Title:

1/2 Blessing, 1/2 Curse - Season 1 - 18?

Author:

3D Master

Feedback:

3d.masterchello.nl

Website:

http/members.chello.nl/jg.temolder1/

Rating:

PG-13

Keywords:

X-Over Ranma ½ / Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Action, Humor, Drama, AU.

Summary:

Xander and Willow go out on their first date; and Deo decides it's time to test Willow's mettle, meanwhile Spike is hiring . . .

Disclaimer:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its characters do not belong to me, but Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Productions. Ranma ½ belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Willow came walking into the school with a smile. She read a big sign saying, 'Career Fair begins tomorrow.' Willow half-shrugged; although interested she had bigger things to worry about. Tonight, she would finally get her first date with Xander, and her chance to impress him enough he no longer had eyes for the skanks after him - Buffy excluded, although she good be skanky from time to time she admitted. To that end Willow had decided to dress to impress early on to raise expectations: a tight, dark-green shirt that accentuated her breasts making them look more prominent, her hair hung wavily around her head and face, a light but obvious makeup adorned her face - lips pink, a red, short, wavy skirt showed off her legs and ass, short black boots with a mid-heel and to finish it, black pantyhose that accentuated her legs even more. Thank god for Buffy's help in the fashion department Willow breathed relieved. She became aware of a guy checking her out, and then a second one. Willow blushed and looked down nervously, gingerly grabbing the shoulder straps of her backpack. Despite her newfound confidence, anger induced super-sexy Halloween costume, and another boost of confidence from the feral Orion persona she turned into that night, it still jarred her when a guy looked at her like that - partially wondering whether she had spinach beneath her teeth or something like that. She had had that small a low self-esteem that even her new boosts hadn't fully eradicated her view of herself.

She quickly walked on and found a desk with career tests. She checked off her name to indicate she had gotten one and the woman gave her the test. She walked onward and saw Buffy and Xander sitting at a table filling in their own tests. "Do you like to work with animals, tools, or machines?" Xander quoted from his taste. "What have 'animals' got to do with tools or machines? Have you ever heard someone say, 'I love animals, and machines too, especially meat grinder.'"

"Butchers," Willow offered sitting down at a vacant seat. Xander scowled at her. Willow grinned, "Sorry, you look glum."

"It's just this stupid test; nobody can find out what you're going to be and what you like by filling in ten stupid questions," Xander muttered in annoyance. "Here, look at this, Would you like to work as a teacher? I thought this dumb test was supposed figure this stuff out for you." Xander sulked, and Willow almost casually filled in her paper.

"Do I like shrimp?" Buffy asked as she looked up from her paper with a confused frown.

Xander grinned at her and said, "Well, I could demonstrate the use of a shrimp once again . . ."

Buffy couldn't help a small smirk as she told him, "Mind out of the gutter, Xander."

"But it likes it there," Xander retorted with a cute whine.

Willow quickly interrupted, saying, "I like shrimp, lots of shrimp, will try out new ones." Willow blushed as Xander shot her a dirty smile.

Buffy sighed, saying, "All right, dirty minds prevail, like the shrimpage." She forced her mouth in a twisted shape, attempting to not smile, and only half succeeding as she checked her option.

"Hmm," Xander said, smirking, "that way filling this thing in might be fun after all. Do you have skill working with animals, tools and machines? Oh, yeah, very true, I keep this one in my night stand, anduh . . ."

Buffy couldn't help but laugh out loud, which destroyed Willow's try at keeping from laughing, making her explode out a spluttering laugh and go red immediately when people looked over at them. "Xander," Willow admonished him. Buffy looked sullenly back down at her test. "What's the matter?" Willow asked her friend.

"I don't even know why I bother with this?" Buffy spoke annoyed.

Willow shrugged, and said, "Then don't."

Her two friends looked at her, and Buffy observed, "Wow, living on the edge, Will."

Willow blushed deeply, and gave as an explanation, "Xander and I are going on a date tonight . . . we're going on a date right?" Buffy actually smiled at Willow's uncertain look, while Xander looked oddly at her. Willow nodded satisfactorily and said, "Just checking I hadn't dreamt it. Makes everything else seem . . . bland." Willow thought for a moment and then asked Buffy, "So you don't have any interest at all in what this test says? I must admit I'm a little curious despite."

"What's the use?" Buffy asked glumly, sitting back down in her chair like a lost bag of potatoes. "My fate is already sealed. Unless hell freezes over and all the vampires retire; live fast, die you is the motto for this girl."

"Hey!" Xander said brightly, and then lower so nobody heard, "At least look at the bright side. You die young, we die young right along with you." Buffy and Willow looked at him perplexed. "Uh, wait," Xander said going over his words, "that came out wrong."

-----

The bearded vamped-out vampire with glasses sat reading words from a book in the old rundown factory out loud. On the other end of the rectangular table sat Drusilla, playing with tarot cards.

Next to the male vampire stood Spike, reading another book, and translated testily, "The beef, debase, canoe. Somehow that strikes me as not right."

"I, well . . ." Dalton muttered.

Spike slammed his closed book on Dalton's head who desperately tried to defend himself. "What is wrong with you?"

"It doesn't make sense," Dalton whimpered out his defense.

"Spoik, wanna play?" Drusilla whimpered lowly from her position.

Spike snapped his head to her and said, "Shut up, Dru! Can't you see I'm bloody working here?" Drusilla recoiled with a hurt look. Spike immediately felt sorry, and said so as he walked over, "Oh, I'm sorry, baby, you know I didn't mean it like that." He took Drusilla in his arms who placed her head against his chest. "It's just that that damn book has even Dalton trumped, and he's supposed to be the big brain around here," Spike cursed in frustration, making Drusilla whimper some. "I'm sorry, baby, I'm sorry," Spike soothed her again, sitting down on the table. "Soon you'll be to your full health again, and then we'll paint the town red, we will. Together we're unstoppable, my luv . . ."

Spike let Drusilla abruptly go, and as he stalked back to Dalton his hissed, "Just as soon as brainiac here deciphers the bloody book. Talk to me!"

"I'm sorry!" Dalton quickly exclaimed. "It's Latin, but it isn't Latin, I'm not even sure it's a language."

Spike grabbed the vampire by his collar and lifted him off the floor saying, "Well, then /turn/ it into a language! You're a transcriber! That's what transcribers /do/ isn't it?"

"N-not exactly," Dalton whimpered.

Just as Spike was to go on, Drusilla from her position by the cards muttered, "Pain."

Spike turned to her, grinned, and then said, "Why not? Pain is a good motivator." He need Dalton into the groin, who groaned out in pain.

"He can't help it," Drusilla added smoothly.

"What?" Spike asked her surprised.

Drusilla smiled just a bit as she indicated the cards, "He doesn't have the key."

"Key?" Spike blurted out, pushing a still in pain Dalton back on his chair. "You mean this book is in some bloody code?" Spike growled, "Well, where do we find the damn key then?"

"Right here," Drusilla said pointing her finger at a card depicting a crude tomb or mausoleum. Spike looked at the card, and grinned.

-----

Lotion sat sulking in the living room of her and her mother's home, right above the Chinese restaurant they ran. "What's wrong, my daughter?" Deo asked her finally.

Lotion looked up, and then said, "Oh, uh, the red witch succeeded in getting a date with future husband. She is out with him now."

"Hmm," Deo said with a sneaky smile, her blue eyes glittering, "I think I'll go test some mettle again."

"No!" Lotion said defiantly standing up. "You already tested Xander!"

Deo nodded, and said, "Yes, but now I'll test the witch's mettle - it's time to weed out some rivals anyway."

"But . . . Willow is kind of nice," Lotion admitted with a slight frown. Her mother just grinned wider. "Mother! Don't!" Deo took off. "Mother!" Lotion yelled as she ran after her.

-----

Xander and Willow laughed at the big movie screen. Having taken a lovers' seat, Willow was happy. She watched Xander who had his left arm around her shoulder scarf down some popcorn, and smiled. "I wish I had had the guts to ask you sooner, to show I'm a girl too," she said wistfully, imagining for a moment how that would have been.

Xander left the movie and the snacks for a moment, and took Willow in. "Things have gotten complicated, huh?" Xander said with a wondering expression.

"Yeah," Willow said, snuggling closer to Xander.

"You still miss Jesse?" Xander asked softly.

Willow nodded placing her head to his chest, and said, "Every day."

"You're actually kind of beautiful," Xander complimented her, cursing himself for his good luck packaged as bad luck. He had amazons around him, super models, and he had certain things for them all, but the one that he really wanted, and had had for a single event of absolute heaven was the most complicated of all - were they / were they not? He hated it. Willow looked up at him with raised eyebrows. "Ah, well . . . what are you going to do if I don't choose you?" Xander asked, both of them knowing that was a highly likely scenario - four suitors that meant 25 right there, and Willow had no intention of multiplying that by all the other factors diminishing, and few select others increasing her chances.

"I'll move on," Willow said, sadly introspective, "hope I fall in love with someone as great as you . . . and if he's a guy booking a vacation to Jusenkyo and hope for just as good boobs as Lexa." She added the last part with a sneaky grin and a blush.

"Willow!" Xander whispered in exclaim a few people around him shushing him with characteristic hisses. "You're evil," he told her much more softly, smiling.

Xander's eyes involuntarily drew down to Willow's chest. He felt one of her breasts press against his chest, while the blue shirt with cleavage opened up just a bit to show parts of the others. Willow noticed him stealing a look, and grinned, thanking Buffy silently. It was amazing she figured, that the two were actually helping the other land the man they wanted. In return she had even given Buffy some pointers on Xander's likes and dislikes that only she knew about. There used to be a second person that knew them, but . . . Anyway, part of her had wanted to bash her own head in doing that, undoubtedly part of Buffy wanted to do the same. Were the two friends stacking the deck in their favor instead of Lotion and Cordelia? Probably. Willow gave Xander a grin at her notice and said, "Definitely wish I had worn this stuff sooner."

Xander blanched, actually blushed and turned his head away. "I, uh . . ." he whispered.

"What were you thinking?" Willow asked him, moving her leg onto his and her lips to his ear so she could be even softer for fear of upsetting the other moviegoers again.

Willow watched Xander grow red, and loved that she actually managed to do that, usually it was her that was red. "Wondering if they were real," Xander answered, wanting to slam his head in the backrest of the seat before him. Damn, he still hadn't learned to keep his big mouth shut!

"All real," Willow whispered with a smirk, as Xander couldn't keep himself from taking another glans. "No padding, no magical surgery, no glamour - pushup bra though. Good enough?"

Xander gulped, nodding. "Sorry, didn't ruin the night, did I? Forgive me?" he managed looking into Willow's glittering eyes.

"Of course," Willow whispered right away, feeling herself growing a little warm throughout. Xander looked down at her sharply, looking directly in her eyes - she had said that /far/ too quickly; despite Xander's low experience with women, he knew they didn't let a man off the hook that easily. Willow gulped, and confessed, "I kind of was wondering the same about yours . . ." Xander frowned at her - his? Willow added, ". . . before I saw you coming out of a pond with your clothes half see-through clinging to them."

Oh! /Hers/! His female alter ego's. "All real," Xander repeated his friend's earlier answer. He looked back at her, and asked, "No cute Willow blush?"

Willow entangled herself a little, resting her head back on his arm, and said, "It's weird; but now that the ice is broken, I feel this going just like when we're friends - trust each other with everything - now even girl stuff." Xander snickered down at her, remembering some stupid things he and Jesse had said about Willow's girl parts and their functioning.

"-SSSSSSHHHH!-" sounded suddenly loudly from multiple sources, and the two of them quickly jerked straighter in their seats, raising their arms in a disarming gesture and contorting their faces in a apologetic one.

-----

Xander and Willow walked along, arm in arm. They were best friends since childhood, potentially more. The potentially more was what Willow was hoping for. The result was an odd mixture of familiarity, slight awkwardness and a little sexual tension. The last was more to Willow than to Xander. He had been hot before, but now feeling his muscular arm around her, and imagining that amazing . . . better not go there. He hadn't exactly been not muscular, but both his leaning out and his better choice of wardrobe had had a profound effect that Willow both blessed and cursed. On the one hand, a hot Xander was now positively sizzling in two genders, on the other hand it made him a prime target for the romantic advances of three more girls. Of course, new Xander with new confidence also helped Willow get the confidence to finally do something about her own feelings; so as far as she was concerned it was a good thing - from no chance, to a small chance was still an improvement.

The world of Sunnydale was dark and foreboding as the two teens walked along, and casually chatted with each other - about things they usually talked about, and about things they never talked about before: feelings, possibilities, hopes, and dreams. Some of them passed the revue normally, but other dreams didn't. Despite the fact that no Slayer was around, neither was particularly worried about the things lurking in the dark; in fact, it would be better for the vampires not to interrupt this twosome.

"So you have no idea what you want to be later?" Willow asked him carefully.

Xander looked up into the starry sky, thinking for a few moments. He shook his head, and said, "No, got no real idea. Stocking the supermarket is definitely not something I want to do for the rest of my life though. I could always start a dojo, I'll bet I can become a great teacher, especially if I fight a few tournaments and show off what I can do . . . I mean, I manage to teach you, and the others quite well, right?"

"Yeah, I guess . . . Ooh, if you manage a world wide chain you could become a millionaire," Willow fantasized with him.

"Xander Harris School of Anything Goes Martial arts, millionaire entrepreneur, and world champion . . ." Xander was still looking up, then looked down and said, "I kind of like the sound of that."

Willow grinned and added, "I'll be your lawyer for free, whether I'm yours or not." Xander smiled. -NOW!- she screamed mentally at herself, fighting her insecurities. -Now or not at all!- Mustering all the courage she'd ever had, dredging it from her short time fighting the scary things in the world - none coming anywhere close to this moment - she moved forward, and stood up on her toes and kissed Xander full on the lips, before he could withdraw. Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea, because now what now that her lips were pressed against his. To her own surprise her tongue moved up, kissing Buffy to prove her point at Halloween suddenly overlaying the present. She closed her eyes and let her tongue slip against his upper lip, lingered her kiss there and then pulled back, opening here eyes in astonishment at her bravado, looking straight into Xander's equally surprised face. Willow swallowed away the lump in her throat audibly, and offered nervously as explanation, "Before you choose, I wanted to have done that, wanted you to know my kiss."

Xander gulped his own surprise away: Willow was a good kisser for sure. He smiled, pulled her closer and then planted a kiss on her himself - right smack on her forehead, much to Willow's disappointment as well as delight. "I love you, you know that'll never change right?" Xander asked her, not knowing why the hell he had to dredge up all those loaded subjects once again; the movie theater should have been enough.

Willow nodded with a grin, "Of course, Xan, and I love you too; whatever ups and downs, or things that will or won't happen; our friendship won't ever break." She saw Xander surprisingly perk up even more that he already was. She knew Xander better than anyone else, and knew something had just happened, something she couldn't quite place, something inside Xander. She vowed she'd pay extra attention to him to figure it out; for she knew Xander would never come right out and say it, not even to her - his parents had burned him too much for that.

The vampires and the creatures of the dark were smart this night, and kept out of their way. Unfortunately for Xander and Willow, a creature of the day that was a hundred times more dangerous than anything the night could throw at them had other plans. "Willow! Xander!" a seemingly soft voice yelled from afar.

The two of them turned to their right and saw Deo land on the roof of the building now directly in front of them. Then she jumped forward and landed on the asphalt right before them. An evil smile adorned her face, and Xander immediately went in a battle stance, as several animal creatures of the night behind them in the cemetery scurried away.

"What do /you/ want /this/ time?" Xander said angrily, pissed that someone would interrupt his date.

"Yeah," Willow agreed, taking a step away from Xander to give him room, and the same for herself, going in a fight stance.

Deo grinned evilly and said, "To test some more mettle."

Lotion landed behind her mother, and looked stricken at the scene. "Xander, Willow - flee!"

Xander and Willow stood their ground though, "You bring it on, you Amazon bitch. I'm not afraid of you."

"I'm not going to let you hurt Xander again," Willow said with finality, gathering up her magic; trying to think of a way to keep the Amazon away from Xander with the limited things Jenny had taught her so far - she was still very careful with the whole magic abuse possibility.

"Oh," Deo started with a smile, her blue eyes glittering with enjoyment, "but I didn't come to test Xander's mettle, he's tested for now, I came to test yours."

"Mess with me, fine!" Xander hissed and then surged forward with everything he had. "But you leave my friends out of this, bitch!" Xander threw a punch that Deo easily blocked, and then ducked underneath his follow up.

With a quick kick backwards to Xander's back, he was launched off his feet, this while Deo said, "Sure, she gives up her claim to you, and I'll deal with you alone." Deo moved forward, as Xander crashed painfully against a wall and Lotion came to check up on him.

Willow's eyes were already wide with shock at Deo's revelation, and were more so now that she came charging at her. Willow tried to block Deo's hit, but was far too slow. Deo easily moved aside, and poked Willow's side with the tip of two fingers. Willow's eyes widened as she felt a small bust of energy enter her body there. She tried twisting away, but Deo just circled her a bit forward and did the same in a place on Willow's back. There was a third, a fourth, and finally a fifth poke, and Willow groaned, as she staggered about.

She felt woozy, and heard Xander scream with frustration. Then a female grunt of pain, and refocusing her eyes, Willow saw Deo fly through the air till she landed on her feet after making a somersault. Willow felt her balance return, and her head clear, even as her body heated up inside rapidly. "Stay the hell away from her," Xander angrily told Deo, as to Willow's shock Lotion came up beside her, standing with Xander and her against her own mother it seemed.

"What is . . .?" Willow muttered in shock as she saw her hands glow. She brought them up, and Xander and Lotion looked wide-eyed at her glowing hands. "But, but . . ." Willow panicked at which time twin energy blasts left the palms of her hands and slammed into the asphalt. The asphalt cracked and a flower grew out of it.

Deo chucked out loud, and said to the concerned trio, "I'll remove it, if you formerly promise you give up your claim on my future son in law."

"Listen, you bitch!" Willow growled, making fireworks explode right over her head. She looked at a moment, and then ignored it, "You can throw every damn test you can think of at me, a thousand times over and every single time will be the same outcome: I'll beat every time!"

"Uhm, Willow?" Xander asked slowly.

"Huh?" Willow asked turning around, not seeing Xander. She blinked, and something told her to look up. Her eyes widened as she saw Xander hanging there almost three meters off the ground. Willow looked shocked, and then turned around when she heard a feminine whimper. There, just as high as Xander, Lotion was hanging similarly. Willow blinked several times, realizing that she didn't have the power or lift even /one/ person that high off the ground. She felt the heat inside her, that had gone lower somehow, grow again.

"Could you put us down, please?" Xander asked gently.

"Uh," Willow said, then nodded while swallowing. She brought up her hands in a magical sign and concentrated. Slowly the two people started coming down. Suddenly Xander and Lotion turned horizontal and crashed down to the ground with great speed. Both of them groaned in pain as they crashed out to the ground. "Oh, my god! I'm sorry!" Willow yelled with concern and guilt. There was a sound, a momentary flicker of light, and suddenly two masses of water hung just above Xander and Lotion. Then gravity got a hold of them. With a splash both of them were drenched, and Xander's masculine clothes clung to Lexa's very feminine breasts. "Oops?" Willow said in mortification.

At Deo's belly laughter Lotion and Lexa painfully sat up. Deo then said, "You certain about that scenario, witch? I would stay, but I don't feel like getting caught up in your hijinx. Have fun with the test!" Deo then jumped away.

"One of these days, I will kill my mother," Lotion deadpanned and then grabbed her wet clothes, pulling the clinging, wet material from her skin. "Ugh."

"Uhm, guys?" Willow started as the two finished getting up. Willow then screeched with fright as two columns of fire enveloped her two friends. When the pillars of flames were gone, two dry, but singed and blackened girls stood were wet ones stood before. Willow sighed with relief and two windows from the house behind her exploded in a million pieces.

Lexa checked herself with an annoyed look, and said, "Well, I'm thinking the bitch at least made sure you couldn't truly hurt anyone, or we'd be crispy now."

"Not enough to keep me from killing her," Lotion said darkly checking out her burned self with horror. She put effort in looking good, and this was horrible.

"We should get to Jenny," Willow muttered very carefully, attempting to keep a lid on her magical abilities. "She can help . . . I hope."

-----

Buffy wandered through the cemetery almost casually. She'd already taken out several vampires, and felt good. The training she was going through with Xander and Lotion was seriously improving her. Best was that she was upgraded to training with Xander on a regular basis, putting Cordelia with Lotion alone.

She came by a mausoleum, and became aware of sounds coming from inside. Buffy frowned and walked over. She carefully opened the already open doorway a bit further and peered inside. There was a vampire busy digging around in one the tombs inside. Buffy considered for a moment, and then grinned; always good to play a few games with her prey to make her look more dangerous than she was. Carefully she closed the door back to its former position, and took a few steps back. She waited, and after a short while the door was opened softly. The vampire with glasses on and a beard came out carefully, looking at the door which was going to gently close fully.

"Hi, there," Buffy said happily, her left arm over her chest, her right arm casually twirling the stake near her head. The vampire jerked and then looked with wide eyes of shock at the blonde Slayer. Buffy added with a smirk, "You didn't think I wouldn't know what you were doing were you? By the way, I got to ask; why do you disturb the dead? Don't you people have any decency. Oh, wait, I forgot, you're not a people."

Dalton looked nervously at the smiling Slayer, he knew he was dead, but his fear kept him rooted to the spot for now. Suddenly there was a growl and from behind a bush another vampire came rushing at Buffy. Buffy noticed it too, and turned around taking on the new vampire. She blocked his first punch, and grabbed his second. With a quick twist Buffy pulled the vampire along. Suddenly she reached out and grabbed around his throat, holding him back. She pulled the vampire down with her, while simultaneously bring her stake down. A moment later the vampire was dance. Perkily Buffy got up and said, "That's one down, and . . ." Buffy finished turning around and searched with her eyes grave-robbing vampire. "One down?" Buffy finished with a frown, then shrugged and moved on with her patrol.

To Be Continued . . .