FIC: FeatherRoads-Water(Sequel to Forge)1/2

[Mad-Hamlet@xxxxxxx]

Disclaimer: All this belongs to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy Inc. 
(Grrr...arrrg)



Drain Brameged Inc. Proudly Presents
A Mad-Hamlet Production

We walk the roads that fate lays before us. More often than 
we'd like that path is strewn with blades and teeth. Shadows with 
claws that try to gut us from within, most of us struggle foward, 
over, under, through all these obstecles hoping, even in the face of 
all evidence, that we'll be stronger for it.

On occasion, through mercy, or mayhaps the whim of Gods 
needing entertainment, allow Fate's way to be softened. Cool breezes 
flow over our skin, all the living things around seem to be talking to 
us and our existance is not only possible but worthwile. The road is 
soft and comfortable and we can rest as we journy onward, wounds heal, 
blood stops and strength returns..just so we can face the next shadowy 
terror with a far too wide, sharp, grin just around the corner.

On occasion we're gifted with Feather Roads. This is theirs.


				
Feather Roads
Water


"Pool party!" She said flopping down on the sofa next to me.

I tossed the movie video we had rented for that evening back 
on the table, missed and let it flop to the floor. 

"Hey hey," Xander protested making a grab for the cassete. 
"That's no way to treat a classic."

"I would hesitate to file 'Animal House' under the classics." 
I replied.

Xander reverently dusted the tape off before gingerly setting 
it back on the table. "Philisitine" He muttered.

"Pool party!" She insisted again. 

"An excellent idea Willow." Xander said sitting back on the 
floor. The three of us were sitting in my living room. Me, lounging in 
the corner of the sofa, Willow had dropped onto it's opposite corner 
and Xander lay on the floor with his legs up resting his feet in the 
space between us.

"However certain factors prevent the possibility of a pool 
party, lack of said pool being on the top of my list." He finished.

"Not a wiggworthy problem." Willow said, shoving his feet off 
the sofa with her own and then resting them in my lap. "There's the 
public pool."

"The public pool?" Xander sputtered. "What you mean lair of 
the beautiful people, denizen of the fasionable ones? Those who's 
layers of skin cream, bronzed tans, state of the art sunglassess and 
gortex laden speedos with personalities of such shallowness that even 
Cordelia, at her worst, would still define them as 'Tacky'?"

"That was in high school Xander." Willow said. " We just 
finished our first semeseter of collage. I'm sure they've matured just 
like Cordelia did. Foot rub..please?" This last bit was addressed to 
me. I let out a breath as one unfairly put upon but moved to comply. 
Willow purred as my fingers kneaded the muscles of her arch. 
	
Xander seemed to think about that for a minute. "You might 
have a point my Willow shaped friend. I'm sure they've matured, 
achieved their true potential. The finally reached their lifelong 
ambitions and we have little to fear from their ilk now."

"Mmm.. so you think finally became respectful adults then." 
Willow asked. Her dubious tone implied she didn't belive that 
possibility for a second and me, knowing Xander, didn't either.

"I think they became maniquins actually." Xander quipped.

"Well.. either way, being mature adults, or plastic manquins, 
they're not a problem so...Pool Party!" Willow truimphantly smiled. 
Pleased at her logic.

Xander opened his mouth, raising his hand imperiously to reply 
and froze. Maybe he was mulling over Willow's argument, not finding 
any weakness's he remained like that. 

"Bang. Yer dead." I said. "Willow-Logic defeats Xander-Witt. 
Flawless victory."

"Yay me!" Willow crowed. "We'll go get the swimsuits... after 
Buffy finishes my footrub."

Xander stood up. "Kay then, pool party it is. I'll head back 
to ..the basement, grab a suit. Meet you back here in thirty?"

I nodded slaving over Wiccan toes. Willow just mumbled 
something about escaping the horror of Jim Belushi pretending to be a 
zit.

Xander headed for the front door. "You've only postponed the 
inevitable." He said. "You will be Belushi's..oh yes. You will be 
his." and shut the door behind him.

Two seconds later he poked his head back in the room and 
managed one small victory. 

"I'll give Anya a call. We'll see the you two wackies in a bit 
okay?" Then shut the door before Willow's cusionany projectile of doom 
could impact with his face. I didn't say anything, I'm just a 
footrubber.


An hour later Anya and Xander walked through the front door. 
He had switched his jeans for a 'high school' Xander hawaian printed 
pair of swim trunks, he seemed somewhat proud of that. Anya came in 
behind him, wearing what some might term a 'Bikini'. Atop her head she 
had a large, wide brimmed straw hat. She was also wearing sunglasses.

The total effect made me think that someone had convinced June 
Cleaver to pose for Playboy.

"I got a new swimsuit!' Anya declared happily doing a slow 
three-sixty. "What do you think?"

It was white, and I had no intention of mentioning what that 
would mean as soon as she jumped in the water, with minimal amount of 
coverage, the tiny pieces of fabric that were supposed to, I guess, 
allow fo modesty were connected by very thing golden pieces of string. 
String that looked like it had the tensile strength of tissue paper.

"I think when you take it off it'll shrink to the size of a 
gum wrapper." I said. Willow nodded.

"As facinating as the topic of my girlfriends swimsuit is.." 
Xander interupted.

"You don't think my swimsuit is facinating?" Anya interupted 
him while giving this really..quite effective set of puppy dog eyes 
actually.

"Uh..." Ah.. it's not everday that you see someone with 
Xander's capacity for witt become flustered. 
	
I leaned over and whispered "I treasure these moments." to 
Willow. She giggled and reached up to cup my cheek, storking it with 
her fingers a few times before letting me go.

"Tell ya what Babe." Xander had recovered. "Let's all head to 
the pool and we'll talk more about your suit when we get there." He 
turned to us. "Sound good to you guys?" 

I imagined what would happen as soon as Anya jumped in the 
water...
	
"Sure." I chirupped. 

"Yeah." Willow said catching my eye. She'd read my mind. 
"That'll be an..intresting conversation."

"You got your suits?" Xander asked.

Willow patted her backpack that was lying besider her.

"Then lets go hit the pool campers!" Xander said motioning 
over his shoulder with a thumb. "Cars waiting."

"Ooo! Limo service!" Willow said.

"Actually, ten year old, with questionable breaks Cadilac 
service..but who's asking?" Xander said. 

"I got shotgun!" Anya shouted. 

I gave Xander a look.

"Relax." He held up his hands in mock surrender. "She knows 
exactly what that means and is not actually expecting to get a 
shotgun!"

And we went to the pool.



"Welcome to the Void." Xander intoned in a hollow voice as we 
came to the actual pool. Willow and I had changed into our own suits 
in the womans locker room. She was wearing a very unWillowlike two 
piece, like many of her clothes these days, it was a deep red in 
color. Almost mauve. Mine was a simple bikini as well, blue. 

Alright, alright, Willow picked it out for me last time we 
went shopping.

"Void?" Anya asked, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. "I 
thought this was a swimming pool not the edge of reality where no 
demon would think of going." She paused. "Though we did use to dare 
each other to do it all the time. That's how we lost Zürigiol, idiot 
never could turn down a challenge."

I took a few seconds to process that.

"There's a Void?" I asked.

"Sure." Anya replied. "Where did you think entropy came from? 
You think things just..run down on their own?"

"Well... yeah." Willow said. "I mean don't they?"

Anya gave a disdainful snort and shook her head. I think she 
muttered something about 'mortal thinking' but she was too quiet to 
make out exactly.

"I, myself, was actually referring to the shallow nature of 
those normally to be found here and their lack of mental prowess." 
Xander said.

"Oh look, a swimming pool." Willow said. "That's why we're 
here right? To swim? Not expose secrets of the universe that I'd 
really be happy not knowing?"

"Sure thing girlfriend." I said. "Let's go claim us some tacky 
orange lawnchairs and risk a serious case of melonoma." 

I was rewarded with a smile from Willow.

"Uh.. all I want is a nice tan." Anya piped up.

We walked around the pool looking for a free set of chairs, or 
a table, or something. The pool was large, Olympic sized easily. Along 
one side, ours, was the back of the large buillding that held the 
other services one could get here. Racket ball courts, sauna's, even 
tanning booths if, for insane reason, the eternaly sunny weather of 
Sunnydale wasn't enough for a person. Across from us was a small 
field, set up there were four vollyball course. The largest 
concentration of lawn chairs was on that side, a few had umbrellas to 
hide fromt the sun if we wanted. 

Many, many, many, biki laden girls sat, all were facing the 
vollyball courts watching as many, many speedo laden young men, all 
with perfect hair and teeth it seemed, tried to impress ladies by 
making mad dives after volleyballs where it would have been more 
effective, gamewise, to simply walk under the thing and hit it back. 

Willow saw me giving all the young men a dersive sneer but I 
caught the amusment flashing across her face. 

"Don't. Say. A. Word. Wiccan mine." I growled. 

"Ah Buffy, you can stop my words but not my thoughts." She 
giggled.

"I hear anything about 'Men, who needs them' and someone is 
going to be in serious trouble." I warned.

"I need men." Anya added, trying to fit in I guess.

"Hey!" Xander protested.

"Uh, I mean I need Xander type men." She amended.

"So you'd be happy with a clone?" Xander demanded.

"How would I know the diffrence?" Anya countered.

"Well..you just should!" Xander continued.

Willow had found an available table and she and I sat down, 
there were two more open seats but Xander and Anya, caught up in their 
'debate' missed the fact that we had stopped and continued walking 
away from us.

"They're scary." Willow said.

"Yeah, but we love em' anyway." I replied.

"Sunscreen?" Willow offered.

"You rub my back I'll rub yours." I said.

"Deal."

"Swim now or later?" I asked.

Willow pondered for a few seconds before grabbing one of the 
umbrellas and pulling it over so she was protected from the sun. 

"I wanna watch you swim." She proclaimed.

I looked from my search through her backpack for the 
sunscreen. "Can we say that one more time for those in our live 
audiance who didn't quiet catch it?"

"Please?" Willow said giving me a set of puppy dog eyes that 
Anya never could contend with. 

"Sure, yeah..okay." I shrugged. "Why not? Can I ask why 
though?"

"Would you believe because I want to think I have a mermaid?" 
She asked.

"Bzzz..wrong answer, thank you for playing though." I said. I 
was still looking for the damn sunscreen. How much stuff could she put 
in this bag anyway? "C'mon Wills, fess up."

Willow looked away from me, drumming her fingers on the table. 
Finally after a few seconds she glanced back at me. "Promise not too 
laugh?" She asked.

I reached across the table and stopped her drumming fingers by 
taking her hand in mine.

"I'd never laugh at you." I said. "Unless you remind of that 
one time in the dorm where..."

"No no no no. No reminding of that. Never, nope. Uh-uh!" 
Willow interupted, pulling her hand from mine. I could see a blush 
begining to glow on her cheeks. She's such fun to tease sometimes. 
"I'll talk, I'll talk. Just don't mention that ever again. Okay?"

"Deal." I said. Resting my elbows on the table I held my face 
in my hands. "So what's up?"

"This is probably stupid." Willow grumbled. "But...remember 
when we did that spell so you could kick Adam's butt."

"A butt that deserved a good kicking, and kicked it was too." 
I said. "Considering it was less than a month ago, I remember it 
well."

"Yeah..well.. " Willow paused. "We all became part of you 
Buffy. Or..I mean..we all came together but.."

"But?" I prompted.

"I'm ..kinda jealous." She finally whispered.

"What?" I could feel a burst of the giggles coming on but I 
fought it down. I had promised after all. 

"I'm jealous." Willow pouted. A Willow pout is lethal at close 
range if not defused quickly, and being in a public place the usual 
Pout-Disarmament techniques were not available.

"Jealous of what?" I asked.

"That..I dunno." Willow shrugged. "We're together and now 
everyone got to be a part of you. I just wanna see you swim okay? 
Something for me..just for me."

"But..you have things from just me that no one else ever had, 
or ever will." I replied.

"Yeah..yeah that's true. I just want to see you swim okay? 
Just..indulge me? MMmmm?" 

Willow can be incredibly sultry without even knowing it, her 
eyes don't half close giving her an air of mystery, nor can she do a 
convincing sultry purr. Her attempts have usually ended up with us 
both giggling on the floor after a fierce pillow fight. But.. 
sometimes..the light hits her hair just the right way, or she looks at 
you with just the hint of an impish smile and, well, I at least 
suddenly find myself willing to bend over backwards for her. 

Then Xander and Anya showed.

Xander looked somewhat shamefaced and was holding four ice 
creams treats.

"Feeling somewhat foolish for not noticing that my bestest 
buddies had sat down," He said. "I decided to treat the treats with 
treats." 

"Ooo! Slushy!" Willow said grabbing the offered goodie.

Anya took her ice cream as well. "I thought you said you'd 
give me lots of..."

"ICE CREAM!" Xander said loudly. "That's right Anya, you can 
have all the ice cream you want."

"You're so sweet." Anya purred and she leaned toward me 
whispering. "I knew he'd do that. He was just worried about me saying 
'orgasm'." She looked over her shoulder where Xander was trying to get 
Willow to give him a taste of her slushy.
	
"C'mon Willow.."

"No."

"Please?" 

"Nope."

"Have I told you how much of a bestest buddy you are?" 
Xander said.

"Yep, and as my bestest buddy you should know nothing gets 
between me and a grape flavored 
yummy." Willow replied.

"Aww.."

"If you wanted grape so badly you shouldn't have gotten 
yourself strawberry!"

"Anya says I taste better with strawberry flavoring." Xander 
griped.

"Kay, you taste better for Anya and I'll enjoy my grape 
flavored slushy." Willow said.

"Belushi will be my vengence upon thee."

"Still not getting any grape slushy." Willow crowed.

"Oh...poopy." Xander grouched; sat down in his chair, and 
nibbled fornlornly on the strawberry flavored goodie.

"He really is a sweetie." Anya whispered to me. I looked at 
Willow busily devouring her own ice cream.

"Yeah." I said with a nod. "She is..."

I watched Willow for a few minutes. 

"Hey! Xander damnit, you can't have any of my grape slushy 
either!" And I yanked it away from him, yay Slayer strength.

"Man!" Xander grumbled.



We sat in companaible silence for a few a while, just eating 
our ice cream. I finished first even though Willow had a good head 
start. I just can't resist a grape flavored ice cream treat I 
suppose..

Tossing the paper cone into a trash can I stood and declared. 
"I'm going swimming."

Anya stood up beside me. "So am I." She said.

I sat back down. "I'll watch." I said.

Anya gave me an odd look before shrugging, "Suit yourself." 
she said and walked toward the edge of the pool.

"And if you're lucky, your suit will still be suiting you 
after you dive." I muttered. "Literally."

"Say what Buffy?" Xander asked. Anya reached the edge of the 
deep end and prepared to dive.

"Xander, you do know that white swimming suits are usually 
transparent when they get wet don't you?" Willow asked. 

Anya raised her arms over her head.

Xander took a moment too digest this informaion.

"Ah hell," He said. "I knew I forgot something. Anya!"

Anya jumped. 

Nice dive.

She made an very small splash. 

There were a few small bubbles.

All of us leaned foward to get a better view of Anya 
surfacing. Willow had a mischivious grin, Xander was looking 
increasingly nervous as the seconds ticked past. Not having a mirror 
I'm not sure what I looked like but it felt like a big ol'This is 
gonna be good' type grin; with teeth.

Anya surfaced near the ladder and effortlessly clambered out 
of the water. 

Xander eyes's nearly popped out of his head and Willow gasped 
very loudly, then with a small shriek tried to hide under the table. I 
only rested my head in my hands and dearly wished I was somewhere 
else.

"Xander!!" Anya whined. "I lost my top!"

**

I was so embarressed. Not for Anya, not because of what 
happened to her either. I mean, it happened to her, not me. So why was 
I diving under the table.

Instinct I guess. 

So I'm scrabbling under the table and I can overhear what 
everyone's saying.

"Anya put on my shirt." That was Xander.

"But I lost my top." Anya was still whining. "It cost money!"

"I'll get your suit but for now would you put on my damn 
shirt? Everyone's staring." Xander again. He was sounding a bit upset. 

"It's not my fault. The water..and bad workmanship. I didn't 
know! I'm going to write a letter to the company. It's their 
responsibility." Anya said.

"Sounds like a plan babe, but please..hey..you! Yeah, you 
hormone boy, eyes sideways spud! Don't be starin' at the girl with no 
biki..just stop drooling okay?" Xander sounded like he was ready to 
pop. 

Buffy peeked beneath the table. "This pool party was your 
idea. Just bear that in mind." She whispered.

"Inviting Anya was not part of the program." I protested then 
I said, pouting. "Just wanted to have some fun."

"No worries babe." Buffy gave me a quick smile. "I'll deal." 
Then she vanished from sight.

"I'll get the suit." I heard her say. 

'Hey.' I thought. 'I wanna see her go swimming!' Okay..so..I 
was obsessing. 

I poked my head back from under the table. No one was staring 
at me at least so I alkwardly got back into my seat. 

Xander had convinced his 'girlfriend' to wear his shirt. She 
was picking at the material.

"It's..rough." She complained loudly.

"You can get back into your suit as soon as we..get it." 
Xander patiently explained. "As long as you promise to not change back 
into it in public okay?"

"Why?" Anya asked. "It's a little late to be modest isn't it? 
I mean, they already saw enough didn't they? Does it really matter?"

"Yes." Xander said. "To me."

"Why?" Anya asked again. 

"Because.." Xander shot me a look that was pleading for help. 
All I could do was shake my head and shrug. I wasn't going to 
..couldn't have been able to assist in that discussion. Uh-uh no way.

"Because no one should be allowed to see my girl except me." 
He finished. The way he flinched I guessed he thought that sounded 
kind of lame. I thought it was sweet myself. Anya must have also.

"You're so nice." She suddenly purred and reached over to cup 
Xander's face. "So nice in fact that I'm going to let you.."

I whimpered, and got ready to dive under the table again. 

"Buy me all the ice cream you want." Anya finished 
truimphantly. I think, I'm not sure but I think I saw her wink at me.	

"Ahem!" I heard Buffy behind me. I turned around in my seat. 
"Gonna get the top now." She announced.

Xander, not having a clue of earlier conversation didn't 
really react much. I guess he was thanking his lucky stars that his 
girlfriend hadn't embarrased him in public again. He was looking 
heavenward regardless.

"Thanks Buffy." He mumbled.

I nodded.

She jumped.

I am definetly partial, so biased and pro-Buffy in my heart, 
that even if my head insisted otherwise, my heart would believe she 
eclipses the sun. Mm..that's a bit extreme but I ferverently believe 
she is of a level of peachy-keeness that I have yet seen to be 
equaled. Now was no exception. 

She bent her powerful legs and leaped into the air, love 
blinds sure, and how much of it was just love blinded eyes and how 
much of it was reality I'm not sure, nor am I caring. 

She arched through the air, warm sun reflecting off every 
strand of hair, skin with just the right amount of color so as not to 
burn but not be too dark, drinking in the warmth, muscle tone with 
just the right amount of softness to be attractive. She just hung in 
the air..perfect. And very, very real. 

All mine too.

"CANNONBALL!!" Buffy screeched.

Oh no.

The resulting tidle wave crashed over me and I was soaked. I 
let out an outraged scream as cold water ran over me giving me a 
serious case of the jitters. My towel, my suit..my book. All covered 
in clorine laden pool water. Cold, clorine laded pool water. 

"Buffy!" I screeched. "You're gonna so get it!" I stalked to 
the edge of the pool waiting for her to surface.

She broke the surface a second later flinging her hair in just 
the right way so more water crested up and splashed me. 

"Xander catch!" Buffy called and threw him a soggy piece of 
white material. He snatched it out the air. 

"We'll be right back." Xander called back to us as he and Anya 
went to the changing room. I noticed one young man leering at Ayana as 
they walked past him. Her arm shot out and with a shove he was 
launched off the edge into the pool. 

"You're rude." Anya declared but I wasn't really paying 
attention to that.

No, my concentration was on another blonde who was treading 
water in the deep end of the public swimming pool smiling at me with a 
mischivious grin.

"What's the matter sweetie?" Buffy murmered. "You said you 
wanted to see me swim, you just didn't say how."

"Bufffffyyyy.." I growled. 

"Come and get me!" She dared.

Hah, just because I dived under cover when an associate walked 
around topless she thought this witch would be afraid of all 
challenges.

I dove in after her but she bolted. When I surfaced she was 
halfway across the pool.

"Over here Willow!" She called. I took off after her. She was 
in the shallow end now and started running from me while I stuck with 
the front crawl. She let me catch her of course. There's no fun in 
chasing if you don't catch eventually.

I did a surface dive as soon as she was within reach, wrapped 
my arms around her thighs, braced and pulled her legs out from under 
her. I saw her head a fuzzy blob but it was enough and I reached out 
and gently took her face in my hands and pulled her in for a quick 
aquatic smoochie. Then I pushed away and broke the surface laughing 
and swimming as fast as possible.

Of course she overtook me in a heartbeat. Her arms wrapped 
around me from behind and she lifted me off my feet. She gave me a 
quick peck on the neck that no one could have seen since it looked 
like we were just playing, and whispered. "Teasing a Slayer is a 
no-no."

"Buffy?" I asked.

Then louder she sang. "Scuze me while I kiss the sky!"

I think I must have said something along the lines of 
"WhoooaaaaAAAAHH!!" Cause with a toss, she hefted me ..up mostly. 

She was holding back, wouldn't do for a five foot five, 
uh..I'm not going to mention her wieght..collage student to throw her 
best friend straight up a good twenty feet. No, I only made it up 
about six or so which, from my point of view, was high enough thanks 
ever so much.

"Buuuffffyyyy!!" I screamed as the water came rushing up to 
meet me. I saw her, standing shoulder deep off the the side. She 
waved.

After my splash down I sank to the bottom and plotted my 
revenge. Didn't have long to wait either. I closed my eyes to keep the 
clorine out and felt her arms grab me and a second later I was cradled 
in her arms. 

"Willow?" I heard her ask. She sounded nervous. I decided to 
not be THAT cruel as to scare her ..just unerve her a bit. I rolled 
out of her carry and splashed her in the face. 

"Gotcha!" I laughed. 

Buffy blinked a few times as water dripped from the few locks 
of hair plastered to her forehead. 

"You..you.." She sputtered. "You JERK! I was worried about 
you!!" And she retaliated. She cuppered her hands and swung em' a 
one-eighty..three inches below the surface of the pool.

Can you say 'Tsunami'?

The wave of water literally knocked me off my feet and I was 
so surprised that I got a mouthful of water and went under. I hadn't 
had time to take a breath either so I was floundering under the 
surface, I didn't have the presence of mind to simply stand up. 

Again I felt strong arms drag me to the surface and Buffy was 
holding me, yet again, like a babe in a cradle. 

"Oh God, oh hell..I'm sorry..I'm sorry." She rattled on. Only 
I can be called a babbler. "Willow, c'mon babe say something. You 
better not be faking again or you'll really be in trouble. Just please 
don't be in trouble now!"

I coughed a few times and shook the water out my eyes.

"Sunbathing." I gasped.



"Right there, yes." I gasped. About ten minutes had passed 
between the two gasps, this one was resulting of Buffy, who still felt 
really guilty something I was capatalising on like all get out, was 
giving me a vigiouros backrub while rubbing in a healthy coating of 
sunscreen. Hey, I'm a redhead, I burn easily.

"Now my calves. C'mon..don't wimp out. You nearly did drown 
me." So I was feeling evil. Sue me.

"You are enjoying this way too much. You know that don't you." 
Buffy said.

I lifted my head and looked over my shoulder. "You betcha!" I 
said. 

"You are evil Wills." See?

I put my head back down and just...sighed..in contentment. It 
felt so nice. Warm sun, warm skin, warm hands.. just..relaxed. 
Peace..calm.. quiet.... aaaahhh...

"AaaaaaahhhHHHHH!!!!" I said. Or screamed actually. Xander 
stood over me with a bucket in his hand. The bucket was empty. The 
bucket had been full. It had been full of water. 

Cold water.
Very cold water.

Buffy had collapsed onto her back, laughing her sweet ass off. 
While Anya, who was sitting at our table, once again wearing her 
..less than durable swimwear.. was giggling behind her hands.

"Alexander Harris," I thundered scrambling to me feet. "You 
are a dead man!" 

Xander has an inborne ability for fast talk, passing the buck, 
dodging responsibility and moving out of harms way. This time, they 
all failed him.

"Eeeep!" He said and ran. "It seemed like a good idea at the 
time!" He hollered over his shoulder.

Instinct.. I knew what to do. 'Grab' it commanded and I did. 
Reached out..reaching, reaching...there. 'Wait' ' it said and I 
waited. Xander was running fast, he was right next to the edge.
'Now' Instinct commanded, 'Pull'. And I pulled.  

Directly underneath his feet, I felt it, a small divot of 
earth buldged upward for just a split second, Xander lurched toward 
the pool, arms pinwheeling wildly seemed about to regain his balance, 
so I just pointed my finger in his general direction and gave the air 
in front of me a swift poke.

"Nnooo faaaiiiirraaahhh!" Xander managed to cry before falling 
into the pool.

Now it was my turn to laugh out loud as Xander swam back to 
the edge of pool and hoisted himself out. His shirt was plastered to 
him, defining his phyique. Anya wolf whistled. 

Buffy and I stared at her for a few seconds and she shrugged. 
"Well, construction workers always whistle at the girls." She said.

"Ah." Buffy ah'ed. "Okay." She turned to me.

"Willow," She said quietly. "Was that you using your powers 
for less than good intentions?"

"Uh..." My brain jammed. "It was practice?" I offered feebly.

"Naughty, naughty witch." Buffy curled her fingers so they 
looked a bit like talons. "Tickle monsters gonna getcha!" 

"Oh no no no no no. Tickling bad. Please no, not tickle 
monster, tickle monster is bad enough but tickle monster in public? In 
front of everyone? That's real bad, I won't do it again! Promise, 
cross my ..er..star of david my heart..whatever. No tickle monster 
here, not in front of people. Nope, no, please. Anything but that." 

Mouth reports to central command that 'Babbling' is a go.

Xander approached me from the other side peeling off his 
shirt. Anya whistled again and shouted something like, "Take it all 
off baby!" but I was too far gone into a full blow 'We have a 
possbility of Embarrasing Behaviore in Public Place at Willow's 
expense' based panic attack to take full notice.

Xander walked over to us and shook his head violently 
splashing all of us.

I didn't mind that much as I was already cold but Buffy and 
Anya object with vehement shrieks of dissaproval. 

"There." Xander said, hands on his hips. "Now we're even."

"Ticklemonster him." I said pointing.

"Good idea." Anya backs me up.	

"Get em' girls!" Buffy hollers.

Xander turned to run. He didn't make it one step.