V. Hayrabedian, Grass

OK, I've got pacing issues, I've got characterization issues...heck, I've probably got issues issues with this story. But it still has a quality that distinguishes it from the masses of stories--a genuine sorrow and regret at its heart that I believe in even though I don't quite believe in the broader construction of Giles. Furthermore, this is one of those rare post-"Gift" stories in which Giles is not absent, an ineffectual semi-drunk, or a cheerful Dawn-raising shopkeeper. Someone else noticed what ME was trying to do with the character in the S5 denoument! Being the unrepentant Giles-adorer that I am, I'd probably rec this story for that alone.