Hi! (waves happily) Here comes another B/G story from me. This is just a little something for the holidays, a B/G Christmas fic in two parts. It serves as a sequel to Unguarded, but I don't think it's totally necessary to read that story in order to enjoy this. Might help set the scene, though!

For anyone who has read that story, I hope you'll enjoy this as a continuation. Happy Holidays to all! :)

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Title: Silent Night 1/2
Author: mischiefmagnet
Rating: M
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Summary: Sequel to Unguarded, but can be read as a stand alone. Giles has arrived in Sunnydale with the Potentials just in time for Christmas. Things are tense between Slayer and Watcher. Will the spark between them light up or fizzle out? A B/G Christmas story.
Spoilers: Set right around the time of Season 7 'Bring On the Night', so at least up until then.
Disclaimer: I don't own BtVS or any of the characters. I'm just torturing- I mean borrowing- them for awhile. A small amount of dialogue is taken from the episode 'Bring On the Night'. Also, there is a short excerpt in this chapter from another story written by me, Unguarded. It is included to help explain the changing nature of the relationship between Buffy and Giles. I'm pretty sure I gave myself permission to use it (though perhaps I should check with myself one more time).

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Silent Night: Chapter 1

It was two days until Christmas, and all was not well in Sunnydale. Something big and extra evil was on the horizon, and even inside the Summers' house things were getting tense and somewhat creepy. Willow's locator spell, intended to find The First, had backfired egregiously. Buffy didn't know what to do, other than to start pounding the pavement and hope she might find a lead. With Xander hot on her heels, she headed for the door. At this point, the freak-o-meter jumped from four alarms to five.

"…I'm afraid we have a slight apocalypse."

Dumbstruck, Buffy wondered briefly if this so-called apocalypse was happening inside her painfully knotting stomach when she saw Rupert Giles standing on her doorstep. She took in the sight of her erstwhile Watcher, the man she had not heard from in months. Even the Council had claimed ignorance of his whereabouts, which had left the Slayer in a quiet panic. She had feared that either Travers had been lying (bad) or Giles was in serious trouble (über bad). Between the disturbing dreams Buffy had been having and her inability to locate Giles, she had imagined the worst. She wasn't sure if the bulk of her current inner turmoil was caused by those worries- now apparently baseless- or if it had more to do with what had happened between herself and Giles before he had left for England with Willow…

oooooooo

Several Months Ago

Slowly, Buffy sank onto him, feeling more complete with every inch of his shaft as she took him inside. Her breath came in shudders as he filled her completely, surging within her as he accustomed himself to the feel of her scorching heat. For a long moment the two simply watched each other, savoring the connection and the raw emotions laid out between them. Leaning her slender body forward, Buffy placed her hands on Giles' shoulders and rolled her hips hesitantly. Her feelings overwhelmed her as she felt how perfectly he fit inside her, the agonizing pleasure his body was sharing with hers. Raising one hand to trace his lips, she allowed the words to tumble out.

"Giles, I love you."

He grabbed her hand before she could pull it away, holding it against the side of his face as he returned her heated glance. "I've always loved you, Buffy. And I always will."

With that, the time for coherent speech was at an end. Buffy's hips moved in time with the upward thrusts made by Giles, using all the strength in his deceptively powerful core. Soon they were both trembling with need. Giles knew Buffy was headed over the edge as she began to ride him wildly, gripping his cock deep within her as she spasmed, biting into his shoulder to muffle her screams. She had never felt anything so powerful and intimate, wishing this moment with him could stretch on forever. As she rode the waves of her orgasm, he felt her mouth next to his ear saying his name over and over again. The sound of his name like a prayer on her lips built him up to a point where he knew his orgasm was soon to follow.

He flipped them so that her body was beneath him and started fucking her with all the strength and passion his sure and solid frame possessed, moaning into her neck as he felt her start to come again. Buffy was holding on for dear life. He slid one arm beneath her, clutching her hard against him as he continued to slam his length into her body over and over. Soon the delicious heat and friction became too much. Stars exploded behind Giles eyelids as he emptied himself into her, absently feeling her small hands gripping at his backside to hold him inside of her as deep as he could go, her legs wrapped tightly around him. After riding through a surprisingly lengthy series of aftershocks, Giles finally collapsed on top of Buffy, releasing an exultant noise that was both a moan and a delighted laugh.

Their sensitized limbs were slick with sweat as they cuddled against each other feeling totally content, if only for just one moment. They kissed with unhurried abandon, not wanting to let the moment end. Eventually they came to rest, having resumed their original position with Buffy cuddled against Giles' side, minus the barrier of clothing that previously separated them. He stroked her hair absently and she buried her face back into the crook of his neck, cursing the inevitability of sleep. Both Watcher and Slayer knew that when they woke again, the outside world would be waiting…

oooooooo

And it had been waiting. Willow was broken, and Xander hadn't been holding up much better. Dawn was freaked, Anya was at a loss, and Tara was gone. Buffy hadn't wanted to leave his arms that morning. She wanted to stay in his embrace forever, the only place where the universe seemed sane and happy. They had made love again, with silent intensity, before rising to meet the new day.

In a sense, giving in to her feelings for Giles had made things harder, because she knew what she was missing after that. Buffy had a whole new awareness, a different realm of understanding in their interactions. Even so, they hadn't intended for it to happen again. Both Buffy and Giles knew that now was not the time for them to pursue any type of romantic relationship, that there might never be a right time for that. However, every time their eyes met in the days between their night together and his departure, her new found hunger for him surged back to the forefront. And, as hard as he tried, he couldn't deny her or himself. It had happened twice more before he left; once in Buffy's bedroom in a frenzied tangle of limbs and urgently grabbing hands while everyone else was out, and again in the back seat of the rental car Giles had picked up to drive himself and Willow to the airport.

The closeness and desperation of those stolen moments floated back to Buffy as she regarded the man standing just a few feet away. She had missed him so much, worried that he might be dead. They had lost contact after Willow's return from England. She hadn't heard from him for over two months, and her concern for him bundled up with the new threat that was approaching had been making her incredibly jumpy. Relief suddenly flooded through her veins when she saw his solid form in front of her, and her first instinct had been to throw herself into his arms in a heedless fit of euphoria- regardless of who was looking on.

Instinct interrupted, apparently. The Slayer's brows knit in confusion as a short parade of teenage girls crossed the threshold of her house, stepping in front of her and cutting her off in mid-attack. Buffy's features softened as she saw a hint of apology in Giles' eyes. Raising an inquisitive eyebrow which bore the promise of explanations to come, she ushered him into the living room where a bewildered audience awaited.

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His first few hours back in the Summers' house had been… awkward. To say the least. The tension radiating from Buffy every time he drew within five feet of her was palpable, and they hadn't occasioned upon even the vaguest possibility of a moment alone for Giles to explain the unfortunate necessity of his recent disappearance.

Breaking contact with her had been one of the hardest things he'd ever done, especially after what had passed between them last time he was in Sunnydale. Many times while he was tracking the Potential Slayers, grasping at the smallest straw of a lead if it meant getting there before the Bringers, he had wanted to hear her voice. Looking out the window on a train or a plane he would find his mind drifting back to those moments of bliss with her in his arms, burning hot and clinging to him passionately… his body could still feel the ghost of hers against him, around him.

Giles wished it hadn't been necessary to cut himself off from her, but he knew what the Council would have done if they thought Buffy knew where he was. A special operations squad wouldn't have been the half of it. Apparently his plan had worked just as he had hoped- Buffy had grumbled something under her breath earlier about how 'even the stupid Council' hadn't known where to find him. He could tell that she was hurt, but through his explanation to the room at large her look didn't seem to carry resentment. That was a relief. Perhaps she knew, now, what it had been like for him that summer when she herself had disappeared.

Shaking his head, the Watcher pushed that thought away. He didn't want it to be about that, and certainly refused to think that her behavior as an immature teenager gave him the right to pay those feelings back. The situations didn't even bear a comparison. Not to mention, now was certainly not the time to let emotions get in the way.

He watched her as she stared out of the dining room window into the growing darkness outside, wondering silently whether he was fooling anybody, least of all himself. With Buffy, there were always emotions. Sometimes they were in the way, sometimes they just… were. Even Wesley Wyndam-Pryce at his worst had seen it, classifying Giles' feelings as 'an emotional problem'. Oh, if Wesley had only known toward what those emotions tended… in which way his feelings were inclined even now.

During his time away he had tried to travel light, with the memories of making love to Buffy being undoubtedly the heaviest thing he was carrying. It was a pleasant burden to bear. He had felt so close to her in spirit. She was a constant presence in his heart, and without the real-life complications that existed when they were actually together he was able to give himself over to that perception without guilt. He knew the danger of his mission, and his path- littered as it was with the broken corpses of potential Slayers- was such that he could only let himself love her or go insane trying not to. He had needed his wits about him, so he allowed the feeling to nest. Right now, however, things were different. Complicated. Again.

Ironic really- that he would feel so close to her when he was thousands of miles away, only to find such a great distance between them upon his return.

Buffy looked over her shoulder in a subtle acknowledgement of his presence in the room. It was the first time since his arrival that they had been alone together. He approached, keeping a distance of several feet between them and joining her in looking out the window. The silence between them was heavy, with many words and thoughts unsaid.

As she turned to face him, he could see that her posture was closed off. Her arms were crossed over her chest, eyes directed downward. Buffy's changeable gaze flickered up to his briefly, and she wore an expression that Giles recognized to mean that she wanted to say something, but didn't know exactly what. She remained quiet, sighing heavily and tilting her head to the side.

Giles could understand her hesitation. He most certainly could. This time he had been the one to disappear, and perhaps she wasn't quite able to forgive him sight unseen. She was already under so much strain, and the timing of his arrival with the Potential Slayers could only add to her anxiety. It would seem, then, that it would be his responsibility to take the first step. "Buffy, I wish to tell you-"

She interrupted him abruptly, giving the ghost of an uncertain smile. "Giles, I think I have an idea of where The First might be hiding. I really can't stay cooped up here anymore. I should go check it out."

Her tone was so casual, it caught him quite off guard. "Well, I suppose-"

"Wanna come with?"

The Slayer's face was unreadable. Giles felt a nervous trepidation surrounding her request, but he couldn't quite fathom whether it originated from himself or if he was sensing the emotion from Buffy. The fact that she was reaching out, in her own way, did not go unnoticed. "Of course, if you like."

Buffy nodded, brushing past him into the entryway of the house. "Let's go."

And with that, the Watcher and the Slayer donned their coats and headed out into the night.

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There was something almost wrong about the quaint and pleasant appearance of downtown Sunnydale at the best of times, but with Christmas just two days away the duplicitous charm of Main Street was at an all-time high. In a town infested with monsters, perched atop a Hellmouth with unprecedented evil percolating from every crack in the sidewalk, the outward appearance of holiday cheer stuck out like a sore thumb. Lights shone from every window, trees and garlands and garish decorations adorned every lamppost and street corner. People hurrying home in the newly birthed darkness looked for all the world like they were rushing to finish their Christmas shopping, instead of hurrying to be safe before the night could bare its tireless fangs.

Buffy and Giles walked side by side down Main Street in awkward but companionable silence, each one wondering what the other was thinking. Buffy, for her part, was wishing that things between the two of them were not so uncomfortable. Between her stress, his evident worry, and the elephant in the room that was their set of scorching encounters before his return to England… the atmosphere was so thick with tension that you couldn't have cut it with a very sharp katana, never mind a knife.

They kept shooting each other small glances, observing from the corners of their eyes. The festive environment, snowmen, mistletoe, fa-la-la… well, it wasn't exactly helping. It was like being in some kind of bizarro galaxy, where nothing was what it seemed. Giles was the first one to man up and try to diffuse the discomfiture. "This place you originally saw The First—you say it was in a Christmas tree lot?"

"Under it. There was a hidden cavern. Just happened to be under a tree lot. The Bringers were doing some kind of ritual. Giles, this is bad, isn't it? A new kind of bad." She looked at him inquiringly, almost glad for the distraction of shop talk to keep her mind from wandering to other not-so-forgotten places.

"Just in time for Christmas," he replied, which was as good as a 'yes' in Buffy's book.

Continuing down the street, Buffy sighed and shook her head. "You know, I didn't even realize it was December? Maybe when we get home, we should decorate the rubble."

She was rewarded with a small smile from Giles, which made her feel warmer inside than all the little twinkling holiday lights which were designed to instill joy and cheer. The moment of humor gave Buffy the courage needed to at least hint at the other thing that was bothering her. The her and Giles thing. She wasn't sure if he would want to talk about it, but it couldn't hurt to test the waters.

"Think you'll ever show up for a real visit? The kind where the world isn't about to end?"

A surprised expression graced his slightly careworn face, a moment of boyish bewilderment evident in his handsome features. He obviously hadn't expected her to breach the subject. It was certainly a touchy one; their lives were not a hospitable environment for romance, which was a fact that they had both tacitly acknowledged. That didn't mean Buffy had to like it, however. Maybe what she was really asking was if there would ever be a chance for them, at all.

"If we survive this, I promise."

His answer was simple, filled with the all the things he wanted to say but couldn't. Buffy supposed she could be satisfied with it, for now. There would be time for more talk later. For now, she tried to convey her feelings through the tone of her voice. "Good. 'Cause I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

As they turned the corner onto the side street that led to the Christmas tree lot at the edge of downtown, Buffy reached over and grabbed Giles' hand. Her small fingers tingled pleasantly as she twined them with his larger ones, and a thrill ran up her spine as she felt his thumb gently caressing the palm of her hand. The air around them was silent, but for the beating of their hearts.

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That's it for chapter one! There's just one more- this is another 'short' story from me. I'll be hoping to have this completed in the next few days. Otherwise, what's the point of having a Christmas fic? :P

Feedback is encouraged as always, and will be rewarded with unwrapped Christmas presents. Yes, that's right. I was so busy getting this fic ready to post that I haven't wrapped any gifts yet! (sigh) Looking like it's going to be a long night! Merry Christmas, everybody!