[ ] denotes thoughts
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Part Six
SHS hallway
"Cordy, will you tell me why I end up carrying your things every single time I see you?" Xander implored the former cheerleader.
"Because you are good at it. That doesn't happen often with you, does it?" Cordelia said with a small smile.
"I think you just like taking advantage of my chivalrous nature," he groaned.
"Please. I'm not that bad." She got an evil grin when she spoke her next words, "I could drag you shopping with me."
[SHOPPING?] Xander's eyes widened at the image of him following behind Cordelia, arms laden with packages. "Oh, no. No way. I'd rather face an army of vamps than go shopping with you!"
"As I said, I'm not that bad. But you better not push your luck, bag boy. I could easily find a way to get you there if you get on my bad side."
"Do you even have a good side?" He muttered to himself as they reached her locker. "Here's your stuff. I suppose you want me to be your guide again?"
"Yeah, where do you go for free period anyway?" Cordelia asked him as she stuffed her books into the small locker.
"Generally, we spend it in the library. Though a lot of people head out to the courtyard area when they get their break," Xander noted.
She got a disgusted look when he mentioned the word library. "Ugh, the library? No way I'm spending my free time in a stuffy library. The courtyard sounds better."
"Courtyard it is then. Though I do need to check in at the library towards the end of the period."
"Why do you need to go there?" Cordelia queried.
"Just need to check up on something, no big." [No need to have her worry about any vampire business just yet. She might as well get the break that I didn't. Besides I need to talk to Giles about Buffy.] "Well, here we are: Sunnydale High courtyard. It's not much I know, but at least you can get some fresh air," Xander waved his arm in an encompassing gesture.
Cordelia just looked around the area, stopping when something caught her eye. "Not bad, I suppose it could be worse. Just one question: Is that who I think it is?" she said pointing over to a person coming their way. Xander followed her arm with his eyes to see who she meant.
"Max?" Xander asked surprised as she came up to them. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were starting here? Why didn't you say anything last night?"
"Whoa, slow down there, slick," she broke in. "I'm not starting here. I snuck onto campus. It's not that hard, y'know."
"Now getting back to my first question: What are you doing here? I thought you were trying to get away from anything even remotely dealing with school."
"Just came by to see my old friends in between trying to find a decent job for during the day. So far nothing's caught my interest yet. What's up with you two?" Max answered.
"Just showing Cordelia where to go for her free period. That and being Cordy's pack horse."
Max looked him up and down with a smirk. "Pack horse? Personal slave would be better." She turned to Cordy, and asked wryly, "Cordelia, are you slacking off? I thought you were going to train all guys to be our slaves."
"Well, I've only had a day to work with him, but he's coming along nicely," Cordelia answered smirking.
"Ha ha, very funny. Just because I'm nice enough to carry your books for you doesn't mean I'm just going to let you take advantage of me..." Xander saw their grins widen and realized what he just said.
"Sounds like a plan to me, eh Cor?"
"I think he could be useful, but I get first dibs, Max. After all, it's been my work that's gotten him this far."
[Faith. I want Faith. Just remember that. Faith. Faith. Faith. Buffy... Whoa, wait a minute. Only one girl to a guy, not two for one. Oh, two for one... Concentrate, man.] Xander glanced at the two of them as they approached, more than a little aroused at his thoughts. "Sorry, ladies, but I.. have a meeting to get to.. um.. now. Bye," he waved as he took off for the library.
The pair burst out laughing at his sudden exit. It took a little while before either one was able to speak.
"It's always fun jerking his chain," Max spoke up still giggling. "The look on his face was priceless."
"Xander is always fun to mess with. You do know he'll be planning on getting us back, right?" Cordelia questioned her 'partner-in-crime'.
"Yep, but he won't do anything too bad. He cares too much about us to do anything truly hurtful."
"Of course," Cordelia muttered under her breath as the corners of her mouth turned up unseen.
***
SHS Library, almost the same time
Faith collapsed in a chair across from Buffy immersed in her thoughts. [I know they're his friends but something is just bugging me about them. Cordelia seems nice. Bossy, but nice. Max on the other hand is more like Xander. Almost like a matched set. I want to talk to Xander to find out more about them, but I don't know how he'll react to that. We haven't really talked about his past that much and lately I haven't really been that open to him either.]
On the other side of the table, Buffy was also thinking on Xander. [Ever since that night he saved me from that vampire, I've wondered if he could help me. Xander seemed so confident even when confronted by that large group of vampires. The leader even KNEW him. If vampires are so concerned about him that they send a whole group to get rid of him then he has to be really involved with the supernatural. Ugh, I want to get out of this...]
Faith let out a deep sigh and settled her head on her crossed arms. [I haven't had any guy friends before that weren't just after my body. I thought Xander was just one of those so I brushed him off not wanting to hurt the group. Then he goes and pulls my butt out of the fire with the Master. Xander saved my life and hasn't asked for anything in return. Why? Any other guy would have done something by now. What's the deal with him? Why is he so different? And why can't I stop thinking about him?]
"ARGH!!" Faith growled out, startling Buffy. Giles, hearing the cry, came running out of his office.
"What is it?" he asked concerned.
"Nothin'. I'm just frustrated with something," Faith waved him off. Buffy cast a knowing glance towards the irritated Slayer.
Giles set down the book he carried and took off his glasses to clean them. "Of course. May I inquire as to the reason of your frustration?"
"Sure you can," Faith told him, but as he started to speak, she continued. "Doesn't mean I'll tell you, though."
The Watcher sighed out, "You have been around Xander too much, Faith. His habits are starting to rub off on you."
[I wouldn't mind him rubbing... Stop it, girl. Tease, don't touch rule with him, remember,] she shook her mind away from those thoughts. "Giles, this is Buffy. Buffy, Giles."
[Is this the girl Xander spoke of? I can't imagine that many parents would name their child Buffy. I wonder if her being here means she will be sharing her secret.] He put his glasses back on and walked over to Buffy. "A pleasure to meet you Miss..." Giles greeted as he shook her hand.
"Summers. But you can call me Buffy."
"Well, Miss Summ...."
"Buffy," Faith interrupted earning a glare from him.
"Buffy, it isn't often that we actually have students in here."
"Sorry, we're still training him out of that habit," Faith whispered over to the blonde much to the irritation of the librarian.
"So I see," Buffy giggled. "I was just walking with Xander and Faith. They happened to be headed here and since this is my free period I had the time to join them."
"So where is Xander?" Giles asked.
"Cordelia," the girls answered in unison.
"Pardon?"
"Cordelia convinced him to carry her books to her locker. I don't know where they went from there," Faith informed him.
"Well, if you do see him, please tell him I need to speak with him as soon as possible," Giles said headed back to his office. "Pleasure meeting you Buffy."
"You too," Buffy got out before the door closed. "Is he always like that?"
"Stuffy? Yeah, me and Xander think it's hereditary."
Buffy just shook her head at the idea. She seemed about ready to speak when the doors flew open and Xander ran in.
"Xander? What's up with you?" Faith inquired.
"Um, nothing," he replied with a quick curious glance at Buffy. "Giles in?"
"Yeah, he wants to talk to you," she told him with an odd look.
The boy tossed off a quick "Thanks" as he headed into the office with a quiet knock. The two girls at the table just watched Xander disappear into the office with confused looks on their faces.
"Okay, is it me, or does Xander just get stranger every day?" Faith implored.
"It's not you," Buffy answered. [If he is strange, then he wouldn't have any trouble fitting in at my house.]
***
Inside Giles' office
"G-man, what do you need to talk to me about?" Xander asked as he flopped down in the chair across from the librarian.
"I do wish you would not call me that," Giles said exasperated. "First, I felt the need to tell you about the date of the Night of St. Vigeous. Ms. Calendar and I have discovered the night to be this upcoming Saturday. I thought you might want to work with Faith for the next few nights to determine a good plan to keep the vampires under control on Saturday."
"Already ahead of you, G-man," Xander replied with a smirk. "Faith and I will handle patrol on Saturday then. The rest of the gang will be here protecting the Hellmouth. For the next few nights, we can have Angel gather any extra intel on whatever special party they have planned on that night, and then position him accordingly. I'll make sure you guys have a military band radio to contact Faith and I if you have any problems or if we find something that we need backup for. Sound good?"
"Yes. Did you come up with this on your own?"
Xander shook his head. "Nah, I talked it over with Faith last night. So what was your next point?"
"Ah, yes. There is also the matter of.. um.. Buffy," Giles said quietly with an uncomfortable glance towards the door.
"Still not for sure what is up with her yet. On the up side, she seems to be more willing to talk to me. I'm going to try and get her to open up about it, but I don't know how long it will take," Xander finished.
"Just be careful, she could be very dangerous or even hostile if you find out her secret," Giles warned. "And I am still not sure keeping this from the others is the wisest course to take."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I know you don't like keeping the others out of this, but if she's harmless, I don't want to go telling everyone she's not normal. That should be her secret to tell. The instant it looks like she could cause problems we tell them, fair enough?"
"Fair enough. Now I hear you are helping Faith and the others with this Parent/Teacher Conference. When will you need to start on that?" Giles inquired.
"No training tonight, G-man," Xander told him. "Snyder's hounding Faith on this. So we'll need all the time we can get to get everything set up right. Willow and Oz are working on the posters during the day and right after school, while Faith and I find the food and get it here. Then we'll all work on the setup. We need everything perfect tonight cause Faith can't afford to have anything go wrong."
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End Part 6
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