Sunday Evening

Giles' Citroen wheezed its way down Revello Drive, sounding like
Jack Benny's old Maxwell.

"Can we go any faster, Giles? I really want to get home before
sunset."

"I thought you said there wouldn't be any problems for a while,
Buffy. Was that the truth?"

"Joyce, I don't anticipate any problems for a few
weeks. Nevertheless, it's never a good idea to be wandering
around Sunnydale at night."

"Probably not. Buffy, someone seems to be sitting on our porch."

"Flaming red hair. Reading a book. Willow."

"I hope nothing's wrong." Giles tapped his horn, and Willow
looked up. Giles parked the car in the Summers' driveway, and
Willow met them.

"Will, is anything wrong?"

"All quiet on the Western front." Buffy and Willow hugged each
other. "But there's something I need to talk to all of you
about." Giles arched an eyebrow, and they quickly unloaded the
car and brought the Summers' luggage inside.

"So, Will, what's the what?"

"This should explain it." Willow reached into her book bag and
pulled out three small booklets, which she handed to Buffy,
Joyce, and Giles.

"The Sunnydale High School Memorial Service? Who are the
organizers?" asked Giles.

"It was Jonathon's idea, but Xander, Cordy and I have been
helping. The rest of the school is supporting us."

"That's very thoughtful, Willow. I'm sure it will help bring
peace to the families," said Joyce.

"Yeah, well, it was the least we could do." Willow looked a
little pensive.

"What's wrong, Willow?" Suddenly, looks of horror appeared on
Giles' and Buffy's faces, and Willow nodded. "You might want to
look at page 4."

Giles looked at the program and simply froze, while Buffy
sputtered out, "A speech? The last speech?"

"It will be good for the two of you. You'll have to deal with
what happened sometime. Why not now?"

"But I'm not good at this, Will. You know that. I slay. I don't
talk."

"You are going to write a speech. You have to. Besides, I've
already distributed the programs." Willow glared back at Buffy,
and she nodded in surrender.

"A Bible reading, Willow? I'm not very comfortable with the
idea."

"It's the Apocrypha, actually. I think it's fitting. And, you
really have to deal with what happened too." She glared at
Giles, and he wilted; Joyce was fascinated by the way Willow
handled them.

"Where on Earth did you dig this set of verses from, Willow?"

"Jon's parents went all Civil War-wonky ten years ago. This is
from one of the books they bought." Giles looked puzzled, while
Joyce breathed out, "Dearest Sarah," and that puzzled Giles even
more.

Joyce phoned a pizza order while the others chatted about the
trip. After the pizza was delivered and devoured, Joyce took the
dishes and glasses into the kitchen.

"I thought I emptied the dishwasher before we left. And Chinese
food in the garbage?" Joyce came back to the living room holding
some evidence. Willow flinched, and Joyce glared at her. Willow
flinched and said, "Uh, Mrs. Summers, I can explain."

"Then do so. Who used my house while we were gone?"

"Xander and Cordelia needed a place to stay. I suggested here."

"Xander and Cordelia? Xander and Cordelia? Willow, you didn't
suggest this as a place for them to have sex?" Giles made a
clucking sound.

"No. Their parents."

"Oh. I know Xander's, but Cordelia's?"

"It's really bad, Mrs. Summers. I'd prefer not to talk about it."

"Oh, all right. But next time, ask first!" Willow and Buffy
escaped upstairs to gossip.

Joyce stretched out on the couch while Giles leaned back into his
living room chair.

"Xander and Cordelia. I never thought they'd ever get back
together. Just seeing Cordelia's looks at him in the library made
my teeth ache. It must be the graduation."

"That must be the reason. Graduation should be a time of
reappraisal; I guess they gave up their hate."

"And I would never have imagined that they'd do this," said Giles
as he waved the memorial program.

"It was their school, and their peers. They have the right and
the duty to do it."

"True. Still, this is unusual, even for them."

"Willow's right, you know. The two of you need to do something
like this. It will be good for you. You're not really used to
dealing with people, are you?"

"It's a strain dealing with Buffy, let alone her friends."

"They're good for you, you know. You'll do well Tuesday."