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Disclaimer: These Characters do not belong to me. They are property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, WB Network, and whoever else that has rights to BTVS.
"Oh come on Will. Melvin Udall was nothing more than an obnoxious jerk who alienated every one around him.", Xander Harris said as he, his girlfriend, Cordelia Chase, his best friend Willow Rosenberg and her boyfriend Oz walked out of the movie theater after seeing "As Good As It Gets". "No, Xander. Melvin was charming in an interesting way that made him appealing to the audience. That's part of James Brooks genius. He takes rude men and make them enduring. He did the same thing with Jack Nicholson before when they made "Terms Of Endearment"., Willow said. "I agree with her.", Oz said. "That's because she's your girlfriend." "Yeah, but I'm not her girlfriend and I agree too.", Cordelia said. "That's right your my girlfriend which means you should stick by me." "That doesn't mean I have to share the same opinions as you do."
"What's Buffy up to tonight? How come she didn't come to the movie with us?", Oz asked. Xander mouthed a thank you for getting him out of that argument. "She's hanging out at the library with Angel and Giles.", Willow answered. "God that all she ever does lately.", Xander replied. "She's trying to repair the relationship between the two men she loves. Although she loves Giles like a father and Angel like a lover." "What about me?", Xander asked. "She loves you too. Like a friend. And soon I think she'll love Oz too." "The more I'm around you the more I think that you're the smartest person in the world.", Oz said. Willow just blushed. "I still think that Buffy should give Giles time before he has to look at Angel. I don't think he's still over Ms. Calendar. Yet." "Of course he's not over her.", Cordelia said. "Yeah. It'll take him a lot longer than the rest of us to go on with life back to normal. Life will never be normal again for him.", Oz said. "It never was normal.", Xander said. "You know what I mean.", Oz answered. "It's also gonna be hard for Angel to get over it especially." "You're right. It's gonna take a long time for Angel, Giles and Buffy too to get over what's happened.", Willow said.
Buffy, Angel and Giles were sitting around the table in the library, not doing much at all. They were all uncomfortable in the silence. Angel more so than Buffy and Giles. He felt awkward around Giles, because he knew how much pain he had caused him. He knew how much pain he had caused Buffy too. He'd hurt her more than he had hurt in his entire life. He felt. He told her mother about their most intimate and loving moment and almost taken his one and only love's life. How could she forive him. He didn't understand this, but was happy to see her, yet also sad to see her and the pain she was feeling for Giles. At least she had regained her strength after the bite he had taken out of her. He did things he would give his entire existence of knowing her to take back. He would do any thing if he could just take back all the things he had done following the night of Buffy's birthday. Buffy gave around the library. It seemed darker and mustier than usual. She too was uncomfortable with the silence. She understood it though. She knew that time was what was needed between the three of them.
The awkward silence was thankfully interrupted by the opening of the library doors and the entrance of Ophelia, Buffy's cousin. "What's going on? Anything demon like for Buffy to kill and the rest of us to celebrate when it's over? Hey Angel.", she asked. "No. Nothing new.", Giles said. "Did you come from home?", Buffy inquired. "Yeah. That's why I'm here. Aunt Joyce was looking for you. I figured I'm come get you so that you don't get into trouble." Angel's head was still facing toward his shoes. That's where it always was since he got his soul back. The only comfort he got was knowing that he would never lose his soul again and never be able to torment those whom he cared about. He didn't even get comfort from Buffy when she offered it. He knew what he had done and that he couldn't look into those eyes which he loved and longed to look into so much. He desperately wanted to hold her in his arms for just one second. He wanted to see her smile. The most beautiful smile he had ever seen. He just wanted her to be happy. To see her eyes light up when she and her friends were together. When she had no worries. It wasn't often that he had seen that, but he loved it just the same. "I'd better get going.", Buffy said.
They were again interrupted by the opening of the door and some one entering. This time it was some one they hadn't seen since November. "Kendra!", Buffy cried, "What are you doing here?" "Me watcher said that some thing is going on and to come here. He had his assistant fly with me." "Your watcher has an assistant?", Buffy asked. "He hired him to help with things. He knows about the Slaying and just helps us keep the facade going." "Oh." "How is Mr. Zabudah, Kendra?" Giles asked. "He is doing well." "You remember Angel, right?", Buffy asked. "Of course. Hello Angel.", Kendra replied. "Hello." "Is some thing wrong?", Kendra asked. "You've missed a lot.", Buffy answered back. "Who's this?", Ophelia said. "We better get going. You can come to my house for right now. You'll have to stay with Giles though. Angel I'll walk you home." "All right." They four of them walked out of the library leaving Giles behind to rummage through books to find what Kendra's watcher was speaking of. "Who are you?", Giles heard Ophelia ask Kendra.
"Night.", Buffy said. "Thank you for walking me home.", Angel answered. She went to kiss him on the cheek but he backed away. "Not now.", he told her. She had a sad look in her eyes as they walked home. It wasn't long before the three of them reached Buffy's home.
"Buffy, is that you?", Joyce Summers asked. "Yeah." "Is Ophelia with you?" "I'm here, Aunt Joyce." Joyce had walked to the front entry to greet them. "Who's' your friend?" "Mom, this is Kendra. She's an exchange student. Kendra, this is my mom." "Nice to meet you Kendra. Where were you Buffy." "I was hanging around the library." "Okay. I'm going to bed. Don't stay up too long." "Alright, Aunt Joyce."
The girls walked up stairs and entered Buffy's room.
"Kendra, this is my cousin, Ophelia.", Buffy said. "It's nice to meet you.", Ophelia said. "Ophelia, Kendra is also a Slayer. When I died they called another Slayer even though I lived. Kendra, Ophelia knows I am a Slayer because she had a nasty encounter with a vampire a few months ago. Anther person also knows." "Who. You still haven't looked up 'secret identity' have you?", Kendra replied. "No I a haven't. Willow has a boyfriend and he knows." "What is all this you mentioned that we have to talk about? And what is wrong with Angelus?" "Please don't call him that.", Buffy asked softly. "Of course." "To begin with. Angel has changed some. After you left we got closer. On my birthday we made love. In the middle of all that he lost his soul. He terrorized all of us. He told my mom about us. The computer science teacher, Ms. Calendar, you didn't meet her but she and Giles were seeing each other. She turned out to be a member of the tribe of Gypsy's that gave Angel his soul back in the first place. She figured out a way to give him his soul back and he killed her. A month or so after we gave him his soul back. He almost killed me before that though. He bit me while they were performing the ritual. He feels terrible and will never forgive himself. That's why he seems different." "A lot has happened since I left." "You can say that again.", Ophelia retorted. They spoke for hours before Kendra left for Giles'.
Buffy, Willow, Xander, Oz, Cordelia and Ophelia walked into the library. They immediately saw Kendra there with Giles. Talking about some anchient prophecy no doubt. "Hey, G-Man!", Xander said. "Xander I have asked you to not call me that." "I know, but I love the look on your face when I say it." "So, any news on prophecies?", Buffy asked. "None yet.", Kendra answered. "We should get to class.", Willow said, "You know what Snyder will do to you if he knows that your not in class, Buffy." "I can stay and help if you want.", Oz offered. "Yes thank you, Oz.", Giles replied. "Kendra, I neglected to introduce you to Oz." "He's my boyfriend.", Willow said. "It is nice to meet you sir.", Kendra answered. "I see you've eased a little around boys.", Cordelia remarked. "Well we should get to class.", Xander said. "See you all later. You all have free periods next, correct?", Giles said. "Yeah.", they all answered.
"Kendra, did your Watcher say any thing specific as to what exactly was going on?", Giles asked. "No. Just to come here to give you any assistance required." "I'm sure we'll find it. Oz, can you look through some of the books on the table there? Look for any thing mentioning...well any thing that may seem of interest." "No problem.", Oz said.
"You know I thought chemistry would be much more interesting. I thought we would get to mix some stuff together or something.", Xander said as the six of the juniors exited their first period chem class. "Well, well. If it isn't the rat pack of Sunnydale High.", Harmony said as they passed by her. "Harmony shut up.", Cordelia said. "Don't make fun of my friends. They are a lot nicer than you ever were to me. And unlike you and the rest of the sheep they actually listen to what I have to say. No matter how uninteresting they happen to find it. They would save my life if they had to. You would just run away like the sheep that your are!", Cordelia yelled. "Alright. You really have turned into a loser." "Um, Harmony, the Rat Pack was cool.", Ophelia said. "You know the more I am around you the more proud I am that your my girlfriend.", Xander said.
"Miss Chase, there is no need to yell.", Principal Snyder said as he walked up to them. "I suggest the six of you do something valuable with your time rather than standing around pestering one of Sunnydale High's finest students.", he said as he looked at Harmony. The six of them just walked away.
"Finest students?", Ophelia said as they walked away. "Where did he get that into his head?". "It's probably the ears. He could store a mac truck in those things.", Buffy said. "We better head to the library.", Willow said.
"Hey I think I found something!", Oz said proudly. "It says here 'the watcher and Slayer will die by the bite of a vampire group from France and two vampire lovers' It says there are four vampires in the group. Would that be something?" "I think so. The rest of the text is in Latin. I'll have to spend some time translating it." "Um..I don't want to really bring this up, but which Slayer and Watcher would that be?", Kendra asked. "I haven't figured that out yet.", Giles answered. Just then Buffy and company walked into the library. "Hey Giles.", Buffy said as she sat in a chair at the table. "Did you find any thing?", Xander asked. "No. I did not. Oz did.", Giles replied. "I'm so proud.", Willow exclaimed. "Don't be. It's not good news.", Oz said. "What is it?", Cordelia asked. "It says in this book that a group of French vampire called the Seven Sinners will kill the Watcher and two vampire lovers will kill the Slayer. However it does not say which Slayer and Watcher." As they were discussing this the phone rang. Giles went to answer it. "Hello, Sunnydale High School Library how may I help you? It's for you, Kendra." Kendra went to the phone. She seemed surprised to hear the voice on the other end. The she seemed alarmed. "Okay. Good-bye.", she said before she put the phone back on the cradle. Before the phone could reach the hook she collapsed to the floor and lie there, unsonscience.
"I wonder who was on the phone.", Ophelia remarked. They all rushed to Kendra's side. Xander lifted her up and put her on the table. Cordelia went and got a cold cloth to put on her forehead. Willow got her jacket and put it under her head. Then they all waited for her to wake up. It didn't take long. She was only out for about fifteen minutes.
"Kendra, who was that on the phone?", Buffy asked. "It was me Watcher's assistant. I know which Watcher and Slayer the propheciy is talkin' about It is Mr. Zabudah and I. He was malled by animal. At least that's what the police say. I know better, though. Mr. Giles, does this mean that Spike and Drusilla will kill me?", she asked. "No. We won't let them.", Buffy said firmly. "That's right. We can stop them.", Willow said. "Excuse me.", Kendra said as she walked out of the libarary. They rest of the group just stood there. About ten minutes after Kendra left, Buffy left to go find her. The rest tried to go with her, but she signaled them to stay behind. They need to research stuff she said. So she left them all behind and went to find Kendra.