Author's note: First of all, everyone say hi to Amanda, my new beta for this story. She's really neat. And she's going to make this story so much better. She's totally creative. She came up with this fic where, to escape prison, Faith gets a vamp to turn her. Very Count of Monte Cristo. Anyway, if you'd like to read her stuff, it's here. She writes under the name Spoiler Babe

Oh, and thanks for the reviews, Nat and Opapea. They mean a lot. I hope you like this chapter.

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Stepfather

Chapter 8: Helpless Part 1

A crash caused Buffy and Joyce to look up from their respective places in the room: standing and tied to a chair. Almost so fast that Joyce wasn't sure what had happened, Giles came bursting through a door, struggling with a vampire. The two flew across the room and crashed into the bookcase that was resting against the opposite wall. Joyce never saw the stake, but there must have been one, because, without warning, the vampire exploded into a thick cloud of dust.

Joyce could barely make out Giles's form through the obscuring ash, but as the remains of the vampire drifted to the ground and settled, she saw him look up- straight at her daughter. Buffy and Giles continued to stare at each other for what felt like forever. Joyce wanted to tell them to finish untying her so that they could leave this awful place, but something about Buffy's and Giles solemnity caused her to remain silent. Finally, Buffy seemed to remember where they were. She turned her head to look at her mother, then back at Giles. "Would you..." she began. "Can you help me with these?" She gestured at Joyce's ropes. "I, I can't untie them." Buffy lowered her head, as if in shame or embarrassment of having to ask Giles for help.

"Oh. Yes, of course." Giles hurried over and knelt beside Buffy at Joyce's side. Giles pulled a knife from somewhere on his person. He made quick work of sawing through the ropes that bound Joyce. He stood and stepped around the chair, loosening the ropes as he went. When Joyce was free, Giles reached out a hand to help her up. She stood up and stepped out of the ropes. Then Joyce shivered, more from the ordeal than from the temperature of the room. But Giles saw it and quickly shrugged out of his tweed coat and offered it to the woman. Joyce smiled at him and took the coat. She wrapped it around her slender figure, feeling vaguely like she did in college when Hank offered her his letterman jacket to wear to football games.

Giles offered his hand again, this time to Buffy. Joyce immediately headed for the stairs, but something held Giles and Buffy back. They continued their silence, neither of them looking at the other. "Would you..." he began, offering Buffy his arm for support. She looked at the appendage and swallowed hard. Giles looked at her cold expression and let the rest of the question die unsaid. Buffy took one more look at his peace offering and turned her back to him. She hurried up the stairs, passing Joyce on the way. Giles started to call out to the girl, but changed his mind almost instantly. He knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness. His right arm was still awkwardly outstretched, so he humbly pulled it back to his body. He turned to Joyce, still confused about her daughter's and boyfriend's reactions. Calmly Giles led her up the stair to where Buffy was waiting on the first floor.

The trio exited the house from the front entrance. Once they were outside, they started for where Giles had parked his car. As they walked, Giles cleared his throat, as if preparing to give someone a bit of unpleasant news. "Joyce. Buffy and I will drive you home, but then we must return to the high school. We have some... unfinished business that needs attending."

"Tonight?" asked Joyce with some surprise. She looked at Buffy's downcast face, then back at Giles. "But, Buffy's hurt. She should get some sleep. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

Giles looked grim as he responded. "No, we need to finish this tonight. The Council's Representative will want to be on his way, an-"

"The Council?" asked Joyce. "What-"

"I'll explain it later, Mom. Okay?" said Buffy very tiredly. Joyce nodded, worried about her daughter. Buffy looked more than physically worn down- and it took a lot to wear out a Slayer. Joyce got the impression that she was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Joyce wondered vaguely if Angel was again the culprit. He seemed to be the only one who had ever caused these emotions in Buffy.

"Buffy, I know that this is a Slayer thing, and that you and I discussed that you can't always tell me everything that's going on, but I've been through a lot tonight. I think I deserve an explanation."

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend?"

"Buffy! I think after all this you would show Rupert more respect. I certainly didn't raise you to dis-"

"No," Giles interrupted. "It's... I'll explain it to you tomorrow. Buffy is- she is in her right. I've... I.... I can't," Giles broke off. He looked close to passing out, his face was so drawn with so much pain.

"Giles, please," said Buffy. "Can't we just get this over with. I want to go home."

The three of them got into the Citroen and drove to Buffy's house. With a whisper and a quick kiss on Giles cheek, Joyce got out and went inside her house. She settles on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and her current book club book, The Red Tent. Joyce knew she only had four days to finish it before her group met again, but she was to distracted to read. She kept glancing out the front window for a beat up old car.

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Giles often wondered why he returned to the Council. After Randall's untimely death, he could of gone on to become many things: a writer, a teacher, a shopkeeper. And all of these occupations, while not as thrilling and mysterious as battling supernatural evil every night, had one very distinct advantage. The all meant he wouldn't be listening to Quentin Travers prattling on right now.

"Congratulations, you passed." Giles observed the scene in front of him. He'd taken lessons from the Watcher's Council on how to read people- it came in handy to know if a source was lying to you- but he'd always been a student of human nature. Giles liked to watch people, and right now, he was watching Quentin Travers.

Playing the authority figure, aren't you? Giles thought. Quentin was standing at the head of the table at which Buffy was sitting. By forcing Buffy to look up to see him, Travers was applying a centuries old intimidation technique. Nice try, but it won't work. Buffy's 5'4''. She's used to having to look up at others. Giles thought about his own position in the room: standing in the doorway of his office, leaning against the door jam. Neither beside Quentin, lending his support to the Council, nor next to Buffy, defending his Slayer. No, old man. You're neutral. Like Switzerland. Giles also realized that by slouching, he was portraying a sense of calm indifference he didn't actually feel. Why am I playing the body language game? Does it even matter at this point? Giles took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. Or, perhaps I'm over thinking this.

Giles tuned back into what was being said and realized that Travers was still speaking. "...and clear-headedness in battle. The Council is very pleased."

"Do I get a gold star?" Giles grinned a little at Buffy's response.

"I understand that you're upset..."

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

"You think the test was unfair?"

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

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

Oh, for heaven's sake! Arrogant little berk! "You're waging a war. She's fighting it. There is a difference."

"Mr. Giles, if you don't mind..."

"The test is done. We're finished."

"Not quite. She passed. You didn't." As Travers turned to face Giles, his expression slipped for just a second and Giles saw a flash of pleasure on the man's face. Just as quickly as it was there, it was gone. Once again masked by Travers's official Council concern. "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."

"On what grounds?" asked Giles.

"Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment." At this Buffy looked over at Giles. "You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause." Giles looked at the ground, taking in Travers's words. "Besides," continued Travers, "you were already under observation. We've discovered your affair with the girl's mother, despite your feeble attempts to hide it. You are aware that is a serious breech of protocol?"

"Yes," came Giles reply. Buffy looked at him, almost to stunned to understand what she was hearing.

"The Crucimentum was as much for you as for Buffy. We need to know where your loyalties lie."

"I suppose you have your answer."

"We do indeed. It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."

"I'm not going anywhere."

"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?"

"Oh, we're very clear."

Quentin made a final bow to Buffy. "Congratulations, again."

Buffy looked up at Quentin Travers with such hatred that if looks could kill, he would have been dead where he stood. "Bite me."

Travers let out a nervous chuckle. "Yes, well, colorful girl." He turned and left the library. Giles replaced his glasses and watched him go. Buffy didn't even spare Travers a parting glance. She kept her gaze firmly rooted on the floor in front of her.

With her hand trembling, Buffy reached out and grabbed the washcloth on the table before her. She dipped it into it's companion bowl of water, (both were laid out for her by Giles) and she gingerly brought it to the huge gash in her forehead. She winced at the touch and brought the rag down. Giles walked over and knelt down beside her. He calmly took the cloth from her hand, dipped it in the water again, and took care of cleaning Buffy's wounds. She looked up at him gratefully. Giles smiled down at her.

He worked silently for about ten minutes, until all the dirt and dried blood was gone. Then he said softly, "I'll have to retrieve the First Aid kit to tend to these." He stood to head to his office when, suddenly, Buffy launched herself into his arms. The tiny, unexpected force nearly toppled Giles and he barely resisted losing his balance. The petite girl hugged him with all her strength, and for the first time, Giles was glad for her weakened state, as this hug would have normally resulted in a few broken ribs.

Giles half led/carried Buffy back to her chair. He set her back in her chair and pulled up a matching one beside her. "I didn't know," she whispered.

"You didn't know what?"

"That you... caring about what happens to me, loving my mother, that you would lose your job."

"I knew and that's what mattered."

"Still..."

"Buffy, it isn't important. None of it. My job, the bloody Watcher's Council. I don't care. If anything had happened to you during that test. If anything had happened to Joyce... Well, let's just say that, one way or another, I still wouldn't be working for the Council."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here. For not leaving me." Buffy quickly looked up at Giles and asked, "You're not going right?"

"I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"Good." Buffy got a sly grin on her face and said, "Hey, it's not the worst mistake you'll ever make."

Giles grinned at hearing his own words tossed back at him. "No, indeed it is not. But I fear that this may be the mistake that ends my relationship with your mother."

"Afraid that she'll dump you?"

"No, actually I'm quite expecting her to come after me with an axe," he said with a wry grin.

Buffy shrugged and said, "Why don't you let me talk to her first, soften her up a little. Before she finds out about the Crucifixion."

"Crucimen- no, yours is better." Giles paused as what Buffy had offered sunk into his consciousness. "Wait a moment. You'd... but why? I mean, I thought you didn't like your mother's and my... relationship."

Buffy blushed a bit as she remembered her first reaction to finding out who her mother's new boyfriend was. "No, um yes, not exactly. It's kinda like when you first figure out that your parents have had sex. It's gross and you want to burn the image out of your mind, but it's not bad, you know? And, there's something I never told you."

"What?" asked Giles.

"I talked to Miss Calendar. The day she died. I told her that you cared about her. And that as much as I hated her right then, I didn't want you to be lonely."

"I know."

"You know what? That I don't want you to be lonely?"

"I know you spoke with Jenny. She told me. And I appreciated it. I still do."

"Yeah, well, the point I was going for was that Mom's been lonely. Since even before my dad moved out. And I know that Miss Calendar was the only other person you've dated since you moved here. I don't want you to be lonely, Giles." Buffy smiled, breaking the gravity of the situation. "Besides," she said. "you have no idea how happy I was when I found out you were human. No matter how lonely my mom is, she shouldn't date serial-killer robots."

Giles chuckled. "Buffy you have no idea how much-"

"Hey, Giles. No big, okay."

"Okay. Of course, this entire conversation will be moot if Joyce decides unfavorably towards me."

"I wouldn't worry about it. I think you're her only friend. At least you're the only other grown-up person I've seen her with since Pat became the zombie demon and I had to slay her. And, by the way, Moot? Unfavorably? Giles, who talks like that? You've lived here for three years and you still sound like you just stepped off the boat."

"Plane."

"Whatever. You definitely need to watch more TV. Do you even own a TV?"

"Well, actually-" Giles looked down at his watch as if it had the answer, then gave a start. "Good heavens. I didn't realize it was so late. Joyce will be waiting up for you."

"Us," Buffy corrected.

"Yes, well. Best get you home soon. Let me finish tending those wounds, then we can be on our way.

"Yeah." Buffy watched as Giles got up and disappeared into his office after the first aid kit. She and the Englishman got off to a rocky start, but they eventually became friends, no, family. And Buffy wasn't about to watch as her "family" tore itself apart, again. She would fix things between Giles and her mom if it was the last thing she ever did.

To be continued....

Next time on Stepfather: Helpless Part 2