Author's Notes - OK, I know I said Chapter 10 wouldn't be up til'
next week - I had a little time and this just happened. Special
Thanks to Dannyboy, FaItHFUL; Halcyon and WBH21C - I'll get to the
birth control thing soon enough. Enjoy the weekend!
Chapter 10
With her wheels still turning at a furious pace, Anya turns to Giles and asks "Did you not smell the fruity yet seductive scent of ripe mango with just a hint of vanilla?"
Exasperated, Giles looks up from his book,. "Anya, simply let it go. Did you not hear Xander say that he took a shower with the - the whatever-you- call-it soap. You must seriously think in some context other than a sexual one at some time or another. You might find it quite stimulating."
Also exasperated, Anya stands. There are parties out on the back deck who are likely to be more interested in her shower gel than Rupert.
Anya finds Willow and Kennedy swooning over each other on the back steps. God only knows why a woman would want another woman, when she could have a MAN? I mean, really! She really doesn't even LIKE other women all that much. Why would she ever.
"Did you come out here to help or just to take up space?"
Spike's voice rouses her from her thoughts and she turns. He continues to be a most satisfactory example of male beauty. He is also quite skillful in the finer arts of.
"Hello? I guess it's just to take up space." the British voice says sarcastically.
She looks down on his peroxide blond curls, hands on hips and announces "I would have you know that I found you more tolerable before the soul."
"I don't doubt that you did." He intones with a slight smile. He was much easier to understand before the soul too. That was one of the things that she used to like about him, he always said what he truly thought. And now, now he was no better than the rest of them. Oh well, she decides to forge ahead.
"I have come to ask if you perhaps noticed that both Xander and Dawn smelled of Wild Mango Shower Gel? Given your vampire sense of smell and all."
He stands and stops what he is doing to speak to her. His movement draws the attention of the two on the steps too. His voice is a little more stressed now. "Demon Girl, do you ever shut up? Now is not the time. Anyway, I thought you were done with the whelp."
Before Anya can press her case further, Willow speaks up, "What's this about Xander and Dawn?"
Anya, frustrated from her efforts to get her point across, decides that she needs to spell it out for these obviously dense people. In a loud voice, she puts her conclusion as plainly as she can. "Xander and Dawn had sex in the shower at his apartment today! Don't you people GET IT!"
Just as Anya is expressing herself so eloquently, Buffy and Faith are coming in the back gate. While Buffy has some difficulty wrapping her brain around the revelation, Faith does not. "Well, go ahead Xand-man!"
Buffy walks numbly up the back steps and sits down. By the time she looks around, all of the innocent bystanders have made a hasty exit, leaving only Spike.
Reminiscent of other evenings, he sits quietly beside her waiting for her to speak. She finally brings her face up from where it has been cradled in her hands. She looks at Spike with a bewildered expression.
"Tell me she's wrong."
"Sorry, Pet, can't do that."
She shakes her head incredulously "Don't tell me you've known" and covers her face again.
"The shower thing is news to me, but I picked up on something between them."
Coming up for air again, she begins to put two and two together. "That's why you had Xander up against the wall."
"The lady wins the prize."
"I just don't think I can handle this right now. I mean Dawn.my God, she's a child."
"At her age, you were with Angel and he's a hell of a lot older than Harris."
At that she turns her head to look at him. Her weary eyes in his blue ones, "Don't tell me you're OK with this."
"No but my usual way of handling it didn't seem to be getting it this morning. When I don't like something, my general inclination is to beat whatever it is to a bloody pulp. In this case, I'm thinking that's not a go."
This at least brings a tired smile to her face, "I'm better at good and evil, black and white - this gray stuff is killing me." Wearily she stands.
"So, what are you going to do?" he asks as he looks at the woman he loves.
"I don't know. I'm too tired to do anything about it right now. Like I said this gray stuff is killing me."
As she gets to the door, she turns back to him. "Um, thank you. I mean, for listening and all."
"Anytime."
When Buffy enters the kitchen, it is full of girls having a late night cereal break. Surveying the room, none of the usual suspects are there so she heads to the den. Thankfully, Anya has left to spread her mischief elsewhere. Maybe they should send Anya over to that nest of Bringers and let her drive them all crazy.
Giles is there, sitting on the sofa going over yet another musty old book. She lands beside of him, realizing that this is the first time since the episode with Wood and Spike that she has been this close to him.
Her presence startles Giles and he looks reasonably surprised to see her. He is unsure what to say.
"How was patrolling? I take it Faith was helpful."
She answers distractedly, "Um, yeah. Actually it seems like most of the little bads are packing up and gettin' out of Dodge too."
"Yes, well." Giles says, like he always does when he doesn't know what else to say.
Buffy figures she may as well go ahead and blurt it out. "Giles, do you know anything about Dawn and Xander?"
"Dawn and Xander? In what way? Oh, yes, she did mention something about changing his dressings. It seems that she has developed some interest in nursing or rather something like it."
OK, at least one person is further out of the loop than she is - hooray. "No, I mean, Dawn and Xander being involved."
He continues to give her one of those does-not-compute looks.
"Sex, Giles." She says as she runs out of patience. "Anya says that Dawn and Xander have had sex!"
At least this gets a reaction from Giles. The clean-my-glasses reaction but still a reaction none the less. "Ah, no. I say, is she sure?"
"Well, if Anya knows anything, its sex. Plus, Spike knows too."
"Dear me, no. I had no idea."
"What should I? I mean, she's still in high school. Xander's an adult, well kind of anyway."
Looking down Giles speaks, "I should say, I don't know what you should do. When you - when you became - became um, involved with Angel. I did learn one thing. The harder I pushed, the closer you became to him. But I dare say, Xander is no Angel. Good God, Angel was a two hundred and fifty year old vampire with a curse, Xander is - well, Xander has turned out to be a - a rather responsible young man now that I think about it."
Listening to Giles' words, Buffy leans back on the sofa and closes her eyes. It's like this is punishment for every bad mistake she's ever made in her own love life. She searches her brain for some hint of what to do and finds none. She should probably go talk to them - both of them - but she just doesn't have the energy right now. Other than Anya, no one seems to screaming about it anyway.
On that thought, Buffy heads up to bed. On the bright side, she thinks, at least I know where Dawn is and who she's with.
TBC
Chapter 10
With her wheels still turning at a furious pace, Anya turns to Giles and asks "Did you not smell the fruity yet seductive scent of ripe mango with just a hint of vanilla?"
Exasperated, Giles looks up from his book,. "Anya, simply let it go. Did you not hear Xander say that he took a shower with the - the whatever-you- call-it soap. You must seriously think in some context other than a sexual one at some time or another. You might find it quite stimulating."
Also exasperated, Anya stands. There are parties out on the back deck who are likely to be more interested in her shower gel than Rupert.
Anya finds Willow and Kennedy swooning over each other on the back steps. God only knows why a woman would want another woman, when she could have a MAN? I mean, really! She really doesn't even LIKE other women all that much. Why would she ever.
"Did you come out here to help or just to take up space?"
Spike's voice rouses her from her thoughts and she turns. He continues to be a most satisfactory example of male beauty. He is also quite skillful in the finer arts of.
"Hello? I guess it's just to take up space." the British voice says sarcastically.
She looks down on his peroxide blond curls, hands on hips and announces "I would have you know that I found you more tolerable before the soul."
"I don't doubt that you did." He intones with a slight smile. He was much easier to understand before the soul too. That was one of the things that she used to like about him, he always said what he truly thought. And now, now he was no better than the rest of them. Oh well, she decides to forge ahead.
"I have come to ask if you perhaps noticed that both Xander and Dawn smelled of Wild Mango Shower Gel? Given your vampire sense of smell and all."
He stands and stops what he is doing to speak to her. His movement draws the attention of the two on the steps too. His voice is a little more stressed now. "Demon Girl, do you ever shut up? Now is not the time. Anyway, I thought you were done with the whelp."
Before Anya can press her case further, Willow speaks up, "What's this about Xander and Dawn?"
Anya, frustrated from her efforts to get her point across, decides that she needs to spell it out for these obviously dense people. In a loud voice, she puts her conclusion as plainly as she can. "Xander and Dawn had sex in the shower at his apartment today! Don't you people GET IT!"
Just as Anya is expressing herself so eloquently, Buffy and Faith are coming in the back gate. While Buffy has some difficulty wrapping her brain around the revelation, Faith does not. "Well, go ahead Xand-man!"
Buffy walks numbly up the back steps and sits down. By the time she looks around, all of the innocent bystanders have made a hasty exit, leaving only Spike.
Reminiscent of other evenings, he sits quietly beside her waiting for her to speak. She finally brings her face up from where it has been cradled in her hands. She looks at Spike with a bewildered expression.
"Tell me she's wrong."
"Sorry, Pet, can't do that."
She shakes her head incredulously "Don't tell me you've known" and covers her face again.
"The shower thing is news to me, but I picked up on something between them."
Coming up for air again, she begins to put two and two together. "That's why you had Xander up against the wall."
"The lady wins the prize."
"I just don't think I can handle this right now. I mean Dawn.my God, she's a child."
"At her age, you were with Angel and he's a hell of a lot older than Harris."
At that she turns her head to look at him. Her weary eyes in his blue ones, "Don't tell me you're OK with this."
"No but my usual way of handling it didn't seem to be getting it this morning. When I don't like something, my general inclination is to beat whatever it is to a bloody pulp. In this case, I'm thinking that's not a go."
This at least brings a tired smile to her face, "I'm better at good and evil, black and white - this gray stuff is killing me." Wearily she stands.
"So, what are you going to do?" he asks as he looks at the woman he loves.
"I don't know. I'm too tired to do anything about it right now. Like I said this gray stuff is killing me."
As she gets to the door, she turns back to him. "Um, thank you. I mean, for listening and all."
"Anytime."
When Buffy enters the kitchen, it is full of girls having a late night cereal break. Surveying the room, none of the usual suspects are there so she heads to the den. Thankfully, Anya has left to spread her mischief elsewhere. Maybe they should send Anya over to that nest of Bringers and let her drive them all crazy.
Giles is there, sitting on the sofa going over yet another musty old book. She lands beside of him, realizing that this is the first time since the episode with Wood and Spike that she has been this close to him.
Her presence startles Giles and he looks reasonably surprised to see her. He is unsure what to say.
"How was patrolling? I take it Faith was helpful."
She answers distractedly, "Um, yeah. Actually it seems like most of the little bads are packing up and gettin' out of Dodge too."
"Yes, well." Giles says, like he always does when he doesn't know what else to say.
Buffy figures she may as well go ahead and blurt it out. "Giles, do you know anything about Dawn and Xander?"
"Dawn and Xander? In what way? Oh, yes, she did mention something about changing his dressings. It seems that she has developed some interest in nursing or rather something like it."
OK, at least one person is further out of the loop than she is - hooray. "No, I mean, Dawn and Xander being involved."
He continues to give her one of those does-not-compute looks.
"Sex, Giles." She says as she runs out of patience. "Anya says that Dawn and Xander have had sex!"
At least this gets a reaction from Giles. The clean-my-glasses reaction but still a reaction none the less. "Ah, no. I say, is she sure?"
"Well, if Anya knows anything, its sex. Plus, Spike knows too."
"Dear me, no. I had no idea."
"What should I? I mean, she's still in high school. Xander's an adult, well kind of anyway."
Looking down Giles speaks, "I should say, I don't know what you should do. When you - when you became - became um, involved with Angel. I did learn one thing. The harder I pushed, the closer you became to him. But I dare say, Xander is no Angel. Good God, Angel was a two hundred and fifty year old vampire with a curse, Xander is - well, Xander has turned out to be a - a rather responsible young man now that I think about it."
Listening to Giles' words, Buffy leans back on the sofa and closes her eyes. It's like this is punishment for every bad mistake she's ever made in her own love life. She searches her brain for some hint of what to do and finds none. She should probably go talk to them - both of them - but she just doesn't have the energy right now. Other than Anya, no one seems to screaming about it anyway.
On that thought, Buffy heads up to bed. On the bright side, she thinks, at least I know where Dawn is and who she's with.
TBC