__Warm__
By Gibberish



        Giles turned to Buffy and saw that she held Mr. Gordo, tightly, in her arms. He smiled at the picture she presented. "You were saying something about big, green and ugly, when you walked in." He reminded.

 "You might want to warn Kelly and Warren." Buffy told him. "Just in case there's more of them."

 Giles nodded. "I take it that you dispatched the one that you came across?" Giles asked.

 "Two." Buffy said with a grimace. "I don't know what they were, though. Looked a bit like Hellhounds, only bigger. And green."

 "Were you hurt?" Giles asked concerned.

 "Nah." Buffy told him with a smile. "It's amazing what surprise can get you." Buffy curled up on the couch. "Why was Mom here?"

 Giles picked up the box and joined Buffy on the couch. "Your Mother thought that I would appreciate a few things to remember you by." He looked in the box and pulled out a jewelry box. Inside was a cross pendent. "Very generous of her."

 "That's Mom." Buffy told him. She saw him pull out several framed pictures of Buffy. One by herself, one with the gang and one with her and Giles.

 Giles looked at the one of both of them together in confusion. It was from the Prom. "I don't remember that being taken." They were standing by the punch bowl, before Angel had come in.

 "I didn't either." Buffy told him. "Yearbook Staff. Jonathan found it, thought I might like it. He said it was the only time he'd seen us together that we didn't look as if the fate of the world rested on us. His words, not mine." She added with a grin.

 "Much more observant than I gave them credit for." Giles commented, still looking at the picture.

 "Would you forget me?" Buffy asked in a small voice.

 "Not in this lifetime." Giles assured her. He looked at her. "Do you think you could be easily forgotten?" The fact that she looked down, answered his question.  "How could I possibly forget you, Buffy?" He asked with a small smile. Buffy shrugged. Giles reached into the box once again and pulled out Mr. Pointy. He set it aside with a small smile. "I suppose that you should decide what to do with these, now." Giles gestured at her things.

 "Aren't they yours, now?" Buffy asked.

 "Buffy." Giles admonished. He reached into his pocket and handed her the ring box. "Your Mother requested that I send that on to Angel."

 Buffy stared at the box for a moment, then handed it back to him. "Then I guess you should."

 "Buffy?" Giles looked at her worriedly. "Don't you want it?"

 "No." Buffy said softly, a bit surprised herself.

 "What?" Giles asked, surprised, to say the least.

 "I really don't." Buffy said, a bit surprised herself. "Everything's changed, Giles. Angel just isn't a part of me anymore, hasn't been for a long time."

 "Not everything has changed, Buffy." Giles told her. "Actually, very little has changed. I know that it's difficult for you and I won't pretend to understand how you feel, but you are here. Fighting evil, laughing with your friends. The only difference is that I know that you're safe every night."

 "Your theory is a bit simplistic, isn't it?" Buffy asked. She saw Giles grin at her.

 Giles reached out and pushed back a lock of her hair. "You're here and you're safe." He looked away. "When I'd thought I'd lost you, I ... Well, you saw what I was like when you came here. You don't get much lower than sympathy from Ethan." He paused, thoughtfully. "I'm not blind, I see the differences. You're actually quite a bit like I was after Eyghon. As if you barely had control of yourself. Afraid of what would happen if that control ever slipped. But you are Buffy. The Buffy that I've come to know and respect and ... Care about. I don't think I could live without you again."

 "You won't have to." Buffy told him.


   Giles laid in his bed that night and wondered if he'd said too much. Was it really fair to burden her with his fears, when she had so many of her own? He opened his eyes and found Buffy standing next to the bed. He sat up quickly. "Buffy, are you all right?"

 "I'm cold." Buffy said in a small voice.

 Giles looked at her a moment in confusion, before he realized what she wanted. The decision was made long before he was conscious of it. He met her eyes and lifted the covers for her to join him in the bed. She snuggled up to him and he wrapped his arms around her. She was here and safe in his arms.

"I'll keep you warm."




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