All the furniture had been moved out of the lounge room, where now, in the
centre Willow stood conversing with Fred.
"I hope I can handle this," Willow said with a faint smile. Fred beamed back at her.
"You'll be fine, I mean, you nearly destroyed the world, I'm sure you can handle a little First banishing," she finished with a little giggle. Willow's brow furrowed and the smile she had had moments before turned into a scared frown. Fred looked back and with the realisation of what she had said hitting her, she muttered "sorry," and hurried out of the room.
"Willow," Giles called in a sombre tone. Willow turned and walked over to him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked concernedly.
"I am ok I guess. Just not to big on the whole evilness, and blood, and imminent doom kinda stuff." Giles placed a hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes.
"I believe in you," he said.
At that moment Buffy and Wesley returned from the kitchen and Gunn and Faith came down from the second story. Gunn clapped his hands together
"All the potentials are up in your room Buffy like you wanted. Conner, Fred, Cordie and Lorne are with them now." He gave a big smile "They weren't too sure on Lorne at first till they found out he can read futures by hearing you sing. There's a whole lotta Brittney Spears going on up there."
Faith looked ill "it's just plain wrong." Faith looked to buffy "So B, you all studied up?" Buffy didn't look too happy and Faith knew she was going to say no. Wesley however spoke for her, calm and confident.
"Buffy will be fine, she knows the ritual, she knows what she has to do." He gave her a reassuring smile. "All we need now is the final ingredients and we will be ready."
As though on cue Angel and Spike walked in through the kitchen, both brandishing broad swords, covered in deep scarlet blood. They were covered in patches of mustard green entrails and didn't look happy.
"Here's your bloody Baslock heart and Earet talon." Spike sulked into the room and threw both at Giles. Everyone looked at angel.
"Don't ask," he said angrily and followed spike up the stairs to clean up. As those left in the lounge room heard the bathroom door open and slam, the front door opened and Dawn, Xander and Anya entered. Anya and Xander were having an argument.
"You should have punched him Xander."
"Punched him, are you crazy?"
"He insulted you. Fifty dollars for Sand of Theselat, what a rip off."
"Anya, you don't just punch a demon that can breath fire"
"Yeah, yeah whatever."
Dawn walked over to the window and sat beneath it. "They have been like this all the way home." She rolled her eyes and handed the pouch of sand to Willow, who had come to take it. Willow was about to reply when Giles interrupted
"The sun is setting. It is time."
Wesley walked in behind Giles, arms full of spell ingredients and Faith with a large ancient spell book. Buffy turned to them all.
"I want you guys out of here."
"Buffy." Dawn said shocked and angered.
"No!" Buffy continued "I don't want any of you near this when it happens."
Xander stepped forward. "Buffy, we want to be here, hold your back and all."
Buffy surveyed them. Dawn, Xander and Gunn looked resolute, they were staying. Anya looked worried but Buffy could tell she wouldn't be able to pull herself away if there was a chance of missing some carnage. Spike and Angel who had returned moments before did not even have to show an expressive look, it was clear they were going nowhere. Buffy looked to Giles, Wesley, Willow and Faith for a bit of support but she found none. It was clear that they too, thought like the others, that they had been through too much together to leave now. Once again buffy sighed.
"Let's do it."
"I hope I can handle this," Willow said with a faint smile. Fred beamed back at her.
"You'll be fine, I mean, you nearly destroyed the world, I'm sure you can handle a little First banishing," she finished with a little giggle. Willow's brow furrowed and the smile she had had moments before turned into a scared frown. Fred looked back and with the realisation of what she had said hitting her, she muttered "sorry," and hurried out of the room.
"Willow," Giles called in a sombre tone. Willow turned and walked over to him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked concernedly.
"I am ok I guess. Just not to big on the whole evilness, and blood, and imminent doom kinda stuff." Giles placed a hand on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes.
"I believe in you," he said.
At that moment Buffy and Wesley returned from the kitchen and Gunn and Faith came down from the second story. Gunn clapped his hands together
"All the potentials are up in your room Buffy like you wanted. Conner, Fred, Cordie and Lorne are with them now." He gave a big smile "They weren't too sure on Lorne at first till they found out he can read futures by hearing you sing. There's a whole lotta Brittney Spears going on up there."
Faith looked ill "it's just plain wrong." Faith looked to buffy "So B, you all studied up?" Buffy didn't look too happy and Faith knew she was going to say no. Wesley however spoke for her, calm and confident.
"Buffy will be fine, she knows the ritual, she knows what she has to do." He gave her a reassuring smile. "All we need now is the final ingredients and we will be ready."
As though on cue Angel and Spike walked in through the kitchen, both brandishing broad swords, covered in deep scarlet blood. They were covered in patches of mustard green entrails and didn't look happy.
"Here's your bloody Baslock heart and Earet talon." Spike sulked into the room and threw both at Giles. Everyone looked at angel.
"Don't ask," he said angrily and followed spike up the stairs to clean up. As those left in the lounge room heard the bathroom door open and slam, the front door opened and Dawn, Xander and Anya entered. Anya and Xander were having an argument.
"You should have punched him Xander."
"Punched him, are you crazy?"
"He insulted you. Fifty dollars for Sand of Theselat, what a rip off."
"Anya, you don't just punch a demon that can breath fire"
"Yeah, yeah whatever."
Dawn walked over to the window and sat beneath it. "They have been like this all the way home." She rolled her eyes and handed the pouch of sand to Willow, who had come to take it. Willow was about to reply when Giles interrupted
"The sun is setting. It is time."
Wesley walked in behind Giles, arms full of spell ingredients and Faith with a large ancient spell book. Buffy turned to them all.
"I want you guys out of here."
"Buffy." Dawn said shocked and angered.
"No!" Buffy continued "I don't want any of you near this when it happens."
Xander stepped forward. "Buffy, we want to be here, hold your back and all."
Buffy surveyed them. Dawn, Xander and Gunn looked resolute, they were staying. Anya looked worried but Buffy could tell she wouldn't be able to pull herself away if there was a chance of missing some carnage. Spike and Angel who had returned moments before did not even have to show an expressive look, it was clear they were going nowhere. Buffy looked to Giles, Wesley, Willow and Faith for a bit of support but she found none. It was clear that they too, thought like the others, that they had been through too much together to leave now. Once again buffy sighed.
"Let's do it."