Priceless

Buffy rapped sharply on Giles’s front door. This was no easy feat since she held a raspberry cheesecake in one hand and a gift in the other. No, she hadn’t baked the cake herself. After last year, she was never trying that again. Giles would just have to enjoy the bakery variety. Besides, this one particularly reminded Buffy of jelly donuts, another Giles favorite.

Giles peeped through the door and then opened it. “Since when do you knock?” he asked with a grin.

“Since it’s your birthday, and my hands are full.” Buffy grinned right back and handed him the cake, the present still held tightly in her other hand.

“Ah, so privacy is allowed on my birthday, is it?” he teased.

“Well, for now anyway.” Buffy winked and set the cheesecake down on the counter separating the kitchen from the living room.

Giles’s birthday was always a special time for them. Ever since the beginning, actually, when she had found out his birth date, it was thusly declared a Slayer/Watcher day. No one else was ever allowed. Neither ever wanted another person present, so it worked out well for the both of them. This was the day where Buffy actually thought of Giles first, and not just as a watcher, but as her friend. He looked forward to it immensely every single year.

Giles inspected the raspberry cheesecake and gave her a tiny smile. “Lovely, Buffy. I’m going to assume it’s from the Sunnydale Bakery?”

She laughed and nodded her head. “Well, I didn’t think you’d want to experience my cooking again.”

Giles chuckled. “I have fond memories of our Thanksgiving meal last year that you and I cooked together, well…minus the Indians and Xander syphilis, of course.”

Buffy rolled her eyes. “What is it about mushy peas, anyways?”

“Someday I must show you, and let you experience the delicacy for yourself.” Giles came and sat down next to her on the sofa, picking up the tea pot that already rested on the table.

“Um, no thanks.” She giggled and waited for him to pour the tea. “So, what did you want to do today, watcher mine?”

Giles handed her a cup and then brought his own to his lips. “I thought we could go to a movie and dinner, perhaps?”

Buffy nodded and smiled. “It’s your day. Whatever you want is fine with me.” She was sort of surprised at his choice this year. Usually they did something more daring. Last year had been the rental of a motorcycle and a long ride into the mountains. Another time they had went into the city and explored book stores. Buffy had been a bit bored with that one, but she’d tried to not show it. Giles had, of course, realized the entire time, and had made sure to go down each and every aisle just to drive her a bit crazy. After all, he had to listen to her god awful bracing ‘music’ every day. She could suffer for one afternoon.

Giles smiled, pleased, and then set down his tea cup. “So, do I get to open my present now?” He smirked at her, his eyes shining like that of a little boy. She laughed and gave her ascent with a small nod of her head. Giles clapped his hands together and picked up the present.

Buffy’s presents never failed to amaze him. She always put so much thought into them, which, quite frankly, always surprised him. They were all now prized possessions: A first edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s, “Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet.” Giles had no idea how she could ever afford such a thing, but when pressed she would not say; a bejeweled knife that was more for show then for battle but was beyond beautiful; An antique tea set that had belonged to one of the British Royal family…so many priceless gifts. If only Buffy knew that all he needed was her, and her smile. Still, to know she thought so much about him to find such perfect gifts made his heart full.

Giles picked up the box and ran his fingers lovingly over the wrappings. A smaller box this time. No bigger than a pencil box. He gave her a sideways glance. Jewelry perhaps? A bracelet or necklace? He wasn’t really into jewelry, other than his Watcher’s ring.

Buffy gave an impatient sigh. “It’s not going to open itself, you know. You aren’t going to ever guess, so just get to it already!”
Giles snorted and pulled the ribbon which opened the box. Slowly he lifted the lid, and then gave a confused look at the contents of the box, and then back to Buffy’s face. He held up the small item between his fingers. “A key?” It was gold and sparkled like the sun when the light hit it. “And what does it unlock, Buffy?”

Buffy just smiled, and if Giles wasn’t mistaken, she was also slightly blushing. “Yes, a key, and you’ll find out what it unlocks after dinner.”

Giles frowned. “What? I have to wait? I always get my present first.” He pouted. That caused Buffy to laugh all the louder. She patted his knee and stood up. “Come on, what movie are we going to watch?”

Giles placed the key back in the box and then pushed the box into his trouser pocket. “Elektra?”

Buffy giggled. “All the movies out there and you want to see Elektra?”

Giles nodded with excitement. “I just love her, Jennifer Garner? Have you ever watched Alias, her TV show? You would prevail over her in a fight, of course, but…” Giles blushed and bent his head.

Buffy glared at him for a moment. “Of course I could take her. What are you thinking, Giles?” Then she laughed. “So, that’s your type huh? She does have that dark hair you seem to like.” Buffy wasn’t as gleeful when she said that last statement. Giles gave her a funny look. If she only knew how he truly felt.

Buffy was lost in her own thoughts. Should she dye her hair from the blonde to brunette? Would he see her as a woman then, instead of just as his slayer? She gave a sigh and then smiled again. It was his birthday, so no glum thoughts allowed. She’d worry about the rest later. “Come on, watcher mine.”

Giles grabbed his jacket and his keys and they bundled into his little red tramp of a car. It was an overcast day, and a bit chilly so the top was up. It was February, after all. California might not suffer from harsh winters, but it wasn’t sunny all the time. It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the movie theater. Sunnydale was no metropolis, and Giles lived close to the hub of town. Before turning off the engine in the parking lot he turned to look at his slayer. “Thank you, Buffy.”

She smiled, “For what?”

Giles smiled. “For today, for this week, for…everything. Thank you for being you.” His ears turned pink and he hurried to open his door so as not to embarrass himself further.

Buffy smiled, a bit taken aback by his sudden display of emotion. “You are quite welcome,” she said before joining him out on the sidewalk. They walked up to the ticket booth, standing close together but not quite touching. Buffy yearned to wrap her arm around his waist, or even to just take his elbow lightly in her hand, but she didn’t.

“Oh, Lemony Snicket is playing,” Buffy said, pointing at the marquee. Giles smiled. “Yes, Dawn and I saw that the other night. Jim Carrey was excellent, and according to Dawn, Jude Law is a handsome fellow, but not as rakishly handsome as me.” Giles quirked his eyebrow at Buffy and she laughed. “The writing and language quite blew me away. I was delighted by it, frankly, but Dawn was a bit disappointed since Jude Law was not shown on screen. She had to settle for his ‘awesome accent‘ instead.”

“And where was I while you were squiring my sister all over the place?” Buffy was actually quite grateful to Giles. He had been a godsend since the passing of their mother, and Dawn really needed him now. He was always there for them. For both of them.

Giles thought for a moment. “Studying with Willow, I believe. It was a Saturday afternoon.”

“Ah, yes, I remember. I had to study for the English midterm and Dawn kept bugging me. I told her to go play in the traffic.” Buffy blushed, but Giles just laughed. “That’d be the Saturday, yes. Ah, hullo, two for Elektra please.” Buffy pulled his arm back and handed the counter lady money. “It’s your birthday, silly, I’m paying.” Giles smiled and replaced his wallet. It was the same thing every year. Giles had learned to not argue with her. He knew she couldn’t afford to spend the money on him, but he also knew it was important to her, so he refrained. He’d help her financially if need be every other day of the year.

The movie was anything but stellar. Buffy kept ‘guffawing’ at the fight scenes. They were so unrealistic. Giles would just laugh obnoxiously. Often. It was getting embarrassing and she elbowed him a few times. “Why are you laughing like that?” she whispered.

“Did you see that? Can you imagine leaving your side open like that and not getting pummeled? Ohhh, that’s a nice outfit she has on.” Giles was glued to the screen. Buffy turned her head back around and found ‘Elektra’ dressed in a tight leather purple/red outfit. Giles was practically drooling. She frowned. This wasn’t good at all. Then he started laughing again when it appeared as if someone had just been killed. Buffy glanced around to find others looking at Giles and frowning. She bent her head and hid her face in her hands. Giles noticed her discomfiture and frowned down at her. “Buffy? Are you quite alright?”

Buffy groaned and nodded her head. Giles became concerned. “What is it? Are you in pain?” He took his hand and placed it gently on her shoulder.

Buffy debated on whether to soak this moment for all it was worth. After all, he was touching her. But she decided against that and looked up at him instead. “I’m glad you are enjoying the movie. I really am. But people are staring at us.”

Giles looked around. Everyone seemed to be watching the screen. He frowned. “They are? It seems to me they are concentrating on the movie?”

Buffy gave an exasperated sigh and focused back on the action before them, just praying it would all end soon. Finally it did. “I’m starving, where do you want to go for dinner?” she asked as they filed out of the theater.

“How about that lovely little Italian place on the corner?” Giles knew it wasn’t there usual kind of place. The environment was quite romantic. Dim lighting with candles on every checker clothed table, a pianist in the corner playing soft music, and it wasn’t cheap either. “I’d pay my share of the bill, if you wish. I know it’s more expensive then the usual.”

Buffy just smiled. She was quite delighted he would choose that restaurant of all places. She was already getting a bit nervous. The night was coming to a close soon and she still had yet to reveal what his key unlocked. The restaurant would be the perfect setting. “Don’t worry, Giles, I can handle it. I think that would be the perfect place. I love Italian.” He smiled and opened her car door for her. “Why thank you, kind sir.” She chuckled and got in. Giles smiled and made his way around the car to climb into the driver’s seat.

They drove in companionable silence. It was just around the corner and soon the two found themselves sitting across from each other in a booth near the back of the establishment. Buffy looked at the menu and didn’t even look at the prices. On this day, money didn’t matter. Spending time with her watcher…with Giles, was priceless.

“What looks good to you, Buffy?” Giles set down his menu and smiled at her, sipping from his water glass.

“Everything!” She gushed. “I can’t decide between the spaghetti carbonara and the chicken scampi. What are you having?”

Giles chuckled. “I believe I’m going to have the penne pasta. I stopped looking after that so as not to be tempted away.”

Buffy gave him one of her dashing smiles then, the kind that always melted his heart. “Why wasn’t I that smart? Okay, I think I’ll go with the scampi then. I saw it first.” She set down her menu and glanced around the place. Not too many people there tonight. That was sort of a relief. It made it feel more like it was just the two of them in all the world. Except for the waitress, of course, who seemed to be smiling entirely too often at Giles. Buffy did her best to ignore the flirtation behavior, just placing her own order and turning her attention outside the window. At least Giles didn’t seem to be anything but merely friendly towards the waitress, otherwise Buffy might be more inclined to slay her.

“So when do I get to find out what my key unlocks,” Giles asked softly. He was getting more and more intrigued by the moment. He couldn’t imagine what it could be.

Buffy smiled and sipped from her water glass. “After dinner. I promise.” Giles wasn’t sure, but he thought she was blushing again. He found it quite delightful, if not a bit confounding.

“Buffy, I want you to know I’m very proud of you. Not just as your Watcher, although in that way too. But with everything you’ve had to take on recently, with Glory, and Dawn, and…losing your mother, I find you quite remarkable. I just wanted you to know that.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew he was walking on dangerous and uncharted ground here with her, but he felt the need to express his feelings in her regard. At least for tonight.

Buffy gazed up at him with shining eyes. Tears were behind her lids, but she didn’t let them fall. They were tears of loss for her mother, stress for everything she’d had to take on, and joy for the man sitting before her. She took her hand and laid it gently on top of his. “Thank you,” she whispered, too tongue tied to say another word.

They sat that way for several moments, just gazing at one another, each with a small smile on their face. He didn’t move his hand away from hers. Instead, he turned it over so as to take her smaller hand more firmly in his.

“Giles…I…” but Buffy was interrupted as the waitress came with their dinners. Buffy took her hand back, with reluctance, and picked up her fork. She took a small bite and closed her eyes in bliss. “Oh, this is fantastic, Giles.”

He smiled at her between his own bites. “Splendid, indeed. No dessert menu, however. I believe we have a glorious raspberry cheesecake to devour at home.”

Buffy giggled. She loved when he was playful like this. It didn’t escape her ears that he had said, ‘at home,’ which included her. She bent her head and smiled again. That’s when she’d reveal the key. Before dessert, but at home.

She groaned and pushed her plate away. “I’m stuffed.” She sat back and watched him clean his plate. Why is it that watching his mouth around his fork made her stomach do funny things? She pulled her eyes away and glanced back out the window. It was a nice night. The stars were just beginning to come out from behind the clouds.

Giles gave a contended sigh and then pushed his own plate away. “That was wonderful. Thank you, Buffy, for another wonderful birthday.”

She smiled. “Well, it’s not quite over yet.”

He grinned. “I know. So…this key?”

Buffy giggled and shook her head. “Home first.”

Giles frowned. “But you said after dinner?” He was turning into an impatient little boy and knew it. Why such mystery? She’d never teased him like this before and he didn’t know what to think.

Buffy just smiled and picked up the bill. She pulled out her purse and left enough money on the table to cover the check as well as a tip. Giles sat there in silence, knowing that money was enough to pay for groceries for her and Dawn for weeks. He felt guilty. “Buffy, please, let me at least pay for my half.” He reached for his wallet but paused when he saw the look in her eyes.

“No, Giles. You know the rules. Please, I’m okay. Actually, believe it or not but I got some money from my father. He finally phoned and…call it guilt money, but we will be okay for quite awhile now.”

Giles gave her a concerned look but nodded and pulled his hand away from his wallet. “I’m sorry, Buffy.” Giles often felt the urge to pummel her father. She just shrugged. “Not your fault, Giles. No worries.”

Once the check was settled, they left the nice restaurant to head back to Giles’s condo. He was anxious about his gift. For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it meant. Buffy gave him covert glances from the passenger seat. She could tell he was trying to puzzle it out. Her heart was beating quickly with excitement and nervousness. She rubbed her hands on her jeans. Slaying never made her this anxious.

It seemed to take forever to finally reach their destination, which was literally only a few blocks away. Buffy was almost shaking with nerves and excitement as she waited for Giles to open his front door. “So, cake first, or my present….finally…first?” he teased her, quirking his eyebrow at her.

“I’m still too full for cheesecake. You?” Buffy asked him innocently, already knowing he was dying about the key.

Giles grabbed her elbow lightly and dragged her over to the sofa. “Please, woman, put me out of suspense.” Buffy giggled. And? He’d called her ‘woman.’

Buffy gave him a shy smile. “Take out the key.”

He already had the box half out of his pocket and quickly took off the lid and held up the key. It was so small and fragile he could barely hold it between his fingers.

Buffy had been wearing a black sweater. Slowly she pulled the necklace out from beneath her top. Instead of the normal silver cross there was a locket. A heart locket. In the center was a small keyhole. She exhaled slowly and looked up to lock her eyes on Giles’s face. “That is a key to my heart,” she said softly. “Giles, you are the only one that can unlock my heart. You are the only one I trust, and love.” She gave a shaky little breath before continuing. “We’ve grown so close this year. I depend on you, especially since my mother died. But, Giles…it’s more than that. You are more to me than my watcher and my friend. You are everything to me. I’ve fallen in love with you, Giles. So…for your birthday this year, I give you my heart.” Buffy wasn’t frightened. She just knew he wouldn’t reject her. She knew it, somewhere deep inside, that this was right. They belonged together, and now was the time.

Giles didn’t say anything for so long that Buffy did begin to get scared. Then, slowly and with trembling fingers, Giles reached over and slipped the key into the lock. Turning it gently it opened. The locket was still empty, waiting to be filled by him. Then he set the key down and pulled off his glasses and moved to wrap his arms around her waist.
“Buffy,” he whispered before lowering his mouth to cover her own. Their first kiss. It was gentle yet firm. It was perfect. It was priceless.

“Happy Birthday, Giles,” she said, a bit breathlessly, before pulling his head down for more kisses.

The End…