Rupert Giles left Sunnydale with the greatest reluctance.

He knew that Buffy had much on her mind at the moment, and he couldn't help feeling that she needed him there more than she needed this translated transcript of yet another ancient text. Well, I'm 'Book Guy'. This is what I do. He thought ruefully as he walked the streets looking for the address. He longed wistfully for the names of his youth, for the England that nostalgia made perfect. Finally spotting his destination, an antique dealership on the south side of the city, he quickened his pace considerably and almost ran to get inside before the rain, which had been threatening all afternoon, finally fell. Inside, the store was dark and crowded- despite himself, Giles scanned the aisles. Old chairs, tables, globes, lamps and hat stands. A table crowded with Aladdin-style lamps. Not exactly where one hopes to find a book of slayer prophecy.

The proprietor looked more promising, Giles thought as he came into view, reading at his desk. An old man dressed in khaki, with a head of long white hair, and a neatly trimmed beard, he looked like a cross between Santa Claus and Indiana Jones. "Excuse me, Mr Kingsley?"

Mr Kingsley looked up from his book. "And you are?"

"Rupert Giles, we spoke on the phone?"

"Ah yes, of course. I have the text with me here. Akkadian translation." Kingsley proffered the document. Giles scanned the first page. "It's not in English." He objected.

"No, it's in Sumerian. Everything is in Sumerian, didn't you know?"

All she knew was Mother hadn't been in for days now. The little food she'd had was long gone. She sat on the floor, and waited, silently as ordered. Her vocabulary consisted of six or seven oft repeated words- that is, words that were often repeated to her. She was never allowed to speak.

"Shh. No. Don't. Sit. Stay. Eat. Sleep."

She wrapped her thin, white arms around her legs, and rested her head on her knees. Her long, unkempt hair provided a pillow. Soon, she was asleep.

Giles raised his eyes from the parchment, and sighed. His Sumerian was sketchy at best, and perhaps midnight in a poorly lit hotel room wasn't the best time to try decoding this book of prophecy. Still, he persisted, never knowing when this information could be useful for the Slayer.

Another hour passed, and he again halted, baffled by a sign whose meaning escaped him. Resolving to give it up for the night, he soon realised sleep wouldn't come quickly, and flicked on the television in the hope that it would lull him to sleep.

The volume was down, and he slowly turned it up.

"-was discovered this afternoon. After several attempts to talk the girl out, police were forced to forcibly remove the girl from the house, taking her to the police station where it is alleged she became violent, assaulting several police officers."

Giles sighed. Great. Now I'll be murdered in my sleep- this squalid little place looks like the perfect habitat for the criminal element.

"The girl, name unknown, escaped from the station, running straight through the reporters gathered outside and disappeared down this side street." The reporter gestured solemnly.

"We now show you incredible footage captured at the moment of her escape- suspect is shown here assaulting several reporters."

Giles reached for the remote, and froze, mesmerised by the footage. It showed an adolescent girl, dressed in ill-fitting and mismatched clothing, running barefoot through the crowd of reporters. Pursued by a police officer, the girl found her way blocked by a press of journalists. She threw out her arms and pushed her way through- sending three fully grown men flying through the air! The footage ended on a freeze frame, showing the girl, teeth bared, running.

Giles' pulse raced, and he grabbed for the phone, dialling. His mind raced, but he could think of no-one better suited to call, despite his distaste for this particular person.

"Hello, Angel? I need to speak with you. It's urgent."

Some of you will not have read the story in which I first made this offer, and so I make it again here:

Any reviews I recieve will be reciprocated, even if I do not usually read/review whatever your particular fandom is. The more helpful/thoughtful your review, the more effort I will put in to returning the favour, however any and all reviews are appreciated.

I know, I should be working on the sequel to ALR, but I have been very busy, and disinclined to continue without feedback, but I promise I will, never fear:)

Enjoy!