Buffy swung back and forth on the chain, grumbling unintelligible expletives. Everyone had left her already, the novelty gone.
"Had fun?" a familiar voice asked.
Buffy opened her eyes, and saw Xander casually leaning against a wall. She growled, "Xander Harris, wipe that smile of your face, and GET ME DOWN FROM HERE!!"
"Perhaps you haven't hung there long enough?" Xander wondered, unable to take the huge grin off his face.
Buffy growled and then composed herself. "Xander, would you please let me down?"
"Sure," he said, and walked over to where the chain was attached. "You know I really like the bright red lips." Buffy growled. "No, I mean it, it looks really good on you. But I hope you do understand why I /had/ to do this apart from keeping my word. I want you to understand this Buffy," Xander said, finished untying the chains and slowly lowering Buffy to the floor. Xander started untying her ankles as he continued, "just because you're the Slayer, and you're given some extra strength and speed and healing, doesn't mean you're superior to the rest of us. We're not going to go 'All hail, Buffy' because of that. We're your friends, not your pets, and that means we tell you the truth no matter how harsh it is, and we deserve to be treated with respect, got that?"
"Got it," Buffy said, as Xander finished untying her hands. She pulled the note off her chest, and crumpled it angrily. She looked up and said, "But that doesn't mean I'm not going to pay you back!" She readied a fist.
Xander backed away, waved his hands and said, "Hey, just normal guy here, you have super powers. You can't hit me."
Buffy looked at him for a moment, and then her eyes narrowed saying, "You kicked my butt, remember?"
"Oh, right," Xander said, and then smiled nervously. With roar Buffy threw the punch and Xander twisted aside. "You'll have to catch me first though," he said and ran away.
"AAH!" Buffy screamed and ran after him. "Get back here, Xander Harris!!"
"Oooh, I'm so scared!" Xander yelled looking backward. He rounded a corner, and disappeared into the girls' bathroom.
Buffy blasted past the door and looked around. Four stalls, but no Xander. She quickly ducked and looked underneath the stalls, only two pairs of feet, both women judging from the shoes. Buffy opened the first door: nobody. Quickly she went to the last stall, which had two feed. She jumped, grabbed the top of the door and pulled herself up, looking down into it. "AAH! What the hell are you doing! Lesbian pervert!" a girl screamed.
"Sorry, sorry! Just looking for a guy!" Buffy apologized letting herself drop.
"TRY THE MEN'S BATHROOM!!!" the girl screeched.
"/Sorry/!" Buffy exclaimed and then went to the third stall. Rapidly she opened it: again nobody. She backed away, looking at the remaining stall and wondering if she should. She blinked as she heard the toilet being flushed. Going into a battle stance she watched the door being opened . . . and out came Lexa.
"Buffy," she greeted. "I thought I recognized a voice. Xander let you down, huh?"
Buffy narrowed her eyes at Lexa, and quickly jumped past her, threw the door wide open and looked inside: nobody. "What are you doing?" Lexa asked confused.
Buffy twisted around, face grimaced in anger, and she hissed, "Payback! Where is he!? You're his cousin, you helped him get away!"
"I did no such thing, but if Xander went in here, the only way out is through the window," Lexa said calmly, pointing at said window.
"DAMN!" Buffy exclaimed, and went to the window. She opened it, and then jumped through. After some wiggling she passed through, completely missing the fact that Xander couldn't possibly fit through the window and then looked around. Left or right? Finally she decided on right and ran, yelling, "XANDER! No sense hiding!"
Lexa smiled, turned on the hot water faucet, and went back into the stall. A few moments later she came back out in men's closing. She watched the girl from the fourth stall finish cleaning her hands and walk away. Lexa splashed some of the hot water on her face, and Xander looked in the mirror with a big grin, "Way too easy." He then casually walked out the bathroom.
He walked aimlessly, calculated how much time he still had left before lunch break was over, and wondered if he should cut class. Finally he decided to go look up Willow, and see if she could appeal to his conscience. "XANDER!" he heard a scream.
"Ah, shit," Xander said and ran away again, Buffy hot on his tail. "If it works once," he murmured with a grin. He made several twists and turns, and ran up some stairs to the second floor.
Buffy was saw Xander go up the stairs, and she followed him moments later. The stairs went up to halfway, there was a platform, and then the stairs went up the other way to the next floor. Buffy rounded the flat corner and then bounded up the stairs, only to bump into Lexa. This time Xander had no time to change clothing, so she was still in jeans and top. Her breasts were too big for the tight fitting male top, so her upper buttons were open showing off her cleavage. She looked with large, clueless eyes at the Slayer. "Where did he go?! Where did he go!?" Buffy asked rapidly, running in place, looking left and right down the corridor and forward into another.
"Uh, someone ran that way," Lexa pointed to Buffy's left, behind her. "But he was too fast to tell if it was Xander."
"Thanks!" Buffy said and ran off after Xander.
Lexa grinned and disappeared back into the janitorial closet. A moment later Xander came back out. "I said it before, and I say it again: way too easy," he said with another big grin and casually went back down the stairs.
Buffy reached the end of the corridor, and looked at another pair of stairs. Up to the third floor, or down. Down. She ran down the stairs and wondered how the hell Xander had managed to give her the slip - again! "Xander, you little," Buffy hissed, determined to hang him upside down as well, or some other creative payback.
Once downstairs she looked around. What way now? With a grunt she just picked and ran, looking around startled looking students, and dismissing them when they weren't Xander. After a few moments of running at top speed she slowed down, and asked one student she knew was in their class, "Have you seen, Xander?"
"Uh, yeah, he was just that away," he said, pointing down the corridor toward the lunch room. With growl Buffy sped off again, and yep, soon she saw him walking there, talking to a girl. At the last minute he noticed the speeding along bull, and bolted. Buffy ran after him, slowly catching up. Oh, this time he was /not/ getting away. Xander went around a corner and so went she: no Xander. "What? How does he keep doing this!?" Buffy hissed out in frustration, looking around.
A door opened and Lexa stepped out. She looked over, and seemed surprised to see Buffy. "Oh, Buffy, you again," she said.
"Where's Xander!? Where is he!?" Buffy hissed out at her.
Lexa pointed down the hall, and said, "Second classroom."
Buffy nodded, thinking, -Right!- She took several steps, reaching Lexa, and stopped. She turned right, so she was facing the raven-haired girl, and narrowed her yes at her. Lexa seemed startled. "Lexa," Buffy said slowly, dangerously. "Three times Xander gave me the slip, three times you're there, you're helping him."
"No, I'm not," Lexa said, shaking her head.
"And /you/ are the one who did the actually hanging upside down of me," Buffy said slowly, smiling she could get payback. Lexa swallowed visibly. "RAAH!" Buffy screamed throwing the punch. Lexa jumped, flipped over Buffy with an impressive screw and landed behind the Slayer. Buffy's fist in the mean time collided with the wall instead of body. Buffy looked shocked at the unharmed wall. Buffy was angry, but she wouldn't put someone in a hospital, so she had kept the power in her arm back. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and she looked around.
A brightly smiling Lexa said, "You need anger management classes."
"Manage this!" Buffy screamed and threw a punch. Lexa grabbed the side of Buffy's arm and twisted aside of the punch, pulling the Slayer along until she crashed into the wall. She watched as Lexa then ran away. She quickly ran after her, screaming, "LEXA!! GET BACK HERE!! I'M GONNA GET YOU TOO!!"
-Oh, man,- Xander thought looking back as Buffy came after her. -Then again, this could be fun.- Grinning she ran out the school, jumped in a tree, ran to the edge of the branch and jumped smoothly up on top of the school. Buffy came out of the school and just managed to see Lexa jump from the tree to the roof, and looked up at her. Xander grinned from his position, and called, "Hey, Buffy! You can't get to me from there."
Buffy grimaced, hesitating. They would all see her do the amazing feet, then again the students had already seen Lexa do it. "You think so, huh?!" Buffy yelled up and with a running start jumped into the tree, and from there to the roof.
Lexa swallowed at the grinning Buffy and then turned around and ran. They jumped down the other side.
Willow blinked. She stood in front of the school and had watched the spectacle of Lexa jumping into tree, and from there to the roof, and then Buffy going after her. "Whoa," Willow muttered with revelation. "Lexa is the girl that beat the six vampires. Hmm."
"XANDER!" Buffy's scream was heard and Xander came running out the school followed by Buffy. They quickly disappeared around the corner again. Willow blinked, and then smiled. "LEXA!" Buffy yelled, and from the same corner Lexa appeared, Buffy hot on her heals. They disappeared back into the school. Willow still smiled looking. "XANDER!" Buffy's scream sounded again, and Xander appeared from the other side of the building, Buffy right behind. He went back into through the main entrance. "LEXA!" Buffy's yell sounded, and Lexa came from the other direction, once again disappearing into the building, Buffy behind her. A few others looked mildly amused, but then went on with their business. Willow kept looking. "XANDER!" Buffy screamed. Willow looked up, following the yell and watched Xander appear on the roof. He simply jumped down, and ran back into the school through the main entrance. Buffy arrived right after him, jumping down as well.
"Something odd is going on," Willow said with a frown, as Lexa with Buffy right after her came around the left corner.
"Exactly when /isn't/ there something odd going on around here?" a bitchy voice asked. Willow looked to her left and saw Cordelia stand there with her arms folded across her ample chest.
"Xander!" Buffy's voice sounded, running after Xander, who this time simply ran around the school instead of going back inside.
"Ok, something odd/er/ is going on," Willow said, making Cordelia look at her. Lexa came out the main entrance of the school, look left and right, then went left, Buffy right after her. "I just can't quite put my finger on what."
Cordelia snorted, and said, "Well, bookworm, don't you think you should break up your friends, they might /miss/ class, oh, the horror! Whatever will we do then!?" Cordelia then chuckled and walked to the school.
Willow watched her go, and then said softly, "Bitch." She was right though, and so Willow went into the school. It didn't take long before the shouts led her to Buffy and Xander standing across from each other. "Too slow, huh, Buffy?" Xander asked with a smile.
Buffy growled, and looked around. She saw a bucket standing their. She rapidly went over and picked it up. Then she threw it at Xander. Xander's eyes widened and twisted aside, but too slow. The water splashed all over his arm. Xander looked at his arm, and the smoke coming from the pool of /hot/ water - very /hot/ water. "Yowch!!" Xander screamed out shaking his arm. "Have you lost your mind, Buffy. That could have really hurt me!"
Buffy was about to answer when a cleaning lady stepped in alarm out of the door next to which the bucket stood. She took in the sight, and then she yelled, "VANDALS! LOOK, AND I GET TO CLEAN IT UP NO DOUBT!" Buffy and Xander looked in fear at the angry woman and quickly ran away. A few turns later, the two leaned back against a wall, breathing hard.
"You two." Buffy and Xander looked up, and was relieved when they saw Willow stepping toward them smiling. Buffy and Xander looked at each other then, and chuckled at the close call. "Lunch break is over, we need to get to class," Willow said with a smile.
Buffy's smile broke into a grimace, and said, "I still haven't . . ."
"Leave it be, Buffy. You got what you deserved, and you know it," Willow said walking closer to her friends. "Besides, are you going to punch me out too for the lips? You'd put me in a hospital. So please just get over it, Buffy." Buffy looked down. "Now come on, you guys. You're friends, apologize, hugs, and let's go." Xander and Buffy looked at each other, and murmured an apology at each other. "Hugs," Willow said. Xander and Buffy looked at Willow, then at each other, and then gave each other a hug.
"Hugs?" Willow looked over and saw Cordelia. The Queen bitch shook her head, and then told Willow, "You are such a loser, Rosenberg. And you two even more for actually doing it." She then walked off, having three pairs of glaring eyes in her back.
"Why didn't you hang her out to dry?" Buffy almost growled.
"I know, I'm really wondering what I was thinking," Xander agreed with her.
Willow and Buffy stood nervously in front of the door of Xander's apartment. They were invited, they had both bought a housewarming gift, and were now wondering what they'd find. The building was tall, and multiple apartments were in it. On one side it had a view of the beach that was only a throwing distance away. Willow and Buffy were almost jealous thinking of the possibilities. The pushed the button that read 'A. L. Harris' and waited.
#I'm coming out to lead you in, hold on,# Xander's voice came from a speaker.
A few moments later Xander's frame appeared behind the glass in the door. Another moment later the door opened, and Xander said, "Come in." The two girls did, entering the apartment complex. "It's this way," Xander said with a smile, walking deeper into the building. He moved around a corner toward the right, immediately there was another corner to the left. There was a door to the right, and a door straight on, which was a door on the right side of the new corner to the left. Xander walked straight forward and opened the door straight on. Willow and Buffy looked at each other, remembering the outside of the building and making a quick imagination. "Come on into the Harris Palace," Xander said and beckoned them on.
Willow and Buffy entered, and Xander closed the door. The girls looked around in amazement, and both sets of eyes immediately latched on the biggest feature. "Oh, my!" Buffy exclaimed as both girls ran across the apartment to the glass door behind which was a balcony, and behind that the beach. The turned around to look at Xander, who grinned. "Let's start with the beginning, shall we?" he asked with a smile, and point to his left to the kitchen corner. "The kitchen," he announced, and Buffy and Willow looked at the beautiful kitchen, separated from the rest of the apartment by a quarter circle counter. Xander walked past it to the corner, which was a bit deeper into the apartment. He opened the door in it, and said, "Bathroom." Willow and Buffy came over to look, finding a rectangular room, which had a toilet and a shower, all tiled in blue. Xander then walked over to the other side of the corner where there was another door and he opened it. "The bedroom, where I will undoubtedly receive many lady friends," Xander said with a grin.
"Xander," Buffy admonished as both girls stepped inside to look around. The door was in the corner, and the bedroom was rectangular going further to the right. A double bed was in the middle, brown closet and night stand in the back. A clothes rack was in the far left corner. A small tv was in the middle of the bed.
"What? To have them pick what I wear of course," he joked innocently, neither girl accepted that, and just frowned at him. "Don't believe me, then.," he said, and lead them back out. He walked along the wall, past a small cupboard, and opened a final door. "And the final separate room: the gym," Xander said with a smile, and the two girls walked inside.
Buffy's eyes gleamed when she looked inside it; a sparring mat, several different weight-based, workout machines, and several training poles and similar equipment to what she had destroyed two days earlier. Finally the room had different bladed weapons and other martial arts weapons hanging on the wall. Willow just looked, Buffy's expression fueled by Slayer instincts said, 'He has his own piece of heaven.'
"All right, guys, finally the living room," Xander said, presenting the living room. Willow and Buffy had seen it already of course, but they had had more eyes for the balcony. Willow and Buffy took in the chair, and two couches, all in dark-green leather. The room had a light beige carpet. A good size televison was on a standard with an old VCR underneath, and a low table in the middle. An old radio was next to the tv, and further behind the far couch was a tall smaller eating table, surrounded by chairs. "I'm saving up for a DVD player, I hear they're supposed to be the next thing."
"Damn cool, Xan," Buffy said looking around.
"Yeah, I want to emancipate too. Where does Lexa sleep?" Willow said looking around.
Xander turned to them and answered, "In a sleeping bag on a mattress we put away every morning, I'm still working on something better, she really should have her own bed."
"Where is she anyway?" Buffy asked, walking over to the three-person couch and sat on it, testing it out. It wasn't new, she could tell that, but it was damn neat still.
"She met some hot girl this afternoon and went on a date with her, I doubt I'll see her back before midnight," Xander answered with a smile.
"Well, great, Xan, congratulations," Willow said, shaking his head and giving him a hug. Then she handed her present over. Buffy got up, congratulated and hugged him also and equally gave him her present.
Xander placed the presents on the table and said, "Take a seat, and let me get you ladies something to drink first, then I'll open the presents."
Buffy and Willow agreed to that, both enjoying being called 'ladies', and sat down on the couch. Willow ordered an orange juice, and Buffy cola. Xander grinned and went to get their drinks for them.
Author's notes: Next week, the revelation of Xander's surprise / secret, and the arrival of an amazon and her mother. What could they possibly want?