Conversations in Three Quarter Time (We Belong #3)

by GylzGirl

Disclaimers: I own only the actual story and my own shippery flutterings. For all else, look Jossward.
Distribution: My site, Anya, WorstWitch, Watcher's Love, B/G Shippers. Anyone else, just ask.
Rating: TV-PG
Feedback: Yes, yes a thousand times yes. No flames thank you kindly.
Author's Notes: This is the third story in my (now named) We Belong series. The first two being Save the Last Dance For Me, and Dawn. This is the last part of the series to take place before Graduation Day 1 and 2. The next part will pick up after that episode. Believe me we are not done by a long shot. And we are definitely into B/G shipper territory now, and will remain there. For Kazza (my B/G sis) and Solo84 (because she begged nicely and if that doesn't motivate a writer, what will? ).

After slapping her alarm clock for the third time, Buffy awoke and realized it was the phone she heard ringing. She opened one eye and stared down the clock. "That phone just saved your life pal." She felt along the covers for the portable phone. The clock had informed her that she had been asleep for only two hours. "Hello?"

"Buffy? Did I wake you?"

Buffy was suddenly wide awake. "Will?"

"I just got your message and was wor..."

"Will can you come over right now?"

"Sure. Are you okay?"

"I'm not sure. But I think I will be if I can just talk to you for a while. And then after the talk, severe nap time I think."

Buffy could hear the smile in Willow's voice. "On my way."

Twenty minutes later, the door to Buffy's room opened, admitting Willow. She closed the door behind her and Buffy turned back the comforter and scooted over. Willow crawled into bed beside her and covered up. Buffy looked at her with big innocent eyes and presented her a Twinkie.

"Ah, my shrink fee. Must be big?"

"It's big."

"How big?" Buffy reached to side of the bed and retrieved a whole box of them. "Oh boy." Buffy smiled and grabbed one for herself before setting the box on the bed between them. "So talk to me."

"I...I think I'm in love with two guys."

"Okay."

"Is that even possible?"

Willow smiled brightly. "Trust me. It's possible. It's way possible. The down side is, it's not fair. It's not fair to you or to either of them. You have to decide what you want."

Buffy sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. "I know," she said quietly.

"So who is it?"

"Huh?"

"Well obviously one of the two would be Angel, right?"

"Yeah."

"So who's number two?"

Buffy smiled and leaned her head on her knees. "Willow, you'd never guess in a million years."

Willow took a bite of her Twinkie and rolled her eyes considering. "Hmm, Giles?"

"Oh my God!" Buffy quickly covered her mouth and checked to make sure she hadn't alerted her mother, then realized she was probably at the museum by now. "Willow how did you know that?"

"It's the way you look at him. Don't worry. I don't think your Mom would see it."

"God I hope not. I'm having a hard enough time sorting it out myself. I don't need to have to explain it to her on top of everything else."

"Well my next guess was Spike." Buffy gasped and Willow almost choked on her Twinkie. Both girls giggled for several minutes, then things grew quiet again.

"What do I do?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know. Although, I guess with Angel leaving, the choice has been made for me."

"No."

"No what?"

"It's not as easy as that. You can't just be with Giles because you can't be with Angel. Giles deserves more than that. You have to be sure. If Angel decided to stay, and you would choose Giles anyway, then you should be with him. If not, maybe neither one of them are right for you."

"How did you pick?"

Willow leaned back against the pillows. "Well, I had to consider a lot of things. Xander and I have been through so much together. I did love him, still do, will always. But I love Oz too. He treats me like...I don't know, a princess."

Buffy smiled. "He's a good guy."

"When he caught me and Xander kissing...his face. I wished right then that Spike had killed me. I saw the hurt and I knew that he would never have done that to me. And I remembered when Xander had. I love Xander dearly, but he's fickle. He wants what he can't have and when he gets it, he wants something else. I think he's growing out of it...slowly, but that's the way he is right now."

Buffy lay back as well and sighed. "I'd say that was accurate."

"I had wanted him to like me in that way for so long that when it finally happened, I couldn't sort it out. Part of me was calling me crazy, asking me what I thought I was doing. The other part of me was telling me that this was what I had been waiting for my whole life and how could I think of passing it up. The truth is, Xander and I are great as friends, but when it goes further, he hurts me. He doesn't mean to. He sometimes has no clue he even did it."

"Like with Faith?"

Willow gulped, then nodded. "Yeah. Oz and I work as friends or as further. When Xander touched me, there was the excitement of being secret and of finally getting what I wanted, but really, looking back, that was it. When Oz touches me?"

Buffy turned onto her side. "Yes?" She smiled.

"It's like I get warm all over. Then I look into his eyes and I know that all of that special glow there is just for me. And I fall in love with him all over again."

"Aww, that's so sweet."

"Xander still gets to me sometimes. I don't know why. But, we have to stick to what we're good at. Friends. We're no good to each other any other way. He's alone now. I know I could have him if I wanted. But I choose Oz. Now I just hope Xander can find someone that makes him as happy."

"How am I supposed to tell if I would choose Giles when all I can think about is Angel leaving?"

"Give it some time Buffy." Willow yawned and closed her eyes. "You have a lot to deal with right now, the Ascension, Angel leaving. It's plenty to think about. You don't need to rush it. One thing I know is, Giles would wait till the end of time for you."

"But Will..." Buffy watched her friend and knew that she was asleep. She covered up the redhead and lay back down. "What if something happens at the Ascension and he never knows how I really feel?" She wiped away the start of a tear and closed her eyes.

The following night, Buffy found herself at Giles' door. She had planned to wait until school the next day, but she knew she'd spend another sleepless night until she talked to him. She took a deep breath, fixed her hair, and knocked on the door. It opened to reveal Giles with his sleeves rolled up and his braces hanging loosely around his hips. He was wiping his hands on a dishtowel. He smiled at her, but would not look her in the eye. "Buffy, hello. Is um, is everything all right?"

"No. Everything's not all right. We have to talk."

"If...if this is about what happened the other night on the beach."

"It is, well it's not, well not just that, I mean...look can I come in or what?"

He nodded and stepped back. "Yes of course."

Buffy entered and sat on the couch. Giles closed the door and moved to the chair. "Wait. Sit by me? Please?"

He walked to the opposite end of the couch and sat. Buffy sighed. "I need you to listen to me. And I need you to believe me." She looked up and saw that she had his full attention. "A lot happened the other night on the beach. But nothing that I didn't want to. I can honestly tell you right now, if things had gone farther, if we hadn't have stopped, I wouldn't have regretted it."

"B-Buffy it was inappro..."

"Let me finish? Please? I've had all this stuff swarming in my head for two days and if I don't get it out now, I'll go crazy."

"I'm sorry. Go on."

"I've been doing a ton of thinking about all of this. I've been doing nothing but thinking actually. You know that I love Angel...but I love you too."

"Buffy..."

"Please?" Giles leaned back and fell silent again. "I know that now is not the time to be making decisions like this. With the Mayor, Angel going away, starting college soon...there's too much going on right now. And I talked to Willow..."

"You told Willow about..."

"No. Just about what I feel for you. No details. She told me that it wasn't fair for me to choose to be with you just because the choice to be with Angel was taken away from me. And she's right. And I would never do that to you. After we stop the Ascension, and Angel leaves, I'm going to need some time to sort all of this through. So are you."

"I'm sorry?"

"You have to decide if you are ready to let somebody love you like you deserve. And let's face facts, there may be an age difference, but I'm a Slayer. Between the two of us, you have the better odds of seeing another 20 years. You have to decide if you can overcome what other people think is proper and follow your heart. You have to choose me too."

"Buffy..."

"Go on say it. I'm just a confused little girl who doesn't know what she wants and..."

"Not at all."

"What?"

"I think you've handled this whole situation much more maturely than I have. You've thought it through...and you're right, now is not the time and we both need to think. I just want you to know that whatever decision you come to, I'm not going anywhere. I intend to be here for you for as long as I'm alive. If you want me to be."

Buffy could feel herself tearing up and turned slightly away from him. "A-And I...I do love you Buffy."

Against her better judgment, she looked into his eyes. Giles cleared his rapidly constricting throat as he watched her lower lip tremble. "Giles, would you be really mad at me right now if I hugged you?"

He smiled, shook his head gently and opened his arms. Buffy moved forward and lay against his chest, wrapping her arms around him. He closed her in his embrace and leaned his cheek against her hair.

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