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Out of Africa
by spikeNdru
Genre: Gen; Action/Adventure
Pairings: Xander and Ensemble; no pairings yet.
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: Two years post-Chosen
Disclaimers: The characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and 20th Century Fox; they aren't currently using
them so I'm borrowing them for awhile.
Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30
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Chapter Nineteen
The next two days passed in a flurry of preparations.Faith, Willow, Dawn and Althenea took an excursion boat to Catalina and rented bicycles to tour the island. On the far side, they conducted the styptic pencil experiment—which was a complete success—much to Faith's disappointment, as no seafood of any kind crossed over into LA. In consolation, as soon as they returned to the mainland, Dawn made reservations for dinner that night at Red Lobster. They returned to the hotel windblown, sunburned and excited, to round up the rest of the group for dinner.
Harmony and the guys hadn't been idle in their absence. Connor made lists of the most pertinent supplies he could think of to take with them. Harmony and Lorne utilized the Yellow Pages of the phone book and did the preliminary calling, then sent Xander, Connor and Giles on provisioning missions. Xander stocked up on dried fruit, beef jerky and energy bars that looked much better than the ones he had previously attempted to sell. He picked up a case of packets of water purification tablets, first aid supplies, backpacks, and other additional supplies at the Army-Navy store. Giles visited some esoteric bookstores and was quite pleased to be able to acquire a variety of mystical weaponry. Connor paid a visit to Wesley's old supplier and obtained some more modern weapons. By the time the Catalina contingent returned, everyone was more than ready for dinner, and in a celebratory mood.
Althenea suggested that Harmony wear her superhero outfit, and watched with interest as Harmony placed both the catsuit and cape in a large, heavy plastic zippered bag with a prepackaged sheet of some kind of cloth-like paper, then put the bag in one of the dryers and set the controls for twenty minutes on low heat. Harmony explained that these home dry cleaning kits were available in the laundry section of supermarkets, and Bernard immediately decided that he must take several of the kits back with him. He had no idea if they were available in England or not, as he'd never seen anything like them, although he admitted that Mrs. Knightsbridge did the majority of the shopping.
When they arrived at Red Lobster, Harmony linked her arm through Lorne's and Althenea quietly requested seating in the back, where the lighting was lowest. She murmured to the hostess that, unfortunately, several scenes must be reshot this evening, but her actors wished to attract as little attention as possible. The hostess was thrilled, and discretely seated them in two large adjoining booths in the back. The English woman was probably the director, or at least the AD, the hostess decided, and the older gentleman had to be a producer. In addition to the blonde and the guy in green make-up, the tall, willowy brunette and the piratey guy were obviously actors. The redhead looked like a writer or script person, and the younger guy moved with the grace of a stuntman. She'd have to remember to ask the name of the movie before they left, so that she could mention it the next time she met her friends for lunch.
The server appeared and offered drinks menus of fantastically colored libations. Bernard unintentionally began the game when he asked for a bright blue drink. His eyesight wasn't good enough to read the printed ingredients listed on the menu and when the server started rattling off various combinations, Bernard held up his hand. With a cherubic smile, he said, “I really don't much care what's in it; I'd just like something a lovely shade of bright blue, if you please.”
The others got on board immediately.
“Could I have something orange?” Dawn asked. “Not orange juice yellow, but really orange—like a pumpkin?”
The server gave in gracefully and made no further attempt to write down the names of drinks—only colors. Harmony ordered bright pink, Connor chose dark green, Xander asked for purple, Lorne shrugged and regretfully eschewed his normal Sea Breeze for lemon yellow instead. Faith asked for maraschino cherry red. Willow chose lime green, Althenea asked for turquoise and, possibly because he was last and the obvious colors were already chosen, Giles perversely ordered chartreuse.
The bartender was obviously up to the unusual task, because fifteen minutes later, the server returned with a tray of drinks that glowed like a king's ransom of jewels. No one had any idea of the ingredients, with the exception of Bernard's drink, which everyone was sure included Blue Curaçao among the ingredients, and Faith's with maraschino cherry juice. The group began taking small sips, rolling the beverages on their tongues with the fervor of sommeliers at a wine tasting, as they tried to identify the contents of the various drinks.
Giles was fairly sure two of the ingredients in his chartreuse beverage must be pineapple juice and crème de menthe to give it the distinct greenish-yellow color. He was preparing to take a larger sip in an attempt to identify additional flavors, when he noticed Xander staring at him in horror.
“Xander? Are you alright? What is it?” Giles asked, concern evident in his voice.
“It's just . . . it's . . . your drink.”
“Yes?”
“It's . . . Holy crap, Giles! Your drink looks like a big glass of snot.”
Giles looked askance at Xander, glanced at his drink, and then set it down. He had been quite enjoying it until Xander's appalling comment; now it was impossible to even consider drinking any more of it.
Xander flushed and wished he had kept his big mouth shut when he saw the disappointment on Giles' face. He slid out of the booth, carefully navigating the full tables until he arrived at the bar in the next room. Glenlivet was the best single malt available, so he ordered a double shot, neat, to replace Giles' chartreuse mug o' mucous. He presented it to Giles with a nervous smile of apology for ruining his fun. Thankfully, the server soon appeared with dinner menus, and Xander's gaffe was forgiven.
Bernie was fascinated by the concept of Surf 'n Turf, and the array of choices available under that heading. He asked to be the last to give his order to the server while he debated his options. However, when everyone else had placed their orders and his time of decision making was at hand, he decided to go with the fried fish and chips—or fries, as they were called here. He didn't feel the need to mention that this particular treat had been denied to him for some time by Mrs. Knightsbridge, who thought he should be watching his cholesterol.
Harmony ordered the popcorn shrimp, and sequentially dipped each piece into honey, cocktail sauce and then tartar sauce. Xander and Willow had a side bet going as to whether she'd continue like that for her entire plate, or eventually make a misstep in the dipping order.
A fine time was had by all.
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When everyone had finished, Bernie wrapped the two remaining garlicky cheese buns in his napkin and secreted them in his pocket for a later snack. Then, there was some discussion about activities for the remainder of the evening. Xander suggested a movie, and Willow and Dawn quickly agreed to go with him. Connor, Faith and Harmony decided they'd rather do some patrolling, and the rest of the group chose to go back to the hotel.Bernie and Lorne retired to their rooms when they arrived, and Giles put the kettle on for tea. He and Althenea sipped in companionable silence for a time, before the subject of Quor-Toth naturally came up for discussion.
“Althenea . . . are you absolutely sure you want to do this?”
“Yes, Rupert, I am. In fact, I feel like I've been inexorably drawing toward this moment my whole life. I've often envied you, you know.”
“Me? You've envied me? In what way?”
“When you became a Watcher, so much was opened to you as a matter of course. The books you had access to, the . . . community of learning in which you were a part, the adventure of acting upon your knowledge out in the field . . . you have had a chance to really make a difference in this world.
“I had often heard that the Watchers' Council library was the finest compilation of knowledge amassed since the fall of the library at Alexandria. You could access materials with a snap of your fingers that often took me years to track down. I've wished that your library could have been opened to all seekers of knowledge in the light, rather than just a select few. Oh, I understood the need for secrecy, and I've come to accept that we chose different paths with different resources. I'm sure I could have applied to become a Watcher if that was what I truly wanted, and it isn't. I come from a long line of Wiccan priestesses, and I've always known that I wanted to continue in The Craft, just as you come from a family of Watchers. We're both following our destined paths. And, after all, your legendary library was blown to smithereens, wasn't it? Perhaps there's a reason—the same reason Alexandria sunk and Avalon crossed over into a different reality. Perhaps it's to allow humanity to continuously rediscover old truths through the viewpoint of new experiences. Knowledge isn't static; it's continuously evolving and being reinvented, isn't it?”
“The Council library may be gone, but there is a way you could access everything I ever read or learned from there, if you wish.”
Althenea smiled. “Ah . . . you're suggesting we two form the link—what Willow calls the 'Vulcan Mind Meld thingy'?”
“Yes. Who better? If it's to be formed between one who is going and one remaining here, who better than old friends such as you and I?”
“Yes . . . I believe Bernard was going to suggest he link with Connor, but I had grave concerns regarding the stress of such a link on Bernard's health. Although, he would be able to filter information about what he Sees to Connor . . .”
“There's no reason why Bernard cannot tell me anything he Sees. If I understand how the linkage works, whatever Bernard tells me, you would know and could pass on to Connor.”
“Are you sure you want to do this, Rupert? Are you prepared—”
Giles smiled. “We've known each other a long time, Althenea. I believe you and I are more prepared to deal with the ramifications of such a linkage than anyone, with the possible exception of Willow and Xander—and they'll both be going.”
Althenea touched his hand, then the side of his face, and then stood. “Give it some more thought, Rupert, as will I. We'll talk more tomorrow. Good night.”
As she began to climb the stairs to her room, Giles put the kettle on for a second pot of tea. What would the enforced intimacy of the link do to his and Althenea's long relationship, and why didn't the thought of being completely open to another human being bother him? Over the years, he'd developed a veneer of reserve, layer by layer. Jenny had come close to breaking down some of the walls, but was murdered before the task was accomplished, and he'd immediately shored up the walls after her death. So, what on earth possessed him to offer to . . . meld . . . with Althenea? And why wasn't he having second thoughts now that she'd given him the opportunity to bow out gracefully? Why was he rather looking forward to the link? Hmmm.
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The Council credit cards got a heavy workout the next morning due to Connor's recommendations regarding suitable attire for Quor-Toth. He suggested thick-soled comfortable boots that wear well, in addition to all-leather ensembles as the most practical clothing for the mission. During his shopping expedition the previous day, Xander had discovered a sporting goods emporium that stocked a wide variety of Doc Marten boots, including overruns and discontinued styles, so the away team decided to check it out after their excursion to Leather World.“Erm . . .” Giles cleared his throat and began frantically polishing his glasses. “You are certain that this . . . er . . . Leather World is a legitimate clothing store?”
“Damn, Giles!” Faith laughed. “Looks like you might have some hidden depths under all that tweed.”
“What do you mean, Faith?” Willow asked. “What hidden depths?”
“Yeah. It's legit. I been there before,” Faith assured Giles. “Not to say they don't have a back room with the more . . . specialized items.”
Xander looked puzzled. “What do you mean, 'specialized items'—oh!”
“Oh.” Willow echoed.
“Giles!” Dawn exclaimed.
“Oh! You mean like kinky stuff?” Harmony asked.
“Yeah, Harm,” Xander replied. “We all got the memo by now.”
“What's in the back room?” Bernard asked curiously.
“Nothing they'll be needing in Quor-Toth, I trust,” Giles stated unequivocally, as he disappeared into the office to make tea.
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The shoppers arrived back at the Hyperion in high spirits, bearing gifts. They presented Harmony with a tailored blazer in shell-pink leather, and received her squeals of delight in return. She enthusiastically hugged Xander, Willow, and Dawn in turn. For Giles, they bought a butter-smooth vest in a rich tobacco-brown, complete with pockets for a watch and fob. Lorne received a red suede fedora that Faith said matched his eyes, with a peacock-blue feather in the band. Bernie was delighted with his black motorcycle hat; it had a painted eagle on the top and the words Live Free or Die scrolling across the front.“Oh, my! I look quite dashing,” he said as he placed it on his head at a rakish angle. “I'll have to make sure I wear it when I go to town. No street tough would dare mess with me in this, what?”
There was dead silence for a second or two as everyone contemplated the vision of diminutive Bernie in his Harley hat intimidating a gang of London 'street toughs'. Bernie chuckled at the looks on their faces, and soon everyone was laughing. Giles devoutly hoped Bernard was teasing, but one never knew; for as long as Giles had known him, Bernard Addison had been quite fearless—although, never reckless.
Bernie expressed interest in what the others had bought for their sojourn in Quor-Toth, and Harmony suggested a fashion show. She sent everyone to their rooms to try on their new clothes, with orders to come down to the lobby as soon as they were dressed. Giles and Lorne pulled up chairs and Harmony and Bernard sat on the circular pouffe as the audience for the impromptu fashion show.
Connor appeared first, in brown leather pants and a long-sleeved rust-colored suede pullover shirt with the seams decoratively stitched on the outside, which he chose more for comfort than fashion. The outside seams provided a smooth finish next to his skin. He also chose a WWII-type bomber jacket that would provide protection without impeding his movements in a fight.
Faith was dressed very similarly, in black leather pants, a thin red suede shirt, black leather vest and a bomber jacket that was a twin to Connor's, although hers was black to his brown.
Willow and Althenea had gone for a completely different look. They'd discussed it while looking through the racks at Leather World and decided it might be a good idea for the two witches to be immediately identifiable in the heat of battle. This precluded the black/brown color palate which figured heavily in the others' purchases. Willow chose an outfit of rich burnished-bronze leather that seemed to gather the light around her. She wore matching pants and a hip-length coat with a suede shirt of forest-green. Her boots were regulation above-the-ankle Doc Martens, but Willow's weren't the brown or black of Connor's and Faith's boots—hers were bright, shiny, metallic gold with alternating squares of shiny and matte leather in a checkerboard pattern. Althea's leather was a deep rose-pink, and she had chosen pants and an ankle-length cape instead of a coat. Harmony made a mental note to get the address of Leather World from Xander or Dawn. She decided she just had to have a cape exactly like Althenea's!
Xander looked fit and dangerous in black leather pants that fit him like a second skin. His suede pullover was also black and he wore a knee-length coat that greatly resembled Angel's, although Willow figured that probably wasn't intentional on Xander's part.
If Xander's coat resembled Angel's, Dawn's was a twin to Spike's. She'd gravitated toward it immediately, but teamed it with purple leather pants and a coordinating purple suede shirt, rather than black jeans and a black T-shirt. Her Doc Martens were sky-blue with asymmetrical spots of white that looked like puffy clouds floating across her feet and ankles.
Harmony burst into applause at the conclusion of the fashion show, and Giles and Bernie followed suit. Lorne was no longer there.
Lorne had slipped out halfway through the show and was currently making his way to Madoc's Bar. Madoc was a half-Brachen demon he had become friendly with when he ran Caritas. The reality of the mission had been brought home to him while watching the 'fashion show', and he felt the desperate need for a Sea Breeze . . . or ten.
They were really going to do it. They were going to Quor-Toth and they'd bring the others back, and Lorne wasn't sure he was ready to deal with that sober. In fact, he was pretty sure he wasn't ready to deal with it at all.
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Continued in Chapter 20
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