Title: Gift of a Future
Author: Gileswench

(notes & disclaimer with part one)

Geordie watched his Klingon friend from across the Summers' dining room table. Worf was deep in his own thoughts as he chewed his pen. the paper before him bore signs of several attempts deemed unworthy.

"Are you really sure about this?" Geordie asked again.

"If I am to win Anya's love, I must write the most magnificent poem in history. She is an exceptional woman."

"I don't think she's exactly up for grabs, Worf."

"Nevertheless, I must try."

"Poems are only written by poofters," the Buffybot supplied cheerfully. "If you write her a poem, she'll laugh her head off at you. Spike said."

"Data writes poetry," Geordie reminded her.

"But that's different. It's Data. He's not a poofter. He's very manly," the Bot simpered.

"You do not understand Klingon relationships," Worf told the Bot sternly.

"She's not the only one," Geordie muttered under his breath.

The trio fell silent as Worf tried to decide on his rhyme scheme. At last, the Buffybot spoke again.

"Geordie?"

"Yeah?"

"Data said you're an engineer."

"That's right."

"Could you do something for me?"

"That depends. What do you want me to do?"

"Make Data love me."

"I can't do that. I'm sorry."

"Why not?" the Bot pouted. "Spike had me programmed so I would love him. Why can't you reprogram Data to love me?"

"Because I don't know how. He's...just not built that way."

"Oh. Can you program me to love him instead of Spike?"

Geordie and Worf exchanged a long look. At last the engineer turned back to the robot.

"I don't know. I'd need to have a good look. But...even if I can...are you really sure you want me to do that? It doesn't change Data."

The Buffybot frowned.

"But I have to love someone. And Spike doesn't want me. If I'm a good enough girlfriend, maybe Data will learn to love me."

"It's not gonna work," Geordie told the Bot as gently as he could.

"But I still have to try. Worf understands, don't you, Worf?"

"The effort will almost certainly fail," the Klingon told her, "and yet, it is honorable to make the attempt. Geordie will try."

"I will?"

"Do not be weak, Geordie. You are the only one who can help her. You must try."

The Bot squealed in delight and gave Worf an impulsive hug. The Klingon came as close to blushing as a Klingon can. Geordie stared in disbelief at the pair.

"What are you two getting me into?"

When Buffy and Giles returned to the Magic Box, they found an unexpected scene. Buffy turned large eyes to Giles.

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure. Are you seeing Wesley licking a slug candle? And are you seeing Anya not demanding payment for it?"

"Hoo boy. I thought for a minute I was losing it. Guess I'm not if you see it, too."

"Unless, of course, it's a mutual hallucination."

"Great. You always have something comforting to say, don't you?"

He smiled down at her. She smiled up. After a long moment, both turned suddenly away, blushing.

"We should probably go all the way inside now," Buffy said.

"Yes, yes of course," Giles agreed as he ushered her in and closed the door behind them.

"Hey guys," Buffy called as they entered the room proper. "What's up?"

She took in the nervous expressions of the group gathered around the room. Her heart sank.

"Um...guys? How bad is it? Didn't anyone find the bot? Did it do something embarrassing?"

The others looked to Data. Buffy fixed her eyes on the android.

"The Buffybot has been found," he told her calmly. "She has requested sanctuary and I have granted it to her."

"S - sanctuary?" Giles found his voice - barely.

Buffy's face clouded.

"As in you took it someplace nice and introduced it to Democracy?" she fumed. "I want that thing gone, and I want it gone now."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Captain Picard said. "It is a sentient being."

"It's a bunch of wires and gears."

"As is Mr. Data."

"He wasn't built to be someone's oversized vibrator!"

"And yet," Data said, "I was designed with sexual programming."

"I know that! But..."

Buffy swallowed hard.

"Tell me you didn't."

"Um...Buffy?" Willow piped up nervously. "Are you sure you want to know?"

Glory nearly stumbled as she lilted down the stairs. Her head was still spinning from her meal. Three minions scurried after her, ready to catch her scrumptiousness, should she entirely lose her balance.

"Y'know," Glory observed, "I think I'm still a little buzzed from eating that computer geek! What a mind he had. A real nummy treat.

Jinx had to voice his concerns all the same.

"Is your Grace not the slightest bit concerned about..."

"What? About the Slayer? Don't be stupid," Glory scoffed. "The key's as good as mine. A girl like Buffy's just got so many friends. All I gotta do is rip through them one by one until finally..."

Her fist through the wall left the minions in no doubt whatsoever as to the fate Glory had in store for the Slayer and her friends. Two of the minions rubbed their hands gleefully as they followed their mistress. The third - the surprisingly tall one - hung back until the others were gone. At last Q turned his attention from the hole Glory had made in the wall. He rolled his eyes.

"Things are not going well," he muttered as he snapped his fingers and disappeared.

A moment later he reappeared and looked after the figure of the retreating Hellgod.

"And I had no idea she was so attractive," he mused.

He disappeared again.

Buffy prowled the perimeter of the training room. It was too much. Way too much. The straw that broke the camel's back.

Dawn's supernatural origin she could cope with.

Riley's departure she could bear.

Her mother's death she could accept.

Glory she could face with some small equanimity.

The Knights of Byzantium and the Watchers' Council she could deal with.

All these nutjobs from outer space she took in her stride.

But that the Buffybot - Spike's twisted sex toy - might continue to exist, that was too much.

Bad enough that it had ever been built at all.

Worse than that, it was getting more sex than she was.

Buffy kicked the punching bag viciously. It came loose from its hook and sailed across the room into a wall where it exploded. Sand filled the corner where the bag fell. Buffy stood panting and stared uncomprehendingly at the remains of her training tool.

"Feeling better?"

Buffy twirled at the sound of the mild voice. Then she turned away from its source, her shoulders sagging.

"Not really, no," she admitted.

"You can't let it distract you now, Buffy," Giles told her softly. "Dawn and Glory must remain our first priority."

"I know that."

Giles moved into the room a bit cautiously and sat on the sofa.

"Once we've dealt with that, though, you have my full support if you want to destroy that...thing. We could even beat up Spike. Would you like to do that?"

Despite herself, Buffy laughed slightly.

"Not right now. I sorta need all the help I can get. And here and now Spike's being helpful for some reason. But maybe later; after we kick Glory's overpadded ass."

She sat next to her Watcher.

"Giles? Could I ask you to do something?"

"I thought you were going to call me Rupert," he teased mildly.

"Oh, yeah, right. Sorry. Rupert."

"What is it you want, Buffy?"

"I - that is...I think I could use one of those hugs we were talking about earlier."

Giles stood and pulled Buffy to her feet. When he opened his arms, she slid in gratefully and burrowed her face into his chest. She sighed happily as she felt his arms close around her and his chin come to rest on the top of her head.

"Can I just stay here forever?" came Buffy's muffled voice from Giles' shirtfront. "It's comfy. And safe."

Giles chucked softly and held her a bit tighter.

"I only wish you could. But eventually, our arms will tire and our knees will give out."

"Way to spoil the moment, Giles."

"There are far worse things I might have mentioned."

Buffy glared up at him.

"If you do, you're gonna regret it. A lot."

Giles just chuckled and pulled Buffy closer. It felt good. It felt right somehow, to hold her like this. He pulled back a bit when Buffy squirmed slightly.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Remember that knee thing you were saying?" she replied. "I think mine have given out for right now. I just wish we didn't have to stop hugging."

"We don't," Giles told her.

"Huh?"

Without warning or another word, Giles bent and moved one arm under Buffy's knees. He carried her to the couch and sat, moving her to his lap. Buffy laughed merrily.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Rupert?"

He didn't answer. He just looked stunned at the beautiful woman in his lap. It wasn't as if he'd never noticed that Buffy was attractive, but something in the situation made it more obvious, more personal, than that knowledge had ever been before.

Buffy looked back, startled by the look in Giles' eyes. She'd known in a general way that he was attractive to women, including her own mother, but she'd gotten used to thinking of him as a Watcher, not a man. Suddenly, he looked very manly, and very attractive to her. She reached a hand up to his cheek tentatively. He moved instinctively into the caress and closed his eyes. When they opened again, there was something new - something dangerous and compelling in them. She leaned nearer to him. His lips parted slightly. Her eyes drifted nearly shut. His hand moved to cup the back of her head.

She froze.

She scrambled off his lap as quickly as she could, heart pounding. Her head was spinning.

"I - I should go check on Dawn," she stuttered as she hurried out the door.