"Mr Giles!" one of the senior Watchers called, sounding frustrated. Giles sighed. No doubt one of his charges was up to something again. But weren't they all supposed to be training at the moment?
"Yes sir, what is it?" he asked the watcher, Travis Loket. "Is it Buffy, Kendra or Faith this time?" His bet was on Faith. She had been all together too well behaved lately.
Travis blinked at him "What? Oh the girls. No they're fine. In fact you're doing such a good job with them we want you to look after this one too." He pulled a small red headed child out from behind his leg. "She isn't a potential, she's the child of 2 watchers recently killed. We believe her to have very strong magick."
*Why me?* Giles thought. another child to keep track of. "What's her name sir?" he asked.
Travis blinked again, looking a little confused "Oh I thought I told you. This is Willow Rosenberg. She is the daughter of Ira and Sheila."
Giles was shocked. He had not heard of the Rosenbergs' death. Or that they had a child for that matter.
He took the girl by the hand "Hello Willow, I'm Giles. I used to know your parents" he said gently. Poor thing. This child looked so much more delicate than his little slayers. He wondered how they would react to her.
He took her to their house and set her up with a bed near the others. He found a case with her belongings in was already there, and they unpacked it together. The very top thing in the case was a book of simple magicks.
"I can do all the spells in that book" Willow told him proudly. The child was only 5 and she had already finished that book? That was meant for children twice her age.
"So you can already read then, Willow?" he asked, then remembered that she was a child of Watchers. Of course she could read.
But the child didn't look at him like he was stupid. She nodded eagerly "I love to read" she told him. Ah she was a little scholar. Maybe she would understand that he needed quiet time to read sometimes. The others sure didn't.
"I look after 3 little girls the same age as you" He told the child. "Would you like to meet them?" at her nod he smiled. "Well lets go then. Do you know what Potentials are?"
Another nod. "Good, well these three girls are all Potentials, but they are 5, like you, they were discovered very early. I must warn you they can be a bit loud and rough, but I'm sure you will get along just fine" He was sure she would be fine with them. She might manage to calm them down somewhat and they might manage to bring her out of her shell.
He lead Willow to the nearby arena, where his other charges were training with a staff master. The three of them were in a class with the other junior potentials, the youngest of whom was 8 and the eldest 12.
He was amused to see his three sparring with the larger students and standing up to them rather well. Buffy had even got her opponent on the ground.
"Can I borrow the trio?" he asked the master. The trio was what every one called his three potentials, since they were hardly ever seen apart. The master nodded and called them over.
"Hiya Giles" Buffy greeted him. Then she pointed. "Who's that?" Kendra and Faith were looking like they couldn't care less and wanted to get back to their spar partners.
He decided to make the introduction quick. "Girls, this is Willow, she is a witch, and she is going to be living with us. I hope you will be nice to her."
Kendra and Faith weren't interested but Buffy liked the look of the girl standing with Giles. "Hi she said. I'm Buffy and those two are Kendra and Faith. Can you spar?"
Willow shook her head "I've only got basic weapons training. I'm nowhere near as good as you" Then she brightened. "But I'm good at tactics. I can help you figure out how to beat your opponent more easily"
Buffy grinned at the new kid. They were going to get along just fine, with her strength and Willow's brain they were going to be an unstoppable team.
Giles wisely left then, before Buffy made him spar with them.