disclaimer in part 1
Willow shook her head to clear her thoughts. She was in the middle of giving her Computer class a quiz, but her mind just kept wandering. She was really tired- those dreams she was having were driving her crazy. Why did she wake up screaming every time? It was only Oz telling her he loved her- nothing wrong with that.
She looked around the room at the students, one of whom was missing. She looked at the empty chair Buffy usually occupied. She wondered when she would be back, or if she would. And where the heck was Angel? She knew the spell had worked, knew it for certain. Whatever it was that went through her hadn't left her completely. Her senses were more awake than ever before, like they had been dormant until the spell. Every time Oz came near her now, it was like she could feel his presence as well as see him. She figured it was just a side effect from having so much powerful magic pass through her, but she couldn't be sure, so she hadn't mentioned it to Giles- no reason to alarm him.
Her thoughts drifted again, and she put her head down on her desk. Her sleep deprived body took over, and she fell into a half-sleeping state. She began to go over the dream again in her mind, but this time, it was different. It was if she was watching from outside her own body. She watched as she slept in the hospital bed, and listened for Oz's voice to tell her once again that he loved her. She saw a hand holding hers, and she saw her eyes start to flutter open. She looked again at the hand in hers, her eyes moving up the arm, past the shoulder, to the chin. She looked straight into his face and saw... Xander.
The bell rang loudly and she whipped her head off of the desk. The students were shuffling out of the room, handing in their quizzes as they went. She waited until the last one left, then grabbed the papers and shoved them in her backpack. She flung the bag over her shoulder and headed toward the library. She had to talk to Xander- NOW!!!
**************
Giles sat in the library, slowly pouring over his books, but not really getting anywhere. He was worried. Where was Buffy? Where had she gone? She ought to know better than to run off like this- there was a lot at stake if she wasn't around. No pun intended. He let his thoughts wander back to the old mansion, where Angel had tortured him. It was one of the most hellish experiences of his life, but he knew that something more had happened after Xander had pulled him out of there, and he wanted to know what.
The doors of the library swung open, and in walked Joyce Summers. Oh my, thought Giles, this isn't going to be easy.
"Hello, Mr. Giles."
"Mrs. Summers- any word from Buffy yet?"
"Nothing. I was hoping you might have heard from her."
"No, I'm sorry to say that I haven't."
"That really isn't a surprise. Listen, Buffy told me some things before she walked out that night... things that I can't believe, but I don't know what else to think. I know that Willow and Xander and you are somehow involved, but what I really want is an explanation."
"What did she tell you?"
"She told me, well, she told me she was a Vampire Slayer, and I want to know what that means. I realize that I haven't the first clue about what my daughter's life is really like. What can you tell me about it?"
***************
Cordelia stood in front of her locker pacing back and forth. Where the hell is Xander? She had been looking forward to spending time with him all morning. They both had a free period, and they usually, well, went to the closet, if truth be told. She decided she would just have to go find him.
She walked down the hall, toward the utility closet where they usually went. Maybe he's already there waiting for me. She stopped just short of the door when she heard voices coming from inside. But these voices weren't happy. Oh oh, someone's having a Lover's Spat- I wonder who! She gleefully pressed her ear to the door to see if she could make out who was in there. She loved good gossip.
She frowned as she heard Willow's voice emanating from inside. She was really mad! God, I wonder what Oz did... must have been something major, like forgetting her birthday or something. She frowned as she heard what Willow was saying.
"... I can't believe you! Just when I'm happy, when things are going great from me, you have to go and pull this? How dare you tell me you love me! After all this time, you just say it when you think I won't remember? What kind of jerk are you?"
Wow, thought Cordy, what a strange fight. I would certainly be happy if my boyfriend told me he loved me. She waited for Oz's response, and got the shock of her life.
"But Willow," came Xander's voice, "I thought you were going to die. I didn't plan it- it just came out. I didn't even know I felt that way until that second. I didn't mean to hurt you by saying it, or by letting you think Oz said it. It was just a really awkward situation- I mean he walked in and you woke up and assumed he said it- what did you want me to do? Jump up and yell, No, not him, me- I love you?"
Cordelia pulled her ear away from the door and ran toward the front door of the school.