*******

Xander�s hand emerged from the covers and groped around on the stack of milk crates serving as a nightstand. Ringing -- alarm? -- no, phone -- and the receiver was snatched and brought under the pile of blankets.

�Xander. Thanks.�

Not that Xander didn�t welcome Angel�s customary not-overly talkative self, because he could still feel himself struggling into waking status. But . . . thanks? Not so much like Angel. And for what?

�I�ll give a hearty �you�re welcome� as soon as I know what the heck you�re talking about,� Xander grumbled into the phone. �What�s the big idea, anyway, calling me so early? You�re not supposed to be up in the morning. And did I miss the memo about you suddenly getting on board the whole human courtesy thing?�

�For the box, Xander. I�m awake because it�s nightfall.� Angel paused, and then remarked petulantly, �I say things like please and thank you all the time.�

Xander shifted, bringing the covers down and yawning into the phone. �Not to me you don�t.�

�Well, this was important enough for me to thank you. Key, in fact, to negotiating a truce between the two warring Glaz�broth clans just outside of Sunnydale. So I just wanted to let you and Spike know --�

�Spike!� Xander shrieked, and the lump of covers next to him jerked and began cursing.

�GottagoAngelbye!� he blurted into the phone and hung up.

�Wazzat?� Spike said in a cranky voice.

�Spike!� Xander exclaimed once again.

Spike rubbed his temples and gave a world-weary sigh. �Got that part down already. Me Spike. You Xander. We . . . � He left his sentence unfinished and pointed a finger at Xander. �Hey! You had sex with me!�

�No, I didn�t,� Xander protested. �You had sex with me!�

They glared at one another angrily.

�Fine. I may have had sex with you,� Spike said grudgingly.

Xander huffed indignantly, but then nodded. �Well, guess it�s fair to say we both were involved. But this is so much more your fault than mine!�

Spike rolled his eyes. �Can�t admit to your own part. Typical. Who kept saying we should go again, now?�

�I resent that! Who was the one that was all, �oh, need you, want you�, and enticing me with the stomach stroking and thrusting?�

�Oh yeah? Well, who was the one that climbed aboard like a naughty boy and rode me like he couldn�t get enough of--�

They moved desperately towards one another, breathing hard and bent on connecting their still-naked bodies, until Xander forcibly wrenched himself away.

�What the fuck?� he swore as he scrambled to his feet and backed away until he hit the wall.

�Oh, calm yourself,� Spike snarled, but he looked worried as he began to scan the room for his clothes. �Can�t go anywhere yet with the sun up, so we might as well try to make nice and get past this.�

�Except not, because it�s dark outside,� Xander pointed out in a superior tone. �So you can just go ahead and leave any time you want.�

�Like a casino in here, it is,� Spike said. �How am I supposed to know?�

�What, like you thought after we spent all night doing it that we wouldn�t sleep through the next day?� Xander asked hysterically.

�Truthfully, don�t think I thought much about it, or wouldn�t have done all this in the first place, would I?� Spike had gotten his jeans on, but when Xander met his eyes after pulling on a pair of cargo pants he dropped his t-shirt, plastered himself against the opposite wall and regarded Xander with a Must! Resist! face.

Xander pushed against his own wall and shook his head. �We don�t have time for this. There�s a meeting tonight, and it�ll look weird if we don�t show.�

�It�s odd if you don�t show,� Spike corrected him. �I�ve done my good deed for the week with that sodding box delivery, and until someone offers up more compensation to do more errand work for you lot, I�m my own vamp.�

�Okay, fine.� Xander said. He brought his hands up to rub at his face. �Just . . . can you not . . . that is, . . .�

�Don�t worry,� Spike muttered. �Won�t tell anyone about your dirty deeds.�

�Uh . . . thanks,� Xander said after an awkward pause.

Spike gave him a dismissive wave and headed for the door.

�Wait . . . Spike?� Xander called, his voice trembling.

Spike turned back and looked at him intently, waiting. �Yeah.�

�I . . . just . . . you . . . Angel said thanks,� Xander finished weakly.

With a snort, Spike made for the exit once more.

* * *

�Perhaps we ought to run through the recent developments to start with,� Giles said.

� �Kay. Glaz�broth clans?� Willow asked.

�Check,� Buffy replied absently. �Angel said he had the solution, and since it doesn�t involve slayage, I�m more concerned about the new nest of vamps on the south side.�

�Vampires,� Xander put in. �You can�t trust them further than you can throw them. Oh, sure, they say they had a bloody good time, and then they just take off like . . .� He trailed off as he realized that everyone was regarding him curiously. �Stake �em all,� he finished, and Buffy shrugged.

�Glad we have your go-ahead. You want to come along on this dusting expedition?�

�Sure, yeah,� Xander said hastily. �Will?�

�Can�t,� Willow said. �I have to finish packing for the Wiccan Unification Summer Session. Three more days before two months of magic and fun in the sun!�

�Still trying to get my head around a Willow-less summer,� Buffy said with a small smile. �Definitely go ahead home and get ready so that we can have a great time at your send-off tomorrow night.�

�By all means, take care of your preparations,� Giles agreed. �Though I find myself wishing the departure date were further off so we could keep you with us, at least we can look forward to your return all the sooner.�

�You know I�ll write and call and send you eerie astral projections of me frolicking by the pool,� Willow said cheerfully. �Plus Oz�ll bring back full reports when he visits every couple of weeks. So no need for the sad.�

�Yeah, well, I�m not big on the idea,� Xander said. �Especially now.�

Buffy and Giles exchanged glances as Willow turned to Xander. �Wait. You�re not? What�s the what with now?� Willow asked.

Xander threw up his hands. �I . . . now . . . nothing. But isn�t there a later session or something? Sure, you want to get your magic on, but did you ever think about our needs?�

�Xander,� Buffy said softly. �We�ve been through this. Willow needs to connect to the coven-thing, and we all get the benefit of her skill-improvement. Plus the summer�s always a slow time. Better she take care of this now than have to take a semester off school and leave us high and dry during heavy-traffic evil season.�

�I should think you�d be happy for Willow and the good she�ll accomplish as a result of this experience,� Giles commented.

�This isn�t just about protecting the people and the volume of distress signals and blah-dee blah,� Xander said in frustration. �What about me? I haven�t had to cope with a no-Willow situation in forever. I have needs, important Willow-specific needs. Don�t tell me that doesn�t matter in the greater scheme of things.�

�But Xander, you�re the one who said it was a good idea after we talked it through. You were all, �And high time, too,� and �do some spells for me!� when we spoke about it last. You were the one who said I shouldn�t worry about abandoning Oz for a few months while I did this. And, you even said �Don�t worry about me . . . you�re due for some quality non-Hellmouth time.� I mean, did something change?� Willow�s brow wrinkled in confusion.

�Damn your near-perfect recall,� Xander said finally. �No . . . nothing�s changed . . . much. You�re right, Willow. Sorry.�

�That�s okay,� Willow said. She nodded, but her eyes studied Xander�s face as though she was searching for some hint to his unexpected outburst. �You okay?�

�Sure,� Xander said. He shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny. �Just feel . . . I don�t know, like I�m coming down with the flu.�

�Well, we can�t have you getting sick when there are important bon voyage parties in the works,� Buffy said. �Why don�t you skip patrol and I�ll see if Angel is lurking around?�

�Yeah, okay,� Xander said.

�You want me to mix you up some medicinal herbs?� Willow asked. �Where are you sore?�

Xander opened and shut his mouth several times. �Uh . . . nowhere special. Kind of all over. And nah, I don�t want to eat a bunch of dried grass. Probably just could use some sleep. I�ll, uh, catch you all tomorrow night at the Bronze.� He gave them all a half-wave, and left quickly.

�Okay, did anyone else think that was weird?� Buffy asked.

Giles frowned. �It did seem somewhat . . . I wonder . . . Has anything occurred recently that would have precipitated Xander�s change of heart?�

�Not that I can think of,� Willow said. �But I have been kind of preoccupied with leaving town.�

�Haven�t noticed anything myself,� Buffy added. �Maybe we�ll get more of a clue tomorrow night. Or maybe he�s just grumpy with flu, and he�ll be our sunshiny Xander again at the party.�

�Well, then,� Giles said. �I suppose we�ll just have to wait and see.�

*****