Chapter 8
Once they had said goodbye to their guests, Giles led Buffy back to the living room. He sat her down on the sofa and sat next to her. "Buffy, we need to talk."
She looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong Giles?"
He looked at the face of his beautiful slayer and gave her a small smile, "Nothing yet, but I'm afraid that what I have to say... well, it may change things."
"Change things?" she asked. "Giles what is going on?"
He took his glasses off and looked at her intently. "Buffy, you are the most remarkable woman I know. You are strong and you are intelligent. You have gone through more than many people go through in a lifetime. And even through it all, even with the burden of your destiny upon you, you manage to get through every day and not lose yourself. I have the utmost respect for you. I look up to you."
She watched him as he spoke. "Is there something else Giles?"
He looked at her and took her hand in his, "Buffy, I know you are young, I know that you see me as no more than your surrogate father, but I must tell you this."
She continued watching silently, biting her lower slip softly.
"Elizabeth Anne Summers," he began. "I love you. You are my sunshine and you are my life. I will be here for you in whatever capacity you need me, but always know that I am here for you. I will never leave you, and I will walk beside you in your battles. I will always protect you to the best of my abil-"
Before Giles could finish his speech, Buffy threw herself into his arms and kissed him urgently. He brought his hands up to embrace her as he returned the kiss tenfold. When she pulled back, her eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"I love you too, Gi- Rupert," she said softly. "I've known it for a long time know. I just didn't know you felt the same. You're the only reason I am still here. You have saved me in ways that you don't even know."
"Oh Buffy," he said softly hugging her. "I don't know what I'd have done if I had lost you."
After they pulled away she began to talk to him. Telling him about her feelings for him, the guilt she felt because she had lost so much but was relieved that he wasn't one of those she lost. Giles sat there and held her as she talked to him. They both talked until very late into the night. When Buffy finally fell asleep, Giles picked her up gently and took her to her bedroom and placed her on the bed.
She woke up and looked at him, "Stay with me tonight."
"I-I don't know Buffy." he said.
"I want you to," she said looking at him lovingly.
Never denying his slayer anything, he agreed.
Buffy rose from the bed and approached Giles. She moved into his arms and hugged him tightly. Giles returned the embace unsure of how to proceed.
Buffy looked up at him and smiled reassuringly, "I know what I'm doing Giles." she said to him, her hand softly stroking his back.
He smiled softly and lowered his head towards her and kissed her passionately. His tongue entered her slightly opened mouth. She responded in kind, tasting him.
He pulled back looking at her and he could see the desire clearly evident in her eyes. He began to remove her clothing and she began to remove his. When the final pieces of cloth were removed, he laid her down on the bed.
Giles lavished attention to her right breast with his mouth, sucking the nipple into his mouth as his fingers tweaked and squeezed the other. Buffy sighed at this assault on her breasts.
He continued to kiss and lick and suck every inch of her body. Buffy was wild with desire. When he finally entered her, she gasped. Their bodies moved together in rhythm, slowly moving towards crescendo. They continued kissing as they moved together in a dance as old as time itself.
Buffy was moving in time with him. She had never felt so good, so alive. She came with a scream, pulsating around him. The feeling moved him to completion; he thrust one last time and sent his seed into her. Spent, he moved off of her and pulled her to him. He kissed the top of her head.
"I love you," she said softly.
"I love you, Buffy," he said almost reverently.
They fell asleep in the same bed they had shared for months, but this time it was different. Wrapped in each other's arms, it was no longer one person providing comfort to another -- it was two people who loved each other and wanted to be close and feel the love between them.
*****
After that evening, Buffy's stability improved on a daily basis. The house was sold and Buffy moved in with Giles. She began living her life again. She began training again and began patrolling in the evenings with the new slayer, Danielle.
Six months later, Buffy and Giles were married in a small ceremony with all their friends in attendance.
FINIS...finally!
Once they had said goodbye to their guests, Giles led Buffy back to the living room. He sat her down on the sofa and sat next to her. "Buffy, we need to talk."
She looked at him questioningly. "What's wrong Giles?"
He looked at the face of his beautiful slayer and gave her a small smile, "Nothing yet, but I'm afraid that what I have to say... well, it may change things."
"Change things?" she asked. "Giles what is going on?"
He took his glasses off and looked at her intently. "Buffy, you are the most remarkable woman I know. You are strong and you are intelligent. You have gone through more than many people go through in a lifetime. And even through it all, even with the burden of your destiny upon you, you manage to get through every day and not lose yourself. I have the utmost respect for you. I look up to you."
She watched him as he spoke. "Is there something else Giles?"
He looked at her and took her hand in his, "Buffy, I know you are young, I know that you see me as no more than your surrogate father, but I must tell you this."
She continued watching silently, biting her lower slip softly.
"Elizabeth Anne Summers," he began. "I love you. You are my sunshine and you are my life. I will be here for you in whatever capacity you need me, but always know that I am here for you. I will never leave you, and I will walk beside you in your battles. I will always protect you to the best of my abil-"
Before Giles could finish his speech, Buffy threw herself into his arms and kissed him urgently. He brought his hands up to embrace her as he returned the kiss tenfold. When she pulled back, her eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"I love you too, Gi- Rupert," she said softly. "I've known it for a long time know. I just didn't know you felt the same. You're the only reason I am still here. You have saved me in ways that you don't even know."
"Oh Buffy," he said softly hugging her. "I don't know what I'd have done if I had lost you."
After they pulled away she began to talk to him. Telling him about her feelings for him, the guilt she felt because she had lost so much but was relieved that he wasn't one of those she lost. Giles sat there and held her as she talked to him. They both talked until very late into the night. When Buffy finally fell asleep, Giles picked her up gently and took her to her bedroom and placed her on the bed.
She woke up and looked at him, "Stay with me tonight."
"I-I don't know Buffy." he said.
"I want you to," she said looking at him lovingly.
Never denying his slayer anything, he agreed.
Buffy rose from the bed and approached Giles. She moved into his arms and hugged him tightly. Giles returned the embace unsure of how to proceed.
Buffy looked up at him and smiled reassuringly, "I know what I'm doing Giles." she said to him, her hand softly stroking his back.
He smiled softly and lowered his head towards her and kissed her passionately. His tongue entered her slightly opened mouth. She responded in kind, tasting him.
He pulled back looking at her and he could see the desire clearly evident in her eyes. He began to remove her clothing and she began to remove his. When the final pieces of cloth were removed, he laid her down on the bed.
Giles lavished attention to her right breast with his mouth, sucking the nipple into his mouth as his fingers tweaked and squeezed the other. Buffy sighed at this assault on her breasts.
He continued to kiss and lick and suck every inch of her body. Buffy was wild with desire. When he finally entered her, she gasped. Their bodies moved together in rhythm, slowly moving towards crescendo. They continued kissing as they moved together in a dance as old as time itself.
Buffy was moving in time with him. She had never felt so good, so alive. She came with a scream, pulsating around him. The feeling moved him to completion; he thrust one last time and sent his seed into her. Spent, he moved off of her and pulled her to him. He kissed the top of her head.
"I love you," she said softly.
"I love you, Buffy," he said almost reverently.
They fell asleep in the same bed they had shared for months, but this time it was different. Wrapped in each other's arms, it was no longer one person providing comfort to another -- it was two people who loved each other and wanted to be close and feel the love between them.
*****
After that evening, Buffy's stability improved on a daily basis. The house was sold and Buffy moved in with Giles. She began living her life again. She began training again and began patrolling in the evenings with the new slayer, Danielle.
Six months later, Buffy and Giles were married in a small ceremony with all their friends in attendance.
FINIS...finally!