Together In The End

Their Moment

Buffy kicked Angelus in the face again as he tries to get up, and then lunged at him. He grabbed her, flips her over, and tried to get away up the stairs. Buffy got back onto her feet with Giles' dropped baseball bat in hand. She then pushed it between the stair railings in order to trip Angelus up. He falls and she grabbed one of his legs. He kicked her with it and knocked her off of him and onto the floor. He scrambled up the stairs. Buffy got up quickly, seeing a stack of crates, she ran up to the catwalk above and meets Angelus there. He swung his fist at her, but she ducked and kicked him in the back of the knee, making him collapse onto the railing. She grabbed a piece of rope, throws it around his neck, and yanked it back and forth between the railings several times. She then kicked him in the chest, making him stagger back and fall onto his butt. He got up fast, but she grabbed onto a pipe above her head and swung with both feet into his chest again, making him fly back into a barrel and some ducting. She waited on the catwalk for him to come at her again, ready to fight. He charges, and she diverts him past her and onto the catwalk grating, where he landed with his head against one of the vertical railing bars. She kicked him in his face and followed it up with several punches and another kick. He starts to laugh as she grabs him by the coat and bangs his head into the railing a couple of times. "Are you gonna let your old man just burn?" He yelled as she looked down and saw the flames getting higher and nearer to Giles. Angelus took advantage of the distraction and grabbed her legs, lifting her up, and tossing her over the railing. She managed to control her fall and land on her feet near Giles. Angelus took off down the catwalk and out of the building. Buffy woke up Giles and helped him to his feet, and she supports him as they make their way from the building. They both come out coughing from the smoke. He pushed her away from him. "Why did you come here?! This wasn't your fight!" Giles yelled at her. She punched him in the jaw, and he spun and fell to the pavement. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" She yelled as she began crying and crouched down to hug him. He cries and hugs her back. "You can't leave me. I can't do this alone." She whispered to him softly. They left and she brought him back to his apartment. Buffy cleaned up the apartment and put everything back the way it was. She put him to bed and the next morning they held a funeral for Jennifer Calendar. The only ones left were Giles and Buffy, standing before a headstone saying 'Jennifer Calendar'. Giles kneeled down and laid some flowers on her grave. He looked at her name on the headstone for a moment before standing back up. "In my years as... Watcher... I've buried... too many people. But Jenny was the first I've loved." Giles said as he looked at the grave and then at Buffy. She looked back up at him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't kill him for you..." Buffy paused as she looked down at the grave. "for her... when I had the chance." Buffy added. 

Months Later... Rupert Giles walked into his office, his hands firmly stuffed into his pockets. Once there he takes off his jacket and hangs it around the back of his chair. Buffy followed him and stopped by the office door. "Thanks for the bail in there." She said uneasily. Giles doesn't even turn to face her and instead unbuttons his vest. "I know this is a lot to absorb, but Angel did find the glove, and that was a good..." She said looking at her watcher. "Be quiet." He interrupted as he slowly turned to face her. "I won't remind you that the fate of the world often lies with the Slayer. What would be the point? Nor shall I remind you that you've jeopardized the lives of all that you hold dear by harboring a known murderer." He said sternly as he looked at his shameful slayer. "But sadly, I must remind you that Angel tortured me... for hours... for pleasure. You should have told me he was alive. You didn't. You have no respect for me, or the job I perform." He said as he looked at her disappointed. He turned back to his desk and sat down. He leaned back in thought. "I do, Giles and I know that he hurt you. That is why I'm doing this for you!" She yelled. "What do you mean for me, Buffy?" Giles asked angered. "I want to make Angel feel everything that he did to you. I want him to think that I love him then I will torture him for fun and then I will kill him. I want to watch the realization of my betrayal in his eyes, especially when he dies by my hand." Buffy explained as she stood in the doorway for a long moment before going over and sitting on his desk in front of him. "But why, Buffy?" He asked her. "Because I love you, he hurt you and terrorized everyone that I love. He needs to pay for it with his life." She replied. Giles was speechless at this revelation. "I'm sorry that he didn't stay dead." She said softly looking at him. "I know." He said looking back at her. She pulled him into a tight hug and held him close to herself. Then she left him alone with his thoughts and emotions. That night the sound of grunting and stone breaking was heard as Buffy fought off a telepathic demon that was killing and eating people around town. The demon swung his fist to meet her staff. Parrying his blow, Buffy struck him down. The demon got back up and connected a hard blow against her shoulder. After her blows came faster and with deadlier accuracy. The demon did all he could to keep up but in the end, she won and killed him. She accidentally got some of the demon's blood onto her hand. She walked home and climbed into her bedroom window. She showered and got dressed into her pajamas. She then walked over and watched as Dawn slept peacefully in her room. She walked over and kissed Dawn gently on the forehead and tucked her into bed. "Sweet Dreams, Dawnie." She whispered as she left her sister's room before she finally returned to her own bedroom. She looked over at the picture with Dawn, Giles, Joyce, Xander, Willow, and herself as she climbed into bed and underneath the covers. She reached over and grabbed a framed photo of her and Giles. She hugged it and her pig in her arms as she closed her eyes. She smiled softly as she slowly drifted off to sleep dreaming of better days.

The Next Day... Buffy walked down the corridor of Sunnydale High, her own thoughts now jumbled up with the thoughts of all those around her. She walked past Principal Snyder and couldn't help giggling as she heard him singing 'Eye of the Tiger' in his head. She pushed open the library doors. "Giles?" Buffy called out as she walked inside, looking around for Giles. He walked out from the stacks to the top of the stairs and looked down at her for a moment before smiling in greeting. "Good morning Buffy." He said softly. 'Beautiful as always.' Giles thought before he shook his head in confusion and lifted a hand to his temple, feeling a sudden headache coming on. He walked down the stairs and into his office so they could have privacy. She sat on his desk and he sat in his chair in front of her. He looked up at her removing his glasses and looking up at her. "What's going on?" Giles asked her softly. "Nothing. Never mind, are you okay?" Buffy asked as he stared at her his face softened. "I'm just tired," Giles said as he watched her. Buffy could have sworn that a hint of desire flickered in his eyes. 'My God she just gets more beautiful. How I wish I could just take her in my arms and show her just how much I love her.' Giles' thoughts quickly confirmed her suspicions. A slow smile crept onto Buffy's face as she registered what she'd just heard. She never believed that Giles could possibly feel that way about her. Until that moment she hadn't even realized that she desperately wanted him to. "Buffy?" Giles said as he looked at her. Buffy shook herself from her thoughts and realized she'd been staring at him. 'Her eyes are so beautiful. No stop it, man, get a grip on yourself. You must stop thinking those things about her. You simply must, you are her Watcher nothing more..' Giles thought as he watched her clearly amused. 'I wasn't staring at her was I? Oh, God.' Giles' thoughts again came through to Buffy loud and clear. "What's the matter?" He asked her. Buffy looked up at Giles' face. 

With his glasses off he looked so much more youthful, but his eyes shone with experience and wisdom even beyond his years. 'He is so handsome and so kind. I can't help but love him.' Buffy thought to herself. "Giles?" Buffy said softly as she looked at him. "Yes?" He replied gently. "You're always honest with me aren't you Giles?" Buffy asked him, innocently as she tried to figure him out. "I'd like to think so." He replied as he looked at her. She moved so that she was completely in front of him. "Do you love me?" She asked him bluntly. "With all my heart." He replied immediately. "I love you too. With all my heart." She replied happily. Giles didn't register her declaration of love, as he was too busy trying to figure out how she'd somehow known exactly what he was thinking. He sat there looking at her with a puzzled look on his face until finally, it came to him. 'She got her aspect of the demon. You can read my mind can't you Buffy?' Giles thought to himself. Buffy nodded, answering his thought. Giles stood up from his chair and moved away, leaving Buffy on the desk looking at him. "What's wrong Giles?" Buffy spoke softly. Without hesitation, she stood up and grabbed his arm. She spun him around and kissed him gently on the lips. Giles paused for only a second before responding to the kiss, moving his hands down to her waist and pulling her against him as his tongue slid across her lower lip and delved into her mouth. She moaned softly as she closed her eyes. She pulled him closer to herself as she deepened their kiss. He pulled away as he looked down at her. "Buffy, we can't do this. You're so young. I'm old enough to be your father." Giles started as he pulled away from her. "I'm seventeen and I love you, I have since the day we met but I never said anything until I heard your thoughts today. I know you feel the same way that I do." She said as she looked at him. 'She's not wrong but still, we can't at least not yet.' Giles thought to himself as Buffy held his hand. She led him over to the small couch that was in his office. She sat him down and she sat beside him. She covered them up with a blanket. She then wrapped his arm around her. "What are you doing?" He asked puzzled. "I miss you." She whispered as she curled up onto his chest. She closed her eyes. 'What am I going to do with this woman?' Giles asked himself as he held her close. He kissed the top of her head gently. "Sweet Dreams." He said softly as she fell asleep wrapped in his arms. He grabbed a book and began reading until she woke up.