Buffy and Giles were in a cemetery together, waiting on a fledgling to rise. Giles leaned against a statue and Buffy sat atop a tombstone. She had been filing her nails while Giles flipped through a book. Suddenly she stopped and looked up. She turned to look at Giles, a thought suddenly occurring to her.
"Giles?"
"Hmm?"
"What happened to your dad's slayer?"
He looked up from his book, mild shock crossing his face. "Pardon?"
"You said your father was a Watcher. And your grandmother. What happened to their slayers?"
"Oh, umm," he closed his book, "they weren't ever slayers. They were potentials."
"Okay..." Buffy drew out, waiting for more information, but none came. "And what happened to them? Did they just go poof? Disappear?"
"My grandmother's potential, Margaret, was never called forth. They remained in contact for a long while after my grandmother was recalled. She was actually my godmother."
Buffy hopped down and walked over to Giles who stood straight. "And your dad's?"
Giles fiddled with his book before finally tucking it into his jacket pocket. "She, well... she, umm, she died."
Buffy was taken aback. "Oh. Sorry. I... If she was just a potential, what happened to her?"
He put his hands in his pockets and looked off into the distance. "Uh, she, uh..." He sighed.
Buffy reached out a hand to his arm. "Giles, you don't-"
"She died during childbirth."
Buffy had a sharp intake of breath. "Oh," was all she could bring herself to say. Of all the scenarios she played out in her mind of ways she may die, that was never one of them. She felt a small tremble run throughout him. She rubbed her thumb gently against his arm. She stepped closer. He was looking at the ground. She could see he was hurting and decided to try to lighten the mood. "Hey, your dad let his potential slayer date. Why can't I without the big lecture?"
He suddenly stepped away from her and her touch. His back was turned towards her as he ran a hand over his face. He turned back to her with an edge to his voice. "First and foremost, she died. Therefore, not a great argument point for your case. Secondly-," he stopped. He took a deep breath. "He was with her 24/7."
Buffy looked as if she were fighting a battle between confusion and denial. He knew it wouldn't be long before-.
"Then, how did she-." And there was the face of realization. "Oh." She sounded so sad. Giles turned away from her again. She watched him take a few aimless steps. She stepped up behind him and touched his back. He hung his head. "Was that... I mean, was she...?" She couldn't bring herself to actually ask.
"My mother?" He ever so slightly nodded.
Buffy trembled. She stood right behind him and laid her head between his shoulder blades. So much about her Watcher she didn't know. She closed her eyes, feeling tears start to sting them. "Giles... I..." She didn't know what to say.
He turned back to face her. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and gave her a gentle, sad smile. He held her face in both of his hands and kissed her forehead. Pulling away, he gently turned her around in time for her to see two arms emerge from the fresh grave. "Showtime," he whispered.