That evening Jay bought Chinese takeout for the meal, making Buffy smile in remembrance of their first meal together. His eyes met hers and she knew he remembered that time together as well. The boxes were set in the middle of the table and everyone dished out their favorites. There was General Tso's chicken, rice, seafood and veggies etc.

Everyone was eating when Buffy asked, "So, what did you do to the house Jay?"

Giles looked up, "Do to the house?" he asked in puzzlement, totally in the dark about the days events. Faith snickered, trying to keep from laughing out loud and spraying the Watcher with food.

Xander sent a ' busted' look to Jay who shrugged, "Um, fixed the gutter, the back porch and some trim. Oh, and replaced the roof."

Buffy sat her fork down carefully, "Why?" Everyone around the table winced, they knew when Buffy was unhappy.

Jay forked up a shrimp, chewing it thoughtfully. "Ok, I care about you. The house needed some stuff done and it's only money."

She stared at him, the wind taken out of her sails. "Um, ok. Did you really have to replace the roof?"

Before Jay could reply Xander snorted, "You really liked the water dripping on your head when the snow melted last year?"

"Good point." She absently ate for a moment. "It was sweet of you to do that."

Jay smiled triumphantly at Faith who rolled her eyes, "You've got her wrapped around your pinkie, don't give me that look."

Giving Faith a look, Buffy leaned over and kissed him sweetly, "Thanks Jay." Jay accepted the kiss, smiling against her mouth. Pulling back she used her thumb to remove some lipstick from his lip and jumped when he nipped it.

"Owie." She complained and he kissed it in silent apology. They were so wrapped in each other for a moment that Xander made a gagging sound, making Willow kick him and Dawn laugh.

Giles watched them thoughtfully. The Colonel was falling for his Slayer, and vice versa though Giles rather thought the neither one them realized. There were problems with this of course. Buffy lived in Cleveland and the Colonel lived in Colorado Springs. There would be decisions that would have to be made. Then there was the problem of Angel, especially after the note he had left.

"Hey G-man, you have your 'there be another apocalypse near' face." Xander said.

Giles smiled, "Nonsense, I was just thinking about a paper I read today. It was by a Dr. Daniel Jackson, also from Colorado Springs I believe." His eyes met Jay's blank and wary ones.

"Never heard of him." Jay said, lying through his teeth.

"Hmmm." Was Giles reply.

Buffy lay in Jay's arms sound asleep. She was dreaming, a desert filled with colors and sounds that made no sense until she saw the First Slayer. The woman was much as Buffy had seen her last time, face paint, mysterious eyes, but this time she was at the bedside of an elderly man. Buffy moved closer and realized that the man was Indian, and vaguely familiar.

"Who is he?" Buffy asked the First Slayer.

"You will know him soon."

The man stirred restlessly on his bed, "James, James." He murmured.

A thought struck her and she moved closer to the man and realized he looked like Jay might look in 50 years. Still handsome and fit, but gray. Looking at the First Slayer she opened her mouth but the other woman shook her head.

"Death is no longer your gift Sister. We now have many sisters that will use Death. You have proven yourself to be more than your gift. You are still filled with love. You love the Witch, the Watcher, the Key, the One who Sees far, don't shut yourself off from love offered." The First Slayer looked at the old man again, running a soothing hand over his face and settling him into a deeper sleep.

Buffy stood there uncertainly, and suddenly she woke. She sat up, looking over at Jay who was deeply sleeping after their intense lovemaking earlier. She ran a hand over his shoulder and shook him gently, moving back as he woke up instantly.

"It's just me."

"Buffy? What's up?" he looked at her puzzled.

"Does your father live in the desert?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, why?" his eyes mirrored the confusion in his voice.

"I think you should call him right now. He's sick."

His eyes never left hers as he grabbed his cell phone and dialed a number, "Dad? Oh, Hi Uncle Mason. Is Dad sick? Yeah, ok. How did I know?" Jay smiled at Buffy crookedly, "I'll bet if you ask Ed he might know. Tell Dad I'll be there this afternoon. Give my love to the family. Yes, I know they'll be there too. Fine I'll give it to them in person. Later." He hung up.

"OK, I'll bite, how did you know?"

Buffy sighed, wrapping her arms around her knees and he got up to start packing. "As a Slayer I have dreams that tell what can happen. So is your Dad ok?"

Jay pulled on the pair of boxers that had been left on the floor earlier, "No, it sounds like he has a severe case of pneumonia with complications. Uncle Mason is taking him to the hospital. I need to call the General then I'm flying to Arizona."

Buffy nibbled on her lip, "Your Dad is Hopi?"

"Ok, how did you know that?" he demanded in surprise.

"I saw the kachinas in his room. You look a lot like him, but different."

He smiled and began to pack some more, "My Dad is Hopi, but half Navajo too. He met my mom at the University of Arizona at the end of World War II. She died when I was a boy. She was from Croatia and she was part gypsy as well, so I grew up with a lot of mystical shit in my childhood."

"Mystical shit?" Buffy repeated, amusement in her voice.

He threw her a laughing glance. "Yeah, sort of like the stuff you deal with."

"Just don't let Giles hear you call it that."

He finished packing and grabbed his phone, then turned to look at her. "Will you come with me?"

Buffy's mouth dropped, "Isn't this a family thing?"

Laying down the phone he crawled onto the bed placed gentle hands on her shoulders, his dark eyes on hers.

"I need the moral support. My Dad and I aren't, well, close anymore. He thinks I rejected my heritage, and I think he's too narrow minded." A lopsided smile, "Plus I'd miss you like crazy." He whispered.

She looked into his eyes, so dark they looked black and saw his hope mirrored there. "Let me ask Giles." She replied softly.

"Good."

He captured her mouth with a kiss that stopped her brain. Jay gently laid her back on the bed and ran a gentle hand down her smooth skin. He moved his fingers to gently rub her, catching her breathless cries in his mouth. As he slid one finger inside her he was rewarded by her arousal dampening his hand. "Come for me babe." He whispered and slid a second finger to join the first.

Buffy shook her head, "I need you inside of me." She moaned, arching into his fingers helplessly. He pulled his fingers out and slid himself in. even with her wetness it was extremely snug, making his head spin with sensation. She arched again and drew him in deeply and he lost control. They moved together helplessly, building sensation upon feeling, unable to stop for breath, lost in each other's eyes when Jay stiffened and Buffy tightened like a velvet fist and they climaxed together.