"I'd like to make a toast..."
Buffy gripped Spike's hand under the table with an iron hold, her nails digging into his palm as her father stood, glass raised. "I need to get out of here." She muttered, jaw clenched tight while her nails drew blood in her fiancee's palm.
"Another hour, and we can run like hell. Willow said." Spike said, trying to pull his hand away.
"To my daughter," Hank said, "who has grown to become a beautiful and strong young woman. And my future son in law...I don't know you that well...uh...but here's to you."
Spike swallowed the laugh that threatened to burst from his mouth, and squeezed Buffy's hand back. She smirked at him and took a sip of her water. "He's good with words." She said with a slight eye roll. She caught Giles' eyes at the other end of the long table and winked.
Meanwhile, Faith was fidgeting. Somehow, she had ended up between Dawn and Cordelia, and across from Wesley. While Dawn kept her occupied with her constant chatter, Wesley kept trying to shoot her meaningful looks. Her napkin was in shreds on her lap and she was sure her teeth would be ground to a powder by the end of the dinner. Luckily, Cordelia kept the former Watcher busy with her own constant chatter, so the looks were few and far between. Still, Faith felt like a caged animal.
"Faith? Are you listening?"
"Huh? What?" She looked over at Dawn, "You say something?"
"Can you pass the butter?"
"Oh...um...sure." Faith reached across the table, her fingers brushing Welsey's as he reached for the butter. She jerked her hand back, "You take it."
He looked at her for a moment then picked up the butter, handing it to Dawn when he was finished. He said something under his breath, but Faith couldn't make it out.
2003
Dawn let out a long breath as Angel finished recounting hte past day for her. "Wow...Poor Spike. Is he gonna be OK?"
"I'm sure he will be. Now, what posessed you to come down here on your own, without your father knowing?"
Dawn giggled, "The step-bitch was driving me crazy and I had a feeling something interesting was going on here. So I left. He probably won't even notice I'm gone."
"Dawn, you know that's not true."
"Oh please. Ever since he and Gretch the Wretch got engaged, he's not interested in me. Not that I care, I got pretty used to it."
"Gretch the Wretch?"
"My name for Gretchen. Like it?"
Angel laughed and put an arm over her shoulders, leading her back to the living room, "You're evil."
"I know."
Willow and Tarah leaned on eachother on one couch, exhausted from the magicks they had used, while the rest of the rag tag group of fighters were sprawled out on the living room floor or over the sofas.
"You all look beat." Xander commented, "Glad I wasn't there. But, I'm unclear on some stuff. Drusilla's dust?"
"Yup." Fred said through a yawn, laying her head on Gunn's shoulder. The ex street fighter nodded his agreement.
"Drusilla did that hypnotizing thing on blondie, then Spike got loose and went medieval on her ass."
"Sounds fun." Dawn said, sliding to the floor beside Cordelia, "Hey, where did Wes and Faith go?"
"Food run." someone replied, only moments before the couple came loudly through the front door, loaded down with junk food and drinks.
"So, what's the plan?" Faith asked, doling out bags of chips and boxes of Tasty Cakes.
"We wait."
"For what?"
"I don't know."
"OK, cool."