Switcheroony
by alicorn
chapter 10
[reviews]
Willow had decided that Xander should explain the vision rod theory to Giles. She so wanted to see the Watcher's eyes grow wide. But with Anya unable to stop herself from helping Xander explain, it took a while for the idea to become clear. Although Giles was wide eyed, it was more concentrating to take it all in rather than being amazed at Anya and Xander's plan; that is until he realized just how good their idea sounded and how well thought out it was. He even managed to live with the several 'G-man' references that passed Xander's lips.
During the explanation Buffy sat sideways to the group. Her mind taking in what was being said but her thoughts were still fixed on how to begin the conversation that she knew she and Willow had to have. As much as she wanted to think that Anya and Xander's idea could help, she was more than a little sceptical. Somehow she just knew that lately fate was only interested in kicking her ass.
Giles listened, very impressed by the plan and a little overwhelmed by the sheer impact of all three talking almost at once. But when he realized how they excited were with the idea, he just had to let them go with it until they ran out of steam.
"So G-man, do we get the green light?" Xander asked after they concluded their explanation.
Giles looked in amazement - first at Anya and then at Xander. Oblivious to yet another 'G-man' reference, he turned to Willow and asked. "You didn't help with this?"
"Nope." She assured him, smiling the very proud smile of a best friend.
"Well, I really can't think why it shouldn't work. It seems fairly straightforward. Well done!" He said, "Yes, it could work. I see no reason why it shouldn't. Although how effective it will prove - we will only know by trying." He continued, a slightly amazed tone to his voice. "And there's no time like the present. Anya, would you close for lunch please?"
A smug smile crossed Anya's face and Xander gave such a whoop of joy that Willow thought he was going to break into the snoopy dance.
"Okay. 'I'm ready for the dream sequence Mr. DeMille'." Xander enthused, posing dramatically. "Have vision rod — will dream. Point me to the stage"
"I think the training room is best." Giles said. He looked at Buffy and realized that she had only been half listening. There was something about Willow's face that really couldn't keep a secret as well as Buffy obviously thought it could. "Buffy?" Her eyes met his. "We're adjourning to the back."
"Right." She replied and stood up to follow Willow and Xander into the training room.
Giles followed her. Concerned by what he had seen in her new face - self doubt.
The trio took up their places on the mat. Buffy sat crossed-legged holding the base of the vision rod with Willow and Xander, each, placing one of their hands above hers. Giles sat behind Willow and Buffy, a hand on each of their shoulders, while Anya sat behind Xander, her hand on his shoulder.
"We need to choose a point in time to concentrate on." Giles said, expecting someone to respond.
"Buffy was watching us dance before Faith arrived." Willow offered.
"All right. Buffy, concentrate on what you were thinking and doing as you watched Xander and Willow dance."
Buffy felt a slight blush fill her cheeks. 'Don't be silly. You were just thinking that Oz was a fool. There's nothing wrong with that.' She concentrated on that night, trying to recall what Willow and Xander had been wearing. What song had been playing? How warm was it?
[Very good.] Giles prompted with his thoughts.
[My shirt was blue.] Added Xander helpfully, shouting his thoughts.
[Xander!] Giles hissed.
[Sorry.]
Buffy regained her focus. 'I had a lemonade. The band had just broken into an upbeat number. I looked at Willow. She looked great. Oz is such a fool...' The pictures in her mind suddenly became solid. She was there. She could almost smell the stale air of the Bronze. She looked towards the dance floor and there were Xander and Willow. Her view was suddenly obstructed but she recognized the face that moved into her line of sight as Faith's. Leaning across the table, Faith smiled knowingly, as she blocked her view of the dance floor.
"Hey B, still checking out ... "
[Okay Buffy, you've got us there. Now try to rewind slowly and follow Faith.] Giles instructed.
Glad for the interruption, Buffy tried to do just that. Suddenly she was watching everything back up. Inside she smiled as she saw Willow and Xander dancing — backwards!! [Hey!] She heard a female voice protest.
[Follow Faith.] Giles reminded her.
She concentrated and followed Faith back through her entrance into the Bronze. Somehow that leather clad swagger of Faith's seemed almost hypnotic backwards.
[If I wear leather you get a rash.]
[Anya!]
[Well you do!]
[Buffy, ignore them. Follow Faith. And will you two shut up?] Giles spat in frustration.
[Sorry.] They replied.
Buffy drew herself back to Faith. But it was all so slow, too slow. She glanced at Willow on the dance floor, so happy, so safe and suddenly she remembered that this was why she was here. She hadn't been able to save Willow from the pain of losing Tara or Oz or from the constant abandonment of her parents but she could fix this. She could give Willow back her body. She just had to concentrate. She focused all her thoughts on rewinding time. The world seemed to shoot past her, accelerating, speeding almost into a blur.
[Buffy slow down.]
She focused and time slowed. Faith was climbing onto a bus.
[That's Sunnydale bus station.] She thought. [I need to go back further.] She focused and again time sped past. This time she seemed to almost lose control of it; her image went out of focus. She had no idea how fast she was rewinding.
[Buffy!]
She tried desperately. Slow, slow, slow.... Gradually the image refocused.
As it did, a man appeared before her - below average height, wild hair, she tried to identify the slowly refocusing image and as she did - she realized that it was Oz.
[Oh No.] Buffy sighed.
He looked much the same as she remembered him, which couldn't be right. He entered a bar and nodded at an older woman who was sitting on a stool in the now empty bar. He moved towards the smiling woman. Buffy didn't recognize her.
"Cool set last night." The woman offered as praise. "Your gear is out back. Greg didn't seem happy with last night's gig."
"Greg thinks the base line on "cried out" needs adjusting. But I'm ok with it." Oz replied. She passed him a can of beer and he moved to stand beside her. "You alone?"
Buffy couldn't believe she had somehow focused her vision on Oz.
"Not now." She smiled. "It's been awhile since I've come across you guys. You still seeing the redhead with the cute smile?"
"Nope, that ended." He replied, as a shadow seemed to cross his face.
"That sounds recent. I thought it was serious." She smiled at him. "I've noticed you have a tendency to leave us mid sentence lately." Reassuringly she added, "I don't think your mother has spotted it yet. Was it serious?"
[She's family?] Buffy asked.
[Ramona, his Aunt.] Willow replied
"It was for me." Oz fell into silence and Buffy thought that was all he was going to say. The older woman also stayed silent. He turned to stare up at the stage and continued, "She was lying to herself about her feelings for someone else, someone I really like." He huffed and grinned to himself. "I loved her and she cared for me, felt safe with me. But she was never in love with me." He moved his gaze to the floor. "I didn't want to compete, to fight for her." He frowned. "Someone would have been hurt." Buffy knew he really meant that. Oz's fear of the wolf was real. "I'm not sure she realized but I knew. I had to give her the chance. Lets face it - once she figures out what she needs, guys like me — nada."
[Buffy, we need to fast forward. You've gone too far back.] Willow interjected. She really didn't want to visit where Oz was going.
"Sorry, sounds rough. Why?" Oz looked at her oddly. "Why didn't you compete? Who's that unbeatable?"
"A woman." Oz replied, almost laughing.
[How could he have known about Tara?] Buffy asked.
Slowly complete understanding registered in the older woman's eyes. She moved towards him, placing her arm across his shoulders. "You're an original, Oz. Not many men I know would care more about someone's future happiness than their own heart. Fighting the male ego stereotype." She squeezed his shoulders. "An original."
"Yeah. 'Original Guy'; the t-shirts are on order."
The vision began to blur as Buffy lost her focus, a thousand thoughts suddenly obliterating her concentration. Oz had only met Tara after he left Willow - so how could his liking her be part of his decision to leave?
[Buffy, focus!] Giles commanded.
She tried, but her mind was a mess.
[Buffy, follow Faith. We need to find Faith!] Giles again commanded.
Her mind somehow heard the voice of her Watcher, the voice of a man she trusted with her life, with Willow's life and she collected herself.
Drawing her mind back to Faith, images began to form again. She concentrated and as the image cleared she saw a room, a sofa, sunlight, welcoming colors, Mexican tiles and a large picture window. Standing, outlined against the window, was a woman with long black hair — Faith? No, she's wearing a dress. The woman turned and Buffy realized it was Cordelia.
"So Angel thinks he can help you, does he? Personally I think you're just playing him, like you play all men." Cordelia accused, raising her eyebrow to glare at the woman across the room.
"Yeah, figured that was your take on things." Faith replied. "So why you letting me crash here if you're not with the program?"
"Listen honey, I may know you're an evil, 'don't trust her as far as you can throw her', low rent slut but Angel wants to keep you around. He thinks you can change." She laughed. "So my choice was to either let you stay with him. Soooo not happening. All we need is you getting a slut itch and forgetting to care about the whole 'one moment of true happiness' thingy (not that you're really into that and I doubt happiness is your gift but who cares — not taking the chance); or that you might start feeling the other 'stake him, dust him' urge; or I let you stay here." She gave Faith a truly lacking in welcome smile and added. "There's no sluttish leather in my closet, so don't bother raiding it. The fridge is stocked — you go and get for yourself. Washing machine and dryer are in the back — don't mix your stuff in with mine." She turned her back to the Slayer. "I'm gonna take a bath."
"Want some company? Or is that self service too?" Faith asked. Buffy could hear the sexual innuendo in her voice.
"If you're gone when I get out? That'll be fine by me. I'll let Angel down gently." Cordy replied, ignoring her comments. "He'll get used to being betrayed by you, just like the rest of us."
[Way to go Cordy.] Buffy cheered.
"Queen C, I'm gonna enjoy disappointing you - by proving you wrong."
"I won't be joining the 'we think Faith can change' cheerleaders anytime soon. You hurt people I care about. You let Buffy down. You kidnapped Willow. You put her life in danger. You put all our lives in danger."
[Cordy cares about us.] Willow whispered in amazement.
[It's scary but true.] Buffy added, laughing to herself.
[Buffy, keep your focus.]
Cordy replied. "I won't wait till the end of the world for that one. Oh wait - been there." And with that she walked into her bedroom, closing the door.
Nothing happened for a while, so Buffy slowly wound forward. She saw Cordy go to the fridge, then back to her bedroom. Faith grabbed a glass of water and settled on the sofa. She sped up the 'fast forward'.
[Try and focus on the conversations about you and Willow.] Giles instructed.
[Can I do that?] Buffy asked, somewhat doubtful.
[Try.] Giles urged her.
Cordy reappeared from her bedroom. "I'm going out."
"Go for it." Faith responded, as if Cordy had asked for her okay. "I'll be right here when you get back."
"If the phone rings, don't answer. I don't want to have to explain to the Scoobies why you're answering my phone."
"You keep in touch?" Faith asked somewhat surprised. Buffy could see that Faith hadn't really imagined Cordy keeping in touch with the old gang.
"When we need to. That's what friends do. Not that you really stayed around long enough to learn that rule. Let alone anything else." Cordy replied as she closed the front door.
Buffy tried to remember the last time she had spoken to Cordy, except to ask for Angel. That made her feel really bad. She hadn't actually talked to Cordelia since her last visit to see Angel and that had only been in passing. [I should call her, catch up.]
[She called last week, needing help with a protection spell. We didn't really chat.] Willow offered, feeling like a bad person.
[I mostly speak to Wesley.] Giles added.
Quietly, everyone resolved to catch up with their old friend, and soon.
Fast-forwarding again, Buffy noticed that Faith had opened what looked like a spell book. She focused and slowed down the image. Faith was leaning on the kitchen counter, running her finger across the line she was reading. Her face showed that not only was she concentrating but also she seemed to be ... smiling?
[Buffy try another angle. Get behind her.] Xander suggested.
Buffy slowly changed her focus, like a camera on a boom. She slowly moved behind Faith and lifted the image to look over her shoulder. Focusing on the text, she began to read. 'Separate the whites and yolks of six eggs. Grease a baking tray, approximately 4" by 8", then ...'
[No!] Buffy gasped.
Faith turned away from the book and opened the fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs and some butter.
[I'm in the twilight zone.] She stated, unable to believe her eyes.
Then she opened a cupboard. Reaching down she moved several pots and pans before emerging with a baking tray.
Buffy started to giggle at the ridiculous image before her; then she laughed; then she lost all control of her laughter as she realized that not only was Faith was looking at a cookbook and preparing to bake but she appeared to be enjoying it.
The vision blurred as Willow and Xander joined in the laughter.
[Buffy, concentrate.] Giles asked. [Please.]
[It's too — hic — much.] Xander hiccupped. She could hear him gasping for air. [Do you- hic - think she's making - hic - Angel Cakes?]
That was it. Buffy lost control and the image vanished. Slowly her hearing returned and she could hear the giggles and guffaws of her friends. She opened her eyes to find Willow and Xander rolling on the floor, no longer touching the vision rod, their hands clutching their stomachs as they laughed uncontrollably. Giles appeared to be trying to glare at them but his eyes were watering with the tears of held back laughter.
Anya simply looked confused by the whole thing. "I don't understand. Why is Faith baking cakes for Angel funny? I would think that's the least she could do." She said, seemingly oblivious to the ridiculous sight of a Slayer 'gone bad' in the role of Betty Crocker!
Buffy looked at her and then at her friends. Laughter erupted from her very core and she joined them, rolling on the floor, feeling lighter and younger than she had in a very long time.