38 Hours Chapter 7: Birthday Bliss: Part 1, a buffy: the vampire slayer fanfic

Buffy knocked on the door to Angel's apartment frantic. She has school soon she really needs him to open the door. She knocked on the door much stronger this time nearly knocking it down. "Angel!"

"Hold On!" She took a breath of relief as the door opened and the vampire showed up behind the door. Angel looked at her concerned seeing her this rattled like the beginning of torturing one of his victims. "Everything OK?"

Buffy walks inside to get them away from the sun and open windows anything that can burn him. "That's what I was going to ask you. You're okay, right?

Angel looked at her in confusion about the morning call. "Sure. I'm fine. What's up?"

Buffy moves into his arms, relieved. Angel's smiled happy to hold her, confused, but happy. "I had this dream. Spike was still alive. It was awful-"

"What happened?" Angel asked not taking his arms off her never seeing her so freaked out.

Buffy looked up not breaking the hug. "He killed you. Right in front of me. I saw the whole thing. Then he blew out a candle and Xander died."

Angel stroked her hair, trying to soothe her. "It was just a dream. It wasn't real. I promise there is no way to kill someone by blowing out a candle on them."

"But it felt so real." Buffy pointed out, she can still feel the dust go through her fingers like it was nothing.

"It wasn't. Here I am." Angel pointed out, for the first time glad to be what he was other wards he would have died long before he met Buffy. "Besides, even if Spike did figure out how kill someone with a candle he wouldn't have the patience for it."

Buffy moved away from him, that helped a little but she's still worried. "This happened before, Angel. That dream I had about the Master... It came true."

Angel looked at her trying to calm her down. They're just dreams. Last night he dreamed they had a son Conner and they all went sun tanning. Needless to say that one's not happening. "Still, not every dream you have comes true. I mean, what else did you dream last night? Can you remember?

Buffy thought it over for a moment. "That... Giles and I opened an office supply warehouse in Las Vegas."

Angel smiled amused at the visual. "You see my point."

Buffy nodded in defeat but… "Yeah. But, I mean, what if Spike is alive? We never saw his body."

"He's not." Angel assured her. "But even if he was… we'd deal." He moved to her and pulled her back into his arms.

"But, what if…" Angel silences her with a kiss. Tense at first, Buffy relaxes into it. The intensity grows fast.

Angel broke it up if just for a moment. "What if what?"

Buffy looked at him as reality caught up to her, stupid reality. "Sorry. Were we talking?"

They kissed some more. The bed in the corner enticed them. They both felt it, but don't go there.

Buffy looks away. "I... have to get to school."

"I know." Angel replied and they kiss some more.

Buffy kept her ground refusing to move. "God. You feel-"

"You have to go to school..." Angel said in almost a whisper. Still kissing, Angel picked her up and moved her to the front door. Now they kiss against the door until they finally pull back.

Buffy looked at him realizing school. "Alright. This is me." Buffy opened the door, but paused for one last kiss.

Angel looked at her and realized he has to get her out the door. "You still haven't told me what you want for your birthday."

"Surprise me." Buffy replied.

"Okay. I will..." Angel said.

They smile. Neither one wanted the moment to end. Buffy looked at him with a smile. "This was nice. I like you first thing in the morning-"

"It's bed time for me." Angel pointed out since he's a vampire. Why would he say that?

Buffy let out a little smile. "Then I like you at bed time." She stammered realizing how that sounded. "I mean... You… know what I mean..."

Angel looked at her comprehension quickly left him. Buffy the only girl in two hundred years to leave him completely speechless. "I think so… What do you mean?"

Buffy looked at him, she is going to have to explain this, now, how does she explain it without sounding crazy. "That I... I like seeing you. And the part at the end of the night when we say goodbye, it's.., getting harder.

Buffy waited for the world's longest moment before he responded. "Yeah. It is."

They just looked at each other; afraid to say any more.

Xander walked back into the lapseless room. It should not be a sin to stab a fat person on a cell phone for holding up a line for 15 minutes. He looked at the envelope, he always figured he would get Buffy, he doesn't know something like flowers for her birthday something to prove he's completely in love with her. He looked through the water and saw nothing. With it being the day before the event Buffy is getting a twenty dollar gift card to the mall. Maybe he wasn't as into her as he thought. Or being against the clock has showed him he shouldn't focus on a girl that goes 'hey you're a good friend but I'm dating the dead guy'.

Xander looked down with a smile and focused on Cordelia seeing her with Willow.

Willow looked to the rich snob but she's a friend...ish so. "Are you coming to Buffy's surprise party tomorrow?"

Cordelia gave a small nod. Birthday gift for Buffy, she just got her some clothes from the mall, and she's pretty sure she wants herself to have it. "Of course, I'm chips and dip."

Willow looked at her uneasy. "OK."

"What?" Cordy asked offended, her plan is to have her husband's butler do the cooking in life. "It's simple, no stress, it's what I do." Cordy looked over to another surprise. "Is Devon's friend checking you out?"

Willow turned around and looked behind her. "Oh, that's Oz."

Cordy turned to the redhead surprised. She never would have thought Willow had it in her. "Anything happening there?"

Willow shook her head realizing what she meant. "Oh no, of course not, I mean, he's a senior."

"So" Cordy responded not seeing her point. "I dated college guys."

"They tried to feed you to a snake." Willow pointed out.

Cordy looked at her, maybe all she really is, is brains. "Well we both know Oz isn't like that."

Willow looked at her knowing she's right it's just she's always imagined someone else being her first relationship. "That's true, I guess… I just…"

Cordy frowned really wanting to tell the truth but all she'll do is upset her. "You can't wait for the dweeb forever. I mean, do you really want to when he sees every girl but you and you have this incredible guy that wants to date you?"

Willow shook her head conceding the truth. She shot him down the one time Xander offered and for good reason. "But what if I talk to Oz and the talking becomes an awkward silence thing."

"You'll never know until you try. See ya" Cordy replied as she walked off.

Buffy walked into school shell shocked from earlier but took a breath of relief seeing Giles. She ran through everything Angel, Xander, and the possibility of Spike surviving the church.

Giles looked at her concerned. Buffy's amazing but she still has nightmares like everyone else. "I don't think I should have to tell you everyone has nightmares Buffy."

Buffy nodded her head in agreement but its Angel and Xander, one friend and one much more then that. "Yeah, but... I've just got this bad feeling. This wasn't a normal dream."

Giles looked at her curiously. It is possible for some slayers. "You feel it was more of a portent?"

Buffy looked away. She already saw Angel hhe was fine. "I don't know. I don't want to start a big freak-out over nothing."

Giles looked at her. The concern was clear on her face and she should be enjoying this time of her life. She'll only turn 17 once. "Still. We should be on alert. If Spike is alive then we may be facing a cataclysmic state of affairs. But I doubt there's any merit to someone dying from a candle being blown out."

Buffy nodded in agreement see, taking the initiative this works for her. "I'll see Willow, see if anything about candles sets her off."

"What about candles?" Willow asked walking in.

Buffy turned around and saw Willow practically glowing in happiness. "Something big happen to you?"

"Something big" Willow replied excitedly.

Buffy gently hit her anxious to know, it's a welcome distraction. "OK Will, spill, what's going on?"

Willow let out a smile until Giles glare bought her back to reality. She can't tell Buffy because it's at Buffy's surprise party, the one person she can tell she has a date and she cant, this sucks. Xander where the hell are you. "Just a thing, and a thing, and a thing, so what's this about candles, now because you're making candles sound scary and that's not a good thing, not that candles aren't a good thing, help see in the dark..."

Buffy put her hands on her to stop her rant. "It's OK Will I just need to know if a candle out there can do something to Xander."

Willow thought on it. "None that I know of, the only one that could have happened is the green candle and all that would do is take Xander's powers away. But given that there have been no sightings of Mecha Godzilla I think it's safe to say he doesn't have them in the first place. I'll ask Cordelia she babysat a kid that watched the show at some point too."

Buffy took a breath of relief. There's one problem gone. "OK though Mecha Godzilla would have been useful for vampire squashing. I have class guys I gotta go."

Buffy took her leave feeling a great deal better about her day. Willow talks to Giles about her surprise party.

Cordelia walked to the Sunnydale high basement. Why the hell did Willow ask her that? "Dweeb I'm saying this once and then I'm going to get cranky."

Cordy let out a smile hearing the melody as Xander appeared right in front of her.

Xander looked at her holding the zyusouken. "So just for clarity sake, every day since kindergarten I've been dealing with the nice Cordelia."

"Hey, I can be soothing." Cordelia countered pushing up against him not realizing how close she's getting. "I can sooth your ass off pal. So tell me you found something useful."

Xander shook his head sadly at this rate he's waiting for the water to write 'no chance' in blood next time he looks of a way to save himself. "Yeah plenty, if you want an army of zombies I'm your man… but nothing useful."

Cordy nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean I've been on Giles case about resurrection spells and he has nothing."

Xander gave an honest shrug; he's running out of ideas. He asked something that he's been wondering, kind of. "What is it anyway now, six?"

"Five" Cordelia answered backing away from him. That killed the mood.

Xander tilted his head thinking. "I was at six."

"Elizabeth Banner was found with neck punctures during Christmas break." Cordelia explained the latest one to fall. "That leaves you, me, Willow, Aura, and… that little guy I dated for a micro second after the college boy."

"What about Harmony?" Xander asked.

Cordy shook her head. "Didn't move here till second grade."

Xander let out an empty laugh hearing a beeping sound he looked down at the watch and saw. '21:59:55'. "Five left out of forty one from a kindergarten class. I guess I should just be happy I lasted this long."

Cordy smacked him aside the head. "It's not over yet. So don't you dare give up now, understand?"

Xander easily nodded. "Yeah, just don't hit me again, what's up, why'd you call me?"

"Is there a candle out there that can kill you when it goes out?" Cordy asked.

Xander weakly nodded his head. "Yeah, if I blow out the candle I run out of time immediately and die."

Cordy's eyes widened. "Please tell me that it's secure?"

"Yeah, it's in a room that only I can get into." Xander assured her.

Cordy took a calming breath. "OK so that was just dreams trying to tell Buffy you're in trouble which you don't want to do."

"Exactly" Xander assured her. Looking around realizing he's not ready to go back to that damn room yet. "You want to make out?"

"Is that all you think about… five minutes." Cordy replied.

"Deal"

Cordy shot up as she suddenly remembered. "Oh right Buffy's surprise party."

"I already know and I'm going, don't fight me on it." Xander replied, keeping tabs on his friends.

Cordy frowned but it's his life. "So are we done here?"

"Yes"

"Good"

Cordelia practically pounced on Xander whom caught her as she stuck her tongue down his throat and he pulled her closer to him.

Later that day Cordelia walked into the library during Giles ever rare lunch break. She walked into the library and time to use those so well hidden nerd skills as she skims through the card catalog. Wow, Giles should really check and see what books he has here. She sees a book that will work for her. She goes to the location and takes it only to see the man in the wheelchair in front of her. "Oh you gotta be kidding me."

Ethan looked at her intrigued. "You know, until two seconds ago I doubted this was an actual library." He looked at the book in her hands and quickly grew intrigued. "That's quite a unique book for someone like you to check out."

Cordy looked at him unashamed. "It's for an assignment."

"I'm sure." Ethan replied wondering what kind of chaos she can cause by just reading that book. "It is a library after all. Let me check that book out for you."

Cordy looked at him suspiciously. Is that guy up to something? It doesn't matter she got the book and he's keeping his mouth shut.

The next night Cordelia walked into the Bronze and helped Giles, Ethan, Angel, Oz, and Willow set up. Cordelia put her gift on the pile and her food on the table and helped with the set up. A half hour later Cordy was caught off guard by a familiar scream of joy as Willow ran to the newest arrival and crashed into Xander with a hug.

Xander smiled in the spot but it's hard to breath . "OK, Will, it's nice to see you too."

Willow looked up refusing to let go. "Where do you go all the time?"

Xander just held her by the head happy to hug her again. "A place I need to be. But I'll always be there if you need me."

The two break off and Xander just listened as Willow catches him up on everything he missed since Christmas and introduced him to Oz.

Cordelia watched Xander catch up she can't believe he came here early. Once Willow went with Oz Xander walked over to her.

"Hey Cordy."

Cordy looked at him and whispered. "Hey, really, what are you doing here already?"

Xander looked at her confused as he put his card on the pile. "I told you I was coming; I wasn't going to miss Buffy's birthday."

"I didn't think you'd come this early." Cordy countered as the back door violently opened with a trio of vampires stumbling back.

Xander ran right up with Angel and turned the fight into 3 one on ones. Angel delivered a couple quick punches to the face and threw his opponent to the floor. Xander ducked the vampire's attack and easily knocked him back with a kick as he took out the zyusouken and stabbed him in the stomach. "A stake would be good right about now."

Buffy ran in throwing her vampire to the floor and staked it seeing Angel fighting one and Xander fighting the other one. She threw the stake to Angel and he made quick work of his demon. She heard a vampire shout in pain and turned to see Xander had stabbed his in the leg with a knife and was following it up with two roundhouse kicks knocking him down.

Xander smiled thankful all the martial arts training in the lapseless room is paying off until he saw Buffy right next to the vampire. "Don't stake don't stake." She held the stake in place as he quickly pulled the zyusouken out of the demon's legs. "Now stake."

Buffy staked the last vampire as it combusted to dust. She turned to Xander.

Xander looked at the former love of his life in confusion not seeing any problem. "What?"

Buffy looked at him. "You fought a vampire...with a knife."

Cordelia jumped up excited. "Surprise!"

Oz looked at her kind of dumbfounded. "Yeah, that about sums it up."

Xander looked at Buffy trying to form words. He left his sword in the lapseless room "Well… yeah… this a birthday… it's supposed to be about presents… and cake… This is supposed to be a place for fun!"

Buffy looked around... "What is all this?"

Giles looked around emptily and let out lamely. "Oh, um, surprise party." He blew into his noise maker.

Buffy looked around in a smile. "You did all this for me?"

Oz looked at everyone. "So is no one going to mention those guys that turned to dust."

Xander rolled his eyes in frustration. "Vampires are real, most live in Sunnydale, Will can fill you in."

Willow looked at her date uneasy thanks to Xander's big mouth, her heart pounding in her chest. "I-I know this seems hard to believe."

Oz shook his head. "Actually, it explains a lot."

Jenny looked at them all. This could be her last night as just being one of the gang. She walked in trying to carry the box. "Can someone give me a hand with this?"

Xander and Angel each took a side of the box and put it on the table. Xander looked at the box. "So, who left the slayer a special gift?"

Xander and Angel laid the box out on the table. Buffy looked at it as she touched the latch and undid it. Xander looked at the box and he doesn't know how but he knows he knows something is wrong, probably because of the creepy box. He pushed Buffy into Angel as a hand reached out and grabbed Xander by the throat.

Buffy scrambled to her feet and got her hands on the hand to pull it off her friend. Angel was right behind her each trying to pull the thing off.

Xander struggled weakly trying to peel the thing off. He's not dead yet, and he's not going to die. He squeezed tight on the arm as to his surprise Buffy and Angel fall to the floor like they were punched in the face. With one quick pull the arm comes off his throat and Xander slammed it into the box and quickly locked it. "Well, for the slayer whom has everything, what do we do with this thing?"

Xander sees, well, all different kinds of reactions. Buffy, Jenny, and Willow look like they are in shock or surprise. Giles, Ethan, and Angel each have a curious look wondering what happened. Oz and Cordelia are remaining calm, which is no problem with Oz from what he's seen but he figured he would be shocked if the others are. What's everyone looking at? "What?" The scoobies stand there somewhere between numb and shock looking at Xander simply standing there with white orbs in place of eyes and a white glow surrounding him like it's normal. "WHAT?"

Author's notes

Thanks for the reviews

Sorry for the delay

I just couldn't bring myself to just delete either of these two variations of the next scene from long before the story started changing from core Buffy season 2. But they couldn't stay in the story mainly because Xander would be too OP and not even Sunnydale sickness would keep something like this hidden.

Omake 1

The Judge stood in the mall Angelus and Drusilla at his side. With a sadistic smile he spread his arms out as every shopaholic was caught in a laser grid of seemingly hell fire.

The Judge let out a smile about to smite them all when a crossbow bolt was fired into his chest.

The Judge pulls the arrow out furious ready to burn who ever did it. "Who dares?"

Buffy looked at him in cold resolve wishing she could do this part. "I think I got his attention."

The Judge glared at her. "You're a fool; no weapon forged can hurt me."

Buffy let out a little evil smile. She knows this thing is dead. "I know that's why we brought him with us."

Angelus looked to the second floor and saw Harris with his little dagger playing a song. "Seriously, Harris is your backup?"

Buffy shook her head. "No, not him." The whole place started to shake in little tremors, a couple moments later the mall was given a new sun roof as the old one was ripped off. Angelus and Drusilla looked up and saw a metalic dragon with a gold back, what looked like mecha Godzilla gently put the roof aside as everyone fled the mall as fast as they could. "Him, Angel, meet Dragon Caesar."

Drusilla instantly fled Angel not two feet from her following after as Xander played the same song on his dagger.

The Judge looked up at the Beast. "What does that sound do?"

Buffy watched as the guardian beast shook his head in disagreement with its master and didn't act according to plan and instead just stuck his foot in the mall and squished the Judge. "Holy crap!"

"Uhh, that went south so fast!" Xander shouted trying not to look at the blue puddle of goo.

Buffy turned to him that was disgusting. "Why would you tell him to do that?"

Xander shook his head he wanted to use a missile. "He's not exactly Dragonzord, he's his own... dragon thing, sometimes he acts on his own."

Omake 2