Living In A Moment
Disclaimer - Nothing here belongs to me. All characters are property of Joss Whedon and the WB.
Author's Notes - This story is based on the video of Ty Herndon's song Living in a Moment - lyrics at the end! - which doesn't belong to me either. The story popped into my head one night, and wouldn't leave me until I wrote it. Feedback - yes please!
Giles waited in the arrivals hall at Heathrow Airport, nervously checking his watch and the arrivals board every other minute. He'd been here already for a good thirty minutes, and the plane wasn't due for at least another ten. Unless the dratted thing was running late, which was always a possibility. He marveled at the way technology had made it possible for people to receive new body parts, or communicate instantly with others on the far side of the globe, yet running any transport system efficiently and on time seemed to be an impossibility. He'd already read through that days Times - or to be more precise, he'd tried hard to read it before giving up and throwing it in the bin. He couldn't think, couldn't read, couldn't concentrate.
All he could do was think of her.
The last time he'd seen her was after the final battle, at Buffy's funeral. He'd known at the time that he was going back to England - there were just too many memories in Sunnydale for him to stay there. He'd looked at her as they buried her best friend, standing in between himself and Xander. She hadn't cried then, she said all her tears were gone. But the look in her eyes broke his heart. It was as if all the life, all the hope had gone out of her. She looked broken.
All he had wanted to do was comfort her.
He'd known however that if he did that, he'd never want to leave her. So he let her be comforted by Xander. They had needed each other. Not him.
So he'd left. Gone back to England, rejoined the Watchers. Only to act as researcher though - he made it abundantly clear that he didn't want to train another Slayer ever again.
It surprised him though that he couldn't quite leave Willow behind.
He thought of her constantly, especially when he was using the infernal machine, as he insisted on calling his computer. Willow had taught him more than he realised about using it, and it was her voice he heard when he was thinking through any complicated procedures. He remembered other things about her too. Like how the way she smiled could light up a room. Like how dedicated she was to helping him and Buffy, often pulling all-nighters with him to find out about whatever vampire or demon was threatening the world this week. How proud she'd been when she had robbed the pages out of the Mayor's books to help them stop the Ascension. How beautiful and happy she looked on Graduation Day. How happy she'd been with Oz, and how much pain she'd been in when he'd left. He'd wanted to kill Oz for that.
Mostly though, he remembered her from that day at the graveyard. I guess this is goodbye she'd said to him, her chin wobbling crazily in her resolve face, determined not to cry. He could imagine what she was thinking. As if losing her best friend wasn't bad enough, now he was leaving her too. He'd simply taken her into his arms and held on to her as tightly as he could, trying to put all the feelings he couldn't verbalise into that hug. After an all-too-brief eternity, he let her go, and kissed her gently on the top of her head. He'd told her to take care of herself, shaken hands with Xander and walked off without looking back.
He should have remembered Willow's determination though. She had decided she wasn't going to let him sever all contact with her, and she didn't let him. She had his email address from an earlier visit he had made to Britain, and she had bombarded him with chatty Willow emails until he replied. He knew he could have changed his address, or just ignored her, but he didn't have the heart to do that. He never could refuse Willow. Which explained how she finagled his mailing address out of him, and sent him long handwritten letters, as well as email, telling him all the news. He never did tell anyone how much he valued those letters, how he treasured seeing her writing on the page, smelling the faint scent of her perfume from them.
Then a month ago, she'd written him that she was graduating from college. Her parents were giving her a present - a round trip plane ticket, anywhere in the world she wanted to go. Would he mind if she came to visit him?
He never could refuse her.
Which was how he came to be standing in Heathrow Airport, nervous as a teenager on his first date, waiting for Willow, whose plane had just landed. People were already spilling out of the doors, greeting friends and families with squeals and hugs. He scanned the crowd for the girl he hadn't seen in almost eighteen months.
He recognised her immediately, in spite of that. Her hair was long again now, falling halfway down her back as she pushed the luggage trolley through the doors, immediately searching for him. She didn't spot him at first, giving him time to admire her. She had dressed casually for travelling, jeans, boots and a long sweater. He could also see she'd taken his advice about the English summer weather - a raincoat was slung across the top of the trolley. She looked more confident than he remembered, more sure of herself. This was not the girl he had left at the graveyard that day, to be cared for by Xander - this was a woman, more than capable of taking care of herself.
This was a woman who had at last spotted him, and a huge smile spread across her face.
A woman who let out a little girl squeal, and fairly hurled herself into his arms.
To say that he was surprised would be understating the fact somewhat, but for once in his life, Giles just enjoyed the moment.
When he saw Willow coming towards him, he'd known instantly what she was going to do, and reacted accordingly. So when she leaped into his arms, he twirled her around in the air, and when he finally set her down on the ground, he just held her. Eventually, he loosened his hold on her, just enough so that he could look into her eyes. She met his gaze, and time seemed to slow down and then halt. This was the moment that he had waited years for, the moment he thought he'd never have, the moment he would happily die for.
With the world still in slow motion, he leaned down towards her as she reached up to him, and their lips met in the softest, sweetest kiss either of them had ever imagined.
The world came back into focus and they pulled away from each other. Giles knew without a doubt that the broad grin on Willow's face was matched on his own.
"Come along Willow," he said, when he remembered how to speak. "Let's get you home."
Willow's smile went up another notch, and Giles' heart leapt in response. With one arm around her shoulders, the other helping her to steer the trolley, they walked out of the airport, into a new beginning.... a new life.
Living in a Moment
Well the world just lost two lonely people
The world just lost two broken hearts
The odds were against it but baby here we are
In our own little place in our own little corner
This old cold world just got a little warmer
For the rest of my life I'm gonna hold you in my arms
Chorus
And when they carve my stone all they need to write on it
Is once lived a man who got all he ever wanted
Tell me something, who could ask for more
Than to be living in a moment you would die for
If I never get rich on what money can buy
It don't matter to me and I'll tell you why
I've got it all when I'm holding you this way
I'll live to love you, I'd die to keep you
Safe inside these arms that need you
I'll be loving you with the very last breath I take
Chorus
And when they carve my stone all they need to write on it
Is once lived a man who got all he ever wanted
Tell me something, who could ask for more
Than to be living in a moment you would die for
bridge
Ashes to ashes dust into dust
I’ll lay beside you forever in love
Chorus
And when they carve my stone all they need to write on it
Is once lived a man who got all he ever wanted
Tell me something, who could ask for more
Than to be living in a moment
Loving every minute
Tell me something, who could ask for more
Than to be living in a moment you would die for
(1996)Pat Price Music/Sydney Erin Music (BMI)