"So tell me about Tim," Willow insisted as she poured herself another cup of coffee.
"Well, Tim and I have been really good friends since we met. Eric too," she added. "Sometimes people say we're like the three musketeers."
Willow smiled as she sat beside Calleigh. "I know how that works."
"Buffy's your third musketeer?"
"Yep. Before her was Jesse. But that's another story and I want to hear yours."
Calleigh laughed. "I love being the center of attention," she teased. "Anyway, early on there was something about Tim. Not that Eric isn't great," the blond added hurriedly. "It just, Tim's like a puzzle I want to solve. I try to take the smaller pieces to get the bigger picture."
"The mystery adds to his appeal."
"Yeah," Calleigh agreed wrinkling he nose and smiling. "But he's also kind, intelligent and funny. All in a great looking package."
Willow smiled and nodded in accord. She did notice that. "Were you attracted to him from the beginning?"
"Yes, but we hit it off so well as friends that I kind of pushed it to the back of my mind. And I just didn't want to make things complicated. We're co-workers *and* friends, I really didn't want to add romance into the mix."
"But it did enter."
"Yeah."
*********
Speed and Eric walked well ahead of Xander while he carried the sword. They were going to lock it away in a vault in the basement.
"Wait," Xander said, stopping suddenly when he thought he heard something. Tim and Eric halted and turned to look at the young man. "What's wrong?" Eric asked.
Xander's instincts were screaming at him that something was wrong. They were telling him to run.
Which usually meant something bad was going to happen.
Xander dove aside as something came barreling at him from behind. He saw a flash of antlers and slime propel past him, into Tim and Eric. "Great, a chaos demon," he muttered.
"Is that thing some sort of evil magnet?" Eric complained as he pushed himself off the floor.
The chaos demon came back at Xander. "Give me the sword!" it shouted slamming Xander to the floor. The young man held the sword tightly in both hands. The demon stood over Xander and grabbed his hands and started turning the sword toward him.
Xander kicked out knocking the demon off balance and hurried to his feet, mindful of the sword. Taking advantage of the demon's confusion he swung the sword taking off its head.
"Damn, this sucks," Xander panted. "Let's get this thing put away ASAP."
Eric and Speed were standing over the dead demon, staring at it as they absently wiped at the slime that covered them. "Um – what do we do with this?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, the thing about demons, they don't go 'poof' like vampires," Xander explained. He frowned at the slim that covered him, then looked at the demon's corpse. "You got an incinerator?"
*********
Willow and Calleigh caught a glimpse of Xander, Tim and Eric as they filed by the break room. The two women got up and glanced out the door. The three men were covered in slime.
"What demon was it?" Willow called after Xander.
"Chaos," was the simple, unhappy reply.
Willow nodded once and went back to her chair. Calleigh looked at her confused. "Chaos demon, all antlers and slime," the younger woman explained.
*******
Speed was glad they had showers in the locker room. He grabbed the travel-sized bottle of shampoo he "borrowed" from Calleigh's locker. He then began to scrub furiously at the slime in hair. If someone had told him yesterday he would be slimed by some weird looking demon with antlers – and what the hell was with *that* anyway – he would have laughed in their face. Then he would have called the mental hospital and had them committed.
But now he had seen vampires and a chaos demon. He really wanted to go back to the blissful ignorance of not knowing about these things, but there was no turning back.
Unless Willow knew some sort of spell.
********
"Okay, I've told you about Tim and I. Now tell me about you and Xander," Calleigh insisted. Willow looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "You said it was complicated."
"It is. We've known each other since toddler hood," Willow explained a wistful smile playing across her face. "I had a crush on Xander before I really even liked boys."
"And he never noticed?"
"No, stupid jerk." Calleigh giggled at that. "He had a crush on Buffy the first time he saw her. Not that I can blame him. She's pretty much the hottie. You kind of remind me of her. But Buffy was in love with Angel. Then Xander fell for Cordelia, which wasn't all that long after the Incan mummy."
"Mummy?"
"God, yet another twisted story about our life. I think we'll need a drink to get through the story of me and Xander."
*********
Calleigh popped her head into the locker room where Tim, Eric and Xander were just finishing getting dressed. She smiled as she was able to catch a glimpse of three bare-chested men right before they pulled on new shirts. "Willow and I are going out for drinks. Who wants to join?"
"God, me," Xander groaned. "Nothing like getting drunk after fighting demons."
"That I can understand," Eric said. "I'm in."
She looked at Speed and he gave her a little wink. "Me too."
"Good," Calleigh practically chirped, then disappeared.
**********
Willow's eyes widened as she and Xander trailed Calleigh, Speed and Eric into the Hive. Xander was grinning from ear to ear. "Damn, this place beats the Bronze on a *really* good night." The Miami trio looked at them with nearly identical smiles.
They found a table and Xander sat down next to Willow while Calleigh found herself sandwiched between Tim and Eric. Speed flagged a waitress over to order drinks.
"Anyone want to dance?" Eric asked watching all the people dancing wildly on the floor.
"Um, not just yet," Willow answered looking a little dazed.
"Willow was going to tell me all about her and Xander and their life fighting vampires," Calleigh teased.
"This I want to hear," Speed smirked.
"It – it's not really that big of a deal," Willow blushed.
"Sure it is," Eric and Xander said at the same time. "I think our lives make for good, quality entertainment," Xander continued.
"Xanderrrr!"
"It's true."
A wicked look began to form on Willow's face. "Okay, lets start with Miss French."
Xander looked panicked. "Let's not."
"Who's Miss French?" Tim asked, teasing.
"She was a substitute teacher who tried to seduce Xander," Willow giggled.
"Oohh, working the charm on the older ladies?" Eric laughed.
"She was a giant preying mantis," Willow added.
"No way!" Calleigh chuckled.
"Then there was Ampata, the Incan mummy."
"Dude, a mummy?" Speed said disbelieving.
"She was hot!" Xander defended. "It's not like she was wrapped up in bandages and all shriveled up!"
Willow rolled her eyes. "She wasn't shriveled up because she drained the life out of people to stay young."
"Yeah, that kinda ruined our relationship."
"Let's see," Willow looked thoughtful. "There was Cordy."
A fond smile spread across Xander's face. "Yeah, Cordy was pretty cool. When she didn't talk, that is."
"Xander."
"Hey, I can joke about it. When she left for L.A. we were on good terms."
"So what's her story?"
"Ex-girlfriend. Human," Xander shrugged.
"Although now she's part demon."
"Yeah, missed that one by a few years."
"If she was human, why'd you break up?" Eric asked.
Xander and Willow both looked embarrassed. "Long story," they mumbled in unison.
"Come on guys," Calleigh wheedled. "Give."
"She caught me kissing someone else."
"Another demon?" Tim fished.
Willow timidly raised her hand. "Me," she said softly.
"Really? You weren't kidding when you told me you guys were complicated."
"You told her we were complicated?"
"Well, we – we are."
"Did you guys end up dating?"
Willow shook her head. "No, Oz and I got back together."
"Oz, as in 'Wizard of'. . ?" Eric asked.
"No, as in Daniel Osbourne."
"The werewolf," Xander added with a smirk.
"You dated a werewolf?" Calleigh asked the red head in shock.
"Werewolves are real too?" Tim questioned.
"Oh yeah," Xander chuckled. "So are trolls. Anyway for the record I've dated a mummy, Cordy – who is now half-demon – and a vengeance demon."
"You were engaged to said vengeance demon."
"Well. . ." Xander trailed off.
"And you slept with a psycho killer slayer," Willow said, tone growing bitter.
"You talking about your friend Buffy?" Eric asked, completely confused.
"Faith," Xander answered. "I guess we should start from the beginning."
*******
"Okay, so your best friend Jesse was turned into a vampire and you had to stake him. Buffy died – twice," Speed said, trying to understand what Willow and Xander had told them. "So there are two 'chosen ones,' " he used his fingers to make quote marks in the air. "And the other one is in jail for murder."
Willow nodded.
"And Xander's almost been killed by a giant preying mantis in heat, dated a mummy, the school bitch who later became demon, engaged to marry a demon," Eric continued. "Buffy's dated a vampire who has a soul because of a gypsy curse, a government commando who was part of a secret program involving demons and had an affair with a vampire who was sworn to kill her and now has his soul."
"And Willow met some guy on the internet who turned out to be a demon and dated a werewolf," Calleigh finished.
"And a witch," Xander added. "Don't forget Tara." He and Willow shared a sad smile.
"God you guys sound like a supernatural soap opera," Calleigh said softly.
"Yeah, we do," Willow agreed.
"Enough about us," Xander insisted. "What about you guys?"
******
"Okay, they may not be supernatural, but you have had some wild cases," Willow said.
"It's pretty horrible what humans are capable of," Calleigh explained.
Xander and Willow shared an uneasy glance that the others at the table missed. Willow wrung her hands together on the tabletop.
"Did they ever get the guy who killed Tara?" Speed asked the witch softly.
Tears welled in her eyes as she opened and closed her mouth, lost for words. Xander placed a hand over hers. "He was brought to justice," he answered, voice harsh and icy.
Eric nodded. "Good."
"Let's dance now," Tim insisted, relieving the tension around the table.
tbc. . .
Next chapter: Jean-Marc and the coven discover a ritual to destroy the sword. But how can Xander and Willow get evidence in a murder case out of police custody? Meanwhile, what's happening between Speed and Calleigh?
