Introspection
Giles stared at his teacup. The last few days since rescuing Willow had been quiet. He'd been doing a lot of thinking.
There were things to do that had not been done... Things that should be done... and yet Giles found his mind drifting back again to the topic of selkie wives. selkie wives and Anya.
He'd gone to see Kennedy. She was going through a difficult time. That was a joke. There was no time when being a Slayer wasn't difficult. But the transition from potential to Slayer seemed to be particuarly difficult for her. The girl needed something...quite probably she needed Willow but there was nothing to be done about that. Cleveland was not kind. Hellmouths weren't kind. and love on a Hellmouth, well kind rarely entered into it.
Slayers in love, well that seemed to be a doomed enterprise rather like the Titanic except the boat is in love with the ice.
He'd been thinking about what he said to her, and what he hadn't said to her.
He'd left a message for Willow. If she was strong enough to help with the sunlight spell... If Tara would lend a hand... Perhaps It could be done without spilling blood...at least only willing sacrifice.
That reminded him of Kennedy again. The girl she had brought had been confused and relieved when she woke up. Giles had taken care to make sure she stayed that way. There was no point in stirring up additional trouble
Ever since Willow's rescue
Something had been off that day...Giles couldn't put his finger on it...it was as if he was looking for his glasses when he was wearing them.
Buffy had gone thorough some difficulties when ajusting also. He was quite proud of her. How far she had come how much she had had to handle. Even her temper. And she had made it, made it possible for the weight of being the One Chosen to be borne by more than one.
Slayers and Watchers. So many Slayers now and so few Watchers. How many would be lost simply because they wouldn't understand what they were? How many would be killed without knowing?Because of instincts that they didn't understand? The choice had been made and they had prevented hell on earth. But now the results of those choices were haunting.
The old ways would no longer work and yet they were not entirly without merit. Slayers were too predatory to live with each other for long and yet they need outside contact. People who know and care what they are, what they fight for.
The watcher guides need to change. Slayers live longer when they have a life outside of slaying....
Giles knew he should finish preparations for the sunlight spell, that he should dive back into researching the new apocalypse-bringer. But he sipped his now cold tea and let his thoughts drift back to Slayers.......and selkie wives.