CaveSlayer sat on a bench outside the burned college Grotto. Not paying any attention to the police and fire trucks, she was focused on something else. Willow, who was sitting next to her. She was fiddling with her hair. Giles was standing at the side, and watched as Xander walked over.

"Did you guys have enough fun for one night?" He asked.

"Yes. Please." Willow said, and went to remove her friend's hand.

Instead she caught her temporarily primitive-minded friend's eyes, and decided not to. She felt oddly comforted by it. Buffy was paying more attention to her couple strands of hair, than Oz had paid attention to her in the last two days.

Veruca. Slut Singer. Vile. Boyfriend-stealing. She wanted to scream. Murder her. She stopped her rage from building, when Buffy took her hand away. She frowned just a little.

"Buffy tired." CaveSlayer said.

"And was there a lesson in all this? Huh? What did we learn about beer?" Xander asked.

"Foamy!" She said quickly.

"Good. Just as long as that's clear. Anyways, I think the boys in the car are contained for the time being…"

Buffy shot up, and went over to her cavemen compatriots, and started banging on the window.

***

Willow watched as Buffy looked into the van. And then came Devil Man himself. Parker. He called Buffy's name, and she turned around sharply. He was "apologizing." God, she wanted to murder him too. Making Buffy hurt as much as he did.

Was Oz like him? Doing the nice guy act until they slept together, and now he was off looking for another girl? Only a lot more suddle than Parker? No, not Oz. He just wasn't that type of guy.

"But…Buffy was fooled by Parker…who seemed like a nice guy…and maybe…" She muttered to herself.

"What was that, Will?" Xander asked.

"Nothing." She sighed.

She looked back up at Buffy and Parker. He wasn't talking anymore, and Buffy was just staring at him. She saw the large stick Buffy still held in her hand, come up, and then he got clobbered over the head with it.

Willow grinned, and walked over with Giles and Xander to Buffy, and they all looked down at Parker's unconscious form. Xander pulled Buffy away, but she got out of his grip and grabbed Willow's arm. She sniffed.

"Girl smell nice."

"Uh, thanks, Buffy." Willow said, unsure. She blushed slightly, and they went towards the dorm.

***

Willow opened their door, and Buffy shuffled inside. She turned around to Giles and Xander.

"Are you sure you'll be all right for the night, Willow?" Giles asked.

"I can take care of her. Don't worry."

"Don't get her angry. Leads to pain." Xander said cautiously.

"Got it. Night, guys."

"Good night." Giles said.

She went inside, and shut the door. Buffy was sitting on her own bed.

"You gonna be okay?" She asked. Buffy nodded quickly. "Cause I don't think I am."

Willow sat down on the edge of her bed, and then fell back.

"I mean, Oz and this…Veruca. What does he see in her? I haven't changed. I'm still me. Maybe that's the problem. I think I'm this super expert on guys, giving you advice, when my boyfriend may be just like Parker."

"Parker bad." Buffy called.

"Yes he is. And why am I talking to you about this? You can't even understand me." Buffy shrugged, and began moving her finger, and letting her eyes follow it. "I'm gonna shower."

Buffy jumped up and hit the TV.

"People!"

"Okay, I'll turn the TV on. You know, you're destroying the few brains cells you have right now." Buffy jumped as the pictures came on screen. "And you don't care."

***

Willow came out of the bathroom in all flannel, and found Buffy, lying in her bed.

"Your bed's over there."

"Girl here?"

"Yes." Willow pointed to herself and then the bed. "Girl there. Don't you want to go over to your own bed?"

"Like girl. Like bed. Wanna stay. Girl no like Buffy?" She pouted.

"No! No! I like you! I like you!" Willow said quickly, and reassuringly. Buffy smiled, and patted the bed.

Willow didn't want to refuse CaveSlayer, and she didn't really mind sleeping next to her either, so she laid down next to her. Buffy put her arm protectively around Willow's body, and Willow reached up and turned off the light.

A few minutes later, in the darkness, Buffy spoke.

"I understood everything you said, Will."

"You did? You're back?"

"Been back."

"Since when?"

"Since I saw the fire. Once the Slayer in me snapped to attention, well, not even beer can stop that. No matter how foamy."

What she didn't add was, the effects wore off when she saw Willow in the fire. She'd hold off on that though.

"And you didn't say anything?"

"It was fun."

"Parker?"

"I should've hit him a third time. And listen. About Oz…"

"Yeah?"

"He'd be an idiot to give you up."

"Really?" Willow smiled.

"Absolutely. And I'll always be here for you."

"I hope so."

"Oh, one more thing." Willow waited. "You really do smell nice."

END