A/N: Just a reminder that some character names are changed for this chapter.
Buffy= Jane
Spike= Xander
Xander= Harris
I'm not trying to confuse anyone, just entertain :D
Jane shifted her feet and smoothed her hands down the plains of her red dress. She was feeling more than a little awkward among this group of strangers. The strangest part was that each of them seemed to spark the synapses in her mind. There was something vaguely familiar about each of them like they might've been the same background people she always saw at the grocery store or on the bus but never actually talked to or got to know.
She watched as the woman in the blue floral dress, Anya, began cleaning up a mess Jane couldn't see from her vantage point. Anya straightened to look up at her alleged fiancé. "Xander, can you give me a rag?"
Jane's eyes locked with Xander's, making her heart do something she was sure was entirely wrong given the setting and the circumstances. His stunningly blue eyes held her captive for several heartbeats. What she wouldn't give to dive into them, like clear blue pools of water.
"Xander," the older gentleman called to him, drawing Xander's attention and breaking the moment.
Jane felt her cheeks burn as she quickly strode over to the refreshments table, filling a glass with Diet Coke.
Xander shook his head distractedly. "Oh, ah right, guess that's me," he muttered looking to the elder Giles. "Sorry, what was that?"
Rupert released a long-suffering sigh. "Your fiancée asked for a dishcloth."
He grabbed one from the sink, wetting it before turning toward his fiancée who just rolled her eyes. "Get a grip, Xan, gees I wonder if you're this spacey all the time."
"Oh don't get your knickers in a twist, Luv, just processing all this," he answered, running a hand over the front of his shirt and noticing short, freshly painted black fingernails.
"All of what, exactly?" Anya countered in a bossy tone that warned an argument was coming. 'Xander' exchanged a knowing glance with his father before stooping down behind the bar to help her.
Jane swallowed a lump in her throat. There was something off about the situation that she couldn't pinpoint— something about Xander and she was starting to wonder if she was beginning to remember.
Do I actually remember this guy? No— but— there's definitely something there… Duh, it's called sex appeal. He's oozing with it… He's a walking dessert for the eyes… an ooey gooey fudge brownie with ice cream and hot fudge… sinfully delicious…
A second voice (presumably her conscience) interrupted her thoughts.
Yeah, and he's totally marrying someone else.
You only think he's marrying someone else— What if you're wrong about this whole thing?
And what if you're not?
She studied him another moment. God, I bet he's an amazing kisser…
Yup— Super great example of what you definitely shouldn't be thinking about someone else's fiancé! She argued with herself.
Okay… so what the heck is my part in all this anyway? Maybe I'm a friend? Family? What about the rest of these people?
The last idea piqued her interest and she attempted to push her inappropriate thoughts to the back of her mind as she began observing the people around her more fervently, ultimately deciding to break the ice.
"So, eh— here's an idea. Maybe it would help if we figured out how the rest of us fit in here. I mean it's a small party so maybe we're all related somehow or—" her voice faltered as she said it, "—friends in the wedding party."
The dark-haired man identifying himself as Harris turned toward the girl in the purple skirt he had woken up next to. Tara, was it?
"What do you think, maybe you and me—" he trailed off at the look of sheer desperation on Tara's face.
Her gaze flickered around the room and landed on the redheaded Willow for the briefest moment before returning to him. "B-brother? I think brother," she stammered.
He considered her for a moment, catching Willow's blush as realization seemed to slam into him. "OH! Yeah! Sure! So yeah, a sister! My very gay, lesbian sister whom I obviously love and support," he rambled, sending eyes rolling. Rupert removed his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Tara dipped her head to the side away from him, eyes wide as she huffed a sigh of relief.
Jane bit her cheek.
"Well, I guess if this is a family thing, that might explain the serious age gaps going on around here," Dawn interjected, seemingly feeling more secure since she at least knew her name.
"Does anyone give you family vibes?" Jane asked, bolstered by her response.
Dawn considered the question, nodding slowly. "Maybe— you're definitely giving me bossy big sister energy and— and Xander too— like maybe he's my favorite sibling."
Xander stood, a frown creasing his brow under his bleached hair. "Oh right, a house divided by a common language, is it?" he snorted, shooting Rupert a quizzical look. "I bet that's it. You probably married Miss Jane Doe's mum and spawned the little one there. A bit'a yours, mine, and ours?" he huffed, then murmured under his breath, "Bloody well figures…"
Rupert sputtered. "Now just a minute! We don't know if any of that's true. And even if it were, there begs the question of my wife's whereabouts. Surely she would be here during such an event."
"Maybe she went to get ice and missed out on all the wacky weirdness," Jane quipped, dismissing the notion with a huff.
"Don't you think we're jumping to conclusions just a bit?" Rupert said. "What evidence do we have for any of these assumptions? I'm not even wearing a ring."
Jane's heart sank. Rupert was making sense of course and yet she couldn't help thinking there was some truth to their admittedly radical calculations. Still, there was definitely some sort of a familial connection to these people.
She nodded once and went over to Dawn who was looking uneasy again, and pulled the girl into a hug. "It'll be alright, you'll see."
Dawn shook her head, gently pulling out of the embrace. "Dad's right, we don't really know what's going on here— At least you guys are here so that's something," she replied but didn't wait for a response when she spotted the Capricorn charm dangling below the beaded choker Jane wore around her neck. "Cool necklace."
Jane felt for the charm with her fingers looking down at it. "Huhh… Kinda fishy isn't it?" she pouted.
Dawn giggled. "Well even if we don't know your real name at least we know you're a Capricorn, that's useful."
"Useful?" Jane scoffed. "How's that useful?"
"If we need some practical overachieving done we'll know who to go to," Dawn grinned.
Jane rolled her eyes. "No doubt you're my sister… annoying little…"
"Oi, come on, the girl's just trying to help," Xander defended.
"And big brother wrapped around her little finger," she added.
Coming around the counter to stand in front of her, Xander crossed his arms over his chest. His proximity might have made her start drooling if she wasn't so inexplicably annoyed with him.
A look of smug satisfaction crossed over his face. "Are you jealous little sister?"
"Who died and made you Billy Idol?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" he countered.
Before Jane and Xander could get well into what felt like a potentially familiar volley of snappy quips they were interrupted by the sound of the garbage bin snapping shut and an exclamation of disgust emanating from Anya.
Anya turned around, hands held in front of her afraid to touch her dress. "I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I am covered in food goop. So since this is apparently my place I am going to go to my bedroom and change clothes," she announced, starting over to one of the two doors off of the main room.
"Oh, I'm goopy, can I change too?" Dawn called behind her.
Anya blinked a few times. "I'll see if I have anything that'll fit," she replied and waved her over as she opened the door confidently to reveal a very large closet making Dawn giggle. Anya stepped back, cheeks flushing as she closed the door and glanced behind her shoulder around the apartment before trying the other door. "See, here it is, my bedroom!"
"Our bedroom," Xander corrected, with a smile that turned Jane's stomach unpleasantly.
Anya shot him an appraising look. "Oh, I bet that's fun."
"I'm sure it is," he grinned.
Jealousy roiled inside Jane's chest, and a derisive snort escaped her without permission. Thankfully she didn't think anyone noticed her little outburst. Dawn dutifully followed Anya into the bedroom while Harris gravitated toward a platter of food, eyeing the offerings hopefully.
Willow had joined Tara on the couch, chatting casually as though this whole situation was nothing more unusual than a blind date. She rolled her eyes at Rupert who had begun examining the contents of his wallet while drinking from the open bottle of wine on the counter, sans glass.
She was about to find a spot to sit when she realized Xander's blue eyes were fixated upon her yet again.
What the hell is that about?
If this guy was her stepbrother it would explain why he was marrying someone decidedly not-her. But then why the hell would she even entertain the very non-sibling-esque thoughts that had been taking up residence in her brain since she first laid eyes on him? The way one simple glance from him could liquefy her insides seemed massively icky and totally unfair.
A droll smile tugged at the corner of Xander's lips as he dipped his head down to her ear. "I heard that."
Her heart pounded in her chest. "Heard what?"
He leered down at her. "You don't think much of my choice of bride, do you?"
"I don't know, other than the fact she's seriously bossy don't exactly know her, I don't even know me— or you— I'm sure she's a great human being and you'll be totally happy together," she countered with an impressive amount of sincerity she didn't feel in the slightest.
He dropped his voice to a whisper, "Memory loss aside, I think you and I both know there's something else going on here."
She swallowed a lump in her throat. The implications of his words conjured up everything from conspiracy theories surrounding their current situation to the possibility that they were involved in some kind of love affair worthy of daytime TV.
A shiver ran up her spine and across her shoulders. Jane gripped him by the bicep, wiry muscle flexing through the cotton of his black dress shirt beneath her fingers. She tightened her hold in an effort to push aside the sensation, jerking his arm and pulling him a few feet closer to the door. "We need to talk," she hissed before letting him go.
"I'd love to," he purred. "What do you have in mind?"
Jane clenched her fist against her side as she held his gaze, raising her voice enough for everyone to hear, she announced, "Xander and I are going to go check things out, gather some information, and maybe see if anyone else is having their own amnesia fest."
Xander raised one scarred eyebrow, watching her with interest.
Rupert straightened up, adjusting his glasses as he eyed the pair of them with interest. "Do you think that's wise? Perhaps we should go as a group to find the nearest hospital."
"No, no one's hurt, there aren't any head wounds, and I'm thinking no gas leaks—" Jane replied with a shake of her head. "I'd feel a lot better if we had an idea of what we're dealing with before we attempt a field trip."
"Who's going on a field trip?" Anya asked, coming out of the bedroom now wearing jeans and a simple pink top with flutter sleeves.
Dawn followed her out wearing a pair of yellow panda print sleep pants and a blue t-shirt that hung from her spare frame. The clothing combination made her seem even younger than she probably was and Jane suddenly felt extremely protective of her. The idea of leaving her alone with people she only assumed she was related to twisted her stomach in knots. At the same time, she knew she needed to talk with Xander, and before she could do that she needed to deal with the scowling bride-to-be.
Jane shifted her stance, preparing to answer Anya's question when 'Xander' stepped between them facing Anya. He placed a hand on her shoulder, making eye contact. "It's nothing for you to worry about, sweetheart. Me and little sis were just trying to come up with a plan of action, we won't be long," he explained soothingly.
Anya pressed her lips together and tilted her head slightly as though she were studying him. "Fine, but if there are crazy people out rioting in the streets you'd better get right back here. We have a wedding to plan!"
Xander blinked at her a few times, utterly dumbfounded by her priorities, before taking her hands in his. "Imagine there'd be a lot more noise if any rioting or looting were happening," he drawled in a lightly mocking tone.
She backed away from him, eyes narrowed but slightly mollified all the same, and took a seat in an empty chair to join Rupert who had migrated into the living room to chat with Willow, Tara, and her "brother" Harris.
Dawn shifted over to Jane. "I'd beg to come with you but—" she gestured to the comfy pajamas. "—I'm pretty sure I don't want to be seen in public like this."
Jane smiled. "It's probably a wild goose chase anyway," she replied and cast an eye hopelessly around the room. "Maybe you can find a deck of cards or something to do."
"There were some games in the closet Anya opened," Dawn chirped.
"There you go, kid, looks like you got yourself a job. Keep the rest of 'em entertained," Xander smirked, tussling Dawn's hair.
"Should be a blast," Jane muttered.
Jane and Xander made their way out to the sidewalk in front of the apartment complex without seeing anything out of the ordinary, except for the old woman they'd shared an elevator ride with. Jane gave the woman what she'd hoped was a warm smile, to hide the laughter threatening to bubble up in her chest. The woman was in her housecoat with rollers in her hair holding a Yorkie wearing a matching robe.
She was still thinking about the little pampered dog when Xander finally broke the silence between them. "Well, here we are, all alone for a private chat. Just what you wanted."
A pang shot through her chest as she cast a glance toward him. "Yeah, but it's not even like I know where to start… you're getting married and I'm apparently your stepsister— Which by the way, I'm not sure if I totally buy because— because—"
"Because you know there's something between us," he finished for her, looking up at the sky.
"Do you know something the rest of us don't? Jane asked with suspicion in her tone.
"I'm as clueless as you are, beautiful," he replied silkily, as he raked his eyes over her slim form.
His voice alone was driving her crazy but she needed answers. "Can you not do that?!"
"Do what?" he bristled slightly.
"Flirt with me like that! You're getting married!" she hissed.
Xander shrugged lightly, averting his eyes from her and turning his face back up to the sky, gazing at the stars. "I don't feel like I am," he shook his head. "Anya seems like a nice enough girl, bit high-strung, certainly attractive enough for anyone with eyes—" he huffed out a sigh, taking on a guilty air. "Been trying to play the part of the doting groom, but— It's not natural— she doesn't make me feel the way you do. Think maybe we got this whole thing ass-backward."
The breath hitched in her throat, chest tightening. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I can't even tell you what color my so-called Bride's eyes are but I sure can't stop thinking about those beautiful green ones of yours and how much I want to kiss you senseless. I mean either she's not 'Anya' or I'm not this Xander fella at all. I mean—" he hesitated, fingers flexing at his side as though reaching for a pack of cigarettes that weren't there. His voice was rougher than usual when he spoke again, "I mean that I'm hopelessly and utterly in love with you and I don't even know your real name," he finished, refusing to look at her. Instead, his eyes seemed to be fixed on the stars, studying them with a little too much interest.
Jane watched him for a long moment, too stunned to speak, and let her gaze follow his to the stars winking down at them. Without averting her gaze, she reached out to take his hand in hers.
Xander looked down at their entwined fingers. "What's this?"
"I'm not sure… It just seems— kinda natural I guess," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I think— I think I'm—" her throat constricted further.
Careful… You still don't know what's going on here. An overly cautious voice sounded in her head.
She nodded to herself, agreeing with her inner voice. "I'm not going to say it back— mostly because big yikes— Uber quick on the draw there cowboy— yeesh—" she chided. "But—" she hedged but stopped herself as though on reflex.
"But?" he prompted expectantly.
"But there's definitely something here. Like a massive neon green giraffe that we don't have any idea what to do with."
"You're comparing love to a green giraffe?" He asked, giving her a look that clearly told her losing her mind might be the most adorable thing she could have done in that moment.
"Stop that, I'm serious," she replied.
Xander bit back a grin. "Oh, no, I get that. Completely serious," he said, turning his attention back to the heavens. "Looks like we've got a fair bit to sort out."
"Like memories and fiancées and figuring out if we really are related? That's a huge yikes by the way. Like massive."
He shrugged. "Stepsiblins ain't so bad."
"Still with the ick, mister."
"Here's hoping we're wrong then," he countered, still not looking at her.
"And obviously there's the whole getting to know each other stuff."
"For starters," he turned to her, bringing a cautious hand to the back of her neck.
"What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly but didn't pull away.
"Testing a theory." His other hand snaked around the small of her back, pulling her against him. "That alright?"
She found herself tilting her head back, and a sigh escaped her throat in anticipation of the kiss she was sure was coming. Thoughts of who they were or what their relationship might be crowded into her brain. She dipped her face into her shoulder at the last second, her cheeks burning as he rested his forehead against her temple and chuckled quietly.
"S'what I figured," he murmured, pulling back from her, a sad smile on his face.
"You figured I'd pull away?" she asked, squaring her shoulders a little.
His grin widened. "I like a bit of a chase. Wouldn't be any fun at all if you didn't play hard to get."
"Ah hum…" she replied skeptically.
"Yeah well… any way you cut it, I think it's safe to say the wedding is off—" he smirked, rubbing the back of his neck as he took a step back from her.
"You mean it?" she asked.
"Well yeah— Imagine so— unless it turns out you're actually the bride in question, o'course," he said, turning back to face the front of the building before she could even order her thoughts. "Suppose we'd better get back, tell 'em we found a fat lot of nothing, and face the music."
Jane chewed her cheek, frowning petulantly. The thought of confronting the rest of the party attendees and going through the process of finding out who they were seemed daunting. "You're sure we can't just run away?"
He chuckled, pulling her to him and laying a kiss on her temple. "Tempting as that is, think you were right the first time. We need to see this thing through, Luv."
"Just checking," she said with a firm nod.
Within a few minutes, the two of them made their way back up to the apartment. The only people they encountered on their return trip was a thirty-something woman pacing the hallway, phone glued to her ear as she had a very animated (and angry) discussion with whoever happened to be on the other end. The woman was so engrossed in her conversation that she barely seemed to notice them when they passed. The second person was a pizza delivery man. He smiled at Jane giving her the once over with a smarmy grin and she had the sudden urge to punch the man but managed to resist when she caught the look of disdain Xander gave him. If looks could kill, the pizza guy would be dead on the floor. As it was, she found herself preening happily at the way the color drained out of his face as he snapped his head back to the door, knocking urgently, returning his attention to his menial job.
Xander's steps slowed as they neared the apartment they'd awoken in and the momentary warm fuzzy feeling was rapidly replaced with an abundance of anxiety within her chest. She swallowed in an attempt to tamp down the feeling before she dared make eye contact with him again. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, watching her with interest.
"What now?" she asked, a little of her anxiety breaking through.
He inhaled deeply and cleared his throat. "Jane— or whoever you—" He shook his head. "—We. Whoever we turn out to be, I want you to know… What I feel in here," he said, clutching at his heart. "I swear it's a part of me. As much as my arm or this sodding accent of mine. I can't imagine a reality in which I'm not by your side— Whatever capacity that is, I know I love you."
She stared at him dumbstruck, certain that normal people didn't talk that way, but also certain that she had likely never been on the receiving end of such an ardent declaration of love.
His words echoed in her ears. "…I can't imagine a reality in which I'm not by your side— Whatever capacity that is, I know I love you." He was insistent but not demanding.
Offering more than expecting.
Something seemed to crack within her chest and she suddenly wanted to bolt.
To run.
To think.
To sort through the weight of not only his words but also the very Twilight Zone-esque day they had all experienced and the sincere hope that their memories would return— Somehow.
She stood stock still, silently gaping, her mind racing from one thought to the next when he broke the silence once again.
"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know…"
She nodded numbly, unsure of what to say. "I eh— I guess we should get back in there… Figure out what's going on…"
Xander's jaw clenched as he opened the door to his apartment, holding it open for Jane and they paused at the sight before them.
True to her word, Dawn had managed to get (nearly) everyone involved in a game. Rupert sat apart from the rest, attempting to look as dignified as possible as he watched the rest of them playing a game.
Jane assumed they'd be playing cards, Monopoly, or some other card game. She never expected to find them playing Twister.
Tara sat on the edge of the large spotted mat with the spinner in her lap calling out moves while Harris, Dawn, Anya, and Willow contorted themselves to comply with her instructions.
Willow was in something like a crab walk position attempting to reach her left hand to a yellow space while struggling not to flash anyone or elbow Anya in the head. "Why did I agree to this with a skirt on? she whimpered, twisting awkwardly to plant her hand firmly on the floor. As she did, something fell from her skirt pocket, a black crystal.
Xander and Jane had barely closed the door behind themselves when Jane spotted it. Unfortunately, the sound of the door closing startled Harris as he was precariously trying to reach his right foot to a blue space and collapsed, knocking Dawn off balance with a shriek. Anya stamped a foot down in frustration, crushing the odd little stone.
There was a flash of light, a burst of wind, and suddenly it all came flooding back.
Everything.
All of it.