A/N: Heads up: work has been a beast recently and so my publishing schedule is probably going to get a lot less consistent. And by that I mean it'll be new chapters weekly instead of bi-weekly. Maybe a few chapters posted on Wednesdays still, but that will depend on my free time.
Beth trekked across the school lawn to where she saw Daniel leaning against the brick wall of his school steps. He must have felt her approaching, as he turned around to greet her just as she stopped beside him.
"Nadja has a make-up test right now, so she's unable to play the cabbie to our drive home," Beth told him. "Wanna go get a smoothie while we wait?"
His lips turned downward as he contemplated something and she almost half-expected him to deny her offer, even if there was no reason to.
"Alright," he agreed, though he didn't look happy about it. His mood seemed to have gone south some when Beth told him about Nadja's makeup test. Maybe he just hated waiting. The two walked down the sidewalk, heading toward the line of shops a few blocks down from their school. They often frequented the smoothie shop, mostly because she wasn't fond of the froyo shop across the street (froyo was ice cream's sad, low calories cousin, after all). She ordered a Banana Swirl while he got something green (likely had that gross wheatgrass stuff in it) before sitting down at a small seat beside the window, giving them a good view of the street. It was odd having it be the only two of them, but hopefully Nadja would breeze through her makeup test and come and join them shortly.
"You know, at some point we're going to have to move to hot chocolate," she commented, fingering the sleeve of her jacket. Now that it was getting into November, the days had become noticeably chillier and smoothies were more of a summer thing. There was a coffee shop down the way that she usually studiously avoided, but mostly because one of the baristas flirted with her more than she liked. But for the sake of body warmth, she might just go.
He nodded absentmindedly, occasionally taking sips of his smoothie. He definitely had something on his mind and she wondered if it was alright to pry. Normally he was rather open with things, though normally he never looked this bothered.
"Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?" he asked her suddenly, his mind coming back to the present.
"Nothing out of sorts. Jackie's coming down, though I don't know if his father will be joining him," she told him. "Mr. Wood is all kinds of busy in Cleveland and he's not too fond of my dad anyway. Not that anyone can blame him really."
"Does he dislike that your father was once a vampire?" he asked in a low tone, mindful of the employees in the shop. No one else was around though, and the cashier had disappeared into the back kitchen anyway.
"More like he dislikes that my dad killed his mother," she explained. "She was a slayer."
He seemed shocked at this information. "Oh. I mean, I knew your father had hunted them, but I had not realize he had been successful."
"Twice," she informed him. "My mum is technically the one that got away. Sort of. Though, some people do see marriage as a different form of death."
"I think it's nice," he told her. "I don't remember too much of my own parents' marriage, but I think it was good."
"Unfortunately for me, I think I know too much about my parents' marriage," she muttered, grimacing. Sometimes the walls of the house were just a tad bit too thin. Thank God for sound proof headphones.
"Beth, I know this may sound a bit odd, but I have something to ask you," he started, shifting in his seat.
Ah, so thus began what was on Daniel's mind. She hadn't realized it had something to do with her and for some reason, that offset her a little.
"So the question about Thanksgiving was just mindless setup," she noted. "Gave you time to work up your nerve to ask. I can tell something's been bothering you. So, what is it?"
"Would you like to go out some time?"
She blinked. And then she blinked again. There were words people used to respond to these sort of questions (like "yes" or "no" or "get lost you creep"), but none of them were coming to the forefront of her mind right now. All she could do was stare at him.
Daniel, to his credit, didn't grow nervous due to her extended silence. If anything, he understood it. The question had come out of the far-left field.
"Like a date?" she finally got out, because hey, technically they were already "going out" right now, as in the literal sense of going somewhere with someone.
He nodded, face still blank and accepting.
She really didn't know where this had come from. Sure, she might have laughed at the idea of dating Daniel, but that was more so for the fact that he seemed completely uninterested (he showed more interest in her dad, for goddess' sake).
"I…I guess," she said hesitantly, feeling there was nothing wrong with saying yes. While it may have gotten her into a bit of trouble last time, she had full confidence that Daniel was not a vampire pretending to be a human in order to turn her (she'd seen him out in the sunlight, hadn't she?). And really, she ought to move onto greener pastures.
"I was thinking this weekend," he told her, not at all looking perturbed by her lack of enthusiasm. "We could see a movie."
"Alright," she agreed, still feeling like the world had gone and shifted on her. Had she somehow fallen into some weird alternate dimension? She promised Zack she'd tell him if she ever got involved again, but something told her he'd just laugh if she said it was with Daniel. Hell, she figured even her mother would laugh.
She also wondered what she should tell Nadja. Obviously, Nadja didn't see this coming either, otherwise she would have told Beth (or maybe she did know and had set it all up. Was there really a makeup test?). Maybe she'd at least wait until after the date because there was also a possibility Daniel was not himself right now (possession, mind control, invasion of the body snatchers; the list went on).
"Okay," he asserted with a firm nod, turning back to his smoothie like the weirdest thing in the universe hadn't just happened, executed by him. He still seemed preoccupied though, making her think that maybe he was possessed.
-.-
In the end, she chose to go through with the date before telling anyone. Sure, Nadja would be mighty pissed finding out about it after the fact, but that was something she was just going to have to get over. And all she had to do was tell her parents she was seeing a movie with Daniel Saturday night and no one batted an eye. They told her to have fun and to not come home too late.
The movie was fine, though she hadn't been fully immersed in it like she would have liked. It had been an action film and one that had been pretty well pulled off, but the amount of tension and awkwardness between the two of them was distracting. They were like friends trying out the new title of "significant other" just to find it didn't fit well. They ended the night out on the curb in front of the theater, Beth still holding the bucket of popcorn, giving her something to do. So far, Daniel hadn't tried anything remotely romantic and if it hadn't been for the way he had asked her, it would have just been two friends going to see a movie together. Everyone else thought that's what it was anyway.
"Did you like the movie?" he asked, turning his head to look at her.
She nodded stiltedly, still eating the popcorn. "I did," she told him. "The plot was good, if not a little overused."
He nodded his agreement. They both just hung there, not sure what to do next, not even really making eye contact with one another. Every time they did, they smiled awkwardly at one another, only making it worse.
"So do you want to—," he started just as she began to talk. When he noticed she had wanted to say something, he stopped, motioning for her to say her piece.
"Look, Daniel, this was nice and all but," she began, not believing she was actually going to use the "we should just be friends" speech, "I think maybe we're just better off being friends."
She was mildly surprised when he nodded his head without any sort of hesitation or disappointment. "Oh, no, I agree. I do think the underlying tone of 'date' throws off any sort of equilibrium that we have with one another."
"Well, I'm glad we agree on that then," she said with a slight frown. "Why did you ask me anyway? Just to give it a shot?"
He looked embarrassed, ducking his head. "I actually never had any intention of asking you," he admitted. "I wanted to ask Nadja, but I was too nervous and I thought it might help me to ask someone else first. Practice makes perfect, as they say."
"Wait," she started, the whole picture finally presented to her. "You're actually interested in Nadja?" At his nod, she continued, "And so you only asked me because you were nervous and I was a good practice run?"
"I hope you're not upset with me," he told her.
"No, it's just—well, I'm surprised actually," she admitted. "I didn't know you liked Nadja like that."
"I find her refreshing," he told her with a slight smile. "And I think she is pretty."
She smiled sadly, already know what she was going to have to tell him next. "I think I should tell you that Nadja's not all that interested in dating anyone," she told him softly. "It's not you, it really is her, I promise. It's just not her thing. I'm sorry."
He deflated a little at that news, but he nodded in understanding. When he looked up at her again, he was smiling, even if it was a little sad. "Thank you for letting me know," he said. "The last thing I would want to do is make our relationship uncomfortable by admitting I have feelings she would not reciprocate. After what I have experience with you, I think it would be better if I just allowed my feelings to stay my own. I admire her friendship above all else and I do not wish to lose that."
Well if that wasn't a feeling she could get behind. "Sorry it couldn't have worked out," she apologized, rubbing his shoulder.
He shrugged. "Not everything you want in life is something you will get," he told her. "I have my whole life ahead of me. Who knows who else I will meet?"
She smiled at him. "Well, that's the spirit. Now, how about we toss this old popcorn and go get us some soft pretzels?"
-.-
Beth really tried to rouse up her excitement for it, she really did. After all, Andrew had come crashing into their home, ready with another presentation. She knew he liked being the one with all the information, playing the well-informed Watcher, but honestly, she just wasn't mentally ready to sit through gods only knew how long of a PowerPoint. She didn't know how many slides this one included, but judging from the light in his eyes, it wasn't going to be short, sweet, and to the point (that likely wasn't even a phrase in Andrew's word arsenal).
In the library, Nadja had taken to trying to balance a pencil on her nose while Daniel spotted her. In light of recent knowledge that he had some sort of feelings for Nadja, he didn't seem to react to her any differently than he had before. In fact, he was completely normal and put-together, enough so that it made Beth wonder if he hadn't simply thought he had feelings for Nadja because that was something he was supposed to have. Or maybe he was just really weird. That felt pretty plausible too.
"So how come we're invited to this one?" Nadja asked, occasionally bumping the tip of the pencil with her hand to keep it from falling too far left or right.
She shrugged. "Probably because this doesn't involve some really dangerous vampire that could easily murder you all?" she suggested.
"Hey, we totally handled those vampires at James' mansion last May," Nadja pointed out. "Nary a scratch to be found on us." That was a total lie. Beth hadn't seen the immediate states of her friends following her rescue—she had been focusing on breathing after all—but from what she had seen following that night hadn't been pretty. Nadja walked with a limp for a couple of weeks.
"This information also needs to be recounted to your family," Daniel told her. "I believe that I am just here by default as it would be rude to leave me out."
Beth looked up from the table as her parents and aunt were shuffled into the room, followed by a very animated Andrew. He was back at it again in his tweed, looking ever like the overgrown nerd he was.
"Hello my slayer," he greeted cheerfully, beginning to unpack his bag. The laptop was out first and he struggled to get it connected to the projector, much like he had last time. Beth watched him with thinly veiled amusement as he connected and reconnected wires.
Both Buffy and Spike occupied the far corner of the library, both looking grumpy and absolutely unprepared for whatever Andrew was going to throw at them. Why couldn't he just drone on and on before cutting it up into simpler words like Giles did? It really wasn't that hard, Buffy thought. And, hey, it was effective. Wasn't she known for being one of the best slayers in all of slayer history?
"There we go," he cheered as he got everything up and running. For his first slide, he nicely chose a picture of the Sunnydale crater, much to Buffy's displeasure. Beth could hear her muttering from the back of the room.
"So, something tells me this presentation is going to be very uplifting," Beth noted dryly, earning her a look from her Watcher.
"So, today," Andrew began, pulling out a laser pointer, "I am going to tell you everything we know about these surges we've been experiencing here in Bellevue."
"And it has something to do with a crater?" Nadja asked, the pencil dropping to the table with a plunk as she dropped her chin to look at the screen.
"Precisely!" he shouted, earning himself a jolt from Nadja as he pointed at her. He composed himself quickly though, before backtracking, "Er, well, maybe. It's a little unclear still."
"Unclear?" Buffy groaned. "Your job is to make it un-unclear."
"There is still much uncertainty surrounding these surges," he told her, trying to maintain his authority over the group (if he ever had any to begin with, that is). "At Headquarters, what we have noticed is that in the recent months, there have been two large magical surges in the Seattle area, all originating from relatively close areas, and yet, not at the same location."
"Really, like we didn' bloody notice that," Spike grumbled, earning him a jab from Willow, who shushed him.
If Andrew heard him, he went on like he hadn't. "Both events have coincided with large-scale activity, the uh earthquake and the epidemic. What you haven't noticed is that there has overall been an increase in magical interference from this area, along with a few smaller, less noticeable spikes."
"There's been more?" Beth asked for clarification.
"Precisely," he agreed, though with less flourish than he had with Nadja. "These spikes also coincide with activity, though on a much smaller scale. Shortly afterward, there appear to be increases in traffic collisions, outbreaks of fires, and people admitted to the hospital for a variety of accidents. Without knowledge of the spikes, the activity is completely normal."
"So something is at work constantly," Willow surmised, probably the only one actively paying attention (even Beth went in and out sometimes and Daniel looked more interested in whatever papers were in front of him).
"Yes, but we don't know what," he told them, looking a little disappointed himself. "The spikes are getting large though and more frequent. Where before we noticed them every few weeks, there now becoming weekly and we believe they will only increase in intensity and frequency the longer they go on.
"Now," he said, turning toward his PowerPoint. He had clicked through some graphs—none of which Beth paid any attention to—but had now come to a stop on another doomsday-type image. It was some artist recreation of the apocalypse (likely biblical), including raging hell-fires and cackling demons. All in all, it really was an attention-getter.
"So that's it," Buffy stated. "That's what it's turning into?"
"Merely a theory," he replied. "It is likely the spikes and surges will continue on into disastrous proportions, considering the damage they wreak as time passes."
"Well, couldn't the spikes just be an influx of magical activity in the area?" Nadja theorized. "The air at my grandfather's home always felt more static-y after one of their wizard meetings."
"Unlikely," he responded. "While some spikes might be accounted for such an increase, the surges would require far too much power for a group to yield. So unless there's some sort of magical convention going on…" he trailed off, glancing over at Willow.
"I haven't heard anything," she told him. "Neither has Esme or anyone else in her family for that matter." She glanced at Nadja, who nodded her head in affirmation.
"Nothing that I've heard of either," Nadja agreed, "and my family basically runs the magical community here. No large gathering like that could go unnoticed."
"So it's safe to say it's a world-ending magic surge," Beth said, getting back to the beginning. "How do we stop it?"
He flailed a little at that. "Without any known cause, there's isn't much we can do. For now, all we can do is keep tracking the surges and hope that we can predict one and trace it back to its originator. Until then, we keep looking."
"Okay, let me throw this one out," she started. "What if it's not originating from here?"
"You mean from somewhere abroad?"
"Really abroad. Like another dimension abroad," she clarified. "Could we even trace that?"
"It would be a lot more difficult," Willow admitted. "I hadn't even considered it's not coming from this plane. Esme and I sure haven't broadened our scope enough to watch that far."
"The Council has far more resources to pull something like that off long-term," Andrew told her. "I will inform Giles of such a possibility and see to it that they begin to look, erm, 'abroad.'"
"Where'd you get that idea?" Spike asked, both curious and a little proud that his daughter was thinking bigger than the supposed "brains" in the room (not like Andrew was really a brain though, right?).
"An idea someone suggested to me," she replied. "I don't know how likely it is, but I think it's something to look into. If these surges are going to get as dangerous as Andrew thinks, we might as well overturn every rock."
"I agree," Andrew said, looking upon his charge with pride as well, even if most of his training had already been covered by both her parents. He had some effect on Beth, didn't he?
"So now we just extend the search outward and then wait until something happens?" Nadja asked, slumping down in her chair. "That sounds absolutely boring."
Willow sighed, unable to help herself from agreeing with the girl. "It will be, but there's not much else we can do until then."
"Can't we somehow set up a sort of barrier, in order to keep the next surge from creating problems?" Beth inquired. "You did say they're getting bigger."
Andrew fidgeted uncomfortably, so she already knew she wasn't going to like his answer. "In order to maintain something like that, we'd need constant power going in because we don't know when the next surge will occur."
"So waiting," Nadja finished. "We're going to do a whole lot of waiting."
Beth glanced over her shoulder to see both her parents wearing equally unhappy looks. Neither one excelled at the ever so much fun of the "waiting game" and it was no wonder Beth felt the same way. She slouched down in her own chair with a frown, unhappy not with just the waiting, but that there wasn't even much they could do once it happened again. If the surges were really getting worse, it was with apprehension she wondered how the magic would manifest itself.