Giles reached out, running his fingertips through Jenny's hair as she shifted and twitched in sleep, her brows furrowed deeply. He frowned thoughtfully, wondering what she was dreaming about, until two voices nearing the door drew his attention.
Seconds later, Buffy and Dawn had come in, Buffy exhaling relief. "You're alive," she murmured, and then promptly crushed him in a hug.
"Yes," he grunted, voice strained from her tight grip. He attempted to move his arms to hold her in return, but she had locked them to his sides. He wriggled under her grip, grunting softly, "Th-though to remain as such, Buffy, I'll, ehm... n-need the ability to breathe."
"Huh?" All at once, she seemed to realize her strength and pulled back. "Oh, sorry."
"Quite alright." He glanced toward Dawn, finding her already at Jenny's bedside, staring down at her warily. "Dawn?"
"Is she...?" The girl left the question dangling, though the implication was clear.
"She's sleeping," he assured her, and watched the relief flood her expression. "She's been through a lot."
Buffy shook her head, gripping his arm. "What happened? Last we'd heard, you were... not doing well."
He nodded, casting his gaze to the tile floor and slipping his hands into his pockets, he and Buffy moving together toward the other side of the room. "Things were, um, looking grave for a bit, yes. Willow had thrown me about quite a lot, and then she drained my powers."
"So then, how did you--"
"Jenny," he answered, throwing a glance toward his still-slumbering wife. "She transferred her powers to me -- the powers given to her by the Coven, anyway. Not all of her powers."
"Wow."
"Yes."
He turned back to Buffy as she leaned around him, watching Dawn sit down on the bed with Jenny. "And she's okay?"
"Yes. We were quite fortuitous. She's fine, and the uh--" He stopped himself and looked down once more, remembering the agreement he and Jenny had struck. They would keep things under wraps as far as her condition went, at least until she'd passed her first trimester.
"The what?" Buffy prompted, searching his eyes.
"The, uh... the worst bit of damage she incurred was bruised ribs."
"Oh. Well, that's... good, I guess."
"Under the circumstances, that's wonderful," he quipped, raising his eyebrows, then looked her over. "You and Dawn are alright?"
"Yeah. We got trapped underground for a little bit, and... there were these root-demon things, but... we got 'em." Her gaze was loving as she watched her little sister, a soft smile on her lips as she told him quietly, "She was so brave, Giles."
Giles smiled at her, cupping her cheek softly as he replied, "A trait that seems to run in the family, wouldn't you say?"
Seconds later, Buffy and Dawn had come in, Buffy exhaling relief. "You're alive," she murmured, and then promptly crushed him in a hug.
"Yes," he grunted, voice strained from her tight grip. He attempted to move his arms to hold her in return, but she had locked them to his sides. He wriggled under her grip, grunting softly, "Th-though to remain as such, Buffy, I'll, ehm... n-need the ability to breathe."
"Huh?" All at once, she seemed to realize her strength and pulled back. "Oh, sorry."
"Quite alright." He glanced toward Dawn, finding her already at Jenny's bedside, staring down at her warily. "Dawn?"
"Is she...?" The girl left the question dangling, though the implication was clear.
"She's sleeping," he assured her, and watched the relief flood her expression. "She's been through a lot."
Buffy shook her head, gripping his arm. "What happened? Last we'd heard, you were... not doing well."
He nodded, casting his gaze to the tile floor and slipping his hands into his pockets, he and Buffy moving together toward the other side of the room. "Things were, um, looking grave for a bit, yes. Willow had thrown me about quite a lot, and then she drained my powers."
"So then, how did you--"
"Jenny," he answered, throwing a glance toward his still-slumbering wife. "She transferred her powers to me -- the powers given to her by the Coven, anyway. Not all of her powers."
"Wow."
"Yes."
He turned back to Buffy as she leaned around him, watching Dawn sit down on the bed with Jenny. "And she's okay?"
"Yes. We were quite fortuitous. She's fine, and the uh--" He stopped himself and looked down once more, remembering the agreement he and Jenny had struck. They would keep things under wraps as far as her condition went, at least until she'd passed her first trimester.
"The what?" Buffy prompted, searching his eyes.
"The, uh... the worst bit of damage she incurred was bruised ribs."
"Oh. Well, that's... good, I guess."
"Under the circumstances, that's wonderful," he quipped, raising his eyebrows, then looked her over. "You and Dawn are alright?"
"Yeah. We got trapped underground for a little bit, and... there were these root-demon things, but... we got 'em." Her gaze was loving as she watched her little sister, a soft smile on her lips as she told him quietly, "She was so brave, Giles."
Giles smiled at her, cupping her cheek softly as he replied, "A trait that seems to run in the family, wouldn't you say?"
Buffy beamed at him.
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