Jack climbed the stairs to his father’s room and steeled himself for what he might find. He knocked before entering with the breakfast tray and carefully avoided looking at the bed that his father shared with Ethan. He straightened and glanced over at the bed.

Ethan had replaced the bolster in his father’s affections. Jack’s heart beat fast in his chest and he felt a blush rise to his cheeks. His eyes flew to his mother’s portrait, wondering if she saw and approved of this coupling.

He saw only his mother’s compassionate eyes resting on the couple on the bed. Her gentle smile caressed them both. Jack’s gasp at the change in the painting brought the whole tableau to life.

His father placed a chaste kiss on Ethan’s forehead and sat up, his chest bare and his hair more tousled than usual. He located the source of the noise and for the first time in a long time, didn’t greet his wife.

"Morning Jack," He yawned and stretched and the sheets slipped further down his body indicating that he wore no pyjamas.

"B.Br..Breakfast’s here. D.dad…" He thrust his hands into his jeans pockets, dropped his gaze and made good his exit.

Ethan stood at the end of Rupert’s bed dressed in his robe over his own pyjamas. From his vantage point, he could look out over the green sward of lawn to the uninspiring dull red brick of the walled garden. He waited with his hands thrust into its deep, warm flannel pockets; the robe surrounded and comforted him like Rupert’s embrace of the night before.

Rupert returned the breakfast tray to the kitchen and collected the key to the garden gate. He passed by the open door of the study where Jack stored his weapons; Jack had a cloth in his hands and was cleaning a sword lovingly. Rupert hesitated, and then shrugged he would tell him about Ethan another time.

Rupert peeped his head round the door jamb and addressed Ethan. "Ready?"

Ethan turned and took up his stick. "Ready." He replied and followed Rupert downstairs, through the kitchen and into the garden.

The bird song was singularly sweet as they approached the walled garden. Ethan breathed in the scented air as Rupert opened the gate onto a lush green womb of nature. Ethan smiled.

The squeak and clang of the gate became distant in his senses as he surveyed flora in abundance. He took several steps inside then sank to his knees and wept, wept for all the decades he’d wasted worshipping chaos. Where here, he could see random perfection in every stem, petal, blade, and stone.

This was mystical, natural chaos in all its glory.

Rupert lay beside Ethan; his fingers brushed through the chamomile and gazed at his friend. "You led us here Ethan, didn’t you know what it was like?"

Ethan shook his head and sniffed back his tears. He leant back against an ancient rock and on impulse cupped his hand into the bubbling stream; the cold water calmed his nerves and cleared his head. "I had no idea," he said softly. He laughed and splashed some water over Rupert. "Ripper, my dear old chum, you lived for so long on a Hellmouth, do you know what this place is really?"

Ethan looked so young suddenly that Rupert wanted to cry. He shrugged and waited for the answer, just as in his youth, Ethan always had an answer, but back then it was usually in a syringe.

"Its Heavens mouth, dear heart, a tiny scrap of heaven. That’s what this place is." Ethan threw back his head and bathed in the sunlight that filtered through the willow.

"Should I even be here?" She stepped over the brook asking the question of her guide.

Willow pointed and Buffy looked at the two men intertwined on the ground, they were kissing. Her face prepared to "ewwww" but then she recognised who she was there to pick up.

"Oh, my God! Not Giles! He’s not dying is he?" Buffy asked panic stricken.

Willow placed a comforting hand on Buffy’s arm. "Rupert has been dying for quite some time Buffy, but it’s not him you have to look after." Willow smiled quietly at her friend’s perplexed expression, and then chuckled as realisation dawned.

"ETHAN?" she yelled in disbelief. "You’re kidding, tell me you’re kidding…" Willow shook her head. "Aww, c’mon Willow, do I have to?" Buffy looked at her ethereal companion’s resolve face. She sighed in resignation. "Bang goes the neighbourhood!"

Rupert peeled off Ethan’s clothing and was surprised by the seemingly ageless body, he glanced up at his friend, whose lips moved silently. He pressed his fingers against Ethan’s sensual lips to silence the spell.

"Don’t hide from me Ethan, I am as I am, be as you are." He murmured.

Ethan nodded and slowly the veil dropped from Rupert’s eyes and he saw the ravages of time and ritual sacrifice on his friend’s body. He set about kissing each pale scar and darkened crevice. Ethan relaxed, the tremor of his limbs responding and quieting to Rupert’s expert touch.

Rupert bathed in Ethan; each soul caressed the other like vintage wine delighting an experienced palate. And when at last their love was spent each lay beside the other in quiet contentment.

They talked late into afternoon, neither suggesting a break for food, as with most lover’s food is unnecessary "…most of these scars are recent Ethan, you couldn’t have been casting so late, the concentration required…" Rupert stopped as he saw Ethan’s face change, darkness swept over his features in a wave.

"At the Rest Home I rebelled, they didn’t like someone who complained about the food and conditions. So they tried “other means” to convince me to stop complaining." Ethan’s emotions warred in his eyes, anger won. "Amateurs! God Save me from them."

Rupert opened his arms and Ethan settled against his warm chest, his tongue gently lapping at Rupert’s nipple. "Keep that up and you’ll find yourself ravished." Rupert rumbled.

Ethan smiled and breathed in the scent of his lover and the place where they lay, he closed his eyes remembering it. "That’s the general idea," he breathed. His eyes watered as he concentrated on Rupert’s chiseled features, he took another breath, one of his last.

"Hey, why didn’t the gay condom go to the party?" Ethan whispered in Rupert’s ear. Rupert didn’t move and whispered back, "Don’t know, why?" Ethan leant his head on Rupert’s shoulder and sighed the answer into his ear. "Because he didn’t want to leave his friend’s behind." Rupert joined him in gentle chuckles.

Ethan’s eyes closed.

Rupert pulled Ethan closer and kissed his forehead, his companion remained silent and inert. Rupert opened his eyes and listened as Ethan whispered in his mind for the last time.

"I don’t want to leave you lover. Consecrate the secret room; it’s where we’ll wait for you. I love you Rupert Giles. Always remember that…" Rupert hugged Ethan tighter to his chest, rocking him gently, tears coursing down his face.

End of part 3

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