Title: Second Chance

Author: littleotter73

Characters: Buffy/Giles, Willow

Rating: FRT

Setting: Post Chosen, no comics

Summary: Most long distance relationships fail. Theirs wasn't the exception, but when Buffy is alerted to an unfortunate incident at Giles' nephew's wedding, she is compelled to confront him regarding the consequences of their breakup.

A/N: This fic was born from a challenge from Quaggy, who reblogged a gifset of Anthony Head's character dancing wildly at a wedding in the film "Imagine Me & You," basically asking what would happen to make Giles act that way?

Disclaimer: Just for fun, not profit.

Second Chance

Several girls were huddled around a laptop, pointing and laughing when Buffy entered the classroom, but as soon as the girls saw her, their laughing turned to hushed whispers and silent giggles until the owner of the laptop closed the lid and the bell rang announcing tardiness for anyone who crossed the threshold once it stopped.

Buffy placed her briefcase down on the desk and looked at the group of girls. "Good morning. Anything interesting on the computer I should know about, Mary?"

"No, miss, just a bunch of us having a lark," Mary answered before quickly stuffing her laptop into her backpack.

"Funny video from a wedding," one of her friends added before another girl backhanded on her shoulder. "Ow! What? Those *never* get old."

Buffy watched the commotion with amusement. "Did the bride shove cake up the groom's nose or something?" she asked, making conversation as she took her lesson plan out of her case.

The girls all turned quiet, and Buffy noticed that one of her students, a second year named Elise who sat a row behind the group of girls, was looking down at her hands, obviously quite flustered about something.

"Ok, then," Buffy said, focusing the class's attention back to more serious matters. "Today we will begin with a meditation exercise and then we'll discuss the importance of information gathering and stealth in demon hunting."

Buffy's classes for the day went according to plan, the current crop of Slayers at the academy were bright and eager to learn, and there were ranges of talent within them. As she was leaving her final class for the day, one of her students approached her in the hallway.

"Miss Summers?" she asked.

"Yes, Elise?"

"Umm, I thought you should know something about that video… the one from class."

"What about it?

"Could we maybe…?"

"We can talk in my office if you like," Buffy suggested.

Elise let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"So how are your classes going this semester?"

"Good. I'm not a fan of Demonology 201. I understand that it is important, but I'd rather not have the morning's lessons invade my dreams at night."

Buffy nodded in understanding as they continued down the hall talking about the curriculum. Shutting the door behind her, Buffy gestured to a chair as she sat behind her desk. "So tell me about this video."

Elise took a deep breath and raised her eyes to her mentor and teacher. "It was taken at my cousin's wedding this weekend. Mary St James was there."

Mary, the girl with the laptop.

"So what happened?"

"My cousin is Helena Braithwaite." Elise waited a flicker for recognition. "I guess that name doesn't mean anything to you, but she married Nicholas Giles this weekend. Nick is Mr Giles' nephew, and since Mr Giles was your… Watcher, I thought maybe you should be alerted that this video doesn't exactly… show him in a… flattering or authoritative light."

Buffy schooled her features. It wasn't exactly a secret that she and Giles had dated. You couldn't keep information like that from spreading around a school, especially a boarding school like the Academy, but since their breakup, she wasn't one to address any questions or rumors floating about. It was nobody's business but her own, and of course, Giles', about what had transpired between them.

"I mean, it was a private event and Mary should have been respectful… and I'm really not trying to get her in trouble or anything, but Mr Giles has always been kind when he's come here and he doesn't deserve to be ridiculed. I mean that was a private event and Mary shouldn't be posting it for everyone to see."

"Where did she post it?" Buffy asked, waking her computer up and logging in.

"It's on her MySpace. I can bring it up for you, if you like."

"That would be great, thanks."

Elise came around and typed in the URL, bringing up the lurid webpage with the neon pink background and flashing text announcing that a new video had been posted.

"Oh, ewww! I think she needs some help with design."

"It is rather garish, isn't it?" Elise agreed uncomfortably. "Anyway, click there," she said as she pointed to the link that said 'Watcher's Wild Weekend!' in bold flashing letters. Buffy was about to start the video when the girl asked, "Is it… is it okay that I go? Or I could wait outside if you want to talk to me after."

Looking up at her student, Buffy wondered what in the hell had Elise so upset. "Sure, you can go, but if I need to talk to you more about this, is it okay to find you at your dorm?"

Elise shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "Since I don't have classes tomorrow and it's a bank holiday weekend, Miss Summers, my parents are due to pick me up in an hour."

"Oh, okay… well, thank you, Elise, for bringing this to my attention. I am sure Mr Giles will be grateful as well. Have a great weekend."

When she was alone, Buffy stared at the webpage and sighed. She and Giles had only ended their relationship two months ago. It had been rather painful for both of them, but they'd both agreed it was for the best. The fact that he spent all his time at the Council headquarters in London and she at the academy located some twenty remote miles west of Dumfries in Scotland was just one aspect that made their relationship difficult. Long distance just wasn't working, no matter how hard they'd tried.

"Let's see what you've gotten yourself into, Giles," she muttered as she clicked on the link.

The camera panned around the wedding tent, the song You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive blaring in the background as the revellers danced. It was a very elegant wedding, but knowing Giles' family connections, she wouldn't have expected anything less. Then the camera landed on Giles, who clearly had taken advantage of the bar, bouncing up and down in time to the music with his arms flailing in all directions, next to his really irritated sister who was absolutely having none of his shit. Then the video had been further edited to show the footage again, only this time it zoomed in on Giles and was slowed down to about half the speed for emphasis.

Buffy didn't know which emotion to process first, her anger and outrage at the teen for being so callous, or feeling absolutely terrible for Giles, who clearly was miserable, had been drinking, and at that point in the evening, was just trying to fit in with the rest of the wedding guests and failing spectacularly at it. Her heart went out to him.

Buffy sighed and picked up the phone. "Hey, Wil, it's me."

"Hey, Buffy! Are you ready to hop on the plane and come to Barcelona for the long weekend?"

"Uh… I'm thinking I am going to have to revise my plans for the weekend. I'm really sorry."

"Really?" Willow sounded so disappointed. "Dawn and Carrie are going to be heartbroken."

"I know, but I sort of have an issue I am dealing with here. Can I send you a link to take a look at?"

"Sure."

Buffy copied the link into her instant messenger client and sent it to Willow.

"Got it! Hang on a sec… Oh… oh… wow! That's…"

"Not good, I know."

"Valerie looks like she is going to take him out back and beat him," Willow remarked in shock. "It's just not a good thing to piss off your sister and the mother of the groom. Of course it would be much worse if she had been the mother of the bride."

"Agreed," Buffy said, shuddering at the thought. "Um, you wouldn't have spoken to Giles recently, have you?"

"Not in a week or so. He's been super melancholy, though. How are you doing?"

"About the same, but I didn't go to a wedding, get smashed, dance like a gorilla, and have it plastered on the interwebz for all the baby Slayers and Watchers to point and make fun of."

"Where did this video come from?"

"Apparently Mary St James, Watcher Candidate level 1, was at the same wedding Giles was at, thought his dancing was uproariously hilarious, edited it to enhance the embarrassment, and posted it for everyone to see," Buffy replied angrily.

"I'd almost be inclined to ignore it if she hadn't gone back around for a second pass, zooming in and playing it in slow-mo. Rude! Are you going to have her take it down or do you want me to?"

"Oh, she will! And she's gonna pull guard duty all weekend long in the cold, Scottish rain for a start. Not sure what made her think this was a good idea to share."

"She must not like Giles," Willow suggested with a shrug.

"Who doesn't like Giles? I mean the guy is doing his damnedest to make sure this program has what it needs," Buffy huffed as she leaned back in her chair.

"Come to Spain, Buff, you need to get away and have some fun. Issue the punishment, have your on duty staff implement it, and hop on that plane to Barcelona in the morning."

"I'm just not feeling it, Wil, I'm sorry, and I do really need to take care of this issue."

"Are you sure there isn't anything I can do to convince you to get your Slayer butt over to Barcelona? Warm, sandy beaches, awesome tapas, great nightlife, hot Spanish men…" Willow asked.

Buffy winced. The last thing she wanted, even for a split second, was someone other than Giles to hold her or touch her. She so wasn't over him and she knew she wouldn't be for a long, long time. "Short of an apocalypse, no. And don't you manufacture one!"

"Been there done that, got all veiny, and returned the t-shirt. Are you gonna talk to him?"

"I think I need to. We're both not dealing."

"Two and a half years is a long time and you guys were good together."

"When we were actually together," Buffy responded sadly. "That was the problem."

"I know. I'm sorry, Buffy. Good luck with this video mess. I'll let Dawn and Carrie know you are dealing with administrative crap so they don't worry."

"Thanks, Wil, for maybe not exactly understanding, but for being there and helping me take care of this… and for taking my little sister to Barcelona for me," Buffy said, a note of apology in her voice.

"You owe me a week long vacation with your company now, you do know that, right?"

Buffy laughed. "Gotcha. We'll plan something soon, I promise." And with that she hung up and restarted the video, watching Giles dance like a total fool while drunk off his ass. It wasn't good and her heart hurt for him and for what they had lost together.

—

The next day, Buffy successfully exchanged her plane ticket to Barcelona for one to London. Upon arriving at Canary Wharf, she tentatively approached the Council building. Realizing she needed a few minutes to get her nerves under control, she sat down on a bench along the Thames and watched the seagulls bob along the gentle waves. She hadn't been back to London since their breakup and she'd deliberately missed attending a Quarterly Meeting with the Board in person last month and dialed in. It had just been too painful to contemplate seeing Giles again, especially when they'd agreed to give each other time and space to come to terms with their separation. It had been the most gut-wrenching breakup of her adult life. There had been tears, protesting on both sides, love declared, and, in the heat of the moment, it had seemed like the right thing to do. Neither had time outside their duties to devote to making a relationship work, and the physical distance between them had brought that harsh reality into the spotlight. She wasn't going to get over it anytime soon… and from the look of things neither was he.

It was probably a mistake coming to see Giles, but he had to know about the video, and had she called him from some three hundred and fifty odd miles away, it might've sounded like she was scolding him, and that wouldn't have helped anyone, so here she was, gathering her courage to enter the building and talk to the man she still loved and would once again have to walk away from.

As she exited the elevator, Jason, Giles' assistant, greeted her with kind eyes. "Good afternoon, Buffy, how are you?"

"Good, a little hectic, but I am here. How are you, Jason?"

"Very well, thank you, but I don't see you in Giles' diary today."

"No, I'm sort of an unexpected visitor. Any chance I can ask you to clear his schedule?"

"He has set aside some time to go over the budget, but that's the only important item on his agenda. The rest can be rescheduled to another day."

Buffy gave Jason what could only be described as The Look and he quickly ducked his head back behind his computer monitor. "Ah… I can block off some time for that Tuesday mid morning."

"Thank you," Buffy said turning to head towards the Head Watcher's office.

"Should I announce you?"

"No need," she answered with a smile. When she reached Giles' office, the door was already open and she noticed him sitting at his desk staring out the window in thought, his arms folded across his chest. He looked good, if tired. His navy blue, textured tie was already loosened, his steel blue, pinstripe waistcoat unbuttoned, and the sleeves of his gingham blue dress shirt rolled up to just below the crook of his elbows.

"I see it's casual Friday," Buffy teased gently so as not to startle him too much. "And just so you know, I've cleared your schedule for the day."

"Buffy," he whispered, almost in disbelief, before rising from his chair and clearing the distance between them in three long strides. Stopping in front of her, he looked vexed that he wasn't able to pick her up and pull her into his arms. In fact, he seemed lost at what to do.

"It's okay," she murmured as she took a step closer and wrapped her arms around him. "It's okay."

It seemed like an eternity for Giles to return her embrace, but when he did, he clung tightly to her, burying his forehead into her neck before regaining his composure and backing away. Shoving his right hand deep into his pocket, he ducked his head and rubbed the back of his neck with the other in embarrassment.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "That was… inappropriate." Walking back towards his desk, he asked, "You look… ehm… you look well. H-how have you been?"

Buffy and sat down in the chair opposite him, resenting the distance and the obstacle between them. "It's… uh… you know…" she looked down as she fidgeted with her fingers in her lap before looking up again. "It's been really difficult, to be honest."

Giles nodded in agreement before looking out the window again, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "It has," he finally managed, returning his focus to her. "So, what brings you to headquarters?"

"Mainly you," she admitted.

"Oh? Well, I don't know what for. We'd agreed to give each other space for a while."

Buffy didn't want to discuss their breakup or the terms thereof and went for the direct approach. "You want to tell me what happened at your nephew's wedding?"

Taking a deep breath, Giles placed his hands down on his desk, his fingers spread apart. "Heard about that, did you?"

"No… I got to experience it in all it's Monday morning quarterbacking glory." She looked down at her lap. "Well, not Monday morning because it was actually yesterday afternoon."

A sharp clucking noise invaded the air, grabbing her attention, as Giles raised one eyebrow in question.

After a quick hesitation, she explained, "One of my students posted a video of you dancing to Dead or Alive on her MySpace page."

Giles groaned, taking off his glasses and tossing them onto his desk. "Not one of my better choices," he finally managed.

"Valerie looked like she wanted to kill you."

"She almost did," he answered with a sigh. "Not that I would have blamed her."

"Well, the video was only up for a day and has since been deleted. The culprit is pulling guard duty all weekend and will be writing you a letter of apology."

"Good, good."

"Are you okay?" she asked her voice full of concern.

After rubbing his face a few times, he simply stated, "No."

Rarely was Giles so open with his feelings, especially when he wanted to protect her and this raw honesty threw her. She'd expected him to play it off with some snarky response, instead he looked totally defeated.

"Talk to me?" she requested as she ducked her head and raised her eyes to meet Giles' pale green ones.

"What is there to say, Buffy? We both agreed…" He allowed his thought to die as he rose from his seat and wandered over to the window, looking out over the Thames and across the city.

"I didn't want to agree!" Though her tone was soft, she answered with authority and stood up to join him at the window. "I didn't want this and I don't think you did either."

He shook his head. "No, I didn't."

Placing her palm gently between his shoulder blades, she said, "Maybe we were wrong. I want… I want us to have been wrong."

Giles closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the cool glass as his muscles tensed through his waistcoat and shirt. "It wasn't working, Buffy. We both were unhappy with the situation."

"And we are both so profoundly blissful now, Giles? Look at us! We're fricken miserable! I can make it work if you can."

"Really?" he asked, turning to face her and looking incredulous. "Because neither of us could figure out how to make it work before and we'd both stated that it just wasn't enough!"

"And nothing is better?" she asked. "If there is anything I've learned over the last two months, it's that a little something is better than nothing at all."

"So you've changed your mind then? That the distance can be overcome? That we can steal a weekend here and there and expect it to be enough?" He was bitter. She was about to answer when he asked rather forcefully, "Why did you come?"

Changing her reply to answer his last question, Buffy answered, "I-I wanted to tell you about the video and make sure you were okay."

"And a simple phone call wouldn't have sufficed?" He sounded angry, but his eyes held only sadness and hurt.

She held his gaze for several long moments before responding. "No, it wouldn't have because I didn't want to risk a miscommunication. I'm not here to chide you or scold you for what happened at the wedding, but when the Head Watcher's less than professional behavior is broadcast from a student's webpage, I feel it is my duty to let him know considering other students will have seen it, and presumably their parents and other members of the Council. I thought I might help you prepare for the inevitable questions that might arise instead of allowing you to be blindsided by it all."

"And a slightly more complicated phone call wouldn't have sufficed?" he sighed as he moved away from the window and sat down on the sofa a few meters away.

"I'm here now," she said, joining him on the couch. "So we'll never know if we would've had a productive conversation over the phone about it. I wasn't prepared to risk losing what little, outside of a professional relationship, I have left with you."

He stared at her and she could see the fight pretty much die in his eyes. "All I can say is that it was an error in judgment, Buffy. I certainly never meant to drink as much as I did. You were supposed to be my plus one at the wedding. Everyone was so happy. Nick and Helena, just blissful… and there I was alone, without you, missing you terribly." He let out a ragged breath. "If it hadn't been a family wedding, I would've skipped it… and judging by my terrible lapse in judgment, I should have done."

"From what I saw it wasn't that bad… unless something else happened later."

"No, I left not long after and drank myself into an even worse state in my hotel room. So, any embarrassment was just my own when I woke up at noon the following day with one hell of a hangover and had to pay for an extra night to the tune of £200."

"I am sorry." She took his hand in hers and threaded their fingers together.

He squeezed her hand in response before removing it. "My own damned fault," he answered, clearly still angry with himself for letting the situation get out of control. "You'd think at my age, I'd know better."

"We all make mistakes," Buffy replied. "God, Giles, I don't know how we went from venting our frustration about the situation to breaking up, but it certainly wasn't what I was looking to have happen that day."

"Neither did I."

Buffy remained quiet and focused her attention on her hands as she toyed with a ring on her index finger.

"Did you think-?"

"I didn't know what to think!" Buffy answered with brutal honesty, looking up at him. "Maybe for awhile I did."

Her answer left him wide eyed and speechless.

When she didn't get a reply, she looked up. "I returned to the academy rather shell shocked and nursing a broken heart," she explained. "What was I supposed to think?"

"You… you thought I would plan a long, romantic weekend with you, one spent mostly in bed at a romantic B&B in the Cotswolds I might add, in order to end our relationship?" His voice was incredulous and hurt.

A lone tear fell from her left eye. "One last hurrah," she managed weakly.

"Oh, my love," he breathed, pulling her into his arms and resting his cheek against the top of her head. "I am so, so sorry."

"I know better now," she replied with a sniff. "I knew better then, but in my darker moments…"

He backed away, his emotion laden green eyes desperately searching hers. "Know that I would never hurt you that way. Had it been my intention from the beginning, I never would have taken advantage of you like that. I would have changed our plans and made the trip up to see you to break things off. I never intended for us to go our separate ways, Buffy."

She wiped the tears from her cheeks with the cuff of her light blue, cable knit sweater. "How did we get here then?"

"Frustration. The heat of the moment, I suppose," he answered in resignation. "Long distance relationships aren't easy and we'd been doing it for as long as we could tolerate. Our schedules were just not coinciding to make it work anymore."

"So… what now?" Buffy asked with a little trepidation. "I meant what I said. I don't care about the distance. As long as we can make time for one another on holidays and long weekends, it will be enough. It'll have to be enough for now."

Giles took her hands in his. "I've been doing a lot of thinking over the last two days. I am… considering stepping down as Head Watcher."

"What?"

"Part of it is due to professional reasons and part of it is personal."

"No, Giles! We need you here advocating for us, pushing our agenda with the Board and the bastion of old school Watchers!"

"We can't even get them to relinquish the funds for a new academy, Buffy. The facilities are antiquated and unsuitable. Hell, they weren't suitable when I was there in the 80s. There are always leaks in the roofs, cracks that need patching, traps to catch invading vermin, and the heating never works properly: some rooms are like a sauna and others, well, you had to move students out of the wing of one dorm and completely close down one of the lecture halls this past winter for no heat at all. The Board refuses to either allocate money to completely renovate the buildings or to buy or build a new facility. It's unconscionable. And if I can't make a difference, then what the hell am I doing here?"

She shook her head and looked away.

"Darling, look at me," he requested quietly. When her worried eyes met his he explained, "I have a replacement in mind. Xander can do it. He's ready and I have a guarantee from Sir Alan that the Board will confirm him. Xander is the right man."

"What makes you so sure they will work with him?" she challenged.

"It's very simple. You are the ace up my sleeve," he replied with a gentle smile as he moved a strand of Buffy's long, blonde hair behind her ear. "You won't work with anyone they'll put forward and they know that. You didn't accept Wesley as your Watcher, and you refused to play by their rules on numerous occasions. They need you. They don't need or want me."

"Giles-"

"It's the truth. Regardless of my achievements and sacrifices, in the majority of their eyes, I will always be the rogue Watcher who defied the Council on several occasions. Xander brings no such baggage and to them poses no threat. Because he is an outsider - and in their estimation inexperienced - they will feel they can control him, and that will allow him to work under their radar."

"Are you sure?"

Giles gave her one of his conspiratorial smiles. "Positive."

"Okay, but what about you?" she asked tentatively. "What about us?" She added last question in a whisper.

"You've been advocating to move the academy closer to headquarters. I agree that the current location is far too remote. I happen to own some property in Sussex that I'd inherited from my maternal grandparents. The buildings are uninhabitable, but we could raze them and build something new."

"Like a school for Slayers and Watchers?" she asked with a dawning grin.

"Indeed. There are a few hoops we'd have to jump through, but I am certain we would get the approvals."

"But how will you fund it?"

"I know a few well connected people who would like to donate some money, but the starting funds will come from my trust."

Buffy gaped at him wide eyed. "You have that kind of money?"

He shrugged. "Old money on one side, successful media mogul money on the other."

"Okay, then, but… where does that leave us?"

He brought her hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "I want us to be together, Buffy, but we can't continue a long distance relationship, which is what we'd be looking at if I stayed on as Head Watcher. Something needs to change and your work with the Slayers and Watchers is considerably more important than what I am doing from the 35th floor of Council headquarters. Taking on this new project will have me working closely with you and the architecture and construction firms to meet the current needs and add in any upgrades, wish list items, etcetera, so… I imagine I will need to move to the Dumfries area for a while to-"

Buffy launched herself at Giles and he fell onto his back on the sofa, his arms holding her tightly to him. He chuckled in his throat as she rested her forehead against his, her dark green eyes reflecting her happiness.

"You'll move in with me," she declared with a growl.

Reaching up, he threaded his fingers through her soft hair. "I was hoping you'd say that," he said before drawing her down for a long, sultry, kiss. She yielded to him instantly, feeling whole for the first time since their breakup.

"I missed you," she sighed against his lips when the kiss ended, "and I am never letting you go again."

He laughed. "Well that settles it then, we'll just have to design and build our dream home as well because I don't want to imagine my life without you in it anymore."

"Really?"

"But not on the same property," Giles declared adamantly.

"Why? You don't want to yell 'get off my lawn' at the students when you're ninety?"

His eyes glistened with mirth. "Actually, I don't want to share my wife with the students any more than the requisite hours she must spend at her place of work."

Buffy's eyes went wide with surprise and she pushed herself up and straddled his thighs. "Your wife?"

"Why not?" he asked a touch of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he lifted himself up onto his elbows.

Almost in a hush, she answered, "I mean… we've never really talked about it."

"We've been together for two-and-a-half years, excluding this… stupid separation. I think it is time to talk about it, perhaps well beyond time," he stated.

"Are you asking me to marry you?" she asked, her head tilted to one side.

"No, I am asking you to consider marrying me," he answered, "because I would very much like to propose formally and make the occasion very special for us."

"I don't need to consider it, and you already know the answer." She leaned over him and nipped at his chin playfully. "I told you earlier that you were moving in with me and that I am never letting you go again."

"Because we haven't spoken about it, I didn't want to assume, but know that I am yours, ring or no," he declared, his jade colored eyes finding her darker ones as he absently twirled a lock of her hair between his fingers.

"As if I am going to let you get away with not having a wedding."

He laughed in delight. "That settles it, then. Tuesday morning I'll send the board my resignation effective the end of the month."

"I don't think so, mister! I cleared your schedule. You'll write it now and send it before we leave with two weeks notice," she stated, kissing and licking at the spot on his neck just below his ear that she knew drove him absolutely wild. "That's all the time I am willing to be apart from you."

"You're a brat," he stated with a shudder as she nipped at his earlobe. "One who doesn't play fair, I might add."

"But you love me anyway."

"That I do, Buffy," he said sincerely, cupping her face and caressing her cheekbone with his thumb.

"We've lost two months, Giles," she expressed with some resentment. "Granted, two months during which we may have only seen each other once for a measly 48 hours, which, really, is just the norm for our relationship, but they wouldn't have been so miserable and angst ridden if we hadn't broken up. I love you and I am not going to wait any longer than I have to, to have you shack up with me!"

"How about a month's notice and I'll work from Scotland the last fortnight?" he compromised.

"Deal!"

His wide, radiant smile made her insides melt and she leaned over and took his lower lip between her teeth before kissing him with all the pent up passion of two long, frustrating, and emotional months. His hands were seemingly everywhere before he squeezed her rear and brought her into contact with a very aroused part of his anatomy. He groaned as he arched into her and she broke the kiss.

"Let's go back to mine," he panted against her neck.

"Nuh-uh. Not until that resignation letter is sent," Buffy answered with a devilish grin as she moved off of him and stood up.

"If you think there is any blood left in my brain to focus on that, you are mistaken, my dear," Giles groaned as he flopped back against the cushions.

She grabbed his hand and laughed, "Come on, if you can wait to get home, you can write the letter."

He sat up with her assistance and ran his hands through his hair. "I know. Give me a moment to… get myself sorted."

Forty minutes later, the letter with terms and conditions of Giles' resignation sent to all members of Board, Giles and Buffy left his office hand in hand with plans to celebrate at an exclusive, posh restaurant followed by an extravagant, long, romantic weekend at The Trafalgar.

In two week's time, they'd start a new phase of their relationship, one where they wouldn't have to say goodbye after a stolen weekend and wait weeks or months to see one another again. One where she could fall asleep in his arms every night and wake up next to him every morning. The challenges of the past were replaced with the promise of a future together and, as they entered the elevator, she smiled brightly and threw her arms around his neck as he pulled her close and kissed her softly, thankful for the embarrassing video that brought them a second chance.