For Rory, nightmares were fairly commonplace, since the memory charm had been broken. Most of them had to do with Xander dying, but a fairly substantial amount of them had to do with the video he'd shown her that proved the existence of the supernatural.

For example, that night, Rory dreamed that she was the person whose neck had been snapped by a vampire. However, after that, the dream shifted. Rory wasn't the human anymore.

She was the vampire.

And she really enjoyed breaking that person's neck.

Then Rory woke. She didn't wake up screaming, or sit bolt upright breathing hard. She just opened her eyes. She could hear blood pounding in her ears.

Which was loud. Really, really loud. In fact, now would be the perfect opportunity to say that it was deafening.

Except that Rory could hear other things. She could hear the rustle of leaves outside, Lorelai breathing in her room, someone - Babette's cat padding around outside. That was impossible, wasn't it? She shouldn't be able to hear all that normally, let alone past the thudding in her ears.

It was difficult to think. The noise was so loud, the repetitive thumping was really getting on her nerves. Rory didn't know what to do - was she still dreaming? Was she sick?

Suddenly, everything stopped with such suddenness that Rory wondered if she had suddenly gone deaf. Until she realised that she hadn't. She'd just reverted to being able to hear exactly what a normal person could hear.

Well, that had been strange. Rory wondered what it signified. If it had been a dream, it had been extraordinarily vivid. If it was real - why had it happened? Had she somehow contracted something that made everything really, really loud?

Before Rory had a chance to think about the matter anymore, she fell asleep, exhausted.

Lorelai was mildly surprised when Rory came downstairs wearing sunglasses. Rory never wore sunglasses. Even when it was bright, she always preferred to wear a hat - or, better yet, lounge inside. With skin as pale as Rory's, staying out in the sun wasn't the best of ideas.

"You hung-over?" Lorelai asked lightly.

"Hung-over from what?"

"Well, alcohol would be the usual guess."

"I didn't drink anything."

"Are you sure? You might've gone to some wild party last night or something."

"Oh, yeah, I love partying. I'm at it all day."

"Well, then it's your own fault you're hung-over."

"That was sarcasm, Mom."

"I suspected as much, but it's difficult to tell while you're wearing sunglasses."

"I'm wearing sunglasses because everything seems really, really bright." Rory explained. "Not because I'm hung-over."

"Yeah, but everything seems bright because you're hung-over. For the record, it's cute that you don't know that."

"I didn't drink anything, Mom."

"Just so long as you didn't fall out of any windows while you were busy not drinking."

"I didn't drink anything!" Rory said indignantly.

"Whoa, no need to snap." Lorelai paused. "Hang on. Hung-over people don't snap. They stay as quiet as possible."

"Finally." Rory said acidly, making herself some coffee.

Lorelai walked up to her daughter and put her hand to Rory's forehead. Her temperature was normal. "Hmm. Maybe you're coming down with something."

Rory shrugged. "Maybe. I felt a little dizzy yesterday, and I woke up in the night because everything seemed ridiculously loud. But I've only had one symptom at a time, so far. It's weird."

"Huh. Maybe Xander spiked your food?"

"Mom!"

"What? Maybe Valley Jesus tried to turn water into coffee and didn't quite get it right."

"Mom, stop. Just... stop. I'll be fine in a bit. In fact-" Rory took off her sunglasses, squinting a little "-I'm fine right now."

"You're squinting."

"So are you."

"Am not!"

"Hmm. It must be a sympathy squint."

"Yeah, that's probably it."

"Hah! You admit that you're squinting!"

"I was thinking that your left eye was squinting in sympathy with your right."

"Nice save." Rory said absently rubbing an eye and blinking rapidly. "Anyway, I'm fine, see?" She turned to Lorelai, eyes wide.

"Oh, yeah, because fine people look permanently startled."

"They might do."

"Honey, you should stay at home. Drink lots of coffee. You'll feel as right as rain soon enough."

"Why is rain so right anyway? As opposed to, say a calculator?"

Lorelai patted Rory's shoulder. "That's my girl. You'll be as right as a calculator soon."

"I wanted to see the wedding." Rory grumbled. "It's not every day you get to see a wedding with jesters."

"Well, if you feel better later, then feel free to come on down. Just don't forget to bring your suit, Agent Smith."

"Bah, low blow."

After Lorelai left, Rory put the sunglasses back on. While it didn't seem to be quite as bright as it had been when she had woken up, it was still bright enough to be uncomfortable.

Jess wasn't surprised to find Dawn in the book shop. She was perusing a copy of Plato's Republic, and didn't seem notice when he came up behind her.

"Hey." Jess said.

"Hi, Jess." Dawn replied, without flinching in surprise or even turning around.

"How did you know it was me?"

"I've had loads of practice of figuring out who the person creeping up behind me is. Besides, I recognized your voice." Dawn answered, closing the book and then turning around.

"What do you think?" Jess said, gesturing to the book.

Dawn shrugged. "It's better in Greek."

"You read Greek?"

"I can get by. Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Liz is trying to get me to dress up as some renaissance pageboy or something." Jess said in disgust.

"Liz?"

"My mom."

"You don't get on?" Dawn guessed.

"I get on with her well enough. It's her boyfriends I can't stand. Although, come to think of it, the fact that she's a bit of a flake isn't that great."

"Huh, what do you know? Freud was right."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, Spike. Don't worry."

"Spike?"

Dawn looked down. "I'd like you to drop it now." she said softly.

Jess looked at her thoughtfully. "Sure."

"So, when do I get to see you dressed as a pageboy?"

"Three days after never. Anyway, if you're coming, you should at least put flowers in your hair or something."

Dawn snorted. "I was thinking of dressing as Cervantes."

"Got a neck ruff tucked away somewhere? You don't have to be accurate to the time period. You could go in a suit of armour and no one would care."

"I could probably get my hands on one of those." Dawn mused. "Although it would probably be better if you wore it, what with you being a man and all."

"Says the person perfectly willing to dress up as Cervantes."

"Hey, a knight is completely different to the guy who basically invented the modern novel."

"How?"

"Author's don't slay dragons."

"Okay, I'm going to give up on this before it gets too absurd."

"I suddenly feel as though I should leave... a long pause... between the things I'm saying."

"Don't be ridiculous, Pinter. Besides, that would be just as anachronistic. Just put flowers in your hair and have done with it."

"I could go as Maid Marian." Dawn suggested.

"It's not a costumed wedding, Dawn. Flowers are fine."

"But they're so girly!"

"I feel that I should point out to you that you are a girl."

"Well, thank you for noticing. You should know that you're about eight years too old to be a pageboy."

"Somehow, reason doesn't seem to work on Liz."

"If I find a neck ruff, you can go as Cervantes." Dawn offered.

"Thanks, but that still leaves you as the girl with flowers in your hair."

"Hmm. Sadly, I have no intention of going to California. I just came from there."

"We could just skip." Jess suggested.

"And leave your mom with no one to give her away? That's not very nice."

Jess shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time. Or the second time. Liz tends to go through a lot of weddings."

"Still. You should go. If only so I can see you in costume."

"Oh, thanks." Jess said acidly. "Anyway, I should go. It's only a matter of time before Liz figures out I've escaped and sends her goons to bring me back."

"Goons? I doubt your mom has minions."

"Oh, you haven't met them. They're crazy."

"I doubt that too. Crazy is entirely different." Dawn said in an odd voice.

"I'm guessing that that's another thing I should drop."

"I'd appreciate it."

"You know, I'm usually the mysterious guy in this town. You're stealing my thunder."

"I am, as you so perceptively noticed, a girl. You can keep your mysterious guy deal. I can be Enigma Girl."

Jess smirked. "Whatever. Just so long as you're Enigma Girl with flowers in your hair."

Dawn stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'd better go." Jess said again. "See you later."

"See you."

Rory jumped a little when she heard someone knocking on the door. She hadn't been sleeping - it was more like she'd entered some realm of languorous stupefaction in which she was halfway between sleeping and waking. She hadn't been thinking of anything, just lying on the sofa. It had been quite pleasant.

She got up, removing her glasses - thankfully, it no longer seemed as though everything was painfully bright, and opened the door.

"Hey." Xander said cheerfully. Then her frowned. "Did you just wake up or something?"

"What? Oh, no. I was just... um, dozing, I guess."

"Uh huh. Dozing is a type of sleeping, you know." Xander pointed out. "Besides, you've got bed hair."

"Sofa hair, actually."

"Are you okay? Or do you normally take naps in the middle of the day? And, so you know, I don't usually put rhymes in what I say.

Rory waved away his concern. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. What did you come over here for, anyway? And don't rhyme."

"Taylor told me that there's a town meeting tomorrow, and he said that Giles and I should go. Seemed kind of ominous. I was wondering what the deal was."

Rory shrugged. "Couldn't you have come just to see me?"

"Oh, I did. The Taylor thing was just a pretext in case Lorelai was around."

"Is there a reason that you're sneaking around behind Mom's back?" Rory said, yawning widely.

"I don't think that she really approves of u- you and me." Xander answered. "Did you stay up all night or something?"

Rory shook his head. "Nah. I'm just really tired."

"Well, maybe you should wait until it's actually dark before you go back to sleep."

"I'll try. Anyway, Mom doesn't hate you or anything. She just doesn't want you to go off and not tell me you're even alive and leave me a mess again. I don't think she disproves of us."

"I suddenly feel inordinately happy that you said us, and really guilty about the not telling you thing."

"Don't. It wasn't your fault."

"Doesn't really help much."

Rory yawned again. Xander looked at her in concern and said "Maybe you need coffee."

"I always need coffee. But I'll be fine once I get some fresh air. I'll just go and get dressed and we'll see if we can catch the wedding."

Xander blinked. "You're not dressed now? I should probably tell you I just had a sudden image of you wearing... well, rather less."

"I'm iso/iglad you told me." Rory said sarcastically.

A little while later, with Rory in a dress that wouldn't look wildly out of place in a renaissance wedding, and Xander continuing his tradition of not bothering to dress up for other people's weddings, they arrived just in time for the ceremony to begin. They saw Lorelai and Luke sitting a couple of rows ahead of them. Xander noticed Dawn sitting on the edge of a row wearing a dress, which was unusual. No one who spent much time fighting vampires in Sunnydale wore dresses, because they were difficult to run in, and made kicking needlessly hard.

Then the ceremony started, and they were too busy restraining themselves to giggling quietly rather than rolling on the floor laughing when the minister came up and sang a ridiculous little ditty. Neither of them knew how everyone managed to stay so serious - any serious song contains the words "Yahtzee I'm winning" couldn't help but be laughed at. They could see Luke, Lorelai and Dawn shaking with suppressed laughter.

The vows, however, weren't funny at all. Tentatively, Xander and Rory held hands, twining their fingers together.

"I see you didn't manage to escape the page uniform." Dawn said, grinning.

Jess gave a disgusted snort. "At least I kept my trousers. They wanted me in tights. No way will I ever, iever/i wear tights."

"Oh, I don't know." Dawn said, eyes twinkling. "They'd show off your calves."

"My... calves? You're complimenting me on my calves? Seriously?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding. I'd just like to see you in tights."

Jess scowled. "I see you decided against putting flowers in your hair."

Dawn shrugged. "Didn't see the point, I've got some on my dress."

"A floral print doesn't exactly count."

"I haven't had any complaints."

"Yeah, well, here's your first." Jess said, patting his pockets.

"Looking for this?" Dawn said, holding out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. Jess' lighter.

Jess took it, but didn't say anything. He just gave her a questioning look. Dawn flushed slightly. "What? You said you were cutting back."

"Which isn't really a reason for you to steal them from me."

"It's more of an excuse than I used to have."

Jess thought about pressing her for details, but he decided against it. Instead, he settled for saying "You really are an enigma."

Dawn was saved from having to answer by the appearance of Liz and TJ. "Oh, Jess. I thought you'd given those up."

"It's your boyfriends that got me started."

"I don't smoke." TJ pointed out.

"Huh."

"Well, can you at least not light up here?" Liz said plaintively.

Jess looked at the cigarette he already had halfway to his lips, put it back and said "Sure." He handed them to Dawn. "You can keep these for safe keeping."

Dawn took them automatically. Liz seemed to notice Dawn for the first time. "Oh! You must be Rory! I've heard so much about you."

Dawn was momentarily thrown, so Jess took the opportunity to answer. "This isn't Rory. This is - she's Stella."

Liz frowned. "Really? But you look so much like how Jess described you - I mean, Rory."

"Yeah, we get that a lot. What Astrophil here may not have told you is that Rory is the one over there." Dawn pointed.

"Oh." Liz said. At that moment, the band struck up a slow song. "Oh! I love this song. Come on TJ, let's dance."

Jess turned to Dawn. "Astrophil?"

"Philip Sidney."

"Yeah, I got the reference. I just thought it was a little presumptuous to call me Star-Lover, iStella/i."

Dawn went pink, but said nonchalantly "I thought that that was what you were going for."

"I was just making a pun on your name."

"Ah. I really hate those."

"Well-"

"Don't you dare say here comes the sun. I've heard that one way too many times."

Jess chuckled. "I wasn't going to." he lied.

"Sure." Dawn said, unconvinced.

"Well, Miss Enigmatic Kowalski, would you care to dance with me?"

Dawn frowned. "I don't dance. Not even with people who make Streetcar Named Desire references."

"Neither do I."

"So you're asking me to inot/i dance with you? I was already doing that."

"Let me rephrase. I don't normally dance. However, on this occasion, would you like to dance with me?"

"Is this some ploy to make Rory jealous?"

"You keep suggesting that. It never is. How low your opinion of me must be."

"What is it then, it not that?"

"Well, Liz will probably harp on if I don't dance with someone. That, and it would probably really annoy Xander if I dance with you. If it makes Rory jealous, that's just a bonus. Well, that, and the fact that I'd actually quite like to dance with you. Hence the offer."

Dawn thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure. Just so long as you don't mind me stepping on your toes."

"I'm sure I can survive."

"Hey, Rory. You feeling better?" Lorelai asked.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. And nice suit, Luke."

"Thanks." Luke said gruffly.

Xander raised his hands. "Hang on a second. You were feeling ill? Is that why you were asleep? You should've told me. I would've confined you to bed or something."

"That's a bit extreme. It was only a little thing. And I'm fine now, I really am."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Xander. I'm fine."

"So, I see you didn't bother to suit up." Luke said to Xander, changing the subject.

Xander shrugged. "I wore a tux for my wedding. I don't really see the point in dressing up for other peoples'. Although I've got to say that I stand out less than you do here."

Luke frowned. "Your wedding?

"Uh huh. I'm sure I told you. I left her at the altar." Xander said in a too bright voice. Rory remembered that Anya had died either before or during Sunnydale's collapse - she hadn't pressed Xander for details, hoping that he would talk to her about it when he was ready. She hoped Luke didn't say anything that would stir all that up.

"Oh yeah, I remember now."

"Anyway, if I remember right, you got married and divorced." Xander said in a transparent effort to move the conversation away from Anya.

"True." Luke said, scowling a little. At that moment, the band struck up a slow song. Not wanting to discuss his impulsive, failed and brief marriage any further, he turned to Lorelai and said "Would you like to dance?"

"I thought you didn't dance."

"I'm a compulsive liar. Besides, I'd like to dance with iyou/i."

"Are you lying?"

"No."

"So you are lying!"

Luke scratched his head. "Yes?" he suggested.

"Are you lying about telling the truth or lying about your lying or telling the truth about you lying or-"

"Stop talking before you blow up the universe or something. Would you like to dance?"

Lorelai didn't reply. Luke sighed. "You can talk now."

"Yes, Luke, I'd love to dance."

Rory and Xander watched them move off. "How long has that been going on?" Xander asked.

"I don't know." Rory replied. "Are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Besides you're the one who didn't tell me you weren't feeling well this morning."

Rory wasn't about to be shaken off that easily. "I mean, what with the talk about Anya-"

"Rory. Stop. Please. I'm fine."

"But-"

"Rory, this isn't the time or the place to talk about that. In fact, I don't want to talk about it at all."

"But-"

"Rory!"

"Okay!" Rory said, throwing up her hands. Then she said, really quickly so that Xander wouldn't have the time to interrupt her, "But, if you need to talk about it, you know I'm here, right?"

Xander sighed noisily. "Yes. Thank you."

"So, are you going to ask me to dance or what?"

"You want to dance?"

"Why, yes Xander, I thought you'd never ask."

"It was more an incredulous exclamation at you wanting to dance than me asking you to. But if you want to dance, I'm all for it. Even though it's not really my thing. Unless it's the Snoopy dance."

"You've got to show me that."

"How about a standard dance now and a Snoopy dance later?"

"You got it, Batman."

Xander took Rory's hand and lead her to the dancing area. "Wow, you've got cold hands."

"I don't know how you put up with that guy." Luke said, as they danced.

"Well, Guy is a difficult person to put up with." Lorelai nodded.

"I mean Xa-"

"I know who you meant."

"He let Rory think he was dead for months. And then he stands there flaunting the fact that he nearly got married!"

"Well, he isn't even close to marrying Rory. Besides, she isn't ready to marry yet. Anyway, if your town collapsed into a giant sinkhole, and you lost friends and family there, would you want to subject someone you... someone you had feelings for to all the anguish you felt?"

Luke sighed. "I guess not. But Jess-"

"Don't get me started on Jess. He left without a word too, you know. He's hardly a model boyfriend. In any case, he's over there dancing with that Rory lookalike." Lorelai pointed out.

"Okay! Let's stop talking about all of that. Let's just enjoy the dance, alright?"

And they did.

Away in his room, Giles was tired. He'd spent every moment since meeting Ethan combing through every book he had trying to find any reference to something in Stars Hollow. While there were plenty of mentions of various confluences of power, he couldn't find a single thing about Connecticut. But then, he only had a limited amount of books with him, and the books that might have held more information had been blown up by Caleb along with the Council. Still, there were other books he could look into.

But first, Giles had to make a call.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Buffy."

"Giles! How's things?"

Giles, as tired as he was, couldn't let that pass. "How iare/i things."

"What?"

"Your grammar... never mind. Anyway, I wanted to ask you a favour."

"Of course. What is it?"

"Do you still know how to contact the Initiative?"

"Probably. Why?"

"I need to ask them something. And how can you probably know how to contact someone? Surely you either know or you don't."

"Giles, they're a shady government organization. They're not exactly easy to get hold off, you know? Anyway, what's the sitch?"

"Assuming that you mean situation, I need to ask them a question about... something."

"Well, that's mysterious."

"Buffy, you know how we need more magic users, given that we have Slayers everywhere and Willow can't be? Especially seeing as the ones who used to work for the Council died with it? Well, I wanted to ask the Initiative what they've done with Ethan."

"Ethan? You're kidding. That guy nearly got me killed. He nearly made me kill iyou/i! You can't be serious about recruiting him."

"It's just a thought. He is a powerful mage, after all. In any case, could you contact the Initiative and tell them I want to talk to them?"

"Okay, Giles, but I won't work with Ethan. Not after everything he's done."

Well, that was the point, wasn't it? Ethan had done bad things in the past, but did that mean that they shouldn't believe that he couldn't have reformed. Giles had. Hell, iSpike/i had. But Giles needed proof.