them disappear as if someone had laughed out loud in a funeral. Heat filled her beautiful eyes, and Giles slipped one leg between her thighs without realizing exactly what he was doing.

A couple ran past them and broke the moment before it went too far. Giles looked up at the sky with dismay. It didn't seem that it would ever lighten up, and he refused to stand here in the rain, and risk getting Buffy sick. He grinned. He had plans for her later.

When he looked back at her, Buffy was still looking at him with a glazed expression. He smiled softly and cupped her face in his hand, kissing her cheek lightly. "Come on, let's run back and get into some dry clothes." He really wanted to get them out of their wet clothes, and remain that way, but it could wait.

He grabbed Buffy's hand in one of his and the basket with the other and both started running. By the time they reached his apartment, they were drenched to the bone. Giles pushed Buffy in and slammed the door in a hurry, as if he expected the rain to follow them inside. He turned to Buffy with a big smile, but he froze as he saw Buffy's pissed off expression. Meant for him.

Chapter 6

Buffy was pissed. No, she was fuming, and the rain and her soaking clothes had done nothing to cool her down. This cat and mouse game Giles had been playing since this morning had worked her into a sexual frustration and she was very close to screaming.

"What the hell are you trying to do to me!"She ground out between clenched teeth.

Giles' smile froze on his face. He looked like a deer caught in headlights as she exploded.

"Don't give me that look, Giles! You're not stupid, and I know for a fact that you've enjoyed this little game of yours way too much."

Giles was still speechless, and it only fed her anger more.

"Why haven't you kissed me yet? I mean, there've been plenty of opportunities. Many of which you set up yourself, I might add. It's damn frustrating this way! You're setting up rules like. . . .like this relationship is some kind of board game!"

By now, she was prowling his small hall like a caged animal, completely ignoring him as she vented. "I mean, I know you want, and I know you know I want. Damn it, Giles, I even know you know I know you know I want! Jesus Christ, what the hell are you up to? Why are you tormenting me like this? After this morn-"

Suddenly she found herself plastered against the door, with Giles' mouth crushed against hers.

She heard a sound, somewhere between a gasp and a moan, and she realized it came from her.

Her lips shivered and parted, and she met his questing tongue with hers. His hands wrapped themselves around her waist, and a ball of fire gathered in her lower abdomen.

Her hands moved to his chest, and she found muscles hard as a wall beneath his shirt. She raised her hands to his neck, seeking out his skin. It was warm and smooth and she placed her fingers against his pulse.

She felt it beat furiously, a clear sign that his hunger matched hers. Their kiss deepened, and she felt the tension in him as his muscles strained under her hands. His mouth moved over hers with a fierce passion, occasionally letting her breathe, before diving back in. She felt dizzy with desire and pressed tighter against him.

His hands tightened below her ribs, hard and demanding. They slid up her back, to her shoulders, and then back again to her lower back, as he pulled her tighter to his body.

She shivered again as his tongue twisted with hers, and she soaked in his heat. Her mind was blank, superseded by instincts and emotions. She was filled by him and overpowered by his closeness. Her hands discovered his shoulders and back, finding his heartbeat through his skin.

When the ground disappeared beneath her feet, she almost shrieked, before realizing he'd lifted her. He pulled her legs around his waist and positioned himself hard against the heat between her legs. She pressed against him and he moaned into her mouth. His hands slipped from her waist and grabbed a hold of her thighs as he moved against her.

Buffy's breath caught. His movements made her shiver in delight. The sound of her blood rushing through her body was a deafening roar, and anticipation consumed her like a tidal wave.

Giles pulled his mouth from hers and placed searing open-mouthed kisses on her neck. He murmured against her skin. "It this what you want Buffy?" His tongue came out to lick her collarbone. "I want this. I want you so much, love."

Buffy found herself almost beyond speech, as heat shimmered across her skin.

"God yes!" She moaned.

His hands slid up her thighs to cup her behind and balance her as he stepped away from the door. She clung to him as he crossed the living room with long strides. Sweet, intoxicating, pleasure spread to the tips of her fingers and toes when his mouth found hers again. He lowered her to the couch and the touch of his body never left hers as he followed her down.

Once again, he placed himself between her thighs, his right hand roaming slowly up her ribs. Buffy felt as if his touch caught her on fire and whimpered.

She grabbed the edge of his shirt, and pulled it out of his pants, eager to feel his body. When she revealed his bare skin, her hands roamed frantically, digging into his back. He groaned, and his right hand found the hem of her dress, pushed it up around her waist and covered the one place she needed it the most.

Buffy gasped loudly and buried her hands in his hair. Desire ripped through her. Never had she desired a man's touch as she did Giles'. Buffy bit her lip as she got closer to the edge. She tried to hold back what was about to come, to prolong her pleasure. Far too soon, she tumbled over the edge.

Giles mumbled soothing words into her ear and stroked her hair as she came down from pleasurable heights. Buffy gasped for air, and clung to his shoulders. When she came back to her senses, she reached for him and opened her eyes. Her gaze met his, heavily veiled by desire, and she pulled his head down for a kiss. He merely let their lips brush softly a few times, refusing to let their kiss deepen. He released her lips and brushed his own gently against her heated skin, before raising his head.

"We should slow this down," he said in a hoarse voice.

She was about to protest when he kissed her hard, clearly showing her that he still very much wanted her. When she once again found herself gasping for air, he let go of her mouth.

"I still want you, Buffy. NEVER doubt that. We took some of the edge off, and that was probably good, but we should take this a little bit slower."

"Took the edge off?" Buffy grinned and bucked against him. "It still feels like there's some edge left in you."

Giles moaned and rested his head on her neck. She almost laughed out loud when he whimpered against her collar. She slowed her hips, but didn't quite stop, as she trailed her fingers through his hair. His hand shot down to her thigh and stilled her movements. "Yes, you're right about that, but I can wait."

He lifted his head and kissed her softly. "I've got a taste of what's in store for us, but I want our first time to be special Buffy, Not in a heated frenzy on the couch, soaking wet and cold."

As soon as he mentioned it, Buffy did feel slightly cold. She snuggled closer Giles and realized they were both rather wet. Giles' hair was rumpled and there was a flush on his cheeks. He was gorgeous.

He kissed her again sweetly and murmured against her lips. "Let me make this special for us, love."

Buffy was awed at his self-restraint. She could feel the heat coming from his body, she could see the desire in his eyes and feel it pressing against her. She would have gladly done it right there, chilled and slightly uncomfortable, if he'd wanted to. Still, she wanted their first time to be special, and nodded happily. He gave her another kiss, before resting his head in the crook of her neck, again.

Buffy stroked his back, making sure to keep her caresses soft and not arousing. "Are you going to be ok?"

Giles chuckled into her neck and nodded. "I'll live. I can just take a cold shower."

Buffy laughed. "Poor Giles."

He raised his head. "Trust me, love, I am very blissful right now." He looked down at himself and back up at her with a grin. "Slightly. . . ah… . .uncomfortable, but still blissful."

Buffy pulled him into a tight hug, closing her eyes tight to prevent happy tears from spilling.

"Me too." His touch had been the most amazing experience she'd ever had, and made her love him even more. If that was even possible.

Giles tightened his arms around her and murmured into her neck. "Will you go away with me this weekend, Buffy?"

She smiled happily into his hair. "Oh, yes! Can we leave right now?" She asked hopefully. It was worth a shot, she figured with a grin.

Giles laughed. "There's noting I would love more, but we don't have reservations anywhere, and it's quite a trip. Can you wait till tomorrow?" He asked, with an impish tone in his voice.

Buffy rumpled him slightly, making him laugh again, before sighing dramatically. "Okay, if we must."

Giles raised himself and pressed closer, brushing his nose against hers before kissing her.

"Doesn't mean we can't make tonight special."

At her hopeful look he quickly added, with a smile, "Not THAT special."

Buffy grinned, and then pouted theatrically. Giles stroked her cheek and offered, "Let me take you to dinner. Wine and dine you." He gave her a wicked look. "Maybe even take a little advantage of you." He grinned at her pleased smile. "Would you like that?"

In response, Buffy squealed in delight and pulled him into a breathtaking kiss. Giles moaned before pulling away. "Now I really need a cold shower."

Buffy laughed as she watched him run for the bathroom. As he disappeared from her view, she stretched on the couch, feeling quite sated. She was definitely looking forward to being taking advantage of by him. Maybe she could even take a little advantage of him, she thought, with a huge grin on her face.

Chapter 7

After Giles' cooling shower -- where he'd tried to not shriek like a girl when the cold water hit him -- he dressed while Buffy took one to warm up. While he waited, he spent his time making arrangements for a hotel and train tickets to Provence the following day. When Buffy found out, she kissed him senseless.

They spent a few hours relaxing on the couch together, making sure to keep their touches and kisses light, talking about the more pleasurable events in each of their lives since they had seen each other last.

When the rain finally stopped, Giles took her on a more extensive tour of the city, and they ended their walk strolling down Champs Ellysee hand in hand. Giles found a restaurant nearby and made sure to wine and dine her just as he had promised. He held her hand clasped in his, reluctantly letting it go when she needed it to eat her meal.

The maitre de recommended they take a boat trip on the Seine after dinner. Since the evening was quite warm, Giles had taken his suggestion so Buffy could see the splendor of Paris by night. They had found a seat on the back of the boat and snuggled up close.

A comfortable silence remained between them as the boat glided slowly on the water. Giles tightened his hold on Buffy and kissed her hair, then rested his cheek on top of her head.

Nothing had ever felt as right at any moment in his life as it did right now. The grief and pain of the last years all seemed to disappear, and Giles marveled at the power of the woman in his arms had over him. Being touched by her, kissed by her, just being near her, had soothed his aching heart

He smiled into her hair and thought about all that had happened in the last 24 hours. Especially what had happened between them this afternoon. It been quite the struggle to end it where he had forced himself to. When Buffy had come apart, by his doing, he had almost been blinded by his hunger for her. But he'd held on to his last shred of sensibility, and stopped. It had almost killed him.

He loved her beyond anything in his life, and every second he spent in her company, that love only increased. He pulled her even closer and kissed the crown of her head again. Buffy murmured something and he bent his head. "What did you say, Buffy?"

Buffy smiled up at him. "I said, I have never been so happy as I am at this moment."

"Never? What about this afternoon?" Giles faked a frown. "You seemed reasonably content then. I apparently must have lost my touch."

He enjoyed immensely the blush that colored her cheeks. "No, not all! There is nothing wrong with your touch." She giggled as she leaned her head on his chest.

Giles grinned. "Is that so? I'm not sure I believe you, Buffy. Let me make sure."

His hand cupped her cheek so he could raise her head, and his lips met hers as they had done countless times the last hours. It never ceased to amaze him how wonderfully their mouths fit together. How dizzy the taste of her made him. He heard low exploding sounds above him, but chose to ignore them as he plundered her mouth. When both needed to breathe, he pulled away just a few inches. Buffy blinked at the sky above them.

"Oh wow!" She said breathlessly. "Fireworks!"

Giles resisted the urge to look up and grinned wolfishly at her. "Fireworks you say?" He mumbled against her lips before covering them with his own. "Let's see what we get this time."

Buffy laughed against his mouth and slapped his chest playfully. "No. Real fireworks, silly. Look."

She pointed at the sky, and this time he looked up, quite aware that there were actual fireworks, but faked his surprise nonetheless. "Hmm, look at that. I thought you meant my kisses made you feel like there were fireworks." Buffy swatted his chest again. He chuckled.

After a few moments, Giles said, "Someone must be warming up for Bastille Day. It's next week." He hoped Buffy would still be there by then, but did not want to risk this moment by asking. He merely pulled her closer.

"It's pretty" Buffy said in a soft voice. Giles looked back at her upturned face.

"Indeed it is." He murmured.

Buffy looked at him, and blushed when she noticed he was gazing at her. "Sweet talker." She mumbled.

"No, only the truth." He said, and kissed her. Once again they got lost in their kiss, until they noticed the boat had stopped. They grinned sheepishly at the driver, who was looking at them with a wide smile.

"Excusez-nous, Monsieur." Giles mumbled, as he helped Buffy from the boat.

"Oh non, ne vous excusez pas; c'est toujours un plaisir de voir deux personnes amoureuses." The man responded.

Giles blushed and ducked his head as he took hold of Buffy's hand, waving to the driver before they left. As they stood on the street, waiting for a cab, Buffy turned to him with a curious expression.

"What did that man say to you?"

Giles' mind worked furiously and he tried to lie. "Not much, just that he hoped we had enjoyed the ride."

Buffy looked at him with a disbelieving look. "No, he didn't. You got all embarrassed. Come on, tell me, it can't have been that bad."

Giles wondered if he should be honest with her and hoped he didn't scare her. "He said it was a pleasure to watch two people in love."

His heart beat furiously while he waited for her reaction. Although there was no doubt Buffy had feelings for him, he wasn't sure how deep they were. Even if he knew he loved her, he wasn't quite sure how she would respond.

Buffy didn't blink an eye, only stepped closer and laid a hand on his chest.

"Was he right?" She whispered. "Are we in love?"

Giles, who had been dodging her eyes, decided to take a leap. He looked deep into her eyes to whisper, "I know I am." He stroked her cheek as her eyes got wide. "Did my admission scare you?"

She raised herself on her toes and brushed her lips gently against his before answering. "Remember when I said on the boat that I'd never been happier?"

Giles nodded, still a bit worried.

Buffy cupped his face between her hands. "I was wrong. THIS is the happiest moment of my life."

Giles released a big breath of relief, and held her in a crushing embrace.

"God I love you, Buffy. I have for a long time."

Buffy held him tight, running her hands through his hair. "I love you, too, Giles. So much." She whispered with a slight hitch in her voice.

He found himself incapable of finding words to express to her how much her words meant to him, and pulled her head back so he could kiss her. Buffy moaned into his mouth as his hands traveled restlessly across her back. A honk from a car reminded them where they were, and they reluctantly pulled apart.

"Come on, let's go home." Giles murmured with his lips against her temple. Buffy nodded, and rested her head against his chest, while Giles flagged down a cab.

Chapter 8

They entered his apartment in silence, and made their way to the bedroom, hands linked. As they approached the bed, Giles could sense Buffy was tense, and pulled her against him. "Are you alright?"

Buffy laughed nervously and ducked her head. "Yeah, it's silly. It's just that, so much has happened since we woke up this morning, and now I'm feeling all nervous. Our relationship has changed so quickly in the last hours. When we woke up we were just friends. . .and now we're. . ." She stopped, blushed and looked up at Giles.

He smiled softly down at her and brushed some hair out of her face, before cradling her cheek in his hand. "Soon to be lovers?"

Buffy's blush deepened and she nodded. "And it's silly that I'm this nervous about this, considering what happened this afternoon, but now it's . . .um, I don't know." She blew out a frustrated breath and looked up at him again with a nervous smile. "I mean, I know we aren't doing THAT tonight, but still."

If it was possible she blushed even more, and hid her face against his chest. "I don't really know what to do now. I mean, should I get undressed in front of you? Is that too soon? Or too much? And are we just going to cuddle? Or more? I mean I really want to, but it might put a little too much pressure on us." She sighed and giggled embarrassedly. "Grrr, I am such a relationship spaz."

Giles laughed and held her tight. "It's alright Buffy. I understand what you're trying to say. And I am I pretty sure we can restrain ourselves should it get a little out of hand. But, if it makes you feel any better, I can sleep on the couch." He really didn't want to sleep without her tonight, but he wanted what was best for her.

She tightened her hold on him. "No, don't leave. I don't want to sleep without you."

Neither did Giles. For the rest of his life if he had any say in the matter, but he kept that to himself. Admitting that they loved one another was enough for one night. Everything else could come later.

Buffy was still clinging to him, and he figured he needed to do something to break the nervous tension in her. He lifted her into his arms, unceremoniously dumped her into bed and playfully pounced on top of her. Her delighted laughter turned into a loud squeal as he proceeded to tickle her. They wrestled on the bed for several minutes, until Buffy got the upper hand, straddling him and pinning him beneath her.

"Mercy, Buffy. Mercy!" He cried when she enjoyed herself a bit too much. Thankfully she gave in.

He pulled her face down to his so he could kiss her while stroking her thighs. He gave her nose a short kiss before pulling back. "This is what we'll do. I'll go and turn off the lights while you get ready. Call me when you're in bed, and we'll take it from there. Does that sound alright to you?"

Buffy nodded, giving him one last kiss before she got up, grabbed the undershirt she had used the night before, and heading to the bathroom. Giles remained lying on the bed, his legs hanging off the edge, while he stretched lazily. He folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, listening to Buffy move about in the bathroom.

He thought about the wonderful events of the day, and could barely wait to be holding her in his arms again. The feel of her body against his, her scent and her kisses was something he craved constantly since she had arrived. He remembered dreams and fantasies of her that he'd had when she was still alive. The dreams had never disappeared, but his grief for her had numbed his heart and forced all fantasies away. These past days they had resurfaced, and he was amazed how they paled in comparison to reality.

Their relationship had moved at a rather breathtaking speed, but he wasn't worried about that. He had experienced first hand about wasted opportunities, and how fragile life really was, and he didn't want to waste more time than necessary. He wanted nothing more than make love to her tonight, but he wanted to make it special. All his dreams were about to come true, and he wanted the same for her.

A small giggle made his eyes open and he realized he had been completely lost in his thoughts. Buffy was standing in front of him with a playful smile, her arms crossed. She tapped her foot on the ground as she impishly asked, "So, been busy?"

Giles raised his head to take her in from top to toe. She was standing at the food of the bed, dressed only in his white t-shirt and a pair of white panties. His mouth got suddenly very dry and he swallowed hard before replying. "Um, not much no."

He sat up, parted his legs and pulled her close. At first, the need to touch her had been irresistible. But as soon as his hands met her skin, he was overwhelmed by the sheer fact that he was with her and buried his face in her stomach, while his arms circled her waist. "I love you." He mumbled into the fabric of her shirt.

God, he truly did. She was everything to him, and he wanted to make sure she knew. Now that he had her, he never wanted to let a day go by without her knowing.

Buffy buried her hands in his hair and kissed the top of his head.

"I love you too, Giles." She whispered. They held each other tight until Buffy shivered slightly from the cool air in the room. He let her go, stood, and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

"I'll be right back." He said.

He left the bedroom while Buffy crawled into bed, to make sure the door was locked and turn off the lights in the apartment. When he came back, he found Buffy snuggled under the covers on the right side of the bed, watching him. He unbuttoned his shirt and hung it over a chair, leaving him bare-chested to the cool night air, then proceeded to unbuckle his pants.

He was amazed at how domestic is all seemed. And he realized he was reluctant to have it end any time soon. He wanted Buffy in his life. He wanted to be in her life. But what did she want?

So far they hadn't discussed how long she was staying and how they would deal with the new turn of events in their relationship. He decided, once again, to let those questions wait. She was apparently not leaving any time soon, and he did not want to risk ending the good mood of the evening. There would be time enough to talk later.

Clad only in his boxers, he crawled into the left side of the bed, lay down on his side and turned to watch her.

Buffy raised her eyebrow. "What are you doing all over there?"

Giles grinned, rolled over on his back and folded his hands behind his head. "Oh you know, how do you young people say it, I'm playing hard to get?"

Buffy laughed and launched herself at him, straddling him and tickling him.

"Oh please, you are SO easy when it comes to me!"

Giles laughed and grabbed her so she was flush against his chest, unable to move. "Damn right, woman. You are impossible to resist."

Buffy snuggled close and buried her face in his neck. Giles tucked the comforter around her, then began to stroke her bare skin under her t-shirt. The body draped across his felt warm and comforting and he found himself never wanting to let her go. Nothing had ever felt as good as the woman in his arms.

He realized he needed to know the answer to the question that had been on his mind since the moment he'd first seen her.

"Buffy?" He murmured into her hair. "How long are you staying?"

She didn't respond right away, so he waited, while his heart beat furiously against his chest. Oh god, had he ruined everything now?

Buffy squeezed him and said in a light voice. "Oh, I don't know. Until you get sick and tired of me I guess."

Giles realized she was not ready to have this conversation, and swallowed his disappointment before making his voice just as teasing. "Oh? That soon?"

"Giles!" she said indignantly and sat up with a playful shocked expression on her face. "Oh you're gonna pay for that one!" And proceeded to tickle him senseless.

It was impossible to escape her hands, they were too fast and everywhere at the same time, so finally he needed to cry for mercy once again. "Truce! Truce!"

Buffy sat back with a smug expression on her face, grinning at him.

"It's quite cruel to do this to me you know. Slayer strength and all." Giles said with a pout he hoped put Buffy's own to shame.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Pfft. That's not cruel. Tying up a masochist and refusing to cause them pain is cruel. You know what you had coming when you took me on."

Giles laughed out loud and crushed her to his chest in a tight hug. "You are a delight, my dear." Causing Buffy to giggle into his chest.

Giles waited until their giggles had calmed and then kissed her hair and mumbled. "You are so precious to me, and I absolutely adore you."

Buffy lifted her head so she could meet his eyes, and gave him a soft smile with suspiciously bright eyes. "I adore you too." She whispered.

His hand came up to brush some hair from her face. "You do?" he whispered back.

She only nodded and gave him a soft kiss, barely brushing her lips against his.

Giles' eyes closed, overwhelmed by the feel of her soft lips against his. When she released his lips, he still kept his eyes closed.

"Kiss me again," he murmured. This time her lips lingered and the pressure was a little more fervent.

"Kiss me again," he repeated when she let go. And she did. First nibbling on his lower lip, then tracing his lips with her tongue, not entering his mouth. His hands buried themselves in her hair.

"Again" he said, breathlessly.

He moaned against her lips when she explored his mouth with her tongue, the embers of their earlier explosive meeting escalating into a roaring fire in his blood. He needed desperately to touch her skin. His hands slipped under her shirt again.

Their tongues fought furiously, until Giles desperately needed air. Buffy let go of his lips and moved to his neck, nibbling and kissing him, until he was writhing beneath her.

"God, Buffy" he gasped in a strangled voice.

Her hands traveled over his chest and rubbed against his nipples, making him buck against her. When her lips followed his hands and closed around one, Giles grabbed a hold of the bedding to anchor himself. Her tongue swirled against his nipple, while one hand stroked down his stomach and slipped under his boxers.

Several delightful moments later Buffy slowly crawled up his body, with a smug smile, and Giles looked at her with an astonished expression.

"Bloody hell, you're going to be the death of me, Buffy." He exclaimed breathlessly.

She gave him a slow, loving kiss, that he reciprocated in earnest, eager to return the favor in full. He rolled her over on her back, ending the kiss so he could get some more air in his lungs, because she had literally left him breathless from her ministrations.

"THAT was most incredible!" He murmured in between kisses as he half covered her body with his.

"Glad you approved" she said happily.

He rested his head against her neck, letting a hand caress the curves and lines of her body languidly. "More than approved, I tell you. Now, let me see if I can take your breath away."

Buffy covered his exploring hand with his. "You don't need to reciprocate you know. Women can take cold showers too."

He raised his head from her neck and gave her an indignant look. "I will have you know, I will NEVER leave you hanging to take a cold shower. It's just not in my nature." He said in his most stuffy voice.

"Oh wow, lucky me." Buffy laughed and pulled his head back down. "But how about I give you five minutes to catch your breath? I mean, you are older..." She said with an impish tone.

Giles grinned into her neck. "Oh, you are going to pay for that one." His arm began to slowly crawl towards her breast.

Buffy slapped his arm. "Four minutes! Stop talking and breathe, damn it!"

Giles had to force back a laugh. "But-"

"Three minutes!" She growled at him.

He lifted his upper body and straddled her so quickly she yelped. He pinned her hands above her head and grinned lecherously at her.

"I don't need another minute, my dear. Now brace yourself!"

Chapter 9

When she came back to her senses, Giles was placing soft kisses on her heated skin while stroking her hair. Their eyes met, and she pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him with all the love she felt for him. Giles moaned softly into her mouth before pulling away. His eyes were dark with desire and she felt his desire against her thigh.

She reached out for him, beyond caring the decision they had made earlier about waiting, but Giles shook his head regretfully while giving her a soothing kiss.

"We can't Buffy, I don't have any protection." He whispered against her lips.

Buffy sighed with disappointment and stroked his cheek. "Ok." She whispered and pulled him into a hug. Giles held her tight against his chest and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

Several minutes passed as their breathing slowed, until she broke the silence. "Poor Giles. You really are a man among men, you know that?"

Giles chuckled and kissed her neck. "Patience is a virtue. Something that I had to acquire when I was assigned to you as a watcher."

"Hey!" Buffy growled and slapped his shoulder.

Giles laughed, rolling onto his back and pulling her into the crook of his arm. "Now, now, Buffy. I'm an old man, be gentle."

She immediately curled up against him, slipped a leg over his and rested her head in her hand as she glared at him. "You are NOT old." She growled.

Giles tightened his arms around her and gave her an adorable smile. "Older, then."

She dropped a kiss on his lips that turned into several as he buried his hand in her hair to hold her close. When he let her go, Buffy looked at him seriously and whispered. "You're perfect."

Giles didn't say anything, but pulled her into a fierce hug that lasted for several moments. "I love you," he said softly into her ear.

"I love you, too" she immediately responded, and pressed herself flush against the length of his body. Nothing had ever felt as right in her entire life as it did at that moment. Laying there in Giles' arms, her naked skin against his, was the closet thing to perfection she had ever experienced.

As Giles' hand slowly stroked her hair, Buffy felt a pang of guilt for avoiding his earlier question concerning how long she was staying. She had wanted to say that she wanted to stay forever, but how could she tell him that? After all that had happened in Sunnydale she had a responsibility to Dawn and her friends. And how could she ask Giles to give up everything for her? He'd already done that once, and she refused to ask him to do it again.

Then again, what did Giles want? She knew he loved her, but what did all this mean to him? She knew deep in her heart that she loved Giles more than anything in her life, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing him again. Did he feel the same way?

Her train of thought was broken when Giles kissed the top of her hair.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Buffy decided that she wasn't ready for serious conversation, and replied impishly. "That you're a stud muffin in bed."

Well, maybe it wasn't what she had been thinking just then, but it didn't mean that it hadn't crossed her mind more than once during the day.

Giles laughed, and Buffy grinned and dropped a kiss on his chest. "Well it's true!" she giggled.

He pulled away from her so he could lie on his side, then pulled her next to him so they were face to face. Giles' eyes sparkled with mirth, and he had a slightly smug expression on his face.

"You are quite proficient in that area yourself, Miss Summers." He said with an impish smile.

Buffy grinned. "Damn right, babe!"

Giles' face immediately scrunched up in playful distaste. "Do we need to discuss the appropriate usage of pet names? Because under no circumstances will I agree to you addressing me as 'babe'". He said the last word as if it tasted like poison.

Buffy laughed then thought a bit before trying again. "Pumpkin?" She said in a light hopeful voice.

Giles rolled his eyes and indicated that she needed to try again.

"Sweetie poo?"

Giles' eyebrows threatened to disappear into his hairline.

"No?" she asked innocently. She pretended to think a bit more. "Ok, how about pudding?"

Giles' mouth opened to say something, but Buffy placed a finger over his lips and he immediately bit it.

"Ow! Ok, ok, no need to go evil on me. I'll try again."

Giles released her finger and placed a soft kiss on it before she continued. She pretended to study his face to find the most perfect nickname, and Giles eyed her suspiciously.

"Ok, I've got some ideas, and then you can choose, alright?" Giles nodded.

She grinned and said in a rush. "Apple of my eyes, baby cakes, or muffin?" She couldn't help but laugh as she saw his horrified expression.

"None of them!" he said in a mortified voice, but he was unable to hold back a laugh of his own.

Buffy rolled her eyes and threw herself on her back in a dramatic gesture. "God, you're hard to please. Ok, why don't you come up with some names then?"

Giles laughed and leaned over her to drop a long loving kiss on her neck.

He raised up on one elbow and their eyes met. He seemed to contemplate her for a bit. He then brushed his lips against hers as he spoke in a soft whisper.

"How about 'darling'? Or maybe 'my dear' will suffice? Although I will admit to being partial to 'love', 'my one and only' seems to fit you perfectly."

For a second she was speechless, because he had said it without a trace of humor, and the love in his eyes as he looked at her truly humbled her. She pulled his mouth tight against hers and kissed him deeply, unable to voice what she felt for him. Plus, she was dangerously close to tears and needed to close her eyes. When she felt she regained some control again, she let him go and brushed a hand through his hair.

"You can call me those anytime you want." She whispered.

Giles wiped at a single tear that slipped from her eye, but didn't comment on it. He merely kissed her again. "And I will" he said softly.

He lay his head down on the pillow and cleared his throat as if he was about to make a big announcement. "Now. About your pet names for me. I have three that I will accept."

Buffy grinned and curled up close to him. "And they are?"

"Hot stuff, handsome or stud." He said in his most serious voice.

Buffy broke into laughs, and Giles soon followed. "There's no way I will call you that in public!" she said as she gasped for air.

Giles managed to stop laughing and whined. "But in the bedroom?"

She couldn't help but give him a big kiss. She grinned against his mouth. "Oh, I promise."

He beamed back at her and mumbled against her mouth before kissing her senseless. "Lucky me."

When he released her mouth Buffy's breathless reply was: "No, lucky me."

Chapter 10

The morning light was a force to be reckoned with as it hit Giles square in the face and roused him from his sleep. However, waking up with Buffy pressed against him in his bed more than made up for it, and a smile immediately spread across his face.

He rolled onto his side, pulled Buffy close and buried his face in her neck. She was lying on her stomach, her face half smothered into her pillow. He savored the feel of her against him and lazily stroked her naked back. They hadn't gotten much sleep last night, forsaking slumber to concentrate on each other. Kissing, talking and more kissing. It had been glorious.

As tempting as it was to stay in bed and revel in further exploration of the beautiful creature lying next to him, Giles knew they had to get up if they were going to get ready for their noon train to Provence. He also needed to call the museum and make up another excuse for not coming in, again. He had plenty of sick days to use, and as of now Buffy was his top priority.

"Buffy?" he whispered, as he placed soft kisses on her skin.

He laughed as she grumbled a bit and buried her head further into her pillow. "Mmm?" was her only reply, and Giles stroked her hair as he spoke in a soft voice.

"I need to call the museum, and then I am going to take a shower. We have a few hours before we need to leave, so you can sleep a bit more if you want."

"Need any help?" she mumbled into her pillow, and Giles's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what she meant.

He gave up. "With what, love?"

He detected a sleepy smile as she responded. "With the shower? I can wash all those hard to reach places."

Giles laughed, and as appealing as it was, he was forced to decline. It was a much too tempting proposition to accept. "Not today, love, I don't trust your intentions are honorable."

Buffy grinned. "Oh, how well you know me."

Giles chuckled and dropped another kiss on her neck before climbing out of bed. Just as he reached the bathroom he heard Buffy yell his name. Considering he was naked and out of her sight, he stayed where he was.

"Yes, Buffy?"

"Get back in here, I missed the free peep show." Giles could actually hear the pout all the way out in the hallway.

"You snooze you lose, sweetie poo," he yelled back, and grinned as Buffy's laugh followed him into the bathroom.

Before stepping into the shower, he found a towel for Buffy and hung it on the towel rack. He kept his shower short to make sure there was plenty of warm water left for her, and had just fastened his towel around his waist when a knock sounded on the bathroom door.

Buffy's voice came through the door. "You decent?"

Giles smiled at his reflection, and applied some toothpaste on his toothbrush before replying. "Not really, no."

"Excellent!" was Buffy's reply, and Giles almost chocked on his toothbrush as he laughed.

When she didn't enter, he paused from brushing his teeth. "Did you want to come in?"

"Wasn't that fairly obvious?" Buffy said as she opened the door and stepped inside. She was dressed in his robe, far too large on her frame, with tousled hair, and for a second Giles forgot to breathe. She looked like she had spent the better part of the night being ravished, which, when Giles thought about it, wasn't that far from the truth.

Buffy came close and placed a kiss on his cheek as he continued brushing, and then grabbed her own toothbrush while meeting his gaze in the mirror. Giles tried hard to stop smiling around his brush so his efforts at cleaning would not be futile. However, it was a nearly impossible task since Buffy was struggling to do the same. Finally, he had to break their gaze so he could finish. He rinsed his mouth, stepped behind her and circled her waist as their eyes met again.

Her neck was far too tempting, and as he held her gaze, he pulled her hair away from her neck and gently grazed her skin with his lips. Buffy closed her eyes and leaned back into him, clean teeth completely forgotten, brush dangling from her mouth.

Giles firmly pressed his lips into her neck and let his tongue taste her skin, before raising his lips to her ear.

"Buffy?" he whispered.

Buffy nodded with her eyes closed. "Mmm?" Was her muffled response.

"Spit," he said to her in a husky voice.

Buffy's eyes shot open and she pulled the toothbrush from her mouth. "Huh?"

Giles laughed and kissed the rim of her ear. "I said spit."

The mirth in her eyes was utterly adorable and Giles couldn't help but kiss her cheek before letting her go. He grabbed his shaving cream and started applying it to his left cheek as Buffy finished. Just as he was about to do his other cheek, he noticed Buffy staring at him with a fascinated expression. He raised an eyebrow, silently asking what was so enthralling.

"Do you trust me?" she asked with a very serious expression on her face.

"Absolutely." Giles answered without hesitation.

He realized his mistake too late as an excited smile spread across her face. "Can I shave you?"

Giles didn't think twice before answering. "No."

He realized his mistake too late as her pout appeared in the mirror. Bloody hell! She had him wrapped around her little finger. He handed over the shaving cream with a sigh.

"Yay!" Buffy exclaimed as she pushed him down on the seat of his toilet to get a better reach. She filled the sink with water, then shook the bottle of shaving cream and stepped close, all the while grinning widely at him for getting her way. Giles chuckled and shook his head in disbelief. She had him completely under her thumb and he loved it. She used her knee to gently nudge his legs apart, steeped in between his thighs, and squirted some foam in the palm of her left hand.

She had a playful smile on her face as she applied the foam to his cheek and chin. She used the tip of her finger to wipe the foam from his lips, and laughed when Giles tried to bite it. She rinsed her hands in the sink and then grabbed his razor.

A look of concentration settled on her features as she leaned in towards his face. Giles' breath stopped as he caught a glimpse of the swell of her breast and smelled the intoxicating scent of her skin as the robe parted slightly.

"Eyes up here, Mr. Giles" Buffy snapped playfully, and Giles took his sweet time before succumbing to her demands. When their eyes finally met, Buffy struggled to keep a stern look on her face, and Giles shrugged.

"Sincere apologies, my love." He said, without much conviction.

Buffy only rolled her eyes, and Giles laughed as he pulled her into a kiss that covered her mouth in foam.

"Giles!" Buffy spluttered and wiped her face. She slapped his shoulder while he laughed. "Now sit still!" she scolded. "Or I might cut you." Obediently he put his hands in his lap, and waited for her to proceed.

Once again she leaned in, but this time he kept his eyes on her face as she brought the razor to his skin. Gently she shaved his face, only stopping to rinse the razor after each stroke. Her thighs brushed against his as she reached for the sink, and Giles swore he would never look at a razor the same way again. Every now and then her fingers would brush against his face to get a better angle, and Giles marveled at her soft touch.

His hands itched to touch her. Without conscious thought he moved them to her thighs and pulled her closer. His eyes closed as her scent washed over him again, and he felt himself getting completely lost in the nearness of her.

It was not until he felt the softness of a towel against his skin that his eyes opened, and he found Buffy's face close to his. She wiped some remaining foam from his chin, then draped the towel on the edge of the sink.

"Are you done?" He murmured.

"Mmm. Just one thing left." She whispered.

"And what's that?" He whispered back, completely enthralled by the adoring look on her face.

She brushed her fingers across his skin, then brushed her cheek against his. "I need to make sure I did a good job."

His hands fisted themselves in the fabric of her robe as she repeated the action on his other cheek, then grazed his newly smoothed skin with her lips. Her hair brushed against his face, and Giles let out a small moan before turning his head to capture her lips with his own.

She opened her mouth to meet his questing tongue, and he pulled her into his lap with a growl. Her tongue tangled with his in an enticing dance, while her hands traveled restlessly across his back. Giles slipped one hand inside her robe to touch her skin, his movements making the robe part, and her naked breasts brushed against his chest.

Giles seriously considered throwing her down on the bathroom mat and having his way with her right then and there, when the sound of a ringing phone halted his plans. They pulled apart, chests heaving for air.

"Phone." Buffy croaked.

Giles was beyond speech and merely nodded while staring at her. The house could be on fire for all he cared, nothing could tear him away from her. The phone eventually stopped ringing, but neither paid any attention, both lost in the moment and the love that shone in each other's eyes. Drawing in a huge gulp of air, he rested his forehead against hers and willed his heart to calm. Buffy stroked his hair and dropped a kiss on the tip of his nose that made him smile.

He closed her robe with a desolate sigh that made Buffy laugh. After giving him a brief hug, she got up.

Giles began, "I'll go get dressed and then I need to make some calls. You get ready and then we can make some breakfast, does that sound good?" He brushed a kiss on her cheek before stepping out of the bathroom.

"Sounds perfect," she replied before he closed the bathroom door behind him. Giles thought, with a sigh, that they couldn't get to Provence fast enough.

Chapter 11

Pretending to read was no easy task while Giles's hairy eyeball was aimed at her. Buffy raised her magazine a little higher, hoping that it would hide her face and the smile threatening to erupt as she sank further down into her train seat.

After breakfast, Buffy had called Dawn, who had been thrilled to hear from her. They had chatted for a few minutes before Dawn had demanded to talk to Giles. He hadn't been given the chance to get a word in edge wise, but Buffy gathered from his happy expression that Dawn was gushing 'I've missed yous'. His eyes had gotten a bit misty and he'd had a soft smile on his face that had made her heart melt. She had known without a doubt that Dawn wouldn't hold his disappearance against him, and now she hoped Giles believed it as well. She knew he felt guilty, and she didn't know what to say to convince him that the guys back home wanted nothing more than to hear from him again.

When they had finally managed to get her sister off the phone, Buffy had called Willow, who had been just as ecstatic to hear from her as Dawn, and had an endless string of questions, barely letting her answer before asking the next one. Willow had also demanded to speak to Giles, and once again the happy expression and misty eyes appeared on his face. When he handed Buffy the phone again, Buffy had given him a pointed look that clearly told him she wanted to talk to Willow in private. Giles had left the room, throwing an apprehensive look over his shoulder.

She didn't tell Willow anything about the new development between Giles and her. Of course, when he came back into the room, she didn't tell Giles that; she was merely cryptic about their talk, hinting that their conversation had covered the newfound skills and hidden sides of her Watcher. Giles had blushed a shade of red she had never seen, sputtered and mumbled. He had been on her case ever since they left the house for the train station to tell him exactly what she'd said.

Buffy wanted to keep their relationship to herself a bit longer – at least until she knew where it was going. How could she tell Willow anything when she didn't even know herself? Yes, they had both admitted they loved each other, but where would they go from there? Keeping their relationship between themselves seemed like a good idea to her, she thought.

Giles was currently giving her the silent treatment, sitting across from her on the train, but the feel of his stare spoke volumes. It was so much fun. Giles pretended to be absorbed by a periodical, but -- unless he was a slow reader, which she knew wasn't true -- he had been staring at the same page for more than half an hour.

It had been twenty minutes since he'd last attempted to get her to speak, but she suspected the off-air button was about to be switched on any minute now. As she felt his foot nudge hers, she knew she was right. Her magazine was suddenly yanked right out of her hands, and she schooled her face to an innocent look.

"Yes, stud muffin?" she said as she met his gaze. Giles gave her a glare that clearly said 'oh no you didn't', and she laughed in delight.

He leaned forward and she copied his posture, and placed a finger on his lips before he had the chance to say anything.

"Giles," she said softly, "I didn't tell her anything. Why are you so worried?" A sense of unease settled in her stomach. "You're not embarrassed are you? Of us, I mean?" He gave her a confused look, which immediately softened. He grabbed her hand.

"No, Buffy, I am not embarrassed about us. Don't ever think so!" He kissed her tenderly and brushed her nose with an Eskimo kiss that made her heart flutter.

"However," he said with a smile, "I've heard you talk about your….um, romantic interests before, and I would like to be able to look Willow in the eyes again without blushing. You know I am a private man, and the idea of a girl talk between you and Willow leaves me slightly worried. No, scratch that, VERY worried. I would like to keep this to ourselves for now."

Buffy smiled, then her heart started to beat a bit faster with worry. She could understand he wanted to keep their relationship private, as in no sharing of their intimacies with others, but did he mean that he wanted to keep the entire relationship quiet? She had no need to flaunt their relationship, but she certainly wanted to acknowledge it. The fact that Giles didn't seem to want the same made her question his intentions.

Was this relationship only meant for when she was there in France with him? She knew they both had responsibilities -- on different continents to makes things worse -- but they could over come that, couldn't they? She swallowed uneasily and looked out the window. God, she really needed to avoid these depressing thoughts. It was probably nothing, and she was blowing it all out of proportion.

Giles suddenly kissed her cheek, seemingly oblivious to her distress. "Lovely shoes by the way."

Buffy looked back at him confused, and found him staring down at her shoes.

"Excuse me? Did you just compliment my shoes?"

Giles grinned. "Very lovely. They make your ankles look sexy. Not that you need shoes to do that though."

Buffy gaped at him and Giles laughed when he raised his head and saw her stunned expression.

"What?"

She shook her head in disbelief. "It's just that you didn't exactly approve of my choice of shoes in Sunnydale, so coming from you that's a big compliment."

Giles shrugged and gave her a small smile. "A lot has changed since then."

Buffy smiled at him, and her fears disappeared when she found herself getting lost in his adoring gaze. "Yes, it has," she said, softly. "No complaints, I hope?"

Giles immediately gave her a reassuring smile. "None." And pulled her into a kiss.

Neither noticed the man approaching them as they wrapped themselves in the kiss, but his voice quickly pulled them apart.

"Feeling better, Rupert?"

Giles ducked his head and blushed when he saw his co-worker from the museum looking at them with an amused expression.

"Pierre. What are you doing here?" Giles asked while nervously running a hand through his hair.

Buffy had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing. Busted!

Giles told her he had called in sick at the museum to explain his absence, and although they both suspected Pierre knew something was up, they hadn't expected to be caught with their hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

Pierre grinned impishly. "Since my boss is sick, my work load was considerably cut down and I decide to take a long weekend to go visit my girlfriend."

Giles' blush increased, and Buffy almost felt bad for him. Almost.

Pierre thankfully chose to ignore Giles' reddening cheeks and turned to Buffy with a wide smile. "Nice to see you again Miss Summers. I assume you are enjoying your stay? Rupert taking good care of you?"

Now Buffy was the one who was fighting a blush and Pierre's smug smile indicated that his question was not as innocent as it might've seemed. A mischievous thought entered her mind. Two could easily play that game, unfortunately Giles had to be collateral damage. Oh well, he was a big boy.

"Oh he's been an exceptional…..host." She replied coyly.

Pierre's smile turned into a wide grin and Buffy couldn't help but return it, both ignoring the mortified groan coming from Giles.

"I am sure he has." Pierre laughed. He looked over at Giles, who had his head buried in his hands.

"You don't sound very well, Rupert. Make sure that Miss Summers takes good care of you this weekend." With a final wink to Buffy he left the pair alone.

After a few moments, Giles raised his head and scowled at Buffy. "Cute. Very cute."

Buffy giggled and picked up her magazine. "I thought so."

Chapter 12

When they arrived, Buffy took her time to admire her surroundings, while Giles got them checked in. The hotel was ideally located facing the sea, just steps from the Promenade des Anglais and the beaches. It was romantic and elegant with modern facilities, and Giles could not have picked a better place.

Buffy sighed wistfully as she gazed out towards the sea. It almost felt like a dream being at this place with Giles, and a small part of her worried that she would wake up any moment now in her own bed in Sunnydale. This seemed almost too good to be true.

She giggled slightly and looked quickly over her shoulder to glance at Giles. She couldn't help but notice the nervous butterflies moving about in her stomach. She couldn't really understand why they were there because it wasn't as if she hadn't had sex before. But never had anyone mattered as much to her as Giles did, and she wanted nothing to ruin their weekend.

She was drawn from her musings when two strong arms wrapped around her abdomen, and a soft kiss was placed on her neck.

"Checked in?" she asked softly, incapable of building a proper sentence, pleasantly distracted by Giles' soft lips on her skin.

"Mmmm. All set." He mumbled into her neck and tightened his arms around her.

Buffy turned around in his arms, and gazed adoringly into his face. Giles handed her a keycard and pecked her softly on her lips.

"I am just going to go and make some arrangements for tonight. Why don't you head upstairs and get settled? The bellboy has already brought our bags up." Giles spoke softly as he let the back of his fingers trail down her cheek.

Buffy beamed at him, excited about what his "arrangements" could be. "Will do! See you soon."

They shared another kiss, then Giles turned and walked toward the dining room as Buffy went to the elevator. Waiting for it to arrive, she fiddled with the keycard until a thought struck her. She immediately turned and headed towards the front desk.

"Excuse me, does this hotel have a gift store?" She asked the man behind the counter.

"Mais oui, madame. Just around the corner. You can't miss it." The concierge replied in broken English.

Buffy found it quickly, and immediately went to the counter where an older looking woman greeted her with a friendly smile.

Buffy couldn't help the blush that filled her cheeks, and the words rushed out. "Um, do you have some protection?" she asked in almost a whisper, with a 'you know' look on her face.

The older woman looked at her in confusion for a second. "Protection?" Then her eyebrows threatened to jump into her hair line as she whispered back. "Like a gun?"

Buffy's jaw dropped and she stepped back in alarm. What the hell did she look like, some criminal hiding from the law?

"No!" She shook her head profusely then stepped closer, and lowered her voice.

"Um, what I mean is, do you have some, um, contraceptives?" Once again she gave the woman a pointed look.

The woman scrunched her nose. "Contrepives?"

Buffy groaned, and resisted banging her head on the desk. God, could this get any more embarrassing?

She leaned even closer, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder, which the woman followed in confusion, before leaning in towards Buffy. "Madame?"

Buffy looked down and spoke through clenched teeth in a hushed whisper. "Prophylactics."

"Exscusez-moi?" the woman now whispered as well, clearly drawn into this mysterious events happening on her job.

Buffy was close to losing her patience and spoke up a bit louder in exasperation. "Prophylactics! Do you have any prophylactics?"

A smile spread across the woman's face and she said excitedly. "Ah! Un preservatif!"

Bu now Buffy was so distraught and mortified. Preservatif? What the hell was that?

"CONDOMS!" she almost yelled.

The lady nodded and repeated once again. "Un preservatif."

"No no! Not preservatives!"

The woman looked at her as if she had grown and second head. "Non?"

Buffy groaned mortified, covering her eyes with her hand. Could this get any worse?

"Need some help, my dear?" she heard someone say behind her. Apparently it could, as she recognized Giles' amused voice.

Buffy turned around and wished that the Hellmouth would open up beneath her.

"Hi Giles," she said, meekly.

He was wearing a big grin, his arms crossed over his chest. "What are you doing?" he said in an amused voice.

Buffy moaned and started her infamous babble. "I'm getting some supplies for tonight, I wasn't sure if you had gotten some, and I figured hey why can't I get them, you know? Why should the guy be all in charge of this? Even though I am so down with having your kids someday, I am just not ready YET you know. But I totally don't know the French word for condoms!"

She drew in a huge gulp of air and continued on, completely missing Giles' wide eyes stare. "I wanted no interruptions tonight and I was worried you had forgotten and I didn't want us stopping at some crucial moment and you had to go down here all, you know, riled up, because that would just be so embarrassing for you, and then we could never come back here, and we might even get thrown out if you came down looking all ready to-mpf."

Giles' jaw had dropped and he had covered her mouth, a move Buffy was thankful for because she was beyond mortified at this point. The woman behind the counter was looking back and forth between them as if she was at a tennis match, with an amused expression.

He looked at her with wide eyes, then gave their audience behind the desk an apologetic smile and grabbed Buffy's hand. "Come with me."

Giles didn't say a word while they were walking towards the elevator, and Buffy struggled to hold back tears and a hysterical laugh. Great going Buff! Here you are coming off as some sex crazed woman. Way to go with the romance! She had definitely been the one in this relationship pushing for sex, and now Giles must think she had no restraints.

Giles pushed her gently into the elevator, which unfortunately wasn't empty, and Buffy bit her lip in worry. She glanced at Giles, but he was watching the numbers in the elevator climb, not sparing her a glance. When they reached their floor, he grabbed her hand again and walked her down to their room.

He let her in without looking at her, and Buffy again glanced at his face nervously. She thought she saw a tiny smile on his face, but it disappeared so quickly, so she figured it had been her imagination. The butterflies in her stomach were now working overtime, and she swallowed nervously.

She stepped further into the room with a sigh and walked over to the window, wrapping her arms around her stomach to keep them from trembling, not noticing the beautiful ocean view in front of her. God, was he going to yell at her now? Sit her down and teach her about proper conduct when staying at a fashionable hotel?

She didn't even hear Giles' approach, and jumped when he stepped up behind her and circled her waist, gently untangling her crossed arms. He enveloped her in his arms, while resting his chin on her shoulder. Buffy felt close to falling apart from nervousness.

Giles thankfully broke the silence. "You want to have my child?" He asked in an incredulous voice.

Buffy felt slight tremors running through his body, and intertwined her fingers with his. She felt kind of like Hamlet, speak or not to speak? Speaking could mean more of her infamous babble, but then again, not speaking would be rude. She decided to take a flying leap into 'risk all'.

"Yes" she whispered. "Not just yet, but eventually yes." She prayed to god he would not leave the room running, screaming his head off in fear.

Giles tightened his hold and buried his head in her neck, letting out a long sigh. "You know," he murmured after a moment. "My plan was to take you to dinner. Compliment your beauty, dazzle you with sweet words and loving caresses. Wine and dine you, even take you dancing if that would be your desire. Everything I could think of to make this evening perfect for us."

Buffy swallowed, worried the other shoe would drop any minute now.

"However, after your admission I can't follow through with my plans, love. You have me spellbound beyond words. You have given me everything I could ever want and more."

He drew in a breath and whispered into her neck. "And as of now I need you so much. I can't wait. Let me make love to you."

Buffy's breath disappeared in a whoosh and she turned in his arms, meeting his suspiciously moist eyes with her own. "I'd like nothing more" she whispered and lifted her mouth to his.

Their mouths merged in a tender kiss, and Buffy let her hands glide through his hair, gently scraping his scalp with her fingertips.

Suddenly a thought struck her and she pulled away slightly. "Um, Giles. What about-"

He chuckled adorably. "All take care of, dear. I got them at the train station."

Buffy laughed in relief then pressed her lips to his, letting her tongue trace them before plunging into his mouth to brush her tongue sensuously against his. Giles moaned and broke the kiss to taste the skin of her neck.

"I want you" he choked out. "I want to feel your soft skin and curves underneath my hands."

His hands moved to the hem of her top and he pulled it over-head slowly. The warm summer wind from the open balcony door grazed the curtains before brushing against her naked skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

Buffy shivered slightly, more from his touch than the breeze, and stepped closer to his warm body. She pulled his shirt out of his pants and ran her hands underneath the fabric to stroke his ribs. His eyes closed and his jaw tightened, but he kept speaking. "I want to be inside you, feel your excitement, make you shiver beneath me."

His voice and words made it feel like hot liquid was running through her veins, and heat pooled in her stomach.

"God, Giles." She whimpered. "I want you so much."

She moaned with pleasure when his hands teased her breasts, skimming over her swells, and she drew in a large gulp of air as his hands traveled to her back to unfasten her bra.

"I want to hear you scream out my name in passion," he whispered as he claimed her mouth once again. The moment his lips touched hers, Buffy let her own open, then gasped as his tongue met hers in a sultry dance.

The urgency of their kisses escalated. They became rougher and more demanding, and Giles lifter her from the floor, letting her legs wrap around his waist, and carried her over to the bed. He lowered her softly, and covered her body with his.

Buffy immediately went to work on the buttons of his shirt, which was no easy task since Giles were preoccupied with her pants. There was a slight struggle of who was first to divest the other of the clothes, but Giles finally relented, straddling her thighs to help her, throwing his shirt to the floor. He got rid of Buffy's jeans immediately, and before she had the chance to return the favor he got rid of his own.

Buffy reached for him when he leaned over her again, placing her hands open–palmed on his broad chest, sighing happily as her fingers moved over his soft chest hair.

When she brushed against his nipples, Giles moaned her name with an excited catch that did unbelievable things to her. She was having this effect on him. She was the reason his muscles rippled with passion and restraint beneath his skin. She was the reason why his breathing was suddenly coming in short, fast gasps. It was the most powerful feeling she'd ever experienced.

He allowed her exploration for a short moment, then caught her hands and kissed each palm, before lowering himself between her legs.

Chapter 13

It was early morning, and the sun had barely begun its rise over the horizon when Giles woke from his slumber. He started to stretch lazily, until he found he couldn't due to the person lying next to him.

A smile immediately spread across his face, as memories of the previous evening and night's activities assaulted him, and he turned his head to look down at Buffy, whose head was resting on his chest.

He gently let a finger brush some hair away from her face, then trail down her cheek as he felt his heart threaten to burst from happiness. The night before they had spent hours feasting on each other, making love more than once, forgoing their dinner reservations and his other plans to focus solely on each other.

Making love with Buffy had been marvelous. Beyond anything he had ever known. It was an experience he would gladly repeat. As a mater of fact, he never wanted to stop. His fondest dream had come true, and he was very reluctant to let it go.

Neither of them had spoken about their relationship, nor what they would do when she eventually had to go home. He was no fool. He knew Buffy couldn't stay. Even though her responsibility as a slayer was somewhat diminished, she still had a responsibility to her sister, and it would never occur to him to take Buffy away from her home. To him it really didn't matter that much where he lived. As long as he was with Buffy, it would always feel like home.

Buffy's sigh broke his thoughts, and he watched her roll onto her back, still asleep. He followed her movements and rolled onto his side, propped his head in his hand, and admired her body with undisguised pleasure. Both had fallen asleep without covering themselves up, too exhausted to move after their latest union. Since it was summer it was fairly warm, but the early morning breeze coming from the sea still brought with it a slight morning chill.

Goosebumps spread across Buffy's thigh, and Giles reached down towards the blanket lying at the foot of the bed and gently covered her. His bladder suddenly made its presence known, and he reluctantly scooted off the bed and headed towards the bathroom.

He gave her one more glance as he approached the bathroom, and his heart melted as he watched her hand move across his part of the bed, seemingly searching for him in her sleep. He was tempted to return, wake her up and make love to her all over again, but decided to let her get some more rest.

When he returned, he grabbed a sheet from the bed and covered himself up before stepping out on the balcony. The view was spectacular, with the sun slowly coming over the horizon, and for a second he considered waking Buffy so she could share the moment with him.

A slight proud grin spread across his face as he remembered how he had kept her up half the night, and once again decided against it. Maybe this night he could keep her up all night and then they could watch the sunrise together. He shook his head and chuckled lightly. Jesus, he was acting like a randy schoolboy.

"Hey, what's up with the toga party? Why wasn't I invited?" Buffy's voice suddenly came from the doorway.

Giles looked over at her, and his breath caught in his throat as his eyes fell on her naked body. He had to clear his throat before he was able to reply.

"Well, my dear. A toga party generally requires a dress code." He gave her a pointed look, and Buffy laughed.

"I figured I could just share yours." She said with a gleam in her eyes.

Giles swallowed and opened his arms. Buffy immediately took him up on his wordless offer and nestled into his embrace. They both hummed in pleasure as their skin met, and Giles burrowed his face into her neck and mumbled. "A party much more to my liking."

Buffy hugged him tight, then gave him a soft kiss. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Giles smiled against her lips. "Mm-hmm, I slept very well. How about you?"

Buffy nodded and kissed him again. "The best." She whispered. They gazed at each other adoringly, sharing tender soft kisses, until Giles turned Buffy around with her back against his chest, so she could watch the view.

"Oh wow." She whispered in awe. "It's beautiful."

Giles tightened his hold. "Sure is."

He lowered them both into the deck chair on the balcony, cuddling Buffy in his lap, and wrapped the sheets around them tightly. He rested his chin on her neck, while slowly stroking her skin.

They both sat there in silence for a long time, reveling in the vibrant colors that spread across the sky and the feel of each other. Buffy's stomach suddenly growled, and Giles chuckled into her neck. "Is that your way of telling me I should take you out to breakfast?"

Buffy laughed and turned around in his arms so she could straddle his thighs. She brushed her lips against his neck as she spoke. "Yeah. I was a little distracted yesterday, and completely forgot to eat."

Giles gasped in mock horror while letting his hands slide down her back to her thighs, circled her waist, then let the back of his fingers brush up her stomach. "What? That simply won't do. Who was this culprit who distracted you?" He murmured.

Buffy's eyes were now closed and her breath caught a bit when he brushed against the underside of her breasts. "Um, can't remember his name just now, but I am pretty sure you know him."

"Oh, is that so?" Giles mumbled distractedly as he watched the sheet slip from her shoulder and bared her naked chest to his hungry eyes.

"Mm-hmm" was her only response as his lips sought out hers. Their tongues met eagerly, and Giles shivered in delight when Buffy scooted closer to him and covered his lap with her own.

She undulated slowly against him, and Giles tore his mouth from her distracting kisses, so he wouldn't forget all about decorum and make love to her right there on the balcony.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and rose from the chair, making sure the sheet did not slip down further, exposing her backside to anyone who could be watching. Buffy lifted her head from his neck, where she had been busy tasting his skin. "Room service?"

Giles bent his head to taste her lips, while simultaneously trying to walk without getting his legs tangled in the sheet as he crossed the floor towards the bed. "Room service" he confirmed in a husky voice.

"But not now?" Buffy said breathlessly.

"Not now." He agreed against her lips and lowered them both to the bed.

He fought briefly with the sheet to let them both go as it was trapped half under them, wrapped half around them. It finally relented, giving him more freedom to move against her skin with his own body.

Buffy moaned when he nipped her pulse, and wrapped her legs around his thighs and running her fingers down his back. The sound of the phone ringing made them both jump, and Giles growled into her neck. "This better be bloody important."

Buffy groaned, reached out a hand and grabbed the intrusive object impatiently. "Hello?"

Giles suddenly felt her whole body tense and lifted his head from her neck and looked at her with worry. He heard a distraught voice on the other line, but he couldn't figure out who it was.

"Dawn, slow down." Buffy said in a worried voice.

Giles lifted himself away from her body so she could sit up and rested his hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture as he saw the distress on her face.

"Oh god, is he alright?" Buffy chocked into the phone, and ice settled in his stomach. He moved closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the Dawn's voice on the other line rambled on.

Buffy lowered her head to his chest and grabbed his hand. "What does the doctor say?

Giles felt dread fill him as every possible scenario went through his head. God, had they not been though enough?

"No, no, of course, Dawnie, it will be alright. Just, just, oh god" Buffy drew in a breath and brushed a tear from her cheek. "I'll make some arrangements, let me call you back, ok sweetie?"

She said goodbye and hung up the phone slowly. Giles met her tearful eyes and braced himself for the worst.

Buffy crawled into his lap, clinging to him tightly and sobbed into his neck. "I have to go home. My dad's had a heart attack."

Chapter 14

Buffy's sobs shook her body. Giles tightened his hold while his heart beat furiously in his chest. He tried to calm her with soothing strokes down her back, while his mind tried to digest the news he'd just heard. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and kissed the top of her head.

"Buffy, what happened? Is your father alright?"

She nodded into his chest and took a couple of deep breaths before raising her head. Her eyes were red, and Giles brushed the tears from her cheeks. He stroked her hair away from her face while she collected herself.

"Yeah, he's ok. He's in the hospital, and the doctors said he'll be alright. Dawn is staying with Willow, and Xander is there too."

Giles wrapped the sheets around her shoulders and held her closer as she continued to talk.

"He took Dawn out to dinner yesterday, and during the meal he suddenly gasped and grabbed his chest. Dawn thought he was choking. When he tried to stand he dropped to the floor." She gulped in some more air. "God, poor Dawn, hasn't she been through enough?"

Giles kissed her cheek, while silently thinking that it applied to her as well.

"The doctors said he would be alright, but I need to go back and take care of Dawn. Dad'll be in the hospital at least for another week, and when he gets back he won't be able to take care of anyone for a while."

Giles closed his eyes and crushed Buffy against his chest. He was relieved to hear of her father's positive prognosis, but he couldn't help but be desolate that their heavenly dream had been interrupted. He had hoped they could shut out the world a bit longer before it interrupted. He should have known from experience that they wouldn't have as much time as they'd planned.

Buffy sighed, looked up at him with a sad smile and said in a small voice. "I'm sorry, I ruined our weekend."

Giles immediately frowned and looked deeply into her eyes. "You did no such thing, Buffy! Don't ever think that. It has been a wonderful weekend. I have never been happier, and we will have many more."

Buffy sniffled and gave him a tight hug. Both drew strength from each other's embrace. After a while Giles let her go and kissed her softly. "Go pack and shower, I'll make arrangements for our flight."

Buffy nodded weakly, and climbed out of the bed. She was half way to the bathroom when she suddenly froze, and Giles looked at her with concern. She slowly turned around with big eyes.

"You're coming with me?" she asked in an incredulous voice.

"Of course I am, Buffy. I am not going to let you deal with this on your own." He said with a soft gaze.

The next thing he knew, Buffy had tackled him. They fell on the bed, Buffy kissing him soundly. He gasped, not completely prepared for her attack, but then reciprocated fully, elated that she seemed to agree with his decision. It hadn't even crossed his mind to let her fly home alone, but as soon as the words had slipped from his mouth, he had worried he'd been rather presumptuous.

Buffy released his mouth and stroked his cheek. "I can't ask this of you, Giles. What about work?"

"You didn't ask anything of me, Buffy. Did you honestly think I was going to let you go now that I've found you?" That earned him a big smile and kiss that left him breathless.

When he caught his breath he continued. "As for work, I have so many vacation days saved up, I can easily take some time off. Pierre can do very well without me."

Buffy hugged him tight and murmured into his neck. "I love you so much, Giles."

"And I you, love" he murmured back.

It was with a heavy heart that Giles stood in the departure lounge at Charles de Gaulle International airport, waiting for Buffy to get done in the bathroom. Never had he felt as miserable as he did at that moment. He glanced at his watch while sighing heavily, contemplating the day's turn of events. What had started out as a blissful morning had gone quickly disastrous, and then the situation got even worse.

He lifted Buffy's bag onto the bench nearby him, and sat down, resting his elbows on his knees.

Earlier that morning, after arranging tickets on the earliest flight possible, he'd been packing his belongings when his cell phone suddenly rang. He wondered who would call him that early, and for a moment he worried it was Dawn with even worse news. But Buffy hadn't given his number to Dawn, and checking the caller ID he was surprised to see Pierre's name blinking in the display.

The second distraught caller of the day had been on the line. There had been a break-in at the Louvre, and a valuable shipment had been taken, leaving the heads of the museum in a rage. All hell had broken lose, and Pierre's and Giles' presence had been requested immediately.

Giles had been shocked and at a loss what to do. His immediate response had been to say that he needed to be with Buffy, but she had disagreed with him vehemently, saying that his job was more important. Her father was alive and well, and Giles was needed elsewhere. He had tried reasoning with her, but she had been adamant that he deal with the crisis in his own life. Reluctantly, he had agreed to stay behind and come to her as soon as things at the museum had calmed down. Still, he couldn't deny how wrong it felt to let her go. Even if it was only for a short time.

Pierre had managed to rent a car and came to pick them up at the hotel, so they could get back to Paris as quickly as possible. Giles had been forced to go to the museum immediately and had to leave Buffy waiting at his apartment until her departure time. Several hours later he managed to snatch a moment to follow her to the airport. Unfortunately, he was expected to return to the museum immediately thereafter.

It was almost boarding time, and Giles felt Buffy's presence slipping through his hands like sand as every second passed.

Two loving arms draped themselves around his shoulders. He straightened and leaned back in his seat to allow Buffy to make a seat for herself in his lap. His arms tightened around her, while he buried his head in her neck.

"First boarding call was just announced." Buffy whispered into his skin.

Giles pressed a kiss into her neck. "I heard," he murmured.

Neither was eager to let each other go, so they stalled for time as long as they could. Giles finally lifted his head and brushed his lips against Buffy's.

"You'll be on my mind the entire time you're away."

Buffy gave him a sad smile. "You'll be on mine. You're doing the right thing, Giles. Don't worry about me, I'll be alright."

Giles nodded reluctantly and rested his forehead against hers. "I know you will, but I want it to be stated for the record my heart is very reluctant to let you go."

Buffy desolately sighed. "I know. I feel the same way."

She kissed his forehead then murmured against his ear. "It's sad, you know. This goodbye should be somewhat lighter than the last, but it's so much harder."

"I know, dear heart." He pulled her firmer against his chest. "But this is not a goodbye. It's merely an 'until we meet again'."

Buffy sobbed suddenly against his neck. "That's what it was supposed to be last time!"

Giles felt like his heart was breaking and he fought back tears as he embraced her tightly while whispering. "I promise you, I will come to you as soon as I can. Nothing can keep me away from you. I'll be there before you know it."

"Promise?" Buffy asked in a small voice.

Giles nodded and raised his head to meet her sad eyes. "I promise, Buffy."

She sighed heavily and leaned in to rest her cheek against his. "I'll miss you, Giles. How am I going to let you go again?"

Giles suddenly got a flashback from the last time they had been in this situation together and gave her a small smile as he repeated the words, spoken two years ago, while tapping her chest above her heart.

"I'll be right here Buffy, just as you'll be in mine." He then placed her hand on his chest above his heart, covering her hand with his.

Buffy smiled sadly, recognizing his words, and repeated her words in a whisper. "It's a pretty poor substitute."

Giles couldn't help but pull her back into his arms and whisper. "Yes, it is."

The last boarding call was announced and Buffy clung to him.

"I love you, Giles." She whispered fiercely.

Giles kissed her cheek. "And I love you, my dearest."

He brushed his lips against her forehead softly, and then let her stand up, following her to the security check-point.

They embraced. Their mouths met in a heady kiss; they let their tongues slowly and thoroughly tangle with each other, heedless of where they were or who might be watching. When they were pressed for air, Giles let her mouth go and hugged her tightly.

"See you soon, Buffy. I promise."

Buffy nodded meekly, brushed her lips against his again, and walked away with her head low. With a last sad smile she turned around and waved before disappearing from his sight.

Chapter 15

Giles nervously drummed his fingers on his knee while sitting in the cab on his way to Willow's house, where Buffy and Dawn were staying while their father recuperated. Dealing with the break-in at the Louvre had taken longer than anticipated, and although he had spoken to Buffy each day since she left, it had been a poor substitute. He was beyond eager to see her again.

He hadn't told her he was coming, and a flutter of nervousness settled in his stomach when he thought about how she might react. He told himself she would be happy. Not a day had passed where she hadn't expressed how much she missed him and how she couldn't wait to see him again.

Still, as the car drove through the dark streets, taking him closer and closer to Willow's, he wondered if his hasty decision to show up unannounced would be alright. Their reunion would now be in front of their friends, who as far as he knew, knew nothing of their new relationship. He'd also made a rather rash decision a few days prior to leaving, and he wasn't sure how Buffy would react to the news. As the cab pulled up to the house, he ran his fingers nervously through his hair.

Taking a deep breath he paid the cab driver, grabbed his suitcase and walked up the driveway. His finger trembled slightly as he rang the doorbell, and sweat formed on his back when he heard Xander's muffled voice announce that he would answer the door.

Buffy had told him that Xander had been sharing a house with Willow since the demise in Sunnydale, seeking comfort and support from his best friend who knew exactly what he was going through. However, Xander was the only one Giles hadn't spoken with, and he wondered how the young man would react to not only his arrival, but also his disappearance all those years ago.

The door swung open, and if he hadn't been as nervous as he was, Giles would have laughed out loud at the shocked expression on Xander's face that greeted him.

"Giles?" Xander said in an incredulous whisper. Before Giles had a chance to respond he found himself in a tight hug, that he reciprocated fully.

"Hello, Xander." He said, relieved at the delight in Xander's voice. "Were you expecting someone else?".

Xander laughed and let him go, resting his hand on Giles' shoulder. His eyes were suspiciously bright and Giles had to look down and break eye contact, so his eyes wouldn't tear up as well. Xander swallowed hard, then slapped Giles' shoulder in a typically manly gesture.

"Just the pizza guy. And I never thought I'd say this, but this totally surpasses pizza."

Then Xander drew closer and looked at him with a scowl on his face that made Giles think about stepping back in alarm. "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me?"

Giles was slightly confused until he realized that Xander was talking about his disappearance two years prior. He pulled Xander back into a hug.

"Never again, Xander." He promised in a firm voice.

Xander patted his back in an awkward gesture and then stepped back, a huge smile plastered on his face. Giles was relieved that apparently no more words were needed.

"Does Buffy know you're here?" Xander asked. "I mean, she told us you'd visit, but she didn't know when." Xander gestured Giles inside while speaking in a hushed voice, "She's been really mopey ever since she got back. Willow says it's because of her dad, but he's doing great, and this Buffy-gloom reeks of man trouble if you ask me. Tell me, Giles, did Buffy meet up with some Pierre or Francoise while she was visiting you in the land of cheese?"

Giles had to hold back a grin and act oblivious, while searching for an appropriate response. Luckily, he was saved by loud squeals and the next thing he knew he was attacked in a bone crushing hug by both Willow and Dawn.

"Oh my god!" was their elated cry and Giles couldn't help but laugh as he hugged them back, while begging them to let him breathe. The next thing he knew he was pulled into Willow's living room, with the girls attached on either side. They pushed him down onto the sofa, and immediately a million questions were fired at him.

Giles laughed, and held up his hands in mock surrender. "Girls, settle down. At least allow me to get my bearings!"

They quieted down, but it was amusing display to watch them squirm on the couch, like little kids on Christmas morning dying to open their gifts.

Giles tried not to be too conspicuous as his eyes roamed his surroundings, looking for the one person he was dying to see. She was nowhere to be found, and his heart clenched with disappointment.

He looked back at his friends, and was slightly startled as he was met with three sets of eyes staring at him, with big smiles on their face. He cleared his throat, and gave Willow a soft smile.

"What a lovely house you have Willow."

Willow immediately burst into tears and threw herself against his chest, Dawn soon followed. Giles gave Xander an alarmed look, but he merely grinned and rolled his eyes indicating he had no clue how the female psyche worked.

"I've missed you so much, Giles." Willow sobbed into his shirt.

Giles kissed the top of her head and placed his arm around Dawn's shoulders, noticing with dismay that a ball had formed in his throat, preventing him from speaking. After swallowing a few times, he managed to reduce it considerably. He was about to respond, when he was distracted by the sounds of footfalls coming from upstairs.

"What the hell, Xander?" Came Buffy's grumbling voice. "I told you how much Dawn and Willow hated anchovies! You just couldn't resist could you? Once again, a peaceful Friday ends in …"

Her words suddenly trailed off as she came around the corner and caught sight of Giles sitting on the couch.

"Giles." She whispered in a stunned voice, coming to a dead stop in the doorway.

He drank in the sight of her, noticing with sadness the dark circles under her eyes. His heart, body and mind ached to take her in his arms, but he found himself unsure how to react, acutely aware of the presence of their friends.

He gently released Willow and Dawn from his hold, and stood up from the couch, approaching her warily.

"Hello, Buffy."

His apprehension concerning her reaction to see him was slightly reassured as he saw the happy sparkle in her eyes. Her eyes were filled with love, but he noticed the nervous flicker of her gaze, darting between him and their friends.

He needed to touch her so badly. . .

Giles decided that a hug wouldn't be so uncharacteristic that it would raise suspicions, and he opened his arms while smiling at her reassuringly.

She immediately stepped into his embrace, hugging him, albeit briefly, tightly enough to eradicate any remaining doubt about how happy she was to see him. The loss of her body when she stepped away was almost painful, but he reassured himself there would be plenty of time for more later. Their eyes met briefly, the yearning for each other evident in both, until they were interrupted by Xander's elated voice as the doorbell rang.

"The pizza's here! I'll get it. Giles, you hungry?"

Dawn and Willow had managed to stop their tears, and both announced they would get plates and utensils from the kitchen, and bolted out of the room.

"Starving." Giles murmured in a low voice, eyes resting on Buffy, his meaning quite clear. He watched as a blush spread across her cheeks.

With the others safely out of sight, Buffy stepped closer and put her hand on his chest.

"God, Giles. I've been miserable without you."

He couldn't help but cup her cheek, gently brushing his thumb over the soft dark skin underneath her eyes.

"Me too, love. Have you not been sleeping well?" He asked in a concerned voice.

Buffy gave him a rueful smile. "Kind of hard when you're not there next to me. You're very addictive you know."

Giles smiled in return and tugged her closer. "Oh, is that so?"

He completely forgot where he was, leaning in towards her, when suddenly Dawn's excited voice made them step hurriedly away from each other. "We're back!"

He had to suppress a groan at the young woman's bad timing, but figured it was for the best. Had she and Willow been just a few seconds later she would have gotten an eyeful.

Xander trailed behind them, dropping the pizza on the table, and they all settled down to feast. Giles was barely allowed to eat by the others as they had a million question about the break-in. Finally, Buffy interrupted them with a hiss. "Guys! Come on, let the man eat!"

Giles laughed at the chagrined looks on their faces and smiled at Dawn, who handed him another slice. He glanced at Buffy, who had been quiet during dinner, seemingly content to just soak up his presence. He handed her his slice, and gave her a pointed look. Much to his surprise she accepted it with a wide smile, tucking in, while Dawn handed him another. The piece Buffy had disappeared with an alarming speed, and Giles merely shrugged at Dawn as he began to hand Buffy the remains of his second slice. He had eaten on the plane anyway, and Domino's Ultimate Deep Dish pizza left a lot to be desired, in his opinion.

Buffy smiled and bumped his foot with hers in a playful manner, seemingly fully aware that he was trying to fatten her up. Giles' eyebrow rose in a challenging gesture, and Buffy finally caved, snatching the half eaten pizza from his hand with a playful scowl that made Giles laugh. Both were unaware how silent it had gotten in the living room and how three sets of eyes were watching them with curious expressions.

After taking a bite, Buffy suddenly noticed the lack of noise. "What? Do I have something on my face?" Using the napkin in her lap, she wiped to catch possible escaped tomato sauce.

"Yeah, a happy expression." Xander said. "It's been a while since we've seen one of those."

Buffy ducked her head and glanced briefly at Giles, who couldn't help but give her a soft smile. She returned it before rising from her chair. "Who wants ice cream?"

Giles recognized that Buffy's offer was more of a diversionary tactic than an act of graciousness, and had to laugh as three arms shot in the air. He forced himself not to follow her retreating form out of the room with his eyes, and instead settled on asking Dawn about Hank.

A few minutes passed and Buffy still hadn't come back from the kitchen so Giles rose and announced to the others he would go and see what was taking her so long, elated at the chance of steeling a moment alone with her. Entering the kitchen he found Buffy staring out of the kitchen window, apparently in deep thought.

"Buffy?"

She spun around and ran her hand nervously through her hair and straightened her shirt. "Hi!" She said breathlessly. "What took you so long?"

Giles approached her slowly, his heart beating faster at the thought of holding her in his arms and kissing her the way he longed to. "I'm sorry, I am a bit out of practice when it comes to stealing romantic moments."

Buffy stepped into his arms and replied saucily. "Good thing you've got me to practice on, huh?"

Mesmerized by the feel of her body pressing against his, Giles was unable to find his voice and merely hummed his agreement. Her breath brushed against his lips in a soft whisper. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, and both let out content moans as their mouths finally greeted each other.

At first their lips brushed softly against each other, getting reacquainted with the taste and feel of one another. But after a while, Giles felt the need to deepen the kiss, and his hands wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her closer. Buffy's hand snaked around to rest on the back of his neck, her fingers playing with his hair. The touch of her skin on his was electric, and Giles tightened his hold on her, greedily exploring her mouth.

"You have been sorely missed, Miss Summers." He managed to rasp when their lips parted and he got his breath back.

Buffy grinned and opened her mouth to respond, but she was prevented when Dawn's voice drifted in from the living room. "And don't forget the chocolate syrup, Xander!"

Their eyes widened with horror and both stepped away from each other in a rush, straightening hair and clothes, barely making it in time as Xander stepped into the kitchen.

"What is taking you guys so long? I thought you came in here to help, Giles, not delay Buffy further!" Completely oblivious to their flushed faces, Xander continued to grumble good naturedly as he collected the ice cream and other required condiments from the refrigerator. "You've got to learn how to share, Buffy. You had him all for yourself in good old France, now let us get our piece."

Giles' eyes widened at Xander's unintended faux pas, and he glanced at Buffy only to find she had turned away, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. When he glanced back at Xander he was greeted with an impatient look.

"Well, what are you waiting for, G-man?" He indicated the bowls and spoons that Buffy had placed on the counter with a mischievous grin. "Make yourself useful for once." Giles gave him a hairy eyeball just for old time's sake, glanced quickly at Buffy, who looked like she could use a few more seconds to collect herself, and grabbed the bowls.

As Xander stepped out of the kitchen, Giles leaned back in through the door and growled. "Oh and, Buffy? To be continued."

Buffy gave him a thumbs up and followed him while murmuring. "Oh, I'm counting on it."

Giles grumbled as he twisted for the umpteenth time, trying to make himself comfortable on the pull-out couch. "I'm counting on it. Ha!"

He was beyond tired, but his mind didn't seem to want to let him fall asleep, and he knew perfectly well why. After ice cream, his jet-lag had caught up with him, and when a humongous yawn had escaped him, Buffy had announced that they would all head to their rooms early so Giles could get some sleep.

A look from her had been a clear message that she would sneak down to him after making sure Dawn was asleep, since she was sharing a room with her sister. However, neither had counted on Xander offering to help him with the couch, and Giles had realized the young man desperately needed to talk with him about Anya. As tired as he was, he was unable to deny the silent request in Xander's eyes, and after they had made the bed, they had settled down in the kitchen with a drink.

Xander was still in a great deal of pain, and had poured out his heart for a long time, receiving much need comfort from Giles. Finally Xander had decided he should let Giles get some sleep, and made his way up to his room. Bu then, Giles suspected Buffy was sound asleep, and had crawled into bed miserable and alone.

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes tightly, trying to find some reassurance in the fact that there would be plenty of time for the two of them to catch up the following day. He was so lost in his gloom that he jumped when his bed suddenly dipped and an arm snaked across his torso. Giles opened his eyes with a smile, and found Buffy leaning over him.

"Can't sleep, handsome?"

Giles growled, and proceeded to pull her into his arms, his mouth eagerly seeking hers. Their lips greeted each other in a joyful reunion, and Giles rolled Buffy beneath him and enthusiastically tangled his tongue with hers. Hands roamed on both accounts, eagerly rediscovering each other's skin. A vigorous make-out session followed, accompanied with blissful sighs and moans.

Passion flared, and they were rapidly reaching the point of no return, when thankfully Buffy pulled away. Her breathing was rapid, and her pupils were dilated with arousal. Giles was reluctant to let her go just yet, and his lips found a spot on her neck to feast on.

"Giles. . ." Buffy murmured while her hand caressed his back. "We need to stop. As much as I love you, I'm not sure I can make love to you down here for the first time in ten days. I'd wake up the entire house." And true to her testimony, she moaned a bit too loud when Giles proceeded to nip her skin where her shoulder met her neck, a spot he had discovered in Provence to be delightfully sensitive.

Giles grinned against her neck in pure male pride, then lifted his head. He schooled his expression as he searched her face. He nodded solemnly. "You're right. My plans for you would most definitely wake the house up."

Buffy muffled her laugh against his chest, then swatted him playfully on his shoulder as Giles joined in her laugh. "Giles!"

She raised her head and kissed his lips softly. "I think we should tell the others about us. I don't want to waste time and energy keeping my hands off you. It's just too exhausting."

He was delighted with her decision, and kissed her breathless to convey his feelings about the matter. The fact that Buffy felt no need to hide their relationship made him more confident in the decision he had taken during his last days in Paris.

"I agree, it's time for us to come out of the closet, so to speak."

Buffy gave him a huge smile and threatened to hug the life out of him with her crushing embrace. They cuddled close for a few minutes, until Buffy pulled away with a desolate sigh. Giles searched her face.

"Where are you going?" He asked when it appeared she was going to climb out of bed.

Buffy brushed some straying locks from his forehead. "To bed. Even though we're going to tell them, I don't think finding us here together tomorrow morning will be the best way to break the news, do you?"

Giles had to agree, but still felt reluctant to let her go, despite how tired he was. He gave her the most pitiful expression he could conjure and whispered in a tiny voice. "Stay until I fall asleep?"

Buffy grinned and immediately crawled under the blankets and into his arms. "Of course, you big baby."

Giles grumbled into her hair. "Do we need to repeat the discussion about appropriate nicknames for me in bed?"

Buffy giggled into his neck, then suddenly stiffened. "Take your shirt off."

"W-what?" Giles managed to stutter out.

Buffy sat up and placed a hand on his chest. "Take of your shirt, I want to feel your skin."

Giles suddenly felt a spark of mischief and answered in a sultry voice. "Tell you what. I'll see your shirt, and then raise my boxers."

It wasn't until Buffy broke into giggles that he actually realized what he had said with his unintended double entendre, and proceeded to blush profusely. "THAT was not what I meant."

"U-huh," was all Buffy managed to answer. But, to his surprise, she then tore her shirt over her head and reached down under the blanket, and after a few seconds her pajama pants was draped above the covers.

She sent him a challenging look, and Giles scrambled to get rid of his clothes, handing her his boxers with a grin.

They both started to laugh and pulled the blankets above their heads to muffle the sound as they reached for each other, pressing the lengths of their naked bodies together.

"Mmmm" Buffy hummed against his chest with her lips, and Giles buried his face in her soft hair and took a deep breath.

"I love you so much, Buffy." He said softly, letting his hands reacquaint themselves with the lines of her body.

"Love you more." she said, in between the soft kisses she placed on his chest, while letting her legs tangle with his.

Giles grinned drowsily and whispered into her hair. "Not possible."

"Is too." Came her soft reply.

Their breathing slowed, and Giles made one last hearted attempt to speak. "Not falling asleep are you?"

Buffy shook her head against his shoulder while trying to curl herself into his body. A few seconds later, they were both sound asleep.

Giles decided the persistent ringing of a phone was not the best way to be woken up in the morning. It took him a few moments to realize where he was, and his body froze when he felt Buffy lying in his arms.

The sound of heavy footfalls on the stairs sent his heart into overdrive and he rolled over onto his side, trying to shield Buffy should anyone look in at them. It was a futile attempt, but his sleep muddled mind was incapable of coming up with another solution.

He heard Xander answer the phone in the hallway, his voice tinged with sleep as he grumbled a hello. Giles couldn't hear the words that were spoken, and begged for it to be a wrong number so Xander would simply go back to sleep, and he could get Buffy out of bed.

He nudged Buffy with a bit more force than necessary, and she jumped awake. "What?"

Giles immediately slammed his hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened when she suddenly realized that it was morning and Xander was in the hallway.

"Get out, get out of the bed" Giles hissed in a desperate whisper.

Buffy tore his hand away from her mouth and hissed back. "Are you insane?" She asked incredulously. "I am naked, if you didn't notice!"

Giles thought briefly and then started nudging her out of the bed. "Just hide on the side, he won't see you then if he comes in."

Buffy gave him a look that clearly said that it was one of his worst ideas ever, and was probably ready to give him a piece of her mind when they both froze as they heard Xander call Giles' name from the hallway.

Giles pushed Buffy flat down on the mattress. "Stay here!"

That earned him an eye roll that he chose to ignore. He pulled the blanket above Buffy's head, and glanced over his shoulder.

He was greeted with a bleary eyed Xander, rubbing his eyes with his fists like a small kid. "Giles? That was the airline, they said they had the rest of your bags?"

"Ah, thank you, Xander. I'll take care of it." He hoped the dismissive tone in his voice would send Xander away, but no such luck.

"Didn't you have a suitcase with you when you came here last night? How much do you need? I mean, how long are you staying?"

Giles groaned silently. This was not how he had planned to tell them, and he rushed to reply. "I have decided to move back here, Xander. I sent the rest of my belongings on a freight plane."

"You're moving here!" Xander yelled with delight, prompting Buffy, who had apparently forgotten that she was meant to remain hidden, to voice her own two cents on the matter. "Oh my god!"

Xander proceeded to trip on his own two feet as Buffy's head popped out from underneath the blanket and his surprised "Gahh!" was probably heard all over the neighborhood.

He took a double take from his newfound position on the floor and shook his head as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Buffy?"

Although she was still mostly covered by the blanket, it took no scientist to see that she wasn't wearing much. And when Xander seemed to consider the implications of Giles' naked torso he slapped his hands over his eyes yelling, "My eyes, my eyes!"

If his first yell hadn't woken the house up, his last loud exclamation was bound to, and sure enough mere seconds later two sets of feet came rushing down the stairs. Giles grabbed Buffy's shirt from the floor and threw it at her with a glare.

She'd just managed to pull it over her head when Willow came to a skidding halt in the room, her raised hand holding a curling iron. Dawn, slammed into her and they both tripped on the umbrella Dawn held in her hand when it suddenly opened from the impact.

Giles wasn't sure what surprised Willow most, the unexpected umbrella attack, or finding Buffy in bed with him. Noticing her dropped jaw and startled look, he suspected the latter. He turned to Xander, whose hands were still over his eyes, noticing his fingers were now spread so he could see between them. His mouth was also hanging open.

Dawn dug her way out from beneath Willow and the umbrella and pushed her hair out of her face. "What the hell is going -." She stopped as she noticed what the others were staring at.

"Oh," was her only response.

Her nondescript tone seemed to bring Willow and Xander out of their stupor, and Xander eyed her with a frown.

"Oh?" He shook his head and waved his hand towards Giles and Buffy on the bed. "You find your sister in bed with her Watcher, and all you've got to say is OH!"

Dawn rolled her eyes, as only a teenager could. "Yeah, ok, I really didn't expect THIS, but guys, I've been sharing a room with Buffy for over a week now and let me tell you, Buffy talks in her sleep! I've known about this for days."

Giles glanced at Buffy, who was blushing profusely. The blond Slayer squeaked out. "You have? What have I been saying? NO, strike that!"

Before he could censor himself, Giles said. "I'd like to know!"

Buffy shoved him, and he had to scramble for the blanket as he was almost pushed from the bed. "Oy! I'm naked under here!"

Xander whimpered, and then covered his eyes again. "Oh god, oh god, oh god! I am SO still sleeping. Wake up, Xander. Wake up!" He muttered.

Willow seemed to have found her bearings and spoke. "Um, what is this? Guys? Care to explain?"

Buffy started to squirm. "Um, Giles and I have redefined our relationship?"

Dawn started to laugh hysterically. "No kidding!"

Giles groaned, wishing the bed would swallow him whole. This was not the way he had envisioned breaking the news to their friends. He felt rather taken with his pants down, so to speak, quickly realizing it was not so far from the truth.

Willow still kept looking at them with wide eyes. "When?" At Buffy's raised eyebrows, she slapped her forehead. "Of course, Paris!"

Xander, who had come out from beneath his hands and glared accusingly at Giles. "YOU! You're Pierre!"

All heads turned to Xander with confusion, and Buffy voiced what was on everyone's mind. "What the hell are you talking about, Xander?"

Xander rose from the floor and gestured wildly with his hands as he spoke. "You've been all mopey since you got back from France, and I suspected it was man trouble, and oh my god!" He pointed a finger at Giles. "I even told Giles my theory yesterday. You'd met someone in France, and that was why you were so bummed." Xander stepped closer to the bed and growled. "It was you who broke Buffy's heart!"

He immediately seemed to realize the ridiculous statement, considering Giles and Buffy were actually naked in bed together, and he rambled to justify. "Or took advantage of her, or whatever." He finished off lamely.

"Now see here!" Giles spoke up as Buffy scrambled to protest. "I did NOT take advantage of Buffy. I am in love with her for god's sake! That is why I am moving here, so I can continue the relationship we started in France, and that I have wanted for years. Connect the dots why don't you!"

The room went dead silent and Giles shifted uncomfortably, oblivious to the smiles that spread across Willow and Dawn's faces.

"Awww, you're in love with her?" Willow asked.

Giles was distracted from answering Willow, as Buffy's hand gripped his arm, and he turned to face her.

"You're really moving here?" She whispered in a voice filled with awe.

Giles swallowed nervously, and nodded slowly while asking in a voice filled with dread, "Too soon?"

Her eyes welled with tears as a smile spread across her face. "About freakin' time, if you ask me."

Giles smiled warmly at her, and the fact that the others were still in the room was the furthest thing from his mind as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her. Both ignored Xander's whimper, and their lips met softly, rejoicing in their love for each other.

Buffy broke the kiss, when Dawn proceed to playfully voice her distain of their PDAs through overdramatic gagging, and she aimed a Giles-worthy glare at her sister. "Get used to it kiddo, this is the man I love, and I am NOT afraid to show it!"

Giles laughed, then noticed with pleasure that both Willow and Xander were smiling at them. Xander cleared his throat, and gave Giles a strict glare. "You hurt her, and I will kill you!"

Before Giles had the chance to respond, Xander looked at Buffy. "The same thing goes for you missy. You hurt him and I will kill you! Or at least, I'll try, considering your Slayer strength and all!"

Buffy laughed and ran her fingers though Giles' hair and kissed his cheek. "No need to worry, Xander, there will be no hurting. He's The One, and Buffy is hereby declared a romance-disaster-free zone!"

Xander nodded at them both and pulled Willow to her feet.

"Now, why don't we let these crazy kids get dressed so we can have a PDA-free breakfast together?" He motioned the girls to head out of the room and muttered silently under his breath. "In the meantime, I'll go call my therapist."

Giles couldn't help but laugh, taking Xander's quip with good nature, understanding full well that they all needed to adjust to the change in his and Buffy's relationship. As the others trailed out of the living room, Giles stroked her chin tenderly. "What a morning."

Buffy nodded happily. "The best if you ask me, considering the circumstances."

She crawled into his lap and brushed her lips tenderly across his. "I love you, Rupert Giles. I can't believe you're home."

Giles stroked her back while contemplating her words, then gave her a big smile. "Haven't you heard? Home is where the heart is, my love." He kissed her softly and whispered against her lips. "And you my dear, have full possession of my heart."

"And you have mine." She replied before covering his lips with her own.

THE END