When the team returned without Buffy and told him what had happened he knew exactly where she'd be. The rest of them could look after themselves. He needed to find Buffy. He saw the door open as he reached the building and made his way up to the roof.
She was leaning on the railings, looking out over the darkened town. "It's not your fault you know." He said as he reached her side and leant against the railings next to her. She didn't turn to look at him or say anything for a good few minutes.
"Of course it is. I should have stopped as soon as I saw him, but I didn't and now a kid's dead. There's parents out there now whose son is dead because of me." She said, with such an emotionless tone that he was worried to look her in the eyes, because he knew what he would see.
"Buffy, listen to me. You can't be blamed for this. You shouldn't have even been there tonight. You only were because somebody else, screwed up their job and you had to fix it." He said and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "You can't let this beat you up. It's a terrible thing, but you didn't actually kill that boy. Taking the weight of that death is only going to rip you up." Giles said and Buffy sagged her shoulders.
She turned her head to look at him. "I just stood there and watched as the knife went through him. I saw the look in his eyes as he died. He was in front of me and I couldn't save him Giles. My job is to protect them and I let him die." She declared and suddenly Giles had his arms full of a sobbing Buffy.
"I can't keep doing this." She sobbed and Giles took a breath in and closed his eyes. Holding Buffy close to him, he tried to think of anything that would help her, but nothing he could say will help her not feel like a failure. Nothing he says will make her forget that little boys eyes. Times like these he wished he was able to be there, to help them. Buffy may not be in such a state if he was there to watch her. That was his job but he couldn't do it.
He couldn't help his charge from breaking apart in front of him and it killed him, almost as much as the damage it was doing to her. He knew that tomorrow she would be out again fighting off the demons who continuously tried to rip this town apart, but he knew that there would be more nights like this and if he couldn't help her fighting, then he at least could help her keep her head on her shoulders. This was tough on anyone but Buffy was always different to others and he knew that he had to be there for her. Because otherwise no one will and there's been too many slayers gone rogue because they've lost their head in this sort of madness.
He gently peeled Buffy off him and guided her back down the stairs and into the car. He drove her home and waited with Joyce until she had managed to settle into a very unease sleep, but it was sleep nonetheless.
"Is she going to be okay?" She asked Rupert as he checked on Buffy one last time before deciding to head home himself. "She will be, one day."
Read and Review. First time writing Buffy, so I have no idea if it's any good or if I should ever write any more.