Something was wrong, but Willow couldn't quite put a finger on what it was.
She looked round at the gathered scoobies in the Summers front room, Giles
was pacing around the front, waving his arms emphatically, he was annoyed,
but Willow couldn't concentrate on what it was he was saying. Something
else was wrong.
Buffy was sitting on the sofa next to Dawn, Buffy looked tired, as if she hadn't slept for weeks, Willow observed. But that wasn't what was wrong, it was something else. what was it?
Pike and Spike were each sitting in armchairs, making identical poses. They were so alike it was pretty scary, though Spike was maybe a little funnier. Maybe it was Pike. Maybe something about him was wrong. Willow frowned, studying Pike closer. He looked good. Understated muscles, thin build, styled brown hair, with a hint of the curl which would take over if he left in uncut for too long. Pike had also gone for the designer stubble look, which was looking particularly sexy.
Willow realised she was blushing as she quickly looked away from Pike, inwardly scolding herself. ' Fancying Buffy's ex is not an option,' she told herself, 'it's wrong, besides I am gay, guys don't do it for me remember?!' Willow tried to concentrate on whatever it is that had made Giles get so animated.
"There's not a lot of information on the Demon in hand," Giles was saying, "But he seems to have got away through some kind of vortex."
"So do we know, why he's come? What he wants?" Spike asked.
"Well he wasn't expecting to see me, not alive anyway." Buffy contributed.
"That was one point which interested me. He assumed the slayer was dead, and so we can safely assume that it's not Buffy he wanted."
Willow lost concentration, all she could think about was something was definitely not right. Almost like something was missing. It was on the tip of her tongue, but still out of reach. There was a lull in the conversation.
"Anyone else feel that?" Willow asked.
The group all looked around at Willow, eyebrows raised.
"Feel what Willow?" Giles asked, sliding his glasses off and looking over at her concerned.
"Nobody else feels like something's wrong?" Willow asked the group, she looked around, Pike was shaking his head, but no-one else was moving.
"I know what you mean." Buffy said, "Something's missing. I feel it too. Something's missing and without it we may not get through this"
"Yeah." Willow confirmed. "We had something else, something which helped us before. Something important." Giles continued.
"We're not talking about the poof are we?" Spike moaned.
"No." Willow said, "but it is a someone." She realised the statement was true. She was definitely missing someone, and for once it wasn't Tara.
The room went quiet in contemplation.
"Xander!" Willow said, "Xanders not here." Relief flooded her body, she had hit the nail on the head. But as the wave of relief washed over her, another feeling replaced it. Confusion.
"Xander?" Buffy asked, perplexed. "The kid from school?" As soon as the sentence left her lips she felt guilty. Xander was more than just a kid from school, he was important somehow. But what importance could Xander possibly have- he was just a normal kid from school, she hadn't even seen him since..
Willow frowned, "He's more than that, but I don't remember why."
"Could this be some kind of memory spell we're under here?" Buffy asked. Giles sat down.
"We'll, it's not impossible." He replied, looking over at Willow, remembering the last time his memory had been played with.
"Well let's get this bloody straight right now. My name is not Randy and I am not your sodding son!" Spike lit up another cigarette.
The room went quiet, all faces turned towards Spike. Pike looked confused,
"Ok, so Xander is important right? Anyone have any idea why? Is he our connection to the demon? Did he put this memory whammy on us? And if he's 'just a kid from school' how come the names ringing bells with me too?" Pike asked the room.
Giles stood up again and leant against the wall.
"When was the last time we saw Xander, because I just can't remember!" Buffy questioned, looking over at Willow. Willow looked back at her, confusion also written over her face.
"I don't know, I can't place it.." She responded.
"If it rings bells with me, and I've only been in town a couple of days, that narrows down our time scale." Pike said. "He must have pulled this memory whammy on us while I was here, so we must have seen him in the past few days."
"Well at least we've narrowed down the time scale. Now we should be thinking of the connection between Xander and the demon we're facing." Giles told the room.
"Well the demon said he would be back when I'm weakened. Maybe he sent Xander to mess with my memory. Maybe they figured I'd forget I was the slayer and be an easy target?" Buffy supposed.
"Yes, that makes sense. But you haven't forgotten. The only thing we've forgotten is Xander?" Willow said, "And when I think of Xander, I don't think evil, or demon, so maybe the two aren't connected. He's on our side. I'm pretty sure of it."
"Then maybe the demon put the memory whammy on us, so we would forget him and not go to him for help? Is he some kind of super hero, a powerful demon or something like that?" Pike suggested.
The group looked around at each other, it was a plausible explanation.
"Should we go and look for Xander?" Buffy asked Giles.
"Well he must be important otherwise we would remember him more clearly." Giles said, "It could be a good idea to look for him, bring him back here and question him. Maybe he'll have some idea of what it is we are up against."
"Ok. Good. We have a plan." Buffy whispered getting to her feet. Once she stood she looked around the room, confusion once more painted on her face. "Can anyone tell me what he looks like?"
"Dark hair." Willow explained.
"Anything else? Only I'm pretty sure there are quite a few men out there matching that description." Buffy explained.
"Maybe, once you are out there, if you find him, his face will jog your memory." Giles offered. "Maybe you'll recognise him when you see him."
"Right. Ok." Buffy agreed, "But while I'm gone, can you get your research caps on and try and figure out who this demon is and what it is he wants?"
Spike stood up as if to follow Buffy, Buffy put her hands out to signal him to stop.
"What?" He asked.
"Well if the demon isn't after me, he might come while I'm not here. I'm going to need you to stick around and look after the guys." She explained. Spike sat back down, not arguing.
*****************************************************
Buffy was sitting on the sofa next to Dawn, Buffy looked tired, as if she hadn't slept for weeks, Willow observed. But that wasn't what was wrong, it was something else. what was it?
Pike and Spike were each sitting in armchairs, making identical poses. They were so alike it was pretty scary, though Spike was maybe a little funnier. Maybe it was Pike. Maybe something about him was wrong. Willow frowned, studying Pike closer. He looked good. Understated muscles, thin build, styled brown hair, with a hint of the curl which would take over if he left in uncut for too long. Pike had also gone for the designer stubble look, which was looking particularly sexy.
Willow realised she was blushing as she quickly looked away from Pike, inwardly scolding herself. ' Fancying Buffy's ex is not an option,' she told herself, 'it's wrong, besides I am gay, guys don't do it for me remember?!' Willow tried to concentrate on whatever it is that had made Giles get so animated.
"There's not a lot of information on the Demon in hand," Giles was saying, "But he seems to have got away through some kind of vortex."
"So do we know, why he's come? What he wants?" Spike asked.
"Well he wasn't expecting to see me, not alive anyway." Buffy contributed.
"That was one point which interested me. He assumed the slayer was dead, and so we can safely assume that it's not Buffy he wanted."
Willow lost concentration, all she could think about was something was definitely not right. Almost like something was missing. It was on the tip of her tongue, but still out of reach. There was a lull in the conversation.
"Anyone else feel that?" Willow asked.
The group all looked around at Willow, eyebrows raised.
"Feel what Willow?" Giles asked, sliding his glasses off and looking over at her concerned.
"Nobody else feels like something's wrong?" Willow asked the group, she looked around, Pike was shaking his head, but no-one else was moving.
"I know what you mean." Buffy said, "Something's missing. I feel it too. Something's missing and without it we may not get through this"
"Yeah." Willow confirmed. "We had something else, something which helped us before. Something important." Giles continued.
"We're not talking about the poof are we?" Spike moaned.
"No." Willow said, "but it is a someone." She realised the statement was true. She was definitely missing someone, and for once it wasn't Tara.
The room went quiet in contemplation.
"Xander!" Willow said, "Xanders not here." Relief flooded her body, she had hit the nail on the head. But as the wave of relief washed over her, another feeling replaced it. Confusion.
"Xander?" Buffy asked, perplexed. "The kid from school?" As soon as the sentence left her lips she felt guilty. Xander was more than just a kid from school, he was important somehow. But what importance could Xander possibly have- he was just a normal kid from school, she hadn't even seen him since..
Willow frowned, "He's more than that, but I don't remember why."
"Could this be some kind of memory spell we're under here?" Buffy asked. Giles sat down.
"We'll, it's not impossible." He replied, looking over at Willow, remembering the last time his memory had been played with.
"Well let's get this bloody straight right now. My name is not Randy and I am not your sodding son!" Spike lit up another cigarette.
The room went quiet, all faces turned towards Spike. Pike looked confused,
"Ok, so Xander is important right? Anyone have any idea why? Is he our connection to the demon? Did he put this memory whammy on us? And if he's 'just a kid from school' how come the names ringing bells with me too?" Pike asked the room.
Giles stood up again and leant against the wall.
"When was the last time we saw Xander, because I just can't remember!" Buffy questioned, looking over at Willow. Willow looked back at her, confusion also written over her face.
"I don't know, I can't place it.." She responded.
"If it rings bells with me, and I've only been in town a couple of days, that narrows down our time scale." Pike said. "He must have pulled this memory whammy on us while I was here, so we must have seen him in the past few days."
"Well at least we've narrowed down the time scale. Now we should be thinking of the connection between Xander and the demon we're facing." Giles told the room.
"Well the demon said he would be back when I'm weakened. Maybe he sent Xander to mess with my memory. Maybe they figured I'd forget I was the slayer and be an easy target?" Buffy supposed.
"Yes, that makes sense. But you haven't forgotten. The only thing we've forgotten is Xander?" Willow said, "And when I think of Xander, I don't think evil, or demon, so maybe the two aren't connected. He's on our side. I'm pretty sure of it."
"Then maybe the demon put the memory whammy on us, so we would forget him and not go to him for help? Is he some kind of super hero, a powerful demon or something like that?" Pike suggested.
The group looked around at each other, it was a plausible explanation.
"Should we go and look for Xander?" Buffy asked Giles.
"Well he must be important otherwise we would remember him more clearly." Giles said, "It could be a good idea to look for him, bring him back here and question him. Maybe he'll have some idea of what it is we are up against."
"Ok. Good. We have a plan." Buffy whispered getting to her feet. Once she stood she looked around the room, confusion once more painted on her face. "Can anyone tell me what he looks like?"
"Dark hair." Willow explained.
"Anything else? Only I'm pretty sure there are quite a few men out there matching that description." Buffy explained.
"Maybe, once you are out there, if you find him, his face will jog your memory." Giles offered. "Maybe you'll recognise him when you see him."
"Right. Ok." Buffy agreed, "But while I'm gone, can you get your research caps on and try and figure out who this demon is and what it is he wants?"
Spike stood up as if to follow Buffy, Buffy put her hands out to signal him to stop.
"What?" He asked.
"Well if the demon isn't after me, he might come while I'm not here. I'm going to need you to stick around and look after the guys." She explained. Spike sat back down, not arguing.
*****************************************************