Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 10 of Buffyverse Drabbles (2026 Otherworldly Chemistry Drabblefest), Part 12 of Team Dad Rupert Giles , Part 20 of Gift Fics
Collections:
Otherworldly Chemistry's DrabbleFest 2026 Buffyverse Rarepair Event
Stats:
Published:
2026-01-31
Words:
400
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
6
Kudos:
7
Bookmarks:
2
Hits:
148

Clarity

Summary:

As Buffy watches over a healing Xander, Giles joins her. Can the two of them begin to move forward from her Watcher's betrayal?

Takes place in GravityTrips' "Where The Forgotten Lie" AU, which asks, among many things, "What if Xander and Cordelia never broke up, and what if he didn't save the day in 'The Zeppo'?"

For Otherworldly Chemistry's 2026 Drabble Fest, using prompt 61, "Clarity."

Notes:

My take on the most recent chapter of Gravity's fic, from Buffy's viewpoint. For reference, while the chapter is evenly split between the two of them, this is an alternate take on when Giles's POV takes over in the actual fic.

I rewrote this quadruple-drabble 6 times. It was originally going to be 300 words, but I couldn't fit in everything, so I upped the limit to 400 with the organizer's blessing. At this point, I'm accepting that it's done. Maybe one day, I'll be able to rewrite it to be the exact kind of concise that I want it to be. Until then, I hope that found family fans enjoy my contribution to the Buffy + Giles Father-Daughter Bond Agenda.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Xander is in the hospital bed, down a leg and an eye. Buffy, at his side, cries while holding his hand. The needles in his bandaged arm remind the girl of her 18th birthday—of betrayal. That day, Giles's boss said that Giles "has a father's love" for her. But… how could that be true, when she, the Chosen One, wasn't even his first choice?

As she thinks about this, her eyes trained on Xander, the librarian comes into the room and takes a seat beside the wreck that is his Slayer. He tries to speak to her, and she can feel herself being pulled towards this figure who normally means safety, normally means love. Instead, Buffy slices the space between them, broken-glass words her reply.

Giles doesn't dodge. He just sits there and takes it. When she releases Xander's hand, the man places a reassuring hand on her shoulder, insists that what happened to Xander wasn't her fault. She doesn't believe that. Despite this, at the touch, Buffy finally meets his eyes, searching his gaze for a reason to stay angry. She can't find one; not anymore.

Succumbing to what she's wanted to do ever since he gingerly tended to her wounds in the library days ago, Buffy hugs him. His voice rumbles beneath her ear, grounding, as he, a bit breathless from a Slayer-powered hug, stiffens. It's as if he's scared he'll hurt her if he reciprocates. Why?

She soon finds out.

"I'm sorry, Buffy," he says, voice heavy with regret. "You deserve better than me."

It is at that moment that Buffy learns her Watcher's deepest secret: no one hates Rupert Giles more than he hates himself.

"Don't be sorry. Be Giles."

"But… Buffy, I…"

"Giles."

She lets go, holding on to his arms as she looks him directly in the eyes. "—I forgive you."

There is a beat. She can see him, in real time, register this fact. Then, all at once, tension melts away from his frame. He bites his lip. Giles collapses into Buffy with a relieved sob, enveloping her in a hug that feels like home.

Xander is in the hospital bed, down an eye and a leg. She isn't sure what his future brings. But… with her father figure at her side once more, she finally feels hope that she and the others will be able to weather whatever challenges lie ahead.

Notes:

Ugh. I want to ugly cry. These two mean so much to me. God. The family. IT'S SO FOUND.

I admit; I wanted to use a lyric for the title of this one, and considered one from Billy Joel's "Don't Ask Me Why" after it came up on the radio earlier today. Specifically, "You are still a victim / Of the accidents you leave," which feels VERY Rupert-coded in the context of "Helpless." Still, I think I'll save it for another fic with his point-of-view about his baggage. But, you can appreciate the vision, right???

With that, this is my last ficlet for the Drabblefest! Thank you all so much for the kind words, for reading, etc. Thank you as well to Gravity for letting me continue to play around in their AU!

While things are going to get VERY hectic for me IRL very soon, here's to hoping the muse strikes and I can write some more fic. I'm manifesting. The family is found. It is so found, y'all.

That aside. Feel free to drop by my Tumblr (carryingstarlightinherwake) and send an ask, if you are so inclined! Thank you to everyone who has read my ficlets and made this challenge tons of fun.