Abryxis- Yah, we are death-free, it's all good. Hehe. And yay- the Snoopy dance! And well, you'll see what the reception is like in this chapter and the next…. Hehe. Thanks very much for review.

g120- Mwa haha! I fooled you on the whole 'the wedding is off front' which was my intention all along of course. Teehee. And yes, it did reflect Xander's wedding fears but you'll just have to wait till Hell Bells to see how that turns out….thank you for the review.

Zigpal- Haha- I fooled you too with the whole cancelled wedding thing. I thought it'd be dramatic. Haha, but yes everything turned out all right in the end thanks to Xander as always, our little White Knight. And yes, there is many a possibility for Buffy couplyness at the wedding (couldn't have her alone at a wedding could we?), but one more addition is added in this chapter…thank you for review and of course the claps. Hehe.

DevJannz2- Thanks for reviewyness; glad you're liking it so far.

Rabidreject- thanks for review- I'm loving your 'as usual' comment. Hehe. .::winks::.

February 2001

The fairy lights worked great as night fell in Sunnydale. They gave the entire house the rosy glow that is usually only reserved for the holiday season and with all the main lights off everyone seemed to bask in the atmosphere it created, whether they were eating, dancing, talking, sitting or all of the above if possible.

After talking to her Mother for a while, Joyce caught sight of Wesley sat in his wheelchair on his own across the room. She hadn't spoken to him much at all, all day and so she excused herself from Grace to head over to him.

"Hi Wesley," She greeted him and he smiled back.

"Hello Mrs Su-" Wesley stopped midway with a slight smile, "Mrs Giles,"

"You know to call me Joyce," She told him with an amused frown and he nodded.

"I know…but, well, perhaps I considered it appropriate," He told her, "You look lovely by the way"

"Thank you," She took a seat on the chair beside him, "So erm…" She tapped the wheelchair, "How did this happen?"

"Everyone keeps asking that," Wesley said, rolling his eyes.

"It happens when you suddenly develop wheels," She told him with a slight laugh and he sighed as he began to explain the story.

February 2004

"You do realize I've only got two of these outfits?" Xander complained as he examined the rip in his black sweater that completed his suave army-esque outfit. He walked into the small room at what he had dubbed the Slayer Academy where Joyce and Giles were presently having a spare moment and were sat quietly together.

"Vampire attack?" Giles asked, concerned.

"No, Slayers." Xander said with a sigh, "These newbies are way enthusiastic Giles, it's ridiculous"

"Welcome to the world of Watchers and their grievances," Giles told him smoothly, before pausing in thought, "I never thought the day would come when you, Xander, would be in the category of 'Watchers'"

"It's what happens when you've only got like four of us…" Xander replied, refusing to be offended by the comment.

"Yes," Giles agreed, "Once it used to be one Slayer and hundreds of Watchers…. recently the scales have tipped somewhat"

"I know…. it's keeping everyone so busy." Joyce agreed, "We hardly have any time to ourselves,"

She put her hand on Giles' knee while looking pointedly at Xander, trying to convey to him that he had interrupted their recently-rare, alone time.

He didn't get the hint.

"Tell me about it, I mean I sometimes just want me, Will and Buffy time- you know catch up like in ye olde simple days of Sunnydale High…but do we get that? Noooo…."

"Xander?" Giles interrupted him.

"Yeah?"

"Leave the room," He told Xander simply and Xander frowned, before finally getting what he was meaning.

"Oooooh. Right, gotcha," He winked before leaving the room, causing the couple to roll their eyes. As he left the room though, his cheerful demeanor faded away as he murmured to himself, "Jeez, some things never change around here"

Once he was definitely gone and the door to the room was closed, Joyce and Giles smiled at one another.

"Now where were we?" Giles asked Joyce casually and she kissed him on the lips warmly. "Ah, I remember," He told her, when she broke the kiss for a moment before their lips joined again and she slipped onto his knee. Within moments, with their arms wrapped around each other, drawing one another closer, they fell back onto the couch, side-by-side so neither was on top as they kissed.

They began unbuttoning clothing and things were about to get very interesting when a voice interrupted them.

"E-excuse me? Mrs Giles?"

Joyce sighed in frustration and craned her head back to see who was asking for her. It was Nikki, one of the more shy of the recent slayers and no more than sixteen. She was stood with Jo, who although could be quite shy with authority, was rather outspoken in a really gobby way.

"Yes, what is it?" Joyce asked and she saw Jo roll her eyes, "What? It's a simple question"

"Yeah, but could you entangle yourselves before you ask?" Jo requested, giving them a pointed look.

"No," Giles told her, feeling so fed-up about the amount of times he and Joyce were interrupted.

"What is it Nikki?" Joyce asked.

"It's Dawn- she's complaining about her…erm…situation again. And how no one pays attention to her now that she's so well…"

"Huge?" Jo filled in and Joyce threw her a look.

"She kinda wants you to see her," Nikki added.

"Okay," Joyce managed a nod, which was an amazing feat considering the way she was lay, "I'll erm…I'll be there in a minute"

Both Slayers nodded in acceptance before leaving the room.

"I don't get what their big deal is anyway," Jo said to Nikki as they left, "They've been married for like forever- shouldn't they have got all the sex parts over with? They're like in their forties or something."

Nikki just chose not to reply.

February 2001

"So you're a student at UC Sunnydale?" Cal asked casually as he sat with Buffy on the couch in the packed and romantically lit living room.

"Yeah, pretty much," Buffy nodded with a smile. It was innocuous talk, neither of them quite ready to discuss an attraction of one another and had settled for neutral, innocent topics. Work, college….

Buffy couldn't deny the fact that she was deeply attracted to Cal, but wasn't sure whether she was ready to act on it. After all, only just last week she had turned down Ben for coffee…. after everything with Riley she just felt that perhaps it was alone-with-Buffy time that she needed. It was such a hard decision- to take that chance or not- that she wanted the decision taken out of her hands. Any moves to be made to be his.

But he seemed as reluctant as she was; perhaps sensing Buffy wasn't quite ready. She didn't know. She wished someone would make the move though- make her forget about Spike, forget about making decisions, forget about being in charge all the time. Someone who could take the lead as much as she could and just suddenly ask to dance. Where she was in her life though, she knew any moves made tonight would probably not go father than that…but for just tonight she could forget that and just go with it- have someone dare to ask her. But was Cal going to be that guy?

"So…they're all married now…" Cal commented lightly, gesturing with a nod of the head to where Joyce and Giles were stood talking to Wesley.

"Yeah, they sure are…." Buffy agreed, wondering where the hell he expected this conversation topic to go.

"I only like started working at her gallery like a year ago…they were engaged then…so it just seems like they've always been together," He said, "But erm…Carole was saying something about them meeting through you or something?"

"What?" Buffy immediately bit out, wondering how Carole knew about the band candy and therefore her slaying.

"He was your High School librarian, right?" Cal prompted and Buffy sighed in relief as she realized he meant nothing to do with Slaying.

"Erm, yeah, yeah, he was, I like knew him before Mom really."

"Must be weird," Cal commented, "When I think back to the staff at High School….it'd still be weird if like one of my parents married a teacher and I left High School a long time ago. And them two started dating while you were still a high school student right?"

"Yeah, in Senior year," Buffy agreed, "But it's not too weird anymore really…I mean Giles has been like around forever," She joked lightly, before becoming slightly more serious as she considered how long ago it seemed that her Mom and Giles weren't together. Seemed a lifetime away.

February 1998

Giles was in the library late on again. Well, not as late as usual, but it was the end of the school day and he hadn't left the room for the entire seven hours that all students were forced to stay within the school premises.

He had been doing that a lot lately- hiding himself away in the library. Ever since Angel had lost his soul and he had found out how much Jenny had been involved it had been hard to leave the library. To brave the outside corridors where he might possibly bump into Jenny Calendar. The feelings that seeing her would cause would be so mixed and confused- he loved her so much, yet the betrayal to him and to Buffy was almost too much to bear.

A few days ago had been Valentine's Day. He should have spent it with her, months ago had planned to, but clearly none of that had panned out. Of course, she had tried to come and talk to him and he had been more than ready to listen- all the ready to forgive. But Xander and Amy had cast that blasted spell and soon Jenny had been too smitten with Xander to say anything to him at all.

After that near talk, leaving the library had become even harder so he had took it upon himself not to leave the area until he was sure all members of staff, and therefore assuredly Jenny, had left the building.

"Hello?" A female voice calling through the room drew him out his thoughts and he immediately thought it was Jenny who had come to visit him- taking all matters out of his hands as was her way.

"Jenny?" He asked, turning around to look, but instead saw Buffy's Mother there and he sighed- whether from relief or disappointment he wasn't sure.

"Close," She smiled, "Joyce…." She looked unsure as to whether he would know who she was, "Summers…Buffy's Mother?"

"Y-yes, of course, you're uh, you're ah l-looking for Buffy I s-suppose?" He asked, developing the stutter that he developed when he was nervous, overly enthusiastic or in this particular case around any women he was even faintly attracted to. "W-well, she was here just a moment ago actually. She has, ah, she has just gone with Xander to collect a few books for me"

"Xander," Joyce repeated with a slight nod, before her eyes looked to the ground, not pulling her glance away from the drab floor and Giles saw she was blushing slightly. He frowned in confusion at her reaction for a moment, before remembering how Buffy had said she had also come under Xander's love spell gone completely and utterly wrong. No wonder she was embarrassed by the mention of the boy's name.

Eventually she seemed to get her confidence back as she raised her gaze to look at him once more and he found himself as lost as he had been when he first saw her in the hospital bed last year and as taken aback as when he saw her weeks ago in the basement of the school building as she had stumbled in confusion as much as he when they had awoken amongst dozens of others. All this from mere eye contact.

He loved Jenny he would always love Jenny. Even through the recent weeks, he continued to love her which made everything all the harder. But this woman in front of him was someone he had hardly spoken to at all, yet she fascinated him. He felt as though he had met her before, but knew that was impossible. He briefly wondered what it would be like to hold her, how her back would fit into the palm on his hand as he would reach around her. He immediately shook these thoughts aside, wondering why he was even having them in the first place.

"You said you were meant to meet Buffy here, yes?" He checked and she nodded.

"Yes, I've…well, my car's in the shop at the moment and I've a hire car, so I was going to meet her outside the school so she could see me…she hasn't seen the temp car yet. But erm- she wasn't there and I know she hangs out here a lot."

"Yes, well, I'm sorry about that. It's my fault really- sending her on the errand has clearly taken time"

"No, it's fine, honestly," Joyce, told him with a smile. She'd not seen him in so long and she wondered for a moment why this thought occurred to her, why was she bothered that she had not seen this virtual stranger in so many weeks? She didn't know him too well, she knew he spent a lot of time helping Buffy and for that she was grateful- but she really knew no more about him. "I'll uh I'll just wait for her to come back," She told him, taking a step forward so she could lean on the library counter and was intensely aware that this brought her so much closer to him, a very small distance between them.

She wanted to say more than she what did, inside her was a voice crying out to be spoken, asking her to say four simple words. Ask him out. Casual even. Something. Ask him if he's free tonight. Don't leave now, as soon as Buffy arrives. Leave possibly never to see him again for months.

Why did this even bother her though? Why? It was incomprehensible.

She wanted to ask, but couldn't, but wanted him to know that she wanted to ask but couldn't. They hardly knew each other, Buffy said he was involved, is involved, was, is, was…. they hardly knew each other. She knew it was impossible but hoped inside that he knew at least partially the current conflict inside her.

I'm wrong to not ask…but I can't ask…let me tell you why I can't ask…tell me why I should ask…

His hand moved on the counter, sliding along as he too slightly leant against the side, waiting for Buffy to return. As his hand moved it became so close to hers. Just a centimeter apart, that was all, but Joyce focused on the difference; it was all she could presently see.

Friction gave way on the counter top and his hand jerked forward slightly and their fingertips touched, causing both of them to involuntarily jump. But their hands didn't move away as they looked each other, eye contact made again.

"Hey, Giles we got the book thingies." Buffy announced loudly, walking in with Xander and both Joyce and Giles immediately pulled their hands away from the counter in a blur, eye contact broken as they both briefly looked down at the ground before looking over at the teenagers.

February 2001

A new song began, just the opening chords, and the music familiar to most in the room, many having heard the song before. It was coming from the stereo, one of Buffy's CDs that Dawn slipped on, having had enough of the other music that had been playing so far that night.

Many other couples had already begun to find room to dance on the makeshift dance floor in the living room, when Giles, having finished talking with his sister headed over to Joyce who was in deep conversation with her parents- she was smiling so it was obviously going well- and held his hand out to her, silently asking her to dance.

Her parents didn't say a word of complaint as she was took away from their conversation and over to where the other couples were dancing.

"So dear to me…always keep me company"

It wasn't really dancing, Grace didn't believe, as neither of them made any actual dance moves. Her daughter just draped her arms around her husband's neck and he wrapped his around her waist and the swayed slowly, and rhythmically to the music.

"No need to go outside…I will be your silent bride"
February 2004

Andrew closed his cell phone after hearing the distressing phone call from Spike. It had been Angel's number on caller I.D but Spike who had spoken. Angel couldn't come to the phone, he said, it was all too much right now. "Downright bloody heartbroken" were Spike's words. Andrew could understand. He knew Cordelia, remembered her in High School. She hadn't been the nicest to him but…

Andrew was the only person the group in L.A knew how to get hold of. Andrew had been given strict instructions by Giles, that when he had visited L.A he was not to tell Angel where Buffy was or anything of what was going on. The temptation to come find her would be too much and well everything could officially go downhill from there. He'd been told to make up any story he wanted to explain where Buffy wasn't- "as long as you keep away from any science-fictional references" Giles had added. So on the way to L.A, Andrew had planned the Rome story, Xander in Africa…okay, so Willow had really gone away with Kennedy but he had learnt from the last call from Xander that apparently she was back now. As there was a new big bad on the scene, Xander wouldn't say whom for some reason.

The Slayers he was looking after were playing strip poker again and Andrew rolled his eyes. He was so bored here. He wanted to be where the action was, working alongside Xander like…well, like Wolverine and Cyclops, hidden tensions over the woman they both loved (Andrew decided to place Anya in the part of Jean Grey) but willing to work alongside each other to fight the good fight.

Dialing the number for the main office at the Slayer HQ, Andrew hoped someone was free enough to pick up. He knew how hectic things could get there.

Joyce was just about to leave for her class when the phone rang.

She hadn't really a major part, she sometimes felt, in the grand scheme of everything that was going on right now, but while she had been at College majoring in Art History (minoring in English) she had taken the time to do a one-year teaching course. It meant she sort of knew what she was doing when she took on the task of teaching the basics to some of the younger Slayers. The ones who should be in High School like normal teenage girls.

So she had taken on the role of teacher, taking several classes a week, which, for the most part, the girls turned up for if they didn't have to fight some new beastie, which with Warren and Amy on the scene was becoming a more and more common occurrence.

When the zombies had attacked not too long ago through Amy's spell, it had brought back some not too pleasant memories of when zombies had attacked her own house- the house that had sadly been burnt to a cinder last May with all of Sunnydale. It was then that yet again she realized how useful Giles training her over the years at Buffy's request, was. As when some of the walking dead had made it over the wall past the Slayers she had managed to fend off without injury.

Also, along with Xander, Andrew, Willow (to some extent since she seemed to have her own place as resident Witch) and Dawn (eventually), Joyce seemed to be slowly taking on the role of Watcher also. Although, unlike the others it wasn't consciously done, but rather was an unplanned gradual process.

It was because of this that extra tasks had been taken on and so she had been late for a few of her classes recently. Answering the phone was going to be late again. But she couldn't not answer it. It was more than likely important.

"Hello? Hi, Andrew, how's everything going?"

At this point Giles walked into the room, apparently look for something. She saw an open book on a nearby table and would bet the farm that was what he had come for. She waved a silent hi to him before carrying on talking to Andrew.

"Andrew, please, slow down…or rather well, speak more clearly. It's not very…what?" Her what came out in a whisper as she heard the shocking news Andrew had to say, "No…" Her voice was slightly stronger now, but it seemed close to breaking.

Giles, concerned at the sound of her voice looked over and saw the look of extreme upset on her face. She had her hand over her mouth and was shaking her head as though not accepting what was being said on the phone.

He ran over, taking the phone from her hands as she slid into the chair beside the table.

It was Andrew on the phone. Then Giles heard the news too. Which was when he understood Joyce's reaction.

"Thank you Andrew." He said over the phone, "Bye"

He hung up and crouched down beside Joyce. She was crying openly now, though not loudly and feeling the loss as much as she did he put his arms around her as she cried.

"Hey," Buffy said walking into the room, "Have you guys seen Xander? I need to-" Buffy took note of the scene in front of her. Giles had that pained look on his face that he always had when he wanted to cry but was too British to do so and he was hugging her Mom who was presently crying, "What is it?"

"It's Cordelia." Giles said simply and Buffy already knew what he was going to say. And she felt sick to the stomach.

February 2001

"I can't take my eyes off you…nothing ever needs to be said, send your message right into my head"

Buffy was walking across the room intending to get a drink for herself, but was watching her Mom and Giles rather than where she was going and half way across the room bumped directly into someone.

Gunn.

"Oh hey, sorry, I was just…." Buffy decided not to make an excuse, "Really not paying attention to where I was going."

"I got that" He nodded with a smile. She smiled back.

"So you gonna stay stood in my way or are you gonna actually move aside?" Buffy finally asked not unkindly and Gunn realized she was still trying to get past him but he hadn't actually moved.

"Oh right." He said, moving out of her way, but just as she went to walk past him again he stood back in her path.

"You realize I have to get past you before you can do that?" She checked and the way she said it made him grin. She was quick, witty, feisty and being a Slayer obviously a strong woman- and strong not just because of that as well- all qualities Gunn always admired in women he liked. He liked women that wouldn't back off from his abrupt, and sometimes-violent nature, women that could stand on their own two feet- he liked to defend and protect them, but if they expected them too…he didn't like it. He didn't know whether these thoughts were sexist, unreasonable or what, but it was what he thought and he couldn't help that. And Buffy Summers seemed to be all of the above.

Of course she was inadvertently attached to Angel, wasn't she? He didn't know all of the facts but he knew enough to know that even though they weren't a couple anymore, they were always 'together' on some level.

But the vamp wasn't here right now, and Gunn right there and then made a decision to not care.

"Yeah, I know I'm blocking your way again," He agreed, "That's because I wanna ask you a question and if you leave the room it makes it hard to do that, ya see?"

"I see," Buffy nodded, before crossing her arms across her chest, "So what's the question?"

"Dance?" He said simply, with a grin that Buffy couldn't help but return. This guy just appealed to her. He didn't seem the type who would run away from her or would feel threatened by her strength and abilities. But what was this going to lead to?

"I-" She began, but seeing she was reluctant Gunn interrupted.

"Come on, I mean I know it's a Hellmouth…but can a dance really be that deadly?" He asked and she shrugged in acceptance.

"Guess not…" She agreed and allowed herself to be led onto what was temporarily called a dance floor.

"Fill me up when I'm alone, so soothing is your monotone. I can't take my eyes off you; I can't take my eyes off you. I can't take my eyes off you…I can't take my eyes off you"

August 1996

"So everything's okay for Buffy starting school here Mr. Flutie?" Joyce checked as she sat in the chair in front of the desk in Principal Flutie's office. Said principal was sat opposite her on the other side of the desk. He was a cheery man and seemed very willing to have Buffy join his High School.

Joyce was practically dancing with relief inside. After Buffy's pyromaniac attitude towards Hemery High's gym, she had begun to doubt whether her daughter would be admitted to any decent school. But Sunnydale had found a place for her daughter and she would start school in September. Yes, Sunnydale was full of promise.

"Yes, everything's fine." Mr. Flutie told her and went to say more, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yes, come in"

Joyce turned to see a man walk in. Fairly tall, dark (ish) hair, green eyes behind a part of glasses and a slightly nervous, yet immediately endearing smile. Joyce had to admit that at first glance she liked what she saw, despite the fact he was wearing tweed. Well, he wore it well…. well, as well as tweed could be worn.

"Principal Flutie, I was uh, I was wondering," The man spoke in an accent and Joyce immediately realized he was English and wondered what he was doing all the way over in California in a little town like Sunnydale. "If, well if my books that were being delivered here had a-a-arrived yet."

While waiting for an answer from Mr Flutie, the man glanced down at Joyce as though only just realizing she was there which he probably had. When he saw she was smiling warmly at him, he gave a little start in nervous surprise, gave her a little smile back that Joyce was surprised gave her a funny feeling in her lower belly, before turning his attention back to Mr Flutie.

"Yes, Mr Giles, they arrived today," Mr Flutie assured him, "They're in the next office"

"Oh, well, uh, t-thank you," Mr Giles went to leave after this but the Principal stopped him.

"Oh, Mrs Summers, this is our new librarian, Mr Giles"

"Hi," Joyce smiled.

"Hello," He greeted her with a smile also, adjusting his glasses before shaking her hand.

The meeting was incredibly brief and neither of them would ever remember it.

February 2001

"Do, do, do, do, do…. da, da, da, da…do, do, do, do"

Gunn was right, Buffy thought, there was no harm in dancing. In fact she was enjoying this dancing a lot and found there was a smile on her face that she couldn't remove.

Over the sound of the music Buffy heard a knock at the door. No one went to get it and she rolled her eyes at Gunn.

"I guess I'm gonna be the one getting that," She told him and she headed to the hall, but found Gunn actually walked along with her- something that she was surprised to find made her happy. The fact that he stayed with her….it was nice. She could get to like Gunn a lot.

She pulled open the front door and her smile faded to one of shock- In everything that happened today she had completely forgotten about the person on the doorstep, so used had she become to having to get through her life without him.

"Angel." She said simply, really not knowing what to do as she felt Gunn stood beside her.

"Maybe I'm not as real as the others, but I choose you over all my past lovers"

"Rupert," Joyce said softly as they danced, "I have…I have something to tell you"

"What?" He asked, he kept dancing but his voice was filled with concern and she hurried to assure him.

"No, it's nothing bad…at least it doesn't have to be that is,"

"They have come and they have gone, but I can always turn you on"

"What is it?" He asked as they still swayed to the music, arms still around one another.

"Before I tell you though you have to promise me one thing,"

"I can't take my eyes off you,"

"Yes, of course," He assured her, really wondering what it was she needed to tell him.

"No matter what I tell you, or how you feel about it….don't stop dancing or anything that would…well, make people think that something shocking has happened," She looked into his eyes as they danced, silently pleading for him to make that promise.

"Yes, of course," He told her, "I promise. I won't stop dancing. Now, what is it?"

"I can't take my eyes off you"

She moved the way she was stood slightly, so her mouth was near his ear so what she said could be heard by him alone and no others as she whispered it to him. She was nervous, she admitted that fact. She had no idea how he was going to react, how he was going to feel about it.

"I can't take my eyes off you"

"Rupert," She said to him quietly, "I'm pregnant"

And Rupert Giles stopped dancing.