Part Three
Sunnydale
6 pm
Willow, Xander, Giles, and Buffy were enjoying a quiet dinner at
Giles' house. Willow and Xander had put off the Honeymoon until
Xander could better afford it on his construction job salary, but for
all Buffy could tell, Willow didn't mind. She was just happy to
finally be with the man she loved.
Buffy went to the kitchen to get the pitcher of iced tea from the
refrigerator, at the request of Giles. She opened the door, and
picked up the pitcher, then dropped it with a crash.
"BUFFY!"
She turned slowly to the simultaneous screams from the others, as
they ran into the kitchen. She held up a hand to stop their
questions. She had to catch the feelings before they escaped
her. "Something happened. Something big. I felt it like a ripple
through the Hellmouth. I don't know how to put it into words right."
She shook her head, and looked over at Giles.
"You're not crazy, Buffy," he said reassuringly. "We've discovered by
now your unique connection to the Hellmouth. This isn't the first
time we've gone into battle against something evil with nothing to go
on but a feeling you've gotten. Can you put into words whether or not
the feeling you got made you feel that there was impending danger?"
Buffy tried to walk over to the table, but her legs felt wobbly. She
looked gratefully at Willow, who was at her side instantly to help
her. She sat down, and the others gathered nearby. "My gut feeling
was we're not in danger" she replied then. "At least not
immediately."
"Well, then we wait and see," Xander said practically. "And if
needed, we slay."
Buffy smiled up at him. He'd never doubted that they would always win
in the end, even when she hadn't been so confident in her abilities.
His certainty, though, was what had kept her from giving up in the
most difficult battles.
She looked over at Giles, who was cleaning the shattered glass and
spilled tea off the floor. "Giles, I made the mess, I'll clean it up.
Go sit down," she said, standing up to take over. She shrugged off
Willow's protesting hand, "I'm fine. Just a little shaken, but I'm
over it now." She grabbed a roll of paper towels and knelt to clean
the spill.
***********
Angel stood up slowly and looked around him. He was in a room,
lighted by some power he couldn't figure out. The walls were white,
there was no furniture. He also couldn't find any doors. Two beings,
male and female, materialized in front of him then. The woman had
long dark hair, braided, and deep blue eyes. Her long dress was
reminiscent of that of the Ancient Greeks. The man had short, dark
hair, and his dress seemed also to be of that same era. *Not again.*
Angel thought with irritation.
"Who are you, where am I, and what the hell just happened?" he
demanded.
"The Powers sent us," the female said and looked at him with
disinterest. The man with her apparently was going to let his mate do
the talking for both of them.
"Wouldn't that be, 'The Powers sent _me_?'" Angel replied in
disbelief. "Because _I'm_ the one who's not where I was. And I am
waiting for an answer to my three previous questions."
The female shrugged, and replied: "We were sent to replace those who
were killed; you're not on your earthly plane at the moment; and you
have earned your reward."
Angel looked at them for a moment in silence, not quite sure it was
she was telling them. He could take lessons in cryptic by those
beings in the employ of The Powers that Be.
"Would you please repeat..."
//Thud-thud//
"What the fuck?" Angel said in surprise. He hadn't just heard that.
//Thud-thud//
"The Powers that Be are grateful to you for your assistance in
averting the imminent destruction of the human race, Angelus. You've
earned your reward, you may go now." the woman said. And suddenly,
with a wave of her hand, Angel was flung out of their presence.
***********
Sunnydale
6 pm
Willow, Xander, Giles, and Buffy were enjoying a quiet dinner at
Giles' house. Willow and Xander had put off the Honeymoon until
Xander could better afford it on his construction job salary, but for
all Buffy could tell, Willow didn't mind. She was just happy to
finally be with the man she loved.
Buffy went to the kitchen to get the pitcher of iced tea from the
refrigerator, at the request of Giles. She opened the door, and
picked up the pitcher, then dropped it with a crash.
"BUFFY!"
She turned slowly to the simultaneous screams from the others, as
they ran into the kitchen. She held up a hand to stop their
questions. She had to catch the feelings before they escaped
her. "Something happened. Something big. I felt it like a ripple
through the Hellmouth. I don't know how to put it into words right."
She shook her head, and looked over at Giles.
"You're not crazy, Buffy," he said reassuringly. "We've discovered by
now your unique connection to the Hellmouth. This isn't the first
time we've gone into battle against something evil with nothing to go
on but a feeling you've gotten. Can you put into words whether or not
the feeling you got made you feel that there was impending danger?"
Buffy tried to walk over to the table, but her legs felt wobbly. She
looked gratefully at Willow, who was at her side instantly to help
her. She sat down, and the others gathered nearby. "My gut feeling
was we're not in danger" she replied then. "At least not
immediately."
"Well, then we wait and see," Xander said practically. "And if
needed, we slay."
Buffy smiled up at him. He'd never doubted that they would always win
in the end, even when she hadn't been so confident in her abilities.
His certainty, though, was what had kept her from giving up in the
most difficult battles.
She looked over at Giles, who was cleaning the shattered glass and
spilled tea off the floor. "Giles, I made the mess, I'll clean it up.
Go sit down," she said, standing up to take over. She shrugged off
Willow's protesting hand, "I'm fine. Just a little shaken, but I'm
over it now." She grabbed a roll of paper towels and knelt to clean
the spill.
***********
Angel stood up slowly and looked around him. He was in a room,
lighted by some power he couldn't figure out. The walls were white,
there was no furniture. He also couldn't find any doors. Two beings,
male and female, materialized in front of him then. The woman had
long dark hair, braided, and deep blue eyes. Her long dress was
reminiscent of that of the Ancient Greeks. The man had short, dark
hair, and his dress seemed also to be of that same era. *Not again.*
Angel thought with irritation.
"Who are you, where am I, and what the hell just happened?" he
demanded.
"The Powers sent us," the female said and looked at him with
disinterest. The man with her apparently was going to let his mate do
the talking for both of them.
"Wouldn't that be, 'The Powers sent _me_?'" Angel replied in
disbelief. "Because _I'm_ the one who's not where I was. And I am
waiting for an answer to my three previous questions."
The female shrugged, and replied: "We were sent to replace those who
were killed; you're not on your earthly plane at the moment; and you
have earned your reward."
Angel looked at them for a moment in silence, not quite sure it was
she was telling them. He could take lessons in cryptic by those
beings in the employ of The Powers that Be.
"Would you please repeat..."
//Thud-thud//
"What the fuck?" Angel said in surprise. He hadn't just heard that.
//Thud-thud//
"The Powers that Be are grateful to you for your assistance in
averting the imminent destruction of the human race, Angelus. You've
earned your reward, you may go now." the woman said. And suddenly,
with a wave of her hand, Angel was flung out of their presence.
***********