TITLE: The First Time, Again (1/?) Companion Piece to A Stitch In Time
AUTHOR: Tienco (tienco@m...)
COUPLE: W/Aus, X/S
RATING: R so far, hopefully will be NC-17 in later parts
DISTRIBUTION: My site!! www.oocities.org/tienco_21 and various lists. Ask if you want it, I'll let you have it. Oh, Kylia, and Jai can always have it. . .if I've given you permission for something else, you are welcome to this.
DISCLAIMER: All belongs to Joss Whedon. Gosh, I wish I were Joss. I'd have such a good time with Spike. . .and Angel. . .and Xander. . .and Graham. . . and Lindsey. . .throw Willow and Faith in there and it's a party!!
FEEDBACK: Of *course*. Makes me write more.
SPOILERS: Anything is up for grabs. :)
SUMMARY: It's the first time Willow and Xander meet Angelus and Spike. . .
NOTES: This is a companion piece to A Stitch In Time. It's in my AU, and it's set in the Summer of 1996. It, like ASIT, is in Xander and Willow's POV, also with a sprinkling of Jenny's POV. :) Now, since this is an AU, I'm totally taking the events that happened at the beginning Buffy and changing them. I hope this story turns out ok. . .you guys let me know.
DEDICATION: To everyone who loved A Stitch In Time. Also, to Wolfie, who said I should write a story on how Angelus and Spike meet Willow and Xander in 1996. :) Oh, and Tis, thanks so much, doll, for beta'ing this for me. You rock, girlie. :)

*~*~*~*

I glanced around warily and sighed. It was the summer of 1996, the moment in time those in my care had been waiting for far too eagerly for my tastes. I sighed again, sitting back. "Ok, Angelus," I said, "tell me again what's so important about Sunnydale in 1996? I just. . .I don't get it."

Angelus growled at me. He always tried to be so strong, so tough, but deep down, I knew the demon had grown to care for me. "Jenny," he said, "this is where we meet our destiny."

"Is this that tree thing Dru was talking about last year?" I asked, still not knowing what the insane vampire had been talking about.

Spike chuckled, turning to me. "Yea, this is that 'tree thing'."

I sighed again, looking around the mansion Angelus had obtained for us. It was on Crawford Street, and tended to give me feelings of. . .well, I was concerned. Rather scared, actually. That was an odd feeling, being scared. Especially when I had spent the last two years of my life following Angelus and Spike around the world. The two vampires weren't exactly known for their pleasantries. Before Angelus had returned our favorite sister in the clan, they were known as the Scourge of Europe. "I don't. . .like this place."

Spike sat back, putting his hands behind his head. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, causing Angelus to growl angrily at him on the other side of me. "I rather like it, luv. It is the epitome of evil."

"Things will work out here, Jenny," Angelus reassured me. He took my hand. "We belong here. All of us. Everything will be fine. You are going to teach at Sunnydale High. . .I know you've been wanting us to settle down."

I stood up, pulling my hand out of his. "I just hope that nothing bad happens here. I really don't have a good feeling about this place." I started towards the stairs. I glanced back at the two vampires, my two best friends. "I'm going to bed."

*~*~*~*

~July 31, 1996~

~Dear Diary,~

~Well, it was another boring summer day. I've already read all my books for our upcoming year at Sunnydale High. I can't believe we are going to be Sophomores! Soon, we will be able to drive, then graduation, and college. . .maybe, just maybe I can get Xander to notice me.~

~Yea, right. Who am I kidding? Alexander LaVelle Harris, my best friend since we were five, would never notice me as a girl. He's too busy being swept up by all the beautiful women. I don't understand that. We saw some of our fellow classmates today, at the mall. I think Xander and Jesse's mouths were going to hit the ground. Seriously! I mean, when the ninth grade let out, they were still little girls. And now, they are wearing makeup and designer dresses. . .and I'm still a little girl.~

~Sometimes, I wish that I could just be like them. Be the ditzy airheaded beautiful one. Not Net Girl. Not Homework Girl. Or, oh, yea, my favorite nickname - Bookstudy Nerd Girl. When Xander told me that he overheard someone call me that, I thought I would cry. He was so sweet, he took me in his arms and hugged me tightly, telling me that I may have been Bookstudy Nerd Girl, but I was still his best friend, and that's all that mattered. That, and the fact that I had to help him pass his classes the next three years.~

~Sometimes, I wish I would meet someone wonderful; some dark, tall, and handsome stranger that would sweep me off my feet. It would be a wonderful feeling, to be swept off my feet. And then Xander would notice and be jealous, and that would be it. He'd beg for me, and I'd turn to Stranger, and say, "I'm sorry, Mr. Man, but I love Xander. He's the only one I will ever love." And then Xander and I would look into each other's eyes, and there would be only love there. . .~

A loud stomping brought me away from my diary. I jumped, closing the cover quickly. I turned with a scowl. "Xander!" I cried. "What do you want!?"

"Geez, Wills, what a way to greet your best friend." He rolled his eyes at me.

I opened my desk drawer and shoved my diary in, hoping he'd never ever read it. I don't think I could handle knowing that he knew my most private thoughts, the way that I felt about him. He has no clue, and I know he doesn't feel the same way. If he did, he'd treat me differently.

Not that Xander treats me bad, because he doesn't. He's my best friend, and I'm his. But he would be more considerate of my feelings, and he would see me as a woman, not a little girl.

"Sorry," I mumbled. "So what's going on?"

"I'm just bored. I want to do something. Anything! We should go for a walk!"

My eyebrow rose. "Should we call Jesse?"

"No," he said. "Just me and you." He smiled his patented XanderGrin at me.

I fell in love with him all over again, my heart swelling with hope. He wanted to be alone! Maybe he wanted to tell me that he loved me and that I was his for the rest of my life. . . "Really?" I asked softly, hopefully.

"Yea," he said, still grinning. "I need you to help me figure out how to get Betsy Roberts to notice me. I figured since you were a girl, that you could tell me what would attract a woman." His face scrunched up in thought. "Do you know what attracts a woman?"

I screamed in my head. < YOU IDIOT! I'm sitting *right* here! What do you need with *Betsy Roberts*? > "Um. . .yea," I said softly. I'd never tell him how I felt. Somehow, when Xander had finally hit puberty, the Fates decided to play a trick on me and leave me a little girl. I stood up and sighed. "Come on, Xand. Let's go."

We walked out of my house and down the street. The sun had set about an hour earlier, and the night was oddly quiet. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought there was a predator out. I know that sounded strange, but when Xander, Jesse, and I were younger, we went camping once. We huddled in the tent, knowing that there was a bear outside, beyond the clearing. And for the first time since we'd been in the woods, it was completely quiet, as if all of the animals were hiding from that bear.

"Willow," Xander said, taking my hand. I was too scared to let the feeling of electricity register. "Are you thinking about that bear too?"

It amazed me that Xander and I were usually on the same wavelength. We were best friends, and that only strengthened our bond. Jesse could be on the same plane as us *sometimes*, but he hadn't been friends with us our entire lives. Not like Xander and I. I nodded quietly. "Something's out there," I said quietly.

Xander puffed up, poking his chest out. "I will protect you, Princess Willow! I won't allow anything to harm you!"

*~*~*~*

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