Elisa released a content sigh and burrowed herself deeper under the covers. She hadn't felt this well-rested in forever. Yawning, she sat up and stretched. But something was wrong, out-of-place.
Elisa opened her eyes and glanced around her at the unfamiliar surroundings. It was tastefully decorated in neutral colors, but room obviously belonged to a male. "Xander," Elisa thought. "This must be his room."
She placed her feet on the carpeted floor and stood up. She decided to be nosy and look around the room to learn more about her new friend. Walking across the room, Elisa first noticed the drawing plans laid out on the table. Scrutinizing the plans, she determined they were for a small house. From what she could tell, it looked well-designed, but she was hardly an expert.
Other things Elisa noticed were Xander's guitar, his brightly colored shirts, and two strange items. The first was a piece of board with wheels on it. Elisa set it on the floor and sat on it. Rolling across the floor, she was confused. What was the point of this contraption? She decided to ask Xander about it later and moved on to the picture books. Thumbing through the first book, she noticed that the brightly colored pictures acted out a scene much like a play. It was like a children's book for adults. Smiling, she placed the book back on the stack.
Elisa moved back toward the bed. She then saw the two photographs on his nightstand. She picked up the first one and smiled. It showed Xander with the two girls she met last night. "Buffy and Willow," she murmured to herself, recalling the conversation at the diner the night before. The blond girl was lying in Xander's lap while the redhead sat behind him. They all looked so happy and carefree. Elisa gently touched Xander's image. "He has a beautiful smile," she thought as she placed the picture back where it belonged. The second picture caused the smile to fall from her face. Xander was sitting with a girl (girlfriend?) in his lap. The girl, a pretty brunette, was smiling and holding onto Xander's arms possessively. She looked very happy. Xander, on the other hand, looked like he was trying to force a grin that just wouldn't come. So he wore a straight face. Elisa turned away from the photo and stood up. "He must not be very happy with her," she decided. "Xander didn't mention her once last night. I wonder if they are still together?"
Shrugging off the unpleasant thoughts, Elisa moved towards the door. Entering the next room, Elisa was greeted by the smell of frying bacon. She stood quietly and watched Xander as he moved efficiently about the kitchen. She couldn't help but smile when she realized he was dancing as he cooked.
Xander was so engrossed in his current activities, he didn't notice the Slayer as she entered the room. He hummed along with the radio that was playing quietly on the counter. The bacon sizzled and Xander turned off the heat. Grabbing the bowl next to the stove, he placed the bacon in it. "Ouch!" he muttered as some grease landed on his bare skin. Picking up the bowl, he spun around. Elisa stood on the other side of the counter, looking amused. Startled, Xander struggled to keep from dropping the bowl. Recovering from possible embarrassment, he flashed his trademark grin.
"Hungry?" he asked his guest, motioning toward the table.
Elisa followed his gaze. "Holy cow!" she exclaimed. The table was piled high with all sorts of food. There was ham, pancakes, biscuits and gravy, sausage, three types of eggs, bread, and more. Elisa's mouth began to water. "Everything looks so delicious, but I couldn't possibly…"
"Uh-uh. No negative thoughts at this table," Xander interrupted. He set the bacon on the table and held out a chair for Elisa. She smiled and accepted the seat. Xander sat across from her and picked up the nearest plate of food. "Dig in!"
Elisa started loading down her plate with the extravagant smorgasbord. Once she couldn't add anything more to her already overflowing plate, she began to eat. "Oh my god, this is delicious!" Elisa moaned around a mouthful of biscuits and gravy.
Xander smiled proudly, "Well, I hate to brag…" he said, setting down his slice of toast. His smile grew wider. "Who am I kidding? I love to brag. This food is damn good."
Elisa began to laugh, struggling to swallow the food in her mouth. This guy was something else.
The meal went on and the two new friends traded stories of their pasts. Elisa told Xander about William and how things were after her parents died. Anytime Xander noticed the Slayer begin to frown, he would jump in with his stories, often about his failure in finding love. Elisa's sides hurt from laughing so hard. Xander was a brilliant storyteller. He used his hands, facial expressions, and body to bring meaning and understanding to his words. The tone of his voice was deceiving, though. Xander enjoyed watching Elisa's face as she listened to him. She really listened to him. He liked to toy with her, though. He would lower his voice when telling a serious story. Elisa would become enraptured with the sound of his voice and then, out of nowhere, he would toss in a comment to make her laugh. Elisa quickly learned never to trust Xander's tone of voice when he told a story, but it felt good to laugh. Soon enough, thoughts of William and why she was there fell away. Nothing existed for her except for her company and his stories.
Giggling, Elisa pushed herself away from the table. "I can't eat any more," she groaned. Standing up slowly, she began to clear away the empty platters. She couldn't believe how much they had eaten. All that remained of their meal were crumbs. Elisa's stomach felt fuller than it had in a long time. But she was content for the moment.
As Elisa reached for another bowl, Xander grabbed her arm. "Hey, you're my guest. Why don't you take a shower while I clean up?" he grinned.
Elisa raised her eyebrows, "And what do you suppose I wear? It's not like I packed a bag for this little time travel trip of mine."
Xander thought about it for a moment. "I got it!" he exclaimed as he took off into the bedroom. He returned moments later with a pair of jeans and a skimpy top. Both items obviously belonged to a female.
At Elisa's questioning glance, Xander blushed. "They're um…that is…they belong to Buffy." Elisa looked doubtful. "Yeah, she left her bag here the other night after patrolling," he rushed to explain.
Elisa accepted his explanation and headed toward the bathroom. Once Xander heard the familiar sound of running water, he began to clean up the mess in the kitchen. As he loaded the dishwasher, he picked up the cordless phone. He swiftly dialed the number and waited impatiently for someone to pick up.
"G-man!" Xander exclaimed when he heard the familiar British voice. "Yeah, I know. Never call you that again." Xander rolled his eyes. "So, have you figured out why we suddenly have a new Slayer in town?. . . I called in sick. . . I know, but I didn't want to leave her just yet. . .Okay, we'll be in soon."
"Where will we be?" Xander dropped the phone and turned around. His breath caught as he saw the source of the interruption. Elisa stood in the doorway, wearing the clothes he had chosen for her. The jeans accentuated her slim figure while the top showed off her gentle curves. Elisa squirmed under Xander's stare. She looked uncomfortable in the strange clothing.
"Wow! You look amazing," Xander whispered. Elisa glanced at him uncertainly. The blue of her eyes was brilliant, brought out even more by the blue shade of her shirt. She looked absolutely beautiful.
"Really?" Elisa asked. She wasn't used to having so much of a guy's attention focused on her, excluding her watcher.
"Really," Xander assured her. He crossed the room and took her hands. "You look exquisite. Everyone will think so."
Elisa smiled shyly and swatted him away. "Your turn," she told him. "You smell, so get in the shower!" Xander stuck his tongue out at the Slayer and hurried towards the bathroom.
Elisa smiled to herself and made her way to the couch. Sitting down, she picked up the small box with multiple buttons. Pushing one, the larger box in front of her turned on. Fascinated, Elisa watched the moving pictures. She pushed more buttons, determining their purpose. Laughing in delight, she settled down to watch the soap opera currently on the screen.
When Xander emerged from the room a few minutes later, he found the Slayer curled up on the couch. Noticing the show she was watching, Xander rolled his eyes. "What is with this family and Passions?" he muttered. Xander cleared his throat, catching the attention of his guest.
Elisa turned around and smiled. "Look!" she told the boy, "Timmy is stuck on an island and he can't get off!" Xander smiled at her wide-eyed wonder. She had so much to learn, but he would help her.
"Okay, we have to go to the magic shop now to meet with the gang," Xander walked over and turned off the television.
"But," Elisa protested.
"No buts," Xander insisted as he ushered her out the door. "We're going Alice. More of Wonderland for you to see."
Elisa grinned at him, "I actually know that story," she said. She skipped off down the hallway. Xander just shook his head and smiled.