Breakfast, although by this point it was really more of a lunch, was wonderful. Buffy was really interested in everything he had to say and he spent most of the meal filling her in on what he'd been doing. Buffy found it easy to listen to him and found herself staring into his green eyes and watching his mouth shape itself around the words. She wondered if he had always been this sexy.

Afterwards they went to the store where Giles loaded the cart with British staples like Earl Grey and bangers. He told Buffy he was going to make her a traditional English breakfast and she would enjoy it so much that her traditional bowl of Count Chocula would never satisfy her again. By the time they had gotten home and loaded the fridge it was nearly dark outside.

"How about I go change then we do a little patrolling for old time's sake?"

"Sure you'd rather do that than just stay in?"

"Always sleep better after a walk and any moonlit walk in Sunnydale is bound to end in a fight. But if you don't want to come..."she let her voice trail off.

"No it's fine, a little physical activity is just what I need." He had been trying very hard all day not to think of other physical activities they could be involved in.

Moments later she came bouncing down the stairs dressed all in black. The clothes stretched tightly around her curves, emphasizing them even more. He swallowed the giant lump in his throat. "You look wonderful," it slipped out before he could stop himself.

She blushed, she seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "thanks, just your average going out outfit. Perfect for dinner, dancing and demon slaying." She gathered some stakes from the weapons locker. "Let's go." They walked together into the darkness, locking the door behind them.

The residual energy from the Hellmouth must be strong still Buffy thought as they entered the cemetery and came almost immediately on a group of vampires. Giles let Buffy take the lead and watched appreciatively as she sauntered right into their midst. She was poetry in motion as she began to fight them and he was so caught up in watching her that he didn't notice the vampire preparing to attack her from behind. Hear her exclamation of surprise and pain was all it took for him to launch himself into the fray.

As he battled the undead he used all of his anger. How dare they lay a hand on his Slayer! He stake the vamp and enjoyed the feeling of satisfaction as he disintegrated into a pile of ash. Apparently he enjoyed it too much as another vampire was able to get in a few hits. His glasses knocked off his face he found it difficult to fight and was relieved when it disappeared in front of him to reveal an annoyed looking Buffy, "No one touches my Watcher!" He felt himself glow with happiness at the knowledge that he was hers, in whatever capacity. "Are you okay?" She handed him his glasses.

"Just taking my requisite knocks on he head. You?"

"Okay, scratched my back though," she stretched uncomfortably. "Let's go home. I think six is enough for one night."

They walked home together, arm in arm feeling the strength of the Slayer/Watcher bond. When they got home they went straight to the kitchen, Buffy to get the icepacks and Giles to make a pot of tea. He switched on the light, "Buffy your back!"

"Don't worry Giles, it's just a scratch," but even as she said it her knees buckled and she had to lean against the fridge. She reached back to feel it and when she looked at her hand it was covered in blood. "Okay, so not a scratch. Giles!"

He as with her in a moment, his strong arms encircling her, comforting her, giving her strength. He guided her to a chair before bending to examine her back. He was finding it difficult to concentrate surround as he was by her unique scent, but the sight of her blood made him queasy. It was only her blood that had the power to do this, and he knew because he had seen more gruesome things than most people could imagine and none of them affected him the way the sigh of his bleeding Slayer did. That's right, she's mine. My Slayer, my Buffy, my everything. Just like I'm her Watcher, he thought. "It's difficult to see anything other than I'm afraid your sweater is ruined."

"If I had known he had destroyed my sweater I would've made his date with Mr. Pokey more interesting."

"Well Mr. Pokey aside you'll have to go upstairs and take it off so we can clean you up." He couldn't believe he was suggesting that she take off her clothes in front of him. He could hear Ripper in the back of his head, urging him to take advantage of the situation.

Buffy trusted him enough to know that it was the ploy of some dirty old man to see her naked. He probably wasn't even excited by the idea, even if the idea of being naked with him made her heart flutter and hands shake. Slowly she stood and began climbing the stairs.

Giles followed closely after Buffy as she climbed the stairs, trying to ignore the fact that her denim clad ass was swaying just and arm's length in front of him; of course he also had to avoid the sight of Buffy's injured and bleeding back, which basically meant he had to stair at his feet or at the ceiling. Buffy grabbed some towels and the first aid kit and sat on the bed while Giles went to fill up a bowl with some warm water. "You're going to have to take your shirt off," he steadied his shaking hands as he thought of her half-naked, sitting on a bed.

Buffy tried to pull her the ruined remnants of her sweater over her head but now that the adrenaline high she had been on was wearing off her back felt like it was on fire. "No good Giles. You'll have to cut it off. If she had ever thought of him removing her shirt it hadn't been like this. "There are some scissors on the desk there."

He sat down behind her with the large metal sewing shears. Gently he lifted the cashmere from her and began to cut it up the side, trying to stay away from the wounds that crossed her back. He saw her shiver as the metal blades moved up her back. How he wished she was doing it for some other reason. When he was done she pulled it off, leaving her in just her pants and a black lace bra. "And your, um, your undergarment? Can you get that off?"

"Is it ripped?" Buffy liked this bra, and didn't want to lose it if nothing was wrong with it.

"No, it, um it seems to be, well, fully intact," he was stammering and stuttering like this was the first bra he'd ever seen.

"Can you just unhook it for me then?" She smiled a little as she listened to his stuttering. Sometimes he could be so very British. She could hear his breath catch in his throat as he reached for the clasp.

Come on old man, you can do it. It's hardly your first time and you've got every advantage, both hands, plenty of light. Giles swallowed hard and reached for the clasp with shaking hands. Goosebumps covered her back. Buffy felt herself tremble as he touched her. A moment later the clasp was undone. Caught up in the moment Giles let his hand slide against her neck and down to her shoulder, slipping the strap off. He wanted to kiss her shoulder, her neck, whisper into her ear. Good Lord, where did those thoughts come from?

Buffy took the bra off then brought a towel to her chest, suddenly aware that all he would have to do to see her breasts with their hard nipples, from the cold she told herself, was come in front of her. She could hear him wring out the washcloth in the bowl of warm water, then flinched as he put it to her skin. All of a sudden her senses felt supercharged. She could feel the knap of the terry washcloth as it scratched the dried blood from her back. She could visualize each drop of water as it traced a sinuous path down her back. And she could hear Giles breathing rapidly, just as she could hear her own heart thumping loudly in her ears.

He was mesmerized by her smooth skin and the curves of her back. Even when the last trace of dried blood had been removed he continued to bathe her back. Oh how he wished he could do this to the rest of her body. Chastising himself for being a dirty old man he put the washcloth, once white as snow, into the bowl where the water had turned red. "I'm going to have to disinfect it now." He took out the can of spray disinfectant, this was going to hurt.

Buffy gasped as the spray hit her, searing her like a flame. Instinctively she reached her hand back and grabbed Giles' free one. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain, allowing one tear to fall onto the towel. When the burning had subsided, she opened her eyes. Now she really wished she hadn't been so quick to stake that vampire. Gently Giles slipped his hand from hers so he could put the bandage on. "There, all done."

"Thank you Giles." Buffy moved her shoulders and felt the tape pull at her skin. She grimaced as she thought about pulling the tape off the next day.

"Well, I think it's time we both got some sleep. Remember I promised you a full English breakfast tomorrow."

"Could you get me a nightshirt Giles? There in the middle right drawer." She pointed to the chest of drawers .

"Of course," anything to stop looking at her breasts as they rose over the towel, threatening to spill over it at any moment. Did she know how sexy she was? He dug through the drawer until he found a likely candidate. He handed her the shirt, then laughed when she put it on. It had the Pillsbury doughboy on the front along with the words "My Dream Man". "Good night Buffy."

"Good night Giles." She watched him leave the room, wishing there was a reason for him to stay.