__Confronting Parker__
By Gibberish
Giles and Xander left Buffy and Willow at the dorm and walked back out. "So," Giles said. "That was the infamous Parker."
"That's the jerk." Xander told him.
"Hmm." Was all Giles replied.
"What does that 'hmmm' mean?" Xander asked suspiciously.
"Nothing." Giles claimed innocently. He was unaware of the rather Ripper like gleam in his eyes.
"Uh-huh." Xander said as he took note of the gleam. "You going to do something to Parker?"
"Why should I do that?" Giles asked. "It's Buffy's life."
"Then, why are your hands clenched into fists?" Xander asked
Giles looked at his hands, they were indeed fists. "I admit, I'd like to pound the bloody pillock. What he did to Buffy, and no doubt countless others ..."
"Buffy told you?" Xander asked surprised.
"Of course she told me." Giles responded. "Not in detail, thank God, but enough. Not the most intelligent bloke, is he?"
"Giles, only an idiot would sleep with Buffy then dump her." Xander agreed.
"The poor girl." Giles said sadly. "First Angel and now this. And part of her actually believes it's her. That there's something wrong with her. That she's not pretty enough, smart enough ... Well, if she's not pretty enough, I'd bloody well like to know who is?"
Xander stopped walking and stared at Giles. "Wow Giles, I didn't know you felt that way."
Giles looked uncomfortable. "You didn't think I knew she was pretty? What kind of blind fool do you think I am?"
"I don't think you're any kind of fool. Just ..." Xander shrugged. "Didn't think you noticed Buffy that way."
Giles looked at Xander oddly. "Do all of you think that my libido was taken out when I became a Watcher?" He asked curiously. "That being a Watcher meant that I couldn't be a man."
"No." Xander told him. "I only think that about Wesley." He shrugged. "There was Miss Calendar and, you know, Buffy told us about Olivia, but this is Buffy."
"And your point would be?" Giles asked.
"That she's Buffy." Xander said weakly.
"Xander, don't you think Buffy is lovely?" Giles asked.
"Well, yeah."
"Then why shouldn't I?" Giles asked.
"Does Buffy know about this?" Xander asked, since he had no answer. "And do you feel that way about Willow?" That wigged him, just a little.
"Willow is a lovely girl." Giles said.
"And Buffy?" Xander was curious about something.
"Is a beautiful young woman." Giles told him.
Xander had to wonder if Giles realized what he said. "About Parker ... I know where he lives."
"What are you suggesting?" Giles asked, not adverse to the possibilities.
When they got to Parker's dorm, they were surprised to find Oz. "What are you two doing here?" Oz asked.
Giles looked at him in speculation. "Quite possibly the same thing you are."
Ox shrugged. "We took a vote on Halloween. Motion carried."
"What are we waiting for then?" Giles asked. They went inside and made their way to Parker's room.
Parker opened the door. "Oz, Xander." He looked at Giles. "Do I know you?"
"I'm a friend of Buffy's." Giles said calmly. "In fact, we want to discuss Buffy with you."
"Are you going to lecture me like Willow?" Parker asked.
"Already had a visit from Will, huh?" Xander said, not surprised. "Buffy inspires such devotion in her friends. We don't take it well when someone hurts her."
"She knew what she was doing." Parker said.
"No, she only thought she did." Giles said. "But that isn't the point, which is that she didn't know what you were doing. She believed that she was part of a relationship, because that's what you wanted her to believe. You knew she wasn't one for casual sex, but you had to have her. But the thrill for you is in the getting." He stepped closer to Parker and his voice lowered. "You took her, you used her and then you discarded her. You didn't even have the decency to tell her it was over before you moved on." Giles didn't notice that Xander and Oz exchanged looks.
Giles took another step and Parker backed away. "What I don't understand is why?" Giles asked. "There must be plenty of girls here that enjoy sex for the sake of it. So, why pick one that wasn't looking for casual sex? Why Buffy? Was it the challenge? Was it simply the chase?"
Parker nodded warily.
Giles looked at him in disgust and no small amount of pity. "You're a bloody fool. You had her in your arms and you pushed her away. But your biggest mistake was to hurt her."
"So, what?" Parker asked. "You're going to beat me up, because I dared touch her?"
"Well, I was considering throwing you out the window, but we're not nearly high enough." Giles told him calmly.
"Uh Giles?" Xander said hesitantly. Giles turned and looked at him.
"I think that would be Ripper." Oz said casually. Giles turned back to Parker.
"I haven't seen him look like that since ..."
"The Mayor." Oz finished the thought for Xander. They were really hoping that Giles didn't have a sword on him.
"This is the Giles Buffy talks about all the time?" Parker asked in disbelief.
"Yep, that's Giles." Xander said cheerfully. "And you're dead. You don't even want to know what he did to the last guy that hurt Buffy." Not that he would let Giles put a sword through Parker. He'd miss Giles in prison.
"Giles, think of Buffy." Oz said calmly.
"I am." Giles returned. "I don't believe the little pillock knew what he had. Did you see her Oz?"
"Pretty much why I'm here." Oz told him.
"So hurt." Giles said quietly. "Why? He's nothing but a fool."
"True." Oz agreed. "Only a fool could walk away from Buffy."
"Oh please." Parker said sarcastically. "She's just a girl."
"Just a girl." Xander echoed. "After everything you did to her she still saved your life."
"You want her don't you Xander?" Parker said with a grin. "Well, have at her, it wasn't all that..." Before he could finish, he was on the floor. He was yanked up and knocked back down again.
"Don't you ever ..." Giles began. He hit Parker one more time before the other two grabbed him and held him back.
"Giles, that's enough." Oz said. "He's not Angel."
"I thought the deal was that we all got to hit him once." Xander said trying to calm him. "You got all the hits. Come on, Giles. Time to get you home."
The two young men led Giles out the door.
Xander and Oz took Giles home. Giles flopped onto the couch and put his head in his hands, Xander went to make him some tea and Oz sat in the chair and watched Giles.
"Pretty intense reaction there." Oz said.
Giles lifted his head and looked at him. "I wish I had the excuse of Xander's beer."
"Not my beer." Xander called from the kitchen.
"You wanna talk about it?" Oz asked.
Giles almost smiled. "Not particularly."
"Have you at least talked to Buffy about it?" Oz asked next.
"You don't seem bothered by this." Xander said as he came in and handed Giles his tea.
"Should I be?" Oz asked. "You're not exactly shocked."
"Yeah well, that's because I had my eyes opened before we got to Parker's." Xander explained.
"What are you two talking about?" Giles asked.
"You and Buffy." Oz told him.
Giles looked at them shocked. "What?!"
"Are you going to try and tell us that was just a reaction to your Slayer's heart being broken?" Xander asked. "'Cause, I gotta tell ya, it'll take an awful lot of convincing."
"I don't bloody believe this." Giles muttered.
"Hey, it doesn't bother us." Xander told him.
"And we aren't going to mention it to Buffy." Oz added.
"Nope, we're just worried about you." Xander continued.
"I'm fine." Giles insisted.
"Right." Xander said.
"You should both be getting home." Giles said pointedly. "I appreciate your concern, but I assure that I am fine."
"You beat the hell out of Parker, 'cause you're fine?" Xander asked. "Not that we don't think he had it coming, but you went ..."
"Too far, I know." Giles said. "I kept seeing her face. She'd finally begun to move on and he deliberately hurt her."
"He's a bastard." Xander said. "And none too bright. They'll let anybody into college." He looked at Giles, uncomfortable with what he was about to ask. "Buffy doesn't know, does she?"
"I sometimes wonder." Giles said. "But she's never said anything."
"You don't intend to go back, do you?" Xander asked next.
"No, Xander." Giles told him with a sigh. "Wouldn't be much help to Buffy in prison. Or deported."
"Good." Xander said.
"You want us to hang around?" Oz asked
"No, thank you." Giles answered. "I'll be fine."
After they had left, Giles thought about what they said. He groaned at the realization that they were right. What the hell did he do now? He suddenly felt more alone than he ever had.
* * *