Giles adjusted his grip on her, letting her slide down his body until her feet touched the floor. She trembled and attempted to cling to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her pressed to his chest. "Can you stand?"

"Not very well. I'm surprised you can."

"So am I." He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "You're going to need a shower, I'm afraid. I don't think that I was able to hold out long enough to get all of the cherry juice off of you."

"A shower, hmm?" She looked at him appraisingly. "You're not going to suggest we say goodbye to the bathroom, are you?"

He shook his head. "Not tonight."

Willow nodded, somewhat relieved. Her system was on overload. She wasn't sure she could handle another seduction. And she was certain she was too weak to enjoy it. "In that case, would you like to shower with me?"

"You promise not to try and tempt me with your feminine wiles?"

"All my wiles are on hold, I promise. I propose a shower and bed. Followed by a vigorous morning of research."

Easing away, Giles took her hand and started toward the stairs. "Research, eh? Is that what you youngsters are calling it now?"

"That's what Buffy and Xander call it. I think it makes it easier for them if they think we're researching and not having sex."

"They must think we have an amazing amount of sex."

Willow grinned and tightened her grip on his hand. "Giles? We do."

"I thought the researching thing was a done deal," Buffy said the instant she walked in the door the next morning. She walked into the kitchen where Willow was cleaning and narrowed her eyes. "Oh, there was…Will."

"I'm just putting away the breakfast stuff." Willow shook her head at her friend. "You are much too paranoid."

"I'm the Slayer. That's job number one. Well, number two actually, since otherwise, I'd be called Buffy, the paranoid." She sat at the table and rested her elbows on it. "So, there was no…?"

"Is Xander with you?" Willow asked.

"Oh!" Buffy pulled away from the table quickly. "You're avoiding. That means there was!!!! Willow! In the kitchen! I'm surprised at you! And disgusted. People eat here. I eat here."

"Well, perhaps then we've found a way to keep our refrigerator stocked," Giles commented from the doorway. "Where's Xander? Do you suppose it would keep him from eating all of our food?"

"No," both girls answered in unison.

Giles sighed and sat at the table, accepting the cup of tea Willow offered him. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Buffy. We've…Willow and I have made a bid on a house and it seems to be clear of any Hellmouth sort of mischief."

"But?"

"But we're not sure. The realtor was looking very…suspect. Xander and Willow were going to research it and I thought I could take you over there and we could have a look around, see if there was anything we should worry about."

"Why me?"

"In case there's something we should worry about."

"Sure. I'm up for a little reconnaissance." She got out of her chair. "But, as soon as my stomach settles from finding out what you guys do in your kitchen, I'm insisting on you buying me lunch."

"So if I'd like to save some money, I should keep reminding you?" Giles chuckled as Buffy put her hands over her ears and started humming loudly. Getting out of his chair, he walked over to Willow and kissed her softly. "I'll see you soon?"

"Her humming is going to drive you crazy."

"Curiosity will get the better of her in the long run. I think I'll survive."

"You'd better survive, Mr. Giles. I had it written in to the marriage agreement that survival is required."

He kissed her again, releasing her from his warm embrace. "Well then, I guess I've no choice."

Xander walked in, a look of startled confusion on his face. Willow walked into the living room and laughed. "Let me guess, Buffy was humming and warned you not to eat anything."

"How did you…? Oh wait! Oh! Willow!"

"Why is it always me? It's not my fault you guys can't deal with the fact that Giles and I are…"

Xander started humming. Seeing Willow's exasperated look, he smiled and sank down onto the couch. "Nah, its total jealousy, Will. We can't face the fact that the Watcher is getting more action than either of us. So, what's the big bad this week?"

"We found a house. We've made an offer on it, but there appears to be something going on. So we're investigating. Giles and Buffy have gone over to the house to do stuff only found in the Slayer's manual and you and I are research team."

"Have you read the Slayer's manual?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if there was anything…" He stopped, realizing what he had been about to say. "Oh, nothing."

Willow's look was poisonous. "We've dealt with that already, Xander." She turned away from him, her anger showing in the stiff line of her back. "Do you think so little of his relationship with me that you think he's going to run off with…" she broke on a sob.

Xander rushed over and held her, pulling her into his arms. His hand stroked her hair. "Sh. Sh, Will. I'm sorry. I'm an ass. I didn't mean anything. I was putting my foot in my mouth. I'd begun missing the taste in the last ten minutes. He loves you. Only you."

"But he doesn't," she sniffed. "He loves her too, Xander. And…"

"And nothing. He loves Buffy like a daughter. He looks at her through a father's eyes, Willow. I swear it." He looked down at the hair he was softly stroking. "I never told you this, but I was there the day in the hospital when they did the drug tests. I kind of eavesdropped."

She pulled back, her green eyes confused. "Why?"

"I wanted to know if he was going to hurt you. I…I mean, don't get me wrong. Giles is my friend and he's like a father to me, too. But, when it comes to you, I don't trust anyone."

Her smile was tremulous. "Thank you."

"I needed to know if he was going to break your heart so I knew which weapons I'd need to make him hurt as badly as you would. I heard them talking."

She moved out of his arms and for a second, Xander felt bereft. Then he sat across from her, shaking the feeling away. "What did they say?"

"Buffy asked him if the dreams meant anything, or if they were completely the work of the Council. Giles asked her if she loved him."

Willow's swallow was audible. Xander looked up and hurried on.

"She said he was like a father to her, Wills. She said that she looked up to him, was proud of him and disappointed in him, the same way she was with her real dad. Only not as much. Then when she was done, she asked him if he loved her."

"And?"

"He said he would die for her, Willow, because that was his job. He would die for her to save her and protect her, because it was what he was made to do. And then he said he would die for her because she was his friend and he loved her."

"I see."

Xander gave her a look to stop her from commenting and continued. "And then he said that he would die for you simply if you asked, or…" he paused, trying to remember Giles' words. "If she walked away from me, I would have no choice in dying, since she would take my heart and my soul with her."

Willow touched her hands to her lips and sniffed back tears that sparkled in her eyes. "Really? You're not trying to make me feel better?"

"Do I look like I could talk like that of my own free will?"

Willow laughed, as Xander had meant her to. "You're my best friend, Alexander Harris."

"Yeah, well, that right there is proof that you've got strange taste in men, Willow Rosenberg."

"Tell me about it."

"We got it!" Xander exclaimed as Buffy and Giles walked in. They were both covered with dust, twigs and a few other unidentifiable substances. "And what did you guys fall into? A wood chipper?"

Willow rushed to Giles' side, looking him over. "Are you hurt?"

He reached up and pushed her hair away from her face. "Not hurt, love."

"What happened?" Xander asked. He walked over to Buffy and plucked a twig from her hair.

"Well, let me guess what you discovered." She smiled, making sure she didn't hurt his feelings. "Real estate agents have been disappearing for the past two months, along with the families they've been showing the house, but only when they show the house at night."

"You just love to take the wind out of my sails, don't you?" He sighed. "I gotta tell you, Giles. Sort of bad form using vamps to keep other bidders away."

"Well, I doubt that will be of much issue anymore." Giles brushed a leaf from his hair. "We found their nest and destroyed them."

"All of them?" Willow's green eyes were worried. "There's nothing left?"

"Nope. They're dust," Buffy assured her.

Xander touched Buffy's shoulder and the goo that was spread on it. "But what are you?"

"Well, they were in the woods out behind the house. There was moss. And sap. And mud." She shivered. "Lots of mud."

"Which you brought home with you," Xander nodded. "A sound decorating choice."

"Shush, Xander. They're safe."

"And so is our house," Giles wrapped his arm around Willow. "Or what will be ours."

"Oh!" Willow's face lost it's worried expression. "That's something else I did." She rushed to the printer and grabbed a handful of papers. "I looked up some things and did a little mapping."

Gils took the papers from her and showed them to Buffy and Xander. Buffy's eyes lit up. "Is this it? Is this your house."

"Will be," Willow grinned.

"Wow." Xander counted rooms. "This is huge. This might actually fit all your books. You're right. And here I was thinking it wasn't possible."

"Very cool," Buffy agreed. "But can I use your shower? The one you have here, not the soon to be one. I don't think I can wait that long."

Willow nodded. "Come on. I've got some clothes that should fit you." They started up the stairs, Giles following them. Grabbing a new outfit, he left the girls alone, making his way back downstairs. Xander was sitting on the couch, staring at the house plans.

"You're welcome to stay with us, you know."

"That's what you need in the first year of marriage, your wife's old crush in the bedroom down the hall."

"You're our friend, Xander."

"Then that's all that matters." He smiled at the older man. "Well, that and knowing I have a place to go."

"Always, Xander." Willow said from the stairs. Her eyes went from man to man, honest emotion in them. "Always."

"Thanks. Now, enough of this." Xander rubbed his hands together. "Let's talk about food."

"What would you like?" Willow started for the kitchen.

"Oh no! No food from that kitchen!" He shook his head. "Somewhere else."

Giles grinned. "All right. To celebrate, we'll take everyone out for lunch but only," he glared at Xander and Buffy, who had just joined them. "If I don't hear another word about my kitchen…or my sex life."

"Agreed," Xander said as Giles shifted the clothes in his hands and headed for the shower.

Buffy looked at Willow and laughed. "Xander would agree to anything for food."

He nodded emphatically. "Just about."

The three sat down together, looking at the house plans as they waited for Giles. Buffy counted the rooms as Xander had done. "I don't know, Willow. There's only ten rooms here. You might be able to fit all of your books, but are you sure there's enough room for all the sex?"

Giles' roar filled the room as he shouted Buffy's name.

Giles grabbed Willow around the waist and lifted her up. She grabbed the key off the ledge. "We're good."

Observing the view of her backside, Giles smiled. "Very good."

"Rupert!" She wiggled in his grasp until he lowered her to the ground. Turning to him, she stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to his lips. "You're incorrigible."

"Can I help it if you bring out my baser instincts?"

After their lunch with Xander and Buffy, they'd dropped them both off at their respective houses and driven around, discussing plans for the new house. When they'd reached it, Giles had stopped the car, smiled at her and proposed this ridiculous plan. Holding the key up, she tilted her head toward the door. "Shall we?"

"This is rather illegal, isn't it love?"

"As I recall, this was your idea, Mr. 'I think we need another look at the training area.'"

"It's imperative that Buffy…"

"Again with the Buffy," Willow smiled, secure in the knowledge of what Xander had shared with her. "I'm beginning to think you married me for my best friend."

Picking her up again after she unlocked the door, Giles swept her over his shoulder. He locked the door behind them and patted her on the bottom. "Love, if I wanted your best friend, I wouldn't be carrying you to the bedroom."

"Is that what you say to her?" Willow giggled as he gave her bottom a swat. "Ooh. Are we going to be kinky today?"

Giles shook his head and started down to the basement area. Reaching the bottom of the steps, he set her down. "What do you think?"

"Not the bedroom."

"We're here illegally, love. I think it best that we do what we came for and go."

"Is that why we parked two blocks away?"

"Sort of." He flicked on the light switch. "Well?"

Willow surveyed the room. It was huge, cement floors and no windows. "It's soundproofed, big enough for you to not hit anything when Buffy throws you across the room. No strange people can look in and wonder why you're wearing padding, have a teenage boy in a cage, and a teenage girl playing darts with a crossbow. I give it four stars."

"My life is so strange," Giles chuckled. He was about to say something else when the sound of the door reached them. "Oh dear."

Willow bit her lip nervously. "What do we do? I don't think they'll sell us the house after we're arrested for breaking and entering."

He scanned the area, which was completely bare. Taking Willow's hand, he gestured to the stairs. "There's a room under the stairs. Come on."

They ducked inside quickly. Giles snapped on the overhead light and both he and Willow nodded. "Weapons closet."

Voices drifted closer as the realtor showed the potential clients the rooms directly above the basement. Shutting off the light, Giles leaned against the wall. "We're liable to be here for a bit."

Willow smiled, glad of the dark. She moved closer, leaning against his chest. "Darn. Trapped here, alone with you."

His hands moved around her waist. "Very trapped."

"Mm-hmm." Her fingers ran over his chest and, despite the dark, slid easily to the buttons of his shirt. She unfastened them with a skill born of much practice, easing the material apart as she went. As one hand continued undressing him, the other rifled through the soft, yet rough, hairs on his chest. "Not trapped enough."

Her lips grazed his skin as she sank slowly to her knees. Her hands left his shirt to unfasten his belt and slacks. He felt the heat of her fingers slip under his waistband and ease his clothes away from him. Her lips continued down, following her hands. Her tongue darted out to taste the warm skin of his stomach and hips before trailing along the length of his erection.

Giles pressed back against the wall more firmly, his hands grasping at air as she licked the tip once more before engulfing him completely.

Her hands tugged his slacks, pushing them completely to the floor. Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed hard against the back of his thighs, her fingers digging into his flesh.

Gritting his teeth to hold back his cries, Giles gripped her shoulders in an effort to remain standing. "Willow," he hissed through clenched teeth, "Oh God, honey, stop."

She pulled away, catching her breath in huge gasps. "Why?"

"Love, we have to be quiet."

"I was being quiet." Her hand wrapped around his cock, taking over where her mouth had left off. Giles closed his eyes and tried not to make any noise. Willow breath was hot against his stomach. "We just need to find something for you to do with your mouth."

She bent her head once more, taking the tip into her mouth as her hand continued to stroke the hard length of him. He pressed his lips together, inhaling sharply. Taking her head in his hands, he pulled her away from him. "Willow," he whispered, suddenly becoming aware of footsteps directly above their heads.

She sighed and put her hands over his. He released his hold on her and she tugged him down onto the floor with her. He knelt in front of her, his knees protected from the cold floor by the bundle of fabric that had been his outfit. He let himself breathe, leaning back against the wall once more. The soft rustling sound in front of him raised his curiosity, but, as the door to the basement swung open above them, he couldn't say a word.

Willow moved as silently as she could. She got to her feet and slipped her jeans down to her ankles. Putting her hands on Giles' shoulders, she kept him leaning back, reclining against the wall as she straddled him, lowering herself slowly until she felt the tip of his cock brush the soft curls shading her sex.

He gasped beneath her, grabbing her hips by reflex. Her heat surrounded him, her thighs caressing his as she slid down his body. The hardness of her nipples brushed his lips and she bent her head so that he could hear her soft whisper.

"I understand you need something to do with your mouth?" She grinned in the dark, barely suppressing her surprised gasp as he caught the hard tip between his teeth. She cradled his head in her hands, holding him to her, her breath hot in his ear. His cock rubbed the lips of her vagina as she swayed above him, teasing him.

Raising his hands to her hips, Giles thrust up as he pulled her down on top of him. His cock slid inside her with unerring accuracy, filling her deeply. She moaned softly, the vibrations against his skin, sending a shaft of lust coursing to his groin. His teeth sank gently into the skin surrounding her nipple and Willow let out a soft yelp of surprise.

"What was that?"

The voice drifted down the stairs, followed by footsteps. "Most likely a small dog or something from the neighborhood."

Giles felt Willow stiffen at the comment and flicked his tongue across the tip of her breast to bring her mind back where he wanted it. He felt her nod and couldn't help but smile.

"Is there a lot of noise around here? At night, especially. My husband and I do a lot of work at night. We can't abide a large amount of noise."

Giles chuckled against Willow's skin, "Good thing she doesn't live near us at night, eh love?"

Willow ground her body against his, rolling her hips with each downward thrust. "Or during the day."

He groaned weakly, feeling the tightening of her muscles as they surrounded him, squeezed him, coaxed him. Sensing his trembling, Willow increased her thrusts, her efforts, milking him and caressing him with every wild stroke.

Bending her head, she licked his neck, starting at his collarbone and ending with his earlobe caught between her lips. The footsteps in the room outside came closer then faded as the couple and agent walked around the room, sometimes venturing dangerously close to the closet.

Willow jumped as someone's hand landed on the door, wriggling the knob. The thrill of discovery sent a shot of excitement through her and she could barely contain herself when Giles grabbed her hips and, with a determined set of his jaw, forced himself upwards, burying himself deep inside of her.

He trembled in her arms, as wave after wave of his orgasm buffeted him, filling her completely. Willow whimpered against his slick skin, pressing hard against him, needing him to send her over the edge.

"I think there's something in the closet," the voice said anxiously. "Some small animal or something. There's whimpering and…it sounds like rats."

"Rats?" A distinctly feminine voice echoed through the empty room, followed by determined footsteps making their way up the stairs. "We're not living in a house that has rats!"

The door above them slammed shut. Alone again, Giles' fingers pressed into the soft flesh of her hips and he arched upwards, over and over again, softly calling her name as she trembled at the edge, struggling to find release. Giles raised his head to her neck, his breath warm against her ear. "You wanted them to find us, didn't you?"

"N…no," she breathed.

"Then why were you trying so hard?"

She smiled, her breath shallow. "I like driving you crazy. I like how you get…you let Ripper play when there's danger in the air."

"You like danger, do you?"

"I like what danger does to you." She amended.

Growling, Giles lunged forward, sending them both tumbling to the floor. He held her down, his hands pinning her to the floor, as he found his momentum and plunged into her, ravishing the silken flesh with warm, hard thrusts. Willow panted, struggling wildly in his grip, thrusting up to meet him in a frenzied passion. Finally, Giles released her hands and grabbed her hips once more, impaling her with tender force. Willow gave up all pretense of silence and cried out, her body exploding around him.

Giles fell forward onto her, the quickly maneuvered himself so that he wasn't crushing her to the cold floor. "All right, love?"

"I'll tell you when it's worn off enough so that I'm just all right." She smiled weakly. "You know, at this point, we now have to have this house."

"You don't fancy breaking into a score of houses and testing which has the best sexual acoustics?"

"Rupert…"

"Very well, this house it is."

Willow stood at the top of the stairs, watching as the moving company, very carefully and under the very watchful eye of her husband, brought in a large box, filled with mystical relics. Most of the more unusual stuff they had moved themselves, but there were a few things that needed a little more brawn than just Buffy's Slayer strength and Xander's muscle.

When they finished with the box, the foreman of the team looked at Giles. "We're done. That's the last box."

"Are you sure?" Giles walked outside and checked in the truck, returning shortly. "There are three more boxes in the truck."

"Right. We'll go get those." The foreman grumbled as he left the room, followed by his other men and Giles, once more.

Willow giggled, picking up the binder that sat on the banister next to her. She watched as Giles made sure all of their things were brought in and safely set down, a gleam of happiness in her eyes. Paying the men, he ushered them out, determined not to notice - or, with the odds six to one, not comment on - the men staring at Willow, or their little jibes about older men sticking with women their own age.

When he shut the door behind them, he sighed with relief. "Lovely men. Must invite them for tea."

"Rupert? Could you come up here for a moment?"

"On my way, love." He ignored the boxes that they would be spending the next year or two unpacking and hurried up the stairs. Willow was standing in the doorway of the room next to theirs, her face scrunched up in a frown. "Yes?"

"I have a question about this room, and I was wondering if you could help me."

"Question? I thought we had decided what everything was. That room," he pointed to the master bedroom, "Is ours. This one is a private office for just the two of us."

"Well, I know. But I was wondering which wallpaper you like better."

"We settled this, love. We were just going to leave it. Remember? We didn't want to incur any unnecessary expense?"

"But which one do you like?" She held up two samples, which he ignored.

"I don't think it's a good idea to make decisions we're not going to follow through on…"

"Which one?"

"Willow…"

"Giles." She snapped his name, her exasperation obvious. "Look at them, and tell me which one."

He sighed his annoyance and looked at the samples in his wife's hands. Instead of staid colors or patterns he found himself staring at soft blue paper with teddy bears on it and a cool yellow with ducks, bunnies and giraffes. "I…"

Willow smiled, her earlier negative emotions washed away. "Which one?" She asked softly.

Tears sparkled in Giles' eyes as the implications of what she was asking hit him. "A baby?"

"I thought it might be an unnecessary expense you'd like to incur."

He enveloped her in his arms, holding her close and swinging her around. "When do find out?" he whispered.

"I saw the doctor yesterday afternoon." She looked up at him as he set her down. "I'm about two months along."

"Oh God." He touched her face reverently, his whole heart in the simple caress. "Our baby."

Willow nodded, her own tears flooding down her cheeks. She held the now crumpled bits of wallpaper up to him. "So, which one?"