Giles did not answer. There were, however, a series of suspicious footprints in the sand that trailed off down the beach and disappeared a short ways down behind a stony outcropping.

Gioia followed the footprints, but instead of going around the boulder she deftly crawled on top of it, skirts flapping in the breeze. Then she looke down on the other side. "Boo."

Giles jumped. Stripped to the waist, he had his shirt tied like a bad around one arm and held a pair of crabs in his hands. "S-shit, christ almighty.... G-gioia?"

"Crabs? Oooh they got crabs here?" She beamed a smile at him, the happiness in it quite honest. "Oh Saints Giles, I'm glad you're alright. We were worried."

Giles did look okay, if rather more tan than a week ago. He shrugged, awkwardly, and dropped the crabs in the makeshift sack. "Sorry to worry you."

"It's alright. It's just that the castle has been crazy. Especially today with the trial. I just wanted to leave the place for a little." She ran a hand through her hair, looking at him. "You... look better. A lot better."

"Oh, that's right, the trial," Giles echoed, as though the thought had only just occurred to him. He didn't look at Gioia, instead he crouched again and resumed his crab-hunting posture. "Do I? That's good."

"It is good. Alex was looking as well, but I'm glad I was the one that found you. Saint's, I know he's family, but you have one stuck-up little brother, do you know that?" Gioia giggled softly, and looked out over the sea.

"Yeah, I've noticed," Giles agreed, wryly. He took a stab at one of the crabs that skittered near, hand flashing in and out of the water. He mussed, swore, and eased forward a ways, trying to ignore her presence--but she was terribly distracting. "I... yeah. He's well enough, then."

"He is. And very much sixteen. Or however old he is. VERY much the teenager. He thinks that he can handle everything himself. Or perhaps it runs in the family, mmm?"