Chapter Four: Promises and Plans

They sat in silence for several minutes before Buffy sat up. "Okay...so...what did you come up here to talk about?"

Giles blinked. "I...I beg your pardon?"

"Well, I kind of don't think you came here a rehash session. I mean, if you did, it's cool, but that wasn't the vibe I was getting when you came in." She blinked at him.

"Oh. Oh yes." In the confessions of the past half-hour, he had all but forgotten the real reason he had come to Buffy's room. "Well, I did intend to apologize to you. But you are correct that it was not my only motivation for seeking you out this evening."

"Okay. So, apologies given. Unexpected sharing time covered." Giles smiled. Once, he might have been offended by her apparent flippancy in regards to what they had just shared, but he had long since learned that it was one of her coping mechanisms. There was only so much heavy discussion one could take. And in truth, he somewhat appreciated the change in atmosphere. "So...what's the big discussion point? Cause Giles in my room isn't exactly a normal thing."

"Yes. Well, I thought to speak with you in as comfortable an environment as I could. Comfortable for you, I mean. Given that the subject I need to discuss with you is likely to be somewhat...uncomfortable." He could feel his stomach clenching again. He was beginning to wonder how he'd ever let Joyce talk him into this.

"Okay." She pulled the pillow up again to wrap her elbows around it. "I'm comfortable. So share."

"Err...yes. Well." He shifted. "I think I'd do better in the chair, actually." He moved.

Buffy scrunched her nose at him. "Nervous much? You look like a boy asking his crush out."

He winced at how close the words were to his actual predicament. "Ah, yes, well...this is a matter of some delicacy…."

He cleared his throat. "I don't know if you were aware, but your mother came to see me this afternoon."

"I knew she left." Buffy frowned. "Did she yell at you?"

"No. Not hardly. Actually, she was quite...gracious to me. She merely wanted to discuss the circumstances of my dismissal as your Watcher. She was...concerned."

"She should join the club." Buffy grimaced. "I don't really want another Watcher."

"Yes, well, it is rather unavoidable now. Regardless, your mother came to me to discuss...well, to discuss the details of what had happened, and why I had been fired, and what my future role in your life was to be. My future involvement. And I told her, quite truthfully, that I would be restricted by the amount of leeway the new Watcher chose to give me. And that, did I overstep my bounds, I would most likely find myself removed from my job, possibly deported back to England."

"Harsh." Buffy grimaced.

"Indeed. But rather…typical of the Council's handling of such affairs. Your mother expressed some...disapproval of the Council and their methods. She wished to know if there were any ways to circumvent the Council's edicts."

Buffy blinked. "I didn't think there were. I mean, you seemed pretty sure this stuff was ironclad. All that talk of tradition and protocol and stuff."

"Indeed. In most circumstances, the Council is indeed rather strict. But after some discussion, your mother and I realized there is indeed one loophole that can be exploited. Something that will allow me to maintain close contact with you, to aid and advise you as I have done until now. It is however, a rather delicate matter, one which both of us agreed should not be implemented without your approval and acceptance."

"What? What is it?" He swallowed hard, and Buffy sat up straighter. "Giles, what's the loophole?"

"The loophole...the Council..." He paused, cleared his throat, and forced himself to meet her eyes. "The Council does not historically interfere with the family of the Slayer. Because of their ties of kinship, the family is the one influence that the Council makes no attempt to meddle with. That rule is why you were never taken away from your family after you became the Slayer. No Slayer is, unless her family chooses to give her up, or the Slayer herself chooses to leave. I suspect the rule has something to do with the fact that Watcher traditions are often passed through family lines, as mine were. Or perhaps it is simply that even the Council recognizes the folly of trying to separate a Slayer from the things she cares about, the things she is willing to defend."

"Okay. Family equals blind spot equals loophole. Got it. Still trying to figure out where you're going with this. Unless you want Willow to forge you some paperwork saying that you're like a long lost uncle or something."

"No. Nothing so...detectable. The Council would notice if such paperwork were filed. They would have done an extensive background check before appointing me as your Watcher, to avoid just such ties. And their records are…very meticulous." He paused a moment, his mouth dry. "There is another, much simpler, and much more legal, way, to ensure that the necessary qualifications are met."

He had stopped looking at her, but he forced himself to meet her eyes. "Kin by marriage is considered protected by the same rules as any other form of family. If...if..."

"If you married someone in my family, they couldn't get you. That's what you were thinking." Buffy's voice had gone that careful, toneless quality. The monotone that meant she was upset. Very upset. "Giles...that's…that's…."

"It is. It most certainly is. If it helps, it was actually your mother's idea."

"And you agreed."

"Not really. That is, I agree that the logic is sound. But if you're asking me if I agreed that I should marry your mother simply so I could maintain guardianship over you, I did not. Nor do I even now. But your mother believes it to be a good idea, and it does have certain merits."

"That's just wrong." Buffy's voice went cold. "Giles...I never thought…to take advantage of her like that..."

"I am aware." He jerked his head up, then shoved himself to his feet to pace the confines of her room. "Believe me, I am more than aware of how…how despicable it seems. As I said, it was your mother's idea."

"But you agreed."

"No. Not as such." He turned back to her. "Buffy…please listen to me. Your mother and I discussed this..."

"I'm not listening to this unless both of you are here." Buffy glared at him.

"Fair enough." He nodded, some of his anger fading at the fierce protectiveness in her eyes. "Shall I go downstairs and help induce your friends to leave so that we can properly discuss this?"

"That might be a good idea." She hadn't budged an inch.

"Then so I shall." He ducked out of the room and headed down the stairs, his stomach churning and his mind whirling with nerves and stress.

It wasn't that hard to coax the children to leave. Some subtle comments about Buffy being tired, needing rest, and Willow was soon shoving the two boys out of the house with quick farewells and requests that they tell Buffy to take care, and that they'd see her soon.

Joyce sighed as they shut the door. "Those kids..." She shook her head. "Did you talk to Buffy? You were up there a while."

"We were sidetracked by some previous issues, but I did manage to break the news to her. She took it...well, she refuses to discuss the matter without both of us present."

"So she took it badly." Joyce sighed again.

"She is rather protective of you." He pulled his glasses off and wiped them on his handkerchief again.

"That she is. Well, if we're going to talk this out, I'd best go call her. Make yourself comfortable in the living room." She vanished up the stairs.

Giles made his way to the living room and perched on the couch. Buffy and Joyce joined him a few moments later. Buffy took a chair. Joyce joined him on the couch.

"So..." Buffy was staring at her mother. Giles decided not to interject unless the circumstances specifically called for it. "You and Giles."

"Well, yes. What did Giles tell you?"

"That if he married you, the Watcher Council couldn't interfere with him. Because it's a family thing. And he said it was your idea." Buffy frowned at her mother. "Was it?"

"It was." Joyce reached across the space and took her daughter's hand. "Buffy, I just want you to be as safe and happy as possible. And I don't want you having to depend on someone who doesn't care about your happiness or welfare to advise you. From what I've seen, you tend to be a little reckless, and I think someone who's too...detached...well, they might not take proper care of protecting you or helping you, of providing you and your friends proper support."

"But what about you?" Buffy's eyes were distressed, the frown smoothed away by genuine concern. "Mom...you can't marry someone just because they might be good for me. You just...you can't. And I don't want you to."

"I know sweetie. But, I'll be honest. If it were just about you, I probably wouldn't marry him anyway. However, as it stands...well, Mr. Giles and I have gotten to know each other. Especially while you were away. And after you came home. And I think he has several…very excellent qualities." Joyce rolled her shoulders in a sort of half-shrug. "He's intelligent. We share some of the same interests and tastes."

"Or lack thereof." Buffy made a face. "But seriously..."

"Seriously. I think Mr. Giles and I would get along very well. And honestly, it would be a relief, being with a man and not constantly worrying if he was going to find out our little family secret, and how he'd react if he did."

"I can get that." Buffy managed a weak grin. "But...mom, there should be more to it than that. I don't want...I mean, are you even attracted to him?"

Giles blinked. He hadn't dared to ask the question himself. Of course, Joyce had responded well enough to him during the band candy incident. But that had been then, when both of them had been behaving rather like adolescents.

Joyce blushed. "Well, actually...I do find him...I mean, he does have very lovely eyes, and he's very…."

"Oh god. You do like him. You seriously like him." Buffy swallowed hard, her expression almost comically horrified. "Okay, you know what, I really don't want to know."

Giles sighed. "I wouldn't mind."

Joyce turned around with a raised eyebrow. Buffy glared at him. "Don't push it." Then her expression altered. "Do you like my mom?"

Now it was his turn to blush. "I think your mother is quite a lovely woman. Intelligent, good figure, lovely hair and eyes..."

"Okay. Stop there. I really do not need to listen to you recounting how much you like my mother either." Buffy grimaced. "You really should have just stopped at the first sentence." She shook her head.

"Buffy." Joyce's voice was faintly reproving.

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. Not going there. The band thing when you were mentally teenagers was bad enough. I really don't want any more references now that you're sane and...all adult again." She curled up in the chair. Then she fixed Giles with a stare that would have drilled a hole through concrete. "Do you love her? My mom?"

He considered the question. "I...I don't know. I never truly had the time to consider it, with everything else. I am...fond of her. I respect her. I admire her. I am certainly attracted to her. But love...I am afraid I can't say, not without more time. I will say however, that I think it quite possible that I could develop stronger feelings for your mother. And I would not discount love as a possibility. In time, after we've had more time to truly get to know each other, and for other matters to...fade."

Buffy considered that, then turned to her mother. "Mom?"

Joyce folded her hands together in her lap. "Well, I admit...I hadn't thought of it much before. I mean, first he was your teacher. And then, everything else…but I do admire him. I enjoy talking with him." She paused, then nodded. "I agree with Mr. Giles. With Rupert, I suppose. I don't know if I love him now, but I think it is a very real possibility in the future. And, having considered it, it's a possibility I'd like to explore."

Buffy stared at the two of them. "You guys are serious about this?"

Giles and Joyce shared a look. Then Joyce nodded. "Yes."

Giles chimed in. "Yes indeed. I think we are."

Buffy swallowed hard. "Okay. But...rules."

"What rules were you thinking of?" Giles frowned.

"You have to go on at least one date. A real date, with dinner and drinks and talking and...stuff. Whatever adults do when they date. And it has to go well. Also, Giles, you have to ask my mother properly. A real proposal, with a ring and everything. Plus...I guess the council thingy means you have to kind of make this whole thing a rush job?"

"It does, unfortunately." Giles sighed.

"Okay. Then you have to agree. One year from whenever you get married. If you don't love each other, you guys separate. No muss, no fuss. Just..." She caught their exchange of looks. "I'll be out of school then. Hopefully in college, and possibly gainfully employed as...as something. I might not even live in the house any more. And we'll know by then if my new Watcher is a serious Watcher, or just a sleaze in a suit. If he's good, I'll be able to work with him. If not...I'll have plenty of time to train him to stay out of my way." she looked somewhat gleeful at the thought.

"That seems highly likely." Giles managed a smile, warmed by the expression of anticipation on her face. "It certainly didn't take you very long to train me."

"I never had to train you to get out of my way. Just to trust me a little. And understand that my priorities include a real life." She grinned at him.

"Indeed. Indeed you did." He smiled. "I take it then, provided the rules are followed, that we have your tentative blessing?"

"Date first. Proposal first. Buffy blessing after. If you treat my mom right." She considered. "Which, actually, I'm not that concerned about. I mean, teen Giles I might have worried about. But you're...like the ultimate in stuffy proper gentleman. I might actually have to remind you to kiss her." Her nose wrinkled. "That is a seriously disturbing visual."

"Indeed." Giles and Joyce both shivered at the mental image of standing on the porch while Buffy lectured them on the proper technique for kissing. Giles recovered his composure. "I...well, I have next Saturday free. Would you care to join me for dinner?"

"I'd love to." Joyce smiled at him. She really did have a lovely smile.

Buffy sighed. "Oh, this is going to be fun..."

Author's Note: It begins...