Willow was growing impatient as she waited for the page to load. She had managed to crack her way into the Watcher's Council files. There had to be something in here that would help with the search for Xander's Diaries. She had hit a dead end and wouldn't normally do this, but just maybe she would find something. Giles would kill her, but he'd only find out if she found something.
"About time," she mumbled as the screen filled with file names and links.
Slowly, she scrolled down. There were files after files about all the Slayers. She was tempted to look at Buffy's one, but there was no time for that, now at least. She bookmarked it for future reference and continued scrolling through the files.
There were so many, she didn't know where to start.
"At the beginning I guess," she said to herself as she stopped on the folder named 'Origins'.
As she waited for it to open, she stood up and stretched again. Her back was beginning to feel stiff. It was times like that she missed Oz. He was always willing to massage it for her with his strong hands. She looked at the calendar. He'd be back from L.A. tomorrow. She smiled to herself as she sat back down, ready to start reading.
Legolas had never before seen a warrior like Buffy. He watched in amazement as she staked her fifth Vampire of the night. She was fearless and strong. She didn't need his help at all. He was used to females needing protection and help. There were female Elves that were the exception, but on the whole, their strength lay mainly in wisdom not war.
"Well that was fun," Buffy said as she dusted herself off. "Something's up."
"How do you mean?" Legolas asked.
"Too many Vampires out tonight. Something's up."
Legolas looked around. "How do you know this?" he asked.
Buffy laughed. "Years of slaying."
He nodded. He still didn't fully understand what she called 'slaying' but he was beginning to see the need for it. She led such a dangerous life for one so young. He wanted to take her in his arms again and protect her from all the evil she fought. He could still feel her tiny body pressing against his and it sent a shiver up his spine. He liked feeling that way. But in the back of his mind was that small voice telling him that he didn't belong here, and didn't belong with her. He had to return to his home and there was no way he could take her with him and no way for him to stay and fit in her's. His heart grew heavy as his eyes caught hers. He thought he saw a flash of...something...before they closed up again.
"We should go," Buffy said quietly. "Willow might have found something. We can stop by on the way home."
Again, Legolas nodded. He didn't trust himself enough to speak. He turned to walk back the way they had come but Buffy's hand on his arm stopped him.
"This way," she said, pointing straight ahead.
He looked down at her hand, then up at her face. He flashed her a tiny smile as he turned back and followed her out of the cemetary.
Willow scrolled through the file. There wasn't as much information about the beginning of the Council as she thought there would be. She kept coming across the names Culromen and Kalena from the little had been translated into English.
Legolas would be good round about now, she thought to herself as she waited for the next page to load. Of course, assuming he could read this. Her eyes started blurring as she looked back at the screen.
Then she saw it. Belegdagnirion.
"Xander," she gasped.
But that was all she could read from that page. His name. Frustration filled her as she clicked on the icon to print out the pages. She'd take them to school with her tomorrow, no, later today, she thought as she looked at the clock, and see if Giles or Legolas could translate them. She yawned as she pulled the last sheet of paper from the printer and laid it with the others. Her body felt as tired as her eyes as she stood up and wandered over to her bed. She fell onto it and lay there on top of the covers thinking back at all the fun times she had with Xander. And now he was gone, and from what Giles and Legolas had said, he was a monster now. Not just any monster though. Xander was the monster who started it all. He was to blame for all the Vampires and Demons and things they fought. She wasn't going to believe it. Not the Xander she knew. They had read it wrong. Hadn't they?
Angel lurked outside Willow's window. Looking in, he saw her lying on her bed. She looked like she was crying. A small smile lit his face as he pondered over what to do with her. Should he kill her and leave her as a present for Buffy, or maybe take her back to Boromir's warehouse and hold her as a hostage until Faith returned the Ring? Then he'd kill her and be rid of her and her meddling magic forever. So many choices.
The only problem was she'd retracted her invitation to him and he could no longer enter her bedroom without it. He snarled as he gently tapped on her window.
"Buffy?" Willow called as she wiped her eyes and slid off her bed. As she approached her window, she saw it was Angel. She pulled it open. "Angel? Where have you been? We've been worried."
"I had something I had to check on," he said as he took a step back. Just a bit closer, he thought as Willow stopped just in front of the open window.
"What was it?" she asked, taking a step forward.
"Nothing. It came to nothing," he replied watching her carefully.
"Well Buffy will be glad you are ok."
"Yeah, Buffy," he muttered quietly.
He looked up and saw Willow giving him a puzzled look. He couldn't make her suspicious. No-one could know he was back, in a really good way as far as he was concerned. Quickly he changed the subject before Willow questioned him.
"Everyone get out ok?"
He caught the look of pain flit across the redhead's face. Oh good, something was up. He loved it when there was. It would give everyone something else to focus on and leave him free to start on his own plans.
"Willow?"
"Xander," she said softly.
Angel almost laughed. Finally, something had happened to the annoying Xander. He'd been looking forward to doing something to him himself, but if it wasn't to be, he just hoped it'd been painful. Faking a look of concern, he moved as close to the window as he could.
"Is he ok?"
"He's...gone," Willow replied. "Xander...Faith...Aragorn...all gone."
Angel's face clouded over. "Gone where?" he asked.
"The Ring," she said. "The Ring took them back."
"About time," she mumbled as the screen filled with file names and links.
Slowly, she scrolled down. There were files after files about all the Slayers. She was tempted to look at Buffy's one, but there was no time for that, now at least. She bookmarked it for future reference and continued scrolling through the files.
There were so many, she didn't know where to start.
"At the beginning I guess," she said to herself as she stopped on the folder named 'Origins'.
As she waited for it to open, she stood up and stretched again. Her back was beginning to feel stiff. It was times like that she missed Oz. He was always willing to massage it for her with his strong hands. She looked at the calendar. He'd be back from L.A. tomorrow. She smiled to herself as she sat back down, ready to start reading.
Legolas had never before seen a warrior like Buffy. He watched in amazement as she staked her fifth Vampire of the night. She was fearless and strong. She didn't need his help at all. He was used to females needing protection and help. There were female Elves that were the exception, but on the whole, their strength lay mainly in wisdom not war.
"Well that was fun," Buffy said as she dusted herself off. "Something's up."
"How do you mean?" Legolas asked.
"Too many Vampires out tonight. Something's up."
Legolas looked around. "How do you know this?" he asked.
Buffy laughed. "Years of slaying."
He nodded. He still didn't fully understand what she called 'slaying' but he was beginning to see the need for it. She led such a dangerous life for one so young. He wanted to take her in his arms again and protect her from all the evil she fought. He could still feel her tiny body pressing against his and it sent a shiver up his spine. He liked feeling that way. But in the back of his mind was that small voice telling him that he didn't belong here, and didn't belong with her. He had to return to his home and there was no way he could take her with him and no way for him to stay and fit in her's. His heart grew heavy as his eyes caught hers. He thought he saw a flash of...something...before they closed up again.
"We should go," Buffy said quietly. "Willow might have found something. We can stop by on the way home."
Again, Legolas nodded. He didn't trust himself enough to speak. He turned to walk back the way they had come but Buffy's hand on his arm stopped him.
"This way," she said, pointing straight ahead.
He looked down at her hand, then up at her face. He flashed her a tiny smile as he turned back and followed her out of the cemetary.
Willow scrolled through the file. There wasn't as much information about the beginning of the Council as she thought there would be. She kept coming across the names Culromen and Kalena from the little had been translated into English.
Legolas would be good round about now, she thought to herself as she waited for the next page to load. Of course, assuming he could read this. Her eyes started blurring as she looked back at the screen.
Then she saw it. Belegdagnirion.
"Xander," she gasped.
But that was all she could read from that page. His name. Frustration filled her as she clicked on the icon to print out the pages. She'd take them to school with her tomorrow, no, later today, she thought as she looked at the clock, and see if Giles or Legolas could translate them. She yawned as she pulled the last sheet of paper from the printer and laid it with the others. Her body felt as tired as her eyes as she stood up and wandered over to her bed. She fell onto it and lay there on top of the covers thinking back at all the fun times she had with Xander. And now he was gone, and from what Giles and Legolas had said, he was a monster now. Not just any monster though. Xander was the monster who started it all. He was to blame for all the Vampires and Demons and things they fought. She wasn't going to believe it. Not the Xander she knew. They had read it wrong. Hadn't they?
Angel lurked outside Willow's window. Looking in, he saw her lying on her bed. She looked like she was crying. A small smile lit his face as he pondered over what to do with her. Should he kill her and leave her as a present for Buffy, or maybe take her back to Boromir's warehouse and hold her as a hostage until Faith returned the Ring? Then he'd kill her and be rid of her and her meddling magic forever. So many choices.
The only problem was she'd retracted her invitation to him and he could no longer enter her bedroom without it. He snarled as he gently tapped on her window.
"Buffy?" Willow called as she wiped her eyes and slid off her bed. As she approached her window, she saw it was Angel. She pulled it open. "Angel? Where have you been? We've been worried."
"I had something I had to check on," he said as he took a step back. Just a bit closer, he thought as Willow stopped just in front of the open window.
"What was it?" she asked, taking a step forward.
"Nothing. It came to nothing," he replied watching her carefully.
"Well Buffy will be glad you are ok."
"Yeah, Buffy," he muttered quietly.
He looked up and saw Willow giving him a puzzled look. He couldn't make her suspicious. No-one could know he was back, in a really good way as far as he was concerned. Quickly he changed the subject before Willow questioned him.
"Everyone get out ok?"
He caught the look of pain flit across the redhead's face. Oh good, something was up. He loved it when there was. It would give everyone something else to focus on and leave him free to start on his own plans.
"Willow?"
"Xander," she said softly.
Angel almost laughed. Finally, something had happened to the annoying Xander. He'd been looking forward to doing something to him himself, but if it wasn't to be, he just hoped it'd been painful. Faking a look of concern, he moved as close to the window as he could.
"Is he ok?"
"He's...gone," Willow replied. "Xander...Faith...Aragorn...all gone."
Angel's face clouded over. "Gone where?" he asked.
"The Ring," she said. "The Ring took them back."