Title: Something New (14/15)
Author: Luisa
Notes/Disclaimers: as in the Prologue
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Part 14
"Giles?" Buffy called to him in a small voice, afraid that the tremors of fear in her voice would become obvious if she spoke any louder.
He didn't respond, continuing to straighten his furniture.
"Giles, talk to me. You can't avoid me forever... I... I mean... after all, I *am* your Slayer."
"But don't you see? That's just bloody it!" He whirled angrily around to face her.
Buffy's eyes widened and she slipped off the step and onto the next in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that sort of a reaction. "What...?"
The Watcher bit his lip and clasped his hands together, trying to remain calm. He paused for a moment before in a shame-filled voice he expounded his previous outburst. "You're... you're my Slayer and... and I took advantage of you." With slumped shoulders and a heavy heart, he turned back so that he faced away from her once more, but this time didn't move.
"Took advantage of her?" Spike laughed loudly. "Bloody hell, mate... you shagged her senseless."
Giles whirled angrily around to face the vampire with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'd take that back if I were you, Spike." The tone of his voice made it clear that he was in no mood to put up with Spike any longer - no matter how badly he needed the information the vampire held. Yet Spike continued to stare back at him with an evil grin. Giles had to bite his lip to stop himself swearing in front of Buffy as he felt the essence of Ripper surge within him. Clenching his fists, he crossed over to where the vampire still lay and towered above him threateningly. Just as he was considering dusting his captive, a soft sniff caught Giles' attention and he turned to look at where Buffy sat now huddled on a stair.
A lone tear had managed to escape and was winding its way over the soft bone structure of her cheek as she looked desolately back at him. The memory of touching that cheek, of dropping gentle kisses on it suddenly and without warning flashed through his mind and with it came the recollection of seeing pure happiness in her eyes instead of the sadness that now housed there. As the memories hit him so did a decision. He refocused on the bleach-blonde vampire with a determined look. "Spike... I'm sure that must be uncomfortable for you. Here, let me help you up..." He crossed over to him and lifted the chair easily to its feet.
"Oh... thanks mate... oi... hang on... what're you doing? Where're you taking me?"
Giles remained silent as he pushed the chair along the floor and through his home.
"Giles? Giles! Oh... bloody hell... what is it with you and bathrooms? Oi, Watcher! I'm warning you..."
"You'll what? Lick me to death?" Giles shot back. "Bloody pillock," he added under his breath before giving the chair a final shove. "Spike, do yourself... actually, do us *all* a favor and shut up... you berk." He exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Or at least refrain from making threats..." he locked the door and pocketed the key, "when you have no way whatsoever to back them up." Even after the door was locked, Giles could still hear Spike's ranting. He sniggered softly for a moment, before passing back into the living room, where he noticed that Buffy had elevated the door to its former position. "Oh...er... thank you, Buffy."
She tried to smile back at him, "You'll need new hinges."
He could only snort in response. "I wouldn't worry too much, Love, just remember how many times that door's been taken off it's hinges..." he laughed again, oblivious to the way she suddenly sat upright and stared openly at him in shock. "Let's just say, I have a ready supply in case of emergencies."
"Oh."
The word tore at his heart as he realised just how upset she must be to not make a wisecrack. [I should've just bloody murdered Spike] He looked at her again, and this time noticed the change in her body language - the way she held herself upright as if something heavy was weighing on her shoulders trying to force her back down again. The tears had gone, but the look in her eyes told of the pain in her heart. Again he felt his own heart lurch in response. [Dear god, Buffy... is this what I've done to you?] As he felt guilt sweep through him, he looked down at his feet, recalling the decision he came to just before removing Spike form the room. [I *have* to tell her the truth. It's what she deserves... she needs to know that I don't just sleep with the nearest woman whenever I'm under a spell... she needs to know how precious she is... to me]. He swallowed hard and slowly lifted his eyes again, barely restraining himself from gathering her into his arms. "Buffy... come and sit down with me. You're right... we *do* need to talk." He reached toward her and hesitantly she moved to join him before they sat down together.
Silence stretched out like an ocean between them, as each sought out something to captivate their attention. It was Giles who spoke first, acting on his earlier decision. She was worth it - worth the risk he was taking. "Buffy?"
She continued absently tracing the paintwork on the lamp stand beside her with a fingertip. "Hmmm?"
He took that as a response and plunged right in. "Do you... do you regret what - uh - what happened... earlier?"
"No." She suddenly stilled. She hadn't intended to say that. What would he think of her now? She was stunned when she heard his soft voice again.
"Neither did I."
A small jolt of surprise mingled with happiness flowed through her at this revelation and she hesitantly raised her eyes, seeking out his, hoping that he meant what she thought he did. As Giles' eyes also lifted, their gaze locked and she found her breath slowing and her heart leap into her throat when she saw emotion clearly showing in Giles' usually guarded eyes. The moment passed as suddenly as it came and they both looked away.
Reluctantly, Buffy dropped her gaze and she stopped fiddling with the lamp, lowering her hand to clutch it with the other. "So..." her voiced trailed off as she caught sight of the ring. Reluctantly, she pulled it off her finger, placing it on the couch between them. Silence descended between them again for a moment as they both stared at it. At last she found her voice enough to complete what she had failed to ask just seconds before. "Where do we go from here?"
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Part 14
"Giles?" Buffy called to him in a small voice, afraid that the tremors of fear in her voice would become obvious if she spoke any louder.
He didn't respond, continuing to straighten his furniture.
"Giles, talk to me. You can't avoid me forever... I... I mean... after all, I *am* your Slayer."
"But don't you see? That's just bloody it!" He whirled angrily around to face her.
Buffy's eyes widened and she slipped off the step and onto the next in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that sort of a reaction. "What...?"
The Watcher bit his lip and clasped his hands together, trying to remain calm. He paused for a moment before in a shame-filled voice he expounded his previous outburst. "You're... you're my Slayer and... and I took advantage of you." With slumped shoulders and a heavy heart, he turned back so that he faced away from her once more, but this time didn't move.
"Took advantage of her?" Spike laughed loudly. "Bloody hell, mate... you shagged her senseless."
Giles whirled angrily around to face the vampire with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I'd take that back if I were you, Spike." The tone of his voice made it clear that he was in no mood to put up with Spike any longer - no matter how badly he needed the information the vampire held. Yet Spike continued to stare back at him with an evil grin. Giles had to bite his lip to stop himself swearing in front of Buffy as he felt the essence of Ripper surge within him. Clenching his fists, he crossed over to where the vampire still lay and towered above him threateningly. Just as he was considering dusting his captive, a soft sniff caught Giles' attention and he turned to look at where Buffy sat now huddled on a stair.
A lone tear had managed to escape and was winding its way over the soft bone structure of her cheek as she looked desolately back at him. The memory of touching that cheek, of dropping gentle kisses on it suddenly and without warning flashed through his mind and with it came the recollection of seeing pure happiness in her eyes instead of the sadness that now housed there. As the memories hit him so did a decision. He refocused on the bleach-blonde vampire with a determined look. "Spike... I'm sure that must be uncomfortable for you. Here, let me help you up..." He crossed over to him and lifted the chair easily to its feet.
"Oh... thanks mate... oi... hang on... what're you doing? Where're you taking me?"
Giles remained silent as he pushed the chair along the floor and through his home.
"Giles? Giles! Oh... bloody hell... what is it with you and bathrooms? Oi, Watcher! I'm warning you..."
"You'll what? Lick me to death?" Giles shot back. "Bloody pillock," he added under his breath before giving the chair a final shove. "Spike, do yourself... actually, do us *all* a favor and shut up... you berk." He exited the bathroom, closing the door behind him. "Or at least refrain from making threats..." he locked the door and pocketed the key, "when you have no way whatsoever to back them up." Even after the door was locked, Giles could still hear Spike's ranting. He sniggered softly for a moment, before passing back into the living room, where he noticed that Buffy had elevated the door to its former position. "Oh...er... thank you, Buffy."
She tried to smile back at him, "You'll need new hinges."
He could only snort in response. "I wouldn't worry too much, Love, just remember how many times that door's been taken off it's hinges..." he laughed again, oblivious to the way she suddenly sat upright and stared openly at him in shock. "Let's just say, I have a ready supply in case of emergencies."
"Oh."
The word tore at his heart as he realised just how upset she must be to not make a wisecrack. [I should've just bloody murdered Spike] He looked at her again, and this time noticed the change in her body language - the way she held herself upright as if something heavy was weighing on her shoulders trying to force her back down again. The tears had gone, but the look in her eyes told of the pain in her heart. Again he felt his own heart lurch in response. [Dear god, Buffy... is this what I've done to you?] As he felt guilt sweep through him, he looked down at his feet, recalling the decision he came to just before removing Spike form the room. [I *have* to tell her the truth. It's what she deserves... she needs to know that I don't just sleep with the nearest woman whenever I'm under a spell... she needs to know how precious she is... to me]. He swallowed hard and slowly lifted his eyes again, barely restraining himself from gathering her into his arms. "Buffy... come and sit down with me. You're right... we *do* need to talk." He reached toward her and hesitantly she moved to join him before they sat down together.
Silence stretched out like an ocean between them, as each sought out something to captivate their attention. It was Giles who spoke first, acting on his earlier decision. She was worth it - worth the risk he was taking. "Buffy?"
She continued absently tracing the paintwork on the lamp stand beside her with a fingertip. "Hmmm?"
He took that as a response and plunged right in. "Do you... do you regret what - uh - what happened... earlier?"
"No." She suddenly stilled. She hadn't intended to say that. What would he think of her now? She was stunned when she heard his soft voice again.
"Neither did I."
A small jolt of surprise mingled with happiness flowed through her at this revelation and she hesitantly raised her eyes, seeking out his, hoping that he meant what she thought he did. As Giles' eyes also lifted, their gaze locked and she found her breath slowing and her heart leap into her throat when she saw emotion clearly showing in Giles' usually guarded eyes. The moment passed as suddenly as it came and they both looked away.
Reluctantly, Buffy dropped her gaze and she stopped fiddling with the lamp, lowering her hand to clutch it with the other. "So..." her voiced trailed off as she caught sight of the ring. Reluctantly, she pulled it off her finger, placing it on the couch between them. Silence descended between them again for a moment as they both stared at it. At last she found her voice enough to complete what she had failed to ask just seconds before. "Where do we go from here?"
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