Fic: RR&R Book III (1/?) NC17 see header for pairings

Title: Repercussions, Reactions and Retaliation Book III

Author: The Bear! (http://papa-bear.com)

Spoilers: None really, this is in the Triadverse AU and follows Reflections, which followed RR&R Book II

Pairing: Willow/Buffy/Tara Joyce/Giles Dawn/Xander Faith/Non-BtVS Characters

Summary: It’s the beginning of summer and things are heating up, in more ways than one!

Warnings: NC17 (People will eventually be having hot, sweaty, kinky, yummy sex in this story! (but not for a couple chapters or so...) If that offends you, feel free to PISS OFF)

Disclaimer: If I owned ‘em, they’d have to show it on the Xstasy Network.

Note: This series has grown far beyond its three-way girl-lovin’ origins. If anyone feels that it should no longer be posted to this website, let me know. I think by now, those that would be interested in following it anyway know where to go to find it.

========== BtVS ==========

Chapter 1

Dawn stood still, her eyes closed as she breathed in and out deeply. Her hands were joined with Willow on her left and Tara on her right as she tried to catch and match the rhythm of, first their breathing, and then their heartbeats. ‘Come on Dawn! You’ve done this before, this is supposed to be the easy part!’ she chastised herself as she became more and more frustrated with her failure.

Dawn felt her hand being released as Tara said, “Ok, stop.”

‘Damn it!’ Dawn thought angrily. She set her jaw stiffly as tears of frustration welled up in her eyes.

“What’s wrong Dawnie?” Willow asked, giving the brunette’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You were doing so well at this!”

“I’ve never seen you this unfocused, Dawn,” Tara added softly. “Your energy is all chaotic and tangled...”

“I’m sorry guys...” Dawn said apologetically. “I’ve been worked up all day... I just can’t seem to concentrate on anything today!”

“Come on, lets go sit in the living room and relax for a while,” Tara suggested. “If we feel like it we can come back here later,” she added with a gesture to their surroundings.

“Ok” Dawn nodded glumly. She followed Willow out of the opulently appointed spell-casting room, thinking, ‘Now leaving WiccaWorld, as Buffy calls it...’ but even that usually humorous thought failed to bring a smile to her face.

She walked over and dropped into the living-room chair with a huff. ‘Alright, stop pouting and get your head straight Summers!’ Dawn thought, trying through force of will to push her mood into more pleasant territory.

“You guys want a soda?” Tara asked, pausing as she turned toward the kitchen.

“Thanks baby!” Willow said with a smile.

“Of course,” Tara said with a warm smile. “Dawn?” she questioned.

“Sure, thanks Tara,” Dawn said, forcing a smile onto her own face.

They sat in silence for a minute before Willow spoke. “So you’ve had a hard time concentrating today?” she asked.

Dawn dropped her smile and sighed heavily. “Totally!” she exclaimed with a frustrated frown. “I so got busted by Heimer in calc. today!”

“What happened?” Willow asked interestedly.

“I guess he called my name, like, five times or something... Christy Felder was sitting behind me and actually had to poke me before I snapped out of it... so embarrassing,” Dawn reminisced with a chagrinned headshake.

“That sucks!” Willow commiserated.

“Tell me about it,” Dawn agreed. “I mean, usually I could care less what people at school think of me... but she’s a serious beyoch... kinda a Cordelia, but not as deep. Oh, and she’s meaner.”

“Yeouch!” Willow said, eyes wide. “I remember, in our freshman year, I used to sit behind Cordelia in American history, and I’d stare at the back of her head and try to make it explode with my thoughts...”

“Willow!” Tara said reprovingly, returning from the kitchen with a tray and three glasses.

“Well, it’s not like I thought it would really work... but you don’t know, Tara...” Willow said, her voice heavy. “She’s like a totally different person today... not only did she make my life a living hell growing up, she took pleasure in it!”

“Aww, sweetie...” Tara said with a sad look.

Willow’s face lightened and she got a devilish smirk as she went on, “All I’m saying is, she’s lucky I didn’t have any powers back then...”

“Yeah, that’s Christy now,” Dawn said. “I swear, the only time you see that girl smile is when she’s hurting someone else...”

“She’s probably very sad and lonely underneath it all,” Tara opined as she handed out the drinks.

“Probably, but it’s a self-perpetuating cycle- and her viciousness only pushes everyone farther away...” Dawn mused. “Still, it’s hard to feel sorry for her. Usually I just blow off whatever she says about me, cause, please, High School popularity? So, so over it!”

“But today?” Tara prompted.

“Yeah, today,” Dawn sighed. “I was already in a mood, so getting busted for flaking out didn’t help, and then having it be her that snapped me out of la-la land... badness.”

“Why were you in a mood to begin with?” Tara asked, orienting on the root of the problem.

Dawn felt her face grow hot and tried to cover by taking a long drink of her soda. ‘Busted again!’ she thought as she looked at the two witches’ knowing smiles. ‘That’s it, take joy in my misery,’ she thought uncharitably.

“Let me guess,” Willow said gleefully. “A certain Y-chrom Scooby still stuck in low gear?”

“Oh God! He is driving me insane!” Dawn lamented.

Willow broke out into laughter. Tara had a smile on her face that said it was only her sympathy that was keeping her from outright laughter herself.

“Sure, go ahead and laugh at my pain,” Dawn said melodramatically.

“Oh, does he do that thing with his tongue?” Willow suddenly asked.

‘That’s right, you’ve experienced Xander-kissage before, haven’t you?’ Dawn realized. “That thing with the circles?” she asked, surprised. At Willow’s look of pleased agreement, Dawn went on, “Oh, I figured he learned that from Anya...”

“You learned that from *Xander*!?” Tara interjected, aghast.

“Hey, say what you want, that boy can *kiss*!” Willow replied with a laugh.

“Oh my God! You don’t have to tell me!” Dawn gushed in agreement, misery forgotten for a moment at the remembered pleasure. “I kid you not; I have had to change my panties more times than I can count, just from him kissing me!”

“I have to tell you, Dawn,” Tara began. “As frustrating as it might be, Xander is showing more restraint than I thought a man was even capable of having!”

“Yeah, I think it’s kinda sweet... and plus, you know for sure that he isn’t just with the lust...” Willow added.

Dawn took a deep breath. “It is sweet... it’s more than sweet. And yeah, it just goes to prove how much he really cares for me,” She felt a warm shiver run from her stomach, up her spine and to her scalp which tingled at the sensation. Her smile was beatific as she said, “I can tell he’s totally falling in love with me and I’m pretty sure he’s gonna actually tell me he loves me pretty soon...”

“But?” Tara asked, apparently sensing that there was more to it.

“But...” Dawn blushed as she paused before blurting, “I want sex!”

Willow and Tara laughed out loud.

“God!” Dawn threw up her hands in exasperation. “We’ve been going out for months! I want him so bad I can taste it! I mean, I masturbate so often that I’m afraid I’m gonna get carpal tunnel syndrome or something!”

“Dawn!” Tara exclaimed.

Willow just laughed harder.

“I swear, I just don’t get it,” Dawn went on, now in full-blown rant. “Every night we make out and I can feel how it’s affecting him. He can’t wear sweats around the apartment or he looks like he’s dowsing for water or something!”

Willow laughed so hard she fell onto her side, still cackling as Dawn went on, while Tara had tears streaming down her face, and her entire body was shaking with suppressed laughter.

“I’m pretty sure you could see his thing coming around a corner a couple seconds before the rest of him caught up,” Dawn continued.

“Willow was screaming in laughter, shouting “Stop! Dawn you’re killing me!”

“He’s jerking off so much that it’s hard to find a clean towel in the place! But he won’t let me take care of it!” Dawn complained. “God, I’ve all but begged him to let me go down on him, and I know he wants it cause he gets this wild look in his eyes and makes this high pitched whimper in the back of his throat. If I’m pressed up against him I can actually feel it twitch!”

Tara raised her hands in surrender and said, “Ok, that’s really more information than I needed Dawn.”

Dawn’s face collapsed and a tear started at her eye as she quietly spoke. “Tara... what am I going to do? I know it’s funny, but it’s serious too... I ache for him, like literally! I’m not even scared of how it’ll hurt anymore, cause it hurts now being so close, but not close enough. I... he’s all I think about all the time! I can’t concentrate in school, I can’t center my self for spells... I’m, like, a wreck. I want him so badly!” she finished in a desperate cry.

“Aw, Dawnie... Have you talked to him, I mean have you said these things to him?” Tara asked sympathetically.

“I have... I mean, not in so many words... I don’t want to be, like, pressuring him or anything...” Dawn said glumly.

“Have you thought about maybe, maybe getting less intense in the kissing department?” Tara asked hesitantly.

“You mean cooling things down so I don’t get so worked up all the time?” Dawn asked.

Tara nodded.

“I can’t tell you how much I don’t want to do that,” Dawn said sadly. “But, I have thought about it... I don’t know if it would work, or if I’d just want him more... Or, even if it would work, would it just make things worse, make him think I couldn’t handle it, like I’m too immature... God, my guts get all twisted in knots just thinking about it!” she lamented.

Dawn forced herself to take several deep breaths. ‘No way I’m gonna get centered, but I’ve gotta calm down before I lose it here,’ she thought.

“I... I might have to resort to that...” she admitted, as much to herself as to the witches. “I guess I just keep hoping...” she trailed off with a shake of her head.

“Well, since we’re not going to solve that problem here today, and I think magic is probably best left alone, let’s change the subject,” Tara suggested. “Buffy’ll be home pretty soon; we could watch a movie or something?”

“Oh, and we have ice cream!” Willow said excitedly. “Best medicine for a heavy heart!”

Dawn perked up slightly. “What kind?”

“Haggen Daas, chocolate fudge swirl!” Willow said with a happy smile.

“Oohh!” Dawn moaned in anticipation. “I guess I could be persuaded...”

“It’s not better than sex, but it’s pretty close!” Willow said with a giggle as she jumped up. “Come on, pouty girl. You can help.”

‘I love these girls,’ Dawn thought as she stood up to follow the redhead. ‘They really are the greatest!’

========== BtVS ==========

Xander was laying on the couch in his and Dawn’s apartment, relaxing and listening to Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir.

‘Man, what a weird year...’ he mused as he nodded his head to the pulsing beat. ‘Everything is different in ways I couldn’t have even imagined...’

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

‘Hmm, wonder who that could be,’ he thought as he reluctantly rolled off of the couch. ‘It’s daylight, and evil so rarely knocks anyway...’

Ingrained caution made him look out the peephole before even considering opening the door.

“Buff!” he said in surprise. He couldn’t help smiling as he opened the door. My bestest Buffy buddy! What brings you to Casa del Xander on this fine Friday afternoon?”

“Hey Xan,” Buffy said with an almost embarrassed smile as she entered.

“Whatsamatter, Buffy?” Xander asked, concerned by the strange look on Buffy’s face.

“Hmm, nothing’s wrong,” she answered. “Just kinda feeling antsy... kinda bored actually...”

Xander barked out an ironic laugh at that. “Boy did you come to the right place then, cause I was right in the middle of a highly exciting session of staring at the ceiling...”

Buffy smiled at that.

“Yep, it’s Xander’s house-o-fun around here!” he continued as he closed the door. “You want a drink or something?” he said, gesturing toward the kitchen. “I’ve got a wide variety- Pepsi, diet Pepsi, or there’s the ever-refreshing Sunnydale tap water.”

Buffy dropped down onto the couch and said, “Pepsi please,” in her bubbly voice. Then she wrinkled her nose and added, “I’m not sure which of the other two is worse.”

“Well, the water comes with the whole plumbing thing, though who’d actually drink it is questionable. The diet pepsi is your sister’s fault...” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper and added, “I keep it segregated from the good stuff... you never know when it might vamp-out and try to drain the sugar from the other cans...”

Buffy laughed out loud.

‘Ah, mission accomplished!’ he thought as he walked to the kitchen to get the drinks. ‘Can’t have any of my girls moping around!’

He returned and handed Buffy her can and then sat down opposite her in his recliner. “So, you were attacked by the boredom monster, huh?”

“Yeah. Things were getting a little too wiccy at the house,” she said with a slight grimace.

Xander smiled. “Ah yes, our wonderful witches... where would we be without them? You still wigged out by them training Dawn?”

She shrugged and took a long drink of soda. “Not really, I guess... I dunno.”

“Well, that’s definitive...” he said with a grin.

“You don’t worry about her? Wanting to, you know, like, join the fighting?” she asked tentatively.

“Of course I worry,” Xander said, becoming more serious. “How could I not?”

“I dunno, I just don’t like the thought of her getting hurt...” she said with a sigh.

“Preaching to the choir over here, Buff. Unfortunately, danger has an annoying tendency to come looking for her, whether she wants to fight the good fight or not,” Xander said unhappily. “No matter how much we wish it wouldn’t. I guess I’d just rather see her have the tools to fight back... and since she didn’t inherit your Slayer-strength, that means magic.”

‘And guns!’ he added silently to himself. ‘No matter how much they wig you out!’

“Yeah, I guess,” she agreed half-heartedly.

“So, classes are over for the summer, all that brain-cramming and testing is done for another year...” he said, changing the subject. “You gotta be loving that!”

“Definitely!” she agreed, nodding her head. Her _expression_ grew pensive as she added, “It’s weird though...”

He raised his brows as she trailed off. “What’s weird?” he asked.

“Well... it’s kinda like, what’s the point?” she answered contemplatively. “I mean, isn’t the point of college that you graduate and get a degree so you can get a good job? And you want a good job- hopefully doing something you don’t hate- so you can make good money, so you can, you know, live well and stuff...”

Xander smiled knowingly. He gestured towards her with his soda in emphasis as he interjected, “But you already live well, and money’s not an issue anymore, and you’re in a really good, committed relationship with the most wonderful girl, and now you kinda don’t know what you’re supposed to do with yourself!”

She tilted her head and looked at him strangely for a moment. Then she smiled with realization and said, “Sounds like I’m not the only one...”

“Huh?” Xander asked, confused.

“I would have said ‘girls’ in my case,” she explained.

“Oh, right...” he said, slightly chagrined.

“I would have thought you would enjoy the whole ‘not having to work’ thing, especially with some of the jobs you got stuck with before the construction thing...” Buffy opined.

“I do, I did... it’s just- and believe me when I tell you I never imagined I would say this, but- there’s only so much laying around, watching TV a man can do!” Xander explained, his voice expressing his own surprise at the fact.

Buffy laughed at that.

“It’ll be better after next week,” Xander mused.

“Why? What’s next... oh...” Buffy trailed off in realization. “High school gets out for the summer.”

‘Doh! Had to go and bring that up!’ Xander chastised himself silently.

Neither said anything for a moment. Finally, Buffy broke the silence.

“You know, we should really talk about that... I mean, I know we’ve been avoiding the subject...”

‘*We* have?’ Xander raised his eyebrow in surprise.

Buffy blushed and dropped her gaze at Xander’s questioning look. “Ok, *I* have been avoiding it...”

“It’s ok, Buff,” Xander started.

Shaking her head, Buffy interrupted his knee-jerk dismissal of her behavior, “No, Xander, it’s really not. Outside of the two women I’m actually in love with, you are my best friend in the whole world... and you also happen to be my sister’s boyfriend; I just need to get over myself and accept that.”

‘Wow!’ he thought. Still, his inclination was to smooth things over. “It’s understandable, I mean it’s not what anyone expected...”

“That’s sweet of you Xander, but stop it,” Buffy said firmly. “I’ve been acting like you were doing something wrong, being with my sister. We both know that the truth is, there isn’t a better match for my sister in the world, and I’m glad that you guys were both strong enough to push for it to happen. Despite my reaction.”

‘Double wow!’ Xander thought, feeling a pang of emotion in his chest. His eyes grew slightly moist as he said, “Thanks Buff, that really means a lot to me.”

“Yeah well...” She muttered as she blushed and ducked her head.

‘Wow, that’s really a relief...’ Xander realized, feeling a tension in his stomach relax. ‘I didn’t even realize how much that was affecting me!’

A grin had returned to her face by the time she looked back up at him. “Just don’t make me an auntie anytime soon, ok?”

Now it was his turn to blush. “Oh, no! No need to worry about that, Buff!” he hastened to reassure her. “I am *so* not ready to be a father!”

Buffy’s _expression_ again grew contemplative and she said, “I dunno, Xan... I kinda think you’d be a great father.”

Xander’s eyes grew wide.

“Just not for a few years, ok?”

“I don’t know if I can convey just how little you have to worry about that!” Xander said with a shudder. ‘Children not on my list of short term, medium term, and maybe not even long term plans!’

Buffy just laughed at him.

========== BtVS ==========

‘This is nice,’ Xander thought contentedly. ‘We haven’t just hung out and talked about stuff in a long time.’

“You guys got another vacation planned now that summer’s here?” he asked.

“Yep,” Buffy affirmed. “I owe Will a Mediterranean cruise.”

“What did she do to earn that?” Xander asked, confused by the way Buffy had worded her statement.

Buffy’s raised eyebrows made him realize how his own wording could be misconstrued. “Uh, I... what I meant was, how is it that you owe her a Mediterranean cruise?”

“Ahh, well, she was set on that for spring break, but I talked her into Jamaica instead,” Buffy explained. “So, it’s her turn to pick.”

“Lemme guess... she wants to see all the historical stuff, right?” Xander asked with a grin.

“Yeah, but she promised if I went to the museums and stuff with her, we could hit the dance clubs at night,” she answered. “You know me, anything to make my honey happy!”

“What did Tara want to do?” he asked.

Buffy shrugged, “She liked both ideas, so she wins either way. It’ll be her turn to pick next time.”

“Do they have a Marquis De Sade resort somewhere in France?” Xander asked, grinning madly.

His humor was repaid with a throw pillow to the face. “Ha, ha, very funny Xander!” she said with a mock-glare.

“I thought so!” Xander laughed. “Besides, if there was such a thing, you know you’d totally go!”

‘And that blush tells me how right I am!’ he thought smugly.

“Anyway!” she loudly changed the subject. “Are you and Dawn doing anything travel-wise?”

“Well, I actually have... wait a minute,” Xander said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Did Dawn put you up to this?”

“What? What are you talking about?” Buffy said, seeming genuinely surprised.

“She’s been trying like mad to get me to spill my plans for her birthday next week,” Xander explained.

Buffy’s eyes grew wide and a look of horror came across her face.

“You forgot your sister’s birthday!?” Xander loudly exclaimed, shocked.

“I didn’t forget! It’s June 8^th, I knew it was June 8^th, I didn’t forget that...” she protested. “I just... I forgot it was June already...” she trailed off guiltily.

“Buffy, Buffy, Buffy... What are we going to do with you?” Xander asked, shaking his head dramatically.

“I’ve still got the weekend to get her something,” she said defensively. “And, we already planned to do dinner with all the Scoobies that night...”

She trailed off as Xander shook his head. “Change of plans- Scooby dinner is postponed to Sunday, but you can’t tell Dawn.” He cautioned.

A crafty grin stole over Buffy’s face. “You’ve got a surprise trip for her, huh? Tell me!”

‘Bwuhahaha!’ Xander laughed evilly in his head. “Nope, not telling!” he said slyly.

“Xander!” she cried with a full-on Buffy-pout.

“Nope!” he said firmly. “If I can resist a week of Dawn-pouts, *and* Willow’s resolve-face, you won’t be able to break me!”

When it looked like she was about to protest further, he interjected, “Besides, part of the fun for Dawn is going to be her getting to tell you guys all about it. You wouldn’t want to ruin that, would you?”

“Yes!” Buffy said petulantly.

He just raised an eyebrow and stared at her disapprovingly.

Her eyes dropped and her pout actually increased. “No, I guess not,” she said grudgingly.

Xander laughed, “Poor Buffy. It’s only a week and a couple days, and then you’ll know.” Changing the subject slightly, he asked, “So, do you have any idea what you’re getting her for her birthday?”

“Actually, me and Tara and Willow could take her clothes shopping or something... that’d be kinda fun...” Buffy said, thinking aloud.

“You should take her yourself, just the two of you...” he said.

“You think?” Buffy asked quizzically.

“Well, she sees Will and Tara all the time, and I’m sure she’d have fun with them and all, but she doesn’t get to spend much time with you, especially with you two living in separate places now...” he explained. “You guys could, you know, do the sister bonding thing...”

“That’s possible...” she said, apparently mulling it over. “What are you going to get her? Or, is that part of the surprise?”

“It is, but I’ll tell you that part,” Xander said, taking pity on the pouty Slayer. “I’m getting her a car.”

“A car?!” Buffy asked incredulously. “I don’t even have a car!” she objected.

“Yes, but unlike some other people I know, Dawn is an excellent driver,” Xander said with a sardonic grin.

“Hey!” she protested. She then stated, “Besides, you can’t get her a car- she doesn’t even have a license!”

‘Jealous much?’ Xander thought with a smile. “That’s true,” he allowed. “However, she does have her learner’s permit...”

“She does?” Buffy asked, taken aback. “When did that happen?”

“See, you guys do need to spend some sister-time,” he chided. “She’s been practicing driving with me for months, and you didn’t even know.”

“Where was I?” she said rhetorically.

“Busy. School, slayage, girlfriend time... It all adds up,” Xander said, not unsympathetically.

“I’m a bad sister!” Buffy said self-reprovingly.

“Buff! It’s no big, it’s not like you’ve been avoiding her or anything... Life happens, so make some time and take her shopping for her birthday, I’m sure everything will be cool.”

“I will!” she said decisively. “Hey, since you’ve got her booked up next weekend, and she’s got finals this week- you think I could steal her away tomorrow?”

Xander laughed. ‘Once she actually makes a decision, she’s like a pit bull!’ he thought affectionately. ‘Though, she’d probably hit me for comparing her to a dog...’

“Sure, Buff! I’m sure she’d appreciate an excuse to blow studying for a few hours...” he said genially.

“Ugh, yeah,” Buffy grunted. “Finals. I am so glad to have mine be of the past... Thank God I have Willow to help me through school... I’d probably have flunked out otherwise...”

“I can’t say I miss school, pretty much at all,” Xander mused.

“Hey, you want another soda?” she interjected, getting up and walking toward the kitchen.

“Sure, thanks,” he said.

Watching her walk away, he had a minor epiphany, ‘Wow, I didn’t even check out her butt... I always check out Buffy’s butt... I must really be in love!’ With a shake of his head, he realized how others would construe that thought, ‘Wow, I had *so* better never share this little realization with anybody, ever! God, Xander! Horndog much?”

“So, Xander, you’re a rich man, why are you still in this little apartment?” Buffy asked aloud from the kitchen.

“What’s wrong with this apartment?” Xander asked.

Buffy walked back in and handed him a soda before sinking back into the couch. “Nothing’s *wrong* with it,” she explained. “It’s just... you could afford something, I don’t know, bigger? Nicer?”

She looked around the room as if noticing it for the first time and her _expression_ grew pensive. “You haven’t spent any of the money have you?”

Embarrassed, Xander blushed slightly and muttered, “Just rent and utilities and food and stuff...”

‘And that’s only cause Dawn kicked my ass when she found out I was gonna try and get a job... how’s that for twilight-zone world?’ he thought, remembering her shock when she caught him checking the want-ads.

“Where’s the giant-screen TV? Where’s the stereo that goes so loud it shatters the windows? Where’s all the normal ‘if only I were rich’ guy-stuff?” Buffy asked incredulously.

“I’m still adjusting to the whole thing...” Xander said. ‘Ok, that sounded lame even to me.’

Buffy stared at him for long moments, obviously trying to fathom why he wasn’t spending the money.

“You were less than enthused when we first brought up the money...” she stated.

‘Crap! Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!’ Xander though, furious at himself. ‘Gotta get her off this train of thought!’

“It’s no big, Buff. I’m buying Dawn a car... an expensive surprise for her birthday... and we are going to get a nicer place, I just wanted to wait until, you know, school was out... you know, so she’d have time to house hunt with me and stuff... I mean what’s the rush?” he blathered, desperately trying to appear cool despite his mental panic.

Buffy’s nose scrunched up and she frowned, clearly taken aback by his response. “What’s wrong with you, Xander?”

‘Work brain! Work!’ he shouted at himself. “Uh... I...”

‘Oh no,’ he cried silently as a look of comprehension came over Buffy’s face. He felt his insides turn to ice at the thought. ‘Oh, God; she figured it out.’

“Wait, don’t say it!” she cried, raising her hands in front of her face as if to shield herself. “It has to do with those ‘details’ I made you promise never to tell me, right?”

“Uh...” he dumbly repeated. He felt like he was leaning over a precipice, fear and guilt making his stomach rumble threateningly. The icy feeling inside him began to leach outward into his limbs, making them heavy and numb.

“Ok, moving on to another subject now,” Buffy said decisively.

“Ok,” he said disbelievingly. ‘Did I just get let off of the hook?’ he wondered, not quite trusting his good fortune. “Um, you think of a new subject, I’m gonna go use the facilities...”

“Actually, I need to run, Xan,” she said as she looked up at the clock on the wall. “I promised I’d be home after the magic lesson...”

“Ok, that’s cool. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” he said, his fairly even voice belying his true state.

“Yep,” she quipped with a smile. She got up and walked over to the door as she continued. “I’ll make sure it’s cool with Dawnie, and I’ll come over in the morning... uh, late morning,” she hastily corrected, blushing.

“Ok,” Xander said, too distracted to rise to the bait.

“Ok, see ya!” Buffy said as she opened the door and left the apartment.

“That was too damn close!” he muttered as the feeling of ice in his veins faded slightly. Standing up, he felt a strong wave of vertigo and nearly fell. “Whoa, major head-rush!” he mumbled. He quickly stumbled off to the bathroom to throw up.

========== BtVS ==========

Feed me baby!

TheBear!

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