Title: Season of Change 4/?
Author: Katy Hart
Disclaimer: Joss and company own them. I’m just
changing things for the better.
A/N: additional note for this part, the Willow/Xander clothes fluke, never
happened.
Homecoming this week, Cordy is making a very big deal out of it, running for Queen, flyers and posters, the whole deal. Been there, done that, wore the crown. Will and Faith keep dragging me out dress shopping. I’m not sure I want to go, another fifth wheel sitch. Giles will be there as a chaperone, I wonder what he’ll look like in a tux. I don’t think I’ve seen him in anything other than tweed.
We visit the mansion every day. I can tell how hard it is for Giles, the pain in his eyes every time he goes there is big. I wish I could take back what happened but I can’t. What Angelus did was terrible and I don’t think there is anything I could do or say to change that. We never talk about it though I know Giles is still researching, still trying his British best to find out why Angel is back. Wish I could find a way to tell him how much that means to me.
From the Personal Diary of Rupert Giles November 3, 1998
The traditions of American teenagers are indeed very strange. Their ‘football’ team plays games out of town for two weeks before playing at home and they throw a party. It seems they will use any excuse to dress up and hold a dance. Of course as a faculty member I must chaperone this event. When I mentioned this to Buffy she had what almost seemed to be a look of interest. I dismissed it rather quickly. Instead I shall remember to remove my tuxedo from the closet in time to have it cleaned and pressed.
I continue to help Buffy with Angel. She is correct in believing that he may have been sent back by a higher power. There is no evidence of anyone returning from a hell dimension on their own power. But I cannot find information on whom or what power would have sent him back. I may have to make discreet enquiries to certain contacts at the council. Each day is an exercise in overcoming my anger to help Buffy. I feel it necessary to endure this to help rebuild our trust. There is a small part of me that just wants to stake Angel and be done with it. However if he was returned for a reason, what harm would I be causing by killing him? And would doing so make me not better than he was?
Buffy’s Diary Nov 5 98
Decided to go to the dance after all. Went dress shopping with mom. Faith of course had bought hers ages ago. Not much to choose from this late in the game, but I held out hope. Avoiding ruffles and bows (what’s up with that?) I finally found the perfect one. Red, spaghetti straps and easy to move in just incase I had to do any slaying.
More trips to the mansion with Giles. We take turns bringing blood. I know it’s killing him doing this for me. And that’s the only reason he’s doing it. Because I asked him to. Angel responds to my voice, but Giles is there, ready to hit in case something goes wrong. Spending this time with him is good. When we leave we talk about Slayer stuff, sometimes life stuff. I even told him that I’m over Angel, no more of the silly romantic thoughts. He’s told me stuff about his life, things he did as a kid. There was a story about playing fighter pilot and several broken lamps. It made me laugh. It’s kinda weird how being with Giles makes me forget about everything, even Angel.
From the Personal Journal of Rupert Giles November 5, 1998
Buffy was quite excited by the prospect of going to this dance, rambling on about dress shopping to Willow. To see her excited about something normal brings joy to my heart. She has suffered so much and just desires to fit in. I hold out some hope that the Hellmouth will not interfere, though that scenario is highly unlikely.
The continuing visits to the mansion are an interesting adventure. I am always at the ready should something go wrong. Our talks on the way back are interesting. The bond we had seems to be reforming and our trust is returning. She confided in me that she has no more love for Angel, other than that of a naïve young girl. I find myself telling her of my childhood and she laughs at my stories, particularly the one involving my mothers’ precious Tiffany lamps and their demise when I was playing at being a fighter pilot. It is good to see her laugh. For a moment we both forget why we are walking and where we are walking from.
Buffy’s Diary Nov 7 98
So the dance was a bust. Instead Faith and I got caught in something called SlayerFest98. Catchy huh? We’d gotten a limo to go, only turns out it had been hijacked by nasties. There was a video to greet us from some vamp calling himself Mr. Trick. I think I’ve seen him before. Faith totally destroyed the laptop.
We were chased by vamps (dust), this weird demon thing with spikes on its head (slayed it) and these twisted twins who tracked us using fake corsages (they’re toast). Dress was totally ruined, thank you very much Hellmouth. Giles was there, when the twins chased us to the school, I’d left him a message after finding a phone in an abandoned cabin. He looked really good in his tux, but I shook off that weird tingling in my tummy as excitement. Whoever this Mr. Trick is, he’s working for someone. There’s no way he is powerful enough to have organized this. Whatever the Hellmouth had in store for us, we’ll be ready. Oh, Cordy won, good for her.
From the Personal Journal of Rupert Giles November 7, 1998
I may have joked with Willow and Xander about trouble, unfortunately it turns out I was not wrong. Buffy and Faith were waylaid on the trip to the dance. Faith’s young man, Scott, was quite worried. He even suggested going and looking for them, which we quickly dissuaded him of. When I retreated to the library, the message I received from Buffy cause my heart to race. I don’t remember ever worrying about her fighting before this.
I was busy collecting weapons when they burst in, running on about being chased by human twins apparently. A brief rundown of this…SlayerFest thing made me wonder if there was a new evil in town. The twins were dispatched quickly, just in time for them to see Cordelia’s crowning as Homecoming Queen. Despite having been chased hither and yon, Buffy looked rather fetching in her dress. I persuaded someone to take a picture of her, something to remember this night by.