Xander

"Ah, Mr. Harris, yes?" You call out as the boy pokes his head into the library.

"Yeah. You the, uh, new Watcher while Giles gets training?" Xander asks.

"Indeed. I am the Interim Watcher." You give a small tilt of the head, "But who knows what the future holds. Given the level of excitement this Hellmouth has experienced, according to Rupert, we might need to increase the number of Watchers present."

"K. Just a sec." The boy says simply. He pulls his head back from between the doors. He disappears for a second and then makes his entrance with a beautiful brunette in a short blue dress on his arm.

"And Ms. Chase as well. Good. Good." You hadnt planned on an extra girl but why look a gidt horse in the mouth. You hold out a hand to the teens and wave to the table nominally used by the Scooby gang for research, "If you would please."

"Buffy and Wills?" Xander asks looking around. The redhead had called and requested he show himself.

You take a seat and hide the smile on your face as best you can. You cant tell these two that their friends were in the office twenty feet away, in a frenzied 69 but ordered to make not a sound and to not orgasm until ordered to do so. "I had an errand that needed done. I asked your friend Willow to see it done. Buffy felt it best to accompany her, for her safety."

"Whats the danger?" The boy asked.

"No dangerly, really." You reassure the boy. "Just some things from the local magic shop that every Watcher should have on hand. Watcher Giles seems to be out of certain supplies."

Xander gave a small laugh, "It's our busy season. Whole looottta business going on."

"Right." You give the boy an acknowledging nod of the head. "Which rather brings me to my point."

"Which is?" Cordelia asks.

"Your future young Mr. Harris." You thump the table for effect, "Given the cursory overview of events that Watcher Giles gave me before he departed it is very obvious that you play a large roll in events around here. As such I seek to rectify one of your short comings and hopefully make your life better."

"Which is what?" The boy is suspicious.

"Training. I am offering training. This would be a much shorter, more practical, less esoteric crash course on being a Watcher."

"Watcher Jr.?" Cordelia smiled, "Will he get his own tweed suit and a bowtie with glasses to polish when flustered?"

"Hey." The boy griped to his girlfriend.

"Please, Ms. Chase, if you must interject, wait until the end." You gently command.

She rolled her eyes and held up her hands a waved them in surrender.

"What, uh, what all would that mean... for me?" Xander asked.

You smile at the boy, "Right now, early stages would be some basic learning about equipment and our nominal regular quarry. There will also be some physical conditioning involved. For you and for the Slayer. Some light sparring also until you learn the basics."

"You want me to fight Buffy?" The boy blurted out in a tone of voice suggesting insanity.

"Light sparring. Im sure you can trust your friend not to give you a concussion." You chided.

Cordelia chuffs out a laugh and Xander shakes his head.

"It will be perfectly safe, I assure you. If need be I can see it done that The Slayer preforms at a much slower, therefore more human, pace. One that will match you. If she deviates from her orders she will be punished. If she follows orders she will be rewarded."

Xander looked disbelieving for a second, shared a glance with his girlfriend. She gave him a slight tilt of her head.

"Punished?" He asked.

"That is another thing I hoped to involve you in. Times and attitudes have changed. Corporal punishment is frowned upon these days. So I was hoping to use you as a source when it comes to the Slayer."

"Huh?" The boy looks at you blankly.

"I doubt saying bad Slayer and slapping the back of her hand is... well...appropriate. " You give the twoseome a look of chagrin. "However if there was something she wanted; something trivial, something that wont break the bank, I can dangle it as a carrot to get good behavior. Or deny it if she fails to follow orders."

Xander blinked and just stared for several seconds. "Wow, you are one weird Watcher." His girlfriend nodded along.

"I prefer to think of myself as learning from others mistakes. Everyone is different. Everyone requires a personalized approach. Its obvious, from Watcher Giles accounts, that the usual form of relationships between Watcher and Slayer will not work here. So I will adapt to the new situation and overcome it."

The couple across from you just nod for a second. Then the boy leans forward. "So whay do I have to do?"

You go in for the kill with a fatherly smile, "I will just ask that you follow my orders as best you can. That you trust I know best given the knowledge we have at hand. Understand that I may ask strange things of you. Out of character things. Outlandish things. Possibly hurtful things. But I am asking you to do these things for a good reason. And that when you come out the otherside of these ordeals you will be a better man for it."

You could see the gleam of want in the boys eyes. The yearning to prove himself. To be more than what he was.

You hold your hand out across the table. "Do we have an accord?"

Without even consulting his girlfriend he takes your hand and shakes it.

"So what first on my road to Watcherdom?" Xander asks with a grin.

You give him a matching grin, "Running. One of the things we stress is that sometimes its important to run away. You cant raise the alarm if you die immediately. Reconnoitering is, I believe, the military term. Fall back, asses what went wrong and attack again. The key to that strategy being running away."

"So... running?" The boy sounds less then enthused.

"Running. Sprinting." You nod knowingly, "Better to sweat now then bleed later, after all."

"Starting now?" The boy's shoulders slumped.

"I do believe I saw a not in use track outside. You dont have to kill youself, you know. Set a time for a lap and then try to beat it. Or match it. Keep trying for at least ten minutes. And if you can keep going after that, try again. And don't forget to do a cooldown walk after you run."

With slow sluggish movements the teenager got up from his chair, pressed a kiss to his girlfriends head and then woefully plodded towards the door.

Alone in the library you fix you gaze upon the beautiful Cordelia Chase, "Now, Ms. Chase, lets talk about your prospects."