|
|
by Chris Kenworthy (scoobyhq@fcmail.com)
Disclaimer: Okay, let's see. I didn't make up the characters of Buffy, Xander, Willow, Faith, etcetera and cannot call them my own. (I can't love them and hug them and call them George, either. :-D )
Author's note: Okay, let's see. This story takes off of 'Add one Scooby gang and stir,' and 'Split Second Chances.' Xander has told Willow he loves her, they went on a disastrous first date, (complete with vampires taking them hostage,) but have agreed to go on a more serious second date anyway, breaking Oz's wolfy heart. Buffy's been warned about 'The Upriser,' (ie, the Ascendant, Richard Wilkins,) and to stop him before the Dedication. Oh, and there are new characters running all over the place.
Willow Rosenberg paced the length of her parents' living room, took a look out the front bay windows, and tried her very best not to panic.
She wasn't worried that Xander Harris wouldn't pick her up - she was ready ten minutes early, and even if Xander was running behind, he'd be here soon enough. It was what would happen after their second date began that worried Willow.
After all, there were basically just two ways that it could go, when you thought about it. Either it would be as much of a disaster as their first date, in which case she had no future with the guy she loved most in the world and had broken Oz's heart for no reason. Or, things could go well, in which case every bit of Willow's reality was about to completely and unpredictably shift.
Willow had gone up to Buffy at the end of the victory barbecue, completely consumed with apprehension. "You have to help me!" she had yelped. "What if things get tense again? What if I'm not attractive to him? Can I borrow some of your clothes..."
"Relax," Buffy had said. "It's all gonna be fine, Will. And you don't need my clothes. You've already demonstrated that you can be very attractive to our young Mister Harris." Willow had flushed at that, and Buffy had giggled. "New clothes are a good idea, but... well, why don't you get 'em yourself Will? It'll get you psyched up for the big date."
But Willow was in her brand new big date outfit, (a long-sleeved peach top, close about the neck, but made out of tight-fitting spandex, which she knew Xander liked, and close-fitting blue jeans,) and she was feeling not so much psyched up as psyched out. Psyched out enough, in fact, that Willow didn't even notice the car driving up in front of her house and was completely surprised by the doorbell.
"Uh, hi," Willow said nervously, as she opened the door to talk to Xander. "You look nice." He was dressed in a dressy-casual charcoal gray suit, and looked as handsome as Willow had ever seen him.
"You look, uh, what's better than great?" Xander replied, giving her a playful grin, and Willow smiled. "I'm sorry that I'm late," Xander continued.
"Uh, no," Willow said, checking her watch as she stepped out onto the porch and closed the door. "It's still a minute to seven."
"No," Xander contradicted her, looking her over warmly. "I think I'm almost two years late!"
Willow giggled at that. "We're right on time," she muttered quietly.
(On the State Street sidewalk.)
Leslie Decowski was still walking home after the Summers barbecue. Well, not exactly walking 'home' in that if she had been going straight home she'd have been there an hour ago, and she didn't mean to get there for a half an hour yet. Home was her eventual destination, but for now, well, she was just walking.
Walking down the other side of the street was a slightly short but very sophisticated-looking african-american man, wearing a bold burgundy suit. Leslie didn't think that she'd ever seen him before, but he seemed familiar.
They had left each other behind before Leslie realized what it was. That guy matched the description Buffy had given of Mister Trick, the vampire manager who was now apparently working for the mysterious magician, the Upriser. Leslie turned around to look for him again, but he had disappeared around a corner or behind other pedestrians.
Leslie smiled to herself and continued on her way. If she had found him once, she would find him again.
(At Emelio's Italian Restaurant.)
"Wow, Xander," Willow said as the maitre d' pushed her chair carefully to the proper distance from the table. "When you said Italian, I thought we'd just be picking up slices at the Pizza Parlor."
Xander tried to chuckle maturely, and ended up almost choking himself. "Would you rather we did?"
"Oh, no!" Willow replied quickly and with feeling. "This place is great - I always wondered what it would be like. But are you, uh, sure you can afford it?" When they negotiated this date in detail, last night on the phone, Xander had insisted on paying for dinner, with what money Willow didn't know, and agreed that they could go dutch on the movie bill.
"Hey," Xander replied, bringing Willow's private thoughts to a halt. "Nothing's too good for my Will."
The tuxedoed waiter must have been within earshot, because he stepped up to the table only a few seconds after Xander made that extravagant declaration. "Are Signore and Signorina ready to order?"
The two teenagers shared an uncertain look and quickly began scanning their menus, Willow for the cheapest entree, Xander for the one that would impress Willow the most. Veal parmigiana? No, the veal thing might upset Willow, with the cruelty rep and all. Willow was an animal lover, after all... and Xander cut off that train of thought since it led right back to Oz.
"Um, I'll have the, uh, Conchiglie Marinara Primavera," Willow said, pointing to various options on the menu in sequence, "and a caesar salad for starter. Okay, Xander?"
"Oh, sure Will," Xander said, still frowning at the menu. "I'll, um, have the Bolognese chicken on a bed of stellini, with, eh, the consomme soup. And, um, oh yeah, to drink. Um, the sparkling strawberry punch? You want some of that too, Willow?"
"Yeah, hit me," Willow laughed, handing back the menu. The waiter suppressed a chuckle, bowed just as Willow knew he had been taught to when he got this job, and backed away. Xander and Willow exploded into giggles once he was gone. There was no nervousness about it, though, Willow realized with satisfaction. Just she and Xander having a great time together.
Xander smiled over the table at her. "So, just a few more days of school until winter holidays, huh Will?"
"Yep!" Willow took a sip from the glass of water that had been on the table when she arrived. "Got any big plans?"
"Not yet!" Xander teased, winking at her, and laughing as Willow predictably blushed.
"Aren't you jumping the gun a bit?" Willow laughed back.
"How could I be?" Xander said. "I feel as if we're a year behind schedule." He stopped and considered that. "Uh-oh. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Are things gonna get weird now?"
"No, they're not," Willow told him. "We're not gonna let any weirdness in."
Click here to go to the fanfic discussion board.
Go back to Tales of the Scooby Gang.
Or click here to go to the Destinies Lost index.
|
|
|
|
