TITLE: THE TRIP

TITLE: THE PRIZE.   

AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything! Rated R for violence and adult themes. Set in season 6.B/X pairing Giles is Buffy's watcher who now works for the Council once more. Anya gave her life to save Buffy in the fight against Glory. Dawn is still here and Willow is with Tara.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 SUMMER'S RESIDENCE.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Willow and Tara enter and Dawn smiles at them. " Hey Wicca's!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Willow grins. " Hey key girl! What's the what?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   "Buffy's in the kitchen reading a postcard from Xander." She rolls her eyes. " For about the umpteenth time. Just how long does it take to fly to Seattle then drive back anyway?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Willow shrugs. " Maybe there were some other things he had to do. Besides He won a new Viper and the only thing he had to do was fly up and pick up his prize!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dawn remembers. " Boy is Cindy and the others going to be green when they see me pull up in that! Not that Buffy's going to let him out of her sight again."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Tara grins as she grips Willows hand. " It must be love."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            " Nah! I think it's more like lust." She leans over to them. " She showed me the class photo of the swim team and I had to ask her why Xander was wearing socks in his Speedo's." She looks towards the kitchen. " And do you know what she said?"                                                                                                                                                                                         Willow looks dreamily away. " He wasn't and that the water temperature was quiet chilly so when you factor that in..." Tara pats her arm." We get the picture Wills."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Dawn grins." She didn't say that she told me he liked to brag! Wow! And the water was cold you say? WOW!"                                                                                                                                                                                                         Tara blushes. " Yes he has some fine... Attributes if you're into that kind of thing."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Dawn's grin widens. " Oh I'm in! Boy am I into it.."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Buffy walks in and smiles at her friends. " Into what Dawn?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Dawn jumps. " Jeez! We're going to have to get you a bell or something!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     " Hey Will, Tara. Into what Dawn?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    "Ugh... Witchcraft! I want to delve into the white arts Buffy."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      " Are you sure you can handle it?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              " Given half the chance he wouldn't know what hit him." Dawn daydreams.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Willow covers her mouth and coughs out. " Jailbait!" And Dawn blushes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Buffy finally twigs. " Oh this isn't about Harris again is it?" She turns Dawn so she can look her in the eyes. " Dawn He's way to old for you! He's like 25 or something and you're only 14."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dawn snorts. " Gee Buff and you still got into college? He's 21 and I'm 16 that's years older than me and 255 years younger than your first boyfriend."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Willow tries to help. " Yeah and look how great that turned out. Goodbye innocents.. Hello scourge of Europe!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Buffy glares at her. " You're not helping Willow!"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Tara changes the subject. " So what did Xander write about?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Buffy shrugs. " Oh this and that. How well the car drives." She hands her the card and Willow scans it then pauses. " What does he mean by the back seat is larger than it looked in the glossy?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Buffy blushes then snatches the card back." Uhh.. You know ... He thought you guys wouldn't be able to fit in the back but now he knows you can."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Dawn likes to see her squirm. " Ooh Nice save sis! And this wouldn't have anything to do with the reverse Heimlich manoeuvre I saw him doing on you before he left would it?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Buffy looks at Willow. " We were just..." Buffy is trying to think of a reason for what they were doing but couldn't think of one. Willow grins and pats her arm. " It's all right Buff we know... We've known since before you even made the first move what you two were heading for."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Buffy grins." We didn't want to tell you until we were sure it wasn't rebound guy hooking up to rebound girl."                                                                                                                                                                                                       Willow is serious now. " And?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  " Boy let me tell you he can be the most annoying... Loving, careing man I've ever met! Sometimes I just get this urge to cover him double dip chocolate and..." She blushed." Never mind I never even thought that let alone said it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           " So am I going to have to move out or just get earplugs?" Dawn asks." Cuz this means I can't go over to Xander's place when you want to have ... Talks."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Before Buffy can answer the phone rings and she answers it." Oh Hi Giles." Buffy I've just received a phone call from Xander... " Why didn't he ring me?" He said he tried but no one answered.. Anyway he's in a small town on the Oregon Border and he thinks something weird's going on there. " What does he want us to do?" Well from what he's told me I thought it was a job more suited to the local authorities than us. It appears some one is using Native Americans as slaves. " Giles get over here and we can talk it over properly." She hangs up and turns to the others.                                                                                                                                                                                                                "Xander's found something wiggee in a small town in Oregon and he want's us to come see it."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Dawn asks." What like that two headed cow he saw in Tacoma?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               " No something worse. He thinks somebody's using Indians as some kind of slaves."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              END OF 1