A/N - Thanks to Katie for all the reviews and to everyone that is helping with this story.

THROUGH AN ANGEL'S EYES – CHAPTER 6

The next morning we met Janice for breakfast. I introduced Dawn, and they seemed to hit it off OK. Janice looked around.

"There are many here who are angry this morning. Do you know why?"

I proceeded to explain to Janice about the exercise the night before. Dawn went over the mistakes that the slayerettes had made.

Janice looked at a bit confused, "why did they have to be rendered unconscious."

"Because death is a real possibility, they need to be reminded of this from time to time; and this will also make them think before they fight."

"So in the end, they are better for this harsh lesson."

"Correct."

"And you do this because you really care for them, you want them to survive; and such a lesson is essential to that."

"Again, correct."

We proceeded to discuss the books that she had read the previous day. She asked good questions and the repartee was lively, with Dawn interjecting opinions from time to time.

"So" Dawn asked "what's on the agenda for today."

"I thought the beach would be a good idea."

Both girls looked excited, but then Janice said "I have no appropriate clothes for the beach or for anything else."

"We'll just go shopping first" suggested Dawn.

We drove into Ribadeo on the Bay of Biscay. The girls went shopping, apparently for everything judging from the number of bags and boxes that they brought out. We stashed the purchases in the car except for what I assumed were bathing suits and towels. We headed on down to the beach. Janice just stopped and looked out at the Atlantic Ocean.

"Do you remember this" I asked.

"A bit" she said "but the reality is so much better."

She and Dawn went to change, and I went down and staked out a good spot. They showed up, and I was speechless. Dawn looked incredible in a very flattering and tiny two piece. Janice looked cute in a racing style one piece that came up the middle of the back so her stubs weren't constricted. We swam a bit and then just flaked out on the towels. Dawn showed Janice how to put on sun screen and explained its purpose.

After a while Janice looked up from her book and said "what is the purpose of this."

"Relaxation" I answered, "on occasion you go and do something you enjoy that has no real purpose. You take a break from your worries and troubles. Afterwards your spirit is refreshed and you perform your job better."

"I thought that was the purpose of sex?"

I thought that Dawn was going to turn purple. "There is much more to sex than mere relaxation" I answered.

"Like what?"

I went on to explain the physical expression of emotions and how sex fit into all of that. Janice observed many couples on the beach and finally asked, "Are the two of you in love?"

"Yes" Dawn answered.

"How do you know?"

Dawn tried to compare it to knowing whether you were left or right handed. Between the swimming, sun and Janice's constant questions, the day flew by and we were quite relaxed. We listened to the radio on the drive back. Dawn and I disagreed on the station.

Janice looked shocked "you're in love, and yet you disagree on things".

"Of course" Dawn said "being in love has very little to do with the things you agree or disagree about. We are still two people, with individual likes and dislikes and opinions."

Janice digested this while we finished the drive to the academy.

I asked her to join Dawn and myself after dinner to watch us work out with the new slayers. I told her that she could learn a lot. The trainees would be angry and try to take that anger out on us tonight, when things were more in their favor. Dawn and I helped her unpack and Dawn helped her get her wardrobe sorted. When she got back to our room we showered together; we even found time to soap off. After dinner, we faced the trainees again, one on one. As I told Janice, they were obviously angry about their treatment the night before. They wore themselves out with mindless attack, until they were so tired they could easily be disarmed. Buffy chewed on them about beating themselves by fighting stupidly. We then worked two on two. You could tell that Dawn and I had fought together, because our support for each other was instant and seamless. The trainees had improved by the end of the session; fighting was their ouvre after all. Faith called training early; the funeral service for Sam was tomorrow. Riley had agreed to bury her at the academy, so she would be a reminder to the slayers as to why they fight. On our way back to our rooms I asked Janice to write down what had been good and bad about the day. She agreed and we all went to bed.

The service was simple and passionate. Everyone there knew what it was like to put your life on the line; and even if you didn't dwell on the possible outcomes, you knew that any day could be your last. I was surprised that they asked me to officiate; I suppose I was as close as they could get to a chaplain. I asked Janice to summarize what she would learn about anger and grief in the last two days.

Since there wasn't anything scheduled for that day, I went over to the studio and worked out a bit with the 'Remnants' to make sure my adequate rhythm guitar had not slipped to inadequate. We were working on the progression for a new song, when Faith walked in. No-one was expecting her, but hey, what else did we have to do. So we all worked out together; I noticed that she kept picking depressing songs. Knowing Faith as I do, it wasn't hard to tell that something was up. She tried to escape after practice, but I didn't allow that.

"Hey smiley, wait up."

"Not now Ian; OK".

"Sorry honeysuckle, no other time."

She turned and her eyes looked wounded "what the hell is it?" She just glared at me, her arms crossed on her chest.

"I need two favors, big ones."

"I'm listening."

"I need someone to tutor Janice; you know, be her friend, teach her about behavior, answer a billion annoying questions."

"And you want me to ask B because you're afraid she'll laugh in your face?"

"No dummy, I want you to do it. I know you have your hands full, and what I'm asking isn't fair to you; but I know you better than Buffy and frankly I trust you more."

The look on her face was priceless and heartbreaking at the same time. It was as though she couldn't believe what she had just heard. I realized then, just how much she idolized Buffy, and then someone says he trusts her more than her idol, it can pack quite a wallop.

"You trust me with someone like what you are? I mean folks like you (she waved her hands at the sky) actually trust me with something this huge."

"Totally, just don't try to teach her to drink, and don't pass on some of your more colorful vocabulary please."

She gapped at me, then catching the joke laughed until I thought she might stroke out. "OK, I'll do favor number one, what's number two."

"A workout with steel."

"Cool"

A few minutes later, we were in the training room, chest protectors on, and swords in our hands. Faith could fight with either hand, just as I could, but we only had one blade each. She had thought to lock the doors first, after all you don't want someone to bust in on you at a bad time. Anyway, we went at it. As I suspected, she definitely had some issues to work out, because she attacked me furiously. I could not believe how fast she was moving, her arm was a blur. Fortunately I had been working with steel pretty consistently, so I was more familiar and comfortable with it. I was blocking a lot and countering when I could, when I saw my opening. I blocked a thrust of hers to my left, instead of right, and spinning in, used my left wrist to block her sword arm, just long enough for my blade to be at her neck.

"Bang" I said in my lamest wild west voice, "I got ya pardner".

She just began to cry, which was the other reason I was glad she had locked the doors. I just slid to the mats with her in my arms and held her until her racking sobs were through.

"God, I'm an idiot" she husked out.

"No" I replied "you're human."

"You knew this would happen?"

I nodded, "between the funeral and Riley hanging out with Buffy a lot, I suspected you needed this".

"What does the funeral have to do with it?"

"It reminded you of your mortality, but even worse it reminded you of their mortality."

"What do you mean?"

All those girls you care about (I waved an arm that tried to encompass the world) but never let on that you do; any of them could be dead tomorrow. And that possibility just eats at your guts. That's why I asked you to watch over Janice. Buffy cares about the world; you care about everyone that makes it up."

"Thanks Ian"

"Hey, that's how the world works, you help me, I help you."

She planted a kiss on my forehead, "Thanks" she said, as serious as I had ever seen her.

"It was my honor" I replied.

We got up, straightened up and went out to face the world.

I went to find Buffy, even though I wanted Faith to be Janice's mentor, I wanted Buffy to teach her combat. I found her talking to Riley.

I greeted them both, then asked Buffy to take care of Janice's combat training. She agreed and both of them thanked me for the service that morning. Now that the arrangements had been made, I went to see Janice.

I told her of the arrangements, and asked her to keep an eye on Buffy and Faith's relationship. I knew that Riley's presence would be disruptive, but I also knew it was needed. I just didn't want it to cost them their friendship. As I was leaving, I handed her a diary and asked her to keep it up to date, so that she could learn from it. "Writing crystallizes the thought, it forces you to cut through the irrelevant". She agreed and I went looking for Dawn.

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking and packing. I explained I was worried about Faith and Buffy's friendship with the presence of Riley. Dawn pointed out that should be strong enough to survive this. I countered that it was still rebuilding. Well we disagreed on that score, but we did find some things that we did agree on. The next day, we said goodbye and were off.