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“Ok, that was definitely more fun than the last time.” Xander laughed and walked behind Gunn into the house with his backpack on his shoulder. Gunn stopped in his tracks and so the guy behind him almost bumped into his back. “Hey, what’s up? Why the sudden stop?” He looked past the man in front of him and spotted Giles, Andrew, Angel and a blue haired woman.

“Xander, Gunn, I believe you should have been here a few hours ago. Sunrise was two hours ago. Where have you two been?” Gunn looked a little bit guilty. “Sorry, Giles. My fault. I was too wired up to go to sleep and begged to see a bit more of London than the last time. You know me, I can be convincing at times.” Giles worried expression softened a little at Xander’s explanation.

Andrew was clearly relieved and headed straight for Xander to hug him tightly. “I missed you and I’m glad you’re here unharmed.” Xander was slightly overwhelmed and hugged uncertain back. “Such an effusive reaction for only one human is not understandable. I’m going back to my room to play.” And with that she was gone.

“Deadboy, you really have a thing for weird women, don’t you?” Xander eased himself out of Andrew’s embrace and set his pack on the ground next to him before he made his way over to Giles. “How is my favorite Watcher today? Everything ok with the girls?” Giles looked a bit uncomfortable in Xander’s hug for a moment but he relaxed pretty quickly and hugged back.

“It’s good to have you back here where I don’t have to worry about you in war zones and with terrorists all around you.” Xander patted Giles a last time on the back and stepped a bit back. “Now I’m here, so all is good. And I’m planning on staying a little while before I settle down somewhere.”

“I believe we all should eat something. It was a long night for all of us and I suppose breakfast will still be ready. I go check with Trevor. Gunn, could you show Xander his room? Be sure to be down here in, …. Let’s say, half an hour? Good, off you go.” Giles turned to a door at the end of the hall and Gunn clapped Xander on the back. “Come on, I’ll show you. The house can be a bit confusing if you haven’t lived your whole life here.”

They walked trough long corridors and several staircases before Gunn came to a halt in front of a big wooden door with ornaments on it. “This’ll be your room for as long as you want. I live just down the corridor. The last door on the right is mine and you can come to me if you need help in finding your way around here.”

Xander grinned and opened the door to his new room. “Wow! That’s nothing like I expected!” he exclaimed impressed. The room was huge! He stepped into the middle and looked around. Old polished dark wood everywhere he looked. He put his backpack on the king-size bed beside a huge window with heavy velvet drapes in a dark red shade.

There wasn’t only the door to the hallway Gunn was still standing in, there were other doors all around the room – except for the walls with the windows. He made his way to the door on his left side and took a peek. It led to a big walk in closet. Too big for only the things he had in his backpack but he supposed he could go shopping for new things with the money he had earned while he was in Africa. When he was doing that he could look into selling a few things he had collected in Africa. A few gemstones, ritualistic objects and a few golden pieces he found when he fought against demons while in search of slayers.

“If you’re real quick, you can take a shower before we have to leave. Do you have any clean clothes left?” Without waiting for an answer Gunn made him an offer. “I could get you some of my stuff till you have something clean. I’m sure you’ll want to go shopping for the lovely weather here in England when Giles gives you the info to your account. And Trevor certainly wants to clean the African dirt out of your remaining stuff.”

Xander smiled at the eager offer. “In Africa I hadn’t had much time or opportunity to wash my clothes. Not that anybody down there would have much thought about it if I hadn’t washed at all. But I know how Giles is, so I appreciate your offer and would be glad if you have something near my size.”

Gunn laughed and told him to go showering. There would be something to wear on his bed when he was done. When he was good to go he should come to Gunn’s room. Xander looked at the clock above the door and tried to judge how much time he had left before breakfast.

He walked into the bathroom and got rid of his clothes which landed in a tangled heap on the floor. There were towels next to the big shower which could hold at least 3 people. In the shower were bottles of shampoo and soap. There was even a toothbrush and toothpaste in the cabinet next to the big mirror over the sink. He smiled. Giles thought of everything and that every time.

He turned the shower on and adjusted the water to the right temperature. After he stepped in he quickly washed the grime off of him and then gave in to the desire to soak a few beautiful moments in the hot spray from above. With a sigh he turned off the water, stepped out of the shower and toweled himself roughly. When he got back in the main room he saw that Gunn had held his promise. There were jeans, a sweater and even boxer shorts on the bed.