"Sit down," Xander ordered once they were in his apartment. "I will go and
get one of my first aid kits."
"Okay," Buffy said and walked to one of the seats. She took her jacket off and sat down, waiting for Xander.
After a minute Xander returned from the bathroom with the first aid box.
He knelled down behind Buffy and pulled her sweatshirt a bit away so the wound was uncovered. He took a piece cloth from the box and a small bottle of alcohol.
"Ah," Buffy winced, as Xander cleaned the wound.
"That bad?" he asked
"No it's okay," she reassured him.
Xander finished cleaning her wound. He placed the bottle and the cloth back into the box and took a needle out of it.
"Okay. Now come the stitching part," he said and placed the needle at the upper beginning of the wound.
"No problem here," Buffy said, but still she winced when the needle entered her flesh for the first time.
"So Buffy," Xander started in order to distract her. "How are you felling after your first bullet wound?"
"Not much different than from other wounds," Buffy told him through clenched teeth
"If you think so," Xander said.
"So" Buffy started. "When did you get your first one?"
"When I was in New York," Xander told her with a chuckle. "A couple of gang members though it was really funny to rob me. After I was finished with them, one of them shot me in the arm. Luckily it was only a .22. But it still hurt like hell."
"One day you have to tell us all the little adventures on you road trip," Buffy told him.
"Promise," Xander said, but went silent again. The rest of the procedure was doww in silence. Xander finished stitching her up and covered her wound with a bandage.
Xander just wanted to put all things back in the first aid box when Buffy turned around.
"Xander," Buffy said a bit shy. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything Buffy," Xander answered, without stopping his work.
Buffy took a few seconds to gather her thoughts before she began. "You see, Willow and Oz wanted to celebrate a bit once our newest crisis on the hellmouth is over. You know, going to see a movie, then into a fine restaurant," Buffy told him, waiting another second to calm down enough for her to continue. "I wanted to ask you I would like to join them.. with me."
That sentence stopped Xander dead in tracks. A few million thoughts ran at the same time through his head, all trying to decide how he should answer her. Finally he looked up a t Buffy with a big plastered all over his face.
"Well Miss Summers," he started in a taunting tone. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
"No," Buffy interjected, but added 'maybe' in her head. "Just a couple of friends that go out and have some fun," she explained, while trying to look as serious as possible. She waited a few seconds to let everything sink in. "So? What do you say?"
Xander sighed and closed the firs aid kit before he slowly stood up. He rounded the seat Buffy was sitting on and sat down on the table in front of it.
During all that that Buffy had followed his every move, getting a bit frightened that he might say no.
But finally Xander met her eyes and smiled at her. "Buffy," he said in his most sincere tone. "I would absolutely love to go out with you."
Even if she tried it, Buffy couldn't hide the smile that crept over her face. Both sat in silence for a few more seconds, before Buffy finally stood up.
"I should leave now," she announced and took her jacket and slowly walked in the direction of the door, Xander following her. "We have Professor Walsh tomorrow morning in first period. And for once I want to make a good expression on her."
"Well, good luck then," Xander said and opened the door for her. "Oh, and before I forget it. Come to the warehouse once you and Willow are finished with your classes. I might have the results from the bug up to then."
"Okay," Buffy said and walked over the threshold. "Well, good night then."
"Good night Buffy," Xander said. The slayer took a few steps down the corridor, before she was interrupted.
"And Buffy," Xander said.
Buffy immediately turned around and looked at him. "Yeah?"
"You just gave another good reason to kill Sanchez as soon as possible," Xander told her with a smile.
Buffy smiled back and turned around again, continuing walking down the corridor. Behind her Xander slowly closed the door, waiting until the slayer was out of sight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
"Willow wake up," Buffy said and shook her friend.
"Sleepy now Buffy," Willow mumbled and threw the pillow over her head to block out the annoying light.
"Come on," Buffy said more urgent and grabbed the pillow. "Wake up."
Without the pillow to cover her Willow peered with one eye at her friend. Finally she yawned and sat up, stretching herself while doing it.
"What's so important?" she asked sleepily. "Is the world ending again?"
"No nothing like that. Quite the opposite," Buffy said and sat down her own bed. "I just come from Xander."
"Oh," Willow exclaimed, now wide awake. "Did you have another encounter with Sanchez goons?"
"Yeah, but nothing major. We spotted a group of them during our patrol. Xander planted a trap for them and I lured them into it," Buffy summed the night's events up. "I got a bit injured, so we went back to his apartment where he stitched me up. And I made him our 'offer'."
"And?" Willow said excited "Did he say yes?"
Buffy couldn't help but smile when she nodded, answering he red head's question.
"See I told you," Willow told her with a smile. "I knew Xander would jump on the opportunity to go out with you."
"Yeah," Buffy said and shook her head. "It's just I want to take the whole thing slow. I mean, what would happen if he and I get together and we won't work? I don't think I could take it to lose Xander."
"You don't have to be afraid of that," Willow assured here. "Xander would still be your friend. Believe me."
"I think you are right," Buffy admitted. "Still, slow is good."
"Slow is very good," Willow agreed with a straight face.
Suddenly Buffy laughed and buried her face in her hands for a second. "This whole thing is just so weird. I have faced vampires, demons and God know what else."
"Don't forget Snyder," Willow added with a smirk.
"How could I forget him," Buffy exclaimed with a frown. "It's just that I faced all that and here I am. Having certain feelings for my best male friend and I'm too frightened to just go to him and tell him how I'm feeling," Buffy summed the situation up. "The whole thing is just so ..."
"Normal?" Willow proposed with a smile.
"Yes," Buffy admitted with her own smile. "It's nothing hellmouthy or has something to do with me being the slayer. I'm just a normal 18 year old that is falling for her best friend. It's so weird that's already normal again."
"Normal is very good," Willow agreed.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Let's try to get some sleep. I want to be well rested for Professor Walsh tomorrow," Buffy said and walked into the bathroom.
"With your track record: Only a divine intervention could help you to not piss her off," Willow taunted her friend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
"Hello?" Faith answered her cell phone with her left hand while she busy with her right one. She repeatedly slammed the face of the vampire into the brick wall in front of her, until the vamp was barely conscious.
"Oh Xander, hi," she said and threw the vampire on the ground. "You know I'm a bit busy at the moment."
During all that, the vamp tried desperately to stand up. But a quick kick from Faith send him back on the ground.
"She did what?" she exclaimed surprised, while she took a stake out of her waistband.
"See I told you," she announced and kneeled sown beside the vampire. She quickly staked the undead and he immediately vanished in a cloud of dust. "Buffy had the hots for you. All she needed was a push in the right direction."
While Xander talked to her Faith observed the situation. Angel was still fighting with his two vampires. But one them seemed to be a clever one. He left his partner with the souled vampire and ran in the direction of the alley's exit.
Unfortunately he ran also directly into Faith, spread the right arm out and clothlined the vampire.
"Me? I had nothing to do with it," Faith stated while the vampire crashed to the ground. "Ask Red. She wanted to set something in motion."
Faith listened again to something Xander said, without loosing her concentration.
"Well, good luck Xandman, you need it," she said and staked the vampire beneath her. "A slayer is hard to handle."
With these words the connection ended and Faith put the phone back into the pocket of her jacket. Angel, who had in the meantime finished his last vampire, came up to Faith.
"Who was that," Angel asked interested. Both walked out of the alley and up to Angel's car.
"Xander," Faith calmly stated on their way. "He and B are going out on a date."
"Oh great," Angel muttered, never losing the calm look in his face.
"Don't be that negative Deadboy," Faith told him with a grin, while the two stepped into the car. "I will ask Xander if you can his best man at their weeding."
"Faith?" Angel asked without looking at his companion.
"Yeah," the slayer replied in an equal fashion.
"Shut up."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
Sanchez and Michael carefully entered the cave, followed by the six body guards that protected their boss at any time of the day. They followed the tunnel that lead to the dig site, still careful not to slip on the wet ground.
After about twenty meters they could see a light at the end of the tunnel. They continued their path and entered the cave that was illuminated by several transportable spotlights. The five man team that formed the archaeological team was sitting around, chatting about nothing important. But with the arrival of their leader they all stood up and looked with anticipation at newcomers.
"So gentleman," Sanchez exclaimed with an evil grin. "Where is it?"
The leader of the group, a middle aged man with grey hair who was a professor in his former life, stepped forward and presented a small box. He slowly opened the box, which revealed a shining ring in the middle of the satin clad interior.
Sanchez carefully reached and finally took the ring out of the box and held it between his thumb and his index finger.
"Are you that this is the right one?" Sanchez asked and eyed the ring closer. "I've seen a lot fake ones during my life."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure that this is the right one," the researcher declared with confidence.
"Well, we are going to see," Sanchez said and slipped the ring on. He slowly walked to the back of the cave, the remaining researchers stepping out of his way. Sanchez headed straight to the small altar and stopped in front of it.
Taking a deep breath he reached out an grabbed one of the golden crosses. He waited some seconds, but when it came apparant that the cross didn't burn his skin an evil grin spread across his face.
He it the cross fall back to the floor and headed back to the entrance of the cave.
"You did and excellent work," Sanchez addressed the researchers. "And I will make sure that you all are getting your reward."
The eyes of the scientist all lit up by the last word. They were shaking each others hand, congratulating each other for their success.
Sanchez however turned his attention to the leader of his body guards. "None of them come out here alive, understood?" he whispered into the leader's ear.
The vampire nodded and waved for his remaining comrades, who immediately understood the sign. The vampires took their Mp5s from the sling that held them around their shoulders and began ,one after another preparing, their weapons.
Sanchez and Michael were already on their way out of the cave when the body guards began their work.
"This item will prove very helpful against the slayer," Sanchez said over the sound of the gun shots. Michael was currently busy reading a text message he received a minute ago. "Now I only have to find her."
"I might have something on that," Michael said and put the cell phone back into his pocket "One of our groups that was attacked tonight. Only one of the vampires survived. When he came back we ran him through the normal security check."
"And?" Sanchez asked curious.
"It seems that we underestimated the slayer," Michael told him. "The vampire had a bug under the collar of his jacket. The slayer might know now where we are hiding."
"Is the bug already destroyed," Sanchez asked with a evil gleam in his eyes.
"No," Michael admitted. "I thought you might want to order this."
"There is no need for that;" Sanchez said as they stepped out of the tunnel. "So, the slayer wants so desperately find out where we are hiding. Well let's do her a favour," Sanchez said with a smile.
"Okay," Buffy said and walked to one of the seats. She took her jacket off and sat down, waiting for Xander.
After a minute Xander returned from the bathroom with the first aid box.
He knelled down behind Buffy and pulled her sweatshirt a bit away so the wound was uncovered. He took a piece cloth from the box and a small bottle of alcohol.
"Ah," Buffy winced, as Xander cleaned the wound.
"That bad?" he asked
"No it's okay," she reassured him.
Xander finished cleaning her wound. He placed the bottle and the cloth back into the box and took a needle out of it.
"Okay. Now come the stitching part," he said and placed the needle at the upper beginning of the wound.
"No problem here," Buffy said, but still she winced when the needle entered her flesh for the first time.
"So Buffy," Xander started in order to distract her. "How are you felling after your first bullet wound?"
"Not much different than from other wounds," Buffy told him through clenched teeth
"If you think so," Xander said.
"So" Buffy started. "When did you get your first one?"
"When I was in New York," Xander told her with a chuckle. "A couple of gang members though it was really funny to rob me. After I was finished with them, one of them shot me in the arm. Luckily it was only a .22. But it still hurt like hell."
"One day you have to tell us all the little adventures on you road trip," Buffy told him.
"Promise," Xander said, but went silent again. The rest of the procedure was doww in silence. Xander finished stitching her up and covered her wound with a bandage.
Xander just wanted to put all things back in the first aid box when Buffy turned around.
"Xander," Buffy said a bit shy. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything Buffy," Xander answered, without stopping his work.
Buffy took a few seconds to gather her thoughts before she began. "You see, Willow and Oz wanted to celebrate a bit once our newest crisis on the hellmouth is over. You know, going to see a movie, then into a fine restaurant," Buffy told him, waiting another second to calm down enough for her to continue. "I wanted to ask you I would like to join them.. with me."
That sentence stopped Xander dead in tracks. A few million thoughts ran at the same time through his head, all trying to decide how he should answer her. Finally he looked up a t Buffy with a big plastered all over his face.
"Well Miss Summers," he started in a taunting tone. "Are you asking me out on a date?"
"No," Buffy interjected, but added 'maybe' in her head. "Just a couple of friends that go out and have some fun," she explained, while trying to look as serious as possible. She waited a few seconds to let everything sink in. "So? What do you say?"
Xander sighed and closed the firs aid kit before he slowly stood up. He rounded the seat Buffy was sitting on and sat down on the table in front of it.
During all that that Buffy had followed his every move, getting a bit frightened that he might say no.
But finally Xander met her eyes and smiled at her. "Buffy," he said in his most sincere tone. "I would absolutely love to go out with you."
Even if she tried it, Buffy couldn't hide the smile that crept over her face. Both sat in silence for a few more seconds, before Buffy finally stood up.
"I should leave now," she announced and took her jacket and slowly walked in the direction of the door, Xander following her. "We have Professor Walsh tomorrow morning in first period. And for once I want to make a good expression on her."
"Well, good luck then," Xander said and opened the door for her. "Oh, and before I forget it. Come to the warehouse once you and Willow are finished with your classes. I might have the results from the bug up to then."
"Okay," Buffy said and walked over the threshold. "Well, good night then."
"Good night Buffy," Xander said. The slayer took a few steps down the corridor, before she was interrupted.
"And Buffy," Xander said.
Buffy immediately turned around and looked at him. "Yeah?"
"You just gave another good reason to kill Sanchez as soon as possible," Xander told her with a smile.
Buffy smiled back and turned around again, continuing walking down the corridor. Behind her Xander slowly closed the door, waiting until the slayer was out of sight.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
"Willow wake up," Buffy said and shook her friend.
"Sleepy now Buffy," Willow mumbled and threw the pillow over her head to block out the annoying light.
"Come on," Buffy said more urgent and grabbed the pillow. "Wake up."
Without the pillow to cover her Willow peered with one eye at her friend. Finally she yawned and sat up, stretching herself while doing it.
"What's so important?" she asked sleepily. "Is the world ending again?"
"No nothing like that. Quite the opposite," Buffy said and sat down her own bed. "I just come from Xander."
"Oh," Willow exclaimed, now wide awake. "Did you have another encounter with Sanchez goons?"
"Yeah, but nothing major. We spotted a group of them during our patrol. Xander planted a trap for them and I lured them into it," Buffy summed the night's events up. "I got a bit injured, so we went back to his apartment where he stitched me up. And I made him our 'offer'."
"And?" Willow said excited "Did he say yes?"
Buffy couldn't help but smile when she nodded, answering he red head's question.
"See I told you," Willow told her with a smile. "I knew Xander would jump on the opportunity to go out with you."
"Yeah," Buffy said and shook her head. "It's just I want to take the whole thing slow. I mean, what would happen if he and I get together and we won't work? I don't think I could take it to lose Xander."
"You don't have to be afraid of that," Willow assured here. "Xander would still be your friend. Believe me."
"I think you are right," Buffy admitted. "Still, slow is good."
"Slow is very good," Willow agreed with a straight face.
Suddenly Buffy laughed and buried her face in her hands for a second. "This whole thing is just so weird. I have faced vampires, demons and God know what else."
"Don't forget Snyder," Willow added with a smirk.
"How could I forget him," Buffy exclaimed with a frown. "It's just that I faced all that and here I am. Having certain feelings for my best male friend and I'm too frightened to just go to him and tell him how I'm feeling," Buffy summed the situation up. "The whole thing is just so ..."
"Normal?" Willow proposed with a smile.
"Yes," Buffy admitted with her own smile. "It's nothing hellmouthy or has something to do with me being the slayer. I'm just a normal 18 year old that is falling for her best friend. It's so weird that's already normal again."
"Normal is very good," Willow agreed.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Let's try to get some sleep. I want to be well rested for Professor Walsh tomorrow," Buffy said and walked into the bathroom.
"With your track record: Only a divine intervention could help you to not piss her off," Willow taunted her friend.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
"Hello?" Faith answered her cell phone with her left hand while she busy with her right one. She repeatedly slammed the face of the vampire into the brick wall in front of her, until the vamp was barely conscious.
"Oh Xander, hi," she said and threw the vampire on the ground. "You know I'm a bit busy at the moment."
During all that, the vamp tried desperately to stand up. But a quick kick from Faith send him back on the ground.
"She did what?" she exclaimed surprised, while she took a stake out of her waistband.
"See I told you," she announced and kneeled sown beside the vampire. She quickly staked the undead and he immediately vanished in a cloud of dust. "Buffy had the hots for you. All she needed was a push in the right direction."
While Xander talked to her Faith observed the situation. Angel was still fighting with his two vampires. But one them seemed to be a clever one. He left his partner with the souled vampire and ran in the direction of the alley's exit.
Unfortunately he ran also directly into Faith, spread the right arm out and clothlined the vampire.
"Me? I had nothing to do with it," Faith stated while the vampire crashed to the ground. "Ask Red. She wanted to set something in motion."
Faith listened again to something Xander said, without loosing her concentration.
"Well, good luck Xandman, you need it," she said and staked the vampire beneath her. "A slayer is hard to handle."
With these words the connection ended and Faith put the phone back into the pocket of her jacket. Angel, who had in the meantime finished his last vampire, came up to Faith.
"Who was that," Angel asked interested. Both walked out of the alley and up to Angel's car.
"Xander," Faith calmly stated on their way. "He and B are going out on a date."
"Oh great," Angel muttered, never losing the calm look in his face.
"Don't be that negative Deadboy," Faith told him with a grin, while the two stepped into the car. "I will ask Xander if you can his best man at their weeding."
"Faith?" Angel asked without looking at his companion.
"Yeah," the slayer replied in an equal fashion.
"Shut up."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------
Sanchez and Michael carefully entered the cave, followed by the six body guards that protected their boss at any time of the day. They followed the tunnel that lead to the dig site, still careful not to slip on the wet ground.
After about twenty meters they could see a light at the end of the tunnel. They continued their path and entered the cave that was illuminated by several transportable spotlights. The five man team that formed the archaeological team was sitting around, chatting about nothing important. But with the arrival of their leader they all stood up and looked with anticipation at newcomers.
"So gentleman," Sanchez exclaimed with an evil grin. "Where is it?"
The leader of the group, a middle aged man with grey hair who was a professor in his former life, stepped forward and presented a small box. He slowly opened the box, which revealed a shining ring in the middle of the satin clad interior.
Sanchez carefully reached and finally took the ring out of the box and held it between his thumb and his index finger.
"Are you that this is the right one?" Sanchez asked and eyed the ring closer. "I've seen a lot fake ones during my life."
"Oh, I'm pretty sure that this is the right one," the researcher declared with confidence.
"Well, we are going to see," Sanchez said and slipped the ring on. He slowly walked to the back of the cave, the remaining researchers stepping out of his way. Sanchez headed straight to the small altar and stopped in front of it.
Taking a deep breath he reached out an grabbed one of the golden crosses. He waited some seconds, but when it came apparant that the cross didn't burn his skin an evil grin spread across his face.
He it the cross fall back to the floor and headed back to the entrance of the cave.
"You did and excellent work," Sanchez addressed the researchers. "And I will make sure that you all are getting your reward."
The eyes of the scientist all lit up by the last word. They were shaking each others hand, congratulating each other for their success.
Sanchez however turned his attention to the leader of his body guards. "None of them come out here alive, understood?" he whispered into the leader's ear.
The vampire nodded and waved for his remaining comrades, who immediately understood the sign. The vampires took their Mp5s from the sling that held them around their shoulders and began ,one after another preparing, their weapons.
Sanchez and Michael were already on their way out of the cave when the body guards began their work.
"This item will prove very helpful against the slayer," Sanchez said over the sound of the gun shots. Michael was currently busy reading a text message he received a minute ago. "Now I only have to find her."
"I might have something on that," Michael said and put the cell phone back into his pocket "One of our groups that was attacked tonight. Only one of the vampires survived. When he came back we ran him through the normal security check."
"And?" Sanchez asked curious.
"It seems that we underestimated the slayer," Michael told him. "The vampire had a bug under the collar of his jacket. The slayer might know now where we are hiding."
"Is the bug already destroyed," Sanchez asked with a evil gleam in his eyes.
"No," Michael admitted. "I thought you might want to order this."
"There is no need for that;" Sanchez said as they stepped out of the tunnel. "So, the slayer wants so desperately find out where we are hiding. Well let's do her a favour," Sanchez said with a smile.
