Xander pushed open the door to the Magic Box wondering what kind of reception he would come. The answer came with a fast glance at Anya's widening eyes, just before buffy's fist caught him in the jaw.
"That's for what you did to Giles.'
"What are you talking aouut?" Xaander flared at Buffy. "Oh."
"Yeah OH." Buffy glared at him before turning to stomp away.
"Xander caught up with her. "Just what is your problem," he yelled. First of all, I had no idea that little girl was any relation to Giles until I saw him at the hospital. Second the body was dying, the soul was going to leave. My job was to see that she got to where she was supposed to go. Third, I'm going to do my job to the best of my ability, whether or not you like it, even if it means that on some occasions you have to find some person to be your gofer."
"Is that what you thought," Buffy yelled back. "That I thought of you as some kind of gofer? I just wanted you to be safe."
"Safe, here on the Hellmouth. It was too late for that when you pulled Jesse and Willow out of that crypt. Way too late when I held the stake that killed Jesse. I masy be not great when it comes to fighting, and Willow's better at research, and will maybe have the witchy thing down pat. I found somethng that I could do, even if it doesn't help keep people alive."
"Yes you did, and by doing that took the one thing that was special about you."
Xander was stunned "Special?"
"Yes special," shouted Buffy. "You were normal. Nothing special, normal. Not the Slayer. Not a Watcher, vampire or witch. You were normal. That's what made you special. Kept us focused on why we were doing this, and you took it away."
Xander didn't quite know what to say. For years, especially after high school, he had been feeling more and more a fifth wheel. He never one thought that being the normal guy was what made him special. It was something he would have to think about.
"I uh never thought that was what you , er, thought." Xander stammered, trying desperately to think. "It's that iI felt like I was useless, a fifth wheel, and when I was given the opportunity, I took it. I didn't think..."
Buffy held up her hand and stopped him. "Don't. Just don't. I just can't deal with it right now. I just have one question. Where do you get off making my Mom your assistant and I really don't want Warren anywhere near her."
"Mrs. Summers has been trying to find something to do up thee for a long time. She came to me, I didn't go to her. She was happy to look things up, because it gave her something to do, and it gave her a chance to help you and Dawn."
"It also gave her a chance to get in some otherworldly meddling." xander raised an eyebrow. "Long story."
"Mom's letting me go to the party."
"Okay not so long." Buffy sighed. "I still don't see why she ha to go through Warren, who so should be in the other place."
"Where he might well be if Willow hadn't given him a chance for a ast minute conversion."
"You mean no matter how bad they've been they can still be forgiven?"
"That's the promise. I know it doesn't seem fair, but Warren played by the rules, and the Big Guy doesn't do the pick and choose thing."
"Then what about me?" Willow looked outraged. "How come he gets forgiven and I get punished."
"Because all the choices are made in this world Will, and when you're being tortured to death, its kind of hard to fit in more punishment."
"So what you're saying is that we can be as evil as we want, but be forgiven as long as we play by the rules, and be forgiven, get off scott free if we ask His forgiveness just before we die?"
"Maybe, if you knew when you were going to die. If you meant what you said. How ever if you do it too many times, well you know the story about the guy who cried wolf. Even He has limits."
"I can't believe anyone would have thought Warren was serious."
"There's no athiests in foxholes."
"Which still doesn't mean that I want Warren anywhere near my mom."
"Nothing I can do Buff. Completely out of my hands."
"Yeah whatever. Well lets get this over with, maybe then Waren can move on to where he's supposed to be and leave my Mom alone."
Gileslooked up as the scoobies came into the danger room. He even managed not to look away when he saw Xander with them, an to accept his condolences with proper grace.
"Okay, what do we have?"
"Well, Wareen says that the Valaasco Sisters may not be here as soon as we thought," offered Willow.
"And," Xander looke around the table, and all but smiled at the grudging acceptance in Buffy's eyes. There would still be rough patches, but maybe just maybe some kind of armistice could be arrived at. "I found the place where Dawn, Buffy and I hold them off."
"That's for what you did to Giles.'
"What are you talking aouut?" Xaander flared at Buffy. "Oh."
"Yeah OH." Buffy glared at him before turning to stomp away.
"Xander caught up with her. "Just what is your problem," he yelled. First of all, I had no idea that little girl was any relation to Giles until I saw him at the hospital. Second the body was dying, the soul was going to leave. My job was to see that she got to where she was supposed to go. Third, I'm going to do my job to the best of my ability, whether or not you like it, even if it means that on some occasions you have to find some person to be your gofer."
"Is that what you thought," Buffy yelled back. "That I thought of you as some kind of gofer? I just wanted you to be safe."
"Safe, here on the Hellmouth. It was too late for that when you pulled Jesse and Willow out of that crypt. Way too late when I held the stake that killed Jesse. I masy be not great when it comes to fighting, and Willow's better at research, and will maybe have the witchy thing down pat. I found somethng that I could do, even if it doesn't help keep people alive."
"Yes you did, and by doing that took the one thing that was special about you."
Xander was stunned "Special?"
"Yes special," shouted Buffy. "You were normal. Nothing special, normal. Not the Slayer. Not a Watcher, vampire or witch. You were normal. That's what made you special. Kept us focused on why we were doing this, and you took it away."
Xander didn't quite know what to say. For years, especially after high school, he had been feeling more and more a fifth wheel. He never one thought that being the normal guy was what made him special. It was something he would have to think about.
"I uh never thought that was what you , er, thought." Xander stammered, trying desperately to think. "It's that iI felt like I was useless, a fifth wheel, and when I was given the opportunity, I took it. I didn't think..."
Buffy held up her hand and stopped him. "Don't. Just don't. I just can't deal with it right now. I just have one question. Where do you get off making my Mom your assistant and I really don't want Warren anywhere near her."
"Mrs. Summers has been trying to find something to do up thee for a long time. She came to me, I didn't go to her. She was happy to look things up, because it gave her something to do, and it gave her a chance to help you and Dawn."
"It also gave her a chance to get in some otherworldly meddling." xander raised an eyebrow. "Long story."
"Mom's letting me go to the party."
"Okay not so long." Buffy sighed. "I still don't see why she ha to go through Warren, who so should be in the other place."
"Where he might well be if Willow hadn't given him a chance for a ast minute conversion."
"You mean no matter how bad they've been they can still be forgiven?"
"That's the promise. I know it doesn't seem fair, but Warren played by the rules, and the Big Guy doesn't do the pick and choose thing."
"Then what about me?" Willow looked outraged. "How come he gets forgiven and I get punished."
"Because all the choices are made in this world Will, and when you're being tortured to death, its kind of hard to fit in more punishment."
"So what you're saying is that we can be as evil as we want, but be forgiven as long as we play by the rules, and be forgiven, get off scott free if we ask His forgiveness just before we die?"
"Maybe, if you knew when you were going to die. If you meant what you said. How ever if you do it too many times, well you know the story about the guy who cried wolf. Even He has limits."
"I can't believe anyone would have thought Warren was serious."
"There's no athiests in foxholes."
"Which still doesn't mean that I want Warren anywhere near my mom."
"Nothing I can do Buff. Completely out of my hands."
"Yeah whatever. Well lets get this over with, maybe then Waren can move on to where he's supposed to be and leave my Mom alone."
Gileslooked up as the scoobies came into the danger room. He even managed not to look away when he saw Xander with them, an to accept his condolences with proper grace.
"Okay, what do we have?"
"Well, Wareen says that the Valaasco Sisters may not be here as soon as we thought," offered Willow.
"And," Xander looke around the table, and all but smiled at the grudging acceptance in Buffy's eyes. There would still be rough patches, but maybe just maybe some kind of armistice could be arrived at. "I found the place where Dawn, Buffy and I hold them off."