~Waiting for the animals to die out and the Old Ones to reappear...~
The sentence that Giles had spoken Buffy, Xander and Willow upon first
meeting them wandered through his mind yet again, for what seemed the
thousandth time that evening. And the sun had barely gone down.
He shifted uncomfortably and Xander looked up at him from his place on the
grass. The younger man raised his eyebrows. "You okay, G-Man?"
Giles smiled faintly. For the first time since Xander had coined that rather
annoying nickname, he didn't reprimand him for it. Instead he lifted his
shoulders. "It's the tension of waiting, I think," he murmured vaguely,
continuing to wave the burning herbs around the circle of salt Willow was
spreading out.
Xander didn't reply, choosing instead to silently add white rose petals to
the small bowl of water and spices in the grass on Willow's cue. "White for
what?" he asked quietly.
"Purity," Willow explained, her voice slightly shaky. "It's our way of
saying that we come with a pure heart..."
Xander glanced at Cordelia and winked, still talking to Willow. "Speak for
yourself."
"The *other* kind of purity, Xander," Cordelia nervously laughed, her eyes
darting around. After a moment they landed on Buffy and Angel, who were
standing about forty feet away from them, speaking in soft tones. "What are
they doing?"
"It looks like they're talking," Giles said dryly.
"I know that," Cordelia snapped. Then her voice faltered. "I only meant..."
The Watcher nodded gently. "She hasn't fought a battle like this in years.
I don't want to begrudge her a few minutes of peace before the chaos begins."
"She does seem to go through a lot," Oz acknowledged, placing petals from a
white carnation in the bowl, watching them for a moment as they floated in
the water.
Willow straightened, finishing the circle and glanced at the mismatched
couple wistfully. "Yes..." She sighed. "I don't think it's too much to ask."
* * * * *
"I love you."
"We seem to say that a lot when we're together, don't we?" Angel smiled.
"Not enough," Buffy countered, her eyes locked on his. "I love you."
"I love you too." He held her hands tightly; they were almost as cold as
his. "Hey... We'll get through this, Buffy. I promise."
She shook her head, exhaling heavily. "Don't make promises to me, Angel.
They'll end up hurting both of us if you're wrong."
He shook his head. "I'm not. Everything's going to be fine. It always has
been before, right?"
Her eyes were warm and sad on his, certain in her own conclusions. She
laughed softly, then pressed her cheek to his chest in a tight embrace,
winding her arms around his waist. "They always have been before," she
echoed into his shirt. "Yes."
Angel rubbed her back soothingly, trying to overcome the feeling of dread
that had seeped into his heart as she touched him. After a moment she took a
breath and then lifted her head up, snaking her arms around his neck and
pulling his mouth down to meet hers. Their mouths were cold but the kiss and
their hearts were not and he pulled her closer to him, sinking his tongue
into the warm recesses of her mouth, tasting as much of her as he was
allowed.
She broke the kiss with a whimper of regret at having to get back to the real
world and when she looked at him again, the tears were larger in her eyes,
glistening, nearly ready to fall.
She cleared her throat. "We should get back. See if we can help."
"I know," he agreed, showing no inclination to move.
The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smirk and she tugged on his hand,
leading him back to the spot where the others were gathered. The rest of the
group looked up in unison, their breath collectively caught in their throats
for a split second before Xander grinned.
"I was just about to complain about getting stuck with all the grunt work
when you're the one with the super powers."
Buffy winked, laughed. "Because tearing petals off a flower and dropping
them into a bowl of water looks so tough. You'd need me."
Willow touched her arm, her word sincere and breaking slightly in the middle.
"Always."
"Uh, Willow, are we nearly finished?" Giles interrupted, his eyes large.
"Actually, we *are* finished," she said, "we just need to get in the circle
so I can begin the incantation."
"Then we'd better do it now." The Watcher said firmly but when he looked at
Buffy for a moment, his gaze softened with love for her.
Buffy tilted her head. "Why?"
He gestured over her shoulder. "Because they're coming over the hill right
now."
The sentence that Giles had spoken Buffy, Xander and Willow upon first
meeting them wandered through his mind yet again, for what seemed the
thousandth time that evening. And the sun had barely gone down.
He shifted uncomfortably and Xander looked up at him from his place on the
grass. The younger man raised his eyebrows. "You okay, G-Man?"
Giles smiled faintly. For the first time since Xander had coined that rather
annoying nickname, he didn't reprimand him for it. Instead he lifted his
shoulders. "It's the tension of waiting, I think," he murmured vaguely,
continuing to wave the burning herbs around the circle of salt Willow was
spreading out.
Xander didn't reply, choosing instead to silently add white rose petals to
the small bowl of water and spices in the grass on Willow's cue. "White for
what?" he asked quietly.
"Purity," Willow explained, her voice slightly shaky. "It's our way of
saying that we come with a pure heart..."
Xander glanced at Cordelia and winked, still talking to Willow. "Speak for
yourself."
"The *other* kind of purity, Xander," Cordelia nervously laughed, her eyes
darting around. After a moment they landed on Buffy and Angel, who were
standing about forty feet away from them, speaking in soft tones. "What are
they doing?"
"It looks like they're talking," Giles said dryly.
"I know that," Cordelia snapped. Then her voice faltered. "I only meant..."
The Watcher nodded gently. "She hasn't fought a battle like this in years.
I don't want to begrudge her a few minutes of peace before the chaos begins."
"She does seem to go through a lot," Oz acknowledged, placing petals from a
white carnation in the bowl, watching them for a moment as they floated in
the water.
Willow straightened, finishing the circle and glanced at the mismatched
couple wistfully. "Yes..." She sighed. "I don't think it's too much to ask."
* * * * *
"I love you."
"We seem to say that a lot when we're together, don't we?" Angel smiled.
"Not enough," Buffy countered, her eyes locked on his. "I love you."
"I love you too." He held her hands tightly; they were almost as cold as
his. "Hey... We'll get through this, Buffy. I promise."
She shook her head, exhaling heavily. "Don't make promises to me, Angel.
They'll end up hurting both of us if you're wrong."
He shook his head. "I'm not. Everything's going to be fine. It always has
been before, right?"
Her eyes were warm and sad on his, certain in her own conclusions. She
laughed softly, then pressed her cheek to his chest in a tight embrace,
winding her arms around his waist. "They always have been before," she
echoed into his shirt. "Yes."
Angel rubbed her back soothingly, trying to overcome the feeling of dread
that had seeped into his heart as she touched him. After a moment she took a
breath and then lifted her head up, snaking her arms around his neck and
pulling his mouth down to meet hers. Their mouths were cold but the kiss and
their hearts were not and he pulled her closer to him, sinking his tongue
into the warm recesses of her mouth, tasting as much of her as he was
allowed.
She broke the kiss with a whimper of regret at having to get back to the real
world and when she looked at him again, the tears were larger in her eyes,
glistening, nearly ready to fall.
She cleared her throat. "We should get back. See if we can help."
"I know," he agreed, showing no inclination to move.
The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smirk and she tugged on his hand,
leading him back to the spot where the others were gathered. The rest of the
group looked up in unison, their breath collectively caught in their throats
for a split second before Xander grinned.
"I was just about to complain about getting stuck with all the grunt work
when you're the one with the super powers."
Buffy winked, laughed. "Because tearing petals off a flower and dropping
them into a bowl of water looks so tough. You'd need me."
Willow touched her arm, her word sincere and breaking slightly in the middle.
"Always."
"Uh, Willow, are we nearly finished?" Giles interrupted, his eyes large.
"Actually, we *are* finished," she said, "we just need to get in the circle
so I can begin the incantation."
"Then we'd better do it now." The Watcher said firmly but when he looked at
Buffy for a moment, his gaze softened with love for her.
Buffy tilted her head. "Why?"
He gestured over her shoulder. "Because they're coming over the hill right
now."