Buffy remembered Spike saying that the Eugenians didn't like vampires. Well, technically speaking, neither did she, what with the job title and all. She thought of trying to talk her way around the inconvenient truth, but Giles himself had recommended being straightforward. And she really hated the idea of lying to this nice lady who didn't look at her like she was crazy or bad or a freak.

"There's kind of a problem with Giles. If he comes out into the sun, he'll go poof. And we kind of need him unpoofed."

Sister Agnes crossed herself. "He's--he's a--a vampire?"

"Yeah. And we have another one with us, too."

"Two vampires? But--you're the Vampire Slayer."

"Like I said, it's part of a long story. Look, if you don't want us here, we'll more than understand. Being around us right now isn't the safest thing, and I don't like dragging innocent people into this. But we need a place to hide until after dawn tomorrow. Do you know of someplace, hopefully close by?"

The nun studied her. "You're exhausted, child. How long have you been up?"

"Everybody keeps harping on how I need to sleep. I got some sleep on the bus, I'm fine."

"Of course," Sister Agnes smiled. "How many of you are there?"

Buffy started ticking off fingers. "Me, my mom and Dawn, Xander and Anya, Willow and Tara, Spike and Giles. Nine of us. Too many, I know."

Sister Agnes patted her shoulder. "We have lots of room. Lots of beds, if anyone wants to get some rest. You said your mother and one of the girls were ill?"

"Well, Mom's doing a lot better, and Tara's not too bad, except for her hand and her mind--and you're going to let us stay?"

"No one who has asked for sanctuary has ever been turned away."

Buffy hadn't known how tired she was until she finally had a reason to relax. She wobbled, but Sister Agnes pulled her into a hug before she could do anything so unSlayer-like as fall over. Buffy hugged her back, grateful for the thick cloth of the nun's habit, which absorbed tears before anyone had to notice them.

I love it when a plot line comes together

Wonderful!

Two itsy things: orange grove, not orchard, I would thnk. And, "I am she," not "her".

This is really cool Connie! And yeah, oranges are grown in an grove.

"I am she" is grammatically correct, but "I am her" is more colloquial. I don't want Sister Agnes to be too well-spoken.

Are there any common orchards in that part of California? I'm strangely enamored of the word orchard in that context.

Hmmm. Connie, the central valley does have nut orchards (walnuts and almonds, mostly), and also cherry tree orchards. They go back hundreds of acres from the highway.

But I'm not sure how far south they grow.

piffle, better go with grove, then. Oranges would be better for a place that grows most of its own food.

edited because I know the bloody difference between it's and its

There are also apricot orchards grown commercially (and probably tons of other fruits, certainly for non-commercial plantings -- pears, peaches, plums, whatever you want) -- and olive orchards. Olives would actually work very well for you if you like the sound, as and ancient order would very plausibly press their own olive oil for both culinary and sacramental uses.

Plus olive trees are amazingly lovely things.

You know, I thought of olives, but wasn't sure if a semi-mountainous area would support them. Hellwidit, they're olives. The wood's pretty, too.

Olives are scrappy things; they'll grow just about anywhere, as long as it doesn't get too terribly cold.