Mistress Red (PG-13)
Little Red Riding Hood
Cross Roads-a Buffy/X-File Crossover
-Cross Roads 1-Prologue & Chapters 1 & 2
-Cross Roads 2-Chapters 3 - 10
-Cross Roads 3-Chapters 11 - 14
-Cross Roads 4-Chapters 15 - 17
-Cross Roads 5-Chapters 18 - 21 (Conclusion)
-written by Michael B
Mistress Red (A Romantic Comedy)
MISTRESS RED
Author: MeB (aka XanWill4Ever-Michael B)
Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com
Spoiler: Season 2-Sometime after the episode "Halloween."
Pairing: Xander/Willow
Summary: An auction at school teaches Willow something about herself and how to get the one she loves.
Disclaimer: All characters of Buffy tVS are the property of
Joss.
Rating - PG-13 (Yeah...The title sounds kinky, but it is a clean story. Trust me. *grins* I've got to get nerves of steel to tackle the heavy stuff.)
xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxw
MISTRESS RED
Xander hated history class. He hated the pens and the pencils and the books...and, oh yeah, he really hated the teacher's dirty looks. He was sitting at his desk before the bell rang and he knew that he was forgetting something very important. Something that had to do with school. Something he knew that he should have been able to remember.
Willow would help him, he decided. She would know what it was that he had forgotten. She knew everything, and she even liked school. At least better than he did because he actually hated school.
He turned to ask Willow about helping him with his memory, and that's when it happened.
Now it was true that Xander and Willow had a special relationship. Everyone who knew them was aware that they were the best of friends ever since they were little. Buffy was their best friend, too, but only since she had moved into Sunnydale the previous year. However, she hadn't known the two of them all of her life. What she did know about them was that Xander liked her, and that Willow liked him. And she herself-that being Buffy-liked somebody else...you just can't win.
Xander treasured Willow's friendship more than anything. But something happened to him on that day and it changed his life forever. It happened when he turned to look at Willow, a question on the tip of his tongue ready to be asked. His eyes took her in and he had a thought.
A crazy thought.
A thought like no other thought before.
He saw in his mind Willow and himself alone in the classroom. She was looking at him with a sultry look and she breathed out his name. They kissed.
He blinked.
What in the world of all that was holy provoked such a thought?! he demanded of himself.
And the answer was sitting right there.
Willow sat at her desk completely absorbed in her homework that she was evaluating. She wanted to make certain that it was perfect before she handed it in. She was wearing her green sneakers, a blue jean skirt, and a short sleeve green shirt. On the right side of her head, her long red hair was upon her shoulder. On her left side, her hair was behind her and she idly brushed a strand aside, tucking it behind her ear. Her other hand held onto a pen, and her teethe were nibbling on the end of that pen as she looked at her homework. She was so engrossed in it that she didn't realize Xander was watching her.
Xander stared. Then he shook his head. He blinked. He looked at Willow and he blinked some more. My God, he thought, what she's doing to that pen! It's so goddamn hot in here. Breathe...breathe.
"Xander, what's wrong with your face?"
Xander jumped and he turned in his seat.
Buffy had joined them and she was grinning. She was grinning because she wasn't only the Slayer, she was also a girl. As a girl, she had seen Xander watching Willow and she could guess with a great amount of accuracy what was going on through his mind.
"Haba," Xander began, "Iba...wha?"
Buffy took her seat and smiled knowingly at Willow.
Willow, of course, missed it. "Hi, Buffy. How goes the 'you know what', 'you know when', and 'you know where'?"
The interpretation was simple. How did the slaying go on patrol last night in the cemetery? "Peachy keen," Buffy responded. "Took out two of them with my trusty stake and still had time to actually do my homework."
Xander slapped himself in the head. "Oh, man!! That's what I forgot to do!"
"Again?" Willow asked innocently.
Buffy grinned. "I think you've got way too much on your mind to think about homework, Xander." She looked at him knowingly.
Xander regarded her. "Are you trying to imply something with that? 'Cause if you are, I can tell you I've got absolutely nothing on my mind!" He pointed at his childhood friend. "Tell her, Will."
"Yep," Willow said with a nod. "It's true. There's nothing in there. It's all cobwebs and dust and...you know, naked girls." She rolled her eyes.
"Hey! Have you been sneaking peeks into my mind again?"
The bell rang.
They turned in their seats as the teacher was about to prepare the class for another great lesson in history. It would be a lesson that Xander would have rather enjoyed instead of what actually did take place.
It was like a bad movie. The music sounded. It was very ominous like something bad was about to take place. In slow motion, the door began to open. And then this horrible beast walked in. A hideous foul demon from the darkest pits of Hell.
Principal Snyder.
He had one of his famous clipboards in his hand which he proudly showed off to the class.
Without so much as a howdy doody, the monster said, "I want every male student in this class room to sign this before you leave this room. That means you, too, Mr. Harris. You gentlemen will sign it and then you will be in the auditorium this Friday evening at six o' clock sharp. That's fifteen minutes earlier for you, Mr. Harris. Am I making myself clear?"
Everyone stared at him.
Xander couldn't help it. He wanted to know what it was he was signing. "What are you getting me into now? If it's a lifetime subscription for Penthouse, then I'm in."
Snyder gave him a look. "Excuse me? Did you say something, Mr. Harris?"
Xander raised his hand.
Snyder rolled his eyes. "What is it, Mr. Harris?"
"What are we signing for? What's the biggie?"
"The 'biggie'?" Snyder frowned. "Have you been skipping out on English class again?" He didn't wait for an answer. "You and every male I can get on stage are going to be auctioned off this Friday night for the school fund. The bidders will be the ladies I can get to come to this event."
Xander grinned.
"Ah...Mr. Harris, keep your mind out of that stinking gutter. This event isn't what you think. The parents of these ladies must give their permission for them to bid. Then, once a bid is placed and taken, the lucky male will be expected to go to the ladies home and clean house. Do yard work. That kind of thing. So this weekend, you can expect to go to bed late-and in your own bed, I might add-then rise early to go to the house of the lady who purchased you...and work until your fingers bleed." He handed the clipboard to Xander. "And since you are so eager to participate in this event, I do want you to sign first."
Xander grinned. Actually, it was a grimace. He took the clipboard, and he signed it.
Willow watched him sign it.
Snyder took the clipboard and he turned to go.
But Willow had her hand up.
Snyder sighed. "What is it, Miss Rosenberg?"
"Uh, well, er...h-how do, I mean, c-can I make a bid?" She blushed suddenly as she realized that everyone was watching her. The whole class was looking at her.
Snyder sighed again. "I said, Miss Rosenberg, that the ladies who are participating must have permission from their parents. There will be forms for the ladies to take home after class." He shook his head. "If you intend to bid, I wonder what kind of riff raff you'll be bringing home over the weekend."
Willow couldn't respond to that. She was blushing furiously.
"Hey, Willow won't bid on riff raff," Buffy said in defense of her friend. "She's going to bid for X--"
Willow's eyes widened in horror.
But fortunately, Snyder interrupted. "Please tell me you aren't planning to make any bids." He was regarding Buffy with a look that was usually reserved for primates. Actually, he did look at all of the kids like that since he actually believed they were primates.
Buffy straightened. "As a matter of fact, I will make a bid...or two. My Mom always says there aren't enough men around to do the yard work. So...I-I'll be there and I'll bid, you bet'cha."
Snyder looked at her. "I pity the poor fool who you will end up purchasing. That's if you can afford it."
He walked to the front of the class, handed the clipboard to the teacher, and left the room.
Xander ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, man...I have to work this weekend?" Then a thought hit him. "Oh, God...wh-what wh-what what if Cordelia bids for me?"
Buffy grinned. "You're doomed."
_______________
Willow ran into her house. She ran into her bed room. She literally tossed her books onto her bed. The books bounced and slid off her bed, landing on the floor in a pile. She shoved open her closet door and dove into it with a deep intensity. She began tossing things aside. She climbed into the back and found what she was looking for. A Barbie lunch box.
She brought the lunch box out and sat with it on her bed. She opened it and took out the money she had been saving for the prom. Like any one was going to ask her anyway. She counted it.
She had a nice wad of cash, and she was surprised at the amount. But she had been saving all summer long and into the school year.
.00.
She smiled.
Then she frowned. What if someone out bid her on Xander?
She hoped that didn't happen. This was the only way. The only way she was going to have a chance to make it work was if she bid on him and won the bid. Then he would belong to her for the entire weekend. Her parents were going away...again. She had forged their name on the permission slip. And Xander didn't have to really go home and then come back in the morning. It wasn't like he hadn't spent the night before.
But this was different...wasn't it? If she won the bid, he was hers. He belonged to her until the weekend was over. So Xander would have to obey.
Wouldn't he?
She took the money and put it into her pocket. Then she put the Barbie lunch box back into the closet. That's when she found something else. She found a package that she had forgotten about. It was a package that had come with the Halloween outfit Buffy had almost made her wear on Halloween. Well, actually...she did wear the outfit, and then she put on a ghost costume. But the package had come with the outfit and she had never opened it.
Curious, she did open it.
Her eyes widened.
Inside was a set of novelty handcuffs, keys for the handcuffs, and a small riding crop. She held the cuffs in one hand and the crop in the other and her eyes were wide.
She shoved them back into the package, tossed the package into the back of the closet, and slammed the door shut.
___________________
The bidding had been going on for an hour and Willow was trying not to fidget in her seat. She had been watching the stage anxiously, but Xander had not yet been called to appear.
Buffy smiled at Willow. "Easy, girlfriend. You'll get your chance."
"I've got to win this bid, Buffy," Willow said anxiously. "It's the only way I can be with him."
"Will, you're always with him. You do hang out all the time."
She hesitated. "I-I know. It's just that...if I win this bid, m-maybe things will be different. M-maybe I can tell him how I feel." She looked at her. "It's the only way I know of that I-I might have some kind of a chance with Xander."
Buffy regarded her friend. "Willow, if you are serious about this--"
"I am. I have my whole savings."
Buffy looked at her. "How much?"
"Three hundred and fifty-eight dollars."
Buffy paused. "Okay. But still, you have to be a different kind of Willow."
Willow looked scared. "Wh-what do you mean?" She tried not to think about the cuffs and the riding crop. What kind of a costume would come with that? she asked herself. Then she realized that it would come with the outfit she had bought for Halloween.
"You have to be tough. If you win this bid, Xander will be relieved that's it you and he'll think that you will let him off the hook." Buffy looked at her sternly. "You can't let him do that to you."
Willow tried to look meaner. "I-I can be tough."
"I mean it, Will. You have to put your foot down. Take charge. Show him that you mean business." She nodded her head. "Trust me, if you show him that, you'll see how quickly he changes his tune."
She sighed. "I-I just hope no one bids higher than what I have."
Buffy smiled. "I brought some money to help."
"Buffy! I can't take your money."
"If you need to, Willow, you can. It's for the school."
Then the bidding for Xander started.
It began at .00. Then it went to .00, and that bid was from Cordelia.
"She's already won four other guys, what does she want with Xander?" Willow asked Buffy angrily. She gave Cordelia a look, but the high and mighty cheerleader hadn't noticed. She wasn't even looking in their direction.
Buffy looked at her. "It's not over yet."
More bids went around the auditorium. Xander began to look a little scared as he saw some of the bidders. He saw his best friend out there, however, and this filled him with hope. He saw that she was trying to bid for him.
But as the bids got to .00, he was scared again. This chick in the front row whose face was covered in pimples bid for .00. Xander was sweating. At least Cordelia had stopped bidding for him. She obviously thought he wasn't worth that much money.
Willow bid for .00.
Xander saw no other bids go up.
Except after some thought, the pimple-faced chick raised the bid to .00.
Willow pushed it to .00.
The pimple-faced glared back at her and raised it to .00.
"Buffy!" Willow whispered. "I-I'm two dollars short!"
"No, you're not," Buffy told her. "Bid!"
Willow raised it to .00.
Silence spread throughout the auditorium. The pimple-faced chick was counting her money furiously. Then she sadly shook her head.
Willow won the bid.
Xander went back stage...and Jonathan came on.
The bid started.
No one raised a hand.
Buffy frowned. "Well...that ain't right."
No one still raised a hand.
Willow frowned. "Poor Jonathan."
Buffy raised the bid to .00.
No one still raised a hand.
She won the bid. "Well...I guess I've got a man to bring home for my Mom. And it only cost me ten dollars."
"Buffy..." Willow shook her head. "That didn't come out right."
_______________
Willow and Buffy went backstage to collect their men that they had won in the bidding. Jonathan walked shyly up to Buffy and he looked very scared. Xander immediately went up to Willow and gave her a great big hug.
"Willow! My hero!" He looked at her and smiled. "You have just saved me from a terrible fate."
"Uh, I-I did?"
"Yes! Did you see some of them women?" He shuddered. "Yeech! I would prefer the Preying Mantis She-Bitch to most of them." He clapped his hands together. "We should celebrate! Say 'goodnight, Jonathan' and let's all go to the Bronze!"
Willow nodded and smiled at him. "Well...th-that sounds like a--"
Buffy cleared her throat and looked at Willow sternly. She made a fist as if to tell her to be tough.
Willow danced nervously on her feet and tried to look mean. "Well...uh, no. No, Mr. Xander, 'cause I won you...and you, mister, now belong to me. So-so you'd better get used to that idea if you know what's good for you."
Buffy gave her a thumbs up. Jonathan watched in fascination.
Xander looked at Willow as if she had lost her mind. "Will...what's gotten into you? It's just a bidding thing. It...it doesn't mean anything."
Willow put her finger in his face. "Oh...oh, that's what you think, mister! Well...well, uh, you just let me tell you something. You just cost me .00, and you cost Buffy two dollars. So...you're not getting off that easy! I paid for you for the whole weekend and you belong to me..." She shrugged. "Er, uh, at least until Monday."
"Have you gotten all of that, Xander?" Buffy asked.
Xander was looking at Willow. And, God, help him, but those thoughts were returning. He found that he was liking the way she was standing there with her hands on her hips, and that look in her eyes.
Jonathan liked it, too.
Xander cleared his throat. "Okay...Will. What are you telling me? What do you want me to do?"
Willow glanced at Buffy.
Buffy waved her to go on. She made a fist again.
Willow looked at Xander. "Well...for starters...you will follow me to my house."
"Can't I walk beside you?" He grinned.
"Uh, no. You are only my s-servant, and you will follow me home." She tried to look stern. "N-now, er, do as I say!"
"Then what?"
Willow froze. She had no idea about a then what. "Uh...er..."
"Why don't you wait until you get there to find out?" Buffy asked helpfully. She turned to Jonathan. "And, you!"
Jonathan jumped.
"Come with me."
"Y-y-y-yes, ma'am!" he said meekly.
Buffy and Jonathan began to walk away. "Do you know how to use a rake?"
Jonathan nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I do."
"Are you good?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Jonathan?"
"Yes, ma'am?"
"Call me ma'am again and you'll be eating that rake."
There was a pause. "O-okay...Buffy."
When they were out of sight, Willow found herself alone with Xander. She turned to look at him and she found that he was watching her very closely. She had never seen him look at her like that before. There was curiosity, there was wonder. And there was something else. She stepped closer as if to look deeper.
"What now?" he asked.
She straightened. "J-just follow me like I told you." She turned and began to walk away. As she did, she tried not to look too panicky. She was so glad he was walking behind her and not beside her because then he would have been able to look at her face.
She was silently asking herself what in the world was she doing? But she kept walking. She heard Xander following behind and she was amazed that he hadn't said anything more. It was quiet as they walked.
Until he said, "Willow..."
She didn't say anything. She was still trying to think about what she was going to do. She had no ideas. She thought for certain that he would say enough was enough and then he would go to the Bronze.
"Willow?"
He must think I'm delirious! she thought to herself. Ohmigod, what am I doing? He isn't going to take me seriously. He'll never see me as something other than his friend. Or a guy friend!
"Willow!"
He had interrupted her thoughts. Because of her nerves, she spun around and pointed at him. "Did I give you permission to talk, mister?"
He looked at her. A grin was tugging at his face but he was trying to keep it back. "Will...I just wanted to ask you why we were passing your house?"
She looked behind him. Her house was a few houses back. They had passed it. She collected her composure. "Well...if I want to walk past my house...a-and then walk back, that's my business. You only have to follow."
He waited.
She looked at him. Then she abruptly walked past him and headed for her home. Xander followed and he realized that he was enjoying watching Willow walking along ahead of him. That girl really could sway. He shook his head and wondered for the first time in his life...Why was I so blind?
Willow fumbled with her keys at the door and she was having a very difficult time with it.
Xander stepped up and held out his hand. "Let me get that."
"I-I can get--" she began, but then she tripped over her words. Her breath was short and she really did feel tingly all over.
Xander spoke softly. "I only mean to say that as your servant, I want to please you by opening the door for you."
That just about floored Willow. She dropped the keys into his hand. "Uhm...okay. Sure."
He smiled and he opened the door. Willow went in before him and he followed. Then he closed the door. He watched Willow. She had her back to him and she was wringing her hands together nervously.
"Willow..."
She held up a hand. "Hush. I-I'm thinking." Then this crazy idea hit her. "Sit down on the couch...and-and wait for me."
Xander did as he was told. Willow ran into her room. A few minutes later, she came back out with her right hand behind her back.
"C-come over here, Xander." She stood in the doorway of the living room.
Curious and beguiled, Xander approached her. He stood in front of her as he looked at her face. "What is it you want me to do?"
"T-turn around."
"You want me to turn around?"
She tried her tough face look. "Just do it!"
Xander slowly turned around. He had never seen this side of Willow before and he was really starting to like it. "Okay. I'm turned around."
There was a pause. Willow took a deep breath. "P-put your hands behind your back."
Xander hesitated. But then he did as she asked.
Before Willow decided that she would back out and run for the hills, she slipped the handcuffs onto his wrists. Xander was stunned by this. He hadn't expected Willow to do such a thing. He turned around to look at her in wonder.
"Willow? Did you just...?" He stopped. Then he chuckled. "Oh, God! You little vixen! You did! You put me in handcuffs. You're a bad girl, Willow."
"Hush!" she exclaimed. Still trying to look tough, she guided him by the arm to the living room closet and then she opened the door. "Get in there!" she ordered.
Xander looked at her. "You're putting me in the closet?"
It was the only thing she could think of to do. She hadn't a clue as to what to do with him. She needed help. "Get in there!" she ordered again. "I-I have to do something and I don't want you trying to get away."
Xander got into the closet and with Willow to guide him, he sat down onto the floor. He looked up at her.
Willow hesitated. She was scared. "A-are you okay, Xander?"
Xander looked into her eyes. "Yes. I am."
She paused for a long time as she looked at his face. "I-if you want to...to go to the Bronze...I mean, this weekend--"
"This weekend belongs to you, Will. We'll go to the Bronze next weekend." He smiled and shrugged. "You did purchase me, so you might as well put me to work. Of course, I didn't think work and handcuffs fell into the same category, but what do I know?"
"Er, are they too tight?" she whispered.
He shook his head. "No." He paused. "Will...I have to tell you...You've really got me going. Buffy's told me that there's more to you than what's on the surface. I'm beginning to see that she was right." He hesitated. "I'd, uhm...I'd like to see more of what you have."
Willow looked at him. Then she put on her tough face. "Oh, would you now? Well...y-you just sit in here for awhile. And while you're in here, I want you to think of me. And only me. Think of nothing else. Do you understand?"
"I do." He smiled.
She then looked concerned. "Oh, but, uh...if the cuffs do start to pinch or-or hurt, just call me. Okay?"
He nodded.
She closed the door. Then she opened it and turned the closet light on so it wouldn't be dark for him. Then she closed it again. After a short pause, she opened it again and looked in as if she couldn't believe he was in there. She closed the door a final time.
Xander shook his head in wonder. Was this the Willow Rosenberg he had known all his life? He smiled. He really did like this Willow.
Willow ran into the bathroom and looked at her self in the mirror. "Ohmigod! Ohmigod!" She blinked. "Ohmigod!" She put her face in her hands. "What am I going to do? What am I going to do?" She looked at her reflection. "Call Buffy! I-I gotta call Buffy!"
She ran into her room and picked up the phone. She dialed, and then she waited until the phone was answered from the other end.
"H-hello...Buffy?"
"Hi, Will. Wha'sup?"
"Help."
There was a pause. "You okay, Will?"
Willow didn't know what to say, so she repeated herself twice more. "H-help, help!"
"Willow, is Xander there?"
"Uh, yes."
"What is he doing?"
"Uh, he's, uhm, kinda tied up right now. W-with steel wrists thingies."
"Huh?"
"I-I handcuffed him, Buffy!"
There was a pause. "Huh?"
"I-I handcuffed him a-and I put him in the closet."
There was another pause. "I think I've already said this, but...huh?" There was a crash. Buffy sounded as if she were talking to someone who was with her. "Jonathan, did you just knock down a lamp or something?"
There was a muffled response in the background.
"I didn't tell you to vacuum the couch! I told you to take out the trash!...What?...No, Jonathan, don't think about what I tell you to do. Just do it."
Willow waited. Then she said, "Buffy?"
"I'm here, Will. You really have Xander handcuffed and in your closet?"
"Y-yeah, I do. Buffy, what's wrong with me?"
"Nothing, Willow. Is Xander complaining?"
"Well, uh, no."
"Then keep doing what you're doing. Still...I'd like to know where you got those cuffs, girlfriend. Are you keeping secrets from me?"
Willow blushed. "No, Buffy. The cuffs came with that outfit I bought on Halloween. It also came with a riding crop."
"A what?"
"A-a spanking stick."
There was a pause.
"Buffy?"
Buffy burst out laughing. "Ohmigod! Ohmigod!! You've really got it bad!" She laughed some more. "Are-are-are you going to spank Xander, Will?"
"No, Buffy. I-I could never hurt Xander!"
Buffy managed to stop laughing. "Okay, Willow. Listen up, 'cause this is what you're going to do. You're going to dig out that outfit and you're going to put it on."
"Buffy, th-that was for Halloween."
"Willow. Show Xander you're serious about taking on a relationship with him. Show him that you're not just one of his friends, and that you have what it takes to be his girl friend." She paused. "You can do this, Will."
Willow paused. "Are-are you sure?"
"Yes...Now put on the outfit. Fix up your hair and keep that crop with you."
"But I don't want to hit him, Buffy. I-I can't."
"You don't have to hit him. The crop is just a prop." She giggled. "Hey, that's a good one. 'The crop is just a prop.' Anyway, Xander will see you in a whole new light, and I guarantee you, you'll have him eating out of the palms of your hands."
"Y-you think?"
"Trust me. I know."
"O-okay."
"Call me if you need me."
"I-I will."
Before she hung up, she heard Buffy say, "Where the hell did that cat come from, Jonathan? We don't own a cat!"
Willow dug out the riding crop and the outfit from her closet. Then she went to the closet in the living room and put her ear to the door. "Xander...are you okay in there?"
"Never better," came the response. "What'cha doing?"
"Uhm, give me a few minutes more. Okay?"
There was a pause. "Do you still want me to think about you?"
Willow looked stern, even though she knew he couldn't see her expression through the door. "You'd better be thinking about me, mister, 'cause if you're not, I'm gonna give you a spanking!" Her eyes widened, and she clamped her hand over her mouth in total shock.
Did I just say that? she asked herself. Ohmigod, I did!
There was a pause. "Uhh..." came Xander's voice. "I'm thinking about you, Will. Believe me...I am not able to get these thoughts of you out of my mind."
"Uhm, okay. I-I'll be right back."
She hurried back into her room and changed into her outfit. She went into the bathroom, and fixed up her hair. She was wearing the Halloween outfit and as she held the crop in her hands, she looked at herself in the mirror.
"Ohmigod," she said.
She took a deep breath. "Here goes."
She walked to the living room, went to the closet door and she opened the door.
Xander looked up. "Ohmigod."
She held the crop in her hands and she looked at him sternly. "Have you been thinking about me, mister?"
He swallowed hard. "Dear God in heaven, yes, I have." He looked at the crop. Then he looked at her legs, her belly button, and her...Wow. She really did have some of those, he thought, and swallowed again. He looked at her face. God, she's beautiful. Her hair was done up and she was looking at him with a look that told him he was hers.
"Were they good thoughts? Or bad thoughts?"
Xander hesitated. "Uhm...Which would you prefer?"
"An honest answer."
"Oh..." He laughed nervously. He never thought he would laugh like that before Willow. It was the kind of laugh reserved for those women who didn't want to date him. Now he felt like he wanted to do nothing but please Willow, to make her want to be with him. "Well...they were very good thoughts about you."
She looked at him.
"But...in a bad way."
She frowned.
"Which was really in a good bad way, but not so bad."
"I want to know what you were thinking."
"Willow, I--"
She pointed the crop at him. "No. Not Willow."
He looked at her.
"You will call me Mistress Red."
Xander looked at her. "Mistress Red."
"Yes." I can't believe this is happening, she thought to herself. She was loosening up and having fun with this. Looking at Xander, she could see that he was, too. "Now...tell me what you were thinking about me."
Xander looked up at her. "Well...Mistress Red...the truth is...I was thinking of you and me."
"What about you and me?"
"I saw you taking my handcuffs off."
She looked at him. "Oh...r-really?"
He nodded.
"Oh...w-what else?"
"I saw myself taking you into my arms and kissing you."
She froze. "Y-you did?"
He smiled. "I did."
Willow knelt down beside him and looked into his eyes. She placed the crop on the floor beside them. "If I-I uncuffed you, would you want to kiss me?"
He settled back and gazed at her. "I've seen a side of you I've never seen before, Will, and it makes me want to know you more than I already do. To coin a phrase from eons ago...Willow, would you date me?"
Willow brushed a tear from her eye. "I-I've never been asked on a date before."
"You've never handcuffed a guy and put him in a closet before either." He looked at her. "Have you?"
"I-I don't know what came over me."
"You came over you. There's a lot you can do, and I can't wait to see what else you have."
She took his face in her hands and kissed him. As they kissed, Xander put his hands around her and held her. When Willow tilted her head back, she realized that his hands were around her.
She gasped in surprise. "How did you--?"
He grinned. "You dropped the key."
She laughed. Xander laughed with her. They both shared a good laugh in the closet and then their lips pressed each others again.
Xander and Willow spent the whole weekend together. Not as friends. But as boyfriend and girlfriend. And Willow wanted to thank Principal Snyder for making her dream come true by sponsoring the bidding.
She had bid for Xander.
And she had won his heart.
xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxw
|
|
Little Red Riding Hood
Author: MeB aka XanWill4Ever
Email: lenoxfiles@hotmail.com
Spoiler: Takes place after Bewitched, Bothered, & Bewildered of Season 2.
Summary: Willow gets a visit from someone she wasn't expecting.
Disclaimer: All characters from Buffy tVS belong to Joss.
Rating - PG-13 - SL/V
xwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxwxw
***
All I wanted to do was make her suffer. And I believe I more than
accomplished that. I wanted her dead, but not right away. Not quickly.
For her, I wanted her to suffer every day knowing that I was doing it
because of how human she had made me feel. Now, the mere thought of her
sickens me. I am filled with a rage so deep that not even her death would
bring me satisfaction. And that is the reason she must suffer so. And, oh,
yes...there is only one way to cause her great anguish.
It's simple really.
I'll just take one of her friends and she'll fall a part. But not Xander.
Oh, no. He'll eventually meet his death but now is not his time. Perhaps
the Watcher, or the one the Watcher loves, Jenny Calendar. Again, nah. Not
yet. You see, I could kill them one by one and it would be effective enough
to hurt her...but not in the degree I would like. So I think upon the one
friend who is kind of like the glue that holds them all together. Take that
one, they all come unglued. I know it will hurt them the most because then
they will all react.
It's pure genius really. She's the perfect choice, and I'm not talking
about the Slayer this time. I'm talking about the picture of pure
innocence. The girl who has not lost her virginity. The sweet girl who
only sees the good in the bad. The one who is so pure that to look at her
makes me want to spoil her.
And I will.
So...
I think it's time I pay Little Red Riding Hood a visit. After all...she did
invite me into her home.
***
Willow Rosenberg was ready for bed. She was wearing her favorite long
pullover shirt and she was laying on the bed with her bare feet up in the
air. Her face was all smiles as she talked on the phone with the one boy
she couldn't get out of her mind these days.
"Oh, Oz!" she exclaimed. "You're just suffering from some type of mild
paranoia. There aren't any cats following you around."
"But think about it, Willow," Oz said on the other end of the line. "Cats
and dogs are like natural enemies, and that's the way it has always been for
centuries. I mean it's not like you can change that about them. That's
just the way they are. But now, ever since I've been going through
my...changes..."
Willow mimicked howling like a wolf.
She couldn't see it, but she knew he was smiling. "Wow," he said. "You're
getting good at that."
"Yep, I am, you bet'cha. I can bark like a dog if you want me to."
Oz hesitated. "Uhm, I don't think we're quite ready for that stage of our
relationship just now."
She frowned. "We're not?" Then she realized what he was thinking. Her
eyes widened. "Oh, oh, oh, no...er, I-I didn't mean that kind of barking
like a dog!"
"It's okay. You've given me something to dream about."
"Oh, I did?" She paused. "Oz...you dream about me?"
"All the time. Even when I'm awake, I dream about you."
She smiled. "Th-that is so sweet!"
"Do you dream about me?"
She closed her eyes. "I'm even dreaming about you right now." Then she
remembered that Oz had been talking about cats and dogs. "Oh! I
interrupted you, Oz. I'm sorry. Y-you were talking about going through
your changes, and how you noticed something about cats."
Oz continued. "Well, ever since then, I've noticed that cats watch me
whenever I'm near them."
"Maybe they like you."
"I think they don't. I think they know what I am. Cats can be dangerous,
Willow. I have to stay away from them."
Willow tried to give him assurance. "Oh, well...don't worry, Oz. I'll
protect you from the little kitties. Oh! And the big ones, too."
"I knew I could count on you."
"Of course, you can, Oz. You can always count on me. For everything."
There was a pause. "You know, ever since I met you, Willow...a lot of
things have been changing. Uh, not about the wolf thing." He hesitated.
"I never met anyone like you who can make such a difference in my life."
"I'm glad we met."
"Me, too."
They talked awhile longer until finally, they said their good-bye's and hung
up.
Willow laid back on her bed, stared up at the ceiling, and sighed a dreamy
sigh. She was thinking of Oz.
Then there was a knock on the french doors.
Her thoughts were so intent upon Oz that she reflexively got up, went to her
door, and opened it. The second it was open, she immediately regretted it.
Angel was standing there just outside her bedroom. Willow gasped and she
went to close the door, but when she heard the sobbing, she stopped.
She hesitated as she looked at Angel closely. "Uh...A-Angel?" Why was he
crying? Could it be? Dare she hope that he could have somehow regained his
soul?
"W-Willow!" Angel cried out. "I-I don't know what to do. I-I don't know
who to turn to!"
"Uh, are you...? Do you...?" She took a deep breath. "A-Angel, are you
good again?"
Angel looked at her with desperation. "I don't know how it happened,
Willow. My soul...i-it came back to me!"
Willow thought about that. She had heard Miss Calendar and Giles talking
about some kind of restoration spell. Maybe they had done it and now Angel
was back with his soul restored.
"W-well...come in." She stepped out of his way.
Angel came in and Willow closed the door.
Angel glanced at the bedroom door. It was wide open. Willow had the
bedroom door open because her parents weren't home. They had gone away for
the weekend. Angel already knew about that.
Willow clasped her hands together nervously. "Uhm...maybe I should call
Buffy."
Angel kept his back to her. "D-do you think she'll forgive me?"
"W-well...I think she will, Angel. I mean, the things you did when you were
bad...well, you did them when you were bad. But now...now you can do good
things again, uhm, because you're good." She went to her phone. "Buffy
will want to know if you're okay."
He hung his head. "Yeah...Okay. Call her for me."
Willow nodded and she dialed the number to Buffy's house. After a fourth
ring, Buffy picked up. "Hello?"
"Buffy! It's me!"
"Willow? What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. Buffy, Angel's here and--"
"What?! Willow, has he hurt you?"
"No, Buffy! He's here because he's good again. His soul has been restored
and he came to see me. He wanted me to call you."
There was a pause. "Is he right there, Willow?"
"Yes, Buffy. He's--"
"Give him the phone."
Willow handed the phone to Angel. "Buffy wants to talk to you." She stood
beside him as he raised the phone to his mouth and right ear.
He swallowed. "Buffy?" he said softly.
Buffy didn't hesitate. "Please tell me this isn't a trick, Angel, because
if you hurt her, if you so much as TOUCH one hair on her head, I'll kill
you."
Angel paused for affect. "You know, Buffy...I'll tell you what's not right
about this. You and Willow."
Willow looked at him as she tried to figure out what he was saying.
"What do you mean?" Buffy demanded.
Angel looked at Willow. "Well, it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, you
have blonde hair and Willow has red. But that's crazy because Willow acts
just like a blonde and you! Well, you would be smart enough not to fall for
the old 'my soul has been restored' routine."
Willow froze.
Angel laughed. "Ah, well. Women! Who the hell can figure them? Right?"
His face suddenly turned. "Oh, and, Buffy? You can hurry all you want to,
but it'll be too late by the time you get here." He hung up the phone and
then he ripped the cord from the wall.
Willow backed up and she screamed.
Angel grabbed her by the throat and picked her up off from the floor. He
held her face close to his own. "I've always wanted to do this." He opened
his mouth and sank his teeth into her throat.
________________
Buffy got to Willow's house and found the french doors wide open. But there
was no Willow, and there was no Angel. There was a message though. Written
in blood on Willow's computer screen was the word...
YUMMY
Buffy fell to her knees and cried.
Then she had no choice. She called Giles and Giles called the others. Some
time later, Xander, Cordelia, Giles, and Oz showed up. They found Buffy
sitting on the floor beside the computer.
Xander looked around.
Giles went to Buffy. "A-are you all right?"
Buffy looked up at him and the tears came again. "Angel took her, Giles.
He took Willow."
Giles glanced at the computer. "L-listen to me, Buffy. Angelus may be
playing a game and that could give us time to find Willow."
Oz looked at him with hope. "But...isn't this Willow's blood? That means
he bit her. She's going to become like him."
"Not necessarily. Vampires can keep humans around for a long time and feed
from them. Angel might be planning to do this with Willow." He hesitated.
"B-besides, a person doesn't become a vampire unless the vampire sucks the
victim's blood and the victim sucks the vampires blood." He glanced at
Buffy. "S-someone once told me that it was rather a big sucking thing."
"But you mean if we can get to her...we can still save her?"
"Y-yes." He looked down at Buffy. "We have to find her."
Xander let out a sigh. "Would you help her up already?"
Giles glanced at him, and then he helped Buffy up. That's when Xander
walked over to her and he belted her one across the jaw. Oz quickly grabbed
him and pulled him back as Buffy stumbled and fell against Willow's desk.
Buffy was the Slayer so she knew that it would take a lot more than that to
put her down. Especially from Xander.
But it was the fact that he actually hit her.
He made a fist...and he punched her.
Buffy stared at him as the tears renewed. Her heart was hurting so badly it
was on the verge of breaking.
Giles put himself in front of her and he glared at Xander. "Have you gone
mad? You have no right to do what you just did, and for your sake, you'd
better have a damn good reason for it!"
Xander brushed Oz off and returned the glare. "You want a good reason? How
about this one? You should fire her ass and find a new Slayer. One who
will slay all vampires. Including the ones who have souls! Vampires are
for slaying, not making the Happy!" He glared at Giles. Then he glared at
Buffy. Then he shook his head and he stormed off.
"Xander..." Buffy fell a part. "I'm so sorry!" All she could think about
was Willow. How none of this would have happened if she would have simply
slain Angel. Had she not fallen in love with him, her world would not have
fallen apart.
Yeah...real simple.
___________
Willow was picked up and tossed to the floor like property. She landed hard
and found herself gliding across the floor until a beam stopped her.
Breathing hard, she tried to sit up but she felt so weak. There was a
throbbing pain in her neck and she felt sick to her stomach.
Angel walked toward her and reached down for her to pick her up. He pushed
her back against the beam and then he put shackles around her wrists.
"There!" he exclaimed. "We have a new decoration for our happy home!"
"Why, it's lovely, Daddy!" Dru exclaimed as she purred with delight. She
sauntered toward them and studied Willow intently. "Oh, but Daddy has had
himself a little nibble." She looked at Angel. "Can I have a bite?"
Angel shook his head. "No. I took just enough not to kill her."
"Not to kill her?" Spike inquired as he rolled into the room on his
wheelchair. "Are you certain you don't have your soul? Because the last I
knew, vampires did NOT spare their victims any mercy."
"You think I'm sparing this girl mercy, Spike?" He grabbed Willow by the
chin and forced her head up.
Willow cried out.
"Look at her, Spike!" Angel declared. "Look at the fear in her eyes!
There's no mercy here. If we kill her, then that would be merciful."
Spike shook his head. "You want to make her bait, is that it? You think
the Slayer will come for her."
"Of course, she'll come for her." He released Willow and she slumped
against the beam. "That's what Slayer's do."
But the Slayer didn't come for Willow.
________________
There was a knock on her window. With sleep still in her eyes, Amy Madison
found Oz outside her window.
She was stunned. "Oz?"
Oz let out a sigh. "Look. I need a really big favor from you."
"Now?"
"It's a matter of life or death. And no matter what, you can't tell
anyone."
Intrigued, Amy nodded her head. She quickly got dressed, grabbed a few
things she needed and then she took off into the woods with Oz.
________________________
"Now this is your new home," Angel said to Willow as he walked toward her.
"You are no longer free, Willow. You are property. You belong to me."
"And me," Dru said with a gleam in her eye and a bounce in her step.
Angel smiled. "And Dru," he agreed. He looked at Willow. "Do you
understand?"
Willow feared for her life. She nodded.
"You can live a long happy life." He suddenly laughed. "Well, a long life
anyway, but not a happy one. Just know that every now and then, I'll feed
off you and Dru will feed off you. Oh, and if Roller Boy behaves, he can
have a nibble."
"Gee, thanks, git," Spike grumbled through clenched teeth. He glanced at
the other three vampires who were just standing around laughing like idiots.
Angel stood in front of Willow and he ran his hand through her hair. "We'll
feed you. We'll give you plenty of things to do. But your life is ours to
do with as we please."
Willow couldn't stop the tears. "A-Angel, please!"
He pulled her head back forcefully. "Don't you call me that!" He shook her
for emphasis. "Not ever! Do you hear me?"
And then there was a voice. It said, "Get your filthy stinking paws off my
girl."
Angel froze. He didn't turn around. "That doesn't sound like Xander...so
it must be Oz." He looked at Willow and laughed. "Well...I guess you get
to watch your boyfriend die, because we all know it was incredibly stupid of
him to show up here." He turned around and looked at Oz.
Then he looked up at...Oz?
The werewolf standing before him glared down at him.
Angel's mouth dropped open. "What the hell...?"
The werewolf showed his teeth. With Oz' voice, it said, "I told you to keep
your hands off." Suddenly, he picked Angel up and bit him on the neck.
Then he glared at him. "How do you like it, dead boy?" In anger, he tossed
Angel aside. Angel landed hard on the floor and then he stared at the wolf
in astonishment. Dru got to his side, helped him up, and then they took
off.
Spike wheeled himself out of sight, but not before he watched the wolf tear
apart the other vampires.
When it was over, Werewolf Oz approached Willow. She stared at him in
wonder. Because of his size and, well, his wolfiness, Oz made his approach
real slow so he didn't frighten her any more than she was.
She looked up at him. "O-Oz? I-is that...you?"
The wolf nodded. "Howwwwllllllll," he said. Then he hung his head at the
look on her face. "Sorry." He took the chains and pulled them apart. He
looked at Willow. "Are you okay?"
She hesitated. "I-I don't know...A-am I dreaming this? Are you Oz, or a
wolf?"
"I'm a little of both actually." He looked at her. "I was scared for you."
"I was, too." She touched his arms in wonder. It was the strangest thing
to watch the wolf's mouth moving as Oz spoke words. "How did you...?"
"Well...it's a long story. But I had some help. The others..." he trailed
off.
She looked at him with concern. "The others what? Oz. Tell me."
"They weren't in any shape to find you, Willow. Buffy fell a part and
Xander hit her."
"Xander hit Buffy? W-why did he do that?"
Oz hesitated. "He blamed her for Angel taking you."
"Oh...But...he shouldn't have hit her." She looked at his wolfish face.
"Oz...you s-saved my life. I-I want to kiss you...but not right now." She
shuddered at the thought of her kissing a wolf. "Ugh. Gross!" Then she
said, "Sorry. B-but that's just not right...you know."
"I understand." He licked her face.
She looked at him in surprise. "Eeww! Th-that felt really weird!"
Oz hung his head. "Sorry. I acted a bit impulsively." He picked her up.
"Let's get you home."
Willow put her head on his shoulder as the wolf carried her home.
wowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowowo
|
