*****

Ethan Rayne entered the luxurious bar of the Regency Hotel, the most elegant hotel of the city, certain he would not meet the Slayer and her Watcher, who never went there. Indeed, the demons and the vampires, which they chased and killed, never frequented this kind of place because they preferred the discreet seedy bars of downtown Sunnydale. So he was very surprised when he saw and recognized a man who was flopped over on his table, next to the picture window. Several beer bottles were lined up in front of him.

"Ripper!"

The sorcerer sat down in front of Giles and lifted his chin so that he could see his eyes. The pupils were dilated and his glance was unfocused.

"Ripper, old mate, I'm shocked! I thought you only drank Earl Grey tea! What are you doing here, getting drunk? Well, you' re drunk already it's obvious. What happened to you Ripper?"

The ex-Watcher exhaled a long sigh. "I have just been fired by the Council and my Slayer hates me. I am alone, and nobody loves me."

Ethan smiled. "I, I love you."

Giles snorted. "No, you don't love to me Ethan, you have never loved anybody. Not even your parents. You don't love people, you use them, just like you used me. I was your bodyguard and your slut."

Ethan grinned. "Yes but you loved it, if I remember correctly."

"Yes I did. I wanted to lose myself in violence and sex. And in alcohol, drugs, and dark magic too."

"Ah! The good old times!"

Giles got up and Ethan noticed that he had a revolver slid into his belt, near his right hip. He paled and shivered, frightened. Ripper had told him many times he was going to kill him one day. He got up too, and quickly took a step back, then another one, stiffening as he focused on the revolver. He imagined a scenario: his old mate would use an invisibility spell, grab his arms then threaten him with the gun. Then he would push him outside and kill him in a dark alley. And that would be the end of the brilliant Ethan Rayne. Giles noticed the older man's very apprehensive face and shook his head.

"Don't worry Ethan I'm not going to use it to kill you. I'm going to use it on myself. My life is finished Ethan. I don't have a job anymore, I don't have a Slayer anymore, and I am sure that Xander, Willow, Oz and Cordelia are going to hate me too for what I did to Buffy. I have nobody to love and nobody loves me."

Ethan sighed in relief. "And that lovely brunette from the messiness with Eyghon...Jenny, I believe her name was? You're not together anymore?"

Tears ran down along the former Watcher's colorless and hollowed cheeks and he suddenly began sobbing.

"She died." Giles said between sobs. "She was killed, murdered by Angelus, and it's all my fault. I should have protected Jenny. When I discovered her dead on my bed, her glance was accusing me. It said: " Why didn't' t you protect me?" I can' t bear all this Ethan, it's too difficult. I have to finish it, now. I need to."

"You need to have somebody near you, who loves you with all their heart and wants to make love to you, Rupert, that's all." Ethan interrupted the younger man. "I don't know what happened between you and your Slayer, and frankly I don't care, but I know that Buffy won't be mad at you for long. She has a daughter's love for you. She will forgive whatever you did to her and will love you again. As for her friends, they love you very much too, and will continue to love you as before. At least, that's what I'm guessing from seeing you interact together--and yes, I have observed you and your young friends for some time . You know what they say, Ripper: `know your enemies' . As for your job, you're going to continue being Buffy's Watcher, unofficially. She's your Slayer, and your calling Rupert, don't forget it."

Giles sniffed and dried his tears with his handkerchief. "I am alone Ethan, and it's horrible. I need to be loved, I need to love, and I need."

"What? To make love? It can be arranged, you know? The restrooms are not very far ."

Giles looked at Ethan, disgusted, then he moaned with pleasure when he felt the sorcerer's hand sliding between his thighs. He gasped when the older man began to stroke him gently.

"Ethan stop-stop-stop-Oh! God this." Giles ordered, not in a very convincing way. He felt his desire escalating.

Ethan did not stop and felt the penis twitch and stand up under his expert fingers. He smirked.

"Your body is not of the same opinion, luv. Go to the restroom. I'll follow you in a couple of minutes, all right?"

Giles nodded, willing to free his long repressed sexual needs and desires. "All right."

Giles got up and staggered up to the restrooms. Ethan followed him two minutes later, so that it wouldn't look suspicious. When he entered the big room, luxuriously decorated with colored marble and bronze, Giles threw himself against him and pinned him against the closest wall. He kissed Ethan's lips, his tongue sliding inside when Ethan sighed. He captured the sorcerer's face between the palms of his hands and planted a slow, wet, searching kiss on the older man's mouth. His fingers slid up into the wavy brown hair at the nape of Ethan's neck, holding his head still while his tongue did a thorough sweep of the hot interior. Then Giles pressed his knee against Ethan's crotch, and. the door opened. Three men entered, froze on the spot for few seconds then glared at the two Englishmen, shocked and revolted.

Ethan pulled away, laughing breathlessly, then he said: "I think we'll have to finish this at your place Ripper."

Giles blushed. "Yes."

*
* *

Later that night:

Ethan woke up with a start and sat bolt upright in his bed, gasping for air, running with sweat.

"Ripper!"

He heard a snore slightly near him and immediately switched on the bedside lamp. He noticed then that Giles was sprawled on the left-hand side of the bed. He slept deeply; his face was relaxed, at peace, blissful. Ethan sighed in relief. Ripper had not committed suicide. He had had a nightmare. He gradually remembered what had happened: he hadn't fucked Ripper in the hotel restrooms but had returned home with him. He'd then laid down with him on his bed, and had licked him, sucked him and, naturally, fucked him there. After that, the ex-Watcher had fallen peacefully asleep, exhausted; his sexual needs contented.

Ethan kissed Giles on his temple, softly. He got up, collected his clothes and watched his old friend curling onto his side. He moved over to the side of the bed and looked down at the still-sleeping Giles. He knelt, still silent, and stroked the other man's bearded cheek.

"Be seeing you Ripper, or perhaps not if you chose to kill yourself, because you'll be in heaven and I'll be in hell," he said, then left the room.

*
* *

The smell of Giles--a mix of soap, Cologne, musty paper, wool and bergamot--hit Oz before he saw the man. The former Watcher sat on his couch, an old book in one hand, and a cup of Earl Grey in the other.

"Giles?"

Giles raised his eyes and the young man noticed that they were red and wet. He had apparently been crying recently.

"Giles, are you okay?"

The librarian nodded and smiled. "Yes I'm fine, thank you. It's almost sunset Oz."

"I know I'm late, sorry. It won't happen again."

Oz left Giles' office and moved towards the cage. His wolf-self would stay prisoner there all night long. Giles followed the boy, closed the door behind him and turned the key in the lock.

"Giles, Willow told me what happened last night. and I want you to know that I'm really sorry."

"Thank you Oz."

Oz's throat squeezed up. Giles looked so guilty, so miserable, and so vulnerable. He noticed he was on the verge of crying again. He abruptly wanted to close him in his arms, to console him, to give him a cuddle, and to caress him, licking him everywhere. He wanted to make love to him. He'd been in love with Giles for weeks. He had had a violent crush for the older man from the first moment he'd seen him. He suddenly froze while he was removing his T-shirt, for two reasons:

1. He had just tracked down the faint scent of another man on Giles' skin, and the salty-bitter scent of sperm, among the other smells.

[He had sex with as man last night! He loves men! He's gay! Or rather bi-sexual like myself. He could be mine!]

2. He could read desire in the ex-Watcher eyes . Eyes roaming over his bare chest, and he could smell the pheromones given off by male arousal. Giles' arousal!

[He wants me! God! He WANTS ME! He'll be mine.]

It was Oz's last coherent thought before he morphed into the dangerous werewolf he became during the full moon. The creature roared and hit the door once, then twice, wanting to escape from his cage. He continued a third time, and a fourth time. Giles watched the wild beast doing this without actually seeing him, seeing instead Oz's fragile beauty, imagining himself caressing the smooth skin dotted with beauty spots, imagining himself.

[Stop! Enough of this! You' re a dirty old man Rupert! He's so young. You're more than twice his age. You could be his father. You' re responsible for him, he's a student and under your protection. And don't forget that he loves Willow dearly, he will never return your love, which he ignores completely and could never envisage. How could he love you? To him you are an old man, and a surrogate father. Worse! To him you are an old, sexually inhibited librarian. He doesn't love you and will never love you.] He breathed a heavy sigh and had to fight to repress the tears that welled up in his eyes. [You are too old now for anyone to be interested in you, woman or man, except Ethan--who uses you only to quench his sexual needs, and what's more, he doesn't use just you to quench them. You are only one of his sex toys . Poor Rupert, you would have been better off not listening to Ethan and committed suicide in the restrooms. He allayed you with his fine words so he could fuck you!] He shook his head and sighed miserably. [Buffy hates you, and when her new Watcher arrives, she will ignore you. As for the others, they will do the same because they are her best friends. You're going to find yourself completely alone .] He shook his head violently, clenching his fists. [No! That is enough! I can't bear it any more.] He watched the werewolf looking at him with fury (at being locked up) and ferocity, and had an idea on how to kill himself.

"I am sorry Oz, to do this to you, but I can't take it any more."

Giles unlocked the door of the cage and opened it wide. The werewolf moved back, surprised, as the human entered. The former Watcher re-locked the door of the cage and then he threw the key through the bars. He raised his fists and suddenly attacked the werewolf, hitting him hard in the face. The beast growled then violently pushed Giles against the metallic cupboard. It then grabbed the man by his neck and threw him to the ground. With his claws he tore at the ex-Watcher's shoulders and chest. Giles roared with pain and had to fight the urge to fight back, his instinct urging him to react, to defend himself, to try to get rid of his aggressor. He wanted to die-he was going to die.

The smell of the blood excited the werewolf, which opened its mouth wide and froze on the spot when the door of the cage was abruptly pulled from its hinges by Buffy. The Slayer pointed the tranq gun at him and fired a tranquilizer dart.

"Nooo . " Giles moaned, seeing the sleepy werewolf collapse near him.

"Oh God Giles! Willow, call 911! Giles is badly injured. Hurry!" Giles heard just before losing consciousness.

***** Part 2:

Xander shook his head, unbelieving.

"No, it's impossible. Giles didn't try to commit suicide. He would never have done that. "

He then glanced with anxiety at the older man lying down on the hospital bed near him. The former Watcher was deeply asleep. He was pale and feverish and covered with bandages.

"Xander, he was in the cage, with Oz-wolf, the door was locked and the key was on the other side of the door, on the floor. He went in there voluntarily. He wanted to commit suicide and I know why. He's lost his job, to which he dedicated almost all his life and he thought that I hated him and that you would also hate him, being my best friends."

"Without forgetting that he is very lonely and that Miss Calendar misses him a lot." Willow added. "He couldn't bear it all, and he tried to commit suicide. Poor Giles."

The door of the small white room opened and Oz entered. Very worried, he shivered, as he got closer to the bed on which Giles lay. He was pale, so very pale, but his cheeks were flushed with fever.

"How is Giles?"

"He's in no danger now." Buffy answered Oz. "But he's seriously hurt. He's going to stay here for a few days, until he feels better. The hospital psychologist is going to come and see him also, rather often. He tried to commit suicide."

"Yes, I found the message Willow left on the floor next to me in the cage. I came here as soon as I was able to. He. used me to me as weapon."

"No, not you Oz, but the wolf." Willow said. "Giles would never have done this knowing how you would react, if he had not been totally depressed. Don't be mad at him."

Oz shook the head. "I'm not mad at him Willow. Do you think he's going to attempt suicide again?"

"He won't if we show him that we all love very him much." Buffy said.

"Yes, that would do him good, but Giles will always be very lonely, Buffy." Xander remarked.

"Could I have a moment alone with Giles?" Oz asked.

Buffy nodded. "Of course Oz. We'll wait for you in the hall, all right? Guys let's go."

Once his friends and his girlfriend left, Oz took Giles' hand and pressed it in his before caressing the back of it with his thumb. The ex-Watcher moaned and slowly opened his eyes after what seemed like half an eternity. He turned his gaze to Oz, in slow motion, and swallowed to moisten his dry throat. His lips moved to form the words: "I'm sorry."

The young man bent towards Giles and kissed him on his forehead. He said: "Giles, I love you. I'm in love with you, and I know that you feel the same way about me. And don't worry about Willow and me. I'll tell her everything later. It's going to be hard for her at first, but. I know she'll accept it eventually. Just think about you and me, about us, about our love for each other. All right?"

Giles was stunned, then his face was illuminated with profound joy and he began crying softly.

"It's magnificent. I believed that you could never love me this way. I love you Oz, I love you so much!"

Oz lapped Giles' tears, and then he licked his lips twice and parted them. He delved inside, hungrily exploring his mouth with his tongue, and then he nibbled his bottom lip a little.

"I love you very much Giles. And I also know that Buffy and the others are not mad at you. They love you too, just not the way I do. You're a father figure for them."

"Wonderful . "

The older man drifted further into sleep, a blissful smile on his lips. Very, very, very happy.

*
* *

Two weeks later:

Oz grinned when he saw his lover completely naked and sprawled on the mat near the fireplace, his arms outstretched, his eyes closed, and his fingers playing absently with his pubic hair. He had a pleased grin on his lips as he listened to an old Cream song. Oz straddled Giles' legs and stroked his muscular chest, streaked with numerous pink scars. The former Watcher moaned and opened his eyes.

"Is the concert finished?"

"Oz nodded."

"Yes, I'm going to be able to completely dedicate myself to you now. Let's go to bed."

"No, I feel good here and I don't want to move. Take care of me here, please luv."

"All right."

Oz went into the bedroom to get the tube of lubricant, and then he moved between Giles' opened legs. He bit his lover's neck and then kissed and nipped his way to his half-erect penis. Oz groaned with pleasure. At his request, Giles had removed his pubic hair so that he could lick and suck the tender skin of his groin. He nuzzled there, intoxicating himself with the warm masculine scent of musk, and he found himself fully erect within moments. He lifted Giles' legs and placed them then on his shoulders, exposing his genitals and the entry of his loins.

Oz encircled the base of the Giles' shaft, making a tight channel, which he pumped up and down, hard and fast. The older man moaned and closed his eyes again. This time he was not focused on the music but on the delicious sensations that he was feeling. With his free hand, Oz squeezed the testicles rapidly in rhythm with his stroking and Giles' moans turned into growls. Still masturbating his lover, Oz abandoned Giles' balls to slide his other hand over the scrotum and down to the older man's anus, rubbing it, massaging it, listening to Giles whimper and gasp with pleasure. Oz coated his fingers with lube and slid one of them to the older man's tight opening, following it quickly with two more. He gently massaged and stretched Giles' spasming anus and then thrusted in and out. After a minute he paused and added a fourth finger. By now the former Watcher was moaning his name, over and over again, his whole body shaking in desire. Finally, Oz knew that his lover was ready. He removed his fingers from the stretched hole and guided his penis into it.

With a slow and easy thrust, Oz pushed himself into his lover's warmth. Giles moaned as he adjusted to his lover's size, his tight passage clenching around him. At the sensation of being filled, he threw his head back and groaned. Both men sighed once Oz came to a stop, his hard shaft all the way inside his lover. The young man leaned down and nuzzled Giles' neck, licking at his pierced earlobe. He then nibbled it and blew into it sensuously, making the other man shiver. He kissed the Englishman's lips, and then asked him if he was ready. Giles' nodded and he withdrew. He then thrust back into the tight channel of his lover, again and again. He set a languorous rhythm, not wanting to rush the moment. With his free hand he grasped the engorged shaft, and stroked it in time with his long and slow thrusts. Giles began writhing on the mat his breath ragged in his chest, needing more. He thrust his hips back onto Oz' member, groaning and grunting, welcoming the hard length of his lover as he rode him. After a moment he took hold of Oz's arm and demanded:

"Move faster Oz, please." Then he raised his head and looked his young lover straight in the eyes. "Make me come."

Oz increased his pace, rocking deeper and faster into Giles' tight heat, his hand rapidly working the older man's penis. The Englishman cried, as his lover's hard length pounded into him. For long, wild minutes they bucked and heaved together, grunting and moaning in building ecstasy. The ex-Watcher suddenly stilled, then he arched up with a strangled cry, almost bucking Oz off. He cried out as his orgasm rolled through him. He came, splashing his semen over his lover's hand and belly. Feeling Giles tighten around his penis, was enough to finish Oz off and he howled like a wolf (he was one after all) as he came, shooting his seed into Giles' welcoming body. Giles' entire body softened; his legs fell on either side of the young man and he remained sluggish. The former Watcher hardly noticed Oz collapsing on him, overwhelmed by full post-coital bliss. He automatically closed his arms around his young lover and then closed his eyes, moaning, sleeping off his huge orgasm. Oz felt his cock finally soften and he gently, slowly withdrew, stopping to wait for his lover's muscles to release him. Giles uttered a low groan, savoring the sensation. Oz lay down on his back next to him. He took the other man's face in his hands and pulled him forward into a kiss. Their tongues lapped gently at each other.

"Mmmm. That was good Giles. So good." Oz said after he had parted from his lover.

Giles looked at him through half-lowered lids. A tired smile surfaced. "For me too, luv."

"Now Giles, we both need to take a shower." Oz said, exploring his lover's navel with a fingertip, desire shining in his eyes. "I've never made love to you under the shower."

Giles grinned. "There's always a first time for everything, my beloved wolf."

*
* *

A little than a month later, full moon:

Giles was still kissing Oz when he morphed into a werewolf. He had totally lost track of the time, he was so immerged in love and passion. When he realized it, it was too late for him to escape from the wild beast, which was going to attack him and to claw him to death. Oz-wolf roared and violently pushed him against the shelves. Giles slumped to the floor, and passed out. The werewolf leaned over him, ready to rip the human being with his claws and his hooks. He suddenly sniffed the air and recognized a scent among others on the human being's skin. It was his scent. It immediately calmed him down, puzzled. It recalled the man as his captor but not as his companion. But he had his scent on him, almost everywhere. so of course he had to be his companion. But why wasn't he a wolf too? The moon was full . If he was not a wolf yet he was going to become one, because he wanted to have his companion near him so he could hunt and kill his preys better. Giles was opening his eyes when Oz-Wolf bit him on his shoulder. His shout of both pain and horror (he knew that he would became a werewolf) choked in his throat as he morphed into a werewolf.

Buffy suddenly rushed into the library and said:

"Giles! Bad news! I saw Caine in town half an hour ago! He probably came back to kill Oz."

She frowned, very worried, when she noticed that the door of the cage was opened.

"Giles? Where are you?"

She froze on the spot when she saw two werewolves coming out of it: one dark-furred and one dark-silver-furred. She immediately guessed what had happened: Oz-wolf had bitten Giles and he had immediately morphed because of the full moon. She moved back and ran towards the counter, the two wolves on her heels. She jumped over it, sank to her knees, seized the tranq-gun, which was always kept loaded, and turned around and fired. The tranquilizer-dart sank into the Oz-wolf's chest. The beast let out a cry of pain and collapsed right by Slayer two seconds later. Giles-wolf growled and fled. Buffy immediately pursued him through the deserted corridors of the High school, then outside in the street. She was suddenly as dazzled as the Giles-wolf was by powerful headlights, and she stopped, surprised. The Slayer distinguished a silhouette of a man moving in on them. Buffy suddenly noticed that he had a rifle and was pointing it in the direction of Giles-wolf.

"NOOO!" she shrieked just before the man fired.

The werewolf let out a roar of pain then slumped in the middle of the road.

Buffy's eyes widened with horror and she stood paralyzed for few seconds before pouncing on Giles-wolf. She totally forgot the man who had shot the creature and sank to her knees beside the werewolf. She gently made him turn around and lay down on his back. She gasped when Giles became Giles again. She stared at her former Watcher, mentor, and close friend's lifeless body for long minutes in a state of shock before she burst into tears against the now immobile chest.

Caine the werewolf hunter lowered his weapon and approached Buffy. He grinned and said to her: "I knew that by following you I'd eventually find the werewolf I wanted to kill the last time we met, and that I'd eventually kill it."

Buffy looked up at Caine, her gaze full of sorrow, fury and hatred. "It's not. [the same one.] . Leave, now, before I kill you. You know I could, and I will if you stay here."

Afraid, the man pointed his rifle in the direction of the Slayer and moved back slowly, always threatening her. One minute later Buffy watched him drive away in his car, then came back to kneel down near Giles' corpse, which she cradled in her arms.

*
* *

Hartford Hill Cemetery, Sussex, England, three days later

Oz turned around, smelling a male scent and saw a tall, slender man, with wavy brown hair, dressed completely in black approach him. He immediately recognized the older man's smell, it was the one that he had smelt on Giles' skin, just before his lover had tried to commit suicide. He observed the man with attention: so it was he who had made love with Giles before him. He was really handsome. He was jealous for a second, and then sadly remembered that Giles was dead.

"You' re one of Rip. of Rupert's young friends, aren't' t you?" Ethan Rayne asked Oz.

Oz shook his head. "I was his lover."

The sorcerer was very surprised, and then he nodded and smiled. "So he found happiness, then . regrettably for him, and for you, he died. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, my name's Ethan Rayne, I was one of Rupert's best friends, and you are?"

"Oz."

"It is a sad end for a Watcher: being killed by a silver bullet, having become a werewolf, the very kind of creature he was supposed to pursue and eliminate. What an irony of fate!"

Oz turned towards the grave of the man he loved, tears running down his pale cheeks. "I'm going to miss him terribly. I loved him so much. He was everything to me."

The young man then burst into tears. Ethan moved towards him, wrapped his arms around him and pulled him against him.

"Yes, me too." Ethan said, thinking: [No more mischievous tricks, no more fucking.] and stroked Oz's back in circles to soothe him and to feel him too. He glanced at Giles tombstone, focusing on RUPERT, and had a mischievous smile. [Such a beautiful and fragile boy. Mmmmm. Your lover is going to be mine soon Ripper. wherever you are. If you could see me, you'd probably be furious. all Rippered. And you can't do anything about it. Good! ] then he laughed quietly.

The sorcerer suddenly froze on the spot and gasped when he saw Giles materialize in front of Oz and him. He stared at him in total astonishment then he paled and shivered when he caught the ex-Watcher's Ripperish glare. He parted from Oz and took two steps back from him. Oz was Giles'.

He gulped. "Ripper! I thought you were dead."

"I was."

Oz remained immobile an instant, too stunned to move, then he grinned, made a happy sound and launched himself at Giles. He held him tight then pulled the older man's neck down and crushed his lips against his. He kissed Giles softly, then devouringly. The former dead man melted into the arms of the boy and moaned in his mouth. He wrapped his arms around Oz's waist, and drew him close. The young man captured his mate's face between the palms of his hands, holding his head still while he attacked his mouth. Ethan seized this opportunity to move back, quickly. But Giles was on him before he had walked a dozen meters. He pinned the sorcerer on the ground and wrapped his steely fingers around Ethan's neck.

"You' re definitely not a ghost Ripper. They are immaterial, you're not." Ethan said his voice hoarse with lack of oxygen and fear. "May I know what happened before you strangle me?"

Giles nodded. "The Powers That Be brought me back, because I have to continue to help Buffy to protect the world from its destruction. They think that we' re a formidable team her and I. The best which ever existed, because we've obtained excellent results for years, and the results will only improve when I'm fighting the vampires and the demons beside my Slayer as a werewolf. The PTB offered me special gifts Ethan. They offered me the power to transform myself into a werewolf whenever I want and they offered me the power to control the beast. And. " He squeezed Ethan's neck with a feral smile. ".And if you approach Oz again, Ethan, I shall transform myself into a werewolf and I shall rip you limb from limb. Then I shall eat your intestines. And you know that I would do it."

Ethan nodded. "Yes-s."

"Leave here, Ethan. Now."

Giles got up and moved back from the pale sorcerer who trembled with terror. He shot him a contemptuous glance, and then went back to Oz. While Ethan left running, the young man took Giles' face in his hands again and pulled him forward into a kiss. Their tongues lapped gently at each other, then Oz parted and asked:

"Is it true what you said to Ethan? You can transform yourself into a werewolf whenever you want and control the beast?"

"Yes, it's true, and I am going to offer you these powers Oz, because I can do it, I have this other power."

Oz beamed. "Then I'll help you to kill the demons and the vampires Giles! Oh thank you, thank you very much!"

They hugged tightly and kissed each other again.

"Let's get out of here, now. We are going to go to Heathrow and take the first flight to Sunnydale."

"All right, and I'll tell the guys that I love you Giles."

"I love you too Oz."

END