Latin
"So everybody okay?" Xander asked as the spell broke, "Dawnie?"
"Fine, wow, I remember everything," she exhaled as Buffy hugged Angel, then added in Latin, And the slayer thing seems to be back, actually. She watched as Xander repeated his casual robbery of Ethan's shop.
I know what you mean, Xander continued, whispering so Giles couldn't hear, gesturing at his body, muscled and toned, without hair or scarring, shirt burst at the seams like the incredible hulk, I'm exhausted and energized, and feel like I've worked for these muscles, which seem to have settled once the spell lapsed. And you… She glanced at herself, smiling.
"Seems I get to keep the muscles and…curvy parts," Dawn enthused, her body very tight in her tomb raider costume, the proportions of the game character suggesting themselves strongly, though not yet fully due to general age and size.
"What was that Dawn?" Giles asked, turning around as they reached the car. He stared for a moment, as if about to say something else, but didn't.
"Oh, nothing," Dawn replied, "Just wondering if we should go see about Willow?" The librarian nodded and started the car. Angel turned to the group.
"Why don't I walk Buffy home?" the vampire suggested, "That way if they let Willow out, you'll have room." Giles nodded, but Xander replied first.
"Sure thing Irish," the young shirtless man in the fedora responded, "And we'll have to get together soon to work on the sax." He winked as Giles released the brake and pulled away from the curb?
'He can't really remember that story, can he?' Angel thought with slight trepidation, 'I was just stuck paying the tab, I had nothing to do with those O'Malley girls…'
Giles entered the library the next morning to hear Queen blaring from the boom-box Buffy used when working out. Willow had turned out to be just fine once the spell ended, and as the hospital had been overrun with people awaiting treatment, had been released in the confusion and taken home. He'd wondered how Dawn Summers and Xander were doing; the special effects of the previous night seemed to go far beyond what should have occurred. He was unlocking the door as the voices of Willow and Buffy coming up behind him broke his concentration.
"Hey Giles," Buffy greeted, with Willow nodding along, "How's everything today?" She seemed to notice the music as 'Princes of the Universe' began to play.
"A-are you both alright?" Giles asked, as he opened the door and entered.
"Y—" Willow began as they stopped and gaped in amazement to see a heavily-and-densely muscled shirtless Xander and a for-her-age nicely-bodacious athletic Dawn going after each other with swords at speeds Buffy herself rarely even used against vampires. The trio watched as the two feinted, parried, slashed, struck out with free hands, climbed atop tables, kicked chairs and shouted at each other in a half-dozen languages. Buffy's slayer sense picked up strange readings from both her sister and best male friend, the latter much like his hyena-ness from Spring, and Dawn as an echo of Buffy herself. Xander's eyes seemed to gleam slightly even from across the room, and Dawn relied much more on raw speed and strength as they progressed. Buffy was about to intervene, when Giles simply sat on the corner of the table and started to watch, rather than worry. And Willow clearly wasn't thinking about injury the way she gawked appreciatively at the young male. The song ended and the two teens suddenly stopped what they were doing, saluted each other with their weapons, then exhaled loudly.
"Not bad, Dawn-Patrol," Xander enthusiastically commented, then picked up a towel and threw it to her, "If you keep the whole package, all we'll need to do is hone your skill at maximum levels until you're really comfortable with the different blade types." He finished wiping himself free of obvious sweat and reached for a cup of tea, looking up to acknowledge the presence of the newcomers as Dawn cut off the next tune.
"Mornin' Giles, ladies," Xander said in a 'Jones' imitation accent, "Just finishing up our morning workout, be out of the way in a minute. Tea? It's the breakfast blend with a bit of the number five in it. Just made it." He gestured to the pot as Dawn finished hers and began pouring.
"X-Xander?" Giles began, nodding thanks as Dawn handed him tea, and smiled at her when it turned out to be good, "I take it you and Dawn retained much more from last night than Buffy or Willow?" The two youths looked at each other, then at Giles. Dawn shrugged, and Xander turned to Willow.
"Groundhog Day, party of two?" Xander joked, gesturing at Dawn and himself. "Could you go get Phil, Dawn?" She smiled and ran over to the weapons cage while Xander continued. "Well, about three months ago yesterday, I was going to go as Phil the Weatherman from the movie Groundhog Day, registered trademark," he smirked at his disclaimer, "And even had one of my uncle's taxidermy collection as the groundhog. Well, being chaos magic, what would the night be if I wasn't actually able to repeat it over and over until I figure out things. Dawn started a few days ago, and we're not sure why, and tonight something happened to where I, we, now seem to physically improve. And we're not sure whether it's a random factor, or whether it was Ripper's memory recollection spell from back in the day I used." At the mention of 'Ripper,' Giles, who'd been taking notes and listening carefully, nearly choked as his eyes widened and he met Xander's gaze. "Who'd a thought dressing as one's mentor could be so…educational." Giles looked horrified as the implications set in. "Luckily the…tattoo didn't stay with me."
Dawn brought over the groundhog, which immediately ran over to Willow, who looked at him and picked him up.
"Every time I've looped around, he's somehow made the trip with me. I guess the fact that he used to be alive, and was restored, is one of those things that can't be undone," Xander remarked.
"Like magic in those Belgarion books I made you read?" Willow asked, "Does that mean you went as a character?"
"No, but who knows," Xander remarked, "Maybe in the next Reset I'll give it a try." Willow and Phil made friends again. Buffy looked less confused as she caught up with things.
"So, how many costumes have you been?" Buffy asked, "And how much of it do you remember? It's already fading for me." Giles gathered himself together and nodded his curiosity as well.
"Well, twenty-eight times, and everything," the youth responded, "I'm one of the world's great chefs, champion billiards player and bowler, I've traveled through space, I speak most western languages and a few major eastern languages of the last five thousand years, I've conquered the Persian Empire, I've been crucified after leading a gladiatorial and slave revolt against Rome, I can play electric guitar backwards and behind my head and I've spent a night in Sunnydale ambushing and hunting hundreds of demons." He inhaled then exhaled, "And then a few nights back, Dawn seemed to join in the fun, and remembers a flash of green when she…came across. I'd debated for a while but finally tied the memory spell to the chaos of Ethan's magic for her casting, to let her remember everything so she'd be better able to fight of bad guys. Unlike the first time, I'm guessing being over the Hell Mouth kinda knocked things up a notch, and this physical change happened. So, that's where we are right now."
"So, Dawnie, what have you dressed as?" Buffy asked, "'Cause those were some serious moves." Dawn blushed.
"Lara Croft, Janet Frasier, Samantha Carter," Dawn replied, then paused, "You."
"Me!" Buffy exclaimed, "Why?"
"Well, I wanted all my questions answered about the slaying thing and why you don't tell mom," Dawn sighed, "And once I found out your boyfriend's a dead body…ewwwww…I just wanted to know your side without fighting."
"Well?" Buffy asked, angry as well as embarrassed at what Dawn might say.
"Other than the dead guy, yeah I understand," Dawn replied, "But mom needs to know everything. Including the dead boyfriend or I'm telling her."
"Quit calling him dead!" Buffy snapped, "And she's safer not knowing."
"Oh, yeah, does the name Darla ring any bells?" Dawn replied, "Or how about the fact that she drove Spike off you on Parent Night with an axe? She needs to know, Buffy."
"Perhaps we should discuss this later," Giles suggested, trying to avoid the situation, "We should concentrate on ending this, er, time loop." Dawn allowed herself to calm, sipping her tea.
"Well, truthfully, I'd considered taking off the next few Resets to practice my skills," Xander admitted, "So I guess I could plan my days around research. I have a book you might be interested in taking a look at, Rupert." He proceeded to lead Giles away from the group, "Hey Dawn, grab some cash out of my wallet and take the girls out, will ya? I'm gonna run through a few idea with Giles, and you and I'll cover them next Reset."
"Cool," Dawn replied. She may have the memories of Captain Carter, but spending her time only on tech toys when she didn't even have the proper tools or materials…uh-uh. She smiled as she listened to Giles and Xander walk away.
"Rupert, it may be of interest to you that I dressed as a physicist," Xander said, then noticing the disbelief, "His name was Isaac Asimov…"
"Good Lord!" Giles exclaimed, "I've read much of his work, the non-fiction as well, at least anything before 1980. Did you pick him on purpose? If so I'm quite impressed."
"Yes I did," Xander chuckled, "But let me tell you about the experiences before I could get the costume right…"