The Long Summer 33
"XANDER!" Willow squealed from behind him, her voice notching up an octave or two.
He glanced over his shoulder, pushing the door open casually to let Drusilla in. "Willow," he chided. "Calm down."
"But that's Drusilla - you can't just let her in here." Willow backed up a couple of paces and promptly smacked her shin against the coffee table. "Ow!"
"Shhh." Drusilla put a finger to her lips. She'd left the pizza boy outside, but brought the box inside. Xander pushed the door closed. One shock seemed enough for tonight as far as Willow was concerned.
Her eyes were large and round like saucers. "Willow, Willow." Xander chanted her name softly and motioned for Drusilla to stay put. He put on his best smile and held his hands out to his best friend. "It really is all right."
"All right?" Willow squeaked. "But that's - that's Drusilla!"
"So?"
"She's a vampire." Willow hissed. "Remember?"
Xander's grin softened. "Of course, I remember. But it's okay, Will. She's changed."
"What?" Both women favored him with equally skeptical looks.
"She's changed. Haven't you Dru?" He glanced over at the brunette and lifted both of his brows.
"Princess is better now. Xander helps Princess." Drusilla's girlish smile brightened at Xander's approving look.
"See?" Xander gestured and moved in closer to Willow. "It really is okay."
"How can you say that?" Willow's voice dropped as Xander neared her, she glanced furtively between him and Drusilla. He could almost see her trying to figure out what to do. Best to keep her away from the phone for a few minutes. "She's a vampire. They don't change, remember? Evil. Soulless. Demons?"
Xander shrugged. "Spike's a vampire, you trusted him." Willow blinked.
"So was Angel. Everyone made with the love when he came back all soul shiny and happy."
"That was -"
"Different?" Xander challenged her. "No, not really. They were just guys and you and Buff made with the hormones. If they can change, why can't Drusilla?"
"Because Drusilla's insane." Willow whispered. "And Angelus wasn't good - Angel was."
"Angelus - Angel - no difference. Big fat shiny happy soul doesn't make him a good guy and a chip sure as hell don't make Spike a good guy."
"But they can't -"
Xander waited for it, but Willow went silent. He gave her full marks for not being able to sustain that fiction that a chip and soul made Angel and Spike a pair of neutered, toothless puppies.
He felt Drusilla move up behind him, pressing her weight against his back as she stood up on her tiptoes to lean her head against his shoulder. "I would never hurt Xander," Drusilla added her assurances to his. Unfortunately, they didn't sound really promising.
"You and -" Willow's voice trailed off as she took in their intimate posture and she leapt back a foot. "Ewwww--- talk about 1-900-I'm-Dating-A- Skanky-Ho!"
"Willow!" Xander chided and then found himself intercepting Drusilla as she leapt forward, hands extended like claws. "Ladies!" He snapped, pulling Dru back with a preternatural strength. He glared at her and her game face vanished as quickly as it appeared. "We're going to sit down and discuss this civilly." He turned that cool, cold eye on Willow. "And as for you, Miss Black Magic Woman, I suggest you watch your tone. You're not so squeaky clean yourself."
Willow blinked at him and he saw the expression that shivered across her face and allowed himself a moment's pleasure.
She was afraid.
Good.
"XANDER!" Willow squealed from behind him, her voice notching up an octave or two.
He glanced over his shoulder, pushing the door open casually to let Drusilla in. "Willow," he chided. "Calm down."
"But that's Drusilla - you can't just let her in here." Willow backed up a couple of paces and promptly smacked her shin against the coffee table. "Ow!"
"Shhh." Drusilla put a finger to her lips. She'd left the pizza boy outside, but brought the box inside. Xander pushed the door closed. One shock seemed enough for tonight as far as Willow was concerned.
Her eyes were large and round like saucers. "Willow, Willow." Xander chanted her name softly and motioned for Drusilla to stay put. He put on his best smile and held his hands out to his best friend. "It really is all right."
"All right?" Willow squeaked. "But that's - that's Drusilla!"
"So?"
"She's a vampire." Willow hissed. "Remember?"
Xander's grin softened. "Of course, I remember. But it's okay, Will. She's changed."
"What?" Both women favored him with equally skeptical looks.
"She's changed. Haven't you Dru?" He glanced over at the brunette and lifted both of his brows.
"Princess is better now. Xander helps Princess." Drusilla's girlish smile brightened at Xander's approving look.
"See?" Xander gestured and moved in closer to Willow. "It really is okay."
"How can you say that?" Willow's voice dropped as Xander neared her, she glanced furtively between him and Drusilla. He could almost see her trying to figure out what to do. Best to keep her away from the phone for a few minutes. "She's a vampire. They don't change, remember? Evil. Soulless. Demons?"
Xander shrugged. "Spike's a vampire, you trusted him." Willow blinked.
"So was Angel. Everyone made with the love when he came back all soul shiny and happy."
"That was -"
"Different?" Xander challenged her. "No, not really. They were just guys and you and Buff made with the hormones. If they can change, why can't Drusilla?"
"Because Drusilla's insane." Willow whispered. "And Angelus wasn't good - Angel was."
"Angelus - Angel - no difference. Big fat shiny happy soul doesn't make him a good guy and a chip sure as hell don't make Spike a good guy."
"But they can't -"
Xander waited for it, but Willow went silent. He gave her full marks for not being able to sustain that fiction that a chip and soul made Angel and Spike a pair of neutered, toothless puppies.
He felt Drusilla move up behind him, pressing her weight against his back as she stood up on her tiptoes to lean her head against his shoulder. "I would never hurt Xander," Drusilla added her assurances to his. Unfortunately, they didn't sound really promising.
"You and -" Willow's voice trailed off as she took in their intimate posture and she leapt back a foot. "Ewwww--- talk about 1-900-I'm-Dating-A- Skanky-Ho!"
"Willow!" Xander chided and then found himself intercepting Drusilla as she leapt forward, hands extended like claws. "Ladies!" He snapped, pulling Dru back with a preternatural strength. He glared at her and her game face vanished as quickly as it appeared. "We're going to sit down and discuss this civilly." He turned that cool, cold eye on Willow. "And as for you, Miss Black Magic Woman, I suggest you watch your tone. You're not so squeaky clean yourself."
Willow blinked at him and he saw the expression that shivered across her face and allowed himself a moment's pleasure.
She was afraid.
Good.