I landed in London and Will met me at the airport. She hugged me tightly and for the first time in forever I feel like I'm not actually alone. I smile at her as we pull apart.
"I'm sorry to have to call you back to London, Buff. I know you don't really enjoy being here." I shrug as I grab my bags. I couldn't even begin to voice the reason to her. I couldn't even understand it completely myself. I sigh as we leave the airport.
"In a weird way, Willow, I'm actually kind of happy to be here. To get out of Cleveland even temporarily." I smile at her. "Though I wish the circumstances were better." She nods. "How is Giles doing?"
"He's...doing better. The doctors don't want him going back to work. And you can probably guess how well he's taking that advice." I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, I can imagine." I shake my head. Willow heads for a car and I follow her. After we load my bags into it, we get in and Willow drives us to the newly built headquarters. Not that I ever saw the old one, but my first impression of the new one is awe. The building is huge. There is plenty of room for all of the new Slayers. The Council is slowly rebuilding. Far too many Watcher families were destroyed by the First.
"The help of the Devon Coven is the only saving grace. Without their help...we wouldn't be able to protect the girls. There's just not enough Watchers anymore." Willow sighs. "But Andrew has turned out to be a pretty big help."
I looked at her, slightly shocked. "Really? Andrew is helpful? Who would have thought?" I smiled, feeling lighter than I had for quite some time. We went inside, and someone checked my ID before letting us head for Giles' room.
Giles is awake, a stack of papers on the bed in front of him. For so long, I have been angry at him for things that happened in Sunnydale. But one look at him, and I feel like the sixteen year old girl, still trying to figure out my place in the world. Giles had been there for me in tough times, but when he had a heart attack, I was an ocean away. I rush to his side, dropping my bag in the doorway.
I sit down on the edge of his bed and wrap my arms around Giles. I bury my face in his shoulder, willing the tears not to come. They do anyway, though if I'm being honest, it's not just Giles' health that causes them. Giles hugs me back, and I once again have the strange feeling of being home, of belonging for the first time in a long time.