Bodice Ripper

Title: Band Cookies (2 of 3)
Author: Michelle
Date: Oct 30, 2003
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Willow makes some cookies with unexpected results. Response to Challenge #9 on ODD
Disclaimer: These are not my characters. They belong to Joss, Twentieth Century Fox, UPN, WB & Mutant Enemy. This is purely for fun.
Spoilers: Thru the end of season three, so not really.

Author's note 1: This is in response to a challenge. I do not want to spoil the story, so the challenge is listed at the end of the story.

Author's note 2: Giles was put on probation after the events in "Helpless," not fired. Wesley was brought in to be Faith's Watcher, not as a replacement for Giles. Wesley will report to the Council if Giles disobeys the Council again. Faith is not bad. Cordelia's family has not yet been audited by the IRS. I use these < > to denote thoughts.

Thanks to my betas for helping my characters stay in character. Without your help Wesley would have sounded too much like Spike.

* * * * *

Buffy and Giles continued to train together, and no one seemed to question their relationship. It just seemed as though the events of her birthday had brought them closer together. One day a few weeks later Giles was worried when Buffy didn't show up at school or for training.

Willow walked into the library and put a large stack of books and papers on the table just as Giles was walking out of his office. "Hey, Giles."

"Hello, Willow. Have you seen Buffy? I haven't seen her all day, and she hasn't called."

"She called me this morning. She's sick and asked me to pick up her schoolwork for her."

"Nothing serious I hope."

"She said she threw up a few times, and she's been dizzy. She thinks a few days rest should make her feel better."

"Did you need something before you go?"

"Oh. Yes. That's why I stopped by. I was wondering if you could give me a ride to her house. Oz is busy, and this is a lot of stuff to carry."

"Certainly. I would like to see her myself."

The drive to Buffy's was quiet. They both knew that Buffy didn't get sick very often, and the last time she ended up in the hospital. Neither of them wanted to admit how worried they were.

Buffy's mom greeted them at the door. "Willow, Mr. Giles, I'm glad to see you."

"Is Buffy okay?" Willow asked.

"I don't know. She won't eat, and she hasn't had much to drink all day. I was going to take some tea up to her." She handed the cup to Giles. "Maybe you can convince her to drink it."

"I'll see if I can. Is she upstairs?"

"She hasn't come out of her room all day."

"That's not a good sign." Willow gave a worried glance up the stairs. "We won't stay too long. I know she needs rest."

When they reached Buffy's room, Willow knocked on the door. "Buffy, it's Willow. Giles is here with me. Can we come in?"

They heard a mumbled. "Okay."

Willow opened the door and let Giles in before going in and closing the door behind them. She put Buffy's books on her desk. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine as long as I'm lying down. The room starts to spin when I try to get up."

Giles set the tea on the night stand. "Your mother made you some tea. I think you should try to drink some of it." He sat on the bed next to her and put his arm under her shoulder.

"I'll try." She mumbled. He slowly eased her into a sitting position where she could lean against him for support. Willow handed him the cup.

He put the cup to her lips letting her drink slowly until the tea was gone. Willow took the cup from him and set it back on the night stand. Slowly, he helped her lie back down.

"That wasn't so bad," Willow said.

"I guess not. I'm glad you're here, Will. I don't think I'll be able to do much of my school work."

"That's okay. When you feel better, I'll help you."

Buffy looked up at Giles. "Could you get me a cool cloth for my head? And maybe some more tea?"

He leaned over and placed a light kiss on her forehead before standing up. "I'll be back soon."

Buffy didn't speak until he had left and closed the door. "Will, I didn't know he would be coming with you."

"Sorry, Buff. I thought it would be a good thing."

"It would have been, but I need to talk to you alone." Willow sat on the edge of the bed. "Will, I'm not really sick."

"If you're not sick, then how do you explain how you've been feeling?"

"I think I'm pregnant." It was barely a whisper, and Willow almost didn't hear it.

"Is it . . . ?"

"Giles." She nodded. "From that night with the cookies. That's the only time I've ever. . . . except the one time with Angel."

Willow's eyes got big as the realization struck her. "Oh God, Buffy, I'm so sorry. It's my fault. If I hadn't made those cookies. . . ."

"I'm not blaming you. I asked you over because I need someone to talk to about this, and I need someone to go to the doctor with me tomorrow afternoon. Mom's going to be at the gallery."

"Why not ask Giles or wait until your mom can take you?"

"I'm really not ready for Giles to know, and Mom would freak. I haven't told her the real reason I want to go to the doctor. I can't tell her or anyone else about this. Not until I'm sure."

"I'm guessing you need a ride to the doctor? I'm sure Oz would drive us."

"Would you ask him? But don't tell him why we're really going."

"Sure, Buffy. I'll do anything you need."

"I can't believe this is happening. What if he doesn't want this? He's my Watcher. We're not supposed to have this kind of relationship. What if he's too afraid of losing his job? What if. . . ?"

Willow hugged her as she started to cry. "Buffy, Giles loves you. He'll stay by your side through this. I know he would choose you over his job any day. He won't leave you."

Buffy choked back a sob. "I know. I just don't want this to be the only reason."

They heard footsteps in the hall and a soft knock on the door. "Is it all right to come in?"

Buffy brushed tears from her eyes and nodded to Willow. "We were just talking about girl things. It's safe to come in."

He set the tea down on the table and swabbed Buffy's head with the cool cloth. "Have you been crying?"

"I do that sometimes when I'm sick."

"Buffy, are you sure you're all right?" Giles asked. "Maybe you should see a doctor. I could take you if you want to go."

"Thanks, Giles, but I already promised Willow that she could take me." At his questioning look she added, "Oz is going to pick me up after school and drive us to my appointment." He still didn't look convinced. "I'll be fine. If anything bad happens, Willow will call you and mom." She reached for the cup of tea with a shaky hand.

"I'll get that for you." Giles picked up the cup as they helped her sit up again. He helped her drink some of the tea before they helped her lie down once more.

Willow stood. "I should be getting home soon, and you need your rest. So, I'm gonna go. I'll be by tomorrow after school. What time should we pick you up?"

"My appointment's at 4:00, so I guess 3:15 or 3:30."

"I'll see you then."

As she reached the door she heard Giles say, "I'll be just a minute. If you wait, I'll give you a ride home." Willow nodded and closed the door behind her, giving them some privacy.

"I'll be fine." Buffy looked into his eyes. "This isn't like the last time I was sick. I don't have a high fever, and there's nothing demonic about it."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely." He still looked unsure. "There's nothing to worry about. I'll see the doctor and get something to make me feel better. I'll be like new in no time."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead again. "I'm only worried because I care." He looked into her eyes. "I really do love you, Buffy."

She could see the love in his eyes and was almost tempted to tell him the truth. "I know. I love you too, Gi . . . Rupert."

He smiled. It was the first time she had called him by his first name. "You need your rest." He kissed her on the lips this time. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She drifted off to sleep as he left the room.

* * * * *

Buffy was quiet as they drove her to the doctor's office. When they arrived at the office, Willow offered to go in with her, but Buffy insisted on doing this by herself. Oz and Willow waited in the waiting room. He was quiet as Willow flipped through the magazines and paced around the room. He knew she was more worried than she would admit.

"What's taking so long? Something must be wrong." She said.

Oz stood and took her in his arms, hugging her tight. He didn't say anything, just sat her down. He knew they would tell him what was going on when they were ready.

When Buffy finally came out, a nurse was helping her walk. "She's a little unsteady, but she'll be fine. We gave her a shot to help with the nausea. She'll be sleepy for a while." As Willow took Buffy's arm to help her, the nurse handed a bag to Oz. "There are pamphlets and samples of medicine and vitamins in the bag as well as instructions. If she needs more, she can call us and we'll call in a prescription for her."

Oz was confused. "Pamphlets and vitamins?"

"I'll explain in the van." She turned to the nurse. "Thank you. Do we owe you anything?"

"No. The first appointment is free."

Willow and Buffy explained everything to Oz on the way to Buffy's. He swore to keep it a secret until Buffy was ready for others to know.

Willow looked through the contents of the bag. There were pamphlets on prenatal care, adoption, counseling, and more.

As they pulled up to Buffy's house, they noticed Giles' car. "What's he doing here?" Buffy asked. <He's not supposed to be here.>

"I don't know." Willow said as Oz stopped the van.

Giles had been watching for them and came out to greet them. "Buffy's mom called me from the gallery. She had to go out of town for a few days. She asked me to stay here while she's away and look after Buffy." He helped Buffyout of the van. When he realized how unsteady she was, he picked her up and carried her into the house. He laid her on the couch, where he had pillows and blankets ready for her.

Willow handed Giles the bag the nurse had given them. She had taken out the pamphlets when she'd seen Giles. She'd give them to Buffy later. Right now she knew that Buffy wouldn't want to take the chance of Giles seeing them before she told him. "There is medicine to help with the nausea and some vitamins. They gave her a shot at the office, so she shouldn't need anything for a while."

"Thank you, Willow, Oz. It was kind of you to help."

"Hey. No big. That's what friends are for." She turned to Oz. "We should go."

Giles watched them leave and turned to Buffy. She had fallen asleep. He pulled the blanket up over her and sat down with a book and cup of tea.

* * * * *

Buffy woke a few hours later. She realized she was still on the couch, and Giles was sitting nearby. He put down his book when he noticed that she was awake.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm better. I don't feel as sick."

She wasn't looking at him. "Buffy, I know this is awkward, but you really need someone here with you. I've let the school know that I won't be able to work for a few days. Wesley will be keeping an eye on the library." He leaned forward in his chair. "Do you need anything?"

She shook her head. "We need to talk." She sat up and patted the couch next to her. He came over and sat next to her. "How much do you love me?"

He was startled by her question. "I cannot begin to measure my love for you. I love you more than anything in this world. You are everything to me. I'll love you forever."

"Do you love me enough to marry me?"

He would have laughed if he hadn't seen the serious look on her face. "You're a bit young to be thinking about marriage."

"I'm the slayer. My life expectancy isn't that long. I'll make it to twenty-six, if I'm really lucky. I'm eighteen now. I'm getting ready to graduate from high school. I'm old enough to be thinking about marriage, and I know who I want to marry. So I'll ask again. Do you love me enough to marry me? Will you marry me, Rupert Giles?"

He was speechless for a moment. "Yes, Buffy. I would love to marry you." He leaned over and kissed her. When he deepened the kiss, he felt her push him away.

"There's something I have to tell you." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I don't have the flu. I'm not sick." She looked down, not wanting to meet his gaze. "I'm pregnant."

"I-I couldn't have heard you right. D-did you say you're pregnant?"

She nodded. "I'm going to have your baby."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. The doctor confirmed it today."

He was shocked. <She's pregnant. Why didn't she tell me that first?> "That was why you wanted Willow to take you to your appointment. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I needed to be sure first. I didn't want to always wonder if you only married me because of the baby. I know you're angry."

He lifted her chin with a finger. "I'm not angry. Although, this does change things. We cannot let the council know, not until after we are married. They would try to intervene. We'll also have to see to it that Wesley doesn't know. Can you play sick for a while longer? You will have to go back to school, but we cannot have Wesely sending you out on patrol."

"Sure. It shouldn't be that hard to fool him. I'm sure I'll really feel sick from time to time. I hear pregnancy can do that." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "So when would you like to have the wedding? Cause I was thinking we could have the wedding a few days after graduation."

"Yes, I think we should wait until after graduation, but not too long after. I'm sure you want to be able to fit into a proper wedding gown." She smiled as he put his arms around her and pulled her in for another kiss.

* * * * *

Buffy went back to school a few days later. Wesely didn't question her when she told him she couldn't go on patrol. He seemed content to let her help with research. They still had a lot of research to do on the Ascension.

During this time, Giles and Buffy also to plan their wedding without anyone finding out about it. Willow and Oz occasionally helped, and Xander and Cordelia eventually started asking questions.

One afternoon Xander and Cordelia followed Willow and Oz to Giles apartment. They spied on them through the window and saw Willow and Buffy looking at Bridal magazines.

"Okay, prom is coming up soon, and I know girls look at these magazines, but they're looking at wedding dresses." Xander said all in one breath. "Why does Willow need a wedding dress?"

"There's one way to find out." She walked to the door pulling Xander along with her and knocked on the door. When Giles opened the door, she asked, "Why is Willow looking for a wedding dress?"

"Yea," said Xander. "What's going on? Will, is there something I don't know?"

Buffy spoke up. "I guess we should tell them. Xander, the dress is for me, not Willow." She stood and walked over to Giles as he shut the door. He put his arm around her.

"Buffy and I are getting married. We were trying to keep it quiet. It would come to no good end if the council found out about it." He looked at Cordelia to make sure she was paying attention. "That means the two of you will not tell anyone about this, especially Wesley. He would go straight to the council with this." He looked at each of them in turn. "Is that clear?"

"Yes," Xander said.

"Absolutely," agreed Cordelia.

Buffy looked from Xander to Cordelia. "We could actually use some help. Cordelia, maybe you could help me pick a dress. Willow and I are't having any luck. We must have looked through every magazine and catalog we could find."

"I have some connections at some exclusive boutiques. I could get some dresses on loan, and you could come over to my place to try them on. I could do the same for a bridesmaid dress for Willow. I assume she'll be in the wedding. This way you won't have to deal with any sales people."

"You're the greatest, Cordelia. I'd like you to be a part of the wedding, too. If you want to, that is. I won't force you, or anything. It's not going to be a big wedding, just the two of us and a few close friends."

"I'd love to be a part of it." Cordelia said as she sat down next to Willow to discuss dresses.

"So, when is the big day?" Xander asked.

"The first Saturday after graduation." Giles answered.

"So, does this mean the two of you are going to the prom together, too?" He asked.

"The prom? I hadn't even thought of that. Buffy, did you want to go to the prom?" Giles asked.

"I thought it was a given. I've had my dress picked out for months. Only I thought I'd be going alone or with Angel." She gave him a mischievous grin. "But I suppose you'll do." She tilted her head up a little and kissed him. It was the first time they had kissed in front of anyone. It caused Giles to blush, and Buffy giggled.

Xander averted his eyes as he sat down with the others. "So we have a lot of planning to do in a short time. What can I do?"

Buffy tuned them out as Giles pulled her tighter against himself, his embarrassment forgotten. <This is going to be an interesting wedding.>

* * * * *

Buffy walked into the library and set her bag on the table as she sat in the closest chair. "Giles, are you here?" She had spent the last few hours finishing the last of her makeup tests from the days she had missed. It was not a great way to spend a Friday afternoon. She really needed to see Giles.

Wesley walked out from the office. "He went home for a while. He needed to get some books from his apartment. He'll be back." He took a good look at her. "Are you feeling all right? You look worse than usual today."

"I'm dizzy, lunch made me sick, and I've spent the entire afternoon taking makeup tests. I was hoping Giles could give me a ride home. I can't find Cordelia, Willow, or Oz, and my mom's not answering the phone. I should try calling home again." She tried to stand and almost fell over.

Wesley caught her. "Why don't you come into the office and lie down on the sofa. I'll make you some tea. If Mr. Giles doesn't come back soon, I'll drive you home. It will be dark soon. I don't want you and your mother out there by yourselves. I'll try to call your mother to let her know that Mr. Giles or I will take you home." He helped her walk into the office and lie down on the couch. She fell asleep before he could make the tea.

She woke a short while later and heard Wesley on the phone. "I'll make sure she gets home safely." He hung up the phone. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little. I think I might be able to walk on my own." She stood. "Who was on the phone?"

"Mr. Giles. He said there was a problem at his apartment, and he wouldn't be back tonight. I'll be taking you home."

"Did he say what kind of problem?"

"He didn't elaborate, but said he is unable to leave. I'm sure it couldn't be avoided."

She picked up her bag from the table on their way out. "Lead the way."

As soon as they stepped outside, she knew something was wrong. She didn't know what, but she could feel it. She pulled two stakes from her bag and handed one to Wesley. "Something's not right." She looked all around as they walked to his car.

Half way to the car, they were attacked. Vampires surrounded them, at least a dozen of them, probably more. Wesley staked a few as he tried to protect her. She did her best to fight them, but there were just too many. As she tried to stake one of them, she lost her grip and dropped her stake. One of them kicked her in the ribs as another grabbed her from behind. She heard Wesley shout and thought she saw Faith and Angel as she felt teeth sink into her neck.

Goto Part 3