Story Title: "Tonight and the Rest of My Life"
Author: La Vie Boheme96
Chapter Title: Room For Squares
A gentle knocking came at the door of Xander's apartment. As was the custom when he had unexpected visitors, he almost silently crept to the door, picked up the frying pan that was always handy on a small table to the right of the doorframe, and said, "Who is it?"
From the sofa, Anya looked up and frowned.
"Tell them to go away," she said.
"It's Willow and Tara!" said the familiar voice of a well-known redhead from out in the hallway.
"Oh!"
Xander pulled the door open, and Willow's eyes were drawn questioningly to the frying pan in his hand.
Xander bit his lower lip. "Heh - heh," he chuckled. "It's, ah . . . it's for smiting the evil when it comes to my house."
"Clever!" Willow chirped, humoring him. "But whaddaya do when the evil's not a cartoon?"
The young man blushed ever so slightly.
"Well, uh . . . then I make omelettes."
When Xander invited Willow and Tara into the apartment, Anya greeted them with a brusque, "Go home."
"Oh, a-are we interrupting something?" said Tara.
"I don't mind if you guys hang out," said Xander, perpetually the gracious host.
"But you said we were gonna get it on," Anya briskly reminded her boyfriend.
"I *so* did not say 'get it on,'" he quickly explained to the other girls.
"Oh, we believe you," said Tara with a little bob of her head.
"Well, have a seat," Xander offered, gesturing to the sofa and chairs in the living room. The two visitors took either of the chairs adjacent to the sofa, and Xander sat beside Anya, who still appeared mildly irate.
"I thought you had that big test to study for, Will," Xander said.
"Well, I did, but I couldn't stop thinking about the whole diamond situation," Willow replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "We just wanted to see if maybe you guys were trying to figure out how to find it, which clearly you're not, 'cause I guess Anya has somethin' ELSE on her mind."
"Yeah," Tara agreed. "We assumed Buffy might need a little help."
"She HAS help," Anya said, as though Tara was supposed to know that.
"Well, obviously Giles," said Xander.
"That's not who I mean. It's some other British guy, and he's very attractive."
Xander gave Anya a dangerous look in response to her last remark, and then chose to address her previous statements. "Another English guy?" he said. "Huh. I wonder what attracts the Brits to Sunnydale? Is there some secret underground scone industry here that I know nothing about?"
"Is he from the Watchers' Council?" Willow inquired of Anya.
"Don't think so. He just seemed like a regular guy. A regular, nicely- dressed, very tasty-looking guy."
"Okay, am I not sitting RIGHT here?" said Xander.
"Well, it looks like Buffy made a new friend," Tara noted.
"Yeah," Willow pouted. "Why would she want help from a guy she's known for three seconds, and not from us?"
"Who's to say she's known him for three seconds?" countered Xander. "Besides, she must have a reason. In the meantime I still think we should do our part."
"Right," said Anya dutifully. "Xander, let's go look for the diamond in your bed."
Xander gave her a withering glare.
"Tempting as that sounds," he said, "I think we should start looking in a place where we'll have more than a zero percent chance of finding it. But, honestly . . . your ferret-like anxiety is truly touching."
"Hey, Buffy would want us to leave no stone unturned! We'll check under the blankets, and then we'll look under your clothes."
"Right. I'm sure that's exactly what Willow and Tara need to see right now."
Tara smiled shyly and glanced down at the carpet.
Willow smiled as well. "Yeah, I would be so happy if you left that particular stone turned until just a little bit later."
Anya sighed heavily. "Okay," she said, defeated. "You're right, I'm sorry. Can I help? The not-fun way?"
"Well, there's really nothing we can do except get out there and look, right?" said Tara.
"Yeah," nodded Xander. "We can't exactly head out the door with a big master plan."
"Great. THAT'S how I wanna spend my Saturday," Anya muttered sarcastically. "Looking for a special, magical diamond. I'll tell you one thing, Xander, there's only ONE kind of diamond *I* want right now."
Xander's head whipped around and he gaped at her, his eyes like those of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming sport utility vehicle.
"W-*What* ?" he stammered.
"Oh, my God!" Anya gasped, sounding just as surprised. "Did I say that out loud?"
Author: La Vie Boheme96
Chapter Title: Room For Squares
A gentle knocking came at the door of Xander's apartment. As was the custom when he had unexpected visitors, he almost silently crept to the door, picked up the frying pan that was always handy on a small table to the right of the doorframe, and said, "Who is it?"
From the sofa, Anya looked up and frowned.
"Tell them to go away," she said.
"It's Willow and Tara!" said the familiar voice of a well-known redhead from out in the hallway.
"Oh!"
Xander pulled the door open, and Willow's eyes were drawn questioningly to the frying pan in his hand.
Xander bit his lower lip. "Heh - heh," he chuckled. "It's, ah . . . it's for smiting the evil when it comes to my house."
"Clever!" Willow chirped, humoring him. "But whaddaya do when the evil's not a cartoon?"
The young man blushed ever so slightly.
"Well, uh . . . then I make omelettes."
When Xander invited Willow and Tara into the apartment, Anya greeted them with a brusque, "Go home."
"Oh, a-are we interrupting something?" said Tara.
"I don't mind if you guys hang out," said Xander, perpetually the gracious host.
"But you said we were gonna get it on," Anya briskly reminded her boyfriend.
"I *so* did not say 'get it on,'" he quickly explained to the other girls.
"Oh, we believe you," said Tara with a little bob of her head.
"Well, have a seat," Xander offered, gesturing to the sofa and chairs in the living room. The two visitors took either of the chairs adjacent to the sofa, and Xander sat beside Anya, who still appeared mildly irate.
"I thought you had that big test to study for, Will," Xander said.
"Well, I did, but I couldn't stop thinking about the whole diamond situation," Willow replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "We just wanted to see if maybe you guys were trying to figure out how to find it, which clearly you're not, 'cause I guess Anya has somethin' ELSE on her mind."
"Yeah," Tara agreed. "We assumed Buffy might need a little help."
"She HAS help," Anya said, as though Tara was supposed to know that.
"Well, obviously Giles," said Xander.
"That's not who I mean. It's some other British guy, and he's very attractive."
Xander gave Anya a dangerous look in response to her last remark, and then chose to address her previous statements. "Another English guy?" he said. "Huh. I wonder what attracts the Brits to Sunnydale? Is there some secret underground scone industry here that I know nothing about?"
"Is he from the Watchers' Council?" Willow inquired of Anya.
"Don't think so. He just seemed like a regular guy. A regular, nicely- dressed, very tasty-looking guy."
"Okay, am I not sitting RIGHT here?" said Xander.
"Well, it looks like Buffy made a new friend," Tara noted.
"Yeah," Willow pouted. "Why would she want help from a guy she's known for three seconds, and not from us?"
"Who's to say she's known him for three seconds?" countered Xander. "Besides, she must have a reason. In the meantime I still think we should do our part."
"Right," said Anya dutifully. "Xander, let's go look for the diamond in your bed."
Xander gave her a withering glare.
"Tempting as that sounds," he said, "I think we should start looking in a place where we'll have more than a zero percent chance of finding it. But, honestly . . . your ferret-like anxiety is truly touching."
"Hey, Buffy would want us to leave no stone unturned! We'll check under the blankets, and then we'll look under your clothes."
"Right. I'm sure that's exactly what Willow and Tara need to see right now."
Tara smiled shyly and glanced down at the carpet.
Willow smiled as well. "Yeah, I would be so happy if you left that particular stone turned until just a little bit later."
Anya sighed heavily. "Okay," she said, defeated. "You're right, I'm sorry. Can I help? The not-fun way?"
"Well, there's really nothing we can do except get out there and look, right?" said Tara.
"Yeah," nodded Xander. "We can't exactly head out the door with a big master plan."
"Great. THAT'S how I wanna spend my Saturday," Anya muttered sarcastically. "Looking for a special, magical diamond. I'll tell you one thing, Xander, there's only ONE kind of diamond *I* want right now."
Xander's head whipped around and he gaped at her, his eyes like those of a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming sport utility vehicle.
"W-*What* ?" he stammered.
"Oh, my God!" Anya gasped, sounding just as surprised. "Did I say that out loud?"