Raising a Slayer

Author: Andrea/silentflux

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Rating: FRC

Pairing/Characters: Rupert Giles

Warnings: None

Spoilers: None...just some vague references that only those familiar with the earlier seasons of Buffy will catch.

Disclaimer: This universe and its characters are so not mine. They belong to the wonderful brain of Joss Whedon and various studio executives. I'm just borrowing...

Prompt: Giles - music

Author's notes: This was in response to the prompt which was given to me by Corinna (alwaysjbj) for a meme... and this is the ficlet that it produced

Hope y'all like my first stab at Giles :D

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Giles sighed softly as he looked out at the rain. It had been raining softly but steadily all afternoon, and it didn't look like it was planning on letting up. Days like this, he would normally read something, wrap himself in the fluid, immortal words of an author long gone and relish the different outlook on life – usually a life that consisted of more mundane problems and existed in a simpler world. Because being the Watcher of Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a whole new level of existence for which he had never been properly prepared.

But today, a book just wasn’t going to cut through his frustration, quell his anger. And his records weren’t at the library. They were at home, safely tucked on the shelf with his turntable. It looked like he was going to be praying for something to interrupt him before he allowed himself to be completely pulled under the waves of frustration. The girl had absolutely no common sense and definitely no discipline at all!

Clenching and unclenching his fists in anger, he sighed heavily. No matter how much he loved her, there were times when he wanted to throttle the girl. She was such a…a teenager!

Yes, Rupert, he told himself sarcastically. That’s exactly what she is. And you know it. Stop acting like you don’t even remember what it was like.

But that was always the thing. He barely did remember what it was like anymore. He’d shoved away that rebelliousness – wrapped it up tight and locked it away. He’d been dangerous – cocky with too little knowledge and too much ego. Just like every teen, he mused. Unfortunately, his knowledge had killed.

So, he’d muffled the rebellious voice and locked it behind several doors. But not just that voice – everything that reminded him of it. That’s why he didn’t listen to those records as often as he used to – memories bubbled to the surface. But most often, they were the memories he didn’t mind, emotions he’d kill to feel that deeply again even if they did scare him. And those were the times that he could most often forgive the antics of his charge. Because he knew – he understood. Maybe not the timeframe, but the mindset. And that was enough.

Taking a deep breath, he resolved himself to finish out the rest of the day without exploding. He and Buffy had built something together. A relationship that ran deeper than he’d believed it ever could. And he would do anything for her. Therefore, he would survive this. Because his Slayer was worth it. And besides, he’d always loved a little chaos in his life, hadn’t he?

And that was how Buffy found him when she dutifully reported for training an hour late: standing at the window with a wry smile gracing his lips and something like fond remembrance in his eyes.

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