As the hour for the meeting approached, the group gathered around the research table in the Magic Box quieted down. Giles, Willow, Anya, and Tara were engrossed in books and the Internet, trying to gather as much information as possible before the arrival of the now seemingly confirmed Gods. Relevant information was sketchy at best and opinions about them seemed to vary greatly. The only constant seemed to be their imperviousness. That did not bode well in the eyes of the ex-Watcher. Also making a show of reading books were Xander and Buffy. The first spent half his time shooting glares at Spike, who was currently sitting on the ladder leading upstairs with a bored look about him, and the other half frowning at the rest of the group while trying to appear hard at work doing research. Buffy, on the other hand, was much too anxious to be able to focus on the book she was supposed to be reading at the moment. So she spent most of her time trying to make her mom and key-turned-sister as carefree as possible, her forced cheerfulness doing nothing to assuage her mother’s tension. Dawn, oblivious to her sister’s apprehension was much too excited about being part of the group for once. Other than that, Buffy simply chose to try and ignore the absence of one Riley Finn.
A few minutes shy of ten o’clock, the bell above the door alerted everyone to the entrance of the ex-commando. He seemed much more subdued than his earlier appearances. He saluted everyone with a nod and then took the seat next to Buffy. At her pleading look he softened a bit and put an arm around her mid-section, lending his support. Spike studiously tried to ignore the couple and the glare Captain Cardboard had directed his way. Inside though, he was still fuming about the Slayer’s ability to apparently forgive and forget for everyone but himself.
“How long did you say this was going to take, Mr. Giles? Because even though tomorrow is Saturday, Dawn shouldn’t be kept up at all hours.” She didn’t mention her own feelings of unease, especially after her own fainting episode just a few days ago. Just then, the door opened, revealing the two Beings everyone had waited for. This time they were dressed in modern clothing. They both wore tight jeans with t-shirts and leather coats. While the man was dressed all in black, the woman wore a white tee, light-colored blue jeans, and her leather coat was earth-brown. However plain their clothes, they still appeared stunning.
“Do not worry, Mrs. Summers, we shall attempt to keep things brief. But in any case, the things we must discuss are of the utmost importance, so a few hours of sleep lost on a Friday night are not such a high price to ask, are they?” The man was looking at Joyce very kindly and the honesty in his tone made her concede to his point. However, these things had no effect on either the Slayer or her lover, as they both tensed up. Her for being in the presence of something she apparently could not fight, although her motto of stake in the heart equals death could be tested, and him because they just plain rubbed him the wrong way and his fingers itched to be buried in the man’s – because who believed in Gods anyway – throat.
“If we could all sit down, we could get started right away.” The woman’s calm demeanor made everyone take heed and so the meeting started. Zamolxis was the one to start speaking, setting the tone for the rest of the evening.
“The ground rules are these: we have been sent from several years in what was to be your future in order to modify some things. Most of the details concerning what was to have happened we cannot tell you because of the Muad’Dib Paradox.” Willow, Giles, Joyce, and Spike all perked up at the use of the term.
“What’s that, some kind of a Prophecy?” the bewildered Slayer asked – this was NOT good news. Prophecies tended to be of the bad.
“No, honey, it’s a fictional character in a book. He saw the future so was condemned to fulfill it.” Finally, something the Slayer’s mother could help her daughter with in regards to her Calling. This was shaping up to be a very nice chat indeed. And since these people claimed to be from the future, this could only mean people helping her girl to live longer. Yes, things were good indeed!
“That is correct and also the reason we cannot tell you all the little things like who did what, when, why and to whom. We are here to change those things, so a brief outline should give you a good enough picture and help you understand why changes are needed. As such…”
“And we should just take your word on that? How do we know you won’t just make sure that we all die in the next month because of your “guidance”?” Riley was no fool! He wasn’t going to be wooed by fancy words and calm demeanors. He used to be a Psych TA. He knew all about manipulation.
“Yes, however faulty his method of conveying his message, Riley does have a point. Is there any proof you could present to ensure us of your good will?” Giles was currently polishing his glasses to fine dust. Gods citing sci-fi was unusual to say the least.
“As I was saying before being rudely interrupted, I would ask you to refrain from asking any questions or making any comments during my presentation unless asked to. Make no mistake, we ARE Gods and it IS in our ability to make you listen. However, we would prefer your willing participation. But as I have previously stated, we are associates of the PTB’s and as such we could call upon the Oracles or Whistler to corroborate anything we say.” At his penetrating gaze, no further interruptions were made, although Riley was getting more incensed by the second and Buffy had tensed up at the mention of Whistler. That little weasel had done nothing right by her.
“Now that I have your attention, we shall continue with the tale. And do keep in mind I have stopped keeping my times straight for a long time. So everything that has happened and what will happen from this moment onward is the future. Suffice it to say the next three or so years have seen their share of joy and heartache, but afterwards is the really interesting bit. About three years from now, a great war between the armies of the Senior Partners of the Wolf, Ram, and Heart and a handful of warriors began. This war transcended dimensional barriers, drawing away all the power base of Wulfram & Hart. To understand what this means, you must first understand the nature of the Universe.”
Zamolxis paused a bit at this point to let the enormity of what they were discussing sink into the minds of his audience. The expressions on their faces ranged from avid curiosity: Giles, Dawn, Joyce and Willow, to apathy: Anya and apparently Spike, though he was secretly memorising everything being said, to outright hostility: Riley and to a lesser extent Xander, for the tone used and with the idea of presenting a common front with his only male friend, to cautious but attentive: Buffy and Tara, as the shy wiccan wanted to see where things were heading, especially since trying to read the auras of the two Gods almost blinded her with radiance.
“There are an infinite number of dimensions…”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
A huge thank you to Kristi (Tanit) for being the great and dedicated beta that she is (I heard reading during a meal isn't good for you - I can only imagine what betaing during a meal can do). So a round of standing ovations for her sacrifices. Other tan that, thank everyone that commented and everyone else that just read without sharing their thoughts. Without further ado...
Chapter End Notes:
A little cliffie does good to the soul - or so I've been told.