Author's note: This Chapter is dedicated to Liverpool F.C. in honour of their glorious victory over Manchester United in the Worthington Cup Final. And they say God doesn't exist.
"When is the G-man coming back?" Asked Xander.
Giles had left for England a week ago to find out what the council knew about the new big bad evil.
"I don't know." Replied Buffy. "But he left for England about a week ago."
Buffy, Xander and Willow were sitting around the table in the library not knowing what they should do. They didn't know if they should be doing any researching but Xander had pointed out that Giles would have told them if they needed too.
"I know what we need." Said Xander. "We need to have a night out."
Neither of the girls looked at him with anything approaching enthusiasm but Xander carried on as if they had, "A big mother of a blow out that is what we need."
"Xander I don't think it is possible to have a big mother of a blow out in Sunnydale." Said Buffy.
"Especially not on a school night." Added Willow earning her a look of disapproval from Xander.
"Oh come on." Xander implored, "We need it."
"I suppose we could."
"Great, I'll go tell Cordelia."
When Xander had left the room Buffy said in quiet enough voice for Willow not to hear, "Oh great."
*****
The Bronze was not full that night but it certainly wasn't empty. It was kind of half full, or half empty depending on your outlook on life. The group of four sat down by a table and ordered some drinks. No one said anything as they waited for the drinks to arrive. They just sat and listened to the music. Finally the drinks arrived but they still didn't talk. They just sat, listened to the music and drank their drinks. Eventually Xander broke the silence, "How about a dance?"
Silence.
Xander tried again, "Dance? Anyone?" He asked hopefully.
The three of them just shook their heads and carried on sitting, listening and drinking (in that order).
"If you ladies won't join me then I shall have to shake my groove thang on my own."
Buffy turned to Willow and asked, "Did he just say groove thang?"
Willow nodded with a smile.
And with that Xander walked out onto the dance floor and proceeded to shake his groove thang. To call it dancing would be unfair to the word itself. It was more like movement, wild and unrestricted movement. The kind of movement that usually only occurs on ER hospital beds followed by the words 'He's gone into shock'.
Buffy was transfixed by the performance. "What the hell is he doing?" She asked.
"Dancing." Answered Cordelia.
"You call that dancing?"
"No, he calls it dancing."
Buffy smiled but quickly removed that when she realised who had made her smile. She made a mental note, tell Xander off for allowing Cordelia to make her smile.
Xander stopped his 'dancing' and came over to the group, "You ladies not joining me?" He asked.
Buffy raised an eyebrow, "Joining you in what?" She asked.
Xander looked confused, "Dancing." He replied.
The three women are smiled which served to further increase Xander's confusion. He looked at them each in turn with a curious look on his face, "All right." He said in a commanding tone (or as close to a commanding tone as he could manage), "What's going on?"
Buffy, still smiling, said, "Nothing."
Willow glanced down to her foot and also said, "Nothing."
Xander then Buffy and Willow turned towards Cordelia who just stared at them blankly, "What?" She asked.
"What's going on?" Xander repeated.
"Oh." A lighting bolt of understanding hit Cordelia. "Buffy was making fun of your dancing." She said in a matter of fact kind of way.
Xander immediately turned to Buffy with a look of shock and hurt in his eyes. All she could come up with was, "Xander, it's not what it sounds like." Rather predictable she knew but what else could she say? "I didn't make fun of your dancing." She shot Cordelia a look that could kill but Cordelia returned with the look equivalent of 'what?'
The look of shock had disappeared from Xander's eyes but the hurt remained, "What exactly did you say?" He asked.
Buffy hesitated as she tried to think of something plausible but as she went to speak Cordelia beat her to it. "She said what you did couldn't be called dancing."
Xander looked at Cordelia then back at Buffy and gave her a 'well, is it true?' look. Buffy had also been looking at Cordelia but in a slightly different way. She had been trying to shut Cordelia up with the use of her mind. She was unsuccessful. Now she turned back to see the look on Xander's face, "I didn't say that." She protested.
"You did." Said Cordelia.
"Okay, I did." Xander's face dropped, "But…" Continued Buffy, "It's not what it sounds like."
"Buffy," Xander said looking up at her, "If you think my dancing sucks then say my dancing sucks."
"Your dancing sucks." She replied.
This clearly upset Xander, "Well, I like to see you do any better!" He said in a raise voice.
There was a moment of silence as Buffy looked Xander straight in the eyes and then she said in a calm voice, "Ok." And she walked out onto the dance floor and began to dance.
She put on an amazing display of dancing. I don't really know what that is but if you do then Buffy did it and if you don't then ask one of those who does to explain it.
As the dancing proceeded Xander's jaw steadily dropped and by the time Buffy had finished it could well be considered open. "She dance good." Was all he could manage.
She came back over to them and asked Xander, "Better?"
His jaw was still firmly open, so he just stared. Eventually he recovered sufficiently to say, "Just slightly."
Another song started to be played and this happened to be a particular favourite of Buffy's. "I love this song." She said. Then she grabbed Xander's arm and pulled him onto the dance floor before either he or Cordelia could protest. The two of them started to dance. Well, Buffy started to dance. Xander tried too and it's the thought that counts, at least that is what I always say at Christmas. Despite Xander's slight lack of ability they were having a great time. A great time that is until the end of the song. The song they had been dancing to was an up-beat tempo kind of song. The next song was different, very different. The next song was a low-beat romantic ballad. All the couples on the dance floor immediately moved down a romantic def-con rating and proceeded to slow dance together, all except Buffy and Xander. They stood there looking at each other not sure what to do and really not sure what the other wanted them to do. There was a lot of eye contact, a few hesitant movements here and a few hesitant movements there. Slowly, very slowly, Xander moved his hand towards Buffy and she, also slowly, leaned in towards him. Until finally they were just about to touch when Cordelia came between them. "Xander, I have to go home." She said.
He continued to look at Buffy for just a second because focusing on Cordelia and what she had just said, "Err…um…you want to go home? Why?" He asked.
"No I said, I want to go home." Cordelia made a slight movement of her head.
Xander gave her a look of confusion and she replied with a forceful look of her own. Finally Xander figured out what she was implying, "Oh!" He said in realisation, "You want to go home." He turned to Buffy, "She wants to go home."
Buffy tried not to look annoyed, "Yeah, I got that."
"I'm going to take her home." Xander continued not seeming to notice Buffy's response.
Buffy looked increasingly uncomfortable, "Yeah."
Cordelia then lead Xander towards the door of the club. Just before he reached it he looked back at Buffy who was watching him leave. They shared a moment of eye contact and then he was gone. Buffy went back to the table and before Willow asked she said, "They went home."
"Oh." Was all that Willow said.
Buffy and Willow continue to sit, to listen and to drink. Willow had a fourth, to wait. She was waiting for Oz and his band. Buffy also had a fourth, to think.
