"Yes, she's still here, Cordelia. No, I don't know what size she is, blue sounds good...grey is also very good." Giles looked to the ceiling hoping for some divine intervention. Cordelia was calling from her cell phone, she was at the mall buying Buffy some clothes. "No, she can't come to the phone, she's in the shower. No! I will not just "poke my head in" and ask her her size! Fine, that sounds fine. Please come by when you're through, I do have some questions for you. Bye."

"Who was that?" Buffy stood at the entryway to the living room, brushing her waist length hair, she was wearing one of Giles's old robes. It was too big but it was all she had clean to wear.

"That was Cordelia, she's picking you up some clothes and will be over shortly. Good thing she's coming here, she left school early and I didn't get a chance to ask her about the Wish."

"So, once I have clothes, should I go out and patrol?" Buffy was at a loss on what her responsibilities were in this world. Should she be trying to get back or should she be filling in as acting slayer?

"Angel has been filling in temporarily until the Faith issue is settled." Giles looked over at Buffy to see how his next words would effect her; he was starting to form a theory on why Buffy was called here. "He can handle anything out there, the only person who even would be a slight problem is Faith herself and he doesn't need to fear for his life with her."

"If Faith's a slayer and they're on opposite teams, why wouldn't he fear for his life?" Buffy knew she wasn't going to like the answer.

"It seems as though Faith has developed a certain fascination with Angel. Now that Buffy's gone, she has made several...er...attempts in capturing his affections."

"He's not responding, is he? I mean she's bad and he's...well...not so bad, besides I thought he and Buffy had this eternal thing happening." Buffy knew she was talking way too fast and Giles was starting to eye her funny. "Oh and attempts! What kind of attempts are we talking about exactly?!"

"Of course he's not responding, but..." Giles half hoped he was dead wrong on his theory, but her reactions thus far only seemed to support it. "Faith and Angel are very alike, both have walked in the darkness and have known the temptation of true evil. Angel feels that she is not totally lost, that maybe she can be saved. He strongly believes in second chances, so if he thinks being with Faith would help her...I really can't predict what he would do. As for attempts, I believe one involved chains."

As he half thought she would, Buffy exploded.

"That skanky, back-stabbing HO! I'll show her chains! I'll show her chains wrapped around her neck!" Buffy threw the brush across the room. Giles ducked. Then she started pacing. "And that whole 'save me from myself thing', what a load of crap! If he's falling for that line, I have some vampire sunscreen I want to sell him!"

Buffy whirled around to face Giles, totally lost in her inexplicable jealousy. Giles cautiously moved a few steps away from her flying hands.

"It's only been THREE MONTHS! So much for 'You'll always be my girl, Buffy', 'I want to see you in sunlight, Buffy', 'I'll always be with you, Buffy!' I guess one slayer is as good as another!" She was close to tears now and had a burning desire to rip every strand of hair out of Faith's head. As for Angel, if she ever saw him again...Scratch that ...she'd make sure she never laid eyes on that fickle bastard again!

Giles hadn't been prepared for the force of Buffy's anger and jealousy, she'd only had one encounter with Angel. Or had she? If his theory proved true, Buffy and Angel would get their second chance. Giles was feeling bad for exaggerating the Faith situation; Angel never responded to that girl and never would; though he didn't lie about Faith's interest in Angel. Angel had to be extra careful these days.

"Why don't I make us some tea while we wait for Cordelia?" Tea - that was Giles' answer for female hysterics.

"Take your tea and shove it up your ass! That is, if it will fit with that big stick you have rammed up there!" Buffy stalked to her room and slammed the door.

"How charming." Giles went to the kitchen to start the water.

"You're breathing on me! Get back!" Willow tried pushing Xander away but he wouldn't budge.

"It's not fair! You and Oz have ring side seats and I have to be in the back!" Oz and Willow had picked Xander up at 7:00 as planned and then drove on to Cordy's. They noticed that her car wasn't in the driveway and had kept on going to Giles' house. Now the three were on the side of his house angling to get a view into his home.

"It's totally fair, you're taller than us." Oz elbowed backward trying to get Xander to move.

"It's not my fault you're height challenged, besides I want to see the blonde! Go Giles! I can't believe he actually has some blonde there in his robe! Is she a babe? Can you tell?"

"Xander, stop it! I think it's sweet that he's finally moving on and we can't tell from here what she looks like, but she's on the short side with hair down to her waist." Willow thought wistfully of her own waist length hair she finally chopped off last year.

"The blonde explains the nervousness." This came from Oz.

"No, no my friend, that was not nervousness you sensed from the G-Man! That was 'I can't wait for school to be out 'cause there's going to be a hot time in the city tonight!'"

"Shush, Xander, keep your voice down!"

"Will, there's no else around. Who else would be stupid enough to be lurking around outside Giles' house?"

"I think both you should keep quiet right about now and get down out of sight. And, Xander, as far as who else is stupid enough....witness the expert lurker." Oz pointed over to the shadows, where someone was moving toward Giles' window.

"Angel." Willow whispered "It's Angel. What is he doing here?"

"I think the question is...why isn't he going to the door? Why is he doing his rendition of Peeping Tom?" Xander watched Angel looking through the window of Giles' spare room.

"Hey, isn't that the window to where the blonde just went? What's with him and blondes!?" Xander was getting angry, this was too weird. Why would Angel be spying on Giles and his date what kind of sick freak was he?! Then the remembered what they were also doing.

*Yeah, but it's different, they were concerned about Giles. Angel looked to be more interested in the blonde!* Xander was good at justifying his own actions.

"There's got be an explanation for this, I refuse to believe that Angel gets his kicks from spying on blondes. There must be something going on, we were right the first time. Angel must know something, I vote to go over there and ask him. All in favor raise your right hand." Willow finished her statement and raised her right hand, she looked at Oz.

"I'm right there with you, Will." Oz raised his hand.

"Oh, you just gave in because she's your girlfriend."

"Yes, and that would explain the fact that you don't have one."

Xander looked put out. "OK...we go ask Dead Boy why he's a freak. Can this night possibly get any stranger?"

"It seems like it can..." This time Oz pointed to Cordelia walking up the path to Giles's front door. She had a half dozen shopping bags in her hands and a big smile on her face.

The trio ducked out of sight. Angel on the other side of the walkway did the same.

"Now I'm really confused. Why would Cordelia be popping in on Giles' date with a girl who is only wearing his robe?" Willow shook head.

"Under normal circumstances the thoughts running through my head would give me hours of entertainment in my bathroom but since this does involve my ex-girlfriend and Giles, I'm thinking party-crashing right about now!" Xander wanted nothing more than to bang on the door and punch Giles in the face.

"Oh and let's not forget the joyful fact that Soul Boy decided to pull up a chair and watch!"

"We're getting nowhere with this, let's get Angel and just knock on the door and ask Giles what's going on." Willow stood up.

"I'm thinking door number two." Xander looked confused at Oz's statement, Willow just grinned.

Angel couldn't believe he'd sunk to this level, he was actually spying on Buffy. Not that he hadn't done so a hundred times in the past, but this felt different. In the past, Buffy had always known about his nocturnal activities, she even once admitted to not sleeping right until she sensed his presence outside her window. This Buffy had no idea he was watching her. She looked upset, she was lying on the bed in only Giles' robe, her long, damp hair trailing over the side.

*I shouldn't be here* Angel thought to himself. *I said goodbye last night, I should just walk away. God, she looks so beautiful lying there. I wonder what's wrong, maybe she needs my help, maybe I should check...*

Angel pushed himself away from the window. What was he doing? This wasn't Buffy! But it felt like Buffy, looked like Buffy, even tasted like Buffy. Every time Angel had kissed Buffy, he always felt a sense of completion, a feeling of rightness no other had ever been able to give him. When he had kissed this Buffy he was swamped with the same feelings. Involuntarily he went back to the window, she had shifted and her robe had come apart by her legs. Desire coiled in Angel's gut as he looked at the toned legs. He remembered so clearly how it felt to have those legs wrap around his waist. It was only one time but the memory was still as potent today as it was 1 1/2 years ago.

*How can I be having these feelings? This isn't my Buffy. I'm betraying her memory by lusting after this girl just because of a resemblance to her! I'm sick.*

Angel saw Buffy move again, this time to her side and he could see her face clearly now. She was crying! The urge to jump through the window and hold her almost overwhelmed him; every time things got to be too much for his little slayer, he would be her shoulder to cry on. Now it looked like she did her crying alone. He didn't want her to be alone ever again.

"I've seen some sick things in my life, mostly I've seen you do some sick things in my life, but this takes the grand prize of ickiness!"

Angel knew that voice. That voice really annoyed him. Xander. He turned to see Xander, with his hand clenched into fists, Willow smiling sheepishly and Oz just standing by Willow.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Well..." Willow began, but Xander cut her off.

"The question is, Dead Boy, what are you doing here? But I guess we don't have to ask that since it's obvious you get off on spying on girls. Did Angelus teach you that?"

"Xander! What's wrong with you?!" Willow was shocked at Xander's venom. First Cordy, now Angel.

"What's wrong with me?! How can you ask that! We just caught our best friend's boyfriend spying on some girl with Giles and you're asking what's wrong with me!"

"I'm sure Angel has a reasonable explanation." Willow turned to Angel. "So explain."

Angel was past explanations; not that he could be total honest with them anyway. He didn't want to betray Buffy's presence. He was too angry anyway for rational explanations, 3 months of heartache along with Xander's crack about Angelus and his all too pointed comment about the other girl sent him over the edge.

"I'm through with explaining myself to a worthless little boy who isn't mature enough yet to realize that his words and actions have consequences." Angel's morphed into his vampire face. "I'm going to teach you a lesson in consequences!"

Angel dove at Xander. Xander screamed and tried to hide behind Willow and Oz.

"Don't think so, my friend." Oz pushed Xander back into Angel's line of attack. "I think you need that lesson Angel mentioned besides you have some definite rage to work through."

Xander realized that this was the perfect opportunity to pound on something without doing any permanent damage. He thought back on his break-up with Cordy, his estranged friendship with Will, his and Buffy's argument, Buffy's death, his verbal assault on Cordelia; his rage exploded. Instead of dodging Angel he went barreling toward him.

Angel met him halfway, picked him up and threw him toward the front of Giles' house. Xander got quickly to his feet and stunned Angel by landing an upper cut to his jaw. Xander's victory was short.

Angel reigned in his blows, he didn't want to kill the boy, not totally anyway. Xander managed to twist away from Angel's fists but tripped over his own feet, thinking fast he shot his legs out and managed to trip Angel.

They were now both wrestling on the front lawn punching and cursing at each other. Angel rolled to a sitting position on top of Xander, drew back fist and was about to knock him out when a very familiar weight tackled him from behind. He didn't put up a fight, he already knew who it was.

Unfortunately, Xander didn't realize he was being rescued. He came up punching and kicking. He connected solidly with a leg and heard a very feminine "Ouch!"

He got to his knees and saw Giles' blonde lying across Angel, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"It's good to know you graduated from verbal abuse to physical. You're such a loser, Harris." Xander turned to see Cordelia and Giles standing at the open front door, her hands on her hips. Giles was rubbing the bridge of his nose, wearily shaking his head.

Willow and Oz approached the girl still lying on Angel, they weren't making any attempts at moving.

"Hey, are you OK?" Willow went closer to the girl's side.

"Yeah, are you OK? I didn't mean to kick you, I thought you were Dead...I mean Angel. Me and Angel go back a ways, we were only clowning around..." Xander's voice trailed off. The girl was still lying on Angel, she wasn't making any moves.

"You ready for this?" Angel questioned the girl softly.

"I don't think I have a choice." She answered just as softly.

"Well, hate to break up this Hallmark moment but kindly get off of my best friend's boyfriend before I tear you off!" Willow saw Angel's eyes go all soft, she couldn't make out their words but she heard their tone. The temper she had repressed for 3 months came to the surface.

"How could you, Angel, no don't look at me that way! You're Buffy's! How could you just forget..." Her voice broke. Oz put his arm around her.

Angel and the girl got up, she still had her back to them.

"I will never forget Buffy, Will. I promise. This isn't what you think it is."

"Then why don't you tell us what exactly it is." All the fight was gone from Xander's voice. Buffy and Angel's relationship symbolized security and permanence to the group. The world might change around them but Buffy and Angel's love would never change. If Angel was moving on, it would rip what was left of his and Willow's world apart, the world that had so briefly included Buffy.

Angel looked up at Giles still standing in the doorway. Giles nodded his head. He gently grabbed the girl by the shoulders and turned her to face them.

"Buffy...oh god, Buffy!" Willow ran forward and threw her arms around Buffy. Angel stepped back not knowing what Buffy wanted him to do. Buffy just looked scared, she didn't return the hug but she didn't participate either.

"Buff, I missed you so much." Willow's words were choked off by her tears, she stopped attempting to speak and just clung to her friend.

Xander cautiously approached, not knowing if she was still mad at him. Tears were pouring down his face, but he never said a word. When she didn't tell him to leave, he wrapped his arms around both Buffy and Willow, laid his head on Buffy's and started to cry like a baby.

Only Buffy heard the boy whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again.

Oz stood by the group, but didn't get any closer. He knew these three needed their share time. He didn't understand exactly how Buffy could be back but he knew Giles would explain everything. For now he was happy that things were going to get back to normal, well, as normal as things ever got in Sunnydale.

Cordelia had tears in her eyes as she watched the reunion. She was glad this Buffy didn't totally wig on Willow and Xander like she did when Giles went to hug her, now the only thing left to do was to explain to Willow and Xander that this wasn't their Buffy. She didn't know how they would react but this time she vowed that she would be there for them, at least for Willow. Xander had some major groveling to do before she forgave him.

Angel saw that Buffy was starting to get antsy, he figured it was time to put an end to the group hug.

"Guys, I think Buffy needs to breathe right about now." He gently started pulling Buffy away.

"Oh that's priceless..." Xander said while wiping away the tears on his face, he was slightly embarrassed at bawling like a baby and tried to cover it up by making wisecracks. "Buffy comes back from the dead and you're already hogging her!"

Willow's happiness dimmed a little once she got over the shock of seeing Buffy. How could this be?

"Buffy, how can you be alive? I went to your funeral. I stayed at the cemetery until the workers were through burying you. I stayed there all night to make sure you didn't rise or anything." The others looked at Willow shocked, no one even considered the possibility at the time, Willow continued "I even went there, I still go there every day after school to keep you updated on all that's happening and your grave has never been disturbed."

Buffy was stunned at this girl's loyalty to her, what did the other Buffy do to inspire such loyalty? She felt very uncomfortable too, she had a feeling that she would never measure up to their Buffy; she was destined to disappoint them all.

"Why doesn't everyone come inside, before we disturb the neighbors and I will bring everyone up to date." This came from Giles who realized it was too late to try to protect anyone's feelings.