"Mmmm. This food is delicious." Buffy took another bite of her fettuccini. "Want a taste?" she asked Giles, holding a fork full of pasta out to him. Giles smiled and leaned forward. Buffy watched in fascination as his lips closed over her fork, sliding the food into his mouth.

"It's quite good." he agreed. "Would you like a taste of mine?" Nodding, Buffy leaned forward, her lips parted. Giles popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. Buffy slid the meat off the fork, her eyes never leaving Giles'. She could see them grow dark with passion. Desire hung heavy between them. Buffy chewed the chicken carefully, swallowing before asking the question she'd been wondering since the night before.

"How long…?" she started. Buffy trailed off, not knowing how to phrase her question.

"How long have I felt this way about you?" Giles asked. Buffy nodded, suddenly enthralled by her pasta. "Probably since your Prom." Giles admitted softly. "But I never admitted my feelings, even to myself until after…" Buffy's eyes flew to his as his words trailed off.

"After Glory." she finished for him. Giles nodded.

"Then you came back to me. But you weren't the Buffy I loved. You were so shattered." Giles voice was thick with emotion as his hand reached out for Buffy's. "If I had known, Buffy, I would've never let them do that spell." he swore fiercely. "I wouldn't have let them disturb your peace." Buffy smiled.

"I know Giles." she assured him. "I wish I'd known how you felt about me." she told him softly, her eyes wistful. "Maybe if you'd stayed…" Giles shook his head.

"You still would've turned to Spike. Maybe if I'd been here when you'd been resurrected, if I'd been the one you felt you could confide in. But you'd already decided to confide in Spike by the time I returned..." Buffy's eyes brimmed with tears as Giles' words faded into a world of 'What ifs?'

"I'm so sorry. I, I…" Seeing her dismay, Giles slid his chair closer to hers so that he could put his arm around her.

"No tears. No regrets." Giles chided, using his napkin to blot her tears before they could fall. "It's done, it's passed. We're here now, and regrets will do nothing but sadden us." Feeling a little desperate, Buffy covered Giles' lips with her own. Giles traced his fingers down the side of Buffy's face as his lips moved against hers gently, calming and soothing her. Buffy finally pulled away, breathless.

"There now, all better?" Giles murmured. Buffy dropped her head to his shoulder and nodded. Giles caressed her back, running his hand along her spine.

"I love you so much, Giles." Buffy sighed. "I didn't realize it until last night. But now… Now, I can't figure out how I never knew."

Spike and Wood crept through the restaurant, careful to stay out of sight. They'd tried to get a table near Buffy and Giles, but the restaurant was booked for the evening. Which was why they were skulking behind some ferns near the bathroom, trying to keep out of sight.

"Looks like they're just talking." Wood pointed out, pushing green fronds aside. Spike's face brightened as Giles said something that brought tears to Buffy's eyes.

"Kick his ass, Slayer." he encouraged under his breath. Much to his dismay, Giles moved his seat closer so he could comfort Buffy. "Bloody hell." Spike cursed, as not only did Buffy allow Giles to hold her close, she kissed him. Spike looked at the floor, his stomach clenching in anger.

"You can look, they're done." Wood muttered. Now that he saw Buffy with this Giles person, it was clear that he didn't have a chance. And that was ok with Wood, because it meant that Spike didn't either. By the time Spike looked up, Buffy and Giles had resumed eating, not a tear to be seen.

"So, there I was, the cat under one arm, sticks in my hair, my clothing in tatters, and out comes my father demanding to know what that deafening commotion had been about." Giles told Buffy. Buffy paused with the fork halfway to her mouth.

"What did you say?" Buffy asked curiously. Giles grinned at her.

"I straightened my shirt, and said with every bit of dignity I could muster 'Why, Father, what commotion? I've been sitting here studying and haven't heard a sound.'" Buffy threw back her head and laughed.

"You lied to your dad?" she giggled, delighted. "What did he say?" Giles cleared his throat and straightened his jacket pompously.

"Rupert," he said, mimicking his father. "I'm sure one person in this room believes that story, but it's certainly not me." Buffy snickered joyfully. Giles laced his fingers through hers. "I received quite a paddling for breaking my grandmother's favorite vase, and I believe I was grounded until the Queen abdicated her throne." Giles admitted, blushing slightly. Buffy's eyes widened.

"Does your dad know you snuck out of the house?" she teased. Giles held out more chicken, and Buffy ate from his fork.

"He still hasn't let me forget he took pity on me and ungrounded me after a month." Giles confessed. Buffy froze.

"Your dad's still alive?" she asked in surprise. Giles nodded.

"You'll like him. He's a good man." he told her. Buffy's grip tightened on his hand, causing Giles to look at her in concern. "Buffy?"

"You want to introduce me to your dad?" she whispered. Giles dropped a kiss on Buffy's forehead.

"I would've introduced you to him earlier, but he refuses to fly to America, despite the fact that he's unbelievably proud of you."

"You're gonna make me cry again." Buffy warned, only half joking. She leaned into Giles for another kiss, when a flash of light on the table distracted her.

"Ok, ok." Willow said as she sat on the kitchen table. A silver bowl of water sat on the table in front of her. "It's really simple. Once I've done the spell, we should be able to see them in the water." Willow lit the incense and took a deep breath as Anya and Xander stood a safe distance away. Willow spoke a few words in what they assumed was Latin and flicked her fingers at the bowl. There was a burst of flame. Willow peered at the water and frowned. "That's strange." she muttered to herself. She settled back and repeated the spell. Once again, there was a burst of flame from the bowl. Willow's brow furrowed as she stared at the bowl.

"What's wrong?" Anya said. "Are they having orgasms?" Willow shook her head.

"No, I mean. I don't know. Nothing's happening." She looked at them, confused. "I don't understand why this isn't working."

"Giles, why is that crystal glowing?" Buffy asked curiously. Before this, she hadn't noticed the clear quartz crystal that sat in the middle of the table. Now, it was aglow with a bright white light. Giles frowned as he studied the crystal.

"I was afraid of this." he muttered. Buffy looked at him in concern.

"Afraid of what?" she asked in dismay. "Big brewin' evil? What?" Buffy clutched Giles' arm, worried about what the glowing crystal might signify. Giles patted her hand comfortingly, trying not to wince from her grip.

"No, nothing like that Buffy." he assured her. "It's just a small anti-spell spell." Giles smiled bashfully. "Just in case anyone got suspicious and decided to look for us." Buffy grinned.

"Willow's being nosy, huh?" she asked. Giles smiled, kissing her again. He couldn't get enough of her mouth. After a few minutes, he pulled away.

"Actually, she's probably very frustrated by now." he said. "The spell blocks any magic directed at either one of us." Giles looked up as the waiter, came to their table to see if they wanted any dessert. Giles had just turned to ask Buffy if she'd like something, when a loud ruckus arose from behind them. Giles and Buffy turned as voices were raised in anger and the scuffling sounds of a physical confrontation could be heard.

"It's nothing to worry about." their waiter rushed to assure them. "There were just some gentlemen loitering by the restrooms. Several women complained about them and they're being removed."

At first, Spike and Wood resisted when they were asked to leave. Until several burly waiters surrounded them and closed ranks to remove them forcibly.

"I can find my own way out." Spike protested as several waiters grabbed him by the arms. Wood knocked one waiter out before he was overpowered. The two men were dragged unceremoniously out of the restaurant and thrown into the street, the standard "And don't come back!" shouted at them.

"This is all your fault." Spike spat at Wood as he straightened his jacket. Wood looked at him in disbelief.

"My fault?" he shouted. "You're the one who told them to 'bugger off' when they asked us why we were standing there." Wood pointed out. Spike kicked viciously at a blue mailbox, cursing loudly.

"It's not fair. Buffy's mine." Spike declared.

"Didn't look that way from where I was standing." Wood said, idly wishing he had a wooden stake on him. He began to look around for a possible weapon.

"I don't get it." Willow whined. "It should've worked. I'll try it again." she said determinedly. Xander held up his hand to stop her.

"Will, give it up." he said. "You've done the spell like ten times now."

"Xander's right. The spell isn't going to work." Anya agreed. Frustrated, Willow jumped off the table as someone knocked on the front door.

"I'll get it!" they heard Andrew shout.

"Where's he been hiding all night?" Willow asked, not really caring.

"He's probably been in the bathroom masturbating." Anya suggested. Willow held up her hand to stop Anya from saying anything else.

"I so did not need that mental picture." she assured Anya. Anya shrugged as the kitchen door swung open. Xander jumped backwards in shock as a familiar figure strode through the door, hands in his pockets.

"We have company." Andrew sang as he fluttered into the kitchen. Their guest looked around before speaking.

"So," Ethan asked casually. "Is Ripper about?"