Title: Before the Fall of Rome (7/?)

Author: Brooke

Email: yabbadabbadome13@yahoo.com

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I wished I owned the two Xanders' from "The Replacement" though. Buffy and friends are owned by Joss, Mutant Enemy, 20th Century Fox, The UPN and whoever else has rights to the show.

Summary: You remember all that crap that started post-puberty…yeah, it's great isn't it. It was when life started

Distribution: I don't know why anybody would want this, but if somebody does…sure.

Feedback: Definitely!! Tell me if it sucked or if you liked it. Whatever. Just write back!

Authors Note: Takes place in an AU season 1 where Buffy and Xander are best friends and Willow is the new girl as Sunnydale High. It is the beginning of their sophomore year and, as 15 and 16 year olds, hormones and feelings are taking center stage.

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Willow looked genuinely excited…and Jesse hated every second of it. And that led to him hating himself for hating that his friend was so happy. He just didn't understand why she would want to date pond scum like Percy Jackson. He would never understand shy anybody would want to even be associated with that butt munch.

But none-the-less here he was, stalking the streets of the outdoor mall of downtown Sunnydale with the redhead looking for the prefect dress for that evening, when she would be accompanying His Assholiness to Guerdinni's, a really expensive Italian restaurant.

Nope, the Bronze wasn't good enough for Percy. He had to flaunt all his dad's money- the dumb prick…

"How 'bout this one?" Willow asked as she held up a sleeveless white dress with pink flowers embroidered around the hem.

Jesse shrugged and took another sip of his coke, which he had guilted her into buying for him, "It's great," he answered unenthusiastically.

Willow rolled her eyes at him. "Great; I'll look hot, or great; I can go to my grandma's birthday party?"

"I think you should aim for the second one any way you look at it…"

Willow sent him a glare and he sighed, "Fine…you'll look great in that dress. That's the dress of all I've seen today."

Willow beamed at him and his stomach dropped about another fifteen feet, "Thanks Jess."

He watched as she cut through the remaining racks of dresses towards the front of the store. They had been shopping for the last four hours, and needless to say, this was not how Jesse had wanted to spend his afternoon. Not only was he now dwelling in pure hatred of Percy…that jerk who had the keen ability of bogarting every female that ever strolled through his life, be it in a friendly manor, or more. But he also had the distinct feeling that he was just a filler for Buffy. In fact he knew that was the case because why would chick ask him to go shopping for dresses, and two, she had told him that Buffy hadn't called her back last night, or this morning.

Jesse followed her path, moving at a much slower pace, letting his feet shuffle along the short carpeting on the floor. He came up beside her as she paid for the clothing and waited to receive her bag.

He had picked up on her tone when she had told him that Buffy was MIA. It was worried, yes; but it also held a distinct hint of disappointment, especially when Jesse made the horrendous mistake of telling her about the conversation he had had, and ended so abruptly with Xander the night before.

 Jesse had gotten the feeling last night that his friend had put him on hold because a certain blonde female had decided to pay him a visit, a fact that, while he had never directly stated to Willow, she seemed to have picked up on. And Jesse thought that while she had been smiling all day, there was even more disappointment ebbing just below the surface. So now, not only was she replacing Buffy, who they had yet to talk to today, but he thought, that when push cane to shove, Willow would rather have Xander with her than him. He was her bottom of the barrel guy; and that just sucked. He was everybody's bottom of the barrel guy.

Paige's. He wasn't as stupid as he looked and liked to act. He knew what people said about her, and he knew that a lot of it was true…she didn't seemed to be ashamed of a lot.

Xander. He knew that his best guy friend in the whole world would rather hang out with Buffy. Sometimes he got the feeling that when they were all together it was like he was the third wheel on the dirt bike of 'them'…and it was usually always Xander who he would find sending him the looks that screamed 'Can't you just go home now!'.

Buffy. That was for the same reason as Xander, really. Only thing was, unlike his bro, she seemed to not mind him spending time with them. Over the past few weeks, and even into the summer, it had been Buffy who had called to invite him to things she was doing. Granted Xander had always been the first to know about them, but it was Buffy who made things public knowledge. That was all fine and dandy…she was being a true friend and was completely genuine about it; something which belayed the cat n' dog relationship they held. But he was always left wondering if he was there because she liked his company more than she wanted a distraction from anything resembling date with Xander.

And now Willow. She would rather hang out with Xander because she would rather be doing Xander. And she would rather be hanging out with Buffy so that Buffy weren't doing Xander. Oh, don't think Jesse hadn't picked up on that subtle rivalry between the female dynamic of his group.

And all over Xanderhe mused as he followed Willow dutifully out of the store What a waste.

Jesse cast the redhead a sideways glance and then discarded his empty cup into a trashcan on the corner. She was going on and on about shoes or make-up or something equally girly that he had no interest in, but he was pretending. He was a damn good pretender- he had to be to survive these last months with these people.

"Yeah," he nodded, not quiet sure where the conversation was when he decided to speak up. He just got the feeling that he had been silent for too long. "White shoed would be the best choice." He had no idea.

Willow furrowed her brow at him. Now she knew that he was distracted, and therefore going to be totally useless at keeping her from slipping into the same trap; she hadn't even been talking about shoes. She had asked him about their Biology class.

"Ok," she said unsurely and quirked a smile at him, "But what did you put for answer #3 on Benson's test?"

Jesse looked like a deer in head lights for a moment as he realized that he had been caught, "Uhhh…C?"

"It wasn't multiple choice." Willow pointed out.

"Dammit," Jesse cursed under his breath, "I guess I failed." He smiled when she laughed at his joke and he had to agree, despite the fact that he thought that he really had failed the test. He didn't dwell on that though, he had failed plenty of tests and the weekend was no time to think about school.

"So," Willow asked, swinging her bag as she walked and Jesse turned to look at her as she squinted in the sunlight. "Wanna help with the shoes, or are you pretty much tapped of all things girl?"

Jesse let out a deep breath and shook his head, "I was tapped twenty minutes into this little excursion. You wouldn't even let me recoup in the arcade." He threw in a pout for good measure.

Maybe Xander was right…maybe he did feel something for Willow. But if that were the case, it would have to be admitted that he felt something for Buffy, too. She was like his sister; she was like Xander's sister…and through it all he could see where the attraction came in, because, what… Buffy had been a girl in his eyes since about the fifth grade and he had wanted to take her to the first dance of their junior high careers. It was Jesse who had wanted her first, that's the only reason their relationship was the way it was. The only way Jesse could think to act around her when he had first met her was to piss her off, at least that way she'd always be thinking about him, and talking to him, and touching him…well, touching and hitting could be synonymous.

Xander was just now following his lead, and it was up to Jesse to be supporto guy. Yeah, the last guy they went to for everything was the first one there ready to lend an ear and a shoulder.

It was complicated and he could see why both Buffy and Xander were huge tards when they got around each other. Jesse's only saving grace was that he could pretend that everything rolled off his back…nobody would ever have to know that he felt anything.

And now where was he? Xander wanted Buffy, Buffy wanted Xander, Willow wanted Xander, he wanted someone…he could see that someone being Willow; but all he had was an empty cup of Coke. You threw that away. Now he didn't have anything.

"What's the matter with you today?" Willow asked next, effectively refocusing her friend's attention. "You're all spacey."

He snapped his head around to look at her, "Nothing," he denied with a shrug.

Willow raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Sure," she shook her head. "I swear Jess; I've never seen you think so much in your whole life."

"You just met me a few weeks ago," he pointed out.

Willow's brow furrowed for a minute. "That's not the point," she said quickly. "The point is that something has been bothering you all morning, and you should talk about it. I mean, I may not be Buffy or Xander but you can still talk to me…like friends and all."

Jesse focused on the pavement and mumbled, "You're not Buffy or Xander," he agreed, before speaking more clearly. "Why are you really going out with Percy?" he asked looking at her.

It was her turn to focus on the ground. Willow doubted if she were ready to admit the real reason, or if she had even formulated a sufficient one yet. "Is that what's bothering you?" she asked quietly.

Jesse nodded his head, "A little, yeah. It's Percy Jackson for Christ's sake…the man's two steps away from being a prostitute."

Willow sighed, "I think he's nice."

"Yeah…If it's nice to lure girls in and use them." He shot at her.

"I don't think he's going to use me," Willow countered. "I'm not going to let him…it's just a stupid date."

Jesse let out a snorting laugh, "Sure. You didn't believe nothing was wrong with me, and I don't believe that you think dating Percy is stupid…"

"Is this because of what Buffy said?" Willow asked.

"Why does it have to be about her?" he shook his head. "Why has everything since the beginning of time been about her with everyone…"

Willow looked at him confused. She had no idea how to read that outburst or the angry undertones with which it was delivered. "I was thinking more about what she said about him and Paige," she clarified and watched his shoulders slump.

"And that's another thing," he spoke again quickly. "That should bother you more than it does…Paige isn't the only chick Buffy mentioned are in his roster."

"Everybody had exs Jess," she told him. "When you break up with someone, you are allowed to continue to date other people…"

"They weren't dating," Jesse said angrily. "If I'm to believe the rumors from Cheer Town USA they were fucking, plain and simple."

Willow had never seen Jesse angry before. To tell the truth she didn't even know if he was now, he still just seemed so calm. Pissed, but still decidedly calm. And for what? Because of her date tonight? Because of Paige? Because of what Buffy had said? Because of anything about Buffy…which would probably lead to something about Xander, too.

"I just don't think it's a good idea to be dating someone like him." Jesse muttered.

"Someone like him?" Willow asked for clarification.

"Yeah," he said turning to face her as they turned the corner, apparently heading towards her house. "Someone older…with experience in things…it's not good."

I didn't know you cared so much… she thought. "It's still my decision."

"I'm just saying…"

"I know," she interrupted him, "I know what you're saying, and thank you. But I'm still going to go. One date doesn't mean we're gonna get married or anything." Willow watched as Jesse re-aimed his focus on the trees lining her street. "I can't sit around you know," she added.

Jesse bit his bottom lip, "Sit around?"

"Waiting." She clarified. "I can't just sit around waiting for him to notice me. He won't…he can't see past her, and I'm tired of waiting for that. This…Percy'll take my mind off that."

Jesse nodded. She had just confirmed his assumption that her date had something, if not everything to do with Xander. "SO that's what this is about? You can't have Xander, so anybody'll do?" He knew he had phrased that question wrong as soon as it left his mouth, and because they had reached her house they had stopped walking and he was being fixed with a steady glare.

"You're not one to talk about dating anybody when you can't have the one you want." She fired at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please," Willow snorted, "Buffy."

"What about Buffy? She's got nothing to do with this."

"She's got everything to do with this. We want them and they don't want us…so we just have to move on, it's the only thing to do…"

"You want him…me and her have nothing to do with this. Don't scapegoat your way out of this Wills," his statement sounded like a warning in the end. He sighed warily, "Look, I'm gonna head," he looked down the sidewalk, only wanting to get away from her for a minute.

Willow nodded at him, but didn't speak as he started back down her street.

"Nobody's asking you to wait for him," Jesse called back over his shoulder. "I just think you can find a better someone to move on with, that's all. One friend to another, there are better ones than Percy."

Willow didn't have time to, or know how to respond to his seriousness, so she just let him go. She watched him until he turned her corner, his shoulders still slumped and he focused on the ground in front of him before she went inside.

She was kind of glad that her parents weren't home, even though she did want to show her mother her dress. She needed some time to mull over this afternoon in her head…to try to make sense of everybody's actions.

Sure, she wanted to date Percy. He was popular and cute, and he had approached her, despite what people in his clique may think of her, and had said nothing about her even helping him with his homework. That was a first. That was why she was so excited about tonight.

Before now, she had always been, well, considered to be a nerd, of sorts. She had friends in LA, but they were nothing like the group she had made with Buffy, Xander, and Jesse. It was like with them she was a different person, and while, at one time she would have laughed at herself, or even hated herself for betraying who she was, she hadn't felt like that yet. She was being herself with them, and they seemed to like her…trust her…want to hang out with her. And even in Willow's eyes he Sunnydale crew could, for all intents and purposes, be considered more popular than her LA crew.

Willow wasn't the same anymore, and she was alright with that.

She climbed the stairs up to her room and flopped down on her bed face down, a giddy smile breaking out over her face. She doubted that if she hadn't moved here she would be who she was now. She knew she wouldn't be going out on a date on a Saturday night with a football player, and that was a fact. She would have been doing homework or playing chess with her father…or something she hadn't done on a Saturday night since she had started at Sunnydale High.

Willow had at first thought her father's law firm opening a new office in this town was a curse. She hadn't wanted to leave what few friends she had to come here; and while she had never exactly fit in with the LA scene, she doubted even more that she could do the small town vibe either. But now she was. She had never been happier, and she could tell by the looks in her parents eyes now when they saw her, that they knew it too. She was finally being a kid, and while she knew they would always love her no matter what, she also knew that they were happy for her. Happy that she had found a group of good kids that were true friends.

When they had first met Buffy, Xander and Jesse they had doubted the sincerity of them in dealing with their daughter. Buffy: the cheerleader, Xander: the jock, Jesse: the slacker goofball…and Willow: the book worm. Needless to say Willow's parents saw that those types could use someone like her to hang out with, mostly for cheating and the general good feeling of charity that came with hanging out with a loser. Willow had felt that was initially too…but, like her parents that feeling soon passed.

Despite everything that may or may not be going on, he friends were good people, and they cared about each other and her. They made her like who she was. And now, because of that, she had the opportunity to do things she never thought she would…meet people who she always thought would never speak to her.

And sure, she liked Xander in a more than friendly way and that had the sucking possibility of putting a void between herself and Buffy; but it hadn't really so far. And sure Jesse was probably dealing with more than he was really ready to talk about in the ten minute walk to her house. And yeah, Buffy possibly spending the night at Xander's made her more anxious than she have liked…but they were friends, and she was sure they could work it out.

Willow lifted her head and glanced at her answering machine, finding the light blinking, something that would have never happened in LA, and pushed herself off the bed. As soon as she pushed play Buffy's voice flooded the room and Willow listened closely as the other girl whispered conspicuously.

"Hey Wills. Sorry I didn't call you back till now, but I got grounded. The rents are on a rampage and I can't even talk on the phone. Xander told me about your date with Percy though," Willow grinned as she could hear her friends teasing smile in her voice, "and I'll try to sneak over before you have to leave. Call me back and give me time details…oh gotta go."

The line went dead and Willow turned to glance at herself in the mirror hung on the wall to her left. All in all, she was doing damn good.

~*~*~*~

As far as Saturdays go, this one definitely sucked; and Xander usually lived for the weekends. He rolled to a steady stop in front of his destination and stepped off his skate board.

The Sunnydale Public Library.

It had been years, literally, since he had been here. He stood to pick up his board and readjusted his oversized duffel bags shoulder strap. He had just finished with his mandatory returning members weekend swim practice and now he had some research to do.

After the debacle of Buffy's hasty exit that morning Xander saw no other option but to take matters into his own hands, and if it meant that he would have to read, then fine. If he would have to prematurely utilize some of the computer training Willow was giving him in order to get this situation taken care of, he would do that too. Whatever it took, he would do…and in order to come through with his promise to himself to protect Buffy at all costs, he would have to find out some more information on this Mr. Giles.

Xander climbed the white concrete steps to the large front doors of the old building and walked inside. It smelt like oldness…oldness and books. It kind of reminded him of his grandma's house right before she died, all musky and such, and it was so quiet. Xander looked around briefly until he spotted the computers and approached them slowly. Library's made him afraid to even breathe, let alone disturb all the dedicated readers with his loud footsteps. He, as quietly as he could, still unsure of the proper etiquette for this place, pulled out a chair and took a seat; casting brief glances to those sitting on either side of him. Everybody else was working furiously with a purpose and all he had to go on was a scribbled name that he had gotten from the faculty roster that afternoon during their break.

Rupert Giles was the man responsible for all of this name, now all Xander had to do was look up where he lived and go have a little…talk…with him. Once that was done he was sure that everything would go back to normal. He would just tell this strange old man to stay away from his…best friend? Girlfriend?

Xander didn't even know. He thought that after last night everything would just fall into place, but it had gotten decidedly more askew while they were sleeping. Maybe he thought as he logged onto the search engine that Willow always used, I should just not think in terms of titles…maybe just call her Buffy and leave it at that. He hated having to eliminate the word 'friend' completely when he thought of her, but the way she ran away from him after she had refused to kiss him the way he had intended before she left, left him wondering if she hadn't done the same think with regards to him. He wondered if he was her friend. He laughed bitterly to himself knowing that it sure didn't feel like that was all they were when they had each others tongues in the others mouth.

Xander decided to push that thought out of his mind and focus on the task at hand as he typed in the name carefully. He wasn't a pro at this, but he was sure that he would find something helpful; and if not, he'd bang on every door in this godforsaken town until that man answered one, and then he'd get his British ass kicked two times: one for screwing with Buffy's mind and making her think that vampires were going to kill her, and then again for being so damned impossible to find that Xander had actually went inside of a library to do it.

If Jesse could only see him now Xander knew he'd be laughing outright. Hell, Xander was laughing at himself. He was completely whipped and barely had any benefits that most would think came with that distinction. He almost didn't want to care about Buffy as much as he did, and it scared him a little. He had honestly never felt the way he does about her before, and even though he was only sixteen, that was saying a lot. And last night had been everything he had been dreaming about with her…until that morning. He knew it had something to do with this Slayer nonsense too, so like he promised, he was going to take care of it. He would keep Buffy from danger, be it from a 'monster' or from a weird foreign pedophile looking for kicks in a high school, or he'd die trying.

He waited a second for the information to come up and sighed in relief that there was only one Rupert Giles in Sunnydale and he was listed in the phone book. Xander nodded to himself as he copied down the necessary information. 567 Tremble Street Apt. 7B. He knew exactly where that was, and the best part about it now was that Buffy wasn't there to guilt him out of taking action.

Xander stood up quickly and walked towards the exit now not caring who he was disturbing. While these people were busy reading, Xander was busy acting. Words just got in the way, if his life up this point had taught him anything, it was that. Now was a time for action.

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End Part 7