The Games We Play, a buffy: the vampire slayer fanfic

Title: The Games We Play

Disclaimer: Joss owns BtVS, all the characters and the storylines. Yeah, I pray for him too.

Distribution: Anywhere you want just let me know.

Setting: After the end of season six, near the end of September.

Summary: Buffy, and Xander deal with the deck that's dealt. Just a little fun to help you through the day.

Rating: Nothing worse than the show...

Dedication: For all those who hoped for BX to happen but never saw it come to screen and yet know that the couple, the friendship, and the love of Buffy and Xander will live on in great fanfiction.

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"True love is like ghosts, which everybody talks about and few have seen."

--La Rochefoucauld, Francois

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The Summers Residence

September 23th, 2002

6:45 P.M.

"Honey I'm home!"

"There's my girl. Come here and give your Xandy poo a hug."

"How about something better than a hug," she said with the door open, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"What could be better than a hug?"

"Oooh, I don't know," she said turning around, "maybe something sweet."

"Hmm... sweet you say? Why what could be sweeter than you my sweet?" he said getting a slight giggle out of her.

"Well, I know that it melts in your mouth."

"M&Ms?"

"Uh, no."

"Hershey's chocolate?"

"Nope."

"Cotton Candy?"

She shook her head and was about to say something before being interrupted, "Did you happen to mention that it melts in only my mouth if you two don't help me," Buffy said coming up from behind Dawn while carrying a bag of groceries, "Oh and also, you two are creepy," she finished putting the bag with the ice cream down on top of the kitchen counter.

"I can live with creepy," Xander said helping her, "just as long as I get ice cream."

"You are such a suck up," Dawn said towards Xander to which he just smiled and gave a slight wink her way.

"The silly card game was four days ago. How long are you two going to keep this up anyway?" Buffy asked walking back outside to the car to retrieve the rest of the groceries.

"I won. The deal was for a week. That means I have three more days to keep it up. How about you Xander? Can you keep it up for three days?" Dawn asked raising an eyebrow his way with a smile.

Xander saw the glare that Buffy shot both Dawn and him while she walked past them both, "Sooo, Buff let me give you a hand with those groceries," Xander said quickly changing the subject as he followed her out the door before stopping in his tracks just outside, "Wait, please tell me that you didn't just say what I thought you said about the card game Buff."

"'Fraid so Xandy poo," Dawn said at the doorway with a smile.

"Silly card game?" Xander asked out loud as he once again took up step behind Buffy, "No, no, no, no. Well, okay silly perhaps. But game, no."

"What? If it's not a game then what is it?" Buffy asked continuing on towards the car.

"What is it?" he said out loud, not believing she could ask such a thing, "Buff, poker is a right of passage into adult hood passed on from generation of men who don't like to go out and kill the bear for food. It's not just a game. It's learning how to take on the odds, stare them right in the face and say, I'm not afraid of you."

Buffy let out a small chuckle, "Yeah, poker is a brutal game."

"Okay, now you are just mocking me."

"Ya think," Buffy said grabbing the last of the few bags out from the car as Xander followed her, holding three of his own.

"I think you are just mad because you lost. You can't handle losing. Especially to me or Dawn."

"Oh please, I so can too. I can lose to anyone at anytime. Doesn't bother me one bit."

"Not the way I remember it."

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Four days prior

The Summers kitchen

Late evening

"This is a stupid game."

"Ah, come on Buff. It'll get better once you start winning. That is if you ever win," Xander said tossing a smile towards Dawn who smiled back in her tight light blue tank top and black jeans that hugged her ass.

"There is no purpose to this game. It's purposeless."

"I think the game needs to be spiced up a bit," Dawn said.

"Spiced up? What do you have in mind Dawnie?" Xander asked with a wink as Dawn turned a little red while pushing a strand of hair back behind her head with her hand.

"Spice it up how?" Buffy asked, her voice dripping with honey as she looked at him, "In case you haven't noticed, we aren't exactly rolling in the doe enough to make this more than a five minute game. Unless, you have something else in mind," she said towards him with a look.

Dawn smiled, "How about, if I win I get to play Xander's girlfriend for a week," she said as Buffy shot her a look.

"Fine!" Buffy said with a scowl, "And if I win you have to do my shift of the laundry and dishes for a week."

"I think I'm beginning to like this game even more," Xander said seeing the look of intensity between the two beautiful sisters.

"Shut up Xander!" both of the girls said staring each other down.

"But..."

"Xander," Buffy said not taking her eyes off of Dawn's while laying the cards in front of him, "Deal!"

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The Present

Inside the Summers Kitchen

"Whoa there mister do little. First off, my voice was never dripping with honey? My voice was never covered in honey? There was no honey!" Buffy said.

"You just don't remember it right," he said in response while putting away some of the groceries into the cabinets.

"And second of all, since when does Dawn wear tight light blue tank tops and tight jeans hugging her ass?"

Xander was about to respond until Dawn came back inside from the kitchen door after taking the trash out as she walked past them, without saying a word, and out of the kitchen wearing a pair of tight jeans and black tank top.

"You were say..."

"Not a word," Buffy said giving a glare as well as making a mental note of buying Dawn the Eskimo fall collection and tossing all of her old attire.

"Buffy I am but a simple man. I only see what's in front of me."

"You are so full of it," Buffy said as she watched him put away the milk into the refrigerator,

"That is not how it went and you know it."

"Oh really?" he said turning back around.

"Yes, really."

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Four days prior

The Summers Kitchen

Late evening

"Xander, you are too good at this game. Are you sure there's something you're not telling us? Maybe something pertaining to a spell about poker?"

"Ah, come on Buff. It'll get better once you start winning. That is if you ever win," Xander said smiling with Dawn.

"Well, at least this is better than having to do much needed house work," Buffy said shrugging.

"I think the game needs to be spiced up a bit," Dawn said.

"Spiced up? What could be more spiced up than chips ahoy cookies as betting chips?" Xander asked picking up one of his, "Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't eat our betting chips," Dawn said.

"Spice it up how?" Buffy asked, "In case you haven't noticed, we aren't exactly rolling in the doe enough to make this more than a five minute game and Xander Harris if you give me that strip poker smile one more time I'll..."

Dawn face took on a look of pure evil as she smiled maniacally, "How about, if I win I get to play Xander's girlfriend for a week," she said as Xander slightly choked on the milk he was drinking, "and if you win I have to do both yours and Xander's shifts of the laundry and dishes for a week."

"Dawn, I am not partaking in any bet with you. You are my sister. We don't have to lower ourselves to the cave man mentality of men and their betting. We are better than that," Buffy said looking at her sister as Dawn nodded, "Now, what do you say the three of us just spend an evening relaxing from all the demonic stuff of Sunnydale and have some fun just playing a normal game of cards?"

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Back to present day

Summers Kitchen

"I do not smile maniacally!" Dawn said from the doorway holding her trig book underneath her arm,

"And since when is partaking in your vocabulary?"

"What?" Buffy said innocently towards them both, "That's how it went."

"And I'll have you know I did not eat any of those cookies!" he said before receiving a glare from both of the girls, "Okay, well, one but that's not the point!"

"One?" Dawn questioned, looking at him.

"Hey! I'll have you know that Giles has taught me a lot over the years and not just in regards to slaying business. Many, many words. Big words he taught me!" Buffy said, both of their stares getting to be too much for her as she continued, "None of which I will enlighten you two with though. Nope, you two will be unenlightened." she finished as she quickly moved to get a glass out of the cabinet so that she could get some water to wash away the dryness in her throat.

"Well then," Dawn said as Buffy turned back around, "let me enlighten the both of you."

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Four days prior

Summers Kitchen

"This is a stupid game."

"Ah, come on Buff. It'll get better once you start winning. That is if you ever win," Xander said smiling.

"There is no purpose to this game. It's purposeless."

"I think the game needs to be spiced up a bit," Dawn said.

"Spiced up? What could be more spiced up than chips ahoy cookies as betting chips?" Xander asked picking up one of his, "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're eating all of our betting chips," Dawn said.

"What? I have only ate..." Xander trailed off looking at the bag, "Uh, okay sure it looks bad but looks can be deceiving ain't that right Buffy," he said looking towards her for support.

Dawn smiled as the idea came to her from watching the two of them, "How about, if I win I get to play Xander's girlfriend for a week," Dawn said as Xander choked slightly on the milk he was drinking, "and if you win I have to patrol for you."

"What?" both of them said in unison.

"Okay, no bad idea. Uh, how about if you win I have tooo... do your shift of the laundry and dishes for a week. You game?" she asked, with a daring smile towards her sister.

Xander slid his milk closer towards his side of the table as he saw the look of intensity on Buffy's face, "Uh, if you two need me I'll be fixing that thing... that uh, needs fixing."

"Xander sit," Buffy said, Xander sitting back down.

He watched as Buffy leaned across the table and looked right at Dawn. The last time Xander had seen that look from Buffy was when Spike and Drusilla had kidnapped Angel to sacrifice so that Drusilla could have her strength back. He silently said a prayer for Dawn.

"You're on," Buffy said, Dawn nodding with a smile.

"What about me? What do I get if I win. Don't I get a say in all of this?" Xander asked.

"No!" the two girls said in unison.

"But..."

"Xander," Buffy said not taking her eyes off of Dawn's while laying the cards in front of him, "Deal!"

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Present day

Summers Kitchen

"Can I help it if I drew a Royal Flush?" Dawn said smiling.

"You can if Xander helped you draw it."

"What?" Xander said out loud incredulously towards Buffy, "Are you saying I cheated?"

"No, I'm saying you helped Dawn cheat. After all, you were the one who dealt the hand."

"But you told me to deal!"

"So you don't deny that you helped her," Buffy said smiling.

"What would be my purpose in helping Dawn kick your scrawny ass at cards? I have no motive."

"Xandy poo. Want some sugar?" Buffy said in a fake, sweet voice, "Oh please, you have plenty of motive. One of which happens to be my tight tank top, ass hugging jeans wearing sister."

"Hey!" Dawn said from the doorway.

"Shut up Dawn," Buffy said before turning towards her, "No, you know what. You go upstairs and take those clothes off right this second. I don't want to see you in anything but flannel from now on."

"See, I knew you couldn't stand it!"

"What?" Buffy said turning back around to Xander.

"Losing. You can't stand it so you have to blame it on over people. Now it's gone as far as to you acting as if you are Joan Rivers giving out golden hanger awards for the Emmys."

"Well, at least it's better than the acting that you did when you tried to denial the fact that you were the one who ordered the usually blocked out channel 469 on satellite last night."

Xander gave a nervous chuckle while shaking his head as Dawn looked at Buffy, "So that's why you didn't want me watching tv with you last night."

Xander looked at Buffy as she tried to hide the redness on her face, "Ah ha! I knew it! You said you were going to bed and you didn't. You stayed up to watch it!"

"I was not watching, only guarding it from Dawn's innocent eyes."

"Don't you mean maniacally smile," Dawn said, receiving a look from Buffy as she smiled at her sister.

"None of it matters anyway," Xander said, "The point is, you lost to Dawn and you can't stand it. Just as I said."

Buffy rolled her eyes while putting her hands on her hips, "Right, and you are just the beckon of nobility and pureness. Not a bad bone in your whole body."

"Well, there is one now that you mention it," he said, smiling at her maniacally.

Dawn sighed as Buffy just shook her head at Xander's comment, "Would you two take your flirting elsewhere. I have homework to do," she said before continuing while sitting down on one of the stools, sitting her book down on the table, "And shame on you two for making me want to do homework now!"

"Arggh! Just do your homework Dawn," Buffy said while walking out of the kitchen frustrated.

"Dawnie, I swear that sister of yours. Sometimes I just want to ...." Xander said.

"Want to what Xandy poo?" Dawn asked innocently from her seat.

"Dawn, just do your homework," he said frustrated before opening the kitchen door to the outside and walking through it.

"And we were not flirting!" both Buffy and Xander said out loud in unison through the walls.

"Not the way I see it," Dawn said as she looked down at her trig book. She smiled, looking at the Ace of spades card sticking just out from inside the book. Sliding it back inside she looked around innocently before starting on her homework with a smile on her face.