"Are you sure that this will work?" Xander asked for about the hundredth time that night.
"Yes, Xand, it’ll work," Buffy sighed as she continued grinding the herbs that were needed to perform the spell. It had been two weeks since the confrontation in the library. Buffy, Xander and Oz had all tried, unsuccessfully to gain back the love of the three people that they had hurt.
They didn’t understand why the others were being so unforgiving, so they had decided to go ahead and perform the spell that they had found on the night of the dinner party, hoping that it would lead to everything going back to normal. Or, at least, normal for the hellmouth.
Buffy had decided that it had to be the prophecy that was making everyone act the way that they were. Even Giles. She had been upset when she had discovered the week before that he had asked for another watcher to replace him. She still remembered the look in his eyes when she introduced Wesley to her and the others.
One Week Earlier
Buffy had arrived at the library a few minutes late, as usual. She had been talking to Xander and Oz, making the arrangements for the spell they were going to do that would get them back Angel, Cordelia and Willow. She saw Giles in his office talking to another man. She sat down at the table, waiting for him to come.
She had been surprised at Giles’ anger at what had taken place. She was also hurt that he was so willing to accept that Angel and Willow were obviously together. He had even spent many nights at their home, Faith joining him, so that they could research the prophecy. And the fact that Giles had been distancing himself from the blonde slayer over the past week did nothing to improve her spirits. She was sure that eventually he would see that she and Oz had only done what they thought was best for all involved.
"Buffy," Giles called as he led the other man over to the table. "I would like to introduce you to Wesley Wyndham-Price. He’s the new watcher."
Buffy was surprised by that statement. She didn’t know that the council was going to replace Giles as Faith’s watcher. She felt sorry for Wesley at the thought of him having to try and handle the brunette slayer.
"Oh, you’re going to training Faith?" The young watcher looked over at Giles, rather uncomfortable with the situation that he had found himself in.
Giles had given him a condensed version of why he was here and didn’t relish the task he was being given. In the history of watchers and slayers, never had someone asked to be replaced.
"Actually, Buffy, Wesley is your new watcher," Giles told her.
Buffy looked over at Giles, "What do you mean, my new watcher? How come they are replacing you."
Giles removed his glasses, cleaning them with his handkerchief. "I requested to be replaced as soon as I had heard what had happened between you and the others. I did not think that it would be appropriate for me to continue in my duties as your watcher." Buffy’s eyes started to water as she realized how truly angry and disappointed in her Giles must be if he didn’t even want to be her watcher anymore.
Back to Present
Buffy still couldn’t believe that Giles was no longer a constant presence in her life. Sure he was there when something needed to be researched, like the upcoming prophecy, but the times the teenagers had shared in the library were a thing of the past. Now, not only had she lost her best friend, and possibly the love of her life, she had lost the man that she had thought of as a father figure. Instead he was offering his advice and guidance to Faith alone, making her a much stronger slayer. Wesley was trying his best to understand his new charge, but was failing miserably. Buffy was constantly fighting him on everything that he said. She refused to listen to any of his advice, often angry at his constant presence. She just hoped that when they performed the spell, that maybe things could go back to the way they were.
"Okay, so are you ready to do this?" Buffy asked Xander, who only nodded his head. Oz was pacing back and forth in his cage. All three needed to be present for the spell to work, although not necessarily in human form, which was good since it had to be performed within the time of the full moon. "Let’s do it."
Buffy and Xander sat in the middle of the room, candles surrounding them. The two of them started chanting, Oz-wolf growling in time to their words. A mist started to rise all around them, forming a protective barrier. Once the chanting was done, Buffy removed a sketch of Angel that she had. "I call upon the Goddess Aphrodite to grant me what I wish. Allow this man to know his true soul mate. Let the two grow together, their lives intertwined, made one. Let no others come between them. Show him the path to his true love and guide him into the light. So mote it be." Buffy threw some of the herbs over the incense burner, watching as it smoldered over the coal.
Xander took out a picture of Cordelia. "I call upon the Goddess Aphrodite to grant me this wish. Allow this woman to know her true soul mate. Let the two grow together, their lives intertwined, made one. Let no others come between them. Show her the path to her true love and guide her into the light. So mote it be." Xander also threw the herbs over the incense burner. Now it was time for Oz.
Oz had made a tape earlier, repeating the same words that Buffy and Xander had just spoken. He had also chosen his favorite photo of Willow. Xander and Buffy both held the photo in front of the werewolf, just out of his reach as they played the tape, throwing the herbs at the same time. They then went back to the middle of the floor, resuming their positions.
"We thank you, Aphrodite, for your help in making these people see who they were truly meant to be with. Help them find their way to those that lovely them with pureness of heart and soul." Buffy and Xander than thanked the quarters, drawing within the power that had been unleashed. They grounded themselves as they felt it go through them.
"Wow, now I can see why Willow likes doing all her witchy stuff," Xander said.
"Tell me about it," Buffy agreed. "That was majorly intense. I could feel the power go through us."
"Yeah, even Oz felt it," Xander replied pointing over to the wolf
that was suddenly silent in the cage, his eyes slightly glazed over. "And
tomorrow, we will help the others realize that we are the ones they were
meant for, prophecy or no."