"So, what's new with you?" Willow asked Buffy, "Date wise, I mean."
"Nothing much. I haven't had a date since Tom. Xander's still pushing for it, but I don't think I can. It's too hard," Buffy confessed.
"But you were doing so well. You have seemed so happy these last few weeks. I mean, I know you miss him, but you seem like you're moving on."
"I told you before Wills, I can't fall in love again," Buffy reminded her friend.
"I just want you to be happy, you know that. And I met someone in my theater class that I think you'll enjoy spending time with."
"Enough about me. Stop with the date pressure. It's time to talk about you. How's life in Oz and Willow land?" Buffy asked, eager to have a chance to switch the topic of conversation.
"Good," Willow said with a blush.
"We were dating for so long, and then when we broke up I felt like a part of me was missing. And now, we've been back together for two months and it's like no time has passed. I'm so happy."
"Good. You deserve hapiness."
"So do you," Willow told the Slayer.
"You really want me to go out on another date?" Buffy asked with a sigh.
"I really do," Willow replied.
"Fine, I will then," Bufy agreed. "It's just…every time I go out on a date I feel so…"
"Sad?" Willow supplied.
"Guilty," Buffy confessed. "I feel guilty."
******* ******** ******* ***
"So, is this goodbye?" Willow asked, trying in vain to keep tears from her eyes.
"Just for now," Buffy assured her friend. "It's not like I'm dead or anything."
"Not anymore," Willow said. "And don't even joke about that. You have no idea how scared we all were."
"I know Wills. But enough about me. You have a hot date tomorrow night with Oz and I want you to call me as soon as it's over and tell me all about it."
"I will," Willow promised.
"Is it my turn for hugs and good-bye's," Xander insisted, edging past Willow and folding Buffy into his arms.
"The same date rule goes for you," The Slayer told Xander. "As soon as you and the lovely Miss Cordelia Chase get home you call me. I'm gonna' miss you so much," Buffy told Xander.
"Wills and I will call you everyday. I promise," Xander said.
Buffy turned her attention towards the only other occupant of the room. "You gonna' give me a hug too Giles?" She asked.
Giles murmured something under his breath before tentatively placing his arms around the Slayer. However, Buffy would have none of it and used her superior strength to pull Giles into a tighter hug. "If you need anything at all you call us," Giles told Buffy.
"Same goes for you guys. Spike and I will come running if you tell us you're having demon problems," Buffy assured the watcher.
Giles smiled fondly at Buffy and squeezed her hand gently before she turned and exited the library.
Spike was waiting in the parking lot and drove off towards LA as soon as Buffy hopped into the car.
"You okay baby?" He asked. Buffy's quite sniffs were Spike's only reply. He pulled Buffy closer to him and allowed her to settle her head on his shoulder.
"It was nice…having friends again," Buffy told Spike.
"Hey love, maybe one day, after you're finished high school we'll move to Sunnydale," Spike suggested.
"Yeah, once we kill all the demons in LA," Buffy said with an accompanying eye roll.
"You never know sweetness. I'm just saying don't cash in your chips in yet. After all, you came back from the dead. Anything's possible."
Buffy smiled and snuggled closer to Spike, more content then she had felt earlier, "With you anything's possible," She whispered and then drifted off to sleep.