The Mentor, The Witch, and The Slayer
Buffy enters the house and Willow shuts the door.
W:"Okay. I can clarify. What...exactly...am I clarifying, again?"
B:"Why you wondering if I was Spike since he's supposed to already be here."
W:"Oh. Right. I took him to Xander's because Giles said he was kinda used to
having his place back the way he likes it. You know, Spikeless. Anyway, Spike
called a few minutes ago and told us that Xander and Anya are bringing a video
camera with them for the night and that he was coming back here."
B:"Oh. Okay. Well, we can wait for him to get here and then you and I can head
back to the dorm. It shouldn't take that long to get from Xander's to here,
should it?"
G:"One would think not."
W:"Why can't we just head back now?"
B:"I would but I'll feel better once I know that our resident killer on
electro-prozac is safely tucked away for the night."
Willow looks quite dejected by this, but says nothing.
G:"Would you, ah, like something to drink while you wait?"
B:"Oh, no. Here. You sit. You were probably having a nice quiet evening alone
before we decided to set up camp in your living room, so I'll get it."
G:"Well I...alright, then."
Buffy heads into the kitchen and Willow turns to face Giles. "He's not going to
be back in a few minutes! We'll be here just waiting and Buffy's gonna know
something's up. What do I do?"
G:"My first thought is, ah, to..."
W:"To...? To what?"
G:"Well, to run, to be honest. You'll not be able to keep this from her for long,
you know. If you get a head start, you may not have to level with her until
Friday. Of course, she'll be looking for you and as you know, she will find you.
She quite good at that, isn't she?"
W:"This must be Sarcastic-Giles. Pleased to meet you, my name is Gosh You're
Not Helping!"
G:"Willow, listen to me. Tell Buffy the truth. Do you really want a secret like
this hanging over your head? You're going to have to explain your whereabouts
for tomorrow night anyway. Why not just get whatever unpleasantness is to
come out of the way now?"
W:"Yeah, okay. But you have to promise to help."
G:"Very well, then. Don't know what I can do, but I'll do what I can."
B:"Do what you can for who?"
W:"For me. I just made him promise to help me."
B:"Just now? You mean all the times he's helped you in the past was a big
accident? Giles, I'm shocked at your capacity for coincidence."
G:"I believe Willow is referring to another matter for which she may need my
help."
W:"Yeah. I'm going on a date with Spike tomorrow and I need to borrow
something smashing to wear."
Buffy stares blankly at Willow as the glass of orange juice shakes loosely in
her hand. Giles reaches over the back of the couch to take it from her. "I just
finished having the carpet cleaned, thank you."
B:"You WHAT?!?"
G:"I just had the car...oh. Sorry."
B:"A date with Spike?"
W:"See, now I was hoping you'd focus on the 'I need to borrow something
smashing to wear' part."
B:"You knew about this!"
G:"Well, umm, to be fair she only told me just before you arrived."
B:"Did you try and talk her out of it?"
W:"Hello! Still in the room!"
B:"What are you doing?"
W:"I thought we covered that part already, didn't we?"
B:"Willow, you absolutely cannot go out on a date with Spike. You just can't.
It's not right. It's not even in a planet-wide radius of right. It's not right on so
many levels it makes my head hurt thinking about it."
W:"And when did you become my mother? When did you get the power to make
my desicions for me? When did I even ask your opinion? I'm going on a date
with Spike tomorrow and there's nothing you can do about it. And I don't want
to borrow any of your clothes, either."
B:"Will, look, I'm sorry for snapping at you, but this is...big. This is Spike we're
talking about."
W:"You told me once to sieze the day. Carpe diem. So I am."
B:"This isn't siezing the day. This is carpe morte. You're siezing the dead."
W:"Like you've never gone out with someone really older than you who didn't
need to breathe."
B:"Okay. That was fair. But this is different, this isn't Angel and me. Angel had
a soul and a conscience and an ability to appreciate human emotions. Spike
wants to turn the Scooby Gang into Scooby Snacks if he can."
G:"Buffy, if I may, Willow and I did talk about this. We all know what Spike is
capable of but we also know that he's not capable of any of it now. Before you
continue, think about how you felt when Angel returned. You didn't tell any of
us until much later and then only because Xander saw the two of you together."
B:"I explained all of that."
G:"Yes, you did. And I'm not questioning that. Nor am I questioning your actions
to any degree, I merely want you to put yourself in Willow's shoes before
judging her choices. I told myself I was going to let the two of you work this
out on your own, but the fact of the matter is that Spike is as human now as
he's ever bound to be and ever has been, including when you were going to
marry him."
B:"Thanks for bringing that one up."
W:"Buffy, I told you so I wouldn't have to keep it a secret. I don't want to
sound mean, but I wasn't asking for permission."
A heavy silence fills the room and all three jump when the phone rings.
G:"Hello? Oh, hello."
B:"Is it him? Is it Spike? Where is he?"
G:"I'm...ahh...I'm actually a bit...I'm good."
W:"He left a little while ago. He dodn't tell us where he went."
G:"There's nothing wrong is there? You're alright? Oh. By all means, then. Why,
yes. Been that way for a few weeks now. You see there's a...wait, is he there?"
B:"Where is there? How do I get there? How far away is it?"
G:"Buffy, please. Umm...that's okay, just checking. You're sure everything is
fine? Good evening, then."
B:"So?"
G:"So, your manners are intolerable. Spike is keeping out of trouble. He asked
me not to say, but after the last few minutes, I'm tired of going round like this.
Spike left here to talk to someone about the date tomorrow."
Willow and Buffy in unison. "Really?"
G:"Yes, really. He's apparently quite worried about Willow not having a good
time and he wants to do everything right."
W:"That's so sweet."
B:"I'm out of cash for that one."
G:"What?"
B:"I'm not buying it."
W:"Why not? Have you thought about the fact that Giles is reserving his
opinions on the matter? He doesn't like Spike any more than you do and he's
willing to give us the benefit of the doubt."
B:"I know. I would just feel better if this came from somebody he hadn't been
spending so much time with. I trust you guys, but he could have brainwashed you
over the last few days."
G:"That was your mother on the phone. Spike left here to get Joyce's input.
Does that make you feel better?"
B:"Well, in a logical sense, yes. In a completely irrational, I want to be right no
matter what sense, no. And the only reason I'm not freaking out over the fact
that he's with my mom is that he never hurt her even when he could. That and
I'm still a little in shock I think."
W:"This may not be the time to say this, but in the interest of peace between
us, I mentioned one thing earlier that wasn't totally true. Spike did say he
wanted me to wear something smashing, so if you're over being mad, I still need
to borrow some clothes."