Title : FATHER GLEN
Part : 4/?
Author : Catherine
Disclaimer : The characters are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy,
Sandollar Productions, Kuzui Enterprises, 20th Century Fox Television, the
WB Television Network, and whoever else may have a hold on them. I do not
mean to infringe upon any copyrights.
When Buffy and Giles came back to the kitchen hand in hand, they noticed that Tara had joined Willow and a very excited Dawn. Almost instinctively, Buffy put herself in Giles' arms.
"Giles! Buffy! Finally!" Dawn said with enthusiasm, "The dinner is almost done," she grinned, "that smells wonderfully horribly good. I can't wait anymore, Giles…maybe it's ready now." She pouted.
"She's been like that for around ten minutes." Tara explained with her usual shyness, "Hi Buffy." She smiled to her.
Buffy was still wrapped in Giles' arms; in fact, they had never stopped touching each other.
"Looks like things between you two are going well." Willow couldn't stop herself from noticing.
Dawn looked at them with a 'finally' glare, and they could hear her mutter a "About time!" She put back her attention to the oven so that they couldn't see her smile ear to ear. She had waited a long time and even thought that she might have to do something if the two had continued to be so unconscious and blind. Finally, they had opened their eyes and seen what they had just under their noses!
Buffy looked at Giles; as if reading what she had on her mind, he nodded to her in agreement.
"Yeah," Buffy turned to Willow, "being in Giles' arms is like I'm still in Heaven."
At her last words, the room was filled with a dead silence.
Blanked, Willow managed to ask, "Buffy, what-what are you saying?" She said in a little voice, afraid she already knew the answer.
Dawn didn't move, she had left the oven to see Buffy. Tara stayed immobile too, shocked by the new revelation.
"What am I saying, Willow?" Buffy repeated slowly, staring at Willow with anger; then added, "Exactly, what I mean!"
Buffy was approaching Willow slowly while she continued, "You wonder constantly," she exaggerated the word more than necessary, "why I don't thank you all the time for resurrecting me." Buffy's voice was icy. "What sort of bad friend am I?" she was just in front of Willow who looked at her with desperate eyes.
"I need to fix it."
Looking straight in Willow's eyes, she said, "Thank you Willow, thank you for having ripped me from Heaven!"
"Buffy…No!" Willow screamed.
"Oh, no." Tara added.
As for Dawn, some tears could be seen in her eyes; Giles was at her side in a second. He took her in his arms, whispering "Don't worry, Dawn, everything will be alright." She raised her head to him, trusted him when she saw love and no doubt in his eyes. She nodded.
"Buf…Buffy, I didn't know…If…If I had suspected, I-" Willow stammered.
"You haven't even checked!" Buffy cut her off, "You assumed that it was the only thing to do and that it was right!" Buffy said angrily.
"But you know what I think, Willow," Buffy added, "You did it for yourself! You brought me back to make everything like before, as nothing happened. But I think you did it especially to prove that you could do it! Without thinking of the consequences!" Buffy screamed.
"No!" Willow exclaimed in horror that her friend could be think such thing about her, "If…if I knew it…never would I do that!" Willow cried, "You must believe me!" She supplied.
Buffy shook her head sadly, and in a softer voice, "How Willow?" She looked again at her, "How I could believe you when you can't believe yourself?"
"Buffy!" Willow was horrified by Buffy's words but not only that. She was horrified too that her friend could be right.
Watching by the window, Buffy realized that it was already dark, "Time for Patrol," she sighed.
Willow was in a state, she wanted despairing to say something to explain, to justify her actions. But she said nothing when she saw Buffy shook her head, "No, not now. I can't Willow. I need time; you owe me that," Buffy said calmly.
She walked to Dawn, "Dawnie," she said with affection, "I want you to eat, and after that do your homework. Okay?"
Dawn nodded silently, it was the first time since her return that Buffy talked like that to her and it was good. Dawn felt opposite feelings--sadness to see how her sister was, comprehension now that she knew why, and some happiness with at the attention Buffy had just shown her. She felt Giles squeeze her, as if to tell her, 'See, I told you!'
"Giles?"
"Of course, Love." He knew exactly what she was going to ask him.
"I'm going to search the weapons." With that Buffy walked to the stairs.
"Giles," Willow sniffed, "I'm really, really sorry."
Giles let Dawn to walk towards Willow. His anger was clearly visible on his face.
"I'm sure you are," he retorted.
No one had never seen him like that, so distant, icy…dangerous.
Willow looked at him with astonishment; "You need to believe me, Giles!" she tried to have some comfort but stopped suddenly. She couldn't move anymore, she was petrified. "Giles?" She said with trouble.
Even Tara seemed afraid; she had never felt such magic.
"Now, Willow," he began, looking with dark eyes at her, "I tried to make you understand, to warn you earlier. I tried to tell you that your magic could be powerful for some people but nothing compared to others. But you haven't listened to me." His voice was frightening, "Do you understand, now?"
Willow and Tara could feel all his powers.
"Now, you are going to listen to me," he stared at Willow, who couldn't even nod, "Stay away from Buffy until she decides that she is ready to talk with you. Stop playing at things you don't know. I mean it Willow, because if you don't, I won't feel any remorse to take away your powers from you. And believe me when I tell you that for me that would be a very, very easy thing to do."
Anyone in the room could see that it was serious and nobody questioned the fact that he could do it what he was saying.
Willow opened her mouth slightly but no sounds escaped.
"Giles, I'm ready." Buffy chose that moment to come back with the bag.
Giles turned to her, "So, we're ready." He smiled at her, and then he said to Dawn, "Dawn, try to eat some dinner." He winked at her, "When we'll come back, if you wish I could check your homework."
"That would be great!" Dawn returned his smile, glad to see Giles again Giles, at least with her. Even if she thought that it was cool that Giles could be so...wow. Dawn grinned; in fact, it wasn't really surprising.
Willow and Tara stayed silent.
When Buffy and Giles were at the door, they heard Buffy ask "Giles, am I imagining things or did something happen when I was upstairs?"
"Usual things love, usual things."
"Yeah," was the last thing they heard.
Willow breathed deeply, "I…I haven't even felt or imagined-"
"Me two, sweetie, me too." Tara agreed, caressing tenderly Willow's head.
Dawn looked at the two of them, when the oven dinged.
"Dinner's ready!" She said with excitement, like nothing had happened.
Willow and Tara looked at her with surprise, "What?" Dawn shrugged, "Dinner s ready and I'm hungry!"