Title: Life Saver 5/10

Author: David A. Knapton

E-mail: If you want, but it is polite to let the author know you are doing so.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to the owners of BtVS and the Gilmore Girls.

Spoiler: Season 7 of Buffy and mid to late season 1 of Gilmore Girls, so GG timeline is moved a few years.

Rating: 12A/PG-13.

Pairing: Lorelai/Luke eventually plus Buffy canon pairings.

Summery: Set around Lies My Parents Told Me EP. 7.17.

Notes: This was inspired by reading a couple of Buffy-Gilmore Girls crossovers and the fact that Hallmark (in the UK) have started showing GG from the first season.

It should also be noted that although a lot of the dialogue in this story comes from the scripts posted on BuffyWorld some of it is changed or even spoken by different people.

Still posting unbetad

'' Thought.

Feedback: If you wish.

Please note I am English, so is my spelling. Live with it.

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Lorelai led the other potentials into the living room, where the others had assembled, only Giles, who was away trying to find information on Spike's trigger, was absent. It had taken Lorelai several hours the previous night to talk Buffy and Willow into revealing to the other potentials what the Shadowmen had shown her.

"Everyone, find a seat," said Buffy stood in the middle of the room. She waited while the potentials spread around the room; many had curious looks on their faces. "As you probably know by now, I went on a little trip through a portal last night. Well while I was in this... other place, I met some men who claimed to have created the Slayer. Well to cut a long story short, they offered me more power so I could defeat the First, I refused..."

"You what!" interrupted Rona, "Why?"

"Rona honey, hush. Let Buffy finish," said Lorelai softly.

Buffy gave Lorelai a little thank you smile, she seemed to be doing that a lot! Before turning to Rona, "I refused because what they offered came with too high a price tag. Anyway it's too late now. But I did get shown what we think is probably the First's army, waiting to be released, probably from the Hellmouth. It's an army of Turok Hans, there are thousands of them, maybe more," she finished barely above a whisper.

There was silence for almost a full minute, everyone exchanging worried looks, especially those that had already seen a Turok Han.

Finally, Rory broke the silence, "What are we going to do?" she asked looking first to her mother then Buffy.

"That's what we are meeting about," said Buffy, "Lorelai talked me into letting you all have your say. As she pointed out, the First is after you as well as me, and we are all that stands between it and the end of the world."

The room fell silent once more as they each absorbed the information. "Okay, so what can we do?" asked Louise.

"Well can't we seal the Hellmouth, if we think that the Turok Han are inside," said Amanda.

"No," put in Principle Wood, "I've already tried covering it, it just uncovers itself again. I think even if we filled the room with concrete it still wouldn't work."

"What about the bringers, why haven't they tried opening the Hellmouth already?" mused Rory.

Buffy exchanged a frown with Willow before looking at Rory, "That's a very good point," said the Slayer, "Any ideas Will!"

"Well, so far it's used Andrew to kill Jonathan to try and open it," summarised Willow, Andrew looked at the floor not meeting anyone's eyes, "Then Spike to open it to let a Turok Han out, and that female demon tried it with Xander. As I see it Jonathan, Spike and Xander can all be considered innocent sacrifices."

"So as the bringers are not innocent, they can't do it themselves," surmised Xander.

"I think it goes deeper than that," said Anya, "If it just needed innocents to open it they could just grab anyone off the street and sacrifice them."

"Knowledge," said Willow, everyone looked back to the redhead, "Jonathan, Spike and Xander all know or knew the Hellmouth is there, maybe the innocent has to know why they are being sacrificed."

"Right let's go with that idea. Willow, Dawn, Anya, why don't you check it out in the books we have," Buffy looked at the potentials, "Any of you wanna help with the research be my guest," several got up and followed after Willow as she headed for the dining room, including Rory.

"If the Turok Han are inside the Hellmouth and the bringers can't open it themselves, then why are there so many around town," said Lorelai, "I mean if there only job is to kill potentials, why haven't they just attacked the house?"

"They must be here for something else," said Wood, "Maybe they're looking for something the First needs to release its army."

"I think it's time we took the fight to them," said Buffy.

"What do you mean?" asked Rona.

"I mean we start searching this town from one end to the other, see if we can find out what the bringers are looking for and if we can't then we kill as many as we can," said Buffy.

"Small groups could cover more ground," suggested Kennedy.

"Right, okay then, Group 1, Madeline, Louise, Lorelai and Rory with Luke. Group 2, Kennedy, Rona, Amanda and Colleen with Robin. Group 3, Me, Spike, Molly, Anya and Xander. The rest can stay here just in case we need reinforcements," said Buffy, "We'll leave at sundown, start in the industrial section. Now who's on breakfast duty?"

"Xander and I will see about fixing the floor upstairs," said Luke as the meeting broke up.

--------------

"Can't this wait until tomorrow," asked Buffy as she watched Xander and Luke shackle Spike's wrists to the chains attached to the wall. "We need him for tonight's search."

"Buffy, I agree, attempting to find out what the bringers are doing in town is an excellent idea," said Giles. "But until we find out more about Spike's trigger, the First could set him against us at anytime."

"Okay," said Buffy a little aspirated.

Spike looked over at Robin, "What are you doing here? You came to see the show."

"I thought you might need support," said Robin.

"Uh-huh. Right, let's get this over with," said Spike not buying it, he looked at Giles, "What're you gonna do? Some hypno-beam? A disarming spell?"

Giles walked a little closer to Spike, "Not exactly. The First has brainwashed you. There's something in your subconscious that it's using to provoke a violent reaction. So..." he took a small box out of his pocket, and took a small rock out of it, "We have to put this in your brain."

"Bugger that!" exclaimed Spike.

Buffy's eyes grew wide with concern when she saw the stone, but she remained quiet, standing next to Lorelai with her arms crossed.

"The Prokaryote stone will move within your mind to reveal the root of the trigger's power," Giles explained, "Can unleash ideas, images, memories... Hopefully, once you understand what it is that's... setting you off, you can break its hold on you," he said rolling his eyes.

"Hopefully? So, it might not work?" said Dawn.

"The stone's just a catalyst for the process. The rest is up to Spike," said Giles.

"And how do you expect to get that hunk of rubble into my cranium?" asked Spike looking warily at it.

"Willow?" said Giles putting the stone back in the box and holding it out toward the Witch.

Willow walked over to stand next to the Watcher, a large book open in her arms, "OK. I just hope my pronunciation is in the ballpark," she said before beginning to read from it, "Kun'ati belek sup'sion. Bok'vata im kele'beshus. Ek'vota mor'osh boota'ke."

The stone started to move as if alive, no longer solid, but liquid. Giles leaned back away from the stone and held the box up to Spike.

Spike recoiled from it, "Oh, you have got to be joking. What now?"

"It has to access the cerebral cortex via the optic nerve," explained Giles.

"Oh bollocks. With all the rubbish people keep sticking in my head, it's a wonder that there's room for my brain," said Spike a little angrily.

Giles rolled his eyes, "I don't think it takes up that much space. Do you?"

Lorelai let out a little laugh at which Spike scowled at her. "Sorry, couldn't help myself," she told him still smiling.

As Giles held the box up to Spike's face, the liquid stone wriggled out of the box onto Spike's cheek, then up into his eye, sliding under his eyelid. Spike started to squirm, "Ow. Oh, ow!"

Buffy hurried to his side, "Spike! Spike, listen to me," she said with concern.

"Yeah," said Spike.

"Are you all right?" asked Buffy.

"How am I supposed to know if this bug-ugly's doing its job..." began Spike before he was distracted by something, his eyes taking on a faraway look as he hummed a tune.

"Now what?" asked Lorelai looking around at the others.

Before anyone could answer, Spike opened his eyes again; they immediately turned yellow as he vamped out in a rage. Grabbing Buffy by the neck, as she sat beside him, he threw her across the room and into the washer dryer. He stood growling, and lunged toward the others standing nearer the stairs, but the chains restrained him. Turning back to the cot in frustration, he picked it up, and threw it across the room at them. Everyone but Dawn managing to avoid it, the teenager taking a glancing blow to the head, falling to the floor a little stunned.

Lorelai and Willow quickly ran to her side, "Dawn!" said the redhead as she bent down next to her.

Xander, Giles, Luke and Robin stepped back as Spike continued to rage in their direction. Buffy stepped forward as Spike threw his head back, looking as if he was having a mild seizure. The stone slithered out of his eye and down his cheek before falling to the floor, solid again.

Spike's face returned to human, looking around as Buffy and Giles stared at him, trying to determine if he was still dangerous. The Vampire tried to get his emotions fully under control as he recovered from the visions.

Robin glared at Spike as the Vampire squatted down on the floor. Willow and Lorelai helped Dawn up the stairs, Xander trailing behind.

Buffy, and the three other men were keeping their distance from him.

"Get these sodding things off me. I'm fine," said Spike a little angry.

Buffy studied him, her arms crossed, "Don't you think you should take a little time, calm down."

"I am calm," Spike reassured her before looking at Giles, "This stone of yours is—is out, right. Did its job, so I'm de-triggered, right?" he asked.

"Spike, what do you remember about the song?" asked Giles removing his glasses and polishing them.

Spike nodded, his eyes taking on a faraway look again, "Oh, yeah, the song. It's called, uh, 'Early One Morning.' Old folk ditty," he confirmed.

"What's it mean to you?" asked Robin intensely.

"Mean? Nothing. It's just, uh, my mum. It was her favourite. She used to sing it to me..." said Spike before giving a little smirk, "When I was a baby."

"And...?" pushed Giles.

"No and. That's it. Look, shouldn't you check on Dawnie? I clocked the nibblet pretty fierce," said Spike.

"She'll be OK. She's tough," Buffy reassured him.

--------------

Willow gently cleaned Dawn's bruised forehead as they sat side by side on the couch, Kennedy was sitting on the arm with Lorelai and Rona standing beside her. Andrew, Anya and Xander were scattered around the room.

"Ow!" cried Dawn.

"I'm sorry," apologised Willow. The phone rang and Andrew picked it up. "Doesn't look like anything's broken?" the redhead tried reassuring the teenager.

"Did you use some sort of a magick x-ray?" asked Dawn.

Lorelai laughed, "No honey, that's just what people usually say," she pointed out, making Dawn pout. Lorelai glanced at the redhead, "You haven't, have you? X-ray vision, I mean."

Willow smiled, "No."

"So, Spike's trigger's been active this entire time?" asked Kennedy.

"How can Buffy take this for granted? I mean, he lives in our house, we train with him," said Rona.

"Don't waste your time down that road. Spike's got some sort of Get Out of Jail Free card that doesn't apply to the rest of us. I mean, he could slaughter a hundred frat boys, and..." everyone looked at Anya who laughed nervously, "Forgiveness makes us human. blah-dee-blah-blah-blah."

Andrew held the phone out to the redhead, "Uh, Willow...call for you from L.A. Somebody named Fred. The guy sounds kind of effeminate."

Lorelai looked around, "We all know Buffy has issues with Spike, until she sorts through them, she can't move on. But if there was any real possibility of him really hurting anyone, especially you Dawn," she said looking at the teenager, "He would be chained up in the basement permanently."

"So what you're saying is he can hurt us as long as it isn't too much," exclaimed Rona.

"Rona honey, most of us have had worse than Dawn's injury since this started. No Spike is no real danger at the moment, Buffy feels he can be a good man, and so do I," said Lorelai before leaving to go in search of her daughter.

--------------

Rory walked slowly down the dark alley between two warehouses, staying as far from any deep shadows as she could. She spun as she heard a bottle break, her heart pounding in her chest as she gripped the sword hilt turning her knuckles white. She jumped as a black streak of fur appeared from the side of a dumpster and ran up the alley the way she had come.

Rory let out the breath she did not realise she had been holding, relaxing a little, as she continued down the alley, hating it that it was her turn being the bait! They had been doing this for the last three hours and although they had yet to find out anything about why all the bringers were in Sunnydale. They had managed to kill fifteen of them, as well as two vampires.

As Rory passed the second dumpster, she heard another noise and two bringers appeared from the shadow cast by it, she heard running footsteps from behind, turning to see three more bringers running towards her from the way the cat had run.

Using the things she had learned since getting to Sunnydale, she turned to confront the two closest bringers, bringing her sword up to the mid-guard position. As they drew close, she jumped to her left and brought the sword across the front of her continuing the swing as the right-hand Bringer missed her with its knife and unable to recover its balance, her sword slicing deep into its side. It crumpled to the ground as Rory again positioned herself with her sword between her and the remaining bringers.

As the other three bringers drew close to the teenager, two fell dead with crossbow bolts in their backs and Madeline and Louise ran towards their friend with swords in hand. Rory could not help smiling in relief as her two fellow Chiltonites fell on the other Bringer as she engaged the remaining one, catching its knife with the end of her sword and thrusting the tip into its upper chest.

That was her undoing, as the sword slid through its chest and out the back; the Bringer used its remaining strength to push the knife into Rory's side. She let go of her sword and staggered back before falling to her knees, the last thing she heard was her mother screaming her name before her eyes closed as she fell sideways and the darkness took her.

Lorelai distinctly saw the knife enter Rory's side, she screamed her daughter's name, dropping her crossbow, she ran to her side, fell to her knees she gathered Rory's limp body into her arms, crying uncontrollably as she rocked her daughter back and forth.

Luke quickly joined Lorelai, checking Rory's vital signs letting out a sigh when he found she was still breathing. "Lorelai," he had to shout to get the woman's attention, "Lorelai," he said more normally when her tear streaked face turned to him, "She's not dead, but she will be if we don't get her help quickly." Luke, as gently as possible, pulled Rory from Lorelai's arms and picked her up, he looked at Madeline and Louise, who had finished off the remaining bringers and were now stood next to him in shock, "Phone the others, tell them we are taking Rory to the hospital."

Madeline nodded, pulling out her phone and pressing speed dial, Louise held the still crying Lorelai as they followed Luke towards his truck.

--------------

Buffy and Xander burst through the waiting room doors to find Luck sat with Lorelai held gently in his arms and Madeline and Louise pacing the room. Hurrying over to the distraught mother, Buffy sat on the other side from Luke, "What happened?" she asked quietly as Xander sat with Madeline and Louise opposite.

"It was Rory's turn to be the bait," Luke began to explain, "We'd already done it five times and managed to kill fifteen bringers as well as a couple of vampires... Rory made a mistake, instead of fending off the last Bringer until we could help; she stabbed him in the chest giving him the chance to stab her in the side."

"How is she?" asked Xander.

"They rushed her straight to the OR, they couldn't stop the blood flow, I think the blade was enchanted," Luck told them.

"Right," said Buffy getting up, "We need Willow, Xander go get her, I'll phone her and explain what's happened."

"Can she help my baby?" asked Lorelai in a desperate tone of voice.

"I think so! I won't lie to you though, Rory may not make it," said Buffy solemnly as she and Xander left the room again.

It was some twenty minutes later that they re-entered with Willow and Dawn, the four waiting friends joined them; "Any news?" asked Willow who looked a little apprehensive.

"No, nothing! Willow please help Rory," said the still tearful Lorelai.

"I'll try but hmm..." Willow hesitated.

"But what?" asked Luke.

"Well... mmm this type of thing will take more power than I think I can draw on myself without going all veiny," the redhead explained.

"So what can we do?" asked Lorelai.

"Well if I use others, like I did to open the portal last night, channel their energy through me I could do it, but they have to know it will be painful, as Dawn here can testify," blushed the Witch.

"Well let's go, you can use me," said Lorelai hope springing into her eyes.

"Me too," said Madeline stepping forward.

"And me," agreed Louise.

"How are we going to get to Rory," asked Luke, "The doctors are not going to just step aside so we can save her."

"That will be the easy part, I'll just use this," said Willow holding up a small bag of brownish powder, "It will put them all to sleep. We should hurry before it's too late," they all moved towards the doors on the far side of the room.

Having been to the hospital many times, it only took them a few minutes to reach the area they knew Rory's operation was taking place, somehow managing to avoid any hospital workers who may have enquired as to their reasons for being in restricted areas without an escort.

Willow peeked through the door window, recognising Rory's features, what she could see of them, the Witch looked at the others, "This is it. When I give the word, Buffy, Xander open both doors wide and hold your breath or you'll sleep for at least an hour." She stepped back, positioning herself between the two doors, Xander stood by the side of one door and Buffy the other, the rest stood at the far end of the scrub-room. "Now," cried Willow as she held the bag upside down and emptied the powder out, "Spirits hear my call, let the breeze blow, let its gentle touch bring slumber, by my will so mute it be." The powder swirled around for a moment before filling the operating theatre with a brownish mist. As they watched, the mist seemed to flow into the doctors and nurses' bodies and they all slowly sank to the floor.

Willow looked at the others, "Right let's get them out of the way," she ordered as they all crowded into the room. Buffy and the others quickly complied while the redhead prepared for the next spell; quickly she took a bag of coloured sand from the satchel Dawn handed to her before the teenager helped the others. She sprinkled it around the operating table, "Quickly, take my hand," she said holding out her left hand to Lorelai, Madeline and Louise.

The three hurried to Willow's side and without the slightest hesitation placed their right hands one on top the other in her left hand. The Witch placed her right hand gently over the vicious looking wound. "Gentle mother, hear my plea, heal this wound of darkness, that this chosen maiden may continue the fight, three we have that offer up themselves that their sister/daughter may live, grant this boon mother that we will not fail."

Almost as soon as Willow finished the spell, Lorelai felt as if something was trying to rip her heart out of her chest as she frozen in place her vision filling with light.

Lorelai looked around; she was standing in her living room back in Stars Hollow. "Now this is just plain weird!" she said.

"I just thought it would be easier if you were surrounded by familiar things," said Rory walking in from the kitchen carrying a large pizza box.

"Rory," exclaimed Lorelai as Rory sat on the couch.

Rory smiled up at her, "No, sorry mum, you don't mind me calling you that do you? 'Cause I'm thinking it would be weird for you to have me call you Lorelai while I look like this."

"You're the First," said Lorelai going pale as she backed away.

Rory smiled sweetly at her mother, "No I'm not the First. Okay how about this form," she said as she changed into Luke, "The other, that which you call the First, can only appear as those that have passed over, I on the other hand can only appear as those that still live."

"So-so Rory is okay, she's alive?" said Lorelai coming forward to stand in front of Luke. She frowned, "So what is this place?" she asked looking around again.

"Yes your daughter still lives. This place is nowhere, it is a place between one moment and the next," explained Luke before turning back into Rory, "I think I prefer this shape to the other, but then I have always liked the female form," Rory smirked at Lorelai before looking down at her chest.

Lorelai looked sternly at Rory, "Please don't say things like that while you are wearing my daughter's shape," she said taking a seat next to the creature absently taking a slice of pizza, "So how did I get here and what do you want with me?" Her face lit up as she took a bit out of the pizza, "Oh my god this is incredible, I don't think I've ever tasted anything as good as this!"

"Well thank you; it did come out rather well didn't it?"

Lorelai looked sceptically at the creature, "You made it?"

"Not in the way you mean, mixing the ingredients and actually cooking it, no far too tedious," laughed Rory.

"So why am I here?"

"So I can give you a message for the Slayer. The rules that govern what the other and I can do only allow me to converse with her cryptically as was the case with the other and its chosen until a couple of years ago. I won't go into that now, it just suffices for you to know that is no longer the case, it can converse directly with him, while I am still restricted somewhat.

"The power released by the spell Willow is using to save your daughter's life allowed me this moment to circumvent those restrictions. I need you to warn the Slayer that the other's chosen one is coming, he is far too strong for her to face without her weapon, tell Buffy to look for the scythe and seek out the Guardian. Fare well Era Matris Trucido."

Lorelai blinked as her eyes cleared, Luke held her in his arms, she saw Buffy and Xander doing the same with Madeline and Louise. She felt the strength slowly returning as Luke steadied her, they made their way to where Rory lay breathing peacefully, "Will she be okay?" she asked looking at Willow who leaned against the bed breathing heavily.

Willow nodded, "Yeah, give me a minute and I'll wake her, I don't think it would be a good idea to leave her here, to many questions," she said, she looked at Dawn, "Can you find her some scrubs to wear?" She nodded and left in search of something for Rory to wear.

"Buffy, I'm not sure of the what, why or how? But I have a message from something, I don't know what! But it said the First's chosen one is coming here and you need to find the scythe and someone called the Guardian?" said Lorelai looking at the Slayer.

"How? And why did it relay it through you and not tell me direct?" asked Buffy frowning.

"It said something about rules that Willow's spell allowed it to circumvent," explained Lorelai, "And those rules only allow it to communicate with you cryptically."

"I don't think this is the time or place to sort this out," said Willow, "Let's wake Rory and get back to the house."

"Right," agreed Buffy as she watched Willow use a little magick to wake the teenager.

The security at the hospital seemed as lax in their duty as the Sunnydale police department. Not questioning nine people, including a teenager that was obviously too young to be a doctor or nurse wearing surgery scrubs, leaving via the delivery bay.

--------------

Giles rubbed his glasses vigorously while looking across at Lorelai, both seated at the dining room table with Buffy, Willow, Anya, Xander and Luke. "And this Being did not reveal the name of the First's chosen?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head, "No, just that he was coming and that Buffy would need this scythe to fight him," she explained again.

"What about this Guardian? Didn't she/it give you anything, a name, place, something?" said Buffy in frustration.

"No sorry, just you need to seek this Guardian out, not even if they're male or female."

"I'm thinking cryptic at this moment might have been more helpful," Xander sighed.

Giles replaced his glasses, "W-well let's make some educated guesses. It is likely that both this scythe and the Guardian are somewhere in the town or at least nearby, but not together..."

"What makes you think they're not together, maybe this Guardian is guarding the scythe!" interrupted Xander.

"I don't think so; this creature told Lorelai that Buffy should look for the scythe and seek out this Guardian. It may just be semantics but that to me sounds as if the two are separate," said Giles.

"It did seem like she was talking about two separate things," added Lorelai.

"Maybe that is what all the bringers in town are doing, maybe they are looking for this scythe and Guardian person, I mean if Buffy needs this scythe to kick the First's chosen one's ass and they find it first, bye, bye our side," said Willow. "Which reminds me I had a call from L.A. earlier, Fred needs a Witch to do a spell for her; I really need to do it."

"What kind of spell?" asked Giles.

"They asked me not to tell anyone, please don't ask me, but it is important and we may need them later if things go wrong here. I could also have them help in finding this scythe and Guardian," said Willow.

Buffy nodded, "Okay, but hurry back Will," she said smiling at her friend as she got up and headed for her room to pack a bag.

"Maybe Guardian has become this person's name," said Lorelai.

"Huh?" said Buffy looking at the older woman.

Lorelai smiled, "Sorry, just thinking out loud. What I mean is this Guardian, whoever they are, maybe only known as Guardian, in a similar way that Spike calls you Slayer rather than Buffy," she explained.

"Hmm, maybe but that still doesn't get us closer to finding them," said Buffy smiling wily before looking around, "Where is Spike anyway? I told him to stay here with the girls while I was at the hospital."

"Just before you got back, Robin came back with his group and took Spike to check on something," Anya told her.

"What?" asked Buffy suspiciously glanced at Giles.

"He didn't say," said Anya, "Why?"

"Well the idea was for us to keep an eye on Spike until we can remove his trigger," pointed out Buffy, she looked at Giles, "Any idea where they went?"

"No, but I'm sure Principle Wood will watch over Spike," said Giles.

Buffy looked intensely at her Watcher, trying to discern just what he was not saying, "You've suddenly changed your attitude to Spike, earlier you were all for keeping him chained up in the basement."

"Buffy, Spike is very dangerous at the moment, if the First were to activate his trigger it would be very bad for us."

"There it is again, there's something you're not telling me. What is it Giles? Where's Robin taken Spike?" she asked angrily as she rose and leaned over the table towards him.

Giles sighed, "Principle Wood is Nikki Wood's son, the Slayer Spike killed in New York."

Buffy's eyes flashed as she headed for the door, "This isn't over Giles," she said between clenched teeth as the front door slammed shut.

Lorelai looked over at Giles, "Why couldn't you leave it, you have just made things worse," she sighed.

"I fail to see how things could be worse, Buffy needs to concentrate on fighting the First, if we fail the world will fall," said Giles.

"How could it be worse," said Lorelai with a sneer, "If Robin does succeed in killing Spike do you really think Buffy will be, Oh well he was only a Vampire! Let's get on with it? At best she will fall apart leaving us without the Slayer and at worse she will take out her anger on Robin and then you and we still lose her."

Giles looked at the woman with a frown, "I've only known about the supernatural for a couple of weeks and the only watchers I've known are you and Luke, and I guess my dad and Max. But I've heard quite a lot about some of the other watchers, especially your fellow countrymen; they sound like a bunch of assholes, and you are fast becoming one yourself." Giles nostrils flared. "Tell me Mr Giles do you plan on killing my daughter?" Giles anger was replaced by confusion, "I mean if Spike is such a danger to a good outcome then by your thinking so would my daughter because as Rory and I have been told, if she were to become the Slayer then it would be sealed to our family line." Lorelai rose then and headed for the stairs to check on her daughter.

"That was never certain," pointed out Giles.

"And neither is Spike's betrayal," Lorelai called back from the stairs.

--------------

Buffy tucked Dawn into bed, and walked out into the hallway, closing the door behind her.

Giles walked up to her as she entered her room. "Buffy...I—I understand your anger. Please believe me, we did what we..." he began.

Buffy did not look at Giles, "He's alive. Spike's alive. Wood failed," she told him.

"Well, that doesn't change anything. What I told you is still true. You need to learn..." Giles started to explain.

Buffy looked coldly at Giles, "No, I think you've taught me everything I need to know," she said closing the door in his face.

Giles stood there for a moment, "Well under the circumstances, I think she let you off lightly," came Lorelai's voice as she left the shadows at the other end of the hall and opened the door to the room she shared with her daughter and some other potentials, leaving the Watcher to his own thoughts.