Helpless to the Side-Effects
Giles sighed, closing his eyes. He could no longer stand this; whether it was part of his duties or not, it was absolute torture, and not just to Buffy, the intended victim of this "test" -- it was torture for him, as well. Seeing his Slayer at such a low, devoid of her abilities and her strength, was like a knife to the heart.
"I've been thinking, Jenny," he murmured, kissing along her shoulder as they relaxed in bed together. "I have to tell Buffy what's going on."
He glanced up as she leaned back. "Were you thinking about that while we were..."
"What? No, no of course not." He chuckled, dusting a kiss to her cheek. "You should very well know I'm unable to have a thought in my head when we're doing that."
"Ah, so this is some of that post-coital self-degradation." Her dry tone didn't escape him, though he wasn't in a place to engage in their usual banter.
"I just... I can't continue to subject her to this. She needs to know the truth. I have to tell her what's happening to her."
"You can't, Rupert." Her head tipped to the side, resting against his forehead as she curled both hands around the arm he'd draped across her sheet-covered stomach. "You know that."
"This is beyond cruelty!" He sat up, running his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "What they're forcing me to put her through is inhumane."
"Rupert," she sat up slowly, holding the sheet to her collarbone before tucking it securely under her bare arms. "I know this is hard for you, I know that -- it would be for me, too. But these tests have been conducted for centuries. Trust me, I did the research for you. The Council has been administering these tests to the Slayer as a rite of passage for generations."
"Turning eighteen should be a rite of passage in itself. I don't see why a stress-ridden, painful test of cunning and resourcefulness must also be endured."
"Because it prepares her for the years to come. If she can find the inner strength to get through this, she'll be able to get through just about anything."
"I just hate this so very much."
"It's because you can't compartmentalize when it comes to her. You've never been able to. You look at her like she's your daughter, Rupert, and you can't."
Slowly, they both began to dress, Jenny slipping her silk nightgown over her head while he reached for his shorts and tee shirt.
"I just..." He sat at the edge of his side of the bed, dipping his head and speaking softly, sadly. "I know she'll hate me when she finds out what I've done to her. I couldn't take that."
"I've been thinking, Jenny," he murmured, kissing along her shoulder as they relaxed in bed together. "I have to tell Buffy what's going on."
He glanced up as she leaned back. "Were you thinking about that while we were..."
"What? No, no of course not." He chuckled, dusting a kiss to her cheek. "You should very well know I'm unable to have a thought in my head when we're doing that."
"Ah, so this is some of that post-coital self-degradation." Her dry tone didn't escape him, though he wasn't in a place to engage in their usual banter.
"I just... I can't continue to subject her to this. She needs to know the truth. I have to tell her what's happening to her."
"You can't, Rupert." Her head tipped to the side, resting against his forehead as she curled both hands around the arm he'd draped across her sheet-covered stomach. "You know that."
"This is beyond cruelty!" He sat up, running his fingers through his hair agitatedly. "What they're forcing me to put her through is inhumane."
"Rupert," she sat up slowly, holding the sheet to her collarbone before tucking it securely under her bare arms. "I know this is hard for you, I know that -- it would be for me, too. But these tests have been conducted for centuries. Trust me, I did the research for you. The Council has been administering these tests to the Slayer as a rite of passage for generations."
"Turning eighteen should be a rite of passage in itself. I don't see why a stress-ridden, painful test of cunning and resourcefulness must also be endured."
"Because it prepares her for the years to come. If she can find the inner strength to get through this, she'll be able to get through just about anything."
"I just hate this so very much."
"It's because you can't compartmentalize when it comes to her. You've never been able to. You look at her like she's your daughter, Rupert, and you can't."
Slowly, they both began to dress, Jenny slipping her silk nightgown over her head while he reached for his shorts and tee shirt.
"I just..." He sat at the edge of his side of the bed, dipping his head and speaking softly, sadly. "I know she'll hate me when she finds out what I've done to her. I couldn't take that."