Willow quietly pushed the door shut, glancing toward her roommate. Moving
toward her chest of drawers she placed her towel and toothbrush on the top.
Turning at a sound, she was relieved to see movement in the other bed. "At
last. I thought you'd never wake up."
Too tired to respond Buffy stretched, considered rolling over and going back to sleep, then sat up. There wasn't much point in trying. She had a feeling Willow wouldn't let her sleep the day away. She pushed the hair back away from her face, a look of confusion coming over her face. The sun shone through the blinds, indicating exactly how long she had been asleep.
Willow tried to mask her concern for her friend. Buffy was never a morning person, but this was bad for her. "That was some dream you had last night." Buffy looked up sharply, surprise evident on her features. "I heard you cry out."
"Yeah, well it was pretty freaky." Swinging her legs over the side, Buffy levered her weight onto her hands, preparing to stand.
"Do you think it was a prophecy?"
"No!" At the look of shock on Willow's face, Buffy tempered her reaction. "No, it was just a nightmare."
"W-well maybe you should tell Giles."
"No." Buffy's voice was firm. "I don't want to bother him with it. And I don't want you to. It was just a dream Willow." She finally rose, gathering her toiletries. "Besides, I don't think he needs to be bothered right now."
Willow sighed as the door closed behind Buffy. Something in that dream really wigged her out. She was right about Giles though. Olivia wasn't coming back, so he didn't need anything else to upset him. She sighed again as she started to change. What was it with the gang and romance anyway? Giles and Olivia, her and Oz, Buffy and Riley. About the only couple that seemed to be doing okay was Xander and Anya. "And that's weird enough to not even go there."
.
Rupert Giles sat in front of his television, watching the morning news. Another gruesome murder, by person or persons unknown. One advantage of his purchase, he was able to catch up on all the happenings around town. Just about his only source now. He certainly wasn't getting much help from the others.
He closed his eyes as he attempted to drive the bitterness from his mind. He knew it wasn't Buffy's fault that Olivia wouldn't be returning. Or the others. It was just that he was so bored. At least when Jenny had died, he'd had something to do to take his mind off his pain.
Jenny. Two years and the pain was still there. Not as fresh, but he doubted it would ever go away fully. How could it when he was constantly reminded of the circumstances? He didn't blame Buffy, truly he didn't. But a part of him could not forgive the way they all seemed to have forgotten her sacrifice.
Knowing that such thoughts would only lead him to a familiar state of depression, he rose and turned off the television. He considered calling Buffy. Unless things were dire, he wouldn't see her unless he made the first move. He even missed Spike. Not that the vampire wasn't a pain in the butt, but at least he was better than talking to oneself. And Giles had a feeling that wasn't far behind.
A knock on his door broke his reflections. Curiously, he went to let whomever it was in. It would be none of the children. They didn't bother to knock any more. After all, it wasn't as though they'd ever be interrupting anything important. Damn, there was that bitterness again. Get a hold of yourself Rupert. Pasting a polite smile on his face, he opened the door to his visitor. "Yes?" Something about the young man seemed familiar. "Yo- you're Buffy's friend aren't you? Riley?"
The young man nodded. "Hi. I was wondering if you knew where Buffy was."
"No, I'm afraid I don't." As he remembered his manners, Giles stepped back. "Won't you come in?"
"Thanks." As he walked past the older man Riley looked around curiously. His eyes lit on the books, itching to get his hands on them. From what Buffy had told him, there would be some information his organization would find really useful. "I thought Buffy might be here researching."
"Researching?" Head down, Giles followed Riley into the living room, his hands in his pocket. "That's right. Buffy said you'd discovered the truth. I'm afraid Buffy isn't much of a researcher. More of a doer."
"You do know about the attacks last night?"
"The murder? Yes, I've just heard it on the news. Is it demon related?"
"The victim was torn to shreds."
"Well, that's a nice image to swallow with breakfast." They both turned to look at the young woman standing in the doorway. "Hey Riley. I take it this is business?"
Riley nodded, his disappointment not showing. "Yeah. Looks like we've got trouble. Thought you might want to work together on this one."
"Together?" Buffy's look of surprise was laden with mockery. "And how together will we be when I try to kill the demon and you decide to protect it?"
"Hey Riley." Willow pushed past her friend, whispering, "Play nice."
"So this is the great Riley Finn." Xander sauntered up to the other young man, looking him up and down. "I hear you're pretty good with the old hand to hand combat."
Riley looked more confused than imitated. "Well, yeah. Have to be to fight the demons. They're usually bigger and stronger than me."
"Yeah. I can see the logic in that." Xander the brave backed off, making a beeline toward the kitchen.
Giles looked inquiringly at Buffy. "Counsel of war?"
She shrugged. "We heard about the murder on campus. Thought it might be demon related."
"It is. We have an eye-witness." Riley stepped forward. "Big ugly thing with a tail."
"Now why aren't demons ever good looking?" Nobody bothered to respond to Buffy's query. "So you got a description of the demon? Any idea what it is?"
Giles moved toward his books. "This should make it easier. Once we know the type of..."
"Not yet. They're working on it back at the lab. I should have an answer when I get back."
"Buffy maybe this is related to your dream last night. Sorry." The last at the glare Buffy gave Willow.
"Dream?" Giles moved back to the couch where the girls were sat. "You had a dream? A prophecy?"
"No. Just a dream."
"Wait. You have prophecy's?" Buffy glance at Riley before turning back to Giles.
"You don't know. Sometimes your dreams don't appear to be related."
"Giles, trust me. It isn't anything to do with the demon."
"I think you should tell me.."
"God, will you at least let me have my dreams to myself?" There was an awkward moment's silence until Buffy turned back to Riley. "You say your people will know who the demon is by now?"
"Yeah."
"Well we better go then." Rising she moved toward the front door. "Coming guys?"
"Civilians? I don't know."
Buffy spun, almost bumping into Riley's chest. "We're a package deal. You want me, you also get Willow and Xander."
Giles tried not to wince at the lack of his name in her sentence. "I'll just get my jacket."
"That's okay. We're onto it." Buffy glanced briefly at Giles before turning back toward the door. "No need for you to be involved in this one."
"Bye Giles!" Willow was too busy running to catch up with Buffy to notice Giles' reaction. Xander, still trying to prove his masculinity to the new player, hurried to catch up with the others. As the door shut behind them, Giles found himself not only alone once more, but suddenly not even wanted.
Too tired to respond Buffy stretched, considered rolling over and going back to sleep, then sat up. There wasn't much point in trying. She had a feeling Willow wouldn't let her sleep the day away. She pushed the hair back away from her face, a look of confusion coming over her face. The sun shone through the blinds, indicating exactly how long she had been asleep.
Willow tried to mask her concern for her friend. Buffy was never a morning person, but this was bad for her. "That was some dream you had last night." Buffy looked up sharply, surprise evident on her features. "I heard you cry out."
"Yeah, well it was pretty freaky." Swinging her legs over the side, Buffy levered her weight onto her hands, preparing to stand.
"Do you think it was a prophecy?"
"No!" At the look of shock on Willow's face, Buffy tempered her reaction. "No, it was just a nightmare."
"W-well maybe you should tell Giles."
"No." Buffy's voice was firm. "I don't want to bother him with it. And I don't want you to. It was just a dream Willow." She finally rose, gathering her toiletries. "Besides, I don't think he needs to be bothered right now."
Willow sighed as the door closed behind Buffy. Something in that dream really wigged her out. She was right about Giles though. Olivia wasn't coming back, so he didn't need anything else to upset him. She sighed again as she started to change. What was it with the gang and romance anyway? Giles and Olivia, her and Oz, Buffy and Riley. About the only couple that seemed to be doing okay was Xander and Anya. "And that's weird enough to not even go there."
.
Rupert Giles sat in front of his television, watching the morning news. Another gruesome murder, by person or persons unknown. One advantage of his purchase, he was able to catch up on all the happenings around town. Just about his only source now. He certainly wasn't getting much help from the others.
He closed his eyes as he attempted to drive the bitterness from his mind. He knew it wasn't Buffy's fault that Olivia wouldn't be returning. Or the others. It was just that he was so bored. At least when Jenny had died, he'd had something to do to take his mind off his pain.
Jenny. Two years and the pain was still there. Not as fresh, but he doubted it would ever go away fully. How could it when he was constantly reminded of the circumstances? He didn't blame Buffy, truly he didn't. But a part of him could not forgive the way they all seemed to have forgotten her sacrifice.
Knowing that such thoughts would only lead him to a familiar state of depression, he rose and turned off the television. He considered calling Buffy. Unless things were dire, he wouldn't see her unless he made the first move. He even missed Spike. Not that the vampire wasn't a pain in the butt, but at least he was better than talking to oneself. And Giles had a feeling that wasn't far behind.
A knock on his door broke his reflections. Curiously, he went to let whomever it was in. It would be none of the children. They didn't bother to knock any more. After all, it wasn't as though they'd ever be interrupting anything important. Damn, there was that bitterness again. Get a hold of yourself Rupert. Pasting a polite smile on his face, he opened the door to his visitor. "Yes?" Something about the young man seemed familiar. "Yo- you're Buffy's friend aren't you? Riley?"
The young man nodded. "Hi. I was wondering if you knew where Buffy was."
"No, I'm afraid I don't." As he remembered his manners, Giles stepped back. "Won't you come in?"
"Thanks." As he walked past the older man Riley looked around curiously. His eyes lit on the books, itching to get his hands on them. From what Buffy had told him, there would be some information his organization would find really useful. "I thought Buffy might be here researching."
"Researching?" Head down, Giles followed Riley into the living room, his hands in his pocket. "That's right. Buffy said you'd discovered the truth. I'm afraid Buffy isn't much of a researcher. More of a doer."
"You do know about the attacks last night?"
"The murder? Yes, I've just heard it on the news. Is it demon related?"
"The victim was torn to shreds."
"Well, that's a nice image to swallow with breakfast." They both turned to look at the young woman standing in the doorway. "Hey Riley. I take it this is business?"
Riley nodded, his disappointment not showing. "Yeah. Looks like we've got trouble. Thought you might want to work together on this one."
"Together?" Buffy's look of surprise was laden with mockery. "And how together will we be when I try to kill the demon and you decide to protect it?"
"Hey Riley." Willow pushed past her friend, whispering, "Play nice."
"So this is the great Riley Finn." Xander sauntered up to the other young man, looking him up and down. "I hear you're pretty good with the old hand to hand combat."
Riley looked more confused than imitated. "Well, yeah. Have to be to fight the demons. They're usually bigger and stronger than me."
"Yeah. I can see the logic in that." Xander the brave backed off, making a beeline toward the kitchen.
Giles looked inquiringly at Buffy. "Counsel of war?"
She shrugged. "We heard about the murder on campus. Thought it might be demon related."
"It is. We have an eye-witness." Riley stepped forward. "Big ugly thing with a tail."
"Now why aren't demons ever good looking?" Nobody bothered to respond to Buffy's query. "So you got a description of the demon? Any idea what it is?"
Giles moved toward his books. "This should make it easier. Once we know the type of..."
"Not yet. They're working on it back at the lab. I should have an answer when I get back."
"Buffy maybe this is related to your dream last night. Sorry." The last at the glare Buffy gave Willow.
"Dream?" Giles moved back to the couch where the girls were sat. "You had a dream? A prophecy?"
"No. Just a dream."
"Wait. You have prophecy's?" Buffy glance at Riley before turning back to Giles.
"You don't know. Sometimes your dreams don't appear to be related."
"Giles, trust me. It isn't anything to do with the demon."
"I think you should tell me.."
"God, will you at least let me have my dreams to myself?" There was an awkward moment's silence until Buffy turned back to Riley. "You say your people will know who the demon is by now?"
"Yeah."
"Well we better go then." Rising she moved toward the front door. "Coming guys?"
"Civilians? I don't know."
Buffy spun, almost bumping into Riley's chest. "We're a package deal. You want me, you also get Willow and Xander."
Giles tried not to wince at the lack of his name in her sentence. "I'll just get my jacket."
"That's okay. We're onto it." Buffy glanced briefly at Giles before turning back toward the door. "No need for you to be involved in this one."
"Bye Giles!" Willow was too busy running to catch up with Buffy to notice Giles' reaction. Xander, still trying to prove his masculinity to the new player, hurried to catch up with the others. As the door shut behind them, Giles found himself not only alone once more, but suddenly not even wanted.