“Hey, Angel?” I peeked my head into his office. Everyone was waiting in the parking lot downstairs. This was the last stop on the way to the airport. In a few hours, this country would be behind us.
“Yeah,” Angel said slowly.
“While we’re gone, a man will probably come looking for us. Name’s Robin Wood. Black, little shorter than you, bald, earrings. He’s lookin’ to kill Spike. You can send him in our direction if you’d like. I just wanted you to be aware.”
Angel nodded. “I’ll take care of it.”
…
The sun had barely set when we made our way across the LAX parking lot. I stopped at a bench right outside the doors. Everyone else stopped to stare at me uncomprehendingly. All but Willow. She had been there after all.
“What’s wrong, luv?”
I ran my hand over the seat of the bench and looked at him. “I was sitting here when I realized you were really dead. I came out here with Faith. She wanted a smoke. I was sitting here and I just broke down. It really hit me. I think I was still expecting you to just saunter around a corner and all would be right with the world again.” I smiled sadly at the memory. “So Willow came out and held me in her arms as I sobbed and Faith gave me a cigarette to calm my nerves, thus starting me down my road of debauchery.”
Spike poked out his lips in a sensuous pout. “I thought I did that,” he whined.
We all chucked at him and entered the airport, heading for our private jet. There were definite perks to all this Council business. The jet wasn’t huge, but it would comfortably seat about twenty people. There were seats clumped together like couched without the separating arms and some of them faced each other over little tables. It was like every plane I had ever seen in FBI movies that the agents used to get around the country.
We all clamored in and settled into our seats. Willow grinned at me. “So, you must have felt like a rock star on your way here. All alone on the plane.”
I giggled at her. “Oh, come on. I wasn’t alone. There were two pilots apparently, but I only saw them when I got on and off the plane!”
After take off, we all unbuckled and milled about the cabin. When the men decided to start discussing the merits of Manchester United, Cordy, Willow, Fred and I move to the other end of the plane. “So, ladies,” I said quietly, “we have a mission on this trip.” They all turned, various emotions on their faces, confusion and excitement at the forefront. “We have to get Fred and Wesley together.”
Fred’s eyes grew impossibly wide. She stole a glance at Wes, who was still talking animatedly. His eyes caught hers and he gave her a soft smile. She ‘eeped’ and turned her panicked eyes back to me.
“No, Buffy, please,” she pleaded.
I looked at her with amusement. “Come on, Fred. I’d never do anything to actually embarrass you. I was thinking more along the lines of a nice Christmas Eve party. Perhaps something slightly formal. We can all get dressed up. It could be so much fun. We’ll get you all made up and see if Wes can keep his tongue in his mouth.” I waggled my eyebrows at her, just like Spike would have.
Even while the other two were nodding their agreement, Fred looked terrified. Willow patted her hand comfortingly. “Don’t worry,” she said softly. “It’s not like we’ll tell anyone that that’s what it’s for! It’s just a party, and if he notices the hotness of you, well, that’s just a bonus. But Buffy’s right.” She winked at me. “”It’s time to see if there’s anything between you. You owe it to yourselves to see if you can fall in love and glean any happiness from this life. If you wait to long, it might be too late entirely.”
We each bowed our heads a little, thinking of our fallen couples. Giles lost Jenny. Willow lost Tara. Spike lost me and then I lost him. Xander lost Anya. And we didn’t know it yet, but Cordelia was thinking about someone special that she had lost. But Willow and I both knew that even after failed relationships, even after we thought our hearts had been torn from our bodies, leaving holes so big they burned and we thought they would never be filled again, both of us had reclaimed our love.
Fred finally agreed to our plan.
…
It was dark at Heathrow when we landed. The time difference always weirded me out.
Both Oz’s vehicle and mine were parked next to each other in the short-term lot. “Funny,” I heard his say quietly. “I distinctly remember getting a ride to the airport.”
I grinned at him. “Jason?” I asked knowingly. He nodded. “Yeah. I’m guessing he’s the one that delivered the cars. He’s all cool like that.”
We loaded the suitcases that would fit into the trunk of my car and put the rest of the luggage into Oz’s Land Rover. It had belonged to the Council, but I had given it to Oz. He made better use of the space in the back of the vehicle than we would have. He used it to haul most of his bands equipment around and sometimes, when we needed him, he would load it with weapons and go with us to take out huge nests of demons. The boy could wield a crossbow with the best of them, no doubt about it.
Spike, Wesley, and I piled into my car. There was a note taped to the steering wheel. I read the note aloud.
Buffy,
Took Dawn to your lovely place of residence. You never told me you had a castle! And I thought we were friends! I’m very disappointed in you. Think of all the awesome parties we could have had. Selfish little brat.
You never told me what time you expected to be back, so after work, I’ll head over and sit with your sis until someone shows up. Wouldn’t want her sitting out there all by her lonesome, a tasty treat like her! Don’t worry about going home for anything. Dawn and I hauled all your belongings out already this week. She said something about needing to make room for all Andrew’s Star Wars memorabilia.
We also stocked up on food, but you needn’t worry. It wasn’t me being generous. I wheedled the money from Giles. There’s also blood in the fridge.
(Just in case I’m not there when you get there.)
See you in a bit,
Jason (the werewolf of your fantasies)
P.S. took care of the whole Cyan thing. You should be fine.
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Say what you will about Jason’s flirting, but the boy is nothing if not thorough.”
As we drove through the beautiful snow covered countryside, the Ramones playing on the radio, I fixed Wesley in my sights via the rear view mirror. “So, Wes,” I began jovially, “tell me how you feel about Fred.”
He gaped at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Well…I…uh...”
“Now don’t be all British about it!” I giggled. “Either you dig her, or you don’t. It’s not a hard question.”
Spike turned and smirked at his fellow Brit. “Better answer her, mate. The Slayer gets a mite brassed off when someone doesn’t answer her.”
I could hear Wesley sit up straighter in his seat. “I have loved her for as long as I have known her. Maybe even before. I would give anything to be with her, but she has always chosen others. First, she wanted Angel, she dated Gunn and then Knox. She just doesn’t feel that way about me.” The last part was said with despair.
“Well, I guess it’s pretty handy then that you, Mr. Wyndam-Pryce, that you were the topic of conversation for at least half of the plane trip here. We’re going to have a nice formal Christmas Eve party to see if we can’t get you two crazy kids together. No telling Fred I let you in on the secret though. And, do me a favor, Wes?”
He furrowed his brow. “What would that be, Buffy?”
“No tweed suits.”
Wesley blushed and Spike snickered.
I raised an eyebrow at him. “That goes for you too, Randy.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
If my muse doesn't make an show up soon, i may have to start posting twice a week instead of three...let's cross our fingers...