*****
Willow dug into her books, pulling out some old tomes that even Giles didn't know she had. They had cost her a small fortune, forcing her to buy old books for her 'normal' classes. She smiled to herself, it had been worth it.
She carefully cracked open the largest of the old tomes, breathing in the smell that clung to the book as she did. She slowly flipped through the pages as she looked for the spell she needed.
Finally finding it, Willow opened the book flat and read the spell carefully. This is the answer to my problem... I know it.
*****
Xander shook his head as he nervously walked past the door to Faith's apartment, flinching when the sound of giggles and raucous laughter filtered through the heavy door. He shook his head and checked his watch. Sundown was twenty minutes ago... I'm going on Patrol.
He turned and fled to the basement.
*****
Buffy did an about face when she stepped to the door of her apartment and saw the flickering of candles and heard the sound of chanting from the other side.
Wiccan tupperware party. I'm out of here. Patrol sounds good.
*****
Xander jogged slowly through the park, letting his eyes roam through the trees as he passed, looking for hunters with the practised eye of a Hunter. His dual Colts were concealed easily under his long black trench coat. He felt strange, moving through Sunnydale looking like one of the enemy, but it served its purpose. Experienced residents, the cops included, shied away from him as he strode past. They all breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't look in their direction.
The ones who did pay attention to him knew that he wasn't one of them. They watched him with dead eyes, eyes he could feel as they moved along with him. Three... in the woods.
Four. Elan corrected, There is another tracking just beyond them.
"Really?" Xander whispered under his breath, "How do you know?"
I hear and see what you do... but I'm better at assembling the data then you are.
Xander frowned, "Was that an insult?"
Elan laughed lightly into his ears but didn't respond otherwise.
He shook his head, snapping out of his reverie as the snap of a branch indicated that the Vampires were making their move.
*****
"So come on," Faith grinned, "Spill. You spent some *quality* time with the X-man... What's he like now?"
Phoebe blushed slightly, thought not as much as Faith expected. Damn. Wiccan lady is harder to phase then I thought.
"He's.... nice."
"Nice!?" Faith scowled humorously, "Nice is for old married couples. Come on... dish already, Girl."
*****
Xander ducked under the first Vamp's clumsy swing, lashing out with a heavy booted kick that shattered the vampire's left kneecap. He spun into a footsweep that dropped the second vamp to the ground on its ass, then he slowly straightened up and ooked pointedly at the third vamp.
"Ohhhh..." Xander drawled, brushing some dirt off the arm of his coat in a casual gesture. "A smart bloodsucker... surprised you were bright enough to hold back."
"I'm gonna rip you apart blood bag!" the vampire threatened as he helped up the vampire Xander had foot-swept earlier.
"Promises, promises." Xander said, "You know, if Angelus wasn't willing to go one on one with me I don't give you for your chances."
"Angelus?" The Vampire's eyes flickered around in fear. "You fought Angelus?"
*****
Buffy froze in her tracks as she listened to Xander calmly taunt the vampires. Angelus? When did he face Angelus?
She watched from the trees as the lead vampire actually took a step back. "You fought Angelus?"
Xander shrugged, "Not quite. I faced the bastard down. He was after a friend of mine... was going to kill her finally... while she was helpless in the hospital. Real prince of a guy that Angelus. I stood my ground, he ran. Maybe he knew something you don't, huh?"
Buffy silenced a gasp that came with Xander's revelation. He faced down Angelus? To save... me? It must have been...
The lead vampire got some of his composure back. "You're a lying little puke. Angelus would never run from the likes of you."
Xander shrugged, pulling his silver staff from under his coat and snapping it to its full length. Buffy's breath caught a little as she caught sight of the weapon properly for the first time. It was a beautifully crafted weapon. She shook her eyes clear of the weapon and focussed on Xander again.
He was smiling at the vampire, who now looked very... very nervous.
"You guys really picked a bad night to mess with me... usually I'd just dust ya and walk away... but tonight I need a workout."
The vampire with the shattered kneecap winced as he limped to his feet, "Why?"
Xander grinned apologetically, "You ever have an ex meet your current love interest?"
The three vampires winced. "Damn. You are having a bad night."
Xander sighed, "Yeah... and it's worse then that..."
The limping vampire looked at him, a vague fog of sympathy in his eyes. "You don't mean....?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah... they *like* each other."
"Oh shit." The lead vampire said. "That's really harsh."
"Tell me about it," Xander lowered his staff as he complained. "I mean... right now they are back there sharing stories about me in and out of bed. What kind of justice is that anyway?"
Buffy's eyes widened as Xander casually turned away from the vampires as he ranted, ignoring them as he continued his tirade against the injustice of the world. The two vampires looked at each other in surprise, then shrugged and charged him.
*****
Willow finished her spell preparations, rereading the Latin incantation for the eighth time to commit it to memory. Her candles were lit, and all the components were in place.
She took a deep breath and spoke the first phrase.
"I invoke the name of Inanna. I summon forth her wisdom. Blessed Will Be Done."
*****
Buffy burst clear of the woods, charging the closest vampire with a Stake in hand. In the corner of her eyes she could see Xander react to the threat with a casual sweep of his staff that cracked across the two vampires faces.
Xander grinned at her, "Hey Buff. What brings you to this neck of the woods?"
Buffy smiled back, "Oh, you know..." She backhanded a vampire casually away before turning back and flipping her hair out of her face. "Just chilling.."
"Cool." he grinned, reversing his grip on Elanthielle and jabbing it into the limping vampire's chest. He turned away as the shocked vampire burst into dust. "I'm just running from Phoebe and Faith myself..."
She laughed but looked oddly at the staff in Xander's hand. "That thing can dust Vampires? How? It's metal..."
Xander shifted to her side, holding the two vampires at bay with Elan. "Magical I guess... haven't asked to tell you the truth... Just happy that it does."
Buffy shrugged, jabbing her stake into the second vampire and ripping it out before it could dust with the demon. "Cool."
"Yeah." Xander grinned. "So..."
"So..." Buffy returned, smiling slightly.
The two friends grinned and turned to the, very nervous, leader of the vampire 'pack'.
*****
"Inanna I call upon your star. I call upon your star. Grant me the wisdom to see the path before me and to choose wisely. Remove from me the strictures imposed by society for one night so that I may know my own heart. I invoke thee Inanna. I invoke thy wisdom."
*****
In a dark place an ancient being felt a once familiar tug and look around for the source.
"Inanna?"
The woman turned from the source of the pull and smiled, "Yes?"
"What is it?"
"A wiccan." Inanna responded. "Invoking my name... and for rather petty reasonings as well..."
"Don't they all do that?"
"Yessssss..." She said slowly, hissing in anger. "But none so powerful... Her power is such that it should have long since been tempered by greater wisdom."
Her companion moved back from the anger of the ancient being. "I recognize that look, Ina. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." Inanna glared at the source of the tugging, slowly expanding her view by degrees until she saw what she was looking for. Then her face was creased by a slow cruel smile.
"Uh..." Her companion faltered at that look. It had never been indicative of good tidings any of the times he had seen it in the past. Once it had even led to his own 'death'. "Ina..."
"Hush." She said as he channelled her power to the Wiccan.
*****
Willow's eyes darkened as the power washed through her, a slow smile forming on her lips. She slowly got to her feet and picked up the phone.
After dialling a number she smiled into the phone. "Tara? Hi! Can you come over?"
*****
Buffy and Xander staggered as a strange sensation swept over them, their eyes going black for a few seconds. As they slipped the third vampire turned on his heel and ran.
On their knees the two warriors turned to each other, their eyes clouded with lust, and embraced as their mouths sought each other out. They fell to the ground under the dark of the moon, pulling each other tight.
*****
The Next Morning
Xander woke slowly, an odd sensation in the back of his head. He felt like he had a hangover and couldn't remember how he'd earned it. He pried his eyes open when he felt a soft chuff of breath against his ear. He smiled at the blurry image. Phoebe.
Then his eyes suddenly snapped wide open when they recognized the source of the breath, driving a spike of pain through his brain as too much light was admitted.
Buffy!? What the hell?
He stared at her, she was beautiful as she slept. Innocent. He gently shook his head to clear it, but was only rewarded by another sharp pang of pain. He froze in place when a motion on the other side of him attracted his attention and an arm thumped down across his side.
I'm in bed with Buffy and someone else? Who? Oh god. If that's Riley I'm throwing myself out a window, I swear it!
Slowly he turned over. His eyes widened in shock, fear, and panic. What the FUCK happened last night!?
On the other side of him lay not only Phoebe, but Faith.
Xander's breath caught and a ring of pain sliced through his scull as his heart suddenly upped the blood to his brain with a panicked thumping. He jumped up as fast as he could, staggering as his vision went black from the suddenness of the move.
"Uhhh..." He thumped into the wall of the room and just leaned on it for a long moment. At least until he felt the cool air around his... lower exptremities.
Shit! I'm naked!
He grabbed for the blanket he had left behind, ripping off the bed and wrapping it around him. Then he looked back at the bed and realized that he had left two Slayers, and one Wiccan Witch naked on his bed. And they were waking up.
Buffy and Faith were already moving, their eyes opening slowly.
"Shit." Faith mumbled. "What the hell hit me?"
"Yeah..." Buffy drawled in response. "and why am I so cold?"
Xander panicked. He threw the blanket back over the three women, forgetting for a moment that he had his own clothing issues at the moment.
"Wha?" Faith sat up as the blanket hit her.
"Uh..." Xander mumbled as the Dark Slayer's breasts came into view again.
Buffy propped herself up and look at Xander, her eyes widening as she took in his unclothed status. "Xander!?"
"Xander?" Phoebe mumbled as she shook herself awake.
"Xan-Man!" Faith grinned. "Looking good!"
Xander glanced down, turning bright red as he realized again that he was nude. "Shit!" He covered himself and ran for the bathroom.
"Was that Xander?" Phoebe asked as she caught sight of his buck naked form running for the washroom.
"Uh huh."
Buffy looked over at the Two brunettes. "What the hell are you doing in my..." She stopped, looked around. "Uh... who's room are we in?"
Faith was grinning. "Looks like the X-man's to me. What I want to know is how we got here and why I can't remember what a hot time we must have had last night?"
Phoebe was silent.
"Hot time!?" Buffy screeched. "No way. Not possible!"
"Wanna bet, Twinkie?" Faith said as she glanced under the covers. "Your looking pretty good yourself, Phoebe."
Phoebe turned a light pink as blood rushed to her face. "Thanks."
Buffy turned on her, "How can you be so calm about this!?"
Phoebe turned a little redder, "I've woken up in stranger situations."
"Whoa! Wild girl!" Faith kept grinning.
Buffy looked at the witch unbelieving. "Huh?"
Phoebe shrugged, "I had a wild streak in me when I was younger... had some fun times when I moved to New York... sometimes too much 'fun'."
"I'll say..." Buffy mumbled as she clenched the blanket tight to her, looking furtively around the room for her clothes.
*****
Xander grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he looked at himself in the mirror. What the hell happened? Love spell? God I hope not.... but what else could it have been?
He turned and left the bathroom, not wanting to look at his reflection any longer.
*****
Tara smiled as she opened her eyes and looked at the gently slumbering form beside her. Willow.
She hadn't been certain of Willow's feelings, but now she was. She gazed fondly at the peaceful smile on the redhead's face, one she knew was mirrored on her own. Slowly, so as not to wake her lover, she laid her head down beside Willow's and closed her eyes.
The last thing she remembered before slipping back to sleep was the unique smell of Willow's hair in her nostrils.
*****
"What happened, Xander?" Buffy demanded, a little angry, when the towel clad young man emerged from the bathroom.
Xander shook his head angrily. "I don't know. What's the last thing you remember last night?"
Buffy thought about it. "Three vampires... we got two of them..."
"Right." Xander agreed. "But my memory blanks out after that... can't remember if we got the third one."
Buffy nodded slowly. "Yeah... Me too..."
Xander turned to the other two girls. "You two?"
Faith shrugged, "Same here. Was chatting up a storm about your... skills..." Faith grinned as Xander's entire upper body blushed. "Then... nothing."
Phoebe nodded in agreement.
"Great." Xander looked around, but didn't see what he was looking for. He reached out his hand, "Elan."
The silver battle staff shimmered into existence in his grip. Faith stared in shock at the weapon. "What the hell?"
Phoebe nudged the dark slayer, shaking her head slowly as she did. "Later." She whispered.
"Elan, what happened?"
Xander stared at the weapon for a moment. "Spell? A Love spell then?"
Another few seconds passed. Buffy looked at the other two women uncomfortable and shifted to the side of the bed.
"Ok, so it wasn't a love spell... fine. Fine. Well what was it?"
Faith stared at Xander as he talked to a stick in his hand. "Boy's flipped right off his rocker."
Phoebe actually smiled, "Wouldn't say that too loud. You don't want to tick off Elan."
"Who's Elan?" Buffy asked, subdued.
"The Battle Staff." Phoebe said simply, "She's got a pretty weird sense of humour... and the power to back it up."
"Ooookay." Faith drawled slowly, "So maybe I'm still in the coma... cause now everyone is talking like they're insane."
"No. No! Look, that doesn't make sense. I haven't done anything to piss off a God..." Xander was objecting strenuously. Then he stopped, considered, and spoke again. "Well... not lately anyway."
The three girls looked at each other, confusion on their faces as they each repeated one word to themselves. God?
"Damn it!" Xander cursed, "I need to see if anyone else got mixed in this."
*****
Jarod woke up slowly, the racket from down the hall penetrating his sleep dulled senses. He could hear Xander yelling, then a door slamming open and footsteps coming down the hall. There was a quick banging on his door, which abruptly swung open. Damn! I couldn't have closed it right last night!
Xander stuck his head in, a bit wild eyed. "Jarod? Are you alright, man? Some major crap is going down...."
"I'm fine, Xander." Jarod said, resignedly. "What is it?"
Xander's eyes widened as he caught sight of the second body in Jarod's bed. Miss Parker glared at Xander with a look that could melt steel. Xander cursed. "Damn. The spell caught you too!?"
Jarod looked between his friend and his lover in confusion. "Spell?"
*****
When Xander got back to his room, muttering something about opposites attracting, the three girls had managed to split up the bed cloths long enough to start pulling on some of his old clothes. No one had the slightest notion of where their own garments were. Xander was still speaking to Elan when he re-entered the room.
"What happened? No, I know you don't know *how* it happened... I mean *What* happened?"
Phoebe and Buffy shifted a little nervously as Xander asked that question, but Faith just grinned and looked interested.
"You can do that?" Xander said to thin air. "Ok... No, I understand. Let me sit down first."
He sat down on the bed and the three girls looked at him oddly. "What's going on, Xander?"
"Elan is going to jumpstart my memories. The Spell locked them up, but they're still in there."
"Wait!" Buffy objected. "Your going to ummm.... remember everything?"
Xander nodded, "that's the idea Buff. Maybe I can dig out a clue."
"But..." Buffy was more comfortable with the notion of amnesia, "What about...?"
Xander winced. "We have to know what happened, Buff. This might have been an attack or something."
"I know..." She said, almost meekly, "But... well..."
Xander nodded, "I know... Look... With Phoebe's help we might be able to restore all our memories... If you want them."
"I sure as hell do!" Faith sat up, grinning. "Looks like ti was one helluva night to remember."
Buffy rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored the dark Slayer. She bit her lower lip and looked back at Xander... "Ummm... I don't know."
Phoebe moved to Xander's side, "It's your choice, Buffy. Come over here, Faith."
The Dark Slayer slid in beside the two , grinning from ear to ear. "Cool."
Buffy winced, but finally sat down with the other three. "O... ok. I'm in."
Xander nodded, "Here's what we do..."
*****
Willow dug into her books, pulling out some old tomes that even Giles didn't know she had. They had cost her a small fortune, forcing her to buy old books for her 'normal' classes. She smiled to herself, it had been worth it.
She carefully cracked open the largest of the old tomes, breathing in the smell that clung to the book as she did. She slowly flipped through the pages as she looked for the spell she needed.
Finally finding it, Willow opened the book flat and read the spell carefully. This is the answer to my problem... I know it.
*****
Xander shook his head as he nervously walked past the door to Faith's apartment, flinching when the sound of giggles and raucous laughter filtered through the heavy door. He shook his head and checked his watch. Sundown was twenty minutes ago... I'm going on Patrol.
He turned and fled to the basement.
*****
Buffy did an about face when she stepped to the door of her apartment and saw the flickering of candles and heard the sound of chanting from the other side.
Wiccan tupperware party. I'm out of here. Patrol sounds good.
*****
Xander jogged slowly through the park, letting his eyes roam through the trees as he passed, looking for hunters with the practised eye of a Hunter. His dual Colts were concealed easily under his long black trench coat. He felt strange, moving through Sunnydale looking like one of the enemy, but it served its purpose. Experienced residents, the cops included, shied away from him as he strode past. They all breathed a sigh of relief when he didn't look in their direction.
The ones who did pay attention to him knew that he wasn't one of them. They watched him with dead eyes, eyes he could feel as they moved along with him. Three... in the woods.
Four. Elan corrected, There is another tracking just beyond them.
"Really?" Xander whispered under his breath, "How do you know?"
I hear and see what you do... but I'm better at assembling the data then you are.
Xander frowned, "Was that an insult?"
Elan laughed lightly into his ears but didn't respond otherwise.
He shook his head, snapping out of his reverie as the snap of a branch indicated that the Vampires were making their move.
*****
"So come on," Faith grinned, "Spill. You spent some *quality* time with the X-man... What's he like now?"
Phoebe blushed slightly, thought not as much as Faith expected. Damn. Wiccan lady is harder to phase then I thought.
"He's.... nice."
"Nice!?" Faith scowled humorously, "Nice is for old married couples. Come on... dish already, Girl."
*****
Xander ducked under the first Vamp's clumsy swing, lashing out with a heavy booted kick that shattered the vampire's left kneecap. He spun into a footsweep that dropped the second vamp to the ground on its ass, then he slowly straightened up and ooked pointedly at the third vamp.
"Ohhhh..." Xander drawled, brushing some dirt off the arm of his coat in a casual gesture. "A smart bloodsucker... surprised you were bright enough to hold back."
"I'm gonna rip you apart blood bag!" the vampire threatened as he helped up the vampire Xander had foot-swept earlier.
"Promises, promises." Xander said, "You know, if Angelus wasn't willing to go one on one with me I don't give you for your chances."
"Angelus?" The Vampire's eyes flickered around in fear. "You fought Angelus?"
*****
Buffy froze in her tracks as she listened to Xander calmly taunt the vampires. Angelus? When did he face Angelus?
She watched from the trees as the lead vampire actually took a step back. "You fought Angelus?"
Xander shrugged, "Not quite. I faced the bastard down. He was after a friend of mine... was going to kill her finally... while she was helpless in the hospital. Real prince of a guy that Angelus. I stood my ground, he ran. Maybe he knew something you don't, huh?"
Buffy silenced a gasp that came with Xander's revelation. He faced down Angelus? To save... me? It must have been...
The lead vampire got some of his composure back. "You're a lying little puke. Angelus would never run from the likes of you."
Xander shrugged, pulling his silver staff from under his coat and snapping it to its full length. Buffy's breath caught a little as she caught sight of the weapon properly for the first time. It was a beautifully crafted weapon. She shook her eyes clear of the weapon and focussed on Xander again.
He was smiling at the vampire, who now looked very... very nervous.
"You guys really picked a bad night to mess with me... usually I'd just dust ya and walk away... but tonight I need a workout."
The vampire with the shattered kneecap winced as he limped to his feet, "Why?"
Xander grinned apologetically, "You ever have an ex meet your current love interest?"
The three vampires winced. "Damn. You are having a bad night."
Xander sighed, "Yeah... and it's worse then that..."
The limping vampire looked at him, a vague fog of sympathy in his eyes. "You don't mean....?"
Xander nodded. "Yeah... they *like* each other."
"Oh shit." The lead vampire said. "That's really harsh."
"Tell me about it," Xander lowered his staff as he complained. "I mean... right now they are back there sharing stories about me in and out of bed. What kind of justice is that anyway?"
Buffy's eyes widened as Xander casually turned away from the vampires as he ranted, ignoring them as he continued his tirade against the injustice of the world. The two vampires looked at each other in surprise, then shrugged and charged him.
*****
Willow finished her spell preparations, rereading the Latin incantation for the eighth time to commit it to memory. Her candles were lit, and all the components were in place.
She took a deep breath and spoke the first phrase.
"I invoke the name of Inanna. I summon forth her wisdom. Blessed Will Be Done."
*****
Buffy burst clear of the woods, charging the closest vampire with a Stake in hand. In the corner of her eyes she could see Xander react to the threat with a casual sweep of his staff that cracked across the two vampires faces.
Xander grinned at her, "Hey Buff. What brings you to this neck of the woods?"
Buffy smiled back, "Oh, you know..." She backhanded a vampire casually away before turning back and flipping her hair out of her face. "Just chilling.."
"Cool." he grinned, reversing his grip on Elanthielle and jabbing it into the limping vampire's chest. He turned away as the shocked vampire burst into dust. "I'm just running from Phoebe and Faith myself..."
She laughed but looked oddly at the staff in Xander's hand. "That thing can dust Vampires? How? It's metal..."
Xander shifted to her side, holding the two vampires at bay with Elan. "Magical I guess... haven't asked to tell you the truth... Just happy that it does."
Buffy shrugged, jabbing her stake into the second vampire and ripping it out before it could dust with the demon. "Cool."
"Yeah." Xander grinned. "So..."
"So..." Buffy returned, smiling slightly.
The two friends grinned and turned to the, very nervous, leader of the vampire 'pack'.
*****
"Inanna I call upon your star. I call upon your star. Grant me the wisdom to see the path before me and to choose wisely. Remove from me the strictures imposed by society for one night so that I may know my own heart. I invoke thee Inanna. I invoke thy wisdom."
*****
In a dark place an ancient being felt a once familiar tug and look around for the source.
"Inanna?"
The woman turned from the source of the pull and smiled, "Yes?"
"What is it?"
"A wiccan." Inanna responded. "Invoking my name... and for rather petty reasonings as well..."
"Don't they all do that?"
"Yessssss..." She said slowly, hissing in anger. "But none so powerful... Her power is such that it should have long since been tempered by greater wisdom."
Her companion moved back from the anger of the ancient being. "I recognize that look, Ina. What are you going to do?"
"I don't know." Inanna glared at the source of the tugging, slowly expanding her view by degrees until she saw what she was looking for. Then her face was creased by a slow cruel smile.
"Uh..." Her companion faltered at that look. It had never been indicative of good tidings any of the times he had seen it in the past. Once it had even led to his own 'death'. "Ina..."
"Hush." She said as he channelled her power to the Wiccan.
*****
Willow's eyes darkened as the power washed through her, a slow smile forming on her lips. She slowly got to her feet and picked up the phone.
After dialling a number she smiled into the phone. "Tara? Hi! Can you come over?"
*****
Buffy and Xander staggered as a strange sensation swept over them, their eyes going black for a few seconds. As they slipped the third vampire turned on his heel and ran.
On their knees the two warriors turned to each other, their eyes clouded with lust, and embraced as their mouths sought each other out. They fell to the ground under the dark of the moon, pulling each other tight.
*****
The Next Morning
Xander woke slowly, an odd sensation in the back of his head. He felt like he had a hangover and couldn't remember how he'd earned it. He pried his eyes open when he felt a soft chuff of breath against his ear. He smiled at the blurry image. Phoebe.
Then his eyes suddenly snapped wide open when they recognized the source of the breath, driving a spike of pain through his brain as too much light was admitted.
Buffy!? What the hell?
He stared at her, she was beautiful as she slept. Innocent. He gently shook his head to clear it, but was only rewarded by another sharp pang of pain. He froze in place when a motion on the other side of him attracted his attention and an arm thumped down across his side.
I'm in bed with Buffy and someone else? Who? Oh god. If that's Riley I'm throwing myself out a window, I swear it!
Slowly he turned over. His eyes widened in shock, fear, and panic. What the FUCK happened last night!?
On the other side of him lay not only Phoebe, but Faith.
Xander's breath caught and a ring of pain sliced through his scull as his heart suddenly upped the blood to his brain with a panicked thumping. He jumped up as fast as he could, staggering as his vision went black from the suddenness of the move.
"Uhhh..." He thumped into the wall of the room and just leaned on it for a long moment. At least until he felt the cool air around his... lower exptremities.
Shit! I'm naked!
He grabbed for the blanket he had left behind, ripping off the bed and wrapping it around him. Then he looked back at the bed and realized that he had left two Slayers, and one Wiccan Witch naked on his bed. And they were waking up.
Buffy and Faith were already moving, their eyes opening slowly.
"Shit." Faith mumbled. "What the hell hit me?"
"Yeah..." Buffy drawled in response. "and why am I so cold?"
Xander panicked. He threw the blanket back over the three women, forgetting for a moment that he had his own clothing issues at the moment.
"Wha?" Faith sat up as the blanket hit her.
"Uh..." Xander mumbled as the Dark Slayer's breasts came into view again.
Buffy propped herself up and look at Xander, her eyes widening as she took in his unclothed status. "Xander!?"
"Xander?" Phoebe mumbled as she shook herself awake.
"Xan-Man!" Faith grinned. "Looking good!"
Xander glanced down, turning bright red as he realized again that he was nude. "Shit!" He covered himself and ran for the bathroom.
"Was that Xander?" Phoebe asked as she caught sight of his buck naked form running for the washroom.
"Uh huh."
Buffy looked over at the Two brunettes. "What the hell are you doing in my..." She stopped, looked around. "Uh... who's room are we in?"
Faith was grinning. "Looks like the X-man's to me. What I want to know is how we got here and why I can't remember what a hot time we must have had last night?"
Phoebe was silent.
"Hot time!?" Buffy screeched. "No way. Not possible!"
"Wanna bet, Twinkie?" Faith said as she glanced under the covers. "Your looking pretty good yourself, Phoebe."
Phoebe turned a light pink as blood rushed to her face. "Thanks."
Buffy turned on her, "How can you be so calm about this!?"
Phoebe turned a little redder, "I've woken up in stranger situations."
"Whoa! Wild girl!" Faith kept grinning.
Buffy looked at the witch unbelieving. "Huh?"
Phoebe shrugged, "I had a wild streak in me when I was younger... had some fun times when I moved to New York... sometimes too much 'fun'."
"I'll say..." Buffy mumbled as she clenched the blanket tight to her, looking furtively around the room for her clothes.
*****
Xander grabbed a towel, wrapping it around his waist as he looked at himself in the mirror. What the hell happened? Love spell? God I hope not.... but what else could it have been?
He turned and left the bathroom, not wanting to look at his reflection any longer.
*****
Tara smiled as she opened her eyes and looked at the gently slumbering form beside her. Willow.
She hadn't been certain of Willow's feelings, but now she was. She gazed fondly at the peaceful smile on the redhead's face, one she knew was mirrored on her own. Slowly, so as not to wake her lover, she laid her head down beside Willow's and closed her eyes.
The last thing she remembered before slipping back to sleep was the unique smell of Willow's hair in her nostrils.
*****
"What happened, Xander?" Buffy demanded, a little angry, when the towel clad young man emerged from the bathroom.
Xander shook his head angrily. "I don't know. What's the last thing you remember last night?"
Buffy thought about it. "Three vampires... we got two of them..."
"Right." Xander agreed. "But my memory blanks out after that... can't remember if we got the third one."
Buffy nodded slowly. "Yeah... Me too..."
Xander turned to the other two girls. "You two?"
Faith shrugged, "Same here. Was chatting up a storm about your... skills..." Faith grinned as Xander's entire upper body blushed. "Then... nothing."
Phoebe nodded in agreement.
"Great." Xander looked around, but didn't see what he was looking for. He reached out his hand, "Elan."
The silver battle staff shimmered into existence in his grip. Faith stared in shock at the weapon. "What the hell?"
Phoebe nudged the dark slayer, shaking her head slowly as she did. "Later." She whispered.
"Elan, what happened?"
Xander stared at the weapon for a moment. "Spell? A Love spell then?"
Another few seconds passed. Buffy looked at the other two women uncomfortable and shifted to the side of the bed.
"Ok, so it wasn't a love spell... fine. Fine. Well what was it?"
Faith stared at Xander as he talked to a stick in his hand. "Boy's flipped right off his rocker."
Phoebe actually smiled, "Wouldn't say that too loud. You don't want to tick off Elan."
"Who's Elan?" Buffy asked, subdued.
"The Battle Staff." Phoebe said simply, "She's got a pretty weird sense of humour... and the power to back it up."
"Ooookay." Faith drawled slowly, "So maybe I'm still in the coma... cause now everyone is talking like they're insane."
"No. No! Look, that doesn't make sense. I haven't done anything to piss off a God..." Xander was objecting strenuously. Then he stopped, considered, and spoke again. "Well... not lately anyway."
The three girls looked at each other, confusion on their faces as they each repeated one word to themselves. God?
"Damn it!" Xander cursed, "I need to see if anyone else got mixed in this."
*****
Jarod woke up slowly, the racket from down the hall penetrating his sleep dulled senses. He could hear Xander yelling, then a door slamming open and footsteps coming down the hall. There was a quick banging on his door, which abruptly swung open. Damn! I couldn't have closed it right last night!
Xander stuck his head in, a bit wild eyed. "Jarod? Are you alright, man? Some major crap is going down...."
"I'm fine, Xander." Jarod said, resignedly. "What is it?"
Xander's eyes widened as he caught sight of the second body in Jarod's bed. Miss Parker glared at Xander with a look that could melt steel. Xander cursed. "Damn. The spell caught you too!?"
Jarod looked between his friend and his lover in confusion. "Spell?"
*****
When Xander got back to his room, muttering something about opposites attracting, the three girls had managed to split up the bed cloths long enough to start pulling on some of his old clothes. No one had the slightest notion of where their own garments were. Xander was still speaking to Elan when he re-entered the room.
"What happened? No, I know you don't know *how* it happened... I mean *What* happened?"
Phoebe and Buffy shifted a little nervously as Xander asked that question, but Faith just grinned and looked interested.
"You can do that?" Xander said to thin air. "Ok... No, I understand. Let me sit down first."
He sat down on the bed and the three girls looked at him oddly. "What's going on, Xander?"
"Elan is going to jumpstart my memories. The Spell locked them up, but they're still in there."
"Wait!" Buffy objected. "Your going to ummm.... remember everything?"
Xander nodded, "that's the idea Buff. Maybe I can dig out a clue."
"But..." Buffy was more comfortable with the notion of amnesia, "What about...?"
Xander winced. "We have to know what happened, Buff. This might have been an attack or something."
"I know..." She said, almost meekly, "But... well..."
Xander nodded, "I know... Look... With Phoebe's help we might be able to restore all our memories... If you want them."
"I sure as hell do!" Faith sat up, grinning. "Looks like ti was one helluva night to remember."
Buffy rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored the dark Slayer. She bit her lower lip and looked back at Xander... "Ummm... I don't know."
Phoebe moved to Xander's side, "It's your choice, Buffy. Come over here, Faith."
The Dark Slayer slid in beside the two , grinning from ear to ear. "Cool."
Buffy winced, but finally sat down with the other three. "O... ok. I'm in."
Xander nodded, "Here's what we do..."
*****
