Chapter 9

Return to Sunnydale

Nearly a month of magical training passed. Intense magical training. Near the end of the month, Buffy was fighting both Giles and Athena–and winning. With the help of both, she'd mastered the sword as best as she could without using it's full potential.

Buffy and Dawn spent time talking about their days.

Buffy, Giles and Tara spent time planning, and brought Xander and Dawn in near the time for Giles and Buffy to return to Sunnydale.

Athena said good bye to the couple at the airport and all three promised to keep in contact while Buffy and Giles were in Sunnydale.

Marius Vondagole also said good bye, and good luck, at the airport. He'd presented both Watcher and Slayer with items to help them in their fight against Willow.

The plane ride from London to LA was long, cramped and angering. Both Giles and Buffy had to restrain each other at different times from releasing their anger, be it verbally or physically.

Tara, Dawn and Xander met them at the airport. Willow and Anya thought Buffy and Giles weren't returning for another day or two.

"Buffy, G-man!" Xander said, obviously extremely happy to see Slayer and Watcher.

"Ohmygod, I'msogladtoseeyou!" Dawn squealed.

"Breath Dawn," Tara said with a smile. Buffy looked at her sister and friends and noticed they looked older, more drawn and on guard.

"That bad?" she asked.

"We can talk about it later," Dawn said after shuffling her feet. "Lets go catch up." Buffy and Giles collected their luggage and followed to trio to Buffy's jeep. No one but Giles notice how tense she'd become once she'd seen her friends, just as no one noticed how she flinched when Dawn accidently mentioned Willow. Despite being over her fear, mostly, she didn't like Willow.

"Are you all right?" he whispered, her hand clutching his.

"I'm fine," she whispered back, loosening her grip somewhat.

The Summers house was basically the same as how they'd left it, they begin Buffy and Giles. This was something that shocked them both to no end.

It was lucky that Willow wasn't home when Buffy saw the state of the dining room and the bathroom though. Magical items were all over the room (why in the bathroom, she didn't even think about) and took up most visible free space.

"Buffy?" Dawn asked, somewhat worried at the expression on her sister's face.

"What is all this Tara?" she asked in a low voice.

"Willow's on a trip for a class. D-Dawn and I were going through the house and f-finding all her s-stashes."

"Tell me this is all of it," Buffy pleaded softly. Giles was inspecting the items on just the dining room table, and they could tell he was both disgusted and angered.

"We're n-not sure," Dawn said in a small tone, hoping Buffy didn't lash out.

She didn't. She closed her eyes and counted to ten, praying she had enough strength and control to make it through the days until Willow returned.

"When's she comin' back?"

"In a few days," Xander supplied with what sounded like a regretful tone.

"How bad were things?"

"Bad. As in even Ripper would be mad," Xander said, looking at Giles. The Watcher didn't respond, but continued looking at the items. He'd heard the conversation though.

"Tara, where are all the darker items?" Giles asked in a tight voice.

"In Bu-Buffy's w-weapons chests. I-I didn't w-want Willow t-to fin-nd them if she c-came home e-early."

"Both chest?" Buffy asked.

"Yes," Dawn replied. "And the trunk with the fake bottom."

"How much fucking stuff did she have?!" the Slayer asked in shock. Neither Dawn of Tara answered, they just looked at the floor, guiltily.

Xander swallowed. "I helped them move some of the furniture and stuff. Th-there were some things that looked like they were for the, um...for the resurrection spell," he finished in a low voice.

A tension settle over Watcher and Slayer, only for different reasons. Buffy had told Giles and Athena everything she knew of the resurrection spell, both what she saw and what happened, in great detail in England. Not even Giles' presence could stop her nightmares the night after.

"Buffy, Giles?" Tara asked hesitantly.

"This has to stop," Buffy told Giles.

"I concur," he growled.

"When she arrives?"

"No. We must pretend we no nothing, and have her off balance when it's time."

"But soon?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Silence settled over the house. Until Xander broke it, trying to lighten the tension.

"So, how about we get some food?"

It took a few moments, but laughter and grumbling stomachs ensued. The reunited friends left the house and piled into Buffy's jeep.

"So where should we go eat?" Xander asked form the driver's seat.

"NOT the DMP!" chorused from Tara, Buffy and Dawn. Tara and Dawn had eaten from the fast food joint after Buffy's death to much for comfort, and Buffy really didn't think she could stomach the garbage.

"I believe there is something called Denny's," Giles said, having never, in all his years in Sunnydale, been to the restaurant.

"Denny's it is," Xander said as the three females in the back agreed. Loudly.

After spending nearly two hours at Denny's and thirty minutes sitting content in the jeep, the small band of Scoobies returned to Summers' residence.

"We're gonna head home for the night," Xander said while Anya went to their car, keys in hand. "Night guys!"

"Night," Dawn, Tara and Buffy called.

"Good evening Xander," Giles replied before returning to his thoughts.

Entering the house once more, Buffy and Giles sighed in unison, confronted with Willlow's magical items once more.

"I think w-we should all g-go bed and d-deal with this in the m-morning," Tara said, yawning. She knew Watcher and Slayer had to tired and suffering from jet-lag.

"Excellent idea," said Watcher commented. Buffy mumbled her agreement and lead him up the stairs

Dawn and Tara smiled at each other, glad the couple was home, and carried the luggage up the stairs, knowing it was needed and Watcher and Slayer were too tired to go back down and get it.

All in all, being back in Sunnydale was fine so far, according to Buffy and Giles' standards. But they knew it wouldn't last, not for long, and not after Willow returned. But they were ready for her.

When Willow Rosenberg returned, she wasn't going to know what hit her.

AN: sorry for the two page length!

I know I'm not the only one who does this, so if anyone copied/pasted the story to read later, and corrected any mistakes in the story while they read it, could you PLEASE send me the chapters? Pretty please, with Willow and Tara's magical sprinkles on top?