Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except the characters that I create. This goes for all chapters.
Chapter 3
Xander and Kendra finally made it to Giles flat. They had walked Willow home because she said she was tired. After waiting for five minutes after knocking , the bleary eyed Watcher, finally opened the door.
Xander looked long and hard at Giles. The older man looked tired. Even more tired then the night he found out Buffy had died.
"Xander what are you doing here so late? And who's your friend?" Giles asked.
"I am Kendra de vampire slayer, sir." Kendra said proudly. Giles perked up a bit at this news.
"Well then please......" Giles said as he stepped aside. Xander and Kendra then walked in the house and stood in his living room.
"So Kendra is it.... ummm where is your Watcher?" Giles asked as he sat in his arm chair. He noticed that Kendra was still standing and he indicated for her to sit down.
"Mr. Zabuto has flown back to England. He is gathering up paperwork so me and him can legally stay in de states, sir."
"Ahhh, very good, I knew that you two would be coming to town sooner or later."
"You knew?" Xander asked, finally looking around Giles apartment. There were packed boxes of clothes and books sitting up against the wall. And it finally occured to Xander why Giles looked so tired. He obviously had been packing his things all night.
"Yes, Xander I knew. The Council phoned me about two days ago and they informed me that Kendra was called. And they also informed me that her and her Watcher would be coming to Sunnydale. So my residence here is no longer needed. I'll be heading back to England in a few more days." Giles informed him.
"When were you going to tell me and Willow about this?" Xander asked clearly upset. This past nine month's the older man had grown on Xander. Much like a father, Giles trained him and told him that he was worth something. Something his real father never told him.
Giles sighed. "I didn't want any long goodbyes, Xander."
"But why do you have to leave?" Xander asked.
"There's no point of me being here any longer Xander. When a Watcher's Slayer dies, that Watcher reports back to England. Besides, Kendra and her Watcher will be here to take care of the Hellmouth, perhaps they can assist you in the continuation of your training."
"But I don't want...." Xander stopped himself. He was going to say that he didn't want to lose his father, like he already had lost Buffy. Hanging his head he silently agreed with Giles. Maybe it was for the best for him to leave.
"Ohhh.... ummm Kendra I'm sorry for being rude, would you like some tea?" Giles asked.
"Yes, thank you Mr. Giles." Kendra said as Giles left the room. He didn't bother to ask Xander because he knew the boy didn't care for tea. The two were left in silence until surprisingly Kendra spoke up.
"What did Mr. Giles mean by us helping to train you?"
"Oh." Xander started sheepishly. "The G-man was training me how to fight. So hopefully I can help you more then I did with Buffy." Xander said the last part out kind of bitterly.
Kendra looked at Xander and frowned. "Mr. Giles allowed you to assist the Slayer?" 'No wonder she died. Especially with dat girl and dis boy as liabilities.'
Kendra must have said the last part out loud because Xander stood up abruptly and had tears in his eye's.
"You don't know!" Xander shouted. "You don't know a damned thing!" Xander cried as he ran out the door. Giles emerged from the kitchen as he heard Xander's shout. As he walked into the living room he saw Xander running out of his front door.
"Xander! Xander!" Giles shouted over and over, but Xander was gone. Then he turned to a rapidly sweating Kendra.
"What was that about?" he asked.
After a minute of Kendra explaining to Giles what was said, he turned a scowl in her direction that quickly faded from his face. He had no reason to be mad at Kendra. Traver's no doubt must have edited his Watcher reports to downplay Xander and Willow's help. That bloody pillock. Locking eyes with Kendra Giles tried to explain the situation.
"I know that the Council frowns upon outsiders helping the Slayer, but with the help of Willow and Xander, me and Buffy were able to defeat lots of foes. Only if she had of listened to us and let us help her, I think that she would still be alive." Giles explained.
"But how can dat be sir?" Kendra asked. "The prophesy said dat she was meant to die."
"I know what the prophesy said, but..... It also said that the Master was supposed to rise during the harvest, but with the help of Buffy's friends that never happened. Now I think that you owe Xander an apology." Giles said. Kendra just shrugged. She still believed that a Slayer shouldn't have friends (even though she secretly wanted some) and she thought that a Slayer should be one of mystery.
Letting out a sigh, Giles continued. "Anyway here's your tea." Giles said handing her a cup. "Also I have an extra bed upstairs and there is plenty of food in the refrigerator."
At that moment Kendra's stomach growled. Giles just looked at her and smiled.
"I see that you are hungry." it was more of a statement then a question. "When was the last time you've eaten?" Giles asked as they both walked into the kitchen.
"About two days ago, sir." Kendra replied.
"Good lord." Giles bellowed. Long ago Slayer's were trained to surpress the need for food, but in this day and age Giles thought that practice had died out. Supressing the urge to say something against her Watcher, Giles went about fixing her a sandwich. All the time he silently promised himself that he would have a serious talk with Mr. Zabuto before he left Sunnydale.
Kendra stared at Giles as she ate her sandwich and drank her tea. Why did he care so much about if she ate or not. 'He's a Watcher, he knows that Slayer's are trained like dis.' she thought to herself. 'Maybe I should ask some questions.'
"Mr. Giles." Kendra said as she finished her sandwich.
"Yes, dear." Giles replied.
"Tell me about de Slayer before me. Why did she need friends, de Slayer is supposed to fight alone."
Giles took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You see Kendra, Buffy wasn't raised to be a Slayer. She was brought up to believe that she was just a normal girl. Then when her first Watcher found her and trained her, she found that she wasn't quite so normal. After awhile she started to lose her friends and she eventually moved to Sunnydale. She thought once she arrived here that she would have a fresh start." Giles sighed a little as he continued.
"That was however until she met me. On her first day here she made two friends. They were Xander and Willow. However later that night Xander and Willow's friend Jesse was caught by the Master's henchmen. When Buffy tried to rescue him it was already to late, he was turned. However Buffy wasn't the one who killed Jesse, it was Xander. Every since that day Xander and Willow decided to fight against the darkness. That's why I've been training them. You see once I was gone I'd have thought that they would be the only one's that fought on top of the Hellmouth."
"I'm sorry Mr. Giles." Kendra said not meeting his gaze. "I didn't know."
"It's quite alright dear, but please don't apologize to me, apologize to Xander once you see him again. As far as I know, he's not one who holds a grudge, so if you tell him you're sorry, I'm sure he would except." he said as he stood to his feet.
"Now if you would excuse me, I'm going to retire for tonight. If you need any blankets for your bed there are some in the hallway closet." Giles said as he turned to leave.
"Tanks for your hospitality, Mr. Giles." Kendra said as she stood to her feet.
"Don't mention it my dear and please just call me Giles."
As Xander ran from Giles flat and off into the night, a dark figure stood on top of Giles apartment, watching him.
"It's not in your destiny to run, Knight." the figure whispered to himself as he watched Xander run. "I'll make sure of it." he says as he turns and vanishes into thin air.
TBC.......
