Once in a Lifetime
by Karen Jephson
Rated NC-17
Spoilers: No real mention other than The Gift, but I'm setting it in S7.
Pairing; definitely b/g. And other pairings, but you'll see what I mean.
Disclaimer: Not mine, unfortunately. Want to adopt and treat them better than their owners, but I don't have enough.
Feedback: Live for it.
Distribution: Just let me know so I can find it myself.
Content Warning: There is some mild bondage in part of this fic, so if that isn't your thing, you might want to skip some of the first six parts.
Warning: This is only for b/g shippers. If the thought is not good for you, you really will not like this.
Summary: A fight. Halloween. Strange things happening. The Whacky.
" ...are the most stubborn, irritating woman! I told you to wait!"
"I couldn't afford to wait! You said so, yourself. We didn't know when the Canopy demon would attack. I couldn't risk innocent lives while you did a spot of research!"
Dawn, Xander and Willow sat on the Summers' couch, watching the argument escalate between Buffy and Giles. Their heads swung back and forth as if in a tennis match, although Dawn occasionally paused as a brown glob would make its way down her sister's body.
"You're lucky that all you ended up with was the demon's blood all over you. Kanbe demons' talons are poisonous. One scratch."
"So I stayed out of harm's way. I don't know what all the fuss is about. It' s over. After I wash the evidence off, nobody'll know the difference."
"That's beside the point!"
Buffy sighed in frustration. "No, that is the point! I did my job, and all those unsuspecting innocent people can now sleep peacefully! I'm sorry I didn't wait for you, but it was the right thing to do!"
"And what if you had been wounded?" This was said more quietly, the pain showing through. "What if I'd had to bury you again because you feel you no longer need my help in researching these creatures?"
This brought Buffy up short. She was obviously still angry, but understanding dawned on her face. None of the occupants of the room spoke, the two combatants obviously unwilling to continue the fight, yet neither willing to back down. Finally, Giles moved toward the front entry, grabbing his leather jacket on the way. Silence filled the void after he slammed the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles strode through the deserted streets of Sunnydale. Most of the town's citizenry may not have understood what happened at night, but they knew enough now to stay indoors, especially after the witching hour. His hands pushed into his pockets, his head bent, Giles was unconcerned that he might be attacked. He was carrying his usual supply of stakes and holy water, but most vampires and demons knew him as Watcher to the Slayer. Their fear of Buffy was such that they did not want her on the warpath were one of her own harmed in any way. Plus, being Halloween, there was very little demon activity about.
So occupied was Giles in his internal thoughts, he didn't notice the fog growing in front of him. Nor the sudden chill that filled the air. His anger at Buffy foolishly endangering herself seemed to grow rather than dissipate with every step he took away from her. That emotion seemed to be taking over, filling every pore of his being. That she would be so careless after they had all been reunited was beyond any other stupidity she had shown previously. Except perhaps sleeping with Spike. And Angel. And going up against Faith to save Angel. Well, perhaps it wasn't the most stupid thing she'd done.
Giles' train of thought was broken by a noise like the crack of a whip in front of him, followed immediately by a flash of light. He raised his eyes, finally realizing he was shrouded in a thick fog that blocked everything from his vision. The normal landmarks of Sunnydale were nearly invisible to him. Another crack and a flash of light in front of him increased his trepidation. Certainly he'd never heard of lightning strikes in a fog before. Another strike hit closer to where he was. In the illumination of the space around him, he thought for a moment he'd seen another figure before everything once again went dark. Turning, Giles began to run back towards the Summers' residence, hoping to avoid being hit by the bolts of light. His only awareness of being too late was a slight stinging sensation at the back of his neck.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles awoke to find himself lying in the middle of a road. The skies above him were now clear, the stars twinkling down at him. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't be a week in Sunnydale if I wasn't knocked out at least once." Sighing, Giles lifted himself up into a sitting position. A blinding headache halted his movements. He lifted his hand to his head, trying to ease the pain. He mentally checked the rest of his body, pleased to find no sign of any other injuries, major or otherwise. He pushed himself into a standing position, swaying as a wave of dizziness hit him. Shaking his head, he started making his way back toward the Summers' residence.
"Hey, Giles!" He turned at the sound of Xander's voice across the road. "You better hurry up and get home. She's kinda pissed."
"Xander, wait! I need.." Giles stopped as the younger man jumped into a car and drove off. ".your help. Since when do you drive off when I'm talking to you? And where did you get that ridiculous station wagon?" Giles shook his head as he weaved his way towards the front door of Buffy's house. He was surprised to find the place in darkness. He'd only just been here. Where were Willow and Dawn?
He pushed open the door, surprised to find it unlocked. "Hello?" He stepped further into the foyer. Other than the dim glow of a light from upstairs, there was no sign of life. "Anybody up?"
"Up here." There was no mistaking Buffy's voice.
Giles climbed the stairs. "Buffy? We need to talk." He hesitated in the upper hall. "Where are you?"
"In here." Her voice came from what he still considered Joyce's room. Confused, he opened the door. The décor seemed somehow different, but as he' d not been in the room since he'd returned from England, he assumed that whoever was now sleeping here had redecorated. "I'm over here."
Giles moved around the bed, toward the bathroom. He wasn't sure what game Buffy was playing, but he needed her help to investigate the strange phenomena he'd just experienced. "Buffy, while I was gone.."
"You realized how foolish you'd been and came back to beg my forgiveness." Buffy stood framed in the bathroom doorway, the still-damp robe she wore doing very little hide her naked body from his view. "Well, you are really going to have to do some begging this time. I'm going to have to be very inventive to find a way for you to make it up to me." She raised her hands to the sides of the robe, pulling them apart before letting the material fall to the ground at her feet.
Giles' mouth opened in shock. Before he could utter a protest, Buffy took two steps and launched herself at him. His hands automatically circled her to prevent her from falling off him. Her hands grabbed clumps of his hair as she fastened her mouth against his, her tongue darting inside in the most carnal kiss he'd experienced in some time.
* * * *
Buffy ran the brush through her damp hair. She'd stood under the shower for at least fifteen minutes, scrubbing away any remaining traces of the demon she'd killed that night. She wished she could do the same to the memory of her argument with Giles. He'd become uber-research guy when he'd returned from England, and it had begun to annoy her. If she were honest with herself, that was the reason she hadn't waited as he'd asked. She was sick of his need to read everything he could find on every demon they encountered. She hadn't realized that maybe he was still worried after her death over a year ago.
A noise in the room next door ceased the movements of the brush. As far as she knew, she was alone in the house. For a moment, she wondered if Spike had decided to pay her a visit. But after the last time he'd been inside, and since his return, he'd stayed away from the house. Buffy putg the brush down as she tightened the sash to her bathrobe before carefully opening the connecting door between the bathroom and main bedroom. Who she saw was more of a surprise than Spike would have been.
"Giles, what...?"
"Where is everyone?" Something didn't seem right somehow.
"Dawn's staying at Janice's. Willow and Xander are having a Simpsons' Halloweenathon."
"So we're all alone?"
"Yeah. What's.?" Before she could finish the sentence, Giles swooped, pushing her against the wall. He covered her lips with his own, pressing his body into hers. She froze at first, her body remembering another time when a man had tried to hold her. But this was Giles, and the one man she knew she could trust. She relaxed her body as she let the memories wash away from her, and she became aware of exactly what Giles was doing. Surprise prevented her from trying to push him away. That and her fear of hurting him. She opened her mouth to protest, but Giles took the movement as an invitation. His tongue sneaked past her lips, scraping along her teeth before stroking the roof of her mouth.
Buffy made a sound of protest. At least she thought it was a protest. But it had been so long since she'd been kissed by a man, a living man. One who didn't repulse and terrify her in equal parts. And Giles seemed to know what he was doing. And it was Giles: her Watcher and friend. Clarity returned, and Buffy pressed her hands against his shoulders, ready to push him away. She gasped as she felt his hand press against her breast, kneading it through the terry of her robe. His knee pushed her legs open, and she felt his arousal press against her. Strangely, it didn't feel weird or gross. And if it was anybody else she'd probably be encouraging him more. But she realized that if she didn't stop soon, something would happen they would both regret. Giles was acting so strange. It had to be some sort of spell, and she didn't want him to feel all guilty in the morning, when he obviously had no control over his actions.
What did it matter if he made her shiver from the feel of the rough cloth over her aroused nipple? Or that she wanted to open her legs more to give him more access to her body? This was Giles, and his feelings mattered more than the fact that he made her feel more alive by just kissing her and fondling her breasts than any other man, living or undead, had in a long time.
Giles finally released her lips, though his hand continued its ministration. Buffy turned her head to the side to take a couple of deep calming breaths before she stopped him. She also needed to figure out how to push him away without causing him any physical damage. Taking advantage of the change in position, Giles began to press open kisses against the side of her face, her ear, her neck. She felt her nipples pebble under his assault.
"Giles, we have to.Oh God." She hadn't realized he'd undone the belt to her robe until she felt his warm lips draw her nipple into his mouth. His hot breath sent a coil of heat directly to her groin. When his tongue and teeth began tormenting the hardened nub, she drew on her last reserves of sanity to end it. "Giles.ohhh!" She hadn't noticed his hand had been stroking its way down her body. Not until his fingers pressed against the curls covering her sex. As if they knew her body intimately, they pushed through her lips and straight toward her clit. She couldn't stop herself pressing against his palm as he began to massage that most sensitive part of her body. She fought against the fog of passion that began to cloud her mind.
She was being assaulted on three fronts now. His mouth and right hand were fondling her breasts, sending shards of pleasure down her body to her core. His left hand was driving her insane as it stroked, petted, and teased her clit. She moved her hands to his head, to pull it away she told herself. Instead they pressed him harder against her flesh as she moaned and began whimpering. She felt, rather than heard him laugh against her skin. As if rewarding her, he pushed two fingers against her opening, wetting them with her arousal. They pushed into her, sliding in and out with an ease and familiarity she would not have expected.
Buffy began panting as Giles increased the pace of his fingers, pushing her closer toward her climax. "Giles, please." She wasn't sure what she was begging for. She only knew she was at his mercy. "Please."
Giles pulled his mouth from her reddened breast, resting his forehead against hers. "Please what?" He found an extra sensitive spot in her channel. "Please what?"
"Please. Make me..."
"Make you what? Make you come? Is that what you want, love? You want me to make you come?"
"Oh, God." She was out of control now, pushing against his hand, seeking for the release he could give her, yet wouldn't.
"Say it."
She swallowed against the dryness in her mouth. "Make me come. Please!"
She felt his smile against her lips as he took her mouth in a possessive kiss. His tongue entered her, its actions mimicking those of his fingers. His thumb stroked against her clit, pushing her further. Finally, his fingers stroked against a part of her channel she hadn't known existed. She felt herself explode. She cried her climax in his mouth as he stroked her, not letting her down. Only when she became lax against him did he reduce the pressure, allowing her to fall into a sweet oblivion.
* * * *
Giles stepped back against the combined onslaught of Buffy's body pushing against his and her tongue ravishing his mouth. He tried to pull away to order her to stop, but all he could manage was a gargled sound that only seemed to encourage her. Of course it didn't help that his tongue seemed to be encouraging hers rather than discouraging it. He felt the edge of the bed as he took another step back, then a falling sensation as he tumbled onto it.
Somehow Buffy had retained ownership of his mouth, though her body had bounced a little against his as they fell. She began squirming against him, her naked body rubbing along his crotch. He moved his hands to her waist, trying to lift her from him. Unfortunately, a combination of her slayer strength and his unwillingness to touch certain parts of her anatomy limited any chances of success. He found himself returning her kisses more, and trying to dislodge her less.
She finally released his mouth, pausing to catch his lower lip between his teeth. Her hands were now on his sweater, pulling it up his body. "Buffy."
"I thought we got rid of all these horrible things. You want another burning party?"
"Burning.? What.? Buffy! Stop that!" He ineffectually slapped at her hands, trying to prevent her from exposing any more of his flesh to her. The irony of his playing the role of a virtuous maid to her ravisher was not lost on him. But he needed his shields, even if they were made of a flimsy material. They prevented her from seeing the real him.
Buffy paused her wriggling only long enough to drag his sweater over his head, the momentum forcing his arms up. "Come on, Rupert. Play nice. This is your punishment, remember." The material covering his face muffled his answer. "Well, if you're not going to behave, I guess I'll have to punish you some more."
Giles tried to protest, his words blocked by the top and her body leaning across his face. He heard the sound of a drawer opening and closing, then felt her repositioning herself on top of him. Buffy grabbed one of his wrists, pulling it over his head. He felt the cold metal of a bracelet against his flesh moments before the sound of a lock clicking. He froze in shock, not believing his slayer had actually handcuffed him. Before he could recover to fight her, she'd grabbed his other hand, pulling it toward the first. He tried bucking her off, only to be punished by the pressure of her knees against his sides. She attached the second manacle to his wrist. He pulled against the restraints, then realized she'd chained him to the bed head. He moaned as one of his fantasies came to life. Only knowing that Buffy would normally not be willing to engage in an act with him kept him from giving over to his desire. He could only assume she was the victim of some spell, and whatever actions she undertook under its influence would cause her great embarrassment later.
Buffy moved further down his body, her hands trailing down his now exposed chest, before her fingernails scratched their way back up again. She paused to pay special attention to his nipples, scratching and flicking them for several seconds. Giles couldn't hold back the moan that escaped. It had been so long since somebody had done that to him. He heard her chuckle as she moved her hands back up, gathering the edge of his top. He took a deep breath, preparing to tell her that something was wrong, and they had to stop.
"You know, I forgot how much fun this is. Being the naughty girl is good, but I like being in control now and then." Buffy pulled the material up, freeing his face at last. "Uh-huh." She pressed her finger against his lips. "If you're going to open your mouth, it's not going to be for talking. She leaned forward, only removing her finger when she was in place.
Giles managed to say "Buffy." before he found his mouth filled by warm, soft flesh. His lips automatically closed around the nipple as he felt her hands in his hair. He tried to struggle, pulling against her hands and the handcuffs securing him against the bed. More importantly though, he was now fighting against temptation. It had been a while since he'd had a woman in his bed, and somehow Buffy seemed to know exactly what to do to arouse him. Such as her thigh rubbing against his groin, applying just enough pressure for discomfort, but not outright pain. He closed his eyes, trying to think of a way out of his predicament. He could only come up with one.
Buffy moaned as he began sucking against her nipple, then nipping it with his teeth. He worked at the willing flesh in his mouth, hoping she would release him before he lost control of himself. She finally pulled away from him, only to place her other breast in place. Giles played with her as she demanded, lathing each breast with attention as she moved them nearer to him. After a few minutes, she seemed to have enough, and shifted until she could kiss him. Her tongue mated with his as she lay herself fully against him. Her nipples pressed against him, her crotch pushing against his as he opened his legs to accommodate her. He vaguely heard the opening of another drawer, but was concentrating on holding onto the last shreds of his control. Whatever had happened to Buffy, he could not take advantage of this. He couldn't bear that she would hate him in the morning.
Buffy lifted her head, her breath coming in deep pants. Her lips were wet and swollen from his attention. He gazed, distracted by the evidence of their passion. She smiled and placed a light peck on his mouth. He felt rather than saw the material she pressed against him. "Open wide love." She increased the pressure until he agreed. Pushing the material between his teeth, she secured it behind his head. "Don't worry. Next time, I'll let you tie me up." She shifted until she was sitting astride him, her hands stroking along his shoulders, neck and chest. Finding his erect nipples, she fondled them for a few seconds, watching his eyes dilate as his face flushed with excitement. "You know, I kinda get the feeling that you're not completely with the game here. Guess I'm gonna hafta change that." She shifted further down his body, then leaned toward him.
Giles moaned as she felt her lips pull against one of his nipples. She began playing with him, her teeth grazing against the sensitized flesh, then her tongue licking away any residue of pain. She moved from side to side, drawing him further down into his passion. He felt her lips smile against his flesh as his breathing increased. He thrashed his head from side to side, trying to prevent what he now knew would happen. He cried out, but he wasn't sure if it was in anguish or pleasure. Her hands trailed along the sensitive skin of his sides until they reached the waistband of his jeans. They moved up the material until they met at his stomach. He felt the button undone just before her fingers touched the exposed flesh of his tummy. His muscles clenched, as they gently teased him before he felt the zipper pull down.
Buffy looked up, her eyes glazed with her own passion. She smiled as she moved down his body. "Well, Watcher mine, time to live up to your title. Watch me." Her face was now level with his groin. She pulled the material of his pants apart, then stroked the silk of the boxers where they rose to meet her. "Guess not all of you is reluctant." Pulling the material down, she mewled as she released his aroused flesh. Glancing once more to make sure he was still watching, she grasped his erection before dipping her head.
Giles couldn't tear his eyes away. He closed them momentarily as he felt her take him in her mouth, but reopened them quickly in fascination. The sight of his petite slayer pleasuring him was the most erotic thing he'd seen. All his secret fantasies come to life. He groaned when she scraped her teeth along one of the more sensitive parts of his penis. The groan turned into a cry as she teased his tip with the edge of her tongue. She seemed to know all the things he liked. He pulled against the handcuffs again, this time as he felt his orgasm at the edge of his consciousness. Whatever the consequences, he would take this one guilty pleasure. Surely she would realize he'd fought hard, but even he didn't have the strength to fight himself and his slayer. He allowed himself to concentrate only on the feel of Buffy making love to him, as he eagerly awaited the moment when she would bring him to climax.
Buffy pulled back, as if knowing how close he was. She blew against his heated flesh, then pressed a gentle kiss against his tip. She dipped her head, allowing her hair to cover him. She blew against him once more, as her free hand began massaging his balls. He jerked against her, knowing his climax would not be stopped this time. Pausing for only a second more, Buffy again took him into her mouth. Her finger scraped along the exposed nerve as his hips automatically began pushing into her. Buffy shifted, then touched him in a way nobody had before. It was enough. His cry of her name was muffled as he came in her mouth, his hips pushing up towards her as he came.
* * * *
Buffy felt an arm against the back of her knees, taking her weight. She automatically slipped her arms around his shoulders as he lifted her and carried her from the wall. She didn't notice her robe being dropped on the floor, only the light kiss against her forehead. She frowned as she felt him lower her. She opened her eyes as he placed her on the bed. He bent and kissed her, a gentle massage of her lips. She responded automatically, her hands moving up to the back of his head. Her mouth opened as she felt his tongue pressing for entry. He swept it along the moist roof before playing with her tongue, enticing it to follow into his mouth. Her obedience was rewarded as he sucked against it, drawing it further into him.
His hand moved to her breast, resting against her swelling flesh. His thumb traced gentle circles against the mound, moving closer to the center. She shifted impatiently, wanting him to touch her still hard nipple. A still sensible part of her knew this was Giles, knew it was wrong. But her body was still glowing from the climax he'd so expertly drawn from her. He seemed to know how to distract her from doing the right thing, his petting and kisses slowly rearousing her. Whatever the consequences in the morning, she knew she would not resist his lovemaking again.
She sighed as he shifted his palm, allowing his thumb to finally flick against her hardened nipple. While the first time was rushed, this time he moved as if he had all the time in the world. He took his time, drawing each part of her body back into wakefulness. She realized he had shifted and was now lying fully prone beside her only when she felt his foot gently stroke her leg. He shifted slightly, pressing his knee against her thighs until she opened for him. His thigh pressed against her sex, eliciting a moan as she felt the tendrils of arousal curl against her groin.
Giles released her mouth, pressing kisses along her cheeks, eyes, nose and chin. He rolled on top of her as he continued his kisses down her neck and chest. He placed a gentle kiss on each of her breasts before laving one with his teeth and tongue, drawing a moan from her. He repeated his ministrations to the other breast before continuing his journey down, pressing open-mouthed kisses against her sensitized flesh. He paused only once he reached the slight mound below her belly. Blowing against the heated flesh, he watched as if fascinated as her muscles contracted. He shifted further down, getting into position before looking back up at her. He smiled when he saw her watching him. "How long do you think you can hold out this time?"
Before Buffy had time to ask what he meant, Giles dropped his head. His hands were now wrapped under her thighs, and he lifted her slightly. She caught her breath as she felt his lips against her arousal. Nobody had kissed her like that. But the night had been full of firsts. And they were still coming. She moaned as she felt his tongue run along her swollen lips, licking away the juices of her arousal. She wanted to drop her head back and howl with what he was doing to her, but she was afraid to turn away. The sight of his head against her crotch was almost as exciting as what his mouth was doing to her. This was Giles. Her Giles! And he was licking her sex, and nipping at her clit, and, oh god, pushing his tongue in her passage. And as before, Buffy's mind shut down. She couldn't think any more, only feel. His mouth and tongue and hands seemed to be everywhere at once. He licked her lips before pushing into her once more as his thumb started pushing against her clit. She cried out as he began rubbing the nub back and forth. He increased the speed as his tongue darted in and out of her faster and faster. She panted and whimpered as he drew her further and further down. She fell back against the bed, losing her strength as if he was sucking it through her body and from her sex. She thrashed, only the grip of his hands on her thighs stopping her from pulling away from him. She cried out his name, turning it into a keening wail as he pushed against her one more time. She climaxed in his mouth as he kept working against her, not letting her rest until she whimpered in exhaustion.
She felt a gentle kiss against her swollen labia before he shifted away. She vaguely heard the sound of material being removed, but was too exhausted to do any more than lay where she was. She couldn't even try to cover her nakedness from the eyes she could feel caressing her exposed body. A few moments later she felt the heat of another body as he lay on top of her. He kissed her, teasing a response from her. She felt his erection pressing against her, the length and size of it surprising her. She whispered his name, before opening her eyes to gaze into his own.
Giles shifted, pushing his hand under her body. He rested against her bottom, before lifting it slightly. He rose, positioning himself against her. His green eyes held her captive, the passion in them calling out to her as he entered her. They both moaned as he filled her. Keeping his weight against his free arm, Giles began moving in and out of her. Buffy wrapped her legs around his waist, allowing him further access to her. Still exhausted from the orgasms he'd given her earlier, she could only take his weight, allowing him to control their coupling.
He rocked in and out of her gently, allowing her time to recover a little more before pushing her further. He slowly increased the pace, allowing a few minutes between the changes in tempo. His arms now framed her head, the sinews in his arms stark as he held back. Only when he felt her pushing against him did he allow his passions loose. Buffy held her breath as he let go, his expression almost animalistic. He pushed against her frantically, his penis seeming to almost pierce the full length of her body. The sweat glistened on their skins as they slipped against each other. Buffy gripped tightly to Giles' shoulders as he pushed them further away from reality. Then he lifted his head, crying out as his climax began. The feel of his seed filling her pushed Buffy over the edge, and she joined him as they fell into their orgasms.
* * * *
Giles felt his shoes being removed, soon followed by his socks, jeans and boxers. He opened his eyes, looking down the length of his now naked body. Buffy climbed back onto the bed, purpose in her every move. His eyes widened as he realized what she was about to do. He tried to stop her, to tell her it was wrong. In the morning, whatever spell she was under would cease to exist. Then she would hate him and herself. He steeled himself, preparing to fight both his slayer and his own desires. The gag in his mouth made his words only an intelligible mumble. He shook his head at her.
Buffy continued on, nodding her head in response. "Yes. Time to show me what a good boy you can be." She grabbed his now flaccid penis, stroking along its length. Giles closed his eyes, shaking his head 'no' once more. He tried to concentrate on anything but the feel of her small hand surrounding him. He thought instead of how she would feel in the morning, knowing she'd seduced the man she thought too old, and practically a eunuch. He almost succeeded, until she began massaging his balls. He jerked, trying to pull away from her. She was sitting on his legs however, and he was trapped. He pulled against the imprisoning manacles, hurting the already raw flesh of his wrists. He moaned as he felt her squeeze the sacs, encouraging them to fill. He whimpered when she changed tactic, running her finger below his erection to his anus. She pushed gently against him. He pushed back automatically, his eyes opening in shock as he realized what she was about to do. He almost groaned in disappointment when she removed her finger. At the sound of sucking he looked toward her.
Buffy paused before removing her now wet finger from her mouth. She moved it back down below his body. He jerked as he felt her push against the hole of his anal channel. His traitorous body reacted automatically, opening up for her. As she entered him, his penis stirred. They both looked down as the flesh hardened, swelling in response to her ministrations. She pulled her finger out slightly before pushing hard back into him. He moaned as his pelvis closed around her. He began pushing onto her, allowing her to fuck him with her finger.
He felt his climax drawing closer. He tried to increase the tempo, begging her with his body to let him come. Instead she pulled out of him, resting her hands against his thighs. He whimpered as he pleaded with his eyes. Instead Buffy moved forward, lifting herself until she hovered above his erection. Lifting the flesh, she positioned him against her entry, then waited. Giles groaned, realizing what she wanted. He knew he'd lost. Probably had from the moment he'd entered the bedroom. If she'd tried to seduce him with gentle words and easy strokes, he may well have been able to stop her. But this wild coupling called to a part of him he'd kept hidden from her for so long. She'd been able to draw it out with ease. And now he was her willing captive, eager to experience whatever she wanted to give him. When he felt her rub herself against his tip, he finally gave up the last of his fight. Lifting his legs, he pressed his feet on the bed. Using the leverage, he pushed himself up and into her.
Buffy sighed as he filled her. It felt as if she was made for him. His entire length was sheathed in her canal, her juices dampening his flesh. She began to move, rocking gently against him. He sensed that she wanted control of this, that she would decide the pace and length of their coupling. So he held himself still as possible, fascinated as she moved atop him. He noticed her breathing increase, her chest heaving as she began panting. She increased the tempo, her breasts bouncing slightly with the pace. He watched open-mouthed, in awe of the almost animal-like image she presented.
Most of the women he'd been with disliked him watching as they reached their orgasm, almost as if they were ashamed of their reactions. But he felt she enjoyed his eyes upon her, reveled in the pleasure it gave him. Her hands lifted, rubbing against her breasts. She moaned as she neared her orgasm. Giles responded automatically, thrusting up into her as much as she could. She lifted her head as she climaxed, calling his name. "Rupert!"
Giles growled as she fell on top of him, now pushing toward his own orgasm. He continued to push up into her, her body jerking as he lifted her slightly with each movement. Her pelvic muscles began squeezing him as she began another climax. It was enough to send Giles over the edge, and he cried his release as he emptied himself into her.
* * * *
Buffy shifted slightly, frowning as she felt the ache in her lower muscles. She was too relaxed and satisfied to want to worry about it though, so didn' t open her eyes right away. In the background she could hear somebody opening drawers and wardrobe doors. A voice was muttering, only snatches of comments reaching her ears. "..all gone..must have been really upset..burnt them again, I'll kill her.not hers...what's this.what the.?"
Buffy opened her eyes wide, remembering everything. She rolled over to see the very naked back of an obviously upset Watcher. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned to look at her. A part of her marveled at his complete lack of self-consciousness, while the part that still lived the night marveled at his complete lack of clothes. The two stared silently at each other for a few moments.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles shifted, frowning as he realized the warmth that had slept beside him was no longer there. He moved his arms, surprised in his semi-consciousness that they were free. Wondering why they wouldn't be, he became fully awake as memories of the night before flooded in. His eyes shot open as he looked for the source of those memories. She lay beside him, her weight resting on her elbow. During the night she'd covered them both under the bedclothes. Now she held them so only her shoulders were exposed. The two stared silently at each other for a few moments.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
From two different universes, at the same moment, a very pissed off slayer demanded, "Who are you and what have you done with my Giles!"
* * * *
"Dawn!"
The younger Summers girl pulled her head back at her sister's sharp reprimand. "Are you sure it's not him?"
Buffy rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dawn, I'm absolutely, positively sure that the man in the living room is not Giles."
"Bu-but how? They look so alike."
"That's because he is Giles, just not." Buffy frowned as she talked herself into confusion. An emotion she'd pretty much become used to in the past twelve hours. "Trust me, that man may be Rupert Giles, but he's not our Rupert Giles."
Dawn shrugged. "How could you tell?"
"Be-because he didn't act like Giles." Buffy turned so her sister couldn't see her blush. She finished setting the dining room table for breakfast, then returned to the kitchen for the milk and cereal.
"How?" Sometimes having a sixteen-year-old sister was a pain in the butt. When did she get so curious about everything?
"Just not Giles - like." Buffy sighed, then waived toward the living room. "Like now. Would Giles do that?"
Dawn turned back toward the man sitting in the middle of their couch. His arms were resting along the back as he looked curiously around him, probably comparing to his world. He looked very relaxed and unselfconscious, which was pretty good considering he was wearing Buffy's bathrobe. And from the exposed chest and legs, that was all he was wearing. "Oh. You're right, that 's not Giles."
Buffy smiled, relieved she didn't need to go into any more explaining. "Why don't you call him in?" She took her seat as her sister obeyed. She glanced up at their guest, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt. He smiled gently at her before sitting in his own place.
"So what's the sitch?" Dawn grabbed the cereal before any of the others had a chance to blink.
"Xander's going to Giles' hotel room to get some clothes."
"I live in a hotel room?" The frown on his face showed this was not welcome news.
Buffy sighed. "You've been out of the country for a while. You're back now, but you haven't had a chance to find your own place."
"I don't live here?"
"No." Buffy hoped that didn't sound as sharp as it felt. She turned back to Dawn. "Willow's gonna come back with Xander, then we try to figure out what happened."
Dawn paused in lifting a spoon of milk-soaked cereal to her mouth. "I wonder what our Giles is doing now."
The other Giles answered. "I'd assume the same as me. Trying not to scream in frustration and work out how we managed to switch places."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"A spell?"
"Don't look at me!" Xander snapped at his friends in response to Willow's query.
Giles' lips twitched but he held back the smile wanting to escape. At least most things in this other world weren't much different to his. Except for one or two glaringly obvious things. He shifted on the couch, uncomfortable in this other Giles' clothes. They fit more snugly than his own, no loose lines to hide under. He suspected that Buffy did the shopping for him. He moved slightly when he felt her leg press against his thigh yet again. He could only assume she was unaware she was doing this.
"If it was a spell, I doubt if it was a random act. This seemed too specific. I think it would be more beneficial to investigate a-any anomalies in the weather, or any unusual planet alignments?" He looked toward Willow.
Willow nodded, but leaned further back into her chair. "I'll fire up the laptop as soon as Tara brings it. She borrowed.it for.one...of.." She trailed off as she noticed the colour drain from Giles' face.
* * * *
"Tara's dead?" The pain in Giles' voice was obvious. "Oh, Willow, I'm so sorry. But how?" He looked toward Buffy.
Making sure her friend was coping with the pain, she answered. "Last year. Three guys we went to school with decided to take over Sunnydale."
"The legion of doom, yes I remember." Giles nodded.
"Well, two of them got arrested. But Warren had a gun, and he came to shoot me." Buffy swallowed past the tears in her throat. She glanced around the room. The others were also struggling to contain their emotions. "He did, but he also shot Tara too."
Giles bent his head, his eyes closed. "We found out who they were fairly quickly. You took care of them, scared them into realizing that trying to take over the world perhaps wasn't the best way to while away the summer." He looked up, anger in his eyes. "How did I let this happen?"
"You didn't. You weren't here." His head snapped back in shock.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"You would never leave me!"
Giles sighed. "I once thought that. But things were - complicated. If I stayed, somebody would have died, again."
"What." Buffy was interrupted by the tooting of a horn. They all looked toward the window.
Xander rose. "That would be my loving wife back from counting all her money."
"Wife? Anya?"
Xander paused. "Yeah. Wait, don't tell me we're not married in your world?"
"Oh, God." Willow's whispered prayer was barely heard in the silent room. "What other horrible things happened there?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Spike? You slept with that psychotic creature?"
"At last! Somebody agrees with me." The gloating tone in Xander's voice was obvious.
"Different Spike, Xander. We don't know what Giles, um, his Spike, is like." Buffy didn't bother hiding her irritation. She knew Xander didn't hate Spike as much as he pretended, and she didn't have time for his games.
"Likes his mind games. Obsessed with you. Will stop at nothing to have you."
"Yep. Sounds completely different."
"Xander!" Buffy turned back to the man sitting beside her. "Does your Spike have a soul?"
Giles shook his head. "After he attacked you the only thing he had was my stake in his heart."
They all looked at him, their mouths open. Buffy couldn't think of anything to say to that except, "Oh."
"Didn't your Giles do the same thing? I assume that."
"Yeah. Well, he tried. But you, Giles, he. This is kinda confusing."
Giles shrugged. "My Buffy calls me Rupert if it would be easier for you."
Willow leaned forward. "Do we all call you Rupert?"
"Of course not."
Buffy was curious. "What do you call me?"
Rupert turned to her, sharing a look that the others couldn't see. "Depends what mood I'm in." She hoped nobody saw the flush that covered her neck.
"But Buffy does.call you by your first name, I mean?" Willow's question broke the heated silence before it became uncomfortable.
He shrugged again. "Well, it would be silly for a wife to call her husband by his surname."
* * * *
"We're married?"
Buffy nodded. "I figured that you and your Buffy weren't."
"How?" They both ignored Dawn's question, neither wishing to explain the events of the previous night.
"When?" Giles' couldn't contain his curiosity.
"Just before Mom died." Buffy smiled in memory. "She wanted to make sure Dawn and I'd be okay when she went in for her operation. So we had the ceremony in the hospital room. We all cried." There were a few teary eyes in the room. Giles could only assume it was a very special moment.
He looked around the room, this place and these people so familiar, yet different. Anya sat on Xander's lap, her head resting on his shoulder. Tara rested on the arm of Willow's chair, her hand playing gently with her lover' s hair. It still hurt to see the life and vitality of the blonde witch in this version of his life. Dawn rested against Willow's legs on the floor. All of them seemed content, full of a quiet joy that was missing in his world. Even Buffy had an extra layer that his Buffy didn't.
Giles sighed. "It must have been beautiful. And Joyce didn't mind about you and me?"
Buffy shrugged. "Well, the age thing was a bit of an issue at first. But other than that, why should she?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"I slept with your mother? I don't think so!"
"It was a spell. You thought you were teenagers."
"Buffy! I've been in love with you since you were seventeen. Why on earth would I, spell or no spell, sleep with the mother of the person who'd stolen my heart?"
"Oh." She seemed to be saying a lot of that recently. But what could a person say to such a comment? And she couldn't help but wonder if her own Giles had had similar feelings back then.
"This is very confusing." Anya leaned forward. "Everything is mixed up. I wonder where it changed?"
"Changed?" Dawn shook herself out of the shocked silence that had settled after Rupert's latest announcement. "What changed?"
"Alternative realities are created when a choice is presented. Like a fork in the road." Anya looked to Rupert for confirmation.
"The right fork creates one world, the left another. A split in the universe."
Anya nodded. "So which choice created Rupert's world instead of ours?"
Rupert shrugged. "The only way to find out is to compare histories and find that one variation in decisions."
"I think I found it!" They all turned to Willow as she looked up eagerly from her laptop. "I think I know how Rupert and our Giles swapped places."
* * * *
Giles leaned over Willow's shoulder, reading the text on the computer screen. "I think you're right. Well done, you two." The witches exchanged congratulatory smiles.
"So? Are you going to let the rest of us in on the great discovery?" Frustration had tinged Buffy's voice with sarcasm.
Giles removed his glasses, unconsciously playing with them in his hands. "Actually it's several discoveries. Or rather, a convergence of several occurrences at the same time."
Willow jumped in eagerly. "Every five hundred years, we have a delta solar alignment. Last night was the beginning of a three day alignment."
"A what?"
Giles turned toward Xander, to answer his question. "Not so much an astrological alignment as a mystical one. The suns from four solar systems align to create the four points of a rhombus in which the energies of the universe converge in on themselves. A great curiosity for the mystic astrologers and scientists, but nothing truly portentous or threatening to the equilibrium of things."
"But?"
Before Giles had a chance to respond to Buffy's question, Anya's hand rose. "What's a rhombus?"
Willow chimed in automatically. "A figure with four equal sides, but whose angles aren't ninety degrees."
Tara smiled at Willow's eagerness before addressing Buffy's question. "On its own it isn't much. But it could act like a booster to another occurrence. It's Halloween and the feast of Beredac."
"And he is?"
"She, actually," Giles intervened. "Goddess of mischief and the masque. Last night there was some sort of fog. If there are traces of her power, that might have combined with the power of All Halloo's and the eclipse to create the power to meld the two universes for a fraction of a second and allow the transference between myself and your Rupert."
* * * *
"I still don't get it. I understand the eclipse and the feast thingy, but how did that cause our Giles and you to swap? Why not another Giles? Or Buffy, or somebody else?"
"Well, as to the 'who', I believe that is because Giles and I were in the right, or rather the wrong, spot at the wrong time: the point where all these occurrences converged. And as to why these two particular realities." Rupert bent down, until he was equal with Dawn. He picked up a pen from the case she'd left out, and opened one of her school workbooks to an empty page. He began drawing a line, before splitting it into two. "For all of us, our lives are a straight line, until we come to our first choice. When we make that choice, then we create a different reality, where we had chosen differently." He drew one of the new lines along until he split that again. "And each time we make a choice we create more realities, never merging, just moving parallel, but differently." The page was now covered in lines forking in different ways, none touching the other. "What happened last night, is that two of the universes somehow fused for just a moment, causing them to become inter-linked, and for Giles and I to somehow cross over into each other's realities."
"Again with the why?"
"I can only guess. Buffy, what were you and Giles doing just before we swapped?"
Buffy blushed. "Well, not just before. But we'd had an argument and Giles stormed out."
Rupert nodded. "What was the argument about?"
"I'd gone after a demon without waiting for him to finish researching what it was."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Giles shook his head, somehow relieved that some things were the same, even if it was the stubbornness of his slayer. "Did he call you stubborn and irritating?"
Buffy smiled. "Oh yeah."
Giles laughed, unable to stop himself. He returned to the drawing he'd made for Dawn. "For just that moment the same event was playing itself in both realities. For just a fraction, instead of running parallel, the two worlds crossed." He drew his line over another. "It was enough, mingled with everything else, for us to step into each others' lives. A billion-to-one chance. One to never be repeated."
A gasped sob echoed in the silent room. He looked up to see the tears shimmering in Buffy's eyes. "Then I've lost Rupert forever?"
He stood in realization. "No! No, Buffy. Your Rupert will come back to you!"
"When?"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Probably tomorrow night?" Rupert nodded at Willow's query. "The eclipse lasts for three nights. All Hallows' effect lingers for about a week, same as the feast. There's a slight wane tonight, but I think that I can fix a booster spell for tomorrow night so we can merge the two worlds again, and the two Gileses can swap."
"But how?" Buffy had contained herself. She'd been upset for herself, true, but she'd been more upset for the other Buffy. True, her Giles was there, but he wasn't Rupert. He wasn't the husband of the Buffy in the other world. "I mean, don't you guys have to do exactly the same thing at the same time again?"
Rupert smiled. "Don't you think your Giles and my Willow would have already worked this out? And realized the same as I? I have to leave this house at exactly the same time as I left last night."
Buffy sighed in relief. "So what'll we do tonight?" She felt the colour tinge her cheeks as she realized how that could be taken. Rupert smiled in understanding.
Anya provided a distraction and a suggestion. "Why don't you compare your histories and see where things changed?"
Rupert moved back to the sofa, settling besides Buffy. "Good idea. Well, I suppose we should start from where we met. That would be the one place where things started the same. I was assigned as your Watcher after the death of Merrick, and a position was found for me as the librarian of Sunnydale High School."
* * * *
" ...and Snyder wouldn't reinstate me until you went all Ripper on him." The laughter around the table eased the tension brought on by remembered pain and lost love. Giles sighed, allowing the memories of Jenny to flow through him. He was glad she had been part of this existence also. She'd brought so much to their group, especially Willow. Her influence was still visible on the young witch. As for him, thoughts of her only brought him happiness and a vague regret of promises unfulfilled.
He looked around the dining room, and out into the living area. He hadn't noticed before amidst all the confusion, but there were many differences between this version of Buffy's house and his. Pieces obviously selected by his alter ego, others perhaps bought by Buffy herself. Yet enough remained of Joyce's furniture for it to feel familiar. He reflected on another difference as he bit into the tender meat on his fork. Somebody, possibly himself, had taught Buffy how to cook. "Buffy, this meal is delicious."
She nodded. "It's your favourite. At least, it's Rupert's, so I hope it's yours too."
Giles smiled. "I have to admit it's been awhile, but roast beef and Yorkshire pudding will always have a soft spot in my heart."
"They better, Mister. Do you know how many times I had to make those puddings before Rupert deemed them just right?" Laughter rang out again as the others obviously remembered some of Buffy's previous attempts at the temperamental food.
Giles looked toward Anya and Tara, the two present that could not share the memories of events so far experienced. "I'm sorry. The two of you must find this boring."
"Oh, no." Anya jumped in eagerly. "The reminiscence of others about things we haven't experienced is very interesting and not at all monotonous."
Xander sighed. "My wife. Ever the diplomat."
Giles smiled at the younger man. "I wouldn't change a thing about her."
Xander returned the smile. "Neither would I."
"So," Dawn finished playing with her vegetables and returned the conversation back to the matter at hand, "the first eighteen months were the same. What happened next?"
Giles stopped smiling as he remembered. He barely heard Buffy's whispered response. "Angel."
"You mean when he came back?"
Buffy nodded. "Just appeared out of nowhere. Kind of crazy, not knowing who he was."
"And you hid him." Giles hoped only he noticed the slight bitterness inflected in his words.
Buffy turned to look at him. "I remember. That was when we thought werewolf Oz was killing people. I stayed up all night with him trying to work out how Angel got back. And you woke me up."
"I asked what you were researching. You asked about hell dimensions, and how people would come back. You told me you'd had a dream."
"The hills are alive and all that." She paused, obviously also remembering. "But then I couldn't. After everything I'd put you through the year before, and how you'd stuck by me. I couldn't lie to you. So I told you the truth." She stopped speaking, her eyes widening. Giles wondered if it was because she'd noticed the blood had drained from his brain, sending him dizzy.
* * * *