In the Real World

Title: In the Real World
Summary: This fic was inspired by ummm… Not really a clue. What would happen if Buffy and Giles meet in the "real world" no vamps, no slayer, nada….
Pairing: Buffy/Giles
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my sick demented mind and you don't want that anyway. It all belongs to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Fox and anyone else who has a claim. I make no money form this just pure enjoyment. Please don't sue.
Feedback: Yes, yes, yes, yes. Please, please, please give it too me. Flaming welcome.
Author's Note: My muse ran away so I have to go find it.
Rating: This part is PG-13 maybe R, at most for Wordy dirds but will become NC17 at some point. ::evil grin::
Spoilers: None, nada, never happened
Dedication: A special thanks to my Beta, sailorpluto19, for fixing my many ramblings.


Chapter 1: Her Hero

The Mall Courtyard Eatery…

"I'm telling you Ripper she's watching you."

"Don't be absurd Ethan, she's half my age and that young bloke she's with is more than likely her boyfriend"

"I don't know Rupert, I think Ethan is right, she's defiantly been make'n eyes at you"

"Thank you William" was the response from Ethan as he raised a forkful of noodles to his mouth.

"I think you are both full of shit and I am just going to sit here, eat my lunch and ignore you." Trying to hide the slight smirk on his face, he lifted his cup to his lips and took a drink.

He couldn't help that his eyes slide over to the table of young people halfway across the courtyard. She was incredibly beautiful and every thing about her radiated an odd sense of maturity. He scanned what could be seen of her body from behind the table, he slowly made his way up to her face and when he reached her eyes, he found them staring back. His eyes widened as she smiled, he'd been caught; he blushed and quickly looked away. He heard a snicker come from either one or both of the two men that he sat with.

"Not one word." He threatened glaring at first the dark haired Ethan then the bleach blonde William. They both smiled, looked to one another then shrugged as if to say `who me?'

Across the courtyard…

The red head smiled and elbowed the thin blonde.

"He's cute, older but really cute."

"Hey! Boyfriend sitting right here Wil" said the dark, moppy haired young man while pointing to himself.

"Oh, sorry Xander" Willow giggled "I still love ya though," she leaned over and gave him a little kiss and nuzzled his nose, then turning back to her friend "He is a hottie though don't you think Buffy?"

"Xander?" Buffy wrinkled her nose in confusion

. "Not Xander…"

"Hey!"

"… Although yes, I think he's a hottie, but I was talking about that older guy over there whose goodies you've been ogling since we sat down."

"I have not been ogling his goodies," she started "well, okay maybe a little". She smiled when she saw the other girls' skeptical looks.

Xander stood and waved his hands back and forth in front of his chest as if warding off an evil bee.

"Okay, I think I'm going to go get more food now, I feel a 'man meat' conversation coming on and really, so not wanting to go to the bad visual place you guys always take me." With that, he headed off to find more food. The girls looked at one another and giggled.

Willow looked to the other much quieter blonde seated at the table with them.

"What do you think Tara? Hot or not?"

"Oh I…I think he's sexy but…" she stopped short

"But?" Buffy urged.

"But I like the other one b…b…better" she smiled shyly. Buffy and Willow both turned their attentions to the other two men at the table. Willow made a funny face and Buffy wrinkled her nose as she turns back to Tara.

"Please tell me that you mean the blonde, cause the other one" she shrugged her shoulders and gave a little shutter "he's just…"

"Gives me the wiggins." Willow inserted matter of factly. Buffy nodded her agreement.

"I think he might be gay too." Tara giggled and blushed. "But, yes, I meant the Blonde."

"Oh, Tara's into the `bad boy' look. Who'da thunk?" The silly comment marked Xander's return to the table. He had a tray loaded with an assortment of food.

"How can you eat so much all at once?" Buffy queried. When Xander just shrugged and began downing a cheeseburger, she laughed and shook her head. "So has anyone else started working on that paper for Prof…SHIT!" her eyes grew wide and she tried to duck behind Willow's head and cover her face with her hand at the same time "please don't see me, please don't see me. Did he see me?" her question was directed at no one in particular as her eyes held steady on the table.

"Who?" Willow asked not wanting to turn and draw whoever's attention. Xander and Tara, who were both in a good line of vision, discreetly scanned the area. Xander saw him first and his mouth instantly became a tight line of anger and his eyes narrowed into tiny slits. Tara saw him next, her brow furrowed and she bit in her bottom lip. Seeing the reaction of the others Willow knew without a doubt who it had to be. "Not *him*. I thought he moved to LA, what's he doing back here?" she let out an exasperated sigh and blew at her bangs. Moments later the voice came floating over her head, sleek, sexy and dangerous.

"Hello Buffy." Buffy grimaced at the table then slowly raised her head to meet his piercing dark eyes. His face was still as handsome as it ever was, even with the sly snake like grin he was sporting, and she felt the pangs shot through her once again.

"Angel." She said flatly wanting to hide the pain that seeing him again had brought.

"What no hug?" Angel said sarcastically adding a fake pout.

"Look Angel, I'm warning you…" Xander said as he began to stand. Buffy reached over and placed her hand on his.

"No, Xander, it's okay, I'll handle this." She stood up looking more confident than she felt. "Angel I have nothing to say to you and you can't possibly have anything to say to me that I would want to hear so please, just go." She didn't wait for his response before she turned and beat a hasty retreat toward the bathrooms as the tears, already stinging her eyes, threatened to no longer be held back. She had almost made it through the gathering of tables when she felt his hand grab her wrist, hard.

"Where are you going? I wasn't finished." He said as he swung her around to face him. She tried in vain to release herself form his grip then dropped her arm in resignation.

"Angel please", she pleaded, "just leave me alone. Let go." She was speaking of more than just her wrist and he knew it. He snorted angrily and tightened his grip on her wrist.

"You're not going anywhere until you hear what I have to say." He tightened his hold yet again as if to emphasize his point.

"Angel please," she was all but begging now "you're hurting me". She gave her wrist a gentle tug, testing whether he would let her go, when it became obvious that he had no intention of doing so, her lips quivered and she felt the first tears fall silently down her cheeks. That's when she saw him.

She hadn't realized until now that her path to the bathroom had led her mere feet from the table of men that she and the others had been talking about minutes earlier. She glanced at him, her eyes silently pleading for his assistance. For a moment, she thought he didn't understand or maybe didn't care, then she saw his face harden and his eyes glint with what appeared to be fury. She found herself releasing a breath she was unaware she had been holding as she saw him stand and make his way to her side. She was unable to shake the odd thought that entered her mind, that by her side was right were he was meant to be.

"I believe she asked you to leave her alone." His voice was deep and accented and if it weren't for the circumstances, she thought she might have melted at the sound.

"And I don't believe that this is any of your business grandpa, so why don't you go back to the denture hut and mind your own." Angel spit out sharply. Rupert stepped forward menacingly and glared at the younger man as if he was trying to burn a hole straight through his face.

"And now I'm telling you to leave her alone," he said as if the other man hadn't even spoken "That is unless you're itching to give this `grandpa' a go". He added with a hint of challenge. Angel turned his attention back to Buffy who was looking up at the older man with a small smile and wide tear soaked, puppy dog eyes.

"You know this clown Buffy?" he asked in a slightly wavering tone.

Buffy's smile dropped as she looked to Rupert, searching him for an answer.

Rupert stood there, inches from the younger man wondering what he should say when a crazy idea occurred to him and he blurted it out before he had a chance to stop himself. "Actually, Buffy and I are dating, monogamously I might add, so I would greatly appreciated it if you would remove your hand from around my girlfriend's wrist." as he finished he reached down and freed Buffy's wrist from the now shocked Angel's grip.

Rupert received a bit of a shock as well as he felt Buffy's arms wrap around his waist and she cuddled into his side. In turn, he placed his left arm around Buffy's shoulders protectively and together they turned and began to walk away. Once Angel had processed the information he had just received he spoke, the jealously and venom in his voice almost tangible.

"God, Parker was right wasn't he Buffy?" Rupert noticed that Buffy stiffened "You really will give it up to anyone." Rupert stopped their forward momentum and released Buffy's shoulders, he knew what came next, and he wasn't having any of it. He began to turn. Buffy released her grip on his waist. "You're just a two-bit whore! Like a doorknob, everybody gets a…" he never got to finish his pun as Rupert's arm flashed out at him and his fist connected with the side of his; face right at his sculpted cheek bone. Angel, taken unawares fell to the ground, out cold. Rupert took a step forward so that he was standing over him grinning down on him like a predator about to swallow its prey. Most of the heads that had turned to watch were now returning to the plates before them.

"You really must learn to be more polite, bad things tend to happen to rude people." He turned back to Buffy. "Are you alright?" he gave a lopsided grin as he watched her shocked face turn from Angel's prone form to look at him, she blinked rapidly a few times as if tying to process what had just taken place.

"You knocked him out?"

"It would appear so, yes."

"I mean one hit, out cold, like KO, goodnight not so sweet Angel."

"Well I did catch him in a rather sensitive area." He grin at her then held out his hand "I'm Rupert by the way, Rupert Giles, It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss…" she looked at it his hand then back up at him before she threw herself at his chest and flung her arms around his neck. He stumbled back a few step out of surprise before regaining his composure and returning the hug.

"Summers", she whispered in his ear "Buffy Summers. And you're my hero. Thank you so much." He couldn't help but chuckle and she released his neck and took a step back blushing slightly.

"Sorry `bout that I got a little…excited." She was studying her feet.

"Not at all. I wonder if you might be interested in meeting a few of my mates?" he hitched his thumb toward the table he has previously occupied.

"Mates?"

He laughed again, and she couldn't help but notice that it was a very sexy manly laugh that made his incredible green eyes sparkle.

"Friends. I'm sorry sometimes I forget that I'm no longer in England. I meant would you like to meet my friends?" She looked over to the table and then back to Willow, Tara, and Xander all of who were watching in awe at the events taking place.

"Sure, I would love to. Lead on my gallant knight." He held out his arm and she obliged by looping hers into it and they made their way to his table.