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It was around 11 o'clock at night when the phone rang. Giles eagerly picked up.
"Buffy? ~pause~ Oh, no sorry. ~pause~ Who? ~pause~ About Buffy? Why not now? Is she okay? Where is s- ~pause~ Fine, tomorrow morning. Thank you. Good-bye."
Giles wearily replaced the handset on the receiver and leaned back in his chair. Buffy had been missing for 5 days. A word with Synder told him Buffy was expelled. Willow had found Mrs. Summers in tears, demanding to know where her daughter was and "what the hell was going on": Giles had sighed in relief when Willow and Xander had volunteered to handle that area. <And now I get this call.> A Ms. Pevets from the watchers council, who would tell him nothing beyond the fact that Buffy was safe.
Until tomorrow then.
<Ouch!> Was Alfred's first conscious thought. His head cleared and he saw Audrey hovering over him with an ice pack, and Buffy in the background apologizing and swearing she hadn't meant to hit him so hard.
"It's all right Buffy. That was a fantastic right crossover. I hadn't seen it coming."
He and Buffy had been training all morning. After a time, he had switched over to sparing with quarterstaffs. She had mumbled something about Friar Tuck and started to defend herself half-heartedly. Then, without warning, something in her snapped. Eyes burning, jaw set, she really came at him. Within seconds she threw and out-of-nowhere crossover and well, the rest was history.
<She is the Slayer.>
Buffy chewed her lip nervously. She hadn't meant to hit him so hard. *;t'It was just…I don't know,> she sighed.
They had been sparing with quarterstaffs no less. She hadn't been interested. With only half her mind on the fight, her thoughts began to wander…To the last time she had used quarterstaffs. The day she had first kissed Angel. Her body had sagged as the reminders started to pile up. Suddenly, her grief turned to anger. Anger at life, at fate for handing her this whole icky life filled with sad, lonely things. She began to lash out at the nearest tangible object which had been, unfortunately, Alfred.
He was being really nice about it, now that he was conscious. She sent Audrey for more ice and helped Alfred to the couch in his study.
"Alfred" she broke off, "That name doesn't fit you. You're much too young. Maybe in 30 years, but for now you need a new name. You're last name's Williams? No, that won't work. Wills? Yeah, that'll work. And if you don't like it, I'll hit you again," Buffy finished with a quick grin. "Seriously, though, I never meant to hit you like that. I just-"
"You just what?" asked Wills softly.
"I don't know. I was just thinking about the last time I used a quarterstaff and it.. reminded me … of something..very painful. Finally, I just got mad and well, you know the rest," she added with an apologetic grin.
"What was it that was so painful?" prodded Wills gently.
"Nothing" came the short reply, the tone stopping all further questions in that area.
Wills held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. But would you help me to my computer?"
"Sure"
With Buffy all but carrying Wills, he was soon set in front of the monitor. As he booted up Buffy began to giggle. He shot her a questioning glance.
"It's just that I never expected to see a watcher in front of a computer. Mine wouldn't even go near them. Giles once called it a 'dread machine'," she imitated in her best British tones. "He left all the technology to Willow and Ms. Cal-" Her voice cut off and her lips pressed together in a thin line as she stared at some unseen picture. Just as Wills was about to break the silence, Buffy turned and walked out of the room saying something about finding Audrey and the ice.
He sighed. She wasn’t ready, not yet. He swiveled back to the screen and clicked on his "New Messages" file. One new one.
Alfred,
Keep Buffy there at all costs. She has had a very traumatic experience as of late. We do not know the whole story as of yet but we are sending someone to meet with the girl's watcher. Reportedly, she has been missing for some 5 days.
Watcher's Council