Thursday Morning
There is no protocol for teenaged lovers sleeping together and
then having breakfast with one lover's parents. Willow and Oz
joined Oz's parents for breakfast, and they sat around the
kitchen table in silence, none able to say a word.
One thing saved the morning, however; the coffee machine beeped
to announce the birth of a new pot. Oz's mother got up to bring
the carafe to the table, and she offered to pour for Oz and
Willow.
"Yes, please."
Oz looked at Willow and said, "No."
"Yes."
"No."
Willow glared at Oz, and he glared right back; after thirty
seconds, she turned away. Oz's father asked, "What was that
about?"
"Willow reacts oddly to caffeine; I'd have to spend the next hour
talking her down. I think Buffy had to tackle her and lock her in
a closet once."
"Oh. Decaf?"
After that, the four of them started to talk normally
again. Willow and Oz even told his parents more of the graduation
story.
"Vampires."
"Demons."
"Well, what do you expect? Jordy and I are werewolves. If you can
believe that, you can certainly believe in vamps."
"So, the mayor was trying to become a demon?"
"A real big demon. Large economy size."
"The man had ambition, Mom. You have to give him that."
"But Buffy and Giles blew him up real good."
"Sounds like bad fiction."
"We're thinking of moving to Castle Rock, Maine."
"We'd miss you."
They finished their breakfast, Oz's parents drove off to work,
and then Willow and Oz grabbed their things and headed off, Oz to
band practice, and Willow to Jonathon's house.
---
"Eighteen years of this? No wonder you're twisted."
Xander struggled to his feet and walked upstairs; his parents
were gone. He swept the kitchen for broken glass and put it in
the recycling bin. "Coast is clear, Cordy!"
Cordy stomped up the stairs, grumbling. "Broom closets were
safer."
"And cleaner, I know."
"What's up for today?"
"I'm going to see if I can get some photos of Larry and the
others. Can you stop by the church and handle the decorations?"
"No. I'll go to the church and tell you what decorations to put
up."
"Whatever."
---
Thursday Afternoon
"Did you intentionally get her drunk, Giles?" Giles was driving
them from the Napa Valley, and they could hear Joyce's snoring
from the back seat.
"Why would I ever do such a thing?"
"You aren't Ripper right now, are you?"
"With you around? I should say not."
"So, why did you encourage her to taste all those glasses of
wine?"
"So we could talk."
"Good. Mom's scaring me. Last time she acted like this, a demon
told her to burn me at the stake. But this time, it makes a
twisted sort of sense."
"I agree, Buffy. It combines rationality with a mother's
ruthlessness. It's a way for her to make a difference. It's the
wrong way, but it is a way. And she's right; Faith will be a
danger to you as long as she lives."
"Do you think she'll wake up?"
"You would."
"Don't tell Willow that; she'd freak. Do you think Mom will do
something about Faith?"
"I believe it would be best if she never finds out where Faith is
transferred to."
"Or she might get out her axe. Has this happened to other
Slayers?"
"Usually, Slayers are separated from their families, for the good
of both. As always, you are the exception. What do you want to
do about Faith?"
"I have some ideas. I'll have Willow trace where they send her,
and I'll see if I can do something then."
There is no protocol for teenaged lovers sleeping together and
then having breakfast with one lover's parents. Willow and Oz
joined Oz's parents for breakfast, and they sat around the
kitchen table in silence, none able to say a word.
One thing saved the morning, however; the coffee machine beeped
to announce the birth of a new pot. Oz's mother got up to bring
the carafe to the table, and she offered to pour for Oz and
Willow.
"Yes, please."
Oz looked at Willow and said, "No."
"Yes."
"No."
Willow glared at Oz, and he glared right back; after thirty
seconds, she turned away. Oz's father asked, "What was that
about?"
"Willow reacts oddly to caffeine; I'd have to spend the next hour
talking her down. I think Buffy had to tackle her and lock her in
a closet once."
"Oh. Decaf?"
After that, the four of them started to talk normally
again. Willow and Oz even told his parents more of the graduation
story.
"Vampires."
"Demons."
"Well, what do you expect? Jordy and I are werewolves. If you can
believe that, you can certainly believe in vamps."
"So, the mayor was trying to become a demon?"
"A real big demon. Large economy size."
"The man had ambition, Mom. You have to give him that."
"But Buffy and Giles blew him up real good."
"Sounds like bad fiction."
"We're thinking of moving to Castle Rock, Maine."
"We'd miss you."
They finished their breakfast, Oz's parents drove off to work,
and then Willow and Oz grabbed their things and headed off, Oz to
band practice, and Willow to Jonathon's house.
---
"Eighteen years of this? No wonder you're twisted."
Xander struggled to his feet and walked upstairs; his parents
were gone. He swept the kitchen for broken glass and put it in
the recycling bin. "Coast is clear, Cordy!"
Cordy stomped up the stairs, grumbling. "Broom closets were
safer."
"And cleaner, I know."
"What's up for today?"
"I'm going to see if I can get some photos of Larry and the
others. Can you stop by the church and handle the decorations?"
"No. I'll go to the church and tell you what decorations to put
up."
"Whatever."
---
Thursday Afternoon
"Did you intentionally get her drunk, Giles?" Giles was driving
them from the Napa Valley, and they could hear Joyce's snoring
from the back seat.
"Why would I ever do such a thing?"
"You aren't Ripper right now, are you?"
"With you around? I should say not."
"So, why did you encourage her to taste all those glasses of
wine?"
"So we could talk."
"Good. Mom's scaring me. Last time she acted like this, a demon
told her to burn me at the stake. But this time, it makes a
twisted sort of sense."
"I agree, Buffy. It combines rationality with a mother's
ruthlessness. It's a way for her to make a difference. It's the
wrong way, but it is a way. And she's right; Faith will be a
danger to you as long as she lives."
"Do you think she'll wake up?"
"You would."
"Don't tell Willow that; she'd freak. Do you think Mom will do
something about Faith?"
"I believe it would be best if she never finds out where Faith is
transferred to."
"Or she might get out her axe. Has this happened to other
Slayers?"
"Usually, Slayers are separated from their families, for the good
of both. As always, you are the exception. What do you want to
do about Faith?"
"I have some ideas. I'll have Willow trace where they send her,
and I'll see if I can do something then."
