Rain spattered the panes of the airport windows as Anya stirred her coffee, nature's way of telling her that the daydream of Paris was over and that she had to return to reality. She sighed heavily at the thought of going back to Sunnydale and seeing Xander again. Just over a week ago, she had been certain that her future lay with him. Now, even though she still loved him, the pain that he had caused was tinged with relief that she could move on. Xander, the fiancé, the romantic dream was dead. Xander, the friend, probably no less so. So much had changed in such a short space of time and she didn't think any of them, with the exceptions of maybe Tara and Spike, would understand. For the others adulthood was just a thin veneer over their teenaged personas and though they might try to comprehend, in their hearts Giles remained a father figure or a favourite uncle.

"I'm always available when you want someone to talk to," Giles reminded her gently, "though I would appreciate it if you could be slightly more considerate of the time difference than is Buffy's habit."

Anya smiled back with only a slight effort. "If you download the instant messaging software to your computer, I'll be able to tell when you're online and then I can talk you through setting up the webcam and the microphone. You remember the email address and the password I set up for you at the internet café?"

Giles' eyes glittered with amusement. "Advanced as my years may be, I'm not yet so senile as to forget something as obvious as Rupert underscore Giles at yahoo dot com." His tone softened slightly and he reached out to cover Anya's hand with his own, the contrast between the warmth of his flesh and the chill of hers surprising the young woman. "Nor the password you chose."

Anya nodded slightly, determined to keep her brave mask in place, but though she pressed her lips tight together they still twisted slightly as if she wanted to say more.

Too soon, with too much left unsaid, the tannoy made the last call for her to move through to the transatlantic departure lounge.

Giles moved his suitcase out of her way and stood without taking his hand from hers. She rose too, and for a second she tried to memorise all the lines and details of his face, with its expression of uncertainty, so that she didn't quite catch his first few words and had to do a mental rewind later.

"...if I'm mistaken, I hope you'll forgive me."

Then, his free hand was wrapping its fingers in her hair, tilting her head back so that his lips met hers as he lowered his head. Tears gathered in her lashes as she pressed closer to him, her mouth responding to his as if no time had passed since the breaking of Willow's spell, only now there was no guilt to raise a barrier of awkwardness between them. Whether she pulled her hand from his to wrap her arms around his neck and fondle the soft strands of his hair, or whether he let go so that he could grip her waist and pull her closer still, she neither knew nor cared. Her body relaxed in his arms, even as the tip of her tongue reached out to meet his. Just as once before, she let herself be swept over backwards, trusting to his strength to prevent her from falling.

It couldn't last and as he raised her again to an upright position and slowly relaxed his grip until she stood unsupported, his eyes seemed to be searching hers for any hint that he had displeased her, his thumbs brushing away the tears that now trickled down her cheeks before she stood on tiptoe to plant a reassuring kiss on his cheek.

"Come soon," she managed in a hoarse whisper before the tannoy croaked its message again and she had to grab her purse and run, leaving a slightly dazed watcher in her wake. Until he visited her, life would be incomplete, like living in darkness. That was why she had given his email account the password Persephone.