Freedom 3

Xander watched him. Anya had told him that Gileshadn't come in all day. He noticed that Giles' hairwas wet, like he'd just gotten out of the shower. Hefelt a momentary twinge of anger at the Council. Theyneeded to cut Giles some slack. Giles had been anactive watcher longer than almost any other watcher inhistory and on the Hellmouth to boot. His slayer wasdead and they just expected him to keep on going. Hemuttered to himself. "Some retirement plan." WhenGiles looked at him he just shook his head. He knewthat the rest of them were still helping out too buthe knew it was different. If Willow decided that shewanted to leave tomorrow, if they all decided that,Giles would just watch them go. It ultimately wasn'ttheir responsibility. That had belonged to Buffy andto Giles, and now just to Giles. He shook his headagain. It's not that he wanted Giles replaced buteven he could see that you could only ask so much of aman, and they were asking for too much.

Giles had gotten the package open and he just lookedat the contents.

Finally Anya couldn't stand it anymore. She let out afrustrated noise and spoke. "What is it?"

Giles looked up and they were all surprised to seetears in his eyes. She moved closer and peered intothe box. She didn't know what she expected to see butshe was disappointed. "It's just an earring." Shemoved away, bored again.

Giles smiled ruefully at her response. He lifted outthe earring and held it in his hand. It was just aplain gold hoop, nothing extraordinary except for whatit meant to him. He could still see Ethan's face ashe had roughly shoved the gift-wrapped box at him. Ithad been a birthday present, and something more aswell. A symbol of something that had been growingbetween the two of them, something Ethan no longerwanted to ignore.

Giles sighed and closed his eyes. When he opened themagain they were filled with such longing that italmost took Xander's breath away. Xander looked tosee if anyone else had seen it but they were alllooking at the earring except for Anya who was justfiddling with stuff around the shop. Xander watchedas Giles put the earring in the hole in his ear. Hegrinned at them all and Xander had a flash of how hemust have looked in his youth, leather jacket, goldearring, knife in his pocket, full of piss and vinegarready to take on the world.

Xander didn't ask what the significance of the earringwas. He was pretty sure he knew. What surprised himwas that it didn't wig him out, not even a little. Considering how wig-worthy the idea had always been tohim, he was surprised at his reaction. But somehow heknew that whatever Ethan had meant to Giles, it hadall been about love.

Giles stayed for a while, not wanting to be alone withhis thoughts. He let their voices and laughter flowover him, comforted by their presence. He knew hisapartment would feel lonely tonight, lonelier thanusual. But in time they rose to leave and he made hisway home.

He walked in and sat on the couch again, still wearinghis jacket. He could feel the knife in his pocket,the earring. He saw the crystal ball sitting in frontof him. He could feel Ethan all around him almost asif he was there. It made his absence all the morepainful. He reached up to touch the earring. Aftergiving him the earring Ethan had told Giles that heloved him. They had made love that night for thefirst time. Not sex, that had happened occasionallyespecially after using the magic, but it had been fastand for a purpose of relief. This night the purposehad been the two of them. They had embraced andkissed and held each other all night finding all theways they could to pleasure each other. Giles hadnever experienced anything like it with another loverbefore or since.

The phone rang and Giles reached for it with atrembling hand. "Hello?"

"Ripper?"

When Giles heard Ethan's voice desire swept over him. His voice was thick and husky when he spoke. "Whereare you?"

Ethan could hear the desire in Ripper's voice and hefelt his own body respond. "Will you come to me?"

Giles sat on the couch. He asked again. "Where areyou?"

"Still far away. Will you come?" There was silence.

"I can't. I can't leave here."

Ethan nodded. He knew what the Council was doing. "Iwant to be with you Ripper."

Giles groaned. "Why can't you come here?"

"It's not time yet."

Giles didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

"Soon." Ethan slowly hung up. Soon. But not yet.Giles' duty still held him. Ethan ran his fingersthrough his hair hating the Council. He grinned allof a sudden, a not very nice grin. He had been doingsome searching of his own and he knew something theCouncil didn't. But they would soon.

Giles looked at the phone in his hand. He slowly hungup. He lay down on the couch curling his legs up. Hefinally fell asleep.

Only Xander and Anya were there when the next giftarrived. Giles had been stocking shelves when theyheard an engine revving outside the door. Someone hadparked a motorcycle outside the shop. The rider gotoff, took off his helmet and pulled a clipboard out ofone of the compartments on the motorcycle. He checkedthe address, grabbed the second helmet off the back ofthe bike and walked in. He saw Xander. "You RupertGiles?"

Xander shook his head and pointed to Giles. The manheaded over to Giles. He handed him the clipboard. "Sign here."

Giles hesitated. "What exactly am I signing for?"

The man held up the keys. Giles' eyebrows rose. Heshook his head not sure he was understanding. The manshook the keys. "The bike, it's yours."

Xander was watching Giles and he saw the look onGiles' face. He saw the smile that changed his entireappearance, the joy that swept away for a moment allthe pain of Buffy's death. He held his breath, justwatching. Xander didn't like Ethan but if he had beenhere Xander would have hugged him just for puttingthat look on Giles' face. Giles signed and the manhanded him the keys and the second helmet. He walkedout the door and a car slid up to pick him up.

Giles just stood there stunned. He looked at the keysand out at the motorcycle. He grinned, looked atXander and Anya and kept grinning. He looked like akid. He headed for the door putting the helmet on. He slid on the bike and putting the key in theignition he started it. He slowly backed it up andthen he drove off.

Xander just looked at Anya and then they grinned ateach other. Anya shrugged and went back to herchores. Xander just stood there for a minute,watching where the motorcycle had been parked andremembering the look on Giles' face.

Giles drove around for hours. He hadn't felt thiscontent, this free for as long as he could remember. His head was full of Ethan. He and Ethan had goneeverywhere on their bikes. This bike wasn't the onehe'd had. This one was brand new. He loved it. Hefelt its power between his legs. He felt as if hecould drive forever. He felt an almost irresistiblepull to just go and never come back. To just keepdriving and see where he ended up, far from duty, farfrom the Hellmouth. He almost succumbed to the lurebut in time he turned around and headed home.

The phone was ringing as he put the key in his door. His efforts to get inside quickly made him fumble evenmore. He could hear the answering machine start topick up as he finally swung the door open. He racedto answer it. "Hello?"

He heard a laugh. "You are there. I wasn't sure whenyou'd get home."

Giles closed his eyes, letting Ethan's voice wash overhim. "I just walked in the door."

"Did you like your present?" Ethan knew he had, hecould hear the joy in Giles' voice.

"You knew I would." Ethan could feel Ripper smile."It's been wonderful, I've been driving for hours."

"Will you come join me now?"

Giles hesitated, part of him wanting to say yes withall his being. The other part...he sighed. "I can'tEthan, I'm sorry. You don't know how sorry I am."

"They found the slayer."

Giles' jaw dropped "What?"

"A slayer was called, they just found her." Ethangrinned. It would be more accurate to say that he hadfound her but he let that slide. He asked the onequestion he had been dreading. "If they ask, will yoube her watcher?"

The answer was immediate. "No." There was a pause. "I'll never be anyone's watcher again, not afterBuffy."

"Will you come away with me then?"

The yearning was deep in Giles but he was wiser thanhe'd once been. The paths they had both walked hadtaken them to such different places. He took a deepbreath. "Ethan..."

Ethan interrupted him. He knew what Ripper was goingto say. "Don't think, just feel. Just walk away. I'll walk away too. We can start over. Just you andme. We can figure out how to make it right again." There was silence. He spoke again. "Tell me thatyou'll think about it. Please. I don't want to livewithout you."

Giles ran his hand over his face, his vision hazy withunspilled tears. "I don't want to live without youeither." He paused. "I just don't know. I need tothink."

Ethan laughed. "That was always your problem Rupert,you think too damn much."

Giles shakily laughed back. "And you don't thinkenough." He paused lost in his memories again. Theyhad balanced each other somehow. "Let me call theCouncil. Will you give me a number where I can reachyou?"

Ethan gave him a number.

Giles looked at it for a minute. Then he gasped. "You're here, in Sunnydale."

"Yes, I am."

"Where are you? Let me come and see you."

Ethan smiled sadly, alone in his room. "No, I don'twant to see you unless you're ready to stay. I don'tthink I could stand it."

"Please, tell me where you are."

"No, just call when you've made a decision." Ethanhung up.

Giles walked over to his window and peered outside. Somewhere out there, so close, Ethan was waiting forhim and Giles had no idea where he was. It made Ethanseem farther away than ever. Giles picked the phoneup and called England.

The next evening he pulled back up to the shop on hismotorcycle. He opened up one of the compartments andpulled some envelopes out. He had asked Anya to getthem all together and they were all sitting there,waiting. He walked in, his helmet under his arm, andapproached them.

He put his helmet down on the table. He took a deepbreath. "They found the slayer. She'll be heretomorrow with her watcher." He watched as all theirjaws dropped. Xander took a close look at Giles,looking at his face, his eyes. He saw a suppressedexcitement there, a liveliness that had been missingfor weeks. He looked at the envelopes in Giles'hands. He sat back feeling a mix of sadness and joy,sadness for them, joy for Giles.

Giles continued. "I'm going away for a while." AsWillow started to protest he raised his hands. "I'mnot leaving permanently, not yet, at any rate. I justneed to get away." He handed an envelope to Anya. "I've left some papers for you so you can handle thestore while I'm gone. Are you willing to take thison?"

"Will you pay me more money?"

Giles smiled. "A lot more." She smiled and reachedfor the envelope. She started rifling through pages. When she saw her new salary her eyes widened. Shelooked at Giles and Giles just laughed. "Okay?"

She smiled at him. "Okay."

Giles started to hand the next envelope to Willow. "Here are the keys to my apartment. The slayer andwatcher can stay there until I'm back. Will you givethese to them?"

"How long will you be gone?"

"Six months." He still held the envelope. "Will yougive them the keys and show them around?"

She took the envelope. "Of course."

He handed the last envelope to Xander. "Will you takecare of my car? The keys, all the insuranceinformation and other pertinent papers are in there. Try not to crash into anything." Xander just lookedstunned as he took the envelope and held it close tohis chest.

He looked at them all. "I'll check in periodicallyand make sure you're okay. They're sending a goodwatcher. You'll like her." He grinned. "She's anold friend. I spoke with her this morning and she'slooking forward to meeting all of you."

He had finished and he stood there looking at them,burning them on his memory. Willow finally jumped upand gave him a big hug. When she let him go she hadtears in her eyes. "I'll miss you."

He nodded and reached up to touch her cheek. "I'llmiss you too. I'll miss you all." They were hisfamily. They all heard the motorcycle. The rideridled his engine and took off his helmet. Xanderwatched Giles and saw as his face lit up, awash withlove as he saw Ethan. Xander had to turn away, theemotion almost too strong to see. Giles turned backto them, reluctant to leave but so anxious to go.

After he had spoken with the Council, Giles had calledEthan back. They had talked for a long time. Thelonging and the caution had warred within Giles butthey had found a compromise. They would take sixmonths. Six months of freedom, freedom fromeverything. They would both walk away, walk away fromduty, from chaos, from the choices that had rippedthem apart. They would spend six months with eachother, rebuilding the connection that had bonded themtogether as boys and still held them bound now. Theyhad spoken for hours but until now Giles hadn't seenhim.

Xander stood and went over and hugged Giles. He letgo of him and turned him around to face Ethan andgently pushed. "Go. We'll keep things safe here foryou." Giles turned back and smiled at Xander. Hesmiled at them all. Then he picked up his helmet andheaded out the door.

They all watched as Giles swung out the door, watchedas he walked over to Ethan and just held him. Ethanheld him back, his eyes closed. They broke off theembrace and they just looked at each other, a look ofcontentment and promise on both their faces. ThenGiles started putting on his helmet and Ethan put hison as well. Giles indicated for Ethan to head out andwhen he did, Giles followed him.

Willow's eyebrows rose. She turned to look at Xander."Ethan and Giles?"

Xander nodded. "Ethan and Giles."

Willow looked at Xander and saw how calm he was being."That's sort of wow."

Xander looked back. "Very wow. How they feel abouteach other, I mean."

Willow sent him a loving look. Then she looked atTara. She looked up at Anya and then back at Xander. "Cool."

Xander smiled. "Very cool."

The End



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