PART NINE: BAD JUDGEMENT

For a couple of weeks they attempted to go on as usual, though they both wondered if things could ever be the same. Buffy relished every ounce of attention Giles provided, secretly enjoying even his gentle scolding after spending so long in the desert of abandonment.

He seemed unable to have enough of her company, and had convinced her to move in with him. She was happy, but after having known the warmth of his body, it was difficult to be so close without any chance of experiencing it again.

At the end of those two weeks was Buffy’s father, taking a rare interest in his daughter, and coming to visit. Despite her mother’s objections, Buffy invited Giles to join them for dinner. Her father had to know about the baby, and she wanted Giles there to defend himself.

Dinner went well. Hank, never very attentive, had forgotten all the times Buffy had talked about Giles, and assumed him to be Joyce’s new boyfriend. Buffy seemed to like him, and Hank saw no reason to get himself involved.

Joyce got up to get dessert, and nudged Buffy to follow her. "Are you going to bring this matter up any time before he leaves?"

"Can I call him on his car phone?"

"Buffy...."

"I know, I know. I’ll....I’ll get to it."

"Tonight?"

"Tonight."

They went back to the dining room where Hank was boring Giles with talks of the stock market. Not knowing what to say, Buffy decided to act, and stood behind Giles, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, nestling her cheek against his neck.

Hank’s eyebrows shot up, as did Giles’ for that matter. But, understanding what she was doing, he took one of her hands in his and kissed it gently. She wasn’t prepared for the flutter in her stomach at his touch. It had been so long........

Joyce watched Hank’s eyes grow to an unbelievable size. "What.....Buffy. Don’t you think you’re being a little too friendly?"

Buffy eyed her father as if she had no idea what was wrong. "Are you embarrassed? We could stop. Some people are embarrassed when we do stuff in public."

She was going to get one whopper of a lecture about tact later, she knew it. She could imagine Giles beginning to rehearse it.

"D-do stuff i-in public? What? With your mother’s boyfriend?" Her poor father looked ill.

Joyce shook her head innocently. "No Hank. Buffy and Mr. Giles are...." She let the words sink in. "And she’s..... pregnant."

Okay, so they were both going to get the tact lecture.

Hank stared at Giles, who answered with one of his trademark ‘you’re not moving me!’ glares.

"Joyce, may I talk to you, please?"

"Certainly." She got up and followed Hank out into the hall.

Giles frowned disapprovingly at Buffy’s actions as they listened to the hushed arguing in the hall.

"You misled him." He told her, more a question than a statement.

She shrugged, staring at her plate. The charade had been nice for the few moments it lasted, pretending that Giles and she were in love, that he wanted her in every way.

"I’m tired, Giles, I want to go home."

Hank had come back into the room. "I think Buffy should spend the night here. Away from you." There was contempt in his voice.

All eyes turned to him. "I beg your pardon?" Giles matched his tone.

"You heard me. I don’t want you anywhere near her. Get your fun someplace else. You are one sick old man."

Buffy gulped at the look which flashed across Giles’ face. But he breathed in, counted to ten in five different languages, and calmed himself down. "She’s your daughter, you’re upset, I-"

"You’re damn right I’m upset!"

"You don’t understand." Giles’ frustration was showing. "Buffy and I aren’t together in the way that you think we are. We’re not lovers." He clarified.

"What the hell are you doing, then? How did she get pregnant?" Her father demanded angrily.

"That-" Giles stopped, turning his eyes to Buffy. She held her breath. What would he say? Several emotions flickered across his face, settling on grim resignation. "That is a result of some bad judgement."

Buffy tore her eyes away from his, crestfallen. How easily he could simplify everything between them into one phrase. At least now she knew where she stood.

"That’s all you can say about this mess? You take advantage of my daughter and chalk it up to ‘bad judgement?’" Hank stepped toward Giles, not accepting this statement as easily as Buffy had.

"I am not taking advantage of anybody!" Giles voice shook with fury. "I love your daughter more than anything, and frankly, your opinion in the matter means nothing to me."

Buffy and Joyce stared, wide-eyed. Realizing what he had given away, he grabbed his jacket and stormed out.

Buffy played with her stake. After his reaction in the cabin, Buffy was sure Giles would never, in a million years want her. With Ripper, she figured it was purely physical, and deep down she hoped any man would like to sleep with her on a physical level.

Giles, her Giles, the one she’d thought about when she was making love to Ripper, would need more than that. She thought he just didn’t have those kind of feelings for her.

Until he’d yelled them in front of everyone. She thought about the way he had always treated her, even in the two weeks since their reconciliation. He was always so fatherly, so much like she always wanted Hank to be... she never thought of him as loving her, not any differently than she knew he loved Willow and Xander.

But apparently, he did. Which opened up a whole new room full of doors.