Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy

Ted. The bane of Buffy's existence. Mom wanted her home promptly at six for dinner with Ted. Because Ted was so goddamn perfect. Ted made breakfast. Ted's making dinner. Buffy got outside of her house hoping her trip to school would be less...suicide prompting, less vomit inducing. She looked over her shoulder at her house before deciding that anything was better than being with her mother for the drive to school. So she hurriedly left a note that said she was walking to school before she broke out running. Allowing the wind to tussle her hair, knowing she'd regret the high heels later, but she just ran. She got to school in no time and went straight for the library. She flopped down in a chair and looked up as Giles's big sad puppy dog eyes made an entrance. "Oh hello Buffy." He checked his watch with a confused expression. "You're early." He said as he looked at her with concern.

"Yeah I ran to school." She said casually.

"Um...why?" He asked thinking of all the things that might make Buffy run to school.

"It's complicated." She sighed looking at him. His face said he was still expecting her to spill the beans and, well, as they say, talking about it helps. "My mom's dating a new guy and I always hoped her and my dad would get back together. And he threatened to slap me in the face and no one believes me and everyone thinks he's perfect but he's not." Buffy said in a rush.

"He threatened you?" Giles asked as he put his cup of tea down and looked at her intently. She nodded. "Has he hit you?" He asked, feeling suddenly, and oddly, paternally protective of his little slayer. Maybe it was a watcher thing. She shook her head no.

"I'm gunna ask Willow to look into him for me." Buffy said defensively. As if Giles gave her a reason to think she couldn't protect herself.

"Well if he gives you any more trouble..." Giles left the offer unfinished. She knew the rest. Buffy nodded and began going to the double doors. "And Buffy?" Giles called after her. She looked over her shoulder at him. "If he tries anything, I will support you." Giles said. Buffy nodded and smiled at him before leaving.

Buffy felt bad for telling not only Angel, but Giles now too. She was such a burden. Maybe Willow, and Zander, and even her mom were right. Maybe he was normal and nice, and all that. But something about him just gave Buffy the wiggins. Angel had been ready to kill the guy. Boyfriends are supposed to do stuff like that, he'd assured Buffy. Giles though, what was his reason. Buffy'd always thought of him as her second father but she'd never expected, assumed, or even thought he might think of her as a daughter figure.

Ted. Robot, psycho, kidnapper, attacker, killer, drug dealer, and now that Buffy was through with him, scrap metal. She'd invited Angel and Giles on the 'ceremony' of dropping him off at the dump and had to tear Angel off the body where he'd been trying to pulverize it, leading to further injuries to his hand, and Giles who'd taken to either stabbing it or hitting it with his knife. He'd brought it, just in case, after Buffy called. Only saying it was about Ted. They both had been ready to kill over just a threat to their girl, their slayer, their girlfriend, their daughter figure, their Buffy. And it honestly made her feel weirdly and morbidly happy, loved, special.