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What a Mother Wouldn't Do	By : QueenB Category: -Buffy the Vampire Slayer > Het - Male/Female > Buffy/Giles Views: 5213 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy the Vampire Slayer (BtVS), nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Buffy shifted closer to the body in bed beside her. It was heavenly waking up to body warmth instead of an empty bed or Spike’s unyielding chill. She was drifting in that lovely state between waking and sleeping and didn’t want to get out of it yet. The great thing about her new job was that she only had to show up for four days out of the week. Frank thought that more often would be too much of a strain on the muscles. She didn’t know how to tell him Slayer abilities made that a non-issue so she kept quiet about it. Now she was glad she had. On mornings like this she could sleep in next to her cuddle bear, Rupert Giles.
The first warning she had was a rumbling in her stomach. The next moment her eyes flew open as the rumbling turned into a gurgle and a harsh pressure surged up her throat. Buffy clapped her hand over her mouth and her bare feet hit the floor as she bolted for the bathroom.
Giles felt the bed shift abruptly and it was enough to jog him out of his sound doze. “Ummmm. Buffy?” He was alone in bed and he didn’t care for that particularly. Where was she? “Buffy?”
Since he was up, he decided it was useless to go back to sleep. But the alarm hadn’t rung and he fumbled for his glasses to see what time it was. “Goodness. Seven-oh-six a.m.? It’s far too early to get to the Magic Box. Buffy?” It wasn’t like Buffy to get up early even when she hadn’t performed her slaying duties the previous night. She simply wasn’t a morning person.
He stuck his feet into his slippers and straightened up, grimacing. His bones creaked unpleasantly as if in reminder that he was no longer youthful enough to move quickly in the mornings. What would it be like chasing after a hyperactive child of two, he wondered. Chucking on his favorite robe, he made his way to the bathroom and saw Dawn fuming in front of the bathroom door. “Oh, hello, Dawn. Have you seen your sister?”
“She’s in the bathroom, Giles. She’s running the sink taps and she yelled at me to get away when I knocked on the door. Boy, she’s a real grouch in the mornings. How do you stand it?”
“Mutual attraction,” he deadpanned.
She rolled her eyes in unconscious imitation of her sister. “Whatever.” Dawn banged on the door. “Buffy, will you open up? Giles has to pee and I want to brush my teeth! Some of us have an elsewhere to be, you know!”
Giles protested the use of his name. “I don’t have to use the loo. I merely wish a shave and a shower.”
Dawn shrugged and whispered, “I thought that would get her out faster.”
“She can hear you, you know,” came a sharp voice from behind the door and both her sister and Giles jumped when the door was yanked open. Whatever they had to say was forestalled as Buffy smiled tightly and continued, “Sorry about that, guys. But I really had to go. Guess I shouldn’t have had that burger and fries after all, huh, Giles?”
Giles frowned. Buffy was ducking past him, her head down, but he was certain he saw a faint sheen of sweat on her face. “Buffy, are you all right? You look--”
“Dibs!” Dawn yelled and rushed into the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her just as Willow came out of her room.
“Could we keep it down to a low roar, people? Some of us didn’t come in until after the late shift.” The redhead yawned mightily and scratched her head, rumpling the bed hair she sported even further. Buffy bumped into her on her way back to the bedroom and Willow raised her eyebrows at the rude gesture.
“Oh, I had a good night with the slaying, Buffy. Thanks for asking!” she called after her. When Buffy didn’t answer, Willow looked at Giles. “Rough night?”
“Not in the sense you’re thinking,” Giles answered with a sly grin.
Willow smiled back. “Glad to hear it. So why’s Buff making with the grumpies?”
“She injudiciously consumed a massive late afternoon meal of burger and fries and I’m afraid they made a reappearance this morning.”
Willow wrinkled her nose sympathetically. “Ugh. Early morning spewage. No wonder she’s all avoid-y this morning. Should I steer clear?”
“That might be sensible.” He stepped sideways as the bathroom door swung open and Dawn came barreling out. Before Giles could move, Willow darted past him and rushed into the vacated facilities. “Here now! I was next in line!”
“Sorry, Giles. You snooze, you lose.” She closed the door, leaving the older man fuming.
“Capital. From now on, I’m sleeping in my own place,” he grumbled.
__________
Dawn traipsed down the stairs after finally getting dressed and came upon her sister listlessly setting out the breakfast dishes. “Hey, Buffy. You and Giles sleep well? As in at all?” She grinned at her older sister but the sally went unanswered. Peering closer at Buffy, Dawn thought she looked a little green. “Buffy? Are you okay? You still look sorta puke-y.”
“Thank you for that medical pep talk, Dawn. Are you eating breakfast today? I can whip up eggs.”
“Thanks but I just brushed my teeth. I’ll just grab some Pop Tarts and have something big for lunch later.” She took a couple of raspberry-swirled confection packs and popped one into her backpack, tearing the shiny silver paper off the other.
Close up, Buffy really didn’t look well and her face was set as if she were trying not to throw up again. Dawn opened her mouth to comment when she heard the horn beeping from the street. “Ooh, that’s Xander. See you later, Buffy.” She crammed a Pop Tart into her mouth and ran outside.
For a second, Buffy considered joining her sister. She could talk to Xander about that soundproofing job Giles mentioned. But that would require more than a few minutes of explanation, especially the part about payment, and she didn’t fancy getting into the car with Xander. Being in a moving vehicle at the moment was more than she could take.
At the very thought of movement, her stomach did a lurch and slow roll and she clenched back the bile welling up in her throat again. She was startled out of her inward struggle by Willow’s voice. “Buffy?”
She turned to see the concern in the worried green eyes and smiled again to allay her fears. “I’m okay, Willow. You should skedaddle. Don’t you have a test in psych?”
Willow nodded. That shorter hairstyle really suited her, Buffy noted distractedly. The long hair had been nice but had a tendency to overwhelm her face. After the redheaded wiccan left, Buffy sat on one of the kitchen chairs and debated yielding to the desire to throw up in the sink. She couldn’t have much left in there but she didn’t like the idea it might clog up the smaller kitchen drain.
Giles appeared and peeked through the kitchen door. “Buffy, are you certain you’re all right?”
“Why does everybody keep saying that?” Buffy snapped. “It’s no big, Giles. Can’t a girl have an off day?” Glancing at the clock, she affixed a fake smile to her face. “Hey, it’s still early. Can I fix you breakfast? No jelly donuts, I’m afraid, but I can do something festive with eggs and red peppers if your stomach can handle it.”
He smiled at the gesture. His Slayer’s domestic tendencies still surprised him although they shouldn’t. Her manic attempts to ensure a traditional Thanksgiving in spite of the attack by Shumash Indian spirits should have shown him how much of a homebody she could be. “You don’t have to trouble yourself, Buffy, not if you’re feeling unwell. I suppose I could grab something on the way in.”
“Fine. I’ll bring you something for lunch, though. You should get going. If you’re late, Anya might take it out of your pay. You know how strict she is about such things.”
“Since I’m part owner, that’s hardly a consideration. If you’re certain you’re all right…?”
“Positive. I’m okey and dokey. I’m gonna do some housework, major scrubbage on the kitchen floor and, ooh! Before I forget, I’m gonna call Xander at work and talk to him about the soundproofing.” She gave Giles a swift peck on the check, not wanting to subject him to her puke-y breath. She shooed him out the front door and managed to look almost cheerful as she waved goodbye to him.
Buffy closed the door and then doubled over as the urge to purge made a comeback. “Oh crap,” she choked. Grabbing her stomach, she raced for the bathroom again.
__________
Giles made good time to the Magic Box. That was the nice thing about Sunnydale; being a small town meant not a lot of time was spent on traveling. He was somewhat surprised to see a small line of women waiting by the store entrance. Had Anya posted notice of a sale and forgotten to tell him?
He managed to park the car across the street and shut the door when the first woman spotted him. “Oh my god. There he is!” She pointed in his direction and the women began pelting towards him.
Giles frowned and stared over his shoulder. What was she looking at? Had a celebrity appeared behind his back? Turning around again, he was shocked as the woman, a well-dressed middle-class hausfrau by the look of her, clutched his arm and peered into his face. “It is you, isn’t it?”
“Um, who are you, madam, and whom have you mistaken me for?”
She beamed, gleeful satisfaction spreading over her features. “You’re the guy, the guy on the cover!” She waved a small paperback novel at him and Giles squinted at it as the other women began pressing around him, clamoring for a picture or an autograph. The book appeared to be one of those romances of the type put out by Mills and Boons. As she held it closer, he saw what had grabbed her attention and blanched.
It was that blasted picture from the Harlequin contest Dawn had entered him into, the one exposing his upper body for all the world to see. He glanced from it and saw the circle of adoring women pressed against him. “Ladies, I, um, well, you have me at a disadvantage.”
“Oh god, will you listen to that accent? It is to die for,” another women purred. A gorgeous brunette, she didn’t look at all like a housewife, dressed as she was in a stylish dark gray suit that hugged her curves and a short lacy camisole underneath her jacket that barely covered the tops of her breasts. She stroked his upper arm and beamed at him. “So this is the guy Harlequin picks as a cover model. My compliments. Those people certainly know their stuff.”
The hausfrau glared at her. “Excuse me, some of us got here ahead of you, lady.” She turned back to Giles. “I’m Ms. Hofstein, by the way. Pleased to meet you.” She held out her hand and he took it automatically.
“H-how did you women know where I worked?” He thought frantically back to that meeting with the Harlequin people. There had been only the short photo shoot; they hadn’t asked for any personal details from him. Perhaps the information Dawn had conveyed to them also indicated his place of employment. He was going to give those people a stern lecture if they had jeopardized his privacy this way.
Another woman in a striped tank top piped up. “Oh, I pass by here all the time but I never shopped here before. I’d read about the contest and bought the Harlequin novel. One day I saw you going in here and just knew it was you! Then I told some of my friends--”
Ms. Hofstein jumped in. “And word spread. You know what a small town this is.”
The suited woman added, “I was in town on business when I heard the rumor that a real-life Harlequin cover model was here and I knew I just had to see you.”
Ms. Hofstein muttered, “I’ll bet you did.” She sniffed in clear disdain. “I’ve been coming here for days just hoping for a peek at you. I decided just to wait out here before store hours. And here you are!”
He smiled wanly at her and edged as far away as space would allow. “I’m extremely flattered by your attentions, truly. But I must get to work. I have a schedule, you know.”
“Shed-jule,” repeated the businesswoman dreamily. “That’s soooooo English.” She leaned against his arm and bent a predatory gaze on him that made his flesh crawl.
“Oh, please please PLEASE sign my book!” cried a short woman in clunky shoes. Her cherry red round earrings bounced as she jumped up and down, anxious to gain his attention from the taller women around her. A chorus of similar cries erupted and Giles found himself surrounded as each woman tried to get his signature first.
“Ladies, please!” Finding his attempts to escape them unsuccessful, Giles at last gave in and began hurriedly scribbling his name in the books shoved in his direction. Finally he won himself free and ran to the Magic Box door. Fumbling for his keys proved difficult as the women continued to harass and pester him with questions.
Anya chose that moment to pull up in her car and got out, gaping at all the women swarming around Giles. “Giles? What’s going on? Who are all the overage groupies? Did you join a rock band?”
The women glared, annoyed at being called overage, and Giles seized the distraction to escape into the Magic Box. A few women followed after but he managed to evade them and ran into the back room, locking it behind him. Sagging against the door, he fervently hoped some of them bought things. Otherwise, Anya would be severely miffed.
“Good Lord. Is this what happened to that Fabio chap?” he muttered.
__________
The nausea had subsided for the time being. Once the desire to heave seemed to leave, Buffy sagged next to the porcelain god, wiping her face of the sweat that had reappeared.
Was this normal? Could this be food poisoning or the first stage of e coli? Buffy had been badly sick only once in her life; she didn’t want to repeat the experience. But she felt a little better now and, after a bit, she stood up and commenced the chores.
Yanking the vacuum around from room to room was tiresome but she quickly got into the swing of things. Also activity helped to take her mind off the other possibility that was screaming around in her mind.
What if she was pregnant? She wasn’t sure if it would show up as early morning nausea this soon. But she and Giles had had unprotected sex a few weeks ago. Maybe this was the first sign.
No, I can’t be preggers, not yet! Giles wanted us to wait.
But last night he said he’d think about it. He might not mind.
I know. It’s just when I said I wanted to have a child soon, I didn’t mean this soon. What about wedding plans? What about buying kids’ stuff? What about…?
Hey, we deal with slaying all the time. Why should taking care of a baby be so hard?
Aha! That’s another problem. I so do not want to raise a child on the Hellmouth. It’s hard enough keeping Dawn safe. Taking care of her and a toddler would be too much.
Maybe Giles would agree to take us with him back to England.
Would Giles want to be uprooted again so soon? Their relationship was still so new; a baby might put a terrible strain on it. But there was a definite appeal in holding a baby of her own, of suckling it against her breasts and watching him (or her) looking up at her with Giles’s green eyes.
Buffy stopped vacuuming and sat down on the couch. There was really no point in idle speculation. She would have to get off her can, go to the drugstore and get the necessary supplies. “No time like the present,” Buffy sighed. Wow, a Slayer’s work was never done.
__________
Buffy scanned the aisle shelf in bewilderment. While the selection of pregnancy tests wasn’t all that great, she had no idea which of them was the most reliable. One had a really cute picture of a baby on the package but cute pictures didn’t mean much, did they? She hesitated and then took four packages of four different brands. If even one came up positive, she was taking herself to the doctor just to be sure.
There’s no need to worry Giles about this before I need to, is there? I’ll just check on my own and if it’s a false alarm, mum’s the word. And why is that mum’s the word? Why not dad? Can’t dad keep a secret as good as mom and, oh boy, things are bad because I’m starting to babble in here like Willow.
She threw the packages into her shopping basket and strode to the nearest checkout line. There was someone three people ahead of her who looked to be having trouble with his credit card. Buffy fidgeted and tapped her foot. She so did not want to stay in here with these incriminating items any longer than she had to.
What if she was pregnant? What would that mean for her and Giles? Giles wouldn’t abandon her again; she was sure of that. Well, reasonably sure. Almost 85-90% sure. He’d vowed to stay by her through thick and thin and wasn’t that a weird phrase? What was thick and thin exactly? Did it refer to skin? A person could be thick- or thin-skinned. Maybe it referred to what happened to a woman’s body when she got pregnant because she remembered how swollen her mother got with her younger sister. She’d certainly been thick around the middle. Afterward she’d gotten back to a smaller waist although she complained enough to her husband about how she’d never be her ideal weight again and would that happen to her after the kid arrived or would she be fat forever?
Buffy took a sharp breath and brought her careening thoughts to a halt before she hyperventilated and passed out. These are things to be concerned about but first things first, Buffy. I find out if I’m really pregnant. Then I spring this on Giles. Then I sit with my head between my legs and kiss this world goodbye.
But other worries wouldn’t stay away no matter how often the Slayer beat them with a mental stick. Would Giles want her to stay in Sunnydale after she told him? Did she? This was a dangerous place--no place to start a family like so many people in the big city would say. Giles might want to move and it would be a good idea.
Then again, Buffy would be leaving behind all her friends and her mother’s house. There were so many memories in the house on Revello Street, good and bad. But the worst part would be that she’d be abandoning the place her mother had made her final home.
Her mother’s grave was here, too, along with Tara, Jenny and Jesse’s. So many good people had fought and died in the fight against evil and other things; was Buffy really willing to leave their remains behind?
But it was the living who were important. That sounded harsh but it was the truth. She had to put the safety of her child first before anything. Besides, if she stayed on the Hellmouth, it was a sure bet that she’d die again--and this time it probably would be permanent.
Buffy wanted to live a long time. In spite of what she’d told Giles, she intended to stick around for him and any child they might have for many years to come. This was the normal life Angel had left her for at long last and she was damned if she was exiting it before she had to.
However, the safest way to do that would be to give up the slaying. Buffy didn’t think she could do that. She’d hated being helpless when Giles forced her to undertake the Cruciamentum. Unlike Angel, she was positive Giles would love her no less without superpowers than with them. But the world was still a big bad place; she was certain she’d need her abilities no matter where they went.
Nope, this Slayer wasn’t ready to hang up her stakes just yet. If anything, a Slayer’s kid would need more protection than anybody else’s. That settled it. Buffy vowed she would do everything in her power to protect and care for her own child. She’d just have to find a way to balance out slaying and baby rearing.
As she drove away, Buffy cringed inwardly as she realized she was now thinking she might actually be pregnant. Just minutes ago it had been a faint possibility. Now she was picking out baby clothes in her head. Nuts.
__________
Buffy stared at the strips. She squinted. She looked at them hard and then once more at the directions on the various boxes.
The strips were blue. As in “positive” blue. As in “Congratulations! You’re pregnant!” blue.
Oh no. She was pregnant. She was actually pregnant. She was carrying a new life inside her, one that she was going to have to protect and feed and care for and oh my god how was she going to break this to Giles?
Buffy sat on the toilet seat and wiped her sweaty palms up and down her jeans. This was no biggie. Okay, that was a total crock. This was major biggie. She and Giles had been discussing this just last night and he’d wanted to wait and she had agreed and now this.
She looked at the strips again, each one of them staring innocently back at her with their damning blue color that wouldn’t fade no matter how much she glared at them. She stood and paced back and forth in the narrow space, haranguing her reflection.
“Why couldn’t you wait? I mean, wait for Giles. He didn’t want to rush into the physical part of our relationship and if we’d waited he would have taken precautions. But, oh no, the randy Slayer just wants to wade right in so you drag in the witch and put on your ‘Buffy does the librarian’ display and this is what you get! You are just stupid, stupid, stupid, Ms. Summers, and you deserve to wind up barefoot and pregnant in a trailer for the rest of your life!” Her self-punishing tirade over, the wind went out of Buffy suddenly and she sank down onto the toilet seat, her head hanging as she tried to sort out what she should do now.
She was going to have to tell Giles, that’s what. Should she tell him now or put it off ‘til later? If she waited, she’d lose her nerve and the secret would drag on for weeks. She didn’t want to hide things from Giles, not any more. That’s what had made things so bad for her when she came back from the dead. And she’d need Giles’s help and support in the upcoming weeks if this morning was any indication.
But she didn’t want to rush out and tell him while he was working at the Magic Box. Anya would be nasty about the interruption to his work duties and she didn’t fancy telling Giles while the nosy shopkeeper was listening in on them.
She’d fix him a big meal; that’s what she’d do. She could have Willow and Dawn there acting as buffers and support. They’d be happy even if Giles wasn’t and he’d be much less likely to blow up at her with the two of them there. Deep down she knew Giles wouldn’t get angry with her. After all, he was partially responsible for the fact that she was carrying his baby. But she was terrified that he’d see this as some kind of sabotage.
Now that she thought about it, she really did want a baby with him more than anything else in the world right now and she was damned if she was going to let him stomp all over her because of it. Whether Giles was on board with her or not, she was keeping this baby.
With a surge of new confidence, Buffy scooped up the blue strips and forced them back into one box. She’d need them as proof, wouldn’t she?
“So I’ll fix Giles’s favorite tonight. Spaghetti with marinara sauce,” she muttered as she prepared to shower and change. She had a lot of preparing to do before the big announcement.
__________
Giles peeked out nervously from the back room. It really hadn’t been possible to leave while all those dreadful women were around. He’d remained ensconced in there, refusing to budge, until Anya could assure him it was safe. Even so, many of the blasted females had continued to hang about the store, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.
It wasn’t that he minded feminine attention, really. He had been flattered and thrilled at being chosen by the people at Harlequin, after all. But they had been professional in their admiration and these women were clearly insane. Besides there was no telling what a jealous Slayer would do to him if she thought he was returning any of their attentions.
“Are you sure they’re gone?” he asked again.
“For the last time, yes! You’re not really that popular, Giles. Although it has proven to be good for business.” Anya rung up the day’s sales and beamed at the high figure on the register. “Over $3,000! That’s even better than our Christmas sale. Do you think you could wear something sexy and revealing tomorrow in case they come back? At this rate we could take a vacation this summer, maybe go to Cancun…”
Her voice trailed off abruptly. Anya had been thinking about that honeymoon she and Xander had planned. As she remembered there was no “we” her face darkened and she shut the cashier drawer with a slam. “You know what? Forget about vacations. I should just splurge and buy something completely selfish--like a diamond necklace or a new car. That’ll show him,” she muttered.
Giles heard the last sentence and sighed. He recalled Buffy’s unhappy musings about her two friends. Thinking of Buffy, he remembered that she’d promised to bring him lunch. But she hadn’t showed. Just as well. He didn’t want to explain to her why he was hiding in the back, cowering away from a panting horde of rapacious women. “Anya, I’m sorry I wasn’t here for your wedding to Xander. That was remiss of me; I should have made the effort to attend.”
She sniffed, unimpressed with his attempts to mollify her. “Yes, you should have. You’ve known Xander for a long time. Whatever your problems with Buffy were, I’d have thought you’d make the effort for him if not for me. Maybe, if you’d been there, you could have talked some sense into him and he wouldn’t have run off and left me.”
“But the decision to become a demon afterwards--surely you must have seen that would separate you from him forever. Why would you do something so foolish?”
“What did he expect? He dumped me in front of all my demon friends, in front of D’Hoffryn! That was asking for disaster right there. He’s lucky one of them didn’t curse his ass.” She crossed her arms and glared at him as if holding him personally responsible.
“Is that why you threw away your humanity again? Because you wanted to hurt him?” he asked.
“Yes!” she yelled. Then she realized it might not be a good idea to admit this to one of Xander’s friends and backpedaled a bit. “Well, no. It wasn’t about him so much. I was really hurting because he betrayed me and D’Hoffryn was there and made me an offer and it seemed the thing to do.”
“Ah, I see,” Giles murmured.
“What? What do you think you see, Oh Wise One? You weren’t there; you don’t know anything about this.”
“But I do know something of how vengeance demons work. You once boasted that when you got your powers back, we would all kneel before you.”
“Well, yes, I did. I was so tired of human beings and their problems. I wanted to seize my power again just to get away from them and get back to business. Can you blame me?”
“Since Buffy and I are in the business of eradicating demonic influences that harm human beings, yes, I rather can,” he responded dryly. “But what I wish to know is why D’Hoffryn didn’t grant you your powers then. After 1,100 years of service, one would think he wouldn’t wish to lose such a valuable employee.”
“Um, well, he felt I was careless in losing my powers and he has hundreds of girls working for him so he wasn’t particularly concerned about me. He told me I’d live out my mortal life and that was that,” Anya said. Actually it had hurt to be dismissed so easily by D’Hoffryn after all those years but she wasn’t about to tell Giles that.
“So he basically told you to sod off and die.”
Anya glared at him again, a ferocious stare that apparently made no impression on the placid man watching her. “Don’t you have something else to do? I’d have thought satisfying one sexually driven Slayer would keep you from poking your nose into other people’s business.”
“I’m merely pointing out that when you were merely frustrated, D’Hoffryn couldn’t be bothered to help you. But, when you were in keen emotional distress, he conveniently offered to turn you into a demon again. Isn’t that what vengeance demons do? Show up when people are in pain and offer them the chance to wreak havoc on others?”
Anya was stunned; she’d never seen her situation in that light. Yes, D’Hoffryn had taken advantage of her misery. She hadn’t thought of that at the time because she’d been so wrapped up in her pain.
Giles was right; that was exactly how vengeance demons worked. She ought to know. She’d done it herself countless times to women so blinded with rage and grief they couldn’t see straight.
But she couldn’t think that way. That would make her into the victim and Anyanka was nobody’s dupe. “Look, Giles. Like you said you weren’t here for any of this so just butt out.”
“And yet you wanted me to talk sense into Xander,” Giles remonstrated.
“Xander, not me! I’m not the one who’s screwed up here.”
“Yes, you seem very happy,” he replied, his voice heavily laden with irony.
“I am!” she shouted, bent on her denial.
“Then why are you so bitter?” he countered. “You and he were going to make a life together and you wanted to be married. I distinctly remember the frenzy of your preparations before I left for England. You certainly wished to become Xander’s wife and he was the one who left you not the other way around. And you became a vengeance demon because he wouldn’t marry you. You must have been in pain because of that and, if you’re thinking of buying yourself jewelry now as some twisted form of revenge, then you’re obviously not as happy as you make yourself out to be.”
Anya’s lip quivered again and her anger burst from her in a torrent. “Whose fault is it that I’m not happy? Xander did this to me! Honestly, men are pigs! No matter how many centuries pass, they never change. They keep on hurting women and screwing up their lives. I forgot that and it was stupid. I was really, really stupid. I should have just gotten my powers back ages ago and none of this would have happened. I wish I’d never met Alexander Lavelle Harris!”
Giles tensed. It was never wise to make a wish in Sunnydale and it was no less frightening hearing the words coming from an ex-vengeance demon. Anya caught his look and glanced around hopefully. When nothing appeared to change, she let out a gusty breath of disappointment. “Darn. Where’s a vengeance demon when you really need one?”
He decided to overlook the disturbing statement and focus on another aspect of demonhood. “At least now that you’re freed from D’Hoffryn’s clutches, you’re no longer his slave.”
Anya hated the look of compassion in his eyes; she wondered if everybody else in Xander’s circle thought she was an object of pity. “I was never a slave.”
“But D’Hoffryn first rejected you as a failure and then tricked you into working for him again. Then when you decided you wanted out, he destroyed one of his other women in front of you--just to punish you. Buffy told me about that so don’t even try to deny it,” Giles warned. “Such conditions sound very much like slavery to me.”
“Oh yeah? I help run a very successful shop and make wads of cash. I’m gainfully employed and better off than the majority of human beings even when I was a demon. Does that sound like a slave to you?”
“You’re talking about the trappings of the human world. The money you make here couldn’t possibly have mattered to D’Hoffryn.”
“Well, I’m doing fine without him--or Xander.” In spite of her tough words, Anya’s voice wobbled.
Giles added, “Did it help, Anya? All the money, all the demonic power. Did it really help to ease the pain of what you’ve lost? No matter how much money you made, Xander would never want to be with a demon or someone who would throw her humanity away on the slightest pretext.
“Can you really tell me that all this” waving his hands about the Magic Box, “makes up for his loss? Because I’m telling you, if I lost Buffy again, no amount of money or possessions would make me happy.”
“Speak for yourself. Money and sex are what make the human world go round. After all, what else is there?” Satisfied she’d put him in his place, Anya returned to counting her precious money, murmuring over dollars and cents like a mantra under her breath.
Giles sighed and decided he’d spent enough time chastising the recalcitrant Anya. Perhaps he might have a try at speaking to Xander. But if Anya wasn’t willing to attempt reconciliation, then there really was no point. How exactly did one go about persuading a stubborn ex-vengeance demon?
__________
Buffy surveyed the table nervously. It was definitely one of her better efforts. She had lit candles and then reconsidered. She wanted this evening to be special but she didn’t want Giles to think she was trying to sweet-talk him into the idea of keeping this child. She wanted to ease him into the idea without being manipulative-y Buffy. So she snuffed out the candles. Now she wondered if it would be okay to light one or two--just as an added touch.
After thinking over the problem endlessly, she’d decided not to make the announcement in front of Dawn and Willow. This was something special between her and Giles and she wanted him to hear it when they were all alone. As Giles had said in his wonderful English-speak, they needed to discuss this and she didn’t think big talk like that was something to be done in front of the others.
Besides, this baby was something created by her and Giles and she didn’t want to share it with the others. Not yet. It was too special, wondrous and new. Thinking of the new life growing inside of her, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and smiled. She was having a baby. Buffy Summers was having a baby. She was going to be a mom. She squealed at the thought and then glanced around guiltily as if there were someone near to hear her acting like an adolescent.
Buffy had called Willow and asked if it was possible for her to hook up with Xander without coming home. The wiccan had plied her with questions but Buffy had fended her off, saying there was something she needed to discuss with Giles all alone and she preferred isolation as well as privacy. Willow had groused but agreed to stay away. Dawn had been easier. The teenager had asked to stay over at Kit’s again and been too happy at Buffy’s agreement to ask why. Now it was just going to be Buffy and Giles.
Buffy squinted at the elegant meal laid out. There was chicken along with the spaghetti, sugar snap peas with mushrooms and steamed broccoli. Giles insisted he liked mushy peas. She couldn’t stand the stuff but she decided it was best to give him what he wanted if she was going to win him over so she’d opened up a container of canned peas for his plate.
The front door was unlocked and she started, running from the living room, only stopping to check her appearance. She was wearing a white dress dotted with cherries with thin straps. Giles had complimented her once on the way her tanned skin glowed in it; she’d remembered and chosen it especially for tonight. She sighed, mentally braced herself and turned to meet the man at the door.
__________
Giles had ducked out the back door at the Magic Box. The alley led directly to the street but it was adjacent to the main door. If any of those women were still lurking about, he’d have to make a dash for the car. Fortunately, the last of them appeared to have vacated the area and his drive home was uneventful.
Still, there was a tension between his shoulderblades all during the drive as if one of those silly creatures might have been targeting him with a pair of long-range binoculars. There was also the question of telling Buffy. If she came to the Magic Box, there was a chance she might spot him being surrounded by a bevy of squealing cows such as what met him this morning. Buffy might not be too upset. After all, she’d had no trouble with him being admired. But she might be decidedly less forgiving if she saw him being groped and fondled by a love-starved harpy like Ms. Hofstein.
So it was a welcome sight that met him when he came home. He shut the door behind him and glanced with appreciation at the vision. Her hair was pinned up, exposing the fragile-looking neck and a pair of coral earrings swayed in her ears. His eyes lingered over the low-cut dress. “Buf--mmph?”
Her lips parted from his and Buffy smiled seductively. “Rupert. I’m so glad to see you at home. Have a nice day at work, Jellybelly?”
“Ah, yes, yes. Quite. Why are you so dressed up?”
“Can’t a girl dress well for her favorite guy in the world?” Before he could press her, she asked, “Do you need to take a shower or anything? Because I have dinner all set out for you. If you want to bathe, I can just set the stuff aside and we can nuke it.”
“N-no. I’ve no immediate need of a shower.” He locked the door behind him and walked towards the dining room, drawn by the tantalizing odor of a hot meal. Seeing the table laid out with a tablecloth and all the trimmings, he offered a genuine smile for the first time in hours. “Buffy, what a delightful surprise.” He saw that only two places were set and turned to meet Buffy’s eyes. “Is all this for us?”
He surprised a slightly anxious look on her face before a wide, not-quite-sincere smile flitted onto it. “Yes. I thought it would be nice to have it just the two of us again. Willow’s crashing at Xander’s before the nightly patrol and Dawn’s at Kit’s. I called her mom again so no worries there.” She tugged him towards the table. “Sit down, Watcher mine.”
Having shucked off his coat, he sat down at the table and began to tuck in. After a day with only a light morning snack in lieu of breakfast, he was positively famished. He was well into a second helping of the chicken when he noticed Buffy was merely toying with her food. “Are you planning on joining me or have you reverted to your starvation diet again?” he asked before taking another bite of poultry.
“Oh, I was just wondering if everything was okay with the food. Chicken all chicken-y flavored? Spaghetti al donkey and everything?”
He shook his head at Buffy’s mispronunciation, wondering for the umpteenth time whether such mistakes were deliberate attempts on her part to get under his skin. “The food is wonderful. My heartfelt compliments to the cook.”
“Thanks. So how was work?”
He was taking a sip of wine when she asked him and nearly choked on it as he recalled the early morning shenanigans. Patting his lips hastily with the napkin, he stammered, “W-work? Work was fine. Better than fine. We made over $3,000 today.”
She beamed at him, glad that things had turned out so well. A good day at work meant he’d be in an even better mood. “Really? Anya must have been thrilled. I’m betting she was hopping like a bunny over that…or some other creature that hops ‘cause we know about her little rabbit-phobia. Some day she’s gonna have to tell us the story behind that,” Buffy mused. She leaned her chin on one hand as she tried to figure out how a rabbit could possibly have thrown a scare into a vengeance demon.
“I’d like to hear that tale myself. I’m sure it’s quite an eye-opener.”
“So $3,000 not of the normal, I’m thinking. Did Anya have a sale on newts’s eyes or what?”
“Um, no. No sale. We simply had a marvelous day at work.” Blast, he really didn’t want to get into his encounter with those women. But Buffy had gone to so much trouble for him; guilt was bubbling up inside him at the idea of keeping this a secret from her. Still, it wasn’t as if he was in the wrong. Those women had thrown themselves at him. It wasn’t his fault if they found him a sexy beast. He cleared his throat. “Buffy--”
“Rupert--”
They broke off as they spoke at once. “Buffy, did you want to say something?”
“No, you were talking.”
“It wasn’t important.”
“Really. You first.”
“Buffy, I insist. Do go ahead.”
“Do you want to play rock, paper, scissors, Giles?” She raised and eyebrow and folded her arms in mock defiance when he smirked at her. “C’mon, spill.”
“I forgot what I was going to say. You look so lovely in that dress. It quite scattered my faculties.”
“Ha ha. But I don’t believe it. It takes more than a pretty dress to make Rupert Giles all ooey in the head.”
“You’re right. It takes a dress with a low décolletage and very delectable breasts practically spilling out of it.” He saw her cheeks turn pink with the compliment and pressed his advantage. “Now what were you going to tell me?”
She fiddled with her fork. Now that the moment of truth was upon her, Buffy found herself terrified of what he might say. “Um, you remember the first time we got groin-y with each other?”
A Ripper-like smile flitted over his face and his green eyes got smoky with remembered desire. “Indeed. It was quite memorable in spite of its abrupt termination.”
“Right. Lovely Giles smoochies and cuddlings. And you remember the morning after when you were wigging ‘cause you’d thought I might get pregnant?”
“Yes, that was a concern.” Realization hit him and his eyes darted over her and the table. The elaborate decorations. The candles. The sumptuous meal. The breasts prominently on display. Oh good Lord. “Buffy, you don’t mean--?”
She smiled giddily. “That’s right. Rupert Giles, you’re going to be a daddy!”
For a moment, he couldn’t comprehend the news. The sheer enormity of it floored him. He sat there blinking like an idiot while his mind struggled to catch up with the shocking revelation.
Buffy’s heart sank. Giles hadn’t said a word. He was just sitting there doing a blink-y thing with no expression on his face. “Giles, you’re not gonna pass out on me, are you? Please say something. Your Slayer is starting to get scared here. This is happy news, isn’t it?”
“I-I’m happy, Buffy, believe me. It’s just…it’s a little--”
“Sudden? You’re telling me. I didn’t plan this, believe me,” she murmured.
“That’s how first babies usually arrive. Through lack of planning,” Giles responded.
She stared at him anxiously. He wasn’t wigging, not in an obvious hysterical, screaming and bouncing-off-the-walls kind of way. But he hadn’t said anything positive yet. The next moment her fears were dispelled as he pushed back his seat and came to stand beside her. Bending from his considerable height, he pressed his hand on her still flat stomach. “A baby? Truly? You’re absolutely certain?”
She lifted a napkin and revealed one of her pregnancy kit boxes under it. “Mundo sure. I took four tests,” shaking the strips out of it, “and got four positives. It’s official. Buffy’s got a bun in the oven.”
“Ah.” Then something else clicked. “Is this why you were unwell this morning?”
She rolled her eyes at his quaint phrasing. “Unwell is such a mild term for this morning’s upchuck. I guess that was the morning sickness the books all write about.”
“Then it really is true.” A father. He was going to be a father. His wondering smile turned giddy and he pulled her out of her seat. Lifted off her feet, Buffy was treated to a fervent Giles kiss, another of his breathless smooches that left her dizzy.
She blinked as she smiled up at him. “I take it you’re happy happy Giles about this?”
“Happy? I’m ecstatic. Oh Buffy, dearest, this is the happiest news I’ve had all day.”
“Even more than megabucks at the Magic Box?” she teased.
“Infinitely so. You can’t comprehend what this means to me.” He set her down gently and drew her into the living room. “Have you told the others yet?”
“Nope. Only found out this afternoon and I wanted you to be the first to know.” She sat next to him on the couch and fidgeted. In spite of his enthusiasm she still wasn’t sure he was really okay with this. “Giles, are you sure this is good news for you? I mean, I know you wanted to wait when we talked last night…”
“I did. But now that it’s happened, I can’t say that I’m sorry. This is joyous news, Buffy, and you’ve made me a very happy man.”
“I thought I already made you a very happy man,” she murmured, wicked delight sparkling in her eyes.
“Happier then.”
The relief filling her made her absolutely giddy. She squeezed him hard and nestled close. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she murmured, “When do you want to tell the others? We could call up Willow and Dawn and let them know tonight.”
“I’d rather wait. You’ve evidently gone to a great deal of trouble to keep this night between the two of us. I’d like to have that just a little longer.” His hand descended to rub her stomach in slow circles. The gesture seemed so automatic she wondered if he was aware he was doing it.
“You read my mind. That’s why I cleared out Willow and Dawn tonight. I wanted this just between us.” She kissed his cheek and asked, “Do you want dessert now or later?”
“What is it?”
“Chocolate pudding with whipped cream. Okay, whipped topping from a can. But still whip-y, foamy and sweet.”
His hand swept up to caress the side of a breast. “Will it keep until later?” he murmured as he began kissing her jaw and up to her ear.
She trembled slightly, both at the suggestive tone in his voice and the way he was nibbling at her earlobe. “Oh sure. I’ll just keep it in the fridge and mmmm….” The words died into a moan as his tongue edged forward, taking advantage of the opportunity presented. Two warm tongues wrestled lightly and Buffy began tugging at his shirt. Small fingers nimbly unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it over his shoulders.
Giles broke the kiss to pant, “Buffy, I told you. Couch lovemaking really isn’t in my plans.”
“Oh, come on, Giles. You started it. So live a little. You just sit and let me do the work.” She waggled her eyebrows and lifted her skirt. He was pleased and not too surprised to see that she had on no panties underneath.
“Oh my,” he breathed.
Unzipping his pants, she found his erection ready and waiting for her. She stroked the quivering flesh and murmured, “For once no condom worries.”
“Indeed,” he murmured back and then he leaned into the cushions as she straddled him and sank onto his cock.
The door flew open and both partners stiffened as Dawn’s voice rang out. “Buffy? You home? I know you wanted the night to yourself but Kit and I--” She broke off as she rounded the corner and saw her sister scrambling off a flustered, reddened Englishman. “Oh my god! Geez, guys, you’ve got a bedroom! Couldn’t you wait? You never did it on the couch with Riley.”
“Dawn! What are you doing home…so early?” Buffy had never wanted Dawn to see her like this and it didn’t help that her sister was trying to snatch peeks at her lover while he hurriedly tucked “little” Giles back into his pants.
“Well, funny thing. Kit had the same idea you two did and took advantage of the fact that her parents decided to spend the night having dinner alone at some restaurant. We hadn’t been there for half an hour when her latest skanky boyfriend shows up and they start playing tongue hockey on the couch.” Dawn shuddered. “It was totally gross ‘cause he’s got this purple hair and a tongue stud and they wanted me to look after Daphne playing in the next room. So I start chewing Kit out ‘cause she’s got me doing her job and playing watchdog for her. I mean, I know we’re friends and everything but I didn’t even know she was seeing this guy and I asked her who he was and she said none of my business and I said fine, be that way, and then…”
Buffy waved her hands to stop the flow of talk. “Okay, Dawn, I get it. You and Kit had a big blowup.”
“Not as big as yours,” Dawn shot back, staring pointedly at Giles’s trouser front, now mercifully closed.
“Dawn! That’s none of your--you know, you are turning into a regular potty mouth. You’ve been hanging around Anya too long,” Buffy groused.
“No, I’ve been hanging around my horny sister and her latest boytoy too long. I come home from a PG-13 rated scene to find NC-17 waiting in my living room.” She shook her head and ran up the stairs as Buffy and Giles stared sheepishly at each other.
“Nothing like siblings for mood killers,” Buffy sighed.
“Another reason why your couch is unsuited to romantic entanglements.” He finished adjusting his pants and glanced upwards at the ceiling. “Still, now that your sister is home, we might as well finish dinner.”
“Sure. And no groinage tonight ‘cause little sis came home early. And I didn’t call Xander about the soundproofing because I’ve been worried Buffy all day.” Buffy trudged to the kitchen. Her mood was slightly dampened by the aborted sex but she was certain an infusion of chocolate would fix it.
Giles followed her. “You’ve been worried? About what?”
“I-I wasn’t really sure how you’d take the whole pregnancy thing. It’s a big step for both of us.” She sat down before her bowl of chocolate and swirled her spoon thoughtfully in it. She and Giles hadn’t even begun to discuss the business of living together with a baby. Would they need to get a new home? Giles’s apartment wouldn’t do for a family. What about moving back to England? Would he agree to that?
“Well, there’s another step we should take first.” The soft words came from beside her and she glanced up to see Giles kneeling near the living room chair.
What was he up to now? “Giles?”
“Buffy Summers, would you do me the supreme honor of becoming my wife in marriage?”
Whatever she had thought about today, marriage hadn’t been part of her plans. Well, duh! First comes love, then comes marriage, blah blah blippity blah! Did you think Giles would want to live with you in sin? Her lip trembling, she whispered, “Giles? Are you sure? I mean, you just found out about… You don’t have to just ‘cause there’s a baby, you know. I don’t care one way or the other.”
“I very much do, Buffy, and I’m an old-fashioned man at heart. Will you marry me?”
She flung her arms around him. “Of course I will, Watcher mine.”
He clasped her and stroked her back, delirious with joy. In spite of the awkward position, she pulled back and kissed him soundly. In moments, the embrace became passionate and they were rocking back and forth, in danger of toppling to the floor.
“Guys! What is wrong with you two?! Are you going to be doing this in every room now?” They looked up to see Dawn standing in the doorway, her elfin face twisted in a knowing smirk.
Buffy sighed. “We so need to get another place to live.”
“No arguments from me. Ooh, is that pudding?” Dawn pulled Buffy’s uneaten bowl towards her and began digging in without waiting for permission.
Buffy and Giles glanced at each other and then walked out hand in hand towards the stairs. Dawn glanced after them briefly and wrinkled her nose. “I am going to talk to Xander about soundproofing even if Buffy doesn’t. What is this, a hotel?”

TBC
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What a Mother Wouldn't Do