*****

It was a dark and stormy night outside. The Scooby gang sat in Giles� living room, their headquarters now that the library was gone, and pretended to research. Instead, they were telling jokes and ghost stories, and raiding Giles� fridge and secret stash of candy for chocolaty goodness of every sort. In short, anything but research. Willow and Buffy sat in the corner, giggling and whispering about whatever, while Xander and Spike hung around on a sofa in the opposite corner, suspecting, and rightfully so, that the girls were gossiping about them. It�s been about 7 months since Spike started helping the slayer (" �Fixed�, forced, arm-twisted to help one annoying blond who dated one really annoying vampire.."), and he became a part of the group, the initial reserve now practically gone.

The fire spread its pleasant warmth across the room, the soft light from the fireplace and quiet music from Giles� stereo making a sort of ambiance that was rudely interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

Giles lifted his head from the book he was reading, surprised, and looked at Buffy. "Are we expecting anyone tonight?" he asked.

She looked at him with worried eyes and said "No".

He took a sword from the umbrella stand before reaching for the door and peeking outside the peephole. When he didn�t move to open the door, Buffy asked, "What is it? What do you see?". Giles sighed and put the sword away. He opened the door, and into the room fell a wet, rumpled, apparently exhausted and barely walking, Ethan Rayne.

They all stared at him, shocked, until Xander broke the silence. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Buffy looked down on the crumpled form and answered, "A rat?".

Giles walked forward. "Ethan, what the hell are you doing here?" He picked the half-conscious man by the collar, lifting him up so that their faces were about the same height. Ethan mumbled something incoherent before passing out completely. Giles looked at the man he was holding, and dropped him unceremoniously on the floor.

"Giles!" Willow exclaimed, "You can�t do that, Really! I don�t care if he�s a bad guy or not!"

Giles looked at her, surprised for a moment, and then returned to his normal, less Ripperish self. He sighed, picked up the motionless Ethan and dragged him to the sofa, laying him on it before going to the kitchen. "I�ll make some tea, Buffy, you make sure he doesn�t miraculously wake up and tries anything."

By the time tea was ready, Ethan had recovered enough to open his eyes and look around, and Spike decided it�s the perfect opportunity to say something. "So who are you, Giles� long lost love?�Ouch! Slayer!".

She elbowed him and said, "It�s not even funny. The eww factor is too big".

"It is rather large, if I remember correctly," said Ethan with a wicked smile, meeting Giles� eyes as he came back from the kitchen carrying a tray with cups of tea and scones. His eyes trailed down the watcher's body appreciatively, down to his crotch and back up.

Buffy and Xander looked back and forth from Giles to Ethan, hoping that the watcher would deny the suggestion. Willow stared at them, wide eyed. When Giles failed to reassure them, Buffy said, "He didn�t mean�? Giles?". He avoided the subject, growling, "Ethan, tell me why you are here and what the hell you want from me. And then leave and never come back".

"Oh, Rupert, I�m hurt..." Ethan started, only to be cut off by Giles� words, "Not yet, you�re not!" and then continued, "I only wanted to visit an old friend."

"Yeah, right, Ethan, friendly purposes only. When hell freezes over� No, I take that back. We are on the hellmouth, after all. The chances of you being �friendly�, however.."

"Rupert...Please, I need your help." Surprisingly, Ethan sounded serious and sincere.

Giles looked at him in disbelief. "That sounds more in character, but why should I help you? Clean up your own mess, Ethan."

Ethan looked at him with pleading eyes, his entire attitude changing. "Please, for old times� sake, or just for the sake of saving a soul. I could die, Rupert, and much worse than that.. All I need is help with a tiny spell, really, nothing big.."

"Then why can�t you do it yourself?" Giles interrupted.

Ethan became very quiet. "Exorcism, Ripper. A cleansing spell. To drive away all the demons I inhabited and erase all the deals I�ve made. Just look at me! I�m too old to go through this every night. Can�t do the spell on my own, can I? And I know you�d want to help me, old man, because when I�m no longer� how shall I put it, leaning towards the dark side, I could be of great help to you and your slayer. Especially now that you quit the council.."

Giles cut him short, angrily. "We don�t need your help. We�re doing fine without the council, although I do expect you to tell me how you found out I was�that we quit. However, I will help you. Only because you are a human being and it�s my duty to help. As much as I admire your desire to start again and clean up your act, you will have to do it elsewhere. I�ll cast the spell with you, but you will leave immediately after."

Ethan looked at him, his eyes soft, and sighed, "Fine, Ripper. So be it."

The preparations for the spell took nearly two hours. Giles told Buffy it was their duty to save a human life, smiling absently when she remarked Ethan wasn�t human, and repeatedly told Willow she will not be a part of this spell, only to succumb to her begging and agree to let her help with it. Xander was dispatched to bring the necessary ingredients from the local magic shop. In the meantime, Giles looked up the texts for the required spells and sat down with Willow to practice the procedure. When Xander returned, he and Spike were instructed by Giles to stay in the living room while the watcher, the warlock and the witch went to the bedroom upstairs, leaving Buffy to guard the door. Giles sat on the bedroom floor, making sure all the right herbs and accessories were at hand. When everything was in place, he looked up at Ethan, who was sitting on the bed. "Ready?" he asked, trying to sound bright.

He thought back to the day they tried to exorcise the demon from Randall. He could still see the poor young man doubling over in pain, writhing on the floor, the sweat pouring from his face. And that wasn�t even a cleansing spell. What Ethan was asking for was so much more demanding. Removing the demon from Ethan�s soul, erasing any traces of the contracts and deals he�d made, freeing him from all the obligations, and before erecting barriers to block the demons� return, they would have to negotiate Ethan�s release from� He paused. "Ethan? How many deals did you make? How many demons did you swear fealty to?"

Ethan gulped. "Six, seven... I don�t really remember."

Giles glared at him. "You don�t remember? You might want to think harder!"

Ethan took a deep breath and blurted, "Eleven."

Giles stared back incredulously. "Eleven! Who in their right minds would commit themselves to eleven different demons?! Don�t you ever learn?"

Ethan smiled innocently. "It seemed like a good idea at the time." "And we�re supposed to exorcise all of them?" "Well, most of them shouldn�t cause too much trouble." Ethan remarked dryly. "I hope", he added, shivering slightly.

Giles stared at him sharply. Ethan was biting his fingernails and scratching his arm. It was a sign of extreme nervousness in the man, Giles recalled. His eyes softened. Must be hard for Ethan to do this, knowing first-hand the pain involved in exorcism, and knowing he must never practice higher levels of magic again. Couldn�t afford to take the risk. He sat on the bed next to Ethan and placed his hand on the thinner man�s shoulder. "Would you like me to support you during the actual exorcism? Get you some water, maybe?" His voice was gentler and sympathetic.

Ethan looked up at him, surprised. "Do you really care? About my well-being?". His voice was unbelieving.

"You used to be my friend" was all Giles said. Then Willow finished her preparations and signalled to Giles that everything was ready.

The only light in the room came from the candles around the circle on the floor. Willow could barely make out the letters of the spell Giles had written down for her. She looked up at Ethan as he took a deep breath, stepped into the circle and crouched in the centre of the pentagram. Willow noticed the emotions crossing Giles� face as his eyes followed the movements of the taller man. What was it about him that unleashed so many reactions in the quiet watcher? And would all this pent-up energy affect the spells they were about to perform? Giles settled down opposite her, outside the circle, and the three of them began chanting.

They started with protection spells, ensuring the people involved wouldn�t be hurt and that the demons would not be able to haunt the house or its inhabitants. When the main "event" began, Willow started chanting the incarnations for purifying one�s soul, echoed by Giles. The air around Ethan began to shimmer. As their voices grew stronger, so did the glimmering that engulfed him, making his form seem unreal. Giles started burning various herbs over the flame before him, making sure a specific order was maintained. Ethan himself seemed unmoved by the growing haze, reciting the words of the spell with the others. The words were in a language so ancient Willow didn�t even know its name, but as her lips formed the syllables her mind processed the meaning.

"We call upon thee to purify the soul, we call upon thee to leave the mind, we call upon thee to cleanse the heart. The deal is invalid, the mark is erased, the pledge is broken." The young witch felt the current of energy flow through her body, and knew she was fighting against some entity more powerful than herself. She gasped for air, and noticed Giles� breathing was erratic too. At first it seemed that the spell was having no effect. Ethan�s still form reappeared with each herb thrown into the fire only to vanish into the haze as the herbs burned out. But soon Willow noticed the shimmering air dissolve in patches. As they reached the final passage of the incantation, Giles slowly moved his hands in a spiral motion, first over the flame alone, then extending the movement to include Ethan.

"Leave this body you inhabit. Leave, you are no longer needed. Leave, you are no longer wanted. Leave, you are no longer welcome." The air cleared and Willow noticed her breathing was lighter. Ethan was on his knees in the centre of the pentagram, his eyes shut; no trace left of the haze that enveloped him only moments before.

"Would you like some water?" Giles asked.

"Yes, please." Ethan said hoarsely, never opening his eyes. Giles got up to retrieve the cups he placed on the nightstand earlier and walked to the bathroom.

Willow heard the sound of running water. She turned to look at Ethan. "Are you okay?"

"Fine", he said, smiling. "This one was easy."

"Oh."

Giles returned and handed Ethan a cup. The warlock thanked him and drank the water eagerly. Giles looked him over. "Shall we go on?" he asked.

"Whenever you�re ready," the lean man replied.

Willow was preparing the ingredients for the next stage. Soon the chanting resumed, all three mumbling the words in unison. Suddenly Ethan began to shake. The louder the chanting became, the more his expression became pained, and his breath came out in short, shallow gasps. Giles looked at him but kept chanting until Ethan fell to the floor. The watcher never stopped repeating Willow�s words, but he shifted his position and sat closer to Ethan, offering his hand. Ethan looked at him thankfully and held it tightly. He could no longer repeat the chanted words. A mist was forming in the centre of the circle, swirling angrily over the prone figure. The foggy column grew darker and denser, obstructing Willow�s view. She could still hear Giles repeating the words of the spell, but she could only barely make out the light of the farther candles. She remembered Giles� warning not to stop the chant, whatever happened, and kept on mumbling the words despite the oppressive atmosphere. She felt the power rise like a wave inside her. The light of the flame before her dimmed and she focused all her energy on the incantation. At length, she picked the final herb and took a deep breath before dropping it into the flame. The mist thinned out abruptly and dispersed. Then it was all over.

She looked up at Giles and smiled, relieved. "That was fairly harmless," he said, unknowingly echoing Ethan�s earlier reaction. Now the warlock was trembling on the floor, his breathing shallow.

He held onto Giles� hand like a drowning man, whispering between gasps, "Thank you � I owe you for this one�".

Giles held him until the shaking subsided, then held the glass to his lips. "Drink". Ethan sipped the water without letting go of the watcher�s hand. Giles looked up at Willow. "We�ll take a break now, I think." She noticed the concern in his voice and wondered again about the past relationship between the two men. Ethan leaned against Giles and closed his eyes. "Will he be alright?" she asked.

"I hope so," Giles whispered. "We have many more to go through, and exorcism is extremely demanding. Thankfully, he�s not actually possessed by anything."

"I�m not that stupid, Rupert.", Ethan commented from the floor.

"Eleven different demons?! That hardly constitutes a wise course of action."

"They have their uses," the dark warlock remarked, as he sat up, "But they can get out of hand".

"Somewhat." Giles noted dryly. "You see, Willow? That�s what magic will do to you if you�re not careful." Willow nodded eagerly, suddenly worried Giles might forbid her to continue with the exorcism.

"Stuffiness doesn�t suit you, Rupert" Ethan said.

Giles flashed him an angry glance. "Don�t push your luck, Ethan. Are you ready?"

They took their places again, Giles and Willow outside the circle, Ethan lying down in the centre. The moment the demon�s name was mentioned a large black snake appeared and slithered over Ethan�s body. Willow shivered, and the snake raised its head, its red beady eyes focused on her. She tried to shut out the vision of the slimy beast, staring at the candle beside her. The light of the candles in the circle dimmed, and they almost went out. The snake was hissing, coiling itself around the prone human. She felt herself growing weaker, getting dizzier as the reptile�s hiss buzzed in her ears, almost drowning any other sound. She tried to focus on Giles� strong voice, through the heavy smoke and noise. The words of the spell took on life and she heard herself repeating them with more emphasis, forcing herself to ignore the snake�s piercing eyes. The constant buzzing in her ears suddenly ceased. She looked up and saw the snake slithering off of Ethan and vanish as it reached the lines drawn on the floor. Ethan was lying motionless, breathing heavily. He was covered in sweat, but at least he did not seem to be in any physical pain. She looked up at Giles, who was drinking the remains of the water. "Are you okay?" he asked. Willow nodded. Giles walked over to the bathroom to refill the cups.

"Was that a snake demon?" she asked when he returned.

"Not really", he said, crouching beside Ethan to help him drink. "The shapes you see are in a way a reflection of your own expectations. Some demons don�t have one specific form. We sense their presence but our minds cannot accept the formlessness, so we superimpose a physical shape on them. Actually, they are quite revealing of our own personal fears", he noted, warming up to the topic.

"Are you going to tell us what shapes you see, Ripper?" Ethan said quietly. Giles was about to reply sharply, but decided against it. Despite the taunting words, Ethan looked very pale, and not up to a fight. He breathed deeply in exasperation and shut his eyes. The three sat in silence, resting awhile before dealing with another evil spirit.

Buffy was sitting on the landing outside the bedroom door. She could hear sounds from inside, growing stronger then fainter, repeatedly followed by periods of silence. She assumed those were the periods of rest between the spells. She wished she could be inside, to make sure that Giles and Willow were safe. Ethan she didn�t really care about. The room was silent now, and her head was pressed to the door, trying to catch the whispered conversation. She heard the stairs creak behind her and swung around, reaching for a stake. Spike grabbed her raised arm.

"Relax, slayer. It�s only us." Xander was quietly climbing the stairs behind the vampire. "Yeah, it got really boring down there. What's going on?"

"Dunno. It�s kind of quiet in there now. I guess they�re taking a break."

"Why are we even bothering with this guy?", Xander complained. "Giles doesn�t seem to like him much."

Spike stared at the young man in disbelief and repressed a laugh. "They have some... eh, old ties, I imagine. You guys have a wonderful denial mechanism." he chuckled. "Giles said that it�s our duty to help any human in trouble with the supernatural. Well, not only humans."

Buffy said looking at Spike. "He said it would prevent Ethan from being an inconvenience in the future. I don�t know why. Gratitude wouldn�t be one of his virtues."

Spike interrupted, "I don�t think that�s what he has in mind, pet. It�s not a wise move to annoy demons. Breaking a deal with a demon is likely to get you killed, or worse. Your watcher�s mate will want to keep a very low profile to evade his past masters."

"Meaning?" Buffy asked. Xander�s face was equally blank.

"Well, he won�t practice any big-time magic. That kind of energy will get someone�s attention, and he�d get into big trouble. He�ll have to sit on his ass for a while. Besides, that spell will make him as weak as a puppy for a month or so"

"That Ethan guy? I�m sure he�ll find some way to cause trouble. He�s good at it." Xander pointed out.

"Just as long as he stays out of my hair when he does that" Buffy said threateningly.

Inside the room, Giles looked at Ethan in disbelief. He was just given the names of the next, and last, four demons. "Reshef and Muttabriqu?" he stared at the note in his hand, where Ethan wrote down the details, the scrawl barely readable.

"What purpose on earth would they serve?" Ethan chuckled. "Believe it or not, pyrotechnics. It was a party and I was actually stoned enough to try it out. Didn�t want to tell you about it old man. It was when we were still hanging together. Remember your 21st birthday?" Giles nodded and smiled, and Ethan continued, "I wanted it to be special. All the lights and colours and smoke..."

Giles stopped him. "You summoned demons for a fireworks display? What�s gotten into you?!"

"You liked it very much at the time, Ripper," Ethan said defensively.

Giles gave an exasperated sigh, and read on. After a few seconds, he lifted his head again. "Tohu? Not that it�s such a big surprise, but don�t you ever learn?" Ethan shrugged, and Giles kept on reading. When he looked up again, Willow was ready to giggle. His face was red, and he looked like he was babysitting a bunch of two year olds. "Siduri? Why this one Ethan? you don�t even need it! For crying out loud, the ritual itself�"

"Was rather amusing," the dark eyed man interrupted. "Can we please avoid sweating over each and every one of those? I made mistakes, I admit it. What do you want me to do, Rupert, pay my debt to society?"

Giles grunted quietly, "Yes, I think you should," a comment Ethan chose to ignore. "Okay then," Giles put the note down and eyed Ethan questioningly. "Ready for the last round?". Willow nodded, and after a minute Ethan did too. They lit the candles again, and placed new herbs in the bowl which was sitting between Giles and Willow. The watcher gave his trainee some last-minute instructions, and they started the new round of chants. "Back away demon, leave this body, leave this soul, get out and stay out..."

That was it. Willow felt very relieved. They began the first few lines of the very last spell, the last demon to be exorcised. And besides feeling a little dizzy and weakened, everything was fine. No one was turned into a rat. She had finished pronouncing the words along with the men when she felt as though a flash of light went right through her. A bright light exploded in the room, followed by demonic laughter. Ethan shouted once, and then all the lights in the house went out.

Giles couldn�t feel Ethan moving anymore. He frantically searched for a pulse, mumbling "You can�t die on me, Ethan! It�s inconsiderate, wake up, damn it, Ethan, wake up�"

Finally, a quiet, breathy whisper came from the dark figure on the floor. "I�m okay, Rupert. Check on the redhead. She�s awfully quiet."

"Are you guys okay?" Buffy�s voice came from outside the door. "Can I come in? We fixed the lights! Is everyone alive?".

She was relieved to hear Giles� voice from within. "Yes, Buffy, we�re fine. You can come in now." She opened the door, switched on the light and gasped in shock. Willow was extremely pale, and so was Giles, but what stunned her most of all was Ethan. He was lying limp in Giles� arms, looking like he�d been in an accident, pale, black circles around his closed eyes, his lips almost purple. "Is he dead?" she asked.

"No, he�s breathing, but it�s very shallow. He should stay the night here where we can watch over him. He can�t be left alone in this condition, he�s much too weak."

Buffy looked at Giles and Willow, commenting, "You two don�t look like a coffee ad either, you know. How about we all stay here, downstairs, for the night? We could help in case something goes wrong and some demon wants him back. Though I can�t see why�"

Giles looked uncomfortable with the idea, but had to admit it made sense. "But there isn�t enough room for all of us, and besides, what will your parents say when they find out? There is only one bed and the sofa downstairs�"

"I�ll bring my sleeping-bag, and I know you have one here somewhere, and we�ll manage. Our parents don�t need to know. They think we�re at the dorm. I�m not leaving you here alone with the Roadrunner." Giles had to agree with her. They made the arrangements. Ethan got the bed since he was in the worst shape and Giles slept in a sleeping bag on the floor near him. Willow got the sofa, and Buffy slept beside her in another sleeping bag. Xander and Spike occupied the living room rug. They all hoped the rest of the night would be uneventful.

*****
Part 2:

In the darkened living room, the slayerettes were discussing the evening�s events. Xander opened up, asking no one in particular, "So, what was that all about?" Buffy gladly jumped at the opportunity to start a conversation and avoid going to sleep. "Anyone else totally wigged by Ethan on our doorstep?"

"As much as I was by Angelus suddenly appearing in Sunnyhell." Spike noted dryly. Xander still persisted. "So why did Giles help him anyway?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upstairs, Giles didn�t know what had woken him. He stirred, searched blindly for his glasses and looked at the clock. 02:14 AM. He wondered if it was a dream that disturbed his turbulent sleep, but then he heard the soft sound again. Ethan was silently sobbing in his sleep. He sat up in his sleeping bag, and looked at the man on the bed, twisting from side to side. //He must be dreaming, poor soul. What a terrible experience. He looks like he�s in need of affection�// he caught himself. //What the hell am I thinking?// The sobs from the bed became louder, and the sleeper was breathing frantically, faster and faster; then the noise stopped abruptly. "Ethan? Are you awake?" Giles whispered.

"Rupert?... I, I think I had a nightmare. Not sure about what�" Giles got out of the sleeping bag and up on the bed. He sat by Ethan�s side, wiping the sweat from the pale man�s face with his sleeve. "Stay with me �till morning?" Ethan didn�t look in Giles� eyes. //It must really be agony, for Ethan to ask me something like that�// Giles thought. Out loud he said, "Sure. I�ll be here. You just go to sleep now, Ethan, you need the rest." He tried to hide the concern in his voice and sound indifferent. But he never could fool Ethan.

The dark-haired man sat up in bed. "You do care about me, don�t you? The whole �I�m a watcher and it is my duty� was crap. The watcher in you is dead, isn�t he? Buried with his goddamned tweed. Good riddance, too, if you ask me."

"Which I didn�t, if you recall." Giles was getting angry. Ethan�s words had been too close to the truth. "Shut up, Ethan, and go back to sleep." He got off the bed and crawled back into his sleeping bag.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Downstairs, Willow was trying half-heartedly to defend the two men. "Well, he couldn�t just leave him like that�they were friends, and, well, it�s a hard spell. I can�t believe I did this spell!"

"But he could turn against us!" Buffy interjected. "He could� I dunno, turn us all into toads in the night, when we sleep!"

"No he couldn�t. This bloke won�t be playing with magic for years." Spike repeated what he�d said earlier.

"So you say", Xander stated suspiciously.

"I�m telling you, it would be a bloody suicide." Spike insisted. "Doesn�t strike me as the dumb type, this Ethan. He�ll be a goodie-two-shoes like me, for a while."

"Really? Poor thing." Willow said, suddenly realising how devastating it would be to stop practising witchcraft, once you�re accustomed to it. "What�ll happen if he keeps casting?"

"Don�t know, I only heard of it." Spike replied. "Something terrible, anyway."

Buffy still wasn�t convinced. "Who told you that?"

"Funny you should ask" Spike grinned. "Your ex, in a situation very much like the one your watcher is in right now."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Meaning?"

"Guess." The blond vampire insinuated.

"I don�t want to hear about it." Xander wrinkled his nose. "Exactly." Spike concluded.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Upstairs, Giles woke up again but didn�t know why. He had a feeling he was being watched. He sat up and looked around, disoriented. The room was dark and he could only barely discern the darker shadow of the bed on his right. //What the hell am I doing on the floor?// Then he remembered. He looked up at the bed and felt a warm tingle travel down his spine. Ethan was wide awake, leaning on his arm; the dark eyes fixed on his former friend. "Are you alright?" Giles asked, trying to avoid the dark gaze, trying to repress the memories of all those nights so long ago, waking to Ethan�s eyes on him, Ethan�s hands...

Ethan smiled at the note of concern in his voice. "I�m fine. Just enjoying the view." Giles stiffened, trying to conceal the discomfort, anger and excitement that surged through him. //Relax, old man. Don�t let him get to you. And don�t snap at him now. The cocky bastard must be exhausted, despite his taunt.// "I miss you." Ethan said, eyes still on him.

"Indeed?" Giles replied dryly.

"Honestly, Rupert. I mean it."

"Honestly!?" Giles snapped, momentarily losing control; angry with himself for giving in to images of the past and at Ethan for evoking these images. "Like when you honestly didn�t have anything going on with Deirdre and she wouldn�t mind about us...?" //Why don�t you make this sound even more like a lovers� tiff? Damn! //

"Well, it wasn�t all bad." Ethan said defensively.

"No, it wasn�t" Giles finally responded grudgingly as visions of their life together flooded his mind. Two young men talking, laughing, clubbing, casting spells... loving...

"But it was foolish and dangerous!", he added sharply, trying to block out the memories. "We were young", the worn out man replied calmly. "Think of the good times, Ru."

The old nickname sent a shiver down Giles� spine, awakening flashes of all that they had shared so long ago. All the forbidden pleasures... He was shaken to realise he was hardening rapidly. He shifted uncomfortably, hoping that Ethan won�t notice. The blankets rustled and Ethan joined him on the sleeping bag, his eyes burning like coals. Giles� breath caught, as images of the past mingled with the present. "Ethan, No." he said feebly, as Ethan�s hand slid under his waistband. "You should be resting."

"I can still lend a hand to a good friend", Ethan whispered in his ear. His expert fingers rubbed against the warm hardness underneath the fabric.

Giles� mind clouded and he surrendered, letting the sensations rush through him as the hand sped up its rhythm. His breathing quickened and after a rather short period of time he came, suppressing a shout that threatened to slip out and wake the youngsters sleeping downstairs.

Ethan licked his own fingers, his expression thoughtful. Giles glanced at Ethan, who was leaning against the bed, smiling. He forced himself up, and helped Ethan back into the bed. The weakened man clung to his arm. "Don�t leave me, Ru."

Giles looked down at him. He took a deep breath and stretched down beside him. He felt Ethan curl up against him. No, it wasn�t all bad, Giles thought as he fell asleep again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"I�m going upstairs to see Giles is safe." Buffy said decidedly, suddenly grasping the meaning behind Spike�s words.

"Oh, for fuck�s sake, slayer, let your watcher have his fun." Spike sighed.

Buffy rushed to the aid of her watcher�s reputation. "His fun isn�t what you think, you demented vampire. Last time Ethan was here Giles� fun was to make him bleed!"

"What makes you think that�s not what I was talking about?" Spike said innocently.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The dreams he was having were so very weird� predictable, really, after dealing with demons and magic. But those visions... He saw things from the past. Not bad, sad things usually brought on by dealing with demons, but pleasant, sweet, warm memories, of him and Ethan talking about growing old together. They hadn�t meant it back then, of course, weren�t thinking so far into the future, but they were teasing each other about it, what it would be like. And he remembered Ethan�s voice, as clear as if he was hearing it now, //You�ll have grey hair, and we�ll make brownies together, and every week we�ll go shopping, for groceries and stuff.// And he could hear his younger self answering wickedly into the dark eyes, //And we�ll have more sex than the entire watchers� council had from the beginning of time.// And Ethan's reply, //Of course, more than twice in a millennium!// And they laughed, and cuddled. It all seemed so nice those days, so pure. Even all the evil seemed like child�s play. They were so naive, so foolish� but they never meant to harm anyone.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Willow was still wrapped in thought of the consequences of the spell. "You mean, no magic at all?" Spike was glad of the distraction.

"No big stuff, that�s for sure. Just flying pencils and stuff like that. Or he�s toast." "Poor Ethan�" Willow said without thinking.

Buffy looked at her in disbelief. "Poor Ethan? He tried to kill us, remember?" "I like him already," Spike commented.

Xander summed up his take on the subject. "I don�t like this Ethan guy, and personally I think we should make sure Giles doesn�t do him any more favours."

"I thought we agreed to let the watcher have fun?" Spike smirked.

"Spike, shut up." Buffy snapped. "You one-track minded undead perv."

"That�s why you like me." Spike retorted contentedly.

"Eww. You�re daydreaming."

Xander said, deep in thought, "Wouldn�t it be night-dreaming for a vampire?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Was it a dream? Giles didn�t know what woke him up again. Not that his sleep was ever peaceful; it was the uneasy sleep of those responsible for others� lives, but this was different. He glanced at the clock again. //Damn it! 04:53. What was it?// Ethan�s breathing sounded even and deep. He was okay, apparently. So what was it? Ethan was facing away from him, and he couldn�t make a clear view of the sleeping man. He bent over him to look at his face. Dark eyes opened suddenly, staring into his green ones. Giles fell forward, startled. "Damn it, Ethan, you scared me!" he breathed, and then felt the man beneath him move.

Ethan took the other man�s face in his hands and kissed his lips softly. "I�m okay, Ripper. You just go to sleep, I�ll be fine." He said sleepily, before turning on his side, throwing his arms around his former lover�s body, and falling back to sleep, curled around the man in the bed.

Giles just stayed there, stunned. He didn�t know what to do. Not that he had a problem waking Ethan rudely before, but this time... when the man was so sick, virtually exhausted... He decided to just stay where he was. He had promised Ethan to stay by his side until morning... Eventually, he fell asleep in Ethan�s arms.

*****
To be continued...