They made it to LA in decent time and at Buffy's request Giles changed the room reservation from adjoining rooms to a single, king-bed room. They were settling into the hotel, sharing fond smiles and talking quietly about trips they'd taken in the past. Buffy gave Giles a curious look when he stuffed one of his suitcases into the closet without opening it. The other he simply stacked on top and zipped open, pulling the necessary items out to prepare for bed.

She opened her duffle bag and found a note from Willow tucked on the top:

"Hi Buffy!

Giles asked me to pack so I hope you're okay with the outfits I picked. I tried to pack the ones I thought looked best on you from memory. Tara helped. Don't bother Giles about your surprise this weekend. You're gonna love it! If you two get frisky, you'll find a congratulatory present in the front zippered pocket from me and Tara. Have a great time.

Love,

Willow, Tara and Miss Kitty"

Buffy grinned and folded the note up, stuffing it into the bottom of her duffle. She unzipped the front compartment and pulled out a petite silk baby doll negligee and panty set. It was black with a little pink bow set right between the cups. She grinned and looked to the bathroom. She could hear Giles brushing his teeth and figured she had enough time to try it out.

When Giles came out of the restroom, he took his folded clothes to his suit case and turned to the bed, whatever he was planning to say dying on his lips. Buffy was sitting up against the head board, her legs stretched out fully and crossed at the ankles. She was flipping casually through one of her fashion magazines. As if it was an everyday occurrence that he found her dressed in almost nothing.

She glanced up, giving him an innocent, questioning look. "You okay, Giles?"

"I – Where – You –"

Buffy grinned and set the magazine aside, then sat up on her knees. "Do you like it?"

"I'd be very worried about my mental capacity if I didn't," he said, staring at her.

"Willow and Tara gave it to me," she said, running her hands along her abdomen. "Just in case."

Giles removed his shirt and climbed onto the bed, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close.

"Be a love and remind me to thank them when we get home," he said, grinning.

They slept in the next day. Giles ordered room service with a little brunch and a little lunch while Buffy slept. He was reading the paper and sipping tea when she woke up, a bleary eye landing on the cart.

"What's that?"

"Food," he said, not looking up from the paper. "I wasn't sure what you'd want, so there's a variety."

Buffy sat up, rubbing her eyes and pushing hair from her eyes. She spotted her reflection and blushed. Her hair was standing at odd angles at the crown of her head, her lips were still swollen from some of the best kisses she'd ever gotten, and a faint bruise was visible on her neck.

"You look gorgeous," he said, bringing her attention back to him. He had a serene smile and nodded at the cart. "Eat something. I'll not have low blood sugar take that sated look from your face."

Buffy let out a throaty chuckle and looked around. She stood and plucked Giles' pajama shirt from the floor, pulling it over her head and padding to the cart. She lifted the covers and took a deep breath, sighing at the heavenly smells. She pulled it to the in-room table and sat on his lap.

"Was the other chair uncomfortable?" he asked, looking at her over the rims of his glasses.

"I dunno. I like this option better." She popped a strawberry in her mouth and grinned at him. "Besides, I wanted to know what we're doing today, so I thought it was easier to distract you from the paper than take it away."

Giles folded the paper and lowered it to the table, wrapping his hands around her waist. "I thought I might ask you if there was something specific you wanted to do to pass the daylight away. I rather expected you would want to shop or visit your father." He accepted the piece of sausage she offered his lips and waited for her reply.

"I dunno if shopping is a good idea, Giles. Maybe save that for the next big battle. Retail therapy will definitely make me feel better." She grinned and grabbed a piece of chicken, inspecting the sauce and sniffing it. She shrugged and put it in her mouth. "But I don't even know if Dad is in town today, so we could check. If not, we can go to the mall. I'll show you my old stomping grounds."

"Whatever you'd like." He smiled and let her feed him, content to be silent and watch her in the filtered sunlight. She ate her fill, making sure he tried whatever she liked.

They cuddled for a few minutes before she sighed and stood from his lap. She grabbed her purse and rummaged through it until she pulled out a battered business card. She stretched across the bed and reached for the hotel phone. Once she was finished dialing, she coiled the cord around her finger, the handset sandwiched between her face and shoulder.

"Hello?" she said, straightening a little. Giles got the impression she didn't expect an answer. "Hi, Daddy, it's Buffy. I'm fine, you?" She rolled her eyes and looked to the ceiling. "Well, I know you're busy. I'm in town for the day and I was wondering if you maybe wanted to see me for a little while." Her eyes closed. "No, Daddy, I'm not – look, I'm here with someone, and it was a surprise. I didn't know I was going to be here – no. Dad! Could you –" She paused and listened as her father said something that frustrated her, but she kept quiet. "No, I'm still here. I wasn't sure you were done."

Giles shifted in his chair, watching her.

"You know what? You don't know what my life is like, and you don't know anything about me. I'm here with a man who loves me and treats me better than you've ever treated Mom or me. I don't even know why I bothered to call you. I could've just come and gone and I really don't think you would've cared!" She stood and paced the length of the phone cord. "No, I'm not finished. Until you're ready to own up to how much you suck as a father I don't want to hear from you again. You don't deserve me." She held the phone from her ear and frowned, pulling it back when she heard a pause in the line. "Call Mom, she'll tell you the same thing. You're a worthless father and as of right now, I'm no longer speaking to you. Have a nice life."

She slammed the phone down and stared at it, wanting for all the world to have the man himself in the room so she could slap him hard enough to see stars. Strong, gentle arms wrapped around her from behind and she covered them with her own.

"I'm sorry, love."

Buffy sniffed and shrugged, leaning her head back and closing her eyes. "It was gonna happen sooner or later."

"Still want a rain check on that shopping trip?"

She chuckled in a wet way and shook her head. "I think a few shop stops would be a great way to blow some steam."

"Get dressed, then," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Show me where you used to spend your days."