AN: This will be the last chapter of 'A New Watcher'. I want to thank everyone for their lovely reviews. I also want to let you know that a sequel will be coming shortly.

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The next morning Buffy slept in. When she went down to the kitchen for breakfast she found Giles waiting for her. "Good morning," he said quietly.

"Good morning," she replied.

They both sat in silence for a few minutes, neither of them knowing where to start. Giles decided that since he had gotten himself into this mess he might as well start. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Buffy glared at him. "I tried," she said, "but if you recall, you hung up on me."

Giles had the good grace to look guilty before replying, "You could have had one of the others call me."

"I didn't think I should have to," Buffy replied angrily. "Besides," she continued quietly, "I didn't want you to come back because I lost my leg. I wanted you to come back because…because you missed me." She had caught herself just in time. She had been about to say 'because you loved me.' .

Giles looked at the beautiful, young woman in front of him. He had seen her grow from an impetuous girl into a vibrant and thoughtful woman. After she had been brought back, though, she hadn't been the same and it had broken his heart; so he had left. He knew that he had to make all this up to her somehow. "Buffy I'm so sorry. I was wrong to hang up on you and I'll never forgive myself for not listening to you. I'm sorry for leaving you in the first place. I just couldn't take it. I couldn't stand seeing the woman I loved fading away." There he had said it. He didn't know what her reaction would be. He just hoped she didn't hit him.

Buffy almost fell off her stool. [Did he just say he loved me?] "Can you repeat that?" she said.

Giles thought she meant the apology so he said, "I'm so sorry Buffy and I'll understand if you don't forgive me." He was going to continue but Buffy interrupted him.

"No, not that," she said impatiently. "What you said about the woman you loved."

Giles got up, took her hand, looked her in the eye and said, "Buffy, I love you. Please forgive me."

Buffy thought her heart would explode. She jumped off the stool and into his arms. "I love you, too," she said through her tears, "and of course I forgive you."

Giles just held her tight. He couldn't believe that not only did she forgive him, but she loved him, too. Eventually he set her back down. He was a little nervous because he still hadn't told her what he had done to Nigel last night. "Um… Buffy," he said. "I need to tell you something."

Buffy got really nervous. [Oh, no,] she thought. [He's probably going back to England.] "What?" she asked trying not to cry.

"Well, I sort of beat up Nigel last night," Giles replied hanging his head in shame. He looked up when he heard Buffy laughing.

She pulled him into another hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said and gave him a big kiss. "He was a jackass. Besides, now that I have my real Watcher back, I don't need him anymore." Giles just held her, content to keep her in his arms forever. He knew they would still have a lot of work to do to get Buffy back into fighting shape, but it didn't matter because they would do it together.

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AN – a sequel will be coming shortly