Saturday Afternoon

"Where are you now, Buffy?"

"I'm right here, Mom."

"You don't look here."

Buffy sighed. They were outside the San Francisco Museum of Art,
and Giles had gone to get them drinks. "Thinking about Sunnydale,
Mom."

"We're still on vacation."

"Vacations end. This can't last. I've got vamps to slay and
graveyards to patrol."

"You sound like that's the only thing you'll ever do in your
life."

"It's like--there's a riddle, and I think I know the answer. If I
miss a riddle, people die. But answering the riddle just gets me
another riddle. If I can figure out what's behind the riddles, I
might be able to get out of the game."

Joyce hugged Buffy. "Even now, I can't comprehend your
situation. But, I'm glad you're thinking about the meaning of it
all. I hope there is a meaning."

They saw Giles coming back with some iced coffees. "There has to
be a meaning to all of this. And, if we don't like it, Giles and
I will find a way to twist it."

Giles handed them their drinks. "What will we be doing, Buffy?"

"Evading destiny, the way we always have."

Giles smiled. "It's what we do best."

"But, it's time to go back home and face it again."

"Yes. We have a lot of work to do."

---

Saturday Night

"Don't worry about it."

"I just feel strange. I've never felt comfortable here."

"Jon, we're all feeling strange. At least here it's normal. I
mean, you saw the bouncer checking out everyone in a
mirror. Besides, you might find someone to dance with."

"As if."

"Two years ago at the Spring Fling--"

"Yes?"

"It was bad, but we still went dancing afterwards." Willow looked
at her watch. "Xander and Cordelia should be here soon."

"Cordelia? I'd better go."

"No, Jon. Please stay. She seems to have become almost human, and
that's almost as miraculous as our surviving Graduation."

The waiter came by and dropped them off their sodas. Jonathon
grabbed his and stood by the dance floor watching the other
dancers while Willow sipped her drink and lost herself in the
music. Ten minutes later, Cordelia and Xander joined her.

"Hey."

"Hey, Xand. Cordy."

"Willow."

Willow looked at them with concern. They had bags under their
eyes; they did not look happy. "What's wrong, Xander? You look
tired, and not because you've been having fun."

"Have you noticed how crappy parents can be, Willow? You know
Xander's, and mine?" Cordelia shook her head and tossed her hair
over her shoulder.

"Wills, we really need a place to stay. Any ideas?"

"Oh, hell. Your Dad again? You can't stay at--" Xander shook his
head very fast, and Willow saw Cordelia freeze up. She let out
her breath and said, "Well, mine aren't always a bargain
either. You two probably don't want to stay at my place."

Cordy snorted. "Hah-hah. I'd almost prefer Xander's basement."

"As it is, we're considering camping out again."

"Near Sunnydale? You'd might as well commit suicide."

"And if I have to hear his father rant and rave one more time, I
just might commit suicide. Or homicide, whatever's more fun."

"Why don't you stay at Buffy's? You have your emergency key
still, right?"

"Emergency key, Xander?"

"Yeah, well, we all have a key to her place in case we need more
supplies. I'm not so sure about staying there."

"Oh, crud. Do I have any dignity left?"

They heard a new voice from next to their table: "That's just
what I was going to ask you."

"Aura. How nice to see you. I thought you were going to the
Riviera."

"And the sooner you go, the better," murmured Willow. Xander
nodded.

"Oh, we're leaving tomorrow. So, what are you doing with the town
loser and the town nerd? I know. I just heard a marvelous story."
Xander clenched his fists. "I heard that one of the richest
couples in Sunnydale has been cheating on its taxes, and the IRS
is taking everything away. I wonder who that can be?"

Willow looked stricken. "Keep your voice down, Aura," said
Xander.

"Do you think anyone cares about your piece of gossip, Aura? What
do you care, anyway?"

"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. You've slipped to their level,
Cordelia. Serves you right. Class tells, and lack of it tells
too."

Willow recovered. "What do you know of class, Miss Perfect?"

"There's class, and there's class, Aura. You don't know the true
meaning of the word."

"Sure, Cordelia. You've gone back to the loser who cheated on
you. Of course, you both have loser parents now. And you're
friends with the geek he cheated with. Where's your date, Willow?
Or are you stealing this geek back again?"

Willow looked at Xander and Cordy, and all three started to
grin. Then Jonathon said from behind Aura, "Would you like to
dance?"

Aura turned around, and said, "With you?"

"Yes, with me. You really should; you need to get away from this
table right now."

"And why is that, you jerk?"

"Why, didn't you know? Those are the third, fourth, and fifth
most dangerous people in Sunnydale. You really don't want to know
what happens when you get them angry." They nodded. Aura turned
and glared at them, and they calmly stared back. She stalked off.

Jonathon sat down with them and said, "Should I be disappointed?"

Willow replied, "She's not worth it, Jon." She then looked at
Xander, and he mouthed at her, "Later." Willow nodded, and said,
"Jon, you want to dance?" "Sure." They moved to the dance
floor. "Actually, Oz would be fourth." A minute later, they saw
Xander and Cordelia kissing.