Xander was up early the following morning getting breakfast ready, when Dawn entered the kitchen. She mumbled morning as he laid a plate with eggs, bacon and a glass of juice in front of her. They were silent for the longest time, when Xander said," well go ahead ask!"
Dawn grinned, "How'd you know I was going to ask you a question?"
"You're up an hour earlier than usual on a Saturday morning, any other questions?"
"So, why haven't you asked me to the dance yet?"
"Dawnie , because I'll always love you as a sister, but I'd feel weird if I actually dated you."
"I guess I realized that too last night, even though I didn't want to admit it. You're the closest thing to a brother I've ever had. Everyone comes to you for advice, even my sister."
Xander nodded remembering, "She needed a lot of time to understand why we didn't back her up that time when we were fighting the First. She tried to take on too much, so…"
"You talked to her, told her we did it to give her a break. She would have broke down and not been a use to anybody. You were the one that explained that, yes, we made a mistake, got some girls killed, but we all decided on the choice of action. We knew what could happen, the girls knew it. But instead of her taking all the blame, we all did. You were the only one that explained it to her, not Giles, but you. For that I'll always love you…" tears started to flow. "You brought her back to me."
Xander opened his arms as Dawn fell into them crying, talking to her in his way.
An hour later after breakfast Faith who was seated next to Buffy motioned for Xander to ask his question. Sighing, Xander moved around the table and knelt down between the two girls, while Faith looked away out the kitchen window.
"Buffy, I have to ask you a question," as she turned around to look in his eyes.
"You're not proposing are you?" a few giggles wafted through the room.
"Ummm, no, I was wondering if…I could ask Faith to the dance."
Faith eyes flew open and her head whipped around to look into Xander's eyes.
"Uhh, you can ask anybody you want Xan. Why you askin' me?" Buffy asked perplexed.
He heard Dawn whisper to Willow and Buffy, "If Faith does that again she'll get whiplash."
Ignoring the question, Faith, with eyes wide, asked, "Bu…bu…but I thought you wanted to date Buffy?"
"No, you thought I'd ask Buffy. I dated Buffy already six months back. It didn't work though, we were just too… close. More like sister and brother, so we kept it to our selves."
"Wait a minute, you dated my sister and didn't tell me!"
"Well, we had three dates, and when they were done we realized we were friends…."
"I can't believe you dated Xander, Buffy, that is so weird. I mean…Xander!!!???"
"It's weird that I dated him, but alright if you did, Willow?"
"Xander, did you tell her we dated?" Willow asked, infuriated. Xander shook his head laughing.
"Whoa…time out, you dated Willow? Fess up buddy."
"Well, it was after the Kennedy breakup. Willow came to me for advice, talked to her telling her she could do whatever she wanted, so she asked me out. We went out a few times and on our last date she said it was nice but she wanted to try it with Kennedy again. So, my morale went into the gutter when she dropped me to be a lesbian again. She was just using me." He said with a hurt expression, but with a twinkle in his eye he added, "I'll never be the same."
He again turned to Faith and asked. "Will you please accompany me to the dance, Faith?"
With her eyes beginning to mist, Faith pulled it together to say, "Sure… I mean I'd love to go to the dance with you." She leaned in to kiss him, but he moved away, telling her to save it for the night of the dance. She smiled nodding her head.
As he started for the door he called out, "Besides the last time I kissed a girl she became a lesbian! And I don't want that to happen until after the dance!" As he saluted to them as he walked out, the girls fell off their chairs laughing.
After the laughing subsided, Faith realized that she didn't have a dress, as did the other girls. Then Dawn said you need money to buy a dress, but Buffy smiled and slipped them each a check for there part in running the store. Dawn, Willow and Faith's eyes widened as they saw the size of the check, Buffy just said we do good work.
"O'k, we still need to get dresses and other essentials. How? We can't just close the store." The other girls nodded in agreement, when somebody at the door cleared her throat.
"Girls I think I can help you out." Molly Weasly said.
In twenty minutes it was settled, Molly would handle the store. They would go to London to purchase dresses by taking the train.
"Umm, one problem dearies, I came on the early train to give these roses to Faith for giving Mr. Weasly the best birthday present ever (four times). You missed the train."
"Well that's that then, we'll just have to go…"
"Uhh… Buffy can I have a word with you a minute, if Molly can keep a secret?"
"Of course."
"Dawn could take us."
"Willow what are you talking about?" Buffy asked perplexed. Willow then started explaining what Dawn and she had done earlier in the week, about visiting a very naked Xander. In an hour they had gone to London.
Xander stood there in awe, a few years ago he might have embarrassed himself, but now he was older, wiser. As Faith came down the stairs, he studied every part of her as if he would have a test on her later. She wore a simple black velvet dress that came to her upper thighs. Her hair fell about her shoulders in curls and ringlets. She wore a shear nylons with black high heels, around one ankle was a bracelet. On her left upper thigh he could make out a rose tattoo. She was wearing very little jewelry except for the ankle bracelet. She posed on the step with one knee bent and her tilted to the side.
In a husky voice she said, "Here I am, your very own fantasy, boytoy"
"No Faith, a fantasy is unattainable. You're my reality," as he lifted his hand for her to take it. Faith flattered lowered her head and blushed, she smiled and descended the rest of the stairs and out the door to the waiting carriage. As he assisted her up into the carriage he asked, "Well Faith how do I look?"
She looked him up and down seeing him being very handsome and very male in his black tux and sighed "you'll do." He grumbled, she laughed. After awhile she looked up shyly and said, "You know you were my first."
"Your first date, or …"
Looking away uneasily, she said, "Yeah… yeah my first date."
"The only reason I'm asking is you said it in past tense and we haven't had the date yet."
She again
turned her head away mumbling, "slip of the tongue." He looked perplexed, but
smiled anyway and held her hand the rest of the way to the school.
