Disclaimer:

None of these characters are mine. All characters from Buffy, the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Charmed are the property of Joss Whedon and Aaron Spelling, respectively.

Summary:

Crossover between the Charmed and Buffy universes. Buffy comes to San Francisco to spend a little "girl time" with Willow. Girls go shopping!

Author's Note:

In the last chapter, Xander returned – as a white lighter. I plan to have the entire Scooby Gang together in the finale chapter of my story. But, how did Xander die? Did he die doing something silly? Was he doing something noble, such as saving someone's life? Was he fighting demons? Or was it just a stupid (or sordid) accident? Let me know! I'll tally the results and the most popular will be included in my finale chapter!

Chapter Ten – Charge It!

The Turner House

Willow, Giles, and the children were sitting around the breakfast nook, casually finishing their breakfast. Giles was sipping his coffee while reading the Bay City Mirror. Putting down the paper, he looked Willow in the eye. "Well, Willow, some good advice you received there. What are your plans?"

Willow giggled. Phoebe Halliwell had responded to her letter much quicker than she had thought. She really hadn't planned on being answered at all. "I'm really surprised, Giles. She must get hundreds of letters, I was surprised to see it in paper this morning. I do hope she didn't get a premonition, though. Ugh! Children, you're obviously done – let's get washed up."

Giles nodded. He looked at the children. They were obviously getting bored at the table. Buffy was drawing swirls and loops in the maple syrup on her plate, and Ben was making his leftover scraps dance on his plate. At their mother's voice, they leapt up and followed her into the bathroom. Giles decided to make himself useful and cleaned the table. He was pensive as he cleaned. I wonder if she'll be happy with what I've done? He chuckled under his breath, he was sure she would, he just hoped it didn't bring up any unhappy memories. They really hadn't talked much since he died. None of them ever brought it up. There was just too much unsaid. Too much shame and guilt, undeserved and deserved. Willow felt it worse of all, her best friend, her oldest friend. What's more she felt guilty because she had this family and Willow, being Willow, just didn't feel she deserved her own happiness.

"Giles!" Willow's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You're a guest. You shouldn't do that."

"Willow, I'm not a guest." Giles reminded her. "You did say I could stay here, didn't you?"

Willow looked down guiltily. "Of course, Giles. I just... want you to take it easy."

Giles chuckled. Pure Willow. "Willow, cleaning the table is hardly strenuous. You know, you need to things easy, too. Now, you never answered me about what you're going to do about Ms. Halliwell's advice."

Willow smiled cooly. Giles felt sorry for this Phoebe Halliwell. When she smiled like that, it never boded well for her adversary. "Well, I just thought I should take her advice. Drop by her office or something to invite her for a cup of coffee or maybe lunch."

"Today?"

The children had re-entered the room and had settled down to play in a corner of the living room. They'd brought out a Noah's Ark playset that Xander had made for Ben's second birthday. Willow's heart painfully contracted as she looked at it, as it always did whenever she thought of her best friend. Looking back to Giles, she shook her head. "No, maybe tomorrow. I want to be prepared, I want to look my best."

"Willow," Giles warned. "It's not about looks for Cole. He loves the inner you."

"That may well be. But I don't want to look like some inelegant girl when I meet her. I want to look smart, fashionable, and a little sexy. But I don't want to overdo it. Do you think that's possible?"

"Of course I do, Willow. You're one of the most elegant people I know." Willow turned suddenly at a knock on the door. Giles reached over her. "And, Willow, whoever's at the door is much more qualified than I to help with this problem."

She looked at him quizzically, before heading to the door. Opening the door, she finds herself face-to-face with Buffy Summers! "Buffy!" She screams and drags her into a bear hug. Giles smiles watching the two friends. It was just like they were in high school again. They were jumping up and down and screaming with delight. The children, by this time, saw who had come and they'd run up and started jumping on Buffy and their mother. Giles laughed as he saw the whole pack fall down in a heap like a house of cards.

"Now that three of you have greeted Buffy in your own inimitable style, is it my turn?"

Buffy looked up sheepishly at her Watcher. The man that was more ofa father than her own often absent father. She brushed herself off and stood up to face him. Smiling at him, she collapsed in his arms for a hug. "Hey, Giles."

"Hello, yourself. I hope you're well. How's Angel?"

Willow and Ben had grabbed Buffy's bag and she and her children followed them inside. "How long are you staying?"

Buffy turned to Willow. "Just for the weekend. I've an interview Monday back in Toronto. Angel's fine, Giles. He's doing really well at work. Just one problem. Spike showed up."

Everyone laughed. Wherever Spike showed up, trouble was sure to follow. Not to mention, Angel was very irritable around Spike and he wasn't the type of person you really want to annoy.

"Yes, he started flirting with Nick's on-and-off girl, Nat. He's started threatening to load his gun with garlic-filled cartridges." Everyone laughed. It was a point of amusement that Angel had met another brooding vampire. How often do they come around?

"Is he still in denial?"

"Yep. Still believes he can become human again. Angel's always laughing at him. Well, anyway, I hear that Willow here needs some quality time!"

"What?" Willow looked up confused. "I thought you just came to visit. What's going on?"

"Gee, Wills. Sometimes I wonder about you. Giles called, said you needed some girlfriend type advice. He implied shopping would be involved." Buffy laughed as she shook at her friend's blank expression. Willow could be so ignorant sometimes. She reached into her purse and pulled out a card. "I even got Angel's Platinum VISA so we could have some REAL fun!"

"We going shopping! Yay!" Little Buffy's voice pierced the laughter.

"No, Buffy, you and Ben are staying with me. This shopping trip is just for your mom and godmama. Okay?"

"Why? I can be a girlfriend." Little Buffy's face was crestfallen. Everyone knew how much she liked shopping – especially shoe shopping. And absolutely no one shopped like Auntie Buffy.

"Sweetie, don't worry." Her mommy was kneeling down looking her in the eye and holding her two hands in hers. "Auntie Buffy will be with us all weekend and you can go shopping Saturday, okay?"

Little Buffy smiled up at her godmama, who was smiling and nodding with her mommy's words. She smiled back and nodded her head happily.

Pacific Heights

Willow pulled her custom-painted Prius in front of the Betsey Johnson's in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco. The Prius had been a present from Cole, he'd had it painted to match her hair. Willow had told him it was silly, but privately it was on her Top 10 List of Romantic Gestures.

"Well, Will, what are we going for? What kind of statement do you want to make?" Buffy asked teasingly as she and Willow went into the store. Willow smiled as the sales assistants recognized her. As much as she shopped and as good as Cole's credit, she never had any problem in boutiques. She shook her head as they headed towards her, she'd been here before and they knew that she'd let them know if she needed something.

"Well, let's see... I want to look smart, glamorous, with just a hint of sensuality. You know.. I'm not tramp and I know how to win and keep a desirable man." Willow blushed at what she just said. But it was true. Cole loved and desired her. She'd heard of the Charmed Ones, what witch hadn't? And she'd heard that these girls didn't mind flaunting their charms. Charms that Willow didn't even realize that she had until someone pointed them out. She usually dressed for comfort and was never sure about fashion. But still... "I just don't want her thinking... He married YOU!"

"You bet! Will, we'll smoke her!" Willow giggled at Buffy's outburst. She and Buffy started browsing the dresses in the boutique. Buffy pulled out a teal, embroidered tulle dress with sequins.

"That's really more of an evening dress, Buffy. I'm looking for something I can wear in the afternoon."

"Yeah, but still, I think you should try it on. You'd look hot!"

Willow giggled and agreed and they continued their search. "Here's another great one, Will"

Willow turned and saw Buffy with a purple chiffon and lace number. It was so romantic looking, she could almost feel Cole's reaction to her in that. She'd have to try it on too. It wasn't what she was looking for, though. She and Buffy spent another three-quarters of an hour searching the Betsey Johnson's with no success. That's not to say they didn't leave empty-handed.

Next to the Betsey Johnson's was Bebe's. She wasn't as big a shopper, here, but you could never tell. Judging by Buffy's delighted squeak, it was a Buffy kind of shop. Very sexy camisoles and bustiers were in evidence. I'm not sure I could pull off a bustier, she thought self-consciously.

"Hey, Will!" Buffy drew her attention back to the matter at hand. She was holding up a black lace bustier. Willow started shaking her head violently from side to side. "Now, Will, I'm not taking no for an answer. I think you'd look great, no matter what. Remember how good you looked in Vampy Willow's outfit?"

Willow cringed as she was reminded of a very odd moment in her past. She'd never exposed so much skin before that day. It was still embarrassing to think of. Although it was also thrilling, it was the first time Xander ever looked at her like, well like a girl. Xander... she thought and swallowed the tears.

Then, she found the shiny, stretch satin pencil skirt. It was very elegant, and she thought it would go very well with one of the bustiers Buffy had found. "What about this Buffy?"

Buffy whistled. This sure wasn't the Willow that Buffy had gone to school with. This was the take-no-prisoners Willow. "That is one sexy skirt."

"But not cheap sexy, elegant sexy, right?" Willow asked nervously.

"Shush, dressing room ... now!" Buffy commanded. While Buffy waited for Willow, she spotted an embellished lace mermaid dress. She whistled again, this time for her. She smiled sinfully as she thought of what Angel would do when he saw her in that. She scooped it up along with a couple bustiers and headed for the dressing rooms herself.

Willlow looked at herself in the dressing room mirror, turning one way and then the other. She did look really, really good. She just needed a jacket and maybe a nice pair of boots. She heard the special knock she an Buffy had developed while in high school. "C'mon in, Buffy."

Her eyes twitched upwards when she saw Buffy in an embellished lace dress. She let out a low wolf whistle. Buffy's eyes twinkled in amusement, "Do you think Angel'll like it?"

Willow laughed. "Like you wear clothes around him for long. Yes he'll like it. What do you think of this?"

"It's perfect, Will. You'll knock his eyes out!"

"His? I'm dressing to impress the ex-wife, remember?"

"Didn't you know, Will? One always dresses to impress your man."

They still needed to find a jacket to wear with the bustier. Willow decided they'd pretty much exhausted Fillmore Street's potential. So, she decided to drive down to Union Square. It was a lot busier, but they should find something. She resisted the urge to call home. The children adored Giles, and Heaven knows Giles had experience taking care of children. He'd put up with us, hadn't he?

Their first stop was the Ann Taylor. What would Cordelia say to find out she shops at Ann Taylor? Willow smiled at the thought. Buffy looked at her curiously. "What is it?"

"Oh, I was just thinking... What wouldCordysay if she could see me now?"

"Probably you go girl! Or thank god you got away from the softer side of Sears!"

"Or hand over that credit card and no one'll get hurt!"

They were doubled over with laughter. They were never very close to Cordy but she had stood by Angel to the very end. And, that, in the end, would endear her to Buffy forever. They went in and after much shopping found a belted wool jacket with a satin belt. It wrapped itself Willow's slender frame like a lover. It was perfect. Willow reflected that the one thing the kids had given her was curves. And men, men like her husband, did like curves. This might actually work out.

"Now we just have to deal with the feet." Buffy exulted. Willow looked up in shock! She didn't think of the shoes.

"Buffy, I'm sure I have something at home."

"Willow, where does Little Buffy get her love of shoe shopping from?" She accused in exasperation at her friend's lack of discrimination.

She and Willow looked at each other and spoke at the same time. "Her father." They again collapsed into peals of laughter and went looking for shoes. They were getting quite silly. You'd think we were still teenagers, Buffy thought to herself.

"What do you think, Buffy? Boots? Strappy? Sling backs?"

Buffy looked pensively as they walked down Post Avenue. Turning on Grant, Buffy exclaimed, "Strappy! Definitely strappy with heels to show off those nice calf muscles that I'm sure Cole likes to nibble on. Let's go to Kate Spade. I think I saw a new shoe of hers in the last issue of Vogue."

Willow blushed at Buffy's mention of Cole's nibbling. It's true, he did nibble. But he was quite the equal opportunity nibbler, no part of her body went unnoticed. She blushed again, even deeper. Buffy looked at her in amusement. "Well, everyone knows what you're thinking of."

They entered the Kate Spade and Buffy once again squealed in delight. Willow shook her head in disbelief. Buffy never changes. Buffy drug her into the shoe section and was salivating over a pair of 3½" strappy sandals. They were done in a kind of shimmery suede. Willow gulped, she'd have to practice walking in them. Maybe in a slinky silk nightgown and in her bedroom, she smiled at the thought of that. Willow had to admit one of her greatest pleasures was driving Cole crazy. Knowing the power she had over him made her just a little crazy.

They were laughing happily as they left to go back to the house. And Willow was feeling flush to the gills in the exultant power of it all. There was no one like Buffy to make her accept herself. She'd always had a way to make her see the things she couldn't see by herself.

"Well, this has been a successful day." Buffy proclaimed. " I'm getting kind of tired."

"Oh, I hope not. Wait until Saturday, shopping with Little Buffy is a much bigger project."

They shrieked in laughter as Willow took the expressway home. And, a much needed hot bath.