(no subject)
After his shower after cleaning the basement area (sometimes owning a building was a bother), Giles kissed Willow's cheek and headed to the gym room to meet up with Ryanne.
Ryanne was half hitting the bag, not into it at all. She was scared to tell the death. The recent brush with death had shown her what her fate really was. she didn't hear her father approach as she hit the bag a few more times barely moving it.
"Boo," Giles said softly from behind her. He was anticipating her spin and backhand. One had to be cautious when startling a Slayer, after all.
Ryanne jumped back scared. She crouched in a fighting postion and was ready to attack until she saw her father standing there. "Oh hey Dad."
"Even when deep in thought, keep your sense aware," he said gently. "Ryanne, we'll take it slow and build your strength back up. Want to talk about it?"
"What's to talk about? I am a Slayer. Gonna die soon." Ryanne turned back to the bag and kicked it. "Gonna die because some stupid bad guy is gonna win and it doesn't even matter."
"Yes it does matter," Giles said firmly, moving to hold the bag steady. "You save lives, sometimes Slayers even save the world. And your death would matter a lot to me and the others."
"Meant they still will be here. The demons. We don't really get rid of them." Ryanne looked up at him and frowned. "I don't like this, knowing it's for sure. Why do we die so young?"
"For some bloody reason you're called young and the odds are against the Slayer," Giles said truthfully. "They're better now with many Slayers, thankfully. It was before that there was only one Slayer to face all the demons and vampires. That was a guarantee of a short life. Ryanne, you can't think you'll die tonight or tomorrow. You have to be determined to survive and fight back. Like a police officer or soldier."
"Daddy he tied me up and gutted me like an animal." Ryanne kicked the bag again. "And that Lindsey guy. I hid behind behind poophead. I am so scared. Never used to be scared."
"Yes you were, you've just blocked it," Giles said calmly. "Now you learn how to use that fear to give you an added boost to your energy, your reflexes and anger. We'll find you a counselor to deal with the old stuff and we'll face this, Ryanne."
"Do you think it's the old stuff?" Ryanne shrugged. "Never thought about that before, cept when I had dreams. Do I have to patrol again?"
"Yes, soon," Giles nodded. "Keep your left up when you hit with the right. What Marcus did had to have tapped into the past abuse. We get your through what he did and what happened before."
Daddy I don't want to go out and patrol anymore." Ryanne confided to him. "I can do like research and stuff."
"I know, Ryanne," Giles said slowly. He was torn. He understood her fear. "We'll work on it. Ryanne, people like your friends will need you out there. There are other Slayers but you've seen that's not enough. Buffy and Faith didn't stop your friends from being killed but they saved other people those nights."
"But they are good at this and I'm not. I walked Marcus home. I was protecting the enemy." Ryanne hit the bag harder angry at herself. "I let him hurt me. I almost died Daddy. Please don't make me go back out."
Giles leaned his head against the bag. "Ryanne, let's just tackle this one step at a time, please."
Ryanne looked up at him and nodded. "I'm tired. Can we go get an ice cream?"
"Five more minutes and then ice cream," he said firmly.
Ryanne frowned but hit the bag regardless. She knew her father was her Watcher first, father second. If it was the other way around there would be no way he'd make her go out and risk her life. "Can I have sprinkles?"
"Yes," Giles sighed. He knew that look, the resentment. Perhaps it was time to turn her training over to Buffy.
Ryanne was half hitting the bag, not into it at all. She was scared to tell the death. The recent brush with death had shown her what her fate really was. she didn't hear her father approach as she hit the bag a few more times barely moving it.
"Boo," Giles said softly from behind her. He was anticipating her spin and backhand. One had to be cautious when startling a Slayer, after all.
Ryanne jumped back scared. She crouched in a fighting postion and was ready to attack until she saw her father standing there. "Oh hey Dad."
"Even when deep in thought, keep your sense aware," he said gently. "Ryanne, we'll take it slow and build your strength back up. Want to talk about it?"
"What's to talk about? I am a Slayer. Gonna die soon." Ryanne turned back to the bag and kicked it. "Gonna die because some stupid bad guy is gonna win and it doesn't even matter."
"Yes it does matter," Giles said firmly, moving to hold the bag steady. "You save lives, sometimes Slayers even save the world. And your death would matter a lot to me and the others."
"Meant they still will be here. The demons. We don't really get rid of them." Ryanne looked up at him and frowned. "I don't like this, knowing it's for sure. Why do we die so young?"
"For some bloody reason you're called young and the odds are against the Slayer," Giles said truthfully. "They're better now with many Slayers, thankfully. It was before that there was only one Slayer to face all the demons and vampires. That was a guarantee of a short life. Ryanne, you can't think you'll die tonight or tomorrow. You have to be determined to survive and fight back. Like a police officer or soldier."
"Daddy he tied me up and gutted me like an animal." Ryanne kicked the bag again. "And that Lindsey guy. I hid behind behind poophead. I am so scared. Never used to be scared."
"Yes you were, you've just blocked it," Giles said calmly. "Now you learn how to use that fear to give you an added boost to your energy, your reflexes and anger. We'll find you a counselor to deal with the old stuff and we'll face this, Ryanne."
"Do you think it's the old stuff?" Ryanne shrugged. "Never thought about that before, cept when I had dreams. Do I have to patrol again?"
"Yes, soon," Giles nodded. "Keep your left up when you hit with the right. What Marcus did had to have tapped into the past abuse. We get your through what he did and what happened before."
Daddy I don't want to go out and patrol anymore." Ryanne confided to him. "I can do like research and stuff."
"I know, Ryanne," Giles said slowly. He was torn. He understood her fear. "We'll work on it. Ryanne, people like your friends will need you out there. There are other Slayers but you've seen that's not enough. Buffy and Faith didn't stop your friends from being killed but they saved other people those nights."
"But they are good at this and I'm not. I walked Marcus home. I was protecting the enemy." Ryanne hit the bag harder angry at herself. "I let him hurt me. I almost died Daddy. Please don't make me go back out."
Giles leaned his head against the bag. "Ryanne, let's just tackle this one step at a time, please."
Ryanne looked up at him and nodded. "I'm tired. Can we go get an ice cream?"
"Five more minutes and then ice cream," he said firmly.
Ryanne frowned but hit the bag regardless. She knew her father was her Watcher first, father second. If it was the other way around there would be no way he'd make her go out and risk her life. "Can I have sprinkles?"
"Yes," Giles sighed. He knew that look, the resentment. Perhaps it was time to turn her training over to Buffy.