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Teacher's Pet: Part 1
Giles snickered as he read the last two lines of the story. He remembered that demon, but he didn't remember it quite dying like that. The author had made its demise terrifying, with a dramatic sword fight and sizzling arcs of magic lightening. But, the end result was the same, the demon vanquished, the hero, the victor. Except in real life Buffy had just stepped on him and squashed him flat.
Giles loved these stories. He knew he mostly loved them because Buffy wrote them, and because they were, despite the window dressing, a piece of their history. Otherwise, truth be told, he probably wouldn't have given them a second look. But because she wrote them, he read them, and he had discovered that he liked how she wrote. And she seemed to have quite a following.
He closed the magazine. It was geared towards sci-fi groupies, scads of young adults who thought life wasn't exciting enough but rather had to be punctuated with creatures from outer space who invaded one's body and made it do despicable acts. Buffy had been writing for them for two years. She wrote under a pseudonym but Giles thought he'd have guessed it was she even if she hadn't told him. Her humor and expressions and her unique view of the world shone through in every paragraph.
She had asked him not to tell anyone else so he hadn't. But he was proud enough of her to leave the magazines lying around, hoping one of her friends would pick one up and read her story and guess. He figured if they guessed that it wasn't quite like he had told. But all they did was tease him unmercifully about the fact that he subscribed to such a magazine. Giles suffered it all in good grace and just continued to leave them lying around.
Leaving this one open to the story he had just finished, he left it on the table, amidst all the research books. He fished the letter out of his pocket again and reread it. Buffy was coming home. It had been five years but she was finally coming home. Buffy didn't say exactly when she'd be home, but she intimated that it would be soon. She'd finished her Master's degree and at least for the time being she was coming here. And now with her chosen profession she could really live anywhere, including Sunnydale.
He had wondered if she'd ever come home. Not that he'd have blamed her if she'd chosen not to. Sunnydale had few good memories for her other than her friends. And him, he supposed. Although he'd certainly contributed to her less kind memories of home, being her Watcher, making her fight day after day.
Giles had encouraged her to go. Faith had been called when she had died fighting the Master, and Faith could do the slaying. Faith liked the slaying. She had no ambiguity about it. She saw no reason to go to school or see the world. So she had stood at Giles' side as they had watched Buffy's plane take off and the two of them had carried on.
Buffy had come home pretty regularly at first. But then her mom had died. And Buffy had made the difficult decision to stay in school but it meant she had to sell the house. She'd stay with Giles or with Willow and Oz when she came home but it wasn't the same. And the visits dropped off. Then Faith had died. Both she and Giles had chased a demon into a condemned building. The ensuing battle had knocked the few remaining supporting pillars down and the house had collapsed. Faith had thrown herself on top of Giles and saved his life. But her resulting injuries had eventually killed her.
Buffy had come for the funeral but over this last year she hadn't come to visit at all. They spoke on the phone and e-mailed but he had felt she was cutting ties and so this letter had surprised him. And delighted him. And made him dare hope that perhaps Buffy could assist him. Not that he'd actually ask her, he refused to put that burden on her. Giles wanted her happiness more than his own. He always had. But maybe after being here for a while she'd understand the situation and see how useful she could be to him, and she'd offer to stay, offer to help. If she didn't… Giles shook his head, not wanting to go there.
He glanced at the clock. Heather should be arriving any time. Heather was the new Slayer. The Council had decided that he should stay on as her Watcher and he hadn't been given much of a choice. He had suggested that they send a new Watcher, a younger Watcher and Giles could assist, but the Council had disagreed. And so they sent her on and he took on the responsibility for a third Slayer. Not that he would have gone back to England in any case. His life was here now. He had godchildren, three of them, and his business was thriving.
She was only twelve. The Council had no idea why she'd been called so young. She'd been eleven when she'd shown up at his doorstep; a day ahead of her scheduled arrival. He thought back to that first conversation.
~~~~~~~~
Giles had answered the tentative knock on his door and had been surprised to find a young child standing outside his door. He had at first thought she must be selling something. And then he'd began to nervously wonder if this child who looked like she was eight years old could possibly be…"Are you Heather?"
She looked up at him with anxious eyes. "Are you Mr. Giles?"
He nodded, smiling. "Yes, but you may call me Giles. Everyone does."
Relief flashed in her eyes as she realized that she was in the right place but then she looked back down at the ground. "Yes, sir."
Giles let out a small laugh. "And the sir isn't necessary." She just stood silently. He looked around. "Do you have any luggage?"
She indicated the small bag at her feet. "Just this, sir."
"Well, here, let me get that for you." Giles reached for the bag. Quick as a snake she had grabbed it first, as if afraid he might take it and not return it. Giles pursed his lips and pinched the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He smiled at her again. "Fine then." He gestured her into the apartment. "Come on in."
She waited until he started walking and she walked in behind him. Her eyes nervously looked around but she said nothing. Giles looked down at her, still disconcerted at how young she looked. "Heather, how old are you?"
"Eleven, sir."
"Eleven?" Giles was appalled. She had just nodded, her eyes huge. He crouched down so he was more on her level. "And your parents, your family? Where are they?"
"I don't know, sir. I've always lived with my Watcher."
"What happened to your Watcher?" The Council had been elusive about answering his questions in regard to this.
Her lips started trembling and her eyes filled up with tears. "He didn't want me, none of them did."
"He didn't…" Giles was stupefied. He went to ask her another question to try and understand and found her biting her lips to keep from crying though tears were silently running down her cheeks. Even his British reserve wasn't immune to that. He opened his arms and she had gone to him, desperately needing some affection, even if it was from a complete stranger. She'd started sobbing and he'd picked her up and carried her to his big chair and held her for the longest time. ~~~~~~~~~~
He'd discovered quickly enough why they didn't want her. She was a menace. Oh, not at home where she felt safe. And she had a lovely personality, she was quick witted and helpful. But out on patrol, well, things quickly fell apart. Apparently the Watcher who had trained her from a young age had worked with her when she'd first been called and in very short order had been seriously injured trying to protect her. A second Watcher had been assigned and the same thing had happened. And then a third. If things had kept on she'd have put the entire Council in the hospital. So they'd sent her to him.
Giles couldn't decide if that was a compliment, or rather an expedient means to an end. Send her to the Hellmouth. Surely she won't last and a more competent Slayer can be called. Giles was the only Watcher that he knew of that had worked with three different Slayers as their assigned Watcher. He knew of only a couple that had had two and both of them were dead. He was in the unusual situation of seeing just how different one Slayer was from another.
Buffy had been so gifted. Spontaneous, flexible in her fighting skills, courageous, and willing to be part of a team, which ultimately made her stronger. And she'd brought her wonderful sense of humor to her slaying. But, she'd been ambivalent about her calling and had always wished to a certain extent that she hadn't been called. She did what she needed to do and then spent a lot of her energy doing everything she could that wasn't a part of slaying.
Faith, on the other hand, had loved slaying. She had been so strong, so skilled, but she had liked to work alone, and she had liked the violence. And she had loved being the Slayer. It had been an ego trip for her and she had never wasted her time trying to imagine being anything else.
Heather was a disaster. Giles was hopeful that it was just that she was so young. She could handle one vampire, maybe two, if they weren't mean to her. But anymore than that, or if the vampires threatened her too much or made fun of her, or ganged up on her, she froze. And Giles had to bail her out. He felt like he was having to be the Slayer, but without benefit of super human strength or Slayer healing. He went out on patrol every night and every night he had to fight vampires. Giles knew he had more field experience than probably every Watcher at the Council combined and that it was the only reason he wasn't in the hospital, or dead. He was bruised and battered and he knew he couldn't keep this up for long, sooner or later his luck would run out. But his hands were tied. Her life was literally in his hands and he couldn't just let her die.
Giles snapped out of his reverie when someone entered the shop. He smiled when he saw Heather. He stood to greet her. "Heather, how was school today?"
She ran to him and hugged him. "Good."
Giles smiled and stroked her hair. He had been a little amazed at how quickly she had taken to him. And within a very short period of time he'd become Watcher and surrogate father to this young girl who had no one but him.
He bought a bigger house so she could have a bedroom to herself. The Council had manufactured paperwork that showed her as being a cousin of sorts with Giles being named as her guardian. So, he bought a big house and had a library, and a training room, and even a guest room for Buffy, but she hadn't come home since he'd bought the house. She'd never met Heather.
He enrolled her in school, and spoke with her teachers, and signed her field trip forms, and made her lunch in the morning. And then he drove her to school and then himself to the shop. In between customers he researched the demons they'd found, or determined which prophecies might be coming due. When Heather came home from school he'd train with her, then go home and cook her dinner. He'd help her with her homework and then they'd go patrolling. After that he'd tuck her into bed, often reading her a story, and then have a few minutes to himself when he didn't have bills to pay or more research to do, or housecleaning or laundry or any one of a hundred things that seemed to get in line to be done.
And then he'd try and sleep. Generally unsuccessfully as his mind replayed the close calls of that particular night's patrol, or worried about what tomorrow's night might bring. Or he'd go over his training plan and try and figure out what he wasn't doing right, how he might make a difference in her capabilities. Or his mind would be full of a parent's concern, the less than stellar grades, or the bullies in the schoolyard that often brought Heather home in tears. Not to mention the pain he was always in.
He ruffled her hair. "Do you have a lot of homework to do?"
"Yes." Her voice sounded disgusted.
Giles grinned down at her. He couldn't help but love her. She was so consistently cheerful. Unless someone was teasing her, someone she didn't trust. He could tease her, and so could Xander and the rest of the gang but she ended up in tears if it was someone else. That's how most patrols fell apart, with her in tears.
Considering her upbringing and considering how every night seemed to traumatize her, the fact that she seemed so happy astounded him. And every night she headed out to patrol ready to take on the world. And almost every night he brought her home wiping tears off her face. If she was a normal child he would have put her in counseling but that avenue wasn't really available to him, so he just tried to love her the best he could. He wished, and not for the first time, that she was just his daughter, and not the Slayer. "Well, why don't you get some of it done now. Hmm?" He pointed towards the table.
Heather sighed and began to walk over to the table dragging her book bag behind her as if it were a ball and chain. When she looked at Giles to see what his reaction was and found him just grinning at her she grinned back and sitting at the table tackled her homework with a ready will. Most of her teachers loved her. The only ones he heard from regularly were the few who chastised their students in public or seemed to think teasing their students was an effective inducement to a higher level of work. There were a couple of teachers he'd have staked gladly and he almost wished they'd get turned just so he could.
He was going to just have her do aerobics today for training. He didn't think he could handle being manhandled by her and then go out and have to fight the daily evil of the day. She might not be able to handle much while on patrol but it wasn't because she wasn't strong. Her strength was never the issue. Giles went into the back to finish checking the new inventory that had just arrived. He let out an involuntary groan as he bent down to pick up a box.
End Part 1
Teacher's Pet: Part 2
It was Friday afternoon. Heather was babysitting Anya and Xander's two babies. Xander figured that given that they lived on a Hellmouth that babysitters didn't come any better than Heather. Anya and Willow were off shopping. Oz and Xander were hanging around the shop doing some research. Oz and Willow's daughter was sleeping in the permanently stationed playpen Giles kept at the store in case any of his godchildren came to visit.
Giles was upstairs looking for a particular book when the bell above the door rang. He glanced down and just stared when he saw it was Buffy. Xander and Oz noticed her too and Xander ran over to her capturing her in a giant bear hug all but lifting her off the floor. She hugged him back, so glad to see him. Giles slowly started making his way downstairs.
"Giles said you were coming back but he didn't know when. This is great. You look great." He hugged her again.
Buffy laughed. "Thanks. I hadn't really decided when I was coming but suddenly I knew it was time to leave so here I am." She glanced over at Oz. "Hey Oz."
Oz flashed her a big smile, about as demonstrative as he got. She flashed a big smile back. Same old Oz. She looked around the shop. "Where's Giles?"
"Right here Buffy." Taking the last step off the stairs he walked over to her and just stood there looking at her for a moment. Then he reached for her and gave her a big hug too. Buffy was taken aback for a moment, Giles had never been much for hugging, but she quickly got into the spirit of it. It felt wonderful to hug him. As he grunted a little she pulled back. She didn't think she'd hugged him that hard.
Giles took a small step back and put a hand on her cheek. His face was so close to hers. For a weird moment, Buffy thought he might kiss her. He never got this close unless he was looking at a wound, or well, never. She was unprepared for the emotions it engendered in her, apprehension, the whole twilight zone surreal thing, and the sensation she was the most unprepared for, some unexpected butterflies in her stomach. But Giles just smiled. "It is so good to see you. Welcome home." Then he hugged her again.
Again Buffy dealt with dual emotions, acute relief and a vague sense of disappointment. She shrugged them both off and just hugged him again. This time when he backed away he backed completely away. He wanted to ask how long she was staying but he held his tongue. He just was so damn glad to see her. Suddenly Buffy sneezed and then she sneezed again. "Sorry, I'm getting over a cold." Giles had his handkerchief ready for her by the time she sneezed for the third time. The phone rang and Giles went off to answer it.
Buffy looked at Xander and Oz. "Wow, hugs from my Watcher. That's different."
Xander waved a hand. "Oh yeah, he's major hug guy now. Even let's us see what he's feeling now and then."
At Buffy's confused look Oz tried to explain. "Heather." That didn't help Buffy much. Oz tried again. "The new Slayer."
Xander chimed in. "Big into the hugs. She's all over him."
Buffy frowned, visions of Faith hitting on Giles circling through her brain. She wasn't sure why the thought of that bothered her but it did. She tried to remember any details about Heather but she was drawing a blank. She was sure Giles had told her all about his new Slayer but Buffy wasn't much for retaining that sort of stuff. If it wasn't going to get her though the day, Buffy couldn't see the point of remembering it. She pulled up a chair in between Xander and Oz. "So, tell me about her."
Xander looked up at the clock. "She'll be here shortly. You can see her in action then."
Buffy frowned again. Then she heard a baby let out a wail. She watched as Giles having just hung up the phone, without missing a beat, reached down and picked up the toddler and began cooing at it. Buffy's eyebrows rose. "Now that's not something I ever thought I'd see."
Oz was watching Giles too. He grinned. "He's great with all of them. Quite the honorary dad." Oz smiled at Buffy. "That's Lizzie by the way. And feel free to hang with her, she's already got a cold."
Buffy grinned back and getting up she walked over to Giles. Willow and Oz had named their daughter after Buffy, named her Elizabeth. Xander had started calling her Lizzie the Lizard and the name had stuck much to Giles' dismay. Buffy stood close to Giles spending equal time looking at Giles and at her namesake. He looked good. Tired, but good. She couldn't believe how nice it felt to be with him, as if she was home where she belonged. Giles turned to her and smiling placed Elizabeth in Buffy's arms. Buffy took over the cooing and Giles just watched them both. Lizzie sneezed and Buffy made a face as she got sprayed. "Charming. At least I cover my mouth."
Suddenly the front door slammed open and Buffy looked up in some alarm only to see a little person come running up to Giles hugging him tight around his waist. Giles crouched down and gave her a proper hug. Then he looked at the door. "You're going to break that door if you're not careful."
Xander walked by and tousled her hair. "No, Giles, the phrase is, you're going to break that door again, if you're not careful." He pulled on Heather's hair. "Hey, what did you do with my kids?"
She put a hand over her mouth. "Oops, I was supposed to get you to help carry stuff over to your car." She began to tug on Xander's hand. "Come on." Xander let her drag him out.
Buffy looked at Giles who was pulling on a chair to help himself up. Then he sat down. She looked down at him. "That was the Slayer?"
Giles grinned. "Yes, that's Heather."
"She looks like she's five years old."
"I know."
"How old is she?" Buffy held up a hand in apology. "I know you've told me but I don't remember." She sneezed again. Lizzie sneezed back.
"God bless you both. She's twelve."
"They can get called that early?"
"Not usually. Although she was actually eleven when she got called."
"She seems quite taken with you."
Oz went and relieved Buffy of Lizzie who had started getting fussy. "First thing she does whenever she sees him, right for the hug." He went to find Lizzie's bottle. He clarified. "The Giles' hug." He looked at the door. "You watch, she'll do it again as soon as she comes in."
Buffy was fine with a twelve year old that looked like she was five who wanted to hug her Watcher. That she could deal with. She heard a squeal and turned around to see Willow heading her way. "Willow!" Buffy met her halfway and caught her up in a hug. She looked up as more commotion came through the door. It was Anya and Xander, each with an infant in their arms, and Heather.
Buffy turned and watched as Heather make a beeline for Giles and just crawled on his lap. He laced his fingers behind her back and the two of them started chatting. His face was so expressive and he was clearly being silly with her as she was giggling at whatever he'd said. She turned back to Willow who had been watching Buffy. Willow grinned. "He's more like her dad than he is her Watcher. They're so cute together."
Buffy grinned back. "It just seems so weird to see him so…" She couldn't think of the right word.
"He loves her. You can just tell." Willow watched Giles and Heather with a smile on her face. She missed the odd expression that passed over Buffy's. As Lizzie sneezed again Willow made a face. She walked over to Oz, leaning down to touch her daughter. "Poor baby. I think it's time to get you home to bed." She turned back to Buffy. "Hey, maybe you, me and Xander can do the Bronze tomorrow night, you know, for old time's sake."
Buffy grinned. "That sounds great. Oz and Anya won't mind?"
"Well, I know Oz won't. Anya's Xander's problem." Willow grinned. Buffy grinned back.
They all left shortly after that, plans for the Bronze firmed up. Heather was still in Giles' lap but she was looking up at Buffy with an excited look in her eyes. "You're Buffy? You're the other Slayer?"
Buffy sat down next to the two of them. "In the flesh." She cocked her head to the side at Heather. "You like being the Slayer?"
Heather nodded but Buffy watched as she pressed herself back into Giles. "I like my Watcher." She turned her head and looked up at Giles. He grinned and kissed the end of her nose.
Buffy felt those unexpected butterflies again. They were too adorable. Buffy nodded. "We got the best Watcher of the bunch, no doubt about it."
Heather nodded with all the wisdom of a twelve year old. "I know. I had three of them before him."
Buffy's eyebrows rose. "Giles is your fourth Watcher?" She wanted to ask why but didn't when she saw the cautioning look in Giles' eye. "Well, seems like you're pretty smart to me. I mean you ended up with the best of the best."
Giles gave Buffy a pleased but embarrassed grin. Buffy lit into another round of sneezes. Giles stood up, letting Heather find her feet. "Perhaps I'd best get you all home." He looked at Buffy. "A good night's sleep might do you good."
Buffy nodded. "Sounds great to me. But I'm not taking your bed."
Heather grinned. "You have a whole room to yourself. Giles fixed it up for you right after I got here."
Buffy sent a surprised look at Giles. He nodded. "I…I moved. I know I told you. I needed a bigger place so Heather could have a room of her own, so I got one big enough so you could have one too."
Buffy smiled her self-mocking smile. "For all my frequent visits you mean?" She walked over to Giles and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She figured seeing as she was his Slayer too that she could touch him. It seemed only fair. "Thanks, Giles. I can't wait to see it."
***
Buffy loved her room. She could tell that Giles had put a lot of care and attention into it and it made her feel all warm and snuggly inside. He must have gotten a lot of her stuff out of storage. She unpacked a few of her things and then headed downstairs. Buffy paused on the staircase and watched Giles as he sat next to Heather, his head close to hers as he helped her with her homework. After a moment she spoke. "Hey, should I start dinner?"
Giles turned his head. "I put a casserole in the oven. It should be done in a few minutes. You could set the table if you don't mind working around us."
Buffy grinned. "Nah, I'll just push you off your chairs if you get in my way." Heather giggled at that. Buffy couldn't get over how little she was. She rummaged through the kitchen until she found everything she needed and she started setting the table. "I love this house, Giles. It's so comfy. And I totally love my room." She even had her own bathroom. How cool was that?
Giles smiled up at her. "I'm glad. I was hoping you would." Again, Giles wanted to ask if she was staying, but again, he stopped the question from coming out.
The timer went off and Giles rose and had Heather put her school papers on the coffee table. Buffy and Giles worked together quickly to get the rest of the table set and the food put out. Neither of them noticed but Heather watched them curiously as they quickly found a rhythm that made them function as if Buffy had been living here for months and they did this every night. Heather giggled.
Giles looked at her curiously. "What was that for?"
"You guys. You're like Oz and Willow, you know, like you can read each other's minds."
Buffy and Giles smiled shyly at one another but Buffy answered. "Well, me and Giles have known each other a very long time."
"Is he still gonna be your Watcher?" Giles held his breath at Heather's question, nervous at what Buffy's answer might be.
Buffy grinned at Heather. "Why? Are you trying to get rid of me?"
Heather's eyes grew wide and she shook her head. "No." She looked horrified that Buffy might think that.
Buffy laughed. "I'm just teasing, Heather." She narrowed her eyes. "Besides, I think I could take you."
Heather giggled again and Giles relaxed, delighted that Buffy had so quickly been promoted to someone who could tease Heather. Heather dug in to her dinner and then asked another question. "So, are you gonna stay here with us?" Giles could have hugged her.
Buffy dug in too. "Yeah, for right now anyway." She sent a nervous look Giles' way. "That's all right, isn't it?"
Giles rolled his eyes. "Definitely not. I have plans to rent that room out starting next week."
Buffy pretended to pout. "But I like it." She tapped her fork on her plate. "I might actually do dishes every now and then if you let me stay."
Giles laughed. "That would be a minor miracle." He looked tenderly at Buffy. "Buffy, this is your home. I want you to stay." He looked back at his food as if his own words had surprised him. Without looking at her he spoke again. "There's a desk in the library you could use for your writing, if you want. I have a computer now although I imagine you have your own."
Buffy watched Giles as he pushed some food around on his plate. She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Thanks Giles. Really, thank you. It feels like home."
Giles covered her hand briefly with his other hand and smiled. "Good."
Buffy drew her hand back and ate some more food. "This is really good. Did you cook it?" Her question was directed at Giles.
Giles shook his head. "No." He looked at Heather. "Who dropped this off, Heather? You're so good at keeping it straight."
"Mrs. Ferguson."
Buffy frowned. "Who's Mrs. Ferguson, and why is she dropping off food?"
Heather grinned. "Lots of ladies drop food off for Giles." Her voice dropped down to a confiding whisper. "Sometimes they stay for dinner."
Buffy turned to Giles for an explanation and found that he was blushing. Giles waved a hand as if to diminish the whole thing. "I guess I'm a bit of a novelty at the school, being a single father, so to speak. I think they all feel sorry for me. I'm sure none of them think I can cook."
"So they bring you food?" Buffy wasn't crazy about what she was hearing.
Giles nodded. "Most of it is quite good, actually."
"And sometimes they stay for dinner?"
Heather grinned. "Only the really pushy ones."
Giles frowned at her. "Heather."
Heather just kept grinning. Buffy leaned closer to Heather. "Are you making sure none of them get too close to him?" Buffy was pretty sure that these women weren't bringing food over just to make sure that Giles and Heather didn't starve to death.
Heather nodded her head but before she could respond Giles interrupted her. "Could we please change the subject now?" Heather grinned at Buffy and let out a giggle.
Buffy loved this kid. She let out a sigh. Giles glanced at her. "What's the sigh for?"
Buffy sighed again. "I really do feel like I'm home." She and Giles caught each other's eyes and they gazed at one another for a long moment. Then she sneezed. "Okay, I am way ready for this cold to go away."
Giles looked at her with some concern. "You don't usually get sick, Buffy."
"I know. Everyone seemed to have this cold, though, and I just got sneezed on one too many times. I didn't get as sick as everyone else did, so that was good. Most people got really, really sick." She glanced at Heather and Giles. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'm not contagious anymore." She laid her fork down and leaned back, full and happy. "So what's on the agenda for tonight?"
Giles glanced at Heather. "Homework and then patrol."
Buffy grinned. "Great, we can get caught up while Heather patrols."
Giles shook his head. "No, I go with Heather when she patrols. She's still…well she's still training."
Buffy looked surprised. "Okay, then I'll just unpack and then we'll visit when you get back."
Giles had half been hoping that Buffy would volunteer to go with them but she didn't. "Of course, I imagine you're tired." Giles still didn't know if Buffy planned to function as a Slayer anymore.
"I am. That was a long drive. A very long drive."
Giles got up and began to clear the table. Buffy stopped him. "I'll do that. You help mini-me do her homework." She grinned when that got another giggle out of Heather.
Giles smiled at her. "Thank you, Buffy." He looked at Heather. "Go get your papers."
Buffy cleared the table slowly, wanting to watch Giles and Heather together. He seemed so good at this father business. And it was clear that Heather adored him. Not that Buffy blamed her. Buffy thought back to Willow's comment at the store, about Giles loving Heather. She wondered if Giles had loved her like this when she had been his Slayer.
End of Part 2