They seemed to sit in the bar for hours. Buffy was getting impatient and tapping her foot incessantly. Giles gave her one of his glares, but she ignored him. Xander found a bowl of peanuts from somewhere and was building a little pyramid out of the empty shells.

Brooks and Hana had retired to a back room behind the bar, out of sight. Buffy was beginning to wonder if she should stalk back there herself or send Giles when Brooks finally re-appeared. He came up to the table and without a pause simply stated, “Let’s roll.” The three hopped out of their chairs and headed back out to the Jeep.

“Did he tell you where Willow might be?” Xander asked, hope gleaming from his eye. Brooks shushed him as they climbed into the Jeep and he started it up. “Patience, my new friend.”

Xander looked like he was about to explode until Buffy kicked the back of his chair. Somehow they had filed into the Jeep with Xander in the passenger seat and Buffy and Giles in the back. Her foot hit Xander in the small of his back through the chair and he turned his one eye onto her with a baleful glare. She smiled sweetly.

“He’ll tell us once we get out of this infernal town, Xander.” Giles said, looking at Brooks through the rearview mirror. Brooks nodded.

As Giles had feared, they were heading into the Kalahari Desert.

“It’s as I suspected,” Brooks began. “Hana spoke of one tribe that lives deep in the Kalahari, the Chewa Tribe. They’ve existed since the beginning of the first millennium, B.C.”

Giles’ ears perked up. He had heard of that tribe name before. Brooks met his eyes again in the mirror, his face grim. “The first tribesmen of known existence to the Council.”

Something clicked inside Buffy. Her mind went back to her own desert experience, her quest…and the first slayer telling her that ‘Death is your gift.’ Then the first men, trying to give her their dark powers, more of the demon, so that she could fight The First. But she had fought them, and denied the power. Buffy shivered.

Xander saw the look on Brooks face, and then turned and saw how white Buffy’s face was, as well as the concerned look on Giles’ face. “Would someone please tell me what’s going on?”

“They have her, don’t they?” Buffy asked in a strained voice. “The Shadow Men…”

“What?! Who? Shadow Men?” Xander’s face went blank for a moment and then he remembered the ‘shadowcasters,’ and the spell Willow had tried. “Why?”

“I’m guessing they’re very upset about the fact that Willow stole their power. Or at least, that’s how they’ll see it,” Giles said softly.

They traveled along in silence for awhile, all lost in their thoughts. Buffy was terrified, though she tried not to show it because she didn’t want to worry Xander.

Giles glanced sideways at Buffy. There wasn’t much she could hide from him. He saw the way her eyebrows creased together, the set of her chin, the way she worried her bottom lip. She was worried, and a bit scared. Slowly he moved his hand and covered hers as it rested between them on the seat.

Buffy swallowed and looked down at his hand on hers. After a few miles, she turned her hand palm up and entwined her fingers with his.

It was hours later when Brooks pulled the Jeep over in front of a dilapidated looking shed. Buffy looked at the shed, looked at Brooks getting out of the Jeep, and then over at Giles. “Is he serious?”

Giles’ hand was still holding Buffy’s. His thoughts were a jumble. Worried for Willow, planning and strategizing…and the fact that Buffy was holding his hand. It took him a moment to even realize that the Jeep had stopped.

“We’ll stay here for the night,” Brooks said gruffly. “It’s fine in the inside, which is what matters. Come on, we’ve got another long day tomorrow.” Without another word he grabbed some of the gear and headed inside. Xander gave a shrug and hopped out. He noticed Giles and Buffy’s hand holding but pretended not to. He grabbed a few of the bags and turned to follow Brooks, a small smile on his face. ‘It’s about time,’ he thought.

Finally Giles gave Buffy’s hand a light squeeze and popped open his door. “I suppose we should join them,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving her face. “Are you alright?”

Buffy smiled softly at him and nodded. “Yeah, just…worried about Will. Giles, those Shadow Men…this is worse than I first thought. If they have her…” Buffy didn’t know how they’d get Willow back, or what kind of condition she’d be in once they did find her.

Giles moved closer and put his other arm around Buffy, pulling her into a hug. “We will, Buffy. We will get her back. We have to,” his own voice cracking a bit. He sighed and closed his eyes, comforting himself with the embrace as much as Buffy.

Buffy was a little surprised, but then relaxed into the hug, letting Giles hold her. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. Then she opened her eyes. Her spidey sense was beginning to kick in. The sun was down and it was beginning to chill as it does in the desert, but there was no mistake.

“Giles?” she whispered softly, tensing in his arms.

“Hmm?” He felt her tense and pulled out of the hug with a frown, then he saw her face. “What is it?”

Buffy slowly reached into her boot and brought out a stake. “Not sure, but something’s not right.” She glanced around. There really was no where to hide. No trees in the desert. She was still amazed by the falling down shack sitting there, so obtrusive in the landscape.

Giles was looking around as well. Buffy started to say something, and he turned towards her, and then let out a yelp. “Under,” he growled, kicking frantically with his leg.

Buffy blinked. Under? Then she saw a dirty hand pulling at Giles’ leg. “Oh, under the Jeep!” Buffy shook her head and leapt out of the open vehicle in a perfect summersault. She kicked at the elbow of the arm. Somewhere from under the Jeep she heard a hiss as the arm was retracted. Buffy crouched down and glared. “Come out and fight like a real vampire, you coward.” A few seconds later the Jeep started up and moved forward, as Giles jumped behind the driver’s side and started up the vehicle. Brooks left the keys in the ignition, since they were supposedly all alone out in the desert. The Jeep jerked forwards and Buffy grinned as the vampire sat up suddenly and frowned as it’s hiding place vanished. Before the creature could move, Buffy plunged her stake into it’s heart. It exploded into dust, joining the desert floor and mixing with the sand and soil.

Giles hurried out of the Jeep and came over to her as she stood to brush off the dust remnants on her clothing. “Are you okay?” she asked him, looking down at his leg.

“Me? Oh, yes. I’m fine. Stupid of me really, opening my door like that.” Giles met her eyes and then looked her over to make sure she was okay.

“Nah, I was distracting you,” Buffy said.

“Yes, well, you’ve been doing that for years,” Giles said softly. Buffy looked up sharply then, seeing a blush creep up his neck even in the darkness of the evening. He looked at her expectantly for a moment, a small smile on his face. “Come on, we best get inside before Brooks and Xander wonder about us.” He turned then and went to the Jeep to pull out their remaining bags. “Coming?” he asked.

Buffy was still rooted in place. She’d been distracting Giles? All these years? What did he mean by that? Why the blush? And…why did the thought make her warm inside? Finally she slowly nodded and followed behind him into the shack to join the other two men.