Chapter 26

Buffy gave Giles a coy smile as he slowly walked up to her, his hands in his pockets. "Hi," she said as he stopped in front of her.

"Hello," he returned, along with the smile.

"That was very sweet of you," Buffy nodded towards the floor.

He happened a glance over his shoulder. "I'm baffled. And honored."

"She loves you, you know." Giles nodded. "She's not the only-."

"Buffy?" The two turned their attention to the people now standing at their side. Grace and Ethan stood next to their father. "Mr. Giles, I'm Jeremy. We haven't actually met yet."

Giles extended his hand in greeting. "Hello, Jeremy. And it's Rupert, please." He looked to the two children. Grace looked nervous while Ethan stood with his arms crossed, looking at the ground.

"Do you mind if I talk to you two a moment?" Jeremy asked.

Buffy and Giles exchange a look before turning back to the man before them. Giles raised his arm, indicating for them to lead the way. They followed him to a table as far from the dance floor as possible. Jeremy pulled out a seat, Buffy and Giles followed. "Is there something I can help you with?" Giles asked.

"Umm," Jeremy looked at his kids before returning his attention back to the two sitting across from him. "I'm not as clueless as my children think I am. I know Grace is... different. How different, I had no idea. I admit, I'm not the easiest guy to talk to. And since their mother... well." Jeremy trailed off and cleared his throat.

"I wanna go to the school," Grace blurted.

Ethan huffed and shook his head still looking away. Jeremy sighed. "Yes, well... Tell me about this school?"

Giles looked between Grace and Ethan, unsure. "I told him," Grace said. "About being a Slayer, my abilities, the school. I've been thinking about it since we talked. I want to know more about what I am.

"Who you are," Giles corrected. "You are not a thing. You are a person. That has never changed."

"This school," Jeremy continued, "it's in England. She would be living there?"

"There are dorms, yeah," Buffy added. "When we first opened, there were many young girls who had no family. Slayers, back then, they were usually taken from their family, raised by a Watcher who taught and trained them. It isn't like that anymore. We encourage family involvement. We want the girls to live as close to a normal life as possible."

"What happens at this school?"

Buffy looked to Giles for him to answer. "First and foremost, it's a regular school. We teach them the normal educational classes. Reading, Maths, Science. We also teach them the history of the Slayer. Where it all started, who they were, the trials and tribulations the girls had to fight. With that we teach them the skills to fight. Use of different weapons, fighting styles, meditation. Once the girls have graduated, and if they choose to become an active fighting Slayer, they are sent to a Watcher. A Watcher is a mentor of sorts. A guiding source of information, continued training, and an ally. They are stationed off around the world. Sometimes they are sent to assist other Slayers, depending on the level of activity."

Jeremy sighed and rest his chin in his hand. He sat back up and rubbed a hand over his face. "Monsters," he sighed. He met Giles' gaze again. "Monsters?"

"Yes, well," Giles gaze a sidelong glance to Buffy. "There are evils, creatures, of this world most people are unaware of. The Slayer is meant to protect humanity from these evils."

"And you've fought these... evils?" he asked Buffy.

"Some of the evilest. Master vampires, monsters guarding the mouth of Hell, a hell goddess, Principle Snyder. Oh! And Dracula!" She beamed at Giles who just cocked a brow.

"And you've survived it all," Jeremy said, sounding impressed.

"Umm..."

"For a long time," Giles started, before anymore could be said about that line of questioning, "Buffy was on her own. The lone Slayer. It isn't like that now. No girl fights alone. She isn't forced to fight at all."

"It's still not safe," Ethan spoke up, finally. "You said so yourself. Even the school isn't safe."

Jeremy turned a questioning gaze to Giles who couldn't bring himself to speak. That's a first, Buffy thought before jumping in for him. "The school is safe. There was, however, an incident a few days ago. But that was because the girls left the school grounds in the middle of the night. They weren't prepared and they were attacked. The school itself is safe."

"Are they okay?" Jeremy asked, full of concern.

Giles looked away, still unable to answer. Buffy held his hand. "Two of the girls didn't make it. One ended up having to stay in the hospital, but she recovered. One of Grace's powers is accelerated healing. As a Slayer we have a higher threshold of pain, we are stronger, and we heal very quickly."

Grace turned to her dad. "Remember when I got stitches from that broken glass?"

Jeremy nodded. "There was only a pink scar the next morning."

"It won't do her any good if she's dead," Ethan snapped.

"Ethan!"

"Dad, you can't send her away."

"That actually brings me to something I would like to discuss with you," Giles said, pulling himself from the self torture of the girls' deaths. He looked at Ethan. "We also train Watchers." Ethan's brow furrowed. "Ethan, from what I have seen of you with Grace and what she has told us, you would be a great Watcher. You practically already are with her. She said you've been teaching her boxing?"

"Really?" Jeremy asked.

Ethan shrugged. "She liked it. And she's good at it."

Buffy smirked. "She knocked you out, didn't she?"

"Just once!" Grace insisted.

"Jeremy," Giles interrupted, "I would like to invite you all out to the school. Stay for a week, get a feel for it. Grace and Ethan can attend some of the classes to see if it is something they would like to continue to pursue. They can talk with the other students and hear first hand accounts. We have dorms for visiting family that we can set you up in as well."

"How much does this school cost?" he asked cautiously, as if he felt he was betraying them just asking.

Giles smiled. "We don't charge tuition."

Jeremy blinked. "Nothing?"

"The school is self-sustained. Solar powered, land is owned, even a farm for food. We couldn't in good conscience charge for an unavoidable calling."

"They pay with their lives."

"Ethan, that's enough," his father said. "Mr. Giles, Rupert, I would very much like to come visit this school of yours."

"I can have Andrew get in touch with you and set it up."

Jeremy stood and extended his hand. Buffy and Giles followed. "I would like that very much. Thank you." He shook both their hands. "And Buffy, congratulations on your engagement."

"Oh. Right. We... broke up."

"Oh..."

"Yeah."

"Well, in that case, I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Giles muttered. "Ah!" he gasped as Buffy elbowed him.

"Come on," she pulled on Giles' arm. "Before you get into more trouble." She smiled politely at Jeremy and the kids before leading them away.

"Sorry," Giles groaned. "Didn't mean to say that aloud."

With her arm still wrapped around his, she shrugged. "It's... okay, I guess."

"Are you?" Giles asked seriously.

Buffy sighed. "Not gonna lie, Giles. It's been a very confusing week."

He chuckled. "To say the least."

"If someone had told me a week ago that any of this would happen..." she shook her head. "So impossible."

"Well, it did happen, so more improbable than impossible. However, a week ago I would have said the same, also."

Buffy stepped in front of him to bring him to a halt. "And what do you say now?"

Giles searched her eyes and brought a hand up to cup her neck. "I still have no regrets of our time together." Buffy stepped into him for an embrace. She always felt safe, cocooned into his arms. Giles held her, gently rubbing her back as she got her fill. "Do you?"

"Not a second of it," she mumbled into his arm which was wrapped around her.

"Buffy, I..." he trailed off.

She lifted her head to look at him. "What is it?" He sighed and opened his mouth. "Don't even try telling me its nothing, Giles," she warned.

He closed his mouth then groaned. "I... Wanted to ask, umm..."

"Come on, Giles." She shook him in her arms a little. "Just say it."

He met her gaze. "Would you have stayed with him without his confession?"

"No," she said without pause or hesitation.

This actually surprised Giles and it showed. "Really?"

"Really really."

"Why?" he whispered, trying to dare himself not to have any expectations.

"Do you really need to ask that?"

"You don't owe me anything. I hold no expectations or demands of you. I need you to know that." His eyes pleaded with her to understand.

"I do know that. You are the only one who doesn't, too. Which is ironic considering you used to be the only one to have expectations and demands of me."

Giles smiled, but it was a nervous smile. "I understand you're need for time and perhaps some space. Whether or not I liked...Antony, it doesn't matter. You loved him." Giles rolled his eyes. "Only God knows why, but you loved him and you need time to – to grieve, in a sense."

"I appreciate that, Giles. And thank you, but he really doesn't deserve anymore of my time. Nor do I want to give him any."

Giles turned head to the band as he noticed the song start to wind down. "Would you excuse me a moment?" She nodded and he parted ways with her to head up front.

Ooh! She thought. He's going to sing again! She watched him stand off to the side until the song was over about half a minute later. He walked over to Chad, the lead, and whispered something in his ear. Chad asked him a question and Giles responded by shaking his head no. Chad looked to the other members, asking them something and they nodded. He gave Giles another smile. Giles returned it and shook his hand.

Giles caught Buffy's eyes across the room. He stood still and watched her as the first few notes of the song started playing. A slow smile crossed her face as he slowly walked her way to the dance floor. He beckoned her forward.

I've got you under my skin
I've got you deep in the heart of me
So deep in my heart that you're really a part of me
I've got you under my skin

Buff met Giles on the dance floor and he swept her up in his arms. She giggled as he placed his arms properly around her. Holding her close, he stared into her eyes as they absorbed the song.

I tried so not to give in
I said to myself, this affair never will go so well
But why should I try to resist when, baby, I know damn well
That I've got you under my skin

I'd sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of having you near
In spite of a warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats, repeats in my ear:
Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Use your mentality, wake up to reality.
But each time that I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop before I begin
'Cause I've got you under my skin.

Buffy quickly gave up "proper arm placement" and wrapped both her arms around Giles' neck. His hands went to her hips before sliding behind to her lower back. She couldn't be any closer to him without possessing the same space as him. Though she wouldn't have minded that, either.

She could hear him humming with the instrumental that was currently filling the air. They slowly stepped to the music, having a "middle school vibe" coming off of them. Well, except for the closeness. Her middle school principle, Mr. Weatherwax, never would have allowed them to get that close.

Or eat steak for dinner.

As the singer started back up, Giles pulled Buffy's head closer and lowered his head til their foreheads were touching. Buffy lowered her hands to his chest. He quietly began singing to her.

I would sacrifice anything come what might
For the sake of having you near
In spite of the warning voice that comes in the night
And repeats - how it yells in my ear:
Don't you know, you fool, you never can win?
Why not use your mentality - step up, wake up to reality?
But each time I do just the thought of you
Makes me stop just before I begin
'Cause I've got you under my skin.
Yes, I've got you under my skin.

Buffy couldn't resist it. She tipped her head and kissed Giles. His head tilted to accommodate her and returned the kiss full force. And then some. He licked her bottom lip and she opened up to him. She clung to his lapels as he dug his fingers into her back. When they finally pulled apart, they kept their eyes closed, breathing one another in. Slowly Buffy opened her eyes. She pulled back slightly, but Giles remained in position with his lids still shut. Suddenly Buffy realized it was quieter than should be. She looked over Giles' shoulder and saw Dawn standing there, her mouth dropped wide open. Her eyes skimmed over to Nessa next to Dawn with a similar expression. In fact, looking around, a lot of people had that look. Even the lead of the band, Chad, who had stopped playing. Hence the crickets.

"Uh, Giles?"

"Hmm?" He finally opened his eyes, but instead of looking into hers, he saw she was looking elsewhere. Turning to see what, he now noticed everyone watching them as well. "Why are they looking at us?" he whispered.

"Umm, probably because Dawn's dad just tongued Dawn's newly engaged sister."

"Oh..." Giles could feel the heat climb from his chest up to his scalp. "Dear lord..."

"Indeed."