"What are you going to do with it?" Xander asked, leaning against the kitchen door frame with a soda in his hand, his voice echoing in the small room.

"What am I going to do with what?" Giles asked, putting the groceries away. So many cupboards, so much food! Xander was a growing lad and he hoped that Willow might also be staying for a few days.…

"Oh, you mean our flapping feline friend. The freezer is as good a place as any for the time being. Willow and Buffy should be finished cleaning the bathroom soon. Then we can go out and get my books. I don’t want them out all night; looks like rain." Giles surfaced from the cupboards and noticed Xander’s pallor.

"You’ve put a dead Griffin in the freezer with the food?" Xander asked, incredulously.

"There’s more than one freezer, Xander. Food in one, mythical creatures in the other." He put the kettle on to boil and opened a new packet of tea, sniffing the leaves’ heavenly scent.

"How do you know Griffin blood is poisonous? They’re mythical; that means they’re rare, right? Weren’t they all killed for their pelts or claws, something like that?"

Giles poured the water into the pot. He chose to ignore the babbling Xander at his elbow.

"Call the girls for tea would you?" He set the cups on the tray and, taking the tray in hand, he walked into the living room where his friends sat on cushions arranged on the oak floor, eager for refreshment. He put the tray on his coffee table, the one piece of furniture they had unloaded from the van, along with his sofa cushions.

"Tea?"

Xander took just one biscuit from the plate. Buffy and Willow stared in shock; Giles took no notice.

"Do you want to investigate the Griffin, Xander?" Giles asked nonchalantly.

Xander’s mouth stopped mid–munch; he swallowed convulsively.

"Mmmm me? I thought you said Griffin’s were poisonous. I mean do you think I’m ready?"

Giles smiled gently at Xander. He reminded him of someone. He had to investigate unicorns. Mythical creatures were relatively safe if you stayed on the right side of the sharp end.

"Can I have Willow to help?"

Willow froze and cast an anxious look at Giles. They had plans. Giles acknowledged Willow’s look.

"Willow will be busy. We’re going shopping…" Buffy’s eyes lit up and Giles groaned, he’d said the magic word!

"Buffy…Willow and I are doing personal shopping, very boring. You wouldn’t like it."

"Since when have you and Willow been personal?" Buffy replied suspiciously. Giles groaned again. Xander came to the rescue.

"You can help me. We’ll need to work on Watcher⁄Slayer relations, right Giles?" Xander had got up, hauled Buffy to her feet, collected her bag and was propelling her toward the door before she could protest further.

"Thank you, Xander." Giles grinned when Buffy hit Xander as they exited. ’I love that boy!’ Willow knelt on the cushion before him. Leaning forward, she gathered the pillows into a makeshift bed. His grin turned feral. He sank to his knees and buried his face in her hair.

"What shall we do now?" He asked suggestively, gently nipping and sucking her ear lobe. Willow shivered; did he have to growl like that? He pulled her onto his lap, settling her knees on either side of his hips and sat up, enfolding her in an embrace that heated the blood and tantalised nerves. They undressed each other, eager to feel skin on skin, panting for and needing the searing contact. Giles fastened his lips to her nipple and teased it to pebble hardness. He traced his lazy tongue to his next target while Willow smoothed her cool hands down his back. She shivered, counting the brands. His breath was coming in hot gasps, urging her to stroke, to shred his back with her nails. He stopped, releasing her breast. He studied her face. She was so beautiful even when she wept.

"Willow? What’s the matter? Why…" He hugged her close but still felt empty, her hands falling from his back. He looked skyward. Now he knew why. He shuffled back and arranged the cushions into a makeshift chair.

"C’mon let’s just sit and talk. We won’t tonight…Ok?" She sniffed and snuggled close to his chest with both legs over his thighs. "I didn’t realise how much they bothered you. I’m sorry." Willow’s eyes searched his.

"Did it hurt? Do they bother you?" He looked down at her; she really did need kissing.

"Yes, they burned. They don’t bother me because they were a gift from Chloe a badge of honour. She was the Watcher–Slayer; I’ve become the Watcher–Slayer. Sometimes I know things I shouldn’t. Its like having Chloe chatting to me. She always was a motor–mouth." He grinned, his green–gold eyes glittering with mischief.

"Would you like to see what I can do?" He softly purred. Willow smiled, her tears forgotten.

He leapt up and dragged the chest that Xander couldn’t budge away from the wall and opened it with a key from his ring. After a brief rummage he came back to Willow with two boxes. He gave one to Willow.

She smiled in delight as she carefully opened the ancient box. It was a car, new looking. She put it on the floor next to his.

"I want the sports’ car." She squeaked, bouncing on her heels. Giles chuckled and exchanged them.

"It won’t go any faster, y’know." Willow reached out to touch it. He caught her fingers, lightning fast.

"Wait…" His hand hovered over the cars for a few seconds, then withdrawing his hand, he closed his eyes…Both cars shot off round an imaginary racetrack. Willow squealed in delight. Giles laughed softly. This was taking all his concentration but it was worth it to please Willow. Her eyes followed the cars’ unerring path, bouncing on her heels as they vied for position on the “straight”.

"How many laps, Willow?" Giles murmured. She looked up at him and wondered at his placid expression, such fury on the floor but nothing on his face.

"Last one, let me win?" She pleaded. He smiled and his car veered off track. His smile disappeared as he regained control.

"The winner is…Willow, by a coat of paint." His eyes opened and the cars skidded to a halt. He breathed deeply, trying to rid himself of the thumping in his head. Willow threw her arms round him, slipping astride his lap once more. Her nipples grazed his chest and he claimed her mouth hungrily. Soon both were moaning, wanting more. She lifted herself to help him with his errant jeans. He was free with a groan of lust. He was just about to… When they heard voices outside. Buffy and Xander were back. Giles swore blindly. Willow mouthed her obscenities, clutching her blouse to her bosom. She didn’t want to move from him.

"Lift up, Willow…Lift up," he whispered urgently. She shook her head and rocked where she was. He groaned and leaned forward to kiss her. Wrapping one strong arm round her waist, he lifted her from him and scooted his jeans back up to be halfway decent when the door opened.

Buffy piled in with Xander. Both were breathless. She froze when she saw her Watcher and Willow breathless for an entirely different reason. Xander peeked round her and gulped. He stared at Giles supporting himself on the cushions with his hands on her hips. Willow was flushed; her hair mussed. Her blouse…My God! He turned on his heel, grabbing Buffy by the elbow. It was like trying to move a truck. Buffy was staying.

"Come in Xander, this is your home. Buffy, help me with the couch?" Willow got off him and turned her back whilst she dressed. Giles pulled on his sweater quickly, carefully secured his jeans and pushed Buffy out of the door. Willow smiled weakly at Xander.

"Hi."

Xander noticed the open treasure chest.

"Wow, Corgis™!" He picked one of the cars from the floor, handling it with reverence. Willow smiled.

"We had a race, he let me win. Xander?" She touched his elbow, "Nothing happened tonight." He nodded.

"I know. We’d better put these back in their boxes." Willow helped him to pack them away.

"We have somewhere to sit at last!" cried Giles as Buffy and he lifted the heavy couch into the room. "Ready for one more, Buffy?" She nodded and he charged out of the house. Buffy didn’t know where he got the energy.

"Giles? GILES!" She said his name sharper than she meant to. He stopped passing her boxes.

"What were you and Willow playing at when we came in?" He could tell he had upset Buffy but it was his living room with a woman over eighteen, what was the problem? Of course he knew what the problem was; age was the problem; his versus Willow’s lack of it.

"What did it look like?"

"Don’t answer me with questions, Giles. God, I hate that!"

"We were about to make love, that better?" He rolled his eyes skyward, another question!

The box she was holding slipped from her grasp. He looked to the back of the van. That was everything. He jumped down and locked the doors.

"Grab a box, we’ll talk indoors." Buffy picked up a box with numb fingers. She walked slowly. Giles passed her twice on the path with boxes under each arm. Xander helped with the last two.

Giles sat with his back to the fireplace wall with a well-deserved beer. Xander nursed his drink pondering the day’s events. Buffy was bursting with questions.

"Buffy, you first." He instructed. His Slayer took a deep breath and Giles prepared himself for the worst.

"I didn’t know your relationship with Willow had progressed that far. I’m sorry. I should have knocked."

"Yes, you should. There are new house rules. You won’t be invading just my privacy in future Buffy, but Xander’s too. In fairness I should have told you about Willow but it’s fun keeping secrets." Willow bathed in the fond look he gave her.

"As for the argument, ’I’m old enough to be her father’, it’s true but I’ve never felt my age. Compared to other Watchers, I’m very much atypical." He laughed heartily.

"I can only imagine what they must have thought of Xander landing in their midst." He finished his beer and glanced at his watch though he knew what time it was without having to look.

Time for patrol.

End of pt 2

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