Willow came down to Serenity's kitchen table first thing in the morning and saw Xander nose deep in the tablet she set up for him. OK, this isn't Bizarro word because they are still in Serenity as far as she can tell. Just on the off chance though she pinches herself to make sure.

Buffy comes into the room with Spike, and both stop seeing Xander nose deep in the book as Buffy rolled her eyes in disbelief. "I just came back yesterday. There can't be an apocalypse this soon."

Xander put the tablet down. "For crying out loud I'm just reading a book. How is this such a problem?"

"You have to admit it whelp it raises some questions." Spike replied.

Xander shook his head. "Relax its civil, not... apocalyptical." He pulled out his earphones. "You know what I'm listening to Jason music and maybe some KISS much more supportive than my friends."

Spike shook his head and rifled through the drawers of Serenity pulling out as many empty plates as he can and added them to the table. "Red, how about a proper breakfast for the slayer's homecoming?"

Willow eyed him suspiciously. "Won't your bosses know if I use magic like that?"

Spike shook his head. "Only I'll know, and I'm already here. For now, anyway."

"What do you mean by that?" Buffy asked tapping Xander as he pulled his earphones out.

Spike shook his head. "Microscopic thermite, it's in me, all over, too much to get out by machine and when they report back, I'm not their boy anymore... well they have a detonator."

Xander paled. "You're going to light up like a roman candle."

Willow's eyes took a black turn as she stuck her hand out in front of Spike.

Spike looked at her confused. "Red?" He fell to his knees. "Oh B..." Spike shouted in pain before Buffy clobbered him in the back of the head knocking him out to keep him from waking everyone up.

Buffy watched as red and silver dust left Spike entering Willow's hands as a big red ball.

Xander turned to see River walk into the kitchen everyone else close behind her. "Lock the door!"

River quickly slammed the door shut and locked it!

Mal looked at the doctor. "River, open the door!"

"Can't hear you captain!" River shouted.

Mal glared at the door. "River, stop this feihua and open the door."

Xander ran up and locked the other door hearing Zoe approaching.

Zoe knocked on the other door. "You in on this feihua Harris?"

"Yup" Xander replied with no hesitation.

Willow finished looking at the ball in her hand and chanted a bit as the ball glowed white and shook violently before dissipating into nothing.

Xander grabbed his water and threw it in Spike's face as the vampire immediately woke up screaming.

"Jian ta de gui Red, a little warning next time!"

Xander rolled his eye. "Of course, you would know those words."

"Crybaby" Willow waved her hand over the table and chanted a sentence as food covered every plate on it eggs sausage pancakes waffles everything for a growing crew's breakfast.

Five minutes later after Spike's hair dried Willow opened the front door seeing Mal glowing red. "Relax Captain tight pants River just didn't want to spoil the surprise for you guys."

Mal looked at the food and he'll deny it later but right now drool is coming out of his mouth. "Why? How?"

"We just wanted to thank you for taking Buffy and Spike in last night." Willow explained.

"You can thank me by stepping aside wifey." Jayne replied seeing the high-class grub.

Willow easily stepped aside they came in.

Buffy opened the back door and let Zoe, Wash, Kaylee, and Simon in. Simon looked at Buffy you'd never guess she was shot last night. Simon looked over to his sister and saw her with Xander with an earphone in one ear Xander had the other.

River waited for Simon to get close before singing out loud. "I was made for loving you baby, you were made for loving me."

Xander smiled and added. "And I can't get enough of you baby can you get enough of me."

Kaylee smiled and pulled Simon back a bit. "They're just trying to get a rise out of you doc."

Xander took his earphone out. "Rise out of what? I like the song."

Spike looked at the whelp alive for 500 hundred years, humanity has failed. "Seriously? Disco music, that's what you took with you? When there is so much better music back home."

Xander pointed at him. "Hey! Not disco music KISS music. KISS songs transcend the mere genres they come from."

Spike shook his head. "Well at least let her listen to Detroit Rock City."

Buffy shook her head in disbelief. "Well, it took a very... very long time but we finally found something you two have in common." Though she never suspected both were in the KISS army.

Xander and Spike both shot Buffy a glare. Much to the crew's amusement they don't know what music this is but Buffy and Spike should fit right in.

Xander sat in his bunk looking for a movie to watch he doesn't know why but he feels like Buffy is avoiding him. She'll talk in friendly banter of course but it's like she's ducking him on serious discussion like Giles. Xander watched as River stumbled in. "So, how's the pancake stomach?"

"Too much food." River complained as she collapsed to the bed. "How do you deal with it?"

"I watch a movie and let myself digest." Xander offered her the remote and leaned back. Though his eyes widened when he saw one of the options in action. Every movie he's ever seen.

River being River immediately went for it causing Xander to leap over and take the remote. "No!"

River gave him innocent puppy eyes. "You said it was one the greatest movies ever."

Xander sighed. "T2 is one of the greatest movies ever. P2 is probably the late-night version me and Willow found on Cinemax late one night thanks to a bad listing."

River nodded. "Maybe we should watch them both, compare notes."

Xander looked at her angrily, she got him. "How about we watch Jurassic Park, and you stop trying to give me an anxiety attack?"

Simon woke up in bed. He hadn't eaten like that since before he was a fugitive. He wondered the ship trying to track down River and saw Willow, Buffy and Jayne playing cards from Willow's trunk. "Hey, have any of you seen River after breakfast?"

"No" Buffy answered quickly.

"Not since breakfast no." Willow replied.

Jayne smiled. "Last time I saw her she was heading down to Xander's bunk heard nothing but screaming since Doc."

Simon's eyes lit up horrified as he ran for the bunks.

At that Willow lost all composure and broke down laughing. "You are an evil, evil man, Jayne."

Simon ran down the bunks nearly knocking over Book before hopping down the ladder. "Hands off my sister bianti de guai tai."

A fully clothed Xander holding River took a moment before turning to the left of him. "If I'm that does that mean you guys came here to watch something completely different?"

"If it does, I'm charging for the show." River added.

Simon turned his head left and saw Zoe with Wash who was about two inches from losing it.

"It's a bit early for anything but a good movies." Zoe decided as Wash lost it completely and laughed.

Simon turned to the scream and saw it was two kids being chased by velociraptors. The screams Jayne heard were just people in the movie. He sat down and watched the movie with them intrigued by how life like the dinosaurs are.

Mal sat in the pilot's seat. Wash heard Xander was watching the movie he wanted to see about dinosaurs and dragged Zoe off which meant he's on the flying. It's genuinely nice and peaceful here for the first time in a long time.

Spike walked into the cockpit and saw Mal sitting at the controls. "Any chance of the new guy getting control?"

"Slim to none" Mal replied.

Spike nodded looking at the map as a smile came to his face. "How about a destination?"

Mal looked at him. "Willow paid for rent for you lot last night we're good. You don't have to leave."

Spike shook his head. "I'm not asking you to leave us mate I'm asking you to drop us off planet side for a day for a fair price."

Mal looked up intrigued. "And where would we be heading?"

Spike looked out to the black. "Macalania"

Mal turned to him confused. "Macalania is a dead rock friend Terraforming didn't hold up."

Spike looked at him confused. "Oh, I get it, you're screwing with me. Good one mate."

Mal shook his head. "I'm not, it's a dead planet."

Spike looked at him and almost looked offended. "Look, I'm not ever helping the Alliance in any way you don't have to keep this up."

Mal looked at him. "There's nothing to keep up. If Macalania was your lot's home, I'm sorry the Alliance turned it into a glass floor the same as Shadow."

Spike could see the pity on Mal's face and recognized what was going on. "Oh, sorry, between fighting for the Independents in the war, the brown coat, and being a smuggler, I figured Macalania would be well known to you."

Mal looked at him confused. "What do I not know about that rock?"

Spike took the co-pilot's seat and plotted a course. "Macalania is a fully habitable moon no different than any other plant they applied terraforming to. At the end of the war a group of Independents realized the Alliance would never stop so they had some inside men falsify some evidence that Macalania was buggered to hell beyond repair at the end of the war. The people on that moon live peacefully knowing while the Alliance arm is always reaching it has no reason to turn in their direction because they have nothing to gain."

Mal looked at him baffled. "Plot the course Mr. Pratt."

"Yes, sir"

Mal hopped out of his seat as Wash returned. He has to ask Zoe about this and if she's heard anything about it.

Mal came down to an unexpected sight. Seeing Xander talking to Inara.

Inara smiled in disbelief. "Well apology accepted. So, you learned quick."

Xander nodded. "I read up on it."

Mal looked at the two confused. "And what exactly is Xander apologizing for?"

Xander turned to the captain. "I insulted Inara last night by calling her a high-class hooker."

Mal thought it through for a minute. He honestly thought she was. "And what is she?"

Xander thought on it for a moment. "If I had to label it it's more along the lines of sex therapist. Her job is more about mental healing then sex. But I still say that part where you go on high end dates is a load of crap. "

Malcolm had a laugh at this conversation. "And did you ever hire one."

Xander shook his head. "Nah, Dawn offered but I screamed bloody murder and ran away to Af... A far-off moon."

Inara looked at him if needed help why would he run from this Dawn. "And why is that disturbing?"

Xander looked at her. "Um... how do I put this? It's like Mal, seeing all there is to see in the engine room... before Simon does."

Mal promptly fled as Inara laughed.

Xander smiled seeing Buffy walk by him as she talked to Willow. But she quietly walked right by him another time not a word said. He went to his room and went to his travel case and saw some of his gold missing. "Hey, I'm missing things."

Kaylee stuck her head down. "Captain is calling everyone to the quarters."

The crew all gathered around Mal. Zoe looked at it curiously. As far as she knew they were making a straight burn for the outer rim. Given how much they slowed down she suspects there's a new heading. "Sir, what's going on?"

"Xander and Willow's new friends are paying us a small fortune to make a small break from the main course."

Xander's eyes rose and turned to Spike. "Now I know what happened to my money. Where are we heading?"

"Cosmo Canyon welp" Spike answered easily enough. "I'll pay you back when we leave."

Zoe's eyes rose a bit. "I never heard of it."

Spike shook his head. "You wouldn't it's a well-kept secret. But what I need is on that moon and you lot can likely sell something of worth from this ship. How long till we reach Macalania."

"Two hours." Mal assured him.

Wash looked up confused. "Sir Macalania is a dead rock."

Mal shrugged. "Then we made a whole of money showing Spike a whole lot of nothing.

Buffy exited Serenity Spike right behind her she smiled seeing Spike in open sunlight with no chance of bursting into flames. Mal stepped out and saw a booming but very low-tech city free of the Alliance stranglehold on the verse as Jayne exited lugging a case of medicine for barter. Inara looked around seeing happy townsfolk in what looks like a rustic city and smiled she's not going to get any work here but it seems like a nice place to just rest.

Xander smiled hearing a familiar melody from when he was a teenager. "So, the people that created this place I'm guessing they were big fans?"

Spike nodded. "Oh yeah. I came here between jobs a few months back." Actually, on a job to find them but they don't need to know that.

River shook her head getting Xander's thoughts. "Oh no the flower girl died."

Xander patted her on the shoulder. "It's OK when he struck her down..."

"She became more powerful than they possibly could have imagined." River finished.

Spike shook his head. "Come on Mr. and Mrs. Harris, we got shopping to do?"

Simon immediately started following the three Kaylee not far behind him.

Mal took the rest of the Serenity crew except Book who opted to stay with Buffy and Willow. He's seen enough Browncoats to know no one is going to bring the Alliance here. Hell, he even saw some 'dead' friends on the way to the castle.

Once they were on their own Buffy turned to Willow. "So, has Xander said anything about how I've been since you guys found me?"

Willow shook her head. "No, but it's not very hard to see that something is incredibly off."

Buffy stared at her best friend. "Sixth sense?"

Willow shook her head. "No, I used my very normal eyes to see you're avoiding him."

Buffy nodded seeing that coming. "Yeah, I don't really know how to act around him right now."

"Why?" Willow asked her.

Buffy frowned knowing it's going to come up at some point so she might as well pull the bad aid off. "It's about Twilight. The first one..."

Spike walked into the shop. "Doctor, Pharmacy, shop all your one stop needs. Hey shop keep you here?"

The old man put the down the book at his desk. "Ay, right here what do you need?"

Spike pointed to the wall. "Well, I'd like that compound bow for my friend here."

Xander looked at the weapon drooling. "A bow, an honest to god bow!"

Simon looked at his brother-in-law confused. "You could have easily picked up a bow gun on Triumph, Canton, or Ariel. I think Inara has one."

Xander shook his head. "A bow gun is not a bow; a bow gun is a nerf gun made lethal. You can't even compare the two."

Spike shook his head. "Did you ever learn to use a staff whelp?"

Xander looked at him. "Yeah, Sheva and Josh taught me when I was overseas. Why?"

Spike took the bow off the wall and pushed a button as the bow compressed into a fighting staff.

Xander immediately grabbed the weapon like a kid on Christmas.

Spike turned to the shop keep and told him. "I also need a megalixer."

"For what?" The shop keeper asked the warmth in his voice rapidly vanished.

Spike looked at him. "I know you have it, I need it to save a good woman. I got a second chance I'm looking to pay it forward."

"And what are you saving her from?" The shop keep asked.

"Terra sickness" Spike replied easily.

Simon rose his head in disbelief. He figured if Inara would tell anyone about her condition it would be Mal, not a complete stranger.

Kaylee looked at the doctor wanting an answer immediately. Which of her friends is in big trouble. She's hoping it's Buffy not to sound too mean but she doesn't really know her too well. She quickly realizes the doc won't tell anyone because it's against his rules. He really needs to learn that he's far from home.

The shop keep didn't say a word but reached under his desk and pulled out two vials for syringes one green one red. "Green first, red to counter adverse effects from the green."

Spike put the gold bar on the table. "Not the first time using the goods doc."

Kaylee's eyes widen seeing how Spike is paying for this and grabs a green basket for herself. "We're taking these strawberries too."

"And a Hazel donor eye if you got it." Simon quickly added.

"Pay now and you'll have your eye tomorrow." The shop keep replied.

Xander glared at him. "You're not looking for someone to harvest an eye from are you."

"Zhende shi tiancai this one." The shop keep replied as Spike bit his lip.

Xander walked over to Kaylee. "Did he just insult me?"

"Oh yeah." Kaylee replied.

The shop keep shook his head. "It takes time to get a transplant ready to travel anywhere. It will be ready tomorrow."

Spike nodded at least he won't have to look at the eyepatch anymore. "Then we'll see you tomorrow."

Simon looked to Xander. "He never paid you back."

Xander held up his bow and pointed to the new quiver on his back. "Yes he did."

Mal looked to Spike and Simon not exactly happy. Although he's happy to know this place exists and even happier that thanks to the medicine, they might now have a new regular. He's not happy to be stuck here over night but Spike did hand over the goods, so one night won't kill them. And they were invited to a party. Which is where he and most of the crew are heading.

Xander loaded up Serenity seeing Spike, Inara, and Simon head their own way. He smiled seeing Buffy walk up to him with Willow and Book. "Hey Buff, what's up?"

Buffy looked at him uneasy out of all the scoobies Xander was always the most confrontational. "We need to talk, about Twilight."

Xander looked at her. "You killed him the other night."

Buffy looked at him uneasy. "No, not that one, the original Twilight we fought back home."

Xander looked at her. "What about him?"

Buffy frowned ready for the incoming. "We know, who was behind the mask. It was Angel."

Xander clenched his fist and Book watched as the jolly friend he had on board Serenity rapidly disappeared. "So Angel killed Renee and his punishment was what, an extreme cuddling from you, again!"

"Son" Book spoke up only to feel Willow's hand on his chest.

Buffy looked at him. "Angel didn't kill Renee Tohru did."

Xander shook his head. "No, he just loaded and aimed the gun!"

Buffy shook her head. "The gun was already loaded aimed and primed to fire long before Angel got there. What Angel did was make sure that the bad guys fired a musket instead of a gatling gun. I don't agree with how he did it but he saved a lot more slayers with him then without him."

Xander looked at her. "Wait, if Angel was Twilight that means he killed Giles, nice to know he can kill everyone and get away with it."

Buffy looked him in the eye. "After what he did to Giles, I wanted nothing to do with him. I didn't spare him because I loved him. He just seemed like a broken mess, something not worth killing. No one wanted anything to do with him after that. The only company he had was Faith and Conner. It took a long time to make up for what he did. Even after we found out Giles was only mostly dead and Angel was able to bring him back around the trust was never the same."

Xander looked at her. Angel resurrected Giles. That's something and given everything that happened before with the two of them. "Did Angel ki... try to kill Giles because of Fred and Illyria."

Buffy groaned remembering that the common theme in Illyria's return was stupidity. Angel stupidly taking the job at Wolfram and Hart when Willow could have done the memory spell for Conner. Giles immediately deciding Angel was a traitor and not just calling Angel to figure out why Gunn took Illyria's coffin after he had it trapped in customs so that Rona could get it later and then shutting Angel down in a complete out of character way that seemed like payback for something unrelated tothier planet. Spike stupidly not calling her directly so they can have Willow teleport Fred to the well long before it was too late. They found out from feelers in LA with about 30 minutes before Fred died.

Just about the only two people who get a pass in the whole bloody affair was Willow who went to the astral plane to gather astral energy for the Mafuba. An evil containment wave that would have flushed out Illyria, ripped her out of Fred and kept it trapped in the wave so it couldn't infect anyone on the way back to the well, and Buffy herself, who was watching over her to make sure someone like Amy didn't try something and they just didn't realize that 20 minutes in the astral plane was 3 days on Earth. By the time Willow woke up on her own Wes had somehow put Illyria on a better path.

Xander stood there trying to process all of this. Back then Buffy would have just hid this. He would have probably ran Angel through then and there for everything that happened. But according to Buffy he's a remorseful white hat again. He even brought Giles back to life again to make up for at least one of his mistakes. "I'm not sure why you told me this."

"I wanted you to hear it from me before you heard it from someone else." Buffy replied easy enough Angel is a friend and to quote Spike. That star crossed lover shite is over. "I just didn't want to lose you after everything else."

Xander hugged her tight which Buffy happily returned and Willow joined in on the hug. "You're not going to lose me, might play roshambo, or cut one of Angel's limbs off next time I see him but that's between me and him."

Buffy stayed in the hug. "He's married to Illyria last I checked and according to Spike she has literally chopped his head off once. So I don't think you can do much that she hasn't."

Xander stayed in the hug but playfully quipped. "I can't win." Stupid time magic.

Kaylee and Inara approached the three in the hug and smiled at Shepard Book. "Guys, there's a big party looks like you three have reason to celebrate."

The Sunnydale trio broke the hug as Willow was the first to speak. "OK, after that I say party."

Buffy nodded the one good thing about being out here. She's not the chosen one at the moment so she can enjoy a party. "Sounds good to me, any advice for someone who's never partied you know, all the way out here. What to wear, anything like that?"

Xander nodded. "Yes, and I cannot emphasize this enough, never, ever, drink any alcohol given by a stranger. You won't believe what passes for marriage ceremonies out here."

Buffy looked at him confused as Kaylee practically rolled on the floor laughing even Inara was trying to cover up for Un companion like laughing. One day she's going get an explanation about that one.

Author notes

Chinese

feihua- nonsense

Jian ta de gui- Bloody hell

bianti de gua tai- peverted freak (supposedly)

zhēnde shì tiāncái- An absolute genius

Thanks to everyone who stuck around after such a long time between updates