JL: At the risk of being a blowhard myself, I wanted to add that I think your chapters Consequences and Changing Perceptions support my interpretation that Giles is indeed a bit of a pompous ass and earns the title for the following reasons:

Possibly as a result of his less than savory past as the Ripper, by the time Giles arrives in Sunnydale, he has made himself over in a rather rigidly moral way and has devoted his life to exterminating evil vampires and demons and taking care of his Slayer. It is his interaction with his teenaged slayer that saves him from becoming another Quentin Travers, heartless and calculating. Giles is forced over and over to deal with Buffy's immaturity and emotional nature which is quite unlike his own. He also has deal with two other fatherless children – Willow and Xander – although to a lesser extent. This is a good thing for him and helps him become more flexible and mature.

Now, he is older. He is separated by events beyond his control from Buffy, and in any case, his charges have grown up and away from him. He has no wife or children of his own, and instead devotes his life to a new great cause – that of freeing the vampire slaves. Like many people who devote themselves to causes without the necessary rub of human relationships, he has fallen back on his rigid ways as exemplified by the reconciliation scene with Buffy.

They both have planned speeches for their meeting. Buffy's planned speech and her real speech are in keeping with her own character, emotional and tender. Giles planned speech is nothing of the sort, but in keeping with his natural tendency. He plans to tell her how terrible she's been and what a number of bad things she's done with a little bit of I told you so thrown in for good measure. Instead, he is able to overcome his own hurt at her actions and surpass, to an extent, his own character by forgiving her and hugging her. Hugging her is totally against his nature.

As your next chapter develops, we see that Giles hasn't forgiven Buffy wholeheartedly. He is so wrapped up in his grand cause that he automatically assumes that Spike's current mental condition is the result of something that Buffy did to Spike, in spite of what he knows about Riley’s activities. He makes this assumption in the face of whatever Tara and the others have told him about Buffy's recent past and that they've told him that Buffy beat up her own husband over Spike. He also forgets that she is a grown woman and he has no right to question her activities, despite their past. This is all pretty harsh and completely in character.

Further, Buffy is in bad shape herself, although she isn't so totally beaten as Spike. She's lived for years in an abusive relationship and only been able to escape within the past few days. Giles doesn't even ask her how she's been or what's going on in her life before taking her to task about Spike. He isn't kind in his questioning either, but accusatory.

Giles has been thinking about the vampire-soul-chip problem for years, as he tells Buffy. Yet, he expects her to immediately fall in with his new and more nuanced way of thinking, to know precisely what it is she intends to do with Spike and re-examine her entire history as a Slayer, a job that she certainly didn't choose for herself. He covers his expectations with a "confession" that he may have led her astray, but he still asks a great deal of Buffy, who is not known for her deep intellectual introspection, but more for her emotional way of dealing with life.

These two chapters excellently, and with subtlety, show the relationship between the two characters and the very deep need they continue to have for each other.

Call me She-Giles.

Yeah, Buffy...  What ARE you going to do with him? *grins*

Good chapter all around. I like the momentary return of Spike, the Bid Bad.

great update!! i like how giles is being all "grr" about the spike ownership but at the same time he is being understanding... lol

Uh oh, Spike has a few more lessons to learn, too. Loving the story.

What a great update, I can't wait for the next one.

HMMMM, interesting term of events! I hope thatGiles gets throught to her, and that she gets through to him also!

Good update. Although the self righteousness of Giles is insufferable. I know that Buffy has mistreated Spike, but leaving him at the auction would not have helped. Further, it appears that everyone has forgetten Buffy's feelings of inferiority next to Riley. I hope that it will become clear to everyone that Spike and Buffy need to heal on their own and that can't happen unless her friends are actually forgiving and helpful with the process.

great update!

He's hers for sure. But he was her slave on the show too she just didn't have the papers to file!

Glad Giles has the attitude he does about Spike. He would prefer the self assured sometimes annoying being Spike was to the one that slavery has reduced him into being. Yeah Giles!!

Giles is right that Buffy had all sorts of family and friends there if she wanted someone. She is close to realizing what she wanted was more, she didn't just want someone, she wanted someone special that was just her own...in this case she bought him and lucky for her he wants to be hers.

Excellent update. Looking forward to Lying Eyes update too. Keep them coming!

Kathleen

God..I love this story! As soon as you are able...more please

Yeah, what's Buffy gonna do with him? That's what I'm wondering too... Giles is so smart, I'm glad he acted as he did. I'm looking forward to your next update