Wednesday

Giles set about preparing for Buffy to arrive for training. He hoped that his story had enough of a plausible ring for the youngsters to believe it. Buffy and Willow's lives and Xander's sanity depended on it. Thinking of Xander brought up a feeling of unease in Giles. When he had gotten into his office this morning there was a message from Angel on his voice mail. The point of the message was simple; Alex's behavior worried Angel. That just reinforced Giles belief that Alex suffered from post-traumatic stress, or some other condition brought on by having to slay Buffy and Willow. To Giles that meant that Xander was in as much danger as the girls. Well maybe not as much, but very close. Buffy and her friends arrived on time. Xander and Willow both said hello and took seats at the main table in the library. Buffy walked right up to the watcher.

"Well Giles here I am. Homework all done." Said Buffy, teasingly

"Good. well then, now that we've exercised your mind, lets see how you muscles have done." Giles said, donning the pads he had to wear during these workouts.

"Don't you mind getting beat up all the time Giles?" Asked Willow. "I mean those pads never seem to do that much good."

"Actually you get use to it after a while." Giles replied.

"Just as long as you don't begin to like it." Joke Xander.

Giles looked straight at Xander.

"You know Xander, you could always do this for me." Chided Giles.

"Me?" Xander asked, looking very much like a deer trapped in a car's headlights.

"Yes you. It might be good for you in fact, considering that you seem to be constantly putting yourself in harms way. " Giles said, in a matter of fact manner.

Both Buffy and Willow looked at Xander expectantly. Xander suddenly felt as if the room temperature had gone up several degrees.

"You're kidding, right?" He asked.

Giles gave Xander a small smile. "Yes I am, and the look on your face was worth it."

Both Buffy and Willow laughed. Xander joined in, more out of relief than anything else.

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After 30 minutes and several bruises, Giles ended the practice session.

"Well not that we've got that over with there are other matters we must discuss." Giles stated as he took off the protective pads.

"What now? Some earth shaking new prophecy?" Joked Buffy as she took a seat next to Willow.

"Actually yes." Giles said as he put the pads away.

"I was joking Giles. Said Buffy.

"Well unfortunately I'm not." Giles said as he took a seat next to Xander.

"The Codex contains a prophecy that indicates something happening in the next few days, somewhere away from the Hellmouth."

"Away from here?" Asked Willow. "That seems strange. I mean doesn't the Hellmouth attract supernatural forces?"

"Normally, yes. But this seems to be the exception that proves the rule. I had Ms. Calendar check about on her computer. it seems that in the last few weeks, there has been a rash of disappearances in the Los Angeles area."

"LA!" Buffy said. "You mean we have to go to Los Angeles?" She asked, excited about the prospect of going back to her former home.

"Going to Los Angeles does seem to be the best way to find out what is going on and stop it. I've already got Ms. Calendar working on getting it cleared as some sort of field trip to a science lad of some sort. That should cover you all being absent to both the school and you parents."

"All of us. So you want Willow and I to go too?" Asked Xander.

"Of course I do Xander." Said the watcher. "After all, you're the one always saying that you're a team. It would be foolish to break up a winning formula."

"Right." Said Xander, with a smile beaming on his face.

"Sure." Added Willow. "When do we leave?"

"Based on my calculations we should leave no later than this Sunday morning." Giles said, pleased that all three were buying into the story, but feeling guilty for lying to them all the same.

"That doesn't give us much time to get ready." Said Buffy.

"No it doesn't." Agreed Giles "So tonight you all should tell your parents about it. Hopefully Ms. Calendar will have permissions slips ready for tomorrow. We should be prepared to spend about a week there."

"A Week? That long? Asked Willow.

"The Prophecy doesn't give any indication as to how long this will take. But I feel that a week should be sufficient."

"Cool." Said Willow.

"All right then, we go tell out folks that we are off on a week long science class in LA. Sounds weird but I think I can sell it." Said Buffy as she got up out of her chair.

Xander and Willow got up and went to follow her out of the library.

"Oh by the way Xander, can you stay for a moment longer?" Asked Giles.

"There is something that I would like to talk to you about in private."

"Private?" Xander felt the room temperature jump up again.

Both Buffy and Willow looked from Xander to Giles.

"Is there some secret you two are keeping from us?" The slayer asked with a teasing tone.

"Nothing exceedingly interesting." Said the watcher. "Let us just say its, how would you put it? Guy stuff."

"Guy stuff?" All three teenagers said in unison.

"Yes, guy stuff. Now off with the two of you." Giles said, indicating the door.

"All right, but no beating on drums, okay?" teased Buffy.

"I can assure you that the bonds of civilization shall not be slipped."

The two girls turned and left, giggling quietly to each other. That left Giles and a conspicuously nervous Xander by themselves.

"Please, have a seat." Invited the watcher.

Xander complied. The two stared at each other for a second.

"So what is it you want to talk about?" Asked Xander, hoping that he would not find the subject too embarrassing.

"Well this is not an easy subject to broach" Giles said, trying to gather his thoughts.

He really hadn't thought about what he wanted to say. It was simply that his meeting Xander's future self had made the watcher want to spend a few minutes with the young man. He wanted to somehow get a handle on how he felt out the whole strange situation. In the seconds that he paused he realized what it was that they had to talk about. After all, it was the root of all of Alex's motivation.

"I want to talk to you about you relationship with Buffy."

"Y-You want to talk about w-what?" Said Xander as he felt his throat go completely dry.

"I know that this is a most uncomfortable subject, but never the less it is one, that as Buffy's watcher, I'm afraid I have to broach."

"Do you plan on having this talk with Angel?" Xander asked, hoping to deflect the conversation away from himself.

"Actually it is a subject we have discussed in the past, and undoubtedly will discuss in the future as well. However it is not Angel I wish to discuss, this is about you."

(So much for deflection.) Thought Xander.

"Well?" Asked the watcher.

"Well what?" countered Xander. "She's my friend."

"Xander, I'm sure that is what you think I want to hear, but right now I'm far more interested in the truth." Giles said as gently as he could.

Xander started feeling like a trapped animal.

"What do you want me to say? That I love Buffy? Okay, yeah I do. Do I expect anything to come from that? Hell no. I know that she is completely stuck on Angel. Happy now?"

Giles was surprised by the bluntness with which Xander had stated his feelings and by the resentment in his voice when he mentioned Angel.

"I see. So why do you continue to keep her company? It must be uncomfortable for you. Especially when ever Angel is around?"

"I don't know. Maybe I just like what little attention she shows me. Maybe I'm a masochist. Maybe I want to keep an eye on her because I don't trust Angel."

Giles considered that for a moment.

"Maybe you secretly hope that if you stay around she will change her mind about you." He said finally.

Xander was stopped short by that comment. He looked down at the table for a moment, feeling like all the oxygen had been ripped out of his lungs.

"A guy can hope, can't he?" He said finally.

"Yes, I suppose you can hope."

Giles looked at Xander. Here was a sincere, brave young man caught in one of the situations that can make the teenage years of life so painful and trying. Add to that the burden of having to deal with the Hellmouth, and you had a truly heartbreaking situation. Additionally, knowing of the boy's potential future made Giles' heart go out to him.

"Xander, I wish I had something useful to say. Something to make what you are feeling easier. Unfortunately nothing comes to mind."

"Yeah, well thanks man. At least the thought is there."

"I know that if really doesn't help much, but for what it is worth, I at least, do appreciate you. Your dedication to your friends. Your bravery in the face of danger and your unwillingness to let the things you go through sour you towards life. I find you a quite remarkable young man, and an admirable one as well."

"Thank you Giles" Xander said. "Look I don't mean to be rude or anything, but can I leave? This had been a little harsh."

"Of course, and Xander I want you to know that anytime you want to talk I am here."

"I'll remember that." Xander said as he got up. "Bye."

"Good bye."

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