Buffy turned off her phone and tossed it toward Oz and Xander to get their attention. "Giles wants us back in town tomorrow. Seems that the girl from Canada found *us*." She sighed as she laid back on the blanket beside a sleeping Willow. It was the last weekend of their Fall break and they had been determined to enjoy it, until the Watcher had called.

Xander and Oz groaned together. "He has to ruin our free time," the older man said. He came over to lay down beside Buffy, resting his head on her shoulder. "You might want to turn over the computer white person who told me I'm nagging."

Xander looked down and smiled. "She is kinda Sno-ball pink." He nudged her with his foot. "Will, turn over. You're getting well done."

She moaned and grabbed his leg, sending him crashing down to the ground, mostly on top of her. "Ah, shade," she sighed and went back to sleep, snoring softly against Xander's arm.

Buffy turned her head to look down at the person resting on her shoulder. "Does that bother you?" It had only been a few days since their one night together and she was still trying to acclimate herself. Of course, waking to find herself suckling on Xander's chest was some of what was still disquieting her, but none of the others knew that.

Oz shook his head, scratching the side of it on her bra strap. "No more than this does her." He placed a gentle kiss to her flesh. "We've worked out that part."

She nodded. "Yeah, I can see how that would be necessary." She watched her friends sleep, Xander having quickly succumbed to the lure of resting on such a soft pillow, and got into the nap spirit herself. She looked out over the placid water, the deep, even breaths from all around her luring her to where they were. She soon followed them over, dreaming of a time when she would have this comfort and security all the time.

' ' ' '

Willow walked tenderly into the high school's library, the aloe gel she had used not having taken all the sting from her burn yet. She pouted at her fiancee until he took off his shirt so she could sit on it and cushion a particularly tender portion of her anatomy. He leaned over to lick her ear as he whispered in it. "I told you that was too much sun, no matter how often Xander shaded you. Don't tell me I'm over-mothering you again?" She nodded. "Good." He took the seat next to her and waited on Buffy and Xander to make it inside.

Giles and a young girl, 14 or so with softly red hair, came out of the office. The older man looked around before motioning her to the table. She sat down nervously, watching the couple talk quietly.

Buffy and Xander walked in, smiling and pushing at each other. They waved at Giles, who was in the cage at that moment, before sitting down.

Giles came out, laying the book he carried down. "How was the lake?"

"Peaceful and quiet until you called," Buffy said, frowning at him for ruining their fun. "So, you're the new girl?" She held out her hand. "Buffy."

"Marion," she said shaking it.

"And these are my Slayerettes. In time you'll gather your own." She pointed at each. "The cooing twosome are Willow and Oz, she's computers and spells, he's a backup fighter and her helper with both. My playmate is Xander, another backup fighter and he does some tactical and now electronics work." Each one waved as they were pointed out.

Marion sighed. "I'm just glad I'm here finally. Walking and hitching across Canada is nice, but after a few months it gets tiring."

Buffy nodded. "I'm sure. Well, welcome to the strange things happen here school. Try not to get into the Principal's way, he's a piece of crap who thinks everyone's on drugs."

Marion nodded. "We've met already and he mentioned you." She smiled, showing off a cute pair of dimples and perfect teeth. "He warned me to not become a copy of you."

Xander nodded. "Those two had some bright and shiny moments, let me tell you." He grinned. "And watch out for the green stuff in the caf."

"Um, please," Giles said, a little distracted by what he was reading, "it's been known to have some rather strange effects recently." He turned a page before he laid down the book. "This is a most unprecedented event. Three of you at one time, chosen." He looked at Xander. "And the possibility of a fourth."

"Any word on that?"

Giles nodded. "Quite recently actually. It seems a fourth girl may have been called in the Asian Hellmouth's area. She's been drawn to the area by the spirit of a dead brother and has run into various phenomenon on the way, all of which she has handled and proven herself against. We don't have anyone in that area anymore so her training has been taken over by a Priest, a Buddhist one I believe."

Buffy laughed. "A Priest of the Catholic variety has trained the one in London?" Giles frowned but nodded. "Are the Watcher's falling down here or is it just me?"

Willow held up a hand. "Is there a power schism in the Council maybe?"

Giles shrugged. "Those of us on this side of the Atlantic are often left out." He tapped the top of the book. "In any case I believe it would be best if we trained Marion here as this one appears to be shrinking but still active."

Xander held up a hand. "Oz and I killed three the other night. A newbie, a kinda old, and one that wasn't really all that old." When Giles gave him a questioning look, he scratched lightly at the permanent mark on his shoulder, earning him a grunt. "And I, for one, would be happy to help her so that she doesn't run into the probs that Buffy had." He looked over at Oz. "And since another one of us is here part time now...."

"More than happy to also," Oz said. "I'm a music teacher down the hall, and will be full time next year as the regular teacher is taking time off to get better." He pointed in the general direction. "We can also give you some very good advice."

"Don't try to be popular, they'll start spreading rumors the first time you pull out a stake," Willow said.

Buffy smiled. "The ones on the outsides of the school's popular belt not only usually understand and realize what's going on, but are some of the most helpful people in the school." She looked at her friends, all of whom had existed on the edge at some time or another.

"Don't be afraid to make friends, just be afraid to make the wrong ones," Oz said, grabbing the other three's hands. "My first night out, we got a ..." he looked around. "Now and here's not the best time to tell you that story."

Xander smiled down the length of the table. "Don't listen to the flesh eating creatures story of Giles' before bedtime and not when you're trying to cram for finals. And always remember in this town, if it's too good looking/nice/good to be true it is and is probably a creature." He looked at Buffy. "The stories those two could tell about saving my butt a few times would be hair raising."

"You mean like that teacher Mrs. what's her name that was a praying mantis?" Giles asked. Xander nodded and Marion looked stunned. "Normal for around here."

"Now, the town being taken over by those things under the school that wanted to build it's nest, that was abnormal."

Principal Snyder walked in, slamming the doors open. "Oh, old home week I see. What are *you* doing here Summers?"

"Thinking about helping to do an audit to find out how much you've stolen." She smiled, giving him her best intimidating smile. "I think the good citizens that pay taxes would like to know."

Snyder frowned. "I haven't taken anything." He looked over at Giles. "Is she going to cause me trouble like your last protégée did?"

Willow smiled, just a little too sweetly. "Only if you get in the way of her doing her appointed job of saving people." She waved a hand around. "That's what brought us all here at one time or another. She saved us all and we helped. Now we're training the next lifesaver."

Snyder snarled, "I want this moved off campus. Not in here, not in your office," he turned and pointed at Oz. "Not in the school at all. We had too many things happen because they were drawn here by Summers."

Buffy stood up. "Wait a minute. I was drawn here by them. This *area*, not me, draws them here." She slapped the table. "And if you think I'm willing to let Marion go out like I did, without a clue, you're very wrong." She stared at Snyder until he looked away. "Without me and now without Marion, your body count would be astronomical."

Willow pulled her back down into her chair. "She's right. It's *all* our jobs to make sure Marion lives long enough to do this on her own. Same as we do."

Snyder grunted. "Fine, but I want it taken off this campus. Someplace more secure. I'm sure you all have houses or something, take it there."

Xander looked at Giles. "Our place or yours?"

Giles started to laugh. "I guess it's a good thing I might be moving to a house if you're planning on staying in that small apartment for a while." He looked around. "I'll have it all removed before school starts again in January, but this place is going to look very empty with most of these old books gone."

"Not to mention the weapons," Marion said. "But I guess you should probably keep some around."

"He's *studying* them, right Mr. Giles?" Snyder looked down the bridge of his nose at the Librarian. "I'm sure a few can stay in that case, but all the rest needs to go. Because I never want to be woken again by a demon in the computer system or see another dummy taking over a person on a show night that had to be killed right then." He put his hands down on the table and leaned on them. "Are we clear here?"

Everyone looked at each other and nodded. "Crystal," Buffy said. "Just don't let me find out that you hindered her in her job like you did me."

"Trust me, if I had realized it then, I wouldn't have done a thing to stop you. I might have even looked the other way for most everything. Maybe not the hyenas I was hired after or the trapped in a Chem lab with you tossing orders night, but most other things." He smiled, a nasty sight indeed. "Live up to what she did and I'll ignore an occasional absence, missed class, or something. I'm not going to ignore a body trail, a blood trail, or another manifestation like we've been having." He looked down at Willow. "And yes, Ms. Rosenberg, I remember your friends too. Is he yours?"

"Who?" Willow asked.

"It seems we have another spirit manifestation around here. It's been coming in here some nights around this time and staring at the cage." Giles shuddered. "It kept looking at me the last time it was here."

Willow nodded. "I'll see what I can do." She tapped her fingers on the table and then reached for Oz's hand for some reason. She could feel the hairs on her arms starting to stand up. "It's back," she whispered. "I think."

Principal Snyder hurried out, slamming the door against the wall in his haste.

Willow had Giles get everybody back from the table and she kept sitting there until it showed, mentally rehearsing the lines of the spell to banish it. Pretty soon it solidified in front of the cage, turning and looking at her.

"Hello," she said. "Who are you and what do you want?" It looked from her to the cage and back. "Do you need something in there to be at peace?" It nodded so she got up slowly and started toward the cage, ready in case it tried something. She opened the cage door to step inside.

The door slammed shut behind her and the thing started to wail. Giles looked around, seeing his newest student. "You brought a banshee with you?" he yelled over the wind. Marion shook her head and grabbed onto his arm. "No, you're right, it's not. Willow, be careful, I'm not sure what it is."

Buffy, Oz, and Xander all stepped forward. "You can't have her, " Buffy said. "None of us." They joined hands. "We won't let you."

Willow banged on the cage door. "Leave them alone," she yelled. The thing turned towards her. "That's right, I said leave them alone." She started to look around. "Giles, where's the books?" He shook his head. "Oh, well." She started to recite the first spell she had ever learned: a banishing spell.

The apparition laughed and waved a hand, sending the young woman flying backwards. It turned back to the group on the stairs, pointing past them to the young girl behind the three older teens. "You," it breathed, "are mine."

Buffy grabbed the two men's hands tighter. "No, she's not," she said. She raised their hands and smiled. "You can't have her unless you go through us."

It started to laugh as it moved closer, but Willow was back on her feet. She could see through it, but the picture around Marion was very clear. "It's going after Marion," she yelled over the wind.

The apparition turned back toward her and increased its wind, pushing her back against the wall. She tried to focus, but couldn't, the power flowing against her was too much for her to handle. Her vision started to blur and she got limp, but she didn't pass out. When it could feel her almost giving way it turned, starting to head back toward the stairs.

The next thing Willow saw was the three people that were most important in her life being pushed down, slowly sinking to the carpet. She screamed and from within her, she tapped a pool of force that she hadn't known she had. She closed her eyes momentarily, gathering herself and the focus that she would need, then looked up.

Oz had just gone flying, the spirit or whatever it was having thrown him through the table to get him out of the way. Willow growled, deep in her throat as she 'pushed' the door open. She walked out, standing between it and her mate, sending its own wind back on it, pushing it back and turning it around.

The spirit screamed, turning to face her, but the winds it was releasing were coming back stronger and stronger, forming a tight circle around it. It had time to send out one last bolt of air/scream before the circle closed and spun it out of an unopened, until that moment, window. Once the wind was outside, Willow had it tear the creature apart, sending its pieces to distant places where they would never meet.

Giles and Marion stood looking at the broken window when they heard Buffy and Xander shout the young woman's name at the same time. They turned to see her laying unconscious, in a pile, on the floor. He hurried over, falling down beside her. "Willow," he said, touching her shoulder.

Oz shook his head, looking around, long enough to see that there was no spirit and everybody was around something that looked like... "Willow." He crawled over, pushing people out of the way to get to her. He cradled her head in his lap and looked up. "What happened?"

"It seems she..." Giles was cut off by Xander.

"She kicked its ass out through the window and tore it apart," the younger man said. "Right after she saw you go flying." He picked up her hand, checking for a pulse. "Do you want to take her to the hospital?"

Oz looked around. "I don't .. I don't know." He saw Buffy grab the phone. "Yeah, maybe. We both should go." He put a hand up and touched a small knot that was pounding quite an interesting beat through his head at that moment. "Yeah, please?" He passed out, his head hitting her chest.

Xander swore nodding at Buffy for some help, Giles getting Marion, who was crying, calmed down. She came over to help lay them out side-by-side, hands touching. She started to dial the phone, but put it down. "We should take them instead of an ambulance, too many questions." The young man nodded. "Giles. Hospital run. You're driving Oz's van." She looked down then at her friend. "Keys?"

Xander dug them out so she wouldn't have too, tossing them over his shoulder to the waiting hands. "You take him, I'll carry her." He stood up and picked up Willow, gently carrying her out to the van, conveniently parked next to the nearest entrance. Giles opened the rear door and both teens were put in, the other pair climbing in beside them to tend them on the ride.

' ' ' '

Giles paced across the waiting room, looking down like he was divining the future from the tiles under his feet. "Don't worry, they're fine," he told the three teens.

Marion looked up and nodded, her eyes still a little red. This was the first time she had really realized what the job was. Now she had had to face it up close and personal.

Buffy looked up and grimaced, Xander doing almost a mirror image. "So, you're trying to convince who?"

Giles stopped his pacing. "Now is not the time for that." He looked sternly at her. "We don't know what's going..."

Oz came out, sitting between Buffy and Xander, making them each shift over some. "She's asleep. She regained consciousness for a few minutes. Needed a few stitches." He held up his arm. "So did I. She can go home anytime now, they won't keep her." He shrugged. "Seems she's just exhausted."

Xander hugged him. "Giles, keys. I'll go start the van." He got them as he stood. "Want me to drive?" Oz nodded. "Home?"

He looked up. "Yeah, please. I'm not really up to facing a parent right now."

Buffy smiled. "My mom's already here. She's been bugging them instead of waiting with us." She shrugged. "Giles called her." Oz nodded so she stood. "Come on, I'll go get her with you."

Xander jogged outside, pulling the van around, waiting for everyone else to come out. Soon Buffy had everyone loaded and he started, carefully, for home. Once there he helped by carrying the young woman's feet, not letting Oz do it, placing her gently onto the bed. He left, leaving the couple alone. "Hey," he said, coming back out to find Buffy pulling out the couches. "Bed? Sleeping here too?"

She nodded. "Yeah, if you don't mind. I don't want to hit home right now." She crawled across, getting under the covers. "I'll unmake it if you feel uncomfortable, but I joined them with the bench."

He shook his head and got in beside her, holding her closely, letting her shake in his arms.

' ' ' '

Oz sniffed at Willow's head. "Hey, I wish you would wake up and talk to me." He kissed her temple, softly reminding her he was there. "I really want to talk."

The young woman moaned and rolled in his arms, snuggling up to his chest. "Just do it quietly please. My head's pounding."

Oz started to comb her hair with his fingers. "Mine too. But I'm guessing yours is worse." He pulled her head up. "Thank you, but don't ever do that again."

"But..."

"I'd rather get thrown through a concrete wall than see you laying there on a stretcher again." He held her tightly. "Please don't do that to me again," he whispered.

"I'll try," she promised, "but don't go getting thrown like that again either? Okay?" She had just enough room to look up and see his eyes running. "I'm okay," she crooned, pulling herself up to hold his head to her chest. "I'm here and I'm fine and we're both okay and so's the new one." She stroked through his hair, grimacing at the slimy feel of it. "Neither one of us was that hurt."

"This time," he reminded her. "I never want to think about it happening again."

Willow nodded. "I know, I feel the same, but as long as we live here we'll have to face it as a possibility. We're going to get hurt for as long as we're living near the Hellmouth and we're helping Buffy and Marion."

Oz sighed. "I know. I... Sometimes I just want us to run far away from here, get you out of the danger." He looked toward the livingroom. "I don't want to see you get hurt anymore." He turned back to nuzzle into her neck. "Never again, promise me."

Willow smiled. "Oz, I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to put myself in danger on purpose, and I didn't this time either, but I'm not going to quit helping them." She pulled his head up. "It's too important for me to not help."

He frowned. "Just don't throw yourself in harm's way again. I'm not asking you to not help them, just to be a distant helper instead of an up-close one." He kissed her gently, taking his time, trying to make her see his point. "Please."

"No," she said sadly. "I'm going to be wherever I'm needed. If that's in the library, then I'll be there. If it means that I have to go help patrol again, then I'll be there too." She nipped at his chin. "I've never put myself in harm's way on purpose, you know that. I didn't tonight either. It just worked out that way."

Oz looked up and growled. "No, and you're not going out on patrol." He looked around. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, but I'm not wanting to replay tonight anytime. Ever." He grabbed her and held on tight. "Never."

She sighed and did the only thing she could. "Fine, I'll be more careful."

It didn't please him, but he would take it. For now. "Thank you."

' ' ' '

Buffy looked around her living room with a smile. Her mother had asked her to come home tonight, not saying why just that she wanted to have a girl talk, and had laid out cookies for her to munch on until she got home. She sat down and put her feet up on the table, earning her a frown from Joyce, just walking through the door. "You called?" She grinned.

Her mother shook her head. "Just let me go change and we'll talk." She jogged up the stairs and came back down in comfortable clothes. "Help me cook?" The two women went into the kitchen, starting a large meal.

Buffy couldn't take it anymore. Her mother kept looking at her, then back at all the vegetables she was mangling. "So?"

Joyce smiled. "I had a few things I wanted to talk to you about tonight. One of them was about your room, which you haven't slept in for over a month." She put down the carrot she was shredding instead of peeling. "I was wondering if you would want to move into the dorms or something."

Buffy frowned and licked at her lips before answering. "Dorms? Mom, I think that would be a major bad." She looked around. "It's not like I could hide the slaying thing from a roommate in such a small place."

Her mother nodded. "Then, how about an apartment?" She smiled. "Let's face it dear, you need to experience the living on your own thing soon."

Buffy nodded as she hopped up onto the counter. "So, you're kicking me out?"

Joyce shook her head, reaching over to take her daughter's hand. "No, nothing like that. I'm just *suggesting* that it's time you thought about becoming a little more independent." She smiled again, a mother's reassurance smile. "Everyone has to make that transition and now is as good a time as any." She shrugged. "And, yes, I do have another reason. Giles has asked me to help him raise Marion. He figured since I already knew it would help some, I would be more supportive and I'd already been through it once with you. He's asked me to adopt her."

Buffy nodded slowly. "So, you want me to give my room to her?" Joyce nodded slowly. "Can I think about it?"

Joyce smiled. "Yes, this isn't set in stone. We can always turn that little attic room into one for her, and it's got a better access for when she crawls in through the window at four am." She tweaked her daughter's nose before turning back to doing the vegetables. "Now then, are you helping or watching?"

"Um, helping," she said, distracted. She hopped back down and looked around the room while thinking. Until she spotted something out of the ordinary. "Mom, what's Giles' book of poetry doing here?" She didn't see the momentary deer in the headlights look, but turned back in time to see a calm mother.

"It ... He must have left it here when he came over last night." She looked down. "Why?"

"Nothing, just a question out of the blue." She looked her mother over. "So, was there another bombshell you wanted to drop?"

Her mother nodded. "Yeah, a big one. Sit?" She waved at the table and they both sat, looking at each other for a few minutes. "Buffy, I've fallen in love again." Her daughter smiled and nodded, taking her hand. "And it's Giles."

Buffy pulled her hand back, mouth hanging open. "Say again?"

"Giles and I have been dating now for almost a month." She cleared her throat. "I know that this is a shock..."

"Shock?" Her voice broke. "Mom, shock is that you're getting a piercing or a tatoo. Shock is that you've decided that you like Oz's music and you're funding a record for them to get started." She cleared her throat. "Mom!?!"

Joyce looked up and frowned. "It's not as bad as all that. We've bonded through adversity."

"Now you're even talking like him." She held her head. "I'm sorry, this is... just such a shock." She looked around. "How have I missed this?"

"We've been very good at hiding it." She spread her hands. "At least we've tried."

"Yeah, and you did a great job too." She looked around the once familiar walls starting to push in on her. "Not to skip out, but I gotta take a walk and think. I'll be back later."

"Buffy, wait." She grabbed her daughter's arm on the way out. "I didn't want to tell you like this. We both wanted to sit you down and tell you together, calmly and rationally explain it." She smiled sadly. "You just seemed to pick up on it. The book thing threw me."

Buffy nodded. "Okay. I'm not mad, I'm ... I'm wigged, but I'm not mad." She patted the restraining hand. "I'll be back in a while." She walked out the door, heading off for a solitary walk of thinking.

She soon found herself in front of the apartment building that they all shared, but she knew she didn't want to go in and talk to them, they weren't the ones she needed to discuss this with right now. She headed for the library. She walked in, banging the door open and stopped. Marion was going through a drill she had done many times. "Marion, lean a little more to your left and you'll be straight and it'll hurt less." She took off her coat, laying it down on the table. "I've got to talk to Giles, could I get you to go shower or something?" The younger woman nodded and left, giving Giles a look over her shoulder.

He sat down, pulling off the pads, and sighed. "Let me guess, your mother told you."

Buffy slammed her fist down into the table top causing an impressive dent.

"I'll take that as a yes." He looked up at her. "I know you're upset and confused, but I'm not some demon that's going to harm her." He looked back down. "I love your mother and I'm not sorry for it."

Buffy sat down to look at her watcher, the man who was supposed to be helping her through all she had to do each day. "How...Why...When..." She took a deep, calming breath. "So, would you like to explain this to me?"

Giles nodded. "Indeed, but I don't have a clue as to how to begin." He looked around. "Your mother and I met because of you, but you know that. It seems we've found a lot in common, same likes and dislikes. She's made me laugh when I haven't in I don't know how long." He looked up briefly. "I'm not going to apologize for loving her."

Buffy nodded. "I can see that. Now what?"

Giles cleared his throat. "Now, we talk. Whenever you're ready to do so. You're going to go home and figure it out, Marion and I will be going over for dinner, where we were going to tell you anyway." He took off his glasses to clean them. "Buffy, we won't hurt you with this and I know this must be strange so I'll understand, as will your mother, if you don't want to see us for a while."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I need to go think." She got up. "Um, tell her I'm... out walking still." She walked out, nodding at the young woman that was just coming back in.

Giles looked at his new Slayer. "She didn't take that well, not in the least."

Marion nodded. "Would you have?"

He shook his head as he stood. "Let me go clean up and change then we'll go to her mother's for supper." He walked back into his office, grabbing his bag.

' ' ' '

Buffy walked around the park, not sure if she was heading someplace or if she was just wandering. She half-heartedly stopped the mugger that ran past her, walking around the chasing victim. She didn't see the vampire that ran from her, not noticing any of them really. Eventually she ended up on the center of the bridge staring out over the small flow of water.

That's where Giles found her, coming up behind her to put her coat around her shoulders. "We never meant to hurt you with this."

She turned to look at him, seeing the pain he was holding back. "You haven't. It's just a bit of a surprise. It shook me." He nodded and waved down the path so they started walking. "You aren't playing with my mother, are you?" she asked finally. "Because if you are, I'll deal with you myself."

Giles smiled and pulled her down onto a bench. "I am no more playing with your mother's heart than she is with mine. We've discovered an honest and true affection between us, one that's grown steadily." He took her hand. "It's nothing that we, I, planned. In truth, I'd not planned on finding anyone ever and both times it's been as much a shock to me as it is now to you."

Buffy nodded, smiling. "Ms. Calendar would want you to move on." She looked around. "This is just, I don't know, weird to me, I guess."

Giles turned her head back, making her look at him. "It's a normal reaction on your part. She's your mother and you never expected her to go for anyone except your father. She's never seemed to be looking either, and that would pile on top of the shock of our admission. I understand this, really I do. My own mother remarried when I was eight and I felt those same things."

She nodded. "Yeah, maybe you do." She smiled. "So, do I have to call you dad?"

Giles laughed, smiling for the first time in days. "No, you don't. Giles is good enough or Rupert if you would prefer. I won't try to make you take my name and I won't force you to accept Marion as your sister." He pulled her to him, hugging her. "Thank you for understanding."

She pulled back. "I don't, but I'll deal." She looked around, then gave him her best scowl. "Hurt her and you'll see first hand how bad and mean I can be."

Giles nodded, a slight smile still apparent. "I'm sure I will and I'm as sure it will never come about." He stood, holding out a hand to help her. "Shall we go partake of cake?"

Buffy bit her lip and took the hand, standing. "Tomorrow. I still need some processing time."

Giles nodded. "Call first. We wanted to talk to you about our adopting Marion also."

Buffy shook her head. "This just keeps getting stranger and stranger. Next thing you know, mom's going to be announcing that she's pregnant."

Giles looked thoughtful. "I would hope not."

Buffy shuddered. "Too much info, man, way too much information for the child." She shook her head and gave him an impulsive hug before starting back for the apartment, needing her friends now to talk to.

She walked in the door too see everyone in various positions of studying. "My life has just hit an all time high of strangedom," she announced, hanging up her jacket.

Oz looked up briefly. "You're sure of that?"

"My mother and Giles are in love and they're adopting Marion. My mother asked me to move into the dorms, and I've got this sneaking suspicion that they're getting married in less than a year. Also, Giles said he *hoped* she wasn't pregnant. Yet probably."

Willow nodded. "That would about cap the other things." She looked up. "Of course, we were just waiting for you to notice how he looked at her."

Buffy nodded. "I wish you guys had clued me in." She sat down, facing them. Then laid down, hiding her head. "Kill me so I don't have to think about them together?" she asked.

Willow laughed as she tossed a pillow. "Nope, you're going to have to accept it."

Oz nodded. "Yeah, it's a rough thing, but at least now we only have two places to look for the family." He looked around, seeing the place he had called home now for a while. "So, dorms?"

"An impossibility with my other job," Buffy said into the carpet. "It's kinda hard to hide stakes and vials of holy water in a twelve by fifteen room." She looked around the apartment. "I'll check the bulletin boards tomorrow to see if I can't get something settled for next semester."

"There's always the couches," Xander said, not looking up from his book. "It's not like there's not enough space. We're going to have to do something about the closets anyway, they're already overcrowded with just Oz's and my stuff."

"Another dresser," Oz suggested. "And a closet organizer. A good weekend project."

Willow snorted. "You wouldn't think that men had that much stuff, but just Xander's used to fill up the closet by himself." She turned the page and looked up briefly. "What's really bothering you about this situation?"

Buffy shrugged as she accepted the backpack that Xander shoved over with his foot. "Thanks and I have not a clue Will. It's like some strange person has taken over my household and made the people do strange things." She sighed, pulling out her things for the test she had in the morning. "I just can't see how it happened."

"All those late nights worrying," Oz said, flipping over a page of notes. "Common ground that they built upon."

Willow smiled. "Yeah, probably, and they've got other things in common. Marion now for one and books and .... well I'm guessing that they have other things too."

Xander nodded. "It's normal to get close to those you sit beside in adversity." He put down his book. "Look at us. Would we be the friends we are today if not for your 'other job' as you put it?"

Buffy bit her lip and thought about it. "No, I guess not." She opened her book to where the notes were sticking out. "Thanks guys."

"Welcome," everyone said, going back to intensive studying.

' ' ' '

Oz and Xander walked into the library, carrying a few boxes they had found. "Here's some more." They laid them down on the table before sitting down. "So," Xander asked conversationally. "Did you have to confuse her more? She flunked her test the next day."

Giles shook his head. "That wasn't my intention." He looked around, seeing all the things that were now missing. "We wanted to break it to her gently and allow her the chance to get over it."

"Yeah, then she came to us so we talked a little as we were all studying for tests too." He shuddered. "Why do all teachers magically schedule tests right after a break?"

Xander smiled. "Because they forgot their own times in college and think that you actually studied for their classes instead of having fun." He patted the older man's shoulder. "Mine did the same thing, don't worry."

Giles shook his head. "It's a matter of ego actually, and we never meant to confuse her like that. That was never our intention." He took off his glasses to clean, 'his I'm irritated/worried/thinking about something gesture'. "Our intention was merely to inform her. I had thought, with our talk in the park, that she would have gotten over most of it."

Oz shook his head. "Nope, not really. She's still confused. She actually didn't snarl at someone today that said a mean thing to her about her outfit."

Xander nodded. "She just let it go, not a comment coming at all, and we were all waiting for one too."

Giles nodded. "I'll talk with her again. It might help." He got up, grabbing the book he usually kept with him these days. "What else is new with you two?"

"Um, I'm going to be starting my student teaching at the end of the summer for sure now. She's decided to go and have the surgery near the middle of August." Oz shrugged. "It's only part time and will switch some of my classes around to a later semester since she's supposed to be back in February."

Giles nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. Marion will have someone else to come to when she needs something, someone closer to her own age at least." He frowned. "I've introduced her to some nice people but she's not made a friend yet."

Xander nodded, understanding. "Know that feeling and it's kind of normal. I've seen new kids continually be excluded for a while, until the others get used to having them around and know who they are and what they're about."

Giles turned and looked at him. "That's almost prosaic coming from you. I'll tell her that. Thank you." The younger man grinned. "How goes your other classes?"

"I've got a trial tomorrow to see if I can move up a belt; other than that, nothing new." He shrugged. "I'm not expecting anything new to happen 'til after Christmas."

Oz snapped his fingers. "That reminds me. What are we doing for the holidays?"

"You're all going to your parents I would suppose," Giles said, then stopped and turned, embarrassed. "Xander, of course you're welcome to come celebrate with us."

The younger man shook his head. "No, thanks. I planned on doing something else." He shrugged, walking out. "I'll be back in a while to help Marion spar," he called over his shoulder.

Oz waited until he was sure Xander was far away before starting to clap. "Way to go Giles!" he said sarcastically. "I was going to suggest that we spend at least one of the days at our place."

The older man nodded, shamed. "I wasn't thinking." He looked at the door, wishing the younger man would come back. "I never meant to hurt him either."

' ' ' '

Xander walked through the halls of his school, trying not to look at all the decorations. Just because the school threw a party for the holidays didn't mean he wanted to attend. He would just grab some cookies and leave quietly.

"Harris," his teacher called. "Come here, there's someone I want you to meet."

Xander walked over, putting on his game face. "Hi."

"This is my wife and daughter," the older man said, introducing him. "I was thinking maybe you two would have something in common." He looked hopeful.

Xander smiled. "Well, I was planning on ducking out, but I can escort the young woman around if you want." He held out a hand. "Xander."

"Cathy," she said in a very tinny/valley girl voice. "But you probably know that."

Xander nodded politely, lying easily. "Yeah, your dad talks about you all the time." He took her arm, leading her over to the snacks, introducing her to the people he knew there.

' ' ' '

Oz looked up as the younger housemate breezed in and threw his bag against the wall, heading for the shower. "Willow's in there. She spilled some stuff on her." Xander looked around. He sat down and groaned "end it now please". Oz patted the buried head, going back to reading his book for English. "Can't be that bad."

"I got asked to escort my teacher's daughter to a dance tonight," he said quietly.

Oz put down the book, pulling Xander's head up. "You did what?"

"Got asked to escort her to a dance. He knows she's safe with me and he specifically asked." He shrugged. "She's going to be here in an hour or so."

Oz whistled. "That's bad. Really, really bad. How did you manage that?"

"Couldn't say no again?" Willow suggested from the door. Xander nodded, sinking his head to his friend's shoulder. "You know, that's going to get you into trouble some day."

"Don't remind me," the younger man said. "I've got to get ready." He walked in to stand in front of the closet, ignoring the dressing woman. "What to wear that makes me look unattractive and not wantable."

Willow came over to look over his shoulder before pointing at a group of shirts. "One of those. You look almost dowdy in them and she can't get offended if you dress up." She patted his back then walked out, giving him some privacy.

Xander looked at the shirts. "I don't look that bad in them," he said quietly. He pulled out one and a pair of dress pants, grabbing the other things he would need, then headed for the bathroom.

Xander had just finished his last problem when someone knocked on the door. He got up, putting his book aside to answer the door, finding his teacher there. "Hi, is she canceling?" He silently wished it were so.

"No, I'm just making sure that you know that she's not to be treated any differently."

Xander held up a hand. "I wouldn't do that. You know I don't go that way mainly and I wouldn't even lay a hand on her."

His teacher nodded. "Yes, I do, and I also know she'll try. That's why I suggested that you take her. I *trust* you." He walked in and looked around. "Nice place."

"Thank you. My roommates are gone right now, at class." He waved at a couch. "Sit?"

The older man shook his head. "No, thank you. I just wanted to make sure that you knew the lay of the land and that's it's flat and barren."

Xander nodded. "Not a problem." The older man nodded and left, leaving Xander to wonder how bad she could be.

' ' ' '

"Couldn't I come in?" Cathy asked. "I really want to see your place." She tried to pout cutely.

Xander smiled briefly, tired with all the innuendos she had given him all night, and shook his head. "No, I don't think so. My roommate and his girlfriend are studying for finals next week, they need to not be disturbed." He opened the door to escape. "Thank you for tonight, it's been a while since I've been back there." He closed the door gently and waved as she sped off. He blew out a deep breath as he turned, almost running into Angel.

"Hey," the vampire said from the shadows. "You shouldn't lead her on if you're not going to deliver."

Xander shook his head. "Not me. Not a come on or a lead in sight." He looked down at himself. "I was positively gentlemanly tonight. We didn't even dance slowly or closely." He looked around. "Let me guess, there's another problem and you've come back to warn us?"

Angel smiled. "Not me." He walked out of the shadows. "I'm not going to have to do that anymore." He snarled, his true feeding face coming out. "And you're not going to have to worry about it either." He lunged, trying to grab Xander.

The younger man ducked and ran up the stairs, pushing the button for the main door, trying to get his keys. They were pulled from his grasp as he was turned. "Oh, no you don't," he vowed. He grabbed onto the security door, trying to hold on, kicking the whole time.

Angelus smiled. "Now, that's no way to behave. No nice, polite young man would do that." He licked over his fangs. "But it doesn't really matter. You've already lost."

Xander remembered his lessons and kicked Angelus in the stomach. "Yeah, but not to you." He backed up, hoping that he could reach his keys so he could eventually get in. He bent down and picked them up, holding them in his hand. "So, who was it this time?"

Angelus laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Xander shook his head. "Not really, just killing time." He smiled. "Now, I believe that you were going someplace else?" He could see Buffy and her mother walking down the street.

Angelus looked around. "Yeah, so?" He moved just a little closer. "Nice choice of words by the way." He made one last attempt, then fled when Buffy started to run toward them. "Later," he promised.

Xander stood there, watching it all in slow motion. He saw Buffy round the corner, could see her hair still, then he heard the yell. He started to run over, but was slower than the concerned mother. They made it around to see Angelus pull Buffy down an alley, backing up.

Xander grabbed Buffy's purse from her mother, taking out the stake that she carried in each one. He headed down after them, not thinking about what might be happening. He looked around carefully, not wanting something to pop out of the shadows at him. He made it to where Angelus had dropped her, kneeling down and checking her over while still watching, just in case.

He could see the bite mark, shallow as it was, but he couldn't see any blood dripping. He checked for a pulse, then pulled her up to carry her out of the alley.

Joyce was digging for keys, then got the door open, holding it for them. She got them into the apartment and started to call. "Giles..." She looked down at the phone. "It's dead."

Xander spun around, grabbing his cell phone. "Here, use mine. It's memory key two." Joyce tried again while he tried to make the young woman comfortable. When he had done all he could, he took the phone from the shaking hands to dial Oz's cell phone, and not getting an answer, Willow's. "Damn, where are they?" He dialed the last number he really wanted to - the mansion where he used to feed. "Hey, it's Xander. Is there someone there that I can talk to ?" He waited. "Hey, it's me. By any stretch of the imagination, I couldn't get some help, could I? Angelus seems to be back and he's bitten the slayer." A pause, some quiet conversation. "We don't know where they are. Just a nice diversion downstairs to buy us some time would be helpful." He hung up. "Someone's coming over to see what they can do to distract him." He looked out the peephole. "Did we close the bottom door?"

Joyce shrugged, heading over to her daughter. "I did, pulled it just to make sure. I think."

He tried the cell phones again, this time adding in a pager number he had to look up in the accumulated stuff in his wallet. Finally he got a call back. "Marion," he sighed. "Thank god. We're at my place, Joyce, Buff, and I, and so is Angelus. You need to tell Giles and see if you can't round up the gang." He hung up. "She said she'd try."

She nodded, continuing to stroke the soft blonde hair. "Is she going to be all right?"

Xander looked her over, taking her pulse again. "I'd say yes, but I'm not qualified to do that." He grabbed an ice pack and handed it over. "Against her neck. It eases the swelling." He looked around, going back over to the window. "Come on," he said quietly. "We could use the help any time now." He watched as Marion walked down the street, looking around carefully. She looked over in the park, then went to where he could vaguely see the doorway. He walked over to the door. "Make sure it closes," he called.

She jogged up the stairs. "He'll be here soon. No word on Oz or Willow." She walked over to the couch. "How's Buffy doing?"

"She's alive," Joyce said. She looked up. "Now you see why you train?"

The younger woman nodded. "Definitely. I also saw some others downstairs. They were talking to a handsome guy, all in black."

"Angelus," Xander said. "Or better known as Angel; he's turned again apparently."

Marion nodded as she grabbed a soda. "Giles told me to come over to be a guard and I'll do that for now. They looked like they had it well in hand." She nodded her head at Buffy, who was starting to groan. "Water?"

Xander pulled out a container from one of the cabinets. "No, we have something better from when I used to feed." He started to mix a shake, carrying over the glass. "Here, Buff, drink this."

She made a face and took a sip. "Nasty," she whispered, trying to hand it back.

"Drink it," her mother said. "He's got more experience in this area than you do and he said so." Her determined words were counteracted by the gentle hand over her daughter's forehead. "Please?"

Buffy nodded, chugging the nasty-tasting shake down. She handed back the glass and let her head fall back down. "How long was I out?"

"Almost half an hour," Joyce said. "We were worried."

"He didn't take much," Xander added. "Just enough to knock you out."

"Just enough to create a bite really," Buffy said. "He knocked me out with a piece of wood he found." She rubbed a sore spot on her head. "I'm getting too old for this."

Marion smiled. "But isn't that why I'm here?" She patted Buffy's leg. "You're going to be okay and I'll learn from you, then I'll be pushing you aside to do it."

Buffy laughed lightly. "Whenever you're ready. I'm tired of this job." She closed her eyes. "Napping," she sighed, falling asleep again.

Joyce nodded Xander toward the bedroom and they both headed there, closing the door to get some privacy. "Is she really going to be all right?"

He nodded. "She should be fine. He didn't take as much as Spike did me and I'm okay. She might have a mark like mine, but even that is something that can be covered or gotten rid of." He shrugged. "I don't know if anything I could say would calm you, but I believe she's going to be fine."

She nodded. "You're becoming a very smart man. I just wanted to make sure." She looked around. "What's keeping them?"

His head turned to the side. "Nothing. I'm not itching so they must have all left." He touched his mark gently. "It tells me when we're not alone."

Joyce smiled. "Must come in handy." She went back to watch over her sleeping little girl, leaving Xander and Marion to take care of everything else.

Giles ran through the door almost an hour after it was over, stopping at the back of the couch. "Is she all right?" He looked around for the other slayer or the young man that lived here. "Where are they?"

Joyce held up her arms. "Outside, can I have a hug?" He gladly held her, letting her show her fear to him. When she was done sniffling and had wiped futilely at the wet spot on his jacket, she looked up. "Xander said someone was back so they went to see who."

Giles nodded. "At least he's taking precautions." He looked down at her. "Angelus again," he muttered. "I wish now she had been able to stake him the last time."

She smiled. "It's hard to kill the thing that you love, no matter how evil it is." She brushed a hand across his face. "We're all right, how are you?"

He frowned. "As could be expected. The council was right, she is like my own child." He held onto his fiancee tightly. "Now if only I could get the gift to leave her."

' ' ' '

Xander looked around the park as he stopped. "Two, down that path," he pointed, "feeders too."

Marion nodded, heading down the path, only to be held back by a strong hand. "I'm more than capable..."

Xander stopped her. "These are friends. They don't hunt to feed." He led the way, smiling when he saw someone he knew. "Thanks you, guys."

The vampire nodded. "Not a problem. He's left for the night. Watching still, but he won't come back. You need to get that spell to restrict his passage into your place though."

Xander nodded. "I will, once Willow get's back." He pulled Marion forward. "This is..."

"We know." He held out a hand. "You have nothing to fear from us. We are the ones that you won't have to kill. Unless we ask, that is."

She nodded. "Thank you for telling me that. Giles had told me that you existed, but it's nice to know that not everything he said is a fairytale."

Xander tapped the top of her head. "Even fairytales come true around here. Ask him to tell you about Hansel and Gretel coming back and almost getting Buff and Willow burned at the stake."

Marion shook her head. "I am *so* glad that the Hellmouth is shrinking. I don't think I could deal with that level of strange." She looked around. "Are you two the only ones here?"

Xander groaned. "I was hoping it was wrong." He looked around too, pointing. "Angelus is that way."

The vampire he knew smiled. "Well, we said he was watching. Maybe you two should get home." He turned. "Watch your backs. Things could get worse."

Xander nodded. "Thanks, guys. I'll be over next week to help with the new feeder." They waved before disappearing into the shadows. He pulled her back onto the path. "He's right, we need to get home."

Marion nodded, looking around as they walked. "This is creepy."

Xander smiled as he opened the bottom door to the building. "Creepy isn't being stalked. Creepy is being stalked by something worse than him." He turned to make sure that the door was locked. "Go on upstairs, I'm going to talk to the building manager." He watched her walk up the stairs before knocking. "Hey," he said, once the door was opened. "We've got problems."

The man smiled. "I had heard. I've respelled the door and yours." He waved a hand. "Coming in?"

Xander shook his head. "No, thanks though." He bent down to pick up the gray tabby cat that was walking between his feet. "Buffy's upstairs with a minor bite and I should be there." He petted the cat for a few minutes then handed it back. "Just wanted to make sure you knew."

The manager smiled. "Not to worry, young one. We're as safe here as can be." He nodded back toward the shadows in his place. "We both have friends." He tapped the hidden bite mark on Xander's chest. "Be safe and trust in them." He closed the door, after making sure that a certain tail wouldn't get caught.

Xander jogged up the stairs, opening his door. "Hey, we're safe in here. The manager respelled the doorways."

Giles nodded, not looking up. "When did you let him in?"

"He was here the day I got my Grandmother's things." He shrugged and pulled out a bottle of water for himself. "He was waiting in here for me when I got back from the mall."

Joyce nodded. "Okay, as long as we're safe." She looked around. "Any word from Oz?"

Xander swallowed, shaking his head. He tossed the bottle into the recycling bin. "Nope, not a peep. They're probably at the college or something. Maybe Oz is practicing tonight and they turned off the phones so they wouldn't be disturbed." He walked over to the couch. "How's she doing?"

Giles frowned. "As well as could be expected. Would you like to tell me what happened?"

Xander pointed toward the bedroom and the older man followed him. "All right, I was getting home from my escorting a young woman to the high school dance, as a favor to my teacher. Angel, or really Angelus, was waiting for me. He told me I shouldn't lead her on and then deny her, he must have heard her begging for something more, which I denied her. He approached me out of the shadows and when I asked if something was wrong, he said he wouldn't have to worry about that anymore and neither would I. We danced around for a little while and he almost got me when I tried to get in the door." The younger man shrugged. "Nothing big or major, I got away. I saw Buff walking down the street right before he made one last lunge at me, disappearing around the corner. She saw him, followed. She said he grabbed her, knocked her out with a piece of wood, and bit her. Lightly, no blood showing around the bite when I found her and he seemed to vanish again."

Giles nodded. "So, he attacked you, then Buffy intervened and she got injured, right?" Xander nodded so the older man pulled him close, giving him a hug. "I'm just glad you're both all right."

"This time," Joyce said, coming in. She hugged Xander too. "I don't know what I would have done without him. She was just laying there and he had to carry her up here and then someone cut the phone lines." She sniffled, but got it under control. "I'm sorry, but this has been a bad night so far."

Xander nodded. "Feel free to crash on the bed while we wait." He waved a hand. "I'll grab Marion one of my shirts and a pair of shorts to sleep in so she can inhabit a futon." He smiled. "To do that, you need to let me go, Giles."

Giles shook himself and let Xander go. "I'm sorry, I was just..."

"Overcome with emotion, I know." He patted Giles on the chest. "Rest, for now, and let us worry about her." He grabbed the stated clothes and something for himself, leaving the new couple alone. He walked back out, tossing some clothes at Marion then folding something at Buffy's feet in case she got up. He stripped out of his dress shirt, pulling on a t-shirt before picking up his cellphone. He dialed Oz's again, and this time he even got an answer. "Oz, man, it's me. You've got to be careful. Angelus is back and he's already been here. Buff's been bitten but she's sleeping now. We're all here, fine for now." He hung up. "Got his voicemail." He put it back into the charger before looking around. "TV should be working, you can have a futon and I'll watch for a while. I still need to study."

Marion nodded. "I never knew it was going to be like this. I expected fighting, but I didn't realize I might lose."

Xander smiled. "That's why you train everyday. That's why you actually have two lives and that's why you get friends who can and will help you." He leaned over the counter. "Hungry?"

She shook her head, her face getting just slightly green. "No, thank you." She looked around. "I guess you're pretty used to all this, huh?"

He shook his head. "Nope, first time for this problem. You just kinda learn to go and switch paces when you need to." He thought about it. "It's like dancing, when the music's changed you gotta go with the new beat."

Marion nodded. "I'll keep that in mind, write it in my wise sayings book." She grinned. "So, what's it like to live two lives?"

Xander sighed. "Not too bad. You don't so much hide the other as not talk about it to anyone that doesn't belong in it." He shrugged. "It's not a lie, it's just not including it." He pulled out some bread before looking at it and tossing it. "It's not as bad as having roommates that forget to go shopping when it's their turn." He looked through the cupboards, pulling out things to make biscuits for sandwiches. "I'm making munchies for later. You take a nap."

She unfolded a futon, gracefully sinking down and under the covers. "Night, Xander."

"Night, young one," he said. He went back to doing something he was good at, making food so they could work through the night.

It was almost two when Oz and Willow burst in the door. "How is she?" the young woman asked.

Xander 'sshhh'ed them and pointed. "She's fine," he said quietly. "He didn't take much. Giles and Buff's mom are in the bedroom, sleeping. The lump on the futon is Marion. Food's made, in the fridge when you want it." He looked over at them. "Nice night?"

Oz frowned. "Yeah, up until I got your message."

"Nice dinner, fancy place. Nice long moonlit walk." Willow took off her jacket. "What can I do?"

Xander smiled. "Well, the manager said he's fixed the non-entry problem back into place. She's asleep, but should be getting up soon. I've got to crash, I've got a test in the afternoon and will get talked to in the morning by my teacher because I wasn't real friendly with his daughter." He put down his book. "Up to you."

Willow nodded, walking carefully over to check on the injured woman. "Her bite's turning a funny color."

Oz got the ice pack out of the freezer. "Here, put this on it, it'll reduce the swelling."

Xander came over to look at it. "Same color as mine. You don't think he..." He made a motion with his hand.

Willow started to look sick. "No, I don't think he would do that to her. He couldn't kill her outright and he enjoys torturing her too much to ever hurt her like that." She looked around. "At least I hope so."

Oz nodded. "I'm sure you're right." He pulled Xander aside. "Not real delicate there, man."

Xander grimaced. "Not meant to be. It was just a thought that happened to pop out and it meant just what it sounded like, a question." He scrubbed his face with a tired hand. "He only had about three minutes before I got to her and he was gone. She was dressed. I really don't think anything besides what appears to have happened happened."

Oz nodded. "Okay, so were you *told* that they only turn that color when there's sex involved." Xander closed his eyes and nodded. "Could it be from their past?" He looked around, making sure Marion wouldn't hear him. "She still loves him after all."

Xander nodded. "Good point and question. I can call and ask, but I've already talked to them once tonight. They drove Angelus away before he could come in to get us."

Oz frowned. "You and Buff were stuck up here together but you had to call them to take care of Angelus?"

Xander shook his head. "Joyce, Buffy, and I were up here together and she was unconscious at the time. He had almost beaten me so I called them when I couldn't get hold of anyone else." He looked at the older man. "Had your cell off?"

Oz frowned but nodded. "Yeah, we wanted some peace and quiet." He looked around. "Did you go make sure he was gone?"

"Yeah, Marion and I once she got here. He's out there somewhere, watching probably, but he can't get in."

Oz nodded. "Okay. Go crash on the other futon and we'll wake you if we need a break."

Xander patted his arm and pulled out the other futon, settling down on the hard surface and falling asleep. "Don't let me forget to get up," he reminded them. "I can't miss that test."

Willow reached over to set the little travel alarm on the bookcase, the just in case one, then turned to look back at her girlfriend. "What a rotten night you had, dear," she said. "Not what had been planned at all." She looked over as Oz sat down beside her. "We shouldn't have left without leaving a note or something." He nodded. "Next time, okay?"

He gathered her into his arms. "Yeah, next time we'll leave a note to tell them where we are."

' ' ' '

Xander looked over and groaned. His teacher was walking toward him. "Morning," he said quietly.

The older man nodded as he sat down next to him. "Would you like to give me your version of what happened last night?"

Xander looked up, alarmed. He had thought that the man's daughter had been far enough away to not see anything that Angelus had attempted. "Nothing, why? What did she say happened?"

The older man rubbed over his face. "Just that you tried something funny with her." He looked up, then around to make sure that they were alone. "You didn't right?"

"No, no not me. I rebuffed her kindly and constantly last night." He held up a hand. "Honestly. I wouldn't have touched her anyway, I'm not like that."

The older man nodded. "I was just making sure since I defended you to my wife." He shrugged. "She's my daughter, but she has this little problem with telling us things happened when they didn't." He stood up. "Test this afternoon."

"Can I take a retest? One of my friends was sick at my place last night so I was up most of the night." The older man smiled and shook his head. "Didn't think so." The younger man sighed before pulling out his book, intent on catching up with what he didn't have a chance for last night.

' ' ' '

Willow looked around the place and sighed. Her classes were done for the day and she had Buffy's homework with her, but the younger woman was still sleeping. "Buff? Lunch?"

The other woman rolled off the couch and started to swear. Eventually she pushed her hair aside to look up. "Not really. What time is it?"

Willow lifted down the clock so she could see it. Buffy groaned as she got up, holding her head. She disappeared into the bathroom and bedroom, taking a shower and getting dressed. When Buffy came back out, in Xander's sweats and a t-shirt, Willow smiled as she handed over the sandwich she had gotten from the fridge. Buffy curled up on the couch to eat, looking at the view also. "So," she said finally, setting the plate aside.

"I've got your homework, you slept most of the night, your mother wants you to call when you get up, Angelus is around someplace, Marion, Oz, and Xander will all be out searching for him tonight without us." She turned her head to look at the other woman with a grin. "Any other questions?"

Buffy nodded. "Is Giles really upset with me?"

Willow switched couches, coming over to sit next to her friend and hold her. "He's not mad at all. He understands, he wishes that he could get your gifts to leave you, but he's not mad."

Buffy nodded, laying her head on her friend's shoulder. "Are you both all right? I didn't mean to interrupt anything last night." Willow pinched her arm. "What? Whenever I would be close to waking up, I would hear someone wondering where you were and if you were okay. I just thought that you might have taken Oz out for a nice quiet, alone time."

Willow smiled. "It was nice until we got Xander's voicemail."

Buffy looked down, unhappy that she had caused them to miss a night alone. "I've got to train harder. This can't keep happening."

Willow tipped her head up, made her look at her. "You're not the cause of this, he is. He's the one that came after Xander and then attacked you. Nothing you could have done would have foreseen this so that it didn't happen, right?" Buffy nodded. "Then nothing here is your fault."

"It's my fault that I'm not training like I need to. It's my fault that I'm getting slower, not as good." She sighed. "I wish that Marion could take over for me, but that's not going to happen for a few years yet and I don't want you to be hurt because I'm not good enough anymore." She got up, heading for the bathroom.

Willow went back to looking out the window. "You're so wrong," she said. "You don't suck, he does and for that he'll die." She looked up as Xander came in. "Bad day dear?"

Xander smiled. "Yeah, you might say that. I'm pretty sure I flunked my test. My teacher's daughter claimed that I hit on her so he confronted me over coffee and studying before class." He sat down, putting his head into his hands. "How's Buffy?"

"In the bathroom sulking, thinking she's not good enough." Willow shrugged. "And nothing we say will change that opinion."

Xander nodded, getting up to head for the bedroom. He closed the bedroom door gently behind him then knocked briefly before walking into the bathroom. "Hey," he said. "Let me check the mark."

Buffy uncovered it, tipping her head and pulling her hair out of the way. "Why is it that color?"

"Our best guess is that it's because of your prior relationship." He spread some neosporin over it before recovering it. "Don't get it wet and be careful about not hitting it with anything." He hopped up onto the sink's counter. "It's not your fault. I wasn't enough to stop him either and we both know this was his way of psyching you out." He shrugged. "You can't let it get to you."

Buffy nodded. "But I was too slow last night, I couldn't stop him so he got away."

Xander smiled as he tipped her head back. "And you would have done what to stop him?" She frowned. "Being realistic here, you couldn't have staked him, not even if you had seen him kill me. You still love him."

Buffy nodded slowly. "I know, but it still sucks that I couldn't do anything."

Xander nodded. "Now you know how I feel." He patted the top of her head. "You eat yet?" She nodded. "Okay, then I won't make lunch for you, just for me and Willow." He hopped back down and headed out to the kitchen. "Will, food?"

"Ate a leftover," she said. She handed over the assignments to the other woman before coming over to talk to him. "I didn't know that you felt like that."

He looked up briefly. "Well, let's see. I can't fight, I'm not the researcher. I'm more of the red- shirted guy on the original Star Trek than anything else; I'm the one that is basically fodder." He shrugged. "After a while, you get over it."

"Difference being that you haven't gone up in a hale of phaser fire," Buffy said as she came out of the bedroom. "And you can fight, you're getting better."

Xander snorted as he warmed the oil in the pan. "I sucked last night. He trapped me against the security door and all I could do was hang on." He shrugged. "You accept your limitations after a while." He cracked an egg. "Last call, otherwise I'm the only one eating."

Buffy and Willow looked at each other then shook their heads. They got together over the table, working on what she needed to get done while Xander cooked. When he retreated to the bedroom to take a nap, they looked up.

"So," Willow said. "Christmas?"

"Parents, plural and both begging for some of my time."

"Mine too." She ran a hand through her hair. "What about him?"

"I was figuring he'd come over to spend it with mom and Giles." She shrugged. "Not like he's going to be doing anything."

"Oz said he made up one of those polite lies about having something to do." Willow looked around. "We don't even have a tree."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Menorah?"

"Not me. I'm going to do the Solstice thing here and go home for Chanukah celebrations. I didn't want to force my religion on any of you." She looked around. "Oz is coming over, my parents are finally going to accept him this time. Or so they say."

Buffy smiled. "I'm glad, it's about time." She looked out the window, seeing the day start to change. "Um, fuzzy times?"

"Next week," Willow said.

"Are we going to be here? And won't that be inconvenient? Right after finals and all."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, but it starts the next day so he should be okay. Not like Midterms, when he snarled no matter how tranqed he got." She shuddered. "That's the last time he snarled at me."

Buffy nodded. "I can understand. We were all a bit snarly." She looked back around the apartment. "Where is Oz anyway? I thought his classes were over by now."

"They are, he's at band rehearsal for a competition next month." She shrugged. "I got invited, but the lead keeps hitting on me so I'm not real comfortable there." Buffy nodded. "Want help?"

"Only if it comes with a headache-be-gone sledgehammer to stop the little people in pointy shoes that are running around my head." She looked up. "It's like the opening scene of the Wizard of Oz in there."

"Ah, the Munchkins. I used to love those guys." She smiled. "I bet you wanted to be Glenda."

"Nope, always wanted to be the Wicked Witch. She had a better wardrobe." She pulled her book around. "Is that what I think it is?" Willow nodded so she turned the book back around, tapping out the formula, writing down the answer. "Okay, all but done." She closed the book. "Just needs a name."

"Be careful what you name things, it gives them power." Willow grinned, getting up. "I'm going to go soak."

"Have fun. You might want to wake him first though, kinda warn him. He still has this distressing habit of just walking in when he's only half awake."

Willow smiled. "I remember, but it wouldn't happen if you'd pick a different time to shower." She patted Buffy's arm as she walked in whistling, something else Oz had taught her.

"Happiness, thy name is a man's," she whispered, putting her stuff up. Buffy looked around, deciding that the place had to be cleaned, and since she was in need of something to do....

' ' ' '

Oz walked in the door of the apartment, looking around before setting his things down. "Hello?" he called. Nobody answered him, so he pulled out the stuff he had gotten from his back pack and the wrapping paper. He sat down at the table, carefully wrapping up each present. When he was finished, he looked around and counted. He was missing one. He looked at each of the tags and swore, he had forgotten to pick up something for Xander. He put them up, hiding them in his side of the closet, and went back out to try to find something special for the man that was his brother some days and others his fantasy but always his friend.

' ' ' '

Buffy sat down in her mother's living room, presents and wrapping paper spread out around her. She looked up briefly, smiling at Marion as she came in. "Hey."

"One for me?" The older woman shook her head. "Cool, talk?"

Buffy quickly finished wrapping the present she held by filling out the little card. "Okay, all yours."

Marion sat down, looking very down. "How long did it take you to make friends?"

"Um, first day. Willow was assigned the task of integrating me. I tried to get with a girl named Cordelia, but then I pulled out a stake so she started spreading psycho rumors about me. But Willow and I started to talk, then she introduced me to Xander. Why? Being shunned still?"

Marion nodded. "I come from someplace not cool, I actually talk to people like teachers, and worst of all," she gasped for effect, "I have manners."

The older woman smiled. "I can understand that. I came from someplace cooler, knew the lingo and the rules." She shrugged. "You need things to fit in here and look like a native, new clothes and stuff. Actually you need some anyway. I'll go with you if you want."

Marion nodded and got up. "Thanks. After the holidays, before we go back to school?" Buffy nodded. "Thank you." She left to go do her pile of homework and Buffy went back to wrapping presents.

' ' ' '

Xander opened the door and stood there, stunned.

"Alexander Harris," one of the officers asked.

He opened his mouth and when nothing came out, he cleared his throat and nodded.

"We have a warrant for your arrest." He pulled the younger man out into the hall to cuff him.

"Um, on what charges?"

"Statutory rape."

Xander started to laugh, hysterical giggles really. "The last person I had sex with was *much* older than me."

"You don't remember a young woman named Cathy..."

Xander groaned. "I didn't touch her. Her father asked me because he *knew* I wouldn't touch her."

"That's not what she said and I'm sure we'll get it all straightened out at the station." He pushed him toward the stairs.

"My keys and wallet, please can I grab them?" One of the officers walked in, grabbing them off the table, turning off the lights and locking the door for him. "Thank you." He was taken down to the station and sat in a little room. Eventually an older officer came in, sitting down across from him.

"Tell me what happened," he suggested.

"Her father asked me to take her, he knew I wouldn't do anything with her."

"Why?" He looked up from his writing.

"Because I'm gay, or actually bi with a strong leaning toward men."

The older man nodded. "But you've had girlfriends in the past?"

"*A* and it was ended in my senior year. Since then, I've had *a* man and that's it." He shifted. "I don't even want to top."

The older man nodded as he wrote something down. "Tell me about the dance."

Xander nodded. "We danced a few times, nothing slow or close or even often." He cleared his throat. "She spent most of the night with her friends and I talked to the friends I have that are still there." He coughed. "May I have some water?"

The older man got up, coming back with a paper cup. He undid one of the cuffs before handing it over.

"Thank you."

The older man sat back down. "Not a problem." He read another page, setting it separate. "Ready to go on?"

Xander put down the cup. "I never touched her. I fended off every hit politely."

"Then why would she tell her parents something else?"

The young man leaned over, resting his arm on the table. "I don't know. Maybe she was pissed because I wouldn't. Maybe it's a bragging thing like teen guys do." He shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure I never touched anything except her arm or her hand to get her attention."

The older man finished writing and put down his pen. "We've seen this complaint from her before so I'm going to ask you a few questions, something to validate her or your story." Xander nodded. "Do you have any identifying marks? Something she could have only seen if you had been together?"

Xander leaned back and thought. "I have a dark mark on my shoulder." He pointed to it, then ran his fingers across his chest, thinking. "Oh, my piercing. I've taken it out since that night, but I'm not sure if I had it in then or not." He stopped to think, calming down to remember what had happened when over the last few weeks. "No, I'd taken it out before then."

"Do you routinely wear one?"

"I did until a few weeks ago, but that was before that night." He thought about the rest of his body. "I also have a dark mark on my inner thigh." He scratched at it idly. "Other than a surgery scar from having my appendix out, that's it."

The older man stood. "Okay. We're going to take you home. I'll check her story and if it checks, we'll bring you back in. You can't leave and we'll be watching you." He closed the folder. "Do you understand?"

Xander nodded. "Yeah. I can get my wallet and keys?" They were pushed across the table. "And a ride?" The older man led him out, turning him over to another officer who dropped him off outside his building. He had just let himself in when the manager came out, arms crossed, to lean against his doorframe.

"What was that about?"

"That date I was forced on by my teacher." He closed the outer door, sitting down on the bottom step. "She said I had sex with her and she's underage." He frowned. "Of course I didn't, but that doesn't seem to matter now."

The manager nodded. "That's a bad thing." He smiled. "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't drugs." He uncrossed his arms to let out the pitifully crying cat.

Xander picked up the gray tabby, hugging and petting it, gaining the comfort he needed. "No, no drugs," he whispered. "It feels like I'm tripping, but I know I'm not."

The manager smiled. "Sounds about right." He nodded at the cat. "Take Fuzzy up with you; you look like you could use the comfort."

Xander thanked him silently and headed up, clutching at the furry security device. He opened his door to walk in, taking off his shoes, then trudged in to collapse on the bed. He gathered Fuzzy to him, letting the warmth and her purr soothe him.

' ' ' '

Joyce Summers spit her coffee across the paper, prompting Giles to take it from her and search for what had caused her reaction. He quickly scanned the sections, coming to rest on the criminal activities report. He searched the names, hoping his soon to be step-daughter wasn't in there. Instead he saw a name he never expected charged with what he was sure could only be incorrect. "I'm sure this is wrong." He got up to dial the apartment, not really thinking about whether or not Xander would be there. When he didn't get an answer, he grabbed the emergency key out of the basket, kissing Joyce's head as he walked out.

He pounded on the door. He could hear someone, knew they had come over to see who it was, but no one would open the door. He used the key, not expecting the chain to be on. "Open the door," he asked politely.

Xander pushed it closed, but didn't remove the chain. "Go away. I'm sulking."

Giles undid the automatically locking deadbolt again, this time pushing until the flimsy nails holding the chain in place pulled out. He closed the door as he looked around, seeing the cat staring at him. "Hello," he told it. "Where's the human boy?"

The cat led him into the bedroom, jumping up on the lump that had taken up residence on the bed without her. She sat on top of it, purring her contentment.

Giles smiled as he lifted her down, setting her off to the side so he could pet her. "Xander, would you like to explain that mention in the paper to me?"

"She lied, nothing happened," the lump said. "Nothing else to tell." It shifted. "I'm not going to class today. I even called to leave a message why."

Giles nodded, realizing after he had done it that he couldn't be seen. "I can understand how the humility would be astounding today." He patted the lump's shoulder, shifting closer. "Would you like to talk about it."

"Has hell frozen?"

"Well ... no."

"Then not a chance." An arm appeared. "Fix the chain before you go."

Giles grunted. "You know that you can't skip a class, you have to try. You'll lose your trust fund by not going."

Xander/the lump nodded. "Yeah, and I've already called the lawyer to confess. He said this was a reasonable excuse to not go in and nothing would happen since he's the executor." He rolled over until part of his head and an eye appeared. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to sulk in aloneness."

Giles stood up. "Of course. You know where I am if and when you need to talk." He patted the cat's head. "Would you like me to drop off the cat someplace since I know she's not yours?"

Xander shook his head. "She's the manager's and she's soothing." He covered himself back up. "Just fix the chain please. I'll do it up later."

"And when Oz comes home?"

"He'll do the same thing." The lump shrugged. "Not a big thing. He's done it before when I wanted some alone time."

Giles nodded, doing as he was asked. He made it back to Buffy's house, to find the rest of the teens there. They were all gathered around the table, reading over the paper. "I just came from there, he's fine. Sulking, which is understandable, but none the worse for the ordeal."

Oz frowned. "Had to break the chain?" Giles nodded. "Okay, I'll know what to do when I go home after class." He handed over the paper. "I'm assuming he's staying home today."

"You'd be correct in that assumption." Giles sat down. "He's left a message at the school and talked to the man holding his trust fund so he wouldn't get in trouble over it." He shrugged. "I don't know what else to do."

Buffy grimaced. "I'm thinking about going down there to kick his teacher's ass, but that wouldn't be very fair."

Oz nodded. "I'll drive if you decide to go."

Willow shook her head. "No, we need to mount a defensive so we can find out what really went on, why she lied." She smirked, "But the idea of going down there to beat the crap out of him sounds good too."

Joyce laid a hand on the two young women's shoulders. "That's not the adult way to handle it. The adult way is to fight back peacefully. *Talking* to the man would be all to the positive though."

Oz looked at Joyce then at Giles. "You're starting to sound like him now," he stage whispered.

Joyce smiled. "And Willow doesn't sound like you?" She poured out the rest of the pot of coffee. "Let me do it, guys. I'll be calm and rational as I talk to the man to find out what's going on." She handed over the last cups. "After all, he's like my own son some days."

Buffy pouted. "You try to get rid of me and you adopt him too? How fair is that mom?"

Joyce smiled. "Dear, we didn't get rid of you, we just thought you'd be more comfortable someplace where you didn't have to watch us coo." She turned, walking back up to her room to get dressed for her day.

Giles gave Buffy a patented 'we're going to talk later' look as he finished off his coffee. "I must run, I have a staff meeting in a few minutes." He grabbed his briefcase to hurry away.

Buffy looked at Willow. "Police records?"

"Police records," Willow assented. "Searched by her name and the complaint. I'll get on it tonight."

Oz smiled, a slightly nasty smile. "I still want to go beat him."

Willow patted arm. "That's just the fuzzy part of you talking. Let us handle it peacefully first, and if that doesn't work then you can go rip him apart."

Oz kissed her cheek. "Deal."

' ' ' '

Oz kicked out the chain. "It's me, Xan," he called. He looked down at the furry creature roaming around his ankles. "When did we get a cat? And isn't she the manager's?"

Xander walked out to grab Fuzzy, carrying her back into the bedroom so he could get back under the covers.

Oz followed, shaking his head. "Need the bathroom?" The lump known as his roommate shook. "Okay, I'm going to take a shower."

"Make sure the door's closed this time."

"I did. I didn't hit it that hard this time." He stripped off his shirt as he lifted up an edge of the blankets. "Want to talk?"

"Did hell freeze?"

"Not yet, but I'm sure someone's working on it."

"No."

"Okay, I'll be home after my finals, around 9 or so." He patted the lump then headed for the hot water. When he came back out, the lump had shifted. Some clothes were now laying out for him. "Why are you dressing me now?"

"You have to give a speech tonight for a final, or did you forget?" The lump shifted. "Food's on the counter in the cooler bag."

Oz grinned at the silliness of the situation; Xander was having a major crisis yet, here he was, taking care of him like a child. "You're such a good mother some days." He patted the region of the younger man's feet, sitting on the edge of the bed to dress. "So, how long has Fuzzy been here?"

"Since the police dropped me off last night. He offered me her comfort."

Oz frowned. "You didn't call why?"

"Because you two wanted some time alone and I'm still not fit for human consumption." He rolled over, the blankets and cat following - the latter with a meow. "Have fun, be safe, get good grades." He blew an air kiss through the blankets. "I'll try to be normal tonight."

Oz pulled on the t-shirt, grabbing the hanger of the other. "Okay. We'll talk to you then." He stroked the few hairs he could see. "Be careful today, stay in to hide if you want. We'll all be over later." Xander groaned. "What did you expect? You made the 'I got arrested' section."

"This is so unfair. I didn't *do* anything." He pulled the blankets down. "She's lying but I'm getting in trouble."

"We're working on the problem. Have faith in your friends." He patted the hurting head one last time. "Should I drop Fuzzy off?" Xander shook his head. "Okay, later Xan. I'll call if I'm going to be late." He grabbed his food as he walked out, already having everything else he needed in the van.

Xander looked over at the cat. "You probably want to go home, huh?" She looked at him then came over, sitting in the middle of his chest. "How 'bout I let you go long enough so you can eat. Then you can come back up to mope with me some more?" She meowed then hopped down, walking toward the door.

Xander crawled out of the bed to open the door, watching as she padded down the stairs and scratched her door. She was let in so he left the door open slightly for when she would come back up. He looked around. "I could clean or I could do homework or I can mope." He looked at the kitchen and frowned. "Kitchen, groceries, then mope." He got to work straightening out the mess he had made.

' ' ' '

Xander walked back in the building, only to be met by the manager.

"Your teacher's upstairs with your lawyer." He took the bags, handing over the cat. "She's been calling you since you left."

The young man smiled. "She's a great comfort when you're down." He walked slowly up the stairs, taking a deep breath before he opened the door. "So," he said. "I'm guessing that someone's here to tell me it was all a dream and I'm not in trouble?" He sat down, holding the cat close.

His lawyer, an older man with silver hair smiled. "Something like that. Cute cat."

"Manager's. Fuzzy, this is the guy that makes sure I have enough money to get food." He held her up. "Say hello." She gave both men dirty looks before settling back down in the offered lap. "What's the real reason?"

The older man handed over a few papers. "This is a statement, your's actually. It needs to be read and signed." Xander did as he was told then handed it back. "And this is a statement of your trust fund." He held up a hand to stop the teen was opening his mouth. "No, you're not in trouble for taking today off. This is routine business but I'm sure you don't want me to charge you for another visit."

Xander looked it over. "Are you really expensive or is it that I'm still missing money?" He looked up. "'Cause this is way under what it should be." He looked at the itemized deductions that had been handed to him. "Hold on, I didn't make some of these."

The lawyer switched couches to look it over. "The ones in blue are questionable to me also."

Xander looked them over. "No, some of those are mine, but this one and those three and any other one at that location are not mine." He looked up. "I don't even know where that is."

The lawyer closed his eyes. "Mall, second level?"

"No, that's that one." He pointed it out. "I know because I was there the other day, getting stuff for a project."

"Okay, I'll have them check the tapes." He shrugged, taking the paper back to make a note. "I'll call to tell you what I know when I know something." He switched back to the other couch. "Now then, for why we're all here today. I read the paper this morning then called the station. Then I called him since I've known him for quite a while." He cleared his throat. "After reading your statement, and knowing you as I've come to, I know that you didn't do it." He looked down. "He's agreed to drop the charges provided that you don't sue them."

"I want her to get help."

"She's already seeing someone."

"It's not helping," Xander pointed out. "I mean good help. She could have ruined my life, had me put in jail for something I didn't do." He looked around. "I can't forgive that."

His teacher nodded. "I can understand that. She's to be charged with filing a false report and she's going into a treatment program later this month. Even if I have to make her mother consent." He grimaced. "Seems she used to have the same problem and she's the one that keeps taking her to the police." He swallowed. "We're making an apology in the paper, a small one in the same section. You were given an excused absence for today and I'll understand if you wanted to switch classes. Even if you are the best student I've had in years." He smiled, for a second. "The tech center's agreed not to mention this and to be on the watch for any student reprisals."

The lawyer cleared his throat. "I'm more than ready to go down and talk to them in your behalf. They know the lay of the land though and are more than interested in keeping the peace."

Xander nodded. "I only have that one test, right?"

His teacher nodded, "And that one assignment to hand in."

Xander reached behind him to pull down his back pack. He took the pages out, handing them over. "Check and make sure it's all there for me." The teacher flipped through the pages before he nodded. "I'll come in and take that test. I'll take the rest of the time off to give everyone a chance to forget."

His lawyer nodded. "I call that a sensible course of action. I have no problems with it as long as you start again in January. In whatever class."

Xander smiled. "Are you going to be this nice to me when I tell you that I'm applying to the college?"

"Oh, yeah, we'll be enthused and throw you a party, at your expense of course, when you get in." He smiled. "I'm glad that we've gotten that settled. I've got to hit the office so I'll make copies of this for the files. Just in case it comes up for some other reason." He patted Xander's shoulder. "Have a better day today and I'll call soon."

His teacher stood up. "I've got to get back too. I've got a meeting with the judge since she's pleading." He held out a hand to Xander, who shook it after a few second's pause. "Oh, that Mrs. Summers is a very nice woman. Very protective of you."

Xander smiled. "She's been good to me." He waited until they were gone before grabbing the phone. He watched as Fuzzy walked over to the door so he let her out, watching her walk back home with a smile. He waved at the manager, before dialing Joyce.

"I'm free," he said.

' ' ' '

Oz looked up from his fast food lunch. "We should throw a party soon, just to celebrate everything." He looked over at Xander. "And I do mean everything."

The younger man nodded. "We could do a Christmas/Solstice party thing." He shrugged. "Do the present thing then."

Oz touched his hand. "I'm coming over that afternoon. My parents are big on the morning, but the afternoon is usually spent in gluttonous napping."

Xander shook his head as he took a bite of his fries. "No, you should be with your family. I'll be okay."

The older man tapped his face. "You *are* part of my family. And we're coming over. The only one that's not is Buffy, but only because she's got to split some time off for her father." Xander nodded. "Should we get a tree?"

"I got one of those ceramic ones with the lights." Oz frowned. "It's good enough for the apartment. Besides, I don't have to worry about burning the building down with it if I keep it lit all night." He finished off his shake. "I'm getting a mass payment today from my trust so I'll go shopping then."

"Okay, just don't look at the ones I have stashed in the closet. I'm still not done shopping and I don't want you peeking."

Xander stole a fry with a smile. "Okay, but only if you promise to like, or at least pretend to like, what I get you."

"Nothing you could get me would be wrong unless it was bright orange and knitted." He grinned slightly. "Then I would have to sic Buffy on you to straighten out your fashion sense."

"No, nothing like that. It's actually a gift certificate, but I'm not sure if you'll like the thought behind it."

"Hey, works for me. Just don't expect anything too pricey from us. Will's semester's money is almost all used up and I'm about tapped too."

"Oz, anything, even a nice card, would be fine for me." He patted the older man's hand, leaning back. "Did you want to help me pick out Will's and Buffy's presents?" The older man shook his head. "No?"

"Nope, I'd rather be surprised when they open it. Besides, I'm sure you'll get them things that they'll love and we'll all have a good day." He checked his watch. "Got a meeting with Snyder about the schedule." He shrugged. "The man wants me to stay after to give private lessons," he snorted, "for free."

Xander smiled. "Set him straight and if you need help pounding the truth into that skull of his, yell. I've got my phone and it's on." He continued to smile until Oz had left, watching to make sure he was truly gone. Then he looked around then down at the tray liner/map that had come with the food. "So, what to get for two picky women?"

It was after he had gone all through the mall, twice, that he found the little nature store. He walked in and started to look around, instantly finding things that reminded him of his friends. He smiled at the salesman and he came over. "Can I look at these?"

' ' ' '

Xander sat down and pulled the presents over, already wrapped for him by the nice people raising money at the mall. He did out the little labels before tucking them into the cabinets, right where they would be found but not looked at. He leaned back and looked around the apartment, measuring it up to the standards of a Christmas party in three days time. He mentally ran down the list of things he would need on hand, pulling over some paper when he decided he couldn't remember it all. He wrote, in really large letters, across the top of the page: Things you want to eat at the Christmas/Solstice party. Then he attached it to the back of the front door, their usual place for messages.

He padded around, looking for something to do, some way to kill some time. The TV was out, he didn't really want to watch the soaps, he hadn't been keeping up anyway, but this time of day, that's mostly all that was on. He looked at the few books laying around, not really enthused about sitting down to read a romance novel or a textbook. He could go see a movie, but he felt he should be staying in for some reason.

The phone rang so he grabbed it quickly. "Hello?" The phone dropped out of his fingers and he gathered his things to go to the hospital. He remembered to grab his cellphone on the way, he would need it call the others.

He made the last call, Marion's pager, as he walked in. He stopped at the desk. "Hi, my name's Xander Harris and I'm here about my roommate and mentor? Um, Rupert Giles and..." The nurse pointed him down a hall, which he jogged down. He tapped on a curtain, going in when he heard a grunt. "Hey," he said, walking in to see Oz sitting beside Giles' bed. "What really happened?"

Oz looked up, haunted expression clearly showing through. "Two of the kids got high and started to mix chemicals. They went around spraying people, they hit him." He nodded his head at the quiet form on the bed. "He's been sedated because the burns were that painful."

Xander pulled up a chair. "Oz, did they hit you too?" The older man nodded. "Go get checked, I'll watch." He pushed back a strand of sweaty hair. "I've called the others, all except Buffy's mom. I figured she would want to tell her."

Oz nodded and walked out, stopping a nurse to ask her something quietly. Xander watched him go, moving over to take the seat closer to the wall. He picked up the limp hand to hold, showing him by the most basic means that he wasn't alone.

' ' ' '

Buffy looked around as her cellphone started to ring. The teacher gave her a dirty look, so she picked it up, taking it out to the hall. "Hey, it's me." Her face went white and she sat down.

"Ms. Summers, I specifically asked you to have your cellphone turned off when you come to class." She looked down at the young woman, seeing the pale complexion and the position of her sitting. "What happened?"

Buffy looked up. "My mentor, the one that guided me through high school, he's in the hospital. Someone attacked him at school."

The teacher frowned. "I'm not sure I would consider that an emergency..."

"How 'bout this, he's engaged to my mother. Is that close enough?" The teacher nodded, silent. "Can I finish it sometime later this week, after I know he's going to be all right?"

"Of course. Let me go get your things." She came back out with Buffy's backpack and her purse. "Your test will be in my desk; I'll leave instructions for you if I'm not here." She patted the young woman on the back. "Are you going to be all right to drive?"

"Yeah," Buffy said, distracted. "But telling my mom is something else." She walked down the hall, instinctively heading for Willow's classroom since they had ridden together. She waved for the teacher to come out, which he did. "Hi, I'm Willow's roommate and there's been an incident. Her boyfriend and our mentor from high school have been injured in an attack at the high school and we're needed at the hospital."

The teacher frowned, but went in and told her. Willow looked over, biting her lip, then down at the paper. He took it, putting it on the desk then waved her out.

Willow came out, closing the door gently. "What happened?"

"Xan didn't know and I've still got to call mom." She handed over the keys. "It was Oz that called him, so he's pretty okay at least." She flipped open her phone as they left the building. "Mom, sit down."

' ' ' '

Everyone was gathered around Giles' bed, touching each other in some manner for comfort. Marion was holding onto Joyce's hand, Buffy leaning against her mother's other side. Willow and Oz were sharing a chair, Xander was sitting between the groups close enough to be touching. They all sat staring at the bed, waiting for something to happen. For the man to wake up.

He had been hit in the chest with the chemicals and had a serious burn, nothing deadly as far as they knew. No one was sure which chemicals had been mixed, the kids that had done it had been too high to remember much of what had happened.

Oz's injured hand and wrist were cradled in a loving hand, the bandages gently stroked.

Finally, after what seemed to be hours, Giles looked around. "You know, staring is considered impolite in most cultures," he remarked quietly.

Joyce got up to sit on the side of the bed, hugging the man to her carefully. "We've been watching to make sure it wasn't a potion to turn you into a frog."

Giles chuckled dryly. "A toad, me? I doubt it would work on me." He looked around. "I sincerely hope that none of you are missing something to be here."

All the teens smiled, shaking their heads.

"Liars," Giles said as he closed his eyes. The smile was still there when he went back to sleep.

' ' ' '

Oz looked at the doctor. "So, about my playing..."

"You'll be able to. You weren't burned that badly, a nasty first degree really. It's got to stay covered for a while to keep things out of it while it heals and peels, but really you're fine."

Oz nodded, letting the Vet rebandage his hand. "How do I keep it on tonight?"

"You may not need to. I'm assuming you're taking the tranquilizers still. That should keep you calm enough to not rip it off. If you feel that you can't keep it on, then make sure that your friends will watch to see that you don't hurt it any more." Doctor Allen patted the bandage. "I've already gotten your prescriptions written out and waiting."

Oz grinned. "Willow says when I'm on them, I spend the whole night in her lap like some sort of lap sausage."

Doctor Allen smiled. "Well, she is your mate." He handed over the two papers. "Anything else?" Someone knocked on the door. "Busy."

The nurse stuck her head around the door. "It's about to get worse." She let the two officers in.

"Doctor." The officer nodded at Oz. "We're here to talk to you about you prescribing to humans also." Oz started to say something. "Son, I would be quiet if I were you." He took the two papers from his fingers. "And I'm assuming that your dog is getting these?"

"It's a routine 'scrip for him. It's high strung and during the full moon he becomes violent."

Doctor Allen handed over the chart. "As you can see, I've been seeing the animal during some of those times."

The officer looked it over and 'hmm'ed. "So, then, it's your dog?" He looked down. "And it's a large mixed breed?"

"Yeah, it's an accidental breed by one of my friend's dogs and some mutt that she found. We're not really sure what it is." He shrugged. "Nothing illegal there."

"We would like to see the dog for ourselves."

Oz tapped his fingers. "Tonight? I get custody again from my friend."

"Why does he have it?"

"Because I live in an apartment right now and it's a huge dog." Oz shrugged. "It would have been mean to keep him locked up like that while I'm at school. But during full moons it doesn't trust him so I get him back."

"I'm not so sure that it's the best thing in the world for them to be around when he's under sedation. Even partial sedation," Doctor Allen pointed out. "You remember what happened last time some stranger came around."

Oz nodded. "But I don't see another way, do you?"

The Vet thought about it and shook his head. "Tonight it is then."

Oz left, going back to the apartment. He stopped to check for tranq pills, then bent over his fiancee's shoulder. "We're going to have company tonight. The cops decided the vet was prescribing to humans."

Willow frowned as she looked up, stealing a kiss. "Is that a good idea."

"No choice. They'll be over tonight." He shrugged, leaning against the back of the futon. "We need your brains to make this work."

Willow nodded. "I can see how that would be necessary." She put down her book. "If we're doing it here, then I would suggest the bedroom."

He nodded. "I don't see a problem with that. I've been calm these last two nights." He slid over, settling into his normal place, his head in her lap. "Plan away. I'm yours to command."

"As always," Xander said from the bedroom. He stuck his head out. "Bad night coming?" Both the other teens nodded. "Okay, we need a plan then."

"Bedroom and a leash?" Willow suggested. "We could put back in those dark bulbs."

Xander nodded. "That sounds reasonable. But what if they want a closer look. It's going to be obvious that he's like no other dog they've seen."

"Xan, it's not like he's going to be dressed in a dog suit." She rolled her eyes. "He's very real in that form."

"I know that, but he doesn't exactly look like your average Spot." The younger man shrugged. "But I'll go along with you." He went back to the bedroom and his straightening mission for the party that had been postponed until the next day.

Oz looked at Willow and mouthed the words "Oh, shit." She smiled and petted his hair. "No," he said quietly, "I forgot to get his present."

Willow nodded. "It's tomorrow." She saw his distressed look. "Can't you get it then?" He nodded. "Then what?"

"I don't know what to get him."

Willow shrugged. "I've been having that same dilemma." She looked around, making sure they were alone. "We'll go look tomorrow together. Okay?" He nodded, settling back down. "Just so long as we get through tonight."

' ' ' '

Oz, in his fuzzy form, looked up at the officer and snarled, straining at the end of his restraint line.

"Wow," the man said, backing up. "I can see why you tranq him now."

Doctor Allen walked up to the bed to sit next to the werewolf. "Yes, he's a large one and he's violent during the full moon." He shrugged. "There are very few of us that he trusts right now."

The officer shone his flashlight over the gray body. "What type do you think he is?"

"I'd guess there's some wolf in the mixed side, somewhere. Some sort of hound too by the muscles." The Vet shrugged. "We really don't know. The mother was a breeding experiment gone wrong and she got out, taking a mutt of undetermined origins on. This is what we ended up with."

The second officer walked in and stopped. "Well, that's definitely a different breed of dog." He nodded toward the bed. "My pointer doesn't look at all like that." He looked at the Vet. "Are you sure he's safe to be around?"

"Not really. He is to these people and myself because he trusts us. You, I wouldn't like your odds if he wasn't under sedation." Doctor Allen smiled. "Anything else I can do to prove to you that I'm only prescribing for animals?"

The two officers shook their heads and backed out of the room, not willing to turn their backs on any animal that large. The detective on the case walked in, bringing another man. "I'm sorry to spring this on you, but this is Special Agent Morris. DEA." He shrugged. "He pulled rank to get here."

Doctor Allen stiffened. "I've done nothing wrong." He waved a hand. "As you can see, this is an animal."

Agent Morris moved closer, peering at the gray shape on the bed. "Can you please turn up the lights?"

"No," Xander said from the doorway. "This is how we light the bedroom. I have problems sleeping and my roommates often forget not to turn on the light on their way to the bathroom." He smiled. "We made a deal."

The agent nodded. "All right. Then could I have one of the officer's flashlights please?" It was handed over. "Thank you." He walked closer to the growling form on the bed. "Calm down, I'm not going to touch you. I just want to check you over." For some reason Oz stopped growling. The agent shone the light over him, looking him over carefully. He stepped back slowly, drawing Doctor Allen with him. "I would like to speak to the young people and the Doctor alone if it's all right. I don't see a problem here after all."

The detective nodded, taking back the flashlight, nodding at the doctor on the way out. He took the two officers with him, going down to the car to wait.

Agent Morris turned to face them all. "That's a neat trick, the sedating him to keep him quiet." He looked around the room. "Not exactly what I would have expected in this case." He rubbed a tired hand over his face.

"Usually we're someplace else, but the person who helps us is just out of the hospital for burns," Willow explained. "The tranq thing came about after someone tried to kill him."

The agent nodded. "Okay, I don't see a problem here. If someone asks you about breed, just tell them he's an experiment gone wrong."

"We're with that part, but we say he's the son of that experiment and the male mutt she went out to find." Xander looked around. "So, he's not in trouble?"

The detective knocked on the door. "I was just coming to give these to you. Of course I heard it all. I would like an explanation." He waved the two pieces of paper. "Before we arrest you all and call animal control."

Agent Morris sighed. "Didn't you think it was a little odd that he only needed the pills during a full moon?"

The man snorted. "Yeah, but this is Sunnydale. We have tons of strange things here." He looked toward the bedroom. "You're not saying..."

"Yeah, we are," Xander said.

The detective handed the prescriptions over. "So, he's a mixed breed? An experiment gone wrong?"

All the others just nodded.

' ' ' '

Oz and Willow both looked over all the things in the case and sighed. Nothing there spoke to either of them about the recipient of the gift. Nothing in that case could show them the depth of what Xander meant to them.

They went around to all the stores in the mall, checking each one for something, anything, that would be good enough for their friend. Oz stopped to pick up something, but it was for Willow. She stopped to pick up something for an Aunt, but not for her oldest friend. They agreed to meet up in the food court.

Willow sipped her milkshake as she looked around. Oz was running late so maybe he had found something. The security guard looked at her then pointedly at his watch, it was always crowded this time of year and he was under orders to shoo away loiterers. She smiled and nodded at the man she could just barely see through the crowds. He kept walking.

Oz dropped his tray onto the table as he slid down into the chair. "Anything?"

"Nope, you?" He shook his head, taking a bite of his burger. "This is depressing. Why can't we find anything for him?"

Oz swallowed quickly. "Because we love him so much and he means so much to us that only something special will do. And that something special is not here."

Willow nodded. "Makes sense to me." She took the extra package of fries. "You didn't have to buy me lunch."

"I wanted to eat with you and that had better not be all of it." He stared at her until she got up and got something from a sandwich place. "Thank you," he said as she came back. "Where to next?"

"I wanted to check out some of those small cultural shops." She took a bite then spread dressing over it, thoroughly drowning the meat with the spicy liquid. "Maybe they would have something."

Oz looked at her. "Are we sure we're not pregnant?"

Willow frowned at him. "If we are, you've got something to answer for." He grinned. "Oh, no. I'm not. It just tasted funny to me without it. I've always put Ranch dressing on my ham sandwiches." She took a bite before holding it out for him. "Try it?"

He shook his head. "Nope, not me. I'll do that when it's time, but not even you will get me to eat that." He shuddered for effect. He looked up. "But you might be able to get her to."

Buffy sat down next to them. "Willow, I still say that's gross." She shook her head. "You guys shopping for Xan too? 'Cause I can't find a thing."

"Join the club," they said together.

"That's creepy." She looked around. "I'm supposing that you've both gone all over the mall?" They both nodded. "Now where?"

"Those little ethnic shops in the art district?" Willow suggested.

Buffy hissed. "Expensive. Way pricey. And I've already looked with mom. We couldn't find anything there either."

Willow shrugged. "Not a clue unless we gift wrap him someone then." She looked around then pointed out one. "What do you think about him?" Buffy started to cough and Oz groaned. "Um, you mean you didn't know?" She looked really hesitantly as the other woman shook her head, grabbing Oz's soda to stop the coughing. "Sorry, I thought you had figured it out when I did."

"When was that?" she asked hoarsely.

"When Spike died." Buffy gave her a disbelieving look. "That was part of the feeding thing," Willow whispered.

Buffy sat there with her mouth open. "I... I..."

"Well, I guess shocked is a good word," Oz said. He took back his soda to take a drink. "We've both known. He told me, let it slip really, and she figured it out"

Buffy shook her head. "So much for being observant." She shook herself again. "Okay, I want to not see that picture anymore." She closed her eyes. "Or that one."

Oz looked at her, trying to figure out what was going on. He looked over at his mate to see her smiling. "Kink," she mouthed. He nodded and got up, leaving them alone for a girl talk.

"It's perfectly normal to like to see it," Willow said. Buffy raised up enough to shoot her a dirty look. "Really. Men do it all the time. They're fascinated with two women. We can do the same with two men."

Buffy lifted her head to look around. "I just can't stop seeing it. Him begging, him wanting, him smiling and being tossed around like a sack of meat." She shuddered.

Willow patted her hand. "Listen, I want to show you something on the web when and if we get home. There are tons of stuff on it online." Her eyes twinkled. "Some even about shows and stuff."

Buffy shook her head. "That's just strange to me. I don't know." Willow pouted. "Okay, I'll look. Who knows, I might even enjoy."

"That's the spirit, live a little and get looser." She patted her friend's shoulder before looking around for her man. "I know he was embarrassed, but he's been gone a while now."

"Creative duckout," Oz said from behind them. "It's a survival instinct built into men when women start to talk about girl stuff." He sat back down. "Is that topic shelved?" Both the women nodded. "You know, we could do something original and sign up to get pictures taken together."

"We should do that anyway," Willow said. "The only ones we have are done by Cordy and I would rather forget about those days."

Buffy nodded. "There's also a craft show in town. We could browse through there."

Oz grinned his mischievous little smile. "Closet organizer," he said simply.

Both women threw balled up napkins at him.

' ' ' '

"No, mom, honestly we don't know what to get him. We could not find a *thing* that said 'Xander' to us. None of us."

Joyce switched the phone over. "Well, there's always the typical gifts for that. Certificates and all."

"No, we wanted it to be more personal than that. You do that to a friend that you don't know all that well."

"Gee, it seems like you're having that problem now. I've found something, a little statue for the apartment. I can put your names on it too."

"No, we wanted something from us." Buffy hung up and Joyce went back to finishing her desert for that night.

' ' ' '

The three teens stood in front of the statue and looked at it.

"A household god?" Buffy asked.

"I'm not sure that's the right gift for a guy."

Oz turned to look at the other things in the store. Then he looked across the street. He could see something in the window, something that caught his interest, so he walked out to go look at it. The two girls looked up at the sound of the door chime then decided to follow him over. They stood in front of the small store's window, looking at the things that said 'them' to them.

Oz walked in and smiled. "How much is that statue?"

The man brought it back and looked at the tag. "One fifty." Oz hissed. "I know that's a bit much, but it is one of a kind and I'm sure your friends will appreciate it."

"The person it's for isn't with us." He ran a hand through his hair. "Is the price negotiable?"

Buffy came up behind him. "I can chip in some. I would like to look at that tapestry please." She looked at the statue. "That's cute."

"Ah, a good choice. Let me guess, it's for the same friend?" He handed Willow the box. "Then I'm sure that you wanted to look at that one."

"Yes," both the girls said. "And well below price range." They paid for it, handing over the rest of the money to Oz. He got the statue and they all went home happy.

The storekeeper smiled. "I'm sure he's going to soon know how special he is to you." He scratched at the dark mark on his chest. "Very soon."

' ' ' '

Xander was putting the finishing touches on the things for the party that night when his roommates came in, heading straight for the bedroom. "Running a little late?"

Oz stuck his head out. "Yeah, just a bit. Stay. We'll get ready and join you." He closed the door.

The younger man nodded. "Okay, just so long as I have time to get ready."

A while later, an 'oh, hell no, we didn't' came from the bedroom so he got up to investigate. Oz stopped him at the door.

"Nope, not yet." He pushed Xander back and closed the door. "We're wrapping one of yours right now."

A little while later, Willow came out and grabbed the phone. "Go ahead and take your shower, Xan, we've got to make a call about a gift."

He nodded, mystified, but walked into the bedroom. He picked up the clothes he had laid out earlier as he headed in to get ready, looking over to where Oz and Buffy were bent over something.

Oz looked at Willow as she came back in. "We called in the expert?"

She nodded, sitting down. "Right now." She took a drink of her water as she dialed Buffy's house and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally she hung up. "They must be on their way over."

Oz looked down at their gifts, frowning at the disaster they had become. "Proves it again."

"That this place draws strange things?" Buffy asked.

"No, that if it's too good to be true, it is." He leaned against his mate's side.

Willow ran her fingers through his hair. "He'll be here soon and I'll fix it."

Buffy smiled. "It's not like he wouldn't be careful around them."

"Sometimes careful isn't enough," Oz reminded her. He touched the statue. "But it could be us."

Willow showed him the top of the box, the inlaid figures. "As could this."

Buffy fingered the edge of the tapestry. "Why do I think this wasn't a coincidence?"

The other two shuddered and they waited.

Joyce stuck her head around the edge of the door. "Find anything?"

"Yeah and we need to discuss them with Giles," the daughter said. "This is so not good."

The older woman moved aside as Xander came out of the bathroom letting him walk out past her, getting a kiss to her cheek, and as Giles walked into the bedroom.

"What happened this time?" the older man asked. After seeing their faces he closed the door.

"We *finally* found something then it turns out to be magic touched."

Willow nodded. "The box I can tell is and there's something strange about the tapestry and sculpture too. I just don't know what."

Giles walked over carefully to look at them. "They're not harmful." He touched the top of a figure in the statue. "It's part of a ceremonial set. You would pray in front of them as a group." He cleared his throat. "The bottom figure is a Goddess and the ones dancing on top of her are her lovers and bonded mates."

"Nature?" Willow suggested.

"More of an all encompassing one. The figures date from early Christianity, probably from a powerful woman's home altar. She would go there to pray for her and her servant's health, fertility, and general well being and prosperity."

"It was a woman's thing?" Oz asked. His brow crinkled. "Not really what we meant by the gift."

Willow shook her head. "There are plenty of men who would worship her for the same reasons. Right?" She looked up at Giles.

"Yes, definitely." He touched the box. "In here would be sacred herbs or other things to use for prayer and sacrifices. The tapestry would have hung over it on the wall."

"Traditionally there would be a knife, a few candles, and something like salt too probably?" Willow guessed. Giles nodded at the young witch, smiling at her for her correct remembrance. "Then it's safe."

"Very." He shifted some. "Would you like help wrapping it?"

The three elder teens shook their heads.

"Did mom bring my bag?" Buffy asked. Giles handed her the car keys. "Thanks. I'll go get them after I get dressed."

Giles smiled as he went back out to where everybody else was, delighted that the music wasn't any of that horrible stuff that Americans called 'holiday music'. "How may I help?" he said, sitting at the table next to his fiancee.

Joyce pushed over the bowl of nuts and the nutcracker. "Have fun, my arm's tired." She watched as he carefully popped the first walnut. "I'm guessing that it all worked out and they're getting ready?"

"Quite well really. Everything, without knowing its history, could be about them." He looked around. "Where did Xander run off to this time?"

"More drinks," Willow's mother said. "And to give them a chance to finish wrapping. He's really outdone himself this time." She smiled as she set out another plate of food. "How are you feeling, Mr. Giles?"

"As to be expected. It's itching as it heals." He looked around to make sure none of the children were nearby. "Truthfully, I'm looking forward to having some time off."

Both women smiled and patted his shoulder, understanding perfectly.

' ' ' '

Willow and Oz carried out the accumulated presents from the closet while Buffy ran downstairs to get hers. Willow stood, watching her mate arrange all the presents artistically, setting everything just so.

"It's fine, Oz," Buffy said, handing over hers. He set them carefully too before stepping back to make sure the arrangement was pleasing. He tweaked a corner here and there over some then grabbed both young women, hauling them over to the adults.

When he kept looking over at them, Willow sighed, producing a small package from her pocket. "Oooozzzz," she said.

He turned, catching it when she tossed it, then ripped it open when he saw it was for him. "Willow." He rolled his eyes before jogging over to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek since her mother was watching. "Thank you and later, I promise."

Buffy looked over at her friends and shook her head. "I don't want to know, do I?" The couple looked at each other and smiled then at her and shook their heads. "Didn't think so." She opened the door, hearing someone coming up the stairs. "Oh, hi," she said, clearly fakely happy. "More parents."

Oz looked around, then frowned. "His?" he asked quietly. She nodded. "Um, guys, I'm going to go down and give the manager his present as he's been so good to us this year." He grabbed the envelope off the table, laying down his new catnip ball, and walked out, passing the Harris' on the stairs. He knocked on the bottom door, handing it over as soon as the door was opened. "Do you know where Xan went? His parents just showed up and I wanted to warn him."

The door was opened to show the young man sitting, cuddling the cat again. "He saw their car," the older man explained, letting him in.

Oz walked in, kneeled in front of him. "We'll send them away if you want," he said quietly.

The cat jumped down, letting Xander reach over and hug the older man tightly. "Don't go."

"I'm not. I'll be beside you all night if you need it." He rubbed gently over the tense arms and back. "You're not alone, never alone. Never again." He looked over at the manager. "Give us a minute?" He nodded going into another room. Oz kissed Xander deeply, bringing him back to the here and now. "Never alone," he promised.

The younger man nodded, giving one last squeeze. "Thanks." He looked around. "Bags must still be in the car. I was kinda in a haze."

Fuzzy came out and started to rub against something crinkly.

Oz shook his head at the all-too-human cat. "I'll go check the car for any that's still there and I'll help you carry them up." He placed a small peck on Xander's forehead before walking out.

' ' ' '

Willow opened the door, hearing both young men stomping up the stairs and sighed in relief. "What happened?"

"Fuzzy petting," Oz said. He handed over a few of the bags. "Here, they're heavy."

Buffy came over, grabbing some from Xander's hands. "I guess we'll have drinks forever."

Xander took a deep breath before walking over the threshold. "Sorry it took me so long, I had to stop to pet the cat." He looked around. "So, food or presents first?" He clapped his hands and smiled, trying to stay calm.

"Both," Joyce and Giles said together.

"But only when Marion gets here," Giles said. "She's back at the house calling her aunt in Canada."

Buffy started to unload the bags while Willow grabbed the plates and Oz started to arrange the food platters. "They're fine," both women said together, earning them a nervous chuckle.

Xander walked into the kitchen area to help, mostly to have something to do with his hands, and started on pouring drinks. "Okay, we have beer, non-alcoholic beer, eggnog, soda in varying flavors, juice of the grape, cranberry, and orange variety, and wine coolers. Who wants what?"

Joyce motioned him over, kissing his cheek. "We're all fine dear. Sit." Xander shook his head. "Now. I know you're the host, but you're going to wear yourself out before you get to open a present." She patted the chair next to her. "Sit."

The young man did as he was told then looked around, watching his friends. "Hey, Oz, what's with the arranging stuff?"

"The same thing that's with you cleaning all night," he answered. "It's not like *I* was vacuuming this morning at six am." He came over to place a can of soda in front of Xander. "Calm down," he whispered, "nothing will happen if you relax. Act normal."

Xander tipped his head back. "This is," he said quietly. "This is also...." A finger was placed over his lips.

"We've got it," the older teen said. "Let us share the responsibilities tonight." The finger was removed and the mostly perfect hair messed up. "Now then, relax. The apartment won't fall apart if you don't play host." He walked back into the kitchen, only to be pulled back over to the table and sat down by Buffy.

"You too," she said, handing over a glass of juice. "Between the two of you, you could string a hammock." She went back into the kitchen to help Willow and the three mothers.

Giles leaned over. "She's right, you're both too tense for the occasion." He looked around, seeing Xander's father looking at the stereo. "Nor do I blame you. Please make sure he doesn't put on some of that disgusting tinny music that they've been blaring over the radio for the last month."

Oz got up to grab the remote to his cd player, switching disks. "Is classical all right? I know that it's not really traditional, but we'll be able to talk over it." Everyone consented and the two that didn't were silent so he changed the disks around, loading another five in and turning it back to random play. He tossed the remote up on top of the speakers as he walked back to the table.

"Nice move," Willow's mother said quietly. "Very tactful." She set a plate in front of him. "Joyce said you needed to eat, obviously Xander's been falling down in his care of you."

Oz grinned. "Not really, I just burn a lot of food off and I eat on a funny schedule."

"I wonder why?" Joyce said. "It couldn't be all the stuff you do everyday could it?" She smiled. "Eat. Don't make me come over there or have Willow force feed you."

Oz took a bite hastily. "Nope, not a good thing," he said, mouth full.

Buffy and Willow both shook their heads, eyes rolling upward. The blonde teen sat a plate of food in front of Xander with a smile. "You wanted to eat too, right?" She nodded, making him do the same before taking a bite.

Willow's mother looked around with a smile. "Ah, female bonding rituals." She smiled at her daughter. "Not that I'm into that, but this is nice."

"Especially when three of the men aren't fit to be around hot things," Buffy said.

Her mother smiled. "He made breakfast this morning."

Buffy looked over at her mother. "Mom," she pleaded.

"Sorry," Joyce said, blushing slightly. "I heard from your father. He'll be here with the creature at noon tomorrow." She snorted. "At least you'll both have lots of things to talk about."

Buffy shook her head and looked at her Watcher. "I thought you had mellowed her over that subject."

Giles held up a hand. "I have, but it seems he's picked up another one and *she's* coming instead." He shrugged, wincing slightly. "She's got to get used to the idea of your father dating girls your age."

Buffy nodded. "I don't blame her. I'll call if I kill her." She bit down into a little sandwich cut into a reindeer shape, marveling at how overboard Xander had went with the preperations.

Willow patted her on the arm. "I'll have my cell on just in case."

Xander snorted. "So will I. How young's this one?"

"Twenty," Buffy said, smiling. "He's got this mid-life crisis thingie going and he's trying to recapture his youth. He's even gotten a new car. A viper or something like that."

Joyce hissed. "Not for you Giles, we couldn't afford the rent." She smiled sweetly. "Of course, if you wanted a new car, I'd gladly help you pick one out."

Giles looked over at the two younger men. "Why do you all proceed to make fun of my car? It's a perfectly reasonable vehicle."

"It's a little on the dour side," Willow said. "It looks like something a grandma would drive." She covered her mouth. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like it sounded."

"That's all right dear. I want him to get something a little more modern too." Joyce gave Giles a look, telling him exactly what she meant. "I think a two seater's nice, it fits our personalities, and besides we'll still have my car for carrying Marion and the rest of us."

"I know someone that's selling a sportster, two seater, dark blue. It's a standard though." Oz took another bite of vegetable. "It's a gorgeous car and it's a classic. Not too bad on the insurance either since it's got a few miles."

Giles smiled. "I would like to see it. I've always wanted something like that." Willow tossed Oz a pad of paper and a pen, letting him write down the number so he could give it over. "I thank you."

"Just tell him that I sent you." Oz smiled. "Actually Willow and I are looking at his custom van. It's not too expensive, old, dirty, or really custom and she's been saying mean things about my van again." He looked over at her. "But I love her anyway."

Willow's mother leaned over next to her daughter's ear. "You know what they say about men and their cars, dear, maybe you should be careful when you insult it."

The young woman blushed. "I wonder what's keeping Marion?"

Buffy looked out the window. "Nothing, she's standing outside." She opened the portal. "Get up here or we're going to start without you," she yelled down.

Joyce rolled her eyes. "I knew we shouldn't have ever lived in a city." Everyone laughed.

Marion walked in and took off her jacket. "Sorry, quiet contemplation." She folded it neatly over the back of a couch before heading for the kitchen. "Well, I'd say we're trying to feed an army here." She fixed a plate and went back to the table, kissing Xander's and Oz's cheek. "Thank you for asking me over."

"Family," Joyce said. All the young people looked at her. "Well, we are. Everyone here is pretty well interconnected, some even through important things like love."

"What the holidays are about," Buffy seconded. "Now then, I believe we can all eat and open presents..." She looked around. "And since Oz was fussing over them, he should hand them out."

Everyone headed over to the small pile of presents, Oz sitting next to the ceramic tree. Xander sat between his and Willow's feet, Buffy next to him on the floor. The adults managed to pull over the futons and arrange themselves in family pairings.

"Each of us separately?" He started to hand them out.

Each one opened their's, the others looking on. Marion smiled at the gift certificates she got from all the teens and her soon to be adopted parents.

Willow blushed at Buffy's present of bath stuff and the note included. She kissed her fiancee when she opened both of his: a chain and a figure pendant. She laughed when she opened Xander's book of romantic poetry and asked if he thought they needed the help. She smiled at the gift certificates she received from wise parents that didn't have a clue what she would want, their usual present.

Oz looked at his present from Willow and tucked it away to be opened in private. He tore into Buffy's and sighed in relief, pulling out the tasteful, for him, shirt he had been looking at. Everyone laughed as he put it back with a rub to the top of her head. He pulled out Joyce's and Giles' with a smile, walking his fingers through the new strings, picks, and recordable cd's. He laughed at the book Willow's mother had gotten him of funny/manly things then kissed her cheek. He opened the small box from Xander with a grateful sigh. "I didn't know that you knew."

"It was kinda obvious when you were looking at it with a magnifying glass." He shrugged. "And I knew that you wouldn't be able to get it done for a while."

Oz touched the gift certificate to the instrument repair store and smiled. "Thanks man, for looking out for me."

Buffy got her's next and smiled at the card of money her parents gave her; she laughed at the calendar Oz and Willow had gotten her of funny sayings. She kissed Xander's cheek when she opened his appointment book then found a ticket to an upcoming concert tucked in it, already marked down.

Giles and Joyce smiled for the Home Depot gift certificates, something they would use when they turned Buffy's room into Marion's. They laughed at the cd's Xander had gotten for them of different ethnic holiday music, Giles' distaste of American jingles well known. They hugged Marion and Willow and Oz for the hand made photo albums they had put together.

Willow's mother, her father declining to attend, opened theirs and smiled. Inside was a picture of the group, the other box containing one of just the couple.

Xander got up to get the things he had gotten for his siblings. He handed the bag over as he sat back down, not saying a word at that point. He wasn't ready or calm enough to deal with that subject today.

Xander got his last since this was really his Christmas celebration. He thanked Giles and Joyce for the gift certificates to the cooking appliance store, and then Willow's mother for the cookbooks she had gotten him. He opened his parents' gift certificate from the mall and smiled politely, thanking them briefly and in an Oz-like manner.

Oz handed him the last three, asking that he save them for when they were alone. He smiled and handed them back, letting them rest under the tree until later.

The party got back into full swing, everyone enjoying themselves, the strain of having the Harris' there not really evident.

' ' ' '

Willow closed the door after hers and Buffy's mother with a sigh, looking around at the mess. "It can wait," she vowed before heading back over to the now pulled out and joined sofabeds. She crawled in to rest atop of Oz, watching as Xander felt the paper on their gifts. "They won't explode, we promise."

Buffy grinned. "Not really anyway."

Xander shook his head as he opened the first one, taking out the tapestry carefully. His eyes started to water. "Guys, this is beautiful." He looked it over, running a finger around the design of the four figures dancing in the woods. "It does look like us, kinda." He put it aside to pull up a heavy square package and pulled out the box inside. He laughed. "Will, how did you find these things?"

"A nice little store in the art district," she said. "Oz saw them first and all we could think of was how it said 'us'."

He touched the wood, the four figures laying down this time but still intertwined, and smiled. He let Buffy wipe off his cheeks and take it from him, handing over the last one. He carefully opened the box to pull out the statue. "Oh, Oz, man, this is beautiful." He touched the three dancing figures. "So, which one am I?"

"The bottom," the others said together, cracking up.

Xander smiled as he touched each one. "Yeah, these are like us." He wiped his cheeks again. "I can see why you wanted me to wait to open them. It would have looked bad for me to start crying in front of everyone else." He set it up onto a bookcase and watched as Buffy got up to put it someplace safer, taking the box and tapestry with her. "So, does it have a history too, or was it just us in another time?"

Oz nudged Willow, but she only grunted and turned her head in sleep. He shrugged, holding up an arm so Xander would come closer. "According to Giles, and this is what we had to check before we wrapped them, it's part of a prayer set to an ancient Goddess. She's the bottom figure in the statue, the others are her lovers and mates." He kissed the top of the younger man's head. "But we just saw it as us."

Xander nodded, still too choked up to really say anything. He dug his head down into the mobile shoulder to settle down, moving his body slightly so Buffy could crawl in with them and be held too.

' ' ' '

Oz grunted when he heard the door open, and sat up, or tried to. He looked at the strange man, then down at who must be his daughter. "You're Buff's dad, right?" He nodded, frowning, lips pursed. "It's not what it looks like. We just kinda fell together last night after presents." He shook Buffy, only to have her slap Willow's head. "Buff, your Dad's here."

"In a minute, mom," she mumbled. "Not time to get up yet."

"Buffy," her father called.

She sat straight up, displacing Xander, who grunted and pushed her head. "Dad!" She looked around. "I'm sorry, I overslept." She carefully got out, untangling herself from the others. "We were opening Xan's presents and just fell asleep." She ran a hand through her hair. "I've got to shower, give me a sec." She ran into the bedroom.

Oz listened for the shower to start. "There's juice and stuff in the kitchen." He tickled Willow until she hit his chest and bit him. "Hey, parents are here, you might want to get up."

The young woman pushed her hair out of the way so she could look around, blearily surveying the room. "Yeah?"

"Buffy's dad is here. Joyce must have given him a key."

Willow sat up, elbowing Oz in the stomach, making him groan. "Oh, Oz, I'm sorry." She kissed him, trying to make up for the hurt. She delved the morning tastes of his mouth before sitting back up slowly. "Really sorry, love."

"Not a problem," he whispered. He looked at the clock. "We're due at your mom's in an hour or so. Why don't you go help Buff get ready?" Willow nodded, getting out of the bed by crawling carefully between the two men. Oz watched her go before rolling to face Xander. "Xan, time to get up. Buff's dad is here."

The younger man reached a hand up, petting the top of his head. "Nice Fuzzy, ewww." He opened an eye. "Oz, man, you just don't feel like the cat." He smiled. "Morning."

Oz checked the hand over. "No damage and good morning. Buff's dad is here. He's looking in the fridge trying to ignore us."

Xander looked over then grinned. He leaned over to plant a soft kiss on Oz's mouth. "Thanks for not letting me sleep too long." He got out of bed then helped him put the beds back up.

"The girls are getting ready," the older teen said. "Buffy's in the shower."

Xander nodded. "Okay, breakfast?" He looked over his shoulder at the different feeling spot. "And she's done it again. Had one of these the night Will did in the ghosty thing in the library."

"Not really ready to eat. Will's mother is making us lunch. Coffee would be good if you promise not to ruin it." He checked over his exposed skin. "None on mine."

"I've already started it," the man in the kitchen said. "The coffee, I mean, I hope you didn't mind."

"No," Oz and Xander said together. They broke out in laughter, sitting back down on the couch.

Buffy came out, looking around, shaking her head at her two friends. "Shoes? Bag?"

"Under the bed and beside the dresser," Xander said. "I moved them yesterday. And you might want to check the bag, it seemed awfully light for you and a weekend."

She smiled, going back into the bedroom. "Thank you for reminding me," she called. She came out a few minutes later to kiss each man, whispering, "Will wants you to come help her," to Oz. "Okay, let's go." She waved at the door.

Her father nodded and they left with a wave at them. He waited until they were in the car before asking his daughter, "What was that?"

"That? That was us after a Christmas party last night. We were all tired and Xan was opening his presents from us on the bed. We were all tired so we sacked out." She shrugged. "Not a big."

Her father nodded. "Would Xan be the dark haired one that kissed the other?"

Buffy was momentarily stopped by the vision of that happening. She shook her head to clear it. "Yeah, it was. We're all friends. The other girl and that guy he was kissing are engaged. He and Xan live there together. As roommates," she added hastily.

"I see." He started the car, pulling out into the light traffic. "I think we need to have a talk, young lady."

"So do I, dad." She looked around the back. "So, where's the new woman? Her mother forbid her to come?"

' ' ' '

Oz headed for the bathroom, sweet smile on his face in anticipation of fun. Xander looked around the room with a groan, getting up to get a cup of coffee before starting to clean. He was leaning against the counter when the couple came out, clean and freshly dressed. "So, Will's mom's then back here or are you two going to go over to Oz's parents too?"

Oz looked at his watch. "Yeah, that sounds like a plan. We'll be back tonight." He looked around. "If you want, we'll help you clean later."

"Nothing else to do besides watch the parades." Xander shrugged. "Not a big or a problem."

"If you're sure," Willow said, just in case.

Xander waved them out the door, smiling until the door closed. He looked around the room with a grimace, starting to gather up used cups and plates. He was really glad now that he had rented that dishwasher for the week. He ran the push sweeper, took out the trash, straightened back out the furniture, and then looked around. "Now what?" he asked out loud. He looked down and shook his head. "Shower," he said. He poured one last cup of coffee and headed for a nice leisurely shower and soak.

After he got out, he decided to go for a drive around the town, see what sort of trouble he could get into without actually getting into any. He took a road he had never been down before ending up in front of Sunnydale's lone store that sold pornographic materials, their sign proudly proclaiming they had things for every taste and that they were open today. He checked his wallet, making sure he had money and credit card for emergencies, then went inside.

He looked around with a smile. He could see the videos, the toys, all manner of things he wasn't sure of, magazines, and... books? He headed over there, checking over the titles and pictures on the front.

"They aren't necessarily the same as the picture," the checkout guy said. "Some of those are real deceiving." He came over, pointing out a few. "If you like rough stuff, those are good. The ones with the blue binding are all kinky in varying degrees." He turned to look at Xander. "Sorry, you looked like you needed a guiding hand."

"Actually, yeah, I did." He smiled. "I've never been in one of these places before." He turned to look at all the things. "So, I can ask questions, right?"

The young man smiled. "Anytime and anything." He went back to the register, letting Xander look through the books on his own.

He picked out a few, knowing he would ask about them, then headed for the magazines. He looked up to see the checkout guy nod toward one section so he looked down. Pictorials, man style. He flipped through a few, grabbing the ones that made him twitch, before heading over to look at the videos. He knew something about those, having rented a few in his days. He looked up at the prices and winced. He saw a sign for used ones so headed over to look at those, picking out a few reasonably priced ones. He decided to splurge on one that made his mouth water.

He walked up to the register. "What, no toys?" the guy asked. Xander shook his head. "Man, you've got to have at least one."

"I *have* one." He smiled. "My roommate's in possession of it presently, but I do have one."

The other guy shook his head, pointing over to the toy section. "Go find something you like. Trust me on this, it'll be good for you. Think of it as a self-giving Christmas present."

Xander, curious, went over to look at all the different variations of what he had at home. He found some that were smaller, like the one Spike had given him. He saw quite a few that were man sized and smiled, remembering how much he liked that feeling. He saw a few that were larger. He could stick with something human sized. For now. He was carrying back his selection when saw the display on the way back. He looked down at it with a frown, trying to figure out what it was about.

The checkout guy came over with a smile. "That's probably not for you. You look more like a novice to me, and more like a cuddler." He winked. "That's for those of us that are well used and played with."

Xander shook, the image of the man in the picture being him strong in his mind. "Yeah, maybe you're right." He licked his dry lips. "Maybe you're right."

"For now," the checkout guy said. "But if you ever want to try that, you come see me. I've got connections into that world who would love to pop your cherry." He smiled and winked. "Anything else this fine day?"

Xander looked around, then added up his purchases mentally subtracted it from his wallet's contents. He went over to pick up another video then ran into the lube display, picking out a tube at random. It was put back and another given to him.

"You probably don't need something that heavy." He leaned closer. "That stuff you picked out is real good for heavy action, but not for casual play. And it gets real messy. This stuff is much better for an afternoon's delight." He rang it up and Xander paid. "Thank you. Come back anytime. And remember, when you're bored with those videos and books, you can come in to exchange them as long as they aren't messy."

"Oh, you can count on it." He looked around before leaving, memorizing his new favorite place. He stopped to pick up a burger on the way home, then ran up the stairs with his new playthings. He locked the door, not bothering to throw the chain because he figured he would be done before Oz and Willow got back, and headed for the bathroom. He got everything he needed cleaned, running quickly through the routine before heading out to the bed.

He tossed the stuff out onto the bed, poking and opening each package, finding the remote, popping in a tape. He leaned back to look over his new things with a bright smile. "Oh, yeah, it's going to be a good day after all." He turned on the tv/VCR combo machine and pressed play.

' ' ' '

Oz led Willow into the apartment, looking around. "I'm guessing he's in the bedroom." He opened the door without looking in. "Xan? We're back."

"I'll be out soon, don't come in."

Oz quirked an eyebrow up, leaving his mate at the door. He looked over at the bed and walked directly into the bathroom. "Having fun?"

"Yeah, actually." He grinned. "I found that shop my mother warned me about and blew this weeks allowance almost totally." He waved around. "Let me clean it up then it's all yours." He took out the last toy to dry it off.

Oz looked at the instrument in his hands. "Alone? You made that sort of mess all by *yourself*?"

"Well, it's been a while," he said, leaning over to get close to an ear, "and I haven't been relieving that pressure, I haven't felt like doing it recently."

Oz sighed. "Okay. Just so long as you change the sheets before Will gets the wrong idea."

"Going. Just let me put this up." He slid it into the bag, putting it on his shelf of the bathroom organizer. "I'll move it later to where the tapes are."

"Tapes," Oz said slowly. "You got tapes too?"

"I got tapes, toys, magazines, and books." He looked around. "I found tons of stuff that I'm not even sure what it's for."

Willow walked into the bathroom, no knock even coming close to being given, and pushed Xander against the wall. "Who was it?" She looked hurt. "Who did you bring in here?"

"Nobody," he said. "That was all me playing with my new toys." He pointed at the bag. "Honest, Willow, nobody but me relieving a little pressure."

She nodded, walking out. "I'm sorry, I just got jealous."

Oz shrugged, walking out after her, seeing her curled up on the bed. "Don't you want to wait for him to change those sheets?"

"The bed is huge, I can lay around the wet spots." She looked around. "So, I'm guessing that this was a special occasion?"

"He found the porn store," Oz said, crawling in behind her. "He splurged and got all sorts of stuff."

Xander stood in the bathroom doorway. "I'll share my tapes and books if you want. They're in the cabinet behind the near couch." He shrugged, grabbing the towel before he lost it. "Not a big." He knew he was trying to make amends for what ever he had done wrong but Willow was too important to him to lose over a few hours of playing with himself. Besides, why shouldn't he share when she was so obviously distressed at the thought of him masturbating?

"Maybe later," she said. "Would you come lay with us?" He nodded, heading for his underwear drawer. "You won't need them."

He walked over, crawling in by carefully maneuvering around the wet areas. "I was going to change the sheets, but you came back too soon." He snuggled down next to her. "Why did that upset you? You aren't usually that forceful with me or about my sex life. You usually don't even care."

"I thought you had brought someone else in here," she said quietly, "and you're ours."

Oz shook his head. "She's been possessive recently, but I told you that." Xander nodded. "Well, I agree with her, that's the first thing I thought of. That you had brought someone home and were about to shake up our lives again."

The younger man shook his head before taking their joined hands in his. "I told you, it would have to be someone that understood for me to start a relationship with them and that leaves most everyone out." He looked around. "I just had to have a little fun, just to relieve the pressure and stress of the holidays."

Oz nodded. "Masturbation to tapes. Normal for people our age."

Willow smiled. "All *this*," she waved a hand at the mess on the bed, "was just that?"

"A few times," Xander defended himself. "It has been awhile since I've had the desire to even think about that." He looked down. "It's not like I have someone to go beg for sex anymore."

Oz shook his hand free and smacked the side of the younger man's head. "You could've asked."

"I wasn't going to do that and we both know why."

Willow wiggled out from between them. "That's it. We're settling this here and now." She waited until both men looked at her. "This is the Alpha female here and I say it happens if it's wanted. I'm not going to choose between a love I've had since I was three and the one that rocks me to the core. If you want each other, I'll more than happily let it happen. I might even make tapes for us women to watch later."

Xander pulled her back down. "That's not fair to any of us. You two have yourselves and I'll find someone eventually." He closed his eyes. "I was actually flirted with today by the guy at the register."

Oz groaned. "Kinda skinny, short medium brown hair, about our height?" Xander nodded. "I know him. He's supposed to have a very jealous lover."

Xander nodded. "I didn't say I was thinking about it, just that it happened." He got up, pulling the tape out of the machine. "It'd be nice to have someone of my own, but I can wait if I have diversions."

"Diversions?" Willow snorted. She looked at the dried spots on the bed. "I'd say this was more than that. How much did you get anyway?"

"Um, a few tapes, a few books and magazines. A couple of toys." He slid the tape back into it's box. "Enough to get started and keep me interested for a while."

Willow got up, pulling Xander back to the bed, pushing him down and sitting on his stomach. "You spent tons at the porn store then you came home and did yourself? Do you feel better?" She waited for the answer.

"Almost?" Xander guessed. She shook her head, resting her full weight on his stomach. "Kinda. It's good to be empty, but it leaves you wanting more." He looked up, straight into her eyes. "Or don't you remember this conversation from a few years ago?"

"Yeah, I do. That's why I was wondering why you chose to do this instead of come to us."

"You're both taken," the younger man pointed out. "It wouldn't be right for me to step in between you for something as simple as sex."

"Sex isn't simple," Oz pointed out. "It's a biological urge and need. It's a driving force for men our age. It's the reason we look at other people most of the time."

Xander nodded. "And you both have all that. I'm not jealous, but I needed to get some of my own." He arched his stomach up. "Now then, if you would move, I'll change the sheets then go take a nap on the couches."

Willow got off him to walk over to stand beside Oz while they watched Xander clear away the evidence of his afternoon. They helped, tucking in one side of the bed, and watched as he left, bag held securely in his arms. She turned to face him. "Why am I mad?"

"Because you want him yourself and you thought he was cheating on you." He laid back down. "It's the same thing you would be feeling if you came home and found me in a similar state."

She nodded, crawling back in beside him. "But, why am I jealous? He's not mine. He won't be because he doesn't want to be." She closed her eyes. "I don't even know why it matters still."

"Because you love him. In a different way than me maybe, but it's still love." He played with her hair, kneading her scalp. "Do you want to talk to him later, try and get him to come to us instead?"

"I don't know. I know ... it's like I feel incomplete because he's not with us." She looked around. "It's us, but it's not us you know?"

"Not fully us."

"Yeah. We're good together, but he completes us in some way."

"He's the missing key to parts of our souls, freeing us to be ourselves." He kissed the top of her head. "He said we could borrow the books and tapes if we wanted."

"Later. Cuddle me now."

"Your wish, as always, is my command."

"Trim your hair? I liked it spiky."

"Snyder said it had to grow enough to make me look like a normal human. Otherwise he would take me off the student teaching assignment."

"Bastard. I wish he was...." She tried to come up with something bad enough, but nothing would come to mind.

"How 'bout.... gets caught with his fourteen year old girlfriend." Willow looked up in amazement. "He's been cheating on his wife for years. This time, she's just about turned fifteen and she's in the Catholic school."

"Hmmm," she purred, a nasty little smile coming out, "that is very good ammunition the next time he gets in the way."

Oz shook his head. "Revenge is beneath you. I'll tell Giles so he can use it."

"Good idea, love, good idea." She yawned. "Now then, let's nap and we'll figure out how to prove to Xan that he's ours later."

"Okay."

' ' ' '

The four inhabitants of the apartment walked through the door, dropping their grocery bags quickly. It was financial aid disbursement day and they had decided to stock up on food for a while, until the work-study checks started to come in. Xander was handed things, arranging the cabinets so that they could each find their things easily with sleep deprived minds. Willow was sitting at the table, looking over what everyone had left.

"Hey, Buffy," she said. "Come get some practice with real money."

Buffy smiled. "Oh, no. I'm not that good with that stuff."

Xander turned and raised an eyebrow. "And you're an *Accounting* major?"

She smiled. "As long as it's abstract numbers on a page I'm fine, but as soon as it becomes actual cash to me, I'm done for. I'm a horrible budgetter and even worse at remembering to pay bills."

Willow smiled. "That's okay. I'm good at it." She patted the table. "Now then, there's still a few questions to be answered. Rent: are we paying part of it? Bills: who pays what and how much of each?" She was stopped by Xander coming over and putting a hand over her mouth.

"I pay the rent and most bills. Or actually my trust fund does."

"She has a point though," Oz said, grabbing a glass of juice. "If you continue to do that, it's probably going to run out soon." He sat down next to his mate. "With all of us paying a part it'll be less of a cost to you and we'll all stop feeling like we're sponging off you."

"But..." he started.

Buffy poked him in the ribs. "Yeah, we are. Or at least I feel that way. Mom's said that she would pay part of it, a small amount due to their finances." She sat down, stealing Oz's juice, taking a drink before handing it back. "And my disbursement is more than enough to cover the cost of part of the living expenses."

Xander shook his head as he sat down. "It's not necessary."

"It is," Willow said. "I'm not living off your trust fund. Besides, don't you want to keep it for emergencies? In case something big happens, like you get sick or hurt or something?"

Xander shook his head. "It's still not necessary."

"Tough," Oz said, settling it. "Quarters?" The two women nodded. "Okay, bills? TV, water/sewage/trash, and electric. How?"

"Quarters is good," Willow said. "We can prepay most of those to be set for the semester probably." She looked over the bills. "And with the budget option for electric, it shouldn't be too bad. We don't really use the heat or the air conditioning."

Buffy nodded. "We keep the place dark most of the time, only a few lamps on usually."

Xander shook his head. "Whatever." He shrugged. "I'm not going to argue about you guys wasting your money away like that."

Buffy shook her head. "Paying the bills isn't wasting it." She looked around. "Besides, it'll give us more of a feeling of this being 'ours' than if we were sponging off you."

Xander nodded. "Whatever." He started to get up, but Oz stopped him. "We have more?"

"Chores," Willow said. "Since you cook most of the time, and when you don't I do, someone else should be doing the dishes. And I'm not cleaning that tub again if no one else doesn't." She crossed her arms. "I know it's two guys living here, or it was, but that thing was gross by November."

"That sounds reasonable, as long as we switch around. I don't like cleaning the bathroom any more than he does," he pointed at Xander, "or you did."

"A rotation would be good," Buffy said carefully. "We could include things like running the whatever you call it that vacuums without a motor, dishes, reshelving books, the bedroom." She frowned. "And I would still like to know who threw my shirts on the floor this morning."

"Another closet," Oz said. "One of those wardrobe things." He looked around. "We have enough space in there to put one and another dresser. That way, we would all have space to hang stuff and to put up clean clothes."

"Then we'd need hampers," Xander pointed out. "If we're really serious about cleaning the bedroom, we've got to get rid of the pile of laundry." He shuddered. "I swear, I had a nightmare about it coming for me."

Willow nodded. "Do we want to each do our own? Or are we comfortable enough to do each other's?"

Oz shuddered. "Our own. No offense, Will, but I don't want to touch your dirty clothes."

She frowned, hurt. "After all you've done to me you won't touch my dirty clothes?"

He patted her hand. "It's not like that. I've just got a thing about dirty laundry."

Buffy held up a hand. "You know, it'd be nice if we didn't have to drag stuff to mom's too. I saw this little washer/dryer thingy for apartments and it was reasonable at least."

Oz smiled. "That's a good idea, but what about the water line and where would we put it?"

Xander looked around. "If it's not too large, how 'bout that closet that we only put jackets into? It's large and for some reason has a plug."

"Water lines can be moved and put on when we want to use it," Willow pointed out. "If it's one that does that, some are set up with permanent needing lines."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I asked when I saw it. It takes regular power, has lines that you just hook up to the sink, and it doesn't need venting."

Oz thought about it, scratching his head. "How big was it?"

"Not real. About as tall as I am, maybe a little bigger. Has wheels. They deliver, which means we don't carry it up stairs." She shrugged. "I have the guy's card, he told me it would be on sale for another week on Tues."

"We can go down and look at it after class then," Willow said. "Tomorrow?" Everyone nodded. "Okay, any other subjects?"

Xander held up a hand. "Lunches?" He looked around. "It'd be easier if we would do something in advance about them."

Buffy smiled. "I'm eating lunches at school. I already signed up and everything so you won't have to help me fix a sandwich."

Willow nodded. "I have a punch card and I also have enough time to run back here if I really want to eat before three, my last class all week long."

Oz shrugged. "My classes are mostly arranged and the others that aren't are at night so I'm still going to be here most mornings. My student teaching begins next semester, when she goes into the hospital so I'll be working school hours then." He looked around. "Unfortunately, to do that, I need to take a few summer classes." Everyone groaned. "Most of them are morning, five weeks long, but I'll still have a few weeks at the beginning of summer."

Buffy smiled. "So, we're still planning on reveling in our youth?" Everyone nodded. "Okay. That's fair. Xan and Will both have summer jobs and I'll be doing some part time stuff. We'll work that out after we figure out our schedules."

"Anything else?" Willow asked. No one answered. "Okay, then the first official Scooby Gang's apartment meeting is hereby closed." She pounded the table with her fist. "Ow."

Oz kissed the sore flesh. "Come on, lets go measure in the bedroom to figure out where to put those." He drew her in and soon there was the sound of giggles.

"Measure," Buffy snorted. "Sure." She stood, looking at the large pile of food that still needed to be put up. "Want help with the groceries?"

Xander shook himself and stood, nodding. "Yeah, maybe."

They went back to filling the shelves with their favorite foods.

' ' ' '

Willow looked around to check and see if anyone else was in the apartment. When all she found was Xander, just as she had expected, she wandered into the bedroom, laying beside him on the bed. "Hey, precious," she whispered, waking him from his nap. "Want to play?"

Xander sat up warily. "Aren't you talking to the wrong man?"

"Nope, I've already claimed you as mine so I get to have you soon too." She smiled, a sweet, demure little one. "Or don't you like the idea?"

Xander moved away from her. "Nope, not it, but you're taken and I won't do that to Oz." He got off the bed. "What happened to you to even make you *think* about that?" He backed up some more.

"Just wondering during class how your lips tasted. Medieval poetry does it to me every time. All those sonnets about love and lust and wanting." She *crawled* across more of the bed, moving closer to him again. "Why are you resisting?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." He went into the bathroom, locking the door.

"Meany," Willow called. "But you have to come out sometime," she said quietly. She headed out to the kitchen, grabbing her lunch. "Hungry?"

"Not really," he called back. He walked out to grab his book, heading back quickly to the safety of the bathroom.

Willow smiled as she ate the leftovers, wondering exactly what he was thinking.

' ' ' '

Xander sat down on the bathmat with a sigh. He put his book down, listening to Willow as she moved around the apartment, doing something. He would like to know what it was that she was planning, but he was scared that if he went out there something else would happen or she would try to jump him again. And even though that thought excited him, he didn't want to lose the friendship of her or Oz over a quick sexual encounter. He heard her settle down and one of the tapes come on. She was watching one of his *tapes*. He groaned before shaking his head and picking up his book. At least he had this in here.

It was a few hours later when he heard someone else come in. He started to get up, but he could still hear a tape going so he waited until he knew who it was.

' ' ' '

Buffy walked in the door with a sigh. She dropped her bag on the small table Oz had gotten for them, since both she and Xander were excellent at losing them, then walked over to where Willow was laying on a futon. She saw the young woman asleep, remote in her fingers so she took a look at what she was watching. There was someone, a male someone, getting rimmed. And the rimmer was getting sucked.

She shivered, a thrill going through her at the sight of the acts going on. She leaned against the back of the futon to watch as all three men were taken repeatedly, her body reacting to her liking it. She looked around before gently rubbing against one of her breasts, brushing the fabric of her tanktop over her swollen nipples, delighting in the feel of it.

She heard a noise and grabbed the remote quickly, turning the machine off, leaving it on a mindless soap. She wandered toward the bathroom, after getting a cold bottle of juice, and stopped, remembering at the last second to knock.

Xander came out and smiled at her. "Bad day?" She shook her head as she squeezed past him, closing and locking the door. She leaned against it, listening to him heading for the living room. When she was sure he wouldn't hear her she smiled, sitting down on the bathmat, spreading her wobbly legs, and closed her eyes so she could replay those few scenes she had seen over and over.

But then something strange happened. As she was replaying part of the scene, one of the men became Xander, who looked like he was enjoying it. She shivered some more, her hand falling automatically to her chest so she could touch the sensitive spots on her chest as she imagined him getting rimmed, him getting taken, him screaming his pleasure. One of the men became Oz and he looked like he was enjoying it too. Xander was just getting into the pounding rhythm when someone knocked on the door.

"Buffy?" Oz said. "You gonna be much longer? I gotta take a shower before class."

"Not really," she called back. She stood up, looking down at herself. She wiped off the excess moisture she had been building and straightened her clothes before flushing the toilet and washing her hands then let him in. "Sorry," she said softly.

He kissed her, taking possession of her mouth. "It's not a bad thing to like to see that," he whispered. "Now, out. I need a shower, I smell."

She walked out, only to be stopped so a book that had been laying in there and her juice bottle could be handed to her. She took them with a smile before she laid down on the bed beside Willow.

"Having fun?" the younger woman asked.

Buffy blushed, sipping some of the now warm juice. "Why?"

"Because I noticed that you had stopped the tape." She put down the graphic magazine she had been looking at. "I also know when you usually get home and you've been in there for a while." Buffy nodded, still not saying anything. "Did it freak you or were you entranced?" she whispered softly, moving closer to the older woman's ear. "Did you go in there to imagine Xan and Oz doing that? What part did you see? Was it the threesome that was starting as I fell asleep?" She licked over the tense lips, taking the juice bottle from the limp hands. "Did it excite you, Buffy, to see men liking it hard like that?"

Buffy swallowed and looked down. "Yes," she confessed in a whisper. "I liked it."

Willow smiled. "That's a normal thing though. Just an aspect of your sexuality." She moved closer, laying chest to chest with her best friend. "If you'd just admit it, I could probably talk you through a scene." Buffy looked around. "Sshh, they won't bother us. Oz locked the door and he'll be in there for a while. Unless you want him to come out so he can watch."

Buffy shivered and looked over at her friend. "Why? You aren't usually like this."

"Because I want it," she said. She ran a calloused finger along the strap of the top on Buffy's shirt. "I've wanted it again since that night we had together. Oz said I didn't have to choose as much as he didn't." She licked across the damp lips, nibbling just a bit. "But you can always say no."

"Will... I... "

"Sshh. Not a thing to worry about." She stroked her hand down the soft arm. "Such soft skin. Tell me what you saw." A command, not a question.

"I, um, saw the three guys. One was licking and one was licking another ... there." She closed her eyes. "It was just so... so ... so..."

"Erotic," Willow said. Buffy bit her lip, nodding silently. "And you liked to watch that, huh?" Buffy nodded again, putting her head under Willow's chin and sniffing. "Would you like to watch more with me tonight when the guys are gone? I'm in the mood for gratuitous sex."

Buffy laughed, chuckling against the damp, soft skin. "Please?"

"Anything, you know that." She rubbed over the tense muscles. "Then we'll see what you want to do after that. A real girl's night."

Oz stuck his head out of the bathroom. "Safe?" She nodded, motioning him over for a kiss.

He looked pointedly at Buffy before coming over. "Turn around, Buff," he requested.

Buffy flipped over, covering her head with the pillow.

"Will," he sighed. "Just remember not to touch that one tape," he whispered, licking over her lips. "It's private and he's not ready to talk about it yet."

Willow grinned holding her opened arms out. "I'll do that, but for a price."

Oz shook his head. "You're a regular sex fiend tonight, aren't you." He straddled her hips as he leaned down for a real kiss, taking her mouth and demanding that she give him more. "What's up?"

"Just horny," she sighed, reaching up to play with his exposed chest. "Don't know why, just am."

Oz grinned slightly. "If you would wait, I'd fix it for you later."

"Nope. Now or not now." He shook his head, looking over at the other person on the bed who was breathing hard now. Willow unbuttoned the top few buttons on her shirt. "Now or not now," she repeated.

Oz kissed her. "Buff, I'm going to pound Will into the mattress." The young woman groaned. "Neither of us really care if you watch, but we'll leave it up to you."

Buffy hesitated then got up, going back into the bathroom, bringing the book with her.

"So much for the theory that she's a voyeur," Oz said.

"Not really. She'd be here if she thought it was really all right," she whispered. "Buff, are you sure?" she called.

Buffy poked her head out of the bathroom. "Guys, that's a two person activity." She closed the door but they all heard her groan as she started to imagine again.

Oz scooted down his fiancee's body. "Maybe you were right." He licked over the exposed skin. "But you're also wearing too many clothes."

' ' ' '

Xander listened to all the others having fun and looked back down at his pot. "You're all I have now I guess," he told it, putting the pasta into it. "But we're happy together, aren't we?" He cooked dinner silently, knowing that any noise would disturb someone and it was a bad thing to be taken out of the groove. He had just drained the rotini when he heard first one yell, Willow, then another, Oz, then the third, Buffy from the bathroom. He shook his head as he pulled down plates, quickly dishing out the food. He set it on the table and yelled, "FOOD," sitting down to eat.

He didn't look at his roommates as they individually came out, happy little smiles gracing their faces. He didn't watch Oz and Willow flirt, or Willow and Buffy flirt, at least he tried not to. He kept his attention on the plate in front of him until he was done. Then he got up, dropping his plate into the sink before grabbing his bag, heading out the door for class.

Oz looked at the two women then at the recently slammed door. "He's got to resolve this soon."

They both nodded.

' ' ' '

Xander walked into the apartment and stopped. Something wasn't right but then he was still on thin nerves from the other night. "Oz? Willow?" he called. When no one answered him, he dropped his backpack so he could walk over to the giant flower arrangement that was sitting on the coffeetable. He walked around the large vase of multi-colored carnations carefully, not knowing what else it might contain. When it showed itself to be normal, he liberated the card from the silky petals so he could see who it was from and to. It was handwritten but unsigned.

Xander,

For you, my love, may they bring light to your dim life.

He sat down to reread the card, seeing multiple meanings in the simple sentence. When he had memorized it, he tapped the card a few times before grabbing the phone book to find the number so he could call the flower shop. "Hi, I just received a large vase of carnations and I was wondering if you could tell me who sent it?" Long pause. "No? Hmm, how 'bout the guy who delivered it?" Short pause. "*You* didn't deliver it? And it didn't come from your shop, even though the card was from there? Okay, thank you." He hung up and jumped as the door was opened. "Don't *do* that!"

"What? Open the door?" Oz looked around. "Cute flowers, not." He dropped his bag on the table as he walked over. "Why so jumpy?" Xander pointed at the flowers so he picked up the card to read it. "A secret admirer? Isn't that a bit high school?" He sat down. "And such a garish bouquet too. A tad on the overstated side."

Xander flopped down next to Oz. "Each color's supposed to have a meaning." He looked around. "Where should we put it?"

"Trash?"

"Sounds good to me, but I wanna show the girls. It was *there* when I walked in. I'm supposing that it didn't walk in by itself, but I can't be certain."

"Hmm, this being the Hellmouth and all I'm not surprised." He pushed it away with his foot. "Hide the vase too?"

"Out with the flowers." He held up his hand. "I promise. Unless one of the girls wants it."

Oz shuddered. "No, no, no. Not here."

Xander patted his hand. "I understand. It's ugly, all that mottled plastic and those colors." He shuddered. "Nauseating."

"Truly." Oz got up to grab a book. "Want me to hide it?" Xander nodded so he brought it into the bathroom. "Have plans for a few of those flowers."

"She'd like them, take as many as you want."

"A few." He sat down and Xander leaned on his shoulder. "Why was there a dead one?"

"Scary times." He closed his eyes. "Just don't slap me if I get too personal."

Oz nodded and opened his book. "Not me."

It was a few hours later when the girls came back from classes. "Hey," Oz said. "We had an occurrence of magically appearing flowers." Buffy gave him a questioning look. "Bathroom. Brace yourself, it's ugly," he called after her.

Willow smiled as she leaned over the back of the couch. "Did the big nasty flowers scare you?"

"No, the vase did. The flowers scared him."

She patted Xander's head. "Must be bad then." She was handed the note by the now awake young man. "Well, isn't that nice."

Buffy came back out carrying the flowers so Oz hid his face behind the book. "I wanted a few of those for something," he said. She brought it over to him, putting the flowers down so he could pick out a few without having to look at the vase again. When he was done, she carried it downstairs. She knocked on the manager's door, stopping briefly on the way to the trash. "Hi. By any stretch of the imagination do you know how those got into our apartment?"

He frowned and looked the flowers over. "No. I've not seen them. And you said they were in the apartment? Just sitting there?" She nodded. "Hmm, not an idea at all. Are you tossing them? I could use a few of those."

"Have fun with them," she said, handing them over. "We've agreed by majority that they're being trashed."

He smiled. "No, I have a much better fate for them." He closed the door softly and she could hear soft laughter from the other side. She smiled as she headed back up the stairs. "Bad news guys," she said, coming in the door. "Manager wanted them and said he hadn't seen them before."

Willow smiled. "I wonder why?"

Oz drew one of the soft buds down her cheek. "Still wondering?" She shook her head, smiling down at him.

Xander shuddered. "Don't, not in front of me please." He got up, heading for the bedroom.

Willow stood up, waving Oz to go get him. She was more than ready to have this fight again with him and there was no better time than now. Oz came back out carrying Xander around the waist, setting him down on the couch. "What is it that bothers you about our sex life?" she asked, sitting next to him.

"The fact that I'm not getting any," he said, heading back to the bedroom. He closed the door behind him, locking it against further intrusion for a while.

"Well, that went well," Buffy said. "But I can see his point. It's hard to see happy couples playing when you can't do that yourself." She sat on the arm of a sofa to look down on the pair. "And yes, before you ask, I am jealous. Just a little, but it's there."

Oz nodded. "That makes sense, but he's never reacted that violently before."

"After the other night?" Buffy reminded him.

"He'd be avoiding it at all costs to protect himself," Willow said. She got up, going over to the door. "Oz, how do you jimmy the locks again?"

Something hard was thrown at the door and, "Leave me alone," was yelled.

The three young people looked at each other then Oz showed them both how to jimmy the lock. Unfortunately, Xander had moved something heavy in front of the portal.

Willow pulled Buffy aside. "How 'bout dinner out? He really wants to be alone."

The older woman shook her head. "Mom said drop in anytime for dinner and it's free." She grabbed their coats. "Dinner, Oz? We're going to my mom's."

"Nah, I'll stay here." Something else hit the door. "Or maybe not." He shrugged as he picked up his jacket. "We're going to Joyce's," he called.

"Night," Xander called cheerfully. "Have fun."

"Shithead," Oz muttered on the way out the door. "We'll get you over this yet."

Xander moved the dresser to come out and lock the door after them, throwing the new and improved chain he had installed, and the extra bar bolt. He walked back into the bedroom to lie down on what used to be his bed. Well, it was still his bed when Oz and Willow collapsed out on the pullouts or on a futon, but it used to be just his bed. He rolled over, looking around the room, seeing all the changes that had happened over the last few months.

Oz's guitar graced a corner, always plugged in, ready to be played. Willow's and Buffy's makeup were littering the top of one of the dressers, tossed down in this morning's haste. Posters of art he really didn't like and of bands that he hadn't heard of graced the walls. The only things that really said 'him' about the room were his clothes sticking out of the closet door and the t-shirt he had just taken off that littered the floor.

Someone knocked on the door so he got up to answer it, letting Giles in. "Hey, what's up? Didn't they make it to your house?" He closed the door behind the man, sitting down across from him.

"Yes, they did, but they were all worried about you so I offered to come over to see what was wrong." He looked around. "Well, many things seemed to have changed since the last time I was here."

"Yeah, they have." Xander could see Willow's clear influence in the main room too. From the pictures on the walls to the new throw pillows spread gaily around the room to the plants that now inhabited the windows. "Maybe that's one of the problems."

Giles watched his former research assistant carefully. "That's part of it I'm sure, but what is it really? You've not had that look since Spike died."

Xander smiled. "Yeah, and it's about the same problem." He looked around before leaning closer. "Promise me that it stays between us." Giles nodded. "I .. They're driving me insane."

"Willow and Oz?" Giles guessed.

"Them too, but Willow and Buffy and Willow hitting on me like I'm her personal sex toy. She's actually said that I'm part of her pack, that she's the Alpha female. The other day, she literally climbed into bed beside me to try to get me interested." He leaned back. "And I don't know what to do but I can't go on like this." He looked around. "It's nice not to be alone, but even *I* need some alone time."

Giles smiled as he leaned back, resting against the back of the couch. "I was in much the same situation in college. My roommate's girlfriend got evicted so she came to stay with us, supposedly for only a week. She stayed for over a year, the whole time trying to convince me to join them."

"What happened?"

"Ripper came out one night and he decided to play." He shrugged. "She left a few days later but our friendship was broken. My roommate left after her and I never saw him again. He stiffed me for about three months rent too."

Xander nodded. "That's what I'm feeling, but she's being so insistent. It's not even like her. Then the flowers show up. I'm not sure if they were from her or from someone else that can get in here in broad daylight."

Giles looked surprised. "Flowers?"

"Multi-colored carnations." He shuddered. "In a really ugly vase. They were here when I got home but not when I left."

Giles nodded. "Well, I know it wasn't any of us. Marion's not fond of flowers even being in the same building with her. Did your manager maybe bring them up for you?" Xander shook his head. "Hmm, that is puzzling then, isn't it." He looked around. "I'm guessing that you got rid of it?"

"Almost all went down to the manager's. Oz wanted a few." He looked around. "They're there." He pointed to the table.

Giles got up to go look at them. "Could have been that young girl that tried to get you into trouble?" He turned to look back when Xander hadn't said anything.

"No," he squeaked. "Not her." He was looking out the window. "Giles," he whispered.

Giles came over to look out at the street, it just having become night. There stood Angelus, another carnation in his hand, running it across his cheek with a slightly sexy/slightly deranged smile. "Bloody hell," he said. He picked up the phone, but Xander stopped him. "I've got to tell her."

"I want him, he's mine," Xander said.

Giles tried to stop him, the younger man shook him off, running out of the apartment, grabbing a stake on the way. Giles did what he was supposed to, calling home before following. He tracked the two men into the park but had to stop and look around. No sign of either the vampire or the mortal boy. He started off down a path but stopped to double back, remembering Buffy having told him about one of Angel's favorite places. He was right by the topiary bushes when he was jumped and held tightly. "Let me go," he said.

"Nah," one of the boys holding him said. "We think you've got stuff we could use."

"I'm a teacher," he said. "I don't make money and I don't have anything of value. I'm not a choice target."

Angelus laughed, stepping out in front of him. "But you have something we want more." He went to his feeding face, fangs extended. "Something we want very much."

Xander leapt over a bush, knocking one of the guys holding Giles down. He staked him and watched as he turned to dust.

"Very nice, but not all of them have turned yet," Angelus said. "You'll have to guess to get to me." He walked away.

Giles pulled out the cross he held to point it at one young man. Nothing happened so he punched him. He and Xander worked together, staking those that needed it, debilitating the others. They were quickly done and followed the path Angelus had taken.

They found him in the center of a clearing, a shrouded figure next to him. "You know," the vampire said. "It's a pity that you guys couldn't stay together like you used to." He pulled the hood off the vampire near him to show them the former Watcher that had tried to kill Oz.

"Wesley," Giles said, shocked. "Why?"

"Because I craved the power," he said, throwing off the cloak. "You wouldn't believe what I can do now." He walked closer. "Now if only you would have joined when he asked you." He extended his fangs. "We could have done this together."

Xander snarled as he stepped closer. "So? You ate the loser that she sent away? Big deal." He waved his arms. "Nothing new there. We all knew he was bad." He stepped closer to snarl at the new vampire. "You were never good enough to teach a chosen one."

Giles restrained him, pulling Xander back. "Not now. Your anger is what they want."

"No, that's not it," Angelus said. "You still don't get it, do you Rupert? This isn't about anger or betrayal or anything like that. It's nothing you've ever known." He stepped closer to stroke over the tense jaw of his child. "This is nothing to me, not a worry in my book." He staked Wesley then moved closer. "You're nothing to me either, well really a play thing, but not really anything important." He stood in front of them.

Xander gripped the stake tightly, more than ready to use it. If Angelus would only move closer to him instead of Giles so he could get a shot.... "Hey, Deadboy, what's wrong? You needed fresh meat to play with so you chose *him*?" He looked shocked. "Such a proper person too." He sneered. "We all knew you weren't chasing Buffy, just trying to get to Giles all along."

Angelus smiled, his feeding face still out. "Not going to work, Harris. You're not going to get me to attack you." He slapped Giles without looking.

Xander jumped on him, not waiting to see if Giles fell, punching Angelus' nose. He threw blow after blow, kicking and punching as he had been taught in class. The vampire just stood there, rocking with each blow, taking it all. Xander showed him the stake as he tried to get him, but the vampire moved and the fight started in earnest.

Angelus ducked and dodged the blows that Xander was throwing. He tried to get a few in himself. Neither landed very many, but the young man was getting in more, even if the vampire's were more harmful. Xander tried another staking blow, but Angelus ducked at the last minute using the young man's momentum to throw him over. He got back up, shaking his head, looking for the stake. Both men turned at the scream from Buffy.

"Go away, princess," Angelus told her. "We're not through with our game." He didn't look back at her again, his whole attention going to Xander and what he was planning. "Come on mortal, you've got better. I've *seen* you do better than that."

Xander shrugged. "Not really." He held his ground, waiting for the vampire to come to him. "But why were you watching me? I'm not your toy."

"Are now," Angelus said, lunging to get another blow in. He managed to land a blow to the young man's chest, but was stopped by the stake that appeared in his chest. "How...?" he turned to ashes.

"Magic," he said. "Always a hit at parties." Then he passed out.

Giles and Buffy ran over, coming to rest beside him. The older man checked him over, the Slayer doing what she could by holding his hand and talking to him. He grabbed her cellphone to dial for an ambulance, not wanting to take any chances with what he heard and felt.

' ' ' '

Giles looked up as the surgeon came out, walking over to them as she pulled off her cap. "How is he?"

"He's very lucky that you stopped them." She sat down beside him. "What about his parents? I'm really only supposed to be giving this information to them."

"He's broken contact with them," Buffy said. "I'm one of his roommates. Giles is listed as his medical contact." She handed over the paperwork that the nurse had copied earlier. Giles looked over at her, silent question very audible to her. "Since last summer," she said.

Giles nodded. "He never told me but it does make sense." He shrugged. "So, how is he?"

"He'll live, which is the important thing. He's got a punctured lung that we had to repair. We've wired his rib together because it couldn't be fixed any other way. That was the worst break pattern I've ever seen." She shook her head. "He's got a tube in his sinuses to drain them as it's not safe for him to do it normally."

Buffy shuddered. "Yeah, it would be bad to have him choke on it." She got up to start to pacing. "When can we go see him?"

"As soon as he's in his room. Should be about another half hour. I'd notify people now instead of later, it makes the time go faster." She turned back to Giles. "She's your daughter?"

"Protégée," he said, distracted. "Anything else we should know?"

"Slight concussion. Broken ribs, punctured lung, broken wrist. Nothing else as far as we know." She thought for a second. "What's that dark patch on his shoulder? None of us could identify it and we're thinking of recommending a biopsy."

"It's from an old injury. I imagine it's like a nail turning black when you've pounded it with a hammer or something."

The surgeon nodded. "Okay, as long as you're sure. We'll watch it, but we won't touch it." She handed him some forms. "Since he's not going to be in any shape to make decisions tonight, we need you to sign his paperwork." Giles quickly added his signature and handed the forms back, reading each one carefully, just in case. She checked the name at the bottom of the forms. "Thank you, Mr. Giles. He'll be in room 319 as soon as he's awake." She handed the clipboard to the nurse, walking back into the surgery area.

Buffy pulled out her cellphone and hit the memory key for home. "Mom? It's me. Xander's going to pull through. We're still at the hospital and he's just now out of surgery." She had to remove the phone from her ear at the extremely loud yelling. "Here, Mom wants to talk to you." She handed him the phone before heading for the elevator. "I'm going upstairs to wait."

Giles took a deep breath. "He's fine, Joyce," he started.

' ' ' '

Giles dotted the 'I' in his name then reread his report to the council. He frowned at it's incompleteness, but put it into the envelope and sealed it before putting it into his pocket. He looked over at the young man on the bed, sighing at his still form.

"Coffee," Joyce said coldly, handing it over. "No tea. Sorry."

"It's not his fault, Mom," Buffy said. "I got there too late and Angelus was already attacking him. Giles was on the ground and Angelus was beating Xander to a pulp." She wiped her cheeks, taking the tissue Willow offered her. "There was nothing I or he could have done."

Joyce Summers nodded. "I've heard that, but it doesn't stop me from being upset that we're doing this again." She looked around. "And they still don't know why he won't wake up."

Giles nodded. "No reason according to their tests." He looked down at the coffee before handing it over to Willow. "Where's Oz?"

"He's at the Tech center then going to the lawyer that handles his trust." She swallowed some of the bitter liquid. "I wonder how Xander learned to make hospital coffee?"

Buffy started to cry again, the second time that morning, the weak joke breaking back through to her grief. "All my fault," she said. "Not good enough and he was still here because of me."

Giles held up an arm letting her bury her head in his chest. "Angelus said he wasn't there because of you." He patted her back and looked up at her mother. "He didn't say why, but it wasn't you."

Buffy nodded then sniffled, pulling back after getting it under control for now. "I'm still not convinced, but thanks." She wiped at the damp spot on his jacket. "Sorry."

"Not a problem, it's actually in the job description." She smiled slightly then moved farther away. "I wonder what's taking the doctor so long?"

"I saw her looking at his CAT scans outside." Joyce smiled slightly. "She's just as worried about him as we are."

"Too bad his parents aren't," Willow said. "When I called them, they weren't even concerned."

Joyce nodded. "But you're all his family now." She made eye contact with the young woman, reminding her of their discussion after Giles had told her what was going on. "It's more important that someone is here who cares."

"Very," the doctor said, coming in. She sat on the edge of the bed. "We can still see that little bit of swelling, but the neurologist doesn't think that's why he's still out." She scratched her arm. "We're not sure why, but there's no explanation anywhere." She paused as Oz came in. "Get it all straightened out?" He nodded, handing over the information packet. "Thank you. I'm sure this will appease someone in the offices." She smiled slightly. "We're doing all we can, but you guys have to bring him back, make him want to come back." She stood up. "That's the best advice I can give you." She left them alone, going out to hand over the insurance information.

Oz looked around. "Still no reason?" Everybody shook their heads. "Damn." He turned and punched the wall. "This sucks."

Willow smiled. "Don't remind us." She held out the cup to him but he shook his head. "Sit?" She got up and he sat down, pulling her down into his lap.

Buffy looked around. "Now what? Do we talk to him? Take turns whispering in his ear?" She looked around in confusion. "Where'd Marion go?"

"She's opted to go work out her frustration at the gym," Giles reminded her. "She'll be back soon." He looked around. "Shifts is a good plan. That would give all of you a chance to make it to class sometimes." He looked up at his fiancee. "And for some to spend some time at work."

"Screw work and school," Willow said. "I'm not leaving. Not until he wakes up." Oz nodded his agreement.

"So, shift system so that we can sleep sometime and eat and shower and all those things that seem unimportant then? It'd give some of us a private moment at least," Buffy suggested.

Oz nodded, taking his mate's hand. "That sounds fair," he said, squeezing it. "We'll take later if you want to stay now." He looked up into Willow's eyes. "I think someone could use a shower and a nap."

Willow started to shake her head, but she could read the concern in Oz's eyes for her too. "All right. We'll be back in a few hours," she sighed as she stood, pulling him after her. "We'll be back at the apartment."

Buffy looked pointedly at her mother. "So, who else?"

Joyce held up a hand. "I know a hint when I see one." She kissed each of them, patting a stray hair of Xander's back into place. "Call me immediately if he so much as blinks." She left, not slamming the door as Oz had.

Buffy looked over at Giles. "Why didn't you tell her?"

"About what?"

"The flowers. What he really meant?" She swallowed. "I know you told her the rest and asked her to talk to Willow."

Giles frowned. "If you had noticed how upset he had become at your games...."

"Not a game," she said. "Pure care and need." She looked at the floor. "We wanted to take care of him like he did us."

Giles moved his chair closer. "He was hurting because you pushed it." He laid a hand on her shoulder and for the first time in days it wasn't shaken off. "If he was distressed enough to confide in me, then he was badly hurt by all of it."

She nodded. "That's not what we meant, but it happened, we'll all accept that someday." She looked over at the bed. "You don't think that's what's keeping him under, do you?"

Giles looked at the young man in the bed. "Maybe, he was hurt by it. He may be suppressing himself somehow because he doesn't want to be hurt anymore." He shrugged. "I'm not the one to ask."

Buffy got up to sit on the side of the bed, careful not to sit on the tubes that were running into her best friend's body. "Xan, we're sorry, we never meant it like that. We weren't trying to hurt you, just to take care of you like you do us. We love you too much to ever hurt you on purpose." She moved some of his hair around then stood. "I'm going to go walk and think." She left the two men alone.

"Xander," Giles sighed. "You're destroying us with this. You not waking is keeping all your friends from sleeping or eating. Joyce's not even wanted to sleep or eat. You're part of our family now and we need you to come back." He reached over to pat the hand that was just laying there. "You're not alone, we won't let you be. Not at all."

Giles looked up as Willow and Oz walked in, nodding at the man that walked in behind them. He handed over his report to the head of the Council instead of mailing it. Then he walked out, saying a few quiet words to the couple on the way, heading for the meditation garden.

Oz sat down on one side of the bed, Willow on the other. "Man, you've got to come back now. We're wasted here without you."

Willow sniffled. "We're not going anywhere," she promised, stroking over Xander's cheek. "And I'm sorry for hurting you."

"We're sorry," Oz corrected. "That wasn't what we meant, not by any means."

Willow laid her head on his shoulder, careful not to put too much weight on him. "We're sorry," she whispered. "If you'd just wake up, we'd tell you that, we'd make you understand that we were only trying to help." She took his hand in hers. "If you want, I'll try to conjure that frog prince for you. All you have to do is wake up and tell me what he looks like."

Giles and Marion walked in, him to grab his book. "Sorry," he said. "Forgot this." He looked over at the bed. "Still no change?" Both of them shook their heads. "Well, I just had a run in with the Council. They're not pleased in the least that I'm spending my time here."

Marion snorted. "Stupid people. Caring about others is something that makes you stronger and gives you a reason to win."

"Unless they're hurt or turned," Giles said. "I can see a point to their rules, but not enough of one to isolate you like they want." He patted her arm. "We'll be at Joyce's." He walked her out of the room, arm around her shoulders.

Oz looked at Willow. "I'm hoping I'm as good a dad."

She nodded her head, sure that he would be. "That's one of those things we've got to talk about, dear," she said. "I know that you want to adopt, but I want to experience pregnancy, just once."

Oz nodded. "I understand, but I'm not willing to risk you being hurt by my problem." He took her hand. "We'll discuss this later or when it's time," he said. "Not here and not now."

She nodded. "I can agree with that, as long as we talk." She looked down. "See, without you here for us to run too, we're already falling apart."

Oz smiled at her. "It's true, you know. Without you there for me to look at and figure her out just by what you're not saying, it's all falling apart. We don't talk, we don't fight. She won't even kiss me until you wake up."

Buffy walked over. "Maybe guilt tripping him isn't the best way to show him that we want and need him back. Now if only he was Sleeping Beauty and someone was the prince, we'd be all set." She dragged one of the chairs over, sitting beside Oz to take the warm hand in hers. "At least it's not cold," she said quietly. "Xander, we need you to come back now. You've got to come back to us. We're ready to all fall apart, you're the one that holds us together. You're the superglue of our lives." She sniffled. "Now you two've got me doing it. But they're right. You're needed and wanted and special to us. Nothing and no one would ever replace you." She kissed the back of his hand. "Couldn't sleep either?"

Willow nodded. "Every time I did, I saw your mom about pass out when she got the call." She frowned. "Why didn't you call sooner?"

"I thought he had and he thought I had." Buffy leaned back, bringing the hand with her. "Just a stupid miscommunication, but that and not seeing what's in front of my face seem to be the hallmarks of my reign as chosen one." Her shoulder's slumped. "This is not what he needs."

Oz tapped her forehead. "Being observant isn't your problem, it's what you pay attention to. When all of your energy is focused on a problem, you tend to exclude anything and anyone else." She nodded going back to her sulking. "I'm the same way some times and so is Will." He nudged Xander's still form. "So's he."

"Only when he cooks or he's creating," Willow pointed out. "But I guess that those are the same really." She shrugged, starting to sniffle a little. "Wake up, please?" she begged, placing a kiss on his forehead.

' ' ' '

Buffy went home to change clothes, the ones that she had been wearing for two days were getting a bit loud to her sense of smell. She walked into the apartment and stopped. Inside, on the table, was not only a vase of tasteful flowers but also a book and a box of chocolates. Buffy carefully scanned the room, moving toward the only place where anyone could be hiding. She opened the bedroom door, checking the room over before entering and heading to the closets to check them. She got that done, was just heading for the bathroom when the door opened and Cordelia Chase walked out. "Shit, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked her, grasping her chest.

"I heard, I wanted to come see him one last time." She sat on the edge of the bed. "What are you doing here? And the manager let me in, I didn't even have to ask."

"I, Xan, Will, and Oz all live here. All the time, and we're not calling it quits on him yet." She sat down on the floor. "So, guilt over the way you used him?"

Cordelia smiled. "Yeah, a few. My new boyfriend showed me how wrong it was for me to have treated him like that. I was going to let it go until the reunion in a few months, but then I heard he had been hurt badly so I came back to tell him." She shrugged. "Not a big thing, unless you make it one."

Buffy shook her head. "No, not really." She got up, grabbing the phone. "Let me call to warn them that someone else is coming in." She dialed the hospital room's number, memorized for a while now. "Will, it's me and you'll never guess who I found in our apartment." Pause. "No, not them. Cordelia's here to apologize since she heard and she didn't think he'd make it to reunion. Should I send her now or tonight?" She hung up. "Will says to come over now, night visiting hours are pretty crowded recently." She shrugged. "I'm not usually there then."

Cordelia stood. "Thank you for not smiting me for wanting to put it right." She hugged the blond woman then walked out of the apartment.

Buffy looked around. "We've got to get a security system or something." She walked into the bathroom to get ready for her day.

' ' ' '

Marion spun in a round-kick to the bag and promptly fell to the floor. "This is hopeless. I can't concentrate while he's still there." She looked up at her Watcher and the elder Slayer. "I can't do this."

"Then what will you do when one of them has a friend hostage to lure you into a fight?" Buffy asked. She walked around the young teen. "This isn't a matter of want to, this is a necessity of life for you now. You *have* to concentrate or your friends will all die. You *have* to train so that you can save them from whatever happens. You *have* to practice so that you're good enough and can use your gifts when the time comes." She kneeled down in front of the small redhead. "This isn't want, it's life, yours, so get up and do it again."

Marion stood up, looking around. "Where'd Giles go?"

"To call the hospital. The only thing you should be concentrating on is sparring right now. All else is secondary so should be out of your mind." She held the bag still. "Let's go again."

Marion nodded, trying the maneuver again. And missed, landing on the floor. "Maybe it's something else."

Giles looked them over. "It seems you may need glasses." He frowned. "That doesn't seem like a possibility, but it should be looked into. We'll go after your exam this week." He patted Buffy's shoulder. "We've got to go, Dru's been at the hospital for him."

Buffy bit her lip. "Peaceful, something about Spike, or bad, I'm going to kill you for killing my sire?" He shrugged so she put on her sweat jacket. "I'd do a patrol of the house while we're gone. She's a bit on the whacked side," Buffy said as she and Giles walked out the door. "Lock it behind us. We both want you to live to take my place."

Marion nodded, throwing the bolt as soon as the door closed.

They rode in silence back to the hospital and up to the room. They walked in, smiling at their loved ones, frowning at the pale woman in the corner.

"What's up Dru?" Buffy said.

"I just wanted to tell him something," she said, pouting. "Spike's been talking to me and I'm supposed to tell him something."

Buffy walked over, pulled her out of the corner. She showed her the stake she had in her other hand. "One wrong move and you're toasted."

Dru nodded, leaning closer to Xander's still form. "Spike's been telling me things for you. He's been saying that I had to come to help you wake up. He said he wanted you to move on, to feed or to be happy, either one. He also said it was important that you listen to them now." She stood back up as she placed something on his chest. "He told me where he put it. He always meant to show it to you and now he wants you to have it." She stepped away from the bed. "He's closer now than he's been. Now's the time to call him back." She stepped further away from Buffy. "I'm not mad that he killed Angelus, he'd gotten so bad recently." She walked out and disappeared.

Buffy looked over at Willow, who shrugged, then everyone touched him someplace. "Xander," Buffy started, "we're sorry about hurting you like that. We never meant it that way. All we wanted was to love you like you've always done us and to take care of you like you do us all the time." She wiped her cheek. "Please come back to us. Yell at me, smile, grin, even don't talk to me, just wake up." She kissed his forehead.

Willow smiled, kissing the cheek she was beside. "She's right. I wanted, needed, to show you that I loved you still and that's the only way I could think of. We want to take care of you, but we can't do that unless you come back." She moved out of the way, letting Oz have her space.

Joyce smiled at the younger woman. "Xander, honey, you've got to come back. You're not here so your friends are all falling apart. I've never seen such agony in them." She touched his blanket-covered foot. She wiped her eyes, turning to look at Giles.

Giles nodded at Oz, who turned it over to him. "Xander, I'm very proud of the man you've become, but I can't tell you why until you're awake." He took a deep breath. "All of us want you here, need you to come back. Your mates are all ill with worry but nothing we do will help them. They need you to live life. Come back, please?" He rubbed the covered leg before pulling Joyce from the room so the younger people could have some privacy.

"Xan," Oz said. "You can't go the other way. I promised that I'm not leaving you and I'm not. Not even if you want me to." He ran his fingers through the slightly greasy hair. "You're special to and needed by us, we aren't going to make it without you. You should see us now. Buffy's wearing one of my shirts. Willow's actually wearing one of your t-shirts." He wiped his fiancee's cheek. "This isn't right, this telling you all this stuff while you're down. We should have been able to tell you what you mean to us when you were better, but we never could. None of us know why we couldn't tell you that you are the most special person in our lives. You're the base we need to grow and the steadying influence we each need to mature." He stroked over the soft skin, playing with the bristles that said he needed a shave. "You're the true chord in this group, the one that we tune by now. No one else can do that for us and we need you." He planted a soft kiss.

Xander sighed and his hand moved. A few minutes later, his head moved and he swallowed hard. His lips moved but nothing came out. "Yuck," he said softly, finally licking over his mouth. He opened his eyes. "Oz? Will? Buffy?" He looked around. "What's up?"

Everyone of them started to cry, each one laying on a different part of him so they knew that he was alive and well now.

' ' ' '

The first time Xander walked back into the apartment, he looked around to see what had been changed while he was down. Most of the things that weren't his were off the walls, the old throw pillows were sitting neatly on the couches. Everything was dusted and straightened, nothing wasn't the way he wouldn't want it. "Did a Xander fairy come to redecorate?" He turned to look at his friends, all of who were looking embarrassed. "Or am I going to go smite the Watcher?" he guessed.

"We didn't mean to take over your place," Oz said, "and I wish you had said something instead of just getting more upset."

Xander sat down at the table and nodded. "Okay, let's talk." He patted the table, waiting for them all to take their seats. "I'm not upset about the blending, I'm upset that it seemed like it wasn't my place anymore. Nothing in it said 'me' you know?"

Buffy smiled. "Yeah, I can see now how different it was. "Do you want to discuss what goes up on the walls and what doesn't?" She looked around. "Because these walls need something more."

Xander looked around. "That's a little formal for us. Why don't we fight over it like we used to when Oz put up those posters in the living room?"

Oz nodded. "We've got it all in a box." He looked around. "We can do that after you nap."

Xander frowned. "I'm not tired."

"Yeah, you are," Willow said. "The doctors only released you with the promise that you rest." She patted his casted wrist carefully. "And you're taking the bed for a while."

Xander shook his head, getting up to head for a futon. "Call me when the you've got the formalness rod out of your asses." He flopped down and turned on the tv.

Oz looked at the two women. "This is not going well," he said quietly. "This isn't what we wanted either." He slapped the table and got up, heading for Xander. "Listen," he said, kneeling down in front of him. "Yes, we need to talk, all of us, but now's not the time. You're not strong enough to hear us and we're not strong enough to fight. Why don't we all curl up on that huge bed in there to nap so we can make up all the sleep we've missed while you were under?"

"It's only a nap?" he asked.

"Only a nap," Willow and Buffy said.

"We're all exhausted and now's not the time to get into this," Willow finished.

"All right." He tried to get up, but needed Oz to pull him up. "I am tired."

They all headed into the bedroom, stopping to look at the freshly made bed. "Who gets what side?" Buffy asked.

"Will and I usually sleep on this side." He pulled Willow over to the bed. "You two can do whatever." He let her have the outside edge, crawling over her.

"I get the other edge so I can get up," Buffy said. Willow gave her a questioning look. "It's a slayer thing." She laid down, patting the large expanse of the middle. "Yours, Xan."

He crawled up from the bottom edge, planting himself in the center. "Okay, night." He closed his eyes, but no matter how much he needed the nap sleep wouldn't come. He opened an eye to look around at the others who were now looking at him. "What?"

"Just waiting to see if you were going to fall asleep," Buffy said. She moved a little closer, laying her head next to him. "We're kinda worried that you're going to slip back under while we all nap."

Oz moved closer, laying his head next to Xander's. "We've ... We're..." He closed his mouth and shook his head. "Nothing."

Xander held up an arm, prompting Oz to crawl under it to lay on his shoulder. "I'm not upset at you guys for trying, just for what you did. It seemed like some sort of conquest game or something." He looked over Oz's body to Willow's tense form. "You can come cuddle too, just to make sure I'm all right," he told her.

She nodded, moving over to lay on Oz's chest. "I'm sorry. We never meant it to be a game. Fun maybe, but not a game. We wanted to..."

Xander stopped her by pinching her lips shut. "I think I've heard this already." He smiled, using the fingers to rub her cheek. "Not a big. I forgive you and understand the underlying motive."

Buffy moved closer to him. "May I cuddle against your back?"

Xander looked surprised at the request, but gladly rolled toward Oz, letting the older man lay on his upper arm and shoulder so she could. He lifted his injured arm, prompting Willow to move under it. Oz rolled up onto his side too, letting both of them be held by Xander.

"This is what we wanted," Oz said quietly. "We still do if you do."

"We'll see," Xander said. He yawned. "This is still a bit much for me."

"We'll wait," Willow promised. She kissed both men on their cheeks. "Night."

"Night."

"Night, Will."

"Night, John Boy," Buffy said.

Everyone cracked up laughing and some of the tension eased, letting them all sleep.

' ' ' '

Buffy looked up as the manager knocked on the open door. "Hi. Probs?" She took her legs off the arm of the couch and sat up, putting her book aside.

"No, just a routine check." He shrugged as he looked around. "Just making sure that there's no drug plants growing or any big holes."

Buffy smiled. "Nope, not here." She stood up. "So, why are you really here?" She walked over to the door to look down at the cat sitting at the older man's feet. "He's in on the bed if you would like to go see him," she told Fuzzy.

The manager smiled, patting her shoulder as he walked into the next room, cat following happily along after him. They found him lounging on the bed, not paying attention to MTV while he doing some make up assignments. "It's good to see that you're still living." He smiled as his cat jumped up to sit on one of her favorite people. "Fuzzy was worried."

Xander smiled, stroking over the cat's head. "Yeah, I'm okay now. I've just got a ton of stuff to make up." He moved her so he could sit up, letting her immediately climb back into his lap. "Hello, were you worried about me too?"

"Definitely." He smiled and leaned against a wall. "You've done so many things to this space. It's nice."

"Thanks," he grinned. "Not me, them."

"All of us," Buffy yelled. "Want a drink?"

"Soda."

"Water it is," she said, bringing it back in. "Not so much caffeine, the doctor said. She said you were becoming a junky." She patted his head. "Get you anything?"

"No thank you." He shook his head. "Mothers."

Xander laughed, snorting some of the water up his nose. He looked through the open door. "Not really, but it's nice sometimes." He looked around. "I've been banished to in here, but it can be nice at times."

The manager nodded. "We're both glad you're all right. She was really worried. Kept trying to convince me to bring her to the hospital to talk to you." He grinned. "I didn't think that would be the best course of action, it might have upset one of the nurses."

Xander shook his head. "No more than Buffy looking over their shoulder for every little thing they did." He looked down. "Well, I'm glad you're both all right too."

"Well, mostly. The one I feed has left me, he reverted. I've had visitors and calls from people who were wondering about your condition. It's enough to drive a man batty. Then she," he pointed at the supposedly sleeping cat in the younger man's lap, "gets all fussy with me because you're not here for her to talk to. It's been a mad house here without you, I tell ya."

Xander nodded. "I'm sorry, I never realized that many people would have wanted to know or would know that I was hurt." He shrugged. "Sorry."

"Not a problem, young one, just don't do it again soon, huh?" He looked down at his cat. "Staying or coming home?"

Fuzzy's tail waved a few times in the air but she didn't move, her purr enough to almost put Xander's leg to sleep.

"I'll send her home later," the younger man promised. The manager nodded and left, quietly saying a few words to Buffy on the way out.

She walked in, leaning against the doorframe. "We should get her a litter box or something for when she's up here."

Xander looked down at the hedonistic creature in his lap. "Yeah, maybe we should. We already have food and water bowls picked out for her." He looked up and grinned. "I used to dream about having a lover that did just this."

"What, sit in your lap and purr?" He nodded. "Keep dreaming, most of us don't purr." She grimaced for a second. "So, um, how long have you been ...." She shivered and walked away, going back to her homework.

Xander looked down at the cat and smiled. "I do believe she's found my secret out," he said quietly. "Forever," he yelled. "Dreams are great things."

She walked back in and sat down. "I'm not being nosey or anything, but..."

"I never seemed to be checking out a guy? I chased after you compulsively? I dated Cordelia?" She nodded. "I'm both dear. Just because I enjoy a more... solid frame on my lovers doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the more delicate forms."

She grinned. "Okay." She played with the end of his hair, grown longer now. "You've changed so much in this last year," she said quietly. "You're not as shy or reserved. The jokes are less frequent when you're upset. You actually talk to us instead of pretending to be dumb." Her hand fell back to the blanket. "Sorry, wandering mind."

He pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. "You're right, I have. I found a supportive environment to grow up in." He let her go, petting the little fuzzy creature. "I'm not the same man I was this time last year, but it's only natural that I'm not. You're not the same and neither are Willow or Oz. We've all changed through all we've been through."

She bit her lip. "It's not us though. We're not the supportive environment, not the ones that helped you grow."

Xander shook his head. "You three have been *so* supportive of me. I never really realized I had a nurturing streak until I started to take care of you guys. I never knew I could cook until I was forced to due to the sudden aversion of pizza. Everything that has happened here has been supportive in either thought or action." He brushed a stray bang away.

She nodded as she stood back up, running a gentle hand down his arm. "You should be napping not homeworking."

He shook his head. "I've got three weeks of homework to do. I've got to go back to school soon or else my trust fund will go to pay the insurance company." He shuddered. "That twenty percent that wasn't covered was atrocious."

She smiled. "Not really. I talked to mom and she talked to your insurance guy, explained things to him. That twenty has been cut back to five since you were the victim of a violent crime." She stroked his forehead. "Count on us to take care of you," she said softly, walking out of the room.

Xander looked down at the cat in his lap with a smile. "Yeah, I think I trust them to take care of me." He stroked the soft fur, laying back on the pillows. "So, should we nap Fuzzy?" The cat looked up and meowed. "Okay, we'll nap for now, we'll homework later." He closed his eyes, one hand still tangled in the soft fur.

' ' ' '

Buffy looked around the apartment before she crept over to where Xander hid his tapes. She looked at the various titles, picking out the one she had seen him watching the night before in the bedroom and popping it into the machine. She flipped on the tv, checking her watch to make sure she had time to watch the thing, and maybe something more.

By the end of the first set of action, her clothes were mostly off and she was enjoying the tape heartily, breathless little pants coming from her to drift down the hall.

Willow walked in, closing the door silently, knowing what her friend was doing. She walked over, watching the tape herself, before she knelt down in front of the young woman to take a taste.

Buffy jumped at the first lick, not really having noticed the other woman come in. "Willow!"

"Sssshhh, let me." She looked up as she took another lick. "Just watch and be happy."

Buffy looked down, then back at the tv, then at the clock. "We don't have time. Oz'll be home soon."

"I sent him for ice cream." She grinned, resting her head on Buffy's thigh. "So, are you going to watch and let me play or not?"

Buffy nodded, spreading her legs just a little wider, going back to her watching. She was soon engrossed again, not really thinking about what Willow was doing, just that she felt good there.

A while after the tape was done, they were sitting on the couch, Buffy not looking at her. "I'm sorry if that upset you."

Buffy turned and smiled. "It didn't upset me, but I'm still worried that I'm going to come between you two."

Willow shook her head. "Nope, neither one of you are." She grinned as she licked over her lips, tasting the residue of the other woman's juices. "That was nice, being able to fulfill your fantasy like that." She went back to looking out the window. "How long have you been wanting to watch?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know. It just seems kinda fun. And it's not like you and Oz don't give me plenty to think about."

Willow smiled. "Yeah, we are a bit primal sometimes." She looked around. "Whenever you want to do that again, just ask. Oz and I have made an agreement, we aren't going to fight our other desires, only express them in a calm and reasonably safe manner."

"And I'm safe?"

"Both you and Xander are safe and agreed upon." She switched sofas. "It rocked me when Oz told me his fantasy about having a man, I mean come on! But we got through it. I did for him what he needed, he does for me what I need, and what we can't really give we accept that we can look at another person. It's all very European."

Buffy nodded. "Sounds nice in theory, but don't you get jealous? Or doesn't he?"

"Nope, not us. He's freed me in so many ways. You just don't know how repressed I was."

The Slayer smiled. "You, repressed? Nah." She shook her head. "Little Miss Willow, the one that used to blush at the mere mention of sex like some Victorian virgin? Little Willow who used to go into the bathroom to change in gym class? Nah, not you."

Willow smiled. "Yeah, but he showed me that it was a wonderful thing to know my body and it's responses, to enjoy them both. He taught me so many things that I like and things that he likes. We're happy this way."

Oz walked through door and stopped with a grin. "What else did I do?" He bent over, stealing a deeply passionate kiss after handing over the ice cream. "Hmm, nice." He walked into the bedroom. "Have fun talking."

When Willow looked back at her friend, she was blushing. Buffy was a full on red. She smiled, leaning over for a kiss, being soft and delicate. "See, nice."

Buffy shook her head. "You two are weird about this. He just kissed you and commented on how I taste."

"He already knew what you taste like. He knew after that first time when he came home while you were sleeping it off. He made about the same comment then too." She shrugged. "Does that bother you?"

Buffy leaned back and thought about it. Did it bother her that Oz, who apparently approved, knew what they had been doing? Or that he knew what she tasted like? Not really, actually it was a little exciting. She wasn't concerned if they weren't and neither of them made a big deal over her sharing her body with Willow. Actually, no one had. Not even when her mother had pulled them into the kitchen to talk about what they were doing with Xander did *she* ever get yelled at for it. Nobody said anything about them sharing. So why was she concerned? Did she think it was wrong or gross? No, not even. Did she regret it? No, not at all. She liked it, enough to keep doing it. Not that she would be doing that with someone else but it was nice with Willow. "No," she said finally, "it doesn't bother me at all."

"Good, then it's settled," Oz said, coming back out in his 'show' clothes. "You two will have fun and I can grab kisses." He grabbed one from Buffy. "Ah, didn't Willow get happies too?" He pulled his fiancee into the bedroom; soon there were giggles and sex noises flowing through the apartment.

Buffy just sat there to listen, shameless for once in her desires.

' ' ' '

Xander dropped his bag, tired from his second day back. His first day hadn't been bad, all the teachers had taken it easy on him to make sure he was okay. Today though, they had all tried to send him back to the hospital. It was a good thing he had caught up over his unscheduled break. He'd had three tests that had been combined so he only really had to take one. He'd had to keep up with all the new stuff everyone was on. And early graduation was in another month and a half, three weeks before everyone else's in the apartment. "At least I can rest then," he told himself. He picked himself up from the couch, dragging over to the tv and the futons, flipping on a daytime talk show. "Ah, Sally. Give those men hell, girl." He smiled, slowly falling asleep to the sound of Sally berating jealous husbands who were actually cheating themselves.

Willow walked in and stopped. She could see Xander laying on the futon, head at a funny angle, snoring apparently - at least it sounded like a snore, Montel wasn't cutting wood so it couldn't have been him. She dropped her backpack gently, not wanting to wake him up, before walking over to watch him. "Poor Xander," she said softly, brushing some of his hair behind his ear. "You must have had a bad day at school." She sat down beside him, pulling him lightly so he would fall over onto her shoulder. "You rest on me now and we'll watch good stuff." She grabbed the remote, flipping to something soothing.

Oz walked in with Buffy, their mutual class this semester having been canceled for the day. He nudged the younger woman, pointing over at the couch where Willow and Xander were sleeping soundly, putting a finger to his lips. He pulled her into the bedroom, closing the door to give them some added noise protection, no matter how small. He fell onto the bed as he said, "Awwww, they're so cute like that."

Buffy smiled, sitting on the other edge of the huge bed, crossing her legs. "Yeah, very, but so are you and she when you're napping too." She looked down at his reclined form. "How long do you think they'll be out?"

"Xan looks worn out and she'll be there until he wakes. We could probably go out for a few hours and they'd be up when we get back. Why?"

"'Cause, I wanted to go shopping with Will, sort of a girls thing." She looked around, focusing on her basket. "I know I have clothes, but I want new ones. I even budgeted for it."

Oz sat up. "Come on, let's go. You drive, my van's a mess." He stood up, waiting for her to get up. "What?"

"Well, you're not the one I envisioned shopping with, but okay. Are you sure you're up for some major shopping? I mean bras and everything?"

"It's not like I haven't tagged along before with you two and besides, there's something in Victoria's Secret that I want to get for Will but I could use your opinion." He grabbed his wallet as he walked out. "We'll bring back supper," he whispered.

They left, closing the door softly behind them.

Xander looked over at Willow. "Do you think we should tell them we're up and beg to go along?"

Willow snorted. "Nah, I don't feel like shopping and he's been wanting to spend time with her like he does you." She patted the side of his face. "But it will be good not to cook tonight."

Xander laughed as he stood up, holding out a hand. "Let's nap on the bed, it's more comfortable." They hurried into the bedroom, not wanting their much needed nap to get challenged by anyone coming in.

' ' ' '

Buffy looked through the rack, but she couldn't find anything she wanted. "This is hopeless, all the good stuff is gone." She blew a piece of hair out of her mouth.

Oz held up a bright shirt. "Try this one." He handed it over, smirking at the look she gave it. "You looked good in my shirt of the same color the other day."

Buffy blushed. "I didn't know it was yours. Sorry." She took it into the dressing room, pulling in a short black skirt to go with it. When she came out, Oz whistled and was actually grinning. "Good?"

"Very nice," he said. He handed her some other things he had picked out. "Try those."

They went through the mall that way, having to rent a locker well before they were done shopping. Oz picked out stuff he thought she'd look 'cute' in, as he said, and she generally liked it all. They finished up in the food court, a normal end to any shopping trip.

Oz picked up his burger and bit into it, watching Buffy watch people. "Problems?" he asked with his mouth full.

She took a pull at her shake, still not getting anything. "Yeah, I could've sworn I just saw Marion over there by the ice cream shop but when I waved she went the other way."

"She's a teen. She's probably skipping out or something." He looked around, spotting the redhead easily. "Yeah, it's her." He pointed her out. "And I do believe that's Devon that she's with."

"As in, part of Dingoes Devon?" He nodded, making her frown. "I think he's a little old for her."

Oz put down his burger. "She's not that young. He's not really as slimy as he seems either. They should be fine." But Buffy was watching the brewing fight. "Whatever," Oz said, going back to his food.

Buffy started to get up, go over there, but a firm hand grabbed her arm. Oz was shaking his head, but she shook him off, going over anyway, knowing she needed to.

"No, I don't want to," Marion was yelling. The young Slayer got up and tossed her drink on Devon, walking away.

Buffy hurried to catch up to her, pulling her into a service alcove. "What happened and do I need to go beat him?"

The young woman shook her head, sniffling. "He doesn't like me," she cried, burying her head in the older woman's shoulder. "He wanted me to go farther than I wanted. He wouldn't take no or later."

Buffy frowned. "Oz is upstairs. We'll drive you home. Okay?" The young woman nodded. "Okay, let's go back up there. Dry your eyes." She waited while Marion did that and blew her nose. "Ready?"

They headed back upstairs, heading to where Oz was still sitting. "We're taking her home," Buffy said.

Oz nodded. "I figured that when she threw the coke on him." He leaned closer to the young woman. "He's a slime. He's been hitting on Willow now for months too."

Marion nodded, wiping at a still damp cheek. "He wanted me to come with him tonight to that new club but I know what goes on there and I don't want to go back." She sniffled. "He wouldn't take no for an answer, told me I was scared of dating a real man."

Oz looked confused. "New club?" Then he remembered. "Never mind, I know where you're talking about and you're right, it's better if you don't go there. Matter of fact, I don't think you could get in."

"They don't check the id's of the girls with the band." She looked over at him. "I was surprised to see that you weren't playing with them the other night while they were there."

"Dingoes?" Buffy asked.

"No, Fierce Pirates of Treasure." She smiled at Oz. "It just wasn't the same without you."

Oz looked calm, but to Buffy, she knew he was pissed. "Um, I'm still stuck on new club?"

Marion smiled. "It's a dark and dreary place, really industrial."

"A real drug and whore, metal making your brains ooze place," Oz said. He would bring this up with the band later, at practice. "So, should we adjourn to grab supper for the napping twosome then get all your new fancy and cute clothes home?" He almost smiled at Buffy, telling her it was all right. For now.

She nodded, grabbing her bags, and her shake that was still too thick to drink, then they left the food court, Oz stopping to pick up something for Willow and Xander and the clothes in the locker.

' ' ' '

Oz finished locking down the last latch on his guitar case before turning to face the rest of the band. "So," he asked Devon, "how's Pirates going?"

The other man sputtered but finally came up with a cohesive response. "How did you know? Never mind, that little cunt must've told you."

"She's living with the parents of one of my roommates and don't call her that again. My roommate found out somehow from her mother and she mentioned it to me. Besides, I knew something was wrong because you're not focusing here like usual. So, how are they? I was told they just didn't sound the same."

The drummer snorted. "Nah, it's not the same without you Oz. It's a little nothing band, something on the side to play with, that's all." He twirled a stick around. "Have you heard us? Or is this all second hand information?"

"Nope, I don't deal with places like that. If I need a wire cage in front of me to keep from being stabbed I know I don't need to be there."

Devon smirked. "I don't think you or your little roommates would fit in there anyway. The blond's way too soft to ever fit and your girlfriend is a piece of fluff."

Oz snarled. "Would you like to take that back now or after I rip your head off?" He took a step toward the stupid human that had just insulted his self-named family. "'Cause I think you'd better run otherwise."

Devon backed away, hands out. "Man, I'm sorry but you gotta admit Willow's not a strong willed woman. You twisted her around your finger pretty easily."

Oz shook his head. "Wrong way around, idiot. Way wrong." He grabbed his case. "I'm going home. Have fun." He waved and left. He ignored the taunt Devon threw after him, knowing he would get into trouble if he did what he wanted to and went back to rip the guy's face off to chew on. He started the van and calmly pulled out, heading to his place of solace.

He walked through the door and dropped his guitar case. Well, tossed would have been a better word but he was still mostly gentle to it. He looked around, trying to find out where everyone was. He saw the note taped to the back of the door so read it. "Went to Bronze, come get us and have happies. Willow." He shook his head, pulling off his shirt as he walked into the bedroom, determined to put the earlier crap out of his mind.

' ' ' '

Xander looked up as the crowd around him parted to admit someone new. He smiled at Oz, silently started to swear when it wasn't acknowledge. "What happened?" he asked, fairly close to the older man's ear so he didn't have to shout as much. "You look pissed."

"Later," was the shouted answer. He moved over to Willow, pulling her close and holding on. "Hey," he shouted. "Talk to me?" She nodded so he led her off the dance floor to a semi-private couch. "Devon's an ass," he said. He leaned on her shoulder. "Do I have you wrapped around me?" He could smell the faint scent of alcohol, but he knew Willow never drank that much.

Willow snorted. "I think it's the other way around." She ran her fingers through his hair. "You're mine, puppy, you better remember that."

His funk didn't lift with the reassurances. "Devon threw shit at me when I brought up the subject of his other band. He said you were fluff and that I had wrapped you around my finger because you were weak willed."

Willow frowned, then looked around the room. "Is he here?"

"Better not be. I want to hurt him *so* bad." He cracked his knuckles by squeezing his fist hard. "Just like that."

Willow took the fist in her hands, uncurling it to entwine their fingers. "He's a shithead and there's nothing that can be done apparently. Either he'll leave Dingoes for this new band or you'll find a group you like better." She squeezed his hand in hers. "Or else I'll hunt his ass down to teach him how strong I really am."

Oz shook his head, moving it closer to her chest. "Don't. I don't want to bail you out of jail or have you come bail me because I stepped in to finish him off. We don't have the money for that." Willow nodded, gentling him with her touch. "That's nice, I like that."

Willow smiled, nodding at Xander, who was bringing them something to drink. "Hey," she said when the other man sat down beside her. "Where's Buffy?"

"Outside, Marion wanted to talk to her in aloneness." He handed over the soda and the coffee. "Favorites and where can I find the shit?" He looked at the older man, comfortable now in his girlfriend's embrace. "Marion and I talked while you were gone. I *want* Devon." Oz shook his head, not saying anything. "Oz, man, if you knew what I knew you'd beat me to him. Where is he tonight?"

"No, you're not in any shape to go fight," Oz said. "Leave it to the rest of us for once. I want him just as bad, if for a different reason. What happened between them that got you steamed?"

"He was caught gaybashing at the college," Willow said quietly, "and that was the nicest thing she told us about his dark side."

Oz sat up, setting his cup down. "Go get Buffy, I know where he is." He walked out to the van, starting it and waiting. The rest of the crew, including Marion, got in, so they headed for Joyce's and Giles' house to drop her off first.

Buffy walked Marion inside, stopping her in the living room. "Are you sure you want to do this?" The young girl nodded and they proceeded into the kitchen as they could hear someone in there. "Mom?" Buffy said. "Sit, we need to talk."

Joyce looked at them and immediately sat down, turning down the pot of stuff she was stirring. "Rupert is upstairs, should I call him?"

"Not yet, this is a girl thing for now." Buffy took Marion's hand, giving her strength to back her up.

"I'm pregnant," the young woman said. She started to cry.

Joyce just sat there with her mouth open for a minute. "All right, we're going to see a doctor as soon as possible. I want to know some things though and you're going to have to tell him." She pointed upstairs. "We can do it now if you want." Marion shook her head. "It's that creep you've been dating, isn't it?" She nodded. "Does he know?"

"Yeah, he tried to get her to take something to get rid of it. Some drug combination."

"I dare say that would be a very bad idea," Giles said, walking into the kitchen. "Drugs may seem fun but are anything but. I would know." He sat down at the table when he saw the younger girl was crying. "Now, would you like to tell me why you're so upset? This subject normally wouldn't do so."

Marion got up, running upstair's crying. Buffy looked at her mother, who nodded, so she left. Joyce took Giles' hand in hers. "She's in trouble."

"Well, if that's all it is, I'm sure we have a book someplace to find out the...." His fiancee shook her head. "Not that sort of trouble?" Joyce rubbed her stomach. "Oh, dear. I'll go talk to her then I'll go find him myself." He got up, going upstairs to deal with this problem; after all, he was the Watcher.

' ' ' '

Buffy got back into the van, hugging Willow hard. "Very bad news for her." She sniffled a few times. "And he's mine."

Oz looked in the rearview mirror, silently asking her why, but she waved it off. "Okay. He's yours. Just so long as we all get a good punch in." He was about to pull away when Rupert got into the back. "You going to beat up the p.o.s. too?"

"Damned straight." He pulled the knife out of his pocket. "But there's something... special I want to do first. It's been a long time since I got to have...fun with someone who had upset me this much."

' ' ' '

Devon came to hanging upside down and tied. His eyes were blindfolded and he couldn't do more than swing. He could feel his undershirt and his underwear but nothing else, not even his socks. He didn't know where he was or how he got there, but he was sure he wasn't in the same place he was in earlier. He could hear voices but none of them clearly. He wondered what was going on. Why was he here?

"Ah, good," Ripper said, "just the boy I've been waiting for." He took the large knife, running it up the boy's chest. "Do you enjoy corrupting young girls? Is that a turn on for you?" He sliced the thin t-shirt down the middle, letting it hang open. "Or was it just her? If you tell me I won't hurt you," a silky sound added to the soft accent made those two words scary, "much. I'll be forced to correct you if you don't of course, but I'm sure there are many parts of you that you're willing to risk over a tasty young girl like her."

"Her who?"

"You know who. Or has there been more than one? Hmm? Have you been tasting all the fresh meat recently, dipping your hand into the kiddie pool?" He brushed the sharp edge over the firm breastbone line. "Of course, if you would just tell us why you decided to corrupt an innocent girl we'd be more than happy to let you go."

Devon didn't make a sound as he was swung hard. He started to get dizzy, sure he was going to lose the extra-greasy fries he had eaten not that long ago. Or at least he hoped it wasn't that long ago. How long had he been at these people's mercy?

"Ah, a tough boy. I like those." Devon started to sneer and opened his mouth to say something. "Oh, no, you don't have to worry about that. If I was going to pick a man, it would be a real man not one that needed to pick up underaged girls." He brushed the tip of the knife around Devon's collarbone. "Of course I'm sure that there are many that would just *love* to play with you because of your tastes. Maybe even show you how to do it the right way." Ripper smiled as he nicked a tender piece of skin off the young man's chest. "Oh, did that hurt?"

Devon grunted but he didn't make another sound. Until the knife was run along the inside of his thigh, then he started to get scared about what else might be cut off. "Oh, god, I didn't mean to hurt her. I didn't know how old she was! I swear, I thought she was legal."

Giles laughed and stepped back, gently setting their captive swinging. "I'm sure you'll think on that subject in jail." He nodded at the two policemen waiting, watching as they got him down to arrest him.

Xander smiled at the younger one, a man he had helped initiate just a few short weeks ago. "Thanks," he said softly.

"For you guys, anything. After all, you keep the garbage away." He pulled Devon out to their car.

Giles looked at Xander and frowned. "I was enjoying that too much. Maybe I should be getting back to the house." They all laughed and piled into the van, going home.

' ' ' '

Oz rolled over, content in his position on Willow's stretched out stomach. "Do you think she's?"

"Probably. I can't imagine another reason for Giles to get so upset and torture him like that." She smiled, running her fingers across her man's shoulder. "Do you think she'll be all right? I mean with the gifts and all, it'd be hard to fight."

Oz nodded. "Yeah, an extra twenty pounds or so isn't really helpful when you're slaying." He kissed the indented navel. "What about us? You promised we would talk about this after Xander left the hospital."

"I want to be pregnant sometime," she said slowly, "and I'm sure it's not a matter that's going to harm me."

"Xan."

"Us, Oz, us."

He raised his head to look her in the eyes. "My problem will not get you killed. End of discussion." He laid back down. "I'll gladly claim any that you do have by him but you're not risking yourself that way."

Willow raised her eyes for patience then decided to implement her plan to prove her point. She had done some extensive research, including a cellular study, so she knew that it wouldn't hurt her. She nudged Oz off her, starting by kiss him, gently making her way down his body. He handed her the condom, letting her know what he wanted, which she obliged happily, rolling it down him. But she tore a hole in it without him knowing. She went to work suckling on him, just as he had shown her he liked it.

Pretty soon, Oz was writhing under her touch, begging her for more. She grinned and nipped the head gently, going farther and farther down him until he was buried in her throat. He shouted, coming quickly. She withdrew some to taste him for the first time. When he was done, all but the panting, she laid her head down on his chest, smiling to herself over what she was about to accomplish. He pulled her up, as usual, for a kiss, but this time he pulled back.

"Tell me you didn't."

"I studied..."

"Willow, tell me you didn't just do what I thought you did."

She smiled, licking her damp lip. "And you taste good there too. Now then, listen for a minute before you throw a fit. I've studied your cells and it's in your blood but not...."

"No! No, no, no! I *asked* you. I specifically asked you to *not* do that." He got up off the bed, pacing next to it. "Why? Why did you break that promise you made me way back when?"

She laid there, waiting for him to calm down so she could explain it. She watched him pace and rant and swear then pace some more. "I did it for us," she said quietly.

"Us? You did it for *us*? How could you do this *to* us? Huh? Why are you wanting my curse so badly? Tell me?" He grabbed her by the shoulders, pulling her up to face him. "Why?"

"Because. If you would listen..."

"No! It doesn't mean anything! This isn't happening, not happening." He slammed the bathroom door, locking himself in. Then he punched the back of the door, hard and many times.

Willow stood there, watching the display of anger that she didn't know he had. "Oz?" she called. The door shook with the strength of his blow. "Come out and talk to me?"

The door flew open, hitting the wall. "If I did that, then I'd *yell* some more." He slammed the door closed again and hit it.

Willow grabbed her robe and left the bedroom, slamming that door into the wall on her way out. "He's being pissed now," she said.

Xander didn't looked up from his homework. "Mediator?"

"Won't help. I did something that he asked me to never do and now he's mad."

"Blame him much?" He went back to his circuit, drawing the little lines between the components.

"No, not really, but I studied it before I decided to do this and he's wrong about it. I'm safe and always will be. It's not in his semen."

Xander quirked up an eyebrow but didn't look up. "Uh-huh. So, what was this horrible mistake?"

"I sucked him without a condom."

Xander put down his pencil and ruler calmly before he grabbed her shoulders, shaking her lightly. "Are you trying to turn fuzzy too? Do you know how big of a risk that was? What were you thinking?"

"That it was safe," she said once she was seated firmly again. "And don't do that again."

"I was trying to rattle your brain back into it's usual working and ordered state." He shook his head, picking back up his pencil. "What if you're wrong and it's in there some way that you don't realize? Or if it's transmitted somehow to the child? Huh? What then?"

Willow shook her head. "I looked in all the ancient books too. It's possible that it might pass on but no one's sure yet. And I *know* that I'm fine. If not, we'll know in three days."

Oz walked out, fully dressed, giving the younger man a look that plainly said, "Xander, could you work someplace else for a while? I need to fight with her."

Xander gathered up his things. "I'm going to go for a walk. Don't break anything or dent the walls." He checked his pockets as he walked out the door, shutting it gently.

Willow turned to Oz. "If you would listen instead of yell..."

"No, you listen. He said a few things you didn't hear. What if it's not passed to you but to the next person you kiss or to our kid? What then? Or what about the other cell thingy? Huh? Do you have answers for those?" He sat down beside her. "And I'm sorry about earlier."

She took his hand. "It's not a problem. I looked, hard, to find all the chemical traces of this. It lives in the blood, not the saliva. It's not in your semen, or anyplace else unless you start to bleed inside me." She squeezed his hand. "I've been working on this for months now and I'm sure of it. I could write a book on it actually. You're only dangerous to me when you're turned or when you're bleeding."

Oz shook his head. "You still don't get it, do you. You *could have* missed something, a minute trace of something. You *could have* the infection but not get the curse, transmitting it to another person like Buffy. You *could have* it now and pass it onto our child. I don't want that. Not for you, not for the hypothetical child, not for us or our friends."

She smiled at him. "Then we'll have to see, won't we." She swallowed. "There's nothing you can do about it now and I'm sure of my results. Unless you bite me and bleed into the wound, I won't get it." She waved a hand around. "Get it now?"

He shook his head. "I'll wait the three days then we'll see but you're still not seeing the big picture here. What about the proposed child? I could pass it on or you might be a carrier now."

She shook her head. "The baby will be a carrier. One in two chance of it. By the laws of genetics we'd both have to have the recessive mutations for this so the baby would be one too." She kissed his cheek. "Just think of all the money we'll save," she whispered.

"Not us. 'Cause I'm not touching you until we know for sure." He stood up, taking back control of his hand. "I'm going to go soak and think." He walked away calmly, no doors showing evidence of his unease.

Willow sighed and got up, grabbing the phone to dial Buffy's cell phone number. "Hey, it's me. Are you coming home soon? I need someone to talk to." She got her answer, hanging up before putting her head down on the table. Maybe that hadn't been the best idea of all.

' ' ' '

Oz looked around the apartment, feeling trapped, knowing he had to get out. The waiting was killing him. Tomorrow night was the first night of the full moon and the suspense of whether or not he had cursed Willow to a life of lycanthropy was almost enough to drive him insane. He knew Xander was still at school, that he still carried the key that Drusilla had left on his chest the night he'd woken up from the coma. Maybe they could go check out wherever it led to. He grabbed his jacket and keys, his wallet and the notepad. He explained where he was going before leaving the apartment.

He made it to the Tech Center in time to catch Xander getting out of class. He waited in the parking lot, hoping he didn't have to go wander around the unfamiliar place. The younger man came out soon enough, heading to the van once he saw it.

"I'm guessing that you heard my all mechanics are evil whine so decided to be nice and not make me take the bus?" Xander buckled himself in. "Or was the waiting getting to you?"

Oz put the van in gear, slowly pulling out, being careful not to hit the people that were determined to walk in front of him. "Both. Have the key still?"

Xander patted down his pockets, coming up with his key ring. "Which one?"

"That one."

"Ah, yes, that one. Of course. I know where it goes now too. I stopped in at a key shop the other day to ask the experts." He grinned. "Boy, was he shocked to see me in there."

Oz shook his head. "Probably not, with as many times as you've lost your keys." He stopped at the end of the driveway. "So, which way?"

"East."

Oz headed off, pulling out onto the highway. "You don't mind, do you?" He turned enough to see Xander shaking his head. "Good. It's just the waiting and wondering and..."

"Hey, I understand. Really I do. If it was me, I'd have been pacing yesterday and dragging her to the vet's today." He shrugged. "I wanted to go check out the warehouse this weekend anyway. I was going to ask you to come with me. Sort of a guy thing."

Oz nodded. "Okay." He pulled off the highway where Xander told him to, heading into an old storage facility. "Here?"

"Yeah, here." He unbuckled and hopped out at the office, going inside quickly to avoid the spattering of rain. When he came back out, he had a slip of paper in his hand, tossing it over as he got in. "Left then back three rows, in the middle."

Oz pulled in slowly, heading where he was told to go. They ended up in front of a medium sized storage container, locked tightly with a deadbolt. "Ready?"

Xander rubbed his hands together. "Let me get the key out so we can rush inside to not get too wet." He searched for the key, holding it tight enough to mark his palm once he found it. "Okay, let's go." He rushed out and opened the door, getting out of the way so Oz could get inside too.

Inside, once the light was turned on, was a room. Or really a whole apartment without the water. There was a bed against the back wall, a living room grouping - with books and bookcases - near the front but off center, and a dining room suite surrounded by many boxes. Xander whistled as he started to walk around, looking at all the things his Spike had stored there for so long. "I wonder where all this stuff came from?"

"His house?" Oz suggested. He was standing in front of the bookcases. "We should call Giles, at least one of these is a book Will's been looking for to learn some new magic stuff." He pulled it down to ran a hand over the crusty cover. "Wonder what that is?"

"Skin?" Xander said, looking over his shoulder. "You know, like in all those movies?" He grinned, going back to reading the outside of boxes. "Hey, here's one with my name on it." He waited for Oz to come over, removing the two boxes on top of it for a minute. "Hmmm," he said, pulling out his pocket knife to open it.

Oz sat down beside the younger man, looking over his arm. "Pictures?"

Xander pulled out the top handful, handing them over. "Man, all of me." He reached farther down, feeling for anything else. "Movies it feels like and maybe something else in a large box." He took out more of the pictures, laying them into Oz's lap. "Here, see if you can figure these out while I search for buried treasure."

Oz shook his head, piling the photos in chronological order. "It's an obsession gallery."

Xander looked over briefly, but went back to his digging. He brought the large box up, setting it down on the other side of him. "what have we here?" He carefully opened the top, unfolding it one flap at a time.

Oz got impatient, taking the box from him to open it quickly. "Oh, my God." He put it down on the floor as he backed away. "Did you pose for that?"

Inside the second box was a large painting of someone that looked astoundingly like Xander. Only in really old clothing. They looked at the signature and the date, whistling over the 1873 marking.

"Wow, I guess that was you in a prior life, huh?" The older man sat down and looked over the rest of the pictures. "Kinda explains things though."

Xander just sat there shaking his head. He really couldn't believe what was going on. He got up to go through another small box, this one marked 'photos'. He pulled out a few more of him and many more of the ancient guy that looked a lot like him. He sat down, staring at a painting that was obviously post-coital of that guy and Spike.

Oz came over, taking the painting out of his line of sight. "You okay?"

"Was it all a lie?"

"No. He must've loved the other guy and found the same qualities in you that he found in whoever this was." He carefully put the small painting back, closing the box. "Do you want to bring it along?"

Xander shook himself. "No, not really. It's paid for for another month or so. We can come back to sort it out some other time." He got up slowly, resting a hand on Oz's shoulder. "Should we call Giles?"

"Well, I want to take the book and I'm sure he'd love to look at what else there is. Maybe he knows about some mention of the guy." He shrugged, pulling out his cellphone to wave it in front of the younger man's face. "I can call, he's probably at home right now."

Xander nodded, still silent. He walked over to sit on the old horsehair sofa, trying to get comfortable and not slide off.

"Hey, Giles, it's me. Do you know that old storage place out on the highway, east of the Tech Center? Could you come out here? Xan and I just opened up the place that the key goes to and it's got to be seen." He looked over at the pained young man. "Oh, yeah, bring the chronicles too." He hung up, walking over to the couch to sit beside his friend. "He's on his way and he'll know." He patted the strong hand. "Don't worry."

"I'm not. I'm curious, I'm hurt, but I'm not worrying."

"Of course you are," Oz said soothingly. They cuddled for a few minutes, trying to soothe Xander's shocked nerves. He looked down at his watch. "How long does it take Giles to get here?"

"I'm here," he said, walking in and shutting the rusty door behind him. "Oh, my." Oz pointed over at a box, prompting him to go look at the paintings. The nice one got another 'oh, my' and the naughty ones got a spluttered response and a funny look sent at Xander. "I suppose that this isn't you?" He brought the decent one over, sitting down on the other side of the younger man.

"Nope, not me." He shook his head. "I'm not built like that."

Giles shook his head. "I don't believe I needed to know that part." He looked down at the painting. "Well, I can tell you that the artist was an underground one, here in the state, but other than that, there's not much on Spike in the chronicles."

Oz shrugged and handed over the book. "Willow wanted a copy of this."

Giles frowned down at it. "I don't believe that's wise."

Xander snapped his fingers. "Drusilla." He got up, starting to walk out, patting down his pockets for the keys. He looked around. "Oz, man, home?"

"Coming." He looked at Giles with a frown. "Do something?" He grabbed back the book and hurried out the door.

"Definitely. Let me look through more of this and I'll see what I can't turn up." He watched the two men leave before frowning down at the picture on the concrete floor. "Why now? He didn't need to know this. It will certainly destroy him." He got up, leaving that picture there, starting to poke around in the bookcase.

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