Betrayal and Magick

It was just before sun rise and the slayer was just returning from her nightly patrol. It had been two weeks since the confrontation between Spike and Robin, and Giles' betrayal of her trust. Buffy was still beside herself with anger at her Watcher and had yet to speak to him since that night. She entered via the front door and headed for the kitchen. She assumed that everyone would be asleep at this hour. In the kitchen she found Willow and Xander partaking of an early breakfast and talking to each other in whispers. They went quiet upon Buffy's entering the kitchen.

"Hey Buff," Xander said finally "any action tonight?"

"No, it's been oddly quite lately, I don't like it" Buffy replied as she put her stake down on the island counter-top. Willow looked up at the blond, her bright orbs searching the Slayers features. She looked as if she wanted to say something but dropped her gaze back to her plate, twilling her fork in her eggs. Buffy, astute as she was, noticed the red heads actions.

"What is it Will?" she questioned.

"What?...Oh it's- well it's just that Giles was looking for you earlier, I think he ma-"

"I have nothing to say to him" Buffy interrupted quickly.

"Buffy, what happened what is this- this tension between you guys? I mean, It's Giles" Willow's face is covered with a look of concern and heartache. Buffy opens her mouth as if to speak and at that moment Giles enters the kitchen.

"Buffy? May I have a word with you please?" Giles voice escapes unusually soft and he looks to his Slayer with expectant eyes. In response Buffy turns and glares at him, anger and resentment seething in her eyes.

"I've said all that I have to say. We're done," she speaks through half clinched teeth and turns on her heels, walking out of the kitchen. "I'm going to bed."

"Buffy, we need to discuss this. Buffy?" the watchers eyes glisten with held back tears, he looks to the floor and shakes his head backing slowing out of the room. Willow looked to Xander a what-are- we-going-to-do look playing over her features. Xander's eyes followed Buffy as she turned and headed up the stairs to her bedroom and he looked back to Willow with a shrug and a sigh. They both sat and started into the plates before them.

*******

Giles made his way to his make shift bed on the sofa, he sat down placing his head in his hands, he let the pent up tears fall down his face as he sobbed quietly to himself what have I done...He allowed himself to fall back onto his pillows, he pulls his feet up onto the sofa, not bothering to remove his shoes. As the tears slowed he closes his eyes and collapsed into a restless sleep.

*******

Buffy made her way up the stairs and towards her bedroom, stopping at each door to check on the occupants of the rooms. Everyone was sleeping and looked to be, amazing as it was, at peace. She closed the door to Dawn's bedroom and headed for her own, opening it slowly and entering noiselessly, not wanting to wake anyone who may have claimed her floor for the night. Happily, she found the room void of any SITs and she pulled off her shoes let them lay in the middle of the floor. Buffy pulled the covers back and crawled underneath them, not caring that she was still fully dressed. She lay there for a moment her head fuzzy and numb, finally she closed her eyes, they sprang open again almost immediately as an image of Giles' face, his eyes filled with regret, filled the blackness behind her eye lids. Giles, why? How do we fix this? Why?...she rolls over onto her side as the tears come. She lays there eyes open, waiting for the tears to lull into dreamland.

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