Title:
Aftermath
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing:
Buffy/Giles
Timeline:
Immediately after Funeral for a Friend
Synopsis: What
happens in the weeks following Amelia’s death?
Quite a few things…
Anya rubbed her swollen abdomen and shifted uncomfortably on the
couch. Xander offered her a gentle
smile.
“You okay?”
“Oh, great. Nothing like having a
parasite wiggling around inside of you and trying to see how far your ribs can
stretch apart.” She grumbled.
He chuckled softly and leaned down to kiss her stomach. She ran her fingers through his dark hair and
sighed.
“How’s Giles doing?”
Xander sat back up and took a deep breath. “Last I saw, he was on the back porch with
Buffy. He’s…not saying very much at the
moment.”
“He’s taking this really hard. I
mean, he’s surrounded by death…”
Xander nodded slowly, reaching up to brush a curl back from her
face. “It’s different when someone you
once loved dies.”
“I’ve just never seen him like this before.”
“I have.” Xander whispered,
thinking back to the time Jenny Calendar was murdered by Angelus.
“What’s going to happen to him when Buffy dies?”
Xander stared at her through wide eyes.
“Anya!”
“I really didn’t mean to sound so callous. It’s just…he loves Buffy more than I’ve ever
seen anyone love another person. If he’s
taking Amelia’s death this hard…what’s going to happen when Buffy’s time
comes?”
Xander closed his mouth, then narrowed his eyes in thought. Just as he re-opened his mouth to reply, a
soft voice came from the doorway.
“Hopefully, he’ll never have to deal with that. Personally, I’m doing everything I can to
make sure that he passes before me.”
Xander and Anya both turned quickly towards the door. Buffy crossed her arms in front of her and
walked into the room, lowering herself to the chair opposite the sofa. Xander took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
“Sorry.” He offered quietly.
“Nothing to be sorry for, it’s a valid question.”
Xander glanced at Anya. “Yeah,
but…this isn’t really the time for this kind of talk.”
Buffy shrugged a shoulder. “I
don’t know. The death of a friend
normally makes a person question their own mortality…and those of loved ones.”
Anya raised an eyebrow. “You
sound like Giles.”
Buffy smiled softly. “It happens
from time to time.”
Xander leaned back against the cushions and regarded Buffy. “Do you think about it? I mean…what he would do if something…you
know…”
She nodded slowly. “I do. I don’t think he’d completely fall apart…not
when the kids are around. I think…I
think he’d need a lot of help and support…”
Anya lowered her eyes, watching Xander lovingly rub her stomach. “He’d never get over it.”
“No, I wouldn’t.” Giles stated
softly as he walked into the room. “But,
it’s something I had to take into consideration when I realized that I had
fallen in love with my Slayer.”
Anya followed him with her eyes as he walked over and stood behind
Buffy. “I’m not sure you were supposed
to hear this conversation. But, you have
this habit of hearing things you’re not supposed to.”
“I was looking for my wife, not an eavesdropping session.” He cleared his throat and placed his hand on
Buffy’s shoulder. “However, it’s not as
if I haven’t thought about it. Often.”
Buffy looked up at him, covering his hand with hers. “Giles…”
“I don’t dwell on it, but it has occurred to me that the chances are
great that I’ll lose you to some evil beast.”
“And you say that so calmly.”
Xander stated, surprise in his tone.
Giles lightly squeezed Buffy’s shoulder as he sighed heavily. “Trust me, should it happen…I shall not be
calm. As I said, Buffy’s the Slayer…it’s
something I’ve had to think about.”
“A Slayer.” She corrected him
gently.
Giles shook his head and met her eyes.
“You shall always be the Slayer…my Slayer.”
“So, you worry about it?” Xander
asked.
Giles lifted his eyes to Xander.
“Of course I do. I also attempted
to deny my feelings for that very reason.
I’ve read the journals of former Watchers who have fallen in love with
their Slayer, only to stand helplessly and watch them die at the hands of their
foe.”
“But, you didn’t. Deny, I
mean.” Anya stated, shifting again as
her child stretched within her.
“Oh, I did.” Giles
corrected. “For a long while, I denied
my feelings.”
“What changed your mind?” Xander
asked, grimacing as Anya squeezed his hand.
Giles exhaled slowly, leaning down and kissing the top of Buffy’s
head. “I realized you can’t help who you
fall in love with. And I knew that my
life would be infinitely better with her in it.”
“Good thing she loved you back.”
Anya stated matter-of-factly.
Giles smiled for a brief moment.
“It, uh…it has been a very emotional day. I think I’m heading off to bed.”
Xander nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, I think I’ll take the Mom-to-be to bed as well.”
Anya narrowed her eyes. “I’m not
having sex with you, Xander.”
Xander blushed profusely. “Um…so
didn’t mean it that way, An.”
Giles chuckled softly as he watched Xander help Anya up from the couch
and lead her through the doorway, gently bickering as they left the room. He looked down as Buffy stood up and moved in
front of him.
“How are you? Really?”
“Sad.” He answered
truthfully. “But, grateful that her pain
has ceased.”
Buffy took his hand, lacing their fingers as they walked to the
doorway. “How often do you think about
it?”
He glanced down at her and swallowed.
“Not as often as I used to. There
were times when it would consume my thoughts.”
She led him down the hallway to the bedroom they were occupying. “And now?”
He stared at the floor as she closed the bedroom door behind them. “Today was the first day I thought about it
for at least a month.”
“Giles…”
He swallowed hard and looked up at her, tears in his eyes. She moved into his arms and laid her head
against his chest. He held her tightly
and took a shuddering breath.
“I’m sorry.” She whispered
softly.
He pulled back slightly and looked down at her. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because I can’t promise you that I – ”
“Don’t.” He shook his head
slowly, lifting his hand to the side of her face. “I’ve known the risks from the very
beginning, Buffy.”
He inhaled sharply as she nodded and slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “What are you doing?”
“Undressing you.” She replied as
she pushed his shirt off, letting it fall to the floor.
“I…”
“Ssh.” She looked into his eyes
as she pulled his belt free. “I’m not
asking you to do anything, Giles. I’m
just undressing you.”
His fingertips grazed down her arm.
“And…if I were to ask you?”
She paused, her fingers on the fastener of his trousers. “Are you?”
“It could very well be considered to be in bad taste to ask you to make
love with me right now.” He whispered as
he lightly fingered the sleeve of her dress.
“And I’m very sure that my reasons wouldn’t be entirely noble…”
She moved backwards to the bed, her fingers crooked in the waistband of
his trousers, pulling him with her.
“Take comfort in me, Giles.”
He bit his bottom lip when she stopped next to the bed. He lowered his hands to his sides and took a deep
breath.
“Buffy, I…”
He trailed off and she offered him a gentle smile. “It’s okay.”
His fingers trembled as she stepped out of her shoes and slipped her
dress off her shoulders, letting it slide down her body to pool at her
feet. Her slip quickly followed and she
moved onto the bed.
“Come here, Giles.”
He sat down on the edge of the bed and shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure this is appropriate.”
She leaned forward, placing a warm kiss on his cheek. “This isn’t about appropriateness,
honey. This is about comfort…and
reassurance.”
He turned his head to look at her.
“Reassurance?”
She nodded and lifted his hand to her satin-clad breast. His thumb brushed along the smooth skin above
the cup of her bra.
“What exactly are you assuring me of?”
“That what you’re feeling is normal…your fears are to be expected. But, I have every intention of not letting
those fears become reality.”
“Buffy…”
She gently pushed him back until he was lying on the bed. She leaned over him, kissing his chest as she
unfastened his trousers.
“Let me comfort you.” She
whispered as she slipped her hand into his boxers.
He opened his mouth to respond.
Before he could, there was a quick rap on the door seconds before it
swung open. Xander rushed in, his eyes
wide with panic.
“The baby’s coming! Like,
now…and…oh my God, you’re having sex…”
Giles sat up quickly, pulling the fly of his trousers closed as Buffy
scrambled to cover her nearly nude body with a pillow. “We…we weren’t…”
Xander shook his head. “Doesn’t
matter. I need help!”
Anya screamed and Xander turned quickly, running back out of the
room. Giles quickly refastened his pants
and stood up, reaching for the robe draped over a chair. He turned slowly and gently pulled the pillow
out of Buffy’s grasp.
“I, uh…”
Buffy smiled, taking the robe from him and slipping her arms into
it. “Not very comforting, was it?”
He chuckled softly and ran his hand through his hair. “Having Xander walk in to find you nearly
nude, leaning over my body with your hand in my pants wasn’t exactly what I was
expecting.”
“Well, no…”
He lifted his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I love you so very much, Buffy.”
Xander ran back into the room before anything else could be said. “Um, hate to nag you…but…I can see the baby’s
head!”
Giles’ eyes widened. “What?”
“Have you ever delivered a baby?
‘Cause I sure as hell haven’t!”
“Clean towels in the linen press, grab three or four. Buffy…find the sharpest knife you can.”
Xander’s mouth dropped open.
“Knife?”
“Umbilical cord.” Giles stated as
an explanation and rushed out of the room.
“Oh.” Xander swallowed nervously.
Buffy placed her hand on Xander’s shoulder and gently pushed him towards
the bedroom he was sharing with Anya.
“Go, Xand…”
Xander stared down the hall, a look of bewilderment on his face. “I’m going to be a father…”
Buffy chuckled and gave him another push. “Yeah, you are. Now get in there before Anya has it without
you.”
“XANDER!”
Xander winced at the sound of pain in his girlfriend’s voice. He finally got his feet moving. Buffy smiled and turned to find Braden open
his bedroom door and rub his eyes.
“What’s going on, Mum?”
“Everything’s okay, Ru. Is Lucas awake too?”
Braden shook his head and yawned.
“No, just me. I thought I heard
Anya yell.”
“Yeah, but she’s okay.” She
smiled down at the boy, realizing he wasn’t fully awake. “Go on back to bed.”
“Mm-hm.” He mumbled sleepily,
walking back into the bedroom.
She closed the door and smiled for a moment. Hearing Anya grunt in pain, she remembered
what she was supposed to do.
Buffy rushed into the bedroom to find Anya on the bed, her knees bent,
cursing at Xander. Giles had his right
hand on her stomach, his left under the sheet that covered her knees.
He glanced under the sheet and smiled.
“Alright, Anya…it won’t be long now.”
Anya stared at Xander. “I’ve
disembowelled men for less than what you’ve done!”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything!”
Anya’s eyes watered. “You don’t
want this baby, do you?”
Xander shook his head quickly.
“Anya, I do want this baby…”
“It’s because you’re not the biological father. You won’t love her, will you?”
Xander wiped the sweat from her brow, softening his voice. “I’ve loved her from the very beginning,
An. She is my daughter. And I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
“You don’t. You hate me.” Anya sniffled.
Xander glanced at a smiling Giles.
Giles shook his head.
“It’s normal, Xander. Trust
me.” He glanced up at Buffy as she moved
to his side. “We’re almost there.”
“Look at you…baby delivery man.”
He chuckled and looked up at Anya.
“Anya?”
Anya turned her eyes sharply to him.
“What?!”
He smiled warmly and gave her a nod.
“One more push for me, alright?
On the count of three. One…two…”
Anya groaned loudly and pushed hard.
Giles shook his head as the baby’s small head moved into his hand.
“And I thought everyone could count to three.” He mumbled under his breath.
Anya’s nails dug into Xander’s arm as Giles moved his right hand under
the sheet. He gently shifted the baby,
smiling as first one shoulder, then the second appeared.
“Almost done, Anya. You’re doing
beautifully.”
“You’re…an evil…evil man!”
Buffy snickered and placed her hand on Giles’ bare back.
Less than a minute later, Giles was holding the newborn in his
hands. Buffy grabbed two towels, using
one to clean the little girl before using the second to wrap around her. Giles gestured to Xander’s shoe.
“Buffy, I’ll need you to tie the cord off for me.”
“With a shoelace?” She asked with
wide eyes.
He smiled and gave her a nod. “We
use what we have.”
Xander looked down when he heard the baby cry. “Is she okay?”
Giles smiled brightly at the young man.
“She is. Would you like to cut
the cord?”
Xander paled. “I…I don’t
know. Uh…what if I hurt her?”
Buffy quickly tied the cord off in two places and smiled at Xander. “You won’t hurt her. I promise.”
She handed him the pair of kitchen scissors she had found. “Just cut between the ties.”
He nodded nervously and took a deep breath. One quick snip and it was done. Giles wrapped the towel around the baby and
placed her in Anya’s arms. Xander sank
onto the mattress next to Anya and stared at the baby.
“Oh my God. She’s…beautiful.”
Anya grinned, her earlier outbursts forgotten. “Of course she is. She’s ours.”
Xander reached over and tenderly brushed his fingertip over the little
girl’s head. “Hello, Rayna Amelia
Harris.”
Giles raised an eyebrow. “Rayna?”
Anya smiled as she nodded. “Star
Trek reference. Though Ethan will
probably think we’ve named her after him.”
Anya narrowed her eyes, noticing for the first time that Giles was
shirtless. “Why aren’t you dressed?”
“Hm? Oh…” Giles blushed lightly as Xander cleared his
throat. “I…didn’t have time to put my
shirt back on. We, uh…we were going to
bed when Xander came in.”
“Oh.” She looked back down at the
newborn in her arms and snuggled closer to Xander. “We’re parents.”
Xander wiped a tear from his eye and lightly kissed her temple. “Yeah…we really are.”
* * *
Buffy and Giles waited until the ambulance had taken Anya, Xander, and
Rayna to the hospital before they went to bed.
The baby seemed to be doing well, but Giles thought it best that they be
seen by a doctor.
Buffy curled up beside of him and laid her head on his chest. “Well, that was exciting.”
“Yes, quite.”
She lifted her head slightly and looked into his eyes. “Where did you learn how to deliver a baby?”
He smiled softly and ran his fingers through her hair. “Watching you go through it four times.”
Buffy chuckled. “
“Mm. It’s not as if we had enough
time to call people. Xander said that
he’d call them and Ethan when they get settled into the room.”
Buffy was quiet for a few moments, content with playing with the hair on
his chest. “How are you feeling?”
He stared at the ceiling, his fingers lightly rubbing her back. “If I were to be very honest…exhausted.”
“Hard day.” She whispered and
kissed his chest before resting her head on his shoulder.
He cleared his throat as he nodded.
“At least there are happy memories to attach to it now.”
She bit her lip and glanced at his profile. “Do you still want to make love?”
He thought for a second and then rolled onto his side to face her. “I do.
But…I think I’d prefer to wait until we go home. If…if that’s alright with you. I just…well, I feel…”
She silenced him with a gentle kiss.
“It’s okay, Giles. I understand.”
“Do you?”
She placed her hand on the side of his neck as she nodded. “Yeah, I do.”
And she did. It wasn’t merely
because they were sleeping in a house owned by Amelia…well, now owned by
Amelia’s children. It was also the fact
that he had concerns about using sex as comfort. And that was something she understood very
well.
“Thank you.” He whispered,
tightening his arms around her.
“I love you.” She whispered in
return, sighing as he echoed the sentiment back to her.
Sex wasn’t what he needed right now.
Earlier, it might have helped him…them.
But, now it would…almost cheapen the act. Being held is what he needed now. And so that’s what she did. She held him, whispering words of love and
comfort to him as he drifted off to sleep.
And when he would wake a few hours later, gasping for breath as he
struggled to ascertain what was reality and what was his nightmare, she would
hold him tighter…and kiss his fears away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Buffy woke up slowly the next morning.
She rolled over to snuggle with her husband, only to find he wasn’t
there. She sighed heavily and glanced at
the clock before she yawned and slipped out of bed, grabbing her robe and
wrapping it around her body.
She ran her fingers through her sleep-tousled hair as she made her way
towards the kitchen. She smiled as she
heard the distinctive sounds of their four children bickering, chuckling softly
when she walked into the kitchen. Evan
was in his highchair, singing softly to himself. Braden and Lucas were sitting at the table,
having what seemed to be a serious discussion about who would win in a fight
between the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Fantastic Four.
Haddie was standing in front of her father, glaring up at him with her
hands on her hips. Giles shook his head
at her and spoke in an exasperated voice.
“French toast or eggs? I’m not
making pancakes this morning, Hadley.”
“Want pamcakes!”
“Yes, so you’ve stated. However,
life is not about getting what you want all of the time. French toast or eggs?”
Haddie sighed heavily. “Corm
fakes.”
Giles gave her a quick nod and gestured towards the table with the
spatula he held. “Fine. You can have corn flakes. Go sit at the table. Lucas, how do you want your eggs this
morning?”
Lucas stopped in mid-rant about how Leonardo could take down Ben Grimm
at any time, and looked at his father.
“Scrambled, thanks.”
“Braden?”
“Scrambled’s fine, Dad. Would you
like me to get Haddie’s cereal?”
Giles smiled at his oldest child.
“That would be a tremendous help, thank you.”
Braden smiled back and looked at Lucas as he slid from his chair. “Leonardo couldn’t fight his way out of a wet
paper bag, Luke. Donatello might stand a
better chance though.”
Lucas narrowed his eyes at his older brother. “They don’t fight in bags, Bay!”
Buffy couldn’t hold her laughter in any longer. All five occupants of the room turned to look
at her. Giles gave her a warm smile.
“French toast for you?”
“That’d be great.” She walked
over to him, leaning up and kissing his cheek.
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
He shrugged a shoulder as he broke another egg into the bowl. “You looked so peaceful. So…beautiful.
I didn’t have the heart to wake you.”
“How are you this morning?”
He glanced at her and then quickly flipped the piece of French toast in
the pan before it burned. “A little
better. These guys make it fairly
difficult to remain in a…whatever mood I was in.”
She smiled and rubbed his back.
“Can I help with anything?”
He glanced over at a bowl resting on the counter. “Evan’s porridge should be cool enough for
him now.”
Buffy nodded and picked up the small bowl, grinning at the young boy as
he smiled brightly at her. “Hungry,
Evan?”
Evan giggled and Haddie gave another sigh. Buffy rubbed the top of her head and
smiled. “What’s wrong, Haddie?”
“No pamcakes.”
“No, not today. Maybe tomorrow
morning we can all have pancakes, okay?”
Haddie’s frown disappeared as she nodded. Braden carefully placed a bowl of corn flakes
in front of his sister and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“There you go, Haddie. Corn
flakes for you.”
“Ta.” She giggled and grabbed her
spoon.
“Buffy?”
Buffy turned towards her husband and tilted her head. “Yeah?”
“Have a seat, love. Breakfast is
almost ready.”
Buffy smiled and sat down, quickly joining in the conversation with her
older sons. Lucas laughed heartily when
Buffy suggested that Superman could beat the Turtles and the Fantastic Four all
by himself.
Giles took a deep breath and grinned as the laughter resonated in the
room. It was at that moment that he
knew, really knew, that everything would be okay. Amelia’s death had rocked him…had made him
dwell on the thoughts of the very real possibility that he would outlive his
wife.
Listening to her laugh and play with their children as he filled their
plates, he felt the tension leave his body.
She could very well outlive him.
If any Slayer could accomplish outliving her Watcher, it would be Buffy.
Ethan had been getting ready to head back to London when Xander called
him. If he were honest with himself, he
hadn’t expected to be one of the first people they had called. Sure, he was the biological father of the
child, but he had no notions of being a parent to her. Still, he had to admit that he was quite
chuffed to have been notified.
He stopped by the guesthouse to see Giles on his way to the
hospital. He was rather worried about
Giles, seeing how distraught he had been the previous day. He wasn’t sure what to expect when he rang
the doorbell, but was pleasantly surprised when Giles answered and gave him a
brief smile.
“I figured you’d be on your way to the hospital.” Giles stated as he stepped back from the
door, allowing Ethan to enter.
“I am. Thought I’d stop by to see
how you’re doing first.”
Giles sat down on the couch and sighed.
“Better than yesterday.”
“Buffy and the children?”
Giles gestured towards the hallway.
“Getting dressed. The children
want to see the baby. I’m sincerely
hoping that Lucas doesn’t start asking how babies are made.”
Ethan chuckled softly and then looked at Giles closely. He sighed when he recognized the tension in
his friend’s posture. Giles’ eyes
flickered as Buffy walked into the room in search of Haddie’s missing shoe.
“Hi, Ethan.”
Ethan offered her a warm smile.
“Hello, Buffy.”
He noticed a similar tension in her body as she pulled the wayward shoe
out from under a chair. Buffy smiled at
Giles and held up the shoe.
“The Princess refuses to wear anything but these at the moment.” She gave him a wink when he smiled. “We’ll be ready in about fifteen minutes or
so.”
Giles gave her a nod, his gaze dropping to her backside as she left the
room. Ethan’s chuckle caused him to turn
his head.
“What’s funny?”
Ethan grinned and sat back in the chair.
“How long has it been?”
Giles’ brow furrowed. “Since?”
“Since you’ve had sex.”
Giles narrowed his eyes. “I’m not
sure what business that is of yours.”
Ethan’s grin faded. “How about I
take the kids with me to see the baby.
And…you and Buffy stay here for a while.”
“Ethan…”
Ethan sighed at the warning in Giles’ tone. “Look, I know you. I know the tension. And…I know that the two of you need to be
alone for a while. Personally, I don’t
know how you lasted as long as you did in Sunnydale without having sex
regularly.”
“What makes you think I didn’t?”
Giles asked quickly, then groaned when he realized what he had said.
Ethan arched an eyebrow at him.
“And just how many hot teachers were there at Sunnydale High?”
“One.” Giles answered
softly. “Though she wasn’t there for
very long.”
“Ripper got into some mischief, did he?”
Ethan waggled his eyebrows. “What
was the going rate in Sunnydale? Had to
be cheaper than Los Angeles…”
“One, I’ve never in my life paid for sex. Two, what do my sexual encounters prior to my
relationship with Buffy have to do with anything? Three, why the hell are we discussing my sex
life at any rate?”
Ethan sighed heavily. “I’ll skip
‘one’ because it wasn’t a question. Two,
nothing. Three, just trying to lighten
the mood a bit, mate. So, you weren’t
shagging the teachers…not visiting the red light district.” A slow grin spread across Ethan’s face. “The students?”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Ethan. Do
you honestly think I’d bed a group of teenagers?”
Ethan shrugged his shoulders. “I
would’ve. At the time.”
“Yes, and do I need to remind you that I am not you?”
“Yeah, okay. So not the
students. I’m curious, Rupert…just who
were you having regular sex with?”
“Easy lays were simple to find on the outskirts of Sunnydale, right
Giles?” Buffy answered softly as she
stepped back into the room.
Both men snapped their eyes to her.
Giles cleared his throat and took a deep breath. Ethan stared at her.
“You don’t seem surprised by that…”
Buffy shook her head in light amusement.
“I asked a lot of questions once I realized what an appetite he has for
sex.” She shrugged a shoulder and sat
down next to her husband. “Never the same
woman twice, never brought them to his apartment, never gave them his phone
number. Sex, pure and simple. And…why are you talking about this?”
Giles placed his hand on her thigh and glanced in Ethan’s
direction. “I asked the very same
question. Have yet to receive a valid
answer. Where are the children?”
“Drawing a picture for the baby.”
She looked at Ethan and tilted her head.
“Why the sudden interest in Giles’ sex life from years ago?”
“Ah, well…that’s not really where the conversation was supposed to
go. It kind of…degraded itself to that
point.” Ethan smiled softly. “It started out as an offer for me to take
the kids to the hospital…leaving the two of you to have some alone time. It just seems that it’s…needed. By both of you. Don’t know how long it’s been, but judging by
his tension…I’m gonna guess at least a couple of weeks.”
Buffy’s eyes widened. “You can
tell how long it’s been since he’s had sex just by looking at him?”
Ethan grinned. “Well, maybe it
has something to do with the minor mind probe thing I did a few minutes ago
when I realized that it’d been a while for him.”
Giles glared at him. “ ‘Mind
probe thing’? Ethan, we talked about
this…years ago.”
Ethan lifted his hand. “Hold on,
mate. That’s the first time I’ve done it
in…well, long enough that it took me a while to remember the spell. And the only reason I did it was because I
was worried about you.”
Giles’ hand clenched into a fist, an action that didn’t go unnoticed by
Ethan. Before Giles could verbally respond,
Ethan continued.
“Listen…let me take the kids. You
two rub out a quick one…or a long one…I don’t care. But, the point is both of you need it. You’ve both been through hell the past couple
of weeks.”
Giles stared at Ethan. “Dear God,
man…could you be any more crass?”
“Probably.” He smiled
affectionately. “It’s my nature to be
crass. But, I genuinely believe that the
two of you need to spend some time together.”
“And, if you’re worried about this being Amelia’s house…” He shook his head knowingly, cutting off
Giles’ protest. “She knew you as well as
I do. Just…take some time for each
other, Rupert.”
They fell silent for a moment and then the four youngest Gileses came
running into the room. Lucas waved the
piece of posterboard and grinned widely.
“We’re done, Mummy! Can we go see
the baby now?”
Buffy and Giles exchanged a glance and Giles dug the car keys out of his
pocket. He cleared his throat as he
tossed them to Ethan.
“It would be easier for you to take our car. Saves the hassle of changing over the booster
seats. We, uh…we’ll drive your car to
the hospital a little later.”
Braden tilted his head. “Aren’t
you coming?”
Buffy smiled and nodded. “We
are. Daddy and I just need to talk for a
few minutes before we come. We’ll be
there shortly though, okay?”
He thought about it for a second and then smiled.
It didn’t take long for Ethan to gather the four excited children and
herd them out to the car. Buffy and
Giles waved goodbye as Ethan backed out of the driveway. Giles closed the door and turned to her.
“Are, uh…are you sure?”
She smiled and took his hand, slowly leading him to the bedroom. “Ethan has a strange way of going about
things, but…he makes sense most of the time.”
“Mm-hm.”
She looked up at him as she pulled him into the bedroom and closed the
door. “So, did you tell him exactly how
many women you slept with after you moved to Sunnydale?”
He chuckled softly and shook his head.
“I didn’t want to ruin the reputation he apparently thinks I have. And knowing that my average was slightly less
than one woman every eight months would definitely tarnish my image as a
ladies’ man.”
She had already unbuttoned his shirt and returned his chuckle as she
pushed the garment off his shoulders.
“You could’ve had more…”
He nodded slowly, knowing she was right.
In fact, he had turned down the propositions of far more women than he
had actually accepted. He reached down
and grasped the hem of her blouse, gently pulling it over her head and dropping
it to the floor.
“I only wanted one.”
She grinned and worked on his jeans.
“What was she like?”
“Stunning. Her smile would light
up the room. She was very witty, very
smart. Though she had the ability to be
extremely infuriating at times.” He
smiled as he kicked off his shoes and unbuttoned her jeans. “But, she was so full of love and
compassion. And I fell hopelessly in
love with her.”
“What happened to her?” She asked
softly as he gently pushed her onto the bed.
He removed her shoes and socks before pulling her jeans and underwear
down her legs. He looked into her eyes
as he let the clothing fall to the floor.
“I married her. And had four
beautiful children with her. And then…I
lived happily ever after.”
“I love you.” She whispered, her eyes
glistening.
He removed the rest of his clothing and moved to her side, his fingers
nimbly unclasping the front closure of her bra.
“I love you too.”
“I would have made love with you last night…”
He nodded and leaned over her, lightly kissing her lips as he pulled the
bra from her body. “I know. It…it wouldn’t have been right then. It would have been less about us…and more
about…other things.”
She inhaled sharply as his fingers brushed over a distended nipple. “This is us…”
“Yes.” His hand moved down her
body, lovingly rubbing her thigh. “Yes,
it is.”
She closed her eyes, letting the pleasure of his touch wash over
her. “I’ve missed this.”
“I’m sorry.” He whispered,
sliding his left leg in between hers as she opened her eyes. “I didn’t mean to neglect you.”
“Oh, no…that’s not what I meant, Giles.”
She rested her hand on the side of his face, her thumb gently stroking
his cheek. “God, I know you’ve had so
much on your mind. I didn’t think you
were neglecting me.”
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, she leaned up and kissed his lips. “If you had been sleeping in a different
room…or wouldn’t touch me or hold me…then I would think you were neglecting me. But, you didn’t do that. You held me every night. And you know as well as I do…sex is not the
defining aspect of our relationship.”
He sighed softly and rubbed his thigh against her core. “You still amaze me…”
Any response she was going to give was swallowed by his kiss. He kissed her slowly, as if savouring her
taste. His tongue stroked hers
languorously as he moved to rest between her thighs. She groaned into his mouth, feeling his cock
harden against her warm skin as her hands roamed over his back.
When her left leg curled over his hip, he broke the kiss and smiled at
her. He reached between them and gently
guided the tip of his cock through her damp folds. Her hands clenched on his back when he
brushed over her clitoris.
“Giles…”
He understood her whispered plea.
Their shared kisses and touches were enough foreplay for the
moment. He closed his eyes briefly when
he slipped the head of his erection into her.
Her warmth surrounded him as he slowly pushed forward.
“God…”
He opened his eyes and smiled down at her. He knew it wasn’t going to take long for either
of them. But, he was determined to make
it last as long as he possibly could.
He moved his hips slowly, thrusting at a gentle pace. He groaned as her nails lightly scratched his
back.
“Too much?”
He shook his head, moving his left hand to her hip. “Never…too much…”
He lowered his head to the crook of her neck, biting his lip as he
struggled to hold on. No more words were
spoken by either of them. The only
sounds were the soft gasps, grunts…the occasional creak of the bedsprings as he
continued rocking his body against hers.
He felt her inner muscles quiver, her hands gripping his back
tightly. He heard her sharp intake of
breath and he quickened his pace. He
lifted his head slightly, placing soft kisses along her neck to her ear.
“There has never been anything that felt as incredible as the sensation
of making love with you.” He whispered
huskily, his breath hot against her skin.
“Giles…”
“Let go, darling. I…I can’t hold
on much longer…and you’re so…so very…close…”
Her mouth latched onto his shoulder, teeth biting into his skin as she
screamed her release. Her inner walls
rippled with the force of her orgasm, her warm fluids bathing his cock. Her name left his lips on a groan of ecstasy
as he came deep within her.
His body shuddered as he collapsed, shifting his body at the last moment
to rest beside of her instead of on top of her.
She moved with him, pressing her chest tightly against his and refusing
to let go of him.
He smiled as his chest heaved.
“Oh, Buffy…”
She rubbed gentle circles across his back, whimpering softly as his
softening cock slipped from her. “Let’s
go away.”
“Hm?” He pulled back just enough
to look into her eyes. “I’m sorry?”
“Let’s go away.” She repeated
softly, moving her right hand to his chest, relishing the sensation of his
heart pounding under her palm. “Just us,
the kids…a couple of weeks. Just the six
of us. Please…”
He thought for only a second before answering with a gentle smile.
“Where do you want to go?”
Buffy and Giles walked into the
hospital room to find it full of people.
Anya and Xander were reclined on the bed, Haddie and Maria perched on
the end of the bed playing with a couple of dolls.
Ethan sat in a third chair,
Rayna Harris sleeping quietly in his arms.
He looked up and smiled brightly.
“They named her Rayna.”
Giles chuckled as Anya rolled
her eyes at Xander. “I told you he’d
think we named her after him.”
Giles laughed heartily, the first
real laugh anyone had heard from him in a couple of weeks. Evan looked up at his father and smiled.
Ethan stood and carefully handed
the baby to Buffy as he smiled at Giles.
“Have a nice talk?”
Giles cleared his throat and
gave him a quick nod. “Thank you.”
Ethan chuckled, allowing his
eyes to trail down Giles’ body before meeting his eyes. “You look better.”
Maria looked up at Giles and
grinned. “Hi Unca Gi.”
Giles reached over and lightly
rubbed her reddish hair. “Hello
Maria. How are you today?”
“Good.” She held up the doll in her hand. “Wanna play?”
He leaned down and kissed her
cheek. “Maybe in a little while?”
Maria nodded quickly. “ ‘Kay!”
Haddie grabbed her father’s
arm. When he turned to look at her, she
pointed to her cheek. “I have one too?”
Giles grinned and kissed her as
well. “You can have one any time you
like, Hadley.”
He lifted his eyes and smiled at
Anya. “And how are you feeling this
morning?”
“Great. The doctor…the real doctor…said you
did a pretty good job.” Her eyes
softened as she looked at him with true affection. “Thank you, Giles.”
“There’s nothing to thank me
for, Anya. I did what needed to be
done.” He tilted his head slightly as
Evan pulled on the leg of his jeans.
“But, you’re very welcome.”
He looked down at his smiling
son and chuckled. “Yes, Evan?”
Evan showed him the three cards
he held in his hand. “I win?”
Giles looked at the cards and
then at the cards positioned in a straight line on the floor. He shook his head slowly and pointed to one
of the cards.
“No, you need another of these.”
“A do?”
Giles grinned and shook his head
again. “No, a two won’t help you.”
Evan turned the card in his hand
and studied it. “A samock?”
Giles laughed, but nodded. “It’s actually called a ‘club’, not a
‘shamrock’. But, yes…you need one of
those.”
Evan nodded and dug through the
small stack of cards until he found another club. He held the card up happily.
“Now I win?”
“Now you win.” Giles agreed, winking at his two older
sons. He turned to his wife when he felt
a gentle slap against his arm. “Yes?”
“He’s not even two and you’re
teaching him how to play poker?”
“I was playing poker when I was
about his age.” Ethan offered.
Buffy met Ethan’s eyes and
shifted Rayna in her arms. “And that
makes me feel so much better about it.”
“We’re not playing for money,
Mum.” Braden stated quickly.
Buffy rolled her eyes at her
husband. “If our children turn into
gambling addicts, I’m holding you personally responsible.”
Oz snorted a laugh and
Giles cleared his throat and
turned his eyes back to Xander and Anya.
“Um…how long did the doctor suggest you stay?”
“We should be able to go home tomorrow.” Xander offered quickly with a smile. His smile faded as a thought occurred to
him. “But…we don’t have a car seat
here.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Ethan smiled and looked at Giles. “Care to go for a ride?”
Giles glanced at Buffy, who gave
him a tender smile in response. He
leaned down and brushed his lips across hers.
“We’ll be back soon.”
Evan looked up quickly. “I come?”
Giles knelt down and shook his
head. “Not this time. But, we shan’t be gone long.”
Evan sighed, but didn’t argue. Giles tousled the boy’s hair and glanced at
Braden.
“Maybe play a game of ‘Go Fish’
with him? At least it’s a
semi-educational game.”
Braden smiled as Lucas clapped
his hands. “I like Fish!”
Giles grinned and winked at
Lucas. “I know. Maybe Evan will like it as much as you do.”
He stood back up and gazed into
Buffy’s eyes. She blushed lightly and
shifted her weight on her feet.
“Be careful.”
“I will.” He answered softly, not breaking the
gaze.
Ethan nudged his shoulder. “Come on, mate. The quicker we leave, the quicker we’re
back.”
Buffy rolled her eyes playfully
and handed Rayna to Xander.
* * *
Giles glanced at Ethan, noticing
he was holding the steering wheel a bit too tight. “Everything alright, Ethan?”
Ethan stopped for a red light
and sighed. “I think Anna’s leaving me.”
Giles stared at his friend. “Excuse me?”
Ethan cleared his throat
nervously. “Certain aspects of my past
have come to light. And she’s having a
rather hard time dealing with them.”
“What could she possibly have a
hard time dealing with after all these years?
She knows about the magick, the drugs, Chaos…” He trailed off as his eyes widened. “You were honest with her about your
sexuality, weren’t you?”
“Oh yeah…she knows. Even understands when I feel that urge…” He sighed heavily again as the light turned
green. “However…I didn’t tell her that I
had been intimate with you when we were younger.”
Giles lowered his eyes, staring
at his hands. “Oh.”
Ethan glanced quickly at Giles
before returning his eyes to the road.
“Don’t start feeling guilty, Rupert.
I didn’t tell her for a reason.”
“And…how did she, uh…find out?”
“Apparently, I still talk in my
sleep.” He swallowed thickly and pulled
to the side of the road in front of a row of shops. “She, uh…she had quite a few questions for
me.”
“Ethan?”
Ethan killed the ignition, but
made no effort to get out of the car. He
stared at the steering wheel.
“She believes I’m…having sex
with you.” He took a shaky breath, his
voice quiet as he continued. “I tried to
explain that it was years ago and that we haven’t…she, uh…she didn’t believe
me.”
“Oh, God…Ethan.” Giles reached over and placed his hand on
Ethan’s shoulder.
Ethan chuckled sadly. “The best part was when she accused me of
having a threesome with you and Buffy.”
Giles’ eyes widened. “What?”
“Apparently, that’s the only
reason Buffy would accept the fact that you and I are still friends. And not have an issue with the two of us
spending time together.”
He shook his head as he
continued.
“She was fine with watching me
fuck another man. She was fine with
watching another man fuck me.” He
inhaled deeply and rubbed the side of his neck.
“Hell, she was fine with me fucking her while I had a man’s cock buried
deep inside of me. But…I’m not friends
with those men. I don’t spend time with
them.”
“I’m quite sure I don’t know
what to say, Ethan.”
Ethan shrugged a shoulder and
removed the keys from the ignition. “Not
much to say. I love her. I would’ve probably married her. But, I’ve never dealt well with ultimatums.”
Giles furrowed his brow. “Ultimatums?”
Ethan nodded and turned his head
to look at Giles. “Walk away from you or
she walks away from me. I, uh…I’ve yet
to be able to walk away from you.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault. I should’ve told her years ago.” Ethan took a deep breath and offered Giles a
smile. “It does raise the question of why
Buffy seems to be okay with our friendship.
She knows about our past.”
“She does. However, I haven’t had the desire to bed
another man. She trusts that I would
discuss it with her, should that desire change.”
Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Would you?”
“Absolutely.” Giles replied quickly.
Ethan was quiet for a moment and
then shrugged a shoulder. “It’ll hurt to
lose her. God, she’s brilliant in bed.”
Giles sighed as Ethan climbed
out of the car. He knew his friend was
hurting. He also knew that Ethan was
covering his pain with a blasé comment.
Realizing that the conversation was over for now, Giles climbed out of
the car and followed Ethan into the shop.
They’d talk more later.
* * *
Buffy watched Giles as he
silently helped her pack up their belongings.
He had been fairly quiet since they left the hospital. She couldn’t help but feel concerned.
“Giles?”
He looked up as he closed the
bag containing their children’s toys.
“Yes?”
“What’s wrong?”
He sighed and placed the bag on
the floor. “I’m sorry. I’ve been somewhat distant, haven’t I?”
“Yeah.” She replied softly. “Is it because of this morning?”
He shook his head slowly and
moved to stand in front of her, gently taking hold of her hand. “God, no.
I…well, I’m worried about Ethan.”
Buffy looked at him in
confusion. “He seemed okay.”
Giles cleared his throat and sat
down on the bed, pulling her down beside of him. “He’s fairly certain that Anna is leaving
him.”
Buffy’s eyes widened in
shock. “What? Why?”
Giles ran his hand through his
hair. “She believes he’s having an
affair.”
Buffy exhaled deeply. “Okay, I know Ethan has a certain…Ethan-ness
about him, but…I really don’t think he’d cheat on her.”
“He wouldn’t.” Giles knew that he was going to have to tell
her everything. “But, they’ve brought
other people into their bed.”
“Oh.” Buffy responded quietly. “Who?”
“I didn’t ask for names,
Buffy. A few men, once in a while…that’s
all I know.”
Buffy shook her head
quickly. “No, I meant who does she think
he’s having an affair with? And…a few
men? For him or her?”
Giles cleared his throat. “For him.
As for who she thinks the affair is with…um…me.”
“You?” Her eyes widened again.
“Technically…us…the three of
us.”
“Three of…you mean, you, me, and
Ethan?” Her mouth dropped open as he
nodded. “Why would she think that?”
“She recently found out about
the time Ethan and I spent together when we were younger. She assumes that since you have no issues with
the friendship I now have with Ethan…”
“That I’d sleep with you and
Ethan? Has she completely lost her
mind?”
“No.” Giles lifted his hand and brushed his fingers
through her hair. “I think she’s
overwhelmed. And…I think it’s a valid
suspicion given the circumstances. Add
to that the fact that she raised an ultimatum, which he refused…”
“What kind of ultimatum?” She asked warily.
“Either he walks away from me or
she walks away from him.”
Buffy tilted her head
slightly. “And he chose you. Which doesn’t surprise me in the least. Is…is Ethan okay?”
Giles sighed softly. “He’s hurting. He loves her, Buffy. Even hinted at the thought of asking her to
marry him. But, she won’t…or can’t…move
past his…past.”
Buffy edged closer to him,
sliding her arm around his lower back.
“Then that’s her loss. In my
opinion, if you go into a relationship with someone you have to accept what has
happened in the past. The past is part
of what makes a person the person they are.”
When his lips curled into a small
smile, she chuckled. “You totally
followed that, didn’t you?”
“I did.” He answered softly, leaning into her and
placing a tender kiss on her lips. “And
how glad am I that you subscribe to that line of thinking?”
She carefully moved onto his lap
and slid her left hand into his hair. “I
don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”
His eyes darted to her lips as
his arms encircled her. “I think I’d
prefer to show you.”
She smiled and gently pushed him
back until he was lying underneath her.
“I’ve always heard that actions speak louder than words.”
His hands moved to her hips as
she settled over his quickly emerging erection.
“I fully intend for my actions to leave you with no questions.”
She grinned and lowered her
mouth to his.
A week later, Ethan walked into
his house with his bag slung over his shoulder.
He had put off his return for as long as he could. He’d tried calling, but there’d been no answer.
Glancing at the answering
machine, he sighed heavily knowing that each of the messages were from
him. The house was quiet…far too
quiet. He shook his head and made his
way to the bedroom where he dropped his bag onto the bed and opened the closet.
His jaw clenched, then released,
when he saw that her clothes were gone.
He looked around the room, his eyes focusing on an envelope resting on
the bedside table. His fingers trembled
as he picked the item up, lifting the flap and pulling out the sheet of paper.
He read the letter quickly. It was short and to the point, no need to
take his time with it.
Ethan,
I love you, but I can’t go on
like this. When I asked you to choose, I
knew in my heart what the choice would be.
I can’t stay…not when all I do is sit here and wonder what you’re doing
with him. You’ve been gone for a
week…and you’ve told me that there’s nothing going on between the two of you,
but I heard the passion in your voice when you called his name that night. It was the same passion I’ve heard time and
time again over the years.
I think it’s best to end this
now before it gets worse. As much as I
wanted this, I don’t think I’ll ever believe you aren’t in a relationship with
him. I need to move on and all I ask is
that you not look for me. Just…let it
go.
Anna
He swallowed thickly and
carefully folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. He dropped it back onto the bedside table and
pushed himself from the bed. Looking
around the room once more, he shook his head and made his way back into the
living room.
After pouring himself a stiff
drink, he sat down on the couch and stared into space. He sipped his drink slowly as thoughts
drifted in and out of his mind. He
cleared his throat and made the decision that he’d get through this just as he
had gotten through previous break-ups.
He smiled as he downed his
drink. A few more and he’d be
ready. He’d go out, find a pretty young
woman…or man, he didn’t really care. And
he’d bring him or her home…and fuck until he forgot what he was upset about in
the first place.
He poured another drink and glanced
at the picture sitting on the lamp table.
He felt his anger grow as he looked at Anna’s smiling face, her arms
wrapped around his neck. He lashed out
with his hand, sending the frame flying across the room.
He swallowed the bourbon,
relishing the burn in his throat. He
picked up the phone and rang for a taxi.
He smiled as he listened to the phone ring.
Maybe he’d bring home a man and
a woman.
* * *
Xander sat in a chair next to
Rayna’s crib. He smiled as he watched
his tiny daughter shift in her sleep.
Anya walked into the room and touched his shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
He covered her hand with his,
speaking softly but not taking his eyes off the baby. “Watching her sleep.”
She moved around the chair and
carefully climbed onto his lap. “You
really do love her, don’t you?”
He nodded slowly, lifting his
eyes to meet hers. “More than I ever
thought possible.”
She grinned and snuggled against
him, resting her head on his shoulder.
They sat there, holding one another and watched their child sleep. They’d take themselves to bed once her next
feeding had taken place.
* * *
Ethan grinned as the woman
shoved him against the wall in the back room of a certain sex shop he
frequented. He was sure she had told him
her name, but for the life of him, he couldn’t remember what it was. He closed his eyes as he felt her lips slide
down the length of his cock.
He suddenly realized that he
didn’t care what her name was…as long as she kept swirling her tongue around
him.
* * *
“I’ll get it.”
“Angel.”
Angel regarded the young man
carefully. “Sorry to bother you,
but…what do you know about the Mishtwanai?”
Oz raised an eyebrow and took a
step back. Angel sighed and gestured at
the doorway.
“I can’t…unless you invite me…”
Oz nodded slowly. “I know.”
He reached into the umbrella stand beside the door and pulled out a
wooden stake. “Come in, Angel.”
Angel glanced at the stake and
cleared his throat. Oz smiled softly.
“I have a family to
protect. You’re a vampire and you’re
asking about the Mishtwanai. This…” He lifted the stake and twirled it between
his fingers. “This is merely a
precaution.”
Angel gave a quick nod and
stepped over the threshold. “I’m…not
evil.”
“Yeah, you’ve said that
before.” He led Angel into the living
room, keeping a close eye on him. “It
hasn’t always been the truth when you’ve said it.”
Angel smiled softly. “Hi Willow.”
“Where’s Faith?”
“On assignment out next to
Stonehenge.”
“Oh.” She tilted her head and studied him. “Hey, you want some tea? I’ll go make some tea…” She rambled quickly before standing up and
rushing into the kitchen.
Angel stared after her, shaking
his head in mild amusement. “Nice to see
some things haven’t changed.”
“What do you want, Angel?” Oz asked firmly.
Angel suddenly sobered and
looked into Oz’s eyes.
“Buffy’s the Mishtwanai.”
Oz nodded, the stake still held
lightly in his hand. “Yeah, we know.”
Angel sat down in the chair and
leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I know who the Protector is.”
Oz exhaled slowly and tightened
his grip on the stake.
* * *
Ethan rolled a condom onto his
erection and stood behind the young man leaning over the bench in the small
cubicle. He didn’t normally pick up men
here…and it certainly wasn’t normal for him to fuck a man here.
But this wasn’t exactly a normal
situation. He ripped open the sachet of
lubricant and squeezed a generous amount into his hand.
“So…James, was it?”
“Jamie.” The young man groaned as he felt the older
man slip two oiled fingers into his anus.
“Jamie…you’re…nice and
tight. Tell me…how do you want this?”
Jamie turned his head and looked
at Ethan over his shoulder. “Fuck me
hard.”
Ethan grinned and nudged the
head of his cock against the puckered orifice.
“Ask and ye shall receive…”
* * *
Buffy moaned and ran her hands
over Giles’ sweat-drenched chest as she looked down at him. “Don’t stop…”
His hands gripped her hips
tightly as he thrust up against her.
“Rub your breasts, Buffy…let me watch you.”
She lifted her left hand from
his chest and covered her breast, kneading the firm flesh as he guided her up
and down the length of his cock. He
groaned and licked his lips.
“Both of them…rub them, squeeze
them…”
She complied with his urgently
whispered request, gasping as he quickened the pace of his thrusts. He stared at her hands, timing his thrusts
with each squeeze of a breast.
“That’s where I want my cock in
a minute.”
She leaned back slightly,
increasing the pressure of his strokes.
“Where?”
He groaned at the change of
angle. “Between your breasts. With you pressing them around me…”
She came suddenly, no warning
given. His fingers dug into her hips,
fighting the urge to come with her.
“God, Giles!”
He smiled and rolled her onto
her back, continuing to pump his hips against her as he leaned over and thrust
his tongue into her mouth. Her teeth
scraped against his tongue, her chest rumbling with a growl as she came again.
* * *
Ethan opened his eyes, squinting
in the dim light. His head was pounding,
his throat raw and feeling oddly dusty.
He rolled onto his side and groaned at the sharp pain in his lower
back. A warm hand moved along his
ribcage and he felt the distinct sensation of a tongue sliding up his spine.
It didn’t take long before the
hand moved from his ribs to his waking cock.
Warm air brushed by his ear as a soft voice whispered to him.
“Ready for more?”
Ethan froze. He recognized the voice. He looked down at the red-skinned hand curled
around his erection. His mind swam, the
alcohol and drugs he had obviously taken at some point in the night clouding
his thoughts.
“No.” He whispered.
“No more…”
The demon chuckled as he began
to stroke the hard flesh in his hand.
“Come now, Ethan. You know you
want more…”
* * *
Giles panted heavily, pulling
Buffy’s sweaty and sticky body into his arms.
He could feel her heart pounding against him.
“Well, then…” She gasped, her fingers trembling as she idly
stroked his stomach.
“Mm, quite.” He chuckled softly. He gently rubbed her back, exhaling a deep
breath as she slipped her right leg over his thigh.
“I think if I had to rate that
one, it’d be in my top five.”
He grinned and pressed a kiss
into her damp hair.
When the phone rang, he looked
at the alarm clock, narrowing his eyes when he saw the time. He grabbed the phone quickly, his still
slightly shaky fingers fumbling with the handset.
“H’lo?”
“Rupert. God, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Giles carefully pushed himself
up. “Ethan? What’s wrong?”
Buffy sat up beside of him, her
brow furrowing in concern.
“I…I need your help.”
Giles glanced at Buffy. He could hear the sounds of a car horn
blaring over the phone. “Where are you?”
“Whitechapel.” Ethan answered breathlessly.
“What the hell are you doing in
Whitechapel at three in the morning?”
Buffy’s eyes widened.
“Please, Ripper…please, help
me.”
Giles started at the sound of
the old nickname. “Ethan?”
“I…I have to go…please…you know
where to find me.”
As the line disconnected, Giles
cursed and climbed out of bed. Buffy
followed him, grabbing her robe from the floor.
“Giles? What’s going on?”
Giles dressed quickly and shook
his head. “I don’t know. He’s in Whitechapel…he sounded drunk
and…scared.” He stopped suddenly and
looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry,
Buffy. I have to go find him.”
“I wasn’t going to try to stop
you. Do you…I can call Peter and ask him
to come over to stay with the kids…”
Giles started to shake his head,
but stopped in mid-shake. He thought
about the sound of Ethan’s voice. There
was only one thing that had ever put that degree of fear into the man. And if that one thing was back in Ethan’s
life, he was going to need Buffy’s help.
“Call him. But, please…hurry.”
Buffy grabbed the phone,
cradling the handset between her ear and shoulder as she hurriedly got
dressed. She apologized quickly when
Peter answered the phone and then quickly explained that there was an emergency
that she and Giles needed to take care of on the other side of the city.
Peter interrupted her, stating
that he’d be there in fifteen minutes.
Buffy thanked him and ended the call.
As she pulled a shirt over her head, she met Giles’ worried eyes.
“Do you know what it is?”
Giles slid his arms into his
leather jacket and sighed. “I think
so. Christ, I hope I’m wrong.”
“What is it?”
He slipped a few weapons into
the inner pockets of the jacket and swallowed.
“Chaos.”
Buffy stared at him in
bewilderment. “Chaos? He wouldn’t…”
“Not intentionally, no.” He agreed.
“But, I know how he deals with heartache. And if he fell into Chaos’ bed…”
“Bed?” Buffy’s mouth dropped open. “He fucked Chaos?”
Giles shook his head and ushered
her out of the bedroom, gently nudging her to the living room. “One doesn’t fuck Chaos. Chaos fucks you.”
Buffy was at a loss for
words. Giles continued to explain as
best he could as they waited for Peter to arrive. Buffy tried to pay attention, but the words
weren’t sinking in.
She started to interrupt him
when some of his words finally hit home.
“Ethan could possibly end the
world if Chaos is under his skin.”
“Oh, fucking great.”
Giles’ response was cut short by
a light knock at the door. After giving
Peter a quick rundown and checking to make sure each of them had their mobiles,
they ran out to the car.
Giles threw the car in reverse
and backed out of the driveway. He
glanced at his watch. If he put his foot
down, he could be there in thirty minutes.
Maybe less if he used a spell to cloak his speed from law
enforcement.
He uttered a few words in a
language Buffy had never heard, and slammed his foot on the accelerator. As he sped down the streets, he hoped that he
could get to Ethan in time.
He knew where to find him.
It was the same place he’d
always been able to find him.
Now, it was just a question of time. He prayed that time was on his side this time.
Giles slammed the brakes, neatly
sliding to a stop in front of a fairly rundown building. Buffy narrowed her eyes.
“What is this?”
Giles jerked the keys out of the
ignition and flung the door open. “This
is where Ethan is.”
Buffy exited the car and raced
behind Giles up the small set of stairs that led to the door. “Are you sure? It looks…abandoned.”
Giles took a deep breath and put
his hand on the doorknob. “I’m
sure. And, it is. Has been for the most part for well over
thirty years.”
“Why would he come here?” Buffy asked quietly, her eyes surveying their
surroundings.
“Because he knows I’d look
here.” He turned to look at her as he
twisted the knob. “I’ll explain
everything later. Please…just trust me.”
She gave him a quick nod and
followed him into the darkened foyer of the building. He moved through the rooms with an ease that
piqued Buffy’s curiosity. Giles turned
suddenly into a room in the middle of a hallway. He inhaled sharply and took off in a sprint
across the room.
“Ethan!”
Buffy skidded to a stop beside
of them as Giles knelt next to Ethan’s bruised and battered body. “Oh shit…”
Giles gingerly placed his hand
on the side of Ethan’s neck, exhaling slowly when he found a pulse. “Ethan?”
Ethan groaned lowly, his eyes
fluttering open. “Rupert…”
“Jesus…you smell like a distillery.” Giles muttered as he helped Ethan sit
up. “What the hell happened?”
“She’s gone. Left a note.
I…coped.”
“Fuck…” Giles mumbled, inspecting Ethan’s visible
injuries.
“Oh, I did.” Ethan chuckled miserably. His eyes darkened slightly as he looked at
Giles. “And…then I got fucked.”
Giles stared at him, his voice
icy as he spoke to Buffy without breaking the stare. “Buffy, should you see
anything…particularly…” He silently
questioned Ethan. Ethan answered with a
brief nod. “Particularly a red-skinned
demon…slay first, ask questions later.”
Buffy nodded, but narrowed her
eyes. “Giles? What’s going on?”
“Did he get under your
skin?” Giles asked quietly, ignoring
Buffy’s question.
Ethan shook his head
slowly. “I…I don’t know.”
“How much have you had to
drink?”
Ethan swallowed as he
thought. “I started when I got
home. Not quite sure when I finished.”
“Drugs?”
Buffy’s eyes widened. Ethan shrugged a shoulder.
“Dunno. Don’t remember takin’ anything. But, feel like I ‘ave.”
“Sound like you have as
well.” Giles mumbled, roughly pushing up
the sleeves of Ethan’s shirt. He
inspected the insides of his arms carefully.
“No recent pricks…”
Ethan snorted. “That’s what you think…”
Giles stared into his eyes
again. “I was referring to needle
pricks, Ethan.”
“Oh. Throat feels…dusty.”
“What do you remember, Ethan?”
Ethan let his head fall back
against the wall as he sighed. “I
remember fucking a sweet young thing in the back room of a shop down the
street. Don’t remember her name
though. I remember fucking Jamie two
doors down. Sweet boy…nice, tight ass…I
think I got his number before I left.”
Buffy stared at him. Giles took a patient breath.
“Then…I kinda lose things. I woke up here…”
“With Chaos?”
“Mm. He fucked me good, Ripper. Dunno how many times. Dunno how he found me…” Ethan inhaled deeply and then stared into
Giles’ eyes. “Smells like you had a good
round as well.”
“Shut up, Ethan.” Giles shook his head slowly. “Can you feel him?”
Ethan concentrated as much as he
could and then shook his head. “No. Think he just gave me a taste…show me what
I’ve been missing…lure me back.”
“Are you sure?” Giles asked cautiously.
“Mm. Pull is strong. Desire is heavy. Like the first time.”
“Giles?” Buffy whispered.
Ethan grinned sloppily. “You fucked me here, Ripper. Time and time again…”
Giles swallowed thickly, jumping
slightly when Buffy touched his shoulder.
“I…we need to get you out of here, Ethan.”
Ethan shook his head, his eyes glazing. “He’s coming.
And he’ll make me come again.
I…there’s something you need to know.”
“It can wait. We need to go.”
“He’ll be here soon.” Ethan replied sadly. “If he takes me…I can’t come back again.”
Giles nodded in
understanding. “That’s why we’re leaving
now.”
“I’ll hurt you. And…it will be something you can’t recover
from.” He glanced at Buffy quickly
before turning his glazed eyes back to Giles.
“Neither of you will recover. You
have to know now…in case…”
Giles’ eyes moved to Ethan’s
hand when he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a knife. He flipped the blade open and took a deep
breath. With no warning, he sliced the
blade through his jeans and into the flesh of his thigh.
“Ethan!”
Buffy turned towards the door, hearing
heavy footsteps coming from somewhere within the building. “Giles?
I think we have company.”
“Hold him off as long as you
can.” He grabbed Buffy’s hand and looked
up at her. “For God’s sake, be careful.”
She squeezed his hand, glancing
at Ethan as he continued to dig the blade into his own flesh. “I’ll keep him busy.”
He felt his heart sink as he
watched her move closer to the door.
When Ethan groaned, he looked down at the blood-soaked jeans.
“Ethan…”
Ethan gasped a sigh of relief as
the stone worked its way to the surface of his leg. He pulled it out with trembling fingers and
met Giles’ eyes.
“Holy shit!” Buffy exclaimed as the demon stepped into the
doorway. She glanced down at the
enormous erection jutting from the demon’s groin.
The demon grinned, his red skin
shining brightly in the dim light. “I
normally only take men.” He roamed his
eyes over Buffy’s body. “I can make an
exception in your case.”
Ethan’s eyes widened in fear as
he dropped the stone into Giles’ hand.
“Break it now!”
Giles looked at the stone, then
glanced over his shoulder. “Fuck!”
Chaos took a swing at
Buffy. She ducked quickly and darted to
her left, hoping to draw him away from Giles and Ethan. Giles dropped the stone on the floor and
stood, pulling a knife out of his inside jacket pocket.
He called Buffy’s name and then
tossed the knife in her direction. She
caught it without looking, slamming the heel of her boot on the demon’s
foot. Chaos growled and caught her
shoulder with a backhanded swipe.
Giles pulled another knife out
of his pocket and took off in a run across the room. He screamed at the demon as Buffy hit the
wall and slid to the hard floorboards.
Buffy shook her head as she
picked herself up from the floor, the knife dropping from her hand as she
stared at her husband. “Giles!”
Giles glanced at Buffy and Chaos
took advantage of Giles’ lapse in concentration. The demon struck out, the palm of his hand
hitting Giles’ sternum and slamming him back.
As Giles stumbled, Chaos turned towards Buffy and grasped the front of
her shirt. He lifted her easily and
pinned her against the wall. He licked
his lips in a lecherous manner.
“Is your ass as tight as his?”
“Giles!” Buffy screamed as the demon ripped her shirt
open.
His grip tightened on the knife
in his hand and he ran across the room for a second time. With a scream of his own, he buried the
seven-inch blade into the demon’s spine.
Chaos roared and dropped Buffy,
spinning around to face Giles. “You’ve
taken him from me once. It will not
happen again.”
Buffy scrambled to her feet,
grabbing her discarded knife as Chaos wrapped his hand around Giles’
throat. Ethan struggled to his feet, his
hand pressed tightly against his thigh.
“Start…with his…dick…” Ethan gasped, his knees buckling under his
weight.
Buffy narrowed her eyes and took
a deep breath. She lashed out, cleanly
slicing the appendage from the demon’s body.
Chaos released his hold on Giles as he roared in agony. Giles fell to the floor, gasping for breath.
He met Buffy’s eyes. “Finish him…”
Buffy threw herself at Chaos,
arms flailing as the blade penetrated the demon’s thick skin over and
over. Yellow fluid poured from the
wounds, seeping through the floorboards underneath their feet.
Giles drug himself away from the
fight, but kept his eyes trained on Buffy.
When Chaos fell to his knees, Buffy wrapped her arms around his head and
jerked. The screams ended suddenly as a
loud crack resonated in the room.
She pushed the demon’s body to
the floor and stared at it, as if daring him to get back up. Hearing her husband call her name, she backed
away from the corpse, stopping when she felt Giles’ hand touch her calf.
“Buffy?”
Her knees gave way and she fell
into his arms. He tenderly stroked her
hair as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded wordlessly,
overwhelmed by a sudden rush of tears.
Ethan lowered his head, his
trembling fingers picking up the forgotten stone. He looked up and felt his
throat constrict.
Chaos was dead, soon to be
replaced by another, he was sure. That
was the only good thing that had come from this. He had been in pain…and his pain clouded his
judgement. This was all his fault.
He inhaled shakily and looked
over at the sobbing couple holding on to one another as if their lives depended
on it. He glanced at the stone and
shoved it deep into the pocket of his ruined jeans.
He had panicked and very nearly
divulged their oldest child’s identity as the Protector. He cursed softly under his breath and
struggled to his feet. He stumbled over
to the demon’s corpse and stared down at him.
Ethan would not be controlled by
him again.
* * *
Oz paced back and forth in the
nursery, Jake fussing sleepily in his arms.
He hummed a soft tune, lulling the baby back to sleep. Oz’s mind
raced. He wasn’t sure what he was going
to do, but the one thing he did know was that he needed to talk to Ethan.
Angel had left hours ago. And Angel did indeed know the identity of the
Protector. When he questioned the
vampire, Angel stated that he had found a letter in some of Novak’s
belongings. The letter had been written
shortly before Novak’s death. And it was
intended to be read only in the event of Novak’s death…and only by Angel.
Angel assured Oz that he hadn’t
divulged the secret to anyone else…and that he had no plans to. He wanted to help, but he didn’t want to be
in the way. Besides, Faith was waiting
for him at
Oz had raised an eyebrow at
that, to which Angel merely shrugged.
Oz took a deep breath, a hint of
a smile on his lips when he realized that his son had finally fallen back
asleep. His brow furrowed slightly as
his mind started turning again.
He didn’t know where Ethan
was. He’d tried to call his mobile
several times, but Ethan had failed to answer.
Oz was curious, but not overly concerned. But he knew that he did need to talk to him
soon.
He carefully placed his son in
the crib and tucked the blanket around his small body. Oz ran his fingers over Jake’s head and yawned.
He’d try to call Ethan again
first thing in the morning.
Giles glanced in the rearview
mirror and took a deep breath. Buffy
rested her hand on his thigh and spoke softly.
“He can’t go home tonight,
Giles.”
Giles cleared his throat as he
nodded in agreement. “I can take him to
the Council…he’ll be safe there.”
Buffy widened her eyes and
stared at him. “No…I was kinda
suggesting we take him home with us.”
Giles turned his head to look at
her briefly. “Are you sure?”
She looked into the back of the
car and sighed heavily at the sight of the nearly broken man stretched across
the seat. “He’s just lost his
girlfriend, he’s…God, Giles…I can’t even begin to understand what he’s been
through tonight.”
“I can.” Giles replied softly.
She rubbed his thigh and nodded
slowly. “I know. And that’s one of the reasons I really think
he should stay with us for a few days.”
“A few days?” Giles raised an eyebrow. “Buffy…”
“He could’ve died
tonight…or…worse. And I honestly believe
you’re the only person he’s going to be able to talk to about this.” She watched her husband carefully as he
thought. “I’m okay with this, Giles. And…the kids love him, and vice versa. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving him alone
right now.”
He exhaled slowly, coming to a
stop at a red light. He turned and
looked into her eyes. After a moment, he
gave a quick nod and leaned over to give her a tender kiss.
“Thank you.”
“Haddie and Evan have daycare
tomorrow. I think you should stay home
from work ‘cause it’s like almost five in the morning now…and you haven’t had
any sleep. I’ll take Braden and Lucas to
school and drop Haddie and Evan off…”
“Buffy…”
Buffy shook her head, protesting
his interruption. “Ethan should sleep for
hours once we get him into a bed…and…you need sleep, Giles. You haven’t been sleeping well at all…do you
think I don’t notice?”
“No.” He whispered as he navigated the streets that
led to their home. “I know you notice.”
“You’re not going to work tomorrow. And that’s final.” Buffy glanced into the backseat again. “And…what was with him stabbing himself in
the leg?”
“He, uh…dug a stone of some sort
out of his thigh. Told me to break
it.” He cleared his throat and shook his
head. “I’m rather sure he’s hiding
something from me…us.”
“Something else to put on the
‘talk to Ethan about’ list?”
“I’m afraid so. I must admit, of all the things he said and
did tonight…that was the one that worried me the most.”
Buffy looked at his profile and
tilted her head slightly. “Why?”
“It was the look in his
eyes. A combination of fear,
desperation, and…sorrow. Never a good
combination when dealing with Ethan.”
Buffy’s eyes drifted to the side
of Giles’ neck. “He bruised you.”
Giles looked at her quickly,
hearing the soft tone of her voice. “I’m
sorry?”
“Chaos.” She lifted her hand and lightly touched the
darkening marks on his skin. “He bruised
you.”
He covered her hand with
his. “I’m alright, Buffy.”
She inhaled shakily and nodded
silently. She lowered her hand, taking
his with her and lacing their fingers together as she turned to stare out the
window.
* * *
Giles collapsed onto the bed,
his left arm landing across Buffy’s stomach.
His eyes closed almost immediately.
Buffy gently stroked his arm with her fingertips.
“Giles?”
“Hm?” He mumbled sleepily.
“Everything okay?”
“Mm. Got him cleaned up a bit, gave him a change
of clothes. He fell back asleep almost
instantly.”
Buffy turned her head to look at
him, her voice a soft whisper. “I meant
with you.”
He opened his eyes with some
effort and met her concerned gaze. He
offered her a tired, but loving, smile.
“I’m fairly exhausted. But, otherwise…I’m
fine.”
She rolled onto her side to face
him and brushed her fingers through his hair.
“You should sleep.”
His eyes fluttered
drowsily. “As should you.”
“I love you, Rupert.”
His eyes snapped back open. “Are you angry with me?”
She offered him a gentle smile
as she snuggled into him. “No. Sometimes I use your given name when I’m not
angry.”
“It’s a rare occurrence.” Giles stated warily.
“But not unheard of.” She added softly, allowing her fingers to
trace the darkening bruises on his neck.
“I love you.”
“I love you too, Buffy.”
She sighed softly and tucked her
head under his chin. “Sleep now, Giles…”
He mumbled incoherently and
Buffy closed her eyes as she listened to his breathing pattern change.
* * *
The next morning, Giles woke to
find Buffy not in the bed. He looked at
the clock and sighed. She would’ve
already left with the children. He ran
his hand over his face and climbed out of bed.
Three hours sleep…he could do with more.
He made his way to the bathroom
and took care of his business. As he
washed his hands, he looked into the mirror.
He stared at the bruises around his throat and shook his head
sadly. Last night had been close on many
fronts.
Yawning, he walked out of the
bathroom and headed towards one of the guest rooms he had placed Ethan in. The door was open, but Ethan wasn’t
inside. Giles narrowed his eyes and
walked back down the hall.
He found Ethan in the kitchen, a
cup of steaming tea in his hand as he stared out the window. Ethan spoke softly, but didn’t turn around.
“Hope you don’t mind…helped
myself to some of your tea.”
Giles flipped the switch on the
electric kettle and opened the cabinet, pulling down a cup for himself. “No, I don’t mind at all. How, uh…how are you feeling this morning?”
Ethan chuckled sadly. “Oh, never better. Made a right mess of things, didn’t I?”
“I wouldn’t necessarily say
that.” Giles responded quietly. “However, I do think you need to work on your
coping techniques.”
Ethan turned slowly, his retort
dying on his lips as he stared at his friend’s neck. “Dear God!”
Giles waved a hand lightly as he
poured the boiling water into his cup.
“I’m fine. I bruise easily.”
Ethan placed his cup on the
counter and swallowed. “Buffy? Is she okay?”
Giles smiled softly, dropping a spoonful
of sugar into his cup. “She doesn’t
bruise nearly as badly as I do.”
“The kids are gone…”
Giles nodded and took a sip of
his tea. “School day.”
“Oh.” Ethan thought for a moment. “Not a work day?”
Giles cleared his throat,
pausing as he lowered his cup. “Not
today.”
“I suppose you have questions.”
Giles raised an eyebrow. “I suppose you have answers?”
When Ethan nodded, Giles
gestured towards the living room with a tilt of his head. “Then I suppose we should talk.”
* * *
Buffy walked into the house and
hung her keys on the hook next to the door.
She stepped into the living room and found Giles and Ethan sitting on
the couch quietly.
“Really wasn’t expecting either
of you to be awake…much less up and talking.”
Giles turned to look at her,
sadness in his eyes. “Come sit with us.”
Buffy furrowed her brow, but did
as requested. As she sat down on the
coffee table, she met Giles’ eyes.
“So…what’s going on?”
“I just wanted to forget.” Ethan whispered. “Nearly got both of you killed…nearly lost
myself to Chaos.”
Buffy glanced at Ethan’s thigh,
a red patch spread across the material of the pajama pants he was wearing. “You’re bleeding.”
Ethan looked down and shrugged a
shoulder. “It’ll stop…eventually.”
Giles took a deep breath. “Perhaps you could call her.”
Ethan smiled unhappily. “She made it very clear I’m not to do
that. Besides, I refuse to give in to
ultimatums.”
Silence fell over the room for a
few moments. Buffy licked her dry lips
and folded her hands across her knees.
“So, that building…”
Giles lowered his head briefly
and then met his wife’s eyes. “We stayed
there for a while. If memory serves,
there were eight of us at that point.”
Ethan smirked. “Nine, if you count Janie. And you might as well, she’s was there often
enough.”
Buffy raised an eyebrow. “Janie?”
“My sister.” Ethan replied softly. “God, she had it bad for Ripper. Most of the girls did.”
Giles shifted
uncomfortably. “Nine of us were
there. We basically lived on alcohol,
drugs…and sex. On the rare occasions
that we actually did ingest food, we’d steal from the bakery next door.” He looked into Buffy’s eyes. “It wasn’t necessarily the highlight of my
life.”
Buffy nodded slowly, she was
aware of her husband’s past. “How did
you know which room to go to?”
Giles hesitated. Ethan didn’t.
“That was the room we spent the
most time in. All of us. The ‘orgy room’ they called it.” He narrowed his eyes in thought. “Who was it that came up with that name?”
“I think it was Jack.”
Ethan huffed. “Figured it would’ve been him. Not the most imaginative fellow.”
Buffy opened her mouth, closing
it when she realized she didn’t know what to say. Giles reached over and took her hand,
relaxing when he felt her fingers curl around his.
The phone rang, disturbing the
silence that had once again taken hold.
Giles reached behind him and grabbed it with his free hand.
“Hello?”
“Giles? Figured you’d be at work.”
Giles smiled softly. “Rough night last night. I’m taking a day off. Do you need to speak with Buffy?”
Oz paused for a brief
moment. “Not exactly. I’ve been trying to get hold of Ethan. Have you seen him?”
Giles glanced at Ethan and
narrowed his eyes. “Actually, yes. He’s here at the moment. Would you like to speak with him?”
When Oz answered in a quick
affirmative, Giles held the phone to his friend. “Oz, for you.”
“Oz?” Ethan took the phone quickly, pushing himself
up from the couch.
Giles and Buffy watched him as
he limped his way into the kitchen for a bit of privacy. Buffy sighed and moved over to the seat Ethan
had just vacated.
“You okay?”
“Hm?” He tore his eyes from the kitchen doorway and
looked at her. “Yes, I’m fine. I just…I don’t like talking about those
days.”
She reached up and stroked the
hair above his ear. “I know. But, at least I already know most of those
stories. Nothing to shock me with.”
He stared at her for a
moment. “You seem almost disappointed
about that.”
She shrugged a shoulder and
leaned into him. “Some of the stories
weren’t so bad. In fact…a couple of them
were kinda hot.”
He raised an eyebrow as he bent
his head. “Sometimes you’re a rather
strange woman.”
“Yeah…” She whispered before brushing her lips across
his. “But you still love me.”
He nodded slowly, slipping his
fingers into her hair. “Yes, I do.”
As Giles returned the kiss,
Ethan cursed and paced back and forth in the kitchen. His hand tightened on the phone as he glanced
into the living room.
“Angel knows? How the hell does Angel know?”
“Apparently, Novak left a letter
for him. Just in case something happened
to either of us.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, turning
from the doorway as he watched Giles’ tongue slide into Buffy’s mouth. “If that orange-eyed demon wasn’t already
dead, I’d fucking kill him myself.”
Oz gave a quick nod, he wasn’t
exactly thrilled about the situation either.
“Not really the issue right now.
We have a bigger problem.”
Ethan moved back to the window
and stared out at the large tree in the back yard. “Yeah.
Do we tell them now?”
Oz sighed heavily. “I think that’s something we should talk
about. But…not over the phone.”
“I can be ready in fifteen
minutes, but I don’t have my car. Can
you pick me up?”
Giles pulled from the kiss when
he heard Ethan walk back into the room.
He cleared his throat and met Ethan’s eyes.
“Ethan?”
Ethan plastered on a grin,
hoping it was convincing enough.
“Listen, um…thank you for everything.
But, you two obviously would like to have some time to yourselves. No kids…no visitors…just you. I’ve asked Oz to come pick me up. I’ll, uh…I’ll just grab a quick shower and
then get my shit together.”
Giles raised an eyebrow. “Ethan, you’re more than welcome to stay for
a few days…until…”
Ethan shook his head
quickly. “I’ll be alright.” He gestured down the hall and smiled. “About that shower…”
“Ah, yes…of course. The towels are in the linen press in the
hall.”
With a quick nod, Ethan left the
room, his heavy limp causing Giles to furrow his brow.
“I’m rather sure he’s not
telling me everything.” Giles stated
softly.
“Is he gonna be okay?”
Giles met Buffy’s eyes and ran a
hand through his hair. “Eventually. But, he’s stubborn. I just hope that he’ll talk to…someone…if he
feels the need.”
Buffy brushed her fingers down
the side of his bruised neck. “He’ll
talk to you when he’s ready.”
“He doesn’t tell me everything,
Buffy.” He reached up and brushed a
stray lock of hair from her face. “It
doesn’t necessarily have to be me he tells.
Just…someone. The longer he keeps
things bottled up, the worse it’ll be for him.”
Buffy nodded and moved into his
arms, resting her head against his chest.
* * *
Forty-five minutes later, they found
themselves alone in the house. Ethan had
allowed Giles to suture the wound in his leg, but refused to say anything more
about the object he had dug out of his thigh.
Thirty minutes after he had ended the call with Oz, the doorbell
rang. Oz smiled pleasantly, but Giles
thought he saw apprehension in the young man’s eyes.
Buffy had led Giles back to bed,
ordering him to lie on his stomach. He
quirked an eyebrow, but complied. When
he felt her warm hands begin to knead his tired and aching muscles, he sighed.
“You didn’t get much sleep.”
He chuckled softly at the
statement. “No, but neither did you.”
“I didn’t have a demon trying to
choke the life out of me.” She whispered
and pressed a bit harder along his spine.
He groaned in relief as the loud
crack sounded in the room. “True, but
you had to fight said demon.”
“Mm-hm. I came out okay.”
He turned his head and looked
over his shoulder. “You came out
alive. That’s slightly more than
‘okay’. Chaos was a rather formidable
foe.”
She grinned as she moved off of
him and rolled him onto his back. “Is
that your way of saying that I killed a really bad ass demon and you’re proud
of me?”
He stared into her eyes and
pulled her back on top of him, so that she was straddling his hips. “Something like that.”
She shifted slightly and smiled
when she felt him stir beneath her.
“You’re not too tired?”
He placed his hands on her
thighs and swallowed. “Tell me you love
me.”
Her smile faded somewhat as she
looked into his eyes. Each time his past
was brought up in discussion, she found that he asked for reassurance. Part of her found it sweet…the hopeful look
in his eyes each time he asked. A larger
part of her felt sad that he felt he needed the reassurance.
She leaned forward and kissed
him tenderly. “You need to stop this,
honey.”
She kissed him again before he
could respond, sliding her hand into his hair as she lifted her lips from
his. “I know about your past,
Giles. I know that there are some things
that you haven’t told me…but, you’ve told me a lot. And I didn’t stop loving you. If anything, I loved you more for trusting in
me enough to tell me.”
“I’m not proud of many of the
things I’ve done.” He whispered against
her lips.
“I know. But, I’m proud of what you’ve
accomplished. And I do love you,
Giles.” She brushed her lips across his,
pulling back just enough to look into his eyes.
“I love you.”
She lovingly rubbed his chest
before lowering her head, placing a trail of warm, open-mouthed kisses along
his sternum. “I’m pretty sure there’s
nothing you could say that would change that.”
He inhaled sharply as she
flicked her tongue against his skin.
“Don’t say that…”
She raised her eyes as she
kissed his navel. Her fingers trailed
down the inside of his arm, tracing the tattoo that he had never had
removed.
“How many times do I have to
tell you? Everything you did in your
past made you the man you are now. Everything. Those experiences…even the most negative
ones…helped create the man I love with everything in me.”
“Buffy…”
She slid her body further down,
straddling his left leg as she gently tugged his pajama pants down. “Have you gone to another woman for sex?”
“No.” He answered quickly. “What…”
She smiled as she wrapped her
fingers around his emerging erection.
“Have you participated in any drug induced orgies since we got
together?”
“No…” He whispered as she slowly stroked him.
“All of these bad things you did
that makes you worry about me falling out of love with you…they happened years
ago, right? Before I was even born?”
He nodded slowly, gazing into
her eyes. “Most of them. All of them before I met you.”
She used her free hand to pop
the button on her jeans and pull the zipper down. “Then please…don’t worry about it
anymore. I love you so much, Giles.”
His eyes followed her hand as it
slipped into her barely visible blue satin underwear. His hips jerked of their own accord as he
watched the movement under the material.
She smiled, removing her hand and holding it up for him to see the glistening
fluid on her fingers.
“I’m so wet for you.”
He groaned and grabbed her hand,
pulling her flush against his body. “I
love you, Buffy.”
She released his erection and
stretched out on top of him. As her
tongue nudged its way into his mouth, he hooked his fingers into her belt loops
and began tugging her jeans down over her hips.
* * *
Oz eyed Ethan as the older man
limped back to the table with two pints of stout. “What happened?”
Ethan took a long pull from his
drink and sighed. “Short version? Met up with an old ‘friend’, got myself into
a bit of strife, called Rupert for help.
Strife got worse, I panicked…and dug the crystal out of my thigh…and
told Rupert to smash it.”
Oz raised an eyebrow. “The crystal? The one that holds -- ”
“Yeah.”
Oz shook his head. “
Ethan reached into his pocket
and pulled the dark stone out, tossing it onto the table in front of Oz. “He decided to help Buffy kill the demon
instead.”
“Huh.” Oz picked the crystal up and studied it
carefully before handing it back to Ethan.
“Must’ve been some night.”
Ethan chuckled and took another
drink. “One that I hope not to
repeat. Now…Angel?”
“I don’t think we have to worry
about him. He left to head back to
Ethan looked at him curiously
when he trailed off. Ethan followed Oz’s
gaze and smiled.
“You know him?” Oz asked quietly.
“Somewhat.” Ethan grinned, turning back to face Oz after
giving the other man a subtle nod. “You
were saying?”
“I don’t think Angel’s going to
say anything to anyone. He’s as
concerned for Braden’s safety as we are.
But, it makes me wonder if we should tell Buffy and Giles.”
Ethan thought for a moment,
staring at the glass in front of him.
“It’s still fourteen years away.
That’s…a long time.”
“Yet…you were going to tell them
last night.”
Ethan nodded and raised his
eyes. “Because I thought Chaos was going
to take me…and if that had happened, Braden would have been in more
danger. I was going to tell them to
protect him. Luckily, Buffy…and
Rupert…made sure that didn’t happen.”
“Okay. So…we’re not telling them yet?”
Ethan looked down at the crystal
resting in his palm. “Not yet. But, if Angel becomes an issue…”
Oz’s eyes darkened
slightly. “Angel knows the risks. I made them perfectly clear to him.”
Ethan grinned and slid the
crystal back into his pocket. “Good
lad.”
Oz glanced at the man watching
them and cleared his throat. “Uh…I think
your friend is on his way over.”
Ethan’s eyes flickered as he
mumbled. “Didn’t take long.”
Oz arched an eyebrow, but didn’t
comment. “Did you need a ride home?”
“Ta, but…I might be able to
persuade a ride out of…my friend.”
Oz nodded and looked up as the
man in question stopped next to the table.
Ethan looked up and grinned at him.
“Hello, Michael.”
“Hey.” He tilted his head towards Oz.
Ethan’s eyes darted to Michael’s
lips before he smiled. “Michael, this is
Oz…a friend of the family. Oz, this is
Michael…a, uh…friend.”
“Nice to meet you.” Michael spoke softly.
Oz nodded and pushed his chair
back. “Likewise. I should go.
Talk to you later, Ethan.”
“Uh-huh. Have a good day.” Ethan replied, not taking his eyes off of
Michael.
Oz chuckled and made his way to
the door. As he pushed the door open, he
looked back just in time to see Michael lean down and kiss Ethan. Oz smirked, not all that surprised, and
stepped out into the bright sunlight.
* * *
Buffy threw her head back,
groaning loudly as she rode her husband.
Giles had a firm hold of her hands, his hips thrusting upwards each time
she pushed down.
“Not…long…” He grunted, squeezing her hands.
“God…Giles!” She tightened her fingers around his and
looked down at him. “Love…you…”
He watched a bead of sweat roll
down the side of her neck as she screamed his name again. Her muscles clenched around him as she came
forcefully. He followed quickly, his
semen washing her inner walls.
He released her hands, allowing
her to collapse onto his heaving chest.
He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as he trembled. He felt her mumble against his skin, but
couldn’t make out what she was saying.
“What…what did you…say, Buffy?” He panted heavily.
She turned her head, pressing
her cheek to his chest, relishing the sound of his pounding heart. She swallowed and took in a gulp of air.
“No…more…”
Giles furrowed his brow. “No more?”
Buffy licked her dry lips and lifted
her head to look into his eyes. “No
more…worrying about…your past.”
“Oh…” He whispered, brushing her sweat-dampened
hair back from her face.
“Start taking drugs…and having
orgies…we’ll have a problem.” She smiled
lazily and shifted, whimpering when his softening cock slipped from her. “Past is…past. No more.”
He returned her smile and slid
his left hand down to her hip. “No
more.”
She lowered her head and nuzzled
his chest. “God, I’m exhausted…”
He chuckled softly and nodded in
agreement. “We…should get some rest…”
“Mm-hm…” She mumbled and moved to his side, draping
one leg over his and leaving her head where it was.
He smiled sleepily and reached
down, pulling the sheet over their cooling bodies. He felt her body relax against him and
allowed his eyes to close.
“Love you, Buffy.” He whispered.
She muttered incoherently and
drifted deeper towards sleep.
Giles lightly stroked her skin
as he felt his exhaustion overcome him.
The thought crossed him mind that their lives would probably seem
chaotic to others…but, he wouldn’t have it any other way. A smile tugged at his lips as she snuggled
closer to him.
Not all chaos was
inauspicious.
~ End