(Buffy's kitchen. Giles, Dawn and Buffy are cleaning up dinner)

BUFFY: Giles, you don't have to help. You cooked.

GILES: Oh, come on, I quite like to cook. Helping you two out makes me feel useful.

DAWN: Wanna clean out the garage on Saturday? You can feel indispensable.

GILES: (sarcastic) Hmm, how tempting.

BUFFY: Dawn, if there are any plates in your room, let's have them before they get furry and we have to name them.

DAWN: Hey, I was like five then.

(Dawn exits.)

GILES: How's she doing?

(Buffy gives him a look)

GILES: And you?

BUFFY: I'm okay. Well, some minutes are harder than others.

GILES: I'm so sorry. All I can say is i-it will get better.

BUFFY: It has to.

(she stops washing dishes, begins drying her hands)

BUFFY: We're holding up, though. Getting into a routine.

GILES: Good. Routine's good. In fact I was thinking we might return to our training schedule.

BUFFY: I don't know. I was, um, thinking about maybe, taking a break or something. Just ease off for a while. Not get into full slay mode.

GILES: You were doing so well!

BUFFY: And you were great helping me with everything. I'm just... starting to feel uneasy about stuff.

GILES: Stuff?

BUFFY: Training. Slaying. All of it. It's just. I mean. I can beat up the demons until the cows come home. And then I can beat up the cows. But I'm not sure I like what it's doing to me.

GILES: But you've mastered so much? I mean strength & resilience alone...

BUFFY: Yeah. Strength, resilience, those are all words for hardness. I'm starting to feel like being the Slayer is turning me into stone.

GILES: Turning you into stone? Buffy...

BUFFY: Just think about it. I was never there for Riley. Not like I was for Angel. I was terrible to Dawn.

GILES: At a time like this...

BUFFY: No.

GILES: ...you're bound to feel emotionally numb.

BUFFY: Before that. Riley left because I was shut down. He's gone. And now my mom is gone, and I loved her more than *anything*. And I don't know if she knew.

GILES: She knew! Always!

BUFFY: I don't know. To slay, to kill. It means being hard on the inside. Maybe being the perfect Slayer means being too hard to love at all. I already feel like I can hardly say the words. Giles...

GILES: Buffy...

BUFFY: I love you. Love, love, love, love. Giles, it feels strange!

GILES: I shouldn't wonder... how serious are you about this?

BUFFY: 10? Serious to the amount of 10?

GILES: There *is* something in the Watcher's diaries. A quest.

BUFFY: A quest, like finding a grail or something?

GILES: Not a grail, maybe answers. It would take a day, perhaps 2.

BUFFY: I'm not leaving Dawn. Not with Glory looking for her.

DAWN: (arriving) Sure you can! What's the deal?

GILES: Some slayers before Buffy found it helpful in regaining their focus, learning more about their role. There's a sacred place in the desert, it's not far.

BUFFY: But I can't go. I'm not leaving you Dawn.

DAWN: If you have to go learn, I mean if it will help you out, I think you should do it. I can hang with the gang. I'll be okay.

BUFFY: I love you Dawn, you know that, right?

DAWN: Yeah. I love you too.

BUFFY: I *love* you. *Really* love you.

DAWN: Gettin' weird...

BUFFY: Sorry... But it's important that I tell you. Weird loves' better than no love.

• Buffy & Giles
• Dealing with Joyce's death
• Slayerhood

written by: Jane Espenson; Haven't found a transcript yet, so am just typing up my favorite exchanges as time allows.... Full transcript at:
http://www.studiesinwords.de/96intervention.html