Buffy was telling Willow and Xander about her latest battle with three vamps when Principal Snyder stormed passed them muttering, "That no good, pompous, Brit.; I'll teach him to skip out on a staff meeting."
The three teenagers ran to the library to warn Giles. They found him slumped over his desk. They stood in silence, fearing the worst, until they heard him snoring softly. "Awe, he looks peaceful, sleeping there." voiced Willow.
"Yeah but we've got to wake him before Snyder gets here; or we may be minus one librarian." Xander chimed in.
Buffy walked closer to him. She heard him mumbling but couldn't make out what was said. "Giles," she called using his last name without the formal mister before it. He didn't move. "Gi...les." she called louder. She still received no response.
"Try touching him..." Xander and Buffy gave Willow a strange look, "I mean shake his shoulder. It works for my dad when he's in a deep sleep." Willow offered.
As Buffy reached out to put her hand on his shoulder; Giles shouted "Leave her alone!" and leaped to his feet. "What! Where! What are you doing here?"
The teens observed their mentor closely. His clothes were rumpled, as if he had slept in them all night. His hair was unkempt and he appeared to have two days worth of beard growth. They hadn't seen him this bad off since the death of Jenny Calendar.
"Snyder's fe, fi, fo fuming and out for English blood." Xander stated.
The words had no sooner left his lips when Snyder burst into the room. "Don't you three have classes to get to." he sneered at the teens.
"Oh look at the time! Classes to go to... things to learn," Willow said as she pushed Xander and Buffy towards the door. Buffy looked back towards her Watcher sensing something was terribly wrong.
Snyder turned towards Giles, "Mr. Giles you missed the mandatory staff meeting this morning. Important decisions were made about the functionality of this building. It will no longer be open to the students in the evenings unless there is a school event going on. The doors will be closed after 4:00 pm.
"But... but you can't." Giles stammered. "The... the students need the library to stay open for... for study and... and... homework help.
"The only students in here on a regular basis are the three hoodlums you cater to. You can find another place to assist in their 'academic' endeavors." Snyder turned on his heels to leave.
"Mr. Snyder, I'll be... be leaving at noon to... today on personal business."
Snyder stopped, turned his head to glare at the rumpled librarian, "You didn't attend the meeting and now you're leaving early... I can't wait to write up your review." He then continued out of the library.
Giles showered and changed in the boy's locker room, knowing he didn't want Olivia to see him disheveled as he was.
Arriving at the art gallery, in Los Angeles, he saw Olivia waiting at the entrance.
"Hello, Olivia" He said tentatively.
"Ripper; my how you've changed." Olivia looked at the man before her, not the 'rebel without a cause' she was use to but still gorgeous. "I never would have recognized you if you hadn't called last night."
"Yes... um shall we." He offered his arm for her to take as he escorted her into the exhibit. They talked about; old times and what they had been involved in since their parting. Of course, Giles didn't tell her about being a Watcher only about finishing his schooling at Oxford and his work at the British Museum.
They enjoyed a nice dinner at one of the finer restaurants. "You mentioned something about needing my help?"
"I-I need to find a location in London but haven't much to go on."
"Why don't we go back to my room? I have my sketch pad there; you can tell me what you remember." her eyes saying more than her words, hoping the evening wouldn't end with only drawings.
"Well... um," Giles was getting flustered; he remembered the times he had with Olivia in the past. He removed his glasses, took out a handkerchief and began polishing the lenses with vigor, "Yes, all... all right." He paid the bill and they left for her hotel.
Olivia produced her key card and opened the door. They entered a sitting area complete with a kitchenette and bar on the left. A door on the right led to the bathroom. Directly across from the entrance was another. He assumed this led to the bedroom.
Olivia went to the bar and poured them both a drink. She pulled out her tablet and drew a typical street scene in London. Giles looked over Olivia's shoulder to see what she had drawn so far. "The buildings were... were a little further apart and... and there's a chemist's shop between those two." He said pointing to where it was to go on the paper.
"So you remember the name of it?"
"No, I recognized the... the logo of a mortar and pestle on... on the window." He sat on her couch, taking off his glasses he pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaustion clearly written over his face.
Olivia noticing how tired he was, set her tablet on the table, lifted his legs to rest them on an ottoman, took his glasses, then refilled their drinking glasses. She handed his back to him, leaned towards him and whispered, "Why don't we take a break from this and... relax. I find I remember more details when I clear my mind."
"Yes quite... quite right." he stammered more from the close proximity of Olivia than from his speech impediment. Giles took a sip of his drink relishing the warmth he felt as it went down. He put his head back closing his eyes. She stepped behind the couch, placed her middle fingers on his temples, and massaged gently. He could feel the tension slipping away. She knew he was relaxed by the soft snores that soon came from him. Taking his glass from his hand, she went to her room to slip into something more comfortable.
Olivia came out wearing a silky cobalt blue negligee, "Oh Ripper, I wish there was more I could do for you." she looked longingly at the slumbering man on her couch. Taking a blanket from the closet, she covered him and went to her room to sleep.