Howard squinted through the cloud of dust and his eyes widened when he saw the group standing in front of him. He put the stake in his back pocket and looked calmly at Allison. “I knew I would find you here.”

“What? How? Huh?” Allison sputtered. Carolee looked at Howard in confusion, and then glanced at Buffy and Giles. They shrugged, as mystified at his arrival as she was.

Howard crossed his arms over his chest and addressed his wife. “The Stepford Wife robot finally blew it’s head. I went through it’s components, and after tapping into your computer, I figured out you’d be here in Whispering Pines.”

“Stepford Wife?” Allison looked confused. She thought Cordelia placed a time wrinkle on her home. “What are you talking about?”

Howard looked at her with exasperation. It was a look she was used to. Carolee frowned and took a step closer to Allison as if to provide silent support. Giles and Buffy remained rooted to their spot, ready for anything.

“What am I talking about? That robot, made to look like you. I knew something wasn’t right. Was life at home so awful that you had to come here?”

“Now wait a minute,” Buffy piped up. “First of all, we didn’t really give Allison a choice. She had to come. See, there was this apocalypse and…well, never mind that. Your wife helped save the world. You should be proud. And as far as the robot goes, that’s something we’ll have to discuss with Willow. Allison did not know about that. Did you?”

Allison shook her head. “No. Cordelia was supposed to freeze time or something. Howard, you weren’t ever to know I was even gone. And where are the boys? Are they okay? Are you okay?”

Howard relaxed his posture a bit. “The boys are fine. They are at your parent’s house. I told them we needed a vacation together. And I’m okay now, knowing you are safe. I was worried about you.”

“Sorry to interrupt, but it’s late, and not safe here. We should all head back. Perhaps you two can get the privacy you deserve for this discussion when we get back to the Manor. And Buffy and I will have a word with Willow about this robot mix up as well.” Giles took a step towards Allison’s husband. “Howard is it? I’m Rupert Giles. You should be very proud of your wife.”

Howard took the handshake offered, glancing towards Allison. “I’m always proud of her.” He smiled at the Watcher, missing the loving look coming from Allison.

The group slowly made it’s way through the cemetery and back to Scobie Manor. Buffy and Giles led the way, with Carolee right behind them. Allison and Howard hung back a few steps so they could talk quietly.

“What did you mean about ‘Stepford Wife?’” Allison asked her husband.

He chuckled softy and took her hand. “You know, the perfect robot wife. Always perfect, always smiling, at my beckon call? Like from that movie. That’s what the robot was like that was there in your place. I knew you were…off…but I didn’t know what was wrong until your head came off. Er, the robot’s head I mean.”

“Seems to me you’d like that. What husband wouldn’t?”

Howard stopped and turned Allison so that she had to look at him. “Allison, I don’t want a perfect robotic wife. I don’t want anyone but you. The light that shines in your eyes when you smile at me, the pureness of your heart, the strength of your love, the way you are with the boys, so gentle and loving…that’s the woman I love. You are the woman I love. Your faith gives me faith, your strength gives me strength, and your love and support makes me the man that I am.” He placed his fingers under her chin, running his thumb down her cheek with a gentle caress. “I love you.”

Tears slowly ran down her face, and he wiped them away with his thumb. He slowly bent his head and grazed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around him. “Oh Howard, I love you so much.”

He smiled. “I know.” He straightened up and took her hand firmly in his own. “Now, let’s go follow your group of superheroes here and see what needs done.” Allison giggled, but let him lead the way.

When they all reached the house, Giles barely got the front door open before Willow launched in on them. “Buffy, Giles, thank goodness you are here. Bad things have happened. It’s so not my fault. I didn’t know! Really, I didn’t know. Allison’s husband is missing, and Cordy must have put the robot there, and Allison’s husband saw it explode, and he must have…who‘s that?” She finally took a breath and leveled her gaze upon the Chinese man standing in the foyer with a bemused expression on his face.

“You’re doing it again, Will.” Buffy pointed at her friend and raised her eyebrow.

“Huh?” Willow couldn’t take her eye’s off of Howard.

“Too many mochas today?” Buffy smiled at Willow, then nodded towards Howard. “This is Howard, Allison’s husband.” Howard nodded at the red haired witch.

“Howard? So you’re safe. That’s of the good.” Willow sighed and flopped down in the nearest chair.

“Do you have some things to tell us Willow?” Giles gave Willow one of his patented glares.

Carolee gazed around the room as she took a seat on the farthest corner of the sofa, away from the group. Besides Willow, no one else was around. She figured Spike was out doing whatever vampires did at night, and Dawn was probably in bed. Lorne must have left to return to LA. He wasn’t one for confrontations. She leaned back against the seat cushions to observe the conversation taking place in the living room and front entrance.

Howard and Allison remained standing in the foyer, their hands tightly clasped and their ears perked to intently listen to Willow. Buffy smiled at her friend, taking a place behind her chair and placing her hands on Willow’s shoulder. “Come on Will. Spill it.”

Giles noticed Carolee’s uneasy posture on the sofa so he decided to sit down next to her as he too listened to Willow’s explanation. Carolee was surprised to find him beside her, close, but not touching. She exhaled slowly, not noticing that she had been holding her breath as he had crossed the room to join her on the couch.

“I just found out tonight, truthfully.” Willow held up her hands as if to protest. “Right after you all left, Lorne ambushed me in the kitchen. He said that Cordy had called him while we were all at the beach. The Powers That Be wouldn’t do the time freeze thingy, so Cordelia, without my knowing…and I stress that…without my knowing, decided to use the Allisonbot instead. Then, I guess the bot malfunctioned?” She glanced at Howard. He still had that little bemused expression on his face as he nodded at Willow.

“How did Cordelia know all this?” Giles asked.

“Andrew and his men had surveillance on the bot,” Willow whispered.

Howard frowned then. He didn’t like the thought of anyone spying on him and his family. He dropped Allison’s hand and crossed his arms. Willow noticed his anger, and again held up her hands, palms out, towards him. “It’s not like that. He wasn’t spying. It was just a robot sensor thing. When the head came off, it went black. They sent men to your house to retrieve it, and noticed you and the boys were gone. They didn’t know what had occurred, or if you were all right. We were all worried.”

Howard grunted. Allison placed her hand on her husband’s back, causing him to relax. “We’re fine.”

“How did you find us again?” Buffy asked Howard. She moved from behind Willow’s chair and plopped on the floor, leaning back against the sofa where Carolee and Giles sat.

“I examined the robot, and saw it was stamped, ‘Made by Willow Rosenberg, Whispering Pines, Oregon.’ Then I got online to find where Whispering Pines was, and viola, here I am.” He smirked at Willow. She blushed.

“Oh, I forgot about that stamp thing.”

“I wonder how the Caroleebot is doing.” Carolee said softly, her arms folded around her bent knees on the sofa, a contemplative expression on her face.

“It’s fine.” Willow nodded. “Andrew sent men in to check on it. All is well.” She smiled at Carolee.

“You are proficient with those dratted computer contraptions then?” Giles peered at Howard.

“Yes, I am.”

“It’s his job.” Allison said proudly.

“Could you perhaps look at mine then?” Giles had a hopeful look on his face.

Howard shrugged. “Sure.” He finished his one word sentence with a yawn. It was late, and he had traveled many miles on this day.

“Allison, you and Howard can have the room tonight. I’ll sleep on the couch,” Carolee offered. They needed their privacy. Allison was grateful, and gave her best friend a big smile. “I’ll just run in and get some things.” Carolee got to her feet, and without a look back, went to her room to throw some things into a bag.

The living room remained pretty silent. Everyone was lost in their thoughts. Giles watched Carolee leave the room. She was troubled, and he knew it was all his fault. He’d have to talk with her, just as soon as he could get her alone.

Buffy and Willow said their goodnights and headed to their bedrooms for the night, after welcoming Howard. Eventually Carolee resurfaced, freshly washed, and she had brushed her teeth. She wore black sweat pants and a white cotton t-shirt and held a pillow and a wool blanket in her arms. “The room is now all yours.” She smiled at Allison and Howard.

Allison gave her friend a small hug. “Thank you,” she whispered into Carolee’s ear. Howard gave her a slight smile as well, and then they left Carolee and Giles alone in the living room.

Carolee turned towards the sofa. Giles was still sitting, a slight smile on his face. Carolee quirked an eyebrow at him. “You’re on my bed.” She gave him a quick, fleeting smile. The butterflies were back in her stomach, full force.

Giles scooted over towards the end of the sofa, and patted the cushion next to him. “Please, sit with me for a minute?”

Carolee nodded and took the seat next to him. She clutched the pillow and blanket to her chest. Her eyes roamed the room, never falling on his face. She was afraid he’d see her fear and insecurity there. Giles smiled again, and placed his fingers under her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“I owe you an apology for last night and today.” He swallowed, his throat constricting at the pain he saw in her eyes.

Carolee’s gaze softened. “Giles, I don’t understand. Did I do something wrong?”

“No, of course not.” He shook his head and put an arm around her tense shoulders, never breaking eye contact with her. “You did nothing wrong. It wasn’t your fault. The fault lies with me. Listen, it’s late now. We’re both tired, and we really need to talk. There are so many things that I should tell you. I’ll try and explain, and hope that you can forgive me. What do you say we do breakfast tomorrow? Just the two of us?”

She looked at him closely. “I’d like that. But Giles, you don’t need to explain in order to be forgiven. There’s nothing for me to forgive. We must have some kind of misunderstanding or something, but…I think it’s going to be okay now. Okay?” Tears glistened in her eyes.

He smiled softly at her, amazed at the size of her heart. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment. “Okay.” They stayed like that for a moment, barely touching. Then he slowly got to his feet. “Sleep well, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Thanks.” She smiled up at him, all her trust in that gaze.

“Do you need anything?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine now, thanks to you.” She yawned, and then blushed. “Sorry, I guess it has been a long day.”

He chuckled. “I’ll wake you early and we can sneak out.”

“I’ll look forward to it.” She gently placed her pillow at the arm of the sofa and laid down on the couch, throwing the blanket over herself. Giles gave her one last smile, and then switched off the light. He went to bed that night with a much lighter heart that the night before.