Buffy Closed her front door and slipped her sunglasses off the top of her
head and over her puffy eyes, the mirrored shades reflected an average day,
here in Sunnydale. The Rain had stopped pouring and the sun had come out,
Kids playing, adults working, and her...she laughed to herself and stepped
out of her gate and turned toward The Mall. She slipped her headphones in
and hit play on her CD player. Loud Guitar music started wailing into her
ears. Buffy didn't know why, but had recently developed a penchant for Rock
music...the strains of music poured though her mind as she walked, eyes
concealed by her sunglasses, she was wearing a pair of tough hiking boots,
whilst the rest of her attire was that of summer, a nice pair of red
shorts, a black halter top and her hair tied back in a French braid. Before
long she met Willow outside the mall.
"Hey you..." Started Willow before she was wrapped in a tight hug..."Are
you alright, Buffy?"
"Yeah everything is perfect...why?" Buffy answered, not sure who she was trying to convince Willow or herself.
"It's just on the phone you..." Willow began, but Buffy cut her off with a wave of her hand
"Just had weird dream is all..." Willow nodded and gave Buffy one of those award-winning smiles. They grinned together and headed off to the Magic Box, making some small talk about life...the universe. and everything.
~*~
Xander sat in the Magic Box, his feet up on the table, a plate of doughy mess perched between his chest and his knees and a book in one hand. Giles sighed as he was pacing reading a large volume.
"You know, Xander, those things are better toasted." he offered, Xander looked at him Blankly and sniffed again.
"So you've said about 20 times now, it's just this is how I am used to them."
"Xander...." Started Giles before the door opening cut him off. Buffy and Willow walked in as Xander was taking a mouthful.
"EWWWW!" Said Buffy as she laid eyes on Xander's lunch.
"Eating raw crumpets again Xander?" asked Willow as he looked incredulously at Buffy.
In reply to this Xander simply blew his nose loudly in bid to win sympathy...he failed.
"So what's the big emergency, Watcher-man?" He asked, shutting the book with a satisfying thud, He knew Giles hated that name so he went out of his way to say it as much as possible. Not spitefully obviously, but in affection, of course. Or so Xander told himself...and others...frequently.
Giles narrowed his eyes, slowly peeled his glasses from his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Oh... This can't be good..." chimed in Xander. Everyone else looked at him with a mix of raised eyebrows and open mouths and disbelieving stares. "He only ever does that when he's about to tell us when the world is gonna end...or that we're out of donuts...admittedly they're both disastrous but hey..." he noticed the looks he was getting from people "I'll... stop... talking... now..."
Whilst this entire episode was going on, Giles was merely looking at them all. He sighed. Willow; the ever-faithful friend. Always there, no matter what Buffy and the rest of her Troupe put themselves through. Xander; The wisecracking, yet intense and highly focused, sidekick. And then there was Buffy...What more could be said about Buffy. Stupidly cursed with being the slayer, with many friends...yet alone...no real parental Icon...well there was Joyce, but for Buffy's role, she needed a strong Male Icon. He looked her over, the way she dressed, and then his memory conjured images of the way that other slayers have dressed, and nothing was like this. The French braid and halter-top? Unheard of with any other slayer, but that was Buffy alright... That was HIS Buffy... Giles stopped and mentally slapped himself...he really just thought that didn't he? Was it right for a watcher to become possessive over a Slayer like this? He sighed inwardly...He'd just heard Xander say something about stopping talking...he butted in. "I received this letter, this morning" He said fishing an envelope out of his drawer. All three of them could see that it had not been opened yet.
"Erm, Giles...That like, um... looks like it's from the council and stuff" Willow stammered, remembering the last time the council had written to Giles.
"SEE! I told you it wasn't good!" Said Xander, triumphantly. Once again everyone gave him those looks and he filled his mouth with raw crumpet.
"It could be good news," chimed in Willow, trying to sound perky, yet encouraging. "Like 'Well Done' or something"
"Yeah pass go and collect 200 dollars" Xander mumbled to himself.
Buffy Finally broke her silence..."What they want now? Kill some all- powerful demon? Go rescue some crazy Dhampire woman with a Psycho Vampire Cat?" Buffy trailed off as she felt the assault of Willows withering glare.
Willow had fond memories of Darcy...Of that look on Giles face when Basil first spoke to him, and that part when Xander had his, now legendary, first Crumpet experience. Then she plopped down into a chair next to Xander and looked over at the Watcher. "So ya gonna open it?" She asked.
Giles looked at each of them, Xander and Willow offered encouraging nods, and Buffy merely shrugged, that wasn't surprising he reasoned, she'd found it hard to come to terms with anything that the Council had ordered, since, well, ever really. He slowly broke the wax seal that held the envelope closed and withdrew the paper inside, started to unfold it and stopped, looking at the three again. Then unfolded it fully, his eyes skimmed over the parchment inside and he pinched the bridge of his nose again.
Xander briefly considered doing a victory dance, and then realized just how much pain he would be in several seconds after he started, and just where Buffy's foot would be at that point. "So what's the Beef? Vampire or demon" Xander asked after a few seconds.
"Neither" commented Giles softly, still reading.
"Ah, so it is some 'Well Done' thing like I said right. Finally the council are..." Willow started
"No Willow, it's not. That either"
Buffy had been standing in a corner, becoming anxious. "Then just what the bloody hell do they want?" Xander decided to resist the obvious Spike joke.
"It looks like we are taking a plane flight." Said Giles
Everyone but Xander rolled his or her eyes. "We're going back to England? SWEET! American Crumpets just aren't the same." With that Willow slapped him on the arm really, REALLY hard.
~*~
"Yeah everything is perfect...why?" Buffy answered, not sure who she was trying to convince Willow or herself.
"It's just on the phone you..." Willow began, but Buffy cut her off with a wave of her hand
"Just had weird dream is all..." Willow nodded and gave Buffy one of those award-winning smiles. They grinned together and headed off to the Magic Box, making some small talk about life...the universe. and everything.
~*~
Xander sat in the Magic Box, his feet up on the table, a plate of doughy mess perched between his chest and his knees and a book in one hand. Giles sighed as he was pacing reading a large volume.
"You know, Xander, those things are better toasted." he offered, Xander looked at him Blankly and sniffed again.
"So you've said about 20 times now, it's just this is how I am used to them."
"Xander...." Started Giles before the door opening cut him off. Buffy and Willow walked in as Xander was taking a mouthful.
"EWWWW!" Said Buffy as she laid eyes on Xander's lunch.
"Eating raw crumpets again Xander?" asked Willow as he looked incredulously at Buffy.
In reply to this Xander simply blew his nose loudly in bid to win sympathy...he failed.
"So what's the big emergency, Watcher-man?" He asked, shutting the book with a satisfying thud, He knew Giles hated that name so he went out of his way to say it as much as possible. Not spitefully obviously, but in affection, of course. Or so Xander told himself...and others...frequently.
Giles narrowed his eyes, slowly peeled his glasses from his face and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"Oh... This can't be good..." chimed in Xander. Everyone else looked at him with a mix of raised eyebrows and open mouths and disbelieving stares. "He only ever does that when he's about to tell us when the world is gonna end...or that we're out of donuts...admittedly they're both disastrous but hey..." he noticed the looks he was getting from people "I'll... stop... talking... now..."
Whilst this entire episode was going on, Giles was merely looking at them all. He sighed. Willow; the ever-faithful friend. Always there, no matter what Buffy and the rest of her Troupe put themselves through. Xander; The wisecracking, yet intense and highly focused, sidekick. And then there was Buffy...What more could be said about Buffy. Stupidly cursed with being the slayer, with many friends...yet alone...no real parental Icon...well there was Joyce, but for Buffy's role, she needed a strong Male Icon. He looked her over, the way she dressed, and then his memory conjured images of the way that other slayers have dressed, and nothing was like this. The French braid and halter-top? Unheard of with any other slayer, but that was Buffy alright... That was HIS Buffy... Giles stopped and mentally slapped himself...he really just thought that didn't he? Was it right for a watcher to become possessive over a Slayer like this? He sighed inwardly...He'd just heard Xander say something about stopping talking...he butted in. "I received this letter, this morning" He said fishing an envelope out of his drawer. All three of them could see that it had not been opened yet.
"Erm, Giles...That like, um... looks like it's from the council and stuff" Willow stammered, remembering the last time the council had written to Giles.
"SEE! I told you it wasn't good!" Said Xander, triumphantly. Once again everyone gave him those looks and he filled his mouth with raw crumpet.
"It could be good news," chimed in Willow, trying to sound perky, yet encouraging. "Like 'Well Done' or something"
"Yeah pass go and collect 200 dollars" Xander mumbled to himself.
Buffy Finally broke her silence..."What they want now? Kill some all- powerful demon? Go rescue some crazy Dhampire woman with a Psycho Vampire Cat?" Buffy trailed off as she felt the assault of Willows withering glare.
Willow had fond memories of Darcy...Of that look on Giles face when Basil first spoke to him, and that part when Xander had his, now legendary, first Crumpet experience. Then she plopped down into a chair next to Xander and looked over at the Watcher. "So ya gonna open it?" She asked.
Giles looked at each of them, Xander and Willow offered encouraging nods, and Buffy merely shrugged, that wasn't surprising he reasoned, she'd found it hard to come to terms with anything that the Council had ordered, since, well, ever really. He slowly broke the wax seal that held the envelope closed and withdrew the paper inside, started to unfold it and stopped, looking at the three again. Then unfolded it fully, his eyes skimmed over the parchment inside and he pinched the bridge of his nose again.
Xander briefly considered doing a victory dance, and then realized just how much pain he would be in several seconds after he started, and just where Buffy's foot would be at that point. "So what's the Beef? Vampire or demon" Xander asked after a few seconds.
"Neither" commented Giles softly, still reading.
"Ah, so it is some 'Well Done' thing like I said right. Finally the council are..." Willow started
"No Willow, it's not. That either"
Buffy had been standing in a corner, becoming anxious. "Then just what the bloody hell do they want?" Xander decided to resist the obvious Spike joke.
"It looks like we are taking a plane flight." Said Giles
Everyone but Xander rolled his or her eyes. "We're going back to England? SWEET! American Crumpets just aren't the same." With that Willow slapped him on the arm really, REALLY hard.
~*~