"At least their speaking again anyway" she mumbles to herself as she stands upright and looks into the mirror again. As she wipes away the steam covering, she hears Buffy's voice, unobstructed and as clear as if she where standing right there.
"No! I can't do this anymore! Giles, I want you to leave, I don't care where you go or what you do but I want you out of this house by tomorrow morning!" The red-heads mouth drops. Did she just hear that? She can't be serious, kicking Giles out? Giles? She feels her face redden with the heat of anger.
"That's it!" her eyes glaze over black as she summons the magickal forces within her. She mutters something in Latin and her eyes return to normal. "There" she smiles at herself in the mirror and finishes getting herself ready and dressed.
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Buffy entered the kitchen only to find Giles standing at the window, watching the SITs train, no doubt, she turned and started to exit when she heard Giles voice behind her.
"Buffy please, we need to talk" his voice was pleading and filled with sadness. She turned back around to face him and there it was, the look that had flashed into view as she closed her eyes to sleep three days ago, it was regret and pain and it filled the watchers eyes completely as if it had taken over his very soul. She felt the pang in her heart but she couldn't repress the anger and hurt that he had awaked in her.
"What Giles," She snapped "what do you have to say that can change what you did? You betrayed me, you took advantage of the trust I had in you. You can't come back from that, Giles, not twice," She shook her head as she found her voice rising almost to a yell. "How am I supposed to trust you again?" her voice, loud though it was, was almost pleading, hoping he could say something that would mend the discord between them.
"Buffy," He began "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I hurt you. I never meant this to happen, I was doing what I felt needed to be done, what I felt you weren't strong enough to do on your own." He looked at her trying to hold her eyes, trying to make her understand.
"You assume way too much! It's not your place to make those decisions! I'm a big Slayer now, Giles. I can make up my own mind." Her voice was loud and angry and she could feel the heat in her cheeks.
"Spike is dangerous! Everyone can see that except for you! Your feelings for him have blinded you! He's a liability, Buffy. You have to understand that!" He was becoming angry now and his volume was matching her own. Buffy looked at him as he spoke, she wondered at the hesitation in his voice and the change that rippled across his eyes as he spoke of her feeling for Spike. Was that jealousy she saw? Surly not, she pushed the thought aside and bit back.
"We need Spike! We need him in this fight! Can't you see that? We NEED him!"
"You mean YOU need don't you Buffy? YOU need him!" he pointed a finger at her for emphases. Buffy stifled a surprised laugh, yes she thought, that is pure, absolute, unadulterated jealously in his eyes, but why? She looked at him her resentment and fury fading for a brief moment then retaking control of her heart.
"No! I can't do this anymore! Giles, I want you to leave, I don't care where you go or what you do but I want you out of this house by tomorrow morning!" She almost didn't believe she was saying it, that it was really coming from her lips. She was telling him to leave, to go, and for good this time. Did she really want that? She broke eye contact with him and headed for the hall. The watcher stood there for a moment his mind blank with shock. He came to his senses and moved quickly after his Slayer.
"Buffy!" He said as he reached out with his left hand and grabbed her right wrist turning her to him "Don't do this. Don't just walk away from me!"
"It's over Giles. Go back to England; find someone who NEEDS your help. It's not wanted here!" As she speaks turns and pulls hard to remove herself from his grip, only she can't her head snaps back to his direction and she sees him, looking at their touching flesh, just as amazed as she is. "Let go of me Giles," she says this, already half knowing that he can't.
"I assure you I'm not holding-" his voice fades as realization hits. Buffy and Giles look at one another the animosity for each other being replaced by suspicion. They look towards the second floor stairs.
"Willow!!" They both call out at the same time "get down here NOW!!"
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