Sister, Sister (Book Five, BTVS)

chapter 11 - Triangle

"Well, I do hate to go if you're feeling badly," Giles told her.

"Look, if it helps you find out something about Glory..." Buffy trailed off, standing, patting Giles on the shoulder. "I'm thrilled to have you gone."

Buffy walked out, leaving.

Giles wasn't sure how to take that. As a compliment or an insult. He looked at me in confusion.

I smiled a small smile.

  ~~~~~   

Anya, Xander, Willow, Tara, Buffy and I sat around the round table in the main room, looking through books and papers.

Giles stood next to the table, fastening his tie.

"You're going away for a week?" Anya asked. "That's great."

"Yes, yes, everybody seems delighted about it," Giles told us, picking something up to read.

"Well, I get to run the store, right?" Anya asked.

Giles looked slightly alarmed. "You? Ah, w--well, it's quite a lot for one person to take care of. Well, I--I mean, the trash men, for example. I mean, they--they've been making such a mess in the back alley. The recycling people can't get in there to collect. Well, somebody hast to talk to them."

"I can take care of that," Anya told him.

"I'm envious, Mr. Giles," Tara told him. "A trip to England sounds so exciting and exotic." She realized. "Unless you're English."

Giles smiled.

"Look, don't worry about the shop," I told him. "We'll take care of it. We can open and close, and--and we'll deal with everyone."

Anya frowned.

"We can come by between classes," Willow told him. "Unless I use that time to copy over my class notes with a system of different colored pens... but it's been pointed out to me that that's, you know, insane."

"I said 'quirky'," Tara told her.

"Hello," Anya told us in annoyance. "I work here. I'll take care of everything."

Xander didn't look up from his reading. "Yeah, Anya can do it."

"Thanks, sweetie," Anya told him, patting Xander on the shoulder. "Well said."

"Um, Anya, while--while I completely trust you, uh, uh, to take care of the inventory and the money, um... dealing with people requires a certain, uh... finesse," Giles told her.

"I have finesse," Anya told us. "I have finesse coming out of my bottom. I can completely lie to the health inspector. I can, you know, distract him with coy smiles, and--and bribe him with money and goods."

"See there?" Xander asked. "She'll be great."

"Don't worry, Giles," Willow told him. "I'll help her take care of everything. It'll be ship-shape. Better, it'll be shop-shape."

Willow smiled.

"Xander, she's talking to Giles like I'm not here," Anya told him. "Make her stop."

"Perhaps I'd better call the airline," Giles told us.

Willow looked at Anya. "I'm just trying to help out. Xander, tell her."

Willow lightly hit Xander in the arm.

"Schedule an earlier flight back," Giles told us. "Excuse me."

Anya looked at Xander. "Tell her I don't need her help."