Repost: Feather Roads01- Water

[Mad Hamlet <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 for 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 normallyto
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 some 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 courts. 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 to 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 aftera
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, Iat
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 hada
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..college 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 davidmy
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 backed me up.	

"Get em' girls!" Buffy hollered.

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

	

Five minutes later we all collapsed on the grass exhausted. Xander had
stopped begging for mercy about two minutes into the ticklefest and was now
gasping for air as Anya clucked over him. Occasionally jabbing him in the side
which launched him into a fresh bout of chortling.

Buffy pulled herself upright and straightened out her towel. "Your turn with
the subscreen." She said.

"But all mine got washed off." I griped.

"Poor baby. Karma, using your witchy powers for selfish reasons. You're gonna
burn." She looked up at the overhead sun. "Literally."

"Meanie." I stuck my tounge out at her.

"Don't do that unless you ..ah skip it." Buffy rested her head on her arms.

"But I like innduendo. Really." I whispered. 

"Too tired." Buffy sighed. 

"Not tonight honey I have a headache?" I asked while pouring a healthy
quality of sunscreen into my hands.

"For cliché violation you should be shot. Oh, that's nice." She said as I
began rubbing her shoulder blades.

"You sure about that death sentence?" I whispered to her. I moved my handsup
and pushed away her hair and exposed her neck. I rubbed in some of the lotion
and was rewared with a purr.

"Sentence altered on grounds of new evidence." She whimpered.

"Like what?" I whispered back.

"Magic hands." She hissed as I massaged the tension out of her. 

"Love you." I said.

"Recieved and reciprocated." Her voice died away.

"Buffy?" I whispered.

Silence was the answer, she was asleep. 

Well.. this was fine, who was going to put the sunscreen on me now?

**

I groggily woke up and looked around. Xander and Anya were snoozing
themselves together on a towel a few feet away. Well actually Anya was on the
towel, Xander was just..half on, half off.

I sat up and blinked a few times. 

"Hiya." Willow said behind me.

"Hey." I said and stood up and stretched. 

"Stretch anymore and we'll be having an Anya flashback." Willow says.

I turned around, she was seated at the table wearing Anya's straw hat and
sunglasses and reading her book. 

I grabbed a chair and sat down. "How long was I out?" I asked.

"Bout an hour." She said. "You looked so cute I decided to let you stay that
way. I even went so far as soothe you when you began saying embarrasing things
in your sleep."

I froze, I was pretty sure she was just joking but Willow has pointed out on
several occasion that I do seem to mumble sometimes. She keeps threatening to
record them. 

"You're kidding." I said.

She just smiled and shook her head. I slumped foward and rested my head inmy
hands. 
	
"Oh Gods, what did I say now?" I moan.

"Not tellin'." She declared. "But," And she held up a finger, "I will say
that you have a vivid imagination."

I groaned again and slumped even lower.

"I mean, who ever would have thought of putting whipped cream on their
pizza?" Willow said.

"What?" I perked up. "I talked about food?"

"Yep." Willow nodded. "And as we are on that subject I'm getting kinda
hungry."

"Yeah, me too." I said sitting upright. "What say we bail and snag a pizza
for the movies?"

"No whipped cream though." Willow wagged her finger in warning.

"No whipped cream I promise." I paused. "But I still want pineapples."

Willow rolled her eyes and said. "Go wake up those two and we can go okay?"

	

A few minutes later we were heading for Xander's car where it was parked.
Xander and Anya were walking in front of us and Anya herself was eating
another ice cream that she insisted Xander buy for her, despite our assurances
we had lots back at my place. Guess she wanted to make sure he'd give her all
the..er...ice cream she wanted.

Willow was walking beside me, we had both changed out of our swimwear though
she still had on Anya's hat. She let out a heavy sigh.

"What's up?" I said. "You got to see me swim y'know."

"Yeah." She mumbled. "But what I really wanted to have happen didn't."

"And what would that have been?" I asked.

"Well..it's kinda cheesy but.." She leanded foward with a conspiratory smile
and whispered. "I was kinda hoping some studdmuffin would come and try to pick
you or me up and we could blow him off by doing smoochies or something. Shock
em' real good and all his friends would laugh at him. Then he'd call us rude
names and you could beat him up to defend your girlfriend's honor."

I gave Willow a look.

"You're strange." I said.

"Darn tootin!"


	

	
	




	


Look upon my work ye mighty and...ah skip it.
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-Mad Hamlet