To the people who follow me and are waiting for me to update my other stories, I'm sorry. I promised chapters and didn't deliver. I was depressed, uninspired, and emotionally drained all of the time. I'm a sophomore in college now. I feel alive and excited again. Mostly, I'm trying to let myself go where inspiration takes me. One day I may return to those stories, or maybe not. I don't know right now. I don't want to force it, though. I'm still figuring out a lot of stuff and I don't want to place more pressure on myself than I can withstand.

To the BTVS fans reading this, I have a bone to pick with Giles regarding his actions in "Helpless." It's not about the ritual itself; I don't care. Giles did what he believed he had to do. Whatever. My real problem is the way he completely blew Buffy off when she asked him to go to the ice show with her. So, I decided to fix it. There are several scenes that I pulled from the TV show, just for context. I hope I added enough to make rereading them worthwhile. Enjoy!

Buffy stepped inside through the front door. The relief she felt at no longer having to sneak in through her bedroom window, at getting to be close with her mom again, never lessened. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as the door clicked into place.

"Buffy?" her mom called.

"Present," Buffy said. Her eyes landed on the flower basket on the counter as she entered the kitchen. "Ooh, present."

Joyce carefully set the down the all-purpose cleaner and paper towel. "Uh, they're not. They're from your father."

Buffy blinked. She lifted the card out of the flowers delicately, careful not to dislodge the tickets. She barely registered her mother's painfully optimistic tone juxtaposed with her devastating words.

"His, uh, quarterly projections are unraveling and he can't afford to take off right now. He promises to make it up to you. It's all right there in the letter. If you want, I could ask somebody to cover for me at the gallery. I mean, if you want me to take you."

Buffy crumbled the card. "No. No, it's not necessary. I was just thinking it might be nice to have a quiet birthday."

Despite her throbbing heart, Buffy took the card and tickets with her as she went up to her room. Her ears were ringing, muting all sound expect for the words already bouncing around her head.

"Having you, raising you, seeing you every day. Do you have any idea what that's like?"

"Could you stand to live in the same house with a daughter like that?"

"I don't really get anything out of these weekends with you."

"It was you."

"You know, it's not just cartoon characters. They do pieces from operas and ballets. Brian Boitano doing Carmen is a life changer. Oh, he doesn't actually play Carmen. But a lot of sophisticated people go."

Buffy knew she was rambling, but she couldn't help it. Even though she frequently gave him a hard time, Buffy desperately sought Giles's approval. He meant more to her than she could express, and it was not just because he was assigned as her Watcher. Since moving to Sunnydale, he had become something of a father to her.

And yet, she couldn't bring herself to just ask him to go with her. She wanted the father-daughter moment she'd been dreaming of for months, so, of course, she thought to ask Giles. But she couldn't make the words leave her mouth. Her head was filled with all the ways he could reject her, just like her father did. And somehow, Buffy knew Giles's rejection would hurt more.

"Yes, I think we should start with the grounding crystal again," Giles muttered. Buffy wasn't sure if he hadn't heard her, or if he just wasn't listening. She fiddled with her fingers in her lap nervously.

Buffy tried again. "You know, it's usually something that families do together."

Giles removed the box of crystals from the table. "Now, look very carefully for the tiny flaw at its core."

Buffy swallowed and tried to keep her knee from bouncing. "If someone were free, they'd take their daughters or their student... or their slayer."

Giles paused and smiled to himself. Buffy stared at him inquisitively. "Buffy, would you like me to take you to see the ice show?"

Buffy's eyes widened. Her breath hitched. "Yeah," she whispered. "I'd really like to go with you."

Giles smiled. "Wonderful." He turned back to the crystal and nearly froze. He was so caught up in the moment that he forgot what he had to do. "Now," he choked out, "look for the flaw at its center."

Buffy turned her gaze to the blue stone and focused on its chipped core. Her breathing slowed as though she was asleep. "Buffy?" Giles whispered, but he already knew it had worked. It had been working for the past three days. Quickly, he replaced the box of crystals on the table and took out a small wooden case that help a syringe and a discolored solution. Determined to finish the task in case another faculty member walked in, Giles pushed up Buffy's sleeve, cleaned her arm, and injected the solution into her vein. Each day, he'd gotten more and more efficient. It sickened him.

Giles placed the case back in the box, and the box back on the floor. He resumed his position from the moment Buffy first looked at the crystal and waved his hand in front of the flaw. She blinked, disoriented.

"Oh, sorry," Buffy muttered, putting her head in her hands. "Did I zone out on you? Its just... I'm nursing that flu bug."

Giles nodded. "It's best to take care of that." He hoped the biting tone in his voice wasn't too obvious. "Perhaps we should..."

"Call it a night," Buffy finished solemnly. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Thanks."

Buffy stood from the chair and, before Giles could turn to clean up, she through her arms around him. He almost flinched.

Her voice was muffled, but Giles her heard loud and clear. "I'm really excited to go with you."

Giles stood with his back against the wall nearest his office. He watched apprehensively has Travers addressed Buffy, who sat exhausted and traumatized in a chair. He wished the library had more comfortable chairs. He knew she had to be sore, what with her lack of expedited healing. She shouldn't have to sit in those bloody wooden chairs, he thought. Just another way he had failed her.

"Congratulations, you passed," Travers announced. "You exhibited extraordinary courage and clearheadedness in battle. The council is very pleased.

Buffy glared up at Travers. "Do I get a gold star?"

"I understand that you're upset-"

"You understand nothing," Buffy interrupted, teeth gritted. "You set that monster loose and he came after my mother."

"You think the test was unfair," Travers said patronizingly.

Giles wanted to throw a book at his head. How had he not realized how uptight and vile Travers was until now? How dare he come to Sunnydale, to Buffy's home, and talk down to her like this. Buffy didn't deserve to be treated like a child, not when she'd experienced more than Travers had in a quarter of the time. She deserved better, and not just in her slayerhood. Buffy was right: Travers didd't understand anything. Giles saw firsthand what this life was doing to her, especially now as he couldn't tear his eyes from the gash on her forehead. Giles wished he could make things better for her.

Buffy bit back, "I think you better leave town before I get my strength back."

Travers exhaled condescendingly. "We're not in the business of fair, Miss Summers, we're fighting a war."

Giles couldn't sit back and listen any longer. "You're waging a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference."

Travers didn't even turn around to look at him when he replied. "Mr. Giles, if you don't mind-"

"The test is done. We're finished," Giles said, growing more exhausted by the minute.

Travers, on the other hand, appeared as calm and refreshed as ever. "Not quite. She passed. You didn't.

"The slayer is not the only one who must perform in this situation. I've recommended to the Council, and they've agreed that you be relieved of your duties as Watcher immediately. You're fired."

Giles felt his chest tighten. "On what grounds?"

"Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment," Travers explained. "You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause. It would be best if you had no further contact with the slayer."

Giles watched Buffy's face as Travers spoke. She looked horrified at the suggestion that he and Buffy never speak again.

"I'm not going anywhere." He wouldn't leave Buffy, not now.

"No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?"

Buffy looked so small and scared. Giles wanted to go to Buffy, promise her he would never abandon her like her father had. "We're very clear."

Travers turned back to Buffy. "Congratulations again."

Buffy scowled, looking offended at Travers' gaul. "Bite me."

Travers chuckled. "Yes. Well, colorful girl."

Giles didn't move until Travers left the the room. He slipped his glasses back on and looked at Buffy. She exhaled painfully and leaned her head against her hand, only to wince as her fingers brushed her forehead. She just looked so tired. Buffy may have beaten Kralik, but that didn't mean she didn't feel defeated.

Giles walked to Buffy and took the towel from her hand. He felt nauseous at the look of fear that glazed over her eyes. Carful not to startle her, he kneeled down and pressed the towel to her forehead. She winced as the antiseptic touched the wound. Buffy glanced at him, her eyes filled with a mix of betrayal and homesickness unlike anything he had seen before. Giles couldn't believe she was eighteen when she looked so young staring back at him.

Giles wiped his glasses on his shirt and sat down in his living room. He was holding a book that he couldn't bring himself to read. All he could see for the past week was the look Buffy gave him when she found out the truth about the Cruciamentum. Who are you? How could you do this to me? If you touch me, I'll kill you. I don't know you. Her words were on repeat, bouncing around his head at a deafening volume. He hadn't gotten much sleep because of it. But Giles wasn't frustrated at that fact; in fact, he almost welcomed it. He deserved whatever pain the Powers That Be wanted to put him through for what he did to Buffy.

A short knock at the door pulled Giles from his thoughts. Who would be at his house at 6:42 on a Saturday, and unannounced, at that? He opened the door and froze. There was Buffy, with her arms wrapped around her torso, as if to make herself look small. She was wearing a green dress, a white sweater, and short black heels. A small black purse hung on her shoulder. Her hair was in soft waves and fell in front of her forehead, hiding the stitches. Giles was surprised to see her. He didn't expect her to be there, to want to spend any more time with him, after he'd betrayed her.

"Buffy," he exhaled.

She looked up at him through her hair, eyes wide and childlike. "You can't wear that to the show. It's more formal than that."

Giles couldn't move. "I-I didn't think you would still want to go. Buffy, I'm so sor-"

"If we don't leave soon, we're going to be late. Go get changed," Buffy said. A gust of wind blew by, causing her to shiver and pull her sweater tighter.

Giles winced and opened the door wider. "Of course. Of course, I'll be right back."

Buffy slipped inside and stood uncomfortably by the door. Giles hesitated before rushing to his bedroom. He changed quickly, staring at himself in the mirror. He had a bruise on his shoulder from where he slammed into the wall as he staked the other vampire. Even as the bruise become no longer visible in the mirror as he buttoned his shirt, his eyes never moved.

When Giles returned to the living room, Buffy was sitting in the couch. She didn't appear relaxed, but Giles was glad she still felt even moderately comfortable around him. She looked up when he entered the room. For the first time, he could see her whole face. The bruises had faded to soft yellows and the cut on her lip was nothing more than a scar. He slowly walked over to her. Buffy stood up to meet him. He tucked her hair behind her ear. "Does it still hurt?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, not really. Everything is healing fast now that my slayer powers are returning. I'll probably be good as new by tomorrow."

Giles nodded solemnly. "Good. I'm glad to hear that. Are you ready to go?"

Buffy smiled at him, looking more at peace than he'd seen her since she'd returned to Sunnydale a few months before. "Yeah. I'm really excited to go with you."

Giles pulled up to the Summers' home and shifted the car into park. "I had a lovely time at the show tonight, Buffy. Thank you for inviting me."

Buffy looked at him with tears shining in her eyes. Before Giles could ask what was wrong, Buffy threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you for this. You have no idea what it means to me. You're like a dad to me, Giles."

Giles inhaled sharply. Carefully, he wrapped his arms around her back. Travers was right: he did have a father's love for Buffy. And for her to feel the same... he'd never been more proud of a title than to be considered a father figure to her.

Buffy pulled away and picked up her bag from the floor. "I should get inside. Mom will start to worry." She opened the car door and stepped outside.

Before she could shut the door, Giles called out to her. "I'm so proud of you, Buffy."

Buffy smiled down at him. "Thank you. See you on Monday." She shut the door softly and went inside.

Giles drove the rest of the way home in silence. Quietly, he unlocked the front door and slipped off his shoes. He made a cup of tea, loosened his tie, and sat down on the couch.

Then, he laid his head in his hands and cried.