Summary: The third and last part of my little W/G trilogy. For the previous
parts, "Some Time Soon, " and "Any Day Now," just email me.
Spoilers: Mild through the third season. Set a couple years in the future.
Disclaimer: Joss made them, I just like to mess with them on occasion.
Rating: PG13
Feedback: Pretty please?
For Laura.

The birthday party had been going wonderfully. After cake, games and more
cake that Giles wasn't sure he could eat, Buffy hopped up and forced him down
in a chair, crying out, "Presents!"

Giles smiled bashfully. "You really didn't need to..."

Xander smirked. "Yeah, but don't we always?"

Willow remained silent and at his side, her small hand in his. With an
appreciative grin, he squeezed her hand and then let go to unwrap the first
gift dropped into his lap. He read the card, which said simply, From Xander.

Opening it, his eyes widened and he started laughing. "The Bay City
Rollers!" he exclaimed in delight. He looked at Xander with questioning
eyes, and Xander shrugged.

"I thought you might be getting sick of the annual tie that I get you. So I
asked around," he smiled at Buffy, "and got what I thought you might like."

Giles nodded and cleared his throat. "It's... It's very thoughtful of you.
Thank you, Xander."

"Sure."

Buffy bounced a little and scooted closer, setting another box on his lap.
Giles raised his eyebrows-- It was heavy. Buffy lowered her eyes and gave a
small smile, focusing on her hands as Giles peeled away the expensive
wrapping paper.

His breath caught and he lifted out a book. "Diaries?"

Buffy lifted her shoulders and looked back up to meet his eyes. "Yeah. I
just thought... You know, they're no use to me anymore. I thought you might
like them to document and stuff. I thought you might want to know everything
I thought about with the whole Angel thing and the-- and the rest. And Angel
contributed. He had a journal that he kept as Angel and Angelus, and he gave
it to me for you. Sort of a demon-slash-human speaking," she explained.
Then she laid a hand on his arm. "It might be enlightening, but a lot of the
stuff we both talked about is personal. You may want to wait until you're
drunk to read them."

Giles nodded, his eyes misting and began to set the box aside until Buffy
stopped his quietly. "There's another one in there. Empty. For you, to
maybe write about something non-slaying related."

Giles licked his lips; His mouth was suddenly dry as he looked at Buffy. He
stood abruptly, crushing her in his arms tightly, whispering into her hair.
"Thank you, my Slayer."

She melted into the hug and Giles felt bad for not constantly reassuring her
of his affection towards her. Finally she pulled away and looked at him with
large, glittering blue eyes. "Anytime, Watcherman." She leaned closer and
said something, hushed, so that only he would hear. "I went to Jenny's grave
today," she said solemnly. He hugged her again.

"How glad I am of that, Buffy."

He laughed and sat back down, relishing the moment. Out of nowhere, another
small item fell into his lap and he looked down, surprised. It was a small
box, wrapped in shiny dark blue paper, with a silver bow on top. Willow's
voice broke him out of his reverie.

"You're supposed to open it, you know," she said, giggling.

Smiling awkwardly, he pulled at the paper, trying not to tear it too badly.
After a moment it was gone and he was staring down at a flat, black velvet
box. He lifted the lid carefully, and whispered something to himself, under
his breath as he lifted out what was inside.

A beautifully crafted antique gold pocket watch rested and glimmered in his
palm. He looked at Willow, his eyes alight and she blushed, smiling.

"I remember that you told me about your father's watch once, and when you
showed me the picture. It isn't exact," she said hastily, "But it's pretty
close. Do you like it?"

His eyes met hers. "I love it."

She smiled. "Look inside."

He flipped it open and grinned at the inscription he found: "Every Watcher
needs one of these. For luck, for love, and for anything else that might
come your way," it read in tiny letters.

Their gazes locked and his hand reached out to brush her silky hair out of
her face. His hand barely touched her cheek, but she trembled, leaning into
it.

"Uh oh," Xander mumbled to Buffy. "Looks like they've both figured it out."

Buffy nodded, watching with rapture the scene playing in front of her.
Xander tugged on her arm and she finally looked at him, annoyed. "What?"

"Don't you think we should, you know, leave?" he whispered.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah. I guess. Come on, before they snap out of it and
realize that you were spying on them," she grinned. Xander opened his mouth
to respond but shut it with a click when she continued. "What do you want to
do?"

Their voices retreated as Xander replied. "I don't know-- Something we
haven't done in a while. Sex?"

"No."

He smirked at her. "Fine. Let's go live La Vida Loca."

Her smiling eyes met his as they walked away and shut the door behind them,
leaving Willow and Giles in their trance. "Are you implying that I'm boring,
Xand?"

"If the foo shii--"

"Shut up," she giggled.

"Nah, Buff, you're anything but boring."

Their voices faded as they walked down the halls and Willow smiled, pleased
to finally be alone with Giles. She took his hand gently, and broadened her
smile when he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, comfortably,
warmly.

"My Lord, Willow..." Giles trailed off and looked at her face, her soft
smiling face that he was so desperately in love with. "Where have you been
all my life?"

She grinned, scooting towards him, and rested her chin on his chest. "Right
under your nose, I guess."

Giles laughed. "Yes, you have been, haven't you?"

"I love you, Giles," she murmured.

"And my dear, I'm so in love with you."

She pulled away from his chest, from listening to the heartbeat of the heart
that she was in love with, and looked into his face, a rugged face aged by
horrors and years, and loved him all the more for finally coming to this
place with her, finally realizing what had been so plain for so long.

Leaning up, she brushed her mouth with his, uncertainly at first and then
with more pressure when he kissed her back, pressed his mouth against hers
with a long-hidden passion. Their tongues melded together sweetly,
perfectly, fittingly. She sighed in his embrace and his fingers tangled
through her hair, holding her mouth to his.

At length, they broke away and smiled at each other for a moment before Giles
cleared his throat. "All right then, we've both established that you've been
here all my life, waiting, so only one question remains," he began.

"Yes?"

"Where are you going to be for the rest of my life?" he whispered huskily,
catching her in another tender kiss.

She liquefied in his arms, mumbling against his mouth. "Well, I don't plan
on leaving this spot, if that's what you're asking."

His answer was hushed, barely heard because the kiss had intensified, but
Willow understood it as it rang through her heart.

"Good."

The End

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