"Hey, Giles. Watcha doing?" Buffy walked up to her Watcher, curious about what he had hidden.
"B-buffy. Um, I was just researching, um." He quickly scanned the books in front of him "the, er, a-abnormal weather patterns we’ve been having recently."
Xander couldn’t let this go. "Recently, as in the past 12 months recently? Wow, things really do go slow-mo around here."
"Yes, well, I have been occupied with, er, other matters."
"You didn’t notice the number of unusually loong summer days, even for California? With three, no, four layers of clothes?" Buffy couldn’t believe he came up with such a lame excuse. Now she really wanted to find out what was going on.
Giles moved away from the table, hoping to distract his Slayer. "Yes, well. I felt I needed to catch up on things, while I had the opportunity. And you, Buffy? Are you ready for school next week?"
Darn him for turning the tables so well. "Um. Willow’s been helping me." Buffy gave her best friend the look. At the confusion on Willow’s face the message wasn’t getting through. "Haven’t you Willow?"
"Oh. Oh. Yes. We’ve been...." While her friend kept her Watcher occupied, Buffy quickly pulled out the paper and scanned it. There was nothing unusual there. Except for the ad, of course. And Giles couldn’t be interested in that. Could he?
"...and I told her she’ll increase her G.P.A. by five percent." Willow stopped for breath.
"I-I’m sure that’s quite good, Willow. Whatever G.P.A. is. Well. I think that, under the circumstances, we can all take a week off. Be fresh for the start of school."
"Yeah Giles." Huh. As if he could get rid of her THAT easily. "Okay guys. We’ve got a whole week to cram six weeks of fun and sun in. Let’s not waste a minute."
Giles breathed a sigh of relief as they all left. That was close. He looked longingly once more at his newspaper. He would love to attend. But he couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right.
Two days later, the telephone at Giles’ apartment rang. It was such an unusual occurrence that, at first, he wasn’t aware what it was. Damn thing rang at an inopportune moment, anyway. He was right in the middle of Watcher Danus’ Journal. The things they did in the 1500s.
"Hello."
"Giles?"
"Buffy? What is it?" She sounded strained. Nervous.
"Giles, something is happening. You have to come down here."
"Where? What is it?"
"The Playhouse. Hurry. You don’t have much time." The telephone went dead at the other end. Giles didn’t waste any time. He grabbed his jacket and ran out of the house.
Five minutes later he pulled up in front of the Playhouse. There appeared to be a lot of activity, with adults and children crowding around the building. He couldn’t see any abnormal, or demonic activity. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t happening. He jumped out of his car and pushed through the crowds, looking for Buffy. As he entered the lobby, he saw her to one side.
"Buffy. What is it? What’s happening?"
"Giles. It’s really weird. There’s this really old guy. And he’s wearing a wig. And a really long dress. And then, a girl’s dressed up as a boy...."
Giles was even more confused. "W-wait? What are you talking about?"
"Look!" She pointed toward a billboard.
"Buffy, this is a pantomime! They always have actors playing women, and actresses playing men."
"Oh. I guess you’ll just have to come in with me then, and explain it all to me." She produced two tickets from behind her back.
As realization slowly struck, Giles felt himself blush. She must have seen the newspaper.
"Ah. I, er, I can explain."
"Later. The curtain’s about to go up."
"Wait." She knew he wouldn’t do it. "A pantomime isn’t a pantomime without ice cream." With that, he proceeded to drag her over to the confectionery counter. Buffy mentally calculated the calories she’d have to train off, then pushed the thought aside. To hell with it.
Two hours later, they sat inside one of the larger fast food places, eating, well Giles wasn’t too sure what they were eating, but he found himself enjoying it. Perhaps he shouldn’t be so quick to condemn these places in the future. He was explaining to Buffy his passion for pantomimes.
"When I was six, my parents took me to my first pantomime as a treat. One of the few excursions we had together as a family. After that, every birthday, my father would ask what I would want, and I’d say to go to the pantomime. They were such fun. And so normal. Then, on my tenth birthday, I was told my destiny. And began my ‘education’. Which meant no more pantomimes."
"Poor Giles." Buffy could understand now why he was drawn to those childish plays.
"I suppose I just relate pantomimes to normalness. Besides " he paused, as if about to reveal a great secret. And he was blushing again. "They are a lot of fun."
She smiled. "Yeah. That one was today. I felt like a little kid again."
"It’s all a fantasy. You have to leave the adult behind to be able to believe in it. Buffy" he took her hand. She wondered at his serious tone. "Thank you. This has meant so much to me."
"I know. I just wish it didn’t have to end."
"It doesn’t." At her confused look, he rushed on. "W-we still have half a day left. That is, unless you’ve made other plans?"
Buffy realised that he was lonely. Perhaps even lonelier than her. "No. I’m yours for the rest of the day." At his look, she found she was the one now blushing. "As in, to do whatever you want. For fun. Outdoor fun." She stopped at his gentle smile. "You’re laughing at me!"
"Perhaps. A little." At her responding smile, he knew he hadn’t hurt her feelings. He paused. "Well, there is something else I haven’t done in a long time. I used to be quite good at it too."
"Wait. Let me guess. Hool-a-hoop. Snakes and ladders. No. Hopscotch."
"Ice skating." At the glowing look on her face, he knew he’d made the right choice. "I believe there is a rink somewhere in this town. I don’t suppose you happen to know how to skate, do you?" His laughing eyes told her he already knew the answer.
"I think I’ve done it once or twice. And afterwards, we can go to Pirate Pete’s for dinner." At his grimace, she decided to sweeten the pot. "Every birthday child gets their own eyepatch."
"It isn’t my birthday." He loved the conspirital look on her face.
"We’ll lie."
"Buffy." She waited for his admonition. "What a brilliant idea. But, I refuse to sit on Pirate Pete’s lap!"
Their shared laughter rang out over the restaurant. It wasn’t the first, or the last, they were to laugh that day.