At Willow's Dorm Room:

Giles slammed the book down on the desk. He couldn't believe that after half a day's research, they still hadn't turned up anything. And to add insult to injury, Willow's blasted machine didn't even work. So, there was absolutely no way to retrieve any information from the 'webby' thing.

Willow looked up and noticed Giles pacing. She understood his frustration completely. After searching through piles and piles of books, they still hadn't found any solution to their muteness. Even her computer wouldn't budge. She thought she had fine tooth combed her hard drive for any viruses, but somehow a pesky one slipped its way through. Now, she had no computer, no Internet, no email, no nothing to research.

And to make matters even worse, the silence in the air was driving her crazy. She and Giles couldn't talk, couldn't whistle, couldn't do anything that required the vocal cords. They spent most of the time researching in complete silence and when they did have to communicate,....well, it was like playing Charades.

Hands moving wildly, like they both were directing traffic, feet stomping, and pointing...there was a lot of pointing going on. They tried to mouth the words to each other but found it to be useless, since it required both of them to be near each other at all times to even try to figure out the words.

And writing...well that was a bust. They had also tried that in the beginning, but found it to be too time consuming, and to be truthful, too frustrating. So, that was tossed.

'Good thing for hands,' Willow thought as she moved her hand wildly, signaling for Giles' attention.

Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye, Giles looked up and saw Willow gesturing to him. Nodding, in acknowledgment, he strode closer to her, waiting for her to continue.

Pointing to the book, Willow shook her head, conveying to him that she hadn't found anything. He nodded in agreement, and sat down on her bed sighing inwardly.

Swiveling her chair to face him,Willow shrugged her shoulders, as if asking 'What do we do now?'

Glancing at his watch, Giles pointed to the door, indicating that they should leave. Nodding, Willow stood up, gathered her things and walked to the door. Giles reached for the doorknob, turned it and ..nothing. The knob wouldn't budge.

Looking at Willow, his eyes asked her,'What's wrong with the door?'. Shrugging, Willow grabbed the knob and turned it, twisted it..but no go.

'What happened?' she thought. Twisting it, left and right, the door shook as Willow tried to open it. Giles stepped in, shaking her arm away with his hand. Gripping it tightly, he twisted and twisted till his hand turned red, but nothing happened.

They were stuck.

'Great. Just bloody great. Could this day possibly get any worse?' Giles wondered, as he kicked the door in frustration.

Willow jumped, staring at Giles a little worriedly. He turned to her and saw her face. Breathing deeply, he came up to her and cast his eyes to the ground in apology.

'I didn't mean to lose control. I'm just so damn frustrated that's all,' was what he wanted to say , but couldn't.

She smiled sympathetically, squeezing Giles' hand in understanding. At that moment, Giles felt a surge of heat course through him at her touch. She'd always been able to drive him to incoherentness with her mere presence. But, the times she touched him, caused all rational thought to leave him. Even the slightest touch, made his knees weak. He looked down and saw her face flushed, a small shiver run through her. He idly wondered if she felt a shock too.

She knew she shouldn't have. Knew that she was stepping in dangerous territory, but she couldn't help herself.

Willow had wanted to reassure Giles that everything was going to be okay. That they would get through this. She wanted to tell him that, but wasn't able to. So, she told him the only way she could....by squeezing his hand.

The minute her hand grabbed his, her insides went to jelly. Warm, strong, rugged, Giles' hand was the perfect hand for a man. It was the type of hand, you knew could handle the strongest enemy, lift up the heaviest wood, his hands showed that they had been through hell and back and survived.

But at the same time, Giles' hands also conveyed another strength. A strength of passion. Rough as they were, they also were the type that soothed. Tender and loving, Willow knew his hands were gentle as a lamb as they were rough as a stallion.

Countless times, she was soothed by his touch. The instant his hand would touch her shoulder or hold her hand, all that was problematic seemed to go away. Through his hands, Giles was able to comfort her more than most people did with words.

Realizing she had been holding his hand longer than she should have, Willow dropped it like a hot potato and fidgeted. Giles, cleared his throat somewhat out of embarrassment and glanced around, deciding what to do.

Willow pointed to the window and ran over. Joining her, Giles looked down and shook his head. There was no way they could escape from four stories up without breaking their necks. Unless they were Spiderman.

Touching her shoulder, Willow moaned inwardly at the contact. She gazed at him,as he shook his head sadly. Shrugging, she turned and flopped on the bed.

Giles sat on Buffy's bed, facing her. Leaning over, he rested on his knees, as if saying, 'What do we do now?'

Making a face, she shrugged, idly wondering 'If I keep shrugging, I'm gonna turn into the Hunchback of Notre Dame.' An idea came to her and she pointed to the books, indicating that they should research.

He waved no, trying to tell her that he was tired. He removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes, then stared at her. Willow smiled in understanding. She'd managed to figure out that Giles was tired of researching, and truthfully so was she.

Sitting there in silence, each one looked at each other wondering what to do. They couldn't use the phone. That was out of the question. So was emailing. No computer, no Internet, no email.

Giles turned and Willow followed his gaze to the door. Both of them jumped up and started to bang on it incessantly, hoping someone could hear.

Nobody was responding, and it suddenly occurred to Willow why. Grabbing Giles' arms to stop, she turned him to face her. He looked at her, confusion in his eyes.

Eyeing her questioningly, he huffily motioned with his hands, 'Why did you stop?'

Pointing to the door, Willow gestured with her hands, saying that no one was going to come. She criss-crossed her hands in an 'X' fashion, hoping he'd understand that she was trying to tell him nobody was coming. Pointing once more to the door,'God, if I keep pointing anymore, my finger is permanently going to stick that way,' she gestured with her finger in an arc, conveying that she was talking about the people outside of the room.

Smiling, Giles finally got the message. 'She's trying to tell me that no one was out there.'

'Why?' he shrugged.

Holding up a finger to focus his attention closely, Willow waved her hand up and down, as if bouncing a ball. Giles watched intently as Willow bounced her hand then lifted it up in the air, slamming it down.

Giles stared at her confused.

'Basketball Giles... basketball..' she pleaded mentally, wishing she had mental telepathy.

Repeating her gestures, Willow looked at him expectantly. 'AH!!! Basketball!!' he said to himself, nodding and repeating her gesture. Willow smiled, thankful that he understood that a big basketball game was on and practically the whole campus was attending.

Giles plopped down in the chair, while Willow went to the fridge. Opening it, she found something to drink, then glanced in his direction, catching his eye.

Gesturing to the coke, she silently asked him if he wanted a drink. He waved no and Willow nodded. Opening the coke, she made a mental note to call dorm maintenance as soon as her voice was back, and when they got out of here. Willow intended to have them fix the knob before they got trapped again. 'What am I thinking? By the time dorm maintenance answers my request, the school year will be over.' she said to herself.

Plopping down on her bed, she crossed her legs and gazed at Giles expectantly. He glanced back at her with a look that said, 'What do you want me to do?'

A silly thought popped into her head. Straightening up, Willow smiled sweetly and stared back at him, her eyes locked onto his. The intensity of the stare caught Giles off guard and he wondered what she was going to do next.

After a few, she still hadn't moved and Giles finally realized what was going on. She was playing the 'who can stare the longest' game with him, watching in delight as registration finally appeared on his face.

'Ah! So, she wants to play have a little fun to pass the time. Well, two can play at this game.' Giles shifted his chair, so that he could face her head on. Ducking his head for a sec, he raised it and flashed her a Ripper piercing gaze, his eyes fixed completely on hers.

Not expecting a response from him, Willow was slightly surprised at the sudden gaze he inflicted on her. Intense and sharp, his olive green eyes pored into her emerald ones, so deeply that Willow felt like he could see down into her soul. That he could see everything that she tried to bury deep, especially from him.

Recovering somewhat, Willow returned his stare, mentally putting on her 'resolve face'. Giles grinned to himself, thinking 'Resolve face..hmmm' and deepened the stare if that was possible.

And with Willow it was....

Emerald green, with flecks of light that sometimes reminded Giles of fairy dust, Willow's eyes told more than any words could. Deep and doe-like, one could get lost in their depths, drowning in their sweetness.

He remembered the first day he saw her. Shy and quiet, she came into the library like a pixie. When they had introduced themselves, all he could see was her beautiful eyes. Innocence and purity, her eyes held an openness that he had rarely seen before or since that day, in anybody.

Even on that first day, Willow had captivated him in more ways than he could count. 'Bewitching' he thought, as all those memories surfaced during the staring game.

Willow kept staring, not wanting to break contact. Not because she didn't want to lose but because she didn't want to stop looking into his eyes. Those gorgeous olive with a dash of hazel eyes, that had captured her heart back on that first day.

Willow remembered coming to the library, unsure and a teeny bit afraid of meeting the new librarian. Turning around, she had ran smack dab into him, knocking a book out of his hand. Looking up, she had met the most incredible pair of eyes she had ever seen. Hazel green that sparkled brightly as a star. Even behind his wire-rimmed glasses, she was able to see their splendor. His gaze, then and now, was still capable of making her shiver, sending warm tingles down her spine and throughout her body.

** Unblinking, Giles was surprised that he could stare this long. It had been a long time since he played this game,and only then the game would last for a few minutes before the other player would capitulate.

Usually, he was able to outstare his opponent by giving them his most wicked, sharpest glare,the one that he sometimes used with Buffy or Xander.

But Willow, to her credit, met his gaze unflinchingly, even managing to darken her stare a little. Inwardly, he was glad this was continuing as long as it had. He loved looking into her eyes. Green against green, it seemed the air around him fired up when he cast his eyes on her. Heat and warmth were there in her eyes, reining him in like an untamed horse being reined into a stable.

And if he stared closely, he could have sworn he saw a new emotion in them. At this very minute. One that he didn't want to get his hopes up with. He wondered if she was able to see what was in his eyes, what had always been there waiting for her. The longer he stared, the more he forgot about their problem. Losing himself in her, he completely forgot about his temporary muteness.

Not sure if she could hold out any longer, Willow let her eyes shift a tiny bit with his,like she was searching for a treasure, hoping to find it in him. His eyes seemed to darken, the olive changing to a forest green, causing her breath to speed up. Smoldering with heat, Giles' eyes bore into hers, burning her, singeing her with a fire that she only thought could be found in her own.

Because of the speechlessness, they both were trying to communicate with their eyes, the sole feature that had always bonded them together. Saying all the things that they wanted to say, but couldn't. Not really because of the inability to speak but more because of a lack of courage.

Unable to hold the stare anymore, Willow broke her gaze away from his, panting harshly. Her body tingled all over and the room felt hot to her. 'I can't believe one simple staring game could make me this...warm' she said to herself.

Facing him again, she saw Giles smile brightly at her, pride and triumph on his face. Returning his smile, Willow bowed her head in defeat, conceding the win to him.

Giles felt a surge of electricity shoot through him, unsure if it was from winning the game or from the intensity of her stares. He felt a little breathy, completely convinced now, that eye contact was an aphrodisiac for the soul.

And on top of it all, Giles knew his body responded to her and thankfully her eyes had been focused on him, so she wouldn't notice his body's betrayal.

Taking off his glasses, Giles rubbed his eyes, trying to take the sting out of them. Noticing his discomfort, Willow stood up, reached over and removed his hands from his face. He looked up, confusion and surprise marring his features.

Grasping his hands, she urged him to stand, tilting her head toward the bed. Shock appeared on his face, his mind filling up with images that he'd only thought about in his dreams.

Gazing at her, he saw her close her eyes, lay her head against one of her hands, telling him that they should sleep. Giles sighed inwardly, slightly disappointed and slightly ashamed that he could've thought that she wanted to do something other than sleeping.

'Why would she want..' he halted that question in his mind before it could take root.

Guiding him to the bed, she pushed him softly, making Giles sit down. He scooted over, making room for her to lay beside him. Sliding in next to him, Willow shook his sleeve, getting his attention.

He turned to his side, propping himself on his elbow, waiting patiently, smiling slyly, raising his eyebrow for her to continue.

Willow pointed to the radio and he nodded. Switching it on, Willow flipped through the stations till she found KBIG. Setting the music to a low volume, she scrunched down so that she was lying on her back casually. **

 The room had taken a turn toward the romantic. The sun was just beginning to set, the last rays of sunlight streamed through the window, giving the room a musky glow of warmth. The music was soothing and calming, relaxing the two of them completely.

Lying there, they both gazed at each other, their eyes caressing the other's body, slowly, inch by inch. Roaming, neither one unable to take their eyes off the other. It was almost a continuation of the staring game they had played just a few minutes earlier but with a different twist.

This time they'd both be winners...

Willow reached out, touched her fingertips to the corner of his eye, then to hers, trying to convey somehow the magnetism that had occurred between the two of them.

Giles smiled in agreement. They both knew that something profound had happened during that game. Their lack of speech forced them to find another way to communicate. After the whole day together, they finally realized that the best way for them to talk was with their eyes.

Giles gently reached over and brushed back a few fiery strands of hair from her face. Smiling tenderly, he continued to brush her hair, using his nimble fingers to run through her silky strands.

Willow closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his strong hand. Entwining his fingers deeply into her hair, he caressed her head, pressing firmly on certain points, rubbing tension away. She unconsciously leaned into him, snuggling closer to him. Giles groaned inwardly as Willow's leg brushed against his before casually slipping it between his own.

Pulling back slightly, he looked down at her, loving the expression on her face. She resembled a Christmas Angel. Her eyes were closed, the lashes fluttering softly against her cheeks, which had turned a rosy pink. Her mouth was shaped into a dreamy smile, the kind of smile that could melt the frostiest of hearts.

Also, the kind of smile that sent sensations straight to his groin and impure thoughts to his head.

Extracting his hand from her hair, Giles lightly ran it down her cheek, tracing the line of her jaw. Her eyes fluttered open, like a new butterfly emerging from its cocoon, causing Giles to be taken aback. Her emerald gems gazed at him with such love, such desire that rendered Giles speechless. (If he already wasn't)

Willow had never felt so relaxed in her life. Not speaking allowed her other senses to be heightened considerably. Not only could she smell Giles' cologne but also that smell that was distinctly Giles. Leather and old book smell, with a trace of tea leaf, Willow breathed it in like an addict in need of opium.

Touch...her mind wandered to. Her sense of touch magnified to the point that a simple feel of Giles hand affected her down to the very core of her soul. His fingers gently massaging her scalp, caused all the nerves to tingle, sending shockwaves straight down to her toes. The soft brush of his hand made her insides turn to jelly. While the lone finger down her jaw caused her nipples to harden.

She gazed at him, her eyes filled with love and affection. She tried to convey to him how much she loved him, wishing she could tell him verbally. At least with words, she knew that he couldn't mistake what she was trying to tell him. But now, she had to rely on her eyes and her gestures to get her through, hoping he'd understand. And more importantly, hoping he'd reciprocate.

Willow caught the hand that was caressing her cheek and interlaced her fingers through his. Giles automatically gripped her hand, slowly rubbing her soft hand with his thumb. He looked at her curiously, wondering what she was planning. Hoping her plan coincided with his.

Staring intently, Willow locked gazes with him, making sure that she had his full attention. He grinned sexily at her, waiting in anticipation for what was to come. Realizing she had his attention, Willow lifted their interlaced hands and lightly laid them on her heart. Looking up at him through her lashes, she gazed at him with all the love she had to give. And then some.

'Breathing..I think I should breathe.' Giles thought,still stunned at her action. The moment his hand contacted with her chest, he literally thought he might die. From happiness.

The feel of her...was overwhelming.

His sense of touch seemed to arose dramatically, more than it ever had. He could feel the heat from her body resonating through her shirt, her chest rising and falling with her harsh breathing.

He stared at her, with wonder and delight. 'Is that what I think it is? Love?' he said to himself, his own heart pounding like a drum.

Shifting so that he lay partially on top of her, Giles gently took their joined hands and placed them over his own chest, trying to convey the same message she had. Staring deeply into her eyes, he gave her a look that showed all the love and passion he had for her.

Searching his eyes, Willow's heartbeat sped up as she it dawned on her what he was trying to say to her. She smiled tenderly at him and Giles knew she had understood him.

Flickering his gaze to her sweet mouth, Giles lowered his head and softly kissed her. His lips caressed hers, his tongue lightly tracing her lips. She opened them for him and he plunged his tongue in, sweeping away any resistance.

What started out as sweet and gentle, the kiss suddenly became feral. Hot and steamy, intense and passionate, they devoured each other, each one trying to dominate the other. Giles released her hand, tangling his into her hair. Grasping it tightly, he tilted her head back so he could have better access to her mouth. ***

 Dying.

Willow felt like she was going to die. The feel of Giles' mouth on hers, his lips softly caressing hers was a fantasy come true. She surrendered herself to his kiss, not caring about anything, concentrating only on the sensations he was causing.

When his tongue entered her mouth, she instantly tangled hers with his, sweetly but no less passionately. She sweeped his mouth, her tongue touching every nook and cranny, wanting to taste all of him.

Even her sense of taste was heightened. His mouth tasted of tea and mint, a delicious combo. Her tongue ran all over the inside of his mouth, as if trying to capture the minty tea taste to take it back to her mouth.

Needing air, Giles pulled back, panting harshly. He looked down and saw that she too was having a difficult time breathing. Her eyes were glazed, her face was flushed and her hair was spread out around her face like a halo.

'Christmas Angel' he thought.

She stared at him, noticing that he seemed to have as much trouble breathing as she was. His olive green gems were dark with need, their gaze piercing into her, making her more out of breath than she already was.

A song had been softly playing on the radio and Willow perked her ears up to hear it. At the same time, Giles opened his mouth, ready to mouth something to her, when she lay her index finger to his lips.

Tilting her head towards the radio, Willow kept her finger on his lips and gestured for him to hear the song.

{Don't speak..I know just what you're saying.. So please stop explaining... Don't tell me 'cause it hurts... Don't speak..... I know what you're thinking..}

Giles smiled knowingly and kissed her finger. She grinned back, tracing his lips with her fingertip. He bent his head and placed a soft kiss on her throat. He could feel her pulse pounding as his lips sucked and licked at the creamy flesh of her neck. Willow moaned inwardly, wrapping her arms around his neck,holding him in place. Suddenly, her arms tightened considerably when Giles gently but firmly bit her throat, leaving a love mark.

His love mark.

Grinning to himself, he continued his exploration, his tongue gliding down her throat and over to her shoulder, stopping when he encountered the material of her shirt.

Lifting his head, Giles looked at her, needing permission to take off her shirt. She smiled back at him, releasing her hold on him and lifted her arms. He hurriedly gathered the fabric and carefully pulled it over her head.

Tossing the shirt to the ground, Giles turned his attention back to her and his breath increased. She wasn't wearing a bra. Her firm, young breasts were exposed to him, her nipples standing out in relief. He'd never seen anything more exquisite in his life.

Blushing, Willow felt her body heat rise at the searing glance Giles was giving her. He was staring at her as if he'd never seen anything like her.She wanted nothing more than to feel his sensuous lips on her sensitive skin. She slightly lifted her chest, trying to tell him what she wanted him to do.

Giles grinned ferally at Willow's movement and he slowly, torturously lowered his head, flicking his tongue over her nipple.

Willow arched off the bed, the simple flick causing every nerve ending in her body to tingle. She raised her hands, trying to guide him back to her chest. Taking the hint, this time Giles closed his lips over her nipple, sucking on it gently. Licking and biting, he feasted on her like a man having his last meal. In his whole life, Giles had never tasted anything as sweet and as tender than Willow. She tasted like peaches and cream, a sort of sweet nectar like taste.

Moving his head, Giles continued his ministrations to her other breast, lavishing it with the same attention he gave to the other. Willow tangled her small hands into his hair, holding him to her. Her fingers grasped fistfuls of hair, tugging and twisting, as his mouth tortured her.

Releasing her breast, he moved southward, his lips roaming over her flat stomach before diving his tongue into her navel. She wiggled a bit, rubbing against Giles' hard erection.

Groaning inside, Giles continued his exploration of her porcelain skin, gliding his lips and tongue until he got to her skirt. Glancing up, he noticed her eyes were dilated and she was panting harshly. Running his hand leisurely down her chest, she opened her eyes in surprise. Smirking to himself, Giles locked his gaze with hers, his erection hardening even more at the passionate look she was giving him.

Willow wasn't sure she could last much longer. The searing looks combined with the intimate touches Giles was giving her was driving her crazy with lust. She pulled his arms urging him up. He followed, laying on top of her, the feel of her bare chest against his shirt delightful.

Grabbing his face with her hands, she tried to tell him that she wanted him right now. Wrapping her legs around his, her skirt rose up on her thighs and she enticingly rubbed herself against him.

Giles closed his eyes and bit his lip, moaning on the inside. As they continued, they created a rhythm, the cotton of her underwear and the denim of his jeans rubbing together, the feeling exquisite.

He leaned down and kissed her, his lips molding to hers, nipping and licking, sucking and biting, the kiss growing hotter and more passionate as their rhythm increased.

Tangling her hands in his hair, Willow yanked Giles' head, extracting him from the kiss. He looked at her, his eyes dark and confused. She shook her head, indicating to him that she couldn't last much longer.

Understanding her, Giles removed himself from her, causing Willow to wiggle in protest. Shirking off his clothes faster than a farmer shucking corn, he quickly undressed, tossing his clothes haphazardly around the room.

Willow's eyes widened into saucers at the sight of him. He was gorgeous.

His body was firm and toned, years of training Buffy having paid off. His chest was solid with honey-colored hairs that Willow wanted to run her fingers through. Her gaze drifted down his body to his long muscular legs then back up to one very impressive area.

He was breathtaking.

Giles watched Willow closely, feeling his body heating up at the look she was giving him. He sat next to her, reaching for the waistband of her skirt. She lifted her hips, and he pulled the skirt along with her panties down her luscious legs.

Turning his attention to her, Giles could only stare.

She was stunning.

None of his dreams compared to the reality of seeing her. She was completely exposed to him now. He took her in, like a sponge soaking up water.

Porcelain skin, fiery red hair and a pair of legs that could rival Tina Turner's. His gaze trailed down her chest, to her flat stomach, all the way to her toes. He fixated his stare on her lovely legs, that seemed endless. Smooth, firm and curvy, her legs were perfect.

He climbed onto the bed, settling himself between her legs. Willow reached for him immediately, pulling him down on top of her. Wanting to feel his bare skin against hers.

The instant their bodies connected, both Willow and Giles moaned inwardly. The feel of her soft breasts against the rough hairs on his chest was amazing. She grabbed his shoulders and stroked her chest up and down his, causing both of them no end to the sweet torture.

Wrapping his arms fully around her, Giles leaned in to capture her lips in a kiss. The kiss was sweet and tender, each one milking the others mouth for sweetness. After a few moments, Giles pulled away to stare at her for reassurance. And again what he saw took his breath away.

Love, passion, desire were swirling in her eyes. She stared at him in a way no one ever had or likely ever would. Giles had never seen anyone express such love for him the way Willow was now.

Guiding himself, Giles slowly entered her, pushing until he reached her hilt. Checking to make sure she was ready, he rocked inside her slowly, wanting her to adjust to the feel of him.

Wrapping her legs around his, Willow dug her heels into his calves urging him to go faster. Giles complied, increasing his thrusts, pulling all the way out before slamming all the way in. Willow threw her arms around him, holding him to her.

Finding his earlobe, she lightly bit down on it, causing Giles to move faster. She continued to nibble his lobe, while at the same time running her nails down his back, leaving love trails on his skin.

Growling deep inside, Giles bent his head and sucked on the love bite that he had given her earlier. He nipped and licked the bite before engulfing the skin into his mouth.

The biting caused Willow to dig her nails deeper and she pushed her pelvis hard against his, encouraging his actions.

Close to the breaking point, Giles gave one last deep thrust into her, orgasming and sinking his teeth into her neck, as he came and came.

The feel of Giles' teeth combined with his thrusting sent Willow over the edge. Digging her nails deeper, Willow let herself go, her body shaking violently with her orgasm.

(Hush me, hush me, darling Hush me, hush me, darling Hush me, hush me......)

Spent completely, Giles just laid there not moving. Knowing he should disentangle himself from her before crushing her with his weight, Giles tried to move but to no avail. She clung to him like a limpet, not wanting to part with him after the pleasure of being joined with him.

Pulling back slightly, Giles reached out, brushing back a few strands of her hair. He smiled tenderly at her, elated that he was able to show her that he loved her, but still wishing he could speak the words.

Willow reached up and ran her hand down his cheek, caressing his face. It had been absolutely perfect. She couldn't believe that as a result of being mute, they were able to express their love for each other. An opportunity that might not have occurred had they not been struck with speechlessness.

Wishing she could speak her love for him, an idea formed into her head. She removed one hand from his back and held it out in front of him. Giles waited in anticipation, wondering what she was going to do.

Smiling sweetly, she held up her hand, lowering her middle and ring fingers, so that her pinky, index and thumb were still upright.

Giles grinned brightly and removed his arm from around her. Mimicking her, he held up his hand in the same fashion as hers, two of his fingers down, while the pinky, index and thumb were still standing.

'I love you', each one said to the other, their hands speaking for them, until their voices could once again.

**********

The End.