Chapter 6: Witchy Girls

A/N: Our first taste of some more Sunnydale people.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: more unfriendliness towards Giles, but nothing overly bad…in my opinion.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, AshDawnsoulmates and AerynSpeedleCaine.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

Summers front door

As he got ready for the visitor(s) coming in, Robin had an unnerving thought. He already killed one vampire with an invitation to the house tonight, what if there were more? Deciding that safety was his primary concern right now, he grabbed his stake again and a bottle of holy water and hid behind the door.

When the door opened, he heard two giggling voices enter…so most likely two females. Before they could react to his presence, he made a noise to get them to turn towards him. After they did, he sprayed them in the face with the water, preparing to stake them if they started smoking. Or at least yell for Buffy.

Turned out he didn't need to yell because the two females yelped instead. It was a good thing for Robin that it happened, though, since the redhead was glaring dangerously at him.

"Willow…remember your promise," the blonde one pleaded. "Let me handle it."

Robin wasn't sure what the blonde was talking about, but his instincts were screaming that he would prefer her handling the situation over the redhead – and it wasn't the bias of redheads and their tempers, just this girl and how scary she looked.

Speaking of which, Willow nodded at the blonde but demanded to know from him, "Who are you? What have you done with Buffy?"

Buffy took the opportunity to have perfect timing as she walked up behind the two girls to answer, "He didn't do anything to me." She stared pointedly at him to ask for his silence, then continued, "His mom was a Slayer awhile back, and he wanted to give me some of her things. Robin, this is Willow and Tara; they live here with me. Guys, this is Robin," she introduced, deliberately leaving off his last name. She wasn't sure if Willow did any research on the Slayers Spike killed, but Buffy didn't want any accidental slip-ups.

Still glaring at the man, Willow asked, "Are you sure, Buffy? People have faked us out before," she reminded her friend, referring to the evil Watcher their senior year in high school.

"Yup," Buffy answered. "Called up Wes and the story checks out. By the way, he's coming here to help out."

Willow turned to look at Buffy in confusion. "Why?"

Resolving to stay strong, Buffy replied curtly, "Because I need a Watcher, and Giles isn't coming back."

"You don't know that for certain," Tara attempted to interject in order to keep emotions down. All of the Scoobies needed Giles the past year and felt his absence keenly.

Buffy pinned Tara with a look which froze the blonde Wicca in place. It had a hint of resentment on the surface, but the emotions underneath were what bothered Tara most. Despair, fear, pain; it was like that night Buffy broke down and cried on her lap…but worse somehow.

"He didn't even come back for Xander and Anya's non-wedding – despite the fact I got a job and was trying to take care of Dawn on my own. He's not coming back," Buffy repeated angrily.

Robin listened to the exchange in horror and building rage. If he understood this correctly, Buffy's Watcher left her because she didn't have a regular job to pay the bills and she needed help raising her daughter. He swallowed the lump in his throat which threatened to choke him.

He would do whatever he had to in order to keep Dawn from growing up without her mother! It didn't matter if Buffy wanted his help with slaying now; she was getting it whether she liked it or not!

A/N: Those last two paragraphs kinda surprised me by showing up. But from his perspective, that could be how it sounded.