Title: Divine Interruption (4/6)
Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=62966 or http://fanfiction.net/~cyclone
Rating: I'm gonna go say PG.
Spoilers: Up to season two of Buffy and anything in the Herc/Xenaverse.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Xander gets some "help" from a goddess. Sequel to Reminiscence.
Author's Note: I _was_ planning on skipping to the Judge story arc, but...
* * *
"Well, that would explain it," Giles murmured.
"What?" Xander asked.
"Well," the Watcher said, "it appears that the culprit didn't call on Diana, which is why the counterspell backfired."
"Well, then who _did_ the power come from?" Willow frowned.
Giles sighed, "Cupid. And as far as I know, the only way Cupid works is through his bow."
Xander's eyes widened as something clicked in his head.
"Oh, crap," Xander murmured. "I think I know what happened."
"Well, let's hear it."
He shook his head, "Sorry, but if I'm right, this is something I've gotta deal with this on my own."
Xander turned and left the library.
"He is quite a remarkable young man, isn't he?" Giles mused.
The Watcher paused and thought about what he'd just said.
"Oh, bugger."
* * *
"Xander!"
The so-named person stopped in the hallway and turned. He smiled, "Willow." He caught her in a hug as she barrelled into him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said. "Just... be careful, okay?" she pleaded. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Don't worry," he reassured her. "I won't be in any danger. Trust me." He chuckled, "I'm just glad this whammy didn't hit you. I dunno what I'd do if _you_ started nibbling on my ear."
*Probably panic,* he thought as Willow flushed and smacked his arm. *Or nibble right back,* he amended. She _was_ beautiful. He'd have to be blind to not see that.
But he knew better than to risk their friendship for that extra step, and she'd probably freak if she found out he'd been entertaining the idea.
Planting a chaste kiss on her forehead, Xander turned and left.
* * *
"Hey, Kevin!" a voice called.
Startled, the demigod-turned-actor looked up, "What is it?"
"Phone call," the stage hand replied. "It's on the private line."
Herc's eyes widened. Only a few people had _that_ number. Rising, he said, "I'll take it in my trailer."
When he picked up the phone, he said, "Hello?"
//Hello, Hercules.//
"It's good to hear from you again, old friend," he said with a smile.
* * *
Xander cursed as he dropped the phone. The line was busy. Didn't Herc say that number would put him straight through to him?
He sighed.
Well, it looked like he'd have to handle this without the big guy.
Which meant calling Giles and Angel. His face screwed in distaste at the idea of relying on Angel, but he shook it off.
He'd had to work with people he'd liked less. Like Ares.
He shoved _that_ thought aside. That had _not_ been a pleasant experience, and he had no desire to relive it, even in memory.
Xander rose and stepped out, looking around the darkened street cautiously for any sign of anything female. He blew out a sigh of relief and murmured, "Now to find Angel and Giles."
"I'm right here."
"Gyah!" he jumped, startled, and whirled. Jabbing a finger angrily at the ensouled vampire, he snarled, "Don't _do_ that!"
Angel shrugged and tilted his head to the side, "Sorry."
He actually looked contrite, which surprised Xander.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Angel said, "just fine. You figure things out?"
"Sort of," Xander hedged.
"I knew you could do it."
Xander _stared_ at him, then shook it off. If Angel was going to pick _now_ to respect him, he wasn't going to...
Waitaminute. What if...?
No. No way. No freaking way. No freaking way in _hell_.
"Let's just find Giles," Xander growled, shaking off the very disturbing thought.
* * *
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Giles asked hesitantly.
"Yeah," Xander nodded. "I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this, and I don't even want to think what'll happen if the people who are affected start getting _jealous_."
He shuddered.
"Yes," Giles murmured. "Quite. Especially as the effects seem to be getting stronger."
Xander shot Giles a look and shook his head, "No. You mean...?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Giles said. "Thankfully, it's not affecting me as... strongly as it did before. Yet."
Xander looked at Angel, Cordy, and Willow, "You three aren't feeling anything, are you?"
Angel looked away sheepishly, which was answer enough.
*Well, that explains why he was creeping around my place,* Xander thought sourly.
Willow hesitated before shaking her head and saying, "I don't feel any different from normal." *Of course, I _already_ love you, so...* she added silently.
"As if!" Cordy snorted. *No, those are not feelings for Xander. He's a good kisser, but he's a dork. No. Way.*
"Can we get on with this?" Willow asked.
There were nods all around, and they began the spell to summon the one person who could fix things.
Cupid.
* * *
Author's Postscript:
And things are starting to come to a close here.
Author: Cyclone
Feedback: Please be gentle.
Distribution: Gimme credit and a link. Plus, archived at http://fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=62966 or http://fanfiction.net/~cyclone
Rating: I'm gonna go say PG.
Spoilers: Up to season two of Buffy and anything in the Herc/Xenaverse.
Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to the other people. I'm just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: Xander gets some "help" from a goddess. Sequel to Reminiscence.
Author's Note: I _was_ planning on skipping to the Judge story arc, but...
* * *
"Well, that would explain it," Giles murmured.
"What?" Xander asked.
"Well," the Watcher said, "it appears that the culprit didn't call on Diana, which is why the counterspell backfired."
"Well, then who _did_ the power come from?" Willow frowned.
Giles sighed, "Cupid. And as far as I know, the only way Cupid works is through his bow."
Xander's eyes widened as something clicked in his head.
"Oh, crap," Xander murmured. "I think I know what happened."
"Well, let's hear it."
He shook his head, "Sorry, but if I'm right, this is something I've gotta deal with this on my own."
Xander turned and left the library.
"He is quite a remarkable young man, isn't he?" Giles mused.
The Watcher paused and thought about what he'd just said.
"Oh, bugger."
* * *
"Xander!"
The so-named person stopped in the hallway and turned. He smiled, "Willow." He caught her in a hug as she barrelled into him. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she said. "Just... be careful, okay?" she pleaded. "I don't want anything to happen to you."
"Don't worry," he reassured her. "I won't be in any danger. Trust me." He chuckled, "I'm just glad this whammy didn't hit you. I dunno what I'd do if _you_ started nibbling on my ear."
*Probably panic,* he thought as Willow flushed and smacked his arm. *Or nibble right back,* he amended. She _was_ beautiful. He'd have to be blind to not see that.
But he knew better than to risk their friendship for that extra step, and she'd probably freak if she found out he'd been entertaining the idea.
Planting a chaste kiss on her forehead, Xander turned and left.
* * *
"Hey, Kevin!" a voice called.
Startled, the demigod-turned-actor looked up, "What is it?"
"Phone call," the stage hand replied. "It's on the private line."
Herc's eyes widened. Only a few people had _that_ number. Rising, he said, "I'll take it in my trailer."
When he picked up the phone, he said, "Hello?"
//Hello, Hercules.//
"It's good to hear from you again, old friend," he said with a smile.
* * *
Xander cursed as he dropped the phone. The line was busy. Didn't Herc say that number would put him straight through to him?
He sighed.
Well, it looked like he'd have to handle this without the big guy.
Which meant calling Giles and Angel. His face screwed in distaste at the idea of relying on Angel, but he shook it off.
He'd had to work with people he'd liked less. Like Ares.
He shoved _that_ thought aside. That had _not_ been a pleasant experience, and he had no desire to relive it, even in memory.
Xander rose and stepped out, looking around the darkened street cautiously for any sign of anything female. He blew out a sigh of relief and murmured, "Now to find Angel and Giles."
"I'm right here."
"Gyah!" he jumped, startled, and whirled. Jabbing a finger angrily at the ensouled vampire, he snarled, "Don't _do_ that!"
Angel shrugged and tilted his head to the side, "Sorry."
He actually looked contrite, which surprised Xander.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," Angel said, "just fine. You figure things out?"
"Sort of," Xander hedged.
"I knew you could do it."
Xander _stared_ at him, then shook it off. If Angel was going to pick _now_ to respect him, he wasn't going to...
Waitaminute. What if...?
No. No way. No freaking way. No freaking way in _hell_.
"Let's just find Giles," Xander growled, shaking off the very disturbing thought.
* * *
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Giles asked hesitantly.
"Yeah," Xander nodded. "I'm not sure how much longer I can put up with this, and I don't even want to think what'll happen if the people who are affected start getting _jealous_."
He shuddered.
"Yes," Giles murmured. "Quite. Especially as the effects seem to be getting stronger."
Xander shot Giles a look and shook his head, "No. You mean...?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Giles said. "Thankfully, it's not affecting me as... strongly as it did before. Yet."
Xander looked at Angel, Cordy, and Willow, "You three aren't feeling anything, are you?"
Angel looked away sheepishly, which was answer enough.
*Well, that explains why he was creeping around my place,* Xander thought sourly.
Willow hesitated before shaking her head and saying, "I don't feel any different from normal." *Of course, I _already_ love you, so...* she added silently.
"As if!" Cordy snorted. *No, those are not feelings for Xander. He's a good kisser, but he's a dork. No. Way.*
"Can we get on with this?" Willow asked.
There were nods all around, and they began the spell to summon the one person who could fix things.
Cupid.
* * *
Author's Postscript:
And things are starting to come to a close here.