A/N I'm not really planning to go after the Council in this story, just laying the groundwork for Kendra's appearance in the story. We see examples of an individual Watcher's approach to being a Watcher in the Slayers we see on the Show. Robin Wood's mother, Nikki, killed by Spike, her Watcher, Bernard Crawley is mentioned but not seen. Like Buffy, Nikki Wood had ties to the world and lasted longer, but Spike thought she accepted death. We have no idea what Nikki's thoughts actually were on the subject, but it seems she may have often brought her young son patrolling with her, as Robin seems to have witnessed her death. The Council knew she had a child but aside from her Watcher babysitting him once in awhile, they seemed to take no notice of him. And we know they didn't pay Slayers.

The observations Xander made in the previous chapter are drawn from various websites listing problems children raised in isolation and with limited social contact can develop and Kendra did show problems with eye contact and emotions. Faith's problems, like Xander's, were because of a traumatic childhood. Buffy's problems stemmed from untreated PTSD causing depression and a desire for it to all stop.

Granted I'm not a psychologist but I have been treated for both PTSD and depression myself. And even if I hadn't been, their pain seems so obvious I don't know how anyone could not see it.

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"Is being the Slayer all you think they are?" Xander probed questioningly. "Being a living weapon, like Kendra? Do they stop being human once activated?"

"No, of course they don't." These questions were exasperating Giles, he didn't understand them or what Xander was getting at. "But you don't seem to understand, they have a job to do, protect humanity."

"Which humans are capable of doing themselves, after all, the Council fights evil, right?" Xander responded. "They're perfectly capable of picking up a weapon and going out and fighting vampires and demons themselves."

"Which is why the Council employee hunter team's, humans who hunt, as you say, vampires and demons."

"So why have Slayers at all, given humans can take care of themselves and don't need them to protect us? And why make them all about the job? No life, no family, no friends. Buffy was stubborn and wanted all those things and you compromised and let her have friends and a boyfriend and she's just started her third year as a Slayer. Has she lived longer than the average Slayer?"

"Yes, she has, but if I hadn't compromised this sorry business with Angelus would never have happened."

"And Buffy would have stayed dead last May if I hadn't forced Angel to help me find her. Of course, if it wasn't for Angel giving you the Pergamon Codex she wouldn't have been there in the first place. From what I see, having friends has been good for Buffy's longevity, her choice of boyfriend leaves a lot to be desired, but if you hadn't insisted on her mother being out of the loop that wouldn't have been an issue either, because Mrs. Summers would never have let Buffy date someone so much older then her."

"Yes, I suppose having friends has been good for Buffy." Giles agreed.

"Not always good for her friends, but good for her." Xander nodded. "And if the evidence and studies prove that isolating a child and indoctranating her is bad for her, then why do it?"

"Sacrifices must be made." Giles said stubbornly.

"You're a broken record, Giles and if that's what your Watchers Council teaches, then so are they. You're sacrificing their lives, their hopes, their dreams and their right to choose and it's totally unnecessary. You've admitted that humans can and do fight and while I agree that a secret identity can help protect the Slayer, just like superheros in comics, I don't agree that denying them friends, family, hopes and dreams is in anyway necessary. All you have to do is make sure their friends and family understand the need to not go around singing 'she's the Slayer!' You don't need to deny them friends, family, a life. People fight harder when they have those things, because they have something to lose. People without them, just want to let go of the weight of the burden on their shoulders."

"There may be merit in what you say." Giles said reluctantly. "But it's been this way for as long as there's been a Council, change wouldn't be easy. And my methods are being called into question because of this Angelus business -."

"Which is on you, you allowed it and you did nothing to verify his claims or to study the curse, which as her Watcher, would be your responsibility to do." Xander agreed. "Just as you should have checked into mine and Willow's backgrounds, as well as Oz and Cordelia's to make sure we weren't a potential threat to Buffy. All of that is on you and does show poor judgement. But the actual allowing of friends doesn't. You can show the studies and the evidence of what isolation does to a child to your Council, you can show the positive effects having friends has had for Buffy. And you can show how your failures in judgment caused problems. You and the Council can use it as a opportunity to change things. Examine the lives of the Slayers that latest longer, did they have ties to the world? Parents, brothers, sisters, friends, lovers, children of their own? If they did it's more proof that the Slayer is a human being and not a living weapon and your sacrifices are unnecessary."

A thoughtful Giles was left to finish packing up his collection as Xander and Cordelia finished their free period and headed to their next class.