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It was typical of her life… another delightful Buffy Birthday Bash… ruined by a rampaging underworld god and a freaked out fourteen-year-old.
One by one, Buffy’s friends left, each giving the Slayer soft condolences and sorrowful looks, but knowing they were just meaningless platitudes. Buffy tuned them out, knowing they had to say something. What can you say to someone who’s life has just been turned on its ear? "Sorry about your sister finding out she’s non-existent, Buffy. Have a happy Birthday?"
And how did the kid find out, anyway?
Buffy mentally snapped her fingers at herself. ‘Get a grip! Dawn needs you,’ she scolded herself sternly while trying to smile at Willow as she said goodbye. That left one person in the room… the only one she really wished could stay. Giles.
He hovered near her elbow, concerned but quiet. She turned in the doorway and looked up into his familiar, dear face. Involuntarily, she smiled. He always could make her smile, no matter what.
"Perhaps I should stay, just in case…" He shrugged towards the upstairs, including both Dawn and Joyce in the gesture. His eyes were deeply concerned, but he kept his hands in his pockets. He didn’t think, if he touched her now, with her eyes so wounded and needful, that he would be able to leave at all.
"This is a family thing. We should deal with it."
"Okay." He started for the door, but she stopped him with a hand to his arm.
"I never did get to open your present." She smiled softly. "The one you’ve kept hidden all night."
He smiled wryly and patted his jacket pocket. "You can do that later… when everything… calms down a bit."
"Thank you. You always do that."
He tilted his head at her, not sure of her meaning.
She gave him a warm, if tired, smile. "Understand me. Even when what I say doesn’t come out the right way, you still understand." She leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. He glanced at her over his glasses, and was momentarily caught by the love in her eyes.
"Goodnight, then." His voice was gravelly and low, but he smiled once more before striding purposefully towards his car, his eyes alert for any signs of danger.
Buffy took a deep breath, her heart twisting painfully as she watched him through the window. She really didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to find a warm, safe place and be rocked in his arms until the hurt went away.
Instead, she squared her shoulders and started up the stairs to deal with her sister.
********
The nightmare just wouldn’t end. Dawn ran away after burning her diaries and trashing her room, and the gang spent most of the night looking for her. They finally found her in a hospital locker room. Unfortunately, they also found Glorificus, the hell-god who was searching for the mystical Key that would open the door between her former demonic realm and the world above.
It was ironic, at least to Giles, as he watched the scene unfold, that Glory had no idea that her precious Key was standing right in front of her the entire time.
He waited with quiet desperation as Buffy fought with her nemesis, trying to find a clear shot with his crossbow. Glory was weak; she had to have been, or Buffy wouldn’t have lasted more than a few seconds. With the unexpected aid of Spike, who came along for the ride, and a strangely brave Xander, she was able to keep the creature distracted while Willow and Tara worked to complete a spell of transportation.
At last, he had his shot, but the bolt bounced harmlessly off Glory’s satin-clad stomach. Buffy forced herself not to react as the enraged deity tossed Xander into Giles. They both flew back against the wall, causing the X-ray displays to crackle and spark with the impact. He’s all right, she told herself. He’s tough, he can handle himself.
The fallout of the completed spell flattened Willow, but Buffy almost cheered when the hell-god disappeared in a puff of glitter. Giles staggered to his feet, checking on Xander first, then going to Willow, who was still motionless on the floor. Tara began to call her name, worry causing her voice to break.
Willow finally sat up, vowing not to try that spell again, and Buffy gave a relieved sigh. Dawn sobbed into her big sister’s shoulder, sounding much younger than her 14 years.
"I have to get you back home now. Mom’s freaking out." Buffy smoothed Dawn’s dark hair away from her face with a tearful smile.
"Oh. Is she mad about the whole… fire… thing?"
"I think you sorta have a ‘get out of jail free’ card, on account of big love and trauma."
"Okay. Good. Do you think she’ll raise my allowance?"
"Don’t push it."
Knowing Giles would see the others were okay, Buffy took her sister and went home.
********
Giles didn’t see his Slayer at all the next day, which wasn’t entirely unexpected. He was, however, looking for an update call, and by the end of the day, he was getting worried. She always called him, whether or not she was able to come by. It was becoming a tradition with them.
Anya mentioned his preoccupation several times as the day progressed, cluelessly ignoring his requests to be left alone. When the day was finally over and he gratefully closed the door behind her, he made a beeline upstairs to his apartment and dialed the Summers’ number with controlled haste. The line was busy… a normal occurrence when there was a teenager in the house… but it only served to heighten his sense of urgency. He had to talk to Buffy.
He paced a few minutes, forcing himself to wait until the line might be clear. He was dialing for the second time when he heard the sound of Gus’ happy barking. No one else would receive that kind of greeting from his dog!
He skidded to the stairs, his heart thumping wildly. As he scrambled down, he berated himself silently, ‘Giles, old man, you’re out of control! You can’t even be away from her for one full day?’
He almost missed the last step because he was swept off his feet by a petite blonde form. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him so tightly he gasped for breath. "Air…" he croaked.
"Sorry, honey. I just missed you so much…"
Her next sentence was muffled by his hungry kiss. He broke away long enough to murmur, "If you break my ribs this is going to be a short night, love."
She giggled and released her grip, stepping around until she was standing on the lowest stair step, her face level with his. "Better?"
He growled and captured her mouth again, fully immersed in her feel and scent for the first time in almost three days. He ignored Gus’ whining and pawing for attention, and concentrated on soothing the ache that had been building since their last embrace.
"I missed you so…"
"God, Rupert, it’s been like a nightmare…"
"I can’t bear to be away from you so long."
"A day is definitely too long."
More kisses, more soft moans followed, punctuated by the occasional whine from a very neglected black and tan puppy. Giles finally broke for air and just held her, forcing air into his overworked lungs until his head cleared. He took in her fragrance, reverently stroking her hair, then pulled back to just look at her.
She met his gaze as she traced the hair on his chest with a teasing finger and whispered, "You owe me a birthday present, Mister Giles."
"Ah, yes, so I do. Several, as a matter of fact." He kissed her again, slower and more controlled this time, the way she loved to be kissed.
"Mmmm… that’s one."
"Many more where that came from." He slid his lips down the side of her throat to nibble at the delicate skin under her chin.
Gus barked sharply, and they both began to giggle. Buffy released her Watcher’s neck and sighed. "Someone’s jealous," she sing-songed, and Giles agreed with a grin. She sat down on the steps and was instantly covered with happy dog-kisses, despite her attempt to hold the canine at arm’s length.
Giles remained standing, content now that she was with him. He watched her pet Gus for a few moments, and then started for the door to the shop.
"Hey, where’re you going?"
He turned and gave her a smoldering look. "To get your present, of course."
"Oh! More presents? Gimme!"
He went straight to the counter and pressed the hidden trigger. The secret drawer opened, and he reached for the small package with a faraway look on his face. The sight of his misused journal, resting so innocently at the bottom of the drawer, caused him to frown just as Buffy followed him in, Gus at her heel.
"That frown is not part of my birthday fantasy."
"Sorry, love. I wish I had hidden this in a better spot." He tapped the book ruefully.
"It’s not your fault my little sister’s a sneak."
"I suppose not, but from now on, I’ll not leave it where it can be found so easily."
"Good idea." She leaned over and gave him a smooch on the cheek, then pulled him back towards the stairs. "Worry time later. Present time, then smoochie time now."
He allowed himself to be led by the hand, completely in her thrall as they entered the cozy upstairs apartment. They settled on the small sofa, still holding hands, and he offered her the gift without preamble. She took it reverently, knowing it would be something meaningful, and slid the tissue paper wrapping away.
It was a small, rectangular jewelry case. Not the right shape for what she wished for, but still…
"Open it," he encouraged, slightly impatient to see her response.
She complied, her hands trembling slightly. Nestled on the soft silk was a necklace unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It was obviously old, the silver setting interspersed with blackened accents and brilliant diamonds. Old, and very expensive. Her breath caught, and she stared at it, wondering what it meant. She touched it tentatively and felt a jolt of… something… that penetrated her to her core. She froze, trying to analyze the feeling.
She was motionless so long, he began to fidget slightly. "Buffy? Um… do you… like it?"
She finally looked up at him, her eyes starry with emotion. "Like doesn’t even begin to cover it."
He smiled, relieved, and then turned shy on her. "It’s… it’s kind of a family heirloom. Very old, but precious. Probably priceless. I don’t know. Don’t care, actually, but that’s not the main thing. The main thing is…"
He stopped talking and lifted the necklace carefully, moving to drape it around her neck. It wasn’t as heavy as she expected it to be; nevertheless, it slid into place with a surprisingly solid feel, nestling against her collarbone. Like it belonged.
She turned, still caught up in the strange aura that surrounded the necklace. "What’s the main thing?"
He forced himself to answer, wanting rather to just bask in her closeness. "Um… the main thing… it’s protected."
"Protected?" She touched the metal again, just brushing her fingertips against her throat.
A soft moan escaped his lips as his eyes followed her fingers, but he continued bravely on. "Y-yes, it’s said that… um… no harm can come to the woman who wears it." He gave up and gazed at her in complete adoration.
"Any woman who wears it?" Her voice dropped in pitch, taking on a teasing tone.
He moved closer, his eyes dropping to focus on her lips. "No, not just any woman. Only women of the, um, Giles family."
"Oh?" Her voice sounded slightly disappointed. "Too bad I’m not a Giles." She looked down and lifted the center section of the piece so she could watch the diamonds sparkle in the muted light.
He gave her a tender smile, his eyes brimming with love. "Well, not yet."
She stared up at him, slightly confused, caught his expression, and her eyes filled with tears.
"But I intend to remedy that situation at the earliest possible opportunity." He took the box from her and tilted it slightly. With a soft rasping sound, something slid to a corner inside it. He pinched the satin lining between thumb and forefinger, pulling it away from the object underneath.
She gasped. "Oh, Rupert…"
"Marry me?"
Her mind ground to a halt for a few seconds, then words spilled out in a rush of giddy emotion. "Oh… oh… when? Can we go to Vegas? No, Mom would freak. Summer! Right after school’s out, then we can go away somewhere. Anya can watch the shop… Who’ll take care of Gus? We’ll have to get Dawn to…"
He silenced her with his finger, a gentle pressure against her lips. "You haven’t said ‘yes’ yet, love."
He was instantly smothered with the most passionate kiss Buffy could deliver. She concentrated on making him forget his name, and succeeded admirably. His befuddlement lasted for several minutes, but finally he regained enough of his senses to fumble for the diamond solitaire and free it from its satiny hiding place.
"Buffy…" He couldn’t get more than her name spoken before his mouth was occupied once again. "Mmmm…"
"Yes," she whispered, her lips brushing his. "Yes, yes, yes, yes…" She kissed him again, smiling as he found her left hand and tried -- by feel alone, since his eyes were closed -- to put the ring on her finger. It took him several tries, but he finally managed the trick, and her happy sigh as it slipped into place made him feel invincible.
"I love you, Buffy, my Slayer, my life…" he murmured into her hair. "…and soon, my wife."
"And I love you, Rupert. You’re the sexiest, sweetest guy on earth, and you’re gonna be the best husband, too."
Dutifully, he scooped her up into his arms, determined to live up to all expectations. Starting, of course, with the first part.
********
Mom wanted Buffy to meet her after school, so Dawn asked the bus driver to stop right in front of the shop. Surprisingly, there was no comment made about the fact that Buffy didn’t even come home last night. She wondered if Mom even noticed, as preoccupied as she’d been with mothering the life out of her youngest daughter.
The entry bell jingled merrily as she let herself into the Magic Box. She looked around, expecting Anya to be behind the counter, but she didn’t see anyone. She walked over to the cash register, cautiously looking for signs of trouble.
When Giles suddenly appeared behind her, she jumped and gave a little shriek. He looked around the box he was carrying, and exclaimed, "Oh! Hello, Dawn. Did I startle you?"
"No! I’m fine! Just a… a scratchy throat from cheerleading practice."
"Cheerleading?" Giles frowned remembering Buffy’s aborted attempt to ‘enslave herself to that… cult’ in High School. He forced a pleasant smile onto his face. "How nice."
Dawn rolled her eyes, not fooled for a minute, and sat at the Tarot table, spreading her books out on the surface with a heartfelt sigh. "I have so much homework, I’m never gonna graduate. I’ll be sixty, and Miss Wildman will be saying, ‘Miss Summers, you still have twenty pages of footnotes to go!’" She dropped her head onto her folded arms, and intoned, "I’m doomed."
"If you need anything... I’ve got encyclopedias and dictionaries galore in back. I’ve supplied Xander with more definitions than all his English teachers put together."
She squinted her eyes at his attempt to cheer her up. "It’s okay. I can do it. Eventually."
"All right." He continued to the counter and began to unpack the box carefully. After a few minutes of writing, Dawn dropped her pencil with yet another soulful sigh.
"Do you really have a dictionary around here?"
"Yes, I do."
She seemed reluctant to ask, but she finally said, "Can I borrow it? Just for a minute."
"Of course." He went to the training room, pulling an unabridged Webster’s New World Dictionary from the small bookshelf in the corner. He returned, slid it next to her elbow, and started back to the counter to finish his unpacking. "Take your time."
"Um… Thanks. Wow. Webster’s. I figured it’d be something turn-of-the-century, or something."
He gave her his patented ‘Giles Stare’, and she began to fidget uncomfortably.
"Sorry. I’m kind of a grouch today."
He stepped over and sat across from her, his face curious. "Dawn… are you angry with me?"
She gave the question some serious thought. "I was, kinda, at first. But it’s better now. I’m not gonna sneak in here and set fire to the place, or anything... now."
"Oh. Thank you. So glad of that," Giles said evenly.
She sighed again, looking straight at him for the first time since she’d found out about her mystical ‘birth.’ "I sorta get why you didn’t tell. I mean, everyone went all wack-o weird-o once they found out. Even Xander was weird. And Anya… well, she was weird already."
Giles chuckled briefly at that. "Yes, rather."
"But you didn’t go weird. I guess you’re way too old for that."
"I’m sure there’s a compliment in there somewhere."
The girl shrugged. "Anyway, Buffy’ll kick Glory’s butt back to Hell Number One, or Number Two, or wherever she comes from, and maybe things’ll be better again."
His face softened at her plaintive tone. "Things will be better, when you’re ready for them to be."
"I guess."
Giles smiled reassuringly, then stood to his feet. He headed for the counter again as Dawn said, lightly, "You’re kind of okay, for an old guy."
"Thank you," Giles countered gravely.
"I think you’re good for Buffy, too. She SO needs to grow up."
The person in question chose that particular moment to burst into the building, her eyes automatically searching for… ah, there…
"Dawn! You were supposed to wait at the buses!"
"Sorry. I forgot until after we already drove off. I got the driver to let me off here."
Buffy fought down her fear and anger, mentally counting to ten. "You should’ve remembered, but coming here was the next best thing."
"Yeah. Giles was helping me with my homework." The tone was pointed, and the subtext was, ‘Like you NEVER do.’
She turned to glare at him, but found her gaze softening the moment his eyes met hers. "Oh, he was, was he?"
"I provided a dictionary." He said defensively.
"I thought Word Guys like you didn’t need a dictionary." She finally gave in to her heart and held out a hand. He was across the room in an instant, entwining their fingers together. She tilted her head for a kiss, and he provided one.
"Ewww… ruin my dinner." Dawn made a few choice gagging noises, smirking when Buffy threw her an exasperated look.
"Do your homework, Munchkin." She reached up and touched her true love’s cheek, smiling as he gave an involuntary gasp at the contact.
"Do your homework, Munchkin," Dawn mimicked, making a sour face. She started to turn away, but something caught her eye. A flash, caused by the fading sunlight, reflecting off of…
"Oh, my God." Dawn began pointing at her sister, unable to continue.
Buffy winced and quickly covered her hand. She’d completely forgotten…
"Oh, my God, Buffy! You… you… Mom’s gonna have a cow!"
Buffy turned towards her little sister menacingly. "Dawn…"
"Oh, you are SO dead!"
"If you say anything to Mom, I’ll…"
"You’ll what? You think I’m not gonna tell Mom you’re engaged?"
The END