Xander hung up the phone after his talk with Buffy and turned to his best friend. "Something's wrong."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"I don't know exactly," Xander admitted. "Just call it a hunch."

"Well, we're still trying to find out more information on that voice she heard," the redhead reminded.

Xander shook his head. "No, this is something else. She seemed…" the boy struggled to find the right word. "I don't know."

Willow sighed. Xander wasn't giving her much to go on. "What did she say?"

"It wasn't what she said. It was more how she said it."

"And how did she say it?" Willow gently prodded.

"She was sleeping when I called and I woke her up," Xander replied. "She sounded kinda angry. She apologized, but still…"

The young girl began to laugh but quieted when she noticed the look on her friend's face. "Xander," Willow consoled. "You know as well as I do that Buffy is extremely grouchy when she first wakes up."

"Yeah," Xander agreed, but Willow could tell he wasn't convinced. They sat in silence for a moment before Xander spoke again. "I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?"

Willow smiled at her friend. "No, you're just being a concerned boyfriend," she assured him. "You're just worried because she's there and you're here."

"You're probably right," Xander admitted.

"I'm sure she's fine," Willow said. "Besides, you'll see her tomorrow."

Xander grinned at her reminder. "Yeah, that is I will if Giles' Old Beast can actually make…"

"What about me?" Giles asked the two teenagers as he entered his living room.

"Um, we were just wondering if you've found anything yet," Xander changed the subject and shot Willow a conspiratorial grin.

"I'm afraid not, but we'll keep looking," Giles couldn't look Xander in the eye. The boy could tell the Watcher was hiding something but decided not to press him for details. Yet. "How is Buffy?"

Xander noticed the older man's change of the subject. "She's fine. A bit tired, but that's not unusual."

"And she knows about our arrival?" Giles asked.

"Yup."

"Very well, then," Giles said. "Shall we be going?"

"Let's kick some demon booty!" Xander pumped his fist in the air.

Giles looked at the boy as if he had grown a third eye. Willow just laughed and headed towards the door. Once there, she turned back. "You two coming?"

"Right behind ya, Wills," Xander said, following the redhead's lead. "Guess what? I heard that Cordelia…" his voice trailed off as he chased after his friend.

Giles sighed and rubbed his temple. He still had a hard time understanding these teenagers. Giles gave up trying; knowing the mystery of youth these days was nowhere near being solved. He pulled the door closed behind him and followed the two children into the night.



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



Back in LA, Buffy crept through an empty cemetery in search of a fight. The air was unseasonably cool and the blond regretted leaving her sweatshirt back at the apartment.

"Come on," she mumbled. "I know you're out here somewhere."

Buffy couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. She glanced over her shoulder but saw nothing. The park was empty, void of human life except for her own. But Buffy knew she wasn't alone. She could feel someone's, something's, eyes on her. It watched her every move, almost as if it were sizing her up.

The Slayer tensed. Buffy shrugged off the thought. "Don't be ridiculous, Buffy, it's just your imagination."

"Do you always talk to yourself in the third person?"

Buffy jumped at the deep voice. She swung around and ducked down, ready for an attack. The area behind her was empty. Confused, Buffy looked around. I swear I heard someone

She heard an amused chuckle behind her. Buffy swung around once more. Still nothing. The Slayer released a frustrated sigh. "Ok, I haven't played Hide-And-Seek since I was 10 and I don't feel like reliving my youth here. Are you gonna come out or what?"

"If I remember correctly, tag was always your game," a figure said as it stepped out of the shadows.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the stranger. A breeze wafted through the cemetery, causing the trees to sway. A splash of moonlight broke through the branches and fell across the newcomer's face. Buffy's breath caught and her mouth dropped open in shock. "Jeffrey?"

The boy's face fell into the wide, easy-going grin Buffy had once loved. "Hey Buffy. Miss me?"

The blond held back, unsure of how to react. Jeffrey had been her boyfriend back when she had first been called to be the Slayer. He had grown distant toward the end of their relationship, when Buffy had more important things to worry about. She could still feel the pain his taking Jennifer to the dance had caused. The pain hadn't been a result of their break-up, though. It was her realization that she and her friends led very shallow lives. Buffy had learned to care about people other than herself and it hurt when she thought about who she once was.

"What?" Jeff pouted. "No hug for an old friend?"

Still Buffy held back. She and Jeff hadn't parted on the best of terms. Seeing him allowed buried memories of her past to resurface. She didn't know how to react.

Buffy gazed at her surroundings. It finally occurred to her that they were standing in the middle of a graveyard. "Why are you here?" she asked, motioning towards the headstones nearby.

Jeff stared at her for a moment before answering. "Summer basketball league. Just on my way home."

Buffy returned his stare with a small smile. "You still the star?"

"I moved," Jeff replied, side-stepping the question.

"I didn't say…" Buffy began.

"You didn't have to," Jeff interrupted. "I know you, Buffy. I could see it on your face."

"You don't know me anymore," Buffy muttered.

Jeff looked hurt. "Don't you trust me anymore?"

"No, I don't," the blond answered honestly.

"Why not?"

"You cheated on me!"

"Well you weren't there for me!"

"Excuse me?" Buffy's voice edged on hysteria. "I was going through a lot in my life. I had too many other things on my mind to worry about being the girlfriend who worshipped the ground you walk on."

Jeff bit back an angry retort. He took a few moments to calm down before responding. He kicked the ground with the toe of his tennis shoe. "You never tried to talk to me."

Buffy's eyes softened. He was right. "I didn't want to burden you with all the details," she explained. "Besides, you wouldn't have understood."

"About your parents?" Jeff looked confused. "Buffy, my parents divorced when I was 14."

"Huh?" It was Buffy's turn to be confused. "Oh yeah, that. I was talking about what happened the night of the dance, though."

"I know you weren't responsible for burning down the gym," Jeff told her. "It was probably those gang's that attacked the school. The board had to blame someone, though. Just don't know why they blamed you."

"Do you really believe that?" Buffy asked her ex-boyfriend, her voice soft with wonder.

Jeff's face registered with shock. "Of course I believe you wouldn't do that. You're too…"

Buffy raised an eyebrow as his voice trailed off. "Too what? Too stupid?"

"That's not what I meant," Jeff argued. "I just can't see you burning down a building. You're too sweet."

"Really?" the blond girl shyly dropped her eyes.

"Really," Jeff assured her.

Buffy smiled and rushed forward. Her ex-boyfriend wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in a giant bear hug.

They remained like that for a few moments before Buffy finally broke the silence. "Jeff?"

"Yeah Buffy?"

"I hope you enjoyed your last meal," Buffy pulled back and looked him in the eyes.

"What?" The brown-haired boy looked perplexed.

The Slayer offered a wicked grin in response. "Because you're wearing it on your collar."

Jeff's eyes widened and he glance down just as Buffy buried her stake deep into his heart. He gasped mere moments before crumbling into dust.

Buffy turned around, brushing the dust from her bare arms. "Talk about closure," she grumbled.

The young girl inwardly grieved for her lost friend. They hadn't spoken to each other for a year and a half, but Jeff had played a huge role in Buffy's past. But she had known almost instantly that her friend was dead. He had been wearing the shirt that Buffy had given him for his sixteenth birthday. She knew better than anyone that Jeffrey's clothing shelf life was six months or less. She had once been the same way. "Who knew fashion could be so deadly?"

A twig snapped nearby and Buffy glared at the two intruders. Quickly, she sized them up. The vampire on the left was short and stocky, his shaggy blond hair falling over his face. The second hid his ridged forehead under a LA Lakers cap. His tall, gangly form towered over his partner and the Slayer.

"Great, now I have to deal with Mutt and Jeff," Buffy groaned. "Well, let me guess. You're from the summer league, too?"

The tall vamp clucked his tongue and shook his head sadly. "Mistress is not going to be happy," he moaned. "Jeff was her favorite."

"Mistress?" Buffy's lips curled in amusement. "Gee, that's original."

"You mock our lady?" Stocky asked in a fit of anger.

"What are you, medieval or something?" the Slayer taunted. "Yeah, I mock your lady. What are you gonna do about it?"

Stocky snarled and sprung forward. Buffy simply took one step to the left and held her arm out, clotheslining the demon. She smirked at his fallen form before doing a front handspring to bring her closer to Lanky. Taking him by surprise, she swept her leg behind him, knocking him to the ground. Narrowing her eyes at her adversaries, she grinned. "This should be fun."



*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*



"Is anyone else bored?" Xander whined, swinging his legs back and forth as he sat idly atop a tombstone.

Willow sat on the ground a few feet away, engrossed in an old book. "Giles?" she asked, ignoring her best friend.

"Hmmm?" the Watcher responded, turning to face the young girl.

"Never mind," Willow said sadly. "I thought I found something, but I was wrong."

Xander hopped off of his perch and bounded over to the girl. "You sure?"

"Yeah," the redhead sighed. "It's just a short paragraph that mentions an old evil that is released by the death of the Slayer."

"Well, that's the Master," Xander slapped his hands together. "We've both been there and done that."

"I know," Willow shot her friend a pointed stare. "Hence the 'never mind.'"

Xander's shoulders slumped and he dropped down to sit next to the girl. Leaning over, he rested his head on Willow's shoulder and sighed.

Giles glanced over at his two charges, eyebrows etched together in concern. They were only children, yet each night they risked their lives to save the world. For Buffy, it was her sacred duty. These children had no such calling, but here they were. Now they spent hour after hour researching, not knowing what exactly they were looking for. All to save their friend, his Slayer. Giles could tell they needed time to talk.

The Watcher cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two teenagers. "I'm just going to check out that area over there. I'm fairly certain I heard something."

"Uh-huh, sure," Xander mumbled under his breath.

Willow stifled a small laugh. She glanced up at the older man. "Need any back-up?"

Giles shook his head. "No, I'll be fine," he said, moving off in the direction he had pointed out earlier. The Watcher moved quietly, listening for the slightest movement in the dark. He also kept checking over his shoulder to make sure the students were in his line of sight. Giles wanted to give them time alone (and himself some much-needed quiet time) but their safety was his first priority. It had been quiet since the night of the Master's demise, but as a Watcher, Giles was aware that the quiet was often deceiving.

Xander watched as Giles moved further away, periodically looking back at them. When the Watcher was out of hearing range, Xander turned to Willow. "He knows something."

Willow regarded her best friend. "You think so?" she asked, scrunching her nose.

"Watch him," Xander motioned toward the man in question. "He keeps watching us."

Willow laughed slightly. "What's with the paranoia lately?" Her giggles increased when she saw her friend's shocked expression. She gently touched his knee and explained, "Xand, you didn't think he might just be worried about us? I mean, we are sitting in the middle of a cemetery."

"Yeah, that makes for a great 'What I Did Over Summer Vacation' essay," the dark-haired boy grinned. "I hung out in cemeteries with my best friend and the school librarian."

"Now Alexander," Willow replied, affecting a serious tone. "Your active imagination is best left to creative writing. Now, what did you * really * do over summer vacation?"

"Wow!" Xander stared at the girl beside him in awe. "I forgot how your Ms. Gant impression is." He paused. "Whatever happened to Ms. Gant anyway?"

Willow thought for a moment. "No one knows for sure," she answered. "She disappeared when we were…"

The two teens fell into an uncomfortable silence. "Will?" Xander glanced at his best friend.

"Hmmm?" the redhead responded, staring off into the night.

The young boy sighed and asked, "Do you ever wish that we never found out about demons and vampires and all that?"

"No," Willow spat out. After a few moments, she changed her answer. "Sometimes."

"Yeah, me too."

"I sometimes wonder what would have happened if Buffy had never come to Sunnydale," Willow admitted. "I'd probably be dead now, or worse."

Xander remained quiet for a moment. "I figure it was inevitable. Finding out, that is."

"Why's that?" Willow asked, her curiosity piqued.

"This'll probably sound cheesy…" the boy started.

"Go on," Willow prodded.

"I figure Buffy was destined to come here. You know I never really believed in fate before, but I'm beginning to change my mind. There was always something in my life that seemed empty. I just didn't know what it was until Buffy arrived. She is the missing piece. She is my everything. Yeah, she also brought us into this crazy world of vamps and stuff, but that's ok. She gave me a purpose. Just knowing her would have eventually led us right back to here."

As Willow listened to Xander, her already-fragile heart shattered into a million pieces. She struggled to hold her emotions in check so that Xander would not know her true feelings. She loved her best friend. Willow admitted to herself. But the redhead knew that it was not meant to be. Xander loved Buffy with all of his heart. She'd have to be a fool not to know that. But that knowledge didn't make it hurt any less.

Willow also tried to remove the last traces of jealousy she felt towards Buffy from her psyche. She knew it wasn't Buffy's fault. It seemed that Buffy felt the same way about Xander that he did for her. They deserve happiness together. Willow wasn't going to stand in the way of their joy. But Willow also knew that any lingering resentment could cause a riff in her own relationship with Buffy. Buffy was her best friend. She was like a sister to Willow and the young girl didn't want to break that bond.

The two teenagers were so lost in their own thoughts, they almost didn't hear Giles yelling for them to get up. The Watcher raced closer to them, hollering as he ran. "Xander! Willow! Behind you!"

Xander jumped up and turned around. Four vampires with glowing yellow eyes were drawing nearer to the two teenagers. "Willow! Stake!" Xander hollered to his friend. She quickly reached into her bag and withdrew two stakes, one for Xander and one for herself. Xander hastily grabbed one of the stakes and leapt forward into the fray.

Fists flying, Xander focused on the first vampire. The demon wore a long dark coat much like the one Angel wears. The vampire was ready for the attack, his attention focused solely on Xander. They traded punches, each landing a few here and missing some others there. The other three vampires surrounded the dueling couple. Willow attempted to strike one of the creatures from behind, only to be swatted away like a fly. Her head struck a stone grave marker, disorienting her.

Giles arrived and shoved the smallest vampire away from Xander, breaking the circle that had been formed. The demon stood up and kicked Giles, foot flat against the man's chest. The Watcher stumbled backwards and tripped over his feet, crashing to the ground. "You are of no interest to us," the vampire hissed. "We've come for the boy."