Chapter Five
Scooby's Reunited At Last
"He'll be here any minute." Buffy said, looking out the window for the umpteenth time in the past fifteen minutes.
"You did say at one, didn't you?" Tara asked as she joined Buffy at the window.
"Yea." She grabbed Tara's arm and asked alarmed "Willow's last class is at one, isn't it?"
"Yes, I even asked her the time, saying I was wondering if she would want to go out after her class."
"Good...that's good....Where IS he!" Buffy scanned the road again, trying to will Oz's van to come down the road.
"Buffy, you come sit. You're making us all nervous. Tara and I will look out the window." Xander and Tara resumed look out, while Buffy and Anya sat on the couch.
"Where's Dawn?" Anta asked aloud.
"Yea, where is she? She'd love planning a secret like this." Xander said.
"Oh my God! She must still be at Spike's. She went there last night. I hadn't even noticed, what with oz coming and researching Willow's demon." Buffy went to grab her coat and go to Spike's.
"Where are you going? He'll be here any minute." Anya said
"I need to find Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed.
"She's right, you know. You don't want to be gone while Oz's here." Xander said. Buffy hung her coat back up and sat back down.
"Here he comes!" Tara cried and pointed out the window. Buffy rushed over and looked to where she pointed. Sure enough, a green van was slowly pulling down the street. It stopped in front of the house, and Oz stepped out. Everyone ran outside, wanting to see Oz. Anya ran up and crushed him in a big hug.
"Thanks Anya, but need air."
"Oh, well, Xander told me that after long periods of not seeing a person it's customary to greet them with lots of enthusiasm." Anya said.
"Hey Oz! How's it going?" Xander asked, and gave a hug also.
"Not too bad, not that I'm home."
"Oz, this is Tara. Tara, Oz." Buffy introduced the two.
"Hey. I'm glad you're back. Willow's really missed you. I know how much you mean to her." Tara gave a shy hug.
"Thanks. I've really missed her too." Oz returned the hug.
"Well, come on in! Sit, and relax oh weary traveler of far off places." Xander led the party inside. Oz took off his coat and sat down.
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Buffy asked.
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Well, I'm gonna save you the trouble, and tell you that Buffy already filled us in on what you told her last night. So, we can get right to the planning." Tara said.
"Thanks. I really didn't want to retell the tale. With the whole idea, I've been trying to figure out where a good place would be, and if it should be a gathering, a shindig, or a hoot-en-nanny."
"What's the difference?" Xander asked.
"Well, a gathering is mellow song stylings, brie; a shindig, less mellow song stylings, dip, perhaps a large amount of malt beverages; and a hoot-en- nanny, well, it's a chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny."
"We've had this conversation before, haven't we?"
"I think so."
"Anyway, is there a certain mood you want to have? Like, really romantic, or sorta romantic, or mysterious?" Buffy asked.
"Not quite sure. I just want to see her again." Oz said.
"Well, do you want this to be followed by sex, or just a first meeting so be soon followed by a second?" asked Anya.
They all looked at her, all embarrassed, Xander most of all. "What? What'd I say?"
"I don't think I want to go that far on a first date, sex wise I mean." Oz said.
""Do you want music, or quiet-ness for talking?" asked Tara.
"Not sure."
"Ok, how about this. A romantic, candle-lit dinner for two-right here. We serve you guys; me, I'll be your waiter tonight, and we can cook. Low lights, quiet music, what's more romantic than that?" Asked Xander in a really bad, fake French accent.
"That sounds good. Really good. But are you sure you guys can cook?-not to be offensive or anything." Oz asked.
"Well, I can make French bread." Tara said.
"Salad. Xander and I will make salads." Anya said, raising her hand.
"Dawn can help me make manicotti." Buffy added.
"What could Spike make?" asked Anya.
"Something chocolaty? Like brownies, or cake, or something?" suggested Tara.
"Let him make brownies. I have got to see Spike making brownies." Xander said.
"Cool. But about the cooking, you guys are sure you don't mind? 'Cause I can take Willow out to a nice restaurant if you don't."
"Nope, we're going to cook. It's settled. What time do you want to eat?" Buffy asked.
"Ummm...seven-ish, maybe? I could pick up a nice red wine to go with the spaghetti. Tara, maybe you could somehow get Willow to dress up kinda fancy, but not lead on to a fancy dinner...or maybe say you want to take her out?" Oz said
"Yea, that would work. Oh! I could take her out and start driving around- but I would just go around the block a few times, come back here, and lead her up the walk! I t would confuse and intrigue her at the same time." Tara said excitedly.
"Genius! We've got a genius in the group." Xander said, patting Tara on the head.
"Sounds perfect to me. I-I wanted to tell you guys how much this means to me-really. This might sound corny, but I don't know how I would've done this if I didn't have your help." Oz said.
"Were happy to help. We all know how much you and Willow meant to each other, and want to see you both happy. If this is the way to do it, then so be it. You guys are so important to us, and we want what's best. Willow's been so unhappy for so long, and we want..." Tara started, but stopped when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dawn and Spike. They were walking outside, underneath a big, black umbrella.
Scooby's Reunited At Last
"He'll be here any minute." Buffy said, looking out the window for the umpteenth time in the past fifteen minutes.
"You did say at one, didn't you?" Tara asked as she joined Buffy at the window.
"Yea." She grabbed Tara's arm and asked alarmed "Willow's last class is at one, isn't it?"
"Yes, I even asked her the time, saying I was wondering if she would want to go out after her class."
"Good...that's good....Where IS he!" Buffy scanned the road again, trying to will Oz's van to come down the road.
"Buffy, you come sit. You're making us all nervous. Tara and I will look out the window." Xander and Tara resumed look out, while Buffy and Anya sat on the couch.
"Where's Dawn?" Anta asked aloud.
"Yea, where is she? She'd love planning a secret like this." Xander said.
"Oh my God! She must still be at Spike's. She went there last night. I hadn't even noticed, what with oz coming and researching Willow's demon." Buffy went to grab her coat and go to Spike's.
"Where are you going? He'll be here any minute." Anya said
"I need to find Dawn!" Buffy exclaimed.
"She's right, you know. You don't want to be gone while Oz's here." Xander said. Buffy hung her coat back up and sat back down.
"Here he comes!" Tara cried and pointed out the window. Buffy rushed over and looked to where she pointed. Sure enough, a green van was slowly pulling down the street. It stopped in front of the house, and Oz stepped out. Everyone ran outside, wanting to see Oz. Anya ran up and crushed him in a big hug.
"Thanks Anya, but need air."
"Oh, well, Xander told me that after long periods of not seeing a person it's customary to greet them with lots of enthusiasm." Anya said.
"Hey Oz! How's it going?" Xander asked, and gave a hug also.
"Not too bad, not that I'm home."
"Oz, this is Tara. Tara, Oz." Buffy introduced the two.
"Hey. I'm glad you're back. Willow's really missed you. I know how much you mean to her." Tara gave a shy hug.
"Thanks. I've really missed her too." Oz returned the hug.
"Well, come on in! Sit, and relax oh weary traveler of far off places." Xander led the party inside. Oz took off his coat and sat down.
"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Buffy asked.
"No thanks, I'm good."
"Well, I'm gonna save you the trouble, and tell you that Buffy already filled us in on what you told her last night. So, we can get right to the planning." Tara said.
"Thanks. I really didn't want to retell the tale. With the whole idea, I've been trying to figure out where a good place would be, and if it should be a gathering, a shindig, or a hoot-en-nanny."
"What's the difference?" Xander asked.
"Well, a gathering is mellow song stylings, brie; a shindig, less mellow song stylings, dip, perhaps a large amount of malt beverages; and a hoot-en- nanny, well, it's a chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny."
"We've had this conversation before, haven't we?"
"I think so."
"Anyway, is there a certain mood you want to have? Like, really romantic, or sorta romantic, or mysterious?" Buffy asked.
"Not quite sure. I just want to see her again." Oz said.
"Well, do you want this to be followed by sex, or just a first meeting so be soon followed by a second?" asked Anya.
They all looked at her, all embarrassed, Xander most of all. "What? What'd I say?"
"I don't think I want to go that far on a first date, sex wise I mean." Oz said.
""Do you want music, or quiet-ness for talking?" asked Tara.
"Not sure."
"Ok, how about this. A romantic, candle-lit dinner for two-right here. We serve you guys; me, I'll be your waiter tonight, and we can cook. Low lights, quiet music, what's more romantic than that?" Asked Xander in a really bad, fake French accent.
"That sounds good. Really good. But are you sure you guys can cook?-not to be offensive or anything." Oz asked.
"Well, I can make French bread." Tara said.
"Salad. Xander and I will make salads." Anya said, raising her hand.
"Dawn can help me make manicotti." Buffy added.
"What could Spike make?" asked Anya.
"Something chocolaty? Like brownies, or cake, or something?" suggested Tara.
"Let him make brownies. I have got to see Spike making brownies." Xander said.
"Cool. But about the cooking, you guys are sure you don't mind? 'Cause I can take Willow out to a nice restaurant if you don't."
"Nope, we're going to cook. It's settled. What time do you want to eat?" Buffy asked.
"Ummm...seven-ish, maybe? I could pick up a nice red wine to go with the spaghetti. Tara, maybe you could somehow get Willow to dress up kinda fancy, but not lead on to a fancy dinner...or maybe say you want to take her out?" Oz said
"Yea, that would work. Oh! I could take her out and start driving around- but I would just go around the block a few times, come back here, and lead her up the walk! I t would confuse and intrigue her at the same time." Tara said excitedly.
"Genius! We've got a genius in the group." Xander said, patting Tara on the head.
"Sounds perfect to me. I-I wanted to tell you guys how much this means to me-really. This might sound corny, but I don't know how I would've done this if I didn't have your help." Oz said.
"Were happy to help. We all know how much you and Willow meant to each other, and want to see you both happy. If this is the way to do it, then so be it. You guys are so important to us, and we want what's best. Willow's been so unhappy for so long, and we want..." Tara started, but stopped when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dawn and Spike. They were walking outside, underneath a big, black umbrella.