Title: Always Together
Author: Eaglewolf
Spoilers: Nope
Summary: Fulfilment for both
Rating: PG14
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Distribution: Just let me know the address so I can visit and feel special :)
Feedback: You know you want to
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the mighty god who is Joss, and his playmates in the sandbox. I'm just letting them do what they *really* want.
Dedication: For anyone who realised that some risks are just worth taking.

I keep my head down, and let the tears flow silently. I hear someone sit next to me... She seems to be crying too. I dimly wonder if I can pull myself together enough to do the gentlemanly thing and ask if she is okay but it's so hard to care about doing that when my heart is being ripped apart inside. Then I hear it... I hear the sweetest voice in the world call out my name.

"Giles?" and I look up into her beautiful sea coloured eyes. Full of love, completely full of love for me. She's here. She's beside me, she's kissing me and holding me so tight I can barely breathe.

"Buffy." Oh it feels like heaven to have her in my arms again. I stop her and put my hands on both sides of her face, urging her silently to calm down. She is breathing hard, but it starts to slow as she gazes into my eyes as if she is mesmerized. Oh my dear, sweet love. I will forever be under her thrall, and willingly so. I pull her face towards mine and caress her lips with gentle kisses. After a time we stop and look at each other. I open my mouth to tell her what a fool I've been, but she puts her finger to my lips and tells me it's okay because I'm here now, and I'm never leaving her again.

I grin down at her and whisper "My mistress has spoken?"

She smiles back at me, kisses me gently yet again, I can feel her passion bubbling just under the surface, "Your mistress has spoken."

We sit now on one of the couches more conducive to cuddling. Her arms are around my waist, and her head is tucked under my chin. She tells me of the dream she had. She doesn't omit one detail. How could she know that in the deepest darkest secret corner of my mind I still thought she would run to Angel if she had the chance? Even after taking her to bed and making love to her, I still thought he would win. Now, as she sits in my arms even the darkest corner is filled by light and I know she will be mine forever. No one will ever complete her the way I do. No-one will ever complete me the way she does.

"Go call him." I urge her. I know she's worried. She turns to look in my eyes, searching for something. She seems to find whatever she's looking for and stands. Then she turns to me and holds out her hand, asks me to come with her. I open my mouth to tell her she should do this in private but before the first syllable I shut it again. I don't want to be parted from her for a moment either.

I stand behind her nuzzling her neck, my arms locked around her waist as she talks to him on the phone. I miss the conversation because I'm too busy daydreaming about what I'll do to her when I get her alone. She hangs up, turns to me and wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss as if to make sure I'm still here with her. She tells me he had the same kind of dream, and understood why she chose me. He told her she was always meant for me.

I feel a little left out because I didn't have a dream where I got to make a choice. Buffy sees this in my eyes and calls me a Foolish old man. I laugh and tell her to watch out because this foolish old man has good stamina. She raises her eyebrows and whispers in my ear. What she says travels southward and I groan. I guess for me there never was a choice... even when I think of Jenny her colour seems washed out somehow, she could never be my Buffy. I loved her, yes, but she was never my Buffy.

Our flight is called; we walk onto the plane hand in hand. We'd rearranged the seating so we could be together. I can't bear to let her go, even to store our luggage... It's as if she knows, and she sits down but puts her hand on my thigh making sure I know we are still touching, still in physical contact. I stow the luggage away and sit down quickly because it aches not to be holding her. I lay my head on her shoulder, and lay my arm just under her breasts. I feel her stroke my hair. It feels so good; to think I almost threw this away. Just because I was scared, when it comes down to it that was the real reason I was willing let her walk away from me. Pillock. I almost lost her. Thank God for whoever thought up the Concorde. It was worth every penny I had to spend. Buffy still hasn't asked me how I got there so quickly. As if she reads my thoughts she whispers in my ear.

"Giles, How did you get here so fast?"

"Concorde, love. I had to get here as fast as I could. I was so scared." I start to shake as I realise just how close I'd come to losing her; she soothes me and makes shushing noises.

"The other plane... It crashed... There were no survivors." Buffy pushes me away to look at my face, her own white with horror.

"We were booked on that... plane, Giles... Oh god. There was a mix-up and they asked if anyone was willing to go via New York instead... I had nothing to rush home for so ... Oh god if you'd been with me... " It's her turn to cry now. She looked at me, shaking and then she spoke so softly I could hardly hear her.

"I... Oh God Giles... Travers was on that plane." she's shaking now... I've always believed things happen for a reason, if I'd gone with Buffy when she asked me we would have been... we would have been gone. I pull her closer to me, as if the closer she is the safer she will be, we're both shaking, but we seem calmed by the other's touch and presence.

"Buffy, love... How do you know Travers was on that plane?" I inquire gently.

"I'd been in London for a week before I came to see you Giles. I had to see the council... Try one more time to get them to help me. I'd go work with them again, if only you were by my side... I thought if I couldn=81ft talk you into it, then they would. I guess they intended to keep an eye on me, in case I couldn't convince you. I saw him rush past me as I was waiting for them to sort out another flight."

We both look at each other and smile, and then at the same time we feel guilty. All those people died... But I can't help finding a little joy that one of them was that pompous git.

We land at Sunnydale's airport, and slowly exit the plane. She whirls around and tells me no one expects her home for another week. The smile on my face must be a mile wide, and I whisper no one expects me at all. We both know Willow will worry if we don't contact her so we stop at the machine and send her a quick email from the both of us. She's our best friend; she deserves to be the first to know. The email is brief ... "We're together... and we're fine... Going to hide out for a while. We=81fll let you know more in a few days." That taken care of, all we need now is to find a hotel. I'm sparing no expensive for my lady.

We find the most stunning hotel, and take the honeymoon suite. Buffy has to hide her face in my arm as I book us in under the names of Mr. and Mrs. Slaya. I pretend we are on our honeymoon, and my bride is just embarrassed. I tease her gently about remembering she has a new name to answer to now, and the tears practically run down her face, she is laughing so hard. I take the keys and walk up to our room, stopping just outside. I watch Buffy's reaction as I open the door then I look around myself. It's breathtaking. The view from the huge open window, the king sized bed.

We notice the bed at the same time; I sweep her up into my arms and carry her over the threshold kicking the door shut behind me. I swing back around and she locks it. Our bags are already here. I walk straight over to the bed and lay her down gently before I pull back to look at her. We're both wearing jeans for comfortable travel, but if I have my way Buffy won't be wearing hers long. She is so beautiful, and she is mine.

Oh the sheer joy of loving a woman, who loves you just as much as you love her. Our lovemaking lasts for hours, each moment making the moment before seem dim in comparison. I have never been so happy in all my life, and it's all thanks to the woman who lies sleeping in my arms. I feel her heart beat against my chest as I hold her tight to me, knowing in the morning she'll still be here... and our hearts will still beat together. Our heartbeats seem to have their own mantra tonight I think as the tendrils of sleep finally claim me... They seem to say Always, Always... Always.

****

As the sun sets and the darkness descends upon our heroes it's here we pull back, and take a moment to watch them in their happiness. We all know the path will be hard and treacherous, they will face many obstacles along the way, but we also know they wouldn't be our heroes without them. As we scry into their future, we see they have many happy years together before one of them succumbs to the call of the afterlife. It doesn't matter which one and it doesn't matter how long after the other follows. What matters is that we know when they do finally come together again they will take each other's hands and move forward together, because my friends they know, just as we do, that they are meant to be together throughout the rest of eternity...

Together Always.