It had been a slow day at the store, with only a handful of customers filtering in every few hours. The kids had arrived to help out, as they often did when they weren't in school (or when Xander wasn't working), though they all found themselves extremely bored today.
Willow busied herself with re-alphabetizing the main bookshelves while Xander read the comic books he'd brought with him. Rupert went over their store ledgers while Anya kept a close ("Helpful! I'm only being helpful!") eye on any customers that did come in
( ... )
The bell dinged as the door opened and Buffy and Dawn entered the store, Dawn looking sullen while Buffy threw a brief wave at Anya, before continuing toward them. Xander greeted them with a smile
( ... )
Jenny took a seat at the table beside Dawn, who had been staring at the same page in her math book for the past several minutes. She raised her brows, calling softly, "Everything okay in there, Junior?" while giving a soft tap on the girl's temple.
Dawn just barely smiled. "I guess."
"What's going on?"
"Just... school stuff," she shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Well, do you need some help with your homework?" Willow offered. "Because we're good at the helping."
"I guess," she shrugged. "It's geometry junk, though." And she wrinkled her nose.
Jenny smiled. "Well, we could help with that, I'm sure. What's the topic?"
"Triangles."
"Y'know what helps? A live demonstration," Xander offered, then waggled his eyebrows at Willow. "Shall we?"
"I try," Buffy continued, "It's just... my foot's not used to being put down." She turned to him. "I want you to do it."
He sighed.
"You can be the foot-putting-downer."
"No, Buffy," he shook his head, "I don't think I can."
"Please? Pretty please?" Her voice was near desperation as she rambled on, "I mean, your foot is way bigger than mine! And you're so much more a grownup than me. Dawn needs an authority figure. A strong guiding hand. She'll listen to you."
He scoffed at that. "Just like you always have."
"I listen!" Off his look, she pouted, insisting, "I do."
Giles took a seat next to her, pulling off his glasses. "Well, then perk up your ears. I may be a grownup, but you're her family. Her only real family now. She needs you to do this
( ... )
"Discipline. Authority. Order," Buffy rattled off as she emerged from the workout room, closely followed by Rupert, who seemed to be steering her
( ... )
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Willow busied herself with re-alphabetizing the main bookshelves while Xander read the comic books he'd brought with him. Rupert went over their store ledgers while Anya kept a close ("Helpful! I'm only being helpful!") eye on any customers that did come in ( ... )
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Dawn just barely smiled. "I guess."
"What's going on?"
"Just... school stuff," she shook her head. "It's nothing."
"Well, do you need some help with your homework?" Willow offered. "Because we're good at the helping."
"I guess," she shrugged. "It's geometry junk, though." And she wrinkled her nose.
Jenny smiled. "Well, we could help with that, I'm sure. What's the topic?"
"Triangles."
"Y'know what helps? A live demonstration," Xander offered, then waggled his eyebrows at Willow. "Shall we?"
"We shall!"
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He sighed.
"You can be the foot-putting-downer."
"No, Buffy," he shook his head, "I don't think I can."
"Please? Pretty please?" Her voice was near desperation as she rambled on, "I mean, your foot is way bigger than mine! And you're so much more a grownup than me. Dawn needs an authority figure. A strong guiding hand. She'll listen to you."
He scoffed at that. "Just like you always have."
"I listen!" Off his look, she pouted, insisting, "I do."
Giles took a seat next to her, pulling off his glasses. "Well, then perk up your ears. I may be a grownup, but you're her family. Her only real family now. She needs you to do this ( ... )
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