Category: Missing Scene
Wordcount: 500

This story inserts a scene near the end of the Season Six Episode of
'Buffy The Vampire Slayer', entitled 'All The Way'.

A summary of this episode can be found at:
http://www.buffyworld.com/buffy/season6/summaries/106_summ.shtml

We come in at the point: "Buffy decides not to be responsible for
Dawn's actions, leaving the punishment to Giles".

The quote at the start of this story is from a different episode and
is there for bakground purposes.

**********

GILES: I love Dawn.
BUFFY: I know.
GILES: But I've sworn to protect this sorry world, and sometimes that
means saying and doing... what other people can't. What they shouldn't
have to. 
BUFFY: You try and hurt her, and you know I'll stop you.
GILES: I know. 

- "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", The Gift.

**********

Giles walked towards Dawn, clutching an ice-pack to his face.

"We need to have a conversation."

"This the part where you tell me you're not angry... just
disappointed?"

"Pretty much." He threw the ice-pack to the table. "Except for the bit
about not being angry."

He gave that time to sink in - waiting until her expression told him
that she was fully receptive to what was about to happen. He didn't
want to have to do this again. But if Buffy was going to abrogate her
responsibility, then he felt he had to take it on himself. He was
sorry for Dawn. Truth to tell, he really wasn't that angry - not at
her, at least. But it was important that she believe he was.

"Dawn. Your sister has decided that dealing with you is my
responsibility. Very well. I will deal with you. I'm not going to yell
at you. There's little point. You know what you've done wrong. You
lied to us - to Buffy who gave her life to save you. To Willow and
Tara and Xander who put their lives on hold to care for you. To me.
But more importantly you put your life at risk. A life your sister has
already paid for once with her own blood. You know all this. So it's
not worth the time to try and discuss this with you. Either you
realize what you did, or you don't. And if you don't you never will.
We could close the matter there. Except your sister wants me to deal
with it because she can't. So I will. Stand up and lower your jeans."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"You can't... you don't have any right..."

"Believe me, Dawn. I can. You have no idea what I can do - and what
I've done. But understand this - when I've decided something is
necessary - I follow through. It's necessary that you be punished for
what you did tonight. And I haven't time to waste doing it. That's
something you need to learn, Dawn - that we have responsibilities and
the world cannot revolve around you."

Dawn stared at him, looked into his face, and saw something she could
not argue with. Her hands went to the front of her jeans and she undid
them and pulled them down. "Can I least keep my underwear up?"

"Yes. On this occasion." He let that sink in, as he walked over to
chair she had been sitting in, and sat down himself. He reached up and
pulled her over his lap. She resisted for an instant and then yielded.

And then he did what he had to do. What Buffy couldn't do. As he
always had.

**********