Title: Gift of a Future
Author: Gileswench

(notes & disclaimer with part one)

Buffy stood over Giles. One of his hands was wrapped in both of hers. She held his hand as tightly as she dared; as if doing so would somehow stop him from slipping away from her. A wave of guilt swept over her. She blinked back the ready tears. The last thing Giles liked was to be slobbered over. Still, she couldn't stop the words she blurted out.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked.

"We should have stayed. If we had, then none of this would have happened."

"Don't," he admonished her gently. Despite the effort it took to stay conscious - let alone speak, he continued. "W - what you did was necessary...what I've always admired."

"Running away?" she joked sardonically.

Giles shook his head slightly.

"Being able to place...your heart...above all else. I'm so proud of you. You've come so far. You're everything a Watcher - everything I could have hoped for."

He closed his eyes and rested back on the counter. For one horrible moment, Buffy thought he might have died. At last, though, she saw his chest rise slightly as he took another breath. She laid his hand gently down with a final caress, took a deep breath to steady herself, and turned to Willow.

She couldn't do much, but at least she could try to make sure Giles survived.

"Willow? Open a door."

Buffy couldn't help thinking of a western movie. She walked out of the gas station, flanked by Captain Picard and Worf. From the mass of medievalists, Dante stepped forth with a handful of seconds. They came to a halt a short distance apart.

"Speak," Dante commanded.

"One of my friends was hurt when you attacked us," Buffy said.

"And ten of my men are dead. Honorable men." Dante drew his sword. "Shall we balance the scales?"

Worf began to move, but stopped when Picard shook his head. The Klingon satisfied himself by growling at the knights.

"Will you let someone come and help him or not?" Buffy asked.

"Give quarter to an agent of the Beast? What madness would move me to such a plan?"

"I'm done asking."

Buffy moved slightly forward, bloodlust in her eyes. Picard stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"This is war, isn't it?" he roared at the knights. "In war there are rules. Or at least there ought to be, if you're as honorable as you say you are." He waited for a reaction. When none was forthcoming, he continued with a small, sardonic smile. "Besides, we are holding your general captive. So, the question is, how much do you want him back?"

Moments later, Buffy was back inside. She nodded to Willow. The witch held a hand over the long disconnected payphone.

"Discharge and bring life," she said.

The phone made a sizzling noise and lit up. Spike peered curiously at it.

"You're handier than a Swiss knife," he said. "Look, the door to my crypt's got a nasty squeak, maybe you could..."

But Willow had already rolled her eyes and walked away.

Buffy pulled a long forgotten card out of her pocket. She hadn't even realized she had it when she put on the jacket she'd chosen for the great getaway. Now, she was grateful she'd never bothered to throw it out. She dialed Ben's number.

"Hey," she said when she heard him answer, "um...it's Buffy. I need to ask you a really big favor."

Xander and company walked in the door of the Summers house.

"Well, here we are, Home, sweet Hellmouth. Everybody find a place to crash, and make an orderly line for the shower."

By this time, Data was in charge of Wesley. The boy had become nearly frantic in his efforts to get away, and the two androids were the only ones strong enough to keep him from going wherever it was he wanted to be.

"I'll make some food," Tara offered. When nobody told her not to, she went to the kitchen to see what she could find to feed everyone.

Beverly looked around herself in disgust.

"We can't just sit here," she said. "We need to be doing something."

"Great," Xander countered. "I'd love to. What have you got in mind?"

"I don't know, but there has to be something more useful than....drinking coffee and taking showers!"

"Y'know, I always used to think that, too. And most of the time, you'd be right. But right now, the books have been tapped out, we don't know where Buffy and Giles and Willow and all your people are, we're dog tired, and we're not under attack. Maybe right this minute would be a good one to recharge a little bit. Y'know, so we can be useful when someone with a plan gets back here. You've had it rough, Beverly. You don't belong here and now, your kid's hurt, your honey's off possibly engaged in a life or death struggle with a God..."

"If you're trying to cheer me up, it's not working."

"Yeah, I know," Xander said affably. "I have that effect on people. What I'm trying to say is, things are bad, but they might look a little less drastic with a shower and a couple hours sleep. Maybe by the time you wake up, they'll be back and the whole thing will be taken care of."

"Do you think that's very likely?"

"Nah, but I'm optimism guy. It's my job. Come on. Take a nap. I won't say you'll feel better, but you might feel a smidgen less awful."

The doctor opened her mouth to protest, but then decided against it. For all she had fought against the idea, she discovered she really was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. She allowed Xander to lead her upstairs and direct her to one of the bedrooms.

Buffy watched as Ben worked skillfully on Giles' wound. He did his best to distract her from her obvious worry.

"You forgot to mention the costume party outside."

"Sorry. I - I didn't know who else to call."

"No, it's okay," he said hastily. "Not exactly how I pictured seeing you again, but...I'll take what I can get."

Buffy nodded distractedly, her attention still focused on Giles.

"Thank you," she said at last, "for coming."

"My pleasure."

The Buffybot sighed happily and looked over at her bedmate.

"Would you like me to start this program again?" she asked brightly.

"You may do so if you like," Data replied dispassionately.

The bot pouted.

"You don't care. You don't want to have sex with me."

"I have no desire either to have sex with you, or to avoid it. It is entirely up to you. Would you like me to achieve another erection?"

"You don't love me." "No, I do not. You were aware of this before. Does the thought trouble you more now?"

"Will you...will you ever love me?"

Data propped himself on one elbow and looked down at his lover.

"I am afraid I am not capable of love. I do not have emotions."

"If you did...do you think you would love me then?"

"That is clearly metaphysical speculation," Data told her. "And, like most metaphysical speculation, bears little resemblance to reality as we know it. I do not have the capability to love anyone. Therefore, I do not know what sort of female I would be capable of falling in love with, had I the capacity to do so."

The bot blinked back tears.

"So...you'll never love me at all?" she asked in a tiny voice.

"It is not in my power to do so. Would you like to have sex again, now?"

She looked up at him with brimming eyes and a trembling lower lip.

"No," she said. "I don't think so."

Ben finished bandaging Giles abdomen. He snapped off his surgical gloves and smiled slightly at Buffy.

"All right. I think I got him stabalized, but there's a lot of damage. We need to get him out of here."

"I think the guys with the pointy swords kinda have other ideas."

"Don't they always?"

Spike made a face behind Ben's back. Dawn tried not to laugh at it. Buffy smoothed back the hair from Giles' forehead. She turned to Ben.

"Look, I know this must seem extra Outer Limits to you..."

"This?" he scoffed. "Nah. I've seen things you wouldn't believe. You know, Emergency room, full moon on a Saturday night."

Anya rolled her eyes and went into the next room.

"Look, if this gets too weird, just tell me. I'll understand."

"Don't worry about me. I won't leave until I've worn out my welcome."

A sound from the counter drew their attention. Giles' breathing had turned shallow and rapid. Buffy took hold of his hand.

"Stay with me, Giles," she whispered urgently. "Stay with me."