That night when she slept she dreamed. She was in the Master's lair again. This time she was watching everything as it unfolded in front of her. It was like a movie and she was watching it unfold. Only this was different. She lay there motionless in the puddle and it wasn't Giles who was giving her CPR.
She didn't know who it was. She tried to see his face but it was fuzzy and unclear. She didn't recognize the man and didn't know who it could be but she knew he was good. The feeling this man gave her was warmth and comfort. She knew that he was someone she could trust even if she didn't' know who it was. There was a light about him that shined brighter then she'd ever seen.
She found herself stepping closer to him wanting to see who this man was. As she drew closer she could feel the excitement building inside. She was close enough to him now. He slowly started to turn his head looking right at her as.
"DING DONG DING DONG." Buffy groaned lying in the bed waking up. She rolled over on her side annoyed for being woke up, She yelled at the ceiling not wanting to get out of bed. "Willow can you get that?" Ding Dong Ding Dong. It was no use Willow must have already left for school. So she threw her feet over the side of the bed and grabbed her robe tying it around her. She grumbled wondering who dare would interrupt her slumber.
She came down the stairs yelling at the door. "I'm coming." She checked herself in the mirror quickly and then opened the door. Xander stood on her front step tool box in hand. He smiled at her. He just stared at her for a second and Buffy the same. She was trying to figure out where she knew this man. Finally she spoke up saying something.
"Can I help you?" Xander was still caught up trying to figure her out.
"Ah I'm uhm." He shook his head. "I'm the carpenter."
"Oh for the window. Why don't you come inside and take" she stopped mid sentence. "Do I know you?"
"You know I was just thinking that same thing. My name is Xander."
"And I am Buffy." Buffy scratched her head trying to figure out how she knew him. "Did you go to school at Sunnydale High?"
"In the 5th grade my family packed up and we all moved to Belgium."
"Belgium?" She sighed, "So you must know a lot about Belgium."
"You'd think I would?' He shook his head and walked to the smashed out window "Anyways I assume this is the window that you need to have repaired?"
"Yeah I am hoping you can do it fairly cheaply."
"I should be able to help you." He looked at the framing and took out a pad of paper writing down some numbers. He finally looked up at her. "300 dollars."
"Doesn't seem like too much."
"Well it's not really much of a job. I can probably have it done for you in half a day."
"My friend is paying for it so if you need cash up front then it will be a few days."
"You plan on screwing me over?" She laughed thinking he was joking.
"Wasn't on my direct list of things to do."
"Well then I'm sure you are good for it."
"Great. So when can you start?"
"I really hate leaving you with this huge hole in the front of your house." He scratched his chin then looked at his watch. "I'll take the measurements and see if I can get the window in yet tonight."
"Wow you can start that soon?"
"Unless you have plans. I mean if you have plans then I can do it another time."
"No no no. If I can get it done now then I'll stay."
"Well I will do what I can. Hopefully by the end of the night you'll have a window where a hole once was." Buffy smiled at him. Good common sense would say that you should check a person background and credentials but she had a feeling. There was goodness to him and a familiarity to him. Something told her this was a man she could trust.
He opened his toolbox and started taking measurements. He was writing down the measurements on the little notepad. Something about the house spoke to him. It felt like he knew the place. When he had the measurements he called placing the order for the window. Just his luck they had the perfect size in stock and if he hurried he could pick up everything he needed before they closed for the day.
Buffy had since retreated to the kitchen where she was starting a pot of coffee. She smiled. "Would you like a cup?"
"If I'm going to get this done tonight I have to run to get the supplies but I'll be back."
"I'm not sure if I said this or not but thank you. This really really means a lot to me that you are doing this on such short notice. I appreciate it."
"Who knows maybe some day you'll have a chance to repay me."
"Well I just hope your girlfriend doesn't get mad that I'm taking your evening."
He smirked a little. He could have sworn that was a come on. She was checking to see if he was single or not. "No girlfriend to get angry." Buffy smiled at him hearing that he was available. "Anyways I better move if I am going to get this window done."
As he left Buffy ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She was still in her bathrobe and pj's. While Xander was at the store she took a shower put on some make up, splashed on some perfume and put on her low cut blouse and blue jeans.
An hour later Xander was back with everything that was needed. He worked on the window framing and shimming. Dawn walked in through the front door seeing Xander. She smiled seeing him working.
"Well hellllloooo mister." Xander turned around smiling at Dawn.
"You live here too?" He looked at Dawn once again the same familiar feeling coming to him.
"You fixing the window?"
"That's my job little lady." He stuck his hand out to her "Names Xander and you are?"
"I'm Dawn. Did my sister hire you?"
"Is Buffy your sister?" Dawn nodded "Then yep. She was the one who hired me."
"Well I won't keep you from your work." Dawn put her book bag over her shoulder and went up to her room. She stopped at Buffy's room knocking on the door.
"Come in." Dawn saw Buffy putting lip-gloss on and sitting in front of the mirror.
"I saw the wonderful piece of man meat you hired. He makes me want to break some other stuff to have him fix."
"He is easy to look at."
"Well I call dibs on him."
"Too late I already did. Besides he's too old for you." Dawn sighed knowing her sister was right.
"Well I can see you are pulling out the big guns."
"I know it sounds strange but he seems"
"Familiar?"
"Yeah how did you know?"
"I know it seems strange but it feels like I should know him."
"Maybe it's a past life thing?" Buffy tossed her hair back and walked out of her room. Dawn followed her down the hall and to the kitchen.
"Oh God Buffy you aren't going to cook are you? You need to put your best foot forward and almost everything you cook is one foot in the grave."
"Hey I can make a few things."
"Don't say I didn't warn you?"
Xander was still framing the window pulling out the old wood and putting in the new. He touched the broken frame and he was sure he had done this before. This wasn't daja vu. This was something else. He knew his work and this was something he did. He closed his eyes running his hands over the frame trying to remember.
He shook his head frustrated. Just then he heard the front door open. He opened his eyes. Willow took off her coat and looked at Xander.
"Hello?" Xander looked at her.
"Willow Rosenberg?"
"Sorry do I know you?"
"I think we were friends back in Kindergarten."
"Really I don't" Then it came to her and she smiled "Xander Harris." She smiled a welcoming smile to him then pulled him in for a hug. "God I haven't seen you since"
"5th grade when my family moved to Belgum."
"But you are back now?"
"Yeah."
"What are you doing here?"
"Your friend Buffy she hired me to repair the window."
"Small world?" She smiled at her old friend. She felt closeness to him like everyone else but put it on her connection to him from the past. "We have to catch up?"
"I'd really really like that."
"What ever you do don't leave till we have exchanged info."
"Give you my word." Xander then went back to work on the window while Willow went to the kitchen to join Buffy and Dawn.
Willow set down her school bag and looked at Buffy. You aren't going to believe it but that guy you hired."
"Let me guess. You feel like you know him. Dawn and I were saying the same thing."
"Actually I do know him. We were in school together a long time ago." Dawn smiled pulling herself up on the counter to sit.
"So you know sexy construction worker?"
"His name is Xander and yes Dawn I know him. In kindergarten we were best friends."
"Buffy is interested in him." Willow smiled and looked at her friend.
"Really?"
"He seems like a good guy. I mean he did the window incredibly cheap and he did it quickly saying he didn't want to leave me with a big gaping hole in the front of the house."
"That sounds like the Xander I remember. If I'm completely honest I have to say I get it. I spent a good part of my elementary school years crushing on him.
"And he doesn't' have a girlfriend." Willow laughed a little finding it funny how direct Buffy was being.
"Wow you really are in to him aren't you?" Buffy started boiling a pot of water and grabbed some ingredients from the top of the cabinets.
"I know this seems crazy cause I barely know him but it feels like I do. There is something about him that is just so incredibly familiar." Dawn nodded and spoke up.
"She's right. I feel like I know him from some where."
"Well I feel that way too but I actually do know him."
While the girls were in the kitchen talking about Xander one more person came walking through the front door. Unlike the other 3 girls Xander didn't get a good feeling off this guy. Spike had to wait for the sun to go down but he was finally able to make his way over to Buffy's.
You could have knocked him over with a feather when he saw who was working on the window. He could feel the anger rising in his gut.
"Harris what in the bloody hell are you doing here?" Xander put his hammer down and looked at the bleach blonde vampire.
"Excuse me do I know you?"
"Don't be cute with me Harris. How did you do it? What was it? A spell?" He grabbed Xander by his shirt desperate for an answer. Xander had that familiar feeling once again. The difference was he felt like he hated this guy.
"Get your damn hands off me now."
"OR WHAT?" Buffy came running in with Dawn and Willow close behind. She saw Spike grabbing Xander. She was not pleased.
"What the hell are you doing Spike? Let him GO NOW." Spike did as Buffy asked but still wanted answers.
"I want to know what he is doing here?"
"I'm repairing the window ya dick" Buffy was a little surprised. Not a lot of people stood up to Spike. He could be quite intimidating and not a lot of people stood up to him.
"Spike you told me to hire someone to fix the window. Well this is the someone and he is a guest in this home I expect better manners from you in MY HOUSE." Spike found it amazing of all the possible carpenters in Sunnydale he was the one that wound up on her doorstep.
"Well it doesn't' matter. I don't want him here and since I'm paying I say he is out?" Buffy shook her head not backing down.
"Spike he has already been working on the window and spent money on supplies."
"Fine I'll cover what ever he is out but I want him gone now." Xander was pissed now that this guy was trying to push him around and he wasn't going to back down
"I started this job Goldilocks and I'm not leaving till it's done." Spike bit his lip enraged that Buffy wasn't taking his side.
"Buffy he's unprofessional and."
:"And he is the guy I chose. So you can deal with that Spike."
"Well I'm not paying."
"Fine Spike. Don't pay it. I will find a way to pay it myself. You can get the hell out of my house." Spike made a fist wanting to throw a punch but he knew with the chip in his head it would be pointless. He looked at Xander angry then at Buffy.
"I don't know how you got back here Harris but don't' get comfortable." Buffy had heard enough,
"GOOD BYE SPIKE." With that he turned around stormed out the front door slamming it. The room fell silent for a minute then Buffy spoke up. "I'm sorry that had to happen. I don't know what got in to him. But he seemed to know you."
"I don't know how. Doesn't matter anyways. I think the guy is a douche bag." Buffy sighed now having a new problem.
'"But he was the douche bag who was supposed to pay for this window." Xander could see the pain in her eyes.
"Hey you are a friend of Willows and that is good enough for me. I'll make you a deal. You tell all your friends about my business and that Xander Harris is the best construction worker you've ever seen and I'll take care of the rest." Buffy smiled at him then shook her head
"That is so nice of you but I can't let you do that."
"At this point I'm almost done with the window it's not like I am going to return the supplies. Look let me do this for you and some where down the road you will find a way to pay me back." Buffy looked at him and smiled.
"All I can say is thank you Mister Harris." Willow looked at Buffy biting her lip thinking.
"Buffy can I talk to you on the porch?" Buffy nodded and followed Willow out.
"What is up Will?"
"This is going to sound a little strange but what if there is some kind of spell going on here with Xander?" Buffy looked in to the house at Xander working.
"A spell?"
"Spike knows him from somewhere. You heard him ask him how he got back. Which implies that he has been here before."
"I guess I didn't really think of that but it does make sense."
"And it might make sense as to why you and Dawn feel that connection to him."
"Well how do we know? I mean is there a spell or something?"
"I'm going to have to go to the magic box but I'm going to see what I can find out."
"Well maybe we should keep him here. You know just in case to be safe." Willow looked at her friend with a hint of skepticism.
"Really? To keep him safe, it has nothing to do with the fact that you find him to be a major hottie?"
"Hey you go work on the magic stuff and I'll work on protecting Xander from anything dangerous." Willow rolled her eyes knowing what Buffy was up too. She walked down the steps humming as she made her way to the magic box and hopefully some of the answers they were looking for.