"This is so not fair," Xander whinged as he paced around the Magic Box.
"What isn't, sweetie?" Anya asked, as she paused the task at hand - counting the day's sales.
"Everyone here has like super-powers, except me."
"Don't be silly, not *everyone* here has superpowers, only Buffy does," his fiancée said simply.
"Yeah, Xand, Buffy's the only one with the super-strength here," Dawn piped up from where she and the rest of the gang where sitting.
"Hey!" Spike growled, somewhat offended.
"And Spike" she amended.
"Yeah, but everyone else has supernatural tones" Xander protested.
"What do you mean?" asked a concerned Willow.
"Slayer. Key." He pointed to each of the Scoobies in succession, "Neutered Vampire." Spike growled at this comment, but Xander just continued with his rant, "Witch. Super Witch. Watcher. Ex-Demon."
"Come on, Xander," Buffy said, trying to console her friend, "You have 'tones', as well"
"Buffy's right, you are a valuable member of this group," Giles agreed. "You have...well...you-"
"Oh, I know," Anya cried out cheerfully, "You go for snacks!"
"Oh yeah," Xander remarked sarcastically, "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Snack Boy!"
Anya completely missed his sarcasm, "Don't be stupid, you can't fly,"
"That's the point," he said cried, too frustrated to explain the concept of sarcasm to her.
"Xander, pull yourself together" Giles ordered calmly.
"Forget it, " he muttered, "Just forget it."
The Scooby Gang watched in surprise as their friend stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind him, causing the bell to jingle wildly.
"Well that was ... entertaining, I wonder if I can catch an encore presentation." Spike grinned.
"Spike, shut up," Buffy said. Despite the fact that she and Spike had recently consummated their....whatever, Buffy still obtained her 'I Hate Spike' persona "I better go see if he's ok. Dawnie can you hang here for a while" She got up and went out the door, intent on catching up to her friend.
"Xander, wait up," Buffy cried as she spotted the dark-haired teenager up ahead.
He stopped but did not turn around, Buffy jogged up to him.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
Xander sighed, "No, yes, I don't know"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He nodded, "It's just I feel like I'm useless. I have no super powers, no supernatural 'tones', I'm 100% human. As Cordy would say, I'm the Zeppo"
"I feel like we've been through this before"
"We have, senior year of high school. And I thought I'd gotten over it. But lately those Zeppo feelings have come flooding back."
"Xander, you are *not* useless. You are just as important as the others. You may not be supernatural in anyway, but you are an essential part of the group."
Xander grinned weakly, "Thanks, Buff. I think I'm going to go home now. Bye"
Buffy watched sadly as her best friend turned and made his way through the night. She sighed then slowly walked back to the Magic Box.
To be continued
"What isn't, sweetie?" Anya asked, as she paused the task at hand - counting the day's sales.
"Everyone here has like super-powers, except me."
"Don't be silly, not *everyone* here has superpowers, only Buffy does," his fiancée said simply.
"Yeah, Xand, Buffy's the only one with the super-strength here," Dawn piped up from where she and the rest of the gang where sitting.
"Hey!" Spike growled, somewhat offended.
"And Spike" she amended.
"Yeah, but everyone else has supernatural tones" Xander protested.
"What do you mean?" asked a concerned Willow.
"Slayer. Key." He pointed to each of the Scoobies in succession, "Neutered Vampire." Spike growled at this comment, but Xander just continued with his rant, "Witch. Super Witch. Watcher. Ex-Demon."
"Come on, Xander," Buffy said, trying to console her friend, "You have 'tones', as well"
"Buffy's right, you are a valuable member of this group," Giles agreed. "You have...well...you-"
"Oh, I know," Anya cried out cheerfully, "You go for snacks!"
"Oh yeah," Xander remarked sarcastically, "Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Snack Boy!"
Anya completely missed his sarcasm, "Don't be stupid, you can't fly,"
"That's the point," he said cried, too frustrated to explain the concept of sarcasm to her.
"Xander, pull yourself together" Giles ordered calmly.
"Forget it, " he muttered, "Just forget it."
The Scooby Gang watched in surprise as their friend stormed out of the shop, slamming the door behind him, causing the bell to jingle wildly.
"Well that was ... entertaining, I wonder if I can catch an encore presentation." Spike grinned.
"Spike, shut up," Buffy said. Despite the fact that she and Spike had recently consummated their....whatever, Buffy still obtained her 'I Hate Spike' persona "I better go see if he's ok. Dawnie can you hang here for a while" She got up and went out the door, intent on catching up to her friend.
"Xander, wait up," Buffy cried as she spotted the dark-haired teenager up ahead.
He stopped but did not turn around, Buffy jogged up to him.
"Are you ok?" she asked.
Xander sighed, "No, yes, I don't know"
"Do you want to talk about it?"
He nodded, "It's just I feel like I'm useless. I have no super powers, no supernatural 'tones', I'm 100% human. As Cordy would say, I'm the Zeppo"
"I feel like we've been through this before"
"We have, senior year of high school. And I thought I'd gotten over it. But lately those Zeppo feelings have come flooding back."
"Xander, you are *not* useless. You are just as important as the others. You may not be supernatural in anyway, but you are an essential part of the group."
Xander grinned weakly, "Thanks, Buff. I think I'm going to go home now. Bye"
Buffy watched sadly as her best friend turned and made his way through the night. She sighed then slowly walked back to the Magic Box.
To be continued
