Giles sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. "What's unfair now, Buffy?"

Buffy petulantly flipped a page on the book she had spread on the table before her. "I have to study this, and I have to do my homework, and required reading, on top of patrolling. I ought to be allowed to let something slip once and awhile."

Giles put his glasses back on, leaning a hip against the table as he folded his arms. "Well, what would you suggest that you skip? Studying the magic texts? Yes, and then you run into a new sort of demon, and have no clue as to how to fight it, and you become demon chow, as Xander would say."

Xander, sitting next to Willow on the other side of the library table, looked up with a smirk. He glanced over at Oz. "Slowly but surely, I take over the world. I am insidious."

"Can't argue with that," Oz deadpanned, as Cordelia rolled her eyes.

Giles ignored them. "Patrolling? Then the other citizens of Sunnydale become demon chow. Homework? You know very well that if your school work suffers, your mother and the school authorities will take a dim view of your extracurricular activities, and if you are restrained from patrolling, demon chow once again."

"Required reading." Buffy poked a thick textbook. "I mean, really! Miss Mozelle assigned us Romeo and Juliet, and she expects us to read the whole play! Why can't I just read the Cliff Notes? Or better yet, watch the movie! Sure, Leonardo DiCapprio is kind of, um, unmasculine, but Clare Danes is cool, and they have John Leguizamo as Mercutio."

Giles was rubbing his eyes again. "God, I could use an aspirin. Buffy, one of the reasons for reading Shakespeare is to experience the beauty of the language. One can hardly get that from reading the literary equivalent of 'Cup-a-soup', or watching the cinematic equivalent of 'three tacos for 99 cents'."

"Speaking of which, pizza anyone?" Oz waggled a twenty-dollar bill. "Dingos Ate My Baby actually got paid, and I'm willing to blow my entire split to celebrate."

Willow looked up from her book. "Can we have sodas, too?"

Oz sighed. "Okay, so I'll donate my tip money, too."

"No need, Daniel," said Giles. "I shall contribute to the communal pot tonight. The usual, I suppose?" The all nodded. "Right--one Monster Garbage," he tipped his head toward Willow, then Cordelia, "and one medium plain cheese in deference to the slightly more health conscious." Willow smiled her thanks, and Cordelia nodded, then Giles went to the payphone out in the hall.

The moment he was gone, the usual human phenomena occurred--work was ignored, and Giles was discussed. Buffy pouted. "Giles was a little snippy, even for him, about the Romeo and Juliet thing."

Xander leaned back in his chair. "Well, ya ought to have known better, Buff." He waved a finger at her in a 'no-no' gesture. "Not real intelligent, dissing his sweetie's work."

Buffy frowned. "What do you mean, 'his sweetie'?" The others exchanged looks. "What?"

Xander sighed. "Gah. You see me and her having a coffee and decide that we're slipping around. You sit through a ton of significant eye contact between those two, and Giles doing everything but blush... Wait," he looked at Oz, "he did blush when she told us she was a virgin, didn't he?" Oz nodded. "And you don't notice something there?"

Buffy made a face. "Giles and anyone?"

"It happens, Buffy," said Cordelia shortly. "Though most older people have the good taste to keep the flirting down in public. Xander, what's this about you and Scribe?"

"Nothing, darn it. She says not only am I too young for her, but there's that pesky teacher/pupil thing going on."

"Did you tell her about the science teacher?" asked Oz.

"Somehow I don't think she'd relate to the ethics of a giant bug cloaked in human form."

Willow turned a page. "Well, I say good for Giles. Being a Watcher must be a lonely thing, and since Scribe knows what's going on here, he doesn't have to worry about being all secretive and everything. He can be open and honest, share himself with her."

Xander pushed his chair back. "Okay, we aren't even going to go into the mental images that conjures up. Will, this is Giles we're talking about here--the man with more reservations than a Vegas hotel during a major convention."

"He'll be different with her, Xander. Of course he's reserved around you--he isn't romantically interested in you."

"Again with the mental images. You don't want me to sleep, do you?"

Giles came back in. Everyone grabbed books and looked studious. "Why do my ears tingle every time I leave this group?"

Xander looked up. "They have shampoos for that now."

Giles sighed. "I really could use an aspirin."

"Would Tylenol do? I have some caplets." All eyes turned toward the door. Scribe was rummaging in her purse.

She missed Giles' faint smile, but the Scoobies didn't. "Extra strength?"

"There's another kind?" She held up a little bottle. "Hand, please." Giles held out his hand, palm up, and she shook two pills into it.

"Thank you, kind lady." He took the caplets with a swig of water from the bottle on his desk. "Now, as marvelous as your company is, what are you doing here this time of night?"

She put her purse down on the table and took a seat. "I heard there was a study session going on."

The Scoobies exchanged looks. "This isn't an English study session," Cordelia said.

Scribe tilted her head to read the spine of Cordelia's book. "Demons of the Sub-Realms. You're right, I don't remember listing that anywhere on the syllabus."

"Scribe," Giles said carefully, "it isn't that we don't appreciate your offer of assistance..."

"But we don't have the time or energy to protect you when we should be demon stomping," finished Cordelia. Everyone stared at her. "What? It isn't like you aren't all thinking the same thing, and trying to figure out a way to say it diplomatically."

"I'm not asking to lead the charge," said Scribe coolly, "But I had six years of college, including tons of upper-level English--I know from research."

"Absolutely," said Giles. "We need to have the widest possible knowledge of the widest variety of supernatural beings. Let me find research material for you." He went into the stacks, and came back with a large, paperbound book. "Here you are."

Scribe took the book, looked at the cover, then said, "Brownies?"

"Oh, hey!" said Willow. "You know, people think that fairies and leprechauns and stuff are sweet, harmless little things, but if you look at the legends..."

Scribe tossed the book on the table, grabbing her purse as she stood up. Her voice was cold. "Brownies, as in the lowest level of Girl Scouts, Willow. It's the handbook. I was a Brownie when I was in first grade."

"Wait!" Giles started after her as she headed for the door.

"I didn't come here to be insulted. I could have stayed in Texas and rode the bus for that." She whirled on him, eyes snapping. "I would expect this from Cordy, or even Xander and Buffy, but you, Giles?"

He winced at the use of his last name. As she exited he called, "Let me walk you to your car..."

"I wouldn't," advised Xander. "She looks like she's just about reached the purse-swinging stage."

"Normally I stay out of the female/male interaction thing," said Oz, "but I have to agree with Xander on this one." He shrugged. "You better let her have a little time to cool off."

Giles rubbed his forehead, "I am taking relationship advice from Xander Harris and a rock muscician werewolf. God help me."

Scribe muttered to herself as she stalked down the darkened hallway. "The house is burning down, and I'm not allowed to throw a glass of water." She pushed outside. "Okay, I'm not Ripley or Sarah Connors, but I'll put my ability to recognize obscure references up there with the best of them."

"I'd have to agree with that."

She stopped abruptly. *Note to self--when leaving a building after dark, especially when in an area occupied by vampires, remember to look to both sides.* "Hello, Angel."

The vampire was leaning against the wall. He nodded at her. "Hi, Miss Mozelle. I don't think that room could get any more decorated, so what kept you today?"

She scowled. "My naive thought that I might be allowed to contribute, and call me Scribe."

He pushed off from the wall and came up beside her. "Walk you to your car?"

"Thank you, but I warn you--I'm not going to be the best company."

As they walked he said, "Speaking as someone who's spent the last couple of centuries hanging with demons, believe me--you're good company."

*Right. The first guy in memory who shows an interest in me is young enough to be my son, and the one who's being polite and charming was born about the same time as my ten-times great grandfather. To quote the Andrews sisters, they're either too young or too old.* They came to her car, and she unlocked the door. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome. I'd offer to go with you and see you to your door, but..." *Giles would come after me with a stake.* "I need to see the Scoobies, and I'd have to get back here." He shrugged. "Since that bit about vampires flying is a myth..."

"Majorly inconvenient."

Angel shook his head. "You've been hanging around Xander too much."

She got in the car, and was mildly surprised when Angel shut the door for her. After a moment's hesitation she said, "Well, I'll see you later, then."

"I'd like that." She didn't seem to know how to respond to that, so she drove away.

//Just as well she left. It isn't as if you'd do anything worthwhile with her.//

*Shut up.*

//If that's an example of your conversational abilities, maybe you ought to just stick to rape. I know it always works for me. Say, do your little Slayerette playmates know about these teta-a-tetes? I can't help but chuckle imagining how fast they'd stake your ass if they had an inkling of how close we still are.//

*Stake our ass, you bastard.*

//True, but I'd eventually have a chance to get back out in some other body. You, my friend, would be well and truly stuck. They'd be happy to have you back home, lemme tell ya...//

*Christ.*

//Stop talking dirty.//

He'd reached the library. "Giles, why did you let Miss Mozelle walk out alone? There could have been something nasty waiting for her."

Xander wrinkled his nose. "I could say something here, but I won't."

Giles glared at Angel. "I told you to stay away from her."

Irritation flared in Angel's eyes. "She needed an escort, and last I looked she was of an age to make her own choices." He could feel Angelus grinning, but he was too angry to worry about it at the moment. "Look, Giles, you've made it pretty clear that you don't consider me a member of your merry little band, so that lets you out as giving me orders."

"Angel," said Buffy, frowning, "What's gotten into you?"

Xander was looking between Angel and Giles. "You know how it is, Buff. Once a woman enters the equation, it throws off all the calculations, and..."

"Xander, considering your grade in Calculus, I think perhaps you should be quiet," said Giles. "Angel, you should go."

"Fine." He turned to go.

"Angel, wait!" Buffy jumped up to go after him. She turned and snapped, "Honestly! You're both acting like... like... such MEN!" She started off, then added, "And she isn't even all that pretty."

They were quiet for a moment, then Willow said, "Wow. That was pretty harsh. Why was Buffy so upset?"

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Can you say 'pea green'? As much as I hate to admit she was right about anything--she was right."

"Cordy!" gasped Willow.

Giles sighed, sitting down. "No, Willow, they're right--she isn't pretty." He gazed sadly toward the door. "She is, however, beautiful."

"To quote Bobby Bare," said Oz, "Oooo-ee, another man done gone."