TITLE: BUFFY'S TURN: 11\ ?

AUTHOR: RICK

E-MAIL: amulet@my-dejanews.com

DISCLAIMER: ALL THE BUFFY CHARACTERS BELONG TO JOSS WHEDON AND OTHERS.

SUMMARY: THEY'RE STILL DRIVING EACH OTHER CRAZY. A CERTAIN BLONDE HEADED VAMP MAKES AN APPEARANCE IN THIS CHAPTER IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ROLE THAN SHE HAS ON ANGEL AT PRESENT.



CHAPTER: 10- NOW, THEY'RE BOTH MAD.

Xander is about as mixed up as he can get. He hasn't a clue of Buffy's romantic feelings for him. Right now he is just angry at her. Xander has started to do something with his free time. He dresses in the outfit of a ninja complete with face covering. Then he goes hunting the undead. He is not really suppose to show off his new fighting prowess, even in front of Buffy. She is not fully back into the fold. But he still has the instincts to try to help and protect the slayer. She has been patrolling alone and Xander hates it. So he dons this disguise and aids her without her knowing it. Until tonight that is.

Buffy walks alone to the cemetery. she is thinking about Xander of course. He is so angry with her but every body can still see that he still loves her even Oz. Of course he is not going to admit it now...or maybe ever. Then the slayer thinks of what she did to him, the way she tried to beat him then come on to him. She can still see the shock and the sadness in his eyes when she did it. The thought is enough for her to give up her supper. As she is bent over in discomfort the thought enters her mind. She verbalizes it.

"Great timing...if any of you vamps out there are watching here's your chance!"

The way she feels now maybe it would be for the better.

She doesn't have to wait long to find some evil booty to take out her frustrations. She is attacked by three in succession. Then two more. By the time she looks up she is surrounded, and they are not fresh out of the grave vamps either. These suckers have had some training. She is in very deep shit!

Xander is watching. He doesn't care if Buffy sees him or not. She is in trouble plain and simple.

The slayer doesn't notice him right away as he start beheading them one at a time. But, before long she and the mystery ninja are side by side. The vamps go down hard but they do go down. When the path is clear she collapses against a head stone. Xander leans on a stone about 50 feet away trying to catch his breath. Buffy looks up at him.

"I don't know who you are but you have my vote for person of the year."

Ninja Xander doesn't say anything. Buffy continues to stare. Something about him is very familiar.

"You're not going to tell me who you are, huh?"

Ninja Xander walks over to her in the dark. He takes one of her hands and kisses it.

"Zorro?"

Ninja Xander playfully outlines a "Z" on one of the head stones. They both laugh as Xander scurries away. Buffy just shakes her head.

"Only on Hellmouth!"

Despite her awful night Buffy actually has a bounce in her step. Her pitiful life was saved by a mystery man. A romantic, polite mystery man with a very familiar presence.

Xander takes his costume off and puts it into his bag. He has the distinct feeling that someone is following him. At one point he just stops and tuns around. He speaks into the darkness.

"Okay, I know you're not going to attack me or you would have done it by now. I'll give you a chance to show yourself before I start hunting you."

Out of the shadows comes this very attractive blonde haired...vampire? Xander has learned to sense vampires from far away. She approaches him.

"What can I do for you?"

"You're a very good fighter now aren't you, Xander?"

"Okay, you know me. And you look very familiar to me also."

"I'm Darla, do you remember me?"

"But of course. You're one of the family of our favorite Angel, Spike, Drusilla clan."

"Close enough."

"Look, Darla, I'm sorry but tell me what you want. You saw the fight I just had. I'm sort of tired."

She comes to him. He doesn't protest.

"You're bleeding in about five different places, Xander."

"Another reason I want to get home."

"Can I come with you?"

Xander has to laugh. "Darla, what are you doing here?"

"Look, Xander, I don't know where to go, okay? I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."

Xander stares at her for a minute. "You're telling the truth aren't you?"

Darla just looks at him sadness in her eyes. "You can come."

"Really, Xander? I knew you were a compassionate person. I'll treat your wounds for you."

They start to walk to Xander's house.

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Buffy decides she has to see Xander. She knows it's late but she has to see him. She walks toward his house. As she is approaching his block she spots him and a blonde haired woman walking hand in hand. Anger and jealousy wells up inside her. She is about to storm away from his house but she senses something. His partner is not quite human. With Xander's track record of attraction to other than human women she decides to follow the duo. She becomes quite alarmed when she hears Xander invite the unknown woman into his house.

"You stupid idiot!"

Inside, Xander removes his shirt and Darla begins to pat his wounds with a cloth. Her hand brushes a sensitive part of Xander's rib. He lets out with a slight giggle.

"Little problem there, Xander?"

Buffy frantically plans her way in to his place. She can only think of one. She busts right into his living room window, shattering it into a hundred pieces.

Xander's survival instincts take over. He reaches for the knife he has in his boot. He dives toward the intruder pinning her and holding the knife at throat level. Buffy has barely recovered from the crash when she feels this sharp object brandished about her neck. She looks up realizing she would be a dead duck if this weren't...Xander!!

"Buffy, what the hell are you doing?"

"Xander, that woman, she's not...."

She knocks him off and goes toward Darla.

"Buffy, I know. It's Darla. You remember her, right?"

"Yea, I remember her. Xander, what the hell are you doing?"

"It's okay, Buffy. She's a friend now."

Buffy is enraged. She goes up to the vampire. "Queenie if you harm one hair on his head I'll hunt you like the dog you are!"

Darla just stares. Buffy turns back around to Xander, noticing two things. His shirt was off. And he has gotten considerably more muscular than she remembers. She addresses the first issue.

"Xander, what the hell were you about to do. You are out of control do you know it?"

"Buffy, will you please calm down?"

"No I won't. What are you, Xander. I'm suppose to be the wild one remember? What do you do, sleep with a different woman every night, human or not?"

"Look, I'm not going to sleep with Darla. She was just..."

"I don't want to hear it. I'm going to Giles with this, Xander."

"The difference between you and I slayer is that I don't run from my job. I show up for work every day."

"Yea, and while we're at it. What is your job, Xander, huh?"

Buffy runs out crying. She can't believe it. She feel in love with Xander but maybe it's too late. He use to love her and only her. If she would have played the least attention to him he would have rushed to her. But now he's outrageous. But, God does she love him.

Buffy goes to Giles. She thinks they need to confront Xander. They have a meeting. Willow, Oz, Tara, Inez, Giles and The slayer. Xander comes in. Giles addresses him.

"Xander, will you please tell us what you were doing last night?"

The boy looks at Giles incredulously.

He looks at Buffy before answering. "Is this a joke, Giles?"

"Xander, Buffy seems to think..." The slayer interrupts him.

"I think Xander is out of control. He was making it with a vampire last night! And not just any vampire. It was Darla."

Giles looks at Xander. "You were sleeping with Darla, Xander?"

Xander is pissed. "First of all I wasn't sleeping with her. And second am I crazy or did our resident slayer not go with a vampire for three years and what about Spike?"

Buffy goes toe to toe with him. "I never slept with Spike and Angel was different and you know it!"

"Hey, are you going to pay for my window? You busted it, princess!"

"Yea, that will happen."

"Giles, the slayer broke my window. Is there a fund to pay for things when slayers go berserk?"

Buffy is enraged. "I broke the window to try to rescue you, you stupid jerk!"

"You broke the window because you saw me having a good time. I'm not following you around with my tongue hanging out."

"You bastard!" Buffy reaches for Xander. She pulls one of the buttons off his shirt.

"Hey, you knocked my button off. Giles who's the company seamstress?"

Buffy turns to Giles. "And who is he now, Giles? Last I knew he was Xander Lavelle Harris. The Xander Lavelle Harris I knew couldn't intercept me as I came crashing through his window, throw me on the ground and have a knife ready to cut my throat even before I could catch my next breath. How is that possible, Giles?"

Giles gets very serious. "Buffy, we are not permitted to discuss it. If a decision is made in the future to include you in such knowledge then I will be happy to discuss it with you. Until then you will refrain from speaking about it."

Buffy is still angry. She looks at Xander. "Stay away from me Xander. I'll patrol by myself."

This gets Xander's attention. "Don't let your slayer temper make you stupid."

Buffy is glad for the emotional advantage. "I don't want you anywhere near me."

"Giles, she almost got killed last night. She can't patrol alone."

This takes Buffy by surprise. "How did you know that, Xander?"

"Know what?"

"That I almost got killed last night. I didn't tell any body."

He tries to cover up. "Word gets around slayer."

She doesn't pursue it. "I'm patrolling by myself!"

She goes to leave but Xander stops her.

"Don't be a brat slayer. I'll meet you outside your house."

"No, you won't."

"I'll be there slayer!"

"If you show up at my house I'll call the cops."

Buffy storms away but Xander follows her. Inez shakes her head and looks at Giles.

"Have you ever seen two people more in love?" Giles just furrows his brow preferring not to think about it.

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