And the winner is

"What the Bloody Fuck?"

Xand and Buffy jerked awake. Both pulling apart from where they had slumped against one another, shoulder to shoulder in sleep. Buffy sprang up from the couch instantly alert, moving unconsciously only to stop halfway to the steps. Xander lurched off the couch with bleary eyes and smashed his shin on the coffee table.

"Fuck!" Xander yelped and jumped back, bringing his smashed knee up to check and see if he had broken the skin of his shin. He blinked and blinked again as to his eyes the small abrasion on his shin healed itself. Like magic. Slowly he put his foot back down and found that he didnt even feel any pain from his shin.

"Giles?" Buffy called out. "You okay?"

"No! No, I am not fucking okay!" A furious sounding Giles shouted back. "What the bloody fucking hell happened last night?"

Buffy spared a second to look at Xander, keeping his theory and their bet in mind. Xander met her gaze and raised an eyebrow while tilting his head towards the steps to the bedroom.

"Are you hurt?" Buffy called out.

There was a long pause and then a very subdued, "No. Not exactly."

"Are you twenty again?" Xander yelled.

Buffy held her breath as she waited to see if she won the bet or Xander won the bet. She really, really wanted more of those perfect touch massages.

There was some audible grumbling and not five seconds later Giles came stomping down the stairs, still wearing the clothes from last night.

Buffy swallowed a groan as a very early 30s(ish) Giles stopped at the foot of the stairs and regarded them with narrowed eyes, "What the bloody hell happened last night?"

Xander cleared his throat, "Right, well, my theory is that killing the magic demon lady disrupted the resurrection ritual for her husband. But the rejuvenating magic was still in the air looking to rejuvenate someone. And we were near by. You got most of it. I got some of it. We both got a slight tweak to our stats... as it were."

Giles put his head in his hands, "Dear lord, that almost makes sense."

"You got...?" Buffy waved a hand at Xander.

"Plussed." Xander nodded his head as he looked around. Then with a grin he decided to show off. "Lookit."

Xander crouched and then lept into the air, jumping high up, easily reaching the ceiling and slapping it with his palm. He couldnt help but grin, "I think it stacked."

"Right." Buffy nodded her head. She turned to look at Giles, "You... have any questions?"

Giles stood for a moment and just thought. Slowly he nodded his head, turning to Xander. "Did you say the Demon's husband?"

Xander looked around and found the diary from last night, he grabbed it and tossed it to Giles, who caught it handily. "There was a diary and a ring. Looked kind of wedding ring like. Plus the shrine to the guy Buffy got punted into."

"Hey!" Buffy snapped.

Giles flipped thru the book, "Husband? Not lord and master? Not her dark God?"

"I don't kink shame." Xander shrugged.

Giles chuffed out a laugh, sagged in place and shuffled to the couch he tossed the diary back onto the coffee table.

"I am..." he stopped himself from saying something, shook his head once then shook his head again, "Never mind. Food. I need food. I am famished. I cant contemplate this on an empty stomach."

He moseyed into the kitchen and after a minute of moving around opening and closing the fridge and the pantry Giles stepped to his stove and the tea kettle sitting on top of it. Buffy and Xander just watched Giles move about. They did share a concerned look at thr lack of reaction Giles was displaying. Finally Buffy looked pointedly at Xander and then bobbed her head at Giles.

"You don't seem all that thrilled. Being young again and all." Xander observed as Giles started making his morning tea.

Giles mused for a moment and then answered, "Yes, well, if I knew that this was permanent I, perhaps, might be more excited. But since I can only assume this is a temporary state of being.... I'll refrain from celebrating." Giles answered with a grimace.

Xander looked down at himself. He didnt necessarily want his new physical gifts to go away. "C'mon, G- man, live a little. Im sure that, for once, luck will be on our side and this good luck will be permanent for us."

Giles sighed, his voice heavy with exasperation, "Xander-"

"You wanna bet?" Xander grinned.

Buffy groaned, "No more betting."

"Sore loser." Xander clicked his tongue at her.

"Dare I ask?" Giles looked from Buffy to Xander.

"No!" Buffy shook her head and waved her hands, "Nuh-uh, we are good, you dont need to know."

Giles cocked an eyebrow and gave her a disbelieving parental look.

"We're good. Tell him, Xander." Buffy turned to look at Xander pleadingly.

Xander could see the desperation to not have to talk to Giles about Their Bet on Buffy's face.

"Its fine G-man. Just a little joke between us Scoobies."

Giles gave them a hard look for a minute then shook his head and returned to looking at his stove. "Fine."

"Well, we gotta motor." Buffy grabbed Xander by the shiet and started hauling him towards the door. "You enjoy your breakfast, Giles. And being twenty again for however long it lasts. We'll see you tonight or tomorrow or whenever you feel up to calling a meeting."

Giles murmurred something in agreement as Buffy pulled Xander out of the apartment.

Once outside Xander couldnt help but smirk, "Couldn't wait to get me alone, huh, Buff?"

"Xander." Buffy groaned and rolled her eyes. She looked at her friend and with a whining voice asked, "Will you please forget the bet and just let it go?"