"Well, you moved after we burned the gym down," Pike said, sitting on Xander and Buffy's couch with a mug of coffee. "And you know your mom didn't approve of me, so pretty much I wandered around, killing demons for a few years."

"I can't believe you're in Sunnydale. What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

She had spent a little while explaining to Xander and Faith who Pike was. Then Faith summed it up before heading back home. "Old friend, killed demons with you. Wicked."

Xander had already left a message on Steve's machine saying he came down with food poisoning or something, and was in absolutely no condition to come in tomorrow.

"I heard about the Slayer here," Pike said. "Other rumors, too, but I figured, 'Hey, go see Buffy.' Be cool to hit up the old high school chick again, you know?"

"So when you said you *thought* the slayer was your old friend, but you guessed wrong, that was a lie?" Xander asked.

"Not exactly," said Pike. "I knew about the 'one slayer dies, another is called' so when I saw your other friend showin' off the slayer skills, I figured my info was shit. Now, I'm just happy Buffy's still alive."

"Alive again, actually," she said, throwing a thumb at Xander. "I died sophomore year, but this guy knows some very effective revival techniques."

"Magic?" Pike asked.

"CPR," Xander said.

"The old standby," Pike said, nodding. "So. Buffy Summers. All moved in with a guy, and your mom's okay with it, and you just a young thing of nineteen years. How the hell does that happen?"

Xander grinned and took Pike's cup to refill it. Pike nodded his thanks.

"Okay, Pike," she said. "You've been a big bad demon hunter just as long as I have. How much slayer lore do you know?"

"Oh, tons," he said. "I carry a shitload of books around on the back of my Harley, just reading up on slayers. Buffy, I know jack. Do I look like Merrick to you?"

"If your hair was a little longer, maybe. . ." Buffy teased.

"She always that sassy?" Pike called out to Xander.

"No," he said. "Only at 4 am."

"I bet she's lots of things at 4 am," Pike muttered.

Buffy glared at him.

"Okay, so explain already."

Buffy smiled warmly as Xander re-entered the room and sat down next to her.

"Xander's my soul mate," she said. "Prophesied, triple-checked and given the Watcher's council seal of approval."

"Not that those asses have a lot to do with us these days," Xander said.

"Buff-a-rooney, gone Watcherless?" Pike asked.

"Officially, yes," she said. "Not in actual fact, though."

"How does that work?" Pike asked.

"Giles, he's my watcher, he got fired by the council for. . . what was the phrase Travers used, Xan?"

Xander smiled. "Having a father's love."

"Right," Buffy said. "That. So they fired him. A couple months later, I quit the council. The only contact we've had from them since was when Giles called them about Xander."

"Yeah, what was that glowy thing you did earlier?" Pike asked.

"That's one of my powers," Xander said. "I can heal people."

"That's gotta come in useful in fights," Pike said. "So, you met in high school. What were you, captain of the football team?"

"Watch it, mister," Buffy said.

"Buffy Summers used to be the queen of the school, even as a freshman," Pike said. "Hemery never knew what hit it. She was the fashion queen. All the girls wanted to be her, and they all wanted to have her boyfriend."

"You?" Xander asked.

"Oh no," Pike said. "By the time we got together, she was in a free fall towards outcast level. I just helped her crash into it head first."

Xander nodded. "That's the Buff I know."

"It was short-lived between us though. She moved, and I. . . well."

"Pike isn't exactly one for long-term relationships," Buffy said.

"It's the vagrant lifestyle," he said. "Gives you a lot of stories to tell, if not a lot in the way of meaningful relationships of any kind, especially when I show up covered in goop."

Buffy yawned her way through Pike's last sentence.

"Whoa, somebody's a sleepy slayer," Xander said. "I think it's time we head to bed. Do you need a place to stay?"

"You offer me your couch?" Pike asked.

"Buffy trusts you. That's good enough for me," he said.

Buffy smiled.

"Well, thanks," Pike said. "But no thanks. I got a place, actually. Hooked up with a guy who did some work here a while back. He's got a place. No cable, but I plan to steal it soon."

"Okay," Xander said. "Well, it was nice to meet you."

Pike rose and set his cup down on the table. "Nice to meet you too, man," he said.

Buffy rose up and gave Pike a hug. "I meant what I said," she told him. "Stop by the Magic Box, meet the gang. It'll be fun."

Pike smirked. "We'll see. Later Buff."

Buffy latched the door after he left, then latched herself onto Xander.

"I am soooo tired," she said.

"I know the feeling," he said. "Hey, how come you were so late tonight?"

"I stopped by Giles' after patrol, and we were talking," she said. "It got late."

Xander smiled and led her into their bedroom.

"Oh, shit," he said. "I forgot about the glass."

* * * * *

"Xander, I didn't expect to see you here at this hour," Giles said.

"Long night," he said. "An old friend of Buffy's showed up and saved my ass from getting demoned to death. I got very little sleep, so I called in sick."

"Demoned. . . really, Xander."

"Ah, come on, G-man. You gotta flow with the make up of verbage!"

Giles sputtered into his tea, causing Xander to grin.

"You do that on purpose don't you?"

"I lie awake at night scheming ways to fluster you."

"I imagine you do. You were attacked?"

"No, Faith were attacked," he said, eliciting another eye roll from Giles. "Three huge guys. Red and black scales. Claws like nobody's business. Ripped her up pretty good, but she managed to call me out by shattering my window."

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, I healed her. What kind of demons do you think these were?"

"I don't know. I suppose we'll have to research."

"I was afraid you'd say that."

"And yet you came anyway."

"Buffy has class."

"Ah."

"Do you remember any other characteristics?"

"Faith said something about all of them being synchronized, and talking in turns."

"Really? Talking in turns? Fascinating."

"And they said they'd killed slayers before."

"Yes. . . I do recall something. . ."

Giles rushed over to a bookcase and pulled out a few volumes. "Yes. . . I think it will be in one of these."

Xander looked at the books. "Just five? Giles, you're slipping in your old age."

Giles glared at him.

"I know, I know," he said. "Research."

Xander sat at the table and started poring over the tomes.

"Hey, where is Faith, anyway?" Xander asked as a customer came in.

"Day off," Giles said.

"Oh," Xander said, and went back to reading.

The door jingled again as the customer left.

* * * * *

The bell jingled.

"Hi Giles, hi Xander, Mom's at a meeting today so she told me I could come here after school, is that okay?"

Xander smiled.

"Ah, yes, Dawn," Giles said. "But. . . do try not to drop anything today."

"All over it," Dawn assured him. She dropped her backpack down next to the table and sat across from Xander.

"Whatcha doin', Xander?" she asked.

"Planning a nuclear attack on Russia. You?"

"Sitting. What are you researching?"

"A demon. Big, nasty demon."

"Oh," Dawn said. "Is that why Faith was so late coming home last night?"

"Ayup," Xander said. "They were nasty. Good thing that guy Pike showed up when he did or I might be less Xander, more. . . puddle."

Dawn's eyes bulged out. "PIKE?"

Xander looked up. "Uh. Yeah. You probably haven't talked to your sister yet."

Giles rushed into the room, axe at the ready.

"Where is he?" Giles yelled. "We'll get him this time, for sure!"

Xander and Dawn looked at him like he was insane.

"You're not panicking," Giles said.

"I generally don't when nothing happens," Xander said.

"But. . . Dawn just yelled about Spike."

Xander smiled. "Hearing check, G-man. Dawnie yelled 'Pike', Buffy's old friend, not Spike, vampire and general pain in the. . . uh, butt."

Giles lowered his axe. "I'll just be in the back."

"You there, Dawnie?" Xander asked, looking at Dawn who seemed to be staring off into space.

"Dawn?"

"Uh huh?"

"You okay?"

Dawn blushed. "Oh. Yeah. I'm fine."

"You sure, now?"

"Yep! I'm good to go."

"Okay then."

The door jingled again.

"Heya, Buff," Xander said, grinning as the blonde slayer came into the shop.

"Hey, baby," she said, giving Xander a kiss and sitting down in his lap. "Hi, Dawn. What are you doing here?"

"Mom's got a meeting," she said.

Buffy nodded. "How's school going for you?"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Mr. Jenkins is such a troll," she said.

Buffy looked at Xander for confirmation.

"Oh yeah, definitely," Xander said. "Actually, I can't believe he's still alive. Isn't he like a thousand?"

Dawn giggled at that.

"So, what have you guys been up to?"

"Well," Xander said. "I told Dawnie about our surprise visitor last night, and she got all doe-eyed over him."

"I did not!" Dawn yelled. "What's doe-eyed?"

"He means you're crushing, big time," Buffy said.

Xander grinned as Dawn turned red with anger and embarrassment. "I was just excited, because I haven't seen Pike in forever, and he was cool."

"He still is," Buffy said. "And he's all badaaa. . . er, big bad demon hunter-y now, so that's good, too."

"And he saved my life, which makes him A-OK in my book," Xander said.

Buffy smiled. "Would for me too, if he wasn't already."

Buffy and Xander proceeded to gross out Dawn by rubbing noses together and making cooing noises.

"You two are so way beyond losers," she said.

"Just wait till you're in love, Dawnie," Xander said. "It'll be the best time of your life."

The door jingled again and Willow entered the shop slowly, being very careful about her steps. She looked to be deep in thought.

"Hey, Wills," Xander said. "You okay?"

Willow looked up, then looked around, seemingly noticing for the first time that she was in the Magic Box.

"Oh," she said. "Hi. Yeah."

All three regarded her curiously.

"Um. . . Buffy? Can I talk to you outside? I. . . have a. . . a thing I. . ."

"Of course, Willow," she said, throwing a questioning look at Xander, who shrugged his ignorance.

Buffy followed Willow outside and Xander turned back to his reading.

"So what did the demon guys look like?" Dawn asked, opening a book of her own.

"You know your sister will kill you if she catches you looking at that," Xander said.

"Good thing for me that there's a bell on the door, then," Dawn said.

"I really shouldn't let you look at it either," he said.

Dawn, sensing danger, brought out the big guns all at once. She threw her best puppy dog eyes and pouted at the same time. Xander never stood a chance.

"Eight feet tall, red and black scales, big claws, telepathy," he said, sighing and flipping a page.

"You mean like this one?" Dawn asked, pointing at the book.

Xander looked up and grabbed the book. He scanned the page for a second.

"Giles!" he called out.

Giles came out of the back room, and Xander held the book up, pointing to the entry. Giles took the book from him and started reading.

"Oh, I see," he said. "Excellent work, Xander."

Xander winked at Dawn, who blushed.

* * * * *

"What's up, Willow?" Buffy asked, sitting on the curb next to Willow.

"I um. . . well, there. . . I have a question."

"Okay," Buffy said. "Shoot."

"So last night, Tara and I went to see The Third Man and have dinner."

"Okay."

"And it was a lot of fun and all, and we watched the movie and then went to dinner and then we were walking home from dinner and we stopped outside my room and I didn't know anything was happening but then Tara kissed me and I kissed her back and I think I like her or maybe more than like her but I'm not sure and what do I do now and oh god Buffy what do I do?"

Buffy took a moment to run the entire ramble through in her head again. There was, she felt, only one appropriate reaction.

"Whoa."

"Oh, thanks, Keanu, that was helpful."

"Sorry," Buffy said. "That just kinda surprised me."

"Surprised me too," Willow said.

"Well. . ." Buffy said. "I think the first thing you need to do is actually figure out how you feel."

"Okay," Willow said.

"And then, I guess, confront your feelings. Will, the important thing is that you're happy."

Willow smiled at her friend, then quickly frowned again. "If. . . if I do. . . you know, Tara? Does. . . does this mean I'm gay?"

Buffy thought about it for a second. "I don't think so," Buffy said. "Although I don't really think it matters, whether you are or not. But I don't see you as the type to take a big label."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"Okay, so define yourself," Buffy said. "Think of a few words that describe you perfectly."

Willow's face scrunched up as she thought intensely.

"I don't know," she said, after a minute.

"See?" Buffy said. "All these people have an obsession with putting people in boxes, making them fit in easily definable categories. Do you wanna know what category you fit in?"

"What?" she asked.

"You're Willow," she said, throwing one arm around the redhead. "Best friend to Buffy and Xander, compatriot to Faith, role model to Dawn and possible liker or maybe more of Tara. If you like a girl, you like a girl. But you're still Willow. We love you whoever you're involved with."

Willow smiled and pulled Buffy into a hug.

"So what are you gonna do?" Buffy asked her.

Willow sighed. "I don't know. I guess I should go talk to Tara."

"Sounds the thing to do," Buffy said.

Willow stood up. "Okay," she said. "I'm going to talk to Tara."

Buffy stood up next to her and grabbed her hand. "You call me if you need anything," she said.

Willow nodded and headed back towards campus.

----------

End Chapter 4