Re: Fic: Intervention 3/3 Vampire Stories B/W/X NC17

[Slayer125 <slayer1252001@xxxxxxxxx>]

I am really enjoying this story, the emotional rolelrcoaster both girls have to endure is very intense. Thanks for sharing.

 

Slayer125

Crys Loch <pagansoul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

* * *



Buffy woke, untangled herself from the limbs of her sleeping companions
and got up out of bed.  She dressed moderately if not modestly and
started down the stairs.  The sun had set.  She pulled back the large
heavy curtains in front of the only window and stretched her arms as she
gazed out at the city streets softly sloping into the bay beyond. 
Home.  A new home, a new start.  The foreign concept finally beginning
to translate into a cautious expectation in her mind.  Duty had finally
been traded for love and life.  Maybe this was the only way it could
have happened.  And maybe, Willow was right that since it happened, they
deserved to have it to the fullest.  She watched the city below.  The
now familiar hunger reminding her of the strangely similar appetite to
hunt before.  She turned when she heard the others descending the
stairs.  "Good morning," Buffy called to them.



Willow shook her head and stumbled to the kitchen area.  "Good is a
stretch," Willow grumbled.  "Is it wrong that I find I still need coffee
to wake up?"  They had found at least one use for the kitchen as she
started the coffee maker and only appliance on the counter.



Xander laughed and leapt onto the sofa, automatically hitting the remote
to turn on the TV.  "Well, at least the kitchen wasn't all for nothing. 
Though the bar gets more use, as it should."



Buffy smiled and looked over her home as her loves went abo ut their
lives in it, unaware of her musings.  It'd been a week or so she
guessed.  Already, it seemed instantly, they had made it into something
their own.  A haven, not just against sunlight, but away from life in
Sunnydale as well.  The furniture they had managed a way to get was
modern in design, large to fill the loft's space and unlike anything
they had grown up with.  The sofa itself was a work of art.  It was an
oval span filling that side of the room.  The center was set higher as a
wide backrest, wide enough on top to lay on.  Meant as a table in the
center of the sofa, it proved an interesting perch for some of their
more playful sexscapades.  Cushioned arms at the four 'corners' divided
the sofa into four: two loveseats at the ends and two full sofas on
either side.  One side faced the window, an end faced the TV on the wall
with some matching chairs around that, the oth er side faced the rest of
the room and the other end faced the corner Willow had claimed as her
office.  More chairs in the room, a coffee table... the whole thing was
bold in its design and powerful as it set a feeling of a new home, a new
start.  Willow's office was simply a set of bookcases lining the corner
at the end of the stairs and a crescent shaped desk set out a little and
facing the bookshelves and the corner.  And Xander was right, the bar
against the wall at the end of the kitchen was put to more use lately. 
She wasn't sure when drinking had become such a part of their new lives,
but it was so hard to feel any consequences to getting drunk, she never
worried over it, either.  The modern, wood laminated kitchen table and
chairs that sat in front of the kitchen's island counter never got much
use, unless a poker game started as they were killing daylight hours. 
They didn't have stuff yet.   The knickknack kind of stuff that fills a
room and makes it a home.  It didn't seem to be needed.  Reminders of
anything before felt like the last thing they wanted to bring in now. 
Still... her eyes moved over the mostly barren walls, art wouldn't be
such a bad idea.



"Where'd you go?" Willow gently chided Buffy as she slid her arm around
Buffy's waist and she kissed her in greeting.



Buffy smiled and wrapped her arm around Willow in return.  "Nowhere.  I
stayed right here the whole time."



Willow shrugged, slightly puzzled at her friend's behavior.  She turned
instead to the window and looked out at the night.  "A new moon,
tonight.  No extra light for vampires."



"Isn't that more of a problem for them than us?"  Xander settled on a
show he wasn't really interested in and turned towards the women.



"Sure, I was just sayin g."  Willow turned back towards the inside of the
room and shrugged.  "Besides, I don't know, I kind of like it when it's
darker out."



"Me too."  Buffy sat on the sofa side facing the window so she could
look out.  "So, when are we going out into this big bad dark?"



Xander gave up and turned off the TV.  He turned toward Buffy and bent
around the backrest to give her a kiss.  "We are the big bad dark."



"Not until I have another cup, we're not," Willow protested as she
returned to the kitchen with her now empty cup.



"Bring me one, too?"  Buffy called over her shoulder.  At Xander's
laugh, she silenced him with another kiss.



* * * * * * * * *



Jenny leaned against Giles as they snuggled against each other on the
sofa and listened to music.  It didn't take them long to find and rent
the newly constructed condo unit in a ren ovated part of the city.  Giles
had insisted that if he was stuck here, he would at least be living
inside the downtown where there was food and music.  They were both
pleasantly surprised so far.  And to ease the readjustment, she kept
reminding him of the promise of rainy foggy weather to come.  The
Northwest had a reputation.  Most of his stuff and all of his
furnishings from his old apartment were donated to Faith and Dawn along
with the flimsy though believed excuse.  Only what little personal
belongings he had managed to acquire were shipped over.  Their simple
furniture they purchased after moving in.  Giles gave Faith and Dawn a
means of keeping in touch, in fact, the connection was almost daily so
far.  He refused to just disappear.  It meant the lie had to be
continued as well, but it was a simple one.  He left for an extended
visit with an old friend.  His lon g term reticence towards sharing
personal information curtailed most of the questions and would prevent
almost all further inquiries.  They were settling in.  And just that. 
Neither had ventured out into the city at night yet.



"New moon tonight," Jenny mentioned absently just over the music.



"You still track the moon."  Giles let the conversation drop there when
all he had for a reply was her shrug against his chest.



"Rupert," Jenny looked up from where she was curled into his shoulder.



"Hmmm," Giles simply made the continue sound.



"Thank you," Jenny leaned up and kissed his cheek.



"What for?" Giles smiled and tightened his arm around her.



"For not pushing me."  Jenny revealed and pulled away just enough to see
his reaction.



Giles stroked some hair away from her face.  "Has if occurred to you I
might not be r eady myself?"



Jenny nodded.  "Still, so much, so fast..."  The concern on her face
softened to a smile.  "I'm glad it's just you and I for a while.  Let's
keep it to just you and I for a while?"



"Okay," Giles readily agreed and kissed her nose to seal the deal. 
"Besides, as the confirmed bachelor I've been of late, it is well enough
just getting used to this."  When the concern returned to her face, he
quickly added, "though the adjustment is much easier and pleasant than I
feared it would be.  I wouldn't change a thing."



"You wouldn't?" Jenny countered in disbelief.



"I've well learned that wishing for a change in events past has dire
consequences on the future.  You'll have to trust me on that one."



Jenny could see in his eyes it was another piece of the puzzle of her
missing years.  She reached up and started to stroke the gra y hairs at
his temples.  "I'm guessing that's just one of the things that caused
these," she teased him.



"One of many," Giles confirmed.  "And you?  Are you adjusting to living
with me?"



Jenny laughed softly.  "Of course.  But then I always moved around a
lot, crashed at people's places.  Even as a kid."



"Why?"  Giles turned a little towards Jenny, eager for some information
of her past.



Jenny shrugged.  "Just our way, I guess.  A little time in America, here
at this relative's, there at that's.  Then, enough of the gadje
influence, time for some Old World intervention.  It's in my blood.  And
just continued after college with friends and lovers."



"And lovers," Giles repeated, though he was smiling.



"All I said and that's the one thing you heard?" Jenny gently chided.



"No," Giles attempt ed to redeem himself.  "What exactly is a gadje
influence?"



"Oh, it means foreign, non Romani."  Jenny filled in.  "I'm afraid you
were a very bad gadje influence on me."  She smiled and kissed him.



"It's remarkable how often such a respected man as myself has been
accused of being a bad influence."  Giles defended himself, his chuckle
ruining any impact.



"Please, it's all English varnish and I know it."  She trailed her
fingers down his chest over the tight t-shirt he wore now.  Jenny
snuggled back into his arms and against his chest.  "Did you really play
with Pink Floyd?"



Giles took a deep breath.  "No.  And usually I don't reveal that until
much later in the relationship.  But I did follow them around like a
love sick puppy for a time.  I was very nearly in love with Roger Waters."



Jenny pulled up and back t o look into his face, her eyebrows raised to
the hilt.  "Don't worry," she quickly assured him, though her tone
promised further teasing, "it only makes it all the more interesting to
get to know you."



"A sweetened pot as it were?"  Giles breathed a quiet sigh of relief
even as his tone took up her teasing one.



"Mmm, like melted chocolate."  Jenny confirmed.  "Just how many
relationships has the non Pink Floyd been revealed in?"



Giles wondered if she really wanted to get into this, talk about their
past lovers now.  "Would you care to answer a similar question?"



Jenny shrugged and ran her fingers down his arm as she contemplated his
question.  "Truth is, I haven't been in that many.  Friends who bed,
mostly."



Giles shook his head.  How can he have anything in common with this
young woman, and still... "Same with me, I'm afraid."&nbs p; He smiled when
she looked up, surprise evident on her face.  "My life was full with my
studies and then remained full with my obligations.  Friends, yes.  Bed,
indeed.  But relationships, no, not many and not seriously."



"So, this is new for both of us?"  Jenny chanced to say it out loud.



"And welcome," Giles assured as he pulled her down to lay against him again.



"We'll save the question of how many one night stands for a later
conversation."  Jenny smirked as she heard his shocked choking.          



* * * * * * * * * 



Buffy, Willow and Xander continued into the night and down the street
together.  Arms around waists, they were almost skipping down the
streets, pointing out to each other some of their favorite hunting
spots.  Here and there in their group excursion, one or the ot her would
break away for a quick chase of someone who caught their eye.  They were
growing used to this, used to each other.  Xander's playful hunting,
Willow's coin tosses, Buffy's conversations with them before the kill. 
Acceptance, ever-growing happiness... and boredom.  They were all used
to danger.  This just felt too easy.



"So..."  Buffy pulled herself out of their arms and jumped ahead a
little before she turned and walking backwards in front of them,
addressed what they would do for the rest of the night.  "Where do you
want to go, now?  What do you want to do?"  She noticed Xander's eye
travel over her body and a smirk slide over his lips, his silent
suggestion beyond obvious.  Buffy started to laugh when she noticed the
same exact look on Willow.  "Oh, come on.  Besides that."



"Okay, I know something we can do," Xander switched gears.  "The marina
is just down the hill and beside that are those big homes.  Why don't we
see if we can get an invite inside one of them.  At least there's some
sort of challenge in that."



Buffy's smile was genuine and grateful.  She was craving a challenge. 
"I'm in."  She turned to Willow.



Willow shrugged, her smile mostly in response to her friends' growing
excitement at the idea.  "I'm game, too.  Oh, I know, first house,
Xander tries to get them to let us in.  If that fails, next house, Buffy
tries.  Then I'll give it a go."



"Won't get that far, Will."  Buffy smirked.  "Xander might not get us
past the door, but I know I will."



"Hey!"  Xander protested.  "I can be very charming.  And harmless
looking.  You'll see."



They walked away from the first house down the long drive.  Lights had
be en on, people home, but the first attempt was a no invite.



"It was your fault, you know."  Xander pointed to Buffy.



"My fault!  How was it my fault?!" Buffy protested.  "That was the
lamest, 'we're selling chocolates for our school, hey can we use your
bathroom' excuse I've ever heard."



"Yeah, well it still would have worked if you hadn't started to giggle,"
Xander insisted.



"I didn't giggle.  I laughed outright."  Buffy clarified.



"Actually, it was more of a giggle."  Willow almost started to giggle
herself.  At least their hunt tonight would be entertaining.



"Well, you joined with the giggling, too," Buffy relented then moved
on.  "Xander, you have an eye patch.  As in Grr, Arrg, I'm a bad
pirate.  What high school kid has an eye patch and sells chocolate for
school?"



"The Sunnydale kind," Xander co ntinued to defend himself.  They exited
onto the street and chose another home with the lights on.  They started
up another long drive.



Willow pulled the coin again from her pocket and flipped it.  The first
house had been a go.  This time, she shrugged at the result of the coin
toss and placed the coin back in her pocket.  "They're all yours," she
informed her companions.



"I'll show you how it's done," Buffy smirked as they neared the front
entry.  Buffy left Willow and Xander standing at the first stair as she
continued forward and rang the doorbell.  An older man, she guessed in
his fifties, answered the door.  Buffy smiled and looked him in the
eyes.  "Hi.  Can I please come in?"



"Excuse me?"  The flustered man opened the door a little wider and
stepped forward.



"Can I come in?"  Buffy simply repeated.



"Um , yes, come in then."  The man stumbled back and held the door open
as he motioned her into the entry way.



Buffy stepped over the threshold and into the entry then turned back to
the man and the still open door.  "Can my friends come in too, please?" 
She motioned to the two now standing just in front of the open door.



The man, still flustered, turned back to the open door and motioned to
them to step inside.  "Yes, yes, come in."  He turned back towards
Buffy.  "What's this about?  Are you friends of Lisa's?"  He absently
closed the door and locked it when they were all inside.



"Honey, who's at the door?"  Buffy heard the female voice call out and
footsteps on the marble tile floor.  She smiled warmly at the man and
noticed Xander watching and ready for the woman.  "Is she here?" Buffy
skipped over his question in favor of her own.



"No, she's away at college."  The man was starting to feel terribly
wrong about this whole encounter.  "Who are you?" he insisted.



Buffy thought briefly how to answer the question.  She heard the
footsteps near and the voice call out again.  It was almost time.  She
picked the first silly response that came to her head.  "If you believe
in six degrees of separation, then we're almost friends."  The woman was
now at the entry way with the rest of the group and as the man was
puzzling out her answer, Buffy made her move.  She made sure it happened
quickly.  He was a nice guy, he just let her in, he didn't need to see
whatever it was Xander was going to do to his wife.  Buffy shielded his
eyes as she bent his head to the side and slid her fangs into his neck. 
His attempts to push her away were easily ignored and she pulled the
blood from him, easing his drop to his kne es as he weakened and finally,
gently let him go as he died.  She turned around and saw Xander had the
woman against the wall and was feeding more slowly.  The woman's eyes
were open but unseeing.  He let her slide down the wall when it ended. 
Buffy spoke into the silence that followed.  "I'll check the rooms for
others."



Willow watched her start off into the house.  She wondered if they had
other children, ones who weren't in college yet.  She wondered what
Buffy thought was too young or if she thought of it at all.  And she
wondered why she didn't think of this before now, before they entered
someone's house to hunt.  It was only absent musings in her mind and she
shook her head to clear the thoughts.  Then everything inside her
flooded in a warm buzz as Xander's arms circled her waist from behind. 
She leaned back into his embrace.



"Come on, let's check this place out," Xander whispered into her ear. 
"It's like Chase Manor in here."



Willow's arms folded over his.  "Were you ever allowed inside Cordy's
home?" she chided.



"Only when she was sure no one was home and it was the maid's day off,"
Xander admitted.  "But yeah, a few times.  She had a swimming pool out
back.  It turned out she liked me in Speedo's."  Xander laughed softly
in her ear.



"I remember that," Willow chuckled.  "We all liked you in Speedo's."



"Really?"  Xander let Willow go and took her hand instead.  He started
to pull her slowly through the house.  They wandered through the rooms
on the first floor, admiring the view of the bay and the crystal art
sculptures that filled the glass shelves on the walls.  It looked like
something out of a magazine.  Not quite lived in but obviously adored. 
Eve rything was in its place and the place was open and skillfully
arranged.  "Yep, just like Chase Manor.  Only Le Chase was more the old
Victorian theme.  Let's see what's through here."  Xander lead Willow to
the end of the large main room and through the double side doors.



They entered onto a glassed in patio just off the back of the house. 
Glass ceiling arched into glass walls, the view was the expanse of the
gardens leading to a private dock on the bay.  The center of the room
was filled with a small swimming pool with an adjacent Jacuzzi.



"Oh my God."  Willow stepped further onto the patio.  She swept her arms
out to the side and turned slowly.  The air was warm and humid, but kept
to comfortable levels by the ventilation fans near the ceiling.  She
couldn't believe people lived like this.  "Maybe we should have bought a
home like this."



Xander smiled at her and walked around the parameter of the pool.  Her
voice and his footsteps had a strange muted echo.  "Um, Willow, did you
notice how many windows this place has?  Not to mention how much fun
this would be in the sun."



"Okay, good point," Willow conceded with a smile.  She dropped her arms
and watched Xander.  He was so at ease now; a grace to his movements;
his face relaxed; a confident tone in his voice.  She shook her head. 
This might have been the best thing that ever happened to him.  His
initial anger at what they'd done seemed to slip quickly away.  She
could still sense a rage inside her friend, but it was something that
had always been there.  It was set loose now, yes; yet somewhere, over
that last few weeks, could be calmed and soothed again.  Willow wondered
if Buffy's blood was having more than just a physical effect on Xander,
or if he was just settling down into his own way as they all were.  It
was hard to tell what effects Buffy's continued donations of blood were
having.  He was stronger than her, than other vampires she was sure. 
But not as strong as Buffy.  Those were just physical differences.  He
still seemed to be called to the night, though they hadn't asked him
about it in a long while.  Her musings were interrupted when Buffy found
them.



"Can you believe this place?" Buffy called in greeting, her voice
echoing around the room.  "Wow, cool," she called louder.



"Anyone else at home?" Xander turned from the window on the other side,
his own thoughts interrupted.  This was how the other half lived.  This
was where they would die.  He loved hunting out here.



"Nah, I guess they only had the one kid."  Buffy moved further into the
room, a glint in her eyes as she wa tched the reflection of lights on the
surface of the pool.  "Anyone else thinking what I'm thinking?"



Xander pulled his shirt over his head.  "I was just waiting for you."



Willow was stunned for a moment as she watched her friends quickly strip
themselves of their clothes.  Shaking her head a little, she started on
her own to join in.  She was the last one in the pool and gracefully
swam over to them at the far corner.



"I can't believe that worked."  Xander splashed a little water at Buffy
as she slid in beside him at the edge of the pool.



"Hey!  Be nice," Buffy warned as she raised her hand just over the
surface of the water but paused at actually pushing it his way.  "You
can't believe what worked?"



"That you just told him to invite us in and he did."  Xander backed down
from the threat of a splash war and instead got distracted by the
shimmering image of breasts just under the surface of the water.



Buffy shrugged and almost laughed as his eye followed the movement.  She
placed her arm around Willow, pulling her close on the other side and
smirked as he watched them both.  "I have the voice of authority.  You
know that.  You both hated that tone in my voice."



"Yeah, but it always made my spine tingle when you used it on others." 
Willow held herself up on the edge of the pool next to Buffy.  She was
easily distracted herself.



"Always?" Buffy drawled, noticing where her friend's attention lay.



Willow looked up into her eyes.  "Yeah, since early high school, on." 
Willow watched as Buffy suddenly looked shyly down, but as her head rose
she was wearing a much more devilish grin.  Willow felt Buffy shift
against her, felt fingers at the back of her neck pulling her forwa rd,
then felt Buffy's lips and tongue caressing her own.  They kissed:
breasts sliding against each others, legs tangling, arms on the side of
the pool barely holding their heads above the water line.



Buffy felt Xander move in behind her as she kissed Willow.  His lips
peppered her neck and shoulder.  His hand rested on her hip and steadied
her.  She felt his hard cock move slowly across and down her ass as he
lowered himself slightly into the water.  She open her legs as she felt
the tip slide forward, searching.  She bent one of her legs back to
caress his calf with her foot as her hips moved, instinctively searching
to allow him entry.  All the while she was kissing Willow, her hand
massaging her friend's breast, her tongue exploring her mouth.  Buffy
broke the kiss when she felt Xander pull away.  She turned and found him
still beside her with his back against the ed ge of the pool, arms up on
the side holding him above the water.  "Tease."  She pinched one of his
nipples with the accusation.



Xander laughed.  "I couldn't get any leverage here," he tried to defend
himself.



"Hmmm," Buffy considered a way to get revenge.  "You know how I don't
need to breath now?" she asked in a sing song voice.



"Yeah..."  Xander stretched out the reply, grinning at the playful glint
in her eyes.



"So, I wonder what this would be like."  Buffy let herself drop below
the water and pushed herself slowly down his body, trailing a series of
kisses along the way.  She pushed herself below his waist and then
started kissing her way back up his leg until she reached his cock.  She
looked up through the movement of the waves; his face seemed to shift
side to side, his eye fixed intently on her every move.  She smiled then
ran he r tongue up the underside of his cock to the head.  She glanced at
him one more time before she opened her lips over it and slid down,
bringing him as far into her throat as he would go.



Xander's head flew back until it smacked against the patio floor.  His
body shuddered, little ripples dancing across the surface of the water. 
He never felt anything like this.  Buffy was wrapped around one of his
legs and holding herself tight against his hips.  He looked down through
the water and could see her curled there around him; her head bent over
his cock, moving up and down; it made her hair billow and flow above
her.  She stayed under there forever; he didn't know how he lasted that
long; and it all seemed to end too soon as his cry echoed around the
room.  It was followed by the sound of Willow's clapping.



Buffy popped up above the water with a smirk on her face.  She moved
forward to kiss him.  "My turn," Willow announced as she wrapped herself
behind Buffy and placed Buffy's arms around the back of Xander's head. 
"You'd better hold on."



Buffy rested her head against Xander's shoulder and kissed his jaw.  She
felt Willow's kisses down her spine and below the water level; and she
closed her eyes and relaxed, knowing what was to come.  Her eyes flew
open when the kisses turned unexpected.  "Oh, God.  Oh, God."



Xander roused himself from his stupor.  "Why are you calling his name? 
Willow's doing all the work."



"Xander..." Buffy dragged out the name as she clung tighter.  She felt
Willow opening her legs. "God! Xander."



"Wha...?"  Xander groaned before he could fully form the thought.  He
felt Willow's legs wrapped around his own as Buffy's had done.



"Oh, God...Xander...she's...she's licking m y ass."  Buffy finally ground
out, followed by a moan as she clung even tighter.



Xander's eye flew open and he looked down over Buffy's shoulder and into
the water.  Willow's hair billowed out and away, her arms holding
Buffy's legs apart, and her face... through the shimmer of the water and
the reflection of the lights it was hard to tell.  "She's...what?  How,
what does that feel like?"



Buffy turned her face into Xander shoulder, biting down on the skin as
she groaned again.  "It... it feels wrong, in a really, really good
way."  She started to move her body up and down over Xander's, needing
more friction, needing...  "Oh, yes, yes!"



"Now what?!"  Xander hated that he couldn't just watch, but the angle
was wrong and Buffy's body sliding against his kept his head leaned back
and out of the way, and he didn't want to stop what she was doing for
any thing.



Buffy finally smiled and relaxed into the desperate heat Willow was
causing to course through her body.  "Her fingers are inside me,
Xander," she whispered seductively.  "Her thumb is stroking my clit. 
And her tongue... God, Xander, she's probing, licking... I've never felt
anything like this."



Xander felt Buffy shake and shudder over his body, her blunt teeth
biting into his shoulder again to muffle her cry.  He stared up at the
few stars visible through the glass ceiling and opened himself to the
connection with Buffy, her orgasm flooding across his senses.  Buffy
hung limply against him, her thigh gently swaying across his hard cock. 
Willow emerged from the water's depths beside him and wrapped her arm
around them both.  Her eyes shown in amusement and desire.  Xander
smiled wickedly, a plan of his own forming.  He gently moved Buffy so
her back w as at the edge of the pool and she could support herself with
both arms until she recovered.  Xander turned to Willow, reached out for
her hand and pulled her towards the center of the pool.  When her
puzzled look reached its climax, Xander moved in and kissed her, then he
wrapped his legs with her own and sank them both to the bottom of the pool.



Xander couldn't help but chuckle at the look on Willow's face and small
bubbles from whatever air was caught inside him rose to the surface.  It
was easy though.  So easy once his body's lack of reaction contradicted
his mind's panic.  He laid Willow down on her back and kissed her again
as he slid between her legs.  Her hips tilted up as he slipped inside
and he could feel her feet cross over his back, locking him in.  He
meant to keep a slow rhythm- if only her legs wouldn't tighten so, her
hips thrust into his, her back arch...  Xander let her set the pace,
allowed her need and bent his head to her breast.



Willow looked up through the water as Xander thrust and rocked himself
inside her.  She could see Buffy's legs dangling near the side.  She
watched lights and shadows bend and warp over the surface.  It was like
a dream, a hard dream.  The rough cement bottom cut across the skin at
her back; Xander stretched and tore at her with each thrust; his teeth
pulling and biting her nipple.  It was madness as her need pushed him
harder and their connection ripped through the last of their senses.  It
looked like madness as the outside world shimmered out of focus above
them.  Willow exploded, bringing Xander over the edge with her and they
laid there on the floor of the pool in each other's arms.



Buffy had watched them at the bottom of the pool: out of focus and
shifting side ways and it was like the porno cable cha nnel you couldn't
quite tune in.  She could tell when the motions stopped.  She watched
curiously as they just lay there on the bottom.  Dead.  They were all
dead, now.  The memory of where she ended up the last time that happened
tried to settle in, but it was as unfocussed as the image that lay at
the bottom of the pool.  Buffy found some of her strength returned and
dove down to join her friends.  First she laid down next to them until
they roused a little.  Smiling, she helped them to their feet and they
pushed up to the surface and swam to back to the edge of the pool. 
"That was wicked cool," Buffy emphasized the 'wicked'.  "Home?"



"Home."  Xander and Willow both acknowledged as they got out of the
pool; and they found towels, redressed and headed on their way.



* * * * * * * * *



Buffy, Willow and Xander were laughing as they stepped off th e elevator
and into their loft.  When they turned on the lights, their voices
stopped and their feet clipped to a halt.  They could only stand and
stare in stunned silence.



Cordelia Chase quickly stood up from the kitchen chair and faced them. 
"Hi."  Her voice was clear and confident, her back straight, only her
clasped hands shook.



"Cordy?"  Buffy stepped forward a little.



"What, Angel deliver a house warming gift?"  Anything else Xander was
going to add was cut off by Willow's sharp elbow to his ribs.  "Ow!"



Buffy closed her eyes at his name.  Angel couldn't know where they were;
could never, ever know what happened.  Every time the thought of him
tried to enter her mind she shut it down.  And now...  "What are you
doing here?"



"Yeah, that's a great question."  Cordelia couldn't just stand there
like a statue, or worse, a deer, a young deer caught in the headlights. 
She started to pace around.  They looked the same, looked just the same
as before; but she knew better.  She knew what they were now.  "I have
news, of course; we only see each other nowadays when we have news,
and," her laugh was forced, strained, "and a really odd question."



Willow started to have enough of this and stepped further into the room,
past Buffy.  "Then get to it, Cordy."



Cordelia stopped her pacing and nodded her head.  Oddly enough, it was
Willow she felt she knew best now.  "Angel's dead.  They're all dead. 
Wesley, Gunn, Fred, Spike.  I think Lorne lived, but Lorne's gone in the
wind."



"Spike died in Sunnydale," Buffy absently corrected in her shock.



"Well, then, he died again."  Cordelia reiterated.  She looked at the
floor and started pacing again.  Cordelia remembered when Willow had
come to them with news.  She hoped Willow remembered that they didn't
kill her.



"Buffy?"  Willow's voice called softly over the silence.



"How?" Buffy flatly stated.



Cordelia stopped and dared to look into Buffy's eyes.  Cordelia's face
was softened a little by a small smile, open hands gestured into the
air.  "How else?  Big battle.  Good triumphs over evil.  They died as
heroes."



"And meanwhile you were..."  Buffy's tone turned threatening.



"Dead."  Cordelia quickly supplied.  "Or coma slash dead.  I'm not
exactly sure.  It's all been a blur."



"Then how are you here, now?"  Willow couldn't help but ask the obvious
next question.  She could tell Cordelia was very much alive.  Her heart
beat was practically singing in her ears.



"Yeah, about that."  Cordelia's hand ran nervously through her hair. 
"That's a story.  A short one!" she insisted.  "But right now I kinda
want to make sure that you're not going to kill the messenger."



"Well at least not until the end of the story."  Xander smiled as he
moved fully into the room and sat down on one of the living area
chairs.  "I'm kind of curious now myself."



Cordelia watched as Buffy and Willow also moved to the center of the
room, leaving her a clear path to the elevator door.  She had no
illusion she could make it before they could grab her, though.  Still,
the attempt at making her more comfortable was appreciated.  "Xander,
you know what?"  Cordelia turned to face him.  "Just hear me out. 
Whatever happens after that is honestly fine by me."



"Cordy, I wouldn't say something..."  Willow started to gently warn
before she was cut off.



"I know what happened."  Cordelia dropped the words over Willow's
warning.  She started pacing again.  "I know what you are.  Of course I
know what you are now, right?, or I wouldn't know where to find you." 
She took Buffy's nod as a sign to continue.  "And it's really screwed
up, what happened to you.  They betrayed me, too."  She stopped herself
at hearing her own words and closed her eyes for a moment.  Cordelia
took a deep breath and turned to the three once heroes, once even
friends.  "Long story short, cliff notes version: those Powers That Be
that we were fighting so hard for betrayed me, used my body then killed
me.  Oh, but if I did one last favor for them they would let me live
again.  Set me down where ever I wanted."  Cordelia swallowed hard and
closed her eyes again.  "I only did the last on e for Angel, not for them."



"Cordy," Willow gently broke into the ramble.  "But why are you here?"



"Where else was I gonna go?"  Cordelia pleaded hopelessly now with her
eyes.  She had a sinking feeling how this was going to end.  "They're
all dead.  I can't just live my life as if none of this ever happened,
as if none of this is real.  And I sure as the hell that may someday
rain down on earth am not going to do one more damn thing for those
Powers that think they know it all.  Their master plan, as evil as
anything else I've seen."  Cordelia swallowed her pride in favor of
overwhelming desperation and loneliness.  "I was hoping I could stay
with you.  We were all recently and royally fucked in the ass.  Again. 
I just can't be alone."  She watched Willow smirk at Buffy and Buffy
slap her arm in response to some inside joke.  Her eyes fell to the
floor and her heart sank.  "Never mind, I can see this isn't..." 
Cordelia let her voice drop off as she started to walk to the elevator
door.  Sure enough, Buffy was standing in front of her before she got
halfway there.



Buffy reached out and softly laid her hand over Cordelia's arm.  "You
want to stay here, with us?"



Cordelia look up into Buffy's eyes.  Her own were starting to blur with
tears.  "It's where I belong.  It's who I should be with, now."  She
took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.  "I can do the daylight
things.  Angel," she paused when she noticed Buffy flinch at the name. 
"There was always stuff that needed to happen in the day.  Business
stuff.  I can do that."



"Or we can just kill you now and be done with it."  Xander smiled and
swiveled in his chair.



Cordelia looked over to h im and smiled in return.  "That's fine, too. 
Let me stay, or kill me now.  Just don't kick me out there alone. 
There's no place for me out there."



Holding Cordelia's arm, Buffy realized her memories were clearer in her
mind.  Cordelia took care of Angel.  All the way until the end.  She was
only living now because of that.  They were friends once.  And she never
gave voice to her gratitude for everything she did for Angel after they
parted ways.  And most of all, she was right.  She did belong with
them.  "You can stay, Cordy."



"What?!"  Willow and Xander practically screamed at the same moment.



Buffy moved around Cordelia to face her friends.  "I said she can stay. 
You know the tone in my voice.  It's the one you love so well."



"Not when it's directed at me," Willow reminded her.  "Buffy?..."  She
glanced over to Cordelia.  Her eyes were empty save for the tears that
threatened to spill at any moment.  Willow knew that look.  "Okay,"
Willow softly agreed, "she can stay."



"What a minute!"  Xander rose from the chair and advanced towards them. 
"Willow, this is Cordelia Chase we're talking about."



"You mean your ex?" Willow cut him off.  "Xander," she started in a
softer more convincing tone.  "We got to be friends, after high school. 
We even battled each other."



"Wait!  When was this?"  Buffy cut in next.



"Oh, God."  Cordelia didn't like the way the conversation was headed. 
"That wasn't me.  That was when I was possessed.  By the good guys I
might add."  She attempted to defend herself.



Willow ignored it all.  "Xander, I think she should stay."  A softened
version of 'resol ve face' slid into place.



"Fine."  Xander threw his hands in the air as he gave up.  "It won't
last long, anyway," he predicted.



Cordelia chanced a smile and allowed herself a little hope.  "If it
helps, I meant what I said before.  You can be the one to kill me."



"Why does he get to kill you?"  Willow turned towards Cordelia.



Surprise ran across Cordelia's face.  "Okay... you can flip a coin or
something."  They really had changed; and not just in the time passed
after high school sort of way.  She wondered again what she was doing
and reminded herself she was where she belonged.  It wasn't just quick
comebacks.  If she couldn't stay here, death was just as well.



Willow started to get the quarter from her pocket when Buffy started to
laugh.  "Not now, Willow.  Not yet."  Buffy turned back to Cordelia. 
"You have any stuff?"



"No."  Cordelia shrugged, empty handed.



"They just dumped you out to the curb with nothing?!"  Buffy was more
certain now of her decision.



"For Powers That Be, they don't have much."  Cordelia agreed.



"Um," Willow raised her hand, "is she gonna sleep with us?"



"What!  No!"  Cordelia was quick to answer before they could even
consider the question.



Xander laughed.  "Not even for old time's sake?"



"I'll take the sofa, thank you."  Cordelia insisted.



"For now, I guess you'll have to."  Buffy was thinking ahead.  "Xander
can build you a room under ours."



"Buffy!" Xander protested.



"Xander..." Willow countered.



Cordelia just shook her head.  Everything had changed, yes.  But it was
surprising how much stayed the same.



Buffy turned towards Cordelia.  "Look, we really need to shower, and
sleep.  You can..."  She let her arm motion pointing around the room
finish the sentence for her.  Willow pulled Xander towards the stairs
and pushed him forward and up.  Buffy started to follow.  She paused at
the base of the stairs and turned back to Cordelia.  "If the plan is to
try and kill us in our sleep..."  She left the threat simply be heard in
her tone.



Cordelia smiled.  "No plan.  Really don't have a plan at all.  Thank
you, Buffy."



Buffy nodded her head.  "Goodnight, Cordy."   

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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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