Willow's return from her wish experience had shaken her to a core. Thanks to a spell she created with Mrs Calendar in the last hour of her being there she recalled everything of that wish universe. She had broken down in tears in front of her friends Buffy and Xander as soon as she saw them hugging the confused pair. After heading to the library to see Giles she had confessed everything she had experienced and encountered. The three were left shaken and disturbed at their respective fates by Willow's wish. To hear how one simple wish had caused such a dramatic change in all of their lives was difficult to say the least. It wasn't easy. There was a lot of yelling and screaming, a lot of accusations and hurt feelings. Willow finally admitted that she had a problem with magic, and she quit cold turkey promising to get some proper teaching on the matter.
The group didn't fix everything over night, but they had made steps in the right direction. And it couldn't have come at a better time as Buffy suddenly found that her powers were waning.
After barely surviving an encounter with a vampire and she had admitted to Giles that she felt weak and sluggish. She enlisted the help of her friends to figure out what is wrong pouring over various books and texts in the hope of some answers. She just felt wrong. Everything was too fast, too slow, too loud, or too quiet. Her muscles still ached. Her head hurt. She felt slow and weak and uncoordinated. Never before in her life had she been so appreciative of being the Slayer. She hated feeling like this. The feeling simply wasn't going away causing her to begin to panic. She had to know what was going on with her, and she'd do anything to find out. Because she refused to go back to being spoiled, mindless, airheaded little Buffy who didn't care about anything but shoes, shopping, and boys. That was never going to be her again. But if she wasn't the Slayer, then what was she? Just that person again. Just that worthless person.
It was Xander who offered her some helpful words. He explained in his usual Xander like way that whenever he was freaked, scared or in trouble somehow, he always would think to himself what would Buffy do? Not Buffy the slayer but Buffy the person. She was his hero plain and simple. Her heart melted a little at that. There were times when she had been so furious with Xander, more than anyone she knew but then other times he could be sweeter than everyone in her life put together. The pair had been interrupted however by Giles who had awkwardly made a confession.
He was responsible for drugging Buffy with a compound that numbed Buffy's Slayer senses and strength due to the injections of muscle relaxant and adrenaline suppressors he had given her. He had done so on the orders of the Watcher's Council for a test that every slayer must face on her eighteen birthday. The intent of the practice was to establish the Slayer's intelligence and practical capabilities, testing her ability to out-think her enemies as well as outfight them. More yelling, more screaming, more hurt feelings before they learned that the vampire the Council had planned to use for the test, Kralik had escaped from his restraints, sired a Watcher, and kidnapped Buffy's mother Joyce. Vowing to help Giles, Willow and Xander gathered together weapons and went to face the vampire. The original Scoobies and the Slayer once again came out as victors slaying the vampires and saving Buffy's mother.
Listening to the head of the Watcher's Council Quentin Travers address the group in the library with all the authority and strictness that would make President Synder swoon Buffy felt miserable. Of course, her misery wasn't just physical. It wasn't even mostly physical. No. The real misery was finding out that Giles had done this to her. Rupert Giles. Her Watcher. The man who was pledged to always be there for her. The man who was like a father to her. Her father had told her this morning that he wouldn't be able to show up for her birthday.
Buffy squeezed her eyes shut past the tears that threatened to come. At least he'd told her. Didn't that count for something? Couldn't she hold onto her love for Giles, knowing at least he'd come clean before things had gone too far? She wasn't sure. Maybe she was just being desperate. Maybe she just didn't want to be eighteen years old, just like she hadn't wanted to be seventeen years old. "Man," Buffy whispered to herself. "My birthdays suck."
"What was that?" Travers asked her in annoyance. He never liked to be interrupted.
"Nothing," she replied allowing him to continue.
"As I was saying… The Cruciamentum is not a death sentence but a test of worthiness. Slayers have survived it in the past… sadly you have failed the test," Travers told Buffy who was long past the point of caring. "You allowed civilians," he passed a displeased glance at Willow and Xander who were sitting off to the side, "to become involved in the test. That is forbidden. A Slayer must work in secret at all times."
"Easier said than done," remarked Buffy.
Travers quietly seethed. Slayer or no Slayer this girl was trying his patience! "I am clear in my purpose. The Slayer is too important to be left without supervision, and it's clear that both of these Slayers are out of control. The world cannot afford such children making decisions on its behalf!" He told the group in a harsh tone before he calmed down slightly and returned to his headmaster style of speaking. "We will therefore be forced to set up another test. I warn you that it will be at random later in the year I cannot disclose when as it will naturally interfere with the test."
"You will do no such thing," Giles said from his position standing by his office.
"Rupert you are no position to give me instructions or orders," Travers turned to the other Brit. "You also failed quite spectacularly it must be said. The Slayer is not the only one who must perform in this situation. I've recommended to the Council, and they've agreed, that you be relieved of your duties as Watcher immediately. You're fired."
Giles couldn't help but be taken aback. "On what grounds?" He questioned.
"Your affection for your charge has rendered you incapable of clear and impartial judgment," Travers explained causing Buffy to look at Giles. "You have a father's love for the child, and that is useless to the cause. It would be best if you had no further contact with the Slayer."
Giles couldn't help but look down. He had never felt quite so ashamed of himself. Even when his past had caught up with him and nearly gotten Jenny killed, he had not been so ashamed. She had nearly died, because of him. He had nearly killed Buffy. Buffy broke her stare from Giles as she considered Quentin's words.
"I'm not going anywhere," Giles said with hostility.
Quentin didn't attempt to hide his disappointment. "No, well, I didn't expect you would adhere to that. However, if you interfere with the new Watcher, or countermand his authority in any way, you will be dealt with. Are we clear?" He asked the man.
"Oh, we're very clear," Giles replied. "But you are not subjecting Buffy nor Faith to that barbaric test again, are we?"
"Rupert!" Travers scoffed but Giles cut him off moving towards him in a threatening manner.
"It might have escaped your attention Travers but we not in your favourite country club, you do not have a brandy in your hand nor are there your employees around to follow your orders," Giles pointed out. The older man couldn't help but notice that the younger man was handling a crossbow, and the redhead was still holding a stake. Suddenly the older man was feeling outnumbered and out manoeuvred. Surely these people weren't serious?! "You go back to England, go sit in your comfy chair behind your desk and send whoever you want but you are not subjecting these girls to that test!"
"Surely you cannot be serious!" Travers said in disbelief at what he was hearing.
"He's deadly serious and don't call him Sirley!" Xander spoke up causing everyone to turn to him. "Oh, I'm sorry," he said suddenly aware that everyone was looking at him. "I know I'm ruining the moment I just couldn't let one that slide please go on," he said nodding to Giles.
The now ex Watcher gave the teenager a slight smile before dropping it when he faced Travers again. "I suggest you go now while you still can," he told the man.
Buffy looked from Giles to Quentin. The pudgy man in the perfect suit was beginning to look a little troubled. Sweat was forming on his brow. The man stared daggers at Giles, and a sneer came to his face. "This won't go unpunished, Rupert. The Council will not toler-"
"Shut up, Quentin," Giles snapped. "It's bad enough to intended to continue performing this barbaric test, The Council can bloody well piss off back to England as far as I'm concerned!"
Quentin raised an eyebrow. The man before him had lost his mind! "Careful there Giles, my men are just outside this school," Quentin said, his voice betraying only a hint of anger.
"That's a long way from this library," Buffy commented getting up from her chair.
"Long corridors," Xander agreed with her while slightly raising his crossbow.
"Very far way," Willow nodded.
The pudgy man in the perfect suit was beginning to looked in horror at all of them. He couldn't believe what they were suggesting. "I am just trying to win a war. This is the world, we're talking about! This is everything!"
"And we will fight it with everything we have but not on your terms and not by your orders," Buffy told the man firmly taking a stand next to Giles with Willow and Xander not far behind her.
Quentin looked at all four of them and shook his head in disgust. "Americans," he muttered spitting the word out like poison.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
While Xander and Giles escorted Travers out to his men making clear their conditions and terms Buffy stayed behind in the library. She was trying to process everything that had happened over the last few days. She still ached and felt weak thanks to whatever she had been injected but she knew the real reason why she felt miserable. "How are you feeling?" Willow asked her coming into view snapping Buffy out of her funk. "Any better?"
Buffy shrugged. "A little better," she finally said. "Physically, anyway." She closed her eyes but felt Willow's presence sink into a chair beside her.
"I'm really sorry, Buffy," Willow said. "This is totally unfair."
"Yeah," Buffy mumbled. Willow leaned over and put her arm around Buffy, and then rested her head on Buffy's shoulder. Buffy let her head rest against Willow's. "You're a good friend, Willow."
"So are you," Willow said. She gave Buffy a little squeeze, and then sat up straight again. They sat in the dark for a few moments, neither saying a word. Finally, it was Willow who spoke up. "We're all worried about you," she said. "Me, Xander and Giles."
"Giles isn't worried about me," Buffy said, anger flickering into her voice.
"I-I think he is," Willow said. "He's Giles, Buffy. I-I know he loves you. He's just, I dunno. Stupid. Or a Watcher. They were making him do it. He thought it was his duty, or something."
"Same thing," Buffy spat. "It was his duty to drug me? To make me so weak I can barely stand? To nearly get me killed?" She clenched her fists. They felt laughably weak. It made her angrier. The anger didn't go down when she saw Giles re-enter the library with Xander. The Englishman could barely meet her eyes. Xander however did meet Willow's eyes and signalled for her to come with him making some excuse the pair left Buffy and Giles. Benefits of being long time friends you can have conversations with just one's eyes.
He could barely look at her. His slayer sitting there with cuts and bruises all because of him. Part of him wanted to help but had felt it was no longer his place. He had done this to her, after all. He had betrayed her; the girl he loved in a way he was sure even a father could not match. He had nearly killed Buffy, thanks to his own deception and lies. His sworn duty to protect and watch over those precious girls that were called as Slayers had been twisted and perverted, and he'd almost let them suffer for his own lack of integrity, his own blind obedience. He looked over at Buffy. She gazes down into space for a moment, then sniffed and putting her hand to her forehead. She sniffed again, reaching out for the cloth that's lying on the table next to a bowl of water, and picked it up. Deciding to take the leap of faith Giles walked over to her and put his hand on the cloth. She let him take it from her hand. He dipped it in the water and kneeled down in front of her, reaching out and gently pat it over the gash in her forehead. She winced in pain but did not pull away. She looked up at her Watcher but still didn't meet his eyes glancing sadly at him for a moment, then lowered her eyes. Giles turned the now-bloody cloth over and continued to lightly dab it on her wound. Finally, they met each other's eyes.
There was forgiveness in her eyes.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
On a couch in the school Buffy glanced up to see a pretty young woman walk by in a summer dress. She gave her a quick look up and down. She was very beautiful. Wasn't she in her history class? The young woman turned and walked over to a table nearby greeting a friend leaning slightly down to chat to that person. Buffy could see her cleavage quite well as she leaned over. She swallowed again.
Buffy sighed. She was beginning to think that she had been man-free for way, way too long. After living like a cloistered nun for almost a year since she and Angel… were together and after Willow's… lust spell it was like her hormones were breaking down the convent doors. Recalling the night of the Bronze Buffy couldn't help but blush as she had never been so embarrassed in her entire life. She'd had her first lesbian experience that night, and it had been good. It had been really, really good which was a fact she could not deny. Some of the stuff she got up to that night would still get you the electric chair in Texas.
She shook her head. She was attracted to women. It was hard to tell how much, exactly, since her every reaction during the lust spell was so magnified, but clearly a lot. It was so easy to lose herself in some teenaged masturbatory fantasy involving the beautiful girls she knew, and that frightened her. She was slowly realizing that she was surrounded by hot women all the time. Willow, Cordelia, Faith, even Harmony and the other Cordettes were all babes of the highest calibre. How did Xander or Giles function around so much beauty? No wonder Xander was such a babble mouth at times.
She spotted her friend at his locker down the hall and smiled to herself. It was nice to see Xander just standing there, just doing nothing. She had been more than a little disturbed that night under the influence of the lust spell over a month ago when he had been bleeding out and dangerously low on blood. It irked her that she could have been watching him die, and thanks to the influence under the lust spell that there wouldn't have been anything she could have done about it. No, she thought, it was good to see him just 'there'. Really good. Casting an appraising look at him as she had done once or twice recently, she recalled how he managed to turn her down despite her crazed, lust fuelled advances. She had been well if not shocked but impressed at his resistance of her which was the second time he had managed to resist her while under the influence of magic. She knew it couldn't have been easy for him both times as she had laid it on pretty thick, but he had remained strong. Plus, they had been spending a lot of time as they both nursed broken hearts.
She quickly averted her eyes when she realised, she had started to stare and before Willow, who had just appeared sitting next to Buffy, noticed as well. She didn't really want to have a conversation with her friend as to why she was casting admiring glances at Xander. She didn't think her answer of 'Oh, it's because I have a crush on him' would be the one Willow would be expecting. Yes as Willow talked about some up and coming chemistry test she could admit it at least to herself that she, Buffy Summers, Chosen One and Slayer Extraordinaire had a crush on one of her best friends. Pathetic. It's that after the lust spell she couldn't help but have sex on the mind and be thinking about what she had experienced. Plus, then He had to go and say something super sweet. There she was feeling all depressed about possibly losing her powers and he had to call her his hero. She snapped out of her thoughts as she noticed that Xander was walking up towards them.
"… and it should be very important to our grade at the end of the year," Willow finished about the chemistry test as Xander walked up.
"Ladies," he said sitting down opposite them offering a lopsided grin. "Are we Bronzing tonight?"
"Don't we do that every night?" Buffy replied. "Can't we come up with anything more original?"
"We could help Giles with a new delivery of books that he just had delivered," Willow suggested brightly but then shrunk at both her friends looks. "It was just a suggestion," she grumbled before offering another idea. "There is a kung fu movie playing at the cinema."
"I saw that Wills and I was thinking of suggesting it but then I just didn't want to sit next to world's loudest film critic during the feature," Xander explained smirking at Buffy's death glare she was sending him.
"They never make the right moves!" Buffy exclaimed defending herself. "Their techniques are poor! Combat often staged! You can see the blocks from a mile off and I am sounding like Giles?" she asked her friends trailing off.
Just then Oz was walking pass along with Cordelia chatting amongst themselves and holding hands. Xander shifted a little uncomfortably trying his best to stay blank afraid that everyone could see right through him while Willow flushed crimson and looked down at her books unable to keep all of the terrible, heart-breaking things she was feeling off her face. Buffy looked uncomfortable, trying desperately to hold onto her status as a neutral party. Guess they were both taking their ex's new relationship a little hard. "You guys, okay?" Buffy asked her friends gently.
Willow and Xander both looked at each other uneasy. "I guess it's justice for what we did or were getting up to?" Willow offered. "I just… what he see in her?"
"What does she see in him?!" the teenage boy offered before holding up his hands. "Look I know I am meant to be Mr Non judgemental here but it's like seriously any other guy in the world but him?!" In almost jealously. At their silence he simply shook his head and lowered here hands. "I'm still a work in progress here, okay!"
Buffy gave him a sympatric expression but one that told him she was done listening to him offering a thin smile. "I got to get check in with Giles," she announced. "Maybe you should try talking to them?" she suggested as she got up from her seat. And no, she didn't inhale Xander's aftershave as she walked past him. Nor did she notice another girl's smooth legs as she stood by a vending machine.
God she really needed to slay something right now.
Unaware of Buffy's issues both Willow and Xander both there glumly. "You go first," he said causing her to frown. "You are more mature than me anyway. I just want to sulk a little bit and decide what country music I want to listen to when I get home."
Rolling her eyes slightly Willow did get up and headed in the direction that Oz and Cordelia went. She found them at the brunette's locker exchanging a quick kiss before they noticed her and looked slightly awkward. She asked to speak to Oz politely and he agreed heading into an empty classroom. Willow hugged herself as she noticed the distance between them. He looked as ever stoic and calm not hinting at any emotion. "So, you and Cordelia?" Willow simply said out loud.
"It's still early days yet but… yes we are dating," Oz replied in a short and sweet manner. Of course, Oz would rarely go into detail about anything.
"Didn't take you long to forget about me," Willow accused him shooting him a glare.
"You forgot about me when we were dating," Oz pointed out but without emotion. A few days after the lust spell Xander had tried to apologize to him but the wolf wanted to tear his throat out, so Oz walked out before the other teenager had a chance to finish. So far Willow was doing just about the same if not worse than Xander. "Cordelia and I… have somethings in common and she is far more than one may expect. We decided to see what there may be between us."
Willow flinched at his explanation. "I… hope that we might want to get back together."
Anybody who knows this about him knows how much words mean, so that it's worth saying nothing if he can't say it right and how little they mean, when actions say it all so much clearer. Willow's actions were pretty damn clear. He thinks for an answer to give her. "I feel like I must have cared more about you than you did about me, because I would never do this," Oz declared. "Then I think, you're different from me. Maybe you doesn't see the kissing thing the way I do. And then I think, maybe you should because if you don't, then that's no good either."
"Oz please! It's over," she told him. "Xander and I… it's a history that's in the past. Well, I-I guess most history is in the past. But it's over!"
"I'm not a consolation prize Willow," Oz told her. "You and Xander maybe over but… I can't just forget and forgive so easily. Maybe Cordelia and I will be over in a few weeks or a month or two, but it doesn't matter… I can't go back to the way things were."
And with that he left Willow in an empty classroom.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Quickly driving away from Jack and his zombie gang Xander pressed the accelerator harder as he speeded away from the centre of town. That had been too damned close for his liking, another minute or two and he could have far more in common with Deadboy than he cared to admit. Maybe Buffy and Giles was right, and he was best off simply staying completely out of it tonight. They had expressly told him to stay out of harms way and here he was finding his own trouble. He decided to simply bite the bullet and head to the high school to tell the group and Jack and his gang of undead jocks. He knew that they were busy with some crisis on a major level that had reared come up in recent days and that it would no doubt lead to yet another lecture the likes of Buffy and Giles, but it was required. Coming to a fork on the road he turned chose left on a whim. Only later would he had heard that the right road would have taken him to Faith where the vampire slayer was dealing with one of those Apocalypse demons and having a nasty time of it until even, she decided to bug out. Driving down the road he spotted Buffy ahead.
She had been making her way from Willy's bar having found the shady bartender in a battered state but still able to warn her about the impending doom. It was enough to shaken the slayer as she saw him loaded up in an ambulance. She looked up and frowned when she saw Xander in his very recognisable car driving towards her.
Xander was about to pull over when he spotted one of those Apocalypse demons coming out from behind out an alley. "Buffy! Watch out!" he shouted as the demon charged at her. The Blonde spun round and dodged an attack by the demon before engaging it in battle. The brakes screeched as Xander pulled up and jumped out in order to help the girl cursing that there wasn't an opening where he could simply slam the car into the powerful demon. The demon growled as it threw Buffy against a wall moving to rip her to shreds. Xander grabbed a trash bin and threw it at the demon. All that it did was the demon spun round growling him showing the teenage boy lots of teeth.
"Oh, great I think made it mad," Xander commented quickly backpedalling away from the demon. Buffy was on the demon in an instant grabbing it's head and threw it bodily away from Xander. The demon had barely hit the ground before Buffy was punching and hitting the demon pressing the attack. However, the demon seemed to absorb the hits and grabbed Buffy knocking her to the side. Now the demon was on top of Buffy struggling against the blonde fully intent on killing her.
It cried out as Xander had slammed the trash can upside over it's head blinding it. It was enough for Buffy to push the demon off her with a forceful grunt. She reached behind her and slammed a stake in it's chest. The demon cried out in pain and Buffy repeated the action stabbing the demon several times over with a ferocity that even caused Xander to squirm. The harm the blonde was causing led to the demon to howl in pain before eventually collapsing down on the ground. Buffy held the wooden stake which was now covered in demon blood and slime breathing heavily eyeing the demon ready to attack again if the creature so much as moved an inch. Xander slowly came up beside her. "Nice use of the stake," Xander remarked looking at the demon.
"You would be surprised how many things this stake can be kill," Buffy said trying to shake some of the blood off before turning back to face the teenager. "And I thought I gave you strict instructions to stay home and stay out of this!" She said him in anger.
"Excuse you!" Xander exclaimed. "I just saved your life! That demon would be munching on your guts if I hadn't turned up!"
"Look this is serious Xander! I have seen Willy beaten to a bloody pulp by these things and whatever they are planning is tonight!" Buffy explained to him.
"Exactly why you need all the help you can get," Xander pointed out. "Besides there is this gang running around town," he pointed in the direction he had just come from about to explain about Jack and his undead gang who had been interacting with all night, but Buffy cut him off.
"I don't have time for games Xander!" Buffy interrupted him. "Look just go home and stay out of trouble! You were nearly killed by these things the other night!"
The nerve of this woman! Xander thought to himself in anger. What am I a child? "So I just what? Hide under the bed until this all over?!"
"You're gonna get yourself killed Xander," Buffy said seething. "It's not a question of maybe, it's just a question of when!
"I could walk out that door and get hit by a truck," Xander replied. "I could fall down a stairway and break my neck. There are hundreds of ways I could die, Buffy, but I'm not gonna sit around and worry about how or when it's going to happen. I'm going to do what I want with my life until I can't do it anymore. I am the one who gets to choose what I do with my life. ME! Not you. Not Willow. Not Giles. ME! I get to choose, whether you like it or not."
Damn it! Why does he have to be so goddamn stubborn? One of the few people I'd hate to see anything happen to, and he decides he has to play fucking Superman! The blonde slayer thought. "Xander are so stupid! I just don't want you to get hurt!" She yelled at him before frowning as he simply turned and walked away. "Wait where are you going?"
"Going to the library to help!" he snarled at her, glancing at her over his shoulder as he made his way back to his car.
"Oh no you are not!" She protested moving after him.
"It's a still free country last I checked, or have you become president, and no one told me?" he asked her sarcastically sick of her running his life. "Nothing ever changes with you, does it? Buffy Summers always knows what's best for everybody. Well, news flash, lady! You don't get to decide what anyone else can or can't do. Everybody gets to decide for themselves. That's why it's called free will. Also known as self-determination. Look it up. Maybe you can get Willow or Giles to explain the big words to you."
"That's it!" Buffy barely managed not to scream at Xander as she finally caught up with him on the sidewalk and grabbed hold of his arm. "Just hold still and listen for one minute, will you? This is too dangerous for you!"
"And was that some other blonde that I gave mouth to mouth to?" he said wrestling his arm free of her grasp while reminding her of the time she died. "You're not invincible! Far from it I have seen it with my own eyes!"
Buffy sighed recalling the same time. "That's not the same! I don't want anything to happen to you, you asshole!" she almost yelled, as she again grabbed hold of his sleeve. "I want you to be safe! The thought of you being hurt makes me sick. If something happened to you, I don't know what I'd…" Her hand leapt to cover her mouth as she stopped herself in mid-sentence. Christ! What the hell am I saying? Buffy asked herself as she listened to the words coming out of her mouth. With a stab of surprise, she realized that what she had just said was actually true.
"What do you mean by that?" Xander asked, as he stopped and turned around to look at her.
"Just what I said," Buffy told him, as she dropped her hand back to her side. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Even thinking about something happening to you upsets me." Moving forward, she tentatively reached out to cup his face with her hand. "If you were hurt or Giles or Willow, it would hurt me, too. A lot," she said, quietly as she stared up into his eyes.
He stared back seeing something in them that he had never seen before but refused to believe it. "Don't try and con me, Buffy," Xander said, pushing her hand away. Painful memories had resurfaced in his mind and in an instant, he was back on the high school bench when she turned down at his invitation to the school dance the day before she died, and he brought her back to life. "What happened to you just 'not thinking about me that way?"
He was stopped by her moving kissing him firmly in the mouth. Xander was stunned when he felt her tongue run across his lips acting on instinct, he obliged her and felt her tongue enter his mouth sliding across his tongue and tasting the warm flesh of his mouth. Getting over his shock Xander returned her kiss tentatively, tasting the inside of her mouth and battling her tongue with his. She moaned and pressed herself against him as the teenagers kissed and made out there on the street. Breaking apart for air Xander had a million questions running in his mind. "Buff," he stuttered still lost in the feel of her lips against hers. "Tell me this isn't the hellmouth reactivating the love spell or just a quick kiss cause the world really is about to end?"
"No hellmouth involvement. No Willow spell gone awry. Just something I have wanted to do for a while," she admitted. She blushed a little at his surprised expression and explained some more. "It's just your not that person I turned down all those years ago. You put aside your resentment of Angel to save my life, you managed to resist me when I know it must have been so tempting for you and you have always been there fore me when both of us could have simply walked away."
Xander still looked a little stunned and stammers still with many questions in his head unsure of which one to ask first. He's so damn cute when he's flustered. Buffy decides to pull him in for another kiss instead of waiting for him to talk. Talking can come later. This is so new, so fun, I just want to enjoy the feel of him for a bit longer. She presses him back against his car and his hand hits Jack's bag in the back seat causing him to yelp. Glancing away from Buffy he looks down and spots what is inside. "Hey, they aren't baking a cake!" he exclaimed.
Checking on the contents inside the pair realised that whatever gang Xander had encountered were up to something very explosive and dangerous. Buffy still had to deal with the hellmouth reopening with the rest of the Scoobies, so it was left to Xander to take on Jack and the gang. Reluctantly he agreed and set off in the car in search of the zombie gang.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Xander drove later back from the high school feeling pretty damned good about things. For one thing the world was still around so therefore he knew that Buffy and the gang had been successful in preventing the hellmouth from reopening. Once again, the underdogs had beaten whatever evil the hellmouth had spat out. He pulled up at his house and got out of the car thanking heavens that his parents were out of town as he knew he would A) be in trouble for being out so late and B) probably never be allowed to have Uncle Rory's car in the first place.
He walked wearily towards his house suddenly very tired. Playing chicken with a zombie in front of a working bomb was very stressful. He was simply not designed for such torture. He opened his front door and tossed his keys on a small table next to it wanting nothing more to simply go straight to bed and sleep. He suddenly felt a little uneasy as if he was being watched slightly. He looked around the hall and into the living room but saw nothing. He felt a presence behind him coming from the kitchen. "Surprise," whispered a soft feminine voice, as warm hands placed themselves over his eyes. Buffy's slim body pressed against his back, and she breathed hotly in his ear. "How was your night saving the world from Jack's undead gang?"
"Oh, you know the usual stressful, extreme, near death ending and terrifying," Xander confessed as he turned, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I'm guessing you guys triumphed over evil and unbelievable odds?"
"That we did," Buffy confirmed.
"So not that I am happy to see you Buff but what are you doing here?" he asked her.
"Well given what we have just faced… I thought that we might pick up where we left off from earlier," she answered seductively.
Xander's eyes went wide. He had been afraid that Buffy would have come to her senses and tell him the next day that it was a mistake. It would appear that she had other ideas on her mind. "Seriously?" Xander gulped. With that, Buffy reached up and pulled his head down slowly toward hers. Just before their lips touched, her eyes closed, and her mouth opened slightly. For about a quarter second, he couldn't believe what was happening. Buffy Summers, one of the girls of his dreams, kissing him again? But when he felt the soft lips moving under his own, his conscious mind shut down and he returned the kiss. Buffy tasted faintly of mint, and when he gently slipped the tip of my tongue past her lips, she gave a soft moan and opened more to him. He slowly explored her mouth while he put my hands around her waist and pulled her body against mine. Buffy pressed up against him and moaned again.
Xander abruptly broke off the kiss. "Buffy, we're friends, we can't do this, it's not right, it would mess up our friendship, I don't want to mess this up..." He would have kept babbling, but Buffy put her finger across my lips, silencing him.
"Xander, do you trust me?" Buffy spoke in a low voice.
"Yeah, I do," he responded softly.
"We've risked our lives for each other countless times. We always been honest with each other. We both probably almost died tonight. Nothing will ever change our friendship. Do you believe me when I say that?" she asked. I nodded an affirmative. "Now be quiet and kiss me." This time he lowered his face toward Buffy's and their lips met again. As they kissed Buffy was tugging him toward her even though we were already pressed together.
"So, slayers do get very horny," he teased her in between kisses recalling a subject that Faith had brought up when she first met the group.
"Very," Buffy confirmed. With that Buffy assaulted Xander with her lips, kissing him roughly. Xander felt her tongue slide into his mouth and sucked on it. Buffy's moans were music to his ears as their hands explored areas previously out of bounds in their relationship. When they eventually broke away to get their breaths back, Xander kissed Buffy this time sliding his tongue into her mouth. His tongue moved around in her mouth as his hands found themselves clutching her ass. They broke apart eyeing each other hungrily. Buffy broke the stalemate by grabbing Xander and beginning to walk upstairs she laughed a little as she felt Xander lift her up and take the steps at a much faster pace. Her giggling rang out as they ascended the stairs. "Someone's anxious."
"I just don't want to miss this opportunity!" Xander confessed. He had them on the landing and opened the door to his room ushering them in. He closed the door to his room as Buffy move towards his bed and watched her as she twirled a lock of her hair around her finger in a way that got him going.
"You gonna join me?" she asked him lustily.
Xander all but jumped towards the bed forgetting about his earlier tiredness as he kicked off his shoes. In an unspoken agreement they both began to undress each taking in the wonder of what they were seeing. To his embarrassment Xander felt his throat close up as he saw her nude body for the first time, it was everything he'd known it would be. Full breasts that were just begging to be touched, topped off by nipples that were already hard, flat stomach and sexy legs. He had been right all along; she was an angel. Buffy herself was looking at her friend with hungrily eyes as he was fit, trim, hairless and well endowed. The pair moved closed to each other breathing heavily before they simply grabbed each other devouring each other's mouths.
Buffy pushed Xander down on his bed and was on him in an instant assaulting his mouth while rubbing herself on his naked form. His hands alternate between fondling her breasts and caressing her ass. Moving her further forward and he took one of her breasts into his mouth, gently sucking and biting on her nipple. Even though Buffy favoured tight blouses and shirts that left little to the imagination, looking at her now was so much better. Her breasts were soft and round and topped by dark pink nipples that were hardening as he sucked harder. Buffy arched her back whimpering as she pushed more of her breast into Xander's mouth.
Moving a lot more smoothly than either of them were used to, Xander rolled them both over so that Buffy was on her back, and he was lying beside her. She smiled in anticipation stretching like a cat as Xander moved into place between her legs. Her breath caught slightly at the first touch of his cock at the mouth of her pussy, but that changed to a deep sigh as he slowly buried his entire length inside her. Her muscles clamped down hard on his cock, the sensation so good they both held still for a long moment, or they would have lost control. Looking at each other, breathing hard, trying not to move, Buffy's hazel eyes were wide open, locked into his brown ones. There was some slight discomfort at first due to his size but that was quickly replaced by a glowing feeling as he started moving inside her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Buffy move to bring him deeper inside her, lifting her hips on each stroke so that his cock rubbed against her clit. He begins to fuck her hard. She is moaning wildly underneath him urging him on. "Oh my god Buff!" Xander grunts almost to himself fighting hard not to come. She is so tight, so wet and he never has experienced something like this before.
"That feels so good, Xander," Buffy whispered in a breathy voice sliding her leg up to rub against his. "Give me more please!" He increased his pace, feeling Buffy's soft skin against me as he moved in and out of her, watching her toss her head on the pillow, hearing the slight gasps, smelling the musky scent of her perspiration that our exertions were producing.
"Oh god, Xander, that's good... more, please ... oh, yes... good, Xander... more, please..." Buffy's cries was getting frantic, her nails biting into his shoulders, spurring the young man on, pulling him closer to the edge of my climax, but he wanted desperately for her to finish before him, so he moved faster and harder, their bodies slapping together.
"Ahh, ahh, ahh, Xander, I'm close, I'm so close, please, ohhh..." With one last cry, Buffy clenched and spasmed, her climax pulling me along with her, his juices spurting into her, her arms and legs holding me so tight against her that out bodies were locked together as we both bucked and twisted. Finally, their bodies slowed and stopped. He started to move off Buffy, but she just flipped them over, so she was on top. "Don't move Xander," she mutters kissing his face. "Stay with me we slayers have a lot of energy and stamina," she finished with a mischievous grin before she leaned down and kissed him deeply.
Xander soon forgot all about his exhaustion.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"I was actually planning on… well you know talking to you first before we did that," Buffy admitted in the following morning still in Xander's bed.
"I would have been so disappointed if we just talked," Xander joked as he ran his fingers on her skin enjoying the softness of it. he savoured the feel of it and decided it was one of his favourite things to do… well not most favourite but for sure up there.
"But I got distracted with the kissing," Buffy told him causing him to chuckle.
"Ah the kissing!" he beamed a little smug. "Women often get distracted when I do that I wonder if it is my power!" he said out of loud but then yelped at her smack.
"You are not referring to any of your exes when you are here with me do you understand!" Buffy instructed him in a firm tone. "And you are definitely getting rid of that before we do anything like last night again!" She pointed to the Yasmine Bleeth poster that hung above his bed.
"So, there is a chance that we might get to do this again?" Xander asked her very aware of the smooth skin of her thigh resting against his.
"I thought I made my feelings pretty clear last night," Buffy told him bemused. God was still so hard to believe even now when she had moulded herself against him, laying in his arms and seemed to be glowing? No wonder Xander had difficulties with women. "I like you and I thought we should try dating."
"And if I mess it up?" Xander asked getting a pinch for such a question.
"If we mess it up then we will simply stay as friends," Buffy declared. "We have had arguments this year that could have ended other friendships and survived so I'm pretty sure we could survive a breakup." Xander couldn't argue with that argument. It was true that he and Buffy had their issues in communication this year. He much preferred this new form they were trying out.
Buffy glanced to his alarm clock. "Oops I got to motor Xand, Mom will be suspicious if I don't make some form of an appearance this morning," Buffy said getting up. Xander nodded watching as she got off his bed picking up her clothes from the ground and dressing quickly. She turned around smiling well aware he had been watching her. "I'll see you at school," Buffy told him with a kiss and left the room.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Cordelia made her way down the halls and to the basement door checking both ways to see if anyone was there. Confirming no one was around she headed down towards to basement and spotted the nude Oz lying on the ground. She lowered the bag she had been carrying and emptied some of clothes for him she had brought. Since she was dating a werewolf, she now had to perform certain duties like make sure he had clothes to wake up to. She turned as she heard footsteps coming from behind her seeing Willow emerge. "What are you doing here?" Cordelia enquired.
"I was just checking on him," Willow told her. "We had to put him to sleep again as he was out of control last night then for his own safety we had to move him down here."
"I heard from that Giles but that doesn't explain why you are here," Cordelia countered with no sense of understanding in her voice. There was love lost coming from the girl.
"I just came to check on him," Willow offered a little weak.
"You don't need to Willow and more to the point you are meant to," Cordelia told the girl crossing her arms over her ample chest. "You screwed up Willow. You cheated on him so drop the innocent act." She tilts her chin, and Willow has no doubts whatever about why many at school call her Queen C.
"I'm not doing an innocent act," Willow fought back.
"Oh please!" Cordelia snorted. "You haven't been hovering around all innocent and hurt like someone killed your pet fish?! You figured what? He will just give in eventually if you keep up the act long enough. Well, forget it! You screwed up so you don't get to be hurt because you are one that caused the hurt!" Cordelia was on a roll and Willow didn't get a chance to speak up. "I liked him. I liked loser Xander Harris. I put a picture of him in my locker and I said it was because I looked good in it – which was true, I did – but that wasn't the point. I lied to him because I didn't want to admit how cute I thought he looked in that goofy hat, and Cordelia Chase isn't afraid of telling the truth to anybody. I was going to go bowling with you guys. Do you know what that could have done to my image? I was going to do that. Because he wanted to! And the whole time you were laughing about it behind my back!"
"I wasn't laughing Cordelia!" Willow exclaimed.
"Yeah, but I bet you're not so miserable now given you know how important you are to the world!" Cordelia snapped at the redhead causing her to frown. "Your secret Scoobies aren't so secret you know. I heard about your trip down the rabbit hole. Sent some Fairy Godmother to some faraway place where you didn't exist, and the world was upside down. Buffy dead, I was a vampire and Xander was an addict. Must have been great for one's ego to know that you made such an impact."
Willow felt flush at the accusation as it was true. There had been a petty, small part of her that had been doing a little dance at seeing how life would be different without her in it. To know that little old Willow, sidekick to the slayer would have such an impact was loathe as she admit it. "Why are you even with him?" Willow couldn't help herself but ask.
"Who Oz?" Cordelia asked turning to man who was still unconscious on the ground. "He is a good guy, loyal, honest and straight forward unlike some people I can reference," she taunted the redhead. "I'm not planning on playing footsie with some other guy or steal some kisses while his back is turned. So how about you just back away up stairs and leave," the brunette said pointing in the direction that Willow came from. "You screwed up and now you have to suffer end of conversation."
And that was very much end of conversation.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The hushed voices of her students mingled with the clacking of keyboard keys and the loud printing of paper. Willow stopped typing long enough to glance over at her students to make sure that not too much talking was going on. She had spent much of the morning marvelling at the fact that the birds were singing in the trees, clouds were in the sky and there was still a high school to come to. There were moments when after last night she generally didn't think she would make it. The sounds of students gossiping was welcome, so she allowed it a little. It was certainly a better sound than a roars of whatever hellmouth monster she had seen last night. But before turning back to her computer, she was able to pick up the words, 'Buffy and Xander', from the various conversations scattered around the room. Not since word of Xander and Cordelia going out had spread across the school, and the fact it was the CORDELIA CHASE that was going out with Xander Harris, did such a commotion arise from the students.
Willow had to admit that although she hadn't reacted like most students, the news that her best friends were dating had surprised her just as much. Initially, she hadn't been very happy when such information reached her. It wasn't as if she had been longing for him because she didn't and hadn't for a while. The night of the lust spell had removed all of that silly crush. It was just that… when he and Cordy broke up, she had never expected for Buffy and Xander to get together not to mention the idea that she and Xander might have been possible lingered in her mind. Although, Oz made all the lingering go away to the extent that she no longer thought, let alone want or desire such ideas.
Her mind had been full of contemplation about Xander, Buffy, Xander and Buffy as a couple, and what that meant for her– RING! RING! She jerked when she heard the bell ringing loudly and stood up, "Class," Willow addressed the class. "Make sure that you finish your spreadsheet by Friday, and I'll need it on disk, as well as a printed copy." A few groans could be heard from her pupils, but she just gave them a smile and a look that made them laugh. As she saved her document and shut down her computer before she gathered her things leaving the classroom.
She wandered the halls until she felt a tap on her shoulder that gained her attention. "Willow," the slayer said "Hey."
"Oh, Buffy, I was just looking for you," the redhead replied with a weak grin as she turned around to see the familiar face, "I was hoping to catch up with you."
"Um…so was I," Buffy said and then chewing on her lower lip, she looked around the campus and continued, "Why don't we sit down?"
They walked towards a nearby bench and sat in silence for a while before Willow finally said, "Why don't you go ahead? You look like it's pretty big news." That was an understatement. This was big. Huge, even. Monstrous, with a bit of that old hellmouthian irony thrown right in. This changed everything.
"Yeah, it is," the blonde said with a smile as she fiddled with a pen in her hand, "I'm not sure how to tell you this, Will, um… but…uh…Xander and I are going out."
Willow blinked in surprised and found herself rendered speechless, "Uh…um…God, Buffy…uh…um… that's…wonderful."
"Really?" Buffy said with raised eyebrows. She knew that Willow previously had major feelings for Xander, and the sudden knowledge that Buffy was now dating him must be a pretty major blow. "Cause well, you know…I was kind of worried that since you used to…"
"That was a long time ago, Buffy," she replied with a weak smile. "And you two are my best friends, and if you guys are happy, then I'm happy for you. Besides, he's a great guy…when he's not…"
Buffy smiled a little and breathed a sigh of relief, "No need to explain…I know all too well the mind and mannerisms of Alexander 'Xander' Harris."
"I just hope you do," Willow joked and this time she really smiled, as she got over her shock, and was beginning to see that perhaps, they're dating wasn't that bad of an idea, after all. Still, she couldn't help but recall the last time Buffy had met with such feelings, "But what about Angel?" she asked the other girl gently.
"What about him?" Buffy replied with a sad, half-hearted shrug. She was a little annoyed by the question but softened as she knew it was expected. "I mean, of course I loved him once upon a time…" she turned away slightly. "But…I don't know…it just doesn't seem real to me anymore…now that he's gone. It's like picking at an open wound. I just need to heal and focus on something… new."
Willow smiled a little. The blonde had almost convinced her of her intentions and feelings. She knew that Xander wore his heart of his sleeve and often jumped headfirst into things. Buffy too as was similar to some degree. It's just where did it leave her? Oz and Cordelia were a couple and now Xander and Buffy were now a couple. What was she chopped liver? Just the 5th wheel? It was strange really. Buffy and Xander made about as much sense as Cordelia and Xander and yet there was Buffy opening stating she was now intending to date Xander.
She just forced a smile. Things were certainly changing.