Willow awoke to a distinct feeling of warmth and contentment. She rolled
  onto one side and stretched – when her hand connected with another warm
  body. Her eyes flew open in panic, but a split second later softened as
  she recalled where she was and who was stretched out beside her. She
  looked at her own sleeping form and giggled loudly as she realized that
  even in her body Xander snored the same way he always had.

  She glanced at the enormous clock on his dresser and lay back lazily as she

  realized that they still had well over an hour before they would have to be
  at the school. <But I'd like to check for that e-mail as soon as I can.
  We don't know how long it'll take to cast a reversal spell or wish or
  whatever…> She stretched and yawned again, trying to wake up more fully
  before attempting to wake Xander. With a final wiggle of her toes, she
  turned to tap Xander when she noticed IT.

  "Xander!" she exclaimed, reaching over to shake him as the hysteria rose to
  chill her heart. "Xander!"

  "What?" he mumbled sleepily, annoyance clearly plain in his voice.

  "Xander, how do I get rid of this…. uh ….?" Her mind raced for a word that
  she would actually be able to vocalize. She felt her cheeks getting hot as
  she blushed at all the words flying around in her head. A word flew past
  in her brain, and she seized it before it could escape her. "Um…Problem?"

  Xander rubbed his eyes tiredly as he rolled over to see what she was
  babbling about. "What wrong, Will?"

  She bit her lip and lifted the edge of the blanket, pointing and showing
  him her… predicament. His eyes trailed along to where her finger pointed.
  <Oh.> He began to chuckle, genuinely surprised Willow's reaction had been
  so tame. "Oh, that. Don't worry about it. Happens every morning." He
  rolled back over with every intention of going back to sleep when she
  slapped his back.

  "What?!" he asked, looking at her once again.

  "How do I make it go away?" she demanded through clenched teeth and
  veiled
  eyelids.

  Xander opened his mouth to deliver the comeback to end all comebacks, but
  then he examined the fire burning in her eyes and decided to forgo his
  witty answer. "Just go take a shower. It'll go away by itself."

  Willow nodded once and put her hands to her burning cheeks. "Turn around,"
  she demanded, preparing to make a beeline for the bathroom.

  "Will, I've seen it before. It's my ---"

  "DON'T SAY IT!" she shrieked. She glared at him, wondering how he could be

  so dense that he couldn't see just how close she was to passing out from
  embarrassment. She closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths. "Turn
  around," she requested again, her voice soft and measured.

  Xander chuckled to himself as he flopped back over and faced the wall.
  "Stop laughing!" she ordered, exasperated with his lack of sympathy. She
  sat up at the side of the bed and prepared for her dash to the bathroom.

  Watching her with his peripheral vision, Xander couldn't help himself. She
  kept looking down and then to the door in desperation. "Just go," he
  encouraged, trying to bite back a laugh.

  "What's it going to do if I run?" she asked fearfully.

  That did it.

  He couldn't hold it in any longer and he let a loud laugh escape as he
  dissolved into a mass of red hair and giggles.

  Willow stood quickly and bolted the room. Once safely away from his line
  of sight in the hallway, she called over her shoulder, "I don't know how or
  even when, but I am going to make you pay for this Xander Harris."

  "Hey! I wasn't the one who made the wish!" he protested between giggles.

  ***

  Xander snuck back into Willow's room a short while later. Willow waited
  outside, near the front porch. He was supposed to flick her light switch
  twice and then she was to go ring the doorbell as if Xander were picking
  her up for school -- just like any other day. Xander hurriedly showered
  and started dressing, not wanting to give her too much time to think of a
  revenge for his outburst earlier in the morning. So far, figuring out the
  workings of her bra and putting it on without looking down or touching
  anything off limits had been the biggest challenge of his day. < I SO
  never need to put a bra on again.>

  His heart nose-dived to his chest as he heard the doorbell ring while he
  hopped around putting on Willow's jeans. <She not following the plan!>

  He hopped over to the door and tried to listen as he zipped up the jeans.
  He could hear muffled voices, but nothing distinct enough to make out.
  <She's up to something!> Xander rushed to the closet and began searching
  for a shirt. <I've got to stop whatever she's doing!>

  ***

  Willow waited until she saw she outline of her own body pass the window in
  her room before she approached the front door of her house. She still
  wasn't sure that this plan was going to work, but if it did, she knew it
  would cause acute embarrassment to Xander, which was all that mattered at
  the moment. She could deal with the repercussions of shocking and
  deceiving her mother when she got back to her own body. <I'm going to get
  grounded, but it will be SO worth it.>

  She rang the bell and assumed what she knew was a classic relaxed-Xander
  pose as her mother opened the door. "Hi, Mrs. R.!"

  Her mother smiled and ushered her into the house, babbling about how
  Willow
  wasn't quite ready yet. "She just got out of the shower a minute ago," she
  finished, leading her into the kitchen. "Would you like a muffin? I baked
  them fresh this morning."

  Willow's stomach grumbled with delight as she reached for a blueberry
  muffin cooling on the rack. "Thanks!" She swallowed a large bite before
  plunging ahead with Operation Revenge. "So, when did Willow get in? I
  lost track of her last night."

  Willow's mother grabbed her cup of coffee and sat at the table as she
  answered. "Oh, about ten-thirty. I heard her rummaging around in her room
  for a while after that. She was quiet by midnight, so she must've fallen
  asleep a little late." She glanced at her watch impatiently while Willow
  tried to manipulate Xander's face to reflect a confused expression. "She
  only slept in a little la—" Willow's mother looked up and noted Xander's
  puzzled expression. "Xander?"

  "You're sure it was ten-thirty? Because I was sure I saw her and Oz after
  midnight at that party at Harmony's house," Willow lied.

  "What?"

  She let her mother put the pieces together in her head for a minute before
  she continued, "Yeah. It was billed as the party of the century, since her
  parents are out of town, but it wasn't that great. Everybody just ended up
  necking in corners," Willow had to bite back a smile as she watched her
  mother try to hide her surprise.

  Xander picked that moment to burst through the kitchen door. "Hi Mom!" he
  greeted her brightly. Mrs. Rosenberg narrowed her eyes at her daughter.
  Xander glanced nervously at Willow, wondering exactly what kind of trouble
  she had managed to stir up. "I'm just going to grab a muffin and run,
  okay?" He was reaching for a muffin when Mrs. Rosenberg fastened an iron
  grip around his wrist.

  "Willow, sweetie, can I speak to you in private for a minute?"

  Xander closed his eyes and swallowed – hard. Being in trouble with his own
  mother was bad enough, being in trouble with Mrs. Rosenberg was a feeling
  akin to having just kicked a poor defenseless puppy. The guilt washed over
  him, even though he knew, in his head, he hadn't done anything.

  He shot furtive glances to Willow as Mrs. Rosenberg dragged him into the
  dining room, away from Willow.

  'Gotcha' Willow mouthed.

  ***

  Willow waited until they were all the way down the block before she allowed
  herself to laugh.

  "You are evil," Xander muttered, adjusting his backpack and throwing his
  red hair over his shoulder disdainfully. "I should have Buffy stake you."

  "How long am I grounded for?" Willow asked.

  "You're not. It was soooo much worse than that." Xander visibly shuddered
  at just the memory.

  "Why-y?" Willow asked in a sing-song voice, clearly delighted that her plan
  had succeeded as she jogged ahead of him and began walking backwards.

  "Will, your Mom doesn't want you sneaking out to go to unsupervised
  parties. You're supposed to stay away from bad influences like Harmony.
  Can't we just leave it at that?"

  "Didn't she say anything about the necking?"

  Xander turned a strange color of pink as he tried to step around her. "You
  got me back, okay? Let's just leave it."

  "What happened when she dragged you upstairs?"

  Xander exploded in a fit of embarrassment and anger. "She gave me the sex
  lecture, okay?! Now please, PLEASE, leave it alone!" His eyes pleaded
  with her as she laughed. "I think I aged ten years sitting there for five
  minutes."

  "Well, how'd you think I felt this morning?" she commiserated.

  "This was worse. You owe me a MASSIVE apology," he protested.

  "What makes you think listening to my mother talk about sex was worse than

  …my dilemma?"

  Xander stopped walking and threw his backpack down to the ground before
  bending over to open it. "You wanna know why it was worse, Will? You
  really wanna know?" He found what he was looking for and held it up
  triumphantly. "Because your Mom gave me a lecture on sex and love and
  waiting for the right guy. Your Mom gave a detailed speech on SAFE sex.
  YOUR MOM gave me these condoms! That's why."

  Willow blanched immediately. "Oh, Xand, I'm sorry. I didn't think she'd…"

  He thrust them back into the backpack and shouldered it in silence. They
  continued walking to school, quietly.

  "You Mom wasn't supposed to know anything about sex. The stork brought
  you
  and I liked it that way. I think I'm traumatized for life," Xander
  muttered darkly as they reached the school entrance.

  "Ditto," Willow mumbled, following closely.

  ***

  Buffy hopped off the table and rushed to Willow's side as she pushed open
  the doors to the library. "How's it going? Did it wear off yet?"

  Willow shook her head sadly. "Nope. I don't really think that's going to
  happen."

  Giles emerged from his office as she sat at the computer. "Willow?"

  Willow nodded in exasperation. "Maybe I should just wear a little nametag
  on my shirt saying 'Hi! I'm really Willow trapped in Xander's body'."

  Giles sniffed, displeased with her attitude. "You don't have to be rude."
  He retreated to his office.

  Willow's face softened and she called after him, "I'm sorry Giles. I
  just--. I'm really --," she buried her face in her hands. "I just want to
  be where I belong."

  "Amen to that," Xander chimed, walking through the library doors. "Mission
  accomplished," he announced, slinging Willow's knapsack into a vacant chair

  at the table. "Mrs. Stonan is a suspicious old bitty. Have I ever
  mentioned that before?"

  "What happened now, Xander?" Buffy asked, rolling her eyes.

  "Cordy's got a dentist appointment this morning and she asked me to drop
  off her history homework for her." He sat down indignantly as he spoke.
  "She thought you did the homework for her, Will, and got paid for the
  homework and delivery." He snorted. "Can you imagine? You never, ever,
  charge us when you do our homework."

  Willow's brow furrowed as she began downloading her e-mail messages. "I
  didn't even do homework for Cordy lately. Figures the teachers would catch
  on now." She leaned in closer to the screen in anticipation. "C'mon, be
  there," she encouraged. She jumped back from the computer unexpectedly
  as
  Xander dove under the table.

  "Xander! What're you--?!" she stopped speaking as she realized that
  someone had come into the library. She gulped back the words that she was
  about to utter and fought a giggle as she felt Xander scamper past her feet
  towards the far end of the table.

  "Hi."

  Buffy was the first to recover. "Yes? Ross. Hi!"

  "Hey. Buffy? Right?"

  Buffy nodded happily, her blonde hair bobbing slightly with the movement.
  "Yes. Buffy. That would be me, and Ross would be you." She cringed as she
  realized how moronic she sounded. "Are you, um, looking for a book?"

  "No. I was wondering if you'd seen Willow," he bent closer to Buffy and
  bestowed his million-watt smile on her. "I haven't been able to find her..
  She's kind of a skittish girl, isn't she?"

  Buffy laughed nervously as she glanced at the seat Xander had occupied less

  than a minute earlier. "She, uh, she's… Haven't seen her."

  He straightened and shrugged. "I'm sure I'll find her at some point
  today."

  Willow decided to speak up. "She's kinda unavailable, y'know. She's been
  dating Oz for a few months."

  "Oz? That short freaky guitarist guy?"

  Willow bit back the words she was about to use to defend her boyfriend.
  Xander calling him a 'hottie' wouldn't sit well with his or Oz's
  reputations. "She really seems to like him."

  Ross shook his head in wonder. "So, you're saying I don't have a chance,
  then? Against Oz?" he repeated incredulously.

  Unfortunately, the object of the conversation picked that moment to saunter
  in. "Hey guys." Oz's eyes steeled as he gave Ross the quick once-over.
  "Ross. Get lost on your way to the gym?" he inquired, stepping close to
  Buffy in case Ross took exception to the comment. Buffy rolled her eyes at
  Willow.

  Ross narrowed his eyes at Oz. "You really date Willow?"

  Oz assumed a defensive pose, folding his arms over his chest. "Yeah. We
  go out. She's my girlfriend.
  Why?" The last word had just the hint of a challenge to it.

  Willow met Buffy's eyes and they shared a look of girl-reaction-meltdown.
  Oz and Ross were fighting over Willow. Two males fighting over the
  affections of a girl always caused an estrogen meltdown amongst the female
  population. Willow felt love for Oz well up in her heart as she watched
  him stake his claim for her. <Oz is so cute.> Willow thought. <I was
  right when I told Xander we had to let life play itself out.>

  Ross seemed to sputter for a moment at Oz's defiance. "What could she
  possibly see in YOU? You're short and you're weird and you wear nail
  polish for God's sake!"

  Oz glanced at his nails. "Willow likes blue nail polish. She says I have
  nice hands."

  "You do," Willow muttered under her breath so no one else could hear.

  Ross stepped closer to Oz. "What if I ask her out and she says 'yes'?"

  Oz stepped closer to Ross. The fact that he only came up to the football
  player's shoulder didn't seem to faze him in the least. "Never happen," he
  answered.

  Ross huffed slightly and stepped away from Oz, towards the door. "I guess
  we'll see about that."

  Oz watched him leave before he exhaled heavily and turned to Buffy. "If he
  took a swing at me, you were going to back me up, right?"

  Buffy laughed and clapped Oz lightly on the shoulder. "Maybe."

  "Is it safe to come out?" Xander asked from under the table.

  Buffy knelt down to help him to his feet. "As safe as it's going to be,
  you guy-magnet."

  Xander sat again. "I KNEW I should never have let Cordy talk me into that
  makeover." He met Willow's eyes across the table. "I'm sorry Will."

  She shook her head to indicate it didn't matter, and returned to checking
  the e-mail. "Oh. OH! Here it is."

  Giles, finally seeing something worthwhile happening, left the sanctuary of
  his office. "Is it the reversal spell?"

  "Yup. Serendipity says that all I need to do is touch the enchanted object
  again and wish to be back in my own body. She um, strongly recommends
  that
  I do by myself or with just Xander and me in a room. She says sometimes
  enchanted things have a sense of humor and we may just get catapulted into
  other people by accident. That doesn't sound fun," she finished quietly.
  Her face scrunched up in puzzlement. "Enchanted object? What enchanted
  object?"

  Giles pinched his nose, thinking. "Were you carrying anything unusual with
  you yesterday? A spell book, an orb, anything?"

  Willow shook Xander's head to the negative. "No. I just had my backpack
  and my schoolwork. I didn't even have any stakes since it was daytime."

  Buffy leaned in to look at the computer screen. "Do you *have* to hold it
  or anything when you first cast the spell? 'Cuz we weren't doing anything
  but talking…"

  "What about your clothing?" Giles interrupted. "Were you wearing any new
  clothes? Shoes? Jewelry?"

  Willow thought for a moment. "No. Just my overalls and my shirt." She
  paused as her eyes lit up. "But I had those earrings my grandmother sent
  me, and I was wearing that bracelet Oz gave me last week."

  At the mention of the bracelet, Xander shrank into his chair slightly.
  <Wonder what would happen if I wished myself invisible?>

  "Well, have you worn the earrings before?" Giles asked. Willow nodded.
  "Without incident?"

  "Well, Xander spilled milk on Cordelia's angora sweater that day, but other
  than that, no."

  "Well, then I guess our preliminary search is limited to the bracelet
  then." He turned to Oz. "Where did you get the bracelet, Oz?"

  "I, uh, got it at that antique shop on Elm." He blushed as he spoke and
  Willow's eyes widened as she realized he probably paid much more for it
  than she'd originally suspected.

  "Antique shop. Wonderful," Giles muttered. "So it could have come from
  anywhere in the world before that then."

  "I swear, Giles, I didn't know there would be a cursed bracelet there," Oz
  protested. "From now on, I'm just going to buy jewelry from those safe
  not-demon-or-witches-or-anything-Hellmouthy-guys in trench coats on street
  corners. I promise."

  Willow turned to Xander. "I was wearing it yesterday morning. Did you
  take it off last night? Is it at home?"

  Xander shifted uncomfortably under her steady gaze. "Um. Will, here's the
  thing. I think I broke it." He immediately covered his head and waited
  for the reign of blows he figured she was going to bestow upon him. When
  it didn't come, he peeked through his hands – and wished she'd just hit
  him.

  Willow's lower lip trembled and her eyes had filled with unshed tears.
  "But I can't stay in here," she said brokenly. Before anyone else could
  react, Xander got up from his chair and crossed around to her side of the
  table. He gathered her into his arms and rocked her back and forth slowly,
  murmuring comforting noises. When it became apparent she wasn't going to
  fall apart, he drew back and let Buffy and Oz administer comforting hugs of
  their own. He fought the fine fire of jealousy as he watched Oz wrap his
  arms around her. Although to his eyes it appeared as if Oz was hugging
  Xander, his heart knew that Oz was showering his affections on Willow.
  <This waiting thing is going to be harder than I thought.>

  Giles was pacing, hand to his mouth as he thought, completely ignoring the
  scene behind him. "By broken, Xander, do you mean the chain itself is
  broken?"

  Xander shook his head. "No, the chain's fine. One of the stones fell
  out."

  Giles looked at his watch impatiently, "That may not matter. I really
  don't know." He sighed. "It's almost time for classes to begin. Do you
  think you'll have time at lunch to go home and get the bracelet?"

  "I can drive you," Oz offered helpfully.

  Xander bit his lip. They weren't going to like this next complication at
  all. "It's not at Willow's house. I left the bracelet at Cordelia's
  yesterday."

  "No problem," Oz continued. "I know where she lives. We can just--"

  "Cordelia may not be coming to school today," Buffy interrupted, "She has a
  dentist appointment."

  "Oh," Oz noted, letting the ramifications of her info sink in. "So,
  what're we gonna do?"

  "Go to class," Willow said, standing, "And hope she shows up by lunch."

  Xander grabbed his backpack and Buffy began leading the way out of the
  library. "We'll see you at lunch, Giles!" she called over her shoulder as
  the four students began filing out through the doors.

  "Oh, of course you will. I can hardly wait…" Giles mumbled sarcastically,
  heading into the stacks.