BTVS, Angel and Charmed characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a while.

Spoilers: Up until the Season 5 episode The Body (just to be safe).

This chapter is a bit Buffy/Giles, but G-rated. If Buffy/Giles isn't your thing, then I think the last chapter wrapped up the main parts of the story well enough that you can skip this one. Thanks everyone for sticking with this.

Buffy opened the door to the training room and found Giles standing in front of the sofa. She rushed forward and hugged him tightly. "Giles!"

"Buffy," he gasped. He returned her hug a bit hesitantly.

"Oops." She loosened her grip, but did not let him go. "How are you feeling?"

"Alright. But a bit confused."

"You've been out about six hours. The Oracle lady said that we should let you sleep and wake on your own."

"But …" He pulled away and began to pace. He looked down at the floor avoiding Buffy's gaze. He started again, "Buffy, you don't have to pretend for my sake. I, I understand that you'll probably want a different watcher."

"What! Giles? What are you talking about? Do you, do you want to leave? Because if it's Angel, the Powers have promised me that he won't ever come near you again."

He heard the tremble in her voice and looked up to find his Slayer's eyes had filled with tears. "I don't want to leave, but Buffy, the others, they only returned to their correct age when they'd gotten whatever they needed from me. If you changed back away from me, maybe …"

"NO!" She cut him off before he could finish that thought and pulled him back into a hug. She was crying now, but she had to make him understand. "No. I had a Slayer dream when we were on the road. Angel had you and he was hurting you. Again. I told the Powers that if they ever wanted me to act as the Slayer again they'd better change me back. Now. Then I woke up in clothes that were way too small, in a hotel room with my Mom, Dawn, Xander, Anya and Wesley."

"But …"

"Giles, please, please, please, just listen to me. Don't ever think that I don't need you, or want you around. I've told you a few times now, but I'll tell you again. I can't do any of this without you."

Giles took a deep breath and stroked Buffy's hair. "I'm sorry to have upset you Buffy. I just don't ever want to be a burden to you."

She tightened her arms a bit, but this time was careful not to squeeze too tightly. "You'll never be a burden, Giles. I love you."

"I love you too."

The hug continued for a moment longer and then Giles' sense of British decorum kicked in. He stepped back and asked, "Uh, Buffy. Are you sure, about Angel?"

"Giles, I promise, if he comes near you, I will stake him myself. He won't hurt you again."

"No. I meant, now that the Powers have anchored his soul, are you sure you don't want to, I mean, you can be together without fearing the curse."

Buffy closed her eyes and took her Watcher's hand. "I don't know how to make you believe me, but I don't love him anymore. He killed five watchers, Giles. And I know I'm not the biggest fan of the Watchers Council, but they didn't deserve to die. And after what he did to you, I can never forgive him."

"Buffy, I thought I heard, you called her the Oracle?" At her nod, he continued, "Well I thought she said that he had been drugged. He wasn't himself. I don't believe he would have killed those men, or tortured me, had he been himself."

She shook her head. "I'm not so sure, Giles. He was obsessed, you know. I don't think I noticed it before, well because I was so 'in love' with him that I couldn't see anything or anyone past Angel." She smiled a bit ruefully. "But my mind is clear now. And even if I do forgive him eventually, we can never go back to being more than friends. Because there's someone else now. Someone that I'm hoping feels the same way."

Giles, clueless as to the identity of Buffy's new love interest forced a smile and said, "That's wonderful, Buffy."

Buffy threw up her hands in exasperation. "How can someone so smart, be so dense!"

"What? Buffy, what's the matter?"

"It's you, you big dummy!"

"Me? What have I done to upset you?"

"NO! It's you that I'm in love with."

Giles blinked. Opened his mouth and then closed it. Then blinked again. "Oh dear lord," he exclaimed just before he passed out.