Renfield Obeys 5

"How you holding up?" Xander asked Dawn as he came over to watch her, while Buffy spent the night at the hospital with Joyce.

"I-I'm worried about mom," Dawn admitted.

"I know, but it's a little too early to be throwing in the towel just yet," Xander said. "Wait until the doctors, finish all their tests, then we can panic."

Dawn laughed and sat on the couch. She'd had plans for the next time Xander came over to keep her company while her mom was gone and Buffy was off patrolling, and while this wasn't exactly the same thing, she could really use the distraction right now.

"Renfield, Obey," Dawn ordered her heart pounding loudly in her ears.

"Your orders, Master?" Xander asked coming to attention.

Dawn collapsed in relief. She'd been afraid it wouldn't work for her, not being a slayer or a witch and that she'd just make a fool of herself or worse make Xander mad at her.

"Wait right here, I have a tape," Dawn said rushing up to her room to find where she'd hidden it. Ordering Xander to... do things to her would be a lot easier when she could just point to a scene and say 'do that'.

She found the tape hidden in the case for the Inspector Gadget movie. She'd hid it in there since she could be sure no one would ever open it on purpose. The casting had been good, but the script was garbage, of course she might just be a bit biased since she'd looked exactly like the girl who'd played Penny when it'd come out. Buffy had teased her about it for weeks until she'd started calling her Dr. Claw in retaliation.

Hurrying downstairs she found Xander standing in the same position. She slid the tape in the VCR and hit play. "I want you to do that to me," she ordered.

Xander turned to face the TV and his head tilted to the side. "That looks painful, Master," he noted.

Dawn turned and her eyes got wide. "Not that scene!" She hit fast forward. "That scene!"

"I believe she has had a lot of training to do that, Master," Xander said.

Dawn hit fast forward again. "Wrong scene." This time she waited until she found the right scene and let it play through before hitting rewind to start it again. "That scene," she told Xander.

"They don't really look as though they are enjoying it and there is no affection between them, Master," Xander said as the scene played out.

Dawn looked closer at the scene and frowned, "Ok, I could have thought this through better."

"Yes, Master," Xander agreed.

"Hug me," Dawn ordered.

"Yes, Master," Xander agreed wrapping his arms around her.

"Kiss me," Dawn ordered. "on the mouth," she added after he'd given her a peck on the forehead. "more than just a peck on the lips," she added finally getting a good, if closed mouth, kiss.

"Let's sit on the couch," Dawn said.

"Yes, Master," Xander said, taking a seat.

Dawn sat astride him. "Kiss me," she ordered, having to go through several commands once more before she had an idea. "Be my boyfriend and kiss me like I'm your girlfriend."

"Yes, Master," Xander pulled her to him gave her a brief kiss, still closed mouth she noted, and hugged her, gently stroking her back.

"That's how you kiss your girlfriend?" Dawn asked, making no effort to move from where she was, as she was really enjoying the way he held her.

"That is the way I'd kiss you, if you were my girlfriend, Master," Xander agreed.

"Why so different?" she asked before elaborating, "I saw you with the others and you didn't kiss them this way."

"Because you are a different person, Master. You are a young girl who is going through a difficult patch, not a college girl trying to rid yourself of old wounds, or a young woman finding you have more love for those around you than you realized. You are Dawn Summers, my girlfriend whom I love and am waiting patiently for to grow into the woman I know she can be."

Dawn smiled so broadly her cheeks hurt. "I still want tongue though."

"Yes, Master, and I would like to avoid actions that would lead to me being killed or incarcerated," Xander replied.

"Tongue and over the clothes touching," Dawn decided.

"Yes, Master," Xander allowed.

*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*0*

"Do you work out?" the young woman buying a crystal necklace asked Xander.

The cash register rang loudly and Tara interrupted the girl's attempts to flirt, handing her the receipt and her change. "Thank you for shopping here, please come again," Tara said pleasantly.

"Xander, I think Giles wanted your help in the back," Buffy said, separating him from the girl.

Willow quickly guided the girl out the door. "We gotta close for lunch, sorry."

As the chime from the closing door faded the three woman gave a satisfied nod and then stared at one another.

"Aren't you two..." Buffy trailed off.

"Aren't you dating... erm were," willow said not wanting to bring up Riley's departure.

"Were is the key word," Buffy said. "Wait, do you two really work out with Xander?"

"We get a lot of exercise!" Willow exclaimed while Tara blushed bright red.

"How come he's never mentioned he was dating both of you?" Buffy demanded.

"He doesn't remember," Willow admitted.

"How could he not..." Buffy suddenly looked horrified.

"One of the first orders we gave him was to not obey orders he didn't want to," Willow quickly blurted out.

"Ah," Buffy said calming down. "Ok, kinda awkward," Buffy admitted. "So, you two are just using him for sex?"

"No!" Tara exclaimed. "He helps me... and sometimes the three of us just spend time together, no trance at all."

"So... you're dating him?" Buffy asked.

"I think we are," Willow realized. "Even if he doesn't remember the sex."

"Oh," Buffy said disappointed.

"We're not exclusive," Willow pointed out. "We haven't asked Xander not to see anyone."

"Like the girl we all just chased out?" Buffy asked.

"She's not one of us," Tara said quietly.

"Oh," Buffy said, understanding what was and wasn't being said. "I'm ordering all of us to forget all of this," Buffy said.

"So we continue on and pretend we don't know?" Willow asked.

"Works for me," Buffy said brightly. "Though this feels unfair to Xander.

"That's why I made the rule that he didn't have to obey," Tara offered, "much like you would ask permission before ordering him to do anything."

"He'd probably do all this for us without the trance," Buffy said.

"It's really just a crutch," Willow admitted.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"It makes us feel safer so we open up more, and you've seen how he acts in the trance, no doubt or worries just open honesty and a complete lack of guilt since he isn't in control. It's a crutch, if we were more open and trusting we wouldn't need it and if he were more secure and forceful he wouldn't need it either, but we are who we are and as long as it's useful, Xander won't let me remove the triggers for it," Willow explained.

"That makes a lot of sense," Buffy agreed. "How did you find out about it?"

"You were acting kinda suspicious so I followed you to see what you were doing with Xander," Willow said. "I noticed you were very careful about how you got his permission before giving orders so I talked it over with Tara and we decided to leave it alone as you were both happy with it."

"Then I accidentally triggered him and we talked," Tara added. "It kinda grew from there."

"At least it's just us," Buffy said.

The three women exchanged glances.

"We should probably check on that," Willow admitted.

Typing by: Stephenopolos

TN: I find myself chanting 'Harem'...