Title: A Change in Perspective 1/5
Author: Kim
Email: lawyergirl152003@yahoo.com
Written: October 2003
Pairing: B/G
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Up through the middle of Season 6.
Summary: The Scoobies swap identities for a Halloween party,
leading to some unexpected revelations.
Distribution: I would be incredibly flattered if someone wants it,
just let me know where it goes so I can visit.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to
Joss, ME, Fox etc. Although I'm sure they have more fun in my world.
Feedback: Thanks, I'd love some! Please don't make me beg. I
would especially love constructive criticism. Anything to make the
final product better.
Author's Note: This story is set in an AU Season 6. Buffy took her
plunge off the tower and was brought back, but managed to cope with
where she'd been. Spuffy never happened, Giles never left.
Thanks: To Jen and Jamie for helping me flesh out this idea.
Thanks also to Jen for the beta and for keeping me "in character."
You guys are the best!!
Afternoon sunlight filtered in through the Magic Box's windows. The fall rays glinted palely on the floor, barely reaching to the table in the back. While there were no demons to research currently, no big bad playing havoc with their lives, they still gathered at the store each afternoon; a ritual that each participated in without consciously knowing why they did.
Willow was typing on her laptop, reviewing the compendium of demons she and Giles had begun compiling. It made research go much faster if they could do a word search for certain terms. She smiled slightly to herself when she considered that most people's research didn't include search terms like slime, tri-horned, and inter- dimensional.
Tara sat next to her lover flipping through the latest spell book Giles had received, Magic for the Modern Wicca. The chapter she was reading, Skyclad: Possible or Impractical for Urban Dwellers, was actually kind of funny. She periodically chuckled and shook her head. If only their problems were ever as simple as finding a place to get naked.
Xander had not even been pretending to do anything other than watch Anya as she moved about the store, stocking shelves. His eyes followed her, moving up and down her form while a small smile played about his lips.
"Xander," Buffy started. Getting no response she tried again, "Xander." Finally, realizing he was off in some private world, she slammed the stake she had been whittling down on the table, causing everyone to jump. "Xander."
Xander looked around guiltily, "Yes?"
"Earth to Xander, where were you?"
Xander's face flushed. "Sorry, I was just thinking."
"About what?" Buffy asked.
"Um, er, I was thinking about……"
"He was thinking about the amazing sex we had last night." Anya replied smugly, coming up to stand beside him. "I had three orgasms just from his amazing…."
"Anya," Xander yelled loudly at the same time Buffy and Willow clapped their hands over their ears. "I thought we agreed, for the thousandth time, that you weren't going to discuss our sex life with the gang."
"Well, she asked what you were thinking about. Did you want me to lie?" Anya replied, thinking that nothing could be more complicated than being human. So many rules she wasn't sure she wanted to understand.
"Yes, God, yes. Sometimes it would just be better if you lied," Xander replied, his face a lovely scarlet color.
"Fine," Anya snipped, "He was thinking about how small his penis is." This last was thrown over her shoulder as she huffed back to the box of crystals she had been putting on the shelves.
Xander was hoping the floor would open and swallow him at any moment. As much as he loved Anya, he still wished that she could try to understand the subjects that were and were not permissible to discuss with their friends. "Okay Buffster, let's try and pretend that little interlude didn't happen. What did you want?"
"Well, forget what I wanted a minute ago. Now I want to know what you have, or do, that's so amazing." Buffy teased gently. Sometimes she just couldn't resist. Xander was such an easy target, and he let Anya's declarations get under his skin. Even though there were many things she could have lived without knowing about Anya and Xander's sex life, Anya's comments had become a part of who her friend was, a quirky part, but simply a part of her nevertheless.
"Well, that's top secret. I could tell you but then I would have to kill you." Xander teased back. "Now, can we stop focusing on me and get back to whatever you were going to ask?"
"Right. I was wondering what we should do about Friday."
"Friday? Is there something wrong with Friday? Oh evil day, Friday, harbinger of the weekend, end of the week and gateway to the weekend. Curse you, Friday," Xander finished theatrically. After looking at Buffy's very unamused face he grimaced, "Wow, tough room. Okay I give, what do we need to do about Friday?"
Willow piped up, "It's Halloween, Xander. Buffy's trying to figure out what we're doing for it."
"Well based on all of our previous Halloween experiences, maybe we should lock ourselves in a tiny room and pray for sunrise."
"Nonsense," Giles stated as he came over from the cash register where he had been listening to the conversation. "As I've told you all before, Halloween is a day of rest, so to speak, for the denizens of the underworld. It's usually quite calm."
"Says the man whose survived enchanted costumes and the fraternity party from hell," Xander shot back. "Although you've gotta love that Gachnar, for a short guy, he packed a big wallop."
"Yes, well, be that as it may, Halloween is usually a quiet day for the Slayer. I rather like the holiday."
"We've noticed," Buffy chimed in. "The sombrero was a dead give away."
"I loved that sombrero," Giles muttered as he pulled his glasses off and absently starting polishing them.
"Focus people, what are we going to do for Halloween this year?" Buffy asked.
"The Bronze?" Willow suggested.
"Nah, too crowded," Buffy said.
"Or too loud some might say," Giles added, ignoring Buffy's glare.
"The Espresso Pump?" Tara shyly suggested.
"Too sedate," Buffy said.
"Well, Goldilocks, what's your suggestion?" Xander asked.
At that moment, the bell over the door tinkled and Dawn entered the shop.