DISCLAIMER: Still don't own anything.

A/N: Here's the continuation. The morning after.


In the morning, Buffy woke to the sound of Giles tinkering about in the kitchen. Once she had cleared the post-awakening haze and could form coherent sentences, she addressed him.

"Um, Giles?" She was a bit confused because it was already light outside.

"Yes, Buffy?" He stopped his doings and turned to face her.

"What time is it?"

"Half past nine."

"What! Why didn't you wake me up? My mom is so going to kill me." Buffy had jumped up and was halfway out the door, when Giles grabbed her arm.

"Relax, Buffy. Everything's alright. I called Willow earlier." Buffy looked disbelieving at him.

"You did...Why did you call Willow?"

"Well, I thought it would be fairly odd, if I, as your school librarian, were to call at your home, just to tell your mother that you spent the night at my place. So, I called Willow that, in case your mother calls her, she can tell her something about some early activities you two did."

"That was very thoughtful of you." And the warm and tingly insides were back to Buffy.

"If you believe it or not, I was young once and something like that was fairly common even in my time. Well, not the spending the night at older persons places bit, but the little lies to parents, if you didn't want them to find out were you spent the night. But, before you go home, you probably should call Willow to synchronize your stories." Giles remembered his hand on Buffy's arm and removed it immediately.

"How come you always think of everything?" Giles merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Anyway, I made breakfast. Do you want some?" He asked and walked back into the kitchen with Buffy in tow.

"Now that you mention it, I'd really like some."

"Thought so." Giles handed her a full plate. "And I even got some orange juice for you." They walked to the table and sat down.

"You really do think of everything." Buffy said appreciatively.

Giles smiled at her. "What can I say? I'm just...attentive."

"That you are, indeed." She smiled back at him and then dug into her food.

They ate in companionable silence and afterwards Buffy called Willow to coordinate their story, whilst Giles washed the dishes.

Following that, Buffy decided that it was probably better for her to go home.

"So, Giles. I'm off then. We'll probably see each other after the summer again." Buffy stated as she gathered her jacket.

"Why is that?" Giles replied sitting at his desk.

"Oh, sorry, didn't have time to tell you yet. I'm spending the summer at my dad's in LA."

"Good for you. I hope you'll have some fun."

"Yeah." Buffy turned and had her hand already on the door handle as she seemed to remember something and spun around to face Giles.

"Giles?"

"Hm?" He looked up at her.

"Thank you."

"Was nothing." Giles tried to wave it off.

"No, Giles, I mean it. Thank you, for everything. For thinking of everything. For...being there for me when I needed someone the most. For...for always knowing what to say."

"Anytime. I'm right here. And I'll be here when you'll come back." Buffy turned around again and opened the door, but this time Giles spoke up as if he had forgotten something.

"Oh, and Buffy?" She turned halfway around to face him with a cocked eyebrow.

"Be careful."

She nodded gratefully. "Always am, always will be."

And she was out the door, closing it behind her, leaving behind a Giles that was worried for her as always.