RATING: If you watch it, you can read it.
DISCLAIMER: Not mine, don't sue
DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall recieve
FEEDBACK: I crave it. It's like cigarettes, you know? Just when I think I've quit...
SPOILERS: Um, Passion and everything up to Amends just to be safe.
NOTES: This is a rewrite of Amends but it has very little in common with the original
NOTES2: This is B/A fic but they are not the focus of the story. I don't like to think of Giles being alone and this story sets the scene for my very B/A rewrite of Helpless.
SUMMARY: Angel gives Giles a very special Christmas present.

The knock sounded just as Giles was cooking dinner and he looked up from what he was doing in surprise. It was Christmas Eve and he wasn't expecting company as all his friends were spending the holidays at home with their families and he didn't want to intrude. He opened the door, half expecting to see Buffy and was surprised to discover that there was nobody there.

He looked around in confusion but long experience of vampires kept him from going outside and he was just about to close the door when he glanced down. Resting on the step was a small, leather drawstring bag and a plain white envelope. Picking up both items he turned and went back into the house.

His name was printed on the front of the envelope in a firm, bold hand that he recognised at once and it was with some trepidation that Giles lifted the flap and drew out the single sheet of paper that was contained within.

Giles,

I can't undo the past, what I took from you can never be restored and I know, because of that, I can never truly make amends. However, in giving you this I do all that I can to ease the pain that I have caused you. Wear this against your skin, with love for Jenny in your heart and it will bring her close to you again.

Through you it strengthens her connection to this, the physical realm, making it possible for the two of you to communicate and even touch. To you she will be human but to others it will appear that you are talking to yourself so be cautious. To make her appear before others will require both concentration and practice but it can be done.

Words cannot begin to express how deeply I regret what I have done to you and I hope that this will help you find peace this Christmas and ever after.

Angel.

With shaking hands Giles opened the bag and emptied its contents out into his hand. Lying in his palm, glinting in the light, was a delicate silver chain on which hung and intricately designed pendant. The pendant was also of silver but it seemed to glow from within in a manner that proclaimed it as being supernatural in origin.

Hardly daring to breathe he slipped the chain over his head and, closing his eyes, tucked the pendant inside the collar of his shirt. It was warm against his skin, not at all like the cold metal it resembled and he cautiously opened his eyes. Nothing seemed to have changed and a bitter disappointment filled his heart. Then a voice to his left said quietly, "Hello, Rupert."

He recognised the voice instantly and froze; unable to turn his head for fear that it would prove to be just another dream even as he said in a tortured voice, "Jenny!"

She seemed to understand because she moved to stand in front of him, looking just as she had the first time he had seen her and his eyes filled with tears. Hesitantly, he reached out, afraid that his hand would pass right through her. As his hand touched the skin of her soft cheek the tears overflowed and he pulled her into his arms, mumbling almost incoherently that he loved her and that he had missed her and he was so sorry for not protecting her properly. Jenny held him tightly and murmured soft word of loving reassurance even as tears began to stream down her own face.

For a long time they just held each other and cried, finding peace and healing in each other's arms. Eventually their tears stopped and their lips met in a soft, loving kiss. When the kiss ended, Giles guided her into the living room and the two of them sat together. They talked for hours, all the things that they hadn't said before were said now. It was Christmas morning and dawn was nearly breaking before they finished both at peace for the first time since just after Buffy's 17th birthday. At last they slept, safe in each other's arms and when they awoke it was to make love for the first time.

Despite the strangeness of their circumstances, that Christmas was the happiest that either Giles or Jenny had ever known.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Giles walked into the library with a spring in his step and a smile on his face early on the first day back after the Christmas vacation. Every so often he glanced sideways at Jenny who was walking beside him, just to reassure himself that she was still there. To his surprise, Buffy was already there, waiting for him and as he entered the room she got to her feet.

"Buffy?" he asked questioningly.

She didn't speak for a moment, she just searched his eyes carefully, then smiled and said, "I guess it worked. How's Ms. Calendar?"

"You know?" he asked, although he wasn't sure why that surprised him seeing how close Buffy and Angel were.

"Mm-hmm. Angel thought that you might have questions and he didn't think you would want to talk to him so he told me."

"That was…thoughtful of him. I admit that I – sorry – that we do have a few questions."

"So ask. Anything Angel didn't cover I'll ask him later."

"Yes…well, um…how, exactly, do we make Jenny visible to you?"

"You concentrate. Focus on her being…what was the word? Corporal."

"Corporeal."

"Right. Angel says that it will take practice and that you should try it in front of a mirror. She'll only give a reflection when everyone can see her."

Giles nodded and then narrowed his eyes in concentration. For a long time nothing happened and then a fuzzy, insubstantial image of Jenny appeared next to him, flickering like a damaged movie reel but definitely there. Buffy jumped.

"Oh, hi. I didn't realise that you were there. I…" she hesitated and then said in a rush, "I'm so sorry. For everything."

Jenny's voice was as ghostly as her appearance but her words were clear when she said, "No, Buffy, no more guilt. We all acted badly. I should have told you who and what I was – you were my friends and I let you down."

"ARE your friends!" Buffy corrected fiercely. "That hasn't changed."

Jenny nodded, "Thank you. It wasn't your fault, Buffy, nor was it Angel's. Tell him…" she faded from sight and Giles shook his head.

"Sorry about that – I couldn't hold the image any longer. She wanted you to tell Angel that we'll go and talk to him as soon as I can hold Jenny in place for more than a few minutes."

"Ok. Um…Angel said that if you concentrate it will make her visible and if she concentrates she can effect the world around her – move things and stuff like that." She paused and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jenny, I'm talking about you as if you're not there – it's just that…you're not there."

Giles smiled at her "It's all right, Buffy. She understands." As he spoke a book lifted a few centimetres off the desk and dropped back again with a thud.

Buffy looked at it and said thoughtfully, "This is going to take a little getting used to! You have to be careful or people are going to think you're holding a conversation with yourself and that could cause problems. It wouldn't be good if you got fired because you're nuts."

"Angel said much the same in his letter, I promise that I'll bear it in mind and be very careful."

"Thank you. Anything else you want to know?"

"Not that I can…" he paused, listening and turned to face the Jenny – although to Buffy it looked like he was talking to empty air. "Oh yes…that's a good point." Turning back to Buffy he asked, "Where did Angel get it? Neither of us has ever heard of anything like this before."

She shrugged, "I don't know. I did ask him that but he wouldn't tell me. All I know is that he left Sunnydale for over a week right after Spike left and when he came back he had the pendant."

Giles nodded, making a mental note to pursue the matter at a later date, right now it was not terribly important. "Are there any limits to the pendant?"

"Limits? You mean like will it run out or need recharging?" Buffy asked.

"More or less."

"Nah, as long as you wear it, it will always work. Oh, Angel said that you shouldn't worry about losing it. The chain's magic so it will never break and only you can take it off, and then only if you really want to – if someone tries to force you to remove it against your will, it won't work."

Giles sighed in relief, he had been concerned both by the slenderness of the chain and the possibility that his new-found happiness would have a time limit. As the last of his fears slipped away he smiled, an open, joyous smile that Buffy had never seen before. It lit his face from within and for the first time she realised that her Watcher was a handsome man – although far from being her type. He laughed and pulled Jenny into his arms, swinging her round and then kissing her softly as he set her back on her feet.

To Buffy he looked very strange, spinning nothing around and then kissing empty air but she didn't care. All that mattered was that Giles was happy again and she laughed at the sight of him acting like a giddy schoolboy.

Her superb hearing picked up someone in the hall outside and she said warningly, "Giles, someone's coming you should…"

"Oh, er…of course." He said, somewhat reluctantly letting go of Jenny.

"One last thing, Giles." Buffy said.

"Yes?"

"The others don't know. I figure that they'll find out eventually but how much you tell them is up to you. I thought you might want time alone before then."

He looked at Jenny and then nodded slowly, "Yes, I think that we'd appreciate that. Thank you."

Buffy shrugged. "No biggie, I know how hard it can be having everyone thinking they should know everything about your life."

Giles looked thoughtful, "Yes, I would imagine that you do. I apologise if I have made things more difficult for you in the past."

"Nah, you only demand I tell you about Slayage, the rest of it is mostly that you'll listen if I want to talk. It's the others – mainly Willow and Xander – who think they own me 24/7."

The slight bitterness in her voice surprised Giles and he looked at her in concern.

Buffy caught the look and smiled slightly, "Don't worry, Giles, they're my friends and I'm glad of that most of the time its just that…they don't understand – can't understand – and they sometimes make things harder for me when they push too hard. It's like they have this image of who I am and they try to force me to be that way and get really upset when I'm not. That's why Angel is such a relief – he lets me be myself and I always know that I can tell him anything. That unique in my life and I treasure it."

Giles looked thoughtful but before he could speak, the library doors swung open and his chance was lost as Willow, Oz, Cordelia and Xander walked in laughing and joking with each other.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A week later…

"Hey Buffy," said Willow, sitting down next to her friend.

"Hey…what's up?" she asked when she saw Willow's expression.

"I…I was just wondering…do you know what's up with Giles lately?

"How do you mean?" Buffy asked innocently, although she knew exactly what Willow was talking about.

"He…he's been awfully happy lately."

"I don't see why that would worry you…just be glad for him."

"I am…really, but there's been some other stuff too."

"Oh…like what?"

"Well, the other day I was talking to him when he suddenly, kinda, jumped and put his hand up to his neck and when he took it away he seemed to be holding something but there was nothing there. Then he stopped listening to me and told me to come back later, he didn't even look at me; he just stared at the empty space to his left. Someone's been using the library computer a lot too and you know how he feels about it. And yesterday…I went into the library and he was sitting in his office talking to himself! It was so creepy!" Willow shivered at the memory and then looked at Buffy with big, worried eyes. "Do you think he's okay?"

"I'm sure he's fine" Buffy told her firmly, "but if it makes you feel better I'll talk to him tonight during training." Willow's relieved look confirmed what she had known from the beginning of this conversation: Giles' secret could not remain so much longer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

True to her word, when Buffy saw Giles that night, the first thing she said was "You're going to have to tell them soon, Giles."

Unknown to the others, their training sessions now had two purposes, improving her Slayer skills and improving Giles and Jenny's ability to concentrate amidst distractions, so it was no longer a surprise that, as soon as she walked in, the air next to him shimmered and suddenly Jenny stood there. While still a little fuzzy around the edges, her appearance was much more solid that it had been a week earlier.

"Hi, Ms. Calendar"

"Jenny," she said, "I'm not your teacher any more."

"Oh…ok"

"Tell who, what" asked Giles, absently, his attention focused upon keeping Jenny visible.

"Tell the others about Ms… about Jenny." Her words momentarily broke his concentration and Jenny flickered and vanished for an instant, when she reappeared she had less substance than before. "Willow is starting to think that you're cracking up…she says that you're talking to yourself, looking at nothing and holding things that aren't there…." she glanced at Jenny with a smile, "…using the computer." Jenny smiled back at the thought of Giles voluntarily using the 'dread machine'. One of the first things she had mastered was pressing keys on the computer keyboard and while Giles and Buffy trained she spent much of her time online.

"Ah…yes…I do see your point. I confess that it is harder than I thought it would be to remember that no one else is able to see Jenny."

"So you'll tell them?"

He looked over at Jenny and, at her nod of agreement said, "It would appear that we have little choice."

"Okay, good, I'll give them a call." A sudden thought struck her and she asked anxiously, "You are being careful, right? I mean, I understand that you'd forget around us but no one else has seen you?"

Giles shook his head, "We are both much more cautious outside the library, no one but you and the others ever come here so we tend to let our guard down, which is why Willow has seen enough to become concerned."

Buffy nodded, imagining how hard it would be for her to pretend that Angel was not there if she were the only one that could see him. She was a little surprised that Giles and Jenny hadn't given themselves away on the first day.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You wanted to talk to us, Giles?" Willow asked curiously from her perch on Oz's knee.

The Scooby Gang was assembled in the library, Willow and Oz occupying one chair, Xander and Cordelia another, having been summoned there by Buffy who stood in the background, watching, rather than participating in, the unfolding drama. She had assured them that there was nothing to worry about and nothing terrible had happened so they were regarding the Watcher with interest rather than alarm.

"Uh…yes. Well… Buffy informs me that you have become…concerned about my behaviour of late so it seemed prudent to explain why I may seem to have been acting…oddly since classes resumed after Christmas."

Everyone looked at him expectantly but none of them spoke.

"I…well…that is… I received…" he fell silent, for once unsure how to explain.

"Could you get on with it, Giles?" demanded an exasperated Cordelia, "I have things to do tonight and sitting around the library is not one of them!"

"I…"

"Just show them, Giles" instructed Buffy, her smile revealing her amusement at the sight of the master lecturer at a loss for words.

Unheard by the others, Jenny agreed with Buffy's suggestion, informing him that seeing was worth a thousand words.

Giles nodded, "Perhaps you're right" he admitted, then concentrated. A moment later the air next to him shimmered and Jenny Calendar stood there.

Xander shrieked and leapt to his feet, depositing Cordelia on the ground in the process. A second later he was on the far side of the room with his back against the door. "You're dead!" he accused shakily before being distracted by Cordelia who, too annoyed to be alarmed, was yelling at him for dropping her.

Willow had gasped and clutched Oz tightly when Jenny appeared but kept her seat. She pressed her eyes closed and then cautiously reopened them. Seeing that nothing had changed she asked quietly, "M-Ms. Calendar? Is that r-really you?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It took quite a while for Giles, with help from Buffy and Jenny, to explain everything but when he was finished the Scooby Gang sat in astonished silence. Xander commented spitefully that if Angel had provided the necklace there was probably a catch but he fell silent when everyone in the room turned on him and told him to shut up.

Willow was overjoyed, practically bouncing round the room and babbling non-stop at having her favourite teacher back – in a non-teaching capacity, of course. Eventually she calmed down enough to speak in coherent sentences and arranged to get together with her at some future date to discuss computers and witchcraft before resuming her seat on Oz's lap.

Cordelia stopped making out with Xander just long enough to ask, in her usually tactless way, "So Giles has been getting some and that's why he's been so happy lately? That's just…eww!"

Giles glared at her but at the same his hand reached out to clasp Jenny's and the two of them exchanged secret smiles. Buffy smiled, she had noticed that the two of them were never far apart any more, even though the necklace in no way bound them together.

Her gaze moved on to Willow and Oz and Xander and Cordelia who were all engaged in heavy make-out sessions, oblivious to their surroundings and her smile faltered as a familiar ache lodged itself in her chest. It wasn't that she begrudged them their happiness but it hurt, knowing that she and Angel could never be like them, could never get too close for fear of what might happen. The contrast between her loneliness and the others happiness was suddenly too much for her to bear and muttering something about patrol, she grabbed her bag and left the library, unaware that Giles and Jenny watched her go with understanding shadowing their eyes.

"You have to talk to him, you know." Jenny said gently as they walked into the office where they could not be overheard. "This is so hard for her and being torn between her loyalty to you and her love for him is just making it worse. You know in your head that what happened wasn't his fault, but you'll never be able to let it go until you accept it in your heart and to do that you have to face him."

"I know, it's just…hard." He sighed heavily, "We'll go tonight, I promise."

He was rewarded with a brilliant smile and a tight hug from Jenny. Closing his eyes he pressed his face into her hair and tried desperately not to remember the cruel pleasure on Angel's – on Angelus' – face as he tortured him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Just after sunset Giles and Jenny slowly made their way to the mansion on Crawford Street where Angel lived. As he knocked on the door Giles mentally braced himself for his first sight of the vampire since he had brutally tortured him over six months before.

The door swung open and their eyes met but the rush of hatred he had expected never came. There was little resemblance between Angel and Angelus he suddenly realised. They had the same face and yet somehow they looked nothing alike. Angelus' perpetual sneer was gone; the cruelty in his expression replaced by sorrow and guilt but it was his eyes that had changed the most. Someone once said that the eyes were the windows to the soul and that was certainly true of Angel. As Giles looked into his eyes he saw not the demon, but the good soul who had once been a trusted friend and ally and suddenly realised that, in time, he would be again.

Memories that had been buried by hatred suddenly resurfaced. They were sitting in the library discussing poetry and literature, each glad to talk to someone who shared their interest. He was watching as Angel took the demon that he, Giles, had raised into himself in order to save Jenny. They were in his home, talking about the dangers inherent in Buffy's role as the Slayer and trying to think of ways to keep her as safe as possible. Most vivid of all was the memory of the relief he had felt whenever Angel patrolled with Buffy. The comfort he had derived from the knowledge that Angel would give his life for her without a moment's hesitation, his protection drastically increasing her chances of surviving the battle she fought each night.

All this passed through Giles' head in an instant and he accepted Angel's invitation to enter in a dazed silence as he tried to adjust to a reality so different from the one he had thought existed.

Jenny nudged him and when he glanced at her she said, "Rupert, Angel can't see me."

"Right, sorry,"

"Sorry? For what?" asked Angel in confusion.

Instead of answering he focused his thoughts as best he could and Jenny appeared beside him. Her image wasn't perfect but in his confusion it was the best that he could do.

"Jenny!" Angel whispered, "Oh, dear God, I'm so sorry."

"No, Angel," she told him gently, "no more guilt. My people did you a great wrong, we punished your soul for the actions of the demon and it was innocent of those crimes."

"But I…"

"You weren't there, Angel. Blaming you is like saying that if someone has their car stolen and it's used as the getaway vehicle in a robbery it's the fault of the original owner. You were as much a victim in all this as anyone the demon ever killed; the tragedy is that you are forced to share its memories. You have a good soul, one of the best I've ever known. Buffy sees it; it's the reason she loves you so much. Or do you think that she could love the monster that you believe yourself to be?"

"I…I don't…"

"She's right," Giles told him suddenly, "You don't even look alike. I was so worried about coming here, seeing you – or rather, seeing him in you – and now…"

"Now?" Angel asked hoarsely, his disbelief at their kindness clear in his voice.

"…Now, I see the man that the demon made me forget – my friend, not my enemy."

Tears sparkled in Angel's dark eyes and, instinctively, the reserved Englishman reached out and embraced the vampire, his own eyes damp as he whispered huskily, "Thank you…for bringing Jenny back to me!"

"I…you're welcome." Angel said hesitantly returning the hug. As it ended, a sound from the doorway made them turn, Buffy stood there, here eyes shining with tears which spilled over even as they watched, but the happy smile on her face left no doubt that they were tears of joy.

Moving forwards she threw her arms around Giles, hugging him fiercely as she whispered, "Thank you" in his ear. They she released him and launched herself at Angel, pressing little kisses all over his face like an excited puppy, saying as she did so, "You see, I told you everything would be all right."

Angel smiled at her exuberance but then the smile faded and he gently lowered her to the ground, "Everything?" he asked sadly.

Buffy understood at once and her smile vanished, the look they exchanged was electric, so full of love and longing, pain and loneliness that it brought tears to Giles and Jenny's eyes and they looked away, feeling that they were intruding on an intensely private moment.

The next moment it was gone, Buffy forcing herself to be cheerful so expertly that if they hadn't seen what had gone before they would never have suspected that there was anything wrong. Following her lead, Angel suddenly realised that they were all standing around and invited them to come and sit down.

"My God," Jenny murmured in Giles' ear as they followed him into the living room, "has she been doing this the whole time? Pretending to be happy while she's dying inside?"

Giles flashed her a look that said as clearly as words that he was a worried as she and murmured, "Later." Recognising that this was not the time, she nodded and fell silent.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After all the tension that had come before the rest of the evening was something of an anti-climax. They sat around drinking the tea that Buffy had insisted Angel buy in preparation for this meeting, despite his doubt that Giles and Jenny would want to spend more than five minutes with him, and talking. The conversation was mostly shop-talk, discussing the latest vampires, demons and prophecy's to come their way and they all – Giles and Angel in particular – silently marvelled at how comfortable it felt to be doing so.

The only element of drama occurred when Giles asked Angel where it was he had got the pendant, adding, "I've never heard of anything which can do what it does and I would have thought that such a thing would be well documented and much in demand."

Angel looked uncomfortable and looked away, mumbling, "It's…new."

"New? How is that possible?" Giles asked at the same time Buffy exclaimed, "Angel, did…you make it?"

"No, no I didn't make it," he denied quickly, "and I don't know if it's exactly…new, but it's new to this world." Seeing from their expressions that they were not about to let the matter drop he sighed and admitted, "I went to the Faerie for it."

"Fairy's? You mean the little things with wings which are supposed to live in the bottom of gardens?" Buffy asked in disbelief, "they're real?"

"Not exactly, Buffy," Giles told her absently, his astonished gaze fixed on Angel. "The Faerie used to live on this world but as humanity spread they were hunted. They have great power; there is nothing that they can't do with silver. They imbue it with magic properties as they work it until it is almost alive. They can be great warriors when they must but they had no desire to fight so they…folded reality. Creating a world where humanity could not touch them.

There are spells to contact them but they control them, not the caster and they never grant requests without testing the one who asks. The test are reputed to be…formidable, there is only one documented occasion when someone who failed returned and he was…empty. His mind quite destroyed."

Buffy inhaled sharply and reached out to clasp Angel's hand in both of hers as if to assure herself that he was there and safe, at the same time giving him a glare that promised retribution for endangering himself without telling her.

"It was…difficult." Angel admitted and refused to say any more, although Giles was sure from the look Buffy gave him that she would get it out of him when the two of them were alone.

"They…I've passed the test now," Angel said hesitantly, "If there's even an emergency and we need their help…I have their permission to return. Only once but…"

"…But they could still prove a valuable resource." Giles nodded, his eyes glowing with excitement at the thought. "Please, you must tell me everything about them," he requested, "the opportunity of speaking to someone who has seen and spoken to the Faerie first hand is quite unique. Are they really…?"

"If you're going to get all bookish then that's my cue to leave," Buffy announced with a smile. "I have to go and patrol, anyway. Giles, Jenny, I'll see you tomorrow, Angel, I'll stop by to say goodnight when I'm done."

Giles nodded his agreement and Angel got to his feet to walk her to the door. "Are you mad?" he asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the others.

"I wish you'd told me what you were planning," she said, "but…they're so happy together… No, I can't be mad about that."

"I'm glad," a touching look of relief crossed Angel's handsome face, "I needed to do it on my own, I needed to…"

"Make amends. I know." She reached up and gently stroked his face with one small hand, "It doesn't matter how many people know it wasn't your fault, until you know it you'll keep trying to make up for what he did. Just remember that I'm always here if you need me."

Tears stung his eyes and he captured her lips in a swift kiss. When it ended he cupped her face in his hands and pulled away just far enough to see into her eyes and said fervently, "I love you."

"I know. I love you too, always," she whispered, then, before their emotions could overwhelm them, she slipped though the door and out into the night.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Several hours later, as they were walking home Giles and Jenny discussed the problem that was Buffy and Angel's relationship. The love between them was so obvious that a blind man would be able to see it, transcending the emotion that most people knew as love. As much as they loved one another Giles and Jenny knew that Buffy and Angel had something more, a true meeting of souls. Their love had quite literally survived hell and it was clear that there would never – could never – be another for either of them. Yet they could not be together either, for fear that Angel would once again lose his soul.

"It's so unfair," Jenny complained sadly, "if anyone deserves happiness it's those two, they've both suffered so much. I wish that we could help them."

"Maybe we can." Giles said suddenly.

What do you mean?"

"Maybe we can…modify the curse, or…or bind his soul to him some other way. Surely it's worth trying, I don't know why I never thought of it before."

Jenny looked thoughtful, "It might be possible to bind his soul to his body but that would mean that when he died he would become a ghost, haunting the location of his earthly remains for the rest of time."

Giles looked dejected, "Not such a good idea then."

"Hmmm…I have an idea. It would be difficult and we'll need Willow's help but…"

"But? What are you thinking?"

"What if we bound his soul to the demon itself?"

"The demon? Why…?" he stopped suddenly and said thoughtfully, "Bind him to the demon, of course. The demon has no physical body per se, it simply corrupts the body of its victim and since it has no soul then when it dies it is utterly destroyed. The bonding would be broken and Angel's soul would be able to find peace." He hugged her fiercely, "Jenny, you're a genius! Can you do it?"

A man who was walking his dog stopped and stared and the sight of a man apparently embracing nothing and self-consciously Giles let her go and they resumed their walk to his apartment.

"I think so, yes. It will take a little time to find the right spell and modify it to our needs but if you and Willow help that should speed things up a little."

"How long?"

"I don't know…a week, two at most I'd say."

"It's Buffy's birthday two weeks tomorrow," Giles said with a smile, "can you think of a better birthday present for her than Angel?"

They grinned at each other, then Jenny said mock-solemnly, "You know what the hardest part's going to be, don't you?"

"No, what?"

"Keeping this a secret from them, Willow is the most transparent person I have ever met." Laughing, Giles pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She returned it briefly then pulled away with the words, "I'll race you home, last one there has to get dinner!" the end of the sentence drifted back over her shoulder as she was already running. Shaking his head, Giles took off after her, reaching his door just seconds after she did.

Laughing like children and gasping for breath they collapsed into each other's arms. Their eyes met and just that quickly, laughter died and passion took its place. They were kissing as Giles fumbled with the lock and it was quite some time before he got around to preparing the meal he owed her for losing the race.

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