A/N: Some of the conversations are taken from the episodes, which means I do not own them, or the character obviously, I mean this is FAN FICTION after all, and a few were altered to fit the plot of my story. I'm sure you'll know the difference between what's mine and what belongs to the wonderful writers of the Buffyverse. All rights belong to Mutant Enemy.

WARNING: This is kind of a dark chapter dealing date-rape, though nothing graphic, more alluded to.

Episode setting: Season four episode Harsh Light of Day.


Misjudgement

"So you going to talk to her this weekend?"

Buffy nodded, sipping on her drink. "Yeah. As much as I love sharing a room with you, we really want to all be together."

Willow nodded. "I'm just hoping that whoever I get after you move out, isn't as loud as my last roomie."

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Will." Buffy smiled.

"So what ya gonna to tell her?"

Buffy looked down at the table. "I don't know. It's going to be terrible, but Giles is going to be there so it'll be fine. - And all my weapons are in the dorm so there's no change of her shooting him with a crossbow."

The friends chuckled.

"Hey, look. Parker's here."

Buffy looked over her shoulder. "Oh, yeah."

"You guys seem to be getting close." Willow asked cautiously.

"Yeah, he's nice, sweet. It's just good to have a friend who doesn't know….you know, everything."

"So your just friends?"

Buffy looked at her friend with confusion. "What's that meant to mean. Can't I have guy friends?"

"Of course. It's just…" she shrugged.

"Will, I'm happy with Giles okay. Parker's a friend and that's all."

"I just….I'd understand you know, if you're attracted to him. I've been there. And you and Giles…."

"What?" Buffy glared.

"Well, the age thing…." Willow looked at her hands. "….just forget I said anything."

Buffy took a sip of her drink.

"Hey, Buffy."

The girls looked up at Parker. "Hey."

"I just wanted to let you know I'm headin' out…."

The girls exchanged looks of confusing.

"Okay." Buffy smiled.

"And…well…it's not real safe around here at night, so if you guys, you know, want someone to walk you back."

"Oh."

Willow smiled at him. "I'm good, boyfriend." she nodded to the red haired musician on stage.

"Oh right."

Buffy looked at Willow. "You're staying with Oz right?"

"Yep." Willow nodded cautiously, looking between the pair, seeing the interest in Parker's gaze.

"Then I'll head back to Giles's." she said, making a point of saying the name. "If you don't mind walking me?" she asked Parker.

Willow looked at her friend, suddenly understanding what the slayer was doing.

"Sure." Parker said with a slight frown.

"Give him my hi." Willow nodded, meeting her friends gaze.

They headed out of the Bronze and towards main street, idly talking.

"Hobbies?" Buffy repeated.

"Yeah. Hobbies. Interests. I feel like there's so much I still don't know about you. - What do you like to do?"

"Well, mostly I hang out with my boyfriend…." she enunciated the word to make her point. "…and do…stuff." she blushed a little.

"Oh, right. Yeah, I was into that for a while." he smiled awkwardly. "What's that?"

"What's what?" she flinched slightly as he brushed at her neck.

"You have a scar."

"Oh, right. Yeah. - Angry puppy."

The started walking again, Buffy determined to keep the conversation light and friendly while making the point that she wasn't available. "You got any scars?"

"Oh, mine are all psychological."

"Oh, please. Those are the best kind."

"Well, my father dies last year."

Buffy flinched. Good one Buffy, way to put your foot in it. "Oh. God. Parker, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up that stuff. - Bad, bad Buffy."

"No, no. I'm okay to talk about it now. And I'm not doing the deep, get-sympathy routine. I'm mean, don't you just hate guys who are all; I'm dark and brooding, so give me love?"

Instantly an image of a certain vampire appeared in her mind. "I don't think I've ever met that type."

"I just wanted to say that, what made it so sad was that there was a lot of stuff he didn't get to finish. It made me think about you know, living for now."

"I think about that sometimes. Yeah, I sort of….drowned a couple of years ago. But I came back. Obviously."

"Everybody says they get it: Oh, man, me too. Live for today. But they really want an excuse to goof off and not study for finals."

"Also a valid life choice." Buffy joked as they turned the corner.

"It's cool to find someone else who understands." Parker smiled.

"So, Parker Abrams, when you go to sleep tonight, what are you gonna regret not doing today?" Buffy asked without thinking.

"I'm going to regret….being too nervous to ask you to go to the party at Wolf House tomorrow night."

"Oh." Buffy froze on the corner of the street. "I…Parker I'm…."

"As friends. I swear. I got the not so subtitle hint that you're attracted. But we're friends right?"

Buffy looked at him uncertainly. "Yeah, of course. - I'll….I'll call you, okay."

Parker nodded. "Alright."

Buffy looked over her shoulder. "Well, I'm heading that way."

"I'll walk you all the way."

"It's fine. Giles place isn't that much further." she smiled warmly.

"Okay, well. Hopefully, I'll see you tomorrow. Night."

"Night." Buffy nodded turning and heading away from the dark haired guy.

~Don't Lie~

"I'm not enjoying this." Xander complained.

Giles groaned, taking off his glasses and rubbing the bridge of his nose. If there was one thing that was making him regret asking Buffy to move in with him, he was having to rearrange his apartment, and he was also regretting asking Xander to help. "Shelve them correctly and we can finish." he snapped, taking the book from the teenager.

"I don't get your crazy system." the boy remarked.

"My system? It's called the alphabet."

"Huh! Would you look at that?" Xander laughed as he stared at the shelved.

Giles turned at the sound of the front door opening to see the ex-vengeance demon stroll in. Like his night couldn't get any worse.

"You should lock your door." Anya stated matter-of-factly.

"Believe me, I am kicking myself." Giles replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Anya? Last time I saw you, fleeing in terror. How'd that work out for ya?" Xander asked stepping forward.

"I need to talk to Xander." the ex-demon said, glaring at the ex-watcher.

Giles just stared at her.

"Go away. - Xander, come with me." Anya grabbed the teen's arms and dragged him from the apartment.

With the pair gone Giles rolled his eyes and went back to shelving his books. A short while later he turned as the door opened again to see Buffy stroll in, his heart skipping a little. "Buffy?"

"What's Anya doing back?" she asked as she shrugged out of her jacket; fling it over the back of the couch.

"Planning to make our lives hell?" he shrugged, turning back to the books. "What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too?" Buffy huffed, stopping behind him.

Giles turned to look down at her. "You know I'm always happy to see you."

Buffy raised her brow doubtfully. Giles responded by dipping his head and kissing the young woman deeply.

"Awww, dudes, get a room." Xander announced from the doorway.

Buffy pulled back to look at him, her arms around Giles neck. "We have a room, you're in it." she smirked.

Xander dramatically shuddered. "Well if you're going to be all smoochies, I'm leaving. See ya." he practically ran out of the apartment.

Alone again the pair went back to each other. Buffy pulling Giles back into a deep passionate kiss, the books forgotten as they staggered back towards the couch that had started this whole relationship. Giles gently lowered the young woman down before balancing his weight over her, kissing from her mouth down her neck. Buffy arched into him, her hips grinding at his, pleased to feel his solid arousal pressing back. Her hands crawled at his sweater, dragging it up his back, revealing heated smooth flesh. He pulled away long enough to allow her to rid him of the offending item, dropping it to the floor beside them. Buffy's fingers bit into his shoulders as she pressed hard against him, needing more, moaning at the feeling. One of Giles hands tugged Buffy's blonde mane free of its clip before tangling his fingers into it, while the over slid between them to the fastening of her pants, undoing them with practiced fingers. Once they were open his hands slide beneath the fabric to brush against her panties. They moaned at the same moment, Buffy arching into his hand.

"Buffy!"

The pair toppled off the couch at the sudden interruption, both breathless and flushed. They peered over at the door to see Willow and Oz rushing in.

"I've really got to start locking that door." he complained with a growl.

Buffy sent him an nod of agreement, before getting to her shaky feet, fastening her pants as she stood.

"Oh. Oh….Oh God, sorry." Willow stammered, her hand pressed to the side of her neck. "Should have knocked. Bad Willow."

Buffy smiled. "It's fine."

Giles grunt said he didn't agree.

Buffy bit back a smirk as she watched her lover shrug into his sweater. "What's up?"

"Uh, remember Harmony?"

Giles growled. "Harmony? You came to tell Buffy about a girl from school neither of you even liked?"

Willow looked at him nervously.

"Giles." Buffy scolded.

"We'll you're going to like her even less now. - She a vampire." Oz announced.

As if suddenly noticing Willow's neck, Buffy rushed forward. "Oh God, Will. Are you alright?"

"I'll get the first aid kit." Giles said, his voice returning to normal as he rushed to the bathroom for the supplies.

Oz led Willow to the couch, where she sat looking decidedly uncomfortable, probably because of what she and her werewolf boyfriend had walked in on. "Sorry about…" she nodded to the bathroom.

Buffy shook her head with a smile. "It's fine. You're more important."

Willow looked at her disbelievingly and giggled.

Giles returned a few moments later with the small tin. "Here. What happened?" he asked, handing it to Buffy who started pulling out antiseptic and Band-Aids.

"She came up to me outside the Bronze. She was all casually, asking what I'd been up to since School, then she vamped out and went for me. If Oz hadn't been there."

"You'd have been fine." the werewolf insisted.

Buffy handed the antiseptic to Oz who was sat in a better position to tend her friends wound.

"Harmony's a vampire." she repeated almost in awe. "She must be dying without a reflection." she chuckled.

"She just made me so mad. - She was like, my boyfriend's gonna beat you up." Willow rolled her eyes.

"My boyfriend?" Buffy frowned, looking from her friends to Giles and back.

"Well, if you believe her. She always lied about stuff like that. - He goes to another school, you wouldn't know him."

"Devon dated her for a while, but she was too flaky for him, which stop and marvel at the concept." Oz joked, fastening the large Band-Aid to his girlfriend's neck.

"A guy dating Harmony, dead. Must be, like, the most tolerant guy in the world." Buffy remarked with a smirk.

"Buffy, what are you going to do?" Giles asked from his potion on the other chair.

She looked at him meaningfully. "Do I have to do something tonight? I mean, this is Harmony, I can't imagine her going on some wild bloody rampage. Can't I like, go find her tomorrow. - I did really have other plans for tonight."

Willow squealed as she looked between the pair. "Right. Yes. Well…." she leapt to her feet. "We'll….go….See ya." she rushed out of the apartment, dragging Oz behind her, her face as red as her hair.

Giles smiled at Buffy. "You did that on purpose."

Buffy shrugged guilty. "It got them gone."

"It wasn't very nice to embarrass Willow like that." he scolded.

Buffy got to her feet and strolled towards him, moving to straddle his thighs. "It wasn't very nice for her to bust in unannounced and interrupt us." she smirked.

Giles looked up at her hungrily for a few seconds, before dragging her mouth down to his.

"Here or upstairs?" Giles asked against her lips.

"Oh, God here." Buffy groaned, lifting herself off him awkwardly, her mouth still pressed to his as she stripped herself of her pants and underwear, while Giles skimmed his own down his thigh.

The moaned into each other's mouths as Buffy sank down onto him, her body clenching around his hardness as he thrust up into her and she rose and sack in time with him. The room filling with their combined scents and voices as they rode the wave before it crashed down on them both, dragging them under. When they finally came up for breath, they slumped warily against each other. They remained there for ten minutes before Giles stood, scooping the slayer into his arms and carrying her up to his bed, which would soon be their bed.

~Don't Lie~

"So what's your plans for today?" Giles asked, handing Buffy a mug of coffee as he took a seat next to her on the couch.

"Well, I was thinking about dropping in at home, saying hi to mom and then I thought maybe we could take Sam to the park."

Giles smiled. "Sounds great. - What is it?" he asked as he saw her look into her cup.

"A friend from school ask if I wanted to go to a party tonight."

Giles took a sip from his tea. "And?"

"It's a guy friend." she stated cautiously.

Giles brow rose.

"There's nothing going on. I…"

"Buffy, I don't expect you to stop having friends just because we're together. You're young, you need to have fun. Go to the party if you want to."

"Really, you wouldn't be….upset?"

"Not at all."

Buffy slouched into the cushions, looking into her mug.

"But I am terrible jealous." he murmured, shifting closer to her and pressing a kiss to her neck.

Buffy giggled, rolling her eyes as she turned to meet his lips.

~Don't Lie~

Buffy met up with Parker at eight, outside her dorm. She'd tried to get Willow to come too but the Wicca was already heading to another party across town where Oz and the Dingo's were playing. So it was just her and Parker. Which was fine. Really. After all he knew now that she was out of bounds. That she was with someone. They strolled into the house to find the party in full swing, live music ringing off the walls.

"This is some party, huh?" Parker shouted to be heard over the music. "Last days of Rome."

"Better. No old Romans." Buffy replied with a laugh.

"You wanna dance?"

"No. Let's have a meaningful talk instead." the slayer joked as they headed towards the space everyone was using as a dance floor.

She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going so was utterly surprised when she bumped into a familiar face.

"Spike." she sighed. "And Harmony."

"Buffy. Hi." the female greeted. "What a cute outfit. - Last year."

Buffy rolled her eyes at the insult, the girl really hadn't changed beyond the bumps and fangs.

"Well, this is interesting. It's sort of a double date." Spike remarked, shifting his grip on his latest victim he was half carrying.

"Looks like your friend started the party a little early, huh?" Parker remarked, looking instantly at the pale drunken boy being held up but the two blonds.

"Say, let's have a look at the new boy." Spike smirked.

"Hi. I'm Parker." he held out his hand.

"What happened to the old git you were shagging?"

Buffy glared at him, so he turned his attention back to Parker.

"I like him." the vamp nodded. "He's got….what's the word? - Vulnerability."

"And you with Harmony. What, did you lose a bet?" Buffy laughed.

"Actually, how we met, it's a funny story really." Spike said before throwing the half dead teen at the slayer and leaping over the couch, Harmony right behind him.

"Stay here." Buffy ordered chasing after the pair.

She ran out into the dark campus, reaching out with her instincts to locate the vamp, she found him when he slammed his fist into the side of her face, sending her staggering back. Buffy reached for Mr Pointy and braced herself for the fight as Harmany rushed up whining. Buffy looked between the pair.

"What's the matter, Spike? Dru dump you again?"

"Maybe I dumped her." he snapped angrily.

"She left him for a fungus demon. That's all he talks about." Harmony sighed.

"Harm! - We are going. - It isn't time yet."

"Yeah. But as soon as we have the Gem of Amara, you're gonna be sorr….What? Ow!"

Buffy watched with mild amusement as Spike dragged Harmony away. She could go after them, but frankly, she just wasn't in the mood and they weren't that big of a threat. Besides, she had to tell Giles about the Gem thing. Turning away from the pair as they vanished into the dark, she headed for the nearest pay phone, dialling Giles's number and filling him in.

~Don't Lie~

"Yeah, Spike with Harmony. If you can believe it. I couldn't figure out why he ran away, but Harmony said something. Why they were here. They were looking for the Gem of something…um, Amara?"

Giles stood in his apartment, with the phone under one ear and his son under the other, the smell of baby sick filling his nose. "The Gem of Amara? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, What's up?"

"Oh, it's just…it's not real." Giles laughed, strolling with the baby and phone to his bookshelf, and pulling out an old volume. "It's like the vampire equivalent of the Holy Grail. A sourced of some enormous power, always conveniently vague, here it is. Yes. There was a great deal of vampiric interest in locating the Gem during….huh, the 10th century. Questing vampires combed the earth, but no one found it." he dropped the book on the desk top and shifted Sam in his arms, lowering himself down onto the chair by the desk. "It was concluded that it never existed." he said in a quiet voice.

"Well, Spike seems to think it exists. And he's lookin' in Sunnydale."

"Yes, well, I'll research it as best I can." he whispered. "You've done all you can for tonight, go have a good time."

"Giles?"

"Yes."

"Why are you whispering?"

"Because Sam's almost asleep and I don't want to wake him."

"Sam? You've got Sam? Why?"

Giles smiled. "You're mum called me, said a friend was in desperate need of her help and asked if I'd take him for a while. I said I'd have him the whole night." he looked down at his son lovingly.

"Oh. - Do you want me to come…."

"I'm perfectly capable of looking after my own son Buffy. You just go have a good time, relax. I'll see you in the morning."

"I may drop by tonight. After the party." her voice dropped seductively has Giles shifting in his seat.

"Alright. I'll see you later Buffy."

Giles hung up the phone and lent back in the chair, Sam resting against his chest and closed his eyes.

~BtVS: Don't Lie~

"Parker. I was afraid I wasn't gonna be able to find you." Buffy said, rushing back into the party, knowing she couldn't just leave him stranded. She'd spend an hour here with him, then head over to Giles and spend the night with him and Sam.

"I was getting a little worried." Parker smiled softly.

"I'm so sorry. It's just…the English guy is an old friend…." she lied. "…and he's not supposed to drink. And I saw him here, you know, in the land of the beer…."

"Buffy, it's okay. You did a good thing for your friend. - Did, uh, you and he used to, like, go out?"

Buffy couldn't hold in the burst of laughter. Her and Spike. Awe. Not in a million years. "Oh. Um, no. No, we really, really didn't." she said, still laughing while shrugging out of her jacket.

"Good."

Buffy sent him a cautious glance, causing him to shift on his feet and turn to look around the party.

"Now. We have time to make up for. Think I could get a dance with the prettiest girl at the party?"

Something went down Buffy's spine, a warning, but she ignored it. He knew she was off limits, he was just being friendly and flirtatious. It means nothing. She told herself. "And what do I do? Just stand here and watch?" she joked, trying to keep the conversation light.

She allowed him to leader her to the dance floor where they swayed easily to the music, before Parker gabbed her a beer and lead her to an empty couch. They sat talking causally, sipping their drinks.

"Well, I declared pre-med, but I hated it. So I switched to history."

Buffy giggled childishly. "History? Fascinating dates and compelling places."

"But there's something amazing about these huge events, that when you dig down into them, they're all about people. Just regular people just trying to make choices."

Buffy listened to his voice, so soft, so enthralling. She watched his lips moved as he spoke and her head swam. She swallowed hard against her pounding heart as he kept talking and tried to shake off the blanket that seemed to be covering her mind, blocking out everything but Parker's voice. She was meant to be somewhere, meant to be going somewhere, meeting someone, but all she could think of was the dark haired man in front of her, his voice drawing her in.

"When you look back, it seems like they were swept up in events they couldn't control. But I don't believe that. You always have a choice with everything you do."

Buffy's breathing became erratic, her head more focused on the soft brown eyes looking deeply into hers. Then she was breathing him in, choking on him as he pressed him mouth to hers. Her heart sped up and her head spun out of control, her stomach rebelling but she couldn't find the strength or the will to push him away.

"Is this okay? Because I could stop if you wanted. It's your choice." he whispered against her lips.

Only it wasn't. she knew it wasn't. Something was pulling her in, something blocking out everything but Parker Abrams, no matter how much her body fought against it, she was drawn back into another kiss.

~Don't Lie~

It was well past midnight and he figured Buffy wasn't going to be stopping by, she was probably too tired, so he settled Sam into his travel cot and went back to his books. It didn't take him long to find information on the Gem, and when he did he wished he hadn't. Why must all his sources contradict one another. Grabbing the phone he dialled Buffy's dorm. As much as he wanted to leave her to sleep, she needed to know what he'd found right away. Sadly he got the answer phone. Was she still at the party? Well, if he remembered anything from his university day, a party could go all night.

"Hey, this is Buffy and Willow. We're not in now, so please leave a message."

"Buffy, are you there? Call me. I need to talk to you right away." he hung up and looked over at the sleeping baby. Hoping Buffy was alright.

~Don't Lie~

Buffy turned over and buried her face in the pillow. Her head was pounding and she felt sick. She groaned at the sunlight invading her sleep and tried to block it out. It was another few minutes before realisations slowly seeped in. She was naked, feeling the sheets stroking her flesh from shoulder to toe. Sighing she moaned out. "Giles?" when there was no answer she opened her heavy lids and tried to focus her blurred vision. Finally she could see straight and turned to look around her. She wasn't at Giles's place, or in her own dorm-room. She shifted up on the bed, grabbing her head as it spun. Where was she? Looking around she could tell it was a boys room and her stomach rolled at the revelation. Shaking her head she pressed the sheet closer to her exposed body, tears pooling in her eyes. She'd cheated? No, she couldn't have. She loved Giles, she would never do anything like this. No. She just passed out in someone's room after the party and….

Wrapping the sheet tight around her she jumped off the bed, going in search of her clothes. She had to get out of here, back to her room.

"Hey, you're up."

Buffy's head snapped around to see Parker stroll in. So she'd passed out in Parker's room. Her stomach clenched painfully and her heart raced. She kept telling herself that what she fear hadn't happened. "Parker?"

"It seemed like you were gonna be out for a while, so I ran for coffee." he said casually, sitting down on the bed.

Buffy stood shock still, staring at him, the sheet still wrapped around her tight. "Wha…"

"It's better than what I've got around here - warm soda and breath mints."

"Parker, what happened last night?" she asked nervously.

The young man looked up at her with confusion. "Huh? We went to a party." he smiled.

"After the party." she looked meaningfully down at herself. "Did we…?"

Parker met her gaze as it lifted. "You don't remember?"

Buffy didn't react.

"Wow, way to damage an ego." Parker joked lightly. "We were at the party, danced, had a couple of beers and then you kissed me and we…" he waved an arm around the room.

"I - I kissed you?" she shook her head. "No. I…."

"Well, I admit, I kissed you first but you didn't say no and then you kissed be back."

Buffy spun around, her back to the young man as she tried to breath through the blockage in her throat. Tears were already beginning to run down her face.

"I need to go." she said shakily, searching the room once again for her clothes. She dressed as quickly as she could before rushing out of the room without a word of goodbye. She'd barely made it out of the building before she was doubling over to throw up into the nearest trashcan. She couldn't believe she's slept with Parker, she'd cheated on Giles. What had she been thinking? Her head spun and she rested against a bench. How was she going to tell him? First she needed to get out of the clothes, then she needed to shower, get Parker's scent off her. Her skin was crawling as she rushed towards her building and up to her room.

Her heart stopped the moment she heard his voice, spinning around to see Giles sat at Willow's desk, her best friend perched on the edge.

"Giles!" she gasped. "I didn't know you were here." she said nervously, hiding her shaking hands behind her back. "I…um, I was studying. At the library." she lied. Why was she lying? Why didn't she just tell him the truth? Because she didn't know the truth. Her heart clenched tight as she watched him watch her. She could see something in his eyes, a doubt. He knew, he knew what she'd done and he hated her for it.

"Well...can we discuss the impending disaster?"

Buffy remained silent, her brain still muffled.

"Giles found something." Willow informed her.

"A text. If refers to the Gem of Amara as residing in the Valley of the Sun…"

"Demon fancy talk for Sunnydale." Willow translated.

"It seems Spike may know what it's about. The Gem may exist after all, in Sunnydale in a sealed underground crypt."

Buffy tried to breath, to focus. If the Gem was real and Spike wanted it, it meant trouble. But her mind couldn't see past her betrayal of the man she loved, or the way he was looking at her like he knew. Swallowing hard, she push on her slayer mask, deal with Spike, then Giles.

"Why don't you guys try and locate the crypt? I'll see if I can find Spike before he gets there."

Giles got to his feet and grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair. "I'll get started."

"I'll tell Xander and Oz to meet at your place." Willow said, following after him.

The moment the pair were gone, Buffy dropped down on the bed, her whole body shaking.

~Don't Lie~

Giles stared down at the books but he could really concentrate. Something was wrong, not with Spike and the Gem but with Buffy. She hadn't turned up at his place the previous night and she clearly hadn't slept in her room, so where had she been? His gut knew the answer but his heart couldn't accept it. Buffy wasn't like that, she could never have cheated on him. Unless she still believed he'd cheated on her. - No. They'd sorted that out, she knew Olivia had only been a friend. Maybe she was getting tired of him? Maybe they were rushing into this whole living together thing? Maybe this was her way of subtly telling him she didn't want to do this any more.

He was drawn from his thoughts by Oz's voice.

"Ok, either I'm borrowing all your albums or I'm movin' in."

"Might get a little crowded with Giles, Buffy and Sam." Willow joked from the desk.

"There are more important things than records right now." Giles murmured, forcing back the pain that suddenly radiated through his chest.

"More important than this one?" Oz asked, holding up a vintage vinyl.

"I suppose an argument could be made for…"

"Whoa! Giles has a TV!" Xander suddenly announced, shoving boxes out of the way. "Everybody, Giles has a TV! He's shallow, like us!" the teenager said a little too excitedly.

"I gotta admit, a little disappointed." Oz said, settling on the arm of the couch next to Giles.

"Maybe it doesn't work." Willow said in a panic. "It's like, art."

The room was filled with the sound of a news reporters voice as Xander switched it on and dropped down in front of it, like a four year old.

"Public television." Giles defended. "Look, come on, we have vital work to do. Watching television won't help us right now."

As if to prove him wrong the reporter drew all their attention to a cave in near the Sunnydale campus. "City work crews deny that any tunnelling had been done in the area."

"Tunnelling." Oz repeated.

"Spike." Giles announced. "Come on. - Xander, find Buffy and meet us there."

The gang rushed out of the apartment.

~Don't Lie~

Buffy searched the whole campus, throwing herself into finding Harmony and Spike, but with no luck. What she did find however was Parker. He was talking to some girl, giving her the same live for today line he'd fed her two nights go. Her insides clenched as she realised she'd been played. - Then there was anger.

"Parker?" she said, interrupting him.

"Buffy. - Buffy Summers, this is Katie Loomis." he introduced.

"We need to talk." Buffy said with a harsh warning tone.

Parker turned to the girl. "Hey, Katie, you're gonna be late for class. I'll catch up later, okay."

Buffy watched the other blond smile and leave. "She a friend of yours?"

"Yeah. You'd like her a bunch. - So, what's up?"

Buffy fixed him with a stare. "Last night. I want to know what happened."

Parker frowned. "I told you."

"No. I mean really happened. I wouldn't have slept with you. I love my boyfriend, I'd never have cheated. Never."

Parker looked at her with what she could only describe as mock sympathy. "Well, I can promise you we did sleep together."

Buffy glared at him dangerously. "What did you do?"

Parker looked at her oddly. "Do?"

"You must have done something? I wouldn't have cheated on Giles." she was beginning to sound desperate, he needed someone to blame.

"Buffy." Parker said, his hand resting on her shoulder. "I'm sorry your feeling guilty and everything, but…I swear, I didn't do a thing. It was your choice."

Buffy glared at him and he backed off.

"I hope we can still be friends." he said before rushing away, leaving Buffy alone with her guilt.

At least until she was sideswiped by a certain bleach blond vampire.

"Isn't it a fantastic day? Birds singin, squirrels making lots of rotten little squirrels, sun beamin down in a nice, non-fatal way. It's very exciting. Can't wait to see if I freckle."

Buffy leapt to her feet, attacking the vamp, thrusting the stake into his chest only to find it not working.

"Oh, do it again. It tickles. You know, in a good way."

"The Gem."

"Oh, yeah. - The Gem of Amara." he punched her hard, knocking the slayer to the ground. "Official sponsor of my killing you."

Buffy fought for her life, knowing she had to get the ring away from Spike in order to kill him. She channeled all her anger and guilt into each punch, but found herself fighting a losing battle.

"Getting tired, Slayer?"

Buffy scrabbled to her feet as Xander rushed into the fray, only to be flung into a nearby post.

"So, you let Parker-boy take a poke, eh?"

Buffy swallowed, frowning at him. Spike tapped his nose.

"Can smell it, didn't seem like you knew each other that well? - And with you and the old watcher, I never would have imagined. So what exactly did it take to pry apart the Slayer's dimpled knees?"

"You're a pig, Spike." she snapped.

The vampire hit her again, sending her into the ground once more.

"Did he play the sensitive lad and get you to seduce him? That's a good trick if the girl's thick enough to buy it. I wonder what Giles is going to say when he finds out? - I'll be sure to tell him when I've killed you. Give him something to remember you by."

Buffy was flooded with anger. She rushed at the vamp, blow after blow until she was about to get him cornered, twisting his arm back to grab the ring.

"Take it off me this way, we both burn."

"Really? Let's see." She yanked the ring from his finger, stepping back to watch the vamp cry in pain, his flesh blistering under the sun before he ran away.

~Don't Lie~

Buffy sat awkwardly in Giles living room. She couldn't look him in the eye so she concentrated on the ring she'd retrieved from Spike. She'd already decided what she wanted to do with it. There was only one person who she trusted to guard the ring.

"It's obviously very dangerous. Destroying it would…."

"We don't destroy it." she said, her gaze fixed to the floor.

"But, Buffy, any vampire that gets his hands on this is going to be essentially unkillable….Oh."

She glanced up to meet her watcher turned lovers gaze and instantly wished she hadn't.

"I have that gig in LA. I could swing by." Oz said helpfully.

"Thanks, Oz."

"What's goin' on? What's in LA?" Xander asked confused.

"She's giving the ring to Angel, don't make a fuss." Willow informed him softly.

"Buffy, are you sure?" Giles asked with growing concern. "If he…."

"If he turns again, we'll be the first to know, and I'll….do what I have to. But he won't. - He should have it."

A uncomfortable silence fell over the room for a few long minutes.

"Well, we're going." Willow announced, leaping to her feet.

Buffy got up from the footstall she'd been sitting on.

"Your going too?" Giles asked.

"Yeah. - I…I've got class….work. And I'm tired. - I'll see you tomorrow." she pressed a kiss to his cheek and headed for the door.

Giles exchanged looks with Willow, who shrugged and that painful feeling rose in his gut again.

~Don't Lie~

Back in her dorm, Buffy sat on her bed, legs folded under her. Willow was asleep but she couldn't, Parker's face haunting her, Spike words taunting her. She pulled out her diary, needing to put it down on paper, hoping that doing so would get it out of her head. She write about the whole thing, about her supcions, about her guilt.So what I'm wondering is, will Giles ever forgive me if he discovers the truth? Even if I'm right and Parker did something to make me sleep with him. I still slept with him. How could Giles ever forgive that? Parker said it's okay to make mistakes, it was sweet at the time, now I know it's not okay, people get hurt. - There's only one thing I can do. I need to end it, I have no other option.