AN: Takes place a few hours before the start of Beauty and the Beasts. Giles talks to Buffy about Spike.

Sunnydale, 1998

"So that works for you Xander? I take the first shift and you come for the last part of the night? You're sure?"

Xander waved Willows concerns off with his hand. "Yeah, it'll be great. I'll get some sleep before I come and I can take a quick nap during homeroom. You get to study, Oz and I get some quality guy time, everyone wins." Willow grinned, and Oz raised his can of soda toward Xander in lieu of thanks.

"So is that it? Meeting over? Because Willow's not the only one who needs to study tonight. " Cordelia stopped examining her nails and made to rise from the table.

Willow glanced at her. "Um, yeah I think that's it, unless, Giles? Any big scaries coming our way?"

"Ah, no. None that I can think of."

"Fantastic. Let's go Xander." Cordelia was out of the library, doors swinging in her wake before anyone else even stood up. They stared after her for a few seconds, before Xander got up and walked after her, calling "see ya tonight Will!" over his shoulder.

Willow turned her attention towards Buffy. "Oz and I were going to hit the Espresso Pump before we have to be back here, if you want a ride home?"

Before Buffy could affirm that, yes she would like a ride home, Giles cut in. "Actually Buffy, I was wondering if I might have a word?"

Buffy exchanged a look with Willow. "Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Do you want us to wait for you Buffy? We don't mind."

"No. You guys go. Enjoy your sugar and caffeine. Wait. Oz, should you be caffeinating this close to a full moon?"

"Decaf."

"Right. Well, have fun. I'll see you guys tomorrow." She sank back into her seat, and as soon as they were out of the library, turned her focus to Giles. "So what's up?"

"Buffy I wanted to ask you some questions. About the night you defeated Acathla."

Her eyes immediately darkened. "No. No, Giles you've already asked me your questions, it's not fair for you to keep bringing it up."

"Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean- my questions have nothing to do with Angel. I want to talk about something else. Spike actually."

"Spike? Why do you want to talk about Spike?"

"Because. Your mother mentioned that he was helping you, and as your watcher I think it is extremely important that I know about these things."

"My mother talked to you about Spike?"

Giles was beginning to appear agitated. "Yes Buffy, contrary to popular belief, those of us over twenty-five, do have ears, you know. She heard the two of you talking, and after you'd disappeared she brought up the idea that you had gone off with him."

He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't for her to burst into nearly hysterical laughter. "Buffy! This isn't funny!"

"No," she gasped through peals of laughter, "No of course not. My mother thinking I would run off with Spike isn't funny at all." She tried to regain a straight face. She failed.

Giles was much less amused. "You were gone!" Buffy broke off mid-chortle. "You were gone, and she was worried, and it was an idea. But more importantly, you invited an extremely dangerous vampire into your home and I for one, would like to know why."

"Because he was helping me. And I needed to keep an eye on him. So I brought him inside."

"Where he did what?"

"Mostly, I think he sat in the living room and made awkward small talk with my mother." Giles shot her a look. "Sorry. Look, he came to me and said he wanted to save the world. Said he wanted to stop Angel. He really just wanted Drusilla all for himself again, but I wasn't exactly in a position to turn down help. So we made a deal. He held up his end, so I held up mine. And before you get to into the questioning of my judgment, can I just point out that making that deal probably saved your life?"

Giles was looking at her the same way he often regarded texts that were written in Sumerian. It was vaguely unnerving. "A vampire who makes a deal with a Slayer. How uncharacteristic."

"I don't know. I mean, yeah, we made a deal, but he wasn't, like, heroic or anything. He just wasn't big on Dru and Angel making with the smoochies. Which isn't something I like to think about too much, either."

"But Buffy, I don't think your grasping how strange this is. Not only did a vampire approach a slayer with a bargain, and not only did said vampire follow through on the bargain, but you, the slayer, agreed to it and followed through as well. That's completely-"

"Yeah, yeah, you don't need to say it. It was completely unprecedented. Just like almost everything I do. Can I go now? I'm supposed to meet Faith."

Giles shook himself from his thoughts. "Almost. We still have a serious issue to discuss. I'm assuming Spike can still get into your house, if he wished to do so?"

Her eyebrows drew together. "Yeah, I guess."

"I think you should ask Willow to do the spell she did to keep out Angelus."

"I thought you didn't want her using magic? Besides that spell is such a hassle. You have to get the stuff, and do the thing, and say all those words, and some of them are in Latin. And it's not like Spike is ever going to come back."

"But how do you know? How can you possibly be certain of that?" he was definitely exasperated. If she intended to do anything tonight besides hear another lecture on responsibility, she needed to get out of there. Now.

"Because Giles," she stood up and was circling the table, heading toward the door. "As much as I hate to admit it, Spike's not stupid. He's smart enough to know that if he comes back to this town, I'll stake him on sight. And then I'll stake Drusilla. He wouldn't be around long enough to get anywhere near my house. Now I really have to go. Faith's waiting for me, and Willow and Oz will be back soon. I'll see you tomorrow Giles!" and with that she was gone, leaving her long-suffering watcher behind.

Next up: "Wait. You broke up with Angel because of something Spike said?"