Chapter 1 : If I have a hammer…

"You see, it's all about getting the nails in exactly the right place. You have to get them in straight or…"

"Like this?" Buffy asked, bringing the hammer down violently before practically splatting the nail into the piece of timber. A split shocked it's way along the grain.

Xander winced.

"Well, you could do it like that" He replied, kneeling down in front of the half-constructed table. He ran his finger along the split, which transgressed half the front left leg then sat back on his haunches.

Buffy looked at him, hammer in hand.

"I could?" She paused warily  "Did I break it?"

"No…but I don't think this table's gonna go 'poof'" Xander flipped the piece of furniture so it was on it's side. "It doesn't need slaying"

"I should hope not, that cost me way too much money" Buffy looked sadly at the large split and twisted the hammer absently in her hands. "Quality table, my ass"

 Around them lay cardboard packaging and polystyrene. Bits of cellotape and plastic sheeting was scattered across the Summer's living room carpet, and Buffy and Xander stood in the midst of it all.

"You bought the DIY packed table Buffy" Xander said, taking the hammer off the Slayer before carefully banging another nail in. "You wanted to go to Ikea"

"Well it's Swedish!" she exclaimed. And at Xander's look "I'm trying to be more multi-cultural"

Xander finished banging the nail in, and he pulled the small coffee table up so it rested on it's four legs, the split not really noticeable in this position.

"There" He said, dusting the top down. "All done"

Buffy regarded the teak table now apparently floating on pieces of corrugated cardboard. "Thank you Xander. It looks very nice"

"Not bad for a hour's work. Though a set of instructions do make construction easier" He said. "As long as they're picture instructions…"

Buffy smiled.

"I'll get some filler too, for tomorrow, just to cover up that split" He added.

"Thanks" Buffy glared at the table, peering under it to see the large gap she had created, as if she hoped it would just pick itself up and walk away. "I really need to learn my own strength" She muttered. Behind her she heard Xander cough and start to collect up his tools. The Slayer started to fold up the packaging.

"Does Dawn need a lift home from school?" Xander asked. Buffy shook her head.

"She's going to Michelle's. Or Monica's. Or is it Marieke's?" Buffy paused. "I don't know, but she's going there"

"The short girl?"

"What?"

Xander grinned as he picked up his bag of tools and put it over his shoulder. "The one who's experimenting with shortness?"

Buffy tilted her head to look at him, wondering what he was going on about. "She's not that short…which ever one it is" Buffy picked up a pile of creased cardboard and stuffed it into a black bin liner. "Dawn doesn't have any short friends" Buffy considered "I think they're all in competition"

Xander helped Buffy as they collected all the rubbish from the floor.

"How's she dealing?…" Xander trailed off. Buffy stopped to look at him.

"You mean with Willow? Or without Tara?"

"Both"

Buffy smiled slightly. "She's ok. I mean, she's not okay, but…"

"She's dealing"

"Yeah"

Xander gazed Buffy in the eyes, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"And what about you?"

"You sound like Giles" She commented, and then sobered. "I'm ok. I mean I'm so over the dead thing. Life's…It's almost good"

Xander smiled at her.

"And look at you!" Buffy added. "What with the shirt, and the tools and" Buffy peered past him to look out the window "The big car parked on my drive way"

"People should just blow High School's up more often" He said modestly.

"No, it's you. No DoubleMeat for Xander" Buffy glanced at the ugly uniform hanging on the back of the kitchen door "You've done well for yourself, Mr Harris"

There was a moment of silence as the two gazed at each other. Xander coughed again.

"Right, I'd better go. We're working on the site at twelve, so I need to be there" Xander pushed the cardboard in his hands into the bin liner.

"Yes, work" Buffy said quickly. "You should go there"

"So I actually get to keep the car"

"And then I can pretend it's mine when you park it on my driveway"

The two laughed, and Xander moved towards the door.

"Thanks for the table" Buffy said again, as her friend opened the front door.

"Your welcome, Buff"

"Bye" She said, as Xander closed the door. She heard him start up the car, and reverse it out of the driveway. Buffy glanced over the room, most of the mess tidied, her new table shining, clean and intact in the centre.

"I'll just sit her and wait for someone to come and see me then" she said, sitting down on the sofa. From this position, the split in the table leg was really visible, and it glared at her, as if a label of her own strength and ineptitude. Buffy glared back.

"Stupid table" She muttered.

It was then that the split leg fell off and tipped to the ground, the table following suit, leaving it lying, half-assed, on the carpet.

Buffy glared at it even more, narrowing her eyes.

"Crap" She said.