FIC: The Good, The Bad & The Fangy 1/?

["dawnm92" <dawnm92@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello again...

This is part one of the sequel to my earlier fic "Ages Apart". I hope 
you can forgive the presence of Joxer in the first couple of 
chapters. He was a big part of the actual Xena episode this is based 
on and I decided to leave him in my fic...he's good for a few laughs. 
And he does disappear after awhile so our girls can have some alone 
time (I promise).
Special thanks to Kat and Ann Marie who showed an interest in reading 
more of the story...
****************************************************************

Title: The Good, The Bad & The Fangy

By: dawnm

Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or Xena. All Hail Joss Whedon, Rob 
Tapert, et al. Please don't sue me for trying to have a little fun 
with them.
Spoilers: Takes place around Buffy s3 ep. "Choices" and Xena s2 
eps. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and "Return of Callisto", but events 
from all episodes prior to those are fair game for mention here as 
well.
Rating: PG-13ish

Pairings: Buffy/Willow, Xena/Gabrielle

Summary: What might a slayer slay 100 years B.C.? How do two 
California city girls fare in the wild outdoors? **Sequel to my 
story "Ages Apart".**
Feedback: I'd love to hear what you think of the story. Feel free to 
email me anytime with comments or questions.  
***************************************************************
Chapter 1 - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun


"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh" Joxer appeared on the scene, running from a pack of 
wolves.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhh" Gabrielle screamed, startled to see Joxer running 
straight at her. He knocked the bard to the ground and kept running. 
The wolves were right on his heels and trampled the bard as they 
passed by, hot on Joxer's trail.
"Get out! Get out of here!" Xena yelled, pulling her whip
from Argo's 
saddle horn and ordering the horse away from the fray.
"Woah woah woah woah woah woah." Joxer continued to scream, 
scrambling partway up a nearby tree in an attempt to escape the 
wolves.
Buffy got up from the ground and tried to help Willow to her feet. 
The redhead was still weak from the spell and more than a little 
disoriented by the sudden rush of events. One of the wolves took a 
keen interest in the hacker who seemed an easy target.
Xena ran to Gabrielle, who was still lying on the ground, and swiftly 
pulled the bard to her feet. "Stay behind me!" She ordered,
pushing 
Gabrielle behind her as the warrior faced off with the wolf pack.
"You don't have to tell me twice." The bard replied,
hiding behind 
Xena with her hands resting on the warrior's hips.
Buffy pulled Willow to her feet then and the redhead leaned against a 
nearby tree for support. When the wolf lunged at the hacker's leg, 
the slayer dived in front of her, kicking the wild dog squarely in 
the chest and sending it sprawling into a nearby tree, yelping in 
pain.
"Be careful, Buffy." Xena called, cracking the whip at the wolves 
that were surrounding the tree that Joxer had sought refuge 
in. "These aren't ordinary wolves. They're Bacchae."
"You dumb mutt! You--! And, you--! Gotcha! Get outta here! Mister 
Mean Dog! Mister `Nip me in the--'" Joxer taunted the wolves,
now 
that he was safely out of their reach.
He lost his footing then and his leg slid down the tree a ways, just 
enough that the leader of the pack could reach him. The wolf sank his 
teeth into Joxer's boot, pulling with all his might. "Aaahhhh, Xena! 
Help! Get off of me! Ooh! Ow! Ow ow ow ow!" Joxer cried as he fought 
to hold onto the tree branch above him.
Xena stepped up her attack then, cracking the whip at the wolves, 
snapping one directly across the snout. The wolf yelped and ran away. 
A few more well placed shots with her whip and the warrior had 
effectively scattered the pack. Finally, the wolves retreated into 
the forest.
"Yeah! Get out of here! And&and don't come back, either! Ha
Ha Ha." 
Joxer taunted, trying to save face after his cowardly behavior. He 
started to breathe heavily and stumbled a little, as if he might 
start hyperventilating or simply faint and fall from the tree.
"Joxer!" Gabrielle called, seeing his unsteadiness.

"Huh?" He replied.

"Are you all right? " The bard asked.

"Me? Ha-ha-ha-ha-yeah. Never better! You see&the secret to
defeating 
a wolf pack is to wear `em down. I had those mongrels right where
I 
wanted `em." He replied, trying to appear manly in front of
Gabrielle 
as he hopped down from the tree.
"Uh-huh?" Xena said doubtfully. "So, what brings you to these 
parts?"  

"Mission - to save the world. Package - from Orpheus to
Xena." Joxer 
answered self-importantly. 

"Orpheus?" Xena questioned, grabbing the sack that Joxer held
out.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Speaks for itself." Joxer replied, as Xena opened the sack
and 
reached inside.
"Aaaaaaahhhh" Orpheus screamed, as the warrior pulled his head out of 
the sack, dangling him by his hair.
"Eeww." Gabrielle responded catching sight of the body-less head. 
Willow, who was still trying to get her bearings, gasped at the sight 
and struggled to stay upright as she felt her knees start to give way.
"Are you alright, Will?" Buffy asked, helping to steady the girl.

"Uh huh. I'll be okay." The redhead replied. "I think maybe I should 
sit down." Buffy led her to a nearby stump where she gratefully took 
a seat.
"Ouuuchh! Ow! Ow! Ouch! Ouch!" Orpheus continued.

"Never pick him up by his hair." Joxer advised, taking the
head from 
Xena and holding it on his lap as he sat down on a rock ledge. 

"Orpheus, Bacchus did this to you." Xena charged.

"I thought you'd recognize his handiwork. Since we last met,
I've 
dedicated my life to stopping Bacchus. For a long time, my music 
worked. But now, he's cursed me. He took my body, but left me
eyes 
and ears to see and hear all the evil he brings to the world. For as 
long as Bacchus lives on Earth, I will live in agony." Orpheus 
replied.
"So, it was Bacchus who took those girls." Gabrielle guessed.

"Yes. Tomorrow night he'll make them full-fledged
Bacchae." Orpheus 
confirmed.
"And you want my help." Xena noted.

"I've hated you for a long time, Xena. And you're the
last person I'd 
ask for a favor. But you're the only person who knows Bacchus
well 
enough to do the job." He replied.
"Do you still have your lyre?" Xena asked.

"I've kept it hidden in town with my friend, Melodus. He can
play it 
while I sing." He explained.
"Knowing Bacchus, it won't be safe for long. Come on."
Xena informed 
them, turning to walk away.
"Not so fast, Xena. I want to remind you that innocent lives are
at 
stake. Maybe this time you'll be more careful." Orpheus added 
sarcastically. 

The warrior ignored the comment, instead turning to Joxer. "Find
a way to make him presentable and then we'll leave." She
ordered.

****************************

"What was that all about?" Gabrielle asked as she followed
Xena over 
to where Buffy and Willow were sitting.
"My army fought Bacchus a long time ago. And on the final day of
the 
battle, an innocent woman got caught between my army and Bacchus' 
forces. The fighting was fierce. There was no way we could protect 
her and she was killed. I'm sure it was Bacchus who killed her,
but 
Orpheus always blamed us both." Xena explained.
"Who was she?" The bard asked softly.

"Orpheus' wife." Xena answered sadly before turning her
attention to 
Willow and Buffy.
"How are you doing?" She asked, looking down at the hacker.

"I'm feeling a little better." The redhead assured her. 

"Do you think you can make the walk toward town?" Xena asked.

"Uh, I think so. I'll try." Willow answered.

"Mind telling us what's up?" Buffy interjected then, feeling more 
than a little out of the loop.
"I'm sorry you got stuck in the middle of all this." The warrior said 
sincerely. "But we need to get moving. Gabrielle can fill you in on 
the way. Ready?"
Buffy looked to Willow, who nodded and got to her feet. 

"So, you're Joxer?" Buffy asked when the warrior wanna-be came to a 
stop beside her.
"Yep, that's me, Joxer The Mighty." He proclaimed. Buffy and Willow 
shared a look and tried to stifle their laughter.
"You're not from around here, are you?" Joxer asked, giving the two 
girls an odd look. He had been to a lot of places, met a lot of 
different people, but he'd never seen women wearing pants before.
"Nope. We're just visiting. I'm Buffy, by the way." The slayer 
said. "And this is Willow."
"What kind of name is Buffy? I've never heard that before." Joxer 
noted.
"Hey Joxer, get up here and leave our friends alone, will ya?" Xena 
called. 

Gabrielle fell in step beside Willow and advised the slayer and 
hacker on everything that they knew about Bacchus and his plans as 
the group walked toward town.
"So, this guy is some kind of god, like Zeus or something?" Buffy 
questioned. The bard nodded. "But aren't gods supposed to be good?" 
The slayer asked. 

"Ha. Not the ones I know." Gabrielle replied.

"A-and the Bacchae are like vampires?" Willow asked.

"Kind of, yeah." The bard replied.

"Figures." Buffy retorted. "I get sucked into some time portal and 
dropped two thousand years in the past and I still can't get a day 
off." She quipped.
****************************

Within an hour, the group was coming to the edge of town. They could 
hear music playing and see people dancing in the street. "A 
festival&" Gabrielle noted. "Looks like fun."
"Yeah, every year the villagers have a festival to scare away the 
Bacchae. They have a prize for best costume, too." Joxer 
replied. "Guess we know who's winning this year." He added,
looking back at Orpheus, who looked like a scarecrow, riding atop 
Argo. As Xena had ordered, Joxer had made him 'presentable' by 
fashioning a body for him out of some old clothes stuffed with straw. 

"Ha-ha! Very funny." Orpheus interjected.

"Here I thought I'd seen it all." Buffy commented. "But you
guys&you 
lead a very strange life."
They walked into town and entered Melodus' shop. "Melodus?"
Orpheus 
called. Getting no response, he added, "He must be in the back
room." 

Xena pulled back the curtain to enter the room and there they found 
Melodus hanging from the ceiling. He had obviously been 
murdered. "Melodus&no!" Orpheus cried.
Gabrielle and Willow were shocked by the sight of the man and quickly 
averted their eyes from the gruesome sight. His body was mutilated 
and caked in blood.
"The Bacchae did this." Xena said disgustedly, turning and
heading 
toward the door to go out in search of the demons that were 
responsible.
"And they've taken the lyre." Orpheus added, noting that
the 
instrument was not in its usual place.
"Xena?" Gabrielle called. The warrior paused and turned to the 
bard. "I'm going with you." She insisted.
"No, Gabrielle. Buffy can come with me. I need you and Willow to stay 
here and protect Orpheus. Without him, we don't stand a chance."
Xena explained. 

"Get some rest while we're gone." Buffy advised, giving Willow's hand 
a squeeze.
"Promise you'll be careful&" Willow said, looking concerned.

"Absolutely." Buffy assured her.

When the warrior and slayer had gone, Willow and Gabrielle went out 
onto the balcony to escape from Joxer and Orpheus' bickering. They 
leaned against the railing and gazed down at the festival going on in 
the street below. Hearing a scream, the bard searched the crowd for 
the source of the cry and saw a young girl being dragged around the 
corner.
"I'll be right back." Gabrielle said, heading
determinedly toward the 
door.
"Gabrielle?" Joxer called after her.

"Stay here." She ordered as she went out the door.

The bard worked her way through the crowded streets, searching for 
any sign of the girl or her captors. She walked around for several 
minutes, but her efforts were in vain. The girl was no where to be 
found. 

As she walked through town, throngs of people danced around her, 
gyrating to the rhythmic tribal music. Two women took a keen interest 
in the bard and began dancing in circles around her. Whether it was 
the music or the women themselves, something was having a profound 
effect on Gabrielle. She seemed to be falling into a trance of some 
kind. Soon, she began to sway to the music as the two women danced 
around her. 

****************************

"Ah, the precious golden lyre&isn't it beautiful?"
The Bacchae woman 
said to her companion as the two made their way through the alley.
Two men approached them then. "Need some help, ladies?" The
first man 
asked. 

"Yeah, that hunk of gold is too heavy for pretty things like
you." 
His friend added.
"You're cute. Come closer&and I'll let you have
it." The Bacchae 
replied, laying the lyre on a nearby crate.
"That's not all you'll let me have. Come on,
beautiful." The first 
man responded, grabbing the woman by the waist and pulling her to him 
suggestively. In a moment, the two women had "vamped out", 
transforming from seemingly normal girls into full-fledged Bacchae. 

Their eyes turned from brown to a disturbing yellow outlined in red, 
and their mouths were suddenly sporting some seriously lethal fangs. 
The other defining feature of the Bacchae women, quite different from 
your average vampire, was the transformation of their fingernails 
into very long, very sharp, black claws. Within seconds, the two 
Bacchae attacked the men, sinking their teeth into their necks and 
feeding like crazed animals before finally tossing the men aside.
"Hey, girls, sorry to break up the party." Xena called, as
she and 
Buffy approached them from behind. The Bacchae whirled around to face 
them and the warrior and slayer ran toward them. Xena took to the air 
and planted a solid kick in the first Bacchae's chest, sending her 
sailing back at least fifteen feet before she crashed into a wall.
The slayer took on the other Bacchae, landing a roundhouse kick in 
her face, followed by a series of punches. When Buffy reached out to 
take hold of her, the Bacchae raised her arms and took flight, flying 
several feet into the air and landing on a balcony overhead. "Hey? 
They can fly? You never told me they could fly!" The slayer 
commented, looking up in disbelief at the demon. 

"Oh yeah, they fly alright." Xena confirmed, eyeing the first 
Bacchae, who had recovered from the warrior's kick and was circling 
in the air above her head.
"So not fair." Buffy replied as the one on the balcony swooped down 
toward her. When the Bacchae lunged at her, the slayer dropped to the 
ground, rolling out of its path. As the Bacchae prepared for another 
pass at her, Buffy kicked a hole in the side of a nearby crate and 
pulled a chunk of wood from the debris to use as a makeshift stake. 
When the Bacchae made its next approach, the slayer stood her ground. 
As the demon took hold of her, Buffy drove the stake deep into the 
demon's chest.
Meanwhile, the other Bacchae had landed on Xena's back and her mouth 
was descending toward the warrior's neck. Xena tried for several 
seconds to break the hold the Bacchae had on her before finally 
flinging the demon from her back and throwing her aside.
Much to the slayer's surprise, the Bacchae that she had staked seemed 
unfazed by the chunk of wood sticking out of her chest. As the demon 
woman again took flight, Buffy turned to Xena for an explanation.  

"Where is that lyre?" Xena ground out, looking around. There
was no 
sign of the instrument, though, and the two Bacchae had retreated 
into the night.
"What just happened here?" Buffy asked.

"Whaddya mean?"

"I mean&I staked that thing through the heart and it just looked
at me like I was stupid or something and flew off. What's up with 
that?"
"There's only one thing that can kill a Bacchae." Xena 
explained. "And that's a Dryad bone through the heart."
"Again&information I could have used earlier." The slayer replied 
dryly.
"Sorry."

"It's okay." Buffy said finally. "So, where can I get some of these 
bone thingies?"
"I know a place. We can pick some up on our way to the catacombs."

****************************

When Gabrielle didn't return, Willow began to worry. "Hey&you
think 
maybe we should go look for her?" The redhead asked, turning to Joxer.
"You're right! She might need me! Let me just get Orpheus ready." He 
answered.
A few minutes later, they were weaving their way through the streets 
in search of the bard, with Orpheus' head mounted on top of a tall 
pole.
"See anything?" Joxer asked, looking up at Orpheus, who had
the best 
view high above the crowds.
"I don't see anything." Orpheus answered. "Wait! There she
is&in the 
middle of the room with two women." 

"Bacchae, just like I thought. Hold that." Joxer said,
handing the 
pole to Willow. Willow sheepishly took it, feeling quite 
uncomfortable being the keeper of Orpheus' head.
"Don't worry Gabrielle&I'll save you." Joxer called,
heading toward 
the bard who was by this time engaged in an intimate dance with the 
two Bacchae women. "Unhand her!" He cried, pulling her away from
the 
two women. 

"Joxer! What are you doing?!" She asked angrily. 

"Bacchae!" He said, pointing to the women.

"But, I would know a Bacchae if I saw one." The bard
insisted, 
looking intently at the two women.
"Come on, Orpheus is waiting." He said, pulling the bard
through the 
crowd toward Willow and Orpheus. 

> From down the street, Xena spotted Orpheus' head high above the 
crowd. "There they are." The warrior said, heading toward them as 
Buffy followed.
"Xena, Buffy, I'm so glad you guys are back." Willow said as they 
approached.
"Here. I'll take that. Thanks." The warrior said, taking the Orpheus 
pole from Willow.
"Miss me?" Buffy asked, casually putting an arm around the redhead's 
shoulders.
Willow nodded, blushing slightly. "So, how'd it go?" The hacker 
inquired.
"Not great." Buffy said. "Apparently, there are a few differences 
between Bacchae and vampires. This new kind of slayage is gonna take 
some getting used to."
"Did you get the lyre?" Orpheus asked.

"No, I found the Bacchae who took it. Don't worry. We'll get
it 
back." Xena said.
"We'll get it back? Wait a minute; let me get this straight.
First, we find the lyre. Then we get someone to play it. Ah-- Orpheus 
sings; the Bacchae sleep. Ah-- We go in, kill Bacchus and free the
girls?" Joxer asked as he and Gabrielle came to a stop in front
of 
the group.
"Exactly." Xena replied, clearly surprised at his grasp of
the plan.

"That was easy enough." Joxer said.

"Don't be a fool. Bacchus has the lyre safely in his
catacombs by 
now. If you go in there, he'll kill you." Orpheus warned.
"It's a chance I'll have to take." Xena snapped.

"Yeah, it's my strategy from the get-go. Catch `em off
guard&run 
that `he'll kill you' part by me again." Joxer
whined, stopping in 
his tracks.
"It's all right, Joxer&you won't be coming." Xena
assured him. "Come 
on, girls." 

"Wait a minute! If they're going, I'm going, too! Hey, I
assembled this team!" Joxer argued. Xena just stared at him before 
turning to walk away. "OK, fine. I guess you don't want someone
who 
playsthe lyre!" Joxer added. The group stopped then and turned to 
look at him. 

"You?!" Orpheus questioned.

"I took the music lessons, OK?" 

"You play the lyre?" Gabrielle asked in disbelief. 

"Yeah, I play the lyre. Don't advertise it all over town. I
got a reputation to maintain." Joxer complained.

"All right. Let's go." Xena said looking him squarely in
the eye, before turning and walking away with Buffy and Willow 
following. Gabrielle started after them, only to be stopped by Joxer.
"Wait a minute!" Joxer cried, grabbing the bard by the
shoulders.

"Whoa!" Gabrielle cried.

"Look! On her neck&blood! She's been bitten." Joxer
whispered, pointing at the warrior.

"So, she had blood on her neck. I mean, she was in a fight. It
could be anything&it could be&a scratch. You know&"

"Listen, listen, I have seen every kind of wound encountered by
man or beast. And that, my friend, is a bite -- specifically, a 
Bacchae bite." Joxer insisted.
"Then, why hasn't she turned into one?" Gabrielle asked.

"Because these things take time! Listen, listen&any second
now, Xena's gonna be sporting a new set of fangs, big ones. Wait a
minute. Now I know why she didn't want me with her. Because she
knows
I'm the only one who could stop her." He theorized.

"You know, we could settle this right now. I'll just ask
her." Gabrielle replied.

"No, don't ask her a question! Are you kidding me? Anything
you say is gonna propel her into a Bacchaen frenzy!" He 
rambled. "Listen, you better give me this. I'll sharpen it into a 
point." He said, grabbing Gabrielle's staff as he pulled out his 
knife.
"Don't be ridiculous!" The bard cried, pulling the staff
away from him.

"Listen, we gotta act nonchalant! Give it to me! Give me
that!" He argued, fighting her for possession of the staff.

"Hurry up! What are you two doing back there?" Xena asked,
turning around to look at them.

"Nothing!" Gabrielle replied.

"Just sharpening our weapon." Joxer added. Gabrielle finally
managed to jerk the staff away from him. "OK, fine&but when she
bites
your head off in the middle of the night, don't come running to
me." He warned. The bard shook her head in annoyance and walked
away, 
quickly catching up with Xena, Buffy and Willow. 

***************************************************************


Chapter 2 - Roughing It

As they walked out of the town to set up camp, Xena led Argo by the 
reigns. "She's a beautiful horse. What's her name?" Willow asked the 
warrior.
"Argo. Say hi to Willow, girl." She said, fondly patting the side of 
the horse's face. 

Argo whinnied in response and Willow smiled. "Wow, she's smart. Did 
you train her?" The redhead asked.
"Yeah, Argo's been with me for a long time. Haven't you, girl?" Xena 
said, rubbing the horse's nose affectionately. "There should be some 
apples in that saddlebag over there. Why don't you get one out for 
her?" Xena suggested.
"Sure." Willow replied. She found the apples and pulled one out, 
offering it to Argo. The horse looked at it, but wouldn't take it. 

"Go on." Xena urged. Having the warrior's blessing then, Argo happily 
accepted the apple. "You want to ride her?" Xena asked. "I know 
you've had kind of a long day."
"Oh, no thank you&but Buffy would like to. Wouldn't you, Buffy?" 
Willow prodded.
"Sure. Hop on." Xena offered.

"That's okay." The slayer declined, shaking her head.

"Come on&I owe you a pony, remember." The redhead grinned. "And I 
know Argo's a horse, but a pretty great horse, and this is the best I 
can do at the moment. You didn't get to do anything else that you 
planned for today, sooo&" Willow coaxed.
"I was only kidding about the pony, Will." Buffy pointed out, smiling.

"Humor me?" Willow asked, putting on her most adorable face.

"On one condition&you gotta ride with me." Buffy countered.

"Me? Way up there? Oooh no. I think not." The redhead said, shaking 
her head.
"I promise it'll be fun." Buffy said. Willow was not convinced. "I 
won't let you fall. I swear. You can hold onto me the entire time." 
The slayer offered. 

Given the new terms, it suddenly sounded like a lot more fun to the 
redhead. She tilted her head to the side, as if considering 
it. 'Don't want to seem too eager.' Willow told herself. After a 
respectable pause, she agreed.
"Yay!" Buffy cheered. 

Xena flashed Willow a knowing smile and stopped the horse to let them 
get on. Buffy climbed up first and offered Willow her hand. With a 
boost from Xena, the redhead managed to hop on behind the 
slayer. "Oooh, high. Really high!" She squeaked when she looked down.
"Just try to relax. And hold onto me." Buffy suggested, chuckling a 
little at her panicking friend. Willow happily complied, scooting in 
close and wrapping her arms around Buffy's waist. With every nerve 
ending in her body suddenly registering the contact, the slayer 
vaguely wondered if this was such a bright idea after all.
Xena and Gabrielle walked alongside, watching them, clearly 
amused. "Why don't you guys go on ahead?" Xena suggested. "We'll set 
up camp in that clearing over there." She pointed.
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah, sure. We're just going to gather some wood for a fire and then 
we'll be there." The warrior replied.
"Okay. We'll meet you there then." Buffy said, guiding Argo toward 
the clearing.
"You really like them, don't you?" Gabrielle asked as they watched 
Buffy and Willow ride away.
"They're all right, I suppose."

"Come on, Xena. Who do you think you are kidding? You don't let just 
anybody ride Argo." The bard noted.
"So, what if I like them, what of it?" The warrior replied.

"Oh, nothing&I just don't think I've actually ever known you to
like anyone before." Gabrielle teased.

"Sure you have." The warrior insisted.

"No. I can't think of anyone."

"I like you well enough, don't I?" Xena pointed out.

"Do you?" The bard asked, fishing for a compliment.

"Well, I don't keep you around for your cooking, Gabrielle." The 
warrior teased, putting her arm around the bard. 

"You're letting them ride Argo?" Joxer asked in disbelief as he ran 
up beside the warrior.
"Yeah, so?" The warrior replied.

"You won't even let me brush her." He remarked.

Gabrielle poked the warrior in the side and flashed her a self-
satisfied smile that clearly said 'see, I told you so'.

****************************

Buffy and Willow rode toward the clearing; both were silent at first 
as they took in the awe-inspiring sight of the lush green hills and 
untouched countryside. Though it was after dark, the full moon 
overhead was bright, casting a warm glow on everything that it 
touched.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Willow commented, snuggling 
contentedly into the slayer's back.
"Uh huh." Buffy replied, her voice suddenly strained.

"Is something wrong, Buffy?" Willow asked, sensing the change in her 
friend.
"No. Nothing." She lied, trying to ignore the growing desire she felt 
when Willow touched her. 'Just think of something else. Something 
unappealing. Like&like seeing Xander in his underwear. Yeah,
that's it. Or Joxer in his underwear. Eeww. Or, or Xander and Joxer 
in their underwear together.' With that image, the slayer laughed out 
loud.
"What's funny?" Willow inquired. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"What? Oh, nothing. I'm fine. Really." Buffy answered. "You comfy?"

"Wha&? Oh, sorry. I'm holding on too tight, aren't I?" The
redhead apologized, pulling away, embarrassed as she realized how 
intimately she'd been holding onto her best friend.
"What? No. That's not what I meant." Buffy assured her, feeling a 
sudden empty ache at the loss of contact. "I just thought you were 
enjoying the ride. I mean&you don't seem scared anymore." She 
explained.
"Oh! Yeah." Willow said, relaxing then. "It's neat. I've never ridden 
a horse before."
"Do you think you've recovered from the spell? For a while there, you 
had me worried." Buffy commented.
"All better, I think." Willow assured her. "Kinda wondering how we're 
gonna get home though."
"I know." The slayer said with a sigh. "Right now, I'm just focusing 
on this thing with Bacchus. You know&saving the old world." Buffy 
joked. "Then, we can worry about how to get back home. After all&
wouldn't want to miss the mayor's Ascension, would we?"  

"Yes, actually I would, now that you mention it." Willow chuckled.

"But you know&then there wouldn't be a home to go back to?" Buffy 
pointed out as she brought Argo to a halt in the clearing.
"True." Willow agreed. 

Buffy swung her left leg around in front of her and effortlessly 
hopped down from the horse before turning and offering Willow a 
hand. "Speaking of the mayor&I've been wondering about
something." The redhead said, accepting the offered hand and climbing 
down from Argo's back.
"What's that?" The slayer asked, leading Willow onto a small plateau 
before sitting down and coaxing the redhead down beside her. All 
thought left the hacker's mind when she looked over at Buffy smiling 
so adoringly at her, the soft glow of the moonlight framing the 
slayer's face.
"Earth to Will." Buffy teased. When the redhead still didn't snap out 
of her daze, Buffy reached out and touched Willow's arm, trying to 
get her attention. The touch brought the hacker back to her senses.
"Wha&?" Willow asked breathlessly. Startled by the intensity of
her feelings for her friend, the redhead pulled back from Buffy's 
touch. 

"Are you sure you're feeling okay?" The slayer asked, concern etched 
on her face.
"Uh huh." Willow said, blushing to the extreme. "Sorry. What were you 
saying?"
"I wasn't&you were." Buffy pointed out.

"What?" The redhead asked, clearly confused.

"You said you were wondering about something&about the mayor."
Buffy prompted, chuckling.

"Oh! Right." Willow recalled with a nervous laugh. "It's not 
important. We can talk about it some other time." She said, avoiding 
the question she had been planning to ask. Buffy started to argue, 
but changed her mind when she saw Xena and Gabrielle approaching with 
Joxer trailing closely behind them. 

"Can I help with something?" Willow asked as Gabrielle was putting 
logs in place, preparing to light the campfire.
"Xena's going to catch dinner and I'm just getting the fire ready. 
So, I think it's all taken care of." The bard replied.
"Catch dinner?" Willow questioned. "You mean&like hunting?"

"Uh huh. She'll catch a rabbit or something."

"Let me just say, eeww." Buffy interjected, shuddering at the thought.

"Poor bunny rabbit." Willow pouted.

"We could put up the tent or something." Buffy offered, changing the 
subject.
"Tent?" Gabrielle questioned.

"You know&the thing you sleep in&" Buffy replied.

"Oh, we don't. We just sleep out under the stars." The bard informed 
them with an enthusiasm that baffled both slayer and hacker.
"You sleep on the ground&out in the open?" Willow asked.
Gabrielle nodded. "But, what about bugs a-and snakes and&?"

"And wolves? Don't forget the wolves." Buffy added.

"Don't worry. Wolves are afraid of the campfire. They won't bother 
you." The bard explained. 

"Oh." Willow said with a gulp, looking wide-eyed at Buffy. 

"Look on the bright side, Will. If we get mauled to death in our 
sleep, then we don't have to worry about how to get home." The slayer 
remarked with mock enthusiasm. 

****************************

"Are you gonna eat that?" Joxer asked, pointing at Willow's untouched 
bowl of rabbit stew. "Cause if not, I'll be happy to take care of it 
for you." Willow passed the bowl to him, grateful not to have to look 
at it anymore. All she could think about was the poor little bunny 
that was in there somewhere. 

Buffy offered up her bowl too, which he eagerly accepted. The slayer 
and hacker looked at each other and then at Joxer who was 
disgustingly slurping the stew. "I think I'm gonna take a walk." 
Buffy said, getting to her feet. 'Before I throw up.' She 
thought. "Wanna join me, Will?"
"I thought you'd never ask." The redhead replied with a relieved 
chuckle.
They walked arm in arm to the edge of a small lake not far from the 
campsite and stood silently looking out over the moonlit water, both 
lost in thought. Finally, Buffy glanced at Willow and tried to 
verbalize what was on her mind. "Would you hate me if I said I'm glad 
that you're here? With me, I mean. Not that I wanted any of this
to happen&but since it did and here I am, I'm glad that
you're&"

Willow laughed and put a finger to Buffy's lips. "It's okay, Buffy. I 
understand. I feel the same way." She confided, momentarily getting 
lost in the enchanting hazel eyes that looked at her with such 
affection. 

"I can't believe&that I almost lost you last night." The slayer
said in a near whisper, overwhelmed by all that had happened in just 
twenty-four hours.
Unable to speak around the lump forming in her throat, Willow reached 
out to offer a reassuring touch, gently caressing Buffy's cheek 
before taking her in her arms. Their embrace was urgent, filled first 
with sadness, then contentment. Relaxing finally in each other's 
arms, the walls came down. 

Buffy sank into the warmth and softness, burying her face at the 
redhead's neck and inhaling deeply to take in the subtle scent that 
was uniquely Willow. Instinctively, she clung to the hacker, her 
hands roaming the redhead's back. A dam broke in the slayer, 
releasing a wave of tender longing that threatened to drown her. She 
pulled back slightly, seeking Willow's lips, but stopped herself just 
short of the point of no return when she came to her senses. "We 
should probably head back." She blurted, avoiding Willow's 
questioning gaze as she abruptly pulled away.
They walked the short distance back to the camp in tense silence. Had 
she looked at Willow, Buffy would have seen the mixture of longing 
and disappointment clearly written on the redhead's face. Had she 
looked into Willow's eyes, she would have found the answers to all of 
the questions that haunted her thoughts. Instead, the slayer hid, 
wallowing in her doubts.
"We're gonna get some sleep." Xena said, as they approached. "We've 
got a big day tomorrow."
"You two can share my bedroll." Gabrielle offered. "Xena has kindly 
agreed to share hers with me."
"Thanks." Buffy replied, looking skeptically at the small bedroll 
that the bard had pointed to. 

Neither slayer nor hacker slept easily that night. When it wasn't the 
sound of some nearby wild animal keeping them on edge, it was the 
heightened awareness of the other's body pressed so close. The 
bedroll, intended for one person, was so small that it was impossible 
for both of them to sleep on it without practically being on top of 
each other. 

And when sleep should have come in spite of this, each lay awake 
contemplating her feelings. They had both accepted that it was time 
for brutal honesty, if not with each other, at least within 
themselves. 

**********************************************************
To Be Continued...

Feedback is always appreciated :)

dawnm





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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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