Destiny Lost
#1: In the Space of a Heartbeat
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: An accident seconds before being chosen causes the Slayer Essence to skip Buffy, leaving her a normal girl. Then, a year and a half later, her mom's new job and her parents' divorce brings Buffy and her mother to Sunnydale, where Buffy comes in contact with the world of the night and a young man dedicated to its destruction.
Disclaimer: We do not own Buffy or any of the original characters or ideas from the show. They all belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. All we own is our own creative genius (unless that's too strong a word :) and any characters we make up.
Distribution: Sure, just let us know where it is!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: Basic BtVS mythology and vampire/slayer lore
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Chapter 11
The Library
Giles paced around the library, waiting anxiously for news. Sonya sat at the reading table, working on an assignment. The first period bell would ring in 20 minutes, and Xander wasn't there yet for the morning briefing. Giles hoped that nothing dire had befallen the lad while escorting Miss Summers home the night before. Then he thought of something else having to do with the blonde that could have distracted him, and frowned.
When Xander finally did make it to the library, he looked tired and his hair was slicked back, still wet from the shower.
"Where have you been?" Giles demanded, more curt than he'd intended to be because of all the worrisome thoughts rattling around in his brain. "We've been waiting for you."
"I had to spend the night at Buffy's last night."
Xander's reply got both Giles and Sonya's attention. Sonya wheeled over to the men, positioning herself next to Giles.
Giving the boy a severe look, Giles said, "You skipped out on the rest of your patrolling to spend quality time with Miss Summers? Where are your priorities?"
"It was necessary," Xander protested. "Willow and Spike jumped us when we got to her house." He paused, feelings of guilt written all over his face. "I had to tell her everything."
"You did WHAT?" Sonya exploded before Giles could say anything. "What were you thinking, Harris? That wasn't your secret to tell."
Xander hung his head under her barrage of words.
Giles placed a hand on Sonya's shoulder. "It's too late now. The only prudent course of action for the future is to minimize the damage." Sonya looked up at him, and he met her gaze meaningfully. They had talked at some length about Xander and his new "friend" the night before. Now was the time for a united front. She gave him a slight nod.
The librarian Watcher looked at Xander. "You realize, don't you, that you're putting the girl at risk just by being with her. I understand young love -- believe me, I even experienced it once myself, if you can imagine -- but the Hellmouth is no place for it. It pains me to do this, but I have to be firm on this. Xander, you cannot see Buffy Summers again romantically. I forbid it."
There was a mutinous expression in Xander's eyes. "Now wait just a damn minute! Who do you think you are, Giles? You may be able to tell me what to slay and where to slay it, but you have no right to interfere in my personal life."
"What you don't understand, Xander, is that you don't have a right to a personal life," Sonya interjected.
"You, too, Wheels?" Xander asked bitterly.
She nodded, but kept her voice calm and reasonable -- quite an accomplishment for the emotional Slayer. "The Chosen One doesn't get a personal life, Xander. It's right there in the Slayer's Handbook. The Chosen One must devote their life to fighting the forces of evil -- not wrestling under the sheets with some blonde girl."
"Hey!" Xander protested with a blush. "If you must know, we didn't sleep together. It was mostly platonic. I slept on the couch."
"Good," Giles said, "that will make it all the easier for you to break it off with her."
Xander impaled them both with a deadly glare. "No way! I'm not the Chosen One, I don't have to go by these rules. I volunteered for this job, and if I have to, I'll un-volunteer."
"She means that much to you?" Sonya's voice was small and quiet.
Xander nodded. "Yes!"
Giles looked seriously at Xander. This wasn't good. The boy was so wrapped up in his crush that he was really going to walk away from all this. A year ago, Giles would have wanted that above all things -- the boy deserved a safe and happy life. But now Alexander Harris was all that stood between Giles and the ruination of his plan to save Sonya's life. Despite the guilt Giles felt, he knew he had to do this or their plans would all be lost.
"If you want to continue with your duties as temporary Slayer," Giles said, "you will cease to see Miss Summers romantically immediately. It's come down to a choice, Mr. Harris -- fish or cut bait, so to speak. Sonya and I need someone devoted to the cause, not someone distracted by blonde hair and green eyes."
He paused. It was time to reveal his secret. It was the only thing he could think of to convey the magnitude of the situation to the boy. "If you decide to walk away from all this, I can scarcely blame you, but know this. The deadline we've been afraid of has come. The Council is sending a representative here in three months to evaluate Sonya -- and you know what they'll do if they find her like this. Termination, they call it. Culling the weak is another term I've heard. I need to focus on finding the spell to heal her right now, but if you leave she and I will have to do the patrolling. It's up to you, Xander, but you should think about it very carefully."
Emotions flitted over Xander's face so quickly that Giles couldn't read them, but after a second or two the boy's face was a cold mask. "I'll call it off with Buffy today. You can count on me."
Giles nodded, trying not to show the guilt he felt at dealing yet another blow to the young lad's heart. He felt cruel for ending the only relationship Xander had had since Willow's transformation, but Giles shook those thoughts out of his head. In three months, all this could be over. Then Xander could pick up with Miss Summers if he wanted to.
The bell for first period chose that moment to ring, and Xander and Sonya had to hurry for fear of being late to yet another class. Giles went back into his office, and closed the door. He needed a moment of silence to prepare for the bad things yet to come.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Xander walked down the hallway slowly, not even caring whether of not he was late for class again. His mind was whirling, thinking about everything that had just happened. He knew that he couldn't possibly leave Sonya and Giles now, not when Sonya's life was on the line. If she died because if him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. But he honestly didn't think he had the strength to break it off with Buffy. He cared for her so much, more than he had cared for anyone in a very long time. Finally Xander came to a decision. It wasn't a decision that he liked very much, but it was the only choice he had.
Just then the tardy bell rang and Xander was startled out of his thoughts by Mrs. Jacobs' stern voice from across the hall. "Well, Mr. Harris? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come to class?"
Xander tightened his grip on his bookbag and hurried through the door, quickly sliding into his seat near the front. He studiously ignored Buffy, who was sitting right in front of him, and didn't respond to her whispered hello.
Just then, Mrs. Jacobs began taking the roll and Xander slouched down in his seat, praying that class would be over soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Xander didn't respond to her hello, Buffy assumed he just didn't want to make Mrs. Jacobs any more angry at him than she already was. Buffy sat docilely in her seat, pretending to take notes on the forms of the Sonnet. She was quite relieved when Mrs. Jacobs did NOT make them actually write one.
When the bell rang, Xander was out of the room like a shot. Quickly, Buffy gathered her things together and ran after him. "Hey," she called, "wait up!"
Just outside the door, a few steps away from the exiting horde of students, Xander stopped. Buffy smiled at him. "Hey, stranger. For a minute there, I thought you didn't hear me."
His face softened. "Of course, I heard you. I always hear you."
Buffy leaned in to give him a kiss, when suddenly he stiffened up again. She looked up at him in confusion. His dark, hooded gaze was directed at something just over her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Sonya glaring at them from her wheelchair a few feet away.
"Does she not want you to see me, is that it?" Buffy demanded angrily. When he didn't respond, she began to get worried. "Are you listening to her?"
"Look," Xander said softly, "I'm sorry, but I can't do this now. Some stuff happened this morning... Can we talk later? At your house at about 4 o'clock?"
Buffy stared at him, unwilling to commit to the date -- or maybe appointment was a better word. "Why?"
"Please?" Xander said, begging her with his eyes as well as his voice. "Please?"
Finally, she gave in. "Fine!" Without another word to him, she turned and walked away, giving Sonya a glare as she passed the wheelchair-bound girl. (And to think that last night I tried to be nice to her!) Buffy thought, feeling her anger seethe and roil around in her stomach. (We'll see if I ever make THAT mistake again!)
She didn't know what was up with Xander. It looked like he was breaking things off with her now. Buffy couldn't stand this on-again/off-again relationship. If he broke up with her this time, because Sonya was jealous or whatever, it would be the last time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Xander watched Buffy leave, he felt his anger rising. How could Sonya and Giles do this to him? How could they force him to make a decision that he didn't want to make? As all these thoughts were dancing around in his brain, he walked over to where Sonya sat and waited for her to yell at him again over Buffy. She didn't disappoint him.
"What the HELL was that about, Harris? I thought we were clear on this matter! No contact with the blonde, remember?"
Xander kneeled in front of Sonya, bringing himself down to her level. In a deceptively calm voice, he replied, "I'm not an asshole, Sonya. I don't just leave a girl hanging like that. I owe Buffy the truth, and that's what I'm going to give her this afternoon when we meet."
"You're seeing her AGAIN?" Sonya exclaimed.
"Yes, I am. Do you want to make something of it?"
"Harris, what is your problem? Don't you understand what the phrase 'no contact' means or are you just that mentally challenged?"
Xander studied Sonya closely. "Where is all this anger coming from, Sonya? You know that I've agreed to put my 'sacred duty' above everything else, even Buffy. So why are you getting so worked up about this?"
Sonya crossed her arms in front of her chest. In a defensive voice, she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about, Xander. I'm not worked up. I just don't want to see you loose sight of what's important here because of some blonde bimbo."
"Buffy is NOT a bimbo!" Xander snapped, rising to his feet.
"There, you see? Already, you're siding with her and defending her," Sonya pointed out with a smug smile. "That's why you have to cut the ties now, before you get even more attached to her."
Xander threw up his hands, exasperated and practically seething with anger. "What is your problem, Sonya?" he demanded, "Why can't you stand to see me happy for once?"
"Giles and I think..."
Xander cut her off. "No, I know why Giles is doing this. He's too busy looking at the so-called big picture to even realize how much he's hurting me. But what about you? What do you get out of this, Sonya? Some perverse satisfaction out of separating me from someone I love? Or maybe you're just jealous because you don't have anyone special and I do, is that it?"
Sonya looked at him with wide eyes and whispered, "You love her?"
Xander paused, momentarily taken aback by her question. He hadn't really meant to say anything about love earlier, it had just come out in the heat of the moment. But when he thought seriously about it, he had to admit to himself that it was true. Xander smiled. "Yeah, I think I do. Strange, huh?"
Sonya didn't reply.
Xander shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts of his newly discovered love for the time being, and looked down at Sonya, who was trying not to cry. His anger at her diminished some when he saw how upset she was. "Hey, what's the matter, Wheels? You look like you lost your best friend."
Sonya hastily wiped her eyes and looked up at Xander with a too-bright smile plastered on her face. "I've gotta go. I'm gonna be late for class." Then she quickly wheeled herself down the hall and away from him.
Xander frowned. That wasn't the same Sonya that he knew. Something was wrong. But as the bell rang for second period, he had to forget about that for now in favor of the wonderful world of Algebra.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Samuel was afraid. He had been afraid for a very long time now, ever since he'd been kidnapped by the bad people. The man was so big and strong, he towered over Samuel's small form. But he wasn't who occupied Samuel's nightmares every night...
The woman with the flaming red hair.
She was who REALLY scared him.
Red hair...
Samuel's mother had red hair...
Samuel missed his mother.
The ringing of a bell startled Samuel out of his thoughts and he gathered up his chains, making his way slowly to the front room of the factory. "Yes, Miss Willow," he whispered, cowering before her.
Willow gestured to the door and smiled. "Please let our guests in, dearie. It's almost time for tea..." She giggled.
Samuel nodded and moved to open the door, afraid of what he might find on the other side.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy walked into the cafeteria with a heavy heart, much different from her buoyant trek from the car to the school this morning. It was like everything that could have happened to pierce her new armor of happiness, had happened. She let out a deep sigh and headed for the hot lunch line.
As she stood there, waiting her turn with the hotdog surprise, Buffy's eyes searched the large room. All she needed for her day to be a complete bust would be for Oz to stand her up for lunch. When she finished selecting her meal from the unappetizing options in front of her, Buffy moved slowly to the table by the window she'd sat at yesterday. No Oz. She sighed again and pulled her trusty book out of her backpack.
"At least you'll never let me down," she whispered to the worn copy of her favorite novel ever, Jane Austen's Emma. Buffy had read the book at least ten times over during her time in traction.
"Hey."
Buffy looked up and her face broke into a sunny smile. The first in hours. "Oz. I'm so glad you're here."
The short, semi-cute boy slid into the seat opposite her at the small table and set down his tray of macaroni and cheese and Jell-O. Then he reached into his backpack and pulled out a book of his own. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. "See," he said, gesturing to the book, "expanding our minds together."
Buffy grinned. "Looks like a deep book."
"Not too deep after the fifth reading," Oz replied with a shrug.
The hotdog surprise was rubbery and hard to swallow. Buffy grimaced as she chewed, and her eyes roamed around the cafeteria. Then she saw Xander standing next to the vending machine with a soda and a candy bar. (Probably headed for lunch with Sonya-the-witch) Buffy thought with a frown.
It was hard for her to believe that things with Xander had gone from better than her wildest dreams this morning to awkward and confusing this afternoon. He'd treated her so weird after class -- as if he couldn't get rid of her fast enough. Because of Sonya probably. Granted, he did invite himself over to her house this afternoon, but from the way he was acting, Buffy suspected he was back on his "shouldn't date Buffy" attitude instead of his hopeful, life-embracing (and Buffy-embracing) attitude of this morning. Buffy stared at Xander for a minute, meeting his eyes, then she consciously turned away and smiled at Oz.
(Turn about is fair play) she decided. (If he can treat me like crap and then go hang with Sonya, I should feel no guilt about eating lunch with another guy. And why should I feel guilt anyway? It's not like Xander's my boyfriend. We haven't even gone out on a real date. And Oz is just a friend anyway...)
Realizing that she'd been silent for a long time, Buffy looked up at Oz. His face was never very full of expression, but there was a gleam of concern in his eyes. "Something's wrong. I can tell."
Buffy sighed. "I don't want to burden you with it. We've only just met. We should be talking about our favorite movies and things, not the darkness in our souls."
Oz leaned closer to Buffy. "I think humanity is much more interesting than a movie could ever be." He paused. "But if you really want to know, it's My Stepmother is an Alien. Great flick."
That made Buffy laugh. Her reservations overcome, she told him all about Xander (well, except for the parts about vampires, and the abuse stuff, which she knew she shouldn't share with anyone). "Do you know Xander Harris?" At Oz's nod, Buffy continued. "We almost had a date last night, and then this morning we had breakfast together and he was so sweet to me, but when we got to school he practically blew me off, not to mention how he jumps whenever Sonya Parker says so. I don't know what to think. Is that just a guy thing? Or is he ashamed to be seen with me, or what?"
"No one would be ashamed to be seen with you," Oz said.
"Thanks," Buffy said with a smile. "That's nice to hear."
Oz leaned forward and commenced what, for him, was a very long speech. "There are rumors about Xander, but I've always thought he was a classic misunderstood guy. Sonya has been, like, the only friend he's had here since his other friends died."
Buffy nodded to show she knew that story. She suspected that she knew more of it than Oz did. He continued. "Give him time to work out a good balance. If it's real, he'll work it out, and if it's not, you'll know soon enough. Don't go dredging up trouble."
She tapped the cover of his book. "Is this where you got all your insight, because I must admit, you made me feel better."
"Can't tell you," Oz replied. "Wouldn't want to mess up the aura of mystery I've created."
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Both teenagers stood up and collected their things. "So, is your band playing tonight?"
Oz nodded. "Yep. Coming?"
Buffy shrugged. "Depends on the balance."
"Good deal." Oz turned away to deposit his inedible lunch in the self-bus window. "See ya 'round." Then he disappeared into the throng of rushing students.
Buffy looked after him for a minute, and then bussed her own tray and headed for class.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The library phone shrilled, startling Giles out of his contemplative stance.
"Hello?" he asked into the receiver, hoping against hope that it was the call he'd been waiting for.
"Giles," Angel said, the phone crackling with long-distance static.
"Where are you? What happened?" Giles demanded. "I was beginning to think the worst."
"I ... overslept," Angel admitted. "I had to hurry to make it to the airport in time for my flight. The plane is about to board. I'm calling from a payphone in the airport."
"You got first class, right? Plenty of room in the seats, and thick window shades?"
"Right," Angel agreed. "It's all taken care of. When I get to the airport in New York, I'll stay inside for the rest of the day, and then catch my connection to LA at 8 p.m. I should be in Sunnydale late tonight."
"Good," Giles said, wiping his forehead with his pristine, white handkerchief. "Now, what did you find?"
"I don't want to go into it on the phone," Angel said. "I got a copy of Sonya's file, and I found something that might be useful."
"The healing spell?"
Angel hesitated, and Giles began to suspect the worst. "I'll explain it all when I get there, Giles. I've got to go. They're calling my flight."
The phone went dead, and Giles began to panic. If Angel had failed, what were they going to do now? Then he tried to think rationally. If Angel hadn't found anything, he would have stayed in Europe to scour the continent for a spell that would work. That had been the plan. Angel must've found something -- and maybe it was the healing spell after all. Pushing the last of his doubts away, Giles ordered himself to be happy. He couldn't let his charges see the magnitude of his fear. He had to be their rock. Sonya was always just a few inches away from a breakdown, and now Xander was most likely desolate over the abrupt end to his new relationship.
"Keep a stiff upper lip, old man," Giles told himself. "Don't let them all down."
#1: In the Space of a Heartbeat
Authors: Sonya and Erin
E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Category: B/X, AU, action/adventure, romance
Summary: An accident seconds before being chosen causes the Slayer Essence to skip Buffy, leaving her a normal girl. Then, a year and a half later, her mom's new job and her parents' divorce brings Buffy and her mother to Sunnydale, where Buffy comes in contact with the world of the night and a young man dedicated to its destruction.
Disclaimer: We do not own Buffy or any of the original characters or ideas from the show. They all belong to Joss, Mutant Enemy, etc. All we own is our own creative genius (unless that's too strong a word :) and any characters we make up.
Distribution: Sure, just let us know where it is!
Feedback: Love it! We want to know your likes AND dislikes. Flames are the only thing we do not accept.
Spoilers: Basic BtVS mythology and vampire/slayer lore
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Chapter 11
The Library
Giles paced around the library, waiting anxiously for news. Sonya sat at the reading table, working on an assignment. The first period bell would ring in 20 minutes, and Xander wasn't there yet for the morning briefing. Giles hoped that nothing dire had befallen the lad while escorting Miss Summers home the night before. Then he thought of something else having to do with the blonde that could have distracted him, and frowned.
When Xander finally did make it to the library, he looked tired and his hair was slicked back, still wet from the shower.
"Where have you been?" Giles demanded, more curt than he'd intended to be because of all the worrisome thoughts rattling around in his brain. "We've been waiting for you."
"I had to spend the night at Buffy's last night."
Xander's reply got both Giles and Sonya's attention. Sonya wheeled over to the men, positioning herself next to Giles.
Giving the boy a severe look, Giles said, "You skipped out on the rest of your patrolling to spend quality time with Miss Summers? Where are your priorities?"
"It was necessary," Xander protested. "Willow and Spike jumped us when we got to her house." He paused, feelings of guilt written all over his face. "I had to tell her everything."
"You did WHAT?" Sonya exploded before Giles could say anything. "What were you thinking, Harris? That wasn't your secret to tell."
Xander hung his head under her barrage of words.
Giles placed a hand on Sonya's shoulder. "It's too late now. The only prudent course of action for the future is to minimize the damage." Sonya looked up at him, and he met her gaze meaningfully. They had talked at some length about Xander and his new "friend" the night before. Now was the time for a united front. She gave him a slight nod.
The librarian Watcher looked at Xander. "You realize, don't you, that you're putting the girl at risk just by being with her. I understand young love -- believe me, I even experienced it once myself, if you can imagine -- but the Hellmouth is no place for it. It pains me to do this, but I have to be firm on this. Xander, you cannot see Buffy Summers again romantically. I forbid it."
There was a mutinous expression in Xander's eyes. "Now wait just a damn minute! Who do you think you are, Giles? You may be able to tell me what to slay and where to slay it, but you have no right to interfere in my personal life."
"What you don't understand, Xander, is that you don't have a right to a personal life," Sonya interjected.
"You, too, Wheels?" Xander asked bitterly.
She nodded, but kept her voice calm and reasonable -- quite an accomplishment for the emotional Slayer. "The Chosen One doesn't get a personal life, Xander. It's right there in the Slayer's Handbook. The Chosen One must devote their life to fighting the forces of evil -- not wrestling under the sheets with some blonde girl."
"Hey!" Xander protested with a blush. "If you must know, we didn't sleep together. It was mostly platonic. I slept on the couch."
"Good," Giles said, "that will make it all the easier for you to break it off with her."
Xander impaled them both with a deadly glare. "No way! I'm not the Chosen One, I don't have to go by these rules. I volunteered for this job, and if I have to, I'll un-volunteer."
"She means that much to you?" Sonya's voice was small and quiet.
Xander nodded. "Yes!"
Giles looked seriously at Xander. This wasn't good. The boy was so wrapped up in his crush that he was really going to walk away from all this. A year ago, Giles would have wanted that above all things -- the boy deserved a safe and happy life. But now Alexander Harris was all that stood between Giles and the ruination of his plan to save Sonya's life. Despite the guilt Giles felt, he knew he had to do this or their plans would all be lost.
"If you want to continue with your duties as temporary Slayer," Giles said, "you will cease to see Miss Summers romantically immediately. It's come down to a choice, Mr. Harris -- fish or cut bait, so to speak. Sonya and I need someone devoted to the cause, not someone distracted by blonde hair and green eyes."
He paused. It was time to reveal his secret. It was the only thing he could think of to convey the magnitude of the situation to the boy. "If you decide to walk away from all this, I can scarcely blame you, but know this. The deadline we've been afraid of has come. The Council is sending a representative here in three months to evaluate Sonya -- and you know what they'll do if they find her like this. Termination, they call it. Culling the weak is another term I've heard. I need to focus on finding the spell to heal her right now, but if you leave she and I will have to do the patrolling. It's up to you, Xander, but you should think about it very carefully."
Emotions flitted over Xander's face so quickly that Giles couldn't read them, but after a second or two the boy's face was a cold mask. "I'll call it off with Buffy today. You can count on me."
Giles nodded, trying not to show the guilt he felt at dealing yet another blow to the young lad's heart. He felt cruel for ending the only relationship Xander had had since Willow's transformation, but Giles shook those thoughts out of his head. In three months, all this could be over. Then Xander could pick up with Miss Summers if he wanted to.
The bell for first period chose that moment to ring, and Xander and Sonya had to hurry for fear of being late to yet another class. Giles went back into his office, and closed the door. He needed a moment of silence to prepare for the bad things yet to come.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Xander walked down the hallway slowly, not even caring whether of not he was late for class again. His mind was whirling, thinking about everything that had just happened. He knew that he couldn't possibly leave Sonya and Giles now, not when Sonya's life was on the line. If she died because if him, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. But he honestly didn't think he had the strength to break it off with Buffy. He cared for her so much, more than he had cared for anyone in a very long time. Finally Xander came to a decision. It wasn't a decision that he liked very much, but it was the only choice he had.
Just then the tardy bell rang and Xander was startled out of his thoughts by Mrs. Jacobs' stern voice from across the hall. "Well, Mr. Harris? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to come to class?"
Xander tightened his grip on his bookbag and hurried through the door, quickly sliding into his seat near the front. He studiously ignored Buffy, who was sitting right in front of him, and didn't respond to her whispered hello.
Just then, Mrs. Jacobs began taking the roll and Xander slouched down in his seat, praying that class would be over soon.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
When Xander didn't respond to her hello, Buffy assumed he just didn't want to make Mrs. Jacobs any more angry at him than she already was. Buffy sat docilely in her seat, pretending to take notes on the forms of the Sonnet. She was quite relieved when Mrs. Jacobs did NOT make them actually write one.
When the bell rang, Xander was out of the room like a shot. Quickly, Buffy gathered her things together and ran after him. "Hey," she called, "wait up!"
Just outside the door, a few steps away from the exiting horde of students, Xander stopped. Buffy smiled at him. "Hey, stranger. For a minute there, I thought you didn't hear me."
His face softened. "Of course, I heard you. I always hear you."
Buffy leaned in to give him a kiss, when suddenly he stiffened up again. She looked up at him in confusion. His dark, hooded gaze was directed at something just over her shoulder. She turned her head and saw Sonya glaring at them from her wheelchair a few feet away.
"Does she not want you to see me, is that it?" Buffy demanded angrily. When he didn't respond, she began to get worried. "Are you listening to her?"
"Look," Xander said softly, "I'm sorry, but I can't do this now. Some stuff happened this morning... Can we talk later? At your house at about 4 o'clock?"
Buffy stared at him, unwilling to commit to the date -- or maybe appointment was a better word. "Why?"
"Please?" Xander said, begging her with his eyes as well as his voice. "Please?"
Finally, she gave in. "Fine!" Without another word to him, she turned and walked away, giving Sonya a glare as she passed the wheelchair-bound girl. (And to think that last night I tried to be nice to her!) Buffy thought, feeling her anger seethe and roil around in her stomach. (We'll see if I ever make THAT mistake again!)
She didn't know what was up with Xander. It looked like he was breaking things off with her now. Buffy couldn't stand this on-again/off-again relationship. If he broke up with her this time, because Sonya was jealous or whatever, it would be the last time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As Xander watched Buffy leave, he felt his anger rising. How could Sonya and Giles do this to him? How could they force him to make a decision that he didn't want to make? As all these thoughts were dancing around in his brain, he walked over to where Sonya sat and waited for her to yell at him again over Buffy. She didn't disappoint him.
"What the HELL was that about, Harris? I thought we were clear on this matter! No contact with the blonde, remember?"
Xander kneeled in front of Sonya, bringing himself down to her level. In a deceptively calm voice, he replied, "I'm not an asshole, Sonya. I don't just leave a girl hanging like that. I owe Buffy the truth, and that's what I'm going to give her this afternoon when we meet."
"You're seeing her AGAIN?" Sonya exclaimed.
"Yes, I am. Do you want to make something of it?"
"Harris, what is your problem? Don't you understand what the phrase 'no contact' means or are you just that mentally challenged?"
Xander studied Sonya closely. "Where is all this anger coming from, Sonya? You know that I've agreed to put my 'sacred duty' above everything else, even Buffy. So why are you getting so worked up about this?"
Sonya crossed her arms in front of her chest. In a defensive voice, she replied, "I don't know what you're talking about, Xander. I'm not worked up. I just don't want to see you loose sight of what's important here because of some blonde bimbo."
"Buffy is NOT a bimbo!" Xander snapped, rising to his feet.
"There, you see? Already, you're siding with her and defending her," Sonya pointed out with a smug smile. "That's why you have to cut the ties now, before you get even more attached to her."
Xander threw up his hands, exasperated and practically seething with anger. "What is your problem, Sonya?" he demanded, "Why can't you stand to see me happy for once?"
"Giles and I think..."
Xander cut her off. "No, I know why Giles is doing this. He's too busy looking at the so-called big picture to even realize how much he's hurting me. But what about you? What do you get out of this, Sonya? Some perverse satisfaction out of separating me from someone I love? Or maybe you're just jealous because you don't have anyone special and I do, is that it?"
Sonya looked at him with wide eyes and whispered, "You love her?"
Xander paused, momentarily taken aback by her question. He hadn't really meant to say anything about love earlier, it had just come out in the heat of the moment. But when he thought seriously about it, he had to admit to himself that it was true. Xander smiled. "Yeah, I think I do. Strange, huh?"
Sonya didn't reply.
Xander shook his head, clearing his mind of thoughts of his newly discovered love for the time being, and looked down at Sonya, who was trying not to cry. His anger at her diminished some when he saw how upset she was. "Hey, what's the matter, Wheels? You look like you lost your best friend."
Sonya hastily wiped her eyes and looked up at Xander with a too-bright smile plastered on her face. "I've gotta go. I'm gonna be late for class." Then she quickly wheeled herself down the hall and away from him.
Xander frowned. That wasn't the same Sonya that he knew. Something was wrong. But as the bell rang for second period, he had to forget about that for now in favor of the wonderful world of Algebra.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Samuel was afraid. He had been afraid for a very long time now, ever since he'd been kidnapped by the bad people. The man was so big and strong, he towered over Samuel's small form. But he wasn't who occupied Samuel's nightmares every night...
The woman with the flaming red hair.
She was who REALLY scared him.
Red hair...
Samuel's mother had red hair...
Samuel missed his mother.
The ringing of a bell startled Samuel out of his thoughts and he gathered up his chains, making his way slowly to the front room of the factory. "Yes, Miss Willow," he whispered, cowering before her.
Willow gestured to the door and smiled. "Please let our guests in, dearie. It's almost time for tea..." She giggled.
Samuel nodded and moved to open the door, afraid of what he might find on the other side.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Buffy walked into the cafeteria with a heavy heart, much different from her buoyant trek from the car to the school this morning. It was like everything that could have happened to pierce her new armor of happiness, had happened. She let out a deep sigh and headed for the hot lunch line.
As she stood there, waiting her turn with the hotdog surprise, Buffy's eyes searched the large room. All she needed for her day to be a complete bust would be for Oz to stand her up for lunch. When she finished selecting her meal from the unappetizing options in front of her, Buffy moved slowly to the table by the window she'd sat at yesterday. No Oz. She sighed again and pulled her trusty book out of her backpack.
"At least you'll never let me down," she whispered to the worn copy of her favorite novel ever, Jane Austen's Emma. Buffy had read the book at least ten times over during her time in traction.
"Hey."
Buffy looked up and her face broke into a sunny smile. The first in hours. "Oz. I'm so glad you're here."
The short, semi-cute boy slid into the seat opposite her at the small table and set down his tray of macaroni and cheese and Jell-O. Then he reached into his backpack and pulled out a book of his own. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. "See," he said, gesturing to the book, "expanding our minds together."
Buffy grinned. "Looks like a deep book."
"Not too deep after the fifth reading," Oz replied with a shrug.
The hotdog surprise was rubbery and hard to swallow. Buffy grimaced as she chewed, and her eyes roamed around the cafeteria. Then she saw Xander standing next to the vending machine with a soda and a candy bar. (Probably headed for lunch with Sonya-the-witch) Buffy thought with a frown.
It was hard for her to believe that things with Xander had gone from better than her wildest dreams this morning to awkward and confusing this afternoon. He'd treated her so weird after class -- as if he couldn't get rid of her fast enough. Because of Sonya probably. Granted, he did invite himself over to her house this afternoon, but from the way he was acting, Buffy suspected he was back on his "shouldn't date Buffy" attitude instead of his hopeful, life-embracing (and Buffy-embracing) attitude of this morning. Buffy stared at Xander for a minute, meeting his eyes, then she consciously turned away and smiled at Oz.
(Turn about is fair play) she decided. (If he can treat me like crap and then go hang with Sonya, I should feel no guilt about eating lunch with another guy. And why should I feel guilt anyway? It's not like Xander's my boyfriend. We haven't even gone out on a real date. And Oz is just a friend anyway...)
Realizing that she'd been silent for a long time, Buffy looked up at Oz. His face was never very full of expression, but there was a gleam of concern in his eyes. "Something's wrong. I can tell."
Buffy sighed. "I don't want to burden you with it. We've only just met. We should be talking about our favorite movies and things, not the darkness in our souls."
Oz leaned closer to Buffy. "I think humanity is much more interesting than a movie could ever be." He paused. "But if you really want to know, it's My Stepmother is an Alien. Great flick."
That made Buffy laugh. Her reservations overcome, she told him all about Xander (well, except for the parts about vampires, and the abuse stuff, which she knew she shouldn't share with anyone). "Do you know Xander Harris?" At Oz's nod, Buffy continued. "We almost had a date last night, and then this morning we had breakfast together and he was so sweet to me, but when we got to school he practically blew me off, not to mention how he jumps whenever Sonya Parker says so. I don't know what to think. Is that just a guy thing? Or is he ashamed to be seen with me, or what?"
"No one would be ashamed to be seen with you," Oz said.
"Thanks," Buffy said with a smile. "That's nice to hear."
Oz leaned forward and commenced what, for him, was a very long speech. "There are rumors about Xander, but I've always thought he was a classic misunderstood guy. Sonya has been, like, the only friend he's had here since his other friends died."
Buffy nodded to show she knew that story. She suspected that she knew more of it than Oz did. He continued. "Give him time to work out a good balance. If it's real, he'll work it out, and if it's not, you'll know soon enough. Don't go dredging up trouble."
She tapped the cover of his book. "Is this where you got all your insight, because I must admit, you made me feel better."
"Can't tell you," Oz replied. "Wouldn't want to mess up the aura of mystery I've created."
Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Both teenagers stood up and collected their things. "So, is your band playing tonight?"
Oz nodded. "Yep. Coming?"
Buffy shrugged. "Depends on the balance."
"Good deal." Oz turned away to deposit his inedible lunch in the self-bus window. "See ya 'round." Then he disappeared into the throng of rushing students.
Buffy looked after him for a minute, and then bussed her own tray and headed for class.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The library phone shrilled, startling Giles out of his contemplative stance.
"Hello?" he asked into the receiver, hoping against hope that it was the call he'd been waiting for.
"Giles," Angel said, the phone crackling with long-distance static.
"Where are you? What happened?" Giles demanded. "I was beginning to think the worst."
"I ... overslept," Angel admitted. "I had to hurry to make it to the airport in time for my flight. The plane is about to board. I'm calling from a payphone in the airport."
"You got first class, right? Plenty of room in the seats, and thick window shades?"
"Right," Angel agreed. "It's all taken care of. When I get to the airport in New York, I'll stay inside for the rest of the day, and then catch my connection to LA at 8 p.m. I should be in Sunnydale late tonight."
"Good," Giles said, wiping his forehead with his pristine, white handkerchief. "Now, what did you find?"
"I don't want to go into it on the phone," Angel said. "I got a copy of Sonya's file, and I found something that might be useful."
"The healing spell?"
Angel hesitated, and Giles began to suspect the worst. "I'll explain it all when I get there, Giles. I've got to go. They're calling my flight."
The phone went dead, and Giles began to panic. If Angel had failed, what were they going to do now? Then he tried to think rationally. If Angel hadn't found anything, he would have stayed in Europe to scour the continent for a spell that would work. That had been the plan. Angel must've found something -- and maybe it was the healing spell after all. Pushing the last of his doubts away, Giles ordered himself to be happy. He couldn't let his charges see the magnitude of his fear. He had to be their rock. Sonya was always just a few inches away from a breakdown, and now Xander was most likely desolate over the abrupt end to his new relationship.
"Keep a stiff upper lip, old man," Giles told himself. "Don't let them all down."