Xander stuffed another cracker laden with a  tasty brown
substance into his mouth.
"Mmmm" he mumbled, flashing a brief smile Willow's way.  He finished
chewing."This is good stuff.  What's it called? Platay?"
      "That would be pate, Xand.  It's goose liver with-"
      "Uh, did you say goose liver? "
      "Huh-uh." Willow said, still munching on her hors d'oeuvre.
Her parents often
threw dinner parties and they usually served pate as the appetizer.
It tasted good, she
hadn't had it in a few months.
      " Goose innards? I'm gonna be sick."  Xander had a pained
expression on his face before he picked up his water glass
and drained it. Then, he picked up his cup of coffee and finished it
off, hissing at the
burning liquid's effect on his mouth. "Can you warn me before I eat
anything
potentially nasty, Wills?"
      "Sorry." She said, a little distracted.  She was so busy
admiring the view. They
were having dinner on Nigel Wentworth's patio.  It overlooked the
ocean and offered a
breathtaking view of his private beach.  Candles lit the elongated
table they were dining
on.  Riley, Buffy, Giles, Xander, and Willow all looked relaxed but
Mr. Wentworth
appeared to be pensive.
      As they worked their way through dinner, Giles encouraged his
old friend to
divulge the exact details of his encounters with the ghost.  Giles
took off his glasses. "It
sounds as if every subsequent encounter with the spirit has been more
violent."
      "Exactly.  At first it was just annoying, playful even.  It
just hid items and made
noise.  But now, Ripper?"  He shuddered. Giles eyes flared briefly
but Niles continued.
"It almost threw me off a balcony."
      "How was it able to get a hold of you?"  She turned to
Giles.  "Aren't spirits all
spook and no touch?"
      "Not all of them, no." Giles said thoughtfully.  "Sometimes
they are able to
manifest themselves in physical form in this plane ,Buffy . They
convert their energies,
their essence into a brief temporal form.  They can only sustain this
form for,  at most,
an hour at a time." He turned to Nigel.  "What is it using as it's
power source?"
      Nigel looked out into the deep blue sea.  "I'm not certain.
All I know is, it's out of
my. . .its out of control."
      Over dessert, the sleeping arrangements were decided.
Concluding that there
was safety in numbers, Willow and Buffy were going to share a room as
were Xander
and Riley.  Giles would sleep next door to Nigel.  There was an
adjoining door between
the two rooms in case the ghost were to come after the wizard again.
                             *******
      Willow lay on the bed as she watched Buffy brush out her
hair.  The Slayer had
changed into a comfortable sweat suit in order to better slay.  It
had the added bonus of
being comfortable while they waited for the spirit to appear.
Apparently, their room
was a ghostly hot spot.
      Willow hadn't changed, she wore a pair of dark blue jeans and
a polo shirt.
Spike and Angel had been upset when she explained to them that she
had to stay
overnight.  Both of them were worried about her but she had reassured
them by saying
that she had dealt with spirits before and knew several banishment
spells. They had
reluctantly let her go.
      She noticed that the two vampires were more friendly towards
each other.  She
wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Spike and Angel becoming
friends?  The apocalypse
must be drawing near!  But they were actually joking with each other
when she had left.
Decisions, decisions. . .
      Willow glanced over at Buffy and began hesitantly.  "Buffy?
Um, I was just
wondering. . .how are you and Riley, er, getting along?"
      "Fine." Buffy said, meeting her gaze in the mirror.  "Why are
so concerned about
Riley?"
      "Just asking."
      "Oh." Then the Slayer blushed, wrinkling her nose in
embarrassment. "Actually,
we're better than fine.  We're great, Wills."  She sat down on the
edge of the bed.  "  I
never imagined that it could be this way.  I mean, there's no pain,
no suffering.  All
there is, is love?"  Willow's eyes widened.  "Not that I think I love
him, but I think I
could.  He's special."
      Willow rolled over on her side and idly traced patterns on
the pillow with her
fingertips.  "More special than say. . .oh, let me think. . . Angel
for example?"
      Buffy appeared thoughtful.  "Well, Angel is special to me
too.  But in a different
way.  Angel's my first love, and he holds an important place in my
heart. . . but we can't
be together anymore."
      "You're saying that if you could be with him, you would?"
      Buffy  sighed a little.  "I'm not sure."  She looked at
Willow skeptically.  "What's
with the deep questions about my love life?"
      "Oh, no reason.  Just, y'know bored, waiting for Casper the
Cranky Ghost to
show up."
      "Uh-huh."  Buffy patted Willow's hand.  "I know that Anya and
Xander are back
together. Saw them playing kissyface in front of Xander's house last
night while I
patrolled. Are you sad about Xander?  I know that he's your first
love." Or is it
something else?
      Willow shrugged off the question.  "No, I'm happy for them."
She smiled
brightly at Buffy, hoping to hide her sadness.  She suddenly felt
like the `other woman'.
      "So, you and Xander are fine, then?  It's no biggie?"  Willow
nodded in
agreement. "Wills, I'm gonna ask you for a favor but please don't be
mad. Can you go
stay with Xander?  Riley wants to come over and. . .well, I mean it's
a huge king-sized
bed and the bathroom!  The tub is so roomy, I bet-"
      Willow threw up her hands.  "Say no more.  Please!"  Goddess,
she knew way too
much about everyone's sex life.  " No problem.  I'll go stay with
Xand, you can do. ..
whatever you need to in here."
      "Thanks, Will, you're a doll. " She hesitated. "That spell is
over, right?  I won't
come in to find you two-"
      "It's over, I promise.  No more fluking with Xander.
I'm `fluke' less."
      "Good!" She picked up her overnight bag and began rummaging
through it. "
Can you send Riley over?" She pulled a black nightie from her bag.
      "Sure." Willow hurriedly went to the door, trying not to see
anything as she
grabbed her own gym bag.
                             *******
      Willow almost knocked Riley down in the hall. Her bag fell
from her grasp and
hit against the wall, making the tightly packed carrier almost
explode. She knelt down
and began picking items up.  "Buffy's expecting you." She said, as
she glanced up at
him.
      "I know.  She, uh, called over here.  Couldn't wait, I
guess."  Willow flushed and
he bent down to help her pick up some clothes.
      "That's okay, I can do it." She grabbed a t-shirt out of his
hands.  Goddess, I don't
want him to see my underwear. She'd had enough of Buffy's boyfriends
looking at her
unmentionables.  The way Angel had stared at her when she stood
before him in nothing
but her under things.  She shivered, his eyes had almost devoured
her.
      "Thanks, Willow. . .it was nice of you to-"
      Willow refused to look him in the eye, still
flustered.  "Don't mention it."  He
looked doubtful, sensing her mood.  "Just go already, it's fine."
Willow continued to
stuff items into her bag, still looking at the soldier.  His eyes
followed her movements
and then his eyes widened. The blond backed away and nearly ran down
the hall. "That
was. . .weird." She muttered.
      Willow entered Xander's room, it was slightly ajar.  She held
some of her clothes
in her hands. "Gonna do the nasty, aren't they?" Xander said, without
preamble.
      "Xander!"
      "Well, they are!  Riley just got a booty call from Buffy and
then he went racing
out of here like he was on fire. We both know it, Wills."  She
scowled.  "By the way,
how are you're two dead boyfriends?"
      "They're not dead.  They're undead."
      "Whatever.  Made a decision? Whose the lucky vamp?"
      "I haven't picked one."  She groaned as she sat down on the
bed beside him.  " I
thought falling in love would be so easy."
      Xander wrapped his arms around her.  "I'm sorry, Wills.  But
you still have me.
I'm your best friend forever and  I won't make you choose."
      "You won't?'
      "Course not.  You're the bestest friend ever."
      "Love you, Xand."
      "Right back at ya, Wills."
      "So, what are you buttering me up for?"
      "Huh?  There's no butter here, not even some margarine."
      "Xander-"
      "Alright.  Anya's coming over." His shoulders slumped in
defeat.  She was too
smart for her own good.
      "What?   Giles told you not to do that!"
      "She and I just made up.   From the mess you caused, I might
add."
      "Fine, guilt trip me why don't you?"  She realized that he'd
been planning this
for a while.  "Hey!  That's why you asked for a first floor room, so
you could have a
balcony to let her in.  Fear of heights, my tushy!"
      He had the decency to look sheepish.  "She's my girl, Wills."
      Willow lay back on the bed, the fight leaving her body.
Xander was falling in
love, it seemed. She sighed. "Where am I going to sleep?"
      His eyes took on that familiar puppy dog quality.  "You can
stay with Giles.  He
even  has a couch in his sitting room. You don't even have to sleep
in the same room
with him.   He even has a fireplace." He said, trying to entice her
out of one of her
mercurial moods.
      "Just remember one thing, okay?  We're here to get rid of the
ghost.  Don't get
too. . .er, distracted."
      "I know. But it isn't that dangerous, Wills. We faced the
demon mayor, a little
ghost is hardly a threat.  No problem, right?  And it's not like I'll
ever see a place this
nice again. Besides,  anytime is a good time for nookie. Anya loves
it when I-"
      She picked up a pillow and hit him on the arm.  "Gross,
Xand.  Keep your'e
sweaty fun time secrets to yourself, `kay?"Willow grabbed up her
clothes and said
goodnight to Xander before she continued down the hall to Giles'
room. She was so
upset, that she didn't see a pair of her underwear had fallen
underneath the bed,
unnoticed.
                                                       *******
      Willow was about to knock on Giles' door when she heard
muffled laughter
coming from inside. She pressed her head against the door, straining
to listen.  She
didn't want to physically intrude on Giles if he was catching up with
his old friend.
Although, eavesdropping was another matter!
      She heard Giles speak.  "You make me feel so young again.
You've seen me at
my worst and yet you still don't turn away from me.  Do you know how
special you
are?"
      Willow pressed a hand to her heart, honestly touched by the
display of emotion.
Then she heard the sound of kissing.  Passionate kissing.  The
moisture of two mouth
pressed together made some rather distinct noises that were
unmistakable to Willow.
Goddess! Nigel was Giles' boyfriend! No wonder they were at his house
to fix this ghost
problem of his.  She'd heard Nigel call him "Ripper" in a hushed
tone, obviously the
two were close from the Watcher's wild days.
      She smiled softly.  Good for Giles, then.  He deserved some
happiness. She slung
her gym bag back on her shoulder and wandered down the hall. She was
determined to
find an empty room to sleep in.  Willow decided that she would simply
do a protection
circle around herself because she was going to be alone.  She shook
her head. For a witch
with two boyfriends, she seemed to have the worst sex life of all the
scoobies.
                             *******
      Riley kissed the top of Buffy's blond head.  "Happy?'
      "Very."
      "Happier with me than you were with Angel?"
      "Riley, I don't want to talk about that."  Her lower lip
protruded.
      "Sorry for ruining the mood. When he showed up here the last
time, he was all
protective.  He just knows so much about you.  I want to know that
I'm not rebound
man or something."
      "You aren't. I was talking to Willow about you today. I told
her you were special
to me, you make me feel good."  She pointed at the slightly misty
mirror, visible from
their spot in the large bath tub.  "See?  You reflect and so do I."
She leaned back against
him.  "I always missed simple things like that. We're not `normal',
but I'll never have
that with anyone. You and I are good together, when I'm with you I
don't think about
anyone else."
      "I feel good around you too.  And being the Slayer kind of
rules normal out as an
option."
      She sighed in contentment as she twisted around to look at
him.  "Yeah, but you
don't always look at me and see the Slayer.  You see me as Buffy,
accept me for who I
am."
      You are special to me, Buffy Anne Summers. There's no one
else like you on the
Earth. And I would say that even you weren't the Slayer. You're a
very peculiar girl."
She leaned up and kissed him.  He moved his hand down her side.
Riley smiled at her
girlish squeal. Then he bent  to whisper a wicked suggestion in her
ear as to what they
could do in front of aforementioned mirror.
                              *******
      Anya knocked softly on Xander's glass doors.  He opened them
and enfolded her
in a big hug.  "I'm glad you're here."
      "Me too. " She looked around the room, eyes alight. " Wow!  I
wonder how much
this costs?" Then she saw the huge bed. " Can we have sex now,
Xander?"
      He chuckled.  She wasn't romantic in the classic sense of the
word but he never
worried about her feelings for him.  She usually blurted them out as
soon as she felt
them. "Thought you'd never ask."
                              *******
      Giles turned up the volume, he was playing "Love Her Madly"
by the Doors on
his c.d. player.  He poured his companion another glass of wine.
      "I feel guilty about hiding this, Rupert."
      "I know.  But she wouldn't understand.  When she was able to
read your
thoughts, she didn't react well to the news that we had, er, been
intimate. We've been
dating a year now and we'll have to tell her eventually.  I think it
best to keep this from
her until the time is right."
      Joyce nodded, knowing Buffy might have some reservations
about her
relationship with her Watcher.  Ever since ingesting that band candy,
the two hadn't
been able to stay away from each other.
      "Let's not worry about this tonight, my love."  They clinked
glasses.  "To us."
      "To us."  Joyce looked down at the engagement ring sparkling
on her finger.
                              *******
      Spike and Angel pulled into the long drive of the mansion.
They parked Angel's
car near the gate so none of the Scoobies would recognize it if they
looked out the
window.  "Are you sure this it the place?" Angel asked.
      "Yep, copied the directions right out of her notebook."
      "It's not polite to snoop."
      "Who said I was polite?" He grinned.  "Can't believe she
thought we'd just let her
run off into a dangerous situation without us."
      Angel shot him an answering smile, two partners in
crime.  "Just remember,
discretion is the key, alright?  We're not going to let Buffy or
Giles see us, alright?"
      "Deal. She's going to flip when we tell her what' been
decided about the three of
us."  Angel raised an eyebrow at his grandchilde.  "Well, she will?
She's gonna be mad
that we decided for her though.  Now, let's see about getting
ourselves an invite."  They
walked up the driveway purposefully. Spike smiled.  "I hope we catch
Red in her
pajamas.  Wait `til she sees what I packed for her!"
 

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