Greetings and Salutations. Alrght people, this is a warning. I've finished this one, so I'll be posting everything else now. Here we go.
Xander's view.
I stood by the window as Buffy gave the news. About Angel. About her. I tried to hold my anger in, but the more she said the angrier I got. We were her friends; we'd kept one secret this long, now she couldn't trust us with another?
The next thing I knew, I was shouting. I don't really remember what I said. All I remember was the pain in my heart and the hurt on her face. I wanted to stop, to say something, but I was out the door and down the road before I knew what was happening.
I don't remember how long I walked for; I just kept going. Before I knew what happened, I found myself out front of the old high school. I looked up at the blackened husk. Things seemed so much simpler back then. We'd gather around the library, eat doughnuts, save the world. So much easier. Now…
Now, Buffy was a mutant, Angel had a pulse and I felt like my entire life had gone down the toilet. I just wanted to scream. "She could have told us." I muttered.
"So you could disappoint her earlier?" I turned to see Angel standing there, glaring at me. Seeing Deadboy standing in the sunlight…damn, guess I can't really call him that anymore.
"Do you blame me?" I said.
"Do you blame her?" He turned my question back at me. I hate when he does that. "Considering how you reacted, can you really blame her for being afraid?"
"Afraid?" I blinked a couple of times. Buffy afraid? The term didn't compute for some reason. "Of what?"
"Rejection." Angel said simply. "That you guys would turn her out for what she is. Not the Slayer, but something else. Created to soothe some guy's ego. A freak. Like you did." I stood there mouth open. I slapped myself in the forehead.
"I am such a heel." I said. "How could I do that to her?"
"I was wondering the same thing." Angel said. "You should probably go and find her."
"Right." I said, beginning to race off. Then I stopped. "What about Willow?"
"I'll find her, explain what happened." Angel said. I nodded, and raced off. There weren't many places she could really go, now. Giles' place was out, so that left the manor, UC Sunnydale or her place. I just hoped I could find her before something happened. I could never forgive myself if she got hurt because I was a jerk.
Giles' view.
I watched as Buffy ran out crying. I wished I could go after her, that I could soothe her like I wanted to, but I couldn't. This had to happen. It would make things easier. For both of us.
I stood there as the now living Angel fumed at me. I couldn't understand how the Powers That Be could reward him. I still haven't really forgiven him for what happened to Jenny or Kendra. I watched as he followed both Buffy and Xander's example, before finally giving in to the sadness that had been threatening to consume me. I moved the papers on my desk until I found the letter from the Council. I still couldn't believe they knew about her.
To Rupert Giles,
It is the will of the Council of Watchers that you return to England for reassignment.
It has come to our attention that Buffy Summers, the girl you have been Watching, without orders, is not the Slayer. Whether or not she ever was is no longer important. What is important is that your services and experiences are needed to prepare for the day when the renegade, Faith Williams, dies, and a new Slayer is call.
We await your return. All is forgiven.
Quentin Travers.
I read the letter again.
All is forgiven.
What? Giving a Slayer the care and support she needed, deserved? Telling her about the idiotic test?
All is forgiven.
I crumpled the paper and threw it across the room. What the bloody hell am I doing? Leaving the best thing that ever happened to me? Buffy was like my daughter. How could I treat her that way, just because I wanted to spare her the pain of my leaving? I'd hurt her more by not saying anything than if I had told her I was leaving. I couldn't leave, not like this. Not after what I just did.
I grabbed my coat and headed out the door. I just hoped she'd done the sensible thing and headed to her mother's house. Hm, Buffy do the sensible thing? I sighed and headed to Angel's place. More likely she'd be there.
Willow's view.
The first clue I had that something had happened was when Oz pointed out Angel walking towards us. That in itself was cause for concern, but considering it was daytime, I did what I normally did when it came to the unbelievable or just plain freaky. I went into 'babble mode'.
"Angel, your out and walking but its day time and the suns out and there's no shadow and your in direct sunlight and your not burning and does Buffy know and…"
"Willow, take it easy." Angel told me. "Breath. I'll explain later, but right now, we have bigger problems." A pit formed at the bottom of my stomach. "Buffy told Giles and Xander. They took it badly." I think my face must have gone pale at that moment, because Oz looked at me with both concern and curiosity.
"Took what badly?" He asked. I hoped he wouldn't take the fact that I kept it from him too badly.
"Buffy's not the Slayer." I said. "She's one of those new mutants. She hasn't been since the Master drowned her and Xander used CPR to bring her back. Her powers are pretty much the same though, so we didn't notice." I turned back to Angel. "How badly did they take it?"
"Xander went back to the high school." He told me. "Giles…went into distant Watcher mode."
"Giles did what?" I couldn't believe it. "Why?"
"He didn't give a reason." Angel said. "I talked Xander into finding Buffy and talking to her. Giles…"
"I'll talk to him." I volunteered. Oz's reaction was suddenly the farthest thing from my mind. Giles had been a father to all of us. For him to turn his back on Buffy… "I'll make him understand, if I have to beat him into submission." Oz chuckled and even Angel gave a smile. I have to admit; the thought of me beating Giles around the head was pretty funny.
"Alright, I'll find Buffy." Angel said. "She'll definitely need someone to talk to." I nodded, torn by the need to find my friend and help her, and the conflicting desire to jump on Giles' head with both feet. In the end, Oz and I headed toward Giles' place.
"You're not mad at me, are you?" I asked him. I was happy to keep Buffy's secret, but I didn't want to loose my wolf-guy.
Oz looked at me thoughtfully. "Not you." He said. "And not Buffy. She asked you not to tell anyone and I can't fault her for that." I breathed a sigh of relief and cuddled up to him.
"Thanks." I said.
"Welcome." He said in typical Oz fashion. I smiled. Yeah, I've got the best guy in the world. That's when we ran into Giles, barrelling down the street like the hounds of hell were on his heels. I gave him a glare that told him maybe he should run the other way before giving him a piece of my mind.
Oz's view.
We sometimes forget that Willow has one of the strongest wills of any of us. Sure, my mate can be timid, even shy. But when she thinks one of her friends has been wronged, or if its end of the world, out comes the 'Resolved Face' and shy, timid Willow takes a back seat to a more dominant version. Still, none of us have ever really seen what she's capable of. Until now.
"Giles what the hell were you thinking?" Remind me never to piss Wills off. "Buffy came to you hoping to make things right. She was tired of the secrets, she wanted to tell you and you and Xander treat her like she turned into Spike." Giles stood there, flabbergasted. I don't think he ever even suspected Willow could release that much rage in one sentence. I certainly didn't.
"Willow." Giles began. "There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for my reaction." Willow glared at him. I just stood off to one side. Let her handle it. "I received a letter from the Council, ordering my return. They know Buffy isn't the Slayer and have ordered me back. I have to leave." Willow's look turned to one of shock. Then she really exploded.
"So you pushed her away!?" Wills couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. "Right when she needed you the most. Why, so it wouldn't hurt her when you left? News flash, G-Man, you hurt her more by not saying anything than you could have in any other way." Giles gave a sheepish look. He'd already figured that out, but Willow telling him just drove it home. "Now, I think we all know where she headed, so move it!" With that she got behind Giles and pushed him towards Angel's manor. I shook my head. I don't know why I worry sometimes.
