Joel Morton
2006-06-05 13:37:29 UTC
Not mine. Unbeta'd.
Prologue: Arrival
Xander winced and backed away from the women rushing towards him. "Hey, um,
not that I'm not all about the getting mobbed by the hot ladies, but - Ow!
No! Down, Willow!" Willow, Buffy, and Dawn backed away.
Willow frowned, letting go, and backed away. "What's wrong?"
A sigh. "Sorry. Got this nasty fungus-rash-thingy out in the
jungle. It's getting better, but still much with the ouch when I get
touched."
"Oh."
"Have you seen a doctor for it?" Dawn asked skeptically.
"Huh? Yeah, we hit the MSF clinic in Lira, and then a hospital
in Kampala. They gave me an anti-fungal and approved me to fly, but the rash
is still pretty sensitive."
"And you got this, how?"
Xander shrugged. "Who knows? Waded through the wrong river,
slept on the wrong dirt, buried the wrong body? Could've been anything."
"And you don't think this is a big deal?"
"Dawn, this is the third random rash I've picked up. Also two
fevers, four infected wounds, God only knows how many food and/or water
poisonings, and a couple broken bones. And can I just mention how delighted
I am with all of it because none of them turned out to be SIDA, malaria,
dengue, Ebola, or anything else fatal or permanent."
The girls gaped at him.
"Oh," Dawn replied meekly.
Xander grinned at them. "Africa. It's like the mall, but with
diseases instead of clothes."
"You got any luggage?" Kennedy, who'd not joined the initial
rush to mob Xander, reminded everyone they were standing in the middle of an
airport.
"Huh? Oh. No. Just my carry-on," Xander replied, holding up a
battered leather bag. "Most of the stuff I had was a bit too sharp or
explosive for an airliner."
"Explosive? Been raiding armories again, Xand?" Buffy asked
wryly.
"Nah. Strictly above-board purchases of the boom-sticks for me
these days, Buff."
"And you needed them, why?"
Xander shrugged again as he replied "Africa's not exactly full
of the law-and-order, Buff, and we had to wander through some of the least
law-and-order-y parts a time or two. We needed the firepower."
Buffy glared at him for a moment before her face softened and
she reached out and touched his face gently. "It's good to see you again,
Xander."
Chapter One: Dinner
"It's good to see you again, Xander," Giles said, standing and
extending his hand.
"Thanks. You, too, Giles," Xander replied, grimacing a bit when
he took Giles' hand.
They all took seats around the table, and several waiters bought
out bowls of a creamy-colored soup. Xander looked at it somewhat askance,
while the girls and Giles began to eat.
"Cream of celery, Xander, it's really quite good," Giles said as
he noticed Xander's hesitance.
"It's not that. It just looks a lot richer than what I'm used
to."
"I see. Well, you certainly needn't feel obliged to try anything
you're not comfortable with."
"No, it's OK. I have to adjust sometime," Xander said, then took
a spoonful of soup and, with impeccable manners, sipped delicately.
Dawn quirked an eyebrow at him and said "Someone's been reading
Miss Manners."
Xander chuckled. "There were a couple times we had to schmooze
some bigwigs here and there. After the first time, I was forced to take some
etiquette classes." He nodded at her. "I guess they stuck."
"So. What kind of food were you used to down there?" Kennedy
asked.
"Mostly MREs, or the civilian equivalents, whenever we were out
in the bush. Actually, even in the villages, we ate those sometimes. You can't
exactly count on the heath departments down there to keep things clean."
"MREs?" Buffy asked.
"Pre-packaged meals, designed for the army. They last forever,
have a chemical heater-thingy, and some of them aren't half-bad, if you
haven't been eating them for two years straight."
"So you didn't eat the local food?"
"Well, yeah, you can't avoid it, it's kind of rude to refuse if
someone offers you dinner."
"What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
Dawn rolled her eyes at him. "The food, doofus."
Xander shrugged. "It's a big place, you know. The food varied.
In the small villages, it was mostly soupy-stew type things and bread.
Mostly veggies, tiny bit of meat. Goat, cattle, monkey. Monkey's actually
not too bad."
Most of the table looked disconcerted, but Buffy shot back
"Tastes like chicken?"
Xander chuckled. "No, not monkey. Snake, though, yeah, just like
Colonel Sanders." He paused, thoughtfully, then added, "but the locusts?
Mmmm. Nice and crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside." He
grinned momentarily as everyone blanched. "But the wings get stuck in your
teeth, and you have to dig them out with the legs," he said, miming picking
at his teeth with an imaginary bug leg. In unison, everyone set down their
spoons and looked away from him.
"Thank you, Xander, for the travelogue. I'm sure we're all
scarred for life," Giles commented.
"I aim to revolt."
"And you hit the target dead-on," Buffy said, "your aim is as
good as ever."
Xander smiled at her. "I've kept in practice."
"I'm glad. It hasn't been the same without you making us laugh,"
she said.
"Oh, yes, the sarcasm has been so dearly missed," Giles added.
"Aw, gee, thanks guys, I'm touched."
"That's putting it mildly," Buffy said wryly.
"Stop it!" Willow said sharply, standing up quickly, tears in
her eyes.
"Will?" Xander asked, exchanging a baffled glance with Buffy
before looking with concern at Willow.
"We haven't seen you in years, and, and, hardly an email or
phone call ever and now you come back, and it's all with the teasing and the
joking and the pretending that it's all OK and it's not and I missed you and
I can't even get a hug 'cause you're sick and you act like its no big deal
that you are and you are, and I just can't stand it anymore." Willow tossed
her napkin on the table and ran out of the room.
Everyone looked around at each other in silence before Kennedy
stood and set her own blue silk napkin on the matching tablecloth next to
her place setting. "I'll try to calm her down."
Xander also stood. "Um, maybe I should - you know," he said,
gesturing vaguely after Willow.
Kennedy tilted her head, scrutinizing him for a moment before
replying. "Yeah. Maybe you should."
Xander nodded and left, following Willow.
"Well, that was - out of nowhere," Buffy commented.
"No, not really," Kennedy said. "She's been really worried about
him for years. Even before he left, she was really scared for him. She kind
of hid it while we were roaming, but every time she heard from him she got
really - well, really kind of panic-y."
"She never said anything to us, even when we were planning how
to handle the search," Giles said.
"She never said anything to me, either. I just saw how she'd
kind of hover over him, but as soon as she realized what she was doing, she'd
make herself stop. I think she wanted to be able to keep him safe, but
wouldn't let herself interfere with his decisions."
"Willow, wanting to butt into Xander's business? Say it isn't
so." Dawn's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Look, she didn't. You were there. You know she didn't say
anything about him going off on his own," Kennedy said, keeping her voice
pointedly gentle.
"You're right. She didn't," Buffy added, glaring pointedly at
Dawn. "Unlike others I could name."
"Not like I had any say, getting dragged off with you," said
Dawn, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms.
"Says the girl who pouted for two days when I told you we were
coming back."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "I'm here eight months a year already,
Buffy. I was looking forward to seeing the sun for a change. A girl can only
handle fog and rain for so long."
"You chose Oxford," replied Buffy.
"It's hardly that bad," said an affronted Giles at the same time
as Buffy.
"Yes, it is," Dawn said to Giles. "There wasn't a single sunny
day from February to April, and yes," she turned to her sister, "Buffy, I
chose Oxford despite the weather, because your man here," sticking a thumb
out at Giles, "decided it was the only acceptable school for a Watcher."
"You don't -"
"Don't start, Buffy," Dawn interrupted, "just don't."
"Right. You're right. Sorry."
Dawn smiled at her sister. "Thanks." Continuing, she said "You
guys think they'll be OK by themselves?"
"Hmm? Oh. Yes, well, they've a lot to say to each other, I
think," Giles said.
Dawn rolled her eyes at him. "Duh. Like we all don't have a lot
to say to him. And, hey, to each other, too, you know. Doesn't mean we'll
ever actually say it."
Kennedy snorted at that. "You people are better at burying
things than gravediggers." She paused, then winced at her metaphor. "Except,
you know, metaphorically."
"We don't bury anymore. Do we still bury, Giles?" Buffy whined,
looking at him plaintively.
"Well, I do believe we've made some progress the last few years
at talking things out, haven't we."
"Yes." Buffy thought for a moment, then nodded and looked
decisive. "Progress has definitely been made on the issues-talking-about
front. We talk now, not bury, right, guys?"
Dawn shrugged. "We're better than we used to be. But Xander hasn't
been around at all, so he hasn't been much with the talking to us. At least
you and Willow have been talking and writing pretty regularly. Has she said
much about Xander?"
Buffy deflated a bit as she replied. "She's always worried about
him. But he's so hard to get hold of, it's more 'I miss him and I hope he's
not demon-bait' worried than 'I want to help him get through his issues'
worried. I know she's wanted to go help him out, but she's terrified that he'll
think she thinks he can't make it on his own."
A waiter came in and, after a brief whispered consultation with
Giles, left again.
Giles informed the others. "They're sending someone to see if
Xander and Willow are returning for the remainder of the meal; they'll bring
in the salad now, however."
Buffy smiled. "I hope they tell Xander the main course is pizza.
There's no way he'll miss that."
* * * * *
"Hey." Xander found Willow leaning against the porch rail, looking out
to the garden. Her arms were wrapped around herself in a tight hug.
She turned to face him with a watery smile, tears shining in her eyes
in the soft evening sunlight. "Xander, I'm sorry about -"
"Shhh," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders, leaning in and
kissing her forehead. "It's OK. I've missed you too."
"Oh, Xander, I've been so worried."
He grinned. "Yeah, I see that. Why didn't you say something before
now?"
Willow's face transformed to outrage, and she hit his left shoulder
with a clenched fist. "How, you big dummy? Four years, and, what, six phone
calls? You never even email! I've been worried sick and you've been hiding
from us!" She kept pounding on him as she ranted.
"Whoa! Hey!" Xander caught her fist as soon as she took a breath. "I
wasn't trying to avoid you guys, Will. Yeah, it worked out that way, and at
first maybe that's what I needed, what I wanted." He sighed. "Really,
though, it was clear pretty quick that I'd be out in the bush most of the
time." He took her hand. "The bringers, they did a pretty good job in the
cities. Most of the girls that were left were in tiny villages, places where
the bringers couldn't really not stand out and get themselves run out of
town, places that don't have phones or internet, or even regular mail
service. Wasn't it the same in Brazil?"
Willow, who'd been looking back at the garden as Xander talked, looked
down at her hands. "Kinda, yeah. But there weren't many left down there at
all. We rounded them up in a couple months, and ended up kind of as
troubleshooters. We even went to Tibet once."
"Tibet?"
Willow nodded. "Whole abominable snowman thing; he ran out of magic
flowers and started eating pilgrims to the monasteries up there."
"Magic flowers?"
"Magic happy snowman flowers. I had to go find some on the astral
plain and bring them back."
"Our lives are so weird."
"Amen."
They were silent for a while.
"So you weren't trying to hide from me?" Willow asked quietly.
"No, not - OK. Yeah, I guess I could have tried harder to keep in
contact." Xander closed his eye and rested his forehead on the crown of
Willow's head. "At first, I was trying to deal with - well, with
everything-"
"Anya." Willow interrupted.
"Anya, Sunnydale being gone, new job, just, you know, everything."
"Yeah."
"So, yeah, maybe I left kinda partly to get away, but, Will, it really
was about finding the girls we'd changed, helping them adjust, helping build
this new world or whatever it is."
"You still could have called."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Not a lot of cell towers in the middle of the
Sahel, Will."
She whacked him with the back of her hand. "You had a satellite
phone."
"Yeah, but electricity to charge it wasn't exactly commonplace, Will.
No, Will, listen," he talked right over her attempt to interrupt. "I could've
called more, written more. I didn't. I'm sorry about that, sorrier that it
hurt you, but it's done."
"Yeah. OK" Her voice was quavering. "God, Xander, I missed you so
much. And I was so worried." She sniffed, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Me too. It just wasn't right, not having you around."
"You could have called, you know."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Good, you big jerk." She hit him again.
"Ow."
"Oh, hush. You deserve it."
"Yeah." His stomach rumbled. "Can we go back in and eat now?" Xander
whined, giving her an over-the-top puppy dog look.
Willow wiped her eyes and nodded. "Boys. Always thinking with their
stomachs."
They turned to go back in to dinner as Xander replied, "No, there's at
least one other organ we think with more often."
"Perv," Willow said, hitting his shoulder again.
"You wouldn't have me any other way."
Prologue: Arrival
Xander winced and backed away from the women rushing towards him. "Hey, um,
not that I'm not all about the getting mobbed by the hot ladies, but - Ow!
No! Down, Willow!" Willow, Buffy, and Dawn backed away.
Willow frowned, letting go, and backed away. "What's wrong?"
A sigh. "Sorry. Got this nasty fungus-rash-thingy out in the
jungle. It's getting better, but still much with the ouch when I get
touched."
"Oh."
"Have you seen a doctor for it?" Dawn asked skeptically.
"Huh? Yeah, we hit the MSF clinic in Lira, and then a hospital
in Kampala. They gave me an anti-fungal and approved me to fly, but the rash
is still pretty sensitive."
"And you got this, how?"
Xander shrugged. "Who knows? Waded through the wrong river,
slept on the wrong dirt, buried the wrong body? Could've been anything."
"And you don't think this is a big deal?"
"Dawn, this is the third random rash I've picked up. Also two
fevers, four infected wounds, God only knows how many food and/or water
poisonings, and a couple broken bones. And can I just mention how delighted
I am with all of it because none of them turned out to be SIDA, malaria,
dengue, Ebola, or anything else fatal or permanent."
The girls gaped at him.
"Oh," Dawn replied meekly.
Xander grinned at them. "Africa. It's like the mall, but with
diseases instead of clothes."
"You got any luggage?" Kennedy, who'd not joined the initial
rush to mob Xander, reminded everyone they were standing in the middle of an
airport.
"Huh? Oh. No. Just my carry-on," Xander replied, holding up a
battered leather bag. "Most of the stuff I had was a bit too sharp or
explosive for an airliner."
"Explosive? Been raiding armories again, Xand?" Buffy asked
wryly.
"Nah. Strictly above-board purchases of the boom-sticks for me
these days, Buff."
"And you needed them, why?"
Xander shrugged again as he replied "Africa's not exactly full
of the law-and-order, Buff, and we had to wander through some of the least
law-and-order-y parts a time or two. We needed the firepower."
Buffy glared at him for a moment before her face softened and
she reached out and touched his face gently. "It's good to see you again,
Xander."
Chapter One: Dinner
"It's good to see you again, Xander," Giles said, standing and
extending his hand.
"Thanks. You, too, Giles," Xander replied, grimacing a bit when
he took Giles' hand.
They all took seats around the table, and several waiters bought
out bowls of a creamy-colored soup. Xander looked at it somewhat askance,
while the girls and Giles began to eat.
"Cream of celery, Xander, it's really quite good," Giles said as
he noticed Xander's hesitance.
"It's not that. It just looks a lot richer than what I'm used
to."
"I see. Well, you certainly needn't feel obliged to try anything
you're not comfortable with."
"No, it's OK. I have to adjust sometime," Xander said, then took
a spoonful of soup and, with impeccable manners, sipped delicately.
Dawn quirked an eyebrow at him and said "Someone's been reading
Miss Manners."
Xander chuckled. "There were a couple times we had to schmooze
some bigwigs here and there. After the first time, I was forced to take some
etiquette classes." He nodded at her. "I guess they stuck."
"So. What kind of food were you used to down there?" Kennedy
asked.
"Mostly MREs, or the civilian equivalents, whenever we were out
in the bush. Actually, even in the villages, we ate those sometimes. You can't
exactly count on the heath departments down there to keep things clean."
"MREs?" Buffy asked.
"Pre-packaged meals, designed for the army. They last forever,
have a chemical heater-thingy, and some of them aren't half-bad, if you
haven't been eating them for two years straight."
"So you didn't eat the local food?"
"Well, yeah, you can't avoid it, it's kind of rude to refuse if
someone offers you dinner."
"What was it like?"
"What was what like?"
Dawn rolled her eyes at him. "The food, doofus."
Xander shrugged. "It's a big place, you know. The food varied.
In the small villages, it was mostly soupy-stew type things and bread.
Mostly veggies, tiny bit of meat. Goat, cattle, monkey. Monkey's actually
not too bad."
Most of the table looked disconcerted, but Buffy shot back
"Tastes like chicken?"
Xander chuckled. "No, not monkey. Snake, though, yeah, just like
Colonel Sanders." He paused, thoughtfully, then added, "but the locusts?
Mmmm. Nice and crunchy on the outside, soft and gooey on the inside." He
grinned momentarily as everyone blanched. "But the wings get stuck in your
teeth, and you have to dig them out with the legs," he said, miming picking
at his teeth with an imaginary bug leg. In unison, everyone set down their
spoons and looked away from him.
"Thank you, Xander, for the travelogue. I'm sure we're all
scarred for life," Giles commented.
"I aim to revolt."
"And you hit the target dead-on," Buffy said, "your aim is as
good as ever."
Xander smiled at her. "I've kept in practice."
"I'm glad. It hasn't been the same without you making us laugh,"
she said.
"Oh, yes, the sarcasm has been so dearly missed," Giles added.
"Aw, gee, thanks guys, I'm touched."
"That's putting it mildly," Buffy said wryly.
"Stop it!" Willow said sharply, standing up quickly, tears in
her eyes.
"Will?" Xander asked, exchanging a baffled glance with Buffy
before looking with concern at Willow.
"We haven't seen you in years, and, and, hardly an email or
phone call ever and now you come back, and it's all with the teasing and the
joking and the pretending that it's all OK and it's not and I missed you and
I can't even get a hug 'cause you're sick and you act like its no big deal
that you are and you are, and I just can't stand it anymore." Willow tossed
her napkin on the table and ran out of the room.
Everyone looked around at each other in silence before Kennedy
stood and set her own blue silk napkin on the matching tablecloth next to
her place setting. "I'll try to calm her down."
Xander also stood. "Um, maybe I should - you know," he said,
gesturing vaguely after Willow.
Kennedy tilted her head, scrutinizing him for a moment before
replying. "Yeah. Maybe you should."
Xander nodded and left, following Willow.
"Well, that was - out of nowhere," Buffy commented.
"No, not really," Kennedy said. "She's been really worried about
him for years. Even before he left, she was really scared for him. She kind
of hid it while we were roaming, but every time she heard from him she got
really - well, really kind of panic-y."
"She never said anything to us, even when we were planning how
to handle the search," Giles said.
"She never said anything to me, either. I just saw how she'd
kind of hover over him, but as soon as she realized what she was doing, she'd
make herself stop. I think she wanted to be able to keep him safe, but
wouldn't let herself interfere with his decisions."
"Willow, wanting to butt into Xander's business? Say it isn't
so." Dawn's voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Look, she didn't. You were there. You know she didn't say
anything about him going off on his own," Kennedy said, keeping her voice
pointedly gentle.
"You're right. She didn't," Buffy added, glaring pointedly at
Dawn. "Unlike others I could name."
"Not like I had any say, getting dragged off with you," said
Dawn, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms.
"Says the girl who pouted for two days when I told you we were
coming back."
Dawn rolled her eyes. "I'm here eight months a year already,
Buffy. I was looking forward to seeing the sun for a change. A girl can only
handle fog and rain for so long."
"You chose Oxford," replied Buffy.
"It's hardly that bad," said an affronted Giles at the same time
as Buffy.
"Yes, it is," Dawn said to Giles. "There wasn't a single sunny
day from February to April, and yes," she turned to her sister, "Buffy, I
chose Oxford despite the weather, because your man here," sticking a thumb
out at Giles, "decided it was the only acceptable school for a Watcher."
"You don't -"
"Don't start, Buffy," Dawn interrupted, "just don't."
"Right. You're right. Sorry."
Dawn smiled at her sister. "Thanks." Continuing, she said "You
guys think they'll be OK by themselves?"
"Hmm? Oh. Yes, well, they've a lot to say to each other, I
think," Giles said.
Dawn rolled her eyes at him. "Duh. Like we all don't have a lot
to say to him. And, hey, to each other, too, you know. Doesn't mean we'll
ever actually say it."
Kennedy snorted at that. "You people are better at burying
things than gravediggers." She paused, then winced at her metaphor. "Except,
you know, metaphorically."
"We don't bury anymore. Do we still bury, Giles?" Buffy whined,
looking at him plaintively.
"Well, I do believe we've made some progress the last few years
at talking things out, haven't we."
"Yes." Buffy thought for a moment, then nodded and looked
decisive. "Progress has definitely been made on the issues-talking-about
front. We talk now, not bury, right, guys?"
Dawn shrugged. "We're better than we used to be. But Xander hasn't
been around at all, so he hasn't been much with the talking to us. At least
you and Willow have been talking and writing pretty regularly. Has she said
much about Xander?"
Buffy deflated a bit as she replied. "She's always worried about
him. But he's so hard to get hold of, it's more 'I miss him and I hope he's
not demon-bait' worried than 'I want to help him get through his issues'
worried. I know she's wanted to go help him out, but she's terrified that he'll
think she thinks he can't make it on his own."
A waiter came in and, after a brief whispered consultation with
Giles, left again.
Giles informed the others. "They're sending someone to see if
Xander and Willow are returning for the remainder of the meal; they'll bring
in the salad now, however."
Buffy smiled. "I hope they tell Xander the main course is pizza.
There's no way he'll miss that."
* * * * *
"Hey." Xander found Willow leaning against the porch rail, looking out
to the garden. Her arms were wrapped around herself in a tight hug.
She turned to face him with a watery smile, tears shining in her eyes
in the soft evening sunlight. "Xander, I'm sorry about -"
"Shhh," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders, leaning in and
kissing her forehead. "It's OK. I've missed you too."
"Oh, Xander, I've been so worried."
He grinned. "Yeah, I see that. Why didn't you say something before
now?"
Willow's face transformed to outrage, and she hit his left shoulder
with a clenched fist. "How, you big dummy? Four years, and, what, six phone
calls? You never even email! I've been worried sick and you've been hiding
from us!" She kept pounding on him as she ranted.
"Whoa! Hey!" Xander caught her fist as soon as she took a breath. "I
wasn't trying to avoid you guys, Will. Yeah, it worked out that way, and at
first maybe that's what I needed, what I wanted." He sighed. "Really,
though, it was clear pretty quick that I'd be out in the bush most of the
time." He took her hand. "The bringers, they did a pretty good job in the
cities. Most of the girls that were left were in tiny villages, places where
the bringers couldn't really not stand out and get themselves run out of
town, places that don't have phones or internet, or even regular mail
service. Wasn't it the same in Brazil?"
Willow, who'd been looking back at the garden as Xander talked, looked
down at her hands. "Kinda, yeah. But there weren't many left down there at
all. We rounded them up in a couple months, and ended up kind of as
troubleshooters. We even went to Tibet once."
"Tibet?"
Willow nodded. "Whole abominable snowman thing; he ran out of magic
flowers and started eating pilgrims to the monasteries up there."
"Magic flowers?"
"Magic happy snowman flowers. I had to go find some on the astral
plain and bring them back."
"Our lives are so weird."
"Amen."
They were silent for a while.
"So you weren't trying to hide from me?" Willow asked quietly.
"No, not - OK. Yeah, I guess I could have tried harder to keep in
contact." Xander closed his eye and rested his forehead on the crown of
Willow's head. "At first, I was trying to deal with - well, with
everything-"
"Anya." Willow interrupted.
"Anya, Sunnydale being gone, new job, just, you know, everything."
"Yeah."
"So, yeah, maybe I left kinda partly to get away, but, Will, it really
was about finding the girls we'd changed, helping them adjust, helping build
this new world or whatever it is."
"You still could have called."
Xander rolled his eyes. "Not a lot of cell towers in the middle of the
Sahel, Will."
She whacked him with the back of her hand. "You had a satellite
phone."
"Yeah, but electricity to charge it wasn't exactly commonplace, Will.
No, Will, listen," he talked right over her attempt to interrupt. "I could've
called more, written more. I didn't. I'm sorry about that, sorrier that it
hurt you, but it's done."
"Yeah. OK" Her voice was quavering. "God, Xander, I missed you so
much. And I was so worried." She sniffed, a tear rolling down her cheek.
"Me too. It just wasn't right, not having you around."
"You could have called, you know."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Good, you big jerk." She hit him again.
"Ow."
"Oh, hush. You deserve it."
"Yeah." His stomach rumbled. "Can we go back in and eat now?" Xander
whined, giving her an over-the-top puppy dog look.
Willow wiped her eyes and nodded. "Boys. Always thinking with their
stomachs."
They turned to go back in to dinner as Xander replied, "No, there's at
least one other organ we think with more often."
"Perv," Willow said, hitting his shoulder again.
"You wouldn't have me any other way."