Thankfully the scanning in of the books was completed in the next week, and the morning after the end of the ORDEAL as Giles called it, he drove me to school. The reason for this was simply because it was convenient, since I had spent the night in his abode anyway.

Why? Because he had needed a distraction. And tea. Lots of tea. So I supplied both until he felt cheered enough and tired enough to go to bed. I didn't invite myself to sleep over, mind you, no he asked me if I wanted to stay as he was leaving.

It didn't a lot of thought for me to accept. After all, my own humble dwelling is not nearly as comfortable as Giles'.

It's dark, out of necessity, it's dingy, there's no bed, just a mattress, and my few belongings are tucked in a canvas bag, and it sits in a corner of the room. Not to mention the wallpaper in there is from the seventies, and looks hideous, so I was more than willing to spend the night in relative comfort.

I wouldn't hear of him giving up his bed, so I took the sofa instead. In the morning I joined him in another cup of tea, skipped breakfast, and then we rode together.

He let me out of the car a block away from the school, however, since it may have garnered attention that a student was riding with a school staff member. Not that anyone notices me, really, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

I saw Willow just going in, and though I waved to her, she must not have seen me, because she didn't return the wave.

"See you in the library, then?" I asked Giles before closing the door. As of late, I only sporadically attended classes and spent most of my time in the library. How did I not get in trouble for this? Well, first of all I keep a low profile from the teachers and students, really I only speak to Buffy, Xander, and Willow, and also, I asked Willow to do a little snooping in the school's database and see if I have any marked absences.

I didn't. But if I started ranking up too many she assured me to could easily change it.

"Of course." Giles said, adjusting his glasses, "Where else would we meet?"

I smirked, and then turned when I heard someone call my name. Buffy was hurrying towards me

"Good morning, Buffy." I greeted, but had to keep my composure when I saw what she was wearing.

It wasn't skimpy, by any means. No, in these times what she was wearing was really rather modest. But…I suppose I'm old fashioned but I couldn't get over how much skin she was showing. She had on a tank top, which I can deal with, but that, coupled with the miniskirt she was wearing, it just took me aback for a moment.

Only for a moment. As I said, I've seen much worse, but it always gives me a bit of a turn.

"What's happening?" she greeted me in return.

"School?" I shrugged. She nodded.

"Sounds like heaven." She sighed, and I could understand why. We'd had a very hectic few months. It was nice to have a week or two of nothing happening. It almost felt normal. Almost.

"You seen Willow anywhere?" she asked.

"I just saw her go in." I replied. "Shall we catch up?"

"Lead the way."

I inhaled sharply to catch a whiff of her scent, and then began pushing through the dense mass of students to get inside and find her.

When we did finally catch up to her, she still seemed to be in her own world, since she didn't turn when Buffy called to her. Of course, we were a good ways down the corridor, so perhaps she simply hadn't heard.

Buffy broke into a jog, so of course I matched her stride.

"Willow!" she called again, "Willow! Hey, wait up!"

Willow finally paused and turned, smiling happily at us as we came to a halt and ignored the curious glances of the passing students.

"Oh, Buffy! I didn't even see you guys." She blushed and hugged her books to her chest. I thought I saw an odd look in her eyes. Not odd, exactly, I mean it wasn't anything to cause alarm, but…it was different. Dreamy.

Like I said: Odd.

"Didn't hear me?" Buffy scoffed, then frowned and poked her in the arm, "And what was up with last night? I tried to get online with you like a million times."

Willow blushed again and gave her book another hug.

"Oh, I was…I was talking." She said cryptically. I could hear her heartbeat fluttering. That could mean only one thing, but I would let her say it first.

Still, I couldn't help but smile for her.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, starting to catch on.

"Talking to-?" she queried.

Willow just grinned.

"Okay," Buffy said, mock-pouting, "that's it, you have a secret and that is not allowed."

"Why not?" Willow asked as she walked over to her locker and started to open it.

"'Cause, there's a rule?" Buffy said, but she made it sound like a question.

Willow laughed, but then gave a small sigh.

"Well," she said, yielding, "I sort of met someone."

'As I thought.' I said to myself. She had all the telltale signs, after all. I'd seen it too many times not to know a smitten heart when I saw one.

"I knew it!" Buffy exclaimed, "This is so important! When did you meet?" she was bouncing around Willow like an excited terrier while I gave Willow a congratulatory embrace and a pat on the back.

"Well done, dear heart." I told her, grinning. Even as I did so, however, I felt an odd pang. I felt how a mother must when her daughter asks to go courting for the first time. I felt proud, but at the same time, there was something else…

Jealous

'I'm not jealous.'

You're afraid her affections will be given to a stranger, and you'll be forgotten. It's happened before, remember?

'It was only right that it should happen that way. But Willow is different. She's a lovely thing, we won't be forgotten so easily.'

Lies

'Enough.'

Willow turned to Buffy to answer her question, her big brown eyes sparkling like gems from excitement and happiness. It was rather endearing, I must say. Even the Essence quieted down after we got a look at those eyes.

"Last week," she said, "after the scanning project in the library."

"Does he go here?" Buffy asked, but didn't give Willow a chance to answer: "What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?"

Kissing? Already? Good heavens, the child had only known this person less than a week!

Children these days. They worry me.

Willow, nonplussed, answered each question in turn. "Malcolm, no, and very nice."

Malcolm.

"You are a thing of evil for not telling me this sooner!" Buffy declared, still bouncing around Willow.

"Well, I wasn't sure there was anything to tell," Willow explained, then smiled the smile only young first-lovers can give. It was smile full of bliss and excitement, a smile that said: 'At last, I've found happiness.'

That smile never changes, no matter how many hundreds of years go by. It's always there.

"But last night," she continued, "Oh," she sighed, "we talked all night, it was amazing!" her voice grew more quiet and husky as she spoke. "He's so smart, Buffy!" she said, "And, and he's romantic and we agree about everything!"

I smirked.

"Sounds like your perfect fellow, child." I commented.

"Isn't he just?" Willow giggled at me.

"Aw!" Buffy squeaked, "What's he look like?"
Willow shrugged happily.

"I don't know!"

She said it so cheerfully I didn't really understand what she'd said. Then it registered and I looked at Buffy in confusion. She frowned as well and hurried after Willow as she began walking towards her computer science classroom.

"Wait, so, you've been seeing a guy, but you don't know what he looks like?" Buffy repeated as we walked in.

I raised a finger.

"I don't think that would constitute 'seeing' someone, then." I couldn't help but interject. Buffy nodded.

"Exactly."

Willow hurried to explain.

"I met him online." She said, looking at the monitor as though it was her lover.

"Oh!" Buffy said, still looking concerned. Personally, I didn't see how it was such a problem. I had heard of these sort of things happening with growing frequency. Actually I thought it was rather amazing how two beings could connect via such a device and establish such a connection they might not ever achieve had they only ever met face to face.

"Good morning, kids!" Ms. Calendar said, slouching into the room, armed with books, sunglasses, and a cup of coffee that smelled warm, delicious, and very expensive.

She stopped short when she saw Buffy and I.

"Buffy, uh-" she paused, frowning, and snapped her fingers a few times, then gestured helplessly at me.

"Margery." I offered quietly.

"Right. Buffy, Marge, are you supposed to be somewhere?"

I cringed at being called 'Marge'. I would allow Buffy and Xander to call me that if they wished, but I resented a complete stranger calling me that. Especially someone who had been so insolent to Giles.

"Margery." I corrected. She ignored that.

"Oh, uh, we still have a few minutes before our first class." She said, nudging me to corroborate her story.

"Oh. Um. I was going to library to study. First. For…English." My story didn't sound as convincing but Ms. Calendar didn't seem to mind.

"Cool." She shrugged, "But, this is lab time so be sure and make it a nice, short visit, okay?"

"Sure." Buffy nodded. She started to go but I turned to watch Willow as she logged into her computer and an automated voice informed her that she had mail.

"It's him!" she bubbled, looking at me. I tugged at the hem of Buffy's shirt as she started to leave, and then knelt beside Willow to get a better look at the screen.

She opened the email she'd received. It was short, but…sort of sweet, I suppose.

I'm thinking of you. It read.

Short and to the point. Though I found it rather more informational than affectionate. Willow seemed giddy about it though, so I kept this opinion to myself.

"He's so sweet!" she breathed. I exchanged a look with Buffy. She looked more worried about this than anything else.

"He's a sweetie." She agreed half-heartedly, not that Willow noticed.

"What should I write back?" Willow asked me.

I shifted uncomfortably. It'd been over fifty years since I had written anything even close to a love letter, so I was desperately out of practice.

"Um…I suppose you could reply: 'Thank you, dear sir, and the sweet thought of you is ever present in my mind as well'?"

I shrugged.

"I'm sorry, I haven't done this since…well, since before Giles was born."

"That's okay. What do you think, Buffy?" she turned to the Slayer.

"Uh, Willow," Buffy started, "I think it's…really great that you have this cool pen-pal, but, don't you think you're kind of…rushing all into this?"

I frowned at Buffy.

"Didn't you just ask her if she'd kissed him after only knowing this person a week? Wouldn't that have been rushing into things?" I reminded her. She glared at me.

"I'm thinking of you too!" Willow exclaimed, like she hadn't heard us, "No, that's incredibly stupid!" she looked panicked.

"Will," Buffy said, "Down girl, let's focus here. What do you actually know about this guy?"

Willow paused, then frowned sadly.

"See, I knew you'd react like this," she said, not angrily, but with a certain tone of dejection in her voice.

"Like what?" Buffy asked. "I just want to make sure you're careful, that's all."

"Buffy…" Willow groaned.

"He could be different than you think." Buffy defended herself.

"That's true," I said, nodding, "but from his perspective it may be a risk as well. After all, for all he knows Willow could have been something other than how she presented herself as well." I shrugged, "There's a risk on both sides."

"His name is Malcolm Black," Willow began proudly, "He's eighteen, lives in Elmwood, which is about eighty miles from here, and he likes me." She said this last part with another blush and happy smile.

Of course she would be this blindly excited about a possible interest in her. She'd spent so long going after Xander, only to have him blindly rebuff her, that of course she would be this…naïve, for lack of a better word, about someone who appreciated her.

"Short, tall, skinny, fat?" Buffy asked.

"Why does everything have to be about looks?" Willow demanded. A good point. I arched an eyebrow at Buffy.

"Not everything," Buffy said, "but some stuff is. I mean, what if you guys get really, really intense, and then you find out that he…has…a hairy back?"

"Well, no!" Willow said, "I mean, he doesn't talk like someone who has a hairy back. And anyways, that stuff doesn't matter when you really care about each other. Maybe I'm not his ideal, either."

"Willow," I cautioned her, she looked at me in surprise, "you are an incredibly beautiful young lady. However he may look, he's the one who can only be pleased by what he will find in you. Don't worry about that."

"Thanks, Margery." She smiled at me.

"Well I'm just trying to make sure he's good enough for you." Buffy declared.

I stood up and put a hand affectionately on the top of Willow's head.

"No one ever will be," I told her, "but they can try, if they must."

She giggled.

"Thanks guys, but, I know what I'm doing." She looked up at the clock, "Oh, you'd better get going if you don't want to be late."

I glanced up.

"Indeed. I promised Giles I'd be along to help him translate some of the new Romanian texts that came in. One of them is supposedly written by a vampire."

"You speak Romanian?" Buffy and Willow said in unison.

I smirked down at them.

"Da. Am multe trucuri în mânecă, cei mici." I said. (Meaning: Yes. I have many tricks up my sleeve, little ones.)

Buffy frowned.

"I'm pretty sure you just blended Russian and Italian." She said.

I laughed.

"Not quite. But Romanian and Italian are both Romance languages, so many roots are the same. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." I nodded to Willow, "Just take care, dear one."

"I will." She promised.

I left them, then.

I knew Willow would be careful, but Buffy had a point. Willow could be talking to anyone. I felt my jaw clench as I walked, and a malicious smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth.

If anyone was planning on hurting Willow, then they were the ones who needed to be careful.