Chapter 6. Herbie Goes to Sunnydale.

Buffy grabs Xander's arm. "Let go of my arm." Buffy doesn't let go. "Come on, let go."

"I'm sorry, Xander, but you're coming with me."

"Are you going to blame me for this?" The two walk up the sidewalk to the house. Buffy takes a deep breath.

"Young lady, you are grounded," says Giles.

"But you didn't let me explain," says Buffy.

"I don't want to hear it."

"Mr. Summers…" says Xander.

"I didn't expect this from you, Xander, I really didn't. Go home." Xander bows his head and pulls his arm away from Buffy. She finally lets it go. He turns to go, but turns back around. "I can't leave like that."

"Xander," says Buffy.

"Look, the reason why Buffy was really late is because we fell asleep in the car. We can prove it. You can touch the top of the engine. It's cold. And the reason why we fell asleep in the car is because Buffy was upset." Buffy looks at Xander with wide eyes. He looks at her. "Spike cheated on her and she saw them at the Bronze."

Her parents change their expressions from anger to concern. Joyce looks at her daughter, who lowers her head.

"Oh, I see," says Giles. "Please accept my apology, Xander."

"No problem," says Xander.

"Sweetheart," says Joyce as she hugs Buffy.

"I gotta go," says Xander. Buffy pulls away from her mother and faces him. "My parents are going to kill me, too."

"Thank you, Xander," says Buffy as she goes up to him and kisses him on the cheek. He blushes a little and then turns around and walks to his house. Both Joyce and Buffy watch Xander walk off and Giles looks at the two.

"What are you two staring at?" asks Giles.

"Nothing, honey," says Joyce with a smile. "Let's go inside." Buffy smiles as she follows her parents into her house.

Later on that day, Saturday, Buffy heads over to Xander's house. She's wearing short pants and a short shirt tied in the middle of her breasts, covering a black bikini top. Buffy rings the doorbell and then she takes her sunglasses off. Xander's mom answers the door.

"Hi," says the woman, who is way too young to be Xander's mom. "Buffy, come in." Buffy accepts the invitation and enters the house.

"I just wanted to invite Xander to come to the beach with me today," says Buffy.

"Xander just told us about what happened last night this morning when he came in," says Xander's mom. "I just want to make sure that you don't use Xander as a rebound guy."

"Oh, no. I wouldn't. We're really good friends. I don't want to spoil that relationship we have."

"Oh, that's good."

"Mom, who is at the door?" says Xander as he comes down, wearing only a pair of boxers. Buffy's eyes widen. Xander blushes. "What are you doing here so early?"

"It's not that early."

"Well, I guess not."

"I just wanted to know if you liked to go to the beach with me today?"

"Oh, just the two of us?"

"Well, yeah, and our little friend." Buffy points outside. Xander smiles at that.

"Okay, let me change into some clothes." Xander heads upstairs.

"Xander's a really nice guy," says Xander's mom. "Treat him good."

"I will, Mrs. Harris," says Buffy.

"Oh, call me Fred. Everyone does."

"Alright, mom, see you later," says Xander as he arrives downstairs. He kisses Fred on the cheek and leads Buffy over to the door. The two get into Herbie and Buffy is about to put the key in, when she stops and looks at Xander.

"How come your mom is so young?" asks Buffy.

"Fred's not my real mom," says Xander. "My real mom died a couple days after she gave birth to me. Some complication. I don't know. Fred is my godmother and she has always had a thing for my dad. She was great friends with my mom and I think she would have liked it that we all stayed together as a family."

"Oh, well that makes sense and you call her mom."

"Yeah, she's been my mom my whole life. Why not?"

"She's nice." Buffy turns on the car and drives off.

As soon as they arrive at the beach, they run into Willow and Riley. Xander is surprised that Willow is out at the beach. She is usually an indoor person.

"You guys wanna join us?" asks Buffy.

"Sure," says Willow as she helps Buffy with the blanket she is laying out.

"So, Will's here to get some sun?" asks Xander.

"Yes, Xander," replies Willow.

"Hey, I got an umbrella," says Riley. "Shouldn't get too much sun."

"That's neat," says Willow with a smile as she watches Riley stick the umbrella into the sand. Xander puts some rocks around it, so it would not fall.

"I like this," says Buffy as she lies on the blanket. "It's very beach like."

"How are you feeling, Buffy?" asks Willow.

"Just urging myself to move on."

"That's good."

"Don't forget, your best friends with the half naked girl on the cover," says Xander as he hands Buffy her sun tan lotion. She puts some on her shoulder, legs, and face.

"Let's get some on you, Xander," says Buffy as she starts on his face and caresses it with lotion. She gets a little lost in his deep brown eyes, but then continues. "Here, you do the front and I'll do the back." She squeezes some lotion on his hands. Buffy goes to Xander's back and rubs it all over. Willow is doing the same to Riley. "Now, you get on my back…I mean get my back." Willow and Riley heard exactly what she said and start to laugh a little.

"Sure thing," says Xander. The girls lay back to feel the sun's rays hit them and roast them.

"So, did you tell your parents about the Spike thing?" asks Willow.

"Xander did," says Buffy. "He actually defended me."

"Why?"

"We fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up until like four in the morning."

"Oh my gosh."

"We were in the driveway the whole time. My parents were so mad and Xander just told them."

"What did your parents say, Xander?"

"Hey, yeah, I didn't ask."

"Um, they were okay once I explained it," says Xander. "My dad was pulling his belt out."

"Really?" says Buffy and Willow.

"No." Xander gives the two a grin.

"Xander." They both hit him.

"Oh, time to turn," says Buffy as she turns on her stomach. "Xander, would you unbuckle my back strap."

"Sure," says Xander as he unbuckles, not knowing for what reason. Buffy then pulls off her top and sets it next to her. Xander looks down and sees it next to him and then he looks at Buffy, who is topless. "Buffy?"

"What?" She lifts her head up and her hands cover her breasts.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm sun bathing."

"You took your top off."

"I always take my top off. I don't like the line it leaves in the middle of my back."

"Hey, Xander, why don't we take a walk and let the ladies finish their sun bathing," says Riley.

"Okay."

Willow starts to laugh hysterically once Xander and Riley are in a distance. Buffy looked at her very confused about why she is laughing.

"Willow, what's so funny?" asks Buffy.

"You," replies Willow.

"What do you mean?"

"When you were putting lotion on each other. You two were eye to eye and when you said 'now you get on my back', that was priceless." Buffy blushes and hides her face. "And of course Xander's reaction to your sun bathing topless."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yeah. You like him."

"I think I do. I don't know. We've almost kissed like twice."

"Really, how come you didn't tell me?"

"Because I ignored it and made myself believe that it wasn't what I thought it was."

"So, was it?"

"I have to kiss him to find out."

"Buffy, I've got a confession to make."

"Oh, is it about Riley because this 'date' is a dead giveaway." Willow smiles at that.

"No, it's not about that…"

"Willow, he is so into you and he's hot."

"Buffy…I agree he is hot." The two smile. "I never knew that he would notice me and when he started to be nice to me and getting me flowers."

"You knew."

"Yeah."

"I approve."

"Thanks. I approve of Xander, too." Buffy nods her head.