3rd Person's POV

"I'm thinking about you."

Willow is totally charmed. Buffy slightly less so.

"He's so sweet."

Buffy grimaces, "Uh, yeah, he's a sweetie."

"What should I write back?"

"Uh, Willow... I think it's great that you've got a cool pen pal, but... you seem to be kind of rushing all into this. You know what I mean?"

Willow hasn't heard a word, "I'm thinking of you too! No, that's incredibly stupid."

"Will. Down girl. Let's focus. What do you really know about this guy?"

Willow frowns, "See, I knew you'd react like this."

"Like what? I just think you should be, well, careful."

"Buffy--"

"He could be different than you think."

Minutes later Willow is still smiling at the computer screen. Buffy looks over in worry, "Are you still talking?"

Willow gives her a blank look then sighs, "His name is Malcolm Black, he's eighteen, he lives in Elmwood which is like eighty miles from here and
he likes me."

"Short, tall, skinny, fat..."

"Why does everything have to be about looks?"

"Not everything. But some stuff is. I mean, what if you guys get really intense and then you find
out he... has a hairy back?"

Willow almost wavers then shakes her head, "Well... no. He doesn't talk like the kind of person who has a hairy back. And anyway that stuff doesn't matter if you really care about each other... Maybe I'm not his ideal of babelitude either."

Buffy smiles softening the moment, "Hey. I just want to make sure he's good enough for you, that's all. I
think it's great that you're--"

Fritz suddenly appears by them, "Hey! Are you done?"

Buffy frowns, "What?"

"I'm trying to work."

"Okay, sorry..."

She throws Willow a look as Fritz leaves.

"Boy, Fritz is even more charming than usual."

Willow shrugs, "I don't know what his problem is
lately."

"He needs to get out more. Or ever."

"Can I talk to you for a second?"

Laney looks up from her lunch to see Buffy standing at her table. Cordelia frowns as well as the Cordettes.

"Don't you have elsewhere to be? We're kinda busy here."

Buffy glares at Cordelia who just sticks her tongue out, "Oh I'm sorry if I'm interrupting special hair care treatment conversations. But it's really important... please Laney."

Laney sighs then looks over at Cordelia, "I'll see you later."

Cordelia sticks out her tongue, "Ugh fine."

Laney gets up and follows Buffy out the cafeteria. They walk through the hallway in silence. After a moment, Buffy looks over at Laney with a small smile.

"How have you been?"

"Fine... what'd you want Buffy?"

Buffy frowns feeling a little upset with how short Laney was and she was sad with the fact that Laney hadn't called her by her nickname.

"Oh well it's about Willow. Have you noticed how much time she's been spending on the computer?"

Laney frowns, "You wanted to talk to me about my sisters computer habits?... And on that note I think I'm gonna jet."

"Laney!"

Laney stops walking away to look at Buffy who actually looks worried.

"Look this might sounds crazy but Willlow is talking to this mystery guy online. She has no idea who this person really is or where they are. She hasn't seen what he looks like. It's like she's falling in love with a stranger."

Laney looks at the concerned Buffy and sighs, "She told me they met... I guess so I wouldn't hound her. Well what do you think is wrong with the guy? For him to not show his face... for her to fall so fast. It's weird I mean she's had a crush on Xander her whole life it's so weird for her to move onto someone she doesn't even know."

Buffy nods, "Yeah exactly. I don't know can you just keep an eye on her at home and make sure everything is fine. I'm going to try and check out is the guy is okay."

Laney nods and turns to leave but is again stopped.

"Wait... You knew about Willow's crush on Xander? Yet you're kinda having a thing or had a thing?..."

Laney frowns and shifts between her two feet, "I know not my best moment... I know she likes him but I also know that he loves her as a sister. He can't look at her any other way. We've talked about a bit. I know it may have seemed like I was just 'hooking up' with Xander. But we actually talked and we had deep conversations... he listened to me and I listened to him. We don't exactly have lovey feeling for each other but we get one another... I don't know how to explain it."

Buffy nods, "I get it. I really do. It's just hard to hear you say that and then see you avoid him like he's the plague."

"I know. I just can't... I want to- I... it's too hard..."

Buffy watches as a tear falls down her cheek. Laney quickly wipes it away and turns to look at a set of lockers.

"I-I'm scared... We had an agreement that we almost- not only that... I did so many horrible things... I wanted to kill people Buff..."

Buffy pulls Laney into a hug as she starts to choke on her words.

"He's going to hate me. I know I act like I don't care about him but I do. I don't want to lose him.... Willow... god she's going to hate me and Giles."

"No one is going to hate you and Xander will never leave you. He misses you!! Can you please talk to him? Then talk to us?"

Laney pulls away from the hug then looks at Buffy for a moment before nodding.

"Okay..."

Willow passes a boy by the water fountain, not noticing anything. Xander comes up behind her and puts his hands over her eyes.

"Guess who."

"Xander." Willow says without emotion.

Xander frowns, "Well, yeah, but keep guessing
anyway."

"Xander."

Xander removes his hands, "I can't fool you. You see right through my petty charade... Are we going to the Bronze tonight?"

"Not me. I think I'm gonna make it an early night."

"Malcolm, huh? That's right, I heard. Okay, but you're missing out. I'm planning to be witty. I'll be making fun of all the people who won't talk to me."

Willow nods with a small smile, "That's nice. Have a good time."

She ambles off, in her own space. Xander watches as Buffy comes abreast of him.

"She certainly looks perky."

Xander nods, "Color in the cheeks, a bounce in the step-- I don't like it. It isn't healthy... So what about you? Bronze? No, you probably have to slay vampires or some lame endeavor like that. Everybody deserts me."

Buffy laughs, "Check out the jealous man."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're jealous!"

"Of what?"

Buffy shrugs, "Willow's got a thang and Xander's left hanging."

"That's meaningless drivel. I'm not interested in Willow like that."

Buffy nods, "Yeah I know that, but you got used to being the belle of the ball."

Xander shakes his head, "No maybe with Lane but Willow is just my bestie. I don't know it's just... this Malcolm guy. What's his deal? Admit that it wigs you slightly."

"Slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like."

"How about who he really is? Oh sure, he says he's a high school student. I could say I was a high school student."

Buffy laughs hitting his arm, "You are."

"Okay, but I could also say I was an elderly Dutch woman, get me? Who's to say I'm not? If I'm in the
elderly Dutch chat room--"

"I get your point."

It sinks in and the smile is immediately wiped from her face, "I get your point. This guy could be anything. Old, weird, crazy... he could be a circus freak!"

"You know, you read about these things all the time. Two people meet on the net, they talk, they get together, dinner, a show, horrible axe murder..."

"Willow axe-murdered by a circus freak. What do we do?"

A beat passes as they think. Buffy realizes what's happening.

"What are we doing?" She hits his arm again.

"Ow what is this abuse Xander day?"

"Xander, you get me started... we're totally over-reacting."

Xander smiles, "I know, but isn't it fun?"

JUST FOR FUN

Laney's Outfit