Title: Of Magic and Machinations (10/?)
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X… more and more with each section.
Description: Xander is back in a different body, hoping to switch with Angel who is still in Xander's body. Buffy and Xander are together, struggling to make sense of all the changes life has thrown their way. Giles has begun to see beyond all the "coincidences," and Angel appears to be playing both sides of the fence.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a video tape of Starblazers Vol. 1, and a some of SMG's toenail clippings. Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all things Buffy related. I just use them to make my world a little brighter.
"Hey," Xander said quietly as Angel stepped into the Magic Box.
"Are you gonna punch me again?" Angel asked. "Because you'd only be hurting yourself. Especially if you want your body back."
"Of course he wants it back," Willow said coldly. "It doesn't belong to you."
Angel looked at Buffy who stood behind Xander. She wouldn't meet his gaze. "You have some plan to switch us?"
"There's a spell," Willow said. "It'll switch you both. It's similar to the one we used on Faith and Buffy."
Angel stepped toward Buffy, but Xander didn't budge. "Is this what you want, Buffy?"
The Slayer looked at him with anger burning in her eyes. "I want my husband back." She put her arms around Xander. "And when I say husband, I mean the man I REALLY married that day… the man I love."
Angel's features softened. He looked at her with Xander's chocolate brown eyes and smiled his lopsided grin. "That was me, baby."
Xander's fist tightened as he drew it back to swing. Before he could let it fly, however, another fist caught Angel across the chin. Everyone was startled to see it was Oz who threw the punch.
"Sorry, guys," he said quietly. "Just figured it would be better for all involved if I hit him for you. Plus… it was actually fun."
Xander smiled at him and nodded. Angel shook off the punch and glared at them all.
"So this is how it is?" he asked.
"I want my body," Xander said.
"And I want you the hell away from me," Buffy added.
"But Dawn…"
"No!" Buffy screamed. "Don't you dare…"
"Buffy," Xander interrupted, "hold up."
She looked at him puzzled.
Xander shook his head. "I hate Angel for what he's done. Hell, I hated him way before anyone else did. But…"
"But what?" Buffy asked.
"He's Dawn's father, Buffy. It's not fair to Dawn to just casually remove him from her life because WE can't stand him."
"What? You're her father. It may have been his soul, but biologically she's your child."
"And I want her to be mine. I want to be her dad and be as big a part of her life as I can, but not at her expense. Not without her having the option of knowing her father."
"This is amazing," Buffy said sarcastically as tears ran down her face. "You hate him, but you want to keep him around?"
"For Dawn. Only for her sake."
"What about me?" Buffy asked. "You think I want to have to see him? You think I want to consider him a part of the family?"
"No. But I DO think you want to do what's right for Dawn. And I think that if you would take some time to think about it, you'd realize the right course of action here. Look… you're Dawn's mom. You decide. I'll stand by whatever decision you make. But… I honestly don't think it's right for her not to have the option of knowing her father."
Buffy said nothing. She sat down and put her face in her hands. No one else dared to say another word.
"This is not good at all," Giles mumbled, placing the text he was reading back into its home on the bookshelf. He was in the library of the Watchers Council. He was tired and disheveled from his long flight. He was also very disturbed. "Marcus?"
The slender young African-American approached silently. He had been a Watcher only a short time, yet Giles had left him in charge while he was in Sunnydale. "Yes, Rupert?"
"Has the girl been contacted yet?"
"No. Mr. Danvers is on his way to her now. Is there a problem?"
"Yes. I fear there is. Contact Danvers. The girl is not to be brought to Sunnydale. Not yet, anyway. He is to get her to one of our safe-houses and keep her there until I contact him."
"It will be difficult to reach him. He called from Tai Pei last evening…"
"I don't care," Giles snapped. "There are things at work here that do not bode well for Buffy. I wanted Sarah contacted as soon as humanly possible. Are we clear?"
"Of course."
"And Marcus?"
"Yes, Rupert?"
"I want to involve no one but you and Mr. Danvers in this. Understood?"
"O-of course."
"I will explain everything in due time, Marcus. For now, I simply ask that you trust me."
"I don't trust him," Willow said. She and Buffy had gone to the back room, Buffy's training room, to talk. "Xander doesn't either."
"Then why with the crazy?" Buffy asked. "Angel has done nothing but hurt us. Why would he want him to stay around?"
"Because he IS your daughter's father," Willow said. "And you're running from the truth."
"You too, huh? That's just great."
"Buffy this is serious. Angel may be a jerk, but he's not evil… not now, anyway. He deserves a lot of bad, bad things, but not to be shut out of his daughter's life. If you don't care that it's unfair to him, at least care that it isn't fair to Dawn."
Buffy looked her friend in the eyes. "I hate it when you're right."
"I know," Willow said with a nod. "Luckily it doesn't happen very often."
Buffy smiled. "I think… that my problem goes deeper than what's bubbling at the surface."
"You think?" Xander asked, stepping into the room. "Will, could you give us a second?"
"Sure," Willow said, piloting her motorized wheelchair back to the front of the store.
"You're hurt because you love him," Xander said matter-of-factly, taking a seat next to Buffy. Buffy looked shocked at the statement, but before she could deny it, Xander continued. "I'm not saying you're IN love with him. I meant… you love him, like you love Will and Oz… like you love G-man… only deeper because of what you guys went through together. He lied to you, and it's tearing up your insides. The problem is that you try not to let anyone know that… including yourself. You shove it way down and fight to keep it from coming back up. It's poisoning you Buffy."
He took her hand and kissed it gently. "When I was a kid, my dad was fooling around with some woman at work. He and mom were having trouble, but he eventually came clean and tried to work things out with Mom. Mom acted like all was forgiven, but… for years she was bitter and spiteful. It was hell living with them. I always knew there was no excuse for what my dad had done, but my mom… she was the one who really made it hell. If she would have been honest from the start, she could've dealt and moved on, even if it meant leaving dad. Instead, she internalized everything. I don't think she was ever happy again."
"Nice story," Buffy said quietly. "Don't you know any about fluffy kittens?"
Xander just maintained eye contact. He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.
Buffy looked away. "Maybe you're right."
"No maybes," Xander said with a smile. "I'm always right."
"Two words for you," Buffy said. "Robot. Double."
His smile faltered a little. "Okay, so it turned out to be Toth. That was the loser me. Suave me still has a great track record." He took her hand. "Just take some time. Think about this. Then… whatever you decide, I'll stand with you."
"Okay," she said. "I guess once we evict him from your body, he'll be a little easier to put up with."
"That's my girl," he said. "Um, you are my girl… right?"
She looked like she was a million miles away. Then her eyes drifted back to his. "Of course, I am. Always will be."
Giles tapped his breast pocket, assuring himself that his passport was still there, and hailed a cab to take him to his London flat. He tossed his small bag into the back seat and wiped his glasses clean before getting in himself.
"Greenbriar 47," Giles said.
The car pulled away from the curb slowly. Giles opened his briefcase and removed a photograph. It was a picture of a young woman named Sarah Potts. She was a Slayer. She was called just after Faith's death, but Giles had been so busy rebuilding the Watcher's Council that he had waited to make contact. She was 25 now… considerably younger than Buffy. He had hoped to train her himself. Now he just hoped he could keep her alive. He glanced up from the photo and out of the passenger window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. Instead, he saw nothing familiar.
"Driver, this is not the way to the address I've given." He rubbed his temples, amazed that after his long day he had to put up with an incompetent driver. The driver said nothing. "Driver, did you hear me?"
The Watcher glanced in the rearview mirror hoping to make eye contact. Instead, much to his horror, he found no reflection at all to greet him.
To Be Continued…
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Type: B/X… more and more with each section.
Description: Xander is back in a different body, hoping to switch with Angel who is still in Xander's body. Buffy and Xander are together, struggling to make sense of all the changes life has thrown their way. Giles has begun to see beyond all the "coincidences," and Angel appears to be playing both sides of the fence.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a video tape of Starblazers Vol. 1, and a some of SMG's toenail clippings. Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own all things Buffy related. I just use them to make my world a little brighter.
"Hey," Xander said quietly as Angel stepped into the Magic Box.
"Are you gonna punch me again?" Angel asked. "Because you'd only be hurting yourself. Especially if you want your body back."
"Of course he wants it back," Willow said coldly. "It doesn't belong to you."
Angel looked at Buffy who stood behind Xander. She wouldn't meet his gaze. "You have some plan to switch us?"
"There's a spell," Willow said. "It'll switch you both. It's similar to the one we used on Faith and Buffy."
Angel stepped toward Buffy, but Xander didn't budge. "Is this what you want, Buffy?"
The Slayer looked at him with anger burning in her eyes. "I want my husband back." She put her arms around Xander. "And when I say husband, I mean the man I REALLY married that day… the man I love."
Angel's features softened. He looked at her with Xander's chocolate brown eyes and smiled his lopsided grin. "That was me, baby."
Xander's fist tightened as he drew it back to swing. Before he could let it fly, however, another fist caught Angel across the chin. Everyone was startled to see it was Oz who threw the punch.
"Sorry, guys," he said quietly. "Just figured it would be better for all involved if I hit him for you. Plus… it was actually fun."
Xander smiled at him and nodded. Angel shook off the punch and glared at them all.
"So this is how it is?" he asked.
"I want my body," Xander said.
"And I want you the hell away from me," Buffy added.
"But Dawn…"
"No!" Buffy screamed. "Don't you dare…"
"Buffy," Xander interrupted, "hold up."
She looked at him puzzled.
Xander shook his head. "I hate Angel for what he's done. Hell, I hated him way before anyone else did. But…"
"But what?" Buffy asked.
"He's Dawn's father, Buffy. It's not fair to Dawn to just casually remove him from her life because WE can't stand him."
"What? You're her father. It may have been his soul, but biologically she's your child."
"And I want her to be mine. I want to be her dad and be as big a part of her life as I can, but not at her expense. Not without her having the option of knowing her father."
"This is amazing," Buffy said sarcastically as tears ran down her face. "You hate him, but you want to keep him around?"
"For Dawn. Only for her sake."
"What about me?" Buffy asked. "You think I want to have to see him? You think I want to consider him a part of the family?"
"No. But I DO think you want to do what's right for Dawn. And I think that if you would take some time to think about it, you'd realize the right course of action here. Look… you're Dawn's mom. You decide. I'll stand by whatever decision you make. But… I honestly don't think it's right for her not to have the option of knowing her father."
Buffy said nothing. She sat down and put her face in her hands. No one else dared to say another word.
"This is not good at all," Giles mumbled, placing the text he was reading back into its home on the bookshelf. He was in the library of the Watchers Council. He was tired and disheveled from his long flight. He was also very disturbed. "Marcus?"
The slender young African-American approached silently. He had been a Watcher only a short time, yet Giles had left him in charge while he was in Sunnydale. "Yes, Rupert?"
"Has the girl been contacted yet?"
"No. Mr. Danvers is on his way to her now. Is there a problem?"
"Yes. I fear there is. Contact Danvers. The girl is not to be brought to Sunnydale. Not yet, anyway. He is to get her to one of our safe-houses and keep her there until I contact him."
"It will be difficult to reach him. He called from Tai Pei last evening…"
"I don't care," Giles snapped. "There are things at work here that do not bode well for Buffy. I wanted Sarah contacted as soon as humanly possible. Are we clear?"
"Of course."
"And Marcus?"
"Yes, Rupert?"
"I want to involve no one but you and Mr. Danvers in this. Understood?"
"O-of course."
"I will explain everything in due time, Marcus. For now, I simply ask that you trust me."
"I don't trust him," Willow said. She and Buffy had gone to the back room, Buffy's training room, to talk. "Xander doesn't either."
"Then why with the crazy?" Buffy asked. "Angel has done nothing but hurt us. Why would he want him to stay around?"
"Because he IS your daughter's father," Willow said. "And you're running from the truth."
"You too, huh? That's just great."
"Buffy this is serious. Angel may be a jerk, but he's not evil… not now, anyway. He deserves a lot of bad, bad things, but not to be shut out of his daughter's life. If you don't care that it's unfair to him, at least care that it isn't fair to Dawn."
Buffy looked her friend in the eyes. "I hate it when you're right."
"I know," Willow said with a nod. "Luckily it doesn't happen very often."
Buffy smiled. "I think… that my problem goes deeper than what's bubbling at the surface."
"You think?" Xander asked, stepping into the room. "Will, could you give us a second?"
"Sure," Willow said, piloting her motorized wheelchair back to the front of the store.
"You're hurt because you love him," Xander said matter-of-factly, taking a seat next to Buffy. Buffy looked shocked at the statement, but before she could deny it, Xander continued. "I'm not saying you're IN love with him. I meant… you love him, like you love Will and Oz… like you love G-man… only deeper because of what you guys went through together. He lied to you, and it's tearing up your insides. The problem is that you try not to let anyone know that… including yourself. You shove it way down and fight to keep it from coming back up. It's poisoning you Buffy."
He took her hand and kissed it gently. "When I was a kid, my dad was fooling around with some woman at work. He and mom were having trouble, but he eventually came clean and tried to work things out with Mom. Mom acted like all was forgiven, but… for years she was bitter and spiteful. It was hell living with them. I always knew there was no excuse for what my dad had done, but my mom… she was the one who really made it hell. If she would have been honest from the start, she could've dealt and moved on, even if it meant leaving dad. Instead, she internalized everything. I don't think she was ever happy again."
"Nice story," Buffy said quietly. "Don't you know any about fluffy kittens?"
Xander just maintained eye contact. He wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily.
Buffy looked away. "Maybe you're right."
"No maybes," Xander said with a smile. "I'm always right."
"Two words for you," Buffy said. "Robot. Double."
His smile faltered a little. "Okay, so it turned out to be Toth. That was the loser me. Suave me still has a great track record." He took her hand. "Just take some time. Think about this. Then… whatever you decide, I'll stand with you."
"Okay," she said. "I guess once we evict him from your body, he'll be a little easier to put up with."
"That's my girl," he said. "Um, you are my girl… right?"
She looked like she was a million miles away. Then her eyes drifted back to his. "Of course, I am. Always will be."
Giles tapped his breast pocket, assuring himself that his passport was still there, and hailed a cab to take him to his London flat. He tossed his small bag into the back seat and wiped his glasses clean before getting in himself.
"Greenbriar 47," Giles said.
The car pulled away from the curb slowly. Giles opened his briefcase and removed a photograph. It was a picture of a young woman named Sarah Potts. She was a Slayer. She was called just after Faith's death, but Giles had been so busy rebuilding the Watcher's Council that he had waited to make contact. She was 25 now… considerably younger than Buffy. He had hoped to train her himself. Now he just hoped he could keep her alive. He glanced up from the photo and out of the passenger window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the setting sun. Instead, he saw nothing familiar.
"Driver, this is not the way to the address I've given." He rubbed his temples, amazed that after his long day he had to put up with an incompetent driver. The driver said nothing. "Driver, did you hear me?"
The Watcher glanced in the rearview mirror hoping to make eye contact. Instead, much to his horror, he found no reflection at all to greet him.
To Be Continued…
