Title: Changes, Past and Present
Author: Gibberish

(notes and disclaimer in part one)

London, 1977

Buffy looked out the window of Ripper's flat. The one that looked out over the front sidewalk. She thought about Ethan, apparently, he always been odd.

She saw Ripper as he walked down the sidewalk. She was about to wave to get his attention, when she noticed that he was being followed by two men.

Buffy tore out of the flat and down the stairs. When she reached the outside, she didn't see them, but she heard a scuffle in the alley. She ran into the alley and saw that one vampire held Ripper as the other beat the hell out of him. She ran and with a spin kick, knocked the one doing the hitting to the ground. She grabbed a wooden crate and crashed it over his head. Then she used a piece of the crate and staked him. Dusted. She turned only to be knocked to the ground by the other vampire. She jumped back up, ready to stake him, but he turned to dust before her.

Buffy helped Ripper up to the flat. She sat him on the couch and fetched a washcloth, antiseptic and bandages. "Do you know what they wanted?" Buffy asked as she cleaned his face.

Ripper shook his head, then winced when the movement hurt. Buffy finished tending to his face. Then she lifted his T-shirt.

"Don't think I'm up for that just yet Luv." Ripper said, then flinched when she pressed her fingers to his aching ribs.

"I don't think anything's broken." Buffy told him. "But, maybe I should take you to a hospital."

"No." Ripper said adamantly, then groaned. "No hospital. I'll be fine."

Buffy reached out a hand and brushed back a lock of hair from his forehead. "They weren't trying to kill you." She said.

"I know." Ripper returned. "They were after something."

"What?" Buffy asked.

Ripper just looked at her.

That night, when they went to bed, Buffy soothed him. She loved him gently, every touch whisper soft. They went to sleep arms and legs entwined, neither wanted to let go.

Ripper had a nightmare. In it, the vampire had gotten Buffy.

The cry of her name woke her and she looked into the frightened eyes of the man in bed next to her. Ripper grabbed her and held her to him. Then, despite the pain, he made love to her with a desperate passion. He had lied to her earlier, he knew what the vampires had wanted. They wanted her.

Sunnydale, 1999

Giles walked into the mansion. He had it, the translation. He just hoped it worked. He found Oz, he sat alone on the couch in the main room and watched Ethan. "Where's Willow?"

Oz looked at him tiredly. It had been a long night and a longer morning. "Crashed. Couple hours ago." He looked at Ethan, then back to Giles. "I can't believe you were ever friends."

"We weren't." Giles said. "Not really."

"I'm hurt." Ethan said.

"He likes the sound of his own voice." Oz commented. "Did you get the translation?"

"Yes," Giles answered. He held up the book with several sheets of paper protruding. "I thought that Willow might like to help."

"Help what?" Willow asked around a yawn. She made her way into the room.

"Help bring Buffy home." Giles answered.

"I'm surprised you want to." Ethan commented. "Or are you expecting to pick up where you left off?"

"Nothing matters, except getting Buffy home." Giles said, he didn't look at any of them. He handed the book to Willow and went back out to his car for the supplies.

London, 1977

Ripper and Buffy laid on the couch and read, one at each end. Buffy started as she felt his foot as it slid up her inner thigh. Two could play that game, she moved her own foot. She heard him groan as her foot rubbed his already hardening manhood. She bit back a groan of her own when he pressed his foot to her core.

Ripper placed his book on the floor and removed her foot. He then reached out and took her book and put it on the floor. He moved to where he hovered above her and kissed her. He looked at her intently when he pulled back. "I haven't been much help gettin' you home."

"You've tried." Buffy said.

"Have I really?" He asked. "I know you need to go, but I don't want you to." He laid his head on her chest.

Buffy wrapped her arms around him. "There's a big part of me that doesn't want to leave, but..."

"Why?" Ripper asked. "Why do you want to stay? Who do you see when you look at me?"

Buffy raised his face so that their eyes met, "What do you mean? Who do you think I see?"

"Him." Ripper said. "The Watcher."

"I see you." Buffy told him. "Who you were, who you are, who you will be. It's all you." She kissed him. "Who do you see?" He looked at her quizzically.. "Am I just another girl? Another conquest?"

"Of course not." Ripper told her.

"Then, who am I? Who do you see?" Buffy asked.

"You're everything." Ripper stated.

"How can I be everything?" Buffy asked with a smile.

"When do we meet again?" Ripper asked instead of answering. "What year?"

"1997. The beginning of the year." Buffy told him. "I transferred mid-term."

"Twenty years." Ripper said awed.

"You'll have forgotten all about me by then." Buffy said.

"Impossible." Ripper responded.

"We'll see." Buffy said.

"I'll be an old man." Ripper said.

"Not old." Buffy told him. "Just where you should be. Where I need you to be."

"And us?" Ripper asked quietly.

That was something that Buffy had not let herself think about thus far.

She saw Giles clearly in her mind's eye. When she'd first met him. His fierce protectiveness when Amy's Mom had tried to kill her with a vengeance spell. The night she faced the Master. When Angel turned and killed Jenny. Never once did he blame her, even when she blamed herself. They held each other and cried. Then she sent Angel to hell and ran away. He was the only one that hadn't flung accusations at her when she returned.He was so hurt when she'd kept Angel's return from him. His hate for Angel. Then he'd helped him anyway, for her. Even when she hurt him, he protected her.He could have gone home, but he'd stayed. For her. Because he loved her. When the Mayor had threatened her, Giles had put a sword through his heart. At the Prom. And after, when he held her as she cried. He took care of Angel when he'd been poisoned. Then, at graduation, he'd managed to recover her diploma.

She caught him as he looked at her sometimes. She wondered what he saw, what he thought. Now, she wondered even more. She knew she loved him, that they were a part of each other. Oh, she knew that the others cared about her, even Wesley in his own way. But Giles...

Ripper watched her. <What is she thinking?> Her face and eyes were so expressive. Not all of her thoughts were happy. But now, she looked almost serene. As if she understood.... Something she hadn't before.

Sunnydale, 1999

Giles had gagged Ethan so that he could not interfere with the spell. The incantation had to be precise. Willow had helped, but now she watched from across the room.

Oz watched as well. As he sat next to Willow, he took her hand. He felt it as it happened.

Ethan also watched. No one would have believed him had he told them. He and Ripper knew that Buffy had gone back through the vortex. They wanted to believe that she'd made it home. But, neither was truly certain. They couldn't have been, not until now.

London, 1977

Buffy and Ripper had gone back to research, although this time in the bed. They heard a frantic knock at the front door. They exchanged a look before Ripper got up to answer it as Buffy followed.

Ripper opened the door to find Ethan.

Ethan was relieved to see that Buffy appeared all right, though Ripper looked a little worse for wear. "De's gone mad." He said a touch out of breath.

"What the hell are you doin' here?" Ripper asked, none to friendly.

"It's De." Ethan said. "She's out of her mind with jealousy." He looked at Buffy. "She plans to do something about you."

"What can she do?" Buffy asked doubtfully.

"With what we've been dabbling in." Ethan reminded her. "There's no telling."

"You don't expect us to believe you." Ripper commented.

"You have to." Ethan said.

"How do you know all this?" Buffy asked, still dubious. "And why warn us?"

"She came to me for help." Ethan told them. He looked Buffy in the eye. "I owe you, remember?"

Buffy and Ripper exchanged a look, Buffy shrugged. They were about to get rid of him, when they heard him whisper.

"My gods." Ethan whispered in awed tones, as he looked past them.

They turned and saw the vortex.

I'm not ready yet. The words exploded through Buffy's mind. Then she heard Giles call her.

"Buffy?" Giles' voice came through the vortex. "Buffy, are you there?"

"Giles!" Buffy called back happily.

Ripper and Ethan watched the smile that lit up her face. "I guess it's time to go Luv." Ripper said.

Buffy looked at him, the smile gone. For a second, she considered taking him with her.

As if he'd read her mind, he shook his head. "I'll see you in twenty years."

Buffy reached up and pulled him down for a kiss. When she let go, she whispered, "I'll see you in a minute."

"Buffy?" Giles called again. "Hurry." His voice was worried.

"I love you." She whispered to Ripper. Buffy then looked at Ethan, "Try to behave." She said to him. She took one last look at Ripper. She put a hand to his mouth and felt him kiss it. Buffy turned and ran through the vortex.

Ripper shut his eyes. When he opened them, Buffy and the vortex were gone. He turned to Ethan. "What did you want?"

To save her. Ethan thought. He looked at Ripper, "De sent the vampires."

Sunnydale, 1999

"Buffy?" Giles called through the vortex. "Are you there?" He worried for a minute, then he heard her.

"Giles!" Buffy called back.

Oz watched as Giles closed his eyes in relief. He was surprised to see that Ethan did the same. He felt Willow's hand tighten around his. Oz felt his own relief at the sound of her voice.

Then, there was a long silence. Oz and Willow looked at each other, worried again. Giles and Ethan eyed the vortex worriedly.

"Did something happen?" Willow asked, frightened.

"No." Giles answered, but he didn't sound as certain as any of them would have liked. "She must still be saying good-bye."

"Maybe you should try again." Willow nudged.

"Buffy?" Giles called again, worried. "Hurry." There was no response.

Giles put a hand to his heart, he must have done something wrong. He heard Willow start to cry. Then, something came through the vortex and knocked Giles to the floor. "Oof."

"Buffy!" Willow cried out at the sight of her friend, as she jumped to her feet.

Buffy landed on top of Giles. She was aware of where she was and that there were others in the room, but she just looked at Giles. He really hadn't changed that much. a bit less hair with a touch of silver. A few lines around his eyes.. The glasses. He was still awfully attractive and she wondered why she'd never let herself admit it before.

Giles looked up at her and tried to read her expression, but found that he was to conscious of her body to manage it. "Are you all right?" He asked.

Buffy wanted to kiss him, right there and then, but she held back. His question brought her out of her reverie. "I'm fine." She told him softly. She got to her feet and offered him a hand up. Once Giles was on his feet as well, her eyes settled on Ethan. A smile quirked her lips. "I love the redecorating."

"Very funny." Ethan mumbled around the gag.

To keep from looking at Giles and possibly embarrassing them both by jumping him, she looked at Willow and Oz. "Hey guys."

"Hey guys." Willow echoed. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Good to see you." Buffy added uncertainly.

Willow gave Buffy a hug. "We *so* have to talk."

"About?" Buffy asked.

"Everything." Willow responded as she pulled away. She looked at her friend's confused face. "London."

"How did you know where I was?" Buffy asked. She looked at Giles.

"I remembered you being there." Giles explained. "Ethan as well."

"If you knew, why didn't you stop it?" Buffy asked next.

"I didn't know until after you went through." Giles said defensively. "It's a time paradox. If I had known, I would have stopped it before it happened. But if I had, you wouldn't have gone back and I wouldn't have known." Giles was a bit confused himself, but he wasn't about to tell her that.

Buffy looked at him blankly. "Could you make that just a little more complicated?" Then, she realized the implication of what he said. She looked at him wide eyed. "You remember everything?"

Giles blushed. "Well, I wouldn't very well know if I didn't, if I didn't." He pointed out.

Buffy and Giles looked at each other intently for a moment before she looked away and changed the subject. She knew that they would have to talk, but not with everyone here. She looked at Ethan. She walked over and pulled the gag from his mouth. "What were you trying to accomplish? Are you pleased with yourself?"

"Actually," Ethan said. "I was supposed to go back to before Randall died." He paused. "I guess something went wrong." He finished lamely.

"Gee, ya’ think?" Buffy asked sarcastically.

Ethan's voice dropped, so that only Buffy could hear him. "I tried to behave." He saw her surprise. "Granted, it didn't last long, but I did try."

Buffy gave him an odd, questioning look.

"No one ever told me that I could be better." Ethan told her. "That I could be more. But, it was too hard."

Buffy shook her head, not sure if she believed him. "Most things worthwhile are." She told him.

"You may not believe me, but I am.... Relieved to see you." Ethan told her.

"Careful Ethan, you'll turn my head." Buffy said with a smile.

"Not bloody likely." Ethan returned. "I know your heart."

Buffy looked at Giles, he watched them curiously.

"I don't suppose that you could talk him in to letting me go now?" Ethan asked.

Buffy and Giles did release Ethan and he immediately disappeared.

Willow was about to burst with questions, but Oz persuaded her to wait. Buffy and Giles obviously needed to talk, so Willow gave Buffy another hug and let Oz lead her out.

Alone now, Buffy and Giles looked at each other awkwardly.

"This is ridiculous." Buffy stated and walked over to him. She took his hand. "I missed you."

"I missed you as well." Giles said a touch formally. "Paradoxes are a funny thing. The memories that I have of you are all those years ago, sit beside the memories that were always there."

"Giles.... Rupert." Buffy began.

Giles looked at her startled. "Buffy, I don't expect anything."

"Tell me something." Buffy said. "If I had stayed and we'd have grown older together, and it did cross my mind, do you think I would have stopped loving you?"

Giles looked at her confused.

"I guess I'm saying this badly." Buffy said. She bit her lip and tried again. "It was easy for me to love Ripper. I couldn't help myself. It was easy because he was you." She looked up at him. "I already loved you."

"Buffy, I...." Giles began, but Buffy put a hand to his lips.

"I came back because as much as I loved Ripper, you are my other half." Buffy told him.

Giles kissed her fingers then captured them in his hand. He held both of her hands now. "Buffy, you should know, I loved you before you left."

"I know." Buffy said. "I loved you too. I just didn't realize it."

"But you're certain now?" Giles asked.

"Very certain." Buffy told him with a smile.

Giles leaned down and kissed her, very slowly and very thoroughly. Then he picked her up and swung her around. Buffy laughed giddily and the joyous sound echoed through the mansion.

Ethan heard her laugh, followed by Giles' deeper laugh and couldn't prevent a smile.

END