Title: Gifted
Author: Adrienne S.
Comments to: adrienne5@sympatico.ca
Pairing: Giles/Ethan
Rating: FRM for naughty imagery, implied soft drug use, a couple of bad words and Anya being Anya.
Summary: Giles recieves some special Valentine's Day gifts.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and no copyright infringement is intended.
Note: This is a stand alone story.

The Magic Box was, thankfully, in that lull between coffee break and lunch. It was Valentine's Day, not a holiday that most people thought would generate much business for a magical supply store, but there were always those who wanted something a little different for their significant other.

Giles took the opportunity to take a few of the smaller boxes that had been delivered that morning to the table and open them. Receiving was generally done in the back room during business hours, but he needed to stay on the floor for the next rush, or to take any questions that it would be unwise to let Anya answer.

Anya was standing by the cash, serving a customer. There were a few other customers, but they seemed not to be in a hurry, so Giles picked up a box cutter and carefully cut the tape on the first box.

"This aromatherapy kit has some lovely massage oils," Anya told her customer cheerfully. "If you combine the lavender with just a drop of orange, it both soothes and makes you horny."

"You know this from personal experience?" the customer asked. He was a regular and he liked goading Anya into making one of her cheerfully unabashed sexual remarks.

"I experimented. I tried cinnamon oil, which feels nice at first, but it burns my delicate tissues and makes sex rather painful, which really isn't the point of sex unless you're a masochist," Anya replied. "I'm not really into pain. Well, a spanking is nice once in a while..."

"I'll keep that in mind." The customer paid her for the kit and left. Anya turned to the next customer.

"So, babe, what are you doing for Valentine's Day?" The young man, barely out of pimplehood, leered at Anya. Anya beamed at him.

"After work, my boyfriend and I are going to drizzle chocolate sauce over each other and lick it off as foreplay. Then we're going to have sex. Thanks for asking," she replied cheerfully. "And you? Do you have plans?"

"Uh... No."

"That's too bad," Anya continued, looking sympathetic. "I can hardly wait. In fact, Giles might let me off early..." She cast an eye to her boss.

"If I let you go early, you won't be here to count the cash at the end of the day," Giles said dryly.

"True." Anya looked pensive for a moment. "Well, they say that anticipation is part of the fun. I think they're lying, but I'm willing to try anything once. Are you going to buy anything or not?"

The young man looked as if he had been poleaxed and left rather quickly. Another young man came up to the counter and Anya smiled at him.

"I, uh, don't have a date for Valentine's Day," he said, shyly. "Maybe one if I got one of those love charms?"

"Oh, you don't want one of those." Anya dismissed the idea. "Magical jewellery? Way overrated. I mean, there you are one day, happy and with a fulfilling career. Lose one lousy necklace and - poof - you find yourself in high school, flunking math. It's really depressing. You'd be far better off with this."

Anya waved her hand towards the selection of body washes and soaps.

"All of these are scented and they drive the opposite sex wild," she said confidently. "You take a nice, hot bath or shower and rub these all over your body and the scent will be all around you. It's like magic."

"Does it really work?"

"Well, I use them and Xander can't keep his hands off me," Anya said, truthfully. "Try it and see."

Giles looked down at the box he was unpacking to hide a smile. The young man was loading up on each and every kind of soap and body care products that they had.

After he left, Anya counted out his money twice, just for the fun of it.

Tara, who had been sitting quietly at the table, reading, looked up at her.

"There's no magic in those soaps. They just smell nice," she said.

"No, but there is something magical about an adolescent boy who bathes," Giles told her. "Are you and Willow doing something special for Valentine's Day?"

"We're going to stay in. I bought a new comforter, so we're going to snuggle down under it and drink hot chocolate and read poetry."

"Sounds boring," Anya put in. "Unless you're going to have orgasms after."

Tara blushed painfully and ducked her head.

"It sounds lovely," Giles said softly to her. "Are there any particular poets you intend to read?"

"Willow bought me some violets and a book of Sappho's poetry."

"Only fragments of her poetry exist, but what is extant is beautiful," Giles commented. "For something a bit more risque, you might want to read Marlowe's translations of Ovid's _Amores_."

"I'll look into it." Tara lifted her head and smiled at him.

"So what are you doing for Valentine's Day, Watcher-mine?" Buffy asked, coming up. She was attached firmly to Riley, and nestled close to him.

"Buffy. I didn't see you come in."

"You were too busy talking about poetry and unpacking... What is that?" She looked at the lumpy little rocks he had unpacked with amused disgust.

"They're bezoars," Giles told her. "Protection against poison."

"They look gross."

"They're kidney stones from goats, aren't they?" Dawn asked, wrinkling her nose.

"Actually, they're from a goat's stomach," Giles replied. "Goats will eat anything, so sometimes they get stones caught in their digestive tract..."

"Stomach acid washed stones," Buffy interrupted. "Ick."

"They've been sterilised," Giles protested. "And they were half price."

"They sell better than toadstones, although they're not as effective," Anya added.

"What's in that box, Mr. Giles?" Riley, perhaps to change the subject, pointed to the last unopened box. It was small, perhaps the size of a shoebox.

"I don't know. I don't recognize the return address."

"I hope it's one of those free samples we sometimes get. I like the pens," Anya put in.

Giles cut the tape and opened the box. Inside was a pretty vase. With a puzzled frown, he took the vase out of its nest of tissue paper and set it on the table. As soon as it touched the surface, it started to glow.

The glow swirled around the vase, going from a thin white mist to a rich, red cloud. As the cloud dissipated, the vase was full of beautiful red roses.

"How lovely," Tara exclaimed. Buffy nodded and touched her finger to one of the velvety petals. Anya picked up the box and looked at it.

"It's addressed to you, Giles. I didn't know you had a new orgasm friend," she said.

"Mr. Giles?" Riley asked, sounding concerned. At his tone, Buffy looked up to see Giles staring at the roses, his face whiter than the tissue paper.

"Giles?" Anya looked at him curiously.

"Excuse me," Giles said tightly and fled to the bathroom, a hand over his mouth.

"Roses make him throw up?" Dawn asked, frowning. "Is he allergic or something?"

"No...," Buffy said softly, picking up the box. "Who would be so cruel as to send Giles red roses?"

"Cruel? Sending roses is cruel?" Anya frowned as well. "Nobody told me that. Everybody sends roses to their sweethearts. Of course, after the romance wears off, they do tend to lie and cheat and leave trails of broken hearts in their wake... Oh, I see. Xander better not send me any red roses." She crossed her arms for emphasis.

"Buffy?" Riley put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze. "I don't get it."

"Neither do I," Dawn said. "I'd love to get roses from somebody."

"Dawn, do you remember Miss Calendar?"

"Um. Yeah." Dawn vaguely recalled the pretty teacher who had hung around with the gang before she'd been murdered.

"Giles... He was sweet on her...," Buffy said, haltingly. "When she died... There were red roses all over Giles' apartment when he found her. He can't stand being near roses anymore, especially red ones."

"I'll get rid of them," Tara said firmly. She picked up the vase and gave a short cry.

"Tara, are you all right?"

"The vase is full of magic," she said. "Not bad magic, per se, but very powerful magic. Whoever sent this is very strong and very skilled."

--------------

When Giles emerged from the bathroom, his eyes were red and he still looked rather pale, but he seemed to be in control. In any case, there wasn't time to talk; the store was full with the lunchtime crowd.

Buffy, despite her intense dislike of retail, found herself helping out in the book section. Dawn was rearranging the candle display and Tara was helping behind the counter where Anya reigned supreme. Even Riley was pressed into helping, since some of the women wanted a guy opinion. Giles himself was concentrating on a delicate negotiation regarding a very old, very valuable collection of grimoires.

"You work here?" A man in a brown uniform caught Buffy's attention.

"Well, no. Yeah. Sort of." Buffy sighed, running the back of her hand over her forehead. "You need me to sign for something?"

"There's a package for a Mr. Giles."

Buffy looked across the store to see that Giles was now busy with a group of customers in the talisman section.

"I can sign for it." Buffy nodded. She signed the waybill and took the small package. She took the package to the counter and handed it to Tara, who asked her to go to the basement and get a box of bags.

The lunch rush ended just as Xander walked in with Willow. He watched the crowds start to leave with a bemused expression.

"Was it something I said?" he asked. "Hey, sweetie."

Anya ran out from behind the counter and flung herself in his arms.

"Oh, Xander. It's been a wonderful day. I took in lots of money and later we're going to have sex." The joy on her face was indescribable.

"I brought lunch." Xander started to open a bag full of sandwiches. "Egg salad for you, Will. Tara, your veggie. Roast beef and tuna for the commando slayer combo. Chicken for me and my girl. The G-man has the BLT and the weird combo of eggplant and pickle is for my Dawnie."

"It's good." Dawn pounced on her sandwich and unwrapped it. "At the table, please," Giles reminded them. Anya took her sandwich to the counter and the rest arranged themselves around the table.

"So, Giles. Got a hot date tonight?" Xander asked, around a huge mouthful of sandwich.

"The only thing hot about my evening plans is the pot of tea which shall accompany perusing the new encyclopedia of demon dimensions I bought last week."

"Ah." Xander nodded wisely. "Celebrating Bitter Singles Day in style."

"Maybe not," Dawn piped up. "He did get a magical bouquet of roses. It was way cool. A bit creepy, but cool."

"Roses?" Xander exchanged a look with Buffy. Giles cleared his throat.

"I received a package containing a vase that filled itself with roses," Giles said quietly, fiddling with his glasses. "I have no idea who sent it."

"I do." Buffy's mouth tightened.

"Much as it does sound like him, he's safely locked up," Giles reminded her gently, then looked at Riley. "Isn't he?"

"Who?" Riley looked confused.

"Ethan Rayne," Buffy, Xander and Willow said at the same time. Riley choked slightly, then swallowed a bite of his sandwich.

"Well, um, er, ah, no."

"No?" Buffy glared at him. "No?"

"He's escaped from custody and you didn't think to warn me?" Giles asked, his voice deceptively mild.

"Uh. Sir. The, um, circumstances were highly classified," Riley managed. "Need to know basis and all that."

"I have a bloody need to know." Giles stood up abruptly and whipped his glasses off, throwing them on the table. "Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant."

"Um." Tara raised her hand timidly. "Who is Ethan Rayne and should we be doing something about it?"

"Ethan is..." Giles stopped, then sighed. "Ethan's an old friend of mine. Or he used to be."

"A friend?" Riley gave him with a sceptical look. "He turned you into a demon."

"Wouldn't be the first time...," Giles muttered to himself.

"Shouldn't we be looking for him?" Willow asked.

"I daresay we'll see him soon enough, if he's sending me packages," Giles replied, slowly sitting down again. He looked at his sandwich with a distasteful expression. "Where is the vase?"

"I..." Tara began to stutter and Willow took her hand.

"We got rid of it, Giles," Buffy replied. "Sorry for ditching your Valentine's prezzie, but I kinda got the impression that you didn't want it."

"It might be useful to check the magical signature."

"Come on, Giles. Who else would send you roses?"

"There is that," Giles agreed sadly. "And Ethan was always fond of enchanting things. God. I remember one time he..."

"He what?" Willow perked up her ears, intent on learning more about magic.

"Never mind." Giles shook his head. "Just an old memory." Giles paused for a moment. An old memory was resurfacing; a memory from a time he generally declined to recall. A memory when he and Ethan were friends - good friends - more than just friends. There had been a time, long ago, when they had celebrated holidays, even Valentine's Day...

"Giles?"

He came out of his abstraction at Buffy's soft inquiry. She held out a package.

"All things considered, you may not want to open this, but it came earlier."

He took the package and looked at it. It seemed like a perfectly normal package.

"I don't feel anything unusual about it. Willow? Tara?"

Both of the girls touched the package briefly and shook their heads.

"I don't think there's anything magical about it," Tara said quietly. The others watched as Giles opened it and took out a small wooden box. He lifted the lid, took a look inside, smiled a little, then closed it.

"What?" Xander asked. Giles just shook his head, with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"It's something naughty," Buffy said, starting to grin. She glanced at Dawn, who nodded and quietly rose from her chair. "C'mon, Giles, spill. What is it?"

"I think it's something private," Tara protested. Anya gave a rude noise.

"If Giles has a new orgasm friend, he should tell us. If this is a present from someone who wants to be his orgasm friend, then we can help him figure out who it is," she stated.

"Much as I appreciate the help, Anya, this is addressed to me, not to you lot," Giles huffed. Buffy went to reach for it and he held it away, only to have Dawn perfectly positioned to pluck it out of his hand. "Dawn!"

Dawn merely shared a conspiratorial grin with her sister and opened the box.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed. "Giles!"

"What? What is it?" Willow asked.

"Drugs," Dawn said in a hushed voice. "Five - no, six - joints and a little bottle of hash oil. And there's a note."

"Joints?" Xander looked confused.

"Marijuana?" Riley raised his eyebrows.

"And just how do you know what hash oil looks like, Dawn?" Buffy turned to her sister. Dawn shrugged sullenly.

"Giles, are you some kind of drug fiend?" Anya asked.

"No, I am not," Giles snapped. "Dawn, give me that."

Dawn hid the box behind her back, whereupon Xander took the box from her.

"Giles, why would someone send you a box with drugs in it?" Buffy asked dangerously.

"Oh, for god's sake, Buffy, it's only a couple of joints, not a shipment of heroin," Giles replied. "And that isn't hash oil. It's... something else."

"And how do you know what hash oil looks like, Mister?" Buffy narrowed her eyes.

"Because I spent a great deal of time when I was your age trying to score some, that's why," Giles answered, thoroughly exasperated. "Xander, give it back and I'll dispose of it properly."

"Un hunh. Oh, God, listen to this." Xander was reading the note. "'By God, penis, you must be guarded/with eye and hand/because the lawsuit, straight-headed pole,/most carefully for evermore...' God, who wrote this?"

"Dafydd Ap Gwilym, sometime in the fourteenth century," Giles answered, taking the box and the note from Xander's nerveless fingers.

"A poem called 'The Penis'?" Xander blinked.

"Men in the fourteenth century had them, you know."

"He's right." Anya nodded. "'Despair of minstrels' and 'trousers full of wantonness'. I always liked that poem."

"Who would send you a box of drugs and a dirty poem?" Buffy challenged.

"And why?" Dawn added.

"I don't think that's any of your business."

"Well, Ethan probably sent the other present." Willow tapped her fingers on the table. "Maybe he sent this one, too."

"As a reminder of the past." Tara nodded.

"Okay, the drugs I can see, but why a poem about..." Xander stopped and looked at Giles with big eyes.

"Maybe Ethan admires Giles' penis. After all, I admire yours," Anya said, matter of fact. "Now clean up this mess before the coffee break crowd comes in. No time to sit around gossiping about poetry. Save it for your college courses."

Giles rose immediately and tidied up the sandwich wrappings, grateful for Anya's inadvertent tactfulness.

--------------

The afternoon rush was exhausting and the entire gang was more than happy to hear Giles turning the lock on the door, even Anya.

"One would think that Valentine's Day would not be this busy in a magic shop," Giles commented.

"According to Retailers America, Valentine's Day is the single biggest day for gift and specialty items," Anya replied, as she tallied up the day's receipts. "Followed by Mother's Day."

"What about Christmas?" Riley asked.

"Oh, eighty-seven percent of retail sales happen over the Christmas season, but for a single day, Valentine's is it," Anya explained. "Giles, you can make the deposit today. I want to go home with Xander as soon as possible."

"Would you mind, Giles? Xander asked, in a low voice. "After all, you don't often get a chance to fondle your own money."

"Yes, yes, go on." Giles gave him a half smile. "Enjoy your evening."

"I still have to finish this," Anya said, still counting. "Don't spoil my fun. If you have to do something, you can open the package on the counter."

"When did this come in?" Giles looked at the package. It was much smaller than the other ones.

"I'm not sure. It was there when I sold the statue of Bastet," Anya replied.

"Giles, if that's another fun present from Ethan..." Buffy warned.

"Don't fuss, Buffy. I think I know what Ethan's up to," Giles assured her.

"Which is?"

"None of your concern."

"None of my concern? Giles, the last time you met up with Ethan, you woke up green and scaly."

"That won't happen this time." Giles shook his head in dismissal.

"Giles, tell me what's going on. What is Ethan up to?" Buffy narrowed her eyes and looked at him.

"Buffy..."

"Training room. Now," Buffy ordered.

"Oh. Watcher's in wicked trouble now," Willow whispered to Tara, with a giggle.

Giles thinned his lips, then walked to the training room and opened the door. Buffy followed.

--------------

"Spill, Giles. Tell me why you're not asking me to track Ethan down and beat the crap out of him. And don't tell me that you're reserving that pleasure for yourself. You're not all stiff and pissed off."

"Buffy, it really isn't your concern."

"Yes, it is," Buffy insisted. "Just tell me what he's up to and I'll get off your back."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Giles said dryly. "Buffy, what is today?"

"Valentine's Day," Buffy answered impatiently.

"Yes, it is Valentine's Day. And I have received flowers and poetry as gifts, correct?"

"Giles, please don't say what I think you're going to say," Buffy begged. "I just don't want to go there."

"Perhaps I do," Giles said quietly.

"What?"

"Buffy, you've only seen a small fraction of the relationship Ethan and I have had. I get angry with Ethan being here because I don't want him anywhere near you. I know what he's capable of doing and I don't want him hurting you," Giles said slowly. "But there is an aspect of our relationship that I have never explained to you."

"You're lovers," Buffy said flatly.

"I think Anya's phrase 'orgasm friends' is more accurate," Giles replied, "but, yes, we have been intimate in the past and will probably be so again. If the gifts are any indication, Ethan will be at my flat tonight."

"Um. You are aware that Ethan's a guy, right?" Buffy asked carefully. "Unless he's a really, really butch woman. A very flat chested butch woman."

"No, Ethan is definitely male," Giles assured her. "Does that bother you? The fact that I have had male partners?"

Buffy thought about it for a long moment.

"No, I don't think so. Since Willow came out, I think I've gotten a little less wigged by that whole bi thing. But... is this... Ethan... Do you want him to be there?"

"Yes, I do. Xander wasn't far off the mark when he accused me of celebrating Bitter Singles Day," Giles said gently. "It will be... nice... not to be alone."

"Even if it's Ethan?"

"We share a long history, Buffy. He helps me remember who I used to be."

"He sent you red roses, Giles," Buffy protested.

"He doesn't know about Jenny, Buffy. Not in detail."

"What about the drugs?"

"My generation isn't as puritanical about soft drugs as yours." Giles smiled. "Ethan happens to like my reaction to grass."

"Which is?"

"Very akin to Faith's reaction to Slaying," Giles replied bluntly and Buffy blushed. "Buffy, I know you see me as old and gross, but Ethan doesn't. Sometimes I need that."

"Okay." Buffy nodded. "I'll stay out of it on one condition. We never, ever, ever talk about you and Ethan and sex ever again. Got it?"

"Understood. Now, may I go back and open my last present?"

-------------

"I'm ready to go." Anya beamed and handed Giles the canvas bag with the day's deposit in it. "Now be careful with it and the key for the night deposit is by the cash register."

Used to Anya treating the money like her firstborn child, he merely nodded.

"Do you need help tidying up, Giles?" Willow asked.

"No, you and Tara go ahead and enjoy your evening." Giles nodded. "Buffy, don't you and Riley have plans?"

"Yeah, but I wanna see what's in that box." Buffy pointed to the still unopened package.

Giles picked up the package and felt a tingle of magic. Strong magic, with a very familiar tang to it. Yes, this was from Ethan. Part of him wanted to chase the children away, but the more prudent part of him thought it would be safer to have witnesses. If he were wrong about Ethan's intentions, it would be wise to have help to hand, should the box contain anything dangerous.

The package contained a velvet jewellery box. Inside the box was a single earring. A ruby stud, of about half a carat, nestled on the bed of velvet. It was simple, elegant and utterly beautiful.

Without thinking about it, Giles took the earring and swiftly inserted it into his left earlobe.

"I didn't know you had a pierced ear," Dawn commented, from what seemed an eternity away.

Giles felt a stab of arousal so strong that he bent over, stealing his breath away. He was instantly hard, insistently so, and he could feel a ghostly presence at his back, ghostly fingers plucking at his nipples, a satisfyingly hard fullness inside him.

It was a perfect hallucination of one of the best intimate encounters he had ever had. He could smell the rich mixed scents of beeswax, stale cigarette smoke, sandalwood incense, homegrown grass, Ethan's cologne and his own musky arousal. He could hear the throbbing beat of the Stones and feel the cheap roughness of threadbare sheets under his hands.

A sharp pain in his ear and the image was gone. He dropped into a chair and put his head in his hands. The image was gone, but his arousal had not abated in the slightest. All he wanted was to have the image back.

"What the hell was that?" Xander asked. Giles peeked through his fingers to see Buffy's hand dropping the earring in front of him.

"You might want to put it on some other time," she said softly. "It doesn't go with what you're wearing."

"I'll keep that in mind." He picked up the earring and looked at it. There was no magic in it now; it was just a pretty bit of jewellery.

"Okay, what was that?" Xander demanded. "Did that earring attack you? Okay, let's get weaponed up and go get that son of a bitch."

"Calm down, Xander." Giles waved a hand in his direction. "It merely contained some memories that I was not prepared for. I'm fine and I can handle it myself."

"But..."

"What, Xand? You think my Watcher can't take care of himself?" Buffy demanded. "You wanna take on the guy who fights with me on a daily basis? If Ethan needs his ass kicked, I'm sure Giles can provide all the ass kicking he needs."

"Well, yeah, I guess..." Xander didn't sound convinced.

"Come on, Xander. Let Giles take care of his friend and then I can take care of you," Anya cooed. "By the way, Giles, if you need it, I could ask D'Hoffryn to get a vengeance demon to visit Ethan. You know, for the roses. If you want."

"That's sweet, Anya, but totally unnecessary," Giles assured her. "Now run along, all of you. I have a deposit to make."

"Be careful, Giles." Buffy gave him a direct look, and he knew she wasn't referring to the bank deposit.

--------------

Giles took off his suit jacket and slung it across the desk chair, then went to put the kettle on. His door had been locked when he came in and the flat appeared to be empty.

He was frankly disappointed. He had been so sure that Ethan's little presents were a seduction and he had been looking forward to it. It had been a long time since anyone had shared his bed, far too long. Since Olivia decamped after the Gentlemen, he had been alone.

Tea made, he went upstairs to change. At the top of the stairs, he stopped in his tracks. There, lying on his bed with a book in hand, was Ethan.

"Did you make enough tea for me? I'm gasping for a decent cuppa," Ethan said carelessly, carefully inserting a bookmark to save his place.

"It was you, then."

"Did you doubt it?" Ethan smiled. "Really, Ripper, you're usually much quicker on the uptake."

"I thought you were still in Nevada."

"Never made it to Nevada. I escaped within hours. As you knew I would."

"I never really thought about it. I've been rather busy."

"So you're not a retired librarian with a tendency to get knocked on the head anymore?"

"No. I'm a magic shop owner with a tendency to get knocked on the head."

"Did you like my presents?"

"Like most of your gifts, they produced mixed feelings," Giles replied, coming closer to sit on the edge of the bed. "Except for the roses."

"I impressed even myself with that one." Ethan sighed. "Damn, I'm good."

"I tossed them in the rubbish," Giles told him, then laughed at Ethan's expression. "I can't stand roses."

"Really? You used to like them."

"It's a long story and one that I don't want to tell tonight."

"I'll have to ask again later, when we're high. You did bring the second present with you, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes."

--------------

"Oh, hell." Giles rolled over and squinted at the clock. Without his glasses, he didn't have a hope of seeing it, but that didn't stop him from trying.

"Hung over?" Ethan asked softly.

"Not really." Giles rolled back and nestled into Ethan's arms again. "Have I told you recently how good it is to not have to kick the snot out of you? .

"Not since last night," Ethan replied, kissing the top of his head. "And as the recipient of those kicks, may I say that I appreciate you not doing it this time?"

"Stay away from Buffy and causing trouble in Sunnydale and you're welcome in my bed. Interfere with her and my Watcher duties and I'll keep kicking your teeth down your throat."

"God, you're sexy when you're being violent." Ethan grinned.

"Your masochistic tendencies are showing again."

"Yes, I know. Want to take advantage...? What are you squirming about now?" Ethan asked, as Giles hiked himself up and reached across him.

"I want my glasses."

"Why?"

"Because I want to know what time it is." Giles retrieved his glasses from the small table on Ethan's side of the bed and put them on. "Oh, fuck."

"Glad to see we're on same wavelength," Ethan replied, rolling onto his side. Giles glared at him.

"I am so late for work."

"One of the great advantages of being the owner is you aren't likely to fire yourself for being late."

"One of the disadvantages is having Anya Jenkins working for me. I'm surprised she hasn't called..." As he spoke, the phone rang.

"Shall I get it? It might be for me." Ethan offered, his eyes sparkling wickedly.

"I sincerely doubt that," Giles replied witheringly and picked up the phone. "Hello? ... Oh, Buffy. I thought it might be Anya... You did? Thank you; I appreciate it... No, I think I might stay in today... Yes, I'll expect you before patrol, then."

Ethan was looking at him with an amused expression.

"Is your little Slayer shocked?"

"Much to my surprise, no," Giles replied thoughtfully. "She covered for me with Anya and the others."

"That was damned decent of her." Ethan sounded sincere. "And am I to infer that you're taking the rest of the day off?"

"Depends. Are you staying?"

"As long as you want me to, love. As long as you want."

--------------

Buffy waited for Riley outside the Magic Box, wanting to talk to him before he blew her little web of lies all to hell. Anya and Xander had been somewhat suspicious of the rather threadbare excuse she came up with to explain why Giles hadn't shown up. Tara simply gave her a look that plainly said that she knew what was actually going on and didn't say anything. Willow looked concerned and a little sulky about being left out of the loop.

And why didn't they all have classes that would have made the whole deception unnecessary? Damn college and its flexible schedule, anyway. Xander's project had finished, so he wasn't conveniently out of the way, either. At least Dawn was at school so she didn't have to try and fool her sister. Dawn knew that the excuse she used was a lie and she really didn't want to explain to Dawn why they needed to leave Giles alone for once.

"Hey, Buffy." Good, there was Riley.

"Riley, before we go in, I need you to do something for me," Buffy said, stopping him from reaching for the store's door handle.

"Sure. Anything for you." Riley gave her that look that always made her insides go a little funny.

"I told that gang that Giles was up late last night researching a demon that I ran into on patrol."

"But you didn't patrol last night. The guys did a sweep so we could spend Valentine's together."

"I know, I know. But they don't. And I want to keep it that way."

"You want me to lie to your friends?"

"No." Buffy shook her head. "Yes. Riley, Giles is taking the day off and I don't want the guys to go over to his place to see if he's okay."

"They'd do that? Just because Giles takes a day off?"

"Yeah, they would." Buffy nodded. "And if they do, it's gonna get ugly real fast."

"Why?"

"Because Giles isn't alone."

"I thought he wasn't seeing anybody."

"It's kinda complicated." Buffy looked away. She really didn't want to out Giles, not to the gang and not to Riley.

"Ethan Rayne," Riley said flatly. "Those packages - they were Valentine gifts, weren't they?"

"Un-hunh." Buffy nodded miserably. So much for keeping Giles' confidence. "You can't tell anybody, Riley."

"Wait a minute. Mr. Giles is gay?"

"Bi, I think. I've never asked, though. There's only so much I want to know about my Watcher."

"And... Ethan Rayne?"

"Um. Yeah."

"Buffy, he turned Mr. Giles into a demon."

"I know, but if Giles can get past it, I guess that's his choice," Buffy replied. "Please back me up. I owe it to Giles to keep this under wraps."

"I thought you hated Ethan Rayne."

"I do. And Giles hated Angel. I can't exactly tell him who he can be with when he's always been so understanding about Angel. I owe him that much."

"Okay, I'll play along."

"I'll make it worth your while." Buffy peered up at him through her lashes and let her smile emerge slowly.

"For that, I'll definitely play along."

--------------

"We haven't heard from Giles all day," Anya fretted at five o'clock. "I'm getting worried."

"I told you that I spoke to him this morning. He'd been up all night, so I told him to get some sleep and that I'd let you know he wasn't coming in," Buffy repeated for the tenth time. She wondered idly if that was a lie or not.

"What did that demon look like?" Willow asked.

"Demony," Buffy replied. "Look, Giles is on it. It's his job to do the research."

"And it isn't like he had anything else to do last night," Xander put in.

"I could help with the research, if you'd tell me what the demon looked like," Willow persisted. "I could even do an identifying spell."

"No, you can't," Anya told her. "You haven't paid for the last set of ingredients you used."

"It's not like I'd be using them for personal stuff. It'd be for Giles. He'd say it was okay to use stuff for that."

"Maybe we wait for Giles to ask for the spell, sweetie," Tara said gently. "He might feel like you're trying to do his job for him."

"Yeah, you're right." Willow nodded. "Hey, we could go and ask. I mean, even if he was up all night, he should be out of bed by now."

"No!" Buffy shouted. "I mean, if he needs something, he'll call, right?"

"Right. After all, when was the last time the man had a day off?" Riley added. Buffy gave him a grateful look.

"Never," Xander said. "Not since his slacker year. There's something going on and I'd kinda like to know what."

"Going on? No, nothing's going on." Buffy shook her head.

"Nothing you know about," Xander said ominously. "An, why don't we take a swing around to Giles' place on the way home?"

"Me, too." Willow got up.

"I think we should, Buffy." Anya nodded. "You sometimes forget that Giles is just a mortal and he can be hurt. After all, the last time Ethan Rayne was in town, his apartment was trashed and his shirt was shredded."

"And he had to depend on Spike, of all non-people," Xander added. "Yeah, I think a visit to the G-man is definitely in order."

--------------

"I don't feel right about just barging in," Tara said nervously and the gang stood outside Giles' door. Dawn, who had joined them just as they were setting out, snorted.

"I do," she said and opened the door. As usual, it wasn't locked.

The place reeked of the sweet-burnt smell of high quality marijuana, with an undercurrent of alcohol and other scents that none of them had ever detected in Giles' apartment before.

"Giles?" Buffy called, almost timidly. She went in a little further and stopped as she could see over the sofa.

There was an old, chipped saucer on the coffee table, with very tiny stubs of hand rolled cigarettes. Two glasses, both with residue in the bottoms sat flanking a bottle of excellent quality Scotch. Neither of these things bothered her much, but the open box of condoms and the half empty bottle of liquid that had been in Ethan's second gift did. She felt herself turning red.

"Giles had sex last night. How nice," Anya commented, sounding serenely pleased. She walked around and picked up the bottle. "Dawn, this isn't hash oil. It's lubricant."

"Why would Giles need...?" Xander began and cut himself off. "Whoa. Nope, not going there. Not imagining that."

"I am," Anya said, dreamily.

"Buffy, I thought you said that there was a demon," Willow said, accusingly.

"Well, I..."

"She was covering for me," Giles startled them as he came into the room dressed only in jeans and a shirt. "What on earth are you all doing here?"

"They were worried about you," Buffy said softly.

"Were you?" he asked, equally softly.

"Should I be?" she asked and he smiled at her.

"I'm fine, Buffy. Thank you."

"Giles, what's going on?" Xander asked.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?" Willow demanded.

"Or a boyfriend," Anya added. At Xander's glare, she shrugged. "You don't need a high grade lubricant like that for anything but anal sex. Since women don't have a prostate to be stimulated, most women don't really like it. I don't see any artificial penises around, so I would assume that Giles has a boyfriend. Or a very open minded girlfriend."

Nobody was really sure what to say to that. It was a close call to say who went redder, Xander, Riley or Giles.

"Or both," Dawn piped up. Buffy buried her head in her hands.

"Why would you say that, Dawn?" she asked, her voice muffled by her hands.

"Face it, Buffy, we don't know what Giles likes. I mean, he did it with Mom on a police car, and Olivia was, like, a supermodel or something, and he did do all that weird mojo stuff in the seventies, so we just don't know."

"And, if it were up to me, it will stay that way," Giles said firmly. "I do apologize for worrying you, but I'm fine. Now, if there's nothing else, I'd like to get back to enjoying my day off."

"Uh, right." Xander bit his lip. "Sorry to barge in on you."

"That's quite all right. It isn't like it's an uncommon occurrence."

"Yeah, sorry, Giles. We were just worried," Willow added.

"I know. I appreciate it." Giles smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're okay, Giles. Do I really have to mark all the Valentine stock down ten percent?" Anya inquired.

"Twenty-five, Anya. I want the stock out of there." Giles glared at her. "And if it isn't marked down when I get in tomorrow, I will personally mark it down to fifty percent."

"Fifty!" Anya shrieked, looking horrified.

"Goodbye, Anya."

Grumbling, Anya took Xander by the arm and left. Willow and Tara left as well, wanting to catch a ride to the dorms. Dawn went to follow, but Buffy grabbed her.

"Wait outside with Riley, Dawn. I want to talk to Giles and then I want to know how you know so much about Giles' personal life."

Dawn stomped out, with Riley trying to cheer her up. Buffy turned to her Watcher.

"I'm sorry, Giles. I tried."

"I know. And I appreciate it."

"I was Ethan, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"I don't get it. I mean, you and Ethan, but I'm glad you didn't have to spend Valentine's alone," Buffy told him. "And I'm so glad Ethan left before the gang descended."

"Oh, I haven't left yet."

Buffy jumped as Ethan emerged from the hallway to the bathroom.

"Ethan. I wish I could say it's a pleasure."

"Likewise, my dear. We must do this again." Ethan moved to wrap an arm around Giles and Buffy practically ran for the door before she could see the kiss he was about to bestow. Ethan, as usual, got the last word.

"Be seeing you."

END