Title: Token
Author: Froxyn
Rating: FRAO
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Timeline: Immediately after Shades of Grey
Synopsis: The best way under a Slayer’s skin is through
her loved ones. Who knows that better
than a demon?
Anya took a nervous
breath and opened the door to Giles’ office.
She chuckled softly as she walked in to find Giles lying face down on
the couch, Buffy sitting on the backs of his thighs.
“Should I come back
later?”
They both looked
towards the door and Buffy laughed.
“Nothing going on
here except for a deep tissue back rub.”
Giles groaned softly
as Buffy moved off of him. “A rather
painful one at that.”
Anya raised an
eyebrow as Giles stood and reached for his shirt. As her eyes travelled over his back, she
grinned.
“I was worried about
your back…I’m going to take a guess and say that it was feeling okay last
night.”
Giles blushed heavily
and quickly slipped into his shirt, not turning to face her until it had been
completely buttoned. Scratches on his
back were one thing…scratches over his chest and stomach were something he
really didn’t want to discuss with Anya.
He cleared his
throat, glancing at Buffy as he turned towards Anya. “Yes, well…um…how is that analysis from
Buffy glanced at her
watch and smiled softly. “As much as I’d
love to hang around and listen to analysis talk…I’ve got a lunch date with my
mother and two little Gileses.”
Giles nodded as Buffy
leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Come by
afterwards? The four of us could pick
Braden and Lucas up from school. Perhaps
we could take them to see that animated film they were talking about, go out for
an early dinner…have an early Friday night for once?”
Buffy’s smile
grew. “They’d love that. I think I wouldn’t mind having an early night
either to be honest.”
Her smile faded as
Giles picked up his tie, wincing slightly with the movement. “Are you sure you don’t need to see a
doctor?”
He gave her a warm
smile and shook his head. “It’s more
muscular than anything. A doctor would
prescribe muscle relaxants…of which I have plenty at home. I’m fine, Buffy.”
Buffy regarded him
carefully before looking at Anya. “Make
sure he doesn’t lift anything while I’m gone?”
Anya snorted in
amusement. “Yeah…Giles is even more
stubborn than Xander.”
Giles rolled his
eyes. “I’m a grown man, who has perfect
hearing by the way…and I know what my limitations are.”
Buffy grinned up at
him. “Yeah, you know your
limitations…you just choose to ignore them sometimes. And…your back isn’t going to get better if
you keep pushing it.”
Anya opened her
mouth, closing it quickly when Giles snapped his eyes to hers. A slow grin appeared on her lips.
“I wasn’t going to
say anything.”
“For some reason, I
have my doubts about that statement.”
Giles replied, his voice stern but his eyes sparkling with amusement.
Buffy chuckled,
running her hand down Giles’ arm before walking towards the door. “See you in a couple of hours.”
Giles smiled and gave
her a gentle nod. “Have a nice
lunch. Give my regards to Joyce.”
“Will do. See you later, Anya.”
Anya narrowed her
eyes in slight confusion, calling out a ‘Bye, Buffy’ as Buffy breezed out of
the room. Tilting her head, she met
Giles’ eyes.
“You sure I didn’t
interrupt anything?”
Giles laughed
softly. “I’m positive, Anya. It was nothing more than what was stated.”
As Anya nodded
uncertainly, Giles prodded her on his earlier question. “The analysis from the samples sent from
“Oh…it’s going
slow.” She answered as she moved to the
couch and sat down. “I do know that it
isn’t something that has been in this dimension for at least four
centuries. The blood is toxic to humans,
but not fatal. And…how did you know?”
He arched an eyebrow,
sitting down in a chair facing her as his fingers nimbly knotted his tie. “I’m sorry?”
She sighed heavily
and lowered her voice. “We haven’t told
anyone yet…not even Ethan. How did you
know?”
A smile formed in his
eyes as well as on his lips. “You turned
down wine. And…I caught a glimpse of
Xander touching your abdomen. I wasn’t
positive, but I had a strong feeling.
How far along are you?”
“Eight weeks. But…you’re not going to say anything, are
you?”
Giles shook his head
affectionately. “It isn’t my news to
tell, Anya. I relayed my suspicion to
Buffy, only because she couldn’t understand why I tried to stop you from falling.”
“Yeah, that was a bit
weird…landing on you like that. Xander
was very appreciative though…and showed me many times last night how sorry he
was that he wasn’t close enough to help.”
Giles cleared his
throat. “Yes, and that would be much
more information than I need, Anya. I’m
just pleased that no harm came to you or the baby.”
Anya sobered and took
a deep breath. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”
“I assure you, I’m
fine.” Giles stated quickly.
Anya nodded slowly
and then looked around the room. “Where’s
Callie? She always comes to work with
you.”
“Mm…Oz took her
downstairs a while ago at Buffy’s request.
Something about me not throwing a tennis ball. As if I’m a complete invalid or something.” He grumbled.
Anya snorted a laugh
as she stood. “I really don’t think she
thinks you’re an invalid. Especially
after seeing the state of your back.”
She grinned brightly,
walking to the door as Giles blushed heavily.
“I’ll let you know what I find out about the demon goo from
“Yes…please do.” He responded quietly as she walked out and
closed the door behind her.
* * *
Two and a half hours
later, Giles looked up from the papers strewn across his desk when he heard his
youngest child’s excited squeal coming from the hallway. Callie lifted her head, her tail wagging as
she stood in her bed and stretched.
A grin formed on his
face as the two children ran into his office, Callie bolting from her bed to
greet the new arrivals. Evan giggled as
Callie playfully knocked him to the floor and started licking his face.
Haddie glanced at her
younger brother as she ran towards her father, a grimace on her face. “Evan, you have dog slobber all over you!”
Callie and Evan both
looked at her as Giles picked her up and gave her a kiss. Evan laughed again as he and Callie resumed
their wrestling match. Buffy rolled her
eyes in amusement as she made her way to Giles, giving him a light kiss as he
placed Haddie back on the ground.
“How was lunch?” He asked softly, running his fingers along
her arm.
“Interesting.” She answered, sparking a flicker of curiosity
in her husband’s eyes. “How’s your back
feeling?”
“Much better. What was interesting about lunch?”
She sighed as she
pulled an object out of her pocket. “I
realize that once I give this to you, you’ll lose yourself in your books and
then we’ll have to postpone our plans for the evening…but…”
She shrugged and then
placed the heavy item on the palm of his hand.
He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the object.
“Where did you get
this?”
“Someone slipped it
through Mom’s mail slot. I thought you’d
like to have a look at it…it being an old coin or whatever.” She furrowed her brow when he looked up
sharply. “What?”
“I don’t have to
consult my books for this. It isn’t an
old coin, it’s a token.” He glanced back
down as he turned the token over in his hand again. “I haven’t seen one in nearly forty years.”
“Oh. What kind of token? Train? Car wash?”
Giles shook his head
slowly and licked his lips. “I need you
to ask
“Giles, what’s going
on?” She asked cautiously as she watched
him rub his thumb over the writing on the back of the token.
He glanced at the two
children happily playing with Callie before meeting her eyes. “This is in direct relation to you, the
Slayer.”
“Huh?” Her eyes filled with confusion as she lifted
the token from his hand. “What do you
mean?”
Giles swallowed and
ran his hand through his hair. “In the
past, tokens such as these were given to certain people…in order to draw the
Slayer out of hiding.”
Buffy shook her head,
clearly not understanding. “Okay, first
of all…I’m not in hiding. Second
of all, how is giving some random person a piece of bronze supposed to draw a
Slayer out of hiding. And third of
all? Why?”
“Brass.” Giles stated as he sat down on the corner of
his desk.
“What?”
He inhaled softly
when he heard the exasperation in her voice.
“It’s brass, not bronze. They
aren’t given to random people, they’re given to those who have close ties to
the Slayer. As for why…it’s much like a
challenge to a duel.”
“Some weirdo wants to
fight me? Why doesn’t he just catch me
out while I’m shopping or after I’ve dropped the kids off at school?”
Giles glanced at
their children again and lowered his voice.
“It’s more complicated than that, Buffy.
It isn’t merely a fight that the owner of the tokens is looking
for. That’s how they worked when they
were used…the tokens are a means of threatening the Slayer’s loved ones.”
Buffy’s eyes
widened. “What?”
“Whoever this person
is…he’s trying to draw you out. He’s
challenging you…and he’s just said that if you disregard the challenge, your
mother will pay the price.”
Buffy thought for a
moment, running Giles’ words through her head.
“How do I find him?”
Haddie’s laughter
interrupted Giles’ response. As he and
Buffy turned to watch their children play, a thought raced through Giles’ mind.
“Dear Lord!”
Buffy snapped her
eyes back to him as he scrambled to the bookcase behind his desk and pulled a
book down from the second shelf. “What
is it?”
He flipped through
the pages quickly, not wanting to alarm his wife unnecessarily. He glanced at the writing on the token again
and bit his lip.
“Giles, what – ”
He swallowed as he
looked up from the book and met her eyes.
“It isn’t your mother that this person has threatened.”
She instantly knew
what he meant. Their children had spent
the previous night at her mother’s house.
And…what was the easiest way to ensure that a person accepts a
challenge?
Threaten that
person’s children.
“Oh my God.” She whispered as her eyes glistened. “Giles…”
He opened his desk
drawer and grabbed his keys. Though he
felt his panic heighten inside of him, he forced a cheery tone into his voice.
“Hadley? Evan?
What would you say to going to pick your brothers up early from school?”
Haddie grinned
brightly. “Yay!”
Evan smiled as Callie
licked his face. “Callie’s coming too,
yeah?”
Haddie rolled her
eyes at her younger brother. “Well, she
can’t stay here by herself, can she?”
Evan narrowed his
eyes as he stood up. “I was just
asking.”
Buffy cleared her
throat as she tried to hide her anxiety.
“Okay, no arguing. Let’s go get
your brothers.”
Giles slipped the
token into his front pocket before reaching for Callie’s lead. He didn’t want to tell Buffy what the
previous outcomes of such challenges had been…but he knew that he was going to
have to.
Out of eight known
token challenges, five resulted in the immediate death of the Slayer. Two were injured so badly that it was
necessary that they be deactivated from duty and replaced by the next in
line.
The other…the one who
had been challenged when Giles was a child…the one whose token had been used as
an educational tool during his training…she was left in a coma from which she
never recovered.
Neither her Watcher
nor her father were able to let her go.
Her heart and lungs finally gave out ten years later. She had never regained consciousness.
A Slayer had never
won a token challenge.
Then again, a Slayer
had never had four children to protect.
Giles tried his best
to keep the car at the posted speed limit.
But, as his anxiety grew, he found it extremely difficult. He cursed under his breath when a traffic
light turned red as he approached.
Buffy was faring no
better, though she was attempting to concentrate on the chatter going on
between Haddie and Evan. She nearly
chuckled when she heard Evan try to bring Callie into their conversation by
asking Callie what she thought about what Haddie had just said.
Had Buffy not been so
worried about her two older children, she would have laughed. As it were, she tightened her hand around her
husband’s and stared out the window…trying her best to keep her tears at bay.
Despite being caught
by three separate traffic lights, Giles made it to the school fairly
quickly. As he and Buffy both started to
get out of the car, their eyes met. They
made the decision quickly and silently. Buffy
gave him a gentle nod and closed her door.
Giles was the calmer
one of the two. At least, he portrayed
himself as being the calmer one. Buffy
knew that inside, his heart was racing as fast as hers was. He was just as worried as she, he just had better
control of his outward emotions.
And if she were to go
in and sign them out of the rest of their classes for the day, they would know
something was wrong as soon as they took one look at her.
She watched her
husband until he walked into the school.
Plastering a fake smile on her lips, she turned in her seat to watch the
two youngest Giles. Callie looked at
Buffy and tilted her head, her ears perking.
Buffy gave her a
small smile, to which Callie wagged her tail.
* * *
As they walked into the
house, nudging their backpacks off their shoulders, Braden smiled at his
younger brother.
“Hey Luke, show Dad
what you found today.”
Lucas’ eyes lit up as
he dropped his bag to the floor and knelt beside of it, quickly pulling the
zipper open. “I almost forgot!”
Giles locked the
front door as Buffy bent down to pick up Haddie’s shoes that she had kicked off
as soon as she ran into the house. He
dropped his keys onto the small hall table and smiled softly.
“You seem excited,
Lucas.”
Lucas nodded as he
rummaged around in his bag. “Yeah, it’s
so cool! Bay said you might be able to
tell me how old it is.”
Giles narrowed his
eyes. “How old it is?”
“It looks old.” Lucas stated as he pulled his hand out of his
bag and held the object towards his father.
“See?”
Buffy’s eyes widened,
dropping Haddie’s shoes to the floor, as Giles took the token from Lucas. “Where did you find that?”
“On the front steps
at school. I thought this guy dropped
it, but when I asked him, he said it wasn’t his.” Lucas answered quickly before looking at
Giles. “Do you think you can figure out
how old it is, Dad?”
Giles nodded slowly,
staring at the token. “I’ll, uh…see what
I can find out. Why don’t the two of you
get started on your homework?”
Lucas nodded and
picked his bag back up. “Okay.”
As Lucas trotted off
towards his room, Braden studied his father closely. “What’s wrong, Dad?”
“Hm?” Giles answered distractedly as he curled his
fingers around the token and lifted his gaze.
“Oh, nothing. It’s just…rather
interesting, this old coin.”
Braden narrowed his
eyes slightly, not really convinced by his father’s statement. Knowing better than to push him for any more
information, Braden simply sighed and looked at his mother.
“So, I’ll just go
start on my homework, then.”
After Braden walked
down the hall, Giles made his way into the living room with Buffy following
him. He stared at the token as he sat
down on the couch, the sounds of his youngest two children’s laughter coming
from the playroom down the hall sounding very far away.
Buffy tried to reel
her panic in as she sat down next to him.
“So, how do I find this guy?”
“Buffy…”
Her eyes glistened as
she shook her head. “No, don’t you dare
try to talk me out of this! He’s
threatened our children!”
He looked up sharply,
clenching and releasing his jaw. “I’m
well aware of that fact, Buffy.”
She cursed herself
softly, seeing the anxiety in his eyes.
“I’m sorry…”
Giles swallowed and
glanced towards the hall. “I vowed to
protect them from the moment they were conceived.”
Buffy opened her
mouth, but remained quiet for a moment as she heard him whisper an addition to
his statement.
“In this instance, I
can’t. I’d give my life for them…but it
wouldn’t be taken this time.”
“Giles, we – ”
He turned his watery
eyes to hers. “I don’t think I can
protect you this time.”
Hearing the fear in
his trembling voice, she moved closer to him and covered the hand holding the
token with hers.
“This isn’t about you
protecting me, Giles. This is about us
protecting our children.”
He shook his head
slowly. “You don’t understand. This is about you. It has nothing to do with our children,
Buffy…and everything to do with you.
Whoever this is…he doesn’t care about them. He cares about calling you out into the
open. He cares about…”
She lifted her free
hand and gently wiped away a tear from his cheek as he trailed off. “Talk to me.
Tell me about these tokens.”
“A Slayer has never
won a token challenge.” He whispered
painfully. “Out of eight challenges,
only two Slayers even survived. Three,
if you count Esme.”
Buffy narrowed her
eyes in confusion. “You said none have
won…but two, maybe three, lived?”
“Two survived. I wouldn’t exactly say that they ‘lived’…and
I definitely wouldn’t consider their challenge outcomes to be successes.”
He took a deep breath
and pulled his hand out from under hers.
He thought for a moment and then lifted the token for her to see.
“The purpose of these
is to force a Slayer into battle with an unknown foe. The purpose of that battle is to forcefully
take a Slayer off of the active list.
Eight challenges have been given, and accepted, in the past. Eight Slayers have been taken off of the
active list.”
He threw the token
across the room, not caring where it rolled.
“Five died during
battle. Two were injured so badly that
they had to be decommissioned. One of
those had severe brain damage and ended up in a psychiatric hospital for the
remainder of her life. No one knows what
became of the other.”
Buffy swallowed
thickly. “Who was Esme?”
Giles lowered his
eyes. “She was challenged when I was
eight years old. She died when I was
eighteen. Esme never regained
consciousness…and her Watcher never left her side. Her token was used to educate the students at
the Academy on a practice that was seldom used.”
“Hers was the one
that you saw forty years ago?”
He nodded slowly,
lifting his head to look into her eyes.
“Her Watcher couldn’t protect her.
Just as I can’t protect you. But,
he wasn’t Esme’s husband…or the father of her children.”
“But he obviously
loved her.” She whispered, running her
fingers through his hair.
“Yes. He loved her very much.” He answered, resting his hand on her thigh.
“Who did they give
the token to?”
“Him…her Watcher,
Carlos Reyes. The one person they knew
she would die for.” His voice quavered
as his hand moved up the outside of her thigh, coming to a rest near her hip. “They know you would give your life for the
children. They also know I can do
nothing to stop it.”
“How does it
work?”
He inhaled shakily
and stood suddenly. “I…I need tea.”
With that, he turned
and made his way into the kitchen. She
followed quickly and grabbed his arm, turning him to face her.
“You don’t
need tea. You’re using tea to run from
what you don’t want to tell me. Our
children are involved, Giles…you need – ”
He cut her off with a
kiss. She could feel his passion and
desire hidden underneath his desperation and fear. He thrust his tongue into her mouth as he
backed her against the door of the refrigerator.
He picked her up
effortlessly and settled her core over his burgeoning erection. She broke the kiss quickly and looked into
his eyes, both of them panting heavily as he rocked his hips against her.
“Giles, not here…not
like this. The kids…”
He stopped his
movements instantly and nodded slowly, easing her back down to the floor. “I’m sorry, I…” He sighed, not knowing how to finish his
apology.
“Please, tell me how
it works.” She whispered, her hand
resting on the side of his neck as she gazed into his eyes. “Please, Rupert…”
He swallowed and took
her hand, leading her to the kitchen table and gesturing for her to sit. He turned his chair so that he was positioned
directly in front of her and sat down.
She gave him a few
moments to collect his thoughts. When
she saw his brow furrow as he hesitated, she lightly squeezed his hand.
He spoke softly, his
words spilling out of his mouth.
“There are losses
either way. Should you accept the
challenge, chances are extremely high that the children and I will lose
you. If you decline, we’ll lose our
children. Hiding isn’t an option, he’ll
find us…and then he’ll slaughter the children in front of us before
continuing. It isn’t a vampire, the fact
that he was in the daylight and in the presence of Braden and Lucas proves that
much, at least. That leads me to believe
that he’s a demon capable of taking on a human appearance when needed.”
“Giles…”
He continued, not
even acknowledging that she had spoken his name.
“He’ll find you when
he’s ready. He’ll ask whether or not you
accept the challenge. There will be no
more time to prepare…as soon as you give your answer, the battle will begin.” He glanced around the room and licked his
lips. “He isn’t a vampire, which means
he doesn’t need an invitation to enter.
We’ll need to set up wards as soon as possible.”
Giles ran his hand
through his hair in a nervous gesture.
“If we can keep him from just barging in, it will give us at least a few
more minutes. Or, he could be a
half-breed…a demon who looks human. Most
half-breeds are fairly peaceful though.”
Buffy sighed as his
disjointed ramble continued. “Giles…what
happens if I win the challenge?”
When he met her eyes,
she exhaled deeply. “There’s no question
of whether I accept or not. You know
that I have to.”
“I know.” He whispered sadly. “I also know that if anyone can win this
challenge, it’s you.”
“But you’re
scared.” She stated unnecessarily.
“Terrified.” He corrected as he trailed his fingertips down
the side of her face. “Probably more so
than with the First.”
“Braden knows
something’s wrong. He can read you
almost as well as I can.”
Giles dropped his
hand from her face, resting both palms on her thighs. “I should research…find demons that have the
ability to look human.”
“Giles…”
He shook his head,
tears welling in his eyes. “I can’t sit
here and do nothing but wait, Buffy.
I’ve never been good at waiting when your life is in danger. I’m even worse when our children are being
threatened. I have to do something…and
research is all I can do at this point.”
“I’ll help.” She whispered, reaching up to caress the side
of his face. “We could call
“No.” He interrupted quickly. “Getting them involved would only put them in
danger. I…I can’t do that to them.”
She started to argue
the point, but realized that he was right.
Their friends he could protect…even if it was by not getting them
involved. At least he knew that they
would be safe.
She nodded slowly and
moved her hand to the back of his neck.
“We’ll get through this, Giles.”
He said nothing, but
allowed her to draw him towards her waiting lips. He kissed her slowly and, though she seemed
somewhat calm outwardly, he could taste the bitter taste of fear on her tongue.
The wards had been
put into place, protecting the house from anyone trying to get in. Research had yielded a few possibilities, but
nothing definite. They had forced their
emotions into hiding during dinner, determined to have a normal Giles family
dinner…which included laughter, some forced and some not. Each of their children had a natural sense of
humour that never failed to make them laugh.
And now, they were
asleep. Giles and Buffy were checking on
them for the fourth time since they’d gone to bed. Four children, two tokens…only two of them
had been threatened. One of them was
Lucas. They didn’t know which of the other
three had been threatened as well. And
it didn’t matter which one it was, it mattered that one of them was in danger.
“It’s late.”
Giles nodded at
Buffy’s soft whisper, continuing to gaze into Haddie’s room. Evan had insisted on sleeping with her
tonight, but refused to give a reason other than ‘because I want to’. Giles was fairly certain that, even though they
had tried to disguise it, Evan had picked up on his parents’ anxiety.
“I’m not sure that
sleep will find me tonight.” He replied,
looking down at her.
She nodded slowly,
confirming that she felt the same, and took hold of his hand. “Come to bed with me, Giles.”
After another
lingering look inside the room, and a pause at each of the older boys’ rooms,
he followed her into their bedroom. When
she closed the bedroom door, as she usually did, he furrowed his brow.
“I – ”
She reached up and
pressed two fingers over his lips. “I
know…you’d rather leave it open, just in case.
So would I.”
Confusion shone in
his eyes. She took a deep breath and
lowered her hand.
“I feel almost
selfish for what I’m getting ready to say, but…I want to make love with you
tonight.”
Giles regarded her
carefully, looking deep into her eyes as he sat down on the edge of the
bed. “Why do you feel ‘almost selfish’?”
“There’s real danger,
Giles. I mean…bad things are going to
happen…” She moved between his legs and
ran her fingers through his hair, tilting his head back slightly as she bent
down to brush her lips across his.
“And…I want you so badly right now.”
When he offered her a
gentle smile, she raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
His hands moved to
her hips, his thumbs edging under the hem of her shirt to stroke her soft
skin. “You do remember that I nearly
took you in the kitchen earlier, yes?”
She nodded slowly,
feeling her pulse quicken as his hands moved underneath her shirt and up her
sides, pushing the shirt up with his slow movements.
“It’s human
nature. We seek comfort in times of
strife. We crave the touch of a loved
one when we fear the worst. It’s a
normal reaction.” He leaned forward and
pressed a tender kiss to her exposed navel before looking up to meet her eyes
once more. “And I want you as well,
Buffy. I don’t consider it a selfish
notion…not at all.”
She shivered lightly
as his hands continued upwards, pausing when his fingers reached her bra. His voice was rich and deep as he continued.
“It isn’t about
sex. It’s about love…and life…and
embracing both instead of drowning in desperation.” He licked his lips as she nodded. Removing his hands from her body, he started
unbuttoning his shirt as he watched her pull her shirt over her head, dropping
it to the floor. “And I would much
rather drown in you than in desperation.”
A small smile played
at her lips as he discarded his shirt.
As soon as his upper body was bare, she placed her hands on his chest
and pushed him backwards onto the bed, climbing on top of him as he fell back.
“How can you make
something that’s so corny sound so…beautiful?”
“Must be the
accent.” He murmured as he slipped his
hand behind her neck and pulled her down for a kiss.
* * *
Braden woke up and
rubbed his eyes as the soft light from the hall spilled into his room. “Luke?”
Lucas walked into his
older brother’s room, rubbing his left arm nervously. “I had another one.”
Braden moved over in
the bed and waved Lucas over. “Come on
and tell me about it.”
Lucas closed the door
and ran towards the bed. He climbed up
and slipped under the covers, biting his lip as he tried to keep from
crying. “It was really bad this time,
Bay. There was this guy…and he had me
and Evan…and…he was going to hurt us.”
Braden sighed softly
and stroked Lucas’ hair. “I think you
need to tell Mum and Dad about these.”
When Lucas started to
protest, Braden shook his head. “No,
Luke…listen. They’re not going to think
you’re weird or that something’s wrong with you.”
Lucas’ bottom lip
trembled. “What if they do?”
“Okay, I’m training
to be a Watcher…Haddie sees spirits. Why
would they think you’re weird for having dreams that sometimes come true? Mum has them too. Dad calls them ‘prophecy dreams’. All Slayers have them. Dad’s had a couple too, but not lately.”
Lucas’ eyes
widened. “How do you know?”
Braden took a deep
breath and propped himself up on his elbow.
“I heard one of the older students talking about it at the Academy, so I
asked Dad if it was true. He told me it
was. So, they’re not going to think
anything’s wrong with you if you tell them.”
Lucas thought about
it for a moment, his fingers absently rubbing at the blanket. “Will you be there with me when I tell them?”
Braden nodded and
laid back down. “If you want me to be.”
“Can I stay in here
with you?”
Braden closed his
eyes as he yawned. “Yeah, if you’re
quiet.”
“I’ll be quiet.” Lucas whispered. “The dreams aren’t as bad when I’m with you,
because I know you wouldn’t let anything bad happen to me.”
Braden opened his
eyes and looked at his brother. “No, I
wouldn’t. Go back to sleep, Luke. I’ll be right here.”
Lucas nodded and
closed his eyes. “Thanks, Bay.”
Braden kept a close
eye on his brother until he was sure Lucas had fallen back asleep. Only then did he close his eyes again.
* * *
Buffy groaned softly
as Giles moved slowly within her, his lips warm against the side of her
neck. Her arms were wrapped tightly
around his back, holding him to her as she lifted her hips to meet his
thrusts.
“Love you…” She murmured, sliding her right hand down his
spine.
He lifted his head,
placing a trail of soft kisses along her jaw to her lips. “I love you.”
She gasped as he
pulled her bottom lip into his mouth, gently nipping it with his teeth before
soothing it with the tip of his tongue.
She felt the healing scratches along his back and thought about how much
tonight contrasted with last night.
Last night he was
fucking her, slamming his hips against her as the most deliciously obscene
words sprayed from his mouth in an effort to make her come harder…faster. Tonight, he was making love with
her…whispering the sweetest words of love and adoration she’d ever heard in
between his gentle, loving kisses.
Last night there was no
fear, no threats to anyone, no challenges that needed to be taken. Tonight, they were both terrified of what was
to happen. There was the fear of not
knowing when it would happen, but knowing that the danger was imminent.
But, most of
all…there was love. The love they had
for one another, the love they had for their children…that was the only thing
of importance at this moment.
She felt the familiar
sensation of her impending orgasm as his mouth moved back to her neck, his
tongue gliding along her flesh as his fingers intertwined with hers…his hand
pressing the back of hers against the pillow under her head.
“Giles…” She groaned, tilting her head back as his
mouth moved to her throat. “God,
Rupert…”
His groan vibrated
against her skin, his thrusts shortening as his cock thickened within her. He ran his tongue along her throat, up to her
chin.
“Buffy…so close,
love…” He whispered as he straightened
his arms, pushing himself deeper as he looked into her eyes. “Come with me.”
Her orgasm broke
free, her warm fluids gushing over him, taking him over the edge with her. He lowered his mouth to hers, swallowing her
groans as he moaned into her mouth. Her
body trembled beneath him as he flooded her inner walls with his come, but
continued to thrust.
The bedsprings
creaked softly as he pushed harder, urging her to come again. She complied when his free hand moved between
their bodies, his thumb pressing against her swollen clitoris.
This time, he
swallowed a scream instead of a groan.
He brought her down
slowly, easing her down from her last orgasm with a tenderness that filled her
heart with more love than she could have ever imagined. When his softening cock slipped from her and
he moved to her side, she moved with him…unwilling to relinquish his lips just
yet.
He gently pulled his
hand from hers, wrapping his arms around her as he slowly ended the kiss. Both breathing heavily, their hearts racing,
their trembling fingers stroking one another’s skin…he looked into her eyes and
whispered words to her with a conviction she hadn’t heard in years.
“You will be
the first Slayer to win.”
The tone of his
voice, the belief shining in his green eyes, the power of his words…
She gasped softly,
tears welling in her eyes as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her
throat. There was no doubt that he
believed in her, that he always had believed in her. He may not be able to physically help her in
this battle, but she could feel him in her soul. She could feel his power, his
determination…and those were stronger than their fear combined.
She nodded slowly and
leaned into him, her breath warm against his lips.
“Yes, I will
be.” She whispered before their lips met
again.
* * *
Nearly forty-five minutes
away, Ethan woke suddenly when he reached for Michael and only found warm
sheets. His eyes widened as he looked
towards the foot of the bed.
Michael stood at the
foot of the bed, trembling in fear…duct tape over his mouth and an intruder’s
hand wrapped around his throat.
Instinctively, Ethan jumped from the bed to help his husband.
The intruder shook
his head, tightening his grip on Michael.
“Now, now…you move too quickly, he’ll be dead before you find out what
to do to save him.”
Ethan stopped, his
heart racing with fear. He looked into
Michael’s eyes as he spoke to the intruder.
“What do you want?”
“It’s quite simple,
really.” The man’s voice was eerily
calm. “You get dressed…and then the
three of us are going to see an old friend of yours.”
“What?” Ethan whispered as he looked at the man.
“I could smell your
magic from miles away. I need your
help. You help me, he lives. You refuse, he dies.” He loosened his hold on Michael and smiled at
Ethan. “As I said, it’s all quite
simple, really.”
Ethan nodded and,
with no further hesitation, pulled a change of clothes from the closet.
Ethan glanced at the
‘man’, who had introduced himself as Padaler, as they walked along the path to
Giles’ front porch. He was sure that the
‘man’ wasn’t a man at all, but couldn’t identify the species of demon.
“I’m not sure what
Rupert’s done to you, but I am sure that this isn’t the way to go about
rectifying the problem.”
Padaler grinned at
him, his hand gripping the back of Michael’s shirt as they walked. “The Watcher is of no concern to me.”
Ethan stopped
suddenly, his eyes widening. “If you
hurt anyone in there, Rupert will not stop until he’s hunted you down and
ripped you apart…literally.”
Padaler chuckled,
gently pushing Michael up the four steps.
“I appreciate your concern. Now,
please…dispense of these barriers for me.
I’m on a rather tight schedule.”
Ethan hesitated and
Padaler pressed his sharp nails through Michael’s shirt and into his skin,
causing Michael to cry out in pain.
“Please, Mr. Rayne…I
don’t want to have to kill him, but I will if you don’t do what I ask.”
Ethan swallowed
thickly and took a deep breath. He
quickly mumbled a short burst of words, hoping that he could make a connection
with Rupert before Padaler realized what he was doing. Before he was forced to remove the wards that
Rupert had obviously put up to fend off this creature.
He felt the
connection snap into place and sent a brief, but urgent message before closing
the line and setting to work.
* * *
“Rupert! Please, God, WAKE UP!”
Giles’ eyes snapped
open, his heart racing as he bolted upright.
Buffy was on alert instantly, sitting up and staring at him in
alarm.
“Giles! What is it?”
“Ethan.” He stated softly as he climbed out of
bed. “Get dressed quickly.”
Confused and
frightened, Buffy jumped out of bed and pulled on the first thing she could
find…which happened to be the nightgown she had discarded during their second
round of love making that night.
“We can’t go
after Ethan tonight, Giles.”
Giles inhaled
sharply, the scent of Ethan’s magic heavy, and shook his head. “He’s here.
There’s trouble.”
“Check on the
kids! I’ll – ” She interrupted herself as she swung the bedroom
door open, light from the living room edging into the hallway. “Did you leave the living room light on?”
Giles shook his head
and pushed past her, racing down the short length of the hall and coming to a
dead stop as he ran into the living room. Buffy’s shoulder knocked into his arm as she
ran around him, stopping with a sharp gasp a little in front of him.
“Oh my God!”
Ethan looked up,
tears in his eyes and a very frightened Braden in his arms. The boy’s mouth had been duct taped, just as
the other three children’s mouths were.
Callie stood off to the side, a deep growl rumbling in her chest and her
fur bristling along her back.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered brokenly. “He was going to kill Michael, I…God, I’m
sorry.”
Michael sat next to
Ethan, Haddie in his arms. Tears
streamed down her face as she looked at her parents. Michael’s throat was red from Padaler’s
earlier grip, the back of his shirt was nearly saturated with blood.
Giles’ heart raced in
his chest, his throat suddenly dry as he looked at the intruder in
question. Padaler stood in the middle of
the room…Lucas and Evan flanking him.
Padaler had his left hand on Lucas’ head, his right on Evan’s. He grinned maniacally.
“Hello, Slayer. Might want to call off the dog.”
Buffy started to take
a step forward, halted by Giles’ firm grip on her arm. She opened her mouth to question him, without
taking her eyes off Padaler, but closed it when she heard his gruff voice.
“Ethan, Michael…take
Braden and Hadley downstairs please.
Take Callie with you.”
“I…” Ethan began, stopping when Giles turned his
rage-darkened eyes to him.
“Now. Tend to Michael’s wounds, watch the
children. Don’t argue with me,
Ethan.” He glanced at his beloved boxer. “Callie.”
Callie looked up at
him, flicking her eyes back to the man in the centre of the living room. Giles spoke her name again, this time giving
her an order.
“Callie…go with
Braden. Now.”
Callie seemed torn,
but backed away slowly before turning and making her way to Braden.
Braden shook his head
furiously, his eyes widening as he stared at his father. Haddie wrapped her arms tightly around
Michael’s neck as he stood, wobbling slightly under the pain coursing through
his back.
Ethan whispered
another apology as they walked past Buffy and Giles. Giles merely gave him a quick nod of
acceptance, his eyes locked on the man holding their other two children
hostage. Hearing the basement door open
and close, Buffy and Giles both took a step forward.
Padaler’s fingers
rubbed the boys’ hair as he tilted his head to the side and smiled at
Buffy. “So, now we have a choice to
make.”
“Seems so.” Buffy replied as she looked at the
children. “You okay?”
Lucas and Evan both
nodded, fear evident in their green eyes.
Buffy slowly met Padaler’s
eyes, hers darkening dangerously. “Let
them go.”
Padaler raised an
eyebrow. “You accept the challenge
then? That was fairly easy.”
“You knew it would
be.” Giles responded coldly.
Padaler shrugged and
removed his hands from the boys’ heads. “I nearly chose you. But, I realized that you would sacrifice
yourself for her. And that just wouldn’t
do.”
The demon smiled as
he glanced at the two boys. “Run along
children. And remember…don’t play with
strangers.”
Lucas and Evan ran to
their parents, who both knelt and wrapped their arms around them. Buffy kissed them both, well aware that it
could possibly be the last time she would ever see them.
“Go downstairs.” She whispered softly. “And stay there until Daddy comes to get you,
okay?”
Giles gingerly
removed the duct tape from the boys’ mouths, urging them to remain silent as he
did. He looked into Lucas’ eyes as he
lovingly stroked his cheek.
“Tell Ethan that I
understand and that I’m not angry with him.”
“Dad…”
Giles shook his head quickly,
glancing up as the demon began to pace impatiently. “No.
Take Evan downstairs now. Please,
Lucas…go.”
Lucas nodded and took
Evan’s hand before kissing his mother’s cheek.
“I love you, Mum.”
Buffy forced a smile
onto her face as she wiped a tear away.
“I love you too. Now, please…do
as your father says.”
As Lucas led Evan to
the basement door, Buffy and Giles both stood back up. Padaler stopped pacing as the basement door
closed and locked. He glared at Giles,
narrowing his eyes.
“I’ll not accept your
life for hers. And you are not allowed
to help her.”
“I know.” Giles answered softly. “But, you could at least have the courtesy to
allow a fair match. And, as she is
dressed now, a fair match it would not be.”
Padaler thought for a
moment and then gave a quick nod. “That
is a fair request.”
Giles refused to
lower his eyes from the demon. “Buffy,
go get changed. Make it quick, love.”
A grin flitted across
Padaler’s face. “In fact, let’s say that
if you’re not back within thirty seconds, your Watcher…your husband
dies.”
Buffy’s eyes
widened. Giles glanced at her, gently
tugging her hand.
“Grab a change of
clothes and bring it in here.”
She nodded quickly
and squeezed his hand before letting it go and running towards the bedroom. Padaler watched her until she was out of
sight.
“Beautiful
specimen. I think she’s probably the
most beautiful Slayer I’ve seen.”
“Why Buffy?” Giles asked, ignoring the demon’s
statement. “Why challenge her?”
Padaler’s eyes
darkened. “Because she killed my
brother. It’s the custom of my
people. Fifteen years after the wrongful
death of a family member, the death must be avenged.”
Giles’ eyes narrowed
as Buffy rushed back into the room, her clothing in her arms.
“You’re Brishkan?”
Padaler stood tall,
his eyes flickering with pride. “Of the
Laverian clan. You know of us?”
Giles nodded slowly
as Buffy dressed quickly. “I am a
Watcher.”
Padaler’s eyes grew
dark. “Did you watch your Slayer murder
my brother?”
“Huh?” Buffy asked as she moved to Giles’ side, now
fully dressed and ready for combat.
The demon stared at
Buffy, his hands clenching into fists.
“Fifteen years ago, to this day.”
Without thinking,
Giles ran towards the bookshelf. He
stopped when the demon barked an order for him to halt.
“What do you think
you’re doing, Watcher?” Padaler growled.
“My, uh…my journals
are kept on the bookshelf. The details
of the demons that Buffy has slain over the years are in those journals.” Giles explained, glancing at Buffy.
“And why exactly do
you think I care?”
Giles cleared his
throat, hoping that the demon didn’t realize that he was stalling. “Perhaps this is a misunderstanding. I would like confirmation of the incident
you’re referring to. If it isn’t
documented that Buffy slew a Brishkan fifteen years ago, then your challenge
would be unfounded. And you would have
to live with the fact that you had taken an innocent woman’s life.”
Giles continued,
slowly edging towards the bookshelf. “From
what I remember of my studies, the Brishkan elders do not take kindly to their
people harming innocent humans.
Murdering an innocent human would, no doubt, have some extremely serious
consequences.”
Padaler snarled. “Fine, check your books.”
What Giles neglected
to tell the demon was that not only did he record the type of demon killed, but
he also recorded any known weaknesses of the species in question. He quickly made his way to the bookshelf and
pulled down the volume needed.
He flipped through
the pages, stopping when he landed on the correct date. He skimmed the page, swallowing nervously
when he found an entry on the Brishkan that had been slain and the details
concerning the demon’s death.
“Well?” Padaler inquired impatiently.
Giles looked up and
sighed as he met Buffy’s eyes. “It’s
true.”
Buffy took a deep
breath. “Okay…what happens now?”
Padaler grinned and
took a step forward. “Now you kiss your
husband goodbye because the battle is getting ready to start…and I have
absolutely no intentions of losing to you.”
Buffy glanced at
Padaler before returning her eyes to her husband. “Giles?”
Giles’ eyes held a
hint of sadness as he spoke softly.
“Come here, love.”
Her eyes filled with
tears as she made her way to him, her voice a whisper when she spoke as she
stood in front of him. “How bad is this
really going to be?”
Lifting his hand to
the side of her face, he stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Come back to us.”
She leaned into his
touch as a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. “That bad, huh?”
He lowered his mouth
to hers, his whisper ghosting across her lips before he kissed her.
“Remember what I
said. You will be the first…”
She deepened the kiss
almost immediately, pushing her tongue into his mouth as her hands wound in his
hair. He held her tightly in his arms,
returning her kiss with equal passion.
Padaler exhaled
forcefully. “That’s enough…”
Giles’ hands moved to
her hips as his mouth moved to her neck.
He kissed a soft path up the side of her neck to her ear. His breath was warm against her skin as he
quickly whispered into her ear.
His hands tightened
on her hips as she jerked back and stared into his eyes. “I love you, Buffy.”
She hesitated only
for a moment, his whispered words rattling around in her head, before answering
him. Her left hand lovingly rubbed his
chest.
“I love you too,
Giles.”
He swallowed as his
eyes glistened. “Please…come back to
us.”
She leaned up on her
tiptoes and kissed him again, softly this time.
When he heard the demon growl in annoyance, he sighed and took a step
back.
“I’ll be right here.”
She gave him a nod
and then turned to face her foe. “We do
this outside…I really hate replacing furniture.”
The demon grinned and
followed as Buffy backed out the door and into the back yard. “Your husband would be the one replacing the
furniture. With four children to look
after as well as grieving for his wife, I’m sure that furniture would be the
last thing on his mind. But, I’ll humour
you in this. I prefer fighting out of
doors anyway.”
Buffy’s jaw clenched
as Giles turned the porch light on, illuminating the yard in the artificial
light before stepping onto the porch himself.
“Do I at least get to
know your name?”
“I am Padaler
Laverian.” He stated as he straightened,
obviously proud of his heritage. “You’ll
forgive me if I remove this…I find that fighting in a human skin is
rather…uncomfortable.”
He grinned as he ran the
razor sharp nails of his left hand down the centre of his chest, splitting the
skin covering his demon form. As the
disguise peeled away and revealed the demon underneath, Buffy raised an
eyebrow.
The ghostly white
skin covered with pulsing lumps, the blood red palms of his hands accented by
the dark green claws…his appearance was not an easy one to forget.
“Yeah…I remember your
brother. He tried to kill my best friend
after we left the Bronze one night…your blood is thick and clear…almost like
snot, if I remember correctly.”
Padaler snarled and
circled her. “And your blood will be
thick and rich as it covers the floor.
Let’s go, Slayer.”
She wanted to look at
Giles, to tell him that she loved him.
But, she knew that she couldn’t take her eyes off the demon who was hell
bent on avenging his brother.
Instead, she
comfortably moved into her fighting stance and gave him a brief nod.
“Yeah, let’s go.”
Padaler circled
Buffy, clicking the tips of his talons together as his grey eyes sized her
up. “You’re much smaller than I imagined
when I first heard of my brother’s death.”
“Big things come in
little packages.” Buffy responded, her
eyes following his movements closely.
“I’m told that a
Slayer’s blood can feed an army of a thousand demon soldiers. Is this true?”
Buffy fought the urge
to roll her eyes. “Because I’ve fed so
many demon armies with my blood.”
Padaler suddenly
lashed out, the claws on his right hand barely missing her shoulder. “You should watch your tone, Slayer.”
Giles watched
carefully, not surprised when the demon blocked each punch and kick directed at
him. He had obviously been studying
Buffy’s fighting style for some time.
His brow furrowed as he slowly moved across the porch just out of the
demon’s line of sight. He waited for a
moment, only until he was sure that Buffy could see him clearly in her
peripheral vision.
In a quick movement,
he raised his left hand and lifted two fingers before flicking his hand one
hundred and eighty degrees. Buffy showed
no signs of seeing the motion, but Giles knew that she had. He also knew that she had understood when she
changed her stance.
Buffy had been a
little surprised when Padaler blocked each of her moves, but understanding
dawned on her when she caught Giles’ direction from the sidelines. Reverse your moves, it had
stated. Back to front.
She made a subtle
change to her footing, catching the demon off-guard with her next attack. He moved to block a right-handed jab, only to
leave his shoulder open to the hard kick with her left foot.
Giles hid his proud
smile as Padaler growled in frustration.
Buffy spun as Padaler
grabbed for her, gasping sharply as his talons scraped down the back of her shoulder. Giles’ hidden smile faded quickly. Padaler took a step back to regroup.
“You can’t win this,
Slayer. No Slayer ever has before…a
token challenge is a sure way to end a Slayer’s career.”
Buffy ignored the
pain and glared at the demon. “I’ve done
a lot of things no Slayer had ever done before.
And…I’m really tired of talking right now.”
Padaler ran his
forked tongue over his teeth. “Then
let’s not talk…”
Buffy ducked and
rolled to the side as the demon lunged at her.
The wound on her shoulder stung with the movement, but she pushed past
it and got back to her feet quickly. Her
eyes scanned his back, looking for the spot that Giles had whispered about into
her ear before he told her that he loved her.
She caught sight of
it just as the demon spun back around to face her. His eyes flashed with anger as his attack
resumed. Buffy fought back…quickly and
smartly, conserving her energy by merely blocking his blows for the time being.
Giles’ hands gripped
the porch railing. He wanted nothing more
than to run down and help her, but knew the consequences if he did. If the demon won the battle, the children
would suffer for their father’s interference.
As much faith as he had in Buffy and her abilities, it wasn’t a risk he
could take.
Instead he watched,
swallowing thickly as another line of blood appeared along her back.
* * *
Padaler grinned,
licking Buffy’s blood from his claw as he advanced on her. She was breathing heavily, flat on her back
on the grass, blood seeping from various lacerations over her body.
Blood trickled from
Giles’ bottom lip, the result of his teeth biting into his lip to keep himself
from calling out to Buffy throughout the battle. He lifted his trembling hand to wipe the
tears from his eyes that were blurring his vision. If Buffy didn’t make her move soon, he could
very well lose her.
And that was
something he was nowhere near prepared for.
Buffy closed her eyes
briefly in concentration as Padaler took another slow step towards her. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and
focused her gaze on a point just over Padaler’s left shoulder.
In a move that
surprised both demon and Watcher with her speed, Buffy rolled to her right and
jumped to her feet. She struck out with
all of her strength, her fist connecting with the spongy flesh just above where
a human’s kidney would be located.
Padaler roared with
pain as his knees buckled. Another quick
jab to the same area caused the demon to fall forward on the grass, his body
trembling violently in pain.
Buffy wiped the
drying blood from the already healing wound on her cheek as she knelt beside of
the demon.
“You underestimated
me, Padaler. You’ve underestimated all
of us. You threatened my children, my
husband…me. My husband is my Watcher…the
most successful Watcher in history. He
didn’t get that title because of me.
He’s smart…so much smarter than you gave him credit for.”
Padaler met her eyes,
unable to lift his head. “Been…helping…”
Buffy shook her head
slowly. “This was all me. The only thing he did was give me a little
heads up before we came outside.”
She placed her hand
on his back and licked her lips. “You
have a weakness…one he knew about. One
he made sure I knew about. This is over,
Padaler Laverian.”
She pressed hard on
the small area on his back until the clear blood seeped between her fingers and
poured from his mouth. Only when the
light dulled, and then completely went out, in his grey eyes did she let up.
As his body dissolved
into the green, damp grass, she collapsed and gasped in pain. Giles ran down the steps from the porch to
the yard, falling to his knees next to her as she rolled onto her back.
“Buffy?”
Her hand gripped his
shoulder as he leaned over her. “God, it
hurts…”
Giles nodded slowly,
carefully sliding his arms underneath her and lifting her battered body from
the cool ground. “I’ll get you inside,
love.”
She looked into his
eyes, a little surprised to see concern in them. “Am I going to die, Giles?”
“No.” He choked out as a tear escaped the corner of
his eye. “You’re hurt…but, you’re not
going to die. I…I just need to check
your wounds.”
“The…kids?” She asked, pain and exhaustion thick in her
voice.
He climbed the stairs
leading to the porch, carefully balancing her weight as he looked down into her
eyes. “Let me take care of you and then
I’ll go downstairs to get them, yes?”
She shook her head as
he carried her into the house and through the living room towards the
hallway. “No…now.”
“Buffy…”
“Giles, please. I…I need to see them now.” She whispered.
He took a deep
breath. His instinct was to take her
into the bathroom to clean and dress her wounds before taking her into the
bedroom. But, the pleading tone of her
voice caused him to give her a soft nod and turn back to the living room.
He gently placed her
on the sofa and tenderly brushed her sweat-drenched hair back from her face
with his fingertips. She offered him a
tired smile.
“How do I look?”
“Beautiful.” He whispered emotionally, his fingers gliding
over the cut on her cheek.
“Liar.” She answered, grimacing as she shifted
slightly. “I don’t…want to scare them.”
Giles studied her
carefully. “Most of your wounds are on
your back. The only one they’ll see is
the one on your cheek…and it’s not bad.
They won’t see, Buffy.”
“Okay…be quick?”
He leaned into her,
placing a loving kiss on her lips. “I’ll
be right back.”
She closed her eyes
as he ran from the room. She needed to
concentrate on hiding her pain from her children.
* * *
Giles stopped halfway
down the stairs to the basement, finding the eyes of two adults, two children,
and one dog staring at him. The younger
two of the four children were asleep…Haddie in Ethan’s arms, Evan curled up on
Michael’s lap.
Braden slowly made
his way to his father, Callie following him, as Giles completed his task of
descending the stairs. “Dad? Is Mum…is Mum okay?”
Giles smiled softly
as he nodded. “She was injured, but
she’ll be fine. She…she wants to see
you.”
Lucas started up the
stairs, stopping when Braden quickly grabbed his arm. “Wait, Luke!”
Braden turned his
green eyes to his father’s. “The man?”
Giles lovingly ran
his fingers through Braden’s hair.
“Gone. Everything is going to be
fine, Ru. I promise.”
“So…it’s really okay
if we go upstairs?” Braden asked softly.
Giles smiled and gave
him a nod. “It’s really okay.”
A slow smile appeared
on Braden’s face as his hand dropped from Lucas’ arm. Without another word, both boys took off
running up the stairs.
Giles reached down
and lovingly rubbed Callie’s head, causing her tail to wag madly. He took a deep breath as he glanced at
Michael. “Are you alright?”
Michael nodded
slowly, shifting the sleeping boy in his arms.
“Some residual twinges in my back, but Ethan says that the cuts will hardly
scar.”
Giles carefully
lifted Evan into his arms, raising an eyebrow at Ethan. “Magick?”
Ethan nodded, placing
a kiss on Haddie’s head. “Yeah, I…there
was so much blood. The cuts were much
deeper than I thought…I couldn’t get the bleeding to stop on my own.”
Giles reached down
and brushed Haddie’s curls back from her face.
“I would have done the same.”
Ethan started to say
something, but hesitated when Giles looked into his eyes and repeated his
statement.
“I would have done the
same, Ethan.”
Ethan’s eyes
glistened. “I could’ve gotten everyone
killed.”
Giles shook his head
and knelt in front of Ethan, sighing as Evan snuggled tighter against his
chest. “You did what you had to do to
save your husband’s life, Ethan. I harbour
no ill feelings towards you over this.
However, I do appreciate the wake up call.”
Ethan swallowed when
he felt Giles’ warm hand on his shoulder.
“I wanted to say more, but Michael was already bleeding…and…”
“No need for
explanations, Ethan.” Giles responded in
an understanding tone. “Now, Buffy will
want to see Haddie and Evan before we put them to bed…and she’ll want to make
sure that you and Michael are alright as well.”
Ethan exhaled softly
as Giles removed his hand and stood up.
Haddie murmured incoherently as Ethan shifted her enough to give him the
leverage to stand.
“I can take both of
them…” Giles stated quietly.
Ethan stood, smiling
as Haddie wrapped her arms around his neck.
“It’s okay…the hardest part is standing with a five year old wrapped
around you.”
Giles chuckled softly
as Ethan extended his hand and helped Michael off the small sofa. Michael grimaced lightly when he straightened
his back, tightening his fingers around Ethan’s. Giles’ chuckle ended abruptly, his brow furrowing.
“Are you quite sure
that you’re alright?”
“Yes…I’m just…tired.”
Giles nodded, darting
his eyes between the two men. “You’ll
stay here for the rest of the night.”
Ethan hadn’t planned
on arguing, but wouldn’t have had time if he had. Giles reached out and lovingly stroked his
daughter’s back before turning and quickly making his way up the stairs,
motioning for Ethan and Michael to follow him as Callie bounded up the stairs.
“Come on. I still need to tend to Buffy’s wounds.”
Ethan’s eyes
widened. “How bad is she?”
Giles looked down
from the top of the stairs. “She’s been
worse…once or twice.”
When Giles noticed
that Buffy’s eyes had begun to droop, he caught Ethan’s eye. Ethan read the silent question in his best friend’s
eyes and nodded before leaning over slightly and whispering into Michael’s ear.
“Stay here with
Buffy? I’m just going to help Rupert get
the kids to bed, okay?”
Michael yawned and
nodded before kissing Ethan’s lips.
“Okay.”
Ethan pulled away slowly,
gently stroking Michael’s cheek as he stood.
Taking a deep breath, he walked over towards Giles and glanced at the
four sleeping children.
“So…”
Giles chuckled
softly. “Take Haddie, I’ll take Lucas
and Evan…and we’ll wake Ru up.”
Ethan raised an
eyebrow. “Okay, but wouldn’t it be
easier if you took the two smaller ones?”
Giles swallowed and
pushed himself up. “It would. But, I need to take Lucas and Evan.”
Ethan nodded, bending
over to pick up the small girl. He
understood Giles’ reasoning. Lucas and
Evan were the ones who had been threatened.
Ethan didn’t question him again.
Instead, he leaned over and gently shook Braden’s shoulder.
“Braden? Come on, it’s time for bed.”
Braden’s eyes
fluttered open. “Luke stays with me,
okay?”
Giles smiled as he
picked Lucas up. “Okay.”
After Lucas shifted,
making himself comfortable in his father’s embrace, Giles glanced at Evan. With a move that had obviously been practiced
many times over the years, Giles knelt and slipped his free arm around Evan and
carefully lifted him.
Evan mumbled in his
sleep, resting his head against Giles’ shoulder. Giles smiled and placed a warm kiss on the
boy’s forehead before tilting his head towards the hallway.
“Haddie first. Evan can stay with her.” Giles glanced at the fireplace, finding
Callie laying in her bed but looking at him curiously. “Come on, Callie. You can sleep in Haddie’s room tonight.”
Callie stood up and
stretched before running down the hall in front of Ethan.
Ethan shook his head
in amusement and made his way down the hall, a very sleepy Braden following
close behind.
Buffy’s tired eyes
watched them until they were out of sight before she allowed them to close.
* * *
Giles sighed softly
as he and Ethan walked back into the living room. The children had been put to bed without
issue, even Braden falling back to sleep before the two adults had time to
leave the room. Buffy had fallen asleep
on one sofa, Michael was snoring gently on the other.
“Do you need any help
getting him to bed?” Giles asked
quietly.
A smile tugged at the
corners of Ethan’s mouth as he shook his head.
“No, as soon as I wake him up he’ll be okay to walk.” He glanced at Buffy and then met Giles’ eyes. “Need help with her?”
Giles chuckled and
shook his head. “I’ve carried her more
times than I can count. I’ll be fine.”
Ethan gave him a
quick nod and then knelt in front of Michael, softly whispering his name. Michael woke rather quickly and groggily
pushed himself up, leaning heavily on Ethan as they walked towards the guest
room.
Giles waited until he
was sure that Ethan and Michael were alright before leaning over and lifting
Buffy into his arms, his left supporting her back and his right under her
knees. He brushed his lips across her forehead
as she pressed her cheek against his shoulder.
“Come, love…let’s get
you into bed.”
“Mm.” She murmured, causing him to smile as he
carried her into the bedroom.
* * *
It had taken him a
while to get her changed into her favourite nightgown. Not because he had problems removing her torn
shirt and ruined jeans, but because he took the opportunity to check on her
wounds once more.
He was relieved to
find that her Slayer healing was working quite well. The deep gashes in her shoulder and back were
now thin lines…with shades of blue and purple blotching her skin.
The bruising looked
rather painful, but he much preferred the look of the bruises as compared to
the lacerations that more than likely would have killed a normal human. After slipping her gown over her head and
pulling her arms through the sleeves, he quickly changed into his pajamas and
climbed into the bed next to her.
He gathered her
sleeping form into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. Only when he was sure that she was
comfortable and sleeping deeply did he allow his mind to consider the thought
of how close he had actually come to losing her to the demon.
His arms
instinctively tightened around her, but he successfully held his tears
back.
What could have happened
wasn’t important right now. He could
think about that later…when he was documenting the battle in his journal. At the moment, he chose to concentrate on the
fact that she was warm in his arms…safe and warm.
With that thought in
his mind, he took a deep breath and whispered a soft ‘I love you’ before
closing his eyes and allowing her gentle breathing to lull him to sleep.
* * *
He wasn’t sure how
long he’d actually been asleep and, at first, he wasn’t sure why he was
awake. And then he felt her move against
him, felt her soft tongue glide over his left nipple…and he knew exactly why he
was awake.
“Buffy…”
She lifted her head
and smiled. “Hi, you’re awake.”
He chuckled softly
and gently caressed the side of her face with his hand. “Mm-hm…and it seems as though you’re feeling
better.”
“Yeah.” She whispered, licking her lips as he glanced
towards the window. “It’s nearly
daybreak…and…I kinda wanted to make love to you while the sun rose.”
His eyes darted back
to hers as she climbed on top of him, straddling his hips as she pulled her
gown over her head. He swallowed, his
eyes raking over her body to find that she had, indeed, healed during her
sleep. The only physical evidence of her
battle with the Brishkan demon was a small bruise on her shoulder.
“Are you sure?”
Her nipples tightened
as his hands moved to her hips. “Very
sure. Unless, I mean…you don’t want – ”
She trailed off as he
suddenly sat up and pulled one of her darkening nipples into his mouth. She groaned, sliding her hands into his hair
and holding his head to her breast as he alternated between suckling and
nibbling at her sensitive flesh.
Feeling her warmth
dampen his pajama pants, he slowly pulled back and looked up into her
eyes. His voice was gravelled with lust
and love as he spoke.
“God, I want.”
She rocked her hips
against him as she rubbed her thumb over his bottom lip. “Then…take.”
His eyes darkened as
he pulled her thumb between his lips, flicking his tongue against the pad. She shivered at the contact and slowly
removed her thumb from his warm mouth.
“Jesus…” She mumbled as he smiled. “How do you do that?”
He carefully rolled
her onto her back, leaning over her as his left hand slowly moved over her
skin. “What’s that, love?”
She licked her lips
as he deftly removed the pajama pants he’d worn to bed. “How can you almost make me come with the
simplest of touches?”
He looked into her
eyes as his left hand slid along her inner thigh, gently coaxing her legs
apart. “Perhaps the same way that you
can almost make me come when you smile at me.
I love you, Buffy.”
“I love you
too.” She whispered breathlessly as his
fingers brushed through her damp curls, grazing her swollen clitoris. “Giles….”
A grin played at his lips
as she trembled at his touch. “No
foreplay?”
She bit her lip as
the tip of his finger teased her.
“Foreplay was waking up in your arms.
Please, Giles…I want you.”
“You’ve always had
me.” He whispered seriously as he moved
between her legs, lowering his mouth to the side of her neck. “I’ve always been yours.”
His lips tasted her
tender flesh as he slowly entered her.
Hearing her gasp, he lifted his head with a smile on his face. His smile faded when he saw the tears in her
eyes.
“Buffy?”
She shook her head
and smiled, even as a tear escaped her right eye and rolled towards the pillow
under her head. “Don’t stop…”
“You’re crying.” He whispered, cradling the side of her face
in his left palm. “Talk to me.”
She bent her legs,
resting her knees against his sides as she swallowed. “It’s just…I thought…for a minute…”
His brow furrowed in
concern as she trailed off and leaned into his touch. “Thought what, darling?”
Taking a deep breath,
she ran her hands up his chest and over his shoulders. “That we’d never have this again.”
As his eyes
glistened, she quickly continued.
“I was so scared,
Giles. And…he almost won. And – ”
He cut her off with a
gentle kiss, inadvertently pushing deeper within her as he moved. When she groaned into his mouth and lightly
scratched her nails across the back of his neck, he pulled back and slowly
pushed again as he ended the kiss and gazed into her eyes.
“You won. Just as I knew you would. I was frightened as well, but…I knew…I knew
in my heart that you would prevail.”
She lifted her hips
to meet his gentle thrusts, closing her eyes as she tilted her head back
against the pillow, baring her throat to him.
“What if I hadn’t?”
His fingers moved
over her throat, his thrusts quickening slightly.
“I don’t want to
think about that, Buffy.” He whispered,
his voice tinged with sadness.
Her eyes opened
quickly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t – ”
He smiled softly,
placing one finger over her warm lips.
“Ssh. It’s alright. I just…love me, Buffy. Just love me.”
Her eyes fluttered
closed as he replaced his finger with his lips before moving his mouth to her
throat. “Always, Giles…I’ll always love
you.”
* * *
Ethan opened his eyes
and looked at the man sleeping next to him.
He ran his hand over his own chest, chuckling softly to find his skin
slightly sticky. He had brought Michael
to bed for sleeping purposes. By the
time Ethan had closed the bedroom door behind them, Michael was fully awake and
his hunger had shown clearly in his eyes.
Ethan hadn’t stopped
him when Michael pushed him against the door and fell to his knees in front of
him. He hadn’t stopped him when Michael
quickly pulled his belt free and unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. And he hadn’t stopped him when Michael pulled
his quickly hardening cock into his mouth.
Ethan did stop
Michael before he came, pulling his husband to his feet and carefully pushing
him towards the bed. They had taken
comfort in one another, whispering how much they loved one another between
kisses. They had swallowed one another’s
cries and groans as their orgasms crashed over them.
And then they had
fallen asleep in one another’s arms.
Ethan glanced at the
window, smiling when he realized the sun wasn’t up yet. He rolled onto his side and pulled Michael against
his chest, closing his eyes as Michael sighed contentedly in his sleep.
It was far too early
to be awake right now.
* * *
“So close…” Buffy whispered urgently into Giles’ ear, her
teeth grazing his earlobe before moving down the side of his neck.
“I know.” He murmured as her teeth nipped along the
ridge of scar tissue on his neck.
“Christ, Buffy…”
She pulled her mouth
back and bit her lip to stifle her groan as her nip caused him to thrust his
hips harder against her. Smiling, he
slipped his arms around her back as he rolled their bodies until he was looking
up at her.
She gasped, bracing
herself with her hands on his chest.
“Smooth…”
He chuckled softly
and moved his hands to her hips, guiding her movements. “I like…watching you.”
She smiled, the
fingers of her left hand gently pulling at his nipple. “You…always have…”
She had barely gotten
the words out before her inner walls began to contract around his thrusting
cock.
“God, yes…Giles…oh
God…”
His hands tightened
on her hips, pulling her down forcefully as he thrust upwards. “That’s it, love…come for me…”
“Giles!”
He cursed softly as
her voice rose in volume, moving his left hand to the back of her neck and
dragging her to his lips. His mouth
covered hers, swallowing her scream of ecstasy as her fluids flooded over
him.
As his tongue probed
her mouth, mimicking the motions of his thickening cock, she came again and
stilled the movements of her hips. He
panted as she lifted her mouth from his, swallowing reflexively as he trembled
gently.
“Buffy?”
Her chest heaved as
she swallowed a lungful of air. “I…I
need you…to come…please…”
He lifted his hand
and ran his fingers through her sweat-dampened hair. “Buffy…”
She swallowed as she
started moving her hips again. He
watched her eyes clench shut, felt her inner muscles rippling against his
erection. With a loud groan, he moved
both hands back to her hips and stilled her motion.
Her eyes snapped
open. “Giles – ”
“God…just kiss me,
Buffy.”
“But…you’re so…”
“Kiss me.” He growled softly.
Confusion colored her
eyes, but she did as he requested…or commanded, as it were. She leaned forward and brushed her lips
across his, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes.
“More.” He whispered gruffly. When she tried to move her hips, he gripped
her harder and shook his head.
“Just…kiss me.”
She stared into his
eyes for a moment before lowering her mouth to his. She felt his groan rumble in his chest as she
nudged her tongue between his lips. As
his fingers flexed against her skin, she understood and smiled inwardly.
She stroked his
tongue with hers, sliding her right hand to his neck. When she felt his trembling increase, she
rubbed her thumb along his ear and flicked her tongue against his.
His orgasm caught her
by surprise. Not the fact that he came,
but the force behind it as he emptied himself within her. She swallowed his groans and pulled back only
when his hands loosened their grip on her hips.
He moved his hands up
her back and held her against him as he rolled them onto their sides, facing
one another. She glanced at the window
and smiled.
“Sun’s up.”
“Mm-hm.” He mumbled, sighing as his softening cock
slipped from her. “Kids’ll be up soon.”
When she chuckled, he
raised an eyebrow at her in a silent question.
She ran her fingers
through his damp hair and smiled.
“Nothing. I just like how your
voice kinda…slurs…after you come hard.”
He laughed softly and
brushed his lips across hers. “And I like
how your skin quivers under my fingers after you come…”
She grinned, her
fingers trembling slightly as she lovingly traced over the scars on his
chest. “We should get dressed.”
“Mm…after we
shower. Give me five?”
She smiled warmly and
snuggled against his sweat-drenched body.
Maybe the kids would sleep in.
After all, it was
Saturday.
With that thought she
closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, content to be in her husband’s loving arms.
~ End