Title: Stalking
Author: Rari

(notes and disclaimer with part one)

Stalking: Part 3

"Giles, would you stop that!" Xander glared at Giles.

"What? Stop what?" Giles jumped again as the front bell rang.

"That, that's what I'm talking about. You have been jumping every time the door opens."

"I have not."

Xander snorted. "Giles, you're a wreck." Xander's eyes widened. "There's not an end of the world thing going on is there? Something you just forgot to mention." He grimaced.

Giles stood mustering his dignity. "I would never forget to mention something like that. Hmph." He jumped again as the door opened once more. He relaxed when he saw it was Willow.

"Hey guys." Willow walked over to them. She tried to avoid looking at Giles.

"I'm glad you're here, Willow."

A sickly grin came over her face. "You are?"

Giles nodded. "Have you noticed anything….odd about Buffy lately?"

"Odd?" The word came out on a squeal.

"Yes, has she talked with you about anything…different?"

She shook her head emphatically. "No talking, no talking today of any kind, nope, no talking."

Xander frowned. "Weren't you in class all day together?"

She paused. "Well, yes, but that was different. That was school talking, you know books and pencils, that kind of stuff, no real talking of any kind." She jumped as the bell rang again. She and Giles both looked to see who it was. They relaxed when a customer walked in.

Xander stared at her and then at Giles. "Oh God, it's contagious. It's going to be happening to me soon, isn't it? My carefree days, gone." He sighed dramatically. He looked at Giles again. "What's up with Buff, why are you asking Will about her?"

Giles furrowed his brow. "She's just been acting a bit…."

"A bit….?" Xander prompted.

He didn't know what word to use. "…..preoccupied."

Xander lifted his eyebrows. "Preoccupied?" He watched Giles and Willow both start at the sound of the door again. Buffy strolled in. Giles moved behind the counter. Willow burrowed her nose in a book. Xander flashed Buffy a big smile. "Hey Buffy. Be forewarned, there's something very contagious going on around here."

"What do you mean?" She looked nervous.

"I can't fully explain, I haven't caught it yet, but it has something to do with the front door."

She sent him a look and he raised his hands. "Just don't say I didn't warn you, that's all I'm saying."

She turned her head to Giles and flashed him a brilliant smile. "Hey watcher-mine, let's go train."

"Why don't you go start to warm up, I'll be there in a moment." She nodded and slipped off her oversized t-shirt. She had on tight leggings and a sports bra. She walked over to Giles and stretched her shoulders back as if to let out some tension. Her breasts jutted out and lightly touched his chest. She released her stretch and grinning at him walked back to the training room.

Giles closed his eyes. He was hard again. He took a deep breath, sticking close to the counter. Giles looked up and saw Xander looking at him, his eyebrows almost off his forehead. "That was an accident right? I mean she was just standing too close to you, right?"

Giles put his elbows on the counter lowering his face to his hands. Xander looked at Willow. "Right?"

Willow slunk down in her chair and raised her book higher. Xander gasped. "Willow, did you do a spell?" Giles raised his head up and looked at her too.

She shook her head emphatically. "No, no spell. I have done no spells. I am completely spell free."

Xander frowned at her. "Not even a little one?"

She shook her head again. "No spells. I haven't done one in days." She caught Giles look. "Weeks, it's been weeks." Giles rolled his eyes. His body was back under control and he supposed he couldn't just not go in.

He walked into the back.

She was lying on the floor. She looked up at him as he came in. "I'm having a cramp in my leg. Can you rub it for me?"

"Of course." He gritted his teeth. He willed himself to think of Latin conjugations. He crouched down next to Buffy a questioning look on his face.

"Here." She pointed to her thigh. He gritted his teeth harder and began to massage her leg. She lay back, her hair spreading all around her and moaned a little. He shifted himself trying to face his body away from hers so she wouldn't see how unsuccessfully his conjugations were going.

"God, Giles, that feels so good." Her voice was husky. He looked at her. Her eyes were closed, her face flushed. Her lips were open, she was almost panting. Her nipples were pushing their way through her top. He groaned seeing her look like how he imagined she would look like if he were touching her, arousing her. He started to lean down, mesmerized by the sight of her.

She opened her eyes in response to his groan and he realized what he was about to do. He reared back, standing, going over to the window. He took a deep breath. He had never wanted anyone as badly as he wanted Buffy right now. He heard her get up and approach him. Without turning to look at her he bolted out the back door.

She stomped out to the main part of the shop. She threw herself in a chair. Xander and Willow both looked at her. Xander spoke. "That was a fast work out. Where's Giles?"

"Gone."

"Gone?"

"Gone."

"I don't get it, what do you mean gone? Like Hellmouth gone, like you slayed him gone, like he's gone to get jelly doughnuts gone?"

She crossed her arms over her breasts. "He's just gone, okay?"

Xander shrugged. "Fine. He's gone, I get it." He caught Willow's eyes and she looked confused too. "So, will he be back?"

Buffy made a frustrated noise. She stood up and paced around a little. "I'm gonna go look for him. I'll be back." She swept out the door.

Xander looked at Willow. "What's going on?"

Willow flashed him an innocent wide-eyed look. He rolled his eyes. He made a beeping noise. "Sorry, wrong answer, let's try contestant number two, what's going on?"

"I didn't do anything."

"Okay, not sure I believe you but let's give you the benefit of the doubt for the moment. What's up with Buffy? What was up with the….you know… the things against the thing there, with Giles."

The bell rang again and it was Giles this time. He looked around the shop carefully making note of the occupants. He relaxed marginally. He walked over to the table. "Buffy still in back?" His face sort of squinched up.

Xander spoke. "Nope, she's out looking for you. Apparently you were gone." He looked at Giles. "Good to have you back."

"Yes, well, thank you."

Willow decided the time was ripe for an exit. She stood throwing her backpack over her shoulder. "I'm….uh, I'm…late, yes I'm late. Have to go. Tara is waiting for me." She flashed them both a disconcerted smile and headed for the door. Both men watched her go. Giles sat down.

Xander turned his attention back to Giles. "Preoccupied?"

Giles took off his glasses and threw them on the table. He needed his world to be a little blurry. He rubbed his hand over his face.

The bell rang again. Xander put up a hand to reassure Giles as he started to turn around. "False alarm, it's not Buffy."

Giles blew out a breath and sat back. Then he sat up straight his eyes widening in alarm. Xander turned his head and saw Buffy enter through the side door. Buffy stormed over to Giles. "I've been looking for you. Why did you run off?"

"I…I…I…"

"Ay, ay, ay." Xander muttered to himself.

"I mean it Giles, why did you run away?" She stood there tapping her foot.

"I needed to beat it." His eyes widened in horror. "Beat…beat the deadline, beat the deadline for something I had to mail. I was afraid the post office would close."

She narrowed her eyes. Then she smiled. She walked over to him, went to stand behind him. She started rubbing his shoulders. "So, did everything…. come out okay? I would have been glad to help." He closed his eyes, a blush spreading across his face. She ran her hands down the length of his arms her breasts pressing up against his upper back. She breathed in his ear. Her tongue came out and licked his earlobe. "I'll see you tonight, after patrol." She stood, flashed Xander a grin and grabbing her t-shirt, she left the store.

Giles caught Xander's eyes, which were bugging out of his head. Xander gasped, "Giles, what the hell was that? Did I wake up in the wrong world? Was that Buffy? Did she….Giles, she was totally coming on to you. You did see that right?" He looked at Giles, hoping that maybe Giles hadn't seen it, that hopefully it hadn't happened. "I mean, earlier, Buffy and the… you know.. the stretch thing, it could have been an accident, right? But this." He held his hand pointing as if Buffy was still standing there behind Giles. Giles didn't know what to say. He and Xander sat looking at each other. Giles put his face in his hands.

Xander reached out and put his hand on Giles' shoulder in a moment of male solidarity. He spoke again, "Hey big G, if she's set her sights on you, you might as well just give up. Bigger men than you have fallen under the power of the Buffinator."

Giles slumped in his chair. "Xander, I'm her watcher for God's sake."

"And that means…?

Giles blushed. "I…she….we…"

"What? Something from the slayer handbook? No watcher/slayer hanky panky?"

"N…not exactly."

"So, no rules about that stuff?"

Giles looked at Xander. "Just my own."

Xander nodded. He thought about how Buffy had acted. "Yeah, well good luck keeping them."

Giles nodded morosely. He was running out of luck.

Xander looked at Giles, "You know it sort of makes sense."

Giles looked at him, eyebrows high, "Wh..what?"

"You and Buffy."

"Wh..what?"

"You said that already." Xander paused. "I mean, you're together all the time. You both have that destiny thing going on. You both have rotten track records for the romance thing and no hope on the horizon." He looked at Giles, opening his mouth again to speak.

Giles lifted both his hands, "Stop, just stop. Don't say another thing, I beg of you." Xander shut his mouth.

"I'm just saying once you get past the total eeww factor and the years of therapy I'll need, that it makes a certain sense, that's all.

Giles glared at Xander. Xander stood. "I'm going. See me leaving. Color me gone." He walked out the door.

End of Part 3