THE DIARY

DISCLAIMER

Belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Not me. Takes place in the first season sometime after "Angel", but other than that, not after any particular episode.

Rupert Giles blew out a breath and paced around the library. His pupil, Buffy Summers, had gone out hunting and he was bored. His gaze fell to a red velvet-bound book that the girl had been reading before being sent out. His brow furrowed in confusion. It appeared to be a Watcher's diary. Now why would Buffy be reading one of those? he wondered. Curiosity overriding him, he walked over to the table and picked up the book.

"Slayer is self-centered and impossible," he read aloud. "She is much too concerned about fashion, popularity, and---"

"What the heck do you think you're doing?" an angry voice interrupted. Giles whirled around to see Buffy.

"Buffy, uh---" the Slayer strode over to him and yanked the diary out of his hands.

"This isn't yours," she said emotionally. "You had no right. You had no right," she continued, hugging the book to her chest.

"Buffy, I---" Giles started to say. However, he stopped when she began to cry.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" he asked.

"This diary...it's---it's---" Buffy choked back a sob.

"It's what?" Giles questioned.

"It's Merrick's," Buffy told him. Giles drew in a breath.

"Your first watcher," he said. She nodded as tears streamed down her face.

"What happened?" the man asked gently.

"He---he---he had been caught by Lothos---and---" she stopped mid-sentence.

"And what?" he prodded.

"He staked himself so Lothos wouldn't turn him," she revealed.

"Oh, Buffy," the man sighed sympathetically. Buffy stepped forward and walked up to Giles, who wrapped her in a hug.

"I just miss him so much," the Slayer sobbed.

"Sssssh, sssssh, sssssh," her watcher comforted.

THE END

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Yeah, I know a lot of people probably wanted some Buffy\Angel, but this was meant as an establishment of Buffy and Giles' relationship as Slayer and Watcher as well as friendship.