Half Blessing, Half Curse

by TD Master

Ranma 12 BtVS crossover, Xander is sold to the Chinese mob by his father in between season 1 and 2 of Buffy.

26. part 26

----26----

The Scoobs were sitting in the library, the afternoon after the OzWolf caper. "I trust that your transformation back went without problems?" Giles asked of the Wolf as he stood in front of the table. He was still trying to wrap his brain about a guy willing to be a girl for a month in order to test and experience a period. Lexa was sitting relaxedly in a chair. She had her legs crossed, but she wore a skirt short enough if one made a bit of an effort they could see in her crotch. A tight sexy top finished her ensemble, liking not having to wear stuff that could fit both a male and a female him - clothes after all, came with the illusion.

"Everything that needs to be there is there, and any thing that shouldn't be there, isn't," Oz answered steadily, feeling Cordelia's arm snake around his neck and knowing she was smiling.

"You should train with us, Oz," Lexa said, thinking of the night before.

"Why?" was Oz's simple answer.

"I felt you transform," Lexa said, thoughtfully. "Just when the sun finished setting, just after I heard Cordelia's scream, I felt a sudden spike of chi, which continued to grow and then alter somewhat. By the time it was done there was so much I could feel it from a big distance; about the same height as Lotion's, Buffy's, and Ryoga's energy if I concentrate."

"Intriguing," Giles said with a smile.

Lexa nodded and finished her explanation, "It seems your transformation is tied in with your chi; if you learn like us to control it, to use it - well it might help you control your wolf side . . . better. At the moment it looks like only Cordelia's bitchiness is what keeps the wolf in check."

Cordelia looked over at Lexa for a moment, but then seemed to decide otherwise. "Good idea, I'll join," Oz answered.

"Hmm," Giles said, and everyone looked over at him, "this is a nice opportunity for a few questions. Oz, have you noticed any changes or improvements in your human form?"

Oz frowned, thinking it over, and said, "Now that you mention it, I think there have been a few things that have gotten better since Jordy bit me. I think they happened gradually so I didn't notice them, and dismissed them when I did."

"Well, what are they?" Lotion prompted impatiently.

Oz turned around to look at her for a moment, and then casually returned, not hurrying one bit. "I think my smell has improved somewhat," Oz said, taking a sniff, and then turned right. He looked across the table where Willow in a pair of skintight jeans and a white top with a cute print ending just below her breasts sat next to Xander. She had her legs leisurely on the ground, spread lightly. She looked confused for a moment as he looked at her, then blushed furiously, crossing her legs quickly and looking away. Oz casually returned to look forward, and nodding said, "Yes."

Everyone looked at Willow for a moment with a frown, and most decided they didn't want to know what Oz could smell on her for a variety of reasons many fitting multiple options. "Anything else?" Giles prompted.

"I think I'm a little stronger, but not much. Certainly not at their strength, or even Buffy's before her training if I gauge it right from the stories," Oz explained meticulously. "I might be at Cordelia's strength."

"We could test that," Cordelia pointed out, smiling and proud of her new boyfriend.

"Indeed, if you're willing Oz, I could set up a few things to lift and smash and see," Giles said thoughtfully, thinking it over.

"Am," Oz said relaxedly. Giles' eyebrows raised looking at him.

"He says he's willing," Cordelia translated.

Buffy grinned at the whole proceeding and decided to butt in, "Cool. Another fighter on the side of good. The vampires better start shaking in their boots. And Giles, I guess this means you get to wear that nifty ring."

"I suppose," Giles said.

"Are we done? Goody," Cordelia said and got up, the others quickly followed suit.

"Hey, Will," Lexa said as the group left, leaving a befuddled watcher behind, "I've got some money left over, as well as a little extra subsidy seeing as they're getting more and more important for a computer . . ." Willow's ears suddenly picked as she heard the word 'computer' and they went out the door. ". . . and I was wondering if you would help me pick out the right one, with your expertise and all, as well as the internet connection and stuff, and the programs."

Willow now turned, and in the middle of the corridor grabbed Lexa around the waist and pressed herself against her in a tight hug, landing her head on her chest using the breasts as cushions, and thus riding up against her, somehow managing to get out, "You're the bestest best friend and potential girlfriend and boyfriend ever, mmmh."

Lexa smirked in amusement and wrapped her arms around her, and replied, "Well, okay."

"I should kill you for that," Lotion said, looking down at Willow with narrowed eyes standing next to the two. Willow opened her eyes, and hugging Lexa closer stuck out her tongue at Lotion.

Lotion started to growl and then Buffy grabbed the Amazon's arm and pulled her along. "Come on, you'll get your chance, just don't screw it up like I did, and you were about to," Buffy said, and finally got Lotion to go along, thus helping Willow out.

-----

"Three thousand dollars?" Willow said with large, wide eyes, as she and Lexa walked along toward Sunnydale's center where they'd find all the shows and the mall. Lexa just nodded with a big grin. Willow turned her head and looked up at her. "Three thousand dollars, you can- . . . you can- . . . oh my, what a beauty of a computer."

They had reached where the first shops started, and they past the first shop with a sun screen out. A man came out with a bucket full of steaming water, apparently to go clean the windows or something. Willow asked, "Can I have it? You'll get the one I have now."

"No," Lexa answered with a smirk, just as the man tripped over something and the bucket went flying. A large splash of warm water came at Lexa who ducked and jumped to the right in reflex. A moment later the warm water splashed on the ground, having missed her. "That was close; a bit more and I'd have to start at day zero again."

"Yeah," Willow muttered, but quickly returned to more important things. "Come on, Lexa. You're not going to use it for the stuff you need that powerful machine; I do, and I'll use it more often."

"No," Lexa interrupted as they reached the next shop, just as a wave of warm water came splashing from the second floor. The only reason she had the time to jump forward, was because she rolled her eyes.

Willow was not so fortunate and was half wet. "Ugh," she muttered, throwing her left arm that was soaked through. Lexa giggled, and Willow threw her a glare in response.

Lexa slowly put her laughter back under control, and said, "I'm gonna need an umbrella." Lexa grabbed Willow and pushed her onward, the two walking next to each other again, this time Lexa was on the right side. She said, "Come on, Willow, don't be grumpy. So you got wet, big deal."

"Unsatisfied deal, wish there was a big one," Willow muttered softly answering the double entendre.

"What did you say?" Lexa asked her best friend since kindergarten.

Willow blushed a bit, saying, "Nothing."

"Well, stop being grumpy, remember the computer," Lexa said with a large smile as the two of them walked onward past more shops; vegetable and fruit shops, a super market, but no computer shop yet.

Willow's eyes lit up like a lighthouse instantly again, the water forgotten. "Ooh," Willow gave out, almost orgasmic - the fact that she was frustrated to be stuck with only one pair of hands in that area didn't help one little bit. "The computer, three thousand dollars, I'll get you such an amazing one. And you're a bad friend for not taking mine and give this one to me. Aren't we supposed to be best friends?"

"You won't be if you keep that up. If you want a 3,000 dollar computer, work for it, I work for a good chunk of my money," Lexa told her strongly with slight smirk.

Willow slumped a bit as they walked onward, and she said pouting, "Go fill racks in a super market, huh? Or get an early morning newspaper route?" Lexa nodded, and then Willow added, "I could always fake an ID and go stripping."

Lexa snapped her head down at Willow who looked much too innocent. She laughed for a few moments. "That's my Willow," Lexa said slinging an arm around the redhead's waist and hugging her close, enjoying the feel of the skin of Willow's bare midriff.

Willow for her part like the feel of fingers on her skin, she wished there was more of that. She looked to her right, and admired the hotness that was her potential boy/girlfriend. Up ahead a woman emptied a bucket of warm water in the gutter. Lexa dipped down and kissed Willow on the lips gently, not caring if anyone might see them - any gay bashers would find themselves bashed. The warm water that was tossed formed small pools as it flowed down to a drain, and then a car splashed through one. The sound made Lexa open her eyes, her tongue still intertwined with Willow's, who gave a low moan. Eyes suddenly wide, Lexa grabbed Willow closer and twisted the both of them out of the way with her not inconsiderable speed. Willow's eyes widened and gave a yelp at the sudden movement, and then she found herself looking down alongside her best friend - at some steamy warm water.

"Okay, are you feeling a distinct sense of wrongness here?" Lexa asked Willow, looking at water bewildered.

Willow nodded, while quoting, "Once is an anomaly, twice is coincidence, thrice is a pattern."

"That's what I'm saying," Lexa said nodding her head, looking around, "Someone out to end my experiment? And who and for gods' sakes why?"

"The curse," Willow blurted suddenly and looked away from the water and up at Lexa who just looked dumbly down at her. Willow looked around and noticed no one was paying attention to them - they'd probably ignore any mention of curses and magic anyway. Willow turned around back to the direction they were going and pulled Lexa along. "The Jusenkyo curse."

"Huh?" Lexa muttered. "But it never happened this often and freakily before?"

Willow nodded and said, "Jenny has been teaching me about curses; how they work, why they work, how to counter act them with magic, thus how to cast them, to find a loophole to break it like the happiness thingy with Angel, and other such things. Before you had no interest in staying any gender, you loved both sides equally, now that you're all about remaining a girl for a month . . ."

"What? Willow, are you saying this stupid thing will now work actively to get warm water on me, even when normally it not only wouldn't happen, but couldn't happen, just because I'm interested in staying a girl?" Lexa asked in shocked surprise.

Willow nodded sadly, looking at Lexa's reaction as she added, "It's a curse."

"And now the other shoe drops," Lexa muttered with wide eyes. "Now I definitely need a damn umbrella, and I'll have it with me at all times."

"Yeah," Willow said and stopped walking, pointing to her left, across the street. Lexa looked and saw the computer store. "Come on, be very careful, we'll get the umbrella afterwards," Willow said with a smile.

They crossed the street quickly and entered the shop. Willow still had the smile on her face, but it grew as they took the place in. The shop was rather large, and had several rows of computers, printers, other peripheral devices. The walls themselves were lined with another row of computers, except one which was reserved for a wall of software. "Heaven," Willow whispered reverently. Lexa looked down amused - her friend had dragged him along to the computer shop on occasion as a packing mule as women were wont to do with males, but her reaction to entering the place never ceased to amaze her.

"Willow Rosenberg, so nice to see you again; without your parents this time," a voice sounded and they turned slightly to the left. A friendly man in jeans and a blouse with squares on it came walking to them. "Always good to see one of my best customers." His eyes were glued to Lexa though, until he tore them away from her and took in Willow's new appearance. "Whoa, very, very good, new wardrobe, new friend, if you weren't my favorite before, you certainly are now," the man spoke with an appreciative smile.

Both girls stances changed slightly, pushing their hips out and sexy smiles crossed their faces. "Mr. Bourdon. This is Lexa, Xander's cousin," Willow introduced the two.

"How do you do, sir?" Lexa said, offering her arm with a bright smile, and bending over a bit to reach out and offer up her cleavage.

"Very bad, I know you two are about to lighten my wallet significantly, and there's nothing I can do about it," he answered slowly and a little defeated. "Any idea what you want?"

"For that, I have her," Lexa said, and turned to Willow, who suddenly gained a bright grin that split her face in half.

"Pentium II 266 Megahertz, at least 64 megs of SD RAM, preferably 128, a good graphics card, and if you wanna play games, Lexa, a 3D card is a must, Voodoo 2, a 56K modem, a good printer. . ." Willow spoke rabidly, eyes shining, wished it was for her, but Lexa would let her play with it no doubt.

"Breathe, Willow," Lexa said, half-concerned, half-joking.

Willow blushed lightly, and finished, "She also needs an internet subscription, and a few programs, she's in school so an office is a must, an anti-virus program of course. There's still some wiggle room and decision making with a few of the components, obviously."

"Not to mention haggling, undoubtedly. I'm doomed," Bourdon muttered and beckoned them to follow him. Two smiling, super sexy, barely dressed girls following him - he thanked god his wife liked sex, 'cause tonight she wouldn't know what hit her.

-----

"2600 dollars," Lexa said as the two of them stood back outside the shop half an hour later. Willow had a satisfied smile on her face as if she just came out of a series of orgasms during a marathon sex session. "400 left, you certain we got everything?" she asked with an uncertain tone and expression.

Willow looked up at Lexa, the smile now turning into one of the cat that ate the canary, and she said, "Oh, trust me, Lexa, we got everything alright. And you and I make one hell of a team; I shop somewhere with a male salesman, I'm taking you along. We were good, he never stood a chance, and he knew it from the start. Did you see him flush, and uh . . . down there? I can hardly believe you did /that/ - that thing with your . . . uh . . . everything really."

Lexa just smirked, and said, "We do make a good team, don't we?"

Willow nodded her head enthusiastically as they waved past a guy, who looked back when they were past, and said, "Oh, yeah."

"Okay then, computer bought, it's time for the umbrella, gotta find a stylish, sexy umbrella," Lexa said with a grin walking onward easily. Willow had to exert herself a bit to keep up with her taller and more energetic friend, but managed quite well.

The two reached a corner and they prepared to round it when a guy came walking backward from there, while looking around confused. "Hey! Look out!" Lexa called, as she and Willow bumped into him and grabbed ahold to keep all of them from falling over.

"Oh, uh, sorry," the guy said turned around.

"Ryoga? What are you doing here?" Willow asked surprised, taking the time to take in Ryoga's amazing physique, even if he was dressed - his green pants and low-cut yellow shirt were tight enough and showed enough to appreciate the view though. The yellow, black-spotted kerchief wrapped around his head, gave him the feel of a rugged, Rambo protectorate feel which made girls' heart beat faster. Lexa herself took in the specimen of manhood swiftly as well. "Aren't you supposed to be working at Deo's now?"

"Yes, but I can't find it, I'm lost!" Ryoga exclaimed with large wide eyes.

Immediately Willow's maternal instincts kicked in and her surprise and light annoyance ebbed away. "Oh! It's that way," Willow pointed to the right, crossing the street they had just been walking along. "You take the third right, and then it's the second small alley to the left."

"Thank you, kind girl!" Ryoga exclaimed with happiness, and promptly turned to where he came from and started walking in that direction. Lexa's and Willow's eyes widened. Ranma's letter had told Lexa about Ryoga's horrendous sense of direction, but it was still stunning to see in reality.

Willow didn't have the same knowledge though, and quickly reached boiling point. "Ryoga!" she spat out red with anger speeding after him. She grabbed him by the arm and turned him around, saying, "You little bastard! That was not funny. If you don't need directions, don't ask! Don't ask for them and then go the OPPOSITE WAY!"

Ryoga looked puzzled at Willow and Lexa reached them, hands set leisurely in her sides. "Will, calm down, he's not messing with you, he's genuinely got that bad a sense of direction," Lexa said in a calming tone. "Ranma wrote me he actually once failed to arrive at a field of battle on time - a grass field which was directly behind Ryoga's house."

Willow's eyes were wide trying to wrap her mind around it, and then said, "Oh, sorry. I didn't know." Ryoga just looked annoyed - excepting the apology would acknowledge his deficiency, and getting mad would make him petty and an even bigger fool.

"Ryoga, we're going to buy me an umbrella and then we can walk you to the restaurant, you're welcome to join us," Lexa offered with a smile, her hands now casually in the pocket of her short black feminine jacket.

Ryoga thought it over for a bit, annoyed, and then said not quite nicely, "Very well, I will come with you."

"Great," Willow answered just a bit sourly her quality time with Xander/Lexa was being intruded upon, but quickly took Ryoga by the arm and pulled him along for fear the eternal lost boy would find it in him to go in the opposite direction as they were going.

"So, Ryoga . . . have you gotten stronger since you came here last?" Lexa asked with a twinkle in her eyes as the three of them walked toward a story where they had umbrellas. Willow rolled her eyes, and smiled at her best friend's new found enthusiasm - if not obsession - for arts of asskicking.

Ryoga looked at the girl and took her in for a moment, as Willow kept half-dragging him along. Finally he answered, "Yes, I have."

"Cool, me too," Lexa answered smiling, gaining a little spring in her step, "training alongside an Amazon and a Slayer is quite helpful."

"They're girls," Ryoga answered him with a face of disgust.

"And?" Lexa asked confused.

Willow grimaced, and quickly said, "We're here." Thus she cut off that line of conversation before it could escalate - Willow had quite a few quick scenarios of fighting and damage, she included in the fighting, and she had no interest in any of them coming to pass. The three of them turned to enter the shop and a car drove through a splash of water.

"IEEH!" Lexa exclaimed, getting splashed by the water. She peeked open her eyes and looked down, noticing the swell of her breasts. Some oinking made her look down, and as luck would have it, it was Ryoga's curse this time. The cute little piglet struggled from the neck of his clothes, and then stood there. It squinted in anger, and made several small up and down jumps oinking angrily.

"He's just so cute," Willow said with a smile preparing to squat down. She yelped as a suddenly irritated Lexa dragged her into the shop.

"Stay here, Ryoga, we'll get you some warm water," Lexa said annoyed, making the Ryoga piglet attempt a growl. "Right after we get me an umbrella," Lexa added, making the piglet widen his eyes and then squint back into anger, then jumped up and down squeaking enraged, but the door to the shop was already closed. Ryoga gave a last insufferable growl and then settled down to defend his clothes.

Inside Lexa and Willow looked around the leather and other wear store. They walked along a rack of leather pants toward some umbrellas in the back. To their left was another rack with leather skirts. "Ooh!" Lexa exclaimed stopping Willow putting a hand in front of her and pointing at the pants. Her face broke into a grin, and said, "We gotta try one on, Will, we just gotta."

As Lexa started to look around her, Willow answered thoughtfully, "I don't know, leather isn't exactly my thing."

"You ever tried one on?" Lexa asked with a grin. Willow shook her head. "Well, how do you know if you haven't tried it?"

Willow looked at her, and then back at one in her size, and took it out, as Lexa turned around to salivate over the skirts. Willow checked out the prices and her eyes almost fell out of her sockets, "Oh, can't afford that."

"I can," Lexa replied with a huge grin, turning back around, having picked out a skirt. "Thanks to our cleavage teamwork and your keen knowledge of computers." Willow looked at her with a wry smile. Lexa elbowed her while finished, "Doesn't mean you can't try it on, Wills, then you'll know when you do have the money."

"After I'm hired to for a part time job, huh?" Willow muttered a bit dejected.

"Or a vacation job, with your computer skills . . ." Lexa trailed off, getting a pair of pants for herself, and then hooked her right free hand into Willow's arm, turning and pulling her along. "Let's do some fitting."

-----

The piglet Ryoga paced around a bit, and paced again. Having managed to scare off a few people as they tried to investigate the clothes and the piglet, or came down to stroke him. Usually a snarl and a good powerful bump to the lower leg was enough. What the hell was Xander taking so long with the warm water? Finally fed up, he went to check. He jumped up the three steps and with a solid bump of his immense strength forced open the door and walked in; the owner behind the counter didn't notice, looking too high but seeing no human.

Ryoga stepped inside and looked forward, seeing Lexa and Willow in leather pants laughing. "You look great in them, Willow," Lexa said, nudging her and giving her a leer.

Willow grinned, "Yeah, who'd have thought it? I thought I'd be too thin for leather." She turned to look at Lexa and returned the leer, while telling her, "And you look hot in them too, Xan. Much better than the skirt."

"Yeah, I like the pants too," Lexa said, while at the entrance Ryoga's eyes twitched and rage started to grow. Umbrella and water! Umbrella and water he said! Now he was trying on clothes like some stupid girl and here he was stuck in his piglet form! Ryoga jumped, and screech in rage, moving his forelegs like a bull. He snorted, audibly blowing air out his nose and then charged screeching out his rage, intent on slamming into the bastard and breaking some ribs. Reaching the right place, he jumped, shooting forward at Lexa like a missile. Lexa turned to regard the commotion, and rapidly reached out with his hand, grabbing Ryoga by his neck skin. The piglet shrieked in impotent rage, while Willow looked with wide eyes at the animal. It shrieked more, kicking its legs in an attempt to hit anything or find leverage. "Now, now," Lexa said annoyed and walked back to the entrance, "don't you have any patience?" Judging by Ryoga's continued shrieking and screeching, he didn't. "We'll get you already, just wait outside, you impatient pig." Lexa opened the door, while the owner looked stunned at the event and Lexa's talking. Lexa put Ryoga down and closed the door solidly.

Ryoga had jumped at Lexa the moment his feet sat down on the ground, and so he slammed into the door with Lexa's strength behind it. Ryoga grunted and tumbled backward down the three steps. There he stayed still a bit dazed, and then recovered, sitting down with impotent rage, biding his time to get his revenge.

Back inside Lexa and Willow changed clothes back to their own. Willow went to put her pants and Lexa's skirt back on the racks while Lexa went toward the umbrellas. After a while of looking through the different ones, and Willow rejoining her, Lexa settled on a feminine classically black model, and went to the cash register. "These two," Lexa said with a smile, placing the pants and the umbrella on the counter.

"Very good, ma'am," the woman said, and tallied up the items. "That will be 319,95, ma'am," she said and started putting the pants in a nice protective carry sheet.

Lexa got out her debit card and paid with it. The female owner of the store put the pants in the sheet on the counter, and Lexa asked, "Oh, can we borrow a can with some warm water for a minute, I'll bring the can right back."

Willow nodded and moved up and down on the balls of her feet as the woman looked puzzled. "Okay, sure," the owner said with a frown and went to the back. She returned a little later with a can and spoke, "Here is th-" The woman stumbled over something and a splash of water came Lexa's way. With lightning fast reflexes, the chi-warrioress grabbed her new umbrella and opened it. The water splashed all over the counter and the umbrella. "Oh, I'm very sorry," the owner exclaimed as Willow looked around the umbrella with wide concerned eyes. She sighed in relief as she saw Lexa was still Lexa.

Lexa closed the umbrella and said with a smile, "Hey, that's why I got this one; all dry." The woman nodded embarrassedly and turned back around, only to return once more with a newly filled can of warm water.

"Thank you," Willow said, taking the can, not risking Lexa's curse managed to splash the water over her if she carried it herself.

Willow quickly stepped in front of Lexa so that the curse had no reason to make her trip and splash the water onto Lexa. Thus the two, minus some dollars and gained a pair of leather pants an umbrella and a can of warm water, walked back outside.

Ryoga looked up at the two from his position on the neck of his shirt with an enraged look. Lexa stepped off toward the left as Willow poured the warm water onto the piglet. A moment later a dressed Ryoga launched herself at Lexa and yelled, "You bastard!" A moment later his fist connected with Lexa's surprised face, and the half man half woman was flung backward till she landed with a painful grunt on the pavement. "You left me here as- . . . AAAH!"

"Calm down, Ryoga!" Willow exclaimed in shock as Lexa still sat recovering. Ryoga was seething with blazing eyes down at Lexa, and Willow added, "We're sorry, we'll get the water first next time."

"Man, what a punch," Lexa groaned, feeling her anguished chin. "You've gotten a lot stronger, ugh." Slowly, wobbling a bit Lexa forced herself to her feet.

The two stood opposite each other, with Ryoga seething with blazing eyes. "You two aren't going to kill each other?" Willow asked a bit timidly. "Good," she said and turned back into the shop to give back the can.

Lexa and Ryoga kept looking at each other, and then Lexa grinned, "Hey, you want to train with me regularly? Slayer and Amazon are nice, but a guy that beat me up with one punch would seriously allow me to get better and stronger."

Ryoga blinked and then groaned as Willow came back out the store. "What is it with you and Ranma, Harris?" Ryoga hissed in anger. "Why can you be the biggest sons of bitches one moment, and be all nice the next."

Lexa blinked, and shrugged as Willow looked uncomprehending from one to the other. "I wasn't aware I was being anything bad," Lexa said, and then smirked at Ryoga. "Ouch," she said and grabbed her chin.

Ryoga growled, and then grinned, "I guess I won't mind beating you up regularly."

"Great!" Lexa said enthusiastically, and then frowned. "Wait, that's not exactly- . . ." But Ryoga had already started to walk passed her.

Only to be grabbed by Willow and yanked around, as she said, "This way to the restaurant."

-----

Lexa blocked Ryoga's fist, then he did the same with Lexa's. A moment later an uppercut came out of nowhere, and with groan of pain Lexa was launched in the air and slammed on the mat. "Oof," she muttered, and sat up, dizzily looking around her personal gym. To the left Buffy and Lotion had stopped their fight and looked surprised at the continuous outcome: Xander / Lexa lost. She lost! He seemed pretty much unbeatable to the two. Buffy and Lotion could come close during a sparring they knew, but they also knew she always held back, not wanting to seriously hurt his female friends. If he went truly all out, they had no illusions that he'd defeat the two; probably even if he took them both on at the same time. But there Lexa lay, once more beaten, almost easily. They looked up from their friend and took in Ryoga. The eternal lost boy was wearing a grin, his usual green pants, and a training yellow skirt with only straps, offering his arms and upper chest up for inspection. He had to be seriously, seriously strong if he could just defeat Lexa that easily.

Lexa did some inspecting of her own, and smirking got back up. -God damn, is he hot,- a thought crossed her mind before she realized she was thinking it. She blinked, analyzed the thought for a moment, and then shrugged. It was true, Ryoga was amazingly sexy, especially now with the naked skin and the smell of his sweat.

"All right, let's go again," Lexa said and went to stand in a ready stance, smiling sexily at Ryoga, who seemed oblivious, much to her disappointment. He charged forward, and she pushed his first punch out of the way. Using every bit of speed and strength she could muster she managed to duck beneath his second punch, and then slammed her fist with a yell in his stomach, which she followed up with an uppercut of her own. Ryoga had to take a step back, and then rammed his fist forward, slamming into Lexa's cheek and making her stagger backward multiple steps and slamming against a weight machine. She managed to stay standing and groaned, while Buffy and Lotion looked surprised at Ryoga. "God, damn it," Lexa said righting herself, taking in the boy that was her training partner. "I hit you, you barely even flinched! How did you get that tough a body?"

"Perhaps I tell you one day, when you're really, really good," Ryoga replied with a friendly smile.

"You've been taught the Bakusai Tenketsu!" Lotion exclaimed in awe. "The Breaking Point technique. Who taught you this?"

Ryoga looked annoyed at the Amazon, and Buffy and Lexa just looked at the lost boy and Lotion intrigued. Ryoga snorted that his secret was out, and said, "Cologne."

"That /witch/," Lotion hissed angrily. "She great lady Amazon, and worse than my mother."

"Worse than your mother?" Buffy and Lexa exclaimed simultaneously in disbelief. Lotion nodded slowly.

"Man, so what's this Breaking Point technique?" Lexa asked at either Lotion or Ryoga.

"Every object has a weak point, you're taught to identify it, and penetrate it with a single finger shattering it," Ryoga explained folding his hands in front of his chest.

Lotion nodded, "Mostly useless in a fight - is only true for inanimate objects, used for demolition and construction mostly. However, training is done by sending large boulder on rope at trainee, and she must destroy the boulder. She fails, the boulder slams into her. By the time you finally master it, you've been hit so many times by the boulder, you've built up an incredible tolerance for getting hit. It's necessary, for objects shatter with great force, pieces coming at you could kill you if you haven't become touch enough." Lotion took in Ryoga, and added, "Amazons aren't taught that technique until they are at least twenty."

"I am sixteen," Ryoga said smoothly.

"Teach me," Lexa said with a big smile.

Ryoga took in Lexa, and shrugged. "Well, okay. You know, I do have some warm water you know," he said and suggested to Lexa.

"Not necessary, I'm staying a girl for a month," Lexa said with a grin.

"WHAT?" Ryoga screamed out, making three girls wince and grab there ears. He was only just off from shattering glass. "WHY?"

"To experience what's it like to be a girl, experience menstruation," Lexa answered with a smirk.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Ryoga screamed out, and took a few steps backward. "You cannot be serious! Why in hell? Why by all the gods? What possessed you?"

The three girls seemed somewhat perturbed, and Lexa asked, "Why not?"

Ryoga shivered. Buffy piped up with a grin, "I kinda half blackmailed him into it."

Ryoga turned his head to the right, regarded Buffy and took several steps away from her, hands up to ward her off, while saying and shuddering, "Evil. True evil. Women are evil."

"Yeah, and for the time being, I am one," Lexa pointed out with a smirk. Ryoga had to turn almost all the way around before finding the door, which was just a short way the other way around, and then ran out onto to the balcony, jumped down and ran of, shaking in horror all the way.

Three girls walked onto the balcony and regarded him running away. "Should we tell him that way is the shortest route out of Sunnydale and there's nothing there?" Buffy asked innocently.

"Nah," three girls said as one shaking their head, then giggled together.

"Japanese and their masculine pride and honor," Lexa said, shaking her head, "They seriously need to get out of the dark ages. Be proud to be a man, but don't be afraid to be a woman, they're not useless concubines."

-----

Willow panted as she finished tonguing the amazing brunette. She and Lexa were in front of the latter's apartment building after an amazing date that had Willow still tingling with excitement, bubbling with humor, and purring with a tasty full stomach. More importantly, the date, and the person she had it with, had even more so than before buzzing with sexual need. Flashes of Buffy's incessant descriptions going through her mind, and with Willow's new found confidence in herself she wasn't backing away from her arousal. She wanted it quenched badly, and not with a cold shower.

"Xander, please, please, please," she said hotly, with a low tone, that was a combination of a purr and a growl. Lexa opened her half-closed eyes, forcing herself out of the buzz of that amazing kiss. When they were looking into each other's eyes, Willow whispered, "I'm not ready for intercourse, but I need you badly - you're so hot, sexy, kind, beautiful, Lexa."

"Uh . . . are you certain, Will, I mean . . ." Lexa said squeezing the smaller girl reflexively with both concern and desire.

Willow placed her right index finger on Lexa's lips, and explained quickly, breathing hard, Buffy's grief-stricken, graphic descriptions and the result it had in her. "Xan, if I don't get some bodily skin contact soon, I'm going to explode," Willow finished, large, lustful, pleading eyes peering up at the taller girl.

Lexa thought it over for a moment, and then answered with a smirk, "We've seen the results of an exploding witch, I'll just have to make the sacrifice to relieve some pressure."

Willow's mouth and tongue found Lexa's a moment later, and the two stumbled up the steps to the door.

Some minutes later - longer than usual, since it was difficult unlocking doors while kissing - the two of them found themselves in Lexa's apartment, sinking down on the couch. Lexa's hands disappeared underneath Willow's top, and gently massaged her breasts. "Mmh, oh," Willow muttered into Lexa's mouth as her own hands slipped underneath Lexa's shirt. She broke the kiss a moment as Lexa moaned out at her experimental touching, and she asked, a little bit of her old self returning, "They're not too small?"

Lexa smiled down, and quickly removed the top, taking in Willow's lovely breasts. "They're perfect, Willow," she told her as she dropped the top to the floor.

Willow smiled, returning the favor, and looking hungrily at Lexa's bigger chest said, "So are yours." She moved forward, and quickly started kissing and licking the flesh of the sensitive organs while continuing the caresses. Lexa moaned, and felt Willow gave her nipples a little nip with her teeth, and grunted in appreciation, while squeezing Willow's beautiful breasts herself.

Both of them quickly became impatient though, and their hands wandered down. Lexa's quickly slipped beneath Willow's tight skirt, while Willow's slipped beneath Lexa's skintight leather pants. A moment later they were even beneath their skimpy - an soaked - panties. Their mouths found each other again, kissing passionately as fingers explored two hot, moist vulvas. Both them moaned into each other's mouths, and then they opened their eyes, looking into each other's eyes hungrily. Quickly they stripped themselves of their last garments and attacked each other once more. Fingers thrust inside each other's love caves, while others stroked clitorises. Not long after both exploded in orgasm.

Lexa leaned back in satisfaction and Willow went along, giving a satisfied moan as she laid her head on Lexa's chest, using her breasts as cushions. Their fingers were still gently probing, and Willow muttered, "Oh, it was better than I had thought."

"My sweet Willow," Lexa said breathlessly and kissed her on her hair. "I think I can go another round - just fingers."

Willow looked up, looking amazingly cute with her eyes turned up. She smiled and told Lexa, "You're the best." Then reached up to kiss Lexa again . . .

-----

"Oh, god! Oh, my god! Coming again . . ." Cordelia lost all ability to speak then, quivering and shiver as yet another orgasm crashed over her. How some fingers and a tongue could bring her to such heaven was beyond her, even if she didn't have her ability to think fried by her body's waves of orgasmic pleasure.

Her skirt was hunched up, sitting behind the wheel of her car, and Oz was bent down sideways from the passenger seat so his head and hands were in between her legs. Moans and groans were the only thing she cut utter as her body was amazing wracked by wave after wave of orgasms, this new one faster and even more intense before. Her eyes fluttered upon and closed, her eyes glassy and unfocused with lust.

Finally her body had spent too much energy and despite Oz's still continuing ministrations could dredge up another climax. Cordelia shivered, and sighed as her body relaxed fully. "Oh," she managed somehow, and Oz rose from beneath her skirt.

He licked his lips with a self-satisfied smirk, taking in his girlfriend who was lying slid down with a healthy afterglow bright enough to make the sun pale. She was so beautiful. "Oh, my," Cordelia sighed out, slowly regaining her breath. She forced herself to say, which came out gasping, "You deserve a return favor . . . hope you're willing to wait a few days . . . I should have my energy back by then." She sighed and smiled, staying there limp, feeling as if her limbs were made of Jell-O, doubting her legs could keep her standing right now.

"Sure," Oz said with a smile - not even he could keep that off his face seeing his handy work and the gratitude in Cordelia's eyes. He pressed his lips to hers and kissed gently but passionately.

"Mmh," Cordelia murmured as she tasted an unfamiliar but pleasant taste in his mouth. Her eyes widened as she realized what it was, and watched as Oz broke the kiss, then licked and sucked one of his fingers clean of a glistening substance. He offered another one to Cordelia. After a moment's hesitation she took the offering in her mouth - yep, she had guessed right what the taste in his mouth had been.

"God, you're amazing," Cordelia muttered as she slowly felt strength returning to her body - not much strength, but there was some.

"I try," Oz answered in his usual manner.

Cordelia smiled at him; the guy could be so annoying with that attitude of his, and it made her be in love with him only more. Odd; Xander annoyed her in the same way, and she fell for him too. -So annoying is my type?- she wondered and let out a grumble. "You are so annoying some times," she told him with attempt at giving him a scowl, but her face refused to leave the satisfied expression behind. She gave up and asked, "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Kicked demon ass, and being deeper than a surface glance revealed," Oz answered, and took the last 'dirty' finger in his mouth, sucking it clean.

Cordelia actually managed a momentary scowl this time around, refrained from saying that it was a rhetorical question, and instead answered, "Of course, what else did you expect?"

"I refrain from answering that, on account that it would incriminate me," Oz said, and then gave her a smirk that he couldn't refuse her.

"Right," Cordelia said and righted herself. She then placed her panties straight again, and smoothed out her skirt, pulling it down. She looked over to Oz, and then leaned in to kiss him tiredly, her body still pleasantly aching. Her hand moved down his pants. He sucked in a sharp breath as he felt her hand around his harness. She broke the kiss, and whispered, "Handjob only, baby, really don't have the strength for more."

Oz gave a groan, and muttered, "'s okay."

-----

Willow parried Cordelia's punch, and threw her own at the cheerleader's stomach, which she avoided by turning away. The library was not quiet right now. Giles was busy doing whatever, while Jenny was thoughtfully keeping an eye Willow and Cordelia as they sparred. By far the largest ruckus came from Lexa facing off against Ryoga though.

"I still cannot believe you're doing this," Ryoga snarled as he landed a very powerful punch in Lexa's stomach. Lexa grunted as she staggered back under the onslaught, and parried his next blow, before landing a kick in his stomach.

They were apart for a moment, and Lexa said, "Yeah, well, I cannot believe how bad your sense of direction is, so we're even."

Ryoga growled, and said, "Oh, no we're not. You're less." He charged forward and landed a devastating combo of punches and kicks that sent Lexa skidding across the floor.

She looked up and smiled brightly Ryoga. "I see your point," Lexa said flirtatiously and righted herself, and starting the Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire. Although the eternal lost boy couldn't keep up, he had obviously faced the move enough times he had built up his own speed to parry about one out of every three punches. After Lexa was done with the move, she looked even more appreciatively at Ryoga. The guy was still standing, and didn't seem to be that much worse for wear. She smiled and said, "Nice."

Willow spied to her right where Lexa and Ryoga were parrying with an annoyed frown. This resulted in a punch from Cordelia across her chin and she staggered back. "What's with you?" Cordelia asked, wondering how such an obvious punch could have gotten through Willow's not inconsiderable defenses.

Willow grumbled and got back in a stance, steeling another annoyed look at Lexa and Ryoga. Cordelia quickly looked over where Willow was looking, and just caught Lexa smiling at Ryoga. "Ah," she said with a superior smirk, looking back at Willow, "afraid of little male competition, are we?"

"Cordelia," Willow warned with a deadly scowl.

"Hey, he's hot, Lexa's hot, they're both fighters . . . you shouldn't have tossed Oz in my way," Cordelia teased with a grin.

Willow actually growled, mumbled a spell and suddenly Cordelia found herself pulled toward Willow. "Wha?" she managed as she was lifted off the floor, and a moment later Willow's uppercut smashed in her chin. The cheerleader already in the air by the levitation spell, was flung backward till she crashed painfully on the floor, and then smashed against chairs and the table. Jenny took the even in with a grin.

Willow swayed over, and smiled sexily down at Cordelia who looked up dazedly. "I like training," Willow said with a smile. Cordelia grumbled something unintelligible as she rubbed her painful head.

"That was very good, Willow, self-control even while angry, not a drip too much power used," Jenny commended the redhead witch from her position behind the counter. Willow grinned.

With another crash, Lexa once more landed on the ground.

-----

Darkness prevailed in the room, except for the light given off by the camera projector and the movie screen. They had given up on the movie; and started exploring each other. Female lips were pressed against female lips, while female tongues dueled, and female hands groped. Except nobody would see that, everyone would a hot girl kissing an obviously handsome and strong specimen of manhood. The glamour obscuring Lexa and showing Xander to the world held up very well. If one looked really close they might notice the mouth of the stunning brunette opposite her wasn't lined up quite naturally with his, but it was a dark place and a good movie so no one paid attention.

Lotion deepened the kiss, moaning, then moving her hands up as she felt the other pair of hands cup her breasts. She expected a manly chest, but found a pair of female breasts in her hand. She stopped kissing a bit, even as Lexa's hands reached underneath Lotion's Amazon dress. "Hmm," Lotion said, stopping her hands. Lexa opened her eyes, and Xander's looked questioningly at the Amazon. "Ah," Lotion said, realizing this wasn't working.

"What is it?" Lexa asked her softly, not wanting to bother the other viewers.

Lotion sighed, leant forward, and whispered, "Xander, I'm an Amazon, and we don't exactly have a problem with girl on girl. Heck, plenty of us who prefer a strong partner like me try and enjoy as a . . . well . . . better substitute before we're forced to find a wimpy man for expected procreation, continuation of the tribe - a strong partner is much more fun. But, I'm heterosexual, you're a man, and you're /not/ wimpy - you're a /man/. You're everything I could possibly wish for . . . I don't want to squander such amazing luck, and such a fantastic man by having my first . . . intimate contact be with a girl after all."

"I understand," Lexa whispered, smiling and looking deeply in her eyes.

"I can wait a few weeks," Lotion whispered again. Lexa lowered her arms. Lotion took them and pushed them forward around her back and then kissed Lexa again. "But I've already kissed you as a man, we can still kiss till then," Lotion whispered, and their kissing continued.

Lexa broke the kiss then and looked Lotion with twinkles in her eyes; which were even visible in the glamour eyes of Xander Harris, and she asked with a smirk, "So you ever kissed another Amazon to try out?"

"No," Lotion answered slightly confused.

"Dang," Lexa whispered again, and quickly checked if he wasn't too loud. His possible fantastic visions of Lotion kissing another buxom Amazon like Shampoo evaporated. Ah, well, could always become a fantasy.

"Why?" Lotion asked.

Lexa grinned and said, "Men like girl on girl."

"Really? And you're a man, a real man," Lotion muttered hotly and once again kissed the other girl deeply.

-----

The movie was over. Lotion and Lexa in Xander disguise walked out of the theater room into the main hall, chatting about the nice movie. After Lotion telling Lexa she wanted to wait with anything more than kissing, they had managed to keep most of their attention on the movie. Now a guy, screwing the cap off of a bottle of water, turned his head to his girlfriend, and stumbled. Water sprayed from his bottle as he attempted to keep his balance. With lightning reflexes Lexa pulled her umbrella up and opened it, twisting it around. The water splashed harmlessly on her umbrella, and she peeked around it. Everyone, including Lotion looked a little surprised, then Lexa put the umbrella back down.

"Come on," Lexa said, hooking his right arm around Lotion's left elbow. A few steps onward, Lexa hissed, "I'm really starting to hate that."

-----

Ryoga yawned and stretched as the sun fell on his face. Defeated he let his hands fall. Last night he'd gotten to his motel really late. It was going to take quite a bit longer this time around to scrounge up the money for his trip home. He hated it. He wanted to get back to Nerima to finally kick Ranma's ass and claim Akane for himself. There was one bright spot though; Xander. He wasn't so bad a guy, and training with him was good - except his ridiculous insistence on being a girl for a month and experiencing . . . /that/. Ryoga shivered lying in his bed, completely not understanding.

He sighed and got up out of bed, taking in the dirty, pathetic excuse for a motel room. He got dressed, and as he was about to leave to get to his horrendous job, he noticed an envelop lying in front of the door. Frowning he bent down, and examined it, finding 'Ryoga' written on the front. He raised his eyebrows and opened the envelope. Inside he found a card, which had a big red heard printed on a pink background.

Ryoga's frown deepened and he turned the card around, then read out loud, "'Ryoga, you are amazing, a fantastic mind in fantastic muscles, martial arts not withstanding, with your feathers no longer ruffled, I like you a lot, definitely. Happy Valentine's Day, Anonymous.'" Ryoga stared at the card in confusion for a few moments, and then asked himself, "What's 'Valentine's Day'?"

-----

Lotion opened her locker and looked surprised as the large envelope fell from it. She bent over - making several male students take a close look at her curvaceous ass - and picked it up. 'Lotion,' it read. She opened the envelope, and took in the beautiful romantic picture on the front; showing hearts and two pairs of lips pressing against each other. In golden letters it read, 'Happy Valentine's Day.' Lotion blinked confused and turned it around, reading, 'Amazon among Amazons, my beautiful Lotion, there is more where this came from, to be sure, but try to contain your impatience. I feel bad for not being able to make more of a commitment, to slice the not. Happy Valentine's Day, Xander.'

Lotion blinked twice, and then scratched her head in confusion. "Valentine's Day?" she muttered. She grabbed her books and closed the locker, then thought. Grumbling in annoyance she quickly moved to where she knew Willow had her locker.

Willow looked dreamily as she finished reading her own Valentine's Day card. Buffy was next to her, looking just as happy and holding a card to her heart. "What's Valentine's Day?"

The two looked over and saw Lotion reach them, a confused look on her face. Willow and Buffy blinked, looked at each other and then Willow, "Well, it's just this quaint tradition we have. Nothing to worry about- . . ."

"Don't listen to her, the conniving bitch. I didn't think you had it in you, Willow," Cordelia's voice sounded as she joined the three.

"Hey, I was going to say Xander wouldn't hold it against her, different culture and all," Willow protested, but whether she was lying or not, Buffy couldn't tell.

Cordelia glared and Willow, and continued her explanation, "It's a tradition where lovers, potential lovers, and sometimes friends give each other cards and gifts. If you don't get Xander one, he'll be heartbroken." Lotion looked shocked at the other cheerleader. "Don't worry, you have all day, I'll help you pick something out," Cordelia added smoothly.

"He's a guy, you know, I think he'll get over it," Buffy replied lightly.

Cordelia rolled her eyes, and told her, "/He/ is also a girl, in fact, /he's/ been /only/ girl for the past one and a half weeks." Buffy and Willow's eyes widened in revelation, while Lotion looked still somewhat confused. "Look what I got, Oz," Cordelia said softly with a smile and held up a plastic bag which contained a gift-wrapped box. "Chains; if I have to chain him up for some reason, he'll be chained up stylishly. No boyfriend of mine won't be stylish."

Willow's and Buffy's jaws dropped, making Lotion look even more confused, for once shutting up. Willow blushed lightly. Buffy replied, "You do realize how that sounded, right?"

Cordelia blinked, going over her words, and suddenly her left hand latched out, and slapped Buffy upward across the back of her head. "Ouch!" she exclaimed as Cordelia already talked.

"Not like that, slow for brains, when he's a wolf," Cordelia hissed out in annoyance.

Buffy felt the back of her head in annoyance, and answered, "/We/ /know/ that, the others don't. You better be very careful when, where, and how hard you say that if you don't want to sound like you're . . . I can't even say it."

"What?" Lotion demanded, making the other three girls look over. "I don't get it. Well? What is it?"

Willow put her hand on her chest and said with a moved face, "She's so innocent." The other three nodded, and Willow asked, "Do we rob her of it?"

"Nah," the other two said, grinning and started walking off.

"What?" Lotion exclaimed, following them. "Come on, tell me what it is!" she demanded - Amazons never whined.

As they walked, Buffy took a look at her card, and read it again, 'For my first love, my grandest love, friends forever, love forever. Happy Valentine's, Xander.' It once again brought a smile to her face, as well as a pang in her heart, like someone stuck a knife in it.

-----

The Bronze

That night

Buffy watched as Xander exchanged a kiss with Willow after exchanging gifts. She smiled sadly, she was both happy and sad. Xander had given Willow a small necklace with pentagram pendant, a red ruby in its middle. Willow had smiled extremely happy at the gift. She in turn had given Xander a CD that he seemed happy with. Around them couples were dancing and kissing as the music played.

After breaking the kiss, Xander moved on to Lotion. He gave her a nice bottle of perfume. She gave him a card, which he seemed to like, and a nicely wrapped gift which turned out to be a computer game for his PC that made him hug her close and give her a kiss.

Across from Buffy sat Cordelia and Oz. Cordelia was wearing the necklace with a big heart as a pendant around her neck, proudly displaying it just above her cleavage. Earlier that evening, Buffy and the others had been present as Cordelia cut into her former friends with a verbal vengeance that had left them, and her new friends stunned. From calling Harmony a slut to saying she could date whoever she wanted, including the much shorter Oz which made them - according to Harmony - look like a sister and his little brother, to saying she and she alone ruled the school and she better not ever bother to think she was anywhere in her league or that she could ever take over. At first glance it seemed like just another Cordelia verbal cut down, but then Buffy had realized Cordelia was different. For a moment she couldn't put a finger on what it was - then it hit her, seemingly impossible, Cordelia seemed much more confident than usual. Also, this rant was a nuclear warhead; a rant aimed to utterly destroy. Cordelia had never done such a job on anyone, not even Willow and other bottom ranking geeks.

Buffy had looked over and seen Xander smile at the event, he probably had known all along what Buffy had just realized. Cordelia had been an insecure girl, who wasn't sure about her own position - knowing her 'friends' were leaches / sheep. With her new training, her new boyfriend, and new friends that were actual friends and acknowledged her for who she was - a really bitchy, annoying, bordering on hating her, but heroic girl who had chosen to fight the darkness, she had found a newfound true confidence; not the mask she had worn all this time. Not that Cordelia was now some sweet nice girl, far from it as the nuking of the former Cordettes testified, but she was with them.

Now Buffy's Slayer hearing picked up Cordelia's comment to Oz, "Am I brilliant or what?"

Finally it was her turn. Buffy's heart beat in her chest as Xander came up to her. She didn't want to see his gift yet, so she pulled out the card she had bought him, and handed it over, saying, "Happy Valentine's, Xan. Wanted to wait with the card till now."

Xander smiled and took the card, and read silently, 'I love you, Xander. As my best friend, and more. I wish so many things, but mostly I wish you all the happiness in the world. Happy, Valentine's.' Xander looked up, and smiled at Buffy, making her blush a little - she knew it was corny.

"I didn't know what to get you," Buffy said quickly, trying to force her embarrassment away. She held up her hand holding a gift, and said, "so I just made a guess, I hope you like it."

Xander opened it, and saw a katana rack, holding a single katana: a small one for opening envelopes. "Thank you," Xander said, hugging her close. Then he pulled out a small gift wrapped box and gave it to Buffy.

Buffy looked at what had to be a jewelry box with wide eyes, and then unwrapped it, tearing the paper away. She opened the box, and looked at a silver bracelet. It was made up of sections of a double helix, as if two ropes had turned to silver. The ends came together, as if two elongated omega signs were wrapped around each other and forming a single solid section with no beginning or end. The connected double helixes were connected together with small square sections of metal. Buffy's eyes were wide at the bracelet. Xander took the bracelet and held it in front of her right hand. Buffy moved her hand in the bracelet, and Xander went to fix it on her wrist, while explaining, "It's an eternity bracelet. Wrapped together, encircled, entwined, as we are. Eternally, without end, forever. I love you, Buffy, and you love me; friends forever."

Buffy's heart swelled with the beautiful gift, feeling the love for this amazing guy grow by the moment. Yet at the same time, her heart crushed down into a deep dark abyss of pain. Because it did indeed symbolize their connection, their friendship, their love, but two sides of the curl were also apart at the same time; the gift symbolized love, friendship, but not /in/ love, not romance, while it could mean that too, yet not quite. Exactly like they were, loving, in love, but a single stupid moment stood between them, keeping them apart, possibly forever. A tiny shiver ran through her body, as she remembered again what she had done to give Xander the 'ick'. Sex with that cold, clammy . . . she banished the thought, and looked up. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears, that refused to fall, her inner turmoil between happiness and sadness keeping them trapped, although both could let them fall. Xander engulfed her in a hug, which returned . . . and the illusion fled away. Buffy felt breasts, and a slightly smaller body against her - the girl underneath the glamour that kept her looking like Xander . . . Buffy didn't care, she simply tightened the hug, and held onto her friend, uncaring his, or her as the case may be, gender. She just needed to be hugged. She felt her lips give her a kiss on her forehead, and once again Buffy was assaulted with love and happiness as well as pain that the kiss wasn't on her lips.

A bit later they broke apart, and Cordelia commented, "God, you two are saps."

Buffy turned her head and glared at her. Lexa / Xander grinned at the cheerleader and said, "Not as bad as you two."

Oz rose an eyebrow, and Cordelia said, "In your dreams perhaps."

"No," Willow said with a critical, appraising look, "he's right. You're worse."

"Traitor, I knew I shouldn't have defended you losers," Cordelia said balefully, making Willow grin. Cordelia got up, taking Oz's hand, and said, "Come on, Oz, we don't have to listen to this." She pulled the werewolf onto the dance floor and started to dance.

Lexa grinned and then quickly went over to Lotion and pulled her onto the dance floor. "Come on, Buffy," Willow said, and gestured to her friend.

"Come on, Buffy?" Buffy questioned wryly as she went over to Willow. "Is that how you get people on the dance floor these days? Whatever happened to a polite, 'May I have this dance, Buffy?'"

"Out the door the moment 'Come on' started to work," Willow retorted and pulled her friend onto the dance floor. Buffy grumbled something unintelligible, berating herself for coming over too soon.

-----

The school bell rung, and the students immediately started putting their stuff away. "All right," the teacher called out loud, "everyone who hasn't done so yet don't forget to put your paper on my desk."

The students came forward and started putting their papers where the teacher had indicated. Buffy a little forlorn, held back, watching as Xander in front of her put his paper on the desk, while chatting with Cordelia and Willow; who by all shockers seemed to be somewhere close to being friends. Buffy put her own page on the desk and moved as one of the last toward the door.

"Amy? Did you give me your paper yet?" the teacher asked, and reflexively Buffy looked back.

"Oh, sure, Miss," Amy said having turned around to face the teacher. Buffy watched Amy point to the pile, and she said, "It's right on top." The teacher looked away to the pile of papers, and Buffy saw Amy mumble something and wiggle her right index and middle fingers.

There was a sparkle, and then the teacher said, "Oh, right, of course, right here."

"Goodbye, miss," Amy said, smiling that she know had extra time. After all, the teacher had 'seen' her paper, so if the teacher lost it, it wasn't her fault, and she could finish it in leisure time.

Buffy turned around quickly, before Amy could see she had seen what she saw and left the room. Amy was following in her mother's footsteps? As she walked outside of the class room she wondered what she should do. It wasn't like any teacher was going to believe 'she cheated by using magic - there was never really a paper of hers there' at least not /actual/ magic, possibly a magic trick. Besides; there was no paper, Amy still would have to write it, she only got a extension in a bad manner without getting a mark.

Amy turned into the opposite direction of Buffy, while the Slayer turned to follow her friends. She looked Xander - or rather Lexa wearing a glamour of Xander - and suddenly realized something. She could use this to her advantage. Buffy smiled and quickly turned around, running after Amy.

The budding witch went up a few stairs, and Buffy easily caught up, catching her on the corner plateau half-way the next floor. Buffy grabbed Amy and quickly pushed her up against the wall. "Hello, Amy, I couldn't help but notice you making with the magic just now," Buffy whispered dangerously in Amy's ear. "Do you want to end up like your mother?"

"Now, that's not-" Amy tried but Buffy cut her off.

"Uh uh, don't bother with the excuses. I could tell," Buffy threatened with a grin.

Amy smiled back, and said, "They'd never believe you, they'd lock up in an asylum."

Buffy's smile didn't falter, and told, "Oh, I don't know. Giles is a practician of magic, so is Miss Calendar - techno pagan you know. They can't exactly go to the board, but if you abuse your abilities, I'm certain they can come up with a way - isn't there something called, 'binding someone's power'."

Amy's eyes widened with every word coming from the Slayer's mouth, then suddenly narrowed them suspiciously, asking, "So why haven't you yet?"

Buffy looked around, double checking no other students were in earshot, and said, "Well, I'm willing to make a deal. Magic has done nothing but screw with my life; chosen here, curse there. I want magic to work for me for a change."

"Ah," Amy said with a smile.

"Love spell," Buffy said with a grumble. "Can you do one?"

"Yeah, sure, the basics, but that's dangerous stuff, you know," Amy muttered, her eyes shifting left to right to make sure no one was near - even though she already knew that.

"Don't worry," Buffy smiled sweetly, loosening her grip, and then letting go completely. "All pure here, I'm in love with him, he's in love with me, there's just a little 'ick' thing in the way; a reaction to something horribly stupid I did. Spell only needs to remove the 'ick', won't even alter his deeper feelings or anything."

Amy pulled Buffy along as they went further up the stairs, a few chatting students past them. Once they were away, Amy said, "We could do it here after school, but I need something from him, something personal?"

"How personal?" Buffy frowned.

"No biggy, really, just something he owns," Amy answered.

"Not a problem," Buffy said and then sped off.

-----

"Hey, Lexa!" Buffy called, as she quickly walked up to her. She had turned off the glamour, and actually looked like he really was right now. "I forgot my brush, can I lend yours?"

"Oh, sure," Lexa said with Oz, Cordelia and Lotion around her. She pulled her backpack and umbrella forward and opened it, rummaging. Off to her right a boy opened the drinking fountain and gulped some refreshing water down. "Here," Lexa said, holding out the brush. As Buffy took it, the drinking fountain exploded and a large geyser of water splashed onward. Buffy jumped back to avoid it, and widened her eyes as in one smooth motion Lexa pulled out and opened the umbrella, guarding her and their friends from the water. Lexa's expression was one of annoying acceptance. Everyone else wasn't so lucky though, and got soaking wet. Buffy looked with wide-eyed surprise as a few moments later the water fountain died away, probably by someone closing a pipe somewhere. "I'm really starting to hate this curse," Lexa muttered, checking to see if her friends were wet or not. They weren't, they just looked around at all the other wet students with astonishment.

"Well, thanks, Lexa, I'll go in the bathroom to freshen up now. I'll give it back to you in the morning. See you in class in a bit," Buffy said with a smile, and turned then away, before she got wet by one of Xander's cursed water releases.

-----

After school

Buffy sat naked in the middle of a circle, holding black candle that was burning nicely. Amy stood behind a desk, on which were several magical ingredients, most notably a small, glass, chemical reactant beaker in which a mixture was bubbling up. She was slowly circled the brush attached to a small chain above it. Red light circled around, making the mixture inside bubble. The energy came from brush. Amy recited, "Diana, goddess of love and hunt, I plead to thee. Let this hunt be over, as it should be. Remove the blemish on Buffy's otherwise perfect love. Let her beloved fill with their love once more, let him not be bothered no longer - for she has learned her lesson. Let Xander Harris know this truth, let him love once more!"

There was a tiny flash and then the light swirled faster and disappeared. "Now," Amy told Buffy and she quickly blew out the candle.

-----

Buffy made several critical mistakes. The first was that casting a love spell on someone who already loves you can never really be a good thing. But much worse; at the moment, Xander Harris did not exist - and yet he did, but where should be, there was Lexa. The spell looked for a male, and there just wasn't one by the name of Xander Harris around. A third critical mistake, was letting a magic spell clash with a person soaked in different kinds of magic. Luckily the glamour was not active, but another more powerful type of magic was always a active: a curse - a gender bending curse. Sitting at home watching some tv after she was done with her homework and her training, Lexa give a shiver, looked around confused, and then shrugged, continuing to watch tv.

-----

Buffy happily walked into the school, seeing Xander-glamoured Lexa at her locker. She hefted the brush, and walked confidently to her, missing a lot of eyes turning to follow her. "Hey, Xan, here's your brush back," Buffy said with a smile.

"Thanks," he said, turning around. He closed his locker and took his brush back.

"So, how are you today?" Buffy asked with a smile.

"Good," Xander said as he started to walk toward his class. He gave Buffy a look, a silent question if she wanted to join him. She fell in step, optimistic, so far so good.

"Nothing new?" Buffy asked him interested.

"No, I don't think so, apart from the stuff in the paper and morning news, but nothing that important on there," Xander answered, looking at her with a questioning look.

Buffy smiled, and asked, "Can I kiss you?"

Buffy sucked in her breath - this was it. Had the spell worked? "Kiss?" Xander asked uncomfortable. "You mean a friendly on the cheek, you're my friend kiss?"

Buffy's hope crashed and burned in an instant. "Yeah," she answered weakly, and did exactly that, going to her toes as Xander lowered himself.

There was an extremely uncomfortable silence then, and a moment later Xander threw his thumb over his shoulder and said, "Ah, I gotta go."

"Yeah, see you later," Buffy said and then Xander was off. Pain blossomed from her heart, and her face squinted up. She couldn't stop the first tear forming in her eyes.

She almost started to sob, when a voice said, "Forget him, he's a bastard if he can't see the beauty that is Buffy Summers." Buffy looked to her right to confirm it - indeed, it was Cordelia Chase of all people that was cheering her up. How was this possible?

"Yeah, well, seeing my beauty isn't the pro- . . ." Buffy blinked, shocked as Cordelia's hands grabbed her waist.

"You are so beautiful," Cordelia said with dreamy eyes.

"Wha-?" Buffy started, but was interrupted by Cordelia's lips crushing to hers, and the other girl's tongue entering her mouth and starting an erotic massage of her own. Buffy's eyes were wide with complete shock, not comprehending, and unable to bring up her wits to do anything but endure the deeply passionate kiss.

"How /dare/ you?" a voice hissed in rage, and Cordelia was yanked off of her. Four girls, Harmony up front, looked enraged at the queen of Sunnydale High, who seemed none too happy at the intrusion. Buffy stayed standing here, still dazed and shocked at the event. Harmony continued, "There aren't many thinks I've ever asked of you, Cordelia! How can you do this to me? You got all the hot guys, and we get the second rate stuff, now I'm in love with an amazing girl for once, and you decide to take her away from us as well?"

That took Buffy out of her daze, although she was still frozen on the spot, only jerking her head to look in disbelief at the bottle blonde. "You always were stupid, Harmony. If you think I'd bother with stealing something away from you. There's nothing to steal, /I'm/ in love with Buffy, and she will be mine, and I'd like to see you try to do something about it, you pathetic sheep."

"Oz?" Buffy whimpered, hoping that Cordelia remember her true love.

Instead Harmony hissed, "I'm /not/ going to let it happen again, Buffy's /mine/."

"No, mine," one of the other girls said.

"All traitors!" Cordelia hissed, as Harmony looked at the other girl betrayed. Next moment the blonde got a fist against her chin and she slumped into unconsciousness. The other three girls jumped Cordelia instantly.

Buffy was yanked by her left arm, and she let herself be pulled away - the fighting girls didn't notice, but Buffy doubted that with Cordelia's training that would last long: just about as short as the fight. She was pulled around a corner, and deposited gently against a wall.

"I thought I'd get you out of there."

"Yeah, thanks, Will," Buffy replied to the redhead that had pulled her along. She bent down, leaning on her knees, almost starting to hyperventilate. What had that been? Could it be- no, had to be the Hellmouth, or a demon, trying to mess with her.

"No thanks necessary, Buffy," Willow replied with a sexy smile, "how could I possibly let anything happen to that beautiful body of yours."

"Yeah, I suppose it would be a cri-" Buffy started, mouth open in shock as she felt Willow's hands around her waist.

"That cute butt of yours, those breasts, that nose, and those oh so kissable lips," Willow purred, pressing herself even closer.

"What?" Buffy squeaked, managing a very good approximation of Willow's nervous squeaks. "Wh-what about Xander?" she asked quickly, feeling Willow's curves press in her own.

"Xander . . . nice, but Buffy, I just focused on him while I worked up the courage to make my move on you," Willow said huskily, and then pressed her lips against Buffy's, repeating Cordelia's actions earlier.

"Mmh, mmh, mmno!" Buffy pushed Willow back gently, holding her at arm's length by Willow's shoulders.

"Buffy, please don't reject me," Willow asked sadly.

"Willow! You don't love me, you love Xander / Lexa. Snap out of it! Please!" Buffy pleaded in horror, looking around as she noticed more and more fellow students turn to face her. The same look in their eyes as Willow's and Cordelia's: love, lust, unholy versions that seemed to be fueled by crimson hell fires that gave Buffy the shivers.

"We're best friends, Buffy, why are you rejecting me?" Willow asked Buffy with a scary pout.

"-Get away from her!-"

The order was forceful and loud, and neither Buffy nor Willow could keep from looking over. Jenny Calendar stood there with a cool, dangerous look. "Miss Calendar, please tell me you're not under the spell," Buffy asked desperately.

"Don't worry, Buffy, I'm not," Jenny said coolly all her faculties focused on Willow who turned away from Buffy. The Slayer let out a slight bit of air, not daring to let any more of her relief out for fear the Hellmouth would jinx it.

"Buffy is mine," Willow said angrily, which made Buffy gulp - she did /not/ like the tone in her best friend's voice.

"Willow, as your mentor and friend, I will tell you this as gently as possible," Jenny said, partly relaxing, preparing for what she had to do, "you're under a spell, and before you do things you will regret, step away from your friend. I'm well-trained in the arts of magic, Willow, unlike you. You cannot win this," Jenny said as an unmistakable aura of power started to form around her, "You must end this unhealthy fixation on me and Buffy, Willow, before you regret doing what you're going to be doing. Now unlike your jealousy driven love, my love for Buffy is pure, it is real, and I will defend it and her."

Buffy's eyes were open in shock, thinking, -Oh, no, not you too.-

In response to Jenny's power up, Buffy felt her skin begin to crawl as Willow responded in kind. "You will not touch her," Willow hissed at her mentor.

Buffy quickly ducked and ran to her right, before they could refocus on her. She could try to beat her up, but she figured that taking on two magic users who could turn her into whatever would be bad for her health - or at least bad for her hair. "That's right, Buffy. You get out of here so I can take care of this immoral, black magic bitch," Buffy heard Jenny say and sped up.

"Immoral?" Willow said angrily. "You're the one who started it, I'm just defending myself. That makes /you/ the immoral one, you slut!"

"That does it! Ignis!" Jenny hissed and a fireball fired from her hands.

"Hydris!" Willow said in response and a ball of water fired from her hands, the two cancelling each other out with a sizzle and vapor. The two started circling each other, then testing the others abilities.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" Buffy muttered speeding up, horrified at knowing two of her friends were fighting each other. Any doubt had left her mind; this could only have been her and Amy's spell somehow. She needed Giles! And so she ran faster, keeping her eyes straight ahead, and zipping past students, missing how more and more eyes turn to regard her. But Slayer enhanced speed enhanced by chi, she was out of sight in the blink of an eye, and nobody could follow her.

-----

Lexa in the guise of Xander sauntered along Sunnydale High, just minding his own business, thinking about why Buffy would push this. A group of jocks and a few more guys, a total of twelve stepped in front of Xander. They all looked tough. Among them were Larry and Jack O'Toole. "Harris," Larry took leadership of the group, looking dangerous.

"Well, hello, Larry, what brings you and your friends here?" Xander asked both confused and suspicious.

"You know very well!" Larry growled out, pointing at him angrily, as Jack pulled out his knife and opened it. Xander didn't answer, just looked forward with raised, expectant eyebrows. "You spurned Buffy's love! She's the most beautiful, amazing girl in . . . like ever, and that hurt her! How can you hurt her? I cannot let that pass, I must defend my beloved!"

The others nodded and growled in agreement. "Uh . . . aren't you gay?" Xander asked utterly confused now.

"Gay?" he asked with a horrified face, "how can any man be or remain gay after seeing the divine beauty of Buffy Summers?"

"Right . . . so now what?" Xander asked still not knowing what was going on.

"Kill him!" Jack O'Toole gleefully ordered, and the guys charged Xander.

Xander first removed Jack and his knife, then exactly thirteen attacks later, a dozen guys lay unconscious on the floor. Xander rubbed his hands together up and down and said with a grin, "Now that was a nice workout."

"Buffy?"

Xander turned around and saw Jonathan standing there happily. "Did they say you know where Buffy was?" he asked with large happy eyes. "Tell me where she is. She's so beautiful I'm in love with her."

Xander looked at him for a moment with wide eyes and then shook his head. With a quick motion his fist slammed into Jonathan's chin and he slumped into unconsciousness. "Trust me, Jonathan," Xander groaned, down at the prone guy, "it's for your own good." Xander then stepped over him, and muttered, "Giles. He should be able to figure out what's going on and how to stop it."

-----

"Giles! Giles! You gotta help me!" Buffy yelled as she burst into the library.

"Of course, Buffy, is something wrong?" Giles asked casually as he walked from behind the counter.

"I've done something bad, /really/ bad, and uh . . . well . . ." Buffy said afraid and embarrassment. "It went wrong."

"Now, calm down, Buffy, begin at the beginning, please," Giles told her with a nod from his head.

Buffy took several deep breaths, and said, "You know how Xander and me are kinda stuck, right? He's got the whole ick because of what I did with . . ." Buffy shivered with disgust at her own action as she usually did when mentioning the event, an unwanted memory of the cold and clammy corpse pressing up against. She shook her head to clear it, and continued, "Well, I wanted to remove the ick, so we could move on . . . so I blackmailed Amy into a love spell . . ."

"That is indeed very bad, Buffy, very bad indeed," Giles spoke thoughtfully, but sternly.

"Yeah, well . . . it gets worse. The spell went wrong, now every girl in school is in love with me, and wants me, and not in a healthy kinda way, more like in an insane I'm-going-to-kill-everyone-in-my-way way," Buffy explained with terror on her face, peeking over Giles shoulder hoping they wouldn't barge through the door.

"Well, Buffy, that was very naughty, you are definitely a bad girl," Giles said walking past Buffy with his right hand on his chin to think. "I would almost say to just let you live with the consequences of your actions as punishment, but that we be bad for the others. I think I'll just have to give you a proper British bare-bottomed caning instead." His left hand slapped Buffy's ass hard.

Buffy's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock. Then she chuckled, "Giles, trust me, I've already learned my lesson, you do not need to pretend you're affected as well. Really, can we focus on solving the magic problem, now?" She turned to face Giles and looked at the smiling Brit with hopeful eyes, "You're just pretending, right?"

"Buffy," Giles spoke huskily, making a sexy gravely voice come from his throat. He stepped forward and put an arm around Buffy's shoulder, "I know you are afraid to confess to our immortal love - teacher / student, watcher / Slayer, people would disapprove, people would try to stop us, but be brave my beautiful, sexy Slayer. Together, with my brains and your newfound beyond Slayer strength, no one could stop us, we can finally consummate our love. And first that caning, you naughty, bad, little girl."

The look on Buffy's face was of abject terror - in fact it was /beyond/ abject terror. It was worse enough that now the only one left who might be able to do something about the magic was just as affected, it was /much/ worse that Giles was now in love with her, wanted to have her in so many ways she didn't think she'd /ever/ wanted to be had. And his lips were coming down to her. "No, no!" she squeaked out in horror - if Giles - /Giles/ - managed to kiss her, she'd die! It was worse enough she'd just been kissed by girl after girl, but this she would never survive!

The sudden, loud, violent opening of the library doors saved Buffy. Or rather the Amazon that came flying in saved Buffy. "She said, 'No,' you curd!" Lotion yelled in anger, slamming into Giles with her right foot. A follow up punch sent the librarian to the floor - unconscious. Lotion turned to face a still shaken Buffy, and she said, "Buffy! I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. He didn't hurt you, did he, honey?"

Oh, no! This was bad, really bad! With Lotion having mastered the chestnuts herself, and the advantage of surprise gone, Buffy knew Lotion was pretty much just as strong as she was. Everyone else, even Giles, she was more then powerful enough to keep off of her - Lotion was a whole other matter. The Amazon might very well succeed, especially in her out-of-her-mind state to defeat her completely in an all out fight - and somehow she was pretty sure there wasn't much left of the effected's moral compass. This was not good! Not good at all!

"He didn't hurt me," Buffy confirmed, taking a step back.

"Let's go somewhere private, Buffy, then we can do everything we want to," Lotion said with a flurry and took a step forward. "No man, after all, could understand our great Amazon love."

"What if I don't wan to do anything?" Buffy asked at the Amazon with an uncertain look and a meek voice.

"Don't worry," Lotion said with a smile, her brown hair beautifully framing her face, "I'll have you fired up in no time, my little bombshell." Buffy looked decidedly unhappy, and seriously grossed out.

"You stupid Amazon."

Buffy and Lotion turned their heads and watched Amy walk into the library steadily and deliberately. The blonde continued, "Can you not see she's afraid of you? She has no feelings for you. It is me that has her love. Now get away from her, because I will not let you hurt my beautiful Buffy."

This was just getting worse and worse. Her true, final chance! Lotion hissed back, "You dare little girl? I cold snap you in two like a twig, you bottle-blonde witch! Get lost, so me and Buffy can take some time for each other."

"Nobody keeps Buffy and me apart," Amy whispered dangerously, and stretched out her hands. "Goddess Hecate, work thy will, before thee make the unclean thing crawl."

-----

Xander burst into the library doors, and slammed them closed right behind him, turning around immediately. He grabbed a cabinet standing next to the counter and planted it in front of the door to keep it closed. "Giles!" Xander called out haggardly having been knocking out guys and avoiding girls pissed at him, or just plain wanted Buffy through him. He turned around while continuing, "Do you have any idea what the hell is going . . . on?"

Buffy stood frozen and afraid to the spot. Giles lay on the floor. Lotion realized what Amy was doing and rapidly jumped forward. ". . . unclean thing crawl," Amy finished and let herself fall backward to avoid Lotion's lunge. A bright beam of energy shot upward from her hands, hit Lotion and the Amazon screamed as energy danced around her and she shrunk . . . a moment later she was a rat wrapped in her own clothes that fell down to the floor, unceremoniously slamming on the ground. The rat got up half dazed, trying to find a way out of the maze of clothes, only it's shape visible.

"Oh, my god!" Buffy shrieked out in shock. "Xander!" Buffy then quickly ran passed a satisfied Amy and placed herself behind him. "You gotta help me, Xander, you're the only one still normal. Everyone else wants me as their girlfriend, and I don't think they're satisfied with a few kisses. I have no idea what to do!"

Amy had turned around and looked angrily at Xander, who shook his head to clear it. "Will you keep me from my love as well?" Amy growled out angrily, looking at the two.

"No, why would I do that? I'm all for the victory of love," Xander answered friendly, making Buffy widen her eyes in shock, then she felt a reassuring squeeze in her arm. Amy nodded with a smile. "Keep her busy," Xander whispered, and quickly walked over to the Lotion-Rat who only slowly started to regain her balance after slamming into the ground, as well as finding the way out. Xander hoped that meant the rat hadn't inherited Lotion's strength like the Ryoga-Pig inherited Ryoga's strength. Xander quickly picked up the rat as Giles groaned. He kept it wrapped in the clothes, apart from its snout so it could breath, and entangled the beast.

As Xander went over to the counter to get a rope to fasten the rat with so she couldn't get away. At the same time Amy had reached Buffy, and she smiled nervously at the powerful witch. "You're so beautiful," Amy muttered with a smile. "I noticed that so last night, when we did our illicit little naughty things."

"WHAT?" Xander called out shocked as Giles started to rise.

"Spell," Buffy said horrified as she thought what Xander might be thinking.

"Buffy!" Giles cried out turning to face Buffy and Amy who was decidedly too gropy for Buffy's tastes right now. "What is /she/ doing there?"

"What does it look like, you old goat?" Amy asked with a sneer and proceeded with kissing Buffy, who swung her arms up and down not knowing what else to do with her horror.

As Giles snarled, and Xander looked from the two women to the librarian and back again in mounting confusion, Buffy pushed Amy off of her and quickly ran over to Xander at the counter. Behind her, both magic users charged up several spells, muttering hatefully against each other, while Buffy pleaded with Xander, "I didn't mean this to happen. It was just to get rid of your ick, it shouldn't have done anything else. You're trying to deal with, to make it go away, this way should just have sped it up a bit . . ." Buffy trailed off and looked behind her at Amy and Giles ready to start a magic duel over her love, and then at the Lotion-Rat, who had regained her full bearings and was screeching in anger at her bonds jerking toward Buffy. Luckily the rope and clothes held for now. Buffy whimpered, tears in her eyes, "This was not supposed to happen? How can it even effect them all anyway, especially girls, I cast it on you."

"Buffy," Xander said disappointed and rubbed the ring, revealing her true form. The hot girl version of him that he had given the name Lexa, told her, "There was no Xander last night, hasn't been here for quite a while, partially because of you! You cast a love spell, on a guy, who is a girl, because of, and thus saturated with, a gender-bending curse! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" Buffy jerked back and gave a sob. "Sorry," Lexa said gently, and quickly jumped over the counter and took Buffy into an embrace, "I shouldn't have lost my temper - plenty of opportunity for that after we solve this mess."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, as Giles' and Amy's gazes had turned away from each other toward the girl having the audacity to hug the love of their lives.

Lexa quickly let go to avert disaster and pushed Buffy next to her. "Have you two heard? This mess is all a love spell," Lexa said hopefully.

"Of course I've heard. I'm not deaf, you bloody wanker," Giles told him angrily.

"I cast it!" Amy said angrily.

"Well, then it isn't real, you gotta find a way to get rid of it, I'm not magic-babe here," Lexa told them, still hopeful.

"Yours and the others are the spell, my love is true. You looked so beautiful in candle light, Buffy. It made me realize my true feelings for you, and I know you feel the same," Amy said with love in her eyes. Buffy squeaked, doing a good imitation of Willow.

"You take that back. A love between a Slayer and her Watcher is true!" Giles proclaimed righteously, puffing out his chest.

-Oh, boy,- Lexa thought, looking over at the horrified and guilt-ridden Buffy. She wasn't going to get any help from the Slayer, that was for sure. It was all up her . . . There was a pounding on the library doors, and multiple voices unintelligibly filtering through. This was getting worse by the second. Suddenly she had an idea.

"You're right!" Lexa said out loud. "The both of you!" Giles and Amy looked at her, and Lexa came over clasping her hands sisterly on their shoulders. "Your love Amy is true, it's not the spell, and the same goes for you, Giles. Buffy is madly, /truly/ in love with the both of you."

"What?" three voices told shocked.

Lexa waved Buffy down quickly, and continued, "Yes, it's Buffy's curse, too much love to give to only one person. It's tearing her up inside, truly tragic!" Giles and Amy looked sympathetically to their 'love'. "Same happened with me and Angel, remember, Giles? She just needs time to decide, or if you're willing, share." The two looked at each other as the library door and the cabinet audibly started to strain under the onslaught. "Let's focus on the important thing right now, shall we? The spell, please tell me you can lift it."

"Sure, but I would need the same personal object-" Amy started.

"Your brush!" Buffy quickly exclaimed, and ducked in on herself as she caught Lexa's glare sent her way.

"Than you two work together, and lift the spell!" Lexa said, taking her hands away from Giles and Amy to get out her brush.

"I don't see the point," Giles said looking over to the door, and Amy seemed to agree.

Holding out the brush, Lexa explained, "But don't you two see? You have Buffy's true love; imagine the torture of not having it? Would you do that onto yourselves? Worse, those under the spell - do you hear them? There are many, and they'd hurt Buffy no doubt. And if you lift the spell, all their love is gone, and only your true love remains - /only/ you're true love." Lexa gave the both of them a smile, and they smiled back turning to look at the other, both thinking they other's might go as well. "You have to turn Lotion back into a human as well, Amy," Lexa added quickly, taking a look at the door and hoping it'd hold out just more.

"Why! She got what she deserved, she would have hurt my Buffy," Amy spat out poisonously, looking at the rat.

"But that's the spell, don't you see?" Lexa said with a grin and a sisterly smile. "It's not her fault, she doesn't really love Buffy, she just got her mind scrambled and she isn't thinking straight. Remove the love spell, and she won't ever try to go after Buffy ever again."

"The boy may be annoying, but he's right, you know," Giles contemplated thoughtfully, taking in the screeching rat.

"All right," Amy agreed.

Lexa nodded with a triumphant grin, and then held his hand back. Turning to get eye contact with Buffy, she said, "Come on, Buff, we gotta go." Buffy looked surprised, and Lexa repeated more assertively, "Come on."

Buffy went over, and Amy asked suspiciously, "Where are you taking, Buffy?"

"To save her life, /and/ get them off your back," Lexa said, pointing at the doors being audibly pounded by a mob, "so you can finish lifting the spells!"

"Good, we will hurry so Buffy and my love can flourish, and I will enjoy administering the bare-bottomed caning for casting this spell," Giles said with a big horny smile.

"I will help," Amy added with a smile. "Buffy was a bad girl blackmailing me into that after all."

Lexa froze, and Buffy shuddered. Lexa slammed her right hand in her forehead, then shook her head, and said, "I so didn't need to have that image burned in my brain."

"You? What do you think of me?" Buffy asked him. Lexa looked at her a moment, and conceded the point with gesture of his head. The brunette walked up to the barrier that was about to break, and grabbed Buffy around her waist. "Get ready," Lexa said determinedly.

"Can't we go out the window?" Buffy asked concerned.

"Nope, they'll enter the library and disturb Giles and Amy, we need to lead them away," Lexa told her, and pushed out her right foot, putting it under the cabinet.

"I can jump as high as you can, you know," Buffy said, looking down at the tightening arm around her waist.

"This isn't about high, Buff," Lexa answered and kicked the cabinet away from the doors. Buffy held her breath as the library doors flung open and a mob of amorous students came stampeding in. Instantly Lexa jumped over the kids, just underneath the top of the doors and landed on the wall, holding Buffy tightly. She pushed off the wall forward and across the crowd in the hall who were looking up at the feat, and more importantly who she was carrying. Once more Lexa landed against the wall and with another push off landed on the floor, just behind the mob that had turned around by now.

Lexa took a look back for a moment, and then pushed Buffy onward, straightening back up. "Go!" she said, and they ran, quickly and easily outpacing the mob. A short run later they exited the school and came to a halt. In front of them was another mob, lead by Willow, Jenny, and Cordelia. The latter was holding an axe, while magic energy crackled between the fingers of the first two.

"We understand now, Buffy," Jenny said with a pained grin.

"Yes, you played us, just like Lexa and Angel, you were just toying with us, making us fight each other," Willow spoke darkly. Lexa looked back quickly to see the other mob come closer steadily. Buffy looked at the with wide eyes, not understanding how she could have screwed up this horribly.

Then Cordelia growled for the finish, "If we can't have your love, nobody will." The mob nodded and made sounds of agreement as they started charging forward.

Lexa grabbed Buffy and jumped, somersaulting backward to land on the school's roof. Buffy blinked and shook her head seeing the mob below scream bloody murder - literally. "Let's go," Lexa said, steering Buffy left and they jumped over to another roof, and went onward. They turned right and jumped again. They made several more jumps in different directions and then they slid quickly down into a garden of a house. Not taking the change someone inside saw Buffy and came to proclaim their eternal love for her, Lexa pulled Buffy along, leaving the garden and then started running down the pavement.

"I'm so sorry, Xander," Buffy said as she ran next to her. "I just wanted to get rid of the ick, nothing more, nothing more."

Lexa shook her head, and said, "Buffy, even if you'd have nicely succeeded it would still have been wrong. You would have torn a piece of me out; even if it's something I was trying to get out - working on it, that's just plain horrible to do. What we would have had, wouldn't have been real either, just an illusion. This is something I have to work through, and thus you as well."

"I'm sorry," Buffy said, still running.

They started to cross the street as Lexa said, "You're forgiven, by me at least - when this is over, I'm not so certain about the rest of them."

Buffy looked down, and was surprised when Lexa stopped her. She looked onward why, and she knew instantly. Up ahead, some hundred meters, stood Ryoga. The street on the right side was just pavement and houses, but on the left there were trees planted and strip of grass was present between the pavement and where the fences started around the house's gardens. He spotted them, and came walking over with a smile, which then turned dark. "How big is the chance he just stepped in dog poop?" Buffy asked Lexa.

"When you screw up, Buffy, you don't take half measures, do you?" Lexa grimaced, slowly backing up. "Keep going, get to your house."

"Won't they come looking for me there?" Buffy asked her concerned.

"Yes, eventually, but they seem rather brain dead under the spell's influence, and unlike every house here, there won't be anyone there who's in love with you. Keep the doors locked and you should be able to hold out for a bit. Hide your mother, and be ready to flee out the window," Lexa said quickly as Ryoga reached a closer difference.

"You!" Ryoga exclaimed angrily. "I knew it! A man who stays a girl for a month, shouldn't be trusted! First you make me a pig, and now you keep the love of my life away from me! Prepare to die!"

Lexa groaned, in annoyance. Buffy looked fearfully at her, the silent question clear in her eyes, 'You can't take him, can you?'

Lexa grinned, and asked, "Are you certain there's no way to talk this out?"

With a quick roar Ryoga pointed his massive umbrella at Xander, and growled, "I will kill you! And then I will kill Ranma! No doubt he's told you to keep my love away from me!"

"Go," Lexa said and pushed Buffy off to the right, while jumping back to barely avoid the umbrella coming down. Where it landed, it tore open the asphalt and pieces of it went flying everywhere. "Ah, man," Lexa muttered at the visual reminder at just how deadly the umbrella was. Buffy in the mean time, ran as hard as she could, hoping for the best.

With a new roar Ryoga attacked, stabbing the heavy umbrella forward like it didn't weigh a thing. Lexa avoided it, but the umbrella already came forward for a new strike. She ducked and grabbed Ryoga's wrist. With another roar Ryoga came forward as Lexa came up, and the eternal lost boy smashed his forehead into Lexa's nose. "Ugh!" she yelled, blood spraying from her mouth and nose and staggering back. Ignoring the pain she moved forward, quickly blocking the next downward strike at Ryoga's wrist to keep from getting crushed. She kicked out hard against Ryoga's chin. A moment later Lexa doubled over with a devastating punch to her gut. She groaned in pain, coughing, and then was launched away by another punch to her face.

She slammed face first into the asphalt and rolled up and over a few times. She groaned, feeling her tender stomach. "Fucking bastard," Lexa muttered, forcing herself to her feet and seeing Ryoga advance on her. Then she yelled angrily, "You've been going easy on me during our workouts, Ryoga!"

Ryoga just snarled, Buffy first and foremost in his mind, and to get to her, Lexa had to go. Ryoga slammed his umbrella down, breaking open some more asphalt. He then made a sideways swipe, under which Lexa ducked. "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire!" Lexa yelled with a grunt, jumping forward to perform the devastatingly fast move. Ryoga grumbled, annoyed with the move, forced on the defensive. Several punches came through, but more importantly Ryoga felt a yank and his umbrella was flying. Lexa pressed her advantage and slammed a shoulder tackle in Ryoga's stomach which made him go, "Oof!" She made an uppercut right after that, and Ryoga flew back, made a backward somersault and landed. Lexa still flew onward and with a yell started a spinning kick. Ryoga grabbed her right foot and yanked her over him, slamming her on the asphalt.

"Urgh," Lexa mutter, feeling pain through her entire body but forcing herself to quickly roll right. Just on time to avoid Ryoga from stomping on her back. With a motion she made a swipe at his legs, but he jumped back, allowing her the time to get back up.

Ryoga looked at Lexa, and then gave an evil grin, that Lexa knew he would only be able to produce under the influence of magic. "RAAR!" he roared charging forward. Lexa's eyes widened in surprise as Ryoga flew at her with a single finger. She jumped back a bit when the finger went straight down, and too her even greater surprise slam into the asphalt.

There was a loud crash, and explosion, and suddenly pellets of asphalt, and even bigger pieces were sent everywhere. Lexa put her hands in front of her, but was still hit all over with fast moving rocks. "Ah, urgh, damn!" she exclaimed, and looked - seeing a hole a meter in diameter where Ryoga had put his finger. She looked in surprise as Ryoga went to do the same thing again, slamming his finger into the asphalt just in front of her. She jumped back once again, but again the explosion was there and asphalt rocks slammed in her. -Lotion was not exaggerating even a little bit, damn it!- she thought as she yelled in pain. She felled laceration on her stomach and breasts, on her arms and legs.

She had to do something, she realized even as she jumped back to avoid Ryoga's third such attack, this one on the pavement - the tile exploded just as well as the asphalt. "I will kill you," Ryoga hissed at Lexa and prepared for a fourth time. Lexa charged forward, intent on not letting him use that again, which is exactly what Ryoga wanted her to do. He suddenly accelerated forward and slammed his knee in Lexa's stomach.

"OOogh!" the girl exclaimed with the pain, her wind knocked out of her lungs, not having been able to release it and tighten her muscles on time. A second knee followed, and then a punch, making Lexa moan out more, although these were a slightly less bad than the first, having been able to tighten her muscles in the mean time. Ryoga followed up with a cross to the kneeling girl's chin, then an elbow pulled back to upper right side of her face. Lexa screamed in pain as Ryoga finished it with an uppercut, some more blood flying from her mouth as she was launched into the air and landed painfully on the grass, but still hard ground.

"Urgh," she gurgled, about ready to give up - everything hurt, her ribs, her stomach, her face, even her breasts and legs. She could barely move, and felt darkness encroaching upon her. -What about Buffy?- That single thought, as well as the horrifying images of what the immensely strong magic-love-crazed Ryoga could do to her, brought her back from the darkness very quickly. A cold anger and with it an adrenaline surge burned through her body.

Ryoga appeared towering above her, and he grunted, "Still awake, huh?" He raised his foot to finish it.

Lexa looked left and right, her aching body protesting the simple movement. To her left she saw her possible salvation: Ryoga's immensely heavy umbrella. She sat up, pushing Ryoga's foot away, and attacked his stomach while she flew to her feet. "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire!" she screamed with all her might, throwing the fastest yet, every single one of the punches slammed in Ryoga's gut. For good measure she added an uppercut to sent him flying back, then flipped to her left, picking up the umbrella with a little strain.

Not too surprisingly, the Chestnuts didn't have much effect on Ryoga, who had gotten so much stronger than her. "You will pay!" Ryoga hissed angrily. "I will kill you, and then I will claim Buffy for myself!"

-Magic people, brain dead people,- Lexa repeated what she told Buffy to herself, and then swung the umbrella from left to right with all her might, groaning in pain as her body protested the move.

Ryoga moved to block, but not even he could stop the mass of his own umbrella accelerated by Lexa's might. It slammed against his arm and then against his face, smashing the arm in it as well. "Argh!" he called out in pain as he was sent flying backward while screwing around his own axis. He slammed on the asphalt, just next to first hole he created, and then slowly, but steadily started to get up.

"Fuck!" Lexa called moving over quickly. "Stay down!" she yelled as slammed the umbrella on Ryoga's back with an over-head, two-handed swing.

"Aargh!" Ryoga screamed as he was sent back to the asphalt. Incredibly he started to get up again.

"Ryoga, just stay down!" Lexa cried, repeating the procedure, but not wanting to seriously hurt the guy. The umbrella hit solidly, and then Ryoga finally slumped into unconsciousness.

Lexa stayed on guard for a few moments, till she was certain he was really out, and tossed the umbrella off to her right. "Finally!" she groaned and slumped down herself, breathing hard, and bleeding almost just as hard. She let herself fall on her back, and groaned in pain and relief. "Ow," she muttered, and then lifted her head. She pulled up her ruined top, and looked at blue and purples stains everywhere. She moved her hands across a few ribs, and hissed at the pain. "Shit, he might even have broken them," she whispered, thinking a trip to the infirmary might just be in order. Then she cupped her aching breasts for a moment. After that she moved up, and felt her tender face, feeling the bleeding wounds and the taste of it in her mouth. She pictured what she'd look like in the morning - a right black eye, no doubt, as well as swollen lips and cheeks. There was no way she wasn't using the glamour - she was going to be cool, unblemished Xander all day, that was for sure. She turned her head toward Ryoga, and muttered, "No way you're not teaching me that move, buster, no way, aagh."

-----

Two blocks away, walked a spiky-haired guy. He sniffed the air, and barely smiled. "Buffy," he muttered with a smile. Oz took several more steps, and then gasped. Grunting he sank to his hands and knees. His grunts turned to growls as his body started growing, then gained fur, his clothes tore open. A moment later a werewolf howled at the sun, to go find his mate, and charged off.

-----

A still lying down Lexa heard the howling and shook her head. "He must have hit me harder than I thought," she muttered to herself, and chuckled. "No full moon in sight, not even a moon, no way Oz could be . . . fucking magic!" Lexa sat up, her body protesting as pain lanced through it. Ignoring it, she got up, grunting, "Buffy." The Slayer could keep herself out of any non-trained, normal human being, but a lust-crazed werewolf might be a problem. Then Lexa started running, ignoring the raging pain in her body, toward where Buffy would be.

-----

Buffy closed the door behind her, and quickly locked it. "Mom! Mom!" she called out with a little dread. Let none of the ones she'd made crazy gotten here first and hurt her mom because she wouldn't let Buffy go out on a date with the crazy or something.

"Yes, honey?" Joyce answered as she came out of the kitchen drying her hands with a towel.

"Oh, thank god," Buffy said and walked quickly toward the kitchen and the back exit, "Close and windows you have open, there are some people not in their right minds out now!"

"I don't have any windows open, honey," Joyce said, and Buffy nodded good. She reached the back exit and quickly locked it.

"You seem pained, Buffy," Joyce said concerned. "Come sit down, and tell me what's the matter."

Buffy sat down, and said, "I screwed up so badly, mom. I wanted to free Xander of his ick reaction toward me, so I did a little love spell, except . . . oh, god, it went wrong, because of Xander's curse." She turned to look in her mother's concerned eyes, and with her own pained ones she said, "Now everyone is magically in love with me, and want me no matter what - or they want me dead because . . . oh, god."

"Oh, don't worry, honey," Joyce said and took her daughter in an embrace pulling her close against her body, "I'm sure the others are solving the problem, right?"

Buffy nodded, sniffing in her stress - she couldn't fight ordinary people that she made this way, friends even, she could only run and it played hell on her and her Slayer sensibilities. "Some of them, at least," she sobbed slightly.

"Ssh, then, everything, will be all right," Joyce soothed her daughter, making the hug a little tighter, letting the up and down motions of her arms on Buffy's back go lower. "Then we have time, time to enjoy ourselves," Joyce spoke huskily.

Buffy's eyes flew open, and she asked with dread, "Mom?" There was just no way! No way the magic could be this sick! Xander hadn't thought it could be either! So just no way.

Joyce pulled her head back to look in her daughter's eyes, and she whispered, "Shh, mommy's here now." She moved her head underneath Buffy's chin and angled her pretty head back a bit. "There's no love like the love between a mother and daughter," Joyce said huskily.

Buffy's eyes were wide, shocked, "No!"

"Don't worry, Buffy, it's time we say hell with society's rules. Mommy /knows/ best, and incest /is/ best," Joyce spoke with a sexy grin and dipped her mouth down.

"OH, MY GOD!" Buffy screeched and pushed back to get away. Her stool tipped over and she fell backward on the ground, looking up with a dropped jaw as Joyce sensually got off her stool.

Buffy scrambled back before getting up, looking shocked at Joyce advancing on her. "No! Mom, you can't do this, this is wrong, snap out of it, this is the spell!" Buffy pleaded with her mother. But Joyce advanced with swaying hips.

"Come on, Buffy, let our love burn brightly, let our passion be doused only by our juices. Mother and daughter together forever," Joyce spoke with a lustful look.

"No, mom! We are /not/ doing this!" Buffy pleaded with horror, circling backwards around the counter.

Joyce stopped and frowned. Buffy stopped as well, hopefully. "Why would you spurn this greatest love of all loves?" Joyce asked Buffy suspiciously. "A little taboo shouldn't stop my daughter, it didn't stop her to make love to a corpse." Buffy gulped, pained at the truth, feeling another icky sensation crawl up her spine as the memories of that night filtered into her. "You're not my daughter!" Joyce suddenly exclaimed, having come to a conclusion.

"What?" Buffy asked in confusion.

"You're a vampire, or some other demon that took my daughter's body, or a shape shifter! You're a monster! My daughter loves me, you don't," Joyce exclaimed with newfound determination.

"I love you, just not in that way," Buffy peeped out quickly, backing away at her suddenly crazy mom.

"My daughter taught me what to do!" Joyce spoke with loving tone mentioning Buffy, and went to the drawer holding knives and a stake.

"Oh, my god," Buffy muttered and quickly turned around to leave. A moment later there was zipping sound, and Buffy rapidly turned her upper body, catching a knife that came sailing right at her.

"Demon! Give me back my daughter!" Joyce raged, grabbing another knife.

Buffy ran into the living room, and heard a powerful back. The front door vibrated and shook, bending partially. Slayer speed made her reach the window in no time and she looked briefly outside. Slayer vision made her identify a werewolf that had just slammed into the door backing away for another good running start. People started coming into the garden, going for the windows. "Oh, shit, Oz?" Buffy muttered, twisting around to catch the next knife, while her armed-to-the-teeth, raging mother flinging obscenities at her came barging from the kitchen.

Buffy quickly jumped to the stairs and started running up it, just as windows were broken in and angry boys, girls, men and women came filtering through them. Cursing Buffy looked left and right, trying to figure out which way to go, as down below with her mother up front, love-sick people started climbing the stairs. Briefly she wondered why the werewolf hadn't shattered the door yet.

-----

OzWolf looked with lustful intent at the door. One more time and it would break down, then he'd have his mate, and mate with her - right after he'd tear all these rivals apart of course. He growled and charged, four feet giving him amazing speed.

A blur charged into the werewolf from the side and the two tumbled onward across the grass, the driveway, then the grass in front of the next house. Oz growled in fury at the interruption, and quickly placed himself in a dominant position to the somewhat familiar looking brunette girl. He didn't care though, his mate was waiting, even now her scent was intoxicating him - scared, sweet, he'd protect her from the rivals than make her his. Thus he bit down at the girl's neck.

Lexa snapped her hands up, still moaning with the pain of what Ryoga had done to her aggravated by the crash into the werewolf and the tumble afterwards. She managed to grab Oz's head and neck, before he could close his teeth around her neck and kill her. His mouth was still open, showing two rows of razor sharp teeth. He growled in angry frustration, and a drop of drool fell down, landing on Lexa's right cheek. "Oh, Buffy better survive this," Lexa hissed straining to keep the wolf with his better leverage off of her, "because I'm going to kill her for it."

With a grunt she yanked Oz left, but the wolf quickly reasserted his position. He growled harder and put more power behind reaching Lexa's neck. "Ugh, sorry about this, Oz, but you'll thank me later," Lexa said, and pulled back her right hand quickly and rammed her fist upward into the wolf's head. Oz yelped at the force of the blow, and went with backing off just a bit. That bit was enough for Lexa to pull her feet under him, and kick him off. She quickly got up, groaning at the pain that came from every part of her body, and watched as Oz finished two good tumbles. The wolf righted itself and charged the offending female, and Lexa charged the offending wolf. At the last moment Lexa flung herself to her left. The jumping Oz missed, and Lexa slammed her fists in a double handed blow with all she had in the back of Oz's neck. Oz yelped as he crashed down powerfully, tumbled and stayed still.

"Phew," Lexa muttered as the unconscious Oz started turning back to himself - back to a naked self. Lexa didn't care, she just sat down, and hope someone called an ambulance for her, because there was no way she was going to walk.

-----

Buffy reached a window, and looked out of it. There were more people there, but they didn't seem to notice her. She looked behind her where the mob was coming, barely five meters left from her, some armed with deadly weapons. With the decision made for her, she opened the window and quickly jumped down, landing smoothly behind the people. They noticed of course, but Buffy looked up, seeing her mother lean out, and obviously pressed under the pressure of the others. "Mom," Buffy said softly with deep concern, hoping the love-crazed fools would turn around and go back down the stairs instead of jumping out after her, or tossing there mom out, or crushing her so hard she'd be injured. She hesitated, looking up, willing her mother not to be hurt with. Thus she forgot the charging people downstairs, who were just about to reach her.

Buffy's eyes then widened as she felt energy like static electricity blast past her. She watched with wide eyes how the throng of people were pushed back, blown back, falling backward. A moment later Deo walked past her, looking dangerously at the mom. "You think you can take me?" Deo asked, releasing another wave of chi, keeping the people back somewhat for now.

Buffy took a fearful step back as Deo turned around to face her, and smiled sexily. There was no way in any level of hell she could defeat her. "Heh, heh, heh, hi," Buffy muttered, backing up, stealing a look of stairs and felt relief as her mother and thus the others were no longer at the window.

"Hi, Buffy, let me whisk you away from these fools so we can enjoy each other's company," Deo said suggestively.

"Uh, well, I don't suppose you would have a moral problem with murder and rape, do you?" Buffy asked terrified.

"Hmm," Deo said, thinking about it. "I know I should, but strangely, not really."

-----

"Ready?" Giles asked Amy, as they finished the preparations, having set up a beaker with frothy stuff, candles and a pentagram.

"Yeah, should I turn Lotion back first?" Amy asked the watcher.

"No, I don't think we want a magically induced love-crazed woman with the power to tear us limb from limb walking around," Giles answered her quickly. "Let's remove the crazy love first, and then turn her back. And then Buffy and my love can blossom."

"My love," Amy corrected, making the two glare at each other.

"Let us just complete this spell, shall we?" Giles suggested quickly going to the beaker. Amy nodded.

Then as Giles started circling the brush over the beaker, they both chanted, "Goddess Diana, goddess of the love and hunt, we, thy humble servants, ask thee to take your great power away. Let love once more run its natural course, no longer shall we need your help. Goddess Diana, hear us, favor us, depart!" During the chant green energy started circling around the pot with every greater power and effects. Finally after the last word it blasted outward, and Giles and Amy wavered for a moment.

They blinked, and looked at each other. "My goodness, I was a royal prick, indeed," Giles said with some shock over his behavior under the spell.

"Yes, well, I wasn't exactly a nice girl, either," Amy said embarrassedly. She then turned to the LotionRat, and said, "Speaking of not having been a nice girl." She lifted her hands and said, "Goddess Hecate, work thy will, let the clean one stand once more!" A white blast of energy came from her hands and hit the tied up rat.

The effect was instant, with energy swirling around her she grew rapidly, the clothes and ropes tore and snapped. The fur receded and a moment later a naked Lotion sat on the counter. Amy and Giles looked at her for a moment as she herself inspected her returned body, and then the Brit quickly turned away. "Yes, well, I apologize for-" he started.

"Oh, shut up," Lotion said jumping off the counter and regarding Amy for a moment. "I should kill you," Lotion said angrily, "but I think my future husband would frown on that."

"I'm sorry," Amy said quickly, taking a step back toward the exit just in case.

"Ah," Giles said, drawing their attention to him, "I believe Buffy left some spare clothes of hers in my office; I doubt they'd be comfortable, but they might just be big enough they cover you up, somewhat and don't tear apart." Lotion sighed and casually walked around the counter to get to the office.

-----

Buffy bumped with her back against the tree in the backyard. Deo stopped in front of her, smiling. "So beautiful," she said, as behind her the mob started to regain their courage as their numbers swelled with the people from inside.

Suddenly there was something almost undetectable in the air, and everyone that Buffy could see wavered for a few moments, then looked confused. "My," Deo said looking around as the mob started to quickly disperse, looking confused and apparently deciding to forget what had happened, "what a trip."

"You no longer think I'm beautiful?" Buffy asked the woman hopefully, but rather uselessly.

"Not particularly, no," Deo answered somewhat forcibly, apparently not happy with the event.

"Mom!" Buffy called as the thread of Deo doing . . . stuff to her was gone. She quickly ran into the house and saw the last of the mob going out the door. Joyce looked somewhat dazed around, while Willow, Cordelia and Jenny joined around her. Joyce looked over to Buffy and the Slayer quickly ran over relieved. She grabbed her mother around the neck and hugged tightly.

"Slayer strength, honey!" Joyce gurgled out, and Buffy quickly let go.

"What happened?" Cordelia asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at Buffy.

Joyce seemed to agree with the cheerleader, because she looked sternly at Buffy. When Buffy didn't answer right away, she demanded, "Buffy."

"I'm sorry!" Buffy exclaimed loudly then, with large eyes. "It was me. I just wanted to get rid of Xander's ick. The spell and Xander's curse didn't agree with each other. I'm so sorry! Please, please, please forgive me! Pleeeaase!"

"You cast a love spell on Xander?" Jenny exclaimed in horror.

"Technically, I didn't," Buffy said sheepishly, looking down at the floor embarrassedly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Willow exclaimed, raising her arms in exasperation.

Buffy muttered her answer. At which point Joyce request, "What?"

Buffy answered again, this time louder, "I blackmailed Amy into doing it for me. She's a witch, and I caught her using magic to get an extension on some research paper. I threatened to have you two bind her powers."

"Oh, my god!" Willow exclaimed shocked. "Buffy, casting a love spell, is . . . is . . . very, very bad!"

"-Buffy!-" Joyce took over resolutely, "You ever even go /near/ magic again, and I will guarantee you, I will throw you out of the house!"

"No problem! Uh, uh! No magic for this girl, not ever again, no sirree, Bob!" Buffy exclaimed happily. Then she frowned and added, "Well, unless Willow, Jenny and Giles say it's the only to keep the Earth from ending."

Joyce frowned at her, gauging Buffy's sincerity, then shuddered as she remembered again what she'd almost done. "I never want to feel that again, ugh. Now, Buffy, you will go to your room to think about what you did, while I think of an appropriate punishment."

"You tell her, Mrs. Summers," Cordelia butted in happily. "She's nothing but trouble." Jenny and Willow turned to look at her. "What?" Cordelia asked them annoyed. "She made me kiss, her I think I'm entitled to some payback." Willow and Jenny looked at each other and shrugged, Cordelia had a point.

"Hi, guys, glad to see you're all back to normal."

They turned around to see a heavily beaten Lexa being supported by a naked Oz. "Now, could someone please call me an ambulance?" Lexa asked them with a whimper.

Joyce wanted to cover Buffy's eyes, but the Slayer was already running to the girl, crying, "Oh, my god! Xander!"

Willow did the same a moment later, and Cordelia just stayed staring at Oz's naked physique, then quickly getting ticked off other women could see him like that as well. She went over with a scowl. That left Jenny and Joyce to attempt to be modest and look away, while Buffy picked up the phone.

"Ryoga might need one too, I head to hit him with his own umbrella a few times," Lexa said with a weak smile.

-----

The next day Lexa walked with a little difficulty into the school. Buffy at her side. She had gotten lucky - she was hurt, but nothing was broken. So a week to two weeks of healing the doctor had said, would do the trick. Lexa was determined to shorten that to a few days using her chi exercises.

"So, how bad is it?" Buffy asked her weakly, still shook up from the ordeal.

"You've had Giles' lecture yet?" Lexa asked her.

Buffy nodded, shivering as she remembered his anger, and his disappointment in her. "I'm just glad he didn't bring out the cane after all," Buffy whispered, never having felt more miserable then during Giles rant, not even her mother the day before grounding her for two weeks at the end had managed to cut so emotionally deeply as Giles.

"Well, I think Jenny is busy forgiving you, as is Willow understanding how you felt and all, besides, what are best friends for?" Lexa said to Buffy with a smile.

"I apologized, and apologized, to all of them, but I guess I deserve it," Buffy replied, and looked down.

Lexa slung her right arm around the Slayer's shoulders and continued, "I've managed to convince Lotion not to kick your ass all over the continent." Buffy looked up pained. Lexa smiled and said, "She'll come around soon enough. Cordelia . . . well, she's Cordelia." It brought a weak smile to Buffy's face, but it was progress. "Oz though . . . you made him wolf out, Buff. He almost killed people, me included. That's going to be several weeks, possibly months of groveling."

Buffy looked down again, and muttered, "I'm sorry. What about Amy?"

"I don't think she's Scooby material, Buffy, but Jenny said she would take her under her wing to at least instill the basics and the morals of magic in her - make sure she'd never do that again, blackmail or no blackmail," Lexa told her, as they reached their lockers and turned to them.

"I'm sorry," Buffy said again, pained.

To Be Continued . . .

Author's notes:

I hope everyone liked it. As usual: feedback please!