Buffy Season 8
Can a kiss change your life?
PREVIOUSLY ON BUFFY
-The gang has decided to go on a road trip that Oz had earlier planned to go to Atlantic City. Afterwards, they have planned to settle down and lead normal lives.
"Oz, what can I say? You're a God. I didn't know you were rich," said Buffy.
"Hey, remember when he was God for Halloween?" Willow humorously replied.
"I guess it was true."
"Yeah, you guys deserve it more than me, you've been through a lot."
"You know, Oz, this really isn't like you. I never knew you had a soft side. Or a soft serve side."
"Yeah, I've never seen anyone eat that much ice cream."
"I didn't know they sold ice cream at the mall."
"Yeah. Well, if we're going to Atlantic City, and we have to be there in a certain amount of time, I should think that we should get going."
"Xander, you're spoiling it."
"No, he's right. We gotta get there before the full moon, and it's the first if the month."
"Okay, fine. Pile-up in the van."
"Yeah, let's go."
Everyone piled into the van, dragging Giles. He seemed to be sleeping a lot being that he was very young again. He also seemed to be very sick. Was it possible that he'd had a disease when he was young, gotten over it, and then when made the age again, he got it back?
The new possibilities, good and bad, were endless. There were so many things that the gang could do, now that slaying didn't have to be part of their everydat lives, they could be free! Buffy could do everything that was taken away from her when she was in school. She could be at the mall from the time it opened o the time it closed. She could go to a club every night and stay as long as she wanted.
The van drove out of Baja into another desert town, a nicer one. A kind of old-western town. They didn't know the name ofthe town, but they new they were on their way.
"Mmm.... Oz! We've been driving for hours. Where are we?" interrogated Buffy.
"Well, I know we've been traveling along the Mexico- Cali border line the whole time, so we'll get there soon."
"Umph. Do you promise? It's painfull back here."
"I promise."
"Good."
"I bet about 2 or 3 more hours."
"HOURS?!"
"Hey, we're talking driving state to state here, lady."
"Mm, fine. Let's play a cheesy car game. I know one. Bands. I say a band, then.... Willow says a band that starts with the letter mine ended with, and so on. Cibo Matto."
Willow pondered a band that started with an o. "I really don't know. Let's see.... Offspring. Oz?"
"G... Green Day. Xander?"
"Y.... I have no idea... maybe Yes?"
"Xander, you have to say a band name, not yes."
"No, he's right, Buffy, Yes...it's a band."
"Haha, me right, you wrong. Dawn?"
"S.... s..... well, you guys are doing all these bands I've never heard of, so.... I'll have to go with a band slash singer you don't know. S... S Club 7."
"That is so old. And yes I've heard of it. Andrew, you up to it?"
"Yeah... sure.. n.... ummm.... New Kids on the Block."
"Ha! Classic. Back to the Buffster."
"Yeah. K. Kiss. Will?"
"Sublime."
"Ooh, honey, you drive a hard bargain.... E. E? Eagles?"
"Sex Pistols."
"Xander!" yelled Dawn.
"Once again you people have mistaken my band. Classic Punk. Come on here!"
"Seal. Andrew?"
"Lil Bow Wow."
The game went on for about an hour. Surprising, yes I know, as mine have only lasted up to five minutes.
Now insight of the state border, the gang grew sleepy. After all, they had been driving for hours, non stop, and they had not had the best night's sleep. They grew hungry, even after eating piles and piles of waffles. They had been scarcely eating for the past month. But now, now things would be good. There could possibly be money in the future.
Money... money... Buffy knew she would need to speak to Oz about all the money he was spending on them. She intensely hoped that it wasn't just for Willow's sake, just to keep her happy. Him being there was keeping her there, she didn't need money for that.
"You guys, we're in Arizona in ten...nine...eight..seven...six....five...four...three....two...one....NOW!!!"
"I didn't think we'd ever make it, it took forever."
"Yeah, well, we toughed it out. Are we pulling an all nighter in the van again tonight?"
"Yeah, probably, I don't think we should spend all your money on the six of us. Six. Keyword."
"Yeah. But, really, it doesn't matter, Buffy. So, um, where did Faith go."
"She left cause I told her she needed to watch it."
"Ah."
"Yes."
"So, should I drive us to a rest stop?"
"Most definately. I'm dying back here."
"Well, I think there's one in about a mile."
"How do you know this stuff? Huh, Ozzy Dearest?"
"Oh, the band pulled through here when we were trying to make it big."
"Really? Inter-stating?"
"Well, yeah. We drove a little through Nevada, too. Trying to find a record deal."
"Well, if you woulda found me, I could've gotten you a record deal."
"I know that sweetie. I think we're here."
The gang assembled outside the van, setting rules and time limits. Buffy, as usual, took charge. "Okay, Dawn, I want you back inside the van to check in with me in one hour. You aren't allowed off this street. No spending. If I'm not in the van when you come to check in, I'll probably inside the diner."
"Whatever. Can I go?"
"Not yet."
"Willow, any idea where you'd be headed?"
"Just for a gander. Not far. Oz, are you coming with?"
"Of course. I can't be separated from you at a time like this."
"Xander, Andrew. I want you to go have fun, be off Giles duty for once, I'll take care of him here. Any times?"
"Oh, we won't be gone long."
"Okay, free to go. Dawn, one hour."
Buffy walked in to the rest stop with her flashing back Watcher. She took a booth near the door. "So, Giles, havin' fun in your world?"
"The Ripper always has fun, Pet. Say, who are you?"
"I'm Buffy, your Slayer. This is a little wierd, I know, but you aren't back in whatever decade you think you are. Do you know what year it is?"
"Of course. 1969."
"No. No, 2004."
"But that can't be. I'm in my twenties, you make me sound like an old man."
"You are an old man."
"Not in spirit."
"Man, you were different when you were young. I mean, I'd heard it, but I never actually knew, except for when I was in High School. That was just for a little bit."
"So, tell me about this world of yours."
"We have cellular phones, phones you can take anywhere with you. DVD players, very slick. Computers, quite the handy for research. Totally different clothes. Hell Gods attacking us. Well, actually, that was a few years ago. And then we've..."
"I get the picture, Princess."
"You don't have to act like this, you know. You could be a little nicer."
"Not my style."
"Well, then. Tell me about where you are."
"I do a lot of magicks."
"I heard. Like what?"
"Well, my buddy Ethan and I.. we do summons and stuff."
"Ethan Rayne, wouldn't I kill to kill him right now."
"How'd you know him?"
"Oh, well, we've had several run ins with him in the past. Back when I was a junior.... I loved that costume... He enchanted people's Halloween costumes so that on that day, you become whatever your costume was."
"Nice."
"And when I was a senior, he made this candy company, and the candy turned all the adults into like when they were teenagers again. That's when I first actually saw that you weren't with the responsibility."
"I see. And, now, you say, I am old, a watcher, and what else?"
"Well, just two days ago you were a homicidal maniac, and before that we made a giant hole in the ground. We made history, we saved the world. People died, yeah, but just a few."
"Well, let me ask you this: Is it better for 20 people you don't know to die or maybe 5 that you were really close to?"
"Giles, it was definatelky more than 5. Well, maybe not at that time, but on the bus, it seemed like one died everyday."
"You'll have to put it past you."
"You don't understand. Spike died in the appocalypse. He isn't coming back."
"Spike... William the Bloody? You were upset about the death of William the Bloody?"
"He went through a lot for me, to save me. He completed the ending of Sunnydale, he saved all of us."
"Yes, the death of a vampie is very noble."
"Look, you don't have to act like this, just because it's how you used to."
"Well, one would make allowances for the person who doesn't remember anything."
"You just don't get nice at all do you?"
"Maybe you should find out."
"Listen. I don't know how long it took you when you were young, but you better grow up fast."
"You can't take a joke, Pet?"
"Not that kind, no."
Buffy stormed out of the diner, disgusted at the way any being could act. How dare he make judgements about a person he doesn't even know. Although,she was sure that later the Kid in a Man's body would point out that 'he is not a person, as he merely uses his human body as a disguise.'
Buffy sat in the van, alone, hoping that Giles wouldn't have the nerve to come out there and bother her again. She sat for a while. Atleast twenty minutes. And she had not spent much time in the diner. Maybe ten minutes. Most of which, was a fight with Giles. She could kill him right now. Which got her to thinkong: Who turned Giles into a homicidal maniac?
The only resonable answer that came to mind was Willow. She was the only real magic-doer. You know, since Tara had died a few years back. Buffy thought back to when the gang had raised her from the dead. There was some sort of consequence, a demon. A demon came into the world when they raised her because they had to even the score. Maybe Willow had tried to raise Tara.... it didn't work but maybe there was still a consequence....a demon unleashed...a possessing demon? A demon that makes you want to kill? Isn't that what happened before? Maybe... She didn't quite remember... she didn't want to.
She sat for what felt like forever until Oz and Willow climbed into the van. Buffy put on her best notice-me-because-I'm-upset face. It worked. Willow responded.
"Buffy? Somethin' wrong?"
"Oh, well, I guess nothing, just..... I got into a fight with Giles. All because he didn't quite understand that Spike was one of the good guys."
"Buffy, you gotta go easy on him. He think he's stuck in the 50s..."
"Late 60s."
"Yeah, whatever. He probably thinks he's still... I don't know, in school. Buffy, he doesn't know. You just have to give him some time, give me some time. I've been trying to think of a spell I could do to turn him back that would make him think nothing ever happened."
"You want to make him forget?"
"Well, yeah."
"You can't let him forget how mean he was to me."
"Fine, maybe that could narrow my search. Buffy you know I don't want to hurt you."
"Yeah, I know. I'm just tense."
"I bet you are. We all are. You just have to loosen up, have some fun. I'm gonna go get some coffee, talk to Giles. Think about the whole fun thing."
"Need me to assist?" asked Oz.
"Ummm, no, I'll be right back."
Buffy and Oz sat alone in an awkward silence. "So, Buffy, how you been. We haven't had time to engage in formal conversation."
"Oh, well. I died a few years back."
"Willow informed me. Painful?"
"Very."
"She also told me about her mistake and how she totally didn't know and she would have let you rest in peace if she did."
"Yeah, I know. And it was kind of rough the way she found out."
"I totally didn't get the whole musical extravaganza."
"Well, Xander summoned a demon. No one knew, but he left the talisman in the shop. Then, everyone started to sing and dance, and then we found out people were dying. When we became informed that it was a demon, we all thought it was Dawn, because she was the one kidnapped and the one who was wearing the talisman. But see, we got there, and we found out it was Xander."
"I see. So what was it like.... coming back out into this world?"
"Scary, painful. It was horrible."
"Yeah. You know, I've always wanted to act."
"Well, that was very unexpected."
"I know."
"Told Will yet?"
"No, no. I don't want to yet."
"But you tell me?"
"Well, see, I figured if anyone wouldn't blow it up in my face it would be you."
"You just don't seem like an actor to me. You're too cool, you seem very sinister."
"So the acting's a no go?"
"The acting is a no go."
"I see your point now. I am very sinister."
"There's just something about you, you always give me that wierd vibe that.... I can't be upset around you."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that, I don't know. You hardly show any emotions, you....I always assumed you to be a very satisfied-with-life person. You give off the live-to-the-fullest vibe. You can't be around Daniel Osbourne and be unhappy."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Yes. You know, you're very lucky to have someone. Especially someone like Will."
"Oh you'll find someone."
"Relationship advice from Oz."
"Well, I'm quite smart."
"I bet you are." Buffy looked at Oz like she'd just met him. "You are, you are smart."
"It doesn't show."
"No, it shows."
"Don't flatter me."
"Don't worry, I won't." And with that, Buffy leaned forward and began to engage in a very intimate kiss with the love of her best friend's life.
Willow pulled the van door open. "Oz I got you some..."
Buffy and Oz pulled apart.
"...coffee. What the hell is going on here?"
"Willow, please no. It wasn't like that."
"He's right Willow. It was me. I made a move on him, and you know with the slayer strength, I wouldn't let him go."
"Buffy, how could you do that? My best friend tried to steal away my boyfriend?"
"Who stole?" Oh shit! thought Buffy. Dawn's back. "Who stole your boyfriend?"
"Your sister, who I thought was my best friend."
"Willow, wait!" Buffy ran out of the van.
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