Title: Love Heals All
Author: Rari

(notes and disclaimer with part one)

Love Heals All: Part 6

They'd had another wonderful day. They had gone out and spent the day sightseeing. They'd gone whale watching and strolled through Lahaina, shopping and eating. Every time someone mistook them for newlyweds Buffy and Giles had just grinned at each other.

Now they were back in their house, lying on the couch, the sliding glass door open as they listened to the surf. Buffy let out a sad little moan. "Only two more days." She turned to face him. "Will you promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Promise me that at least once a year that we do something like this. Just the two of us. That we get away."

"I promise. I can't promise we can do it for this long. That rather depends on whether Spike chooses to stay around."

"Why wouldn't he stay around?"

Giles rolled his eyes at her. "Buffy, he's not going to be thrilled that you and I are together. I wouldn't be surprised if he left as soon as he found out."

Buffy sighed. "Well, we'll at least be able to take some long weekends, right?"

"Absolutely."

"I mean it."

"I do too, Buffy. We'll find the time, we'll figure something out." At the sure tone in his voice Buffy relaxed, satisfied. They lay there in silence, enjoying each other’s presence, listening to the ocean, watching the moonlight as it reflected on the water like a million sparkling diamonds.

The phone suddenly rang and without thinking about it Buffy answered it. "Maui's House of Bliss."

There was a moment's silence on the other end. "Buffy?"

"Spike?" Buffy looked at Giles. "It's Spike."

Giles rolled his eyes again. "Lovely."

Spike spoke cautiously. "You sound good."

"I am good, I'm better than good. I'm perfect." She let out a happy sigh.

Spike was confused. "Uh, great. Is your Watcher there?" He wondered if Giles had been giving her drugs.

"He's right here." She handed the phone to Giles and then started working her way down his body, kissing him.

Giles' voice was strained when he spoke. "Yes, Spike." He put a hand over the mouthpiece and whispered sharply to Buffy. "Buffy, stop that." When she continued her journey south he let out an involuntary groan.

Spike didn't miss any of it with his enhanced hearing. "You're shagging her, aren't you?"

Giles started to blush. "I…we…" Giles pulled himself together. "I don't believe that's any of your affair."

Buffy looked up at Giles, wondering what Spike had asked him. She grabbed the phone. "What did you just ask Giles?"

Spike's voice was harsh. "I asked him if the two of you were shagging."

Buffy grinned. "Like bunnies."

Giles grabbed the phone from her. "Spike, why did you call?" Buffy pouted but at the look on Giles' face she just sat back and watched the conversation.

"Did you take her there so you could shag her?"

"No, I did not bring her here so I could shag her. Spike, you know what she was like. You know why I took her away."

"So, how long did it take? When did this all start?"

"A few days ago. Not, as I've already said, that it is any of your concern."

"Jesus, if I'd thought that would fix her, I'd have had a go at her myself." Giles grew tense and Spike could feel Giles' glare from across the Pacific Ocean. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Finally Spike sighed. "Don’t get your knickers in a twist, I'm just razzin' you."

Giles tried to relax. "Yes, well, ha ha. Why did you say you were calling? Is there a problem?"

"So, you two, you're all couply now?"

Giles rubbed a hand over his face. "Spike, why did you call?"

"She's really okay?" Giles could hear the concern in the vampire's face.

"Yes, I believe she is."

"Are you coming home anytime soon?"

"I booked the tickets today. We'll be home in two days."

"And she's ready to have a go at being the Slayer again?"

"So it appears. Will she be able to count on your assistance?"

"You don't play fair, Watcher."

"When it comes to Buffy's life, I can't afford to play fair. She'll stay alive longer with your help. We all will."

There was a long pause. "Well, it's not like I have a lot of options with this bloody chip in my head." Another pause. "But, if you ever hurt her…"

Giles interrupted him. "You know I never will."

"It's the only reason I'm not going to rip your bloody throat out."

Giles put a hand on his throat, wincing. Buffy got a dangerous look in her eye. "Is he threatening you?"

Giles shook his head. He spoke into the phone again. "So, I'm sure this wasn't intended as a social call. What’s going on?"

"I just wanted to call and warn Buffy."

"Warn her about what?"

Spike hesitated. "I sort of let the cat out of the bag."

"And which cat would this be, exactly?"

"The heaven one."

"Ah." He looked at Buffy. "Willow knows."

Buffy knew exactly what Giles was talking about. She took the phone away from Giles. "How did that happen?"

Spike started getting agitated. "She's been in a snit ever since Giles gave me your number instead of giving it to her. She was going on and on about it tonight, all high and mighty about how she brought you back, and how you wouldn't even be there in Hawaii if it wasn't for her, and who did I think I was not giving her the number and…"

Buffy interrupted him. "I get it. It's all right. I was going to tell her when I got home anyway. Actually, I kind of owe you a thank you. I wasn't really looking forward to telling her…them." Her face scrunched up. "How is she?"

"A bloody basket case."

Buffy's face grew nervous. "You don't think she'll do anything, do you?"

Spike shook his head. "Nah, she's too busy crying her eyes out." Spike paused. "This thing, this thing with Giles. Is it serious? Or are you just having a poke?"

"It's way serious." Buffy lifted her eyes to look at Giles. She shifted back into his arms. "Spike, I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"Don’t say it Slayer. Just get home so you can pick up the bloody pieces." "I'll call Willow tonight."

There was a long silence. When Spike spoke again, his voice was tight. "I'll watch your back, Slayer. Yours and Dawn's, and your bloody Watcher's."

Buffy's eyes grew moist. "Thank you."

"Just don't expect me to be doing a damn jig when I see the two of you together."

"I won't. No jig expectations."

"Damn straight." Buffy heard him light a cigarette. "Two days?"

"Two days."

"Good. Right then." Another pause. "Well, I'm off."

"Okay, bye Spike." He was gone. Her face was thoughtful as she hung up on her end. She looked up at Giles.

He smiled softly at her. "I do believe he really loves you."

She smiled her crooked smile again. "Does that wig you out?"

Giles shook his head. "No. It might if I didn't think you could beat him to a bloody pulp if he tried anything." He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. It sounds like Willow's not, though."

"Do you want to call her?"

Buffy grimaced. "Yeah, as surprised as I am to say this, I really don't want her to be freaking out. I mean, I wanted her to feel a little bad but now that Spike's done that for me all I want to do is make her feel better. Now I can lay it on a little thicker about the fact that it wasn't such a bad thing. You know, like a good cop, bad cop thing."

"With Spike being the bad cop?"

"Exactly. And now I can be the good cop."

"Do you want some privacy?"

"Hell no. I want you right here with me, mister."

He squeezed her more tightly. "Then here I'll stay."

Buffy sighed and snuggled happily into Giles' chest. "Just call me Al Swizzer."

Giles was lost. "I'm sorry?"

"You know, that Al guy you told me about. The one at a time guy, the it's enough guy."

"Ah, Albert Schweitzer."

"Yeah, him."

"And why should I be calling you that?"

"Cuz I get it now. It really is all a big love thing. Me, you, Willow, Xander, Anya, Tara, Dawn, even Spike. Like you said, or like he said. It's about love, and it's about taking care of each other. One person at a time. Doing the best you can."

"It's all we can ever do." Giles shifted his body so he was facing her. "From the moment I met you, I have been astonished by you. And never more so than right now."

Buffy kissed his lips. "I miss my family. Would you mind if we went home tomorrow?"

Giles shook his head. "I'll call the airline as soon as you’ve called Willow."

"You don’t mind?"

"I don't mind at all. As long as I'm with you, I don't care where we are." He frowned. "I will miss our nice big bed."

Buffy grinned. "That will be the first step in the new forever plan." Giles shook his head, not sure he was following her. Buffy clarified. "No matter where we are, no matter what we're doing, it'll be you and me, together, forever."

Giles felt moisture prick his eyelids at her words. He reached up a hand to rub them away. Buffy lifted herself up and kissed his eyelids. She pressed her cheek against his. "I take it you like that plan?" Giles just nodded. Buffy flipped around again until she was once more nestled with her back against his chest. "Good, that's settled." She sighed happily and then picked up the phone to call her home, anxious to speak with her sister and their friends, secure in Giles' arms, and secure in her own ability to love again.

The End

November 10, 2001