"Goodbyes"
by Maggie C.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
----------------
"Giles, please-"
"I'm sorry. I have to leave. I am not doing you or anyone else any good here."
Xander swallowed hard and forced a smile. "But Giles... you can't leave me here alone with all these women! I need another guy to help balance it out. And Spike doesn't count."
Giles sighed and looked at Xander. "Xander, you are a strong young man. You can handle anything life throws at you." Giles smiled. "You are getting married, my boy. You don't need me anymore."
"Yes, I do," Xander protested, his eyes watering. "Who am I gonna talk to? Who's gonna chew me out when I do something stupid? Who's gonna tell me I don't screw up all the time? Who am I gonna go to when I just can't-"
Giles pulled Xander into a tight hug. Xander wrapped his arms around Giles, and he could feel the young man tremble. "Xander, you are a strong young man. I know that you can handle anything that life or the Hellmouth throws at you. You have a fiancee that loves you. You have friends that care for you. You will be all right."
Xander laughed and pulled away. "My fiancee is an ex-vengeance demon who still is learning how to be a human being. My friends... Dawn's a teenager and rebelling, Buffy's recovering from being ripped out of heaven. Willow's going off the deep end with way wrong uses of magic and Tara has just dumped her, so I really don't think Tara's going to be very stable at this point..." Xander looked at Giles, horrified. "Oh, God, I'm like, the least screwed up adult here. You can't leave, you can't do this to me, Giles."
Giles shook his head and smiled at Xander's familiar antics. "Cheer up, my boy. You still have Spike."
Xander looked at Giles, shocked and horrified. "Take me with you."
Giles laughed out loud and pulled Xander into another hug. He pulled back and looked at Xander. Despite Xander's fears, he knew he would be fine. He would be able to handle anything that came up - maybe not easily, but he would be able to handle it. "You will be fine." He smiled and clasped Xander on the shoulder. "And I'm only going to England, not the inner rings of hell. They do deliver mail there, and I fully expect you to keep in touch, you hear?"
Xander smiled hesitantly. "I hear. And maybe you'll even figure out how to email. Save the cost of stamps."
Giles tossed Xander a look. "Hell will freeze over first."
Xander grinned. "Hasn't that happened already?" Giles just shook his head. Xander's smile faded and he ducked his head. "You're coming back for the wedding, right?"
"Try and keep me away," he said.
"Good," Xander said, still not looking at Giles. "'Cause you know, I was sorta hoping... you'd act as father of the groom." Giles stiffened in shock as Xander shrugged. "Don't really know what all duties that entails, but whatever it is... ah, you fit the bill, you know?" Xander looked up at Giles hesitantly.
Giles embraced him again. "I would be honored," he whispered. He pulled back again and placed a hand on the side of Xander's face. "I am very proud of you, my boy." Xander smiled at him and nodded. Giles stepped back and picked up his carry on. He walked towards the gate, turning back once more at the security checkpoint. He met Xander's gaze and smiled. They looked at each other for a moment. Finally breaking the gaze, Giles turned around and walked through the security checkpoint, leaving his children - all of them - to fend for themselves. He steeled himself with a deep breath. "Let them be all right."
by Maggie C.
Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me.
----------------
"Giles, please-"
"I'm sorry. I have to leave. I am not doing you or anyone else any good here."
Xander swallowed hard and forced a smile. "But Giles... you can't leave me here alone with all these women! I need another guy to help balance it out. And Spike doesn't count."
Giles sighed and looked at Xander. "Xander, you are a strong young man. You can handle anything life throws at you." Giles smiled. "You are getting married, my boy. You don't need me anymore."
"Yes, I do," Xander protested, his eyes watering. "Who am I gonna talk to? Who's gonna chew me out when I do something stupid? Who's gonna tell me I don't screw up all the time? Who am I gonna go to when I just can't-"
Giles pulled Xander into a tight hug. Xander wrapped his arms around Giles, and he could feel the young man tremble. "Xander, you are a strong young man. I know that you can handle anything that life or the Hellmouth throws at you. You have a fiancee that loves you. You have friends that care for you. You will be all right."
Xander laughed and pulled away. "My fiancee is an ex-vengeance demon who still is learning how to be a human being. My friends... Dawn's a teenager and rebelling, Buffy's recovering from being ripped out of heaven. Willow's going off the deep end with way wrong uses of magic and Tara has just dumped her, so I really don't think Tara's going to be very stable at this point..." Xander looked at Giles, horrified. "Oh, God, I'm like, the least screwed up adult here. You can't leave, you can't do this to me, Giles."
Giles shook his head and smiled at Xander's familiar antics. "Cheer up, my boy. You still have Spike."
Xander looked at Giles, shocked and horrified. "Take me with you."
Giles laughed out loud and pulled Xander into another hug. He pulled back and looked at Xander. Despite Xander's fears, he knew he would be fine. He would be able to handle anything that came up - maybe not easily, but he would be able to handle it. "You will be fine." He smiled and clasped Xander on the shoulder. "And I'm only going to England, not the inner rings of hell. They do deliver mail there, and I fully expect you to keep in touch, you hear?"
Xander smiled hesitantly. "I hear. And maybe you'll even figure out how to email. Save the cost of stamps."
Giles tossed Xander a look. "Hell will freeze over first."
Xander grinned. "Hasn't that happened already?" Giles just shook his head. Xander's smile faded and he ducked his head. "You're coming back for the wedding, right?"
"Try and keep me away," he said.
"Good," Xander said, still not looking at Giles. "'Cause you know, I was sorta hoping... you'd act as father of the groom." Giles stiffened in shock as Xander shrugged. "Don't really know what all duties that entails, but whatever it is... ah, you fit the bill, you know?" Xander looked up at Giles hesitantly.
Giles embraced him again. "I would be honored," he whispered. He pulled back again and placed a hand on the side of Xander's face. "I am very proud of you, my boy." Xander smiled at him and nodded. Giles stepped back and picked up his carry on. He walked towards the gate, turning back once more at the security checkpoint. He met Xander's gaze and smiled. They looked at each other for a moment. Finally breaking the gaze, Giles turned around and walked through the security checkpoint, leaving his children - all of them - to fend for themselves. He steeled himself with a deep breath. "Let them be all right."