AN: First off, thank you guys SOOO much for all the wonderful reviews! I absolutely positively adore them! Next, the one review that mentioned Giles in chapter 1, I am sooooo embarrassed. Yes, I did accidentally leave him in that part, but I have since changed chapter 1, so that his name isn't used by Buffy. Anyway, moving on, here we go, a foray into part 4!

Chapter 4

Xander and Buffy sat surrounded by boxes up in the loft. Perched on Buffy's head was a wide floppy hat, complete with the most hideous combination of green and orange feathers. A purple feather boa was draped around her shoulders, and a pair of large rhinestone studded sunglasses were perched on her nose. Cuban music was playing in a small cd player they had uncovered, as well. Xander was bopping his head to the unusual beat.

"Ok, I don't know what kind of woman this chick was, but daaaamn…" Xander's voice broke through over the obnoxious music, and Buffy started to laugh.

"Well, there are a few things I think I'll keep, but wow, most this stuff could get shipped to a small country, and never brought back." Buffy stood up, and tossed the feathered confection from her head, and brought forth another box. In this on, the theme was red and black, and the first thing she pulled forth was a long ankle length red and black velvet jacket. "Hmm… this is kinda cool. Wonder just how much she used to spend on clothing alone." Buffy slipped the jacket on, and spun around.

"Nice Buffster." Xander looked over at her, and grinned lopsidedly while sporting a pair of heart shaped day-glow pink sunglasses. Buffy glanced at him and started laughing, then looked back in the box and found a black cowboy hat, complete with a sparkly rhinestone band, and a bright red glitter covered star on the side. She pushed it onto her head, and dug some more.

Near the bottom of the box, Buffy found some papers bound together with ribbons through the punch holes. Buffy sat down on a bright red beanbag chair they had uncovered, and started to read through the pages feeling only mildly guilty as she started.

The moon, it sings for you, my dark princess. It calls to me, and urges me to keep you forever, that I may never do anything to hurt you, or push you away. Dru, I love you now, and forever more will. Stay by my side, and I will always find a place in heaven. Be my girl? You're little Spike

Buffy stopped reading, and put the sheets down, not eager to find out who Spike was. She turned to find Xander sorting through some books he had found. "Xan, maybe we should clean this mess up, and sort what we actually want to keep, and pile the rest up for William to go through." She stood up, and started tossing the crazy clothes back into boxes, but kept out the feather boa. She tossed it onto her small pile, and put the clothing boxes up against the wall. She tucked the letters into the top of one of the boxes, and closed it tightly.

They finished organizing, and got all of the boxes down to the main floor, and stacked them up in the dinning room. Buffy had kept a nightstand, the red bean bag chair and a desk that had been up there, along with some odds and ends clothing pieces that she thought would look outrageous for Halloween. Xander hadn't found much of the girl's things that he wanted, except for the radio and a few books. It was past midnight when they had finished cleaning up, and locking the door behind them.

"I have tomorrow off, wanna help me move some stuff in? We can move your stuff in tomorrow night, too." Buffy asked Xander, while getting into his truck. They both decided to have him spend the night, and they would get going early in the morning. The only thing Buffy wanted to make sure of, was that they didn't show up at the apartment to early, so William could sleep in a bit. She smiled when she thought of him, as she got ready for bed. He was so nice, and that accent! She thought to herself as she slipped between the covers on her bed. Buffy ended up falling asleep with a smile on her face.

*********

Xander's eyes flew open as he jumped up from the couch. His heart was racing a mile a minute, and he had yet to figure out why. His vision cleared from the sleepiness, and he found he was staring into Buffy's smiling face. She was sitting on his lap looking like it was Christmas morning.

"What in the devil was that for?"

"Get UP! It's almost 9, and I want to get going! We need to get rid of furniture, and get everything moved!! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Buffy had perfected her 'get-Xander-to-agree-to-anything' voice years ago, and it held just the slightest bit of whininess, just right for serving it's purpose. Xander whined, and pushed at her until she fell on her butt on the floor. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!"

Xander smirked and looked down at her. She was so cute when she was mad at him. When he had first met her, he had gotten a large crush on her, but they had grown into a comfortable friendship that he wouldn't change for anything. Besides, he had his eye on a girl who had just moved next to his parents. Cliché and all, he liked the girl next door, Willow.

"You gonna sit on your butt all day, or come help me move your stuff?" He smirked at the outraged look on her face as she stood up, her nose coming to just barely the top of his chest. Buffy glared at him, and then her hands flew to his sides and started tickling him. "Hey, that's so uncalled for! Besides, I'm sooooo much better at it!" Xander was squirming around, but his own hands managed to find her sides, and she started doing her own squirming.

*********

It was nearly thirty minutes later when they had gotten showered, and ate breakfast. Buffy was sitting in the middle of her bare living room, and looking at the furniture. They had decided to first ask a few of Buffy's neighbors about the stuff, and then take what was left to the Salvation Army shop right down the road. Xander was knocking on doors then, while Buffy finished placing her few pictures and knick-knacks into the box in front of her. They only filled half the box, so she would have room to put the stuff from the kitchen as well in it.

Xander came back with the single mom who lived right next to her, and brought her into the living room. "Hey, Buff, whatcha getting rid of, again?"

Buffy looked up and smiled, while brushing the bangs from her eyes. "Everything except my dresser, my bed, and the kitchen table set. There's the entire living room set, and an old des, and a small dresser in my room that you can look at. The only thing is, I want to get it out today. But yeah, just look around, and let us know if there's anything you need."

Buffy disappeared into the kitchen with a wave, carrying the small box in her hands. She had started to pack up the dishes two nights ago, so those were all set to go, and now all she had left to pack was the stuff hanging on the walls, and the meager amount of food in her cupboards. She took the wall clock down, and placed it near the box, so that it could go on top, then took down the pictures of fruit her mother had gotten for her. Soon, the kitchen was packed.

Walking back to the living room, Buffy saw that Xander had cleared out an end table, and the old magazine rack. She walked towards her room, and found that the small dresser was also gone, and she smiled. She was glad it had gone to someone who could use it. Her bed had been stripped of its linen's that morning, and she had her dresser drawers out of it, waiting for it to be moved as well. Soon, all of her stuff would be out of this tiny apartment, and the only thing she could think was, good riddance!

Before to long, Buffy and Xander were loading the last of the furniture into the back of his truck to take into the shop. The apartment seemed so empty without her things, and so incredibly dirty and gross feeling. While feeling good for leaving the place behind soon, she felt bad for whoever would come next to this pit. She shook off her thoughts when they pulled into the parking lot.

The guy inside was a big help, and soon they were back at the apartment, and this time, loading Buffy's things into it. It was nearly 2 pm when they finally pulled into the parking lot of their new place, all of Buffy's belongings squeezed into the back end, and a few bags in the cab. She was squished down onto the seat as they parked the truck, and Xander had to get out and let her out of her side. She tumbled from the truck with duffle bags.

"Nice co-ordination, Buffster!" His voice was gleefully teasing as he poked towards her sides. They went up to the security door, and rather then just entering, buzzed the bell. It took a few moments before William's voice came over it.

"Yeah?"

"Hi William, I'm here with my stuff."

"Oi, right. Need some help?"

"You wouldn't be wrong," Xander replied for her. The door buzzed open, and they went in with the duffels, and met William on the way out with a loose black sweatshirt on. He waved, and disappeared out the main door. Buffy took all of her bags up to the loft while Xander and William lugged the bed, dresser, and kitchen table in.

Before to long, she had her furniture set up in the loft, and she was laying on the bed staring up at the ceiling while Xander and William were busy doing the male bonding, beer drinking thing in the kitchen. Buffy would be spending her first night here, and was looking forward to it. Xander had decided to wait until the upcoming weekend to move in, so that he wouldn't have to work around his own work schedule. He had already roped both Buffy and William into helping.

Later that night, as Buffy was unpacking her things and placing them around the room, William came up to the room, and leaned against the wall at the top of the stairs. He silently watched her for a few minutes as she placed small figurines on a wooden shelf, and a small stuffed pig next to the items. On the lowest shelf, she placed the few books she owned.

His eyes traveled over her face, and down the slope of her neck. He held his smile of appreciation in check and reminded himself that she was a flat mate now, and therefore, off limits. He forcefully dragged his gaze from the top slope of her chest. Without saying a word, he padded silently down the stairs again, and shut himself away in his room to take a breather.