College Girl (Book Four, BTVS)

chapter 19 - New Moon Rising

The Scoobies were having a meeting in Giles' apartment.

Riley and Buffy were standing by the couch.

Xander, Willow and Tara sat on stools in front of the window in the wall leading to the kitchen. Anya was sitting on Xander's lap.

Giles was in the kitchen.

I was sitting on Giles' desk. 

"Zippo," Buffy told them. "Patrol's been totally uneventful. My kill count's way low."

Willow looked at Tara. "She means there's been less bad-guy activity."

"Well, we know what that often indicates," Giles told us.

"Buffy and Zoey don't make their quota," Xander told us, shaking his finger at Buffy and me. "Bad Slayers."

"Well, I wish it were that innocuous, but with Adam around, I feel he's involved somehow," Giles told us, holding a bag of snacks, pouring snacks into a bowl.

Willow looked at Tara. "When things get slow, it's usually because there's some extra evil brewing."

Tara nodded.

"Except the weird thing is, we've been busy at the Initiative," Riley told us. "Our squads are pulling a lot more captures. We got demons coming out of ears."

Willow looked at Tara. "That's a metaphor."

Tara smiled. "I got it, thanks."

"I've overhelping, aren't I?" Willow asked.

Tara chuckled.

Giles walked out of the kitchen with the bowl. "So, the activity's shifted, but not stopped." He held the bowl toward Willow. "That's fascinating."

Giles sat at his desk, putting the bowl down.

"To an extremely bored person, maybe," Anya told us. Giles looked annoyed. "Well, that was a thrilling hour."

Everyone started to stand.

Giles stood. "You know, I really don't appreciate your snide remarks, Anya." Anya and Xander looked at him in surprise. "Now, I have a great deal of experience in these matters..." We heard the door open. Buffy and Riley looked behind us, surprised. "And if I say there is a matter of some import brewing, I--I..."

Giles turned around to look at the door. 

Buffy, Riley, Anya, Xander, Willow and Giles looked behind me in surprise. They looked from the door to me.

Tara was confused.

I slowly turned around, in shock.

Oz was standing in the doorway, hands in jacket pockets. "Hey."

  ~~~~   

I was still shocked. "Oz." Oz looked around uncomfortably. Buffy and Willow looked at me in concern. "When--when did you get back?"

"Pretty much now," Oz answered.

Xander looked around at everyone, stepping forward. "Oz, man. Hate to sound grandma, but... you don't call, you don't write."

"Yeah, sorry," Oz told us.

Xander and Oz shook hands.

"So, are you here here, or are you just passing through?" Buffy asked.

"Well, um, let's not, uh, bombard the poor chap with, uh, questions right off," Giles told us. He looked at Oz. "Can I get you something? Um, tea?"