A/N Sometimes things get said in the course of an episode that when you stop and think about them, you find yourself confused and frustrated. In the episode where Harmony has minions, hilarious as that thought is, her minions steal several books from the Magic shop that are about the Slayer. This is the episode where the gang find the owner dead and Giles decides to buy the Magic shop. What frustrates me is that in the course of their investigation they discover the fact that the Magic shop is selling books about the Slayer and no one has any concern about it. Where did they come from and who is the intended purchaser? How did Harmony know they were there?

Buffy asks Giles to be her Watcher again and actually train her and he says it's a new realm, one he's not prepared for, but he's willing to do it. Since we didn't see him doing a whole lot of training when she was in High School, it calls into question any training he does have.

Okay, Giles bashing over, let's get back to the story. 😌

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Giles was packed off to England and Sam Zabuto took over as Buffy's Watcher. He began by informing Joyce Summers of the truth that both Merrick and Giles had insisted on Buffy keeping secret from her. Once convinced he wasn't insane and that the supernatural really did exist and her daughter had been chosen by some nebulous something out there in the universe to be the Slayer or one of two since Buffy had died at one point, something that nearly caused a nervous breakdown when Joyce finally understood and a long rant against Rupert Giles and Merrick before she wound down.

He wasn't happy with Buffy's haphazard fighting technique and an argument ensued when Kendra reminded Buffy of something she'd said the first time Kendra had been in Sunnydale.

"Buffy, you said my technique was better than yours."

"I also told you I would have won because I use my emotions to fuel my fights."

"You'll burn yourself out doing that." Sam told her. "Using your emotions fuels your adrenaline, but adrenaline is a finite resource and when used up leaves you spent. Trying to continue fighting in that state means you begin to miss things, you can develop tunnel vision and not even realize you've made a mistake until afterward. Staying calm makes it easier to think, to plan."

"And there isn't always time to do that, you have to think fast and improvise."

"I grant that there are times when that's true, but it's easier to think and plan when you take emotions out of the equation. But that's not my main point, my point is that you're sloppy, you leave areas of yourself vulnerable during a fight. How much do you practice the actual techniques?"

"Well, Xander wears a puffy suit and let's me pound on him once in a while and Giles has given me a lesson on using a staff."

"One lesson?"

"I beat him, he didn't see any need for more."

"So mostly you're just relying on your instincts and the inherent abilities, you're not actually training them, trying to improve?"

"Well, I do some training."

"Aerobisizing while listening to really loud music isn't training." Xander pointed out. "It's driving Giles insane by making his ears bleed and confusing him as to how aerobics qualifies as training." He was lounging in a chair with his people around him, they'd all agreed to getting some training before going up against any vampires. They'd also compromised and allowed Fred to try to help them figure out the power they had access to. Of course that also meant they also had to spend time in the same room as Buffy while training, something that was becoming a little easier as time went on.

"But emotions aren't weakness either, like you said before." Buffy shot back at Kendra, ignoring Xander's comment for the moment.

"True," Sam agreed. "but letting them have free reign is a weakness. You need to use your head, not your heart when you're fighting. Whether you know it or not, this is a war. A war for the survival of humanity, to be dramatic, but honest. We are literally prey to vampires and some demons, if we don't fight them, they will consume us. You let your heart have control when it came to Angel and you let Angelus go, the result was a lot of pain and death, which would never have happened if you hadn't let yourself be caught up with a vampire. Especially under the circumstances presented. Curses break, you let yourself forget that and you let yourself forget that he was a vampire. But I put it more on Mr. Giles than I do you, you were sixteen when you met him, barely more than a child. It was his responsibility to see to your safety, your training. He has not taught you to think, to reason or to draw conclusions from facts, let alone be proactive."

"I patrol, isn't that bring proactive?"

"Mr. Harris, the knowledge you retain from Halloween, what does that tell you about being proactive?"

"Conducting training exercises, developing contingency plans for encountering the enemy, preparing contingencies for emergencies. Developing and using modern technology and weapons."

"Like using a rocket launcher against a supposedly unkillable demon?" Sam grinned, he'd enjoyed that report immensely.

"Yep, just like that."

Buffy wasn't the only one with a lot to think about, so were Xander and the others. Xander especially, because he had a whole lot of rage boiling in him and was trying to work through it. How long until it boiled out again?