Chapter 15: Talk Talk
“Hey!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I’ve got your cock right here!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander’s excited.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And now he feels a little dirty.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He covers his mouth with his hands.
“Xander!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles, Willow
and Dawn turn to him, all shock-faced.
“Sorry!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Words came out before there was
thinking.” Xander gives them his best
goofy smile. He stands up, walking to
Giles’ chair. “The thing you said.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> About the unh… dream.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I think I’ve got something!”
Giles quickly snatches the book
from Xander’s hand. He scans the pages
carefully. “Yes… I believe you do…”
“I am Research Man!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Finder of helpful
knowledge, and bringer of pastries!”
Xander struts proudly, reaching over to grab the last jam tart.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Research Man in full
effect.
“What’s it say?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Willow
looks to Giles. Ignoring class=GramE>Research class=GramE>Man.
“There is a divine being, in
ancient lore. Sraosa.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Symbolically represented by the co…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles looks up at Xander, who’s stifling a
giggle. “ahem…
rooster, whose crowing calls the righteous to their sacred duties...”
“Oh!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I read about him!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn looks up from the scrolls she’s been
translating. “In
college. Really cool class.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ‘World History Through
the Eyes of God’.” She gets up and goes
into the stacks, calling back. “We did a
whole thing on Persia.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“It says here that he is honoured
on the seventeenth of each month, that he may deliver his wisdom.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
Right!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He’s like, the messenger guy for a god…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn returns with a pile of books in her
arms, and dumps them out on the table.
She picks one, and starts skimming through it.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Mazda something…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> .
“Miata?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander’s trying to be helpful.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> By the looks he’s getting, he’s not
very. And he has jam on his nose.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “It was a cool car.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Ah!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Ahura Mazda!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn grins in triumph.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I remembered!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> B-Plus, my ass!”
“Bitter much?’style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Willow
nudges Dawn.
“Hey!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I remember a certain somebody getting all
wiggy in high school about a Calculus mid-term!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn nudges back.
“But I had all the right
answers! And 98% is not the same as
perfect. Which is what
it was. Perfect!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And Mr. Garner!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He…” Willow
comes out of her huff. class=GramE>“Stupid bell curve.”
“Glad you’ve let it go.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn pats her hand condescendingly.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“If you’re all quite
finished…” Giles glares at them over his
glasses. “We still have a lot of work to
do.”
“Right.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> These ancient scrolls aren’t gonna translate
themselves… But wouldn’t it be cool if
they did?” Dawn looks wistful.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Actually, I could probably do a
spell…” Willow
stops, getting another look from Giles. class=GramE>“Or not.”
“Sadly, Research Man has to go do a
thing.” He stands and stretches.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Not pulling off the sad part.
Willow
looks up at him.
“She’s gonna be mad.”
“Yeah.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander starts to walk away.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “But she’ll get over it.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I can hide until then…”
“Not about that thing.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> About the other thing…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The thing we talked about?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Willow
waves her hand around in a casual ‘duh’ gesture.
“Right!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The THING.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He turns around.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Whenever you’re ready.”
“You do remember that everyone in
the room is aware of the ‘thing’ to which you’re referring, yes?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles’ lip twitches a bit.
“We’re not used to
subterfuge.” Willow
gets defensive. “Being sneaky is new
territory!”
style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “True.
And tricking people… Well,
tricking Buffy… it’s…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander shuffles closer to the exit.
“Tricky?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn helps.
“Nail on the head.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander smiles at Dawn, and walks out of the
library.
***********************************************
Buffy stretches her legs out on the
bed. style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Readingstyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'> is good.
Wholesome, healthy fun.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> No need for pesky air or sunshine.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
She finds the page that she’s
folded over. Rolls on
to her tummy, kicking her legs up into the air.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Chews on a piece of stray
hair, squinting at the words. She
can’t concentrate.
A knock on the
door. “Who is it?”
The door opens a bit, and Xander’s
head peeks through. “Hey Buff, got a
sec?”
“Nope.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Not a one.”
She pats the space on the end of her bed. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “But I’ve got a few hours I can spare.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
He shuts the door behind him.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Sits on the bed.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> All grinning.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And bouncing.
“Spill, Xander.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You’re making me seasick.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy sits up.
“I talked to Giles and the rest of
the Watcher brigade…
and as soon as you’re ready, you’re back on rotation!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“That’s… great.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy watches Xander’s face go from clowny to
frowny. “No, really!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I mean it.
I was just…”
“Yeah.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I was bowled over by your enthusiasm.”
She gives him a look.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The one with the raised
eyebrow and the half-smile. “I’m
enthused! I think it’s great.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I haven’t been much with the slayage
lately…”
“Right.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Too busy with the brooding
and the hiding.” Xander smiles
lightly. “Look.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We get you trained up, put some meat on your
bones…”
“Hey!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Skinny is in this year.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy pouts.
“You think I’m bony?”
“No.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You look like a waifish Kate Moss.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> But what’s good for the Gucci, usually not so
good for the killing of large and disturbing things.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He makes a good point.
“What…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Unh… Where would you put me?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy picks at the corner of her novel.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I don’t wanna mess with the hierarchy, you
know.”
“We’re kinda hoping you’d be OK
with being a Team Leader, for now. Let
you work your way back up, at your own pace.”
Buffy thinks about this.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> For about three seconds.
“That’s perfect!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy gives Xander a quick hug.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He hugs her back.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“I was hoping you’d say that.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He hands her a folded up piece of paper.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Here’s your new-ish life.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> All training, no moping.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He stands up and makes his way to the door.
She opens the paper, and quickly
glances at her new diet and training schedule.
“When do I start?”
“Tomorrow morning, seven class=GramE>AM sharp. I heard the
instructor is a real stickler about lateness…”
He opens the door.
Buffy looks down at her sheet,
squinting to read the fine print. As the
name comes clear, she jumps up and turns to Xander with shock.
“Xander!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You…
You… That’s not fair!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Seven
AM! Be there!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He ducks out the door and shuts it behind
him, narrowly avoiding death by romance novel.
***********************************************
She dangles her legs over the
wall. Looking down and
out at the landscape. She’d found
a way into the turrets a couple weeks ago.
She likes rooftops.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Nice and quiet.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And can’t beat the view.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
She takes a quick drag from her
smoke, and flicks it away. class=GramE>Watches the little red part glow in the dark.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She loses sight of it before it lands.
So she just sits.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> The heels of her boots
kicking out a rhythm on the old stone.
When she sees some of the girls
returning from a night on the town, she looks around mischievously for
something to throw.
Not even a pebble.
But their noise reaches her.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Breaks her isolation.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Laughing and teasing.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Being girls.
She can’t remember a time when she
was like them.
And then she does remember…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And it hurts her more.
She swings her legs over the wall
and walks to the trapdoor. Lifts it, and
looks down at the dark with a heavy sigh.
Then she laughs.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Wondering when exactly she turned into Angel.
That thought cheers her up a
little, in a weird way. She thinks maybe
he’d be proud.
She disappears down the dark
stairs.
Bed time.
***********************************************
“She’s picking on me!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy storms into Giles’ office, followed by
a very angry Kennedy.
“I’m sure she’s just…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Willow
looks at Buffy. Then
at Kennedy.
“She’s picking on you.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn turns to face them.
“You missed the kick
completely! And your punches WERE sloppy!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kennedy flops down beside Willow.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Arms crossed.
Sulking.
“See?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy sits beside Dawn, dropping her backpack
to the floor. “She’s mean.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And power-trippy!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And…”
“I’m sure she’s just…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Willow
tries again.
“Buffy, you’ve been a walking whine-a-thon
for days. Get over it!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn’s a little testy.
“Make her stop?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Pleeeeeease?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy bats her lashes at Willow.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Ooh!
You could withhold sex!’’
“Buffy, that’s not…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Oh, for heaven’s
sake!” Giles slams his palm on
his desk. “Would you please stop class=GramE>bickering!”
“She started it!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kennedy and Buffy point at each other.
“Enough!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I’m sure that Kennedy would never…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles looks at Kennedy meaningfully. “class=GramE>take advantage of the situation for her own gratification.”
Kennedy looks down.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Bites her lip.
“And she’s the best chance you’ve
got at being ready for what’s coming.”
Giles turns his gaze to Buffy.
“You need each other.”
Buffy looks like she’s going to
protest. But the
glaring from three sets of eyes.
It’s a lot of glaring.
“If you’re all done being big
babies…” Dawn waits to make sure.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “We’ve got some new dirt on the big bad.”
“Shouldn’t we wait for…class=GramE>” Willow
attempts another sentence.
“…can’t believe you got it!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I ordered mine last month.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander stops at the open door.
“Dude, your supplier is weak.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Got mine three days ago.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Faith twists herself around him, and walks
into the room backwards.
“Can I borrow?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I mean, they killed Cyclops!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I have to know what happens!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander looks like he might cry.
“Sure.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Just don’t get any sticky fingerprints on
it.” Faith smirks, poking him in the
chest. “I know how you feel about Kitty
Pryde.”
“What are you people
talking about?” Dawn has no clue.
“Astonishing
X-Men Number 23! Just got my hot
little hands on it…” Faith turns and
stops.
Eyes on Buffy.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then eyes on anything else.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She leans against the doorjamb.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Her eyes settle on her boots.
Buffy takes a sharp breath.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Feels hot.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then feels pain.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Then feels guilt. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She sinks down in her chair.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Invisible Buffy.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Now that we’re all here…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles takes control.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Dawn has finished translating the scrolls,
and there seems to be more to the situation than we first thought.”
“Yeah, the prophecy from the Latin
books was only a piece. We’ve got the
whole thing now, and it’s in the right order, thanks to me…”
“Yes.
And well done.”
Giles smiles briefly at her.
“Perhaps if you read it out…”
“Cool.”
Dawn looks at her notes.
“Great waters will drown the earth.
Fire will rain from the sky.
The Destroyer comes by these.
All will tumble into darkness.
United by the
Body-Maker.
The One become two become one.
Bringing benefit
to earth.
And truth to
light.
Each will see the other fall.
Their sacrifices unmade.
The Chosen
bound by silver.
Must heed the
other’s call.”
She looks up expectantly.
“How come only the last part
rhymes?” Kennedy’s not much for poetry.
“It doesn’t really.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It’s a fluke.
An English fluke.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn’s still waiting.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “C’mon!
This took me AGES to figure out!”
“But what does it mean?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander sits on the edge of the desk.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “I mean, I get the fire and brimstone
part. That’s pretty standard.”
“And who’s this Destroyer guy?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> ‘Cos gotta say…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> wicked album!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Stupid nickname.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Faith can deal with shop talk.
“We’re working on that.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> But we do have some promising… or should I
say disturbing leads.” Giles takes off
his glasses and peers at them.
Faith runs her hand through her
hair. Thinking hard.style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“So lemme get this straight.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We’re…”
She flicks a hand between herself and Buffy.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Without looking. style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “…gonna get juiced up by this Maker Guy…”
“Girl.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles whips out his hanky.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “The Body-Maker is a woman.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It’s from an end time legend…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Her true name is Eredat-Fedhri, the
Victorious Helper. A
maiden who does not lie with men.
Through her, the champion shall arise.
The Saoshyant.”
“Where have I heard this
before? Virgin birth…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> saviour…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander isn’t buying it.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “C’mon Giles.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I think I’d have noticed the second coming!”
“This is a much older myth than the
bible. In fact, at least a thousand years
older…” Giles is wearing a hole through
his lenses.
“So we got time, then?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We wait around for this Sashy… class=GramE>Ant guy. Train him
up… and he leads the charge?” Faith
scratches her head.
“Not quite.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> If I’m correct, you and Buffy ARE the
Saoshyant. All the references are
there. Two become one, the Chosen…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Problem!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Faith raises her hand.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “My mom?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Virgin?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I’m thinkin’ no.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'>
“Ditto.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Buffy says quietly.
Giles puts his glasses back on with
a sigh.
“You guys are so dense.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn butts in.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “OK.
Think about it. Who’s been
helping Buffy since the beginning? Who’s
the one that MADE all the slayers? Who’s
the one not sleeping with boys?”
All eyes fall on Willow.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She’s sitting straight up in her chair.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Eyes wide.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Not moving.
“Willow?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You understand?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You are the Body-Maker.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He looks for eye contact.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Your spell…”
“But I…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Oz…
We…” Willow
still can’t get a full sentence out.
“It says that you DON’T lie with
men. Doesn’t seem to
matter that you used to.” Dawn
clarifies, smirking.
Kennedy puts her arms around her
girl. “Hey, you wanted to be in the
book, right?”
Willow
raises her hand to touch Kennedy’s arm.
“Yeah, Will.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Looks like you hit the big time!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander walks over and kisses her forehead.
“Don’t forget about us little people…”
Buffy reaches out and grabs her
other hand. Squeezes
it. Almost whispers.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “You get used to it after a while.”
Willow
relaxes a bit. Gives
her thin smile. “Ooh-boy, guess
this means…”
“Hate to be a downer, but…”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Faith tries to pace in the crowded room.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “How does any of this help us?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We still don’t know jack about shi…”
“On the contrary.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> We have a path to follow.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles puts a tentative hand on her shoulder,
stopping her pacing. “I’m not sure I
like where it’s leading…”
“And where’s that?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Xander looks at Giles.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> His eyes are squinty and accusing. “You know
something!”
“I know many things.”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Giles sits in his chair, tired and
resigned. “With this new class=GramE>information, and what we’ve found out about Sraosa...style='mso-spacerun:yes'> There’s a line being drawn here.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And it leads directly…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> It’s possible…”
“Spit it out, Giles!”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kennedy’s had enough revelation for one
day.
“It’s most likely…style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Sraosa’s greatest enemy is Aesma-Daeva.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He has had many names… Asmodeus,
Apollyon, and most recently Abaddon.”
Giles takes a deep breath.
“WHAT?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Dawn looks terrified.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “You never said…”
“Because I’m not
certain! There are too many
references from unreliable sources… too many crossovers from religious and
historical texts.”
“So what is this guy?style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Uber-Demon or something?”style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Faith doesn’t get why Dawn looks so
scared. “Cos we can…”
“It’s ancient evil.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Madness, lust and anger.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Powerful and…”
“I think we got that with the whole
‘Destroyer’ part.” Xander’s done.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Cut to the chase.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Who is he?”
Giles raises his head.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Looks sadly around at the
group. And with
a sigh…
“The Angel of the
Abyss.”
