CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: QUENTIN

Wednesday: 9am

20th January 1999

California: Sunnydale

Giles closed the door behind him, leaving Buffy to sleep in until ten in the morning.  It wasn't that he wanted Buffy to have a horrible birthday, it was that he needed for her to be prepared for when she had to face a vampire without her strength.  He needed for her to be able to rely on her training and on her intuition and cunning.

Giles walked away from their small house and walked towards a boarding house on the outskirts of Sunnydale.  It had been a boarding house in the early 1900's, and after several horrible incidents involving ruptured throats, the boarding house had been closed down and never used again.

Giles entered quietly and looked around, trying to get a feel for the building that he was meant to send Buffy to later that evening.

"Rupert," a voice called from behind him.

Giles turned and groaned when he recognised the man that stood in front of him.

"Quentin Travers," Giles said coldly.  He hadn't been expecting the Council Representative to be Quentin.  He had hoped for it to be one of the Council members that he was more friendly with.  Not to mention the fact that when Buffy saw Travers, she was probably going to try and kill both Travers and Giles on sight.

"I trust everything has been prepared for this evening," Travers said.

"She's lost her strength, yes," Giles replied.

"Good, good," Travers said.  "And she knows nothing of our involvement?"

Giles glared at the older man hatefully. 

"If she knew the truth about what we'd done, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you.  I highly doubt the only thing I would be doing would be getting measured for my coffin."

Travers chuckled a little at that. 

"I think you're over-exaggerating a little, Rupert."

"Do you really think that?" Giles asked.

"Are you saying you have no control over your Slayer?" Travers asked.  "Honestly Rupert, I disciplined that girl enough that she should know not to be insolent to her betters."

Giles felt sick at the mention of the discipline that Buffy had been on the receiving end of when she had been under the care of the Council.

"I find that my Slayer responds better to being treated as an equal rather than as some sort of animal to be leashed," Giles said coldly.

Travers just looked at Giles with sceptical raised eyebrows.

"Well," Travers said slowly, "she's your Slayer I suppose.  That girl was nothing but trouble at the Council.  She never did learn to keep her opinions to herself."

"And let me guess, you beat her for showing even the slightest bit of originality," Giles said.

"I taught her everything she knows," Travers said.

Giles shook his head. 

"No.  You taught her to fear men.  You taught her to fear people in authority.  You taught her that her opinions, her thoughts didn't matter at all.  You tried to teach her that she shouldn't be kind to others, but you never could take that away from her, try as you might."

"She told you this?" Travers asked.

"She didn't have to.  I saw the scars," Giles said.

Travers looked at Giles with narrowed eyes.

"You aren't becoming too attached to this girl are you?"

"When it comes to her slaying, I have clear and impartial judgement, as the Council orders me to have.  When it comes to other things, then perhaps I am a little short-sighted.  But it strengthens her," Giles said.  "Didn't you ever notice how much better she fought because of the friends she made?"

Travers hesitated at that.

"I must admit she was well-trained in fighting," he grudgingly conceded.

Giles shook his head, unable to believe that Travers was so stubborn when it came to Buffy Summers. 

"She fights for a reason," Giles explained.  "And if I am that reason, then I will give that to her.  As a Watcher, I swore to help her in whatever way I could, and if caring for her is helping her to stay alive, then I will care for her."

Travers shook his head disdainfully.

"You know why we aren't to become attached to them," Travers said.  "It's for our own good, Rupert."

"Then maybe we should stop being selfish and give these girls some proper care," Giles said calmly.

Travers just placed his hands in his pockets, unable to be swayed by Giles' argument.

"To each their own I suppose.  As long as she completes the test," Travers said.

"She'll be here by seven," Giles assured Travers.