Insight: (n) penetrating mental vision, seeing into inner character or underlying truth
~*~*~*~*~*
She stared mournfully at the rows and rows of choices before her. How could she pick? There were too many, and they were all tempting. Where were her friends when she needed them most, to help her choose? This job was too hard, too much responsibility. She couldn't handle it. And it was *cold*, so cold that she had to cross her arms over her chest to warm herself, and it was hindering her ability to think. /Just do it, just pick one,/ the voice in her head coaxed, as if it were that simple. /Come on, Slayer girl. Be strong. Be in control. Choose./
"All right," she groused out loud, drawing the attention of others. "Fine. They wanted me to pick, I'll pick."
So saying, she jerked open the tall glass freezer door and snatched a carton of ice cream from the shelf, the cold washing over her and giving her goosebumps. She let the door thump closed behind her and stalked to the register.
~*~*~*~*~*
As soon as Buffy nudged open the door, Xander pounced. "You got it? You got the goods?"
"Yes, yes," she said impatiently, relinquishing the shopping bag to him. "God, don't ever send me to pick ice cream again. It's too much to handle."
Giles peered through the contents of the bag that Xander was hastily emptying. He gave Buffy a small half-smile when a tin of English biscuits appeared, and she shrugged noncommittally. "You can't join our junk-food fest if you don't have junk food."
"Now, Buffy, I'd hardly call my butter cookies junk food--"
"Hey, put whatever label you want on it," Buffy laughed. "Cookies are cookies."
"I hardly think that biscuits fall in the same category as...whatever *those* items are," Giles remarked with distaste, motioning toward the package of bright pink half-domes.
"*Those* are Sno-Balls," Xander huffed. "A finer processed junk food you will never find."
"Unless it's these," Willow grinned, holding up a package of chocolate Donettes. "I love the bright yellow color inside. Makes me feel all cheery."
"Please, by all means, have at it, then," Giles allowed, glancing with impatience at the abandoned books on the table. "Just indulge quickly, so we may return to the task at hand--"
"Vanilla?" Xander howled, interrupting Giles. "I sent you for ice cream and you come back with *vanilla*?" He turned to Willow in a panic. "Wills, she got vanilla," he moaned, letting the carton fall to the floor and dropping his head to his hands.
Buffy frowned and retrieved the ice cream. "I like vanilla. Vanilla is good. It's...non-threatening."
"I'm sure we can jazz it up a little," Willow soothed, patting Xander's arm. "Here, look. There's some chocolate kisses in here. You can put those on it."
"I was hoping for peanut-butter-fudge-ripple," Xander said hopefully.
"Peanut butter...I'm sure Giles has some, don't you Giles? Please say you have peanut butter," Willow asked, rolling her eyes toward Xander.
"Peanut butter. Perhaps," he mused. "You'll have to look in the--"
Xander was already rummaging through the cupboards, trying to locate the peanut butter by sense of smell. "Peanut butter!" he shouted triumphantly, holding it aloft like a trophy. He spoke softly to the small jar. "You'll help me right the wrongs done by the Slayer, won't you? I knew I could count on you the moment I laid eyes on your red and blue label. This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." He opened the lid and inhaled deeply.
Buffy stared at him incredulously. "Are you going to take it to dinner first, before you make love to it?" she asked, unwrapping the foil from a chocolate kiss.
"Sure, I'll have it for dinner," Xander replied, putting a spoonful on top of his ice cream. "And breakfast, and lunch, and a midnight snack..." He slid the open jar across the table to Buffy, sending it teetering toward the edge. In her haste to catch it, she fumbled with the candy in her hand, dropping the chocolate into the jar and sending the foil wrapper floating gently to the ground.
"Oops," she said, looking at the little chocolate resting inside the peanut butter jar. Fishing with her fingers, she retrieved the kiss and held it up. "Yum," she announced, about to pop the delicacy into her mouth, when Giles approached.
"Chocolate covered with peanut butter? Is that good?" He looked doubtful.
Buffy's eyes widened. "You've never had chocolate and peanut butter? My God, you really do come from another country. Here, try this." She handed him the small treat, licking her fingers, and he took it from her carefully.
Popping the whole thing into his mouth, Giles rolled it around on his tongue and let the chocolate begin to dissolve. His eyes lit up with delight. "Delicious," he proclaimed. "Why didn't you ever tell me about chocolate and peanut butter?"
/chocolate and peanut butter chocolate and peanut butter chocolate and peanut butter/
