By Jody E.
February, 2002
Buffy unlocked the door to the apartment, trying to be as quiet as possible, given the lateness of the hour. As she crept into the living room, she saw that she was wasting her stealth, for Giles was sitting on the sofa in front of the television, a cup of tea in his hand.
"Giles, " she smiled at her watcher, "What are you doing up at this hour? Is Dawn okay?"
"Dawn is fine. I, uh, just got involved in this film and stayed up to, uh, see how it ends."
"Oh..What movie?" Buffy walked over to Giles and studied the screen." Hmm. Well, John Cusack gets the French exchange student, his brother launches a Space shuttle through the roof of the house, and the paperboy never gets his two dollars. Or at least that’s the way it ended the last 50 times we saw it. Though, maybe this time will be different. Never can tell."
Giles smiled sheepishly, ‘Well, it was either this or that charming program about the George Forman grill."
"And you already bought one of those, so where’s the suspense there?"
"It happens to be very good for low fat cooking," Giles countered defensively.
"And love those shish kabobs! But seriously Giles, why are you up? You haven’t suddenly taken to waiting up for me, have you?"
"No Buffy, but I confess you caught Me..I’ve been having trouble sleeping again." Buffy was always fussing over him like a mother hen and he was reluctant to admit any problems. "But please don’t worry about it..Willow gave me some herbal tea..would you like some?"
"Sure." Buffy went into the kitchen for a cup.
"How was the Bronze?" Giles asked as Buffy came in and sat down beside him on the sofa. She poured herself a cup of tea from the pot.
"You should have come. Sure cure for insomnia! Nah, it was fun. The Bronze was fun."
"Sounds like it," Giles said dryly, "How are the newlyweds? "
"Oh. They are happy as clams. Though Anya did have to pee every ten minutes. At least she’s over the vomiting part. Oh, by the way, Anya says to bring all our tax stuff to the shop this week. She is filing on line this year, and says that she will get our refunds early."
"Incredible; smartest thing I ever did was hire that girl."
Buffy tasted the herb tea and grimaced. She put the cup down. "Oh, and Willow and Tara had another fight..they were barely speaking to each other tonight, and Willow kept sniping at Anya. I think she’s jealous, of the whole baby thing, you know?" Buffy sighed.
"What’s wrong Buffy? Is everything alright?" Buffy sighed again..this time with exasperation. Giles was always fussing over her like a mother hen..she hated that he could always tell when she was upset.
"I don’t know what’s wrong with me Giles. I mean, this is working out really well with Dawn and me living here with you since Dad sold the house. . Dawn is doing really well at school. And my grades have never been better. I wanted to surprise you when the announcement came, but I made the Dean’s list this semester." She grinned as Giles’ face lit up.
"Buffy, that’s, that’s wonderful. You Mother would have been so proud."
Buffy’s face clouded again. "Yeah..too bad I couldn’t have done it last year when she could have been proud of me."
"Buffy! Last year you had an incredible amount to deal with. You did extremely well, considering."
"I know, Giles. I guess it helps that so far this year, the Hellmouth has been incredibly quiet. Not a brain sucking hell god in sight. But mostly it’s really easy to study here, you know, and you’re always there to help. Having you around full time has been really good for us."
"But.." Giles poured more tea. He sensed that this wasn’t going to be good.
"I turn 21 in a couple of weeks, Giles. Maybe it’s time that Dawn and I were out on our own. We’ve imposed on your life, big time."
"Buffy! You have not imposed. Having you and, uh, Dawn here has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. And if, as you say, everything is great, why change it?"
"I don’t know. It just seems like everyone is growing up and getting on with their lives and I’m..not." She studied her feet; "Maybe I’m jealous of Anya and the baby too."
Giles studied the cup of cold tea in his hand. "Well, if d-dating is the issue..I would never cramp your style. You know I’ve been encouraging you to date."
"I know Giles."
"Your mother has been dead for almost a year now, Buffy. I didn’t see anything in the mourner’s handbook about joining a convent."
"I’m not doing the nun thing, Giles. I’ve been out. I’ve dated."
"Yes..two first dates in six months."
"Well, tonight at the Bronze there were two, count em, two perfectly eligible guys talking to me."
"Ah, but did you talk to them?"
Buffy smiled. "Yes Giles, there was mutual talkage."
"Well, did they ask for your phone number? Or is that an archaic practice these days?
Buffy sighed again. "They asked. I didn’t give."
Giles shook his head, "Why not?"
"Well, for one thing, it’s only been an hour, and I can’t remember either of their names, or which one was pre-law and which was pre-med. Plus..they seemed so…young."
"Y-young? How do you mean?"
"I dunno..they were just perfectly normal college guys, drinking and goofing around. They have no idea of what I’ve been through this past year or the years before that..I felt at least ten years older then them. It’s silly, I know, but young frivolous Buffy has left the building."
"No, Buffy, it isn’t silly in the least. What you have gone through, it’s only natural to feel as you do. But you can’t shut yourself off from life, Buffy, or from love."
"Oh, you’re a good one to talk, Giles! Except for your gigs at the Espresso Pump, you just sit here night after night playing father figure to a 15 year old, and, and me too, I guess. Why aren’t you out there dating? Don’t you have groupies, or folkies or whatever?"
Giles bristled, "Well, as a matter of fact several young ladies have asked me for my phone number. At the shop also."
"And.."
"They asked. I didn’t give."
"Why not?"
"I realized a while ago that I am perfectly happy as I am. I was lonely, I admit, but since you and Dawn came into my home, I’ve never been happier."
"Giles, that is so sweet."
"Well, it’s true, Buffy, so please don’t think about moving out on my account. And I can say without a moment of hesitation, that you are a much better housemate than Spike was."
Buffy started to laugh, "Oh my God! Spike! At least you don’t have to keep me chained up in the bathtub."
"Or watch ‘Passions’ with you!"
"Or put up with my smoking!"
"Not to mention watching you eat blood mixed with Weetabix!" Buffy looked puzzled, " Don’t ask!"
"Oh, Giles..Willow mentioned that she heard from Cordelia that Spike is actually working for Angel these days. Isn’t that bizarre?"
"What surprises me is that he actually left town and didn’t try to capitalize on the whole Glory business."
"Well, you know, it’s all part of that Love Me and Leave Town effect I have on people. I’ll bet if you and I were dating, you’d be hot footing it back to London before the month was out!"
Giles, who had been pouring more tea, jerked suddenly and knocked over Buffy’s still full cup. He grabbed his handkerchief and started mopping the mess. "That-that’s ridiculous! We, uh..I’m not going anywhere!"
"Giles..I was kidding! Overreacting much? I mean it’s not all that ridiculous! Look at Michael Douglas and that Catherine Beta Jones!"
"Zeta! And it is ridiculous. It’s totally preposterous and out of the question."
"Okay Giles, I get the picture. You don’t have to hit me with a brick."
Giles sat up wearily, "What picture is that, Buffy?"
"Look, Giles it’s okay if you’re not attracted to me."
Giles stood up, angry," Buffy! What in heaven’s name has come over you? This is inappropriate. I am your watcher and, uh, old enough to be your father. It has nothing to do with whether or not I find you attractive."
Buffy was contrite, "I am so sorry Giles, please forgive me? It’s just that, well, I guess being the Slayer has spoiled me for ordinary guys like those two at the Bronze tonight. I mean, how do you make that awkward transition from, ’what’s your sign,’ to ‘I slay vampires’? Anya found a guy who loves her for what she is, why can’t I find a guy who isn’t threatened by what I am and who can love the real me?"
"Buffy, "Giles said gently, "Every man who has ever met you has fallen in love with you, not to mention vampires. You will find someone who can also accept your calling."
"But where is he now, huh?" Buffy walked towards her room. "Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Giles. Good night."
Giles was left alone in the living room. He sat down and poured some more tea. It would be a long night.
It was a week later and Giles was again holding down the living room sofa. Buffy was out patrolling. There had been a report of a strange creature lurking in the School Playground. Except for a stray vampire or two, things had been ominously quiet around Sunnydale for months. Willow’s tea had been judged a failure, and Giles was contemplating actual sleeping pills, but he distrusted drugs, having had some rather bad experience with them in his younger, wilder days.
Suddenly there was a pounding at the door, and he heard Buffy’s voice calling, "Giles, help"
He leapt up and pulled open the door, catching Buffy as she staggered in. Her blouse was in shreds and blood dripped from long gashes on her arms and back.
"My god, Buffy! What did this to you?" He helped her right into the bathroom, where he could assess the damage.
Buffy moaned "I don’t know, but it was big and hairy and had these Freddy Kreuger claws. My weapons weren’t long enough..I could have used a spear! I got him though. But not before he got me."
"Excuse me, Buffy, but I have to take this off," he said referring to her blouse.
She was obviously in a lot of pain. "It’s okay Giles." He pulled off what was left of her blouse. Long gashes ran up her arms and across her back. "Freddie Kreuger, did you say?"
"You know...Nightmare on Elm Street..big long nails, It wasn’t a demon, exactly...too hairy." Giles wet a washcloth and washed the gashes. A couple were so deep that on anybody but a Slayer, they would have required stitches. Buffy healed so quickly that a few butterfly bandages would suffice. Giles dabbed the wounds with disinfectant, and wrapped her arms with gauze. Tears of pain came to Buffy’s eyes, but she didn’t cry out.
"Buffy, I’m sorry, but I have to get these ones on your back."
"It’s okay, Giles."
She reached behind herself and unhooked her bra. Holding it against her chest, she leaned forward on the toilet seat. Giles dabbed disinfectant on the 4 long gashes that ran down the length of her back. These weren’t very deep, but Giles was concerned about infection. "I’ll get you a robe to put on."
Buffy sat huddled on the toilet seat. Giles came back and held out the robe, looking away while she put it on. "I have to get my books and look this thing up. Can you help me?"
"I’m fine, Giles. Honestly, it looks much worse than it is. I’ll do a sketch for you." Buffy went into the dining room with Giles, and drew a rudimentary sketch of a tall hairy creature with foot long needle like nails. Giles started flipping through his books looking for a match. "Interesting," Giles remarked.
"What?"
"Is this your beast? " Buffy looked in the book. "Yep, that’s him. Cute, isn’t he? Kind of like a great big teddy bear with foot long claws, and a nasty temper. What is he called?"
"Oddly enough, this creature doesn’t have an actual name. It is listed as Beast 916."
"No name? Poor beast. Maybe we should name it. I’m going to call him Rufus!"
"Rufus?"
"He looks like a Roofish, don ya think?" Buffy seemed to be having trouble forming words. Giles looked up, concerned.
"Buffy, are you alright?"
"Absolutely, " said Buffy.
"If you say so, " Giles said dubiously. He was reading the listing under the drawing of the beast. "Good Lord, Buffy..This creature’s claws are pois.." he was interrupted by a loud crash. Buffy lay unconscious at his feet.