Someone Has to Teach Them- Chapter 4
"Librarian to the stars!" Giles came skidding to a halt in the small living room. Everyone looked around nervously. Giles never so much as did anything with gusto. It was a reason for alarm.
"Come again?" Someone ventured.
"You are looking at the new curator of written records at the Rock and Roll museum." They all breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's cool G-man." Kennedy snickered. She had taken to calling Giles that. He frowned in her direction.
"It is cool. I'll finally be able to teach you children a thing or two about real music."
"You'll never let me live down my teeny bopper phase, will you Giles?" Dawn complained.
"Not until my ears have recovered." Giles smiled. "Did anyone else have any luck?"
"I'm going into the Police Academy." Willow's mouth turned into a little 'o' and she batted Kennedy.
"You didn't tell me that! I love a girl in uniform."
"Me too. I especially like Princess Amidala's outfits." They couldn't expect Andrew to be quiet the entire time so they took his inane comment in stride.
"We tried to suggest that to Buffy. It didn't take." Xander sniggered. It was great to be together with all his friends, laughing like old times, without the pressure of the end of the world.
"You tried to suggest what to me?" Buffy entered the room looking frumpy in a pair of second hand overalls. They had no money for luxuries anymore. And the only things they owned coming into town was the ripped and bloody clothing on their backs.
"Law enforcement."
"Right..." Buffy plopped down on a small spot left on the couch. "So we have a librarian, a police officer, and a burger flipper. That's good. I mean some of us have to stay home and train them." Willow had come up with a list of about a dozen girls in the area who were going to be coming into their slaying powers any day. Now they just had to find them and explain to them what was going on. Judging by the fact that they lived on a hellmouth she figured it would be easier than starting fresh with girls who didn't even have a glimpse of the darkness in this world.
"You think it's better I didn't help," Giles said in a low tone, not wanting to share his and Buffy's private pain with the group.
"For now." Giles had known that this was coming. It had been Buffy who had come up with their final battle plan, Buffy who had saved Spike from his hands. What if he had killed him? Would they all be dead? He didn't want to think about it. "You have a good job. We need the money."
"Speaking of that. I targeted a couple of the girls at school and tried befriending them." To Buffy Dawn had changed the most out of anyone in the days leading up to the final battle and then during it. A little sister no longer she was becoming one of Buffy's most trusted sidekicks and friends. "I think maybe one or two will ever talk to me again."
"Thanks anyway." Buffy looked around the room. Willow and Kennedy, Xander and Dawn, Andrew and Giles,...where were Faith and Wood? She didn't want to know. These were her family members, for good or for bad. These were her allies against the darkness.
"I could go become a substitute teacher. It would be so neat. They would all think I was so cool now...or not." Would Andrew ever grow up? Maybe not. But it was a predictability Buffy took comfort in.
"Try if you want. Xander, do you want to come patrolling with me?" She and Kennedy and Faith were taking turns and it felt nice to have time to sit and watch tv on her nights off. Xander pointed to himself in surprise but then got off the couch. She was going to take gohst Spike's advise.
"Librarian to the stars!" Giles came skidding to a halt in the small living room. Everyone looked around nervously. Giles never so much as did anything with gusto. It was a reason for alarm.
"Come again?" Someone ventured.
"You are looking at the new curator of written records at the Rock and Roll museum." They all breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's cool G-man." Kennedy snickered. She had taken to calling Giles that. He frowned in her direction.
"It is cool. I'll finally be able to teach you children a thing or two about real music."
"You'll never let me live down my teeny bopper phase, will you Giles?" Dawn complained.
"Not until my ears have recovered." Giles smiled. "Did anyone else have any luck?"
"I'm going into the Police Academy." Willow's mouth turned into a little 'o' and she batted Kennedy.
"You didn't tell me that! I love a girl in uniform."
"Me too. I especially like Princess Amidala's outfits." They couldn't expect Andrew to be quiet the entire time so they took his inane comment in stride.
"We tried to suggest that to Buffy. It didn't take." Xander sniggered. It was great to be together with all his friends, laughing like old times, without the pressure of the end of the world.
"You tried to suggest what to me?" Buffy entered the room looking frumpy in a pair of second hand overalls. They had no money for luxuries anymore. And the only things they owned coming into town was the ripped and bloody clothing on their backs.
"Law enforcement."
"Right..." Buffy plopped down on a small spot left on the couch. "So we have a librarian, a police officer, and a burger flipper. That's good. I mean some of us have to stay home and train them." Willow had come up with a list of about a dozen girls in the area who were going to be coming into their slaying powers any day. Now they just had to find them and explain to them what was going on. Judging by the fact that they lived on a hellmouth she figured it would be easier than starting fresh with girls who didn't even have a glimpse of the darkness in this world.
"You think it's better I didn't help," Giles said in a low tone, not wanting to share his and Buffy's private pain with the group.
"For now." Giles had known that this was coming. It had been Buffy who had come up with their final battle plan, Buffy who had saved Spike from his hands. What if he had killed him? Would they all be dead? He didn't want to think about it. "You have a good job. We need the money."
"Speaking of that. I targeted a couple of the girls at school and tried befriending them." To Buffy Dawn had changed the most out of anyone in the days leading up to the final battle and then during it. A little sister no longer she was becoming one of Buffy's most trusted sidekicks and friends. "I think maybe one or two will ever talk to me again."
"Thanks anyway." Buffy looked around the room. Willow and Kennedy, Xander and Dawn, Andrew and Giles,...where were Faith and Wood? She didn't want to know. These were her family members, for good or for bad. These were her allies against the darkness.
"I could go become a substitute teacher. It would be so neat. They would all think I was so cool now...or not." Would Andrew ever grow up? Maybe not. But it was a predictability Buffy took comfort in.
"Try if you want. Xander, do you want to come patrolling with me?" She and Kennedy and Faith were taking turns and it felt nice to have time to sit and watch tv on her nights off. Xander pointed to himself in surprise but then got off the couch. She was going to take gohst Spike's advise.