"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"Yes, I'm sure." The brunette replied patiently to the couple questioning her.
"Are you really sure? Absolutely certain?"
"Yes." She insisted with a sigh, as if she was talking to children instead of grown adults. "Look, Will and Xand are like, two minutes away - probably less if I run really fast - should I need them. And I'm not exactly gonna invite vamps into the house, am I?" At her sister's dubious look, she sighed again. "I know what you're thinking - and you know, that whole thing with Harmony was what: four, maybe five years ago? Haven't you let go of that yet?" She turned to the dark-haired young man beside her.
"Tell them, Xand."
Cheerily he obliged, eager to see Watcher and Slayer head off and hopefully get an opportunity to thrash out their issues. "She's right, Buff. She's not stupid... well," he added with a teasing sparkle, "Not very. You can trust her and you can trust us to look out for her. Besides... it's only for two days."
The blonde glowered up at him through her open window. "You and I both know that a lot can happen in two days, Alexander Harris."
"Relax Buffy, it'll be fine." Willow stepped forward and patted her friend's forearm reassuringly. "Now go, have fun and try not to get yourself killed... or knocked unconscious." This directed to Giles, she continued; "The house will still be standing when you get back, I promise... and so will we. So go on - take her away, Giles - before she tries to get me to ward the place or something." Moving backward, the redhead wrapped an arm around the teen beside her and grinned as Giles obediently switched on the ignition.
"Take care, you three." He smiled affectionately at the group assembled on the pavement before bidding their friends farewell and pulling away.
A chorus of 'goodbyes' responded and the friends remaining waved until the car disappeared out of sight.
"Finally." Dawn sighed dramatically and grinned, wrapping an arm about each friend as the trio headed back inside the house. "I thought they'd never go. Now, let's party!"
"Do you really think they'll be alright?"
Just as Dawn had done, Giles blew out a long, steady sigh. "They'll be fine."
"Maybe we should go back, just to be sure..."
"Buffy, stop worrying." He frowned as he concentrated on pulling out onto the busy road, before eventually adding, "I promise they can cope without us for a few days." He spared a sideways glance at her, suddenly uncertain that this had been a wise decision as he forced a patient smile onto his lips. "Now, I suggest you just sit back and enjoy the scenery."
"So, what do you guys think? Reckon they'll work out their issues?" Xander's inquiry was muffled slightly as he worked the words out around a mouthful of waffle and syrup. "I mean, we won't have to send a team over to pick up the pieces that used to be known as Buffy and Giles afterwards, will we?"
Willow smiled at him over her glass of juice and shook her head slightly. "I don't think it'll get as bad as that, but yeah, I think - well, I hope - that they do work things out... it's way overdue."
"You're tellin' me." Xander ignored the baffled look Dawn flashed his way as she watched the conversation unfold. "Last time I had a one-on-one with her, she had this crazy theory that Giles was gonna 'poof' off the face of the planet. Has she said anything to you, Wills?"
"A bit, but not much. From what Buffy said, this goes back to before we moved here... she didn't mention the 'poof' thing, but there was some intense stuff with Giles and Spike and Robin and... well, it's, uh... complicated would be an understatement."
"It's a bit weird though, don't you think?" Dawn at last contributed. "I mean, she's been really weird on and off for a long time - which isn't unusual for my sister, I grant you - but then lately, she's actually been interested in my life and acting happy, especially this week. It's kind of like someone's come along and pushed her 'happy' button." The teen pulled a face as realised how her words sounded. "You know what I mean."
Willow's expression turned thoughtful as she sipped on her drink, mulling over Dawn's statement. "Yeah, actually..." she murmured, "I think I do."
"How so?"
A gentle smile took form on the redheads' mouth as she replied to Xander's confusion. "Think about it, Xand. Buffy's been all 'the whole world is against me' ever since we brought her back; more so since what happened at the vineyard. She's tried in her typical way not to let it show, so that she wouldn't drag us all down with her."
"Yup. Sounds like Buffy when she's going through her usual 'poor old me' routine."
Willow ignored Dawn's comment as she organised her thoughts. "If it really is to do with... what she told me... and you... then it all makes sense; especially if she's as genuinely happy as she's seemed to be this week."
Xander halted her, holding up a hand. "Speak English, Will. What makes sense? What's going on?"
"Giles." She spoke the answer softly; affection filling her voice as realisation dawned. "It's Giles. Trust me when I say that there's a lot of stuff to get through first, but it's Giles. He's the one who she's all... anguished... about, but the minute he said he'd whisk her away and have some 'them' time, she was like a different person. It's obvious, don't you see it?"
"Yeah, I see it." Xander absently bit off another chunk of waffle, chewing it slowly as he allowed his friend's words to penetrate his brain. He choked slightly as they connected with his own realisations and looked up at her with a watering eye. "I see it."
"What? What do you see?" Dawn looked between the two of them, utterly befuddled before turning back to her breakfast with a mutter. "Fine. Don't tell me. It's not like I care, anyway. As long as whatever you see stops Buffy being jealous of me spending time with Giles , I'm happy. Actually, what would make me really happy would be if Buffy got the guy she's 'obviously-but-won't-admit-it' in love with and Giles got his girl. Then maybe I'd get some peace around here instead of crazy people talking to themselves."
One wide hazel coloured eye met two sparkling green ones across the table and the friends grinned at each other.
"Yep, now I definitely see it." Xander confirmed.