One of Us

If God had a name, what would it be

And would you call it to His face

If you were faced with Him in all His glory

What would you ask if you had just one question

Yeah, yeah, God is great

Yeah, yeah, God is good



"All right guys, time to sleep" Willow said to the slayers in training, as they all made their way to the living room. It had originally started the three that Giles had brought with him, but now there were five, minus the two that were now dead. With a bit of protest the four younger ones made their way to the living room, or as it was now referred to, "the SIT suite". Willow couldn't help not ignoring the fact that the house was becoming a bit crowded. Sooner or later something would have to be done about the sleeping and living arrangements, the house just wasn't big enough to hold so many people.

Having everyone in such close proximity was kind of comforting at first, but now it was becoming a bit annoying. The younger slayers were starting to get on each other's nerves, which just caused them all the more stress. Xander, Anya, Dawn, and she did their best to make the SIT's comfortable and to keep peace among them, but their constant tiffs were starring to really affect the two brains of this operation, Buffy and Giles. Thankfully Willow came up with the idea of all the Scoobies communicating telepathically, this way they could discuss the less pleasing things that were going on without upsetting the younger girls.



Buffy kicked the sheets off her with a frustrated sigh. There would be no sleep for her tonight, again. Every time she closed her eyes her mind would start reeling. She turned to her side and saw that Dawn was in deep sleep and tried to go back to sleep. Ten minutes later she gave up on sleeping and got up to get some fresh air. On her way out of her room she noticed that Giles cot was empty.

Buffy found Giles outside on the back porch deep in thought. A small smile played on her lips; the scene in front of her was classic Giles. After a few seconds pass Giles looked up at her, he gave her a small smile and waved for her to come sit by him. Buffy oblige and both were now sitting side by side silently.

Slowly he took her smaller hand in his larger one, their fingers intertwined. They could both feel the power that coursed through them. Apart both were powerful by their own means, but together they were a force to be reckoned with. Buffy and Giles, Slayer and Watcher. "You know, this is the first time you've touched me since you've arrived" she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. Giles turned to look at her, a guilty look on his face, which to his relief Buffy couldn't see. "I'm sorry Buffy, I didn't mean to ignore you, but things have been." his words were cut off by Buffy's lips against his.

Buffy kissed him with everything she had, trying to coax some kind of reaction out of him. Giles on the other hand was frozen, he didn't know what to think, it wasn't everyday that Buffy would do such a thing. After a few seconds Buffy brought her hand to the back of his head and deepened the kiss. Finally Giles arms tightened around her and he kissed her back with as much fervor as she. The kiss lasted a few more minutes, but they pulled apart when oxygen became a pressing issue. Both were breathing hard, their heads reeling.

Buffy couldn't believe what she had just done, but she didn't regret either. Kissing Giles had seemed oddly right, being in his arms made her feel safe and loved. Her eyes widened when she came to her next realization; she loved Giles, or was at least beginning to fall for him. Since his return she had found herself looking at him, studying him, her stomach would also become quizzy when he would look at her just the right way. Perhaps, this was the real thing, true unconditional love. It could be possible for her to fall in love with Giles, her protector and endangerer, but did he love her in return?

Giles was about to explode, what had he just done? Was he mad? Kissing Buffy, although granted she had kissed him first, but still it was his role to be the responsible one. He couldn't do this, he just couldn't! It wasn't that he didn't love her; he did, with all his heart, ever since the prom. But he couldn't break her heart again, like Angel and Riley had. He loved her far too much to promise her something he couldn't give her; a tomorrow.

Giles looked down at her beautiful face, her eyes held an unspoken question, the same one he was afraid to answer. Before she could say anything he decided to tell her everything.

"Buffy." he began, ".I can't be with you, not now or ever." the hurt look in her face broke his heart, but he kept on going. "It's not that I don't love you, I do, very much. But I can't let you get hurt again, pursuing this" he motioned between them with his hand, "would be unfair to you".

Buffy felt like dying, didn't he love her? Or worst did he only lover her like a daughter? . "I don't get what your saying Giles?" she said in a genuinely bewildered voice.

Giles couldn't stand seeing her in such a state. "I'm sorry, I haven't done a great job of explaining everything," he said. "Before I could get all the Slayers in training I was attacked by one of the bringers of the First Evil." there was a pause before he continues in a strained voice, ".I didn't survive Buffy."

End.for now.