Buffy reluctantly got up from her bed. She just wanted to continue lying there in the dim of the twilight, but there was someone knocking persistantly at her door. It was Riley.

"Hey, Buffy, you weren't in class today. Again. Walsh is ready to throw the book at you."

"I have a doctor's note."

"Are you all right? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine now."

"Well," he quirked a smile, "since you don't have anything contagious, and the night is young..." He reached out to touch her shoulder.

She tensed. He drew his hand back.

"What's wrong?" He asked, worried.

"Nothing. Really. I'm sorry, I'm just not feeling myself." She forced a smile. "But yeah, it's not contagious." She pulled on the front of his shirt and drew him towards her.

Buffy was about to close the door when she heard someone running down the hall. She and Riley looked and saw Willow jogging up to them.

"We got trouble," she said between gasps for breath.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"I was in the rec room. It came through the window."

"Vampire?" Riley asked.

"Vampires don't breath fire."

Buffy was glad to have something to fight, something that sounded like it would be hard to kill.

There wasn't a fire-breathing anything in the rec room, however. Just a surprise party.

xxx

The party appeared to be going well. Everyone was milling about and eating and having a good time. Except for Giles, but he was all right with that, he hadn't expected that he would enjoy himself. However he was starting to wish that he had brought a book to read. Fortunately, he saw Willow headed his way.

"Hi Giles," she said, offering him a piece of cake and an awkward smile.

"Hello Willow," he said, taking the cake from her.

"Still think you shouldn't've come?" she asked, half-teasing.

Giles was grateful for her good humour. "I wish I could answer 'no,' but you can hardly say I'm contributing to the party spirit, and I'm still far from convinced that keeping up appearances for Xander and Anya's sake constitutes a valid excuse for an invitation."

"I invited you because Buffy wanted you to come," Willow said sincerely. "Or, she would've if she had known we were throwing a party."

"What makes you say that?"

"She told a joke the other day, you laughed, I noticed. You're approaching normalcy."

"Approaching at a distance, maybe, and at a very slow pace," he said, but Willow could see him almost-smile. He knew it was true, he just didn't want to take it for granted. "I notice you've stopped scowling at me."

Willow nodded in confirmation. "I take my cues from Buffy, and since she's inclined towards forgiveness, I am too. Also, two solid months of guilt-face from you does win some sympathy points. I'm not a total stone-cold witch, you know."

Giles almost-laughed.

"Oh, don't stop. I can still change my mind."

His face fell and he looked at her like she was being serious.

"I kid you, Giles."

"Oh."

She looked sympathetic. "You don't deserve to be mopey forever. Me and Xander had that thing that wreaked havoc with our lives, and we went through the guilt and pain, and we're still friends, and Oz forgave me," a distant look crossed her eyes for a moment, "and Cordelia, uh... didn't hate Xander... that much... I don't think." She trailed off.

"Thank you, Willow. I'll keep that in mind. But I think I still have some guilt and pain to work through before I can move on."

Willow nodded. "I get you. Say, speaking of moving on, what do you think of Riley?"

"Who?"

"Buffy's boyfriend, Riley, and she didn't tell you about him yet did she?" she continued, seeing surprise and hurt register on his face. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm-I'm glad you told me," he said, calling upon his British reserve. "Um, what do you think of him?"

"He's a fine, upstanding young man." Willow smiled. "Really. I felt kind of bad for him at first, him being rebound guy, but I think they'll work out. He's good for her."

"Good," Giles said sincerely. "Then I'm happy for her."

x

Giles didn't talk to Buffy until later in the evening. He was standing by the dessert platter when she came up to him.

"Hi Giles," she said.

"Buffy. Happy Birthday." He nodded to her.

"Thanks."

"So, nineteen..." he started politely.

"Yeah. Hard to believe I've been a grown-up for just a year, huh?" She said with a child-like enthusiasm.

"Uh, indeed."

"But then, I'll always be a girl to you, right?"

"Um..." Giles was sure he heard an underlying note of bitterness in Buffy's voice and couldn't think of what he possibly could have done that she would suddenly abandon the polite dialogue they had gradually developed over the past weeks.

"Anyways," she said dismissively. "There's somebody I want you to meet. This is Riley Finn, my boyfriend."

She beckoned forward the young man that had been standing a few feet behind her and he shook Giles' hand.

"It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Giles. Did you help plan this? It was quite a surprise."

Giles thought Willow's evaluation of Riley couldn't have been more accurate. He was the very definition of all-American boy-next-door. "It was mostly Willow and Xander, actually." Giles smiled politely and took a shortbread cookie from the dessert tray. "Willow was just telling me good things about you."

Riley looked modestly pleased. Buffy looked slightly taken aback by Giles' reaction.

"Giles was the librarian at my high school," she said. "He was like a dad to me."

Giles choked a little on his shortbread.

"Uh oh." Riley smiled, good-naturedly. "Are you going to make me declare my intentions? Because I can assure you, they're all very honourable."

"I-I-I, um, I'm sure."

Riley's tone was completely sincere, but Buffy rolled her eyes and looked up at him with a sly smile. He didn't notice, though Giles did. He took off his glasses and started polishing them.

"Do you need something to drink?" Buffy asked.

"Please," Giles said gratefully, replacing his glasses.

"I'll get you something," Riley offered. "Preferences?"

"No."

"Nothing spiked," Buffy said.

Riley blinked and his eyes darted quickly to Giles before he nodded and turned towards the buffet table.

Giles seemed frozen with embarrassment.

Buffy didn't seem to mind the silence between them and let it stretch on.

"He seems nice," Giles finally said.

"He is," Buffy said, as she followed Riley with her eyes. "Nice in every way."

"Um, h-how long have you been dating?"

"About two months."

"Oh. That long?" Giles sounded faintly hurt despite himself.

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. Compared to my recent record it's an eternity."

Giles noticed Riley being waylaid by Willow before he took off his glasses and started polishing them again.

"Thanks for coming, by the way," Buffy said.

"Well, Willow said you wouldn't mind."

"Yeah, it's been a while since I last saw you out of a watchery context."

Against his will, Giles' mind started turning up memories of that last occasion. He averted his eyes from Buffy, feeling guiltier than he had in weeks.

"Don't feel like you have to stay, though," Buffy continued. "I mean, if you feel skeezy hanging out with all these kids, you can go."

"Right. I suppose I will then," Giles said, promptly taking her hint, his voice quavering ever so slightly. "Happy Birthday." He nodded formally and left.

Moments later, Buffy was joined by Willow and Riley. "Oh, did Giles leave?" Willow asked.

"Yeah. You know, this isn't really his scene."

"I guess not. How are you feeling, by the way? What did the doctor say it was?"

"Food poisoning. That's all. Already got it out of my system."