"I'm surprised I laughed so hard," Buffy commented casually, relaxed. She
looked at Giles with a smile. "Thanks."

"Certainly." He smiled back. "I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."

"I did," she admitted. "Is that awful?"

"I don't think so."

They stepped inside his car and buckled their seatbelts. Starting the
ignition, he glanced at the clock and a surprised breath escaped his lips.
Buffy glanced at him. "What?" She followed his eyes. "Did you have...
Something else to do?" she asked delicately, trying to seem as though she
wouldn't be hurt if that was the case.

Giles shook his head. "I just didn't realize it was so late."

Buffy grinned. "Now, you're not going to start thinking we're dating, are
you?" she teased.

Giles blushed. "Of- Of course not! That's absurd." He laughed nervously,
then caught her playful smile and rolled his eyes. They headed toward her
house. "Must you needle me so?"

Buffy laughed. "I think I must."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They rolled to a stop in her driveway. Buffy unbuckled and turned to face
her Watcher. Her voice grew soft, and she attacked him with an unexpected
hug. "Thanks. I mean, really thanks. For everything."

"It's a pleasure," he replied quietly.

"Not just a job?" The words were light, but Giles caught the undertone of
sadness; she really wanted to know.

"It's my job to prepare you," he reminded her gently, "But not to take you to
the movies. It's a pleasure. I just wish..."

"You wish?" she prompted.

"I just wish that all your nights could be like these." His eyes caught hers
seriously. "They can be, you know."

Buffy sighed. "I know. I'm still thinking about it. Is there a deadline?"

"No. Not exactly."

"What do you mean?" she pressed, worried.

He lifted his shoulders helplessly. "If you haven't decided by your
nineteenth birthday, your special abilities will be taken away from you. You
will be normal. I didn't mention this?"

"No," Buffy answered, her brow wrinkling. "You didn't."

"Yes, well..." Giles trailed off, sneaking another look at the clock. "I
apologize."

She shrugged. "No need. I'll see you tomorrow, Giles."

He nodded, and she stepped out of the car, running up to her porch. As soon
as he saw for himself that she was safely inside, he started the car and
drove into the darkness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Giles shoved the door closed behind him. He was surprised to see Xander and
Angel sitting in companionable silence, the air of tension that usually
surrounded the boy and the vampire gone. He cleared his throat and they both
looked up at him, their eyebrows raised.

"We tried to call your house," Angel said, asking no explanation as to why
Giles was late. "But you weren't home. We decided to wait."

Giles looked around. "And where is Oz?"

Xander smirked. "I thought you would remember things like this." He
gestured to the window where they could see the full moon hanging low and
heavy in the sky.

Giles nodded with a quick, embarrassed understanding. "Ah-- Yes. Sorry."

Angel gestured to the couch. Giles seated himself beside Xander, who fell
silent again. Angel pinned the boy with a curious look and then turned back
to Giles. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes. Ah, and I apologize for being late. Buffy and I went out."

"Slaying?" Angel asked.

"No. To a movie. It seemed to lift her spirits a bit."

Angel nodded, a flash of sadness washing over his face. After a moment, he
shook his head. "So what did you find?"

"Their names. And our friend Willy was right. They are construction
workers. Sent to do a job in Falston, which is roughly ten days' drive away.
They live on the other side of Sunnydale, however, so they'll be passing
through on their way home."

"Which city?" Angel leaned forward.

"Denison."

"Did you happen to find out how long their job would take?" Xander asked
suddenly.

Giles shook his head in surprise. "No, actually I didn't. That's a very
good point, Xander. When they're finished, they'll head straight here."

Xander nodded mutely. "Do you know *what* they were working on?"

Giles paused, thinking. "A prison, if I remember correctly."

"Okay then. We just need to find out how long it takes to build a prison,"
Angel supplied quietly. "And then... We'll go from there."

Giles's eyes jerked to Angel. "What are *you* planning on doing?"

Angel looked at him levelly. "The same thing you are."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Buffy looked around her room. It was lonely. Scared was not something the
Slayer should be, or should have to be. She sighed, picking up her phone and
propping herself on her bed. Willow's mom answered. "Mrs. Rosenberg? Is
Willow there?"

"Bunny?"

Buffy grimaced. "Buffy. Yeah. I'm sorry to call so late. Is Willow
around?"

"I thought Willow was staying the night with you." The woman sounded
genuinely confused, and Buffy mentally smacked herself.

"No, she is. She was stopping by Xander's house before she came over. I'm
sorry. I forgot. Thanks."

"Of course, Bunny."

Buffy hung up the phone. Her hand wavered over the numbers for a moment
before she shrugged and punched in the numbers to the library. Willow picked
up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Will," Buffy said tiredly.

Willow frowned to herself. "Are you okay?"

"Pretty much. I was just wondering... Could you come over? Spend the night
as in really? Maybe Faith wouldn't mind watching Oz," Buffy said hopefully.

"Sure," Willow said instantly. "Faith got here a few minutes ago. She's
getting ready to do another sweep, but if I ask her, I'm sure she'll say yes.
See you in a little while, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

They disconnected.

Twenty minutes later, Willow knocked on the door. Buffy answered it with her
finger over her mouth, signaling her friend to be quiet as they walked up the
stairs. As soon as they were in Buffy's room, she explained, "Sorry. Mom's
asleep. Thanks for coming."

"No problem," Willow said, positioning herself on the bed. "What's going on?"

"I just...." Buffy sat next to her. "I'm tired. I didn't want to be alone.
I wanted...." Her eyes sparkled with tears, and Buffy blinked them back
resolutely.

"You wanted?" Willow asked helpfully.

"I wanted to just... Be close. To someone I'm allowed to be close to." She
looked at Willow with a sad smile. "It's stupid."

Willow shook her head. "No, it's not! It's understandable." She took
Buffy's hand. "I'll stay. I want to stay."

"Are you sure?"

Willow nodded seriously. She kicked off her shoes and Buffy smiled and did
the same. They laid down on the bed next to each other, and Buffy reached
over to flip the lamp off.

"Willow?" Her voice was tiny in the dark. "Would you mind it... Would it be
too weird if I asked if I could hug you?"

Willow's eyes welled up for her friend. "No. I think I would have asked you
the same thing."

She rolled over so she was facing Buffy, and opened her arms. Buffy slipped
into her friend's embrace, pressing her face into Willow's shoulder, silently
weeping. "Thank you, Willow."

Willow nodded, her own tears streaking down the side of her face and falling
on the pillow. She brushed Buffy's hair back with her hand, smoothing it,
soothing her. "Anytime you need it, Buffy."

Buffy nodded slightly and hugged Willow harder.

Wrapped in each other's arms, as the silent grew loud and the dark grew
darker, the two best friends fell asleep, listening to the sound of their
tears falling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Plink!*

*Plink!*

*Plink plink!*

The window opened and Xander sighed with relief. Cordelia rubbed at her eyes
in annoyance. "Hey, let me in, will you?" Xander called from the tree branch
in a loud whisper, "There could be monsters out here."

Cordelia rolled her eyes and nodded and indicated her room. Xander smirked.
"I was hoping you'd give me a little more help than that." He stepped across
the open space underneath the tree, sighing when his foot came in contact
with her window ledge. He caught the hand she lent and ducked inside.

"Thanks," he muttered, brushing himself off.

"What are you doing here, Xander?" Her voice was grainy from sleep, and she
cleared it. "I was sleeping, you know."

"I know, I know. You need twenty hours of sleep a night to stay that
beautiful," he grinned. Cordelia walked over to her bed and flopped down on
it. Xander followed her and began to get up beside her.

"Xander," she said warningly.

"Oh, sorry." He took off his shoes and then laid next to her. She nodded,
pleased.

"So *what* are you doing here?"

"Wanting to talk to you."

Cordelia yawned. "About...?"

Xander rolled onto his side, propping his head up with his hand. "Buffy."

Cordelia turned to him, her eyes serious. "What about Buffy? Is she okay?
Did something... else... happen?"

"No," Xander reassured her, pleased that she was concerned. "Just... You
know what we're planning, don't you? Hell, even I don't really know what
we're planning, but you seem to, so I want to come and ask for your...
Blessing?" He nodded to himself. "Blessing, I guess."

She arched an eyebrow. "This couldn't have waited until tommorrow?"

"It could have," he gave.

Cordelia sighed and reached out, touching his jaw with one finger. Xander
smiled. "I don't think you need my blessing, but you have it anyway. I
trust you guys." She grinned impishly. "Well, mostly them, but you a
little."

Xander laughed and then quieted, remembering her parents were in the next
room. Cordelia shook her head. "They're gone for the week. China. Daddy
has some important business to attend to."

His eyes glinted in the dark, the moonlight that swept over her body,
highlighting her hair and face and eyes until they seemed dipped in silver.
Her feet wiggled under the covers and Xander obligingly slipped under the
sheets and rubbed his feet with hers, warming her.

"Kiss me?"

Xander nodded. "You got it."

They kissed, their mouths making slow love for a long and tender moment
before they broke apart. Cordelia yawned again. "Just for waking me up,
you're going to have to brush my hair in the morning."

Xander groaned playfully. "Not that again!"

"That again," she said, grinning. "What can I say? I've never met a guy
who's so afraid of me that he'll go to any lengths to keep from pulling my
hair."

Their laughter mingled for a sweet second, and then all fell silent. She
snuggled against him. "Stay."

"Yes."

They slipped into quiet together, and the world fell asleep around them.