Buffy and Graham

Chapter 2

  "... And this is our next stop of our grand tour. " Buffy opened the doors of the Slayers training gym.

Graham stepped inside the doors to see over a hundred Slayers training in a powerful unison.

A brunette woman walked between the lines of training Slayers. Two other women, a redhead and a African American walked up and down the outside aisles of the columns.

"The one in the center is, Kennedy." Buffy whispered. "She'll be the most challenging. Like questioning everything you'll say or do. Big ego. But she listens to Faith, which is beyond me. You just need to put her in her place every now and then. The redhead, her name is Violet or Vi, super sweet. And that's Rona, she's, uh, sassy." Graham smirked hearing the sarcasm in her voice. "They were all with me in Sunnydale's last battle. Are you ready?" Graham nodded and followed Buffy further into the training room.

It took him by surprise to watch such a tiny woman exude so much power. The young Slayers stood at attention with their hands behind their backs when their eyes laid upon the Head Slayer. The three Slayers in charge of the training session immediately snapped their attention to Buffy and stopped facing her.

"Good morning." Buffy smiled. "I'd like you all to meet our newest member of the team." Buffy glanced to Graham and nodded for him to stand beside her. Graham took a deep breath and tried not to crumble with nervousness as the million of eyes followed him closely. "This is Graham Miller. He will be the new trainer in combat and weaponry, alongside myself. Any questions?" As Buffy predicted, Kennedy's hand went straight up. "Yes, Kennedy?"

"He's not a Watcher or a Slayer."

"No, he's not."

"Then why is he here?"

Buffy looked at Graham for a moment then said, "Graham, is a specially trained demon fighter trained by the Government. He has clocked more field time then all of you combined. And I want him here." Graham looked at her a bit taken by her kind words. "Graham will teach you strategies of stealth and invisibility out in the field."

"I heard about that. Wasn't the Government doing weird demon experiments and sending them back out all defenceless like Spike? Why would you want us to trust one of them?"

Graham winced at the young woman's accurate accusations. He looked at Buffy who stood unmoved by Kennedy's allegation. "That was years ago. I certainly moved on from it. Graham is no longer apart of the Government. He's just a man trying to help people anyway he can. He's a good man. He's one of us." Her eyes went to his face. Graham felt the power of her words and stared at her in complete wonderment.

How on earth could she speak so highly for a man she has not seen or spoke to in years? There last encounter had not ended on good terms.

"Thank you. Please, continue Kennedy." Buffy looked at Graham and nodded her head for her to follow out of the training room to continue the grand tour to the grand library where Giles and the other usually hid in during the day.

A dark haired man was the first to greet Buffy and Graham as they entered the library. Graham's mouth dropped slightly never seeing so many books in all of his life.

"Graham Miller as I live and breathe." Xander smiled and held out his hand for him to shake.

"Xander." Graham had a fuzzy memory of the man only meeting him once or twice. He knew who he was more from Riley's stories. "How you doin'?"

"Holding up."

Graham nodded his head. "I heard about the..." He indicated Xander's missing eye.

He shrugged with a lazy smile. "It happens to the best of us. I think it makes more... what's the word...?"

"Badass?" Graham finished.

Xander clapped his hands together. "That's it."

"Graham?" Willow and Giles walked down the steps moving toward him.

"Willow." Graham smiled politely then eyed the older looking man. "Mr. Giles, is it?"

"It is." Giles took Graham's extended hand in a firm shake then looked at Buffy who stood in the background happy that the first meeting was going smoothly. "Welcome to London." Giles softly smiled. "I assure you are finding everything you need?"

"Yes, sir." Graham said getting a giggle from the three behind him. He turned his head and eyed them strangely.

Giles cleared his throat feeling awkward. "Yes, well. Welcome to the team. I hear only good things."

Somewhere between the Scooby Gang's reintroduction to the former soldier and now, Buffy had a strong sense she was going to be sent into the principal's office.

"Buffy, can I see you for a moment?" Giles asked stepping out from his office.

Buffy smiled to herself seeing this from ten miles away. She stood from the table leaving the conversation. Her hand touched Graham's shoulder as she went to Giles. Graham watched her then turned back into the conversation between Willow and Xander.

Inside the office, Buffy waited for Giles to speak seeing the concern all over his face. "Are you sure about this Buffy?"

"Yes."

"You know he was, uh, heavily involved with the Initiative and the military afterward. How do you know he cut all contact with them. They don't know where you reside and it would be a danger if they ever found out."

Buffy sat calmly and smiled to herself. "I just know. I trust him."

Giles removed his glasses and cleaned them. "And I trust your judgement."

"He wants to make a difference. I offered to take out the garbage. That's how much he wants to be here. You know how big this place is."

Giles smiled putting on his glasses. "Yes. Yes I do."

"This is a good thing. Graham being here is a good thing." Buffy said full of confidence that sparked her curiosity#ty but quickly pushed it from her mind. Feeling utterly exhausted Buffy fell back into her chair releasing a heavy breath. The week had been the most stressful in a while. The hellmouth in Cleveland, Ohio was getting stronger and more Slayers were being sent daily to Faith and Robin Wood's aide.

Buffy closed her eyes not realising someone was entering into her office. She opened her eyes to see Graham standing in front of her desk looking sweaty and ripple-y in the black t-shirt that defined his chest muscles.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you." Graham started to turn when Buffy's voice stopped him.

"No. It's fine. I was just vegging."

Graham smirked and took a seat in front of her office. "I don't think sitting in your office still wearing those high shoes really counts as vegging."

Buffy softly smiled and studied his handsome rough face. She had not realised how much she's been enjoying his company. He was a good roommate and a wonderful cook who continually scolded her on her poor eating habits. He repeatedly said, "Coffee is not food" then he'd push a plate of something in front of her. Graham was nice to talk to. Unlike her other friends, Graham had not lived through her baggage and unlike her friends, when she told him about it he never passed a judgement on her. She told him everything; her relationships with Angel, Spike, and even Riley. She told him about the dark emptiness she felt when she came back and the devastation of the death of her mother. Graham simply held her when her tears streamed out her face being nothing but supportive something Buffy was not quite used to.

"You're right." Buffy sighed and laid her head on her arms on top of the desk. "How was training?"

Graham shrugged and leaned forward taking a few M&M's from a small glass bowl on her desk. "They did fine. Not ready to go into the field, yet. But they will be."

Buffy picked up her head and used her hand to support it up right. "What do you wanna do tonight?"

"We're not patrolling?"

"Nope. Kennedy's on Slayer patrol duty with the newbies tonight. Thankfully."

"Kennedy?"

"Remember? Brown hair, very, very vocal about everything?" Graham nodded his head. "So? Do you want to go out?"

Graham popped an M&M into his mouth and smiled showing her his chocolate stained teeth.

"Gross." Buffy hid her head back into her arms on the desk as Graham laughed at her.