Half an hour later, Buffy sat with a blanket clad Giles on her lap. Xander had called Willow and Tara and then gone in search of appropriate clothing for a small boy. Now the four young women sat around the tarot table discussing possible solutions to the problem.

"So he was like this when you found him?" Willow asked.

"Yes. He was hiding in the loft all tiny and naked," Anya agreed.

Little Giles flushed and hid his face in Buffy's bosom.

"Stop it, guys; you're embarrassing him. And when you embarrass him, he does embarrassing things to me."

She looked down at the small face pressed against her cleavage. A pair of big green eyes peeked up shyly at her.

"I like you. You're pretty," he told her.

Buffy couldn't repress a laugh.

"I like you, too," she assured him and dropped a small kiss on his tousled brown curls.

Giles blinked owlishly at her, then smiled and threw his tiny arms around her neck, dropping his blanket in the process. Willow, Tara, and Anya all laughed at the sight.

"Come on, guys. It's not that funny."

"Sure it is, Buff," Willow said. "Who knew Giles was such a flirt when he was a little kid? Besides, he has a cute tushie."

"I never thought he would be such an exhibitionist," Anya added.

"Anyway, he's only flirting with Buffy," Tara observed. "That's nice."

"Great," Buffy grumbled. "The only guy on the planet who wants me around and he won't even hit puberty for another six or seven years. Or, we'll get him back to his right age and he'll be too stuffy to even give me a hug. Not that...I would want...I mean..."

"It's okay, Buff," Willow said. "We get you."

"I wish I did," Buffy mumbled under her breath as she did her best to turn pages and hold onto Giles. He'd begun to squirm in a fairly impressive manner. At last he whispered something in Buffy's ear.

"Can't you hold it until Xander gets back?" she asked.

Giles shook his head with a slightly panicked look on his face.

"Okay, Giles. It's right over here."

Buffy led him to the bathroom.

"Can you do it yourself? Do you need help?"

The withering glare he shot her was so familiar, yet so funny, she barely managed to keep her composure.

"Okay, okay, you can do it yourself. I was just asking."

She held the door open for him and switched on the light.

"Okay, lock the door and I'll wait for you."

Giles' eyes went wide with panic.

"No!" he shouted. "No! I won't lock it!"

Buffy dropped to her knees and took the trembling child in her arms.

"Shh, it's okay. You don't have to lock it. Hell, leave the door open if you want," she told him. She pulled back and took his thin shoulders. "I'll be right here. There's nothing to be scared of."

The tears that had been brimming in his eyes finally overflowed and Buffy pulled him back into her arms. She could feel Giles trying to compose himself against her shoulder.

She rubbed the small back to offer comfort as she spoke to him.

"Go ahead and cry if you need to. It's okay."

Giles stiffened and pulled back, swiping at his eye with the backs of his hands.

"It's not brave to cry. I have to use the loo."

He pushed the door until it was open the merest crack before going about his business. Buffy remained on her knees next to the door. She felt rather than heard Willow approach.

"Is he okay?"

Buffy shook her head.

"No he's not. I never knew how not okay he was until just now. Will, he's scared to death of locked doors. He can fight demons and let me beat the crap out of him day after day and even stand up to the Council, but he's scared of locking the door." She turned large eyes to her friend. "What happened to him, Will? Whatever it was must have been terrible."

"Maybe you're reading a little too much in here, Buff. I mean, this is six-year-old Giles. Grown up Giles does all that brave stuff, but this is just a little kid. When I was six, I was scared of some pretty weird stuff. Like, I thought that when I went to sleep, my teddy bear grew fangs and was going to eat me up if I didn't tie him up in the rocking chair before I went to bed. Now tying things up at bedtime is more of a recreational thing, which, I sort of hope you don't think about too much..."

"Way too much information, Will. But this isn't just a kid thing. Giles never locks his door, ever. I've waltzed into his place at three in the morning and never needed a key."

"He's English, Buffy. Maybe they aren't as into locking stuff up as we are."

"He's lived here almost five years. That's not being English. That's being either really dumb, which we know he's not, or really, really scared. The only thing I've ever seen scare him this much before was Eyghon. He didn't do magic for, like, twenty years after that. What could be so bad that he still won't lock the door after more like forty years?"

The bell above the front door rang to announce Xander's return.

"Okay, I really hope this works. My cousin Lisa has a kid about mini G's size. You have no idea what I went through to get these. Lisa's going to sing a solo at the wedding."

He dropped a pile of clothing on the table.

"I thought you said she had a voice like a water buffalo with adenoids," Anya objected.

"She does. Sorry, honey, but she's letting loose with Sunrise, Sunset on our big day. There was no escape."

"Well that's just great," Anya grumbled tearily. "The wedding will be ruined."

"Don't worry, Anya," Tara soothed her. "Maybe Willow and I could find a spell to give her laryngitis. Right, honey?"

"Hey, I'm on board with this plan," Willow said.

"You'd do that for us?" Anya asked.

"I'm Jewish. Do you have any idea how many bad renditions of that song I've had to sit through at weddings? If I hear it one more time, I may just barf."

"And we can't have the Best Person barfing at the altar, can we?" Xander said.

"Speaking as Maid of Honor, I'm all for a barf-free altar," Buffy agreed. She turned to see little Giles coming out of the bathroom. "Did you wash your hands?"

He shook his head.

"Can't reach."

"Xander will help you, and then he'll get you dressed, okay?"

"Couldn't you do it, please?"

Buffy felt her heart melt at his trust in her. Then it dropped when she thought of all the times she'd betrayed that trust. Never again, she decided. She picked up the bundle of clothing and led Giles back to the bathroom.

"Sure I can. Anything you want."

*****

Ethan made himself comfortable on the sofa with a glass of single malt and some pate and fruit he'd found in the fridge. Ripper could be counted on to have a few good things on hand no matter how Spartan an existence he liked to live. That and good music, Ethan mused as he listened to the well-known, well-loved strains of Tales Of Brave Ulysses.

What's more, Ripper's robe was warm, toasty, and long enough for Ethan. And that fire was positively blissful in the unexpected fall cold snap.

The one thing missing was a woman, Ethan decided. still, an operator like Ripper could be counted upon to have a little black book somewhere and it would take those kids ages to figure out how to undo the spell. He had the time.

*****

3

Notes and Disclaimer with part one

Willow closed yet another book with a sigh and a thump.

"Nothing. There's even more nothing in this one than there was in the last one."

"Give it up, Will," Xander said from where his head slumped against the table. "We got plenty of nothing, but that's all we have. We're never gonna fix this one."

Tara moaned as her book slid shut.

"I think I already read this one."

"If Giles doesn't become old again soon, does that mean I own the shop?" Anya asked. The others glared at her. "Hey, I'm just asking!"

Willow crossed the room and opened the door of the training room. She smiled softly at the sight presented to her.

Buffy sat on the sofa with little Giles stretched out asleep, his head in her lap. She stroked his hair as he slept. Willow moved to close the door and return to her original place at the tarot table until Buffy spoke quietly.

"Will? Would you come here a minute?"

The redhead closed the door softly and moved to her friends' side.

"Yeah, Buff?"

"You guys haven't found anything, right? To make Giles...Giles again?"

"No. But we're still looking. There could be something we just didn't find yet. We can't give up hope. There's been lots of times when we couldn't find anything for days or even weeks, but we've always found something in the end."

"I know." Buffy was quiet for a moment as she stroked the curly brown head in her lap. "I never knew he had curly hair. Not really. He must blow dry it like crazy to keep it straight. Why do you think he does that?"

"I dunno, Buff. Maybe he doesn't like it curly."

"And I never really noticed before how much he doesn't like walls and doors and stuff. I mean, he's a real private guy, but he doesn't even have a door on his bedroom. When I think of what I could have walked in on..."

"When? When could you have walked in on that?"

"Anytime really. But I guess I really came close once. That was how I found out about Olivia. I went to Giles for help and there she was in his kitchen in his shirt."

"When was that? You never said you, y'know, saw that."

"That whole thing with Sunday. Giles told me to go grow up and deal for myself and I spent months proving in the most childish and ineffectual way that I could. Or more like I couldn't. I was so mad at him. And at her. And now I think about what I could have walked in on...well, it makes me feel really weird."

"Yeah, that's a pretty wigsome thought," Willow agreed. "I mean, I know guys his age - his real age - do that and everything, but it's sorta like thinking about your parents doing it, y'know?"

Buffy glared at her friend.

"Thanks so much for bringing that aspect up. But that's not the part that's wigging me."

"So what is wigging you?"

Before Buffy could answer, little Giles stirred. He yawned widely and blinked his eyes open as he sat upright.

"Hey, guy," Buffy said. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yes," he replied rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Can I see the swords now?"

Willow's eyes widened.

"Buffy, you didn't say he could -"

"No, Will. We're not gonna fight. Even I know better than to arm a six year old boy with a real sharp thing. I just said I'd show them to him. I won't let him hold them or anything."

"Oh, okay, that's not nearly as alarming as I thought it was gonna be. So I guess I'll go back and keep looking for a way to get Giles back to being Giles."

Giles pursed his lips and glared from one girl to the other in a manner both recognized so perfectly as their Giles that they nearly burst out laughing.

"I wish you would stop calling me that," he told them. "My name is Rupert."

Buffy ruffled his hair.

"Cranky."

Pulling away sharply, Giles tried to smooth the unruly mop of curls.

"Looks like somebody doesn't want to look at the pirate swords, after all," Buffy began.

"No, please, I'll be good. I promise."

At the sight of Giles' genuine distress, Buffy relented.

"Alright, but no touching, okay? Hands behind your back."

Giles immediately obeyed. Willow grinned.

"Gee, Buff; you've got him better trained than he ever had you trained."

Buffy shrugged.

"I think it's an English thing. There's something in the water that makes them all stand quietly in line."

"Then you'd better watch out, or import some English water. Pretty soon, he'll be like an American kid."

"Just find a way to get him back to normal before that happens, okay?"

Willow giggled slightly as she left the room. Behind her she could hear Buffy carefully telling Giles the very things he had once told her about the construction and origin of the sword in her hands. Then she sighed.

Tara met her and pulled her close.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just...sometimes life is really unfair. I'm watching Buffy with Giles, kid Giles, and she's really great with him. She'd make a terrific mother, but she'll probably never get the chance."

"She is getting a chance. She's raising Dawn, and now she's taking care of Giles until we get him back to being a grown up. Maybe it's not the usual thing, but she's doing it. It seems to make her happy."

"It's funny how Giles likes her best even when he's a kid."

"Not so funny," Tara said. "They have to put a lot of trust in each other in their work. That kind of trust transcends almost anything."

"I guess you're right. Tara, is it bad of me to hope we don't figure out how to change Giles back too soon? He's just such a cute kid."

"Should I be jealous?"

"Nah. Not really. He's still a guy and I'm not into guys that way now, but..."

"But what?"

"He has the cutest little boy tushie."

The two witches laughed and kissed.

*****

It had taken Ethan more than an hour to find the precious slender phone book. While Giles never locked a door to save his life, he kept his secrets close to his chest. Any space he inhabited was certain to have some secret drawer, cupboard, or recess in which he carefully hid things of great import to him. Even the bloody high school library had nooks Ethan was certain the children never saw.

He'd finally discovered the false bottom in one of the desk drawers. Once it was located, it wasn't difficult to figure out how to spring the mechanism. Inside, there had been a few papers of the sort Giles obviously didn't care to share with his little class - stock certificates, a few hopelessly sentimental letters to the rotten tribe to be distributed if and when, a truly laughable excuse for a will, and this little notebook of phone numbers.

Ethan flipped the pages with a thrill of predatory delight. He remembered well the sort of bird Ripper had always managed to pick up. They were always classy, always drop-dead gorgeous, and always...imaginative. Certainly there would be someone well up to the Ripper standard in this book.

Picking a number at random, Ethan dialed.

*****

"Come on, Rupert," Buffy encouraged him.

The small boy stubbornly shook his head.

"I don't live here. I'm not meant to be here."

Buffy knelt before him and held his shoulders.

"Look, you can't be by yourself, and we don't know where your parents are. You like me, right?"

He nodded solemnly.

"Then it's okay. I like you, too, y'know. Besides, you can watch TV and I have a couple more pirate swords you can look at. Would you like that?"

"Real pirate swords?"

"As wielded by Long John Silver himself," Buffy assured him. Her face showed no trace of the amusement she felt at little Giles' obsession with pirates and swords. She decided that he hadn't really changed so very much after all.

Little Giles grinned dangerously.

"I'd like to see more pirate swords. Can I hold one?"

"May I. And no, you may not. But maybe you could watch a movie. Would you like that?"

His eyes lit up.

"We're going to the cinema?"

"No. I was thinking more VCR, sofa, Jiffy Pop...and you don't have any idea what I'm talking about, do you? Look, just trust me. We can watch movies at home. It'll be fun."

Buffy took the small, slightly sticky hand in her own and led Giles into her house. She cursed Xander mentally for giving Giles three candy bars over the course of the day. Sure, they'd kept him quiet for minutes at a time, but the hours of sugar high that followed had been wearing for the gang.

Now all the Slayer wanted was a couple hours hanging out followed by some nice, restful slayage.

*****

4

Notes and Disclaimer with part one

Xander, Anya, Willow, and Tara sat at their table to the back of The Bronze.

"Do you think we did the right thing? Sending Giles home with the Buffster?"

"What else were we gonna do, Xand?" Willow asked. "Anyway, he likes her and he trusts her. I think it'll be okay."

"She's done a good job with Dawn," Tara added.

"Yeah, but what does Buffy know about little boys? And how do you think Giles will feel when he gets back to normal and figures out Buffy was the one dressing and undressing him and cleaning up after him when he...y'know...misses."

"Misses?"

"Will, he's six. His aim probably isn't that good yet."

"You mean...oh. With...that part of him. That's gonna really embarrass him."

*****

Buffy fumed as she scrubbed at the bathroom floor.

"I don't get it. You're a guy. You have something to aim with. How the heck did you miss the john completely?"

She glared at Giles where he stood shifting his weight uneasily from one foot to the other. Immediately, her expression softened.

"It's okay, Rupert. I know you didn't mean to. Accidents happen. Look, the floor's clean now, so why don't we clean you? Would you like a nice bubble bath?"

One look at his face made it clear that a bubble bath was not the same sort of bliss to a little boy as it is to a young woman.

"Sorry, guy, but I need to get you clean."

Giles set his feet very firmly where he stood and jutted his little chin defiantly.

"Don't want a bath."

"Tough. You're having one anyway."

He glared up at her.

"You can't make me."

Buffy couldn't resist laughing.

"Yesterday, maybe not, but today I'm almost twice your size. And y'know what? I think I'm loving that."

She picked up her squirming, furious mentor, removed his soiled clothing, and plopped him into the tub. He glared daggers at her, but remained where he was.

"You're mean."

"And you're just as stubborn as a kid as you are as a man. Now, do you want to smell like strawberries or mango?"

*****

"Dawn, stop staring."

"I wasn't," she began. "Okay, I kinda was, but it's funny..."

"Rupert is our guest. We don't look at him like he's a circus freak."

Giles used his fingers to help guide the massive heap of macaroni and cheese he'd scooped onto his fork into his mouth. A large glop fell into his lap with a soggy plop.

"Even if he has the manners of one."

Buffy sighed and wiped up the cheese that had fallen on the edge of the table.

"Look, Dawn, I have Slaying to do tonight. Can you keep an eye on Rupert for a couple hours?"

"Does that mean I get to skip my homework?"

"Not a chance, baby sister. And I want him clean and in bed by eight thirty. Got it?"

"Got it, got it. I hear and obey, already."

"That's what I like to hear. I'll just do a quick sweep and head back early."

*****

After three quiet cemeteries, Buffy decided to quit early and head to The Bronze. If she was lucky, the gang would still be there. When she walked in, Willow waved to her from the back. Buffy waved back, ordered a mocha and headed over to her friends.

"Hey guys," she said. "I have a question. How do some mothers handle it without caffeine?"

"So Giles is keeping you on your toes?" Xander hazarded.

"He's a perpetual motion machine. And he gets into everything. He had an exciting half hour with my makeup case, followed by an exciting half hour at the bathroom sink. He fights dirty, too. He tried to bite me a couple times."

"I never thought Giles would be a biter," Anya mused.

"I can't tell you about grownup Giles, but kid Giles is. And that's not the only thing I found out about him today."

"What else did you find out?" Willow asked, hoping desperately that is was something less embarrassing.

"He is definitely not Jewish."

*****

Ethan smiled and tightened the drawstring on Giles' pajama pants. He knew he was in good trim for a man of fifty. He just wished Ripper had a few more clothes with...some style. Not that he could wear many of them anyway. Giles had always been of a slightly beefier build. But the silk pajamas and the wonderfully comfortable robe were adjustable.

Now all he had to do was wait for the arrival of the no doubt delectable Connie. Her voice over the phone had sounded warm and sensuous. A voice that called for champagne. Luckily, there had actually been an unopened bottle in the fridge. Ethan wondered idly who it had been there for. Never mind. He felt sure Connie was the perfect one to share it with.

*****

When Buffy got home, she knew there was trouble before she'd even set foot on the porch. She could hear high-pitched shrieks from inside. With a quick prayer that nobody had called the cops, she hurried inside.

Giles stood in the middle of the living room howling at the tops of his tiny lungs while Dawn frantically offered him anything and everything she could think of to calm him down. Buffy raced to the hysterical child, scooped him up in her arms and sat him in her lap on the couch.

She rocked Giles and stroked his hair as he cried, burying his face in her shoulder.

"Shhhh, it's okay, Rupert. Nobody's going to hurt you. You're safe."

Buffy continued to murmur comforting nonsense while Giles cried himself out, occasionally gurgling that he wanted his mummy. At last, Giles was too exhausted to cry anymore. Buffy patiently held him as he fell asleep in her lap. Even then, she held onto him and continued to stroke his curly head. At last she turned steely eyes to Dawn.

"What the hell happened here?" she demanded quietly.

"I don't know. I was reading to him and he just went all wiggy on me."

Buffy held out her hand and Dawn brought her the book.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Why would that freak him?"

"Beats me," Dawn said. "I thought he likes books and he likes magic so maybe he'd like a book about magic. Then when I started reading, he just...freaked."

"What were you reading? What was going on in the story?"

"Well, the Dursley's were being mean to Harry..."

"In English for those of us who are waiting for the movie to hit video."

"Okay, Harry's this little boy and he lives with his really mean relatives, the Dursleys, who make him sleep in the cupboard under the stairs and sometimes they lock him in..."

"Dawn! I told you, he's scared of locked doors. What were you thinking?"

"Anyway, he started screaming he wanted his mommy and where was she and he needed to help her. I told him she wasn't here and he went even more nuts. I never knew Giles could be that loud."

With a withering stare at her sister, Buffy rose.

"I'm taking Giles to bed now. Thanks for traumatizing him for me."

She decided to take Giles to her own room. He was frightened and she didn't want him to wake in the night alone in a strange place. When she was changing his clothes, he stirred slightly. He blinked up at her sadly.

"I want my Mummy," he told her.

"I know the feeling, little guy," she replied. She absently stroked his cheek for a moment. She marveled at how soft it was. On a whim, she bent down and kissed his forehead. "I can't be your Mummy, but I'm here for you. I always will be. Whether you're taking care of me, or I'm taking care of you, that's a promise. Got that?"

He nodded and sniffled.

She smiled and got a tissue. She helped him blow his nose.

"Better?"

He nodded again.

"Good. I'm just going into the bathroom to change my clothes, okay? I'll be right here with you all night."

She picked up her pajamas and headed for the door. A shaky breath from Giles stopped her.

"I'll just be a minute. It's okay, really."

He looked unconvinced. After a moment's deliberation, Buffy went to the shelf and pulled down her beloved stuffed pig.

"Here. This is Mr. Gordo. I was even younger than you when I got him. He's very brave, and he'll protect you and keep you company when I'm not here. Okay?"

Giles clutched the toy to his chest.

"Is he really mine?"

"For as long as you want."

He looked oddly at the pig. Then he reluctantly held it out to Buffy.

"Father wouldn't want me to."

"Is your father here?"

"No."

"Then it'll be our little secret. I promise not to tell if you don't."

Giles smiled broadly and hugged Mr. Gordo again. Buffy smiled back and went into the bathroom.

When she got back, Giles had fallen back to sleep, still holding onto the pig as if for dear life. Buffy pulled back the blankets and crawled in behind Giles. She tucked them both in, kissed his soft little cheek, and wrapped an arm around him protectively.

"Sweet dreams, little guy," she whispered.

*****

5

Notes and Disclaimers with part one

A vicious kick to her knee woke Buffy with a start. She knew in the back of her brain that she usually slept alone, and had done so for some months. It took a moment to recognize who the tiny foot belonged to.

Giles was thrashing wildly in the bed making distressed sounds as he flailed at the mattress.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, Rupert," Buffy assured him as she pulled him into her arms. "Nothing can hurt you while I'm here with you."

Giles' eyes flew open. He stiffened for a split second, then buried his face in Buffy's bosom and began to cry again.

"What is it, little guy? What were you dreaming?"

Buffy's query only brought fresh waves of grief from the boy. She rocked him gently until Dawn appeared in the doorway.

"Is he okay? What's wrong with him?"

"Bad dream. I don't know about what. Could you make some cocoa for him?"

"Are you sure? You said after Xander's candy bars you were never gonna give a kid sugar again."

"Cocoa. Marshmallows. Now. And make some for us while you're at it, please."

"Sure. I don't need sleep."

Dawn headed downstairs grumpily. Buffy kissed Giles tousled head and hugged him closer.

"Come on, little guy. Let's get you something to make you feel better. Then, when you've calmed down, you can tell me what's got you so upset."

She carried him down to the kitchen where Dawn was already efficiently heating milk. Despite his misery, Giles raised his head from Buffy's shoulder to watch.

"Do you want marshmallows, Rupert?" Dawn asked him.

"No. I don't like them."

"Me neither."

Buffy looked disgustedly from one to the other.

"You guys realize you're both mutants, don't you?"

"Hey, you're the one who told me they were monkey brains."

Giles shook his head seriously.

"They're not monkey brains. They're a plant."

"Okay, so his grammar was a little shaky at six, but he knew his marshmallows."

Dawn rolled her eyes.

"You're just getting all mushy over him because he's a little kid."

Buffy ignored the comment.

"So, Rupert, are you ready to tell me what's wrong?"

Giles shook his head.

"It was just a dream."

"Yeah, but that dream was pretty bad. I may have bruises. I'd kinda like to know what you were dreaming."

"It's just a dream. Father said."

"Wait a minute," said Dawn. "How could he? Your father isn't here."

"Father said."

Buffy decided to take a different route.

"What exactly did you father say, Rupert? Can you tell me that?"

The boy hesitated, considering. At last he nodded.

"He said I only dreamed it. That those things aren't real. He said I mustn't ever say or they would lock me up."

"Who would lock you up? I don't understand."

"I don't want them to lock me up. I can't be locked up again! I can't!"

"Okay, it's okay. Nobody's going to lock you up anywhere; not while I'm around to stop them. Do you believe me?"

"But Father said they would."

"Listen to me, Rupert. I told you before that I'll never let anything hurt you. I promise you, no matter what you say, I won't let anybody lock you up. I would never let that happen to you. If anybody tried, I would stop them. You matter too much to me to let that happen. I will never let anyone hurt you."

"She won't, either," Dawn said. "She'd hurt them first."

"So what say you tell me what happened that your father said didn't. When were you locked up? Where?"

Giles shook with the war between fear and trust in his heart. At last he looked up at Buffy.

"The cupboard. Under the stairs."

Dawn looked stricken, but Buffy sent her a sympathetic look.

"You couldn't know." She turned her attention back to Giles. "Who locked you in the cupboard?"

"Mummy," he whispered. "She wouldn't let me help."

"Was she in trouble?"

Giles nodded.

"Ugly men. They hurt her. She said I mustn't say a word. Then they hurt her."

"Ugly men? Ugly how? What did they do?"

"Bit her. Made her drink. I couldn't get out. I couldn't help Mummy. Father said I dreamed it when he made her disappear."

The girls shared a horrified look.

"You mean his Mom...wow. That's harsh. And I thought we had it bad."

Buffy just continued to rock Giles as he cried.

*****

The next morning, Buffy got to the Magic Box a bit late.

"Sorry guys. Long night. Did you find anything?"

"You look terrible."

"Thanks, Anya, that's exactly what I didn't need to hear."

"She's right, though, Buff," Willow said. "You've looked better. What happened?"

"Well, sleep didn't. Is there any coffee around?"

"Xander just went to the Espresso Pump," Tara informed her. "He should be back in a minute."

Willow knelt before Giles.

"Hey, Rupert. Who's your friend - Buffy! You gave him Mr. Gordo? You never even let me touch him. I thought I was your best friend."

"Nothing's too good for my little guy. And you had your own beloved stuffed animals."

"I had a teddy bear that wanted to eat me up, remember. Mr. Gordo always seemed a lot more non threatening than that."

"Mr. Gordo's very brave," Giles informed Willow solemnly.

"So, did we figure out how to make Rupert back into Giles yet?"

"I found something," Anya said with pride. "It's a simple ritual. In fact, it's so simple even Buffy could probably do it by herself."

"But Tara and I would be happy to, since you're not magic girl. Don't worry. We'll do it right after class."

"No, it's okay guys. I'll do it."

The others stared at Buffy.

"What? Anya said even I could do it. And I bet Giles wouldn't want too big an audience since he's probably gonna end up pretty naked."

"And you think he wants you to see that?" asked Willow.

"Considering where he made me wash him last night, I don't think he gets to be embarrassed about it."

Xander arrived with coffee, Buffy went over the ritual with Anya, and then everybody left except Buffy and Giles. She led him into the training room and sat him on the couch.

"So, are you ready to be a big boy again?"

"Will it hurt?"

"I don't think so. And anyway, I'll be here. You'll be okay."

She reached out and stoked his curls again. He smiled and crawled into her lap.

"When I'm big, will you still like me?"

"Like? Rupert Giles, don't you know yet that I love you? Big or little, scared or brave, that doesn't matter. You're what matters. You're a pretty special guy, y'know."

"You're pretty," he told her.

"Just hold that thought, Casanova," she told him. "It's time."

Buffy hugged him, taking in his little boy smell and the feel of his thin body. She knew the man would be better in many ways, but the boy had won a piece of her heart in the short time she'd known him.

She instructed him to undress while she gathered the ingredients for the spell and brought out his adult clothes. She laughed slightly at the sight of the red briefs. Then she spread a towel across Giles' lap and set to work.

As Anya had said, the ritual was simple. In mere minutes, Giles sat slightly dazed and full sized again with nothing but a towel draped across him for modesty.

"That was extraordinary."

"Hey, word guy. It's nice to have you back."

She sat next to him on the floor.

"Thank you for the towel. Though, as you say, I gave up all right to modesty with my performance last night."

"So you remember that, huh?"

"Alarmingly vividly."

Buffy sobered.

"I'm sorry. About your Mom. I never knew."

"Yes, well, it was a long time ago."

"Uh uh. No. You don't get to do that."

"Do what?"

"Pretend it doesn't matter. It does."

She took Giles' hand.

"She died, but she saved you. Those vamps would have killed you in a heartbeat. She saved you, Rupert, and I'll always be grateful to her for that."

Giles blinked.

"You're still calling me Rupert?"

"Hey, you sounded pretty sure that was what you wanted me to call you. Still want me to?"

"Answer me a question first. You said just now you loved me. How did you mean it?"

Buffy smiled and moved her hand to smooth back his hair from his brow.

"Like you're a part of me. Like I could maybe live without you, but it would be like cutting off my right hand or something. Like I want to be there to make it all better when you have a nightmare."

His lips quirked into his funny half smile. Buffy's heart did a backflip.

"You do realize in order to do that, you'd have to be in my bed?"

"Or you could be in mine. It works either way."

"You shameless hussy."

"Hey, I'm not the one who decided I needed to wash you underneath certain things."

"I was six. My father had told me if it didn't get cleaned underneath it would turn green and fall off. I'm not certain you understand how traumatic an idea that is for a boy."

"Your father was sick."

"You'll get no argument from me."

"So where do we go from here?"

Giles considered.

"Well, I suppose I ought to get dressed first."

"Do ya' have to?"

"Yes, Buffy, I rather think I do."

"Oh."

Her heart sank and she developed a sudden interest in the stitching on the edge of one of the mats. Giles reached out and cupped her cheek in his large hand.

"Buffy? What's the matter?"

"It's okay, Giles. I just...I thought...and you said...but I was wrong again. I'm sorry."

Giles leaned over and took her face in both his hands.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

Leaning in a bit farther, Giles gently touched his lips to Buffy's.

"You weren't wrong."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So what's with the rush to get all covered up again?"

Giles brushed the backs of his fingers over Buffy's cheek.

"I haven't rushed at all. And I don't intend to rush when I make love to you for the first time."

Buffy shivered at his words. Giles moved his hand to cradle the back of her head as he kissed her again; this time with a bit more passion, a bit more pressure. Her hands moved of their own accord to grip his shoulders. Giles parted his mouth slightly and allowed the tip of his tongue to trace the outline of Buffy's lips. A soft groan rose in her throat as she opened herself to him. They explored one another thoroughly, their tongues meeting and mingling desperately for some minutes.

At last, Giles pulled reluctantly back. He smiled softly at Buffy as he tucked a stray tendril of hair behind her ear.

"You're so beautiful," he told her. He drank in her flushed skin and passion glazed eyes. "So very beautiful."

Buffy laughed.

"When you were a kid you called me a pretty lady."

"I had excellent taste even as a child."

"I think you taste better now," she murmured against his lips. A sudden thought froze her. She pulled back.

"What's wrong, Buffy?"

"How did you end up like that, anyway? Who did it?"

Giles blinked. His brow furrowed in thought, then his eyebrows shot up. At last his face darkened with the rage that only appeared in the wake of one man.

"Ethan?"

"Ethan," he confirmed.

Buffy sprang to her feet.

"Come on, naked guy. You'd better get dressed so we can go beat him up. And do you realize you cost me ten dollars?"

Giles quirked a confused eyebrow at Buffy.

"How did I do that?"

"These," she told him waving the red bikini briefs in his face. "I bet Anya you wore boxers. How did she know you didn't?"

He snatched the underwear from her hand.

"It was sheer guesswork, I can assure you."

*****

6

Notes and Disclaimers with part one

Half an hour later, Buffy and Giles walked up to the door of his flat.

"That's funny," said Buffy. "I know you don't lock doors, but even you close them."

Giles motioned her to stay back as he cautiously prodded the door further open with an outstretched hand. A plaintive cry was heard from the loft.

"Ripper? Is that you, old friend?"

Buffy and Giles rolled their eyes at one another in disgust. They entered the flat and headed up the stairs.

"When are you going to learn, Ethan?" Giles asked as he looked down at his one time friend where he lay handcuffed to the headboard of Giles' bed. "Do the mischief and get the hell out. This is how you always got into more trouble than I did."

"It was your little black book did the mischief, Ripper. How was I to know all those birds were demons?"

Buffy folded her arms across her chest and fixed Giles with a withering stare.

"You have a little black book full of the numbers of demon girls? I am so burning that up, Mister."

"It's not like that, Buffy. They're contacts, not lovers."

"And it turns out most of them aren't even female," Ethan groaned through his mangled lips. "How was I to know Connie wasn't a girl?"

"You might have asked," Giles pointed out.

"So he came over and brought a few of his pals with him. They spent half the night working me over. I shall most likely die of a rupture of some sort."

"Good."

"Now, Buffy, these are professionals. They know better than to hit vital organs unless they mean to," Giles told her mildly. He rummaged in the drawer or his nightstand for the key to the cuffs. "Ethan, I'm going to let you go, but I don't ever want to see you again, do you understand? If you come back here, I shall call Connie and his friends, and have them finish the job."

"Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone. Now will you please unlock these bloody things?"

Giles calmly released Ethan and put the handcuffs back in the nightstand. Buffy blocked the sorcerer's path of escape.

"Ethan, before you go, there's one thing I have to say."

"What's that, Slayer?"

She reached up and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you."

Ethan looked wildly from one to the other.

"What on earth for?"

Buffy smiled enigmatically.

"Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. And if I see you before Giles does, you'll wish he'd sent Connie and company to get you first. Got that?"

"Got it, got it. If I ever show my face again, painful hideous death awaits. Now can I just bloody leave already?"

Buffy moved aside. Ethan raced out the door as fast as he could go, clutching his side.

"Blast!" Giles exclaimed. "That was my robe he was wearing. I'll never find another like it."

Buffy snaked her arms around his neck.

"We'll get you a new one. I never liked it anyway."

She kissed him warmly.

"Now, why don't you change the sheets and I'll take care of a couple things downstairs, and then I want you to keep your promise."

"What promise was that?"

"To make slow, unrushy love to me."

"Ah, that promise. Well, I do believe something could be arranged."

"But not on the sheets Ethan has been on all night. That would be too shudderworthy."

Giles kissed the tip of her nose.

"Go do whatever it is you have to, and I'll have them changed before you come back upstairs. In fact, I may burn them."

She touched his rough cheek and smiled. Without another word, she went downstairs. As Giles changed the sheets and found a new comforter, he could hear Buffy talking on the phone and moving about. He grinned at the thought that she was finally his.

When he heard the lock click into place, his smile faded. His eyes shot anxiously to the stairwell. His throat had gone suddenly dry and his heart sped in his chest.

"Is that really necessary?" he called, wondering at the high pitch of his own voice.

Buffy appeared at the railing clad only in her bra and panties.

"You tell me. If you want it unlocked that bad, I'll get dressed again. If you want me, the door stays locked. It's up to you."

For a long moment, they stood silently. Buffy could feel herself trembling as she waited for Giles' answer. The torture in his eyes hurt her almost physically, but she knew she had to stand firm.

At last, Giles extended his hand to her. She smiled reassuringly at him as she drew him into the protective circle of her arms.

"It'll be okay," she promised him. "Nothing bad will happen."

"You've been telling me that rather a lot lately, haven't you?"

"Only because it's true."

She pulled back, but took both his large hands in her tiny ones. She led him to the bed and encouraged him to lay down with her. He sat up long enough to divest himself of shoes, socks, and glasses, then lay down again and held Buffy.

"You do realize this is the only thing that would make me consider letting you lock me in here, don't you?"

"Why do you think I did it? Not the getting into bed with you part, the making you deal with the lock part. So, will you be up to it like this?"

He chuckled nervously.

"I hope so. It would certainly be damaging to my ego if I had such a lovely woman in my bed and couldn't satisfy her."

"And an unsatisfied Slayer is not a pretty sight."

She drew his lips to hers for a soft kiss.

"But that's okay, too. If you can't, well, we can still just lie here and be together."

Giles rolled his eyes and glared at her.

"Wonderful. Now I have to manage just to prove to you I can."

She grinned at him.

"See? I learned some useful things in college. Psychology comes in handy once in a while."

She sobered almost immediately.

"I just want you to know that I love you no matter what. The night Riley left..."

"Buffy, please, you don't have to talk about that."

"No, Giles, I have to. This is important."

He lay back and settled her head on his shoulder.

"Go on, then."

Buffy thought a moment.

"Anyway, that night, I was so mad at him. I was ready to just let him go. Xander found me and told me that Riley was something special; that I should go after him. He said Riley was the once in a lifetime guy. And I think maybe he was." She felt Giles' arms stiffen around her. She rubbed his chest through his shirt. "It's okay, though. He was the once in a lifetime guy, but I think he was somebody else's, if that makes any sense. He wasn't mine. I knew it was too late when I went after him. I didn't know I knew, but I think I did. See, what neither one of us wanted to admit was that I knew the once in a lifetime guy for me long before I met him. It was you. You're the forever guy for me. And I want to be your forever girl."

Giles shifted until he could prop himself on one elbow and drew his fingertips down Buffy's cheek.

"I can think of no woman I would rather spend forever with."

He leaned down to kiss her sweetly. When he pulled back, her eyes were shining with unshed tears.

"You couldn't just say yes, could you? Wordy guy."

"No more words, then."

"None?"

"Don't they say actions speak louder?"

He stroked her hair back from her face as he leaned down to kiss her. His lips teased and nibbled at hers. When her lips parted, he took full advantage of the invitation. All the while they kissed, Giles touched Buffy softly, gently. His fingertips traveled up and down her arms, across her collarbones, along her cheeks and down to her waist. Her fingers wove themselves into his hair and petted him along the back of his neck until he shivered with rising desire for her.

7

Notes and Disclaimers with part one

Buffy began to undo Giles' shirt buttons. With each one opened, she marveled at the feel of his soft skin covering hard, taut muscles. Her fingers ran through the curls on his chest. He laughed breathlessly as he moved his kisses along her jaw and up to her ear.

Suddenly, he grabbed Buffy around the waist and drew her up until they sat on their knees, facing one another on the bed.

"I think you'll find this a better angle for what you were doing."

She pulled his shirttails from his pants and yanked the shirt off his body. It fluttered unheeded to the floor as Buffy began to kiss Giles' shoulders and throat hungrily. She feasted on the bulk of him, the fine sheen of sweat on his warm, battle scarred flesh, his primal, masculine smell with its slight overlay of aftershave and shampoo.

Her fingers traced the curve of his pecs and tweaked the sharp peaks of his nipples. Giles gasped and arched to her. She smiled against his throat and circled the hard nubs with her thumbs until he groaned deeply.

Giles reached back to unfasten Buffy's bra. He pulled it slowly down her arms as he lowered his face to her cleavage. When she was free of the scrap of lace and satin, Buffy tried to direct Giles to one of her nipples, but her resisted.

"Please, Giles," she whimpered.

He smiled up at her and licked the inner curve of her breasts again.

"I told you I won't rush."

"You're really loving it there, aren't you?"

"Of course I am," he said. "You have beautiful breasts and this is such a lovely moment of indecision..."

"Moment? Try eon. Time to make up your mind, Rupert."

He chuckled as he buried his face yet again in the valley before him. He licked her along the space between her breasts, delighting in the rapid beat of her heart as well as the taste of her. At last he began to trail kisses along her right breast, his hand reaching up to cup it. He ran his tongue across her sensitized skin from every angle. Buffy moaned and whimpered in combined frustration and ecstasy.

Finally, Giles flicked his tongue over the puckered nipple. Then he pulled back and blew lightly on it. Buffy's gasping cry of pleasure was more than Giles could take. He fastened his lips to the rosy peak and suckled hungrily, his hand reaching up to knead her other breast.

After a moment of dazed paralysis, Buffy's hands moved to undo Giles' belt. Even their mutual efforts to remove his trousers couldn't make Giles pause in his worship of Buffy's bosom. Buffy peered at the red briefs, almost comically strained at the front, and ran a single fingertip along the bulge.

"Christ," Giles groaned.

"You like?"

Giles' reply was to press Buffy's hand hard against his arousal. He thrust against her palm wantonly even as his kisses grew more fevered. The pair tumbled back onto the bed. Laughter mixed with moans and soft cries. Kisses were applied to more imaginative portions of their anatomies.

Buffy rolled Giles onto his stomach as she nipped at his ribs and petted his nipples. Her hands moved lower. At last she freed him from the confines of his surprising underwear. Lips followed hands until she was caressing and kissing his firm buttocks. The tiny, breathy cries he couldn't stop from escaping his throat sent a sharp bolt of desire straight to Buffy's already sodden core.

With a sudden lunge, Giles pulled Buffy into his arms and rolled atop her. He pressed his erection hard against her groin. At her hungry cry, he ravaged her lips again.

"Please, Rupert, I want you inside me."

"Not yet, love," he told her. "I've a few things I want to do first."

"God, you weren't kidding about the unrushy aspect, were you? I don't know how much longer I can take this without exploding."

Giles merely laughed in reply as he moved his kisses down her torso. After a short detour back to her breasts, he went lower still. His hands went to her hips and played with the elastic of her panties while he dipped his tongue into her belly button. Buffy tried to groan and giggle at the same time. When Giles laughed outright at the resulting sound, she swatted him playfully.

"Will you just do it already? Stop making me make embarrassing noises."

"Patience, love," he admonished her. "You've yet to learn the full benefit of that quality."

Still, he took pity on her and finally slid her panties down her legs. He gently nudged her legs apart and pressed a kiss to each inner thigh.

When all he'd done for several seconds was stroke the soft, creamy skin above her knees, Buffy opened her eyes and looked at him. Giles was staring at her womanhood with a look of wonder and delight.

"What?" Buffy asked nervously. "Is there something weird about it?"

Giles dropped a deliberate kiss onto the soft nest of pubic curls before him, avoiding the most sensitive flesh.

"Not weird. Beautiful. Each woman is a little different from any other. And you, my love, are exquisite."

He ran his fingers through her curls, barely touching her sex. She arched under his touch and cried out. Giles smiled and lowered his face to her warmth. His tongue snaked out to taste her for the first time.

Buffy writhed under his ministrations. Her fingers clutched wildly at the bedclothes as her hips rose of their own volition, seeking Giles' teasing tongue. A moment later, her breath caught in her throat. When it returned, she screamed with the intensity of her first orgasm.

At her release, something wild was unleashed in Giles as well. He licked, sucked, and touched her with a new intensity. He thrust his tongue deep into her clenching channel, moaning at the sensation and flavor of being surrounded by Buffy. His hands caressed her firm buttocks even as he pulled her closer to him. A finger slipped between the tender globes only to find that her juices had dripped to her puckered bumhole. She gasped and strained closer still to him when he pushed his finger in.

No one had ever attempted that with her before. Buffy felt a momentary panic. Then she relaxed and allowed Giles to do as he would. She not only accepted, but encouraged his actions. She rocked hard against him and cried out as another climax ripped through her.

When he felt Buffy go almost limp after her third orgasm, Giles slowed his ministrations to soft kisses and delicate caresses. He slowly removed his finger and applied a few kisses to her rump. At last he moved up so he could hold her as she recovered.

He touched her face gently and dropped kisses across her sweat spangled brow. When she turned her lips to his, he kissed her deeply, sharing the taste of her.

Buffy reached up to stroke his face. She smiled and pulled him close.

"Nobody has ever made me feel like that before," she told him.

"I hope you meant that in a good way," he teased her.

She rolled her eyes.

"You are so transparent. Yes, it was a good I never felt this way."

"Are you ready for more?"

In lieu of reply, Buffy growled and rolled on top of Giles. She kissed him deeply along his throat, then moved down his body. She molded her palms to his chest, delighting in the feel of the crisp fur under her fingers. His erection had subsided slightly while he'd held her. She ground herself against him and felt his penis return to it's full size.

She slid her wet sex along the length of him repeatedly. Giles moaned, his head thrashing with the intensity of desire he felt. His hips rose and tilted in a desperate effort to fit himself into Buffy.

"Feeling a little less patient now, huh?" Buffy grinned.

Giles glared, then gasped as Buffy moved down and grasped him manhood in her hands. She worked the foreskin back gently then gave a delicate lick to the head.

"I better make sure it's clean under here."

As she licked at him like an ice cream cone, one of her hands slid down to the heavy sac at the base of his cock. She rolled his balls and slipped the tip of her tongue into his slit.

Giles made tiny gasping sounds, nearing his release. Buffy squeezed gently on the base of his penis and slid back up him.

"Not yet, buddy."

She rubbed his chest with her palms as she dropped kisses on his shoulder.

"Christ, you're a tease," he panted.

"You're a great one to talk. Let me know when you can last more than a minute."

"More psychology?" he asked. Despite his sour tone, his eyes danced with humor.

"Yup," Buffy told him. "Is it working yet?"

Giles took her hands and kissed them softly.

"I do love you, Buffy."

His lips captured hers again. He lay on his back.

"There are some condoms in the nightstand drawer," he informed her.

"Next to the handcuffs?"

"I don't keep them for pleasure."

"The cuffs or the condoms?"

He merely quirked an eyebrow at her.

Buffy pulled out a foil packet and opened it. She kissed Giles' cock one last time before she rolled the latex over him. She climbed onto him and met his eye as she slowly sank onto him. He watched in fascination as the expression on her face melted from one of concentration into one of bliss. He had to bite his lip when she sighed in completion.

Giles held still, running his hands up and down Buffy's arms as she accustomed herself to his thick length. At last she smiled and began to draw herself back up until only his tip remained embedded in her. A moment's pause was followed a teasingly slow descent until he disappeared entirely into her depths. He ran his hands up and down her back, then took hold of her hips and set a slow, steady pace.

For some minutes, they rocked in silence except for groans and the quiet slap of skin on skin as Buffy rose and fell atop her lover. They kissed warmly, and caressed one another. Giles ran his fingers through Buffy's blonde tresses while she stroked his cheek tenderly. At last she bent to cover him and carefully rolled them over until he pumped into her from above.

Giles thrust into Buffy as deeply as he could. His pace picked up. Soon he was driving them both relentlessly toward release. He ground his pelvis in a circular motion that teased Buffy's clitoris. He buried his face in her throat. His cries grew in volume and intensity as did Buffy's moans.

Suddenly, Buffy howled and tightened around Giles' cock. Almost simultaneously, Giles cried out and began to pump more desperately into her. Seconds later, he felt the first stream of his seed erupt from him.

Wave after wave of release consumed him. He kissed Buffy desperately. Their tongues dueled wildly, then slowed to a more intimate, gentle mingling as they came down from the plateau of their excitement.

Buffy reached up and smoothed Giles' hair. She smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose.

"I've decided something," she told him, still panting slightly.

"What's that?"

"Patience isn't so bad after all."

Giles laughed and pulled her tightly to him. When he pulled back, he reluctantly slipped away to dispose of the condom. By the time he returned, Buffy's expression had turned serious again.

He slid in next to her and drew her into his arms.

"Buffy, are you alright? Is something troubling you?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said as her fingers toyed with his chest hair. "It's just...I think it's that I miss you."

"I don't understand. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

Buffy shook her head.

"No, I don't miss *you* you. I sorta miss kid you, though."

Giles pulled her closer and kissed the crown of her head.

"I can't be him again, even if I wanted to, which I don't."

"And I know that. That's not even really what I want, I think. I know I don't want to give this up. Nobody's ever made me feel so...perfect before."

Giles chuckled slightly .

"Thank you."

"Do you remember your mother much?" Buffy asked.

Giles stiffened slightly and paused in his caresses.

"Not a great deal, no," he answered at last. "Mainly I remember that she was soft and that she smelled of lavender. I remember feeling safe with her."

"How long were you stuck in that cupboard?"

He was silent for so long she thought he wasn't going to answer at all.

"Hours," he said at last. "I've no idea, really. It felt like years at the time. Father - he waited, you see. Until she rose."

Buffy held him with every ounce of tenderness she could summon.

"You're an amazing man, Rupert Giles. And you were a hell of a kid. And if I ever meet your father, I'm so going to kick his ass for what he put you through."

"I think you would have some difficulty doing that, since he died more than ten years ago."

They lay in silence for a while. At last Buffy spoke again.

"Rupert? Has any Slayer ever had a kid?"

His brow furrowed in thought.

"Not to the best of my knowledge."

"Oh. Is it a thing where Slayers can't or we just don't?"

"I know of several cases where Slayers became pregnant. Unfortunately, the job isn't really conducive to having children. Slayers have miscarried because of injury, and several died because they fought late in pregnancy and couldn't adequately protect themselves. I can do some research and see if one ever managed it if you like."

"Oh," Buffy said quietly. "No, that's okay. I guess it's just another normal thing Buffy doesn't get. It's okay, I guess."

Giles took her face in his large hands.

"You listen to me for once in your life, Buffy. In the time I have known you, you have averted the Apocalypse at least half a dozen times, outwitted prophecy, forged your senior class into a formidable army on a few hours notice, defeated a God, made the Watchers' Council eat their words more than once, and come back from the grave not once, but twice. Every day you do six impossible things before breakfast. If you want to, I firmly believe you can do this too."

"Really? You're not just saying?"

"Really," he confirmed.

She snuggled closer into his arms.

"Maybe I will, then. But I think maybe I'll wait until I become the first Slayer to graduate college."

Giles chuckled and kissed her soundly.

"That sounds just perfect, love."

"Good."

A few minutes later, Giles spoke.

"Buffy, do you think we might unlock the door now?"

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