Dry eyed, Buffy pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the nursery,
trying to soak in the peacefulness of the slumbering infants. I hate
hospitals, she thought. No, hate was too inadequate. Despise. Loathe.
Abhor. Which, she concluded, summed up what they all felt for her right
now.
She heard footsteps at the far end of the hallway and they were coming toward her. Probably a nurse to tell her it was after visiting hours. However the footsteps did not end until they had joined her at the observation window.
"I though I might find you here."
She pressed her eyes closed. Short of Xander, he was the last person she was ready to face right now. She took a deep breath, straightened up and turned to him.
"Yes, here I am. Let's get it over with. You were right. I was wrong. And they paid the ultimate price. So why don't you say those four little words you're dying to say and it'll just cap off my night."
Giles took his glasses off, squinted down at her with an inscrutable look and began wiping his glasses.
Impatiently she cut in before he answered, "Is gloating outside of your English sensibilities? If so, let me take care of it for you: I told you so. There. It's been said."
He reapplied his glasses and turned back toward the nursery, watching a fitful baby struggle in its bunting before it relaxed and began breathing evenly. Then he answered in a deliberate tone.
"Actually, there were a few phrases I had in mind. But I realized they didn't fully encompass what I am feeling right now and what you, Buffy, need to hear. Upon further consideration, I fixed on these two."
Giles turned back toward her, stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers and looked her in the eyes. "I love you Buffy. I always will, regardless."
She stared back at him; her mind reeling as she absently noticed how thick the wrinkles around his eyes had become. She'd been angry about his collusion with Wood and instead of working through it with him; she'd taken it out on him by being short, dismissive. Intentionally hurtful. In light of tonight, it felt so petty, especially when her mind flooded with all of the times he'd had every right to be disappointed in her beyond forgiveness and yet here he was being so, so.
The tears that she previously hadn't been able to find now sprung to her eyes. "Thank you," she choked out as she buried her face into his tweedy jacket with a fierce hug.
"Wha?" he gasped as she squeezed him tightly.
"For being so Giles. Thank you."
She heard footsteps at the far end of the hallway and they were coming toward her. Probably a nurse to tell her it was after visiting hours. However the footsteps did not end until they had joined her at the observation window.
"I though I might find you here."
She pressed her eyes closed. Short of Xander, he was the last person she was ready to face right now. She took a deep breath, straightened up and turned to him.
"Yes, here I am. Let's get it over with. You were right. I was wrong. And they paid the ultimate price. So why don't you say those four little words you're dying to say and it'll just cap off my night."
Giles took his glasses off, squinted down at her with an inscrutable look and began wiping his glasses.
Impatiently she cut in before he answered, "Is gloating outside of your English sensibilities? If so, let me take care of it for you: I told you so. There. It's been said."
He reapplied his glasses and turned back toward the nursery, watching a fitful baby struggle in its bunting before it relaxed and began breathing evenly. Then he answered in a deliberate tone.
"Actually, there were a few phrases I had in mind. But I realized they didn't fully encompass what I am feeling right now and what you, Buffy, need to hear. Upon further consideration, I fixed on these two."
Giles turned back toward her, stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers and looked her in the eyes. "I love you Buffy. I always will, regardless."
She stared back at him; her mind reeling as she absently noticed how thick the wrinkles around his eyes had become. She'd been angry about his collusion with Wood and instead of working through it with him; she'd taken it out on him by being short, dismissive. Intentionally hurtful. In light of tonight, it felt so petty, especially when her mind flooded with all of the times he'd had every right to be disappointed in her beyond forgiveness and yet here he was being so, so.
The tears that she previously hadn't been able to find now sprung to her eyes. "Thank you," she choked out as she buried her face into his tweedy jacket with a fierce hug.
"Wha?" he gasped as she squeezed him tightly.
"For being so Giles. Thank you."