Chapter 4: Strange Feelings, Stranger Conversations
" Xander, do you think dinner at Giles' will always be that fun?" Anya asked, looking at Xander.
"Anya, that wasn't fun. Two of my friends are mad at each other. Fighting—I hate it. And to you, how do you find it funny?" Xander asked, his voice deepening. Anya looked at him, her eyes small, and her puppy-dog face made Xander apologize quickly. She sighed.
" Xander, I was a demon. When I see pain, most of the time, it's pretty fun. Sorry." He hugged her.
" Forgiven."
Giles sighed as he cleaned up the kitchen. " Well, that couldn't have been more of a disaster," he muttered to himself. He felt terrible. He knew how it felt to be in Oz's shoes—cast out, alone, and in pain, to be largely ignored by those whom you thought loved you…he shook his head. He couldn't begin feeling sorry for himself, not now. As he washed the silverware, he idly wondered where Buffy had gone. He never would have guessed.
Buffy hugged Oz, and kissed him lightly, then grabbed her coat. " Call you," she whispered before leaving. He watched her go, and then shut the door, heaving a sigh. Was he over Willow, then, just like that? He flopped down onto the couch, relieved that he and Buffy hadn't made love. He felt like he loved her, but somehow he didn't want it to be permanent. Not yet, anyway. He had to think for a while.
Buffy made up her mind not to tell Willow, or any one for that matter. She walked home and tried not to be noticed.
" Buffy, honey, is that you?" Joyce called from the kitchen.
"Yeah mom." Buffy called back as she walked up the stairs to her room.
"Willow called." Joyce called back.
Buffy walked up to her room and dialed Willow's number. She had planned on avoiding the conversation reverting to Ox.
"Hello." Willow said.
"Hi Will, did you call?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. I wanted to apologize. I acted bad at Giles."
"Will, it's okay. I don't care I could see where you were coming from." Willow seemed surprised.
"You could?" Buffy smiled.
"Yeah I guess so."
They were quiet for a minute, and then Willow said, "So where did you go?" Buffy silently cursed.
"Oh, I just walked a little," she finally replied telling herself that her answer was not a lie. She really had walked….
"Oh," Willow finally said, "Did you find Oz?"
Buffy panicked. "Uh, listen, Willow, can I talk to you later? My mom needs me to help her, okay?" Willow stammered and "Okay," and Buffy slammed the phone down.
"I'm so dead." She moaned, falling backward on her bed.
Willow turned off her phone, confused. What was with Buffy?
"Tara?" Willow asked turning around to see if her girlfriend was still at her side.
"Yeah, what did Buffy say? I am assuming it was Buffy." Tara asked with a questioned look on her face.
"I don't know, it was a weird conversation. Yeah it was Buffy."
Giles rushed to the phone and called Buffy.
"Buffy come over quick. A new evil." Giles said breathing hard.
" Xander, do you think dinner at Giles' will always be that fun?" Anya asked, looking at Xander.
"Anya, that wasn't fun. Two of my friends are mad at each other. Fighting—I hate it. And to you, how do you find it funny?" Xander asked, his voice deepening. Anya looked at him, her eyes small, and her puppy-dog face made Xander apologize quickly. She sighed.
" Xander, I was a demon. When I see pain, most of the time, it's pretty fun. Sorry." He hugged her.
" Forgiven."
Giles sighed as he cleaned up the kitchen. " Well, that couldn't have been more of a disaster," he muttered to himself. He felt terrible. He knew how it felt to be in Oz's shoes—cast out, alone, and in pain, to be largely ignored by those whom you thought loved you…he shook his head. He couldn't begin feeling sorry for himself, not now. As he washed the silverware, he idly wondered where Buffy had gone. He never would have guessed.
Buffy hugged Oz, and kissed him lightly, then grabbed her coat. " Call you," she whispered before leaving. He watched her go, and then shut the door, heaving a sigh. Was he over Willow, then, just like that? He flopped down onto the couch, relieved that he and Buffy hadn't made love. He felt like he loved her, but somehow he didn't want it to be permanent. Not yet, anyway. He had to think for a while.
Buffy made up her mind not to tell Willow, or any one for that matter. She walked home and tried not to be noticed.
" Buffy, honey, is that you?" Joyce called from the kitchen.
"Yeah mom." Buffy called back as she walked up the stairs to her room.
"Willow called." Joyce called back.
Buffy walked up to her room and dialed Willow's number. She had planned on avoiding the conversation reverting to Ox.
"Hello." Willow said.
"Hi Will, did you call?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah. I wanted to apologize. I acted bad at Giles."
"Will, it's okay. I don't care I could see where you were coming from." Willow seemed surprised.
"You could?" Buffy smiled.
"Yeah I guess so."
They were quiet for a minute, and then Willow said, "So where did you go?" Buffy silently cursed.
"Oh, I just walked a little," she finally replied telling herself that her answer was not a lie. She really had walked….
"Oh," Willow finally said, "Did you find Oz?"
Buffy panicked. "Uh, listen, Willow, can I talk to you later? My mom needs me to help her, okay?" Willow stammered and "Okay," and Buffy slammed the phone down.
"I'm so dead." She moaned, falling backward on her bed.
Willow turned off her phone, confused. What was with Buffy?
"Tara?" Willow asked turning around to see if her girlfriend was still at her side.
"Yeah, what did Buffy say? I am assuming it was Buffy." Tara asked with a questioned look on her face.
"I don't know, it was a weird conversation. Yeah it was Buffy."
Giles rushed to the phone and called Buffy.
"Buffy come over quick. A new evil." Giles said breathing hard.
