Buffy ran through Sunnydale cemetery unarmed and injured. 'How did I get myself into this mess?' she mentally asked herself as she sprinted into the woods, her lungs felt like they were going to explode 'OH! I know! It's because you had to things your way and not listen to Giles… again' Buffy thought sarcastically as she stopped to lean back against a thick tree and hissed as the large scratch on her shoulder blade made contact with the bark. CRUNCH. Buffy's head jolted up to scan her surrounding area someone or something was definitely out there. Looking around for a makeshift weapon she thought back on today and how she ended in this position.

-Earlier that afternoon-

The bell rang through the halls of Sunnydale High school signaling the end of the school day. Buffy, Willow and Xander made their way to the library. They walked and saw Giles reading a book at the long table in the center of the room. "Heya Giles!" Willow said with a cheery smile as she put book bag on the table and sat down Giles continued to read with a slight frown playing on his features. Buffy sat down in the chair next to Willow looking at her watcher who still hadn't acknowledged them "Hellooo earth to Giles," she looked at him for a moment then to Willow and Xander and shrugged her shoulders while holding her hands palms up "Must be in watcher mode." Xander finally decided to sit down he put his feet up on the table and then grabbed a Twinkie out of his bag, taking far too large bite out of it "Well, it is his job besides," he continued to talk as he chewed "the G-man he probly didn't hear us… ya know…" he brought his voice to a whisper bringing his hand to mouth as if he were telling a secret "he is getting up there in watcher years and…"

"I am NOT losing my hearing if that's what you are implying" Giles replied in a no non-sense tone, he looked up from his book "Hello everyone, I trust your day has gone well and Xander…" he looked to Xander "Don't call me that." He continued to stare at Xander then shifted his sight to the boys' feet. "Okay, okay I get it extnay on the G-man. Gotcha." He gave Giles a goofy grin as he brought his from off the table then gave halfhearted shrug. "So, now that you're back to the land of the living what's got my watcher all spacey?" Buffy asked as she got up and went to stand besides Giles to look over his shoulder at his book which he closed as she got there "It's nothing just a book… what is it you call them?"

"'1001 ways to kill Buffy' guides" Xander answered while smirking and got a glare from Buffy. "Ahh yes that's it. Thank you Xander." Giles said and earned a laugh from Willow. "Well it's true! I feel like every time you open one of those books it has some type of prophecy about me dying!" Buffy said as she shifted her weight from her left foot to her right while putting her hands on her hips when she did Giles noticed slight bruising on her left knuckles. He reached out and grabbed her had examining the bruised flesh "How did patrolling go last night?" Giles asked still holding her hand and flexing her fingers, she pulled her hand back with a slight roll of her eyes "oh you know same slay, different day"

"I dunno Buffster your knuckles are painting a different story there" Xander said pointing to her hand "How come I didn't notice those all day?" "It's not as bad as it looks… Hello slayer here. Remember? And with that comes the perks of super healy powers. It's NBD." Buffy said in a 'please drop it' tone "Uh it kinda IS a BD Buffy your hand is all bruisey…" Willow said as Xander added "Yeah that is no bueno slayerita and Will is right is a BD, it's a BFD!" Buffy was about to respond when Giles cut in "Ahem, not to date myself but what is a NBD, BD and a…"

"No Big Deal. Big Deal and Big Fu…" Xander started as he ticked of each meaning with his fingers before he was stopped by Willow "I think he gets it" Giles sat there mumbling to himself "BFD, BFD, BFD ..." before it clicked "OH BFD!" then he frowned towards Xander in a way ones parent might. Xander got red in the face at the stare "What? It's not like I SAID it! Sheesh" "That's because Will stopped you" Buffy as she crossed her arms across her chest and Willow gave a triumphant smile. Giles sensed another argument on the rise and decided to nip it in the bud "Buffy while it may not seem like a big deal to you I would feel more comfortable if I were to escort for back up while patrolling or at least to have you check in with me at the end of the night." Buffy face shaded red but not from embarrassment as Xander's had earlier, no this was anger "I'm the slayer not some one year old who still needs help walking across the room!" she said in a loud voice, almost a shout. Xander and Willow shared a look then Xander clapped his hands rubbing them together before saying "Willow that's our cue to mosey on outta here. Your rents still do Chinese on Fridays?" while standing to grab his backpack waving his hand in a 'let's go' manner "huh? Oh yeah Chinese Fridays, I almost forgot… we should go before we are uhh late. Yeah." And with that the two left the library in no time flat.

Giles and Buffy watched them leave then the watcher turned back to look at Buffy with a frown on his face "I never said you were toddler that needed to be babysat Buffy, though after your display right now I might." Buffy look down to her feet feeling like she was a five year old in trouble. 'well you did kinda act like one right now. You didn't have to yell' she thought to herself before she mentally told her conscience to shut up. When she looked back up Giles was still frowning at her, she looked to the book he was reading earlier then spoke "Sorry. I didn't mean to freak over nothing I guess I'm just tired" Giles sat watching her, she continued to look at the book, he let out a sigh "Buffy." He waited "Buffy look at me please" again he waited, when she finally looked up to him he continued "I'm not trying to treat you like a baby. I'm not. It is that with the rise of the demonic activity due to Hell Mouth and it being a full moon tonight, I would sleep better at night knowing your safe." His face softened and he continued "I think you should take the evening off. It's Friday I'm sure you, Willow and Xander can find something to do that doesn't involve slaying." Buffy gave him a smirk "This slayer needs a vacay. Thanks Giles but… I think with the Hell Mouth being all wonky I probly shouldn't, I'll just make a quick round before bed tonight just in case." The watcher frowned again "No. You are to go out with friends or stay in all together. I will make the rounds and if anything out the ordinary happens you will the first person I contact but you but until then I don't want you anywhere near the cemetery's. Am I clear?" he gave Buffy a pointed look "Alright I get it patrolling equals no Buffy" she gave him a nod a smile "consider me unemployed tonight" Giles continued to watch her with disbelief written all over his face "What? I'm serious watcher-mine I'll be a total homebody tonight" she raised her hand as if swearing an oath "You better be or I know a certain homebody that will be finding herself polishing weapons for the next week" Giles said with an eyebrow raised "Come let's go through some basic training before I take you home"

As he pulled up to the house he noticed all the lights were off but Joyce's car was in the drive way so he parked and turned off the engine. Buffy was gathering up her things when she looked to Giles then back to her house then back to her watcher "what's up?" she asked as he reached across her into glove box to pull out a stake "Giles? Did you see something?" starting to worry she too pulled out her own stake from her book bag. "I do not see any lights on not even the porch light, where is your mum? I see her car but I highly doubt she is sitting in the dark." Buffy let her form relax as she put her stake back in her bag "No biggie Giles. Mom is gone this week buying product in Cairo for the gallery. Gee, thanks for proving my point of you never listen to me unless the world is about to end." She stuck out her bottom lip and pouted. "Cairo. That's correct. I seem to have forgotten she was to leave this morning. I apologize Buffy." "Okay, okay all is forgiven watcher-mine" she smiled at her watcher before jumping out of the car and closing the door and headed in the house and flashed the porch light twice and Giles drove off.

Buffy was bored and a bored Buffy is never a good thing. It was going on 9 o'clock Willow had called around 7 and asked her to come over and watch Marvel movies with her and Xander but Buffy declined saying Giles had her patrolling but that maybe she would swing by after. In the beginning she actually had no intention whatsoever to go patrolling when she had promised Giles but now she was anxious, like she need to go out and slay something and that's just what she was going to do. 'I'm not some baby, I'm 16 and I'm the slayer and I can take care of a few demons that get in my way. I mean it IS MY job' she thought as she stated packing stakes and holy water in her messenger bag. She changed her clothes and headed out for the evening.

-Present time-

CRUNCH. There was the noise again and it was closer this time. Buffy took deep breaths and continued to scan for a rock, stick anything she could use knock this thing on its demonic butt. She found a pretty good sized rock and picked it up with one hand before back up against the tree again. CRUNCH. 'Dammit maybe I should climb for higher ground' she look up to the branches above her the nearest branch was too high to reach if is she wasn't injured. She let out sigh, gripping her 'weapon' in her hand and cursed herself for dropping her weapons bag when she was outnumbered by those… come to think of it she had no idea type hell creation they were. SNAP. The sound of a twig being stepped on brought her out of her thoughts she raised her arm back ready to throw as hard as she could to buy her some time to take off and make her to the main road. Buffy took fighting stance, her right arm raised she looked in the direction of that the noise were coming from. She tried to steady her breathing 'in through the nose, out through the mouth' just like Giles taught her. CRUNCH. The bushes about 7ft in front started to shake something was definitely about to show itself. 'Okay this is it' Buffy bent at her knees and she readied herself as a shadowed figured came into sight with what seemed like a weapon drawn towards her, she cocked back her arm about to throw with all her might…

"Buffy?" a voice asked in a harsh whisper, a voice she recognized and couldn't be happier to hear "Giles!" she sounded relieved and dropped the rock then hobbled her way over to her watcher once she reached him she could see his face in the moonlight. 'welp there went happiness' she thought as she saw the half frown half glare on her watchers face 'Uh oh' "Uh oh is right" he snapped as he lowered the crossbow he held "Did I say that out loud?" she asked more to herself then to her watcher "You were told to stay away from patrolling tonight" he admonished in a firm tone he then let the cross bow fall using its strap to let it settle at his hip only then did Buffy see he also had her lost weapons bag slung on his shoulder. Buffy let her eyes fall to the ground, she sniffled feeling like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar after being told no sweets before dinner she felt her eyes sting with unshed tears 'wait, tears? You're the slayer you don't cry like a baby! Man up!' she chided herself feeling Giles eyes on her she chanced looking up his face still looked like he could kill something or someone 'Like me.' Buffy mused. Finally he broke the silence "Are you hurt?" she gave a slow nod still not looking up, he took a step towards her "Buffy you don't have to look as if I'm about to send you to the gallows" he softened his voice "where are you hurt?" he reached into his inner pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small Maglite, turning it on to survey the damage shining it on her. Giles took in her appearance her clothes were disheveled with her shirt pulled to one side so that it hung off one shoulder which looked bruised, she had a rip on the knee of her jeans and he could see the scrape on the exposed skin underneath, a busted lip and a knot above her right eye. "I think I sprained my ankle while running and one those baddies got my back pretty good I don't feel it healing. Stitches maybe?" He made her turn to look at the wound, she was right it would definitely need to stitches. Giles placed a hand on her non-bruised shoulder "Well let's get you back to my place so I can mend these wounds, Can you walk?" Buffy nodded then proceeded to follow/lean on her watcher all the way to car. Her ankle was still hurting her.

Once they reached the car Giles helped Buffy into the passenger seat. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, he put the weapons in the trunk before getting in the car himself he still looked upset but not like before this was different. Buffy stayed silent as he reached in his pocket to remove the keys when he had them in the ignition she spoke "So… How much trouble am I in?" Giles looked in her direction then raised an eyebrow before saying "Let's just says the weapons will have never shined so bright." Then he started the car and drove off as Buffy let out a groan.