Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognise. Please don't sue. I have enough financial problems as it is. I promise I'll play nice… maybe. For other details see part one.
"The Consequences of Prevailing".
Chapter 4: Inquiries.
"Giles?" she knocked tentatively on the door to his room. "Can I come in?"
"Yes, Dawn. Feel free," the voice was muffled, but clear. She pushed open the door to the medium sized room. When the Council funds had finally come through the week before they had moved out of the motel and into a couple of guest houses down the road. Most of the Slayers had gone home by that point, being seen onto buses, planes and, in a few cases, into their parents' cars, and so it hadn't been as much of a problem to find more private accommodation for them all. Faith and Wood had one room, as did Willow and Kennedy- although that relationship was slowly crumbling outside the panic of Turok Hans and the First attacking them, Dawn thought. Giles had a room alone, while Xander was sharing with Andrew- something only Xander had the patience and calm attitude to deal with. The few Slayers that were left were in rooms, two or three a piece. Dawn was, of course, sharing with her sister.
She pushed open the door and found Giles surrounded with papers, mostly lists of what he had lost and what would be needed by the group once they reached Cleveland, although there was also a map spread out on the bed, routes to Cleveland clearly marked to show the routes that each of the three groups would be taking when they left at the end of the week. Rona had been released from hospital the day before and would be taking a bus home on Thursday. The other three girls would be taking buses as well, one travelling most of the way with Rona while the other two were going in opposite directions and thus were travelling alone. As had been the case with the other girls, they would be given Dawn's cell phone number- which had been approximated on the understanding that, once they reached Cleveland, Giles would personally buy her a brand new phone that she could pick out herself- and their own contact details and addresses taken and carefully noted and stored by Giles before being passed on to Robson in case anything should happen to Giles' notes. It was all surprisingly organised.
Out of all the new Slayers only one had had nowhere to go, no home she could return to. Shannon's parents had been killed in the Bringer attack that had sent her fleeing towards Sunnydale. Having no other relatives, apart from an Uncle she had never met and no idea how to contact, the Council had taken on the responsibility of guardianship of Shannon and so she would be coming with them to Cleveland. Dawn really didn't mind, at least she wasn't the only kid to be bossed around and, anyway, Shannon kinda liked research and so she and Dawn were fast becoming friends. All they needed was a Xander alike and a Watcher for Shannon and they would have their very own Scooby gang. Dawn couldn't help but smile at that thought.
Giles looked up as she entered, capping his pen and turning towards her, removing his glasses to clean them and blinking rapidly to drive off the early strains of a headache. She smiled at him and moved further into the room, sitting down on the other chair in the room, which he had moved to be next to the desk for when his charges paid him a visit.
"Hey Giles," Dawn greeted as she sat down, smiling.
"Hello Dawn. What can I do for you?" Giles returned her greeting and her smile.
"I wanted to ask you something, without Buffy being around. You won't tell her will you?" Dawn asked, a hint of uncertainty creeping into her voice.
"If you do not wish me to, of course I will not," Giles assured the girl kindly, wondering just what it was that was troubling Dawn.
"Good." She paused to try and work out how to approach the subject. Giles waited patiently, his years of dealing with teenagers having taught him when to push and when to just give them time to speak at their own pace. With Dawn it was almost always the latter, she had grown up considerably in the last year. "How do you become a Watcher?" Dawn broke the silence suddenly, deciding just to wade on in and be blunt. Giles wouldn't mind.
"Um," he hadn't been expecting that question. Why didn't she want Buffy to know that she was asking? Surely Buffy would not be upset by the query, although, he had to admit, she did seem a little more sensitive these days that she had been recently. A little more… volatile. "Well there is the traditional route, which is used in almost all cases but which, understandably, is not of much use to the new incarnation of the Council as it takes many years and limits the number of operatives available for the field. That course is to attend the Watchers Academy in England, then to go on to University, traditionally Oxford, and specialise in a specific area, before going in to the final stage which depends on whether you are a research, field or administrative specialist, although most of us are, uh, a combination of the three. The route which the Council is planning to use in future is a more, inclusive, path. Basically we are planning to, uh, send trainee watchers out to field operatives and have them train in a more, um, apprenticeship respect."
"Throw them in at the deep end?"
"Indeed. It has come to both my and the Council's, uh, notice that, that many of the Watchers that have been trained have no real idea of, of how to work in the field. All theory, no experience. We believe that this is most likely to lead to unnecessary casualties and we cannot afford to risk those, our numbers are stretched far enough," Giles explained.
"So apprenticeship?" Dawn confirmed. Giles nodded, picking up the cup of tea that was resting beside him on the desk. He was about to take a sip when Dawn's voice made him pause, he was not expecting her next question. "So… how would I go about becoming a Watcher? How would I apply?"
"You? Become a Watcher?" He blinked rapidly. "But I thought you were going to go to College and then Law School?" Giles asked, confused. Buffy had just been telling him the night before about what she and Dawn had been discussing for Dawn's future. She had been very enthusiastic about the idea, certain that Dawn's idea- she had stressed it to be Dawn's idea- was a good one and positive that Dawn had what it took to do well in that career. So where had this desire to become a Watcher come from?
"I don't want to be a lawyer. I don't not want to become a lawyer. Buffy however wants me to. She's all but ordered me. She wants me to have that normal life she is so desperate to have and she thinks lawyers make good money. She doesn't particularly care what I want. But if I have to go behind her back to do what I want I will," Dawn ranted, bringing many things into sharp focus for Giles. However he was still slightly concerned.
"Becoming a Watcher is not something that should be taken lightly, and not just for the sake of rebellion Dawn," Giles chided.
"And I'm not gonna do it for that reason. I mean I'm not gonna go off and become an apprentice to some stranger without being kinda sure that's the career I want. I still have a year left of High School to think about this stuff- not to mention three years of College before I have to decide one way or another on the Lawyer front. I'm not planning to rush into this. I just thought it was an option," Dawn informed him, clearly and precisely. Giles was amused to hear the tone he often used on the children when they were being irrational and nonsensical creeping into Dawn's voice. It worked, he noticed. He did, in fact, feel a little ashamed for assuming she would be so flippant with the idea of becoming a Watcher.
"I am very grateful to hear that Dawn, very grateful indeed," Giles said smiling. "I just wanted to make sure that you were considering the idea with all the gravity it deserves."
"I am," Dawn told him firmly. "If I am going to piss off Buffy I want it to be over something I really, really wanna do."
"Indeed."
"So how would I go about applying, if I decide to do this?" Dawn repeated her question from earlier.
"To be quite honest, I'm not sure. Almost all Watchers are from traditional Watcher families, we rarely have outside blood entering the fold, which is probably one of the reasons why the Council has been stuck in its ways for so long. If you wish I could bring it up with Robson?" Giles suggested. Dawn nodded. "It may be that all it will take is the recommendation of a Watcher and the relevant qualifications. If that is the case I will leave you to attain those credentials and I will act as your referee."
"Thanks," Dawn smiled, leaning over and hugging him. She looked round the room, at the scattered pages and pages and asked: "Do you want any help?"
"Don't you have anything better to do than help with paperwork?" Giles asked her with a smile.
"Nope. All my things are at the bottom of a big hole in the ground remember. How's the list of books for the library going? Want me to look it over and see if there is anything you've forgotten or not covered?" Dawn asked, grinning.
"If you don't mind," Giles said, rifling through the piles on the desk before finally finding a thick pad of paper.
"I don't."
"Ok then," Giles handed her the pad and a pen and she jumped onto the spare bed in the room, lying out on it, opened the pad and started to read. Giles smiled at her enthusiasm and turned back to his own work. She would make a good Watcher, if she so decided to do so. She had the background knowledge of the life if a Slayer, a head for and, more importantly, enthusiasm for research and her love of books was refreshing after years of Buffy and her friends moaning whenever a book came into sight. If they could only find more Watchers with Dawn's temperament and talents, the Council's problems would be far easier to manage.
He heard a clucking noise and turned towards Dawn only to see her shaking her head and obviously correcting a spelling mistake on the list. Giles smiled. Yes, she could be a fine Watcher.
A/N Dawn seemed to get strangely… formal in the middle there. I have no idea why. I've tried to fix it but… not sure if I managed it. This chapter would have been out like, a week ago, if it hadn't been for that OOC-ness. Oh well. *Smile*
I enjoyed writing this chapter, did you enjoy reading it? If so I would appreciate a review. If not, review and tell me why not?