Stone fidgeted as she sat on Giles' couch, her sword and knapsack at her feet, waiting for him to return with the tea.
"Well then," he said as he came back in and set the cups down on the coffee table, "there we are."
The entire trip back to his apartment Stone had caught herself staring at him, trying to see herself in him. Now she was staring at her boots a thousand questions in her mind she was too afraid to ask.
"I, uh," started Giles, then he sighed and removed his glasses setting them on the table next to his tea cup, "I don't really know quite what to say. I've so many questions."
"I've got a few of my own. You start."
"With M-Marion, uh your mother, I mean, how did she, uh, what happened?"
"Cancer. Lung cancer, actually," Stone felt the hot tears gather behind her eyes for the first time since she'd stepped foot in America.
"I'm sorry," said Giles, his own sadness evident in his voice.
Stone gasped holding back a sob. Giles laid his hand on her back.
"It's all right to cry here," he said. He wiped away a tear on his cheek with his other hand than held her, letting her mourn.
"She w-was a good mother, really," sobbed Stone, "She made sure I was ready."
When she'd finished Giles asked, "Ready for what?"
Stone wiped her face, "To be called."
"As a slayer? Where did she get the idea you'd be called?"
"I'm not sure, something to do with you I guess. When we fought in the motel, I knew you were a watcher. Your style's so similar to the style of the ex-watcher who trained me."
"Even if she knew you weren't Ethan's how could she assume you would be called just because I was to be a watcher? Watcher's breed other-"
"Watchers? Yes, of course, but she wanted me to be called so badly, I know she blamed herself as I grew older and wasn't. When she got sick she started talking about contacting my old trainer, about trying to find someone so that I could become something. I suppose she meant you."
"Marion was always so interested in everything," said Giles reminiscing, "She used to have me tell her for hours on end about slayers, watchers, and demons."
Stone smiled remembering her mother's appetite for knowledge. "She knew so much and she wanted so badly to fight the evil in the world."
"Still, I couldn't make you a watcher. Watcher's are select chosen and trained from the day of their birth."
Stone realized once again the situation before her and scolded herself. She told herself to put the past aside. "The wishes of a dieing woman then," she said reaching for her cup of tea. "I think," she began, hardening herself to the voice in her heart the cried out to be loved by this man as her father. The voice that was so desperate to be allowed to express a damn human feeling for once without it being guilt ridden or trained out of her. "I think you should tell me how you propose we get this situation put in order. I believe it's best if I get out of your way as soon as possible. I know that your duties as the current watcher are demanding and time consuming."
'He can't possibly have room for me in his life here,' she told herself. 'Ethan's right, it would be too much to ask of him.'
"Well, I can imagine this is as uncomfortable for you as it is for me," Giles said before he realized that it sounded as though he was referring to his new found parenthood rather than the spell Ethan had cast. "This spell situation I mean."
"Of course," said Stone looking glum.
Giles tried to cheer her. "I've an extensive collection of magical texts, we should be able to find something."
"How soon? The two of us and a pile of dusty books. It could take forever."
"It wouldn't exactly have to be just the two of us," said Giles as he reached for the phone.
"Well then," he said as he came back in and set the cups down on the coffee table, "there we are."
The entire trip back to his apartment Stone had caught herself staring at him, trying to see herself in him. Now she was staring at her boots a thousand questions in her mind she was too afraid to ask.
"I, uh," started Giles, then he sighed and removed his glasses setting them on the table next to his tea cup, "I don't really know quite what to say. I've so many questions."
"I've got a few of my own. You start."
"With M-Marion, uh your mother, I mean, how did she, uh, what happened?"
"Cancer. Lung cancer, actually," Stone felt the hot tears gather behind her eyes for the first time since she'd stepped foot in America.
"I'm sorry," said Giles, his own sadness evident in his voice.
Stone gasped holding back a sob. Giles laid his hand on her back.
"It's all right to cry here," he said. He wiped away a tear on his cheek with his other hand than held her, letting her mourn.
"She w-was a good mother, really," sobbed Stone, "She made sure I was ready."
When she'd finished Giles asked, "Ready for what?"
Stone wiped her face, "To be called."
"As a slayer? Where did she get the idea you'd be called?"
"I'm not sure, something to do with you I guess. When we fought in the motel, I knew you were a watcher. Your style's so similar to the style of the ex-watcher who trained me."
"Even if she knew you weren't Ethan's how could she assume you would be called just because I was to be a watcher? Watcher's breed other-"
"Watchers? Yes, of course, but she wanted me to be called so badly, I know she blamed herself as I grew older and wasn't. When she got sick she started talking about contacting my old trainer, about trying to find someone so that I could become something. I suppose she meant you."
"Marion was always so interested in everything," said Giles reminiscing, "She used to have me tell her for hours on end about slayers, watchers, and demons."
Stone smiled remembering her mother's appetite for knowledge. "She knew so much and she wanted so badly to fight the evil in the world."
"Still, I couldn't make you a watcher. Watcher's are select chosen and trained from the day of their birth."
Stone realized once again the situation before her and scolded herself. She told herself to put the past aside. "The wishes of a dieing woman then," she said reaching for her cup of tea. "I think," she began, hardening herself to the voice in her heart the cried out to be loved by this man as her father. The voice that was so desperate to be allowed to express a damn human feeling for once without it being guilt ridden or trained out of her. "I think you should tell me how you propose we get this situation put in order. I believe it's best if I get out of your way as soon as possible. I know that your duties as the current watcher are demanding and time consuming."
'He can't possibly have room for me in his life here,' she told herself. 'Ethan's right, it would be too much to ask of him.'
"Well, I can imagine this is as uncomfortable for you as it is for me," Giles said before he realized that it sounded as though he was referring to his new found parenthood rather than the spell Ethan had cast. "This spell situation I mean."
"Of course," said Stone looking glum.
Giles tried to cheer her. "I've an extensive collection of magical texts, we should be able to find something."
"How soon? The two of us and a pile of dusty books. It could take forever."
"It wouldn't exactly have to be just the two of us," said Giles as he reached for the phone.