"Do you realize that we know next to nothing about Giles?"
Xander mused.

"And the problem with that is?" Cordelia asked, virtually
disinterested.

It was after last class and they, as well as Buffy and
Willow, were headed for the Library. It was as much by
habit as any real need to go there. Well, Buffy had to
train but the others could have found something else to do.
Maybe. They just didn't seem to have lives anymore.

"The problem is," Xander continued, "how do we know he is
who he says he is?"

"He's my Watcher, Xand. I think he's proven more than once
that we can trust him." Buffy exchanged smiles with Willow.
What a question.

"Yeah, but," Xander was like a dog with a bone, "have any of
you ever noticed his eyebrows?"

"Why are you noticing his eyebrows?" Cordelia looked at her
unacknowledged boyfriend with some alarm. "Do you have a
thing for men all of a sudden? Is this some new perversion
on your part?"

Willow interrupted before Xander could retort. He and
Cordelia could argue for a long time and then they would
both disappear into the utility closet for some smoochies.
She didn't particularly want to know when they did that.
Their relationship gave her the wiggins.

"What about Giles' eyebrows?"

Shooting a triumphant look Cordelia's way, the boy answered,
"They're evil."

Buffy laughed out loud at his statement.

"Excuse me? Giles has evil eyebrows? Have they threatened
you or something?"

"No, Miss Smarty Pants, and may I say that those pants are
very becoming on you." He eyed Buffy's outfit.

"Xander!" Cordelia snapped.

"I meant that they look like the devil's eyebrows."

"Xander, you are getting stranger every day."

"Listen to me, Buff. You're the one who spends the most
time with him. You should notice these things and act on
them...uh, to prevent evil type stuff from happening to
you."

"I'm the Slayer. Evil type stuff happens on a daily basis.
Besides, I think I can handle myself if it comes down to a
fight with my Watcher."

"Mock if you will, and it seems like you all do, but take a
good hard look at him next time he gets all superior on us.
When he arches his eyebrows they look just like Jack
Nicholson's and he played the devil in 'Witches of
Eastwick'."

"Oh!" Willow said. "I know what you mean. Only I thought
they looked just like Michael Keaton's and he played Mr.
Mom!"

The girls giggled hysterically at that.

"Okay. I can see your point but I still say that we don't
know enough about him."

"Who?" Willow asked. "Mr. Mom?"

That set them off on another giggle fit.

"You'll be sorry when he turns into a demon."

"Take a pill, Lost Boy," Cordelia scoffed.

Xander stopped walking suddenly. "Hold it!"

The girls turned to look at him.

"I bet you -- I bet you 20 bucks -- which I don't have but
will get if I lose and I won't -- that Giles has some big
dark secret that he wouldn't want us to know about."

"Yeah," Cordelia scoffed. "His secret is that he believes
you are a nutcase!"

But Xander was adamant.

They entered the Library. The girls immediately forgot the
conversation. Xander didn't forget.

***

Giles slowly turned his head and looked at Xander. The boy
had been sitting next to the Librarian for the past half
hour, just staring. Not speaking, simply staring. Giles
ignored him until he couldn't ignore him any longer. The
kid was getting on his nerves.

Calmly he asked, "Is there something I can do for you,
Xander?"

"I dunno. Is there?"

At that nonsensical answer Giles lifted one eyebrow.

"Aha!" Xander burst out of the chair pointing at the man.
"There! Did you see that?"

"Chill, Xand," Buffy cautioned, noticing that her Watcher
appeared startled and annoyed all at the same time.
Clearly, he thought Xander had lost his mind.

"What on earth is the matter with you?" Giles asked of the
lone male Slayerette.

"Ignore him," Cordelia advised.

Giles looked to Willow for answers.

"He thinks you have some deep dark secret that you're
hiding."

"And where would you get an idea like that?" Giles addressed
Xander.

The boy mumbled something.

"I didn't hear what you said."

"Because of your eyebrows."

Both of Giles' eyebrows shot up arcing into two points.

"Geez!" Xander backed away. "Don't do that!"

"Knock it off, Xander!" Buffy scolded him. "This is getting
silly."

"What about my eyebrows?" Giles felt them with his
fingertips.

"He thinks they're evil. You know, Jack Nicholson in 'The
Witches of Eastwick'. Sorry. Pop culture reference."

"Yeah, they're the Devil's eyebrows."

Giles' expression changed several times before he settled on
ticked off anger. He stood and faced Xander across the
table.

"I would appreciate a bit more respect on your part. What
have I ever done to deserve such a comparison? Hmm? Living
here on the Hellmouth, knowing all that you know about the
dark forces lurking under Sunnydale, you should realize that
even in jest uttering such a statement is the height of...of
hurtfulness and cruelty."

He placed his hands palm down on the polished wood surface
and leaned closer to the teen who, by now, was rapidly
regretting having confronted Giles with his willynilly
insights. The Watcher was royally pissed.

"I take my job as Buffy's Watcher very seriously. In
effect, it is my duty as well as hers to eliminate the evil
that abounds. Perhaps if you stopped to think about your
actions and...and declarations before you opened your mouth
people might not always be treating you as if...as if you
were so lame!" Giles grimaced, "And I would not be so upset
as to say something like that."

Even Buffy flinched at that one. "Translation, Xand: Make
nice and apologize to Giles."

To give Xander credit, he looked Giles in the eye when he
said, "I'm sorry. You're right. I was looking for an easy
laugh and picked on you for no good reason."

"I'm tired of your flippant remarks and insolent attitude."

"I said I was sorry."

"Oh. Yes you did. Apology accepted."

Xander nodded. "I'm gonna go and sulk now." He started to
walk away.

"Just a moment, please." Giles turned to Buffy. "I think
today you should concentrate on your speed."

"Staking speed?"

"Running speed. Why don't you go out and run a mile or two
and see how you do?"

Buffy shrugged. "'Kay. Come on guys. You can time me."

Willow retrieved a stopwatch from Giles and Cordelia
followed her out of the library with Xander trailing behind.
Cordelia was saying something about watching the cute guys
on the track team in their short shorts.

"Just a minute, Xander." Giles called the boy back.

"Yeah?"

"Could I talk to you in my office?"

Xander followed him then watched as Giles closed the door
behind them and then half sat on the desk.

"I want to make sure you understand how wrong you were
earlier."

"Golly, G-man. I think I got the message. I apologized,
didn't I?"

Giles frowned at the sarcasm. "Just as I suspected -- you
were insincere." Removing his glasses he placed them on the
desk behind him. "Well, perhaps this will help to make you
learn some manners." He surged forward catching Xander by
surprise.

The Watcher clapped his hands on either side of Xander's
head just behind the ears and drew him forward into a
searing kiss. Startled, Xander opened his mouth to protest
and found it invaded by the man's tongue. Giles put
everything he had into the kiss and, just when Xander
tentatively started to respond, he let him go. Removing his
hands he turned away to retrieve his glasses and collect
himself.

Facing Xander again he was disconcerted to see a certain
longing in the boy's eyes.

Licking his bruised lips, Xander asked softly, "Kiss me
again?"

Giles was flabbergasted. He had done what he'd done just to
make a point, to get Xander to learn not to fool with him.
Admittedly, he'd lost his temper and acted as rashly as
Xander had earlier with his comments. Not for a single
moment did he guess that his actions would spark some sort
of need in the kid.

"Xander...I..."

"It's okay, Giles. I just want one more. Please?"
Uncertainly, Xander reached out and slowly moved closer.
Emboldened when Giles did not rebuff him, he pulled the
other's glasses from his face and held them until Giles took
them, settling them once more on the desk. Giles tugged on
Xander's arms, drawing him into a gentle embrace, one hand
sliding across the boy's back, the other up into the thick
dark hair. Awkwardly, Xander put his arms around Giles'
waist then, apparently finding that move not too different
from holding Cordelia, he shifted closer.

Giles brushed his lips slowly, sensuously. Nudging Xander's
mouth open with his tongue he took his time exploring virgin
territory. He was now sure that Xander had never done this
with another man but once the younger man grew accustomed to
the newness he responded with some eagerness.

They both needed to breathe. Giles eased back far enough to
see Xander's face.

"That was nice." Xander touched his lips with his
fingertips and smiled.

He slipped away from Giles and opened the door. Just before
exiting he looked back and said, "Thank you. I will
remember to be nicer to you from now on." And he left.

Giles stared after him. Just when he thought there were no
more surprises in life he learned something new. And
intriguing.

~ end ~