Giles held Buffy tightly, closing his eyes and smiling as his hopes soared. She had sought affection, which... with Buffy, was always a good sign that her grudge had faded. Things had been so awkward at Xander and Anya's wedding...
"I'm blonde," a soft voice beside them broke in.
He opened his eyes, turning to find Anya fidgeting near them, looking a bit tentative. "I, I colored my hair," she went on, and smiled a bit ruefully as she added, "Again. I'm blonde."
He indulged her with a smile, "Yes, I noticed," and held out an arm to her, inviting her into the embrace he was still in with Buffy.
Being Anya, she threw her arms around him and he grunted from the force briefly but hugged her back, happy to see she was behaving a bit like her old self and less like the jilted bride he remembered from the last time he'd seen her.
Pulling away from both girls, he looked toward where Jenny was standing near Willow, examining the band of energy that restrained her before she murmured in a soft voice, "I'm so sorry about Tara."
Giles just watched his wife a moment, seeing the conflicting emotions there. She still had that look of resoluteness she'd had when he first found her sitting awake in their Westbury flat. Not to mention there was the exhaustion -- the haunting images from her dreams had been causing her to lose so much sleep over the last few weeks. Sleep that she desperately needed now, for this fight.
And, of course there was a sadness there -- lingering regret over the way her relationship with Willow had deteriorated as well as empathy and understanding of the grief the girl was going through.
They all snapped their gazes to Willow when the girl regained enough consciousness to speak, though her speech was labored. She craned her neck just slightly, the rest of her still immobile as she cut her eyes at Jenny.
"This... won't hold me... forever."
And Giles admired the way Jenny stood her ground, though he saw her swallow hard before she looked away.
"I'm blonde," a soft voice beside them broke in.
He opened his eyes, turning to find Anya fidgeting near them, looking a bit tentative. "I, I colored my hair," she went on, and smiled a bit ruefully as she added, "Again. I'm blonde."
He indulged her with a smile, "Yes, I noticed," and held out an arm to her, inviting her into the embrace he was still in with Buffy.
Being Anya, she threw her arms around him and he grunted from the force briefly but hugged her back, happy to see she was behaving a bit like her old self and less like the jilted bride he remembered from the last time he'd seen her.
Pulling away from both girls, he looked toward where Jenny was standing near Willow, examining the band of energy that restrained her before she murmured in a soft voice, "I'm so sorry about Tara."
Giles just watched his wife a moment, seeing the conflicting emotions there. She still had that look of resoluteness she'd had when he first found her sitting awake in their Westbury flat. Not to mention there was the exhaustion -- the haunting images from her dreams had been causing her to lose so much sleep over the last few weeks. Sleep that she desperately needed now, for this fight.
And, of course there was a sadness there -- lingering regret over the way her relationship with Willow had deteriorated as well as empathy and understanding of the grief the girl was going through.
They all snapped their gazes to Willow when the girl regained enough consciousness to speak, though her speech was labored. She craned her neck just slightly, the rest of her still immobile as she cut her eyes at Jenny.
"This... won't hold me... forever."
And Giles admired the way Jenny stood her ground, though he saw her swallow hard before she looked away.
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