1. The characters from the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer show belong to WB
(and/or UPN), Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, Sandollar and Joss Whedon. The
others are original characters created by myself.
The Flu
by Scott R. Barnett
It was Wednesday afternoon and Xander was feeling great. He had just landed the biggest construction job of his career. He had been working for Spirelli Construction for three years now, ever since he had graduated from high school. Four months ago he had been promoted to foreman. The promotion had included a raise, a fourth week of vacation and bonuses. It also allowed him to move into a nice apartment in a good part of town, and afford the new car that he was driving. As for the contract he had won, it was to build the new Sunnydale High School. Hi boss, Jerry Spirelli, was thrilled with his work and had given him the rest of the day off. He was now on his way over to Casa de Summers to give his friends the good news.
His four closest friends lived in the Summers house. After Joyce had passed away six months ago, Willow and Tara had moved in to help Buffy with raising Dawn. He loved all of the ladies. He thought of them as his girls. While he had his own apartment, he could be found regularly at the Summers residence, or the girls would visit him at his apartment. He thought of Willow, Tara and Dawn as sisters. As for Buffy, well he had been in love with here since he had met her in their Sophomore year of high school.
When he got to the house he let himself in with the extra key that Buffy had given him. He walked in and looked around for the girls. He knew that they should be there, except Dawn, who would still be in school. He didn't see them anywhere. This was odd. He sat down on the couch to wait for them to return.
While he was sitting there he thought he heard a moan from the kitchen. He then heard some coughing. That sounded like it was coming from upstairs. He got up and walked into the kitchen first. When he walked in he found Buffy standing next to the counter with her head resting on it.
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"Xander? You need to get out of here. It's the flu. We all have it."
"I'm not going anywhere. If you all have it then you'll need someone to take care of you guys."
While he was talking he walked over to her. She looked so small in the robe that she was wearing. He put his hand on her forehead.
"You're burning up. You need to get back into bed."
He tried to help her stand up and walk, but she just stumbled. She appeared to be quite dizzy. He reached down and picked her up in his arms. He then carried her up the stairs. When he got to her room he laid her down on her bed and pulled the covers up and over her.
"Let me get a cold wash cloth."
He went into the bathroom and got a wash cloth. He soaked it under cold water and then brought it back to the room and put it on her forehead.
"I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to check on the others and then run out and pick up some things. Stay in bed. I'll take care of everything."
"Yes Daddy." said Buffy. She had a small smile on her face.
He smiled back at her as he walked out of the room. He went back into the bathroom and got three more wash clothes. He soaked these as well.
After doing this he walked into Willow and Tara's room.
"Hello ladies, Dr. Xander is here."
He was happy when he got a small smile out of both of them. They both looked so miserable lying there in bed. He came over and put the cold wash clothes on each of their foreheads.
"I'll be back in a little bit."
He then walked down to Dawn's room and repeated the procedure with the wash cloth. She was asleep so he tried not to wake her. When he was done he leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek.
He then walked out of her room and down the stairs. He looked through the kitchen to see what they had and made a list of items he had to pick up. He then picked up his jacket and walked out of the house. He got into his car and drove towards his apartment. While he was doing this he grabbed his cell phone and called his boss.
"Hey Jerry."
"Xander, what's up? I thought I told you to take the rest of the day off."
"You did. I think I'm going to need to take a few days off though."
"How come?"
"You know those friends of mine that I am always talking about?"
"Yeah, the four girls."
"Yep. Well I went over to their house to tell them the good news about the school contract and found out that they were all down with the flu. They're all really sick and have no one to look after them. I actually had to carry Buffy up the stairs to her bed from the kitchen. I'm going to stay there for a few days and look after them."
"Good to hear it kid. Take care of your friends. I'll get someone to cover for you out at the current site for the rest of the week. Anything I can do for you?"
"Nah. I'm heading over to my apartment now to pack for a few days and then I'm going to the store for some food. When I was little I used to visit my friend Willow's house all the time. Whenever her Grandmother was there we would help her make Chicken Soup. I think I still remember how to do it. I figured that it might help the girls feel better, and I don't think at this point they'll be able to keep down anything solid."
"Sounds like a good idea. Call Cassie if you have any questions on it. She makes really good soups."
"Thanks man. See you in a week."
With that he hung up and went into his apartment for his clothes.
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A little while later Xander had returned to the Summers house with his bag and several grocery bags. He walked up stairs and tossed his bag into the guestroom. He then looked in on the girls and found them all sleeping. He gave each of them a kiss on their cheeks and then went back down stairs.
He put the groceries away, except for the items that he needed. He took out the chicken that he had bought and washed it in the sink. He then pulled out the largest stockpot that Buffy had and placed the chicken into it. He filled up the pot with water until it was covering the bird. He then placed it onto the stove and turned on the temperature to a medium heat.
While the soup was starting to heat up he quickly got out an onion and chopped it up. He put it into the soup. This was followed quickly by some carrots and celery. He then put the lid onto the pot and sat down to wait for it to simmer. After about a half-hour he lifted the lid and added some dill and parsley to it. He followed this up with a couple pinches of salt and some fresh group black pepper. He then put the lid back on. The soup still had a few hours to cook. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only three o'clock. He figured the soup would be ready by six.
After putting together a quick bologna sandwich he went into the living room and sat there watching the TV for a bit. About an hour and a half later he went back into the kitchen and tasted the soup. He put a little more salt in and turned down the temperature on it.
He then walked upstairs to check on the girls. When he saw that they were all awake he grabbed the thermometers that he had bought out of the bathroom and walked into Dawn's room.
"Hi Dawn, how are you feeling?"
"Miserable. When did you get here?"
"I've been here for a few hours. Like I told the others I'm here to take care of you girls for a few days while this bug works its way out of your systems. Here, let me see what your temperature is?"
With that he put the thermometer under her tongue and told her he'd be back in a few minutes. He then repeated the procedure with each of them.
He then started the circuit over again with fresh wash clothed, while at the same time taking the thermometers. They're temperatures were mostly around 101. He told each of them to just yell for him if they needed anything.
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At about six o'clock he took the lid off the soup and tasted it again. He declared it done and turned off the stove. He then pulled the chicken out and put it on some paper towels. He pulled off some of the chicken from the bones and put it back into the soup. He then pulled out a roasting pan and placed the rest of the bird in it. He put the pan into the oven and set the temperature for 350 degrees.
He then pulled out some jars that he had seen in one of the cupboards and ladled most of the soup into them. He placed the jars into the fridge. He then ladled the rest of it into one bowl and four mugs. He tried to give the girls only the broth, as he figured they wouldn't be able to keep down the solids yet. He then grabbed a spoon and put it into the bowl.
After he was done this he settled down to his bowl of soup. He figured that while theirs were cooling off a little he had time to have some himself. He happily ate the soup. It had turned out better than he had expected.
When he was done he grabbed a tray off the counter and put the four mugs onto it. He also poured four glasses of warm ginger ale. He then carefully carried it all upstairs. He stopped first at Buffy's room. She was sleeping again. He hated to wake her but he figured that it was important for her to have something to eat and drink.
He put the tray down on the dresser and carried a mug and glass over to her night table. He then leaned over and gently shook her.
"Wake up Buffy. I have something for you to eat."
"Not hungry. Feel miserable."
"I know you do, but you should eat something. It's homemade chicken soup. I also brought you a glass of warm ginger ale."
He helped her to sit up a little bit and then handed her the mug. She took a tentative sip of it and let out a small sigh. She then smiled up at Xander.
"This tastes good. You said it was homemade?"
"Yep, I just made it this afternoon. Its called Grandma Rosenberg's Chicken Soup. As a little kid I used to hang out with Willow all of the time at her house. The two of us were her grandma's official helpers when she visited and made her soup. I remembered the recipe."
She continued to drink it slowly. He told her he'd be back as he had to still deliver soup and ginger ale to the others.
He walked into Dawn's room next. She was already up and was reading a book. He gave her the mug and glass. She also complimented him on the soup.
He then carried the last two into Willow and Tara's room. Tara was awake and was watching Willow sleep. Xander was moved by this show of affection.
"Hi. Could you wake up Willow? I have some soup and ginger ale for both of you."
"Sure. Wake up Willow. Xander's back."
Willow slowly woke up. She looked up at Tara and smiled at her. She then gave Xander a smile. He smiled back and gave them each a mug of soup. He put the glasses down on the night table.
"This tastes like Grandma's soup." said Willow.
"That's because it is. I remembered the recipe and made it this afternoon while you guys were resting." replied Xander.
"Wow. I'm surprised you remembered that after all these years. Next time I talk to her I'll let her know." said Willow.
"This is really good Xander." said Tara.
"I'm glad you like it. Enjoy it and I'll be back in a little while to pick up the dishes. Just call if you need anything." said Xander.
He then walked back into Buffy's room and sat down in a chair. He just sat there and watched her drink the soup, with a smile on his face.
Buffy looked up at him and saw him watching her. She was really happy that he had decided to appoint himself caretaker. She had been trying to take care of them all today, but she was just too weak to do it. It was nice to let someone else take care of you some times. She smiled at him while she continued drinking her soup.
When she finished her soup she put down the mug and picked up the glass of soda. She took a small sip of it and then put it back down. He got up out of his chair and walked over to her bed. He reached down and put the back of his hand against her forehead and cheek. He could tell that she was still running a fever. He then picked up her mug and told her to get some more rest. As he walked out he told her to yell if he needed anything. He had told her that he was going to spend the night in the guestroom.
He then walked around and gathered up the rest of the dishes. He took them downstairs and loaded them into the dishwasher. He then made himself another sandwich and took it with him into the living room. He sat down and watched some TV while he ate.
A few hours later he turned off the set and went up stairs. After checking up on the girls he hit the sack in the guestroom.
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Sometime around 2am here heard someone stumbling around in the hallway. He quickly got out of bed and walked out of the room. He saw that it was Buffy. She was leaning against the wall with one hand on her stomach.
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"I feel like I have to vomit, but I'm too dizzy to get to the bathroom."
"Here, let me help you."
Xander put his arm around her waist and helped her to walk to the bathroom. He led her into it and held her while she leaned over the toilet. She did indeed have to vomit. When she was done he used a wet wash cloth to clean her face off. He then filled a glass with cold water and let her sip from it.
When she was done he helped her back to her room. He assisted her in getting back into her bed and pulled the covers up over her. He then sat down on the edge of the bed and started brushing her hair back out of her eyes.
"You really should have called for me to help you Buffy. I know that you usually like to do things on your own, but right now you're really sick and could use a hand."
"I know." said Buffy, sheepishly.
Xander just sighed.
"Alright, I'll stop with the lecture for now. Try to get back to sleep. That's the best thing you could do to get over this bug."
Buffy closed her eyes and pretty soon was peacefully sleeping. He sat there for a little longer just watching her and then got up and walked out of the room.
As he headed back to his room he heard someone moaning. He quickly determined that it was coming from Willow and Tara's room. He walked over and opened the door. He looked inside and found Tara sitting up on her side of the bed. He quickly walked over to her.
"Are you ok?"
"I don't feel so good." she moaned.
"Alright, let's get you to the bathroom."
He helped her standup and walk to the bathroom. When he got there he held her while she leaned over the toilet. She also had to vomit. When she was done he once again wet a washcloth and used it to clean off her face. After he gave her some water he helped her back to her bed. He sat there with her while she tried to get back to sleep. After she fell off to sleep he quietly got up and took a look at Willow. She appeared to still be sleeping.
On the way back to the guestroom he looked in on Dawn. She appeared to be asleep. He got back into his bed and closed his eyes.
About an hour later he was once again up and this time he was helping Dawn. An hour after that it was Willow.
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He woke up the next day at about 8:30 in the morning. He looked in on the four girls and they were all still in dreamland. He washed and dressed and went downstairs to make something for breakfast. While he was there he called the school and let them know that Dawn was not going to be in today. He also told them that Buffy would also not be in.
He made himself a quick cheese omelet and toast. He washed it down with some orange juice and coffee. He then made up four servings of soft-boiled eggs. He put them on the tray with four glasses of orange juice and made his way back upstairs.
He walked into Dawn's room first and regretfully woke her up.
"How are you feeling Dawnie?"
"Still pretty miserable."
"I would expect so. It usually takes a few days for the flu to work its way out of your system. Here are some eggs I made for you. I'll put the orange juice on your night table."
He handed her the eggs and then walked out of her room. His next stop was Willow and Tara's room. When he walked in he noticed that this time it was Willow that was up and watching Tara sleep. He was again touched by this show of affection.
He walked quietly over to the bed and put a hand on Willow's arm. She turned around and smiled at him. He returned the smile.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not so good."
"Understandable. Why don't you wake up Tara? I have some soft-boiled eggs for you girls."
Willow gently shook Tara awake and Xander handed each of them a bowl. He put the glasses of juice on the night tables.
"I'll be back in a little bit. Try to eat some of it at least."
He walked out of their room and made it to his final destination, Buffy's room. When he walked in he noticed that she was just waking up. He smiled at her.
"Good morning sleepy head. How do you feel?"
"Pretty miserable still."
"I figured as much. Here's breakfast. I know that you probably don't even want to think about food, but try to eat at least some of it."
He handed her the bowl and then sat down next to her on the bed. He smiled at her while she ate the eggs in small portions. When she finished it he took the bowl from her. He then handed her the glass of OJ. She slowly sipped it. After a moment she handed it back to her. He placed it on her night table.
He placed his hand on her fore head. He could feel that she was still running a fever.
"Why don't you try to get some more sleep. You could use it."
"Ok."
He pulled the covers back up and over her. He then leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled at him. He then picked up the bowl and walked out of her room. He went through the same procedure with the other three girls.
This time around Willow was able to keep the eggs down. Dawn, Buffy and Tara on the other hand had to be helped to the bathroom again. This was about an hour after breakfast.
He spent the day reading and talking with the girls. He spent some time with each of them. He even sat there and watched them sleep at times. After all, these were his girls and he was looking after them.
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The next day all four girls were starting to feel better. They were all feeling well enough that they came down stairs to eat breakfast with him in the kitchen. This time he made them some oatmeal. He had made himself some poached eggs on toast. He had called them out again today.
"So, how are you four feeling this morning?" asked Xander.
"Better. Still a little warm, but better than the last couple of days." replied Buffy.
"Happy to hear that. I called you guys out again today." said Xander.
"Thanks." said Buffy.
They spent the rest of the day playing card and board games. They also just talked for awhile.
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By Saturday morning they were all feeling much better. Xander took each of their temperatures and they were all back to normal. He cooked the all breakfast and then they sat around talking for a little bit.
"Well since you're all feeling better I guess I'll move back home today." said Xander.
The four girls looked a little sad at this. They had gotten used to Xander being there the last few days. Around one o'clock he took off for his apartment.
"We should do something for him." said Willow.
"Yeah, he really went out of his way to take care of all four of us this week." said Tara.
"Why don't we cook him dinner? He's been waiting on us these last few days, why don't we treat him to a nice meal?" suggested Buffy.
"Does anyone know what his favorite dish is?" asked Dawn.
"Well, he'll eat almost anything but he has always really liked lasagna." said Willow.
"That's sounds good. I have a recipe that was mom's that is really good. Let's see what we have on hand and what we have to buy." said Buffy.
They made up a list and went to the store. The quickly bought what they needed and brought it home. About four o'clock they started putting it all together. Tara and Willow worked on the lasagna, Dawn made up some garlic bread and a salad and Buffy made some chocolate pudding for dessert. Dawn called Xander and asked him to come over at six.
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A few minutes after six o'clock Xander walked in the front door of the Summers house. Something really smelled good in there.
"Hello?" said Xander.
"Hi Xand, come on in to the kitchen." said Buffy.
He walked in and was floored at what he saw. The table was set for five and sitting on it was the best looking lasagna he had ever seen.
"We wanted to thank you for taking care of us the last few days. You really didn't have to, but you did. Sit down and enjoy." said Buffy.
"I have to disagree with you their Buffy. It was my job to take care of you girls. I care about all four of you and wasn't going to leave you here to fend for yourselves." said Xander.
The four women looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. They also saw the love that was in there for the four of them. Willow, Tara and Dawn all walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Buffy on the other hand gave him a quick peck on the lips. She then blushed furiously and sat down at the table. Xander stood there for a moment and then sat down next to her. The other girls also sat down.
They quickly demolished the salad and lasagna. After the girls cleared away the dishes they brought out the pudding. That was soon polished off as well. After everything was cleaned up they retired to the living room. They talked for a number of hours before Xander bade them all a good night and left for his apartment.
On the drive back to his place all he could think about was that quick kiss from Buffy. He hoped that it was the start of something, but he would not force her. If she truly did want to get involved then he would let her do it at her own pace. He had waited for her this long, he could wait longer. Now that he knew that there was a possibility he could wait forever for her.
END
The Flu
by Scott R. Barnett
It was Wednesday afternoon and Xander was feeling great. He had just landed the biggest construction job of his career. He had been working for Spirelli Construction for three years now, ever since he had graduated from high school. Four months ago he had been promoted to foreman. The promotion had included a raise, a fourth week of vacation and bonuses. It also allowed him to move into a nice apartment in a good part of town, and afford the new car that he was driving. As for the contract he had won, it was to build the new Sunnydale High School. Hi boss, Jerry Spirelli, was thrilled with his work and had given him the rest of the day off. He was now on his way over to Casa de Summers to give his friends the good news.
His four closest friends lived in the Summers house. After Joyce had passed away six months ago, Willow and Tara had moved in to help Buffy with raising Dawn. He loved all of the ladies. He thought of them as his girls. While he had his own apartment, he could be found regularly at the Summers residence, or the girls would visit him at his apartment. He thought of Willow, Tara and Dawn as sisters. As for Buffy, well he had been in love with here since he had met her in their Sophomore year of high school.
When he got to the house he let himself in with the extra key that Buffy had given him. He walked in and looked around for the girls. He knew that they should be there, except Dawn, who would still be in school. He didn't see them anywhere. This was odd. He sat down on the couch to wait for them to return.
While he was sitting there he thought he heard a moan from the kitchen. He then heard some coughing. That sounded like it was coming from upstairs. He got up and walked into the kitchen first. When he walked in he found Buffy standing next to the counter with her head resting on it.
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"Xander? You need to get out of here. It's the flu. We all have it."
"I'm not going anywhere. If you all have it then you'll need someone to take care of you guys."
While he was talking he walked over to her. She looked so small in the robe that she was wearing. He put his hand on her forehead.
"You're burning up. You need to get back into bed."
He tried to help her stand up and walk, but she just stumbled. She appeared to be quite dizzy. He reached down and picked her up in his arms. He then carried her up the stairs. When he got to her room he laid her down on her bed and pulled the covers up and over her.
"Let me get a cold wash cloth."
He went into the bathroom and got a wash cloth. He soaked it under cold water and then brought it back to the room and put it on her forehead.
"I'll be back in a little bit. I'm going to check on the others and then run out and pick up some things. Stay in bed. I'll take care of everything."
"Yes Daddy." said Buffy. She had a small smile on her face.
He smiled back at her as he walked out of the room. He went back into the bathroom and got three more wash clothes. He soaked these as well.
After doing this he walked into Willow and Tara's room.
"Hello ladies, Dr. Xander is here."
He was happy when he got a small smile out of both of them. They both looked so miserable lying there in bed. He came over and put the cold wash clothes on each of their foreheads.
"I'll be back in a little bit."
He then walked down to Dawn's room and repeated the procedure with the wash cloth. She was asleep so he tried not to wake her. When he was done he leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek.
He then walked out of her room and down the stairs. He looked through the kitchen to see what they had and made a list of items he had to pick up. He then picked up his jacket and walked out of the house. He got into his car and drove towards his apartment. While he was doing this he grabbed his cell phone and called his boss.
"Hey Jerry."
"Xander, what's up? I thought I told you to take the rest of the day off."
"You did. I think I'm going to need to take a few days off though."
"How come?"
"You know those friends of mine that I am always talking about?"
"Yeah, the four girls."
"Yep. Well I went over to their house to tell them the good news about the school contract and found out that they were all down with the flu. They're all really sick and have no one to look after them. I actually had to carry Buffy up the stairs to her bed from the kitchen. I'm going to stay there for a few days and look after them."
"Good to hear it kid. Take care of your friends. I'll get someone to cover for you out at the current site for the rest of the week. Anything I can do for you?"
"Nah. I'm heading over to my apartment now to pack for a few days and then I'm going to the store for some food. When I was little I used to visit my friend Willow's house all the time. Whenever her Grandmother was there we would help her make Chicken Soup. I think I still remember how to do it. I figured that it might help the girls feel better, and I don't think at this point they'll be able to keep down anything solid."
"Sounds like a good idea. Call Cassie if you have any questions on it. She makes really good soups."
"Thanks man. See you in a week."
With that he hung up and went into his apartment for his clothes.
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A little while later Xander had returned to the Summers house with his bag and several grocery bags. He walked up stairs and tossed his bag into the guestroom. He then looked in on the girls and found them all sleeping. He gave each of them a kiss on their cheeks and then went back down stairs.
He put the groceries away, except for the items that he needed. He took out the chicken that he had bought and washed it in the sink. He then pulled out the largest stockpot that Buffy had and placed the chicken into it. He filled up the pot with water until it was covering the bird. He then placed it onto the stove and turned on the temperature to a medium heat.
While the soup was starting to heat up he quickly got out an onion and chopped it up. He put it into the soup. This was followed quickly by some carrots and celery. He then put the lid onto the pot and sat down to wait for it to simmer. After about a half-hour he lifted the lid and added some dill and parsley to it. He followed this up with a couple pinches of salt and some fresh group black pepper. He then put the lid back on. The soup still had a few hours to cook. He looked at his watch and saw that it was only three o'clock. He figured the soup would be ready by six.
After putting together a quick bologna sandwich he went into the living room and sat there watching the TV for a bit. About an hour and a half later he went back into the kitchen and tasted the soup. He put a little more salt in and turned down the temperature on it.
He then walked upstairs to check on the girls. When he saw that they were all awake he grabbed the thermometers that he had bought out of the bathroom and walked into Dawn's room.
"Hi Dawn, how are you feeling?"
"Miserable. When did you get here?"
"I've been here for a few hours. Like I told the others I'm here to take care of you girls for a few days while this bug works its way out of your systems. Here, let me see what your temperature is?"
With that he put the thermometer under her tongue and told her he'd be back in a few minutes. He then repeated the procedure with each of them.
He then started the circuit over again with fresh wash clothed, while at the same time taking the thermometers. They're temperatures were mostly around 101. He told each of them to just yell for him if they needed anything.
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At about six o'clock he took the lid off the soup and tasted it again. He declared it done and turned off the stove. He then pulled the chicken out and put it on some paper towels. He pulled off some of the chicken from the bones and put it back into the soup. He then pulled out a roasting pan and placed the rest of the bird in it. He put the pan into the oven and set the temperature for 350 degrees.
He then pulled out some jars that he had seen in one of the cupboards and ladled most of the soup into them. He placed the jars into the fridge. He then ladled the rest of it into one bowl and four mugs. He tried to give the girls only the broth, as he figured they wouldn't be able to keep down the solids yet. He then grabbed a spoon and put it into the bowl.
After he was done this he settled down to his bowl of soup. He figured that while theirs were cooling off a little he had time to have some himself. He happily ate the soup. It had turned out better than he had expected.
When he was done he grabbed a tray off the counter and put the four mugs onto it. He also poured four glasses of warm ginger ale. He then carefully carried it all upstairs. He stopped first at Buffy's room. She was sleeping again. He hated to wake her but he figured that it was important for her to have something to eat and drink.
He put the tray down on the dresser and carried a mug and glass over to her night table. He then leaned over and gently shook her.
"Wake up Buffy. I have something for you to eat."
"Not hungry. Feel miserable."
"I know you do, but you should eat something. It's homemade chicken soup. I also brought you a glass of warm ginger ale."
He helped her to sit up a little bit and then handed her the mug. She took a tentative sip of it and let out a small sigh. She then smiled up at Xander.
"This tastes good. You said it was homemade?"
"Yep, I just made it this afternoon. Its called Grandma Rosenberg's Chicken Soup. As a little kid I used to hang out with Willow all of the time at her house. The two of us were her grandma's official helpers when she visited and made her soup. I remembered the recipe."
She continued to drink it slowly. He told her he'd be back as he had to still deliver soup and ginger ale to the others.
He walked into Dawn's room next. She was already up and was reading a book. He gave her the mug and glass. She also complimented him on the soup.
He then carried the last two into Willow and Tara's room. Tara was awake and was watching Willow sleep. Xander was moved by this show of affection.
"Hi. Could you wake up Willow? I have some soup and ginger ale for both of you."
"Sure. Wake up Willow. Xander's back."
Willow slowly woke up. She looked up at Tara and smiled at her. She then gave Xander a smile. He smiled back and gave them each a mug of soup. He put the glasses down on the night table.
"This tastes like Grandma's soup." said Willow.
"That's because it is. I remembered the recipe and made it this afternoon while you guys were resting." replied Xander.
"Wow. I'm surprised you remembered that after all these years. Next time I talk to her I'll let her know." said Willow.
"This is really good Xander." said Tara.
"I'm glad you like it. Enjoy it and I'll be back in a little while to pick up the dishes. Just call if you need anything." said Xander.
He then walked back into Buffy's room and sat down in a chair. He just sat there and watched her drink the soup, with a smile on his face.
Buffy looked up at him and saw him watching her. She was really happy that he had decided to appoint himself caretaker. She had been trying to take care of them all today, but she was just too weak to do it. It was nice to let someone else take care of you some times. She smiled at him while she continued drinking her soup.
When she finished her soup she put down the mug and picked up the glass of soda. She took a small sip of it and then put it back down. He got up out of his chair and walked over to her bed. He reached down and put the back of his hand against her forehead and cheek. He could tell that she was still running a fever. He then picked up her mug and told her to get some more rest. As he walked out he told her to yell if he needed anything. He had told her that he was going to spend the night in the guestroom.
He then walked around and gathered up the rest of the dishes. He took them downstairs and loaded them into the dishwasher. He then made himself another sandwich and took it with him into the living room. He sat down and watched some TV while he ate.
A few hours later he turned off the set and went up stairs. After checking up on the girls he hit the sack in the guestroom.
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Sometime around 2am here heard someone stumbling around in the hallway. He quickly got out of bed and walked out of the room. He saw that it was Buffy. She was leaning against the wall with one hand on her stomach.
"Buffy, what's wrong?"
"I feel like I have to vomit, but I'm too dizzy to get to the bathroom."
"Here, let me help you."
Xander put his arm around her waist and helped her to walk to the bathroom. He led her into it and held her while she leaned over the toilet. She did indeed have to vomit. When she was done he used a wet wash cloth to clean her face off. He then filled a glass with cold water and let her sip from it.
When she was done he helped her back to her room. He assisted her in getting back into her bed and pulled the covers up over her. He then sat down on the edge of the bed and started brushing her hair back out of her eyes.
"You really should have called for me to help you Buffy. I know that you usually like to do things on your own, but right now you're really sick and could use a hand."
"I know." said Buffy, sheepishly.
Xander just sighed.
"Alright, I'll stop with the lecture for now. Try to get back to sleep. That's the best thing you could do to get over this bug."
Buffy closed her eyes and pretty soon was peacefully sleeping. He sat there for a little longer just watching her and then got up and walked out of the room.
As he headed back to his room he heard someone moaning. He quickly determined that it was coming from Willow and Tara's room. He walked over and opened the door. He looked inside and found Tara sitting up on her side of the bed. He quickly walked over to her.
"Are you ok?"
"I don't feel so good." she moaned.
"Alright, let's get you to the bathroom."
He helped her standup and walk to the bathroom. When he got there he held her while she leaned over the toilet. She also had to vomit. When she was done he once again wet a washcloth and used it to clean off her face. After he gave her some water he helped her back to her bed. He sat there with her while she tried to get back to sleep. After she fell off to sleep he quietly got up and took a look at Willow. She appeared to still be sleeping.
On the way back to the guestroom he looked in on Dawn. She appeared to be asleep. He got back into his bed and closed his eyes.
About an hour later he was once again up and this time he was helping Dawn. An hour after that it was Willow.
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He woke up the next day at about 8:30 in the morning. He looked in on the four girls and they were all still in dreamland. He washed and dressed and went downstairs to make something for breakfast. While he was there he called the school and let them know that Dawn was not going to be in today. He also told them that Buffy would also not be in.
He made himself a quick cheese omelet and toast. He washed it down with some orange juice and coffee. He then made up four servings of soft-boiled eggs. He put them on the tray with four glasses of orange juice and made his way back upstairs.
He walked into Dawn's room first and regretfully woke her up.
"How are you feeling Dawnie?"
"Still pretty miserable."
"I would expect so. It usually takes a few days for the flu to work its way out of your system. Here are some eggs I made for you. I'll put the orange juice on your night table."
He handed her the eggs and then walked out of her room. His next stop was Willow and Tara's room. When he walked in he noticed that this time it was Willow that was up and watching Tara sleep. He was again touched by this show of affection.
He walked quietly over to the bed and put a hand on Willow's arm. She turned around and smiled at him. He returned the smile.
"How are you feeling?"
"Not so good."
"Understandable. Why don't you wake up Tara? I have some soft-boiled eggs for you girls."
Willow gently shook Tara awake and Xander handed each of them a bowl. He put the glasses of juice on the night tables.
"I'll be back in a little bit. Try to eat some of it at least."
He walked out of their room and made it to his final destination, Buffy's room. When he walked in he noticed that she was just waking up. He smiled at her.
"Good morning sleepy head. How do you feel?"
"Pretty miserable still."
"I figured as much. Here's breakfast. I know that you probably don't even want to think about food, but try to eat at least some of it."
He handed her the bowl and then sat down next to her on the bed. He smiled at her while she ate the eggs in small portions. When she finished it he took the bowl from her. He then handed her the glass of OJ. She slowly sipped it. After a moment she handed it back to her. He placed it on her night table.
He placed his hand on her fore head. He could feel that she was still running a fever.
"Why don't you try to get some more sleep. You could use it."
"Ok."
He pulled the covers back up and over her. He then leaned down and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She smiled at him. He then picked up the bowl and walked out of her room. He went through the same procedure with the other three girls.
This time around Willow was able to keep the eggs down. Dawn, Buffy and Tara on the other hand had to be helped to the bathroom again. This was about an hour after breakfast.
He spent the day reading and talking with the girls. He spent some time with each of them. He even sat there and watched them sleep at times. After all, these were his girls and he was looking after them.
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The next day all four girls were starting to feel better. They were all feeling well enough that they came down stairs to eat breakfast with him in the kitchen. This time he made them some oatmeal. He had made himself some poached eggs on toast. He had called them out again today.
"So, how are you four feeling this morning?" asked Xander.
"Better. Still a little warm, but better than the last couple of days." replied Buffy.
"Happy to hear that. I called you guys out again today." said Xander.
"Thanks." said Buffy.
They spent the rest of the day playing card and board games. They also just talked for awhile.
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By Saturday morning they were all feeling much better. Xander took each of their temperatures and they were all back to normal. He cooked the all breakfast and then they sat around talking for a little bit.
"Well since you're all feeling better I guess I'll move back home today." said Xander.
The four girls looked a little sad at this. They had gotten used to Xander being there the last few days. Around one o'clock he took off for his apartment.
"We should do something for him." said Willow.
"Yeah, he really went out of his way to take care of all four of us this week." said Tara.
"Why don't we cook him dinner? He's been waiting on us these last few days, why don't we treat him to a nice meal?" suggested Buffy.
"Does anyone know what his favorite dish is?" asked Dawn.
"Well, he'll eat almost anything but he has always really liked lasagna." said Willow.
"That's sounds good. I have a recipe that was mom's that is really good. Let's see what we have on hand and what we have to buy." said Buffy.
They made up a list and went to the store. The quickly bought what they needed and brought it home. About four o'clock they started putting it all together. Tara and Willow worked on the lasagna, Dawn made up some garlic bread and a salad and Buffy made some chocolate pudding for dessert. Dawn called Xander and asked him to come over at six.
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A few minutes after six o'clock Xander walked in the front door of the Summers house. Something really smelled good in there.
"Hello?" said Xander.
"Hi Xand, come on in to the kitchen." said Buffy.
He walked in and was floored at what he saw. The table was set for five and sitting on it was the best looking lasagna he had ever seen.
"We wanted to thank you for taking care of us the last few days. You really didn't have to, but you did. Sit down and enjoy." said Buffy.
"I have to disagree with you their Buffy. It was my job to take care of you girls. I care about all four of you and wasn't going to leave you here to fend for yourselves." said Xander.
The four women looked at him and saw the sincerity in his eyes. They also saw the love that was in there for the four of them. Willow, Tara and Dawn all walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Buffy on the other hand gave him a quick peck on the lips. She then blushed furiously and sat down at the table. Xander stood there for a moment and then sat down next to her. The other girls also sat down.
They quickly demolished the salad and lasagna. After the girls cleared away the dishes they brought out the pudding. That was soon polished off as well. After everything was cleaned up they retired to the living room. They talked for a number of hours before Xander bade them all a good night and left for his apartment.
On the drive back to his place all he could think about was that quick kiss from Buffy. He hoped that it was the start of something, but he would not force her. If she truly did want to get involved then he would let her do it at her own pace. He had waited for her this long, he could wait longer. Now that he knew that there was a possibility he could wait forever for her.
END