If you are a MaDi shipper, I hope you won't be too upset if I don't put them together in this story. I think it's a waste to do a crossover and keep couples all the same. My other straight VM stories have plenty of MaDi, though, so check them out if you haven't already.

Chapter 10: They Meet

******Still July 5th*****

Buffy woke up after the Fourth feeling good. She'd stayed at Mac's place because everyone had come to her house after dark for fireworks. Her dad had already bought a lot, but Logan and Dick brought over even more. Mac's mother seemed much more excited than Mac to have them there. Mac's brother Ryan hit it off with Darrel and loved all the fireworks. Mac's mother insisted that Wallace call his mom, so Buffy got to meet Alicia. She didn't invite her mother since she knew her mom had a romantic evening planned with Keith, who Mac said had dated Alicia for a time.

It bothered Buffy that Weevil had bailed on them, but Mac pointed out that he'd willingly spent time with Logan and Dick for her. She couldn't really be mad, and she probably should focus on just one of the guys. However, it was so nice to just have fun and not think of the end of the world and death and monsters. Buffy felt like she'd been in prison and was experiencing freedom for the first time.

Logan was sweet and fun. Last night, he'd made her laugh a lot. His best friend Dick was kind of a hoot, and Xander seemed to get along with all of them very well. Logan had been affectionate but not pushy, which Buffy had appreciated. When it was time to go, she'd walked him to Dick's truck and ignored Dick while she kissed Logan goodnight. Dick's catcall and whistling didn't spoil the moment, but she had laughed when Logan had punched him in the arm.

Xander told her that Wallace was not a typical jock, which was his way of saying he liked the guy. Buffy could see that they'd bonded over having girls for their closest friends. Xander had joked about he'd made four male friends in a week, which was more than he'd made in four years of high school.

Dick seemed to be getting really close to Tara and Willow—much to Buffy's amusement. Today, though, Buffy wasn't planning on seeing Willow and Tara as she was going to go to Xander's for breakfast and talk to Weevil. She'd called him and gotten his voicemail. Although she left him a message, she didn't hear back from him.

Mac's mom told her to help herself to the shower, so Buffy did just that. When she was dressed, she went back in Mac's room to grab her things.

Mac opened her eyes. "How can you be up already? We didn't get to bed until two," she grumbled. "What time is it?"

"It's nine," Buffy said. "I've got to get to Xander's 'cause he's making quiche, and I want to speak to Weevil."

Mac sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "You think Weevil's mad?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," Buffy said. "I just went surfing with Logan and Dick—it wasn't like I was making out with him or anything."

"I've never dated two guys, but I watched Veronica try to juggle Logan and Duncan in high school and then Logan and Piz," Mac said. "Technically, she wasn't dating both at the same time, but she always had feelings for Logan even when they weren't together—same for him. It wasn't fun to watch."

"Well, that's because she was in love with Logan but dating Duncan," Buffy said.

"Why do you say that?" Mac asked.

"'Cause if she was in love with Duncan and not Logan, she wouldn't have gone back with him after Duncan," Buffy said. "Logan's still in love with her now—that's why I'm taking things slow with him."

"Really?" Mac said, surprised. "Did he tell you that?"

"Not in so many words, but I can tell," Buffy said. "He gets this look on his face whenever her name comes up. Plus, he seems entirely too willing for us to take our time. If he was really wanting to date me seriously, I just can't see him putting up with me dating Weevil."

"Those are great points," Mac said. "I'm glad you're being careful because I don't want to see any of my friends getting hurt."

"So I'm going to talk to Weevil, and I hope he's not too mad," Buffy said.

"What if he says he doesn't want to share you with Logan?" Mac asked.

"It's not like I'm sleeping with either of them," Buffy said. "If Weevil's wanting to throw down ultimatums, then I don't know what I'll do. I like him a lot, but I just like having fun for now. I'm not ready for more."

Mac nodded and hoped Weevil would be patient with Buffy, but at the same time, she kind of liked Buffy with Logan. If Veronica wasn't going to date him, he deserved a great girl like Buffy.

"Do you need a ride?" Mac asked. "Give me ten minutes."

"Nah," Buffy said, waving her off. "If I don't get a run in, I'll go nuts. Way too much energy."

"You're insane but okay," Mac said, smiling. "I'll catch you later."

"Thanks for letting me stay over. It was fun," Buffy said.

"Yes, it was," Mac said. She watched Buffy leave and shook her head. The girl's high energy made Mac tired, but she also really liked the girl and hoped that Veronica would like her when she got back.

*****Xander's******

Buffy slowed to a walk about a block from the apartment even though she wasn't even out of breath as it was just six blocks away. But she took the opportunity to smooth down her hair that she'd thrown into a ponytail.

When she made it to Xander's, Weevil was approaching from the other end of the hall.

Buffy waved. "Hey," she said.

Weevil smiled and said, "Good morning."

"So what happened to you last night? I called you," Buffy said.

"Yea, I'm sorry," Weevil said. "I went to my grandmother's—a family thing."

"Is that it?" Buffy asked, frowning. "Are you upset with me?"

"No. Why would I be?" he asked.

"Because I forced you to hang out with Logan and Dick," Buffy said.

"You didn't force me to do anything," Weevil said. "If I didn't want to go, I wouldn't have."

"Did it bother you that I went surfing with them?" she asked.

Weevil was silent a moment before answering. "I'm not sure what to say," he said. "I don't like either guys, but I know Echolls isn't that bad. He beat up a guy for V and saved her life when Dick's brother tried to kill her. He also saved her from a campus rapist, so he's okay. But he and I both dated Lilly Kane, and there's some bad blood between us."

Buffy winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," she said. She'd heard a lot about the gruesome death that Logan's father was behind. Willow had told her all about it, and it just reinforced her instinct to take things slow with both men. They've been through too much.

"It's fine," Weevil said, stepping closer. He reached for her hand. "I do like you—a lot, and it's not easy to see you with Echolls, but I didn't like to see V with him either. I don't want to push you."

"That's good because I don't want to be pushed," Buffy said. "But I also don't want to hurt you or lead you on. I'm pretty sure Logan isn't ready for a serious relationship, and maybe you are. It's just that I'm not, Weev. I've had such bad luck with men, and I'm a bit gun shy. Life in Sunnydale was hard and being here is like coming out of the dark and stepping into happy sunshine."

"I'm not surprised since that place is on a hellmouth," Weevil said.

Buffy gave him a shocked look, but Xander's front door opened before she could respond.

"Are you guys coming in or what?" he asked.

They stepped inside, and Buffy looked at Xander and said, "Weevil was just telling me how we lived on a hellmouth in Sunnydale. Did you know that?"

"I always said that place was hell," Xander said with a smirk.

"I didn't realize you knew about those kinds of things," Buffy said carefully. She wasn't ready to tell about her secret identity, but it was good that Weevil knew about the hellmouth.

"I told you my cousin lived there. He said that his grandma told him about vampires and demons, but he thought it was a joke until he saw a vampire up close," Weevil said.

"If you spent time after dark in Sunnyhell, you were gonna run into one or ten," Xander said. "The first vampire I ever had to stake was my best friend Jesse. He got turned Buffy's first week our sophomore year."

Weevil winced. "That sucks," he said.

Buffy didn't say anything as she wasn't ready to talk about Sunnydale—not with Weevil, not yet. "So is breakfast ready?" Buffy asked, flashing Xander a bright smile.

"Yep," Xander said. "You can set the table."

Buffy eagerly headed to the cabinet. She loved breakfast with Xander, and she wondered why they never did it back in Sunnydale. Of course, he didn't have his own place then, and her mom was at her house, so he wouldn't think to make breakfast. Neptune was a great choice for all of them, and she was especially grateful that Xander made the move.

"I'm so glad you decided to come with us to Neptune, Xan," Buffy said as she put the plates on the table. "I love our new tradition."

Xander grinned. "You just love getting fed," he said.

"Well, of course, but I like that this is something we can do together," Buffy said. "I wish Giles was here, though. I really miss him."

"Maybe we can get him to visit before classes start," Xander said.

"Who's Giles?" Weevil asked.

"He was our high school librarian," Xander said. "We spent a lot of time in the library with him."

Weevil gave them both a puzzled look. "Neither one of you strike me as being very bookish," he said.

"Oh, we weren't," Buffy said. "But Giles just had this way about him."

Xander looked at Weevil, sensing Buffy didn't want to share any Sunnydale tales with Weevil. "You disappeared last night on us. Did you have fun with your family?" he asked, changing the topic entirely.

Weevil nodded. "Yeah," he said. "How things go with you guys?"

"So fun. We did fireworks at Mac's. Her parents are really cool. Wallace's mom came, too," Buffy said.

"That's good," Weevil said. He was glad things were good between them again because he wasn't sure he was ready to lose her even if he didn't really have her yet. Still, it was strange that they all lived on a hellmouth, but Buffy didn't have any tales to tell.

*****Several Hours Later*****

Veronica went home and unpacked, not sure how she felt about being back in Neptune. She'd toyed with transferring, but she wasn't sure that'd improve things. Her first year at Hearst had been pretty horrific, and she was on the list at Stanford. However, if she transferred, she still had to come up with funding. Student loans were an option, but she was hoping a scholarship might pan out. Of course, her friends and father would be disappointed if she moved, but she had to do what was best for her. Maybe, she'd give Hearst another year. The last two years were the most important anyway.

She sent Wallace and Mac texts letting her know she was back in town, but she didn't pick up when they called to talk to her. It was embarrassing to have failed so magnificently. Hoping for a distraction, she decided to take Back Up for a walk on the beach. The beach was definitely something she missed while on the East coast.

After walking about ten minutes, she saw some kids flying kites and smiled. However, as she got closer, she realized they weren't children. In fact, she recognized one of them and moved closer.

"Weevil? Is that you?" she asked, waving. He was arguing with some guy Veronica didn't know while another girl flew a kite next to them, smirking.

"V?" Weevil asked in surprise. "What are you doing back in town?"

"Well, you know me—I'm full of surprises," she said. She glanced at the two people she didn't know. "I'm surprised to see you with new faces. Did you go and make some new friends while I was gone?"

"It's bound to happen sometime," Weevil said with a grin. "This is Buffy Summers and her best friend Xander. He works with me and lives in my building. Buffy's going to be attending Hearst. They just moved here from Neptune."

Veronica looked at the blonde with interest. "I believe I met your mother earlier today—Joyce?"

Buffy smiled and nodded. "That's my mom. She and your dad have gotten chummy—he's super nice. Mom hasn't dated anyone seriously since my parent's divorce four years ago," she shared.

"My dad is the best dad, but he does get around," Veronica said easily. "He was still technically married to my mom when he dated Alicia, my best friend's mom."

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "So what exactly are you trying to say? If your dad is toying with my mom, I'll kick his ass," she said.

"Take it easy, Buffy," Weevil said, looking too concerned, which confused Veronica.

Surely, the girl was just making an empty threat.

"She just told me that her dad is a player," Buffy said to Weevil, clearly upset. She began pulling her kite in and twining it up with quick motions.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that," Xander said, giving Veronica a hopeful look.

"My dad isn't a player per say," Veronica said slowly. "I mean he did date this married woman once, but when I expressed my displeasure, he broke it off. He hasn't dated anyone in a while."

Buffy's mouth fell open in outrage. "I might have to hurt him," she said, turning and walking away her friend trailing after her.

"What the hell, Veronica?" Weevil asked in annoyance. "Aren't you a little old to be acting so jealous and possessive of your dad?"

"I'm not either of those things!" Veronica insisted.

"Oh, yea? Well, we both know your dad is a class act, and you just made out like he was a bad bet," Weevil said.

"I didn't lie about either things," she said defensively.

"Well, you certainly turned things to make your dad look bad," Weevil said. "You know Buffy isn't just another hot blonde—she's got, like, a black belt in martial arts. When she threatens to kick a guy's ass, she's probably not exaggerating."

"You're joking!"

Weevil shook his head. "Nope. I'm not. The girl is a natural athlete, and she's already fought off Russian thugs, who tried to beat up your ex, Logan. You better hope she doesn't lose her head with your dad," Weevil said. "She and her mom are close like you and your dad."

"What are you doing flying kites with her?" Veronica asked. "It wasn't something I'd figure you'd ever do."

"Buffy's hard to say no to," Weevil muttered. "We've been dating all summer, and she's an amazing woman. You two have a lot in common. Xander has been in town just a few weeks, but we have already become friends. He cooks breakfast for us a lot—even your friend Mac's been at his place."

Veronica wasn't sure how to take all these new things Weevil was sharing, but she had a feeling that her world wasn't going to be the same.

"I guess I better go rescue my dad," Veronica said with a sigh.

"You might wanna warn him," Weevil said, winding up his kite.

When Veronica got a look at the kite, she snickered. "The Power Rangers? Seriously?"

Weevil glared. "Shut up! Xander picked it out. Didn't you see Buffy's pink Ranger? Xander insisted on red. It's his kite! I was just helping him since he had no idea what he was doing."

Veronica laughed again. "Sure, Weevil. I believe you," she said, before waving him off.

Weevil, though, didn't think she'd be laughing for long.

*****Chapter End******