Disclaimer: see chapter one.

A/N Sorry the chapters have been so short. This one's only slightly longer, but I wanted to get something out before you all forgot about me. Thank-you for all the reviews. I'm starting to get really nervous about living up to all your expectations. lol. Oh, and there's a quote from a Sarah Mclachan song in here somewhere. Kudos to those who find it.

It was Monday morning and Buffy was back at school. So was Willow who had managed to cover most of her bruise with makeup. Giles, however, wasn't there. Neither was Oz because he'd gone to bail the older man out. Xander was under the impression that Willow had tripped down her steps, and Cordelia was rolling her eyes every time Xander made a joke about attacking stairs.

None of them expected what they found when they went to the library during lunch under Willow's insistence. Buffy indicated that they should be quiet as they approached the doors. Through the glass they could see Giles had none other than principle Snyder up against a filing cabinet.

"You want to fire me you little weasel?" Giles was saying, "Then fire me."

"What's going on?" a voice asked from behind the group of teenagers. Willow spun around, hand over here heart.

"Oz," Willow breathed, "What're you doing here?"

"I go to school here?"

"Right."

"Shh!" Cordelia demanded.

Snyder was sputtering his indignation while trying to peel Giles' hands off him. They latter didn't appear to be happening. So, Buffy pushed open the door to demand answers. Not that it didn't give her a inordinate amount of pleasure to see her principal almost ready to pee his pants as Giles hoisted him farther up against the aforementioned cabinet. Buffy never got her answers because, as soon as Giles saw them, he released the smaller man and swept from the library.

Snyder glared at the teenagers and began to straighten his tie.

"What are you doing here?" he said, "Get to class."

"We're at lunch," Willow spoke up hesitantly, but Snyder didn't seem to notice. He was looking at something over their shoulders.

"May I help you?" he asked his usual condescending demeanor returned.

"I'm Ms. Wood," the person he was looking at replied. Turning around the scoobies saw that Ms. Wood was a tall, willowy, woman in her mid-twenties with light brown skin, black hair pulled back in a bun, and wide, innocent, brown eyes. Buffy mentally catalogued the thought she wouldn't last a week.

"You applied for the Language Arts position?"

"Yes,"

"Well, that spots been taken, but a new one just opened up. Congratulations Ms. Wood you're our new librarian. You start now. Don't screw it up, and watch out for Summers; she's a trouble maker."

"Okay..." the woman frowned as Snyder stalked down the hall.

"He can't fire Giles," Buffy objected.

"He kinda just did Buff," Xander replied.

"I should hex him," Willow muttered. Everybody turned to give her a strange look.

"What?"

"Um," Ms. Wood interrupted, "is this the library?"

"No, it's the cafeteria," Cordelia snarked.

"I'm sorry," the woman replied not sounding sorry at all, "You must be the school bitch. It's very nice to meet you." With these words the young woman pushed open the door and disappeared into the library.

"She can't do that," the cheerleader sputtered, "Teachers aren't allowed to talk to students like that. I could so totally get her fired."

"But it's true," Xander replied. Then winced as he realized he'd spoken aloud.

While Cordelia began to rant Buffy and Willow went after their new librarian. Buffy just plain wanting to vent her outrage, and Willow thinking of all the books concerning the paranormal that were stashed in the locking cage and in Giles' office and underneath the front desk. All of those rare, old, nightmare inducing books.

To Willow's horror Ms. Wood had indeed found one and was examining the binding, but instead of being alarmed, or even vaguely surprised, she had an oddly thoughtful look. Her head snapped up as the doors swung shut.

"Hello, Buffy, Willow," the woman nodded, "You know you really shouldn't leave 17th century manuscripts lying around. Even if they are in mint condition."

"How do you know my name?" Buffy asked.

"How do you know that's 17th century?" Willow questioned at the same time.

"Easy," she replied choosing to answer Willow's question, "It was my Christmas gift to Uncle Rupert last year. Had a hell of a time getting it. Borlog demons are extremely possessive."

"Uncle Rupert?" Buffy looked skeptical, "Giles' never said anything about any family."

"I'm not surprised," she nodded, "Mother asked him not to."

"Okay, I'm seriously loosing patience," Buffy said taking a deep breath, "So would you please explain why you're here, and how you know who we are!"

"Uncle Rupert of course. Just because he doesn't talk about us doesn't mean he doesn't talk to us. As for the reason I'm here? The Council has decided the hellmouth could use some reinforcements. It's best to keep these things in the family."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Buffy demanded.

With a sigh of resignation the young librarian realized she would find nothing but resistance from the blond slayer. As a rule Giles tended to be typically reserved, but she'd always been particularly close to her favorite (and only) uncle, and he'd told her about the girl's stubbornness with more than a little pride seeping into his voice. So, she turned the shy red head in hopes of some help.

"What about you?" she asked, "Do you think I'm lying?"

"I don't know," Willow said with much more confidence than she felt, "But I'm willing to find out. If you're really Giles' niece meet us at his apartment this afternoon."

"Uncle Rupert told me you were smart."

"He did?" Willow asked unable to keep a little bit of a blush from seeping into her cheeks.

"Several times," Ms. Wood smiled as the bell signaling the end of lunch rang, "Now, get to class. I'll see you this afternoon."

It was four o'clock and Willow, Xander, and Oz were sitting on the steps leading to Giles' apartment. Buffy was pacing around the courtyard.

"I told you she was lying," Buffy fumed.

"Chill, Buff," Xander replied, "Maybe she got lost. Give her some time."

"You, being patient?" Willow asked skeptically, "You think she's hot don't you?"

"I have eyes," Xander replied defensively.

"What about you?" she turned to Oz, "Do you think she's hot?"

"I prefer red heads," he mused, "You wouldn't happen to know one would you?"

Willow just shook her head and leaned over to kiss him. He'd been there for her all these months when everybody else was too wrapped up in their own problems to notice she was at her wits end trying to keep things together. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, but the structure of there little group had started to fall apart these last months, and somehow or the other she'd been landed with the the thankless, unnoticed job of being go between, confidant, and all around responsible one. It made her love Oz all the more that he'd let her scream and rage and cry out her anger and fear. Sometimes she pushed just to see how far he'd go, but he never stooped to battle, and he never turned to go.

Her thoughts were interrupted as Giles' mystery niece chose that moment to appear.

"Okay so she knows how to use a phone book," Buffy said putting a hand on her hip, "What does that prove?"

"She's my niece, Buffy," Giles' voice suddenly broke in. He was a few paces behind the young teacher.

"And you planned on telling us about her when?"

"I didn't," he said then sighed at the hurt on the blond's face, "Perhaps we should go inside."