"There, through the broken branches, fly
Ravens of unresting thought...."
"So, what're you gonna do after graduation?"
"Um, okay. I know this one. Get my degree, get married, have two kids-- a boy and a girl-- and a golden retriever, and live happily ever after, while slaying vampires on weekends."
"Oh."
"Yeah, I know. Doesn't really sing, does it?"
"No, not really."
"What about you?"
"Uh... go to college, get my degree, and die alone in a tiny apartment."
"Will! That's not gonna happen-- you're *not* going to end up alone."
"Right, right. I'll have a bunch of software and a dead Tamagotchi."
"That's not funny."
"You're right. The Tamagotchi will probably outlive me."
"Okay, now, that's *really* not funny."
"Then why're you laughing?"
" 'Cos we're pitiful. I mean, I mean, here we are, sitting on my bedroom floor, eating Chunky Monkey right from the carton, and fast-forwarding through *Jurassic Park* to the part where Jeff isn't wearing a shirt. What are we *doing*??"
"Waiting for Xander to get here so he can rewind to the part where the dinosaurs eat Newman."
* * *
"Okay, hold it, let's go through this again. The Pilgrims leave England so they could have religious freedom and stuff, right? and then they thrash on people with different religions?"
"Right."
"That sucks. So why do we make such a big deal of Pilgrims during Thanksgiving?"
" 'Cos they look cute as salt-and-pepper shakers?"
* * *
"Hit him again! hit him again!"
"But he looks so *real*...."
"That's the point. Besides, he's just a mannequin-- hit him again!"
"It's *so* nice to have a man around...."
"Stuff it, Xander."
"Hey, I'm just tryin' to-- whoa."
"Really whoa. I'm impressed."
"I didn't mean to hit him *that* hard."
"Hey, Giles, look what Will did!"
"Oh. Well. That's certainly... grotesque. In a highly effective way."
"Can you... put him back together again?"
"Hmmm? Oh. Yes, of course. I think."
"Wow. What'll I use for fight practise, now? Hey, Xander...."
"Lose that thought."
* * *
"Are you okay?" "I'm fine, Mulder." "Ha, ha. Seriously." "Seriously, Willow, I'm fine. Few bruises, couple scratches. Nothing special."
"You had me pretty worried this time."
"Well, you know me. I always come out of it okay."
"Yeah...."
Which was true. Buffy always did. It was the people around her who ended up in trouble.
* * *
"Roots half hidden under the snow, Broken boughs and blackened leaves...."
She could hardly remember what it was like-- not being angry.
Angry at Giles-- why hadn't he protected her better? why hadn't he trained her, too? why did he let her go out alone at night? And Xander-- he'd ignored love when it was right under his nose. Willow'd been breaking her heart over him, and he never even noticed. Angel was a vampire; he should've known trouble was around, he should've gone after her faster. The Anointed One. She couldn't even think of him.
*I should've taught her more about fighting. I should've made Giles find her a little crossbow. I should never have come here, never have involved them. Should have scared her bad enough to keep her away.*
Her eyes sparked. Three vampires, dead ahead. Time to work.
They were pitifully easy to finish off. Even in the old days, she would have dusted them off without breaking a sweat-- or a nail. Now, after weeks of practise, fueled by a hurt so deeply rooted she couldn't tell where it ended and she began, it was over within heartbeats. Dust stirred in the wind. She took a deep, careful breath.
-- i'm angry at you because you left me--
She ran all the way home.
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