*********
Buffy found Willow, Oz and Xander burying the slime demon in a nearby
cemetery. "Hey, guys. I didn't know Danny would leave so soon, or I
wouldn't have called you for burial duty." She helped Xander and Oz
dump the demon into the hole in the ground that they had dug.
"So when are you going to give us the scoop on Danny?" Willow asked.
"All you had to do was ask," Buffy answered with a smile. "There's not
much to tell. We went to Hemery together, he was the highschool
football quarterback, I was the head cheerleader. No big surprise
that we dated for a while. Then I burned down the school gym and mom
and dad wigged out on me. Next thing I knew, mom and I were moving to
Sunnydale, and dad was staying in L.A. filing the divorce papers. I
broke it off with Danny before I left. We've written each other since
then, and he's a good friend. Anything else I've neglected to
mention?" she asked.
"No, I think that answers all possible questions," Willow said with a
grin.
"Done," Xander said as he patted the last bit of soil back down. "Look
obvious?" Willow noticed the change in his mood, caused by mention of
Buffy's friend. She looked at Buffy, and didn't think that she had
noticed.
"Well, it's a cemetery, but how much attention can they pay to the
number of graves in it?" Oz asked.
"I think it's fine. At least the demon's not laying there waiting to
scare the living daylights out of the first early-morning jogger,"
Buffy said. "And did I mention thanks, guys?"
"No problem," Willow said. "And I told Giles that you wouldn't be
doing any obvious slaying until Danny was gone."
"Thanks, Will," Buffy replied. "How much more do I have to ask from
you guys?"
"Did you have fun?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, I did," Buffy said.
"Then any slaying or demon burial we have to do is worth it, just for
that reason alone," Willow replied.
"I love you," Buffy said impulsively, and hugged Willow. "All of you.
And I'll make it up to you guys," she promised as she left for her
house.
"Xan..." Willow trailed off as she realized that Xander had left
without saying a word.
**********
Thursday
Xander's House
Willow found Xander in his room. She had knocked on the door, but had
entered when he hadn't answered. He was sitting on his bed, staring at
the television. He looked up as she walked down the stairs. "Hey," he
said.
"Hey. I was wondering what you were doing tonight?" Willow asked.
"You're looking at the extent of my plans," Xander shrugged.
"The TV's not on," she said with a frown.
"I'm making up my own entertainment," Xander replied, not looking at
her.
"He'll be gone soon," Willow said as she sat on the bed next to him.
"That's nice," Xander said indifferently.
"Have you even gone to see her this week?" Willow questioned.
"Don't want to bother her," Xander replied.
"You're her friend, Xander," Willow said, hitting him on the arm.
"Ow!" Xander looked at her in surprise. "So what's your point?" he
asked, rubbing his arm.
"That you wouldn't be bothering her," Willow said in
exasperation. "She likes having you around."
"Maybe, but with Danny here, they don't need a third wheel."
"Xanderrrr," Willow said, and then giggled as he moved away from her
reach. "I wasn't going to hit you again. Fine, if you're going to be
that way about it, I suppose I can't stop you. Oz and I are going to
hang out at my place tonight and watch movies. Do you want to come?"
"Third wheel again," Xander replied, shaking his head.
"You're _not_ a third wheel!" Willow yelled, irritated now. "And you
_are_ going to come over to watch movies. That's an order." She gave
Xander her 'resolved' face, and he chose not to argue.
"Fine, when do you want me to come over, and do you want me to bring
anything?"
"You could stop and get ice cream on your way over," Willow suggested.
"Fine, I could use a sugar rush to improve my mood," Xander agreed.
"By the way," Willow said, from the stairway. "Buffy wants us to meet
her and Danny at the Bronze tomorrow."
"Do I have to?" Xander whined.
"Yes!" he heard Willow yell before she shut the door behind her.
*********
Buffy found Willow, Oz and Xander burying the slime demon in a nearby
cemetery. "Hey, guys. I didn't know Danny would leave so soon, or I
wouldn't have called you for burial duty." She helped Xander and Oz
dump the demon into the hole in the ground that they had dug.
"So when are you going to give us the scoop on Danny?" Willow asked.
"All you had to do was ask," Buffy answered with a smile. "There's not
much to tell. We went to Hemery together, he was the highschool
football quarterback, I was the head cheerleader. No big surprise
that we dated for a while. Then I burned down the school gym and mom
and dad wigged out on me. Next thing I knew, mom and I were moving to
Sunnydale, and dad was staying in L.A. filing the divorce papers. I
broke it off with Danny before I left. We've written each other since
then, and he's a good friend. Anything else I've neglected to
mention?" she asked.
"No, I think that answers all possible questions," Willow said with a
grin.
"Done," Xander said as he patted the last bit of soil back down. "Look
obvious?" Willow noticed the change in his mood, caused by mention of
Buffy's friend. She looked at Buffy, and didn't think that she had
noticed.
"Well, it's a cemetery, but how much attention can they pay to the
number of graves in it?" Oz asked.
"I think it's fine. At least the demon's not laying there waiting to
scare the living daylights out of the first early-morning jogger,"
Buffy said. "And did I mention thanks, guys?"
"No problem," Willow said. "And I told Giles that you wouldn't be
doing any obvious slaying until Danny was gone."
"Thanks, Will," Buffy replied. "How much more do I have to ask from
you guys?"
"Did you have fun?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, I did," Buffy said.
"Then any slaying or demon burial we have to do is worth it, just for
that reason alone," Willow replied.
"I love you," Buffy said impulsively, and hugged Willow. "All of you.
And I'll make it up to you guys," she promised as she left for her
house.
"Xan..." Willow trailed off as she realized that Xander had left
without saying a word.
**********
Thursday
Xander's House
Willow found Xander in his room. She had knocked on the door, but had
entered when he hadn't answered. He was sitting on his bed, staring at
the television. He looked up as she walked down the stairs. "Hey," he
said.
"Hey. I was wondering what you were doing tonight?" Willow asked.
"You're looking at the extent of my plans," Xander shrugged.
"The TV's not on," she said with a frown.
"I'm making up my own entertainment," Xander replied, not looking at
her.
"He'll be gone soon," Willow said as she sat on the bed next to him.
"That's nice," Xander said indifferently.
"Have you even gone to see her this week?" Willow questioned.
"Don't want to bother her," Xander replied.
"You're her friend, Xander," Willow said, hitting him on the arm.
"Ow!" Xander looked at her in surprise. "So what's your point?" he
asked, rubbing his arm.
"That you wouldn't be bothering her," Willow said in
exasperation. "She likes having you around."
"Maybe, but with Danny here, they don't need a third wheel."
"Xanderrrr," Willow said, and then giggled as he moved away from her
reach. "I wasn't going to hit you again. Fine, if you're going to be
that way about it, I suppose I can't stop you. Oz and I are going to
hang out at my place tonight and watch movies. Do you want to come?"
"Third wheel again," Xander replied, shaking his head.
"You're _not_ a third wheel!" Willow yelled, irritated now. "And you
_are_ going to come over to watch movies. That's an order." She gave
Xander her 'resolved' face, and he chose not to argue.
"Fine, when do you want me to come over, and do you want me to bring
anything?"
"You could stop and get ice cream on your way over," Willow suggested.
"Fine, I could use a sugar rush to improve my mood," Xander agreed.
"By the way," Willow said, from the stairway. "Buffy wants us to meet
her and Danny at the Bronze tomorrow."
"Do I have to?" Xander whined.
"Yes!" he heard Willow yell before she shut the door behind her.
*********