"An Interesting Concept"
Author: TrinityLast
Email:
trinitylast@wambtac.com
Spoilers: Oh...General Season Five? Joyce is alive, Riley's still there, Angel's
not nuts over Darla and Dru. He's fine, been working towards redemption as always.
Notes: I see lots of Halloween fic, but none that does what I want it to do.
This is just for my own happiness. Lots of B/G goodness, some X/A goodness, and
some W/O goodness.
Don't try to actually fit this into the timeline. I started
this between season 3 and 4, so it's running on the following rumors:
- Spike
is working for the good side and is part of the group.
- Some guy named Riley
is supposed to be Buffy's new love interest. (Yeah, in a B/G fic. Right.)
- Buffy and Willow are sharing a dorm room at UCS.
- Giles' apartment is the
new HQ.
- Xander and Anya are an item
Oh, and, and! [this] shows
thoughts. *this* shows italics.
Additional Notes: I know, I know. Here we
are, done with Season 6. I didn't even know there were B/G sites when I wrote
this, I just wrote it for me, and the other day I was cleaning out my files and
I found it. It was still fun for me to read, and I started working on it again...and
then I wondered if I should finish it, but I wasn't sure. So, I'm sharing, and
if *you* think I should finish it, I will. And if you hate it, I'll stick it back
in the drawer for another year. :p
Willow's still witchy, though stronger
than she was that season, because I liked the whole magic angle. And Xander is
still running on the whole bomb/hellbeast concept, so he's confident in a fight.
He and Anya are both attending college too, because I didn't know any better.
This fic is based on Cordelia's comment, season one: "I thought you might
be in a gang or something." It just hit me... "I bet that'd be *fun* to write!"
So I did. :p No, it isn't AU. Just read it.
"So, what are *you* going as?"
Willow groaned and flopped onto her bed. She glared at Buffy. "I have no idea. Oz and I want to match, but everything we come up with sounds dumb out loud."
"Hey! At least you have someone to do this with." Buffy pouted and threw the catalog she'd been flipping through across the room. "Me? Solo girl. Xander has Anya, you have Oz. I have...hey! I could borrow Xander's 'sock puppet of love'!" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
"Well, Giles doesn't have anyone to go with either, you know. So, it's not like you'll be the only one in the group without a date. Spike, either."
Buffy started to say something but was cut off by Xander bursting into the room, Anya on his heels. She sat down on Buffy's bed and glared at Xander, who just stood in the middle of the room looking panicked.
"Help!"
Buffy and Willow exchanged a look, then glanced at Anya for help who just shook her head in annoyance.
Buffy sighed. [Ok, I'll bite.] "With....?"
Xander dropped onto Buffy's desk chair, straddling it. "We can't agree on a costume idea, and we've been working on it all day."
"Yeah? Well, you won't get help here. Oz and I haven't clue. Buffy either."
Anya huffed. "Well, we can't show up at this thing without costumes. It's hard enough to get invitations."
"Yeah." Xander personified glum. "When I talked to Cordy in LA, she actually squealed. Said it was the most exclusive country club around, and she'd always wanted to go."
Willow bit her lip. "Anyone know what Giles is doing? Maybe that would help, we could go from there?"
"No idea, but we could ask. He wants us all to go over tonight anyway. Weekly update."
"What time?"
Buffy glanced at her clock and her eyes widened. "Um...right about now."
The four students exchanged glances, then bolted for the door as one.
"None of you has any ideas at all?" Giles looked over his glasses at them, watching them each shake their heads.
"Nope."
"Nada."
"Zip."
"Less than that, even."
Giles sighed. "And I had asked you here to help me come up with something. I seem to be at a loss for ideas. I've never really done this holiday before." He sank into a chair and they all looked at each other glumly.
"Hey! What's with the long faces?" Spike slammed the door and looked around the room. "Please tell me this isn't another bloody apocalypse. I just got my costume!"
Everyone looked up at that, but only Giles spoke.
"What are you going as?"
Spike grinned. "I'm goin' as a street thug."
Buffy's eyebrows furrowed. "And this will be different than your regular look, how?"
Spike pulled out a large bag and dumped the contents on the coffee table.
Faded blue jeans, white tank, and an oversized flannel shirt could be seen, along with odds and ends of jewelry.
"I'm breakin' with my 'big bad' style and goin' with the normal street look. I might even blend a bit, don't you think?"
Everyone nodded, and as Spike put the clothes back in the bag, Willow's face lit.
"Hey!"
Everyone turned to her.
"Why don't we all do that?"
Anya raised her eyebrows. "Do what? Put things away? I'm not cleaning Giles' house. No offence, Giles."
Giles snickered. "None taken, though you lot are the ones to mess it, most of the time."
"No!" Willow was practically bouncing, and Oz shifted her off his lap before she caused a problem. A big problem. "No, I mean, we all go as street thugs. But as a group. Because we are. A group, that is." Willow stopped and turned to Oz. "You're supposed to stop me when I do that." He just smiled.
Xander blinked twice, then frowned as he deciphered what she'd said. "You mean, we go as a gang? Like, a street gang?"
Buffy suddenly giggled. "It's perfect. What was it Cordy said when she first came to us for help? 'I was hoping you were in a gang'? And, it's easy. We all have stuff that fits that, we wouldn't even have to buy anything. Just make sure we all match." She turned to Giles. "Also, lets not forget our history with holidays. This'll make it easier for us to all be armed, since it'll be part of our costumes. So, we'll be ready for anything Hellmouthy." She smiled deviously. "And...it's an excuse to let our inner Rippers run wild."
Giles eyes lit at that idea, but only Buffy caught it.
"Y-yes, well.." He looked around. "Do we all agree that we go as this...what did you call it?" He turned back to Xander.
"A gang. We go as a gang."
"Yes. Right. Do we all agree?"
Everyone nodded, the girls all looking excited at the idea. Xander looked thoughtful, and Oz was...Oz.
"Right then. Why don't you all run home and see what you have that would work, and we'll meet back here in an hour to try it out."
Everyone agreed and left except Spike, who had his, and so promptly went into the kitchen to steal a beer, while Giles headed to his loft to look through his clothes.
When the gang gathered back together an hour later, they were all carrying large bags of clothes and jewelry. It was decided that the guys would change in the living room and the girls upstairs.
When they all gathered in the living room to check each other out, there were many grins exchanged, but no surprised looks. After fighting alongside each other for so long, the idea that they could all look tough was no shock. The main focus was immediately that they all match.
They decided to take turns, each person standing while the others fixed and critiqued the costume.
Willow stood first, wearing a black leather miniskirt and an oversized flannel shirt over a white tee. The flannel was unbuttoned and tied at the waist. She was wearing a large silver charm around her neck that lay against her breasts which were accentuated by the wonderbra she wore. The ensemble was topped with black combat boots. Her hair was swept into a loose bun, with pieces hanging down.
"Well?" She spun nervously and waited.
Spike was the first to speak.
"Shit, red, if you always dressed like that, I'd'v turned you in high school, just to get a taste."
Oz shot him a deadly look, but Spike just grinned at him.
"Uh...thanks, I guess." Willow looked around. "Well? Do I need to change anything?"
Buffy looked her over with a critical eye. "Looks good, but that skirt is pretty tight. Where are your weapons?"
Willow smiled and reached into her right boot, pulling out a streamlined silver dagger. Then reached into the left side of her flannel and pulled out two thin stakes and a vial of holy water. Finally she reached into her hair and pulled out what had looked like a hair stick, but was really a very thin glass vial, filled with some sort of green liquid. At the questioning glances, she smiled. "It's a kind of supernatural flashlight. No batteries necessary."
Buffy chuckled and Giles, as her mentor, smiled supportively.
Xander nodded. "Ok, I think yours is a winner. Who's with me?" All hands went up.
Anya looked around. "Ok! Next!"
Giles stood, and Buffy had to catch her breath. The jeans were just a little tight, and the gray T-shirt set off his green eyes. Add a red button down shirt worn open and Buffy was trying not to drool. [Something I seem to be trying not to do a lot around him these days.] He was also wearing black combat boots...in fact, Buffy realized, looking around, they all were. It made sense, really. Black blended with night, and they'd all learned from experience that combat boots were good for cemetery work. Kept the dirt out, never slipped, and made no sound outside. And since they'd all wanted to match....
"Well?"
Buffy snapped back into focus. [Giles' costume. Pay attention.] Her eyes wandered down. [No, not that much attention. Stop it! Bad Slayer!]
"I think it's perfect. I won't even ask where your weapons are." She made a point to focus on his face and noticed the silver crucifix in his ear. [Augh! Just kill me now.] She bit her lip.
Giles smiled at her and looked around. Everyone else nodded their agreement, and he sat.
Xander stood and closed his eyes. "Ok, give it to me straight. How bad is it?"
Willow giggled and Spike just grinned. Then they all took a serious look.
Black pants, dark red t-shirt. Denim jacket and a silver cross completed the simple look, along with his boots.
"Actually, it's very good." Spike raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed."
Xander's eyes got very big. "Did *Spike* just compliment me?" He looked around at the nodding heads. "He did, didn't he?" Xander looked at Giles. "Is the world ending?"
Giles chuckled and shook his head as Xander sat back down. Anya stood, wearing a pair of skin-tight blue jeans, a low-cut red tank top and a denim jacket that matched Xander's. The sides of her hair were pulled back with a few pieces falling into her face, and she wore an ornate jeweled cross around her neck. Around the left ankle of her combat boot, just below her jeans cuff, was a small silver anklet with little dangling charms.
Buffy eyed the jeans and raised an eyebrow. "Weapons, remember? Where on earth would you put them?"
Anya smiled slyly. She reached into her jacket and produced a stake. Then she glanced at the guys and reached into her cleavage, pulling out a vial of holy water. She winked at Spike, who was eyeing her appreciatively, and then pulled a thin wooden cross from under her right jean cuff, along with another stake.
Buffy grinned at her. "I think the guys'll like that." She glanced at Xander who was shooting murderous looks at Spike.
Anya grinned and sat down on Xander's lap. He turned his attention back to her, shooting glares at Spike every few minutes.
Oz stood and turned in a slow circle. He was wearing jeans and a forest green shirt with a black jean jacket. His combat boots were thicker, making him a bit taller so that he stood even with Willow. His hair was yellow again, and he wore a small gold hoop in his left ear.
"Oz! I didn't know you wore an earring!" Buffy stared at it and decided she liked it. It fit with his personality. Quiet, but always there.
"What do we think?" Giles looked around the group at the approving faces. "Yes, Oz, I believe that will be fine." Oz nodded and sat down, his facial expression never changing until he glanced at Willow and smiled. Just a little one, but it was there.
"Ok, do we really need to check Spike's?" Buffy's question was met with a chorus of no's, so she stood up. "So...last, but not least." She looked down at herself. "At least, I hope not."
Her hair was in a bun with a few pieces out in what seemed to be the theme for the girls. She was wearing black leather pants, a very low-cut cropped blue silk T-shirt and a leather jacket...though she took it off after a second so they could see her silver metal-loop belt. Her cross was ornate and heavy, antiqued silver with intricate carvings. It lay in her cleavage, sparkling and drawing attention. Her boots were also thick soled, giving her another inch, and were much more stylish than the others, since she owned several pairs. Her's had small silver catches for the laces which stood out and made the boots look a bit more 'petite' than they were.
Giles tried very hard not to look at her cross. ['Hard' being the operative word. Down, old man!] He checked over the rest of the outfit and inwardly groaned. [If she wears that, I'll never make it through the party. Those pants are worse than her most revealing skirts.] She turned and he got an view of her ass. [Yea gods.]
"Well?" Giles snapped out of his reverie to see Buffy looking down at him expectantly. "Do you think it works?"
[Yes, I believe that we have just proven, once again, that 'it' works fine, thank you.] He bit down another groan and simply nodded, not trusting his voice.
"Good. So, we're all set!" Everyone nodded and Willow stood up. "What time do we want to meet here?"
"Here?" Anya frowned. "I thought we were meeting at the party?"
"Well, we should all go together, since we're all dressing alike, don't you think?" Willow looked around, and the others all agreed. "So..."
Oz slipped his arm around Willow's waist. "I can drive in my van." Buffy nodded, and shot a glance at Giles, who seemed to be staring at her. "Ok, so...the party starts at seven. How do we feel about six thirty?" Another chorus of 'sure' and everyone left to go home.
Thursday night was Halloween and everyone gathered at Giles'. They were on their way by six forty-five, and were at the party half an hour outside of town at the country club by seven-thirty due to traffic. Oz parked and the Scoobies stood in the parking lot for another ten minutes, checking over costumes and making sure they all were armed with invitations and weapons. They'd decided on the way over to call themselves the "Slayer's Circle", since it would be easy to remember and less 'goody-goody', as Spike called it, than the "Scooby Gang".
As they headed across the large parking lot, they coupled off, Xander with Anya, Willow with Oz. Buffy hovered near Giles but made sure to stay behind him. She wanted to admire the view...of his ass in those jeans. Spike walked next to her.
"So, pet. You look nice tonight."
Buffy grinned up at him. "Thank you. You look..." Buffy gave him a once over. "You know, you look just as evil as always."
Spike put a hand over his heart in mock solemnity, and pretended to wipe a tear from his eyes. "Why pet, what nice thing to say!"
Buffy chuckled.
Willow and Oz were the first ones to the door, but waited for the others, as they'd decided to all go inside together. As they all waited for Xander and Anya, who had fallen behind the rest, Giles noticed a few guys checking Buffy out, their stares raking down her body like she was so much meat. He frowned, and in what he'd call later 'a moment of madness', he put his arm around her waist possessively and kissed her head.
Buffy's eyes closed when she felt his hand on her hip, then shot open when she realized she wasn't daydreaming. She looked up at him, a question in her eyes.
Giles looked down at her and gave the only reason he could think of, thanking Willow a million times in his head. "Willow said you were upset about not having a date for the evening. Thought I might be of service."
Buffy stared into his eyes, wondering if this was a trick, but there was nothing there that wasn't sincere. She spoke carefully. "Are you asking me to be your date?"
Giles took a deep breath and hesitantly searched *her* eyes before answering. Once he crossed this line, it was over, and he knew he couldn't stand to lose what they had. So he looked. And saw fear. But also love. And....desire?
"Yes."
Buffy's smile lit the night. "I'd like that."
After several tries, Xander finally managed to free his mouth. "Ahn, we have to go. Everyone's waiting for us."
Anya grabbed his head and shoved her tongue back in his mouth. After several seconds she let go. "We do not. They'll eventually get that we're busy and go in without us." She started kissing down his neck.
Xander closed his eyes tightly and pushed her off. "They're waiting. And you've been looking forward to this party all month." He opened his eyes to see her pouting. "Ahn, later. Ok?"
She bit her lip for a second, then got a dangerous glint in her eye and nodded. "Later." Then she slipped her arm around his waist and stuck it in his back pocket. Xander groaned and looped his arm around her shoulders as they walked. This was going to be a long night.
When they got to the doors the others were still waiting for them. Xander noticed Giles' arm around Buffy and raised his eyebrow at her, to which she just grinned. Xander shook his head and grinned back, pulling out his invitation. "We ready?"
Everyone nodded and moved towards the entrance.
The bouncer took one look at the group and demanded their invitations. When they had them, his eyebrows almost raised off his face. That's when it occurred to Giles that their costumes may not be coming off as such. He gave a feral grin. He wasn't sure how the others would take that, but he was going to enjoy this night.
[And it's not as if we can't hold up to the image if we need to.] As Buffy had said, most people figured they *were* a gang already. Perhaps this would make it easier for them to work...keep the innocents out of their way, so to speak?
Buffy caught Giles grin as they walked into the building and frowned until she looked back at the bouncer. Her eyes lit up when she figured it out. She snuck looks at the others to see if they had noticed, and was not surprised to find that they all had cat-ate-the-canary smiles. She made a snap decision and herded them all into a small corner of the foyer.
"Ok, I'm just going to say this, and don't one of you pretend you don't know what I mean. Who here wants to just go with it?" She looked around. They were all smiling like they'd been given hundred dollar bills for Christmas.
Xander cleared his throat. "I think I speak for us all when I say that, seeing as how most of our high school class will be here tonight, and how they treated us, not including the Prom..." He paused and grinned at a blushing Buffy. "I think we should go with it, and, just maybe...scare the crap out of them."
Willow shot another glance into the room. "But...but...there are a lot of kids from UC Sunnydale too...I mean, do we want them to think..."
"Think what?" Xander cut her off. "What do they think now, Will, whenever they catch us 'strolling' around campus at three A.M., carrying crossbows and stakes?"
Willow smiled sheepishly. "Good point."
"This could even serve as a cover...we just let their own imaginations do the work. I'm not saying we should turn into a gang, but..." Buffy's sentence was cut off by Spike.
"Why not?"
Everyone turned to him in shock.
"Well? Why not? Being in a gang isn't illegal, and it *is* a good cover. Breaking the law, that's illegal." He smirked. "So, we don't do that. I'm fairly sure we were going to avoid that anyway."
Buffy looked at Giles, who was gazing past her into the main room. Buffy followed his eyes and saw a few former teachers from the school that she knew for a fact had liked to call him 'stuffy' and 'rigid'.
"I'm thinkin' we're all in for this, for tonight, anyway? We talk about later tomorrow."
Many smiles and nods.
"Ok. Just so we're clear." Buffy wrapped her arm around Giles waist, and his arm immediately came to cup her hip. He started, realizing what he was doing, and looked down to see her smiling impishly. "Hey, they thought we were, but there wasn't any proof. Now, here we are, on a date no less..." she paused, and when he smiled she continued, "And I say we make the most of it."
Giles chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple. The rest of the group, now in very high spirits, followed them into the ballroom.
Tonight, if nothing else, would be interesting.
"Buffy? Buffy Summers?"
They'd barely gotten in the door when the voice broke in. Giles saw Buffy cringe, but since she didn't make any move to stop, he just gave her hip a squeeze and they kept walking.
It didn't work.
"Buffy!"
Buffy groaned. She knew that voice. That was Jennifer - the girl who used to follow her around like a puppy at Hemery. The girl who stole Tyler. Possibly the most annoying woman on earth. Worse than Harmony.
Standing right in front of Buffy wearing a Playboy Bunny costume.
"Hey, Jen." Buffy smiled and leaned into Giles, who regarded Jennifer with a bored look. Jennifer smiled back.
"Hi, Buffy! I didn't expect *you* to be here..."
Buffy raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment, though the implication was obvious...what was Buffy Summers doing at an exclusive party at the country club?
*Giles* heard the tone though, and decided to have some fun.
"Well, they couldn't very well not invite us, could they? They'd be taking a rather big chance by doing that."
Jennifer's smile only faded a bit, but Buffy saw it.
"And you are?"
"Ripper." He didn't elaborate, more because he didn't get a chance. He'd have loved taking this conceited snob down a peg or two, but Spike showed up with a drink in his hand.
"Oi, Ripp, Willow's got a question for ya, mate." He saw Jennifer and smiled. "E'llo then, who's this?"
"Spike, don't."
"Ah, c'mon now, Slayer, I ain't doing anything."
"And you won't be, either. Go talk to Xander and Anya."
Spike scowled but walked away. Giles leaned down and absently gave Buffy's cheek a kiss before heading towards Willow, only realizing he'd done it three steps later. She stared after him with a small smile on her lips.
Jennifer's voice snapped her back to attention. "So. Buffy. What are you doing these days?" The other girl was trying hard to keep her voice even...she couldn't remember the last time she'd been this nervous. That guy had called her 'Slayer'...
The slayer smiled. "College. I go to UC Sunnydale. A bunch of us do, actually."
"Oh. Who's 'us'?"
"The Slayer's Circle." Buffy smiled and turned away from Jennifer's shocked face. Scanning the crowd, she saw Giles talking to the ex-history teacher from high school...ex, of course, only because the school itself was no longer there....
She sidled up to him. "Hey."
Giles smiled down at her and wrapped his arm possessively around her waist again. "Hello to you too. Did you get rid of her?"
Buffy shrugged. "Best I could do under the circumstances." She tilted her head at her former teacher and smiled. "Hi, Mr. Swerin."
"Ehm...Ms. Summers." The teacher looked decidedly nervous and was playing with his glass of punch a bit. He was dressed up as a Mariachi player, and Buffy had to stifle a giggle. It didn't suit him at all...he looked like a beached whale in a sweater.
"So, what are you doing with yourself these days, Rupert?"
The smile he gave was all Ripper. "This and that. I have a few investments." He looked down at Buffy and gave a heart stopping smile that had her thinking naughty things. "It leaves me time for...other things."
"I see." The portly man stumbled over his words a bit and downed his punch. Then he held up his glass. "I must get a refill."
"Of course."
Buffy giggled at the man's hasty retreat. "I think you scared him."
"Good. Pillock used to come in and make lewd comments about Jenny. Even after.."
Buffy's face got dark. "Why didn't you hit him?"
Giles frowned. "Then, or tonight?"
"Either."
"I suppose because it wouldn't change him. While he would stop bothering me, I don't know who he would turn on next. I'd rather take the abuse then risk having it unleashed on someone who couldn't handle it." He looked around the room and spotted Willow and Oz in the middle of a conversation with some of their high school peers and got a wicked grin.
"Feel like stirring up some trouble, luv?"
Buffy looked up at him and laid her head on his shoulder. "As opposed to what we've been doing so far?"
He just grinned again. "This? This isn't trouble. You haven't *seen* trouble yet, luv."
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Ok, so what *is* trouble, then?"
Giles simply smiled and led her over to the witch. She was leaning into her werewolf who had a possessive arm around her waist. The other hand was in his pocket, but he was obviously not bored. In fact, if Buffy could have guessed, she'd say that the wolf was very close to surfacing.
Probably not a good idea.
They got there and Willow sent Buffy a pleading look. Oz was dangerously close to an actual expression.
"Hey guys. What'cha talkin' about?"
A woman in a full body catsuit turned around and Buffy recognized one of Harmony's posse from school. "We were just discussing the fact that everyone in school was right about you people?"
Giles raised an eyebrow. "About what, exactly?"
"You're all in a gang."
Buffy giggled. "I see. We're *in* a gang. That indicates that we aren't a gang in of ourselves." She looked up at Giles who had a very Rippery smile on his face.
"You'd think that if you knew, you would have been nicer."
The girl frowned. "What do you mean? You're all losers."
"At least she's not afraid to say it to our faces." Oz definitely had an expression on his face. It wasn't a good one.
"Why would I be?"
Ripper let go of Buffy and took a small step forward. The girl's eyes widened but she didn't back away.
"You'd think that if you knew how dangerous we were, you wouldn't have pushed us. Especially tonight, when we have nothing to hide from."
This time the girl *did* back up. Ripper took another step forward, but Buffy's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Ripper."
He didn't take his eyes of the Cat girl. "Yes?"
"This is a nice place. Let's just ask her to leave, rather than make a scene?"
Giles seemed to consider that for a second before nodding. "Perhaps that would be best." He still hadn't broken eye contact with the other girl, and she was already measuring the distance to the door.
Oz stepped forward. "I hear there's a nice party at the Bronze tonight. Everyone who didn't get an invite to this will be there. Why don't you go?"
The girl tore her eyes from Giles and stared at the werewolf. She swallowed and nodded.
"Good."
The four of them watched her make her way to the foyer, claim her jacket and leave. A guy approached her, but Spike, who'd been watching from the sidelines, sidled up to him and managed to distracted him long enough for the girl to get outside.
The door closed and Buffy collapsed into a fit of giggles.
"I can't believe we did that!"
Willow had a hand covering her mouth. Oz just stared at the door darkly.
"Oz?"
The boy looked back at Giles and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you alright?"
He nodded. "I just don't like when they go after my Willow."
Buffy smiled. "Good. Because, as we all know, she isn't good at defending herself against that."
"Hey!"
"What are you doing out here?"
Buffy turned around at his voice and smiled. "Just looking at the view." She gestured at the town, spread out underneath the balcony they were on. "It's so peaceful."
"It is. Hard to believe, isn't it?"
She grinned up at him. "What? That we have the highest statistical death rate in the country?"
"Quite." Giles stepped forward and leaned against the railing with her.
"So, where's all that trouble you promised me."
"Hmm?"
Buffy looked over. He was really gorgeous, leaning over the rail. His eyes were half closed, enjoying the breeze. Buffy had a sudden urge to just...
[Stop it! Not here.]
"You said I hadn't seen trouble yet. I want to know where the trouble you promised me is."
Giles smiled. "I believe that it should start in about..." He looked down at his watch, "...oh, ten minutes?"
Buffy raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"
"You'll see, luv."
"Why is this making me distinctly nervous?"
Giles shrugged. "Everyone was talking about it, but no one was sure. This is just a way to...make up our minds, I suppose."
Buffy frowned for a minute, and then her eyes closed. "Just...promise me you didn't invite some gang here so we could have a fight?"
She opened her eyes to see Ripper smiling back at her.
"Giles!"
"Just...promise me you didn't invite some gang here so we could have a fight?"
She opened her eyes to see Ripper smiling back at her.
"Giles!"
"Well, they were coming to Sunnydale tonight anyway. I didn't think we'd have to worry about them here, but after what's been going on tonight..."
Buffy sighed. "Giles, how did you get them to come?"
"I dropped a few hints to a few friends."
"Well. That's nice and vague."
"Alright...would, 'I cast an attracting spell' be better?"
"Giles!"
"What? Buffy, we're a gang. We don't have to act like it for it to be true. In high school, we were a gang. There's no way around it. We worked together, backed each other up, and tended to break a few laws. The theft of a rocket launcher comes to mind."
Buffy bit her lip. "How come we didn't know?"
"Because in this society, a gang has to be something specific for it to get recognition. If you were aware of it, it would have been entirely possible that the traits would have developed on their own, and with Heir Snyder in command, that didn't seem like a good idea. Besides, I only started noticing it towards the end of last year."
"So, now you *want* us to look like a street gang?"
Giles cocked his head. "Well, I actually hadn't given it much thought until tonight. But...yes. I think it would be helpful. I think it would allow us to work without as much suspicion. If it's known that we are a gang, then what we do will simply be lumped into that. No one will bother figuring it out, because there will be a ready explanation at hand."
Buffy glared. "I hate that that makes sense."
Her watcher grinned wryly. "So sorry."
"Ok, so when this other gang shows, we do what?"
"I imagine we'll tell them to get the hell out of our town, and probably kick them out. What, you think we can't?"
"They'll have guns."
"Buffy, you've fought an evil watcher that could shoot lightning from her hand. A gun scares you?"
Buffy stuck out her tongue and Giles chuckled. "It'll be fine."
She shook her head and started back inside. "Sure, he says that now, but when we're in jail, what will he say?"
Following her, Giles slipped an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. "He'll ask the nice Vampire Slayer to please bend the bars and get us out."
"Ha."
When they got inside they were accosted by Willow, Oz and Spike.
Willow was panicked. "There's a gang here from LA. They're in the parking lot."
"We know."
Spike raised an eyebrow at Buffy. "You didn't have something to do with this, didja, Slayer?"
She shook her head and motioned to Giles, who had a Rippery grin on his face as he watched the gang approach through the front window.
"Giles?"
Buffy smirked at her watcher and left him to explain to Willow while she went to find Xander and Anya. Predictably, they were behind a plant in the foyer, making out, completely oblivious to the world around them.
Though, Buffy knew that a vampire wouldn't have been able to sneak up on them. On the other hand, if they were going to be fighting gangs now, too....
"Hey."
Xander jumped a mile. "God Buffy! You gotta stop scaring me like that! Every time I see my life flash before my eyes, I get depressed."
Buffy giggled. "Well, there's this thing going on..."
"There's a thing going on?"
Xander, Anya and Buffy made it back to the main room exactly fifteen seconds before the other gang. Buff stopped next to Giles with a bewildered look on her face. [Other gang? Since when did I start thinking of us as a gang?]
She snapped back to attention the minute the first 'enemy' walked through the door, and Giles looked down just in time to see her go into Slayer Mode. It was always a sight to behold. Her eyes narrowed and her breathing evened out as she readied for battle.
[Alexander the Great had nothing on my Buffy.]
"So, this is the big party. In Sunnydale. Cute town." The scraggly haired guy turned to another guy about twenty wearing a jean jacket and a stocking cap. "What'da think, Ger? Can we keep it?"
Buffy steeped forward. "I might have a problem with that."
'Ger' raised an eyebrow and gave her a once-over, whistling appreciatively and making Giles growl a bit. "Nice. Very nice. I think at the very least, we oughta keep *her*."
Buffy smiled. "Ger, was it?" He nodded and stepped towards her once, a leer on his face. "Well, normally I'd kick your ass for a comment like that, but I think you just pissed of Ripper, so I'ma let him. You don't mind, right? I don't want you to be insulted that I'm not doing it myself."
"Don't worry, baby, you won't be doing *it* by yourself anymore." He started to move closer to her again but was stopped by a very strong hand around his throat.
"You will leave now. I will not ask again."
Spike appeared behind Ger and raised his hand in a mock request to speak. "Not to split hairs, but that didn't sound like you were *asking* now. The least we can do is be polite."
"Right." Xander looped a protective arm around Anya and nodded. "After all, they're guests in our town."
Giles cocked his head for a moment before nodding back. "You're right. That was rude." He let go of Ger's neck, smoothed down his jacket and straightened his stocking cap. "I apologize. Would you please leave before we have to hurt you?"
Ger shook his head. "Don't think so." He pulled out a gun. Buffy rolled her eyes and stepped forward. Slayer speed coming in handy, she had the gun before Ger had any clue what'd happened.
"Oh! Nice gun!" She spoke like a child who'd been given a Christmas gift early. Giles chuckled and slipped an arm around her, cupping her hip.
"That's not yours, give it back."
Buffy pouted up and him and Giles was hard pressed to repeat himself in the face of that...that lower lip. But he did. "Buffy..."
"Fine." She tossed the gun to Xander who snapped out the clip before lobbing it at Ger. Ger fumbled to catch it but managed not to drop it.
Anya jumped excitedly in Xander's arms. "Do I get to kill someone? I haven't gotten to kill anyone since last year when Giles broke my..." Xander clamped a hand over her mouth and shook his head, making a face.
"Ahn..."
She rolled her eyes.
Ger looked at her for a minute before nodding. "You know, we didn't know we'd be stepping on toes here. Usually, I'd say we should fight this out, but..."
"But?!" The scraggly guy who'd spoken when they first came in looked at Ger in shock. "Are you nuts? You're just gonna let them have..."
"Yes." Ger shot a warning look at his friend. "Back off."
The other guy scowled, grabbed the arm of some girl he'd come in with and headed back out to the parking lot. Ger turned to Giles.
"We're leaving." He narrowed his eyes. "Just stay out of LA."
Giles smirked. "Too late."
"I. Beg. Your. Pardon?"
Xander rolled his eyes. "It's called 'Angel Investigations.' Look it up." He smiled. "Tell Cordelia that the party was just great. She'll be wondering."
Ger's eyes shot daggers at Xander as he backed out of the room. He really wanted to pound that piece of shit, but he couldn't do it tonight, when they were ready. He'd need the element of surprise. So he just nodded and left, taking his disbelieving gang with him.
Buffy watched them go with an interesting look on her face. "You know they're coming back, right?"
Giles nodded. "I saw it."
A security guard came into the room and raised his eyebrows. The whole room was focused on the Scoobies standing in the entryway. Someone at some point had turned off the music. No one was talking.
"Ok, what's going on?"
Three hours later the party broke up. The security guard was a Sunnydale high graduate, so a few words from Buffy about 'you don't want to know' pretty much did it for an explanation for him. The party itself could have kept going, and in any other town it would have, but this was Sunnydale, and even those not in the know hit a certain time at night and wanted to go home.
Oz dropped everyone off at their dorms and then headed over to Giles'. He watched the Watcher get out and wasn't going to say anything, but changed his mind just before the door slammed shut.
"Don't hurt her."
Giles head whipped around and he met the werewolf's eyes.
"I won't."
"Good. Because if you do, I know I'm not the only one who'll be pissed."
Giles nodded and after a moment, he closed the door. He watched until the van disappeared before going inside. Once the door had slammed shut behind him, he sighed and leaned against the wall. Watching Buffy get out of the van at her dorm room and not inviting her home was one of the hardest things he'd ever done. But he didn't want to rush her.
"Hey."
He jumped a mile at the voice and instinctively reached for the knife in his jacket before he heard a distinctive giggle.
"You don't need that. Unless you're thinking something really, really kinky."
Giles' head snapped up and he squinted. It was dark, but he could just make her out in the corner. She was still in 'costume', though it seemed they'd be wearing these clothes more often, which was really fine by him. Her arms were crossed behind her back, and she was leaning against the wall. This stance caused her breasts to be very prominent, and Giles forced himself to focus on her face, as Latin translations had stopped working some time ago.
Problem was, these days just seeing her smile was enough. God, she was beautiful...
"What are you doing here?" He glanced at the door. "And how did you get here so fast?"
Buffy smirked. "I'll ignore the first question, because that'll be clear enough pretty soon. As to how I got here so fast, Giles, ever hear of 'Slayer speed'? Isn't it in the book definition? 'One girl with the strength and speed'?"
"Skill. 'Strength and skill'."
Buffy shook her head and took a coy step forward. Giles swallowed. "I'm sure it was speed. Anyone can have the skill. I mean, Watchers are supposed to be trained with the skills, right?" She had been walking towards him as she spoke and was now right in front of him. She put one hand on his chest and raised an eyebrow, the faintest hint of a smile playing at her lips.
"What other skills do they teach you, Giles?"
"Those aren't taught by the council." His voice was rough and the fact that he felt her shudder in response alerted him to the truth that she was indeed pressed up against him. It wasn't a dream.
"But I know you have them." She smoothed her hands over the t-shirt he wore, reveling in the muscles underneath. "I heard my mother thinking about it when I had psychic power. In what I'm fairly certain were glowing terms." She cocked her head. "Giles? What's a stevedore?"
Gathering his wits again, Giles looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to know?"
"Giles, I've been wanting to ask you that question since I first saw you in these damn jeans three days ago."
He growled. Yes, he actually *growled*! Buffy didn't have time to appreciate that fact, however, because she found herself thrown over his shoulder and staring at his ass.
His ass in those jeans. She wasn't really willing to struggle.
Then they were upstairs and she was on her back on the bed and it barely registered that she'd been thrown there because he was stripping off his jacket while toeing off his boots and then...
Oh, god...
There went the shirt.
For some reason, Buffy's eyes followed the garment as it was thrown across the room. She watched it land in the corner before turning to her watcher and taking in an audible breath.
The scars on his chest were rugged. They didn't make him seem old, but instead like a soldier. Strong and manly. She dimly remembered thinking that Angel had managed to retain a few scars, and that she'd liked it, but she didn't dwell on it tonight. She loved them both, always would. One would always own a part of her soul, and one was her partner in destiny.
But one she couldn't have. Which was, really, probably a good thing, because at this moment, Buffy was fairly certain she wouldn't have been able to make a choice.
Giles watched her with a raised eyebrow as she lay on the bed, propped up on her elbows, and openly ogled his chest. He wasn't ashamed of it, and, as a matter of fact, hadn't really thought about how she would react to his battle-scarred body.
It was just as well, because he'd have worried, and if her face was any indication, Buffy *liked* scars.
She watched wide-eyed as he moved to the foot of the bed and knelt on it. She was keenly aware that he hadn't removed his pants and that she was fully dressed, but that thought gave way about a second later when he started crawling up the bed like a tiger stalking his prey. The heat between her legs got decidedly wetter, and Buffy squeezed her thighs together to stop it from leaking out.
Giles raised an eyebrow again at that and, his knees on either side of her clenched legs, leaned forward and slowly traced her mouth with his tongue. Buffy moaned and arched her back, trying to push him into a real kiss, but he chuckled and pulled away from her lips. He didn't pull out of her face, however. In fact, he started moving towards her, subtly forcing her to lie flat on the bed.
When her back met the comforter, Giles pulled away. Buffy whimpered and tried to follow, but he put one hand on her shoulder to hold her down. Then he eased back, slowly kissing his way down her stomach. The kisses were light, his lips barely brushing the skin, until he met the top of her leather pants. He pressed another, firmer kiss just above the clasp of her belt before sliding off the end of the bed. He hooked his hands just under her knees and pulled her so her legs bent at the knee at the edge of the bed, her feet dangling.
Buffy whimpered at him again, but didn't make any move to get up. She turned her head to look around herself as Giles took one foot and slowly started to unlace the boot. He slid the shoe off and then the sock, and then bent to kiss the top of her foot. Then he took the other foot and repeated the process.
When both feet were bare he rose up on his knees and smoothed his hands up the outside of her legs, his eyes devouring as he went, until he reached her hips. He let his fingers trail across the front of her hips until they met the clasp of her metal loop belt, and he deftly undid it and slid it out from under her.
He let his hands rest on her hips and met her eyes, waiting for her to stop him. She didn't.
His hands delved beneath her and she closed her eyes at the feel of his warm hands on her ass. A second later she felt him find the hidden zipper to her pants. He drew it down so slowly, Buffy thought she might go insane before he got it undone. Then his hands were at her waist and he was pulling the expensive material over her hips and down her legs.
When his hands smoothed up her legs the second time, this time on bare skin, Buffy's whole body bucked at the sensation. She heard Giles chuckle, but he didn't stop his long, flowing movements. This time, instead of stopping at her waist, he rose up onto his knees on the floor and his hands smoothed under her shirt.
Buffy knew the instant he realized she wasn't wearing a bra.
Giles left his hands just below her arms, his thumbs brushing the swell of her breasts, and took a deep, calming breath. All night. At the party. In the van. When that punk was ogling her. She hadn't been wearing a thing under that thin silk shirt.
The idea caused him to be very thankful he'd decided to wear underwear when dressing that night. The zipper on his jeans would have been very painful right about now, without.
He stayed there for a moment, staring down at her, his thumbs stroking a lazy pattern on her skin. Buffy licked her lips and Giles moaned. He leaned in and kissed her, this time the way he could feel she wanted. Hard. Deep. He swept his tongue into her mouth, not asking for entry but taking it and was rewarded with an intoxicating mewling sound from the beautiful blond underneath him.
His hands slid across her skin to her bare back and he traced them back down to her waist, never lifting his mouth from hers. A mouth that Buffy had never imagined was so sensual.
Somehow she knew she'd never watch him eat the same way.
He took hold of her shirt and lifted it over her head, pulling away from her mouth only for the second needed to move the silk past. Buffy was fairly certain that even in the movies it didn't go this smoothly, but she wasn't going to question it.
Besides, it was moving smoothly because of him. Maybe the guys in the movies just weren't as good?
She dropped her head back onto the bed as he started to kiss down her collar bone, darting his tongue out every once in a while. When he reached her breastbone he stopped and pressed a full kiss to it, muttering something in what sounded like Latin. Or, it might have been Greek.
"What?"
Giles didn't look up to answer.
"Loosely translated, I said, 'from here our savior is born.' This is the center of your power, of your strength. This..." he placed another kiss on her breastbone, "This is what you draw on. This power. As a shaman does a full moon." Pressing a last kiss to her skin, he started to move down her again, brushing feather-light kisses against her before settling in between her breasts. He didn't touch, just breathed her in, and then turned his head and took her left nipple between his lips and gently sucked. Buffy moaned and lifted her arms, threading her fingers through his hair, holding his head in place as though she were afraid that if she let go, he'd leave. He didn't, however, simply continued to suckle as his other hand came up and cupped the weight of her right breast in his hand. His thumb brushed lightly against the nipple, and then he moved his head to repeat the gesture on the other side.
Buffy just lay there, her hands in his hair, and let the sensations wash over her.
After a few minutes of alternating breasts, Giles let go of them and continued his journey down her body, again brushing feather-light kisses against her skin. He couldn't seem to go slow enough. The very texture of her skin, the feel of it under his lips, was entrancing him, and he didn't think he would ever get tired of worshiping her body like this, but her restless shifting broke through the haze and he realized he was getting farther from teasing and closer to torture. He moved a little faster, reaching the top of her panties a minute later after dipping his tongue into her bellybutton. His hands came up to slid the scrap of black satin off. He sat up to pull them over her legs, and then smoothed his hands up her legs one more time, this time hooking his hands under her knees and planting her feet on the foot of the bed.
He buried his nose in her warm belly for a moment, breathing her in before he moved down and settled between her luscious legs. He gave a small nip to the skin just above her clit and Buffy's hips bucked. Giles grinned and let out a soft chuckle before wrapping his arms around her thighs to rest on her hips and hold her still. When she'd calmed a bit, he gave another lick to the same spot, and then began to nibble on her outer lips. Buffy tried to move her hips closer after a few seconds of this new teasing, but Giles managed to hold her still. She was fairly certain that it was due to the fact that her Slayer strength had been very successfully drained by the pool of desire her watcher's mouth was now dancing around.
After a minute or two, Giles gave a long slow lick, delving between her outer lips to her inner ones and brushing her entrance. Buffy moaned but didn't try to move again. Her hands were twisting into the comforter, and her legs were wrapped around Giles' head, her feet pressed into his shoulder blades.
Giles flicked his tongue into her passage and began making shallow circles in and out, coming up every now and then to give a small lick to her clit. The first time his tongue touched the bundle of nerves, Buffy's whole body jerked, and after that her hips started making small movements, following his long tongue, but not moving enough that Giles bothered to stop her.
Soon he had Buffy whimpering loudly, her eyes closed tight, her body tensed and straining towards release.
"Giles!"
He smiled into her and slid one hand off her hip. The arm snaked around and two fingers entered her, sinking deep into her warm passage as he latched onto her clit and sucked strongly, curling the fingers inside her up to find the small swell of flesh inside her. When he did and then started to flick his tongue over her clit in his mouth, Buffy's eyes snapped open and her mouth opened in a wordless scream as the orgasm suddenly slammed through her, making her back arch off the bed and her legs tighten around Giles' head.
He didn't release her clit until her body relaxed back into the bed. His fingers stopped stroking her and he gently eased them out of her and slid them into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he tasted her, and then opened them to smiled at her as he took his fingers out of his mouth and licked his lips.
Buffy was breathing very hard and watching him through half closed eyes. She'd never come that hard and was almost nervous at the smile he was giving her. She wasn't actually sure she could take any more. Her whole body was throbbing from her release, and she was relatively sure that if he touched her clit it would be much to sensitive.
But what really scared her was the fact that, really, they were just getting started. And Giles was still wearing his pants. But as she watched, he took care of that problem.
He slowly stood and unbuckled the woven leather belt before unbuttoning and unzipping the jeans. He slid them down his legs, taking his boxers with them, and Buffy audibly gasped.
And then gasped again as her 'too sensitive' core decided that it was *definitely* ready for more action. She hadn't actually thought she could get turned on again so fast, but apparently, she was wrong.
Giles moved up her again, but this time he slid his hands onto her waist and pulled her with him so that she was once again lying full on the bed. He lay down next to her and propped himself on one arm while with the other he ran a hand through her hair. His voice was a whisper.
"God, but you're beautiful."
Buffy blushed and looked down, but he caught her chin and raised it, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"You are. You're breathtaking. A goddess." He smiled and moved his hand back to her hair. "Do you have any idea how long I've been in love with you?"
Buffy bit her lip and Giles leaned forward to take it into his mouth. He sucked on it gently and then laved the place where she'd bitten, running a hand down her flushed body. Moving over her, he settled onto his elbows, bent by her head, and began kissing down her shoulder.
Buffy raised her knees to cradle him and felt his tip at her entrance. She moaned.
"Please, Giles. In me."
Giles raised his head to meet her eyes. "Condom?"
"Pill."
They stared into each other for a moment before he nodded, and slowly eased into her. This time they both moaned, and Buffy wrapped her legs around him, sending him deeper and causing her to whimper.
He started an easy motion, pulling out halfway and easing in again, but Buffy had other ideas. She'd had enough slow. She clenched her legs, forcing him into her, and arched her back as the movement caused him to hit her cervix.
Giles moaned and slammed into her again, causing the same reaction from his Slayer. She arched her hips to meet him, and soon they were causing the bed to thump against the wall in their efforts to get even closer together.
Soon Buffy started to shake, and Giles sucked on her neck as one hand snaked between them to worry her clit. A minute later she screamed, this time loudly, and called his name as her passage tightened on his cock.
Giles swore in about five different languages as he felt his control slip away when her slayer-strong muscles started clenching and releasing around him. His cry of 'Buffy' was not far behind, he collapsed on top of her, breathing hard, his forehead pressed into her shoulder.
After a few moments to regain his senses, Giles gathered her close and rolled over, pulling her with him. He reached under himself and pulled the comforter over them both.
Buffy settled her head on his chest and sighed deeply. Neither said anything for a long time, but as Giles was just falling asleep, he heard her "I love you too."
Willow was sitting on her bed in their dorm room staring at the door when Buffy came in the next morning.
Buffy closed the door behind her and then met the gaze of her roommate. "Hey."
"Details. Now."
Three hours later the two girls had finally finished rehashing Buffy's night with her watcher and were on to the whole gang concept.
"I can't say I hate the idea. I mean, people think we are anyway, right?"
Willow frowned. "Buffy, what about teachers? I mean, we'd have to act the part, right?"
"Why? How?" Buffy's eyebrows drew together and she stood up and headed towards her closet. "What would we really do differently? Willow, you dress in perky colors during the day...and then when we go patrolling, you get into comfortable clothes. We all do that. So, this is just...wearing the comfortable stuff all the time."
"I think it's more than that."
"Ok, so, we'd be a little less discreet, and a little tighter as a group. But we back each other up anyway. We're already a gang, Will. We just don't act like one."
The redhead shrugged. "Maybe that counts for something?"
Buffy didn't say anything for a minute. She pulled a pair of worn, fitted jeans from her closet and took her leather pants off, changing. The jeans hung low, showing some skin before her silk t-shirt started. She pulled the t-shirt off and chose a black shoestring tank-top instead, slipping it over her head. Grabbing a bottle of body spray from her desk, she finally turned around to face the hacker.
"Do you honestly think you have to pop bubble gum and use nothing but slang in order to look like you're in a gang?"
Willow rolled her eyes. "Of course not. And I'm not arguing that we aren't a gang. I guess it's pretty obvious that we are. I'm saying...to advertise it?"
Buffy shrugged. "Hiding it seems to buy us nothing but trouble. Let's try the other way for a while and see if it works."
"Ms. Summers. So nice of you to join us."
Buffy raised an eyebrow at her professor and slipped into her seat. "Sorry. Late night."
"I can imagine." His eyes swept over her, taking in the black shirt, the tight jeans and the leather jacket she'd slipped back into before leaving the dorms. "Still in costume I see."
She frowned. "Why do you think that?"
The professor's head snapped up at that, and their eyes met for a moment before he cleared his throat nervously and turned back to his notes. "I assume you've all gone over the material already, so let's discuss..."
Xander *didn't* bother changing his clothes before he went into work, mostly because he never got home. Anya barely let him out of her bed when he said he needed to get to work or he'd get fired.
So, needless to say, when he walked onto the construction site, a few people stared.
Xander ignored them, shed his jacket, grabbed a hard hat and got to work.
The fact that a few guys who'd been at the party last night kept their distance hardly registered.
The knock at the door came an hour early, and Giles dashed downstairs to open it. "One moment. Sorry. Rather a long night, and I'm just getting ready."
Larry Dodge and Michael Wellington nodded and came in, settling onto his couch. They watched with amusement as their friend raced around the apartment, looking for something.
"What'd ya lose?"
"Glasses. Damn. She must have moved them." Giles ran back upstairs and his two friends exchanged glances.
"She?" Larry twisted on the couch to call upstairs. "Who is 'she'?"
"Buffy!"
"Ok, so who's Buffy?"
Giles came back downstairs and looked at his best friend incredulously, but then stopped. No, he'd never mentioned her, had he? He'd tried so hard not to mention any of his night time activities...
He sighed. "Buffy is..." looking around, he spotted a photo on the end table and pointed at it. "Her. The blonde in the middle. The redhead is Willow, the boy is Xander."
Michael was closer so he reached over and picked the photo up, then let out a low whistle. "Wow. How long you been seeing her behind our backs?"
Giles grunted. "I've known her since I moved here, and long before I met either of you. However, last night was the first time the relationship became romantic." He sighed again, and made his voice nonchalant. "We've been heading the gang together since we put it together...but we weren't...involved until last night." He shrugged and finally spotted his glasses on the coffee table. "Though, apparently I wasn't the only one who's been wanting to be."
Again his two friends exchanged looks, but this time with raised eyebrows. "Gang?"
Giles managed to look startled. "You're kidding? I always thought it was rather obvious."
Buffy didn't bother knocking. Well...she never bothered knocking, and this time wasn't an exception. She and Willow barged right in, the blonde talking as she went.
"Ok, one of those annoying guys from the LA gang was hanging around classes today. Oz hit him when he grabbed Willow's ass. Tell me again why we can't just k-oh. Hi." Frowning, Buffy turned to Larry and crossed her arms. "You are?"
Larry just swallowed. Michael managed to find his voice and held out a hand. "I'm Michael. The silent one is Larry."
"Uh huh. Where's Ripper?" Glancing around the room quickly, Buffy took the stairs two at a time, calling his name. Willow raised an eyebrow at the hand, and Michael quickly pulled it back in.
"You're Willow, right?"
The redhead nodded and dropped her bag on the table, sitting in the chair in front of the spare laptop she kept here.
Larry cleared his throat and stood up, coming to stand next to Michael. "We're friends of Rupert's."
Biting her lip, the hacker nodded again. "Kay. And...you call him Rupert. I'm sure he loves that."
"Actually, no. We call him Giles. He said he prefers that."
"He does." Buffy thumped down the stairs and dropped her coat over the arm of her favorite chair, curling up in it. Willow turned back to her computer and switched it on, effectively dismissing the two men. They sat down on the couch again, facing Buffy. "He doesn't like Rupert. Says it's stuffy. It's either Ripper or Giles."
"Why Ripper?"
Buffy just grinned. Then she looked over at Willow. "He's in the bathroom."
Willow nodded and didn't look up.
Michael cleared his throat. "So..."
The slayer raised an eyebrow. "So. You're friends of Ripper's huh?" She raked her eyes over them and shrugged. "Interesting."
"What does that mean?"
Buffy shrugged. "It means, 'interesting'. Why? Do you feel that it should mean something else?"
Michael was about to say something when Giles thumped down the stairs. Buffy smiled at him and he came over and took her hand, pulling her up and kissing her, quite thoroughly. Willow sighed.
"Thank god. You two were killing us with the repressed sexual tension!"
Giles turned and glared. Michael and Larry's eyes widened and Larry almost regretted not standing so he could step back, but Willow just grinned at him and went back to her computer.
Rolling his eyes, the watcher turned back to Buffy. "How was your day?"
She pouted. "That guy who was ogling me last night at the party? He was hanging around campus today. Grabbed Will's ass and Oz hit him." She looked up at him and rested her chin on his chest. "I really don't see why he has to keep breathing."
Giles raised an eyebrow and looked at Willow, who shrugged. "I'm fine, and he won't be seeing out of that eye for a while. Buffy's just antsy."
"I see." He looked down at the blonde head on his chest and kissed it. "We'll go out tonight, ok? I'm sure we'll find something to take care of that."
Michael quietly stood up and cleared his throat.
"Oh, yes!" Giles kissed Buffy's head again and gently pushed her back. "We were planning to go to lunch today. See you tonight?"
The slayer nodded and grabbed her bag. Stretching up and kissing his cheek, she brushed past the two men in front of the couch and grabbed Willow's arm. "We'll be at the dorms. The others'll be there too. Just come get me." She grinned back at him and Willow waved as they jogged out the door.
Larry stared after them for a minute, then turned back to Giles. "Ok. Well, there will be some explanations at lunch. And we're going to Jack's. I need a beer. Or five."
Giles chuckled and nodded, grabbing his coat and following his friends out.
"Where the hell are you today?" Xander waved a hand in front of his friend and shook his head. "Could you come back from there now?"
"Sorry." Kyle sighed and glanced at a brunette climbing the side of the building. "It's just...look at her!"
Xander shook his head. "Wow. I mean, I've seen crushes...but this one beats 'em all." He glanced at his watch and nodded. "Tell you what? Let's go to Jack's for a beer, ok? You'll feel better with some food in your stomach."
"Right. Sure. Whatever you said." Kyle's eyes were still on the woman. Xander sighed and grabbed his arm, dragging him away.
"Alright." Larry took another drink of his beer. "Let's do this again...you're the head of a gang...you and this girl." Giles nodded. "You have been since before we met you." Another nod. "You two..." he vaguely gestured, "last night." Nod. "And...what? What else changed? Why all of a sudden are you being so open when you were obviously hiding?"
Giles blinked. "I was not aware we were hiding. I'm certain most people in this town are aware of the situation."
Michael sighed and nodded, earning him an incredulous look from Larry. He shrugged. "Well, I didn't know. But looking back, I should have. I mean, I mention his name and people tense up. Especially that bartender...Willie, I think."
Giles suddenly let out a bark of laughter. "Tense?" He laughed again, harder, and took his glasses off to clean them. "Yes, I believe he would be. Buffy uses him as her personal punching bag when she wants information most days."
Larry raised an eyebrow. "Well...that's kinda sad. He gets beaten on regularly by a little girl?"
The watcher's face turned stony and he slowly raised his head, meeting Larry's eyes. When he spoke it was quietly, with a hard edge to it. "I would not throw such terms around carelessly, if I were you."
Larry just nodded, his eyes going wide, as he shrank into his seat a bit.
Thankfully, from Larry's point of view anyway, there was a distraction at the door as two boys came in. Jack came out and told them they have to leave, that they weren't welcome here because of a fight the a few nights before. One of the boys shrugged and started to leave. The other one, however, who looked rather familiar to Larry and Michael, was starting to get into it with the owner, claiming that the fight was not his fault, he only got involved when some man had started in on a defenseless girl, and how *dare* Jack try to keep him out. The boy's friend was pulling at his arm, trying to get him to leave, but he wasn't budging.
Giles raised an eyebrow, watched the exchange for a minute then sighed, and got up to go over. Michael caught his arm and frowned.
"Is it really any of our business?"
The watcher blinked at him. "That's Xander. So, yes, it is."
Michael let go of Giles' arm and looked back at the boy. [He looks taller than he did in the picture], he decided. [That's why I didn't recognize him.]
Larry, however, noticed the major difference. In the picture, Xander had been smiling, and had looked kind of goofy.
But angry, the boy was downright scary.
The two men watched Giles go over and speak quietly to Jack, who was still arguing with Xander. After a few minutes he came back and picked up his coat. "I'm leaving. If you're coming, come."
And he walked out the door without a backwards glance. Xander shot one last glare at the owner and followed the older man. And from the corner of the room, Larry and Michael heard someone shout to Jack that he'd just done something incredibly stupid.
Less than a minute after the proclamation, Giles' two friends were out of their seats and running to catch up with him.
[Better a friend than an enemy.]
Giles and Xander stormed into Buffy's dorm room. The college freshman flopped onto one of the chairs, but the watcher started pacing, glaring at nothing at all and popping his knuckles.
The slayer raised an eyebrow. "Ok, give."
Xander raised his hand. "I was booted from a really nice, convenient bar because there was a fight the other night."
Willow frowned from the floor, where she'd been studying. "Wasn't that the night that girl was attacked?"
"Yeah, but Jack didn't seem to feel that was pertinent to the situation."
"Ahh." The hacker glanced at Giles. "And now the group protector is in pissed-off mode."
"Yep."
Buffy stood up and got in Giles' path, stopping the pacing, then pulled his head down into a long, slow kiss. Xander wolf-whistled about halfway through, but they ignored him. When she finally let go so they could catch their breath, the Englishman was decidedly calmer.
"Better?"
Giles simply wrapped his arms around her waist and dragged her mouth back to his, biting and suckling at her tongue.
Willow rolled her eyes and went back to her studying, and therefore did not get to see the expression on Joyce Summers' face when she burst into the dorm room, calling her daughter's name.
However, according to Xander later, it was 'one for the books'.
An hour later, Joyce was still yelling at Buffy, who was on Giles' lap, despite her mother's repeated attempts to get her to sit *anywhere* else.
"And he's as old as *I* am! To say nothing of the control he has over you..."
Willow sighed and stood up, stretching, then came over and took Joyce's arm. "Mrs. Summers, what say we go for some coffee, and I explain what's going on?"
Joyce stopped for a minute, blinking as if she didn't know where she was, then looked at Willow, really realizing she was there for the first time. After a minute, the mother nodded, and Willow led her out calmly, followed by Xander who had to get back to work.
The instant the door was shut, Buffy turned to face Giles, straddling his lap.
"Hi."
Giles smiled and kissed her, deeply and thoroughly, before answering, and when he did, it was a whisper against her lips. "Hi."
The instant the door was shut, Buffy turned to face Giles, straddling his lap.
"Hi."
Giles smiled and kissed her, deeply and thoroughly, before answering, and when he did, it was a whisper against her lips. "Hi."
His slayer grinned against his mouth, leaning closer. "Here we are, all alone in a dorm room. Whatever shall we do with ourselves?"
Giles tilted his head, seeming to think. "Let me think for a minute." He glanced around the room. "Well, first off, not here." Ignoring Buffy's pout, he stood, keeping her where she was, so she had to wrap her legs around his waist.
She giggled and did that, also wrapping her arms around his neck, though with his balance and her strength it wasn't necessary. "Ok. So, where, then?"
The watcher chuckled, starting for the door. "You'll see." He tilted his head as he reached for the doorknob, his face and tone getting serious. "Do you mind going out like this? I can put you down, if you like."
She stretched up, putting her throat at level with his mouth, then bent her head, holding her throat still, and started nibbling his ear, whispering. "Why?"
A very feral grin, that possibly might have made her nervous if she'd seen it, crossed his face, and he opened the door.
He headed down the hall to the stairs, tilting his head for her a bit and kissing over her throat. Neither of them noticed the stares they were getting from the few students in the dorms that afternoon...or from the Dean's 'special case'...also known as his snitch.
Kimberly McManhon watched Buffy and her 'friend' go down the stairs with a hawk's eye. The two girls in that dorm room had always insisted this man was just a friend. Their story had been corroborated by the young couple that constantly seemed to be hanging around the dorm room; both were students, Kimberly had found on further investigation, but didn't live in this section of the dorms, though you couldn't tell from how often they were here.
Kimberly, or 'Kim' to her friends, who were few and far between, unless they wanted something, had come up here to check and see what was going on. She'd gotten reports about a gang at a party the night before, and that it had *seemed* to be led by Buffy and her 'friend', though no one who talked to her, apparently, was willing to swear to it.
Seeing them, and how they were dressed, not to mention *attached* to each other, Kim was suddenly positive it *was* them.
Being in a gang was cause for expulsion from most high schools. She'd just have to convince the dean that it was reason for a college as well.
Given her influence over him, that shouldn't be too difficult.
To be continued...