Nature Of The Beast

Disclaimer: Joss owns all of these characters and their lives (or unlives)

Spoilers: Everything from Season 1 to the series finale is fair game.

A/N: I thought that after Chosen, Giles might be ready to admit that Buffy was right to believe in Spike. Also, I'm assuming that Buffy and Giles don't know that Spike is going to be showing up in LA in a few months and that she has told him about Spike's sacrifice, especially since Faith and the other Slayers saw what happened with the light and the Turok-Han.

Chapter 1: Getting Started

Giles looked at the group of young people chatting animatedly over breakfast. It had been six weeks since the Hellmouth in Sunnydale had been sealed for good. The survivors were still mourning the loss of those who gave their lives in that battle, but they were beginning to recover some of their old spirit and energy.

Now he needed to begin recovery of a different kind. The First's agent had destroyed the Watcher's Council, inside the Council Headquarters. Giles had managed to 'appropriate' several texts and other materials related to the First prior to the explosion. But many of their invaluable research materials were destroyed. Now, with all of the new Slayers, and only a handful of Watchers to help them, it was up to him to try to replace those lost materials as best he could.

And he needed Buffy's help with part of that. He knew that it might be difficult for her to speak about, especially with him, and especially now. But he felt that it was important to get it down now, while it was still fresh in her mind.

He wanted to complete the history of William the Bloody.

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"Buffy, could I please speak with you for a moment?"

Buffy turned away from the sink where she was rinsing her breakfast dishes.

"Sure, Giles. What's up?"

"Well, a-a-as you know, with the Council gone, and needing to train all of these new Slayers, I-I feel it's important to make sure that our materials are as complete a-and up to date as we can possibly make them. Do you agree?"

"Yeah. You're like The Watcher now, Giles. And you're research guy, so if you say we need more stuff for research, then I'm with you."

"Good, because, as the Slayer for the past seven years you hold a great deal of information that we need to update our files and records. So, shall we meet for lunch, say, e-eleven-thirty at that little bistro you like so much?"

"Okay, eleven-thirty. See you then. I'm gonna go train with the girls."

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"Okay, and will that be all?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Okay, I'll put these orders in and I'll have your drinks out in just a moment."

As the waitress left their table Buffy looked at Giles.

"So, what information do you need to know Giles? The apocalypses? What happens when a Slayer dies? What happens when a Slayer comes back? The demons? The Master Vampires? What it's like to fight a Hell God? What do you need to update your research?" Buffy smiled cheekily at Giles. "Lighten up, I'm just kidding. Sort of."

The waitress returned and put their drinks down.

"Your food will be out in just a few minutes."

"Thanks." Buffy smiled politely at the waitress who smiled back and then left.

Giles took a sip of his scotch and cleared his throat. Then he placed a small tape recorder on the table and looked at Buffy.

"I need to write the end of the story of William the Bloody."

TBC