"Well, it ain't pretty." Xander accepted the pair of gloves Giles handed him and slipped them on. "Shall we do this by section or are we just going to have at it?"

"I believe Willow has a diagram of the areas, that way we're sure to cover everything." Giles watched as a look passed over Xander's features. Glancing over at Willow and Oz, quite oblivious to the rest of them, Giles felt his heart go out to the younger boy. "I think I may have a copy, if you'd rather not…"

"No. I can handle it. I'm Xander, handler of all things that result from bad relationships." He smirked. "Thanks though."

"If you'd like to talk about it?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Giles. She chose him. She loves him; she's sleeping with him. I'm history." Kicking a piece of rock, sending it rolling away from him, he met the Watcher's eyes. "Just like our friendly neighborhood school here. Besides, you've got other things to worry about."

Giles followed Xander's look with his eyes, even though he knew what he would see. Buffy was hunched down near where the back entrance of the library used to be. Where the entrance Angel would often use used to be. "I think Buffy will pull through. I think we all know it's for the best."

"Knowing, believing and convincing yourself are different things," Xander said softly. "Trust me on that one."

Giles knelt beside Buffy, handing her a pair of work gloves. "How are you?"

"Saved the world. Doin' all right."

"I had hoped that there would be fewer lies in our relationship now." He pulled on his own gloves. "It's all right to be hurting. It's all right to need comfort."

"I don't. I don't need anything." She turned to the mess at her feet and began slowly moving rocks away. They had decided they needed to destroy the demon's husk and so they'd come to dig through the rubble that had been their home away from home for so long. "Except to finish this chapter of my life. Which means finding the mayor's body, chopping it up into little pieces, burning them to a crisp, and getting a good night's sleep."

"Well then, let's get to work, shall we?"

Darkness was beginning to fall when Giles next looked up from his work. Willow and Oz were over in the vicinity of his office, he and Buffy working side by side, and Xander working where the rare book cage had been. Giles' heart clenched at the thought of so many books lost. True, they'd rescued as many as they could, but still there were several lost, possibly forever.

His back ached as he stood, grabbing the stack of books he'd managed to salvage. Most were simply school textbooks and the like, but books were books. And all books were worth saving. "Buffy?"

She jolted out of her reverie and met his eyes. The slight smile on her face showed him their earlier disagreement was past and she was working on recovering. Just as she said she would. "Didn't find tall, dark and demonic, but it is the first day."

"I found a few books. Shall we see if the others managed to recover anything? Then I thought I'd take you all out for pizza."

"Pizza?" Xander's voice reached them only seconds before he did. "I'm liking the sound of that, G-man."

"Xander…"

"Sorry. Giles." He grinned and held out his hand. "Found something you might like."

In the fading light, Giles could barely make out the words on the cover of the book Xander held. He was about to ask when the street lamps came on. "The Codex," he breathed.

"Not the sort of thing you should just leave lying around buried under a building," Xander admonished. "But it's found, let's eat."

The three made their way over to Willow and Oz, debating where they would have dinner. As they grew closer to the couple, Xander quieted. "We're going out for pizza," Buffy stated, pulling off her gloves. "Giles' treat. Coming?"

The warmth in Willow's eyes seemed very much like a dagger straight to Xander's heart, in Giles' opinion, but he kept his mouth shut. It was not his business to try and make her realize what she was doing to her best friend. No matter that he had ample experience in the matter.

"No thanks. I think we're just going to go home." Willow smiled then blushed immediately. "To our separate homes. Because that's where we live. Not to our home, because we don't have a home and we don't live together and…Oz, you're supposed to stop me when I do that."

"I love you when you do that."

The quiet reply earned him a kiss from Willow. Xander took a step back and handed the Codex over to Giles. "You know, I'm not that hungry. Maybe you and Buffy could go on without me. I'm just going to go home. I'm sure Mom has something there."

Buffy watched him leave, her eyes sad. Since when had Xander's mother ever managed to have anything on the table other than a bottle of alcohol? "Xander…?"

"Night Buffy. If you patrol later, give me a call. I'll help."

He disappeared into the fading light, his head bent forward in sorrow.

Willow let Oz help her to her feet then slipped her arm around him. "We didn't find anything today, but we'll be back first thing tomorrow. We'll see you guys then?" At their nods, the young couple left, rushing hurriedly to Oz's van and solitude.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me, Giles. And I can't promise that I'm very good company."

"I'll take my chances."

An hour later, they were still sitting at the booth, a large portion of the pizza still between them. Buffy was sitting opposite him, her blue-green eyes shining. "You're lying."

"No, it's true. I was piss drunk, standing in the middle of Piccadilly Circus, singing Sex Pistols songs at the top of my lungs."

She dissolved into a fit of giggles, trying hard to picture her Watcher - her steadfast, sturdy, tweedy Watcher - doing something so outrageous. And, strangely, it wasn't that hard. All she had to do was picture him the way he'd been in the library when the Mayor had walked so audaciously into their sanctuary.

He'd been dressed down, slacks and a sweater, anger tightening the veins in his neck, pulse pounding at the base of his jaw, his hands clenched in anger. And when they'd been threatened…no, when she'd been threatened, he'd picked up the sword and sunk it firmly into the Mayor's chest.

Without thought of how the Mayor would react, even knowing it was fruitless, he'd defended her. Like a father would defend his child.

Although the emotions radiating off Giles that day hadn't seemed remotely fatherly. They'd seemed protective, animalistic. Sexual?

Shaking her head, Buffy tried to rid herself of her thoughts. She didn't need to be thinking about Giles in ways that could get her in trouble. Besides, she was supposed to be mourning Angel. He'd walked away from her. He'd left her.

And she hadn't thought of him once during the entire time they'd been here.

Guilt rushed over her as she looked at Giles. How could she be enjoying herself and entertaining…impure thoughts about her Watcher when the love of her life had left her no more than two days ago?

"Giles? I'm not all that hungry anymore. Do you think you could take me home?"

He noticed the change in her the moment it had begun. He could see her eyes darken, her demeanor change, her shoulders slump. Damn Angel for making her feel guilty for feeling alive. His leaving was supposed to have given her the freedom to be a woman again, to be happy again.

And instead, it keep her mired in the past, guilty for every moment she didn't find herself agonizing over their spent relationship. She was becoming more morose and broody with every waking hour. Xander had put it best when he'd said she was turning into Angel just to fill his place.

Giles clenched his teeth, his anger at the vampire fueled once again. As if he didn't have enough reasons to hate Angel, to curse his very existence, he could now add the fact that the vampire, no matter what he did made Buffy's life miserable.

"All right. Why don't you pass on the patrol tonight? Give yourself a chance to rest?" He motioned for the bill and removed his wallet. "I would think that saving the world once a week is more than enough, wouldn't you?"

Buffy watched his hands as he unfolded the smooth leather of his wallet and extracted the money. "Are you glad he's gone?"

His hands stilled and he looked at her. Her eyes searched his to make sure he told her the truth. "Honestly Buffy? Yes. I think he's too good at hurting you. I think that, as much as it hurts you right now, you deserve those moments of happiness that only come in the sun. I think that, no matter how much you two love each other, it's a doomed romance. Where he is eternity, you are brevity. Where he is dark, you are light. You're opposites and while opposites attract, they can also be volatile. When you bring two extremes together, you don't always get the middle ground."

"Do you hate him?"

"I hate Angelus for the torture that he lay across your shoulders. I hate Angelus for what he made you go through, what he made us all go through. But I do not hate Angel. I don't hate the man you love." His smile was thin and small but full of comfort. And kept him from adding that he didn't hate him, he was simply jealous of him.

"Thank you, Giles. For everything." She stood and moved to his side, kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Let's go?"

He nodded, watching her walk away from the table. Go. Right. As soon as his limbs started working again.

Giles woke up in the middle of the night, startled by a soft sound. Sitting up, he was greeted by the sight of Buffy, curled up in the armchair in his bedroom, crying softly. Pushing the covers away from him, he padded quietly over to her and knelt before her. "Buffy?"

The sob was heart wrenching and not quiet in the least. She fell forward into his arms, latching onto him desperately. Giles wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her shaking body to his own.

Managing to turn around, he leaned back against the base of the chair and cradled her until her sobs gave way to soft sighs of sleep. Her golden hair caressed his bare shoulder as her head nestled underneath his chin. Stretching his legs out before them, he closed his eyes, able to sleep now that he knew she was safe.

"Giles?"

He awoke with a start; his legs numb from the gentle weight on them. He blinked rapidly then narrowed his eyes to focus on Buffy's face. "Buffy?"

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

She smiled, pleased that he wasn't mad. "I didn't want to be alone last night, and Mom is still out of town. So I came here. I hope that's okay. I went to Willow's, but…" She blushed. "And I didn't want to tell Xander why I wasn't at Willow's, so I came here."

"You're always welcome here, Buffy." He shifted slightly beneath her in an effort to get the circulation flowing in his legs when another theory of why it wasn't presented itself. A warm flush suffused his cheeks as he realized his body was more than aware of her closeness.

Leaning closer to him, she pressed her lips to his ear and whispered, "I'm pretending not to notice."

The soft heat of her breath worsened the condition and Giles couldn't help but groan. "Buffy…"

Her eyes widened as she realized it wasn't just a typical male, morning reaction. It had something very specifically to do with her. She scrambled off his lap, her blush matching his. "Oh God, I'm sorry, Giles. I didn't mean to…oh…"

"Buffy, it's quite all right. Although, if you could maybe give me a few moments to compose myself?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "Actually, have to run home and change. And I'll do that. Now. Why don't you pick me up at my house and we'll go to the library…no. I'll meet you at the library. Meeting is good. Being alone in car, not so good. I have to go."

He watched her dash out of the room, listening for the sound of the front door slamming behind her. Heaving a tired and frustrated sigh, he stood, removed the boxers he'd been fortunate enough to wear to bed the night before, and headed off to the shower.

Buffy grabbed Willow's arm and tugged her over to the stand of trees near the wreckage of the school. "I need to talk to you."

Willow's green eyes widened with worry as she watched Buffy's face. "Of course, what's wrong?"

"I think…I…never mind."

"Buffy."

She looked at Willow then down at the ground. After a long moment of feeling Willow's eyes boring into her, she looked up at her friend again. "I gave Giles a…a…"

"What?"

Swallowing, Buffy bent her head again. "I gave him an erection."

"On purpose?"

"No!" She looked quickly at her friend, her eyes wide. "No! I wouldn't do that. I don't think about Giles like that!" She stopped, a warm flush suffusing her face. "Well, at least I didn't."

"But now you do?" Willow's brow furrowed. "I'm not quite following here, Buffy."

Hearing the Citroen sputtering to a stop nearby, Buffy shook her head. "I'll talk to you about it later. I don't want him hearing about it or even thinking we might be talking about it."

"He's going to see us together and assume…"

Buffy thought fast. "So what did you and Oz do last night?" The giggle and blush that lit up Willow's features would distract Giles from any thoughts that they might be talking about him. Buffy looked over at Xander who was arriving as well. The hurt look in his eyes dampened her triumph. Xander looked pretty sure that he knew why Willow was giggling like a girl in love.

"All right, shall we take up where we left off yesterday?" Giles asked as he looked over the assembled group. His eyes caught Buffy's and he looked away immediately.

Buffy glanced at Willow and raised an eyebrow causing the other girl to break into giggles. Rolling her eyes dramatically, Buffy nodded. "Fine with me."

Xander picked up his gloves and walked away without a word. Sighing, Giles followed him. "Xander?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Giles. Just…just let me do what I need to do."

"I've been through it."

"What?" The younger man's brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "What have you been through?"

"I know that you still love Willow…"

"So what?" Xander's voice, normally laced with humor, was hard and sad. "Why don't you just tell me I got exactly what I deserved, which is what everyone is thinking and leave me alone?"

"I've been in love with someone who is in love with someone else." Giles sat, balancing himself on one of the crumbled walls. "Someone who loved her, was good to her…"

"Someone who left her for her own good," Xander added softly, almost questioningly.

"Pardon?"

The look of surprise and horror on Giles' face caused Xander to laugh. "You're in love with Buffy."

"I…Wh…I…" Giles took a deep breath. "How did you know?"

"Willow…was in love with me for years. I know the signs."

Giles nodded, a slight frown on his face. "If you knew, why…"

"She was my best friend, my…my rock. I was scared to love her back, scared I'd lose her." He shrugged. "Guess I was destined to lose her anyway."

"Xander, I…"

"Take a chance Giles."

"I can't."

"You can. You have to." He glanced over at Willow who was talking with Buffy from the warmth of Oz's embrace. Xander looked away quickly. "Trust me, the alternative sucks."

"What do you think they're talking about?" Willow asked softly. Both Oz and Buffy looked at her incredulously before realizing she really didn't seem to know.

"School," Buffy said quickly. "Giles is probably offering to help him so that he can get the credits he needs to graduate."

Willow nodded. "Well, we'd better get to work if we're going to find the mayor…demon thingy."

Buffy smiled at both of them before moving over to where she and Giles had been working the day before. How could Willow suddenly be so blind where Xander was concerned? Were people always blind to the ones who loved them?

"So Buffy, when does your mother return from her trip?"

She glanced up at Giles. "Not for another day or two." Suspicion crept into her voice. "Why?"

Blushing, Giles slipped on his gloves. "Well, I thought I might offer to let you stay at my apartment again, only all evening this time, rather than have you frighten me in the early morning hours."

"Really Giles?" Relief seemed to ease her features as she smiled. "That would be…" She stopped suddenly.

"What?" He knelt down beside her. "What is it?"

"You're wearing jeans. And a T-shirt. And…" she looked down at his feet. "And hiking boots."

"I was wearing something rather similar yesterday."

"Yeah, but yesterday you were just Giles. After this morning you're…" she blushed and snapped her mouth closed.

"I'm what?"

She shook her head, refusing to answer.

Pressing the advantage, Giles leaned closer until their faces were mere inches apart. "I'm what?"

Swallowing hard, Buffy met his eyes. "You're a man," she whispered harshly before stumbling to her feet and running away.

Continues