Title: Missing You

Series: Destiny Found, part 6

Affiliated Series: Destiny Lost

Authors: Sonya and Erin

E-mail: sonyajeb@swbell.net OR carynsilver@yahoo.com

Rating: PG

Category: B/X, a bit of G/J, AU, relationship oriented

*Disclaimers and Timeline Info in Part 1!!!!*

--------------------------

"Attention, passengers, the plane will be landing at Heathrow airport in twenty minutes. Please fasten your seatbelts and put your trays in the upright position as we prepare the cabin for landing."

Buffy glanced at her mother with an excited smile.

"Almost there," Joyce said, returning her daughter's smile. It was good to see that light back in her eyes.

Buffy just nodded, then turned back to staring out the window of the airplane.

Joyce sat back and decided the money spent on plane tickets was worth it. They knew enough people in England to get free room and board, and Buffy had contributed most of her life savings to the tickets. Of course, the life savings of a seventeen year old without a job wasn't much, so Joyce had had to kick in most of the money. But to see that light in her daughter's eyes again. Yep. Definitely worth it.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Do you... never mind."

Joyce turned her head to look at Buffy. There was another expression on her face now. Worry. "No never mind. What's wrong?"

"It's stupid." A light blush tinted the girl's cheeks.

"Nothing's stupid."

"Well...," Buffy took a deep breath and then said quickly, "I'm just a little nervous."

"Why?"

"Xander and I... we've been apart for almost five months. What if... what if it isn't the same?"

"I suppose it's possible," Joyce conceeded, "but it's not like you haven't been in touch all this time. You email every day, and call each other every week."

"I know," Buffy said, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "That's why it's so stupid. But I just want this trip to be... perfect."

Joyce reached out and cupped Buffy's chin with her hand. "Let me give you my best motherly advice: don't stress about it."

"Easier said than done, Mom."

"I know, I know." Joyce pulled her hand back and then sat up straight to look into her daughter's eyes. "It sounds cliche, but it's the truth. Stressing and worrying and trying to make things perfect, that's a sure recipe for disaster. I've lived it. It wasn't pretty. Just take things as they come and try not to worry. Then you'll have a good time."

Buffy sat back in her seat and went back to gazing out the window. "I know you're right, but I just have this sense of... loss of control maybe. Like if I could just grab ahold and force things, then everything will be great. This is, most likely, the only time we'll see each other until he graduates. We don't have the money to be flying back and forth. And neither does he, really. It's got to be perf... It's just got to be great. This trip has to make up for all the time we're losing."

Joyce gave Buffy's shoulder a loving pat. "It will, but you just have to relax."

Buffy nodded, but somehow Joyce could tell that her advice wasn't sinking in. The motherly musing was interrupted by the flight attendent announcing that they were about to start the descent.

Buffy grabbed Joyce's arm. "Here we go."

"Yes," Joyce replied. "Here we go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"This is it!" Xander wiped sweaty palms on his slacks and tugged at his tie nervously. He and Giles had come straight to the airport after afternoon classes.

"This is what?" Giles asked distractedly as he peered through the window at the transatlantic plane taxiing to the jetway.

"The greatest weekend of my life," Xander replied, pacing back and forth a few steps. Excited energy rolled off of him in waves.

Giles turned to look at the boy. "What?"

"Buffy is coming. She's going to be here, with me. She'll be able to see everything I've been telling her about and meet my friends. And there will be the party. I'm getting a tux, and she wrote that she got a dress. We never got to go to a prom, you know. Or any dance, actually, except at The Cellar. Man, I miss The Cellar. Edward and the guys don't know any places to dance..."

"Xander!" Giles said sharply. "You're babbling."

Realizing the truth of his words, Xander stopped for a moment, and then ended his speech with, "So, it will be the greatest weekend of my life, that's all."

Giles hesitated, and then said, "That's rather a lot of pressure to put on yourselves, don't you think?"

"Nah." Xander grinned. He glanced around and noticed the first passengers disembarking the plane. "They're coming!"

Both men watched and waited as people exited the plane. When they finally spotted the familiar women, they both smiled. Xander just watched for a second, enjoying his first glimpse of the real live Buffy in way too many months. His heart caught when he saw the way her blonde tresses bounced about her shoulders, the way she moved, her innate Buffyness. Her incredible eyes searched the waiting area, one person at a time. He was frozen in place, waiting for the instant her gaze landed on him. When it did, her face broke out into a sunny smile that made Xander feel warm from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

"Xander!"

"Buffy!"

At the same moment, they started to move toward each other, meeting in the middle in a big hug. Xander crushed her to him, inhaling the citrus scent of her shampoo. Buffy wrapped her arms around him, just enjoying the feel of him there. Then she tipped her head back and looked up into his chocolate brown eyes.

"Hi," she whispered.

"Hi, yourself." Xander smiled at her, and then leaned in for a kiss, which she heartily returned.

Behind them, Joyce stepped up to Giles and they shook hands. "It's good to see you again, Rupert."

He nodded. "And you."

They waited a moment, and then Giles cleared his throat. The teenagers sprang apart, looking a bit embarrassed. Buffy stepped over to give Giles a hug, and Xander said hello to Joyce.

"Now that we've all been properly greeted," Giles said, "let's see about getting your luggage."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Once they got all the luggage and found the Academy car Giles had driven, it didn't take them long to get going. The ride to the Academy seemed long to Buffy, after so long sitting in a plane, but it was pleasant enough with Giles to talk to and Xander to sit beside. She enjoyed just having him there next to her. It was just like old times, or so it seemed. Just being in his presence was a luxury she had too long been without.

Just then, as if their minds were on the same wavelength, Xander reached out and touched Buffy's arm with his finger. He ran it down the shoulder, bared by a sleeveless, off-white tank top; around the curve of her elbow; and eventually settled his hand over her own. Buffy shivered, and peeked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you two OK back there?" Joyce called from the front seat.

"Um... fine!" Buffy exclaimed.

Xander chuckled. "We're great. Thanks."

In the front seat, Giles and Joyce began to make small talk about the flight and other things.

Xander leaned toward Buffy. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me, too," she agreed. "I want to see the Academy and the other parts of your life here."

"You will." Xander tucked her hand between both of his. "I've imagined showing you around ever since I moved into the Academy."

Buffy threaded her fingers through his and leaned back in satisfaction. Things were already going according to plan.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When they got to the Academy, Xander lept out of the car and hurried to get Buffy's bags. Giles took Joyce's, and the four walked into the large stone building. Giles led the way to the guest quarters, a floor above his apartment. Buffy looked around, drinking everything in with her eyes as they walked. It reminded her a lot of the Compound. Everything was so elegant. Plenty of antiques and other things that spoke of culure and refinement were everywhere.

The guest quarters were similar to the rooms the students lived in. They had beds, closets, chests of drawers, etc. But they were more luxurious. Joyce and Buffy each had a room to themselves, right next door to each other, connected by their own bathroom.

"This is so nice!" Buffy exclaimed as she walked in and sat her carry-on on the bed. It had been made up with fresh sheets. The pillows looked soft and squishy and the blankets appeared warm and snuggly.

Xander set the rest of her bags down on the floor. "It is nice. My room isn't a great as this one." He walked over to her window and looked out at a view of the surrounding landscape. "My window overlooks the parking lot."

Buffy put the carry-on on the floor and sat down on the edge of the bed. A glance at the door confirmed that Giles was helping Joyce with her things. "Oh, Xander..." she called in a soft, enticing voice.

Xander turned from his perusal of her view and looked at her. His lips curved in a grin. "What are you doing, Buffy?"

She patted the bed next to her. "Why don't you come sit down. You must be tired from carrying my luggage all this way."

"Yeah," Xander agreed, coming over to sit next to her. "I don't know why I had to carry it. You're the Slayer."

"But you're the guy," Buffy replied, smiling up at him.

"Oh, yeah," Xander said, his breathing suddenly becoming uneven. "Right."

"OK, enough small talk." Buffy reached up and pulled his face down until she could kiss him easily.

Xander would have said something remarkably witty like "your wish is my command," but he soon found himself too occupied with much more pleasant things than talking. Things like Buffy's lips, Buffy's scent, Buffy's hands on his back, Buffy's warm body, the thrill when she kissed his ear and the side of his neck...

A knock on the door caused them to jump apart.

"Buffy?"

"Yes, Mom?" Buffy called as she and Xander quickly stood up and straightened mussed hair and clothing.

The door opened and Joyce walked in, followed by Giles. "Rupert said he would take us on a tour of the grounds, if you kids want to..." She seemed not to notice the teens' flushed cheeks or self-conscious glances. If Giles noticed, he didn't let on.

"Actually," Xander and Buffy started to say at the same time. They laughed nervously and stopped.

"Go ahead," Buffy offered.

"No, you," Xander said with certainty.

"Oh... well, Xander said he was going to give me a more private tour." She glanced up and met her mom's eyes, unsure what Joyce would say.

Joyce just smiled. "That's fine. You kids have fun. We'll meet later for dinner?"

Buffy nodded, and Joyce and Giles walked out to commence their tour.

When they were gone, Buffy looked over at Xander, suddenly nervous. "So... you don't have class today?"

"It's Friday afternoon," Xander told her. "I usually have a language tutorial now, and extra classes on the weekends for the accelerated curriculim Giles designed for me, but they let me off for the special occasion. I'm free until class on Monday."

"Good." Buffy paused and glanced at him, admiring the way he looked in his dress clothes. "You know, I can't remember ever seeing you in a tie before."

Xander blushed and pulled the thing off. "I hate ties. But it's mandatory."

"You didn't have to take it off," Buffy protested. "I thought it was kind of sexy."

"Oh, you did, did you?" He started to walk towards her.

Buffy moved to the door. "So... you got to see my room. Now do I get to see yours?"

"Um... yeah. We could do that." Xander turned and opened the door for her. After they locked her door, he escorted her upstairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy looked around Xander's dorm room with a smile on her lips. She paused by the bulliten board -- his shrine to Sunnydale and Buffy Summers. There was a picture of the two of them, framed, on the table by his bed. A small medal had been attatched to the side.

"What's this?" she asked, fingering the medal.

"I got that at field exercises. I kind of won."

She smiled at him, pride shining in her eyes. "I'm so proud of you."

"I told you all about it over email."

"I know. It's just... seeing the medal makes it more real."

Xander hung his tie on a hook on his closet door. Like the other two already hanging there, he was careful not to untie the knot. Xander wasn't great at tying ties.

Buffy plopped down in the middle of his bed, swinging her legs over the side as she watched him and took in the ambiance of his room. "You have to wear that stuff every day?"

He started unbuttoning his dress shirt and hung it up in his closet. "Yup. Can't get out of it. I swear, these Watcher-bred types were born in tweed."

Buffy couldn't avert his eyes from Xander's muscular chest. Even under his undershirt it was still obviously sexy. He'd managed to get even more fit during his time here, even with all the time he had to devote to studies. His last comment caught her attention, though. "Don't tell me you own tweed now, too?"

Xander sighed and ducked in the closet to finish changing, out of respect for Buffy. She was a little disappointed, but also pleased that he would think of her like that.

"Yes," he called through the door, "I do own a tweed suit. I usually stick to the lighter fabrics, though. Some of the others do too, though they seem quite at home in tweed, never too hot or anything..." He came back out of the closet wearing jeans, a plain, white T-shirt and a blue shirt over it, unbuttoned. Buffy smiled. This was the Xander she was used to seeing. One she wasn't afraid to rumple.

"Are you going to get in trouble wearing that?" she asked curiously.

He shook his head. "I might get teased a little, but we're allowed to wear whatever we want on the weekends."

"So," Buffy said, faltering for a minute. "Tell me about the dance. What's it for? Who's gonna be there, and all that?" She was actually a little nervous about the event. It was going to be so public. This was supposed to be her private time with Xander. And public time with the Watchers brought up bad memories for her. But he wanted to go, and she wanted to be there for him, so she would go. And she would do her best to have fun.

Xander paused for a minute, then straddled his desk chair backwards, so they could talk. "It's a celebration. The proconsul and the board are finally done purging the Council of Chamberlain's influence. They worked practically around the clock for ages, and now things are finally under way. Ms. Post decided that we all deserved a reward."

"Well, I'm glad things are better in that regard," Buffy said.

Xander shrugged a little. "The others disagreed with some of my strong views on the subject. But things are finally getting better. Really better. It makes things easier here."

Buffy suppressed a shiver at the memories of last time she was in England. "I guess it was easier to push that bad stuff out of my mind in Sunnydale. Aidan doesn't give me much time to slack off."

"I can't imagine the Hellmouth without Giles," Xander commented. "It's a weird concept. The opening in the library seems unguarded without him there."

"It was weird for me, too, at first, but Booksellers is a great place. Aidan fixed this killer workout room in the back. Much better for training than the library was. I don't have to worry about knocking over all the bookshelves." She smiled. "And I check the library every few days, just to be sure nothing has... erupted."

Xander frowned, trying to picture it in his head. "That's... nice."

Buffy was off on a roll. "Yeah, and I can't wait til you get to see their new house. The one where Aidan, Sonya, Faith and Rio live. It's really nice. And big. Gotta love Council funding, right? They've done wonders with the place. Those pictures I sent really don't do it justice. And Sonya and Faith actually get a long a little better now that they aren't forced to share a room. That was a nightmare..." She trailed off when she saw an odd look come over Xander's face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said quickly.

She blushed, and felt uncomfortable again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off like that... on stuff you don't know about."

"It's OK," Xander told her. And he did want it to be OK. He wanted to know all about her life there. He just felt weird hearing, in person, about all the things in her life that he wasn't a part of. It was like a whole different world than the place he remembered and loved.

Buffy smiled. "That's good. So... what should we do now? You could give me that tour before we go meet Mom and Giles for dinner."

"Is that what you want to do?" he asked.

"Sure," Buffy agreed. She wasn't sure that was what she really wanted to do, but it would be a good thing to do.

"You sure you don't want to... you know... stay in for a while?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively, and Buffy blushed again.

She did actually, but she also wanted to spend time with him in a non-physical way. Time talking and learning about what things were like for him here.

"After dinner," she told him. "We'll get our indoor alone time in then. I'm sure we can ditch Mom and Giles again."

Xander nodded, a grin lighting his face. "Sounds like a plan."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

They toured the whole Academy. Xander showed Buffy where he went to class, where his friends lived (though most people were out doing things on Friday afternoon and not at home for her to meet), the cafeteria, the exercise courts, the stables, the pool, and everything.

Buffy didn't like the exercise courts. Too many memories in some just like those. She was just thankful she wouldn't have to spend much time at the Compound while they were in England. She needed more time before she would feel completely comfortable there again, if she ever could feel that way. The party would be at the Compound, but since Buffy had never actually been in the ball room, she hoped it would be all right.

They had dinner with Joyce and Giles in Giles's apartment. Joyce had actually cooked the dinner, though Giles had helped her, or so she said. They seemed very relaxed, which pleased Buffy. She knew that Giles would help entertain her mother so she could spend time alone with Xander. She appreciated that. Buffy felt bad for neglecting her mother, but Joyce had assured her she wouldn't take it personally.

After dinner, they went back to Xander's room, leaving Giles to show Joyce one of his favorite videos.

The air in the dorm room was charged with electricity. Buffy toyed with the hem of her shirt nervously. She knew she looked good in the skirt and tank top ensamble. Xander looked good, too. He closed the door behind them, and walked over to her. They stood there, looking each other over, drinking in sights they had been denied for too long.

"Hi," Xander whispered, fingering a lock of her golden hair.

"Hi," Buffy replied. Her hand drifted up to his chest, tracing his muscles through the T-shirt. "I've missed you."

"Me, too," he told her. Then Xander couldn't wait any longer. He crushed Buffy too him in a tight embrace and pressed his lips to hers. She met him with equal passion, and wrapped her arms around his waist with a good portion of her considerable strenght.

Xander chuckled. Then he picked her up and set her on the edge of the bed. He took off his over shirt and dropped it on the floor. She glanced away, a little shy suddenly. He sat down next to her. And then they were kissing again, completely lost in each other, oblivious to anything else in the world.

Later -- though she didn't know exactly how much later -- Buffy suddenly whispered, "Xander?"

"Hmmmm?" he muttered, busily nibbling the curve of her neck.

She shivered with pleasure, but didn't let it distract her for too long. "I need to ask you something."

He pulled back and looked at her, resting his head on his hand. They were laying very close together on his small bed. He could feel the warmth of her body pressed down the line of his. "What?"

"Have..." Buffy glanced away for a minute. This was something they'd never really had the chance to talk about fully. Something was always in the way. They were sneaking around, or he was under an evil spell, or they were trying to save their friends from being tortured, or they were separated by an ocean... "Have you ever..."

Xander knew what she meant. He could read it on her face. He smiled. Gently, he touched her chin with his hand and guided it back to he could look into her eye. "Never."

"Never?" She started to return his smile. "You're almost 18, and you've never...?"

"Never found the right girl," Xander told her. And that was the truth. For a while there, Xander knew he probably would have given up his virginity to the first girl who offered him the chance. Sex had kind of been an obsession with his younger self. But then more important things had come along. Innocence of a different kind had been stolen from him, and life-and-death responsibilites had taken over the number one spot in his life. "Never even had time for the right girl before you. What about you?"

"I..." she blushed again. Buffy seemed to be doing that a lot tonight. "I... well... no." She lapsed into silence, remembering the chain of events her life had taken, leading up to this point. Maybe, in the long run, the accident had been a good thing. The path she had been on before -- the path of popularity and boy craziness -- would have probably led her to this point much sooner. And with someone much less worthy.

"This is a good thing," Xander told her, tenderly kissing her cheeks and then her lips before raising up to look at her again. "A very good thing."

"I think so, too."

Xander leaned down to kiss her again. She returned the kiss for a minute, and then pulled away.

"What'cha thinkin'?" he asked, changing their position so she could rest her head on his shoulder, and he could rest his on the pillow.

"I don't know..." Buffy whispered.

"Yes, you do," Xander urged. He rested his hand on the top of her golden head. "Something's going on up there."

"This is going to sound stupid."

"Nothing you could say would ever sound stupid."

"I just... I just think maybe we should slow down a bit right now."

Xander was disappointed. What red-blooded, teenaged male wouldn't be? But he also knew Buffy, and he would never want to make her uncomfortable. "If that's what you want, of course, we will. But, can I ask why?"

"It's a really big step," Buffy told him. "I'm kind of nervous about it. I not sure if I'm ready yet, and so I think... well, I wouldn't want us to jump into this just because it's our only time together, you know?"

Xander snuggled closer to Buffy, enjoying the feel of her next to him. "I know. And you're right, I guess. Honestly, I hadn't thought that far ahead. I was just enjoying the moment."

"I was enjoying the moment, too," Buffy told him. "A lot, actually." She began to worry, suddenly, and shifted so she could see his face, his eyes. "Are you OK with what I said?"

"Yeah..." Xander said slowly. "I am. It makes a lot of sense. That doesn't mean I don't want it."

"I want it to," Buffy told him. "I just... I just want to be careful. And smart. I know that I want my first time to be with you. I just want it to be right. And right now just seems too fast, a little bit."

"I understand," Xander replied. "I really do. And I want my first time to be with you, too. Whenever that is."

Buffy smiled and snuggled closer to him. "I love you, Xander Harris."

"I love you, Buffy Summers."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning Xander woke up alone. He and Buffy had snuggled and kissed for several hours, but she'd had to go back downstairs before it got too late. She didn't want her mother to worry, and Joyce was the type to check in. And sleeping in the same bed probably would have been too tempting anyway. But, still, he missed having her next to him.

He got up and went to turn his computer on like he did every morning, when he realize again that Buffy was really in England. There would be no emailing today! He was gathering he stuff to head for the showers when someone knocked on his door.

"Harris, you decent?"

Recognizing the voice of his neighbor, and one of his best friends among the Watchers in training, Xander called, "Sure, Ed. Come on in."

Edward walked into the room, frowning at Xander for calling him Ed. It was a running thing between them. At this point, though, Edward knew that his reactions only made Xander do it more, so he limited himself to disgruntled looks.

"What's up?" Xander asked, searching around in his closet for his bottle of shampoo.

"I just wanted to see how you were getting along, you know, with the illuminating Miss Summers in town."

Xander smiled. "Things are fine. She's in her room. We're meeting for breakfast."

"Good, good." Edward glanced around the room. "Everything's still standing. I would have thought shagging with a Slayer would be more... destructive."

Xander's smile turned into a fierce frown. "Shut up, man! That was pretty crude. I thought you prided yourself on being a gentleman!"

Edward extended his hands in a gesture of peace. "Sorry, Harris. Didn't mean to touch on a sore subject. Maybe she didn't spend the night after all? Not what I would have expected after months of pining."

"What Buffy and I do is none of your business. I know you Watcher-types have this fascination with the Slayer since so much of your life revolves around her, but she's my girlfriend, and I'm not going to talk about her like that."

Seeing that Xander was really upset, Edward said, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I guess I shouldn't have said anything."

"At least you can admit it," Xander grumbled.

"Anyway," Edward said, deciding it was high time to change the subject away from male conquests, "the reason I came over was to see if you and Miss Summers wanted to come out with us this afternoon. A group of us are going into London to pick up our finery, and we'll have lunch out... it should be a good time."

Xander quickly got over his anger at Edward. He knew the guy hadn't meant any harm. "Who's going?"

"Besides me?" Edward asked, grinning. "Greensmith and Sarah for sure. Maybe a couple of the other fellows. Oh, and Daphne wants to tag along."

Xander was glad Sarah was coming. She and Greensmith had gotten closer since they'd all done field exercises together. They weren't officially involved or anything, but they were going to the dance together. His eyebrows shot up at the last name Edward mentioned. "Daphne is going?" He hadn't interacted much with Daphne. Right now her on-again, off-again relationship with his nemesis, Nelson, was in its on-again phase. Daphne was also, undeniably, the most attractive girl at the Academy. And she wasn't afraid to use that fact. Thought they hadn't interacted, Xander had observed her several times. She definitely wasn't afraid to use her charms to get anything she wanted. The thing he'd always wondered was why she seemed to want a jerk like Nelson.

"Yes, I thought it odd, myself," Edward replied. "But she asked me after class yesterday, and what could I say without being ungentlemanly?"

"Hmmm." Xander finally found everything he needed and headed for the door. He let Edward walk out first. "Well, it should be interesting."

"So, you'll come?"

He nodded. "Sounds good to me. I want her to meet you guys."

"Good. We're meeting at 10:30."

"Taking an Academy car?"

"If Mr. Giles says yes."

Xander understood the double meaning in that statement. "I'll ask him." Then he left Edward at his room and went down the hall to the showers.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy woke up with a smile on her face. She stretched and yawned in her comfortable, soft, warm bed. There was a soft knock at the bathroom door. Her mother then opened the door and stuck her head inside.

"Good morning, sweetie."

"Good morning, Mom." Buffy looked over to see that Joyce had already showered and dressed. "You're ready early. Aren't you jet lagged at all?"

Joyce shook her head. "Not really, surprisingly enough. Maybe it's the excitement of a day of sight-seeing. Rupert promised to give me an insider's tour, show me the places that only natives know about. I didn't get to see all that much the last time we were here, so I plan to make the most of it." She walked all the way in the room, and sat down on the edge of her daughter's bed.

"You're OK with this, then?" Buffy asked. "With me spending most of my time with Xander? I feel a little like I'm abandoning you."

"It's fine," Joyce assured her. "I know how much you want to spend time with Xander. That's the point of this whole trip anyway. I'm perfectly capable of amusing myself, and Rupert is good company."

"I remember a time when you hated his guts." Buffy sat up as they talked, pushing the down comforter off her legs.

"Yes, well, evil spells will do that to a man." Joyce stood up, ready to go back in her room. "I'm going to go finish getting ready. You should shower and then we can walk down to Rupert's apartment for breakfast together."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As she got ready, Buffy planned the day in her head. It would be perfect. She and Xander could spend the morning and afternoon together. Maybe they could go horseback riding or for a walk on the grounds. She could pump him for more information on his friends, then she would be better prepared to meet them at the party that night. She was really looking forward to the day.

When the women got downstairs, they found Xander and Giles waiting with a plate of kedgeree. Buffy looked at the food suspiciously.

Xander came over next to her and whispered, "I know. That's how I felt the first time he tried to make me eat it. But it's actually good."

She gave him a doubtful look, but when Giles passed her a plateful, she tried it, and found it to be -- if not the best thing she'd ever eaten -- perfectly edible.

After breakfast, Buffy and Xander waved Giles and Joyce off on their sight-seeing adventure.

"You kids have fun!" Xander called after the moving car. Joyce just waved out the window.

"You're so cute," Buffy told him. "It's not like they're going on a date or anything."

Xander shrugged. "You never know. England has quite the climate for romance!" He picked her up and twirled her around in the middle of the driveway. Buffy laughed in surprise. "Now," he said, setting her back down, "I have a surprise for you."

"Really?" Buffy waited in anticipation.

"We're going into London for the afternoon." Xander gestured as he spoke. "It will be great. My friends are all going, Edward, Greensmith, Sarah... You'll be able to meet them before the party tonight and get to know them."

Inside, Buffy's heart sank. That was *so* not what she had wanted to do today. She did want to meet his friends, but the party was soon enough for that. Those old, shy feelings started to swell again. She hated new situations -- like this, or like her first day at Sunnydale High -- hanging out with a group of kids she didn't know. But she could tell from the look on his face that this was really important to him. And Buffy didn't want to let him down.

Giving him the best smile she could manage, she said, "Gee, Xander, that sounds fun."

They began walking back into the building. Xander looked closely at her face. "Is something wrong, Buffy?"

She shook her head and in her brightest tone assured him, "No... nothing's wrong. Don't be silly."

Luckily, she was saved from more of the same by the pack of teenagers waiting for them in the foyer.

"Harris!" a blond boy with a ponytale called in a hearty voice. "You made it. And this is the famous Buffy Summers who decorates every corner of your room." He walked over and kissed her hand. "You are ten times more lovely in person."

"Um... thanks," Buffy said, giving him a small smile, but taking possession of her hand back as quickly as possible without being rude.

"Buffy," Xander said proudly, "this is Edward, my neighbor and a really great guy."

"Nice to meet you, Edward," Buffy said, honestly. He did seem nice, if a bit over-exuberant at first.

Then Xander introduced her to the others. Buffy thought Sarah was very sweet. She reminded Buffy a little of Amy, and Buffy felt comfortable with Sarah immediately. Greensmith seemed like a nice guy, as did the other two boys: Michael Witherspoon and Randal Falen. They all shook her hand politely, and she didn't detect that "oh-she's-the-Slayer" awe in their eyes for very long.

"Harris," Edward said, as soon as the introductions were over, "did Mr. Giles agree to your proposal or do we have to find some other means of transportation?"

Xander put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a keyring. "He said yes, but it's the van."

"That's fine," Edward said. "We've got eight people coming anyway. A regular car would be a bit of a smush."

Counting quickly, Buffy asked, "Who's missing."

"I'm so sorry I'm late," a voice carroled from the staircase. "I couldn't find my sunglasses, and then my heel broke so I had to change... This morning has just been horrid."

Buffy turned to see a blonde vision descending the stairs toward them. She was tall -- much taller than Buffy -- with sleek blonde hair framing her picturesque face. Not a hair moved out of place, even though she walked at a quick clip. Her eyes were big and blue, and highlighted by the right, subtle application of eye makeup. The rosy colors on her lips and cheeks were so perfect that if Buffy hadn't known better she would assume them to be the natural glow of health. But no girl that beautiful wasn't wearing makeup... right? And her body. For being tall and thin, the girl was startlingly well-proportioned. Buffy could tell that all the boys noticed, too, especially the way the girl's breasts jiggled as she moved down each stair. Buffy felt a stab of envy for such a perfect figure. Slaying had put Buffy on the skinny side -- normally a good thing, unless competing against someone with a plethora of curves in all the right places.

The girl walked down and addressed herself right to Buffy. "You must be the Slayer. I am so thrilled for the chance to meet you. When I heard you were coming on this little outing, I just couldn't stay away."

Xander glanced at Edward with a scowl. Edward shook his head, indicating that he hadn't been Daphne's source on that rumor.

Daphne continued, "I am Daphne Le Blanc. It is such an honor to meet you, Buffy."

Buffy returned the girl's handshake weakly. She felt drained just from being in the girl's presence. This was not good. "Hello, it's... uh... nice to meet you, too."

"Well, then," Daphne said, turning her toothy smile on the rest of the group in general. "What are we waiting for? We've got some serious shopping to do, and it isn't often that we girls have such a bevy of handsome male escorts to the shops." The boys around them seemed to stand taller at her praise and they all started walking to the garage where the Academy cars were kept.

Daphne moved on to attach herself to Greensmith's arm. Buffy was glad, until she saw Sarah's face. The other girl -- who Buffy thought very attractive despite a few extra pounds, with red curls and a natural complexion that was to die for, even with the few freckles, -- had a dour expression on her face.

"Everything OK?" Buffy asked Sarah quietly.

The other girl shrugged. "It's hurricane Daphne. You never know what will happen. I didn't know she was interested in Allen, though." Her eyes kept flashing back to Greensmith and Daphne.

"Are you interested in Allen?" Buffy asked with a knowing smile.

Sarah's amazing skin colored with a delicate pink blush. "We're just friends... right now. But we're going to the gala together tonight."

"You never know what can happen at a gala," Buffy told Sarah with a confidence she hoped sounded genuine. "Of course, I guess I'm not a good one to ask. Xander and I met when he saved me from a vampire... that was before I became the Slayer."

"Really?" Sarah asked. "Xander never told me that."

"It's totally true," Buffy swore. "Then he walked me home, to keep me safe, and we were attacked by his old best friend, who had become a vampire, and this other vampire, Spike. It was messy."

"You met William the Bloody *before* you were the Slayer?" Among the trainees, Sarah had the most knowledge about vampire trivia. It had come in handy for her during the field exercises.

Buffy nodded. "When we made it into the house, I was really glad about that can't-come-in-unless-invited stipulation, let me tell you!"

"I shoud say!" Sarah agreed.

"What are you girls chatting about over here?"

Buffy looked up and smiled as Xander slid his arm around her waist. "I was just telling Sarah about the first time we met."

Xander threw his head back dramatically. "Not that old story, please!"

Sarah and Buffy both laughed at him.

"You three seem to be having fun."

Xander stiffened, as did the girls, when Daphne spoke to them. Buffy wasn't sure if it were her imagination or not, but it seemed like the svelte bombshell directed her batting eyelashes toward Xander for a prolonged moment. At least, she consoled herself, he didn't seem to care.

"That's what today is for, Daphne," Sarah said quietly, then she got into the back of the van.

"Daphne," Xander said, "why don't you sit in the front seat?"

"Why, thank you, Xander," Daphne said with a smile. "Help me up?"

Xander didn't know what to make of that, but in the land of gentlemen, he had to do it. He opened the door for her and gave her a hand up. After closing the door on her, he leaned down to Buffy and murmured, "At least up there she'll be out of her hair."

"I don't suppose you want to practice your driving, Harris?"

Buffy looked up, trying to conceal a pained expression. She gave a sigh of relief when Xander said, "You know I can't get past how you guys drive on the wrong side of the road. You'd better do it, Ed. Or let Michael." Then he turned to help Buffy into the van.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After driving into London proper, Buffy discovered that the fun part of going shopping with a group of natives was getting the inside scoop. They didn't go to any of the famous, expensive stores. Instead, they ended up in Soho, a quaint shopping district with plenty of shops that contained both quality merchandise at good prices. The people selling things on the street -- flowers, jewelry, etc. -- charmed Buffy, and added to the ambiance of the whole area.

"This is great," Buffy remarked as they parked the van in an unobtrusive spot and disembarked. "You guys will be able to find great stuff for the party tonight." Thinking about that, she leaned to Sarah and asked, "How come you don't already have stuff?"

"Because," Daphne said loudly, "we don't have time to go shopping every day. Classes take up a lot of time, you know."

Buffy blushed. "I didn't mean..."

"Of course, you didn't," Sarah said, giving Daphne a pointed look. "So don't worry about it."

Xander came up just then and took Buffy's arm. He led her to a small tailor's shop on the corner. "This is the place where the trainees get all their stuff altered. They're great, and very reasonably priced. And they do tuxes, too. We've all got to try on the tuxes and make sure they're OK before we can take them out of here." A worried look crossed his face. "That might be a little boring for you, huh?"

Before Buffy could say anything, there was Daphne again. "Don't worry, Xander, darling, Sarah and I will take good care of Buffy."

"Oh, gee," Buffy said weakly, "that sounds like fun." The thought that Sarah would be there, too, was some consolation, though, so she found a smile.

Xander kissed her on the cheek. "Great. I'm glad. Thanks Sarah, Daphne."

"Girls," Edward said, "meet us at Rigby's in two hours for lunch?"

Sarah nodded. "Sure."

Daphne threaded her arm through Buffy's and began pulling her down the block. "Don't worry about us. We girls will get along just fine without you men to watch over us." Sarah had to step lively to keep up with Daphne's long stride. Buffy was grateful for her athletic lifestyle, which allowed her to easily keep up with the blonde's quick pace.

"Here we are," Daphne announced, suddenly pulling Buffy to a stop. "This is the best place to find dresses in the whole of London. I'm sure we can find you girls something here, too."

Sarah frowned. "I'm perfectly capable..."

But Daphne wasn't paying any attention to her. She was looking at Buffy as the girls entered the cute little boutique. "What size to you wear, Buffy?"

Disentangling her arm from Daphne's with as much grace as she could muster, Buffy said, "I brought a dress with me from California, actually."

"You did?" Daphne asked, a wide smile on her pink lips. "How... quaint. What styles are 'in' in California these days? The last time I checked it was all short, tight and spandex." She moved over to examine a stunning, navy blue evening gown with a sweeping, full skirt and a fitted bodice. "Now this is a dress!"

Buffy hesitated, thinking of the dress hanging in her closet back at the Academy. Looking around at all the stunning evening gowns in this store, Buffy suddenly wished she could afford to buy something here. They were all gorgeous. Buffy was stunned that Watchers, even trainees, would wear stuff like this. When Xander said the event was formal, Buffy had envisioned vests with the usual tweed suits or rhinestone encrusted bowties. Not full on black tie gala.

"Which store were you shopping at when you found your dress?" Daphne asked suddenly. "My grandmere takes me to the states for a clothing spree every couple of years, so I know all the good stores. Bloomies. Saks. Nieman..."

Buffy looked away, and said, "You wouldn't know the place. It's a local store." She would not say second hand in front of Daphne. She would not! Normally, she wouldn't have bought a second hand dress for a formal or any other event. But with the family almost tapped out of disposible income because of expensive plane tickets, there hadn't been much to spare for the dress. And even Cordelia had agreed that it didn't look second hand. No rips or stains. And it was very pretty. But suddenly, Buffy would give anything to be able to purchase one of the silky, full-skirted evening gowns in this store.

Daphne had a navy blue dress and a black one in hand. "Well, I'm sure you'll look just darling. In fact, I have to let you help me pick which of these I should buy." She headed for the dressing room.

Sarah, a lovely green gown in hand, paused by Buffy to say, "Don't let her worry you. She's a clothes snob. I'm sure your dress will be great."

Buffy tried to smile. While she waited, she glanced over the gowns in the store. Her eye fell on a mauve gown and Buffy was instantly in love. It was full skirted, with a form-fitting bodice. The lace trim was also mauve. The top crossed the shoulders with thin straps, but the dress had a jacket with tight sleeves, in case the wearer didn't want to show so much skin. It was perfect. Her dream prom dress. She glanced at the price tag and almost choked. Never in a million years could she afford something like that.

"That would look really great on you. It would be just the thing for tonight."

Turning, Buffy saw Daphne standing there, a vision in the navy blue dress. It hugged all her curves in the right places, enhanced the indigo of her eyes and made her look elegant enough to be a princess. "You look great," Buffy managed.

Daphne waved a hand, accepting the compliment as her due. "Really, Buffy. You should think about getting this dress. It is perfect for you."

"I can't," Buffy said. Quickly, she added, "I already have a dress, remember."

"What color is it?" Daphne questioned.

"White," Buffy answered.

Daphne's face wrinkled for a minute, before she consciously smoothed it out. "You're going to wear white?"

"What's wrong with white?"

"Nothing... I'm sure." Daphne turned back toward the dressing room. "I'll just go try on the other dress."

Buffy noticed that Daphne didn't ask her opinion. [Guess my fashion sense isn't up to snuff, in her opinion. Whatever.] Buffy tried not to let it bother her. She wandered about the shop alone, fingering the pretty dresses and trying not to lust after them too much. There was a small section of the boutique devoted to acccessories, and Buffy drifted in that direction. She noticed a gorgeous evening wrap and walked over for a closer look. It was white and very thin. It managed to shine with subtle golden threads in the weave, and yet it also had a lacey feel. She shook it out and tried it on. It lay on her shoulders like it was meant for her. She knew it would look stunning with the dress waiting for her back at the Academy. Taking the wrap off, she turned over the price tag and blanched. Thirty pounds. With the exchange rate, she could never afford that. If it were thirty dollars, maybe.

"May I help you with something?"

Buffy looked up to see a well-coiffed saleswoman standing next to her expectantly. "Um... no. I'm just waiting for my companions to try on their dresses."

The woman glanced at the wrap in Buffy's hands, and Buffy reluctantly gave it to her. The saleswoman returned it to the display, and Buffy wandered off to pretend to look at something else.

"This is way too Julia Roberts for me," Buffy grumbled to herself as she examined some necklaces through a glass case. "Of course, in that movie, she *had* money." Buffy wasn't used to being strapped for cash. Usually, she and her mother got a long just fine. But this month, what with the exorbitant costs of travel and her father being late with the child support check three months in a row, things were too tight for luxury.

"What do you think?"

Buffy turned to see Sarah standing there, looking almost elegant in the green evening gown. "That's just perfect with your coloring," Buffy gushed.

Sarah colored a little -- she seemed to do that easily. "Thanks."

"Allen won't stand a chance."

Darting a look at Daphne -- who was modling the black dress (which accentuated her every curve, in a very well-bred manner, of course) in the full-length mirrors outside the fitting rooms -- Sarah muttered, "I hope so."

"You get him, girl!" Buffy exclaimed.

"What about you?" Sarah asked. "Find anything? I loved that wrap on you, but the saleswoman took it back before I could get over here to tell you."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm not getting it."

Sarah knew enough not to ask any probing questions. "Well, I'm off to change. Maybe I can hurry the princess along, as well."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The girls didn't make it to the cafe in time. Daphne just couldn't decide between the navy blue dress and the black one. Finally, she decided to buy them both and decide that night. Buffy just shook her head and kept to the background. Even Cordelia wasn't that extravegant, at least, not with dresses that cost so much at one time.

When they got to the cafe, loaded down with three dress bags, boys jumped all over themselves to relieve Daphne of her burdon. Xander took Buffy's bag and she smiled at him.

"I thought you already had a dress," Xander murmured, as he put the bag to the side.

"I do," Buffy told him. "Daphne bought two. She couldn't decide... navy blue or black."

Xander couldn't conceal a smile. "And I thought Cordy was a princess."

"My thoughts exactly." She smiled right back at him.

As Xander pushed in her chair for her, Buffy was pleased to note that Greensmith did have the grace to help Sarah with her bag. Maybe he wasn't so far gone, after all.

Lunch was a crazy affair. The boys were obviously hyper, and they talked about everything in loud voices. Sarah joined in some, and even Daphne contributed. The blonde continued to steer the conversation toward things that Buffy didn't know about. Buffy began to feel lost and alone. A little island in the middle of someone else's life. Xander's life. But he didn't seem to notice. At one point, he even got up and left her there alone with them for almost twenty minutes, and he never did tell her what he was doing all that time. The fact that Sarah disappeared about the same time made it worse because Sarah felt like Buffy's only other ally in the group. She consoled herself with the fact that at least Daphne hadn't disappeared as well. Buffy wanted to keep tabs on Daphne whenever possible. She seemed like the backstabbing type.

"So, Buffy, are you having fun?"

Buffy tried to muster up a smile for Edward. He seemed like a nice guy, if a little over the top at times. And she liked his ponytail. "Yeah, I am."

"How come I don't believe you?"

"I was just wondering where Sarah and Xander had gotten off to."

"As am I," Edward admitted. "But don't worry about it. They've always got their heads together. They've become great friends."

"I'm glad," Buffy said honestly. "Sarah is a really sweet girl, and it's good that Xander is making friends here..."

"But?" He looked at her knowingly.

She looked away. "It's just hard. Like right now." She guestured to the others who were laughing and talking about something an instructor had done earlier in the week. Buffy had never heard of the instructor, and didn't get why the whole thing inspired gales of laughter. "I feel like I don't know what's going on."

"He feels the same way, I would wager," Edward reminded her. "When you tell him about what's going on at home. I'm sure he feels lost, as well. You're in a hard situation."

Buffy nodded, feeling suddenly misty. She noticed Daphne looking in their direction and forced her tears to dry up. "But it's OK."

Edward nodded. "I'm sure you two can make it work. The bond is very strong. I can tell."

She gave him a smile. "Thanks, Edward."

"You're very welcome, Buffy."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When they got back that afternoon, there was an hour or so to kill before they had to get ready for the party. Xander suggested a walk.

"So," Buffy said as they strolled through the gardens. She inhaled the scent of fresh flowers and felt herself coming back to a peaceful plane of existence. "Where did you and Sarah vanish to at lunch? If Edward hadn't been there, I would have been all alone at the mercy of Daphne and her minions."

"Hey," Xander said, in a mock offended voice, "those guys aren't minions. Blinded by her beauty perhaps, but not yet degraded to minion status."

Buffy touched a rose with her finger, feeling its velvety softness against her hand. "You think Daphne is beautiful?"

"Um..." Xander swallowed nervously. "Aesthetically, yes, I would have to conceed that she is..."

"Ouch!" Her hand slipped against a thorn, drawing blood. Buffy gave Xander a dirty look. "Being with the Watchers has improved your vocabulary, that's for sure. Conceed."

"You didn't let me finish," Xander hurried to add. "I was going to say that even if she is beautiful, you are fabulous. Absolutely stunning. The supermodel of my heart?"

Buffy couldn't help but smile a little at that. "OK, I forgive you." She put her finger in her mouth to suck off the blood.

"Let me see that." Xander took her hand and looked at it. The scratch was already healing. "Lucky you."

She shrugged her shoulders. "It comes with the territory, I guess. So... you never did tell me where you and Sarah vanished to. Did you go somewhere together?"

"I can't really say." Xander dropped her hand and walked over to a nearby bench. "Sit with me?"

"Why can't you say?" Buffy persisted. "You're not having a torrid affair or something, are you?" She didn't believe that in the slightest, but he was acting so guilty. And why wouldn't he tell her the truth?

"Of course not! Is that what you think?" He stood up again to face her. "Why are you so hung up on this?"

"I wasn't hung up on it until you wouldn't tell me the truth," Buffy snapped. "I just wanted to know what was so important that you would leave me alone like that. Daphne is a real pain in the arse -- as a Watcher would say -- and I would have rather been spending today with you, not her, anyway."

"We had to get our tuxes," Xander said. "I thought you knew that."

"Yes, because classes are so hard that you never get away during the week." Buffy glowered at him. "Daphne told me all about it. And implied how I could never understand the pressures of your life here."

Xander put his hands on her shoulders. "Wait a minute. What is going on here? Why are we fighting like this?"

"I don't know!" Buffy wailed. "I just wanted things to be perfect. I just wanted to be with you today and make up for all the time we lost, and instead I'm battling a blonde bitch all morning, and now we're fighting. I don't understand."

"I don't understand either," Xander told her, his face getting hard. "I just wanted you to meet my friends. Get to know them before the party. I wanted you to be a part of my life here for just a little while. Make our lives not so separate."

"I'm sorry, Xander... I just... I just..." she faltered and pushed him away from her. "I just wanted this trip to be perfect!" She pushed too hard and Xander fell down on his butt. He looked up, displeased. That was it for Buffy. She couldn't take any more. She turned and ran away into the mansion, leaving Xander alone in the gardens.

Part 2

The mansion that housed the Academy sat in silence. All its normal inhabitants had either already left for the gala event happening at the Compound that evening or they were frantically getting ready for said event in their rooms.

Buffy stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection. She wore a lovely white dress. It wasn't full-skirted and elegant like the ones she'd seen in the boutique earlier that day, but it was lovely in its own way. It was cut close to the body, enough to show off her curves, but not enough to look slutty. The dress had an off-the-shoulder neckline that dipped a little in the back and showed off her tanned shoulders. And the pearly white color of the gown enhanced her natural California tan. A lovely rhinestone and gold choker (borrowed from Cordelia for the occasion, along with the rest of her jewelry) accentuated her graceful neck. A matching bracelet encircled her left wrist. The matching earrings dangled, sparkling against the backdrop of her golden hair. Buffy had curled her hair and inserted a rhinestone clip so that it looked elegant, but it was still down and framing one side of her face. She knew Xander liked her hair down.

Of course, the question that remained was would Xander ever like her again? After the fight they'd had in the gardens, she didn't really know. He was supposed to be here to pick her up for the party in a few minutes, but after the way they'd left things, she wondered if he would even show up.

Buffy nibbled on her lip, thinking about how things had gotten so out of control. She still didn't know. It was all stupid, and it ruined the whole evening. The whole trip. She realized that the nibbling would ruin her lipstick, and stopped.

There was a knock, but it was at the bathroom door.

"Yes, Mom?"

Joyce came in wearing a lovely, grey silk evening gown. "How do I look?"

Buffy smiled. "Perfect."

Joyce spun around, showing off the whole ensamble. "It's just the right color for an old fogie like me, huh?"

"You're not an old fogie," Buffy protested.

With a small laugh, Joyce answered, "Well, thank you for that, anyway. And it's just nice to be able to wear this again. I always liked this dress, but there haven't been as many gala nights on the town in my life since your father removed himself from it."

"Dad did like to go four-star, didn't he," Buffy muttered. "I bet he's four-starring it with the woman, or rather child of the month right now, too. They're probably in Monnaco or Rio or some other fabulous locale, spending my college money."

Joyce frowned. "What brought that on? Understand that I agree, but I don't like to badmouth your father in front of you. It's not healthy for you."

"And I appreciate the concern," Buffy told her. "I'm just in a lousy mood. It's been a less than perfect day."

"Oh dear." Joyce moved over to stand next to her daughter. "Care to tell me about it? My listening ear is always ready."

Buffy sighed. "I wanted to spend the day with just Xander, but he wanted me to go out with him and his friends. That would have been OK, but then this awful girl came along. The beautiful, rich, snob type. And she just loved needling me. I don't know if she thought it was fun to push the Slayer or if she's just a bitch or what, but it was awful. Then Xander ran out with this other girl and left me alone with the rest of them for a long time. And when I asked him where he went, he wouldn't tell me and we got in this huge fight. Then I came back here, and I haven't heard from him since. He didn't follow me or anything. I don't even know if he's going to come pick me up for this thing or what."

Joyce laid a comforting hand on Buffy's shoulder. "Part of me wants to hug you and tell you it's all going to be OK. But that would crush your dress and ruin your beautiful hair."

"It's OK," Buffy said, finding a small smile. "Thanks for the thought, though. I wouldn't let you anyway, because then I'd ruin your outfit."

"Look, Buffy," Joyce said, going into advising-mother mode, "you should just find Xander and talk all this out with him. It's probably all the stress from a hard situation boiling over. You remember that I told you putting so much pressure on yourselves to have the perfect weekend wouldn't work out well."

"Now you're saying I told you so?"

"In a way, I guess," Joyce admitted. "I'm sorry, dear. I don't mean to sound condescending."

"You don't." Buffy looked apologetic. "I'm just in a rotten mood. I shouldn't take it out on you. I'm sorry, too."

There was another knock. This one from Buffy's regular door.

"That might be him," Joyce whispered. "I'll be in my room waiting for Rupert. If something happens, I'm there if you need me."

Buffy nodded. When Joyce vanished through the bathroom door, Buffy went and opened the other door. No one was there. Buffy frowned and stepped out into the hall. No one. But there was a box on the floor outside her door. She picked it up and brought it back inside. She laid the box on the bed and pulled off the cover. She gasped in pleasure.

Inside the box lay the beautiful gold and white wrap she had admired at the boutique. "But how...?"

She pulled the wrap out to admire the fabric. There was a note underneath.

"Buffy,

This explains where Sarah and I went this afternoon. I wanted it to be a surprise. I guess things got a little out of hand. I'm sorry.

Love, Xander."

A stab of guilt pierced Buffy's heart as she set the note aside and ran her fingers over the beautiful evening wrap. "He must have blown his whole month's allowance on this."

"Actually, I've been saving up. I just didn't know what to buy for you until Sarah told me about the wrap."

Buffy looked up to see Xander standing in her doorway. He looked breath-taking in his tux. Buffy had never seen him so handsome. The picture was only marred by the serious and sad expression on his face.

"Xander..." she started.

"Me first," Xander interrupted. "Look, Buffy, I wanted to say I'm sorry if I was insensitive this afternoon. I should have asked you before I agreed that we would go with Edward and the others."

"No!" Buffy cried, running over to stand in front of him. "You were totally fine. I was the one putting pressure on us, and being stupid. I know we don't live in a bubble. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up about you wanting us to hang out with your friends. I was totally and completely wrong."

A smile crossed Xander's face. "So, we're both stupid and wrong?"

Buffy nodded. "That's pretty much it."

"I can live with that, I think."

"Me, too." She started toward him, and then stopped. "If I kiss you now, I'll get lipstick all over you."

Xander pretended to think about it for a minute. "Who cares!" Then he swept her up in his arms and kissed her passionately. He managed to do it without mussing her hair and dress. And she managed not to get makeup on his crisp, white tuxedo shirt.

When he finally let her go, Buffy was breathless. "Wow."

Panting a little himself, Xander added, "Double wow."

"I love you," Buffy said, resting her hands on his shoulders. "And I really am sorry. I was the one in the wrong here, not you."

"Thanks for saying that, Buffy, but I'm still sorry anyway." Xander smiled down at her, and she felt her heart lift. "And I love you, too. Always have, and always will."

Buffy let out a little giggle. "Now you've got to wipe that passion pink off your lips or the guys are never going to let you hear the end of it." She handed him a tissue, and then stepped in front of the mirror to reapply lipstick and powder.

Soon they were ready, and just in time. Giles -- looking pretty studly himself, for an old guy, Buffy thought -- came to get Joyce and the four rode over to the Compound together.

As they drove up the long, curved driveway, Buffy was dazzled by the glowing lights. "This place looks entirely different. It's like a whole new world tonight."

Xander clasped her hand tightly. "That's what this party is all about."

"The Council has come a long way in the past few months," Giles commented. "Tonight we get to celebrate that."

The men were gallant, opening the doors for the ladies and escorting them into the mansion. The way was well-marked by plenty of sweet-smelling flowers straight from the gardens somewhere. Buffy inhaled happily, enjoying the ambiance. She walked with her arm threaded through Xander's, clutching the edge of her new wrap with the other hand. The decorations, and the fact that the ballroom was in a different part of the Compound than she had previously frequented, helped Buffy keep bad memories at bay.

They walked into the ballroom, and the sight almost took her breath away. The room sparkled with crystal and gold. Soft light filtered down from crystal chandaliers and candles on the walls. A string quartet played beautiful music from the corner, and a decadent buffet had been set up along one wall. White tablecloths set the mood at the tables that surrounded the panneled dance floor. No one was dancing yet, but people had just begun to arrive.

All the Watchers in England, most of those from Europe and some from other continents entierly had flown in for the event. Buffy felt a quick twinge of regret that Aidan hadn't gotten to attend, but someone had to hold down the fort on the Hellmouth during Buffy's absence, and Aidan, Faith, Rio and Angel had been the someones. The trainees were all there too, though teenagers were the minority. Some of the Council's other endevors -- members of the special forces they had begun training (though without Chamberlain's evil methods) -- were in attendance as well. The men all wore suits, most of them tuxedos, all in black or other dark colors. Most of the women wore dark colors as well -- dark blues, greens and reds were quite popular. Buffy caught a glimpse of Daphne, in her navy blue dress, in the corner with a tuxedo-clad boy. She kept casting fuming glances in the direction of another young blonde in a navy blue dress. Buffy smiled.

Xander looked around the room a couple of times as the four of them walked over and claimed seats at one of the tables. His gaze then came to rest on Buffy. She felt warmed by the emotion in his chocolate brown eyes.

"In case I forget to tell you later," he said, "you are the most beautiful woman at this whole event. That dress is the most perfect thing you could have worn."

"It does set you apart, dear," Joyce said with a proud, motherly smile.

And it was true, Buffy's white and gold ensamble -- her dress, the wrap, the borrowed rhinestones and her glowing golden hair and skin -- set her apart from everyone else in the room. But she couldn't really see it. To Xander, that made her even more beautiful.

"I should have gotten something darker," Buffy worried. "I didn't know..."

"I wouldn't change a thing about you tonight," Xander assured her.

"Really?"

He leaned down and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek. "Really."

"Well," Buffy said, trying to feel more inconspicuous but finally deciding that it didn't matter as long as Xander was happy, "you look great, too. Your tux..."

"Yeah, black and white, very original color scheme," Xander joked.

"But on you, it looks original," Buffy told him. "No one could look as good in a tux as you. Sorry, Giles."

"No offense taken," Giles said with a smile.

"Buffy!"

She turned to see Sarah coming over, looking radient in the green evening gown. Greensmith was right behind her. "Hi, Sarah. You look wonderful."

"You do, too." Sarah reached out and touched the wrap. "Did you like your surprise?"

Buffy nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"May I have everyone's attention please?" The announcement and the tapping of fingers on a microphone made everyone look toward a dias in the front of the room. Gwendolyn Post stood there, resplendent in a golden evening dress, complete with a small train. She smiled. "Thank you. And first of all, let me say that everyone here looks simply elegant."

A smattering of polite applause met her words, and the proconsul beamed out at the crowd. Buffy found the expression odd on the woman's face, but decided she could get used to it.

"Thank you," Gwendolyn continued. "I'm just going to say a few words here, so never fear. The food won't get cold." After a few chuckles, she continued, more seriously. "This gala is a well-deserved event for all of you. Everyone present has earned it. As Watchers, we have just passed through the the most dire thing imaginable -- the evil within. And we emerged victorious, though not without copious amounts of hard and grueling work. After all, the hardest thing to do is discipline one's self. But that is what we have managed to do."

Her words were met with more applause, this time much more enthusiastic.

Gwendolyn smiled at them all, seeming almost regal in her bearing and benevolence. "You all deserve this gala -- a night of relaxation, beauty and dancing -- more so than anyone else. And I have some special thanks to give right now. First of all, to Rupert Giles."

Buffy, Xander and Joyce entered into the applause with much more enthusiasm this time. Giles inclined his head in acceptance.

"He went through more than most of us," Gwendolyn went on, "and yet he is still standing. And, more than that, he has gone on to become one of the most valued reformers in the Council. The Academy is flourishing because of his hard work, and we are all in his debt."

She waited for Giles to get his due, and when the applause died down, she continued speaking. "The Board of Directors also deserves a huge debt of gratitude. As do all the members of my staff. They agonized for days and weeks over the mess that had become of our organization. Without them we might not have made it."

Gwendolyn waited again, tucking a tendril that had escaped from her chignon behind her ear. When things quieted down, she went on with the speech. "Finally, though, we owe a debt of gratitude to a group of special young people, two of whom are here tonight. Buffy Summers and Alexander Harris. Would you come up here?"

Buffy looked at Xander in surprise. He seemed just as shocked, but he recovered more quickly. He took her arm and led her up to the dias and the waiting proconsul.

"Buffy is our Slayer," Gwendolyn said when they were standing beside her. "Duty-bound to fight the forces of evil, even when she finds them in her own advisors. She should be honored for taking her duty seriously, and not allowing even those in authority over her to thwart her mission. That is exactly what we need in a Slayer -- a strong, confident woman who knows how to do the right and proper thing, not a silly sheep easily led astray by others."

Buffy colored at the high praise. It was nice to be appreciated and thanked. More than nice, actually. In her job, she didn't get many thank yous. But Gwendolyn was still talking.

"And what can I say about Mr. Harris? He's braved more than any most any mortal would have, and so, naturally, we brought him into our fold. And since he's been here, he has progressed at an unprecedented rate." She paused and then continued in a more reserved tone. "And we also owe their compatriots who remained in Sunnydale a huge debt of gratitude. For wrongs caused, and for things they did to help. And as such, we will have no secrets from future generations. Our records will reflect everything that has happened in the past few months. And they will reflect them openly and honestly, leaving out no blemish. And the names Rupert Giles, Buffy Summers, Alexander Harris, Sonya Parker, Allen Francis Doyle, Daniel Osbourne, Cordelia Chase and Joyce Summers will never be forgotten. We must always remember what they did for us, and how much we owe them."

The room was silent for a moment as everyone pondered their leader's words. Buffy squeezed Xander's hand and smiled at him. He smiled back at her, though the solemn look on his face showed how much her words had affected him, too. Buffy felt the same way. It was nice.

Then Gwendolyn spoke again. "Thank you, everyone, for your attention, and for everything you've done to make tonight, and the rest of our lives, I hope, a success. Now, let us enjoy the festivities!"

Applause rang out again, and the band began to play again. Xander looked down at Buffy. "Shall we?"

"You can dance to this?" Buffy gestured to the quartet that had begun to play a waltz. On the other side of the room, people had started to dance. She saw Giles offer her mother his arm and lead her out onto the floor.

"It's different from The Cellar, but I have picked up a few things."

Buffy accepted his invitation, and Xander swept her off onto the floor. His waltzing wasn't perfect, but it was very good -- especially considering that their last dance together it had been of the stand-still-and-sway variety. Xander actually spun her around, and she laughed in enjoyment.

When she was facing him again, she said, "You have gotten much better at this. And you're so easy to follow."

"Edward taught me," Xander admitted. "I wanted to be great for you tonight."

"Thank you, Xander," Buffy said. "I think things may turn out good after all. But not perfect."

"No," Xander agreed, "but what fun is perfection?"

"None at all," Buffy said decisively.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After several hours of dancing, Buffy felt like her feet were going to fall off. The wrap had been long since abandoned at their table -- she would rather go without it than get her precious gift from Xander sweaty. She and Xander danced half of the dances together, but she also had to dance with other people. Giles had to have a turn, as did Edward and several of the other trainee boys. A few of the other Watchers even asked her to dance, and she accepted, as long as Xander didn't mind. It was a good way to become more familiar with the individuals who made up the Council, and a way to make the Council become less hazy, vague and distant in her mind. The only person she refused a dance was a lanky trainee named Nelson. He didn't seem happy about it, but Buffy knew Xander didn't like him, so she didn't want to spend much enforced time in his company. Luckily, Nelson had Daphne to console him. Buffy decided that the two of them deserved each other.

"You look like you could use a break," Xander said as he steered her around the dance floor again.

"That would be nice," Buffy admitted.

In a smooth series of moves, Xander twirled her around as they passed the door to the terrace and seconds later she found herself outside under the moonlight. She looked up at him shyly. "Alone at last, huh?"

"That's where I always want to be, Buffy." He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.

"Careful," Buffy murmured against his lips.

He pulled away. "Lipstick, I know."

She looked away, admiring the view from the terrace. "It's so nice here. I wish I could just stay for awhile. Like forever."

"We could have fun here together," Xander admitted. "It would be nice."

"But that will never happen. Even if everything else worked out, there would still be the Hellmouth back there, just waiting." She sighed and leaned her back against him. He tightened his arms around her. "I'm going home tomorrow, Xander."

"Tomorrow night," Xander said. "Yeah. I was trying not to think about it."

"I have a bad feeling," Buffy said. "Like it's going to be harder to be apart now that we've been together again."

"I have the same feeling," Xander agreed. He sighed, too.

Buffy could feel him behind her, a warm and comforting presence. "Do you know yet when you will be home?"

"No. Giles is still not sure yet how long the accelerated track will take." Xander let her go and turned her around so they could look into each other's eyes. "I have something for you."

"Something else?" Buffy asked, surprised. "But the wrap... it was expensive enough. You didn't have to get me anything at all."

"I saw this in a shop a couple of months ago. It practically jumped out of the case yelling, 'Buffy wants me! Buffy wants me!'" He pulled a small, velvet box out of his pocket.

Buffy's heart began to thump. She looked at him sharply. "This isn't... is it? I mean, we're so young. I love you, but..."

He laughed. "No, this isn't a proposal. Teenage marriages don't have a very lasting track record."

A faint smile crossed her lips. "I know. Sorry."

"Nothing to be sorry about." He looked at the box for a minute. "But you know, I guess this is a proposal, in a way. It's not a marriage proposal, but it's a proposal for our love." He handed her the box.

Buffy opened it and started to cry. Inside was a small silver circlet just big enough to go around her finger. Carved into it was a heart surrounded by tiny, red stones.

"It's silver and garnet, not gold and rubies like you deserve," Xander said, "but I wanted you to have it. That way you could keep my heart with you always."

Buffy was silent, staring at the ring.

"I knew it!" Xander exclaimed. "You think it's stupid and corny. I know..."

"Never."

The soft-spoken word halted him mid-tirade. "What?"

"I would never think your heart is stupid and corny." She extended her left hand to him. "Put it on."

Xander took the box back and removed the ring. His hand shook a little as he slid it on her finger. "It fits perfectly."

"Like it was made just for me." Buffy touched the ring with her other hand.

"My heart was made just for you, I just didn't know it until that day you walked in to my school and my life."

Buffy leaned over and pulled Xander into her arms. "I promise, I'll take good care of it."

"The ring, or my heart?" He hugged her back tightly.

"Both," Buffy whispered. They stayed like that for a long time, until duty called and they had to go back into the party.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next morning dawned bright and beautiful -- a rarity in England, the land of fog and chill. Buffy and Xander knew it was a gift just for them. And they made the most of it. They went on a long horse ride together, had lunch with Greensmith and Sarah (now a couple and proclaiming it to the world), walked in the gardens for a long time, and had dinner with Giles and Joyce.

The hours passed quickly, too quickly, but they were happy, except for the knowlege underneath it all that they would soon have to say goodbye. Buffy had to be back in Sunnydale -- a Slayer-less Hellmouth was a big risk. And Joyce had work waiting -- she had postponed a big show to make this trip, and had to get back to it.

After dinner, Xander accompanied Buffy up to her room so she could pack. He sat mopily on the bed while she got all her stuff together.

"Well, I guess that's about it," Buffy said fifteen minutes later, closing the last suitcase.

"Good," Xander said.

"Good?" Buffy asked.

He patted the bed. "Now you can come sit next to me until it's time to drive to the airport. I'm glad that your flight is so late, anyway."

"Me, too." She moved over and sat down next to him.

Immediately, he leaned in to kiss her. She kissed him back. Their kisses were tinged with a bit of desperation now -- they had to get them in before time ran out. It made the passion greater, but more bittersweet.

There was a knock on the bathroom door. They jerked apart.

"You ready, honey?" Joyce called. Luckily, she didn't open the door this time. Buffy could hear her moving around and putting things in her bags.

"In a few minutes," Buffy called.

"Rupert said to meet him downstairs in twenty minutes."

Buffy looked back at Xander. "That's not enough time."

"I know."

He kissed her again. She felt something wet on her cheek. She realized it was tears. Opening her eyes, she saw it was tears from both of them. Xander pulled Buffy close, and they lay next to each other on the bed. They wrapped themselves around each other, entangling their legs and arms together. Buffy rested her head against his chest and listened to the thumping of his heart. Xander laid his head against the top of hers, enjoying the feel of her silky hair against his skin and the citrus scent she always carried with her.

The knock came again. "Come on, guys. It's time."

"We'll meet you down there," Buffy replied.

There was a pause, and then Joyce said, "All right. Hurry."

Buffy and Xander didn't move for a minute or two, then they reluctantly broke apart. "I'm going to miss being with you," Buffy told him, but she knew she had to be strong. Glancing down at the ring on her finger, she knew she could be strong, for him. "But we'll get through this."

"We will," Xander promised. "And when I get home, we'll be together always."

"We can start planning for the future," Buffy said optimistically.

"Our future," Xander agreed. He stood up and picked up some of her bags. "Shall we?"

She nodded, picking up her carry on, and they went downstairs.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

At the airport, the travelers and their companions were quiet during check in. They were almost late, so when they got through the metal detectors and to the gate, the flight was already boarding.

Giles and Joyce stepped aside, saying a private good bye of their own. Buffy and Xander paid little attention to them. Their world had narrowed until it only included each other.

Buffy gazed into his eye, memorizing them. Xander did the same, running his eyes over her from top to bottom.

"I'll email you when I get back to the dorm," Xander promised.

"I'll read it as soon as I get home," Buffy swore.

"When you get there, it will be yesterday."

"If only time travel were so easy." Buffy sighed. "What I wouldn't give to live yesterday over again." She knew she was misinterpreting what he had said about the time differences, but she had to say it.

Xander took her hand. "Don't worry about it. That's all done. And, despite everything, I'd call this weekend perfect."

Buffy smiled, though it was a little teary. "I would, too. Any time with you is perfect."

They hugged one last time, and then it was time to board. Buffy gave Giles a quick hug, and then followed her mother onto the plane. Xander watched them go, remembering the first time they had done this. It seemed so long ago -- in reality only a few months had passed, but it felt like a whole life time.

He watched as the plane taxied away.

Giles waited quietly, also watching. Finally, he said, "Are you ready to go?"

Xander gave the disappearing tail lights of the plane one last look. "Yeah."

They started walking to their car. "So, Giles, how was your time with Joyce?"

Giles smiled a little bit. "It was interesting."