Title: Wheels Of Engagement
Author: Jane McCartney
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be either, damn!
Classification: BTVS Season 7 Halloween future fic.
Rating: PG13
Feedback: Gimme, gimme, gimme. Ah, 'nuff said.
E-mail: janemccartney@bol.com.br
Distribution: Anywhere, I don't mind, just credit me and inform me where it's at.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to everyone involved and, of course, a big special thanks to Theo.
Summary: In one possible reality, the Sunnydale gang comes together on October 31st, 2002. For some, things are looking up; for others, definitely down. Multi-character fic. Friendship issues and a little bit of romance.
***
Buffy came back a couple of minutes later from the kitchen, the odd ambience reasonably dissipated as Dawn spun around gracefully in her Olivia Newton-John style skirt, her chosen costume from the movie 'Grease'.
"Aw, you look wonderful Dawnie," Willow said with a sheepish smile.
"You really do," Anya agreed with an equally heartfelt nod. "Hey, you could charge your boyfriend for taking you out tonight!" she snapped up at the sudden thought.
"Uh, Dan's not my boyfriend," Dawn remarked nervously, with a fake laugh.
The demoness ignored the brunette and followed up on her idea, "Then he'll go to school tomorrow and all his friends will congratulate him for the beautiful date he had the previous night, and he'll be happy. Plus you'll be happy. It's the capitalism-effective service system," she finished with a satisfied grin.
"Or maybe," Xander pondered, "you could do something else that wouldn't classify Buffy as a potential pimp, to Social Services."
"Thank you, Xander," Buffy chose this moment to walk in with the promised chocolate bars, sending her friend a grateful grin.
"Communists," Anya muttered and crossed her arms like a belligerent kid, sinking her body slightly further onto the couch.
***
The sun had finally set, and the Bronze's Halloween party was due to start in less than an hour.
After Buffy had handed Anya the candy and a few extra chocolate drops, Spike had excused himself and gone out for a few minutes. Motivations still unexplained.
The Slayer was giving a long, incredibly detailed lecture to her little sister regarding the big date with Dan, a brunette sophomore student who shared a math class with Dawn.
Buffy yammered on about the latest time to be back home, checking her date's pulse to make sure he actually had one, tips on how to hide the mandatory stake under her clothes - just your good old Hellmouth-y big sister sort of speech.
Meanwhile Anyanka and John were leaning scandalously against a wall, making out - and the fact that the blonde demoness had chosen their position to be situated right in front of Xander's seat on the couch was, of course, a complete coincidence.
Sure, and pigs really can fly, and the Hellmouth is every real estate agent's favorite spot in the entire United States, the young man who had saved the world three times thought morosely.
Willow and Xander were in fact sitting on the couch, and talking. "It's... outrageous. Shocking. Don't ya think?" the brunette guy said in a revolted tone.
"It is," Willow could only nod, as her oldest friend continued to babble about the public show of affection in front of them.
"Come on!" the young man snapped, making the redhead almost jump in surprise. "I mean... there are limits. Certain rules in society you gotta follow, ya know - like you can't make out in front of Grandma, right? Or, a nun for instance. Nuns are... religious. So, you don't make out in front of them. And if we're talkin' categories - I'm her ex-boyfriend, for God's sake! There must exist some law... I've got some civil rights, don't I? Could you check for me? Yeah, like in those books?"
At Xander's expectant glance fell on her, Willow winced. "You're really suffering with all this, aren't you?" the redhead asked softly, and Xander opened his mouth to reply, but found himself unable to do so.
"And I thought you guys were on good terms these days," the petite girl added sympathetically.
"We were," her friend stated simply. "Until the chin with a prominent guy stuck on it came into the picture, I mean."
"Did you talk to her at least?" Willow asked.
"And say what?" Xander shrugged. "I left you at the altar, you became a demon but still, I'm dead jealous?"
Willow sighed, as Xander took one more gulp of beer. "You're just making up excuses," she said pointedly.
"Yep, I know that much," the dark-haired man admitted, looking blankly at a neutral spot on the floor and a beer on his hand.
Willow smiled a little at her friend's uneasy behavior. "Xander... just go. I'll distract John. Talk to her."
Xander looked dramatically exasperated. "Nuh-uh. I can't. Not now. She's been taken over by the clown menace."
The redhead couldn't hold back a grin, punching her friend's shoulder lightly.
"Hey, ouch! You bad, bad girl... that's it, no gifts from Santa for you this year!" the young man said jokingly.
The girl with only half of her hair curly rolled her eyes. "I'm Jewish, big honkin' Menorah and all that remember? And besides, reindeer don't talk..."
"Rudolph's magic," Xander rationalized it, and then sighed. "But not circumcised, huh..."
"Xander, eww!" the young woman looked horrified.
The dark-haired young man grinned but, as if Anya was personally arranging a way to keep him depressed, a particularly noisy kiss made Xander's face become gloomy again. Willow frowned at her helplessness in this, wishing she could help him like he'd helped her at that Satanic temple.
"What are you supposed to be dressed up as, anyway?" Xander then asked, forcing himself to try and ignore his former fiancée's provocative acts.
Willow's face broke in a sheepish grin, and she opened up her jacket.
Not for long, but long enough to irritate Anya, Xander grinned wildly. Very much so.
As written in yellow paint on a white background, the three words stood out on her nametag label.
Yellow Crayon Girl.
***
Please you guys, just review... Flames (gulp) or not (yay) are welcome!
Author: Jane McCartney
Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be either, damn!
Classification: BTVS Season 7 Halloween future fic.
Rating: PG13
Feedback: Gimme, gimme, gimme. Ah, 'nuff said.
E-mail: janemccartney@bol.com.br
Distribution: Anywhere, I don't mind, just credit me and inform me where it's at.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to everyone involved and, of course, a big special thanks to Theo.
Summary: In one possible reality, the Sunnydale gang comes together on October 31st, 2002. For some, things are looking up; for others, definitely down. Multi-character fic. Friendship issues and a little bit of romance.
***
Buffy came back a couple of minutes later from the kitchen, the odd ambience reasonably dissipated as Dawn spun around gracefully in her Olivia Newton-John style skirt, her chosen costume from the movie 'Grease'.
"Aw, you look wonderful Dawnie," Willow said with a sheepish smile.
"You really do," Anya agreed with an equally heartfelt nod. "Hey, you could charge your boyfriend for taking you out tonight!" she snapped up at the sudden thought.
"Uh, Dan's not my boyfriend," Dawn remarked nervously, with a fake laugh.
The demoness ignored the brunette and followed up on her idea, "Then he'll go to school tomorrow and all his friends will congratulate him for the beautiful date he had the previous night, and he'll be happy. Plus you'll be happy. It's the capitalism-effective service system," she finished with a satisfied grin.
"Or maybe," Xander pondered, "you could do something else that wouldn't classify Buffy as a potential pimp, to Social Services."
"Thank you, Xander," Buffy chose this moment to walk in with the promised chocolate bars, sending her friend a grateful grin.
"Communists," Anya muttered and crossed her arms like a belligerent kid, sinking her body slightly further onto the couch.
***
The sun had finally set, and the Bronze's Halloween party was due to start in less than an hour.
After Buffy had handed Anya the candy and a few extra chocolate drops, Spike had excused himself and gone out for a few minutes. Motivations still unexplained.
The Slayer was giving a long, incredibly detailed lecture to her little sister regarding the big date with Dan, a brunette sophomore student who shared a math class with Dawn.
Buffy yammered on about the latest time to be back home, checking her date's pulse to make sure he actually had one, tips on how to hide the mandatory stake under her clothes - just your good old Hellmouth-y big sister sort of speech.
Meanwhile Anyanka and John were leaning scandalously against a wall, making out - and the fact that the blonde demoness had chosen their position to be situated right in front of Xander's seat on the couch was, of course, a complete coincidence.
Sure, and pigs really can fly, and the Hellmouth is every real estate agent's favorite spot in the entire United States, the young man who had saved the world three times thought morosely.
Willow and Xander were in fact sitting on the couch, and talking. "It's... outrageous. Shocking. Don't ya think?" the brunette guy said in a revolted tone.
"It is," Willow could only nod, as her oldest friend continued to babble about the public show of affection in front of them.
"Come on!" the young man snapped, making the redhead almost jump in surprise. "I mean... there are limits. Certain rules in society you gotta follow, ya know - like you can't make out in front of Grandma, right? Or, a nun for instance. Nuns are... religious. So, you don't make out in front of them. And if we're talkin' categories - I'm her ex-boyfriend, for God's sake! There must exist some law... I've got some civil rights, don't I? Could you check for me? Yeah, like in those books?"
At Xander's expectant glance fell on her, Willow winced. "You're really suffering with all this, aren't you?" the redhead asked softly, and Xander opened his mouth to reply, but found himself unable to do so.
"And I thought you guys were on good terms these days," the petite girl added sympathetically.
"We were," her friend stated simply. "Until the chin with a prominent guy stuck on it came into the picture, I mean."
"Did you talk to her at least?" Willow asked.
"And say what?" Xander shrugged. "I left you at the altar, you became a demon but still, I'm dead jealous?"
Willow sighed, as Xander took one more gulp of beer. "You're just making up excuses," she said pointedly.
"Yep, I know that much," the dark-haired man admitted, looking blankly at a neutral spot on the floor and a beer on his hand.
Willow smiled a little at her friend's uneasy behavior. "Xander... just go. I'll distract John. Talk to her."
Xander looked dramatically exasperated. "Nuh-uh. I can't. Not now. She's been taken over by the clown menace."
The redhead couldn't hold back a grin, punching her friend's shoulder lightly.
"Hey, ouch! You bad, bad girl... that's it, no gifts from Santa for you this year!" the young man said jokingly.
The girl with only half of her hair curly rolled her eyes. "I'm Jewish, big honkin' Menorah and all that remember? And besides, reindeer don't talk..."
"Rudolph's magic," Xander rationalized it, and then sighed. "But not circumcised, huh..."
"Xander, eww!" the young woman looked horrified.
The dark-haired young man grinned but, as if Anya was personally arranging a way to keep him depressed, a particularly noisy kiss made Xander's face become gloomy again. Willow frowned at her helplessness in this, wishing she could help him like he'd helped her at that Satanic temple.
"What are you supposed to be dressed up as, anyway?" Xander then asked, forcing himself to try and ignore his former fiancée's provocative acts.
Willow's face broke in a sheepish grin, and she opened up her jacket.
Not for long, but long enough to irritate Anya, Xander grinned wildly. Very much so.
As written in yellow paint on a white background, the three words stood out on her nametag label.
Yellow Crayon Girl.
***
Please you guys, just review... Flames (gulp) or not (yay) are welcome!