He stepped back and watched the witches do their work.

"His spirit is trapped, Buffy," Tara explained to the girl. "He can't help being here. And I know William. He's not the kind of guy to go where he isn't wanted."

Buffy knew that. Truly, she did. But he was making her hurt in ways she didn't know she could. He was bringing back memories of Angel and of that comfortable companionship between a man and a woman and she couldn't bear it.

"Maybe we can get a hold of Giles at the Magic Box and kick into research mode," Willow suggested. "It's a long-shot, but if anyone can figure this out, it's Giles."

"Who is this Giles bloke?" William found himself asking Buffy, as her eyes closed.

"I don't want to bring him into this," she told the witches. "Please. He's been through enough."

"But he can help," Willow reasoned. "He's an expert at this sort of thing. And Buffy, he loves you. When is the last time you even made an attempt to see him?"

"We have nothing to say to one another," she lied.

"You have... A million things to say!" Willow told her, astonished that she would brush him off so casually. "Do you think you're the only one who hurts?"

Buffy knew she was right. She nodded her head in resolution and grabbed her purse and coat. She turned the sign at the door to "closed" and waited for the witches to follow her out.

The walk to the Magic Box in the brisk weather made Buffy's eyes sting. She knew it was partly due to the niggling of tears and the apprehension she had of seeing him again. The last time had been when Angel died.

Tara slowly pushed open the door to the Magic Box. It smelled of musty tomes and assorted dried herbs. Classical music was wafting softly from a small radio on the counter. Giles had a penchant for NPR radio. Buffy smiled at the memories of him trying to teach her to waltz in her living room, her bare feet standing on his shod ones.

"Welcome to the Magic Box. If there's anything you need -- " Giles stopped his descendence down the stairs as soon as he looked up.

He had been casually polishing his glasses on his tweed coat sleeve, an idiosyncrasy Buffy hadn't realized she'd missed until that very moment. Without another thought, she ran to him and threw herself against his chest.

He replaced his glasses, surprised at her visit and at her overwhelming display of emotion. His arms wrapped tentatively around her as he realized she was crying.

"Buffy," he said softly, both happy and confused by her sudden re-entry to his life. "I've... I've missed you, too."

His eyes slipped closed and a small smile threatened to break across his normally staunch face.

"Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, dear one," Giles began cautiously as he pulled her away from him. "But why are you here?"

Buffy stared into his eyes and shook her head.

"I should have come to see you sooner," she cried, apologetically. "I shouldn't have stayed away. I shouldn't have ignored your calls. Oh, Giles!"

The tears overwhelmed her. The memories of their life together came flooding back and Buffy couldn't dam the overflow no matter how hard she tried.

"I thought that if I shut out everyone... If I removed everyone and everything... I thought it would all disappear," she sobbed, gripping his arms tightly. "I thought it would all go away... That the hurt would be gone. It's not, Giles. It won't go. It won't stop and I hurt so bad."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders protectively and led her to the large round table they had spent many nights around drinking tea and researching spells for customers. He helped her to sit and then sat beside her. He looked up and realized that she wasn't alone.

"Tara, Willow," he smiled, motioning for them to join them. "It's so good to see you both."

He turned his attention back to Buffy and suddenly bristled. He looked to the front door. It was closed. His eyes quickly scanned the room and William could swear that they landed right on him.

"Something feels off," Giles mused aloud. "Something... Something electric. It's as though there's some sort of energy crackling around us."

"That would be Will," Buffy sniffled, her voice full of agitation. "He showed up at my apartment last night and refuses to go away."

"It's William," William groused, shooting her a dirty look.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Buffy shot back, annoyed that this man could irritate her so easily.

"Will?" Giles asked, his eyes darting up to meet Willow's.

"William Grieves," Willow told him. "William owned Buy the Book. He also was the man who lived in Buffy's apartment. You probably remember him. Kind of quiet guy who rode his bicycle everywhere."

Giles searched his memory to put the name with the face.

"Anna's and Charles' boy?" He asked.

"Yes!" William shouted out, delighted to hear his parents' names.

"He says yes," Buffy told him, trying to brush off William's obvious enthusiam.

"Lovely people, the Grieves'. His mother was a seamstress. She worked out of her home. Charles was a retired admiral with the British Navy. They moved to the States when William began college. Did you know that he received his doctorate from Harvard and then came back to Sunnydale to open Buy the Book? Brilliant boy. His choice to come back to Sunnydale and settle into a small, simple business surprised his family, but no matter what he did, they were very, very proud of him."

"Where are they?" Buffy asked. "His parents, where are they now?"

She was looking at William while she spoke. He looked away from her, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"Charles had a heart attack shortly after Buy the Book opened. It was sudden and so unexpected. He was a fit man. Didn't drink, nor did he smoke more than a good cigar on a special occasion. William cared for his mother after that," he told Buffy.

"What happened to Anna?" She asked softly, her eyes now locked on William's.

"She died in her sleep," Giles said, not really sure of the cause of her death. "Supposedly of a broken heart."

William's eyes were glassy with tears and he crossed his arms defensively in front of him.

"What really happened, Will?" She asked him, sensing that Giles only had part of the story.

"She died in her sleep," he whispered. "Of a broken heart and a diazapam overdose."

Buffy's fingers fluttered to her lips. Grief clutched her heart and something made her want to pull William to her and hold him close. Instead, she let her hand fall from her mouth and she hugged her arms tightly around herself.

"Oh, Will," she choked out, her voice thick with understanding.

"Buffy, have you been alright?" Giles asked cautiously. "I've worried so often about your welfare. The last time we saw each other... I was afraid you were burying your distress."

She shrugged noncomittally.

"I suppose I've been better," she said honestly. "And I know I've been worse. Giles, it's all... It just seems to all be catching up with me."

"Did you think you could just wish it away?" He asked.

"I don't know," she sighed, letting her head drop into her hands.

"I loved her, too," he said softly, tears misting his blue-grey eyes. "You three girls were my world, Buffy. You were all I had."

"I know," she replied. "I know, Giles. So many times, I've picked up the phone to call you. Every time, I hang up before it even begins to ring. Dawn told me you have tea together a couple of times a week."

"We do," Giles smiled. "She's been just as confused by your disappearing act as I've been. It was hard enough when Joyce died. You withdrew, but you didn't disappear. But after Liam's death... I could have helped you through it, Buffy."

"I know, Giles. I know," she admitted to him. "I wasn't ready. I don't know if I'm even ready now. But William seems to think he's here for a reason."

"Perhaps he is," Giles smiled at the young woman who was as close to a daughter as he had ever gotten. "If he's somehow trapped between two worlds, there may be a reason. His work here may not be done."

"That's where you come in, Mate," William voiced.

Buffy's head turned to look at him again. She nodded and turned back to Giles.

"He seems to think that's where you come in," she told him. "Tara thinks that his spirit is trapped. Aren't there any spirit-be-gone spells?"

He smiled at her interesting play on words. He'd missed her misuse of the English language.

"I'm sure we can find something to help William onto his righteous path," Giles affirmed with a nod of his head.