Sunday Morning

Light shone through the edges of the tent flap, and Xander woke
up and poked his head out. Cordelia stirred next to him.

"What is it?"

"Dawn."

"Oh." Cordelia crawled next to him and looked out too. "Did you
ever have nightmares about not being able to see this anymore?"

"Getting vamped? All the time. You? You okay?"

"Nah. My nightmares are about getting eaten or just getting
killed. But, that's nice to look at."

He kissed her. "So are you."

"Well, I feel grimy, and--ick--morning breath. I need a bath, and
so do you, X-boy."

"As long as I get to shampoo your hair."

"Ooh, I wasn't expecting that. You just want to look at my
breasts, right?"

"Not just that. I love your hair."

"You're a romantic fool. I love you for that."

Xander smiled and kissed her again.

"Look, let's stay here for another hour, get dressed, get
breakfast, drive a little more, and get a motel room. We can
afford one night, can't we? Besides, I have my surprise."

"I guess so, but I can't take you anywhere expensive."

"You don't have to. That's not why we're here."

---

"Hacker girl strikes again."

"W-what?" Oz stirred from Willow's bed and stood behind Willow at
her computer.

"Oh, our hospital has Sunnydale-level computer security. Not
much."

"Good, but why are you? Faith."

"Right. I want to know what's going on. If the police
investigate--here's her EEG."

"Looks fuzzy."

"OK. New browser window--get an electronic textbook
up. There. Diffuse brain damage. Probably won't wake up. I don't
know whether to be happy or sad."

"What a waste. At least she won't be bothering Buffy or you
again. The wages of sin."

"Yeah."

"Will, I was thinking. Keep tabs on her, won't you?"

"Okay. Why?"

"She's a Slayer still. She has some special healing powers."

"You think she'll come back? Faithy Krueger the evil Slayer?"

"Don't know. But it worries me. But also--"

"Out with it, Oz. Come on."

"Some other time, Will. Just keep tabs on her; we need to know
where she ends up." Oz thought, "Because she's Buffy's retirement
plan. When she dies--no, that's Evil." "Come back to bed."

"Okay. Let me just raid the police department and make sure they
aren't going after Buff."

---

"Tasted like cafeteria food."

"No rat poison, though."

"Oh, right. Could be worse."

"Look, I want to call Willow." Cordelia looked a little
shocked. "No, I just don't want anyone to think we're running
away."

"Like Buffy did."

"Right." Xander called Willow's number from a pay phone,
grumbling about the cost.

"Hello?"

"Willow, hi!"

"Xander. What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I--we are taking a little
road trip. Didn't want you to think we were bailing on you."

"'We?' You and Cordelia?"

"Yes, me and Cordelia." "Hi!"

"Good. You deserve it."

Xander heard a snoring noise from the phone line.

"Willow, is there a wolf in your bed?"

"That there is. We've been, er, busy."

"Have fun, kiddo. We'll be back in a few days."

---

Joyce and Buffy awakened around 10:30, took short showers, and
went downstairs. Giles had breakfast prepared already, and they
sat down to eat.

"I was thinking: after an event like that, the Hellmouth should
be quiet for a few weeks. It would be reasonable for you to leave
town for a bit; anyway, I don't want you to patrol until you're
fully healed. In fact--"

"Yes?"

"I feel as though I need to leave this town for a while too, and
I would be honoured if I could persuade the two of you to
accompany me on a vacation."

"Giles, I'd be delighted. Mom?"

"Well, I wanted to see more of San Francisco, and I'd even be
able to enjoy it this time. Let's. I'd want to be back to work
Monday."

"Well, it doesn't matter when I get back, but a Sunday return
should be fine. We should wait until tomorrow--I wouldn't trust
my driving today. Would ten be acceptable? Besides, Buffy
probably wants to see her friends. Buffy, you're going to the
Bronze tonight, right?"

"I guess. Thanks."

"Ten is fine."

They finished their breakfast, and Giles walked them to the
door. Buffy hugged Giles and stepped out.

"No Ripper stuff, okay?"

"None." Giles kissed Joyce's cheek and Joyce walked out.

"Mom?"

"I'm fine."

"Not embarrassed, are you?"

"Well, a little."

"I still have a chocolate bar from--"

Joyce Summers walked into a tree.

---

"Beach, Cordy?" They passed a roadside sign.

"Yawn. Beach. Good idea. After all, we don't have anywhere
specific to go."

"Just any place not-Sunnydale."

They drove to the beach entrance, changed in the smelly
bathrooms, and walked out. Cordelia whistled at Xander in his
Speedo, while Xander sighed at seeing Cordy's yellow one-piece
outfit. He turned away in embarrassment.

Cordelia came up behind him and hugged him.

"I'm sorry, Cordy."

"Don't blame yourself. Too much, that is."

Xander sagged a little, and then Cordelia pinched his rear.

"Aah. Two can play at that."

"Sure. You don't have the guts."

They walked down the beach and set up a blanket; each applied
lotion to the other, and they relaxed hand-in-hand. The beach
filled up as the morning went on, and soon they were
surrounded. Xander looked at the couple on their left.

"Cordy, I think we went to the wrong beach."

"Huh."

Xander motioned to the couple next to them. Xander may have been
wearing a skimpy bathing suit, but the couple next to them wore
nothing.

"Oh."

"Shall we go, Cordy?"

Cordy sat up and hugged her knees. Xander glanced at the couple.

"Nah. I'm not worried. Don't stare, though."

Xander turned over onto his stomach and cradled his head in his
hands. Cordelia kept glancing at the couple. The man and the
woman both looked to be in their mid-twenties, average in looks,
and both were about ten pounds overweight. They looked
comfortable in their own skins, though. They were quite relaxed.

After a few minutes, the woman turned and saw Cordelia.
"Nervous?"

"Yeah," Cordy admitted.

"Don't be. This is a clothing-optional beach. Nobody will say
boo."

"Thanks." Xander just stared at the sand. Meanwhile, Cordy
noticed a very large scar on the woman's abdomen. The woman saw
Cordy's stare: "Cancer surgery. It's okay; I'm fine now."

"Good."

A few minutes later, Cordelia came to a decision: "Xander, except
at me."

"W-what?"

"Don't stare, except at me." Cordelia undid the straps of her
bathing suit and pulled them off.

Xander turned over and saw her naked back. "Cor?" He would have
said something snippier, but he then saw the ugly scar on
Cordelia's back. He knew that it took a bit of courage for
Cordelia to expose herself that way, and the words died in his
throat. He leaned over and kissed the mark on Cordelia's back.
"Lotion?"

"Yes, thanks."

A few minutes later, Cordy asked, "Hey, what about you?"

"Er, er, you don't mind?"

"Don't be silly."

"All right." Xander doffed his trunks. "I feel weird."

"It's okay. Hey, it's kind of nice. I'm just glad it's not a gay
nude beach, though."

The woman on the next blanket called out to them: "Oh, that's a
half-mile south."

Xander fell onto his back and stared at the sky.

"You're really cute when you blush."

"Come here." He kissed her, and then gave her bottom a pinch.

---

"How are you feeling, hon?"

"A little weird, Mom."

"Angel."

"Angel. I mean, I save his life--he almost kills me, and I lose
him. I know, I know. I still feel angry. Save the world--get a
big whoosh."

"At least he left because he loves you. He knew he couldn't stay
with you. What could you have together? No marriage." "Certainly
no sex. Thank God for that," Joyce added in her thoughts.

"So, I'm not logical. I can't deal logically."

"Besides, he still loves you. Not like your Dad and me."

"I'm sorry, Mom."

---

"Whoo. Had your fill yet?"

"Temporarily, Willow. You want to come over to my place tonight?"

"Yeah. You were right at Christmas, you know. I don't feel
guilty."

"Well, we didn't have to wait this long."

Willow threw a pillow at Oz. "Your choice, Oz. Let's have
brunch."

"Let's. I could eat a sheep."

---

"Wheee! This is great, Xander."

Xander swam to Cordelia. "Yeah. I wasn't sure about this, but I
like seeing you happy."

"Besides, you like staring at the other women."

"I do not stare."

"OK, you peek."

"Well, okay. I peek. Don't think I didn't see you checking out
the guys."

"Yeah, right. I'm not interested in any of them."

"I can't wait for you to prove it."

Cordelia stood up and stared at Xander; Xander stared at her
breasts. A Frisbee hit Xander in the back of the head.

"You see, Xander?"

"That I do."

Cordelia pointed over Xander's shoulder. "Throw the Frisbee back
to the man over there, willya?"

"Throw. Right." He did. Xander caressed Cordelia under the
water. "Let's get out of here."

"Let's." They hurried back to their blanket, packed up, and left.

---

"I wonder how the rest of your friends are doing, dear."

"I'm sure they're fine, Mom." "Besides," Buffy thought, "If I
interrupt Willow today, she might stake me with a pencil." "I'm
sure I'll see them tonight. I'm going to do the Cordy
thing--bubble bath, the works."

"Fine, dear. Don't fall asleep in the tub."

"Not likely." Buffy went upstairs.

"Oh, no. Buffy, me, and Giles together, for a week? Perhaps I
should cancel. No, Buffy wouldn't understand. Or she would. I'm a
fool."

---

"Why did I offer that? I may have been drugged when we were
together, but I still genuinely like her. Like? Any more than
that? I guess I'll find out. I feel ill."

---

"Practice, Oz?"

"Yeah. And if Devon makes any comments about you, I'm going to
hit him in the head with this guitar."

"Is that a promise? Use your electric guitar instead. It's more
solid. See you at the Bronze afterwards. I wonder how Buffy is
doing."

"Call her."

"Yeah. Love you."

"Love you. Thanks." They kissed, and he drove off.

---

"Well, we can only afford one night here, and one more camping
out, if you want."

"I want."

Xander moved to the bed and bounced on it a bit.

Cordy laughed: "You goof. Not yet; why don't you shower. You're
all sweaty. Looks good, but...."

"Right, Cordy."

Xander took a hurried shower, dried off, and barged out of the
bathroom, only to be nearly knocked flat by Cordelia and her
garment bag. "Back soon." Xander went back to the bed and bounced
a bit, and then he lay back and started to doze.

---

"Buffy! Will's on the phone."

"One minute!" Buffy pulled herself out of the tub, took a moment
to pat some of the water from her body, put on her robe, and went
to her room to pick up the phone.

"Will. Hi!"

"Interrupting much?"

"Nah. Just trying to soak the aches out. You know any masseuses?"

"Sorry, Buff. Oz is--pretty good. But I'm not lending him to
you."

"I could tell. When?"

"Just before you called about Faith poisoning Angel. I don't
want to say that your timing sucked, but Faith's certainly did."

Buffy giggled. "Out with it, girlfriend. How was it?"

"'It'? 'It' is the third person singular subjective pronoun. 'It'
implies uniqueness. One and only one time. That does not apply
here."

"Thank you, Giles."

Willow hesitated. "Oh, that was insensitive of me: I mean, you
and An--oh, just hang up if I get you angry, please?"

"Willow, no! He's gone, but I can't let you and the rest not have
a life just because of my problems." Buffy paused. "Besides, you
hung on every word of my romantic descriptions; I'd might as well
do the same for you."

"Oh. Well...." Buffy knew that Willow's fantasy life was much
more interesting than her daily life was. When they first met,
Willow seemed afraid of her own shadow. Just a few conversations
at the Bronze while Xander wasn't around had let Buffy know that
Willow had desires, and had great knowledge, but did not have the
confidence to develop a romance. When it finally worked out for
Willow, Buffy had imagined that she'd set off fire sprinklers
wherever she went.

"Well, the first time--" Willow drifted off for a moment. "We
couldn't find any way to stop Wilkins, and I was beginning to get
that caffeiney-nervous feeling. I looked at Oz, all cool and
collected, and I felt like I was going to snap. Then he kissed
me, and suddenly we knew. Knew exactly what we were going to do,
knew it was right, knew it was time, no hesitations. Our own
private graduation, since our diplomas weren't going to be worth
the paper they were printed upon."

"Hey! Giles found mine."

"You know, when he touches me, I just melt. And when I touch him,
and I see that little shake he gives, I could almost cry. And
that night? I mean, I knew he'd done it before, but not for a
long time, and not with anyone he really cared about. A teenaged
boy thing, back when any of us were normal teenagers. But to see
him, all shields lowered, all barriers down, and to know I was
making him that way, I was awed."

"I didn't know you were such a poet, Will."

"I didn't either. But--it wasn't what it should have been. I
mean, we didn't know if we were going to be alive 24 hours
later. And Oz, well, he was too gentle. I could have stood for it
to be a little more abandoned. I know, condoms, and love
bites--not the thing. But he acted as though I were made of
glass. I'm not!"

"It's a mistake anyone can make, Will."

"And the second time, in the van."

"What?"

"In the van, just before graduation."

"Will! That's why you were nearly late?"

"Uh-huh. Well, we were both a little panicky. Well, I was. Oz
never quite panicked. But, we were too fast, and we really didn't
concentrate on each other. It was more a 'last chance before we
die' thing. But last night--Whee!"

Buffy was right.

"...And then, Xander had given me that great idea. I had better
not thank him, wouldn't you say? I mean, when Oz kissed me down
there, I thought I'd break in two. I mean, fireworks! Cliche, I
know, but--wow! And, he didn't stop; the third time around I was
howling the way he did last full moon. Gee, I'm glad my Mom is so
clueless."

"You did it when your Mom might notice? Uh, Willow, I'd be scared
out of my mind."

"Well, you're brave about vamps, but you're not brave about
everything, you know. I mean, perhaps you'll learn some lessons
from me sometime."

"So, details, details. I mean, Angel and I went from foreplay,
to, well, it. Nothing in between. Then, he went away for a
while. Then, just kissing, but no further--or else! I'm happy for
you two. Hey, it's normal. Comforting."

"Buff, Oz and I are hardly normal."

"You're the most normal people I know."

"That really scares me, Buff."

"So?"

"Well, then I returned the favor. You know, it felt peculiar at
first, but I really got into it. Jo--you don't know her, but
she's one of my chatroom buddies--told me she likes doing that to
her boyfriend; she likes making him squirm, and she has this
feeling of power. Not like you going staking, but I felt it
too. And, I liked the Ozzy taste."

"Whew. Willow, perhaps I should take a cold shower now."

"Shower. Umm."

"Willow."

"Well, he smelled like me--I had to do something. It would have
worked out better if we didn't have to break in the middle so he
could get--dressed. And then, the hot water ran out. I think
I've turned into a slut."

"No, you're just enjoying Oz. Good for you. But, I wouldn't
babble to everyone I met about this. Especially Xander."

"Well, you did ask. And, I'm not going to hide what Oz and I feel
for each other."

"No reason you should. But, some people might get angry."

"Screw 'em. There, I said it. Screw 'em. Mom can burn at the
stake for all I care."

"Willow, have you been drinking coffee?"

"Buffy, I know better than that. So, going to meet Oz and me at
the Bronze tonight?"

"Hey, if they're open, I'm there. I'm under orders not to patrol
for a while; Giles put me on the DL for a couple of
weeks. Besides, the vamps are probably taking long vacations
right now."

"If he says so. Last year--sorry--it took about three weeks for
activity to pick up. This year, I'd guess five."

"So, it'll be me, you, Oz--how's Xander?"

"Oh, he called this morning. He and Cordelia are on a road
trip. He'll be back in a few days--they didn't want us to worry."

"Xander and Cordelia, back together. I thought she and
Wesley--nah, that couldn't work. Xander and Cordelia--still can't
figure that one out."

"Me neither. But, I can't say boo about it. I mean, that's the
weirdest relationship in Sunnydale history."

"Even?"

"Even."

"Oh, let's talk a weirder one; Giles invited Mom and me on a
vacation trip too. We'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Peculiar. What if Ripper shows up?"

"Then, I knock him out, put him in the trunk, and drive us
home. And, no one particularly wants me to drive."

"I know. I've seen you."

"So, Ripper will have to stay away. Look, I'm going to get
dressed, veg out with Mom for a bit. See you at 8."

"When will you be back?"

"Sunday evening. I'll keep in touch."

"Bye, Buff. See you later."

---

"Hey, you aren't supposed to fall asleep until after we do it."

"What? Sorry, Cordy."

Cordelia opened the bathroom door and strolled out.

"You look--wonderful." Cordy did; she was wearing her prom dress
again.

"Just for you. Come on--hold me." They embraced and swayed for a
bit. "I mean, you bought this for me; I'd like you to have the
chance to take it off."

---

"Two hotel rooms. Definitely two."

---

"Buffy, do you want to watch a video?"

"Fine, Mom. Nothing romantic, though."

"OK. Casablanca's out. What about Dracula?"

"You are a sicko. You didn't steal my chocolate bar, did you?"

"Who's the sick one today?"

"What about 'Roger Rabbit'?"

"Mindless. Fine. I'll make the popcorn."

---

"Why Faith?"

"Why Wesley?"

"You first."

"Hell of a romantic moment. She asked. She was a bit hard to say
no to. And, since I had made myself the outcast of outcasts among
the rest of you, I didn't have a reason to say no, did I?"

"But you never asked me. Why didn't you ask me?"

"Why? Because I thought that if I had asked, you'd have come to
your senses about me. You'd have have said, 'Xander, you freak!'
and tossed me away."

"Well, you should have asked anyway."

"You'd have said 'Yes'?"

"Maybe. I don't know. You're not very self-confident, are you?"

"No, and you know why."

"But, Faith. That's really beyond creepy. And, I could have been
your first, instead of that whacko."

"It was a bad night for us all. I promise that I didn't learn
anything. Now, Wesley?"

"Well, he looks good in a suit. A fantasy, I guess. He could
take me far away from here. Besides, none of you liked him, and
that turned me on. But--"

"But what?"

"But, he's a lousy kisser. He doesn't put any of himself into
it. You did, you goof. You don't do anything half-hearted."

"And, how many times did you kiss him?"

"Just once--couple of days ago. And then the thought of doing
anything more with him just left me cold."

"Thus me. Came to your senses at last."

"Hey--you danced with Anya. I guess you came to your senses too."

"Yeah. Dinner?"

"OK. Shall I show off my dress?"