Giles looked down at the words in confusion. His mouth opened silently as he
read what had been written by the most malicious of hearts. 'Did you hear?
Miss I'm Better Than Everyone Buffy was giving it to a couple of guys in an
alley. God, what a slut.'

Giles threw the paper down, disgusted. He looked up at Cordelia. "Who wrote
this?"

"Harmony," she muttered angrily.

"What did you say?"

Her eyes snapped to his. "I asked her if anything seemed unusual about it,
like Buffy's crying and trying to get away."

"And?" he demanded.

Cordelia exhaled deeply, looking away. "She asked why, if Buffy wasn't into
it, she didn't just knock them out, because everyone knows she's strong
enough."

Giles paused, not knowing what to say.

Willow finally broke in. "How many people know?"

"Well, Harmony said that it was actually Kim who saw it, so right now two.
But... Well, neither of them can really keep a secret if it's this... juicy."

Giles flinched. "Tell her it's important."

"Giles, I'm not sure if that will work."

"Tell her!" he barked. "Make it work."

Cordelia looked down tearfully. "Okay." She turned to Xander, slipping her
arm through his. "Come with me?"

"You got it."

They walked out of the library together, hushed and worried. Giles looked at
the office where, through the blinds, he could see Buffy hunched over on the
sofa. He started for there, but Willow stopped him.

"Let me?" She looked at him pleadingly. "Please?"

Giles glanced at her, noted the tears tracking down her face, and gave a slow
nod of assent. "Yes. Thank you."

Willow gave a trembling smile in thanks and disappeared into his office. He
looked after her blankly for a moment and then turned to Oz, who was sitting
on the desk and leaning forward. Oz finally broke the heavy silence that
shrouded them. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm regretting that little twit's birth," Giles growled before he could
catch himself.

Oz raised his eyebrows. "Cordelia?"

Giles rolled his eyes, walking over to the desk and falling into a chair.
"Harmony."

"Ah."

"And, I'm thinking that now more than ever do I want to..." Giles trailed
off, choosing to think the violent words instead of say them.

Oz nodded in understanding. "I hear you, Giles." He glanced at his
girlfriend in the office, her arms around Buffy. "Believe me, I hear you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Buffy?"

Buffy looked up at Willow, her eyes dry and cold. "Yeah?"

"Can I just... Sit with you for a minute?" Willow asked hesitantly. Buffy
stared at her for a moment and then lifted her chin in affirmation. Willow
sat down on the small couch and looked intently at her best friend. "It was
horrible, what Harmony wrote about you."

Buffy winced, then shrugged. "Yeah. Whatever."

"No, *not* whatever," Willow insisted, her voice and frustration rising. "It
was wrong, just plain wrong, and she should be punished for saying that about
you! None of them know. *I* hardly know what you're going through, Buffy."
She looked away, her eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Buffy gave her a thin smile. "At least you know the truth. They, who knows
how many people, think... Think that I..." she trailed off, her breaths heavy
and gasping for a moment before she composed herself.

Willow touched her hand. "They don't know you. If they did..."

"If they did, they still wouldn't like me because I don't bend to their
whims," Buffy stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, yes," Willow admitted, "But would you really want to be friends with
them?"

"That's not the point, Will," Buffy said miserably. "The point is that they
said these things about me and didn't think about any repercussions that
might come from them." She ran a hand through her hair. "And it sucks,
Willow. God, if Angel had read that note, who knows what he'd be doing to
Harmony right now? And I don't know if I'd stop him."

Willow brushed at her eyes absently. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I wish
there was more I could say than that. I wish... I could do something to
help you, but I can't."

Buffy smiled wanly. "Thanks, though. I think it's enough that you listen to
me. Really listen, I mean. Sometimes I feel like you and Angel are the only
ones that do that." She glanced away from Willow for a long moment, staring
at nothing. "I told him that I wished we could make love last night. It was
the first time either of us had really... Had really brought that up. You
know, not just beating around the bush or anything."

Willow's eyes widened. "What did he say?"

A smile flickered around the edges of Buffy's mouth. "He said that he wished
we could too. That he missed that kind of intimacy with me, but that it
might make me resent him in the long run, and wouldn't take the pain away."
She rolled her eyes. "God, I hate it when he's wise and knowing. I feel
like a movie of the week."

Willow smiled briefly, pulling her friend into a hug. "If you ever need me
for anything, Buffy," she offered.

Buffy nodded against Willow's shoulder. "Thanks. I know. If only you could
take away what Harmony said," she murmured dryly. Her eyes got moist, and
she brushed at them angrily.

Willow pulled back from the hug, her eyes wide. She smiled slowly. "I... I
actually may know of something that would do just that." She laughed, amused
that it hadn't occurred to her before.

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked, a confused, almost-smile on her
face.

Willow shrugged. "I'm a witch. We do spells. Or, if you like, I could just
throw a couple of kids in an oven."

Buffy, slowly catching on, laughed with her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After school, the group reconvened unplanned, taking refuge in the place they
knew intuitively would bring the most comfort. They sat around the table,
Xander holding hands with Cordelia, and Oz with Willow. Buffy jittered her
leg and tapped her pencil against the desk, bored. With a sigh, she finally
turned to Cordelia.

"What'd Harmony say?"

Cordelia jumped, trapped. "She said that it was too late, and even if she
could have stopped herself from telling Blue..."

Buffy's eyebrows arched. "She wouldn't have?"

Cordelia sighed. "Right."

Willow and Buffy grinned in unison, and Cordelia, Oz and Xander looked at
them in surprise. "Cordelia," Willow said slowly, "Do you think you could
find out exactly how many people know, and which ones? By tonight?"

Cordelia shrugged. "Sure. I don't think I'd have a problem doing that."

Buffy leaned forward imperceptibly. "Then do it. Call Willow and I tonight
at my house, okay?"

Cordelia shook her head, bewildered. "You got it."