"Feel the passion?": Giles and Jenny (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

[buffied.livejournal.com]

TITLE: "Feel the passion?"
AUTHOR: offtheplane
FANDOM: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
PAIRING: Giles/Jenny
SPOILERS: Series through early season 3
WORD COUNT: ~5700
NOTE: Since Jenny was not present in all seven seasons, canon only through season three will be examined in this manifesto.

*****


The Techno-Pagan Computer Teacher: Jenny Calendar
Jenny Calendar was born Janna of the Kalderash clan of gypsies. After being terrorized by Angelus, the Kalderash clan placed upon him a spell to give him a soul, so that he would feel guilt and remorse over everyone he'd tortured or killed. Years later, Janna was sent by her clan to Sunnydale, California, to keep an eye on Angel. There she established a new identity as Jenny Calendar, and acquired a job at the high school teaching computer science, which is where she eventually came into contact with Rupert Giles. Though at odds with each other at first, the two soon establish an understanding, which quickly makes way to a connection and flirtation. Eventually, the two enter into a romantic relationship.

Though there are roadblocks along the way, the connection between Jenny and Giles remains intact. After she is revealed to be Janna, and the true reason for her presence in Sunnydale comes to light, a rift between the two splits them up until the episode "Passion," when it becomes evident that they will reconcile again. However, while working on a spell to restore Angel's soul, the volatile vampire chases Jenny through the halls of Sunnydale High and kills her by snapping her neck. In a final flourish, Angel lays Jenny's corpse out on Giles' bed, creating a romantic ambience in the apartment to lead him to her.

After her death, Jenny returns to Sunnydale twice. First, she is conjured when Giles is hypnotized by Drusilla and told to "see with his heart." Her vision then attempts to get information from him about how to free the demon Acathla. Her second return is as a form of the First Evil, torturing Angel and trying to get him to kill Buffy. And, though Jenny is gone, the lasting effect of her impact on Giles' life is seen in different points throughout the series.




The Techno-Phobic Librarian: Rupert Giles
Rupert Giles was born a third-generation Watcher, fated to follow in the footsteps of his father and grandmother. After having his destiny explained to him by his father at the age of ten, Giles spent his youth rebelling against his calling. He dropped out of Oxford University and began experimenting with the Black Arts along with a group of others his own age; it was around this time he acquired the nickname, "Ripper." After summoning a demon named Eyghon and following the death of his friend Randall, Giles accepted his destiny as a Watcher, eventually ending up in Sunnydale, California. It is in Sunnydale that he meets the young teen who is to become the Slayer he will train, Buffy Summers. It is also in Sunnydale that Giles, in his job as a librarian, first encounters the high school's computer science teacher, Jenny Calendar. Though obviously annoyed with Jenny at first and her technology imposing on his library, the two eventually work together to cast a demon from the internet.

Shortly thereafter, it becomes obvious that Giles has found himself attracted to Jenny, and so begins a slow approach toward a romantic relationship. Giles is shy by nature and struggles with gathering the courage to ask Jenny on a date, but eventually the two do go out. When his dark past is revealed and Jenny is temporarily possessed by the demon Giles once conjured in his youth, a brief road block is thrown between them, and Jenny keeps her distance for awhile. It's not long, though, before the two make amends and pick up where they left off. A second rift comes when Jenny's own past is revealed, and Giles must fulfill his duty as a Watcher and stay loyal to the Slayer, despite his obvious yearning to make things work with Jenny.

Before they can make amends, Jenny is murdered at the hands of Angelus, and the vampire cruelly places her corpse in Giles' bed for him to find, admist a romantic scene. After her death, Giles' personality goes through several changes; he begins to dress differently, he at times isn't as buttoned down as he previously had been, and he begins to rely a lot more on the Scoobies. It seems that Jenny Calendar, and Giles' love for her, has a lasting effect on him for the remainder of the series.




The Canon/Subtext Evidence
1x08 - I Robot... You Jane - This episode marks the first time Rupert Giles and Jenny Calendar appear onscreen together, though from their banter it seems they've met before. Jenny has installed computers in the library for scanning purposes, much to the chagrin of Giles, who is a technophobe and believes that books have a great deal more to say than anything on a computer. Predictably, with the friction between the two there are sparks. Though Giles is annoyed by Jenny, or as he refers to her, "that dreadful Calendar woman," he reluctantly calls upon her for assistance when it's evident that a demon has been unleashed on the internet. As they work together, they slowly get to know one another; Jenny reveals herself to be a techno-pagan with some experience with the dark arts, which intrigues Giles. By the time they've finished casting the demon from the internet, it seems an attraction has established itself. The next day, as Giles returns an item to Jenny - a silver corkscrew, which he mistakes to be an earring - he opens up to her about why he so strongly dislikes technology. Jenny calls him an "old-fashioned boy" to which Giles replies that he doesn't exactly dangle a corkscrew from his ear. With a coy smile, Jenny tells him, "That's not where I dangle it," and brushes past. This leaves Giles looking dumbstruck and, if the look on his face is any indication, intrigued as to where Jenny might just dangle that corkscrew. And so it begins.

1x12 - Prophecy Girl - After receiving news of a Prophecy, Jenny goes to Giles to warn him and finds that he already knows. Giles, though his mind is elsewhere worrying about the fate of not only Sunnydale, but the Slayer, accepts her offer to help, and the two of them begin gathering information. He eventually opens up and reveals his true identity as a Watcher, as well as Buffy's as the Slayer. Jenny not only accepts this but offers her support, ready to do whatever is needed to prevent the Master from finally opening the Hellmouth. Their attempts are in vain and the Hellmouth opens in the middle of the library and Giles and Jenny, along with the Scooby gang, must fight to save not only their lives, but the lives of everyone else in Sunnydale. Buffy, back from the dead for the first time, defeats the Master and reduces him to a pile of bones, thus closing the Hellmouth. And as the gang decides to celebrate their good fortune at the prom, Giles tells Jenny that he won't dance, to which she cheekily responds, "We'll see!"

2x01 - When She Was Bad - Everyone has returned to school and it seems that the adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder" rings true... at least in the case of Jenny and Giles. While being unfortunately roped into conversing with principal Snyder, Giles suddenly turns and spots Jenny walking along the colonnade. She looks up and their eyes lock as Snyder laments over the scene, "Every time a pretty girl walks by, every boy turns into a gibbering fool." Giles proceeds to stumble over his words, all the while smiling adorably at his crush. Snyder again comments, "I see the way these kids gaze at each other. All moony," while Jenny's eyes make a slow sweep over Giles. She tells him, not without a bit of affection in her tone, that it's good to see him. Giles echoes the sentiments and asks if she's heading to the teacher's lounge. It's obvious that she wasn't, but goes along with it anyway and the two walk off together, occasionally bumping elbows and smiling at each other along the way while leaving Snyder to talk to himself. Unfortunately it's back to business when they find out that the Anointed One is still at large and possibly planning another attack of some sort. Before they can figure out what it is, Jenny, followed by Cordelia, Giles, and Willow, are abducted by the vampires - a trap for Buffy. It's up to the Slayer once again to save the day. When the gang comes to, Jenny crawls over to Giles to see if he's alright, and her hand remains on his shoulder while she props herself up behind him, her forehead practically touching the back of his. They all stand and watch, then, as Buffy rids herself of her demons by smashing the Master's bones, and life slowly returns to normal.

2x02 - Some Assembly Required - Apparently the time has come to end the cat-and-mouse chase Giles and Jenny are engaged in. Giles is spotted in the library by Buffy and Xander, speaking to an empty chair, asking 'it' out. When the kids realize that it's Miss Calendar the Watcher desires a rendez-vous with, they give him a little coaching, though it's not exactly succinct: "Just tell her 'I feel a thing, you feel a thing, maybe we could have a thing.'" Later on when Giles spots Jenny in the colonnade, he starts to work up the courage to ask her out. The sound of the bell gets in the way, however, and Jenny must rush off to set up the computer lab. Shortly after Giles berates himself for his hesitation, Jenny pokes her head out into the hallway again and suggests that he just tell her what he wants to tell her at the football game. She essentially asks him out and gives him an appraising look and a smile before going back into her class room. Giles is pleased by this turn of events as he concludes to himself, "That went well. I think," and heads for the library with a slight, joyful hop in his step. At the game, the pair are back to their old banter, with Giles making fun of American football while Jenny teases him for doing so, telling him that's it's not good strategy for a first date. Giles looks pleased as he repeats her words: "A date?" and Jenny flirts back, "You caught that, huh?" while grabbing the soda he'd been holding for her. Their date is unfortunately interrupted by Xander and Willow, who have come to inform Giles of the newest developments of their latest 'case.' The call of duty must override the date, and the two of them head off with the kids to help. The pseudo-Frankenstein they'd encountered, along with his bride, goes up in flames. The evening ends with Jenny sitting against a cop car and Giles bringing her a cup of coffee, apologizing for the downturn the night had taken. Jenny merely smiles and tells him that a good rule of thumb is not to do something so exciting on the first date that it will be hard to top on the second. Giles looks pleased at learning Jenny is amenable to going on a second date, and the two share smiles over their coffee cups.

2x03 - School Hard - Parent-Teacher night at the high school rolls around as Giles and Jenny, through their research, discover that a vampire festival called the Night of Saint Vigeous is approaching. They, along with the gang, help Buffy to prepare by making various weapons (as well as helping her prepare refreshments as required by principal Snyder). The vampires show up early, on Parent-Teacher night, and terrorize everyone at the school. Giles, Jenny, and Xander barricade themselves in the library to stave off being attacked, and after Giles sends Xander to find Angel, he decides to go out into the halls and help Buffy fight. As he begins to leave, Jenny calls out to him - "Rupert!" - to get him to stop. When he does, she appears to struggle with herself for a moment, as if something is on the tip of her tongue, but she settles on a soft, "Be careful." There's no need to worry, though, as Buffy comes crashing through the ceiling not a moment later and discusses her game plan. She makes Giles promise to stay behind so that if something happens to her, there's reassurance that her mother will get out of the school safely. Giles sticks by this promise as Buffy fights the vampires. They're finally defeated by none other than Buffy's mother, wielding a large red ax and telling Spike, the new vampire in town, to stay away from her daughter. "Another fun-filled evening," Jenny comments as she and Giles walk out of the school together. Giles, looking dejected, tells Jenny that if she chooses to start avoiding him, he would understand. But Jenny, ever the supportive girlfriend, instead just smiles at him and curls her hand around his arm. Giles places his jacket around her shoulders, and the pair walk off together holding hands.

2x07 - Lie To Me - Jenny decides to surprise Giles for their next date, never revealing the secret location despite Giles' constant prodding. In an effort to perhaps draw him from his comfort zone filled with books and tweed, Jenny takes him to a monster truck rally. They get called away in the middle of the date, however, when Buffy is in need of help dealing with Spike and the vampires. Giles is relieved to be pulled from the monster truck rally, though he lies to Jenny about always being interested in them. She, seeing right through him, is a little peeved but gently tells him that he could have told her he wasn't enjoying himself and they could have left. Again it's the spark stemming from their differences and her need to get under his skin and challenge him that comes out to play here.

2x08 - The Dark Age - Giles' past comes back to haunt him in a big way, and at a very bad time. The morning begins with some heavy flirtation between he and Jenny as he walks her to class; they discuss a book he'd leant her while she teases him about accidentally wrecking the book, finally pulling it out of her bag to reveal that it's in fine condition, and that she did it because she "just loves to see him squirm." Giles stumbles around a response and she comes back with, "Has anyone ever told you you're kind of a fuddy-duddy?" Disappointed, and possibly fearing that she's gotten tired of his stuffiness, he says that nobody ever seems to tell him anything else. Jenny then edges close and plays with his tie as she continues the thought. "Has anyone ever told you you're kind of a sexy fuddy-duddy?" This immediately brightens his spirits. He quips back, and the two of them share a long, loving stare (complete with one of Jenny's lovely bright smiles). She then invites him over for Saturday night, letting him know that, rather than going out, she'd like to stay in. The look they share next is one filled with desire as Jenny's hidden meaning sinks in - it's time to consummate the relationship - and Giles seals the invitation with a kiss. The bell interrupts them mid-kiss, however, and they're forced to pull away, Jenny looking a bit mischievous while Giles looks flustered. They again agree that they'll see each other Saturday night, and Jenny ends the interaction with a sultry, "I'll see if I can make you squirm." Their eyes remain on each other as Giles backs into the library, and that's when his world comes crashing down. He discovers that the demon he'd conjured in his youth, Eyghon, seems to be on the loose and killing off those that conjured it. The demon eventually finds its way to Jenny and possesses her, unbeknownst to Giles. He takes her to his place and they share a drink. Jenny becomes overly flirtatious and tells Giles he can take advantage of her. Giles, ever the gentleman, refuses to do so in her weakened state, having received an earlier head injury. As Eyghon starts to take Jenny over, she pulls the cord from his phone when he's not looking and then proceeds to take advantage of him, even going so far as to push him down into an armchair and crawl seductively onto his lap. They kiss passionately but Giles forces himself to pull away, still not wanting to take advantage. Eyghon begins to materialize, eventually morphing beautiful Jenny into a hideous demon that attempts to kill him. Giles refuses to fight back since the demon is embodied as his love, and he begs Buffy to help, voice filled with despair and overwhelming emotion as he confesses, "I don't know how to stop it without killing Jenny." So Buffy forms a plan, one that involves Angel. Since he is already dead, he is able to take on the demon and let it die within him without being affected, thus saving Jenny's life. But her relationship with Giles is not the same afterward. Clearly experiencing some form of post-traumatic stress, Jenny keeps her distance from Giles and, though it pains him, he understands and lets her have her space.

2x11 - Ted - Jenny is still keeping her distance in the beginning of this episode, even showing a bit of annoyance as Giles checks up on her yet again. She gently, albeit coolly, lets him know that she needs her space, and that seeing him make "puppy dog eyes" at her is making her feel guilty that she doesn't yet feel better. Giles apologizes, expressing regret for even stopping to talk to her, and leaves Jenny in her classroom looking remorseful. Later, Giles is out on patrol covering for Buffy, who is in the midst of her own crisis. Hearing something behind him, he swings around with a cross extended, preparing for a vampire, and comes face-to-face with Jenny, who tilts her head at him and quips, "Yeah. I get that reaction from men all the time." Knowing danger is nearby, Giles beseeches Jenny, trying to get her to leave, but Jenny stays and insists that she needs to apologize for her behavior. A vampire cuts her off, and he and Giles fight. Jenny, ready to come to his aid, grabs a cross-bow from his bag of weaponry and loads it, trying to get a good shot at the vampire. Just as she has it and lets the bolt fly, the vampire turns at the last second and the bolt sinks into Giles, at his lower back on the left side. As the vampire laughs at his expense, Giles steals the opportunity to "dust" him, and then falls to the ground wounded. Jenny rushes over to him to examine the wound, and concludes that she needs to get him to a hospital. She teases him about really knowing how to woo a girl back and Giles, pleased by the insinuation, laughs until the pain in his back takes over. Jenny then rushes him off to the hospital. By the next time we see either of them, it's the next morning, and as the kids start to head into the library, Giles and Jenny are spotted through the windows, kissing, having made amends.

2x13 - Surprise - Jenny gets a surprise visit from her uncle, one of the last remaining members of the Kalderash clan of gypsies. He addresses her as 'Janna,' thus revealing her true identity, and reminds her what she was sent to Sunnydale for. He insinuates that she's lost sight of what she's supposed to do, which is to watch over Angel and ensure that he doesn't experience any happiness whatsoever, otherwise he'll lose his soul. So Jenny forces herself to focus, and keeps a close watch on Buffy and Angel, though by the end of the episode Buffy and Angel have slept together and Angel, having achieved "happiness," loses his soul and is once more the murderous Angelus.

2x14 - Innocent - Angelus begins to torment Buffy after their night of passion, which she can't understand. After a prophetic dream clues her in as to who's connected to this situation, she storms into Jenny's class room, where Jenny and Giles are laughing and chatting. In a room full of students, Buffy grabs Jenny by the neck and pushes her back against her desk, yelling at her. It's then that Jenny reveals to Giles and to Buffy who she really is, and her true purpose for being in Sunnydale. She apologizes to them both, telling them that she was ordered to keep watch over Angel by her family, who had been hurt by Angelus in the past. Giles is absolutely devastated and Buffy is incensed at Jenny's treachery. Later when they're working on a game plan to go after Angel, Jenny offers her help and Buffy coldly tells her to leave. Giles looks back at her sadly, obviously torn over his love for her and his duties as a Watcher. But ultimately he must choose his status as a Watcher, so he sadly echoes Buffy and tells Jenny to leave. Jenny is seen struggling with her emotions before she walks off.

2x16 - Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered - While chatting with the Scooby gang in the halls, Giles and Jenny come face-to-face just outside her class room. Jenny attempts a friendly smile and addresses him kindly as "Rupert," and while the joy of seeing her again is evident on Giles' face, he eventually masks that and responds crisply, "Miss Calendar." Jenny, though dejected, still attempts to bridge the gap between them, and asks if he can spare a moment so they can talk. Again, the look on Giles' face is evidence that he desperately would like to make things work, but after Buffy practically glares death at him, he resigns himself yet again to his duties as her Watcher and declines the invite, lying that he has something he has to work on. Jenny sadly watches him go before heading down the hall in the opposite direction. Xander soon enlists the help of Amy to concoct a spell that will help him win Cordelia's affections once again, though the spell goes a little haywire. Cordelia is her usual self and not interested in rekindling their brief romance, but suddenly every other female in Sunnydale is head-over-heels for him, Jenny included. She stops by the library to see Giles, insisting that they should talk. Her hand feels over Xander's shirt while she tells Giles that she cares far too much about him to just let their relationship die. But then the spell fully takes over, and she spends the rest of the episode making eyes at Xander and flirting with him. Giles, furious with Xander for toying with magic and seemingly a bit jealous of Jenny's sudden attraction to the boy, pulls Jenny away from him numerous times and even, at one point, drags her out of the library by the hand while Jenny just whimpers, "No!" and reaches out to Xander.

2x17 - Passion - This episode is, by far, the most difficult episode for any Giles/Jenny shipper. In the beginning, there is still a rift between the two. Jenny again apologizes to Giles for hiding her identity from him, explaining that she hadn't truly known what was going to happen; and then, in a butterfly-inducing moment, she adds, "I didn't know I was gonna fall in love with you." Giles snaps his eyes up to look at her, his own wide. A mixture of emotion is evident - some combination of joy, love, and perhaps a little leftover sadness. Jenny, seeing his expression and assuming the worst, hangs her head in embarrassment and asks if she can take back the declaration. Giles takes a step forward in challenge: "Do you want to?" and Jenny tells him she just wants to make things right again. Giles accepts this, but reminds her that he isn't the one she needs to make things right with - it's Buffy. The next day, Jenny picks up an Orb of Thesulah from a curio shoppe, intent on doing a restoration spell to once again give Angel a soul. When she heads back to the school, she runs into Buffy, who is still upset with her but admits that it's obvious how much Giles misses her. Jenny attempts to apologize to Buffy but Buffy doesn't accept, and instead walks away. Later that night, Jenny is working in her class room, translating the restoration spell text on her computer when Giles knocks on her door. They chat briefly; she flirts a little about him missing her and Giles doesn't deny that he does. Instead he calls Buffy "meddlesome," obviously questioning her intentions. Jenny reveals that she may have some news for him, though she doesn't want to say anything yet. She asks if she can see him later and Giles acquiesces with a soft smile, telling her to meet him at his place. She smiles brightly back and it seems as though everything will once again be righted with the pair. It isn't long, however, before things go horribly awry. Just as Jenny finishes the translation and prints it out, she notices Angelus sitting in the back of her class room. He taunts her -- smashes the Orb against the chalkboard near her head and throws her computer to the floor. It sparks and soon starts on fire, and Angelus tears up the printout, tossing it onto the burning computer. Jenny, looking panicked and terrified, starts to run and Angelus chases her. He catches her at the top of a flight of stairs, in front of a large window under the moonlight. After whispering a few last taunting words, Angel snaps her neck and she falls to the ground, dead. When Giles returns home, it's to find a beautiful red rose taped to his door, strains of classic music floating out from inside. He smiles when he enters and sees a scene of romance: the work of Jenny, in his mind. There are rose petals strewn about and the apartment is lit with dozens of candles. A bottle of champagne chills on the table, next to a folded note reading simply, "Upstairs." Giles, probably expecting a seduction or a reconciliation, removes his glasses and grabs the two empty champagne flutes, along with the bottle of champagne, before slowly making his way upstairs. His smile fades when he gets to the top of the stairs and looks into his bedroom: there lies Jenny, long dead and eyes wide open, staring at him. The champagne and flutes shatter on the floor and Giles is consumed with devastation and grief. Buffy tries to find him shortly after hearing of Jenny's death, but Giles is already gone - in more ways than one. She eventually finds him at Angelus' mansion, in an apparent fight to the death with the vampire while setting his home ablaze. Buffy gets him out and finally has to resort to punching him in the face to knock some sense into him, with her shrilly asking him if he's trying to get himself killed. At this, he breaks down and begins to sob over losing Jenny. In the episode's final moments, Buffy stands with Giles as he stares at Jenny's grave. He tells her that, as a Watcher, he's had to bury many people. But, "Jenny was the first I've loved." So at last there's a confirmation that they both were in love with each other, though Jenny didn't get a chance to hear those feelings reciprocated. Giles lays a bouquet of beautiful white flowers on her grave as the episode draws to a close.

2x22 - Becoming, Part II - Drusilla and a gang of vampires knock Giles unconscious and take him hostage, wanting information about how to release the demon Acathla. He is tied to a chair in the mansion of Angelus and tortured by the vampire, but he still refuses to talk. Drusilla takes it upon herself to get the information from him, so she places a hand over the top of his head to "see what's inside." Her eyes widen, "Of course!" and she then hypnotizes him, covering his eyes and telling him to "see with his heart." His eyes uncovered, his heart sees Jenny once again, seemingly alive and just inches in front of him. His voice is choked with emotion, smile bright as he exhales her name, telling her he'd thought he'd lost her, to which she whispers back, "I'll never leave you." He hurriedly tells her that they have to get out and that they have to get Angel away from Acathla. "Jenny" convinces him to reveal the secret to releasing him, promising him that when it's all over, they can be together -- that they can have everything they never got to have; everything they never got to feel. Her hands run over his face, tracing him, and his lips kiss her fingers. When he finally divulges the secret, the two of them share a passionate kiss, and the vision of Jenny transforms back into Drusilla. Though Giles, still believing he'd seen his true love, is shown with a peaceful smile on his face.

3x10 - Amends - Jenny first appears to Angel in Giles' apartment, when Angel has gone there to seek Giles' help. But Giles, still furious with Angel for murdering his true love, declines to help. Jenny is seen standing silently behind Giles, a slightly-eerie but lovely vision as her hand lingers just millimeters away from touching his shoulder. This seems to be the real Jenny, the Jenny still in love with Rupert Giles and obviously missing him. Angel attempts to point out her presence, but unfortunately Giles cannot see her, so she just remains silent at his side, watching Angel. Later on, as Angel falls deeper and deeper into despair over everything he's done, it is strongly hinted by Jenny that she and Giles would have had a future together - one that would include marriage, children, and maybe even grandchildren. She tells him that she wanted to die "in bed surrounded by fat grandchildren," but that wasn't how things ended for her, thanks to Angel. She and Giles were unfortunately deprived of that future. And that is the last time Jenny is seen for the remainder of the series' run.




The Interpretation
Giles and Jenny are what could be seen as the typical "opposites attract" pairing, though beneath the surface there's much more there. Each one presents to the other a challenge. For Jenny, the challenge is getting past the walls he's built up around himself and coaxing him out of his tweed-covered shell; and for Giles, the challenge is opening himself up to new things and new viewpoints he would never have considered before meeting Jenny. They let the other into their world. Jenny introduces him to the world of computers (despite his vehement dislike for them at first), and Giles shares with her his love of books, even going so far as to loan her a very valuable first-edition E.M. Forster novel given to him by his father. Though they are clearly on different planes in the intellectual realm and each have their own levels of expertise in certain areas, they are always equals. And, as their romance deepens (and has been rekindled), an almost husband-and-wife dynamic is shown. One such moment comes to mind, either in the episode "Surprise" or "Innocent" in which Giles is verbally expressing his frustration over the situation, scathing words leaving his mouth. Jenny, who is standing close by watching him pace, gently and quietly chides him not to talk like that in front of the kids.

What also became evident during the course of season two, prior to "Passion," is that the romantic relationship between Giles and Jenny may have been a bit more serious than what was actually shown onscreen. In "Innocent," when Buffy storms into Jenny's class room looking furious, the camera pans over to Giles and Jenny, in the midst of a chat. Giles can be seen holding a small metallic item in his hand. It is unmistakably a key, which would lead one to believe that they were serious enough to possess keys to the other's home. Another moment which would back up that conclusion occurs in "Passion," during the very heartbreaking scene in which Giles returns home to find Jenny in his bed. When he first arrives at his apartment and finds the rose, he smiles and goes inside, obviously expecting that Jenny has set up the romantic scene. Now this would again prove that either Giles never locks his door (which would be highly unlikely in a town like Sunnydale), or that Jenny already possessed her own key.

This then leads to the question of whether or not they had slept together prior to her being killed. In the series it's implied only lightly that they possibly haven't, however when the key factor is taken into account, it becomes questionable. Typically by the time keys are exchanged, the couple has already slept together. And, though we know Giles is a gentleman, we've seen him jump into bed with women rather randomly. So, it's no small stretch to assume that Jenny, a woman with whom Giles was in love, had also shared his bed.

There are many interpretations as to the nature of the Giles/Jenny relationship. Many choose to see it as just sweet and innocent, but it is evident through subtext and through the way that both Anthony Stewart Head and Robia LaMorte played their interactions that there was more happening beneath the surface.




The Attraction
I first became attracted to this lovely pairing maybe a day or two after I began watching the series on DVD. From the first moment I saw them onscreen together, bickering back and forth, there was something about the interaction that gave me butterflies in my stomach. By the end of "I Robot... You Jane," when Jenny tosses him that flirty look and walks past him, I was hooked. By the beginning of season two, I had come to the conclusion that they were probably the most adorable and dynamic pairing I'd ever come across in all my years being a TV addict, and, though Jenny's death absolutely tore my heart out, it remained evident as I continued on with the series that what Giles had with Jenny was in fact pure, true love. They absolutely could have gone the distance had she lived. There would have undoubtedly been plenty more bumps in the road, but that would have made it all the more interesting to see unfold. It's just a shame Joss didn't allow them to have more time together.




The Fandom Guide
Communities:
→ gilesjenny - your central source for all things Giles/Jenny
→ twosomeofcute - a canon/AU RP where the events of Passion don't spell the end for Giles and Jenny
→ twosomefeedback - sister community/feedback forum for the "Twosome of Cuteness" RP

Fanfiction:
→ By blueanddollsome: Five Steps to Falling in Love \ Nuclear Fission (WIP)
→ By dollsome: Summer \ Distractions
→ By offtheplane: By Sunrise (WIP - Chapter 1; Chapter 2) \ Enchantment (Part 1; Part 2) \ Such Sweet Sorrow
→ By sunshine_queen: Finis \ Rainbows on a Wave
→ By wench_for_hire: Shoot and Bolt

Fanvideos:
→ Forever by scullybabe626
→ Hanging By a Moment by sexyasslemonade

Comments

[firthgal.livejournal.com]

This was wonderful! I honestly never thought that they had gotten to consummate their relationship before Jenny died. Oh, why did their ending have to be so tragic? *sniff* Giles could have actually been happy! But alas, no one on this show is allowed to be happy.

[buffied.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And I honestly don't know that they ever did, but just from looking at the subtext, and the idea that she obviously had a key to his place, it kinda would make sense. Besides, if I were her? I'd buy a ticket on that ride on date two. It's Giles.

Giles could have actually been happy! But alas, no one on this show is allowed to be happy. I knowwww! They would have been such a cute married couple, and such a nice 'ground' of sorts for the kids. Damn Joss and his unhappy endings (although this one was especially cruel).

[disney-addict.livejournal.com]

Awwwww, they are so cute! I loved them, I cry everytime I watch 'Passion'. I truely think that, had she lived, Giles and Jenny would've gone all the way. Marriage, children, the whole shebang.
Also, I harvest a secret desire to see Giles sing a love ballad to Jenny during 'Once More, With Feeling'. Or a sappy duet, or possibly both. <3

[buffied.livejournal.com]

Me too, they are the absolute cutest. And I agree, they absolutely would have gone the distance. I'm not sure children would have fit into the whole Buffyverse, but I could definitely see it happening. Maybe a fourth-generation Watcher?? :)

And YES, Giles singing to Jenny would have been fantastic. That was actually discussed at some convention -- Anthony Head and Robia LaMorte did a Q & A session, and the question of what they would sing together in "OMWF" came up. Robia said something kinda sexy-ish (I think she mentioned Giles being in a loin-cloth tossing Jenny around? Haha!), and Anthony said something romantic and "kissy." Would've loved to have seen it.

[disney-addict.livejournal.com]

I think children would've been a season seven thing, with her being preggers. I believe I recall Joss saying that he never wanted to work with children on set after Angel. Plus Giles is way to responsible to want to bring a child into the world when everything was all crazy-evil-demon around him.
Alos, I MUST find a clip of this Q&A session. Giles in a loincloth! *faints*.

[buffied.livejournal.com]

True; it'd be better for the final season. Or even just the hint in the series finale that she was pregnant would've been enough for me.

I don't think there's a clip of that Q & A session; I just know that a friend of mine did an entry recapping that Q & A session (I think it's friends-locked, though). Which is a shame, because I would've loved to have linked to it as part of the fandom guide. It had great Giles/Jenny stuff, like how Robia was jealous that "Giles" kissed "Joyce," and there was apparently some great banter about that. And apparently (according to the recap anyway) when Anthony walked onstage, Robia started singing "Reunited, and it feels so good!" Which is SUPER adorable.

[disney-addict.livejournal.com]

AWWWWW!! That's cute, I wish I could've seen it! slash read the re-cap.
I miss them. I wish there was more quality Giles/Jenny fic out there, some loverly sappy stuff to make my heart smile. Not enough out there. I am doomed to be hopelessly obsessed with the short-lived romance of season 1&2 that has a distinct lack of quality fic. *sigh*

[buffied.livejournal.com]

If I were you, I'd highly suggest checking out the stuff in the fandom guide. I'm relatively new to the fandom (started watching the DVDs in January, I think), and when I fell for Giles/Jenny I fell hard. I started writing fic, doing fanmixes, and making a fanvideo because they captivate me so much.

twosomeofcute is basically an ultra-long fic that not only focuses on the Giles/Jenny canon of seasons 1 & 2, but there are extra little "episodes" added in. When my friend and I started that back in March, we basically created our own little canon for those two (meaning Jenny gets to live!); one that I plan on continuing as far as I can possibly go with it (right now I'm at the end of season 2).

[disney-addict.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll be a-reading that!

[urania-calliope.livejournal.com]

That was so wonderful it made me want to go back and watch some Giles/Jenny sweetness.

[buffied.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for reading this! :)

[stop-theworld.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥ I'm so glad you did this. What a beautiful exploration of their relationship.

[buffied.livejournal.com]

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (<--an extra heart since it took me so long to find this!) Thanks SO much, honey! I had such a great time reliving all the great G/J moments, and getting to put my own interpretation of their relationship in there. I'm so grateful you took the time to read this ♥