Part 4:
"So you have no idea what this demon is like?"
Giles paced the room, cleaning his glasses, then sat down abruptly in a chair. He sighed. There was no way to help this girl if they had no idea what they were up against.
"No, I haven't seen it. Angel said that maybe I could stay with Buffy...she might be able to sense it."
"Well that's quite possible but..." Giles sentence was cut short by Anya interrupting.
"Ok, so she's getting stalked. Big deal! Buffy finds it, kills it, Claire goes home. What's the problem? I'm bored; I want to go home. Xander and I were planning on having sex but at the rate this little meeting is going, we won't get home till breakfast!"
Claire looked quickly at Xander, saw his face going red and joined in laughing with the rest of the gang. It was obvious that he secretly agreed but was trying not to show it.
"Look, that sounds like a good plan to me. But I'm staying over Riley's tonight so it will have to go into action tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay for the night Claire?"
Riley? Who's Riley? They didn't tell me anything about a Riley! Great, another problem!
"Claire?"
Claire's head snapped up.
"Pardon? Sorry, I, umm..."
"Was off in la-la land, I know!" Buffy laughed. "I go there a lot when Giles starts talking!"
Buffy chucked her ex-Watcher an amused look which was returned by a half smile, half frown. Giles never really understood Buffy's sense of humour and could never really tell when she was joking or serious.
"I just asked whether you had a place to stay tonight or not. I'm staying over my boyfriend's, otherwise you could have stayed with me."
So he's her boyfriend...gotta do something about that..."No, no, it's fine. I've got a booking at one of the local hotels."
Giles looked at the teenager nervously.
"Are you sure you are going to be alright? I mean, you're only, what..16?"
"15 and I'll be fine. I promise. I've learnt how to take care of myself."
"You can stay here if you want. In fact I insist. You'll be much safer and you can go to Buffy's in the morning, after she gets home."
"Well, ok, if you're sure. I don't want to invade your privacy or anything. I'll have to get my stuff from the hotel though."
"It's fine I assure you. I'll drive you to the hotel now."
Claire sighed in relief. At least she had a place to stay tonight. She got up and followed Giles out of the room. He threw a set of keys at Buffy.
"Here. If you guys leave, lock up and leave the key under the mat."
"Wow, such an original hiding spot." Xander said sarcastically. Giles sent him a *look* and he shut up.
"Bye guys!" Claire waved a hand and took one last look at Buffy before following Giles out the door.
"That's it guys! We're gone!" Xander gave the girls a quick grin before he and Ayna practically ran out the door. Willow turned to Buffy who was staring off into space.
"Earth to Buffy! Earth to Buffy!" She waved a hand in front of her best friend's face and laughed when she jumped.
"Sorry guys. My mind went wandering."
"Trying to think of who she reminds you of huh? Xander spent the first few minutes after we met her doing that. Well, we're off too. Will you be ok to get to Riley's by yourself?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. So who did Xander decide she reminded him of?"
Willow and Tara got up and started out the door. Willow's answer was just audible over the sound of the door shutting.
"You!"
Buffy stared into space again, her reply muttered under her breath, meant for her ears only...
"That's funny...She reminds me of Angel."
"So you have no idea what this demon is like?"
Giles paced the room, cleaning his glasses, then sat down abruptly in a chair. He sighed. There was no way to help this girl if they had no idea what they were up against.
"No, I haven't seen it. Angel said that maybe I could stay with Buffy...she might be able to sense it."
"Well that's quite possible but..." Giles sentence was cut short by Anya interrupting.
"Ok, so she's getting stalked. Big deal! Buffy finds it, kills it, Claire goes home. What's the problem? I'm bored; I want to go home. Xander and I were planning on having sex but at the rate this little meeting is going, we won't get home till breakfast!"
Claire looked quickly at Xander, saw his face going red and joined in laughing with the rest of the gang. It was obvious that he secretly agreed but was trying not to show it.
"Look, that sounds like a good plan to me. But I'm staying over Riley's tonight so it will have to go into action tomorrow. Do you have a place to stay for the night Claire?"
Riley? Who's Riley? They didn't tell me anything about a Riley! Great, another problem!
"Claire?"
Claire's head snapped up.
"Pardon? Sorry, I, umm..."
"Was off in la-la land, I know!" Buffy laughed. "I go there a lot when Giles starts talking!"
Buffy chucked her ex-Watcher an amused look which was returned by a half smile, half frown. Giles never really understood Buffy's sense of humour and could never really tell when she was joking or serious.
"I just asked whether you had a place to stay tonight or not. I'm staying over my boyfriend's, otherwise you could have stayed with me."
So he's her boyfriend...gotta do something about that..."No, no, it's fine. I've got a booking at one of the local hotels."
Giles looked at the teenager nervously.
"Are you sure you are going to be alright? I mean, you're only, what..16?"
"15 and I'll be fine. I promise. I've learnt how to take care of myself."
"You can stay here if you want. In fact I insist. You'll be much safer and you can go to Buffy's in the morning, after she gets home."
"Well, ok, if you're sure. I don't want to invade your privacy or anything. I'll have to get my stuff from the hotel though."
"It's fine I assure you. I'll drive you to the hotel now."
Claire sighed in relief. At least she had a place to stay tonight. She got up and followed Giles out of the room. He threw a set of keys at Buffy.
"Here. If you guys leave, lock up and leave the key under the mat."
"Wow, such an original hiding spot." Xander said sarcastically. Giles sent him a *look* and he shut up.
"Bye guys!" Claire waved a hand and took one last look at Buffy before following Giles out the door.
"That's it guys! We're gone!" Xander gave the girls a quick grin before he and Ayna practically ran out the door. Willow turned to Buffy who was staring off into space.
"Earth to Buffy! Earth to Buffy!" She waved a hand in front of her best friend's face and laughed when she jumped.
"Sorry guys. My mind went wandering."
"Trying to think of who she reminds you of huh? Xander spent the first few minutes after we met her doing that. Well, we're off too. Will you be ok to get to Riley's by yourself?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. So who did Xander decide she reminded him of?"
Willow and Tara got up and started out the door. Willow's answer was just audible over the sound of the door shutting.
"You!"
Buffy stared into space again, her reply muttered under her breath, meant for her ears only...
"That's funny...She reminds me of Angel."