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DISCLAIMER: This universe is kinda mine, but would be nothing without Joss. So
yep, the credit goes to him.
SUMMARY: Dawn's 21. Birthday + Jossverse = Turning Point. (Take II)
PAIRINGS: W/X, D/S, B/A, F/R. What? I'm working on my 'group situations'!
WORDCOUNT: 2814
NOTES: Pre-quel to End of the Twisted Road and
mini-references to From the Outside In and Testing the Waters. No need to read any of them to
understand this.
for Meg the Legend at the Fluffathon.
ON CHOCOLATE PROBATION
by Leni
Alexander Harris knew he wasn't the brightest from the bunch. His ideas were rarely
helpful and he was conscious that only his friendship and, as the girls called it, his heart
kept him in the inner core of the Scoobies.
But this time Xander's idea had exceeded its expected badness by far.
Buffy was laughing helplessly, trying unsuccessfully to hide it against Angel's shoulder.
The vampire was stoic, fingering his bottle with an absent hand, his other arm around
Buffy's shoulder, patting her arm lightly. Xander had known Angel long enough to recognise
that glint in the brown eyes, he'd seen it enough times in high school. That mix between a
smirk and a roll of eyes. Oh, Angel was laughing. He was just waiting until Xander
was out of earshot to do it aloud.
Xander kept looking around the table. The look Giles kept throwing him made him want to
hide in his seat, go back to the time when Giles' disapproval was fair and necessary. He
was supposed to have matured since then, Xander knew, but couldn't Giles understand that
his idea hadn't sounded so bad when he'd first thought it? From the way Giles was shaking
his head, Xander knew that it was exactly what the older man feared.
Defeat.
Was nobody going to help him?
"It isn't that bad," Faith ventured hesitantly.
Angel shot her a glare, still trying to calm Buffy down.
Faith just shrugged.
"So I take it we win?" Dawn asked from beside the Slayer. She leaned against
Spike, twin smug smiles in their faces. Suddenly the blonde stiffened and quickly brought
Dawn's hand onto the table.
Xander didn't want to know.
"Yep," Faith admitted, lifting an eyebrow when Dawn's hand tugged away from
Spike's grip and went back under the table. "But only because I wasn't playing."
She gave a soft pat to her belly, her brief smile reminding everyone that the first
'niece' of the group would be coming from their own ex black sheep.
"Excuses," Dawn said airily at the same time Spike's "In your dreams"
was heard. Personally Xander thought that their 'in synch' attitude was creepy.
"Creepy," Willow muttered beside him. Then her head lolled back to her right.
Xander shot an arm to steady her and the result was having her half-sprawled over his
chest. Buffy snickered louder and Dawn winked at them; but both decided to follow Willow's
example on their own companions. Giles sighed, connected eyes with Angel and their look
said everything they thought about the young ones.
"Take the girl to her room," Spike advised. "Or I could give her a
lift," he continued with a voice that declared he'd like that very much. Nobody was
fooled; but Dawn slapped his arm just in case. Spike smirked. "Just kidding, pet, I'm
not carrying anyone but you. If I get something in return, of course." She smiled
slowly and muttered something Xander couldn't hear. Giles' eyes widened and he obviously
tried not to stare at the couple at his side.
Xander really didn't want to know.
Meanwhile Willow had opened her eyes and was looking at the same scene "Quit
it," she demanded.
"Camera hogs," Buffy chided the couple too, driving herself into a fit of
giggles. Willow chorused her. "Do we have a camera?" the redhead finally asked,
her brow wrinkled in confusion.
Xander smiled and shook his head. "You okay?" he asked softly.
Willow nodded, then bit her lip to stop laughing when she heard Buffy still giggling at
their side. "How much did she have?"
Xander shrugged.
"Much, much more than she should," Faith answered, obviously amused at the
blonde's antics. "Hey, big boy," Xander had to stifle a laugh when Angel indeed
reacted to the name. "Get B. to your room, the girl will pass out on you any
minute."
Buffy's eyes narrowed and her giggles stopped. She shot Faith a glare that many vampires
would have run from. "Will not," she said petulantly. Then she pouted and turned
up to Angel. "Tell her I won't."
Xander couldn't help a snicker at the deer-in-headlights expression in Angel's face.
"Wuss," Willow whispered against his neck and Xander nodded. Wait, WHAT?
He looked down, fully expecting to see Willow still lying lazily on his lap. Instead she
was looking at him, half her body on his chest and leaning her hand against his thigh.
Xander breathed deeply. It was okay, Willow was just a little out of sorts and had wanted
to move into a more comfortable position. That said position included his feeling her
breath against the sensitive skin of his neck was only coincidence. That the hand on his
shoulder was tracing slow circular patterns was a sign of her distraction. That the one at
his thigh--- "Wills?"
She smiled, a devious note in her lips. That look in her eyes reminded him suddenly of her
determination when she'd assaulted him almost twenty years ago to get her Barbie back. He
gulped, looking around trying to find a distraction. Any distraction.
Apparently he'd been the distracted one because Buffy and Angel were nowhere in sight and
Spike was glaring at him. "It's all your fault, Harris," the vampire groused as
he stroked lightly Dawn's cheek, willing her to wake up. "Never would have let you
convince us."
Faith stopped the half-meant attack. "As if you could have stopped Dawn." She
looked at the younger woman folded in the blonde's arms. "I'm amazed she did it this
far."
"Pure stubbornness," Spike said proudly. "She wouldn't lose on her own
birthday."
"More like a lot of practice," Xander countered. "Six tequilas and a couple
daiquiris. She should have passed out hours ago."
Giles' eyebrows shot up, his eyes shot Spike an accusing glance.
Spike shrugged, not denying nor confirming anything.
"Come on, guys," Faith laughed. "Who here cares about legal drinking age?
Piece of shit, if you ask me."
Willow raised her hand. "I do."
Xander chuckled, of course she did. When he'd been working as a bartender, she had asked
for some drinks but only sipped them. Many times he'd been tempted to serve what she left
to the next client.
Giles stood up, a yawn making its way through his lips. "Well, I think I'll call it a
night." He searched his pocket for his wallet.
Faith detained him. "Please stay? I don't wanna be alone with the happy duos."
Later Xander realised he hadn't protested to the 'duo' definition for him and Willow.
"Maybe you should go to bed too, Faith." Giles glanced pointedly at her growing
belly.
Faith shuffled in her seat. "Can't," she muttered. Xander remembered how she'd
told them that the baby was kicking already. All night long, every single night. Without
Robin there sleep just wouldn't come for her. Xander felt a little sorry for her, it had
been two days since Robin's last call from Cleveland and Faith was growing restless. But
considering their past - the long gone and the fairly recent, he wasn't comfortable
comforting her. Unaware of his thoughts, Faith pouted in a way that was only working after
the pregnancy had mellowed her. She looked pleadingly at Giles. The older man sighed and
sat back in his seat, smiling briefly when Faith touched his arm in thanks.
"Maybe you are the one who should take your girl upstairs," Xander told Spike
after silence had settled for too long. Apparently Willow had decided to take a little nap
and was resting against Xander's shoulder, her breath a mix of alcohol and peppermint.
Spike shook his head. "Uh uh. I told her, you fall, it's your problem. Not my fault
she decided to play silly games." He threaded his fingers carefully through the long
hair. "It won't do to go soft on her now."
Surprisingly, the amused snort came from Giles. Faith and Xander chuckled too, all three
knowing that Spike was as soft as they came when Dawn was involved. Apparently Spike
didn't appreciate their laughs, "Shut up," he growled, even if none had said a
word.
Willow giggled.
"Hey, you awake?" Xander asked, patting her cheek gently.
Willow opened one eye and giggled again. "You have a nice shoulder," she
whispered, snuggling closer. When it wasn't enough, her hands went behind her to drag the
chair along. He could feel the wood biting into his hip now. Content, Willow threaded one
arm around him, cuddling against his chest. Shocked, Xander could only blink at her
actions.
Faith guffawed.
Spike chuckled.
Giles took another gulp from his bottle to avoid smiling.
It was the first which woke up the redhead. She looked around a little lost, smiling when
she saw the sprawled form of Dawn on top of Spike. Then she frowned and gasped, jumping
out of Xander's lap. The hand that had been around him flew wild, knocking her own glass
down. "Oh my God."
Neither Faith nor Spike could seem to stop laughing. The movement startled Dawn and she
almost fell down. Spike began laughing anew, ignoring Dawn's dark scowl.
Willow looked at Xander. Xander looked at Willow.
"Uh..." they began at the same time. Then turned around towards the sound of
Giles' laughter.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Giles apologised, reigning in on his mirth instantly.
"But..." He indicated toward the pair in front of him and Willow and Xander
looked at each other uncomfortably.
"You two are too... too..." Faith continued, but then dissolved into giggles.
"Cute." Dawn finally finished the sentence. Spike cocked an eyebrow, obviously
wondering how she'd known if she'd been knocked out for the best part of the
Xander&Willow spectacle. "Hey, I'm drunk, not silly," she defended.
"They have been going at each other for the whole night." Next she looked at
Xander and winked. "Bet he proposed the game just so he could play with Wills."
Xander shook his head.
The game had come out of the blue, something to pass the time while they waited for
midnight and the cake they'd ordered for Dawn (never mind that she'd probably kill them
for ordering cake). Dawn had said that she was finally 21 and could do everything
she wanted. Spike had snorted, tightening his hold around her waist and whispering
something in her ear. Dawn had blushed. "Time to play, then!" Xander had
announced, trying hard to distract himself from the sight of the girl he loved like a
little sister blushing because... "A drinking game in honour of our new adult."
How the game had turned out to be a 'paired I Never with straight tequila' Xander would
never be sure. He had the inkling it had something to do with Buffy and Dawn stubbornly
unwilling to move an inch away from their lovers. The gang had learned the hard way that
you didn't go against a Summers girl, much less two of them.
"Xander?" Faith interrupted his musings. "Silence is confirmation, you
know?"
"Huh?" he answered, immediately hitting himself for the oh-so-intelligent
answer. Then he turned to Dawn. "I didn't, Dawn, though I seem to remember someone
clinging to Spike's arm and refusing to let go."
Dawn blushed.
He felt a tug on his shirt. Willow. "Tired now," she said through a yawn.
"I'll go to my room." She stood up and nearly tumbled down, chair and all. Giles
grimaced and quickly got up to help. Xander shook his head, taking Willow's elbow and
steadying her. "Come on, Will, let's get you there safely."
Willow smiled up at him, letting go of his hand and looping her arm around his instead.
Xander rose, taking her with him, and began their way to the rooms with tiny, slow steps.
"Wanna dance," Willow informed him suddenly when they were walking along the
edge of the full dance floor. Xander decided to ignore it, she couldn't be serious.
"Xander, I wanna dance," she repeated a bit more forcefully, tugging him towards
the crowd.
"Willow?"
She looked up at him with pleading eyes. "I haven't gone dancing since." Her
mouth closed abruptly.
Since Kennedy, Xander guessed. Their relationship had broken apart almost a year ago, even
though it had been a decision mostly taken by Willow, it still haunted her sometimes.
"Okay," he whispered, leading her to a relatively calm spot.
They had been dancing for some minutes already when Willow apologised to him.
"Pardon me?" Xander was confused.
"For ruining your night. I know this was Dawn's party, but I also know that it was
your idea to get us all together to celebrate it, and it was you who found this club and
it was you who booked our rooms and made sure they had Dawn's favourite cake tonight. So I
guess that makes this your night too."
Xander smiled. "Thank you," he said truthfully, "and you didn't ruin
anything."
Her eyes were thankful. "I didn't?"
He shook his head.
She smiled. "Great, then this won't be so bad." Before Xander had time to ask
what she meant, Willow was sealing her lips to his.
Luckily he didn't hear Faith's whoop nor did he see Spike grumbling as he rummaged in his
wallet to pay the bet to the grinning women.
"Whoa," was all he could say when the kiss ended. He wasn't stupid, he'd felt
the vibes between them for the last months - not to mention the talks that invariably
hinted to a possible reunion. Xander hadn't dared hope anything, trying to keep his best
friend at arms length. After all, Willow had just ended a commited years-long
relationship, she could be confusing things. Xander knew that Willow didn't always act at
her sharpest when she was confused. She bit her lower lip and it reminded him of another
time, another kiss. Clothes then, tequila now. Oh yes, he was confused too.
"Willow?"
They had stopped dancing and when she met his eyes Xander was left speechless. "What else
do you need to understand?" His face must have showed his cluelessness be cause
Willow huffed impatiently. "Nothing is ever clear to you until I've spelled it out,
is it, Alexander?"
Complete name; this was serious. "I thought..." He let the sentence drift
because he couldn't tell her what he'd thought. That she was in a rough, insecure spot in
her life and that she had been seeking for the one thing that had been a constant. That
all the hints - implied and carelessly obvious - she had been throwing at him over the
weeks were a way to reassure herself of some stability. No, he couldn't tell her that. Not
when he didn't want her to confirm it. He breathed deeply. "Remember when your father
brought you all that chocolate from Europe? That you called me over and said you had a
surprise for me?"
Willow wore now a perplexed expression but she nodded. "Yes, we ate all that
chocolate and were sick for days and swore never to eat chocolate again."
A corner of his mouth lifted in remembrance at their 8-year-old selves. "It was too
much. The chocolate was good but... it was a mistake."
Willow looked down, suddenly stiff in his arms. "So you already had your share in
senior year, is that it?"
Xander hated the tear threatening to fall. "No. Yes. Kind of." He sighed, trying
to understand his feelings himself before he could explain them to her. He wanted her,
loved her. But he didn't want her in his life only because he was an anchor. "Look,
Willow, I'll never leave you alone, I swear. We've been together since forever, nothing
will- No, nothing can keep us apart. If it's a friend that you need, I'll be here.
Always."
Willow smiled tremulously, a tear making its way across her cheek. "But?"
"But nothing. I just want you to think about it. I'll stay, Wills, regardless of
anything, I'm with you. We don't need to be..." Xander scrambled for the right words.
"romantically attached."
Willow laughed as she wiped the tear away.
Xander looked at her in disconcert.
"I know that, silly." She kept laughing a little more. "I don't want your
friendship." She took his hand and guided it to her heart. "It's here already. I
just..." She stopped and licked her lips nervously. "Remember the chocolate
episode, how we thought we'd never have a bite of chocolate anymore?"
Xander nodded.
"Well, what about tonight?" There was a hopeful smile tugging at her lips.
Tonight? Xander thought about it for a second. Then he smiled back tentatively.
"Dawn's cake was chocolate," he remembered.
Willow grinned. "See? Once it was a mistake, Xander, but maybe." She hugged him
tightly and finished the sentence against his shoulder. "Maybe this time we'll get it
right."
The smile blossomed on his face. "Yes," was all he said and all Willow needed.
He hugged her tighter and slowly they swayed to the music.
The End
25/06/04
Feedback,
kept in a little box on its own shrine.
The game: Everybody is paired off and esentially it's the same as 'I
Never', except that if you gave the challenge and your partner hasn't done it, both of you
have to take the double of whatever the normal is. It's just a way to get drunk faster, a
very effective one, I might add.
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