Without a word, she dropped the phone unceremoniously onto the counter, then slammed the books down beside it and stomped to the middle of the lobby.
"Giles!!" she shouted. She waited in the lobby, and moments later her watcher appeared, breathless.
"What is it, what happened?" he asked, looking around her and finding nothing out of the ordinary. "Are you alright?" She nodded briskly, and then gestured over her shoulder to the phone.
"Phone for you." He gave her a puzzled look, shaking his head slightly. She elaborated. "Psychotic magic mischief loving old friend of yours, on the phone for you." Giles looked at her for a moment, then rushed across the lobby and snatched up the phone. She turned to watch him, arms crossed.
"Yes, hello…" In the slight pause that followed, Angel appeared at her side, shooting her a questioning look. Then: "What the bloody hell do you want?" The icy tone in Giles' voice sent a chill down her spine. Lately, he'd been his old self, fussing over his books and her welfare and ignoring most else. But now he sounded harsh, cruel, even knowing who was on the other end of the phone line. "And why would you call here? I can think of no one within these walls who gives a damn about-" he stopped suddenly, presumably interrupted, then continued, slapping his hand against the wall, fury in his voice. Angel slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't you even think it! The last thing we need is you and your black magic… No… No, I don't care… No, it is not my problem, and I will not allow you to pull her or any of them into this-" He listened for a moment, then slammed the phone down, storming towards the front door. She hurried after him.
"Giles! Wait, Giles, what did he want?"
"It doesn't matter. I don't want that man anywhere near any of you, no matter what he promises."
"Well, yeah. Evil, I know, but what did he say?" Giles shook his head, then grabbed her arm in a tight grip and gave her a slight shake.
"You're not to speak to him, Buffy. Please, promise me you won't listen to a word he says; if he calls, hang up. Promise me." She nodded, frowning worriedly.
"I promise." She told him in a small voice. "But you're scaring me, Giles. What did he say to you?" Her watcher shook his head again, briskly, then managed a tight smile for her sake, gesturing to Angel.
"Its alright, you needn't worry. Why don't you go back with Angel and help the girls with their training, I'll be back soon."
"Okay. Be careful." He nodded, then turned quickly and left. She immediately rounded on Angel, who looked far too innocent to her.
"What did he say?" she demanded in her best Slayer interrogation voice.
"What do you mean, how would I know?" she raised an eyebrow, glaring.
"Vampire hearing. I know you were listening, now tell me what they said. Before I have to start causing physical and architectural damage to you and this hotel of yours."
"Fine." He raised a hand in defeat, "God, I really am going soft, but I think you ought to know this anyway, in case he shows up here. Ethan found out everything that went down in Sunnydale, and what we've got here. He's gotten himself in some kind of trouble and he wants to bargain." He hesitated for a long moment.
"So?" she asked expectantly, "What's he offering?" For a minute she didn't think he'd answer, and when he did, she almost wished he hadn't. The room spun, and had she not been a Slayer, she thought she might have passed out.
"He says he knows how to get Spike back."