"I suppose you're here to take me back," Dawn stood aside to let Xander into the apartment she shared with Andrew and Caridad. "That's what you came for isn't it."
"Well actually no," Xander did a quick scan of the apartment before taking off his jacket and putting it on a convenient chair. "Not that that wouldn't be a good idea, but so not what I came for." Xander fixed his eye on Dawn. "You should phone Buffy though. She's really freaked."
"So, what did you come for?"
"I was checking out an apartment upstairs."
"So you're leaving too," accused Dawn. "What did Buffy do to you?"
"I'm not leaving," said Xander. "I'm just looking for a place where I can get some peace and quiet. You know, when life at the school get too much."
"You mean life with so many girls." Dawn quirked a smile.
"That too," admitted Xander sheepishly. "So, I was looking at this apartment, which I'm going to be taking, and saw you in the corridor."
"So you decided to follow."
"So I decided to drop in on some friends." Xander grinned at Dawn. "And to talk to Andrew. He here?"
"He and Caridad are at the park, training. I suppose you know she was living with Andrew and me."
"Wasn't too hard to figure out where she was going when she split. Especially as she wanted to be assigned as Andrew's Slayer."
"Well they're at the park," said Dawn. "You can wait if you want. I'm going to get some cookies."
Xander's eyes roamed around the room. One wall was taken up with a battered old book shelves, which he was happy to see was anchored properly. The top three shelves were taken up by Andrew's Watcher Library, while the bottom shelf was home to the beginnings of a comic book collection. A near by desk held Andrew's Apple Iigs, some paper and a pen. A sudden thought struck him as Dawn returned. He felt self conscious as he turned to Dawn, who put down the plate of cookies and rolled her eyes.
"Honestly Xander, you think we have orgies every night." Dawn grabbed an arm and pulled Xander to his feet. "C'mon"
She led him to a small hallway with four doors, and opened the first which opened to reveal a small bedroom.
"This is where I sleep. It's the smallest cause that makes it easily ward able, so I'm safe there." Dawn pointed dramatically at the door. "See it even has a lock on it."
Dawn pushed the door shut.
"Caridad sleeps in the next room, and Andrew has the big one down at the end. So you can report back that nothing is going on." Dawn turned back towards the living room. "Besides he's gay."
"He's what?" Xander stared after Dawn, who spun around and rolled her eyes.
"What you didn't know? All the signs are there. Andrew's gay so he's no threat to my virginity."
This time it was Xander who rolled his eyes and followed Dawn to the living room where he reclaimed his spot on the couch. He decided to change to a safer topic.
"So why aren't you at the park with Andrew and Cari."
"Cause I'm grounded."
"Grounded?" Xander raised an eyebrow. "Andrew grounded you? For what?"
Dawn's face pinked. "I, uh, brought some beer home the other day."
"Andrew grounded you for bringing him some beer?" That wasn't very nice of him."
"The beer wasn't exactly for him."
Dawn looked at Xander. "It was so totally unfair. But he says that if I want to live with him I have to live by his rules."
"Which you said you would, cause otherwise you might have to go back to the school and to Buffy?"
Dawn nodded.
"Which is why you were out in the corridor when I saw you."
22222222222222222
"Dawn phone you?" Xander plopped into a seat in the new finished Teachers Lounge with a machine brewed coffee. Buffy was there staring aimlessly at the television.
"She did. She wasn't too big with the details, but she says she's safe, and Andrew's making sure she doesn't get into too much trouble.' Buffy rolled an eye towards Xander. "She also says you blackmailed her into phoning."
Xander grinned. "Caught her breaking her grounding."
"Andrew grounded her and she accepted it?"
"Well I don't know about accepting it, cause I did catch her out in the corridor, but she did bring some beer home, and not for Andrew. He laid down the law and said if she didn't like it she could always come back here.."
"Kind of shows what kind of parent I am." Buffy slumped in her chair. "Dawnie would rather be punished by someone else rather than come home."
Xander smiled sympathetically. "Give her time Buff. We still got a few weeks before school starts and we can get together with Dawn and talk about it then. In the meantime she's safe, with people who care about her, and I'll be on the floor above them." Xander paused. "Then there's this." He handed Buffy a piece of paper.
"The Knight of the Temple and the Girl of Power will take the Snake back to the land where all began."
"Well actually no," Xander did a quick scan of the apartment before taking off his jacket and putting it on a convenient chair. "Not that that wouldn't be a good idea, but so not what I came for." Xander fixed his eye on Dawn. "You should phone Buffy though. She's really freaked."
"So, what did you come for?"
"I was checking out an apartment upstairs."
"So you're leaving too," accused Dawn. "What did Buffy do to you?"
"I'm not leaving," said Xander. "I'm just looking for a place where I can get some peace and quiet. You know, when life at the school get too much."
"You mean life with so many girls." Dawn quirked a smile.
"That too," admitted Xander sheepishly. "So, I was looking at this apartment, which I'm going to be taking, and saw you in the corridor."
"So you decided to follow."
"So I decided to drop in on some friends." Xander grinned at Dawn. "And to talk to Andrew. He here?"
"He and Caridad are at the park, training. I suppose you know she was living with Andrew and me."
"Wasn't too hard to figure out where she was going when she split. Especially as she wanted to be assigned as Andrew's Slayer."
"Well they're at the park," said Dawn. "You can wait if you want. I'm going to get some cookies."
Xander's eyes roamed around the room. One wall was taken up with a battered old book shelves, which he was happy to see was anchored properly. The top three shelves were taken up by Andrew's Watcher Library, while the bottom shelf was home to the beginnings of a comic book collection. A near by desk held Andrew's Apple Iigs, some paper and a pen. A sudden thought struck him as Dawn returned. He felt self conscious as he turned to Dawn, who put down the plate of cookies and rolled her eyes.
"Honestly Xander, you think we have orgies every night." Dawn grabbed an arm and pulled Xander to his feet. "C'mon"
She led him to a small hallway with four doors, and opened the first which opened to reveal a small bedroom.
"This is where I sleep. It's the smallest cause that makes it easily ward able, so I'm safe there." Dawn pointed dramatically at the door. "See it even has a lock on it."
Dawn pushed the door shut.
"Caridad sleeps in the next room, and Andrew has the big one down at the end. So you can report back that nothing is going on." Dawn turned back towards the living room. "Besides he's gay."
"He's what?" Xander stared after Dawn, who spun around and rolled her eyes.
"What you didn't know? All the signs are there. Andrew's gay so he's no threat to my virginity."
This time it was Xander who rolled his eyes and followed Dawn to the living room where he reclaimed his spot on the couch. He decided to change to a safer topic.
"So why aren't you at the park with Andrew and Cari."
"Cause I'm grounded."
"Grounded?" Xander raised an eyebrow. "Andrew grounded you? For what?"
Dawn's face pinked. "I, uh, brought some beer home the other day."
"Andrew grounded you for bringing him some beer?" That wasn't very nice of him."
"The beer wasn't exactly for him."
Dawn looked at Xander. "It was so totally unfair. But he says that if I want to live with him I have to live by his rules."
"Which you said you would, cause otherwise you might have to go back to the school and to Buffy?"
Dawn nodded.
"Which is why you were out in the corridor when I saw you."
22222222222222222
"Dawn phone you?" Xander plopped into a seat in the new finished Teachers Lounge with a machine brewed coffee. Buffy was there staring aimlessly at the television.
"She did. She wasn't too big with the details, but she says she's safe, and Andrew's making sure she doesn't get into too much trouble.' Buffy rolled an eye towards Xander. "She also says you blackmailed her into phoning."
Xander grinned. "Caught her breaking her grounding."
"Andrew grounded her and she accepted it?"
"Well I don't know about accepting it, cause I did catch her out in the corridor, but she did bring some beer home, and not for Andrew. He laid down the law and said if she didn't like it she could always come back here.."
"Kind of shows what kind of parent I am." Buffy slumped in her chair. "Dawnie would rather be punished by someone else rather than come home."
Xander smiled sympathetically. "Give her time Buff. We still got a few weeks before school starts and we can get together with Dawn and talk about it then. In the meantime she's safe, with people who care about her, and I'll be on the floor above them." Xander paused. "Then there's this." He handed Buffy a piece of paper.
"The Knight of the Temple and the Girl of Power will take the Snake back to the land where all began."
