A/N: Yet another entry originally posted to Twisting the Hellmouth. This is a sequel to both "Chapter 95: YAHF: Secret Sorcerer" and "Chapter 101: The Once and Future...". In fact, it takes place right after the latter chapter.
Let me know if this is Good, Bad or Ugly!
Chapter Title: Interpretations
Buffy entered the library looking more distracted that normal.
"Everything all right?" Giles asked her in concern.
"Y-yeah… I think so..." Buffy said hesitantly. "I had a Slayer dream last night."
"What can you tell me about it?" Giles inquired.
"It was weirder than usual, for one," Buffy answered. "It had Xander switching clothes a lot- not like he was changing or anything, just that one moment he'd be wearing jester clothes, then the next he'd be wearing this strange outfit with a leather jacket- although he started out in his crazy hermit Halloween costume."
"And how was he acting in each instance," Giles pressed.
"When he was dressed like the jester he'd make jokes and stuff. Make us all laugh- at first. Then he'd switch clothes and be all sneaky and using some weird powers to save us when we weren't looking. Then he'd fall on purpose and we'd all notice and he'd be back to wearing the jester outfit. We all yelled at him… Well Faith didn't, she just looked kinda sad," Buffy informed him.
"What happened after that?" Giles asked.
"Faith just suddenly started lookin' all crazy-like and wearing this black dress that was torn up all over the place," Buffy stated. "And her hair looked like it hadn't seen a comb in a month and she was standing in the middle of a bunch of bodies- human and demon." Buffy crossed her arms and shivered. "It was really creepy-like and Xander, back in his leather coat, started trying to talk to her. I dunno what they said, but she pulled him in for a kiss and then stabbed him. When they pulled away, I noticed he'd stabbed her too and then they died."
"I see..." Giles commented as he polished his glasses in thought. The old habit made Buffy smile, but she didn't call attention to it.
"Then there was this wall- it had all of out pictures on it- all connected to each other, except Xander's and Faith's pictures were blacked out and the wall began to crack and then suddenly demons were all over the place- and that's where the dream got really weird," Buffy stated.
"How so?" Giles asked looking at her intently.
"The weird meta-thingies and symbolistic stuff, I get," Buffy stated. "Well, I don't really get it, because it's all confusing, but they make sense as in they're normal- normal for me anyway. This wasn't normal."
Giles had to restrain himself from attempting to chastise Buffy from her butchering of the English language and decided to roll with it as he got the gist of what she was saying. "I understand what you're trying to say, Buffy. So how did this portion of the dream differ from other slayer dreams you've had."
"I was at Camelot," Buffy stated.
Giles sighed. "Buffy, not..."
"You don't get it Giles," Buffy interrupted. "I saw the castle and I knew it was Camelot, like I'd seen it before. Like I've been there before, when I know I haven't because the only place I've been to outside of California is Vegas, yet I felt like I knew what it was like to live there, even though I know it doesn't exist." Buffy looked unsure of herself. "It doesn't right?"
"That, to this very day, is a widely debated topic," Giles informed her. "Even amongst the supernatural community. Though it is widely accepted that King Arthur, Camelot, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table did, at one time, exist."
"That brings me to the next weird part," Buffy told him.
"Oh?" Giles inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, I talked to Arthur- King Arthur," Buffy stated with a small amount of irritation. "And, somehow, just like the castle knew he was him."
"Truly?" Giles said, his other eyebrow joining the first in astonishment.
"Wigs me out too," Buffy stated. "And this is the really weird part."
"You saw Camelot and Arthur in a Slayer vision and mysteriously knew what and who they were instinctively and this is the odd part," Giles said incredulously.
"Giles, I'm the one who had the dream and I'm not sure I believe it happened," Buffy snarked back.
"I apologize, but your dream just seems very fantastical as it is," Giles defended himself. "So what happened when you saw Camelot and Arthur."
"King Arthur," Buffy said mockingly. Giles raised an eyebrow at that and Buffy shook her head. "We talked a bit about Merlin- only it didn't seem like we were talking about Merlin- or like we weren't just talking about Merlin."
"Xander," Giles deduced.
"What?" Buffy said reflexively in shock. "How'd you guess?"
"A significant portion of your dream was dedicated to Xander already, it seemed like the logical conclusion," Giles replied.
"Yeah, well, that doesn't make sense to me- not even a little bit," Buffy stated. "I mean, Xander and Merlin aren't anything alike, ya know? One's a wrinkly old man, the other's in high school. One is the most famous man-witch person of all time, the other is regular, everyday, Xander. Yet, we talked about them like they were the same person."
"Are you certain you were even talking about Merlin in the first place?" Giles asked.
"Yeah, in fact, when he was first brought up, we were talking about him and Xander as two different people, telling each other what good of friends they were," Buffy stated. "And then the conversation shifted… It was weird, because King Arty was talking about how he wasn't always a good friend of Merlin's and I pointed out that he did the best he could because Merlin hid a lot of who he was from Arthur- which, again, I knew without knowing. Then Arthur pointed out that Merlin was afraid of him to which I replied, he shouldn't be afraid of us, but I was talking about Xander- not Merlin."
"Strange… Almost like two conversations going on at once… Though I can't figure a reason for either Xander or Merlin to be afraid of those closest to them," Giles said in thought.
"Me neither," Buffy agreed. Her next sentence got Giles' full attention. "Then he mentioned a once and future kingdom and told me to pull the sword from the stone."
"What!?" Giles said in astonishment.
"That's what I said, but I did it or I tried to, because that's when I woke up," Buffy further informed him. She sighed nostalgically and then began to speak excitedly. "I-It was incredible Giles! I grabbed it and it… It felt warm a-and familiar and tingly a-and…" Her voice took a much softer tone. "And like home… When I held it, it just felt right." Her tone was then decidedly disappointed. "When I went to pull it out, it was stuck for a moment, but then it started to give. I only pulled it out a little bit when I woke up."
"Buffy..." Giles said slowly. "What did Arthur say about the Once and Future Kingdom?"
"Not much," Buffy said with a shrug. "Only that it would rise again, but not how people would expect it to but not really anything else."
"Interesting..." Giles said thoughtfully.
"Any idea what that means?" Buffy inquired.
"A thought, but nothing I truly wish to commit to," Giles stated. "What troubles me, however, is why now? Two world wars and countless atrocities committed across the globe, why would he return now…?"
"Giles?" Buffy asked confusedly.
"Sorry, Buffy. It's just… You've given me much to think on," Giles assured her.
"So what's the what?" Xander asked as he and Willow entered the Library.
"Just tellin' Giles about my latest Slayer dream," Buffy said. Giles looked at them shrewdly.
"What's darkening the horizon this time?" Xander asked seriously, Willow was looking more than a little worried and concerned.
"It wasn't that type of Slayer dream… At least, I don't think it was..." Buffy said unsure of her answer. "It was all kind of confusing."
"What's life without a little bit of mystery?" Xander joked.
"Less terrifying," Willow commented.
Xander snorted and puffed out his chest. "I laugh at the face of danger…! Usually, while standing behind Buffy."
"Don't worry Xander, I'll keep the big bad monsters away," Buffy cooed.
Xander replied in a dramatic falsetto voice while swooning. "My hero!"
Willow giggled while trying to hold in some serious laughter.
Xander smirked at Willow. "Care to share, Wills?"
"I just got this image in my head of Buffy in armor slaying a dragon to save damsel in distress Xander in all his princess glory," Willow said grinningly. Buffy laughed and even Giles grinned.
"Hey now, I'm all for the role reversal, equal opportunity and all that, being a man of the new millennium, especially if Buff were to dress up in Xena's armor, but I'm no damsel in distress. Dude, maybe, but no damsel."
"Dude in Distress just doesn't have the oomph that Damsel does," Buffy shot back with a grin.
"Yeah, yeah, call me what you want, but I will now and forever deny being a 'damsel' anything," Xander argued.
"Afraid you couldn't pull off the dress, X?" Faith challenged mockingly as she too walked in.
Xander said in mock outrage. "I totally could! Not nearly as well as Buffy did that Halloween, but I so could." Before anyone else could retort he spoke up. "HOWEVER, just because I can, doesn't mean I would or even should."
"Just keep tellin' yourself that," Faith replied with a smirk.
Xander sighed. "No respect."
"If it helps, I believe you," Willow replied teasingly.
"At least someone here's got my back," Xander faux-complained.
"As fetching as Xander may or may not be in a ball gown..." Giles said clearing his throat. "I've got to start looking into 'The Once and Future' Kingdom."
"What's that?" asked Willow at the same time Faith replied, "Never heard of it."
"Camelot?" Xander's answer, however, left the others looking at him strangely. He rolled his eyes. "Despite being considered one of the girls most days, I am still a guy you know and as a kid, I so wanted to be a Knight of the Round Table: rescuing damsels, slaying dragons and being an all around legendary hero."
"Like Lancelot and Arthur?" Willow asked.
"Naw," Xander denied. "Lancelot was cool and all, but he comes off a bit broody. I leave that sort of thing for others."
The girls rolled their eyes at the subtle dig at Angel.
"What about Arthur?" Giles asked.
"Being a hero is one thing," Xander stated honestly. "Being with a hero with a destiny is something else entirely and, no offense Buffster, Faith, it tends to suck."
"None taken," Buffy said as she nodded in agreement.
Faith responded. "Don't knock it, X. I kinda like the perks that come with being a Slayer."
"Being a Slayer is one thing, being the Once and Future King of Albion is another. He was not only destined to unite the whole land and bring in a prosperous age, but he's prophesied to return one day in his Kingdom's greatest need. Sorry, but that's more than enough responsibility to have in one lifetime, let alone two," Xander replied.
"I must say, I'm surprised at the depth and accuracy of your knowledge," Giles praised.
"Yeah, well don't go putting me on a pedestal just yet, G-man," Xander said. "Because I wanted to be Zorro at one time too, in all his whip crackin', swashbucklin', chandelier swingin' glory. You wouldn't believe how disappointed I was to find out that that's not how real sword fights went."
Giles chuckled at that remark. "You'd be surprised. I myself begged and begged to learn to use a sword for a very similar reason. It was quite the surprise to learn that what you see on television and in the theatre was nothing like actual combat."
At their astonished looks, he defended himself in an affronted tone. "I too was young once."
"Hey, not like I have any room to judge. Heck, I'd still love to learn to use a sword like that," Xander admitted with a slightly nostalgic smile.
"Always gotta be the goof, huh, X?" Faith said with a smirk, the sparkle in her eye hinting that she knew something the others didn't. Giles, carefully watching the two, noticed the hint of mischievousness in her look. Typically, he'd chalk that up to Faith being Faith, however, after hearing the details of Buffy's vision, he wasn't so sure.
It also made Giles wonder about whatever hidden depths that Xander was hiding that had gone unnoticed and that Buffy, and to a greater extent, Willow, were outright ignoring.
Xander smirked in return. "It's taken me years to craft this image. Class clown is a lock for sure."
"Something to aspire to, for sure," Giles said half sarcastically.
"We've all got our hobbies- Willow got the computer things, Angel the brooding thing, and Buffster and Faith got the whole slayin' thing," Xander replied.
"I do hope you're joking Mr. Harris," Wesley said disdainfully as he made his way into the library behind them. "Slaying should be more than a mere hobby."
"There's no point in them doing it if they can't have some bit of fun while doing it," Xander argued.
Wesley's lip curled in disgust. "Fun?"
Giles, however, wasn't about to dismiss what Xander said off hand. "How do you mean?"
Xander sighed. "That they're people, just like the rest of us. Do either of you just live for being Watchers? Because I know I don't live for coming to school every day and I sure as heck don't help fight demons and other nasties night after night for the good world."
"Then why do you fight?" Giles asked.
Willow and Buffy shared a knowing look, one that Faith frowned at. It was a subtle thing that Giles would have missed before.
"The people in this room. Oz, Cordy, and even Dead Boy, though if we could keep that between us, that'd be great," Xander stated. Giles noticed the small smirk on his face at Buffy and Willow's surprise at Xander's declaration. Faith's smirk, on the other hand, changed to a more genuine smile. "It's easy to say you fight to save the world, it's another thing to do it. The world is too big. Too impersonal. I fight for people. It's more personal that way, makes me want to fight harder."
"Ya know, Boy Toy, you keep sayin' shit like that and there's no way in hell you're gonna get that Class Clown Award," Faith pointed out with a grin.
"Then let's keep it between us," Xander told her with a wink. "Reputations have to be maintained and all."
"That's gonna cost ya," Faith shot back flirtatiously.
Willow frowned at the byplay. "Why are you even here, you don't even go to school."
Faith shrugged. "Just thought I'd check in and get some early mornin' trainin'. Or do I gotta run that by you first, Red?"
"C'mon, Wills," Xander interrupted. "We got class to get to soon anyway. Catch ya latter Faith."
Faith waited until they were gone before she spoke up with a tired sigh. "I really don't like her."
"You're not exactly friendly to her either," Buffy pointed out.
"I'm also not the one acting like a jealous bitch over a guy I don't have any sort of real claim to," Faith shot back.
"Must you always use such vulgarities?" Wesley asked in disgust.
"I must, I must," Faith declared. Wesley just shook his head and made his way into the office.
Buffy sighed. "I'll talk to her, but could you go a little easier on her too?"
Faith frowned. "She backs off, I'll back off. Other than that, no promises, B."
"Thanks," Buffy said gratefully as she too left.
Giles eyed Faith shrewdly.
"What?" Faith asked. "Somethin' on my face."
"No, just realizing some inconsistencies I've ignored," Giles commented.
Faith's head tilted slightly. "Like what?"
"Xander, for one," Giles honestly admitted. "He makes it so easy to underestimate him. Every time he actually shows his hidden depths, as infrequent as that is, it's easy to be surprised, despite the lengths he's gone for those he cares about. It's those efforts that is the reason why we have two Slayers to begin with. But you already know that, don't you?"
"Not followin' the train of thought, G-man," Faith stated. Giles detected a hint of nervousness in her voice.
Giles' eyes narrowed. "Emrys."
Faith sighed. "Shit. How much do you know?"
"More than Willow or Buffy, but that's not exactly an achievement at the moment," Giles stated. "Buffy's vision last night hinted at enough to pique my interest- to make me stand back and actually pay attention. If I were to guess, the costume Xander wore that Halloween Ethan came to town was no mere hermit. I would also hazard to guess that he kept quite a bit more than he'd initially admitted."
"If I were to admit that something like that might be the case, what would happen to Xander?" Faith inquired carefully.
"Why didn't he say anything?" Giles asked.
"He didn't want you to 'fix' him," Faith replied. "He didn't just get possessed by Merlin, he pretty much became him. There's a bit more to it, but I don't think I should be the one to explain."
"I see... I have to ask, why go to you?" Giles wondered. "Why not Willow or Buffy?"
Faith snorted incredulously. "Seriously?"
"I did ask, didn't I?" Giles pointed out.
"It's because he feels like he's locked in a role. He acts the goof because that's all they or anyone else wants to see. He's been the goof so long that he's afraid of being anything else. Now, seriously, that's all I'm sayin' on the matter. Anything else you're gonna have to take up with X," Faith said firmly. "I don't feel comfortable talkin' about this stuff without him around."
"Fair enough," Giles acknowledged.
"X… Does the best he can," Faith stated. "I don't exactly agree with some of his choices, but they're his choices and his secrets. He only told me because he's got a mother hen complex a mile wide and doesn't want to repeat past mistakes." Faith gave Giles a weak smile. "Personally, I think he's settin' himself up to make all new ones, but hopefully things turn out better for us than they did for Merlin."
"He's been confiding with you then?" Giles asked somewhat relieved that Xander had someone to talk to about whatever it was he was going through.
Faith shrugged. "Here and there. The stories about Camelot are pretty cool, but he gets a bit touchy when he talks about Morgana."
"Morgana… Pendragon? Morgan le Fay, Arthur's half sister?" Giles asked. She nodded. "I suppose I can see how she might be a controversial topic for him to discuss."
"You have no idea. Merlin seemed to have a thing for her and I think X does too," Faith informed him. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice. Giles filed that away for latter. "Not that he says it outright, but you can hear it when he talks about her."
"I'll keep that in mind when I talk to him about it later," Giles assured her.
"Go easy on him, okay," Faith half-pleaded.
"I will," Giles promised before changing the subject. "Now, you said you wanted to get some training in today?"