Rollercoaster
by Gail Christison, Karen Jephson, and GylzGirl
Disclaimer: Joss and Fox own BtVS. We only own the fic and our straightjackets.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: B/G
Timeline: AU. Season 6. After "All the Way".
Written: 2002
************
Giles unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up tidily before opening the cookbook. He wasn't sure how he'd let himself in for this project, only that he would much prefer to be researching…or fighting vampires, or possibly even wrestling a slime demon.
He eyed the row of ingredients before him and scanned the book, disappointed to find that Buffy hadn't missed anything. No excuse to down tools and escape-er-head back out to the store.
With a resigned sigh he started work on his first attempt at producing a passable birthday cake. Well, any kind of cake really. Originally Buffy's personal project, he had been co-opted to take over when an upsurge in vampire activity meant that her only free time before the event had suddenly dried up.
He stared mournfully at the ingredients, from the cocoa to the chocolate buttons, the sugar to the butter and the milk. Buffy hadn't forgotten a damned thing. He had promised and he would keep that promise, but the results even he couldn't guarantee.
With another sigh, he set to work.
"Giles!"
He looked up, finger covered in perfectly beaten chocolate batter.
"Xander? What's wrong?"
Xander and Anya came through the Summers' kitchen door still talking amongst themselves and stopped at the sight of Giles in one of Joyce's old aprons, surrounded by bowls, flour and all form of cake makings, chocolate-covered finger poised to lips.
"So Giles, how's it going?"
Giles looked at his finger, his visitors and then his finger again, then defiantly put it in his mouth and swiped the cake mixture off it. He nodded before regarding the others again.
"Successfully so far," he said matter-of-factly.
"What exactly are you doing?" Anya asked with only marginal interest.
"Painting the house," Giles deadpanned.
Xander snickered. "So this is for the Dawnster? Wasn't her birthday in June?"
Giles nodded. "Yes. Two weeks after the final battle with Glory."
Xander blinked. "Oh man. That's right. I forgot."
Giles smiled sadly. "We all did. Even Dawn. It was all too much at the time and I don't think she was very happy at being reminded she was here one more year, when it cost Buffy's life to make that happen."
"Well I think that's just terrible," Anya commented. "Surviving another year in this town should earn you a party. And lots of presents. The good kind that can be returned to the store in exchange for cash."
Giles grinned. "Buffy felt the same way when she found out her sister hadn't really gotten a party. So, we're having an un-birthday for Dawn. Buffy had her heart set on a homemade birthday, all the trimmings. She wants to give Dawn a traditional family birthday…a Summers birthday, just as Joyce did when she was small. Her feeling was that after a thirteenth birthday at Burger King and a slumber party for her fourteenth comprising far too much junk food and far too little sleep, that what Dawn would appreciate most would be something close and family oriented, particularly since it is the first one after..."
"Wouldn't it be better to take her to somewhere cheerful? We could take her to Amigo's," Anya interrupted.
Giles rolled his eyes and put down his wooden spoon. "We are not taking a fifteen year old girl to see male strippers."
Xander looked wildly from one to the other. "What were you doing at Amigo's?" he demanded, and when Anya shrugged innocently, wheeled back to Giles. "And do not tell me you've been there too!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Giles blustered. "They advertise on late night television. Frequently."
Xander didn't look convinced but didn't argue. "No strippers," he told Anya. "We didn't come here about strippers."
"There's trouble?" Giles asked almost too hopefully.
"No," the younger pair said almost simultaneously.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath.
"I got some free passes," Xander explained.
"Free... passes?"
"Coaster Dominion. You know…like Six Flags."
"Um…flags?"
"No, rides."
"Xander, stop speaking in code."
"Amusement park. You know…roller coasters, hot dogs, cotton candy. You do have these things in England, don't you?"
Giles made a disparaging noise and proceeded to pour his batter into the prepared pans.
"Xander thought Dawn would like to go and eat too much and throw up on all the rides, and generally have a great deal of fun," Anya explained helpfully.
Xander looked pained. "An', I can handle this, okay? Giles, my uncle gave me a bunch of passes. He kinda got stuck with them in a poker game. The point is, it'll take everyone's mind off, well, you know... She'll love it, trust me."
"If it makes Dawn and Buffy happy, then by all means," he said, turning to slide the cake pans into the oven.
When he turned back, Xander was watching him covetously. He rolled his eyes.
"Bowl?"
"Oh, yeah!" Xander cheered and pumped the air enthusiastically then grabbed the bowl and scraper before Giles could change his mind. "By the way, there' s going to be seven of us, so we need another car. Any chance we could borrow yours?"
"Of course. And why not borrow my credit card as well?" Giles drawled sarcastically.
Anya looked smug. "I told him there was no way you'd let anybody else drive your phallic symbol, so I suggested we bring you along. That way you can carry all the prizes I'm going to win for Xander in all the cute little games they have there! It's not like you're going to be busy…I mean, Xander said you probably wouldn't want to go on any of the rides. Actually he said you'd probably have a heart atta-"
"O-kay," Xander managed, bright red and looking up sheepishly from under his unruly hair, "Thanks An'. Way to go. Sorry G-man. It's just, you know, you' re Giles. Cross referencing, musty books, ancient languages…you know…stuffy British guy."
Giles rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Xander. I have nothing else planned."
"Cool," Xander said, clearly relieved. "And don't worry, we'll look after you. You're sure it's okay?"
"Since the birthday celebrations are on Sunday, I see no reason why not, on two conditions. One is that under no circumstances is Buffy allowed to drive and the second is that there will be no, I repeat, no food or drink in my car."
Xander looked up from the object of his attention, chocolate batter smeared on one cheek and all over his fingers.
"Deal," he agreed brightly.
Giles resisted the urge to take back his car and run.
"We have to go now. We have to find a gift for Dawn. Xander wants to go to Toys R Us," Anya announced suddenly.
"Why am I not surprised?" Giles muttered as he put eggs and milk back in the refrigerator and tried not to picture junk food and soda decorating his upholstery.
"I told him that pubescent females are more interested in clothes and makeup and anything else that might be attractive to pubescent males."
Giles cleared his throat. "On second thought, Xander, Toys R Us sounds like the perfect choice. A teddy bear, perhaps, or Scrabble?"
"My thoughts exactly, G-Man. I thought maybe Monopoly. Not the kid's version, the Star Wars collector's edition. Have you seen that puppy?" the younger man enthused.
Giles stared at him for a moment, then blinked. "No, I don't believe I have," he deadpanned.
******
He looked up from reading the paper for the third time. The television had long since devolved into infomercials, ancient reruns and colorized classics.
Buffy finally came through the door pulling her hair out of the temporary ponytail she'd scraped it into.
A surreptitious glance at his watch told him it was two-forty seven a.m. Five minutes later than the last time he'd looked.
"Everything all right?" he asked without looking up again.
"I hate vampires," she muttered.
He lifted his eyes then and half smiled. "Glad to hear it."
"They're not supposed to work as a team and they aren't supposed to hit people with trash cans…full, stinky trash cans…" She sniffed. "So how did it go? The cake was a bust, huh?"
Giles rose and dropped the paper on the chair. "On the contrary."
Buffy headed for the kitchen, stopping, entranced, when she saw the large cake on the bench, dark, rich, silky chocolate icing glistening in the artificial light.
"You did that? You went out and bought one, really, right?" she teased.
"If you like," he said, amused.
"Wow, Giles. I thought you said you hadn't done anything like this before?"
"I haven't. My culinary expertise lies in the production of dinners for myself. I do a mean moussaka, if I do say so myself. I'm also in the process of perfecting a rather good Texas chili."
"It's gorgeous."
He looked pleased. "Thanks to your mother's taste in cookbooks. I simply followed the instructions. By the way, Xander stopped by earlier." He handed Buffy the tickets the others had left with him.
"Oh yeah. Will and Tara mentioned it."
"That's right. They said you met them for coffee this afternoon. I take it they're still going to decorate the cake after they pick Dawn up from her friend's tomorrow?"
"Yup," she agreed. "They're crazed about it…in between being crazed about buying a gift and going to the amusement park."
"Xander seems to think Dawn is rather fond of them."
"My Dawn?" Buffy asked skeptically. "Amusement parks, yes. Mucho cotton candy, churros and assorted junk food, and later with the Alka-Seltzer and moaning, but last time…rides and Dawn were totally unmixy things. A-at least…in the other history…you know…I mean, I remember her riding the parachute ride at Knott's Berry Farm with Dad and me when she was just five. She was scared witless. We haven't even been to an amusement park since she was ten," she added, trying not to think about the paradoxes that were Dawn's existence.
"And you?" Giles asked, curious.
She grinned widely. "I can't wait," she confided.
He chuckled. "Supper?" he asked, and threw his glasses on the bench.
Buffy watched him pulling mugs from the cupboard and putting the kettle on. Since her return, and his decision to come back from England, he hadn't said much and neither had she. Yet, despite everything that had happened, they seemed, in silence, closer and more comfortable with each other than ever in ways she couldn't have imagined before the battle with Glory. They tended not to encroach on each other's space or ask hard questions, and yet there was a sense of comfort in each other's company lately that was stronger than at any time she could remember.
When he finally turned with the steaming beverages and smiled lopsidedly before offering one to her, she grinned back, unsure why she felt such a surge of affection for the man who'd stood by her for so many years, knowing only that it was the single most intense emotion she'd felt since her mother's death.
Giles came around to lean against the cupboard and look at her curiously. "Penny for them?" he asked, half amused, half curious about the affection, perhaps even confusion, so clearly evident in her eyes.
"I was just thinking what a great time we're going to have on Sunday," she improvised, ignoring the warm flush that spread over her under the un-obscured scrutiny of those clear green eyes.
"Ah yes. The joys of hours of queuing, overeating, defying gravity and trying to hold down the aforementioned lunch before generously donating a large portion of one's assets to rigged sideshow novelty games."
"You know, you could make winning the lotto sound depressing," Buffy growled.
"Sorry," he said ingenuously, sipping his tea while his eyes danced with amusement.
"No you're not," she shot back, and did the same, then paused again when something occurred to her. "Can I drive on Sunday?"
"No."
******
"This is going to be so cool. April came the other week and she said some of the rides have a scream factor of five." Dawn didn't notice the exchanged smile between the two adults in the front seats of the BMW. She was torn between looking at everything and everybody, and just leaning back acting cool. Pushing her sunglasses further up her nose, she leant her head against the back of the seat, letting the rays of the sun warm her. Giles had even let her listen to her favorite radio station during the drive, and if he'd winced a few times during some of the songs neither of them mentioned it. This almost made up for not being allowed to go with the others in Xander's car. Only one thing could make it more perfect. "You know, if we stayed ' til, like, sunset, maybe Spike could..."
"No!"
She stuck her tongue out at the two spoilsports in front.
"Dawnie, you know I'll have to patrol tonight. And in a crowd how can I keep an eye out for everybody?"
"Protect me you mean. I'm old enough now. I can protect myself." Dawn decided to be grown up and ignore her sister's snort.
"I doubt if Spike would be interested in an amusement park anyway." Giles stopped speaking so he could concentrate on finding a parking space. "Plus he might feel uncomfortable with us all."
"You'd feel uncomfortable, you mean." Dawn shook her head in frustration. After all Spike had done for them in the past year and they still didn't trust him. "And you're not going to tell me Spike wouldn't enjoy hearing lots of humans scream."
Buffy sighed before exiting the car, then shared a look with Giles. She turned toward her little sister. "All right. Some of us wouldn't feel comfortable with Spike around. And that'd put a dampener on our fun. Which would make it less fun for you. So, it's best to not have him here and keep everybody happier. Okay?"
Dawn huffed as she moved into step with her sister, Giles walking behind them. "Okay. But one of these days..."
"Well, until that day comes let's concentrate on other things. Like what rides you're gonna try today." Buffy guided her sister through the crowd, trying to find the place at which they'd all agreed to meet up.
"April gave me the full list. I'm gonna start with the Gravitron, and then there's the Sandblaster, and the Meteor..."
"Whoa! You can't go on those rides. Hi guys." Buffy waved to her friends as they came up to wish Dawn a happy birthday. She and Giles exchanged greetings with the others.
Dawn finally came up for air. "What do you mean I can't?"
"Oh -oh. Looks like there's trouble in the Summers paradise." Xander wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, turning her toward the entrance. "What's wrong, Dawn? Buffy told you, you can't hang around with that gang of biker demons again?"
"No. Buffy told her she can't go on the big rides," Buffy said.
"Why? Are they too grown up for me? Want to send me to the kiddie park again?"
"Dawn..."
"Oh, Xander said he was going to take me on lots of those rides so I can practice my screaming. He says I'm not loud enough yet in bed." Anya's comment stopped Buffy's start of lecture. They all looked at the recently engaged couple in shock.
"I-I was joking. We got complaints from the neighbors one night and..."
"And I think that's more than we need to know." Giles guided his party to the gates, handing over the tickets. "Dawn, I don't believe Buffy is trying to treat you like a child. She's more worried about how you'll react."
"I'll react? 'Motion sickness Xander' is going on the big rides and..."
"Hey, that's only in cars, and other moving contraptions. On rides I'm okay."
Willow snorted. "Yeah, like when we were five and you threw up in the tea cups."
"That's different. I'm not five any more."
"Neither am I. This is what it's about isn't it?" Dawn directed her question at Buffy. "When we went on the parachute ride and-"
"And you were sick for the rest of the day. You can go on the other rides, like the carousel and - and stuff. But I don't think you should be trying the big rides yet."
"Buffy's right, Dawnie." Willow stroked the younger girl's hair. "They can be fun too. Tara and I are going to try the carousel first, before we go to the souvenir shops and the big rides. You could come with us."
"Yeah. And then if I'm good maybe I'll be big enough for the Ferris wheel." Everybody looked away at Dawn's bitterness, especially on the girl's own birthday.
Giles, ever the peacemaker, stepped in. "W-well we can work this out later. There are quite a few stalls and sideshows just over there. Why don't we try them first, and then work out which rides will be suitable?"
Xander's face lit up. "Hey Giles, that's a great idea. After all, if you can go on it, it should be okay for Dawn."
"I-I didn't mean..."
"You sure you don't mind, Giles? I mean, it probably would have been a drag watching us on the rides and stuff. Are you sure Dawn won't bother you if she sticks with you?" Buffy asked.
"Sticks with me?" Nobody seemed to notice Giles' shock or his displeasure.
"Of course he doesn't. They can keep an eye out for each other, and we can all meet later on," Xander said confidently.
"Okay. Here." Buffy opened her purse, before handing Giles some money. "Don't let her talk you into spending any more than that. And if we don't see each other before, we'll all meet at the food pavilion at 12. Okay?" She looked toward the two couples before walking toward the rides.
The others nodded then separated. Willow and Tara made their way to a jewelry cart, intent on finding Wiccan and Pagan ornaments. Xander dragged Anya toward one of the snack vendors, muttering about sustenance before fun.
Abandoned, Giles and Dawn eyed each other with displeasure. "I know I'm bummed. What's your problem?"
Giles sighed. "Perhaps I don't like being classified as a 'carousel rider'."
Dawn nodded. "Me either. So, where do we start?"
Giles thought, looking around. Something caught his eye. "What's that thing over there?" He pointed to one of the rides. People were strapped standing into a metal wheel as it spun them around at an angle.
"That's the Graviton. Doesn't look all that dangerous."
Dawn noticed a strange glint in Giles' eye. "No. Hardly dangerous at all. One could almost say sedate, couldn't one?" he agreed. A wicked grin appeared as he looked across at his co-conspirator.
Dawn smiled. "One could. Should one also have sustenance before trying that?"
Giles appeared deep in thought. "No, I don't think so. Let's test your tummy first, then add the food. What do you say?"
"I say who needs food when you have the Graviton?" The two smiled at each other again before making their way to their first ride.
******
"That was so cool! You know what the best part was? That guy before the ride, going 'You better not get on little girl, you don't want to barf all over Daddy. Might give him a heart attack.'" Dawn puffed her shoulders out and strutted ape-like for a few feet, completing her imitation of the teenager who'd teased her. Giles smiled at her apt description. "Then when he hurled and it hit him in the face and he ended up swallowing it back."
"Yes well, centrifugal force has a habit of pushing things back instead of allowing them to go forward." Giles surreptitiously looked around, knowing that Buffy wasn't near, but terrified in case she heard this particular conversation. "It certainly shut him up. Although I'm surprised you noticed with all the screaming you were doing."
"But that's half the fun!" Dawn grabbed his hand without apparently realizing, swinging it between them. Giles swallowed at the ease in which she showed her affection, wishing that particular trait had come from her sister. "You scream and scream and it's great. Anyway, you weren't exactly quiet, Mr. 'too stuffy and reserved to even laugh at American sitcoms.'"
"Ah, but you haven't seen me watching English sitcoms. Besides," he leant down, as if to whisper a secret in her ear. "If the others think I'm stuffy they don't wonder what I do at night when I'm not helping them research. And what's the point of a ride if you don't scream?" They both smiled as they came upon a food stall. "Want some Fairy Floss?"
"What?" Dawn turned toward the vendor. "Oh, Cotton Candy. Sure."
"It's called Fairy Floss for a reason." Giles signaled one to the operator of the machine. "On the stick please." He turned back toward Dawn. "See how there's nothing there until he puts the stick in? That's because the fairies are waiting, ready to drop their magic dust to create a cloud of sugar treat...." He stopped at her 'I stopped being a kid a long time ago and no longer believe in the tooth fairy' look. He responded in an affronted tone. "It's better than wanting to eat something made of cotton!"
Dawn grabbed the confectionary as Giles paid the vendor. She smiled as she bit into the sugar mixture before offering a piece to Giles. As he broke it off, she decided to make amends. "You're right. The Floss Fairies are magic, and this is delicious. Where are we going next?"
Giles looked around. "Well, once you've finished that I thought we'd go over there." He pointed to a ride in the distance.
******
"Oh god. Oh god. Ohgodohgod."
"Which god are you praying to Xander?" Anya turned toward her fiancé as he weaved unsteadily away from the ride. "The God of Barfdom? Or the God of Weak Stomachs? Or maybe the God of 'How to Make My Fiancé Miserable...'"
"An, please." He put his hand up to stop her and quickly grabbed onto a fence railing. "I'm sorry. Okay? It's just that I had that corn dog before we went on and then that thing went up and down and up and..." Heaving, Xander leaned against the fence as the sweat beaded on his face.
Anya sighed. "It was only a carousel. How are you going to be on the Ferris wheel?" The expression on his face warned her. "You promised we could go on the Ferris wheel. It's not fair...."
Xander blocked her complaints out as he glanced around. He looked up at one particular ride as the cars swerved by on a turn. The couple in the front looked... "Look!"
******
"Where?"
Willow glanced again then shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought I saw... It can't be." She turned back to her girlfriend. "Want to try another one of those crazy fortune tellers?" She bounced up and down with glee.
Tara shook her head, her face registering concern. "I-I don't think so. Not after what you did to that other one."
Willow frowned. "She deserved it. Going all 'I'm really powerful and you'd better listen to me'" She lifted her hands and waved her fingers as she spoke. "She was nothing but a big phony."
Tara grabbed Willow's hand. "But she didn't know that she was talking to a real witch. And I think you scared her out of any more work for at least a week."
Willow smiled. "Well for the rest of the day anyway." She frowned, looking back at the ride. "You know that looked just like..."
******
'Giles and Dawn.?' Buffy shook her head. No way. They were probably scaring themselves on the Ferris wheel or something. Not screaming their heads off on the Water Cannon. She sighed, collecting her prizes. As much as fleecing the fleecers at the game booths was fun, she really had to find those two. It wasn't fair sticking Giles with Dawn all that time. They were both probably bored out of their minds. She looked back at the ride. Anybody else but her baby sister and her staid Watcher, she'd be worried.
******
Several rides later, Dawn led Giles by the hand to an as yet unvisited corner of the park. "Well here it is." Dawn stopped in front of a towering twisting tangle of purple metal.
Giles squinted up at the sign. "The Eliminator?"
She nodded. "The last time we came here, I wasn't over the 'You must be this tall' line for half the rides here. And this is the one ride Buffy wouldn't even go on." She grinned but then soon became serious. "At least...that's the memory I have."
Giles smiled at her and held out his hand. "Shall we?"
She clapped her small hand into his. "We shall." Hand in hand, they zigzagged through the maze of the empty line until they caught up with the rest of the waiting people.
******
"Breathe into the bag, Xander." Anya stroked her boyfriend's dark hair as he sat on a tree-shaded bench, elbows on his knees.
"Honey, please. That's for hyperventilating. Right now I'm actually just trying not to puke into the bag."
"I told you we shouldn't go on that spinny, whirly thingy."
"Gravitron."
"Right. Well, whatever. You go round and round without purpose, hair being demolished as you go. And now your tummy's all pukey again. Where's the fun in that?"
"It's a damn fun ride...oh breathe...breathing, not hurling...come on...."
"Hey, guys," Willow greeted everyone weakly. Tara helped her to the bench where she sat on Xander's other side.
"What happened to you?" Anya said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, your skin matches your eyes."
Tara patted her hand. "She means you're kind of green, Sweetie."
"Oh, it's my fault. I wanted funnel cake. And then we went on the rides."
"The Gravitron is evil," Anya concluded.
"We never got near the Gravitron. We went on the Tsunami. You know that boat one that goes all the way upside down? Willow said she thought she got seasick on it. Isn't that cute?" Tara was beaming.
Xander looked up. "Lay off the sweetness, Tara. I only have one bag and I'm not sharing," he growled.
"It's not her fault. She's had more sugar than a human should." Willow took a deep breath and leaned her head on Xander's shoulder. "So where did Buffy go? I haven't seen her since the Omega Flyer."
Xander pointed over to a row of game booths. "She's cleaning them out of stuffed animals."
"Isn't that a sort of misuse of her sacred powers? I don't think Giles would approve." Willow leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.
"And Giles isn't here right now, yet there are still so many stuffed dragons and Teddy Bears to be acquired."
"Speaking of, has anyone seen Giles and Dawnie?" Tara looked both ways.
"Not so far. But, we haven't passed by the Kiddie Village, yet" Xander said. "I'm sure we'll run into them later."
"Hey guys." Buffy bounced over, arms crowded with stuffed loot. "I'm going to have to run out to the parking lot pretty soon and dump these things off in the car."
"We'll go in a few. I need a break from the rides," Xander groaned.
"I guess. You and Willow look like a Munsters Reunion Special."
"It's not easy being green," Willow observed.
"So this is where the party is, huh?" Everyone looked up to see Dawn and Giles approach.
Buffy leaned against the arm of the bench, setting some of the stuffed animals at her feet. "Judging by that smile they must have the bestest merry-go-round ever here."
"Oh, please. I haven't even seen the merry-go-round yet. We've done every coaster on this side of the park."
Xander looked up. "Did you do the Gravitron?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "We started with that one. We figured we'd work our way up from the tame rides."
"Oh great." Xander attempted a weak smile.
"What's wrong with you?" Giles asked.
"Oh the Gravitron kicked his ass." Anya continued to stroke his hair.
"Thanks for the over-sharing, An. You make me feel so macho."
"You're welcome."
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, a look of disbelief clear on her face. "You guys did the coasters?"
"Yup," Dawn answered.
"Indeed," Giles affirmed.
"What about the Eliminator?"
Dawn crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow. "Three times."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it was so neat. And then we went on the Octopus for a break from the really scary stuff and there was this guy in one of the cars and he had them stop the ride cause he was going to throw up and Giles yelled out 'Wuss!' and everyone looked up to see who said it and we ducked down in our car so no one knew it was him. It was really funny! Giles is the coolest!"
Buffy was suitably surprised. "Is he, now?"
"Cooler than you," Dawn said with great confidence.
"And how did you reach that conclusion?"
"Well, he went on the Eliminator with me."
"So?"
"And have you done it yet?"
She shrugged. "I haven't had time."
"Chicken." Dawn smiled.
"I so am not. Slayer, remember?"
"You're not the 'Roller Coaster Slayer' Buffy. Let's just face it. There are some things in this world that your frail little sister is much braver at than you are."
"Oh, really?"
"Yup."
"Watch this, then." Buffy quickly scanned the area until she found something that would do. She started walking as soon as she found it. She was already to the ride before the others could determine her destination. She passed under the arch for the ride called 'The Plunge'. It was a looming tower that featured passengers strapped to its sides, pulled 230 feet in the air and then dropped for the feeling of freefall.
Willow and Xander shot to their feet, each looking to Giles to see if his shock matched their own. His face told the whole story: every trace of color had drained from it. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small wad of bills.
"Xander, take Dawn over to get some food now please." He only hoped that Dawn was still focused on the tiff with her sister and the larger implications wouldn't have time to settle in.
"Xander shouldn't eat right now," Anya said. "He's been all..."
"Xander's fine now," Xander said, understanding immediately. He ignored the money Giles proffered and took hold of his girlfriend's hand. "Come on, Dawnster. Let's drop these stuffed animals off in the car. Then we'll get something to eat at the Pizza Shack."
"Giles? You coming?" Dawn looked to him.
"Not just yet, Love. You go on."
Tara stood up, her eyes locked on Willow. "I'll g-go, Dawnie." Willow nodded at her girlfriend.
Xander and the two girls picked the stuffed animals up off the ground and led Dawn away while Giles and Willow turned their attention to the tower.
"I'm sure she didn't even think about it, Giles. She got carried away with Dawn and..." Willow stopped when she realized he wasn't listening. She'd have said he was a million miles away, but she knew better. He was in Sunnydale, six months in the past. As he watched Buffy on the ride, her blonde hair shooting straight up in the air with her descent, his mind was stripping away the bright paint and safety harnesses and filling it in with crudely constructed steel beams and Buffy falling without restraints to the concrete below.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to catch his breath, his hand coming up to wipe at his mouth. "Giles, are you okay?"
He shook his head. "I think I'm going to be ill. I..." He clamped his hand over his mouth and dashed off toward the men's bathroom.
As he passed out of view, Willow could see Buffy walking up. Her smile faded as she saw Giles speed off. Concern on her face, she looked to Willow.
"What's with Giles? Bad corn dog?"
"Do you have any idea what you did to him? You weren't there last summer! You didn't see what he went through. And now you make him live through it all again just so you can make a point?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Buffy! Don't you get it? That ride you just had to prove your courage on. It's a tower! And it just dropped you over 200 feet toward the ground!"
"So?"
"Just like when you died! I saw his face. It was like he was reliving it all over again. How much more can you hurt him?"
"Hurt him? Um, excuse me. I think I was the one that died here. I didn't hurt anyone. I saved them."
"Yeah. And every time you fob him off, or ignore him, or God, die for him, you break what's left of his heart a little bit more. Don't you have any idea how much you mean to him?" Willow sat on the bench.
"I...I guess not. When...when I died, what happened? To all of you I mean? No one would ever tell me." Buffy sat by her side.
"It hurt. Too much. I guess it still does. But Giles...we never realized, you see. We all had somebody, each other. Even Dawn had me and Tara…and Spike. None of us noticed that Giles didn't have anybody. He didn't have you." Buffy turned her head away.
"He was so alone, Buffy. And the people who should have been there for him weren't. We were all caught up in our own grief. I figure that's why he left. It was either that or..." Willow stopped, not willing to voice what they had all guessed would have eventually happened to Giles.
"Or what?" Buffy faced her again, her gaze intense. "Please, I need to know."
"He-he would have died. One night he would have walked out the door and not cared who or what he would have met. That's how much power you have over him, Buffy. That's how much he needs you. Please... don't hurt him any more."
"I'm sorry, Willow. I don't seem to know how to do anything else. Maybe he should have stayed away."
"Well, if that's how you feel, maybe he should have. Maybe he might have had a long life, a safe life. Of course, he wouldn't have really been living. You can't, can you…without your heart?"
Buffy blinked back tears. "Everything's so complicated now…so much harder. I never thought I'd long for the simple days of worrying about slaying vampires, finishing my math homework, and keeping Mom in the dark."
Willow touched her shoulder. "Welcome back to your life, Buffy. The guys took Dawn for pizza over by the Ferris wheel. We'll meet you and Giles back here in a couple of hours. You two need some time alone." The redhead rose and walked away.
Buffy turned towards the men's room. Giles still hadn't reappeared. She waited. When he finally re-emerged, he was trying to look relaxed, but they'd known each other too long for the act to work on her.
"You okay?"
He shrugged. "Too much junk food."
"Yeah, right," she drawled. "We need to talk."
"We do?"
"Yeah. We do."
"Where are the others?"
It was Buffy's turn to shrug. "Pizza. Guessing that you aren't quite ready for the big pepperoni experience right now."
Giles made a very expressive face. "No. Not really. How about coffee?"
Buffy half smiled. "You do coffee these days?"
Giles gave her one of his patented 'ha, bloody ha,' looks. "I played at a coffee house for some weeks, if you remember. One learns."
Buffy's face transformed from amusement to bleakness. She looked away. "I remember." There was a short silence. "I never did make it to the 'Pump to see you, did I?"
Giles kept his expression unchanged, but the surprise in his eyes was comprehensive.
"I didn't realize you were interested," he managed casually.
She didn't look up. "We both didn't realize a lot of things…before," she said softly, unaware that he heard her easily, then raised her voice to a normal level. "Coffee sounds great."
He let it pass.
They found a quiet café. It didn't serve any of the myriad junk foods that attracted children and therefore families…and so was blissfully under occupied.
Giles ordered at the counter. There was an awkward silence for some time after they slid into the booth.
Eventually Buffy looked up. "I-I'm sorry... about the ride."
His eyes widened. "How did you…?"
"Willow."
He scowled but didn't speak.
They lapsed back into awkward silence until the coffee came.
Buffy watched him surreptitiously as she sipped. He'd taken his glasses off for the last ride with Dawn and still hadn't put them back on. He also continued to look drawn and unhappy, behind his very British 'I'm fine' face.
A part of her wanted to hold him again, to feel him hold her, as they had done the first time they saw each other after he came back from England, but an even bigger part of her, the part barely even willing to acknowledge those feelings, was terrified of that next step. It was too easy to shelter in Spike's affection. It wasn't going to hurt when he eventually went away, as he inevitably would. But this…this was big, scary…terrifying.
When Giles eventually lifted his eyes from his mug, he caught her watching him and half smiled, self-conscious, unsure of himself.
"It doesn't matter," he said awkwardly, "about the ride. Willow worries too much."
Buffy's eyes grew very bright. She would go on hurting him forever…and he would go on forgiving her, making it easy for her…and yet she still didn't know how to not hurt him.
"It matters," she said hollowly. "You matter." A part of her stopped in shock. Where had that come from? And yet it felt... right.
Giles was staring at her…not saying a word…though his normally soft green eyes were practically shouting his stunned surprise at the vehemence of those two words. Eventually, when she didn't speak, he again manufactured a half smile of his own.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said softly, his tone belying the calamity that was his insides at that moment.
"Well, you do," she repeated, telling herself, more than him. "You do..."
"Buffy…i-is there something wrong?"
She frowned. "Only with me."
His eyebrows climbed. "Are you ill?"
"No, just majorly dumb," she said bluntly, setting him back a bit.
This time he waited for her to speak again.
Buffy searched the familiar features for a long time before she found the words she wanted.
"I-I don't mean to be…" She stopped, sighed heavily. "Let's face it, Xander's right."
"About what?" he asked, confused.
"I'm an emotional retard…I hurt people…I don't mean to…and I don't have the cuteness to make it better, like Willow does; or Tara's empathy, or Xander's jokes, or even your adorable stuffy Britishness...oh..."
Giles' eyebrows had climbed into his hairline again, but he didn't speak. He was almost afraid to. Instead he picked up the last of his mugaccino and tilted it to make the last of the foam slide down with the coffee.
When he put it down again and looked up, some of the tension went out of Buffy. He had a tiny foam and chocolate powder moustache and he looked so…adorable. She swallowed. There was that word again...
The jade eyes were watching her closely. He hadn't noticed the foam yet.
Almost without realizing she was doing it, Buffy found herself reaching across the small table to run her finger across his top lip. About halfway across the soft skin, his warm breath caressed her finger and sent a shiver through her body.
They both felt it; both froze, two sets of eyes wide with shock, and locked with each other.
After several seemingly endless moments, Buffy finished removing the foam and, after another nanosecond's hesitation, offered the foamy, chocolate powder-covered fingertip to the parted lips below.
The air grew charged as Giles very slowly and deliberately closed them around it for a moment and their locked gaze grew even more intense.
He drew his mouth off the fingertip slowly when Buffy's breathing began to grow uneven and allowed her to reclaim the digit.
It disappeared immediately under the table and she swallowed hard, but did not lower her eyes.
Each could see that the other was terrified, yet transfixed. Neither knew what to do next.
Eventually, Giles found enough wits to realize that the experience lay with him and that he should do…something. It was his turn to swallow.
"W-would you like another coffee?" He managed croakily.
Buffy stared, but her mouth twitched in spite of itself.
Then his followed.
And then they were both laughing: a riotous eruption of released tension and emotion. It wasn't until they stopped and breathed that both of them realized nothing had really changed... and yet everything had.
After several more moments of charged silence, Buffy decided to give Giles... and herself, a break, even though she knew it would be temporary at best.
"You know," she said in a less than steady voice. "You and I haven't been on a single ride together, yet..."
"That's true. However I feel I might have to decline." Buffy looked shocked. Giles managed a straight face as he looked her in the eyes. "You see, I have a previous engagement with a rather lovely young lady."
"What?! Who?!" He was very surprised at the level of vehemence in her voice. Buffy looked as though she had even surprised herself. She smiled shyly and looked at her hands, shaking quietly in her lap. "You... you just meant Dawn didn't you?" She met his gaze again. "The guys have her for another couple of hours."
For a long, uncomfortable moment, Giles looked at her. "So now, you feel guilty and have decided to reward me with a little of your time? Maybe I prefer the company of someone that thinks I'm actually fun to be around." He stood up and walked slowly out of the café.
Buffy sat stunned for a minute, and then went after him. "Giles! Wait! Giles!" He stopped and allowed her to catch up with him. "I think you're fun," she said quietly.
"Pardon?"
"I said: I think you're fun."
"Fun enough for babysitting duty as you and your real friends go on your merry way?"
"That's not... Giles, I want to spend some time with you."
"Because Willow told you to?"
She took a deep breath. What, did he have bionic hearing? "Yes. I mean no..." She sighed. "I mean, yes she told me to but that isn't why!" He looked irritated with her and began to walk away. "Giles, wait!"
He stopped abruptly and turned toward her. Faster than she could follow, he had grasped her by the arms, pulling her snug against his body, kissing her breathless.
When he pulled back, her eyes were closed and her face flushed. His hand remained on her chin, gently rubbing. After a moment, her eyes blinked open and focused on him.
"I've been waiting, Buffy. I waited so long that you were dead and buried and I was living in England again. And then you were back like a gift from The Powers That Be. And so I came back for you. But it wasn't the same as before. It was worse."
She moved back from his touch, the start of tears stinging in her eyes. "Worse because I was alive?"
"No." He shook his head and smiled. "Worse, because everything became so confusing. One moment you're throwing yourself into my arms, the next you shy away from even the most casual touch. You've been flirting with me for weeks now, showing a level of comfort in the times we're alone together that I had only dreamed of. And then there are days, like today, where you don't feel like being the grown-up and decide to saddle me with the responsibilities that are too burdensome for you. I just don't know what to do any more."
Giles moved closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You know, there are times when I don't wish to be the adult, either. But that's part of being an adult. Knowing that there are some things that you have to deal with, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient they may be."
"You think I don't know about duty?"
His smile was bitter. "I think you know all about duty. That's why there's such damnable intent behind when you shirk it." He let go of her and turned his back, facing down the path toward the Ferris wheel. "At least with Dawn, I know what's expected of me. I know where I stand. I'm more than a convenience to her." He turned once more to find her staring at him. "I want to be there for you, Buffy. But you have to let me know how." He strode off toward the pizza place.
Buffy sat quietly on a nearby bench, tears coming easily now.
******
Dawn sat between Willow and Tara across the table from Anya and Xander. "You know," the Birthday Girl said, "for someone who was about to lose his breakfast a half hour ago, he sure isn't missing a beat filling up on his lunch."
Xander was currently working on the leftover pieces of Dawn and Tara's large double cheese, having had more than his share of the extra large combination that Anya, Willow and he had ordered.
A shadow fell over the table and all eyes lifted. "So, who's up for some more rides?" Giles said, directly to Dawn.
She smiled giddily. "That would be me!"
The five of them got up and left the Pizza Shack with Giles leading the way. Once outside, Buffy came walking up. "Hey everybody. So you four are taking your turn with Dawnie, next?"
"Their turn?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, you're the Birthday Girl so we all get some alone time with you. And then at the end of the day we'll all have to ride some stuff together. Giles had his turn already. It's their turn next." Buffy tucked Dawn's hair back behind her ear. "And I will meet you in 2 hours in front of the Eliminator for my turn."
Dawn smiled. "You sure you won't be too scared?"
Buffy shrugged. "Nah, I have you to protect me, don't I?" The sisters hugged, much to the delight of the two couples overlooking the scene.
"Come on, Dawnie," Willow said. "The merry-go-round is this way. We better start off Xander on something easy or we'll have to go on the water rides to rinse off his lunch."
Xander fixed the redhead with an evil look and put his arm around her shoulders. "And just for that, guess who I'm sitting right next to on the tea cups?"
"Oh great." The two couples started off toward the medium-range rides.
"Giles," Buffy said. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to go on some of the rides with you."
She didn't wait for him to answer. She simply walked away in the opposite direction from where the others had gone. He would either follow her or he wouldn't.
Dawn smacked him on the arm, which he cradled in mock-pain. "Go be nice to her, Giles."
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm always nice, Dawn." Her only response was the patented Summers' glare. "What?" he demanded.
"I'm the Birthday Girl which means today I'm the boss of you. She's been crying, Giles, so I'm bossing. You be nice to her."
He saluted, though he couldn't keep a smile from quirking at the side of his mouth. "Yes, Ma'am. And how nice am I supposed to be?"
Dawn knew teasing when she heard it. "I'm saying if she tells you to put out, you put out." The look of shock on his face was the best present she would get that day. She smiled and jogged off after the others. "Hey guys, wait up!"
Fighting off a blush, Giles walked quickly until he caught up with Buffy. When he was even with her, she extended her hand to the side, not breaking stride. Tentatively, he took it. Her fingers curled around his and they walked toward a boat ride that proclaimed itself "The Tunnel of Love". Never one for subtlety was his Buffy. Though he may have found an obvious make out ride the absolute worst choice for a couple in their present predicament, he had learned long ago that Buffy had to do things in her own way. And if this was the way she chose, he would just have to go along with it. He only hoped that this way led into his arms. Of course, with a name like "Tunnel of Love", he had good reason to hope...
******
On their way toward the more daring rides, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Tara and Anya stopped at a churro cart. After quickly downing the cinnamon-ny goodness, Anya and Tara decided to do some more souvenir hunting. The remaining brave 3 walked on until they came to a ride called "Twist of Fate".
"Come on, guys," Dawn said cheerily.
"Uh...I don't know about this." Willow's eyes were trained on the highest peak of the ride.
"Couldn't we start with the kiddie coaster and work our way up?" Xander added.
"Now, now." Dawn took Xander and Willow by the hand and began to lead them in. "You'll never be ready for the Eliminator later if you don't start with something just a little scary."
Willow and Xander looked to each other.
"Xander, don't you dare throw up on me."
"I'm too scared to throw up."
"Don't be such babies," Dawn said, dragging them on toward their fate.
******
Anya and Tara walked among the booths gossiping about their respective partners and selecting from the range of tacky souvenirs. Anya interspersed the conversation with comments about which vendor was trying to rip the customers off, and which one was underselling. As her voice was fairly loud as she said this, several people moved from one booth to another, eliciting a glare from one of the sellers and a sigh of relief from the other.
Both girls stopped as they neared a ride, noticing a certain couple holding hands in line. "So they're finally gonna do it?"
"Yeah." Tara sighed. "I thought she'd never see."
Anya waved her hand. "She would have seen sooner or later. I thought he'd be gone before she did though. I suppose I'll have to let him back into the store."
Tara smiled at the other girl. "Doesn't he own half of it already?"
"Well, yeah." Anya frowned. "But he was meant to be a silent partner." She waved her hand toward the ride. "I want Xander to take me on that one. That is if he can stop barfing long enough to let me actually enjoy it."
Tara giggled. "They've probably had enough of Dawn scaring them anyway. Let's go rescue them." The two girls began to walk away. Tara paused, turned back to the couple just entering the boat, waved her fingers and spoke a few words of Latin. She turned back to an accusing look from Anya.
"I thought you were upset at Willow for doing unnecessary magic?"
Tara pouted for a moment. Then she smiled. "But this was very necessary magic."
******
Giles shifted uncomfortably in the smallish seats of the little 'boat'. He had long legs and there wasn't a lot of room for them. As it moved forward it jolted, like the cars on most rides, on the mechanical chain that drew it through the water. He braced himself by laying an arm along the back of it.
Then they plunged into the darkened tunnel forcing both to blink to adjust to the change in light. When Giles focused again he realized that they had both somehow shifted so that Buffy was now curled up against his chest, inside the crook of his arm.
Not entirely sure what happened, but suspicious of at least two young ladies he knew, he succumbed to temptation, drew his arm a little tighter and kissed the top of the blonde head.
Buffy sighed and nuzzled in even more, then, inevitably, stiffened and sat up straight. "Um, what just happened?" she asked warily.
"I think someone was trying to help," he told her, amused. "I rather liked it, myself."
After a beat to digest that, she silently curled back up against him. "So did I," she said very softly. "But I thought you didn't like me leaning on you."
Giles frowned, his fingers halting their idle toying with the long strands of her hair. "I don't think I have to tell you the difference," he said a little gruffly.
She sighed. "I haven't been able to feel anything real for a long time. God, I even thought…Spike…I mean he's always at least stirred violent emotions in me…bad emotions…but still…something. I knew I didn't have any real feelings for him, but anything was better than the emptiness…and even worse, the void... When I came back and you weren't here I..."
Giles swallowed. "Buffy, I won't take the blame for that. Not this time. I had to go. How could I have stayed without you? How was I to know the others would be so foolish as to bring you back? And now..." he paused before deciding to bring into the open the one thing that frightened him. "And now you're back, you're different. Since I've returned, you've managed to almost entirely abdicate every responsibility: within the home, your relationships with us, even with Dawn. I'm starting to feel as if you'll never learn to stand on your own two feet if...."
She was very rigid, more than silent against him, but she did not withdraw.
Finally her forlorn voice broke the silence. "You're going to leave again?"
He sighed, choking back the emotion that constricted his throat. "I...I don't want to. But I don't know what else to do."
She looked up to him, the tears in her eyes evident by their near-shimmering in the dark. "Don't leave me. Please? I'm sorry Giles. I don't mean... You don't understand. Being here isn't the same. I'm not the same."
Giles drew a protective arm around her as his heart constricted. "I know," he whispered. "But you are here, and you…we all have been given a second chance."
"You told Willow you would have stopped her."
Giles closed his eyes. "You heard?"
The silky head moved a little against his chest, enough for him to recognize a nod.
His heart constricted a little more.
"Of course I'd have bloody well stopped her," he confirmed angrily. "Even you must realize how wrong what she did was. She had no business meddling with forces she can never hope to control or understand."
"S-she was trying to help."
"She was bloody well trying to make herself feel better, the same as that bloody 'do my will' spell a couple of years ago," he growled. "And with pretty much the same outcome. You and bloody Spike, for a start."
"That's a lot of Bloodies," Buffy couldn't help teasing, and after a beat felt his chest shake in a silent chuckle.
"Not nearly enough to satisfactorily express the either the gravity of the situation or the depth of my feelings on the issue," he pointed out huffily, despite his amusement.
"Yeah, well, this is the Tunnel of *Love*, so no potty-mouth in here, okay? I get the picture."
Giles made a harrumphing noise.
Buffy decided it was time. She sat up as the boat continued to cut through the water on the longest leg and looked at him in the semi-darkness
"Be there for me now."
A divot of confusion appeared in Giles' brow. "I don't understand."
She touched his cheek. "You said you wanted to be there for me. You said I had to tell you how. I want...I want you to kiss me again. I...I want you to love me." She bit back a surge of emotion. Now was not the time for tears, despite the pressing of them behind her eyes. "You deserve way better than an emotionally retarded, and let's face it...*recycled* Slayer, but this Slayer loves you. For the first time since...since I died, I *feel*. You did that. I mean, all of it, even the pain, the being scared...the wanting...no one else could do that, no matter how hard they...how hard I tried."
She caressed his hair back from his temple. "I love you so much...and I had to die to realize that I could."
He touched her face wonderingly. "Could what?" he managed.
"That I could really love you."
He looked shocked. "Why would you think you couldn't?"
She looked away, to the dark canal the boat was slipping through. "If I love someone they leave. They all leave. Even mom left."
Giles took her face in his hands. "If I love you, it will be forever," he told her in a voice that reached the very marrow of her bones, bent his head and caught her tender mouth in a kiss that refused to end.
Buffy wound her arms around his neck, and he drew her back against his body, almost cradling her in the confines of their small craft.
Soon the light at the end of the long, slow ride was visible in the near distance and the soft music was fading. They lifted their heads reluctantly and looked at each other again.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
His brow furrowed. "For kissing me?"
She looked confused, then smiled. "No. Not that. It's... I know I've been leaving you holding the bag with Dawn. It's just, being back you know? I needed to sort through this mess inside me and I just couldn't take on anything else."
He blinked, confusion and amusement warring for dominance. "And now?"
"Knowing that I can feel. Knowing that you'll be here for me to talk to, to support me, to love me." She smiled. "Knowing that you'll let me love you back. It makes the mess much less messy. I don't promise to be the bad guy for Dawn every time. But I do promise that you won't have to be it all the time either."
He ran his hand through her hair. "You know something, love?"
"What?"
He rested her forehead against his own. "You have the most insanely deprived sense of timing in the entire world! My God! I thought you'd changed your mind!" They both laughed. His thumb remained, gently petting her cheek.
Her face turned toward his palm, where she placed a sweet kiss. She met his eyes again. "Can we really do this?"
Giles looked deep into the frightened, but desire blurred eyes. "Tell me," he demanded softly.
"I love you," she whispered vehemently, without flickering a lid.
His green eyes grew very bright. "Then we can do anything," he told her simply, and bent his head again.
Any vestiges of doubt that Buffy might simply be telling him what he wanted to hear to convince him to stay were erased by the power of her kiss. Like her, it was soft and loving yet strong and forceful. His hands came to her cheeks, gently holding her to him as though he was afraid she might let him go. He needn't have worried. Her arms slid up the back of his neck, entangling in his short soft hair. He leaned back, pulling her with him. She hooked one leg over both of his, her thigh suggestively rubbing against his hip. Neither of them ever wanted it to end. But, of course, it had to. And it did, in the form of a tap on Giles' shoulder.
Annoyed, Giles broke the kiss to give whoever had intruded upon them a piece of his mind. His expression softened when he saw a nervous looking blonde teen-age boy in a Coaster Dominion uniform. "Excuse me, Mister.? You guys are gonna have to get off the ride now. I let you go through an extra time but we're starting to get a line."
Giles cleared his throat. "Of course... very sorry." He could feel himself blushing down to his toenails. He looked down at a head of blond hair buried against his chest, the hint of bright pink skin showing.
He stepped out of the boat, proffering his hand to Buffy. She took it, not daring to look up yet, instead trusting him to guide her as he had always done. He put his arm around her waist. She copied this gesture. As they walked, entwined, Buffy finally braved a look up at the people waiting in line. She found most of the men looking at Giles like they couldn't believe his luck. She found most of the women looking at Giles like he was on the cover of Playgirl. And then she noticed two very smug looking witches smiling at her.
Buffy arched an eyebrow at them. She raised her chin proudly, and just as they passed the couple, she slid her hand into Giles' back pocket. She didn't need to look back to recognize the sounds of her friends' giggling.
As they exited the outgoing ramp for the Tunnel of Love, they found Xander and Anya standing by a booth that proclaimed: Your Ride Captured. Buffy and Giles themselves seemed to be the stars of every single monitor in the booth.
They exchanged a look before noticing a smiling Dawn handing them a thick clasp envelope.
"Don't worry," Xander said. "We bought every picture of the two of you." He gestured at the envelope. "It was either that or wait for them to turn up on a website."
"Ha ha," Giles said.
"Well I think it's sweet," Anya stated. "How many couples get to have a permanent record of their very first kiss?"
Buffy looked up at Giles and smiled. "I never thought of that."
"I mean, Xander and I didn't start recording until the sixth or seventh time we had s..."
Xander clamped his hand over his fiancée's mouth. "Would you like to go to the animal show, An? They have bunnies, I hear."
She slapped his arm away and pouted. "Well you don't have to get mean about it!"
Giles tucked the envelope inside his jacket. Dawn insinuated herself between her sister and Giles, and took each of their hands. "So, time for the Eliminator?"
"I thought that was just going to be you and me?"
"But, I want Giles to come too," Dawn said.
Buffy and Giles' eyes met. "Well okay," the Slayer said. "I guess we can all go."
Dawn swung their arms gently. She looked up at Giles with a mischievous grin. "Do I have to start calling you Dad?"
He smiled back. "Do you want to make it to age 16?"
She laughed and leaned her head against his arm.
******
At one in the morning, Buffy returned from patrol. She opened the door and saw Giles sitting in the living room. She smiled. "Hi Honey, I'm home."
He smiled and put his finger to his lips. "Shh."
As she entered the living room, she noticed Dawn fast asleep on the couch. She was surrounded by her birthday gifts and the discarded wrapping paper that they had come in. She had a cone shaped party hat strapped to her head at a gravity-defying angle. Chocolate icing was smeared all over her cheeks.
Buffy grinned, sitting on the arm of the couch and brushing back a strand of her little sister's hair.
"I'll take her upstairs," Giles whispered.
He stood and scooped Dawn into his arms. Buffy halted him a moment, removing the party hat from her sister, and cleaning her face with a clean napkin left on the table from the party. "Good enough," Buffy said. "I'll get things cleaned up down here."
Giles carried Dawn away while Buffy collected papers off of the floor and started putting them in a bag.
By the time Giles got back downstairs, the living room was more or less in order and Buffy was stacking Dawn's presents on the floor at the end of the coffee table. Giles helped her, then sat down on the couch. Buffy sat across his lap.
"It was a good day," he noted.
"It really was," she said, leaning her head back to gain access to his lips. They kissed, long and slow.
"I better go and get the bedding from the hall closet." He moved to rise but Buffy didn't leave his lap.
She lightly caressed his ear with her finger. "You carried one Summers woman up to bed tonight. Care to make it two?"
He smiled. "Buffy, we don't have to rush. We have time. I... I'm not going anywhere." They kissed again.
When they broke apart, she touched his face reverently. "We have time. And I say we make the most of that time."
"Buffy..."
"What do you say I show you a good use for all that leftover chocolate icing?"
He gulped, all of his remaining reservation burning up with his desire for her. "I... I say please."
She smiled. "Wait here." She went to the kitchen and rummaged in the refrigerator. When she'd found the icing container, she returned to the living room to find it empty. Concern crept in around her as she peeked around the corner. "Giles?"
He appeared behind her, eliciting a surprised gasp as he swept her up into his arms. Buffy dipped her finger into the chocolate and smeared it on his earlobe.
"Hey! That's cold!"
She reclaimed the chocolate with the wet heat of her mouth, licking him clean. Giles struggled to maintain his hold on her. "We'll warm it up, somehow, Giles," she whispered. Suckling one last time on his earlobe, she used her usual perfect timing to almost ruin the evening. Thinking he wouldn't be listening properly, she decided to test her power over him. "Can I drive your car tomorrow?"
Giles paused, closing his eyes in defeat. Already at the first hurdle and he faltered. What chance did they have if he couldn't even handle his moment? He warred with what he knew he was right and protecting his love. Sighing, he finally opened his eyes and looked at Buffy's eager face. He smiled lopsidedly.
"No."
The End
by Gail Christison, Karen Jephson, and GylzGirl
Disclaimer: Joss and Fox own BtVS. We only own the fic and our straightjackets.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: B/G
Timeline: AU. Season 6. After "All the Way".
Written: 2002
************
Giles unbuttoned his cuffs and rolled his sleeves up tidily before opening the cookbook. He wasn't sure how he'd let himself in for this project, only that he would much prefer to be researching…or fighting vampires, or possibly even wrestling a slime demon.
He eyed the row of ingredients before him and scanned the book, disappointed to find that Buffy hadn't missed anything. No excuse to down tools and escape-er-head back out to the store.
With a resigned sigh he started work on his first attempt at producing a passable birthday cake. Well, any kind of cake really. Originally Buffy's personal project, he had been co-opted to take over when an upsurge in vampire activity meant that her only free time before the event had suddenly dried up.
He stared mournfully at the ingredients, from the cocoa to the chocolate buttons, the sugar to the butter and the milk. Buffy hadn't forgotten a damned thing. He had promised and he would keep that promise, but the results even he couldn't guarantee.
With another sigh, he set to work.
"Giles!"
He looked up, finger covered in perfectly beaten chocolate batter.
"Xander? What's wrong?"
Xander and Anya came through the Summers' kitchen door still talking amongst themselves and stopped at the sight of Giles in one of Joyce's old aprons, surrounded by bowls, flour and all form of cake makings, chocolate-covered finger poised to lips.
"So Giles, how's it going?"
Giles looked at his finger, his visitors and then his finger again, then defiantly put it in his mouth and swiped the cake mixture off it. He nodded before regarding the others again.
"Successfully so far," he said matter-of-factly.
"What exactly are you doing?" Anya asked with only marginal interest.
"Painting the house," Giles deadpanned.
Xander snickered. "So this is for the Dawnster? Wasn't her birthday in June?"
Giles nodded. "Yes. Two weeks after the final battle with Glory."
Xander blinked. "Oh man. That's right. I forgot."
Giles smiled sadly. "We all did. Even Dawn. It was all too much at the time and I don't think she was very happy at being reminded she was here one more year, when it cost Buffy's life to make that happen."
"Well I think that's just terrible," Anya commented. "Surviving another year in this town should earn you a party. And lots of presents. The good kind that can be returned to the store in exchange for cash."
Giles grinned. "Buffy felt the same way when she found out her sister hadn't really gotten a party. So, we're having an un-birthday for Dawn. Buffy had her heart set on a homemade birthday, all the trimmings. She wants to give Dawn a traditional family birthday…a Summers birthday, just as Joyce did when she was small. Her feeling was that after a thirteenth birthday at Burger King and a slumber party for her fourteenth comprising far too much junk food and far too little sleep, that what Dawn would appreciate most would be something close and family oriented, particularly since it is the first one after..."
"Wouldn't it be better to take her to somewhere cheerful? We could take her to Amigo's," Anya interrupted.
Giles rolled his eyes and put down his wooden spoon. "We are not taking a fifteen year old girl to see male strippers."
Xander looked wildly from one to the other. "What were you doing at Amigo's?" he demanded, and when Anya shrugged innocently, wheeled back to Giles. "And do not tell me you've been there too!"
"Don't be ridiculous," Giles blustered. "They advertise on late night television. Frequently."
Xander didn't look convinced but didn't argue. "No strippers," he told Anya. "We didn't come here about strippers."
"There's trouble?" Giles asked almost too hopefully.
"No," the younger pair said almost simultaneously.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath.
"I got some free passes," Xander explained.
"Free... passes?"
"Coaster Dominion. You know…like Six Flags."
"Um…flags?"
"No, rides."
"Xander, stop speaking in code."
"Amusement park. You know…roller coasters, hot dogs, cotton candy. You do have these things in England, don't you?"
Giles made a disparaging noise and proceeded to pour his batter into the prepared pans.
"Xander thought Dawn would like to go and eat too much and throw up on all the rides, and generally have a great deal of fun," Anya explained helpfully.
Xander looked pained. "An', I can handle this, okay? Giles, my uncle gave me a bunch of passes. He kinda got stuck with them in a poker game. The point is, it'll take everyone's mind off, well, you know... She'll love it, trust me."
"If it makes Dawn and Buffy happy, then by all means," he said, turning to slide the cake pans into the oven.
When he turned back, Xander was watching him covetously. He rolled his eyes.
"Bowl?"
"Oh, yeah!" Xander cheered and pumped the air enthusiastically then grabbed the bowl and scraper before Giles could change his mind. "By the way, there' s going to be seven of us, so we need another car. Any chance we could borrow yours?"
"Of course. And why not borrow my credit card as well?" Giles drawled sarcastically.
Anya looked smug. "I told him there was no way you'd let anybody else drive your phallic symbol, so I suggested we bring you along. That way you can carry all the prizes I'm going to win for Xander in all the cute little games they have there! It's not like you're going to be busy…I mean, Xander said you probably wouldn't want to go on any of the rides. Actually he said you'd probably have a heart atta-"
"O-kay," Xander managed, bright red and looking up sheepishly from under his unruly hair, "Thanks An'. Way to go. Sorry G-man. It's just, you know, you' re Giles. Cross referencing, musty books, ancient languages…you know…stuffy British guy."
Giles rolled his eyes. "Never mind, Xander. I have nothing else planned."
"Cool," Xander said, clearly relieved. "And don't worry, we'll look after you. You're sure it's okay?"
"Since the birthday celebrations are on Sunday, I see no reason why not, on two conditions. One is that under no circumstances is Buffy allowed to drive and the second is that there will be no, I repeat, no food or drink in my car."
Xander looked up from the object of his attention, chocolate batter smeared on one cheek and all over his fingers.
"Deal," he agreed brightly.
Giles resisted the urge to take back his car and run.
"We have to go now. We have to find a gift for Dawn. Xander wants to go to Toys R Us," Anya announced suddenly.
"Why am I not surprised?" Giles muttered as he put eggs and milk back in the refrigerator and tried not to picture junk food and soda decorating his upholstery.
"I told him that pubescent females are more interested in clothes and makeup and anything else that might be attractive to pubescent males."
Giles cleared his throat. "On second thought, Xander, Toys R Us sounds like the perfect choice. A teddy bear, perhaps, or Scrabble?"
"My thoughts exactly, G-Man. I thought maybe Monopoly. Not the kid's version, the Star Wars collector's edition. Have you seen that puppy?" the younger man enthused.
Giles stared at him for a moment, then blinked. "No, I don't believe I have," he deadpanned.
******
He looked up from reading the paper for the third time. The television had long since devolved into infomercials, ancient reruns and colorized classics.
Buffy finally came through the door pulling her hair out of the temporary ponytail she'd scraped it into.
A surreptitious glance at his watch told him it was two-forty seven a.m. Five minutes later than the last time he'd looked.
"Everything all right?" he asked without looking up again.
"I hate vampires," she muttered.
He lifted his eyes then and half smiled. "Glad to hear it."
"They're not supposed to work as a team and they aren't supposed to hit people with trash cans…full, stinky trash cans…" She sniffed. "So how did it go? The cake was a bust, huh?"
Giles rose and dropped the paper on the chair. "On the contrary."
Buffy headed for the kitchen, stopping, entranced, when she saw the large cake on the bench, dark, rich, silky chocolate icing glistening in the artificial light.
"You did that? You went out and bought one, really, right?" she teased.
"If you like," he said, amused.
"Wow, Giles. I thought you said you hadn't done anything like this before?"
"I haven't. My culinary expertise lies in the production of dinners for myself. I do a mean moussaka, if I do say so myself. I'm also in the process of perfecting a rather good Texas chili."
"It's gorgeous."
He looked pleased. "Thanks to your mother's taste in cookbooks. I simply followed the instructions. By the way, Xander stopped by earlier." He handed Buffy the tickets the others had left with him.
"Oh yeah. Will and Tara mentioned it."
"That's right. They said you met them for coffee this afternoon. I take it they're still going to decorate the cake after they pick Dawn up from her friend's tomorrow?"
"Yup," she agreed. "They're crazed about it…in between being crazed about buying a gift and going to the amusement park."
"Xander seems to think Dawn is rather fond of them."
"My Dawn?" Buffy asked skeptically. "Amusement parks, yes. Mucho cotton candy, churros and assorted junk food, and later with the Alka-Seltzer and moaning, but last time…rides and Dawn were totally unmixy things. A-at least…in the other history…you know…I mean, I remember her riding the parachute ride at Knott's Berry Farm with Dad and me when she was just five. She was scared witless. We haven't even been to an amusement park since she was ten," she added, trying not to think about the paradoxes that were Dawn's existence.
"And you?" Giles asked, curious.
She grinned widely. "I can't wait," she confided.
He chuckled. "Supper?" he asked, and threw his glasses on the bench.
Buffy watched him pulling mugs from the cupboard and putting the kettle on. Since her return, and his decision to come back from England, he hadn't said much and neither had she. Yet, despite everything that had happened, they seemed, in silence, closer and more comfortable with each other than ever in ways she couldn't have imagined before the battle with Glory. They tended not to encroach on each other's space or ask hard questions, and yet there was a sense of comfort in each other's company lately that was stronger than at any time she could remember.
When he finally turned with the steaming beverages and smiled lopsidedly before offering one to her, she grinned back, unsure why she felt such a surge of affection for the man who'd stood by her for so many years, knowing only that it was the single most intense emotion she'd felt since her mother's death.
Giles came around to lean against the cupboard and look at her curiously. "Penny for them?" he asked, half amused, half curious about the affection, perhaps even confusion, so clearly evident in her eyes.
"I was just thinking what a great time we're going to have on Sunday," she improvised, ignoring the warm flush that spread over her under the un-obscured scrutiny of those clear green eyes.
"Ah yes. The joys of hours of queuing, overeating, defying gravity and trying to hold down the aforementioned lunch before generously donating a large portion of one's assets to rigged sideshow novelty games."
"You know, you could make winning the lotto sound depressing," Buffy growled.
"Sorry," he said ingenuously, sipping his tea while his eyes danced with amusement.
"No you're not," she shot back, and did the same, then paused again when something occurred to her. "Can I drive on Sunday?"
"No."
******
"This is going to be so cool. April came the other week and she said some of the rides have a scream factor of five." Dawn didn't notice the exchanged smile between the two adults in the front seats of the BMW. She was torn between looking at everything and everybody, and just leaning back acting cool. Pushing her sunglasses further up her nose, she leant her head against the back of the seat, letting the rays of the sun warm her. Giles had even let her listen to her favorite radio station during the drive, and if he'd winced a few times during some of the songs neither of them mentioned it. This almost made up for not being allowed to go with the others in Xander's car. Only one thing could make it more perfect. "You know, if we stayed ' til, like, sunset, maybe Spike could..."
"No!"
She stuck her tongue out at the two spoilsports in front.
"Dawnie, you know I'll have to patrol tonight. And in a crowd how can I keep an eye out for everybody?"
"Protect me you mean. I'm old enough now. I can protect myself." Dawn decided to be grown up and ignore her sister's snort.
"I doubt if Spike would be interested in an amusement park anyway." Giles stopped speaking so he could concentrate on finding a parking space. "Plus he might feel uncomfortable with us all."
"You'd feel uncomfortable, you mean." Dawn shook her head in frustration. After all Spike had done for them in the past year and they still didn't trust him. "And you're not going to tell me Spike wouldn't enjoy hearing lots of humans scream."
Buffy sighed before exiting the car, then shared a look with Giles. She turned toward her little sister. "All right. Some of us wouldn't feel comfortable with Spike around. And that'd put a dampener on our fun. Which would make it less fun for you. So, it's best to not have him here and keep everybody happier. Okay?"
Dawn huffed as she moved into step with her sister, Giles walking behind them. "Okay. But one of these days..."
"Well, until that day comes let's concentrate on other things. Like what rides you're gonna try today." Buffy guided her sister through the crowd, trying to find the place at which they'd all agreed to meet up.
"April gave me the full list. I'm gonna start with the Gravitron, and then there's the Sandblaster, and the Meteor..."
"Whoa! You can't go on those rides. Hi guys." Buffy waved to her friends as they came up to wish Dawn a happy birthday. She and Giles exchanged greetings with the others.
Dawn finally came up for air. "What do you mean I can't?"
"Oh -oh. Looks like there's trouble in the Summers paradise." Xander wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder, turning her toward the entrance. "What's wrong, Dawn? Buffy told you, you can't hang around with that gang of biker demons again?"
"No. Buffy told her she can't go on the big rides," Buffy said.
"Why? Are they too grown up for me? Want to send me to the kiddie park again?"
"Dawn..."
"Oh, Xander said he was going to take me on lots of those rides so I can practice my screaming. He says I'm not loud enough yet in bed." Anya's comment stopped Buffy's start of lecture. They all looked at the recently engaged couple in shock.
"I-I was joking. We got complaints from the neighbors one night and..."
"And I think that's more than we need to know." Giles guided his party to the gates, handing over the tickets. "Dawn, I don't believe Buffy is trying to treat you like a child. She's more worried about how you'll react."
"I'll react? 'Motion sickness Xander' is going on the big rides and..."
"Hey, that's only in cars, and other moving contraptions. On rides I'm okay."
Willow snorted. "Yeah, like when we were five and you threw up in the tea cups."
"That's different. I'm not five any more."
"Neither am I. This is what it's about isn't it?" Dawn directed her question at Buffy. "When we went on the parachute ride and-"
"And you were sick for the rest of the day. You can go on the other rides, like the carousel and - and stuff. But I don't think you should be trying the big rides yet."
"Buffy's right, Dawnie." Willow stroked the younger girl's hair. "They can be fun too. Tara and I are going to try the carousel first, before we go to the souvenir shops and the big rides. You could come with us."
"Yeah. And then if I'm good maybe I'll be big enough for the Ferris wheel." Everybody looked away at Dawn's bitterness, especially on the girl's own birthday.
Giles, ever the peacemaker, stepped in. "W-well we can work this out later. There are quite a few stalls and sideshows just over there. Why don't we try them first, and then work out which rides will be suitable?"
Xander's face lit up. "Hey Giles, that's a great idea. After all, if you can go on it, it should be okay for Dawn."
"I-I didn't mean..."
"You sure you don't mind, Giles? I mean, it probably would have been a drag watching us on the rides and stuff. Are you sure Dawn won't bother you if she sticks with you?" Buffy asked.
"Sticks with me?" Nobody seemed to notice Giles' shock or his displeasure.
"Of course he doesn't. They can keep an eye out for each other, and we can all meet later on," Xander said confidently.
"Okay. Here." Buffy opened her purse, before handing Giles some money. "Don't let her talk you into spending any more than that. And if we don't see each other before, we'll all meet at the food pavilion at 12. Okay?" She looked toward the two couples before walking toward the rides.
The others nodded then separated. Willow and Tara made their way to a jewelry cart, intent on finding Wiccan and Pagan ornaments. Xander dragged Anya toward one of the snack vendors, muttering about sustenance before fun.
Abandoned, Giles and Dawn eyed each other with displeasure. "I know I'm bummed. What's your problem?"
Giles sighed. "Perhaps I don't like being classified as a 'carousel rider'."
Dawn nodded. "Me either. So, where do we start?"
Giles thought, looking around. Something caught his eye. "What's that thing over there?" He pointed to one of the rides. People were strapped standing into a metal wheel as it spun them around at an angle.
"That's the Graviton. Doesn't look all that dangerous."
Dawn noticed a strange glint in Giles' eye. "No. Hardly dangerous at all. One could almost say sedate, couldn't one?" he agreed. A wicked grin appeared as he looked across at his co-conspirator.
Dawn smiled. "One could. Should one also have sustenance before trying that?"
Giles appeared deep in thought. "No, I don't think so. Let's test your tummy first, then add the food. What do you say?"
"I say who needs food when you have the Graviton?" The two smiled at each other again before making their way to their first ride.
******
"That was so cool! You know what the best part was? That guy before the ride, going 'You better not get on little girl, you don't want to barf all over Daddy. Might give him a heart attack.'" Dawn puffed her shoulders out and strutted ape-like for a few feet, completing her imitation of the teenager who'd teased her. Giles smiled at her apt description. "Then when he hurled and it hit him in the face and he ended up swallowing it back."
"Yes well, centrifugal force has a habit of pushing things back instead of allowing them to go forward." Giles surreptitiously looked around, knowing that Buffy wasn't near, but terrified in case she heard this particular conversation. "It certainly shut him up. Although I'm surprised you noticed with all the screaming you were doing."
"But that's half the fun!" Dawn grabbed his hand without apparently realizing, swinging it between them. Giles swallowed at the ease in which she showed her affection, wishing that particular trait had come from her sister. "You scream and scream and it's great. Anyway, you weren't exactly quiet, Mr. 'too stuffy and reserved to even laugh at American sitcoms.'"
"Ah, but you haven't seen me watching English sitcoms. Besides," he leant down, as if to whisper a secret in her ear. "If the others think I'm stuffy they don't wonder what I do at night when I'm not helping them research. And what's the point of a ride if you don't scream?" They both smiled as they came upon a food stall. "Want some Fairy Floss?"
"What?" Dawn turned toward the vendor. "Oh, Cotton Candy. Sure."
"It's called Fairy Floss for a reason." Giles signaled one to the operator of the machine. "On the stick please." He turned back toward Dawn. "See how there's nothing there until he puts the stick in? That's because the fairies are waiting, ready to drop their magic dust to create a cloud of sugar treat...." He stopped at her 'I stopped being a kid a long time ago and no longer believe in the tooth fairy' look. He responded in an affronted tone. "It's better than wanting to eat something made of cotton!"
Dawn grabbed the confectionary as Giles paid the vendor. She smiled as she bit into the sugar mixture before offering a piece to Giles. As he broke it off, she decided to make amends. "You're right. The Floss Fairies are magic, and this is delicious. Where are we going next?"
Giles looked around. "Well, once you've finished that I thought we'd go over there." He pointed to a ride in the distance.
******
"Oh god. Oh god. Ohgodohgod."
"Which god are you praying to Xander?" Anya turned toward her fiancé as he weaved unsteadily away from the ride. "The God of Barfdom? Or the God of Weak Stomachs? Or maybe the God of 'How to Make My Fiancé Miserable...'"
"An, please." He put his hand up to stop her and quickly grabbed onto a fence railing. "I'm sorry. Okay? It's just that I had that corn dog before we went on and then that thing went up and down and up and..." Heaving, Xander leaned against the fence as the sweat beaded on his face.
Anya sighed. "It was only a carousel. How are you going to be on the Ferris wheel?" The expression on his face warned her. "You promised we could go on the Ferris wheel. It's not fair...."
Xander blocked her complaints out as he glanced around. He looked up at one particular ride as the cars swerved by on a turn. The couple in the front looked... "Look!"
******
"Where?"
Willow glanced again then shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing. I just thought I saw... It can't be." She turned back to her girlfriend. "Want to try another one of those crazy fortune tellers?" She bounced up and down with glee.
Tara shook her head, her face registering concern. "I-I don't think so. Not after what you did to that other one."
Willow frowned. "She deserved it. Going all 'I'm really powerful and you'd better listen to me'" She lifted her hands and waved her fingers as she spoke. "She was nothing but a big phony."
Tara grabbed Willow's hand. "But she didn't know that she was talking to a real witch. And I think you scared her out of any more work for at least a week."
Willow smiled. "Well for the rest of the day anyway." She frowned, looking back at the ride. "You know that looked just like..."
******
'Giles and Dawn.?' Buffy shook her head. No way. They were probably scaring themselves on the Ferris wheel or something. Not screaming their heads off on the Water Cannon. She sighed, collecting her prizes. As much as fleecing the fleecers at the game booths was fun, she really had to find those two. It wasn't fair sticking Giles with Dawn all that time. They were both probably bored out of their minds. She looked back at the ride. Anybody else but her baby sister and her staid Watcher, she'd be worried.
******
Several rides later, Dawn led Giles by the hand to an as yet unvisited corner of the park. "Well here it is." Dawn stopped in front of a towering twisting tangle of purple metal.
Giles squinted up at the sign. "The Eliminator?"
She nodded. "The last time we came here, I wasn't over the 'You must be this tall' line for half the rides here. And this is the one ride Buffy wouldn't even go on." She grinned but then soon became serious. "At least...that's the memory I have."
Giles smiled at her and held out his hand. "Shall we?"
She clapped her small hand into his. "We shall." Hand in hand, they zigzagged through the maze of the empty line until they caught up with the rest of the waiting people.
******
"Breathe into the bag, Xander." Anya stroked her boyfriend's dark hair as he sat on a tree-shaded bench, elbows on his knees.
"Honey, please. That's for hyperventilating. Right now I'm actually just trying not to puke into the bag."
"I told you we shouldn't go on that spinny, whirly thingy."
"Gravitron."
"Right. Well, whatever. You go round and round without purpose, hair being demolished as you go. And now your tummy's all pukey again. Where's the fun in that?"
"It's a damn fun ride...oh breathe...breathing, not hurling...come on...."
"Hey, guys," Willow greeted everyone weakly. Tara helped her to the bench where she sat on Xander's other side.
"What happened to you?" Anya said.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, your skin matches your eyes."
Tara patted her hand. "She means you're kind of green, Sweetie."
"Oh, it's my fault. I wanted funnel cake. And then we went on the rides."
"The Gravitron is evil," Anya concluded.
"We never got near the Gravitron. We went on the Tsunami. You know that boat one that goes all the way upside down? Willow said she thought she got seasick on it. Isn't that cute?" Tara was beaming.
Xander looked up. "Lay off the sweetness, Tara. I only have one bag and I'm not sharing," he growled.
"It's not her fault. She's had more sugar than a human should." Willow took a deep breath and leaned her head on Xander's shoulder. "So where did Buffy go? I haven't seen her since the Omega Flyer."
Xander pointed over to a row of game booths. "She's cleaning them out of stuffed animals."
"Isn't that a sort of misuse of her sacred powers? I don't think Giles would approve." Willow leaned her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.
"And Giles isn't here right now, yet there are still so many stuffed dragons and Teddy Bears to be acquired."
"Speaking of, has anyone seen Giles and Dawnie?" Tara looked both ways.
"Not so far. But, we haven't passed by the Kiddie Village, yet" Xander said. "I'm sure we'll run into them later."
"Hey guys." Buffy bounced over, arms crowded with stuffed loot. "I'm going to have to run out to the parking lot pretty soon and dump these things off in the car."
"We'll go in a few. I need a break from the rides," Xander groaned.
"I guess. You and Willow look like a Munsters Reunion Special."
"It's not easy being green," Willow observed.
"So this is where the party is, huh?" Everyone looked up to see Dawn and Giles approach.
Buffy leaned against the arm of the bench, setting some of the stuffed animals at her feet. "Judging by that smile they must have the bestest merry-go-round ever here."
"Oh, please. I haven't even seen the merry-go-round yet. We've done every coaster on this side of the park."
Xander looked up. "Did you do the Gravitron?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "We started with that one. We figured we'd work our way up from the tame rides."
"Oh great." Xander attempted a weak smile.
"What's wrong with you?" Giles asked.
"Oh the Gravitron kicked his ass." Anya continued to stroke his hair.
"Thanks for the over-sharing, An. You make me feel so macho."
"You're welcome."
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest, a look of disbelief clear on her face. "You guys did the coasters?"
"Yup," Dawn answered.
"Indeed," Giles affirmed.
"What about the Eliminator?"
Dawn crossed her arms and arched her eyebrow. "Three times."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it was so neat. And then we went on the Octopus for a break from the really scary stuff and there was this guy in one of the cars and he had them stop the ride cause he was going to throw up and Giles yelled out 'Wuss!' and everyone looked up to see who said it and we ducked down in our car so no one knew it was him. It was really funny! Giles is the coolest!"
Buffy was suitably surprised. "Is he, now?"
"Cooler than you," Dawn said with great confidence.
"And how did you reach that conclusion?"
"Well, he went on the Eliminator with me."
"So?"
"And have you done it yet?"
She shrugged. "I haven't had time."
"Chicken." Dawn smiled.
"I so am not. Slayer, remember?"
"You're not the 'Roller Coaster Slayer' Buffy. Let's just face it. There are some things in this world that your frail little sister is much braver at than you are."
"Oh, really?"
"Yup."
"Watch this, then." Buffy quickly scanned the area until she found something that would do. She started walking as soon as she found it. She was already to the ride before the others could determine her destination. She passed under the arch for the ride called 'The Plunge'. It was a looming tower that featured passengers strapped to its sides, pulled 230 feet in the air and then dropped for the feeling of freefall.
Willow and Xander shot to their feet, each looking to Giles to see if his shock matched their own. His face told the whole story: every trace of color had drained from it. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small wad of bills.
"Xander, take Dawn over to get some food now please." He only hoped that Dawn was still focused on the tiff with her sister and the larger implications wouldn't have time to settle in.
"Xander shouldn't eat right now," Anya said. "He's been all..."
"Xander's fine now," Xander said, understanding immediately. He ignored the money Giles proffered and took hold of his girlfriend's hand. "Come on, Dawnster. Let's drop these stuffed animals off in the car. Then we'll get something to eat at the Pizza Shack."
"Giles? You coming?" Dawn looked to him.
"Not just yet, Love. You go on."
Tara stood up, her eyes locked on Willow. "I'll g-go, Dawnie." Willow nodded at her girlfriend.
Xander and the two girls picked the stuffed animals up off the ground and led Dawn away while Giles and Willow turned their attention to the tower.
"I'm sure she didn't even think about it, Giles. She got carried away with Dawn and..." Willow stopped when she realized he wasn't listening. She'd have said he was a million miles away, but she knew better. He was in Sunnydale, six months in the past. As he watched Buffy on the ride, her blonde hair shooting straight up in the air with her descent, his mind was stripping away the bright paint and safety harnesses and filling it in with crudely constructed steel beams and Buffy falling without restraints to the concrete below.
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to catch his breath, his hand coming up to wipe at his mouth. "Giles, are you okay?"
He shook his head. "I think I'm going to be ill. I..." He clamped his hand over his mouth and dashed off toward the men's bathroom.
As he passed out of view, Willow could see Buffy walking up. Her smile faded as she saw Giles speed off. Concern on her face, she looked to Willow.
"What's with Giles? Bad corn dog?"
"Do you have any idea what you did to him? You weren't there last summer! You didn't see what he went through. And now you make him live through it all again just so you can make a point?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Buffy! Don't you get it? That ride you just had to prove your courage on. It's a tower! And it just dropped you over 200 feet toward the ground!"
"So?"
"Just like when you died! I saw his face. It was like he was reliving it all over again. How much more can you hurt him?"
"Hurt him? Um, excuse me. I think I was the one that died here. I didn't hurt anyone. I saved them."
"Yeah. And every time you fob him off, or ignore him, or God, die for him, you break what's left of his heart a little bit more. Don't you have any idea how much you mean to him?" Willow sat on the bench.
"I...I guess not. When...when I died, what happened? To all of you I mean? No one would ever tell me." Buffy sat by her side.
"It hurt. Too much. I guess it still does. But Giles...we never realized, you see. We all had somebody, each other. Even Dawn had me and Tara…and Spike. None of us noticed that Giles didn't have anybody. He didn't have you." Buffy turned her head away.
"He was so alone, Buffy. And the people who should have been there for him weren't. We were all caught up in our own grief. I figure that's why he left. It was either that or..." Willow stopped, not willing to voice what they had all guessed would have eventually happened to Giles.
"Or what?" Buffy faced her again, her gaze intense. "Please, I need to know."
"He-he would have died. One night he would have walked out the door and not cared who or what he would have met. That's how much power you have over him, Buffy. That's how much he needs you. Please... don't hurt him any more."
"I'm sorry, Willow. I don't seem to know how to do anything else. Maybe he should have stayed away."
"Well, if that's how you feel, maybe he should have. Maybe he might have had a long life, a safe life. Of course, he wouldn't have really been living. You can't, can you…without your heart?"
Buffy blinked back tears. "Everything's so complicated now…so much harder. I never thought I'd long for the simple days of worrying about slaying vampires, finishing my math homework, and keeping Mom in the dark."
Willow touched her shoulder. "Welcome back to your life, Buffy. The guys took Dawn for pizza over by the Ferris wheel. We'll meet you and Giles back here in a couple of hours. You two need some time alone." The redhead rose and walked away.
Buffy turned towards the men's room. Giles still hadn't reappeared. She waited. When he finally re-emerged, he was trying to look relaxed, but they'd known each other too long for the act to work on her.
"You okay?"
He shrugged. "Too much junk food."
"Yeah, right," she drawled. "We need to talk."
"We do?"
"Yeah. We do."
"Where are the others?"
It was Buffy's turn to shrug. "Pizza. Guessing that you aren't quite ready for the big pepperoni experience right now."
Giles made a very expressive face. "No. Not really. How about coffee?"
Buffy half smiled. "You do coffee these days?"
Giles gave her one of his patented 'ha, bloody ha,' looks. "I played at a coffee house for some weeks, if you remember. One learns."
Buffy's face transformed from amusement to bleakness. She looked away. "I remember." There was a short silence. "I never did make it to the 'Pump to see you, did I?"
Giles kept his expression unchanged, but the surprise in his eyes was comprehensive.
"I didn't realize you were interested," he managed casually.
She didn't look up. "We both didn't realize a lot of things…before," she said softly, unaware that he heard her easily, then raised her voice to a normal level. "Coffee sounds great."
He let it pass.
They found a quiet café. It didn't serve any of the myriad junk foods that attracted children and therefore families…and so was blissfully under occupied.
Giles ordered at the counter. There was an awkward silence for some time after they slid into the booth.
Eventually Buffy looked up. "I-I'm sorry... about the ride."
His eyes widened. "How did you…?"
"Willow."
He scowled but didn't speak.
They lapsed back into awkward silence until the coffee came.
Buffy watched him surreptitiously as she sipped. He'd taken his glasses off for the last ride with Dawn and still hadn't put them back on. He also continued to look drawn and unhappy, behind his very British 'I'm fine' face.
A part of her wanted to hold him again, to feel him hold her, as they had done the first time they saw each other after he came back from England, but an even bigger part of her, the part barely even willing to acknowledge those feelings, was terrified of that next step. It was too easy to shelter in Spike's affection. It wasn't going to hurt when he eventually went away, as he inevitably would. But this…this was big, scary…terrifying.
When Giles eventually lifted his eyes from his mug, he caught her watching him and half smiled, self-conscious, unsure of himself.
"It doesn't matter," he said awkwardly, "about the ride. Willow worries too much."
Buffy's eyes grew very bright. She would go on hurting him forever…and he would go on forgiving her, making it easy for her…and yet she still didn't know how to not hurt him.
"It matters," she said hollowly. "You matter." A part of her stopped in shock. Where had that come from? And yet it felt... right.
Giles was staring at her…not saying a word…though his normally soft green eyes were practically shouting his stunned surprise at the vehemence of those two words. Eventually, when she didn't speak, he again manufactured a half smile of his own.
"I'm glad to hear it," he said softly, his tone belying the calamity that was his insides at that moment.
"Well, you do," she repeated, telling herself, more than him. "You do..."
"Buffy…i-is there something wrong?"
She frowned. "Only with me."
His eyebrows climbed. "Are you ill?"
"No, just majorly dumb," she said bluntly, setting him back a bit.
This time he waited for her to speak again.
Buffy searched the familiar features for a long time before she found the words she wanted.
"I-I don't mean to be…" She stopped, sighed heavily. "Let's face it, Xander's right."
"About what?" he asked, confused.
"I'm an emotional retard…I hurt people…I don't mean to…and I don't have the cuteness to make it better, like Willow does; or Tara's empathy, or Xander's jokes, or even your adorable stuffy Britishness...oh..."
Giles' eyebrows had climbed into his hairline again, but he didn't speak. He was almost afraid to. Instead he picked up the last of his mugaccino and tilted it to make the last of the foam slide down with the coffee.
When he put it down again and looked up, some of the tension went out of Buffy. He had a tiny foam and chocolate powder moustache and he looked so…adorable. She swallowed. There was that word again...
The jade eyes were watching her closely. He hadn't noticed the foam yet.
Almost without realizing she was doing it, Buffy found herself reaching across the small table to run her finger across his top lip. About halfway across the soft skin, his warm breath caressed her finger and sent a shiver through her body.
They both felt it; both froze, two sets of eyes wide with shock, and locked with each other.
After several seemingly endless moments, Buffy finished removing the foam and, after another nanosecond's hesitation, offered the foamy, chocolate powder-covered fingertip to the parted lips below.
The air grew charged as Giles very slowly and deliberately closed them around it for a moment and their locked gaze grew even more intense.
He drew his mouth off the fingertip slowly when Buffy's breathing began to grow uneven and allowed her to reclaim the digit.
It disappeared immediately under the table and she swallowed hard, but did not lower her eyes.
Each could see that the other was terrified, yet transfixed. Neither knew what to do next.
Eventually, Giles found enough wits to realize that the experience lay with him and that he should do…something. It was his turn to swallow.
"W-would you like another coffee?" He managed croakily.
Buffy stared, but her mouth twitched in spite of itself.
Then his followed.
And then they were both laughing: a riotous eruption of released tension and emotion. It wasn't until they stopped and breathed that both of them realized nothing had really changed... and yet everything had.
After several more moments of charged silence, Buffy decided to give Giles... and herself, a break, even though she knew it would be temporary at best.
"You know," she said in a less than steady voice. "You and I haven't been on a single ride together, yet..."
"That's true. However I feel I might have to decline." Buffy looked shocked. Giles managed a straight face as he looked her in the eyes. "You see, I have a previous engagement with a rather lovely young lady."
"What?! Who?!" He was very surprised at the level of vehemence in her voice. Buffy looked as though she had even surprised herself. She smiled shyly and looked at her hands, shaking quietly in her lap. "You... you just meant Dawn didn't you?" She met his gaze again. "The guys have her for another couple of hours."
For a long, uncomfortable moment, Giles looked at her. "So now, you feel guilty and have decided to reward me with a little of your time? Maybe I prefer the company of someone that thinks I'm actually fun to be around." He stood up and walked slowly out of the café.
Buffy sat stunned for a minute, and then went after him. "Giles! Wait! Giles!" He stopped and allowed her to catch up with him. "I think you're fun," she said quietly.
"Pardon?"
"I said: I think you're fun."
"Fun enough for babysitting duty as you and your real friends go on your merry way?"
"That's not... Giles, I want to spend some time with you."
"Because Willow told you to?"
She took a deep breath. What, did he have bionic hearing? "Yes. I mean no..." She sighed. "I mean, yes she told me to but that isn't why!" He looked irritated with her and began to walk away. "Giles, wait!"
He stopped abruptly and turned toward her. Faster than she could follow, he had grasped her by the arms, pulling her snug against his body, kissing her breathless.
When he pulled back, her eyes were closed and her face flushed. His hand remained on her chin, gently rubbing. After a moment, her eyes blinked open and focused on him.
"I've been waiting, Buffy. I waited so long that you were dead and buried and I was living in England again. And then you were back like a gift from The Powers That Be. And so I came back for you. But it wasn't the same as before. It was worse."
She moved back from his touch, the start of tears stinging in her eyes. "Worse because I was alive?"
"No." He shook his head and smiled. "Worse, because everything became so confusing. One moment you're throwing yourself into my arms, the next you shy away from even the most casual touch. You've been flirting with me for weeks now, showing a level of comfort in the times we're alone together that I had only dreamed of. And then there are days, like today, where you don't feel like being the grown-up and decide to saddle me with the responsibilities that are too burdensome for you. I just don't know what to do any more."
Giles moved closer to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. "You know, there are times when I don't wish to be the adult, either. But that's part of being an adult. Knowing that there are some things that you have to deal with, no matter how uncomfortable or inconvenient they may be."
"You think I don't know about duty?"
His smile was bitter. "I think you know all about duty. That's why there's such damnable intent behind when you shirk it." He let go of her and turned his back, facing down the path toward the Ferris wheel. "At least with Dawn, I know what's expected of me. I know where I stand. I'm more than a convenience to her." He turned once more to find her staring at him. "I want to be there for you, Buffy. But you have to let me know how." He strode off toward the pizza place.
Buffy sat quietly on a nearby bench, tears coming easily now.
******
Dawn sat between Willow and Tara across the table from Anya and Xander. "You know," the Birthday Girl said, "for someone who was about to lose his breakfast a half hour ago, he sure isn't missing a beat filling up on his lunch."
Xander was currently working on the leftover pieces of Dawn and Tara's large double cheese, having had more than his share of the extra large combination that Anya, Willow and he had ordered.
A shadow fell over the table and all eyes lifted. "So, who's up for some more rides?" Giles said, directly to Dawn.
She smiled giddily. "That would be me!"
The five of them got up and left the Pizza Shack with Giles leading the way. Once outside, Buffy came walking up. "Hey everybody. So you four are taking your turn with Dawnie, next?"
"Their turn?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, you're the Birthday Girl so we all get some alone time with you. And then at the end of the day we'll all have to ride some stuff together. Giles had his turn already. It's their turn next." Buffy tucked Dawn's hair back behind her ear. "And I will meet you in 2 hours in front of the Eliminator for my turn."
Dawn smiled. "You sure you won't be too scared?"
Buffy shrugged. "Nah, I have you to protect me, don't I?" The sisters hugged, much to the delight of the two couples overlooking the scene.
"Come on, Dawnie," Willow said. "The merry-go-round is this way. We better start off Xander on something easy or we'll have to go on the water rides to rinse off his lunch."
Xander fixed the redhead with an evil look and put his arm around her shoulders. "And just for that, guess who I'm sitting right next to on the tea cups?"
"Oh great." The two couples started off toward the medium-range rides.
"Giles," Buffy said. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to go on some of the rides with you."
She didn't wait for him to answer. She simply walked away in the opposite direction from where the others had gone. He would either follow her or he wouldn't.
Dawn smacked him on the arm, which he cradled in mock-pain. "Go be nice to her, Giles."
He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm always nice, Dawn." Her only response was the patented Summers' glare. "What?" he demanded.
"I'm the Birthday Girl which means today I'm the boss of you. She's been crying, Giles, so I'm bossing. You be nice to her."
He saluted, though he couldn't keep a smile from quirking at the side of his mouth. "Yes, Ma'am. And how nice am I supposed to be?"
Dawn knew teasing when she heard it. "I'm saying if she tells you to put out, you put out." The look of shock on his face was the best present she would get that day. She smiled and jogged off after the others. "Hey guys, wait up!"
Fighting off a blush, Giles walked quickly until he caught up with Buffy. When he was even with her, she extended her hand to the side, not breaking stride. Tentatively, he took it. Her fingers curled around his and they walked toward a boat ride that proclaimed itself "The Tunnel of Love". Never one for subtlety was his Buffy. Though he may have found an obvious make out ride the absolute worst choice for a couple in their present predicament, he had learned long ago that Buffy had to do things in her own way. And if this was the way she chose, he would just have to go along with it. He only hoped that this way led into his arms. Of course, with a name like "Tunnel of Love", he had good reason to hope...
******
On their way toward the more daring rides, Xander, Willow, Dawn, Tara and Anya stopped at a churro cart. After quickly downing the cinnamon-ny goodness, Anya and Tara decided to do some more souvenir hunting. The remaining brave 3 walked on until they came to a ride called "Twist of Fate".
"Come on, guys," Dawn said cheerily.
"Uh...I don't know about this." Willow's eyes were trained on the highest peak of the ride.
"Couldn't we start with the kiddie coaster and work our way up?" Xander added.
"Now, now." Dawn took Xander and Willow by the hand and began to lead them in. "You'll never be ready for the Eliminator later if you don't start with something just a little scary."
Willow and Xander looked to each other.
"Xander, don't you dare throw up on me."
"I'm too scared to throw up."
"Don't be such babies," Dawn said, dragging them on toward their fate.
******
Anya and Tara walked among the booths gossiping about their respective partners and selecting from the range of tacky souvenirs. Anya interspersed the conversation with comments about which vendor was trying to rip the customers off, and which one was underselling. As her voice was fairly loud as she said this, several people moved from one booth to another, eliciting a glare from one of the sellers and a sigh of relief from the other.
Both girls stopped as they neared a ride, noticing a certain couple holding hands in line. "So they're finally gonna do it?"
"Yeah." Tara sighed. "I thought she'd never see."
Anya waved her hand. "She would have seen sooner or later. I thought he'd be gone before she did though. I suppose I'll have to let him back into the store."
Tara smiled at the other girl. "Doesn't he own half of it already?"
"Well, yeah." Anya frowned. "But he was meant to be a silent partner." She waved her hand toward the ride. "I want Xander to take me on that one. That is if he can stop barfing long enough to let me actually enjoy it."
Tara giggled. "They've probably had enough of Dawn scaring them anyway. Let's go rescue them." The two girls began to walk away. Tara paused, turned back to the couple just entering the boat, waved her fingers and spoke a few words of Latin. She turned back to an accusing look from Anya.
"I thought you were upset at Willow for doing unnecessary magic?"
Tara pouted for a moment. Then she smiled. "But this was very necessary magic."
******
Giles shifted uncomfortably in the smallish seats of the little 'boat'. He had long legs and there wasn't a lot of room for them. As it moved forward it jolted, like the cars on most rides, on the mechanical chain that drew it through the water. He braced himself by laying an arm along the back of it.
Then they plunged into the darkened tunnel forcing both to blink to adjust to the change in light. When Giles focused again he realized that they had both somehow shifted so that Buffy was now curled up against his chest, inside the crook of his arm.
Not entirely sure what happened, but suspicious of at least two young ladies he knew, he succumbed to temptation, drew his arm a little tighter and kissed the top of the blonde head.
Buffy sighed and nuzzled in even more, then, inevitably, stiffened and sat up straight. "Um, what just happened?" she asked warily.
"I think someone was trying to help," he told her, amused. "I rather liked it, myself."
After a beat to digest that, she silently curled back up against him. "So did I," she said very softly. "But I thought you didn't like me leaning on you."
Giles frowned, his fingers halting their idle toying with the long strands of her hair. "I don't think I have to tell you the difference," he said a little gruffly.
She sighed. "I haven't been able to feel anything real for a long time. God, I even thought…Spike…I mean he's always at least stirred violent emotions in me…bad emotions…but still…something. I knew I didn't have any real feelings for him, but anything was better than the emptiness…and even worse, the void... When I came back and you weren't here I..."
Giles swallowed. "Buffy, I won't take the blame for that. Not this time. I had to go. How could I have stayed without you? How was I to know the others would be so foolish as to bring you back? And now..." he paused before deciding to bring into the open the one thing that frightened him. "And now you're back, you're different. Since I've returned, you've managed to almost entirely abdicate every responsibility: within the home, your relationships with us, even with Dawn. I'm starting to feel as if you'll never learn to stand on your own two feet if...."
She was very rigid, more than silent against him, but she did not withdraw.
Finally her forlorn voice broke the silence. "You're going to leave again?"
He sighed, choking back the emotion that constricted his throat. "I...I don't want to. But I don't know what else to do."
She looked up to him, the tears in her eyes evident by their near-shimmering in the dark. "Don't leave me. Please? I'm sorry Giles. I don't mean... You don't understand. Being here isn't the same. I'm not the same."
Giles drew a protective arm around her as his heart constricted. "I know," he whispered. "But you are here, and you…we all have been given a second chance."
"You told Willow you would have stopped her."
Giles closed his eyes. "You heard?"
The silky head moved a little against his chest, enough for him to recognize a nod.
His heart constricted a little more.
"Of course I'd have bloody well stopped her," he confirmed angrily. "Even you must realize how wrong what she did was. She had no business meddling with forces she can never hope to control or understand."
"S-she was trying to help."
"She was bloody well trying to make herself feel better, the same as that bloody 'do my will' spell a couple of years ago," he growled. "And with pretty much the same outcome. You and bloody Spike, for a start."
"That's a lot of Bloodies," Buffy couldn't help teasing, and after a beat felt his chest shake in a silent chuckle.
"Not nearly enough to satisfactorily express the either the gravity of the situation or the depth of my feelings on the issue," he pointed out huffily, despite his amusement.
"Yeah, well, this is the Tunnel of *Love*, so no potty-mouth in here, okay? I get the picture."
Giles made a harrumphing noise.
Buffy decided it was time. She sat up as the boat continued to cut through the water on the longest leg and looked at him in the semi-darkness
"Be there for me now."
A divot of confusion appeared in Giles' brow. "I don't understand."
She touched his cheek. "You said you wanted to be there for me. You said I had to tell you how. I want...I want you to kiss me again. I...I want you to love me." She bit back a surge of emotion. Now was not the time for tears, despite the pressing of them behind her eyes. "You deserve way better than an emotionally retarded, and let's face it...*recycled* Slayer, but this Slayer loves you. For the first time since...since I died, I *feel*. You did that. I mean, all of it, even the pain, the being scared...the wanting...no one else could do that, no matter how hard they...how hard I tried."
She caressed his hair back from his temple. "I love you so much...and I had to die to realize that I could."
He touched her face wonderingly. "Could what?" he managed.
"That I could really love you."
He looked shocked. "Why would you think you couldn't?"
She looked away, to the dark canal the boat was slipping through. "If I love someone they leave. They all leave. Even mom left."
Giles took her face in his hands. "If I love you, it will be forever," he told her in a voice that reached the very marrow of her bones, bent his head and caught her tender mouth in a kiss that refused to end.
Buffy wound her arms around his neck, and he drew her back against his body, almost cradling her in the confines of their small craft.
Soon the light at the end of the long, slow ride was visible in the near distance and the soft music was fading. They lifted their heads reluctantly and looked at each other again.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
His brow furrowed. "For kissing me?"
She looked confused, then smiled. "No. Not that. It's... I know I've been leaving you holding the bag with Dawn. It's just, being back you know? I needed to sort through this mess inside me and I just couldn't take on anything else."
He blinked, confusion and amusement warring for dominance. "And now?"
"Knowing that I can feel. Knowing that you'll be here for me to talk to, to support me, to love me." She smiled. "Knowing that you'll let me love you back. It makes the mess much less messy. I don't promise to be the bad guy for Dawn every time. But I do promise that you won't have to be it all the time either."
He ran his hand through her hair. "You know something, love?"
"What?"
He rested her forehead against his own. "You have the most insanely deprived sense of timing in the entire world! My God! I thought you'd changed your mind!" They both laughed. His thumb remained, gently petting her cheek.
Her face turned toward his palm, where she placed a sweet kiss. She met his eyes again. "Can we really do this?"
Giles looked deep into the frightened, but desire blurred eyes. "Tell me," he demanded softly.
"I love you," she whispered vehemently, without flickering a lid.
His green eyes grew very bright. "Then we can do anything," he told her simply, and bent his head again.
Any vestiges of doubt that Buffy might simply be telling him what he wanted to hear to convince him to stay were erased by the power of her kiss. Like her, it was soft and loving yet strong and forceful. His hands came to her cheeks, gently holding her to him as though he was afraid she might let him go. He needn't have worried. Her arms slid up the back of his neck, entangling in his short soft hair. He leaned back, pulling her with him. She hooked one leg over both of his, her thigh suggestively rubbing against his hip. Neither of them ever wanted it to end. But, of course, it had to. And it did, in the form of a tap on Giles' shoulder.
Annoyed, Giles broke the kiss to give whoever had intruded upon them a piece of his mind. His expression softened when he saw a nervous looking blonde teen-age boy in a Coaster Dominion uniform. "Excuse me, Mister.? You guys are gonna have to get off the ride now. I let you go through an extra time but we're starting to get a line."
Giles cleared his throat. "Of course... very sorry." He could feel himself blushing down to his toenails. He looked down at a head of blond hair buried against his chest, the hint of bright pink skin showing.
He stepped out of the boat, proffering his hand to Buffy. She took it, not daring to look up yet, instead trusting him to guide her as he had always done. He put his arm around her waist. She copied this gesture. As they walked, entwined, Buffy finally braved a look up at the people waiting in line. She found most of the men looking at Giles like they couldn't believe his luck. She found most of the women looking at Giles like he was on the cover of Playgirl. And then she noticed two very smug looking witches smiling at her.
Buffy arched an eyebrow at them. She raised her chin proudly, and just as they passed the couple, she slid her hand into Giles' back pocket. She didn't need to look back to recognize the sounds of her friends' giggling.
As they exited the outgoing ramp for the Tunnel of Love, they found Xander and Anya standing by a booth that proclaimed: Your Ride Captured. Buffy and Giles themselves seemed to be the stars of every single monitor in the booth.
They exchanged a look before noticing a smiling Dawn handing them a thick clasp envelope.
"Don't worry," Xander said. "We bought every picture of the two of you." He gestured at the envelope. "It was either that or wait for them to turn up on a website."
"Ha ha," Giles said.
"Well I think it's sweet," Anya stated. "How many couples get to have a permanent record of their very first kiss?"
Buffy looked up at Giles and smiled. "I never thought of that."
"I mean, Xander and I didn't start recording until the sixth or seventh time we had s..."
Xander clamped his hand over his fiancée's mouth. "Would you like to go to the animal show, An? They have bunnies, I hear."
She slapped his arm away and pouted. "Well you don't have to get mean about it!"
Giles tucked the envelope inside his jacket. Dawn insinuated herself between her sister and Giles, and took each of their hands. "So, time for the Eliminator?"
"I thought that was just going to be you and me?"
"But, I want Giles to come too," Dawn said.
Buffy and Giles' eyes met. "Well okay," the Slayer said. "I guess we can all go."
Dawn swung their arms gently. She looked up at Giles with a mischievous grin. "Do I have to start calling you Dad?"
He smiled back. "Do you want to make it to age 16?"
She laughed and leaned her head against his arm.
******
At one in the morning, Buffy returned from patrol. She opened the door and saw Giles sitting in the living room. She smiled. "Hi Honey, I'm home."
He smiled and put his finger to his lips. "Shh."
As she entered the living room, she noticed Dawn fast asleep on the couch. She was surrounded by her birthday gifts and the discarded wrapping paper that they had come in. She had a cone shaped party hat strapped to her head at a gravity-defying angle. Chocolate icing was smeared all over her cheeks.
Buffy grinned, sitting on the arm of the couch and brushing back a strand of her little sister's hair.
"I'll take her upstairs," Giles whispered.
He stood and scooped Dawn into his arms. Buffy halted him a moment, removing the party hat from her sister, and cleaning her face with a clean napkin left on the table from the party. "Good enough," Buffy said. "I'll get things cleaned up down here."
Giles carried Dawn away while Buffy collected papers off of the floor and started putting them in a bag.
By the time Giles got back downstairs, the living room was more or less in order and Buffy was stacking Dawn's presents on the floor at the end of the coffee table. Giles helped her, then sat down on the couch. Buffy sat across his lap.
"It was a good day," he noted.
"It really was," she said, leaning her head back to gain access to his lips. They kissed, long and slow.
"I better go and get the bedding from the hall closet." He moved to rise but Buffy didn't leave his lap.
She lightly caressed his ear with her finger. "You carried one Summers woman up to bed tonight. Care to make it two?"
He smiled. "Buffy, we don't have to rush. We have time. I... I'm not going anywhere." They kissed again.
When they broke apart, she touched his face reverently. "We have time. And I say we make the most of that time."
"Buffy..."
"What do you say I show you a good use for all that leftover chocolate icing?"
He gulped, all of his remaining reservation burning up with his desire for her. "I... I say please."
She smiled. "Wait here." She went to the kitchen and rummaged in the refrigerator. When she'd found the icing container, she returned to the living room to find it empty. Concern crept in around her as she peeked around the corner. "Giles?"
He appeared behind her, eliciting a surprised gasp as he swept her up into his arms. Buffy dipped her finger into the chocolate and smeared it on his earlobe.
"Hey! That's cold!"
She reclaimed the chocolate with the wet heat of her mouth, licking him clean. Giles struggled to maintain his hold on her. "We'll warm it up, somehow, Giles," she whispered. Suckling one last time on his earlobe, she used her usual perfect timing to almost ruin the evening. Thinking he wouldn't be listening properly, she decided to test her power over him. "Can I drive your car tomorrow?"
Giles paused, closing his eyes in defeat. Already at the first hurdle and he faltered. What chance did they have if he couldn't even handle his moment? He warred with what he knew he was right and protecting his love. Sighing, he finally opened his eyes and looked at Buffy's eager face. He smiled lopsidedly.
"No."
The End