Giles looked up from his book for the second time in twenty minutes. They were arguing again. He sighed and took another bite of his apple. The one hour of the day when he could read for pleasure in green and sunshine splendour and they were bickering over a game of Frisbee! He lay on his back and looked at the sky. He didn’t see Willow back–peddling furiously. She fell over his feet and landed square in his lap. The breath left his body with an explosive “oomph!” Willow was all apologies and elbows connecting where they shouldn’t.

Giles managed to sit up and retrieved the Frisbee for her. He stood and watched the game for a while, then for some reason his gaze was drawn to a taxi drawing up outside the Library. He sees the female passenger tilt her head back to soak up the last rays of the sun, that gesture is all he needs. He knows her…

"CHLOE!!"

The Frisbee drifts to the ground as the scoobies gravitate towards their Watcher. The woman was nearly as tall as Giles, if she hadn’t used crutches. Her smile was pure joy and Xander was smitten. Giles suddenly realised they had an audience. "Uhm, everyone, this is Chloe, my sister. Now, let’s see, introductions…" He pointed to each one of his friends in turn, saying their names. Finally he got to Xander. "…And the young man with his mouth open is Xander." Giles smiled as Xander shut his mouth immediately.

Chloe smiled at Xander and asked him to walk her to the library. He jumped at the chance and picked up her suitcases. Giles looked on, bemused for a few seconds, the bell rang for afternoon classes. Buffy and Willow shot past him with a shouted invitation to ’The Bronze’ that night. Giles gathered the rug he’d been sitting on and closed his book. “Another time” he thought as he walked up the steep incline toward the library.

When he entered the Faculty building Xander was standing in the hall looking slightly embarrassed. Chloe was in conversation with Principal Snyder

"Are all the students as attentive and helpful as Mr. Harris? I think it must be your influence, Mr. Snyder. He has already invited me to the local nightspot with my brother. You know my brother of course, Rupert.… Couldn’t we invite George to The Bronze with us?" Giles quickly closed the gap to reach his sister’s side. He knew how she loved to tease. He forced his face to adopt an expression of earnest interest.

"Yes, do come. My sister is only in town for a week, isn’t it, Chloe?" She nodded. They looked at Snyder expectantly. Neither blinked. Apparently there was a PTA meeting tonight that he had to attend. He was sorry to disappoint them. He walked down the corridor towards his office. Giles managed to herd Xander into the library before both he and Chloe exploded with laughter. Xander sat at one of study tables and moped.

"I don’t know why you two are laughing. That was scary. The whole of my life flashed before my eyes. It didn’t take long." Despite himself he began to smile, then laugh. He’d never really heard Giles laugh. He looked at the clock and stood up quickly. "Sorry, got to go. Giles, the dress code at The Bronze is ANYTHING BUT tweed."

"We’ll do our best, Xander." He smiled. "You shouldn’t have done that in the corridor.… Tea?" Chloe nodded.

"The slimey toad was going to give him detention for helping me. I had to do something, Rupert." She sat down and eased her legs into a more comfortable position. She smiled as he brought in the tea. "How old is Xander, by the way?" She asked nonchalantly as she sipped her tea. "He’s 18, they all are…" he studied the tray. "Be careful Chloe, Xander bruises easily…"

Chloe knew that Rupert thought of Xander as his son. She was glad that he had forged such strong friendships. They would help him…after… but hopefully she could keep the true reason of her visit from him as long as possible.

There was a great deal of laughter coming from the library that afternoon. Students gathered in the corridor and peered through the small windows. They saw the librarian in shirtsleeves chatting animatedly with a strange woman. All too soon it was five-thirty and the school was closing. Giles packed his case and helped Chloe with her luggage. The suitcases almost dragged his shoulders out of their sockets. "Just a week, she said," he muttered under his breath.

Chloe unpacked the first of her cases and deposited three boxes at the bottom of the wardrobe. She then unpacked her clothes from the second suitcase. If all went well she wouldn’t need to pack ever again.

She stripped off her clothes and forced herself to look at her battle scarred body. Her expression hardened and she gripped the front of the wig she wore. Her hair had grown back pepper and salt after the last chemo. She turned left and right to get a better view of her back but the mirror defeated her. She opened the wardrobe door to bounce the reflection from the dressing table mirror and saw Rupert in the reflection silent tears tracking down his face.

"Chloe…" His voice cracked. She sat down on the corner of the bed and stared at the floor, he wasn’t supposed to find out this way. He hugged her and she sobbed her grief into his chest.

Over an hour the truth came out. She had been sent to Asia to investigate a temple with an unusual energy signature. Vampires gathered there thinking it a Hellmouth, unfortunately she was captured by the vampire group and held for three years.

"I have eight brands on my back Rupert, each one the name of a vampire who raped me. I had three children," she paused and smiled sadly at Rupert’s expression. She ploughed on keeping her voice flat, "they were turned and came to me to feed. I killed them as they slept. I killed every undead thing in the temple then left it clean and sanctified."

Rupert held her as she shook with emotion, gradually she quietened and he put her to bed. He opened her vanity case and saw amongst the make up a small bottle of morphine… She’d come to him to die.

When she woke he asked her if she still wanted to go to The Bronze her answer was typical.

"Why not? I want to see you interact with that cute red-head!" She laughed at his blush. He smiled and nodded. This was how she wanted it then, fun to the end of her days. So be it.

She chose a midnight blue velvet top to go with black jeans and her leather jacket over the top. She opened the door to see Rupert similarly dressed only he had a white cotton shirt under his jacket.

"My, this takes me back, Rupert. Remember graduation? Do you ever see that man…Ethan?" She fussed over his buttons, undoing a couple more. She tried not to feel him tense up at the mention of Ethan’s name.

"He haunts occasionally, always up to no good. You finished baring my chest?" he sighed, doing up the buttons she’d just undone.

The Bronze was a large imposing building with a queue of people round the outside. Chloe and Giles walked in together. She had decided to forgo her sticks tonight, as she would be escorted everywhere by Rupert tonight and he was strong enough to support her should she fall. They spotted the gang at their usual booth. It amused Giles that they didn’t recognise him until he was sitting down.

"Xander, your mouth is open again…" Giles smiled at him. Willow went to the bar to get them some drinks and Buffy, where was Buffy? She was dancing with Angel. Well, at least she was getting some exercise. Chloe smiled at Xander and asked him to dance. The boy just nodded mutely, grateful that the darkness hid his blushes. As they got up to go onto the dance floor, Buffy and Angel came back to the booth. Angel brushed by Chloe’s arm and she reacted as if scalded. ’Vampire!’ She stared back at Rupert, a look of deep shock on her face.

"Chloe this is Angel, a friend and helper." He made the introductions pointedly so she would understand without questioning. Xander was waiting. She carried on to the dance floor and started to sway to the music.

Angel stared at Chloe and Xander together. He could feel a disturbing attraction to Chloe, as if he were meant to help her. The book in his breast pocket had wriggled and warmed when he bumped into Chloe accidentally. What did that mean?

"Gosh, Giles, no Tweed. What’s the celebration?" Buffy teased.

"It’s not glued to my body, Buffy!" He calmed after seeing her expression. "I’m sorry, but you didn’t tell me Angel was going to be here tonight and Chloe is sensitive to a vampire’s presence." He looked round the rest of the group and felt he’d better explain.

"Chloe is an empath. She feels the emotions of others deeply and can project those feelings. She helped me get over Eyghon." Giles finished his explanation and noticed Willow looking towards the dance floor. He followed her gaze and saw that Chloe was nibbling Xander’s ear. They were dancing so close now. He wished he could be out there too. Was it too late? Giles asked Willow to dance.

Willow glided onto the floor. The band played ’Unchained Melody’, her favourite song. She rested her cheek on his chest, feeling disappointed that she couldn’t reach his ear, but then he kissed her and she was in heaven. If Giles had seen the look on Buffy’s face he wouldn’t have deepened the kiss but he couldn’t help it. ’Unchained Melody’ was one of his favourites too.

The music stopped and an acid house song came on. They stayed where they were, his lips moving against hers.

End of Pt. 1

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